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Factors Affecting Breeding Territory Size And Placement Of The Florida Grasshoper Sparrow (Ammodramus Savannarum Floridanus), Jill Aldredge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For most taxa, maximizing fitness depends on maintaining access to adequate resources. Territories provide exclusive use of resources for an individual or a family group, thus facilitating successful reproduction. The economic defensibility of a territory depends on the quality, abundance, and distribution of its resources as well as the amount of competition that an individual must endure to maintain exclusive access. The benefits of defense must outweigh the costs for territoriality to be profitable. Territory owners may benefit from territories with high quality resources, but they also may incur greater costs defending these resources from competitors. In contrast, territories with …

Post Treatment Alternatives For Stabilizing Desalinated Water, Susaye Douglas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of brackish water and seawater desalination for augmenting potable water supplies has focused primarily on pre-treatment, process optimization, energy efficiency, and concentrate management. Much less has been documented regarding the impact of post-treatment requirements with respect to distribution system. The goals of this study were to review current literature on post-treatment of permeate water, use survey questionnaires to gather information on post-treatment water quality characteristics, gather operation information, review general capital and maintenance cost, and identify appropriate "lessons learned" with regards to post-treatment from water purveyors participating in the Project. A workshop was organized where experts from across …

Ua56/1 Fact Book, Wku Institutional Research

WKU Administration Documents

Statistical and demographic profile of WKU.

Sea Turtle Conservation Program - 2009 Report, Curtis Burney, Laura J. Wright

Sea Turtle Nesting Trends Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Malaria Vector Bionomics And The Role Of Microbial Larvicides In Anopheline Mosquito Larval Management In Ariceland Agro-Ecosystem, Simon Muriu Mwangi

All PhD Dissertations

The current study was conducted with the aim of understanding the population dynamics of malaria vectors, their contribution to malaria transmission and potential role of Bacillus thuringiensis var israelensis and B. sphaericus (VBC- 60120) combined microbial formulations in malaria vector management in an irrigated rice agro-ecosystem. Field entomological studies were conducted between March 2005 and June 2007 in four villages in Mwea Rice Irrigation Scheme, Central Kenya. The population dynamics of Anopheles mosquitoes were examined by conducting weekly larval and adult mosquito sampling. Adult female anopheline mosquitoes were screened for blood meal sources and Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite proteins. The efficacy …

Relationship Between Virulence And Repellency Of Metarhizium Anisopliae And Beauveria Bassiana Towards Macrotermes Michaelseni And Chemical Identification Of The Mediating Signals, David M. Mburu

All PhD Dissertations

It is not well understood how termites survive in hemiedaphic habitats with diverse array of potentially infective fungi. In the present study, it was initially found that Macrotermes michaelseni detected a virulent isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae from some distance in a specially designed Y-olfactometer and avoided direct physical contact through olfaction. The overall objective of the study was to evaluate the relationship between virulence and repellency of different isolates of M. anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana towards the termite and identify possible mediating signals. The results show an interesting co-evolutionary phenomenon in which the termite's response to either M anisopliae or …

Morphological And Genetic Diversity Of The New Invasive Species Bactrocera Invadens (Diptera: Tephritidae) In Africa, Mbarak Khamis Fathiya

All PhD Dissertations

Species of the genus Bactrocera in the family Tephritidae, or 'true fruit flies', are among the most important pests of fruits and vegetables. Because of the broad larval host range and cosmopolitan distribution, pest fruit flies are highly invasive, with adults often exhibiting a strong tendency for dispersal and larvae being readily transported to new areas via fruit movement. Recently, a pest species was recorded for the first time in Kenya and has subsequently been found in countries across tropical Africa. The insect was described as Bactrocera invadens, due to its rapid invasion of the African continent. Taxonomic description of …

Socio-Economic Factors In Technology Development And Adoption: An Assessment Of The “Push-Pull” Technology Of Controlling Maize Stem Borers In Trans Nzoia District, Dorothy Mukudi Wanyama Masinde

