Matching Items (20)
Filtering by

Clear all filters

136395-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
We examined the evolutionary morphological responses of Drosophila melanogaster that had evolved at constant cold (16°), constant hot (25°C), and fluctuating (16° and 25°C). Flies that were exposed to the constant low mean temperature developed larger thorax, wing, and cell sizes than those exposed to constant high mean temperatures. Males

We examined the evolutionary morphological responses of Drosophila melanogaster that had evolved at constant cold (16°), constant hot (25°C), and fluctuating (16° and 25°C). Flies that were exposed to the constant low mean temperature developed larger thorax, wing, and cell sizes than those exposed to constant high mean temperatures. Males and females both responded similarly to thermal treatments in average wing and cell size. The resulting cell area for a given wing size in thermal fluctuating populations remains unclear and remains a subject for future research.
ContributorsAdrian, Gregory John (Author) / Angilletta, Michael (Thesis director) / Harrison, Jon (Committee member) / Rusch, Travis (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
147559-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

Studies of animal contests often focus solely on a single static measurement of fighting ability, such as the size or the strength of the individual. However, recent studies have highlighted the importance of individual variation in the dynamic behaviors used during a fight, such as, assessment strategies, decision making, and

Studies of animal contests often focus solely on a single static measurement of fighting ability, such as the size or the strength of the individual. However, recent studies have highlighted the importance of individual variation in the dynamic behaviors used during a fight, such as, assessment strategies, decision making, and fine motor control, as being strong predictors of the outcome of aggression. Here, I combined morphological and behavioral data to discover how these features interact during aggressing interactions in male virile crayfish, Faxonius virilis. I predicted that individual variation in behavioral skill for decision making (i.e., number of strikes thrown), would determine the outcome of contest success in addition to morphological measurements (e.g. body size, relative claw size). To evaluate this prediction, I filmed staged territorial interactions between male F. virilis and later analyzed trial behaviors (e.g. strike, pinches, and bout time) and aggressive outcomes. I found very little support for skill to predict win/loss outcome in trials. Instead, I found that larger crayfish engaged in aggression for longer compared to smaller crayfish, but that larger crayfish did not engage in a greater number of claw strikes or pinches when controlling for encounter duration. Future studies should continue to investigate the role of skill, by using finer-scale techniques such as 3D tracking software, which could track advanced measurements (e.g. speed, angle, and movement efficiency). Such studies would provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relative influence of fighting skill technique on territorial contests.

ContributorsNguyen, Phillip Huy (Author) / Angilletta, Michael (Thesis director) / McGraw, Kevin (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
136136-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Three populations of experimentally evolved Drosophila melanogaster populations made up of high temperature (H, constant 25 ᵒC), low temperature (C, constant 16 ᵒC) and temporal homogeneity (T, environment changes between 16 ᵒC and 25 ᵒC) were prepared and assayed to determine difference in citrate synthase activity. Between the three groups,

Three populations of experimentally evolved Drosophila melanogaster populations made up of high temperature (H, constant 25 ᵒC), low temperature (C, constant 16 ᵒC) and temporal homogeneity (T, environment changes between 16 ᵒC and 25 ᵒC) were prepared and assayed to determine difference in citrate synthase activity. Between the three groups, the results were inconclusive: the resulting reaction rates in units of nmol min-1mgfly-1 were 81.8 + 20.6, 101 + 15.6, and 96.9 + 25.2 for the hot (H), cold (C), and temporally homogeneous (T) groups, respectively. We conclude that the high associated variability was due to a lack of control regarding the collection time of the experimentally evolved Drosophila.
ContributorsBelohlavek, David (Author) / Angilletta, Michael (Thesis director) / Francisco, Wilson (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor)
Created2015-05
131069-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Pathway analysis helps researchers gain insight into the biology behind gene expression-based data. By applying this data to known biological pathways, we can learn about mutations or other changes in cellular function, such as those seen in cancer. There are many tools that can be used to analyze pathways; however,

