Protective Responses Of The Intestinal Epithelial Cell Line Ht-29 Cells Exposed To Dephosphorylated Salmonella Flagellin [Research Note], 2023 Department of Animal Science and Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
Protective Responses Of The Intestinal Epithelial Cell Line Ht-29 Cells Exposed To Dephosphorylated Salmonella Flagellin [Research Note], Heyeon Baik, Jaiesoon Cho
The Philippine Agricultural Scientist
This study aimed to describe the effects of Salmonella Typhimurium flagellin (SFL) dephosphorylated by sweet potato purple acid phosphatase (PAP) on the protective responses of the intestinal epithelial cell line HT-29 cells. The enzyme was reported to display a broad substrate specificity for various organic phosphorylated conjugates and phosphoproteins. Dephosphorylation of SFL by sweet potato PAP decreased to 35% in the presence of 0.05 mM vanadate as compared with the negative control (p < 0.05). Intact SFL and the SFL treated with sweet potato PAP did not remarkably induce the activation of caspase-3 in HT-29 cells at all the tested levels of the substrate. Intact SFL maximally induced the release of IL (interleukin)-8 in HT-29 cells at 1000 ng/mL (p < 0.05). However, the SFL treated with the enzyme inhibited the release of IL-8 at over 100 ng/mL of the substrate as compared with intact SFL, resulting in an approximately 8-fold decrease even at 1000 ng/mL (p < 0.05). The SFL treated with the enzyme decreased the activation of the total ERK1/2 in the cells to 1.9 and 1.7–fold at 10 and 1000 ng/mL of the substrate, respectively, as compared with intact SFL (p < 0.05). In conclusion, sweet potato PAP could be a promising tool for controlling excessive inflammation during Salmonella infection in animal husbandry, and the enzyme could be a safe alternative that can overcome the drawbacks of chemotherapy.
Effects Of A Protection Zone In A Reaction-Diffusion Model With Strong Allee Effect., 2023 University of Louisville
Effects Of A Protection Zone In A Reaction-Diffusion Model With Strong Allee Effect., Isaac Johnson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
A protection zone model represents a patchy environment with positive growth over the protection zone and strong Allee effect growth outside the protection zone. Generally, these models are considered through the corresponding eigenvalue problem, but that has certain limitations. In this thesis, a general protection zone model is considered. This model makes no assumption on the direction of the traveling wave solution over the Strong Allee effect patch. We use phase portrait analysis of this protection zone model to draw conclusions about the existence of equilibrium solutions. We establish the existence of three types of equilibrium solutions and the necessary …
Breaking Virulent: The Coincidental Evolution Of Virulence Factors In Bacteria., 2023 University of Louisville
Breaking Virulent: The Coincidental Evolution Of Virulence Factors In Bacteria., Rhiannon Emmanuelle Cecil
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Understanding how innocuous organisms can evolve to be pathogenic to humans is of increasing global concern. Further, understanding how existing pathogens may evolved to be more virulent is also vital to our ability to provide healthcare to people afflicted with diseases that promote chronic bacterial infections, such as cystic fibrosis. With the rise of antibiotic resistance in both bacteria and fungi it is paramount that new therapeutics are identified. Understanding what mutations occur that result in increased virulence in microbes can potentially provide new targets for antimicrobial drugs to combat antibiotic resistance. The Coincidental Evolution Hypothesis is a fundamental hypothesis …
Patterns In Winter Stonefly Distribution Along A River Continuum And Land-Use Gradient In Northwest Arkansas Streams, 2023 University of Arkansas-Fayetteville
Patterns In Winter Stonefly Distribution Along A River Continuum And Land-Use Gradient In Northwest Arkansas Streams, Zachary Tipton
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Freshwater ecosystems are facing a crisis with extinction rates of aquatic species exceeding those of their terrestrial counterparts by up to fivefold. This decline is predominantly attributed to evolving land use patterns within watersheds, leading to chemical and physical transformations in freshwater habitats. Northwest Arkansas (NWA) represents one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States, undergoing substantial shifts in land use. Consequently, the status of aquatic life in this region remains uncertain. Addressing this concern, the latest Arkansas Wildlife Action Plan emphasizes the necessity of distribution and population data to guide conservation efforts for Species of Greatest Conservation Need …
Metapopulation Genomics Of American Goshawks In The Intermountain West, 2023 Utah State University
Metapopulation Genomics Of American Goshawks In The Intermountain West, Megan M. Sidran
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
Understanding a species dispersal ecology and population dynamics is essential to effectively manage and conserve a species. As advancing technology improves our knowledge of species movements, it is becoming clear that many species form metapopulations to some extent. A metapopulation is a network of interconnected subpopulations that exchange reproductive individuals with subpopulations occupying nearby patches. Metapopulations have been observed in a variety of species, ranging from plants to vertebrates, and can vary greatly in their dynamics (level of connectivity and gene flow) based on the species behavior and life history strategy.
