Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Gluconobacter oxydans (2)
- Habitat (2)
- Hemodynamic force (2)
- Intracellular trafficking (2)
- Quantum dots (2)
-
- Snake (2)
- Yeast (2)
- Acclimation (1)
- Actin (1)
- AgNP (1)
- Agkistrodon piscivorus (1)
- Algometry (1)
- Angiogenesis (1)
- Arabidopsis thaliana (1)
- Associative learning (1)
- Back pain (1)
- Barn owl (1)
- Biocatalysis (1)
- Bioconjugation (1)
- Cabernet sauvignon (1)
- Carbon nanotubes (1)
- Cell biology (1)
- Central sensitization (1)
- Cereal rye (1)
- Chemosensory cues (1)
- Cold hardiness (1)
- Computational biology (1)
- Conditioning (1)
- Confocal microscopy (1)
- Congenital heart defects (1)
Articles 1 - 27 of 27
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Ecology Of Hatchling Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii), Sarah J. Spangler
Ecology Of Hatchling Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii), Sarah J. Spangler
MSU Graduate Theses
Little is known about the first year of life for many of the world’s freshwater turtles. This is due in part to their cryptic nature and the difficulty of locating hatchlings in the wild. The lack of information about this demographically important age group has led researchers to draw conclusions from indirect inferences about survival rates and ecological roles of hatchlings that may or may not be accurate. To begin filling in some of these gaps, I focused on the first year in an alligator snapping turtle’s life. I studied: (1) circadian and circannual patterns of activity, (2) growth rates …
The Spatial Ecology And Microhabitat Selection Of The Pygmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus Miliarius) In Southwestern Missouri, Dylan Wallace Maag
The Spatial Ecology And Microhabitat Selection Of The Pygmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus Miliarius) In Southwestern Missouri, Dylan Wallace Maag
MSU Graduate Theses
Despite a wide distribution throughout the southeastern United States, pygmy rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius) have received less research attention than many other rattlesnake species. I captured a total of 33 S. miliarius at the Drury-Mincy Conservation Area (DMCA) and retained 14 large individuals (mostly gravid females) for a radio telemetry study. Snakes were primarily captured during evening road driving surveys and were encountered rarely with any other sampling technique. Sistrurus miliarius are widespread at DMCA where they were encountered in forest, savanna, and glade habitats. Snakes selected microhabitats with more vegetative cover and tree canopy closure than random sites …
Island Biogeography Of Small Mammals And Associated Ectoparasites In The Ozark Glades, Emily M. Beasley
Island Biogeography Of Small Mammals And Associated Ectoparasites In The Ozark Glades, Emily M. Beasley
MSU Graduate Theses
Island Biogeography Theory (IBT) explains and quantifies broad-scale ecological patterns among islands and isolated habitat patches. IBT predicts that the number of species per habitat patch varies as a function of area and isolation as a result of local colonization and extinction. IBT has been extended to habitat islands and hosts as islands for their associated parasites. In the latter system, host body mass acts as a substitute for island area, whereas host population density is used as a measure of isolation. Using the fragmented Ozark glades and the small mammals therein as a model system, I 1) used a …
The Effect Of Weight Carried And Time Ridden On Back Pain In Horses Ridden During Horse Shows As Determined By Pressure Algometry, Meghan Louise Mothershead
The Effect Of Weight Carried And Time Ridden On Back Pain In Horses Ridden During Horse Shows As Determined By Pressure Algometry, Meghan Louise Mothershead
MSU Graduate Theses
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of weight carried (rider + tack) on back pain in horses used in riding classes and a series of intercollegiate horse shows. Sixteen school horses (431-649 kg) were ridden consistently over a semester. Cross sectional images were used to measure width and put in a mapping program to figure total area. Back pain scores were determined using a pressure algometer on predetermined points over the horses back. Pain scores were recorded over five periods, including 28 d into the semester (P1) and during the show period on three consecutive Fridays …
Synchronization Of Reproduction In Deertoe Mussel (Truncilla Truncata), Kendell R. Loyd
Synchronization Of Reproduction In Deertoe Mussel (Truncilla Truncata), Kendell R. Loyd
MSU Graduate Theses
Freshwater mussels, Order Unionoida, are diverse and widespread in North America but have suffered general decline and many extinctions in recent decades. The reproductive biology of Unionoida is complex and may be vulnerable to human impacts. Male mussels release aggregates of sperm called spermatozeugmata that drift downstream. Females obtain spermatozeugmata from the water and brood the fertilized eggs internally during development. Many aspects of general reproductive biology are poorly understood, including the mechanisms that coordinate spawning and the route by which sperm meet eggs in the female. The present study focuses on reproduction in the Deertoe (Truncilla truncata), …
