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Effects Of Parafluvial Flows On Interstitial Ammonia And Freshwater Mussels In The Buffalo National River, David Alan Johnson

MSU Graduate Theses

Freshwater mussel populations and distributions have declined over the past several decades in the Buffalo River, Arkansas. Among many possible causes, this study tested the hypothesis that ammonia concentrations in parafluvial flows through gravel bars might be high enough to impair the survival and growth of juvenile mussels. Ammonia, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were measured in interstitial and water column samples from gravel bars to test for possible longitudinal gradients. Samples were taken along 3 large bars at locations within the Buffalo National River, at approximate bi-weekly intervals between June and September of 2010. Water sample ammonia concentrations were …

Sodium Pyruvate Alters The Immune Response To Influenza A Virus Infection In Macrophages, Hazzar Abysalamah

MSU Graduate Theses

ABSTRACT

Pyruvate is the end product of glycolysis. It can either be transported into the mitochondria for use in the TCA cycle or be used to regenerate NAD⁺ during fermentation or aerobic glycolysis (also called the Warburg Effect). I recently discovered that addition of sodium pyruvate to the culture medium during infection of macrophages with influenza A virus affects the production of cytokines involved in immune signaling. While infection of macrophages with influenza A virus resulted in high levels of cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α) in the absence of sodium pyruvate, the addition of sodium pyruvate significantly impaired cytokine …

Immune Function And Metabolism Of Hibernating North American Bats With White-Nose Syndrome, Briana Nicole Anderson

MSU Graduate Theses

White-nose syndrome (WNS) causes substantial mortality in certain species of hibernating North American bats. The responsible agent is Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), a fungus which causes physiological complications such as increased arousals and energy depletion during the hibernation season. Tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) and northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) suffer extensive WNS mortality, while gray bats (Myotis grisescens) and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) are infected, but mortality is rarely observed. It is hypothesized that there is a difference in immune responses and/or hibernation metabolism between these bat species, resulting in this …

Long-Term Trends Of Stream Fish Community Assemblages In Southern Missouri With Contemporary Land Use Impacts, Stephanie Marie Sickler

MSU Graduate Theses

Stream fish communities in the Ozarks are structured via a number of different mechanisms, including basin, stream size, and human land use. The purpose of this study was to understand the structuring mechanisms of stream fish communities in southern Missouri. I compiled 48 years of historical fish collections performed by the Ichthyology class at Missouri State University consisting of 140 sites. I resampled 45 of these sites in summer of 2016. First, I tested whether communities are different between basins and stream size. Next, I tested associations of land use at three spatial scales to local fish communities. Last, I …

Macrophytes And Atrazine In Ponds Of Southwest Missouri, Christine Michelle Cornish

MSU Graduate Theses

Wetlands are often the ultimate destination of agrochemicals. The increased use of these pollutants has resulted in their increased transport, via runoff and spray drift, into wetlands. Atrazine, a commonly used herbicide, has been detected in surface water, groundwater, soil, and sediment, and has shown to have adverse impacts on aquatic biota, such as fish and amphibians. Few studies have reported on the relationships between atrazine and macrophytes. I measured atrazine concentrations in surface sediments in agricultural, conservation, and golf course ponds of southwest Missouri, and investigated how those concentrations might be related to macrophyte communities, and pond environmental characteristics. …

The Role Of Freshwater Drum As A Host Of Freshwater Mussels, Unionidae, Michael S. Martin

MSU Graduate Theses

The Freshwater Drum, Aplodinotus grunniens, serves as fish host to multiple mussel species. Some mussel species are “drum specialists” in the sense that Freshwater Drum is apparently the only host that they utilize. Freshwater Drum diet consists partly of mussels, which it crushes with specially adapted pharyngeal teeth. The Freshwater Drum’s habit of feeding on mussels should favor adaptations to use the species as a host. Mussels that use Freshwater Drum as host could adapt to attract the fish. I predicted that many other species will have some ability to use Freshwater Drum as host because of its habit of …

Enhanced Production Of Pro-Il-1Βeta Contributes To Immunopathology During The Coinfection Of Influenza A Virus And Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Angeline E. Rodriguez

MSU Graduate Theses

Viral bacterial coinfections are known to cause severe pneumonia, especially in the elderly and in pediatric patients. Antibiotics like β-Lactams kill the bacteria but fail to improve symptoms suggesting a faulty immune system may play an important role in the disease. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is an important immune signaling cytokine responsible for inflammation. It exists as an inactive precursor that can be activated by caspase-1 containing inflammasomes (multi-protein complex). Influenza A virus (IAV) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) activate the inflammasome through the NOD-like receptor protein NLRP3 and/or AIM2. Previous reports in mice indicate that IL-1β levels are dramatically …

Increasing Alligator Snapping Turtle Head-Starting Success Through Housing Enrichment And Inoculation Of Hatchlings With Digestive Microbiota, Kristen Erin Sardina

MSU Graduate Theses

Due to historic overharvest and habitat degradation, the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) has experienced population declines throughout its range. Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery in southern Oklahoma began a captive head-start program for this species in 2000 and has since released over 1,400 turtles in the region. However, there has been a recurring trend of turtles growing faster after release than while in captivity. My research sought to investigate this pattern by determining: 1) the influence of housing enrichment and housing density on juvenile growth rates and stress in indoor enclosures, and 2) the effects of supplementing hatchlings …