Biology Commons^™

A Profile Of Rural Southern Appalachian Hiv Patients: Vamc Versus Com., Lauren Brooks

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Although the AIDS epidemic in America began approximately three decades ago, much remains to be learned about the epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in rural America. This study compared profiles of HIV patients at the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Mountain Home, TN to those seen at a university-based community HIV care clinic (COM) in Johnson City, TN.

Sensitivity And Exposure Of Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) Habitat To Climate Change, Bradly Allen Trumbo

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Predicting coldwater fisheries distributions under various climate scenarios is of interest to many fisheries managers and researchers. Larger scale models have been useful in highlighting the potential large scale threat. However, the error associated with these models makes predictions of the persistence of individual cold water fisheries problematic. Most of this error is associated with predicted air and water temperatures which typically are simple elevation and location (latitude/longitude) models with simple caveats such as 1°C increase in air temperature equals 0.8°C increase in water temperatures. I directly measured paired air and water temperatures in watersheds containing reproducing populations of brook …

Phylogenetics, Morpohology, And Genomic Evolution In Physarieae (Brassicaceae), Sara Fuentes-Soriano

Dissertations

The mustard family (Brassicaceae) is economically important but the evolution of its morphology is not well understood. I investigate the evolution of morphological and genomic characters and calculate ancestral trait values in the Brassicaceae within a phylogenetic context using the tribe Physarieae as a model system. Physarieae are a unique and diverse group of American mustards characterized by multi-aperturate pollen. Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences (chloroplast ndhF and nuclear ITS and LUMINIDEPENDENS) were used to test the monophyly and explore evolutionary relationships of Physarieae. The phylogenetic inferences were used to identify morphological traits to delimit the tribe, to interpret the …

Development Of A Methodology To Attain High Levels Of Storage Proteins In Cassava Tuberized Roots And Its Implications, Mohammad Abhary

Dissertations

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz.) is a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, cultivated in the tropics and subtropical areas as a staple food crop for more than 700 million people around the world. The starchy storage roots of cassava are rich in calories and deficient in all other nutrients, cassava meals has the lowest of all sources of dietary protein. Severe protein deficiencies and malnutrition problems are common among those who rely on cassava as their daily meal. Although cassava is ranked the fifth most important crop in the world, the research on this crop is very limited. Among the limited …

The Effects Of Selective Estrogenic Drugs In The Medial Amygdala On Male Rat Sexual Behavior, Ejiroghene V. Ogaga-Mgbonyebi

Biology Theses

Male rat copulatory behavior is dependent on Testosterone (T) and its metabolites, estradiol (E2) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The estrogen receptor (ER) isoforms, ERα and ERβ, exist in the medial Amygdala (MEA) and either receptor might mediate mating behavior. Therefore, the effects of selective estrogenic MEA implants: propyl pyrazole triol (PPT, ERα agonist), diarylpropionitrile (DPN, ERβ agonist), and 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium (MPP, ERα antagonist) were compared to E2 in maintaining sexual behavior. Four groups of male rats were castrated and administered DHT s.c. and bilateral MEA implants containing either cholesterol, E2, PPT or DPN. An additional group of gonadally intact male rats …

Differential Gene Expression In Bugula Neritina During Symbiotic Association With "Candidatus Endobugula Sertula", Meril Mathew

Biology Theses

The colonial marine bryozoan, Bugula neritina, harbors an uncultured endosymbiont, “Candidatus Endobugula sertula” throughout its life stages. The bacterial symbiont has been proposed to be a source of complex polyketide metabolites, the bryostatins, that chemically defend B. neritina larvae from predation. Within a bryozoan colony, significantly higher amounts of bryostatins are found in ovicell-bearing zooids where the developing larvae are brooded, as compared to ovicell-free zooids. It is hypothesized that signaling between B. neritina and “Ca. Endobugula sertula” may be involved in the regulation of bryostatin production in different zooids, as well as in maintenance of the symbiosis. In this …

