Life Sciences Commons^™

Determining The Impacts Of Environmental Contaminants To Zebra Mussels Using Genetic Biomarkers, Nicklaus James Neureuther

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

DETERMINING THE IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS TO ZEBRA MUSSELS USING GENETIC BIOMARKERS

by

Nicklaus James Neureuther

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2016

Under the Supervision of Professor Rebecca Klaper, PhD

Persistent legacy contaminants and emerging chemicals of concern continue to be a threat to the function and health in the Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). While chemical monitoring programs traditionally sample water and sediment, these studies can only provide information of the type and level of contamination within an (AOC). This being said, information on the biological impacts to the biota are needed to measure impairments of chemical exposure, …

Modeling Reef-Coral Response To Climate Change, Christopher William Cacciapaglia

Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. They provide goods and services to millions of people living in the coastal tropics. Recently, however, rising sea-surface temperatures have been threatening reef corals, causing episodes of thermal stress that lead to coral bleaching, mortality, and changes in reef composition. This increase in ocean temperature, along with the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, is also causing an increase in sea level, which is threatening to ‘drown’ reefs that cannot keep up with sea-level rise. Some early models predicted that nearly all coral species would be unable …

Developing A Multimetric Index To Assess Resaca Ecosystem Health, Buford J. Lessley

Theses and Dissertations

As the only freshwater ecosystem in the lower Rio Grande Valley aside from the Rio itself, resacas are critical habitat for many species of flora and fauna. Old distributaries of the Rio Grande, resacas provided conveyance routes moving floodwater to the Laguna Madre. Today these wetlands are novel ecosystems and are artificially maintained. Urbanization and agriculture have lead to sedimentation, habitat loss, contaminants, poor water quality, and invasive species. The objective of this study was to assess and monitor resaca pools and to compose the Resaca Health Index (RHI) from selected indicators of ecosystem structure and function including leaf litter …

Carbon And Nitrogen Dynamics Of Anthropogenically Disturbed Seagrass Ecosystems, Alison Shepherd

Theses and Dissertations

As atmospheric CO2 concentrations continue to rise, understanding factors that influence size and longevity of carbon (C) pools within coastal and marine ecosystems (i.e., “blue carbon”) is critical. In 2013, the global average atmospheric CO2 concentration reached 396 ppm, which was the highest recorded level in the last 800,000 years. Recent research acknowledges the importance of “blue carbon” in the global C cycle, finding that these ecosystems capture up to 70% of organic C in the marine realm, rendering them one of the most efficient C sinks on the planet. Specifically, seagrass ecosystems are critically important to the global C …

Avian Communities In An Urbanizing Region: Abundance Patterns And Effects Of Local Habitat Features, John S. Brush

Theses and Dissertations

The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas has experience rapid population growth and increase of urban area since the mid-20th century. The goal of this thesis were to: 1) explore patterns of avian communities in suburban and remnant urban woodlands, with particular interest in native forest species, and 2) to assess how local habitat variables, such as number of native trees, affect avian communities in suburban habitats, and 3) provide recommendations to municipalities and homeowners to enhance urban habitats for birds. Results indicated that remnant urban woodlands provided habitat for common native forest bird species that otherwise avoided suburban habitats, …

Calculating Evapotranspiration Of Arundo Donax Along The Rio Grande, Jose R. Escamilla Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species have been recorded to cause large economic and ecological impacts on various ecosystems and their services. Locally, giant reed (Arundo donax L.), a woody grass native to the Mediterranean, adversely impacts riparian ecosystems in southwestern United States by aggressively displacing their native flora and fauna. Giant reed also has become a cause of concern for national water security, especially in water-limited areas of the arid southwestern United States. The main objective of this study is to provide the first, landscape-level estimates of water use by giant reed in the United States. Evapotranspiration was monitored using the eddy …

Sequencing Of The Complete Mitochondrial Genome Of Anastrepha Species, Francisco C. Rugama Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Several members of fruit flies in the vastly diverse Anastrepha (Schinner) genus (family Tephritidae), considered to be among the most important and devastating pests of vegetable and fruit crops, are distributed widely throughout the Americas. They attack several different kinds of fruit including citrus, which is of great economical importance in South Texas. The identification of these flies is based primarily on wing pattern and characteristics of the female genitalia, contrary to males, which cannot be distinguished at all. Misidentification of adults is a widespread problem, while identification at the larval stage is practically impossible. Currently, there are no published …

Characterization And Use Of Folate Receptor Isoforms For Targeting Of Epithelial And Myeloid Cells, Sreya Biswas

