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Theses/Dissertations

2020

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Full-Text Articles in Biology

Molecular Studies On The Interactions Between Biomphalaria Snails And Schistosoma Mansoni, Lijun Lu Dec 2020

Molecular Studies On The Interactions Between Biomphalaria Snails And Schistosoma Mansoni, Lijun Lu

Biology ETDs

Biomphalaria snails serve as vectors for Schistosoma mansoni, a trematode causing human schistosomiasis. Control of Schistosoma mansoni involves chemotherapy of affected people, but new control methods built on improved understanding of schistosome-snail interactions are needed. My dissertation applies molecular and bioinformatics approaches to understand such interactions. Chapter 1 shows that significant differences exist among Biomphalaria species in Africa with respect to their ability to support schistosome development. Chapters 2 and 3 reveal the transcriptional responses of Biomphalaria glabrata susceptible (SUS) or resistant (RES) to Schistosoma mansoni. Chapter 2 identifies a new family of snail immune factors, the AIG …

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A Cophylogenetic Analysis Of Fungus Gardening Ants And Their Symbiotic Fungi, Katherine Beigel Dec 2020

A Cophylogenetic Analysis Of Fungus Gardening Ants And Their Symbiotic Fungi, Katherine Beigel

Biology Theses

Fungus-growing ants (Tribe Attini) and their fungal cultivars share a 50-million-year coevolutionary history. Large scale phylogenetic analyses depict a strong co-phyletic signal among ants and their farmed fungi yet fungus sharing among unrelated ant lineages is somewhat widespread. An overview of sharing has been hampered by a lack of genetic markers that exhibit intraspecific variation and surveys across geographic regions. For example, previous studies have shown similar sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of fungus in different species of Trachymyrmex, suggesting that these ant species are farming the same fungal clone. To examine whether this was a …

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Influence Of Testosterone On Male-Male Competition In The Red-Sided Garter Snake, Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis, Isabella M. G. Bukovich Dec 2020

Influence Of Testosterone On Male-Male Competition In The Red-Sided Garter Snake, Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis, Isabella M. G. Bukovich

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Female mimicry in the red-sided garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis, is described in several well-studied evolutionary advantages, but an aspect that remains elusive is how reproductive traits are linked to the 3-fold higher circulating androgens in males with this phenotype. In this study, we implanted male garter snakes (n=15 per group) with either a blank implant (SHAM; control) or a T implant, the latter simulating the female mimic phenotype. Following simulated low-temperature dormancy, males were scored for courtship intensity over three days of behavioral trials with females housed in the same facility. Males were sacrificed, and sperm were collected …

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Identifying The Effects Naturally Forming Bacterial Communities Have On The Efficiency Of Passive Remediation Systems Built To Treat Abandoned Coal Mine Drainage, Michelle M. Valkanas Dec 2020

Identifying The Effects Naturally Forming Bacterial Communities Have On The Efficiency Of Passive Remediation Systems Built To Treat Abandoned Coal Mine Drainage, Michelle M. Valkanas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abandoned mine drainage (AMD) has resulted in worldwide devastation. Passive remediation systems (PRS) are a cost-effective option to treat AMD. While the geochemistry (abiotic) of these systems is well understood, little work has been done to characterize the microbial communities (biotic) that naturally form within these systems. The goal of this dissertation was to identify the effects that bacterial communities have on the efficiency of PRSs. Four passive remediation sites built to treat coal mine drainage were studied: two that treat acidic discharges (Boyce and Middle Branch) and two that treat circumneutral discharges (Wingfield Pines and Lowber). Survey studies suggested …

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Identification Of Clonal Evolution Pattern And Mutation Event Associated With Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Using Next-Generation Sequencing, Cheng Wang Dec 2020

Identification Of Clonal Evolution Pattern And Mutation Event Associated With Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Using Next-Generation Sequencing, Cheng Wang

Theses & Dissertations

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive lymphoid malignancy. About 30% of DLBCL cases respond poorly to initial treatment and eventually relapse. For these patients, the current treatment regimen is quite limited, and the prognosis is poor. Gene mutations and genetic alterations play an important role in lymphomagenesis. However, the genetic alterations or gene mutations underlying the disease resistance/relapse in DLBCL are still unknown. The clonal evolution during the process of disease progression is elusive as well. Our goal is to study the genetic alterations in DLBCL, particularly paired diagnostic and relapsed/refractory DLBCL, to better understand the mutation landscape …

