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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Statistical Issues In Proteomic Research, Jeffrey S. Morris Dec 2007

Statistical Issues In Proteomic Research, Jeffrey S. Morris

Jeffrey S. Morris

No abstract provided.


The Potential Role Of Probiotics In Reducing Poverty-Associated Infections In Developing Countries, Kingsley C. Anukam Oct 2007

The Potential Role Of Probiotics In Reducing Poverty-Associated Infections In Developing Countries, Kingsley C. Anukam

Kingsley C Anukam

Probiotics are defined by the Food and Agricultural Organization/ World Health Organization as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” [1]. The potential benefits of their use have not been adequately investigated, especially in the developing world. Japan introduced Yakult, a probiotic fermented food drink in 1935, and in the Northern hemisphere, research and use of probiotics has gained an unprecedented momentum in the last decade [2]. Use of probiotics is not uncommon in Europe [3], but in many developing countries use of probiotics in its present definition is a foreign concept. …


The Pattern Of Β-Catenin-Responsiveness Within The Mammary Gland Is Regulated By Progesterone Receptor, Minoti Hiremath, John Lydon, Pamela Cowin Oct 2007

The Pattern Of Β-Catenin-Responsiveness Within The Mammary Gland Is Regulated By Progesterone Receptor, Minoti Hiremath, John Lydon, Pamela Cowin

Minoti Hiremath

Experiments involving β-catenin loss- and gain-of-function in the mammary gland have decisively demonstrated the role of this protein in normal alveologenesis. However, the relationship between hormonal and β-catenin signaling has not been investigated. In this study, we demonstrate that activated β-catenin rescues alveologenesis in progesterone receptor (PR; Pgr)-null mice during pregnancy. Two distinct subsets of mammary cells respond to expression of ΔN89β-catenin. Cells at ductal tips are inherently β-catenin-responsive and form alveoli in the absence of PR. However, PR activity confers β-catenin responsiveness to progenitor cells along the lateral ductal borders in the virgin gland. Once activated …


Floral Biology Of Physaria Ludoviciana (Brassicaceae), A Plant Rare To The Midwest, Ann E. Claerbout, Janice M. Coons, Henry R. Owen, Kenneth R. Robertson Sep 2007

Floral Biology Of Physaria Ludoviciana (Brassicaceae), A Plant Rare To The Midwest, Ann E. Claerbout, Janice M. Coons, Henry R. Owen, Kenneth R. Robertson

Henry R. Owen

Physaria ludoviciana (Brassicaceae) is rare in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Environmental effects on floral development are unclear. Both self-compatibility and self-incompatibility occur within Physaria species. Objectives were to describe flowers, to determine how photoperiod affects flower development, and to predict whether flowers are self-compatible or self-incompatible. For photoperiods, greenhouse-grown plants were placed in either 16 or 8 hr photoperiods. Inflorescences and open flowers were counted weekly. For pollination, flowers were self-pollinated or cross-pollinated. Plants developed inflorescences after 20 and 28 d in long and short days, respectively. Inflorescences/plant increased for both photoperiods throughout the study. In short days, plants produced …


Francisella Philomiragia Subsp. Noatunensis Subsp. Nov., Isolated From Farmed Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua L.), Torstein Tengs Sep 2007

Francisella Philomiragia Subsp. Noatunensis Subsp. Nov., Isolated From Farmed Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua L.), Torstein Tengs

Dr. Torstein Tengs

Seven bacterial isolates from farmed Atlantic cod displaying chronic granulomatous disease were characterized by phenotypic and molecular taxonomic methods. The isolates were Gram-negative, facultatively intracellular, non-motile, strictly aerobic coccobacilli which produced H2S from cysteine-supplemented media and are therefore phenotypically consistent with members of the genus Francisella. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences and six partial housekeeping gene sequences (groEL, shdA, rpoB, rpoA, pgm and atpA) confirmed the organism as a member of the genus Francisella, with Francisella philomiragia as its closest relative (99.3% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, 92.2–99.0% housekeeping gene sequence similarity). Despite the close relationship with F. philomiragia, …


Barriers To Flow: The Effects Of Experimental Cage Structures On Water Velocities In High-Energy Subtidal And Intertidal Environments, Luke P. Miller, Brian Gaylord Jun 2007

