Digital Commons Network^™

Metals And Metallothionein In The Liver Of Raccoons: Utility For Environmental Assessment And Monitoring, Joanna Burger, Christine G. Lord, Edward J. Yurkow, Lynn Mcgrath, Karen F. Gaines, I. Lehr Brisbin Jr., Michael Gochfeld

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The relationship between metallothionein levels and concentrations of several metals and radionuclides was examined in liver tissues of raccoons (Procyon lotor, n = 47) from the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina to determine the applicability of metallothioneins as an initial screening device for exposure assessment in free-living mammals and environmental monitoring. Using a fluorescent marker and a cell sorter to measure metallothionein, a significant positive correlation was found across animals between levels of metallothioneins and concentrations of selenium (Pearson’s r = .30) , mercury (Pearson’s r = .31) , and copper (Pearson’s r = .30) in …

Incomplete Cd8 + T Lymphocyte Differentiation As A Mechanism For Subdominant Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Responses To A Viral Antigen, Juliet V. Spencer, Thomas J. Braciale

Biology Faculty Publications

CD8⁺ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) recognize antigen in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. Class I epitopes have been classified as dominant or subdominant depending on the magnitude of the CTL response to the epitope. In this report, we have examined the in vitro memory CTL response of H-2^d haplotype murine CD8⁺ T lymphocytes specific for a dominant and subdominant epitope of influenza hemagglutinin using activation marker expression and staining with soluble tetrameric MHC–peptide complexes. Immune CD8⁺ T lymphocytes specific for the dominant HA204-210 epitope give rise to CTL effectors that display …

Energy Metabolism In Uncoupling Protein 3 Gene Knockout Mice, A. Vidal-Puig, D. Grujic, C. Zhang, T. Hagen, O. Boss, Y. Ido, A. Szczepanik, Jennifer Wade, V. Mootha, R. Cortright, D. M. Muoio, B. B. Lowell

Biology Faculty Publications

Uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is a member of the mitochondrial anion carrier superfamily. Based upon its high homology with UCP1 and its restricted tissue distribution to skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue, UCP3 has been suggested to play important roles in regulating energy expenditure, body weight, and thermoregulation. Other postulated roles for UCP3 include regulation of fatty acid metabolism, adaptive responses to acute exercise and starvation, and prevention of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. To address these questions, we have generated mice lacking UCP3 (UCP3 knockout (KO) mice). Here, we provide evidence that skeletal muscle mitochondria lacking UCP3 are more …

Expression Of Human Α2-Adrenergic Receptors In Adipose Tissue Of Β3-Adrenergic Receptor-Deficient Mice Promotes Diet-Induced Obesity, P. Valet, D. Grujic, Jennifer Wade, M. Ito, M. C. Zingaretti, V. Soloveva, S. R. Ross, R. A. Graves, S. Cinti, M. Lafontan, B. B. Lowell

Biology Faculty Publications

Catecholamines play an important role in controlling white adipose tissue function and development. β- and α2-adrenergic receptors (ARs) couple positively and negatively, respectively, to adenylyl cyclase and are co-expressed in human adipocytes. Previous studies have demonstrated increased adipocyte α2/β-AR balance in obesity, and it has been proposed that increased α2-ARs in adipose tissue with or without decreased β-ARs may contribute mechanistically to the development of increased fat mass. To critically test this hypothesis, adipocyte α2/β-AR balance was genetically manipulated in mice. Human α2A-ARs were transgenically expressed in the adipose tissue of mice that were either homozygous (−/−) or heterozygous (+/−) …

Predation Rates On Real And Artificial Nests Of Grassland Birds, William B. Davison, Eric K. Bollinger

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

We estimated nesting success at real and artificial nests of grassland birds to test the influence of nest type, nest position, and egg size on predation rates. We distributed wicker nests and realistic woven-grass nests baited with a clay egg and either a Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) egg or a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) egg in four grasslands that were part of the Conservation Reserve Program in east-central Illinois. Nesting success averaged 86.5% for 12 days of exposure for artificial nests. For real nests, nesting success was markedly lower, averaging 39% over the entire nesting cycle and 59% during approximately …

