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Articles 1951 - 1980 of 2421

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Resource Allocation And Bionomics Of Indigenous And Exotic Cotesia (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Species Reared On Sesamia Calamistis, Y. Hailemichael, F. Schulthess, J. Smith, W. Overholt, A. Chabi-Olaye Aug 2008

Resource Allocation And Bionomics Of Indigenous And Exotic Cotesia (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Species Reared On Sesamia Calamistis, Y. Hailemichael, F. Schulthess, J. Smith, W. Overholt, A. Chabi-Olaye

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The braconid larval parasitoids Cotesia chilonis (Matsumura), C. flavipes Cameron and a strain of Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron) from coastal Kenya, reared at the International Centre of Insect Ecology and Physiology, were introduced at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in the Republic of Benin for suitability testing on West African stemborers prior to release. C. chilonis was originally collected in Japan while C. flavipes was imported into Kenya from Pakistan. The host species used was the noctuid Sesamia calamistis (Hampson), the most important noctuid maize pest in the region. All three Cotesia species attacked and successfully developed in 2nd to …


Role Of Native Bees And Natural Habitats In Eggplant (Solanum Melongena) Pollination In Kenya, Barbara Gemmill-Herren, Alfred O. Ochieng' Aug 2008

Role Of Native Bees And Natural Habitats In Eggplant (Solanum Melongena) Pollination In Kenya, Barbara Gemmill-Herren, Alfred O. Ochieng'

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The pollination requirements of eggplant (Solanum melongena) were investigated. One variety of eggplant exhibited a significantly reduced seed set in absence of pollinators, and two varieties significantly increased seed numbers when pollen deposition was enhanced. Two solitary bee species, Xylocopa caffra and Macronomia rufipes, were identified as effective pollinators of the crop. The visitation rates of these pollinators to eggplant flowers declined significantly with distance from the wild habitat. The importance of wild plants as alternative forage source for pollinators was assessed by a survey of the flowering plants in different habitats surrounding eggplant fields. While ruderal farm weeds provide …


Phylogeography And Geographical Variation Of Behavioral And Morphological Characteristics In Paruroctonus Boreus, Abraham Miller Jul 2008

Phylogeography And Geographical Variation Of Behavioral And Morphological Characteristics In Paruroctonus Boreus, Abraham Miller

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Specimens of Paruroctonus boreus were collected from twenty-four sites to assess the geographic variation in behavioral, morphological and molecular traits. Statistical analyses showed males demonstrated a positive response to females from the same population but not females from different populations, and that males exhibit a negative response to males from the same population. Pectine morphology was measured with SEM and demonstrated sexual dimorphism among and within populations. This difference was most apparent in mature individuals. Sequence data from 16S and COI genes suggest there is structure among the populations but this structure does not support a north and south clades …


Species Limits And Phylogenetic Systematic Of The Diurnal Geckos Of The Genus Gonatodes (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae), Walter E. Schargel Jul 2008

Species Limits And Phylogenetic Systematic Of The Diurnal Geckos Of The Genus Gonatodes (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae), Walter E. Schargel

Biology Dissertations - Archive

The genus Gonatodes (family Sphaerodactylidae) is a diverse of group of about 20 species currently recognized of mostly diurnal geckos that are collectively distributed from southern Mexico to Brazil and Bolivia, and also including most of the Caribbean Islands. The systematics of this group remains poorly studied with published contributions limited mostly to the original species descriptions, natural history notes, and a recent, yet largely incomplete, molecular phylogeny. In this work, several contributions to the systematics of this genus are made. The first chapter is a general introduction to the group. Chapter 2 is a phylogeographic study of the G. …


How Herbivores Affect Plant Growth, Community Structure And Litter Decomposition In Alaskan Tundra: Implications For Responses To Climate Change, David R. Johnson Jul 2008

How Herbivores Affect Plant Growth, Community Structure And Litter Decomposition In Alaskan Tundra: Implications For Responses To Climate Change, David R. Johnson

