Life Sciences Commons^™

Estimating The Range Shift And Harvesting Intensity Of Junipers In Bhutan (Eastern Himalaya), Rinchen Namgay

Theses

The authors of more than 97% of the scientific publications on climate change agree that global temperature has increased in the last six decades and is caused by human beings via emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This phenomenon has altered natural ecosystem functions, causing many species to shift to a more suitable habitat. Throughout the world, because of recent climate warming, many forms of range shift associated with climate warming has occurred. While animals can move as warming happens, plants being stationary organisms cannot move, so the difference in the distribution of different plant life stages is an …

Study Of Y-Chromosome Str Markers In United Arab Emirates Population, Tareq Zeyad Mohammed Ahmed

Theses

The recently introduced 6-dye Yfiler Plus multiplex which includes 27 Y-STR loci (DYS576, DYS389I, DYS635, DYS389II, DYS627, DYS460, DYS458, DYS19, YGATAH4, DYS448, DYS391, DYS456, DYS390, DYS438, DYS392, DYS518, DYS570, DYS437, DYS385 a/b, DYS449, DYS393, DYS439, DYS481, DYF387S1a/b and DYS533) has been used to study 343 UAE Arab male individuals using Yfiler Plus® amplification kit. This set includes seven rapidly mutating loci (RM Y-STRs). These RM Y-STRs are useful for discriminating between closely related and unrelated males.. According to measures of genetic diversity the highest diversity were observed at loci DYS385=(0.94984), DYF387S1=(0.930523) and DYS449=(0.895402). Therefore, these loci should be considered the …

Determination Of Primordial And Anthropogenic Radionuclide Concentrations In Agricultural Soil Of The United Arab Emirates Using Gamma-Ray Spectrometry, Rahaf Moutaz Billah Ajaj

Theses

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has initiated the first civilian nuclear power plant, and it will be operating four reactors between (2018-2020). The establishment of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, which will employ the nuclear power to generate clean energy, is a significant step forward minimizing the UAE carbon footprint. Before the construction of any regulated nuclear facility, it is essential to investigate the environmental background radiation level in the country. Such an investigation is critical for providing the background data for the environmental impact assessment of the nuclear facility. The present study represents the first research effort in the (UAE) …

2-D Electrophoresis Modeling Of Multienzyme Cutting Of Polypeptides, Howard Mayes

Theses

2-Dimensional Electrophoresis is one of the tools in the identification of proteins by molecular weight and pH. The display of molecular weight allows the researcher to quickly identify whether a specific protein or peptide string is in the sample. The pH measurement allows even better resolution between different species in the sample. The MultiEnzyme ElectroPhoresis (MEEP) program tries to model that by providing a graph that displays separated protein strings by both molecular weight and pH. The ability to cleave the protein with 43 different enzyme variations allows the researcher to analyze appropriate enzymes to isolate a protein subsequence before …

The Effect Of Psychological Skills Training On Elite Youth Baseball Hitting Performance, Andrew Hammerlinck

Theses

Psychological skills training continues to grow in popularity amongst athletes and coaches of various levels. However, there is still a lack of research in different populations on the benefits of psychological skills training. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a psychological skills training program on the hitting performance and Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 of elite youth baseball players.

A total of 27 participants completed a baseline, pre-test, and post-test hitting test along with pre-test and post-test ACS[-28 measures. A 6-month follow up ACSI-28 and focus group was conducted with 17 of the original participants. The …

Understanding And Optimizing Growth And Development Of California Yellowtail (Seriola Dorsalis) In Aquaculture Using Physiological Tools, Laura Schwebel

Theses

Physical fitness metrics were used to assess the health and development of California Yellowtail, Seriola dorsalis, in an aquaculture environment during two grow-out experiments. The first experiment sought to evaluate the effects of a common aquaculture deformity (an improperly inflated swim bladder) that has been hypothesized to impact energy allocation, growth, and development. Metrics including metabolic rate, critical swimming speed, feed conversion ratio, and growth rate, were monitored over a 32-week period in three groups of California Yellowtail: wild-caught (“wild”), healthy hatchery-reared (“inflated”), and hatchery-reared with uninflated swim bladders (“uninflated”). At the start of the grow-out period, wild fish …

