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A Hybrid First Year Science Course For Engineering Students – Integrating Biology With Chemistry, David Harding, Pauline Schwartz, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Agamemnon Koutsospyros

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Biology is playing an increasingly important role in many engineering fields. With the typical engineering program already having a high credit hour requirement, the question becomes, how to best integrate biology concepts into a packed engineering curriculum. A typical biology course is not likely to introduce the important concepts of biology to engineering students. The solution here is to develop a hybrid course that integrates chemistry and biology. In the course, Chemistry with Applications to Biosystems, the concept is to develop a course that integrally links important concepts of chemistry and biology. The course focuses on the areas of biology …

A Versatile Computational Pipeline For Bacterial Genome Annotation Improvement And Comparative Analysis, With Brucella As A Use Case, Gongxin Yu, Eric E. Snyder, Stephen M. Boyle, Oswald R. Crasta, Michael Czar, Shrinivasrao P. Mane, Anjan Purkayastha, Bruno Sobral, João C. Setubal

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present a bacterial genome computational analysis pipeline, called GenVar. The pipeline, based on the program GeneWise, is designed to analyze an annotated genome and automatically identify missed gene calls and sequence variants such as genes with disrupted reading frames (split genes) and those with insertions and deletions (indels). For a given genome to be analyzed, GenVar relies on a database containing closely related genomes (such as other species or strains) as well as a few additional reference genomes. GenVar also helps identify gene disruptions probably caused by sequencing errors. We exemplify GenVar’s capabilities by presenting results from the analysis …

The Effects Of Testosterone On The Induction Of Experimental Autoimmune Thyroiditis In Sprague-Dawley Rats, Travis William Reed

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Experimental Autoimmune Thyroiditis (EAT) could not be induced in young, immature Sprague-Dawley rats (150-200g). EAT was successfully induced in the same group of animals when they weighed 400g. The animals developed the disease every time. Sexual immaturity or immaturity of the immune system may be responsible for these results (Fernandez, 2006). It has been proven that pharmacologic doses of testosterone have shown immunosuppressive effects on the severity of EAT in the PVG/c strain of rats (Ahmed et al, 1982). In this current thesis research, it appears that normal physiologic levels of testosterone have no effect on the development and severity …

Structure-Function Studies Of Self- Assembling Flagellin Proteins Fromsalmonella Typhimurium And Aquifex Pyrophilus, Venkata Raghu Ram Malapaka

Dissertations

The eubacterial flagellum is a complex structure with an elongated extracellular filament that is primarily composed of a single protein termed flagellin. The highly conserved N-and C- termini of flagellin are important in its export and assembly, whereas the middle "hypervariable" region is highly variable in size across different species and is largely dispensable. InSalmonella typhimurium phase 1 flagellin (FliC), this hypervariable region encodes two solvent-exposed D2 and D3 domains. The functional role of this knob-like structural feature in motility remains unclear. The structural and physiological role of the hypervariable region in flagellar assembly, stability and cellular motility was investigated. …

Preferential Myosin Heavy Chain Isoform B Expression May Contribute To The Faster Velocity Of Contraction In Veins Versus Arteries, Catherine M. Rondelli, Irina T. Szasz, Anas Kayal, Keshari Thakali, Ralph E. Watson, Arthur S. Rovner, Thomas J. Eddinger, Gregory D. Fink, Stephanie W. Watts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Smooth muscle myosin heavy chains occur in 2 isoforms, SMA (slow) and SMB (fast). We hypothesized that the SMB isoform is predominant in the faster-contracting rat vena cava compared to thoracic aorta. We compared the time to half maximal contraction in response to a maximal concentration of endothelin-1 (ET-1; 100 nM), potassium chloride (KCl; 100 mM) and norepinephrine (NE; 10 µM). The time to half maximal contraction was shorter in the vena cava compared to aorta (aorta: ET-1 = 235.8 ± 13.8 s, KCl = 140.0 ± 33.3 s, NE = 19.8 ± 2.7 s; vena cava: ET-1 = 121.8 …

Status And Distribution Of Manatees In Honduras And The Use Of Side-Scan Sonar, Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

All manatee species are listed as endangered or vulnerable. Studying these animals is very challenging because of their reticent behavior and the remote and complex habitats in which they are found. This study dealt with three challenges in manatee conservation: identification of hotspots, manatee detection in turbid and tannin-stained waters, and regional collaboration between countries. Using the West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) as the study subject, these three challenges were examined and possible solutions were presented.

