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What Is In Your Picnic Basket, Hailey Billings, Dr. Beverley Roeder

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My project made inroads in the field of wild animal nutrition using stable isotope ratios to reconstruct diets in free ranging American Black Bears. This information will help develop diets that improve health and reproduction, and aid prevention of diseases and ailments such as obesity, arthritis, allergies and nutritional deficiencies, in bears maintained in zoos, and artificial habitats.

Review Of Report On The “Status Of Nearshore Finfish Stocks In South-Western Western Australia: Australian Herring And Tailor”, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Dirigent Domain-Containing Protein Is Part Of The Machinery Required For Formation Of The Lignin-Based Casparian Strip In The Root, Prashant S. Hosmani, Takehiro Kamiya, John Danku, Sadaf Naseer, Niko Geldner, Mary Lou Guerinot, David Salt

Dartmouth Scholarship

The endodermis acts as a "second skin" in plant roots by providing the cellular control necessary for the selective entry of water and solutes into the vascular system. To enable such control, Casparian strips span the cell wall of adjacent endodermal cells to form a tight junction that blocks extracellular diffusion across the endodermis. This junction is composed of lignin that is polymerized by oxidative coupling of monolignols through the action of a NADPH oxidase and peroxidases. Casparian strip domain proteins (CASPs) correctly position this biosynthetic machinery by forming a protein scaffold in the plasma membrane at the site where …

Traversing Swanton Road, 13th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Experimental Demonstration Of Accelerated Extinction In Source-Sink Metapopulations, John M. Drake, Blaine D. Griffen

Faculty Publications

Population extinction is a fundamental ecological process which may be aggravated by the exchange of organisms between productive (source) and unproductive (sink) habitat patches. The extent to which such source-sink exchange affects extinction rates is unknown. We conducted an experiment in which metapopulation effects could be distinguished from source-sink effects in laboratory populations of Daphnia magna. Time-to-extinction in this experiment was maximized at intermediate levels of habitat fragmentation, which is consistent with a minority of theoretical models. These results provided a baseline for comparison with experimental treatments designed to detect effects of concentrating resources in source patches. These treatments showed …

Post-Translational Regulation Of Fas-Mediated Pparα Activation, Anne Patricia Louise Jensen-Urstad

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The liver is a central organ to whole-body metabolism and mediates many of the adaptive responses to changes in nutrient availability, such that the appropriate energy sources are used and blood glucose levels maintained, whether directly after a meal or after a twelve-hour fast. The adaptive responses to fasting in liver are largely mediated by the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α, or PPARα. PPARα can be activated by a de novo synthesized lipid ligand—16:0/18:1- glycerophosphocholine (16:0/18:1-GPC)—the synthesis of which is dependent on fatty acid synthase (FAS), but little is known about the regulation of this pathway. My thesis focused …

Type 1 Diabetes And The Male Reproductive Axis, Erica Schoeller

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Glucose regulation is important in both spermatogenesis as well as mature sperm function. The impact of diabetes on sperm function is becoming increasingly clear, though much work is still needed to elucidate the mechanism by which diabetes impairs spermatogenesis. Diabetes causes disruptions in the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal (HPG) axis, the regulatory system that controls reproduction. The HPG axis functions by secreting GnRH pulses from the hypothalamus, which bind to receptors on the pituitary and cause secretion of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, which then bind to receptors in the testes and facilitate spermatogenesis. Type 1 diabetes can severely impact …

Confocal Microscopy Study Of The Embryonic Development Of The Viviparous Nemertean Prosorhochmus Americanus Reveals Larval Features Supporting Indirect Development In Hoplonemerteans, S Tyler Spindle

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies of hoplonenemertean planuliform larvae have clarified their development and provided insight into larval evolution within the phylum. However, an assessment of viviparous development using modern techniques is lacking. To help facilitate a comprehensive comparative evaluation of developmental diversity within hoplonemerteans, we have conducted a confocal laser scanning microscopy investigation of the development in Prosorhochmus americanus, one of the few viviparous hoplonemertean species. Phalloidin staining provides evidence of a modified transitory larval epidermis, and reveals that the foregut, midgut, proboscis, central nervous system, and body wall musculature form early in development, consistent with observations for planktonic and encapsulated hoplonemertean …

