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Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Structure-Function Analysis Of The Drosophila Stubble Type Ii Transmembrane Serine Protease, Rachel Morgan
Structure-Function Analysis Of The Drosophila Stubble Type Ii Transmembrane Serine Protease, Rachel Morgan
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Hormonally-triggered regulatory hierarchies play a major role in organismal development. Disruption of a single member of such a hierarchy can lead to irregular development and disease. Therefore, knowledge of the members involved and the mechanisms controlling signaling through such pathways is of great importance in understanding how resulting developmental defects occur. Type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs) make up a family of cell surface-associated proteases that play important roles in the development and homeostasis of a number of mammalian tissues. Aberrant expression of TTSPs is linked to several human disorders, including deafness, heart and respiratory disease and cancer. However, the …
Cis-Regulatory Analysis Of The Pigment Cell Differentiation Gene Polyketide Synthase, David Rogers
Cis-Regulatory Analysis Of The Pigment Cell Differentiation Gene Polyketide Synthase, David Rogers
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The analysis of Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) is essential to understanding the complete process of embryo development. Elucidating every gene regulatory circuit from maternal regulatory inputs all the way to the activation of differentiation gene batteries is an important step in increasing our understanding of developmental biology. In this work I study the cis-regulatory architecture of a pigment cell differentiation gene, polyketide synthase (SpPks) in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. SpPks encodes an enzyme that is responsible for the biosynthesis of the sea urchin pigment echinochrome in larval pigment cells. The analysis of the promoter of a differentiation gene will …
Assessing And Modeling Mangrove Forest Dynamics Along The Temperate-Subtropical Ecotone In Eastern Florida, Susan Leitholf
Assessing And Modeling Mangrove Forest Dynamics Along The Temperate-Subtropical Ecotone In Eastern Florida, Susan Leitholf
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Mangrove ecosystems are among the world's most endangered biomes; nearly one-half of the overall coverage is threatened by human activity, invasive species, and global climate change. Mangroves play an important ecosystem role through detrital production and by providing: fisheries and wildlife nursery habitat, shoreline protection, a sink for nutrients, carbon, and sediment. In addition to human activity, the Florida mangroves (Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa, and Rhizophora mangle) are being threatened by the invasive Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius). This study was performed along a 261 km stretch of the east coast of Florida from Sebastian Inlet to the northern extent of …
Hatching Asynchrony Occurs As A Byproduct Of Maintaining Egg Viability, Robert Aldredge
Hatching Asynchrony Occurs As A Byproduct Of Maintaining Egg Viability, Robert Aldredge
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
For many organisms, embryonic development begins directly after an egg (ovum) has been fertilized by sperm; however, some organisms delay the onset of embryonic development until conditions are favorable for raising young. This delayed onset of development could occur by delaying implantation of fertilized ovum on the uterine wall, as seen in many mammals. Birds delay embryonic development by laying a set of fertilized ova over a period of consecutive days. These fertilized ova are protected from the ambient environment by an exterior shell, and it is in this shell outside of the female s body that embryonic development occurs, …
Recovery And Restoration Of The Seagrass Halodule Wrightii After Boat Propeller Scar Damage In A Pole-Troll Zone In Mosquito Lag, Katherine Grablow
Recovery And Restoration Of The Seagrass Halodule Wrightii After Boat Propeller Scar Damage In A Pole-Troll Zone In Mosquito Lag, Katherine Grablow
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study combined documentation of four boat propeller scar types in Halodule wrightii seagrass beds in Mosquito Lagoon, Florida with manipulative field experiments to document scar recovery times with and without restoration. Scar types ranged from the most severe scar type (Type 1) with trench formation which had no roots or shoots in the trench, to the least severe (Type 4) scars that had no depth, intact roots and shoots shorter than the surrounding canopy. For 110 measured existing scars, the frequency of each scar type was 56% for Type 1, 10% for Type 2, 7% for Type 3, and …
Growth And Survival Of Bacteria In Simulated Martian Conditions, Bonnie Berry
Growth And Survival Of Bacteria In Simulated Martian Conditions, Bonnie Berry