Vertical And Cross-Shore Distributions Of Barnacle Larvae In La Jolla, Ca Nearshore Waters: Implications For Larval Transport Processes, Malloree Lynn Hagerty

Theses

Many marine organisms begin their lives as tiny larvae that are at the mercy of ocean currents. Understanding the transport and subsequent dispersal of larvae is crucial, as it drives population connectivity in the ocean. Larval transport is a complex process involving both physical motions of the water and larval behavior. Vertical positioning is especially important because currents vary throughout the water column, and larvae at different depths will be advected differently. With swimming speeds insufficient to swim against currents, marine larvae can mediate cross-shore transport by controlling their depth distributions. Thus, the overall objective of this study was to …

Long-Term Changes In A Spatially Subsidized Insular Ecosystem In The Archipelago Of Bahía De Los Ángeles, Baja California, Mexico, Thais Fournier

Theses

Interactions between climate change and the processes that structure coastal communities are poorly understood.Long – term weather patterns that include extreme events (e.g., El Niño Southern Oscillation, or “ENSO”) allow us to test hypotheses of how changes in weather (e.g., precipitation) will influence communities over long time frames. One system that is particularly vulnerable to climate changes is the coastal ecotone, which occupies 8% of the earth’s surface. A large exchange of resources (spatial subsidies) link habitats across this ocean – land interface, often with dramatic consequences for the recipient systems. Spatial subsidies such as marine input influence …

Comparative Phytochemical Screening And Antioxidant Activities Of Calligonum Comosum And Calligonum Crjnitum, Khalfan Mohamed Abdulla Ai Naqbi

Theses

Medicinal plants are vital source of present day prescription and the majority of the recommended modern medications contain their subsidiaries. Calligonum comosum and Calligonum crinitum are perennial shrub plants growing in the United Arab Emirates, and are being utilized as a part of traditional medicinal system of UAE. The aims of proposed study were to evaluate and compare the phytochemical and antioxidant properties of these two plants. The extraction and fractionation were conducted by using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol. The extracts were tested for their antioxidant activity. Phytochemical studies with total phenolics and flavonoid contents were …

The Evolution Of Fear Ecology: A Fruit Fly (Drosophila Melanogaster) Perspective, Itachi Mills

Theses

Several mechanisms underlie how evolutionary lineages respond to predation pressures or predation risk. Further mechanisms link evolutionary predation responses to how animals forage, or find mates. However, gaps remain in our understanding about how predation and foraging interact in an evolutionary context.

In my first chapter, I elaborate on how predation and foraging relate in to one another in ecological, evolutionary and behavioral contexts. I start out with an overview of fear ecology. Then, I outline how trade-offs influence the evolution of morphological, chemical and behavioral responses to predation. I further elaborate on how these trade-offs influence reproduction. Finally, I …

Rational Drug Design Directed At Blocking The Initial Signaling Events In Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Sepsis., Christopher A. Tipton

Theses

Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) is classified as an immune system response to an infectious state. If left untreated, SIRS leads to sepsis, septic shock, end-organ dysfunction, and death. As a patient progresses through these stages, associations of acute respiratory distress, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and acute renal failure persist, resulting in millions of deaths annually. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial endotoxin, is released into the blood stream, triggering SIRS. LPS is found in the outer cell-wall of Gram-negative bacteria and is responsible for initiation of a devastating cytokine storm. One of the regions of LPS, lipid A, is a polyacylated glucosamine …

Using A Bio-Inspired Model To Understand The Evolution Of The Remora Adhesive Disk, Kaelyn Mykel Gamel

