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Full-Text Articles in Entomology
Comparison Of The Humoral Immune Response Following Both Bacterial Challenge And Rnai Of Major Factors On Proliferation Of Bartonella Quintana In The Human Louse, Jake Zina
Masters Theses
Human body lice, Pediculus humanus humanus, and head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis, have been hematophagous ectoparasites of humans for thousands of years. Despite being ecotypes, only body lice are known to transmit bacterial diseases to humans, and it appears that lower humoral and cellular immune responses allow body lice to possess a higher vector competence. We previously observed that the transcription level of the defensin 1 gene was up-regulated only in head lice following oral challenge of Bartonella quintana, a causative agent of trench fever, and also that body lice excreted more viable B. quintana in their …
Rapid Molecular Detection And Population Genetics Of Pityophthorus Juglandis, A Vector Of Thousand Cankers Disease In Juglans Spp., Emel Oren
Masters Theses
Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) is a disease complex involving the fungal pathogen Geosmithia morbida, an insect vector Pityophthorus juglandis, and the hosts, Juglans spp. and Pterocarya spp. Signs and symptoms of TCD include crown thinning due to branch dieback, yellowing and wilting of the leaves, appearance of epicormic shoots, numerous entrance/exit holes, gallery formation by P. juglandis, and the development of small, dark brown cankers underneath the bark. TCD originally described from western U.S., has now expanded to eastern U.S. and northwestern Italy. The disease complex is often difficult to diagnose due to the absence of symptoms …
Functional Characterization Of An Endoglucanase From Tribolium Castaneum (Tceg1) In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae And Characterization Of Cellulolytic Activity In The Digestive Fluids Of Thermobia Domestica (Zygentoma: Lepismatidae), Derek Mychel Shirley
Masters Theses
Cellulosic ethanol has the potential to be a significant biofuel due to its sustainability and high energy yield. However it is the recalcitrance of cellulose that presents a costly road block in the economic feasibility of cellulosic ethanol production. The enzymatic degradation of lignocellulosic biomass has the greatest potential for reducing the production costs of this process. While many commercially viable cellulases have been identified in bacteria and fungi, insects remain a relatively untapped source of these enzymes. In fact recent studies have shown that insects produce highly active endogenous cellulases capable of completely hydrolyzing cellulose to glucose, without the …