Digital Commons Network^™

Wildar Northeast Florida, Kailan Sindelar

UNF Faculty Research and Scholarship

Learn about some of the unique aspects of life in the wetlands and rivers of Northeast Florida and how we study them. In this app players see the memories of a student at the University of North Florida play out in front of them in AR. This app was created with funding the Digital Humanities Institute at the University of North Florida and informed by subject matter experts at the university.

Pollinators Of Gonzaga University, Sophie O'Shei, Gary Chang

Biology Student Scholarship

This data is from a public science project conducted by Sophie O'Shei (Gonzaga '24) investigating pollinator diversity in and around Gonzaga's campus. Photos of plants and pollinators were submitted using iNaturalist, an online platform and app that allows users to upload photos of animals, plants, insects, etc. and identifies their species using AI. It also tracks where photos were taken. Users were then able to go through uploaded images and suggest what species they identify in the photo, which can confirm or correct the AI's identification.

The project started during Earth Week 2023, giving students, staff, and other members …

Wetland Walk Vr: Field Ecology In Northeast Florida, Kailan Sindelar

UNF Faculty Research and Scholarship

Join Field Ecologists of the University of North Florida as they begin to monitor the water in swamps and marshes. In this virtual reality experience you will walk through places that are normally too dangerous or harmful to visit, learning about life in these places, how we study it, and how you may connect to it.

Lead Toxicology: A Study At The Intersections Of Community Health, Genetics, Reproduction, And Behavior, Sosina Abuhay 23, Lingli Zou '22, Sarah John '24, Dylan Koproski '23

Student Scholarship

Prior literature has indicated that toxic metal exposure can alter the circadian clock rhythm and lead to biological and physiological dysfunction. The purpose of this research was to study the impact of chronic exposure to lead on the circadian rhythm patterns of Drosophila Melanogaster. Fly locomotive activity was used as a measure of strength of the circadian rhythm after exposure to lead. It was hypothesized that higher concentrations of lead would have a greater impact on the circadian locomotor activity patterns of exposed Drosophila, specifically on the transition periods between “Morning” and “Evening.” Young adult male flies(1-3 days post-eclosion) were …

Principles Of Biology I & Ii (Atlm), Candice Chatman, Alvin Harmon, Deon O'Bryant, Stephen Klusza

Biological Sciences Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for Principles of Biology I & II was created under a Round Twelve ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

Reading Guides For Openstax Concepts Of Biology, Kathryn Dye

Biological Sciences Ancillary Materials

This set of reading guides for OpenStax Concepts of Biology (https://openstax.org/details/books/concepts-biology) was created under a Round Thirteen Mini-Grant for Ancillary Materials Creation and Revision.

These activity-focused guides cover the following chapters of the text:

• Chapter 1 - Introduction to Biology;
• Chapter 2 - Chemistry of Life;
• Chapter 4 - How Cells Obtain Energy;
• Chapter 5 - Photosynthesis

Consistency Is Futile!: Selecting Phycoremediators For Consortia, Tori Spencer

BIO 410 Spring 2019 Research Papers

Bioremediation is the process by which organisms remove and transform toxic compounds in a contaminated source. This is a waste management technique currently used to clean up man-made contamination. Many organisms act as natural remediators; in the case of algae, they are called phycoremediators who perform phycoremediaton. The term algae encompasses a variety of taxonomic groups and their diversity is still being realized; there are over 44,000 named species of the 72,000 species that we have identified. Some estimates calculate that there are over 200,000 diatom species alone. This diversity continues to be difficult to organize, which is problematic for …

Study Guides And Videos For Openstax Biology, Chapters 5-7 (Egsc), Martiana Sega, David Chevalier

Biological Sciences Ancillary Materials

This set of videos and study guides for OpenStax Biology was created under an ALG Mini-Grant for Ancillary Materials Creation and Revision. Two videos on energy coupling and osmosis are included, along with study guides for chapters 5-8:

• Plasma Membrane
• Metabolism
• Cellular Respiration

All files are included in one .zip folder.

