Browsing Dissertations and Theses by Author "Biology"
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The Acquisition of a Plastid by Haptophytes, Cryptophytes, and Photosynthetic Heterokonts
Schreiber, John M. (East Carolina University, 2014)Red algae and green plants are known to have obtained their photosynthetic organelles, or plastids, through the endosymbiotic adoption of cyanobacteria. It is still widely debated as to how other eukaryotic alga such as ... -
Activation of GPR4 by acidosis inhibits tumor cell migration, invasion and metastasis.
Castellone, Reid David (East Carolina University, 2011)Melanoma and Prostate Cancer are two of the most diagnosed forms of cancer in the United States. The ability to metastasize and colonize in a distant location is one of the most devastating hallmarks of cancer as modes ... -
Analysis of a 41-year data set : Environmental influences on the fish assemblages of Albemarle Sound, North Carolina
Gillum, Zachary D. (East Carolina University, 2014)North Carolina both historically and currently maintains one of the most productive fishery resource basins in the nation. However, fish stocks are spatially and temporally variable in abundance and distribution in estuarine ... -
Anti-Cancer Activity of Cucurbitacin IIa
Boykin, Christi (East Carolina University, 2012)Cancer is a debilitating disease resulting from uncontrolled proliferation. One major treatment strategy for cancer is the application of chemotherapeutic drugs which kill cancer cells. Cucurbitacins are a new family ... -
Bioenergetics and Trophic Impacts of Invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish
Cerino, David S. (East Carolina University, 2010)Indo-Pacific lionfish, Pterois volitans and Pterois miles, are non-native marine fish with established populations in the western North Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Rapid population growth threatens native fish ... -
Biogeographic Characterization of Fishes from Intertidal Sandflats in Pamlico River, North Carolina
Mabe, M. Wayne (East Carolina University, 2012)The spatial and temporal changes in fish community structure in Pamlico River, North Carolina were analyzed. Salinity and temperature are important water quality parameters influencing fish community structure in estuaries. ... -
BIPARENTAL CARE AND THE EVOLUTION OF MONOGAMY IN A PERUVIAN POISON FROG (RANITOMEYA IMITATOR: DENDROBATIDAE)
Tumulty, James (East Carolina University, 2012)Selection for biparental care is considered to be an important factor in the evolution of monogamy if the value of exclusive cooperation in care for mutual offspring outweighs the benefits of polygamy for either sex. ... -
CaMKII Protein Expression and Phosphorylation in Mouse Skeletal Muscle Following Atrophy and Hypertrophy
Williams, Brett (East Carolina University, 2012)The maintenance of skeletal muscle mass is vital for life, and elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that control this process is a critical first step towards the development of pharmaceutical treatments for muscle ... -
CAN NUTRIENT ADDITIONS MEDIATE GAPE LIMITED PREDATION IN LARVAL RANA SPHENOCEPHALA?
Aardweg, Zachary (East Carolina University, 2013)Some predators are limited in the size prey item that they can catch and consume, and this is referred to as "gape limited". Prey found with these predators may have the ability to respond by growing rapidly to reach a ... -
Can Passive Acoustics be Used to Estimate the Length of Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) within the Pamlico Estuary?
Krahforst, Cecilia S. (East Carolina University, 2010)The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council (AFMFC) attributes the decline in the Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) stock to over-fishing practices. The majority of collected Atlantic croaker are small, young of ... -
Cardiac and Mitochondrial Adaptations in Response to Aging and Doxorubicin in Rats Bred for Divergent Aerobic Capacities
Larion, Laura (East Carolina University, 2012)Doxorubicin (DOX) remains as one of the most widely prescribed and effective anticancer agents. A major limitation of the therapeutic effectiveness of the drug is the occurrence of irreversible, progressive, dose-dependent ... -
Characterization of Two Novel Mutants of DNA Polymerase Delta in Drosophila melanogaster
Hunter, Chad Michael (East Carolina University, 2011)DNA is the genetic material for all living organisms which is constantly being unpackaged, replicated and repackaged. The replication of this genetic material involves numerous different proteins; however, DNA polymerase ... -
Characterizing Environmental and Physicochemical Conditions in Nursery Areas of River Herring in Chowan River, North Carolina
Butler, Matthew G. (East Carolina University, 2012)Anadromous fishes such as blueback herring Alosa aestivalis and alewife A. pseudoharengus, utilize sounds, rivers, and tributaries during spawning. Collectively known as river herring, these two ecologically important ... -
Claudin-7 increases chemosensitivity to cisplatin in human NCI-H522 lung cancer cells
Hoggard, John Elliott (East Carolina University, 2010)Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer death for both men and women worldwide. The 5-year survival rate for lung cancer is only 15%, and it accounts for approximately 1.4 million deaths every year. Recently, it has ... -
Coevolutionary analysis of Appalachian Xystodesmid millipedes and their symbiotic Mesostigmatid mites
Swafford, Angela Lynn (East Carolina University, 2010)Mites (Acari) form symbiotic relationships with many animal taxa including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, mollusks, and arthropods. They are frequently found living on millipedes, and it has often been ... -
Conspicuous female ornamentation and male mate preference of Threespine Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
Wright, Daniel Shane (East Carolina University, 2012)Sexual selection drives the evolution of exaggerated male ornaments (traits showing little function outside social interactions) in many animal species. Female ornamentation is now acknowledged also to be common but is ... -
DETECTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE AMPHIBIAN FUNGAL DISEASE CHYTRIDIOMYCOSIS IN PERUVIAN AMPHIBIANS
Kosch, Tiffany A. (East Carolina University, 2012)Chytridiomycosis is an amphibian disease caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd;Longcore et al. 1999). This disease has been identified by the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan as one of the main ... -
Distribution Patterns of Juvenile Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) and Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) Along Shallow Beach Habitats in Pamlico River, North Carolina
Powers, J. Phillip (East Carolina University, 2012)The association of juvenile spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) and red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) with Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) is well documented. However, their association with other estuarine habitats ... -
Does history matter? : An experimental assessment of whether dragonfly colonization history affects insect biodiversity within ephemeral ponds
Amoroso, Natalie A. (East Carolina University, 2010)Current interactions among species could have an important role in controlling biodiversity. Some studies, however, have shown that the particular time a species arrives at a site during the process of community assembly ... -
DOES THE QUANTITY OF RESOURCES IN THE ENVIRONMENT ALTER THE IMPACT OF MULTIPLE PREDATORS ON THEIR PREY?
Gelles, Tyler R. (East Carolina University, 2013)Predation is an important biological process affecting prey populations and most prey in nature are exposed to multiple predator species. Much research has revealed that the combined effect of multiple predators on their ...