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The Role Of Hsc-70 In Very Low Density Lipoprotein Tranport Vesicle Golgi Fusion Complex Formation, Erika Nafi Valencia Dec 2012

The Role Of Hsc-70 In Very Low Density Lipoprotein Tranport Vesicle Golgi Fusion Complex Formation, Erika Nafi Valencia

HIM 1990-2015

Excess production and secretion of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) by the liver into the circulatory system is directly related to atherosclerosis, a chronic cardiovascular disease that threatens the lives of many worldwide and continues to be a leading cause of death in the United States. The rate-limiting step in VLDL secretion is its transport from the site of biogenesis, the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum to the cis-Golgi. This step is mediated by a specialized ER- derived vesicle, the VLDL transport vesicle (VTV). Upon exit of the ER the VTV targets, fuses and delivers VLDL into the lumen of the Golgi. The …


Rising Tides: A Guide To Sea Level Rise And The Coastal Organisms It Will Affect, Linda Walters, Sydney Katz Oct 2012

Rising Tides: A Guide To Sea Level Rise And The Coastal Organisms It Will Affect, Linda Walters, Sydney Katz

CEELAB Children's Books

A lot has been written about how humans will be impacted by sea level rise, but there are many species of animals and plants that will also be affected. Lottie the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Marshall and Marsha Marshgrass, and Ollie the Eastern Oyster are here to tell their stories. You’ll learn all about their life-cycles, the important roles they play in their environment, and what the future may hold for them. So pick up this book, and get to know your coastline!


Amyloid-Beta42 Toxicity Reduction In Human Neuroblastoma Cells Using Cholera Toxin B Subunit-Myelin Basic Protein Expressed In Chloroplasts, Alexandra Ayache Aug 2012

Amyloid-Beta42 Toxicity Reduction In Human Neuroblastoma Cells Using Cholera Toxin B Subunit-Myelin Basic Protein Expressed In Chloroplasts, Alexandra Ayache

HIM 1990-2015

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder, affecting 37 million people worldwide. Cleavage of amyloid precursor protein by ?- and ?-secretase produces the amyloid-beta (A?) protein, which significantly contributes to AD pathogenesis. The A? aggregates, formed at the surface of neurons and intracellularly, cause neurotoxicity and decrease synaptic function. Inhibiting or degrading A? accumulation is a key goal for development of new AD treatments. Evidence shows that human Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) binds to and degrades A? thereby, preventing cytotoxicity. A potential method for oral drug delivery that will allow plant-derived bioencapsulated MBP to pass through intestinal …


Multiple Aspects Of Natural Killer Cell Expansion In Relevance To Immunotherapy For Hematologic Malignancies, Dominic Colosimo Aug 2012

Multiple Aspects Of Natural Killer Cell Expansion In Relevance To Immunotherapy For Hematologic Malignancies, Dominic Colosimo

HIM 1990-2015

Natural Killer (NK) cells are a subset of lymphocytes that regulate adaptive immune responses and utilize "missing self" recognition to activate anti-tumor and anti-viral cytotoxicity. Clinical research, as well as murine and ex vivo models, have shown that a variety of NK cell applications have proven useful as immunotherapeutic treatments for patients with hematologic malignancies. However, the selective expansion of NK cells to yield relevant amounts of these lymphocytes has been a major hurdle in the development of methods for clinical therapeutic use. Here, we demonstrate a novel ex vivo expansion method utilizing k562 leukemic cell lines and soluble cytokines …


Determination Of Selectivity And Potential For Drug Resistance Of Novel Antimalarial Compounds From Nature-Inspired Synthetic Libraries, Eric Keasler May 2012

Determination Of Selectivity And Potential For Drug Resistance Of Novel Antimalarial Compounds From Nature-Inspired Synthetic Libraries, Eric Keasler

HIM 1990-2015

As malaria, caused by Plasmodium spp., continues to afflict millions of people worldwide, there is a dire need for the discovery of novel, inexpensive antimalarial drugs. Although there are effective drugs on the market, the consistent development of drug resistant species has decreased their efficacy, further emphasizing that novel therapeutic measures are urgently needed. Natural products provide the most diverse reservoir for the discovery of unique chemical scaffolds with the potential to effectively combat malarial infections, but, due to their complex structures, they often pose extreme challenges to medicinal chemists during pharmacokinetic optimization. In our laboratory we have performed unbiased, …


