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Effects Of Fire On The Demography Of The Endangered, Geophytic Herb Silene Spaldingii (Caryophyllaceae), Peter Lesica

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding the effects of disturbances such as fire on plant demography helps elucidate the mechanisms that cause changes in community composition. I studied the effects of spring and fall fires on Silene spaldingii, an endangered perennial herb of grasslands in northwest Montana. Individual S. spaldingii plants were mapped, and size and flowering were recorded for 1 yr prior and 5 yr subsequent to the burn treatments. Enhanced seedling recruitment (70–410%) and a 22% increase in population size were the principal effects of fire on S. spaldingii, and fall burn plots had lower recruitment than spring burn plots. These effects were …

Standardization Of An Immunoassay For The Detection Of Antibodies To B2 Glycoprotein-I, Eric N. Erickson Jr.

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is an evolving autoimmune disease with numerous clinical manifestations. APS occurs in two forms: Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome (PAPS) and secondarily in association with other autoimmune disorders such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE). In the brief period since its discovery as a cofactor for anticardiolipin antibodies, p1-glycoprotein I (�GPI; apolipoprotein H) has been recognized as the autoantigen in the absence of anionic phospholipid when appropriately presented to human autoantibodies. Recent studies suggest that this presentation requires the surface-dependent unmasking of a cryptic epitope. Immunoassays of autoantibodies directed against p1GPI, developed through the application of suitable polymeric matrices, may …

Cullin-3 Targets Cyclin E For Ubiquitination And Controls S Phase In Mammalian Cells, Jeffrey D. Singer, Mark Gurian-West, Bruce Clurman, James M. Roberts

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cyclin E is an unstable protein that is degraded in a ubiquitin- and proteasome- dependent pathway. Two factors stimulate cyclin E ubiquitination in vivo: when it is free of its CDK partner, and when it is phosphorylated on threonine 380. We pursued the first of these pathways by using a two-hybrid screen to identify proteins that could bind only to free cyclin E. This resulted in the isolation of human Cul-3, a member of the cullin family of E3 ubiquitin–protein ligases. We found that Cul-3 was bound to cyclin E but not to cyclin E-Cdk2 complexes in mammalian cells, and …

The Biological Flora Of Coastal Dunes And Wetlands. Ipomoea Imperati (Vahl) Griseb., Robert I. Lonard, Frank W. Judd

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

Beach morning glory, Ipomoea imperati (Vahl) Griseb. = I. stolonifera (Cirillo) Gmelin is a pantropical, prostrate vine that is an important pioneer species in the backshore of coastal beaches of six continents and many islands. The landward distribution of beach morning glory is influenced by dispersal and competition, and its seaward distribution is determined by the physical environment acting through movement of seeds away from the water and high seedling mortality in the backshore. It is occasionally found in disturbed sites on barrier islands well inland from the shore. Beach morning glory tolerates low levels of soil nutrients, sand scouring, …

Reproductive Biology Of Melilotus Officinalis (L.) Lam (Fabaceae: Papilionoideae): Morphology, Seed/Ovule Ratios And Ovule Abortion Patterns, Susan Lee Schouten

Dissertations and Theses

Melilotus officinalis, an introduced herbaceous species within the Papilionoideae, has a fixed ovule abortion pattern. In its primarily single-seeded, indehiscent fruits, with an average of 6.98 ovules/fruit, this species matured the basal-most ovule in 67.63% and the second basal-most ovule in 24.22% of the fruits studied. This pattern contrasts with other legumes studied, which abort the basal-most ovules or those at either end of the fruit. Workers propose interaction between two opposing gradients--that of maternal resources from the basal end of the fruit and of fertilization from the stylar end. Several lines of evidence indicate that all ovules are …

Film Formation By Marine Bacteria At A Model Fluid Interface, Vera Zutic, Nadica Ivosevic, Vesna Svetlicic, Richard A. Long, Farooq Azam

