Life Sciences Commons^™

A Review Of The Lethal Spiny Lobster Virus Pav1 - Ten Years After Its Discovery, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv, Jeffrey D. Shields

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

In 1999, we discovered that juvenile Caribbean spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus) in the Florida Keys were infected with PaV1 (Panulirus argus virus 1), the first naturally occurring pathogenic virus reported from lobsters. The virus profoundly affects their biology and ecology. PaV1 is probably wide-spread in the Caribbean with confirmed infections from the United States (Florida), St Croix, Mexico, and Belize; and anecdotal reports from the Bahamas and Cuba. Mean prevalence in the Florida Keys has been stable since 1999 (5 - 8%), but has risen from 2.7% to 10.9% in Mexico (Puerto Morelos), the only other country where …

Phytoplankton Blooms: Their Occurrence And Composition Within Virginia's Tidal Tributaries, Harold G. Marshall, Todd A. Egerton

Virginia Journal of Science

Sporadic algal bloom development within a 10 year monitoring program in Virginia tidal tributaries of Chesapeake Bay is reviewed. These blooms were common events, characteristically producing a color signature to the surface water, typically short lived, occurring mainly from spring into autumn throughout different salinity regions of these rivers, and were produced primarily by dinoflagellates. The abundance threshold levels that would identify bloom status from a non-bloom presence were species specific, varied with the taxon's cell size, and ranged from ca. 10 to 10⁴ cells mL^-1. Among the most consistent sporadic bloom producers were the dinoflagellates Akashiwo …

First Records Of Hypleurochilus Geminatus And Centropristis Philadelphica From Chesapeake Bay, Aimee D. Halvorson

Virginia Journal of Science

During the fall of 2007, Centropris philadelphica (rock seabass) and Hypleurochilus geminatus (Crested blenny) were collected from Chesapeake Bay. These captures are significant as they represent the first substantiated record of C. philadelphica from Chesapeake Bay and only the second and third validated records of H. geminatus. Additionally, the first record of H. geminatus from Chesapeake Bay was only recently recognized since the specimen had been previously misidentified as Parablennius marmoreus (seaweed blenny). The collection of seven individuals of H. geminatus in 2007, from two locations, indicates that the species may be resident within the Chesapeake Bay estuary.

The Role Of Human Endogenous Retroviruses In Renal Cell Carcinoma, Michele D. Tisdale

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Human endogenous retroviruses make up approximately 8-9% of the human genome. A number of expressed HERVs, those that are actively transcribing, have been associated with various cancers. Suppression mechanisms that control HERV expression often fail or become more permissive in tissues where expression should be restricted. Previous studies have identified HERV expression in breast cancer tissues, whereas normal tissue HERV expression remained suppressed. In addition, studies of DNA hypermethylation have correlated with the ability to contribute to cancer development. Hypermethylation of several tumor suppressor genes occurs frequently in cancers and alterations in promoter regions could contribute to the development of …

Behavioral Enhancement Of Onshore Transport By Postlarval Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus), Jason S. Goldstein, Mark J. Butler Iv

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We conducted a series of laboratory experiments to examine the orientation, settlement, and metamorphosis of Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) pueruli (postlarvae) in response to cues characteristic of their nursery in back-reef tropical lagoons. Our results suggest that pueruli were attracted to coastal water sources and the metabolites of red macroalgae (Laurencia spp.) when compared with oceanic water and artificial seawater treatments. Pueruli were not attracted to waterborne cues from sea grass, were repelled by hypersaline or hyposaline water, and discerned coastal cues from water collected as far as 30 km offshore from the reef. We also conducted experiments to …

Theoretical Studies Of 2,3 -Sigmatropic Rearrangements Of Allylic Selenoxides And Selenimides, Craig A. Bayse, Sonia Antony

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Density-functional theory is used to model the endo and exo transition states for [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of allylic aryl-selenoxides and -selenimides. The endo transition state is generally preferred for selenoxides if there is no substitution at the 2 position of the allyl group. Based upon the relative energies of the endo and exo transition states, enantioselectivity of rearrangements is expected to be greatest for molecules with substitutions at the 1- or (E)-3- position of the allyl group. Ortho substitution of a nitro group on the ancillary selenoxide phenyl ring reduces the activation barriers, increases the difference between the endo and exo …

Habitat-Based Intraguild Predation By Caribbean Reef Octopus Octopus Briareus On Juvenile Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus Argus, Mark J. Butler Iv, Jennifer A. Lear

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Intraguild predation occurs when species simultaneously compete for resources and interact as predator and prey, which describes the interaction between juvenile Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus and Caribbean reef octopus Octopus briareus in the Florida Keys, USA. Octopuses are notorious predators of decapod crustaceans, and their use of crevice shelters suggests that they may also compete for shelter with their lobster prey. Lobsters use mainly chemical cues to detect and avoid octopus, so we hypothesized that the negative association between these species may be as much the consequence of avoidance of a superior competitor as it is of direct predation. …

Section Abstracts: Botany

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Botany Section for the 87th Annual Virginia Academy of Science Meeting, May 27-29, 2009, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Section Abstracts: Biology And Microbiology & Molecular Biology

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Biology Section and Microbiology & Molecular Biology for the 87th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 27th-29th, 2009, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Section Abstracts: Natural History And Biodiversity

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Natural History and Biodiversity Section for the 87th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 27-29, 2009, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.

