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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Boxed In: Hinge Closing Performance Of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene Ornata), Gina L. Buelow Dec 2021

Boxed In: Hinge Closing Performance Of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene Ornata), Gina L. Buelow

MSU Graduate Theses

Turtles are perhaps best known for the bony shells that encase them, a unique morphological trait that provides protection against predators. Many taxa have even evolved the ability to enclose themselves using hinges that can be used to create a seal between the carapace and plastron. I measured the hinge closing force of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata) to assess the performance of this unusual yet ecologically important trait. I sampled head-started turtles from Thomson Sand Prairie in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and wild turtles collected in northern Oklahoma. To assess the effects of head-starting …


Effects Of "Lemongrass Factor" On Galleria Mellonella Hemocytes, Jennifer C. Rice Dec 2021

Effects Of "Lemongrass Factor" On Galleria Mellonella Hemocytes, Jennifer C. Rice

MSU Graduate Theses

The use of conventional chemical insecticides to control agricultural pest has become problematic as they may have a negative impact towards human health and the environment, resulting in a need to research alternative methods to insect pest control. Plant derived substances like essential oils have been used for generations as toxicants, repellants, and anti-feedants to control agricultural pest. More research is needed to understand how insect immune systems react to essential oils and if cellular immune responses of phagocytosis, encapsulation, and nodulation can be inhibited by such. Subjecting Galleria mellonella to various concentrations of “lemongrass factor” lets the researcher/scientist know …


An Exploration Of The Role Of Farm Business Decisions In Addressing Financial Challenges For Missouri's Beginning Farmers, Lucas Paloschi Dec 2021

An Exploration Of The Role Of Farm Business Decisions In Addressing Financial Challenges For Missouri's Beginning Farmers, Lucas Paloschi

MSU Graduate Theses

The next generation of farmers takes an important role in the food production for subsequent years. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s (2017) estimation that 70% increase of production will need to be achieved within the next 30 years set awareness across the globe. Researchers have been studying and trying to find means to aid beginning farmers in a variety of ways. This study measures farm decisions that affect financial performance of farmers aiming to facilitate beginning producers’ decision making. Three regressions were used to analyze how different variables affect farmers’ profitability and repayment capacity. Using a county-level data for the …


Is There Room In The United States Diet For Goat Meat? Analysis Of The 2019 National Goat Meat Survey, Everett Marcus Martin Dec 2021

Is There Room In The United States Diet For Goat Meat? Analysis Of The 2019 National Goat Meat Survey, Everett Marcus Martin

MSU Graduate Theses

Demand for goat meat has steadily increased in the past decade, but few studies have been conducted addressing goat meat attributes and demographic factors on consumers’ willingness to buy goat meat products. Analyzing a national consumer survey on goat meat preference, a logit modeling is used addressing factors affecting willingness to buy three goat meat products: grass-fed, locally grown, and organically raised. Results indicate that quality and freshness attribute characteristics significantly affect consumer willingness to buy grass-fed, organic, and locally grown goat meat.


Expression And Purification Of Cytochrome 2u1 And Canine 1a2 And Metabolism Of Caffeine By Cytochrome 1a2, Brenda M. Wekesa Dec 2021

Expression And Purification Of Cytochrome 2u1 And Canine 1a2 And Metabolism Of Caffeine By Cytochrome 1a2, Brenda M. Wekesa

MSU Graduate Theses

Cytochrome P450 enzymes are a large family of membrane heme proteins involved in eliminating drugs and the synthesis or elimination of steroids, eicosanoids, and vitamins. CYP2U1 is one of the poorly characterized P450 enzymes classified as orphan cytochrome P450 with unknown exact biological function. It is expressed in the brain and thymus as a catalyst in the hydroxylation of arachidonic acid. Unlike other cytochrome P450s, CYP2U1 is a bit unusual with forty extra amino acids. If a mutation occurs, it can lead to an early onset inherited disorder of the central nervous system called Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias (HSP). Most of …