Forming a metapopulation can add much resilience to the …
How Beavers (Castor Canadensis) Affect Habitat Availability For Two Native Oregon Turtles: Actinemys Marmorata And Chrysemys Picta Bellii, 2023 Portland State University
How Beavers (Castor Canadensis) Affect Habitat Availability For Two Native Oregon Turtles: Actinemys Marmorata And Chrysemys Picta Bellii, Rodé Krige
University Honors Theses
Oregon is home to two native freshwater turtle species: the northwestern pond turtle and the western painted turtle. Both turtles are Oregon conservation strategy species with a status rating of sensitive, indicating declining populations. Oregon’s decline in these turtle’s populations is thought to be predominantly due to loss and degradation of habitat that results from development and urbanization. Beavers’ ability to dam streams and create ponds may be creating habitat usable by turtles, but the relationship is under-studied. This study assessed water temperature, basking habitat, and overall turtle habitat suitability at beaver-dammed and control ponds in Portland, Oregon. Average basking …
Germination Trends Of American Chaffseed, Schwalbea Americana L., And Factors Affecting First-Year Seedling Development, 2023 Clemson University
Germination Trends Of American Chaffseed, Schwalbea Americana L., And Factors Affecting First-Year Seedling Development, Trenton Miller
All Theses
Following centuries of exploitation and fire suppression, longleaf pine systems are now the focus of many conservation efforts. Efforts to restore populations of Schwalbea americana L. in longleaf pine savannas have been met with frustratingly low recruitment. While past studies have briefly quantified germination rates for Schwalbea, there have not been any studies yet that truly investigate this plant’s germination requirements. Additionally, there has been little research into characterizing the parasitic relationship between Schwalbea and its various host species. We conducted a germination study in a growth chamber that investigated Schwalbea’s germination rate and time to germinates as …
Do Mesopelagic Fish Biomass Patterns Change In Response To Major Oceanographic Features In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico?, 2023 Nova Southeastern University
Do Mesopelagic Fish Biomass Patterns Change In Response To Major Oceanographic Features In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico?, Ian M. Areford
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
In recent years interest in mesopelagic fishes has grown due to their ecological significance and economic potential. A major outstanding question is how the assemblage is potentially structured by mesoscale (10 - 100s km) oceanographic features such as eddies, fronts, and riverine plumes. Mesoscale features are known to influence micronekton and zooplankton’s spatial distributions but data on individual mesopelagic fish species’ responses are limited. The Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is an area of particular interest due to its diverse mesopelagic fish assemblage, its well-defined mesoscale oceanographic features, its history of anthropogenic impacts such as oil spills, and its diverse mesopelagic …
Edaphic And Climatic Regulation Of Microbial Carbon-Use Efficiency In Managed Semi-Arid Systems, 2023 Utah State University
Edaphic And Climatic Regulation Of Microbial Carbon-Use Efficiency In Managed Semi-Arid Systems, Kirsten R. Butcher
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
In agricultural systems, an increasingly prevalent goal is to promote carbon sequestration into stable, mineral-associated soil organic matter, as increases in soil organic matter have been linked to increases in soil water-holding capacity and increases in nutrient availability. Because microbially-produced compounds are the foundation of soil organic matter, understanding interactions between management strategies and abiotic controls on microbial activity can prove invaluable for producers and ranchers interested in building soil organic matter and safeguarding production systems under a changing climate. The ability of microorganisms to contribute to growing soil organic matter stocks is dictated by their carbon-use efficiency, which is …
Specialized Recreation, Spatial Behavior, And Ecological Implications In The Nature Reserve Of Orange County, Ca, 2023 Utah State University
Specialized Recreation, Spatial Behavior, And Ecological Implications In The Nature Reserve Of Orange County, Ca, Jake Van Deursen
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
A widespread surge in park and protected area (PPA) visitation strikes managers with the imminent challenge of preserving ecological conditions and maintaining accessibility in the open spaces that are a fundamental component to the health and wellness needs of society. In the field of recreation resource management, recreation specialization, the selective channeling of interests and abilities into a specific recreational activity, has contributed to comprehensive understandings of recreation behavior, site preference, management perceptions and conservation support. Contributing to historical understandings of specialization can inform recreation planning on the diversity of uses occurring in urban-proximate PPAs. Survey data providing information on …