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Mechanisms By Which Mnte-2-Pyp Suppresses Prostate Cancer Cell Growth, Yuxiang Zhu Dec 2020

Mechanisms By Which Mnte-2-Pyp Suppresses Prostate Cancer Cell Growth, Yuxiang Zhu

Theses & Dissertations

Prostate cancer patients are often treated with radiotherapy. MnTE-2-PyP, is a superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimic and a known radioprotector of normal tissues. Our recent work demonstrates that MnTE-2-PyP also inhibits prostate cancer progression with radiotherapy; however, the mechanisms remain unclear. In this thesis, we identified that MnTE-2-PyP-induced intracellular H2O2 levels are critical in inhibiting growth of prostate cancer cells. We found that MnTE-2-PyP induced protein oxidations in PC3 cells and one major group of oxidized protein targets were involved in energy metabolism. The oxidative phosphorylation rates were significantly enhanced in both PC3 and LNCaP cells with MnTE-2-PyP treatment, but mitochondrial …

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Engineering Mesothelin-Binding Proteins As Targeted Cancer Diagnostics And Therapeutics, Allison Rita Sirois Dec 2020

Engineering Mesothelin-Binding Proteins As Targeted Cancer Diagnostics And Therapeutics, Allison Rita Sirois

Doctoral Dissertations

Cancer is a significant global health concern; and traditional therapies, including chemotherapeutics, are often simultaneously toxic yet ineffective. There is a critical need to develop targeted cancer therapeutics which specifically inhibit molecules or molecular pathways essential for tumor growth and maintenance. Furthermore, a targeted therapy is only effective when a patient's tumor expresses the molecular target; therefore, companion diagnostics, including molecular imaging agents, are a necessary counterpart of targeted therapies. Mesothelin (MSLN) is a cell surface protein overexpressed in numerous cancers, including triple-negative breast, pancreatic, ovarian, liver, and lung, with limited expression in normal tissues. Aberrant MSLN expression promotes tumor …

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Comparison Of Cardiac Muscle Between Male And Female Rats With Exercise And Aging: Analyzing Vitals, Gdnf Expression, Ngf Expression, Rna Expression, Sympathetic Innervation, Parasympathetic Innervation, And Sensory Innervation, Katelyn Kurrie Dec 2020

Comparison Of Cardiac Muscle Between Male And Female Rats With Exercise And Aging: Analyzing Vitals, Gdnf Expression, Ngf Expression, Rna Expression, Sympathetic Innervation, Parasympathetic Innervation, And Sensory Innervation, Katelyn Kurrie

Honors Theses

The direction of my research-based thesis answers the question of how exercise affects the cardiovascular system with aging in male and female rats. My study would highlight the important differences of the cardiovascular system of both sexes which could lead to sex-specific insight on the cardiovascular disease epidemic which prevails as the most common cause of death in the United States. The studies completed will test the hypothesis: neurotrophic factor will be higher in females than males due to the higher presence of estrogen in females. The trophic factor is predicted to increase in both males and females with regular …

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Elucidating The Role Of Ecdysoneless In Mrna Processing, Irfana Saleem Dec 2020

Elucidating The Role Of Ecdysoneless In Mrna Processing, Irfana Saleem

Theses & Dissertations

The mammalian orthologue of the evolutionarily conserved Ecdysoneless (ECD) protein is required for embryogenesis, cell cycle progression and mitigation of ER stress. However, the molecular mechanisms of ECD function in mammalian cells remain unclear. Here, using mass spectrometry analysis of the mammalian ECD interactome, we identified several components of the mRNA export complexes as binding partners of ECD and then characterized the functional interaction of ECD with key mRNA export-related DEAD BOX protein helicase DDX39A and its associated partners. FISH analysis of Poly-A-tailed mRNAs revealed that ECD depletion/deletion blocks the mRNA export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. We have …

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The Decision Maker: Understanding The Role Of Ifrd1 In Urothelial Plasticity And Regeneration, Bisiayo Erionmwon Fashemi Dec 2020

