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Articles 1 - 30 of 124
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Effects Of Curricular Change On Student Learning And Well-Being In Biomedical And Clinical Education, Rachel Jalaire Tomco Novak
The Effects Of Curricular Change On Student Learning And Well-Being In Biomedical And Clinical Education, Rachel Jalaire Tomco Novak
Theses and Dissertations
The implementation of curriculum change, and innovative pedagogical theory, can help educators and administrators in higher education further the learning gains of students in the sciences. But the introduction of new methods of teaching, or curricular restructuring, can be interpreted by students differently, potentially affecting students' emotional states as well as their relationships with peers. To support not only the learning of students, but also their emotional and social well-being, pedagogical and curricular theory should be enacted in ways that take into consideration the full scope of the student experience. In this dissertation, the implementation of curriculum and pedagogical theory, …
Transformation Of The Dental Faculty To Promote Changes In Dental Educaiton, Clark A. Dana
Transformation Of The Dental Faculty To Promote Changes In Dental Educaiton, Clark A. Dana
Theses and Dissertations
This work introduces a series of papers developed to explore the case for change in dental education. Three issues facing dental education are (a) the challenging financial environment of higher education, making dental schools very expensive and tuition-intensive for universities to operate and producing high debt levels for students, which limits access to education and restricts career choices; (b) the profession's apparent loss of vision for taking care of the oral health needs of all components of society and the resultant potential for marginalization of dentistry as a specialized health care service available only to the affluent; and (c) the …
Adversarial Deep Neural Networks Effectively Remove Nonlinear Batch Effects From Gene-Expression Data, Jonathan Bryan Dayton
Adversarial Deep Neural Networks Effectively Remove Nonlinear Batch Effects From Gene-Expression Data, Jonathan Bryan Dayton
Theses and Dissertations
Gene-expression profiling enables researchers to quantify transcription levels in cells, thus providing insight into functional mechanisms of diseases and other biological processes. However, because of the high dimensionality of these data and the sensitivity of measuring equipment, expression data often contains unwanted confounding effects that can skew analysis. For example, collecting data in multiple runs causes nontrivial differences in the data (known as batch effects), known covariates that are not of interest to the study may have strong effects, and there may be large systemic effects when integrating multiple expression datasets. Additionally, many of these confounding effects represent higher-order interactions …
Mechanism Of Positive, Non-Additive Litter Decomposition, Na Yin
Mechanism Of Positive, Non-Additive Litter Decomposition, Na Yin
Theses and Dissertations
Litter decomposition is a fundamental ecosystem process. It is responsible for nutrient cycling and influences carbon (C) sequestration, and soil physical and chemical properties. In nature, litter is usually heterogeneous and may not decompose the way homogeneous litter does. For example, heterogeneous litter decomposition is frequently non-additive. This makes the rate of nutrient cycling as well as fluxes of C into and out of soil C pools impossible to predict. The most frequently proposed mechanisms for positive, non-additive decomposition include the supply of limiting mineral nutrients, the supply of available C (priming), and the improvement of micro-environmental conditions. However, all …
Multispecies Character Displacement In Mexican Poeciliopsis Fishes, Andrea J. Roth
Multispecies Character Displacement In Mexican Poeciliopsis Fishes, Andrea J. Roth
Theses and Dissertations
Competition has long been recognized as a central force in shaping evolution, particularly through character displacement. Yet research on character displacement is biased as it has focused almost exclusively on pairs of interacting species while ignoring multispecies interactions. Unfortunately, communities are seldom so simple that only pairs of species interact, and it is not clear if inferences from pairwise interactions are sufficient to explain patterns in nature. A more realistic approach is to ask how traits evolve when multiple species interact. Here I explore the importance of multispecies competitive interactions on trait evolution in four congeneric species of livebearing fishes …