Section Abstracts: Agriculture, Forestry And Aquaculture Science

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Agriculture, Forestry and Aquaculture Section for the 87th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 27-29, 2009, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Changing Fecundity And Reproductive Output In Females Of A Chesapeake Bay Population Of Blue Crab, Callinectes Sapidus, Shannon L. Wells

OES Theses and Dissertations

The Chesapeake Bay blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, is an important species both ecologically and as a fishery. Fishery dependent and independent data indicate that the population declined abruptly in the mid-1990s and has remained low. Previous work prior to the decline in population abundance found a significant relationship between size and fecundity for mature females. As with many heavily fished populations, this population has experienced a reduction in the size at maturity. The objectives of this study were to reassess the fecundity of the population, determine the lipid and protein energy allocated for reproduction, and to examine the concentrations …

Inhibition Of Yeast Hexokinase By The Antimalarial Drug Artemisinin: Probing Mechanism Of Action With A Model Enzyme, Jennifer S. Spence

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A leading infectious cause of death, malaria threatens approximately half of the world's population, and drug-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum have created immense difficulty in chemotherapy of the disease. The artemisinin (ART) class of antimalarials may represent a powerful solution. In addition to their safety, effectiveness, and moderate cost, they are the only drugs in use for which there has been no widespread evidence of clinical resistance. The exact parasiticidal mechanism of ART is highly contested, but evidence suggests that protein alkylation may play a role in cytotoxicity. in vitro essays were performed using yeast hexokinase (HK) to demonstrate a …

Effect Of The Herbivorous Channel Clinging Crab (Mithrax Spinosissimus) On Patch Reef Algal Communities In The Florida Keys, Florida (Usa), Angela M. Mojica Osorio

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Coral reefs worldwide are undergoing dramatic habitat modification from coral to macroalgal dominance due to water pollution, coral diseases, global. warming, and the loss of herbivores. This phase-shift bas been particularly severe on Caribbean reefs due in large measure to the decline of piscine and echinoderm grazers, whose presence appears crucial for stemming the decline of coral reefs and enhancing their resilience. Virtually unknown, however, is the role of other macrograzers in coral reef ecosystems. This is the first study to examine the feeding ecology and grazer effect of the herbivorous West Indian spider crab (Mithrax spinosissimus) on inshore patch …

Prostate Cancer Biomarker Identification: A Comparative Study, Wenjuan Jiang

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

With the current development of proteomics techniques, the discovery of potential molecular biomarkers for early detection of prostate cancer has been greatly improved. In this thesis, we implemented five classifiers including the support vector machine (SVM), Bayesian Classifier, Decision Tree, Random Forest and the Multilayer perceptron (MLP) to test their effectiveness in prostate cancer biomarker identification using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) tissue imaging data. The classifiers were utilized to discriminate cancer mass spectra from normal ones for the data collected at the Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS). There are 94 7 spectra from normal tissues and 27 from …

Lipid Targets Of The Antimalarial Trioxanes In Plasmodium Falciparum, Carmony Leah Hartwig

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Malaria is among the most debilitating diseases of man. The protozoan parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, causes over a million annual fatalities. The antimalarial trioxanes, exemplified by artemisinin, are among the few pharmaceuticals for which clinical resistance has not become widespread. Artemisinin is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone, containing a unique endoperoxide pharmacophore. Despite extensive study, the precise antimalarial mechanism of action of trioxanes remains elusive. Heme iron-mediated cleavage of the endoperoxide within the parasite digestive vacuole is hypothesized to generate cytotoxic metabolites capable of alkylating heme and damaging cellular macromolecules. The hypothesis of this research is that the endoperoxide pharmacophore …

Biotic And Abiotic Characteristics Influencing Nest Location And Trophic Relationships Of The Fungus-Growing Ant Trachymyrmex Septentrionalis (Formicidae: Attini), Jonathan Paul Howell

