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Articles 1 - 24 of 24
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Mammal Species Inventory Using Various Trapping Methods In Zone 4 Of Billy Barquedier National Park, Belize During Rainy Season, Mersady Redding
Mammal Species Inventory Using Various Trapping Methods In Zone 4 Of Billy Barquedier National Park, Belize During Rainy Season, Mersady Redding
Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses
Belize is a small country, but it is extremely ecologically diverse. Based on the few studies conducted in Belize, the abundance of mammals is low but diversity is high. Particular findings note the number and identity of species differed between four sites in the Maya Mountains of Belize, indicating that a data set from a single site is not representative of the Neotropical region. Insufficient data is available to estimate current species richness of many areas in Belize, including Billy Barquedier National Park (BBNP). The objective of this study was to explore trapping and documentation methods of terrestrial mammals in …
Exploring Secondary Structure In Bacteriophage Programmed Frameshift Elements, Samuel Okabayashi, Sean Mcclory
Exploring Secondary Structure In Bacteriophage Programmed Frameshift Elements, Samuel Okabayashi, Sean Mcclory
HON499 projects
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and reproduce using host bacterial components. Part of the bacteriophage reproduction is assembly of the tail complex, which requires two assembly chaperone (TAC) proteins. In many phages the TAC’s are produced from a single gene through a non-canonical process called programmed translational frameshifting (PTF). The SEA-PHAGES program has produced hundreds of TAC genes that are accessible through phagesdb, a database of sequenced and annotated phage genomes. The sequences for the TAC gene were gathered from phagesdb and analyzed using ClustalOmega; a multiple sequence alignment (MSA) tool which revealed several positions where total conservation was …
The Evolutionary Diversity And Biological Function Of Phenazine Metabolite Biosynthesis In Burkholderia Spp, Samuel Hendry
The Evolutionary Diversity And Biological Function Of Phenazine Metabolite Biosynthesis In Burkholderia Spp, Samuel Hendry
Master's Theses
Burkholderia encompass a group of ubiquitous Gram-negative bacteria that include numerous saprophytes, as well as several species that cause infections in animals, immunocompromised patients, and plants. Some species of Burkholderia produce colored redox-active secondary metabolites called phenazines (Phz). In the model opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, phenazines strongly contribute to the competitiveness, formation of biofilms, and virulence in multiple models of infection. Similar depth of knowledge on the diversity, biosynthesis, and biological functions of phenazines in Burkholderiais missing. This project aimed to bridge this gap in knowledge by focusing on phenazine pathways of B. lata and closely related …
Study Of Blood Viscosity With Added Sodium Nitrate And Temperature Variance: A Potential Therapy To Regulate Blood Flow After Induced Hypothermia, Brianna Munnich
Study Of Blood Viscosity With Added Sodium Nitrate And Temperature Variance: A Potential Therapy To Regulate Blood Flow After Induced Hypothermia, Brianna Munnich
Pence-Boyce STEM Student Scholarship
The human body has natural systems for vasodilation which are fueled by nitric oxide production, but in cases of cardiac disfunction and stress nitric oxide can be inhibited. In this study, nitric oxide was studied as a mediator for the blood rush experienced from the warming after induced hypothermia. Nitric oxide (NO) was introduced through sodium nitrate, which was aimed to reduce the speed and turbulence of blood flow through interaction between NO and the active site of hemoglobin. A viscometer was used to examine the rate of blood flow, while the temperature was varied to simulate the conditions of …
A Review Of The Global Commercial Cephalopod Fishery, With A Focus On Apparent Expansion, Changing Environments, And Management, Corey Clark
HCNSO Student Capstones
