Life Sciences Commons^™

The Biodegradation Of Crude Oil By Bacteria Isolated From Brine Pits, Larry Williams

Masters Theses

The biodegradation of crude oil by bacteria was studied. Hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria were isolated from sixteen brine pits from an oil producing region of Clark County, Illinois. The bacteria were capable of growth from the vapors arising from crude oil as a sole carbon source. Some strains of bacteria were capable of emulsifying crude oil, apparently through the production of an emulsifying agent(s) that was found to be heat stable and cell bound but which can be partially stripped from the cell by autoclaving. The bacteria appear to belong to the genus Arthrobacter. The chemical environment of the pits was …

Chromosomal Variation Of Claytonia Virginica L. In Illinois, Russell Arthur Hintz

Masters Theses

Thirty-one mass collections of Claytonia virginica were made in eight counties in the eastern half of Illinois. Chromosome counts of pollen mother cells were determined for plants from Richland, Coles, Clark, Douglas, Cook and Moultrie counties. A range of 2n = 8 to 48 was determined with only 4 of the 89 counts being greater than 2n = 30. For all the populations, counts of 2n = 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 37, 38, 44, 48 were reported. The two most common counts were 2n = 18 and …

Histology Of Dichromatic And Seasonal Color Change Of The Cranial Region Of Callagur Borneoensis, Kevin William Matson

Masters Theses

Male Callagur borneoensis exihibit sexual dichromatism and seasonal coloration which is rare among turtles. In the breeding season male's heads are colored white with a scarlet stripe from the occiput to the tip of the snout. After the breeding season they change to drab charcoal-gray to black with a dull orange-yellow stripe. Females and juveniles are a drab brown throughout the year.

This study was performed to determine the mechanisms of this color change at the histological level. Histological preparation of the head revealed a significant increase in vascular tissue just below the epidermis of the stripe area with increased …

The Relationship Between Oxygen Debt Size And Blood Ph Change During Recovery From Exercise On The Bicycle Ergometer And Treadmill, Timothy J. Falconer

Masters Theses

It was the purpose of this study to investigate the relationship of oxygen debt and blood pH change during the recovery from exercise.

For this study, ten male members of the Eastern Illinois University track team were chosen as subjects on the basis of their levels of physical condition.

The subjects were tested on three different occasions. The first test for all subjects was a fifteen minute resting oxygen consumption. Then depending upon random selection, the subjects ran on a treadmill and on another test day rode a bicycle ergometer, or vice versa. Preceding each exercise a pre-exercise micro-blood sample …

Translocation Of C14-Labeled Assimilates In Squash Petioles, William John Raupp

Masters Theses

A qualitative analysis of sieve tube sap was undertaken to help determine the method of assimilate movement in phloem. Hydroponically-grown squash plants (Cucurbita melopepo torticollis Bailey) were trimmed to a mature, fully-expanded leaf (the source) and one or more immature, unexpanded leaves (the sinks). The blade of the source leaf was exposed to C¹⁴O₂ in air for 10 minutes and allowed to translocate for 20 or 50 minutes in ambient air. Petioles of treated leaves were cut into sections and ground in cold buffer with a chilled mortar and pestle to extract materials from the translocation stream. …

A Taxonomic And Ecological Study Of The Cladonia Species Of The Central Portion Of Fox Ridge State Park In Coles County, Illinois, James L. Jannesse

Masters Theses

Extensive collections were made on the central ridge system at Fox Ridge State Park in Coles County, Illinois. A literature review of the works on the genus Cladonia in North America encompassed major taxonomic collections undertaken in the last 20 years. Also, a historical account on the developments in the Cladonia chlorophaea complex are listed. Basic Cladonia morphology is described, including both microscopic and macroscopic illustrations. The study area was subdivided on a grid system, enabling the collection sites to be numbered. The entire area was covered in two foot intervals. From every entity that was found, ¼ of it …

