Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of A 17 Day Spaceflight On Contractile Properties Of Human Soleus Muscle Fibres, Jeffrey J. Widrick, Shannon T. Knuth, Kris M. Norenberg, Janell A. Romatowski, James L. W. Bain, Danny A. Riley, M. Karhanek, S. W. Trappe, Todd A. Trappe, David Costill, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

1. Soleus biopsies were obtained from four male astronauts 45 days before and within 2 h after a 17 day spaceflight. 2. For all astronauts, single chemically skinned post-flight fibres expressing only type I myosin heavy chain (MHC) developed less average peak Ca¥ activated force (Pï) during fixed-end contractions (0·78 ± 0·02 vs. 0·99 ± 0·03 mN) and shortened at a greater mean velocity during unloaded contractions (Vï) (0·83 ± 0·02 vs. 0·64 ± 0·02 fibre lengths s¢) than preflight type I fibres. 3. The flight-induced decline in absolute Pï was attributed to reductions in fibre diameter and Ï or …

Home Range (?) Of The Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard Phrynosoma Mcallii, Peggy Anderson Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Area used by male and female Phrynosoma mcallii (Hallowell) was studied in a population located on the Barry M. Goldwater Aerial Gunnery Range near Yuma, Arizona. Area used by males and females shifted through time and did not fit the definition of home range. Summer male and female area used was not significantly different (F=2.625, df=1, P=0.131), but male areas used were significantly larger for 15-day time periods (F=9.67, P=0.0003). Males overlapped the area they occupied in consecutive 15-day time periods more often than did females. Female area used never overlapped within a 15-day time period. Male area used overlapped …

The Ecology And Life History Of The Mexican Tetra, Astyanax Mexicanus, (Teleostei: Characidae) In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Mario Estrada

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The Mexican tetra has been found to migrate from shallow waters in the spring and summer months into deeper waters during the winter months when temperatures are too cold for their survival. This fish is omnivorous with insect material being the major source of food. Its food types include green algae, nematoceran larvae, hemipterans, coleopterans, hymenopterans, dipterans, ostracods, fish eggs and amphipods. Furthermore, size classes showed that the Mexican tetras reached their largest size at the River site and smaller sizes at the Bridge and Gate sites and apparently breed year round. They are capable of producing from 300 to …

A Computer Assisted Study Guide For Viral Hepatitis, April, 1999, Diana Hullihen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to design a computer assisted program that would enhance the effectiveness of instruction in a clinical laboratory science program. Computer assisted instruction has been proven to be a beneficial and effective method of meeting educational objectives.

The topic of viral hepatitis is a complex and difficult one to teach. The instructor decided to supplement traditional lecture using computer assisted instruction. The goals and objectives of the lesson would be reinforced through this method as well as help the student to master the subject content.

The computer assisted study guide was designed to enhance the …

Development Of The Suprarostral Plate Of Pipoid Frogs, Rafael O. De Sá, Charles C. Swart

Biology Faculty Publications

The rostral region of nonpipoid tadpoles has two sets of cartilages, the cornua trabeculae and the suprarostral cartilages, whereas the rostral region in pipoid larvae is occupied by a single and continuous cartilage, the suprarostral plate. The homology of this region in pipoid and nonpipoids tadpoles has been controversial. We examined the early formation and development of the suprarostral plate using serially cross-sectioned specimens of Rhinophrynus, Xenopus, and Hymenochirus. We conclude that the cartilaginous structures present in the rostral area of pipoid and nonpipoid larvae are homologous. Furthermore, we found two different developmental patterns among pipoid larvae. The chondrocranium …

Toward An Evolutionary Understanding Of Song Diversity In Oscines, Erick Greene

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Conservation Status Of The Southern Appalachian Herpetofauna, Joseph C. Mitchell, Thomas K. Pauley, David I. Withers, Steven M. Roble, Brian T. Miller, Alvin L. Braswell, Paul V. Cupp Jr., Christopher S. Hobson

