Integrative Biology Commons^™

Heat For The Masses: Thermal Ecology Of The Western Tent Caterpillar, Victoria Dahlhoff

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A unique feature of some gregarious, colonial insects is their ability to create external structures that alter environmental conditions for the entire (often family) group. A combination of physical alteration of local microhabitats and behavioral thermoregulation allows many of these animals to actively control their body temperatures, which allows them to regulate energy use and metabolism in variable thermal environments. Here I describe mechanisms of microhabitat modification and thermal regulation in the western tent caterpillar, Malacosoma californicum pluviale. Tent caterpillars build communal silk tents, whose temperatures can rise substantially above ambient air temperature. I experimentally manipulated colony sizes and examined …

Combination Of Investigational Cell-Based Therapy And Deep Brain Stimulation To Alter The Progression Of Parkinson’S Disease, Nader El Seblani

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and the motor symptoms are caused by progressive loss of midbrain dopamine neurons. There is no current treatment that can slow or reverse PD. Our current “DBS-Plus” clinical trial (NCT02369003) features the implantation in vivo of autologous Schwann cells (SCs) derived from a patient’s sural nerve into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in combination with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy for treating patients with advanced PD.

The central hypothesis of our research is that transdifferentiated SCs within conditioned nerve tissue will deliver pro-regenerative factors to enhance the survival of …

Identification Of Imiquimod As A Potential Combination For Anti-Cd47 Antibodies In Cancer Therapy, Nicole Brittaney Pang

Scripps Senior Theses

The avenues of targeted immunotherapy offers a promise of less toxic treatment options for those battling different forms of cancer. Specifically, the process of hijacking a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer from within versus using external treatments like chemotherapy which is extremely damaging to the patient. One such avenue includes the usage of monoclonal antibodies as an effective modality for immunotherapy. Cluster of Differentiation 47 (CD47), also known as the ‘don’t eat me signal’, aids in cell proliferation and evasion of phagocytosis and has been found to be a target for stopping tumorigenesis. Previous research has been successful …

Multivariate Habitat-Based Predictive Modeling Of Three Demersal Rockfish Species In Central California, Georgia R. Martel

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Accurate, spatially explicit models of rockfish abundance are critical in implementing ecosystem-based management strategies and designating essential fish habitats and marine protected areas. Multibeam bathymetry methods and visual, non-extractive submersible transect surveys were combined to collect environmental variables and fish abundance data at three distinct sites within the study region. Zero-adjusted models were developed using habitat classification analyses of high-resolution (5 m) digital elevation models. Model accuracies were assessed by using a reserved subset of the original datasets. To demonstrate that a model’s predictive power was linked to its spatial origins, Mean Absolute Error and coefficient of determination values were …

Temperate Eurasian Origins Of Hawaiian Chenopodium (Amaranthaceae) Plus Description Of A New Species Endemic To Moloka‘I, Jason T. Cantley, Angela J. Mcdonnell, J Branson, S R. Long, W Garnett, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

Chenopodium taxa of Hawai‘i are tetraploids distinguished from other members of the circumglobally distributed genus by minute morphological characters. Because of these reasons, the geographic origin of Hawaiian Chenopodium has remained unclear. Across the Hawaiian Archipelago, Chenopodium taxa are morphologically variable and grow in highly disparate xeric habitats, especially in terms of precipitation, temperature, wind, salt spray, and solar irradiation. Habitats include dry subalpine shrublands, sandy beach strand of atolls in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, dry forests, and precipitously tall sea cliffs of northwestern Moloka‘i. From the Moloka‘i sea cliffs, which are battered by high energy winds, salt spray, and …

Effect Of Vaping And Estrogen/Progesterone On Coagulation Of Blood In Danio Rerio: A Literature Review, Kristen Mccausland