All PhD Dissertations

This study sought to examine the collaborative participation approach and technology adoption. The objective of this study was to determine the linkage between socio-economic factors in collaborative participation and technology adoption and diffusion among Trans Nzoia district resource-limited farmers. Collaborative participation involves farmers, researchers, and extension agents in developing and disseminating technology. The study reviewed the push/pull' technology of controlling maize stem borers. The goal was to provide information that would contribute to improvement of the collaborative participation approach, eventually enhancing adoption of developed technologies.The study was conducted in the villages of Yuya, Wamuini, Kaminini, and Kissawai in Trans Nzoia …

Ecology And Population Genetic Structure Of Strains Of Teretrius Nigrescens (Coleoptera: Histeridae), Predator Of Prostephanus Truncatus (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae, Bonaventure Omondi Aman Oduor

All PhD Dissertations

The larger grain borer (LGB) Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) is the most important pest of farm stored maize and cassava in Africa. This alien invasive species was introduced into the continent from Mesoamerica in the late 1970s and by 2008 had spread to at least 18 countries. In contrast to indigenous primary storage pests, LGB exists as on-farm and as wild populations, hence, sustainable control must target both environments. Biological control is especially attractive for wild populations to reduce early season grain store infestation, while cultural and chemical methods are useful to protect stored produce directly. Two populations of the predator …

Relationship Between Virulence And Repellency Of Metarhizium Anisopliae And Beauveria Bassiana Towards Macrotermes Michaelseni And Chemical Identification Of The Mediating Signals, David Mwangi Mburu

All PhD Dissertations

It is not well understood how termites survive in hemiedaphic habitats with diverse array of potentially infective fungi. In the present study, it was initially found that Macrotermes michaelseni detected a virulent isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae from some distance in a specially designed Y-olfactometer and avoided direct physical contact through olfaction. The overall objective of the study was to evaluate the relationship between virulence and repellency of different isolates of M. anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana towards the termite and identify possible mediating signals. The results show an interesting co-evolutionary phenomenon in which the termite's response to either M anisopliae or …

Hispanic Attitudes Towards Adoption, Adriana Ventura-Ramirez

Theses Digitization Project

This study was conducted to assess what factors influence Hispanic attitudes toward adoption. the study suggests that Hispanic cultural beliefs and concerns will affect decisions about adoption. Understanding these factors may facilitate adoption on Hispanic children into Hispanic families.

Effect Of Finite Geometry On Solidification Microstructure In Beam-Based Fabrication Of Thin Wall Structures, Satish C. Kuchi

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

With the advent of Rapid Protyping (RP) in the manufacturing industry, many newtechnologies came into development for quick fabrication of materials. One of the most versatile fabrication process among them is additive manufacturing. Laser based manufacturing (LBM) and electron beam manufacturing (EBM) processes use the energy from a laser or electron beam to build up structures layer by layer directly from powdered metals and wire feed stock. It has been determined from previous work that solidification cooling rate and thermal gradients are the important factors for controlling microstructure (grain size and morphology) and resulting mechanical properties of the deposit. The …

Habitat Use Of American Alligators In East Texas, Warren C. Conway, Kevin Webb, Gary Calkins, Jeffrey Duguay

Faculty Publications

The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) has made a remarkable recovery throughout its range during the last halfcentury. In Texas, USA, current inland alligator population and harvest management strategies rely on generalized and often site-specific habitat and population data generated from coastal populations, because it is assumed that habitat and demographic similarities exist between inland and coastal populations. These assumptions have not been verified, however, and no studies have specifically examined inland alligator habitat use in Texas. We quantified alligator habitat use in East Texas during 2003–2004 to address this information gap and to facilitate development of regionally specific management strategies. …