Identification Of Plasmodium Falciparum Protein Kinase Substrates And Interacting Proteins, Jessica Yap May 2012

Identification Of Plasmodium Falciparum Protein Kinase Substrates And Interacting Proteins, Jessica Yap

HIM 1990-2015

Characterization of PfPKA and PfPK5 substrates, as well as the proteins they interact with, will help us to develop innovative therapies targeting binding sites.; Malaria is a devastating disease that results in almost one million deaths annually. Most of the victims are children under the age of five in Sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria parasite strains throughout developing countries are continually building resistance to available drugs. Current therapies such as mefloquine, chloroquine, as well as artemisinin are becoming less effective, and this underscores the urgency for therapeutics directed against novel drug targets. In order to identify new drug targets, the molecular biology …


Gold (Iii) Macrocycles Are Dna Intercalators That Inhibit Topoisomerase I And Ii, Alexander Fagenson May 2012

Gold (Iii) Macrocycles Are Dna Intercalators That Inhibit Topoisomerase I And Ii, Alexander Fagenson

HIM 1990-2015

Human Topoisomerase IB (TOP1) and Topoisomerase II? (TOP2?) are essential nuclear enzymes that control DNA topology during DNA replication, gene transcription and cell division. These enzymes carry out their catalytic function by making transient single-strand (type I) or double-strand (type II) breaks in the DNA. In vivo, these complexes are short-lived but can be exploited by anti-cancer drugs to mechanistically kill cancer cells. Two general classes of compounds can kill cancer cells through a topo-targeted mechanism. Interfacial Poisons (IFPs) act at the enzyme-DNA interface to inhibit the religation reaction, resulting in the accumulation of DNA double-stand breaks (DSBs) in the …


An Evaluation Of Hiv/Aids Incidence Reduction And Awareness-Raising Interventions Inspired By The Sonagachi Project And The 100% Condom Use Program, Nicole Fernandez May 2012

An Evaluation Of Hiv/Aids Incidence Reduction And Awareness-Raising Interventions Inspired By The Sonagachi Project And The 100% Condom Use Program, Nicole Fernandez

HIM 1990-2015

In the past thirty years, HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) transformed from a mysteriously lethal disease affecting limited portions of the population to a true global pandemic. Although HIV/AIDS is responsible for the deaths of approximately 30 million people worldwide, prevalence rates are now increasing significantly due to increasing survival rates. However, overall increasing incidence rates now serve as a primary concern for researchers. Avert (2011) suggests that there is a lack of behavioral interventions and prevention programs aimed at decreasing the number of newly affected individuals. This is problematic as it may create not only physical and …


Design, Construction, And Characterization Of The Ysgr Minimal Codon Fab Library For Chaperone-Assisted Rna Crystallography, Sean Holmes May 2012

Design, Construction, And Characterization Of The Ysgr Minimal Codon Fab Library For Chaperone-Assisted Rna Crystallography, Sean Holmes

HIM 1990-2015

Of the entire human genome, 90% of all genetic information is transcribed but only a fraction of that subsequent RNA is translated into proteins. RNAs which are not translated into proteins are deemed non-coding RNAs. Little is known about this large category of noncoding RNAs, although they perform a variety of functions within the cell. RNA crystallography is used to study RNA tertiary structure, which gives insight to the function of these non-coding RNAs. However, complications associated with RNA crystallography arise due to RNA's lack of surface functional group diversity, flexible tertiary structure, and conformational heterogeneity. A novel technique, Chaperone-assisted …


Determination Of The Hydrogen Peroxide Concentration In Rotenone Induced Dopaminergic Cells Using Cyclic Voltammetry And Amplex Red, Kishan Patel May 2012

Determination Of The Hydrogen Peroxide Concentration In Rotenone Induced Dopaminergic Cells Using Cyclic Voltammetry And Amplex Red, Kishan Patel