Pathway analysis helps researchers gain insight into the biology behind gene expression-based data. By applying this data to known biological pathways, we can learn about mutations or other changes in cellular function, such as those seen in cancer. There are many tools that can be used to analyze pathways; however, it can be difficult to find and learn about the which tool is optimal for use in a certain experiment. This thesis aims to comprehensively review four tools, Cytoscape, PaxtoolsR, PathOlogist, and Reactome, and their role in pathway analysis. This is done by applying a known microarray data set to each tool and testing their different functions. The functions of these programs will then be analyzed to determine their roles in learning about biology and assisting new researchers with their experiments. It was found that each tools holds a very unique and important role in pathway analysis. Visualization pathways have the role of exploring individual pathways and interpreting genomic results. Quantification pathways use statistical tests to determine pathway significance. Together one can find pathways of interest and then explore areas of interest.
ContributorsRehling, Thomas Evan (Author) / Buetow, Kenneth (Thesis director) / Wilson, Melissa (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
132197-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
All multicellular organisms are susceptible to developing cancer, but some organisms have varying sensitivities to the disease. One such organism is the Trichoplax adhaerens which has no documented case of cancer development. T. adhaerens cancer resistance was studied by observing physiological and morphological changes of the organism after radiation treatment.

All multicellular organisms are susceptible to developing cancer, but some organisms have varying sensitivities to the disease. One such organism is the Trichoplax adhaerens which has no documented case of cancer development. T. adhaerens cancer resistance was studied by observing physiological and morphological changes of the organism after radiation treatment. Preliminary experiments suggested that this organism is able to survive exposure to 160 gray radiation treatment almost as well as untreated organisms. The T. adhaerens have two genes, TriadG6402 and TriadG5479, similar to the human genes TP53 and MDM2 respectively. TP53 and MDM2 are the two main genes associated with apoptosis in humans: an important cell regulatory checkpoint involved in cancer prevention. PCR analysis, done after radiation treatment, showed an overexpression of the ortholog gene MDM2 in the T. adhaerens. This may suggest that T. adhaerens block apoptosis from occurring and that their ortholog gene is involved in DNA repair. It is significant to study the gene expression of TriadG6402 and TriadG54791 in T. adhaerens because these genes are well conserved in humans. Future studies of these genes in the T. adhaerens can be used to understand the evolution of the function of these genes in more complex organisms and be used for human cancer prevention.
ContributorsKulkarni, Arathi (Author) / Fortunato, Angelo (Thesis director) / Maley, Carlo (Committee member) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
131787-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
I am evaluating the genomic basis of a model of heat tolerance in which organisms succumb to warming when their demand for oxygen exceeds their supply. This model predicts that tolerance of hypoxia should correlate genetically with tolerance of heat. To evaluate this prediction, I tested heat and hypoxia tolerance

I am evaluating the genomic basis of a model of heat tolerance in which organisms succumb to warming when their demand for oxygen exceeds their supply. This model predicts that tolerance of hypoxia should correlate genetically with tolerance of heat. To evaluate this prediction, I tested heat and hypoxia tolerance in several genetic lines of Drosophila melanogaster. I hypothesized that genotypes that can fly better at high temperatures are also able to fly well at hypoxia. Genotypes from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) were assessed for flight at hypoxia and normal temperature (12% O2 and 25°C) as well as normoxia and high temperature (21% O2 and 39°C). After testing 66 lines from the DGRP, the oxygen- and capacity-limited thermal tolerance theory is supported; hypoxia-resistant lines are more likely to be heat-resistant. This supports previous research, which suggested an interaction between the tolerance of the two environmental variables. I used this data to perform a genome-wide association study to find specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with heat tolerance and hypoxia tolerance but found no specific genomic markers. Understanding factors that limit an organism’s stress tolerance as well as the regions of the genome that dictate this phenotype should enable us to predict how organisms may respond to the growing threat of climate change.
ContributorsFredette-Roman, Jacob Daniel (Author) / Angilletta, Michael (Thesis director) / VandenBrooks, John (Committee member) / Youngblood, Jacob (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
171749-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Adaptive therapy utilizes competitive interactions between resistant and sensitive cells by keeping some sensitive cells to control tumor burden with the aim of increasing overall survival and time to progression. The use of adaptive therapy to treat breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and pancreatic cancer in preclinical models has shown significant

