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Articles 1 - 11 of 11
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Molecular Studies On The Interactions Between Biomphalaria Snails And Schistosoma Mansoni, Lijun Lu
Molecular Studies On The Interactions Between Biomphalaria Snails And Schistosoma Mansoni, Lijun Lu
Biology ETDs
Biomphalaria snails serve as vectors for Schistosoma mansoni, a trematode causing human schistosomiasis. Control of Schistosoma mansoni involves chemotherapy of affected people, but new control methods built on improved understanding of schistosome-snail interactions are needed. My dissertation applies molecular and bioinformatics approaches to understand such interactions. Chapter 1 shows that significant differences exist among Biomphalaria species in Africa with respect to their ability to support schistosome development. Chapters 2 and 3 reveal the transcriptional responses of Biomphalaria glabrata susceptible (SUS) or resistant (RES) to Schistosoma mansoni. Chapter 2 identifies a new family of snail immune factors, the AIG …
A New Species Of Ant-Mimicking Sac Spider Castianeira Reiskindi (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae) From Nicaragua And A Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Australian Castianeirinae., Matthew P. Leister
A New Species Of Ant-Mimicking Sac Spider Castianeira Reiskindi (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae) From Nicaragua And A Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Australian Castianeirinae., Matthew P. Leister
Biology ETDs
Ant-mimicking spiders in the subfamily Castianeirinae have had a number of taxonomic revisions and species descriptions. Despite these advancements, more species exist await formal scientific description and little scientific progress has been made in terms of reconstructing their evolutionary histories. This study 1) describes a new species Castianeira reiskind sp. n. from cloud forests in Nicaragua; and 2) presents a first look of the Australian Castianeirinae taxa in a phylogenetic framework. This analysis is used to explore the origins of Hymenoptera mimicry in this group, test the monophyly of this subfamily compared to the Corinninae and to test the current …
Inoculum Potential Of Pinus Edulis-Associated Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Across A Forest Extirpation Chronosequence, Annie M. Montes
Inoculum Potential Of Pinus Edulis-Associated Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Across A Forest Extirpation Chronosequence, Annie M. Montes
Biology ETDs
Few studies have examined inoculum potential of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) in the absence of plant hosts, yet persistence of these fungi may be paramount to resilience of Pinus edulis and other mycorrhizal plant species. We conducted a study in which seven sites were selected in northwestern New Mexico with known dates of P. edulis extirpation and a lack of regeneration. Age classes included: two sites extirpated 10-20 years ago, two extirpated 55-65 years ago, two extirpated 500+ years ago, and one extirpated 11,000+ years ago. At each site, two plots were paired: an extirpated plot and the nearest live adult …
Spatio-Temporal Dynamics Of Fungal Communities And Their Effects On Plants, Kel Cook
Spatio-Temporal Dynamics Of Fungal Communities And Their Effects On Plants, Kel Cook
Biology ETDs
Fungi perform several critical functions in the environment. Spatiotemporal distributions of fungal communities will mediate when and where these functions happen and how they vary across the landscape. I first explored tropical tree canopy fungal community variation at small spatial scales and documented near total turnover of fungi across sub-meter distances and among adjacent substrates. The second chapter analyzed fungal turnover over the course of three years, where community stability was driven primarily by abundant fungi. In the third chapter, I tested effects of the environment, including host plant and habitat, on canopy fungal communities and found only small effects, …
Mucosal Immune System Of African Lungfish, Ryan D. Heimroth
Mucosal Immune System Of African Lungfish, Ryan D. Heimroth
Biology ETDs
Conquering land was an apex moment in the evolution of vertebrates. Physiologically, the first vertebrates to transition to life on land had to adapt in order to survive in an oxygen-rich environment where gravitational forces and limited water prevailed. Several extant vertebrates including anurans and lungfish, survive droughts by undergoing aestivation. Unfavorable environmental conditions trigger lungfish to aestivate. Aestivation is a process of metabolic torpor wherein the fish will encase itself in a mucus cocoon and not move until favorable environmental conditions (food and water) are reintroduced. Aestivation can be reproduced in laboratory settings and, thus, lungfish can be used …
Characterization Of The Overexpression Of The Native H+-Pumping Pyrophosphatase In The Microalga Picochlorum Soloecismus, Kimberly T. Wright
Characterization Of The Overexpression Of The Native H+-Pumping Pyrophosphatase In The Microalga Picochlorum Soloecismus, Kimberly T. Wright
Biology ETDs
