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Healthy Choices; Preferential Foraging Of Insects Within Senescent, But Nutrient-Rich, Tropical Flowers., Amie Whigman

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Development Of Hearing In Rats; Reliability Of Wave 1 As A Determinant Of Auditory Maturation And Contributions Of Peripheral Structure Progression, Aminat Saliu

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Interactions Of Diet And Behavior In A Death-Feigning Snake (Heterodon Nasicus), Andrew Michael Durso

Masters Theses

Studies of animal behavior in captivity are limited in their ability to explain the influence of a natural environment on behavioral ecology. Defensive behaviors vary among individual animals, between sexes and with age, as well as with other less well-known factors. The toxin-rich diet of many toad-eating snakes might enable or cause their passive terminal defensive behavior of death-feigning. I videotaped death-feigning behavior in wild Plains Hog-Nosed Snakes (Heterodon nasicus) subjected to standardized harassment. Using stable isotopes, I also described the diet of the same individuals subjected to behavioral analysis (n = 40). Heterodon had broader diets than other snakes …

A Functional Genomics Approach To Analyze Two Methionine-[Gamma]-Lyase Orthologs In "Ferroplasma Acidarmanus" Using In Vitro Enzyme Assays, Md. A. Wadud Khan

Masters Theses

Functional genomics predicts that ferl genome has two candidate genes for the production of two methionine-y-lyase (MGL) orthologs, which are thought to be pivotal for the production of methanethiol. These orthologs show a high level of protein sequence identity ( ~ 3 5%) and similarity (~60%) when compared to known MGLs. In addition, ClustalW2 alignment of ferl MGL orthologs and other known MG Ls showed a high level of similarity in amino acid residues, which are involved for the stabilization of 3D structure of MGL and in forming active site for the substrates. To confirm the predictive functions of these …

Symbionts As An Epigenetic Source Of Heritable Variation, Scott F. Gilbert

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Evolutionary Developmental Biology And Intelligent Design, Scott F. Gilbert

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Land Management On House Mice And Red Imported Fire Ants, Jesse R. Abelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding of mechanisms that limit the abundance and distribution of species is central to ecology. The failure of mechanisms to regulate populations can result in population outbreaks. There have been two outbreaks of house mice in the past decade in central Florida. In my study, I examine the efficacy of landscape management in the form of mowing and plowed soil barriers to limit or prevent outbreaks of house mice in a former agricultural area. House mouse populations were highly variable, but were unaffected by mowing or plowed soil barriers. Red imported fire ants were ubiquitous in the study area regardless …

The Effects Of Age On Reproduction In A Citrus Root Weevil Diaprepes Abbreviatus, Heather R. Chasez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the factors influencing mate choice is a major focus of sexual selection. Many factors are potentially involved, including age of the individual. The good genes model and the youth advantage model both make predictions about the effect of age on mate choice. Under the good genes model older mates would be the more preferable due to their proven high survivability. The “youth advantage” model, predicts that young to intermediate age males would be more advantageous as mates because of a decrease in sperm quality and the possibility of increased germ-line mutations in older animals. I examined the effects of …

Mutation Of The Hof1 Pest Domain Affects Cytokinesis In Budding Yeast, Katherine E. Stockstill

Masters Theses

"Cytokinesis is the division of a cell into two daughter cells. Cytokinesis failure results in polyploidy, which may contribute to tumorigenesis or cause cell death. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein Hof1, which is required for efficient cytokinesis, is phosphorylated during mitosis. The hypothesis that MEN (mitotic exit network) dependent phosphorylation regulates Hof1 degradation, triggering completion of cytokinesis was tested. Hof1 contains a PEST sequence, which is rich in proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine, and is believed to be involved in protein degradation. To test the hypothesis, we created two non-phosphorylatable mutants of the Hof1 PEST domain tagged with GFP. The …

Β3-Adrenergic Agonists Mimic Eustress Response And Reduce Leptin-Mediated Proliferation In A Gbm Cell Line , Johnathan Lawrence, Nicholas J. Cook, Richard A. Rovin, Robert J. Winn

