An Ecological-Evolutionary Investigation Of Phenotypic, Genetic, And Environmental Variation And Correlations Among Reproductive Traits Of Tall Goldenrod (Solidago Altissima),
2026
Roanoke College
An Ecological-Evolutionary Investigation Of Phenotypic, Genetic, And Environmental Variation And Correlations Among Reproductive Traits Of Tall Goldenrod (Solidago Altissima), Michael J. Wise, Daniel Lavy, David E. Carr, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii
Faculty Journal Articles
Although fitness-related traits are expected to be under strong selection, traits related to reproduction are often quite variable within plant populations. We used data from two large greenhouse experiments to quantify phenotypic, genetic, and environmental variation, as well as genetic tradeoffs that might help explain the maintenance of withinpopulation variation in four traits related to sexual or vegetative reproduction in tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima). The goldenrod population exhibited high levels of both phenotypic and genetic variation for capitulum (flower head) number and size, seed production, and rhizome growth. Significant negative genetic correlations were present between the number of capitula and …
Systematics Of Disk-Winged Bats (Thyroptera),
2026
Arcadia University
Systematics Of Disk-Winged Bats (Thyroptera), Courtney L. Klumpp
Capstone Showcase
This thesis investigates the evolutionary relationships among disk-winged bats in the genus Thyroptera, a small group of Neotropical bats known for the adhesive suction disks on their wings and feet that allow them to roost inside tightly rolled leaves. The distinctive morphology and behavior of these bats have not been extensively documented, and their phylogenetic relationships remain only partially resolved. The goal of this research is to better understand how these species are related to one another and to determine whether the five recognized species of Thyroptera form a single monophyletic group. To address this question, morphological and genetic …
Lead Biosorption By Oceanobacillus Profundus Kbz 3-2: Strategies For Bioremediation Systems In Kabwe,
2026
Scripps College
Lead Biosorption By Oceanobacillus Profundus Kbz 3-2: Strategies For Bioremediation Systems In Kabwe, Danielle S. Desmarteau
Scripps Senior Theses
Lead contamination remains a significant global public health concern, particularly in Kabwe, Zambia, the site of a former lead mining operation. Bioremediation, which utilizes biological materials and processes to remove environmental contaminants, represents a promising approach for addressing lead pollution. However, the development of effective bioremediation systems requires a detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying metal removal and the feasibility of implementation in low-resource settings. Oceanobacillus profundus KBZ 3-2, a bacterium isolated from Kabwe mine waste, has demonstrated the ability to remove lead from aqueous environments. This study proposes to investigate the mechanism of lead biosorption by this organism, …
Mitochondrial Efficiency: Bridging Early-Life Environment And Organismal Performance,
2026
Bucknell University
Mitochondrial Efficiency: Bridging Early-Life Environment And Organismal Performance, Kayla E. Lichtner
Master’s Theses
Mitochondria operate at the forefront of organismal-environmental interactions. Despite remarkable diversity in mitochondrial function both within and among species, all mitochondria serve a universal role in facilitating the flow of energy between organisms and their environment. Energetic efficiency, the way in which organisms assimilate and transform environmental substrate into physiological currency, is a major determinant of organismal performance. Although previous studies have shown that early-life environment can have lasting effects on metabolism, the underlying mechanisms driving the emergence of mitochondrial phenotypic variation remain poorly understood. Leach’s storm-petrels (Hydrobates leucorhous) provide a valuable opportunity to investigate longitudinal hypotheses of …
Analysis Of Alternative Oxidase In Non-Angiosperm Plants,
2026
Wilfrid Laurier University
Analysis Of Alternative Oxidase In Non-Angiosperm Plants, Anissa M. Francis
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
Alternative oxidase (AOX) is a mitochondrial terminal oxidase that provides an alternative pathway for electron transport, allowing plants to maintain respiratory flexibility under environmental stress conditions. While AOX has been extensively studied in angiosperms (flowering plants), little is known about its distribution and conservation in non-angiosperms. Based on gaps identified in the literature, this thesis investigated the distribution of AOX across non-angiosperm plant lineages. Although AOX is present in many green algae and is therefore considered to be an ancient protein that originated before the existence of non-angiosperm plants, it remains unclear whether the protein is uniformly distributed across these …
