Life Sciences Commons^™

Characterizing The Heavy Metal Chelator, Tpen, As A Ca2+ Tool In The Mammalian Oocyte, Robert A. Agreda Mccaughin

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

N,N,N’,N’-tetrakis-(2-Pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine (TPEN) is a heavy metal chelator with high affinity for zinc. TPEN causes important responses in mammalian eggs. For example, these eggs are arrested at the MII stage by the Endogenous Mitotic Inhibitor 2 (Emi2), which prevents activation of the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC) and degradation of Cyclin B. By chelating zinc, TPEN inactivates Emi2 and eggs undergo spontaneous exit of meiosis and egg activation. TPEN chelates Ca²⁺ with lower affinity, although in the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER), where Ca²⁺ concentrations are high, TPEN may sequester Ca²⁺ preventing release into the cytoplasm. Initial exposure of TPEN …

Regional Comparison Of Overwintering Mortality, Fecundity, And Virulence In The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Artemis Demas Roehrig

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Throughout the eastern United States, the spread of the hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand, has caused high mortality of eastern hemlocks Tsuga canadensis (L.). We recorded overwintering survival and fecundity of A. tsugae, and tree new growth at sites in the northeastern and southeastern United States and in a common garden experiment in Massachusetts.

Overwintering mortality of A. tsugae was much higher in the north (87%) than the south (37%) in 2009, and showed significantly positive density-dependence in the north only. In 2010, overwintering mortality decreased in both regions but remained higher in the north (54%) than the …

Resin Volatiles Of Eastern Hemlock Induced By Its Non-Native Herbivores, Joshua D. Pezet

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is in decline because of infestation by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae; ‘HWA’) and, to a lesser extent, the elongate hemlock scale (Fiorinia externa; ‘EHS’). Many conifers respond to insect herbivory by inducing oleoresin-based defenses, however it is unknown whether eastern hemlock is capable of this inducible response. We conducted a plantation setting study of artificially infested saplings to determine if feeding by HWA or EHS induces changes in the tree’s volatile chemistry. The induced changes in volatiles we found were unlike the terpenoid-based defenses of related conifers. Only HWA feeding …

Habitat Heterogeneity Concentrates Predators In The Seascape: Linking Intermediate-Scale Estuarine Habitat To Striped Bass Distribution, Cristina Kennedy

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Predators are key components of aquatic ecosystems and innovative approaches to understanding their spatial distribution are imperative for research, effective management, and conservation. Discontinuities, created by abrupt changes between two unlike entities, are irregularly-distributed, intermediate-scale features that can have a disproportionate effect on organismal distribution within the seascape. Here I use the discontinuity concept to relate the distribution of a predator, striped bass (Morone saxatilis), to physical features within Plum Island Estuary (PIE), MA. I mapped the distribution of 50 acoustically-tagged striped bass during four monthly surveys at 40 sites to evaluate if heterogeneity in physical features concentrated …

Interactions Between Pieris Oleracea And Pieris Rapae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) Butterflies, And The Biological Control Agents Cotesia Glomerata And Cotesia Rubecula (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)., Megan V. Herlihy

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Pieris oleracea, formerly Pieries napi, was once a widespread pierid butterfly in New England until the introduction of a biological control agent, Cotesia glomerata. It has been suggested that C. glomerata is responsible for the range reduction of P. oleracea. There are been several introductions of a second more specialized biological control agent, Cotesia rubecula, to the United States since the 1960’s. My first goal was to determine the current distribution and status of P. rapae parasitoids and the effectiveness of C. rubecula as a biological control agent since its release. The findings of a survey …

The Role Of Bacterial Microcompartments In The Fermentation Of D-Arabinose In Clostridium Phytofermentans, Megan A. Strough