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Escherichia coli and Serratia liquefaciens, two common microbial spacecraft contaminants known to replicate under low atmospheric pressures of 25 mb, were tested for growth and survival in simulated martian conditions. Stressors of high salinity, low temperature, and low pressure were screened alone and in combination to determine how they might affect microbial activity. Growth and survival of E. coli and S. liquefaciens under low temperatures (30, 20, 10, or 5 °C) with increasing concentrations (0, 5, 10, or 20 %) of three salts believed to be present on the surface of Mars (MgCl2, MgSO4, NaCl) were monitored over 7 d. …
The Distribution, Abundance, And Habitat Use Of The Big Cypress Fox Squirrel, (Sciurus Niger Avicennia)., Danielle Munim
The Distribution, Abundance, And Habitat Use Of The Big Cypress Fox Squirrel, (Sciurus Niger Avicennia)., Danielle Munim
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Human population growth and development reduce the area and quality of natural communities and lead to a reduction of populations of the species associated with them. Certain species can be useful indicators or "focal species" for determining the quality of ecosystem remnants and the required management practices. Tree squirrels are good models for studies on the effects of fragmentation because they depend on mature forests. The Big Cypress fox squirrel, (Sciurus niger avicennia), a state-listed Threatened subspecies endemic to south Florida, appears sensitive to habitat fragmentation and fire regime. This research aims to assess the conservation status of the Big …
The Endocytic Protein Numb Regulates App Metabolism And Notch Signaling: Implications For Alzheimer's Disease, George Kyriazis
The Endocytic Protein Numb Regulates App Metabolism And Notch Signaling: Implications For Alzheimer's Disease, George Kyriazis
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Increased production of amyloid beta (A-beta) peptide, via altered proteolytic cleavage of amyloid protein precursor (APP), and abnormalities in neuronal calcium homeostasis play central roles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Notch1, a membrane receptor that controls cell fate decisions during development of the nervous system, has been linked to AD because it is a substrate for the gamma-secretase protein complex in which mutations cause early-onset inherited AD. Numb is an evolutionarily conserved endocytic adapter involved in the internalization of transmembrane receptors. Mammals produce four Numb isoforms that differ in two functional domains, a phosphotyrosine-binding domain (PTB) and a …
Prostasin Is Expressed In Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia And Regulates Cell Proliferation And Invasion Via Inos, Icam-1, And Cycli, Meghan Hatfield
Prostasin Is Expressed In Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia And Regulates Cell Proliferation And Invasion Via Inos, Icam-1, And Cycli, Meghan Hatfield
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Prostasin is expressed in normal prostate epithelial cells but down-regulated in prostate cancers, while prostasin re-expression in invasive prostate cancer cells reduced invasion. We examined prostasin expression and function in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We evaluated prostasin expression in 12 BPH specimens by immunohistochemistry, and evaluated the impact of prostasin silencing by siRNA on the expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and cyclin D1, as well as on cell proliferation and invasion, using the BPH-1 human prostate epithelial cell line model. Prostasin expression was localized in the glands of BPH tissues by immunohistochemistry, in …
Role Of Transient Receptor Potential Canonical-6 (Trpc6) Channel In Metastasis Of Glioblastoma Multiforme, Rajarajeshwari Venkataraman
Role Of Transient Receptor Potential Canonical-6 (Trpc6) Channel In Metastasis Of Glioblastoma Multiforme, Rajarajeshwari Venkataraman
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the extremely fatal brain tumors. The main reason that makes it so lethal is its capability to invade and spread to other parts of CNS producing secondary tumors. Among other factors hypoxia, reduced oxygen availability, is linked to higher metastatic potential of cancers. Hypoxia causes numerous changes in genome and proteome of the cell. These changes help a normal cell to adapt to nutritional deficiency, but the same changes can increase the malignancy and metastasis in tumor cells. Extensive research by a number of curious scientists reveal that various pathways involving numerous proteins cross-talk …
Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of Chloroplast-Derived Antigensagainst Malaria, Melissa Schreiber
Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of Chloroplast-Derived Antigensagainst Malaria, Melissa Schreiber
