Life Sciences Commons^™

Septotemporal Variation In Theta Rhythm Dynamics: Effects Of Speed And Habituation, James Hinman

Master's Theses

Theta (6-12 Hz) field potentials and the synchronization (coherence) of these potentials present neural network indices of hippocampal physiology. Theta signals within the hippocampal formation may reflect alterations in sensorimotor integration, the flow of sensory input and/or distinct cognitive operations. While the power and coherence of theta signals vary across lamina within the septal hippocampus, limited information is available about variation in these indices across the septotemporal (long) or areal axis. The present study examined the relationship of locomotor speed to theta indices at CA1 and DG sites across the septotemporal axis as well as in the entorhinal cortex. Our …

Design Of A Tetracycline Operon Inducible System For The Control Of Vaccinia Virus Replication: Implications For Vaccine Development, Caitlin J. Hagen

Master's Theses

The use of vaccinia virus (VACV) as a vaccine resulted in the eradication of smallpox in 1979. Characteristics that contribute to the effectiveness of VACV as a vaccine and viral vector include its ability to elicit strong, long-lived humoral and cell-mediated immune responses as a live-replicating virus and to accept large inserts of DNA into its genome. However, adverse events associated with its use as the smallpox vaccine have constrained it from being more widely utilized in vaccines and therapies. We propose to improve the safety of VACV as a live-replicating vector by using elements of the tet operon to …

An Assessment Of Moose (Alces Alces Americana) And Moose Management In Connecticut, Andrew M. Labonte

Master's Theses

Eastern moose (Alces alces americana) populations have been increasing in New England over the past decade. Moose populations have the potential to generate human conflict due to their size, speed, nocturnal behavior, and seasonal mobility. As problems associated with increasing moose populations become more common, the need to develop management strategies that are both effective and acceptable to stakeholders becomes increasingly important. The potential for moose to continue to expand in southern New England and the long-term impacts they may have on Connecticut residents, is unclear. The overall purpose of this study was to assess how suitable Connecticut …

Psychometric Evaluation Of The Timeline Followback For Exercise Among Young Adults, Gregory A. Panza

Master's Theses

Objectives: Two separate studies assessed psychometric properties of a retrospective behavioral measure adapted for exercise called the Timeline Followback for Exercise (TLFB-E). Study one examined criterion, convergent, and predictive validity. Study two examined test-retest reliability. Methods: Study one participants (N = 66) were college students 20.0 ± 1.4yr. Validity of frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercise as assessed on the TLFB-E was examined using Pearson r correlations with accelerometers, weekly exercise contracts between participants and researchers, College Alumni Questionnaire, and a health-related physical fitness battery. Study two participants were a separate sample (N = 40) of college …

Effects Of 4-Hydroxy-2-Nonenal On Mutant Sperm Whale Myoglobins, Nantawat Tatiyaborworntham

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Fine-Scale Genetic Structure And Parentage In Urocitellus Beldingi, Marissa R. Lafler

Master's Theses

Urocitellus beldingi (Belding's ground squirrel), previously known as Spermophilus beldingi, is a social, montane rodent that occupies alpine and subalpine meadows in the Sierra Nevadas (Helgen et al. 2009). The Tioga Pass meadow (Mono Co. CA) population has been studied behaviorally and demographically for several decades. Microsatellites were developed for this species and conditions for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were defined. Nine microsatellite loci amplified adequately and were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, displaying an average heterozygosity of 0.67±0.19. These nine microsatellite loci were analyzed via PCR to elucidate the fine scale genetic structure, offering insight into population health, stochastic events, and …

Simulated Effects Of Varied Landscape-Scale Fuel Treatments On Carbon Dynamics And Fire Behavior In The Klamath Mountains Of California, Kevin J. Osborne

Master's Theses

I utilized forest growth model (FVS-FFE) and fire simulation software (FlamMap, Randig), integrated through GIS software (ArcMap9.3), to quantify the impacts varied landscape-scale fuel treatments have on short-term onsite carbon loss, long-term onsite carbon storage, burn probability, conditional flame length, and mean fire size. Thirteen fuel treatment scenarios were simulated on a 42,000 hectare landscape in northern California: one untreated, three proposed by the US Forest Service, and nine that were spatially-optimized and developed with the Treatment Optimization Model in FlamMap. The nine scenarios developed in FlamMap varied by treatment intensity (10%, 20%, and 30% of the landscape treated) and …