Biogeography And Natural History Of Tiger Moths And Spongillaflies Of Intermountain North America With Experimental Studies Of Host Preference In The Lichen-Feeder Cisthene Angelus (Insecta: Lepdioptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae And Neuroptera: Sisyridae), Makani Layne Fisher
Theses and Dissertations
The Intermountain West is comprised of impressive land formations, numerous ecoregions, and a unique biota. The area has many flora and fauna that have been investigated, but the region is generally considered undersampled when it comes to insects. However, I propose the matter to be a lack of shared experience in identifying key insect species and the underutilization of professional and personal collections. These impediments are highlighted by two insect groups in the Intermountain West: spongillaflies and tiger moths. Spongillaflies can be difficult to recognize for the general entomologist and have rarely been recorded in the Intermountain West. My colleagues …
Genetic Basis For Elevated Rheumatic Heart Disease Susceptibility In Samoa, John Bowen Allen
Genetic Basis For Elevated Rheumatic Heart Disease Susceptibility In Samoa, John Bowen Allen
Theses and Dissertations
Rheumatic heart disease is an inflammatory heart disease that affects millions of people around the world. Especially high rates of the disease can be found in Oceania, including the island nation of Samoa. Genetic studies of immune response genes have provided insight into a possible genetic link to increased susceptibility to rheumatic heart disease, including the genes that code for the toll-like receptor (TLR) protein family. One of the functions of TLR proteins is to recognize the presence of bacteria via identification of bacterial flagella. My evaluation of a Samoan family identified a variant in the TLR-5 gene that would …
Biotic Filtering In Endophytic Fungal Communities, Kevin Daniel Ricks
Biotic Filtering In Endophytic Fungal Communities, Kevin Daniel Ricks
Theses and Dissertations
Plants can be colonized by complex communities of endophytic fungi. This thesis presents two studies, both of which investigate biotic filtering in endophytic fungal communities. Chapter 1. Endophytic fungi can be acquired horizontally via propagules produced in the environment such as in plant litters of various species. Given that litters from different plant species harbor distinct endophytic fungal communities and that endophytic fungi may be dispersal-limited, the structure of the endophytic fungal community of a given plant may be determined by proximity to particular inoculum sources. Community assembly may also be affected by biotic filtering by the plant. Therefore, a …
The Evolutionary Significance Of Body Size In Burying Beetles, Ashlee Nichole Momcilovich
The Evolutionary Significance Of Body Size In Burying Beetles, Ashlee Nichole Momcilovich
Theses and Dissertations
Body size is one of the most commonly studied traits of an organism, which is largely due to its direct correlation with fitness, life history strategy, and physiology of the organism. Patterns of body size distribution are also often studied. The distribution of body size within species is looked at for suggestions of differential mating strategies or niche variation among ontogenetic development. Patterns are also examined among species to determine the effects of competition, environmental factors, and phylogenetic inertia. Finally, the distribution of body size across the geographic range of a species or group of closely related is looked at …
Analysis Of Whole Exome Sequence Data In Affected Cousin Pairs From High-Risk Alzheimer's Pedigrees, Lyndsay Ann Staley
Analysis Of Whole Exome Sequence Data In Affected Cousin Pairs From High-Risk Alzheimer's Pedigrees, Lyndsay Ann Staley
Theses and Dissertations
Genetic factors account for about half of Alzheimers Disease (AD) risk and only about a quarter of that heritability is accounted for by known variants. Family based approaches to understanding AD genetics may be an effective way to identify additional risk factors. Here we report the results of whole exome sequencing (WES) and analyses done on pairs of AD affected cousins from 19 families from the Utah Population Database (UPDB) with a statistical excess of AD risk. WES variants passing quality control were additionally filtered by population frequency (minor allele <<> 0.01) and concordance between cousin pairs, resulting in 564 variants …
