Digital Commons Network^™

Nested Subsets, Scale, And The Distribution Of Abundance: A Macroecological Approach, Elita Baldridge

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

While the canonical nested subset pattern suggests that less species-rich areas will contain a proper subset of the species observed in richer areas, actual data sets do not show perfect nestedness; however, they show a pattern with more structure than would be expected by chance. Biological processes like immigration and extinction have traditionally been thought to produce the nested subset pattern. These processes acting indirectly could cause variation in the distribution and abundance of species that could produce nestedness at a variety of scales. Determining at what scales the pattern is observed might allow inference of processes that are more …

Herpetofaunal Response To Prescribed Burning On Matagorda Island, Texas: With Emphasis On Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma Cornutum), Ashley Inslee

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) populations have been in steady decline over the past twenty years due to habitat loss, pesticide use, the pet trade, and invasion of the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). At Aransas National Wildlife Refuge the P. cornutum population has declined, except for on Matagorda Island. A prescribed burn regime was initiated to maintain the coastal prairie habitat. This closed environment was unique in its composition of arid adapted and wetland species. There was minimal human disturbance, and a single road bisects the length of the island. The island was invaded by S. invicta around …

Climate Change: Implications For Montane Mammals Of The Great Basin, Georgina Yvette Jacquez

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Climate change threatens biodiversity; in particular, species with narrow distributions and specific habitat requirements. The Great Basin provides an excellent model system to evaluate the effects of climate change on species with isolated distributions and specific habitat requirements. I have evaluated the McDonald and Brown (1992) model that examined the effects of climate change on montane mammals of the Great Basin based on its underlying assumptions and model predictions. I have modeled the distributions of twelve montane mammal species found in the Great Basin and identified potential local extinctions by using maximum entropy modeling (Maxent) for two emission scenarios of …

Flooding Tolerance Of Native And Nonnative Grasses: Variation In Photosynthesis, Transpiration, Respiration, And Carbon Isotope Discrimination, Elizabeth Waring

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Invasion by nonnative plants is particularly prevalent in wetlands. While the ecological patterns in wetland plants are well known, it is less well known how flooding-related soil conditions influence the physiological success of introduced species in wetlands. In chapter 1, effects of flooding were measured in invasive common reed (Phragmites australis), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense), and native prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata). The four species were kept at four levels of flooding (deep flooding, medium flooding, low flooding, and dry conditions), and their responses were measured after 7 and 28 days of treatment using by a …

Variation In The Southern Short-Tailed Shrew, Blarina Carolensis, Jennifer O'Neill

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The southern short-tailed shrew (Blarina carolinensis) inhabits the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, the Gulf Coastal Plain, Florida, and the Atlantic Coastal Plain as far north as Virginia. Since its description by Bachman in 1837, this species has been widely studied and has a long and convoluted taxonomic history. Many of the morphometric studies were performed in different geographic locations and used different methodologies. These differences have made it difficult to make broad statements about the relationships within this species. Recently, a study of cranial measurements of specimens from the three subspecies of B. carolinensis found in Florida, identified a small population …

The Molecular Analysis Of Hemoparasite Burdens Of Free-Ranging Lions (Panthera Leo) In The Kruger National Park, South Africa, Jamie R. Sherman

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Hemoparasites, or parasites of the blood transmitted by arthropod vectors, are commonly found in domestic animals and wildlife all over the world. Although hemoparasites can cause serious illness in domestic species, they often persist at low levels in wildlife without compromising general health. Current reports on wildlife parasitemia, specifically in lions (Panthera leo) are obtained from zoological parks and managed game reserves. However, few studies have examined parasitic burdens of free ranging lion populations. This study aims to semi quantitatively evaluate the presence of four representative hemoparasites including Babesia sp., Theileria sp., Cytauxzoon sp., and …

The Role Of Il-1beta, Il-6, And Tnf-Alpha In Radiation-Induced Bone Loss, Stephanie Riffle

All Theses

Bone fractures greatly decrease an individual's quality of life, as well as increase an individual's risk for further complications, including death. Ionizing radiation causes bone loss, leaving bones at increased risk of fracture. This exposure, particularly in the context of cancer patients receiving radiotherapy, results in damage to normal (non-tumor) tissue. Inflammation is a common response to radiation-induced tissue damage, characterized by increased presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha. However, little is known about the roles of these cytokines in radiation-induced bone loss. This thesis hypothesized that the up regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-6, and …

