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Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Plants, Parasites, And Pollinators: The Effects Of Medicinal Pollens On A Common Gut Parasite In Bumble Bees, George Locascio
Plants, Parasites, And Pollinators: The Effects Of Medicinal Pollens On A Common Gut Parasite In Bumble Bees, George Locascio
Masters Theses
Declines in several pollinator species are due to a variety of factors, including pathogens. Incorporating pollinator-friendly plant species into wild and agricultural habitats could reduce the stress of pathogens if food sources act medicinally against pathogens. Previous research demonstrated one domesticated sunflower cultivar (Helianthus annuus) can dramatically reduce a gut pathogen (Crithidia bombi) of the common eastern bumble bee, Bombus impatiens. To ascertain the breadth of this medicinal trait, we tested whether pollen from several H. annuus cultivars and four relatives could also reduce C. bombi infections in B. impatiens. We also investigated whether …
Assessment Of Invasive Gypsophila Paniculata Control Methods In The Northwest Michigan Dunes, Emma K. Rice
Assessment Of Invasive Gypsophila Paniculata Control Methods In The Northwest Michigan Dunes, Emma K. Rice
Masters Theses
Gypsophila paniculata is an invasive species in Michigan’s northern lower peninsula and a problem invasive in much of the northern United States and Canada. Gypsophila paniculata readily outcompetes native plants in sandy, well-drained soils due to its deep taproot, which allows access to scarce resources. It reproduces and disperses mainly by seed, but the phenology of seed maturation is poorly understood. Gypsophila paniculata is of particular concern in lakeshore dunes because the areas where it is most dense are also populated by several endemic and threatened species. Despite many years of intensive management, high densities of G. paniculata persist …
Investigating Erosion And Ecological Impacts To An Urban Coldwater Stream Using Multiple Techniques, Daniel T. L. Myers
Investigating Erosion And Ecological Impacts To An Urban Coldwater Stream Using Multiple Techniques, Daniel T. L. Myers
Masters Theses
Sediment pollution is a major cause of stream degradation. Our objectives were threefold. First, we assessed the impacts of environmental stressors on the structure of fish and macroinvertebrate communities across a gradient of agricultural to urban land cover in a coldwater tributary of the Grand River, Michigan, USA called Indian Mill Creek. We found that instream woody debris, streambed substrate, riffle and pool habitat variability, and riparian conditions affected aquatic macroinvertebrates along an agricultural to urban land cover gradient. We also found that variation in fish community assemblage was driven largely by stream flow and temperature regimes and could be …
Estimating Components Of Stream Metabolism Using The Free Water Dissolved Oxygen Method, Jay R. Zuidema Jr.
Estimating Components Of Stream Metabolism Using The Free Water Dissolved Oxygen Method, Jay R. Zuidema Jr.
Masters Theses
Stream ecosystem metabolism is commonly measured in stream ecology studies in order to understand the functioning of the stream ecosystem and as an indicator of stream health. One common method for gathering the time series data required to estimate stream metabolism is the free water dissolved oxygen method, which involves measuring dissolved oxygen in freely moving water. This is accomplished by taking measurements at a single location (one-station monitoring method) or at two locations (two-station monitoring method). In conjunction with these data, a process-based model of dissolved oxygen dynamics is used to estimate gross primary production, respiration, and net production. …
Genetic Structure Of Invasive Baby’S Breath (Gypsophila Paniculata) Populations In A Michigan Dune System, Hailee B. Leimbach-Maus
Genetic Structure Of Invasive Baby’S Breath (Gypsophila Paniculata) Populations In A Michigan Dune System, Hailee B. Leimbach-Maus
Masters Theses
Invasive species can reduce biodiversity of a system by outcompeting native species for resources, changing the physical characteristics of a habitat, and altering natural disturbance regimes. Coastal sand dune ecosystems are dynamic with elevated levels of disturbance, and as such they are highly susceptible to plant invasions. The topography, geographic distribution of preferred habitat, and disturbance regime in an ecosystem can influence where an invasive plant becomes established, its dispersal patterns, and how densely it grows. One such invasion that is of major concern to the Great Lakes dune systems is baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata). The invasion of …
Impacts Of Sediment Dredging On Phosphorus Dynamics In A Restored Riparian Wetland, Kimberly Oldenborg
Impacts Of Sediment Dredging On Phosphorus Dynamics In A Restored Riparian Wetland, Kimberly Oldenborg
Masters Theses
Global reductions in biodiversity and water quality are having major consequences for ecosystem health and societal well-being. The restoration of riverine floodplains and wetlands provides an ideal opportunity to increase biodiversity and water quality because their hydrologic connectivity to adjacent streams and rivers promotes the formation of heterogeneous habitat while also facilitating their functioning as a nutrient sink, in general. However, many historic floodplains and riverine wetlands have been drained for the creation of agricultural land, resulting in an accumulation of nutrients in the soils. Therefore, restoration practices that hydrologically reconnect former agricultural land to an adjacent stream or river …
Effects Of Fire Season And Temperature On A Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe) Infested Grassland, Zachery T. Pitman
Effects Of Fire Season And Temperature On A Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe) Infested Grassland, Zachery T. Pitman
Masters Theses