Marker-Assisted Selection To Determine The Introgression Of Rpv-3 Mediated Downy Mildew Resistance In 'Chambourcin' X 'Caberenet Sauvignon' Grapevine Population, Kavya Sri Tummala Aug 2021

Marker-Assisted Selection To Determine The Introgression Of Rpv-3 Mediated Downy Mildew Resistance In 'Chambourcin' X 'Caberenet Sauvignon' Grapevine Population, Kavya Sri Tummala

MSU Graduate Theses

Downy mildew caused by the fungus, Plasmopara viticola in the grapes is one of the major diseases affecting crop yield throughout the world. Breeding grapes via conventional methods for the downy mildew resistance will take approximately 25-30 years to fully evaluate and release new cultivars. Because of the long breeding cycle in woody plant species like grape, developing DNA markers linked to genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for horticultural traits can greatly accelerate the breeding process and allow a much more accurate selection of progeny. This study aims to determine the presence of resistance in the 267 F1 genotypes …


Stimuli Responsive Dye-Containing Peg-Pla Block Copolymer Micelles And Computationally Assisted Design Of A Stapled Peptide Bundle, Tyler L. Odom Aug 2021

Stimuli Responsive Dye-Containing Peg-Pla Block Copolymer Micelles And Computationally Assisted Design Of A Stapled Peptide Bundle, Tyler L. Odom

MSU Graduate Theses

In this thesis, I report the preparation and characterization of dye-containing PEG-b-PLA block copolymer micelles and the computational design of a novel coiled-coil peptide bundle. The PEG-b-PLA micelles encapsulate hydrophobic molecules into their core and have strong potential as nanocontainers or delivery vesicles. In theory, these internalized molecules can be released upon exposure to mechanical forces that disrupt the micellar structures. This force-responsive nature is one of the inherent properties of micellar systems. However, there is a stark lack of research that utilize this property in applications. Along those lines, I have studied the behavior of …


Nucleotide P2y₂ Receptor-Dependent Leukocyte-Endothelial Interaction, Spencer E. Thomas Aug 2021

Nucleotide P2y₂ Receptor-Dependent Leukocyte-Endothelial Interaction, Spencer E. Thomas

MSU Graduate Theses

Extracellular nucleotides (ATP, UTP) released from cells act on nucleotide receptors to promote vascular inflammation. Increased leukocyte-endothelial interaction is a hallmark of vascular inflammation. The nucleotide P2Y₂ receptor (P2Y₂R), activated by extracellular ATP≈UTP, plays a role in cardiovascular homeostasis and immune regulation. Moreover, accumulating evidence from studies in vitro and in vivo models have implicated the P2Y₂R in the inflammatory response significantly contributing to the progression and pathogenesis of asthma, atherosclerosis, sepsis, and ischemia. I hypothesized that P2Y₂R activation by UTP, an agonist of the receptor, increased leukocyte rolling and adhesion in the microvasculature from baseline. To test the hypothesis, …


An Assessment Of Inp/Zns As Potential Anti-Cancer Therapy: Quantum Dot Treatment Induces Stress On Hela Cells, Victoria Grace Davenport Aug 2021

An Assessment Of Inp/Zns As Potential Anti-Cancer Therapy: Quantum Dot Treatment Induces Stress On Hela Cells, Victoria Grace Davenport

MSU Graduate Theses

Indium Phosphide/Zinc Sulfide (InP/ZnS) quantum dots (QDs) are an emerging option in QD technologies for uses of fluorescent imaging as well as targeted drug and anti-cancer therapies based on their customizable properties. In this study we explored effects of InP/ZnS when treated with HeLa cervical cancer cells. We employed XTT viability assays, reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis, and apoptosis analysis to better understand cytotoxicity extents at different concentrations of InP/ZnS. In addition, we compared the transcriptome profile from the QDtreated HeLa cells with that of untreated HeLa cells to identify changes to the transcriptome in response to the QD. Intracellular …


