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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Colorful Seashells: Identification Of Haem Pathway Genes Associated With The Synthesis Of Porphyrin Shell Color In Marine Snails, Suzanne T. Williams, Anne E. Lockyer, Patricia Dyal, Tomoyuki Nakano, Celia K. C. Churchill, Daniel Isaac Speiser Dec 2017

Colorful Seashells: Identification Of Haem Pathway Genes Associated With The Synthesis Of Porphyrin Shell Color In Marine Snails, Suzanne T. Williams, Anne E. Lockyer, Patricia Dyal, Tomoyuki Nakano, Celia K. C. Churchill, Daniel Isaac Speiser

Faculty Publications

Very little is known about the evolution of molluskan shell pigments, although Mollusca is a highly diverse, species rich, and ecologically important group of animals comprised of many brightly colored taxa. The marine snail genus Clanculus was chosen as an exceptional model for studying the evolution of shell color, first, because in Clanculus margaritarius and Clanculus pharaonius both shell and foot share similar colors and patterns; and second, because recent studies have identified the pigments, trochopuniceus (pink-red), and trochoxouthos (yellow-brown), both comprised of uroporphyrin I and uroporphyrin III, in both shell and colored foot tissue of these species. These unusual …


Multiple Species Of Cuckoos Are Superior Predictors Of Bird Species Richness In Asia, Anders Pape Møller, Federico Morelli, Yanina Benedetti, Timothy Mousseau, Tongping Su, Bo Zhou, Piotr Tryjanowski, Wei Liang Nov 2017

Multiple Species Of Cuckoos Are Superior Predictors Of Bird Species Richness In Asia, Anders Pape Møller, Federico Morelli, Yanina Benedetti, Timothy Mousseau, Tongping Su, Bo Zhou, Piotr Tryjanowski, Wei Liang

Faculty Publications

The abundance and the presence of common cuckoos Cuculus canorus have been shown to predict species richness of birds across Europe, while there are no such analyses available for other continents where species richness of parasitic cuckoos is larger. Here, we tested whether species richness of birds increased with the number of cuckoo species in two study areas in China and one in Japan. We also tested whether species richness of birds can be predicted by the number of cuckoo individuals. Furthermore, we compared the strength of association between overall bird species richness and species richness of cuckoos, Paridae, Corvidae, …


The Effect Of Concentration Of Co2 On The Average Rate Of Photosynthesis In Spinach Leaf Disks, Amelia Robinson-Brown Nov 2017

The Effect Of Concentration Of Co2 On The Average Rate Of Photosynthesis In Spinach Leaf Disks, Amelia Robinson-Brown

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of carbon dioxide concentration on the rate of photosynthesis in spinach leaves. Small circular disks were cut out of the spinach leaves using a standard hole puncher. Then solutions of differing concentrations of carbon dioxide, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0%, were all prepared, and each solution was spread equally among five cups. There was also a control solution that contained only water. Any gases within the leaves were then sucked with a syringe, using a specific technique to create a vacuum. For each solution of differing carbon dioxide concentration, …


The Effects Of Tension, Curvature, And Lipid Diffusion On The Enrichment Of Ras Proteins In Model Membranes, Nina Daneshvar Nov 2017

The Effects Of Tension, Curvature, And Lipid Diffusion On The Enrichment Of Ras Proteins In Model Membranes, Nina Daneshvar

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

An intriguing aspect of the cell membrane that provokes study is lipid-anchor enrichment of lipidated proteins on the cell membrane. Specifically, recent in vitro studies involving the enrichment of Ras proteins were done to see how enrichment was affected by changes in membrane curvature. These studies demonstrated the Ras protein’s inclination to the expanded, or outer, leaflet of highly curved membranes. Other research done in vivo, however, provoked further inquiry into Ras protein behavior, since when highly curved protrusions were created in living cells, Ras proteins showed affinity for the inner leaflet. This inspired research to determine the exact mechanism …


Novel Mosquito Control: A Natural Approach To Reducing And Repelling Mosquito Populations, Vinita Cheepurupalli Nov 2017

Novel Mosquito Control: A Natural Approach To Reducing And Repelling Mosquito Populations, Vinita Cheepurupalli

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Mosquitoes are a major concern to human health because they serve as vectors to pass agents that cause diseases, such as malaria, the Zika virus, and the West Nile virus, which can have a multitude of harmful side effects, such as seizures, conjunctivitis, and death. The overuse of commercial mosquitocidal agents have caused mosquitoes to develop resistance and cause harm to humans and the environment. To prevent this, natural extracts could be used. The purpose of this experiment was to test various plant extracts for their effectiveness in acting as larvicides, adulticides, and repellents against Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. It was …


Table Of Contents Nov 2017

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.


