Biology
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The Impact of Monocular Self-Occlusions on Depth Perception
(2020-11-13)Depth perceived from two-object arrangement half-occlusions has been shown to depend on the occluded regions size and texture properties. However, monocular regions also result from single-object self-occlusions where the ... -
Barrier Properties and Molecular Physiology of Fish Gill Epithelia and Gill Epithelium Models
(2020-11-13)The fish gill epithelium interfaces directly with surrounding water and participates in numerous physiological processes. However, the barrier properties of the fish gill epithelium have been largely overlooked until recent ... -
The Smad7 Protein Interaction Network in Skeletal Myogenesis
(2020-11-13)Myogenesis or muscle development begins with cell cycle arrest and continues with a differentiation program that converts myoblasts into multi-nucleated cells referred to as myotubes. A complex hierarchy of transcriptional ... -
The Conservation Management and Ecology of Northeastern North American Bumble Bees
(2020-11-13)Bumble bees (Bombus spp.; Apidae) are among the pollinators most in decline globally with a main cause being habitat loss. Habitat requirements for bumble bees are poorly understood presenting a research gap. The purpose ... -
Exercise Dose Dependent Atrial Remodelling and Atrial Fibrillation
(2020-11-13)The dependence of atrial fibrillation (AF) on exercise dose is U shaped. To assess the physiological basis for this relationship, we swam 3 groups of CD1 mice at variable daily durations (120, 180 and 240 minutes per day) ... -
Circadian Rhythm in Intrinsic Heart Rate
(2020-11-13)Heart rate (HR) as well as adverse cardiac events (i.e. myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, stroke, and sudden cardiac death) show circadian patterns. Circadian HR fluctuations are traditionally thought to be controlled ... -
Analysis of Spatial Learning in Honeybee Foragers Using the Food Search Box Assay
(2020-11-13)Given the under-representation of genetic analyses of spatial learning in honeybee literature, I designed an experiment to investigate gene expression profiles associated with spatial learning. The experimental design ... -
Hippocampal and Neocortical Dynamics During Long-term Memory in Macaques
(2020-11-13)Memory is one of the most important faculties of the mind. Memory keeps a record of our experiences which enriches our sense of self, enables us to make adaptive decisions in the present and informed plans for the future. ... -
The Relative Role of Nutrient Inputs, Climate, Land Use, and Spatial Patterns on Chlorophyll a Concentrations Worldwide
(2020-11-13)Water quality degradation is one of the largest threats to freshwater ecosystems, and understanding how multiple drivers such as nutrients, climate, morphology, and land use impact water quality is of high interest because ... -
Shrub Density Effects on the Structure and Composition of a Desert Animal Community
(2020-11-13)Positive interactions between shrubs and animals are frequent in desert ecosystems. Shrub canopies can provide refuge to some animal species from predators and shelter from stressful environmental conditions by ameliorating ... -
Variety is the Spice of Desert Bird Life: Foundation Plant Species Provide Habitat Heterogeneity for Bird Communities in the Mojave Desert
(2020-11-13)Plants provide habitat and resources to the desert animal community. However, these interactions are species specific and can depend on season. I tested the hypothesis that birds use different foundation species in deserts ... -
Micro-Climatic Amelioration in a California Desert: Artificial Shelter versus Shrub Canopy
(2020-11-13)Shrubs are structural agents of facilitation, providing benefit to animals that take refuge under their canopy. The central theme of this thesis is how shrubs compare to artificial shelters at reducing ambient temperature ... -
Carry-Over Effects of Overwinter Climate and Habitat Productivity on Spring Arrival of Migratory Songbirds at a Northern Stopover Site
(2020-11-13)Reduced rainfall in tropical regions may impact the ability of temperate-breeding songbirds to prepare for and execute their spring migration. I used 34 years of bird banding data from Ontario to test for the presence of ... -
Examining the Role of Phosphorylation in the Gain and Loss of the Elasticity of the Tethers that Connect Separating Anaphase Chromosomes in Crane-Fly Spermatocytes
(2020-11-13)This thesis deals with elasticity of the tethers that connect anaphase chromosomes in crane-fly spermatocytes. Chromosomes move backwards after reaching the poles when Calyculin A (CalA), an inhibitor of protein phosphatases ... -
Relationship of Hypolimnetic Iron, Sediment Biogeochemistry, and Sulfate in the Promotion of Cyanobacterial Blooms
(2020-11-13)Previous work suggests that a high rate of internal ferrous iron (Fe2+) loading from anoxic sediments into overlying waters favours cyanobacteria dominance over eukaryotic algae. This conceptual model was assessed in four ... -
Assessing the Effects of Temperature, Feeding Status, and the Microbiome on the Maximal Activities of Several Enzymes Important to Energy Production and Ammonia Detoxification in the Intestines of Teleost Fish
(2020-11-13)This thesis examined the effects of temperature, feeding status, and the microbiome on the maximal activities of several enzymes important to energy production and ammonia (NH3) detoxification in the intestines of three ... -
Effects of Exposure to CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots on the Neurophysiological Performance of Developing Zebrafish
(2020-08-11)This research investigated the effects of exposure to sublethal concentrations of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots on the neurophysiological performance of larval zebrafish. Whole body metal content, physiological conditions, and ... -
Chironomid Autoecology of the Past and Present, and a Causal Analysis of Recreational Shoreline Developments on Hypolimnetic Oxygen in Algonquin Park Lakes
(2020-08-11)Recreational cottages continue to be leased within Algonquin Park despite inadequate assessments of cottage impacts on lake water quality and ecosystem integrity. Cottages can increase phosphorus export to lakes, resulting ... -
Effects of Spatial and Temporal Variation in Resource Availability on the Growth Rates and Survival of Dunlin (Calidris Alpina Hudsonia) Chicks
(2020-08-11)Long-distant migrants nesting in the Arctic experience condensed breeding seasons and shorter periods of high arthropod availability due to climate change. Shorebirds have precocial chicks which may compensate for food ... -
The Effect of Misoprostol on Neuronal Stem Cell Migration and Differentiation
(2020-08-11)Misoprostol is a drug commonly used for medical termination of pregnancy, and improper use has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders such as Moebius syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is an analog of ...