Biology Commons^™

Effects Of Chronic And Acute Y-Hydroxybutyrate Administration On Mass And The Release Of Growth Hormone And Corticosterone, Eric C. Goshorn

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology by Eric C. Goshorn on December 10, 1998.

Inorganic Fertilization Of Walleye (Stizostedion Vitreum) Hatchery Ponds, Roderick J. Middleton

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Roderick J. Middleton on December 2, 1998.

Factors Influencing Venom Expenditure During Defensive Bites By Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon Piscivorus) And Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Viridis, Crotalus Atrox), Shelton Scott Herbert

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Although the quantity of venom expended when biting is an important aspect of the natural history of snakes, little is known regarding the quantities of venom expended during bites. Recent studies have shown that rattlesnakes appear capable of selectively allocating their venom reserves during predatory strikes, metering more venom into certain prey types and less into others. Despite much speculation, the quantities of venom expended during defensive bites are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence venom expenditure during defensive bites by cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus), western rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) and western diamondbacks …

The Effect Of Exercise Training On Cardiovascular Dynamics In The Diabetic Rat, Nicole Marie Griffith

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology by Nicole Marie Griffith on July 24, 1998.

Translation Of Random Transcripts Generated By Tdt: Potential Use In Polysome Peptide Libraries, Michael Lane Spencer

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology by Michael Lane Spencer on July 22, 1998.

Efficacy Of AllowashTm Solution In Solubilization Of Bone Marrow, Alyce Marie Linthurst

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

LifeNet currently cleans allograft bone utilizing Allowash^TM Technology, which encompasses the use of a closed continuous circulation chamber to remove bone marrow by flushing it with Allowash^TM Solution for a prescribed time and temperature after which, it is rinsed with various solutions to remove residual detergent that could be toxic to the recipient. A portion of this process employs Allowash^TM Solution to improve the solubilization and removal of protein and cellular elements in the red bone marrow. This study examines the effectiveness of Allowash^TM Solution in comparison to its component detergents Nonidet P40, Nonoxynol 9 and …

Mechanism By Which Insulin And Its Mimetics, Selenite And Vanadate, Regulate Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Gene Expression, Sanjay M. Jivarj

Masters Theses

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) is a key enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway. It controls the carbon flow through this pathway, producing reducing equivalents in the form of NADPH to meet the cellular need for reductive biosynthesis and the maintenance of the cellular redox state. Hepatic expression of G6PDH has been shown to be regulated by hormones, nutrients and some growth factors, however the mechanism by which these factors regulate G6PDH gene expression has not been characterized. Here we investigate the mechanism by which insulin and its mimetics, selenate and vanadate, regulate G6PDH gene expression.

Insulin exerts its tissue specific affect …

Stage-Dependent Expression Of Target-Derived Influences Stimulates Axon Outgrowth In Hirudo Medicinalis, Tina M. Harik

Masters Theses

Our lab has been investigating the development of neuronal phenotype and circuitry in Hirudo medicinalis. Early in embryogenesis the heart excitor (HE) motor neuron selectively extends multiple arbors into the body wall prior to heart tube (HT) formation. HE contact with HT primordium at later stages of development results in remodeling such that arbors are elaborated on the HT, while those in the body wall are retracted. HT-derived cues are necessary for HE remodeling (Jellies, 1995. Am. Zool. 35:529; Jellies and Kopp, 1995. Invert. Neurosci. 1:145). HT and body wall explants were co-cultured to investigate the possible influences of …

Shrimp Aquaculture: An Analysis Of Its Evolution And Organization; And The Development Of A Shrimp Growth Model, Adam Rana

Honors Theses

This paper examines the impetus for the development and subsequent rise of the shrimp aquaculture industry and continues by exploring a model that seeks to improve shrimp farmers' harvests by identifying specific variables affecting shrimp growth. Evidence reviewed from 1980 through today suggest that technological advancements, reduced prices, and increases in both the supply and demand for shrimp are positively associated with the industry's rapid ascent. The introduction of vertically integrated shrimp farms along with the ability for shrimp farmers to differentiate their products are also correlated with the industry's growth. Variables affecting shrimp growth were also studied to determine …

Spatial Partitioning Of Hosts (Thomomys Bottae) By Parasitic Chewing Lice Of The Genera Geomydoecus And Thomomydoecus, Melanie Ann Babin

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Nucleic Acid Binding Characterization Of The Gar Domain Of Nucleolin, Adlah Sukkar

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Bahamian Reef Communities: Composition, Recruitment And Change (10 Meters To 250 Meters), William E. Avery

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The composition, recruitment rates and fine-scale spatial dynamics of the sessile benthic community occupying hard substrata off Lee Stocking Island, The Bahamas, was determined through photography and the deployment of artificial substrata from September 1993 to September 1996. The study spanned 10 to 250 meters in depth. The benthic community exhibited a pronounced bathymetric zonation. Filamentous and macroalgae dominated the shallow communities, but were replaced by corals, sponges and endolithic algae with increasing depth. Living cover was high above 100 m, but declined significantly below this depth, being replaced by increasing amounts of bare and sediment-covered rock surfaces. Benthic zonation …

Short-Eared Owl Post-Fledging Survival And Breeding Season Diet, Thomas A. Rivest

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

My research primarily focused on the survival of short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) from leaving the nest until their emigration from their natal territories during 1993 and 1994. I attached tarsal-mounted radio transmitters to nestlings prior to fledging. Of 25 fledgling short-eared owls monitored, 16 (64%) died prior to dispersal and one (4%) died after dispersing. Mammalian predation (5, 29.4%) was the primary cause of mortality followed by starvation (4, 23.5%), exposure (2, 11.8%), auto collision (1, 5.9%), burial (1, 5.9%), and unknown causes (4, 23.5%). Hatch date was found to be negatively correlated with fledgling survival.

