Digital Commons Network^™

On The Nature Of Norms: Biology, Morality, And The Disruption Of Order, Owen D. Jones

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

This essay discusses the legal implications of bio-behavioral underpinnings to norms, morality, and economic order. It first discusses the recent book "The Great Disruption: Human Nature and the Reconstitution of Social Order," in which Francis Fukuyama explores the importance of evolved human nature to the reconstruction of social order and a thriving economy. It then addresses the extent to which we can usefully view law-relevant norms as products of evolutionary - as well as economic - processes.

Altered T Cell-Mediated Immunity And Infectious Factors In Autism, Yong Hu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three major questions were addressed in this dissertation: 1) Do immune abnormalities associated with autism primarily alter CD4+ T cell-mediated or humoral immune responses? 2) Are specific T cell clones expanded in autism? 3) Which, if any, infectious agents play a role in autism?

CD4+ T cell-mediated (Th1) or humoral (Th2) immune responses can be distinguished on the basis of the cytokines expressed. CD4+ T-cells secrete interleukin type 2 (IL-2) and interferon-γ, whereas a Th2 response is associated with secretion of interleukin type 4(IL-4). mRNA extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear nuclear cells (PBMC) showed significantly increased levels of IL-2 and …

Identification Of Fungal Pathogens Of Grasshoppers, M. J. Bidochka, Donald W. Roberts

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Age Of The Woolly Rhino From Dream Cave, Derbyshire, Uk, Donald A. Mcfarlane, Joyce Lundberg, Derek C. Ford

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

The Dream Cave woolly rhinoceros, Coelodonta antiquitatis, is a "classic" specimen of a "cold-stage" fossil fauna from central England. The find was illustrated and described by Dean William Buckland in his seminal tome Reliquiae Diluvianae (1823) during the first half of the 19th century, and made a significant contribution to the development of Buckland's views on the origin of extinct and extirpated fossil vertebrates. The report presents the first, albeit indirect, radiometric dates on the specimen, and argues that the animal fell into the cave just before 37,000 years BP, during the middle of Marine Isotope Stage 3 Interstadial (41 …

Abnormal Pigmentation In A Franklin's Gull, Philip C. Chu

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Target-And Stage-Dependent Influences On Axonal Outgrowth Of An Identified Motorneuron In Leech Cns Explants, April Crowley

Masters Theses

The neural circuit that controls rhythmic contraction of the hearts in the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, provides an amenable model to investigate pathfinding and target selection. The bilaterally paired heart tubes (HT) in leech are eventually innervated by the heart excitor motomeuron (HE) following a period of remodeling that requires the presence of the HT. To begin characterizing possible HT-derived cues, co-cultures of CNS with innervated HT have been used. Previous work demonstrated that young, but not adult, HT was able to support profuse general outgrowth, but the HE extended few projections onto HT of any age. Current studies …

Identification And Classification Of Coryneform Bacteria Isolated From Bovine Mammary Glands, Jeffrey L. Watts

Dissertations

Coryneform bacteria are frequently isolated from bovine mastitis and these infections are associated with economic losses. Corynehacterium bovis, a lipid requiring species, has been the most frequently isolated coryneform from the milk of infected bovine mammary glands. However, the taxonomic status of this organism is uncertain. In the current study, a polyphasic approach was used to identify coryneform bacteria isolated from bovine mastitis and determ ine the phylogenetic relationships among the identified species. A total of 212 coryneform bacteria isolated from bovine mastitis was obtained from mastitis reference laboratories in the United States and Canada. Presumptive identification based upon …

Molecular Taxonomy Of The Lichen Genus Heterodermia, Linda Hirschberger

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Heterodermia is lichen consisting of a fungus and algae. Morphology and chemistry cannot provide definitive evidence for the identity of Heterodermia because various species have very similar morphologies that cannot always be distinguished. Other species only differ by the presence or absence of secondary chemicals detected. by specific chemical tests, which makes distinguishing between two species difficult. The objective of this project is to use Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLPs) to determine how closely related each Heterodermia species is to one another. RFLPs will also be used to determine how closely related a species is to its equal in another …

