Biology Commons^™

Genetic Engineering, A Hope For Sustainable Biofuel Production: Review, Sudip Paudel, Michael A. Menze

Michael Menze

The use of recently developed genetic engineering tools in combination with organisms that have the potential to produce precursors for the production of biodiesel, promises a sustainable and environment friendly energy source. Enhanced lipid production in wild type and/or genetically engineered organisms can offer sufficient raw material for industrial transesterification of plant-based triglycerides. Bio-diesel, produced with the help of genetically modified organisms, might be one of the best alternatives to fossil fuels and to mitigate various environmental hazards.

Toxicodynamic Modeling Of 137cs To Estimate White-Tailed Deer Background Levels For The Department Of Energy's Savannah River Site, Karen F. Gaines, James M. Novak, Christopher W. Bobryk, Susan A. Blas

Karen F. Gaines

The U.S. Department of Energy's (USDOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) is a former nuclear weapon material production and current research facility adjacent to the Savannah River in South Carolina, USA. The purpose of this study was to determine the background radiocesium (137Cs) body burden (e.g., from global fallout) for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) inhabiting the SRS. To differentiate what the background burden is for the SRS versus 137Cs obtained from SRS nuclear activities, data were analyzed spatially, temporally and compared to other off-site hunting areas near the SRS. The specific objectives of this study were: to compare SRS and offsite …

The Failure Of Evolution In Antiquity, Devin Henry

Devin Henry

This paper traces the emergence and rejection of evolutionary thinking in antiquity. It examines Empedocles' original theory of evolution and why his ideas failed to gain traction among his predecessors.

Bayesian Joint Selection Of Genes And Pathways: Applications In Multiple Myeloma Genomics, Lin Zhang, Jeffrey S. Morris, Jiexin Zhang, Robert Orlowski, Veerabhadran Baladandayuthapani

Jeffrey S. Morris

It is well-established that the development of a disease, especially cancer, is a complex process that results from the joint effects of multiple genes involved in various molecular signaling pathways. In this article, we propose methods to discover genes and molecular pathways significantly associ- ated with clinical outcomes in cancer samples. We exploit the natural hierarchal structure of genes related to a given pathway as a group of interacting genes to conduct selection of both pathways and genes. We posit the problem in a hierarchical structured variable selection (HSVS) framework to analyze the corresponding gene expression data. HSVS methods conduct …

Disease Risks Posed By Wild Birds Associated With Agricultural Landscapes, Larry Clark

Larry Clark

No abstract provided.

Chapter 7: The Chemical Senses In Birds, Larry Clark

Larry Clark

No abstract provided.

Comparative Genomics Of Closely Related Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhi Strains Reveals Genome Dynamics And The Acquisition Of Novel Pathogenic Elements, Kien-Pong Yap

Kien-Pong Yap

Background Typhoid fever is an infectious disease of global importance that is caused by Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi). This disease causes an estimated 200,000 deaths per year and remains a serious global health threat. S. Typhi is strictly a human pathogen, and some recovered individuals become long-term carriers who continue to shed the bacteria in their faeces, thus becoming main reservoirs of infection.

Results A comparative genomics analysis combined with a phylogenomic analysis revealed that the strains from the outbreak and carrier were closely related with microvariations and possibly derived from a common ancestor. Additionally, the …

Genotype-By-Environment Interactions And Sexual Selection In Guppies, Gita R. Kolluru

Gita R. Kolluru

No abstract provided.

Mating Behavior And Its Morphological Correlates In Two Color Morphsof Girardinus Metallicus (Pisces: Poeciliidae), A Species Previouslythought Not To Exhibit Courtship Display, Gita R. Kolluru

Gita R. Kolluru

No abstract provided.

Systematic Screen Of Chemotherapeutics In Drosophila Stem Cell Tumors, Michele Markstein, Samantha Detorree, Julio Cho, Ralph Neumüller, Soren Craig-Müller, Norbert Perrimon

Michele Markstein

Here we report the development of an in vivo system to study the interaction of stem cells with drugs using a tumor model in the adult Drosophila intestine. Strikingly, we find that some Food and Drug Administration-approved chemotherapeutics that can inhibit the growth of Drosophila tumor stem cells can paradoxically promote the hyperproliferation of their wild-type counterparts. These results reveal an unanticipated side effect on stem cells that may contribute to tumor recurrence. We propose that the same side effect may occur in humans based on our finding that it is driven in Drosophila by the evolutionarily conserved Janus kinase-signal …

Deconstructing The Surrogate Species Concept: A Life History Approach To The Protection Of Ecosystem Services., John E. Banks, John D. Stark, Roger I. Vargas, Azmy S. Ackleh

John Banks

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of The Stream Temperature Regime Under Forested And Non-Forested Riparian 4 Zones At Eleven Sites Across North America, J. A. Simmons, M. Anderson, W. Dress, C. Hanna, Daniel J. Hornbach, A. Janmaat, F. Kuserk, J. G. March, T. Murray, J. Niedzwiecki, D. Panvini, B. Pohlad, C. Thomas, L. Vasseur

Daniel J. Hornbach

No abstract provided.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis And Ecosystem Processes: Prospects For Future Research In Tropical Soils, Geofrey Soka, Mark Ritchie

Geofrey Soka

No abstract provided.