Yeast Dynamin And Ypt6 Converge On The Garp For Endosome-To-Golgi Trafficking, Pelin Makaraci
Yeast Dynamin And Ypt6 Converge On The Garp For Endosome-To-Golgi Trafficking, Pelin Makaraci
MSU Graduate Theses
Protein recycling is an important cellular process required for cell homeostasis. Results from prior studies demonstrated that Vps1, a dynamin homologue in yeast, is implicated in protein recycling from the endosome to the trans-Golgi Network (TGN). However, the function of Vps1 in relation to Ypt6, a master GTPase in the recycling pathway, remains unknown. The present study reveals that Vps1 physically interacts with Ypt6 if at least one of them is full-length. It was found that overexpression of full-length Vps1, but not GTP hydrolysis-defective Vps1 mutants, is sufficient to rescue abnormal phenotypes in membrane trafficking pathways provoked by loss …
The Effect Of Hemodynamic Force On The Maturation Of Blood Vessels During Embryogenesis, Rachel Lee Padget
The Effect Of Hemodynamic Force On The Maturation Of Blood Vessels During Embryogenesis, Rachel Lee Padget
MSU Graduate Theses
Throughout embryonic development, blood vessels are derived from endothelial cells by way of vasculogenesis. During angiogenesis, vessels remodel to form a hierarchy of large-diameter arteries that branch into small-diameter capillaries. In this maturation, vessels respond to unidentified signaling events to become surrounded with an outer layer of vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs). This results in arteries that have a thick vSMC layer, veins that have a thin vSMC layer, and capillaries that have a very thin or absent vSMC layer. What remains to be determined is the cause of the thicker layer of vSMCs around proximal arteries. Previous studies …
Genetic Tools To Allow Efficient Gene And Protein Characterization Of The Industrially Important Bacterium Gluconobacter Oxydans, Melissa A. Schoeben
Genetic Tools To Allow Efficient Gene And Protein Characterization Of The Industrially Important Bacterium Gluconobacter Oxydans, Melissa A. Schoeben
MSU Graduate Theses
The acetic acid bacterium Gluconobacter oxydans is an industrially valuable microorganism, particularly in the production of acetic acid, D-gluconic acid, ketogluconic acids, dihydroxyacetone, and precursors for the antidiabetic drug miglitol. Despite its importance in industry, there is still much to be learned about G. oxydans and its many uncharacterized enzymes. Additionally, genetic engineering holds the possibility of improving current yields. However, these goals are limited, largely due to a lack of molecular tools suitable for working with the bacterium. The current molecular toolkit for G. oxydans specifically lacks an efficient screening system for positive clones and a system for regulatable …
Simplifying Methods For In Vitro Metamorphosis Of Glochidia, Morgan A. Kern
Simplifying Methods For In Vitro Metamorphosis Of Glochidia, Morgan A. Kern
MSU Graduate Theses
Captive culture of Unionoid mussels is complicated by the parasitic larval stage, which normally requires a host fish for metamorphosis. Alternatively, some mussel species can metamorphose in vitro, i.e. in an artificial medium in Petri dishes. Most workers have used 5% CO2 atmosphere and bicarbonate to stabilize pH, requiring a specialized incubator. In the present study, in vitro metamorphosis success of Anodonta oregonensis and other species were higher or similar in air than in 1%, or 5% CO2. The nutritional role of the medium was tested by substituting physiological saline without nutrients at varying intervals before …
Nesting Success Of The Barn Owl (Tyto Alba) Using Nest Boxes In Southwest Missouri, Robert Grant Dickerson
Nesting Success Of The Barn Owl (Tyto Alba) Using Nest Boxes In Southwest Missouri, Robert Grant Dickerson
MSU Graduate Theses
The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is a medium-sized owl belonging to the family Tytonidae. They raise young within natural cavities and on hard surfaces including nest boxes. The nesting success of Barn Owls, using wooden nest boxes, was studied in southwestern Missouri in 2016. Data were collected on clutch and brood sizes, the numbers of young fledged, and the species and amount of prey found in their regurgitated pellets. Interaction between Barn Owls and Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) was also observed and documented. Nest box occupancy was 30% which is lower than in other studies, however this study included …
Comparison Of Understory Chemical And Mechanical Treatments To Promote Regeneration Of Desirable Forestland Species, Rebecca Rachael Tyler
Comparison Of Understory Chemical And Mechanical Treatments To Promote Regeneration Of Desirable Forestland Species, Rebecca Rachael Tyler
MSU Graduate Theses
Invasive woody plants and trees can have a negative impact on desired tree regeneration in the understory of forest stands, and forage density in grassland sites. An assessment of chemical and mechanical treatments on woody plants in the understory of forestland and in grassland is needed. Two experiments were set up in two forest stands and in two grassland/forest edge sites, with two treatment times during the growing season in the first year of the study. On the forestland sites, chemical and mechanical treatments were applied on undesired woody plants to see if they effect the regeneration of desired tree …
The Role Of Hemodynamic Force On Development Of The Mouse Embryonic Heart, Samantha Jean Fredrickson
The Role Of Hemodynamic Force On Development Of The Mouse Embryonic Heart, Samantha Jean Fredrickson
MSU Graduate Theses
The most common type of birth defects are congenital heart defects (or CHDs). Though a few cases of CHDs have been attributed to genetic defects specific to the heart, substance exposure, or to maternal disease, the cause of most CHDs is unknown. Thus, further research is needed to determine how CHDs form. Very few studies have investigated how physiological factors like perturbations of blood flow can affect normal heart development. For instance, increasing or decreasing the resistance to blood flow can alter development of the heart in both zebrafish and chicken embryos. This could be one mechanism to explain CHD …
Effects Of Engineered Carbon And Silver Nanoparticles On Plutella Xylostella Consumption, Growth, Pupation, Survival, And Fecundity, Taiaba Afrin
MSU Graduate Theses
Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) have recently become common in consumer products, and will therefore be entering into both aquatic and terrestrial systems. However, the effects of ENPs on animals is not well characterized. For example, to date there has been no research on the effects of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) (common ENPs) on insects. I examined the effects of pure SWCNTs and AgNPs on consumption, growth, food conversion ratio, pupation, survival, fecundity, and expression of CYP6BG1 using fourth instar of diamondback moth (DBM) larvae with the following concentrations: 8.64, 17.28, 34.56, 69.12 and 138.24 µg/ml SWCNTs; …
Functionalization Of Indium-Based Quantum Dots For Use As A Non-Viral Gene Therapy Vector, Nicholas A. Mundt
Functionalization Of Indium-Based Quantum Dots For Use As A Non-Viral Gene Therapy Vector, Nicholas A. Mundt
MSU Graduate Theses
This work aims to develop functionalized, water-soluble indium-based quantum dots (QDs) as a non-viral gene therapy vector. The QDs were solubilized in water by exchanging native hydrophobic surface ligands with 11-mercaptoundecanioc acid (MUA); an amphiphilic ligand providing terminal carboxylate groups that impart water solubility to the QDs. The aqueous QDs were then functionalized with a terminal tertiary amine to impart a positive surface charge, allowing negatively-charged DNA to complex with the nanoparticles. The QDs were characterized via electrophoresis to determine their ability to bind DNA. Results show that further work is needed to optimize DNA binding. In addition, this work …
Habitat Associations With Small Mammal Communities At Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, Stephanie Anne Ellison
Habitat Associations With Small Mammal Communities At Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, Stephanie Anne Ellison
MSU Graduate Theses
The purpose of this study was to aid the National Park Service at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield with the reported habitat monitoring and management goals through vegetation and wildlife surveys within the park. I provided a description of two major habitat types that are of ecological concern, which included non-native ruderal grasslands and upland deciduous woodlands and forests. I evaluated small mammal communities to determine factors that may affect the detection of individual species and examined habitat associations with occupancy, as small mammals are good indicators of habitat quality. My study highlights the need to manage invasive species such as …
Clinically Relevant Model Of Temporomandibular Disorder, Neelima Chelliboina
Clinically Relevant Model Of Temporomandibular Disorder, Neelima Chelliboina
MSU Graduate Theses
Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) is a debilitating orofacial pain condition that affects a significant portion of the population and is associated with a decrease in quality of life. Results from the Orofacial Pain Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment Study (OPPERA) study provide evidence that risk factors such as neck muscle tension, prolonged jaw opening, and female gender increase the likelihood of developing TMD. Routine visits to an orthodontist or dentist can result in injury to the jaw joint or muscles of mastication. I tested the hypothesis that neck muscle inflammation and female gender increase the risk of developing chronic pain …
An Assessment Of Seven New Grape Varieties And A Study Of Grapevine Vein Clearing Virus In Native Vitaceae Plants, Kaylie A. Austin
An Assessment Of Seven New Grape Varieties And A Study Of Grapevine Vein Clearing Virus In Native Vitaceae Plants, Kaylie A. Austin
MSU Graduate Theses
One of the most effective methods of reducing pesticide application in vineyards is breeding hybrid varieties for disease resistance. The new varieties must be assessed for disease resistance and viticultural traits. This thesis focuses on seven new varieties from a cross of ‘Norton’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’. ‘Norton’ was chosen because of its disease resistance and cold hardiness. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ was selected because of its high-quality wine making berries. The cross was made in 2005, seven were selected in 2011, and evaluation began in 2016. Using Botrytis cinerea as a model pathogen, resistance was measured with an incidence rate and severity …
Comparison Of Serial Pgf2Α Protocols For Control Of The Estrous Cycle In Mares, Kaleigh Marie Potter
Comparison Of Serial Pgf2Α Protocols For Control Of The Estrous Cycle In Mares, Kaleigh Marie Potter
MSU Graduate Theses
Prostaglandin F2α is commonly administered to manipulate the estrous cycle in mares, at a dosage of dinoprost tromethamine (Lutalyse®) at 10 mg, administered IM. My objectives were to compare three serial low-dose PGF2α protocols, and determine the most effective treatment in terms of number of injections, intensity of protocol, time allocated, and labor. Quarter Horse mares (n=11) were used in a crossover design. Lutalyse was administered at 1.1 mL per injection: treatment 1- PGF2α once 6d post-ovulation; treatment 2- PGF2α twice daily 0 d, 1 d, and 2 d, then once 3 d and 4 d post- ovulation; treatment 3- …
Quantitative Behavioral Analyses Of Ozark Hellbender Reproduction And Paternal Care, Rachel Ann Settle
Quantitative Behavioral Analyses Of Ozark Hellbender Reproduction And Paternal Care, Rachel Ann Settle
MSU Graduate Theses
The Ozark hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi) is a federally endangered aquatic salamander. While some anecdotal observations have been reported, no quantitative assessments of reproductive behaviors have been made. I quantified video-recordings of two breeding events at the Saint Louis Zoo. Hellbenders were housed in an indoor stream outfitted with 4 cameras. General activity and agonistic behaviors increased through the first oviposition, peaked during inter-oviposition, and declined abruptly following the second oviposition. Following oviposition, males guard their eggs until hatching. I also quantified behavior of a guarding male from video footage collected by MDC from a nest in the North Fork …
Surface Display For Metabolic Engineering Of Industrially Important Acetic Acid Bacteria, Marshal Allen Blank
Surface Display For Metabolic Engineering Of Industrially Important Acetic Acid Bacteria, Marshal Allen Blank
MSU Graduate Theses
Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) have unique metabolic characteristics that suit them for a variety of applications. They possess an arsenal of membrane-bound dehydrogenases in the periplasmic space that are capable of regiospecific and enantioselective partial oxidation of sugars, alcohols, and polyols. The resulting products are deposited directly into the medium where they are easily recovered for use as pharmaceutical precursors, industrial chemicals, food additives, and consumer products. Unfortunately, there has been little research towards improving AAB, as few molecular tools exist for metabolic engineering of these microbes. To this end, an original surface display system was developed to express recombinant …
The Effects Of Carbon Nanotubes And Silver Quantum Dots On Gas Exchange In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Maryam Ibrahim Subaylaa
The Effects Of Carbon Nanotubes And Silver Quantum Dots On Gas Exchange In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Maryam Ibrahim Subaylaa
MSU Graduate Theses
Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are increasingly being used in commercial products, and may accumulate in soils when the products are disposed. I examined the effects of two common ENPs, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silver quantum dots (Ag-QDs), on plant gas exchange. To do this, I grew Arabidopsis thaliana in soil (n=36) for 6 weeks and added a CNT suspension at increasing concentrations (10, 30, 90, 150, 190, 250 μg/ ml) each week. I also grew A. thaliana in petri dishes (n=83) containing Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, with a concentration of 4μg/ ml Ag-QDs or 4μg/ml CNTs. I measured carbon assimilation …
Yeast Membrane Lipid Imbalance Leads To Trafficking Defects Toward The Golgi, Sara Elizabeth Woodman
Yeast Membrane Lipid Imbalance Leads To Trafficking Defects Toward The Golgi, Sara Elizabeth Woodman
MSU Graduate Theses
Protein recycling is an essential cellular process that involves endocytosis, intracellular trafficking, and exocytosis. In mammalian systems, membrane lipids (including cholesterol, sphingolipids, and phospholipids) play a pivotal role in protein recycling. To address this role in budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, I utilized GFP-Snc1, a fluorescent marker for reporting the recycling pathway. Moderate to significant GFP-Snc1 recycling defects occurred upon overexpression or inactivation of phospholipid, ergosterol, and sphingolipid biosynthesis enzymes, indicating that homeostasis of membrane lipid levels is prerequisite for proper protein recycling. Expression of a truncated version of GFP-Snc1 that cannot be recycled from the plasma membrane revealed that abnormalities …
Spatial Learning Of Shelter Locations And Associative Learning Of A Foraging Task In The Cottonmouth, (Agkistrodon Piscivorus), Rhyan Robert Friesen
Spatial Learning Of Shelter Locations And Associative Learning Of A Foraging Task In The Cottonmouth, (Agkistrodon Piscivorus), Rhyan Robert Friesen
MSU Graduate Theses
Learning processes can have significant adaptive value in mediating behaviors with important fitness consequences. For snakes, learning may ensure the localization of key resources including food and shelter. Snakes are proportionately underrepresented in reptile learning studies, and the majority of research subjects are within the family Colubridae. I presented captive cottonmouth snakes with two types of learning challenges. In a spatial learning experiment, snakes learned the location of a cover object in a circular laboratory arena, as demonstrated by a 56% reduction of time and 57% reduction of distance travelled to a shelter across a series of training trials. In …
Influence Of Prescribed Burning On Upland Soil Properties In Mark Twain National Forest, Southeast Missouri Ozarks, Megan Lynn Hente
Influence Of Prescribed Burning On Upland Soil Properties In Mark Twain National Forest, Southeast Missouri Ozarks, Megan Lynn Hente
MSU Graduate Theses
In the Mark Twain National forest there is a collaborative effort to restore parts of the forest to its original shortleaf pine-oak woodland areas by using a combination of silviculture and prescribed fire. The purpose of this project is to assess the effects of prescribed burning on upland forest and soil physical properties that influence erosion processes across a gradient of burned sites of different ages and unburned sites. A combination of geospatial, field, laboratory, statistical (one-way ANOVA) and modeling (USLE) methods were used to assess the effects of prescribed burns on forest and soil characteristics in Big Barren Creek …
Effects Of Phosphorus Availability On Growth And Leaf Nutrient Concentrations In Wheat, Oat, And Cereal Rye, Jerri Lynn Dodson
Effects Of Phosphorus Availability On Growth And Leaf Nutrient Concentrations In Wheat, Oat, And Cereal Rye, Jerri Lynn Dodson
MSU Graduate Theses
Adequate soil phosphorus (P) is critical for the growth and nutrient content of forages for grazing animals. On low fertility soils, tall fescue responds to P fertilization with increased yields and improved leaf nutrient contents of P, magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and potassium (K) in winter months. My objective was to examine the effect of P availability on growth and leaf nutrients in annual cereal grains commonly grown for winter forage. Soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), oat (Avena sativa), and cereal rye (Secale cereale) were grown hydroponically in greenhouse conditions in complete nutrient solutions with varying P concentrations of …
Genetic Analysis Of Cold Hardiness In A Population Of Norton (Vitis Aestivalis) And Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis Vinifera) Hybrids, Daniel Bracy Adams
Genetic Analysis Of Cold Hardiness In A Population Of Norton (Vitis Aestivalis) And Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis Vinifera) Hybrids, Daniel Bracy Adams
MSU Graduate Theses
Vitis aestivalis derived Norton is an American grape species common throughout the Midwest. Norton grapes are known for their disease resistance, high antioxidant content and cold hardiness; however, they typically have a lower wine quality than European varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon. Thus, there is a desire for new grape varieties with both the durability of native grapes and the quality of European grapes. This study focuses on the cold hardiness of Norton and Cabernet Sauvignon hybrids. Buds were collected from each hybrid once per month from December to February during the winters of 2015-2016 and 2016-217. The buds were attached …
Transcriptome Profiling And Long Non-Coding Rna Identification In Grapevine, Zachary Noel Harris
Transcriptome Profiling And Long Non-Coding Rna Identification In Grapevine, Zachary Noel Harris
MSU Graduate Theses
Next-generation sequencing technologies have provided access to vast quantities of nucleic acid sequence data. The resulting wealth of information enables biologists to address complex biological questions in species for which a high-quality well-annotated reference genome sequence has yet to be generated. The cultivated grapevine, Vitis vinifera, has a relatively poorly annotated reference genome. In addition, it is a highly heterozygous species which further hinders the annotation of its genome and the characterization of its transcriptome. Here, I annotated Version 2 of the 12X V. vinifera genome using RNA-seq data derived from the variety ‘Riesling' by employing the most up-to-date computational …