Barriers To Flow: The Effects Of Experimental Cage Structures On Water Velocities In High-Energy Subtidal And Intertidal Environments, Luke P. Miller, Brian Gaylord

Luke P. Miller

For decades, marine ecologists have used cages as biological enclosure or exclosure devices to manipulate movement, growth, and survival of organisms. The ability to control the densities of focal organisms makes these structures a powerful tool. However, cages can often produce artifacts that influence the outcome of experiments. Although a subset of these artifacts have been examined previously, the effects of cages on water motion have not been adequately addressed from a quantitative standpoint, especially in high-flow environments. We targeted this data gap by explicitly measuring the fractional degree of velocity reduction inside a variety of experimental cage structures across …


Phenotypically Different Microalgal Morphospecies With Identical Ribosomal Rna: A Case Of Rapid Adaptive Evolution?, Torstein Tengs May 2007

Phenotypically Different Microalgal Morphospecies With Identical Ribosomal Rna: A Case Of Rapid Adaptive Evolution?, Torstein Tengs

Dr. Torstein Tengs

The agents driving the divergence and speciation of freeliving microbial populations are still largely unknown. We investigated the dinoflagellate morphospecies Scrippsiella hangoei and Peridinium aciculiferum, which abound in the Baltic Sea and in northern temperate lakes, respectively. Electron microscopy analyses showed significant interspecific differences in the external cellular morphology, but a similar plate pattern in the characteristic dinoflagellate armor. Experimentally, S. hangoei grew in a wide range of salinities (0–30), whereas P. aciculiferum only grew in low salinities (0–3). Despite these phenotypic differences and the habitat segregation, molecular analyses showed identical ribosomal DNA sequences (ITS1, ITS2, 5.8S, SSU, and partial …


Dislodged But Not Dead: Survivorship Of A High Intertidal Snail Following Wave Dislodgement, Luke P. Miller, Michael J. O'Donnell, Katharine J. Mach May 2007

Dislodged But Not Dead: Survivorship Of A High Intertidal Snail Following Wave Dislodgement, Luke P. Miller, Michael J. O'Donnell, Katharine J. Mach

Luke P. Miller

Waves breaking on rocky shorelines impart large forces on intertidal organisms, sometimes dislodging individuals. Dislodged individuals may be deposited in habitats that have a greater risk of predation or that prevent return to preferred regions on the shore. Thus, dislodgement is often assumed to be lethal. We experimentally dislodged Littorina keenae snails from high in the intertidal zone to test the likelihood of survival. Under a variety of wave conditions, we measured return rates to the high shore of 54–90%, so in this species, dislodgement is not equal to death. Snails showed a strong preference for returning to the approximate …


"Minimizing Injuries Resulting From Patient Handling In Nursing Home Staff" - A Hazard Control Plan, Vikas Singh Apr 2007

"Minimizing Injuries Resulting From Patient Handling In Nursing Home Staff" - A Hazard Control Plan, Vikas Singh

Vikas Singh

A concise hazard control plan for "Minimizing Injuries Resulting from Patient Handling In Nursing Home Staff".


Short Telomeres In Short-Lived Males: What Are The Molecular And Evolutionary Causes?, Stephanie Jemielity, Masayuki Kimura, Karen M. Parker, Joel D. Parker, Xiaojian Cao, Abraham Aviv, Laurent Keller Apr 2007

Short Telomeres In Short-Lived Males: What Are The Molecular And Evolutionary Causes?, Stephanie Jemielity, Masayuki Kimura, Karen M. Parker, Joel D. Parker, Xiaojian Cao, Abraham Aviv, Laurent Keller

Joel D Parker

Telomere length regulation is an important aspect of cell maintenance in eukaryotes, since shortened telomeres can lead to a number of defects, including impaired cell division. Although telomere length is correlated with lifespan in some bird species, its possible role in aging and lifespan determination is still poorly understood. Here we investigate telomere dynamics (changes in telomere length and attrition rate) and telomerase activity in the ant Lasius niger, a species in which different groups of individuals have evolved extraordinarily different lifespans. We found that somatic tissues of the short-lived males had dramatically shorter telomeres than those of the much …


The Distribution Of Apolipoprotein E In Mouse Olfactory Epithelium, Britto P. Nathan, Sreenivas Nannapaneni, Salina Gairhe, Ikemefuna Nwosu, Robert G. Struble Mar 2007