The distribution of manatees in Honduras is known from sporadic death reports and informal interviews. Like many other countries in Mesoamerica, Honduras had …

Distinguishing Importation From Diversification Of Quinolone-Resistant Neisseria Gonorrhoeae By Molecular Evolutionary Analysis, Keith A. Crandall, Marcos Perez-Losada, Margaret C. Bash, Michael Dan, Jonathan Zenilman, Raphael P. Viscidi

Faculty Publications

Distinguishing the recent introduction of quinolone resistant gonococci into a population from diversification of resistant strains already in the population is important for planning effective infection control strategies. We applied molecular evolutionary analyses to DNA sequences from 9 housekeeping genes and gyrA, parC and porB of 24 quinolone resistant N. gonorrhoeae (QRNG) and 24 quinolone sensitive isolates collected in Israel during 2000-2001. Results- Phylogenetic and eBURST analyses and estimates of divergence time indicated QRNG were introduced on 3 separate occasions and underwent limited diversification by mutation, deletion and horizontal gene transfer. Reconstruction of N. gonorrhoeae demography showed a slowly declining …

Identification And Characterization Of A Carlavirus Causing Veinal Necrosis Of Coleus, Dimitre S. Mollov, Maya C. Hayslett, Kari A. Eichstaedt, Noelle G. Beckman, Margery L. Daughtrey, Ben E. Lockhart

Biology Faculty Publications

A filamentous virus identified in coleus (Coleus x hybrida) in Minnesota and New York was found to cause veinal necrosis in coleus, although this symptom was observed only under certain conditions. The virus was transmitted readily by mechanical inoculation to coleus and Nicotiana spp. and was not transmitted by Myzus persicae. The particles of the coleus virus had a modal length of 640 nm and a single capsid protein with an estimated molecular mass of 34 kDa. The amino acid sequence of the coat protein region of the coleus virus genome had significant similarities only to the …

Barriers To Flow: The Effects Of Experimental Cage Structures On Water Velocities In High-Energy Subtidal And Intertidal Environments, Luke P. Miller, Brian Gaylord

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

For decades, marine ecologists have used cages as biological enclosure or exclosure devices to manipulate movement, growth, and survival of organisms. The ability to control the densities of focal organisms makes these structures a powerful tool. However, cages can often produce artifacts that influence the outcome of experiments. Although a subset of these artifacts have been examined previously, the effects of cages on water motion have not been adequately addressed from a quantitative standpoint, especially in high-flow environments. We targeted this data gap by explicitly measuring the fractional degree of velocity reduction inside a variety of experimental cage structures across …

Beyond The Boss And The Boys: Women And The Division Of Labor In Drosophila Genetics In The United States, 1934-1970, Michael Dietrich

Dartmouth Scholarship

The vast network of Drosphila geneticists spawned by Thomas Hunt Morgan's fly room in the early 20th century has justifiably received a significant amount of scholarly attention. However, most accounts of the history of Drosophila genetics focus heavily on the \"boss and the boys,\" rather than the many other laboratory groups which also included large numbers of women. Using demographic information extracted from the Drosophila Information Service directories from 1934 to 1970, we offer a profile of the gendered division of labor within Drosophila genetics in the United States during the middle decades of the 20th century. Our analysis of …