Relationships Between Particle Properties And Scattering In Coastal Waters Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Influenced By The Mississippi River, Bruce Alan Spiering

Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine how the characteristics of an assemblage of suspended particles, including their composition and size affect the relationship between the optical scattering coefficient b (m-1), and the dry mass of the particles in suspension. Knowledge of the scattering to total suspended matter (TSM) ratio, i.e. the mass specific scattering coefficient b* (m2/g), is important because the light detected by optical imaging sensors used for remote sensing is the light that has been scattered by particles back through the water surface. If this ratio is not known or varies within the region of interest, accurate estimates …

Differential Gene Expression And Protein Abundance Evince Ontogenetic Bias Toward Castes In A Primitively Eusocial Wasp, James H. Hunt, Florian Wolschin, Michael T. Henshaw, Thomas C. Newman, Amy L. Toth, Gro V. Amdam

Peer Reviewed Publications

Polistes paper wasps are models for understanding conditions that may have characterized the origin of worker and queen castes and, therefore, the origin of paper wasp sociality. Polistes is ‘‘primitively eusocial’’ by virtue of having contextdependent caste determination and no morphological differences between castes. Even so, Polistes colonies have a temporal pattern in which most female larvae reared by the foundress become workers, and most reared by workers become future-reproductive gynes. This pattern is hypothesized to reflect development onto two pathways, which may utilize mechanisms that regulate diapause in other insects. Using expressed sequence tags (ESTs) for Polistes metricus we …

Annual Rainfall And Seasonality Predict Pan‐Tropical Patterns Of Liana Density And Basal Area, Saara J. Dewalt, Stefan A. Schnitzer, Jérôme Chave, Frans Bongers, Robyn J. Burnham, Zhiquan Cai, George B. Chuyong, David B. Clark, Corneille E.N. Ewango, Jeffrey J. Gerwing, Esteban Gortaire, Terese Hart, Guillermo Ibarra-Manriquez, Kalan Ickes, David Kenfack, Manuel J. Macía, Jean-Remy Makana, Miguel Martinez-Ramos, Joseph Mascaro, Sainge Moses, Helene C. Muller-Laudau, Marc P.E. Parren, Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy, Diego R. Perez-Salicrup, Francis E. Putz, Hugo Romero-Saltos, Duncan W. Thomas

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

We test the hypotheses proposed by Gentry and Schnitzer that liana density and basal area in tropical forests vary negatively with mean annual precipitation (MAP) and positively with seasonality. Previous studies correlating liana abundance with these climatic variables have produced conflicting results, warranting a new analysis of drivers of liana abundance based on a different dataset. We compiled a pan‐tropical dataset containing 28,953 lianas (≥2.5 cm diam.) from studies conducted at 13 Neotropical and 11 Paleotropical dry to wet lowland tropical forests. The ranges in MAP and dry season length (DSL) (number of months with mean rainfall < 100 mm) represented by these datasets were 860–7250 mm/yr and 0–7 mo, respectively. Pan‐tropically, liana density and basal area decreased significantly with increasing annual rainfall and increased with increasing DSL, supporting the hypotheses of Gentry and Schnitzer. Our results suggest that much of the variation in liana density and basal area in the tropics can be accounted for by the relatively simple metrics of MAP and DSL.

Testing Hypotheses For Exotic Plant Success: Parallel Experiments In The Native And Introduced Ranges, Jennifer L. Williams, Harald Auge, John L. Maron

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A central question in ecology concerns how some exotic plants that occur at low densities in their native range are able to attain much higher densities where they are introduced. This question has remained unresolved in part due to a lack of experiments that assess factors that affect the population growth or abundance of plants in both ranges. We tested two hypotheses for exotic plant success: escape from specialist insect herbivores and a greater response to disturbance in the introduced range. Within three introduced populations in Montana, USA, and three native populations in Germany, we experimentally manipulated insect herbivore pressure …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) Winter Habitat Use Along The Upper Mississippi River Corridor, Ryan T. Schmitz