Agrotechnology Of Melon Cultivation On Weak And Moderately Saline Soils, M Bektursunova,

Central Asian Problems of Modern Science and Education

In that article, weak and medium in having too much soil and in those agrotexnology of about melon and advices were given about planting melon.

Reconciling Evolution In A Biology And Theology Classroom, Jamie Jensen

ScholarsArchive Data

Data collected from Biology and Theology classes before and after a reconciliation lesson.

Ap1 Balance Between Concentration And Charge Is A Donnan Equilibrium, Paul D. Heideman

Paul Heideman

No abstract provided.

Ap2- Resting Potential Of A Typical Cell, Paul D. Heideman

Paul Heideman

No abstract provided.

Ap3 Voltage Gated Sodium Channels First Half Of An Action Potential, Paul D. Heideman

Paul Heideman

No abstract provided.

Contemporary Morphological Evolution In A Lacustrine Population Of Threespine Stickleback, Rose Watts

Biology

In the face of rapidly changing environments, some populations go through contemporary evolution in response to altered selective pressures. In this situation, changes in morphology and behavior can be observed to monitor phenotypic transitions. In adaptive radiations such as the threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, species complex, both re-expression of ancestral phenotypes and the expression of novel phenotypes have been detected. I monitored a population of threespine stickleback in Lynne Lake, Alaska, which is undergoing rapid environmental changes due in part to an increase in primary productivity in the lake. Changes have been documented in the body size and foraging behavior …

Quantification Of Phenotypic Variation In Populations Of Newfoundland Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus Aculeatus), Nathan R. Biedak

Biology

Phenotypic variation in morphology driven by ecological factors has been well characterized in Alaskan and British Columbian populations of threespine stickleback, with studies demonstrating that the variation is extensive in a wide variety of anti-predator traits and body shape. In contrast, the limited published studies of stickleback in eastern North America suggest that there is relatively little among-population phenotypic variation in anti-predatory armor and body shape. Recent samples obtained from 30 populations of stickleback in Newfoundland, from a wide array of habitats, indicate that the earlier suggestion of relatively limited phenotypic diversity may need to be reevaluated. Using geomorphic morphometrics …

A Functional Analysis Of Drosophila Plcgamma And The Screening For A Novel Inhibitor, Michelle K. Latino

Biology

The epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR, pathway is a highly conserved and complicated pathway required for cell growth, proliferation, migration, and proper regulation of the pathway is required for normal development (reviewed by Fischer et al., 2003). Due to the pathways role in development, the EGFR pathway is often implicated with various diseases including cancer. The EGFR pathway is regulated by various proteins including by PLCgamma which works to regulate the pathway by promoting motility, adhesion, and differentiation (Murillo-Maldonado et al., 2011; Butchar et al., 2012; Shepard et al., 2006). Because of the role PLCgamma plays in cell proliferation, it …

Evolution Of Nervous System Centralization: Role Of Bmp Signaling In Neural Fate And Dorsal-Ventral Axis Specification In Capitella Teleta, Christie Joyce

Biology

Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling plays an important role in establishing the dorsal-ventral (D-V) axis across Bilateria. BMP signaling has also been implicated in neural fate specification in several bilaterians that possess centralized nervous systems. The classic examples are found in vertebrates and Drosophila melanogaster, where opposing gradients of BMP2/4/Dpp and Chordin/Sog specify the D-V axis and the nervous system arises on the Chordin/Sog side of the early embryo due to the anti-neural role of BMPs. These similarities have been used as support for the hypothesis that the bilaterian ancestor possessed a centralized nervous system and that BMP signaling delimited …

The Effect Of Substrate Unevenness And Irregularity On Locomotor Performance And Kinematics Of Curly-Tailed Lizards, Marian E. Crockett