Neural Defects And Cardiac Arrhythmia In Fish Larvae Following Embryonic Exposure To 2,2',4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl Ether (Pbde 47), Sean C. Lema, Irvin R. Schultz, Nathaniel L. Scholz, John P. Incardona, Penny Swanson

Biological Sciences

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are added to plastics, polyurethane foam, and textiles as a flame retardant. While PBDEs play a key role in reducing loss of human life and property from fires, these flame retardants have become pervasive organic contaminants in the environment and in the tissues of fish, birds, marine mammals, and humans. Levels of PBDEs in wildlife and humans continue to rise, raising concerns about potential ecological and health risks associated with exposure to these chemicals. Nevertheless, there is little currently known about the toxicological effects of PBDE exposure. Here, we examined the developmental toxicity of the PBDE …

Essential Elements Of A Defense-Review Of Dna Testing Results, Dan E. Krane

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Coordinated Regulation Of Myc Trans-Activation Targets By Polycomb And The Trithorax Group Protein Ash1, Julie M. Goodliffe, Michael D. Cole, Eric Wieschaus

Dartmouth Scholarship

The Myc oncoprotein is a transcriptional regulator whose function is essential for normal development. Myc is capable of binding to 10% of the mammalian genome, and it is unclear how a developing embryo controls the DNA binding of its abundant Myc proteins in order to avoid Myc's potential for inducing tumorigenesis.To identify chromatin binding proteins with a potential role in controlling Myc activity, we established a genetic assay for dMyc activity in Drosophila. We conducted a genome-wide screen using this assay, and identified the Trithorax Group protein Ash1 as a modifier of dMyc activity. Ash1 is a histone methyltransferase known …

Depleted Carbon Monoxide In Fragment C Of The Jupiter-Family Comet 73p/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, M. Disanti, W. Anderson, G. Villanueva, B. Bonev, K. Magee-Sauer, E. Gibb, M. Mumma

Physics Faculty Works

Carbon monoxide emission was targeted in fragment C of the recently split Jupiter-family comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 during its 2006 apparition, using the Cryogenic Echelle Spectrograph (CSHELL) at the NASA IRTF on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Simultaneous sounding with H2O near 4.65 μm revealed highly depleted CO, consistent with a mixing ratio of 0.5% ± 0.13%. Along with depleted CH3OH but nearly normal HCN, this may indicate that this comet formed in the inner giant planets' region or, alternatively, that it formed relatively late, after significant clearing of the protosolar nebula.

Influence Of Juvenile Hormone On Territorial And Aggressive Behavior In The Painted Lady (Vanessa Cardui) And Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio Polyxenes), Tara Bergin

Honors Theses

Competition is important in environments with limited resources. Males of many insect species are territorial and will defend resources, such as a food source or egg-laying site, against intruders, or even compete to attract a mate. In insects, evidence suggests that juvenile hormone acts as an aggression mediator, much like testosterone in other animal species. In this study I tested this idea using a group of male Painted Lady butterflies, Vanessa cardui, and Eastern Black Swallowtail butterflies, Papilio polyxenes, that were treated prior to metamorphosis with either a high or low dose of methoprene acid (a juvenile hormone mimic). Male-male …

Comparative Immune Function In Wild Birds, Kevin David Matson

Dissertations

Over the last several decades, interest in quantifying immune function in comparative studies of wild animals has grown appreciably. Now, the field of ecological immunology is undergoing a transition, and ¿second generation¿ studies are being designed and carried out. With a greater appreciation of the complexity of immune systems, these second generation studies are commonly distinguished from their antecedents by making comparisons using multiple assays and including multiple species. I worked to advance this transition by developing novel approaches to comparative immunology, exploring the interrelationships among indices of immune function, and applying multiple indices to a question of comparative avian …

Slides: The Future Of Federal Wetlands Regulation, Mark Squillace

The Future of Federal Wetlands Regulation After Rapanos (May 10)

Presenter: Professor Mark Squillace, Director, Natural Resources Law Center, University of Colorado School of Law

35 slides

Agenda: The Future Of Federal Wetlands Regulation After Rapanos, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

The Future of Federal Wetlands Regulation After Rapanos (May 10)

Hot-Topic Discussion held at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck in Denver, Colorado on May 10, 2007 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Speaker: Mark Squillace, Director of the Natural Resources Law Center, University of Colorado School of Law.