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With an increase in popularity among young adults using vaping devices (electronic cigarettes) instead of cigarettes, the effects of these vapors combined with other substances, such as oral contraceptives, is not widely studied. Women who smoke traditional cigarettes while taking oral contraceptives have a greater risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and thromboembolism. Due to similarities between cigarettes and e-cigarettes, further studies need to examine the effects of e-cigarettes while taking oral contraceptives. This literature review discusses the hypotheses associated with the combined use of vaping devices while taking oral contraceptives. Proposed experimentation includes zebrafish as the model organism. The fish …

Claw Morphology Impacts Clinging Performance On Rough Substrates, Alexandra Pamfilie

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The digits of anoles and geckos have been extensively investigated for their adhesive pads, which allow them to adhere effectively to smooth surfaces. Many pad-bearing lizards also possess claws, which have been posited as the principal contributor to clinging on rough surfaces. Previous studies have found correlations between habitat use and claw morphology, but whether variation in claw morphology impacts function or not has remained relatively understudied. In addition, it is reasonable to suggest that abrasive wear of the claws may impact clinging ability. I examined both natural and induced variation in the claw morphology of Cuban knight anoles ( …

Non-Invasive Method For Leptin Supplementation In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Regan Mcnamara

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I tested the hypothesis that recombinant leptin protein can be introduced to zebrafish in vivo through non-invasive soaking in a solution containing the protein. One way to study various molecules’ effects in vivo is through intraperitoneal or intracerebroventricular injections during the embryonic or larval stage, which is invasive, difficult to administer, and can have a high mortality rate. 48 hours post fertilization (hpf) zebrafish were soaked in a His-tagged recombinant leptin protein solution at 10 nM and 100 nM concentrations (produced by Genscript). After soaking, zebrafish larvae were washed extensively to remove all recombinant protein on their exterior before homogenization. …

The Process And A Pitfall In Developing Biology And Chemistry Problems For Mathematics Courses, Mary Beisiegel, Lori Kayes, Devon Quick, Richard Nafshun, Michael Lopez, Steve Dobrioglo, Michael Dickens

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

In this paper, we describe our process for developing applied problems from biology and chemistry for use in a differential calculus course. We describe our conversations and curricular analyses that led us to change from our initial focus on college algebra to calculus. We provide results that allowed us to see the overlaps between biology and mathematics and chemistry and mathematics and led to a specific focus on problems related to rates of change. Finally, we investigate the problems that were developed by the partner disciplines for use on recitation activities in calculus and how those problems were modified by …

From Organisms To Ecosystems: Impacts Of Limb Loss And Regeneration On Crayfish Behavior, Luc Arnaud Dunoyer

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

The ability of some organisms to regenerate tissues and organs has fascinated naturalists since antiquity, dating back to the earliest accounts of scientific inquiry with Aristotle in Ancient Greece. Then, Darwin’s theory invigorated some scientists’ dream of stimulating (or reactivating) regenerative capacities in human beings by showing that we are related to highly regenerative organisms. More recently, a renewed interest in discovering the molecular and genetic basis for organ and tissue regeneration has led biologists to focus more specifically on a restrictive set of model organisms.

Although the process of limb regeneration is different between invertebrate and vertebrate organisms, it …

The Exploration Of Nanotoxicological Copper And Interspecific Saccharomyces Hybrids, Matthew Joseph Winans Phd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nanotechnology takes advantage of cellular biology’s natural nanoscale operations by interacting with biomolecules differently than soluble or bulk materials, often altering normal cellular processes such as metabolism or growth. To gain a better understanding of how copper nanoparticles hybridized on cellulose fibers called carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) affected growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the mechanisms of toxicity were explored. Multiple methodologies covering genetics, proteomics, metallomics, and metabolomics were used during this investigation. The work that lead to this dissertation discovered that these cellulosic copper nanoparticles had a unique toxicity compared to copper. Further investigation suggested a possible ionic or molecular mimicry …

Plasticity And The Impact Of Increasing Temperature On A Tropical Ectotherm, Adam A. Rosso

