Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Cucurbitacin B And Silmitasertib On Metastasis And Itga6 Using The Zebrafish Tumor-Xenograft, Alexandra Griffis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Ninety percent of cancer deaths are resultant from the metastasis of cancer cells. When cancer cells translocate through blood vessels or the lymphatic system, they may form tumors outside of their primary site. The processes of metastasis can begin quickly; after onset, metastasis is unforgiving, as it does not participate with the body’s physiological systems in an orderly way. In the past, our lab produced results indicating that a cell adhesion molecule, Integrin Alpha-6, may contribute to cancer cells' ability to metastasize. Integrins mediate interactions between the cell and the Extracellular Matrix (ECM), regulating cell attachment and cell migration. With …

Response Of Some Mango-Infesting Fruit Flies To Aqueous Solutions Of The Basil Plant Ocimum Tenuiflorum L, Saliou Niassy, Samira Abuelgasim Mohamed, Xavier Cheseto, Evanson Rigan Omuse, John Bwire Ochola, Fathiya Mbarak Khamis, Boubacar Badji, Sheppard Ndlela, Levi Ombura, Noelah Leah Okun, David Mfuti Kupesa, Thomas Dubois, Yeneneh Taye Belayneh, Sevgan Subramanian, Sunday Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Introduction: Horticulture is an important sub-sector for many African countries. Tephritid fruit flies continue to cause serious direct and indirect damage to the sub-sector. The male annihilation technique (MAT) using methyl eugenol (ME) is among the most revered techniques in fruit fly management. However, ME-based lures are only available to some farmers in Africa. Several basils of the genus Ocimum produce ME. Methods: In laboratory experiments, we used a dual choice olfactometer to assess the attraction of adult oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis to intact plants, 100 µL commercial methyl eugenol (ME) (positive control), 10 mg/mL of O. tenuiflorum aqueous …

Identification And Virulence Screening Of Fungal And Bacterial Entomophathogens Of The Edible Long-Horned Grasshopper Ruspolia Differens (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) From Uganda, Alfonce Leonard, James P. Egonyu, Fathiya M. Khamis, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Sunday Ekesi, Samuel Kyamanywa, Sevgan Subramanian

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Natural enemies are major challenges in laboratory rearing of grasshoppers, but the identity and virulence of these towards the edible long-horned grasshopper Ruspolia differens (Serville) is scarcely known. In this study, fungi and bacteria were isolated from R. differens collected from Mbarara, Masaka, Hoima, Kampala and Kabale districts in Uganda in 2018, cultured on standard microbial media, identified using molecular techniques and screened for virulence against the insect in laboratory bioassays. Fourteen and nine species of fungi and bacteria were isolated from R. differens, respectively, with the number of isolates varying based on collection site. The most prevalent entomopathogenic fungal …

Leveraging Data, Models And Farming Innovation To Prevent, Prepare For And Manage Pest Incursions: Delivering A Pest Risk Service For Low-Income Countries, Bryony Taylor, Henri Edouard Zefack Tonnang, Tim Beale, William Holland, Mary Lucy Oronje, Elfatih Mohamed Abdel-Rahman, David Onyango, Cambria Finegold, Jessica Zhu, Stefania Pozzi, Sean T. Murphy

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Globally, pests (invertebrates, vertebrates, pathogens, weeds) can cause estimated annual losses of between 20% and 40%, but higher losses are disproportionately experienced by many low-income countries, as agriculture is the mainstay of the majority of the people and of national economies. Pests pose a major barrier to these countries’ ability to meet the aims of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG2, “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.” However, solutions, in the form of pest risk alert systems, coupled with major advances in technology, are now providing opportunities to overcome this barrier in …

Endophytic Fungi Improve Management Of The Burrowing Nematode In Banana (Musa Spp.) Through Enhanced Expression Of Defence-Related Genes, James Kisaakye, Hendrika Fourie, Danny Coyne, Laura Cortada, Fathiya Mbarak Khamis, Sevgan Subramanian, Shirlyne Masinde, Solveig Haukeland

