May 15, 2015

The Effect of Noise Pollution on Foraging Rates of Hogna carolinensis

Elizabeth Puffer '15

Humans have altered the acoustic background noises with anthropogenic noises by introducing new pitches and frequencies not found in natural habitats. We have looked at the effect of anthropogenic noise on prey capture latency in wolf spiders, Hogna carolinensis. The observation of the wolf spider’s hunt was done in anthropogenic noise, natural sound, and in silence. contrary to our expectations we did not find significance between anthropogenic noise and natural sound. There was marginal significance between natural sound and silence, which may have been due to the songs of bird present. In the natural sound some of the wolf spiders did not even hunt. The orientations taken towards the crickets in the trials also showed no significance. With the increase of human populations and the increase of urbanization it is important to study the effect of anthropogenic noise in order to control the damage caused by altering habitats.

The Effects of Urbanization on Anti-Predator Behavior in Passer domesticus Using A Sharp-Shinned Hawk Model

Michelle Vargason '15

The effect of urbanization on organisms is a pervasive topic as urban areas are continuing to grow in size at a faster rate than ever. This is causing a decline in population of many species including the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). While there has been research that house sparrows have habituated well from rural to urban environments, there has been little research on the effects of various levels of urbanization concerning anti-predator behaviors. Flocks of house sparrows were observed in both high and low disturbance sites where anti-predator responses were measured through chirping latency differences using either a control or sharp shinned hawk model. Chirping latency from flocks in response to the hawk model was significantly longer than chirping latency in response to the control in both high and low disturbance areas (N=10, W=2.5, p=0.01). This indicates that the hawk model was an effective predator model. Flocks latency difference observed in compared low and high disturbance areas showed marginal significance (N=10, p=0.09). However, house sparrows flew away more often in low disturbance areas than high (χ2 = 6.67, p= 0.02) indicating increased caution. Results of this experiment suggest that although house sparrows demonstrate caution in low disturbance areas, they have not yet habituated to increased predation in high disturbance areas of urbanization.

Effects of Yoga on Measures of Stress, Exhaustion, and Physiological Function in Healthy Elderly Individuals

Katherine Tilton '15

Aging is associated with a decline in physiological function, often referred to as frailty. This progressive condition leads to loss of independence, decreased quality of life, and increased mortality. Many interventions have focused on resistance and/or aerobic exercise, but the effectiveness of yoga is less well characterized. PURPOSE: To compare the effects of 7 weeks of yoga on measures of physiological function and emotional wellness in elderly participants. We hypothesized that balance, flexibility, stress, exhaustion, and functional mobility would improve significantly after participating in the program. METHODS: The study included 8 participants (6 males, 2 females, 66.5 +/- 0.25 yrs of age) performed two testing sessions before and after the program. Balance was assessed by 4 balance tests and a Swaymeter test. Flexibility was measured by chair sit-and-reach and shoulder flexibility tests. Functional mobility tests included the 8 foot up-and-go, chair stands, and the 4 meter walk. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), answered questions regarding exhaustion levels when performing daily activities, and completed the SF-12 questionnaire to measure concepts of general physical and mental/emotional health. Fasting blood lipids, glucose, salivary cortisol levels, blood pressure, and weight were also measured. Continuous variables were analyzed using paired t-tests, and categorical variables were analyzed using chi square tests. RESULTS: PSS scores (p=0.005), exhaustion levels (p=0.03), and the Mental Component Summary (MCS, p=0.029) section of the SF-12 improved significantly after yoga program participation. No significant differences were found in balance, flexibility and functional mobility measures, although a trend towards significance existed for the chair stand test (p=0.079). CONCLUSION: Although we did not demonstrate a statistically significant change in physiological function, significant improvements were found in perceived stress, exhaustion levels, and mental/emotional wellness after yoga program participation. Different outcomes in the functional measures may have been found had we recruited a less robust subject population. Future studies should target more sedentary, frail individuals in order to better determine if yoga can elicit significant improvements in physiological function and reduce frailty indicators. We conclude that yoga participation can improve perceived stress, mental wellness, and exhaustion levels in elderly individuals, even without measurable changes in physiological function.