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

CHARACTERIZATION AND USE OF FOLATE RECEPTOR ISOFORMS FOR TARGETING OF EPITHELIAL AND MYELOID CELLS

by

Sreya Biswas

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2016

Under the Supervision of Professor Douglas A. Steeber

Folate receptor (FR) is a GPI-anchored glycoprotein with high binding affinity for folic acid. FR has two membrane-associated isoforms, α and β, that are overexpressed on epithelial and myeloid tumors, respectively. Normal cells may also exhibit FR expression at very low levels but interestingly, FR-α on normal cells is restricted to the apical surface i.e., away from the blood stream. This differential expression and orientation of the FR-α isoform …

The Effects Of Elevated Pco₂ And Temperature On The Embryonic Development, Larval Survivorship, Condition, Calcification, Morphology, And Behavior Of The Florida Stone Crab, Menippe Mercenaria, Philip Michael Gravinese

Theses and Dissertations

The emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere over the last century has increased atmospheric and oceanic temperatures, and has led to a decrease in oceanic pH. The increased ocean temperatures and reduced pH have been detrimental to marine life. In addition, Florida’s watersheds have suffered from decades of disrupted hydrology and diverted runoff, which has increased nutrients and changed coastal carbonate chemistry. Although the adult stages of many marine species are capable of tolerating fluctuations in environmental conditions (i.e., elevated pCO₂ tolerances to such conditions improve. and temperature), marine larvae that hatch in coastal habitats may not have the …

Effects Of Parasitism And Mite Control Methods On European Starling Development, Aderinsola Oluwasikemi Odetunde

Theses and Dissertations

Certain developmental stressors can lead to developmental trade-offs in young organisms. Hematophagous ectoparasites are a common stressor experienced by European starlings, and we wished to explore what aspects of an ectoparasite infestation drove trade-offs. The first part of this study was to test the hypothesis that blood loss was the sole mediator of trade-offs due to hematophagous ectoparasite infestation. We used nestlings that were exposed to mites in the nests, nestlings in mite-reduced nests experiencing supplementary blood loss, and nestlings in mite reduced nests with no supplementary blood loss. We also used a new heat treatment to reduce mites in …

Takeover On The Tallgrass Prairie: How Lespedeza Cuneata Establishes Dominance, Morgan Rae Walder

Theses and Dissertations

Invasion ecology aims to study mechanisms by which invasive species are able to enter, establish, and spread within an ecosystem. This study analyzed Darwin’s naturalization and the biotic resistance hypotheses as the most likely explanations for invasion by an exotic legume, Lespedeza cuneata, into a tallgrass prairie. Darwin’s naturalization hypothesis posits that exotic species are less able to establish in communities that have related species, because similarity in morphology and function promotes intense competition for resources. The biotic resistance hypothesis states that competitors, herbivores, and pathogens already present in the community limit the colonization, naturalization, and persistence of invaders, therefore …

Membrane Biophysics Of Listeria Monocytogenes: Analysis Of An Alternate Pathway Of Branched-Chain Fatty Acid Biosynthesis And Elasticity Of Fatty Acid Utilization, Laura E. Kuczek

Theses and Dissertations

The membrane homeostasis of the psychrotolerant foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes involves maintaining fluidity in a range of different conditions by incorporation of specific branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs). BCFAs are synthesized through a well-characterized pathway from branched-chain amino acids into short branched-chain acyl-CoAs followed by elongation by the FAS II system. Branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase (Bkd) is a major player in this pathway. MOR401 is a transposon insertion mutant deficient in Bkd and has decreased membrane BFCAs. Low levels of BCFAs in L. monocytogenes are linked to diminished growth, less resistance to antimicrobials, and a severe reduction in virulence. Rescued growth …

A Gis Analysis Of Land Cover Effects On Water Systems: Nutrients And Algae In Stormwater Ponds, Nicole Lee Kappel

Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic land conversion is occurring rapidly and has the potential to impact our water quality. This study aims to explore the effect of watershed land characteristics on water quality within stormwater ponds (SWPs). Rapid land conversion is known to affect water quality of receiving water bodies, however not much is known about the effect of urbanization on SWPs. Geographic informational systems (GIS) was used to determine areas of land that drain into ponds. Water samples were collected and analyzed for total phosphorous, dissolved reactive phosphorous, nitrate, and ammonia. Algal pigment and percent cover measurements were taken in the field and …

Assessment Of Benthic Habitat Quality In Lower Green Bay, Lake Michigan With Special Regard To Potential Hexagenia Recolonization, Christopher Michael Groff

Theses and Dissertations

With environmental remediation in the Great Lakes, Hexagenia have recovered or are recovering in systems from which they were once extirpated. An active Hexagenia recovery does not appear to be taking place in lower Green Bay. This study first examines the highly fluidized nature of lower Green Bay sediment as a possible cause for their lack of recovery due to nymphs’ potential inability to construct and maintain burrows essential to the completion of their life cycles. Hexagenia bilineata nymphs collected from the Upper Mississippi River were distributed into oxygenated aquaria containing substrates from lower Green Bay or the Upper Mississippi …

