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Recent Articles in Biology
Protein Interactions In Mrna Methylation Complexes, Yazan Ali Alqara 
University of New Orleans
Protein Interactions In Mrna Methylation Complexes, Yazan Ali Alqara
Senior Honors Theses
Experiments were performed to test sequence and structural specific interactions of proteins with a conserved RNA modification enzyme, which is known as Ime4 in yeast and Mettl3 in mammals. Ime4 methylates N6-adenosine bases on mRNA molecules. The goal of this project is to gain direct insights into how novel proteins interact with Ime4 to form the methyltranferase (MTase) complex and to identify proteins that are essential for Ime4 activity. It has been recognized that there are two proteins that interact within the Ime4 complex, which are known as Mum2 (a cytoplasmic protein essential for meiotic DNA replication within yeast) and ...
A Survey Of Ionoregulatory Responses To Extended Exercise And Acute Hypoxia In Freshwater Amazonian And Southern Ontarian Teleosts: Investigating The Osmorespiratory Compromise, Lisa M. Robertson MSc 
McMaster University
A Survey Of Ionoregulatory Responses To Extended Exercise And Acute Hypoxia In Freshwater Amazonian And Southern Ontarian Teleosts: Investigating The Osmorespiratory Compromise, Lisa M. Robertson Msc
Open Access Dissertations and Theses
The osmorespiratory compromise is the trade-off between high gill permeability for oxygen uptake and low gill permeability for conservation of ions in fish. The fundamental purpose of this study was to examine facets of the osmorespiratory compromise in freshwater fish under conditions of extended exercise and acute hypoxia, in light of previous research identifying very different gill morphometric and ionoregulatory modifications in the hypoxia-tolerant Amazonian oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) and the hypoxia-intolerant rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). A technique using [3H]polyethylene-4000 ([3H]PEG-4000) for branchial paracellular permeability measurement was developed, and then applied to investigate the osmorespiratory compromise during ...
Comparative Analyses Of Microbial Genomes To Identify Molecular Markers For Different Groups Of Prokaryotes, Vaibhav Bhandari McMaster University
Comparative Analyses Of Microbial Genomes To Identify Molecular Markers For Different Groups Of Prokaryotes, Vaibhav Bhandari
Open Access Dissertations and Theses
Currently centered on molecular data, bacterial and archaeal relationships are often based on their relative branching in 16S rRNA based phylogenetic trees. The availability of numerous bacterial genome sequences over the past two decades has provided new information for insights previously inaccessible to the field of taxonomy. Through utilization of comparative genomics, numerous molecular markers in the form of insertions and deletions within conserved regions of proteins, also known as Conserved Signature Indels or CSIs, have been discovered for various prokaryotic taxa. Using these techniques, we have analyzed relationships among the bacterial phyla of Thermotogae and Synergistetes and the conglomeration ...
An Experimental Evaluation Of The Use Of C3 Δ13C Plant Tissue As A Proxy For The Paleoatmospheric Δ13Co2 Signature Of Air, B. H. Lomax, C. A. Knight, J. A. Lake 
California Polytechnic State University
An Experimental Evaluation Of The Use Of C3 Δ13C Plant Tissue As A Proxy For The Paleoatmospheric Δ13Co2 Signature Of Air, B. H. Lomax, C. A. Knight, J. A. Lake
Biological Sciences
Previous work suggests that the relationship between the carbon isotope composition of air (d13Ca) and plant leaf tissue (d13Cp) can be used to track changes in the carbon isotope composition of paleo-atmospheric CO2. Here we test this assertion in a series of experiments using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana grown under a range of atmospheric CO2 concentrations relevant to geologic time (380, 760, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 3000 ppm). Nested within these CO2 experiments water availability was controlled (giving two sets of experimental plants; low and high water treatment at each CO2 concentration) to manipulate stomatal opening, a key process ...