Energetic Dynamics And Anuran Breeding Phenology: Insights From A Dynamic Game, Shannon J. Mccauley, Sarah S. Bouchard, Brian J. Farina, Kavita Isvaran, Suhel Quader, Daniel W. Wood, Colette M. St. Mary

Biological Sciences

We designed a dynamic optimization model to examine anuran-breeding phenologies. We evaluated the fitness consequences for males adopting one of four alternative strategies: calling, satelliting, foraging, or hiding. Various factors potentially influence male behavior, including energy reserves, predation risk, cost of calling, probability of finding food, distribution of male energy states in the population, and probability of surviving to another breeding season. We manipulated these parameters to determine how strongly each affects breeding phenology and chorus structure. Manipulating parameters related to the energetic costs and benefits of individual decisions, we generated the three basic patterns of anuran breeding phenology: explosive, …

The Global Decline Of Reptiles, Deja’ Vu Amphibians, J. Whitfield Gibbons, David E. Scott, Travis J. Ryan, Kurt A. Buhlmann, Tracey D. Tiuberville, Brian S. Metts, Judith L. Greene, Tony Mills, Yale Leiden, Sean Poppy, Christopher T. Winne

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Reptile species are declining on a global scale. Six significant threats to reptile populations are habitat loss and degradation, introduced invasive species, environmental pollution, disease, unsustainable use, and global climate change.

Binding Of Urate And Caffeine To Hemocyanin Of The Lobster Homarus Vulgaris (E.) As Studied By Isothermal Titration Calorimetry †, Michael A. Menze, Nadja Hellmann, Heinz Decker, Manfred K. Grieshaber

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Hemocyanin serves as an oxygen carrier in the hemolymph of the European lobster Homarus Vulgaris. The oxygen binding behavior of the pigment is modulated by metabolic effectors such as lactate and urate. Urate and caffeine binding to 12-meric hemocyanin (H. Vulgaris) was studied using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Binding isotherms were determined for fully oxygenated hemocyanin between pH 7.55 and 8.15. No pH dependence of the binding parameters could be found for either effector. Since the magnitude of the Bohr effect depends on the urate concentration, the absence of any pH dependence of urate and caffeine binding to oxygenated hemocyanin …

Foraging Ecology Of The Endangered Wood Stork Recorded In The Stable Isotope Signature Of Feathers, Christopher S. Romanek, Karen F. Gaines, A. L. Bryan Jr., I. L. Brisbin Jr.

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Down feathers and regurgitant were collected from nestling wood storks (Mycteria americana) from two inland and two coastal breeding colonies in Georgia. The stable isotopic ratios of carbon ( 13 C/12 C) and nitrogen ( 15N/ 14N) in these materials were analyzed to gain insights into the natal origins of juvenile storks and the foraging activities of adults. Down feathers differed in δ 13 C between inland and coastal colonies, having average isotopic values that reflected the sources of carbon fixed in biomass at the base of the food web. Feathers from the inland colonies differed between colonies in δ …

Predation Rates On Real And Artificial Nests Of Grassland Birds, William Davison, Eric Bollinger

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

We estimated nesting success at real and artificial nests of grassland birds to test the influence of nest type, nest position, and egg size on predation rates. We distributed wicker nests and realistic woven-grass nests baited with a clay egg and either a Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) egg or a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) egg in four grasslands that were part of the Conservation Reserve Program in east-central Illinois. Nesting success averaged 86.5% for 12 days of exposure for artificial nests. For real nests, nesting success was markedly lower, averaging 39% over the entire nesting cycle and 59% during approximately …

Biospheric Cooling And The Emergence Of Intelligence, David Schwartzman, George Middendorf

