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A Comparative Study Of The Feeding Ecology Of Chelonia Mydas (Green Turtle) And The Incidental Ingestion Of Prorocentrum Spp, Karen Gayle Holloway Adkins

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The diets of green turtles from five dissimilar aggregations of juvenile C. mydas on the East Coast of Florida were analyzed. C. mydas were captured by tangle net from four of the study sites and a dietary sample was collected by an esophageal flushing technique. The gut content of stranded individuals was collected for the fifth site. The vegetation in these study areas differs in varying degrees of abundance and diversity. Analysis of the samples revealed the alga types preferred by green turtles from each population and provided the basis for examination of similarities and differences in their diets.

Large …

Chondrocranium And Visceral Skeleton Of Atelopus Tricolor And Atelophryniscus Chrysophorus, E O. Lavilla, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Atelopus tricolor and Atelophryniscus chrysophorus have gastromyzophorous tadpoles. Aside from specific differences, the larval chondrocrania and visceral skeletons show several shared character states, including an almost quadrangular, open chondrocranium , cornua trabeculae with expanded tips, cartilago suprarostralis as a single element, a posteriorly projected arcus subocularis quadrati, a closed muscular tunnel, and a simplified branchial basket, with only three pairs of ceratobranchiales. They are compared with diverse character states of suctorial larvae considering them as causally related to the stream life adaptations.

Firefly Flashing Is Controlled By Gating Oxygen To Light-Emitting Cells, G. S. Timmins, F. J. Robb, C. M. Wilmot, S. K. Jackson, H. M. Swartz

Dartmouth Scholarship

Although many aspects of firefly bioluminescence are understood, the mechanism by which adult fireflies produce light as discrete rapid flashes is not. Here we examine the most postulated theory, that flashing is controlled by gating oxygen access to the light-emitting cells (photocytes). According to this theory, the dark state represents repression of bioluminescence by limiting oxygen, which is required for bioluminescence; relief from this repression by transiently allowing oxygen access to the photocytes allows the flash. We show that normobaric hyperoxia releases the repression of light emission in the dark state of both spontaneously flashing and non-flashing fireflies, causing continual …

Expression Of Mslec1- And Mslec2-Antisense Genes In Alfalfa Plant Lines Causes Severe Embryogenic, Developmental And Reproductive Abnormalities, Laurence M. Brill, Cory J. Evans, Ann M. Hirsch

Biology Faculty Works

Although it has been proposed that plant lectins play a number of roles, the function of these proteins in normal plant growth and development has been unclear. To analyze the functions of putative alfalfa lectin genes, lines of transgenic alfalfa plants expressing approximately half of the open reading frame of MsLEC1 or MsLEC2, in the antisense or sense orientation, were established and analyzed. The antisense plants displayed severe abnormalities in embryogenesis, and both vegetative and reproductive development were perturbed. Some differences were observed between MsLEC1- and MsLEC2-antisense plants, and abnormalities were especially severe during the early stages of development in …

"On The Heterotreme-Thoracotreme Distinction In The Eubrachyura De Saint-Laurent, 1980" , Richard V. Sternberg, Neil Cumberlidge

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

"A New Species Of Freshwater Crab From Rukwanzi, East Africa." , R Gregory Corace, Neil Cumberlidge, Rolf Garms

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Developmental Tendril Morphology In Echinocystis Lobata (Michaux) Torrey And Gray (Cucurbitaceae), Theodore Bowen Guthrie

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Tendrils are generally defined as coiling organs used as mechanical supports and for climbing. The morphological nature of the tendril and the branching pattern of the axillary bud complex (ABC) in the family Cucurbitaceae have been the subject of investigation for over a hundred years and as of yet there is no unifying interpretation of their morphological values. The tendril in the Cucurbitaceae has been hypothesized to be homologous to a leaf, a flower, a stem, and a combination of stem and leaf. Echinocystis lobata (Michaux) Torrey and Gray was used as a model to study the ontogeny of the …

Effects Of Recording Media On Echolocation Data From Broadband Bat Detectors, Ethan P. White, S. D. Gehrt

Biology Faculty Publications

Bat detectors are an important tool for ecological studies of bats. However, the quality and quantity of data may be affected by the recording devices used to record the output from the detector. We compared recordings of bat activity from audiocassette recorders and computers. Numbers of calls/hour, passes/hour, identifiable passes/hour, and feeding buzzes/hour were similar (all P’s > 0.1) between recording devices. All call characteristics, except for the minimum frequency and characteristic frequency, differed (P < 0.05) between tapes and computers. Species identification with discriminate function analysis was less reliable with tape data than with computer data, particularly when the model built with computer-recorded reference calls was tested with tape-recorded calls. Therefore, we suggest when tape recorders are used for field recording that they also are used to record reference calls.