The Hp1 Protein Family: Getting A Grip On Chromatin, J Eissenberg, Sarah C.R. Elgin

Biology Faculty Research

HP1 was first described in Drosophila as a heterochromatin-associated protein with dosage-dependent effects on heterochromatin-induced gene silencing. Recently, membership of the HP1 protein family has expanded tremendously. A number of intriguing interactions between HP1 and other proteins have been described, implicating HP1 in gene regulation, DNA replication, and nuclear architecture.

Molecular And Biological Characterization Of A Tanapox Virus Tnf-Binding Protein And The Complete Nucleotide Sequence Of The Psti-J Genomic Fragment, Mini Paulose-Murphy

Dissertations

Most of the poxvirus encoded virulence factors have been identified as proteins that are secreted from infected host cells. Some of these secretory proteins impede host immune defenses. We have previously demonstrated that tanapox virus (TPV) infected cells secrete a 38 kDa glycopeptide that binds to human (h) interferon-γ, h-interleukin (IL)-2, and hIL-5. We now show an additional activity in the supernatant from TPV infected cells that down-regulates the expression of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α) induced cell adhesion molecule gene expression. This activity was not detected in mock infected cells. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) on primary human endothelial cells, …

Identification Of Potential Vaccine And Drug Target Candidates By Expressed Sequence Tag Analysis And Immunoscreening Of Onchocerca Volvulus Larval Cdna Libraries, Michelle Lizotte-Waniewski, Wilson Tawe, David B. Guiliano, Wenhong Lu, Jing Liu, Steven A. Williams, Sara Lustigman

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The search for appropriate vaccine candidates and drug targets against onchocerciasis has so far been confronted with several limitations due to the unavailability of biological material, appropriate molecular resources, and knowledge of the parasite biology. To identify targets for vaccine or chemotherapy development we have undertaken two approaches. First, cDNA expression libraries were constructed from life cycle stages that are critical for establishment of Onchocerca volvulus infection, the third-stage larvae (L3) and the molting L3. A gene discovery effort was then initiated by random expressed sequence tag analysis of 5,506 cDNA clones. Cluster analyses showed that many of the transcripts …

Optical Discrimination Of A Phytoplankton Species In Natural Mixed Populations, David F. Millie, Mark A. Moline, Oscar Schofield

Biological Sciences

Developing optical detection techniques for discriminating particular phytoplankon species in mixed assemblages has long been a goal of aquatic scientists. Previously, a processing algorithm for phytoplankton absorption spectra was reported that suggested detection of the red tide dinoflagellate Gymnodinium breve was possible. The algorithm evaluated the fourth derivative of the particulate absorption spectrum of an unknown sample and compared it to a standard fourth derivative spectrum for G. breve using a similarity index. We report here the first-time application of this technique to the detection of G. breve in natural, mixed phytoplankton communities. Pigment and spectral absorption data were collected …

A Summer Survey Of The Birds At Two Eastern Nebraska Wetlands, Kristine T. Phipps

Biology Faculty Publications

This study compares the avian species diversity at two eastern Nebraska wetlands that differ in their relative isolation from an urban environment. Birds were surveyed by the point Count method twice weekly at each site during June of 1998. Diversity was measured using species richness and species evenness. The percentage of bird species observed that depend on wetlands for breeding was also compared. Results suggest that both species richness and evenness, as determined by the Shannon-Wiener index, were higher at the wetland located in a network of other marsh areas and agricultural land than at the suburban wetland. Immigration of …

Reflections On Science And Technology, Ursula Goodenough

Biology Faculty Research

Science and technology are frequently confused. This essay points out the bases for this confusion and then focuses on a basic distinction, namely, that whereas science brings us information that we have little choice but to absorb and reflect upon, technology is something that humans elect to do and, hence, can also elect not to do. It is proposed that technological ethics are most cogently undertaken with scientific understanding as the linchpin and religious/artistic sensibilities as the muse.

