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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Persistence Of The Larval Environment On Post-Metamorphic Performance And Population Dynamics In Amphibians, Julie Charbonnier
Persistence Of The Larval Environment On Post-Metamorphic Performance And Population Dynamics In Amphibians, Julie Charbonnier
Theses and Dissertations
Organisms with complex life cycles may experience diverse stressors during their development. Stressors experienced in early life stages may influence the quantity and quality of individuals in later life stages. However, it is unclear if these effects persist later in life and how they may influence population dynamics. This dissertation uses two amphibian species, the Western spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes) and the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) to explore how biotic and abiotic factors experienced in aquatic and terrestrial environments influence phenotype and survival. We use a combination of field mesoscosm studies, laboratory studies and modeling to …
Novel Role Of The Nociceptin System As A Regulator Of Glutamate Transporter Expression In Developing Astrocytes, Logan Meyer
Novel Role Of The Nociceptin System As A Regulator Of Glutamate Transporter Expression In Developing Astrocytes, Logan Meyer
Theses and Dissertations
Our previous results showed that oligodendrocyte development is regulated by both nociceptin and its G-protein coupled receptor, the nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor (NOPR). The present in vitro and in vivo findings show that nociceptin plays a crucial conserved role in both human and rodent brain astrocytes, regulating the levels of the glutamate/aspartate transporter GLAST/EAAT1. This nociceptin-mediated response takes place during a critical developmental window that coincides with astrocyte maturation and synapse formation. GLAST/EAAT1 upregulation by nociceptin is mediated by NOPR and the downstream participation of a complex signaling cascade that involves the interaction of several kinase systems, including PI-3K/AKT, mTOR and …
Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) As A Model For Orofacial Research, Kevin A. Ghaffari
Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) As A Model For Orofacial Research, Kevin A. Ghaffari
Theses and Dissertations
Across species, the face and more specifically the mouth, serves as an essential facet of everyday life. Amongst humans the mouth serves as a tool for the ingestion of food, a marker for facial recognition and a medium for communication. In order for the mouth to properly form, a series of precise growth and fusion events are needed. In order to insure that these events are orchestrated properly is a wide array of signals, transcription factors and epigenetic regulators. Due to the needed precision of these events, congenital birth defects of the face such as cleft lip and cleft palate …