Life Sciences Commons^™

2015 Final Report: Status Of The Arizona Toad (Anaxyrus Microscaphus) In New Mexico, Mason J. Ryan, Ian M. Latella, Jacek Tomasz Giermakowski, Howard L. Snell

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

In 2013, we initiated a field study to assess the status of the Arizona Toad (Anaxyrus microscaphus) in New Mexico. Herein we provide the results of three years (2013-2015) of range-wide population monitoring, a review of threat assessments, and several contributions to the basic ecology of the Arizona Toad in New Mexico. This work highlights the sensitivity of the species to abiotic factors and emphasizes the nature of annual population fluctuations in a variable environment. We provide analyses of environmental factors that influence toad reproductive behaviors, employ occupancy and detection modeling at breeding sites, and provide analyses of tadpole habitat …

Living With Coyotes, Owen H. Agnew

Capstones

Coyotes have been slowly moving into New York State from Canada since the 1930s. They reached Westchester County and the Bronx decades ago, and their numbers have been slowly rising. Sighting in Manhattan reached an all-time high last spring, and pet attacks in Westchester County have increased slightly in the last several years. But the slight increase in sightings and pet attacks in recent years has been amplified on social media in towns like Chappaqua, New York, where anxiety and fear about coyotes has pitted neighbors against neighbors.

Main character Frank Vincenti is a Long Island barber and a self-proclaimed …

Suppression Of F1 Male-Specific Lethality In Caenorhabditis Hybrids By Cbr-Him-8, Vaishnavi Ragavapuram, Emily Elaine King, Scott Everet Baird

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Haldane's Rule and Darwin's Corollary to Haldane's Rule are the observations that heterogametic F1 hybrids frequently are less fit than their homogametic siblings and that asymmetric results often are obtained from reciprocal hybrid crosses. In Caenorhabditis, Haldane's Rule and Darwin's Corollary have been observed in several hybrid crosses, including crosses of Caenorhabditis briggsae and Caenorhabditis nigoni. Fertile F1 females are obtained from reciprocal crosses. However, F1 males obtained from C. nigoni mothers are sterile and F1 males obtained from C. briggsae die during embryogenesis. We have identified cbr-him-8 as a recessive maternal-effect suppressor of F1 hybrid male-specific lethality …

Effects Of Melatonin On Heartbeat And Possible Identification Of A Melatonin Receptor In Drosophila Melanogaster, Tricia L. Vankirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1 of this manuscript is a literature review that serves as an introduction to the entire dissertation. Chapter 2 examines the effects of the melatonin injection on heart rate and rhythmicity in Drosophila melanogaster Canton-S (wild-type) pupae and pupae bearing a variety of heart mutations. Chapter 3 investigates further the possible mechanisms of melatonin’s ability to increase heart rhythmicity without significantly affecting heart rate. A melatonin antagonist, luzindole; a high-affinity melatonin agonist, 2-iodomelatonin and RNAi techniques are used to identify a possible melatonin receptor in Drosophila melanogaster.

An appendix contains a previously published manuscript detailing experiments performed at the …

Critical Forces That Structure Subtidal Ecological Communities In The Gulf Of Maine, And The Integration Of Invasive Species Into These Communities, Martine C. Wagstaff

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Shallow subtidal epibenthic communities worldwide are under threat from exploitation, pollution, eutrophication, acidification, climate change, and invasive species, with implications for ecosystem diversity, productivity, function, and services. Subtidal ecosystems in the Gulf of Maine are particularly impacted, making it crucial to understand these habitats so that our impacts can be predicted and mitigated. I investigated the basic ecological forces that structure shallow subtidal epibenthic communities in this region, and how invasive species integrate themselves into these communities. I used community phylogenetic and functional trait analyses to investigate if invertebrate communities in the rocky subtidal are assembled via deterministic or random …

Examining Sociological Differences And The Influence Of Prey Distribution And Environmental Variability In The Distribution Of A Top Marine Predator, The Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus), Stefanie K. Gazda

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the influence of environmental variability on the distribution of prey, and the influence of prey spatial structure and habitat variability may have on the distributions of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Additionally I examined how sociological differences (behavior type and the changes in a foraging behavior specific to Cedar Key Florida) influences the relative roles of bottlenose dolphins within the population.

