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Articles 1 - 14 of 14
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Birdsong Variation As A Source Of Information For Migrating Common Yellowthroats, Rachel Theresa Bolus
Birdsong Variation As A Source Of Information For Migrating Common Yellowthroats, Rachel Theresa Bolus
Open Access Dissertations
Social information affects the movement decisions of animals and is often an essential factor in habitat selection. Social information should be especially relevant to long-distance migrating birds that navigate over long distances through unfamiliar habitats to find resources to survive. This information likely varies in both availability and importance at the different spatial scales relevant to migrating birds. Using the common yellowthroat as a case study, I tested whether cues might be available in the songs of locally breeding birds at the continental, within-site, and within-territory scales. At the continental scale, I described the geographic variation in song among genetic …
Performance And Signaling In The Green Anole Lizard, Justin P. Henningsen
Performance And Signaling In The Green Anole Lizard, Justin P. Henningsen
Open Access Dissertations
Green anoles are small lizards of the Southeastern United States. They possess an extensible throat-fan called a dewlap. Males have larger dewlaps and display them more often than females. Displays occur during courtship, during agonistic interaction, and during encounters with potential predators. The size of the dewlap of male green anoles is positively correlated with maximum bite force capacity. Bite force capacity, in turn, is predictive of the winner during agonistic interactions. The correlation between these traits suggests that dewlap size may be used as a reliable signal of maximum bite force capacity. In this dissertation, I address three components …
Molecular Characterization Of The Pathophysiology Of The Digital Laminae In Acute Carbohydrate-Induced Equine Laminitis, Erica Ann Pawlak
Molecular Characterization Of The Pathophysiology Of The Digital Laminae In Acute Carbohydrate-Induced Equine Laminitis, Erica Ann Pawlak
Open Access Dissertations
Equine laminitis is a devastating condition that results in the failure of the tissue responsible for suspending the skeleton within the hoof capsule. The digital laminae is composed of two interdigitated layers, the dermal lamellae surrounding the distal pedal bone, and the epidermal lamellae, which interfaces with the hoof wall. During laminitis, these layers separate, allowing for rotation and sinking of the pedal bone. While there are multiple diseases and physiological conditions associated with the development of laminitis, including sepsis, metabolic syndrome, and unequal weight bearing, the exact cause remains elusive. Prior work by our research group identified the metalloprotease …
The Role Of Notch In Th17 Differentiation, Reem Suleiman
The Role Of Notch In Th17 Differentiation, Reem Suleiman
Open Access Dissertations
Th17 cells are pro-inflammatory cells that are characterized by the production of their signature cytokine, IL-17. Although they are thought to have arisen to protect against extracellular bacteria and fungi they have been shown to mediate autoimmune diseases such as EAE and psoarisis. Notch protein is a cell-surface receptor that has been widely conserved among species. It plays an essential role in determining multiple cell fates. More recently, it has been implicated in regulating peripheral CD4+ T-cell responses. In these studies, we report that blockade of Notch signaling significantly down-regulates the production of IL-17 and associated cytokines in both mouse …
Ecology And Conservation Of The Montane Forest Avian Community In Northeastern North America, William V. Deluca
Ecology And Conservation Of The Montane Forest Avian Community In Northeastern North America, William V. Deluca
Open Access Dissertations
Montane forests provide habitat for unique assemblages of flora and fauna that contribute significantly to a region’s biodiversity. Previous work indicates that montane forest ecosystems are exceedingly vulnerable to a host of anthropogenic stressors including climate change, atmospheric deposition, and recreation, to name a few. Montane forests and other high elevation ecosystems are considered to be among the first and most severely impacted by climate change. It is therefore, imperative to evaluate anthropogenic impacts on montane ecosystems and maintain reliable monitoring methods that are capable of tracking potential shifts in the distribution of species dependent on these systems. I surveyed …
Distributions Of Large Mammal Assemblages In Thailand With A Focus On Dhole (Cuon Alpinus) Conservation, Kate Elizabeth Jenks
Distributions Of Large Mammal Assemblages In Thailand With A Focus On Dhole (Cuon Alpinus) Conservation, Kate Elizabeth Jenks
Open Access Dissertations