Invasive species, including the non-native forb Centaurea stoebe (spotted knapweed), constitute an imminent threat to degraded and restored native prairies. Considering the major threat that C. stoebe poses to imperiled prairie ecosystems, I examined the effectiveness of fire as a control agent of C. stoebe and (±)-catechin. I conducted a 2-year experiment in part of a restored tallgrass prairie community at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Barry County, Michigan between May and August of 2016 and 2017. My experiment consisted of individually burning 60 1-m² plots with a propane torch to achieve high (316° C) and low (103° C) temperatures …
Occupancy And Detection Of Yellow Perch In Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Kaitlyn M. Dykstra
Occupancy And Detection Of Yellow Perch In Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Kaitlyn M. Dykstra
Masters Theses
Accurately estimating the distribution of a species is important for managing sustainable populations of fishes. The Yellow Perch Perca flavescens is an important sport fish in the Great Lakes region and one of the most abundant fishes in Great Lakes coastal wetlands, which they commonly use for spawning and nursery habitat. Many fisheries management decisions are based on results from sampling fish assemblages, but these methods rarely account for incomplete detection (i.e., presence of a species that is not detected by sampling), which could create biased results. We applied the method of occupancy modeling, which accounts for incomplete detection, to …
Environmental Factors Influencing Amphibian Community Assemblage In Dune Wetlands On The Lake Michigan Coast, Alex H. Jouney
Environmental Factors Influencing Amphibian Community Assemblage In Dune Wetlands On The Lake Michigan Coast, Alex H. Jouney
Masters Theses
Wetlands in dune landscapes provide important breeding habitat for amphibians along the Lake Michigan Coast. Unfortunately, these unique habitats and the corresponding amphibian metapopulations are understudied and threatened. We assessed amphibian species richness and terrestrial habitat type in 16 permanent and ephemeral wetlands along the coast of Lake Michigan in Grand Haven, MI. Wetland area, terrestrial habitat type, depth, hydroperiod, shade, and degree of isolation were measured from April to September of 2017. Nine species of amphibian were found; Green Frog (Rana clamitans melanota) and Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer crucifer) were most abundant and Fowlers Toad …
Microenvironment Regulates Fusion Of Breast Cancer Cells, Peiran Zhu
Microenvironment Regulates Fusion Of Breast Cancer Cells, Peiran Zhu
Masters Theses
Fusion of cancer cells has been observed in tumors for more than a century and is thought to contribute to tumor development and drug resistance. The low frequency of cell fusion events and the instability of fused cells have hindered our ability to understand the molecular mechanisms that govern cell fusion. We have developed a patterned gel system that can isolate cell fusion events and we demonstrate that several breast cancer cell lines can fuse into multinucleated giant cells in vitro, and the initiation and longevity of fused cells can be regulated solely by biophysical factors. Dynamically tuning the adhesive …
Transposable Elements In Fusarium Oxysporum & Growth Inhibition Of Fusarium Oxysporum Using Pepper Extracts, Taylor Aguiar
Transposable Elements In Fusarium Oxysporum & Growth Inhibition Of Fusarium Oxysporum Using Pepper Extracts, Taylor Aguiar
Masters Theses
The following contains two projects focused on the fungal pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum. The first project was purely computational in the examination of transposable elements (TEs), which are mobile sequences with the ability to multiply and move in their host genome. In F. oxysporum, TEs such as miniature impala elements are associated with the secreted in xylem gene that are related to its virulence over its host. The F. oxysporum species complex can be utilized as a model system for the examination of TE content and TE expression during the infection cycle. To find whether TEs play a role …
Home-Range Dynamics And Resource Selection Of American Marten (Martes Americana) In Michigan’S Northern Lower Peninsula, Angela Kujawa
Home-Range Dynamics And Resource Selection Of American Marten (Martes Americana) In Michigan’S Northern Lower Peninsula, Angela Kujawa
Masters Theses
American marten (Martes americana) are typically associated with mature coniferous forests. Marten were extirpated from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula due to human impacts, such as fire, logging, and over-harvest. Little is known about the resource selection and distribution of marten in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula since their reintroduction in 1985-86. Resource selection functions are valuable tools to estimate the relative probability an animal will utilize an area and predict where they may occur. When creating a resource selection function, potential sources of variation in data collection methods and wildlife populations should be considered to ensure accurate results. We sought …
Validation Of A Water Quality Index For Lake Erie, Vaclava Hazukova
Validation Of A Water Quality Index For Lake Erie, Vaclava Hazukova
Masters Theses
This study validates a water quality index based on a diatom total phosphorus transfer function for monitoring of the Lake Erie’s pelagic zone. Lake Erie is again under the threat of cultural eutrophication, mostly due to the runoff of nutrients from the surrounding farmlands. Therefore, it is an issue of high importance to continue monitoring efforts in Lake Erie to assess further deterioration or progressive changes due to the restoration management practices. Diatom-biomonitoring represents one of the efficient and well-crafted tools to assess the actual conditions. However, indices of water quality based on diatom transfer functions are often used without …