Small Mammal Diversity, Rattlesnake Demographics, And Resource Utilization In The Great Basin: Implications For Management And Stable Isotope Proxies, Bryan T. Hamilton
Small Mammal Diversity, Rattlesnake Demographics, And Resource Utilization In The Great Basin: Implications For Management And Stable Isotope Proxies, Bryan T. Hamilton
Theses and Dissertations
Plant carbon isotopes were used to track assimilation of riparian resources by small mammals. Voles and shrews derived significant portions of their carbon from riparian vegetation. Deer and harvest mice were abundant in riparian habitat but assimilated little riparian vegetation indicating that the riparian corridor provided resources other than food. This is first use of stable carbon isotopes to trace riparian resources into a vertebrate community. Conifer encroachment in sagebrush ecosystems negatively affects many wildlife populations. Conifer removal is recommended across millions of hectares in the Great Basin. However the effects of conifer encroachment and conifer removal are unknown for …
Molecular Evolution Of Odonata Opsins, Odonata Phylogenomics And Detection Of False Positive Sequence Homology Using Machine Learning, Anton Suvorov
Molecular Evolution Of Odonata Opsins, Odonata Phylogenomics And Detection Of False Positive Sequence Homology Using Machine Learning, Anton Suvorov
Theses and Dissertations
My dissertation comprises three related topics of evolutionary and computational biology, which correspond to the three Chapters. Chapter 1 focuses on tempo and mode of evolution in visual genes, namely opsins, via duplication events and subsequent molecular adaptation in Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies). Gene duplication plays a central role in adaptation to novel environments by providing new genetic material for functional divergence and evolution of biological complexity. Odonata have the largest opsin repertoire of any insect currently known. In particular our results suggest that both the blue sensitive (BS) and long-wave sensitive (LWS) opsin classes were subjected to strong positive …
Understanding Community And Ecophysiology Of Plant Species On The Colorado Plateau, Hannah Elizabeth Yokum
Understanding Community And Ecophysiology Of Plant Species On The Colorado Plateau, Hannah Elizabeth Yokum
Theses and Dissertations
The intensification of aridity due to anthropogenic climate change is likely to have a large impact on the growth and survival of plant species in the southwestern U.S. where species are already vulnerable to high temperatures and limited precipitation. Global climate change impacts plants through a rising temperature effect, CO2 effect, and land management. In order to forecast the impacts of global climate change, it is necessary to know the current conditions and create a baseline for future comparisons and to understand the factors and players that will affect what happens in the future. The objective of Chapter 1 is …
Understanding Community And Ecophysiology Of Plant Species On The Colorado Plateau, Hannah Elizabeth Yokum
Understanding Community And Ecophysiology Of Plant Species On The Colorado Plateau, Hannah Elizabeth Yokum
Theses and Dissertations
The intensification of aridity due to anthropogenic climate change is likely to have a large impact on the growth and survival of plant species in the southwestern U.S. where species are already vulnerable to high temperatures and limited precipitation. Global climate change impacts plants through a rising temperature effect, CO2 effect, and land management. In order to forecast the impacts of global climate change, it is necessary to know the current conditions and create a baseline for future comparisons and to understand the factors and players that will affect what happens in the future. The objective of Chapter 1 is …
Response To Drought Of A Stream Fish Assemblage In A High Elevation Stream In The Intermountain West, Richard M. Simkins
Response To Drought Of A Stream Fish Assemblage In A High Elevation Stream In The Intermountain West, Richard M. Simkins
Theses and Dissertations
One of the most influential disturbances for stream fish assemblages is large-scale declines in flow caused by periods of drought. Although stream characteristics are known to influence the response of stream fishes to drought, we asked if ecological traits of stream fishes determine, in part, their population level response to drought. To test for ecological trait-based responses to drought in a stream fish assemblage, we quantified species abundances over a period of 5 years that represented a wet to dry period. We sampled stream fishes in Yellow Creek, Wyoming, USA, a high elevation stream dependent on snow-storage for most of …