Virginia Journal of Science

Seventy one species of amphibians (55 salamanders, 16 anurans) and 46 species of reptiles (15 turtles, 8 lizards, 23 snakes) inhabit a five state area (Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia) in the southern Appalachian region bordered by the Potomac River, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the western margin of the Appalachian Plateau. Of these, 47.9 % of the amphibian fauna and 52.2 % of the reptilian fauna are listed as being of conservation concern by federal, state, and Natural Heritage programs in all or a portion of their ranges of this region. The Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon Shenandoah …

Organochlorine Pesticide Contamination In Neotropical Avifauna From Northwest Costa Rica, Virginia L. Flanagin '99

Honors Projects

We collected baseline data on organochlorine (OC) pesticide contamination in resident passerine birds from northwest Costa Rica in an area where pesticides had not been used in at least 30 years. Results were compared with a previous study of OC contamination in mayfly larvae (Euthyplocia hecuba) collected from the same region. Thirteen OC compounds were detected in the ng/g range for 19 of 56 birds sampled, and the highest OC frequencies were found in birds collected from Pitilla, the site closest to agricultural areas. Atmospheric transport could be a mechanism by which the pesticides are traveling from agricultural areas to …

Measurement Of The Cross-Sectional Area Of The Nasal Passages Of Nine Species Of Modern Odontoceti With Implications For Comparative Physiology And The Paleophysiology Of The Dinosauria, Eric Paul Katz

Dissertations and Theses

In search of evidence for or against the endothermic dinosaur hypothesis, a recent study by Ruben et al. (1996) revealed that endotherms tend to have larger nasal cross-sectional areas than ectotherms of the same mass. The reason offered for this observation was that larger nasal passages are needed to house the complex respiratory turbinates possessed by endotherms. Whales were excluded from the study on the grounds that they have no nasal turbinates. In the present study, the cross-sectional area of the nasal passages of nine species of Odontoceti were measured by the use of latex casts. The regression of log …

Response Of Channel Catfish, Ictaluri Punctatus, T-Lymphocytes To Outer Membrane Proteins Of Edwardsiella Ictaluri, Marlin Ann Lawson

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology by Marlin Ann Lawson on February 29, 1999.

Bush Lupine Mortality, Altered Resource Availability, And Alternative Vegetaion States, John L. Maron, Robert L. Jefferies

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Nitrogen-fixing plants, by altering the availability of soil N, potentially facilitate plant invasion. Here we describe how herbivore-driven mortality of a native N-fixing shrub, bush lupine (Lupinus arboreus), increases soil N and light availability, which promotes invasion by introduced grasses to the detriment of a native plant community.

Soils under live and dead lupine stands contained large amounts of total N, averaging 3.14 mg N/g dry mass of soil (398 g/m²) and 3.45 mg N/g dry mass of soil (438 g/m²), respectively, over four years. In contrast, similar lupine-free soil was low in N …

Chemical Communication Of Estrous Cycle Status And Change In Social Behaviors With Reproductive State In Captive Female Asian Elephants, Elephas Maximus, Barbara Elaine Slade

Dissertations and Theses

Elephants use several well-developed sensory systems for communicating within and between social groups. Female elephants sniff, touch and flehmen to the urine and genitals of herdmembers. In addition, communication through social behaviors is prevalent. Female elephants frequently communicate through affiliate tactile and aggressive behaviors. Furthermore, although female elephants are not known to display behavioral signs of estrus, these females exhibit a tail slapping behavior that may be an implement for dispersing chemical signals to conspecifics or nearby male elephants.

