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The Capacity Of Diatom Species To Survive Ingestion By The Algivorous Minnow, Pimephales Notatus, Paul Gregory Grubach

Masters Theses

The capacity of diatom species to survive gastrointestinal passage through the algivorous minnows Pimephales notatusand Campostoma anomalum was studied. From a site on the Grand River in northeastern Ohio, 27 minnows and 7 epilithic diatom samples were taken. In order to determine whether diatom taxa varied in digestibility, live/dead ratios of diatom cells taken from the minnows’ feces were compared with live/dead ratios of cells taken from immersed rocks. Diatoms that were live/undigested at the time of collection were differentiated from dead/digested cells under light microscopy by noting the presence of chloroplasts and/or lipid droplets. Seventy-seven percent of the …

Analysis Of The Suppressive Effects By Reovirus On Rotavirus Replication During Co-Infections, Melody Lyn Kiesling-Barrager

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Reovirus and rotavirus are both members of the Reoviridae family and commonly occur in children. Rotavirus induced diarrhea is one of the leading causes of death in children under the age of five worldwide. Identifying new treatment options for an unnecessarily deadly diarrheal infection caused by rotavirus would benefit hundreds of thousands of children a year. Currently, only oral rehydration therapy or costly vaccinations are available to treat or prevent rotavirus diarrhea. Even with their prevalence, little is known about how these two viruses (reovirus and rotavirus) interact when co-infecting cells. Determining these interactions could lead to new treatment options …

Molecular Tools For Understanding The Population Genetic Effects Of Habitat Restoration On Butterflies, Joseph R. Marquardt

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

No abstract provided.

Biology News, Winter 2010, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Biology.

Biology News

Contents:

-- Greetings from the Department of Biology
-- Focus on UNI Biology Alumni
-- Let us hear from you...
-- Faculty and Staff News
-- Trip to Chicago for Darwin Bicentennial
-- Botanical Center Wins Second Place
-- Focus on UNI Biology Students
-- Student Nature Society
-- Retirements
-- You Make a Difference! Messages from our donors....
-- New Advisor for Biology
-- Biology Video
-- You Can Make a Difference!
-- Scholarships and Funding
-- Support for students or department

Involvement Of Vav2 In The Epha4 Signaling Pathway Of Xenopus Laevis As A Possible Rho Regulator, Jessica Kopala

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The purpose of this research is to shed light on the involvement of the Vav2 guanine nucleotide exchange factor in the Xenopus laevis EphA4 signaling pathway. In the first phase of the project, the presence of Vav2 mRNA within seven different Xenopus laevis embryogenic stages was detected via embryogenic stage collection, retrotranscription, PCR, using forward and reverse Vav2 primers, agarose gel electrophoresis, and UV gel visualization. In the second phase of the project, Western Blotting techniques were used to determine the presence of Vav2 protein in Xenopus laevis embryogenic stages.

A Model For Understanding Epilepsy In Peromyscus, Kevin Ryan, Gabor Szalai

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of The Sumter Wastewater Treatment Plant On The Survival And Reproduction Of Ceriodaphnia Dubia In Chronic Toxicity Tests, Erin Worley, Pearl R. Fernandes, S. Michele Harmon, Jeff Steinmetz

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Do Snakes Use Olfactory Receptors In The Nose To Detect Odors?: A Prediction Based On The Percentage Of Nonfunctional Olfactory Receptor Genes Amplified In Four Species Of Snakes, Taylor Byerly, Amanda Robinson, Michelle Vieyra

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Seed Dispersal By Pulp Consumers, Not ‘‘Legitimate’’ Seed Dispersers, Increases Guettarda Viburnoides Population Growth, Andrea P. Loayza, Tiffany M. Knight

Biology Faculty Research

We examined the effect of seed dispersal by Purplish Jays (Cyanocorax cyanomelas; pulp consumers) and the Chestnut-eared Araçari (Pteroglossus castanotis; "legitimate" seed dispersers) on population growth of the small tree Guettarda viburnoides (Rubiaceae) in northeastern Bolivian savannas. Because each bird species differs with respect to feeding and post-feeding behavior, we hypothesized that seed dispersal by each species will contribute differently to the rate of increase of G. viburnoides, but that seed dispersal by either species will increase population growth when compared to a scenario with no seed dispersal. To examine the effects of individual dispersers on the future population size …

