Life Sciences Commons^™

Homoploid Hybrid Speciation In A Rare Endemic Castilleja From Idaho (Castilleja Christii, Orobanchaceae), Danielle Leigh Clay

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Evidence to support the origins of a putative hybrid species with certainty must be determined using several lines of evidence: the presence of genetic additivity of parental marker alleles in a putative hybrid species, along with ecological or niche separation. Novel or transgressive morphological traits obtained through chromosomal rearrangements during hybridization may facilitate niche separation of the hybrid species from progenitor habitats. These evolutionary processes together enforce reproductive isolation and promote an independent evolutionary trajectory in hybrid species. By studying these evolutionary processes in putative hybrid species, researchers may identify hybrid species with confidence.

We employed multiple lines of evidence …

Environmental Regulation Of Dormancy Loss In Seeds Of Lomatium Dissectum, Melissa Dawn Scholten

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Lomatium dissectum (Nutt.) Mathias & Constance is a perennial plant found across much of western North America. For disturbed lands within this range, there is interest in using L. dissectum in restoration. A problem in the propagation of L. dissectum is that at the time of dispersal the seeds are dormant. Thus, prior to usage in restoration projects the type of dormancy and the procedures necessary to release dormancy in these seeds must be determined. Determining the type of dormancy and the treatments necessary to break dormancy in L. dissectum seeds was the primary focus of this study. To approach …

Immunoregulation Of Liver Regeneration By The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor: Role Of Lymphocytes And Interferon-Gamma, Christopher John Horras

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a persistent environmental contaminant that elicits toxicity by activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. The toxic effects associated with TCDD exposure include immunotoxicity and dysregulated cell cycle control, although the mechanisms are poorly understood. A previous report indicates that exposure to TCDD suppresses hepatocyte proliferation in a mouse model of liver regeneration induced by 70% partial hepatectomy (PH). Based on reports that liver regeneration is negatively regulated by interferon (IFN)-γ produced by activated natural killer (NK) cells, along with the well-established immunotoxic effects of TCDD in other model systems, we hypothesized that TCDD treatment attenuates liver …

How Do Human Disturbance, Beach Characteristics, And Coastal Engineering Affect Snowy Plover (Charadrius Alexandrinus) Habitat Selection On The Florida Panhandle?, Alyson F. Webber

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Snowy plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) are listed as threatened by the State of Florida, and have been a species of growing concern among wildlife management agencies. The population of snowy plovers breeding along the Florida Panhandle has a patchy distribution, and large stretches of private and public land go virtually unused by plovers. Further, there is a strong negative correlation between coastal engineering projects and snowy plover nest site use. The relationship between coastal engineering and snowy plover nesting distribution is unclear, however, because most engineering projects have occurred on developed beaches with high human use. My objectives were …

Land Cover And Topographic Effects On Cavity-Nesting Owl Occurrence And The Role Of Species Interactions In Structuring Cavity-Nesting Owl Communities, Micah Noel Scholer

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Relatively little is known about the distribution, abundance, and population trends of many species of owls. Frequently, studies that describe owl distributions are accomplished by modeling characteristics of the habitat such as land cover and topographic features. However, the potential to model owl distributions as a function of species interactions has been largely unexplored. I investigated how habitat characteristics as well as species interactions shape owl distributions in the Western United States. Using occurrence data collected between 2009 and 2010 in the Boise National Forest, Idaho, I developed species distribution models for Flammulated Owls (Otus flammeolus) and Northern …

Differences In The Mechanics Between The Dominant And Non-Dominant Plant Limb During Instep Soccer Kicking, Cassidy M. Berlin

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Over the past 15 years, participation in women’s soccer has increased drastically and with that comes increased exposure to injury. When athletes perform deceleration tasks, such as planting the limb during a kick, there is an increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Low knee flexion angles at contact, high posterior ground reaction force (GRF), increased lateral trunk lean, high knee abduction angle, and high knee external rotation of the knee have all been identified as potential mechanisms of ACL injury during deceleration tasks. At higher levels of competition, a soccer player becomes more valuable if they are …

Progression Of Breast Cancer Metastatic Disease And Subsequent Osteolytic Bone Degradation Mediated By Oncostatin M, Ken Tawara

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women and is the second most common cancer-related death for women worldwide. While the primary tumor itself is not lethal, the metastases that disrupt vital organ functions pose a significant clinical challenge. Seventy percent of women with metastatic breast cancer have metastases to the bone, which is the most significant cause of morbidity for these patients. Oncostatin M (OSM) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a role in the immune system, wound repair, and haematopoiesis. OSM was previously considered for anticancer therapy due to its anti-proliferative effects against breast cancer cells in …

Physiologic Performance Test Differences By Competition Level And Player Position In Female Volleyball Athletes, Monique Lynae Schaal

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: The game of volleyball, which requires power, strength, speed, agility, and anaerobic fitness, is played around the world. A performance divide is evident between high school and collegiate volleyball athletes, and the physiologic differences have not been extensively studied. Because sport specific test performance data are not available, performance deficits in high school athletes are not well understood. Players striving to improve volleyball performance need clear expectations of skill and performance measures to succeed at higher levels of competition. There are extremely limited data available for female volleyball players that specifically describe how physiological performance test data may …

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles As Potential Novel Anticancer Therapies, Janet C. Layne

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Nanoparticles (NP) are increasingly being recognized for their utility in the field of medicine, including use as drug carriers and imaging tools. We demonstrated that ZnO NP preferentially kill cancerous cells of the T cell lineage, and extended this research to evaluate other cells types, including normal and malignant B cells, and normal and malignant breast and prostate epithelial cells. Preferential ZnO nanoparticle cytotoxicity occurred for multiple types of cancer cells, but was most pronounced for non-adherent cells of hematopoietic lineage. Normal T and B lymphocytes showed the greatest resistance to NP toxicity, followed by normal breast epithelial cells, and …

Trophic Ecology Of Burrowing Owls In Natural And Agricultural Habitats And An Analysis Of Predator Communities Using Stable Isotopes Of Carbon And Nitrogen, Kathlyn Jean Mcvey

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen can provide powerful tools for estimating the trophic positions of animals and determining the source or the primary producer of a food web. I used stable isotopes analysis of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) to investigate the trophic position of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) in agricultural and natural habitats and trophic relationships of a community of vertebrate predators in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA), located in southern Idaho.

Burrowing owl populations have declined across much of North America owing to loss …

Walk-Run Transition Speed And The Relevance Of Loading, Muscular Fatigue, And Human Kinematics: A Comparison Of Human Gait Patterns, Callie Elizabeth Gunderson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: The walk-to-run transition (WRT) typically occurs at a preferred transition speed (PTS) of 1.9-2.1ms^-1. Previous research has focused on potential triggers for this transition such as leg length, muscular fatigue, loading rates (LR), and vertical ground reaction forces (VGRFs). Rather than focus on mechanisms responsible for the transition, the purpose of the current study was to determine if basic anthropometrics or gait characteristics are predictive of the WRT. METHODS: Thirty participants were recruited for the current study (n = 13 male, 17 female; n = 11 normal weight, n = 10 overweight, n = …