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations have caused higher air temperatures in the Arctic. Because arctic organisms are temperature limited, warmer conditions lead to higher decomposition and nutrient cycling rates by soil microorganisms resulting in positive feedbacks; more CO2 is released from warmer soils thus increasing global atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Higher decomposition and nutrient cycling rates increase soil nutrient availability for plants resulting in increased net primary productivity (NPP) and shifts in community structure. If these "warmer" communities contain more woody shrubs, they may store more carbon in plant tissue, potentially offsetting increases in CO2 from decomposition. However, little is …


Proteasomal Gene Duplications And Recruitment Of Testis Specific Expression In Drosophila, Mehran Sorourian Jul 2008

Proteasomal Gene Duplications And Recruitment Of Testis Specific Expression In Drosophila, Mehran Sorourian

Biology Theses - Archive

Proteasome is a large multisubunit complex that degrades ubiquitinated proteins in a highly regulated manner in all eukaryotes. Two subcompartments of this subunit are the 19Scap and the 20S core particle with 19S acting as regulatory subunit, it attaches at both ends of the 20Score particle harboring the catalytic domains. In D. melanogaster one third of the genes encoding for this subunit were recognized to have many male specific duplicates. In this work, we make use of the new 12 genomes sequences and show that the majority of the genes encoding for the 20S particle gave rise to at least …


The Control Of Gene Expression By High Light Stress In Cyanobacteria Through The Apparent Two-Component Nbls-Rpab Signal Transduction Pair, Anthony David Kappell Jul 2008

The Control Of Gene Expression By High Light Stress In Cyanobacteria Through The Apparent Two-Component Nbls-Rpab Signal Transduction Pair, Anthony David Kappell

Biology Dissertations - Archive

In nature photosynthetic organisms including cyanobacteria are dependent upon their ability to acclimate to changes in environmental conditions including light and nutrient levels. The NblS sensor kinase of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 regulates gene expression in response to a number of stress conditions including high-intensity light and nutrient limitation. NblS is known as DspA or Hik33 in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803. We determined that the high light-inducible hliA gene from S. elongatus is under negative control through NblS. We have identified the High Light Regulatory 1 (HLR1) sequence (two direct repeats of (G/T)TTACA(T/A)(T/A) separated by two nucleotides) …


Strong Navajo Marriages, Linda Skogrand, Mary Lou Mueller, Rachel Arrington, Heidi Leblanc, Davina Spotted Elk, Irine Dazyie, Reva Rosenband Jul 2008

Strong Navajo Marriages, Linda Skogrand, Mary Lou Mueller, Rachel Arrington, Heidi Leblanc, Davina Spotted Elk, Irine Dazyie, Reva Rosenband

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The purpose of this qualitative study, conducted in two Navajo Nation chapters, was to learn what makes Navajo marriages strong because no research has been done on this topic. Twenty-one Navajo couples (42 individuals) who felt they had strong marriages volunteered to participate in the study. Couples identifi ed the following marital strengths: (1) maintain communication, (2) nurture your relationship, (3) learn about marriage, (4) be prepared for marriage, and (5) have a strong foundation.


Effect Of High Intensity Ultrasound On Crystallization Behavior Of Anhydrous Milk Fat, Silvana Martini, A. H. Suzuki, R. W. Hartel Jul 2008

Effect Of High Intensity Ultrasound On Crystallization Behavior Of Anhydrous Milk Fat, Silvana Martini, A. H. Suzuki, R. W. Hartel

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The need to eliminate trans-fatty acids from foods’ formulation resulted in the exploration of new lipid sources and alternative processing conditions that will improve the physicochemical characteristics and nutritional qualities of lipid-based foods. In general, the physicochemical characteristics of lipid networks depend on the microstructure and crystallization behavior of the system. The objective of this work was to use high intensity ultrasound (HIU) as an additional processing condition to alter the crystallization behavior of a lipid model system (anhydrous milk fat). Results show that HIU application not only decreases the induction time of crystallization (faster crystallization) at a constant crystallization …


Economic Performance Of The 'Push-Pull' Technology For Stemborer And Striga Control In Smallholder Farming Systems In Western Kenya, Zeyaur R. Khan, Charles A.O. Midega, Esther M. Njuguna, David M. Amudavi, Japhether M. Wanyama, John A. Pickett Jul 2008

Economic Performance Of The 'Push-Pull' Technology For Stemborer And Striga Control In Smallholder Farming Systems In Western Kenya, Zeyaur R. Khan, Charles A.O. Midega, Esther M. Njuguna, David M. Amudavi, Japhether M. Wanyama, John A. Pickett

