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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Beyond Cortisol: Indicators Of Stress And Negative Feedback In Plasma And Blubber Of Marine Mammals, Jessica Avalos
Beyond Cortisol: Indicators Of Stress And Negative Feedback In Plasma And Blubber Of Marine Mammals, Jessica Avalos
University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations
Marine mammals play an important role in ecosystem stability. However, anthropogenic activity is compounding pressure on many already vulnerable populations. A potential consequence of anthropogenic disturbance is physiological stress, which can impact metabolism, immunity, and reproduction, especially if it occurs repeatedly. Previous studies on marine mammals have focused on acute stress, but the impacts of repeated stress are poorly understood. Due to its accessibility on land during haul-outs, the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is a good system in which to study the effects of stress in marine mammals. Stress stimulates the release of glucocorticoid hormones, primarily cortisol. Elevated cortisol …
Development Of A Biomarker Panel For Identifying Stressed Marine Mammals, Laura Pujade
Development Of A Biomarker Panel For Identifying Stressed Marine Mammals, Laura Pujade
University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations
Increasing anthropogenic disturbance in marine ecosystems such as fishing, oil-drilling, and noise pollution can have detrimental effects on the reproduction and survival of apex predators such as marine mammals. Stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in increased circulating glucocorticoid (GCs) hormones, which alter expression of target genes encoding metabolic enzymes and other mediators of stress. Prolonged HPA axis stimulation may increase catabolism of nutrient stores and suppress immune and reproductive functions, impacting the fitness of marine mammals. GCs measurements are used to identify wild animals experiencing stress. However, these measurements may not be sensitive enough to distinguish between an …
Eye Movement Related Single-Unit Recording In The Nucleus Reticularis Tegmenti Pontis In The Alert Monkey, William Franklin Crandall Jr.
Eye Movement Related Single-Unit Recording In The Nucleus Reticularis Tegmenti Pontis In The Alert Monkey, William Franklin Crandall Jr.
University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations
Nucleus Reticularis Tegmenti Pontis (NRTP) is a structure which lies in the mid-brain ventral to the oculomotor complex. Anatomical studies strongly implicate it in oculomotor function as most of its inputs and outputs are to systems previously shown to be intimately involved in eye movement generation--superior colliculus (SC) and cerebellum. These reports show an integrative structure with inputs and outputs distributed in a way well suited for performing relay and feedback tasks. Physiological data in the alert, trained monkey has been gathered in an attempt to characterize these neurons and to classify them in functional terms. Three monkeys were trained …