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The root-burrowing nematode, Radopholus similis, is reputedly the most damaging nematode pest of banana and responsible for major production losses. In this study, the endophytic potential of 13 fungal isolates was assessed for the management of R. similis in East African Highland bananas (‘Ng’ombe’). All isolates successfully colonised tissue-cultured banana roots, with isolates from Trichoderma, Fusarium and Hypocrea producing the highest (≥49.1%) and Beauveria isolates the lowest (≤14.4%) colonisation. The fungal endophytes T. asperellum (ICIPE 700) and H. lixii (ICIPE 697) were the most effective in reducing R. similis densities (>81%) relative to the non-inoculated control. However, the combined …

Chemosensory System Of Tsetse Flies (Diptera: Glossinidae), M. N. Getahun, R. W. Macharia, S. G. Nyanjom, G. F. Obiero, S. Diallo, P. O. Mireji, D. Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tsetse flies are exclusively hematophagous and vectors of trypanosomes, which cause human and animal African trypanosomiasis. They are widely distributed in Africa, with 33 extant taxa and 22 species in three sub-genera. Despite a low reproductive rate, tsetse can maintain populations large enough to cause the restriction of the economic use of large areas of tropical Africa through the transmission of trypanosomiases. This success is largely due to their ability to navigate in their environments, using olfactory signals, which elicit critical behavioural phenotypes, such as attraction to hosts for blood meals, larviposition and resting sites, as well as avoidance of …

Influence Of Temperature-Humidity Index, Calf Sex, And Parity On Gestation Length In Holstein Cows, Lazoumi Ouarfli, Abdelmadjid Chehma

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The present study aimed to analyse the gestation length (GL) variability in locally born purebred Holstein dams (n = 1047), in a private farm, under Saharan climate. The overall GL mean was 278.73 ± 6.67 days. A general linear model revealed that the GL was significantly affected by calf sex (p = 0.035) with a minor increase of 0.19% in males, dam parity (p = 0.016) and calving season (p < 0.0001) including the shortest lengths recorded in heifers and during heat stress period. Moreover, a negative regression (-1.96%) in recent years was recorded in GL by the influence (p = 0.01) of years of birth, breeding, and calving of cows. Our findings show that cows that were inseminated and gave birth during the cold season (temperature-humidity index, THI < 74) had 11.54 days longer (p = 0.048) gestation period compared to animals that were inseminated and gave birth during the hot season (THI > 84). Similarly, the association (p = 0.003) between dam parity and calf sex revealed that the GL of multiparous cows that gave birth to male calves was higher (3.07 days) …

The Efficiency Of Toltrazuril, Thymol, And Toltrazuril + Thymol Combination On Eimeriosis In Lamb, Mehmet Özüi̇çli̇, Ahmet Onur Gi̇ri̇şgi̇n, İhsan Kisadere, Ali̇ İhsan Di̇ker, Ali̇ Erdi̇ Candar, Levent Aydin

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of the treatment with a single dose of toltrazuril 5% (Baycox), thymol (Versatile, Nine Life, United Arab Emirates), and toltrazuril + thymol combination to control Eimeria spp. infection in lambs in intensive feeding. The study was designed with five groups and these groups aligned as; group 1 (negative control group; NEG), group 2 (positive control group; POZ), group 3 (thymol; THY), group 4 (toltrazuril; TOL) and group 5 [(thymol + toltrazuril; (THY + TOL)]. Each group consisted of 26 Merino lambs which are 60-75 days old each. Treatment groups were administered …

Using Different Levels Of Coated Calcium Sodium Butyrate In The Diet Of Quail On Growth Performance, Duodenal Histomorphology, And Some Biochemical Parameters, Mükremi̇n Ölmez, Tarkan Şahi̇n, Şükran Yedi̇el Aras, Özlem Karadağoğlu, Ebru Karadağ Sari, Hati̇ce Gi̇zem Büyükbaki̇, Ebrar Fi̇li̇zoğlu, İdi̇l Şerbetçi̇

