Life Sciences Commons^™

Role Of Transforming Growth Factor (Tgf) – Β Signaling In Craniofacial Development, Malignancies And Regeneration, Jingpeng Liu

Theses & Dissertations

The transforming growth factor (TGF) – β signaling pathway regulates a diversity of fundamental cellular processes such as cell growth and proliferation, cell differentiation, migration, apoptosis and other biological functions, both during embryogenesis and in adult tissue homeostasis. TGF-β is known to play a critical role in palatal development as in TGF-β knockout murine models, TGF-β deficiency causes cleft palate, a common craniofacial deformity in humans due to the abnormality of growth, elevation or fusion of the two palatal shelves. In order to investigate the mechanisms of how TGF-β regulates palatogenesis, we generated TGF-β3 knockout (-/-) murine models, performed systematic …

Organizational Effects Of Defeminizing Toxicants: Lessons Learned From An Environmental Sentinel Organism, The Fathead Minnow., Jonathan Ali

Theses & Dissertations

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are chemicals that interfere with hormone function and are increasingly detected in aquatic environments, where they elicit adverse effects from exposed organisms. The toxicological effects of EDCs can be described as either activational (reversible) or organizational (irreversible), where the latter are associated with adverse outcomes in reproductive performance of adult fish. However, few studies have investigated the organizational impacts of anti-estrogenic or “defeminizing” EDCs, e.g. agrichemicals or pharmacological agents, in an environmentally-relevant or “sentinel” species. The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of early-life EDC-initiated changes in estrogenic gene expression on organizational effects …

American Society Of Parasitologists Newsletter, Volume 39, Number 2, Fall/ Winter, 2017, Scott L. Gardner

American Society of Parasitologists: Newsletter

Fall/Winter 2017 issue of the ASP newsletter.

Superresolution Imaging Identifies That Conventional Trafficking Pathways Are Not Essential For Endoplasmic Reticulum To Outer Mitochondrial Membrane Protein Transport., Kyle Salka, Shivaprasad Bhuvanendran, Kassandra Wilson, Petros Bozidis, Mansi Mehta, Kristin Rainey, Hiromi Sesaki, George H Patterson, Jyoti K. Jaiswal, Anamaris M. Colberg-Poley

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Most nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins traffic from the cytosol to mitochondria. Some of these proteins localize at mitochondria-associated membranes (MAM), where mitochondria are closely apposed with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We have previously shown that the human cytomegalovirus signal-anchored protein known as viral mitochondria-localized inhibitor of apoptosis (vMIA) traffics from the ER to mitochondria and clusters at the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM). Here, we have examined the host pathways by which vMIA traffics from the ER to mitochondria and clusters at the OMM. By disruption of phosphofurin acidic cluster sorting protein 2 (PACS-2), mitofusins (Mfn1/2), and dynamin related protein 1 (Drp1), …

24-Month Hiv-Free Survival Among Infants Born To Hiv-Positive Women Enrolled In Option B+ Program In Kigali, Rwanda: The Kabeho Study, Michelle Gill, Heather J. Hoffman, Dieudonne Ndatimana, Placidie Mugwaneza, Laura Guay, +Several Additional Authors

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) provision to all pregnant HIV-positive women (“Option B+”) has been recommended by the World Health Organization since 2013, but there remain limited data on the effects of Option B+ on long-term HIV-free survival in breastfeeding HIV-exposed infants. The Kigali Antiretroviral and Breastfeeding Assessment for the Elimination of HIV (Kabeho) study enrolled HIV-positive women from the third trimester of pregnancy to 2 weeks postpartum in 14 heath facilities implementing Option B+ in Kigali, Rwanda. Mother–child pairs in the longitudinal observational cohort were followed until 24 months postpartum, with HIV diagnostic testing at 6 weeks, and 9, 18 …

The Cost Of Roaming Free: Assessing The Effects Of Plant Secondary Metabolites On Diet Selection And Nutritional Condition In A Free-Ranging Generalist Herbivore, Daniel Patrick Melody

