Life Sciences Commons^™

How Birds During Migration Maintain (Oxidative) Balance, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Wales A. Carter, Clara Cooper-Mullin, Kristen J. Demoranville, Abigail E. Frawley, Barbara J. Pierce, Megan Skrip

Biology Faculty Publications

Animals dynamically adjust their physiology and behavior to survive in changing environments, and seasonal migration is one life stage that demonstrates these dynamic adjustments. As birds migrate between breeding and wintering areas, they incur physiological demands that challenge their antioxidant system. Migrating birds presumably respond to these oxidative challenges by up-regulating protective endogenous systems or accumulating dietary antioxidants at stopover sites, although our understanding of the pre-migration preparations and mid-migration responses of birds to such oxidative challenges is as yet incomplete. Here we review evidence from field and captive-bird studies that address the following questions: (1) Do migratory birds build …

Epoc Comparison Between Resistance Training And High-Intensity Interval Training In Aerobically Fit Women, Beau K. Greer, Julie O'Brien, Lyndsey Hornbuckle, Lynn B. Panton

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Previous research has shown that various modes of exercise may elicit significant increases in resting metabolism for up to 24 hours post-exercise, but typically using untrained or moderately active subjects. The purpose of the present study was to compare excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) between circuit-style resistance training (RT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in young, aerobically fit women. During the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, seven participants reported to the laboratory for evening and morning baseline resting metabolic rate (RMR) measurements via indirect calorimetry. Participants fasted and slept overnight in the laboratory between RMR measurements. Following the morning …

Euadb: A Resource For Covid-19 Test Development And Comparison, Alyssa Woronik, Henry W. Shaffer, Karin Kiontke, Jon M. Laurent, Ronald Zambrano, Mariah Daley, Jef D. Boeke, David H. Fitch

Biology Faculty Publications

Due to the sheer number of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) cases there is a need for increased world-wide SARS-CoV-2 testing capability that is both efficient and effective. Having open and easy access to detailed information about these tests, their sensitivity, the types of samples they use, etc. would be highly useful to ensure their reproducibility, to help clients compare and decide which tests would be best suited for their applications, and to avoid costs of reinventing similar or identical tests. Additionally, this resource would provide a means of comparing the many innovative diagnostic tools that are currently being developed in …

Synergy Between Behavioural Research On Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus Leucas) Conducted In Zoological And Wild Settings, Heather Manitzas Hill, Deirdre Yeater, Michael Noonan

Psychology Faculty Publications

Behavioural observations of captive beluga whales have complemented and extended much of what has been learnt about this species in the wild. Aquarium-based research has provided finer-scale specificity for many topics, including the seasonal breeding pattern that is characteristic of this species, as well as socio-sexual behaviour that appears to be an important part of the behavioural repertoire of this species. One example is a strong propensity for male–male social interactions that begin to develop at an early age. In addition, detailed behavioural milestones in calves have been documented in ways that extend that which have been collected from wild …

Postactivation Potentiation Improves Jumps Performance In Children Ages 6 To 8 Years Old, Camila Gerber, Paolo Sirieiro, Igor Nasser, Christopher B. Taber, Humberto Miranda

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of postactivation potentiation (PAP) in vertical and horizontal jump performance in pre-pubertal children.

Material and method: One hundred and nineteen children (65 girls and 54 boys; 6.8 ± 0.7 years old; 124.5 ± 6.4 cm; 25.2 ± 5.1 kg) participated in this study. This was a transversal cross-sectional study which incorporated a within-subjects repeated-measures design, where participants completed all protocols. The experimental procedure required four total testing, separated by one week, using a counterbalanced. This study investigated jumping performance associated with weighted jumps, low-load vertical jumps, and …

Preliminary Investigation Into The Effect Of Actn3 And Ace Polymorphisms On Muscle And Performance Characteristics, John P. Wagle, Kevin M. Carroll, Aaron J. Cunanan, Alexander Wetmore, Christopher Taber, Brad H. Deweese, Kimitake Sato, Charles A. Stuart

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Preliminary investigation into the effect of ACTN3 and ACE polymorphisms on muscle and performance characteristics. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-The purpose of this investigation was to explore the phenotypic and performance outcomes associated with ACTN3 and ACE polymorphisms. Ten trained men (age = 25.8 ± 3.0 years, height = 183.3 ± 4.1 cm, body mass = 92.3 ± 9.3 kg, and back squat to body mass ratio = 1.8 ± 0.3) participated. Blood samples were analyzed to determine ACTN3 and ACE polymorphisms. Standing ultrasonography images of the vastus lateralis (VL) were collected to determine whole muscle cross-sectional area …

A Complex Interplay Between Balancing Selection And Introgression Maintains A Genus-Wide Alternative Life History Strategy, Kalle Tunstrom, Alyssa Woronik, Joseph J. Hanly, Pasi Rastas, Anton Chichvarkhin, Andrew D. Warren, Akito Kawahara, Sean D. Schoville, Vincent Ficarrotta, Adam H. Porter, Ward B. Watt, Arnaud Martin, Christopher W. Wheat