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to determine growth performance, duodenal histomorphology, and some biochemical parameters in quails' diets containing coated calcium sodium butyrate (CSB). One hundred sixty 1-day-old Japanese quails were arranged into four trial groups consisting of 5 replicates with eight chicks per replicate. One group was formed as a control group without CSB, and the other experimental groups were formed by adding CSB at the level of 0.06% (CSB - 1), 0.08% (CSB - 2), and 0.1% (CSB - 3). All diets were prepared isonitrogenically and isocalorically, with 24% CP and 3000 kcal/kg ME content. The trial …

Investigation Of Relationships Between Serum Lactate, Acute Phase Proteins, Pro/ Antiinflammatory Cytokine Levels, And Metritis Formation In Holstein Dairy Heifers, Talha Avcilar, Davut Koca, Yavuz Nak, Mustafa Eren Şahi̇n, Musa Özgür Özyi̇ği̇t, Deni̇z Nak

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The main purpose of this investigation was to identify and suggest suitable early screening inflammatory markers for the early diagnosis of uterine infections such as acute septic metritis (ASM) in the Holstein heifers. In addition, to achieve the above -mentioned aim, the objectives of the present study were tried to determine the relationship between blood serum lactate, acute phase proteins (APPs), pro/anti inflammatory cytokine levels, and metritis formation in Holstein heifers. For this purpose, 250 Holstein heifers which were 11-13 months old, were chosen as the study material. After heifers were conceived, blood serum samples were collected at the 8th …

Effect Of Different Light Intensities And Colors On Growth Performance And Reproductive Characteristics In Japanese Quails, Fawwad Ahmad, Muhammad Sharif, Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad Riaz, Muhammad Shoaib, Talha Siddique, Aqian Ahmed, Ahmad Hamad Sheir, Muhammad Ahsan Yaseen, Muhammad Mahboob Ali Hamid

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Light is one of the most important environmental factors in quail farming, as it has a significant impact on production efficiency and reproductive characteristics. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different light intensities and colors on production performance in Japanese quails. For the first experiment, 200 Japanese quails were divided into five treatment groups, each with four replicates (10 birds in each). The birds in the control treatment were exposed to a light intensity of 20 lux, while the other four treatment groups were exposed to light intensities of 10 lux, 15 lux, 25 lux, …

The Effect Of Simvastatin Treatment On Tnf-Alpha-Induced Inflammation In Human Vascular Endothelial Cells (Huvecs), Büşra Görgün, Betül İşi̇ner Kaya, Kübra Kaya, Leyla Di̇dem Kozaci

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study investigates the effects of simvastatin (SMV) on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) inflamed by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a). Cells were treated with simvastatin (5 μM, 10 μM, and 50 μM) with/without TNF (20 ng/mL). The effects of simvastatin on the proliferation of cells were examined, and its cytotoxic effect was determined by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. Metalloproteinase expression (MMP-2 and MMP-9) levels of SMV at different concentrations were determined by qPCR, and protein levels were determined by Western blot. The increasing concentrations of SMV down-regulated the expression levels of MMPs. After stimulation with TNF-a, the effect of …

Investigation Of Bmp15 And Gdf9 Gene Polymorphisms And Their Effects On Litter Size In Anatolian Sheep Breed Akkaraman, Koray Kirikçi

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study aimed to examine the polymorphism of the BMP15 (FecX$^{G}$ and FecX$^{I}$) and GDF9 (G1 and G4) genes and the association between genotypes and litter size in the Akkaraman breed. Blood samples were taken from 100 ewes in total. Genomic DNA was obtained from whole blood. The PCR-RFLP technique was employed to determine the polymorphisms of the genes under investigation. The G1 was the only polymorphic among the four loci analyzed. The frequencies for the GA and GG genotypes were 0.26 and 0.74, respectively, while the A and G allele frequencies were 0.13 and 0.87, respectively. The observed and …

Could There Be A Relationship Between Feeding Characteristics And The Shape Of Condylus Occipitalis And Foramen Magnum In Mammals?, Yasi̇n Demi̇raslan, İsmai̇l Demi̇rci̇oğlu, İftar Gürbüz, Funda Aksünger Karaavci, Abdullah Ortadeveci, Özcan Özgel