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Large vertebrate herbivores have a wide variety of browsing options available. However, most plants contain a suite of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) that can have toxic effects when ingested. Herbivores must therefore make dietary choices that minimize the potentially harmful effects of PSM ingestion and maximize the use of available nutrients and protein. During winter months, in northern latitudes, climatological factors restrict browsing options and many populations of herbivores must subsist primarily on forage that is relatively poor in nutritional quality and high in PSMs. Many species of herbivores have developed a suite of behavioral and physiological adaptations to cope …

The Biogeography And Nesting Biology Of Anthophora, With A Revision And Phylogeny Of The Anthophora (Micranthophora), Michael C. Orr

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bees are necessary pollinators for a vast array of different plants, including many which we rely on for food. In order to grow sufficient crops to feed the world’s growing population, we need to make sure our crops are visited by the most effective possible pollinators. However, this is complicated by the fact that there are over 4,000 bee species in North America, many of which vary in their pollination effectiveness and are difficult to identify. My dissertation’s first two data chapters focus on classifying the species of the xeric solitary bee group Anthophora subgenus Micranthophora, including seven newly …

Insights Into The Therapeutic Potential Of Salt Inducible Kinase 1: A Novel Mechanism Of Metabolic Control, Randi Fitzgibbon

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Salt inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) has been considered a stress-inducible kinase since it was first cloned in 1999. Continued efforts since this time have been dedicated to characterizing the structure and function of SIK1. Such research has laid the ground work for our understanding of SIK1 action and regulation in tissue and stimuli dependent manners. The fundamental findings of this dissertation continue in this tradition and include investigations of SIK1 regulatory mechanisms in skeletal muscle cells, the cellular and physiological effects of SIK1 loss of function in vitro and in vivo, and intracellular metabolic and mitochondrial regulation by this …

Achilles Is A Circadian Clock-Controlled Gene That Regulates The Immune System And Its Rhythmicity In Drosophila, Jiajia Li

Dissertations

Circadian clock is a transcriptional/translational feedback loop that drives the rhythmic expression of downstream mRNAs. Termed “clock-controlled genes,” these molecular outputs of the circadian clock orchestrate cellular, metabolic, and behavioral rhythms. As part of our on-going work to characterize key upstream regulators of circadian mRNA expression, we have identified a novel clock-controlled gene in Drosophila melanogaster, Achilles (Achl), which is rhythmic at the mRNA level in the brain and represses expression of immune response genes, especially anti-microbial peptides in the immune system. Achl knock-down in the brain dramatically elevates expression of crucial immune response genes, including IM1 …

Better Health Through Horticulture: Using Horticulture To Influence Behavior And Reduce Stress, Rachel Ochylski

All NMU Master's Theses

Horticultural intervention in the form of gardening workshops connect participants to nature while they nurture another living organism. Horticultural intervention provides opportunities to socialize and engage in a meaningful activity, which have been recognized as helpful in the treatment of common mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety. There is a lack of experimental studies based on quantitative data that focus on the effects of horticulture on holistic human health. The author evaluated the effects of a horticultural intervention on two separate groups, older adults and college students. The behavioral effects of engaging in gardening activities were evaluated using …

Fast Shoreline Erosion Induced By Ship Wakes In A Coastal Lagoon: Field Evidence And Remote Sensing Analysis, Luca Zaggia, Giuliano Lorenzetti, Giorgia Manfe, Gian Marco Scarpa, Emanuela Molinaroli, Kevin E. Parnell, John Rapaglia, Maria Gionta, Tarmo Soomere

Biology Faculty Publications

An investigation based on in-situ surveys combined with remote sensing and GIS analysis revealed fast shoreline retreat on the side of a major waterway, the Malamocco Marghera Channel, in the Lagoon of Venice, Italy. Monthly and long-term regression rates caused by ship wakes in a reclaimed industrial area were considered. The short-term analysis, based on field surveys carried out between April 2014 and January 2015, revealed that the speed of shoreline regression was insignificantly dependent on the distance from the navigation channel, but was not constant through time. Periods of high water levels due to tidal forcing or storm surges, …

