Digital Commons Network^™

A Multi‑Disciplinary Comparison Of Great Ape Gut Microbiota In A Central African Forest And European Zoo, Victor Narat, Katherine R. Amato, Noémie Ranger, Maud Salmona, Séverine Mercier‑Delarue, Stephanie Rupp, Philippe Ambata, Richard Njouom, François Simon, Tamara Giles‑Vernick, Jérôme Legoff

Publications and Research

Comparisons of mammalian gut microbiota across different environmental conditions shed light on the diversity and composition of gut bacteriome and suggest consequences for human and animal health. Gut bacteriome comparisons across different environments diverge in their results, showing no generalizable patterns linking habitat and dietary degradation with bacterial diversity. The challenge in drawing general conclusions from such studies lies in the broad terms describing diverse habitats (“wild”, “captive”, “pristine”). We conducted 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing to characterize intestinal microbiota of free-ranging sympatric chimpanzees and gorillas in southeastern Cameroon and sympatric chimpanzees and gorillas in a European zoo. We conducted …

Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca Sexta) Oral Secretion Elicits Reactive Oxygen Species In Isolated Tomato Protoplasts, Akanksha Gandhi, Rupesh R. Kariyat, Cruz Chappa, Mandeep Tayal, Nirakar Sahoo

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Plants are under constant attack by a suite of insect herbivores. Over millions of years of coexistence, plants have evolved the ability to sense insect feeding via herbivore-associated elicitors in oral secretions, which can mobilize defense responses. However, herbivore-associated elicitors and the intrinsic downstream modulator of such interactions remain less understood. In this study, we show that tobacco hornworm caterpillar (Manduca sexta) oral secretion (OS) induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) protoplasts. By using a dye-based ROS imaging approach, our study shows that application of plant-fed (PF) M. sexta OS generates significantly higher ROS while artificial diet-fed …

Trophic Cascades Alter Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics And Body Size Evolution, Thomas M. Luhring, John Delong

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Trait evolution in predator–prey systems can feed back to the dynamics of interacting species as well as cascade to impact the dynamics of indirectly linked species (eco-evolutionary trophic cascades; EETCs). A key mediator of trophic cascades is body mass, as it both strongly influences and evolves in response to predator–prey interactions. Here, we use Gillespie ecoevolutionary models to explore EETCs resulting from top predator loss and mediated by body mass evolution. Our four-trophic-level food chain model uses allometric scaling to link body mass to different functions (ecological pleiotropy) and is realistically parameterized from the FORAGE database to mimic the parameter …

Contributions To The Knowledge Of Water Bugs In Mindoro Island, Philippines, With A Species Checklist Of Nepomorpha And Gerromorpha (Insecta, Hemiptera, Heteroptera), Arthien Lovell Pelingen, Herbert Zettel, Clister V. Pangantihon, Kyra Mari Dominique Aldaba, Earl Kevin Fatallo, Jemillie Madonna De Leon, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

This survey aims to provide an updated species checklist of aquatic and semi-aquatic bugs in the intra-Philippine biogeographic Region of Mindoro. An assessment survey of water bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) was conducted mostly by manual collection in selected areas of Oriental Mindoro from 2017 to 2018, in which some of the collecting activities were undertaken by graduate students of Ateneo de Manila University. Twenty-nine aquatic and semi-aquatic heteropteran species were documented and some are known island-endemic species or subspecies, including Enithares martini mindoroensis Nieser & Zettel, 1999, Hydrotrephes stereoides mindoroensis Zettel, 2003, Aphelocheirus freitagi Zettel & Pangantihon, 2010, Rhagovelia mindoroensis Zettel, …

The Tissues Of Adult Female Reproductive System Of The Pipistrellus Kuhlii Bat: Comparative Study With Other Mammals, Muna Rashid

Journal of the Arab American University مجلة الجامعة العربية الامريكية للبحوث

This study is attempt for investigating the tissues, which comprise the female reproductive system of the bat. Then, compare it with the same system of other mammals. The bat has been anatomized and the organs of female reproductive system was taken away. They include: ovary, ovarian duct and uterus, where they have been studied histological.