Chapter 27 – Studying Plus-End Tracking At Single Molecule Resolution Using Tirf Microscopy, Ram Dixit, Jennifer L. Ross

Biology Faculty Research

The highly dynamic microtubule plus-ends are key sites of regulation that impact the organization and function of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Much of this regulation is performed by the microtubule plus-end tracking (+TIP) family of proteins. +TIPs are a structurally diverse group of proteins that bind to and track with growing microtubule plus-ends in cells. +TIPs regulate microtubule dynamics as well as mediate interactions between microtubule tips and other cellular structures. Most +TIPs can directly bind to microtubules in vitro; however, the mechanisms for their plus-end specificity are not fully understood. Cellular studies of +TIP activity are complicated by the fact …

Tubulin Evolution In Insects: Gene Duplication And Subfunctionalization Provide Specialized Isoforms In A Functionally Constrained Gene Family, Mark G. Nielsen, Sudhindra R. Gadagkar, Lisa Gutzwiller

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: The completion of 19 insect genome sequencing projects spanning six insect orders provides the opportunity to investigate the evolution of important gene families, here tubulins. Tubulins are a family of eukaryotic structural genes that form microtubules, fundamental components of the cytoskeleton that mediate cell division, shape, motility, and intracellular trafficking. Previous in vivo studies in Drosophila find a stringent relationship between tubulin structure and function; small, biochemically similar changes in the major alpha 1 or testis-specific beta 2 tubulin protein render each unable to generate a motile spermtail axoneme. This has evolutionary implications, not a single non-synonymous substitution is …

Commentary Of Off-Label Prescribing: A Call For Heightened Professional And Government Oversight, Mark A. Jaffe

Biology Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Tourist Behavior And Decibel Levels Correlate With Threat Frequency In Tibetan Macaques (Macaca Thibetana) At Mt. Huangshan, China, Lucy A. Ruesto, Lori K. Sheeran, Megan D. Matheson, Jin-Hua Li, R. Steven Wagner

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Tourism is a common component of management practices directed toward endangered species and habitats, but few studies have explored the potential stressors that may occur to nonhumans as objects of tourism. We examined the impact that tourists have on provisioned, habituated Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana). Data were collected during August 2005 at the Valley of the Wild Monkeys (VWM), Mt. Huangshan, China. From a tourist viewing platform, we measured tourist densities, behaviors (for example, foot, hand, and mouth noises; mimicking monkeys; throwing objects or food), and decibel levels. Frequencies of monkey threats in the provisioning area of their …

Bioluminescence In The Sea, Steven H.D. Haddock, Mark A. Moline, James F. Case

Biological Sciences

Bioluminescence spans all oceanic dimensions and has evolved many times—from bacteria to fish—to powerfully influence behavioral and ecosystem dynamics. New methods and technology have brought great advances in understanding of the molecular basis of bioluminescence, its physiological control, and its significance in marine communities. Novel tools derived from understanding the chemistry of natural light-producing molecules have led to countless valuable applications, culminating recently in a related Nobel Prize. Marine organisms utilize bioluminescence for vital functions ranging from defense to reproduction. To understand these interactions and the distributions of luminous organisms, new instruments and platforms allow observations on individual to oceanographic …

The Metabolic Demands Of Swimming Behavior Influence The Evolution Of Skeletal Muscle Fiber Design In The Brachyuran Crab Family Portunidae, Kristin M. Hardy, Sean C. Lema, Stephen T. Kinsey

Biological Sciences

We investigated the influence of intracellular diffusion on muscle fiber design in several swimming and non-swimming brachyuran crabs. Species with sustained swimming behavior had aerobic dark fibers subdivided into small metabolic functional units, creating short diffusion distances necessary to support the high rates of aerobic ATP turnover associated with endurance activity. This dark fiber design was observed in all swimming species including Ovalipes ocellatus, which has apparently evolved swimming behavior independently of other Portunidae. In addition, we observed fiber and subdivision size-dependent differences in organelle distribution. Mitochondria, which rely on oxygen to function, were uniformly distributed in small fibers/subdivisions, …

Mitochondrial Inheritance And Natural Phenotypic Variation Among Caenorhabditis Briggsae Populations, Anna Luella Coleman-Hulbert