Hybridization And Introgression In Marine Invertebrates: Population Genomics Of Phymactis Papillosa And Asterias Sea Stars,
2026
CUNY City College
Hybridization And Introgression In Marine Invertebrates: Population Genomics Of Phymactis Papillosa And Asterias Sea Stars, Christopher J. Dookie
Dissertations and Theses
Hybridization and introgression are evolutionary significant processes in marine invertebrates (Sanford & Kelly,2011) yet genome-wide investigations of gene flow in these taxa remain limited relative to vertebrate systems (Marchi et al., 2021). This thesis presents genomic analyses of hybridization and introgression in two marine invertebrates occupying contrasting oceanographic settings and characterized by contrasting genomic datasets: restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) SNP data for the eastern Pacific sea anemone Phymactis papillosa and whole genome sequencing (WGS) data for the North Atlantic sea stars Asterias rubens and Asterias forbesi. For each system, I applied coalescent-based species tree inference using CASTER (Zhang …
Sex In Plants: Birth, Death, And Trying To Survive In Changing Climates,
2026
VCU
Sex In Plants: Birth, Death, And Trying To Survive In Changing Climates, Elena M. Meyer
Theses and Dissertations
Plant mating systems are key determinants of fitness. Angiosperms exhibit a wide variety of reproductive strategies, including self-fertilization (or selfing), outcrossing, and mixed mating. It has been estimated that up to 43% of plant species are capable of selfing, and selfing has been hypothesized to provide reproductive assurance where opportunities for mating may be limited, such as in marginal environments. However, questions regarding the overall distribution of selfing rates across angiosperms, the maintenance of mixed mating in the face of inbreeding depression, and the impact of self-fertilization on diversification rates remain incompletely resolved. Here, we explore the dynamics of self-fertilization …
The Disruption Of Gastrointestinal Hormonal Control Of Digestion In Nile Tilapia By Omeprazole,
2026
Wilfrid Laurier University
The Disruption Of Gastrointestinal Hormonal Control Of Digestion In Nile Tilapia By Omeprazole, Rema Abutaha
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
Stomach acidity is a critical feature of the digestive system, facilitating the breakdown of protein through the activation of the protease pepsin. Gastric acid is secreted by H+/K+ ATPase, the gastric proton pump. A previous study on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) showed that inhibiting the production of stomach acid using the proton pump inhibitor omeprazole (omz), reduced growth that correlated with an acceleration of the rate of gastric emptying. This contrasts with omz exposure studies in mammals in which there is a delay in gastric emptying and no impact on growth. To understand the mechanism …
Geographic Variation In Proteomic Responses To Ocean Acidification In A Cold-Water Coral (Balanophyllia Elegans),
2026
Cal Poly Humboldt
Geographic Variation In Proteomic Responses To Ocean Acidification In A Cold-Water Coral (Balanophyllia Elegans), Keana A. Richmond
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
In the face of a rapidly changing climate, assessing organismal responses to future stressors in the context of current, natural exposure to stress could provide key insights to understanding marine ecosystem resilience. I used Balanophyllia elegans, a cold-water, solitary, azooxanthellate coral as a model to better understand how varying oceanographic conditions across its geographic range have shaped its ability to tolerate and potentially adapt to current and future ocean acidification conditions. I collected B. elegans individuals from four sites across 2,500km of their range and subjected them to two pH treatments to investigate site-specific protein expression in response to …
Species Boundaries Of The Rare Menzies’ Wallflower (Brassicaceae: Erysimum Menziesii), An Endemic Of The Northern California Coast,
2026
Cal Poly Humboldt
Species Boundaries Of The Rare Menzies’ Wallflower (Brassicaceae: Erysimum Menziesii), An Endemic Of The Northern California Coast, Cameron M. Jones
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Morphological similarity among geographically isolated populations can obscure deep evolutionary divergence, especially when convergent evolution under similar environmental conditions yields comparable phenotypes across independent lineages. Such cryptic diversity is likely underestimated in hotspots like the California Floristic Province (CFP), a global biodiversity hotspot, defined by its Mediterranean-like climate and encompassing most of California, southwestern Oregon, and northwest Baja California. The CFP is home to a disproportionate number of narrow endemics whose origins and evolutionary relationships remain poorly understood. Here, I investigate the evolutionary origins of Erysimum menziesii (Brassicaceae), a federally endangered California coastal dune endemic whose fragmented distribution has led …
