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Plasticity Of Total And Intracellular Phosphorus Quotas In Microcystis Aeruginosa Cultures And Lake Erie Algal Assemblages, Robert Michael Mckay, Matthew A. Saxton, Robert J. Arnold, Richard A. Bourbonniere, Steven W. Wilhelm

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Blooms of the potentially toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis are common events globally, and as a result significant resources continue to be dedicated to monitoring and controlling these events. Recent studies have shown that a significant proportion of total cell-associated phosphorus (P) in marine phytoplankton can be surface adsorbed; as a result studies completed to date do not accurately report the P demands of these organisms. In this study we measure the total cell-associated and intracellular P as well as growth rates of two toxic strains of Microcystis aeruginosa Kütz grown under a range of P concentrations. The results show that the …

Central And Peripheral Regulation Of Circadian Gastrointestinal Rhythms, Jaclyn Malloy

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Circadian clocks are responsible for daily rhythms in gastrointestinal function which are vital for normal digestive rhythms and health. The present study examines the roles of the circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), and the sympathetic nervous system in regulation of circadian gastrointestinal rhythms in Mus musculus. Surgical ablation of the SCN abolishes circadian locomotor, feeding, and stool output rhythms when animals are presented with food ad libitum, while restricted feeding reestablishes these rhythms temporarily. In intact mice, chemical sympathectomy with 6- hydroxydopamine has no effect on feeding and locomotor rhythmicity, but attenuates stool output rhythms. Again, restricted …

The Biology And Management Of Brucellosis In Yellowstone Bison, John Joseph Treanor

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Disease management along the boundaries of wildlife reserves is a growing conservation problem worldwide, as infected wildlife can migrate outside protected areas and pose a threat to livestock and human health. The bison Bison bison population in Yellowstone National Park has long been infected with Brucella abortus, the bacterium causing bovine brucellosis. Concern over migratory bison transmitting B. abortus to cattle herds on lands adjacent to Yellowstone has led to proposals for bison vaccination. Model simulations suggest that vaccination is unlikely to eradicate B. abortus from Yellowstone bison but could be an effective tool for reducing the level of …

Effect Of Process-Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning On Non-Majors Biology Students' Understanding Of Biological Classification, Breann Marie Wozniak

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of process-oriented guided-inquiry learning (POGIL) on non-majors college biology students' understanding of biological classification. This study addressed an area of science instruction, POGIL in the non-majors college biology laboratory, which has yet to be qualitatively and quantitatively researched. A concurrent triangulation mixed methods approach was used. Students' understanding of biological classification was measured in two areas: scores on pre and posttests (consisting of 11 multiple choice questions), and conceptions of classification as elicited in pre and post interviews and instructor reflections. Participants were Minnesota State University, Mankato students enrolled in …

Bioactive Compounds From Discarded Mushroom Beds, Svsssl Hima Bindu Nidadavolu, Ram Prasad Metuku, Samatha Burra, Rajitha Byram, Singara Charya Maringanti

Turkish Journal of Biology

Discarded dried button, dried oyster, and fresh button mushroom beds were examined for their bioactive compounds and industrial enzymes. Levels of reducing sugars and total sugars were high in all mushroom beds. Carboxymethyl cellulase activity was higher (920 µg/mL) in the dried oyster mushroom bed extract. Schizophyllum commune, Fomitopsis feei, Trametes gibbosa, and Trametes elegans were grown on direct mushroom bed extract, 0.2% glucose-containing mushroom bed extract, and common production medium for determination of growth and lignolytic activities. Since lignolytic activities were high with the direct mushroom bed extract, this medium was further diluted to 1:1 and 1:2 ratios and …

Deletion Of Polyphosphate Kinase Gene (Ppk)Has A Stimulatory Effect On Actinorhodin Production By Streptomyces Coelicolor A3(2), İrem Yalim Camci, Tuğrul Doruk, Ümmehan Avi̇can, Sedef Tunca Gedi̇k

Turkish Journal of Biology

Polyphosphate, which is synthesized by the enzyme polyP kinase (PPK), is an important energy and phosphate storage polymer that plays a crucial role in the regulation of adaptive responses of cells to physical and chemical stresses. In this work, the polyphosphate kinase gene (ppk) of Streptomyces coelicolor was deleted, and the effect of this mutation on actinorhodin and undecylprodigiosin biosynthesis was investigated. Deletion of the ppk gene had a stimulatory effect on actinorhodin production; the mutant strain produced about 5 times more antibiotic compared to the wild type strain at 120 h of growth. There was no difference in undecylprodigiosin …