Role Of Terrestrial Organic Matter In Food Webs Of The Rocky Intertidal Zone, Douglas O. Fairbanks
Role Of Terrestrial Organic Matter In Food Webs Of The Rocky Intertidal Zone, Douglas O. Fairbanks
Theses and Dissertations
Terrestrial organic matter (TOM) constitutes an important source of energy in many aquatic environments (streams, lakes, wetlands). This is the first study to examine the role of TOM in food webs of the rocky intertidal zone. We compared the consumption of red alder leaves (Alnus rubra) to common marine sources of drifting detritus along the southern Oregon coast (Nereocystis luetkeana, Phyllospadix spp., and Fucus gardneri). We used short term (hours to days) and long term (months) feeding experiments to compare the rate of consumption among each plant species during the Spring and Fall of 2014 …
Bacterial Community Ecology Of The Colon In Mus Musculus, Rachel Marie Nettles
Bacterial Community Ecology Of The Colon In Mus Musculus, Rachel Marie Nettles
Theses and Dissertations
The gut microbiome is a community of closely interacting microbes living in the gastrointestinal tract. Its structure has direct relevance to health. Disturbances to the microbiome, such as due to antibiotic use, have been implicated in various diseases. The goal of this study was to determine how the gut microbiome reacts to and recovers from disturbance caused by antibiotics. Because diet also influences the microbiome, this study included the interaction between diet and antibiotics. Half of the mice in each diet treatment were given antibiotics to disturb their microbiomes. After cessation of antibiotics, mice were paired in combinations within diets …
Integrative Analysis To Evaluate Similarity Between Brcaness Tumors And Brca Tumors, Weston Reed Bodily
Integrative Analysis To Evaluate Similarity Between Brcaness Tumors And Brca Tumors, Weston Reed Bodily
Theses and Dissertations
The term "BRCAness" is used to describe breast-cancer patients who lack a germline mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2, yet who are believed to express characteristics similar to patients who do have a germline mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. Although it is hypothesized that BRCAness is related to deficiency in the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathways, relatively little is understood about what drives BRCAness or what criteria should be used to assign patients to this category. We hypothesized that patients whose tumor carries a genomic or epigenomic aberration in BRCA1 or BRCA2 should be classified under the BRCAness category and that …
Integrative Analysis To Evaluate Similarity Between Brcaness Tumors And Brca Tumors, Weston Reed Bodily
Integrative Analysis To Evaluate Similarity Between Brcaness Tumors And Brca Tumors, Weston Reed Bodily
Theses and Dissertations
The term "BRCAness" is used to describe breast-cancer patients who lack a germline mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2, yet who are believed to express characteristics similar to patients who do have a germline mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. Although it is hypothesized that BRCAness is related to deficiency in the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathways, relatively little is understood about what drives BRCAness or what criteria should be used to assign patients to this category. We hypothesized that patients whose tumor carries a genomic or epigenomic aberration in BRCA1 or BRCA2 should be classified under the BRCAness category and that …
Phylogenetics, Biogeography, And Patterns Of Diversification Of Geckosacross The Sunda Shelf With An Emphasis On The Genuscnemaspis (Strauch, 1887), Perry Lee Wood
Theses and Dissertations
In my dissertation I investigate two genera of geckos (Cyrtodactylus and Cnemaspis) that are distributed across Southeast Asia with an emphasis on Cnemaspis. In Chapter 1 I use a multilocus dataset, ancestral area analyses, and molecular clock dating to generate a species level time calibrated phylogeny to test the monophyly of Cyrtodactylus and to identify major biogeographical patterns. I identified that Cyrtodactylus is monophyletic only if the the Sri Lankan genus often recognized as Geckoella is included. The results of the Biogeographical analyses reveal a west to east pattern of diversification. Chapter 2 I use a traditional morphological dataset to …
Lake Powell Food Web Structure: Predicting Effects Of Quagga Mussel, Joshua A. Verde
