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Behavioral choice and demographic consequences of wood frog habitat selection in response to land use
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2007)
Land use is a pervasive form of disturbance affecting natural systems on Earth. My dissertation research is set within the context of a large scale project referred to as Land-use Effects on Amphibian Populations (LEAP), where researchers in Maine...
Identification, characterization and use of novel thermogenetic tools in drosophilia melanogaster
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2019)
the available tools offer precise temporal and spatial resolution, their caveats lie in the limited number of tools that can be used simultaneously to alter neuronal activity. The overlapping spectrum of activation of optogenetic tools prevents...
Tumor-initiating cells in malignant brain tumors
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2009)
to be valid, developing CSC specific therapies would target the root of cancer growth. Overall, understanding the cells involved in brain tumor development, dispersal, and prevention, is the focus of this dissertation....
A multi-scale investigation of ecologically relevant effects of agricultural runoff on amphibians
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2008)
of capture rates than local or watershed land use, indicating that habitat availability may be an important constraint on amphibian success at stream sites....
Assessing the effects of anticoagulant rodenticides on non-target fish species
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2018)
preliminary findings, which were used in the planning processes of an aerial broadcast which was conducted in August 2017. My dissertation research used acute toxicity testing, tissue analysis, and pharmacokinetics to determine the relative sensitivity of fish...
Noise and signal transmission properties as agents of selection in the vibrational communication environment
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2007)
Members of the Enchenopa binotata species complex (Hemiptera: Membracidae) are host-specific phytophagous insects that communicate by sending vibrations through their host plants. Successful communication depends on the ...
Diversification in plant feeding insects : patterns of host-plant specialization and mating signal evolution inferred from species-level phylogeny and population genetics
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2009)
[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Speciation yields two reproductively isolated groups capable of living in sympatry without cross-fertilization. Thi inability to hybridize is caused ...
Age effects on reproductive behavior in the treehopper umbonia crassiscornis (Hemipera: membracidae)
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2007)
. My dissertation investigated the effect of male age in influencing patterns of female choice, and in affecting variation in male reproductive behavior, in the treehopper Umbonia crassicornis (Hemiptera: Membracidae). The experiments conducted...
Neuroscience tools in novel contexts: developing thermogenetics in Drosophila and decoding autonomic activity in mouse major pelvic ganglion
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2022)
thermosensors, and it adds four new tools to the suite of available thermogenetic tools. To implement technologies for stimulating and recording neural activity in novel systems that have not been well characterized yet have significant basic and translational...
The effects of metal contamination on larval white sturgeon in the upper Columbia River
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2018)
elevated. The goal of my dissertation was to understand the potential role of metal contamination in the decline of white sturgeon in the UCR. This effort included toxicity tests with copper contaminated water as well as sediments collected from the URC...
Neuronal changes underlying altered biophysical properties of reticulospinal neurons following spinal cord injury in the lamprey
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2017)
Following a severe spinal cord injury (SCI), the descending axons of reticulospinal (RS) neurons are damaged, resulting in paralysis below the site of the injury. For higher vertebrates, including humans, RS neurons are ...
Approaches for unveiling the kinetic mechanisms of voltage gated ion channels in neurons
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2019)
to other cells. Voltage-gated ion channels are molecular machines that open and close depending on electrical potential. Neuronal firing rates are largely determined by the overall availability of voltage-gated Na+ and K+ currents.This work describes new...
Mechanisms of photoreceptor mediated responses in photomorphogenesis and phototropism
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2018)
Photoreceptor facilitated light perception provides plants with critical environmental information from which they can direct their growth. We investigated the early photomorphogenic responses in Glycine max and Glycine ...
Ecological genomics of divergence, admixture, and fitness in the smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2021)
The Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) is one of the most highly targeted sport fishes in the world. Anglers vie for the opportunity to catch Smallmouth Bass recreationally and competitively, spending billions of dollars ...
Development of an amenable system for site-specific addition to a maize chromosome
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2019)
Currently, transgenic maize is produced by random integration of a transgenes into the plant. This works for single genes, but not as well for multiple traits. Identifying plants that contain several transgenes becomes a ...
Weed versus wildflower : mating system ecology in a taraxacum native-exotic contact zone
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2020)
Closely related plant species often exhibit differences in ploidy level, mode of reproduction, and traits related to reproduction. Differences in ploidy levels are often associated with mating system differentiation, ...
Establishing a foundation for large DNA transfer to artificial minichromosomes and B insert platforms in maize
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2019)
In plants, conventional genetic engineering methods limit the number of available traits that could potentially improve the quality of agriculture. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and biolistic bombardment are tools used in transferring genes...
Elucidation of the genetic control of carbohydrate partitioning in Zea mays
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2019)
Carbohydrate partitioning, the process of transporting carbohydrates from sites of synthesis in hotosynthetic tissue to developing sink tissues, is crucial for the growth, development, and yield in plants and crops. ...