A Comparative Study On The Fatty Acid Composition Of The Oils From Five Bupleurum Species Collected From Turkey, Hati̇ce Taner Saraçoğlu, Gökhan Zengi̇n, Mehtap Akin, Apdurahman Aktümsek

Turkish Journal of Biology

The oil content and fatty acid compositions of 5 Bupleurum species (B. intermedium, B. lancifolium, B. croceum, B. rotundifolium, and B. cappadocicum) were determined. Their oil contents ranged from 2.87% to 4.20%. Gas chromatography (GC) was used for the fatty acid composition. Twenty-one fatty acids were identified and quantified by GC. Oleic acid (C18:1) accounted for more than 50% of the total fatty acids in 3 of the Bupleurum species (B. intermedium, B. lancifolium, and B. rotundifolium). The total unsaturated fatty acid contents varied from 67.28% in B. cappadocicum to 87.06% in B. rotundifolium. The total saturated fatty acids represent …

Effect Of Exogenous Application Of Ascorbic Acid On Antioxidant Enzyme Activities, Proline Contents, And Growth Parameters Of Saccharum Spp. Hybrid Cv. Hsf-240 Under Salt Stress, Batool Ejaz, Zahoor Ahmad Sajid, Faheem Aftab

Turkish Journal of Biology

The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of exogenous application of ascorbic acid (AA) through different modes on growth and associated biochemical parameters in Saccharum spp. hybrid cv. HSF-240, under salt stress. In a pot experiment, AA was applied through irrigation or foliar-spray at the concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, and 1 mM with or without 100 mM NaCl concentration. Vegetative growth measurements, antioxidant enzyme activities (POD and SOD), and protein and proline contents of plants were recorded to study the effects of these treatments. The presence of salt reduced the growth of sugarcane plants. The AA application not …

Dipeptidyl Peptidase Iv Production By Solid State Fermentation Using Alternative Fungal Sources, Gaye Öngen, Sayit Sargin, Özlem Üstün, Ceren Kutlu, Mesut Yücel

Turkish Journal of Biology

The present work was carried out for the production of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV; EC 3.4.14.5) using Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Rhizopus strains under solid state fermentation conditions. Response surface methodology was applied for the optimization of the selected operational variables (corn flour, initial moisture content, and cultivation time) for DPP IV activity as the response. The optimal parameters of DPP IV activity for the independent variables, namely the amount of corn flour (% w/w), initial moisture content (% w/w), and cultivation time (days), were evaluated to be 2.44%, 60.85%, and 4.69 days, respectively, using Aspergillus awamori T116. The response …

Diet And Reproductive Biology Of The Blacknose Shark (Carcharhinus Acronotus) From The Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, Ryan Michael Ford

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The blacknose shark (Carcharhinus acronotus) is a common small coastal shark species found in nearshore waters along the southeast coast of the United States, from North Carolina into the Gulf of Mexico and extending further south into the Bahamas. There has been some debate in recent years over the reproductive periodicity of C. acronotus in waters off the U.S. coast. Earlier studies have suggested that Gulf C. acronotus reproduce on an annual basis whereas the Atlantic populations of this species may reproduce biennially. Additionally, there have been no known studies on the diet of C. acronotus. The goal of the …

Accumulation Of Poly (3-Hydroxybutyrate) By Microbacterium Barkeri Dsm 20145, Srividya Shivakumar

Turkish Journal of Biology

A gram-positive bacterium that accumulated poly(3-hydroxybutyric) acid (PHB) was isolated from petrol bunk soil. From its morphological and physiological properties and the nucleotide sequence (about 1.5 kb) of its 16S rDNA, it was identified as Microbacterium barkeri DSM 20145. Based on the available literature, this is the first report of PHB accumulation by Microbacterium sp. The isolate accumulated 0.6 g/L, or 29.7%, of PHB under growth conditions in a nitrogen-deficient medium containing glucose and yeast extract (4:1 ratio), with maximum production by 48 h. The capacity of the isolate to produce PHB under different carbon and nitrogen sources was also …