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of the study was to investigate the shape of the foramen magnum and condylus occipitalis of mammalian species belonging to different feeding groups. For this, two-dimensional geometric morphometric method analyses were applied. The data from the skulls of the 12 species were used. In principal component analysis, the first three principal components accounted for 70.353%of the total shape variation. According to the first principal component, the dorsal edge of the condylus occipitalis and foramen magnum contributed the most to shape variation. Most of the individuals were correctly separated according to the feeding groups. The most accurate grouping features …

Structural Impact Of Epstein-Barr Virus- Encoded Small Rna -1 On Its Transport And Function, Zubaida Hassan

Dissertations

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-Encoded RNAs (EBERs) are two small, noncoding, structurally conserved transcripts that are expressed in millions of copies in all stages of EBV infection. Despite their abundant expression, the role of EBERs in EBV biology or pathogenesis is not well defined. However, they are associated with driving cell proliferation and improving intercellular communication via their secretion in exosomes. In spite of the pathogenic potentials of EBERs, the mechanisms involved in their transport and function remain to be elucidated. The aim of this PhD dissertation was to investigate the structural impact of EBER1 in its transport and function. The conserved …

Proteomic Exploration Reveals A Metabolic Rerouting Due To Low Oxygen During Controlled Germination Of Malting Barley (Hordeum Vulgare L.), Clare E. O'Lone, Angéla Juhász, Mitchell Nye-Wood, Hugh Dunn, David Moody, Jean-Philippe Ral, Michelle L. Colgrave

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is used in malt production for brewing applications. Barley malting involves a process of controlled germination that modifies the grain by activating enzymes to solubilize starch and proteins for brewing. Initially, the grain is submerged in water to raise grain moisture, requiring large volumes of water. Achieving grain modification at reduced moisture levels can contribute to the sustainability of malting practices. This study combined proteomics, bioinformatics, and biochemical phenotypic analysis of two malting barley genotypes with observed differences in water uptake and modification efficiency. We sought to reveal the molecular mechanisms at play during controlled germination …

Development Of Competency-Based Online Genomic Medicine Training (Cogent), Philip E Empey, Siddharth K Prakash, Laura B Ramsey, Robb Rowley, Carolyn R Rohrer Vitek, Todd C Skaar, Julia Wynn, Teri A Manolio

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The fields of genetics and genomics have greatly expanded across medicine through the development of new technologies that have revealed genetic contributions to a wide array of traits and diseases. Thus, the development of widely available educational resources for all healthcare providers is essential to ensure the timely and appropriate utilization of genetics and genomics patient care. In 2020, the National Human Genome Research Institute released a call for new proposals to develop accessible, sustainable online education for health providers. This paper describes the efforts of the six teams awarded to reach the goal of providing genetic and genomic training …

Multi-Ancestry Genome-Wide Association Analyses Improve Resolution Of Genes And Pathways Influencing Lung Function And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Risk, Nick Shrine, Abril G. Izquierdo, Jing Chen, Richard Packer, Robert J. Hall, Anna L. Guyatt, Chiara Batini, Rebecca J. Thompson, Chandan Puvuluri, Vidhi Malik, Brian D. Hobbs, Matthew Moll, Wonji Kim, Ruth Tal-Singer, Per Bakke, Katherine A. Fawcett, Catherine John, Kayesha Coley, Noemi Nicole Piga, Sinjini Sikdar, Martin D. Tobin, Et Al.

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Lung-function impairment underlies chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and predicts mortality. In the largest multi-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of lung function to date, comprising 580,869 participants, we identified 1,020 independent association signals implicating 559 genes supported by ≥2 criteria from a systematic variant-to-gene mapping framework. These genes were enriched in 29 pathways. Individual variants showed heterogeneity across ancestries, age and smoking groups, and collectively as a genetic risk score showed strong association with COPD across ancestry groups. We undertook phenome-wide association studies for selected associated variants as well as trait and pathway-specific genetic risk scores to infer possible consequences of …

Adjusting For Gene-Specific Covariates To Improve Rna-Seq Analysis, Hyeongseon Jeon, Kyu-Sang Lim, Yet Nguyen, Dan Nettleton