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

The long-term cooling history of the Earth's biosphere implies a temperature constraint on the timing of major events in biologic evolution, e.g., emergence of cyanobacteria, eucaryotes and Metazoa apparently occurred at times when temperatures were near their upper growth limits. Could biospheric cooling also have been a necessary condition for the emergence of veterbrates and their encephalization? The upper temperature limit for vertebrate growth is about 10 degrees below the limit for Metazoa (50 degrees C). Heterothermy followed by full homeothermy was likely a necessary condition for greater encephalization because of the energy requirement of larger brains. The temperature differential …

A Survey Of Organochlorine Pesticide Contamination In Costa Rican Wildlife, Mark Wieland '00

Honors Projects

Amphibians, turtles, rodents, and birds collected from a tropical conservation area in northwestern Costa Rica where pesticides are not directly applied were analyzed for organochlorine (OC) pesticide contamination. Six of thirty-nine amphibians (three of eight species), three of six turtles (two species), one of eight rodents (one species), and nine of twenty-five insectiverous birds (four species) contained OC compounds ranging from 2.77 ng/g to 277.70 ng/g. The most frequently detected compound (found in thirteen organisms) was p,p'-DDE. Heptachlor, delta-BHC, dieldrin, endosulfan II, and p,p' -DDD were each found in four or more organisms, while eight additional OC compounds were detected …

Mainstreaming Feminist Critique Into The Biology Curriculum, Scott F. Gilbert, Biology And Gender Study Group

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Ego-1 Is Related To Rna-Directed Rna Polymerase And Functions In Germ-Line Development And Rna Interference In C. Elegans, Anne Smardon, Jill M. Spoerke, Steven C. Stacey, Marcia E. Klein, Nancy Mackin, Eleanor M. Maine

Biology - All Scholarship

Background: Cell-fate determination requires that cells choose between alternative developmental pathways. For example, germ cells in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans choose between mitotic and meiotic division, and between oogenesis and spermatogenesis. Germ-line mitosis depends on a somatic signal that is mediated by a Notch-type signaling pathway. The ego-1 gene was originally identified on the basis of genetic interactions with the receptor in this pathway and was also shown to be required for oogenesis. Here, we provide more insight into the role of ego-1 in germ-line development. Results: We have determined the ego-1 gene structure and the molecular basis of …

Paradigm Shifts In Neural Induction, Scott F. Gilbert

Biology Faculty Works

The molecularization of developmental biology was originally seen as a challenge to the integrity of that discipline. However, important new insights from the analysis of gene expression soon transformed the field from one of experimental anatomy to one of developmental genetics. One of the main areas to be transformed from an anatomical to a molecular study was « primary embryonic induction ». The molecular analyses showed that some of the fundamental concepts concluded from the experimental embryological approach to primary embryonic induction were false. First, the neural fate of cells was not being induced. Rather, the epidermal fate was induced …

Comparing Genotypic And Phenotypic Methods For Differentiating Strains Of Escherichia Coli Isolated From The Environment, Lateef Y. Saffore

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, oxidase-negative, lactose fermenting rod belonging to the family Enterohacleriaceae. The enteric bacteria are common inhabitants of animal and human guts, but are not considered to be native to the environment. The presence of E. coli and similar enteric bacteria (coliforms) in surface water or groundwater implies the presence of fecal contamination from human or animal sources. E. coli has been used as an indicator of sewage-contaminated water since the 1930's and some strains are also causative agents of food or waterborne disease (Francy et al., 1993). The severity of disease can vary markedly depending …

Does The Aquatic Salamander, Siren Intermedia, Respond To Chemical Cues From Prey?, Aaron M. Sullivan, Paul W. Frese, Alicia Mathis

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

No abstract provided.

