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The Breeding Biology Of The Northern Pygmy Owl: Do The Smallest Of The Small Have An Advantage?, John F. Deshler, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We explored the breeding biology of the Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) from 2007 to 2009 in a forested reserve in Portland, Oregon. Large body size is often assumed to give animals reproductive advantages, and we tested whether body size affected timing of breeding and examined variation in diet, breeding date, clutch size, and reproductive success to explore whether the presumed benefits of large body size are evident in this species. The average size of 13 clutches was 5.8, and nest success was high (92%); 22 successful nests fledged an average of 5.2 young. Dates of first laying varied …

Herbivore Pressure Increases Toward The Equator, Robert Marquis, Diego Salazar

Biology Department Faculty Works

Increases in species diversity and density from higher to lower latitudes are well documented. Nevertheless, the consequences of these changes in diversity for structuring ecological communities and influencing biotic evolution are largely unknown. It is widely believed that this increase in species diversity is associated with increased intensity of ecological interactions closer to the equator. For plant–herbivore interactions in particular, the predictions are that, at lower latitudes, plants will be attacked by more individual herbivores, more herbivore species, and more specialized herbivores and, therefore, will suffer greater damage. We used a large-scale latitudinal transect from Mexico to Bolivia to quantify …

Effects Of Leaf Litter Diversity On Nutrients And Mosquito Communities In Neotropical Artificial Tree Holes, Rachel Komosinski

Theses and Dissertations

Inputs from terrestrial habitats to aquatic habitats are important for structuring aquatic communities. Terrestrial producer diversity in the tropics may decline due to anthropogenic causes. I investigated how tree diversity affects aquatic communities. We used leaves from three timber-producing species (Dalbergia retusa, Pachira quinata, and Tectona grandis) to test the effects of leaf litter species composition and richness on invertebrate aquatic communities in Gamboa, Panama. We quantified macroinvertbrate species richness and abundances, leaf litter mass loss, and dissolved carbon to nitrogen ratios (C:N) after 4 weeks. We found that litter types differed in breakdown and C:N. Tectona grandis had lower …

A Multi-Gene Phylogeny Of Cephalopoda Supports Convergent Morphological Evolution In Association With Multiple Habitat Shifts In The Marine Environment, Annie R. Lindgren, Molly S. Pankey, Frederick G. Hochberg, Todd H. Oakley

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The marine environment is comprised of numerous divergent organisms living under similar selective pressures, often resulting in the evolution of convergent structures such as the fusiform body shape of pelagic squids, fishes, and some marine mammals. However, little is known about the frequency of, and circumstances leading to, convergent evolution in the open ocean. Here, we present a comparative study of the molluscan class Cephalopoda, a marine group known to occupy habitats from the intertidal to the deep sea. Several lineages bear features that may coincide with a benthic or pelagic existence, making this a valuable group for testing hypotheses …

Sex-Specific Habitat Use And Responses To Fragmentation In An Endemic Chameleon Fauna, Philip Shirk

Theses and Dissertations

Chameleons are an understudied taxon facing many threats, including collection for the international pet trade and habitat loss and fragmentation. A recent field study reports a highly female-biased sex ratio in the Eastern Arc Endemic Usambara three horned chameleon, Trioceros deremensis, a large, sexually dimorphic species. This species is collected for the pet trade, and local collectors report males bring a higher price because only this sex has horns. Thus, sex ratios may vary due to differential rates of survival or harvesting. Alternatively, they may simply appear to be skewed if differences in habitat use biases detection of the sexes. …

Plant Lectin Can Target Receptors Containing Sialic Acid, Exemplified By Podoplanin, To Inhibit Transformed Cell Growth And Migration, Jhon Ochoa-Alvarez, Harini Krishnan, Yongquan Shen, Nimish Acharya, Min Han, Dean Mcnulty, Hitoki Hasegawa

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Cancer is a leading cause of death of men and women worldwide. Tumor cell motility contributes to metastatic invasion that causes the vast majority of cancer deaths. Extracellular receptors modified by α2,3-sialic acids that promote this motility can serve as ideal chemotherapeutic targets. For example, the extracellular domain of the mucin receptor podoplanin (PDPN) is highly O-glycosylated with α2,3-sialic acid linked to galactose. PDPN is activated by endogenous ligands to induce tumor cell motility and metastasis. Dietary lectins that target proteins containing α2,3-sialic acid inhibit tumor cell growth. However, anti-cancer lectins that have been examined thus far target receptors …

