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"A New Genus And Species Of Freshwater Crab From Northern Madagascar, And A Second New Species Associated With Pandanus Leaf Axils" , Neil Cumberlidge, Christopher B. Boyko, Harvey Wallace

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Parallelism In Digging Behaviour In Two Distantly Related Decapod Crustaceans, Zen Faulkes

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Walking and swimming are the most common forms of locomotion used routinely by decapod crustaceans, but some have evolved ways of locomoting throughsubstrates, notably sand. Two such digging species, of different infraorders, are spanner crabs (Ranina ranina; Brachyura) and spiny sand crabs (Blepharipoda occidentalis; Anomura). Videotape and electromyogram analysis showed that digging by these species is similar, but Raninahas a wider locomotor repertoire than Blepharipoda: for instance, Raninacan walk forward on the benthos, whereas Blepharipoda(and other sand crabs) cannot walk. Similarly, although both Raninaand Blepharipodadig into the sand using their legs and abdomen, leg movements of Raninaare less stereotyped than …

Regulation And Measurement Of Nitrification In Terrestrial Systems, D. R. Smart, S. C. Hart, K. A. Haubensak, John M. Stark

Biology Faculty Publications

Nitric oxide (NO) is a relatively short-lived trace gas that reacts with oxygen in the troposphere to produce the air pollutant ozone. It also reacts with water vapor to form nitric and nitrous acids, which acidify precipitation and increase N deposition. Models currently used to predict soil NO fluxes are based on the assumption that NO flux is proportional to the gross rate of nitrification or N mineralization; however, this assumption has not been tested because of the difficulty in measuring gross N-cycling rates in situ. We measured soil NO fluxes, gross and net N-cycling rates, and a variety of …

Type-Specific Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor Localization In The Vomeronasal Organ And Its Interaction With A Transient Receptor Potential Channel, Trpc2, Jessica H. Brann, John C. Dennis, Edward E. Morrison, Debra A. Fadool

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is the receptor portion of the accessory olfactory system and transduces chemical cues that identify social hierarchy, reproductive status, conspecifics and prey. Signal transduction in VNO neurons is apparently accomplished via an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-activated calcium conductance that includes a different set of G proteins than those identified in vertebrate olfactory sensory neurons. We used immunohistochemical (IHC) and SDS-PAGE/western analysis to localize three IP3 receptors (IP3R) in the rat VNO epithelium. Type-I IP3R expression was weak or absent. Antisera for type-II and -III IP3R recognized appropriate molecular weight proteins by SDS-PAGE, and labeled protein could be …

Behavioral And Reproductive Aspects Of Captive Maxwell's Duiker (Cephalophus Mawellii) Husbandry, Janet Mcneill Mackinnon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Female Maxwell's duikers (Cephalophus maxwellii) were studied at the Wildlife Survival Center on St. Catherine's Island, Georgia. The objectives were to quantify the effects of housing on activity budgets and progesterone cycling. Four animals were studied across two housing situations: housed individually versus housed in a grouped setting. Behavioral observations revealed no significant change in access to resources, rumination, or repetitive behaviors, once animals were housed together. Fecal samples were collected in order to determine levels of progesterone through radioimmunoassay (RIA). Fluctuations in progesterone levels revealed no clear estrous cycles. Animals showed less variability in progesterone levels and …

Genetic Diversity Of Balbiani Ring L Gene In Two Species Of Chironomus, Lola-Mae Palmer

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Differences in genetic composition have been predicted among aquatic midge fly larva called chironomids. Although several genes including microsatellites and ribosomal protein genes have been explored in our lab, the gene that has so far been studied the most is the Balbiani Ring (BR) 1 gene. There are several genes in this family, including Balbiani Ring 2.1, 2.2 and 6. These BR genes are known to contain long arrays of tandemly repeated units with a ranked repeat organization (Paulsson et al.1992). This secretory protein gene forms a large puff located on polytene chromosome IV (Bentivegna et al., 1993). The gene …