The Gowans et al. scheme assumes that small groups form small communities and that foraging groups are small and rare as there are few foraging benefits to promote grouping. Using network analysis, …

Testing The Efficacy Of Lsn2463359, A Metabotropic Glutamate 5 Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulator, In Animal Models Of Schizophrenia, Dierdre M. Freamon

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

For many years the dominant theory surrounding the cause of schizophrenia was focused on elevated dopamine levels found in critical areas of the brain. Recently a new theory has emerged pointing to elevated glutamate levels resulting from hypofunction of NMDA receptors and hypoactivity of GABAergic neurons which normally inhibit glutamatergic cells in a tonic manner. Therefore, while traditional antipsychotics directly block dopamine receptors, some of the newly generated compounds are designed to modulate glutamate to normal levels.

I propose testing the efficacy of the metabotropic glutamate 5 receptor modulator LSN2463359, previously shown to act as an indirect agonist of the …

Use Of Esi-Fticr-Ms To Characterize Dissolved Organic Matter In Headwater Streams Draining Forest-Dominated And Pasture-Dominated Watersheds, Randolph Chambers

Arts & Sciences Articles

Electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR-MS) has proven to be a powerful technique revealing complexity and diversity of natural DOM molecules, but its application to DOM analysis in grazing-impacted agricultural systems remains scarce. In the present study, we presented a case study of using ESI-FTICR-MS in analyzing DOM from four headwater streams draining forest- or pasture-dominated watersheds in Virginia, USA. In all samples, most formulas were CHO compounds (71.8–87.9%), with other molecular series (CHOS, CHON, CHONS, and CHOP (N, S)) accounting for only minor fractions. All samples were dominated by molecules falling in the lignin-like region …

From Lab To Pharmacy Shelves: The Story Of A Plant Derived Anticancer Drug, "Paclitaxel", Maira Junjua, Sana Jafar, Fazeelat Karamat, Faheem Ahmed

Journal of Bioresource Management

Paclitaxel (Taxol®) is a highly praised anticancer drug, known for its efficiency in treating different cancers. It belongs to a class of compounds called taxanes that are derived from the plants of the genus Taxus. This drug is now FDA approved, but there was a time when the name Taxol was less known to the scientific world. Taxol, being a unique molecule in its structure, properties and mechanism of action, has undergone more than 30 years of trials, and faced a lot of hurdles to leave the bench of a laboratory and reach the shelves of a pharmacy. This review …

Status And Future Management Of Grey Goral (Naemorhedus Goral Bedfordi) In Pakistan, Fakhar -I- Abbas, Afsar Mian, Tanveer Akhtar, Thomas P. Rooney

Journal of Bioresource Management

Himalayan grey goral (HGG: Naemorhedus goral bedfordi) is endemic to Himalyas and regarded as Endangered/ Threatened. Study was designed to collect information on population biology, habitat, food and behaviour of population of HGG distributed in Pakistan, trying to understand its present status and conservational potentials. Our data suggest that the population, habitat and the species has sufficient potentials for its survival in the area, if protection from human predation is afforded to the species. HGG population is isolated into 7-8 subpopulations and is facing male-biased mortality, therefore is likely to face bottleneck effects and subsequent population crash ascribed to …

Dna Protective Activity Of Peels Of Some Vegetables Wastes, Aisha Ishaq, Kainaat William

Journal of Bioresource Management

The present study was conducted by using kitchen wastes like peels of different vegetables e.g. cucumber, potato, carrot, chickpea, cauliflower and pea, to evaluate the phytochemical constituents, DNA protection ability and free radicals scavenging activity. Phytochemicals tests showed the presence of carbohydrates, amino acids, glycosides, alkaloids, tannins and steroids in all samples while phlobatannins, anthraquonines and saponins were absent. The DNA protection of samples was checked by DNA protection assay using plasmid pBR322. Cauliflower and cucumber showed best protection at each dilution. DPPH free radicals scavenging assay was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of peel extract of vegetables. Carrot …