HIM 1990-2015

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition that affects millions of people worldwide. The exact etiology of PD is unknown. However, it is well established that environmental factors contribute to the onset of PD. In particular, chemicals such as the insecticide Rotenone have been shown to increase the death of dopaminergic (DA) neurons by increasing levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) have been shown to be elevated above basal levels in PD patients. Currently, to measure H2O2 concentrations, a commercially available (Amplex® Red) fluorescent assay is used. However, the assay has limitations: it is …


Development Of Luminescent Ruthenium Complexes For In-Vitro Fluorescence Imaging Of Angiogenesis With The Rgd Peptide, Rosemary Victoria May 2012

Development Of Luminescent Ruthenium Complexes For In-Vitro Fluorescence Imaging Of Angiogenesis With The Rgd Peptide, Rosemary Victoria

HIM 1990-2015

Herein we report the synthesis of an RGD-ruthenium bipyridine [Ru(Bpy)2(BpyRGD)]2+ complex aimed at the detection of angiogenesis. Angiogenesis plays a critical role in many pathophysiological processes, such as tumor growth. The αv-integrins (αv[beta]3, αv[beta]5) are currently used as molecular targeting sites for anti-angiogenic therapies. The [Ru(Bpy)2(BpyRGD)]2+ complex is an organometallic luminescent probe, which enables noninvasive, in vitro imaging of αv[beta]3 expression. Peptides containing the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) sequence have been shown to bind strongly to the αvb3 integrin. The RuBpy probes are soluble in water, display long lifetimes, and are photochemically stable. These properties enable the Ru(tris-bpy) complexes to be …


Test-Retest Reliability Of Noninvasive Ambulatory Impedance Cardiography During Aerobic Exercise, Benjamin Germain May 2012

Test-Retest Reliability Of Noninvasive Ambulatory Impedance Cardiography During Aerobic Exercise, Benjamin Germain

HIM 1990-2015

Impedance cardiography is an important tool in determining a person's hemodynamic properties. The makers obtained through thoracic impedance have been shown to be of great importance when monitoring critical care patients. Technological developments have made this process noninvasive and ambulatory, opening up new possibilities for potential use. A study was conducted by remotely monitoring healthy subjects (n=5), who performed an 8-minute mild-to-moderate aerobic exercise protocol, followed up by a four minute cognitive stress test. Testing was conducted onsite at Kennedy Space Center in association with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration using the MW1000A (MindWare Technologies LTD, Gahanna, OH) ambulatory …


Aerobic Exercise As A Means Of Reducing Low Back Pain A Systematic Review, Theresa Privett May 2012

Aerobic Exercise As A Means Of Reducing Low Back Pain A Systematic Review, Theresa Privett

HIM 1990-2015

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is considered the leading cause of inactivity and lost employment time. It can be extremely difficult to treat as most conventional therapies have poor success rates. People with LBP need to be made more aware of the diverse and economical treatments available in order to save on expenses and diminish stress. Patients and healthcare professionals have many choices when deciding on the best plan of care; however, it is often difficult to determine which option is best. Objectives: The purpose of this systematic review was to determine if aerobic exercises play a role in reducing …


Phosphatidic Acid Increases Lean Body Tissue And Strength In Resistance Trained Men, David Williams Jan 2012

Phosphatidic Acid Increases Lean Body Tissue And Strength In Resistance Trained Men, David Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phosphatidic Acid (PA) is a natural phospholipid compound derived from lecithin which is commonly found in egg yolk, grains, fish, soybeans, peanuts and yeast. It has been suggested that PA is involved in several intracellular processes associated with muscle hypertrophy. Specifically, PA has been reported to activate protein synthesis through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and thereby may enhance the anabolic effects of resistance training. To our knowledge, no one has examined the effect of PA supplementation in humans while undergoing a progressive resistance training program. To examine the effect of PA supplementation on lean soft tissue …


Expression Of Lipase From Mycobacterium Tuberculosis In Nicotiana Tobacum And Lactuca Sativa Chloroplasts, Bethany Lloyd Jan 2012

