Environmental temperature is a crucial environmental factor that influences many physiological functions in fishes. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are a native anadromous species that inhabit a variety of freshwater rivers and lakes and are widel . . .

To better understand the neural mechanisms for human physiology, an invertebrate’s control on its cardiovascular system should be investigated. The leech’s heartbeat is controlled by segmental ganglia and has a phase delay in its peristaltic heartbeat . . .

Chronic non-healing wounds are a growing clinical burden, impacting 6.5 million patients in the United States alone (Sen et al., 2009). A variety of cells take part in the complex process of wound healing, which includes stages such as inflammation, r . . .

San Clemente Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi) have been bred in captivity since 1991 following their listing as an endangered subspecies in 1977. For 25 years, breeding of this captive population has been managed to avoid inbreeding us . . .

Wetland ecosystems are among the most biologically productive ecosystems on Earth, yet they are being lost and degraded at an alarming rate. A growing trend to offset this loss is to construct artificial wetlands to replace the destroyed natural wetla . . .

DNA storage in the nuclei of cells is important for both compaction and the regulation of gene expression. DNA packaging is altered by chemical modifications to the tails of the histone octamer around which the DNA is wrapped, specifically histones H3 . . .

The ability to understand the neurophysiological mechanisms that influence any behavior to occur in an organism is the ultimate goal of neurobiology. Neuroscience researchers want to create a neuronal model of the human brain to know how we can produc . . .

Paralemanea is a freshwater red alga genus in the family Lemaneaceae, of which Paralemanea catenata is a member. The cues by which it regulates its triphasic sexual life history are not well known, either in terms of environmental stimuli or mechanism . . .

In 2011 Mars et. al. proposed a novel approach to identifying three different subspecies within European waters of Ulva flexuosa, (subsp. pilifera, paradoxa, and flexuosa). Their use of morphological and molecular techniques to separate each subspecie . . .

Often the first step in petitioning for a species to be listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), or for evaluating management alternatives, is to conduct a population viability analysis (PVA). A PVA is a case-by-case risk analysis used to assess . . .

A large portion of nitrogen deposition on southern California’s chaparral and coastal sage scrub (CSS) is due to anthropogenic sources. The implications of increasing soil nitrogen, and the relationship between soil nitrogen and carbon on soil microor . . .

The Brazilian savanna, locally known as the Cerrado, is a major ecosystem that covers a vast majority of central Brazil. Little is known about how woody growth within the Cerrado is affected by soil physical and chemical properties. In this study, the . . .

Most extant bear species are threatened or endangered. One of the species not endangered, the American black bear (Ursus americanus), provides a practical reproductive model that can be applied to the conservation of other ursid species, due to their . . .

Literature focusing on the reproductive mechanisms in bears is often limited and only has a narrow scope. However, with six out of eight bear species being considered threatened or endangered, it seems critical that more information about reproduction . . .

The mitochondrial electron transport chain (mETC) plays a central role in the bioenergetics of all eukaryotic cells. However, the structure of the mETC varies somewhat between plants and higher animals. Plants have a more branched mETC, providing alte . . .

Although the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is well studied for its role in postharvest browning of commercial crops, its specific physiological function in plants is poorly understood. Previous research on the physiological role of PPO in walnut (Ju . . .

In the push to determine a means to decrease the rate of biological aging in humans, conclusions about over-the-counter use of some anti-aging drugs may be premature. Rapamycin is one drug that, while currently prescribed as an immunosuppressant for v . . .

Roads are recognized as a source of increased mortality and restricted movement among populations, and are expected to impact population connectivity. However, roads that are permeable barriers would still allow some degree of gene flow, and reduced a . . .

The tropical savanna of Brazil (cerrado) is extremely species diverse and it encompasses many different physiological features. These physiological differences are influenced by rainfall and nutrient availability in the soil. Plant litter decompositio . . .

The major objective of immunosuppressive therapy is to mitigate graft rejection while retaining the ability of the immune system to fight pathogens and repair tissue. Immunosuppressant drugs that inhibit mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling . . .

This study focused on the in situ leaf decomposition of Artemisia californica Less. using the litterbag method. Litterbags (10 x 10 cm) were constructed using 2 mm mesh screening material for the top cover to allow microarthropods to pass freely and a . . .

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition represents a significant input of N into coastal sage scrub (CSS) and chaparral ecosystems of Southern California. Increased N deposition has the potential to alter the decomposition rate of soil organic matter (S . . .

Hookworm infection in humans causes substantial morbidity; however, the relationship between infection and host exercise has not been quantified experimentally for these types of parasites. Human immune response to hookworms is often modeled using lab . . .

Endangered species propagation is an important component of wildlife conservation. Perivitelline membrane (PVM)-bound sperm detection has recently been incorporated into avian breeding programs to assess egg fertility, verify breeding or artificial in . . .

According to sex allocation theory and evolutionarily stable strategy models, several characteristics, including a greater than twofold increase in male fitness, are required for functional androdioecy. Lloydia serotina (Liliaceae ), a morphologically . . .

This research investigates the reproductive biology of the California state threatened plant, Hazardia orcuttii (Asteraceae). The only documented U.S. location of this perennial shrub. is in Encinitas, San Diego County, California. Very little ecologi . . .

Many biologists use passive-infrared motion detectors (PIDs) to monitor the motion or presence of warm-blooded animals in their research. This study determined some of the capabilities of a commercially available PID. Three small-mammal proxies (4.45 . . .

The importance of perennial access to water for invasive plants in arid environments was examined at eighteen sites containing Eucalyptus groves in proximity to a water source within San Diego County between June I stand September 30111, 2009. Diamete . . .

Cortaderia selloana, or pampas grass, is a serious invader of disturbed, coastal and riparian ecosystems in Southern California. The purpose of this study was to determine how the growth and physiology of C. selloana respond to various combinations of . . .

Southern California's geography and expanding population have caused an increasing amount of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition into semi-arid shrubland ecosystems. However, the effects of N deposition on semi-arid shrublands of Southern California a . . .

Human induced fragmentation of habitat through urbanization and road construction blocks routes of immigration and emigration for wildlife and can interrupt metapopulation dynamics, leading to localized extinction events. To determine the effect of th . . .

While performing, racehorses use the transverse gallop gait. When a racehorse begins to gallop, it must use either the right lead stride pattern (RLSP) or the left lead stride pattern (LLSP). When racehorses make a trot-to-gallop transition, 91% start . . .

The ubiquitous coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (E. huxley1) plays a significant role in global short-and long tenn oceanic carbon flux, warranting the recent sequencing of this organism by the United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institut . . .

White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), a dsDNA virus, is the most important viral pathogen in cultured penaeid shrimp worldwide. In cultured shrimp, WSSV infection can reach a cumulative mortality of up to 100% within 3-10 days upon infection. Intensive sh . . .

In aquaculture facilities worldwide, T enacibaculum maritimum is a common marine pathogen that infects important marine fish species causing flexibacteriosis. Monitoring T. maritimum levels is important for effective treatment to mediate possible outb . . .

Retrotransposons encompass a specific class of mobile genetic elements that are widespread across eukaryotic genomes, the impact of which are just beginning to be deciphered. In a step towards understanding their role in litopenaied shrimp, we have he . . .

Biotelemetry studies assume that vital biological processes are unaffected by the attachment method and presence of the transmitter. I examined the effects surgically implanted transmitters (representing 0.2-0.9 % of body weight) had on feeding activi . . .

Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) was used to examine gene expression profiles of healthy (pathogen-free) Litopenaeus stylirostris. Of the one thousand eight hundred forty-two SAGE clones sequenced, we found seven thousand six hundred and sixt . . .

Of the two rhesus macaque subspecies used for AIDS studies, the Simian immunodeficiency virus-infected Indian rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) is the most established model of HIV infection, providing both insight into pathogenesis and a system for tes . . .

Measurements of the leaf photosynthetic light response, water potential, and specific leaf area of two tropical transitional forest tree species, Tovomita schomburgkii and Brosimum lactescens, were quantified to establish how these properties are affe . . .