Exercise Training Rescues Increased Brain Isf Aβ Caused By Chronic Isolation Stress In App/Ps1 Transgenic Mice, Lydia M. Holtmann Aug 2021

Exercise Training Rescues Increased Brain Isf Aβ Caused By Chronic Isolation Stress In App/Ps1 Transgenic Mice, Lydia M. Holtmann

MSU Graduate Theses

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive brain disorder that destroys memory and cognition thought to be initiated through the build-up of the amyloid-beta (A) peptide. The A peptide aggregates, slowly forming into insoluble plaque substances that destroy the brain and worsen patient’s symptoms over time. Studies have shown that chronic isolation stress (CIS) increases the A peptide soluble and insoluble levels in the brain and that exercise training decreases these levels in transgenic mouse models of AD. We sought to determine if an exercise training regimen would rescue the increase in Aβ levels caused by CIS in the APP/PS1 transgenic …


The Determinants Of Food Insecurity In The United States: A State Level Analysis, Zhuoya Li Aug 2021

The Determinants Of Food Insecurity In The United States: A State Level Analysis, Zhuoya Li

MSU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the determinants of food insecurity at the state level with the goal of providing policy guidance to reduce the prevalence of food insecurity in the United States. Data for the study was collected from various governmental and non-governmental sources. Linear regression models and sensitivity analyses were conducted. The study found that increase in household income is likely to significantly reduce the prevalence of food insecurity and very low food security. While poverty alleviation is more important than level of education for food insecure households, level of education is more important than poverty …


Modulation Of Glucose Homeostasis By Nucleotide P2y2 Receptor And Biological Sex, Hailee Anne Marino Aug 2021

Modulation Of Glucose Homeostasis By Nucleotide P2y2 Receptor And Biological Sex, Hailee Anne Marino

MSU Graduate Theses

Recent insights into the pathological role of Nucleotide P2Y2 receptor suggest P2Y2R involvement in high fat diet-induced obesity and potentiates insulin resistance. However, these recent insights do not demonstrate how P2Y2R modulates glucose homeostasis under physiological conditions. Further, it remains unknown how sex biological factors influence P2Y2R receptor signaling in the regulation of glucose homeostasis. The research objective for the present study is to elucidate the novel roles of P2Y2 in fasting blood glucose and glucose tolerance (basal insulin sensitivity) under resting conditions in males and females. We expected that under physiological …


Corbicula Fluminea Effects On Survival, Growth, And Drift Of Juvenile Lampsilis Siliquoidea In Laboratory Exposures, Allison Nicole Sieja Aug 2021

Corbicula Fluminea Effects On Survival, Growth, And Drift Of Juvenile Lampsilis Siliquoidea In Laboratory Exposures, Allison Nicole Sieja

MSU Graduate Theses

The Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea, is an invasive species that is abundant and often co-occurs with native freshwater mussels. Corbicula is widely suspected of having negative effects on native mussels, but few studies have empirically tested this hypothesis. I used laboratory experiments to evaluate how adult Corbicula affected the survivorship, growth, and drift of juvenile Lampsilis siliquoidea. Survival and growth of newly metamorphosed mussels were tested in downwelling flow-through chambers with glass-bead substrate. Treatments were control (no clams), small adult clams, or large adult clams. After 28 days, large clams slightly but significantly reduced the number of juveniles …


Ecological Correlates Of Alligator Snapping Turtle Bite Performance, Ashley Herrin Gagnon Aug 2021

Ecological Correlates Of Alligator Snapping Turtle Bite Performance, Ashley Herrin Gagnon

MSU Graduate Theses

The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is one of many turtle species facing conservation challenges. Nearly extirpated in the 1980s, it is currently the subject of a head-start initiative, of which, any lasting behavioral or physiological effects were—until now—unknown! To evaluate the ability of captive-reared individuals to excel in natural habitats, and to foresee any future research or conservation challenges regarding this animal, I explored a suite of variables that influence bite performance and behaviors including captive or free-ranging status, and environmental conditions including body temperature and season. My results indicated that free-ranging M. temminckii outperform those residing …