Theses

Manmade adhesives often fail on wet, compliant surfaces, which can result in poor performance when attaching sensors in medical, defense, and research situations. However, a number of fishes have evolved adhesive discs that allow adhesion to surfaces under challenging wetted conditions. A remarkable evolutionary advancement is found in the family of echenidae, colloquially known as the remora. In particular, the remora fishes have the ability to attach to wet, compliant bodies under high shear conditions for extended periods of time. This research addresses the lack of underwater adhesives by using remora adhesion as a bioinspired model. Evolution has taken …

Bill Owens: A Us Craft Beer Pioneer, 1982-2001, Patrick Walls

Theses

Bill Owens is a pioneer in the United States craft brewing industry through his efforts as an advocate, writer, publisher, brewer, and entrepreneur who created a lasting legacy by influencing generations of brewers and beer fans. Owens wrote the first book on homebrewing equipment (How to Build a Small Brewery: Draft Beer in Ten Days in 1982). He opened the third brewpub in the country (Buffalo Bill's Brewery in Hayward, California in 1983) where, in 1985, he introduced the first commercial pumpkin beer among other beer style firsts. Owens published numerous brewery-focused magazines that featured many illustrious beer writers. …

Larval Rockfish Diversity Abundance Dynamics In Association With A Marine Protected Area In The Southern California Bight, Dustin Chen

Theses

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are areas aimed at protecting natural and cultural resources that are often proposed as a way to alleviate the effects of overfishing on populations of targeted species; these areas have varying degrees of fishing and recreational use restrictions. In order to assess MPA efficacy, it is important to determine the mechanisms by which the presence of MPAs affect reproductive output within and potentially even beyond their boundaries. I attempted to address this through studying the responses of rockfish (Sebastes spp.) larval abundances to the presence of the Cowcod Conservation Areas (CCAs) located within the Southern California …

Time-Activity And Energy Budgets Of Eared Grebes (Podiceps Nigricollis) At Salton Sea, Samantha San Francisco

Theses

Time-activity budgets have been a widely accepted way of approximating the daily energy expenditure of many species, including waterbirds. For this study, focal animal sampling was used to study Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) at their post-wintering stopover site, Salton Sea. Daylight time-activity budgets were converted to energy budgets using energy equivalents for diving, preening, swimming, and resting on water developed for Eared Grebes previously by H. I. Ellis (1994). Post-wintering Eared Grebes arrive at Salton Sea in waves at differing times in the spring. As a result, there can be individuals in a variety of physiological states during …

Effects Of Rapid Weight Loss And Dehydration On Performance In Female Collegiate Wrestlers, Brittany David

Theses

BACKGROUND: Limited information is available on the physiological responses of female collegiate wrestlers to weight cutting practices and their impact on performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of rapid weight loss (R WL) and dehydration on the performance of female collegiate wrestlers one hour post RWL, and 12-hours postRWL.

METHODS: Five female collegiate wrestlers (age= 20.0 ± l .2 yrs, 62.9±2.2 in., 152.9±32.5 fbs., 27.24±3.33% body fat) underwent a pre-competition style period ofRWL where they voluntary cut 5.3 ± 0.2% of their initial body mass in four days. Performance tests were performed prior to …

Determinants Of Ball-Exit Velocity In Collegiate Baseball Players, Ross Hasegawa

Theses

Unavailable.

The Relationship Between Lower Extremity Strength, Mobility, Movement Quality, And Pain In Collegiate Synchronized Swimmers, Paul Borges Costa

Theses

Synchronized swimming is a physically demanding sport that exposes the lower extremity to unusual forces. Currently, limited information exists that outlines the modifiable factors associated with knee pain experienced by synchronized swimmers.

PURPOSE: This study's aim was to identify the relationship between strength, mobility, movement quality, and pain in collegiate synchronized swimmers.