Cephalopods are both important predators and prey in many marine environments and important fishery resources in many countries. The global fishery has expanded almost continuously from landings of 580,000 metric tonnes in 1950 to over 4 m.t. in 2007. Cephalopods are ecological opportunists with highly plastic biological characteristics and varied population dynamics. Nearly all commercially harvested species are short-lived and can reproduce quickly, enabling them to evolve more rapidly under high selection pressure relative to many fish competitors and predators. As a result, they may have the biological means to be successful under conditions of long-term global climate change. This …
The Role Of Oxytocin On Social Behavior Associated With The Formation Of A Social Pair-Bond In The Socially Monogamous Convict Cichlid (Amatitlania Nigrofasciata), Christopher Garcia
The Role Of Oxytocin On Social Behavior Associated With The Formation Of A Social Pair-Bond In The Socially Monogamous Convict Cichlid (Amatitlania Nigrofasciata), Christopher Garcia
Graduate Theses
The mechanisms for monogamy have evolved several times throughout history across various taxa in accordance with selective pressures. In vertebrates, monogamy is facilitated by the formation and the maintenance of social pair-bonds between mates. Social pair-bonds are a form of selective attachment that require complex neurobiological pathways in order to develop and continue. These neurobiological pathways are often regulated by neuroendocrine mechanisms, such as the release of the two neuroendocrine nonapeptides, oxytocin and arginine vasopressin, in specific parts of the brain or body. These neuroendocrine peptides play a big role in social and sexual behaviors. In prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) …
An Evaluation Of Elemental Composition Of Soils Associated With Ground Nesting Ants In The Family Formicidae In Somerset County, Maine, Haley H. Depner
An Evaluation Of Elemental Composition Of Soils Associated With Ground Nesting Ants In The Family Formicidae In Somerset County, Maine, Haley H. Depner
All Student Scholarship
Ants are keystone organisms and engineers in many ecosystems, playing an important role in nutrient cycling and rearrangement of organic and inorganic materials through foraging, waste management and, in subterranean species, nest construction and maintenance. In this study, I conducted elemental analysis of soils for calcium, copper, iron, potassium, manganese and zinc in and around the colonies of subterranean nesting ants. The two-step analysis used in this study utilizes the efficiency of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Spectrometry to look for overall trends in elemental composition followed by Flame Atomic Absorbance (AA) to achieve higher resolution of select elements of interest as …
Role Of Dyslipidemia On Lipid Metabolism In Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients, Eno Latifi
Role Of Dyslipidemia On Lipid Metabolism In Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients, Eno Latifi
Wayne State University Dissertations
Maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients experience various abnormalities such as systemic inflammation (SI), oxidative stress (OS), and dyslipidemia (D). Defined as an imbalance of plasma lipids, lipoproteins, and lipid metabolism enzymes, D has been associated with a rise in morbidity and mortality within ESRD patients due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the contribution of each of these parameters to D is poorly understood; moreover, the impact of the following parameters on dyslipidemia in different ethnicities is unknown. Hence, the objective of this study was to characterize D in a multi-ethnic cohort of ESRD patients. We hypothesized that the degree of dyslipidemia …
Identification Of A Hybrid Lethal Gene On The X Chromosome Of Caenorhabditis Briggsae, John Kelly Dougherty
Identification Of A Hybrid Lethal Gene On The X Chromosome Of Caenorhabditis Briggsae, John Kelly Dougherty
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
Two closely related Caenorhabditis species, C. briggsae and C. nigoni are cross fertile and produce viable adult progeny. From C. nigoni mothers, F1 adult females are viable and fertile, F1 males are viable but sterile. In crosses that utilize C. nigoni males and C. briggsae hermaphrodites produce viable adult F1 females but F1 males arrest during embryogenesis. A mutation in the Cbr-him-8 gene is a recessive maternal-effect suppressor of male-specific lethality. Hybrid crosses with cbr-him-8 mutant mothers produce viable adult male progeny. The HIM-8 protein in C. elegans is required for the pairing of X-chromosomes during meiosis. This function is …