The present study addresses two areas of research. The purpose of part one was first, to determine if female Asian elephants …

Genetic Control Of Programmed Cell Death In The Caenorhabditis Elegans Hermaphrodite Germline, Tina Gumienny, Eric Lambie, Erika Hartwieg, H. Robert Horvitz, Michael Hengartner

Dartmouth Scholarship

Development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is highly reproducible and the fate of every somatic cell has been reported. We describe here a previously uncharacterized cell fate in C. elegans: we show that germ cells, which in hermaphrodites can differentiate into sperm and oocytes, also undergo apoptotic cell death. In adult hermaphrodites, over 300 germ cells die, using the same apoptotic execution machinery (ced-3, ced-4 and ced-9) as the previously described 131 somatic cell deaths. However, this machinery is activated by a distinct pathway, as loss of egl-1 function, which inhibits somatic cell death, does not affect germ cell apoptosis. …

The Multiple Roles Of Cyk1p In The Assembly And Function Of The Actomyosin Ring In Budding Yeast, Katie Shannon, Rong Li

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

The budding yeast IQGAP-like protein Cyk1p/Iqg1p localizes to the mother-bud junction during anaphase and has been shown to be required for the completion of cytokinesis. In this study, video microscopy analysis of cells expressing green fluorescent protein-tagged Cyk1p/Iqg1p demonstrates that Cyk1p/Iqg1p is a dynamic component of the contractile ring during cytokinesis. Furthermore, in the absence of Cyk1p/Iqg1p, myosin II fails to undergo the contraction-like size change at the end of mitosis. To understand the mechanistic role of Cyk1p/Iqg1p in actomyosin ring assembly and dynamics, we have investigated the role of the structural domains that Cyk1p/Iqg1p shares with IQGAPs. An amino …

Physiological And Morphological Correlates Of Presynaptic Inhibition In Primary Afferents Of The Lamprey Spinal Cord, I. V. Batueva, E. A. Tsvetkov, A. K. Sagatelyan, James T. Buchanan, N. Vesselkin, V. Adanina, E. I. Suderevskaya, J. -P Rio, J. Repérant

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Patch-clamp recordings in a whole-cell mode were performed on dorsal sensory cells enzymatically isolated from the spinal cord of two lamprey species, Ichthyomyzon unicuspis and Lampetra fluviatilis. The voltage-activated currents through calcium channels were analysed. GABA and the specific GABA_B receptor agonist baclofen reduced the peak amplitude of inward Ba²⁺ current, as a robust alternate charge carrier through voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels. These effects were dose-dependent and reversible. GABA_B receptor antagonists, 2-hydroxysaclofen and δ-amino-n-valeric acid, blocked the reduction of Ba²⁺ currents by GABA and baclofen, while bicuculline, a GABA_A receptor antagonist, had no blocking …

Functional Success Of Six Constructed Bottomland Hardwood Forests In Central And Western Kentucky, Ryan W. Mccall

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Ryan W. McCall on January 25, 1999.

The Roles Of Island Area Per Se And Habitat Diversity In The Species-Area Relationships Of Four Lesser Antillean Faunal Groups, Robert Ricklefs, Irby Lovette

Biology Department Faculty Works

1. We analysed the relationships between species richness, island area, and habitat diversity for birds, bats, butterflies, and reptiles and amphibians on 19 islands in the Lesser Antilles. Habitat diversity was quantified by Simpson's index based on the total areas of five vegetation types on each island. Island area varied over two orders of magnitude (13–1510 km2) and habitat diversity varied between 1 and 3·7 equivalents of equally abundant habitat types.2. Because the Lesser Antilles consist of an inner arc of high, volcanic islands and an outer arc of low‐lying islands formed of uplifted marine sediments, correlations between area and …

The Inhibition Of The Genotoxic Effects Ofenvironmental Pollutants And The Aging Processesby Plant Antimutagens, Urkhan Alekperov, Rena Gulieva, Ramiz Alekperov

Turkish Journal of Biology

We investigated the effects of bioactive compounds obtained from fruits of Diospyros kaki L., Cydonia oblonga Mill. and roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra L., as well as their action in a complex mixture on the mutability in marrow cell chromosomes induced by genotoxicants (X-rays, N-Methyl-N-Nitrosurea, Cyclophosphamide) and aging. The plant products tested separately and in a complex mixture showed an ability to decrease the frequency of induced mutations in experimental animals. Antimutagenic properties of the complex mixture turned out to be considerably higher than its components separately. More antimutagenic activity of the mixture was revealed when mutagenesis was the result of …