Acute And Persistent Effects Of Interleukin-1ss And Stress On The Hpa Axis, Tara Tumminello

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Energetics Of Free-Ranging Seabirds, Hugh I. Ellis, Geir Wing Gabrielsen

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Emergence And Mortality Of Native Prairie Forbs Seeded Into An Established Stand Of Grasses, Dave Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Thousands of hectares of warm-season grass plantings in Iowa have few to no native forbs. Diversifying these species poor plant communities with native prairie forbs could result in increased resistance to climatic extremes, increased biodiversity, reduced noxious "weedy" plant invasion, and reduced geographic isolation between existing native prairie remnants.

I hypothesized that frequent mowing in the first one or two years after broadcasting forb seed into an established stand of warm-season grasses can increase forb emergence and reduce forb mortality. I further hypothesized that fall seeded forbs would establish better that those seeded in spring.

To test my hypothesis, I …

Monitoring Of Prairie Bushclover (Lespedeza Leptostachya) In South-Central Iowa, Paul J. Bockenstedt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Prairie bushclover Lespedeza leptostachya is listed as threatened by both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Iowa. Found within the tallgrass prairie region only in four midwestern states, prairie bushclover is considered a midwestern endemic. The federal recovery plan includes the goal to stabilize populations through proper management techniques and long-term management plans.

In 1989, three permanent plots were established for long-term monitoring at Madison Prairie in Clarke County, Iowa to examine population trends under the influences of fire and grazing. Fifty prairie bushclover plants were randomly selected within the three plots and square meter sampling …

Graininess Of Spatial Distribution In House Sparrows And House Finches: Implications For Interspecific Competition, Carol A. Heaverlo

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In Iowa, the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a non-indigenous avian species commonly found in areas inhabited by humans. During the past 10 years the House Sparrow population numbers have declined 54%. Competition for resources between the House Sparrow and House Finch has been cited as the reason for the decline. It has also been suggested that interspecific competition between the House Sparrow and House Finch is not the primary reason for the decline because the two perceive the environment on different scales: the House Sparrow is a coarse-grained species and the House Finch a fine-grained species. In three urban …

Length-At-Age In Juvenile Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus Eleginoides), J. Ashford, C. Jones, S. Bobko, I. Everson

OES Faculty Publications

We used the otoliths from a sample of Dissostichus eleginoides pre-recruits, whose length density was distinctly polymodal, to see whether ages estimated by reading otoliths were congruent with the length modes observed. Length densities by age were compared graphically with the overall length density observed. Additionally, ages were predicted for each fish based on length, and compared with ages estimated from reading otoliths in a goodness-of-fit test. The majority of the otoliths (83.6%) were estimated to be from fish 1+ or 2+ years old, with mean total lengths of 32.5 cm and 41.3 cm respectively. No difference was found between …

Suitability Of Hsp70 As A Biomarker For Pesticide Contamination Of Aquatic Systems: A Laboratory Investigation Using Chironomus Tentans As A Model, Lori Rae Covington

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Though the use of pesticides has resulted in increased crop production and other benefits, concerns have been raised about potential adverse effects on the environment, especially the hydrologic system which supports aquatic life. To chemically analyze for all possible contaminants at all at-risk sites would not only be costly, but practically infeasible and would yield no information about biological effects. Therefore, a significant portion of the scientific community has turned their investigative focus to biomarkers as a measurement of sublethal contaminant exposure and effect. A biomarker that has been the recent focus of much research is the family of heat …

Piagetian Developmental Reasoning Levels Of High School Students In Differentiated First Year Chemistry Courses, Pamela Kay Brewer-Michael