Response To Management Strategies In Young-Growth Giant Sequoia Stands At Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest – Remeasurement Twenty Years After Treatment, Joshua Soderlund

Master's Theses

There is limited information on how young-growth giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum [Lindl.] Buchholz)/mixed conifer stands respond to forest management strategies. An applied research study was initiated in 1989 when 35 approximately 0.1 acre (0.04 hectare) plots were installed in six young-growth giant sequoia/mixed conifer stands. The objective of this study was to determine if there was a difference after 20 years between treatments (a) thin only, (b) thin and prescribe burn, and (c) control in terms of the effect on overstory growth and yield, understory plants, tree regeneration and downed woody debris. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for cubic-foot growth …

Thermal Tolerance Of Age-0 Gulf Of Mexico Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis): Ontogenetic And Genetic Effects, Corey Robert Anderson

Master's Theses

Striped bass, Morone saxatilis, were historically abundant in the Gulf of Mexico region but were largely extirpated from most Gulf rivers by the early 1960s. Since 1967 hatchery stocking has supported populations in Mississippi rivers and to date there is no evidence of natural reproduction. Intolerance of striped bass to high water temperature is a potential factor negatively impacting Gulf striped bass survival and reproductive fitness, and may be a limiting factor to reintroduction of the species in Mississippi. This work contributed to restoration efforts by establishing molecular tools necessary for genetic monitoring of striped bass restoration, and evaluating …

Quantifying Rates Of Autocompaction In The Pearl River Marsh, Louisiana, Jeremiah Nicholas Prouhet

Master's Theses

Annual rates of shallow autocompaction (< 1 m) were calculated in the upper ~one meter of sediment from six cores of a transect in the Pearl River Marsh (PRM), Louisiana, in order to determine the most significant sedimentary property controlling this process. Compaction-free wedge cores were sub-sampled at one centimeter intervals to collect the following data: age control, using 137Cs and 210Pb, and sedimentary variables, specifically, particulate organic carbon, bulk density, median grain size, porosity, and water content. An upper and an underlying sedimentary unit (named the 137Cs and 210Pb units) were defined between radiometric datum levels, and their sedimentary properties were statistically tested for significant differences using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test. Rates of autocompaction were calculated from the model of Williams (2003), and both rates of autocompaction and sedimentation were tested for significant differences between the upper and lower sedimentary units.

The upper unit in the six cores generally had lower bulk density, higher water content, higher porosity, and higher particulate organic carbon than the underlying unit, but with some interesting exceptions. Additionally, annual autocompaction and sedimentation rates were greatest in the overlying unit at stations PR02 (0.39 ± 0.05 cm/y) and PR05 (0.42 ± 0.03 cm/y) and greatest in the underlying unit at stations PR02 (0.22 ± 0.08 cm/y) and PR03 (0.18 ± 0.06 cm/y). Based on Spearman correlations, rates of autocompaction were most strongly correlated to and influenced by rates of sedimentation rather …

Measuring And Comparing Quantum Yield In Two Species Of Marine Diatoms Subjected To Constant And Fluctuating Light Conditions, Matthew Leon Stone

Master's Theses

A small-scale study was conducted to determine the effects of light fluctuations on the photosynthetic efficiency of marine phytoplankton. Two species, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Chaetoceros gracile were grown in specialized photobioreactors on a 12-hour:12-hour light:dark cycle. The cultures were diluted 50% daily to attain a specific growth rate of 0.70 d-1. To simulate vertical mixing in high turbidity habitats under various wind conditions, dense cultures were subjected to fluctuating light treatments with frequencies ranging from 0.10 Hz to 2.00 Hz. Parallel experiments subjected the cultures to static light conditions with equal total daily light doses as those of the cultures …

Phytoplankton Abundance And Species Composition In Relation To Environmental Paramenters In Coastal Mississippi Waters, Luz Karime Molina