METHODS: Sixteen collegiate synchronized swimmers (mean ± SD, 20.5 ± l.8y; 165.8 ± 5.1cm; 63.8 ± 5.8kg) were tested. Hip musculature isometric strength was measured using an external force transducer. Hip mobility and Q-angle was assessed using a goniometer. Movement quality was deternined using the Functional Movement Screen …

Network Exploration Of Correlated Multivariate Protein Data For Alzheimer's Disease Association, Matthew J. Lane

Theses

Alzheimer Disease (AD) is difficult to diagnose by using genetic testing or other traditional methods. Unlike diseases with simple genetic risk components, there exists no single marker determining as to whether someone will develop AD. Furthermore, AD is highly heterogeneous and different subgroups of individuals develop the disease due to differing factors. Traditional diagnostic methods using perceivable cognitive deficiencies are often too little too late due to the brain having suffered damage from decades of disease progression. In order to observe AD at early stages prior to the observation of cognitive deficiencies, biomarkers with greater accuracy are required. By using …

The Epistemic Status Of Moral Conceptual Truths, Kara D. Boschert

Theses

Evolutionary debunking arguments assume that morality could, conceptually speaking, be about anything. A response to this contention is that there are some moral conceptual truths which counter assertions that we could be in error about basic moral truths. According to proponents of moral conceptual truths, some things, by definition, cannot count as moral. Putative moral conceptual truths, such as “stealing is wrong,” are thought to enjoy a privileged epistemic status because anyone who denies them forfeits their ability to engage in competent moral reasoning. This paper explores whether moral conceptual truths can offer a satisfactory response to the debunkers’ premise …

Plasma Metabolites Reveal Changes In Physiological State Of Eared Grebes (Podiceps Nigricollis) During Three Non-Migratory Periods, Allison A. Yoshida

Theses

Energy storage and use during the annual cycle of migratory birds is dynamic especially during migration. However, considerable amounts of the annual cycle are spent not migrating, and the physiological state of birds during these non-migratory periods is not well understood. We compared plasma metabolites (TRIG, BUTY, URIC, GLY) in Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) residing at three important areas when they are not migrating: fall staging (postbreeding at Mono Lake, California), spring staging (pre-breeding at Great Salt Lake, Utah), and an extended stopover prior to spring staging (Salton Sea, California). Plasma metabolites were also measured in resting and active grebes …

The Role Of Estrogen In Mouse Gastric Stem Cell Homeostasis, Aysha Mohamed Yusuf Alkaabi

Theses

To maintain cellular homeostasis, the epithelial lining of the stomach wall continuously fluctuates between cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. A key player in this process is the gastric stem cell (GSC). GSCs are located in the isthmus region of the corpus gastric gland and have the potential to proliferate and differentiate. Although several pathways have been identified to regulate stem cell role in several body tissues, little is known about controlling GSC homeostasis. This project aims to study the role of estrogen (E2) in GSC homeostasis using the well-established mouse gastric epithelial progenitor (mGEP) cell line. Our data showed that …

Otolith Morphologies In The Genus Sinocyclocheilus, Iqra Iqbal

Theses

Sinocyclocheilus is a genus of Cyprinid fish found in southern China. This genus contains 68 species of which 40 species have adaptations for life in cave habitats. A common adaptation seen in fish that live in caves with no light is the loss of vision. Such cavefish must therefore rely on other sensory modalities to capture prey, communicate between conspecifics, and potentially avoid predators. Previous studies have identified sensory adaptations in cavefish, including the increase in size and number of mechanoreceptors. Sinocyclocheilus are hearing specialists, and it is possible that cave species of this genus have increased reliance on hearing …

Changes In Morphology During The Development Of The Horn And Hump Of The Chinese Cavefish Sinocyclocheillus Furcodorsalis, Michelle Pluviose

Theses

The genus Sinocyclocheilus endemic to southern China and contains many cavefish species. There are approximately sixty species, of which roughly forty are cave-adapted. Cave Sinocyclocheilus are characterized not only by lack of pigmentation and eyes depending on the species, but also by a unique prominent horn on the top of the skull and dorsal hump rostral under the dorsal fin. The horn and the hump are generally considered troglomorphic characteristics, although their functions are still elusive. Here, the development of these distinctive structures in the species, S. furcodorsalis, was examined by using micro CT scans. The horn of the …