Quorum Sensing Inhibitory Activities Of Various Folk-Medicinal Plants And The Thyme-Tetracycline Effect., Maria M. Nagy

Biology Dissertations

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic, nosocomial pathogen for which antibiotic resistance and biofilm development is common. Quorum sensing communication is known to be a major controlling factor in virulence gene expression, biofilm development, antibiotic resistance factors, and specifically MexAB-OprM multi-drug efflux pump expression in P.aeruginosa. MexAB-OprM efflux pumps contribute to antibiotic resistance of tetracycline and other antibiotics in pseudomonads and other organisms. P.aeruginosa infections are problematic in cystic fibrosis and burn patients; it is also the number one causative agent of respiratory infections for intensive care unit patients. Present day antibiotics are losing the battle against these infections. In theory, …

The Roles Of Elevated Bcl-2 In Ovarian Cancer, Nicole Shree Anderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the second most common gynecologic cancer; however it is responsible for the most gynecologic cancer-related deaths. Apoptosis evasion is an important mechanism in OC tumorigenesis, and the prototypic anti-apoptotic protein, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), is often overexpressed in OC tumors. Gaining a better understanding of the mechanism(s) behind Bcl-2 overexpression and potential extra-anti-apoptotic functions of Bcl-2 could elucidate the importance of elevated Bcl-2 in OC. In the current study, I show through immunohistochemical analysis of normal, benign, and OC tissue sections, that both epithelial and stromal Bcl-2 expression decreases with OC progression. However, the number of …

Distribution And Molecular Analysis Of Avian Malaria Vectors On Four Central Virginia Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria Citrea) Breeding Sites, Catherine Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Avian malaria is a devastating disease that has decimated numerous bird species. This study sought to identify the vectors of avian malaria at four central Virginia Prothonotary warbler breeding sites. Twenty one thousand mosquitoes were collected and Culex salinarius, Cx. erraticus, and Cx. pipiens/restuans were found to be the dominant species at these sites. Geographic factors, such as crop land and forest type, were determined to be potential indicators for species abundance variation between sites. Of the mosquitoes collected, ninety one (0.4%) were identified as blood fed. The blood fed mosquitoes were found to have fed on avian, mammalian, amphibian, …

Avian Developmental Endocrinology: The Effects And Role Of Yolk Hormones, Sibling Dynamics, And Life-History, Corinne Patricia Kozlowski

Dissertations

Inter-specific variation of the endocrine system is an underlying component for variation in avian life-history. Females deposit hormones into the yolks of their eggs, and embryonic exposure affects nestling phenotype. Hormones are also produced endogenously by developing nestlings, further influencing their behavior and physiology. This dissertation examines the role of the endocrine system in development by focusing on several different avian taxa. Yolk hormone concentrations often vary across the laying order and may mediate hatching asynchrony. These patterns were characterized in two species that lay asynchronously hatching clutches: Eastern screech owls (Megascops asio) and cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus). The patterns described …

Gene Flow And Dispersal Of The Flatworm, Polycelis Coronata: A Multiscale Analysis, Jeffrey N. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

We determined genetic variance and gene flow across multiple scales (reaches, headwater segments, and catchments) to examine the dispersal ability of the flatworm Polycelis coronata along the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Multiple models predict patterns of genetic differentiation in stream invertebrates based on dispersal traits and the spatial connectivity of the habitat. The stream hierarchy model predicts genetic differentiation to be low and gene flow to be high between reaches nested in segments, moderate among segments within catchments, and differentiation to be highest and gene flow lowest among catchments, whereas the headwater model predicts the greatest differentiation between headwater segments. …

The Deda Protein Family In Selected Bacterial Species, James Cox

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Early Epigenetic Regulation Of The Adaptive Immune Response Gene Ciita, Ninad T. Mehta

