Digital Commons Network^™

Comparative Sugar Transport By Crustacean Hepatopancreas And Intestine, Ada Duka

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Glucose is transported in crustacean hepatopancreas and intestine by Na⁺-dependent co-transport, while Na⁺-dependent D-fructose influx has only been described for the hepatopancreas. It is still unclear if the two sugars are independently transported by two distinct cotransporter carrier systems. In this study lobster (Homarus americanus) hepatopancreas brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) were used to characterize, in detail, the cation-dependency of both D-[³H] glucose and D-[³H] fructose influxes, while in vitro perfused intestines were employed to determine the nature of cation-dependent sugar transport in this organ. Over the sodium concentration range …

The Effects Of Multiple Abiotic Stressors On The Susceptibility Of The Seagrass Thalassia Testudinum To Labyrinthula Sp., The Causative Agent Of Wasting Disease, Nichole Danielle Bishop

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the past century, seagrasses have experienced massive die off episodes in what has been collectively referred to as “wasting disease.” Researchers generally agree that wasting disease is caused by a protist of the Labyrinthula genus, and that environmental stressors can make some populations of seagrasses more susceptible to infection. The purpose of this study was to examine the combined effects of elevated salinity, elevated temperature, elevated sulfide and night-time hypoxia on Thalassia testudinum health and its response to Labyrinthula sp. infection under controlled conditions. To test these effects, microcosms were utilized and individual seagrass shoots were randomly assigned to …

A Survey Of The Taxonomy Of The Cyanobacteria From Northeast Florida, Descriptions Of Novel Taxa, And An Investigation Into The Factors Which Influence The Epibenthic Cyanobacterial Community, Holly Stephanie Stocks

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cyanobacteria are important components of the aquatic system, valued for their oxygen production, nitrogen fixation, and as the base of many aquatic food webs. This study investigated several aspects of cyanobacteria such as the diversity and response to nutrient enrichments. A survey of Northeast Florida was conducted between the years of 2010 and 2012; a total of 145 taxa were identified in freshwater habitats, such as springs, lakes, rivers, and retention ponds. While surveying the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, a novel Stigonematalean taxon was isolated and cultured. Subsequent morphological and genetic analyses indicate that this taxon is related …

Nutrient Availability Affects Flowering Rate But Has Limited Influence On Morphology Of The Hooded Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia Minor., Justin M. Lemmons

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Carnivorous plants perform as both producers and consumers. Botanical carnivory has evolved in sunny, moist, nutrient-poor environments, and the primary nutrient supplied by prey is proposed to be nitrogen. There is a trade-off between carnivorous and photosynthetic structures which corresponds to degree of carnivory expression and available nutrients. This study was conducted on the hooded pitcher plant, Sarracenia minor, which is a facultative wetland plant and Florida-threatened species. Sarracenia minor is considered a specialist myrmecophage and ants characterize the majority of attracted and captured prey. Ants not only provide nutritional benefit, but also protection against herbivory. A natural population …

Utilisation Of Spent Dairy Yeast Kluyveromyces Marxianus For The Production Of Flavoured Yeast Extracts., Brendan Mccarra

Theses

Spent dairy yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus (SDYK), a by-product of whey to ethanol fermentations, was investigated as a natural biomass source for the production of alternative flavoured yeast extracts. SDYK which was characterised by a high protein content (55.3% (w/w) ± 0.8) and comparable levels of flavor enhancing amino acids to that of S. cerevisiae was prepared for induced autolysis at different pH values in the presence of inductors sodium chloride and the proteolytic enzyme papain. An induced autolysis process was developed for the production of flavoured yeast extracts in which pH and autolytic treatment applied were found to have a …

Phytoplankton In Virginia Lakes And Reservoirs, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

This study involves a phytoplankton summer/autumn survey in 46 Virginia lakes and reservoirs during 2010-2012. A total of 307 taxa were identified which included several filamentous and colonial cyanabacteria in bloom concentrations. With the exception of one natural lake, the other sites sampled represent impoundments created decades ago, with the majority presently classified as meso- or eutrophic. Among the cyanobacteria were 6 known toxin producers (Anabaena circinalis, Anabaena spiroides, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Limnothrix redekei, and Microcystis aeruginosa). The study characterizes phytoplankton populations in these aging freshwater habitats taken from a large number …

