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Diversity, Resource Partitioning, And Species Turnover In Neotropical Saproxylic Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae, Curculionidae) Associated With Trees In The Brazil Nut Family (Lecythidaceae), Joyce Lynn Fassbender

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Deforestation and global changes in temperature and moisture associated with rising levels of greenhouse gases are expected to have strong, direct effects on abundance of wood-boring beetles through loss of larval feeding substrates, and indirect effects through climate and microclimate change. This dissertation examines Neotropical saproxylic beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) diversity, niche breadth, and resource partitioning, and predicts possible impacts of climate change. Data from beetle rearing experiments conducted in French Guiana and Peru were analyzed to assess species richness, abundance, host specificity, seasonality and stratification of wood-boring beetles associated with the Brazil nut family (Lecythidaceae). Niche stability was assessed over …

Medicinal Plants Of Northern Thailand For The Treatment Of Cognitive Impairment In The Elderly, Lisa C. Offringa

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Dementia is a progressive neurological disease affecting memory and behavior. The diagnosis of dementia is increasing exponentially worldwide and with it the potential risk for a severe social and economic burden of caring for an increasing debilitated elderly population. Cognitive impairment, and especially memory loss, can be the first indication of dementia. This study documents the treatment of cognitive impairment in the elderly by Thai traditional healers in northern Thailand usingmedicinal plants. Interviews were conducted from 2008-2012 to investigate the etiology of dementia in Thai Traditional Medicine and identify plants used to treat memory loss in the pharmacopeia of northern …

Understanding A Pest: Phylogeography And Systematics Of The Plum Curculio (Conotrachelus Nenuphar), Samuel N. Crane

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an economically and ecologically important pest in North America but is understudied despite having a long history in the scientific literature. Its chemical ecology, life history habits, and distribution are all well characterized. However, there is a dearth of knowledge concerning the population structure and evolutionary history of the species. This study aims to use methods from evolutionary biology to better understand an agricultural pest species and provide tools to aid in its management.

Existing taxonomic classifications of North American Conotrachelus species have been tested for the first time. Using …

The Expression Of The Transcription Factor Broad And Rna-Binding Factors In The Midgut Of The Mosquito Aedes Aegypti During Metamorphosis, Kathryn Ray

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Transcription factors, microRNAs and RNA binding factors frequently interact to coordinate gene expression during development. The transcription factor BROAD (BR) is a global regulator of insect gene transcription and governs the timing of the commitment to pupate. I determined BR expression in the Ae. aegypti midgut by qPCR, and correlated its expression with that of nine miRNAs and three RNA-binding factors. During midgut metamorphosis the expression of these factors was dynamic and reproducible.

To better understand the changes in expression patterns, I evaluated the effects of hormone analogs on expression. Using this approach I uncovered concurrent up-regulation of BR, miR-34 …