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Bacterial microcompartments, or BMCs, are 80-200nm, enzyme-encompassing organelles composed of interlocking proteins that form cyclical hexamers with a small central pore. Clostridium phytofermentans or Cphy, is a Gram-positive, rod shaped, anaerobic soil microbe that has the ability to not only break down multiple polysaccharides simultaneously but also proceeds to ferment them into biofuels. The genome of Cphy contains 3 BMC loci. During growth on fucose and rhamnose, one of these loci is highly expressed and microcompartments can be viewed using TEM. Under these growth conditions, three products, ethanol, propanol and propionate, which could potentially be highly useful in the biofuel …

Growth And Establishment Of Newly Planted Street Trees, Alexander R. Sherman

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Developing quantified establishment period estimates for newly planted trees will help set realistic goals for plant performance in the urban landscape. Nine years of tree planting records obtained from the city of Boston, MA and the town of Brookline, MA were used to derive samples of trunk caliper for hedge maple (Acer campestre), London planetree (Platanus x acerifolia), and red oak (Quercus rubra). Several site characteristics were measured to identify effects on newly planted tree growth.

Breakpoint estimates of the piecewise regression models fell at 4 years and 6 years for London planetree and …

Investigating The Endocrine Disrupting Potential Of The Effluent-Dominated Assabet River, Kasie M. Auger

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

The Assabet River located in eastern Massachusetts receives treated wastewater

discharges from four major municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs): Westborough, Marlborough, Hudson and Maynard. In periods of low flow, up to 95% of the Assabet River is wastewater effluent. Chemical analyses have shown that municipal wastewaters can contain estrogenic and dioxin-like compounds. Estrogenic compounds such as the natural estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2), the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2), and the industrial compound nonylphenol (NP) can induce vitellogenin (VTG) and lead to feminization in male fish. CYP1A1-inducing compounds such as the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) can produce …

The Impact Of Nutrition Education On Food Security Status And Food-Related Behaviors, Jamie A. Farrell

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Food insecure individuals do not always have access to adequate food for a healthy lifestyle and are at high risk of detrimental health outcomes. Researchers hypothesize that food insecurity leads to changes in dietary practices, including greater overall food purchase in times of adequate resources and purchase of low-cost, unhealthful foods when resources are constrained. Most measures of food insecurity do not measure changes in dietary practices and dietary quality. Research findings suggest education that provides alternative strategies to manage resources and improve dietary practices can improve food insecurity.

We assessed the relationship between 1) food security and ability to …

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Trichostatin A (Tsa) And Sulforaphane (Sfn) Modulate Vitamin D Responsive Cyp24 Gene Expression In 3t3-L1 Preadipocytes, Eunjee Ahn

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Vitamin D plays an important role in preserving healthy bones, and has additional roles in the body, including modulation of cell growth, differentiation, neuromuscular and immune function, and anti-inflammatory function. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily and regulates transcription of vitamin D-dependent target genes, such as those for key proteins involved in calcium and phosphorus absorption and bone development. Histone acetylation weakens the association of histones with DNA, and increases the accessibility of transcriptional regulatory proteins to chromatin templates, thereby increasing transcriptional activity of gene expression. Histone deacetylases remove the acetyl groups …

You’Ll Find No Answers Here, Joseph M. Morelli

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

One Studio Art graduate student's slog through the disciplines of art and science; noting the similarities, overlaps, and differences, and becoming utterly flummoxed in the process. It's about coming to terms with not knowing a whole lot about anything, really, but pressing on regardless.

