Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Insect Opportunists On A Four-Level Trophobiotic System Involving Nectar-Producing Galls Of The Cynipid Wasp Disholcaspis Quercusmamma (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), Stephanie L. Smith

Masters Theses

The induction of plant galls is considered an adaptive life history trait found in many insect groups. The formation of galls provides several advantages to the gall maker, such as enhanced nutrition, favorable microclimate, and protection from natural enemies, including parasitoids, inquilines, and predators. Order Hymenoptera has many gall-making species, belonging to the gall wasp family Cynipidae. As an extended phenotype of the gall makers, some galls exhibit very sophisticated adaptive mechanisms involving multilevel species interactions. In particular, the oak galls of the Cynipid species Disholcaspis quercusmamma, found in much of Illinois, produce a palatable, sugary nectar-like secretion, attracting …

Nest Success In A Grassland Bird Community: Microsite Selection & A Case For Nest Height Manipulation, Matt Kneitel

Masters Theses

Grassland birds are a sensitive community and populations around the country have been declining. They are susceptible to low nest success due to loss of habitat and the small, fragmented patches that remain are often subjected to elevated levels of nest predation. The American goldfinch (Spinus tristis), which uses grasslands for feeding and nesting, is understudied given its abundance, due in part to its late-season nesting habits, and selection of taller woody vegetation as nesting substrate, which is atypical for many grassland nesting birds. American goldfinches were incorporated in this study which included nest height manipulation of goldfinch …

Identification And Analysis Of Genes With Differential And Tissue-Specific Expression In Poplars, Bailey Mitchell

Masters Theses

Poplars have become one of the most frequently studied plant species for their applications in biotechnology, commercial benefits, and ecological importance. Microarray analysis is commonly used to analyze differential gene expression in many organisms. Investigations have examined differential gene expression and performed functional analyses on a single tissue or organ within poplar trees or a closely related set of tissues and organs, but usually do not broadly analyze gene expression across a large number of tissues and organs in poplar. This thesis work aims to generate data on the most differentially expressed genes for the major groups of tissues and …

Investigation Of Glutamate Carboxypeptidase Ii Roles In The Folate Cycle Dependent Reproduction And Development Of Caenorhabditis Elegans, Jessica M. Derham

Masters Theses

Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) is a transmembrane, zinc metallopeptidase that is expressed in a wide range of organisms, including roundworms, mice, and humans. In humans, GCPII is primarily expressed in the prostate, kidneys, small intestine, and central nervous system. Within the small intestine, the expected function of GCPII is to aid in the absorption of dietary folate from the intestinal lumen. GCPII cleaves excess glutamates from folate to yield monoglutamated folate which is then readily transported into the enterocyte. Folate can then be used through the one carbon metabolic cycle for the synthesis of nucleotides, conversion of homocysteine to methionine, …

Monitoring Temporal Trends In Catostomidae Larvae In Large Sized River Tributaries, Kellie Nicole Hanser

Masters Theses

Large river ecosystems can support a complex network of tributaries that provide optimal habitat for fish reproduction. Anthropogenic alteration of rivers and tributaries has been shown to have adverse effects on river fish communities, but few studies have focused on the effects river regulation may have on the reproduction of native suckers (Family Catostomidae). In this study, I evaluated differences in biotic and abiotic factors associated with catostomid reproduction between tributaries of an altered and free-flowing river. I conducted ichthyoplankton sampling using drift nets and larval push nets in tributaries of the Illinois River, which is regulated for navigation, and …

Design, Synthesis, And Characterization Of Chemical Tools To Study Peroxisomal Import, Jhalak N. Timilsena

Masters Theses

Peroxisomes are dynamic and interconnected single lipid membrane bound organelles found in the eukaryotic cells which are involved in various biochemical processes including the b-oxidation of very long chain and branched chain fatty acids, metabolism of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and reduction of hydrogen peroxide among others. These organelles are known to host numerous proteins and enzymes depending on the cellular environment. All of the proteins needed in the peroxisomes are encoded in the nucleus and synthesized in the cytosol which are then transported to the peroxisomes with the help of a sophisticated protein-transport machinery. Pex5 is one of …