Binding Of Urate And Caffeine To Hemocyanin Of The Lobster Homarus Vulgaris (E.) As Studied By Isothermal Titration Calorimetry., Michael Menze, Nadja Hellmann, Heinz Decker, Manfred Grieshaber

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Hemocyanin serves as an oxygen carrier in the hemolymph of the European lobster Homarus Vulgaris. The oxygen binding behavior of the pigment is modulated by metabolic effectors such as lactate and urate. Urate and caffeine binding to 12-meric hemocyanin (H. Vulgaris) was studied using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Binding isotherms were determined for fully oxygenated hemocyanin between pH 7.55 and 8.15. No pH dependence of the binding parameters could be found for either effector. Since the magnitude of the Bohr effect depends on the urate concentration, the absence of any pH dependence of urate and caffeine binding to oxygenated hemocyanin …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Peter M. Grant

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Genes Classical And Genes Developmental: The Different Uses Of The Gene In Evolutionary Synthesis, Scott F. Gilbert

Biology Faculty Works

Dobzhansky (1964) stated that “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution,” and the function of the gene is no exception. The use of genes in population genetics and developmental genetics differs significantly. This is reflected in the roles that genes are postulated to play in evolution. In the Modern Synthesis of population genetics and evolution, genes become manifest by differences in alleles that are active in conferring differential reproductive success in adult individuals. The gene is thought to act as a particulate, atomic unit. In current syntheses of evolution and developmental genetics, important genes are manifest …

Studies On The Role Creb As A Mediator Of Neurotrophin-3 Actions In Oligodendrocytes, Jamie Richard Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

In the central nervous system (CNS), oligodendrocytes (OLGs) are the cells responsible for producing the myelin membrane which allows for the saltatory conduction of neuronal impulses. We have previously shown that CREB (cAMP response element binding protein), a transcription factor that belongs to a large family bZip (basic leucine zipper) proteins, could be a mediator of neuronal signals that, coupled to different signal transduction pathways, may play different regulatory roles at specific stages of oligodendrocyte development. We have found before that, in committed OLGs, CREB activation by phosphorylation can be triggered by β-adrenergic stimulation and appears to play a role …

Of Moths And Men: Theo Lang And The Persistence Of Richard Goldschmidt's Theory Of Homosexuality, 1916-1960, Michael Dietrich

Dartmouth Scholarship

Using an analogy between moths and men, in 1916, Richard Goldschmidt proposed that homosexuality was a case of genetic intersexuality. As he strove to create a unified theory of sex determination that would encompass animals ranging from moths to men, Goldschmidt's doubts grew concerning the association of homosexuality with intersexuality until, in 1931, he dropped homosexuality from his theory of intersexuality. Despite Goldschmidt's explicit rejection of his theory of homosexuality, Thee Lang, a researcher in the Genealogical-Demographic Department of the Institute for Psychiatric Research in Munich, revived it, maintained Goldschmidt's association with it, and argued on its behalf in publications …

Detection Of Dna Of Nocturnally Periodic Brugia Malayi In Night And Day Blood Samples By A Polymerase Chain Reaction-Elisa-Based Method Using An Internal Control Dna, Peter U. Fischer, Tanianwati Supali, Heri Wibowo, Insa Bonow, Steven A. Williams

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

An internal control was used in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–ELISA–based technique to detect the Hha I repeat of the filarial parasite Brugia malayi. A single microfilaria added to 200 �l of blood was reliably detected. The assay was evaluated on field samples from persons living in an area endemic for Anopheles-transmitted, nocturnally periodic B. malayi in central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Examination of night blood of 138 individuals for the presence of microfilariae by filtration revealed 44 microfilaria carriers. All microfilaria carriers were also positive in the PCR-ELISA and, in addition, 14 more samples were proven to contain parasite DNA. The …

Theories Of The Origin And Early Evolution Of Life, David A. Dewitt

Faculty Publications and Presentations

After the theory of spontaneous generation was discredited, only religious explanations were offered to explain the origin of life. Alexander Oparin (1894-1980), an atheist, suggested that natural chemical reactions produced biological molecules that came together to form the first living thing. Later, Stanley Miller tested this hypothesis and produced chemical "building blocks" but not life itself. In spite of much progress, there is still no clear consensus on how life originated on Earth. Some scientists are even looking to outer space for the origin of life.