Winter Food Habits And Preferences Of Northern Bobwhites In East Texas, Donald R. Dietz, R. Montague Whiting Jr., Nancy E. Koerth

Faculty Publications

During late winter, 1994 and 1995, we investigated food habits and preferences of northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhites) collected on forested lands in east Texas. Crops for bobwhites were collected from areas under 3 management regimes, namely intensively managed for bobwhites (QMA) (i.e., tree basal area reduced, annually burned, numerous multi-stage food plots, etc.), extensively managed for timber and wildlife (NBS) (i.e., burned every 3-5 years, scattered 2-stage food plots with corn feeders), and unmanaged for wildlife (i.e., burned every 5-7 years). With years pooled, partridge pea (Cassia fasciculata), Hercules club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis), and pine (Pinus spp.) seeds, and …

Invertebrate Biomass And Richness In Various Food Plot Types In East Texas, Charles W. Anderson, R. Montague Whiting Jr., Donald R. Dietz, Richard M. Capps

Faculty Publications

As northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks are dependent on invertebrates for food, land managers often use spring/summer food plots to meet these needs. We examined invertebrate production in native vegetation and 6 different food plot types (i.e., fallow disking only; fallow disking and fertilizing; or disking, fertilizing, and planting a single species [browntop millet, iron and clay peas, or sorghum] or a multi-species mix [browntop millet, catjang peas, iron and clay peas, Japanese millet, and pearl millet]) in the Pineywoods of east Texas. Invertebrates were collected weekly during the summers of 1997 and 1999 and for 5 weekly sampling periods …

Academic Calendar | Graduate Schedule Of Classes For 2009, Fall [Full Fall Semester Session] | Class Schedule, Office Of The Registrar, Stony Brook University

Calendars

No abstract provided.

Beneficial Application Of Smv Viral Elements For The Expression Of Human Interleukin 10 In Plants, Fengtao Dai

Digitized Theses

Low protein yield remains a rate-limiting factor in the commercial exploitation of the transgenic plant system for biopharmaceutical production. Plant viruses have evolved to permit high accumulation of viral proteins, in some cases up to 10-20% of total soluble protein (TSP) (Culver et al. 1993). Viral elements from Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) that may facilitate high-level expression o f pharmaceutical proteins in plants were investigated. The results in this study indicate HC-Pro, a known virus-encoded gene silencing suppressor, has a beneficial effect on human interleukin 10 (IL-10) accumulation. Coexpression with HC-Pro resulted in an approximate 10-fold increase of IL-10 protein …

Atypical Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain: A Look At Leptin Signaling, Jessica Y. Davie

Digitized Theses

Atypical antipsychotic drugs are associated with increased weight gain, which often leads to patient non-compliance and decreased quality of life among individuals with schizophrenia. It is proposed that atypical antipsychotics facilitate metabolic disturbances by disrupting hypothalamic control of feeding and energy homeostasis. The first aim of this thesis focused on the development of a reliable animal model of antipsychotic-induced weight gain. Female Sprague Dawley rats received daily oral administrations of olanzapine for 14 days. After sub-chronic treatment, these animals were sacrificed to analyze the expression of specific hypothalamic peptides involved in leptin signaling pathways, specifically phosphorylated signal transducer and activator …

A Regulatory Subunit O F Protein Phosphatase 2a, Pp2a-B', Is Dispensable For Activation Of Sex Comb Reduced Activity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Hoda Moazzen

Digitized Theses

The Drosophila HOX transcription factor, Sex Combs Reduced (SCR), is required for determining labial and the first thoracic segmental identity. A Protein Phosphatase 2A holoenzyme assembled with the PP2A-B' regulatory subunit has been proposed to specifically interact with and dephosphorylate SCR homeodomain activating SCR protein activity. To test this hypothesis, a null mutation was created in the PP2A-B' gene, PP2A- B'a, using Flip mediated site-specific recombination. The number of sex comb bristles, salivary gland nuclei and pseudotracheal rows are SCR-dependent and were counted as a measure of SCR activity in vivo. Adults and larvae homozygous for PP2A-B'a showed no decrease …