The results of the microscopic investigation of the tissue of the female bat, showed that the ovary has two parts; an outer cortex and an inner medulla. The cortex consists of follicles, different growth stages and the proper tissues have net of connective tissue fibers. …

Blue Swimmer Crab Resource Of South-West Western Australia Harvest Strategy : 2020-2025 : Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Estuarine And Nearshore Finfish Resource Of South-West Western Australia Harvest Strategy : 2020-2025 : Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Resource Harvest Strategy 2020-2025, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Saucer Scallop Resource Of Shark Bay Harvest Strategy : 2020-2025 : Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Novel Small Rnas Expressed By Bartonella Bacilliformis Under Multiple Conditions Reveal Potential Mechanisms For Persistence In The Sand Fly Vector And Human Host, Shaun Wachter, Linda D. Hicks, Rahul Raghavan, Michael F. Minnick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Bartonella bacilliformis, the etiological agent of Carrión's disease, is a Gram-negative, facultative intracellular alphaproteobacterium. Carrión's disease is an emerging but neglected tropical illness endemic to Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. B. bacilliformis is spread between humans through the bite of female phlebotomine sand flies. As a result, the pathogen encounters significant and repeated environmental shifts during its life cycle, including changes in pH and temperature. In most bacteria, small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) serve as effectors that may post-transcriptionally regulate the stress response to such changes. However, sRNAs have not been characterized in B. bacilliformis, to date. We therefore performed total RNA-sequencing …

Npc1 Deficiency Impairs Cerebellar Postnatal Development Of Microglia And Climbing Fiber Refinement In A Mouse Model Of Niemann–Pick Disease Type C, B. R. Boyle, S. E. Melli, R. S. Altreche, Z. M. Padron, F. A. K. Yousufzai, S. Kim, M. D. Vasquez, Dawn M. Carone, B. R. Carone, I. Soto

Biology Faculty Works

Little is known about the effects of NPC1 deficiency in brain development and whether these effects contribute to neurodegeneration in Niemann–Pick disease type C (NPC). Degeneration of cerebellar Purkinje cells occurs at an earlier stage and to a greater extent in NPC; therefore, we analyzed the effect of NPC1 deficiency on microglia and on climbing fiber synaptic refinement during cerebellar postnatal development using the Npc1ⁿᵐᶠ¹⁶⁴ mouse. Our analysis revealed that NPC1 deficiency leads to early phenotypic changes in microglia that are not associated with an innate immune response. However, the lack of NPC1 in Npc1ⁿᵐᶠ¹⁶⁴ mice significantly affected the early …

The Influence Of Social-Grouping On Territorial Defense Behavior In The Black-Crested Titmouse (Baeolophus Atricristatus), Mirjam J. Borger, Lauren E. Johnson, Nathaly O. Salazar, Cameron L. Dreghorn, J. Komdeur, Troy G. Murphy

Biology Faculty Research

Abstract: Status signals have evolved for individuals to avoid energetic and physical costs of resource defense. These signals reflect an individual’s competitive ability and therefore influence competitors’ decisions on how to invest in a fight. We hypothesized that the response of receivers to status signals will depend on the social context. During territorial defense, group members may provide support to a territory owner by participating in defense. We investigated whether the presence of juveniles—who group together with territorial males—alters the territorial male’s attack decisions and level of aggression in the black-crested titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus). Crest-length in this species …

Speciation-By-Depth On Coral Reefs: Sympatric Divergence With Gene Flow Or Cryptic Transient Isolation?, Carlos Prada, Michael E. Hellberg

Faculty Publications

The distributions of many sister species in the sea overlap geographically but are partitioned along depth gradients. The genetic changes leading to depth segregation may evolve in geographic isolation as a prerequisite to coexistence or may emerge during primary divergence leading to new species. These alternatives can now be distinguished via the power endowed by the thousands of scorable loci provided by second-generation sequence data. Here, we revisit the case of two depth-segregated, genetically isolated ecotypes of the nominal Caribbean candelabrum coral Eunicea flexuosa. Previous analyses based on a handful of markers could not distinguish between models of genetic exchange …