Journal Articles

A great deal of mental stress, depression, and anxiety often overwhelm cancer patients; those diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are no exception. Different types of stress invariably impact what has been termed “the brain-adipocyte BDNF/leptin axis” (Dr. Cao and colleagues of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at The Ohio State University). For example, eustress (good stress) and distress (bad stress) both lead to increased sympathetic activity and adrenal gland stimulation, yet eustress reduces leptin levels and attenuates tumor growth while distress increases leptin levels and augments tumor growth. Complicating matters in GBM is that leptin and its receptor are expressed at …

Glioblastoma Derived Exosomes Contribute To Tumor Immune Evasion , Keith Z. Sabin, Danny Lebert, Vanessa Thibado, Richard A. Rovin, Johnathan Lawrence, Robert J. Winn

Journal Articles

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent and lethal primary brain tumor in adults. Despite intense biomedical research, the median survival after diagnosis is 15 months. One factor contributing to this poor prognosis is the immune protection afforded by the tumor microenvironment. Tumors have a diverse repertoire of immune-evasive techniques. One method of evasion not well explored is the release of tumor-derived exosomes. Exosomes are tiny membrane-bound vesicles of endocytic origin that contain viable mRNA and functional proteins that can affect the physiology of recipient cells. Exosome release has been reported for numerous cancer types, including GBM. Exosomes from colon …

Implications Of Bias In Conservation Research And Investment For Freshwater Species , William Darwall, R Holland, K Smith, D Allen, E Brooks, V Katarya, C Pollock, Y Shi, Viola Clausnitzer, Neil Cumberlidge, A Cuttelod, K D. Dijkstra, M Diop, N Garcia, M Seddon, P Skelton, J Snoeks, D Tweddle, Jc Vie

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

"Evidence That Salt Water May Not Be A Barrier To The Dispersal Of Asian Freshwater Crabs" , Lara J. Esser, Neil Cumberlidge

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Genetic Structure Of Bithynia Tentaculata Snail Populations In Wisconsin And Minnesota, Sarah J. Whalen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In recent years, there have been tens of thousands of waterfowl mortalities in Wisconsin and Minnesota. An invasive species of snail, Bithynia tentaculata, is a host for the trematode parasites (Cyathocotyle bushiensis and Sphaeridiotrema globulus) that have caused these deaths. A microsatellite-enriched genomic library was detected using DNA from a B. tentaculata specimen from Lake Onalaska (Pool 7 of the Upper Mississippi River). Seven polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to genotype snails collected from Lake Butte des Morts, Shawano Lake, and Lake Onalaska in Wisconsin, as well as Lake Winnibigoshish in Minnesota. The genetic diversity of each population was measured …

Evolution And Personal Religious Belief: Christian University Biology-Related Majors’ Search For Reconciliation, Mark Winslow, John Staver, Lawrence C. Scharmann

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The goal of this study was to explore Christian biology-related majors’ perceptions of conflicts between evolution and their religious beliefs. This naturalistic study utilized a case study design of 15 undergraduate biology-related majors at or recent biology-related graduates from a mid-western Christian university. The broad sources of data were interviews, course documents, and observations. Outcomes indicate that most participants were raised to believe in creationism, but came to accept evolution through evaluating evidence for evolution, negotiating the literalness of Genesis, recognizing evolution as a non-salvation issue, and observing professors as Christian role models who accept evolution. This study lends heuristic …

Relative Changes In Krillabundance Inferred From Antarctic Fur Seal, T. Huang, L. Sun, John M. Stark, Y. Wang, Z. Cheng, Q. Yang, S. Sun