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Summary

This paper suggests a novel positive false discovery rate (pFDR) controlling method for testing gene-specific hypotheses using a gene-specific covariate variable, such as gene length. We suppose the null probability depends on the covariate variable. In this context, we propose a rejection rule that accounts for heterogeneity among tests by employing two distinct types of null probabilities. We establish a pFDR estimator for a given rejection rule by following Storey's q-value framework. A condition on a type 1 error posterior probability is provided that equivalently characterizes our rejection rule. We also present a suitable procedure for selecting a tuning …

Short-Term Removal Of Exercise Impairs Glycemic Control In Older Adults: A Randomized Trial, Leryn J. Reynolds, Troy M. Williams, Joel E. Harden, Hannah M. Twiddy, Monica L. Kearney

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Postprandial glycemia (PPG) predicts cardiovascular disease, and short-term physical inactivity increases PPG in young, active adults. Whether this occurs in older, active adults who may be more prone to bouts of inactivity is unknown. This study determined if postprandial interstitial glucose (PPIG) was impaired in active older adults following the removal of exercise for 3 days (NOEX) compared to active young adults. In this randomized, crossover study, 11 older (69.1 ± 1.9 years) and 9 young (32.8 ± 1.8 years) habitually active (≥90 min/week of exercise) adults completed 3-days of NOEX and 3-days of normal habitual exercise (EX), separated by …

Exposure To Pcb126 During The Nursing Period Reversibly Impacts Early-Life Glucose Tolerance, Brittany B. Rice, Keegan W. Sammons, Sara Y. Ngo Tenlep, Madeline T. Weltzer, Leryn J. Reynolds, Cetewayo S. Rashid, Hollie I. Swanson, Kevin J. Pearson

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent environmental organic pollutants known to have detrimental health effects. Using a mouse model, we previously demonstrated that PCB126 exposure before and during pregnancy and throughout the perinatal period adversely affected offspring glucose tolerance and/or body composition profiles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the glucose tolerance and body composition of offspring born to dams exposed to PCB126 during the nursing period only. Female ICR mice were bred, and half of the dams were exposed to either vehicle (safflower oil) or 1 µmole PCB126 per kg of body weight via oral gavage on postnatal …

The Effect Of Training Program On Autism Spectrum Quotient Scores, Hossein Nazary Sharif, Sarvin Salar, Justin Anthony Haegele

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Background: Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) functions as an evaluative instrument designed to assess traits associated with autism. Variances exist within the brain of individuals on the autism spectrum. Moreover, certain exercises have the potential to impact specific regions of the brain.

Aim: This study aims to investigate how the program training of this study impact Autism—Spectrum Quotient.

Materials and Methods: Forty-two children aged 7-10 years with ASD were recruited to participate in this study. These children were randomly divided into two groups: the control group (N=10, 7.80±1.35 years) and the experimental group (N=32, age: 8.16±1.16 years). The experimental group underwent …

Invasive Buckthorn Mapping: A Uav-Based Approach Utilizing Machine Learning, Gis, And Remote Sensing Techniques In The Upper Peninsula Of Michigan, Vikranth Madeppa

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

An Invasive species is a species that is alien or non-native to the ecosystem which causes harm to economic, environmental, or human health (E.O. 13112 of Feb 3, 1999). Invasive species have posed a serious threat to ecosystems across the globe. These invasive species have impacts on the biodiversity and productivity of invaded forests. Remotely sensed data is a valuable resource for understanding and addressing issues related to invasive species. This study presents a novel approach for mapping the distribution of two invasive plant species, Common and Glossy Buckthorn, using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), machine learning algorithms, geographic information systems …

Cancer/Testis Gene Expression Changes In Metastatic Cancer, Clara M. Mosentine

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Metastasis is the movement of cancerous cells to new parts of the body, often through the blood or lymph systems. Metastasis is classified as stage IV cancer, a prognosis that is significantly more difficult to effectively treat compared to earlier cancer stages. We are interested in assessing whether expression of Cancer/testis (CT) genes, a class of genes that are predominantly expressed in germ cells while also being abnormally expressed in a large percentage of cancers, is associated with cancer metastasis. Germ cells make up an organism’s reproductive system, such as the testis and ovaries, and exhibit cellular immortality and, in …