Description And Alleviation Of The Stress Response In Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae), White-Spotted Bamboo Sharks (Chiloscyllium Plagiosum), And Golden Shiners (Notemigonus Crysoleucas), Lauren Nicole Fuller
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Sharks are an essential component of many marine ecosystems; however they have experienced population declines mainly attributed to overfishing and capture of sharks as bycatch. Despite sharks often being released when captured as bycatch the act of capture can result in a stress response which may cause severe physiological perturbations. Studies have investigated the physiological impacts of capture stress on elasmobranchs but most have primarily focused on the secondary stress response. I conducted a series of studies to further describe the primary stress response through quantification of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) while also investigating methods such as sedation and limiting air …
Transcriptome Analysis For Novel Peptide In Breeding Gland Of Hymenochirus Boettgeri, Minjin Ko
Transcriptome Analysis For Novel Peptide In Breeding Gland Of Hymenochirus Boettgeri, Minjin Ko
University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations
The primary goal of the project was to find nucleotide sequences potentially encoding a pheromone from the breeding gland of Hymenochirus boettgeri. The reasons in searching for the sequence of a pheromone were to better understand the organism and to use the information for application in reproduction of other species. Due to climate change and rampant deforestation, such as in Africa’s Congo Basin, many amphibian species are being threatened. With these increasing threats, a viable option for the future may be breeding in captivity for the amphibian species. Pheromone characterization from the breeding gland of Hymenochirus boettgeri may help with …
City Limits: Heat Tolerance Is Influenced By Body Size And Hydration State In An Urban Ant Community, Dustin Jerald Johnson
City Limits: Heat Tolerance Is Influenced By Body Size And Hydration State In An Urban Ant Community, Dustin Jerald Johnson
University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations
Cities are rapidly expanding, and global warming is intensified in urban environments due to the urban heat island effect. Therefore, urban animals may be particularly susceptible to warming associated with ongoing climate change. Thus, I used a comparative and manipulative approach to test three related hypotheses about the determinants of heat tolerance or critical thermal maximum (CTmax) in urban ants—specifically, that (1) body size, (2) hydration status, and (3) preferred micro-environments influence CTmax. I further tested a fourth hypothesis that native species are particularly physiologically vulnerable in urban environments. I manipulated water access and determined CTmax for 11 species common …
Development Of A Biomarker Panel For Identifying Stressed Marine Mammals, Laura Pujade
Development Of A Biomarker Panel For Identifying Stressed Marine Mammals, Laura Pujade
University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations
Increasing anthropogenic disturbance in marine ecosystems such as fishing, oil-drilling, and noise pollution can have detrimental effects on the reproduction and survival of apex predators such as marine mammals. Stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in increased circulating glucocorticoid (GCs) hormones, which alter expression of target genes encoding metabolic enzymes and other mediators of stress. Prolonged HPA axis stimulation may increase catabolism of nutrient stores and suppress immune and reproductive functions, impacting the fitness of marine mammals. GCs measurements are used to identify wild animals experiencing stress. However, these measurements may not be sensitive enough to distinguish between an …
A Trio Of Sigma Factors Control Hormogonium Development In Nostoc Punctiforme, Alfonso Gonzalez Jr.
A Trio Of Sigma Factors Control Hormogonium Development In Nostoc Punctiforme, Alfonso Gonzalez Jr.