Variation In The Nucleolus Organizer Regions (Nors)In Two Mole Rat Species ( Spalax Leucodon Andspalax Ehrenbergi), Mehmet Doğan Gülkaç, İlknur Şendoğdu Küçükdumlu

Turkish Journal of Biology

In this investigation, patterns of variation in the nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) in the chromosomes of Spalax leucodon and Spalax ehrenbergi were studied. The chromosomal location of the Ag-NORs was determined in two mole rat species. S. leucodon has 3 pairs of nucleolar chromosomes, but S. ehrenbergi has only 2 pairs of nucleolar chromosomes in their whole chromosome sets. In both mole rat species, the chromosomal locations of Ag-NORs were determined to be on the terminal of the short arms of the subtelocentrics. The possibilty of Robertsonian translocation and the loss of paracentric NORs in S. ehrenbergi were discussed from …

Effects Of Fagonia Cretica L. Constituents On Variousendocrinological Parameters In Rabbits, M. Asif Saeed, Zaheer-Ul-Din Khan, A. W. Sabir

Turkish Journal of Biology

The effects of powdered Fagonia cretica plant and its two major triterpenoid saponins (saponin-I and saponin-II) on various blood endocrinological parameters. Prolactin namely, serum pro-lactin, serum thyrotropin, serum thyroxine and serum cortisol of normal male rabbits were investi-gated. Two major triterpenoid compounds, saponin-I and saponin-II, were isolated from its ethanolic extract by repeated chromatography on silica gel, sephadex LH-20 and on biogel P-2. These com-pounds were identified after comparing their values of 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR chemical shifts with pre-viously reported values of similar compounds. Radio-immunological assay was used for the estimation of blood hormones of crude …

The Effects Of Dietary Vitamin E On Sera Lipids Andlipid Peroxida Peroxidation In Diabetic Rats, Sait Çeli̇k, Ökkeş Yilmaz

Turkish Journal of Biology

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of dietary vitamin E on some biochemical sera parameters in diabetic rats. Thirty wistar rats were used in the experiments. They were randomly divided into three groups, each consisting of ten rats. The first group was the control, the second was diabetic, and the third was diabetic but fed vitamin E. At the end of 12 weeks, the levels of insulin, HDL and vitamin E in the sera were lower but the levels of MDA, glucose, fosfolipidis, cholesterols, triglycerides, free fatty acids, LDL and VLDL were in the second …

Evolution Of Thermotolerance And Variation In The Heat Shock Protein, Hsp70, Robert A. Krebs, Brian R. Bettencourt

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Low to moderate levels of stress induce a class of molecular chaperones called heat shock proteins (Hsps), which protect cells, tissues and whole organisms from more severe stress. In higher Eukaryotes, Hsp70 is one of the principle heat-induced chaperones. This response is general, and how much Hsp70 an animal produces correlates with the level of stress to which it is exposed. Nonetheless, definitively linking high Hsp70 expression as an adaptation to stress tolerance is problematic, because organisms and cells respond to stress in many ways. By molecular manipulation of Hsp70 in one animal group, Drosophila, differences in hsp70 copy number …

The Relationship Between Ohio River Bass Tournament Success Rates, Forage Fish Abundance And Environmental Conditions, Jeffrey V. Ginger

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Due to increasing pressure from Ohio River bass anglers with regard to decreasing catch rates in 1981,1990, and 1997, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) initiated a study of black bass populations. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), in conjunction with state and Federal agencies, has collected population data on Ohio River fishes at lock chambers and has measured various water quality parameters since 1957. That data coupled with Ohio River bass tournament data collected by the DNR since 1975 and other fishery data sets provided a historic look into the variability of angler success. These …

Food Habits Of Salmo Trutta And Salvelinus Fontinalis (Pisces: Salmonidae) In Relation To Seasonal Changes And Mitigative Liming Effects In Dogway Fork Of The Cranberry River, West Virginia., Jason A. Morgan

