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Ultrastructure Of Spermatozoa From Domesticated Birds: Comparative Study Of Turkey, Chicken And Guinea Fowl, R. J. Thurston, R. A. Hess

Scanning Microscopy

Typical for non-passerine birds, the spermatozoa of the turkey, chicken and guinea fowl were vermiform with a maximum width of 0.5-0. 7μm and lengths of 90μm for chicken sperm, and 75-80μm for those of the turkey and guinea. An acrosome, nucleus, midpiece and flagellum could be distinguished by SEM.

The acrosomal cap projected over a perforatorium surrounded by granular material. At its base, the cap encircled apical projections of the nucleus. The nucleus consisted of dense chromatin, and formed a concave implantation fossa where it joined the midpiece of the tail. For turkey and chicken spermatozoa, the neck region of …

The Effect Of Cellulolytic Rumen Bacteria Or Their Cell-Free Extracts On The Germination Of Euonymus Americanus L., Gary Thomas Howard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In past attempts, the experimental germination of the seeds of Euonymus americanus L. in vitro has had little success. However, treatment of seeds with rumen fluid containing viable microflora has been successful in stimulating germination. In the presence of the cellulolytic rumen bacterium. Clostridium cellobioparum ATCC 15832, seeds of E. americanus were stimulated to germinate. Subsequent studies were designed to determine whether the bacterium synthesized a cellulolytic enzyme responsible for initiating germination. The cell-free endocellulase from C. cellobioparum was demonstrated to induce germination of the seeds. To support the hypothesis that endocellulase from C. cellobioparum was responsible for triggering germination, …

Ua66/6/2 Alumni Newsletter, Wku Biology

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU Biology department highlighting students, faculty and alumni activities.

Lake Mead Cover Enhancement Project, Jennifer Stevens Haley, Suzanne Leavitt, Larry Paulson, Donald H. Baepler

Publications (WR)

Ninety-three wildlife agencies were surveyed for information on their attempts to improve fish habitat. In addition, an annotated bibliography including over 100 summaries was completed on: 1. largemouth bass cover requirements and preferences, 2. use and effectiveness of artificial cover, 3. aquatic plant introduction and species requirements for germination and establishment, 4. terrestrial plant introduction and species requirements for germination and establishment, and 5. nutrient exchange between sediment, aquatic plants, and water. A reconnaissance of existing terrestrial and aquatic vegetation was completed in June 1986 including the production of a video tape of the Nevada shoreline of Lake Mead. Cover …

X-Ray Microanalysis Of Cells In Suspension And The Application Of This Technique To The Study Of The Thymus Gland, A. Warley

Scanning Microscopy

Although X-ray microanalysis has become a well established technique in the study of tissues there are still relatively few papers reporting results from cells in culture. Our early investigations on freshly isolated murine thymocytes reported higher than expected concentrations of Na and Cl in these cells but subsequent studies have shown that these high concentrations are artefactual. Rat thymocytes that have been isolated and incubated for a short time to allow them to recover from the isolation procedure have lower concentrations of Na and Cl. Sections prepared from pellets of cells which have been concentrated by centrifugation in a microhaematocrit …

Scanning Electron Microscopy Of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells From Rat Muscular Arteries, William J. Krizmanich, Robert M. K. W. Lee

Scanning Microscopy

The use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the examination of medial smooth muscle cells (SMC) is limited by the presence of connective tissue mass in the adventitia obscuring the detailed structure of the SMC. This study deals with the description of a method which selectively removes the connective tissue, allowing three dimensional observation of SMC using SEM. A number of methods were tried. One method involving post fixation with 2% Os0₄ used in conjunction with HCl proved most successful in removing the extracellular matrix of large mesenteric arteries from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto normotensive rats …

Interaction Of Trace Metal Contaminants On Hematological Responses: Influence Of Infection With Trypanosoma Lewisi, Yvonne Hogan, Clarence Lee

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

The influence of trace metal contaminants (lead, cadmium, and mercury) on Sprague-Dawley rats was investigated to determine whether subclinical levels of these metals might have adverse effects on the host's ability to respond to an infective agent.In the present study, a trace metal contaminant-trypanosome system was employed to observe the hematological changes in rats infected with Trypanosoma lewisi. The animal groups were: (1) lead (Pb), (2) cadmium (Cd), (3) mercury (Hg), and (4) controls (animals not exposed to trace metals).Regardless of the trace metals, infected animals showed decreases in total erythrocyte counts and lower hematocrit values. Generally, infected animals also …

Fatigue From High- And Low-Frequency Muscle Stimulation: Contractile And Biochemical Alterations, Joseph Mark Metzger, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

