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Characterizing The Function Of B Cells That Accumulate In The Inflamed Central Nervous System In Anti-Myelin Autoimmunity, Lika Chowdhury

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

While the role of autoimmune T cells has been extensively studied in anti-myelin

autoimmunity, little is known about the function of B cells in multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). B cells form clusters with T cells in the meninges directly adjacent to demyelinating lesions. Previous studies have shown that disease progression is dependent on the depletion of specific populations of B cells, but it is not clear which contributes to pathology or how. The purpose of this thesis is to characterize the population of meningeal B cells to determine how they differ …

Root-Inhabiting And Rhizosphere Mycobiomes And Crop Yield Of Corn And Wheat, Marianna E. Wallace

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The root mycobiome plays a direct role in plant productivity, and the study of its community composition allows for identification of organisms that influence plant health. To better understand the role of fungal community composition in crop productivity, the root-associated mycobiomes of historically high and low yield sites of corn and wheat planted in rotation were characterized and analyzed along with soil physicochemical variables and crop yield. In each field studied, root and rhizosphere mycobiomes reflected significant differences in fungal species composition. Several soil variables were found to be predictors of differences in composition of sample types including soil texture …

Manipulating The Root Mycobiome To Improve Plant Performance And Reduce Pathogen Pressure In Corn (Zea Mays), Noor F. Saeed Cheema

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Crop yield often varies within a field of a single genetically uniform crop plant, with the causes presumed to be a mix of both biotic and abiotic factors. Manipulating crop root mycobiomes could potentially increase yield by reducing pathogen impacts and improving access to soil water and nutrients. This study aimed to identify different fungal inoculation treatments that could increase the growth of corn seedlings sown in low productivity soils to that in high productivity soils and shift the root mycobiome composition. Fungal inoculation treatments did not have significantly different root mycobiome composition than seedlings grown in low yield control …

Characterization Of Galectin-16 Expression And Function In Placental Cells, Jennifer Kaminker

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The processes of cellular differentiation and apoptosis are critical for placental development. The galectin-16 gene (LGALS16) is associated with these processes in the placenta, but the mechanism by which it acts is poorly characterized. My bioinformatics analysis revealed that LGALS16 expression was limited to specific tissues including the placenta and identified multiple regulatory molecules (transcription factors and miRNAs), which could potentially control relevant transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Considering the predominant expression of LGALS16 in placenta, I examined the expression, regulation, and function of LGALS16 in BeWo and JEG-3 cell lines representing in vitro models of trophoblast differentiation. In …

The Effect Of Breathing Patterns Common To Competitive Swimming On Gas Exchange And Muscle Deoxygenation During Heavy-Intensity Fartlek Exercise, Kevin J. Grossman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to compare the respiratory and muscle deoxygenation (HHb) responses of regulated breathing versus free-breathing, during continuous exercise (CONLD) and intermittent 5s breath holds (BH) (CONLD-BH), intermittent 5s sprint (FLK) and combined 5s BH and sprint (FLK-BH) followed by 25s of free-breathing. Oxygen uptake(V̇O₂)was unchanged between CONLD (2.12±0.35L/min) and CONLD-BH (2.15±0.42L/min; p=0.116), and FLK (2.24±0.40L/min) and FLK-BH (2.20±0.45L/min; p=0.861). Δ[Hb_tot]: CONLD (3.3±1.6µM) > CONLD-BH (-2.5±1.2µM; ∆177%; p<0.001), but unchanged between FLK (2.0±1.6µM) and FLK-BH (0.82±1.4µM; p=0.979). Δ[HHb]: CONLD (7.3±1.8µM) > CONLD-BH (7.0±2.0µM; ∆4%; p=0.011), and FLK (6.7±1.8µM) < FLK-BH (8.7±2.4µM; p<0.001). It is suggested that the unchanged V̇O₂ between CONLD and CONLD-BH was supported by increased deoxygenation, reflected by decreased ∆[Hb_tot] and blunted …

From Individuals To Communities: The Effect Of Climate Change On Ectothermic Predators, Matthew Lawrence Meehan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The living components of ecological systems exist within a nested hierarchy, consisting of individuals, populations, and communities. Because of this nestedness, climate change can greatly impact ecological systems, as whole-organism metabolic and physiological demands change for ectotherms under warming, the effects of which may compound with every succeeding level. Therefore, a multi-level approach can better isolate how climate change will reshape ecological systems. In my doctoral research, I used feeding and mesocosm experiments to examine how climate change affects ectothermic predators at the individual-, population-, and community-level, using mesostigmatic mites (Arachnida: Parasitiformes) as my model predator. My research objectives were …

Effects Of Spatial And Temporal Heterogeneity On The Genetic Diversity Of The Alpine Butterfly Parnassius Smintheus, Mel Lucas

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Genetic diversity represents a population’s evolutionary potential, as well as its demographic and evolutionary history. Advances in DNA sequencing have allowed the development of new and potentially powerful methods to quantify this diversity. However, when using these methods best practices for sampling populations and analyzing data are still being developed. Furthermore, while effects of the landscape on spatial patterns of genetic variation have received considerable attention, we have a poorer understanding of how genetic diversity changes as a result of temporal variation in environmental and demographic variables. Here, I take advantage of advances in DNA sequencing to investigate genetic diversity …

Temperature-Dependent Developmental Plasticity In The Cardiorespiratory System Of Atlantic Salmon, Carlie A. Muir

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Anthropogenic climate change is expected to have pervasive impacts on the performance and viability of fishes, as increasing temperatures create aerobically constrained environments for many species. Given the rapid rates of projected temperature increases, it is critical to evaluate the capacity for fish to respond to a changing thermal environment through phenotypic plasticity. In this thesis, I examined the capacity for developmental plasticity in the thermal performance of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) reared under two thermal regimes from fertilization, and investigated potential mechanistic underpinnings within the cardiorespiratory system. Cardiac performance was examined using a noninvasive Doppler echocardiograph …

The Impact Of Energetic Trade-Offs On The Developmental Trajectory And Life History Strategy Of Homo Sapiens: The Modern Human Female Phenotype, Laura Ann Hope Atkinson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study interrogates the relationship between early life environmental variability (measured through birth weight and age at menarche), and adult phenotypic outcomes in female athletes and non-athletes from the United Kingdom. Using anthropometric, and 3D body surface scan analysis, patterns of phenotypic variation were interpreted in a life history context. Significant correlations between birth weight, stature, and bi-iliac breadth were observed. Age at menarche had significant correlations with linear growth and body composition measures in both Pearson and Canonical Correlation analyses. Crural index was found to be negatively correlated with limb segment SA:Vol in opposition to the expectations of Allen’s …

Spatiotemporal Characterization Of The Prr12 Paralogues In Zebrafish, Renee Jeannine Resendes

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Pathogenic variants in the human PRR12 (Proline Rich 12) gene are associated with PRR12-related Neuroocular Syndrome. However, little is known about the gene/protein function. The zebrafish was utilized to address this, as its attributes place it as a premier model to study genes involved in human development and disease. In situ hybridization and RT-PCR of embryos and larvae, and qRT-PCR of adult tissues revealed the spatial and temporal distributions of the prr12 paralogues: prr12a and prr12b. Both paralogues were detected from the maternal and zygotic transcriptomes in a global and diffuse expression pattern, and there was enrichment …