Commentators: Wayne Forman and Michelle Kales, attorneys, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

"Rapanos v. United States, 547 U.S. 715 (2006), was a United States Supreme Court case challenging federal jurisdiction to regulate isolated wetlands under the Clean Water Act. It was the first major environmental case heard by the newly appointed Chief Justice, John Roberts and Associate Justice, Samuel Alito. The Supreme Court …

The Role Of Local And Regional Factors In The Foraging Ecology Of Birds Associated With Polylepis Woodlands, Grace Patricia Servat-Valenzuela

Dissertations

Understanding the extent to which patterns of functional structure are repeated in space and the scale at which different factors (local and regional) operate to explain community patterns are of important in community ecology. I studied the extent of spatial variation in foraging ecology of birds in the Polylepis community, a vegetation system of the Andes, in regard to variation in local (vegetation structure, floristic composition, food resources) and regional factors (biogeography). Specifically, I studied foraging ecology of nine insectivorous bird species (and the assemblage they conform) across twelve disjunct woodlands embedded in three biogeographic regions of the Peruvian Andes. …

A Direct Role Of Jh In The Control Of Imaginal Disc Formation And Growth In Manduca, J. W. Truman, K. Hiruma, J. P. Allee, S.G.B. Macwhinnie, David Champlin Ph.D., L. M. Riddiford

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Colon Cancer-- A Silent Killer, Katelyn Carman

Whittier Scholars Program

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths annually. The goal of this research is to (a) increase awareness of colon cancer by identifying anatomical and physiological changes that occur when cancerous polyps are present, (b) describe different genetic mutations that occur, (c) discuss preventative screening procedures and (d) explain different treatment options for colon cancer patients. There will be an additional section on the genetic link to colon cancer because it is thought to be the main cause of some cancerous polyps. Being aware of the potential risks associated with colon cancer can save lives.

Histologic Examination Of Host-Parasite Interactions In The Gulf Killifish, Fundulus Grandis, Marlee Marsh

All Dissertations

Little is known about the immunobiology of fish responses to parasitic infections. The aim of this study was to describe a model for the examination of fish-nematode interactions on the immunological front, and to develop new reagents for the study of this model. Gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis, were collected over two seasons from Simmon's Bayou, Jackson County, MS, USA, pre Hurricane Katrina, and examined for endoparasites, particularly the larval nematode Eustrongylides ignotus. A baseline study was preformed to determine the prevalence, intensity, and histologic features of E. ignotus infection in F. grandis, and this study serves as the first description …

Myosin Ii Isoforms In Smooth Muscle: Heterogeneity And Function, Thomas J. Eddinger, Daniel P. Meer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Both smooth muscle (SM) and nonmuscle class II myosin molecules are expressed in SM tissues comprising hollow organ systems. Individual SM cells may express one or more of multiple myosin II isoforms that differ in myosin heavy chain (MHC) and myosin light chain (MLC) subunits. Although much has been learned, the expression profiles, organization within contractile filaments, localization within cells, and precise roles in various contractile functions of these different myosin molecules are still not well understood. However, data supporting unique physiological roles for certain isoforms continues to build. Isoform differences located in the S1 head region of the MHC …

Conservation Of The Sos Operon, Umudc, In Acinetobacter Species, Ching-Li Lin

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science & Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Ching-Li Lin on May 1, 2007.

