Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Potential To Improve The Basic Quantitative Skills Of Undergraduate Biology Students, Liliane E. (Liliane Elyse) Dethier

WWU Graduate School Collection

Collaboration between biology and mathematics has led to important advances in both fields. Recent advances in technology have made biology more quantitative, which makes interdisciplinary work increasingly important. In contrast, biology education has historically been less quantitative than the other sciences despite the need for biology education to prepare students to be scientifically literate and to do research. Biology educators must prepare students with appropriate skills to understand, communicate, collaborate, and compete for funding in this increasingly quantitative field. There is a growing awareness at many universities that undergraduate biology students frequently lack basic quantitative skills. This project followed models …

Mouse Oocyte Maturation And Embryo Development After Exposure To Vemurafenib (Plx4032), An Anti-Melanoma B-Raf V600e Inhibitor, Bo Liu

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Vemurafenib is a selective B-Raf^V600E inhibitor in melanoma targeted therapy which also inhibits the wild type B- and C-Raf. In oocyte maturation, the C-Raf/MAPK pathway acts as an important self-enhancing and promoting system, w hereas in embryo development, the C-Raf/M APK pathway participates in pre- and post- implantation embryo proliferation and differentiation.

The hypothesis: Vemurafenib has detrimental effects on oocyte maturation and/or embryo development. Mouse oocytes and one cell (1C) mouse embryos were tested by ex vivo culturing with Vemurafenib in serial dilution. Oocytes were evaluated by cell cycle morphology, spindle formation and chromosomal alignment by im munofluorescence (IF) …

Calpain 5: A Non-Classical Calpain Highly Expressed In The Cns And Localized To Mitochondria And Nuclear Pml Bodies, Ranjana Singh

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Calpain 5 (CAPN5) is a non-classical member of the calpain family. It lacks the EF-hand motif characteristic of the classical calpains, calpain 1 and 2, but retains catalytic and Ca²⁺ binding non EF domains. Tra-3, an ortholog of CAPN5, is involved in necrotic cell death in C.elegans; although specific role of CAPN5 has not been investigated in the mammalian CNS. I compared relative mRNA levels of calpains in rat CNS, which revealed that CAPN5 is the second most highly expressed calpain. We examined relative levels of CAPN5 from late embryonic day 18 to postnatal day 90 and …

Molecular Phylogenetic Relationships Of North American Dermacentor Ticks Using Mitochondrial Gene Sequences, Kayla L. Perry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dermacentor is a recently evolved genus of hard ticks (Family Ixodiae) that includes 36 known species worldwide. Despite the importance of Dermacentor species as vectors of human and animal disease, the systematics of the genus remain largely unresolved. This study focuses on phylogenetic relationships of the eight North American Nearctic Dermacentor species: D. albipictus, D. variabilis, D. occidentalis, D. halli, D. parumapertus, D. hunteri, and D. andersoni, and the recently re-established species D. kamshadalus, as well as two of the Neotropical Dermacentor species D. nitens and D. dissimilis (both formerly Anocentor). We sequenced portions of the mitochondrial …

Epistasis In Predator-Prey Relationships, Iuliia Inozemtseva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Epistasis is the interaction between two or more genes to control a single phenotype. We model epistasis of the prey in a two-locus two-allele problem in a basic predator- prey relationship. The resulting model allows us to examine both population sizes as well as genotypic and phenotypic frequencies. In the context of several numerical examples, we show that if epistasis results in an undesirable or desirable phenotype in the prey by making the particular genotype more or less susceptible to the predator or dangerous to the predator, elimination of undesirable phenotypes and then genotypes occurs.

The Effects Of Beaver Dams On The Structure And Function Of Invertebrate Communities In A Southeastern Coastal Plain Stream, Damon L. Mullis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Beaver were at the brink of extinction in the early 20^th century, but over the past century populations have been rebounding. This increase in range and population size has raised new concerns over possible impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Beaver are considered ecosystem engineers because they change the physical structure of aquatic systems through the construction of dams, which turn naturally flowing sections of rivers and streams into standing water. Such changes are known to influence habitat heterogeneity, influence organic matter transport and storage, and consequentially influence biological diversity. To my knowledge, no studies of the effects of beaver impoundments …

The Effects Of Herbicide On The Endangered Herb Baptisia Arachnifera And Preliminary Nutrient Survey Of Leaf Tissue And Soil, Ruth Ann C. Steinbrecher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Baptisia arachnifera (Hairy Rattleweed) is an endangered herbaceous legume that only occurs in Wayne and Brantley Counties of Georgia, United States. Many of the remaining populations exist in areas now managed for timber. This study investigated the effects of Imazapyr, an herbicide commonly used in timber management, on health and vitality of B. arachnifera under both field and greenhouse conditions. This study also analyzed leaf and soil samples from six populations of B. arachnifera to determine the nutrient content of the leaves. A recensus of a B. arachnifera population was also conducted in a site without commercial timber management. In …

Effects Of Organic And Conventional Agricultural Practices On Soil Microbial Communities And Molecular Detection Of Soil Borne Disease, Holli K. Milner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural practices affect soil microbial communities and health through the input of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and cycling of crop rotation. By examining the microbial community structure, we analyzed how microbial species respond to the environment that individual farms create. Early detection of soil borne disease is essential for agricultural success. However, monitoring incidence of disease based on plant growth response to pathogenic inoculation may not reveal the amount of pathogenic DNA in soil. A comparative study of tomato production systems was conducted by analysis of soil microbial community structure from four farms in Southeast Georgia for the years 2012 and …