The Effect Of Sex On The Signal Transmission Of Duetting Bay Wrens,
2026
Illinois State University
The Effect Of Sex On The Signal Transmission Of Duetting Bay Wrens, Rachel C. Schinzler
Theses and Dissertations
During communication, senders send signals for their benefit to elicit a behavioral response from a receiver. Acoustic signals are efficient for long-distance signaling; however, they are influenced by environmental features, such as foliage density, humidity, temperature, and time of day. Individuals can overcome these challenges by using signals with a trajectory of peak frequency, frequencies, volumes, and timing best suited to signal transmission in their environment. Signal transmission has been studied at the species level; however, not much is known about sex differences within the same species. Duetting species provide a useful system for examining sex-specific challenges in transmission, as …
An Exploratory Analysis Of The Role Of Sex In Load Carriage,
2026
The University Of Montana
An Exploratory Analysis Of The Role Of Sex In Load Carriage, Rachel E. Perez, Dustin R. Slivka, Brent C. Ruby
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Axially loaded weight may impose a metabolic demand equivalent to that of fat mass (FM) during load carriage. Males (M) typically have a lower body fat percentage than females (F), resulting in metabolic demand differences during load carriage that may be mitigated by accounting for FM in pack loads. PURPOSE: To determine whether normalizing pack load to FM equalizes metabolic cost across sexes during load carriage. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (14M, 23 ± 5 y, 1.81 ± 0.07 m, 78.7 ± 10.0 kg, 12.7 ± 5.4% body fat, VO2peak 4.18 ± 0.54 L·min-1; 14F, 22 ± 4 …
A New Dioecious Bush Tomato, Solanum Nectarifolium (Solanaceae), From The Northern Tanami Desert, Northern Territory, Australia, With Reassessment Of S. Ossicruentum And A Change In The Circumscription Of S. Dioicum,
2025
Bucknell University
A New Dioecious Bush Tomato, Solanum Nectarifolium (Solanaceae), From The Northern Tanami Desert, Northern Territory, Australia, With Reassessment Of S. Ossicruentum And A Change In The Circumscription Of S. Dioicum, Christopher T. Martine, Kym Brennan, Jason T. Cantley, Aiden Webb, Geoffrey Newton
Faculty Journal Articles
A new species of functionally dioecious bush tomato from the “Solanum dioicum + S. echinatum group” of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum is described. Solanum nectarifolium Martine & Brennan, sp. nov., is a member of the taxonomically challenging Solanum dioicum W.Fitzg. species complex in Australia and differs from other species in the group by the presence of prominent and conspicuous extrafloral nectaries on the abaxial leaf surfaces, a tinge of purple on the new growth and young fruiting calyces, and curved prickles on young stems. Although fairly well represented in herbarium collections, this new taxon has historically been treated as a …
The Effect Of Diet On Hydrogen Sulfide Tolerance Of Extremophile Fishes,
2025
University of Missouri-St. Louis
The Effect Of Diet On Hydrogen Sulfide Tolerance Of Extremophile Fishes, Kyliyah Walker, Michael Tobler, Bethany Williams
Undergraduate Research Symposium
Poecilia mexicana are a species of live-bearing fish that have adapted to surviving in hydrogen sulfide (H2S) abundant waters. Sites that are high in toxic H2S are also characterized by low levels of oxygen, making any organism that inhabits these tough conditions to be deemed extremophiles. Tolerance of these multiple stressors is impacted by numerous external environmental factors. The question being addressed in this study is if diet affects how well these fish tolerate H2S. I used 80 laboratory-bred female P. mexicana originating from two sulfidic and non-sulfidic population. Half of the fish from …
Investigating Factors That Affect Total Ige Antibody Levels Of A Canine Population In Louisville, Ky,
2025
Bellarmine University
Investigating Factors That Affect Total Ige Antibody Levels Of A Canine Population In Louisville, Ky, Iris N. Gillespie
Undergraduate Theses
Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a genetically predisposed condition that causes inflammatory and pruritic (itchy) skin reactions in response to environmental and food allergens. The main purpose of this study is to determine if there is a correlation between pollen counts and total canine IgE antibody levels of dogs living in Louisville, KY. Additionally, data is analyzed to look for trends documented in previous studies related to the impacts of sex, age, and allergic symptoms on total IgE count. In collaboration with the Downtown Animal Hospital, blood samples were drawn from 16 dogs at one point in February (when pollen …