Dissertations and Theses

Mutations affecting the mitochondrial electron transport chain cause numerous neurodegenerative disorders in humans and affect longevity in other organisms. A natural model system to study the relationship between mitochondrial function and aging within an evolutionary or population genetic context has been lacking. Natural populations of Caenorhabditis briggsae nematodes were recently found to harbor mitochondrial genetic variation with likely functional consequences for aging. Specifically, C. briggsae isolates containing high frequencies of a deletion mutation affecting the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 5 (ND5) gene were found to have reduced reproductive fitness and lifespan and elevated levels of mutagenic superoxide. Here, rates …

Building Better Scientists Through Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration In Synthetic Biology: A Meeting Report From The Genome Consortium For Active Teaching (Gcat) Workshop 2010, Michael J. Wolyniak, Consuelo J. Alvarez, Vidya Chandrasekaran, Theresa M. Grana, Andrea Holdago, Christopher J. Jones, Robert W. Morris, Anil L. Pereira, Joyce Tamm, Talitha M. Washington, Yixin Yang

School of Science Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Aldo Leopold’S Land Ethic And The Great Lakes: A Paradigm For Understanding The Morality Of Aquatic Invasive Species Management, M. Andrew Sanford, John Uglietta, Phd

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Abstract: This essay explores what obligations we have to protect the Great lakes ecosystem from the threat of aquatic invasive species within the context of Aldo Leopold‟s seminal essay in environmental philosophy The Land Ethic. In this essay I argue that Leopold‟s land ethic provides a consistent and dynamic paradigm for how we perceive and protect the natural environment. The land ethic is summarized in what I call Leopold’s Edict which directs us to preserve the health and beauty of the natural environment. The land ethic implies that people interested in conservation must develop a firm understanding of what …

Gv-1 Chemical Derivatives As Potential New Antibiotics, Julie Wesselink, Roderick Morgan

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Despite advancements in many areas of human medicine, infectious disease continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Improper and excessive use of antibacterial compounds has led to the rise of resistant species of bacteria like Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), and Extreme Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB). We have found a possible alternative that would replace the current ineffective treatment methods – a potentially new class of antibiotics that inhibits Gram-positive bacteria growth. These chemical compounds have shown inhibition against S. aureus and E. faecalis, so MRSA and VRE strains were then …

Revision Of The Genus Erythromelana Townsend, 1919 (Diptera: Tachinidae) With Notes On Their Phylogeny And Diversification, Diego Javier Inclan Luna

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The neotropics harbor an enormous diversity of tachinid flies, yet the fauna remains poorly known. The tribe Blondeliini is particularly diverse in this region and desperately needs taxonomic attention. Here, I present a revision of the neotropical genus Erythromelana Townsend including the redescription of three previously described species and the description of 11 new species. Two species previously assigned into this genus, are resurrected as distinct genera. Erythromelana species are widely distributed from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, with the Andes being a hotspot of diversity. Erythromelana are specialized on geometrids in the genus Eois, which mainly feed on plants …

An Assessment Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Dynamics, Management, And Impacts In Highly Fragmented Landscapes, Bambi Shafer

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Habitat and forage selection by deer can cause local extinction of plant species. In my research, I asked: 1) How do deer population growth rates in urban parks change through time? 2) Are culling rates and deer densities correlated? 3) Are browse rates on Trillium spp. and deer densities correlated? I used FLIR deer census data from Davis Aviation and culling data from Five Rivers MetroParks (Montgomery County, Ohio). I found that deer population growth rates generally declined from 2003 to 2008. The number of deer culled was positively correlated to the deer densities. The browse rates of Trillium spp. …

Taxonomy Versus Phylogeny Phylogeography Of Marsh Rabbits Without Hopping To Conclusions, Rosanna M. Tursi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Subspecific taxonomic designations solely based on morphological characters can often lead to erroneous assumptions about the evolutionary history of populations. This study sought to investigate evolutionary questions and conservation implications associated with morphological subspecific designations of island populations. To this end, I focused my attention on the Lower Keys of Florida, a unique chain of islands with well-known geologic history and rich in endemic, endangered subspecies. I employed genetic analyses to evaluate historical variation and contemporary restriction of gene flow between the endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) and its sister mainland taxa. A Bayesian phylogeny using 1063 …

Hcnabc Gene Expression In The Soil Bacterium Pseudomonas Putida Ath2-Iri/9 Under Various Culture And Rhizosphere Conditions, Myrna May Biswas