The Decision Maker: Understanding The Role Of Ifrd1 In Urothelial Plasticity And Regeneration, Bisiayo Erionmwon Fashemi

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The bladder urothelium forms a highly specialized watertight barrier to urinary wastes. The urothelium offers an unusual example of tissue regeneration: although urothelial cells do not rapidly turn over under physiological conditions, they have an impressive capacity to regenerate tissue upon injury. Even more remarkable, depending on the modality of injury (sterile, infectious) there appear to be two distinctive modes of urothelial regeneration. We have previously shown that in response to a urinary tract infection (UTI), the urothelial stem cell niche becomes activated and induces rapid restoration of the urothelium, whereas, regeneration following sterile injury does not involve stem cell …

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Assessing Moringa Oleifera Plants As Exposure Pathways For Heavy Metals In Highly Contaminated Areas, Marissa Louise Mayfield* Dec 2020

Assessing Moringa Oleifera Plants As Exposure Pathways For Heavy Metals In Highly Contaminated Areas, Marissa Louise Mayfield*

Biology Theses

This study examined the uptake of heavy metals by Moringa oleifera trees in both field and laboratory settings. The main goal of this study was to determine whether using Moringa, grown in heavily contaminated areas, as food or herbal supplements increases the risk of heavy metal exposure. The field component of this study was carried out in the Southern part of Kabwe, Zambia where a lead-zinc mine has left a legacy of severe environmental pollution in the neighboring areas. Moringa trees have several medicinal properties which is one of the reasons they were first introduced to the area. The trees …

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Prevalence Of Snake Fungal Disease Caused By Ophidiomyces Ophiodiicola In East Texas, Alan Lizarraga Dec 2020

Prevalence Of Snake Fungal Disease Caused By Ophidiomyces Ophiodiicola In East Texas, Alan Lizarraga

Biology Theses

Fungal pathogens and resultant disease are credited with the decline of many species across all branches of the tree of life. Fungal diseases such as Snake Fungal Disease (SFD), primarily caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (Oo), have been strongly associated with the cause of the decrease/disappearance of many snake populations in North America. To date SFD in the wild has been described as far southwest as central Louisiana. Due to similar conditions and the proximity of East Texas to central Louisiana, a survey of local snake populations provided crucial information about the spread and presence of this emerging pathogen. …

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Comparison Of Threatened Neosho Madtom Densities Between Riverscapes Differing In Anthropogenic Stressors, With A Particular Focus On Recovery From Mining-Derived Metal Pollution, Kali Boroughs Dec 2020

Comparison Of Threatened Neosho Madtom Densities Between Riverscapes Differing In Anthropogenic Stressors, With A Particular Focus On Recovery From Mining-Derived Metal Pollution, Kali Boroughs

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Water pollution imperils the Neosho Madtom (Noturus placidus), which is threatened in Kansas and federally. Within Kansas madtom densities were historically lower in the Spring River compared to the Cottonwood and Neosho Rivers, especially within the Spring River below tributary inputs that delivered cadmium, lead, and zinc pollution from the Tri-State Mining District. Studies suggest that madtoms are less numerous in waters containing elevated metal concentrations because of direct toxicity and lower benthic macroinvertebrate availability, which is also depressed by elevated metal concentrations. However, long-term reductions in metal concentrations in the Spring River have occurred, but to date …

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Exposing Lettuce Plants To Cyanobacteria In A Closed Hydroponics System To Reduce Cyanobacterial Growth And Production, Emily Eberly Dec 2020

Exposing Lettuce Plants To Cyanobacteria In A Closed Hydroponics System To Reduce Cyanobacterial Growth And Production, Emily Eberly

Honors Projects

Sandusky Bay is largely populated by cyanobacterial algal blooms, mainly formed by Planktothrix. Fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus run from agricultural lands into the bay, building up excess nutrients forming eutrophic waters. The Planktothrix feed off these nutrients and grow into algal blooms. To determine a potential solution to the growth of these blooms, I implemented a hydroponics system involving Lactuca Sativa for analysis of Planktothrix growth and productivity. Four different nutrient conditions were added to a Planktothrix-only solution and a solution growing Planktothrix with the lettuce in the hydroponics system. The four conditions consisted of no nutrient …