Biodiversity monitoring and predictions of species occurrence are essential to develop outcome-oriented conservation management plans for endangered species and assess their success over time. To assess distribution and patterns of habitat use of large mammal assemblages in Thailand, with a focus on the endangered dhole (Cuon alpinus), I first implemented a long-term camera-trapping project carried out with park rangers from October 2003 through October 2007 in Khao Yai National Park. This project was extremely successful and may serve as a regional model for wildlife conservation. I found significantly lower relative abundance indices for carnivore species, and collectively for all mammals …
The Roles Of Notch1 And Pkc-Θ In Immune Mediated Bone Marrow Failure, Justine E. Roderick
The Roles Of Notch1 And Pkc-Θ In Immune Mediated Bone Marrow Failure, Justine E. Roderick
Open Access Dissertations
We sought to evaluate the individual contributions of Notch1 and PKC-ζ to disease progression in a mouse model of immune-mediated bone marrow failure and to define a mechanism for their potential cellular cooperation. We transferred parental bulk splenocytes into F1-hybrid recipients to induce a robust immune-mediated bone marrow failure (BMF) that we could partially rescue by administering a pharmacological inhibitor of Notch activation. Transferring splenocytes from PKC--ζ-/- animals did not induce disease, and treating animals with a pharmacological inhibitor of PKC-ζ also provided full protection from disease. We found that inhibiting Notch1 resulted in PKC-ζ down-regulation, and blocking PKC-ζ reduced …
Avian Ecology And Conservation In Tropical Agricultural Landscapes With Emphasis On Vermivora Chrysoptera, Richard Brooks Chandler
Avian Ecology And Conservation In Tropical Agricultural Landscapes With Emphasis On Vermivora Chrysoptera, Richard Brooks Chandler
Open Access Dissertations
The world's biodiversity is concentrated in tropical ecosystems, yet tropical forests are being converted for agriculture at a rapid rate. I evaluated the potential of an alternative coffee production system known as Integrated Open Canopy (IOC) to contribute to avian conservation. This study was conducted from 2005-2010 in the Cordillera de Tilarán, Costa Rica. My results indicate that species richness of forest-dependent birds was higher in IOC farms than in shade coffee farms, and was comparable to secondary forest sites. There was no difference in species richness of Neotropical-Nearctic migrants between IOC and shade coffee farms. Overall similarity was higher …
Innate Immune Responses To B. Burgdorferi Mediated By Jnk1 And The Cochaperone, Methylation Controlled Dnaj (Mcj), Hooman Izadi
Innate Immune Responses To B. Burgdorferi Mediated By Jnk1 And The Cochaperone, Methylation Controlled Dnaj (Mcj), Hooman Izadi
Open Access Dissertations
The infections agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia Burgdorferi is a complex microorganism with a highly diverse genome. One of the most remarkable aspects of the B. burgdorferi genome is the large number of sequences encoding predicted or known lipoproteins, including outer-surface proteins. The B. burgdorferi genome encodes no recognizable toxins. Instead, this extracellular pathogen causes pathology by migration through tissues, adhesion to host cells, and evasion of immune clearance. Inflammation elicited by infection with B. burgdorferi depends on the ability of the spirochete to survive in the mammalian host, as well as the immune response that arises upon the interaction …
Growth Of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) In Freshwater, Douglas Bradlee Sigourney
Growth Of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) In Freshwater, Douglas Bradlee Sigourney
Open Access Dissertations
Growth plays a key role in regulating ecological and population dynamics. Life history characteristics such as age at maturity, fecundity and age and size at migration are tightly linked to growth rate. In addition, size can often determine survival and individual breeding success. To fully understand the process of growth it is important to understand the mechanisms that drive growth rates. In Atlantic salmon, growth is critical in determining life history pathways. Models to estimate growth could be useful in the broader context of predicting population dynamics. In this dissertation I investigate the growth process in juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo …
Identifying Critical Fish Habitat And Long-Term Trends In Fish Abundances In The Hudson River Estuary, Megan Patricia O'Connor
Identifying Critical Fish Habitat And Long-Term Trends In Fish Abundances In The Hudson River Estuary, Megan Patricia O'Connor
Open Access Dissertations