Serratia Marcescens: The Miracle Bacillus, Alan L. Gillen, Rebekah Gibbs

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The objectives of this article are to explain the mysterious appearance of crimson-colored bacteria on food and communion bread/wafers, over the centuries, as well as to describe the biological basis

Mechanical Stretch And Pi3k Signaling Link Cell Migration And Proliferation To Coordinate Epithelial Tubule Morphogenesis In The Zebrafish Pronephros, Aleksandr Vasilyev, Yan Liu, Nathan Hellman, Narendra Pathak, Iain A. Drummond

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

Organ development leads to the emergence of organ function, which in turn can impact developmental processes. Here we show that fluid flow-induced collective epithelial migration during kidney nephron morphogenesis induces cell stretch that in turn signals epithelial proliferation. Increased cell proliferation was dependent on PI3K signaling. Inhibiting epithelial proliferation by blocking PI3K or CDK4/Cyclin D1 activity arrested cell migration prematurely and caused a marked overstretching of the distal nephron tubule. Computational modeling of the involved cell processes predicted major morphological and kinetic outcomes observed experimentally under a variety of conditions. Overall, our findings suggest that kidney development is a recursive …

Energetic Costs Of Thermoregulation And Population Life-History Characterization In Eastern Collared Lizards, Casey Lee Brewster

Theses and Dissertations

Thermoregulation theory makes distinct predictions as to the optimal level of thermoregulation when the costs associated with the thermal habitat are less favorable. I designed a manipulative experiment to test the hypothesis that thermal constraints reduce growth rates in hatchling-collared lizards by imposing high and low cost thermoregulation treatments. Lizards thermoregulated similarly between treatments, but grew more slowly in the high cost thermoregulation treatment. My results suggest that the decrement to growth in the high cost treatment is primarily the result of energy diverted from growth to locomotion shuttling between suitable micro- habitats. I combined this experiment with a field …

Foraging And Digestive Energetics In Montane And Lowland Salamanders, Cody Lund Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

Thermal physiology substantially limits the distributions of organisms across landscapes. Specifically, the thermal sensitivity of foraging and digestive energetics influence the quantity of energy available for allocating to specific life functions. I hypothesized that foraging and Specific Dynamic Action (SDA) performances would differ between montane endemic and lowland salamander species. I found that foraging energetics differed between the montane endemics, Plethodon ouachitae and P. caddoensis, in comparison to the lowland P. albagula. Differences in foraging energetics were particularly pronounced at the warmest temperature and the montane endemics were more thermally sensitive, suggesting that constraints in foraging energetics influence the elevational …

Osh6 Extends Replicative Lifespan By Transporting Sterols To The Vacuolar Membrane And Promoting Vacuole Fusion, Senetibeb Gebre

Theses and Dissertations

Families of oxysterol-binding proteins (OSBP) are proposed to be involved in sterol metabolism. The unique sterol composition of eukaryotic membranes requires proteins such as OSBPs that contribute to sterol homeostasis. This thesis explores the role of Osh proteins (OSBP homologues) in membranes of yeast vacuoles in light of lifespan extension. The results show that over-expression of OSH6 promoted vacuole fusion, an ergosterol-requiring process, and extended the replicative lifespan. It is found that the level of Osh6 decreased with age. This decrease is slowed in a mutant expressing elevated OSH6 levels. It is also found that the sterol-binding domain of Osh6 …

Physiological And Morphological Variation In A Stream Salamander, Desmognathus Brimleyorum, Vanessa K Hilliard Young

Theses and Dissertations

Habitats vary in their biotic and abiotic components across space and time. Variability can introduce challenges for organisms unless they have the ability to alter their physiology in a way that maximizes fitness in a variable habitat. My thesis investigated the physiological and morphological responses of the stream salamander Desmignathus brimleyorum to variations in thermal and physical habitat characteristics. Chapter one concentrates on changes in metabolic response and swimming performance of salamanders exposed to differing thermal treatments and tests the predictions of the optimal acclimation theory. Chapter two investigates differences in swimming performance with respect to tail morphology, as well …

The Effect Of Human Activities And Their Associated Noise On Ungulate Behavior, Casey L. Brown, Amanda R. Hardy, Jesse R. Barber, Kurt M. Fristrup, Kevin R. Crooks, Lisa M. Angeloni