Biology Theses

The precise regulation of Major Histocompatibility class II (MHC-II) genes plays an important role in the control of the adaptive immune response. MHC-II genes are expressed constitutively in only a few cell types, but their expression can be induced by the inflammatory response cytokine interferon gamma (INF-γ). The regulation of MHC-II is controlled by a Master Regulator, the class II transactivator (CIITA). Multiple studies have shown that CIITA regulated expression of MHC-II is controlled and induced by INF-γ. It has been also shown that a functional CIITA gene is necessary for the expression of MHC-II genes. CIITA is thus a …

Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Sense Skin Injury And Promote Wound Healing Through Type I Interferons, Josh D. Gregorio

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are a rare population of circulating cells, which selectively express intracellular Toll-like receptors (TLR)-7 and TLR-9 and have the capacity to produce large amounts of type I IFNs (IFN-a/b) in response to viruses or host derived nucleic acid containing complexes. pDCs are normally absent in skin but accumulate in the skin of psoriasis patients where their chronic activation to produce IFN-a/b drives the disease formation. Whether pDCs and their activation to produce IFN-a/b play a functional role in healthy skin is unknown. Here we show that pDCs are rapidly and transiently recruited into healthy human and …

14-3-3sigma Negatively Regulates The Stability And Subcellular Localization Of Cop1, Chun-Hui Su

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Mammalian constitutive photomorphogenic 1 (COP1), a p53 E3 ubiquitin ligase, is a key negative regulator for p53. DNA damage leads to the translocation of COP1 to the cytoplasm, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. We discovered that 14-3-3σ controlled COP1 subcellular localization and protein stability. Investigation of the underlying mechanism suggested that, upon DNA damage, 14-3-3σ bound to phosphorylated COP1 at S387, resulting in COP1 translocation to the cytoplasm and cytoplasmic COP1 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. 14-3-3σ targeted COP1 for degradation to prevent COP1-mediated p53 degradation, p53 ubiquitination, and p53 transcription repression. COP1 expression promoted cell proliferation, cell transformation, and …

Historical Biogeography Of Velvet Ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) In The North American Deserts And Arid Lands, Joseph S. Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For centuries, scientists have been intrigued by the high amount of biodiversity that is found in the deserts of North America. Recently, several studies have investigated the causes of the high diversity found in desert-dwelling mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. These studies have found that many of these organisms seem to have diversified in response to the same historical events. Little work has been done, however, on diverse desert-dwelling insect groups. In this dissertation, I investigate the patterns of genetic diversity in four groups of nocturnal wasps called velvet ants. I compare the patterns of genetic diversity to the historical events …

The Status Of Dwarfed Populations Of Short-Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma Hernandesi) And Great Plains Toads (Anaxyrus Cognatus) In The San Luis Valley, Colorado, Megan E. Lahti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The San Luis Valley is a large valley formation in Colorado surrounded on either side by mountain ranges exceeding 4,267 m. Within the Valley, two of the 14 amphibian and reptile species are dwarfed: the short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi) and the Great Plains toad (Anaxyrus cognatus). Since its initial reporting in 1968 and confirmation in 1981, no research further investigating this dwarfism has been conducted. I collected morphological measurements to determine the extent and patterns of dwarfism of both species. I then investigated the genetics of both species using mitochondrial DNA to determine whether they are …

Protein Preservation In Fossil Whale Bones Of The Miocene/Pliocene Pisco Formation, Peru, Uriel Leme Vidal

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Fossil remains have recently been the focus of considerable attention due to several independent reports of protein and soft-tissue preservation in ancient biological remains. The fossil whales from the Pisco Formation in Peru were previously reported to be very well preserved. A considerable percentage of these whales have their bones still articulated, and not a few have fossil baleen in life position. In this study we assayed bone samples from some fossil whales for ultrastructure preservation and the presence of original protein/proteinaceous materials. For analysis of fine details of structural preservation we used light microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). …

Depth And Time Related Variations Of Microbial Communiites In An Emergent Freshwater Wetland, Amy Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

