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Scientific Review For The Identification Of Critical Habitat For Woodland Caribou (Rangifer Tarandus Caribou), Boreal Population, In Canada, Mark Hebblewhite, Environment Canada

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), Boreal Population (herein referred to as boreal caribou), are formally listed as Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). The Act requires the Minister of Environment to prepare a Recovery Strategy for the species that includes, to the extent possible and based upon the best available information, an identifi cation of its Critical Habitat and/or, if there is insuffi cient information available, a Schedule of Studies to determine that information. In August 2007, Environment Canada (EC) launched a science-based review with the mandate to identify Critical Habitat to the extent possible, using the …

Ecological Genetics Of Adaptive Life-History Phenotypes In The Cricket Allonemobius Socius, Diana Lea Huestis

Biology Dissertations - Archive

As many organisms inhabit unstable environments, the ability to respond to changing environmental conditions is highly adaptive, and results in the evolution of phenotypic plasticity. Thus, identifying the genetic basis and evolutionary origins of adaptive life-history phenotypes, such as phenotypic plasticity, is an active and important research area within the field of evolutionary biology. In the last two decades, gene-expression techniques have been developed which allow genes to be identified and gene-expression levels measured in a range of species, reducing dependence on classic genetic model systems and allowing an array of species with interesting ecological phenotypes to be used as …

Tak1 Is Required For The Survival Of Hematopoietic Cells And Hepatocytes In Mice, Minghui Tang, Xudong Wei, Yinshi Guo, Peter Breslin, Shubin Zhang, Shanshan Zhang, Wei Wei, Zhenbiao Xia, Manuel Diaz, Shizuo Akira, Jiwang Zhang

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Transforming growth factor beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), a member of the MAPKKK family, is a key mediator of proinflammatory and stress signals. Activation of TAK1 by proinflammatory cytokines and T and B cell receptors induces the nuclear localization of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) and the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/AP1 and P38, which play important roles in mediating inflammation, immune responses, T and B cell activation, and epithelial cell survival. Here, we report that TAK1 is critical for the survival of both hematopoietic cells and hepatocytes. Deletion of TAK1 results in bone marrow (BM) and liver failure in mice …

Hatching Asynchrony Occurs As A Byproduct Of Maintaining Egg Viability, Robert Aldredge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For many organisms, embryonic development begins directly after an egg (ovum) has been fertilized by sperm; however, some organisms delay the onset of embryonic development until conditions are favorable for raising young. This delayed onset of development could occur by delaying implantation of fertilized ovum on the uterine wall, as seen in many mammals. Birds delay embryonic development by laying a set of fertilized ova over a period of consecutive days. These fertilized ova are protected from the ambient environment by an exterior shell, and it is in this shell outside of the female s body that embryonic development occurs, …

The Distribution, Abundance, And Habitat Use Of The Big Cypress Fox Squirrel, (Sciurus Niger Avicennia)., Danielle Munim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human population growth and development reduce the area and quality of natural communities and lead to a reduction of populations of the species associated with them. Certain species can be useful indicators or "focal species" for determining the quality of ecosystem remnants and the required management practices. Tree squirrels are good models for studies on the effects of fragmentation because they depend on mature forests. The Big Cypress fox squirrel, (Sciurus niger avicennia), a state-listed Threatened subspecies endemic to south Florida, appears sensitive to habitat fragmentation and fire regime. This research aims to assess the conservation status of the Big …

Using Stable Isotopes To Assess Population Structure And Feeding Ecology Of North Pacific Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae), Briana Witteveen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The North Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a wide-ranging baleen whale species with a complex life history and population structure. As seasonal migrants, humpback whales are known to inhabit cooler, high-latitude waters when foraging and low-latitudes for mating and calving. Beyond this general migratory pattern, a number of demographic characteristics including, abundance, distribution, seasonal occurrence, and prey preferences remain unknown or poorly described. A complete understanding of humpback whale ecology is therefore lacking. Many methods used to explore these aspects of cetacean ecology are either prohibitively expensive or limited in the scope of what can be learned from their …