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Malaria is the most prevalent vector-borne parasitic disease worldwide and a major cause of death from infections. There is a great need to develop a low cost vaccine for malaria to control transmission of infection and impact of disease, due to the emergence of anti-malarial resistance. Two leading blood stage malarial vaccine candidates are the apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1) and the merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1). The aim of this project is to express malarial antigens in tobacco plants via plastid transformation and deliver them by subcutaneous or oral gavage of minimally processed transplastomic tissue to evaluate their efficacy to elicit …
The Development Of A "Genetic Eyewitness" Profiling System For Low Template Forensic Specimens: Identification Of Novel Protein, Rna, And Dna Biomarkers, Erin Hanson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In many criminal investigations, valuable information regarding the physical appearance of suspected perpetrators or the time and order of events that transpired are provided by eyewitness accounts. However, the information obtained from eyewitnesses is often constrained by human recollection or subjective accounts and provides a biased description of the perpetrator's appearance or an inaccurate time line of events. Additionally, in numerous situations eyewitness accounts may not be available. An increasing reliance therefore is placed on the biological evidence recovered during criminal investigations to act as a silent witness, providing unbiased and scientific information that may aid in the resolution of …
The Structural And Folding Characteristics Of The Plasmid-Encoded Toxin From Enteroaggregative Escherichia Coli, Patricia Scaglione
The Structural And Folding Characteristics Of The Plasmid-Encoded Toxin From Enteroaggregative Escherichia Coli, Patricia Scaglione
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Plasmid-encoded toxin (Pet) from enteroaggregative Escherichia coli is a member of the autotransporter subfamily termed SPATE (serine protease autotransporters of Enterobacteriaceae). Autotransporters, which are the most common Gram-negative secreted virulence factors, contain three functional domains: an amino terminal leader sequence, a mature protein or passenger domain, and a carboxy-terminal β domain. The leader sequence targets the protein to the periplasmic space and the β domain then forms a β-barrel pore in the outer membrane of the bacterium which allows the passenger domain to enter the external milieu. In some cases the passenger domain is cleaved from the β-barrel at the …
Generation Of Recombinant Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Lines And Theirapplication For In Vivo Bioluminiscence Imaging In The Heart, Ramana Kammili
Generation Of Recombinant Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Lines And Theirapplication For In Vivo Bioluminiscence Imaging In The Heart, Ramana Kammili
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death in the United States, with 80 million people suffering from some form of heart disease each year. One major limitation is the inability of the heart to repair the damaged tissue. Stem cell therapy holds enormous promise to repair and regenerate the damaged myocardium, but there are many technical difficulties that must first be overcome. One such difficulty is the present lack of ability to track and assess transplanted stem cells over time in vivo. The central hypothesis of this thesis is that in vivo bioluminescence imaging is a safe and useful …
Using Stable Isotopes To Assess Population Structure And Feeding Ecology Of North Pacific Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae), Briana Witteveen
Using Stable Isotopes To Assess Population Structure And Feeding Ecology Of North Pacific Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae), Briana Witteveen
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The North Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a wide-ranging baleen whale species with a complex life history and population structure. As seasonal migrants, humpback whales are known to inhabit cooler, high-latitude waters when foraging and low-latitudes for mating and calving. Beyond this general migratory pattern, a number of demographic characteristics including, abundance, distribution, seasonal occurrence, and prey preferences remain unknown or poorly described. A complete understanding of humpback whale ecology is therefore lacking. Many methods used to explore these aspects of cetacean ecology are either prohibitively expensive or limited in the scope of what can be learned from their …
Modeling Canopy Photosynthesis Of A Scrub-Oak Ecosystem Under Elevated Co2, Lori Jones
Modeling Canopy Photosynthesis Of A Scrub-Oak Ecosystem Under Elevated Co2, Lori Jones
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Rising atmospheric CO2 and the need to understand potential impacts on terrestrial ecosystems has become increasingly recognized. Models can play a beneficial part in this research to enhance understanding of ecosystem responses to changing conditions like elevated CO2. In this study, data from a long term elevated CO2 experiment in a native forested ecosystem in east central Florida were employed to assess the utility of a multi-layer canopy photosynthesis model as a tool to better understand the responses to elevated CO2 in this ecosystem. Model results compared satisfactorily with the canopy gas exchange measurements in this ecosystem for the period …