Identification Of Qtls For Berry Acids And Sugar In A Vitis Aestivalis-Derived 'Norton'-Based Population, Karlene Louise Negus Aug 2021

Identification Of Qtls For Berry Acids And Sugar In A Vitis Aestivalis-Derived 'Norton'-Based Population, Karlene Louise Negus

MSU Graduate Theses

Acidity and sugar content are among the grape berry quality traits that influence wine quality. Despite advantageous environmental tolerances of Vitis aestivalis-derived ‘Norton’, its acid and sugar concentrations often deviate from expectations set for V. vinifera. Identification of the genetic determinants of malic acid, tartaric acid, pH, and total soluble solids (TSS) can assist in the improvement of new hybrid cultivars. For this purpose, a ‘Norton’ and V. vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ hybrid mapping population containing 223 individuals was used to construct a linkage map containing 384 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and 2084 genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS)-derived single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) …


Investigation Into Bacterial Impairment Of Greene And Polk County Water Systems, John C. Kincaid Aug 2021

Investigation Into Bacterial Impairment Of Greene And Polk County Water Systems, John C. Kincaid

MSU Graduate Theses

Bacterial impairment of water systems is a major issue facing mankind. Bacteria that are introduced into a system have the potential to cause harmful diseases to wildlife and humans. In Greene and Polk counties, many water systems have become bacterially impaired over the years. Despite this, little is known about the contamination of known harmful bacteria in this region. To address this issue, I investigated the presence of known human pathogens across water systems in these two counties, many of which have displayed high levels of E. coli and fecal indicator microorganisms over many years. I used a high-throughput sequencing …


Long-Term Hydrological Impacts Of Historical Logging On Recent Hydro-Geomorphic Conditions, Big Barren Creek Watershed, Mark Twain National Forest, Shoukat Ahmed Aug 2021

Long-Term Hydrological Impacts Of Historical Logging On Recent Hydro-Geomorphic Conditions, Big Barren Creek Watershed, Mark Twain National Forest, Shoukat Ahmed

MSU Graduate Theses

Despite their important role of headwater watersheds as a buffer for upland soil and vegetation disturbances, there has been little research about the effects of historical logging practices on present-day watershed hydrology and channel form. Middle Big Barren Creek (MBBC) watershed (48 km2 ) drains Mark Twain National Forest in the Ozark Highlands and was heavily logged from 1880 to 1920, reducing native shortleaf pine forest by 90%. Additionally, the frequency of intense rainfall events has increased in the region over the past 30 years. In this study, field surveys and hydrologic/hydraulic modeling were used to evaluate the historical timber …


Neuronal Migration In Developmental Hyperserotonmia: Assessment Of Vesicular Glutamate In The Raphe Nuclei, Trey M. Shupp Aug 2021

Neuronal Migration In Developmental Hyperserotonmia: Assessment Of Vesicular Glutamate In The Raphe Nuclei, Trey M. Shupp

MSU Graduate Theses

The neurotransmitter serotonin is involved in the early development of the central nervous system and the organization of neurons throughout the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. It is proposed that serotonin indirectly interacts with cells in the marginal zone of the cerebral cortex known as Cajal-Retizus (CR) cells. These cells secrete the extracellular matrix protein reelin, which is known for its role in neuronal organization and migration during early neural development. It has been observed that low levels of serotonin are associated with similarly low levels of reelin during development and have been reported to result in disorganization of neurons in …


Establishing Regenerative Pasture Systems Using Management Intensive Grazing In The Ozarks, Shelbi M. Mundy Aug 2021

Establishing Regenerative Pasture Systems Using Management Intensive Grazing In The Ozarks, Shelbi M. Mundy