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research studied the developmental reasoning levels of students in three different first year high school chemistry courses as related to achievement defined by cumulative grade point average and course selection. The Lawson Test of Formal Operations modified by Roy Unruh and Bruce Perry at the University of Northern Iowa was used to determine cognitive developmental level of subjects. A consumer type chemistry course, a traditional high school chemistry course, and an honors course under consideration with Marshalltown Community College for credit status were the three courses utilized in this study. Data was collected in a classroom group setting over …

Behavioral Evidence For Chemosensory And Thermosensory Pathway Convergence In The Caenorhabditis Elegans Nervous System, Bowman O. Davis Jr., Lewis Vanbrackle, Darren Pittard

Faculty Articles

The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, is an established model system to explore the ways simple nervous systems detect and direct organismal responses to environmental changes. C. elegans possesses specialized receptor cells for the detection of a variety of environmental stimuli. Separate cell types respond to volatile chemical and thermal stimuli and the neural pathways for these show anatomical evidence of convergence. This work reports findings from behavioral assays during simultaneous exposure of nematodes to both thermal differences and attractant volatile chemicals. Combined exposure to benzaldehyde and cold neutralized the behavioral responses to both stimuli in 24°C acclimated worms. Diacetyl and mild …

In Vivo Effect Of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (Lif) And An Anti-Lif Polyclonal Antibody On Murine Embryo And Fetal Development Following Exposure At The Time Of Transcervical Blastocyst Transfer, Michael H. Mitchell, R. James Swanson, Sergio Oehninger

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) enhances in vitro murine preimplantation development in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. Knockout experiments have demonstrated that endometrial LIF is essential for in vivo murine implantation. We assessed the impact of LIF and an anti-LIF polyclonal antibody (pab) on in vivo development and developed a novel and successful nonsurgical method of embryo transfer for this species, a transcervical blastocyst transfer technique. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of LIF and the anti-LIF pab on 1) implantation, resorption, pregnancy, and viability rates and 2) the overall structural and skeletal development. Two-cell embryos were …

Sources And Diagenetic Alteration Of Organic Matter In Coastal Waters At The Vicinity Of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Ann Muzuka

Tanzania Journal of Science

The stable isotope compositions of organic carbon (OC) and nitrogen, contents of OC and nitrogen, and C/N ratios for four short cores, which were recovered from Msansani Bay (WO 57), off Msimbazi River (WO 76) and Dar es Salaam harbour (WO 62 and WO 74), are used to document temporal variation in the sources and diagenetic alteration of organic matter (OM). The δ15N and δ13C values at sites WO 57, WO 62 and WO 74 show a trend of down-core decrease to the base of the core, and such a down-core trend could be related to diagenetic loss of compounds …

The Occurrence Of Digenean Larvae In Freshwater Snails At Mbezi-Temboni Pond, Dar Es Salaam, Esp Esp Kigadye, G. Nkwengulila

Tanzania Journal of Science

The abundance of digenean larvae in snails at a pond in Mbezi-Temboni, Dar es Salaam, was investigated from July 1996 to June 1997. A total of 2,112 snails belonging to three species, Bulinus globosus Morelet 1866, Bulinus forskalii Ehrenberg 1869, and Melanoides tuberculata Müller 1774 were examined, and 28 (1.3%) were found infected by four species of digenean trematodes. Trematodes were recovered only from Bulinus species; none of the examined M. tuberculata was infected. B. globosus was infected by Schistosoma haematobium Bilharz 1852 (1.14%), unidentified furcocercous cercariae (0.4%), and echinostome cercariae (0.76%). B. forskalii was infected by echinostome cercariae (0.25%) …

Experimental Spat Collecting Of The Edible Oyster, Saccostrea Cucullata Born (Bivalvia) In The Kundichi Creek, Dar Es Salaam, Y. D. Mgaya