Lake Powell Food Web Structure: Predicting Effects Of Quagga Mussel, Joshua A. Verde
Theses and Dissertations
Food webs in aquatic ecosystems can be dramatically altered by invasive species. Quagga mussels are prevalent invaders that compete with existing species and disrupt nutrient cycling. In 2012, the Quagga Mussel (Dreissena rostriformus bugensis) was introduced into Lake Powell and is expected to move throughout the reservoir in the near future. Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool for characterizing food webs and trophic interactions. To predict the long-term effects of Quagga Mussels, we used stable isotope analysis of primary producers, primary consumers, prey fish species, and predator fish species in Lake Powell to determine food web structure. …
Phylogenetics, Biogeography, And Patterns Of Diversification Of Geckosacross The Sunda Shelf With An Emphasis On The Genuscnemaspis (Strauch, 1887), Perry Lee Wood
Theses and Dissertations
In my dissertation I investigate two genera of geckos (Cyrtodactylus and Cnemaspis) that are distributed across Southeast Asia with an emphasis on Cnemaspis. In Chapter 1 I use a multilocus dataset, ancestral area analyses, and molecular clock dating to generate a species level time calibrated phylogeny to test the monophyly of Cyrtodactylus and to identify major biogeographical patterns. I identified that Cyrtodactylus is monophyletic only if the the Sri Lankan genus often recognized as Geckoella is included. The results of the Biogeographical analyses reveal a west to east pattern of diversification. Chapter 2 I use a traditional morphological dataset to …
Assessing And Improving Student Understanding Of Tree-Thinking, Tyler A. Kummer
Assessing And Improving Student Understanding Of Tree-Thinking, Tyler A. Kummer
Theses and Dissertations
Evolution is the unifying theory of biology. The importance of understanding evolution by those who study the origins, diversification and diversity life cannot be overstated. Because of its importance, in addition to a scientific study of evolution, many researchers have spent time studying the acceptance and the teaching of evolution. Phylogenetic Systematics is the field of study developed to understand the evolutionary history of organisms, traits, and genes. Tree-thinking is the term by which we identify concepts related to the evolutionary history of organisms. It is vital that those who undertake a study of biology be able to understand and …
Phylogenetic Relationships, Species Boundaries, And Studies Of Viviparity And Convergent Evolution In Liolaemus Lizards, Cesar Augusto Aguilar
Phylogenetic Relationships, Species Boundaries, And Studies Of Viviparity And Convergent Evolution In Liolaemus Lizards, Cesar Augusto Aguilar
Theses and Dissertations
In this thesis I have connected different evolutionary studies of Lioalemus lizards. In Chapter 1, I followed an integrative approach to delimit species in the Liolaemus walkeri complex. Using mitochondrial markers, morphological data, bioclimatic information and methods appropriate for each data type, we found that the name L. walkeri was covering three new lineages. Three new species were described and one of them (L. chavin) is now categorized as Near Threatened in the IUCN red list. In Chapter 2, I change the subject from species boundaries to the study of viviparity and placentation. In this paper we employed …
Anal Fin Pigmentation In Brachyrhaphis Fishes Is Not Used For Sexual Mimicry, Kandace Mary Hugentobler
Anal Fin Pigmentation In Brachyrhaphis Fishes Is Not Used For Sexual Mimicry, Kandace Mary Hugentobler
Theses and Dissertations
Pigmentation patterns can be used as a communication signal in a variety of taxa, and can convey information relative to sexual selection, dominance, and species identification. Pigmentation is also sometimes used in mimicry to deceive the signal receiver into thinking the signaler is something other than itself. Mimicry can occur in several contexts, including sexual interactions, where one sex mimics another. There are relatively few examples of species with females that mimic males. Proposed hypotheses to explain female mimicry of males are that mimicry is used to reduce male harassment or that mimicry is used to display dominance over other …
The Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera: Ensifera): Phylogeny, Origins, And Leaf-Like Crypsis, Joseph D. Mugleston
The Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera: Ensifera): Phylogeny, Origins, And Leaf-Like Crypsis, Joseph D. Mugleston
Theses and Dissertations