The annealing algorithm in MARXAN was used to build possible marine reserves by selecting the best of 26 heterogeneous rocky intertidal sites using various modeling parameters. Because comprehensive data on biological diversity is impractical to gathe . . .

Taura syndrome disease, caused by Taura syndrome virus (TSV), is one of the most important viral diseases of penaeid shrimp in the Western Hemisphere. A 3278 bp eDNA representing the 3' end of the TSV genome was cloned and sequenced. Sequence analyses . . .

The overall objective of this research was to identify and characterize the myostatin or myostatin-like gene sequence in the commercially important aquaculture species Litopenaeus stylirostris. Myostatin is a negative regulator of muscle growth and wh . . .

Coastal sage scrub and chaparral vegetation of Southern California have become fragmented due to a loss of habitat over the past several decades, which has been caused by several contributing factors such as agriculture, urbanization, increased fire f . . .

Next generation sequencing (NGS) technology has revolutionized the ability to identify important gene sets, including Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) alleles, the most polymorphic set of genes in the human and non-human primate genomes. The cha . . .

Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is a member of the oxytocin/vasopressin family, which are structurally related nonapeptides. A VP-immunoreactivity (A VPD was localized to a set of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) of the medicinal leech using hnr . . .

Southern California native plant communities, such as coastal sage scrub (CSS) and chaparral, are subject to a wide range of atmospheric nitrogen deposition produced from anthropogenic sources. The effect ofN deposition on the soils of two such plant . . .

To understand the complex network of the biological processes of an organism, transcription factors (TFs) and their direct target genes must be identified. In Arabidopsis, the TF GLABRA3 (GL3) is involved in trichome initiation and development. To ide . . .

The global aim ofthis research is to elucidate the role of retrotransposons in stress and immune response. As cloning and sequencing of genes has become commonplace, researchers are finding that the insertion and activity of transposable elements incl . . .

Quinones are a class of molecules whose effect on cell growth and apoptosis pathways are poorly understood, yet several quinones are widely used as food preservatives and in cosmetics. This study takes advantage of protein microarray technology to ide . . .

Anoxygenic phototrophic purple sulfur bacteria belonging to the Ectothiorhodospiraceae inhabit alkaline saline to hypersaline eniviromnents, such as soda lakes. Mono Lake, located in California s Eastern Sierras (63 83 feet above sea level), is a sali . . .

The coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi is a marine single-celled algae distinguished by its calcium carbonate scales known as coccoliths. It has evoked wide research interest because of its role in global carbon cycling, climate change, and biomineral . . .

The domestic ferret (Mustela putorious furo) is a common animal model for multiple pathologies such as lung cancer and influenza. The shared susceptibility to human influenza strains, similarities in airway physiology to humans and low housing cost ma . . .

Habitat loss is thought to be the biggest factor contributing to the decline of shorebirds worldwide. The California coast provides many of the water rich stopovers, wintering and breeding sites that North American shorebird populations depend on duri . . .

The primary goal of my thesis project is to classify and characterize mechanisms of neuromodulation in the central nervous system of the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinafis. In the first set of experiments, N-cells were tested for the presence of auto . . .

Marine coccolithophorid algae are thought to play a significant role in carbon cycling due to their ability to incorporate dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) into both calcite and photosynthetic products. Among coccolithophorids, Emiliania huxleyi is th . . .

The marine phytoplankton, E. huxleyi, synthesizes calcite disks in an intracellular golgi-derived complex known as the coccolith vesicle. Synthesis is thought to involve the coordinated activity of a polysaccharide-protein polymer complex that acts bo . . .

Research has demonstrated many benefits of calorie restriction (CR) across many species. Such benefits include increased median and maximal lifespans, delayed onset of cancer and kidney disease, and enhanced immune functions. However, previous researc . . .

Indole -3-acetic acid (IAA) belongs to a family of plant hormones known as auxins, which are involved in many aspects of plant growth and development. The model plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens is known for its ability to induce the overproduc . . .