Ethylene, A Hormone At The Center-Stage Of Nodulation, Frédérique C. Guinel

Biology Faculty Publications

Nodulation is the result of a beneficial interaction between legumes and rhizobia. It is a sophisticated process leading to nutrient exchange between the two types of symbionts. In this association, within a nodule, the rhizobia, using energy provided as photosynthates, fix atmospheric nitrogen and convert it to ammonium which is available to the plant. Nodulation is recognized as an essential process in nitrogen cycling and legume crops are known to enrich agricultural soils in nitrogenous compounds. Furthermore, as they are rich in nitrogen, legumes are considered important as staple foods for humans and fodder for animals. To tightly control this …

Rna Sequencing Analysis Of The Msl2msl3, Crl, And Ggps1 Mutants Indicates That Diverse Sources Of Plastid Dysfunction Do Not Alter Leaf Morphology Through A Common Signaling Pathway, Darron R. Luesse, Margaret E. Wilson, Elizabeth S. Haswell

Biology Faculty Publications & Presentations

Determining whether individual genes function in the same or in different pathways is an important aspect of genetic analysis. As an alternative to the construction of higher-order mutants, we used contemporary expression profiling methods to perform pathway analysis on several Arabidopsis thaliana mutants, including the mscS-like (msl)2msl3 double mutant. MSL2 and MSL3 are implicated in plastid ion homeostasis, and msl2msl3 double mutants exhibit leaves with a lobed periphery, a rumpled surface, and disturbed mesophyll cell organization. Similar developmental phenotypes are also observed in other mutants with defects in a range of other chloroplast or mitochondrial functions, including …

Structural Comparison Of Tonb-Dependent Receptors In Bradyrhizobium Japonicum, Allie R. Casto

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Soybean is one of the leading crops grown in the United States. Nitrogen fertilizers are widely used in soybean production to increase crop yields. An alternative to nitrogen fertilizers is the symbiotic relationship between soybean and a species of nitrogen-fixing Gram-negative soil bacteria, Bradyrhizobium japonicum. The bacterium infects the roots of the soybean, forming nodules that perform nitrogen fixation. This study involves analysis of TonB-dependent receptors, intermembrane proteins responsible for iron uptake and, in some cases, symbiosis in B. japonicum. A comparison of sequence alignments and 3D structure predictions was used to identify potential symbiosis-specific structural domains within …

First Report Of Invasive Crane Fly, Tipula Oleracea, In Utah, A Van Dyke, Ricardo A. Ramirez, B A. Mcgraw

Biology Faculty Publications

The known range of the common crane fly (Tipula oleracea L.) is expanding in the western US, as adults were captured (by me) in Utah while emerging and flying over golf course rough. Adults were collected at The Ridge Golf Course in West Valley City on 15 September, 2014, and identified by Dr. Benjamin McGraw at the Pennsylvania State University Turfgrass Entomology Lab in University Park, PA. Crane fly larvae (known as leather jackets for their tough skin) were previously found (again, by me) with the help of golf course superintendent Brian Roth on 4 August, 2012 damaging putting greens …

Epacs: Epigenetic Regulators That Affect Cell Survival In Cancer., Catherine Murari

Theses & Dissertations

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a second messenger responsive to many external stimuli, playing an important role in cellular gene expression, metabolism, migration, differentiation, hypertrophy, apoptosis and secretion. All of these cellular functions are important in many diseases including cancer. Most of its effects were initially attributed to the classical protein kinase A (PKA) protein, but cellular functions such as proliferation and migration were found to be PKA independent and dependent on the newly discovered exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP (EPACs). EPACs are single polypeptides that primarily function as guanine exchange factors (GEFs) for Rap proteins that allow the …

Explaining Migratory Behaviors Using Optimal Migration Theory, Jennifer D. Mccabe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bird migration is the regular seasonal movements between breeding and nonbreeding grounds. In general, birds that breed in the Northern Hemisphere tend to migrate northward in the spring to take advantage of increasing insect populations and lower predation pressures and fly south when food availability and weather conditions decline. Embarking on a journey that can stretch a thousand miles round trip is a dangerous and arduous undertaking. While en route migrants must stop and feed to replenish their depleted energy reserves, often in unfamiliar locations with unknown predation pressures. They also must react to weather conditions during flight and while …

Ubiquitin Goes Green, Zhihua Hua, Richard D. Vierstra

Biology Faculty Publications & Presentations

Chloroplasts depend on the nucleus for much of their proteome. Consequently, strong transcriptional coordination exists between the genomes, which is attuned to the developmental and physiological needs of the organelle. Recent studies highlight that the post-translational modifier ubiquitin adds another layer to plastid homeostasis and even helps eliminate damaged chloroplasts.