The Effects Of Sports Related Head Impact On Balance And Neurocognitive Functions, Shaquanda D. Ross-Simmons, Michelle L. Vieyra, Abhishek Jain, Keri Weed Nov 2017

The Effects Of Sports Related Head Impact On Balance And Neurocognitive Functions, Shaquanda D. Ross-Simmons, Michelle L. Vieyra, Abhishek Jain, Keri Weed

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of sports-related head injury on balance, attention, and memory. Reliable differences have been found using measures that directly tap into brain functioning, such as the auditory oddball task combined with EEG recording. We hypothesized that athletes reporting a diagnosed concussion or participation in high-risk sports would have compromised balance and neurocognitive functioning compared to athletes in low risk sports. Forty-five undergraduate participants were identified as either concussed, non-concussed in high-risk sports, or non-concussed in low-risk sports using a survey of athletic history, head trauma and demographics. The Biopac MP36 system, …


Investigating The Toxicity And Accumulation Of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D) And Glyphosate In Eisenia Fetida, Caitlin Lazurick, Nicole Lidzbarski, Rachel Owings, Jeff Brotherton, Edna Steele Nov 2017

Investigating The Toxicity And Accumulation Of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D) And Glyphosate In Eisenia Fetida, Caitlin Lazurick, Nicole Lidzbarski, Rachel Owings, Jeff Brotherton, Edna Steele

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup®, is the most widely used herbicide in the world. It is also used in combination with another effective herbicide, 2,4-D, in the formulation called Enlist Duo®. The EPA approved the use of Enlist Duo® on certain crops including those genetically modified to be resistant to both herbicides. The predicted significant increase in the use of these herbicides raised concerns from the general public because both compounds have been classified as possibly or probably carcinogenic. Since herbicides are applied directly to vegetation, the safety of organisms that come in contact …


Investigation Of Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract And Its Cancer-Selective Antiproliferative Properties, Reagen H. Welch, Ashlee H. Tietje Nov 2017

Investigation Of Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract And Its Cancer-Selective Antiproliferative Properties, Reagen H. Welch, Ashlee H. Tietje

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Moringa oleifera is a tree native to a number of Asian, African, and Central American countries and has been used in traditional medicine for an assortment of medicinal uses for centuries. Due to bioactive compounds within Moringa leaves, it is believed that Moringa leaf extract may possess cancer-selective antiproliferative properties. Previous research has been conducted in regards to this topic, but poor experimental design due to lack of necessary controls limits the legitimacy of anticancer claims. While previous research has shown that Moringa leaf extract has the potential to kill cancer cells, the research fails to demonstrate the effects of …


Optimizing Sperm Collection Procedures In Zebrafish, Madelyn B. Wasden, Rachel L. Roberts, April Delaurier Nov 2017

Optimizing Sperm Collection Procedures In Zebrafish, Madelyn B. Wasden, Rachel L. Roberts, April Delaurier

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Zebrafish are a highly-valued model organism used for developmental biology research. Zebrafish can be used for genetic manipulation and hence, many mutant and transgenic lines exist. It is impractical to maintain lines of adult zebrafish, due to resource constraints and the need to continuously produce new generations. Therefore, a practical way to preserve zebrafish lines is to freeze sperm and retrieve lines using in vitro fertilization of fresh eggs. Most existing in vitro protocols used by research labs have a wide variety of fertilization rates (ranging from 0% to >90%). Due to this variability, lines may be at risk of …


Differences In Pragmatic Language Measures In Mothers Of Children With Autism Or Fragile X Syndrome, Michelle Huang Nov 2017

Differences In Pragmatic Language Measures In Mothers Of Children With Autism Or Fragile X Syndrome, Michelle Huang