The Effect Of Calcium Concentration Of Water Onchloride Cell Density In Gill Of Brown Trout(Salmo Trutta L.) Larvae, Meti̇n Çalta

Turkish Journal of Biology

The effects of the calcium concentration on chloride cell (mitochondria-rich cell) density in the gills of brown trout ( Salmo trutta L.) larvae were studied. For this purpose, animals were divided into 3 groups 2 weeks after hatching and each groups was exposed to different calcium concentrations of water for two weeks. The results showed that the number of chloride cells in gill arch epithelia of larval fish increased with decreased calcium concentration.This increase was statistically significant in the gills of larvae kept in zero-Ca 2+ freshwater (ZCWF) ( P< 0.001 ) and of those kept in low-Ca 2+ freshwater (LCFW) ( P< 0.05) in comparision with the gills of larvae kept in normal freshwater (NFW).

Histological Changes Induced By Sialoadenectomy And Flutamide On The Epididymal Tissue And Epididymal Abnormalities, M.Aydin Ketani̇, Ahmet Ersay, Yusuf Nergi̇z, Mustafa Deni̇z, Şennur Ketani̇

Turkish Journal of Biology

In this study the purpose was to determine the effect of sialoadenectomy (Maternal Epidermal Growth Factor deficiency) on epididymal development and to compare it with that of antiandrogen (Flutamide) application.Forty 12-week-old, sexually mature and pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were chosen as the animal model. They were divided into four groups; Group I : Control group, Group II : Sialoadenectomized (mated on 28^{th} day), Group III: Flutamide applied (between gestational day 11 and 21), Group IV: Sialoadenectomy + Flutamide applied. After birth, all male rats were observed morphologically on the 60th day and sacrificed on the 60^{th} day postpartum under general anaesthesia. …

The Effect Of Sulphur Dioxide On Macrophage Phagocytic Activity In Diabetic Rats, Veci̇he Ni̇met İzgüt Uysal, Vural Küçükatay, Aysel Ağar, Pi̇raye Yargiçoğlu

Turkish Journal of Biology

Sulphur dioxide as a criterion of air pollution supresses macrophage functions. Some immunological changes in diabetes mellitus have been detected. In the present study, we examined the effect of sulphur dioxide on macrophage phagocytic activity in diabetic rats. The animals were separated into four groups as: 1) Control, 2) Sulphur dioxide, 3) Diabetes mellitus, 4) Diabetes mellitus+sulphur dioxide. The first and the third groups of animals were respirated with filtered atmosphere air in a special chamber one hour daily for eight weeks, while the other groups were exposed to 10 ppm sulphur dioxide in the same conditions and periods. The …

Effect Of Spaceflight On The Isotonic Contractile Properties Of Single Skeletal Muscle Fibers In The Rhesus Monkey, Robert H. Fitts, Janell R. Romatowski, Cynthia A. Blaser, Lourdes J. De La Cruz, Gwen J. Gettelman, Jeffrey J. Widrick

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

A Determination Of Parentage, Mating System, And Genetic Diversity In A Captive Population Of The Straw-Colored Fruit Bat (Eidolon Helvum), Jan Zinck

Dissertations and Theses

Small populations tend to lose genetic variability. The magnitude of this loss is influenced by the number of founding individuals, the genetic diversity of the founders, and the species mating system. Genetic variability is the basis of adaptive evolution, and the loss of genetic variability may have harmful effects on development, growth, and survival. Therefore, a primary management goal for small, captive populations is the retention of genetic variability. Of considerable importance to conservation biology is the determination of parentage, from which mating, genetic, and demographic information can be derived. Microsatellites provide a robust molecular evolutionary tool for the study …

Profiles Of The Highly Invasive Plants In Oregon Including Lists Of Oregon’S Invasive And Naturalized Plants, Rebekah Jane Harper

Dissertations and Theses

The study and control of invasive species are important issues in restoration ecology and land management. Invasive species are among the top contributors to habitat degradation worldwide. Unfortunately, information concerning invasive species and methods for their control is limited and widely scattered throughout the literature.

A comprehensive list of the naturalized and invasive species found in Oregon is important for monitoring invasive and potentially invasive species. It also provides a base of information for people interested in investigating invasive species; however, no such state-wide list existed for Oregon before this work.

Profiles for highly invasive species should provide information concerning …