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

From March 1999 through February 2006, satellite transmitters were placed on 13 wild-caught individuals of the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in southwestern Wisconsin. These individuals (6 males, 7 females, 11 adults, 2 immatures) were tracked along the Upper Mississippi River corridor during the winters of 1999 through 2006. The objectives of my study were to: 1) estimate winter home range size and to compare home range size between sexes, 2) characterize and quantify winter night roost habitat, and 3) identify spatial and temporal patterns of winter habitat use and behavior relative to temperature, wind speed, and ice-cover. Mean 95% fixed …

A Molecular Basis For Craniofacial Laterality In Fishes, Karen Adams

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Laterality, the preference for development on one side of the body, is essential to the vertebrate body plan. While the vertebrate skeleton usually develops symmetrically, the processes underlying craniofacial laterality are not well understood. Using zebrafish and cichlids as model organisms, this study focuses on the molecular basis of symmetric craniofacial development. Fgf8, Retinoic Acid, and wnt11 were examined to analyze their involvement in regulating craniofacial laterality. Fgf8 is known to play a role in proper jaw development. Because fgf8 and Retinoic Acid interact to achieve laterality of the somites during somitogenesis, the role of Retinoic Acid in regulating …

Bioengineering Tissue Constructs Using Elastic Alginate Hydrogels, Barbana A. Graham

Biological Sciences

Bioengineered 3-D tissue constructs have great potential for understanding tissue development and tissue repair in patients lacking functional organs. One of the major challenges faced in the field, however, is to build functional tissue constructs that resemble tissue found in vivo. Cells and tissues in the body are organized into three-dimensional architectures, which interact with fibrillar extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins at a nanoscale. Both the topology and elasticity of the ECM play critical roles in regulating tissue formation. Alginate, a naturally occurring polysaccharide, is a good candidate to use as a biomaterial to mimic the topography and elasticity of the …

In Vitro Analysis Of Microfluidic Neural Probes, Joshua Kessler

Biological Sciences

The clinical impact of neural prostheses has been inhibited by a lack of functional stability of the devices due to acute and chronic reactive tissues' responses in the brain. However, prosthetic stability could be improved via local drug administration or delivery of siRNA to mitigate the reactive tissues using microfluidic probes. Neural prosthetic probes have been previously developed, but had asymmetric and uneven distribution of fluid delivery to brain phantoms. Therefore, probes with different geometries and fluid delivery pores (holes ranging from 10 to 20 μm) were tested for functionality in vitro using a crystal violet/PBS solution. Compound light microscopy …

High-Throughput Screening Studies Of Inhibition Of Human Carbonic Anhydrase Ii And Bacterial Flagella Antimicrobial Activity, Albert A. Barrese Iii

Dissertations

Complete abstract attached as supplemental file.

Effect Of Inflorescence Size On Female Choice In Wild Radish, Raphanus Raphanistrum, Mylenne H. Salinas

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Sexual selection is an important mechanism of speciation. Originally studied in animals, researchers now argue that plants also exhibit characteristics that have been altered by sexual selection. Flower size, nectar production, pollen load, flower scent, and petal color are plant traits that participate in attracting mates through an intermediate pollinator. Although female choice has been demonstrated to enhance offspring quality in animals, a thorough analysis remains to be conducted in plants. In this study, I experimentally altered female choice by manipulating flower number on the hermaphroditic plant, Raphanus raphanistrum. Plants with smaller floral displays had reduced female choice; thus, allowing …

Role Of Estrogen Receptor Expression In Estrogen (E-2)-Induced Modulation Of Th1 And Th2 Cytokine Responses, Bertille Gaigbe-Togbe

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Previous studies have demonstrated that repeated administration of 17β-estradiol (E-2) at a dose of 1mg/kg to both (SWR x NZB)F₁ (SNF₁) mice and (DBA x BALB/c)F1(DBF₁) mice resulted in significantly decreased survival and increased appearance of lupus nephritis pathology. However, the ways in which estrogen modulates immune responses has yet to be fully understood, specifically in regard to modulations in T_H1 and T_H2 cytokine profile. Various studies have reported the presence of two estrogen receptors (ER), a and b, which have been found to be constitutively expressed in many immune cells. …