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Mastery of pragmatics, which refers to the language used in different social interactions, is key to effective communication in daily life. However, studies have found that mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) are at an increased risk for impaired pragmatic language skills. Though many measures of pragmatic language exist for children, very few are available for these mothers. Two commonly used measures for the mothers include the Pragmatic Rating Scale (PRS) and the Pragmatic Language Subscale of the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ). This study, unlike previous ones that only look at …


The Parasite Extinction Assessment & Red List: An Open-Source, Online Biodiversity Database For Neglected Symbionts, Colin J. Carlson, Oliver C. Muellerklein, Anna J. Phillips, Kevin R. Burgio, Giovanni Castaldo, Carrie A. Cizauskas, Graeme S. Cumming, Tad Dallas, Jorge Doña, Nyeema Harris, Roger Jovani, Zhongqi Miao, Heather Proctor, Hyun Seok Yoon, Wayne M. Getz Sep 2017

The Parasite Extinction Assessment & Red List: An Open-Source, Online Biodiversity Database For Neglected Symbionts, Colin J. Carlson, Oliver C. Muellerklein, Anna J. Phillips, Kevin R. Burgio, Giovanni Castaldo, Carrie A. Cizauskas, Graeme S. Cumming, Tad Dallas, Jorge Doña, Nyeema Harris, Roger Jovani, Zhongqi Miao, Heather Proctor, Hyun Seok Yoon, Wayne M. Getz

Faculty Publications

Parasite conservation is a rapidly growing field at the intersection of ecology, epidemiology, parasitology, and public health. The overwhelming diversity of parasitic life on earth, and recent work showing that parasites and other symbionts face severe extinction risk, necessitates infrastructure for parasite conservation assessments. Here, we describe the release of the Parasite Extinction Assessment & Red List (PEARL) version 1.0, an open-access database of conservation assessments and distributional data for almost 500 macroparasitic invertebrates. The current approach to vulnerability assessment is based on range shifts and loss from climate change, and will be expanded as additional data (e.g., host-parasite associations …


Parasite Biodiversity Faces Extinction And Redistribution In A Changing Climate, Colin J. Carlson, Kevin R. Burgio, Eric R. Dougherty, Anna J. Phillips, Veronica M. Bueno, Christopher F. Clements, Giovanni Castaldo, Tad Dallas, Carrie A. Cizauskas, Graeme S. Cumming, Jorge Doña, Nyeema C. Harris, Roger Jovani, Sergey Mironov, Oliver C. Muellerklein, Heather C. Proctor, Wayne M. Getz Sep 2017

Parasite Biodiversity Faces Extinction And Redistribution In A Changing Climate, Colin J. Carlson, Kevin R. Burgio, Eric R. Dougherty, Anna J. Phillips, Veronica M. Bueno, Christopher F. Clements, Giovanni Castaldo, Tad Dallas, Carrie A. Cizauskas, Graeme S. Cumming, Jorge Doña, Nyeema C. Harris, Roger Jovani, Sergey Mironov, Oliver C. Muellerklein, Heather C. Proctor, Wayne M. Getz

Faculty Publications

Climate change is a well-documented driver of both wildlife extinction and disease emergence, but the negative impacts of climate change on parasite diversity are undocumented. We compiled the most comprehensive spatially explicit data set available for parasites, projected range shifts in a changing climate, and estimated extinction rates for eight major parasite clades. On the basis of 53,133 occurrences capturing the geographic ranges of 457 parasite species, conservative model projections suggest that 5 to 10% of these species are committed to extinction by 2070 from climate-driven habitat loss alone. We find no evidence that parasites with zoonotic potential have a …


Predicting Cryptic Links In Host-Parasite Networks, Tad Dallas, Andrew W. Park, John M. Drake May 2017

Predicting Cryptic Links In Host-Parasite Networks, Tad Dallas, Andrew W. Park, John M. Drake

Faculty Publications

Networks are a way to represent interactions among one (e.g., social networks) or more (e.g., plant-pollinator networks) classes of nodes. The ability to predict likely, but unobserved, interactions has generated a great deal of interest, and is sometimes referred to as the link prediction problem. However, most studies of link prediction have focused on social networks, and have assumed a completely censused network. In biological networks, it is unlikely that all interactions are censused, and ignoring incomplete detection of interactions may lead to biased or incorrect conclusions. Previous attempts to predict network interactions have relied on known properties of network …