This study examined the effect of high- (75 Hz, 1 min) and low- (5 Hz, 1.5 min) frequency stimulation on contractile and biochemical properties of the diaphragm. Tension was reduced to 21 ± 1 and 54 ± 2% (SE) of the initial value after high- and low-frequency stimulation, respectively. After 0, 0.25, 1, and 2 min of recovery from high-frequency stimulation, 5 Hz elicited more force (expressed as % of initial tension) than 75-Hz stimulation. Time 0 recovery values were 21 ± 1 and 78 ± 6% of the initial force for 75- and 5-Hz stimulation, respectively. By 1 min …

Thermal Dependence Of Maximal Ca2+-Activated Force In Skinned Muscle Fibres Of The Toad Bufo Marinus Acclimated At Different Temperatures, Bernard Rees

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mechanically skinned muscle fibres from the twitch region of the iliofibularis muscle of cool- (16 +/- 1 degree C) and warm- (32 +/- 1 degree C) acclimated cane toads (Bufo marinus) were activated maximally by Ca2+ in solutions of different pH and at different temperatures (approx. 1-35 degrees C). Acclimation of up to 12 weeks at 16 degrees C and up to 8 weeks at 32 degrees C did not modify the marked thermal dependence of isometric force in the skeletal muscle fibres of the cane toad. The prominent decline of maximum Ca2+-activated force at lower temperatures, a property which …

Comparison Of Littoral And Limnetic Zooplankton Communities Of Lake Mead, Patrick Joseph Sollberger

Publications (WR)

Microfaunal communities were studied in littoral (inshore) and limnetic (offshore) areas of the lower basin in Lake Mead to compare species composition and abundance between the two zones. Planktonic forms (zooplankton) dominated inshore and offshore habitats and the occurrence of littoral species was low. Therefore, high similarity in zooplankton species composition was found among all sampling stations. This was perhaps due to two main factors: (i) the physical and chemical environment among the stations were very similar and (ii) the lack of aquatic vegetation in the littoral zone reduced the occurrence of littoral species.

Although species composition did not vary …

Adaptation Of Striped Bass To Sea Water Following Direct Transfer From Freshwater: Morphological, Biochemical, And Physiological Parameters, Judy A. King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been heightened interest in the biology of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) because of increased pollution in their native spawning grounds and because of their extensive use in landlocked sport fisheries. Their euryhalinity makes them an excellent species for osmoregulation studies. The objective of this research was to study the rate of adaptation of striped bass gills to sea water (3% salt) after direct transfer from freshwater using biochemical (ion transport enzyme levels), physiological (chloride efflux), and ultrastructural methods. Striped bass have specialized osmoregulatory cells located on the interlamellar and afferent surfaces of their gill filaments as shown by …

Behavioral Feeding Specialization In Pinaroloxias Inornata, The “Darwin's Finch” Of Cocos Island, Costa Rica, Tracey K. Werner, Thomas W. Sherry

Dartmouth Scholarship

As a population, Cocos Finches exhibit a broad range of feeding behaviors spanning those of several families of birds on the mainland, while individuals feed as specialists year-round. Although this extreme intraspecific variability occurs as predicted in a tropical oceanic island environment, these specializations challenge contemporary ecological theory in that they are not attributable to individual differences in age, sex, gross morphology, or opportunistic exploitation of patchy resources. Instead, they appear to originate and be maintained behaviorally, possibly via observational learning. This phenomenon adds another direction to the evolutionary radiation of the Darwin's Finches and underscores the necessity for detailed …

Role Of Intracellular Ph In Muscle Fatigue, Joseph Mark Metzger, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Intracellular pH of in vitro diaphragm preparations was determined following low- (5 Hz, 1.5 min) and high- (75 Hz, 1 min) frequency stimulation, using glass microelectrodes of the liquid membrane type (pH_m). Results were compared with values obtained by the standard homogenate technique (pH_h). High- and low-frequency stimulation reduced peak tetanic tension to 21 ± 1 (SE) and 71 ± 2% of initial values, respectively. Peak tetanic tension returned to resting values after 10- to 15-min recovery from high- or low-frequency stimulation. Resting pH_m was 7.063 ± 0.011 (n = 72), and after fatiguing …

Heterozygosity And Oxygen-Consumption Rate As Predictors Of Growth And Developmental Rate In Rainbow-Trout, Roy G. Danzmann, Moira M. Ferguson, Fred W. Allendorf

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Book Review Of Evolution As Religion, Carl J. Bajema

Other Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.

