Digital Commons Network^™

Transplanting Broodstock Oysters, Crassostrea Virginica, Onto Reconstructed Oyster Reefs To Increase Spat Recruitment In The Piankatank River, Dawn Chentil Sherwood

Master's Theses

Four oyster reefs were recreated from oyster shells to historical proportions in the Piankatank River from 1993-1995. In December 1997, two of the reconstructed reefs were supplemented with large broodstock oysters from Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds. Since total quantity as well as density ofbroodstock were believed to be limiting factors for recruitment in this river, adding stock was expected to raise spat recruitment. Methods included dive surveys on the reefs, and dredge and patent tong surveys on the natural oyster bars. The recruitment of spat to both reefs and bars was significantly higher in 1998 (p<0.001) than in the previous four years and a positive interaction (p<0.005) was seen between the reefs and the year 1998. Based on these dat~ stock enhancement in the Piankatank River successfully improved recruitment and suggest oyster restoration may be facilitated in other areas of the Chesapeake Bay by strategic enhancement of spawning stocks.

The Holes In Gould's Semipermeable Membrane Between Science And Religion, Ursula Goodenough

Biology Faculty Research

Book review: Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life. Stephen Jay Gould. 241 pp. Ballantine Publishing Group, 1999.

Analysis Of Intraguild Predation With A Consideration Of Adaptive Foraging, Toshinori Okuyama

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Identification of interactive units in food webs is particularly important in population and community ecology. Intraguild predation has gained much attention recently with the recognition of its prevalence in the field, although its significance has not been fully studied. Nature contains much more complex interactions than a simple food chain. Yet, much theory still focuses on the trophic levels connected in a single linear chain. In this thesis, I study intraguild predation including the consideration of animal behavior whose importance is also often neglected in population and community ecology.

First, the concepts of intraguild predation and animal behavior are introduced. …

A Role For The Light-Dependent Phosphorylation Of Visual Arrestin, Paul G. Alloway, Patrick J. Dolph

Dartmouth Scholarship

Arrestins are regulatory proteins that participate in the termination of G protein-mediated signal transduction. The major arrestin in the Drosophila visual system, Arrestin 2 (Arr2), is phosphorylated in a light-dependent manner by a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase and has been shown to be essential for the termination of the visual signaling cascade in vivo. Here, we report the isolation of nine alleles of the Drosophila photoreceptor cell-specific arr2 gene. Flies carrying each of these alleles underwent light-dependent retinal degeneration and displayed electrophysiological defects typical of previously identified arrestin mutants, including an allele encoding a protein that lacks the major Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein …

The Ecology And Life History Of The Mexican Tetra, Astyanax Mexicanus, (Teleostei: Characidae) In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Mario Estrada

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The Mexican tetra has been found to migrate from shallow waters in the spring and summer months into deeper waters during the winter months when temperatures are too cold for their survival. This fish is omnivorous with insect material being the major source of food. Its food types include green algae, nematoceran larvae, hemipterans, coleopterans, hymenopterans, dipterans, ostracods, fish eggs and amphipods. Furthermore, size classes showed that the Mexican tetras reached their largest size at the River site and smaller sizes at the Bridge and Gate sites and apparently breed year round. They are capable of producing from 300 to …

Pyoveridine Production By Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Exposed To Metals Or An Oxidative Stress Agent, Kim-Hien Thi Dao, Katherine E. Hamer, Christine L. Clark, Lawrence G. Harshman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Siderophores are low molecular mass compounds used by many microorganisms to scavenge dissolved iron, which is typically rare in environments. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1) was exposed to metals and methyl viologen in low-iron medium in order to monitor the abundance of a specific siderophore (pyoverdine) and monitor growth over time. In this study it was discovered that cadmium can stimulate pyoverdine abundance. Cadmium may interact with and sequester the Fur regulatory protein, which represses siderophore synthesis under conditions of iron sufficiency. Mercury did not stimulate pyoverdine production at concentrations that strongly inhibited bacterial growth, suggesting that pyoverdine production is not governed …