The Hudson River estuary (HRE) is a well monitored aquatic resource and much secondary data exist for this system. We developed two objectives based on accessible HRE aquatic data. The first objective was to determine if changes in HRE fish community over the time period (1974 to 2005) years are correlated to local and regional climate. We addressed this objective by employing a multivariate statistical approach. We confirmed that the HRE fish community structure has changed over the time period (1974 to 2005). These changes are correlated with local hydrology (freshwater flow and water temperature) and regional climate (Atlantic Multidecadal …
Evaluation Of Disturbance Factors And Their Effect On Breeding Common Loons At Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, New Hampshire And Maine, Kyle P. Mccarthy
Evaluation Of Disturbance Factors And Their Effect On Breeding Common Loons At Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, New Hampshire And Maine, Kyle P. Mccarthy
Open Access Dissertations
Virtually any person exposed to American movies or television has likely heard the call of a common loon (Gavia immer). Its use as a sound prop has become ubiquitous in any scene related to the outdoors or the wilderness, even if the area filmed is in no way related to true loon habitat. The reason behind this is that the common loon and its haunting cries have come to symbolize the great outdoors. The sound of their call is meant to make the audience feel like the scene they are watching is in a remote area, far from the trappings …
Seasonal Home Range Sizes, Transboundary Movements And Conservation Of Elephants In Northern Tanzania, Alfred P. Kikoti
Seasonal Home Range Sizes, Transboundary Movements And Conservation Of Elephants In Northern Tanzania, Alfred P. Kikoti
Open Access Dissertations
Although the unprotected lands of northern Tanzania support large numbers of elephants, and provide critical linkages for wildlife movements across the region, there is little information on the dispersal patterns of elephants in these unprotected lands. Our home range measures (100% MCP) of 21 elephants with satellite collars in four study regions were highly variable (191 to 3,698 km2). Home range sizes (95% fixed kernel) of bulls were typically larger than those of females, and wet season ranges were typically larger than dry season ranges. There were large differences in average home range sizes reflected varying strategies for obtaining food …
Spatial Ecology, Population Structure, And Conservation Of The Wood Turtle, Glyptemys Insculpta, In Central New England, Michael T. Jones
Spatial Ecology, Population Structure, And Conservation Of The Wood Turtle, Glyptemys Insculpta, In Central New England, Michael T. Jones
Open Access Dissertations
Abstract (Summary) Wood turtles ( Glyptemys insculpta ) are of conservation interest rangewide. Anecdotal accounts demonstrate that some populations have been decimated since 1850, and recent studies demonstrate that declines are still underway. From 2004-2008 I investigated the ecology of wood turtles in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. I obtained between one and five years of annual home range data for 150 turtles, and evaluated population structure at 31 sites in five major watersheds. Seasonal floods displaced 7% of wood turtles annually in one watershed, and accounted for elevated mortality. Twelve wood turtles were displaced < 16.8 km, and two were displaced over a 65-foot dam. Several turtles overwintered at their displacement site and two returned successfully, indicating that floods are a mechanism of population connectivity. Several homing turtles ended up in new areas. Turtles occupied stream segments with gradient < 1%, lower than generally available. Agricultural machinery accounted for most observed mortality, followed by automobiles and mammals. Female turtles exhibit smaller home ranges in agricultural areas. Older turtles move farther from the river than do young turtles, possibly reflecting their familiarity with a former landscape. Population density ranged from 0-40.4 turtles/river-kilometer. The highest densities occur in central New Hampshire and lower densities occur in the Housatonic watershed. Population density is negatively correlated with agriculture at both riparian and watershed scales, and responds unimodally to forest cover. Wood turtle populations in western Massachusetts are declining by 6.6-11.2% annually. I estimated ages of turtles by assessing shell-wear rates from photographs. Wood turtles regularly achieve ages over 80 years, and like related species, do not exhibit clear signs of senescence. Old wood turtles are reproductively dominant, and their survival rates are twice as high as young turtles. Carapace scutes appear to require 80 years to become worn. Population modeling indicates that wood turtle populations are declining in New England due to anthropogenic and natural factors. Conservation efforts must address the effects of agriculture on adult survival. Climate change may negatively affect northeastern wood turtles through increased flooding. Populations in mountainous areas may be likely candidates for conservation because they don't occupy prime agricultural land, but may be more susceptible to floods.