Density-Dependent Invariance, Dimensionless Life-Histories And The Energy-Equivalence Rule, E. L. Charnov, J. P. Haskell, S.K. Morgan Ernest

Biology Faculty Publications

It is suggested that Damuth’s ‘energy-equivalence rule’ for mammal populations follows from a particular population dynamics invariance rule, one which leads to similar population dynamics when various species are viewed in a particular density and rate-of-change space.

A Critical Evaluation Of Research Techniques In Animal Ecology, Michelle A. Baker

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

High Frequency Of Extra-Pair Paternity In Eastern Kingbirds, D. L. Rowe, M. T. Murphy, R. C. Feischer, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

Genetic parentage in the socially monogamous and territorial Eastern Kingbird( Tyrannust tyrannus) was examined in a central New York population by multilocus DNA fingerprinting. Extra-pair young were identified in 60% (12 of 20) of nests. Of the 64 nestlings profiled, 42% were sired by extra-pair males, but no cases of conspecific brood parasitism were detected. These results are markedly different from a previous electrophoretic study of the same species in a Michigan population, which reported 39% of nestlings were unrelated to one (typically the mother, quasiparasitismo)r both (conspecificb roodp arasitism) of the putative parents. In the New York population, extra-pairp …

Patch-Clamp Analysis Of Voltage-Activated And Chemically Activated Currents In The Vomeronasal Organ Of Sternotherus Odoratus (Stinkpot/Musk Turtle), D. A. Fadool, M. Wachowiak, J. H. Brann

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The electrophysiological basis of chemical communication in the specialized olfactory division of the vomeronasal (VN) organ is poorly understood. In total, 198 patch-clamp recordings were made from 42 animals (Sternotherus odoratus, the stinkpot/musk turtle) to study the electrically and chemically activated properties of VN neurons. The introduction of tetramethylrhodamine-conjugated dextran into the VN orifice permitted good visualization of the vomeronasal neural epithelium prior to dissociating it into single neurons. Basic electrical properties of the neurons were measured (resting potential, -54.5 +/- 2.7 mV, N=11; input resistance, 6.7 +/- 1.4 G Omega, N=25; capacitance, 4.2 +/- 0.3 pF, N=22; means +/- …

Reproduction, Population Structure, And Recruitment Limitation In A Bay Scallop (Argopecten Irradians Lamarck) Population From New Jersey, Usa, Paul Bologna, A. E. Wilbur, K. W. Able

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

A bay scallop, Argopecten irradians irradians (Lamarck 1819), population was studied in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, USA to investigate the distribution, reproduction and genetic structure of the population because virtually nothing is known about this species in this region. Argopecten irradians irradians densities varied among eelgrass (Zostera marina Lamarck) beds in 1998 (range 0.12-1.0 individuals per 10m transect), but were virtually absent from the region in 1999. The absence of adults in 1999 may have been due to limited spat recruitment and survival in the fall of 1998, which may be attributed to a reduction in above ground biomass …

Cloning Of Hsds Gene And Characterization Of The Protein From Haemophilus Influenzae Rd, Srividya Chalapatti

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Productivity Estimation In Halodule Wrightii: Comparison Of Leaf-Clipping And Leaf-Marking Techniques, And The Importance Of Clip Height, Joseph L. Kowalski, Hudson R. Deyoe, Terry C. Allison, James E. Kaldy

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

We compared estimates of Halodule wrightii leaf growth rates obtained from leaf-clipping and leaf-piercing methods in a south Texas lagoon. Leaf clipping underestimated leaf production from 15 to 37% in winter and 25 to 60% in summer relative to leaf piercing. The underestimation of leaf-clipping derived growth rates were corrected using a linear regression between leaf growth rates determined by leaf-clipping and leaf-piercing methods. To examine the effect of clip height on H. wrightii leaf growth rate estimation, leaves were clipped at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 cm above the sediment. Leaves clipped at 2 cm exhibited the fastest …

Group Viii Spiroplasma Of Costa Rica, Kimberly M. Stewart

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

Spiroplasma bacteria isolates are classified or identified through a series of serological tests that normally consists of screening, one-way deformation tests, cloning, antisera production, and reciprocal deformation tests. Serological tests on the spiroplasmas are followed by molecular analysis. The standard molecular analysis used for spiroplasmas has been 16S rRNA sequencing. The primary goal ofmy research was to evaluate serologically Group VIII spiroplasmas isolated from tropical Costa Rican tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) and to compare them to the temperate North American Group VIII spiroplasmas. A secondary goal was to evaluate both the temperate and tropical Group VIII strains by sequencing the 16S-23S …