Pyoverdine Production By Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Exposed To Metals Or An Oxidative Stress Agent, Kim-Hien Thi Dao, Katherine E. Hamer, Christine L. Clark, Lawrence G. Harshman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Siderophores are low molecular mass compounds used by many microorganisms to scavenge dissolved iron, which is typically rare in environments. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1) was exposed to metals and methyl viologen in low-iron medium in order to monitor the abundance of a specific siderophore (pyoverdine) and monitor growth over time. In this study it was discovered that cadmium can stimulate pyoverdine abundance. Cadmium may interact with and sequester the Fur regulatory protein, which represses siderophore synthesis under conditions of iron sufficiency. Mercury did not stimulate pyoverdine production at concentrations that strongly inhibited bacterial growth, suggesting that pyoverdine production is not governed …

Commissural Interneurons In Rhythm Generation And Intersegmental Coupling In The Lamprey Spinal Cord, James T. Buchanan

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Commissural interneurons in rhythm generation and intersegmental coupling in the lamprey spinal cord. To test the necessity of spinal commissural interneurons in the generation of the swim rhythm in lamprey, longitudinal midline cuts of the isolated spinal cord preparation were made. Fictive swimming was then induced by bath perfusion with an excitatory amino acid while recording ventral root activity. When the spinal cord preparation was cut completely along the midline into two lateral hemicords, the rhythmic activity of fictive swimming was lost, usually replaced with continuous ventral root spiking. The loss of the fictive swim rhythm was not due to …

Effect Of A 17 Day Spaceflight On Contractile Properties Of Human Soleus Muscle Fibres, Jeffrey J. Widrick, Shannon T. Knuth, Kris M. Norenberg, Janell A. Romatowski, James L. W. Bain, Danny A. Riley, M. Karhanek, S. W. Trappe, Todd A. Trappe, David Costill, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

1. Soleus biopsies were obtained from four male astronauts 45 days before and within 2 h after a 17 day spaceflight. 2. For all astronauts, single chemically skinned post-flight fibres expressing only type I myosin heavy chain (MHC) developed less average peak Ca¥ activated force (Pï) during fixed-end contractions (0·78 ± 0·02 vs. 0·99 ± 0·03 mN) and shortened at a greater mean velocity during unloaded contractions (Vï) (0·83 ± 0·02 vs. 0·64 ± 0·02 fibre lengths s¢) than preflight type I fibres. 3. The flight-induced decline in absolute Pï was attributed to reductions in fibre diameter and Ï or …

Interaction Between Winter Dominance And Territory Defense In Male Pronghorn Antelope, Antilocapra Americana, Charles William Gunnels Iv

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In a territorial population of pronghorn from Antelope Island, UT, interaction between male dominance and territory defense was examined. High-ranking males were more likely to defend territories. Closely ranked animals engaged in more dominance interactions than distantly ranked individuals, and middle-ranked animals were involved in disproportionately more interactions than either high- or low-ranking animals. Large males possessed large horns and prongs as well as small cheek patches. Results from a factor analysis suggested that large males defended territories with a high density of sage. However, in this study, we did not observe pronghorn feed on sage during the territorial season. …

The Reproductive Biology And Edaphic Characteristics Of A Rare, Gynodioecious Saxifage: Saxifraga Bryophora Var. Tobiasiae (Saxifragaceae), Kimberly Pierson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I examined the reproductive biology and general ecology of Saxifraga bryophora var. tobiasiae, a rare saxifrage endemic to the West Salmon River Mountains of central Idaho. Saxifraga bryophora var. tobiasiae combines asexual reproduction via bulbils with a sexual mixed-mating system. Flower production occurred in 1996 only, whereas bulbil production occurred in 1995, 1996, and 1997. Bulbil production precedes floral bud formation and is the dominant form of reproduction. When flowering occurs, outcrossing is promoted by protandry and the gynodioecious mating system found in all populations. No autogamous or agamospermous seed set was observed in either female or hermaphrodite flowers, …