An Unidentified Filarial Species And Its Impact On Fitness In Wild Populations Of The Black-Footed Ferret (Mustela Nigripes), Samantha M. Wisely, Jo Gayle Howard, Steven A. Williams, Odile Bain, Rachel M. Santymire, Katherine D. Bardsley, Elizabeth S. Williams

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Disease can threaten the restoration of endangered species directly by substantially decreasing host survival or indirectly via incremental decreases in survival and reproduction. During a biomedical survey of reintroduced populations of the highly endangered black-footed ferret from 2002 to 2005, microfilariae discovered in the blood were putatively identified as Dirofilaria immitis, and widespread screening was initiated using a commercially available antigen-based ELISA test. A subset of animals (n = 16) was screened for D. immitis using a highly sensitive PCR-based assay. Microfilariae were also molecularly and morphologically characterized. Of 198 animals at six reintroduction sites, 12% had positive results using …

Low Temperature (23 °C) Increases Expression Of Biofilm-, Cold-Shock- And Rpos-Dependent Genes In Escherichia Coli K-12, Christine A. White-Ziegler, Suzin Um, Natalie M. Pérez, Abby L. Berns, Amy J. Malhowski, Sarah Young

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Temperature serves as a cue to regulate gene expression in Escherichia coli and other bacteria. Using DNA microarrays, we identified 297 genes whose expression is increased at 23 6C compared to 37 6C in E. coli K-12. Of these genes, 122 are RpoS-controlled, confirming genome-wide the model that low temperature serves as a primary cue to trigger the general stress response. Several genes expressed at 23 6C overlap with the cold-shock response, suggesting that strategies used to adapt to sudden shifts in temperature also mediate long-term growth at 23 6C. Another category of genes more highly expressed at 23 6C …

Editorial, First Science And Policy Issue, Jscas

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

A Call For A Statewide Bioinformatics Institute, John R. Rose

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

With The Help Of South Carolina Research Universities, Scra Demonstrates Leadership In Applied Research And Commercialization Within Sc, Bill Mahoney

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Sc Inbre: A Catalyst For Biomedical Research Development In South Carolina, Lucia A. Pirisi-Creek M.D, Scott Little, Ph.D.

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Inflammation: The Key To Health And Disease, Prakash Nagarkatti Ph. D, Donald J. Dipette M. D.

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Thermoelectric Applications For Imaging Infrared Focal Plane Arrays, Roy T. Littleton

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Maternal Exposure To Lps On The Inflammatory Response In The Offspring, Natalie M. La Sala

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

Mitochondrial Biogenesis: Is An Old Dog Still Teaching Us New Tricks? Meeting On The Assembly Of The Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain, Rosemary A. Stuart, Peter Rehling

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Greenfall Links Groundwater To Aboveground Food Webs In Desert River Floodplains, John L. Sabo, Kevin E. Mccluney, Yevgeniy Marusenko, Andrew Keller, Candan U. Soykan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Groundwater makes up nearly 99% of unfrozen freshwater worldwide and sustains riparian trees rooted in shallow aquifers, especially in arid and semiarid climates. The goal of this paper is to root animals in the regional water cycle by quantifying the significance of groundwater to riparian animals. We focused our efforts on the cricket, Gryllus alogus: a common primary consumer found in floodplain forests along the San Pedro River, in southeast Arizona, USA. Cottonwood trees make groundwater available to G. alogus as dislodged, groundwater-laden leaves (greenfall). We hypothesized that groundwater fluxes mediated by greenfall sustain G. allogus through the prolonged dry …

M3-Muscarinic Receptor Activation Of Erk And Cell Growth Requires Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases In Mcf-7 Cells, John M. Schmitt, Ellen Abell, Andrea Wagner