Biology

Uneven surfaces are ubiquitous in nature and animals must frequently move across them, yet their effects on locomotion are not well understood. I studied how surface unevenness and irregularity of substrates made of large particles affect the locomotor performance and kinematics of the terrestrial generalist sprinter, the Northern Curly-Tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus carinatus). I compared a flat surface (even), three sizes of spheres (regular but uneven surfaces), and three sizes of natural rocks (irregular and uneven surfaces). As the size of the particles increased, the unevenness of the surface increased. The lizards ran at similar speeds on all substrates, but compensated …

Workbooks For Instruction In Diagram Comprehension: High School Biology Part I, Jennifer G. Cromley, Tony Perez, Bradley W. Bergey

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Four methods were developed for teaching high school students how to better understand the diagrams in their biology textbooks. The 4 workbooks instantiate these methods: Conventions of Diagrams, Self-Explanation in Diagrams, Student-Completed Diagrams-Visual, and Student-Completed Diagrams-Verbal.

2016-01-A3dsrinp-Csc-Sta-Cmb-522-Bps-542, Raymond Pulver, Neal Buxton, Xiaodong Wang, John Lucci, Jean Yves Hervé, Lenore Martin

Bioinformatics Software Design Projects

Cholesterol is carried and transported through bloodstream by lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins: low density lipoprotein, or LDL, and high density lipoprotein, or HDL. LDL cholesterol is considered “bad” cholesterol because it can form plaque and hard deposit leading to arteries clog and make them less flexible. Heart attack or stroke will happen if the hard deposit blocks a narrowed artery. HDL cholesterol helps to remove LDL from the artery back to the liver.

Traditionally, particle counts of LDL and HDL plays an important role to understanding and prediction of heart disease risk. But recently research suggested that …

Extreme Drought In Grassland Ecosystems (Edge) Seasonal Biomass And Seasonal And Annual Npp Data At The Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico (2013- Present), Scott Collins

Sevilleta LTER Program Data

Net primary production is a fundamental ecological variable that quantifies rates of carbon consumption and fixation. Estimates of NPP are important in understanding energy flow at a community level as well as spatial and temporal responses to a range of ecological processes. While measures of both below- and above-ground biomass are important in estimating total NPP, this study focuses on above-ground net primary production (ANPP). Above-ground net primary production is the change in plant biomass, including loss to death and decomposition, over a given period of time. Volumetric measurements are made using vegetation data from permanent plots collected in SEV297, …

Ecosystem-Scale Rainfall Manipulation In A Piñon-Juniper Forest At The Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico: Meteorological Data (2006-2013), William Pockman, Nathan Mcdowell

Sevilleta LTER Program Data

Climate models predict that water limited regions around the world will become drier and warmer in the near future, including southwestern North America. We developed a large-scale experimental system that allows testing of the ecosystem impacts of precipitation changes. Four treatments were applied to 1600 m2 plots (40 m × 40 m), each with three replicates in a piñon pine (Pinus edulis) and juniper (Juniper monosperma) ecosystem. These species have extensive root systems, requiring large-scale manipulation to effectively alter soil water availability. Treatments consisted of: 1) irrigation plots that receive supplemental water additions, 2) drought plots that receive 55% of …

Texas Salamanders, U.S. Department Of The Interior

KIP Articles

No abstract provided.

Ecosystem-Scale Rainfall Manipulation In A Piñon-Juniper Forest At The Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico: Volumetric Water Content (Vwc) At 5 Cm Depth Data (2006- ), William Pockman, Nathan Mcdowell

Sevilleta LTER Program Data

Climate models predict that water limited regions around the world will become drier and warmer in the near future, including southwestern North America. We developed a large-scale experimental system that allows testing of the ecosystem impacts of precipitation changes. Four treatments were applied to 1600 m2 plots (40 m × 40 m), each with three replicates in a piñon pine (Pinus edulis) and juniper (Juniper monosperma) ecosystem. These species have extensive root systems, requiring large-scale manipulation to effectively alter soil water availability. Treatments consisted of: 1) irrigation plots that receive supplemental water additions, 2) drought plots that receive 55% of …

East-West C3-C4 Grassland Biomass Fertilizer Plots In A Chihuahuan Desert Grassland At The Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico (1989-1992), James Gosz

Sevilleta LTER Program Data

This dataset contains weights of vegetation biomass collected in fertilizer plots from 1989 through 1992. The data were originally collected to analyze the effects of fertilization on vegetation productivity on the Sevilleta NWR.