Faculty Publications

We have characterized the nonspecific interactions in the initial attachment and film formation by marine bacteria at a dynamic fluid interface: seawater/dropping mercury electrode. Experimental evidence is presented that bacteria readily establish molecular contact with the metal substrate without mediation of a conditioning film. Prevalence of hydrophobic over electrostatic interactions and the possible importance of Ca²⁺ bridging could be inferred. The attachment of individual bacterial cells is faster than their transport from the aqueous medium, as is the case in the transport-controlled adsorption of biopolymers. The cell aggregates yield distinct electrical attachment signals, allowing a comparison between cell-cell and …

Estructura Del Condrocráneo Y Esqueleto Visceral De Larvas De Pseudis Minuta (Anura, Pseudidae, E. O. Lavilla, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The chondrocranium and visceral skeleton of Pseudis minuta tadpoles are described, based on a series of five larvae in stages 31 - 35 of Gosner (1960). Among their striking characters are the presence of peculiar articular surfaces between cornua trabeculae and suprarostral cartilage, the incomplete development of the orbital cartilage, the high fenestration of the floor of the cavum cranii, the fusion of posterior foramina, and the fusion of spicules 3 and 4 in the hyobranchial skeleton.

Structure Of G(Iα1)·Gppnhp, Autoinhibition In A Gα Protein-Substrate Complex, David E. Coleman, Stephen R. Sprang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The structure of the G protein G(i 1/4 ) complexed with the nonhydrolyzable GTP analog guanosine-5'-(βγ-imino)triphosphate (GppNHp) has been determined at a resolution of 1.5 Å. In the active site of G(i 1/4 )·GppNHp, a water molecule is hydrogen bonded to the side chain of Glu⁴³ and to an oxygen atom of the γ-phosphate group. The side chain of the essential catalytic residue Gln²⁰⁴ assumes a conformation which is distinctly different from that observed in complexes with either guanosine 5'-O-3-thiotriphosphate or the transition state analog GDP·A1F₄^-. Hydrogen bonding and steric interactions position Gln²⁰⁴ such …

Capillary Density Of Skeletal Muscle: A Contributing Mechanism For Exercise Intolerance In Class Ii–Iii Chronic Heart Failure Independent Of Other Peripheral Alterations, Brian D. Duscha, William E. Kraus, Steven J. Keteyian, Martin J. Sullivan, Howard J. Green, Fred H. Schachat, Anne M. Pippen, Clinton A. Brawner, Jason M. Blank, Brian H. Annex

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

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.

The 'Significant Others' Of American Kestrels: Cohabitation With Arthropods, Jeffrey P. Neubig, John Smallwood

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We examined the arthropod fauna that coexists in nest boxes with American Kestrel chicks (Falco sparverius) in northwestern New Jersey. Of the seven arthropod species present, five were scavenging beetles, including carrion beetles (Silpha inaequalis), hister beetles (Atholus americanus and Phelister subrotundus), dermestid beetles (Dermestes caninus), and skin beetles (Trox foveicollis), which apparently were attracted to prey remains that accumulated in the nest boxes. Arthropod density and species richness were significantly greater for nest boxes in which kestrels bred than for unoccupied nest boxes.

Mycorrhizae Indirectly Enhance Competitive Effects Of An Invasive Forb On A Native Bunchgrass, Marilyn J. Marler, Catherine A. Zabinski, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mycorrhizae are important mediators of plant competition, but little is known about the role of mycorrhizae in the intense competitive effects that exotic plants can have on native species. In the greenhouse, we tested the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on interspecific competition between Centaurea maculosa and Festuca idahoensis, on intraspecific competition between individuals of both species, and the growth of C. maculosa with either inorganic or organic phosphorus. Mycorrhizae had no direct effect on either species, but mycorrhizae increased C. maculosa's negative effect on F. idahoensis. When competing with C. maculosa, nonmycorrhizal F. idahoensis were 171% larger than …