Master's Theses

Phytoplankton pigments from Coastal Mississippi waters were measured to determine the spatial and temporal distributions and composition of phytoplankton communities. Concentration of phytoplankton pigments were analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and the compositional changes in phytoplankton communities were determined with CHEMTAX 1.95. Surface water was collected for two years (September 2007-November 2009) at three sampling sites on a monthly basis. The stations were located at the Bay of St. Louis (station 1), the Mississippi Sound (station 4) and the Mississippi Bight (station 8), following a salinity gradient. A time series of the observations documented the variability of different …

The Use Of Computed Tomography To Measure Biogenic Structures In Recently Hypoxic And Normoxic Sediments On The Louisiana Continental Shelf, Valerie Ann Hartman

Master's Theses

Over the past 60 years, seasonal hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico has occurred with increased severity and over a greater area. To determine if biogenic structures in the northern Gulf of Mexico vary in response to hypoxic stress, the seafloor on the continental shelf of Louisiana was analyzed during the spring and fall of 2009 at four provinces of similar sediment type that differ in recent history of bottom water oxygen concentration. Subcores were analyzed by computed tomography (CT) to determine the number, diameter, length, volume, surface area, and depth of biogenic burrow structures in sediments where biogenic …

Influence Of Detritus Levels And Organic Pollution On Interspecific Resource Competition, Oviposition Behavior, And Larval Survival Of Two Tire-Inhabiting Mosquito Species (Diptera: Culicidae), David Wayne Allgood

Master's Theses

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are vectors of disease in the adult stage, but understanding the factors affecting distributions of the immature stages is important to the understanding and control of adult populations. Discarded automobile tires comprise important larval mosquito habitats. The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) and the southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) are two medically important species commonly found in tires, but factors affecting their larval distributions in tires have not been studied, nor have their interspecific interactions. I investigated the effects of chemicals associated with organic pollution on oviposition preferences and larval survival of both …

Tick Infestations And Their Consequences For Migratory Songbirds During Spring Stopover, Johnny Michael Sellers Jr.

Master's Theses

Migratory birds face a number of challenges during their seasonal movement from tropical/sub-tropical Central and South America to more temperate North America. Maintaining health during migration is of particular concern. This study seeks to understand how haematophageous ectoparasites, such as ticks (Ixodida), impact host body condition as they feed on passerines during migration. We hypothesized that foraging location would impact tick acquisition by migrants and that tick burdens during migration would negatively impact body condition. We surveyed 2,064 birds during spring 2009 and 2010 and found that 2.4% of the surveyed birds were infested with one or more …

Impact Of Collateral Enlargement On Smooth Muscle Phenotype, Alexander Jerome Bynum

Master's Theses

Peripheral Artery Disease is a very serious disease characterized by an arterial occlusion due to atherosclerotic plaques. In response to an arterial occlusion, arteriogenesis occurs, causing smooth muscle cells to transition from a contractile to synthetic state. Also following an arterial occlusion, functional impairment was seen in the collateral circuit. An immunofluorescence protocol was developed in order to assess the impact of collateral enlargement (arteriogenesis) on smooth muscle phenotype at various time points. Smooth muscle α-actin was used to mark all smooth muscle cells, Ki-67 was used to label proliferating smooth muscle cells, and a fluorescent nuclear stain was used …

The Influence Of Chilling And Heat Accumulation On Bloom Timing, Bloom Length And Crop Yield In Almonds (Prunus Dulcis (Mill.)), Melanie M. Covert

Master's Theses

Almonds are one of the first commercial nut trees to bloom in early spring and thus are susceptible to temperature patterns prior to and during bloom which affect bloom timing, bloom length, pollination and nut set. Data used in this project include yearly dates of 90% bloom from 1996-2006, bloom length in days and final crop yields in pounds per tree for Nonpareil and Mission varieties. Data were collected from the University of California Cooperative Extension reports on the 1993-2006 Regional Almond Variety Trials in Butte, San Joaquin and Kern Counties. Temperature pattern models in the form of Chill Hours …

Factors That Relate To Overweight And Obesity In Preschool Children: An Investigation Of Preschool Children In San Luis Obispo County, Kyla Tom