A secondary …

Parameter Estimation Of The Mountain Pine Beetle-Host Tree System, Zy Frederick Biesinger

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The spatial redistribution of organisms in an ecosystem is often a complex process. Many ecosystems exhibit spatial complexity on a broad range of scales, driven by the physical environment and biotic interactions [1]. As different species aggregate and disperse in spatially complex ways, even an initially uniform environment will soon evolve spatial heterogeneity.

Characterization Of The Prion Protein (Prp) Gene In Ten Breeds Of Sheep, A. R. Stephens, S. Wang, G. R. Holyoak, O. G. Timofeevskaia, T. L. Shay, W. Vernon, S. Ellis, J. Beever, Noelle E. Cockett

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE's) are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by a long generation time, spongy degeneration in the cerebral gray matter, neuronal loss and proliferation and hypertrophy of glial cells. An abnormal form of the prion protein (PrP) plays a major part in TSE pathogenesis and has been hypothesized to be the only component of the infectious agent. Some animals exposed to scrapie, the TSE affecting sheep and goats, seem to be resistant to development of the disease. Alleles encoding amino acid substitutions at codons 136 (A/V) and 171 (Q/R/H) have been associated with scrapie resistance. Other amino acid substitutions at …

Sustainable Development In The Third World: An Assessment Of The Conservation Actions In South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia, And Madagascar, Carol Rizkalla

Honors Theses

As a library research project, this thesis has gone beyond research in the library, and it could not have been possible without the aid of several people. First I must thank the organizations which responded to my request for information: the Center for Environmental Information, the Rainforest Action Network, the World Wildlife Fund, and Conservation International Specifically, Jill McLaughlin in the Communications Department of CI was· most gracious in sending me management plans for parks in Brazil and Madagascar. Carla Langeveld of the WWF, was very helpful during my visit to their library, and subsequently in my request for the …

The Effects Of Tactile/Kinesthetic Instructional Strategies In The Biology Classroom, Janice Batten Sees

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the addition of tactile/kinesthetic instruction to the biology classroom could significantly increase learning. Various kinds of tactile/kinesthetic lessons were taught to three experimental groups who also received visual and auditory instruction. These tactile/kinesthetic lessons included task cards, task puzzles, manipulatives, total body movement, and large floor games. The control group only received visual and auditory instruction. The subjects were 84 College Biology students from Buena Regional High School, a school in rural South Jersey. The classes varied in gender and race. The same instructor taught all classes and the length of …

Characterization Of Swinepox Virus Secretory Polypeptides, Takeshi Shimamura

Masters Theses

Swinepox virus (SPV) is the only known member of the genus Suispoxvirus. SPV causes a mild disease in swine characterized by slight fever, and weight loss, associated with lesions restricted to the skin. There have been few studies on SPV. Other poxviruses, such as vaccinia virus, have been well characterized and the biological activities of their secretory polypeptides have been analyzed. This study describes a major SPV secretory polypeptide with an apparent molecular mass of 35kDa. Poxvirus encoded polypeptides secreted during infection are known to exhibit immunomodulatory activities. The 35kDa SPV secretory polypeptide was tested.for its ability to inhibit …

Ventilation Behavior Of The Mantis Shrimp, Hemisquilla Ensigera Californiensis In Hypoxic Burrows, Tamara L. Richter

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The burrow-dwelling mantis shrimp, Hemisquilla ensigera californiensis, is an environmentally challenged marine species due to the fact it inhabits burrows located beneath the surface of the sediment where oxygen pressure is low and easily depleted. This experiment revealed that burrow oxygen pressure (pO₂) is frequently hypoxic and can become anoxic. Average pO₂ within the burrow is between 40-50 mm Hg and may drop below 10 mm Hg even if the burrow isn't capped. When capped, p0₂ rapidly drops to 0 mm Hg within two hours. Low pO₂ does not result in decreased animal activity, …

The Influence Of Habitat Variation On Demography Of Blue Jays (Cyanociita Cristata) In South-Central Florida, Keith Allen Tarvin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Vertebrate populations rarely are homogeneous. Instead they exist as arrays of demographically variable subpopulations that are linked through dispersal. Variation in habitat quality is a major cause of demographic variability among subpopulations, but few studies have examined habitat-specific demography empirically. Here I present a detailed field study o f habitat-specific demography in Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) that occupied a habitat mosaic landscape in south-central Florida. By measuring habitat-specific demographic parameters, including density, reproductive output, survival, and dispersal, I tested for the existence of population sources and sinks associated with different habitats, and the applicability ofa series ofhabitat selection models …

Effects Of Fertilization On Water Quality In Grayson Lake, Kentucky., Albert W. Remley Ii

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Albert W. Remley II on January 15, 1998.