RAPD fingerprints of two shrimp populations (Penaeus stylirostris) were compared to find genetic marker(s) that may be associated with Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (lHHNV) resistance or susceptibility. Of the one hundred 10-m . . .

Organisms from each of the three domains of life, including the cosmopolitan unicellular marine alga Emiliania huxleyi, require the trace element selenium for growth:~ Selenium is incorporated into the active site of select proteins, known as selenopr . . .

CD4+ T -cell activity, including major histocompatibility class II (MHC II) responses, is vital for proper immune system function including CDS+ T -cell and B cell activation. The identification of antigen specific responses are understudied during ch . . .

Anthropogenic input may double atmospheric carbon dioxide (C02) by the year 2100. Elevating the carbon dioxide concentration in ocean surface waters alters the carbonate system, lowers the carbonate ion (C03-2) concentration and consequently the satur . . .

The semi-arid shrublands of Southern California are subject to some of the highest rates of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in North America. Little is known about the effects of nitrogen (N) pollution on drought-deciduous coastal sage scrub species ( . . .

Demographic information was collected from the only known, naturally-occurring population of Hazardia orcuttii in the United States located at the Manchester Conservation Area at Lux Canyon, Encinitas, California. Six surveys were performed between Ja . . .

The marine alga, Emiliania huxleyi has ability to synthesize unique sculptured calcium carbonate structures, called coccoliths, and has attracted the attention of scientists interested in topics ranging from marine ecology to biomedical materials scie . . .

One of the major tasks of modem neurobiology is explaining at the neuron level how specific behaviors are produced. Recent work in our laboratory has identified a putative peptidergic neuron in the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, which we believe . . .

Coastal Southern California is a unique habitat influenced by its proximity to the ocean, annual dry season, periods of drought, and dense human development. This study examined how water availability affects the distribution of mule deer 1 ( Odocoile . . .

Innate immunity in marine organisms is highly advanced and their only form of immunity. There are few techniques that have the ability to show global gene expression of genes involved in immunity without prior knowledge of the organism. The percentage . . .

Mediterranean-type ecosystems of southern California are exposed to atmospheric nitrogen deposition with some areas receiving 20-45 kg N ha-1 annually. Although nitrogen is a limiting nutrient to plant growth, most nitrogen deposition in southern Cali . . .

The aim of this study is to identify genes involved in calcification and coccolith production in Emiliania huxleyi using Suppressive Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) and microarray analysis techniques. Suppressive subtractive hybridization detected 168 . . .

The Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta) is a non-native plant species which commonly grows in riparian communities throughout Southern California, but there is no documentation of the extent of its range or quantification of its specific impacts o . . .

The Common Raven (Corvus corax) and the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhnchos) are both subsidized by anthropogenic resources. Two patterns of subsidized predation have been identified, spillover predation and hyperpredation, and spillover predation is . . .

Two serial analyses of gene expression (SAGE) libraries of healthy and infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) infected shrimp species, Litopenaeus stylirostris, were constructed to identify genes associated with immune response . . .

Little is known about the ways in which elephants solve novel foraging problems or how conspecifics may influence problem solving. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that social learning may play an important role in elephant behavioral ecology. In . . .

The main objective of this project was to develop a technique that can be used in field studies to increase the probability of locating dholes ( Cuon alpinus) in the wild. The dhole is an endangered canid, occupying a wide variety of habitats in south . . .

Advances in molecular biology using different types of cells, vectors, and novel methods of DNA delivery, are paving the way for the development of reproducible bioprocesses that yield large amounts of recombinant proteins. A new mammalian cell expres . . .

The Pacific Pond Turtle (PPT), Actinemys (Clemmys) marmorata, is a small, highly aquatic turtle whose populations along its entire distribution range are in decline. As most of the published papers focus on the populations in the central and northern . . .

The major goal of this study was to identify genes involved in the calcification and coccolithogenesis in the marine alga, Emiliania huxleyi using microarray analysis. Previous Suppressive Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) identified 168 differentially . . .