Tanzania Journal of Science

A one year study was carried out at Kunduchi Creek, Dar es Salaam, to determine spat settlement using the three different substrates (clutches): coconut shells, asbestos and cockle shells, set at three different depths, 0.5 m, 1 m, and 1.5 m. The experiment was set up at three different sites within the creek. There were no significant differences among treatments (sites, depths, clutches). However, spat settlement exhibited seasonal differences, with peak spatfall recorded during the long rains (April to May). There were significant differences in the number of spat between the upper and lower surfaces of the substrates, with more …

Longitudinal Variation In Muscle Protein Expression And Contraction Kinetics Of Largemouth Bass Axial Muscle, Tierney M. Thys, Jason M. Blank, David J. Coughlin, Fred Schachat

Biological Sciences

The present study investigates muscle protein expression in largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides through intra- and intermyomeric comparisons of white muscle. Using denaturing SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, muscle protein expression in the arm and cone regions of sequential myomeres was compared for three bass. Low percentage (4.75 %) polyacrylamide-SDS gels and cyanogen bromide (CNBr) peptide mapping revealed no obvious intramyomeric differences between the myosin heavy chains of the arm and cone regions. Electrophoresis of myofibrils and muscle homogenates on higher percentage gels also failed to demonstrate any significant differences between arm and cone regions in either the myosin light chains or any …

Microscale Patchiness Of Bacterioplankton Assemblage Richness In Seawater, Richard A. Long, Farooq Azam

Faculty Publications

We sought to test the hypothesis that bacterial species richness and composition vary at the millimeter scale in the marine pelagic environment, in response to the heterogeneous distribution of organic matter. To test this hypothesis, it was necessary to design and test a protocol to sample, lyse and analyze (by polymerase chain reaction/denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis [PCR-DGGE]) bacterioplankton species richness in a single microliter of seawater. Significant variation in bacterial species richness was found amongst 1 μl samples. Greater species richness was seen when seawater was enriched with diatom detritus. Examination of species richness at 2 mm intervals over a …

Mf-Ea-705Α & Mf-Ea-705Β, New Metabolites From Microbial Fermentation Of A Streptomyces Sp., Asfia Qureshi, Jacob B. Mauger, Raul J. Cano, Jorge L. Galazzo, May D. Lee

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Artisanal Fishing On Marine Communities In The Galápagos Islands, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg

Biological Sciences

The Galápagos Islands harbor some of the least impacted marine ecosystems in the tropics, but there are indications that local artisanal fishing is affecting exploited marine communities. To quantify these effects, I sampled communities of fishes and sea urchins at a number of heavily fished and lightly fished sites throughout the central islands of the archipelago. Sites were selected based on information collected as part of a local fisheries monitoring study and standardized across a number of abiotic factors. Abundance and biomass of the primary target species were significantly lower in the heavily fished sites than in the lightly fished …

Percent G+C Profiling Accurately Reveals Diet-Related Differences In The Gastrointestinal Microbial Community Of Broiler Chickens, Juha H. A. Apajalahti, Anu Kettunen, Michael R. Bedford, William E. Holben

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Broiler chickens from eight commercial farms in Southern Finland were analyzed for the structure of their gastrointestinal microbial community by a nonselective DNA-based method, percent G+C-based profiling. The bacteriological impact of the feed source and in-farm whole-wheat amendment of the diet was assessed by percent G+C profiling. Also, a phylogenetic 16S rRNA gene (rDNA)-based study was carried out to aid in interpretation of the percent G+C profiles. This survey showed that most of the 16S rDNA sequences found could not be assigned to any previously known bacterial genus or they represented an unknown species of one of the taxonomically heterogeneous …

Isolation And Characterization Of A Novel As(V)-Reducing Bacterium: Implications For Arsenic Mobilization And The Genus Desulfitobacterium, Allison Niggemyer, Stefan Spring, Erko Stackebrandt, Frank Rosenzweig

