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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Polymorphism And Plasticity In The Termite Caste System, Austin Merchant
Polymorphism And Plasticity In The Termite Caste System, Austin Merchant
Theses and Dissertations--Entomology
Developmental plasticity, manifested as a caste system, is integral to the success of eusocial insects because of the way in which it decouples the various tasks that a single, solitary organism would normally be responsible for, allowing individuals to specialize towards their given roles while keeping vulnerable members of the colony, such as those responsible for reproduction, safe from harm. Termites exhibit particularly complex caste systems that can be divided into three types of castes: workers perform manual labor, such as foraging and brood care; soldiers defend the nest; and reproductives lay eggs. Each of these castes, as well as …
Indoor Pests And Human Health: Characterizing Contaminants And Improving Mitigation, Johnalyn Gordon
Indoor Pests And Human Health: Characterizing Contaminants And Improving Mitigation, Johnalyn Gordon
Theses and Dissertations--Entomology
Much of the United States population spends the majority of their time indoors and within the home. Not only are indoor arthropod pests an unsightly nuisance in our homes, but they can have serious impacts on human health, especially with chronic exposure. In addition to negative health impacts, costs associated with these medical impacts can be tremendous. For these reasons, it is critical to develop comprehensive strategies for pest reduction and mitigation of associated health impacts. The work outlined in this dissertation represent examination of the distribution of a hypothesized bed bug allergen within the indoor environment, identification of a …
Assessing Endophyte Frequency Distributions And The Effect Of Epichloë Brachyelytri In The Chemotypic And Genotypic Diversity Of Brachyelytrum Erectum, Rachel Ann Sneed
Assessing Endophyte Frequency Distributions And The Effect Of Epichloë Brachyelytri In The Chemotypic And Genotypic Diversity Of Brachyelytrum Erectum, Rachel Ann Sneed
Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology
Seed-transmissible epichloid fungal endophytes are best known for their roles as defensive mutualists in cool-season grasses. Historically, the discovery of fungal endophytes was driven by investigations of plant toxicity to livestock, followed by extensive study of their alkaloids and protection against insects and nematodes. Epichloae can produce four classes of alkaloids: ergot alkaloids, lolines (saturated aminopyrrolizidines), indole–diterpenes, and peramine. It is increasingly evident that these hereditary symbionts have much more diverse chemical profiles both in individual populations and between them. To this end, differences in chemotypic profiles of these symbionts may translate to different evolutionary and environmental advantages across plant …