The Effect Of Diet On Midgut And Resulting Changes In Infectiousness Of Acmnpv Baculovirus In Trichoplusia Ni, Elizabeth Chen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni, a global generalist lepidopteran pest, has developed resistance to many synthetic and biological insecticides, requiring effective and environmentally acceptable alternatives. One possibility is the Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). This baculovirus is highly infectious for T. ni, with potential as a biocontrol agent, however, its effectiveness is strongly influenced by dietary context. In this study, microscopy and transcriptomics were used to examine how the efficacy of this virus was affected when T. ni larvae were raised on different diets. Larvae raised on potato host plants had lower chitinase and chitin deacetylase transcript levels …

Integrating Ecological And Evolutionary Context In The Study Of Maternal Stress, Michael J. Sheriff, Alison Bell, Rudy Boonstra, Ben Dantzer, Sophia G. Lavergne, Katie E. Mcghee, Kirsty J. Macleod, Laurane Winandy, Cedric Zimmer, Oliver P. Love

Integrative Biology Publications

Maternal stress can prenatally influence offspring phenotypes and there are an increasing number of ecological studies that are bringing to bear biomedical findings to natural systems. This is resulting in a shift from the perspective that maternal stress is unanimously costly, to one in which maternal stress may be beneficial to offspring. However, this adaptive perspective is in its infancy with much progress to still be made in understanding the role of maternal stress in natural systems. Our aim is to emphasize the importance of the ecological and evolutionary context within which adaptive hypotheses of maternal stress can be evaluated. …

The Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism Rs4340 Associates With Habitual Physical Activity Among European American Adults., Michael Bruneau, Theodore J Angelopoulos, Paul Gordon, Niall Moyna, Paul Visich, Robert Zoeller, Rick Seip, Stephen Bilbie, Paul Thompson, Joseph Devaney, Heather Gordish-Dressman, Eric Hoffman, Linda S Pescatello

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism (rs4340) (ACE DIP) accounts for half of the variability in plasma ACE concentrations. ACE has been widely studied for its influence on sports performance; however, research on its influence in physical activity is limited and inconsistent. We examined the influence of the ACE DIP on physical activity among 461 European Americans.

METHODS: Subjects completed the Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire for weekly walking distance. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) tested log-transformed differences in weekly walking distance among ACE DIP genotypes (II, ID, DD) with gender as a fixed factor, and age and body …

Walking As Ontological Shifter: Thoughts In The Key Of Life, Bibi (Silvina) Calderaro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

With walking as ontological shifter I pursue an alternative to the dominant modernist episteme that offers either/or onto-epistemologies of opposition and their reifying engagements. I propose this type of walking is an intentional turning towards a set of radical positions that, as integrative aesthetic and therapeutic practice, brings multiplicity and synchronicity to experience and being in an expanded sociality. This practice facilitates the conditions of possibility for recurring points of contact between the interiority perceived as ‘body’ and the exteriority perceived as ‘world.’ While making evident the self’s at once incoherence with it-self, it opens to a space beyond the …

Distribution And Activation Of Catecholaminergic Neurons In The Brain Of Male Plainfin Midshipman Fish: Divergence In Behavior And Reproductive Phenotype, Zachary Ghahramani

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus, provides an excellent opportunity for delimiting the influence of neurochemical content on vertebrate vocal behavior, in part because the production and recognition of social-acoustic signals is vital to their reproductive behavior. There are two distinct reproductive male morphs that follow divergent developmental trajectories with corresponding alternative reproductive tactics: type I males are the territorial/nesting morph that vocally court females during the summer breeding season while type II males do not court females, but instead sneak spawn in competition with type I males. Catecholaminergic neurons, which synthesize and release the neurotransmitters dopamine or noradrenaline, …

Proteomic Analysis Of The Crustacean Molting Gland (Y-Organ) Over The Course Of The Molt Cycle, Talia B. Head

Master's Theses

Molting in crustaceans is a highly complex physiological process involving negative regulation by two paired endocrine glands, the X-organ/sinus gland complex (XO/SG) and the Y-organ (YO). The XO/SG complex is responsible for making molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH) which negatively regulates synthesis of the molting hormones, ecdysteroids, by the YO. Analysis of gene expression in the XOs and YOs has led to the development of a proposed molecular signaling pathway which regulates ecdysteroidogenesis and subsequent molting in crustaceans. In this study, changes in protein abundance in the YO were characterized over the course of a molt cycle (intermolt, early premolt, mid premolt, …