Dislodged But Not Dead: Survivorship Of A High Intertidal Snail Following Wave Dislodgement, Luke P. Miller, Michael J. O'Donnell, Katharine J. Mach

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Waves breaking on rocky shorelines impart large forces on intertidal organisms, sometimes dislodging individuals. Dislodged individuals may be deposited in habitats that have a greater risk of predation or that prevent return to preferred regions on the shore. Thus, dislodgement is often assumed to be lethal. We experimentally dislodged Littorina keenae snails from high in the intertidal zone to test the likelihood of survival. Under a variety of wave conditions, we measured return rates to the high shore of 54–90%, so in this species, dislodgement is not equal to death. Snails showed a strong preference for returning to the approximate …

A Historic Perspective: The Response Of Breeding Passerines To Rangeland Alteration In Rich County, Utah, Lindsay J. Brown

Biology

Shrub-dominated ecosystems on private lands are important rangeland resources through much of the western U.S., including Rich County, Utah. Because of its important role in livestock production, this shrubsteppe ecosystem has been exposed to a variety of sagebrush removal methods. Little is known about the relative effects of chemical, mechanical, or burn treatments on breeding passerine communities. Furthermore, most studies address only short-term effects. We studied breeding passerine communities and vegetation on 17 untreated sites and 49 range sites treated between 1962 and 2004 to examine the effects of treatment type and treatment age. The sagebrush treatments produced considerable changes …

Effects Of Environmental Conditions And Insect Life Stages On Performance Of Entomopathogenic Nematodes For Suppression Of Plum Curculio, Conotrachelus Nenuphar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), In Northern Utah, Hong Geun Kim

Biology

In a series of field and laboratory experiments, I tested two entomopathogenic nematode species, two nematode concentrations, and three life stages of the economically damaging insect pest, Contrachelus nenuphar, to support the development of a biological control program for this pest in northern Utah. Two entomopathogenic nematodes, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema feltiae, were tested for their virulence. The population of H. bacteriophora tested was collected from soil infested with plum curculio in Brigham City, UT in 2002. The S. feltiae population was obtained from a commercial source. In temperature bioassays, the two nematodes species exhibited different thermal ranges. …

Structural Evolution Of Fern Chloroplast Genomes, Jessie M. Roper

Biology

The circular chloroplast genome map of land plants is generally conserved with respect to gene content and organization. However, sufficient variation also exists to allow phylogenetic information to be gleaned from the molecule. The ferns exhibit a highly rearranged gene order in and around the inverted repeat which appeared to hold phylogenetically useful information. To test the usefulness of these rearrangement events I first sequenced the complete plastid genome sequence of the marratioid fern Angiopteris. I then used the complete chloroplast genome sequences of the ferns Adiantum and Angiopteris to design alternative sets of Long-PCR primers within genes contained …

Screening Candidate Fungicides For Control Of Chalkbrood Disease In Alfalfa Leafcutting Bees, Megachile Rotundata (F.) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Craig Huntzinger

Biology

Pollination of alfalfa seed crops is done primarily by managed populations of the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata (F.). One of the biggest problems associated with managing M. rotundata on a commercial scale is a fungal disease called chalkbrood, caused by Ascosphaera aggregata Skou. The disease infects larvae that have consumed pollen and nectar contaminated with fungal spores. The spores germinate in the bee's gut, spreading hyphae throughout the host and killing the bee. Mortality from chalkbrood is regularly 10% to 35% in the northwestern United States, and infection levels in excess of 50% are not uncommon. As a consequence, …

The Role Of Individual-Level Behavior: From Safe Passage To Self-Organization, Bertrand H. Lemasson

Biology

A considerable amount of research in fisheries exists to assess and predict the success rate of fish attempting to navigate through artificial barriers in their environment. Such barriers typically include dams, culverts, power plants, and pumping stations. This dissertation contributes to fisheries science, and general ecology, by determining how individual-level behavior affects the movement decisions of solitary fish and how simple inter-individual interactions can generate complex forms of collective behavior. The current research improves our ability to model small-scale movement patterns, such as those expected within the artificial restrictions of a water diversion facility, and provides insight into the communication …