Embryogenesis And Tadpole Description Of Hyperolius Castaneus Ahl, 1931 And H. Jackie Dehling, 2012 (Anura, Hyperoliidae) From Montane Bog Pools, Edgar Lehr, J. Dehling, Eli Greenbaum, Ulrich Sinsch

Scholarship

Tadpoles of Hyperolius castaneus and H. jackie were found in the Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda and adjacent areas. Tadpoles of both species were identified by DNA-barcoding. At the shore of a bog pool three clutches of H. castaneus of apparently different age, all laid on moss pads (Polytrichum commune, Isotachis aubertii) or grass tussocks (Andropogon shirensis) 2–5 cm above the water level, were found. One clutch of H. castaneus was infested by larval dipterid flies. The most recently laid clutch contained about 20 eggs within a broad egg-jelly envelope. The eggs were attached to single blades of a tussock …

Are Immune Modulating Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated With Necrotizing Enterocolitis?, Ashanti L Franklin, Mariam Said, Clint D Cappiello, Heather Gordish-Dressman, Zohreh Tatari-Calderone, Stanislav Vukmanovic, Khodayar Rais-Bahrami, Naomi L C Luban, Joseph M Devaney, Anthony D Sandler

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating gastrointestinal emergency. The purpose of this study is to determine if functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in immune-modulating genes pre-dispose infants to NEC. After Institutional Review Board approval and parental consent, buccal swabs were collected for DNA extraction. TaqMan allelic discrimination assays and BglII endonuclease digestion were used to genotype specific inflammatory cytokines and TRIM21. Statistical analysis was completed using logistic regression. 184 neonates were analyzed in the study. Caucasian neonates with IL-6 (rs1800795) were over 6 times more likely to have NEC (p = 0.013; OR = 6.61, 95% CI 1.48-29.39), and over …

Population Density Of The Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus Woodi) In Managed Sand Pine Scrub And Longleaf Pine Sandhill Habitats, Matthew D. Kaunert, Lance D. Mcbrayer

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Studies investigating managed landscapes are of increasing importance, as fragmentation is a known cause of biodiversity loss. From June to September 2012, we sampled populations of the rare, endemic Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus woodi) across the Ocala National Forest (ONF) to compare lizard density across two managed habitat types. Florida Scrub habitat in the ONF is clearcut and roller-chopped, whereas Longleaf Pine habitat is managed via prescribed burning. We sampled 10 stands of Florida Scrub (2–3 y post disturbance) and 10 stands of Longleaf Pine (1 y post-disturbance) for lizards. We compared lizard density between the interior of …

Are Microbes Fundamentally Different Than Macroorganisms? Convergence And A Possible Case For Neutral Phenotypic Evolution In Testate Amoeba (Amoebozoa: Arcellinida), Angela M. Oliverio, Daniel J.G. Lahr, Jessica Grant, Laura A. Katz

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

This study reveals extensive phenotypic convergence based on the non-monophyly of genera and morphospecies of testate (shelled) amoebae. Using two independent markers, small subunit ribosomal DNA (ssu-rDNA) and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI), we demonstrate discordance between morphology and molecules for ‘core Nebela’ species (Arcellinida; Amoebozoa). Prior work using just a single locus, ssu-rDNA, also supported the non-monophyly of the genera Hyalosphenia and Nebela as well as for several morphospecies within these genera. Here, we obtained COI gene sequences of 59 specimens from seven morphospecies and ssu-rDNA gene sequences of 50 specimens from six morphospecies of hyalosphenids. Our analyses …

Differential Expression Of Cyb5a In Chinese And European Pig Breeds Due To Genetic Variations In The Promoter Region..Pdf, Ying Bai, Jibin Zhang, Y Xue, Yl Peng, Gang Chen, Meiying Fang