Tmdl Bioassessment Sampling Of Benthic Macroinvertebrates For Lake Jesup And Lake Seminary, Gloria Eby
Tmdl Bioassessment Sampling Of Benthic Macroinvertebrates For Lake Jesup And Lake Seminary, Gloria Eby
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The objective of this study was to obtain a bioassessment using benthic macroinvertebrates to meet TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) criteria for an oligotrophic (Lake Seminary) and an eutrophic (Lake Jesup) freshwater system in Seminole County, Florida. Monthly sampling of the benthic macroinverterbrate communities provided important biological data necessary to construct TMDL protocol and trophic state. Since macroinvertebrates are near the base of the food chain, they not only provide a critical role in the natural flow of energy and cycling of nutrients through the food web, but also provide a good indication of water quality by their presence and …
Control Of Stomatal Formation In Arabidopsis Thaliana Inflorescence Stem, Nalini Odapalli
Control Of Stomatal Formation In Arabidopsis Thaliana Inflorescence Stem, Nalini Odapalli
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Stomata are cellular structures that control water loss and gas exchange through the plant epidermis. Stomata arise from special stem cells called meristemoids through a series of programmed asymmetric divisions that are controlled by cell signaling, or via multitude of regulatory pathways and intercellular communication between epidermal cells. In Arabidopsis thaliana, stomata are spaced non-randomly in the epidermis by cell-cell signaling of the receptor-like protein TOO MANY MOUTHS (TMM) as well as other proteins. Point mutation of the TMM gene prevents the development of stomata in some tissues like inflorescence stems. Investigation of tmm mutant stems showed that self-renewing stem …
Social Grouping Behaviors Of Captive Female Hippopotamus Amphibius, Tracy Blowers
Social Grouping Behaviors Of Captive Female Hippopotamus Amphibius, Tracy Blowers
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Levels of sociality vary depending on the costs and benefits associated with grouping behavior. Grouping species form either ephemeral aggregations due to resource availability, or structured groups based on familiarity of individuals. Because there are different costs and benefits associated with different types of groups, it is important to understand more about group structure before making predictions about specific behaviors. Female Hippopotamus amphibius are known to aggregate in the wild but the true nature of their grouping behavior is still not understood. My objective was to determine if captive female hippos form either ephemeral aggregations or social groups. Behavioral data, …
Prevalence And Severity Of Fibropapillomatosis In Juvenile Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) In Three Habitats On Florida's Eas, Kelly Borrowman
Prevalence And Severity Of Fibropapillomatosis In Juvenile Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) In Three Habitats On Florida's Eas, Kelly Borrowman
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a tumor-forming disease mainly found in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) inhabiting Florida's east coast. Despite increased research on the herpes virus that putatively causes it, long-term assessment is still needed of the distribution and severity of FP. Using the decades-long database compiled by the University of Central Florida Marine Turtle Research Group, I determined FP severity and distribution at three different sites: Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Sabellariid Worm Reef (SWR) and Trident Submarine Basin (TSB). Fibropapillomatosis occurred in > 50% of IRL turtles, 18% of SWR turtles and <1% of TSB turtles. Regression of FP tumors was correlated with its prevalence, i.e. when and where FP was common, tumor regression was common. The probability of a turtle being non-afflicted or mildly afflicted increased with both increasing straight-line carapace length (SCL) and increasing relative body condition (residuals of log body mass versus log SCL). Mean annual growth rates of IRL and SWR turtles did not vary with FP severity; however, mean annual growth rates in IRL (1.10 cm/y) were significantly higher than in SWR (1.05 cm/y) and TSB (1.04 cm/y). Annual apparent survival estimates for IRL and TSB turtles were 0.72 and 0.73, respectively, and were constant over time. Even with increased prevalence of FP, annual apparent survival estimates were constant and similar to survival estimates of juvenile green turtles in areas without FP. In IRL, survival rates among FP Categories 0, 1 and 2 were similar (0.74, 0.74 and 0.81 respectively) and lower only for FP Category 3 (0.63). Thus, while FP occurred in > 50% of turtles in some Florida east coast populations, …