Biology Faculty Publications

Antarctic krill Euphausia superba is a predominant species in the Southern Ocean, it is very sensitive to climate change, and it supports large stocks of fishes, seabirds, seals and whales in Antarctic marine ecosystems. Modern krill stocks have been estimated directly by net hauls and acoustic surveys; the historical krill density especially the long-term one in the Southern Ocean, however, is unknown. Here we inferred the relative krill population changes along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) over the 20th century from the trophic level change of Antarctic fur seal Arctocephalus gazella using stable carbon (d13C) and nitrogen (d15N) isotopes of …

De Novo Characterization Of The Gametophyte Transcriptome In Bracken Fern, Pteridium Aquilinum, J. P. Der, M. S. Barker, N. J. Wickett, C. W. Depamphilis, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

Because of their phylogenetic position and unique characteristics of their biology and life cycle, ferns represent an important lineage for studying the evolution of land plants. Large and complex genomes in ferns combined with the absence of economically important species have been a barrier to the development of genomic resources. However, high throughput sequencing technologies are now being widely applied to non-model species. We leveraged the Roche 454 GS-FLX Titanium pyrosequencing platform in sequencing the gametophyte transcriptome of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) to develop genomic resources for evolutionary studies.

Invasion By Exotic Earthworms Alters Litter- And Soil-Dwelling Oribatid Mites, Jordan L. Burke, John C. Maerz, Joseph Milanovich, Melanie C. Fisk, Kamal J.K. Gandhi

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Exotic earthworms are drivers of biotic communities in invaded North American forest stands. Here we used ecologically important oribatid mite (Arachnida: Acari) communities, as model organisms to study the responses of litter- and soil-dwelling microarthropod communities to exotic earthworm invasion in a northern temperate forest. Litter- and soil-dwelling mites were sampled in 2008–2009 from forest areas: (1) with no earthworms; (2) those with epigeic and endogeic species, including Lumbricus rubellus Hoffmeister; and (3) those with epigeic, endogeic, and anecic earthworms including L. terrestris L. Species richness and diversity of litter- and soil-dwelling (0–2 cm soil depth) oribatid mites was 1–2 …

Homoplastic Microinversions And The Avian Tree Of Life, Edward L. Braun, Rebecca T. Kimball, Kin-Lan Han, Naomi R. Iuhasz-Velez, Amber J. Bonilla

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Background

Microinversions are cytologically undetectable inversions of DNA sequences that accumulate slowly in genomes. Like many other rare genomic changes (RGCs), microinversions are thought to be virtually homoplasy-free evolutionary characters, suggesting that they may be very useful for difficult phylogenetic problems such as the avian tree of life. However, few detailed surveys of these genomic rearrangements have been conducted, making it difficult to assess this hypothesis or understand the impact of microinversions upon genome evolution.

Results

We surveyed non-coding sequence data from a recent avian phylogenetic study and found substantially more microinversions than expected based upon prior information about vertebrate …

Effects Of Mosquitofish (Gambusia Affinis) Cues On Wood Frog (Lithobates Sylvaticus) Tadpole Activity, K. F. Buttermore, P. N. Litkenhaus, D. C. Torpey, Geoffrey R. Smith, Jessica E. Rettig

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Determining Impediments To Gene Flow In A Natural Population Of Cornus Florida L. Cornaceae, Using Integrative Landscape Genetic Techniques, Crystal Meadows

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact intervening environment has on gene flow in the insect pollinated understory tree, Cornus florida L., by combining GIS and landscape genetic techniques (Least Cost Path Analysis, Circuit Theory, and Conditional Genetic Distance). Traditional population genetic analysis indicated pair-wise relatedness was significantly correlated to distance (Pearson; r = -0.312, P < 0.001) suggesting a spatial component to offspring relatedness. Dispersal throughout the study site was non-random, exhibiting a high degree of pollen pool structure due to restricted gene flow (Two-Generation Analysis; Φft = 0.161, P = 0.001). Forest structure was quantified in GIS layers representing coniferous canopies, mixed hardwood canopies, C. florida canopies, open understory (roads), and open understory/canopy due to tree removal. Of these layers, landscape isolation for the roads layer provided the best-fit model for describing genetic differentiation among sampled pollen pools (Mantel; r = 0.542, P = 0.001). These data also suggest that improved biological inferences can be gained by examining a range of landscape isolation models.