Expression Of Lipase From Mycobacterium Tuberculosis In Nicotiana Tobacum And Lactuca Sativa Chloroplasts, Bethany Lloyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), is a global threat and the leading cause of death among individuals infected with HIV. TB treatment requires multi-drug cocktails, due to the increasing rates of drug resistance of the bacterium. With multi-drug cocktails, strains have been documented to be resistant to all major drugs in the fight against TB. Since the strains are drug resistant, it calls for an increasing need for vaccine and treatment development for the purpose of preventing and managing the disease. The most widely distributed vaccine against TB is Bacillus Calmette-Gue´rin (BCG). Apart from being …


Protection Of The Female Reproductive Tract In The Prevention Of Hiv, Camila Diaz Jan 2012

Protection Of The Female Reproductive Tract In The Prevention Of Hiv, Camila Diaz

HIM 1990-2015

Worldwide, more than half of all HIV-infected individuals are women. Since mucosal surfaces are the primary gateway for HIV entry, maintaining the integrity of the female reproductive tract (FRT) is essential for preventing infection. The FRT employs many immune mechanisms that serve as the first line of defense against HIV transmission. Among these are vaginal fluid secretions rich in antimicrobial peptides, and commensal bacteria that colonize the vagina and prevent infections. We sought to study vaginal fluid as an innate immune component of the FRT in the prevention of HIV infection. Additionally, we investigated the anti-HIV microbicide candidate RC-101 as …


Physiological Relevance Of A Trna-Dependent Mechanism For Membrane Modification In Enterococcus Faecium, Jesse Harrison Jan 2012

Physiological Relevance Of A Trna-Dependent Mechanism For Membrane Modification In Enterococcus Faecium, Jesse Harrison

HIM 1990-2015

Enterococci were once thought to be harmless, commensal organisms that colonize the gastrointestinal tract of humans and other mammals. In the last 30 years, however, concern has grown in the clinical setting over two particular species, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, which are frequently found to be the etiologic agents of nosocomial infections. Aminoacyl-phosphatidylglycerol synthases (aaPGSs) are integral membrane proteins that add amino acids to phosphatidylglycerol (PG) in the cellular envelope of bacteria. Addition of amino acids to PG confers resistance to various therapeutic antimicrobial agents, and contributes to evasion of the host immune response in a number of clinically …


Effect Of Predation Risk And Food Availability On Parental Care And Nest Survival In Suburban And Wildland Florida Scrub-Jays, Joseph M. Niederhauser Jan 2012

Effect Of Predation Risk And Food Availability On Parental Care And Nest Survival In Suburban And Wildland Florida Scrub-Jays, Joseph M. Niederhauser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individual organisms often use cues from their natural environments to determine many behavioral and life-history "decisions." These "decisions" are usually adaptive, i.e. a response to selection, because the environmental cues on which they are based reliably correlate with increased fitness over time. When the selected behavioral response to a natural cue no longer provides a fitness benefit, then selection for a new response may occur but individuals maintaining the previously selected response may suffer reduced survival and reproduction. Especially in human-modified landscapes individuals making a maladaptive behavioral or life-history choice based on those formerly reliable environmental cues may be faced …


Phylogenetic Community Structure Of Aquatic Beetle Assemblages In A Multi-Wetland Experiment, Sandor Lawrence Kelly Jan 2012

Phylogenetic Community Structure Of Aquatic Beetle Assemblages In A Multi-Wetland Experiment, Sandor Lawrence Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phylogenetic Community Structure (PCS) metrics are becoming more common in community ecology. PCS metrics estimate the phylogenetic relatedness among members of an ecological community or assemblage. If ecological traits are conserved, then phylogenetic clustering (i.e., taxa are more closely related than expected by chance) indicates habitat filtering as the key process in community assembly. On the other hand, a pattern of phylogenetic overdispersion (i.e., taxa are more distantly related than expected by chance) suggests competition is dominant. Most studies to date have used PCS of unmanipulated ecosystems, but the value of PCS metrics will be best revealed in experiments. This …


The Dynamic Functions Of Bax Are Dependent On Key Structural And Regulatory Features, Rebecca Boohaker Jan 2012