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The 'push-pull' technology (PPT), developed in Africa, offers effective control of cereal stemborers and Striga weed in maize-based cropping systems. It involves intercropping maize with desmodium, Desmodium uncinatum, with Napier grass, Pennisetum purpureum, planted as border around this intercrop. Desmodium repels the stemborer moths (push) that are subsequently attracted to the Napier grass (pull). Desmodium also suppresses and eliminates Striga. We assessed economic performance of this technology compared to the conventional maize mono- and maize-bean intercropping systems in six districts in western Kenya over 4-7 years. Ten farmers were randomly recruited in each district and each planted three plots representing …


Can Low Release Numbers Lead To Establishment And Spread Of An Exotic Parasitoid: The Case Of The Diamondback Moth Parasitoid, Diadegma Semiclausum (Hellén), In East Africa, G. Gichini, B. Löhr, A. Rossbach, B. Nyambo, R. Gathu Jun 2008

Can Low Release Numbers Lead To Establishment And Spread Of An Exotic Parasitoid: The Case Of The Diamondback Moth Parasitoid, Diadegma Semiclausum (Hellén), In East Africa, G. Gichini, B. Löhr, A. Rossbach, B. Nyambo, R. Gathu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

From 2001 onwards, Diadegma semiclausum, an exotic parasitoid of the diamondback moth, was introduced and released in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Contrary to common practice where thousands of parasitoids are released, we released very low numbers, 125 females in Kenya, 160 in Uganda and 350 in Tanzania. About 2 years after this single release, the establishment and natural spread of the parasitoids was assessed in all release areas. Two methods were employed: in Kenya, a grid with equidistant points in the four cardinal directions (2-50 km) with the release area in the centre was used and collections were made 27 …


Control Of Listeria Monocytogenes In Ready-To-Eat Meats Containing Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Lactate, Or A Combination Of Sodium Lactate And Sodium Diacetate, R. L. Thompson, C. E. Carpenter, Silvana Martini, Jeff Broadbent Jun 2008

Control Of Listeria Monocytogenes In Ready-To-Eat Meats Containing Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Lactate, Or A Combination Of Sodium Lactate And Sodium Diacetate, R. L. Thompson, C. E. Carpenter, Silvana Martini, Jeff Broadbent

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

This study investigated the use of sodium levulinate to prevent outgrowth of Listeria monocytogenes in refrigerated ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products. Turkey breast roll and bologna were formulated to contain 1%, 2%, or 3% (w/w) sodium levulinate, 2% sodium lactate, a 2% combination of sodium lactate and sodium diacetate (1.875% sodium lactate and 0.125% sodium diacetate), or no antimicrobial (control). Samples of the RTE products were sliced, inoculated with 102 to 103 CFU/cm2 of a 5-strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes, vacuum packaged, and stored at refrigeration temperature for 0 to 12 wk. Counts reached 108 CFU/cm2 on control turkey roll product …


Genetic And Biological Variations Among Plutella Xylostella Granulovirus Isolates, S. Subramanian, R. J. Rabindra, S. Sithanantham Jun 2008

Genetic And Biological Variations Among Plutella Xylostella Granulovirus Isolates, S. Subramanian, R. J. Rabindra, S. Sithanantham

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Success of a baculovirus in the field depends on the selection and utilization of effective isolates of viruses with increased pathogenicity and virulence. Isolates of Plutella xylostella granuloviruses collected from Kenya and India were compared for genetic variations by restriction endonuclease enzyme analysis and for biological activity based on their median lethal concentration and time-to-kill early- and late-third instars. The P. xylostella granulovirus isolates in Kenya were more diverse than those in India and were considerably different from the latter, with only 53-61% similarity. The Kenyan and Indian isolates did not differ significantly for their median lethal concentration, but the …


Farmers' Perceptions Of A 'Push-Pull' Technology For Control Of Cereal Stemborers And Striga Weed In Western Kenya, Zeyaur R. Khan, David M. Amudavi, Charles A.O. Midega, Japhether M. Wanyama, John A. Pickett Jun 2008