Exotic plant invasion is a major environmental and ecological concern and is a particular issue for wetland ecosystems. I present statistical models that predict the locations of three exotic invasive plants (Arundo donax, Eucalyptus species (Eucalypt . . .

Improving our understanding of the reproductive physiology of bears is critical for effective conservation and management of both captive and wild bears. Increasing our knowledge of bear reproductive physiology is of ever increasing importance due to . . .

The polyphenol oxidase enzyme (PPO) is almost ubiquitous in Kingdom Plantae. PPO catalyzes the oxidation of phenolic compounds to quinones, which polymerize to form brown-colored phytomelanins. Although the physiological function of PPO in plants is u . . .

Parasitic gastrointestinal nematodes cause long-term infections in people and these types of infections can be modeled using laboratory mice (Mus musculus). A benefit oflong-term calorie restriction (CR) of mice is enhanced immune responses that shoul . . .

Emiliania huxleyi, a unicellular marine alga, is notably recognized for its ability to form calcium carbonate structures known as coccoliths via a process referred to as coccolithogenesis. While E. huxleyi is a model organism among the coccolithophori . . .

T helper cells play an important role in establishing a proper immune response to infection. CD4+ T cells have been shown to be required for the maintenance of CD8+ T cells memory after viral infection. To understand the mechanisms and the roles that . . .

The cosmopolitan coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi is a widely studied micro alga due to its many significant roles in the marine environment, especially the product of its calcium carbonate shell. E. huxleyi creates the shell found on its cell surfac . . .

The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) is a successful invasive species found throughout the world. It is commonly associated with urban areas and invades habitats that have favorable conditions, such as adequate moisture levels. Urban areas in the xe . . .

Native populations of Great Egret (Adrea alba), Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), and the Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) were studied in 2007 at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. This facility is used extensively by native birds inc . . .

The Mediterranean climate in southern California results in the existence of temporary streams which present challenges to fresh-water algae since they must persist through long, dry summers to regrow once water returns. This study focused on a green- . . .

Direct calorie restriction (CR) or CR mimetics can potentially become therapies for many autoimmune and degenerative diseases, and studies are currently underway to test the use of CR by people. However, relatively little is known about the relationsh . . .

Selenium (Se) is a trace element that is used to synthesize selenocysteine (Sec), the 21st amino acid. Upon translation, the incorporated Sec into the protein confers stronger nucleophilic properties, making specific selenoproteins ideal oxidoreductas . . .

The predicament in the field of structural proteonomics is expression of functional protein in vitro in a soluble form. In the past, fusions to chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, green fluorescent protein, ~-galactosidase, or maltose binding protein h . . .

Due to current shortages of available donor tissues and organs, researchers have turned to human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) as a potential resource for cell replacement therapy. hPSCs offer many advantages including their inherent ability to self- . . .

The domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is the most commonly used animal model for human influenza disease pathogenesis and vaccine development in humans. Influenza research is ongoing due to the threat of potential epidemics and pandemics emergin . . .

Urbanization is one of the most common forms of disturbance in southern California, and the corresponding increase in impervious surface cover is thought to contribute significant amounts of anthropogenic water to surrounding natural areas. In this st . . .

Captive breeding programs and wildlife managers are challenged with maintaining bear populations, including the six (of eight) species that are endangered or threatened. Therefore, the need for complete and thorough information on bear mating behavior . . .

Indian Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) have long dominated HIV/AIDs infection research as a non-human primate animal model of human disease. Due to a 1978 ban on the export of primates from India they have become increasingly harder to obtain and the . . .

Emiliania huxleyi and Isochrysis galbana are two of the three living Isochrysidales. E. huxleyi produces distinguishing shells of calcium carbonate called coccoliths through the process of biomineralization, while I. galbana does not. The study of the . . .

For many species, males and females have different rates of survival. This holds true for adult females of the nematode Heligmosomoides bakeri that live longer than adult males in their mouse host, possibly due to a greater protection against host ass . . .

Upwelling events along the California coast expose invertebrates to low dissolved oxygen simultaneously with high pCO2 levels that are progressively increasing as a result of rising atmospheric CO2. These multiple stressors could potentially impact th . . .