Roles Of Arg427 And Arg472 In The Binding And Allosteric Effects Of Acetyl Coa In Pyruvate Carboxylase, Abdussalam Adina-Zada, Chutima Sereerukb, Sarawut Jitrapakdee, Tonya N. Zeczycki, Martin St. Maurice, W. Wallace Cleland, John C. Wallace, Paul V. Attwood

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Mutation of Arg427 and Arg472 in Rhizobium etli pyruvate carboxylase to serine or lysine greatly increased the activation constant (K_a) of acetyl CoA, with the increase being greater for the Arg472 mutants. These results indicate that while both these residues are involved in the binding of acetyl CoA to the enzyme, Arg472 is more important than Arg427. The mutations had substantially smaller effects on the k_cat for pyruvate carboxylation. Part of the effects of the mutations was to increase the K_m for MgATP and the K_a for activation by free Mg²⁺ determined at …

Consequences Of Kleptoplasty On The Distribution, Ecology, And Behavior Of The Sacoglossan Sea Slug, Elysia Clarki, Michael Louis Middlebrooks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The sacoglossan sea slug Elysia clarki is able to photosynthesize for three to four months using chloroplasts sequestered from its algal food sources. Furthermore, the slug is able to store multiple chloroplasts from different algal species within the same cell. This research, consisting of several related studies, explores the role that provision of organic nutrients via photosynthesis plays in the biology of the slug. The first chapter demonstrates that, under conditions of starvation, photosynthetic activity in E. clarki remains fully functional for one month after which it then declines. During the first month of starvation the slug exhibits similar feeding …

Stable Carbon Isotope Discrimination By Rubisco Enzymes Relevant To The Global Carbon Cycle, Amanda J. Boller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Five different forms of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO; IA, IB, IC, ID, II), the carboxylase of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle (CBB), are utilized by plants, algae and autotrophic bacteria for carbon fixation. Discrimination against ¹³C by RubisCO is a major factor dictating the stable carbon isotopic composition (δ¹³C = {[¹³C/¹²C sample/¹³C/¹²C standard] - 1} X 1000) of biomass. To date, isotope discrimination, expressed as ε values (={[¹²k/¹³k] - 1} X 1000; ¹²k and ¹³k …

Responses To Chemical Exposure By Foraminifera: Distinguishing Dormancy From Mortality, Benjamin James Ross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Deepwater Horizon blowout in 2010 released an estimated 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico in the 83 days between the initial explosion and the capping of the well. Response included extensive use of Corexit© oil dispersant. Although South Florida was spared exposure by currents, this event highlights the need for effective bioassay organisms for coral reefs. Amphistegina spp. are benthic foraminifers that host diatom symbionts in a relationship similar to that of coral and their zooxanthellae. Amphistegina spp. occur abundantly in reef communities nearly worldwide, are easily collected and maintained in culture, and are …

Inhibition Of L-Type Amino Acid Transport With Non-Physiological Amino Acids In The Pahenu2 Mouse Model Of Phenylketonuria, Kara R. Vogel

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Phenylketonuria, an autosomal recessive Mendelian disorder, is one of the most common inborn errors of metabolism. Although currently treated by diet, many suboptimal outcomes occur for patients. Neuropathological outcomes include cognitive loss, white matter abnormalities, and hypo- or demyelination, resulting from high concentrations and/or fluctuating levels of phenylalanine. High phenylalanine can also result in competitive exclusion of other large neutral amino acids from the brain, including tyrosine and tryptophan (essential precursors of dopamine and serotonin). This competition occurs at the blood brain barrier, where the L-type amino acid transporter, LAT1, selectively facilitates entry of large neutral amino acids. The hypothesis …

Plant Community Restoration On Mima Mounds At Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Wa, Brandy K. Reynecke

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Prevention and management of exotic plant species invasion can diminish their negative ecological and economic impacts and maintain ecological functions provided by native species. This is particularly important in rare landscapes that provide essential habitat. The most successful management plans integrate techniques to reduce invasive species abundance, increase native species abundance and reduce invasibility. Eastern Washington's Channeled Scablands bioregion has highly fragmented remnant patches of grassland underlain by glacial alluvium and basalt bedrock that are dotted with Mima mounds (naturally occurring aggregations of fine particle soil). The mounds provide valuable habitat for native plants and animals and many have been …