The Distribution Of Apolipoprotein E In Mouse Olfactory Epithelium, Britto P. Nathan, Sreenivas Nannapaneni, Salina Gairhe, Ikemefuna Nwosu, Robert G. Struble

Britto P. Nathan

Previous studies from our laboratory suggest that apolipoprotein (apoE), a lipid transporting protein, facilitates olfactory nerve regeneration. We have shown that apoE is enriched in the olfactory nerve and around the glomeruli of the olfactory bulb (OB). The studies reported herein were undertaken to identify possible sources of apoE in the olfactory epithelium (OE). Immunoblotting results revealed apoE expression in the OE of wild-type (WT) mice, but not in apoE deficient/knockout (KO) mice. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that the perikarya and processes of sustentacular (Sus) cells expressed apoE-like immunoreactivity. Minimal neuronal apoE immunostaining was seen, although apoE was observed in the …


Alaska At The Crossroads Of Migration: Space-Based Ornithology, Jill L. Deppe, K Wessels, J A. Smith Jan 2007

Alaska At The Crossroads Of Migration: Space-Based Ornithology, Jill L. Deppe, K Wessels, J A. Smith

Jill L Deppe

Understanding bird migration on a global scale is one of the most compelling and challenging problems of modern biology. Each year multitudes of migratory birds travel between breeding grounds in Alaska and wintering grounds in the Americas, Asia, and Australia. Here we present the conceptual framework for a spatially explicit, individual-based biophysical migration model driven by dynamic remote sensing observations of atmospheric and land surface conditions to simulate migration routes, timing, energy budgets, and probability of survival. Understanding temporal and spatial patterns of bird migration will provide insight into pressing conservation and human health issues related to this taxonomic group.


Review Of Breeding Field Crops, 5th Ed., Henry R. Owen Jan 2007

Review Of Breeding Field Crops, 5th Ed., Henry R. Owen

Henry R. Owen

No abstract provided.


Review Of Dictionary Of Plant Tissue Culture, Henry R. Owen Jan 2007

Review Of Dictionary Of Plant Tissue Culture, Henry R. Owen

Henry R. Owen

No abstract provided.


Feeding In Extreme Flows: Behavior Compensates For Mechanical Constraints In Barnacle Cirri, Luke P. Miller Jan 2007

Feeding In Extreme Flows: Behavior Compensates For Mechanical Constraints In Barnacle Cirri, Luke P. Miller

Luke P. Miller

Plastic morphological changes in response to environmental cues can allow organisms to adapt to their local environment. Barnacle feeding legs (cirri) exhibit substantial plasticity in size and shape along wave exposure gradients on rocky shores, but only up to a certain limit in maximum water velocities. Above the limit, the morphology of the cirri becomes invariant. Behavioral observations of barnacles feeding at a wave-exposed shore indicate that the fast response time for feeding motions allows barnacles to avoid potentially damaging flows associated with breaking waves, while still allowing feeding between wave impacts. The ability of barnacles to avoid individual waves …


Native And Exotic Plant Species Exhibit Similar Population Dynamics During Succession, Scott J. Meiners Jan 2007

Native And Exotic Plant Species Exhibit Similar Population Dynamics During Succession, Scott J. Meiners

Scott J. Meiners

A growing body of literature has led to the debate in invasion biology whether exotic species perform within communities differently than native taxa due to inherent advantages. To address this issue, the population dynamics of native and exotic plant species were assessed from a 48-year record of permanent plot data from the Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center (New Jersey, USA) to determine rate of increase, lag time, maximum frequency, and the year of peak frequency. Overall, native and exotic species exhibited very similar population dynamics. Rates of increase and length of lag times were similar between native and exotic taxa but …


Production Of Methanethiol And Volatile Sulfur Compounds By The Archaeon ‘‘Ferroplasma Acidarmanus’’, David J. Baumler, Kai F. Hung, Kwang Cheol Jeong, Charles W. Kaspar Jan 2007

Production Of Methanethiol And Volatile Sulfur Compounds By The Archaeon ‘‘Ferroplasma Acidarmanus’’, David J. Baumler, Kai F. Hung, Kwang Cheol Jeong, Charles W. Kaspar