Adaptive therapy utilizes competitive interactions between resistant and sensitive cells by keeping some sensitive cells to control tumor burden with the aim of increasing overall survival and time to progression. The use of adaptive therapy to treat breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and pancreatic cancer in preclinical models has shown significant results in controlling tumor growth. The adaptive therapy model comes from the integrated pest management agricultural strategy, predator prey model, and the unique intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity of tumors. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and compare gemcitabine dose response on hormone refractory breast cancer cells retrieved from mice using an adaptive therapy strategy with standard therapy treatment. In this study, we compared intermittent (drug holiday) adaptive therapy with maximum tolerated dose therapy. The MCF7 resistant cell lines to both fulvestrant and palbociclib were injected into the mammary fat pads of 8 weeks old NOD/SCID gamma (NSG) mice which were then treated with gemcitabine. Tumor burden graphs were made to track tumor growth/decline during different treatments while Drug Dose Response (DDR) curves were made to test the sensitivity of the cell lines to the drug gemcitabine. The tumor burden graphs showed success in controlling the tumor burden with intermittent treatment. The DDR curves showed a positive result in using the adaptive therapy treatment method to treat mice with gemcitabine. Due to some fluctuating DDR results, the sensitivity of the cell lines to gemcitabine needs to be further studied by repeating the DDR experiment on the other mice cell lines for stronger results.
ContributorsConti, Aviona Christina (Author) / Maley, Carlo (Thesis advisor) / Blattman, Joseph (Committee member) / Anderson, Karen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
190800-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Ectotherms rely on external heat to attain target body temperatures which can vary based on the animal’s current physiological activity. Many ectotherms become thermophilic (“heat-loving”) during crucial physiological processes like digestion and reproduction, behaviorally thermoregulating to increase body temperature higher than what they otherwise prefer. However, there is a positive

Ectotherms rely on external heat to attain target body temperatures which can vary based on the animal’s current physiological activity. Many ectotherms become thermophilic (“heat-loving”) during crucial physiological processes like digestion and reproduction, behaviorally thermoregulating to increase body temperature higher than what they otherwise prefer. However, there is a positive relationship between body temperature and water loss that dictates increasing body temperature typically elicits an increase in water loss. Animals that inhabit areas where water is at least seasonally limited (e.g., deserts, wet-dry forests) may face a tradeoff between prioritizing behavioral thermophily to optimize physiological processes versus prioritizing water balance and potentially sacrificing some aspect of total performance capability.It is thus far unknown how reduced water availability and subsequent dehydration may influence thermophily in ectotherms. I hypothesized that behaviorally thermoregulating ectotherms exhibit thermophily during critical physiological events, and the extent to which thermophily is expressed is influenced by the animal’s hydric state. Using Children’s pythons (Antaresia childreni), I investigated the effects of dehydration on behavioral thermophily during digestion and reproduction. I found that dehydration caused a suppression in digestion-associated thermophily, where dehydrated snakes returned to pre-feeding body temperature sooner than they did when they were hydrated. In contrast, water deprivation at different reproductive stages had no effect on thermophily despite leading to a significant increase in the female’s plasma osmolality. ii Additionally, the timing of water deprivation during reproduction had differing effects on plasma osmolality and circulating triglyceride, total protein, and corticosterone concentrations. My research provides evidence of the sensitive and complex dynamic between body temperature, water balance, and physiological processes. At a time when many dry ecosystems are becoming hotter and drier, my investigation of dehydration and its influence on thermal dynamics and physiological metrics provides insight into cryptic effects on the vital processes of digestion and reproduction.
ContributorsAzzolini, Jill L. (Author) / Denardo, Dale F. (Thesis advisor) / John-Alder, Henry (Committee member) / Angilletta, Michael (Committee member) / Pratt, Stephen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
171931-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
While only the sixth most common cancer globally, liver cancer is the third most deadly. Despite the importance of accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, standard diagnostic tests for most solid organ neoplasms are not required for the most common type of liver cancer, Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). In addition, major discrepancies