Isolation And Characterization Of A Genomic Clone For A Nitrate Reductasae Isoform From Soybean, Glycine Max, Brent Chyna

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Sequence Characterization And Phylogenetic Analyses Of The Pol Region From Sire-1, An Endogenous Retrovirus From Glycine Max, Eric A. Gaucher

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Adaptation Of The Freshwater Benthic Diatom Achanthidium Rostratum To Resource Limitation, Patrick Daniel Donovan

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Differences In Lean And Obese Skeletal Muscle Myoblasts Of Adult And Post-Natal La/N (Faf) Rats: A Confocal Description Of The Skeletal Muscle Myoblast, J. Adam Noah

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Mutant strains of obese rats are currently being studied to reveal the mechanisms of increased lipid synthesis and decreased lipid oxidation in these rats. It was originally thought that much of the fat production that leads to obesity is the result of metabolic processes in the liver and adipose tissue. Studies by Kahle et al.³ showed that the liver and adipose tissue account for only 22% and 7% respectively, of total fatty acid synthesis. It was also shown that 21 % of total de novo fatty acid was localized in the postural skeletal muscle.

The dry weight of the …

Man's Linear Dream Upon A Curved Earth: A Literary Record Of The Indiana Landscape, Fani Anagnostou

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The purpose of this study is to illustrate that the works of Indiana authors Edward Eggleston, Gene StrattonPorter, Booth Tarkington, Jessamyn West, Ross Lockridge, Jr., Jean Shepherd, and William Gass serve as a literary record about the landscape and reveal emotions associated with change and progress, ranging from celebration to despondency.

Ecology And Natural History Of The Cow Knob Salamander, Plethodon Punctatus Highton, In West Virginia, Robert B. Tucker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Very little has been written on the ecology and natural history of the Cow Knob salamander, Plethodon punctatus Highton, since it was described by Highton (1971). Plethodon punctatus is known only from the higher elevations of Great North (above 2,800 ft) and Shenandoah (above 3,000 ft.) Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia (Highton, 1972; Conant and Collins, 1991). The type locality is Cow Knob, Pendleton County, West Virginia. Plethodon punctatus is a large (up to 75 mm snout-to-vent length) dorso-ventrally flattened salamander with creamish iridiophore spots on the back and sides, webbed feet for a fossorial lifestyle, and large …

The Use Of Isoelectric Focusing To Assess The Genetic Diversity Of The Cyprinid Fishes: Rhinichthys Cataractae And Rhinichthys Atratulus In West Virginia, Fauzia Alam Miah

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In this study, isoelectric focusing is used to separate proteins of Rhinichthys cataractae and R. atratulus and conventional staining is used to identify alleles of six genes. The objective of this work is to determine whether these methods can effectively assay isozymes that may be used to establish the relationship between anthropogenic stress and genetic diversity. Alleles for LDH-A, LDH-B, EST-A, EST-B, EST-C, and EST-D loci were identified for two species of fish, R. atratulus and R. cataractae. Both fish species are known to be sensitive to anthropogenic stress and known to be widely distributed in stressed environments. Alleles …

Life History, Ecology, And Low Ph Tolerance Of The Freshwater Prawn, Palaemonetes Kadiakensis Rathbun, In A Mitigated Wetland Of The Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area, West Virginia, Jennifer Ann Aderman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

An ecological life history study of the freshwater prawn Palaemonetes kadiakensis was conducted at the mitigated wetland of the Green Bottom Wildlife management Area (GBWMA). Monthly samples were collected from November 1996 through November 1997. In addition, weekly samples were collected from May through November for growth and reproductive analysis. Monthly samples yielded 520 prawns. Palaemonetes kadiakensis had a one-year life cycle, with all adults dying by September. Males averaged 23.82 mm (range = 14.15 to 36.75 mm) and females averaged 26.78mm (range = 15.06 to 38.60 mm) in length. Males averaged 0.087g (range = 0.014to 0.293 g) and females …

Molecular Mapping Of The Fatty (F) (Formerly Corpulent) Gene In The La/N Rat Obesity Model, Kenneth G. Butz

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The LA/N-corpulent (cp) rat obesity model was a congenic rat strain developed at the National Institutes of Health by C. T. Hansen . The LA/N-cp rat originated from breeding the Koletsky rat, possessing the corpulent gene, with the normotensive LA/N inbred rat. The autosomal recessive single gene mutation, cp, produces obesity with hyperphagia, hyperinsulinemia and elevated activities of liver and skeletal muscle lipogenic enzymes in the LA/N-cp rat model. The Zucker-fatty mutation, which was mapped to rat chromosome , resulted in a comparable, but not identical obesity syndrome. Breeding experiments by Yen et al …