Life Sciences Commons^™

Allelopathic Effects Of S. Canadensis On The Germination Of Native Prairie Plants, James David Megenhardt

Masters Theses

Solidago canadensis has become a aggressive species of North American prairie forb throughout the world and within restored prairies throughout North America, causing the loss of biodiversity within those ecosystems. While reproductive methods of wind dispersed seeds and clonal expansion through rhizomes has helped S. canadensis colonize and spread through these ecosystems, S. canadensis also releases allelopathic chemicals which may inhibit the germination and growth of competing species. What was unknown is if these same allelopathic chemicals which give S. canadensis an edge within foreign ecosystems might also explain why S. canadensis is so prolific in restored North American …

Adaptive Significance Of Aberrant Chickadee Song In Illinois, Evan Andrew Glynn

Masters Theses

I studied the behavioral responses of Black-capped (Poecile atricapilus) and Carolina (P. carolinensis) chickadees to playback of Black-capped, Carolina, and aberrant chickadee songs throughout the state of Illinois. These two species are parapatrically distributed throughout the eastern United States, including Illinois. Some areas exist where the ranges of the two species overlap. Individuals in these contact zones often sing aberrant vocalizations. This study focused on the two parental vocalizations (i.e., Black-capped and Carolina song), and two of the most common aberrant vocalizations (the 'Greenville' and 'Vandalia' aberrant dialects), in an attempt to understand the adaptive significance of these aberrant songs. …

The Impact Of Aging And Estrogen Therapy On Synaptic Mitochondrial Bioenergetics In An Alzheimer's Mouse Model, Eric W. Hendricks

Masters Theses

Mitochondrial dysfunction, such as reductions in ATP production via oxidative phosphorylation, is a recognized pathological symptom of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). One of the known risk factors for the development of AD is the inheritance of a specific genotype of a lipid transporting protein known as apolipoprotein E (apoE). How apoE contributes to the development and progression of AD is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between mitochondrial dysfunction and genetic predisposition to AD via apoE. Mitochondrial bioenergetics and enzymatic activity were investigated in an AD mouse model (apoE KO) …

Asian Carp Population Status And Reproductive Potential In Illinois River Tributaries, Clinton Wesley Morgeson

Masters Theses

Large floodplain rivers are among the most complex natural systems characterized by exchange between the river and its floodplain. Information regarding fishes in main channel habitats is abundant, however much less understanding extends into their tributaries. Tributaries of large rivers provide critical habitats for main channel fishes, important for foraging, spawning, and refuge. In addition to native diversity, large rivers are host to multiple exotic species invasions, threatening biodiversity, ecosystem function, and habitat quality. Two notorious invaders are Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and Bighead Carp (H. nobilis), collectively Asian Carp, presenting an imminent threat of invasion …

Compatibility Factors Of Fascioloides Magna Miracidia And Four Sympatric Snail Species: Miracidial Behavior And Snail Response, Bryan Rolfsen

Masters Theses

Miracidia exhibit observable host-finding behaviors, and their sympatric snails have attributes that either permit or prohibit infection. This study was designed to assess the factors involved in intermediate host finding and host-parasite compatibility in the deer liver fluke (Fascioloides magna). The main aim was to determine the extent to which the parasite and/or the intermediate host are involved in host-parasite compatibility. A secondary goal was to determine what factors may lead to miracidial transformation. The study used a panel of four sympatric snails (Lymnaea caperata, Lymnaea palustris, Lymnaea exilis, and Physa sp.) that display …

Metagenomic Analysis Of The Lacrimal Caruncle Region Of Canis Lupus Familiaris Using Miseq Technology, Seun A. Ikugbayigbe

Masters Theses

The identification of ocular microbiota may allow early diagnosis and treatment strategies against eye diseases and disorders with canines. However, clinical microbial identification has been limited to cloning and conventional culture-based studies, which typically underestimate community diversity. In this report, lllumina MiSeq analysis of the 16S rRNA gene was used to examine the microbiome of the lacrimal caruncle region from five healthy dogs. The breeds sampled were a Golden Retriever (Dog A), a Weimaraner (Dog B), a Shih Tzu mix (Dog C), a Yorkie mix (Dog D), and a Dachshund (Dog E). MiSeq analysis revealed a total of 370 operational …

The Role Of Creg1 And Pitx1 As Master Regulators Of Liver Function, Anit Shah

Masters Theses

Development in mammals requires a complex array of positive and negative regulatory signals and responses. The liver is a major organ that has been studied extensively to understand underlying genetic processes responsible for specification, establishment and maintenance of tissue identity. Hepatoma and hepatoma variant cell lines have been used as a model to understand genetic networks responsible for liver function. Whole genome analysis of these cell types has identified candidate genes that might serve as master regulators of liver identity. In this study, the role of two candidate genes - cellular repressor of E1A stimulated gene (CREG1) and paired-liked homeodomain-1 …

The Functional Role Of Leaf Nutrients In An Old-Field Successional Community, Kirstin I. Duffin

Masters Theses

In functional ecology, traits that capture aspects of plant performance are used to understand how organisms interact with their environment. Leaf nutrients are an example of a functional trait that directly links to plant metabolic processes and therefore may describe plant assemblage dynamics. Multivariate leaf nutrient analyses may be used with other functional traits to understand ecological strategies because they are a direct measure of leaf metabolic processes and can describe nuances in plant allocation patterns. In this thesis, I explored (1) whether a suite of leaf nutrients (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium) was related to plant growth …

Effects Of Treated Wastewater Effluent On Microbial Community Structure In A Natural Receiving Aquatic System, Matthew D. Hladilek

