Life Sciences Commons^™

Do Wetland Characteristics, Specifically Plant Communities, Surface Water, And Soils Play A Significant Role In Whooping Crane (Grus Americana) Site Selection?, Kristin Marie Bahleda

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

To examine the relationship of environmental conditions and their effect on Whooping crane (Grus americana) nest site selection; wetland soils, plant community structure and surface water quality were analyzed throughout nineteen established nest sites and twenty non-nesting wetland sites. Due to past fire management throughout the refuge, the effects of fire history were also investigated by comparing burned (n=17) and un-burned (n=22) areas.

A multi-dimensional scaling analysis did not detect significant differences in plant community structure between nest and non-nesting sites, but did find a significant difference with respect to time since last burn. Soil parameters were not …

Human Common Fragile Site Fra16d Flexibility Peak Is Not A Strong Mitotic: Recombination Hotspot In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Katina G. Kapellas

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Common fragile sites (CFS) are areas of the genome that tend to break when DNA replication is stressed or partially inhibited. Breaks at CFS can lead to gene deletions and amplifications that can result in the genesis of cancer cells. There is controversy about the mechanism of CFS instability. This study examines whether an AT-rich sequence called a flexibility peak from FRA16D can induce mitotic recombination events that lead to loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome III in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Two experimental yeast strains containing flexibility peak Flex1-(AT)15 from FRA16D were compared to a control strain lacking the Flex1 …

Study Of Intuitive Eating Ratings And Self-Efficacy Differences In Women With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (Pcos), Meaghan Ormsby Schillinger

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder, which if left untreated can lead to infertility and diabetes.

Objective: To determine whether women with PCOS who practice intuitive eating skills are more confident in sustaining healthy lifestyle changes.

Methods: A web-based survey was completed by 120 women with PCOS. Bivariate associations between the self-efficacy and intuitive eating scales was investigated using scatterplots, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and a simple linear regression model. Ratings on the intuitive eating scale were dichotomized as high or low and self-efficacy ratings were compared.

Results: Of the 120 responses, 89% of …

Characterization Of Winter Microbial Communities In The Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia Purpurea), Reid Jeffrey Tornquist

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Carnivorous pitcher plants trap insects in cone-shaped leaves and digest them to gain vital nutrients. For digestion to occur, plants in the genus Sarracenia require mutualistic microorganisms living in their leaves. Few studies have examined how these communities change over time. This study specifically examines the bacterial composition in the most widely distributed species, Sarracenia purpurea, in the winter. The leaves of this plant species live for several years, and it is unknown whether microbes overwinter in pitcher fluid or if community structure must be reestablished each spring. This study aims to characterize the winter microbiome in two population …

Effect Of Invasive Phragmites Australis And Its Control On Microbial Community Composition In A Freshwater Wetland, Jennifer K. Kirk

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Wetlands support great species diversity and perform important ecosystem services like carbon and nutrient cycling, largely facilitated by microorganisms. Invasive plants, like Phragmites australis, reduce biodiversity and alter ecosystem services. I hypothesized that changes in soil bacterial communities would occur after Phragmites invasion and restoration efforts employing herbicide to remove Phragmites would further disrupt communities. This was tested in freshwater wetlands using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR amplified eubacterial DNA from soils dominated by Typha and Phragmites vegetation preceding and following herbicide application. Soil bacterial communities differed by vegetation type and indicated both seasonal and inter-annual effects. …