Soils, and the microbial communities contained within them, are vital for most chemical, physical, and biological processes. This study investigated how microbial community structure responded to environmental changes, such as hydrology, across vertical space (depth) and time in an emergent fresh water wetland. Research was conducted in a non-tidal freshwater wetland along the James River (Charles City County, Virginia) by establishing plots in two areas that experienced different hydrologic regimes and plant communities. Soil cores (30 cm) were collected monthly from January 2008 to February 2009, and then every two to three months thereafter until October 2009, for a total …

Intraspecific Variation In Two Cosmopolitan Myxomycetes, Didymium Squamulosum And Didymium Difforme (Physarales: Didymiaceae), Katherine Elizabeth Winsett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The myxomycetes (plasmodial slime molds or myxogastrids) are one of three groups considered to be true slime molds (class Eumycetozoa sensu Olive 1975). Two vegetative states--amoebae and plasmodia--along with a spore-producing fruiting body characterize the life cycle of the myxomycetes. These organisms are associated with decaying plant material and are found in all terrestrial habitats worldwide. A number of species are considered cosmopolitan, being found worldwide, where they are associated with a diversity of microhabitats and substrates. A review of the literature, including molecular investigations in all three groups of slime molds, is presented, and this is followed by four …

Geological And Ichthyological Investigations Into Palaeodrainage Hypothesis For The Tennessee River, Andrea Karen Persons

Dissertations

The course of the ancestral Tennessee River has been debated in both the geological and biological literature for over 100 years. Several of the proposed courses for the ancestral Tennessee place its course across the state of Mississippi. Geochemical analysis of sedimentary rocks in the Pascagoula River basin supports these hypotheses suggesting that the rocks in the Pascagoula basin were derived from the Highland Rim of Tennessee and northern Alabama, while geochemical analysis of rocks from the Pearl River basin point to deposition from a mixture of sources including the ancestral Mississippi River and perhaps the ancestral Tennessee. To delve …

Regulation Of Biofilm And Antibiotic-Resistance By The Modulator Of Sara (Msa) In Staphylococcus Aureus, Antony Schwartz

Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that is the causative agent of life-threatening diseases such as endocarditis and osteomyelitis. The ability of S. aureus to thrive as a successful pathogen can be partially attributed to its ability to form biofilm. Biofilm is an extracellular polysaccharide, protein, and DNA-based slime layer that protects the bacterial community. The global regulator sarA is essential for biofilm formation. Since the modulator of sarA (msa) gene regulates several virulence factors and is required for the full expression of sarA, the capacity of the msa mutant to form a biofilm was examined. The mutation of …

Toxicogenomics Analysis Of Non-Model Transcriptomes Using Next-Generation Sequencing And Microarray, Arun Rawat

Dissertations

With the advent of next generation technologies like Roche/454 Life Sciences that require low cost and less time for sequencing will help in providing a workable draft of non-model species genomes. Availability of high throughput microarray technologies for gene expression profiling provides low-cost tools for investigation of highly-integrated responses to various stimuli. These advancements along with bioinformatics processing have led to an increasing number of non-model species having well-annotated transcriptomes. The project focuses on the life cycle of development, functional annotation, and utilization of genomic tools for the avian wildlife species to determine the molecular impacts of exposure to munitions …

A Comprehensive Uncertainty Analysis And Method Of Geometric Calibration For A Circular Scanning Airborne Lidar, Michael Oliver Gonsalves

Dissertations

This dissertation describes an automated technique for ascertaining the values of the geometric calibration parameters of an airborne lidar. A least squares approach is employed that adjusts the point cloud to a single planar surface which could be either a narrow airport runway or a dynamic sea surface. Going beyond the customary three boresight angles, the proposed adjustment can determine up to eleven calibration parameters to a precision that renders a negligible contribution to the point cloud’s positional uncertainty.

Presently under development is the Coastal Zone Mapping and Imaging Lidar (CZMIL), which, unlike most contemporary systems that use oscillating mirrors …

Life History And Habitat Use Of The Juvenile Alabama Shad (Alosa Alabamae) In Northern Gulf Of Mexico Rivers, Paul Fraser Mickle

Dissertations

The Alabama shad, Alosa alabamae, is an anadromous species that is in decline and has seen extirpations from impoundments as well as decreased water quality. Alabama shad live in the Gulf of Mexico and ascend Northern Gulf of Mexico Drainages to reproduce early in the year (January-May). The juveniles spend the majority of the year in these freshwater systems before emigrating out to the Gulf of Mexico as late as December.

