Digital Commons Network^™

Midguts, Microbes, And Mosquitoes: An Analysis Of The Microbiomes Of Aedes Aegypti And Aedes Albopictus, Flor Alicia Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

Experiment 1: Mosquito microbiomes are influenced by the environment and diets of mosquitoes. There is great variability within and among mosquito populations with few microbe inhabitants being well established among mosquitoes of similar species and environments. By understanding the potential variation in midgut microbiomes in lab and wild populations, we may assess the effect that microbiomes have on vector competency.

Experiment 2: Mosquito midgut microbes are essential for development and may influence the vector competency. Native and non-native strains of the midgut inhabitant, Cedecea, were introduced to laboratory colonies of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes to help elucidate …

The Function Of Renalase, Brett Allen Beaupre

Theses and Dissertations

Renalase was originally reported to be an enzyme secreted into the blood by the kidney to lower blood pressure and slow heart rate. Despite multiple reports claiming to confirm this activity in vivo there has been considerable discord in regards to the reaction catalyzed by renalase. The structural topology of renalase resembles that of known flavoprotein oxidases, monooxygenases and demethylases, but the conserved active site residues are unique to renalase. It has been reported that the catalytic function of renalase is to oxidize circulating catecholamines, however in vitro studies have failed to demonstrate a catalytic activity in the presence of …

Individual Movement Rates Are Sufficient To Determine And Maintain Dynamic Spatial Positioning Within Uca Pugilator Herds, Eilea R. Knotts

Theses and Dissertations

Spatial location within aggregations (i.e. periphery, central) is of biological significance to gregarious animals. Because these positions are a potential consequence of consistent individual behavioral differences, or personality, a better understanding of potential mechanisms concerning personality is central to predicting an individuals’ location. To determine the effects of individual personality on the dynamic spatial positioning of Uca pugilator while herding, field data collection and agent-based modeling were employed. Individuals were assayed to establish their personalities and returned to the field for observation as a means of identifying location preference within selfish herds. There was a significant difference between the extreme …

Accepting Evolution And Believing In God: How Religious Persons Perceive The Theory Of Evolution, Katherine F. Manwaring

Theses and Dissertations

Students frequently hold an incorrect view of evolution. There are several potential barriers that prevent students from engaging evolutionary theory including lack of knowledge, limited scientific reasoning ability, and religiosity. Our research provides tools for overcoming barriers related to religiosity and diagnoses the barriers preventing students from fully engaging in learning the theory of evolution. This was a two-part study. The first part of our study addressed two hypothesized barriers to learning evolutionary theory among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon): (1) religious views stemming from incorrect understanding of the Church's neutral stance …

Tp53 And Hras Influence On Hpv16 E7 Expression In Hpv16-Transformed Human Keratinocytes, Nella Christie Delva

Theses and Dissertations

Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. HNSCC affects regions of the upper aerodigestive tract such as the lip, tongue, nasopharynx, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx. About 25% of all HNSCC cases and up to 65% of Oropharyngeal Carcinoma (OPC) cases are positive for HPV DNA. African American patients, especially males, present primarily with HPV-negative HNSCC. HNSCC’s that are HPV-positive tend to be HPV-active at initial presentation: these cancers contain HPV DNA and express HPV RNA. However, recurring HPV-positive cancers of the head and neck are more often inactive: these tumors contain HPV DNA, …

Genetic Stock Identification And Migration In Black Sea Bass (Centropristis Striata) Along The Western Atlantic Coast And Gulf Of Mexico, Justin Francis Lewandowski

Theses and Dissertations

The black sea bass, Centropristis striata, is a member of the family Serranidae that is commercially important throughout its range, which extends throughout the western Atlantic (from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Cape Canaveral, Florida) and Gulf of Mexico (from Mobile Bay, Alabama to Tampa Bay, Florida). There are two known subspecies, C. striata striata in the Atlantic and C. striata melana in the Gulf, and through behavioral and morphological evidence two separate stocks are managed in the Atlantic, north and south of Cape Hatteras, NC. Recent genetic studies on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have supported this. To further investigate the relationships …

"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 …

Evaluating The Impact Of Fishery-Related Claw Removal On Diet, Consumption Rate, Energetics And Reproduction In The Florida Stone Crab (Menippe Spp.), Jessica Mary Hogan

Theses and Dissertations

Many global fisheries are overexploited and working towards the development of sustainable fishing methods. Claw based crab fisheries, such as the Florida stone crab (Menippe mercenaria, M. adina, and hybrids) fishery, use unique fishing techniques that reduce the overall mortality of harvested organisms. For example, the Florida stone crab fishery is regulated by requiring that fisherman only harvest crab claws and requires that fishermen return the live crab to the water following harvesting. This process takes advantage of the ability of crabs to autotomize and regenerate their claws, and enables crabs to re-enter the fishery in subsequent years if they …

Student Content Knowledge Increases After Participation In A Hands-On Biotechnology Intervention, Amber L. Bigler

Theses and Dissertations

Hands-on learning is at the heart of science learning. This study examined increased changes of student content knowledge in biology, particularly biotechnology, after a hands-on biotechnology intervention was implemented into a secondary school. A traditional learning school was selected for a control. Both teachers had participated in a biotechnology professional development program called Project Crawfish. Students from both schools took the same assessment before and after their respective units (biotechnology intervention and genetics unit), and the classroom was the unit of analysis (n=5, n=6, respectively). The assessment was compared as a whole and then divided into five components, eight questions …

Part I: Evaluation Of Student Assessment Of Learning Gains (Salg)In Two Different Biology 100 Classes Part 2: What Biology Concepts Are Important In General Education?: Analysis Of Seventeen Core Concepts, Jessica Marie Rosenvall Howelle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this two-part study is to examine how to improve introductory level non-majors biology courses to improve student attitude and learning gains in the sciences. The first part of this study examines the collective effect of three different pedagogies (service learning, concept mapping and guest lectures) on student attitude and learning gains in a freshman, non-majors biology course. Two classes, one with the three pedagogies, and one without, were compared. Data were collected from two classes in Fall 2008 (one treatment and one control) and two similar classes replicated in Fall 2009. Learning and attitude gains were measured …