Biological-Control Herbivores May Increase Competitive Ability Of The Noxious Weed Centaurea Maculosa, Ragan M. Callaway, Thomas H. Deluca, Wendy M. Belliveau

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Biocontrol organisms are generally applied in an attempt to reduce the vigor of target species and provide native species with an competitive advantage. We tested the effectiveness of a widely used biocontrol moth, Agapeta zoegana (knapweed root moth) for two years in the field and found that it had no significant direct effect on the biomass of Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed), one of the most destructive invasive plants in North America. Instead of releasing a native grass from competition, the reproductive output of Festuca idahoensis planted with Centaurea was significantly lower when neighboring Centaurea had been attacked by Agapeta. In …

Characterization Of Nih-3t3 Mouse Fibroblast Cells Transfected With The Somatostatin Receptor Subtype 2 And The Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Shp-1, Scott Bradford Cross

Masters Theses

The hormone Somatostatin (SMS) and its analogs have been shown to mediate a variety of cellular actions including inhibition of cellular growth and differentiation of endocrine tumors such as insulinomas and glucagonomas. The mechanisms by which SMS exerts its antitumorigenic effects are poorly understood but are thought to include one of the five Somatostatin receptors (SSTR1-5), and the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1. To determine if the antiproliferative effects of SMS were due to the presence of the SSTR2 receptor or the stimulation of SHP-1, we introduced cDNA's of the SMS receptor SSTR2, SHP-1, and a dominant negative mutant of SHP-1 …

The Winogradsky Column & Biofilms: Models For Teaching Nutrient Cycling & Succession In An Ecosystem, Delia Castro Anderson, Rosalina V. Hairston

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Use Of Anal Gland Secretion To Distinguish The Two Beaver Species Castor Canadensis And C. Fiber, Frank Rosell, Lixing Sun

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Introduced North American beavers Castor canadensis pose a potential threat to the continuing recovery of Eurasian beaver C. fiber populations in several European countries. For management purposes, it is necessary to be able to identify and distinguish the two species. This, however, is difficult because the two species are morphologically, ecologically and behaviorally similar. To find a method for species identification, we examined the possibility of using anal gland secretion (AGS) collected from the two beaver species. We asked 20 inexperienced volunteers to inspect the color and viscosity of the AGS. When we provided the volunteers with the sex of …

The Molecular Systematics Of The Side-Blotched Lizards (Iguania: Phrynosomatidae: Uta), Bradford Damion Hollingsworth

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The lizard genus Uta comprises nine currently recognized species with the center of diversity occurring on islands in the Gulf of California and Pacific Ocean. The molecular evolution of the side-blotched lizards is analyzed using 1132 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA sequence from the cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase III genes. Samples come from 98 'individuals from 50 islands in the Gulf of California and Pacific Ocean and 48 adjacent populations from Baja California Sur, Baja California, California, New Mexico, and Sonora. All currently recognized species are represented. Both maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood were used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships. …

The Timing And Pattern Of Myogenesis In Hymenochirus Boettgeri, Matthew T. Smetanick, Rafael O. De Sá, Gary P. Radice

Biology Faculty Publications

Differences in the relative timing of homologous developmental events among closely related species, known as heterochronies, may provide valuable clues in understanding evolutionary relationships (McKinney, 1988; McNamara, 1995). Examining the timing of myogenic events is a relatively easy and effective method for finding heterochronic events. For example, whether muscle proteins and myofibrils appear before or after multinucleation can be determined through histological techniciques (Kielbowna, 1981). Simple observations of live specimens can pinpoint functional landmarks such as first twitch (spontaneous or due to external stimuli) and first heartbeat.

