Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii, 1967. / Bibliography: leaves [183]-186. / xi, 262 l illus., maps, tables

To date, there is a scant amount of research on the long-term benefits of exercise training for individuals with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate standardized outcomes of a six-month maintenance pulmonary rehabilitation program to determine maintenance of functional capacity. Twenty-three subjects (sixteen men, seven women) diagnosed with clinical COPD ages 30-82 (65 + 12 years) participated in the retrospective study. The subjects were referred to an eight-week comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program after which upon twelve subjects continued onto a maintenance program. Eleven subjects chose not to participate in the maintenance program and were given a home exercise program and were encouraged to remain active. Hemodynamic, functional, and educational measures were taken prior to entry, upon completion of the hospital program, and again six-months post-program. Outcome tests were standardized using the Indiana Society of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Outcomes Manual. Significantdifferences were found between the maintenance and non-maintenance groups for systolic blood pressure in resting, exercise, and recovery measures at six months reevaluation. Differences in oxygen saturation were also found to reach significance between the two groups during recovery from the six-minute walk test. Interestingly, duration of exercise was found to be statistically significant between the two groups as well as emergency room visits and physician visits within the last six months. The maintenance group tended to have fewer emergency room and physician visits in addition to having self-reported higher durations of exercise. In conclusion, maintenance pulmonary rehabilitation programs have been shown to maintain physical activity levels for COPD patients and as a result, fewer quality of life consequences specifically the number of hospital admissions and emergency room visits. / Department of Biology

Female Misumenoides formosipes crab spiders, unlike their highly mobile, short-lived male counterparts, are relatively sedentary predators that forage long after the males have died off. Associated with their foraging ability is a phenomenon rare amongst animals: the capacity for a reversible change in body color. This color change ability, exhibited by several species of crab spiders, has historically been interpreted as an adaptation providing enhanced crypsis during movement between hunting substrates (inflorescences). Misumenoides formosipes females were relocated onto matched and mismatched substrates in the field to assess their propensity for color change, the rate at which it occurs, and any impact on foraging success. Yellow females transferred to white inflorescences were the only category that did not remain in their new location. White females changed to yellow over a 9 day period. We found conflicting evidence as to whether or not foraging success was enhanced for females on matched backgrounds. / Department of Biology

No description available.

Game theory models predict that individuals involved in contests adjust their strategy appropriate to the current value of the contested resource and the resource holding potential (RHP) of their opponent. In this investigation, I examined interactively operating, multiple contest asymmetries on dyadic disputes for precopulatory guarding positions in the crab spider Misumenoides formosipes. In contests between equally sized opponents with no previous contest experience, residents had clear advantages in fighting success over intruders. In the remaining two experiments, asymmetries in experience predicted outcome when tested against residency and size asymmetries. Data from this investigation suggest crab spiders learn strategies through experience rather than rely solely on the assessment of their opponent’s RHP before determining contest effort. / Department of Biology

The North American crab spider Misumenoides formosipes is a sit-and-wait predator of insect pollinators. Females are relatively sedentary and adult males must search for females within a heterogeneous habitat. Females are receptive to mating immediately after their adult molt and a first sperm priority pattern places a premium on male ability to locate females quickly. It is unknown what cues males use to navigate during searches for females. We report here on the male-biased operational sex ratio, the distances traveled and the possible cues utilized by moving males. Males in field trials moved towards inflorescences when both visual and chemical cues were available, but were less likely to do so when chemical cues were eliminated. Males in lab trials chose an inflorescence over leaf substrates even in the absence of visual cues. These findings support the hypothesis that these spiders utilize floral chemistry as an environmental cue to optimize mate searches. / Department of Biology

Thesis (M.S.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on June 07, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. [53]-56).

We aimed to identify the volatile compounds in inflorescences of Rudbeckia hirta that may be responsible for the olfactory attraction of the crab spider Misumenoides formosipes to this plant. Our approach was to use ultrasonic extraction, separate the extract into fractions using flash chromatography with different solvent systems, and test the attraction of the male spiders to the pooled fractions using a y-tube olfactometer. Ultrasonic extraction is carried out using a mixture of 1:2 hexane/diethyl ether with 10 g of inflorescences for 30 minutes. Bioassay results indicated that male spiders chose the inflorescences, bulk ultrasonic extract, and the pooled 100% dichloromethane fractions over controls. Nuclear magnetic resonance experiments and infrared spectroscopy experiments were carried out on the 100% dichloromethane fractions and these experiments indicated that a long chain hydrocarbon is the main component in the 100% dichloromethane fractions / Chromatographic method and bioassay development method -- M. formosipes olfactory response to R. hirta -- Separation and identification of the possible attractants in the 100% dichloromethane fractions. / Department of Chemistry

Our research involves the isolation and identification of the possible chemical compounds in black-eyed Susans that may be responsible for the olfactory attraction of the crab spider Misumenoides formosipes to the inflorescences of these plants. In olfactometric bioassays, 80% of 30 male spiders moved towards olfactory-only cues from R. hirta inflorescences over a water control (P = 0.0014). The bulk extract was separated using flash column chromatography (silica column) with a series of solvents. Spiders in olfactometer bioassays showed a significant preference for the fractions collected using 100% dichloromethane over the solvent-only control (P=0.039). The 100% dichloromethane pooled fractions were separated using solid phase extraction (SPE). Three compounds were isolated and identified using TLC, infrared and NMR spectroscopy. Two compounds were identified as contaminants, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and erucamide, found in the flash column chromatography apparatus and SPE apparatus, respectively. A long-chain crystalline hydrocarbon wax was extracted from R. hirta inflorescences. Research shows that several insects use the lipids of the wax layer, specifically various long-chain alkanes and alcohols, as cues in host plant selection or as kairomones, chemical cues used in communication from one organism to another [3]. It also shows that the waxes can act as absorbents or release agents for biologically active material. Thus, the long-chain hydrocarbon wax interacting with the volatile components could play a major role in attracting the male crab spiders to the R. hirta inflorescences / Introduction and background -- Olfactory bioassay studies of M. formosipes -- Chromatographic separation of components in the 100% dichloromethane fractions -- Identification of the possible attractants in the 100% dichloromethane fractions using spectroscopic methods. / Department of Chemistry