Density-Dependent Survival Of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Life Stages, Elizabeth M. Sussky

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

To investigate the density-dependent factors that may be partly responsible for the apparent stability of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae Annand) populations in central New England, we infested 64 eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis Carrière) trees with varying densities of HWA sistens ovisacs in a typical eastern hemlock forest in western Massachusetts. We subsequently documented HWA density, fecundity, and the amount of new growth on experimental trees over two consecutive years. We used a 2 x 2 randomized block design using previously and newly infested hemlocks divided into 1 m tall saplings and branches of mature trees. There was …

Effects Of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors On Vitamin D Activity In Human Breast Cancer Cells, Brooke Savage

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women cancer cases worldwide. Cancer is the result of environmental and genetic factors that contribute to alterations in cellular control, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Vitamin D is emerging as an important nutrient in the prevention and treatment of cancer due to its ability to modulate proliferation and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. To accomplish this, Vitamin D exerts its biological activity by binding to a specific, high-affinity intracellular vitamin D receptor (VDR). VDR expression is identified in mammary cancer cell lines, but levels are reduced compared to …

Implementation Of Aquaponics In Education: An Assessment Of Challenges, Solutions And Success, Emily Rose Hart

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture and hydroponic technology to grow both fish and plants together in a closed-loop system. While aquaponics can play a role in increasing food security, it may also be a potential educational tool because of its interdisciplinary nature and required technological skill set. With aquaponics, students could conduct hands-on activities involving chemistry, physics and biology to solidify their understanding of a range of theories. Beyond standard science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) principles, aquaponics may be related to projects on sustainability, environmental science, agriculture, the food system, health, economics, business and marketing. The interdisciplinary nature …

Habitat Use And Seasonal Movement Patterns Of Four-Toed Salamanders (Hemidactylium Scutatum) In Massachusetts, Kimberly O. Vitale

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Understanding the movement phenology of the four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) is essential to guide management practices. I examined the relationship between environmental variables and the directionality, timing, and magnitude of four-toed salamander movements at two locations in eastern Massachusetts. Four-toed salamanders move from upland habitats to wetland areas in early spring and move away from wetlands in late spring. Adult movements increased with more precipitation and less moon light. Juvenile movements were similarly affected, and in addition they were more likely to move when temperatures were warm and days long. My results can be used to implement management …

Food Insecurity And Culture - A Study Of Cambodian And Brazilian Immigrants, Sarvnaz Modarresi Ghavami

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

ABSTRACT

FOOD INSECURITY AND CULTURE- A STUDY OF CAMBODIAN AND BRAZILIAN IMMIGRANTS

SEPTEMBER 2013

SARVNAZ MODARRESI GHAVAMI, B.S., IRAN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

M.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST

Directed by: Jerusha Nelson Peterman

Vulnerable immigrant populations such as refugees and undocumented immigrants are at higher risk for food insecurity and its health consequences than other low- income populations. Acculturation and adaptation of certain coping strategies, as well as certain characteristics, make these populations vulnerable to food insecurity.

This thesis focuses on two of the understudied immigrant populations in Lowell, Massachusetts: Brazilian immigrants and Cambodian refugees and immigrants. To better understand …

Stiffness And Modulus And Independent Controllers Of Breast Cancer Metastasis, Dannielle Ryman

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

One out of eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. Ninety percent of cancer related deaths are due to metastasis. Metastasis is the biological process where individual or aggregate cancerous cells break away from the primary tumor site and colonize distant, non-adjacent locations throughout the body. It is my objectives to study how mechanical, topographical and biochemical cues affect metastatic breast cancer metastasis at an early developmental stage. ECM components have previously been shown to affect cell motility via ligand-receptor interactions, and physical cues, such as matrix stiffness and protein density. The primary tumor …

Sustainable Biofuels Production Through Understanding Fundamental Bacterial Pathways Involved In Biomass Degradation And Sugar Utilization, James Cm Hayes

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Genomic analysis and physiological experiments conducted on the lignocellulosic biomass degrading bacterium C. phytofermentans, indicates that it can degrade and utilize a wide-range of carbohydrates as possible growth substrates. Previous experiments characterized gene expression using custom whole genome oligonucleotide microarrays. The results indicated that C. phytofermentans utilizes ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters for carbohydrate uptake and does not use the sole phosphoenolpyruvate-phosphotransferase system (PTS) for any of the tested substrates.Distinct sets of Carbohydrate Active Enzymes (CAZy) genes were also up-regulated on specific substrates indicative of C. phytofermentans ability to selectively degrade lignocellulosic biomass. We also identified a highly expressed cluster of …