Habitat Use And Feeding Ecology Of Delphinids Inferred From Stable Isotopes And Fatty Acid Signatures, Nicole Browning

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prey availability, directly or indirectly, affects all aspects of a predator’s life history and is a primary factor influencing habitat selection and movements. This is especially true for delphinid species where it has been documented that the behaviors and movements of dolphins are strongly influenced by food availability. Unfortunately, the feeding ecology and habitat use patterns of many of these species are poorly understood. Many methodologies that have been employed to explore these facets of dolphin ecology have limitations and constraints or are logistically infeasible. Stable isotope and fatty acid signature analyses have been used extensively on a wide variety …

Investigation Of Media Ingredients And Water Sources For Algae Co2 Capture At Different Scales To Demonstrate The Correlations Between Lab-Scale And Large-Scale Growth, Tabitha Graham

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

As energy use increases globally the environmental burdens increase alike. Many accusations have been made that carbon dioxide is a culprit of climate change. The University of Kentucky and Duke Energy Power have partnered to test carbon capture technology in a large scale project. To this end, the objective of this thesis is to investigate potential water media sources and nutrient sources at different volume scales for algae cultivation to help create a more environmentally viable and economically feasible solution. This work will conduct a life cycle assessment of water media sources and the effects of the inputs and outputs …

Individual And Population Responses Of The Caribbean Sponge, Aplysina Cauliformis, To Natural And Anthropogenic Stressors, Cole Gregory Easson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are under increasing threat from a diversity of stressors. These reefs have undergone a phase shift from coral-dominated to algal-dominated ecosystems, and in many cases other functional groups such as sponges are now the predominant organisms on many reefs. This dissertation investigated the responses of a combranching sponge, Aplysina cauliformis, to algal contact, eutrophication, hurricanes, and disease. The effects of algal competition, anthropogenic nutrients and a combination of these stressors on A. cauliformis were examined using factorial designed field experiments on Bahamian reefs. These experiments demonstrated a complex interaction between sponge and alga, in which the green alga, …

Compositional Studies And Antioxidant Potential Of Albizia Lebbeck (L.) Benth. Pods And Seeds, Muhammad Zia-Ul-Haq, Shakeel Ahmad, Mughal Qayum, Sezai̇ Erci̇şli̇

Turkish Journal of Biology

Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth. is an important medicinal tree found in Pakistan. The present study evaluates the composition and antioxidant potential of various parts of the A. lebbeck plant. Compositional studies indicated carbohydrates as major components while saponin was found as a major antinutrient in both pods and seeds. Potassium was found in the highest amount and copper in the lowest. The amino acid profile indicated that arginine and lysine are present in excessive amounts in seeds while glutamic acid and aspartic acid are present in the highest concentrations in pods. While the linoleic acid was detected as the major …

The Effect Of 3-Methylcholanthrene And Butylated Hydroxytoluene On Glycogen Levels Of Liver, Muscle, Testis, And Tumor Tissues Of Rats, Fi̇kri̇ye Polat, Egemen Dere, Eylem Gül, İzzet Yelkuvan, Öztürk Özdemi̇r, Günsel Bi̇ngöl

Turkish Journal of Biology

This study examined the effects of separate and combined applications of 3-methylcholanthrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and potent carcinogenic agent, and butylated hydroxytoluene, the antioxidant food additive, on the glycogen levels of liver, muscle, testis, and tumor tissues in rats. Adult male Wistar albino rats weighing 100-110 g at 8 weeks of age were used in this study. This study consisted of a control group (n = 9) and 3 different experiment groups in which rats were chronically treated with 3-methylcholanthrene (n = 9) or butylated hydroxytoluene (n = 11) or a combination of these agents (n = 14). Rats …

Medium Optimization For The Production Of Exopolysaccharide By Bacillus Subtilis Using Synthetic Sources And Agro Wastes, Sirajunnisa Abdul Razack, Vijayagopal Velayutham, Viruthagiri Thangavelu

Turkish Journal of Biology

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) play an extensive role as biopolymers in the environment by replacing synthetic polymers as they are degradable, nontoxic, and produced by microorganisms. An attempt was made to optimize a medium, by the one-factor-at-a-time method, for an enhanced production of EPS from a soil isolate, Bacillus subtilis. The study was carried out by experimenting on various nutrients at different concentrations. EPS was precipitated using ethanol, the total carbohydrate content was determined by phenol sulfuric acid method, and functional groups were detected by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometry. The finalized medium contained sucrose (20 g/L), yeast extract (5 g/L), NaCl …