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Dissimilatory arsenate-reducing bacteria have been implicated in the mobilization of arsenic from arsenic-enriched sediments. An As(V)-reducing bacterium, designated strain GBFH, was isolated from arsenic-contaminated sediments of Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Strain GBFH couples the oxidation of formate to the reduction of As(V) when formate is supplied as the sole carbon source and electron donor. Additionally, strain GBFH is capable of reducing As(V), Fe(III), Se(VI), Mn(IV) and a variety of oxidized sulfur species. 16S ribosomal DNA sequence comparisons reveal that strain GBFH is closely related to Desulfitobacterium hafniense DCB-2^T and Desulfitobacterium frappieri PCP-1^T. Comparative physiology demonstrates that D …

Mammary Gland Cell Death Also Involves Lysosomal Autophagy, Reginald Halaby

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The mammary gland undergoes apoptosis when estrogen ablation occurs, either naturally or enforced. The gland is known to execute the apoptotic process post weaning. Although the involuting mammary gland displays the characteristic biochemical features of apoptosis, including DNA fragmentation, chromatin condensation, and the formation of apoptotic bodies, it also shows evidence of an autophagic death. In this report, apoptosis of the gland was induced by removing the pups from their nursing mothers. In particular, we show that lysosomes increased in size and number, and moved from basal to apical regions in dying rat mammary gland cells. Lysosomal enzyme activities were …

Mindful Virtue, Mindful Reverence, Ursula Goodenough, Paul Woodruff

Biology Faculty Research

How does one talk about moral thought and moral action as a religious naturalist? We explore this question by considering two human capacities: the capacity for mindfulness, and the capacity for virtue. We suggest that mindfulness is deeply enhanced by an understanding of the scientific worldview and that the four cardinal virtues—courage, fairmindedness, humaneness, and reverence—are rendered coherent by mindful reflection. We focus on the concept of mindful reverence and propose that the mindful reverence elicited by the evolutionary narrative is at the heart of religious naturalism. Religious education, we suggest, entails the cultivation of mindful virtue, in ourselves and …

Facilitation And Competition On Gradients In Alpine Plant Communities, Philippe Choler, Richard Michalet, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We conducted a neighbor removal experiment in natural alpine plant communities of the southwestern Alps to test for the relative importance of competitive and facilitative interactions along elevational and topographical gradients. The experimental sites were chosen to encompass most of the floristic diversity observed along gradients of elevation and topography, which are the two main ecological gradients associated with alpine plant communities in the western Alps. The effects of neighbor removal on the survival, aboveground biomass, and reproduction of five target species were tested at each of six experimental sites. Using biomass data, we calculated relative competitive index (RCI) and …

Iron Acquisition In Rhodococcus Erythrolpolis: The Isolation Of Mutant(S) That Do Not Produce A Siderophore., Jaishree M. Vellore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rhodococcus, a soil bacterium, displays a diverse range of metabolic capabilities with a number of potential practical applications. To exploit the metabolic potential of Rhodococcus, their basic physiology, genetics, and especially the acquisition of essential nutrients like iron, must be understood.

R. erythropolis strain IGTS8 releases a small compound called a siderophore, that scavenges ferric iron from the environment. To learn more about the genetic control of iron acquisition, mutant(s) defective in siderophore production were isolated. Mutants were generated, by inserting a mutagenic plasmid, pJCS506, into the bacterial cell using electroporation. The plasmid, which cannot replicate in these …

Antibiotic Resistance: Multi-Drug Profiles And Genetic Determinants., Lashan Denise Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were assembled for isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis collected from the Mountain Home Veteran's Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) clinical laboratory in Johnson City, Tennessee. The goal of the study was to identify isolates for genetic characterization using comparisons of susceptibility profiles. Isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis collected from July 1984 through 1994 were analyzed for β-lactamase production using a Cefinase disk assay.

A multi-drug profile consisting of 11 β-lactam antibiotics was performed on the 41 M. catarrhalis isolates. Kirby Bauer disk assays were performed for 7 cephalosporin and 4 non-cephalosporin antibiotics.

In summary, 2 observations implicate more complex resistance …