Aspergillosis Of Pseudopterogorgia Americana: Increased Host Range Of Aspergillus Sydowii From The Wider Caribbean, Garriet W. Smith

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Reports of gorgonian diseases have been increasing in the past few years,but, with the exception of Gorgonia spp., the etiological agents responsible are generally unknown. In the summer of 1999, populations of Pseudopterogorgia americana were observed with lesions and galls, somewhat similar to Aspergillus sydowii infections on Gorgonia ventalina, in Bermuda. Surveys of three sites were made, repeated the following two years, and compared with sites in the Bahamas. Microscopic observations of affected tissue and subsequent pure culture studies indicated the pathogen was also A. sydowii. Over half of the colonies at the Bahamas site were affected, but …

The Importance Of Epigenetic Phenomena In Regulating Activity Of The Genetic Material, Sin Chan

Senior Honors Projects

Genetics has taught us that genes are represented as discrete sequences within a larger DNA molecule found embedded within the chromosomes of a living cell. Collectively these chromosomes and their associated genes carry all of the instructions for life. Until recently, the prevailing thought has been that genes are destiny in the life of an individual since the genes carry the information that determines the general traits and characteristics associated with that individual. The relatively recent understanding of mechanisms that underlie epigenetic phenomena has led to a rethinking of this concept. Epigenetics describes cellular mechanisms that explain how two individuals …

Pcr Amplification And Dna Sequence Analysis Of The 45s Ribosomal Dna Cassette Of Chrysaora Quinquecirrha, Caitlin Michelle Burns

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The recent overpopulation of jellyfish occurring in the Barnegat Bay of New Jersey has been of growing concern. One prolific species, Chrysaora quinquecirrha, has been the subject of genetic research to determine the relatedness amongst populations and therefore determine its spread. In this study, a partial nucleotide sequence of the 45S ribosomal DNA cassette from C. quinquecirrha genomic DNA of Barnegat Bay was identified and compared to other cnidarian species. Approximately 44.8% of the cassette was identified, 3465 bp total. A partial 18S rDNA sequence was generated of 1772 bp (96% total). Complete ITS1, 5.8S rDNA, and ITS2 sequences were …

The Effects Of Calcium Concentration And Food Levels On Daphnia, Fawn Goodberry

Biology Theses

Many physiological processes of Daphnia are negatively affected at low calcium concentrations. The concentration of calcium within lake water influences how Daphnia populations will survive and reproduce in natural environments. An experiment was designed to test the effects of calcium concentration and food level on the growth and reproduction of a Daphnia hybrid. Daphnia pulex x Daphnia pulicaria were reared in a soft water medium at three calcium concentrations (2.5mg/L, 1.0mg/L, 0.50mg/L) and high and low food levels (5.6 x 10⁵ and 5.6 x 10⁴ cells of the algae Ankistrodesmus sp.) in a 2 x 3 factorial …

The Effect Of Temperature Extremes On Cardiorespiratory Function In The Grass Shrimp Palaemonetes Pugio: Oxygen Limited Thermal Tolerance, Teresa Mika

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Aquatic poikilothermic animals must either cope with or compensate for the mismatch in oxygen supply and demand present at high temperatures. Oxygen limited thermal tolerance explains how aerobic scope is limited by insufficient oxygen supply and sets the performance window in animals. This work explores the effects of temperature on the different components of the oxygen delivery system, in both normoxic and hyperoxic conditions to determine if supplying more oxygen to the system mitigates the effects of temperature effects on the cardiorespiratory system and extends oxygen limited thermal tolerance to higher temperatures. The effect of temperature and oxygen condition was …

Science Fair: Is It Worth The Work? A Qualitative Study On Deaf Students' Perceptions And Experiences Regarding Science Fair In Primary And Secondary School, Vivian Lee Smith

Dissertations

Science fairs have a long history in American education. They play an important role for establishing inquiry-based experiences in a science classroom. Students may be more motivated to learn science content when they are allowed to choose their own science fair topics. The purpose of this study was to examine Deaf college students’ perceptions and experiences regarding science fair participation during primary and/or secondary school and determine the influence of science fair involvement on the development of language skills, writing skills, and higher order thinking skills as well as its impact on choice of a STEM major.

