Browsing Department of Biology Graduate Theses by Title
Now showing items 61-80 of 341
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Characterization of the fhod-2 gene in Caenorhabditis elegans
(2011-06-20)Formins are a family of proteins responsible for a vast array of cellular functions such as cell shape, adhesion, cytokinesis and morphogenesis. Formin regulation of actin is a highly regulated process and is conserved ... -
Characterization of the locust retinoid X receptors
(2007-12-20)The retinoid X receptor (RXR) participates in a multitude of nuclear receptor signaling pathways and is induced by its highly sought-after cognate ligand, 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA). In flies and moths, molting is ... -
Characterization of the Potential Use of Salix Nigra and Populus Balsamifera for the Phytoremediation of 1,4-Dioxane
(2015-01-26)Phytoremediation is a viable technology that provides a cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing alternative to traditional remediation technologies. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Salix ... -
Characterizing Population Genetic Structure and Inferring the Influence of Landscape Features on Gene Flow in a Temperate Snake Species
(2012-10-30)Patterns of genetic diversity in natural systems are influenced by landscape heterogeneity over spatial and temporal scales. Certain natural or anthropogenic landscape features may facilitate or impede organism dispersal ... -
Characterizing the leaf size / number trade-off at different scales
(2009-10-29)A novel interpretation of leaf mass variation in plants has been recently proposed based on its relationship with variation in leafing intensity – number of leaves produced per unit remaining above-ground dry mass. It is ... -
Chemical and biological recovery of Killarney Park, Ontario Lakes (1972-2005) from historical acidification
(2007-10-01)Forty-five lakes in Killarney Provincial Park and the surrounding area in south-central Ontario, Canada, were sampled for crustacean zooplankton and water chemistry in the summer of 2005. For each of the lakes, we had ... -
Cladoceran Responses to Environmental Change in High Elevation Andean Lakes
Andean lakes are hotspots of biodiversity and serve as critical freshwater resources for millions of people. However, little information is available regarding their ecological responses to anthropogenic climate change, ... -
Climate and environmental change inferred from diatom communities in Lake Challa (Kenya-Tanzania)
(2007-08-09)Lake Challa is a 5 km2, 97m deep freshwater crater lake located at 880m elevation on the southeast slope of Mount Kilimanjaro (Kenya-Tanzania). Information gained from a preliminary limnological survey of Lake Challa, ... -
Climate change and water availability over the last two millennia in Little Raleigh Lake, northwestern Ontario.
(2011-08-10)The Winnipeg River Drainage Basin (WRDB), located in the boreal forest region of Canada, is a pivotal region of focus for the assessment of water availability to determine susceptibility to drought in the past. To date, ... -
Co-immunoprecipitation analysis of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase interactome of developing castor oil seeds
(2008-01-09)Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) followed by proteomic analysis was employed to examine the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) interactome of developing castor oil seed (COS) endosperm. Earlier studies suggested that ... -
Cold Acclimation of Chill Coma Mechanisms in the Locust CNS
Temperature has profound effects on the neural function and behaviour of insects. When exposed to low temperature, migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria) enter chill coma (neuromuscular paralysis) and can resume normal ... -
A comparative paleolimnological assessment of the influences of early Arctic population groups on freshwater ecosystems from southern Baffin Island, Nunavut
(2011-10-04)Recent paleolimnological research in the eastern Canadian high Arctic on the ecological impact of the Thule c.1000-1500 AD has documented the influence of prehistoric anthropogenic activities. Six lake and pond sites ... -
Comparative toxicity and bioavailability of heavy fuel oils to fish using different exposure scenarios
(2011-07-25)Heavy fuel oils (HFO) are produced from the refining of crude oils, and have high specific gravities and high viscosities. In recent years, spills of HFO have increased in the environment, and are of great concern because ... -
A Comparison of the Ability of Two Lines of Hybrid Poplars (DN34 and NM1) to Phytovolatilize 1,4-Dioxane in Laboratory and Field Settings
(2014-04-29)Phytoremediation technologies offer an economical and practical alternative to traditional remediation technologies. This study attempted to quantify and compare the ability of DN34 and NM1 varieties of hybrid poplars to ... -
Contact zone dynamics and the evolution of reproductive isolation in a North American treefrog, the spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
(2013-03-04)Despite over seven decades of speciation research and 25 years of phylogeographic studies, a comprehensive understanding of mechanisms that generate biological species remains elusive. In temperate zones, the pervasiveness ... -
Control of Cytochrome c Oxidase Biosynthesis in the Thermal Remodeling of White Muscle of Two Cyprinid Minnows
(2010-08-17)Many fish species respond to cold temperatures by inducing mitochondrial biogenesis, reflected in an increase in the activity of the mitochondrial enzyme cytochrome c oxidase (COX). COX is composed of 13 subunits, 3 encoded ... -
Controls on Seasonal Nitrogen Cycling in Canadian Low Arctic Tundra Ecosystems
(2009-09-27)Soil nitrogen availability to plants is a fundamental control on the structure and functioning of arctic tundra ecosystems. Despite recent evidence that biogeochemical and microbial dynamics during the non-growing season ... -
Coping with Thermal Challenges: Reaction Norms of Life History Traits of a Burying Beetles with Biparental Care
To succeed and thrive in different environments, individuals can express plastic phenotypes, including life history traits, to ensure some level of fitness across conditions. As such, the plasticity of traits is central ... -
Correlates and temporal variation in call phenology of eastern Ontario frogs
(2012-11-14)Climate change has been predicted to have long-term consequences for North American ecosystems. Amphibians in particular are considered indicators of ecosystem health because of their sensitivity to environmental change – ... -
Crosstalk between the Thyroid Hormone and Androgen Axes Throughout the Lifecycle of Silurana Tropicalis
It is widely accepted that thyroid hormones (THs) influence gonadal development and functioning; however, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying TH-induced effects with regard to reproduction is limited. ...