MSU Graduate Theses

Soil carbon and soil health are important topics relating to how climate change is impacting agriculture, and how agriculture can in turn impact climate change. The agriculture industry, particularly beef production, has a large opportunity to use conservation agriculture techniques, such as rotational grazing, to offset some of the industry’s impact on carbon emissions, erosion, water pollution, and other environmental issues. This study is the beginning of a long-term project exploring regenerative pasture systems in the Ozarks. The project takes place in a rotational grazing system with 12 paddocks. The objectives of this study are to characterize soil types by …


Establishing Agroforestry Silvopasture Systems In The Missouri Ozark Region, Kara Lynn Powelson May 2021

Establishing Agroforestry Silvopasture Systems In The Missouri Ozark Region, Kara Lynn Powelson

MSU Graduate Theses

The Missouri Ozarks is located in the south-central part of Missouri, ranging from the very southwest corner of the state and east to St. Louis. This region is enriched with large dense populations of oak and hickory tree species, while also being occupied with prime forage pastures for livestock grazing. Missouri is ranked second in the nation for farming operations and hay production, while also third in the nation for beef cow number of head (MDA 2021). The objective of this study is to observe the establishment of two separate silvopasture systems: a planted walnut plantation and a converted silvopasture. …


Modeling The Growth And Establishment Of Plantation And Converted Silvopasture Systems In The Missouri Ozarks Region, Stewart James Mccollum May 2021

Modeling The Growth And Establishment Of Plantation And Converted Silvopasture Systems In The Missouri Ozarks Region, Stewart James Mccollum

MSU Graduate Theses

The Missouri Ozarks are well known for high production in both timber products and cattle production. Most areas are also not well suited for many other agricultural practices such as row cropping, so forests and grazing lands dominate the landscapes. Such characteristics provide high potential for the agroforestry practice known as silvopasture. This study monitors the establishment of two different types of silvopasture systems, plantation and conversion types. In the plantation silvopasture, two cultivars of black walnut (Juglans nigra) were planted, Football and Kwikrop. Health and growth were monitored for those cultivars over the first year. The converted …


Sodium Pyruvate Ameliorates Influenza A Virus Infection In Vitro And In Vivo, Jessica M. Reel May 2021

Sodium Pyruvate Ameliorates Influenza A Virus Infection In Vitro And In Vivo, Jessica M. Reel

MSU Graduate Theses

Pyruvate is produced in duplicate at the end of glycolysis in addition to ATP and NADH. Pyruvate is the metabolite of choice in most cells, whether obtained exogenously or endogenously. Recently we found that the addition of pyruvate’s conjugate base, sodium pyruvate, to cell culture media dampened the immune response to influenza A virus (IAV) infection in cultured innate immune cells. Thus, I decided to investigate the mechanism and potential for treatment of IAV. In vitro using bone marrow derived macrophages that were infected with IAV we found that adding sodium pyruvate to the media decreased immune signaling pathways through …


Observing Changes In Vegetable Production Through Alternative Agricultural Practices, Austin Grey Livingston May 2021

Observing Changes In Vegetable Production Through Alternative Agricultural Practices, Austin Grey Livingston

MSU Graduate Theses

Locally, responsibly grown produce is becoming more popular as consumers are shifting to organic products or those obtained at a local farmer’s market. The importance of soil health through conservation practices is increasing as the negative effects of industrial production are apparent. The over-application of synthetic fertilizers, soil erosion from wind and water, and nutrient leaching in high vegetable production areas has initiated a need for the investigation of alternative management practices. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of tillage and cover crops in the production of green beans and okra. In 2019 and 2020, …


Factors Affecting Irrigation Water Use In Southwest Missouri And Soil Microbial Response To Irrigation And Crop Residue, Shirley M. Dobbs May 2021

Factors Affecting Irrigation Water Use In Southwest Missouri And Soil Microbial Response To Irrigation And Crop Residue, Shirley M. Dobbs