Strong Linkages Between Surface And Deep-Water Dissolved Organic Matter In The East/Japan Sea, Tae-Hoon Kim, Guebuem Kim, Yuan Shen, Ronald Benner May 2017

Strong Linkages Between Surface And Deep-Water Dissolved Organic Matter In The East/Japan Sea, Tae-Hoon Kim, Guebuem Kim, Yuan Shen, Ronald Benner

Faculty Publications

Vertical and horizontal distributions of total dissolved amino acids (TDAAs), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) were measured in the East/Japan Sea (EJS). The euphotic zone of this sea is N-limited, and the N : P ratio is ∼ 13 below 200 m depth. Elevated TDAA concentrations (137 ± 34 nM) and DOC-normalized yields (0.8 ± 0.2 % of DOC) were observed in deep waters ( ≥  1000 m) of the EJS and compared with those in the deep North Pacific Ocean. Significantly high TDAA concentrations and yields were observed in a region of deep-water formation, indicating …


Marine Tardigrades From South Carolina, Usa, Paul J. Bartels, Lilvia J. Bradbury, Diane R. Nelson May 2017

Marine Tardigrades From South Carolina, Usa, Paul J. Bartels, Lilvia J. Bradbury, Diane R. Nelson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Until now, there have been only three studies of marine tardigrades from South Carolina, USA. The Fall 2015 invertebrate zoology class from Warren Wilson College collected four sediment samples from Huntington Beach State Park: shallow beach sand, deep beach sand, shallow salt marsh sediment, and deep salt marsh sediment. No tardigrades were found in the salt marsh, but two species were found in the beach samples. Batillipes pennaki Marcus, 1946 was found in shallow and deep beach sand, and three specimens of a potentially new species of Stygarctus Schulz, 1951 were found in the deep beach sand at groundwater level. …


Hallmark Features Of Stem Anatomy In The Family Lamiaceae, Catherine Garner May 2017

Hallmark Features Of Stem Anatomy In The Family Lamiaceae, Catherine Garner

Senior Theses

Lamiaceae is a cosmopolitan family, containing around 236 genera and 7,534 species. The family has been the object of considerable taxonomic controversy and ultimate revision, especially concerning subfamilial and tribal limits. A broad-based anatomical approach has been undertaken to assess comparative anatomy of the stem as a reasonable systematic technique. The stems of several members of the family were compared. Cross-sections were made using the recently invented hydromicrotome, fixed, and examined at magnifications of 40x, 100x, and 400x. The common anatomical features of each sectioned species were determined, and used to establish a basic guide to the hallmark stem features …


An Illustrated Investigation Of Agraulis Vanillae And Its Larval Food Plants, Christiana M. Keinath May 2017

An Illustrated Investigation Of Agraulis Vanillae And Its Larval Food Plants, Christiana M. Keinath

Senior Theses

To create my work, I directly observed caterpillars, chrysalises, and adult butterflies. I used a variety of media to depict salient aspects of gulf fritillary anatomy and to follow the species through its life stages in connection with its passionflower hosts. I focused on accurately recreating what I observed, as well as breaking down the organisms into their component colors, lines, shapes, and values. In my work I emphasized natural textures, which vary greatly as the caterpillars undergo their morphological changes. As a result of this project, I improved my observation and life drawing skills and learned how the process …


Scaling Of Anatomically Derived Maximal Bite Force In Primates, Ashley Deutsch May 2017

Scaling Of Anatomically Derived Maximal Bite Force In Primates, Ashley Deutsch

Senior Theses

Bite force analysis is important the examination of the evolutionary factors that have shaped the masticatory apparatus. Unfortunately, in primates, empirically measured bite force is largely unavailable because of the invasive nature of the procedure. Because of this, we have estimated bite force in a large sample across the primate order at three different realistic bite points along the tooth row: the first maxillary incisor, the maxillary canine, and the paracone of the first maxillary molar. Here, we model bite force by combining measured physiological crosssectional area of the jaw adductors from Hartstone-Rose and colleagues (2017) with osteological measurements from …


Tree Damage From Hurricane Matthew Affecting Forest Dynamics In Congaree National Forest, Connor Lentz May 2017

Tree Damage From Hurricane Matthew Affecting Forest Dynamics In Congaree National Forest, Connor Lentz