University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations
Cyanobacteria are prokaryotes capable of oxygenic photosynthesis, and for many species, nitrogen fixation, giving cyanobacteria an important role in global carbon and nitrogen cycles. Furthermore, multicellular filamentous cyanobacteria are developmentally complex, capable of differentiation into different cell types, including cells capable of nitrogen fixation and cells for motility, making them an ideal platform for studying development, as well as for practical use in biotechnology. Understanding how developmental programmes are activated require an understanding of the role of alternative sigma factors, which are required for transcriptional activation in bacteria. In order to investigate the gene regulatory network and to determine the …
Characterization And Analysis Of Proteins Secreted By The Mutant Pichia Pastoris Strain, Bgs13, Christopher Alan Naranjo
Characterization And Analysis Of Proteins Secreted By The Mutant Pichia Pastoris Strain, Bgs13, Christopher Alan Naranjo
University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations
The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris has been utilized for heterologous protein expression for research, clinical, and industrial purposes to produce thousands of recombinant protein products. Because P. pastoris secretes very few of its own proteins, the exported recombinant protein is the major polypeptide in the extracellular medium, making purification relatively easy. Unfortunately, a disadvantage to the programmed export is that some recombinant proteins intended for secretion are retained within the cell and may be subsequently degraded. A mutant strain isolated in our lab, containing a pREMI-derived disruption of the BGS13 gene, has displayed elevated levels of secretion for a variety …
Phylogenomic Analyses Clarify Butterfly Species Within The Genus Speyeria Despite Evidence Of A Recent Adaptive Radiation, Erin Thompson
Phylogenomic Analyses Clarify Butterfly Species Within The Genus Speyeria Despite Evidence Of A Recent Adaptive Radiation, Erin Thompson
University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations
The North American genus Speyeria is an especially challenging radiation of butterflies due to ongoing hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting, and similar morphological characters among species. Adaptive radiations often require considerable evidence in order to resolve the evolutionary relationships of closely related individuals. Previous studies of this genus have found paraphyly among species and have been unable to disentangle these taxa due to a lack of data and/or incomplete sampling of the genus. As a result, the interspecific relationships among Speyeria remain unresolved. In an attempt to achieve phylogenetic resolution of the genus, we conducted population genomic and phylogenomic analyses of …
Structural Characterization Of Black Widow Spider Dragline Silk Proteins Crp1 And Crp4, Mikayla Shanafelt
Structural Characterization Of Black Widow Spider Dragline Silk Proteins Crp1 And Crp4, Mikayla Shanafelt
University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations
Spider dragline silk is a biomaterial with outstanding material properties, possessing high-tensile strength and toughness. In nature, dragline silk serves a central role during spider locomotion and web construction. Today, scientists are racing to elucidate the molecular machinery governing silk extrusion, attempting to translate this knowledge into a mimicry process in the laboratory to create synthetic fibers for a wide range of different applications. During extrusion, it has been established that biochemical and mechanical forces govern spidroin folding, aggregation, and assembly. In black widow spiders, at least 7 different proteins have been identified as constituents of dragline silk fibers. These …
Application And Refinement Of Molecular Ecology Techniques For Amphibian Conservation, Stephanie Marie Burgess
Application And Refinement Of Molecular Ecology Techniques For Amphibian Conservation, Stephanie Marie Burgess
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Wildlife conservation has become increasingly difficult due to habitat loss habitat fragmentation and land use change. Thus conservationists have embraced advances in molecular ecology such as landscape genetics and microbial bioinformatics that employ genetic techniques to further understand the relationship between individuals and their environment. In landscape genetics model inferences can be used to identify features that facilitate or resist gene flow providing a framework for anticipating the impacts of land use changes on a species’ ability to disperse. However the factors that affect the transferability of landscape genetics inferences are poorly understood and little is known about the effect …
Transgenerational Plasticity Is Sex-Dependent And Persistent In Yellow Moneyflower (Mimulus Guttatus), Kayla Akkerman
Transgenerational Plasticity Is Sex-Dependent And Persistent In Yellow Moneyflower (Mimulus Guttatus), Kayla Akkerman
All Master's Theses