Pinon-Juniper Dendrometer, Height, And Crown Area Measurements At Cerro Montosa, Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico (2006-2009), Esteban Muldavin

Sevilleta LTER Program Data

Allometry is a standard method of determining biomass and Net Primary Production of many trees. One of the standard variables used in such allometric regressions is bole diameter. On straight trunk trees measurements at breast height (DBH) taken using a DBH tape is adequate for quantifying changes in diameter over time. However, in scrub forests such as the Pinon Juniper PJ woodlands, common on the Sevilleta, both the pinon and particularly the junipers are relatively short and multi-trunked so that measurements must be taken near the ground and the consistency between measurements often lead to erroneous growth analysis. To reduce …

Ground Arthropod Community Survey In Grassland, Shrubland, And Woodland At The Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico (1992-2004), David Lightfoot

Sevilleta LTER Program Data

This data set contains records for the numbers of selected groups of ground-dwelling arthropod species and individuals collected from pitfall traps at 4 sites on the Sevilleta NWR, including creotostebush shrubland, both black and blue grama grasslands, and a pinyon/juniper woodland. Data collections begin in May of 1989, and are represented by subsequent sample collections every 2 months. One site (Goat Draw/Cerro Montosa) was discontinued in 2001, and a new site (Blue Grama) was initiated . Only three sites, creosotebush, black grama, and blue grama were continued between 2001-2004.

Ocotillo Plant Demography Study At The Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, 2003, Joanna Redfern, William Pockman, Tim Lowrey

Sevilleta LTER Program Data

In order to better understand the life history of Ocotillo, a re-sampling of Ocotillo plants originally marked and studied in 1991 was done in the southeast corner of the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. All plants measured in 1991 were re-censused and re-tagged with new numbers. Measurements of plant height and branch number were repeated along with measurements pertaining to overall plant size.

Effect Of Long-Term Nitrogen Fertilization On Mycorrhizal Fungi Associated With A Dominant Grass In A Chihuahuan Desert Grassland At The Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico (2005), Andrea Porras-Alfaro, Robert Sinsabaugh, Don Natvig

Sevilleta LTER Program Data

We studied the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in a semiarid grassland and the effect of long-term nitrogen (N) fertilization on this fungal community. Root samples of Bouteloua gracilis were collected at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (New Mexico, USA) from control and N-amended plots that have been fertilized since 1995. Small subunit rDNA was amplified using AMF specific primers NS31 and AM1. The diversity of AMF was low in comparison with other ecosystems, only seven operational taxonomic units (OTU) were found in B. gracilis and all belong to the genus Glomus. The dominant OTU was closely related to …

Psd-Project Sequence Database, Matthew Kayala, Akhila Kambhampati, Stephanie Forschner, Bethany D. Jenkins

Bioinformatics Software Design Projects

1. Introduction

The sequencing of nucleic acids and the subsequent analysis of their encoded the genes and proteins has revolutionized biological sciences and allowed for the determination of evolutionary origins and biochemical potential of organisms. While the technology to determine molecular sequence data has become extremely powerful in terms of both automation and thoughput, sequence analysis technology has lagged behind, unable to efficiently keep up with the vast amount of sequence data being generated both in individual labs and by researchers worldwide. The foundation of robust sequence analysis is dependent on the building and maintaining of project sequence databases (PSD) …