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Trachymyrmex septentrionalis represents the only species of fungus-growing ant in the southeastern United States. T. septentrionalis cultivates a symbiotic fungus on which the ants feed. Worker ants collect plant and animal debris to feed the fungus. These ants are common in Florida, but increasingly scarce as they near the northern extent of their range in New Jersey. Colonies of T. septentrionalis occur in patches throughout Blackwater Ecological Preserve, a longleaf pine forest in southeastern Virginia. Blackwater Ecologic Preserve is a 129 hectare tract of land, located in Isle of Wight county, that is undergoing a regimen of controlled burning to …

Hydrodynamics Of Pulsed Jetting In Juvenile And Adult Brief Squid Lolliguncula Brevis: Evidence Of Multiple Jet 'Modes' And Their Implications For Propulsive Efficiency, Ian K. Bartol, Paul S. Krueger, William J. Stewart, Joseph T. Thompson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The dynamics of pulsed jetting in squids throughout ontogeny is not well understood, especially with regard to the development of vortex rings, which are common features of mechanically generated jet pulses (also known as starting jets). Studies of mechanically generated starting jets have revealed a limiting principle for vortex ring formation characterized in terms of a 'formation number' (F), which delineates the transition between the formation of isolated vortex rings and vortex rings that have 'pinched off' from the generating jet. Near F, there exists an optimum in pulse-averaged thrust with (potentially) low energetic cost, raising the question: do …

Pulsed Jet Dynamics Of Squid Hatchlings At Intermediate Reynolds Numbers, Ian K. Bartol, Paul S. Krueger, William J. Stewart, Joseph T. Thompson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Squid paralarvae (hatchlings) rely predominantly on a pulsed jet for locomotion, distinguishing them from the majority of aquatic locomotors at low/intermediate Reynolds numbers (Re), which employ oscillatory/undulatory modes of propulsion. Although squid paralarvae may delineate the lower size limit of biological jet propulsion, surprisingly little is known about the hydrodynamics and propulsive efficiency of paralarval jetting within the intermediate Re realm. To better understand paralarval jet dynamics, we used digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) and high-speed video to measure bulk vortex properties ( e. g. circulation, impulse, kinetic energy) and other jet features [ e. g. average and …

Seasonal Variation In Diet Of A Marginal Population Of The Hispid Cotton Rat, Sigmodon Hispidus, Lynn A. Walker, Robert K. Rose

Virginia Journal of Science

Cotton rats live in oldfields, habitats with a variety of mostly herbaceous plants. Based on other studies, the hispid cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus, eats many kinds of herbaceous plants but grasses predominate. In contrast, our population of cotton rats ate many monocots but mostly they were not grasses. Our study sought to determine the diet of the cotton rat in eastern Virginia, near the northern limit of distribution on the Atlantic Coast. Fecal samples, collected each month during an on-going capture-mark-release demographic study of the rodent community, were analyzed using a standard method. A greater variety of foods (including …

Graminicolous Fungi Of Virginia: Fungi In Collections 2004-2007, Curtis W. Roane

Virginia Journal of Science

Fungus-grass associations recognized in Virginia from 2004 to 2007 are recorded. Many associations are new to the United States (U), eastern United States (EU) and Virginia (V); other associations extend the known distribution of those previously discovered. These reports contribute further to knowledge of the mycoflora of Virginia.

Factors Affecting Adult Foraging And Chick Growth Of Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis Adeliae) Off The Western Antarctic Peninsula: A Modeling Study, Erik W. Chapman

OES Theses and Dissertations

Coupled individual-based models that simulate Adélie penguin ( Pygoscelis adeliae) chick growth and adult foraging behavior during the chick growth period were developed and used to explore factors that influence chick fledging mass and adult foraging energetics off the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). Adélie penguin colonies in this region are undergoing changes in population size that have been correlated with climate-driven alteration of the marine and terrestrial environment. Simulations were selected to highlight possible mechanistic linkages between climate variability and chick growth and adult foraging processes. These processes were the focus of this study because chicks that fledge at …

Mechanisms Of Regulation Of Proximal Tubule Sodium Transporters In Obesity-Induced Hypertension, Marta A. Ambrozewicz

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Hypertension is one of the common complications of obesity. Using a rat model of diet induced obesity and hypertension we investigated some of the mechanisms that are involved in regulation of blood pressure in obesity. The first aim of this study was to determine the role of proximal tubule transporters on the renal sodium handling in obese hypertensive (OP) and lean normotensive (OR) rats. An acute increase in renal perfusion pressure resulted in a blunted natriuretic response in OP vs. OR rats and indicated that increased sodium reabsorption in the proximal tubule is casual, at least in part, for hypertension …

Phosphorylation Of The Estrogen Receptor Alpha (Erα) At Serine 118 By Phospho-P44/42 Mapk And Regulation By Estrogen And Progesterone In Human Uterine Leiomyoma Tissue And Cells, Tonia Lakisha Hermon

