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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Birdsong Variation As A Source Of Information For Migrating Common Yellowthroats, Rachel Theresa Bolus Sep 2013

Birdsong Variation As A Source Of Information For Migrating Common Yellowthroats, Rachel Theresa Bolus

Open Access Dissertations

Social information affects the movement decisions of animals and is often an essential factor in habitat selection. Social information should be especially relevant to long-distance migrating birds that navigate over long distances through unfamiliar habitats to find resources to survive. This information likely varies in both availability and importance at the different spatial scales relevant to migrating birds. Using the common yellowthroat as a case study, I tested whether cues might be available in the songs of locally breeding birds at the continental, within-site, and within-territory scales. At the continental scale, I described the geographic variation in song among genetic …


Performance And Signaling In The Green Anole Lizard, Justin P. Henningsen Sep 2013

Performance And Signaling In The Green Anole Lizard, Justin P. Henningsen

Open Access Dissertations

Green anoles are small lizards of the Southeastern United States. They possess an extensible throat-fan called a dewlap. Males have larger dewlaps and display them more often than females. Displays occur during courtship, during agonistic interaction, and during encounters with potential predators. The size of the dewlap of male green anoles is positively correlated with maximum bite force capacity. Bite force capacity, in turn, is predictive of the winner during agonistic interactions. The correlation between these traits suggests that dewlap size may be used as a reliable signal of maximum bite force capacity. In this dissertation, I address three components …


Molecular Characterization Of The Pathophysiology Of The Digital Laminae In Acute Carbohydrate-Induced Equine Laminitis, Erica Ann Pawlak Sep 2013

Molecular Characterization Of The Pathophysiology Of The Digital Laminae In Acute Carbohydrate-Induced Equine Laminitis, Erica Ann Pawlak

Open Access Dissertations

Equine laminitis is a devastating condition that results in the failure of the tissue responsible for suspending the skeleton within the hoof capsule. The digital laminae is composed of two interdigitated layers, the dermal lamellae surrounding the distal pedal bone, and the epidermal lamellae, which interfaces with the hoof wall. During laminitis, these layers separate, allowing for rotation and sinking of the pedal bone. While there are multiple diseases and physiological conditions associated with the development of laminitis, including sepsis, metabolic syndrome, and unequal weight bearing, the exact cause remains elusive. Prior work by our research group identified the metalloprotease …


The Role Of Notch In Th17 Differentiation, Reem Suleiman Sep 2013

The Role Of Notch In Th17 Differentiation, Reem Suleiman

Open Access Dissertations

Th17 cells are pro-inflammatory cells that are characterized by the production of their signature cytokine, IL-17. Although they are thought to have arisen to protect against extracellular bacteria and fungi they have been shown to mediate autoimmune diseases such as EAE and psoarisis. Notch protein is a cell-surface receptor that has been widely conserved among species. It plays an essential role in determining multiple cell fates. More recently, it has been implicated in regulating peripheral CD4+ T-cell responses. In these studies, we report that blockade of Notch signaling significantly down-regulates the production of IL-17 and associated cytokines in both mouse …


Ecology And Conservation Of The Montane Forest Avian Community In Northeastern North America, William V. Deluca Feb 2013

Ecology And Conservation Of The Montane Forest Avian Community In Northeastern North America, William V. Deluca

Open Access Dissertations

Montane forests provide habitat for unique assemblages of flora and fauna that contribute significantly to a region’s biodiversity. Previous work indicates that montane forest ecosystems are exceedingly vulnerable to a host of anthropogenic stressors including climate change, atmospheric deposition, and recreation, to name a few. Montane forests and other high elevation ecosystems are considered to be among the first and most severely impacted by climate change. It is therefore, imperative to evaluate anthropogenic impacts on montane ecosystems and maintain reliable monitoring methods that are capable of tracking potential shifts in the distribution of species dependent on these systems. I surveyed …