Itraq-Based Proteomics Analysis And Network Integration For Kernel Tissue Development In Maize, Long Zhang, Yongbin Dong, Qilei Wang, Chunguang Du, Wenwei Xiong, Xinyu Li, Sailan Zhu, Yuling Li

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Grain weight is one of the most important yield components and a developmentally complex structure comprised of two major compartments (endosperm and pericarp) in maize (Zea mays L.), however, very little is known concerning the coordinated accumulation of the numerous proteins involved. Herein, we used isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based comparative proteomic method to analyze the characteristics of dynamic proteomics for endosperm and pericarp during grain development. Totally, 9539 proteins were identified for both components at four development stages, among which 1401 proteins were non-redundant, 232 proteins were specific in pericarp and 153 proteins were specific in …

Transcriptional Regulation Of Kal-1 In The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans, Zachery E. Mielko

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

X-linked Kallmann syndrome (KS) is a genetic disease that is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the human kal-1 gene. The disorder consists of a loss of sense-of-smell coupled with failure to undergo spontaneous puberty. At the cellular level, KS phenotypes are caused by olfactory neurons’ failure to properly migrate to the olfactory bulb. This also prevents gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuroendocrine cells from migrating to the pituitary, preventing the pulsatile release of sex hormones at puberty. While many kal-1 interacting proteins have been studied in model organisms, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms that control kal-1’s expression. Since a 5.27kb …

Ephrin Receptors, Aiy Interneuron Physiology, And Behavior, Tyler Hill

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

In order to survive, an organism must be able to receive, integrate, and respond to sensory stimuli. However, the cellular basis of sensory perception and response is difficult to study in complex animals such as humans, and is therefore poorly understood. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a relatively simple organism yet displays many distinct behaviors, making it an ideal system to understand the relationship between gene function, cell shape, cell physiology, and behavioral output. Much of the thermosensory and chemosensory information that the nematode receives from its sensory neurons is processed via a pair of interneurons called AIYL and AIYR. …

Evidence Of Language Prerequisites In Pan: Orofacial-Motor And Breath Control In Chimpanzees And Bonobos, Natalie Schwob

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Human spoken language requires the concomitant utilization of numerous cognitive and motor skills. Two particularly relevant skills are orofacial-motor control (OFM), the ability to purposefully move one’s facial muscles, and breath control (BC), subglottal air pressure that fuels sound production, as both are necessary in the voluntary production of speech. Many have claimed these competencies are uniquely human qualities without great ape antecedents. However, here we describe both skills in genus Pan, which contains our closest extant relatives: chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus). We hypothesized that OFM and BC would be present in both species of Pan and …

Nociception And The Experience Of Pain Signaling Due To Nerve Damage, Crystal J. Smith

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Hyperalgesia is the increased sensitivity to pain which can present itself to many people no matter age or ethnicity. Having the ability to alleviate pain whether it be acute or chronic pain without the use of addictive medication can have the potential to change the course or modern medicine known today. Through the use of zebrafish, this thesis provides a preliminary understanding in pain signal blocking. Three distinct genes have found to be associated with perceiving pain, which include Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), Transient Receptor Potential Melestatin 8 (TRPM8), and Cannabinoid Receptor 1 (CNR1). We hypothesize through knockdown …

Investigating The Role Of Long Distance Dispersal In The Response Of Stream Fishes To Urbanization, Andrea Davis

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

I conducted a 7-month mark-recapture study in two watersheds differing in urban impact in order to assess the role that long distance dispersal plays in the response of tolerant stream fishes to urbanization. Our two stream sites included a heavily impacted urban stream (watershed impervious surface cover ~30%) and a mildly impacted rural stream (watershed impervious surface cover ~6%). Species of interest were marked with 12mm HPT PIT tags and included a specialist, Campostoma oligolepis (n=189 urban site, 200 rural site) and a generalist, Lepomis auritus (n=136 urban site, 182 rural site). Three resampling instances for each site were conducted …