MSU Graduate Theses

Sustainable use of water resources in Southwest Missouri requires a better understanding of factors that influence groundwater use by crop producers. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of weather patterns and edaphic factors on water used for agricultural irrigation. Groundwater withdrawal data from 14 high-use agricultural irrigation wells were monitored between 2009 and 2016 as part of the Southwest Missouri Irrigation Project. Stepwise and linear regression was used to assess the relationship of weather and edaphic factors in response to annual water use from each well. Precipitation volume, number of precipitation events, average maximum and minimum …


On The Rocks: Changes In Substrate Alter Antipredator Behavior In Benthic Stream Fish, Sarah White May 2021

On The Rocks: Changes In Substrate Alter Antipredator Behavior In Benthic Stream Fish, Sarah White

MSU Graduate Theses

Natural selection should strongly favor characteristics that make prey difficult for predators to distinguish from the background, including both morphological and behavioral crypsis. The Rainbow Darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) is a small, cryptic, benthic fish that inhabits gravel-bottomed streams and is preyed upon by predators such as the benthic Knobfin Sculpin (Cottus immaculatus) and the pelagic Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis). In three experiments, I tested whether the behavior of darters was influenced by the opportunity for crypticity offered by their substrate and by the presence of cues from benthic and pelagic predators. First, darters in …


Effects Of Heavy Metal Pollution On The Antipredator Behavior Of Orangethroat Darters (Etheostoma Spectabile), Caleb S. O'Neal May 2021

Effects Of Heavy Metal Pollution On The Antipredator Behavior Of Orangethroat Darters (Etheostoma Spectabile), Caleb S. O'Neal

MSU Graduate Theses

Heavy metal pollution can have numerous negative impacts on stream fishes, including both lethal and sublethal effects. Because of the sensitivity of fishes to toxins, they are excellent environmental indicators of stream and watershed health. The Tri-State Mining District is a Superfund site located in parts of Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma that offers a good opportunity to study sublethal effects of heavy metal pollutants on fish behavior. I observed the antipredator behavior of Orangethroat Darters (Etheostoma spectabile) from 3 streams that varied in the abundance of heavy metal pollutants. In the lab, darters from the most polluted site …


Estancia Vs. Kentucky 31: Examining Leaf Nutrient Content Of Established Tall Fescue, Macie W. Clark May 2021

Estancia Vs. Kentucky 31: Examining Leaf Nutrient Content Of Established Tall Fescue, Macie W. Clark

MSU Graduate Theses

In 2020 Missouri ranked third in beef cattle production and second in hay production. As part of the fescue belt of the United States, Missouri’s agricultural industries rely on tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum Schreb.) as a main forage crop. Two major disorders in cattle grazing tall fescue are fescue toxicosis and grass tetany. Fescue toxicosis occurs when animals consume toxic ergot alkaloids produced by an endophyte within the tall fescue plants. The most commonly grown tall fescue variety, Kentucky 31, is infected with the toxic endophyte. Varieties containing a novel non-toxic endophyte, such as Estancia, have been developed to …


In Vitro Digestibility Of Forages Incubated With Equine Fecal Inoculum Stored Under Varying Conditions, Shianne K. Walther Jan 2021

In Vitro Digestibility Of Forages Incubated With Equine Fecal Inoculum Stored Under Varying Conditions, Shianne K. Walther

MSU Graduate Theses

This study evaluated the in vitro effect on digestibility of forages when incubated with microbial inoculum formed from equine feces stored under varying conditions. Fecal material was stored at four storage conditions of 12˚C for 6 hours, 12˚C for 12 hours, 23˚C for 6 hours and 23˚C for 12 hours under aerobic conditions. Stored fecal material was used to form microbial inoculum for use in an ANKOM Daisy II Incubator. Nine different forage samples were digested in the ANKOM Daisy II Incubator to evaluate interactions between storage condition of microbial inoculum and chemical composition of digested forage samples. Forage samples …