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: The effect of anthropogenic noise on terrestrial wildlife is a relatively new area of study with broad ranging management implications. Noise has been identified as a disturbance that has the potential to induce behavioral responses in animals similar to those associated with predation risk. This study investigated potential impacts of a variety of human activities and their associated noise on the behavior of elk (Cervus elaphus) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) along a transportation corridor in Grand Teton National Park.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We conducted roadside scan surveys and focal observations of ungulate behavior while concurrently recording …

Reproductive Biology Of The Southern Dwarf Siren, Pseudobranchus Axanthus, In Southern Florida, Zachary Cole Adcock

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The salamander family Sirenidae is composed of two extant genera, Siren and Pseudobranchus, each with two known species. Several questions regarding Sirenidae life history persist, and much of the available life history data for Pseudobranchus are attributed to studies of P. axanthus in northern Florida. Information on the reproductive biology of P. axanthus is limited, and historical references often suggest contradictory results. This study was undertaken to clarify information and expand on the limited data regarding P. axanthus reproductive biology, specifically for southern Florida populations. The study population was most likely the P. a. belli subspecies. P. axanthus in southern …

Invasional Interference Due To Similar Inter- And Intraspecific Competition Between Invaders May Affect Management, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Katriona Shea

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

As the number of biological invasions increases, the potential for invader– invader interactions also rises. The effect of multiple invaders can be superadditive (invasional meltdown), additive, or subadditive (invasional interference); which of these situations occurs has critical implications for prioritization of management efforts. Carduus nutans and C. acanthoides, two congeneric invasive weeds, have a striking, segregated distribution in central Pennsylvania, USA. Possible hypotheses for this pattern include invasion history and chance, direct competition, or negative interactions mediated by other species, such as shared pollinators. To explore the role of resource competition in generating this pattern, we conducted three related experiments …

Condition And Brightness Of Structural Blue-Green: Motmot Tail-Racket Brightness Is Related To Speed Of Feather Growth In Males, But Not In Females, Troy G. Murphy, Tiffany T. Pham

Biology Faculty Research

Coloration plays an important role in sexual and social communication, and in many avian species both males and females maintain elaborate colours. Recent research has provided strong support for the hypothesis that elaborate female traits can be maintained by sexual or social selection; however, most research on female ornamentation has focused on pigment-based colours, and less is known about how structural colours are maintained. Both sexes of the turquoise-browed motmot (Eumomota superciliosa) have a blue-green racket-tipped tail, and it remains unknown if tail coloration serves as a sexual or social signal in one or both sexes. Here, we …

Hypoxia-Sensitive Gene Expression In The Gastrocnemius Muscle Following Chronic Hind Limb Ischemia, Andrew Tilton

Biological Sciences

Chronic ischemia, caused by the formation atherosclerotic plaque occlusions in major conduit arteries, is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in western societies. Vascular remodeling can help compensate for the adverse effects of atherosclerotic plaque formation. Vascular remodeling relies heavily on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a critical protein that contributes to all forms of vascular formation and remodeling including angiogenesis, arteriogenesisand vasculogenesis. VEGF itself is up-regulated by the transcription factor, hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α), which becomes activated in low oxygen environments.

Through the use of animal chronic hindlimb ischemia models, these genes can be evaluated as …

Evidence For A Role Of Endogenous Nesfatin-1 In The Control Of Water Drinking, G. L.C. Yosten, L. Redlinger, W. K. Samson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nesfatin-1, a post-translational product of the nucleobindin-2 (NucB2) gene, is produced in several brain areas known to be important in neuroendocrine, autonomic and metabolic function, including the hypothalamus and medulla. The hallmark action of the peptide is its ability at picomole doses to inhibit food and water intake in rodents and, indeed, the effect on water intake is more pronounced than that on food intake. In preliminary studies, we observed a decrease in hypothalamic NucB2 expression in response to overnight water deprivation even when food was present, which reversed when water was returned to the animals. We therefore hypothesised that …

Transient Hypercapnia Reveals An Underlying Cerebrovascular Pathology In A Murine Model For Hiv-1 Associated Neuroinflammation: Role Of No-Cgmp Signaling And Normalization By Inhibition Of Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase-5, Jharon Silva, Oksana Polesskaya, Walter Knight, Johnny Ting Zheng, Megan Granger, Tenée Lopez, Fernando Ontiveros, Changyong Feng, Chen Yan, Karl A. Kasischke, Stephen Dewhurst

Biology Faculty/Staff Publications

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is known to be dysregulated in persons with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), for uncertain reasons. This is an important issue because impaired vasoreactivity has been associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke, elevated overall cardiovascular risk and cognitive impairment.