Kai F. Hung

Acidophiles are typically isolated from sulfaterich ecological niches yet the role of sulfur metabolism in their growth and survival is poorly defined. Studies of heterotrophically grown ‘‘Ferroplasma acidarmanus’’ showed that its growth requires a minimum of 100 mM of a sulfate-containing salt. Headspace gas analyses by GC/ MS determined that the volatile sulfur compound emitted by active ‘‘F. acidarmanus’’ cultures is methanethiol. In ‘‘F. acidarmanus’’ cultures grown either heterotrophically or chemolithotrophically, methanethiol was produced constitutively. Radiotracer studies with 35S-labeled methionine, cysteine, and sulfate showed that all three were used in methanethiol production. Additionally, 3H-labeled methionine was incorporated into methanethiol and …


Over-Expression Of Udp-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase In Hybrid Poplar Affects Carbon Allocation, Heather D. Coleman, Thomas Canam, Kyu-Young Kang, David D. Ellis, Shawn D. Mansfield Jan 2007

Over-Expression Of Udp-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase In Hybrid Poplar Affects Carbon Allocation, Heather D. Coleman, Thomas Canam, Kyu-Young Kang, David D. Ellis, Shawn D. Mansfield

Thomas Canam

The effects of the over-expression of the Acetobacter xylinum UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) under the control of the tandem repeat Cauliflower Mosaic Virus promoter (2335S) on plant metabolism and growth were investigated in hybrid poplar (Populus alba3grandidentata). Transcript levels, enzyme activity, growth parameters, leaf morphology, structural and soluble carbohydrates, and soluble metabolite levels were quantified in both transgenic and wild-type trees. Transgenic 2335S::UGPase poplar showed impaired growth rates, displaying reduced height growth and stem diameter. Morphologically, 2335S::UGPase trees had elongated axial shoots, and leaves that were substantially smaller in size when compared with wild-type trees at equivalent developmental stages. Biochemical analysis …


Physical Contests For Females In The Japanese Beetle, Popillia Japonica, Paul Switzer, Kipp C. Kruse Jan 2007

Physical Contests For Females In The Japanese Beetle, Popillia Japonica, Paul Switzer, Kipp C. Kruse

Paul V. Switzer

We conducted field observations of physical competition for mates, in which a single male attempts to usurp a female from another male, in male Japanese beetles, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera; Scarabaeidae). Physical contests for mates were relatively rare, but when they occurred the challenger male was able to successfully takeover females by dislodging the previously paired resident male in only 18% of contests, suggesting that a substantial prior residency advantage exists in this species. Challenger males that were successful in takeover attempts were significantly larger than the resident male. In contrast, no size pattern was found between intruding males and …


Phylogeny And Geological History Of The Cynipoid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea), Zhiwei Liu, Michael S. Engel, David A. Grimaldi Jan 2007

Phylogeny And Geological History Of The Cynipoid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea), Zhiwei Liu, Michael S. Engel, David A. Grimaldi

Zhiwei Liu

The geological history of the wasp superfamily Cynipoidea is reviewed, with the description of various new taxa, being mostly in Late Cretaceous amber from New Jersey and Canada. The various fossil lineages are incorporated into a phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily, and their implications for understanding the evolution of the group are explored. The following new taxa or taxonomic changes are proposed (authorship of all taxa is Liu and Engel): Protimaspidae, new family; Stolamissidae, new family; Stolamissus, new genus; Stolamissus mirabilis, new species; Proliopterinae, new subfamily; Proliopteron, new genus; Proliopteron redactus, new species; Goeraniinae, new subfamily; Goerania, new genus; Goerania …


Additions To The Flora Of Connecticut, Gordon C. Tucker Jan 2007

Additions To The Flora Of Connecticut, Gordon C. Tucker

Gordon C. Tucker

Since the publication of the Connecticut checklist by Dowhan (1979), new state records have continued to appear. These were summarized by Mehrhoff (1995), including some made by Tucker ( 1987, 1991 ). Although geographically distant, the flora of Connecticut has continued to hold my attention since the publication of a flora of the southeastern part of the state (Tucker 1995). Over the past decade, I have made several collections that are new records for the state flora. These new records are reported in this paper, as well as a 1970 collection of Coronilla scorpio ides that was never added to …