Dusky Grouse Population Ecology And Thermal Landscape Ecology In The Great Basin Ecosystem, 2023 Utah State University
Dusky Grouse Population Ecology And Thermal Landscape Ecology In The Great Basin Ecosystem, Stephanie M. Landry
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
Dusky Grouse are a mountainous forest grouse found throughout the western, inland mountain ranges of the United States and Canada. While a few studies have looked at Dusky Grouse in the Rocky Mountain Ecosystem of their range, there have been no prior studies of the Dusky Grouse in the Great Basin Ecosystem aside from a brief survey by Zwickel and Bendell in 2004 in the Duck Creek Range of Nevada. With the available habitats differing in both species diversity and availability on the landscape between the two Ecosystems, I wanted to assess characteristics about the Dusky Grouse populations at the …
Developing Empirical Predictive Models To Support Conservation Planning For Threatened Frogs, Toads, And Turtles In South-Coastal California, 2023 Utah State University
Developing Empirical Predictive Models To Support Conservation Planning For Threatened Frogs, Toads, And Turtles In South-Coastal California, Umarfarooq Adavudi Abdulwahab
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
Amphibians and reptiles (i.e., herptiles) are among the most threatened groups of species on Earth. The major threats to these species include the direct, indirect, and synergistic effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, disease, overexploitation, and pollution. To protect and restore species, natural resource managers need effective, data-driven conservation plans that are grounded in sound knowledge of species distributions and habitat requirements. Species distribution models (SDMs) are popular tools used to assess species-habitat relationships. However, SDMs are sensitive to the choice and quality of input data, both of which can affect model accuracy and precision and lead to …
Reducing Inputs And Adding Value To Turfgrass Systems Through Clover Inclusion And Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Applications, 2023 Utah State University
Reducing Inputs And Adding Value To Turfgrass Systems Through Clover Inclusion And Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Applications, Paige E. Boyle
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
Recently, the US has seen an expansion in the amount of turfgrass land cover (lawns, parks, roadsides, sports fields, and golf courses), as well as an interest in reducing fertilizer, water, and pesticide use in these grass systems. To help maintain quality and function while reducing resource inputs, two promising approaches have emerged: planting clover into lawns and applying plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria.
White clover and grass mixtures have been studied for their ability to cut down on fertilizer usage and provide a uniform, dark green lawn, but other clover types have not been as widely studied and may provide similar …
An Integrative Approach To Managing A Species Of Conservation Concern: Resource Selection, Spatial Ecology, And Population Genetics Of The Green Salamander (Aneides Aeneus), 2023 Clemson University
An Integrative Approach To Managing A Species Of Conservation Concern: Resource Selection, Spatial Ecology, And Population Genetics Of The Green Salamander (Aneides Aeneus), Megan Novak
All Dissertations
The relationship between wildlife and the environment they inhabit is dependent on both spatial and temporal scales. It is therefore crucial that biological investigations account for ecological scale when analyzing patterns and processes established, particularly when such investigations inform conservation management plans. This dissertation provides extensive insight into the conservation biology of the green salamander (Aneides aeneus), a critically imperiled species in South Carolina. The green salamander is a species that exists in a patchy network of rock outcrops within mountainous forest landscapes, and most studies on habitat suitability for green salamanders have been conducted on the macrohabitat, …
Human-Bat Interactions In A Disease Emergence Hotspot: Implications For Human Health And Bat Conservation, 2023 University of Arkansas-Fayetteville
Human-Bat Interactions In A Disease Emergence Hotspot: Implications For Human Health And Bat Conservation, Reilly Tempest Jackson