Master's Theses

In the United States the trend towards overweight and obesity has been a major health concern as it has been linked to a variety of health problems. A nation-wide initiative, “Let’s Move” created by Michelle Obama was launched in February 2010 with the goal that, in one generation; every child born will be at a healthy weight at the start of adulthood. Healthy People 2020 are national health objectives for the United States to obtain by 2020. In 2009, San Luis Obispo (SLO) County preschool children overweight and obesity rates mirrored national rates of 1 in 5 four-year-old children were …

Living With Emerging Contaminants: Proteomics Of 4-Nonylphenol Exposed Arrow Goby (Clevelandia Ios), Sarah Emily Johnson

Master's Theses

Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) are widely used in industrial and household products as surfactants. APEs degrade into more toxic ethoxylates, such as 4-nonylphenol (NP), which has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor and enhance the growth of tumor cells. Nonylphenol is wider spread in Pacific estuaries than originally thought. Organisms in Morro Bay, California contain some of the highest concentrations of NP reported, while containing few other contaminants. As a benthic mud-dwelling fish, the arrow goby (Clevelandia ios) may be exposed to high levels of NP due to high contaminant sequestration rates in anaerobic mud. While ecotoxicology suggests …

Alarm-Calling And Response Behaviors Of The Black-Tailed Prairie Dog In Kansas, Lloyd W. Towers Iii

Master's Theses

Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) use alarm calls to warn offspring and other kin of predatory threats. Dialects occur when vocalizations contain consistent differences among populations not isolated by geographic barriers. The Gunnison’s prairie dog (C. gunnisoni) has dialects in its alarm calls. The objectives of my study were to: (1) assess if the black-tailed prairie dog (C. ludovicianus) responded differently to alarm calls from other colonies than it did to alarm calls from its own colony, and (2) detect dialects, if they existed, in the alarm calls of the black-tailed prairie dog. The study included 8 black-tailed prairie dog colonies …

Investigating The Roles Of Ndj1 And Tid1 In Crossover Assurance In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Rianna Knowles

Master's Theses

Meiosis is the specialized process of cell division utilized during gametogenesis in all sexually reproducing eukaryotes, which consists of one round of DNA replication followed by two rounds of chromosome segregation and results in four haploid cells. Crossovers between homologous chromosomes promote proper alignment and segregation of chromosomes during meiosis.

Crossover interference is a genetic phenomenon in which crossovers are non-randomly placed along chromosomes. Crossover assurance ensures that every homologous chromosome pair obtains at least one crossover during Prophase I. Crossovers physically connect homologous pairs, allowing spindle fibers to attach and separate homologs properly. However, some organisms have shown an …

The Efficacy Of Antibiotic Residue Screening Tests For The Detection Of Natural Antimicrobials In Milk, Stacey L. O'Donnell

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Classifying And Mapping Diversity In A Species-Poor System: The Mangrove Meta-Community Of Laguna Chacahua National Park, Oaxaca, Mexico, Elizabeth Kay Weisgerber

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Classifying and Mapping Diversity in a Species-Poor System: the mangrove meta-community of Laguna Chacahua National Park, Oaxaca, Mexico

by

Elizabeth Kay Weisgerber

Both field transects and imagery grid plots were analyzed with the goal of creating a community classification map for the mangrove forest of Parque Nacional Lagunas de Chacahua. In total, data was collected in 49 sites throughout the park, recording measures such as DBH, basal area, estimated dominance, frequency, cover and relative dominance. Field locations were marked and georeferenced with a GPS and grid plots overlaid on satellite imagery of the park were generated via a random …

Aronia Mitschurinii: Solving A Horticultural Enigma, Peter J. Leonard

Master's Theses

Aronia (Medik.), commonly known as chokeberry, is a taxonomically misunderstood genus currently experiencing a renaissance in North America as both an ornamental and fruit crop. Three species of chokeberry are commonly accepted as native in North America: A. arbutifolia (L.) Pers. red chokeberry; A. melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliot, black chokeberry; and A. prunifolia (Marshall) Rehder, or purple chokeberry. In Europe a fourth species of human origin is recognized as Aronia mitschurinii (A.K.Skvortsov & Maitul.), or cultivated, black-fruited Aronia. It is widely speculated that this genotype originated in the early 20^th century with Russian pomologist Ivan Michurin, as the product …