South Padre Island Beach Management: Assessment Of Dune Restoration, Shelby Rose Bessette

Theses and Dissertations

Dune restoration is a common method of increasing coastal resilience. A dune restoration program was initiated by the City of South Padre Island, TX in 2010 consisting primarily of plantings of Sea Oats, Uniola paniculata, and Bitter Panicum, Panicum amarum and has continued approximately annually thereafter. These restoration efforts were evaluated in this study by comparing dune ecological structure and function among reference sites and restoration plots ranging in age from 2 to 5 years. Plant and animal communities were examined using a combination of quadrat sampling, funnel traps, pit-falls and sweep nets. Soil organic content and soil electric …

The Function Of Renalase, Brett Allen Beaupre

Theses and Dissertations

Renalase was originally reported to be an enzyme secreted into the blood by the kidney to lower blood pressure and slow heart rate. Despite multiple reports claiming to confirm this activity in vivo there has been considerable discord in regards to the reaction catalyzed by renalase. The structural topology of renalase resembles that of known flavoprotein oxidases, monooxygenases and demethylases, but the conserved active site residues are unique to renalase. It has been reported that the catalytic function of renalase is to oxidize circulating catecholamines, however in vitro studies have failed to demonstrate a catalytic activity in the presence of …

Characterizing Mesophotic Reef Fish Communities At Five South Texas Relic Coral-Algal Banks, Linda Marie Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

The South Texas Banks are a mesophotic coral ecosystem (30-150m deep). Understanding the community structure, biodiversity and, geographic connectivity of the South Texas Banks is essential with increasing threats from climate change, ocean acidification, invasive species, and pollution. In this study, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was used to examine the fish communities at five of the South Texas Banks: Big Adam, Hospital, Mysterious, North Hospital, and Southern. Reef fish were identified to the lowest possible taxon and enumerated from ROV transect video footage. A total of 3,838 demersal and pelagic fishes were recorded representing 61 species in 22 families …

The Effect Of Manganese (Mn) On Cell Proliferation And Migration In The Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (Mcf-7) Human Breast Cancer Cell Line In Vitro, Justin Lloyd Wendel

Theses and Dissertations

Manganese (Mn) is a common environmental element necessary for mammalian physiological processes. However, dietary excess or deficiency can lead to detrimental health effects. Therefore, I investigated the effect Mn has on breast cancer progression in vitro. Utilizing MCF-7 breast cancer cells an MTT assay was performed to identify proliferative potential. After 5 days, results showed 100 nM manganese chloride (MnCl2) had a significant (p<0.01) increase in cell number over control. Using a scratch wound-healing assay, 100 nM MnCl2 was found to increase cellular motility as well as induce a possible change in morphology and cytoskeletal organization. Given Mn was shown to localize in the mitochondrial, we investigated Mn-induced ROS expression. 500 nM Mn significantly decreased (p<0.05) ROS levels. Collectively, I provide evidence that Mn may potentially drive less aggressive cancer cells towards a more invasive phenotype.

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 …

Phycotoxin Loads In Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) From The Indian River Lagoon Estuary System And Coastal Altlantic Waters, Florida: 2002-2011, Jeremy Alan Browning

Theses and Dissertations

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are dramatic increases of algae that produce phycotoxins, and these toxins lead to subsequent neurological dysfunction with symptomatic illness leading, in extreme cases, to mass mortalities of marine mammals. This presents a conservation challenge since the frequency and severity of HABs are increasing on a global scale. Two HAB species that impact marine mammals residing in and utilizing an eastern Florida estuary and surrounding coastal Atlantic waters are Karenia brevis (K. brevis) and Pyrodinium bahamense (Pyrodinium); these HAB species produce the neurotoxins brevetoxin (PbTx) and saxitoxin (STX), respectively. These toxins are present at times in high …

Individual Movement Rates Are Sufficient To Determine And Maintain Dynamic Spatial Positioning Within Uca Pugilator Herds, Eilea R. Knotts

Theses and Dissertations

Spatial location within aggregations (i.e. periphery, central) is of biological significance to gregarious animals. Because these positions are a potential consequence of consistent individual behavioral differences, or personality, a better understanding of potential mechanisms concerning personality is central to predicting an individuals’ location. To determine the effects of individual personality on the dynamic spatial positioning of Uca pugilator while herding, field data collection and agent-based modeling were employed. Individuals were assayed to establish their personalities and returned to the field for observation as a means of identifying location preference within selfish herds. There was a significant difference between the extreme …

Defensive Roles And Factors That Affect The Production Of Monoterpenes In Morella Cerifera, Florence C. Anoruo

Theses and Dissertations

Plants as sessile organisms encounter myriad biotic and abiotic challenges in their habitats. Pathogen and herbivore attack are among the prominent biotic challenges that plants face in their environment. Plants respond to these attacks by using chemical compounds including monoterpenes that are constitutively and inductively produced in some plants, and stored inside glands on their leaves. Among the abiotic factors that influence the production of defense compounds, especially monoterpenes are light intensity and nutrient availability.

