Life Sciences Commons^™

Antidepressant Effects Of The Nts1 Agonist Pd149163 In The Forced Swim Test, Lawrence Carey Iv

All NMU Master's Theses

Neurotensin is a neuropeptide that influences monoaminergic neurotransmission in areas of the brain involved in the pathophysiology of depression. The forced swim test is a commonly used screening model for putative antidepressant medications. Drugs that have antidepressant effects in humans reliably decrease the time animals spend in an immobile posture in the forced swim test without increasing general locomotor activity as measured in an open field test. The present study sought to examine the effects of the neurotensin NTS₁ receptor agonist PD149163 and the tricyclic antidepressant drug imipramine on immobility in the forced swim test and on locomotor activity …

Effects Of Leptin On Established Glioblastoma Cell Lines, Nicholas J. Cook

All NMU Master's Theses

Glioblastoma is one of the most difficult cancers to treat because it is aggressive and resistant to therapy. The discovery of new therapeutic targets is drastically needed as zero improved treatment options have been added to the standard of care over the past 15 years. New and promising therapeutic targets are arising from psychosocial and environmental enrichment studies examining the role of stress in cancer progression. In animal models, eustress appears to slow tumor growth and recurrence resulting in increased overall survival and progression free survival while distress is associated with decreased overall survival. The cellular pathways activated by eustress …

Endophytic Actinomycetes As Potential Agents To Control Common Scab Of Potatoes, Alaxandra A. Goodman

All NMU Master's Theses

Potato marketability and tuber quality can be decreased upon infection by a pathogen, Streptomyces scabies. Current disease control consists of expensive irrigation systems and using hazardous chemicals, which exert limited disease control and are potential hazards to those exposed. Biological control offers a cost effective method for controlling disease. Antibiotic producing Streptomyces have indicated their ability to combat plant diseases. Some Streptomyces species colonize within plant tissues without causing disease symptoms (endophytes). This research sought for the presence of endophytic Steptomyces or closely related species in potato plants that were grown in fields containing pathogen-inhibiting Streptomyces. To establish genus …

Plant Community Development Of Isle Royale's Moose-Spruce Savannas, Michael C. Rotter

All NMU Master's Theses

On Isle Royale National Park, heavy moose browsing over the past 100 years has suppressed the regeneration of many tree species, gradually resulting in a shift towards more open forests and savannas. By 1996, 16% of the forests at the southwest end of Isle Royale had become savanna and another 20% were starting to break-up. The changes in understory vegetation brought about by savanna formation have received little attention, even though the future of moose and wolf populations on Isle Royale are tied to these vegetation changes. This study examined the vegetation of savannas ranging in age (date since formation) …

Diet Analysis Of Burbot From Eastern Lake Michigan: 1999-2012, Casey J. Hares

All NMU Master's Theses

The Lake Michigan fish community has undergone many changes due to introduction of non-native species, climate shifts, and management actions. Managers need to understand the time course of these alterations, including the time-frame of impact on the food web in the lake. I used a collection (1999-2012) of diet samples from burbot from eastern Lake Michigan to evaluate temporal alterations in burbot diet with particular attention to non-native vs. native forage. Catch per unit effort (burbot/net · day) decreased from a high of 5.82 burbot/net · day (± 2.19) in 2001 to a low of 0.750 burbot/net · day (± …

Identification Of Hcmv Ul97 In Gbm Cell Lines And A Possible Role For Ganciclovir, Thomas Mcfall

All NMU Master's Theses

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of malignant glioma, comprising 80% of all malignant gliomas. Recently, active Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was identified in GBM cells, and has been a topic of debate concerning its role with tumor progression. This study used three established GBM cell lines; T98, LN229, and U87 in order to identify and examine the presence of HCMV phosphotransferase protein UL97. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction identified UL97 within two of the three cell lines, T98 and LN229. Western blotting confirmed that UL97 protein was being expressed and was present in both T98, and LN229 cell …

Characterization Of Varying Local Winter Stream Habitat And Its Impact On Coldwater Fishes, Jesse J. Haavisto

All NMU Master's Theses

Stream dwelling fish in temperate latitudes are subject to widely varying in-stream winter conditions. Understanding the relative importance of the different factors that contribute to these winter conditions is important in predicting how environmental shifts will affect fish communities. In this study, I examined stream sections within 13 streams located in Marquette and Alger Counties within the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Streams within a small geographical area were chosen to minimize latitudinal climate variation. Many in-stream winter conditions are driven by temperature so the importance of understanding how changing localized climate patterns may affect the structure and condition of fish …

A Phylogenetic Reevaluation Of The Genus Gavia (Aves: Gaviiformes) Using Next-Generation Sequencing, Quentin D. Sprengelmeyer

All NMU Master's Theses

Avian phylogenetic analysis based on DNA sequences, rather than morphological characters, has been used in recent decades to resolve systematic relationships. Advancements in molecular techniques have improved avian phylogenetics and have led to new insights on the relationships between and within taxa. Loons (Aves: Gaviiformes) are one of the oldest living lineages of birds, and the order includes five extant species. The morphological cladogram of Gavia placed G. arctica as a sister species to G. pacifica. However, a more recent study based on mtDNA resulted in a discordant tree splitting the G. arctica/G. pacifica clade, and …

The Perceived Demands Of Crossfit, Bryanne N. Bellovary

All NMU Master's Theses

Rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of muscle tissue causing myoglobin, creatine kinase, and other intracellular proteins and electrolytes to leak into circulation, disrupting cell homeostasis. Exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) occurs after extremely rigorous physical training that could include high amounts of strenuous eccentric exercise. There has been an increase in reports for mild to severe ER as well as other musculoskeletal injuries as the popularity of extreme conditioning programs (e.g., CrossFit®) increases. Therefore, the main purposes of this investigation were to identify: primary risk factors associated with ER during CrossFit®, CrossFit® workouts that might induce a higher risk for the development of …

Seed Bank Dynamics Within A Metapopulation Framework: A Study Of An Ant-Dispersed Species, Emily E. Sprengelmeyer

All NMU Master's Theses

Questions. How do spatial and temporal landscape dynamics, including past disturbance, affect the distribution of the seed bank of an early-succession species? Do these factors ultimately influence above-ground subpopulation persistence within a metapopulation framework?

Location. Granite-gneiss outcrops within mixed hardwood-conifer forest in Michigan, USA

Methods. We studied the distribution of the Capnoides sempervirens seed bank on outcrops and within the forest matrix in relation to landscape and physiographic (n = 517). Above-ground plant persistence (n = 144) in relation to landscape and habitat variables was also investigated.

Results. Seeds were found up to 175 m from outcrops, but …