Exploring The Sulfide Tolerance Of Ectosymbiotic Niphargus Amphipods From The Frasassi Caves, Central Italy, Jan Bauermeister, Karoline Assig, Sharmishtha Dattagupta 
University of South Florida
Exploring The Sulfide Tolerance Of Ectosymbiotic Niphargus Amphipods From The Frasassi Caves, Central Italy, Jan Bauermeister, Karoline Assig, Sharmishtha Dattagupta
International Journal of Speleology
Two species of the crustacean amphipod genus Niphargus inhabit the sulfidic groundwaters of the Frasassi caves in central Italy, and both harbor filamentous, sulfide-oxidizing Thiothrix ectosymbionts. As sulfide is toxic to most aerobic organisms, it appeared possible that the ectosymbionts could help their Niphargus hosts with detoxification processes. In this study, mortality due to sulfide was compared between Niphargus individuals with ectosymbionts and individuals whose ectosymbionts had been killed by antibiotic treatment. Both Frasassi-dwelling Niphargus species revealed exceptionally high tolerances to sulfide compared to other amphipod species studied so far. Niphargus individuals without viable ectosymbionts tolerated sulfide levels exceeding those ...
Reexamination Of Herpetofauna On Mormon Island, Hall County, Nebraska, With Notes On Natural History, Keith Geluso, Mary J. Harner 
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Reexamination Of Herpetofauna On Mormon Island, Hall County, Nebraska, With Notes On Natural History, Keith Geluso, Mary J. Harner
Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies
The Platte River in central Nebraska, USA, was historically surrounded by mixed grass and tallgrass prairies and wet meadows, but many of those habitats were lost or altered during the last century with unknown effects on animals that reside in them. Researchers first surveyed herpetofauna on part of a large island preserve in the Platte River, Mormon Island, Hall County, Nebraska, in 1980 when the land was protected for conservation. They documented 10 species, including three species of amphibians and seven species of reptiles. We inventoried herpetofauna after 30 years of conservation management on Mormon Island and adjacent Shoemaker Island ...
Phytochemistry Predicts Habitat Selection By An Avian Herbivore At Multiple Spatial Scales, Graham G. Frye, John W. Connelly, David D. Musil, Jennifer S. Forbey 
Boise State University
Phytochemistry Predicts Habitat Selection By An Avian Herbivore At Multiple Spatial Scales, Graham G. Frye, John W. Connelly, David D. Musil, Jennifer S. Forbey
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Animal habitat selection is a process that functions at multiple, hierarchically structured spatial scales. Thus multi-scale analyses should be the basis for inferences about factors driving the habitat selection process. Vertebrate herbivores forage selectively on the basis of phytochemistry, but few studies have investigated the influence of selective foraging (i.e., fine-scale habitat selection) on habitat selection at larger scales. We tested the hypothesis that phytochemistry is integral to the habitat selection process for vertebrate herbivores. We predicted that habitats selected at three spatial scales would be characterized by higher nutrient concentrations and lower concentrations of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs ...
Study Of Genes Relating To Degradation Of Aromatic Compounds And Carbon Metabolism In Mycobacterium Sp. Strain Kms, Chun Zhang 
Utah State University
Study Of Genes Relating To Degradation Of Aromatic Compounds And Carbon Metabolism In Mycobacterium Sp. Strain Kms, Chun Zhang
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, produced by anthropological and natural activities, are hazardous through formation of oxidative radicals and DNA adducts. Growth of Mycobacterium sp. strain KMS, isolated from a contaminated soil, on the model hydrocarbon pyrene induced specific proteins. My work extends the study of isolate KMS to the gene level to understand the pathways and regulation of pyrene utilization. Genes encoding pyrene-induced proteins were clustered on a 72 kb section on the KMS chromosome but some also were duplicated on plasmids. Skewed GC content and presence of integrase and transposase genes suggested horizontal transfer of pyrene-degrading gene islands that also ...
Diversity And Abundance Of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Associated With Different Benthic Substrates In The East Branch Of The Little Calumet River, Halina Hopkins, Ali Olson 
Valparaiso University
Diversity And Abundance Of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Associated With Different Benthic Substrates In The East Branch Of The Little Calumet River, Halina Hopkins, Ali Olson
Celebration of Undergraduate Scholarship
As part of an ongoing study of the effect of removing logjams to open the East Branch of the Little Calumet River for recreational purposes, we worked with park staff at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on a study of the abundance and diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates. We used a quantitative sampling technique to obtain samples of macroinvertebrates from five substrates in reaches of the river above and below four focal logjams. Diversity as measured by the Shannon-Weiner index varied with river substrate (sand=1.467, root wad=1.854, wood=1.64). Sand had the lowest average number of ...