Appetite Regulatory Neural Circuitry In The Prenatal Testosterone Treated And Obese Ewe, Kayla M. Sheppard

Digitized Theses

Body weight and energy expenditure are regulated by the nervous systerfi. The first aim of this thesis was to characterize appetite regulatory neurons in the sheep brain which express both agouti-related protein (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY), or proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and cocaine- and amphetamine- regulated transcript (CART). We then asked whether this circuitry is altered in ewes at increased risk of obesity following prenatal testosterone (T) treatment, or in diet-induced obese ewes. Using immunocytochemistry, we found that prenatal T-treated ewes showed increased expression of the appetite stimulatory peptide, AgRP, but not the inhibitory peptide, POMC, consistent with the increased risk …

Characterization Of The Enamel Organ In Mutant Mice Harboring An Oculodentodigital Dysplasia-Linked Cx43 Mutant, Katherine Toth

Digitized Theses

Coordinated differentiation of the enamel organ is essential to enamel deposition and mineralization. This process is likely governed by Cx43-based gap junctional intercellular communication as oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD) patients harboring Cx43 mutants exhibit enamel defects. To assess the role of Cx43 in tooth development we employ an ODDD mouse model, Gjal /+, which harbors a G60S Cx43 mutant and exhibits tooth abnormalities mimicking the human disease. Total Cx43 gap junction plaques were reduced in Gjal /+ mouse incisors compared to wild-type littermate controls. Disorganized GjalJrt/+ mouse ameloblasts and abnormal distribution of amelogenin were observed. A thin enamel layer became more …

Brain Transcript Levels And Co-Segregation Of The Prdm2 Gene With Ethanol Preference In Mice, Luke Tapscott

Digitized Theses

Alcoholism has emerged as a major social and health problem in the world today. Its multi-factorial nature makes the identification of heritable determinants of the disease difficult. Inbred mouse strains have been identified to model various aspects of the disease, one of which is the preference to consume alcohol. In a previous genome-wide expression screen involving the brains o f two strains o f mice that prefer (C57BL/6J or B6) and avoid (DBA/2J or D2) alcohol, the PR domain containing protein 2 (Prdm2) gene (located in an ethanol preference QTL region on chromosome 4), had a higher level o f …

Brassinosteroid-Mediated Stress Tolerance: Hormone Pathways, Genes And Function, Uday K. Divi

Digitized Theses

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are naturally occurring plant steroid derivatives that play crucial roles in plant development and also promote tolerance to a range of abiotic stresses. Although much has been learned about their roles in plant development, the mechanisms by which BRs control plant stress responses and regulate stress-responsive gene expression are not fully known. It is also likely that the stress tolerance conferring ability of BRs is in part due to their interactions with other stress hormones. In the present study the stress tolerance effects of BR, interactions of BR with other plant hormones, and global genomic responses of BR …

N-Subword Complexity Measure Of Dna Sequences, Noman Shihadeh

Digitized Theses

String complexity has many definitions: Kolmogorov complexity [30]; Lempel-Ziv complexity [14] [27]; Linguistic complexity [42], Subword complexity [10] etc. In this thesis we will consider the n-subword complexity studied in [2] and [13]. The n-subword complexity Pw(n) of a genomic sequence w was defined in [13] as the number of distinct factors (subwords) of length n that occur in w. In [2] a new measure called the n-subword deficit was defined as the difference between the number of subwords of length n of a genomic sequence w and of a random genomic sequence of the same length. This definition was …

Ocular Phenotyping In The Harlequin Mouse Model Of Retinal Degeneration: A Framework For Therapeutic Testing, Thomas C. Macpherson