Seasonal Temperature Changes In Three Midwestern Wastewater Streams And The Effects On Fish Assemblages And Physiology, Ryan William Sparks

Masters Theses

Midwestern United States undergo extreme temperature and precipitation fluctuations throughout the year, which leads to changing habitats within Illinois river systems. Wastewater treatment facilities have long been used to treat sewage and reduce the organic products in sewage before releasing it into aquatic environments. Wastewater treatment facilities must maintain optimal conditions, especially temperature, for reproduction and growth of facilitated bacteria that break down organic materials in wastewater. The objectives for this study were to determine the thermal effects of wastewater treatment facilities on receiving waters; and secondly, to investigate the influence of these wastewater facilities on fish abundance and assemblages. …

Comparison Of The Effects Of Growing-Season Burns And Dormant-Season Burns On Vegetation Structure And Grassland Bird Diversity In East-Central Illinois Prairies, Joseph Lee Boise

Masters Theses

For managed grasslands, prescribed burns are a method to manage species composition by preventing crowding by bunch grasses and woody encroachment. While dormant-season (spring) burns are routinely performed, managers have recently introduced growing-season (late summer/fall) burns to prairies in east-central Illinois. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of dormant-season and growingseason burns on vegetation structure and associated avian diversity. Specifically, objectives were to determine if: (1) Growing-season burns increase bird diversity or density of rare/declining species relative to dormant season burns; (2) Growing-season burns cause more bare ground to open and reduce litter and woody species …

A Cloning Strategy For Expression Of Fungal Hemicellulases In Plant Systems, Amer Alrudayan

Masters Theses

Lignocellulosic biomass is notoriously difficult to deconstruct into lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose fractions without the use of biochemical, chemical, and/or mechanical pretreatments. These pretreatment strategies add operational cost and in some cases produce hazardous waste that poses health and safety risks. Direct biological pretreatment from biomass-degrading bacteria and fungi may significantly reduce the costs and risks associated with these traditional strategies due to the innate ability of these organisms to modify plant cell walls. An additional measure that could further reduce the expenses associated with lignocellulosic biomass fractionation is genetic modification of the lignocellulosic feedstocks, which can be accomplished by …

The Transcriptome Response Of The White-Rot Fungus Trametes Versicolor To Wild-Type And Lignin-Modified Hybrid Poplar, Anbarah Alzabaidi

Masters Theses

Plant biomass is a renewable and sustainable feedstock for biofuel production that can reduce societal dependence on fossil fuels. However, the production of liquid biofuels from the non-starch (i.e. lignocellulosic) material through fermentation technology is limited due to the complexity of the cell wall structure. This necessitates the use of chemical, thermal, and/or mechanical pretreatment technologies, which adds significant capital, operational, and environmental costs. Biological pretreatment strategies have the potential to mitigate these expenses by harnessing the innate ability of specialized bacteria and fungi to deconstruct lignocellulose. White-rot fungi (e.g. Trametes versicolor) have been shown to be …

Seasonal Variation In Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Of The Bluegill Sunfish, Lepomis Macrochirus, From A Shallow Midwest River, Derick Isaac Lamptey

Masters Theses

As average global temperature increase, the frequency and magnitude of extreme temperatures in shallow aquatic ecosystems are more ubiquitous. In order to understand how these changing thermal regimes affect aquatic ectotherms, it is essential to develop studies evaluating the response of ectotherms to seasonal fluctuating thermal regimes. Previous studies on fluctuating temperature regimes have reported an increased physiological stress leading to morphological, behavioral and biochemical adaptations. From the latter, the adaptive capacity and seasonal performance associated with optimal function of the oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS) are key for species persistence. However, studies on this matter are scarce. This study explores …

A Pipeline For Exogenous Gene Expression And Biomass Analysis In Plants, Bijay Bisunke

Masters Theses

Biological pretreatment of biomass is typically required for the production of liquid biofuels, which are viable alternatives to traditional fossil fuels. While traditional thermomechanical pretreatments are effective at helping to deconstruct lignocellulose, they are often expensive and tend to generate environmentally dangerous waste materials. An alternative to traditional pretreatment strategies is biological pretreatment, which has focused on lignocellulose-degrading organisms, such as white-rot fungi. While direct pretreatment of biomass with white-rot fungi has shown great promise, directly expressing functional white-rot fungi genes in plants (i.e. in planta expression) has the potential to be even more efficient because the biomass itself …