This dissertation focuses on the juvenile life stages that occur within the Northern Gulf of Mexico drainages. Spawning conditions of the river, as well as the habitat and diet, …

Folate Receptor-Targeted Delivery Of Small Interfering Rna To Cancer Cells, Yilin Zhang

Dissertations

The vitamin folic acid (folate, FA) has been extensively explored as a targeting ligand to deliver a variety of diagnostic/prognostic/therapeutic agents into various tumors through the assistance of its receptor – the folate receptor (FR). FR is over-expressed in many types of human cancer and can mediate internalization of FA-conjugates through an endocytic pathway. The discovery of small interfering RNA (siRNA), which is cable of inducing potent gene silencing in a sequence-specific manner, provides an excellent molecular tool to suppress aberrant gene expression in malignancies, and therefore siRNA has the potential to revolutionize cancer therapeutics. Towards the goal of developing …

Reproductive Life History Of Fundulus Jenkensi And Comparative Development Of Five Sympatric Fundulid Species, Eric Thomas Lang

Master's Theses

Fundulus jenkinsi is recognized federally and within the state of Mississippi as a Species of Concern. Little is known about the life history of this coastal killifish, but a detailed reproductive histology study of F. jenkinsi and a diagnostic key of the early life stages of select members of Fundulidae can provide the foundation needed to accurately identify it and quantify reproductive parameters in this rare species in need of conservation. Monthly gonadosomatic index (GSI) of male and female F. jenkinsi were documented, and spawning phases and oocyte stages were examined using reproductive histology. In addition, various stages of …

Investigating Heavy Metal Accumulation And Oxidative Stress Tolerance Of Non-Accumulators And Hyperaccumulators In The Brassicaceae Plant Family, Fritzie Joy Into

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Physiological and enzymatic analysis indicated that the non-accumulator A. thaliana showed an oxidative stress response in all assays except for protein carbonylation. Other non-accumulator plant species showed a significant difference in oxidative stress response in the TBARS assay; however, for some assays no stress response was evident. The hyperaccumulator plant species showed no significant difference in oxidative stress as indicated by the all of the assays with the exception of T. montanum var. montanum which showed an oxidative stress response in the SOD assay. Basal catalase enzyme activity was notably higher in the hyperaccumulators T. montanum var. montanum and T. …

Effect Of Stress On Mucin Expression In The Gastrointestinal Tract Of Mice., Bupe Martha Habiyambere

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of chronic stress on mucin expression in the GIT of mice. Sixteen ICR male mice were randomly divided into treated and control animals. Restraint stress was applied to the treated group for 21 days. Body weight (BW) changes and feed consumed (FC) were regularly recorded. After 21 days mice were euthanized and blood, GIT mucosa, and GIT sections were collected. Serum corticosterone levels were determined. The GIT sections were fixed, paraffin embedded, sectioned, and stained with AB-PAS to visualize goblet cells. Mucin expression was determined using qPCR. As expected stressed mice showed higher corticosterone than …

Development, Characterization, And Technical Applications Of An Atlantic Killifish Ahr-2 Specific Monoclonal Antibody (Mab 5b6), Josephine Wojdylo

All Theses

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) functions as a ligand-activated transcription factor normally found in the cytoplasmic compartment of cells held by chaperones and immunophilin-like proteins. Ligand binding dissociates the AhR/ligand from chaperone proteins, allowing translocation to the nucleus with subsequent transcription of a suite of responsive genes, most notably Phase I, II, and III drug metabolism genes. Select environmental contaminants such as co-planar PCBs, planar polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs) are potent AhR agonists, with 2,3,7,8 -tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD) being one of the most potent. Adverse effects of exposure to these potent environmental AhR ligands include immune suppression, …