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Abstract The extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) signaling pathway is found in diverse cells throughout the human body. ERK activation has been implicated in breast cancer cell growth and proliferation. Studies have shown that ERK is activated by carbachol, a G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) agonist, which increases intracellular calcium in MCF-7 cells. The calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM K) family of proteins including CaM KK, CaM KI, and CaM KII can be activated by increased intracellular calcium. Our goal was to determine whether CaM Ks may be responsible for ERK activation and cell proliferation in carbachol-treated MCF-7 cells and evaluate which …

Effect Of Redox-Cycling Agents On Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity In Vitro And Modulation Of Protein Expression In Vivo: No Nitric Oxide Synthase In Mitochondria, Priya Venkatakrishnan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation describes studies conducted in three areas dealing with the interaction of redox-active compounds with the flavin- and heme- containing enzyme, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS). They are as follows:

I. Studies were initiated using extracts from several varieties of tobacco to identify constituent(s) that could interact with nNOS. Results from [¹⁴C]-L-arginine to [¹⁴C]-L-citrulline conversion assays to which tobacco extracts were individually added, indicate that there are nNOS inhibitors present in tobacco and they are non-polar, lipophilic and non-volatile in nature. In addition, results from assays in which the tobacco-derived redox-active compound, 2,3,6- …

A Comparative Study On Colchicine Application Methods In Obtaining Doubled Haploids Of Tobacco (Nicotiana Tabacum L.), Betül Bürün, Ülkü Emi̇roğlu

Turkish Journal of Biology

In order to obtain androgenic doubled haploids of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Karabağlar 6265) colchicine was applied at 3 different stages of anther culture. Before culture, anthers were treated with 0.4% aqueous solution of colchicine for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 h. Culture response of anthers decreased as the treatment duration increased (except 12 h) and the highest diploidization of 29.7% was obtained with 6 h. During culture, when macroscopic embryoids appeared in dehisced anthers, they were wrapt up in sterile cotton saturated with 0.2% colchicine for 3 days and transferred to fresh medium. This application resulted …

Bioactivities Of The Various Extracts And Essential Oils Of Salvia Limbata C.A.Mey. And Salvia Sclarea L., Hati̇ce Öğütçü, Atalay Sökmen, Münevver Sökmen, Moschos Polissiou, Julia Serkedjieva, Di̇mi̇tra Daferera, Fi̇kretti̇n Şahi̇n, Özlem Bariş, Medi̇ne Güllüce

Turkish Journal of Biology

The present study evaluated the in vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antiviral activities of the essential oil and various extracts of Salvia limbata C.A.Mey. and Salvia sclarea L., as well as the content of its essential oil. The activities of essential oils were tested against a wide range of human-, plant-, and food-borne microorganisms. A total of 55 microbial organisms belonging to 35 bacteria and 19 fungi and yeast species were tested using disk diffusion, micro dilution, and micro-well dilution. The essential oils were found to possess antimicrobial activity against some of the tested fungi, while no activity was observed against …

The Effects Of Micronuclei With Whole Chromosome On Biological Dose Estimation, Funda Si̇bel Pala, Fadi̇me Alkaya, Kiymet Tabakçioğlu, Füsun Tokatli, Cem Uzal, Şule Parlar, Çeti̇n Algüneş

Turkish Journal of Biology

The total micronucleus (MN) assay has been used for purposes of biological dosimetry for many years. The variable spontaneous incidence of micronuclei in peripheral blood lymphocytes affects the sensitivity of biological dose estimations at low doses. It has been suggested that this problem could be solved by using the micronuclei-centromere assay. In this study, Co-60 gamma ray dose response curves for micronuclei (MN) and micronuclei without centromeres (MNC-) in the range of 0-5.0 Gy were established using a pancentromeric FISH probe on cultured binucleate lymphocytes from 2 donors. There were no significant inter-donor differences in the dose responses for either …

"A New Species Of Freshwater Crab From Western Kenya" , Neil Cumberlidge, Michael Dobson

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Solution Chemical Synthesis Of Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials, Xiaohua Ji, Terry M. Tritt, Xinbing Zhao, Joe W. Kolis