The Timing And Pattern Of Myogenesis In Hymenochirus Boettgeri, Matthew T. Smetanick, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Differences in the relative timing of homologous developmental events among closely related species, known as heterochronies, may provide valuable clues in understanding evolutionary relationships (McKinney, 1988; McNamara, 1995). Examining the timing of myogenic events is a relatively easy and effective method for finding heterochronic events. For example, whether muscle proteins and myofibrils appear before or after multinucleation can be determined through histological techniques (Kielbowna, 1981). Simple observations of live specimens can pinpoint functional landmarks such as first twitch (spontaneous or due to external stimuli) and first heartbeat.

Dissolved Organic Carbon Cycling In A Subtropical Seagrass-Dominated Lagoon, Susan Ziegler, Ronald Benner

Faculty Publications

The cycling of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its significance to ecosystem metabolism was studled over a 16 mo period in a Thalassia testudjnum dominated meadow. The benthos was usually net autotrophic (annual gross primary production to respiration ratio [P:R] = 1.3) while water column respiration (R) exceeded gross primary production (annual P:R = 0.3). Net fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the benthos primarily occurred in the light (0 to 18 mmol C m^-2 d^-1) and from seagrass-dominated areas, suggesting that release of DOC was mainly due to seagrass exudation. Net benthic DOC fluxes measured …

Preliminary Determination Of The Number Of Β-1, 3-Glucanase Isoforms And Their Cumulative Activity In The Leaves Of The Strawberry Plant, Maria F. Chen

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Acute Exposure To Glyphosate On Reproductive Potential And Embryo Development Of Pseudosuccinea Columella Snail, Ambika N. Osborn

Electronic Dissertations and Theses

Glyphosate (Roundup) is one of the most commonly used broad spectrum herbicides used with little to no toxicity to higher animals or the environment (Smith and Ochme, 1992). Due to its widespread use, there is a continuous contamination of the environment in both soil and water, with this herbicide. This study was developed to determine the effects of sublethal concentrations of glyphosate on development and survivability of Pseudosuccinea columella snails (intermediate host of Fasciola hepatica). This was assessed by acutely exposing third generation snails to varying concentrations (0.01-1ppm) of glyphosate. The snails were kept on artificial spring water to which …

A New Shortbilled Marlin Of The Genus Makaira, From The Yorktown Formation, (Early Pliocene), Eastern North Carolina At Lee Creek Mine, Usa, Harry L. Fierstine

Biological Sciences

An unusually short rostrum from the Yorktown Formation, Early Pliocene, eastern North Carolina at Lee Creek Mine, USA, is described as a new species, Makaira purdyi. The rostrum is morphologically distinct from any Recent or fossil istiophorid in the following combination of characters: (1) fused portion of premaxillae is short and stout with denticlcs covering at least the distal one-half of its dorsal surface; (2) at one-fourth bill length, the cross-section is nearly round (depth/width = 0.95). The new marlin is distinguished from the extant shortbill spearfish, Tetrapturus angustirostris, and any istiophorid with a short rostrum caused by …

Isolation, Cloning, And Identification Of Syringomycin E Action Genes Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Stephen D. Stock

Biology

Members of the syringomycin family of antifungal cyclic lipodepsipeptides are produced by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae strains as secondary metabolites. These metabolites are potent antifungal agents effective against a broad range of fungi. The antifungal mechanism of action of these compounds has been investigated using syringomycin E and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model fungal system. Mutants resistant to the growth inhibitory effects of syringomycin E were isolated after mutagenesis with nitrosoguanidine. These mutants were screened for the production of ergosterol and by complementation with syr2 mutants to eliminate mutants belonging to known syringomycin E-resistant complementation groups. From a total of …

Estimating Total Body Fat In Sharp-Shinned And Cooper's Hawks: Techniques And Application, John P. Delong