Senior Theses

The Congaree National Forest serves as an ecological model for bottomland-hardwood forests. Hurricanes periodically strike the Southeast United States, with high-wind speeds causing damage affecting the Congaree National Forest and modifying forest dynamics. This has been well-studied from the effects of Hurricane Hugo in September 1989 (Sharitz et al. 1993). In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew, a category 5 storm, made landfall in the Southeastern United States, and eventually moved through the Congaree National Forest. The high winds and precipitation caused widespread tree damage throughout Congaree. This study used a belt-transect survey of 14.7km of trails throughout the park to record …


Epigenetic Regulation Of Salicylic Acid-Mediated Plant Defense, Phillip Key May 2017

Epigenetic Regulation Of Salicylic Acid-Mediated Plant Defense, Phillip Key

Senior Theses

Plant pathogens remain a significant threat to the stability of modern agricultural systems, and the investigation of mechanisms to improve the security of food resources has led to the partial characterization of plant immune response. With this progress, there is a newfound ability to analyze the relative pathogen resistance capability of specifically modified organisms, and in doing so, it is possible to identify individual alterations that might play a role in creating a more robust immune response. In this study, ten Arabidopsis thaliana mutants were infiltrated with Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum alongside positive and negative control Col-0 Wild-Type and npr1-2. …


Assessing Variation In Visual Abilities In Daphnia As A Result Of Disparity In Eye Sizes, Adrian Perez May 2017

Assessing Variation In Visual Abilities In Daphnia As A Result Of Disparity In Eye Sizes, Adrian Perez

Senior Theses

The functionality of an eye is affected by a number of structural factors, and altering any of these factors often involves inevitable tradeoffs between resolution and sensitivity. However, it has been theoretically reasoned, and tested empirically, that increasing the size of an eye allows for both of these central features of vision to be improved due to corresponding increases in lens size. This study examines the relevance of this hypothesis for the vision of Daphnia in both interspecific and intraspecific contexts. The visual capabilities of six different species of Daphnia are tested using the optomotor response—a visually mediated behavior that …


The Effects Of Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation On Voles From The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Justin Sindoni May 2017

The Effects Of Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation On Voles From The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Justin Sindoni

Senior Theses

Much is known about the effects of high doses of ionizing radiation exposure, but little is known about the effects of low doses of ionizing radiation over extended periods of time. Nuclear power plant disasters, in particular the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, have led to long-term radioactive contamination of their surrounding areas, and more research is needed to learn about the effects of the contamination. In order to better understand the impacts of low-dose ionizing radiation on animal populations, bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from the Chernobyl exclusion zone were studied. Voles were captured from 64 sites throughout the exclusion zone, and …


Table Of Contents Apr 2017

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.


Emerging Antimicrobial Research Against Superbugs: Perspectives From A Polymer Laboratory, Mitra S. Ganewatta, Md Anisur Rahman, Chuanbing Tang Apr 2017

Emerging Antimicrobial Research Against Superbugs: Perspectives From A Polymer Laboratory, Mitra S. Ganewatta, Md Anisur Rahman, Chuanbing Tang

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Infectious diseases caused by drug-resistant microorganisms have become a major contributor for human morbidity and mortality. To overcome such threats, we have developed various antimicrobial agents using natural product derivatives and metallopolymers. Abundant biomass such as resin acids can be utilized to prepare cationic polymers for inhibiting a variety of bacteria. These polymers have been used in solution as well as surfaces as antimicrobial materials with low cytotoxicity. In addition, a class of charged metallopolymers have been developed to kill superbugs such as MRSA.


Antitumor Activity Of Selected Derivatives Of Pyrazole- Benzenesulfonamides From Dilithiated C(Α), N-Phenylhydrazones And Lithiated Methyl 2-(Aminosulfonyl)Benzoate, N. Dwight Camper [Deceased], James M. Gum, Darby E. Lyles, William T. Pennington, Charles F. Beam, Clyde R. Metz Apr 2017

Antitumor Activity Of Selected Derivatives Of Pyrazole- Benzenesulfonamides From Dilithiated C(Α), N-Phenylhydrazones And Lithiated Methyl 2-(Aminosulfonyl)Benzoate, N. Dwight Camper [Deceased], James M. Gum, Darby E. Lyles, William T. Pennington, Charles F. Beam, Clyde R. Metz

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Several pyrazole-benzenesulfonamides were subjected to biological evaluation involving tumor formation on potato discs caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This assay led to some excellent and promising initial results with three of the pyrazole compounds showing increased tumor inhibition when compared to a recognized standard, camptothecin. The select pyrazole-benzenesulfonamides were prepared by condensation-cyclization of several dilithiated C(α),N-phenylhydrazones with lithiated methyl 2-aminosulfonyl-benzoate.