Los Coquís De Puerto Rico: Su Historia Natural Y Conservación, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

As the title indicates, this well-illustrated (115 photographs and 76 illustrations) book summarizes the current knowledge about the natural history of the 16 species of Eleutherodactylus inhabiting Puerto Rico. The book consists of eight chapters (including the epilogue) and it is clearly stated that it was written to serve both the scientific community and the nonspecialist reader. The goal of bridging these two audiences is ambitious and usually difficult; however, the book has probably accomplished this goal. The technical reader, i.e., students and professional herpetologists, will find a good summary of data and enough information to continue reading with interest. …

Genetic Variation Among Endosymbionts Of Widely Distributed Vestimentiferan Tubeworms, Carol A. Di Meo, Ami E. Wilbur, William E. Holben, Robert A. Feldman, Robert C. Vrijenhoek, S. Craig Cary

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Vestimentiferan tubeworms thriving in sulfidic deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps are constrained by their nutritional reliance on chemoautotrophic endosymbionts. In a recent phylogenetic study using 16S ribosomal DNA, we found that endosymbionts from vent and seep habitats form two distinct clades,vith little variation within each clade. In the present study, we used two different approaches to assess the genetic variation among biogeographically distinct vestimentiferan symbionts, DNA sequences were obtained for the noncoding, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the rRNA operons of symbionts associated with six different genera of vestimentiferan tubeworms. ITS sequences from endosymbionts of host genera collected …

Roles Of Hof1p, Bni1p, Bnr1p, And Myo1p In Cytokinesis In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Elizabeth Ann Vallen, J. Caviston, E. Bi

Biology Faculty Works

Cytokinesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae occurs by the concerted action of the actomyosin system and septum formation. Here we report on the roles of HOF1,BNI1, and BNR1 in cytokinesis, focusing on Hof1p. Deletion of HOF1 causes a temperature-sensitive defect in septum formation. A Hof1p ring forms on the mother side of the bud neck in G2/M, followed by the formation of a daughter-side ring. Around telophase, Hof1p is phosphorylated and the double rings merge into a single ring that contracts slightly and may colocalize with the actomyosin structure. Upon septum formation, Hof1p splits into two rings, disappearing upon cell separation. Hof1p …

Integronlike Structures In Campylobacter Spp. Of Human And Animal Origin, Brigid Lucey, D. Crowley, P. Moloney, B. Cryan, M. Daly, F. O'Halloran, E. J. Threlfall, S. Fanning

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Resistance to antimicrobial agents used to treat severe Campylobacter spp. gastroenteritis is increasing worldwide. We assessed the antimicrobial resistance patterns of Campylobacter spp. isolates of human and animal origin. More than half (n = 32) were resistant to sulphonamide, a feature known to be associated with the presence of integrons. Analysis of these integrons will further our understanding of Campylobacter spp. epidemiology.

Decreased Thin Filament Density And Length In Human Atrophic Soleus Muscle Fibers After Spaceflight, Danny A. Riley, James L. W. Bain, Joyce L. Thompson, Robert H. Fitts, Jeffrey J. Widrick, Scott W. Trappe, Todd A. Trappe, David L. Costill

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Soleus muscle fibers were examined electron microscopically from pre- and postflight biopsies of four astronauts orbited for 17 days during the Life and Microgravity Sciences Spacelab Mission (June 1996). Myofilament density and spacing were normalized to a 2.4-μm sarcomere length. Thick filament density (~1,062 filaments/μm²) and spacing (~32.5 nm) were unchanged by spaceflight. Preflight thin filament density (2,976/μm²) decreased significantly (P < 0.01) to 2,215/μm² in the overlap A band region as a result of a 17% filament loss and a 9% increase in short filaments. Normal fibers had 13% short thin filaments. The 26% decrease in thin filaments …