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Bats are an ecologically important taxon that can host zoonotic pathogens. Globally, many bat species are synanthropic and live closely with humans, often roosting in man-made structures. The spatial overlap between humans and bats creates opportunities for human-bat contact, which can lead to human exposure to bat-borne pathogens and conflicts that cause bat mortality. Despite this risk, little is known about the drivers and characteristics of these human-bat interactions in buildings and work is needed to understand this aspect of the wildlife-urban interface. In Chapter I, I present a literature review that identifies the geographic and taxonomic trends in reported …
Species Richness Of Moths In Parks Surrounded By Varying Levels Of Urbanization Around Nashville, Tennessee, 2023 Belmont University
Species Richness Of Moths In Parks Surrounded By Varying Levels Of Urbanization Around Nashville, Tennessee, Maxwell Stone, Allie Bennett
Science University Research Symposium (SURS)
Moths can act as indicators of environmental wellness due to their pollution sensitivity and the complexity of biodiversity required to support their life cycles. Urbanization can impact the occurrence of moths in protected green spaces. Higher moth species richness was hypothesized to occur in parks surrounded by more rural areas. Three metropolitan parks were chosen in the Nashville area: downtown, within a suburban neighborhood, and in a rural area. Tree canopy cover and degree of impervious surfaces were assessed for each park and surrounding area using iTreeCanopy. Moths were attracted to a white sheet using a mercury vapor bulb, UV …
Assessment Of Green Spaces In Metro Nashville Public High Schools, 2023 Belmont University
Assessment Of Green Spaces In Metro Nashville Public High Schools, Webster G. Andrews, Anna Lennon, Darlene Panvini
Science University Research Symposium (SURS)
Green spaces on and near school property have been correlated to student mental health and academic achievement. However, there is a gap in the literature investigating how quality and quantity of green space is related to socioeconomic status and school economic metrics in public high schools and the surrounding neighborhoods. Nashville public high schools located in higher socioeconomic areas and having greater financial resources were predicted to provide larger, higher quality green spaces. This study combined a quantitative analysis of neighborhood socioeconomic metrics, school socioeconomic metrics, and quantity of green space (assessed using iTree Canopy) with a qualitative field assessment …
Trees In Our City How A Tree And A Small Patch Of Dirt Inspired A Classroom, 2023 Beyond Basic Learning
Trees In Our City How A Tree And A Small Patch Of Dirt Inspired A Classroom, Zuleika Hines
Occasional Paper Series
As a new Director in a new school, I knew that I wanted the children to have a curiosity for nature. But to lead the children to a place of discovery, they would need the opportunity to observe, play, and engage in elements of nature that would support hands-on activities both in the classroom and outside. When the opportunity came for me to build my own early childhood program, I knew that I had a unique opportunity to incorporate elements of nature in the design of the classroom. But I wanted nature to be local and the trees of our …
Quantifying The Role Of Water Quality On Nitrogen Cycling In A Trophic Estuary, 2023 Kennesaw State University
Quantifying The Role Of Water Quality On Nitrogen Cycling In A Trophic Estuary, Kayla Gonzalez-Boy
Symposium of Student Scholars
Jobos Bay Estuary is an intertidal, tropical estuary located in southern Puerto Rico. The estuary covers about 12 km2 and has a variety of habitats, such as seagrass beds, mangroves, mud flats, and coral reefs, which play important roles in sediment trapping and water quality maintenance. Seagrasses also serve as nursery and feeding grounds and provide shelter for macrofauna. Currently, the role of seagrasses and water quality on nitrogen (N) cycling in trophic estuaries is not well constrained. Understanding variations in sediment-based effects on N cycling rates and transformations, and how they are associated with water quality, is an …
Culled Lionfish Sexual Maturity Over A Four-Year Timespan, 2023 Kennesaw State University
Culled Lionfish Sexual Maturity Over A Four-Year Timespan, Christina Bland, Jurgen Hauer, Bilal Saleem, Noelle James
Symposium of Student Scholars
Lionfish are invasive in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Like many other invasive species, they do not have any natural predators in these areas, so their population can grow unchecked. This can decrease the population of native fish species due to lionfish eating to excess. Because of their impact on native species, resource managers have incentivized lionfish hunting. Hunters were paid $6 USD for every pound of lionfish they brought in, so they possibly favored larger lionfish to increase their reward which would lead to an adaptive advantage for fish of smaller sizes. We hypothesized that the lionfish bounty program …