Bacteriophage Populations In Wastewater Effluent, Guy William Lawrence

Masters Theses

Effluent samples were taken at various stages of sewage treatment at a local wastewater treatment plant. Primary, secondary, tertiary and post-chlorinated effluents were sampled. The agar overlay method was used to determine the numbers of plaque-forming bacteriophage particles on thirty-six species of enteric bacteria from the Eastern Illinois University stock culture collection. Twenty-three pure culture phage isolates were prepared from selected plaques and their host range specificity was determined. For every host organism tested, a fifty percent or greater reduction of bacteriophage was evident through the sewage treatment process. Results obtained from investigation of host range specificity indicate that potential …

Coccidian Parasites Of Wild Turkeys, Meleagris Gallopavo Silvestris, In Illinois, D. Michael Watkins

Masters Theses

Fecal samples from 124 wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris), collected in three southern Illinois counties, were examined for coccidia. Three and two tenths percent (4) of the birds sampled were infected with Eimeria of apparently four different species. These species were tentatively designated as: E. meleagridis, E. adendeides, E. meleagrimitis and E. subrotunda.

A Population Study Of The Cave Beetle Neaphaenops Tellkampfi (Coleoptera, Carabidae) In Mushroom Cave, Hart County, Kentucky, Robert E. Bon Durant Sr.

Masters Theses

A two year census of the cave beetle Neaphaenops tellkampfi (Coleoptera, Carabidae) was conducted in Mushroom Cave, Hart County, Kentucky. Three methods were used to estimate populations of this beetle. A rise in population in certain areas of the cave was shown to occur in Mid-winter. The population as reported is felt to represent a portion of a much larger population which migrates toward the cave entrance beacuse of food shortages in winter with a summer movement back into deep cave habitat when the eggs of Hadenoecus subterraneus are plentiful.

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Two Therapeutic Exercises On The Muscle Action Potential Of The Vastus Medialis, Janet J. Lozar

Masters Theses

Electromyography was utilized to compare the effects of two therapeutic exercises at two work loads in knee extension on the muscle action potential in the vastus medialis. One exercise was extension to 180 degrees with a four second isometric hold and flexion to 90 degrees. The other exercise was extension to 180 degrees, 15 degrees flexion, 15 degrees extension and flexion to 90 degrees. Each exercise lasted for 10 seconds.

The subjects in the study were 11 varsity female athletes from the fall and winter interscholastic athletic program at Eastern Illinois University. The subjects met for the first time to …

The Ecology Of Invertebrate Drift And Feeding Chronology Of The Striped Shiner, Notropis Chrysocephalus (Rafinesque) In Polecat Creek, Illinois, Dennis L. Newman

Masters Theses

The downstream drift of macroinvertebrates and the daily feeding cycle of the striped shiner, Notropis chrysocephalus (Rafinesque), were studied during the spring and summer of 1978 in Polecat Creek, Illinois. The purpose of the study was to: investigate the drift phenomenon of an entire lotic community, determine the pattern of diel periodicity for several important benthic populations, make qualitative and quantitative assessments of the relation of drift to benthos, and examine drift in relation to the daily feeding ecology of a cyprinid carnivore.

Polecat Creek at the sampling site was a relatively fast-flowing third-order stream, with frequent riffles. Drift sampling …

Siderocapsa Major-- Fact Or Artifact?, Ray W. Swanson

Masters Theses

The validity of the genus Siderocapsa, a group of unicellular iron-depositing bacteria, has been a subject of debate for many years. Lack of photomicroscopic and cultural studies has kept this group in taxonomic obscurity. Bacteria were collected from the Campus pond, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois, by a submerged slide/coverslip technique. These bacteria were identified as Siderocapsa major according to the description of Molisch (1909). Scanning electron microscopy of Siderocapsa major microcolonies has shown cells (0.5 by 1.15 μm), in a clear central well (2-6 μm), surrounded by an amorphous material which accumulates with the age of the colony. …