Farmers' Perceptions Of A 'Push-Pull' Technology For Control Of Cereal Stemborers And Striga Weed In Western Kenya, Zeyaur R. Khan, David M. Amudavi, Charles A.O. Midega, Japhether M. Wanyama, John A. Pickett

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Striga and cereal stemborers are major constraints to cereal production in sub-Saharan Africa causing serious food security concerns. The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and partners have developed a novel integrated management system called the 'push-pull' technology (PPT) in mitigation. This involves inter-cropping maize with a stemborer moth-repellent forage legume, silverleaf desmodium (push), and planting an attractive trap crop, Napier grass (pull), around the intercrop. Additionally, chemicals produced from desmodium roots inhibit Striga. We evaluated farmers' perceptions of the pests, PPT attributes and factors influencing the likelihood of its adoption in 15 districts in western Kenya. A …


Potential Of Improved Fallows To Increase Household And Regional Fuelwood Supply: Evidence From Western Kenya, B. A. Jama, J. K. Mutegi, A. N. Njui Jun 2008

Potential Of Improved Fallows To Increase Household And Regional Fuelwood Supply: Evidence From Western Kenya, B. A. Jama, J. K. Mutegi, A. N. Njui

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Fuelwood is the main energy source for households in rural Africa, but its supply is rapidly declining especially in the densely populated areas. Short duration planted tree fallows, an agroforestry technology widely promoted in sub-Sahara Africa for soil fertility improvement may offer some remedy. Our objective was to determine the fuelwood production potential of 6, 12 and 18 months (the common fallow rotation periods) old Crotalaria grahamiana, Crotalaria paulina, Tephrosia vogelli and Tephrosia candida fallows under farmer-managed conditions in western Kenya. Based on plot-level yields, we estimated the extent to which these tree fallows would meet household and sub-national fuelwood …


Integrated Management Of Striga Hermonthica, Stemborers, And Declining Soil Fertility In Western Kenya, B. Vanlauwe, F. Kanampiu, G. D. Odhiambo, H. De Groote, L. J. Wadhams, Z. R. Khan May 2008

Integrated Management Of Striga Hermonthica, Stemborers, And Declining Soil Fertility In Western Kenya, B. Vanlauwe, F. Kanampiu, G. D. Odhiambo, H. De Groote, L. J. Wadhams, Z. R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Striga hermonthica (Delile) Benth., stemborers, and declining soil fertility are serious threats to sustainable food production in the Lake Victoria zone of Kenya. To address these constraints, promising integrated crop management technologies were evaluated, using a multi-locational design in four sub-locations in Siaya and Vihiga district (western Kenya) for six cropping seasons. Technologies evaluated consisted of the traditional maize (Zea mays L.) - bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) intercrop, maize - Desmodium (Desmodium uncinatum (Jacq.) DC.) push-pull intercrop, Crotalaria (Crotalaria ochroleuca G. Don) - maize rotation, and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) - maize rotation. Within each of these systems, imazapyr-coated …


The Relationship Of Oribatid Soil Mite Abundance To Abiotic And Biotic Factors, Carolyn Hess May 2008

The Relationship Of Oribatid Soil Mite Abundance To Abiotic And Biotic Factors, Carolyn Hess

Biology Theses - Archive

Oribatid soil mites primarily feed on fungi and dead organisms. They belong to the arthropod subclass, Acari, that are believed to contribute to soil processes such as plant litter breakdown and nutrient release. In order to facilitate more accurate predictions about obscure soil processes, research has been done that has attempted to correlate soil mite abundance and diversity to more easily measured aboveground biota. The present study examined monthly Oribatid soil mite abundance and its relationship to four different plant communities in North Texas: mowed grass monoculture, un-managed field, riparian, and woodland, during one growing season. Due to the nutritional …


Ground Reaction Force Profiles In Acl Reconstructed Female Athletes, Ashley Mcgavern May 2008

Ground Reaction Force Profiles In Acl Reconstructed Female Athletes, Ashley Mcgavern

Kinesiology Theses - Archive

Injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has become a global topic of research, as the number of injuries is staggering and continues to increase each year because the underlying elements contributing to this injury have yet to be fully grasped. It is estimated that 80,000 – 250,000 ACL injuries occur annually in female athletics.(45) As a result, an estimated number of 100,000 ACL reconstructions are performed annually.(2) The uncertainty involving the contributing causes of this injury has naturally ushered uncertainty involving the treatment of the injury, i.e. surgical repair and subsequent rehabilitation. Although considerable gains toward improving surgical procedure …