This study examined …

Examination Of Dietary Habits And Fruit And Vegetable Intake In A Chronic Disease Program, Qian Kuang

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The AHB program is a chronic disease prevention program which provides resources for community health centers along the U.S.-Mexico border. Healthy dietary habits and fruit/ vegetable intake play important roles in maintaining human health. Eight factors were used to evaluate the success of the AHB program. Another twenty factors were considered to predict dietary habits and fruit/vegetable intake status. Chi-square and multinomial logistic regression were used to study their correlation. Results from analysis showed that factors like birth country, employment, diabetes, baseline HbA1c, limited by problems, overall program quality, group, and program duration were correlated to the dietary habits, and …

White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Positively Affect The Growth Of Mature Northern Red Oak (Quercus Rubra) Trees., R W. Lucas, R Salguero-Gomez, D B. Cobb, Bonnie G. Waring, F Anderson, W J. Mcshea, B B. Casper

Biology Faculty Publications

Understanding and predicting the effects of deer (Cervidae) on forest ecosystems present significant challenges in ecosystem ecology. Deer herbivory can cause large changes in the biomass and species composition of forest understory plant communities, including early life-cycle trees (i.e., seedlings and saplings). Such changes can impact juvenile to adult transitions and the future age structure and species composition of mature forests. Changes to understory vegetation also impact flow of energy and nutrients in forest ecosystems. Studies examining the influence of deer on mature trees, however, are rare and rely on extrapolating effects from early life cycle stages of trees. We …

Scaling Of Crop Diversity And Optimal Allocation Of Foodshed Infrastructure, Michael Chang

Biology ETDs

Food hubs are organizations that manage the aggregation and distribution of local products, and are a small, but growing means to satisfy high demand for diverse, healthy diets. However, economic barriers inhibit small producers and distributors from developing mainstream, local consumer alternatives to industrial-scale products. To build foodshed, distribution hubs could help overcome these challenges by reducing costs through shared refrigeration, processing, and transportation infrastructure. However, there is no theory to help plan them. I present and test theory to allocate foodshed infrastructure based on insight by Dunn, et al. (2011) that Shannon diversity measured relative to a whole set …

Analysis Of Synephrine Content In Bitter Orange (Citrus Aurantium L.) Dietary Supplements, Martha L. Newell

Theses and Dissertations

Many Americans are either currently taking, or have recently taken, non-prescription dietary supplements. These supplements claim to help prevent or relieve any number of ailments, but are not regulated by any governing body. One common use of dietary supplements is to aid in weight loss. Synephrine, the most abundant active component in bitter orange (Citrus aurantium L.) extracts, became a regular ingredient in weight loss supplements after the 2004 ephedra ban. The initial goal of this research was to use reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine the synephrine content of five dietary supplements and compare …

The Genesis Of Malaria: The Origin Of Mosquitoes And Their Protistan Cargo, Plasmodium Falciparum, Alan L. Gillen, Frank Sherwin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Malaria is caused by the parasite belonging to the genus Plasmodium; however, creation biologists maintain this organism was not always parasitic. Plasmodium is probably a degenerate form of algae. Mosquitoes, the vector of Plasmodium, were probably designed to be pollinators, not parasite vectors. In this article, we present both the evolutionary and creation explanation for the origin of malaria with a mention to its vector, the mosquito.

The purpose of this article is to provide a reasonable explanation for the genesis of malaria. Microbiology and parasitology research based on the creation paradigm appears to provide some answers to these puzzling …

Microbial Communities In Pre-Columbian Coprolites, Tasha M. Santiago-Rodriguez, Yvonne M. Narganes-Storde, Luis Chanlatte, Edwin Crespo-Torres, Gary A. Toranzos, Rafael Jiménez-Flores, Alice Hamrick, Raul J. Cano

Biological Sciences

The study of coprolites from earlier cultures represents a great opportunity to study an “unaltered” composition of the intestinal microbiota. To test this, pre-Columbian coprolites from two cultures, the Huecoid and Saladoid, were evaluated for the presence of DNA, proteins and lipids by cytochemical staining, human and/or dog-specific Bacteroides spp. by PCR, as well as bacteria, fungi and archaea using Terminal Restriction Fragment analyses. DNA, proteins and lipids, and human-specific Bacteroides DNA were detected in all coprolites. Multidimensional scaling analyses resulted in spatial arrangements of microbial profiles by culture, further supported by cluster analysis and ANOSIM. Differences between the microbial …