Transgenerational phenotypic plasticity, whereby environmental cues experienced by parents alter the phenotype of their progeny, has now been documented in diverse organisms. Transmission of environmentally determined responses is known to occur through both maternal and paternal gametes, but the underlying mechanisms have rarely been compared. In addition, the persistence of induction over multiple generations appears to vary widely but has been characterized for relatively few systems. Yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus) is known to exhibit transgenerational induction of increased glandular trichome production in response to simulated insect damage. Here we test for differences between maternal and paternal transmission of …
Regional Patterns Of Vascularity Within The Limb Bones Of Small And Large-Bodied Bats, Logan Usher
Regional Patterns Of Vascularity Within The Limb Bones Of Small And Large-Bodied Bats, Logan Usher
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Bats have humeri and femora that are poorly vascularized or avascular compared to birds, with only larger bats typically displaying vascular canals. Vascular canals provide passageways for blood vessels and nerves, which help maintain bone homeostasis, and support bones by resisting torsional stresses placed on them. The presence of a greater number of canals in large bats suggests that they may have a larger need for the support of nutrient and waste exchange than their dense lacunar-canalicular system can provide on its own. The focus of the current project will be to analyze SR micro-CT data from various bat humeri …
Examination Of Behavioral Lateralizations In Juvenile Tarantulas In The Presence Of Prey Odors, Matthew Angelosanto
Examination Of Behavioral Lateralizations In Juvenile Tarantulas In The Presence Of Prey Odors, Matthew Angelosanto
Senior Honors Theses and Projects
The functional and/or structural specialization of the left or right side of the brain (behavioral lateralization) has substantial impacts on the interactions an animal makes with other organisms and its surroundings. While this has been extensively shown throughout vertebrates, it has recently been demonstrated in various taxa of invertebrates. Despite this, its presence in arachnids, and specifically tarantulas, remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine whether behavioral lateralization is present in the juvenile tarantulas Pterinochilus murinus and Brachypelma albopilosum in response to prey odors. If behavioral lateralization was found, I aimed to detennine how it differed …
Erk3 Negatively Regulates The Il-6/Stat3 Signaling Via Socs3, Astha Shakya
Erk3 Negatively Regulates The Il-6/Stat3 Signaling Via Socs3, Astha Shakya
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
Mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are Ser/Thr kinases that relay the extracellular signal into intracellular responses and regulate several biological responses. They are classified into conventional MAPKs and atypical MAPKs. Extracellular signal regulated kinase 3 (ERK3) is an atypical MAPK that has a single phospho-acceptor site (Ser 189) in its activation motif instead of the canonical Thr-Xaa-Tyr (TXY) motif of conventional MAPK like ERK1/2. ERK3 comprises of a unique C terminal tail and a central C34 domain that further distinguishes it from ERK1/2. Moreover, compared to ERK1/2, much less is known about the upstream activators and the downstream targets of …
Effects Of Coral Reef Habitat Complexity On The Community Composition And Trophic Structure Of Marine Fish Assemblages In Indonesia’S Wakatobi Marine National Park, Kuyer Josiah Fazekas Jr.
Effects Of Coral Reef Habitat Complexity On The Community Composition And Trophic Structure Of Marine Fish Assemblages In Indonesia’S Wakatobi Marine National Park, Kuyer Josiah Fazekas Jr.
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
The coral reefs within Indonesia’s Wakatobi Marine National Park support a high diversity of reef-building hard corals and associated marine fish. Climate change threatens to dramatically affect coral reef ecosystems by altering the interactions between reef fish and the specific microhabitats they depend on for survival. To examine the spatially varied effects of habitat complexity on the community composition and trophic structure of marine fish assemblages, I analyzed fish community and habitat complexity data across reef zones. Habitat complexity metrics were: structural complexity, the percentage of hard coral (HC) cover, HC genera richness, HC genera diversity (Shannon index), and HC …
Bat Species Diversity And Habitat Use Assessment With Focus On Endangered Indiana Bats In The Wright State University Woods, Megan R. Rude
Bat Species Diversity And Habitat Use Assessment With Focus On Endangered Indiana Bats In The Wright State University Woods, Megan R. Rude
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
The goals of my thesis are to: 1) identify species of bats in Wright State University’s (WSU) campus woods via acoustic surveys to compare to detections from previous years (Chapter 1) (2) analyze occupancy and detection probabilities of Indiana bats in different areas throughout the woods (Chapter 1), and 3) create an acoustical approach to analyze habitat use through bat social calls (Chapter 2). In Chapter 1, I conducted stationary acoustic surveys in the Wright State University woods in hydric (riparian), edge, and old growth habitats to record bat vocalizations. The WSU woods have a diverse bat community as ten …