Biology Faculty Publications

Alternative life-history strategies (ALHS) are genetic polymorphisms generating phenotypes differing in life histories that generally arise due to metabolic resource allocation tradeoffs. Although ALHS are often be limited to a single sex or populations of a species, they can, in rare cases, be found among several species across a genus. In the butterfly genus Colias, at least a third of the species have a female limited ALHS called Alba. While many females develop brightly pigmented wings, Alba females reallocate nitrogen resources used in pigment synthesis to reproductive development, producing white-winged, more fecund females. Whether this ALHS evolved once or …

Gephyrin-Lacking Pv Synapses On Neocortical Pyramidal Neurons, Dika A. Kuljis, Kristina D. Micheva, Ajit Ray, Waja Wegner, Ryan Bowman, Daniel V. Madison, Katrin I. Willig, Alison L. Barth

Biology Faculty Publications

Gephyrin has long been thought of as a master regulator for inhibitory synapses, acting as a scaffold to organize γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABA_ARs) at the post-synaptic density. Accordingly, gephyrin immunostaining has been used as an indicator of inhibitory synapses; despite this, the pan-synaptic localization of gephyrin to specific classes of inhibitory synapses has not been demonstrated. Genetically encoded fibronectin intrabodies generated with mRNA display (FingRs) against gephyrin (Gephyrin.FingR) reliably label endogenous gephyrin, and can be tagged with fluorophores for comprehensive synaptic quantitation and monitoring. Here we investigated input- and target-specific localization of gephyrin at a defined …

Tree-Ring Based Reconstruction Of Historical Fire In An Endangered Ecosystem In The Florida Keys, Lauren A. Stachowiak, Maegen L. Rochner, Elizabeth A. Schneider, Grant L. Harley, Savannah A. Collins-Key, Hunter A. Bonawitz

SHU Faculty Publications

Big Pine Key, Florida, is home to one of Earth’s largest swaths of the critically-endangered dry forests. Known as pine rocklands, this fire-adapted ecosystem must experience regular fire to persist and remain healthy. Pine rocklands are composed of a sole canopy species: the South Florida slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa), along with a dense understory of various woody and herbaceous species, and minimal surface moisture and soil development. Slash pine record wildfire activity of the surrounding area via fire scars preserved within the annual tree rings formed by the species. Our study used dendrochronology to investigate the fire history …

Accentuated Eccentric Loading In The Bench Press: Considerations For Eccentric And Concentric Loading, Christopher Taber, Jared R. Morris, John P. Wagle, Justin J. Merrigan

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

This study examined the effects of accentuated eccentric loading (AEL) on bench press velocities across a spectrum of concentric and eccentric loads. Ten strength trained men (bench press one-repetition maximum (1-RM): 124.3 ± 19.4 kg; relative strength ratio: 1.5 ± 0.2 kg∙body mass⁻¹) participated. Subjects completed bench press repetitions using concentric loads from 30% to 80% 1-RM in 10% increments in each experimental session. The AEL protocols were implemented using 100% (AEL100) and 110% 1-RM (AEL110) loads during the eccentric action, while the eccentric load remained the same as the concentric for traditional loading (TRAD). Multilevel models analyzed …

Salad With Clams: Prey Choice Of An Intentionally Carnivorous Turtle, Kayleigh R. Erazmus, Luca Luiselli, Russell L. Burke

Biology Faculty Publications

Prey choice is the non-random foraging and consumption of prey species by their predators, and is therefore the basis for studies of topics as diverse as quantifying food webs, predator–prey relationships, and optimal-foraging models. Malaclemys terrapin (Diamond-back Terrapin) is a diet generalist with a large geographic distribution: the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts to Texas. Individual terrapins have relatively small home ranges and feed primarily on local mollusc species. In feeding trials with 1 prey species and 2 prey species, wild-caught terrapins from New York readily consumed Mya arenaria (Soft-shelled Clam) and Geukensia demissa (Atlantic Ribbed Mussel), preferring …

Flight And Dietary Antioxidants Influence Antioxidant Expression And Activity In A Migratory Bird, Kristen J. Demoranville, Wales A. Carter, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams

Biology Faculty Publications

Ecologically-relevant factors such as exercise and diet quality can directly influence how physiological systems work including those involved in maintaining oxidative balance; however, to our knowledge, no studies to date have focused on how such factors directly affect expression of key components of the endogenous antioxidant system (i.e., transcription factors, select antioxidant genes, and corresponding antioxidant enzymes) in several metabolically active tissues of a migratory songbird. We conducted a 3-factor experiment that tested the following hypotheses: (H1) Daily flying over several weeks increases the expression of transcription factors NRF2 and PPARs as well as endogenous antioxidant genes (i.e., CAT, SOD1, …

Rapid Golgi Stain For Dendritic Spine Visualization In Hippocampus And Prefrontal Cortex, Maya Frankfurt, Rachel E. Bowman

Psychology Faculty Publications

Golgi impregnation, using the Golgi staining kit with minor adaptations, is used to impregnate dendritic spines in the rat hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. This technique is a marked improvement over previous methods of Golgi impregnation because the premixed chemicals are safer to use, neurons are consistently well impregnated, there is far less background debris, and for a given region, there are extremely small deviations in spine density between experiments. Moreover, brains can be accumulated after a certain point and kept frozen until further processing. Using this method any brain region of interest can be studied. Once stained and cover …