Effects Of Experimentally Elevated Traffic Noise On Nestling White-Crowned Sparrow Stress Physiology, Immune Function And Life History, Ondi L. Crino, Erin E. Johnson, Jessica L. Blickley, Gail L. Patricelli, Creagh W. Breuner

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Roads have been associated with behavioral and physiological changes in wildlife. In birds, roads decrease reproductive success and biodiversity and increase physiological stress. Although the consequences of roads on individuals and communities have been well described, the mechanisms through which roads affect birds remain largely unexplored. Here, we examine one mechanism through which roads could affect birds: traffic noise. We exposed nestling mountain white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) to experimentally elevated traffic noise for 5 days during the nestling period. Following exposure to traffic noise we measured nestling stress physiology, immune function, body size, condition and survival. Based …

Association Of Body Iron Status With The Risk Of Premature Acute Myocardial Infarction In A Pakistani Population, Mohammadl Perwaiz Iqbal, Naseema Mehbooi Ali, Asal Khan Tareen, Mohsin Yakub, Saleeml Perwaizl Iqbal, Khalida Iqbal, Ghulam Haider

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background

Coronary artery disease is very common in Pakistani population. Some of the studies carried out on Western populations have shown a relationship between body iron status as determined by the ratio of concentrations of serum soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) to ferritin and the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In order to investigate whether increased body iron status has any relationship with the risk of premature AMI in Pakistani population, a case-control study was carried out.

Methodology/Principal findings

In this case-control study, 203 consecutive AMI patients [146 males and 57 females; age range 18–45 years] admitted to the National …

Associations Between Alcohol Consumption And Fasting Blood Glucose In Young Adults, Julie Ann Lucca

Master's Theses

Current research shows moderate alcohol consumption is associated with decreased risk of diabetes and excessive consumption or binge drinking can cause insulin resistance and diabetes. In 2010, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United Statesand was responsible for significant health complications: blindness, kidney failure, and limb amputations, and is a large national economic burden. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) is a tool used to help diagnose diabetes. Abnormally high FBG, ≥100 mg/dl, is indicative of diabetes and pre-diabetes. Few studies have observed diabetic prevalence among young adults or college students. Studying young adults can help provide added …

Root Kinematics In Relation To Temperature And Genome Size In Wild And Domesticated Zea., Avery B. Cromwell

Master's Theses

We studied root kinematics in relation to temperature and genome size variation in teosinte (Zea mays subspecies parviglumis) and corn (Zea mays subspecies mays). Corn had significantly faster radicle growth than teosinte when grown at a constant temperature. Both species exhibited variation in seed size and for each species larger seeds had faster root growth. Genome size was not significantly correlated with faster radicle growth rates across multiple land races of corn. To examine temperature dependent growth in corn and teosinte, a germinated seedling was grown at multiple temperatures. Growth rates at these temperatures were used …

Propagation Of Homalodisca Coagulata Virus-01 Via Homalodisca Vitripennis Cell Culture, Anna Biesbrock

Biology Theses

The glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis) is a highly vagile and polyphagous insect, which feeds on more than 100 plant species throughout the southwestern United States. Sharpshooters are the predominant vector of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf), a xylem-limited bacterium that is the causal agent of Pierce's disease (PD) of grapevine. Infected H. vitripennis transmit the bacterium while feeding. The rise of PD has been economically damaging for agriculture and H. vitripennis have become a target for disease control. A dicistrovirus identified as Homalodisca coagulata virus-01 (HoCV-01) has been associated with an increase in mortality rates within infected H. vitripennis populations. A host …

Bactericera Cockerelli: Range Expansion, Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacaerum Detection, And Microbial Community Analysis, Alex Arp

