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Behavioral And Physiological Differences In Migratory Strategies Of A Long-Distance Migrant, The Blackpoll Warbler, And A Facultative Short-Distance Migrant, The Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Rebecca L. Holberton
Behavioral And Physiological Differences In Migratory Strategies Of A Long-Distance Migrant, The Blackpoll Warbler, And A Facultative Short-Distance Migrant, The Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Rebecca L. Holberton
University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports
The primary focus of these studies has been to investigate the functional role of corticosterone in the development of migratory condition (i.e. hyperphagia, lipogenesis, and migratory restlessness) and to investigate the underlying endocrine mechanisms of migratory condition in two species that differ dramatically in their strategies for reaching their wintering grounds. The main approach has been to measure and to manipulate the peripheral signal molecule, corticosterone, and look at the resulting patterns of feeding behavior, body mass and fat reserves, migratory activity, and metabolites of energy use (fat deposition and protein use). In the comparative component, the Blackpoll warbler (Dendroica …
Lexen: Role Of Atmospheric Trace Gases In Microbial Colonization And Succession On Recent Lava Flows, Gary M. King
Lexen: Role Of Atmospheric Trace Gases In Microbial Colonization And Succession On Recent Lava Flows, Gary M. King
University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports
Drs. Gary M. King of the University of Maine and Klaus Nusslein of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst have been awarded a grant from the NSF Life in Extreme Environment (LExEn) program to determine the role of atmospheric trace gases in microbial colonization and succession on recent lava flows. Volcanic activity has played an important role in the development of terrestrial ecosystems for much of Earth's history, and continues to shape terrestrial environments at present. Deposition of lava and tephra result in surfaces that over time support complex, highly productive biological communities. However, young or recently extruded lavas represent extreme environments …
Collaborative Research: Developing Methods To Study Age-Related Changes In The Physiology Of Forest Trees, Michael S. Greenwood
Collaborative Research: Developing Methods To Study Age-Related Changes In The Physiology Of Forest Trees, Michael S. Greenwood
University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports
Trees continue to increase in size and complexity over life spans that may last many centuries, and each year the growing regions of their shoots produce new foliage and reproductive structures. As they grow older and larger, forest trees appear to grow more slowly, produce thicker foliage and more reproductive structures. These changes are likely to be associated with age-related declines in the growth rates of forest stands, which occur before the mid-point of the lifespan of important timber species. Although similar patterns of age- and size-related change in the morphology and physiology of foliage have been described for numerous …
Mechanisms And Integration Of Signal Pathway: A Role For Calpains?, Dorothy E. