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Snowshoe Hare (Lepus Americanus) Abundance In Relation To Habitat And Predator Assemblage Across The Apostle Islands, Jarod Reibel

Masters Theses

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are a climate sensitive species that have a southern range boundary moving northward. Snowshoe hares are found on the Apostle Islands, Wisconsin which are near their southern boundary and differ by island in vegetative and carnivore communities. The archipelago serves as a natural laboratory to assess how top-down and bottomup forces interact and impact snowshoe hare populations. The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of vegetative characteristics, specifically visual obstruction, and the presence of predators on snowshoe hare abundances across the Apostle Islands. We conducted fecal pellet surveys to estimate hare abundance, measured …

Impacts Of Shoreline Restoration And Source Of Nutrient Enrichment On Macrophytes And Epiphytic Algal Communities, Paige Marie Kleindl

Masters Theses

Macrophytes and their epiphytic algal communities are integral for optimizing littoral ecosystem functioning in lakes. Epiphytic algae’s placement on the plant’s surface can reduce light and nutrient availability (i.e., nitrogen and phosphorus) for the host macrophyte. Macrophyte and epiphytic algal proximity complicates these primary producer group interactions and responses to bioavailable nutrients in the water column or porewater. For example, epiphytic algae may have a competitive advantage over surface water nutrients compared to macrophytes, which may have a competitive advantage over porewater nutrients via root systems.

Muskegon Lake’s industrial history and designation as an Area of Concern prompted shoreline restoration, …

The Implementation Of Qpcr Beach Monitoring Methods: Analysis Of A Multi-Lab Validation Study And The Role Of Environmental Parameters On A Comparison Of Colilert And Qpcr Methods, Molly J. Lane

Masters Theses

Public beaches are routinely tested for potentially pathogenic bacteria to protect beachgoers from possible illness. An EPA approved method, Colilert™, used for testing E. coli in recreational water requires 18 – 22 hours before a result is reported but, recreators have already contacted unsafe water before the beach is closed. My study focused on a U.S. EPA proposed qPCR method (Draft Method C) to quantify E. coli in recreational waters that can provide same-day results. In Chapter 2, I examined the calibration procedure used to validate Draft Method C and compared standard curve intercept and slope estimates calculated with a …

Habitat Use Of The Climate-Sensitive Snowshoe Hare (Lepus Americanus) In The Manistee National Forest In Michigan’S Lower Peninsula, Spencer D. West

Masters Theses

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are a wide-ranging lagomorph that are important forest herbivores and a popular game species throughout their range. Across the southern boundary of their geographic range, snowshoe hares are experiencing population declines and possible extirpation due to increased predation pressure driven by climate change induced camouflage mismatch, competition for forage, degraded and fragmented habitat. One method of reversing the negative trends in snowshoe hare distribution is to increase and improve available hare habitat. A specific habitat analysis for local regions will most effectively advise managers how to target habitat management. I radio-collared 11 snowshoe hares in the …

Pcr Analysis On The Effects Of Alpha Synuclein Treatment On C6 Rat Glioma Cells, Michael John Helmus

Masters Theses

Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a rare neurological disease that mainly implicates the neuronal protein, alpha synuclein, as being centrally involved in MSA pathology. Despite synucleinopathy dogma, little is known about alpha synucleins role in MSA pathogenesis. The Ide laboratory previously conducted an Affymetrix gene expression study utilizing the post-mortem pons tissue from eight individuals with MSA and five individuals without any known neurological disorders. One conclusion from that study was that downregulation of numerous mitochondrial homeostasis related genes had occurred. It is hypothesized that alpha synuclein can perturb mitochondrial homeostasis through direct interaction with mitochondria. This study utilized Reverse …

Functional Analysis In The Home Setting Of An Older Adult With Neurocognitive Disorder, Emily Norton

Masters Theses

Currently within the behavioral gerontology literature there are no published studies that include a functional assessment in the home setting. The primary goal of the present study was to address this gap by conducting a functional analysis on a challenging behavior of an older adult with neurocognitive disorder in the home. This study occurred in two phases. During phase one, researchers conducted an antecedent functional analysis on the bizarre speech of an 81-year-old female with suspected dementia across four conditions (television on, no interactions initiated; television on, interactions initiated; television off, no interactions initiated; television off, interactions initiated). Results from …

Supporting Black Mothers At The Transition: A Collaborative Design Prenatal Coparenting Program, Jordan Ebanaya

Masters Theses

Despite having the highest infant mortality rate of similarly developed nations, infant mortality rates have trended downward in the United States, however, the infant mortality disparity between Black and White infants persists. The causes of the disparity have been traced to social considerations of the mother especially while pregnant. These social situations include racism and discrimination, marital status of the mother, social support and pregnancy intentions, pointing to one commonality: stress. Using Boss and colleagues 2017 Conceptual Model of Family Stress, this study proposes a solution to address some of the social support, or resources, available to the expectant mother; …

Predicting Successful Chaperoning Of Fabry Disease Mutants Via Computation, Priyank Patel

Masters Theses

Fabry disease is an inherited X-linked recessive disorder caused by mutations in the galactosidase alpha (GLA) gene, leading to deficiencies in α-galactosidase A (α-GAL) enzyme production. α-GAL, a lysosomal glycosidase, catalyzes the removal of a terminal α-galactose; however, loss of α-GAL activity leads to accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (an endogenous substrate) and the eventual onset of the disease. Approved treatments for Fabry disease include enzyme replacement therapy and pharmacological chaperone therapy. In the latter treatment, 1-deoxygalactonojirimycin (DGJ), a pharmacological chaperone, is administered to Fabry disease patients, leading to increased enzymatic activity. The DGJ iminosugar acts as a competitive inhibitor …

An Examination Of Tern Diet In A Changing Gulf Of Maine, Keenan Yakola

Masters Theses

The Gulf of Maine is a dynamic ecosystem with rapidly warming sea surface temperatures (SSTs), therefore it is vital to understand how species interactions vary over time and space. In chapter two, I quantify and compare dietary differences among four tern species, across seven islands in the region, over a 32-year period. Multivariate statistical analyses were employed to discern spatial and temporal differences in foraging ecology. Findings suggest there are significant differences between species and islands; however, only three prey species comprise the majority of chick diet for all terns and islands. The reliance on only a few prey items …

Investigating The Role Of Lbh During Early Embryonic Development In Xenopus Laevis, Emma Weir

Masters Theses

LBH is a highly conserved protein whose role during vertebrate development is relatively under-studied. In collaboration with the Albertson lab, our lab has previously shown that it is necessary for cranial neural crest cell migration in the zebrafish and in Xenopus laevis. The molecular mechanisms through which it acts are not well understood.

In Xenopus, LBH is a maternally deposited protein. As such, studying its role in early development has not been feasible through the morpholino-mediated knockdown techniques that prevent translation of target genes. Recently, a technique for degrading endogenous proteins was developed, called Trim-Away. This was developed in mammalian …

How Perception Of Decision Environment And Future Information Affects Changes In Delay Discounting Rates: Differences Across U.S. And China, Differences Before And After The U.S. 2018 Midterm Elections, Fran Walsh

Masters Theses

In this thesis, I will explore the idea that choices between present, smaller value options and future, larger value options depend on how much individuals trust the future to deliver the reward. Due to this aspect of trust, the individual must build their estimate of trust based on information for their present environment and their future expectations. This estimate of future trust can change across different time points in the same environment (i.e., before and after a national election) and between environments in the same time point (i.e., between two countries experiencing different economic rates of change). In this set …

Characterizing The Interaction Between Non-Pathogenic Fusarium Oxysporum And Arabidopsis Thaliana To Determine Beneficial Effects Conferred To The Model Plant Host, Kathryn Isabelle Vescio

Masters Theses

Fusarium oxysporum (Fo) is a soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes vascular wilt disease on a broad range of plants, including agricultural crops and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. There are non-pathogenic members of the Fo species complex that confer defense benefits against other pathogens to the host plant, however alteration to the host’s physiology through interaction with one of these strains, Fo47, have not been described. In this study, we aimed to establish the Fo47-A. thaliana interaction and determine if Fo47 reduces disease severity of a pathogenic Fo isolate, Fo5176. Additionally, we sought to use bioinformatics to mine …

The Effects Of Acidosis On Calcium Dependent Binding Of A Single Crossbridge, Matthew Unger

Masters Theses

Intracellular acidosis is a putative agent of skeletal muscle fatigue, in part, because acidosis depresses the calcium (Ca²⁺) sensitivity and force production of muscle (18, 50). However, the molecular mechanisms behind this depression in Ca²⁺ sensitivity and force production are unknown. This gap in knowledge poses a significant challenge in generating a complete understanding of the fatigue process. To close this gap, the ability of myosin to bind to a single actin filament was measured under acidic conditions, in a laser trap assay, with and without regulatory proteins. Decreasing pH from 7.4 to 6.5 reduced the frequency …

A Novel Infield Metagenomic Approach To Evaluating Surface Water Quality In Lake Warner, Brooke Stebbins

Masters Theses

In January 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti’s weak sanitation infrastructure and limitations in the public health system made the country susceptible to the spread of waterborne diseases. Following the earthquake, cholera rapidly spread through Haiti, killing 4,672 people in 5 months and leaving thousands hospitalized (MSNBC, 2010). Cholera is an infectious diarrheal disease caused by the pathogen, Vibrio cholerae, which results in severe dehydration with a high mortality risk. The source of the epidemic was traced to the Artibonite River, the island’s longest and most essential drinking …

Arboriculture Safety Around The World, Jamie Lim

Masters Theses

Arboricultural work is inherently dangerous, with more serious injuries and fatalities than most other professions. Safety standards exist in some jurisdictions, but it is unclear how many standards exist, how they compare to one another, and whether (and how many) jurisdictions share standards. To establish a baseline understanding of these issues, my objectives were to (i) develop a database of existing standards, (ii) identify the most frequently occurring safety topics and (iii) describe similarities and differences in safety topics among standards from different countries. I worked with a variety of contacts and traditional university library resources to identify, obtain, analyze, …

Application Of Flow Cytometry As Novel Technology In Studying Lipid Oxidation In Oil-In-Water Emulsions, Peilong Li

Masters Theses

The body of literature on the impact of emulsion particle size on oxidation rates is unclear. This could be because emulsions are typically polydisperse and the oxidation rate of individual droplets is impossible to discern. Flow cytometry is a technique for studying individual cells and their subpopulations using fluorescence technologies. It is possible that individual emulsion droplets could also be characterized by flow cytometry as a novel approach for studying lipid oxidation. Typical emulsion droplets are too small to be visualized by flow cytometer, so emulsions were prepared to have droplets > 2 μm; weighting agent and xanthan gum were added …

The Efficacy Of Atp Monitoring Devices At Measuring Organic Matter On Postharvest Surfaces, Kristin Lane

Masters Theses

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), specifically the Produce Safety Rule (PSR), requires growers to clean and sanitize food-contact surfaces to protect against produce contamination. The ATP monitoring device is a potential sanitation tool to monitor the efficacy of an on-farm cleaning and sanitation program that could help growers meet regulatory expectations mandated by PSR. The ATP device uses bioluminescence to detect all ATP (found in bacteria and produce matter cells) from a swabbed surface. Little work has been done to test the efficacy of these tools under postharvest conditions. The present study evaluated ATP measurement for postharvest surface cleanliness …

Patterns Of Morphological Plasticity In Metriaclima Zebra And Danio Rerio Suggest Differently Canalized Phenotypes Due To Form-Function Relationships, Dylan Jockel

Masters Theses

In order to ascertain the degree of compatibility in developmental restructuring and behavioral plasticity between two fish species frequently made subject of laboratory research (Metriaclima zebra & Danio rerio), alternative trophic niche exposure experiments utilizing novel three-prong feeding treatments were conducted to obtain morphometric data, which demonstrated both species do bear some degree of plasticity. The results are somewhat complicated by differences in locality of detectable restructuring, which may be due to disparity in the form-function relationship for each species’ lineage. Each is notable in the manner of respective species’ jaw protrusion, as it is driven by anterior …

Markov Decision Process Approach To Strategize National Breast Cancer Screening Policy In Data-Limited Settings, Vijeta Deshpande

Masters Theses

Early diagnosis is a promising strategy to reduce premature mortalities and for optimal use of resources. But the absence of mathematical models specific to the data settings in LMIC’s impedes the construction of economic analysis necessary for decision-makers in the development of cancer control programs. This thesis presents a new methodology for parameterizing the natural history model of breast cancer based on data availabilities in low and middle income countries, and formulation of a control optimization problem to find the optimal screening schedule for mammography screening, solved using dynamic programming. As harms and benefits are known to increase with the …

Sex Specific Electrophysiology Of Aromatase Neurons In The Medial Amygdala, Marcelo Henrique Correia

Masters Theses

The medial amygdala (MeA) is a central node in the interwoven circuits that regulate social behavior based on pheromones. Aromatase-expressing (arom⁺) neurons in the MeA are key for the establishment and maintenance of sex differences. Here, we characterized the intrinsic electrophysiological properties of arom⁺ neurons and non-aromatase (arom^-) neurons in the MeA of male and female mice. Most electrophysiological properties were similar for arom⁺ neurons in the MeA between sexes, but the relative refractory period was twice as large in female mice. We also show that the firing pattern and firing frequency is markedly …

Optical Meets Mechanical: Use Of Luminescence Spectroscopy To Assess Ageing In Biodegradable Films, Louis Colaruotolo

Masters Theses

With the growing concern of the accumulation of plastic-based food packaging waste, the search for bio-based biodegradable packages is on the rise. These materials differ from their petro-based counterparts in their degradation rates, which are much higher in the former. Not only do bio-based biodegradable materials degrade faster during post-usage processes but also they age faster during usage and storage, which affects their performance and functionality. The application of noninvasive testing methods with the capability to report on the matrix’s state could assist in the development of a more ubiquitous way to assess ageing in food packaging, particularly in biodegradable …

Analysis Of Connectivity In Emg Signals To Examine Neural Correlations In Muscular Activation Of Lower Leg Muscles For Postural Stability, Diana Mccrumb

Masters Theses

In quiet standing the central nervous systems implements a pre-programmed ankle strategy of postural control to maintain upright balance and stability. This strategy is comprised of a synchronized common neural drive being delivered to synergistically grouped muscles. In this study connectivity between EMG signals of unilateral and bilateral homologous muscle pairs, of the lower legs, during various standing balance conditions was evaluated using magnitude squared coherence (MSC) and mutual information (MI). The leg muscles of interest were the tibialis anterior (TA), medial gastrocnemius (MG), and the soleus (S) of both legs. MSC is a linear measure of the phase relation …

Dynamic Carbon Cycling In Muskegon Lake – A Great Lakes Estuary, Katie Lynn Knapp

Masters Theses

Ecosystem metabolism is the coupling of carbon and oxygen through photosynthesis and respiration. Gross primary production (GPP) is the carbon fixation by photosynthesis, ecosystem respiration (R) is carbon remineralization by bacterial and plankton respiration, and net ecosystem production (NEP) is the balance. Metabolism estimates determine if ecosystem is a sink or source of carbon to the atmosphere. When a lake has a positive NEP, or the GPP:R ratio is greater than 1, it is considered autotrophic and less carbon is being lost to the atmosphere than taken in, whereas if NEP is negative (GPP:R-1d^-1, respectively and the BOD …

Biological Invasions On A Large Scale: Investigating The Spread Of Baby’S Breath (Gypsophila Paniculata) Across North America, Sarah K. Lamar

Masters Theses

Invasive species are a serious threat to biodiversity worldwide. While the impacts of invasive species increase annually, many gaps in our understanding of how these species invade, adapt, and thrive in the novel ecosystems into which they are introduced remain. This thesis aimed to add to our knowledge of invasion science, using the perennial forb Gypsophila paniculata as a study system. Gypsophila paniculata is a shrub native to the Eurasian steppe that was introduced into North America in the late 1800’s. After introduction, G. paniculata quickly spread and now occupies diverse ecosystems across N. America. In chapter II of this …

Habitat Use And Tributary Occupancy Of The Threatened River Redhorse (Moxostoma Carinatum) In The Grand River, Mi, Usa., Nicholas Michael Preville

Masters Theses

The resiliency of our aquatic ecosystems hinges on our ability to protect the native species that reside within them. The river redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) is one such example and populations have become low enough to warrant listing by the State of Michigan. Causes of decline include overfishing, habitat alteration, and lack of knowledge of basic life-history attributes including their use of non-spawning habitat and spawning locations. In order to understand the river redhorse’s habitat use we implanted 15 individuals with radio transmitters and tracked their locations over the course of a summer. Tagged river redhorse were found to …

An Assessment Of Periphyton Communities In Five Upper Peninsula Streams, Mi, Aaron Jeffrey Christiansen

Masters Theses

This project quantified lotic periphyton community change from May 2018-October 2018 in five, first and second-order Lake Superior tributary streams. Using periphyton communities, land use, geology, and abiotic factors pertinent to stream ecosystems we evaluated periphyton community succession. Using periphytometers, periphyton communities were collected and identified monthly to quantify community succession. Total phosphorus and total Kjeldahl nitrogen were measured monthly during the study. Depth, velocity, specific conductivity, and canopy cover were measured to quantify some of the physical factors within the streams. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis indicated that the periphyton communities were similar between streams (ADONIS p-value =0.73) but was …

Phylogenetic Analysis Of Palisota (Commelinaceae) Using Chloroplast And Nuclear Regions, Alexandra H. Crum

Masters Theses

Palisota (Commelinaceae) differs from other Commelinaceae genera in androecial and pollen characters, a fleshy berry-type fruit, and anatomical characters. Palisota has been divided into two sections based on uniseriate vs. biseriate seed arrangement. Molecular phylogenetic analyses in Commelinaceae have placed Palisota near the base within the family, although its precise position is unclear. We sequenced chloroplast (matK, rbcL, rps16, and trnL-trnF, psbI-psbK, atpB-rbcL, atpF-atpH and psbA-trnH intergenic spacers) and nuclear (AT103) regions in 15 of approximately 26 species of Palisota and 15 outgroup species. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods, with the …

Using Landscape Genetics To Understand Connectivity Of An Island Population Of Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus Catenatus), Nathan Kudla

Masters Theses

Populations that experience low levels of gene flow commonly display increased levels of inbreeding, lower genetic diversity, and reduced adaptive potential. Landscape genetics allows for spatial and genetic information to be analyzed simultaneously to better understand how the landscape influences gene flow. The eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) is a federally threatened viper found in wetlands throughout the Great Lakes region. Many remaining populations are small and isolated due primarily to habitat loss. Atypical from a range-wide perspective, eastern massasaugas on Bois Blanc Island (BBI), Michigan live in a relatively undisturbed landscape with a potential for high connectivity …

Postactivation Potentiation Effects From Maximal Isometric Contractions Performed At Different Hip Joint Angles, Kyle Derosia

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) production and myoelectric activity after performing maximal isometric contractions at different hip joint angles. 10 healthy, experienced participants reported to the lab on two separate occasions where they performed 3 power cleans at baseline, then 4 maximal isometric deadlifts at either ~50° hip flexion angle (Max) or ~90° hip flexion angle (Min). Following the isometric deadlifts, another 3 power clean trials at 70% 1 repetition maximum were performed and used as a post-test. The isometric deadlifts served as the conditioning contraction (CC) to induce …

Effect Of Caffeine Supplementation On Vertical Jump Performance, Heart Rate Variability, And Electromyography, Collin T. Garner

Masters Theses

Research into caffeine’s ability to improve anaerobic performance is inconclusive. Eleven anaerobically trained individuals (mean age: 23.45 ± 1.51 years) participated in this study. Assessments of resting heart rate variability (HRV), exercise heart rate variability, surface electromyography (sEMG), static vertical jump (SJ), and countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) were conducted before and after administration of placebo and caffeinated treatments. Three trials of each vertical jump technique were performed before and after treatment administration. A 60-minute absorption period was utilized for absorption of the treatment following its ingestion. All participants performed testing on two separate occasions, once under the placebo condition and …