Method For Instant Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Kill Of Samples, Melissa Kohner, Sara Dick Valparaiso University
Method For Instant Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Kill Of Samples, Melissa Kohner, Sara Dick
Celebration of Undergraduate Scholarship
It is essential when studying the circadian rhythm in cells to be able to effectively stop them in time. In this experiment, we tested what would be the most successful killing agent on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Six different agents were tested at different concentrations and amounts. After the S. cerevisiae was added to the test tube containing the agent, it was streaked on a plate after 5 and 10 minutes. The plates were incubated and then checked for growth. Ethanol was the most efficient killing agent. After an effective killing agent is determined, it can be used in further experiments measuring ...
Shape Changes In Hyoid Arch Elements In Four Shark Species, Isabel S. Nowinowski 
University of Rhode Island
Shape Changes In Hyoid Arch Elements In Four Shark Species, Isabel S. Nowinowski
Senior Honors Projects
The hyoid arch is critical in expanding the oral cavity during feeding and ventilation in fishes. The elements of the hyoid arch vary widely in morphology among fish taxa. The hyoid arch is medial to the jaws and is made up of paired hyomandibular cartilages (HY) dorsally, paired ceratohyal cartilages (CH) ventral to the HY, and a single, medial basihyal cartilage (BH) that interconnects the two sides. As the jaws open, the CH-BH complex is depressed expanding the floor of the oral cavity. The coracohyoideus muscle pulls the BH ventroposteriorly, which in turn swings the CH ventroposteriorly. As the coracohyoideus ...
Amphibian Biodiversity Survey - Wetland Area Southwest Of Montana Tech, Trace Forkan, Siobhan Wock, Cody Doyle, Joyce Wilhelm 
Montana Tech Library
Amphibian Biodiversity Survey - Wetland Area Southwest Of Montana Tech, Trace Forkan, Siobhan Wock, Cody Doyle, Joyce Wilhelm
TECHxpo
The primary goal of this project was to launch a pilot population study in the spring-fed wetland area southwest of Montana Tech to establish baseline data on density, distribution, abundance, and diversity of amphibians in the area. The current confirmed species at the select site is the Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris). Based on preliminary habitat assessment and existing literature, other species possibilities included the long-toed salamander (Ambrystoma macrodactylum) boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata), the Rocky Mountain tailed frog (Ascaphus montanus), and the leopard frog (Rana pipiens), (Werner et al. 2004) though the latter species is considered unlikely based on ...
Reproductive Biology And Impacts Of Energy Development On Physaria Congesta And Physaria Obcordata (Brassicaceae), Two Rare And Threatened Plants In The Piceance Basin, Colorado, Sarah Lynn Clark Utah State University
Reproductive Biology And Impacts Of Energy Development On Physaria Congesta And Physaria Obcordata (Brassicaceae), Two Rare And Threatened Plants In The Piceance Basin, Colorado, Sarah Lynn Clark
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The Piceance Basin in western Colorado has undergone a drastic increase in oil and gas development over the last two decades. This increase has escalated concerns about the effects of development on the Basin’s flora and fauna, especially the rare plant community. Potential impacts from oil and gas development on rare plants may be found through decrease in plant habitat or by a decrease in plant reproductive success through changes to important pollinator communities. Here, we observed the pollinator community on two rare mustard plants, Physaria congesta and Physaria obcordata (Brassicaceae), both listed as threatened by the US Fish ...
The Effects Of Fire On The Vernal Herbs Of An Eastern Mesic Forest, David Randolph Kem 
Western Kentucky University
The Effects Of Fire On The Vernal Herbs Of An Eastern Mesic Forest, David Randolph Kem
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
The effects of fire on vernal herbs of the mesic forests of eastern North America are poorly understood. I studied the influence of prescribed fire on species richness, abundance of rare and common species, and density of exotics in the vernal herbaceous layer. To determine these effects, three sites in central Kentucky were surveyed prior to and following one of three treatments: spring burn, winter burn, or negative control. I conducted low-intensity spring burns in April 2010 and winter burns in February 2011. I used chi square analyses to test for changes in species richness, abundance of rare species, abundance ...
Characterization Of The Apoptotic Functions Of The Hid Hmolog Isolated From Megaselia Scalaris, Shannon Smith 
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Characterization Of The Apoptotic Functions Of The Hid Hmolog Isolated From Megaselia Scalaris, Shannon Smith
University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects
No abstract provided.