Leaching Of An Acetanilide Herbicide, Cp55097 In Soil Columns, Regina K. Higgins

Masters Theses

The leachability of the acetanilide herbicide, CP55097 was determined using a soil column system. This herbicide, which is used as a preemergent against certain grasses and broadleaf weeds, was leached through four different soils (sandy clay, sandy loam, sandy clay loam and clay loam) using the following procedure. Plastic columns consisting of 8 rings (2 in. dia. x 1 in.) were assembled and their bottoms covered with cheesecloth. They were then filled with soil and prewetted with water to attain field capacity. Herbicide concentrations equalling 0, 1, 3, 6 lb/A were pipetted onto the soil surface and 0, 1, 2, …

Studies Of The Lysogenic Response As A Function Of Multiplicity Of Infection Of Lambdoid Bacteriophages, Mark Floyd Fedyk

Masters Theses

The lambdoid bacteriophages λimm^λ, λimm⁴³⁴ and λcI are ideal subjects for the study of gene product interactions at the molecular level due to their closely related genetic makeup. Previous work in this laboratory has indicated the possibility that phage λimm is sensitive to phage λimm⁴³⁴cI gene product and that phage λimm⁴³⁴ is sensitive to phage λimm^λcI gene product. The purpose of this research was to determine if the frequency of lysogeny for phage λimm^λ is affected by the multiplicity of coinfection with the λimm⁴³⁴ phage. By comparing the graph of …

Biosystematic Studies Of Impatiens Pallida And Impatiens Biflora (Balsaminaceae), Sandra M. Buening

Masters Theses

Impatiens pallida Nutt. and Impatiens biflora Walt. are two closely related species which grow together in mixed populations but do not hybridize. Flower buds of each species were enclosed with glycine bags to prevent insect pollination. These were left isolated until after anthesis to test for self-pollination and self-compatibility. Neither capsule formation nor seed set were observed.

Chromosomal smears showed that each species has a haploid number of ten chromosomes. Polyploidy was not observed.

Field observations of insect pollinators (primarily bees) showed indiscriminate visitation.

Flower buds were again bagged as before. During anthesis, individuals of the two species were cross-pollinated …

Notes On Seasonal Variation And Infectivity Of Haemogamasus Reidi, A Vector Of Hepatozoon Griseisciuri, On Eastern Gray Squirrels, Sciurus Carolinensis, Mohammed Bashiru

Masters Theses

Five hundred and twenty-two squirrels were trapped and retrapped from a population in Montgomery County, Maryland during 1974-1975. One hundred and forty-one squirrels were found to harbor an average of 10.6 mites (Range 175-1). While male squirrels outnumbered females (79 vs 62) females harbored more mites than males (829 vs 666). During the spring the average number of mites per captured squirrel increased to an average of 18.1 per squirrel. The average declined to 6.8, 4.8 and 3.3 per squirrel in summer, fall and winter respectively. Throughout the collection period adult female mites were by far more numerous on hosts …

The Distribution Of Cadmium, Chromium And Lead In Crabs, Clams And Oysters From Calcasieu Estuary, Louisiana, Fritz Jaenike

Masters Theses

In November 1978, specimens of oysters (Crassostrea virginica), clams (Rangia cuneata), crabs (Callinectes sapidus) and water and sediment samples were collected from Calcasieu Estuary, Louisiana. The concentrations of cadmium, chromium and lead were determined in the samples with an inductively coupled argon plasma direct reading emission spectrophotometer. Crab claw muscle, gill and carapace tissues were analyzed separately. Oysters and clams were separated into shell and whole soft tissue samples which were analyzed separately. The concentration order of the metals in crab carapace and in oyster shells was similar to that of the sediments, (Pb …

Habitat Utilization And Partitioning Within A Community Of Nesting Grassland Birds, John E. Buhnerkempe

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.