Master's Theses

Pseudomonas putida ATH2-1RI/9, a bacterium that colonizes plant roots, can suppress weed seedling growth of velvetleaf by producing hydrogen cyanide in the rhizosphere. The operon hcnABC constitutively expresses HCN synthase, an enzyme which catalyzes glycine to form carbon dioxide and hydrogen cyanide, a secondary metabolite. Cyanogenesis is influenced by several environmental factors including iron, phosphate, and oxygen-limiting conditions. This study used a hcnABC::luxAB gene fusion in Pseudomonas putida ATH2-1RI/9 involving the insertion of a promoterless luxAB gene into the hcnABC operon, which results in bacterial luciferase expression instead of HCN synthase. Bioluminescence by this reporter strain was compared to cyanide …

Courtship And Copulation In Glaucous-Winged Gulls, Larus Glaucescens, Kelly M. Mcwilliams

Master's Theses

Using video recordings and scan counts, I examined the occurrence, sequences, and durations of behavior and environmental factors associated with courtship and copulation in glaucous-winged gulls, Larus glaucescens. Males and females in a pair had equivalent pre- and post-Mount behavior occurrences and durations. The main courtship sequence was Head Toss -- Courtship Beg/Respond -- Mounted/Mount, and felames appeared to initiate transitions between these pre-Mount behaviors. More Mounts occurred during the egg-laying stage of the breeding season, but copulation duration, wing-flag duration, and cloacal contacts per copulation showed no significant differences across sampling periods. Poisson analysis showed no significant grouping …

Andrews University Campus Tree Walk, Andrews University

Public Document Archive

A brief list of the species of trees on the campus of Andrews University.

A Comparison Of Tooth Wear And Breakage In Rancho La Brea Sabertooth Cats And Dire Wolves Across Time, Wendy J. Binder

Biology Faculty Works

The carnivores preserved in the late Pleistocene Rancho La Brea tar seep deposits display a remarkably high incidence of teeth broken in life as compared with modern species. In a previous study examining tooth breakage, tooth wear and individual age of Canis dirus over different periods in time, we found that Pit 13 C. dirus (about 15,000 years before present [ybp]) exhibited heavier tooth wear and fractured their teeth about three times more often than those of the younger Pit 61/67 (about 12,000 ybp). No significant difference was found in the age structure of the population, suggesting this came from …

Erratum: The Biopax Community Standard For Pathway Data Sharing, Kam D. Dahlquist

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of A Herbivorous Fish, Campostoma Anomalum (Central Stoneroller), On Nitrogen Fixation By Benthic Algae, Chad Robert Schwinnen

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Herbivorous fish negatively impact algal biomass and promote the growth of cyanobacteria. In nutrient poor conditions that sustain high levels of productivity nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria can supply up to 28% of the available nitrogen (Higgins et al. 2001) We investigated the role of grazing fish in sustaining high levels of productivity in nutrient poor conditions. We used the grazing minnow, Campostoma anomalum, and the acetylene reduction technique in a controlled environment to analyze rates of nitrogen fixation and primary production by the periphyton. Fish grazing reduced algal biomass and promoted the growth of cyanobacteria but had no impact on overall …

Ecological Speciation In A Multi-Trophic Complex: Gall Midges, Goldenrods, And Parasitoids, Brenda L. Wells

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The importance of ecological interactions in the origin and maintenance of species diversity remains unclear. The current study assesses how ecological interactions shape the process of evolutionary diversification using a gall midge-host plant system in Ohio involving the gall midge, Asteromyia carbonifera (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), and its goldenrod (Solidago) host-plants. A. carbonifera form four morphologically distinctive gall morphs and differ genetically. I studied phenology, host-plant specialization, and parasitism at three field sites in Southwestern Ohio. Phenology was assessed for twelve weeks while host-plant distribution and pressure from parasitoids were measured by monthly plot and rearing gall collections. Relative gall frequencies and …

Constitutive And Jasmonate-Inducible Defenses In Phloem Of Two North American And Two Asian Ash Species Grown In A Common Garden, Qin Wang

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is more damaging to North American ashes than Asian ashes. Variation in the resistance of ash species to feeding by larvae of EAB may be related to variation in levels of chemical defenses in the phloem. I compared constitutive and methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-inducible levels of several chemical defenses in the phloem of young Manchurian, Chinese, white, and green ashes. Manchurian ash is known to be highly resistant to attack by EAB in the field, while white and green ashes are both susceptible. The hypotheses of this experiment were that: (1) Manchurian (Fraxinus mandshurica) and Chinese ash …