Integrative Biology Commons^™

Integrated Pest Management In The Academic Small Greenhouse Setting: A Case Study Using Solanum Spp. (Solanaceae)., Daniel S. Hayes, Ingrid E. Jordon-Thaden, Jason T. Cantley, Angela J. Mcdonnell, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

Premise

Botanical faculty and staff at academic institutions are often tasked with establishing and/or caring for plant collections held in small greenhouse facilities. Once plants are in place, an especially acute challenge is managing plant pest/pathogen populations. Integrated pest management (IPM) approaches are an excellent option, but few examples exist in the literature of successful programs that have been developed in academic small greenhouse settings.

Methods and Results

Over several years, we developed an IPM program for two small research greenhouses on the campus of a primarily undergraduate institution where hundreds of plants have been grown for studies in the …

Differential Vulnerability To Window Collision Mortality Among Migratory Songbird Species, Olivia M. Colling

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Millions of birds die annually in North America by colliding with windows. I investigated differential vulnerability to window collision among migratory songbird species using long-term citizen science datasets from two bird banding stations and the fatal light awareness program. I used negative binomial regressions to model species-specific catch ratios, a mixed-effects negative binomial regression to model trophic guild-specific catch ratios and mixed-effects logistic regressions to model the odds of catching different age classes. Species-specific vulnerability varied significantly. Blue-headed Vireos, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were least vulnerable, while Ovenbirds, Common Yellowthroats, Fox Sparrows and Bay-breasted Warblers were most vulnerable. Foraging …

Does Thermotolerance In Daphnia Depend On The Mitochondrial Function?, Rajib Hasan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Thermotolerance limit in aquatic organism is set by the ability to sustain aerobic scope to sudden temperature shifts. This study tested the genetic and plastic differences in thermotolerance of Daphnia that can be explained by the differences in the ability to retain mitochondrial integrity at high temperatures. Five genotypes with different biogeographic origins were acclimated to 18^ᵒC and 25^ᵒC. We developed a rhodamine 123 in-vivo assay to measure mitochondrial membrane potential and observed higher fluorescent in heat damaged tissues as the disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential. Significant effects on temperature tolerance were observed with CCCP …

Obscurin Mediates Ankyrin Complex Formation In The Heart, Janani Subramaniam

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Distinctly organized domains of receptors, ion channels, transporters, signaling molecules, cell adhesion molecules, and contractile proteins are crucial to cardiac function. Interactions between adaptor proteins such as ankyrins and cytoskeletal proteins such as obscurin play a pivotal role in organizing these functional domains in cardiomyocytes. Therefore, dysfunction of both ankyrin as well as obscurin lead to a host of cardiovascular diseases such as arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies. Alternative splicing of ankyrin yields numerous isoforms that interact with obscurin at various sub-cellular domains. And while some of these obscurin-ankyrin complexes have been studied, many others have not been characterized. Further, previous studies …

Methodological Advances For Understanding Social Connectivity And Environmental Implications In Multi-Use Landscapes, Matthew Clark

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Integrated social-ecological systems research is challenging; complicated feedback and interactions across scales in multi-use landscapes are difficult to decouple. Novel methods and innovative data sources are needed to advance social-ecological systems research. In this thesis, we use network science as a means of explicitly assessing feedback between social and ecological systems, and internet search data to better predict visitation in protected areas. This thesis seeks to provide empirical examples of emerging social-ecological systems science methods as a precedent for resource managers on-the-ground, as well as extending the line of scientific inquiry on the subject

In the first chapter of this …

The Functional Conservation Of Frazzled In Insects, Benjamin Wadsworth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Axons in the developing embryo receive and react to signals that direct their growth to reach target tissues at specified locations. The signal pathways that direct midline crossing of axons during embryonic development have been comprehensively examined in the past years using the Drosophila ventral nerve cord or the spinal cord as a model system. A number of these signaling mechanisms are conserved, however disparities have been found between species in general strategy or the molecular signals controlling the response of axons to guidance cues.