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Functional Investigations Of Proteins And Enzymatic Toxins From Full-Length-Enriched Cdna Of Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus Horridus), Joshua Osula Dec 2020

Functional Investigations Of Proteins And Enzymatic Toxins From Full-Length-Enriched Cdna Of Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus Horridus), Joshua Osula

Theses

Snake Venom is a highly modified form of saliva, contains hundreds of zootoxins, necrotoxins, cytotoxins, neurotoxins, and mytotoxins, all of which are primarily made up of mostly proteins, polypeptides, and other components such as enzymes, lipids, and carbohydrates. Although snake venom is known for its harmful effects, it has also had a positive impact in scientific discovery and medicine. Some toxins from snakes function to inhibit pain, and this means they can be very effective analgesics. For instance, crotalphine is considered a 14-amino-acid-peptide that has a disulfide bond and shows analgesic properties through TRPA1 desensitization. This …

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An Examination Of Barriers And Determinates Impacting The Healthcare Of Kalamazoo County's Transgender And Non-Binary Young Adult Population, Tyler Signorella Dec 2020

An Examination Of Barriers And Determinates Impacting The Healthcare Of Kalamazoo County's Transgender And Non-Binary Young Adult Population, Tyler Signorella

Honors Theses

Historically non-binary and transgender individuals have faced and continue to face a unique set of obstacles and challenges in seeking and receiving general healthcare. Within the US this is well documented on a national level. In this exploratory study we will seek to understand the experience of young adults in Kalamazoo County comparing their perspectives to the already established pool of information. This will be accomplished through surveying emergent adults identifying as either transgender or gender non-binary within Kalamazoo County and then synthesizing this data into an analyzable collective format.

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Impact Of Endangered Animal Protection Rights, Policies, And Practices On Zoonotic Disease Spread, Daniella Fedak-Lengel Dec 2020

Impact Of Endangered Animal Protection Rights, Policies, And Practices On Zoonotic Disease Spread, Daniella Fedak-Lengel

Honors Projects

Building on field research in Costa Rica and Belize, this honors project analyzes environmental and endangered animal protection policies, rights, and practices in Central America and the Caribbean, and assesses the impact of veterinary science and biological research and practice, particularly conservation biology, on animal welfare concerns. Informed by the recent surge in awareness regarding zoonoses and zoonotic disease transmission, prevention and control, resulting from the current global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, the project assesses the need for new and innovative types of collaboration, particularly involving conservation biologists, environmental scientists, public health experts, law and policy makers, and global trade and …

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Investigating Dose-Dependent, Multi-Generational, And Strain-Specific Effects Of 17Α-Ethynylestradiol Exposure In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Decatur Mitochondria Foster Dec 2020

Investigating Dose-Dependent, Multi-Generational, And Strain-Specific Effects Of 17Α-Ethynylestradiol Exposure In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Decatur Mitochondria Foster

Dissertations and Theses

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) pose a threat to biodiversity at the individual, population, and ecosystem level, as they can interfere with processes that are responsible for regulating metabolism, development, behavior, and reproduction in living organisms. 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) is a synthetic estrogen and EDC utilized in pharmaceutical and livestock industries, and contaminates waterways worldwide. This research explores the effects of dose-dependent and multi-generational exposure of EE2 in three strains of zebrafish. High dose (10-25 ng/L EE2) exposure led to complete reproductive failure, as well as significantly decreased survival and growth. A period in clean water (depuration) after exposure allowed for some …

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The Neuroinflammatory Effects Of Chronic Unpredictable Stress On Zebrafish, Danio Rerio, Brandon Stewart Dec 2020

The Neuroinflammatory Effects Of Chronic Unpredictable Stress On Zebrafish, Danio Rerio, Brandon Stewart

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Stress is a state of threatened homeostasis counteracted by various physiologic and behavioral responses aimed to maintain or restore balance. As such, stress acts as a motivator to perform during the challenges of life to survive. Chronic perturbations to the stress response homeostasis without relief can lead to dysregulation, thus attenuating organ systems and structures and causing significant damage {1]. Individuals who undergo psychological trauma endure an acute and transient experience, which results in minimal functional impairment, but some suffer from a chronic condition called posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Individuals who have PTSD are likely to experience intense stress, …