A Preliminary Study On The Potential Of Manuka Honey And Platelet-Rich Plasma In Wound Healing, Scott A. Sell, Patricia S. Wolfe, Andrew J. Spence, Isaac A. Rodriguez, Jennifer M. Mccoll, Rebecca L. Petrella, Koyal Garg, Jeffery J. Ericksen, Gary L. Bowlin

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Aim. The purpose of this study was to determine the in vitro response of cells critical to the wound healing process in culture media supplemented with a lyophilized preparation rich in growth factors (PRGF) and Manuka honey. Materials and Methods. This study utilized cell culture media supplemented with PRGF, as well as whole Manuka honey and the medical-grade Medihoney (MH), a Manuka honey product. The response of human fibroblasts (hDF), macrophages, and endothelial cells (hPMEC) was evaluated, with respect to cell proliferation, chemotaxis, collagen matrix production, and angiogenic potential, when subjected to culture with media containing PRGF, MH, Manuka honey, …

Trading Resistance For Vigor: A Potential Mechanism For Invasion By The Asian Grass Microstegium Vimineum, Matthew Dickinson

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability (EICA) hypothesis predicts that subsequent to introduction, non-native plants escape enemies and selection favors genotypes that invest more in growth and reproduction and less in resistance. Here, I evaluated if the invasive Asian grass Microstegium vimineum has developed decreased resistance in its introduced range of the eastern US, as predicted by the EICA hypothesis. Asian and US genotypes were evaluated for differences in enemy damage, leaf toughness, specific leaf area (SLA), and flowering in a common garden experiment. Leaf damage, SLA, and flower production were greater and leaf toughness lower in US plants. These …

Ecosystem Impacts Of The Invasive Shrub Lonicera Maackii Are Influenced By Associations With Native Tree Species, Megan Marie Poulette

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Invasive species are significant drivers of global environmental change, altering the stability and functioning of numerous ecosystems. The exotic shrub Lonicera maackii is an aggressive invader throughout much of the eastern United States. While much is known about its population and community impacts, little is known about effects on ecosystem processes.

This dissertation documents changes in ecosystem processes associated with L. maackii growing beneath three native tree species (Fraxinus quadrangulata, Quercus muehlenbergii, Carya ovata) in a savanna in Kentucky. Like many invasive plants, L. maackii litter decomposed and lost nitrogen (N) rapidly, especially in comparison with …

Empirical And Conceptual Approaches To Life-History Trade-Offs: The Size And Number Of Offspring In Broods Of A Parasitoid Wasp, Yoriko Saeki

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Trade-offs in resource allocation underlie key life history traits of organisms. My dissertation focuses on the size-number trade-off in clonal broods of offspring using the polyembryonic wasp, Copidosoma bakeri parasitizing immature stages of the moth Agrotis ipsilon. I aim to characterize responses of wasp brood size and individual body mass by manipulating the environments in order to understand the allocation pattern in the size number trade-off. In reviewing the functional forms of trade-off relationships in relation to resource constraints, I distinguish among three main trade-off types based on graphical representations of the relationship between the trade-off variables: linear, convex …

Ecology Of Mating Patterns And Sexual Selection In Dickcissels Breeding In Managed Prairie, Bridget Frances Sousa

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Males of many species have elaborate phenotypes that are absent in females and that are thought to be the result of sexual selection. Sexual selection requires: (i) variance in male mating success, (ii) variation in male phenotype, and (iii) covariation between male mating success and male phenotype. Environmental conditions influence these factors, and management practices that alter environmental conditions have the potential to shape mating patterns and sexual selection. I investigated the hypothesis that the frequency of fire, used to manage tallgrass prairie, affects the mating patterns and process of sexual selection in the organisms breeding in managed prairies.

I …

Slave Drivers; Increased Foraging By Host Workers Under The Slave-Making Ant Plotomognathus Americanus, Kevin Purce

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Nutrient Transport By Shrimp Hepatopancreas, Tamla A. Simmons

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Purified brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) were isolated to characterize primary cellular transport mechanisms for white shrimp. The ultimate goal is to determine the effective components of a shrimp’s diet, thereby enhancing growth, as well as nutrient content. Juvenile shrimp are dependent on plant material as a food source. Potassium is a key component of plants, thus it may play a role in nutrient transport. In addition, divalent metals have been shown to act as co-transporters in several other organisms, thus they may serve as a transport mechanism for shrimp.