Substrate Profile In Rat Soleus Muscle Fibers After Hindlimb Unloading And Fatigue, Varvara P. Grichko, Anne R. Heywood-Cooksey, Kameha R. Kidd, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Limb muscles from rats flown in space and after hindlimb unloading (HU) show an increased fatigability, and spaceflight has been shown to result in a reduced ability to oxidize fatty acids. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of HU on the substrate content in fast- and slow-twitch fibers and to assess the substrate utilization patterns in single slow type I fibers isolated from control and HU animals.Asecond objective was to assess whether HU altered the ability of the heart or limb muscle to oxidize pyruvate or palmitate. After 2 wk of HU, single fibers were isolated …

Determining The Phylogenetic Relationships Among The Northern Pike (Esox Lucius), The Muskellunge (Esox Masquinongy), And The Silver Pike, Steven W. Foster

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Prioritization of taxa has become a necessity due to limited resources available for conservation. Conservation efforts are often concentrated on those threatened and endangered species with the highest taxonomic importance. The silver pike is a rare game fish, often accounting for less than 1% of a total pike population where it is found. Although silver pike are normally found in association with northern pike, they have distinct morphological characteristics and have not been shown to hybridize with the northern pike. Still, many fisheries biologists consider the silver pike to be a color variant of the northern pike, and to date …

The Life History Of The Cave Salamander, Eurycea Lucifuga Rafinesque, In West Virginia, Andrew James Longenecker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In West Virginia, as throughout its range, there is limited information about the life history of the cave salamander (Eurycea lucifuga). The purpose of this study was to describe the natural history of this species in West Virginia. The objectives of this study were to determine habitat selection of the cave salamander, to ascertain its environmental characteristics, and to study its reproductive and non-reproductive biology. Three study caves were located in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. All sites were examined at least once each month from May 1999 through April 2000. Caves were divided into three zones: entrance, twilight, …

Ecology And Sympatric Relations Of Crevice Salamanders In Randolph County, West Virginia, Jayme Linn Waldron

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

By implementing a mark-recapture study, I investigated the ecology of three species of sympatric plethodontid salamanders (Aneides aeneus, Desmognathus ochrophaeus, and Plethodon glutinosus) on rock outcrops in the Westvaco Wildlife and Ecosystem Research Forest, Randolph County, West Virginia. By examining activity patterns, vertical stratification, and habitat preference for A. aeneus, D. ochrophaeus, and P. glutinosus, I attempted to offer some insight into how these sympatric species avoid competition on small, isolated rock outcrops. Twenty-one surveys, both nocturnal and diurnal, were performed between 11 May and 17 October, 1999. During this time, 89 salamanders, encompassing five species ( …

Whole Animal And Cellular Strategies In The Regulation Of Bone Mass In The Rat, Weidong Geng

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In order to determine the strategies in regulation of bone mass in the rat and better understand the pathophysiological mechanism of the postmenopausal osteoporosis, a series of studies were conducted at the whole animal and cellular level. At the whole animal level, female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized (Ovx) or sham-operated (control) at 18 weeks and the entire skeleton obtained at 24 weeks (baseline) or after an additional 31 day (28 week) interval on a normal (1.0%) or deficient (0.02%) calcium diet. Ovx rats on the normal calcium diet showed a 42% increase in whole body bone resorption and a 70% …

Mitochondrial 16s Rrna Gene As A Tool For Scorpion Systematics, Mark D. Barker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The use of morphological analysis in the classification and phylogeny of scorpions often has led to confusion and controversy. In order to clarify these problems other character sets should be considered for analysis. One such tool is the use of molecular comparisons between organisms. This study used a section of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene. This technique was applied to investigate four scorpion genera belonging to three families: Hadruru, Anuroctonus (luridae), Euscorpius (Euscorpiidae), and Centruroides (Buthidae). Total DNA was extracted with a standard phenol/chloroform method; a gene of interest was amplified using PCR; and resulting DNA sequence analysis was …