Jibin Zhang

Embryogenesis And Tadpole Description Of Hyperolius Castaneus Ahl, 1931 And H. Jackie Dehling, 2012 (Anura, Hyperoliidae) From Montane Bog Pools

Edgar Lehr

Collective Prey Capture By Juvenile Venus Flytraps (Dionaea Muscipula), Steven Rosen

Honors Theses

The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), first described by Charles Darwin, is a unique carnivorous plant which acquires prey using leaf blades modified into snap-traps. A recent study showed that prey capture by flytraps was not selective. With this study we examined prey capture rates further by analyzing D. muscipula traps less than 1 em in length to determine if juvenile flytraps differ from adults. Similar to the earlier findings, trap size appeared to play no role in prey capture success. This was likely due to the fact that 88% of all prey items recovered were smaller than the smallest collected …

Free Mate Choice Enhances Conservation Breeding In The Endangered Giant Panda, Meghan S. Martin-Wintle, David J. Shepherdson, Guiquan Zhang, Hemin Zhang, Desheng Li, Xiaoping Zhou, Rengui Li, Ronald R. Swaisgood

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Conservation breeding programmes have become an increasingly important tool to save endangered species, yet despite the allocation of significant resources, efforts to create self-sustaining populations have met with limited success. The iconic giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) embodies the struggles associated with ex situ species conservation. Here we show that behavioural mate preferences in giant pandas predict reproductive outcomes. Giant pandas paired with preferred partners have significantly higher copulation and birth rates. Reproductive rates increase further when both partners show mutual preference for one another. If managers were to incorporate mate preferences more fully into breeding management, the production of giant …

Deeply Rooted: The Story Of Congaree National Park, Taylor Karlin

Senior Theses

This photo-essay book was written to fulfill requirements for completion of a senior thesis project to graduate with honors from the South Carolina Honors College. Its purpose is to promote the enjoyment and preservation of the Congaree National Park by educating the public on the historical and ecological significance of the land and the many activities it has to offer. Despite its proximity to downtown Columbia, there remains a lack of public awareness about the park and the amazing activities and opportunities it has to offer. I have compiled information and pictures that will best depict the unique qualities of …

Investigation Of Cell-Penetrating Peptide Transformation In Two Regenerable Tissue Culture Systems, Atiyyah S. Ferouz

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The genetic engineering of plants allows for the modification of plant genomes, subsequently improving plant traits. There are, however, plants recalcitrant to established transformation methods, requiring the implementation of novel techniques. This study investigates the viability of cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) transformation using Tat₂, a CPP with demonstrated transformation efficiency in plant and animal systems, in two regenerable tissue culture systems, soybean somatic embryos and Arabidopsis protoplasts. Assessments of complex formation, Tat₂ cellular translocation, complex uptake, and CPP-mediated transformation were carried out. The results show the formation of a Tat₂-plasmid complex and the uptake of Tat …

Regulation Of Stress Response And Innate Immunity By DsRna-Binding Proteins Pact And Trbp, Lauren S. Vaughn

Theses and Dissertations

An integral aspect of innate immune response to viral infections is the ability to detect non-self molecules to initiate antiviral signaling via pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). One subset of these receptors are cytoplasmic receptors that contain double stranded (dsRNA) binding domains, which allow them to identify non-self dsRNA produced during a viral infection and mount a protective cellular response. PKR is a dsRNA-activated eIF2α kinase that is a key regulator of cellular antiviral and stress response pathways. Activation of PKR’s catalytic activity requires binding to one of its activators, viral dsRNAs or the cellular protein PACT (PKR activator). Although PACT …

Vulnerable Species In A Changing Climate: The Genomic Response Of Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes To Predicted Oceanic Conditions As A Model Of Physiological Plasticity And Adaptive Capability, Troy James Huth

Theses and Dissertations

In its fifth report in 2014 the IPCC reinforced the contribution of anthropogenic CO2 to global climate change predicting widespread and significant changes to the global climate over a relatively short time scale. The polar regions, including the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica, were identified as ecosystems that may experience the most rapid and severe changes. As the Southern Ocean is one of the coldest and most oceanographically stable regions on earth, the endemic fauna likely have no alternative habitats available for migration. Further compounding the challenge these species will face is the substantial degree of adaptation to the extreme cold …