Carbon, Nitrogen And Phosphorus Stoichiometry Of A Mixotrophic Protist, Natalie C. Lukomski May 2008

Carbon, Nitrogen And Phosphorus Stoichiometry Of A Mixotrophic Protist, Natalie C. Lukomski

Biology Theses - Archive

The microbial loop is one of two major pathways in aquatic systems in which nutrient and energy flow from dissolved nutrients to higher trophic levels. Protozoan-bacteria predator-prey relationships lie at the base of this food web. It is through this interaction that dissolved nutrients sequestered in the bacterial biomass become available to higher trophic levels. Heterotrophic nanoflagellates are the main consumers of bacteria in aquatic systems (Porter et al.1985). Consequently, limitation of dissolved nutrients in the bacterial biomass could effect protozoan stoichiometry and the amounts of excreted waste products. These excreted waste products are a valuable resource to bacteria; therefore …


Trypanosoma Brucei Rhodesiense Transmitted By A Single Tsetse Fly Bite In Vervet Monkeys As A Model Of Human African Trypanosomiasis, John K. Thuita, John M. Kagira, David Mwangangi, Enock Matovu, C. M.R. Turner, Daniel Masiga May 2008

Trypanosoma Brucei Rhodesiense Transmitted By A Single Tsetse Fly Bite In Vervet Monkeys As A Model Of Human African Trypanosomiasis, John K. Thuita, John M. Kagira, David Mwangangi, Enock Matovu, C. M.R. Turner, Daniel Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

We have investigated the pathogenicity of tsetse (Glossina pollidipes)-transmitted cloned strains of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in velvet monkeys. Tsetse files were confirmed to have mature trypanosome infections by xenodiagnosis, after which nine monkeys were infected via the bite of a single infected fly. Chancres developed in five of the nine (55.6%) monkeys within 4 to 8 days post infection (dpi). All nine individuals were successfully infected, with a median pre-patent period of 4 (range = 4-10) days, indicating that trypanosomes migrated from the site of fly bite to the systemic circulation rapidly and independently of the development of the chancre. …


Chemical Ecology And Conservation Biological Control, Zeyaur R. Khan, David G. James, Charles A.O. Midega, John A. Pickett May 2008

Chemical Ecology And Conservation Biological Control, Zeyaur R. Khan, David G. James, Charles A.O. Midega, John A. Pickett

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Elucidating the chemical ecology of natural enemies, herbivores and host plants is important in the development of effective and successful integrated pest management (IPM) strategies where abundance and distribution of natural enemies could be manipulated by semiochemicals for improved conservation biological control (CBC). In response to attack by herbivores, plants produce semiochemicals called Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatiles (HIPVs) which act to repel pests and attract their natural enemies. Damaged, and in some cases, intact plants may also produce volatile signals that warn other plants of impending attack. Some of these intact plants are used as intercrops in 'push-pull' strategies; cropping systems …


Heavy Metals In Mosquito Larval Habitats In Urban Kisumu And Malindi, Kenya, And Their Impact, Paul O. Mireji, Joseph Keating, Ahmed Hassanali, Charles M. Mbogo, Hudson Nyambaka, Samuel Kahindi, John C. Beier May 2008

Heavy Metals In Mosquito Larval Habitats In Urban Kisumu And Malindi, Kenya, And Their Impact, Paul O. Mireji, Joseph Keating, Ahmed Hassanali, Charles M. Mbogo, Hudson Nyambaka, Samuel Kahindi, John C. Beier

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Concentrations and distribution of cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese and zinc in mosquito larval habitats in urban Kisumu and Malindi, Kenya and their effect on the presence of Anopheles gambiae, Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus and Anopheles funestus larvae were investigated. Manganese and iron were the most prevalent heavy metals in water of larval habitats in urban Kisumu and Malindi, respectively. Iron was the most prevalent heavy metal in bottom sediments in larval habitats in both cities. The highest concentrations of all heavy metals, except cadmium and iron, were recorded in the poorly planned-well drained stratum in the two cities. …