Single-Cell, Real-Time Measurements Of Extracellular Oxygen And Proton Fluxes From Spirogyra Grevilleana, D. M. Porterfield, P. J.S. Smith

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

We have adapted the self-referencing microelectrode technique to allow sensitive and noninvasive measurement of oxygen fluxes around single cells. The self-referencing technique is based on the translational movement of a selective microelectrode through the gradient next to the cell wall or membrane. The electrode is moved at a known frequency and between known points. The differential electrode output values are converted into a directional measurement of flux by the Fick equation. By coupling the newly developed oxygen-selective self-referencing electrochemical microelectrode (SREM-O2) system with self-referencing ion-selective proton measurements (SRIS-H+) we have characterized oxygen and proton fluxes from a single cell of …

Raccoons As Potential Vectors Of Radionuclide Contamination To Human Food Chains From A Nuclear Industrial Site, Karen F. Gaines, Christine G. Lord, C. Shane Boring, I. Lehr Brisbin Jr., Michael Gochfeld, Joanna Burger

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Although the raccoon (Procyon lotor) is commonly harvested and consumed throughout the southeastern United States, little is known regarding the fate and effects of environmental pollutants to this species, and the potential for it to act as a contaminant vector to humans or other predators. Muscle and liver tissues were collected from 76 raccoons from locations on and near the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina and analyzed for radiocesium (137Cs). Raccoons were trapped from areas near a former reactor cooling reservoir known to be contaminated from former nuclear production activities, a stream drainage system also …

Predation Of Juvenile Acipenser Fulvescens By Micropterus Punctulatus And Ictalurus Punctatus, Mark Sandoval

Capstone Research Projects

The predation of lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, by spotted bass, Micropterus punctulatus, and channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, was investigated under artificial conditions. Experiments were conducted in a 27,600-liter tank at the Southeast Aquatic Research Institute. Spotted bass were provided bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus, as a potential food source during the first four days of each experiment, and lake sturgeon were provided as a potential food source during the latter four days of each experiment. Channel catfish were given either chow or lake sturgeon separately or chow and lake sturgeon concurrently as food sources. Spotted bass consumed 85 bluegill (x = 6.87 …

The Chattanooga Procedure: A New Technique Used For Anterior Multi-Level Cervical Fusions, Elizabeth Van Horn, Scott D. Hodges, S. Craig Humphreys, Jason Eck, Laurie Covington, Joseph E.D. Peterson

Capstone Research Projects

STUDY DESIGN: A preliminary assessment of anterior cervical fusion performed with interbody cage and DOC plate.

OBJECTIVES: To describe and evaluate the efficacy and safety of the "Chattanooga Procedure", a modified technique in achieving anterior cervical fusion.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Anterior cervical fusion with interbody bone graft and anterior plating is connnonly performed. Unfortunately, the plate has been reported to shield the graft from loading thus reducing fusion rates. The use of interbody fusion cages has been effective in the lumbar spine and has gained acceptance in the cervical spine.

METHODS:. Twenty-five patients received "The Chattanooga Procedure" between 7/24/98 …

Season And Distance From Forest - Old Field Edge Affect Seed Predation By White-Footed Mice, Scott J. Meiners, James T. Mccormick

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

We studied the spatial pattern of seed predation across a forest-old field edge in both fall and winter to assess the potential for seed predators to influence plant spatial patterns. We used a 100 x 100 m grid that began 30 m inside the forest and extended 60 m into the old field. Inside this grid we placed seed stations at regular 10 m intervals and monitored seed removal. Seed predation varied significantly across the edge gradient in both fall and winter with the highest rate of seed removal at the edge in both trials. The spatial pattern of seed …