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Organisms may respond to climate change through behavior, genetic adaptation, and/or phenotypic plasticity. Tropical ectotherms are thought to be especially vulnerable to climate change because most have a narrow range of thermal tolerance while living close to their upper thermal tolerance limits. Additionally, many tropical species live in closed-canopy forests, which provide homogenous thermal landscapes that prevent behavioral compensation for stressfully warm temperatures. Finally, tropical ectotherms are thought to have decreased capacity for phenotypic plasticity because they have evolved in thermally stable environments. We tested gene expression patterns and phenotypic plasticity in the Panamanian slender anole by a) measuring changes …

Effects Of Abiotic Factors On Host Plant Quality And Community Structure Of The Parasitoid Guild That Attacks Asphondylia Borrichiae Midges On Borrichia Frutescens, Kevin Orta

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Asphondylia borrichiae is a gall-inducing insect that attacks its ancestral host plant Borrichia frutescens: through ovipositional mistakes it has acquired two additional hosts, Iva frutescens and Iva imbricata. Oviposition results in the formation of a gall, a tumor-like growth of plant tissue within which immature A. borrichiae develop. During development, immature A. borrichiae, are attacked by a suite of four generalist hymenopteran parasitoids. Of these, Galeopsomyia haemon and Torymus umbilicatus are facultative hyperparasitoids, more common and exhibit non-random attack patterns. In the present study, soil quality was manipulated through bi-weekly application of either ammonium nitrate fertilizer or sodium …

Interspecific Gene Flow Potentiates Adaptive Evolution In A Hybrid Zone Formed Between Pinus Strobiformis And Pinus Flexilis, Mitra Menon

Theses and Dissertations

Species range margins are often characterised by high degrees of habitat fragmentation resulting in low genetic diversity and higher gene flow from populations at the core of the species range. Interspecific gene flow from a closely related species with abutting range margins can increase standing genetic diversity and generate novel allelic combinations thereby alleviating limits to adaptive evolution in range margin populations. Hybridization driven interspecific gene flow has played a key role in the demographic history of several conifer due to their life history characteristics such as weak crossability barriers and long generation times. Nevertheless, demonstrating whether introgression is adaptive …

Using Phytoglycogen-Based Nanoparticles To Enhance Inosine Monophsophate Delivery Using Rainbow Trout And Bovine Models, Kristof Jenik

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Recently, there has been interest in the use of nucleotides in industrials feeds, with inosine monophosphate showing the most promising effects on growth and immunity. Rainbow trout and Alberta cattle are two of Canadas most profitable farmed animals, if their growth rates and immunity could be enhanced this would further improve their value. The impacts of IMP, a phytoglycogen-based nanoparticle (NP) and inosine monophosphate cationically bound to the phytoglycogen-based nanoparticle (IMP-NP) were characterized in rainbow trout in vivo and in vitro and in vitro in bovine cells. Rainbow trout that were fed an IMP-NP containing feed on average had higher …

Boreal Subarctic Lake Water Quality, Zooplankton Communities, And Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities In Areas Impacted By Wildfire, Thomas J. Pretty

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Wildfires are a natural phenomenon in the boreal forest, but recent studies suggest that there will be increases in the frequency and severity of fires in this region over the next century. When wildfires occur in lake catchments, they may affect water quality and invertebrate communities living in associated lakes. Invertebrates, including zooplankton and benthic invertebrates, play important roles in aquatic food webs, acting as conduits of energy from primary producers to larger organisms such as fish and water birds. Therefore, it is important to understand how these groups will respond to changes caused by fires. Unfortunately, few studies have …

Can Zooplankton On The North American Great Plains ‘Keep Up’ With Climate-Driven Salinity Change?, Mariam Elmarsafy

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Great Plains of North America are projected to become more arid as the climate changes over the next century. Salinity levels for lakes in this region are linked to climate, suggesting that lakes will become more saline as the climate becomes drier. One group of organisms that might be affected by increased salinity levels are the zooplankton, aquatic invertebrates that transfer energy from primary producers to macroinvertebrates and fish. Little is known about the ability of zooplankton to adapt to long-term increases in lake salinity levels. For my thesis, I used resurrection ecology to examine how a common zooplankter, …