Characterization Of Vernal Pools Across National Parks In The Great Lakes Region, Samantha R. Kurkowski

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Vernal pools are small, ephemeral wetlands that become inundated each spring and provide many ecosystem services to the surrounding upland forests. They also provide critical habitat for amphibians and invertebrates, as their temporary nature keeps them free of fish and reduces predator populations. As part of a mapping project, we collected baseline field data on vernal pool characteristics throughout five Great Lakes National Parks: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Isle Royale National Park, and Voyagers National Parks. Our goals were to characterize and assess how vernal pools vary within and across the …

Multiscale Molecular Modeling Studies Of The Dynamics And Catalytic Mechanisms Of Iron(Ii)- And Zinc(Ii)-Dependent Metalloenzymes, Sodiq O. Waheed

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Enzymes are biological systems that aid in specific biochemical reactions. They lower the reaction barrier, thus speeding up the reaction rate. A detailed knowledge of enzymes will not be achievable without computational modeling as it offers insight into atomistic details and catalytic species, which are crucial to designing enzyme-specific inhibitors and impossible to gain experimentally. This dissertation employs advanced multiscale computational approaches to study the dynamics and reaction mechanisms of non-heme Fe(II) and 2-oxoglutarate (2OG) dependent oxygenases, including AlkB, AlkBH2, TET2, and KDM4E, involved in DNA and histone demethylation. It also focuses on Zn(II) dependent matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), which helps …

Machine Learning Methods For Prediction Of Human Infectious Virus And Imputation Of Hla Alleles, Xiaoqing Gao

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation contains three Chapters. The following is a concise description of each Chapters.

In Chapter 1, we introduced the Random Forest, a machine learning method, to foresee whether a virus is capable of infecting humans. The Covid pandemic informs us the importance of predicting the ability of a zoonotic virus that can infect humans from its genomic sequence. We used the -mer with and as features of a virus to predict if it can affect humans. We further employed the Boruta algorithm to select the important features, then fed those important features into the Random Forest method to train …

Statistical Methods For Gwas And The Impact Of Diabetic Medication Adherence On Healthcare Costs, Meida Wang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation includes three Chapters. In Chapter One, we develop a computationally efficient clustering linear combination approach to jointly analyze multiple phenotypes for GWAS. In this paper, based on the existing CLC method and ACAT strategy, we develop the ceCLC method to test association between multiple phenotypes and a genetic variant. In Chapter Two, we develop a novel method called sCLC for association studies of multiple phenotypes and a genetic variant based on GWAS summary statistics. Simulation results show that sCLC can control Type I error rates well and has the highest power in most scenarios. In Chapter Three, we …

Near-Surface Soil Nitrogen And Vegetation Response To Invasive Emerald Ash Borer In Forested Black Ash Wetlands Of The Western Upper Peninsula, Michigan, Usa, Daniel A. Beyer

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) poses an imminent threat to the structure and function of North American hardwood forests, particularly black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marshall), and alters the hydrologic and ecological services of their wetlands. Black ash trees regularly grow in seasonally saturated soils and are responsible for hydrologic regulation and nutrient cycling. In this study, a gradient of black ash wetlands impacted by EAB were monitored to assess vegetation changes and near-surface soil nitrogen availability. Vegetation community changes were intertwined with nitrogen cycle disturbances following EAB infestation. As black ash died and fell to …

Sequencing Antisense Transcriptome Of Populus Through Antisense/Sense Transcript Pair Enrichment, Emma V. Burke

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Past transcriptome research on plants focused primarily on protein coding genes, and only recently researchers began looking into the non-protein coding regions that may play significant roles in gene regulation. Antisense RNA transcripts that are found naturally in the cell share complementary sequence with sense transcripts and have been shown to regulate expression of their sense counterparts. Since antisense RNA has been largely under-studied and difficult to sequence because of their low relative abundance, new methods are needed to target antisense RNA for efficient genome-wide profiling. To address this gap in methods to efficiently and cost effectively enrich antisense RNA …