The Netrin-Frazzled pathway has been shown to aid in midline crossing of axons in the …

Analyzing Physiological Stress Response Using Dermal Swabs In Plethodon Montanus, John Tester

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Upon exposure to environmental stressors, amphibians such as Plethodon montanus will release corticosterone (CORT) thus causing a behavioral and physiological response to cope with the stress. Currently, there are several invasive ways of collecting CORT in salamanders. However, these techniques typically require euthanasia of the organism. We hypothesized that exposure of P. montanus to stressful handling conditions will result in elevations of CORT that can be detected through dermal swabbing. To test this, two experiments were conducted which involved swabbing the dorsal side of the trunk before and immediately after exposing P. montanus to two different environmental stressors. The first …

Ecology Of Upland Snake Communities In Managed Montane Longleaf Pine Habitats Of Georgia, Miranda Gulsby

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Longleaf pine ecosystem decline in the Southeast United States has led to intensive land management implementation with the goal to benefit both the ecosystem and at-risk species. Addressing at-risk snake populations in these longleaf pine ecosystems, for instance, requires understanding both community and species level ecology of snakes in these managed forests. Data for snakes in the montane (mountain) longleaf pine habitats remains unclear since management practice implementation. Currently, intensive restoration of montane longleaf pine habitats is taking place within two Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in the Raccoon Creek Watershed of Northwest Georgia, Sheffield and Paulding Forest. These areas differ …

Mechanisms For The Persistence Of The Coral Holobiont In The Warming Oceans Of The Anthropocene, Daniel G. Merselis

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coral Reefs are rapidly deteriorating in response to an onslaught of human-mediated stressors. Just one stressor alone, climate change, may extirpate coral reef ecosystems within a human lifetime, threatening societal and ecological catastrophe. Reef-derived ecosystem services are crucial for sustenance, coastal protection, and economic prosperity in over 100 countries. Near-term human decisions will determine whether reef-corals, the ecosystems they engineer, the 25% of marine biodiversity they support, and the human communities that depend upon them can be protected. My dissertation aims to characterize the potential for corals' adaptive mechanisms to facilitate their continued survival- information which will only represent hope …

Assessment Of Culverts And Bridges As Roosting Habitat For Perimyotis Subflavus (Tri-Colored Bat) And Disease Transmission Corridors For Pseudogymnoascus Destructans, Kelly Lutsch

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Pseudogymnoascus destructans is an emerging fungal pathogen causing precipitous declines in North American bats due to the development of white-nose syndrome. Since 2006, 34 U.S. states and 7 Canadian provinces have confirmed the presence of P. destructans. Due to the rapid spread of P. destructans across the eastern United States, habitat characterization and disease monitoring has become vital to conserving remnant populations. Bats have been observed in multiple states using non-traditional habitat, such as interstate culverts, for roosting. To investigate their use of anthropogenic structures in coastal Georgia, an area where P. destructans has yet-to-be detected, comprehensive bridge and …

Using Instream Stationary Antennas To Monitor The Movements Of Warm Water Fishes In A Reach Of Stream Bisected By A Culvert, William Commins

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

In this study I investigated the differences in the non-migratory movement patterns of six fish species in a 280m reach of stream bisected by a culvert (impeded), and a 300m reach of stream with no movement barriers (unimpeded). This study took place between July 1, 2018 and November 14, 2018 in Raccoon Creek, Paulding County, Georgia. I used 12mm passive integrated transponder tags and four instream stationary antennas to monitor the movements 429 fishes. The antennas redetected 262 of the 429 individuals (61.1%), and 48% of fishes were redetected more than 10 times. The proportion of tagged individuals detected by …

Investigating The Genetic Basis Of And Plasticity In Ecologically Relevant Phenotypes In African Cichlids, Dina Navon

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the generation of phenotypic variation by linking it to genetic variation has long been a focus of evolutionary biology; this framework has successfully been implemented in a variety of studies across the tree of life^1,2. However, our understanding of the phenotype remains incomplete until we account for a myriad of interactions that influence the genotype-phenotype map, including interactions between traits (TxT), interactions between genes and the environment (GxE), as well as the ways in which various types of interactions are nested within and build upon one another (e.g., (TxT)xG). My dissertation aims to contribute to filling this …

Evidence Of Strong Stabilizing Effects On The Evolution Of Boreoeutherian (Mammalia) Dental Proportions, Tesla A. Monson, Jean-Renaud Boisserie, Marianne F. Brasil, Selene M. Clay, Rena Dvoretzky, Shruti Ravindramurthy, Christopher A. Schmitt, Antoine Souron, Risa Takenaka, Peter S. Ungar, Sunwoo Yoo, Michael Zhou, Madeleine E. Zuercher, Leslea J. Hlusko

Anthropology Faculty and Staff Publications

The dentition is an extremely important organ in mammals with variation in timing and sequence of eruption, crown morphology, and tooth size enabling a range of behavioral, dietary, and functional adaptations across the class. Within this suite of variable mammalian dental phenotypes, relative sizes of teeth reflect variation in the underlying genetic and developmental mechanisms. Two ratios of postcanine tooth lengths capture the relative size of premolars to molars (premolar–molar module, PMM), and among the three molars (molar module component, MMC), and are known to be heritable, independent of body size, and to vary significantly across primates. Here, we explore …