Serpentine Soils, Nishanta Rajakaruna, R. S. Boyd

Nishanta Rajakaruna

Serpentine soils are weathered products of a range of ultramafic rocks composed of ferromagnesian silicates. Serpentine more accurately refers to a group of minerals, including antigorite, chrysotile, and lizardite, in hydrothermally altered ultramafic rocks. Common ultramafic rock types include peridotites (dunite, wehrlite, harzburgite, lherzolite) and the secondary alteration products formed by their hydration within the Earth’s crust, including serpentinite, the primary source of serpentine soil. Serpentine soils are generally deficient in plant essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur; have a calcium-to-magnesium (Ca:Mg) molar ratio of less than 1; and have elevated levels of heavy metals such as …

From Algae To Angiosperms – Inferring The Phylogeny Of Green Plants ( Viridiplantae ) From 360 Plastid Genomes, Brad Ruhfel, Matthew Gitzendanner, Paula Soltis, Douglas Soltis, J. Burleigh

Brad R. Ruhfel

Background

Next-generation sequencing has provided a wealth of plastid genome sequence data from an increasingly diverse set of green plants (Viridiplantae). Although these data have helped resolve the phylogeny of numerous clades (e.g., green algae, angiosperms, and gymnosperms), their utility for inferring relationships across all green plants is uncertain. Viridiplantae originated 700-1500 million years ago and may comprise as many as 500,000 species. This clade represents a major source of photosynthetic carbon and contains an immense diversity of life forms, including some of the smallest and largest eukaryotes. Here we explore the limits and challenges of inferring a comprehensive green …

Frequency-Dependent Mate Selection In The Guppy (Poeciliidae: Poecilia Reticulata), Andre Porter, Jack Frankel

Jack Frankel

Corrigendum To ‘‘Insecticide Resistance In House Flies From The United States: Resistance Levels And Frequency Of Pyrethroid Resistance Alleles’’ [Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 107 (2013) 377–384], Jeffrey G. Scott, Cheryl A. Leichter, Frank D. Rinkevich, Sarah A. Harris, Cathy Su, Lauren C. Aberegg, Roger D. Moon, Christopher J. Geden, Alec C. Gerry, David B. Taylor, Ronnie L. Byford, Wes Watson, Gregory Johnson, David Boxler, Ludek Zurek

David B. Taylor

Dr. Rinkevich’s name was improperly spelled due to a production error. The staff at Elsevier apologizes for this mistake.

Eavesdropping Selects For Conspicuous Signals, Elinor Lichtenberg, Joshua Graff Zivin, Michael Hrncir, James Nieh

Joshua Graff Zivin

No abstract provided.

Insights Into The Evolution And Diversification Of The At-Hook Motif Nuclear Localized Gene Family In Land Plants, Jianfei Zhao, David Favero, Jiwen Qiu, Eric Roalson, Michael Neff

Jianfei Zhao

Expanding The Direct Hetr Regulon In Anabaena Sp. Strain Pcc 7120, Loralyn Cozy, Patrick Videau, Shuisong Ni, Orion S. Rivers, Blake Ushijima, Michael A. Kennedy, Erik A. Feldmann, Sean M. Callahan

Loralyn Cozy

Different Meal, Same Flavor: Cospeciation And Host Switching Of Haemosporidian Parasites In Some Non-Passerine Birds, Diego Santiago-Alarcon, Adriana Rodríguez-Ferraro, Patricia G. Parker, Robert E. Ricklefs

Robert Ricklefs

Different Meal, Same Flavor: Cospeciation And Host Switching Of Haemosporidian Parasites In Some Non-Passerine Birds, Diego Santiago-Alarcon, Adriana Rodríguez-Ferraro, Patricia G. Parker, Robert E. Ricklefs

Patricia Parker

Complete Genome Sequence Of Anabaena Variabilis Atcc 29413, Teresa Thiel, Brenda S. Pratte, Jinshun Zhong, Lynne Goodwin, Alex Copeland, Susan Lucas, Cliff Han, Sam Pitluck, Miriam L. Land, Nikos C. Kyrpides, Tanja Woyke

Teresa Thiel

The Cryptococcus Neoformans Transcriptome At The Site Of Human Meningitis, Yuan Chen, Dena L. Toffaletti, Jennifer L. Tenor, Anastasia P. Litvintseva, Charles Fang, Thomas G. Mitchell, Tami R. Mcdonald, Kirsten Nielsen, David R. Boulware, Tihana Bicanic, John R. Perfect

Tami McDonald

No abstract provided.