The Effects Of Tarp Wrapping On Blow Fly Oviposition During Decomposition Of Pigs, Natasha Lobosky, Jordan Stein Valparaiso University
The Effects Of Tarp Wrapping On Blow Fly Oviposition During Decomposition Of Pigs, Natasha Lobosky, Jordan Stein
Celebration of Undergraduate Scholarship
The effects of blow fly oviposition on 12 young, recently deceased pigs were studied during a one month period in the fall semester of 2012. This project follows similar techniques that Dr. Bugajski used during her research project at Purdue. Using tarp-wrapped bodies as the sole variable, bare pigs were held as the control. The data that were collected included the presence or absence of larvae or adult flies, daily temperatures, samples of both larvae and adult flies, and the start and end of maggot migration. The samples of larvae and adult flies were later identified in the lab and ...
How Do Prey Refuges Affect Predator-Prey Interactions?, Justin Vendettuoli University of Rhode Island
How Do Prey Refuges Affect Predator-Prey Interactions?, Justin Vendettuoli
Senior Honors Projects
While it is well known that predators eat their prey, prey that avoid predation risk can also incur substantial fitness costs through risk-induced changes in survival and reproduction, growth, and morphology. Changes in prey that occur without the predator physically consuming the prey are referred to as ‘non-consumptive effects’. One way to reduce the risk of predation is to use a refuge. While refuge use may reduce predation risk, however, it may also be costly to the prey. These costs may include within-refuge competition for resources, which can alter prey population dynamics, coexistence, and metapopulation dynamics. While these costs may ...
Thermal And Spatial Tracking Of Inter-Nesting Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta Caretta) In Kyparissia Bay, Greece, Thomas F. Backof, Stephen J. Morreale, Thomas E. Riggall 
Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne
Thermal And Spatial Tracking Of Inter-Nesting Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta Caretta) In Kyparissia Bay, Greece, Thomas F. Backof, Stephen J. Morreale, Thomas E. Riggall
IPFW Student Research and Creative Endeavor Symposium
Loggerhead sea turtles are globally endangered cold blooded reptiles. As with all sea turtles, they return to the same beach to nest, making each distinct beach and population important for species survival. Time spent between nesting attempts is referred to as the inter-nesting period and is a short but vital part of a turtle’s life. As turtles are able to behaviorally thermoregulate, temperature is thought to be an important aspect of inter-nesting location. Determining where a turtle spends her inter-nesting period is an important research topic for the conservation of the species. Kyparissia Bay, Peloponnese, Greece is the second ...
Puerarin: From The Roots Of Kudzu, An Invasive Plant, To The Front Lines In Modulating Stress Within Farmed Salmonids, Mohammed Rumman Hossain Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne
Puerarin: From The Roots Of Kudzu, An Invasive Plant, To The Front Lines In Modulating Stress Within Farmed Salmonids, Mohammed Rumman Hossain
IPFW Student Research and Creative Endeavor Symposium
According to recent estimates, global annual farmed salmonid production exceeds 2 million metric tons (mt). In British Columbia alone, the salmon farming industry accounts for CAD 600+ million annually and employs 3500+ people. One of the problems associated with aquaculture is the risk of disease outbreak through pathogenic infections. There are natural reservoirs of microbes within the salmonids and the risk of sickness is lower in the wild; however, due to the husbandry practices in farming, the potential of infections is elevated. In aquaculture, salmon are reared in conditions where they are crowded, handled, chased, and caught repeatedly. Hence, stress ...
Functional Characterization Of The Arabidopsis Nucleobase-Ascorbate Transporter Family (Nat) Reveals Distinct Transport Profiles And Novel Substrate Specificity, Kevin Ann Hunt Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne
Functional Characterization Of The Arabidopsis Nucleobase-Ascorbate Transporter Family (Nat) Reveals Distinct Transport Profiles And Novel Substrate Specificity, Kevin Ann Hunt
IPFW Student Research and Creative Endeavor Symposium
The Nucleobase-Ascorbate Transporter (NAT) family is found in every major taxa with over 2000 putative members. Despite the structural similarities amongst putative members, the less than 20 characterized NATs have distinct transport profiles. Microbial, plant, and non-primate mammalian NATs are specific for uracil, xanthine, and/or uric acid; whereas, mammalian NATs transport vitamin C. These hugely different specificities make NATs candidates for the rational design of antifungal and antibacterial drugs, as human and microbial NATs transport different substrates. The Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains 12 putative members of the NAT family, whose functions have previously eluded discovery. Radiolabeled uptake studies of ...
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