Automation Of Orthodontic Wire Tester For Performing Three Point Bending Tests, Adithya Venkatesan

Master's Theses

Abstract

Understanding the biomechanical factors in orthodontics is important in order to improve the overall effectiveness of actual clinical treatment. An accurate method to study the threedimensional (3D) force systems and the resulting movements of teeth during orthodontic treatment is needed along with the understanding of the material properties of any orthodontic wire. Until recently, most of the orthodontic biomechanics literature was limited to twodimensional experimental studies. Recent advances in threedimensional computer modeling have also been developed but have been limited to the manual control of tooth movement. Overall, there is very little published evidence in the literature on the …

Effect Of Prostaglandin E2 On Mechanical Stresses Applied By Mc3t3-E1 Osteoblast-Like Cells On A Soft Hydrogel Substrate, Abhijit Deb Roy

Master's Theses

Osteoblasts are sensitive to mechanical stimuli and release Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) when exposed to a fluid shear stress. The exact mechanism by which these cells sense mechanical stress is not well established. A study of the stresses applied by the osteoblasts, under the influence of PGE2, on a hydrogel provided information regarding intercellular-communication via changes in the substrate surface pattern.

A digital image correlation program was developed using the Levenberg-Marquardt optimization algorithm to analyze images and compare the deformations between pairs of images. Comparisons of images before and after the addition of PE2 to the media showed differences in the …

The Influence Of Resistance Training On Primary Hemostatic Responses, Brent C. Creighton

Master's Theses

Objective: The rise in casualties of acute cardio vascular disease has increased the investigation of potential ways to combat these problems. Long term resistance training has been viewed as one possible approach in helping to reduce the hyperaggragability of platelets following acute strenuous exercise. The present investigation was designed to explore the effects of an acute resistance exercise test (AERET) and recovery on the primary hemostatic system in both resistance trained and untrained individuals.Methods: Ten resistance trained (RT) (Age, 26.0 ± 1.42 yr; Height, 175.12 ± 2.7 cm; Weight, 79.56 ± 4.29 kg) and ten untrained individuals UT (Age, …

The Expression Of T-Box (Tbx3) In The Bovine Mammary Gland, Maria L. Procopio Ms.

Master's Theses

Development of the bovine mammary gland is a complex process that is regulated by several hormones, growth factors and transcription factors including but not limited to growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and T-box (Tbx)2 and 3. Tbx2 and Tbx3 are transcription factors required for mammary gland development in humans and known to regulate cell cycle. In addition, there is recent evidence that GH increases expression of Tbx3 in osteoblasts independent of IGF-I. Based on these findings, we hypothesized GH and IGF-I will increase Tbx2 and Tbx3 expression in bovine mammary epithelial cells (MEC), the cell responsible for milk …

Influence Of Vineyard Floor Management Practices On Soil Aggregate Stability, Total Soil Carbon And Grapevine Yield, Kimberly Ellen Adams

Master's Theses

Soil aggregates provide pore spaces of various sizes supplying water, gases and nutrients to plant roots and microorganisms, and facilitate moisture retention and availability. Soil aggregate stability is indicative of soil biological and structural health, and is increased by soil carbon derived from plant roots and the soil microbial biomass. Aggregate stability and soil carbon can be enhanced by increasing organic matter through compost additions or by planting cover crops. Additionally, aggregate stability is enhanced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) that form a symbiotic association with plant roots, and consolidate soil particles into aggregates through hyphal networks and through the …

Mycorrhizal Colonization Of Native Salt Marsh Plants On Mississippi's Gulf Coast And The Effects Of Commercial Mycorrhizal Inoculants On Nursery-Grown Plants, Kathryn Rondot Mcbride

Master's Theses

Salt marshes are important economically and ecologically to the Gulf Coast and other coasts worldwide. Due to human activities, many coastal salt marshes have been degraded or destroyed. Restoration efforts, through the replacement or addition of naturally occurring salt marsh plants, are taking place worldwide. Most restoration plants are raised in nurseries and are not ready for transfer to restoration sites for eight or nine months. Once the plants are at the restoration site many die due to transplant stress. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) may be able to shorten the time the restoration plants need to stay in the nursery …