Home Range (?) Of The Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard Phrynosoma Mcallii, Peggy Anderson Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Area used by male and female Phrynosoma mcallii (Hallowell) was studied in a population located on the Barry M. Goldwater Aerial Gunnery Range near Yuma, Arizona. Area used by males and females shifted through time and did not fit the definition of home range. Summer male and female area used was not significantly different (F=2.625, df=1, P=0.131), but male areas used were significantly larger for 15-day time periods (F=9.67, P=0.0003). Males overlapped the area they occupied in consecutive 15-day time periods more often than did females. Female area used never overlapped within a 15-day time period. Male area used overlapped …

Predictively Mapping The Plant Associations Of The North Fork John Day Wilderness In Northeastern Oregon Using Classification Tree Modeling, Alison M. Kelly

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Shifting perspectives on restoration and management of public lands in the inland West have resulted in an increased need for maps of potential natural vegetation which cover large areas at sufficient scale to delineate individual stands. In this study, classification tree modeling was used to predictively model and map the plant association types of a relatively undisturbed wilderness area in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon. Models were developed using field data and data derived from a geographic information system database. Elevation, slope, aspect, annual precipitation, solar radiation, soil type, and topographic position were important predictor variables. The model predicted …

Coupling Between Bacterioplankton Species Composition, Population Dynamics, And Organic Matter Degradation, Jarone Pinhassi, Farooq Azam, Johanna Hemphälä, Richard A. Long, Josefina Martinez, Ulla Li Zweifel, Åke Hagström

Faculty Publications

To study the effect of substrate addition on short term bacterial population dynamics and species composition in seawater mesocosms were maintained with water collected off Scripps Pier (La Jolla, California USA) Protein enrichment (BSA) triggered a dynamic response from the microbial food web, whereas enrichment with starch had no effect. In the protein enriched mesocosm the number of both nucleoid-containing cells and metabolically active cells increased by 3.0 X 10⁵ cells ml^-1 from Day 1 to Day 4 In the same time period the density of a set of 31 phylogenetically different bacteria (α- and g-Proteobactena as well …

A Computer Assisted Study Guide For Viral Hepatitis, April, 1999, Diana Hullihen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to design a computer assisted program that would enhance the effectiveness of instruction in a clinical laboratory science program. Computer assisted instruction has been proven to be a beneficial and effective method of meeting educational objectives.

The topic of viral hepatitis is a complex and difficult one to teach. The instructor decided to supplement traditional lecture using computer assisted instruction. The goals and objectives of the lesson would be reinforced through this method as well as help the student to master the subject content.

The computer assisted study guide was designed to enhance the …

Development Of The Suprarostral Plate Of Pipoid Frogs, Rafael O. De Sá, Charles C. Swart

Biology Faculty Publications

The rostral region of nonpipoid tadpoles has two sets of cartilages, the cornua trabeculae and the suprarostral cartilages, whereas the rostral region in pipoid larvae is occupied by a single and continuous cartilage, the suprarostral plate. The homology of this region in pipoid and nonpipoids tadpoles has been controversial. We examined the early formation and development of the suprarostral plate using serially cross-sectioned specimens of Rhinophrynus, Xenopus, and Hymenochirus. We conclude that the cartilaginous structures present in the rostral area of pipoid and nonpipoid larvae are homologous. Furthermore, we found two different developmental patterns among pipoid larvae. The chondrocranium …

Cleavage Of A 23s Rrna Pseudoknot By Phenanthroline-Cu(Ii), G. W. Muth, Charles M. Thompson, Walter E. Hill

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Studying the intricate folding of rRNA within the ribosome remains a complex problem. Phenanthroline-Cu(II) complexes cleave phosphodiester bonds in rRNA in specific regions, apparently especially where the rRNA structure is constrained in some fashion. We have introduced phenanthroline-copper complexes into 50S Escherichia coli ribosomal subunits and shown specific cleavages in the regions containing nucleotides 60-66 and 87-100. This specificity of cleavage is reduced when the ribosome is heated to 80 degrees C and reduced to background when the ribosomal proteins are extracted and the cleavage repeated on protein-free 23S rRNA, It has been suggested that nucleotides 60-66 and 87-95 in …