The Dynamic Functions Of Bax Are Dependent On Key Structural And Regulatory Features, Rebecca Boohaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bax is an essential mediator of cell fate. Since its discovery in 1985 as a protein that interacts with the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, key elements related to its function, structure and regulation remains to be determined. To this end, mitochondrial metabolism was examined in non-apoptotic Bax-deficient HCT-116 cells as well as primary hepatocytes from Bax-deficient mice. Although mitochondrial density and mitochondrial DNA content was the same in Bax-containing and Bax -deficient cells, MitoTracker staining patterns differed, suggesting the existence of Bax -dependent functional differences in mitochondrial physiology. Oxygen consumption and cellular ATP levels were reduced in Bax -deficient cells, while …


Transplantation Of Pluripotent Stem Cells Confers Cardiac Protection In Dox-Induced Heart Failure Through Notch-1 Pathway, Hilda Merino-Chavez Jan 2012

Transplantation Of Pluripotent Stem Cells Confers Cardiac Protection In Dox-Induced Heart Failure Through Notch-1 Pathway, Hilda Merino-Chavez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Doxorubicin (DOX) is the antineoplastic drug of preference used to treat a wide variety of malignancies, with high survival rates among treated patients. However, the benefits of this drug have become less appealing due to the side effects that occur such as DOX-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC) and an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI). Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore the therapeutic options to treat DIC. In this context, adult stem cells have been used as a source to reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis in DIC; however, the effects of transplanted embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells …


Landscaping Perceptions And Behaviors: Socio-Ecological Drivers Of Nitrogen In The Residential Landscape, Leesa Souto Jan 2012

Landscaping Perceptions And Behaviors: Socio-Ecological Drivers Of Nitrogen In The Residential Landscape, Leesa Souto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Driven by individual influences such as beliefs, attitudes, personal norms, and abilities, as well as by social influences like community norms, mandates, and the market, suburban homeowners are motivated to select and maintain a turf grass landscape. In many areas of Florida, effective suburban lawn maintenance requires regular inputs of nitrogenous fertilizer, some of which is lost to the environment, contributing to water quality degradation and ecosystem dysfunction. Reducing nitrogen inputs to aquatic systems requires a better understanding of the links between residential landscape management and the potential for fertilizer loss. This dissertation examines the linkages between the human behaviors …


Defective Dynamics Of Mitochondria In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis And Huntington's Disease, Wenjun Song Jan 2012

Defective Dynamics Of Mitochondria In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis And Huntington's Disease, Wenjun Song

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondria play important roles in neuronal function and survival, including ATP production, Ca2+ buffering, and apoptosis. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a common event in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington's disease (HD); however, what causes the mitochondrial dysfunction remains unclear. Mitochondrial fission is mediated by dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) and fusion by mitofusin 1/2 (MFN1/2) and optic atrophy 1 (OPA1), which are essential for mitochondrial function. Mutations in the mitochondrial fission and fusion machinery lead to neurodegeneration. Thus, whether defective mitochondrial dynamics participates in ALS and HD requires further investigation. ALS is a fatal …


Novel Immunogens Of Cellular Immunity Revealed Using In Vitro Human Cell-Based Approach, Brian Schanen Jan 2012

Novel Immunogens Of Cellular Immunity Revealed Using In Vitro Human Cell-Based Approach, Brian Schanen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the last 150 years, tremendous headway has been made in our understanding of the human immune system. Pioneers in the field such as Paul Ehrlich, Elie Metchnikoff, Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch and Walter Reed carried out seminal studies that established the groundwork for our understanding of humoral and cellular immunity in humans. However, this direct line of evidence into human immunology was diverted in the mid-20th century with the adoption of a model which allowed for investigators to use a reductionist-approach with the promise to resolve immunity at a molecular level. This revolutionary model was the scientific commercialization of …


Limk1 Promotes Mt1-Mmp Expression And Localization To The Plasma Membrane, Richard Ottman Jan 2012

Limk1 Promotes Mt1-Mmp Expression And Localization To The Plasma Membrane, Richard Ottman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

LIM Kinase 1 (LIMK1), a serine/threonine kinase, modulates actin polymerization and microtubule assembly. The function of LIMK1 is regulated by kinases that are activated by Rho and Rac GTPases. LIMK1 is overexpressed in various cancerous cell types and tissues and its overexpression promotes increased invasion and metastasis of breast and prostate cancer cells. Membrane-Type Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 (MT1-MMP) is a member of the zinc-binding collagenase family, which is involved in extracellular matrix breakdown and activation of secreted MMP-2. The balance between activation and inhibition of MT1- MMP and MMP-2 helps maintaining normal extracellular matrix turnover. However, it has been shown …


