Biology Commons^™

Testing The Inefficient Task Stimulus Hypothesis: A Simple Computational Model For Hypometric Scaling Of Metabolism In Social Insects, Colin Lynch

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Bioinformatic Analysis Of Venom Proteins From Dasymutilla Occidentalis, Eva Gunawan

Theses and Dissertations

Venom proteins have been found in a wide range of species in the animal kingdom. These venoms serve various functions such as defense against predators, hunting for food, and parasitism for reproduction. Because of their diverse functions, venom proteins are utilized in agrochemical treatments for protection from pests as well as treatments to control human diseases. Venoms, including those coming from a range of insect species, have been manipulated for these purposes, but many remain uncharacterized. Currently, one of the orders that venom-based research is focusing on are parasitoids from the order Hymenoptera. The purpose of some venom proteins in …

Determination Of The Summer Origins Of American Kestrels ( Falco Sparverius ) Wintering In Northern And Central Illinois, Taylor P. Joray

Theses and Dissertations

The seasonal and interannual movements of the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) are not fully understood. Although one of the most widespread and abundant raptors found in North America, information on where many populations summer and overwinter is lacking. We used stable hydrogen isotope values obtained from feathers (δ2Hf) of known origin to create age-specific calibration functions for juvenile and adult American Kestrels. We then used these calibration functions to determine the most likely summer origins of the American Kestrels that wintered in northern and central Illinois during 2015-16, classified these individuals as year-round residents or wintering migrants, and validated these …

Dissecting Dystrophin's Roles, Subcellular Organization, And Functional Network In Drosophila Oogenesis, Mina Amini Moghaddam

Theses and Dissertations

Mutations in the giant actin-membrane linker protein Dystrophin (Dys) are the cause of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). In the Drosophila model system, the highly conserved Dys protein is not required for viability but is required for proper wing and ovarian development. Dys mutations produce two visible phenotypes: posterior crossveins are detached from the longitudinal veins, and in oogenesis the developing eggs fail to elongate properly. This provides an opportunity to explore the less-understood cellular and developmental roles of Dys and gain a new insight into how tissues adopt their correct shapes.

Animals from worms to flies to humans express multiple …

Investigating The Regulation And Role Of P38 Mapk In Collagen-Related Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, Briseida Oceguera-Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Aging is an expected and normal process across living organisms. It is characterized as a loss of stress resistance, degeneration of tissues, and decline in motor function that happen gradually across lifespan. Susceptibility to neurodegenerative and dystrophic conditions also increase, and unlike aging, are not a normal aspect of lifespan. Discerning the difference between normal and aberrant aging states will give insight into the mechanisms behind the progressive dysfunction shared among organisms. Previous work in our lab has shown that the aging gene p38 MAPK in Drosophila melanogaster plays a significant role in the aging process through its downstream effects …

Elucidating The Role Of The High Aliphatic Glucosinolate ( Hag ) Genes In Pennycress ( Thlaspi Arvense L. ) Glucosinolate Production, Dalton Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) is a Brassica species being developed into an oilseed-producing winter cash cover crop. Similar to its relatives, rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) and camelina (Camelina sativa L.), pennycress seeds produce high levels of oil and protein (~34% oil and ~19% protein dry weight). For pennycress to be economically viable and environmentally sustainable as a crop, both the oil and seed meal must be utilized. Pennycress like other Brassicaceae, produces high levels of glucosinolates in the seed coat. Glucosinolates taste bitter and can be metabolized by the enzyme, myrosinase, into toxic isothiocyanates, nitriles, and epithionitriles. Seed meal containing …

Characterizing The Transport Of Parasitoid Wasp Genaspis Hookeri Venom Serca Into Host Drosophila Hemocytes, Christopher Lark

Theses and Dissertations

The female endoparasitoid wasps introduce venom accompanied by an egg into

the larval hosts’ body cavity during oviposition. The venom contains a mixture of

proteins that exploit the host’s biological processes, such as, regulating gene

expression, disrupting immune signaling pathways, or inducing immune cell death to

give a decided advantage to the incipient wasp to develop unchallenged. Drosophila

possesses a highly conserved innate immune response that recognizes and neutralizes

foreign microbes and macroparasites. The venom of Ganaspis hookeri (strain G1)

endoparasitoid wasp has co-evolved to suppresses the humoral phase Drosophila’s

innate immune response by inhibiting Ca2+ bursts needed to induce …

Reconsidering Undergraduate Anatomy And Physiology Curriculum, Eric Michael Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

In the past 50 years several convergent factors have spurred unprecedented change in anatomy and physiology (A&P) instruction. An explosion of biomedical knowledge, an increased demand for students well-versed in A&P, and decreased resources for the course has provoked a vast array of research. However, most studies employ one of three strategies to enact change: testing the effectiveness of new pedagogies, exploring the utility of new technologies, or documenting learning in new contexts. By comparison, a much smaller body of research focuses on changing the A&P curriculum to improve student learning. To address this gap, the musculoskeletal curriculum for an …

Importance Of Taxonomic Group, Life Stage And Circumstance Of Rescue Upon Wildlife Rehabilitation In Ontario, Canada, Gillian Kelly, Javier Delbarco-Trillo

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Wildlife rehabilitation is an increasingly important and global practice, aiming towards advancements in animal welfare and species conservation. Although there are ongoing discussions on the benefits and limitations of wildlife rehabilitation, there is a general agreement on the importance of wildlife rehabilitation on improving the welfare of wild animals and identifying threats to wildlife. Determining which factors lead to a successful outcome of rehabilitation can allow wildlife rehabilitation centres to best focus their resources to benefit animals with the greatest chance of a successful release. In this study, three factors affecting the success of rehabilitation were evaluated: taxonomic group, life …

Changes In The Home Range Sizes Of Terrestrial Vertebrates In Response To Urban Disturbance: A Meta-Analysis, Kate O'Donnell, Javier Delbarco-Trillo

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

The unprecedented growth rate in human population and the increasing movement of people to urban areas is causing a rapid increase in urbanisation globally. Urban environments may restrict or affect the behaviour of many animal species. Importantly, urban populations may change their spatial movement, particularly decreasing their home ranges in response to habitat fragmentation, the presence of landscape barriers and the availability and density of resources. Several species specific studies suggest that urban animals decrease their home ranges compared with their non-urban counterparts; however, it remained unclear whether this pattern is widespread across taxa or is instead restricted to specific …

Tardigrade Abundance In Relation To Urbanisation And Highly Anthropogenic Substrates, Thomas Mccarthy, Javier Delbarco-Trillo

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Animals colonising urban environments are exposed to a series of novel stressors and ecological challenges, which can result in adaptations to alternative urban niches. Tardigrades are cosmopolitan invertebrates present in all types of ecosystems, including urban environments; and they can survive under extreme conditions, including periods of desiccation, thus allowing them to colonise novel harsh habitats. Tardigrades are thus a promising model to investigate the challenges and opportunities encountered by urban colonisers. Our aims were 1, to determine if tardigrade abundance in natural substrates (moss, lichen and leaf litter) differs between rural and urban sites and 2, to assess if …