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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Presence And Function Of Tetrodotoxin In Terrestrial Vertebrates And Invertebrates, Amber N. Stokes
Presence And Function Of Tetrodotoxin In Terrestrial Vertebrates And Invertebrates, Amber N. Stokes
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin found in a variety of species. This toxin has long been of concern to human health as it is found in puffer fish, which are a delicacy in Japan. Since the distribution of this toxin is so great, there are many questions regarding the evolution and ecology of organisms that have TTX. My research has focused on further investigating three topics with this research: production, predation, and identification of novel TTX bearing taxa. In order to perform this research I first refined a Competitive Inhibition Enzymatic Immunoassay methodology to quantify levels of TTX in …
Cougar Predation Behavior In North-Central Utah, Dustin L. Mitchell
Cougar Predation Behavior In North-Central Utah, Dustin L. Mitchell
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Today’s ability to apply global positioning systems (GPS) collars to wild animals and track their movements, without inadvertently disrupting their daily routine, is a major benefit to wildlife research. Cougars are carnivorous predators that have been identified as being one of several possible causes for recent mule deer population declines throughout the Western United States. Past cougar predation studies have relied on snow tracking, radio-collar tracking, and modeling techniques to estimate cougar prey use and predation rates. These methods rely heavily on weather conditions, logistical availabilities, and broad assumptions, which have led to a wide range of predation rate estimates. …