Effects Of Acacia Cyanophylla Lindl. Extracts On Seed Germination And Seedling Growth Of Four Crop And Weed Plants, Asma El Ayeb, Hichem Ben Jannet, Fethia Harzallah Skhiri

Turkish Journal of Biology

The aqueous and organic extracts of the roots, stems, phyllodes, flowers, legumes, and seeds of Acacia cyanophylla Lindl. were assayed at different concentrations to assess their allelopathic potential. The extracts were tested on the seeds of 2 crops (Triticum aestivum L. and Lactuca sativa L.) and 2 weeds (Peganum harmala L. and Silybum marianum L.) species. The final germination percentages and the seedling shoot and root lengths were significantly reduced by the A. cyanophylla extracts as compared to the control. Aqueous extract from seeds was the strongest inhibitor of germination, shoot length, and root length for L. sativa and P. …

Effect Of Drought Stress On Oxidative Damage And Antioxidant Enzyme Activity In Melon Seedlings, Musa Kavas, Mehmet Cengi̇z Baloğlu, Oya Akça, Fatma Seli̇n Köse, Derya Gökçay

Turkish Journal of Biology

Drought stress is one of the most serious environmental limitations affecting the growth and productivity of plants. In the current study, oxidative damage and antioxidant responses under polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced osmotic stress were compared in 2 melon cultivars, Kırkağaç and Galia. Melon seedlings were subjected to PEG-6000 solutions of 2 different osmotic potentials, -0.2 MPa and -0.4 MPa. Various physiological parameters, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline content, and antioxidant enzymes including catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) were measured. A reduction in fresh and dry weights of shoot and root tissues was observed. Significant proline accumulation was detected with …

The Effect Of Sooty Mold On Fluorescence And Gas Exchange Properties Of Olive Tree, Sonia A. P. Santos, Conceicao Santos, Sonia Silva, Glória Pinto, Laura M. Torres, Antonio J. A. Nogueira

Turkish Journal of Biology

Sooty mold is a complex of dark-pigmented fungi that covers leaves and branches of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.). This coverage can bring several consequences for the plant, such as decrease of the photosynthetic rate. Therefore, this study aims to understand the effect of sooty mold on fluorescence and gas exchange of olive leaves. Olive leaves were field-collected and histological, physiological (water content, fluorescence parameters, and carbon dioxide fluxes), and biochemical (osmolality; chlorophyll a, b, and a/b contents; and lipid peroxidation) analyses were performed in healthy leaves and in leaves covered with sooty mold. Histological analysis revealed a complex …

A Comparative Study Of Egf Effects On In Vitro Bovine Embryo Development In Monoculture And Sequential Media, Azadeh Zahmatkesh, Mahmood Amiri Roudbar, Morteza Daliri Joupari

Turkish Journal of Biology

Different culture system conditions can affect cleavage, zygote genome activation, embryo development, and viability. The purpose of the present study was to compare a monoculture synthetic oviductal fluid medium with modified sequential G1/G2 media and also to investigate the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on bovine embryo development. Oocytes were aspirated from 2- to 6-mm ovarian follicles and matured in maturation media. After in vitro fertilization of matured oocytes, presumptive zygotes were cultured in test media with or without additional exogenous EGF. Results indicated that EGF significantly increased blastocyst formation but not cleavage rate in both media. There was …

Cytogenetic Analysis Of Depleted Uranium Exposure And Age-Dependent Susceptibility To Ionizing Radiation, Marina Victoria Bakhmutsky

Wayne State University Dissertations

Chapters 2 and 3:

Depleted Uranium (DU) is a high-density heavy metal that has been used in munitions since the 1991 Gulf War. DU is weakly radioactive and chemically toxic and long term exposure may cause adverse health effects. This study evaluates genotoxic effects of DU exposure in Gulf War I Veterans as a function of uranium (U) body burden by measuring chromosome damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes with the cytokinesis blocked micronucleus assay (CBMN) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) whole chromosome painting. Study subjects are Gulf War I Veterans exposed to DU during friendly fire incidents in 1991 …