Contributions Made By Cdc25 Phosphatases To Proliferation Of Intestinal Epithelial Stem And Progenitor Cells, Gwanghee Lee, Sofia Origanti, Lynn S. White, Jinwu Sun, Thaddeus S. Stappenbeck, Helen Piwnica-Worms

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The CDC25 protein phosphatases drive cell cycle advancement by activating cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs). Humans and mice encode three family members denoted CDC25A, -B and -C and genes encoding these family members can be disrupted individually with minimal phenotypic consequences in adult mice. However, adult mice globally deleted for all three phosphatases die within one week after Cdc25 disruption. A severe loss of absorptive villi due to a failure of crypt epithelial cells to proliferate was observed in the small intestines of these mice. Because the Cdc25s were globally deleted, the small intestinal phenotype and loss of animal viability could …

Natural Variation In Life History And Aging Phenotypes Is Associated With Mitochondrial Dna Deletion Frequency In Caenorhabditis Briggsae, Suzanne Estes, Anna Luella Coleman-Hulbert, Kiley Ann Hicks, Gene De Haan, Sarah R. Martha, Jeremiah B. Knapp, Samson William Smith, Kevin C. Stein, Dee R. Denver

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Mutations that impair mitochondrial functioning are associated with a variety of metabolic and age-related disorders. A barrier to rigorous tests of the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in aging processes has been the lack of model systems with relevant, naturally occurring mitochondrial genetic variation. Toward the goal of developing such a model system, we studied natural variation in life history, metabolic, and aging phenotypes as it relates to levels of a naturally-occurring heteroplasmic mitochondrial ND5 deletion recently discovered to segregate among wild populations of the soil nematode, Caenorhabditis briggsae. The normal product of ND5 is a central component of the …

Population Genetics Of Amphiuma Means And Siren Lacertina In Central Florida, Anna C. Deyle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Population structure can be defined as a difference in the frequencies of alleles among populations, and it is often caused by barriers to dispersal. I used mitochondrial DNA sequences to examine the population structure of two large, aquatic salamanders, Amphiuma means (the Two-Toed Amphiuma) and Siren lacertina (the Greater Siren), at two spatial scales in peninsular Florida. Both species appear to have similar life histories, including poor dry land dispersal capabilities, and I hypothesized that they would exhibit significant population structure at both broad and fine scales. Wetland loss and landscape fragmentation are certain to have caused decreases in abundance …

Nutritional Properties Of The Invasive Lionfish: A Delicious And Nutritious Approach For Controlling The Invasion, James A. Morris, Jr., Amber Thomas, Andrew L. Rhyne, Nancy Breen E. Breen, Lad Akins, Barry Nash

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Lionfish, Pterois volitans and P. miles, are native to the Indo-Pacific and have recently invaded the Western Atlantic Ocean. Strategies for control of this invasion have included limited removal programs and promotion of lionfish consumption at both local and commercial scales. We demonstrate that lionfish meat contains higher levels of healthy n-3 fatty acids than some frequently consumed native marine fish species. Mean lionfish fillet yield was 30.5% of the total body wet weight, a value that is similar to that of some grouper and porgy species. A sensory evaluation indicated that lionfish meet the acceptability threshold of most consumers.

Protein Replacement Therapy Partially Corrects The Cholesterol-Storage Phenotype In A Mouse Model Of Niemann-Pict Type C2 Disease, Gitte Krogh Nielsen, Frederik Dagnaes-Hansen, Ida Elisabeth Holm, Steve Meaney, Derek Symula, Niels Trolle Andersen, Christian Wurtz Heegaard