Microalgae are of interest for the creation of sustainable and cost competitive alternatives to petroleum-based fuels and chemicals. However, cultivation, extraction and processing of algal biomass requires improved yields to achieve economic feasibility. The advancement of microalgal biotechnology and various genetic engineering techniques allow the improvement of microalgae biomass for this purpose. Here, the characterization of the overexpression of the native vacuolar H+ pumping pyrophosphate (AVP1) in Picochlorum soloecismus was examined. AVP1 overexpression causes biomass increase in relevant plant crops. When overexpressed in this microalga it increases carbon storage in the form of starch in a closed laboratory photobioreactor. However, …
Can A Sex Bias Be A Good Thing: Modeling Spontaneous Clearance And Sexual Susceptibility In Hcv, Tanner K. Shea
Can A Sex Bias Be A Good Thing: Modeling Spontaneous Clearance And Sexual Susceptibility In Hcv, Tanner K. Shea
Biology ETDs
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a global epidemic that has been increasing for decades, afflicting millions of people who inject drugs (PWID) and is a major cause of liver disease. With novel direct-acting antivirals, treating the virus has become possible yet elimination remains out of reach. Prior research has shown significant differences in disease progression between men and women. These differences can lead to variation in incidence or what proportion of infections progress to chronic infections. We develop a mathematical model that accounts for potential differences between the sexes to evaluate the impacts on HCV transmission. We find that susceptibility …
Chronic And Acute Respiratory Pathogens: Evolutionary And Epidemiological Characteristics Of Tuberculosis, Influenza-Like Illness, And Covid-19, Julie A. Spencer
Chronic And Acute Respiratory Pathogens: Evolutionary And Epidemiological Characteristics Of Tuberculosis, Influenza-Like Illness, And Covid-19, Julie A. Spencer
Biology ETDs
Tuberculosis and influenza-like illness cause major disease burden for humans. In our first study, we conducted a pangenome analysis of 67 Mycobacterium tuberculosis genomes from Peru. We supported the paradigm that M. tuberculosis is highly clonal; however, a small amount of genetic diversity originates from infrequent recombina- tion events. In our second study, we reviewed the literature for parameters of five common viruses that contribute to influenza-like illness: influenza, RSV, rhinovirus, human coronavirus, and adenovirus. We found that their epidemiological parameters vary considerably, and can have broad ranges; their basic transmission rates are the most important for model outcomes. When …
Plant Litter Decomposition Differs With Species And Soil Resources In A Chihuahuan Desert Grassland, Andrea Lopez
Plant Litter Decomposition Differs With Species And Soil Resources In A Chihuahuan Desert Grassland, Andrea Lopez
Biology ETDs
Uncertainties surround the extent to which diversity can mitigate the effects of climate change and anthropogenic activity on ecosystem functions. In desert grasslands, changes to water availability and soil nitrogen, two primary resources that limit ecosystem processes, can have lasting impacts on nutrient cycling. We used grass litter from Bouteloua eriopoda, Bouteloua gracilis, Pleuraphis jamesii, and Sporobolus spp. to assess the effects of soil resources on single- and multi-species decomposition in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland in central New Mexico, USA. Litterbags were deployed in a factorial experiment that manipulated rain pulse size (5- vs. 20-mm) and frequency …
Evolutionary Ecology Of Host-Parasite Relationships: Role Of Host Ecology, Phylogeny, And Demographics In Shaping Parasite Evolution, Erika Taylor Gendron
Evolutionary Ecology Of Host-Parasite Relationships: Role Of Host Ecology, Phylogeny, And Demographics In Shaping Parasite Evolution, Erika Taylor Gendron
Biology ETDs
Host-parasite systems exist across complex and ecologically heterogeneous landscapes, and may occur across taxonomically and ecologically disparate host species. Under these conditions, mechanisms underlying microevolutionary processes (i.e. gene flow, genetic drift) are not always clear, and may be mediated by numerous co-occurring factors specific to individual hosts. Host traits such as host immunology, demographics, phylogeny and ecology may act in concert to shape host-parasite relationships, and ultimately evolutionary processes. The research described herein used phylogeographic, phylogenomic, and population genetic methods to further understanding of how host traits impact the evolutionary ecology of trematode systems, using avian schistosomes (Digenea: Schistosomatidae) as …
Driver Of Avian Haemosporidian Diversity And Host Specificity In The Solomon Islands, Xena Marie Mapel
Driver Of Avian Haemosporidian Diversity And Host Specificity In The Solomon Islands, Xena Marie Mapel
Biology ETDs
Avian haemosporidians are protist parasites that are distributed worldwide. We investigated these parasites in a tropical South Pacific archipelago to answer two questions: 1) Which community characteristics influence haemosporidian diversity; 2) Does host specificity vary across islands? To answer these questions we sequenced a mitochondrial gene and created linear models to establish relationships between select variables and diversity. In addition, we calculated host breadth of each lineage and constructed models to infer predictors of diversity. The percent of infected individuals on each island was correlated with island area. Haemosporidian phylogenetic diversity on a given island was associated with the proportion …