Contingency Analysis Of The Agonistic Behavioral Sequence In Sceloporus Undulatus Hyacinthinus, Deborah Allison

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A contingency analysis of the sequence of actions associated with agonistic behavior of resident and introduced male Sceloporus undulatus nya irthirus was carried out to determine the degree of stereotypy. During the time period April to June 1984 and 1985, caged pairs of adult male and juvenile female lizards were filmed on three occasions in order to gather data on resident males not involved in aggressive interactions. During the same threemonth time period, a different nonresident male was introduced singly into a given resident's cage on three occasions and the interactions filmed. The films were analyzed to determine which actions …

Western Rock Lobster Industry Compensation Study. Report To The Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee By Arthur Young Services., Arthur Young Services

Fisheries Management Papers

Terms of reference are outlined in letter dated 11 August 1986. The Fisheries Department seeks to reduce western rock lobster fishing capacity to ensure the long-term viability of the fishery and has asked us to evaluate the financial implications of a number of specific resource management proposals.

Density, Length Frequency Distribution, Growth Rate, And Condition Of The Freshwater Mussel, ̲A̲N̲Od̲O̲N̲T̲A ̲I̲M̲B̲E̲C̲I̲L̲L̲I̲S Say 1829, In Six Ponds At The Clifton F. Mcclintic Public Hunting And Fishing Area, Mason County, West Virginia, Jeff L. Harmon

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Populations of the freshwater mussel Anodonta imbecillis Say 1829, were sampled from six ponds at the Clifton F. McClintic Public Hunting and Fishing Area in Mason County West Virginia from April 1986 to May 1987. One of the six ponds, pond 12, is contaminated with byproducts from the manufacture of TNT which occurred at the site during World War II. Population density, length frequency distribution, growth rates and condition indices were examined for each population to establish baseline data for the species and to determine what effects the contaminants might be having on these organisms.

Population densities ranged from 4.8 …

Mammals Of Spanish Peaks State Wildlife Area, Colorado, Ron S. Mellott, Jerry R. Choate, Charles Loeffler

Fort Hays Studies Series

Habitats and relative abundance of small mammals in the Spanish Peaks State Wildlife Area in western Las Animas Co., Colorado, were assessed. A total of 821 mammals of 20 species was collected in 2750 trapnights between 31 May and 19 August of 1981. Eight additional species of mammals were observed on the wildlife area but not documented. The deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and rock mouse (P. difficilis) were the most abundant small mammals, accounting for 63 and 16%, respectively, of the total catch. The deer mouse was the only species caught in every habitat sampled. Abert's squirrel (Sciurus abert,) previously …

Report Of The Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee Meeting Of 27 January 1987 - Report By The Chairman Mr. B.K. Bowen., B. K. Bowen

Fisheries Management Papers

The Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee met in Perth on Tuesday 17 January 1987. Committee discussed the following: Policy on 5% pot loss on replacement of vessels less than six years old. Study of industry funded compensation mechanism for fishing capacity reductions. 20 Fathom rule. Future maintenance of the zone E boundary. The recreational Rock Lobster Fishery. Rock Lobster pot distribution. Options for a 10 per cent reduction in fishing effort. 1987 coastal tour. Augusta-Windy Harbour Rock Lobster Working Group. Report on the 1986/87 season.

Effects Of Variation In Food Quality On The Breeding Territoriality Of The Male Anna's Hummindbird, Donald R. Powers

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Thirteen territorial male Anna’s Hummingbirds, Calypte anna, were observed during the 1981 and 1982 breeding seasons. Breeding territories were large, but size was not determined by energy availability. When a food source (sucrose solution in feeders) was present, the degree to which it was defended was a function of food quality. If a high-quality food source was absent, males did not exhibit the behaviors associated with defending a food source, but breeding territoriality remained intact. Territories were maintained for the entire breeding season even when food quality was varied. The lack of a relationship between the number of chases involving …

What Controls Tropical Reef Fish Populations: Recruitment Or Benthic Mortality? An Example In The Caribbean Reef Fish Haemulon Flavolineatum, M. J. Shulman, John C. Ogden

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Recruitment from a planktonic larval stage has been proposed to be an important factor in limiting populations of marine organisms, particularly tropical reef fishes. We monitored recruitment and population densities of juvenile size classes In French grunt Haemulon flavolineatum (Haemulidae) from October 1978 through December 1980 In a portion of Tague Bay, St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands. Within our study area, 95 % of new recruits settled onto the sand and seagrass lagoon floor and within a few weeks migrated to nearby reefs; the remaining 5'10 settled directly onto reef structures. Mean annual recruitment rate was 1.8 recruits per …

Influence Of Rufuging Consumers (Pikas: Ochotona Princeps) On Subalpine Meadow Vegetation, Nancy J. Huntly