D13c Signatures Of Flora, Macrofauna And Sediment Of A Mangrove Forest Partly Affected By Sewage Wastes, J F Machiwa

Tanzania Journal of Science

Stable carbon isotope ratios (d13C) of sediments, suspended particulate matter, and crab gut content from Maruhubi mangrove forest, Zanzibar, were determined. Stable carbon isotope ratios were used to determine sources of organic matter in the forest. Mangrove organic carbon (d13C±SD = - 27.97±0.25) was found to be an important component of the sediment organic matter except at the marine fringe zone (d13C±SD = - 17.26±0.83). The areal distribution of d13C values show that the marine fringe zone was rich in organic carbon of marine origin. The terrestrial fringe zone was dominated by a mixed source of sediment organic carbon (d13C±SD …

Historical And Spatial Analysis Of The Fishes Of Triplett Creek, Rowan County, Kentucky, Katherine A. Mccafferty

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology by Katherine A. McCafferty on December 5, 2000.

Sequence Analysis Of The Rhop-3 Gene Of Plasmodium Berghei And P. Chabaudi, Reactivity Of Rhop-3 Protein Within Isolated Rhoptries And Binding Of Rhop-3 To Mouse Erythrocytes, Tobiliy Sam-Yellowe, Tongmin Wang, Hisashi Fujioka, Judith A. Drazba, Masamichi Aikawa, William E. Brochak

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

The 110 kDa Rhop-3 rhoptry protein of Plasmadium falciparum is secreted into the erythrocyte membrane during invasion. It is an erythrocyte binding protein that is non-covalently associated with two other proteins, the 140 kDa Rhop-1 and the 130 kDa Rhop-2. We identified the Rhop-3 gene homologue in P. yoelii and demonstrated that the C-terminus is highly conserved. In order to identify the Rhop-3 gene homologue in P. berghei and P. chabaudi, a set of primers were designed based on the cDNA sequence of clone Y1412 of P. yoelii and used to amplify genomic DNA from P. berghei and P. chabaudi …

Influence Of Habitat Use-Patterns On Cooperative Breeding In The Brown-Headed Nuthatch., Brent Burt, Albert Herb

Faculty Publications

Documenting the habitat use patterns of the Brown-headed Nuthatch, we describe how its habitat use patterns contribute to ecological constraints that may maintain cooperative breeding in this species.

Hemin-Binding Surface Protein From Bartonella Quintana, James A. Carroll, Sherry A. Coleman, Laura S. Smitherman, Michael F. Minnick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Bartonella quintana, the agent of trench fever and a cause of endocarditis and bacillary angiomatosis in humans, has the highest reported in vitro hemin requirement for any bacterium. We determined that eight membrane-associated proteins from B. quintana bind hemin and that a similar to 25-kDa protein (HbpA) was the dominant hemin binding protein. Like many outer membrane proteins, HbpA partitions to the detergent phase of a Triton X-114 extract of the cell and is heat modifiable, displaying an apparent molecular mass shift from approximately 25 to 30 kDa when solubilized at 100 degreesC. Immunoblots of purified outer and inner membranes …

Characterization Of Borrelia Burgdorferi Blya And Blyb Proteins: A Prophage-Encoded Holin-Like System, Christopher J. Damman, Christian H. Eggers, D. Scott Samuels

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The conserved cp32 plasmid family of Borrelia burgdorferi was recently shown to be packaged into a bacteriophage particle (C. H. Eggers and D. S. Samuels, J. Bacteriol. 181:7308-7313, 1999), This plasmid encodes BlyA, a 7.4-kDa membrane-interactive protein, and BlyB, an accessory protein, which were previously proposed to comprise a hemolysis system. Our genetic and biochemical evidence suggests that this hypothesis is incorrect and that BlyA and BlyB function instead as a prophage-encoded holin or holin-like system for this newly described bacteriophage, An Escherichia coli mutant containing the blyAB locus that was defective for the normally cryptic host hemolysin SheA was …

Descriptions Of The First Chlamydopsinae (Coleoptera: Histeridae) From Wallacea, Michael S. Caterino