Dietary Lipid Saturation Influences Environmental Temperature Preference But Not Resting Metabolic Rate In The Djungarian Hamster (Phodopus Sungorus), Ryan Pannorfi , '04, Barry Michael Zee , '08, I. Vatnick, N. Berner, Sara Hiebert Burch

Biology Faculty Works

Heterothermic rodents increase self-selection of diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) when exposed to cold, short days, or short-day melatonin profiles, and Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) do so in long days in response to cold exposure alone. To determine whether Djungarian hamsters are also capable of selecting a thermal environment in response to dietary lipid composition, continuously normothermic hamsters were fed either a PUF-rich diet or a diet rich in saturated fatty acids (SFAs) for 6-10 wk and given a choice of thermal environments. As predicted, SF-fed hamsters were more likely than PUFA-fed hamsters to occupy the single heated …

Studying Human Disease Genes In Caenorhabditis Elegans : A Molecular Genetics Laboratory Project, Elisabeth A. Cox-Paulson, Theresa M. Grana, Michelle A. Harris, Janet M. Batzli

Biological Sciences Research

Scientists routinely integrate information from various channels to explore topics under study. We designed a 4-wk undergraduate laboratory module that used a multifaceted approach to study a question in molecular genetics. Specifcally, students investigated whether Caenorhabditis elegans can be a useful model system for studying genes associated with human disease. In a large-enrollment, sophomore-level laboratory course, groups of three to four students were assigned a gene associated with either breast cancer (brc-1), Wilson disease (cua-1), ovarian dysgenesis (fshr-1), or colon cancer (mlh-1). Students compared observable phenotypes of wild-type C. elegans and C. elegans with a homozygous deletion in the assigned …

Turning The Crown Upside Down: Gene Tree Parsimony Roots The Eukaryotic Tree Of Life, Laura A. Katz, Jessica R. Grant, Laura Wegener Parfrey, J. Gordon Burleigh

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The first analyses of gene sequence data indicated that the eukaryotic tree of life consisted of a long stem of microbial groups topped by a crown-containing plants, animals, and fungi and their microbial relatives. Although more recent multigene concatenated analyses have refined the relationships among the many branches of eukaryotes, the root of the eukaryotic tree of life has remained elusive. Inferring the root of extant eukaryotes is challenging because of the age of the group (∼1.7-2.1 billion years old), tremendous heterogeneity in rates of evolution among lineages, and lack of obvious outgroups for many genes. Here, we reconstruct a …

Distributional Survey And Habitat Associations Of Crayfishes In Three River Basins In Kansas, Ryan Lee Pinkall

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Kansas represents the western most edge of high crayfish diversity in North America. The most recent comprehensive survey of crayfishes in Kansas was conducted over 50 years ago and resulted in a list of seven species. Subsequently, three species were added sporadically. The most recent summary of crayfishes in Kansas included 10 species and suggested the highest diversity to be located in the northeastern portion of the state. I surveyed crayfishes in three river basins in Kansas during the summers of 2009, 2010, and 2011: Kansas-Lower Republican, Missouri, and Upper Republican. Sites were selected based on stream order and partitioned …

Shorter Migration Distances Associated With Higher Winter Temperatures Suggest A Mechanism For Advancing Nesting Phenology Of American Kestrels Falco Sparverius, Julie A. Heath, Karen Steenhof, Mark A. Foster

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Global climate change has affected avian migration patterns and nesting phenology. Changes in one phase of a bird's cycle will most likely affect other stages, but few studies focus simultaneously on multiple life-history events. We used western North American ringing records and Christmas Bird Counts to examine whether changes in migration patterns were concordant with advancing American kestrel Falco sparverius nesting phenology. Consistent with previous findings, male kestrels migrated shorter distances than female kestrels, and kestrels nesting in southern latitudes migrated shorter distances than kestrels nesting in more northern areas. In addition, kestrel migration distance decreased significantly from 1960 to …

Continual Passage Of Staphylococcus Epidermidis In Subinhibitory Levels Of The Biocide Triclosan Results In A Marked Increase In The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, Antibiotic Resistance, And Ethidium Bromide Resistance, William T. Moore