Digitized Theses

Retinal degeneration, despite devastating effects, lacks therapy. Memantine has potential for preserving vision by reducing excitotoxicity associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS). A model for memantine delivery is the oxidative stress- and retinal degeneration in harlequin (hq) mice. Wild type (WT) and hq mice received untreated or memantine-treated (30 mg/kg/ day) drinking water at 1 out to 2,4,6, 8 and 10 months (mo) of age (5 males per cohort). Retinal integrity was assessed using electroretinography and ocular coherence tomography with ROS levels and apoptosis examined postmortem. Reduced hq vision was evident at 2 mo with a slight elevation in ROS …

Playing The Role: Towards An Action Selection Architecture For Believable Behaviour In Non Player Characters And Interactive Agents, Gavan Acton

Digitized Theses

Non Player Characters(NPC) in many types of video games must make believable choices in order to create player immersion and enjoyment. This thesis proposes, implements and tests a novel NPC architecture making use of Role Theory, Appraisal Theory and Utility-Based decision making.

Physiological And Molecular Effects Of Incubation At 24°C On The Antarctic Alga Chlamydomonas Raudensis Ettl (Uwo 241), Marc Possmayer

Digitized Theses

Chlamydomonas raudensis Etti (UWO 241) is a psychrophilic alga isolated from Lake Bonney, Antarctica. Changes to selected aspects of the metabolism of UWO 241 in response to a shift from 10°C to 24°C were monitored over a prolonged period and during a 12 hour exposure followed by 54 hours of recovery at the growth temperature (12S-54R). During incubation at 24°C, PSII photochemical efficiencies decline, absorbed light energy is directed towards dissipative pathways and this alga dies. Photosynthetic parameters returned to control values during the recovery period of 12S-54R. The 12S-54R regime was used to assess the plasticity of other aspects …

Recombinant Protein Purification In Plants Utilizing Small Molecule-Dependent Inteins And Elastin-Like Polypeptides, Braedon Hendy

Digitized Theses

Traditional protein purification methods are costly at the industrial scale. As therapeutic peptides demonstrate their potency against human disease, a strong impetus towards commercialized production emphasizes the development of novel purification methods. A two-component system was developed in tobacco BY-2 cells that used an elastin-like polypeptide tag and a terminally-cleaving small molecule-dependent intein to purify a green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein and remove the purification tag from it. The small molecule-dependent intein, originally developed in yeast, appeared to splice illegitimately in tobacco BY-2 cells, yielding non-functional GFP, and exhibiting significant uninduced splicing. Conversely, once the intein was modified to …

Deciphering Genetics Of Nitrogen-Fixing Symbiosis In Lotus Japonicus, Bogumil Jacek Karas

Digitized Theses

As the world population approaches seven billion and is predicted to reach nine billion by the year 2040 it is essential to improve our agricultural methods in order to meet the growing demand for food. The challenge is to increase the yield without negatively affecting the environment.

A new approach that would make use of beneficial plant-microbe interactions should be considered. One of these interactions is the establishment of nitrogen-fixing symbiosis between plants and soil bacterium, commonly known as Rhizobium. However the ability to interact symbiotically with Rhizobium is almost completely restricted to leguminous plants. Therefore, understanding how the legume-rhizobium …

Role Of Host Plant Volatiles In Mate Location, And Other Aspects Of The Reproductive Biology Of The Potato Aphid, Macrosiphum Euphorbiae, Jessica Hurley

Digitized Theses

In late summer, diecious aphids, such as the potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae, move from their secondary summer host plants to primary ones when the sexual oviparae lay eggs that can survive winter conditions. I tested the hypothesis that primary host Rosacea sp, volatiles attract the gynoparae (the alate morph that produces oviparae), as well as males searching for suitable mates. In wind tunnel assays, both gynoparae and males oriented to and reached rose (Rosa rugosa) cuttings significantly more than to other odour sources including potato (Solarium tuberosum), a major secondary host. Volatiles from rose cuttings alone were as attractive to …