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Dogway Fork, a tributary of the Cranberry River in West Virginia, is acidic due to acid precipitation and poorly buffered soils. This study is part of a long-term investigation involving the effects of continuous limestone neutralization on the fishes and benthos of an acid stream. Prior to treatment in 1988, the stream had a pH of 4.5 and there were no fish present. Since treatment began, the pH of the stream has risen to 6.8. Nine species of fish have been collected and six species have reproduced following the improvement in water quality. Densities of specific acid-sensitive benthic macroinvertebrates have …

Ecology And Natural History Of Rana Clamitans Melanota In West Virginia, Alison M. Rogers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Fourteen study sites were sampled with aquatic funnel traps and D-frame net sweeps in the plateau and mountain region of West Virginia to determine differences in larval period. Larval stage class abundance and larval total length and mass measurements were recorded from February to December 1997. Larval stage classes 25 and 26, the first free living stages, were absent from the plateau region from February to April, but were present in the mountain region. Pre-transformation larval stages, 40 through 44, were found from May through October, and peaked in July. Significant relationships were found with simple linear regression analysis between …

The Role Of Retinoids And Protein Kinase C In Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation And Function, Shaoshan Wang

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The structural and functional changes in the arterial wall of humans and animals accompany the development of hypertension and atherosclerosis. Hence, great interest exists in the mechanisms that govern vascular smooth muscle cell contraction and proliferation. Rat aortic rings maintained in organ culture show a significant loss of contractility; whereas, vascular smooth muscle cells in culture quickly dedifferentiate into a secretory phenotype with a marked capacity for proliferation. The addition of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) and retinol to the plasma-containing medium preserved the contractile response of cultured vessels. Removal of endothelium prior to culture abolished these effects. All-trans retinoic acid …

A Medicinal Plant Survey In Marketplaces Of Ecuador, Pamela Bailey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A medicinal herb survey was conducted in ten major marketplaces in Andean and coastal communities of Ecuador. Collections were made during the summer of 1997. Four plant collections from each market were pressed, dried, identified, and the medicinal information for each plant was recorded. Photographs of fresh plants, market vendors and the marketplaces were taken.

Fifty three families were represented in the 112 species collected. Forty-two species (37%) were introduced to Ecuador while seventy species (63%) were native to Ecuador. Plant taxa were grouped into 22 categories of medicinal usage. The most common 3 uses were: 1. General tonic and …

A Note On Sexual Dimorphism In Nesophontes Edithae (Mammalia: Insectivora), An Extinct Island-Shrew From Puerto Rico, Donald A. Mcfarlane

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

The island-shrew, Nesophontes edithae Anthony 1916, Mean is the only Puerto Rican representative of the monogeneric family Nesophontidae.

Attitudes And Perceptions About Ecological Resources And Hazards Of People Living Around The Savannah River Site, Joanna Burger, Jessica Sanchez, J. Whitfield Gibbons, Jeanine Ondrof, Robert Ramos, Michael J. Mcmahon, Karen F. Gaines, Christine Lord, Marie Fullmer, Michael Gochfeld

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Although considerable attention is devoted to environmental monitoring and assessment with respect to both pollutants and the status of particular plant or animal populations, less attention is devoted to assessing people's attitudes about the relative importance of ecological resources. In this paper we examine the attitudes and perceptions about ecological resources of people living around the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS), in South Carolina. Our overall hypothesis is that people who are directly affected by the possible outcomes and consequences of a particular hazard (i.e., those people employed at SRS) will undervalue the risks and overvalue the potential …

Response To Dietary Dilution In An Omnivorous Freshwater Turtle: Implications For Ontogenetic Dietary Shifts, Shannon J. Mccauley, Karen A. Bjorndal

Biological Sciences

Several species of freshwater turtles in the family Emydidae undergo an ontogenetic dietary shift; as juvenile turtles mature, they change from a primarily carnivorous to a primarily herbivorous diet. It has been hypothesized that this shift results from an unfavorable ratio of gut capacity to metabolic rate that prevents small reptiles from processing adequate volumes of plant material to meet their energetic demands. Effects of dietary dilution on intake were evaluated in two size classes of red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) to test whether small reptiles have a lower capacity to compensate for low-quality diets through increased intake …