Insight Into Human Brain Evolution Through Phylogenetic Analysis And Comparative Genomics, Amy Marie Boddy

Wayne State University Dissertations

As a species, humans are often considered to be unique among mammals, with respect to their large brain size and enhanced cognitive abilities. Humans are the most encephalized mammals, with a brain that is six times larger than expected relative to body mass. Presumably, it is this high degree of encephalization that underlies our advanced cognitive abilities, including the skills needed for complex language and culture. Understanding how large brains evolved can shed light on what makes the human brain unique and introduce possible mechanism for human specific neurodegenerative diseases. This study takes a both a phenotypic and molecular approach …

Differential Bait Preference And Rate Of Attraction By Argentine Ants (Linepithema Humile Mayr) At Freshwater And Saltwater Marsh Sites In Southern California, Victor D. Carmona-Galindo, Meghan Moore, Melanie Tansuwan

Biology Faculty Works

Ants are a type of foraging insect species which harvests food resources based on availability. When ants locate food resources that are scarce within their habitat, they tend to be more strongly attracted to that food resource. This study used protein, carbohydrate and control based baits to examine if there was a deficiency in resources demonstrated by the ants at two different wetland habitats. We sampled Argentine ants (Linepithema humileMayr) within the saltwater and freshwater marshes of Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles, CA. We found significant differences in the rapid deployment of Argentine ants towards protein baits over …

Can Antibiotics From Recently Discovered Marine Actinobacteria Slow The Tide Of Antibiotic Resistance?, Lorraine Susan Tangeman

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Actinobacteria, one phylum of gram positive bacteria, are found throughout all the environments on earth. Actinobacteria have long been studied for the benefits they provide, both to their environment and to humans, and have a great capacity for adaptation and evolution. They decompose organic matter, replenishing nutrients into the soil, and as such are important members of the food chain. Humans benefit from the exploitation of Actinobacterial metabolites as antimicrobial drugs. These antimicrobials have been effectively utilized for decades in the fight against infectious disease. Despite the success of this drug arsenal we are now in the midst of an …

Likely Successors Of Ash Species In Response To The Emerald Ash Borer In Ohio Forests, Brian Michael Good

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species have the capability to alter landscapes and change the composition of a forest in a very short time. The recent invasive pest, Agrilus planipennis, emerald ash borer, was unintentionally introduced to the United States via ship route to Michigan. The pest attacks and kills all five native ash species in Ohio. This study focused on an area in west central Ohio not yet affected by the borer. Ash centered plots were used to record all species and sizes (diameter at breast height) within a 5m radius of a central ash tree. Plots ranged in topography and all five …

Wetting And Drying Cycles And The Fungal Communities On Leaf Litter In Streams, Kele Qwinn Thrailkill

Masters Theses

"Leaf litter is a major source of energy for streams in deciduous forests. Fungi play a critical role by converting the leaves into nutritional material for the rest of the food web. The breakdown of leaf litter and associated biota, including invertebrates and fungi, have been proposed as measures of stream health in systems affected by anthropogenic activity. Rates of leaf breakdown can be depressed in streams affected by acidity, metals, organic contaminants, and other stressors. Climate change may lead to alterations in stream hydrology such that streams experience more frequent floods as well as drying episodes. Fungal communities can …

Antelope Mating Strategies Facilitate Invasion Of Grasslands By A Woody Weed, Shivani Jadeja, Soumya Prasad, Suhel Quader, Kavita Isvaran

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Intra and interspecific variation in frugivore behaviour can have important consequences for seed dispersal outcomes. However, most information comes from among-species comparisons, and within-species variation is relatively poorly understood. We examined how large intraspecific differences in the behaviour of a native disperser, blackbuck antelope Antilope cervicapra, influence dispersal of a woody invasive, Prosopis juliflora, in a grassland ecosystem. Blackbuck disperse P. juliflora seeds through their dung. In lekking blackbuck populations, males defend clustered or dispersed mating territories. Territorial male movement is restricted, and within their territories males defecate on dung-piles. In contrast, mixed-sex herds range over large areas …

Effects Of Nitrogen Availability On The Fate Of Litter-Carbon And Soil Organic Matter Decomposition, Amy Kochsiek, Johannes Knops

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Aims: To determine whether addition of inorganic nitrogen (N) directly to maize litter (stalk and leaf) with differing tissue quality impacts litter and soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. We tested whether N addition leads to 1) faster litter decomposition, 2) less SOM-C decomposition and 3) increased incorporation of organic-C into soil-C fractions thereby increasing C sequestration potential in maize-based systems.