Blood-Feeding Patterns Of Culex Quinquefasciatus And Other Culicines And Implications For Disease Transmission In Mwea Rice Scheme, Kenya, Ephantus J. Muturi, Simon Muriu, Josephat Shililu, Joseph M. Mwangangi, Benjamin G. Jacob, Charles Mbogo, John Githure, Robert J. Novak May 2008

Blood-Feeding Patterns Of Culex Quinquefasciatus And Other Culicines And Implications For Disease Transmission In Mwea Rice Scheme, Kenya, Ephantus J. Muturi, Simon Muriu, Josephat Shililu, Joseph M. Mwangangi, Benjamin G. Jacob, Charles Mbogo, John Githure, Robert J. Novak

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Studies were conducted in Mwea Rice Scheme, Kenya during the period April 2005 and January 2007 to determine the host-feeding pattern of culicine mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were collected indoors and outdoors and tested for human, bovine, goat, and donkey blood meals by an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. A total of 1,714 blood-engorged samples comprising Culex quinquefasciatus Say (96.1%), Culex annulioris Theobald (1.8%), Culex poicilipes Theobald (0.9%), Aedes cuminsi Theobald (1.0%), Aedes taylori Edwards (0.1%), and Mansonia africana Theobald (0.1%) were tested. Except for A. taylori, in which the single blood meal tested was of bovine origin, the other species fed mostly on …


Susceptibility Of Chlamydia Trachomatis To The Excipient Hydroxy-Ethylcellulose: Ph And Concentration Dependence Of Antimicrobial Activity, Ali A. Abdul-Sater, David M. Ojcius, M. P. Meyer Apr 2008

Susceptibility Of Chlamydia Trachomatis To The Excipient Hydroxy-Ethylcellulose: Ph And Concentration Dependence Of Antimicrobial Activity, Ali A. Abdul-Sater, David M. Ojcius, M. P. Meyer

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) is used as a neutral excipient in microbicides used against sexually transmitted pathogens. However, HEC inhibits the infection of cervical epithelial cells by Chlamydia trachomatis at pH 5 in a concentration-dependent manner. At pH 7, infection is inversely dependent on the concentration of HEC, possibly due to pH-dependent calcium sequestration.


Hydrological Modeling Of Geophysical Parameters Of Arboviral And Protozoan Disease Vectors In Internally Displaced People Camps In Gulu, Uganda, Benjamin G. Jacob, Ephantus J. Muturi, Erick X. Caamano, James T. Gunter, Enoch Mpanga, Robert Ayine, Joseph Okelloonen, Jack Pen Mogi Nyeko, Josephat I. Shililu, John I. Githure, James L. Regens, Robert J. Novak, Ibulaimu Kakoma Apr 2008

Hydrological Modeling Of Geophysical Parameters Of Arboviral And Protozoan Disease Vectors In Internally Displaced People Camps In Gulu, Uganda, Benjamin G. Jacob, Ephantus J. Muturi, Erick X. Caamano, James T. Gunter, Enoch Mpanga, Robert Ayine, Joseph Okelloonen, Jack Pen Mogi Nyeko, Josephat I. Shililu, John I. Githure, James L. Regens, Robert J. Novak, Ibulaimu Kakoma

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: The aim of this study was to determine if remotely sensed data and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) can test relationships between Culex quinquefasciatus and Anopheles gambiae s.l. larval habitats and environmental parameters within Internally Displaced People (IDP) campgrounds in Gulu, Uganda. A total of 65 georeferenced aquatic habitats in various IDP camps were studied to compare the larval abundance of Cx. quinquefasciatus and An. gambiae s.l. The aquatic habitat dataset were overlaid onto Land Use Land Cover (LULC) maps retrieved from Landsat imagery with 150 m × 150 m grid cells stratified by levels of drainage. The LULC change …


Lack Of Respiratory Effects Of Nicotine Applied To The Caudal Medullary Raphã©, Nicole Bates Apr 2008

Lack Of Respiratory Effects Of Nicotine Applied To The Caudal Medullary Raphã©, Nicole Bates