The Adaptive Value Of Complex Socio-Communicative Behavior, Sara A. Skiba

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Human spoken language represents the most elaborate communication system, however the selection pressures leading to its emergence are still uncertain. Unlike humans, bonobos and chimpanzees do not have language. However, bonobos may have been subjected to similar selection pressures as early hominins, subsequent to their phylogenetic split from chimpanzees roughly 1.5 million years ago. The current study investigated the similarities and differences in sociality and communicative production between bonobos and chimpanzees in captive settings, using 9, 10-minute focal follows for each individual. Analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between social proximity score and total communicative signals produced, as well as …

Population Genetics And Host Specificity Of A Rare Parasitic Plant, Cuscuta Harperi, Brandy N. Rogers

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Cuscuta harperi is a rare parasitic plant endemic to a small number of widely disjunct populations in Georgia and Alabama. It is a habitat-specialist, occurring on sandstone and granite outcrops within its limited range; it is also exhibits a high level of host specificity, parasitizing only a few select species. C. harperi is of conservation concern due to small population sizes and threats from habitat degradation.

Here we develop genetic markers to address questions regarding population genetics of the species. We discuss the utility of microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms as molecular markers to evaluate genetic variability between individuals and …

The Effect Of Pericyte Cell Therapy On Postischemic Neovascularization In Wild Type And Type 2 Diabetic Mice, Katherine E. Hayes

Doctoral Dissertations

Peripheral artery disease is an atherosclerotic disease that causes limb ischemia and has few effective treatments. Stem cell therapy is a promising treatment option, but concomitant diabetes may limit its effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of skeletal muscle pericytes to augment postischemic neovascularization following the induction of limb ischemia in wild type and type 2 diabetic (T2DM) mice. The hypothesis was that diabetes impairs the ability of skeletal muscle pericytes to augment postischemic neovascularization and differentiate in vivo. Pericytes were isolated via fluorescence activated cell sorting for CD45^-CD34^-CD146 …

The Role Of Phenotypic Integration In Mammalian Tooth Function And Jaw Morphological Diversity, Andrew Conith

Doctoral Dissertations

Here I investigate how two major components of the mammalian feeding system, teeth and jaws, are influenced by functional, environment, and developmental factors. First, I build physical models of the molars from two early mammals, Morganucodon and Kuehneotherium, and compare their ability to process a proxy food item. Early mammals were under strong selection to reduce metabolic costs, so any savings in energy during feeding would be advantageous. I tested the ability of both mammals to process a hard and soft food item with material properties similar to that of the insects they would have likely consumed. Morganucodon was …

Burrowing And Walking Mechanisms Of North American Moles, Yi-Fen Lin

Doctoral Dissertations

Moles (Family Talpidae) are a classic example of extreme specialization, in their case highly derived forelimb morphologies associated with burrowing. Despite many observations of mole burrows and behaviors gathered in the field, we know very little about how and how well moles use their forelimbs to dig tunnels and to walk within the built tunnels to collect and transport food. The first chapter investigates the effect of soil compactness on two sympatric mole species under controlled laboratory conditions. My results demonstrate that increasing soil compactness impedes tunneling performance as evidenced by reduced burrowing speed, increased soil transport, shorter tunnels, shorter …

Effects On Campostoma Oligolepis Digestive Morphology And Gut Microbiota Composition Across A Gradient Of Urbanization, Hannah Grice

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Campostoma oligolepis, the Largescale Stoneroller, is a species of minnow native to northwest Georgia. This study investigated the impacts of urbanization on gut length and gut microbiota community composition in C. oligolepis from four small watersheds within the Etowah River drainage basin with different levels of impervious surface coverage (ISC). Individuals were collected from each sample site in the summer of 2016 between late July and early September. A second round of sampling was conducted in the fall between mid-October and mid-November. The gut length to total length ratio was calculated for each individual to allow for an unbiased …

Profiling Bat Activity And Species Presence In Managed Longleaf Pine Landscapes, Margaret Hunt

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Restoration of native flora or reintroduction of at-risk fauna includes management practices that while encouraging presence and proliferation of target species, may adversely affect non-focal species. An endemic ecosystem undergoing restoration within the southeastern U.S. is that of the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). Bats inhabit key ecological niches in forest ecosystems, including the longleaf pine ecosystem, and can be indicators of ecosystem condition. This study investigated the effects of current forest management practices and landscape management history on bat species presence and activity levels within habitat undergoing longleaf pine restoration. We deployed bat detectors in two wildlife management …