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Residency, Diel Movement, And Tidal Patterns Of Large Juvenile Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In Winyah Bay, Sc, Jeremy Lee Arnt Dec 2020

Residency, Diel Movement, And Tidal Patterns Of Large Juvenile Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In Winyah Bay, Sc, Jeremy Lee Arnt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

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Early Life History Of Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus) In South Carolina Estuaries: Assessment Of Juvenile Recruitment And Validity Of Aging And Back-Calculation Methods, Garrett M. Elmo Dec 2020

Early Life History Of Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus) In South Carolina Estuaries: Assessment Of Juvenile Recruitment And Validity Of Aging And Back-Calculation Methods, Garrett M. Elmo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

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A New Species Of Ant-Mimicking Sac Spider Castianeira Reiskindi (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae) From Nicaragua And A Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Australian Castianeirinae., Matthew P. Leister Dec 2020

A New Species Of Ant-Mimicking Sac Spider Castianeira Reiskindi (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae) From Nicaragua And A Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Australian Castianeirinae., Matthew P. Leister

Biology ETDs

Ant-mimicking spiders in the subfamily Castianeirinae have had a number of taxonomic revisions and species descriptions. Despite these advancements, more species exist await formal scientific description and little scientific progress has been made in terms of reconstructing their evolutionary histories. This study 1) describes a new species Castianeira reiskind sp. n. from cloud forests in Nicaragua; and 2) presents a first look of the Australian Castianeirinae taxa in a phylogenetic framework. This analysis is used to explore the origins of Hymenoptera mimicry in this group, test the monophyly of this subfamily compared to the Corinninae and to test the current …

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Tunel Apoptotic Cell Detection In Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (Sctld): Evaluation Of Potential And Improvements, E. Murphy Mcdonald Dec 2020

Tunel Apoptotic Cell Detection In Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (Sctld): Evaluation Of Potential And Improvements, E. Murphy Mcdonald

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is a highly lethal coral disease that has caused a dramatic loss of coral tissue along the Florida Reef Tract and throughout the Wider Caribbean. This study seeks to understand whether programmed cell death (apoptosis) is involved in the pathology of the highly virulent SCTLD tissue loss lesion. Tissues from diseased colonies of Pseudodiploria strigosa collected in 2018 and 2020 were stained using the terminal deoxyribonucleotidyltransferase (TdT) mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay to visualize areas of programmed cell death. The archived tissue samples collected in 2018 exhibited a significantly higher degree of …

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The Effects Of White-Nose Syndrome On Cave-Dwelling Bats During Their Pre-Hibernation Season In Eastern Nebraska, Maggie Bockart Dec 2020

The Effects Of White-Nose Syndrome On Cave-Dwelling Bats During Their Pre-Hibernation Season In Eastern Nebraska, Maggie Bockart

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is currently the leading cause of death to North American bats and was first documented in the United States in 2006 on the East Coast. Infection with the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) causes bats to arise from hibernation with unnecessary frequency, leading to depletion of fat reserves that are imperative for extended periods of torpor. In October 2014, biologists surveyed the activity levels of bats at Fontenelle Forest in eastern Nebraska using acoustic detectors and determined what species of bats were present and their relative abundance before being exposed to WNS. By returning to the …

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Analysis Of Seasonal Changes In Thermal Stress Resilience And Innate Immunity In The Temperate Coral, Astrangia Poculata, From Future Climate Impacts, Tyler Eugene Harman Dec 2020

Analysis Of Seasonal Changes In Thermal Stress Resilience And Innate Immunity In The Temperate Coral, Astrangia Poculata, From Future Climate Impacts, Tyler Eugene Harman

Masters Theses

Over the years, global warming has had a devastating effect on coral reef ecosystems. Anthropogenic influences have caused significant increases in greenhouse gases, with a subsequent increase in solar radiation held within Earth’s atmosphere leading to increasing global temperatures. The increasing temperatures from concurrent increases in greenhouse gases impact fragile marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, which require particular environmental parameters such as temperature in order to survive and maintain a diverse ecosystem in which many marine species rely on. These increases in temperature exacerbate phenomena such as bleaching events and coral disease, drastically impacting coral on a global scale …