Biology Theses - Archive

Breathing is an involuntary and automatic process initiated by a network of neurons within the brainstem. These neurons are affected by a number of factors (mechanical, electrical and chemical) that help modulate the frequency and pattern of breathing. Three respiratory chemosensitive sites have traditionally been described on the ventral medullary surface. These sites are affected by the pH of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) bathing the brain and by chemicals dissolved within the CSF. More recently, additional sites have been described with chemosensitive activity and of these the medullary raphé has received the most attention. Although the dangers of smoking is …


Comparison Of Oxygen Consumption On Different Brands Of Elliptical Trainers In The Development Of A Metabolic Prediction Equation, Daniel Peter Swier Apr 2008

Comparison Of Oxygen Consumption On Different Brands Of Elliptical Trainers In The Development Of A Metabolic Prediction Equation, Daniel Peter Swier

Kinesiology Theses - Archive

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effect of elliptical trainer brand on gas exchange data as well as to develop separate equations that are specific to certain brands. Methods: Twenty-three healthy volunteers participated in the study (22.3 ± 4.6 yrs, 172 ± 8.2 cm, 67.5± 9.3 kg). Subjects completed a treadmill VO2max test to determine fitness level, followed by two testing sessions on two different brands of elliptical trainers, the Precor EFX 576i® and the TRUE TS1®. Subjects exercised at the same watt level on each elliptical trainer as determined by resistance and cadence. Elliptical …


Transposon Exaptation In Mammalian Evolution, Donald Hucks Apr 2008

Transposon Exaptation In Mammalian Evolution, Donald Hucks

Biology Theses - Archive

A growing body of work suggests that the exaptation of transposon-derived sequences to perform beneficial cellular functions has played a significant role in eukaryotic evolution. In chapter 1, we present an analysis of 10 exapted pogo transposons in the human genome. We present evidence that all 10 are restricted to tetrapods, and that 8 of the 10 arose early in mammalian evolution, in several independent exaptation events involving diverse pogo lineages. We show that all 10 have been subject to stringent selection throughout mammalian evolution, with pseudogenization having occurred only infrequently. In 4 of these genes, we observed no cases …


Location, Acceptance And Suitability Of Lepidopteran Stemborers Feeding On A Cultivated And Wild Host-Plant To The Endoparasitoid Cotesia Flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Meshack Obonyo, Fritz Schulthess, Juma Gerald, Onesmus Wanyama, Bruno Le Rü, Paul André Calatayud Apr 2008

Location, Acceptance And Suitability Of Lepidopteran Stemborers Feeding On A Cultivated And Wild Host-Plant To The Endoparasitoid Cotesia Flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Meshack Obonyo, Fritz Schulthess, Juma Gerald, Onesmus Wanyama, Bruno Le Rü, Paul André Calatayud

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Maize fields in Africa are usually surrounded by land occupied by wild plants many of which harbor lepidopteran stemborer species not found on crops. It is not known if the exotic braconid parasitoid Cotesia flavipes, which was released in Kenya in 1993 against the invasive crambid Chilo partellus, searches for and attacks these borers in their natural habitats and whether they are suitable for parasitoid development. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between acceptance and suitability of six stemborer species attacking cultivated sorghum (C. partellus, Busseola fusca, Sesamia calamistis, and S. nonagrioides) or Napier grass (Busseola …


Interspecific Competition Between Diadegma Semiclausum Hellen And Diadegma Mollipla (Holmgren), Parasitoids Of The Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella (L), Feeding On A New Host Plant, A. Rossbach, B. Löhr, S. Vidal Apr 2008

Interspecific Competition Between Diadegma Semiclausum Hellen And Diadegma Mollipla (Holmgren), Parasitoids Of The Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella (L), Feeding On A New Host Plant, A. Rossbach, B. Löhr, S. Vidal

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Interspecific competition between an introduced parasitoid species aimed at controlling a herbivorous pest species and a native parasitoid parasitising the same host may influence the success of classical biological control programmes. In Kenya, interspecific competition between an introduced and a local parasitoid on two diamondback moth populations (DBM, Plutella xylostella) was investigated on two different host plants. We tested simultaneous and delayed competition of the local parasitoid Diadegma mollipla Holmgren and its exotic congenus D. semiclausum Hellen on a newly aquired DBM host plant (snowpea) in the laboratory. Under simultaneous competition, D. mollipla produced more progeny than D. semiclausum on …