Tettigoniidae (katydids) has more than 7200 species and is the largest family within the insect order Orthoptera. Their unique biology including leaf-like crypsis, acoustic signaling, and courtship rituals garners much of their academic attention. However, the taxonomy of katydids is chaotic and previous to these studies, little work had been done to decipher the phylogenetic relationships within this family. Without a robust phylogenetic framework, questions regarding the evolution of katydid disguises including the leaf-like crypsis cannot be addressed. This dissertation contains three chapters. Chapter 1 provides the first phylogenetic hypothesis focusing on Tettigoniidae. In this chapter we show a character …
Molecular Studies Of South American Teiid Lizards (Teiidae: Squamata) From Deep Time To Shallow Divergences, Derek B. Tucker
Molecular Studies Of South American Teiid Lizards (Teiidae: Squamata) From Deep Time To Shallow Divergences, Derek B. Tucker
Theses and Dissertations
I focus on phylogenetic relationships of teiid lizards beginning with generic and species relationship within the family, followed by a detailed biogeographical examination of the Caribbean genus Pholidoscelis, and end by studying species boundaries and phylogeographic patterns of the widespread Giant Ameiva Ameiva ameiva. Genomic data (488,656 bp of aligned nuclear DNA) recovered a well-supported phylogeny for Teiidae, showing monophyly for 18 genera including those recently described using morphology and smaller molecular datasets. All three methods of phylogenetic estimation (two species tree, one concatenation) recovered identical topologies except for some relationships within the subfamily Tupinambinae (i.e. position of …
Phylogenetic Relationships Of Cottids (Pisces: Cottidae) In Upper Snake River Basin Of Western North America, Sun Yeong Oh
Phylogenetic Relationships Of Cottids (Pisces: Cottidae) In Upper Snake River Basin Of Western North America, Sun Yeong Oh
Theses and Dissertations
Freshwater sculpins (Cottus) are common throughout temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Their broad distribution in the Western North America makes them a good model for understanding phylogeographic relationships among western fishes. Within much of the interior west three lineages, C. bairdii, C. confusus, and the C. beldingii complex, are most prevalent. The distribution of these three overlap in the Snake River Basin. All occur below Shoshone Falls on the Snake River. However, only two currently reside in the Upper Snake River above the falls. An exception are the Lost River streams of central Idaho. While …
Accepting Evolution And Believing In God: How Religious Persons Perceive The Theory Of Evolution, Katherine F. Manwaring
Accepting Evolution And Believing In God: How Religious Persons Perceive The Theory Of Evolution, Katherine F. Manwaring
Theses and Dissertations
Students frequently hold an incorrect view of evolution. There are several potential barriers that prevent students from engaging evolutionary theory including lack of knowledge, limited scientific reasoning ability, and religiosity. Our research provides tools for overcoming barriers related to religiosity and diagnoses the barriers preventing students from fully engaging in learning the theory of evolution. This was a two-part study. The first part of our study addressed two hypothesized barriers to learning evolutionary theory among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon): (1) religious views stemming from incorrect understanding of the Church's neutral stance …
Virulence Of Photorhabdus Spp.: Examining The Roles Of Environment, Evolution, And Genetics In Insect Mortality, Dana Blackburn
Virulence Of Photorhabdus Spp.: Examining The Roles Of Environment, Evolution, And Genetics In Insect Mortality, Dana Blackburn
Theses and Dissertations
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) (genera Heterorhabditis and Steinernema) kill their invertebrate hosts with the aid of a mutualistic bacterium. The bacteria (Xenorhabdus spp. for steinernematids and Photorhabdus spp. for heterorhabditids) are primarily responsible for killing the host and providing the nematodes with nutrition and defense against secondary invaders. Photorhabdus is a Gram-negative bacterium in the Enterobacteriaceae family with high virulence towards their insect hosts. To achieve high mortality rates Photorhabdus produces a variety of virulence factors such as toxins, lipases, proteases, secretion systems, and fimbriae. EPNs are amenable to laboratory rearing and mass production for biocontrol applications against insects …