Variation In Leaf Morphology Of An Alpine Shrub Community Along Environmental Gradients, Abdulssalam Khafsha

Masters Theses

Mountains represent complex environment gradients which strongly affect local temperature regimes and rainfall. These changes in climate conditions drive a diversity of plant responses. As alpine environments are expected to change dramatically in response to climate change, understanding plant responses to environmental variation is critical in these environments. Although they are a critical component of alpine communities, the environmental responses of shrubs have been much less examined than trees, representing an important knowledge gap. Leaves, as the primary photosynthetic organs on plants, would be expected to respond strongly to local climate conditions. In this study, I documented how the leaf …

Reprogramming Of Rat Hepatoma Cells With Fibroblast-Specific Protein Twist1, Kezban Ucar Cifci

Masters Theses

In mammalian development, a complex system comprised of regulatory signals causes tissue distinction with unique structures as well as functions. Gene expression controls these functions through specific combinations of transcription factors and cofactors that influence cell differentiation by both activation and repression of genes.

Whole genome microarray studies of fibroblasts have identified candidate genes that can serve as master regulators of fibroblast identity. A previous study showed that Prrx1 and Snai2 play important roles in activating expression of fibroblast identity, and Snai2 overexpression in hepatoma cells (Fg14) activated expression of fibroblast specific genes. Moreover, Snai2 overexpression resulted in repression of …

Detection Of Beta-Lactamase Variants In Municipal Wastewater And Fresh Water, Sunil Pandey

Masters Theses

The occurrence and spread of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) are pressing public health problems worldwide. A key factor contributing to the spread of ARGs is lateral gene transfer. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are measured hot spots of microbial diversity and resistance because they receive polluted wastewater from diverse sources and contain a variety of different environments with dense bacterial loads. Due to the overuse of antibiotics the genetic capacities of microbes have profited. This helps every source of resistance gene and every means of horizontal gene transmission to develop the multiple mechanism of resistance to each antibiotic used clinically, agriculturally, or …

Waist Circumference And The Relation To Aerobic Exercise And Perception Of Illness In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Bailey J. Huebner

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to observe the relationship between waist circumference (WC), amount of aerobic exercise performed weekly and overall Health Belief Model (HBM) score in adults with diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Members from a local Midwest adult fitness program (n = 5) who had been diagnosed T2DM participated in this study. Participants ranged in age from 70 to 80 years with an average age of 74 years. Four of the participants were female and one participant was male. The questions included in this study were 1 .) in those with diagnosed T2DM, was a low …

Impacts Of Plant-Microbe Interactions On Seedling Performance In A Riparian Forest Invaded By Lonicera Maackii, Taylor E. K. Strehl

Masters Theses

Soil microbes have profound impacts on plant growth and survival and can either promote or inhibit plant dominance. Exotic plants are often strongly invasive because they have escaped their natural enemies, potentially including antagonistic soil microbes. I examined how the invasive shrub Lonicera maackii and a common native tree, Acer negundo, responded to soil microbial communities to determine the role of soil microbes in regulating invasion success. This was done by growing both species with microbes from invaded (L. maackii) and uninvaded (A. negundo) soils collected from three locations within a riparian forest. Seedlings were …

Investigating The Prevalence Of An Insecticide Resistance Gene In Culex Mosquito Populations Of Central Illinois, Kylee R. Noel

Masters Theses

The globalization of society has led to the spread of the vectors, mosquitoes, and diseases. Each year millions of people are killed by diseases vectored by mosquitoes. For example, West Nile Virus alone killed over 2,000 people in North America in 2017; 8 of those deaths being in Illinois. Two prominent vectors of West Nile Virus are Culex pipiens and Culex restuans; which are difficult to differentiate based upon morphological features. In this study, mosquitoes collected from two Illinois counties, Coles County and Champaign County, were first identified based upon morphology and this identification was then compared to probe-based …