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

It is thought that the growth of uterine leiomyomas may be mediated by the interaction of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and growth factor pathways and that phosphorylation of ERα at serine 118 (ERα-phospho-Ser118) is important in this interaction. In tissue, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry were used to investigate the expression of ERα-phospho-Ser118, phosphorylated p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (phospho-p44/42 MAPK), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in human leiomyoma and myometrial tissues during the proliferative and secretory phases of the menstrual cycle. In vitro studies to assess proliferation of uterine leiomyoma (UtLM) and uterine smooth muscle (UtSMC) cells and expression of ERα-phospho-Ser118 …

Role Of The Human Cytomegalovirus Ie2 Protein On Transcriptional Regulation Of Viral Promoters, Siabhon Michelle Harris

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous pathogen able to cause severe mortality and morbidity in immuno-compromised individuals. Successful infection by HCMV is dependent on expression of viral genes essential for replication. Immediate early (IE) gene products are the first subset of viral genes to be expressed during infection and function as key transcriptional regulators. IE2 is one the most predominantly expressed IE proteins and is essential for HCMV infection. IE2 transactivates several viral promoters, including those of the essential viral DNA polymerase (UL54) and UL112-113 gene regions. IE2 is also able to autoregulate is own expression and repress expression of …

Effects Of Hze Irradiation On Chemical Neurotransmission In Rodent Hippocampus, Mayumi Machida

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Space radiation represents a significant risk to the CNS (central nervous system) during space missions. Most harmful are the HZE (high mass, highly charged (Z), high energy) particles, e.g. ⁵⁶Fe, which possess high ionizing ability, dense energy deposition pattern, and high penetrance.

Accumulating evidence suggests that radiation has significant impact on cognitive functions. In ground-base experiments, HZE radiation induces pronounced deficits in hippocampus dependent learning and memory in rodents. However, the mechanisms underlying these impairments are mostly unknown.

Exposure to HZE radiation elevates the level of oxidation, resulting in cell loss, tissue damage and functional deficits through direct ionization …

A Bio-Optical Model For Syringodium Filiforme Canopies, Margaret A. Stoughton

OES Theses and Dissertations

Seagrasses are significant ecological and biogeochemical agents in shallow water ecosystems throughout the world. In many regions, seagrass meadows occupy a sufficient fraction of the coastal zone, and generate optical signatures that can be observed from space. Bio-optical models of light absorption and scattering by submerged plant canopies for certain species such as Thalassia testudinum and Zostera marina have successfully modeled the plane irradiance distribution and photosynthesis within the submerged canopies. Syringodium filiforme differs &om T. testudinttm and Z marina, in leaf morphology and canopy architecture. The objective of this study was to develop a radiative transfer model that …

Characterization Of Antibiotic Resistance In Vibrio Cholerae Isolated From Ships' Ballast And Other Environmental Sources, Frank Kornegay Thomson Iii

OES Theses and Dissertations

Ships' ballast has been implicated as a vector in the dispersal of invasive species into new environments. Numerous cases have been documented for the introduction of macroorganisms via ballasting operations, but what is less known is the role of ballast water and residuals in the spread of potentially harmful microbes, especially with reference to novel genotypes. Of particular interest are the genes encoding for various forms of antibiotic resistance, many of which are carried on mobile genetic elements. A four-year sampling effort has yielded over 300 putative isolates of Vibrio cholerae from ships' ballast tanks and various environmental sources, of …

Study Of The Dna Damage Complexes Within The Htlv-1 Tax Oncoprotein Interactome, Sidi Mehdi Belgnaoui

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a transforming retrovirus that can give rise to adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Tax is a virally encoded oncoprotein that is involved in HTLV-1 mediated cellular transformation. It has been hypothesized that Tax induces genomic instability via repression of the cellular DNA damage repair response. Our laboratory has previously shown that the interaction between Tax and various proteins involved in the DNA-damage response pathway impairs the ability of these proteins to mount an efficient repair response. As part of these observations, we proposed that Tax induces …

Interdependent Regulation Of Cytomegalovirus Proteins In Complex, Lisa L. Bolin

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus that causes significant morbidity and mortality in the immune compromised. Using the mutine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) model, we identified two genes, M140 and M141, which are determinants of macrophage tropism. Monocytes/macrophages are a critical cell type for cytomegalovirus (CMV) pathogenesis as sites of viral latency and by supporting viral replication and disseminating virus throughout the body. We previously found that the localization of the M140/M141 gene products (pM140/pM141) is different when the proteins are co-expressed as compared to their individual expression. When the proteins are individually expressed pM141 localizes diffusely throughout the cytoplasm and, …