Biology Theses

The potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) is an emerging pest of solanacious crops. Traditionally their range expanded from Guatemala north through the central United States and into southern California. Recent expansions have led to potato psyllids residing as far south as Nicaragua and as for north as Washington State. Potato psyllids were also accidentally imported into New Zealand. These expansions are alarming because potato psyllids transmit Candidatus Liberibacter solanacaerum (Lso), the bacteria associated with Zebra Chip disease in potato, which results in millions of dollars in damages annually. In this study, potato psyllid and Zebra Chip range expansion into Central America …

The Investigation Of Risk Factors For Upper Respiratory Infections Among College Students, Romie Barnes

Honors Theses

Upper respiratory tract infections and cold-like illnesses are common sources of morbidity among college students. The emphasis of hand-washing and reducing the dispersal of aerosol droplets by covering coughs and sneezes reduces the spread of the common cold. However, less emphasis is placed on other risk factors for reducing cold-like illness such as: stress level and physical activity (Doyle and Cohens 2009). An increase in stress and a decrease in physical activity are common among college students (Nichol et al 2005). For this reason, the present study analyzed the effects of stress and physical activity on the incidence of upper …

Blood-Brain Barrier Alterations Provide Evidence Of Subacute Diaschisis In An Ischemic Stroke Rat Model, Svitlana Garbuzova-Davis, Maria C. O. Rodrigues, Diana G. Hernandez-Ontiveros, Naoki Tajiri, Aric Frisna-Deyo, Sean M. Boffeli, Jerry V. Abraham, Mibel Pabon, Andrew Wagner, Hiroto Ishikawa, Kazutaka Shinozuka, Edward M. Haller, Paul Sanberg, Yuji Kaneko, Cesario Borlongan

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: Comprehensive stroke studies reveal diaschisis, a loss of function due to pathological deficits in brain areas remote from initial ischemic lesion. However, blood-brain barrier (BBB) competence in subacute diaschisis is uncertain. The present study investigated subacute diaschisis in a focal ischemic stroke rat model. Specific focuses were BBB integrity and related pathogenic processes in contralateral brain areas.

Methodology/Principal Findings: In ipsilateral hemisphere 7 days after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO), significant BBB alterations characterized by large Evans Blue (EB) parenchymal extravasation, autophagosome accumulation, increased reactive astrocytes and activated microglia, demyelinization, and neuronal damage were detected in the striatum, …

Genome Of The Long-Living Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera Gaertn.), Ray Ming, Robert Vanburen, Yanling Liu, Mei Yang, Yuepeng Han, Lei Ting Li, Qiong Zhang, Min Jeong Kim, Michael C. Schatz, Michael Campbell, Jingping Li, John E. Bowers, Haibao Tang, Eric Lyons, Ann A. Ferguson, Giuseppe Narzisi, David R. Nelson, Crysten E. Blaby-Haas, Andrea R. Gschwend, Yuannian Jiao, Joshua P. Der, Fanchang Zeng, Jennifer Han, Xiang Jia Min, Karen A. Hudson, Ratnesh Singh, Aleel K. Grennan, Steven J. Karpowicz, Jennifer R. Watling, Kikukatsu Ito

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Sacred lotus is a basal eudicot with agricultural, medicinal, cultural and religious importance. It was domesticated in Asia about 7,000 years ago, and cultivated for its rhizomes and seeds as a food crop. It is particularly noted for its 1,300-year seed longevity and exceptional water repellency, known as the lotus effect. The latter property is due to the nanoscopic closely packed protuberances of its self-cleaning leaf surface, which have been adapted for the manufacture of a self-cleaning industrial paint, Lotusan. Results: The genome of the China Antique variety of the sacred lotus was sequenced with Illumina and 454 technologies, …

Physiological Consequences Of Compensatory Growth: A Look At Snake Species Exhibiting Differential Sexual Size Dimorphism, Kaitlyn Pettingill

Biology Theses

Although many life-history traits are inflexible, extrinsic factors are likely responsible for variation in attributes such as growth rates and ultimately adult body size. Nutritional stress during natal periods, in particular, has significant long-term consequences for adult characteristics. It is thought that poor natal nutrition leads to either the diversion of subsequent energy intake into compensatory growth or delayed maturation. Diversion of energy, to achieve compensation, however does not come without consequence; immune defense is a resource-demanding activity, which can trade- off with traits such as growth. Relatively little is known about the intra- or interspecific variation in immunological capabilities, …