Differential Response Of Coral Symbiotic Dinoflagellates To Bacterial Toxins That Produce Bleaching In Stony Corals, Diego L. Gil-Agudelo, Yael Ban-Haim, Eugene Rosenberg, Garriet W. Smith Apr 2017

Differential Response Of Coral Symbiotic Dinoflagellates To Bacterial Toxins That Produce Bleaching In Stony Corals, Diego L. Gil-Agudelo, Yael Ban-Haim, Eugene Rosenberg, Garriet W. Smith

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Bleaching of corals and other organisms with symbiotic zooxanthellae is a worldwide phenomenon with increasing importance due to global warming scenarios. Bleaching has been historically related to changes in the environment, especially water temperature increase, that stress corals and provoke the release of zooxanthellae. The discovery of Vibrio shilonii, a bacterium causing bleaching under thermal stress in corals of the Mediterranean Sea has changed our thinking about the cause (or explanation) for bleaching of corals worldwide. During this study, we evaluated the effect of a proline rich toxin, extracted from Vibrio shilonii, on zooxanthellae obtained from: Oculina patagonica from the …


Data-Driven Identification Of Potential Zika Virus Vectors, Michelle V. Evans, Tad Dallas, Barbara A. Han, Courtney C. Murdock, John M. Drake Mar 2017

Data-Driven Identification Of Potential Zika Virus Vectors, Michelle V. Evans, Tad Dallas, Barbara A. Han, Courtney C. Murdock, John M. Drake

Faculty Publications

Zika is an emerging virus whose rapid spread is of great public health concern. Knowledge about transmission remains incomplete, especially concerning potential transmission in geographic areas in which it has not yet been introduced. To identify unknown vectors of Zika, we developed a data-driven model linking vector species and the Zika virus via vector-virus trait combinations that confer a propensity toward associations in an ecological network connecting flaviviruses and their mosquito vectors. Our model predicts that thirty-five species may be able to transmit the virus, seven of which are found in the continental United States, including Culex quinquefasciatus and Cx. …


Climate Warming Can Accelerate Carbon Fluxes Without Changing Soil Carbon Stocks, Susan E. Ziegler, Ronald Benner, Sharon A. Billings, Kate A. Edwards, Michael Philben, Xinbiao Zhu, Jerome Laganière Feb 2017

Climate Warming Can Accelerate Carbon Fluxes Without Changing Soil Carbon Stocks, Susan E. Ziegler, Ronald Benner, Sharon A. Billings, Kate A. Edwards, Michael Philben, Xinbiao Zhu, Jerome Laganière

Faculty Publications

Climate warming enhances multiple ecosystem C fluxes, but the net impact of changing C fluxes on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks over decadal to centennial time scales remains unclear. We investigated the effects of climate on C fluxes and soil C stocks using space-for-time substitution along a boreal forest climate gradient encompassing spatially replicated sites at each of three latitudes. All regions had similar SOC concentrations and stocks (5.6 to 6.7 kg C m−2). The three lowest latitude forests exhibited the highest productivity across the transect, with tree biomass:age ratios and litterfall rates 300 and 125% higher than those in …


The Role Of Lipocalin-2 In The Hepatic Microenvironment Of Colorectal Cancer Metastasis, Daniel Titus Hughes Jan 2017

The Role Of Lipocalin-2 In The Hepatic Microenvironment Of Colorectal Cancer Metastasis, Daniel Titus Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The major cause of death is metastasis and the frequent target organ is the liver. When diagnosed early at a localized stage, the five year survival rate after resection is 90%. However, after metastasis has occurred, this drops to less than 12%. Metastasis is often asymptomatic and diagnosed at the final stage when therapeutic options are limited. Because of this, the genetic and cellular mechanisms regulating metastasis are still poorly understood. Recent studies have shown that prior to the arrival of cancer cells at the …