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Phonon Scattering Effects On Thermal Conductivity Of Tinisn-Based Half-Heusler Alloys, S. Bhattacharya, T. M. Tritt, M. J. Skove, M. Russell, S. J. Poon, V. Ponnambalam, Y. Xia, N. Thadhani

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Out Of South America: Multiple Origins Of Non-Native Apple Snails In Asia, Kenneth Hayes

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Apple snails (Ampullariidae: Pomacea) native to the New World have become agricultural and environmental pests widely in southern and eastern Asia since their introduction in about 1980. Although their impacts have been extensively documented, considerable confusion persists regarding their identities and geographical origins. Efforts to resolve the confusion have suffered from inadequate taxonomic and geographical sampling from both native and introduced ranges. Using phylogenetic and genealogical methods, we analysed 610–655 bp of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I DNA sequences from 783 apple snails from 164 Asian locations and 57 native South American locations. In Asia, we found four species of …

Dendritic Cell Maturation Versus Polarization In Tumor Escape, Michael Lipscomb, Walter Storkus, Amy Wesa

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Dendritic cells serve as key immunosurveillance agents throughout the body and orchestrate the coordinate innate and adaptive immune responses to antigenically complex cells and organisms that challenge the host. The ability of dendritic cells to promote beneficial versus irrelevant or even, counterproductive, immunity in the cancer setting depends to a large degree on the operational parameters displayed by the heterogeneous population of dendritic cells found in the tumor microenvironment. This chapter will discuss how tumors manipulate the state of maturation and type of functional polarization displayed by dendritic cells in order to affect immune escape.

The Spinobulbar System In Lamprey, James T. Buchanan, James F. Einum

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Locomotor networks in the spinal cord are controlled by descending systems which in turn receive feedback signals from ascending systems about the state of the locomotor networks. In lamprey, the ascending system consists of spinobulbar neurons which convey spinal network signals to the two descending systems, the reticulospinal and vestibulospinal neurons. Previous studies showed that spinobulbar neurons consist of both ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting cells distributed at all rostrocaudal levels of the spinal cord, though most numerous near the obex. The axons of spinobulbar neurons ascend in the ventrolateral spinal cord and brainstem to the caudal mesencephalon and within the …

Degradation Of Hypomodified TrnaIMet In Vivo Involves Rna-Dependent Atpase Activity Of The Dexh Helicase Mtr4p, Xuying Wang, Huijue Jia, Eckhard Jankowsky, James T. Anderson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Effective turnover of many incorrectly processed RNAs in yeast, including hypomodified tRNA_i ^Met, requires the TRAMP complex, which appends a short poly(A) tail to RNA designated for decay. The poly(A) tail stimulates degradation by the exosome. The TRAMP complex contains the poly(A) polymerase Trf4p, the RNA-binding protein Air2p, and the DExH RNA helicase Mtr4p. The role of Mtr4p in RNA degradation processes involving the TRAMP complex has been unclear. Here we show through a genetic analysis that MTR4 is required for degradation but not for polyadenylation of hypomodified tRNA_i ^Met. A suppressor of the trm6-504 mutation …

Dimeric Heat Shock Protein 40 Binds Radial Spokes For Generating Coupled Power Strokes And Recovery Strokes Of 9 + 2 Flagella, Chun Yang, Heather A. Owen, Pinfen Yang

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

T-shape radial spokes regulate flagellar beating. However, the precise function and molecular mechanism of these spokes remain unclear. Interestingly, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii flagella lacking a dimeric heat shock protein (HSP) 40 at the spokehead–spokestalk juncture appear normal in length and composition but twitch actively while cells jiggle without procession, resembling a central pair (CP) mutant. HSP40⁻ cells begin swimming upon electroporation with recombinant HSP40. Surprisingly, the rescue doesn't require the signature DnaJ domain. Furthermore, the His-Pro-Asp tripeptide that is essential for stimulating HSP70 adenosine triphosphatase diverges in candidate orthologues, including human DnaJB13. Video microscopy reveals hesitance in bend initiation and …