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Hormonal Responses To Seasonal Thermal And Ecological Stressors In Japanese Macaques (Macaca Fuscata), Lilianne Nelson Dec 2020

Hormonal Responses To Seasonal Thermal And Ecological Stressors In Japanese Macaques (Macaca Fuscata), Lilianne Nelson

Masters Theses

Relative to most primate species, Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) experience extreme seasonal variation in thermal and ecological stressors that can impact energetic demands. To cope with these environmental changes, levels of metabolic hormones, such as cortisol and triiodothyronine, fluctuate to facilitate energetic adjustments. While previous research in primates has investigated thermal and ecological stressors individually, a combined assessment of these stressors alongside hormone levels can provide a more holistic understanding of the relationship between a primate’s thermoregulation, energetic balance, and stress. The goals of this study were to determine the effects of season, temperature and ecological stress on …

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The Occurrence Of Microplastics Among Freshwater Fish Guilds In A South Carolina Reservoir, Chasity Rae Moore Dec 2020

The Occurrence Of Microplastics Among Freshwater Fish Guilds In A South Carolina Reservoir, Chasity Rae Moore

Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

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Finding The Balance​ The Effects Of Α-Cyclodextrin, 2-Hydroxypropyl-Β-Cyclodextrin, And Cholesterol Bacteroides Vulgatus And Clostridium Bolteae​, Bethany Weaver Dec 2020

Finding The Balance​ The Effects Of Α-Cyclodextrin, 2-Hydroxypropyl-Β-Cyclodextrin, And Cholesterol Bacteroides Vulgatus And Clostridium Bolteae​, Bethany Weaver

Pence-Boyce STEM Student Scholarship

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease that is characterized by the hardening of arteries through the formation of cholesterol plaques. Cyclodextrins could potentially treat atherosclerosis by shrinking plaques. These cyclic oligosaccharides can make complexes with cholesterol but have also shown toxic side effects. This study looked for potential negative effects of cyclodextrins and cholesterol on gut bacteria. It was hypothesized that Bacteroides vulgatus will have decreased growth when grown in broth with cholesterol. In contrast, Clostridium bolteae will have decreased growth when grown in broth with cyclodextrins. Due to the fact that these bacteria are anaerobic, Clostridium bolteae and Bacteroides vulgatus …

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Tissue-Specific Responses From A Global Developmental Signal: A Detailed Subcellular Analysis Of The 20e And Rab Signaling Pathways Controlling Exocrine Secretion During Drosophila Development, Nichalas Nelson Dec 2020

Tissue-Specific Responses From A Global Developmental Signal: A Detailed Subcellular Analysis Of The 20e And Rab Signaling Pathways Controlling Exocrine Secretion During Drosophila Development, Nichalas Nelson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

During metamorphosis, the steroid hormone 20-hydroxecydysone (20E) triggers a plethora of tissue-specific responses in the common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. The salivary glands are exocrine organs that respond to a large pulse of 20E to secrete a massive cargo of stored glycoproteins called glue. Because the glands are amenable to ex vivo-organ culture and powerful genetic manipulations, they are an excellent model for studying the conserved developmental and physiological signaling pathways that regulate the general function of these specialized secretory tissues. Our lab has generated transgenic animals in which the secreted glue molecules are tagged with fluorescent proteins. I have …

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Modeling Neurofibromatosis Type Ii In Zebrafish, Hannah Nuszen Dec 2020

Modeling Neurofibromatosis Type Ii In Zebrafish, Hannah Nuszen

University Honors Program Senior Projects

Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) is a rare genetic disorder, classified as a neurocutaneous syndrome inherited through an autosomal dominant genetic mutation or deletion of the NF2 gene in humans. The tumor suppressor gene NF2 encodes the cytoskeletal protein MERLIN to promote apoptosis and inhibit abnormal cellular proliferation. Mutations in NF2 lead to a deficiency of functional MERLIN in humans and can result in hearing loss, disability, and premature death. These symptoms are due to uncontrollable growth of schwann cells generating bilateral benign tumors (schwannomas) within the nerve sheath of cranial nerve VIII. Here we seek to understand the function of …

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