Ribosomal Rna Synthesis After Induced Nucleolar Stress In Drosophila Melanogaster, Kyle Maher

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Characterizing Drosophila Melanogaster Sleep Models Using An Optogenetic Engineered Caspase And Channelrhodopsins, Corey Cooper

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Exploring A Novel Substrate-Borne Vibratory Signal In The Wolf Spider Schizocosa Floridana, Malcolm F. Rosenthal, Eileen Hebets, Rowan H. Mcginley, Cody Raiza, James Starrett, Lin Yan, Damian O. Elias

Eileen Hebets Publications

Animals communicate using a diversity of signals produced by a wide array of physical structures. Determining how a signal is produced provides key insights into signal evolution. Here, we examine a complex vibratory mating display produced by male Schizocosa floridana wolf spiders. This display contains three discrete substrate-borne acoustic components (known as “thumps”, “taps”, and “chirps”), each of which is anecdotally associated with the movement of a different body part (the pedipalps, legs, and abdomen respectively). In order to determine the method of production, we employ a combination of high-speed video/audio recordings and SEM imaging of possible sound-producing structures. Previous …

Testing The Hypothesized Antipredator Defence Function Of Stridulation In The Spiny Orb-Weaving Spider, Micrathena Gracilis, Tyler B. Corey, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

The observable diversity of antipredator defenses across organisms demonstrates predation’s impact on trait evolution. The functions of many traits that are presumed to have an antipredator function have never been directly tested. The spiny orb-weaving spider, Micrathena gracilis, for example, stridulates when grasped. While stridulation was first hypothesized to be an antipredator defense nearly 50 years ago, no data exist to support this hypothesis. To explore the form and function of M. gracilis stridulation, we first quantified the behavioral and acoustical properties of sound production. Next, using laboratory assays, we directly tested the effect of stridulation on survival with …

Wnt Signaling Determines Body Axis Polarity In Regenerating Hydra Tissue Fragments, R. Wang, R. E. Steele, Eva-Maria S. Collins

Biology Faculty Works

How an animal establishes its body axis is a fundamental question in developmental biology. The freshwater cnidarian Hydra is an attractive model for studying axis formation because it is radially symmetric, with a single oral-aboral axis. It was recently proposed that the orientation of the new body axis in a regenerating Hydra polyp is determined by the oral-aboral orientation of the actin-myosin contractile processes (myonemes) in the animal’s outer epithelial layer. However, it remained unclear how the oral-aboral polarity of the body axis would be defined. As Wnt signaling is known to control axis polarity in Hydra and bilaterians, we …

Temporal Variability In Production Is Not Consistently Affected By Global Change Drivers Across Herbaceous-Dominated Ecosystems, Meghan L. Avolio, Kevin R. Wilcox, Kimberly J. Komatsu, Nathan P. Lemoine, William D. Bowman, Scott L. Collins, Alan K. Knapp, Sally E. Koerner, Melinda D. Smith, Sara G. Baer, Katherine Gross, Forest Isbell, Jennie R. Mclaren, Peter B. Reich, Katherine Suding, K. Blake Suttle, David Tilman, Zhuwen Xu, Qiang Yu

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Understanding how global change drivers (GCDs) affect aboveground net primary production (ANPP) through time is essential to predicting the reliability and maintenance of ecosystem function and services in the future. While GCDs, such as drought, warming and elevated nutrients, are known to affect mean ANPP, less is known about how they affect inter-annual variability in ANPP. We examined 27 global change experiments located in 11 different herbaceous ecosystems that varied in both abiotic and biotic conditions, to investigate changes in the mean and temporal variability of ANPP (measured as the coefficient of variation) in response to different GCD manipulations, including …