Observation Of Growth Characteristics And Identification Of Mercuric Resistance Genes In Synechococcus Elongatus Sp. 625, Chiedozie Okafor

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Due to high levels of heavy metal pollution in the environment, there has always been a high interest in organisms that have developed resistance to certain heavy metals of interest. Microorganisms such as Pseudomonas, E. coli, and Ralstonia, have been identified as being resistant to one or more heavy metals. Extensive work has been done with respect to mechanisms of resistance to heavy metals in a wide array of microorganisms. However, mechanisms of resistance are yet to be fully explored in some other microorganisms. One such example is the Cyanobacteria, Synechococcus sp. 625 (SIU 625), formerly classified under Anastycis nidulans. …

Analysis Of Potential Mutagenic Effects Of World Trade Center Dust On In Vitro Systems, Barbara Domingos Soares

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Ever since the 1950s, air pollution has been linked to decreased lung function and increased cancer risk. Air pollution can consist of natural or artificial materials that range in chemical as well as physical properties. Inhaled pollutants can have a variety of effects on organisms ranging from minor irritation, to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and even cancer or death. Historically, it has been noted that increased levels of air pollution are associated with decreases in human health and increases in mortality.

Following the World Trade Center tragedy, rescue workers as well as New York City residents were exposed to thousands …

Conservation And Ecology Of The Yellow-Blotched Sawback (Graptemys Flavmaculata), William Winsyl Selman Ii

Dissertations

The role of species conservation is becoming increasingly important due to the mounting pressures from humans on habitats and populations of organisms. This is particularly evident in riverine ecosystems throughout the world where the human demand for freshwater resources is increasing, and consequently, the number of imperiled aquatic organisms is also growing. The seven chapters of this dissertation primarily focus on the Yellow-blotched Sawback, Graptemys flavimaculata, an endangered riverine turtle that is endemic to the Pascagoula River system of southeast Mississippi, USA. At the population level, we aimed to study the impacts of Hurricane Katrina on two study populations within …

Determining The Relationship Of Human Enteric Viruses In Clinical, Wastewater, And Environmental Samples Utilizing Molecular And Cell Culture Techniques, Jacquelina Susann Williams Woods

Dissertations

This study was the first to examine five significant enteric viruses in human fecal material, sewage, and oysters to show a genetic relationship between human enteric viruses and different sample matrices. Fecal samples were collected from an area hospital and examined for norovirus genotype I (NoV GI), norovirus genotype II (NoV Gil), hepatitis A virus (HA V), adenovirus (ADV), and enteroviruses. During this study, sewage samples were collected from a Waster Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Mobile, ALand oyster sentinels were placed at 0.1 nautical miles (nm) (station 1 ), 0.2nm (station 2}, 1.5nm (station 3), and 4nm (station 4) …

Formation Of Testosterone's 5alpha-Reduced, Versus Aromatized, Products Can Have Beneficial Cognitive And Anti-Anxiety Effects Without Negative Effects On Prostate Or Sexual Behavior Of Male Rats, Daniel Dacosta

Biological Sciences

Testosterone (T) can alter sexual, social, anxiety-like, and/or cognitive behavior of male rodents and exert trophic effects on the prostate. However, whether these effects are due to actions of T, or its 5-reduced and/or aromatized metabolites, is of interest. We tested the hypothesis that T’s effects to enhance prostate proliferation, sexual, social, cognitive and/or anti-anxiety-like behavior require formation of 5-reduced and/or aromatized metabolites. Gonadectomized (GDX) or gonadally-intact rats were administered T-containing, or empty, silastic capsules in conjunction with a 5-reductase inhibitor (finasteride; Experiment 1) or an aromatase inhibitor (formestane; Experiment 2). The performance of rats in sexual, cognitive (object recognition, …

Activity-Dependent Sharpening Of The Retinotectal Map In Zebrafish: The Role Of The Par Complex, Laura Mariconda