Articles

Niemann-Pick type C2 (NPC2) disease is a fatal autosomal recessive neurovisceral degenerative disorder characterized by late endosomal-lysosomal sequestration of low-density lipoprotein derived cholesterol. The breach in intracellular cholesterol homeostasis is caused by deficiency of functional NPC2, a soluble sterol binding protein targeted to the lysosomes by binding the mannose-6-phosphate receptor. As currently there is no effective treatment for the disorder, we have investigated the efficacy of NPC2 replacement therapy in a murine gene-trap model of NPC2-disease generated on the 129P2/OlaHsd genetic background. NPC2 was purified from bovine milk and its functional competence assured in NPC2-deficient fibroblasts using the specific cholesterol …

Phenolic Constituents From Garcinia Intermedia And Related Species, Ulyana Muñoz Acuña

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Antioxidants from plants scavenge free radicals and prevent reactive oxygen species from having damaging effects in common ailments such as inflammation, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. As part of our ongoing studies of antioxidants from tropical edible fruits, we have studied Garcinia intermedia (Pittier) Hammel [synonym: Rheedia edulis (Seem.) Planch. & Triana], native to Central America. In the fruits the following compounds were identified: guttiferone A, guttiferone E, xanthochymol, fukugetin, volkensiflavone and fukugeside. A new compound was tentatively identified in the fruits of this species. The antioxidant activity of guttiferone A in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was IC50 = 46 μM. …

Molecular Cloning, Characterization, And Expression Analysis Of A Gene Encoding A Ran Binding Protein (Ranbp) In Cucumis Melo L., Mehmet Cengi̇z Baloğlu, Florence Negre-Zakharov, Hüseyi̇n Avni̇ Öktem, Ayşe Meral Yücel

Turkish Journal of Biology

Ran binding proteins (RanBPs) are highly conserved members of the GTP-binding protein family that are involved in nuclear protein export between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. In this study, a CmRanBP gene from a melon was isolated (Cucumis melo L.) using the RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) method. The 778 basepair long melon, with a RanBP cDNA encoding consisting of 197 amino acids (22.2 kDa protein), was characterized (GenBank accession no: EU853459). The predicted amino acid sequence of CmRanBP was found to be 70% identical to VvRanBP, PtRanBP, and RcRanBP from Vitis vinifera, Populus trichocarpa, and Ricinus communis, respectively. …

Preliminary Studies On Antiinflammatory, Antipyretic, And Antidiarrhoeal Properties Of Evolvulus Alsinoides, U.M.Dhana Lekshmi, P.Neelakanta Reddy

Turkish Journal of Biology

The ethanolic extract of the whole plant of Evolvulus alsinoides L. (Convolvulaceae) was investigated for antiinflammatory, antipyretic and antidiarrhoeal properties in female albino rats. Preliminary phytochemical studies were carried out to confirm the presence of active chemical constituents in the plant extract, and the result showed a positive report for the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids and cardiac glycosides. The pharmacological result showed that the ethanolic extract at a dose of 250 mg/kg body weight and 500 mg/kg body weight caused a significant (P < 0.05) inhibition of the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema and a significant (P < 0.05) reduction of hyperpyrexia induced by Brewer's yeast in rats. The extract also elicited marked antidiarrhoeal activity against castor oil-induced diarrhoea at a dose of 500 mg/kg. This study has proved scientifically the ancient claim that the whole plant of Evolvulus alsinoides has antiinflammatory, antipyretic and antidiarrhoeal activities.

Utilization Of Cytochrome Oxidase I In Cephus Pygmeus (L.) (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), Ertan Mahi̇r Korkmaz, Mahi̇r Budak, Hasan Hüseyi̇n Başibüyük

Turkish Journal of Biology

The mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene region of Cephus pygmeus (L.) (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) was characterized at the nucleotide and amino acid levels. The partial sequence (687 bp) of the gene was determined and compared with other cephids and insect species at both the nucleic acid and amino acid sequence levels. The examined fragment was placed at an equal distance to both ends of the gene and consisted of 13 structural regions. The 5' end of the partial COI gene was more informative than the 3' end at the intraspecific level. Pairwise sequence divergences ranged from 0.15% to 1.17% at …