Fresh, live, white or brown shrimp were obtained, and from …

Effect Of Predation Risk And Food Availability On Parental Care And Nest Survival In Suburban And Wildland Florida Scrub-Jays, Joseph M. Niederhauser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individual organisms often use cues from their natural environments to determine many behavioral and life-history "decisions." These "decisions" are usually adaptive, i.e. a response to selection, because the environmental cues on which they are based reliably correlate with increased fitness over time. When the selected behavioral response to a natural cue no longer provides a fitness benefit, then selection for a new response may occur but individuals maintaining the previously selected response may suffer reduced survival and reproduction. Especially in human-modified landscapes individuals making a maladaptive behavioral or life-history choice based on those formerly reliable environmental cues may be faced …

Leptin Promotes Glioblastoma , Johnathan Lawrence, Nicholas J. Cook, Richard A. Rovin, Robert J. Winn

Journal Articles

The hormone leptin has a variety of functions. Originally known for its role in satiety and weight loss, leptin more recently has been shown to augment tumor growth in a variety of cancers. Within gliomas, there is a correlation between tumor grade and tumor expression of leptin and its receptor. This suggests that autocrine signaling within the tumor microenvironment may promote the growth of high-grade gliomas. Leptin does this through stimulation of cellular pathways that are also advantageous for tumor growth and recurrence: antiapoptosis, proliferation, angiogenesis, and migration. Conversely, a loss of leptin expression attenuates tumor growth. In animal models …

Effect Of Low Maternal Aldosterone On Offspring Cardiovascular Development, Travis Dean Mckee

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Maternal conditions are well known to affect fetal cardiovascular development. This study was designed to investigate in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), the effects of maternal aldosterone suppression on the development of hypertension in the offspring. A sham procedure or a right adrenalectomy combined with cryodestruction of the zona glomerulosa of the left adrenal gland was performed on SHR females. The rats were mated and male offspring were implanted at 11-13 weeks of age with a PA-C40 remote monitoring device placed into the femoral artery to record cardiovascular parameters for 4 weeks. Systolic (mmHg), diastolic (mmHg), and mean blood pressure (mmHg), …

Methodological Tools, Ethan P. White, Xiao Xiao, J. B. Nick, Richard M. Sibly

Biology Faculty Publications

Methodological approaches for comparing metabolic theory predictions to empirical data fall into two general categories: 1) determining if the general functional form of a relationship predicted by the theory is valid; and 2) determining whether the observed values of the parameters match the specific quantitative predictions made by the theory. Both of these categories of analysis rely on being able to accurately determine the best fitting form of a model with the same general functional form as that of MTE, so we will begin by discussing how this has typically been done using OLS regression on appropriately transformed data. Potential …

A Comparison Of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin And Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone On The Induction Of Spermiation And Amplexus In The American Toad (Anaxyrus Americanus), Andrew J. Kouba, Javier Delbarco-Trillo, Carrie K. Vance, Callie Milam, Meghan Carr

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Background: Captive breeding programs for endangered amphibian species often utilize exogenous hormones for species that are difficult to breed. The purpose of our study was to compare the efficacy of two different hormones at various concentrations on sperm production, quantity and quality over time in order to optimize assisted breeding. Methods: Male American toads (Anaxyrus americanus) were divided into three separate treatment groups, with animals in each group rotated through different concentrations of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analog (LHRH; 0.1, 1.0, 4.0 and 32 micrograms/toad), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; 50, 100, 200, and 300 IU), or the control over 24 …

Hormone And Metabolite Changes Associated With Extended Breeding Fasts In Male Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga Angustirostris), Daniel E. Crocker, Rudy M. Ortiz, Dorian S. Houser, Paul M. Webb, Daniel P. Costa

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

We measured metabolic hormones and several key metabolites in breeding adult male northern elephant seals to examine the regulation of fuel metabolism during extended natural fasts of over 3 months associated with high levels of energy expenditure. Males were sampled twice, early and late in the fast, losing an average of 23% of body mass and 47% of adipose stores between measurements. Males exhibited metabolic homeostasis over the breeding fast with no changes in glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, or blood urea nitrogen. Ketoacids increased over the fast but were very low when compared to other fasting species. Changes within individuals …