Functional Characterization Of Glutamate Carboxypeptidase Ii In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Hashni Epa Vidana Gamage

Masters Theses

Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) is a transmembrane zinc metalloprotease expressed in a number of organisms: from yeast to worm to humans. In humans, GCPII has been observed as a multifunctional protein and expressed in prostate, intestine, kidney, brain, tumor-associated neovasculature and other tissues as five paralogs. In the human small intestine, hGCPII is proposed to facilitate the folate absorption by cleaving terminal glutamate residues in dietary folates. Folates act as a cofactor in one-carbon metabolic pathways such as nucleotide synthesis, amino acid synthesis, DNA repair, and consequently involved in cell division and growth. The hGCPII homolog is found in the …

Evaluation Of Intra-Species Diversity Of Oxalobacter Formigenes Strains Using Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (Pfge) And Multiplex Pcr, Nivedita Pareek

Masters Theses

Oxalobacter formigenes is a beneficial, strict anaerobic gut bacterium that plays an important role in the prevention of kidney stone disease with a unique characteristic of using only oxalate as a carbon and energy source. To date, twenty-one strains of O. formigenes have been isolated which are further divided into two groups based on differences in the patterns of cell membrane lipids, cellular proteins, and nucleic acid fragments. The objective of the study was to evaluate intra-species diversity of O. formigenes strains using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multiplex PCR.

Nine pure cultures of O. formigenes strains (5 strains group …

The Impact Of School Nutrition Education And Physical Education Programs On Weight Status Of Obese Children Aged 5-12 Years, Lamia Alotaibi

Masters Theses

Epidemiological studies indicate that 12.5 million children and adolescents are considered obese (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Obesity is on the rise globally, and while it affects both children and adults, early measures can be taken to reduce the number of children who are obese, and therefore, come into adulthood at a higher risk for obesity-related diseases, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and sleep apnea. There are many studies in which programs are implemented and tested for effectiveness; therefore, a systematic review of these studies that examine which factors play into overall obesity prevention and health improvements among …

Medicinal Properties Of The Araliaceae, With Emphasis On Chemicals Affecting Nerve Cells, Rana Alharbi

Masters Theses

In recent times, medicinal plants have become the focus of scientists and research. However, many have used traditional medicine to take advantage of plant extracts to treat many diseases, especially neurological diseases. Various central nervous system receptors have been shown to associate with plant extracts influencing the pharmacology and in this manner conceivably assuming a role in human sickness and treatment. For instance, extracts from Cussonia paniculata Eckl. & Zeyh targeted several early nervous and mental disease, and Kalopanax pictus has been traditionally used for the treatment of rheumatoidal arthritis, nerve pain and diabetes mellitus.

In the present study, we …

An Assessment Of Night Time And Seasonal Electrofishing In The Lower Wabash River, Eric Christopher Hine

Masters Theses

Large rivers are highly important systems; being exploited both commercially and recreationally. Because of this usage by humans, close monitoring of the ecology of theses rivers is of the utmost importance. The Long-Term Electrofishing project (LTEF) monitors the fish communities of the Illinois, Mississippi, Wabash, and Ohio rivers using day time, pulsed-DC electrofishing during the late Spring through the early Fall each year. Given that previous studies have noted diel and seasonal changes in catch and composition of fish communities, the addition of night time electrofishing may be beneficial to the overarching goals of the LTEF. This study sought to …

White Grub In Bluegill In The Sangamon River: Impact Of Sewage Effluent And Flow Regime On Infection Parameters, Miranda White

Masters Theses

White grub (Posthodiplostomum minimum) is a digenetic trematode that uses a piscivorous bird, a pulmonate snail, and a centrarchid fish to complete its life cycle. To assess the impact of impoundment and sewage effluent on white grub infection parameters, infections in bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) were monitored in 3 reaches of the Sangamon River near Decatur, Illinois: Reach 1- free-flowing river upstream of Lake Decatur Dam, unimpacted by sewage effluent, Reach 2- impounded flow below Lake Decatur Dam, unimpacted by sewage effluent, and Reach 3- free-flowing river downstream of Sanitary District of Decatur, impacted by sewage effluent. Liver and kidney abundances …