Novel Neuroevolution Techniques For The Life Science Domain, Timothy Manning

Theses

The life science domain is a high value research area, both in terms of the benefits in increased knowledge and in societal impact. Much of the research funding has focused on wet lab based approaches to increase visibility into biological processes and producing maximal relevant information on which to make decisions. Given the complexity of biological functions, in many cases this has led to an information overload. Researchers are now able to routinely generate and access petabytes of data as a result of high throughput experiments, and this capability is growing. This data can be difficult to interpret and intractable …

A Diagnostic And Control Programme For Johne’S Disease On Irish Dairy Farms, Aideen Kennedy

Theses

Johne’s disease (JD) is an enteritis of ruminants with potential zoonotic implications. JD diagnosis and control present difficulties given JDs prolonged subclinical nature. In order to improve JD control in Ireland, PhD aims included conducting a national survey documenting high-risk husbandry practices employed on Irish farms, thereby targeting areas for improved management. Furthermore as JD has been associated with on-farm economic losses internationally, this research programme aimed to analyse production losses associated with testing JD ELISA positive on Irish dairy farms. A longitudinal study was also conducted to assess if successful JD control can be achieved using gold-standard protocols. Due …

Microbiota, Diet And Medication In Human Gut Disorders, Adam Clooney

Theses

The microbiota, a community of micro-organisms in a particular environment, have been intensely researched in the past decade and interest appears to continue to increase. The human body is richly populated with bacterial cells (3.8x10'^) and alterations in these communities are associated with disease. The work presented in this thesis explores aspects of microbiota research methodologies with regard to optimisation and concerns over a lack of reproducibility. Additionally, we investigated the effects of medication, in particular Proton Pump Inhibitors, on the human gut microbiota, along with comparisons between the microbiota of patients with active and inactive Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Microbiota …

An Analysis Of The Physiological And Psychological Wellbeing Of Irish Naval Service Personnel, Cliodhna Sargent

Theses

Whilst all military cohorts have been seen to experience both physiological and psychological stressors during occupational duties, the naval service experience different stressors due the prolonged periods of time spent at sea. Research has analysed some of these stressors however many them have focused on how individuals are affected because of time spent in combat zones. The Irish Naval Service (INS) is an organisation under the Irish Defence Forces organisation and as such many of its physiological and psychological assessment procedures have come from the Defenee Forces. Very limited researeh has been carried out in relation to the INS as …

Metabolic Characteristics Of Macrophage Activation With Phenotype Microarrays, Tanya Kathryn D'Souza

Theses

Inflammation is a natural protective response and is characterised by the activation of numerous immune cells, including macrophages which can release a variety of inflammatory mediators. Macrophages play a flexible role in the initiation and effector phases of the immune response and change their behaviour to respond to environmental stimuli. The main objectives in this study were to create and characterise different macrophage behaviours and employ a novel metabolic characterisation platform the Phenotype Microarray^TM to attribute additional characteristics to the currently well recognised phenotypes. Five activated macrophage states were demonstrated and characterised. Unactivated macrophages (MO) demonstrated undetectable levels of …

Nutritional Labelling Providing Education On Its Usage Could It Impact On Patient's Food Choice Selection For Those In The Obese Classification?, Celia Lane

Theses

A build-up of too much body fat can cause significant health risks and development of medical conditions and disabilities (National Institute Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2014). The causes of obesity involve the disproportionate intake of calories that are not utilised (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2016). The rising trend towards obesity threatens to bankrupt medical systems (Heifer and Shultz, 2014). There has been a heighten awareness from the general public in the last decade of the affiliation between health and nutrition (Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (lUNA), 2011). In light of the ever increasing obesity trend, individuals still desire to take control of …