Biological Sciences

Visual activity acts via NMDA (N-methyl D-aspartate) receptors in order to refine developing retinotectal maps by shaping retinal arbors. In zebrafish larvae, each arbor forms synapses by adding and deleting many trial and error branches. Branches with synapses in retinotopic sites are selectively stabilized and new branches are added next to existing synapses, while distant branches are deleted. The resulting arbor is compact and has a bushy appearance. When NMDARs are blocked, arbors become larger and dynamic rates increase almost twofold, suggesting that the release of a stabilizing signal has been prevented. A likely suspect for this retrograde stabilizing signal …

Biophysical Investigation Of The Cataract Associated Mutant, E107a Of Human Gamma-D Crystalline And Constructing A Fluorescent System For Manipulating Pip2 Concentration In The Plasma Membrane Of Xenopus Oocytes., Julita Patrosz

Biological Sciences

Chapter 1: Biophysical investigation of the cataract associated mutant, E107A of human gamma-D crystallin. Several human genetic cataracts are associated with mutations in a single amino acid residue of the protein known as D crystallin. Recently, the Glu107Ala (or E107A) mutation has been included in this list, and it has been associated with a nuclear congenital cataract. We have made recombinant human D crystallin and its E107A mutant and conducted preliminary comparisons of its structure and biophysical properties with that of the wild-type protein. In this process we made use of several techniques – Circular Dichroism (CD), Iso-electric focusing (IEF) …

The Anti-Epileptic Drugs Phenytoin And Valproate Produce Reproductive Endocrine Dysfunction Among Reproductive Endocrine Dysfunction Among Female Rats Through Its Effects On Progesterone And Its 5 Alpha-Reduced Metabolites, Fareed Haddad

Biological Sciences

Background: Many people with seizure disorder experience reproductive endocrine dysfunction (RED). The extent to which RED is due to intrinsic aspects of seizure disorder, and/or therapies used to manage epilepsy, is not well understood. Many anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), such as phenytoin or valproate, can have effects that alter endocrine status. Phenytoin is a cytochrome p450 enzyme-inducing drug. Valproate is a cytochrome p450 enzyme-reducing AED. Objective: To evaluate the effects and mechanism of some AEDs on RED in a rodent model. Hypothesis: If AEDs produce RED in part by altering the activities of cytochrome p450 enzymes, then AEDs that disrupt estrous …

1 The Mechanical Function Of The Postorbital Bar In Eulemur Fulvus Analyzed Using Finite Element Analysis, Danielle Parisi

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Ethnobotanical History And Seed Oil Chemistry Of The Physic Nut, Jatropha Curcas, Nathan M. Leclear

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Jatropha curcas L., Euphorbiaceae, is a small tree native to the neotropics. Despite renewed economic interests in Physic Nut, mainly for biodiesel production, a comprehensive analysis of the ethnobotanical history of J. curcas is lacking. An account of the pre-Columbian neotropical distribution of this species and its historical uses are presented. Using capillary gas chromatography, studies were conducted to quantify the natural variation in seed oil content and fatty acid composition of the seed oil from several species of Jatropha, including assessment of how these parameters change during seed maturation. Natural variation in seed oil content was detected (F7,93 = …

Does The Manipulation Of Tail Position Facilitate Extinction Of Canine Phobic Behavior?, Rebecca A. Zarate

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The phobic behavior of interest is tail tucking which is indicative of submission. In this study the tail was physically manipulated by the use of a custom made harness to hold the tail up in a dominant position to ideally extinguish phobic behavior through reciprocal inhibition. The harness did not hold the tail up the entire duration of the interventions, although it still held the base of the tail up. The intervention did not appear to have an affect on the two of the five subjects. The three more phobic canines did display some behavioral changes, although the changes noticed …

Effects Of Pluronics On A Beneficial Soil Microbe Pseudomonas Putida Strain Kt2440, Priyanka Gajjar

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This report summarizes the effects of a range of Pluronics on cellular responses in bacterial and mammalian cells through a review of published findings. Effects of Pluronics on drug delivery, efflux systems, growth, and nutrition are reported for eukaryotic cells. For microbial cells, their effects on adhesion, movement, biofilm formation, energy status and secondary metabolism are discussed. Guided by findings in the literature, a series of experiments were conducted exploring the responses of a beneficial environmental soil microbe, Pseudomonas putida strain KT2440, to selected Pluronics. These results are presented. The report has four sections: an Introduction 4 that covers published …