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A Teachable Unit On Soft Corals With Instructional Method Variances, Emily Breech

Honors Projects

The soft coral Sinularia flexibilis contains an aqueous alcohol extract that has shown antineoplastic activity against lymphocytic leukemia (Weinheimer and Matson, 1977). It also has other biological properties that work as antimicrobials, anti-inflammatory agents, and cytotoxicity activities (Kamel and Slattery, 2005). There is much research on the effects of flow rate on growth and morphology (Khalesi, Beeftink, & Wijffels, 2007) and the effects of light-dependency on growth rate (Khalesi, Beeftink, & Wijffels, 2009). The purpose of this student project was to further research on S. flexibilis, as well as incorporate that research into evaluating the effects of lecture-based teaching …

The Characterization Of Alpha-Carbonic Anhydrases Through Mutagenesis And Subcellular Localization In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Lance E. Pounds

LSU Master's Theses

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are zinc metalloenzymes which catalyze the interconversion of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate. It is hypothesized that CA activity facilitates CO₂ flux in leaf mesophyll cells to maintain optimal rates of photosynthesis or to maintain a pool of inorganic carbon for other metabolic processes. There are three classes of CAs (α, β, and γ) in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The βCAs and γCAs have been well studied, but the αCAs have received relatively little study. There are eight αCA genes in Arabidopsis. This study investigates which αCAs are expressed in shoots, their tissue-specific expression, their …

Uncovering Tasselsheath3. A Genomic And Phenotypic Analysis Of A Maize Floral Mutant., Thompson Zhang

Masters Theses

In the modern era, maize has become the most successful crop grown in the United States. According to the USDA over 90 million acres of land are planted to corn and 96.2% of the U.S feed grain production is made up of the cereal. Part of the success of maize is due to its floral architecture, and its pollination technique in which the flower opens, exposing stamens containing pollen into the air. A unique organ called the lodicule functions as a release mechanism, forcing the flower to open. Lodicules from grasses and eudicot petals are homologous, yet there is little …

Pore Water Salinity Drives Brackish Vegetation Change In Salt Marsh Tidal Restoration, Shri Andrea L. Verrill Ms

All Student Scholarship

Salt marsh vegetation plays an important role in building and maintaining elevation on the marsh surface. For marshes to persist as sea-level-rise (SLR) occurs, the marsh accretion process must increase elevation at a rate greater than or equal to the rate of SLR. If salt marshes do not maintain elevation above sea level, salt marshes will drown, and associated benefits to humans, fish, and wildlife, and their contribution to the health of estuarine and marine ecosystems will be lost. Salt tolerant plant species are adapted to frequent and prolonged periods of inundation with seawater and typically maintain elevation where they …

Age And Sex-Specific Effect Of Caloric Restriction On Circadian Clock And Longevity-Associated Gene Expression, Arten Andreyevich Astafev

ETD Archive

The rhythms in the expression of circadian clock genes are affected by calorie restriction (CR), a dietary paradigm known to increase lifespan. In our current study, we show that circadian rhythms are influenced by sex and the effects of CR are different between males and females. In particular, we found a group of clock genes which showed a sex-dependent difference in expression, as well as in response to CR (Rev-Erb α, Ror γ and both Cryptochromes: Cry1 and Cry2 genes). Two clock genes showed no difference in expression but their response to CR showed sexual dimorphism (Ror α and Rev-Erb …

Studies On Development In Euphilomedes Ostracods: Embryology, Nervous System Development, And The Genetics Of Sexually Dimorphic Eye Development, Kristina Koyama

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Model organism studies have been fundamental in understanding evolutionary and developmental biology. However, non-model organisms present opportunities to study unique characteristics and as comparisons to model organisms, leading us toward broader and more relevant perspectives on diversity. The Euphilomedes genus of ostracods is an example of a non-model group with potential for evolutionary and developmental studies.

Ostracoda is an ancient, basally branching lineage of Crustaceans with a complete and prodigious fossil record. Despite the group’s promise for evolutionary studies, much remains unknown about the basic biology of this clade. There are a limited number of embryogenesis studies in Ostracoda; here, …

Vector Competence Of Aedes Sierrensis And Culex Pipiens Complex (Diptera: Culicidae) For Dirofilaria Immitis (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) In Northern California, Jeffrey Allan Kurosaka

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Dirofilaria immitis Leidy (dog heartworm) is a life-threatening parasite transmitted by mosquitoes to domestic dogs. Endemic in the eastern United States, cases have become more prevalent over the last few decades. While prevalence in California is generally low, Lake and San Joaquin Counties have reported rates comparable to the East Coast at 3.73% and 0.71%(CAPC 2017), respectively. Aedes sierrensis is thought to be responsible for transmission in California, but in some cases, it exists in inadequate quantities and temporal ranges to explain parasite activity. Based on Huang et al. (2013) and Tran (2016), bloodfeeding patterns, and other vector criteria, Culex …

Determinants Of Host Use In Tachinid Parasitoids (Diptera: Tachinidae) Of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) In Southwest Ohio, Matthew W. Duncan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Tachinid parasitoids in the subfamily Phasiinae are important natural enemies of heteropteran bugs. Host location by these flies occurs via antennal reception to the pheromones of their hosts; however little is known regarding the mechanisms which underlie host selection. Halyomorpha halys, the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, represents a potential novel host species in North America. This study was conducted to determine the suitability of H. halys as a host for phasiine species, and to assess cues used in host selection by the species Gymnoclytia occidua. Field attraction to pentatomid pheromones by both phasiines and pentatomids in Southwest Ohio were …

Auranofin Targets Thioredoxin Reductases In Trichomonas Vaginalis, Jose Jauregui

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Trichomonas vaginalis is an anaerobic, parasitic protozoan, responsible for trichomoniasis, the world’s most common, non-viral sexually transmitted infection. Lacking many of the defenses present in other organisms to combat oxidative stress, Trichomonas vaginalis relies extensively on the thioredoxin system—NADPH, thioredoxin reductase, and thioredoxin—as a means to protect against exposure to excess oxygen. Current trichomoniasis treatment relies exclusively on the 5-nitroimidazole drugs, but fear of drug-resistant strains and allergic reactions to 5-nitroimidazole treatment necessitate the discovery of a new treatment method for trichomoniasis. Previous research has shown that auranofin, an FDA-approved drug, was effective at inhibiting activity of one of Trichomonas …

The Effect Of Arginine Vasotocin On Cryoprotectant Production During Freezing In The Pacific Chorus Frog, Pseudacris Regilla, Ben Ingels

All Master's Theses

Freeze Tolerance is an adaptation seen amongst several species of amphibians as a way of surviving during wintering months. Use of cryoprotectants is seen in all freeze tolerant species (glucose/glycerol). Synthesis and transportation mechanisms that regulate this process are not yet fully understood. Arginine vasotocin is a neurohypophyseal peptide known to have glycogenolytic effects as well as regulate several key processes involved in fluid and solute transportation. Although one prior study suggested that AVT is not involved in responses to freezing, I measured AVT levels during freezing and injected an AVT antagonist to see if it would affect the production …