Unraveling The Neurogenin/Ngn-1 Gene Regulatory Network Of C. Elegans Using Classical Genetics And Comparative Transcriptomics, Elyse Christensen

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Proper nervous system development is required for an organism’s survival and function. Defects in neurogenesis have been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. Understanding the gene regulatory networks that orchestrate neural development, specifically cascades of proneural transcription factors, can better elucidate which genes are most essential in governing early neurogenesis. Neurogenins are a family of such factors that are both sufficient and necessary for the development of neural sub-types in mice, primarily through the regulation of other factors, particularly NeuroD. The objective of this study was to evaluate previously established regulatory targets of neurogenin(ngn-1 …

Molecular Detection Of Pathogenic Leptospira Throughout The Caribbean, Zamara R. Garcia Truitt

Biology Theses

Leptospirosis is a common widespread zoonotic disease found throughout the Caribbean. The infection is produced by a pathogenic Leptospira species found in tropical and subtropical regions. The severity of the disease ranges from a mild asymptomatic infection to death. Leptospirosis is a neglected tropical disease due to the lack of public awareness and health approaches. Therefore, misdiagnosis is common because the symptoms are similar to that of other tropical endemic diseases. The aim of the study was to determine the presence of pathogenic Leptospira in water samples collected from Puerto Rico and Trinidad. Sixty-four environmental water samples were collected throughout …

The Developmental And Behavioral Effects Of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol On A Spastic Mutant, Victoria Mendiola

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Hyperekplexia is a neurological disorder affecting infants and can be characterized by excessive startle reactions in response to unexpected stimuli. This disease can be modeled in zebrafish in the bandoneon (beo) mutant, where the glrbbmutation results in glycine receptor (GLYR) loss of function glycine receptors and ultimately, improper inhibitory signaling. Though hyperekplexia is a glycinergic-based signaling disorder, disease symptoms are often alleviated with GABA-agonistic benzodiazepines. Exogenous cannabinoids also modulate GABAergic signaling, and THC, one of the natural compounds that prompted the discovery of the endocannabinoid system mimics the effects of endogenous cannabinoids at endocannabinoid and non-cannabinoid sites in the …

Delivering Signal-Altering Bacterial Effector Proteins To Mammalian Cells Using Cell-Penetrating Peptide Technology, Robert Dickson

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

A major role of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in eukaryotes is to activate the bacterial pathogen defense response upon the detection of bacterial products in the environment. This defensive signaling results in the induction of inflammation, the transcription of antimicrobial peptides, the modulation of the cell cycle and cell survival. Some Gram-negative bacteria have evolved needle-like structures called Type III Secretion Systems (T3SS) that secrete signal-altering molecules into the host cell to interrupt signaling pathways that would otherwise lead to the elimination of the bacterial infection. These signal-altering molecules are known as bacterial effector proteins (BEPs). Bacterial …

Solanum Plastisexum, An Enigmatic New Bush Tomato From The Australian Monsoon Tropics Exhibiting Breeding System Fluidity., Angela J. Mcdonnell, Heather B. Wetreich, Jason T. Cantley, Peter Jobson, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

A bush tomato that has evaded classification by solanologists for decades has been identified and is described as a new species belonging to the Australian “Solanum dioicum group” of the Ord Victoria Plain biogeographic region in the monsoon tropics of the Northern Territory. Although now recognised to be andromonoecious, S. plastisexum Martine & McDonnell, sp. nov. exhibits multiple reproductive phenotypes, with solitary perfect flowers, a few staminate flowers or with cymes composed of a basal hermaphrodite and an extended rachis of several to many staminate flowers. When in fruit, the distal rachis may abcise and drop. A member of …

Structure-Based Design Of Hepatitis C Virus Vaccines That Elicit Neutralizing Antibody Responses To A Conserved Epitope, Brian G. Pierce, Elisabeth N. Boucher, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Ejemel Monir, Chelsea A. Rapp, William D. Thomas Jr., Eric J. Sundberg, Zhiping Weng, Yan Wang

Kurt Piepenbrink

Despite recent advances in therapeutic options, hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a severe global disease burden, and a vaccine can substantially reduce its incidence. Due to its extremely high sequence variability, HCV can readily escape the immune response; thus, an effective vaccine must target conserved, functionally important epitopes. Using the structure of a broadly neutralizing antibody in complex with a conserved linear epitope from the HCV E2 envelope glycoprotein (residues 412 to 423; epitope I), we performed structure-based design of immunogens to induce antibody responses to this epitope. This resulted in epitope-based immunogens based on a cyclic defensin protein, as …

Hawk On Wire: Ecopoems By Scott T. Starbuck, Vivian M. Hansen

The Goose

Review of Scott T. Starbuck’s Hawk on Wire: Ecopoems