Methodology: We investigated decomposition of two types of maize litter (stalk and leaf) with differing tissue quality both in the field and in a laboratory incubation experiment. In the field, litter was placed on the soil surface and at …

Nitrogen Uptake Strategies Of Edaphically Specialized Bornean Tree Species, Sabrina E. Russo, Amy Kochsiek, Jocelyn Olney, Lauren Thompson, Amy E. Miller, Sylvester Tan

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The association of tree species with particular soil types contributes to high b diversity in forests, but the mechanisms producing such distributions are still debated. Soil nitrogen (N) often limits growth and occurs in differentially available chemical forms. In a Bornean forest where tree species composition changes dramatically along a soil gradient varying in supplies of different N-forms, we investigated whether tree species’ N-uptake and soil specialization strategies covaried. We analyzed foliar ¹⁵N natural abundance for a total of 216 tree species on clay or sandy loam (the soils at the gradient’s extremes) and conducted a ¹⁵N-tracer experiment …

Does Ecosystem Disturbance Alter The Capacity Of Dissolved Organic Matter To Mitigate The Impact Of Copper To Hyalella Azteca?, Kelly Livingstone

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The potential for aquatic ecosystem recovery as a result of dissolved organic matter (DOM) protecting against metal toxicity has become a significant area of research in environmental toxicology. It is a well-characterized relationship that DOM binds free metal ions in a concentration-dependant manner, making them unavailable for toxic action and a reduction in toxicity is seen. Less understood is source variability and how the upland terrestrial environment influences the protective quality of DOM. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of land disturbance (logging, fire, smelter emissions) on DOM quality by comparing the protective capacity of different …

Flying Speed In Drosophila Melanogaster Selected For Fast Flight, Jess Wheeler Ms

All Student Scholarship

The aim of this study was to quantify the increase in flying speed in two replicate lines of Drosophila melanogaster (AA1 and AA2), after approximately 520 generations of selection for fast flight in a wind tunnel.

Juvenile Ornamentation: Its Evolution, Genetic Basis, And Variation Across Habitats, Angela Tringali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ornamental traits are considered honest advertisements of fitness, and their evolution is usually explained in terms of sexual selection. This explanation remains unsatisfactory in some instances, for example, juvenile birds whose plumage is molted prior to adulthood and breeding. I first evaluate whether juvenile plumage reflectance signals dominance status in the Federally Threatened Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) using a combination of observational and experimental methods. Then I estimate the heritability, non-genetic maternal and environmental effects, and strength of selection on juvenile plumage reflectance using archived feather samples and a pedigree constructed from historical nest records. Finally, I compare plumage reflectance …

Carcass Feeding For Captive Vultures: Testing Assumptions About Zoos And Effects On Birds And Visitors, Hannah Gaengler

Dissertations and Theses

Carcass feeding is a potentially controversial feeding method for zoo animals. The common assumption is that many North American zoos refrain from feeding large carcasses to their carnivorous animals because zoo visitors might not approve of this feeding method. However, since there are several species of carnivores in zoos that feed from large carcasses in nature, this food type also has the potential to be beneficial to their welfare. In intelligent and usually inquisitive scavengers like vultures, a lack of activity and behavioral opportunities could be a welfare problem in captivity; providing them with a more complex food item might …

Arbovirus Persistence And Selection Of Persistent Variants Following Chronic Infection In Aedine Mosquitoes: A Comparative Study Between Ae. Aegypti And Ae. Albopictus 30 Days Post Infection With Sindbis Virus, Zoe Leah Lyski

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the present investigation two container breeding mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus were exposed to Sindbis virus (SINV). Mosquitoes were proffered a viremic bloodmeal using a vertical membrane feeder in an attempt to infect females while preserving virus-gut interactions that are speculated to be responsible for amplification and selective roles encountered in nature. Cohorts of 50 mosquitoes of each species were exposed to SINV strain TR339 or EMEM in a bloodmeal and incubated in insectary conditions for 30 days. Once infected, the mosquito remains persistently infected for life, accumulating mutations in the virus RNA genome. Plaque size variants may …