Adaptive Divergence, Neutral Panmixia, And Algal Symbiont Population Structure In The Temperate Coral Astrangia Poculata Along The Mid-Atlantic United States, Hannah E. Aichelman, Daniel J. Barshis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Astrangia poculata is a temperate scleractinian coral that exists in facultative symbiosis with the dinoflagellate alga Breviolum psygmophilum across a range spanning the Gulf of Mexico to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Our previous work on metabolic thermal performance of Virginia (VA) and Rhode Island (RI) populations of A. poculata revealed physiological signatures of cold (RI) and warm (VA) adaptation of these populations to their respective local thermal environments. Here, we used whole-transcriptome sequencing (mRNA-Seq) to evaluate genetic differences and identify potential loci involved in the adaptive signature of VA and RI populations. Sequencing data from 40 A. poculata individuals, including 10 …

Cashew Plant-Mediated Biosynthesis Of Silver Nanoparticles And Evaluation Of Their Applications As Antimicrobial Additive For Consumer Care Products, Isiaka A. Adelere, David O. Aboyeji, Felicia O. Akindurodoye, Nasiru U. Adabara, Hausatu Babayi

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study reports the biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous extract obtained from Anacardium occidentale stem bark and evaluation of their antibacterial activities as well as their potential applications as antimicrobial additives for detergent and toothpaste. The biosynthesized AgNPs were analyzed using UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The particles were dark brown in colour with maximum absorbance at wavelength 419 nm. They were mainly spherical in shape with size ranges from 20 to 60 nm. The peaks of FTIR spectrum revealed that their formation was facilitated by protein molecules present in the …

Assessment Of Genetic Diversity Of The Wild Rice (Oryza Longistaminata) Populations In Tanzania Using Microsatellite Markers, Hashim M. Mangosongo, Emerald E. Mneney, Jagger Harvey, Martina Kyallo

Tanzania Journal of Science

The genetic diversity of 132 samples of the perennial wild rice (Oryza longistaminata) populations from selected districts (Bagamoyo, Kibaha, Kilombero and Mbarali) in Tanzania was evaluated using twenty eight microsatellite markers. Genomic DNA was extracted using standard protocols. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was carried out in a total reaction volume of 10 µL, using Touchdown protocol. It was found that all 28 microsatellite markers generated polymorphic patterns, with average Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) value of 0.631. Moreover, a total of 243 alleles were detected by the 28 markers, with average of 8.68 alleles per marker. The percentages of genetic variations …

Craniometrics Analysis For Ontogenetic Physiognomy And Sexual Dimorphism In Emin’S Silvery Mole-Rats (Heliophobius Argenteocinereus Emini: Bathyergidae) From Tanzania, Jestina V Katandukila

Tanzania Journal of Science

Emin’s silvery mole-rat, the Heliophobius argenteocinereus emini belongs to a family Bathyergidae. The Heliophobius argenteocinereus emini (Noak, 1894) isinformation on ontogenetic physiognomy and status of sexual dimorphism in H. a. emini is missing. The present study intended to fill gaps on ontogenetic characteristics and status of sexual dimorphism in these mole-rats by comprehensively examining 55 skulls. Based on teeth eruption and wear, the dental formula of 1/1, 0/0, 1/1, 3/3 is reported for the first time, and subsequently established eight relative age classes. This information was key to the assessment of ontogenetic variations between sexes and age classes. The multidisciplinary …

Anti-Diabetic Activity Of Chrysophyllum Albidum (G. Don) Stem Bark In Alloxan-Induced Type 1 Diabetic Female Wistar Rats, Babalola Ola Yusuf, Musa Toyin Yakubu, Musbau Adewumi Akanji

Tanzania Journal of Science

Anti-diabetic activity of aqueous extract of Chrysophyllum albidum stem bark (AECASB) in female Wistar rats was investigated to confirm or refute the purported use and the underlying mechanism of action of C. albidum stem bark in the management of type 1 diabetes in Nigeria traditional medicine. Seventy female rats (180.60 ± 8.50 g) were assigned into seven groups. Rats in Group 1 (non-diabetic) were orally administered 1 mL of distilled water, while animals in Groups 2-7 were made diabetic and orally administered 1 mL of distilled water, 2.5 mg/kg body weight (bwt) of glibenclamide, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg …

Predators As Agents Of Selection And Diversification, Jerald B. Johnson, Mark C. Belk

Faculty Publications

Predation is ubiquitous in nature and can be an important component of both ecological and evolutionary interactions. One of the most striking features of predators is how often they cause evolutionary diversification in natural systems. Here, we review several ways that this can occur, exploring empirical evidence and suggesting promising areas for future work. We also introduce several papers recently accepted in Diversity that demonstrate just how important and varied predation can be as an agent of natural selection. We conclude that there is still much to be done in this field, especially in areas where multiple predator species prey …

Spiny Mice (Acomys) Exhibit Attenuated Hallmarks Of Aging And Rapid Cell Turnover After Uv Exposure In The Skin Epidermis, Wesley Wong, Austin Kim, James R. Monaghan, Ashley W. Seifert, Malcolm Maden, Justin D. Crane

Biology Faculty Publications

The study of long-lived and regenerative animal models has revealed diverse protective responses to stressors such as aging and tissue injury. Spiny mice (Acomys) are a unique mammalian model of skin wound regeneration, but their response to other types of physiological skin damage has not been investigated. In this study, we examine how spiny mouse skin responds to acute UVB damage or chronological aging compared to non-regenerative C57Bl/6 mice (M. musculus). We find that, compared to M. musculus, the skin epidermis in A. cahirinus experiences a similar UVB-induced increase in basal cell …

Patterning A Leaf By Establishing Polarities, Darren Manuela, Mingli Xu

Faculty Publications

Leaves are the major organ for photosynthesis in most land plants, and leaf structure is optimized for the maximum capture of sunlight and gas exchange. Three polarity axes, the adaxial–abaxial axis, the proximal-distal axis, and the medial-lateral axis are established during leaf development to give rise to a flattened lamina with a large area for photosynthesis and blades that are extended on petioles for maximum sunlight. Adaxial cells are elongated, tightly packed cells with many chloroplasts, and their fate is specified by HD-ZIP III and related factors. Abaxial cells are rounder and loosely packed cells and their fate is established …

Succession In Native Groundwater Microbial Communities In Response To Effluent Wastewater, Chelsea M. Dinon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Aquifer storage and recovery techniques are used globally to mitigate increasing demands for groundwater. Microcosms were used to evaluate the effect of wastewater effluent that may be used for aquifer storage and recovery injection on native aquifer microbial communities. Sulfur Springs water was used as the source of aquifer water. The microcosms were 100% spring water, 100% unchlorinated filtered wastewater effluent, or one of three mixtures of unchlorinated filtered wastewater effluent and spring water. The mixture microcosms were 50%, 30%, and 10% unchlorinated filtered wastewater effluent with the balance as spring water. The effluent water was UV treated prior to …

Making A First Impression: Exploring What Instructors Do And Say On The First Day Of Introductory Stem Courses, A. Kelly Lane, Clara L. Meaders, J. Kenny Shuman, Mackenzie R. Stetzer, Erin L. Vinson, Brian A. Couch, Michelle K. Smith, Marilyne Stains

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Student impressions formed during the first day of class can impact course satisfaction and performance. Despite its potential importance, little is known about how instructors format the first day of class. Here, we report on observations of the first day of class in 23 introductory science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses. We first described how introductory STEM instructors structure their class time by characterizing topics covered on the first day through inductive coding of class videos. We found that all instructors discussed policies and basic information. However, a cluster analysis revealed two groups of instructors who differed primarily in …

Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) Neurocranium, Connor Depriest, Nadia Abeido, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

9.0 cm in length. Neurocranium scan of an Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar). Collected from Two Bills Seafood on 04/09/20 by Nadia Abeido and Connor Depriest.