The objectives of this dissertation are to 1) comprehend the defensive role of monoterpenes, specifically investigating the associational defense of a non-odorous species (Ilex vomitoria) …

Enhancing The Efficacy Of Thymidylate Synthase Inhibitors By Genetic Modulation Or Pharmacological Inhibition Of Bone Marrow Derived Cells In The Tumor Stroma, Nikeya Lashanna Tisdale

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of tumor associated stromal cells in tumor formation, progression, and response to therapy has led to a paradigm shift in cancer therapy. For many years, tumors were considered as a mass consisting only of actively proliferating cancer cells and therapies were design to target these cells. However, research in the last two decades has shown that tumors are not only comprised of a heterogeneous population of neoplastic cells, but they are also comprised of and infiltrated by a heterogeneous population of non-tumor cells that contribute to tumor progression and potentially affect the efficacy of tumor-directed chemotherapies. Tumors are …

The Cranial Morphology Of The Black-Footed Ferret: A Comparison Of Wild And Captive Specimens, Tyler Antonelli

Theses and Dissertations

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), a North American mustelid species, was once found abundantly throughout the Midwest until extreme decline in prairie dogs, the black-footed ferrets primary food source, brought the species to near-extinction. This resulted in the development of the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program which included bringing the entire species into captivity with the intention of breeding the species back to sufficient numbers to allow for successful reintroduction. While in captivity, many components of the ferrets’ health were accounted for, but the current study aims to address the effects that captivity may have had on the cranial morphology of …

Interactions Between Hiv-1 Tat And Tumor Suppressor P53, Kristen Lane Spotts

Theses and Dissertations

The most well studied cancer-related gene in history, p53, is responsible for protecting the integrity of the genome. A variety of different stresses are detected by p53 and its regulators, allowing for numerous post-translational modifications that activate p53. After activation p53 can then regulate transcription of a myriad downstream targets, resulting in either cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. One of the stress signals that activates p53 is viral infection in part through the induction of type-1 interferon. However some viruses, like the DNA tumor viruses have evolved factors capable of binding to p53 and inhibiting its ability to regulate its …

Assessment Of The Probability Of Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) Recovery In The Northwest Atlantic Ocean Within 50 Years Of Federal And State Protection In The Us, Michael D. Arendt

Theses and Dissertations

Systematic implementation of sea turtle conservation measures have occurred in the U.S. since the 1970’s. As such, this dissertation assessed the probability that loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the NW Atlantic will meet or exceed recovery criteria in the minimum timeframe (i.e., 50 years) specified by the Recovery Plan. Mathematical modeling (Chapter 1) of a theoretical population resembling an important nesting assemblage in a stochastic environment for 200 years revealed broad (<20k to >106k) fluctuation in annual nest counts without extinction, as well as strong contemporary environmental influence on annual nest counts. Modeling also substantiated the importance of monitoring the …

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

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 …

Natural Selection By Insect Pollinators And Seed Predators On Floral Head Traits Of Helianthus Grosseserratus (Sawtooth Sunflower), Jason Stephen Servi

Theses and Dissertations

Flowering plants must invest energy and resources to produce floral displays that are attractive to pollinators, but these same displays may also attract detrimental insects. How floral traits are shaped by the preferences of both pollinators and herbivores/seed predators is not fully understood. Using Helianthus grosseserratus (sawtooth sunflower) as my study species, I investigated these conflicting selective pressures on floral head traits through a 2-year study in a large, unbroken tract of mesic prairie in Wisconsin. In the first season, I followed individual heads over time and recorded insect visitation patterns and phenological changes to floral head traits. I also …

Consequences Of Loss Of An Abundant Pollinator: An Experimental Study, Allysa Hallett

Theses and Dissertations

Pollinator populations are declining worldwide, and this may lower the quantity and quality of pollination services. Since pollinators often compete for floral resources, loss of an abundant pollinator species may release others from competition and potentially alter floral visitation rates. We explored how the removal of a frequent pollinator, bumble bees, influenced pollination success of whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata). In three small and three large populations we quantified pollinator visitation rates and pollination success for control plots and for plots where bumble bees were experimentally excluded. We found that exclusion of bumble bees did not reduce A. verticillata pollination success. …