The Role Of Streptococci In Oral Periodontitis: Growth And Disruption Of Yellow Complex Bacteria, Megan Gordon

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Periodontitis is described as the inflammation of the periodontium and affects millions of people worldwide. This disease is caused by biofilm growth of certain bacteria on the tooth surface, adjacent to the gum tissue in the oral cavity. There are currently treatments against severe periodontitis, such as oral surgery and use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, but they fail to target the specific bacteria associated with periodontitis. Socransky et al., (1998), identified the preponderance for specific organisms in distinct areas of the subgingival pockets to associate with different bacteria forming consortia and complexes. The yellow complex, containing facultatively anaerobic, Gram positive …

Abiotic Conditions, Algal Biomass & Fish Growth Rates Affect Fish Mercury Concentrations In Two Subarctic Lakes, Ari Yamaguchi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Kakisa Lake and Tathlina Lake, located in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, support important fisheries for the local Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation (KTFN). Recently, Walleye (Sander vitreus) of typical catch size in Tathlina Lake were found to have mercury concentrations above Health Canada’s commercial sale guideline of 0.5 ppm. Wild foods with elevated mercury concentrations can pose health risks to the humans who consume them, depending on consumption amounts and vulnerability factors such as age and pregnancy. Because wild fish can accumulate relatively high mercury levels and subsistence fishing contributes greatly to food security in northern …

Assessing Threats And Mitigation For Scarlet Ammannia (Ammannia Robusta) In Southwestern Ontario, Kayla Salive

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Scarlet Ammannia (Ammannia robusta) is an annual emergent wetland plant of the Lythraceae family. Throughout most of its distribution, the species population is stable under present conditions. However, this is not the case in Canada, where A. robusta is considered endangered with only a few small populations documented in British Columbia and Ontario. In response, a recovery strategy was created for A. robusta outlining the lack of information on the species biology and ecology, with a primary objective to assess the populations in Ontario and gain information on what may be contributing to the species rarity. To assess …

Investigation Of Rna Interference (Rnai)-Mediated Gene Silencing In Rainbow Trout, Sarah Au

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

RNA interference (RNAi) was first characterized in plants and invertebrates as an antiviral innate immune response. It is a natural antiviral defence mechanism to degrade viral RNA by virus-induced gene silencing. Studies showed synthetic long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA; >30bp) degraded Caenorhabditis elegans messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts, resulting in sequence-dependent gene silencing. Currently, there is only limited research on RNAi in fish, particularly the use of long dsRNA to trigger sequence-specific gene silencing. This is because studies have shown long dsRNAs trigger interferon response that could mask gene-specific RNAi effects. This thesis explored long dsRNA-mediated RNAi pathways in rainbow trout cells …

Impacts Of Transportation Infrastructure On Water Quality, Sediment Loads, And Fishing Opportunities In The Gwich’In Settlement Area, Northwest Territories, Matthew Teillet

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The addition of gravel sediment to build ferry landings on the Peel and Mackenzie Rivers has been an ongoing concern for the Gwich’in communities of Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic that depend on the rivers for their livelihoods. Specifically, there are concerns that gravel from ferry landings is degrading water quality, harming fishing opportunities, and altering river morphology downstream. Previous reports concluded that ferry operations were not impacting downstream ecology. However, past studies had methodological shortcomings and community concerns about the ferry landings remain. To study the impact of the gravel landings on water quality, I utilized a multidisciplinary study design …

Effects And Modes Of Action Of Exogenous Androgens On Gonadal Steroidogenesis In Male Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus), Robert Rutherford

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Androgens are a recognized class of endocrine disrupting compounds that are introduced into the aquatic environment through a variety of anthropogenic sources. Exogenous androgens can interact with the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in fish and alter its normal function, resulting in effects such as skewed sex ratios, intersex individuals, reduced fecundity, or altered mating behaviours. In fish, these apical effects are commonly correlated to depression of the terminal sex hormones testosterone, 17β-estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone (11KT). It is currently thought that the reduction in plasma sex hormones is an effect of negative feedback inhibition of steroid synthesis within the HPG axis after …