Context Dependency Of Invasion Impacts On The Controllers Of Invasibility In Microstegium Vimineum, Scott Vincent Janis

Masters Theses

Although plant invasions are of major conservation concern, understanding of the natural controls on invasion and their impacts is largely limited to static observational studies or artificially manipulated systems. Linking patterns of invasion with subsequent impacts in natural systems is necessary to fully assess invasion causes and consequences. Therefore, I employed a long-term approach to sequentially assess the controls on invasion and their subsequent impacts in a self-assembled system for the highly invasive annual grass Microstegium vimineum. I modeled likely factors contributing to the probability of invasion and local invasion success of a natural invasion of M. vimineum in a …

Haplotype Diversity And Population Genetic Structure Of Antistrophus Gall Wasps Associated With Two Silphium Species And Implication For Host Mediated Speciation, Jiaxin Deng

Masters Theses

Gall making insects form a special feeding guild of phytophagous animals, and by manipulating host plant tissue differentiation, are able to avoid plant chemical defenses and thus have no need for counter defense mechanisms. Host plant selection is crucial to the evolution of these insects because successful gall formation is largely dependent on host plant ability to respond to stimuli. In Illinois and neighboring states, Antistrophus gall wasps associated with the rosin weed (S. integrifolium) and the cup plant (S. perfoliatum) are morphologically indistinguishable and thus have been treated as belonging to single species. However, the wasps from the host …

Assessment And Recovery Of Stream Restoration Efforts On Fish Communities, Jessica Marie Rohr

Masters Theses

Aquatic systems are subjected to disturbances of various types, including natural and anthropogenic, or can deteriorate due to accumulating unfavorable conditions, including receding banks, decreasing riparian vegetation, and disrupted flow patterns. An analysis was done on a variety of streams in central Illinois that experienced one or multiple anthropogenic disturbances without remediation to determine the natural recovery dynamics of each system. A separate analysis was performed on a multi-site restored stream with a complex restoration project with a variety of restoration methods. This data were collected over at periods of time spanning from 5-15 years, including time prior to disturbance/restoration …

Creg1: Its Role As A Master Regulator Of Liver Function, Iffat Jahan

Masters Theses

Mammalian development involves a complex system of regulatory signals and reactions resulting in highly differentiated cell types with specific structure and function. The liver is a major organ that has been studied extensively to understand underlying genetic processes responsible for specification, establishment and maintenance of tissue identity. Hepatoma and hepatoma variant cell lines have been used as models to understand genetic networks responsible for liver function. Whole genome microarray analysis of hepatocyte cell lines has revealed candidate genes that may serve as regulators or master regulators of liver specificity. In two previous studies in our lab, the role of candidate …

Identifying Priority Conservation Areas And Strategies For Myotis Sodalis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) Via Habitat And Connectivity Modeling, Ashleigh B. Cable

Masters Theses

Myotis sodalis, the Indiana bat, is a federally endangered bat species in the United States of America (USA). Conservation efforts are typically focused at identified maternity sites at local scales, however, the species is a regional migrant that interacts with its environment at multiple spatial scales. We are limited in our knowledge of landscape-level requirements of this species, especially in large areas such as Illinois, USA, where a wide range of environmental and landscape conditions exist. Many previous M. sodalis habitat studies have limited their focus to smaller spatial scales. Due to limitations in funding, personnel, and time, it …

Xylan Metabolism By Caulobacter Crescentus, Viet Bui

Masters Theses

Bacteria present unique opportunities to explore the molecular mechanisms of nutrient acquisition processes at single cell level under various experimental conditions. Caulobacter crescentus is a gram-negative oligotrophic environmental bacterium with adaptive physiological responses, such as slow growth or complete arrest of cell cycle, presence of sessile and motile progenies with the sessile cells growing stalk to enhance nutrient uptake for growth in low-nutrient conditions. Details of plant polysaccharide-derived carbon compound, such as cellobiose, maltose, and xylose utilization by C. crescentus can be found but molecular details or mechanisms of polysaccharide utilization, such as xylan, has not been reported. Database analyses …