Masters Theses

Despite our dependency on treatment facilities to condition wastewater for eventual release to the environment, our knowledge regarding the effects of treated water on the local watershed is extremely limited. Responses of these lotic systems to the treated wastewater effluent have been traditionally investigated by examining the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages and community structure; however, these studies do not address the microbial diversity of the water systems. In the present study, planktonic and benthic bacterial community structure were examined at fourteen sites (from 60 m upstream to 12,100 m downstream) and at two time points along an aquatic system receiving treated …

Hamstring Training Effects On Strength Gains In Ncaa Division I Varsity Soccer Players, Andrea M. Chilcote

Masters Theses

Those athletes who run at high speeds require eccentric strength when the hamstring muscles are in a lengthened state in order to absorb the increased forces, decreasing injury rate and performance deficits (Schmitt, Tyler & McHugh 2012). The purpose of this study was to determine if the intervention of an eccentric hamstring strengthening program would increase peak torque production in eccentric and concentric hamstring and quadriceps movements in Division I Men and Women Varsity soccer players.

Participants included 8 Division I soccer athletes (3 men, 5 women, mean age = 19.3 years (men) and 19.4 years (women), mean height = …

Influence Of Various Pre-Exercise Routines On Vertical Jump Performance, Vladislav Milanovic

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the influence of three different pre-exercise routines (jogging, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation in addition to jogging (PNFJ), and whole body vibration (WBV)) on vertical jump (VJ) performance. Twelve physically active, collegiate males between the ages of 18-24 years were recruited to participate. The subjects performed four VJ tests on four nonconsecutive days with a control VJ being performed on the first day and the three remaining VJ performed after each of the pre-exercise routines that were conducted in random order. The jogging pre-exercise routine lasted 5 minutes at light to moderate …

The Effects Of Solutes In The Cryopreservation Of Adherent Neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a) Cells, Trisha L. Bailey

Masters Theses

A simple method to cryopreserve adherent monolayers of neuronal cells is currently not available, but the development of this technique could facilitate numerous applications in the field of biomedical engineering, cell line development, and drug screening. However, complex tissues of some exceptional animals survive freezing in nature. These animals are known to accumulate several small molecular weight solutes prior to freezing. Following a similar strategy, we investigated the effects of osmolytes such as trehalose, proline, and sucrose as additives to the traditional cryoprotectant dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) in modulating the cryopreservation outcome of mouse neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a) cells. Neuro-2a cells adhered to …

The Effects Of Kinesio Tape On Sports Performance: Vertical Jump And Shuttle Run Performance In Women's College Basketball Players, Holly Wohltman

Masters Theses

Introduction: Since Kinesio tape (KT tape) was invented in the mid-1970s, studies have been lacking in producing strong evidence to support the claims of its ability to enhance performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of KT tape at enhancing sports performance, in the areas of vertical jump and shuttle run performance, in Illinois College Women's Basketball Team, participants ranged from 19-22 years of age.

Methods: There were eleven female basketball players ranging from the ages 19-22 years were recruited to participate in this study. All participants performed a vertical jump test and a shuttle run …

Trophic Interactions In A Semiaquatic Snake Community: Insights Into The Structure Of A Floodplain Food Web, Cynthia M. Carter

Masters Theses

Food webs provide a useful conceptual framework for evaluating the relationships that exist within ecological systems. Characterizing the interactions within these webs can improve our understanding of how communities are structured and what mechanisms stabilize them. Untangling these interactions can be an intractable problem in complex systems and insights gained from conventional methods are often accompanied by inherent sources of bias. This study used stable isotope analysis, an alternative to traditional methods, to investigate the roles and relative contributions of consumers at the top of a food web to community structure and stability. I compared the niche parameters of five …

Effects Of Postactivation Potentiation Succeeding Glute Bridge Exercise On Multiple Jump Performance In Recreationally Trained Individuals, Anthony Warpecha

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to test multiple jump performance subsequent to glute bridges performed with and without whole body vibration (WBV). Multiple jump performance was assessed via a four-hop test to examine average jump height, ground contact time, and the explosive leg power factor. Twenty recreationally active subjects, ages 18-42, with more than one year of consistent recreational resistance training experience participated. Prior to testing, one familiarization session took place that involved explanation of procedures. This included practice of glute bridging on the vibration plate and the multiple hop performance test. After the familiarization session, two testing sessions …

D-Galactose Decreases Mitoneet Levels In Liver Cancer Cells: Impact On Cellular Bioenergetics, Sudip Paudel

Masters Theses

Galactose is a simple sugar that at supraphysiological concentrations accelerates aging and age-related complications, which lead to impaired mitochondrial functions. MitoNEET is a small mitochondrial membrane protein with a molecular mass of 12.2 kDa that functions in diabetes, iron metabolism, regulation of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis. MitoNEET knockdown increases cellular respiration rates and ROS levels similar to galactose treatment. Pioglitazone, an antidiabetic drug, binds to mitoNEET and ameliorates galactose toxicity. Cellular mitoNEET levels, exposure of cells to galactose medium, and pioglitazone treatment directly influence cellular respiration. To elucidate the role of mitoNEET in galactose induced …

Daily Activity Patterns In Three Migratory Bird Species At A Stopover Site On The Northern Coast Of The Gulf Of Mexico, Lynn Schofield

Masters Theses

CHAPTER I: A Comparison of Diel Movement Patterns in Three Bird Species at a Stopover Site on the Northern Coast of the Gulf of Mexico

During migration, birds require stopover habitats where they stop en route to rest, refuel, and prepare for the next stage of their migration. For songbirds, many short movements made within a stopover habitat are known to be costlier than a single long migratory flight, as it takes a considerable amount of energy to initiate flight. This indicates that migrating birds should strive to balance the energy expenditure made in movement during stopover and energy gains …