While only the sixth most common cancer globally, liver cancer is the third most deadly. Despite the importance of accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, standard diagnostic tests for most solid organ neoplasms are not required for the most common type of liver cancer, Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). In addition, major discrepancies in the practices currently in place limits the ability to develop more precise oncological treatment and prognosis. This study aimed to identify biomarkers, with potential to more accurately diagnose how far cancer has advanced within a patient and determine prognosis. It is the hope that pathways provided by this study form the basis for future research into more standardized practices and potential treatment based on specific affected biological processes. The PathOlogist tool was utilized to calculate activity metrics for 1,324 biological pathways in 374 The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) hepatocellular carcinoma donors. Further statistical analysis was done on two datasets, formed to identify grade or stage at time of diagnosis for the activity levels calculated by PathOlogist. The datasets were evaluated individually. Based on the variance and normality of each pathway’s activity levels in the respective data sets analysis of variance, Tukey-Kramer, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney-Wilcox tests were performed, when appropriate, to determine any statistically significant differences in pathway activity levels. Pathways were identified in both stage and grade data analyses that show significant differences in activity levels across designation. While some overlap is seen, there was a significant number of pathways unique to either stage or grade. These pathways are known to affect the cell cycle, cellular transport, disease, immune system, and metabolism regulation. The biological pathways named by this research depict prospective biomarkers for progression of hepatocellular carcinoma per subdivision within both stage and grade. These findings may be instrumental to new methods of early and more accurate diagnosis. The distinct differences in identified pathways in grade and stage illustrate the need for these new methods to not only look at stage but also grade when determining prognosis. Furthermore, the pathways identified herein have potential to aid in the development of targeted treatment based on the affected biological processes.
ContributorsGarrison, Alyssa Cameron (Author) / Buetow, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Hinde, Katie (Committee member) / Wilson, Melissa (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
A big part of understanding cancer is understanding the cellular environment itthrives in by analyzing it from a microecological perspective. Humans and other species are affected by different cancer types, and this highlights the notion that there may be a correlation between specific tissues and neoplasia prevalence. Research shows that humans are the

A big part of understanding cancer is understanding the cellular environment itthrives in by analyzing it from a microecological perspective. Humans and other species are affected by different cancer types, and this highlights the notion that there may be a correlation between specific tissues and neoplasia prevalence. Research shows that humans are the most susceptible to adenocarcinomas and carcinomas which include the following tissues: lungs, breast, prostate, and pancreas. Furthermore, research shows that adenocarcinoma accounts for 38.5% of all lung cancer cases, 20% of small cell carcinomas, and 2.9% of large cell carcinoma. The incidence of the most common cancer types in humans is consistently increasing annually. This study analyzes trends of tissue-specific cancers across species to examine possible contributors to vulnerability to cancer. I predicted that adenocarcinomas would be the most prevalent cancer type across the tree of life. To test this hypothesis, I reviewed over 130 species that reported equal to or greater than 50 individual necropsy pathology records across 4 classes (Mammalia, amphibia, Reptilia, Aves) and ranked them by neoplasia prevalence. This information was then organized in tables in descending order. The study’s resulting tables and data concluded that the hypothesis was correct. I found that across all species adenocarcinomas were the most common cancer type and account for 30.4% of malignancies reported among species. Future research should investigate how organ size contributes to neoplasia prevalence.
ContributorsPERAZA, ASHLEY (Author) / Maley, Carlo (Thesis advisor) / Boddy, Amy (Thesis advisor) / Baciu, Cristina (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022