Biology

I evaluated the use of three direct methods (fat scoring, condition indices, and multiple regression of external morphological variables) and one indirect method to estimate total body fat (TBF) in Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus) and Cooper's Hawks (A. cooperii). All three direct methods explained a reasonable amount of variation in actual TBF values (r² ≥ 0.82), and all three methods required the use of four equations to account for the categories of species, age, and sex. Indirect methods are those that predict lean mass and subtract the lean mass estimate from the actual body …

Rubisco Deactivation: The Effects Of Growth-Light Conditions And Effects Of Co2 During Shade Events, Jerriann Ernstsen

Biology

Rubisco's (ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) catalytic activity changes as light intensity changes. This study addresses factors that were expected to affect Rubisco deactivation during low light. First, effects of fluctuating light and constant sun or shade during plant growth on Rubisco deactivation and activation were evaluated for basil (Ocimum basilicum and impatiens (Impatiens wallerana). Rubisco activation rate and the degree of Rubisco deactivation were determined from gas-exchange measurements of photosynthesis following a step increase in light intensity. Rubisco activation state during low light was also determined from biochemical analyses of leaf extracts. There were no significant differences in …

Implications Of Stomatal Interactions, Thomas Norman Buckley

Biology

Though stomatal apertures often vary randomly within a leaf, suggesting somata behave independently, recent evidence suggests stomata may interact. In the phenomenon of patchy stomatal conductance, stomatal behavior becomes coordinated at the intermediate scale of one or more areoles but discoordinated at larger scales. This has two general implications. First, it makes relationships between certain gas exchange properties highly scale dependent, affecting the interpretation of large-scale measurements in terms of small-scale properties and the upscaling of models based on small-scale mechanisms. Second, it indicates some yet-unidentified mechanism for stomatal interactions. A model of gas exchange in a leaf with heterogeneous …

The Roles Of Superoxide Dismutases Of A Plant-Beneficial Bacterium, Pseudomonas Putida, And A Phytopathogenic Bacterium, Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Syringae B728a, During Plant Colonization, Young Cheol Kim

Biology

Both Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas syringae produced manganese-superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and iron-superoxide dismutase (FeSOD). Genes sodB, encoding FeSOD, and sodA, encoding MnSOD, were cloned. The sodB genes were transcribed as monocistronic transcripts, expressed throughout growth phases when iron was available. The sodA genes were part of polycistronic operons, and transcripts of the operons were induced only in iron-deficient conditions. The effect of mutations in the SOD genes was observed during root colonization by Pseudomonas putida. The sodB and sodAsodB mutants were impaired in root colonization in mixed inoculations with wild-type. Growth of the sodB and sodAsodB mutants …

Roles Of Plasma Membrane Lipids In Syringomycin E Action In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Rungrach Wangspa

Biology

The bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae produces an antifungal secondary metabolite, syringomycin E. Yeast growth inhibition by this lipodepsipeptide involves sterol and sphingolipids of the plasma membrane. Using a sterol auxotroph of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, strain FY-14, it was shown that the predominant sterol in yeast, ergosterol, is not required for the mechanism of action of this metabolite. With ergosterol, cholesterol, β-sitosterol or stigmasterol as the bulk sterol, strain FY-14 was sensitive to syringomycin E with the last two conferring the highest degree of sensitivity. The type of growth-promoting sterol influenced cellular sensitivity to syringomycin E. Growth-promoting ergosterol afforded the …

Ecology Of The Malay Civet (Viverra Tangalunga) In A Logged And An Unlogged Forest In Sabah, East Malaysia, Christina P. Colon

Publications and Research

Malay civets in a dipterocarp rain forest were studied from December, 1995, through June, 1997, in the Ulu Segama Forest Reserve in Sabah, East Malaysia. To investigate the basic ecology of this species and explore the potential impact of selective logging, data on home range, activity and diet were collected on study animals in an unlogged and a selectively logged forest, and comparisons made.

Density in the unlogged forest was 1/0.46 km² , and 1/1.07 km² in the logged forest. Mean home range size based on a 95% minimum convex polygon was 110 ha. and did not differ …