Amplification Of The Phenol Hydroxylase Promoter Region Of Pseudomonas Putida Cf600 As A Precursor For Transcriptional Fusion, Priya Bhat

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Toward An Evolutionary Understanding Of Song Diversity In Oscines, Erick Greene

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Organochlorine Pesticide Contamination In Neotropical Avifauna From Northwest Costa Rica, Virginia L. Flanagin '99

Honors Projects

We collected baseline data on organochlorine (OC) pesticide contamination in resident passerine birds from northwest Costa Rica in an area where pesticides had not been used in at least 30 years. Results were compared with a previous study of OC contamination in mayfly larvae (Euthyplocia hecuba) collected from the same region. Thirteen OC compounds were detected in the ng/g range for 19 of 56 birds sampled, and the highest OC frequencies were found in birds collected from Pitilla, the site closest to agricultural areas. Atmospheric transport could be a mechanism by which the pesticides are traveling from agricultural areas to …

Historical Relationships Of Atlantic Slope River Drainages, Eugene G. Maurakis, Diana L. Lipscomb

Virginia Journal of Science

An analysis of the historical relationships of 19 river drainages (St. Lawrence to Altamaha) on the Atlantic slope of the Appalachian Mountains was conducted using the shared presence of 124 native species of cyprinid fishes. This analysis resulted in an area cladogram that suggests that the rivers of the southern Atlantic slope were historically connected to the drainage of three southern rivers (Flint, Chattahoochee, and Apalachicola) which drain into the Gulf of Mexico. The mid Atlantic and northern Atlantic slope rivers appear to be historically related in support of earlier hypotheses that the mid Atlantic region provided a refugium for …

Possible Predation Scars On Rectithyris Subdepressa (Stoliczka, 1872), Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Kallankurichi Fm., India, Rex Alan Hanger, Rama Krishnaswamy

Virginia Journal of Science

A single specimen of the terebratulid brachiopod, Rectithyris subdepressa (Stoliczka, 1872) from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Kallankurichi Fonnation of southern India was found with durophagous predation traces. This occurrence is significant as it is possibly the first documentation of elasmobranch shark predation on brachiopods from the Mesozoic.

Nmr Solution Structure Of Plastocyanin From The Photosynthetic Prokaryote, Prochlorothrix Hollandica, Charles R. Babu, Brian F. Volkman, George S. Bullerjahn

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The solution structure of a divergent plastocyanin (PC) from the photosynthetic prokaryote Prochlorothrix hollandica was determined by homonuclear H-1 NMR spectroscopy. Nineteen structures were calculated from 1222 distance restraints, yielding a family of structures having an average rmsd of 0.42 +/- 0.08 Angstrom, for backbone atoms and 0.71 +/- 0.07 Angstrom for heavy atoms to the mean structure. No distance constraint was violated by more than 0.26 Angstrom in the structure family. Despite the low number of conserved residues shared with other PC homologues, the overall folding pattern of P. hollandica PC is similar to other PCs, in that the …

Conservation Status Of The Southern Appalachian Herpetofauna, Joseph C. Mitchell, Thomas K. Pauley, David I. Withers, Steven M. Roble, Brian T. Miller, Alvin L. Braswell, Paul V. Cupp Jr., Christopher S. Hobson

Virginia Journal of Science

Seventy one species of amphibians (55 salamanders, 16 anurans) and 46 species of reptiles (15 turtles, 8 lizards, 23 snakes) inhabit a five state area (Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia) in the southern Appalachian region bordered by the Potomac River, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the western margin of the Appalachian Plateau. Of these, 47.9 % of the amphibian fauna and 52.2 % of the reptilian fauna are listed as being of conservation concern by federal, state, and Natural Heritage programs in all or a portion of their ranges of this region. The Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon Shenandoah …