Nutrient Conservation Trait Responses Of Low Resource Adapted Chaparral Shrubs To Increased Resource Availability, Reina Lee Nielsen
Nutrient Conservation Trait Responses Of Low Resource Adapted Chaparral Shrubs To Increased Resource Availability, Reina Lee Nielsen
Masters Theses
Traits that increase mean nutrient retention times are essential to plant performance in low resource environments, where multiple stressors (low water and nutrients) are present. Although physiological responses to either water or nutrient stress are well understood, fewer studies have investigated the interaction of these stressors from a phylogenetically-controlled, whole-plant perspective. This research focused on three, phylogenetically-controlled pairs of shrubby evergreen species from the California chaparral that either grow on or off serpentine soils, which differ in nutrient availability. Using greenhouse and field studies, the responses of these plants to altered water and nutrient availability were evaluated. The greenhouse study …
Chemotaxis Of Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Zoospores In Response To Live Amphibians, David Bartholow
Chemotaxis Of Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Zoospores In Response To Live Amphibians, David Bartholow
Masters Theses
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is one of the primary drivers of amphibian decline, and has spread rapidly on a global scale, but the mechanisms of Bd movement on small spatial scales are poorly understood and may play a role in transmission and infection. The flagellated zoospores of this fungus exhibit chemotaxis in response to single chemical cues, towards potential nutrient sources and away from metabolites of anti-fungal bacteria (AFB) present on amphibian skin. Levels of cutaneous AFB were manipulated on Eurycea bislineata hosts (either by bathing in a culture of the AFB Janthinobacterium lividum, or bathing in antibiotics) …
Evaluation Of The Phylogenetic Relationships Of The Marine Rivulariaceae., Jose Alberto Martinez Yerena
Evaluation Of The Phylogenetic Relationships Of The Marine Rivulariaceae., Jose Alberto Martinez Yerena
Masters Theses
Historically, the Rivulariaceae family has grouped all heteropolar, tapered and heterocitous Cyanobacteria, however recent description of multiple cyanobacterial populations with this morphotype using 16S rRNA phylogenies have reported that the populations with this morphotype are polyphyletic, and many new and old tapered and heteropolar genera (Cyanomargarita, Gloeothrichia, Rohoaltiella, etc.) have been classified and reclassified to different families than the Rivulariaceae. This is also the case of the main genera of the family (Rivularia and Calothrix), which have been repeatedly reported as polyphyletic, and whose separation to different families has been called for. In this project I carried out the evaluation …
Untangling The Effects Of Biosynthetic And Metabolic Rates On Oxidative Cellular Damage In An Insect Model, Nikki Jihui Gomez
Untangling The Effects Of Biosynthetic And Metabolic Rates On Oxidative Cellular Damage In An Insect Model, Nikki Jihui Gomez
Masters Theses
“Previously, a theoretical model for unravelling the entwined effects of metabolic and biosynthetic rates on oxidative cellular damage accumulation during an animal’s growth period was developed and tested in hornworms (Manduca sexta larvae). In theory, if an animal had unrestricted amounts of energy and a high repair efficiency, they could repair most of the oxidative cellular damage accumulated, regardless of how their metabolic rate varies. However, organisms have a finite amount of energy that is allocated to repair and, during the animal’s development period, a considerable amount of energy goes towards growth eliciting a tradeoff between biosynthesis and repair. …
Fluid Flow In A Krogh Cylinder: A Model For A Single Capillary And Surrounding Tissue, Xianjie Qiu
Fluid Flow In A Krogh Cylinder: A Model For A Single Capillary And Surrounding Tissue, Xianjie Qiu
Masters Theses
"A model describing the flow of plasma from the capillaries to the interstitial space in the extravascular tissue and back into the capillaries is constructed and solved. The flow through the tissue or the interstitial spaces is described by the Brinkman equation for porous medium, modified to account for the presence of cells considered as spheres. The flow of blood through the capillaries is considered to be that of a Newtonian fluid. The flow between capillary and tissue is coupled by the permeability of the capillary wall. The nature of flow and its magnitude was found to be highly dependent …
Comparative Toxicology Of Nio And Ni(Oh)₂ Nanoparticles, Melissa Hope Cambre
Comparative Toxicology Of Nio And Ni(Oh)₂ Nanoparticles, Melissa Hope Cambre
Masters Theses
“Understanding the potential toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) is important to ensure that these new products do not impose harmful effects to human and environmental health. Paper I is a literature review in which we discuss characteristics of nanomaterials, with an emphasis on transition metal oxide nanoparticles that influence cytotoxicity. Identification of those properties may lead to the design of more efficient and safer nanosized products for various industrial purposes and provide guidance for assessment of human and environmental health risk. We then investigate biochemical and molecular mechanisms of cytotoxicity that include oxidative stress-induced cellular events and alteration of the pathways …
The Effects Of Temperature On Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Resistance And Heart Rate In The Polymorphic Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders, Plethodon Cinereus, Joseph Alan Demarchi
The Effects Of Temperature On Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Resistance And Heart Rate In The Polymorphic Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders, Plethodon Cinereus, Joseph Alan Demarchi
Masters Theses
No abstract provided.