Species And Habitat Interactions Of The Gopher Tortoise: A Keystone Species?, Christopher Catano Jan 2012

Species And Habitat Interactions Of The Gopher Tortoise: A Keystone Species?, Christopher Catano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Species-species and species-habitat interactions have been demonstrated to be important in influencing diversity across a variety of ecosystems. Despite generalities in the importance of these interactions, appropriate mechanisms to explain them are absent in many systems. In sandhill systems of the southeast U.S., gopher tortoises have been hypothesized to be a crucial species in the maintenance of diversity and function. However, the mechanisms and magnitude in which they influence their communities and habitats have rarely been empirically quantified. I examined how habitat structure influences tortoise abandonment of burrows and how tortoise densities influence nonvolant vertebrate community diversity. Tortoise burrow abandonment …


Relating Ancient Maya Land Use Legacies To The Contemporary Forest Of Caracol, Belize, Jessica N. Hightower Jan 2012

Relating Ancient Maya Land Use Legacies To The Contemporary Forest Of Caracol, Belize, Jessica N. Hightower

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human land use legacies have significant and long lasting impacts across landscapes. However, investigating the impacts of ancient land use legacies ( > 400 years) remains problematic due to the difficulty in detecting ancient land uses, especially those beneath dense canopies. The city of Caracol, one of the most important Maya archaeological sites in Belize, was abandoned after the collapse of the Maya civilization (ca. A.D. 900), leaving behind numerous structures, causeways, and agricultural terraces that persist beneath the dense tropical forest of western Belize. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology enables detection of below canopy Maya archaeological features, providing an …


Unpacking Grounded Theory: A Venue For Education Research, Daniel Eadens Jan 2012

Unpacking Grounded Theory: A Venue For Education Research, Daniel Eadens

EGS Content

This study unpacks converging and diverging ideas and definitions surrounding Grounded Theory, Classical Grounded Theory, and Glaserian / Straussian Grounded Theory. This qualitative research cleverly accomplishes the task in a manner that becomes useful for qualitative researchers to use Grounded Theory as a practical venue for a framework for education research. Many researchers’ definitions portray Grounded Theory as an ethnographic approach of a systematic qualitative research methodology involving the creation of theory from observation data. Even though Grounded Theory is often used synonymously with qualitative research, some researchers argue these are distinctly different (Grounded Theory Institute, 2011). Resulting theory attempts …


Life History Response To Infection And The Potential For Dishonest Signals In The Ground Cricket, Allonemobius Socius, Emily Copeland Jan 2012

Life History Response To Infection And The Potential For Dishonest Signals In The Ground Cricket, Allonemobius Socius, Emily Copeland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to maximize fitness, individuals must partition their limited resources among competing physiological processes, creating negative statistical associations between processes known as “life-history trade-offs”. Evidence indicates that individuals tend to decrease their reproductive investment when confronted with a significant immunological challenge in order to increase investment in immune defense. This trade-off is often accompanied by a significant decrease in the sexual signal, which provides an honest signal of the male’s infection status to potential mates. However, if individual residual reproductive value is low, they may instead increase their reproductive investment to maximize reproductive success before the end of their …


Conservation And Population Biology: Genetics, Demography And Habitat Requirements Of The Atlantic Coast Beach Mice, Haakon Myklevoll Kalkvik Jan 2012

Conservation And Population Biology: Genetics, Demography And Habitat Requirements Of The Atlantic Coast Beach Mice, Haakon Myklevoll Kalkvik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The conservation biology field seeks to preserve biodiversity and the processes shaping that variation. Conservation biology is intimately tied to evolutionary research, in order to identify evolutionary distinct lineages that may be in danger of disappearing. Interestingly, patterns and processes of lineage divergence and persistence change with respect to spatial and temporal scale. I seek to evaluate biodiversity, the factors that have shaped this heterogeneity, and how this variability persists. To accomplish this I used a phylogeographic approach as well as niche and population modeling on the Peromyscus maniculatus species group found widely distributed in North America. My emphasis was …