Publications

Collecting in Dumoga-Bone National Park in northeastern Sulawesi during The Royal Geographical Society’s 1985 ‘Project Wallace’ expedition resulted in the discovery of the first known Indonesian Chlamydopsinae. Ten new species are described in the genus Orectoscelis Lewis, previously known only from the Australian continent. The new taxa are O. demotus Caterino sp. n., O. punctatus Caterino sp. n., O. aurolepidus Caterino sp. n., O. circularis Caterino sp. n., O. dumogae Caterino sp. n., O. obliquus Caterino sp. n., O. elongatus Caterino
sp. n., O. hammondi Caterino sp. n., O. carinatus Caterino sp. n., and O. brendelli Caterino sp. n. The …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Peter M. Grant

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Identification And Characterization Of Zinc-Responsive Genes In Pseudomonas Fluorescens, Thomas L. Wilson

Masters Theses

Genes responsive to elevated concentrations of zinc were identified via transposon mutagenesis in the common soil bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC13525. Some of these genes were essential to maintain metal homeostasis in the bacterial cell. DNA sequences of the transposon-tagged genes were determined by DNA sequencing of arbitrary PCR products. DNA sequence analysis indicated that one gene was similar to P-type ATPases responsible for transporting metal ions out of the cell. The corresponding mutant was sensitive to zinc, cadmium, and lead indicating that this gene may be responsible for defending Pseudomonas fluorescens against these metal ions. Four zinc-induced genes shared similarity …

Cadmium Induced Gene Expression And Signal Transduction Pathway, Daisuke Maki

Masters Theses

Cells respond to cadmium (Cd), a common environmental contaminate, by potentially decreasing reduced intracellular glutathione, as well as, increasing the expression of several antioxidant genes. One of these antioxidant genes, glucose-6- phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), is the rate limiting enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway. This pathway produces NADPH which is used for maintenance of reduced glutathione so, it is hypothesized that Cd should increase G6PDH expression. In this study, we demonstrate that Cd increases the level of G6PDH mRNA in primary rat hepatocytes in culture. In the presence of the antioxidants, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), Trolox, or glutathione monoethyl ester an attenuation …

Role Of Dopamine D4 Receptor In The Genomic And Behavioral Effects Of Psychostimulants: Relevance To Schizophrenia, Bina Garimella

Masters Theses

The role of dopamine D4 receptors in the induction and expression of behavioral sensitization to amphetamine, cocaine and PCP was investigated in this study. Behavioral changes and genomic responses accompanying sensitization were examined using a highly selective D4 receptor antagonist, PNU-101387G. Induction and expression of behavioral sensitization to cocaine was blocked by PNU-101387G. However, the D4 antagonist did not modulate the induction and expression of behavioral sensitization to PCP. Neuroadaptive genomic responses accompanying acute and chronic effects of amphetamine and their modulation by PNU-101387G was examined by looking at alterations in the expression of two immediate-early genes: c-fos and NGFI-A. …

Causality And Subjectivity In The Religious Quest, Ursula Goodenough

Biology Faculty Research

The dynamics of seeking causation and the dynamics of subjectivity are presented and then brought together in a consideration of the three core components of the religious quest: the search for and experience of ultimate explanations, the interiority of religious experience (“spirituality”), and the empathic experience of religious fellowship.

Long-Toed Salamanders In Harvested And Intact Douglas-Fir Forests Of Western Montana, George P. Naughton, Colin B. Henderson, Kerry R. Foresman, Rex L. Mcgraw Ii

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

There is little known about how timber harvest practices have affected terrestrial amphibians in the northern Rocky Mountains. Especially lacking is information on the effects of revised harvest methods that fall within the framework of environmental or New Forestry. We estimated the relative abundance of a common forest amphibian, the long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) captured in pitfall arrays on intact, environmentally harvested, and overstory-removal harvested sites in mixed-conifer forests of western Montana. Pitfall data from 1994 through 1996 showed that previously logged sites contained significantly fewer long-toed salamanders regardless of harvest method used. The number of salamanders captured …

Sensitivity Of Species Habitat-Relationship Model Performance To Factors Of Scale, J. W. Karl, P. J. Heglund, E. O. Garton, J. M. Scott, N. M. Wright, Richard L. Hutto

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Researchers have come to different conclusions about the usefulness of habitat-relationship models for predicting species presence or absence. This difference frequently stems from a failure to recognize the effects of spatial scales at which the models are applied. We examined the effects of model complexity, spatial data resolution, and scale of application on the performance of bird habitat relationship (BHR) models on the Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area and on the Idaho portion of the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Region. We constructed and tested BHR models for 60 bird species detected on the study areas. The models varied by three …