Characterization And Identification Of A Sludge-Associated Bacterial Isolate, Abiodun O. Adibi, Derrell Mcpherson, Minna Laine

Virginia Journal of Science

During a metal speciation study, an unusually high retention of lead ·was observed when lead solution was percolated through a column packed with sludge compost obtained from Hampton Roads Sanitation department. A bacterium was isolated from the sludge compost and identified as Bacillus sphaericus using electron microscopy, whole cell fatty acid analysis (Midi System) and Biolog GP Microplate. The isolate grows in broth and agar media containing up to 800 µM lead. Lead accumulation study using atomic absorption spectrophotometer indicates that the isolate adsorbs lead. Lead adsorption is pH dependent. The isolate contains a plasmid of approximately 40 -50 kbp …

Purification Of 10-5a9 Antigen In Alzheimer's Disease, Gary Isaacs

Senior Honors Theses

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that results in memory loss and reduced cognitive function. Characteristic lesions include senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Evidence for a previously unknown component, cockroach 10-5A9 antigen, within these lesions has recently been discovered. It is the purpose of this study to purify to 10-5A9 antigen for further analysis. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the antigen's presence in AD lesions and the Lewy bodies of Parkinson's disease. Although SDS-PAGE/Western blotting and immunoprecipitation techniques proved ineffective, the former indicated antigen presence in the particulate matter of AD brain homogenates. Negative results from ammonium sulfate experiments …

Measurement Of The Cross-Sectional Area Of The Nasal Passages Of Nine Species Of Modern Odontoceti With Implications For Comparative Physiology And The Paleophysiology Of The Dinosauria, Eric Paul Katz

Dissertations and Theses

In search of evidence for or against the endothermic dinosaur hypothesis, a recent study by Ruben et al. (1996) revealed that endotherms tend to have larger nasal cross-sectional areas than ectotherms of the same mass. The reason offered for this observation was that larger nasal passages are needed to house the complex respiratory turbinates possessed by endotherms. Whales were excluded from the study on the grounds that they have no nasal turbinates. In the present study, the cross-sectional area of the nasal passages of nine species of Odontoceti were measured by the use of latex casts. The regression of log …

Response Of Channel Catfish, Ictaluri Punctatus, T-Lymphocytes To Outer Membrane Proteins Of Edwardsiella Ictaluri, Marlin Ann Lawson

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 Marlin Ann Lawson on February 29, 1999.

Bush Lupine Mortality, Altered Resource Availability, And Alternative Vegetaion States, John L. Maron, Robert L. Jefferies

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Nitrogen-fixing plants, by altering the availability of soil N, potentially facilitate plant invasion. Here we describe how herbivore-driven mortality of a native N-fixing shrub, bush lupine (Lupinus arboreus), increases soil N and light availability, which promotes invasion by introduced grasses to the detriment of a native plant community.

Soils under live and dead lupine stands contained large amounts of total N, averaging 3.14 mg N/g dry mass of soil (398 g/m²) and 3.45 mg N/g dry mass of soil (438 g/m²), respectively, over four years. In contrast, similar lupine-free soil was low in N …

Chemical Communication Of Estrous Cycle Status And Change In Social Behaviors With Reproductive State In Captive Female Asian Elephants, Elephas Maximus, Barbara Elaine Slade

Dissertations and Theses

Elephants use several well-developed sensory systems for communicating within and between social groups. Female elephants sniff, touch and flehmen to the urine and genitals of herdmembers. In addition, communication through social behaviors is prevalent. Female elephants frequently communicate through affiliate tactile and aggressive behaviors. Furthermore, although female elephants are not known to display behavioral signs of estrus, these females exhibit a tail slapping behavior that may be an implement for dispersing chemical signals to conspecifics or nearby male elephants.

The present study addresses two areas of research. The purpose of part one was first, to determine if female Asian elephants …