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Triclosan is a multi-purpose biocide that is used in many personal care products, including antibacterial hand soaps and toothpastes. The wide usage of triclosan fosters its dispersal into the enviro11l11ent, which might contribute to the ability of microorganisms to become resistant to triclosan in addition to certain other biocides and clinical antibiotics. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether long-term exposure of two strains of Staphylococcal epide]'midis to subinhibitory concentrations of triclosan would select for resistant mutants, and whether their ability to form polysaccharide biofilms lends to this resistance. This study also aimed to determine whether a mutation …

Wing Shape As An Indicator Of Larval Rearing Conditions For Aedes Albopictus And Aedes Aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae), C R. Stephens, Steven A. Juliano

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Estimating a mosquito's vector competence, or likelihood of transmitting disease, if it takes an infectious bloodmeal, is an important aspect of predicting when and where outbreaks of infectious diseases will occur. Vector competence can be affected by rearing temperature and inter- and intraspecific competition experienced by the individual mosquito during its larval development. This research investigates whether a new morphological indicator of larval rearing conditions, wing shape, can be used to distinguish reliably temperature and competitive conditions experienced during larval stages. Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae were reared in low intraspecific, high intraspecific, or high …

Seasonal Photoperiods Alter Developmental Time And Mass Of An Invasive Mosquito, Aedes Albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae), Across Its North-South Range In The United States, Steven A. Juliano, Donald A. Yee, Steven M. Vamosi

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse), is perhaps the most successful invasive mosquito species in contemporary history. In the United States, Ae. albopictus has spread from its introduction point in southern Texas to as far north as New Jersey (i.e., a span of approximate to 14 degrees latitude). This species experiences seasonal constraints in activity because of cold temperatures in winter in the northern United States, but is active year-round in the south. We performed a laboratory experiment to examine how life-history traits of Ae. albopictus from four populations (New Jersey [39.4 degrees N], Virginia [38.6 degrees N], North …

Environmental Flows Recommendations Report. Final Submission To The Environmental Flows Advisory Group, Rio Grande, Rio Grande Estuary, And Lower Laguna Madre Basin And Bay Stakeholders Committee, And Texas Commission On Environmental Quality, Hudson R. Deyoe, David Buzan, Jude A. Benavides, Carlos Marin, R. J. Edwards, W. Pulich Jr.

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

No abstract provided.

Anti-Invasive And Anti-Adhesive Activities Of A Recombinant Disintegrin, R-Viridistatin 2, Derived From The Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus Viridis Viridis), Sara E. Lucena, Ying Jia, Julio G. Soto, Jessica Parral, Esteban Cantu, Jeremy Brannon, Kristina Lardner, Carla J. Ramos, Agustin I. Seoane, Elda. E. Sánchez

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Snake venom disintegrins inhibit platelet aggregation and have anti-cancer activities. In this study, we report the cloning, expression, and functional activities of a recombinant disintegrin, r-viridistatin 2 (GenBank ID: JQ071899), from the Prairie rattlesnake. r-Viridistatin 2 was tested for anti-invasive and anti-adhesive activities against six different cancer cell lines (human urinary bladder carcinoma (T24), human fibrosarcoma (HT-1080), human skin melanoma (SK-Mel-28), human colorectal adenocarcinoma (CaCo-2), human breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231) and murine skin melanoma (B16F10)). r-Viridistatin 2 shares 96% and 64% amino acid identity with two other Prairie rattlesnake medium-sized disintegrins, viridin and viridistatin, respectively. r-Viridistatin 2 was able to …

Selfish Little Circles: Transmission Bias And Evolution Of Large Deletion-Bearing Mitochondrial Dna In Caenorhabditis Briggsae Nematodes, Katie A. Clark, Dana K. Howe, Kristin Gafner, Danika Kusuma, Sita Ping, Suzanne Estes

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Selfish DNA poses a significant challenge to genome stability and organismal fitness in diverse eukaryotic lineages. Although selfish mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has known associations with cytoplasmic male sterility in numerous gynodioecious plant species and is manifested as petite mutants in experimental yeast lab populations, examples of selfish mtDNA in animals are less common. We analyzed the inheritance and evolution of mitochondrial DNA bearing large heteroplasmic deletions including nad5 gene sequences (nad5Δ mtDNA), in the nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae. The deletion is widespread in C. briggsae natural populations and is associated with deleterious organismal effects. We studied the inheritance patterns of nad5Δ …