Biology Faculty Publications

Talus slopes in western North America frequently are bordered by vegetation that differs in biomass, cover, height, and species composition from vegetation located farther from talus. These areas are grazed by pikas (Ochotona princess, which nest in that talus. Foraging theory predicts that pikas will produce a gradient of grazing pressure, which could produce the observed vegetational zonation. In a subalpine meadow in west-central Colorado, pikas produced the predicted gradient of grazing pressure, along which plant groups varied clinally in abundance. The effects of pikas on talus-border vegetation were tested by excluding pikas from small plots at several distances from …

Arachnid Fauna In Three Central Florida Plant Communities, David T. Corey

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Arachnids were collected in three plant communities on the University of Central Florida campus, beginning in May of 1983 and ending in March 1984. These sites were undisturbed communities: pond pine, sand pine scrub, and flatwoods. Pitfall traps and sweep nets were used to catch arachnids every other month.

A total of 2,657 arachnids were collected in pitfall traps and 4,022 in sweep nets. Spiders were the most numerous group, consisting of 87.5% of the individuals in pitfall traps and 100.0% in sweep nets. Forty-two scorpions, 41 pseudoscorpions, and 248 opilionids were captured on the ground surface.

Spider diversity on …

Symbiosis Between Social Spiders And Yeast: The Role In Prey Attraction, William James Tietjen, L. Rao Ayyagari, George W. Uetz

Faculty Scholarship

A number of predatory animals use deception, including odors, signals, and bait-like body appendages or objects to lure prey (Alcock, 1984). Several spider species are known to emit chemical odors that mimic the sex attractants of certain noctuid or saturniid moths as a means of luring males to be captured (Tietjen and Rovner, 1982). Here we provide evidence that the social spider species, Mallos gregalis, uses a scented "bait" to attract prey. Our results indicate that this odor is produced by yeasts growing on the carcasses of previously fed-upon flies which these spiders incorporated into their webs.

Reproductive Competence In The Golden Hamster Following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, Jennifer Jayne Swiatek

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Isolation And Distribution Of A Drosophila Protein Preferentially Associated With Inactive Regions Of The Genome, G Fleischmann, R Filipski, Sarah C.R. Elgin

Biology Faculty Research

The distribution patterns of chromosomal proteins from Drosophila can be observed by immunofluorescent staining of the polytene chromosomes from larval salivary glands. We have purified a non-histone chromosomal protein of Mr = 69,000 molecular weight which has a high affinity for DNA with little sequence specificity. Immunofluorescent staining indicates that this protein is preferentially associated with the inactive portions of the genome, including the centric heterochromatin and the condensed bands within the euchromatic arms of the chromosomes. Observation of both the heat shock loci 87A and 87C and the developmentally regulated loci 74EF and 75B shows an inverse correlation between …

Seasonal Variation In Serum Testosterone Of Immature Sea Turtles In Central Florida, Lawrence K. Luepschen

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A yearlong hormonal study of immature populations of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) inhabiting the Indian River in Central Florida, USA, provided information about the relationship between serum testosterone levels and life history habits. By use of a specific radioimmunoassay, testosterone levels of both species were found to remain constant throughout the year with only a slight increase in the warmer months. Adrenal production of steroids in response to stress does not contribute significantly to overall testosterone levels may be reduced for turtles held in captivity. Testosterone levels indicate that the sex ratios of both species …

Distribution And Current Status Of The Threatened Dismal Swamp Southeastern Shrew, Sorex Longirostris Fisheri, Robert K. Rose, Roger K. Everton, Thomas M. Padgett

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Dismal Swamp southeastern shrew, Sorex longirostris fisheri, was given "Threatened" status by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1986 because of its limited distribution and the potential threat of interbreeding with the nearby upland subspecies, Sorex l. longirostris. Known from about 20 specimens collected before 1980 and a few dozen taken since then, "fisheri" seems to have morphologically diverged from the smaller upland "longirostris" in association with the development of the Dismal Swamp. The detection of southeastern shrews that are intermediate in size between the two subspecies, coupled with the location of these collection sites on …

The Identification Of The Threatened Southeastern Shrew Using Multivariate Statistical Techniques, Thomas M. Padgett, Roger K. Everton, Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The threatened subspecies of the southeastern shrew, Sorex longirostris fisheri, is endemic to the Great Dismal Swamp of southeastern Virginia. Previous studies based on discriminant analysis of external measurements determined that intergrades with the upland form, Sorex l. longirostris, exist along the periphery of the Swamp. To better discriminate among these populations, a study of cranial morphology was initiated. Fifteen cranial measurements were taken, using 59 specimens of Sorex collected previously form southeastern Virginia, including the Dismal Swamp. Both Principal Component and Cluster Analyses revealed no significant cranial variation or morphometric patterns within the specimens examined, but a …