Vernal Pool Vegetation And Soil Patterns Along Hydrologic Gradients In Western Massachusetts, Kasie Collins

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

This study looks at relationships along the hydrologic gradient between and within six pools; including the vegetation community, soil characteristics and hydrology. Pool conditions were monitored weekly throughout the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons. Each pool was equipped with permanent platinum-tipped redox probes to quantify the severity and duration of soil reduction. We described and analyzed 12 soil profiles in each pool, distributed in summit/upland, basin, and rim/transition positions as defined by the high water line. The pools were systematically surveyed for understory vegetation during the 2012 growing season.

Vegetation patterns varied between study areas. No clear pattern of unique …

Improvement Of Functional Bioactivity In Pear:Blackberry Synergies With Lactic Acid Fermentation For Type 2 Diabetes And Hypertension Management, Nicholas W. Pucel

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease that has a worldwide prevalence which is expected to rise dramatically over the course of the next thirty years. The disease has reached pandemic stages of development in many cultures, most notably in developing countries, followed somewhat closely by developed countries with access to an overabundance of refined carbohydrates and fat (refined oils). T2DM is a condition that can be prevented or managed, but not cured; therefore a method of stymieing the development of this disease is paramount to halting its progressively increasing morbidity. In this study, bartlett pear and kiowa …

Aquatic Barrier Prioritization In New England Under Climate Change Scenarios Using Fish Habitat Quantity, Thermal Habitat Quality, Aquatic Organism Passage, And Infrastructure Sustainability, Alexandra C. Jospe

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Improperly designed road-stream crossings can fragment stream networks by restricting or preventing aquatic organism passage. These crossings may also be more vulnerable to high flow events, putting critical human infrastructure at risk. Climate change, which will require access to suitable habitat for species persistence, and is also predicted to increase the frequency and magnitude of extreme floods, underscores the importance of maintaining stream connectivity and resilient infrastructure. Given the large number of road-stream crossings and the expense of replacement, it is increasingly important to prioritize removals and account for the multiple benefits of these management actions. I developed an aquatic …

Evaluation The Nitrogen Needs And Efficiency Of Rizhobia Strains To Provide Nitrogen To Chipilin (Crotalaria Longirostrata Hook. And Arn.), Fatima Del Rosario Camarillo Castillo

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

EVALUATION THE NITROGEN NEEDS AND EFFICIENCY OF RHIZOBIA STRAINS TO PROVIDE NITROGEN TO CHIPILIN (Crotalaria Longirostrata HOOK. AND ARN.)

FEBRUARY OF 2013

FATIMA DEL ROSARIO CAMARILLO CASTILLO, B.A., AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY OF CHAPINGO

M.A., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST

Directed by: Professor Francis X. Mangan

Chipilin (Crotalaria Longirostrata) is a leguminous plant native to Central America and Southern Mexico and used in the preparation of traditional dishes in this region. Starting in 2009, farmers in Massachusetts have been growing chipilin with a weekly production of 800 kg∙ha^-1. However, as much as 300 kg∙ha^-1 of nitrogen has been …

Characterization Of Genes Required For Preimplantation Embryo Development, Marc P. Maserati Jr

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Preimplantation embryo development in the mouse is a time of rapid cellular morphological and molecular changes leading to embryo implantation for the generation of offspring. The Mager lab studies these events occuring between fertilization and implantation in order to better understand the initial events which set the stage for all future aspects of development. The result of this research impacts many scientific disciplines including in-vitro based means of embryo culture, establishment of epigenetic marks, differentiation and cellular reprogramming and can be used in translational research for the improvement of in-vitro culture techniques and develop novel therapies such as cell replacement …