Historical Tidal Forest Composition And Contemporary Woody Recruitment Following Dam Removal From A Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain Tidal Freshwater Wetland, Richard E. Ward Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Tidal freshwater forest restoration after dam removal has been unexplored to date. This study elucidated pre-dam forest composition, as well as post-dam edaphic and microtopographical attributes and woody species recruiting along a narrow ecotone of a 29.3-ha tidal freshwater wetland. The ≈65-year-old historical forest (15 species, 200 stems ha-1) and ≈7-year-old contemporary forest (40 species and 11,009 stems ha-) community dominants were dissimilar (Fraxinus spp. vs. Liquidambar styraciflua, respectively). Pre-dam environmental conditions were unknown. Post-dam edaphic water content, organic matter, redox potential and microtopography differed significantly across tidal sites but were less variable in non-tidal sites. Shifts in the contemporary …

The Effect Of Fluvastatin On Mast Cell Function: Genotype Dependence, Elizabeth M. Kolawole

Theses and Dissertations

Fluvastatin, the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor known for its role in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease, has more recently been shown to play a role in the immune response. Given the critical role that mast cells play in allergy and inflammatory diseases such as asthma, which effects one third of America’s population, we assessed the effect of fluvastatin on mast cell and basophils function. We demonstrate that fluvastatin downregulated IgE-mediated cytokine production. Additionally, in vivo studies showed that fluvastatin suppressed IgE-mediated anaphylaxis. Interestingly, the effects of fluvastatin showed dependence on genetic background, as C57BL/6 mast cells were sensitive, while …

"Mining" For A Reference Condition In Southern West Virginia Streams, Matthew Rouch

Theses and Dissertations

Quarterly samples were used to estimate assemblage-level (all species combined) fish production within three minimally-impacted, southern West Virginia streams. The total annual fish production estimate was highest in Slaunch Fork (37.52 kg∙ha^-1∙y^-1), a tributary of the Tug Fork River, and lowest in Cabin Creek (10.59 kg∙ha^-1∙y^-1), a Guyandotte River tributary. Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus, Mottled Sculpin Cottus bairdii and Blacknose Dace Rhinicthys atratulus were the most abundant species among sites, accounting for >90% of all sampled individuals. Reference condition criteria were also selected and metrics calculated for each of the three …

The Prevalence And Effect Of Wolbachia Infection On The Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus Geometricus), Brittany Dane' Arrington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wolbachia was recently identified in the Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus). This symbiont has not previously been found in this genus, therefore the consequences on the host’s population dynamics are unknown. The frequency of endosymbiont infection can provide insight into the population dynamics of the host as this bacteria is known to alter host life history. In my 1^st chapter I determine the prevalence of Wolbachia pipentis infection in in the Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus) from five locations in the Southeastern United States. Infection frequency differed significantly among sampling locations, ranging from 20% to …

Tactical Escape Behavior And Performance Of A Small Sceloporine Lizard In Two High Risk Habitats, Seth Parker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The negotiation of uneven and complex terrain has implications for many small terrestrial vertebrates. Variation in the running surface due to obstacles like woody debris or vegetation can alter escape paths and running performance. Additionally, these microhabitat features can influence behavioral tactics in complex environments. The ability to negotiate physical barriers in dense environments likely influences survivorship through important ecological tasks, such as finding mates, foraging, and evading predators. The Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi) is a small, rare species endemic to two distinct and structurally complex environments in Florida, i.e. sand-pine scrub and longleaf pine-wiregrass sand-hills. The …

Microbial Communities Colonizing Leaves During Early Decomposition Stages, Stephanie Harper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microbial communities associated with decaying leaves play an important role in the cycling of nutrients in stream ecosystems. In headwater streams that are deemed as heterotrophic, bacteria and fungi are main drivers of organic matter decomposition and thus partly responsible for facilitating the cycling of nutrients from leaves that fall into the stream. The main objective of this study was to compare microbial community composition between different leaf types during breakdown in stream ecosystems. To achieve this objective, I used a combination of field and laboratory trials. Field experiments were performed at the Luquillo Experimental Forest using Dacryodes excelsa and …

Water Column Ammonium Concentration And Salinity Influence Nitrogen Uptake And Growth Of Spartina Alterniflora, Rachel Mactavish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Salt marsh macrophytes, such as Spartina alterniflora, play a critical role in uptake and transformation of inorganic nitrogen before it reaches coastal waters, thereby reducing the potential for eutrophication. Although nitrogen availability typically limits S. alterniflora growth, it may be possible to exceed the nitrogen uptake capacity of S. alterniflora. Increasing either nitrogen concentrations or salinity are key factors regulating S. alterniflora nitrogen uptake. Investigating the effects of nutrients and salinity on S. alterniflora is important given that increases in inorganic nitrogen supply to surface waters from agriculture and urbanization occur simultaneously with freshwater withdrawals that reduce flow and increase …

Meta-Analysis Of Male And Female Function In Plants With Contrasting Architecture And Mating Systems, Lisa Wyse

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

A plant has limited resources to invest in growth and reproduction. A plant's inflorescence architecture and mating system are predicted to influence investment in sexual function. Investment in male and female function (pollen and ovules) represents one measure of such balance. However, few studies have considered architecture and mating system in combination. P:O ratio, as well as information regarding inflorescence structure and lifespan was assembled and analyzed to test the hypothesis that pollen: ovule ratio is contingent upon combined plant architecture and mating system. Across different mating systems, xenogamous species had significantly larger P:O ratios than autogamous and facultative species. …