Requirement Of Prepiilin Peptidase Activity For Variovorax Paradoxus Eps Flp/Fap Pilus Assembly,
2025
California State University - San Bernardino
Requirement Of Prepiilin Peptidase Activity For Variovorax Paradoxus Eps Flp/Fap Pilus Assembly, Jenny L. Lanthripp
Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations
Variovorax paradoxus is a Gram-negative aerobic bacterium present in both soil and the human oral microbiome. This species contributes to biotransformation of xenobiotics and promotes plant growth. Interestingly, although the genome of strain EPS lacks the flagellum operon annotated in strain S110, the microbe remains motile, and flagella can be observed microscopically. To investigate this unexpected phenotype, motility mutants were enriched from a Tn5 mutant library using a liquid culture settling strategy. A total of 122 isolates were screened for motility defects, and 57 exhibited significantly reduced motility compared to the wild type. Rescue cloning revealed that over 60% of …
Impacts Of Halophila Stipulacea Invasion On Organic Matter Dynamics In Thalassia Testudinum Dominated Seagrass Meadows, Puerto Rico,
2025
Kennesaw State University
Impacts Of Halophila Stipulacea Invasion On Organic Matter Dynamics In Thalassia Testudinum Dominated Seagrass Meadows, Puerto Rico, Jonathan D. Herald
Master's Theses
Halophila stipulacea (Forsskål & Niebuhr) is a tropical seagrass native to the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Indian Ocean. In 2002, invasive populations of H. stipulacea were identified in the Caribbean Sea where it now forms large meadows, displaces native seagrasses, alters invertebrate and fish communities, and potentially affects organic matter dynamics in invaded meadows. This study investigated differences in organic matter dynamics between meadows of H. stipulacea and native Thalassia testudinum within the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (JBNERR) on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. From March 2023-March 2024, sampling was conducted across four sites to investigate …
[Kyda] The Behavioral Spillover Effect: Modeling Behavioral Interdependencies In Multi-Pathogen Dynamics,
2025
Virginia Tech
[Kyda] The Behavioral Spillover Effect: Modeling Behavioral Interdependencies In Multi-Pathogen Dynamics, Leah Lejeune, Omar Saucedo, Lauren M. Childs, Navid Ghaffarzadegan
Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research
No abstract provided.
Extraction And Optimization Of Flavonoids From Elaeagnus Pungens Thunb And Its Potential Impact On Blood Plasma Cholesterol In A Mouse Model,
2025
Anhui Agricultural University
Extraction And Optimization Of Flavonoids From Elaeagnus Pungens Thunb And Its Potential Impact On Blood Plasma Cholesterol In A Mouse Model, Qunqing Lu, Haozhe Liu, Xinxin Zhang, Nourhan Nassar, Ibrar Khan, Haji Gul, Zaigui Wang
The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine
Elaeagnus pungens Thunb is a significant source of flavonoids with biological function. This study aims to develop orthogonal tests and alkali alcohol extraction methods for extracting flavonoids from leaves of E. pungens. The levels of factors in the orthogonal test were determined by pre-experiment, and the physiological efficacy was verified by the in vivo test. The results indicated that the optimal extraction yield was 4.07% when the solid-to-liquid ratio was 1:40, the concentration of ethanol was 60%, the extraction temperature was 80℃, and the extraction time was five h. The alkalialcohol extraction results demonstrated that the extraction yield of …
The Effects Of Plastic Mulch And Irrigation On Hemp Chemistry And Leaf Endophytes,
2025
University of Louisville and Santa Rosa Junior College
The Effects Of Plastic Mulch And Irrigation On Hemp Chemistry And Leaf Endophytes, Allison Rietman, Connor Morozumi, Robert C. Pearce, Natalie Christian
Journal of Agricultural Hemp Research
As an emerging crop, cultivation techniques for industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) are still being developed and optimized. For example, irrigation and plastic mulching are some management practices that have been touted for their benefits in improving crop quality. Both techniques ensure ample water availability, which has often been attributed to improving hemp cannabinoid and terpene composition. In this study, we examined how supplemental irrigation implemented in a plastic mulch system influenced the cannabinoid and terpene profiles of one cultivar of CBD hemp, Lifter. We grew industrial hemp in field with plastic mulch and applied regular irrigation to one group …
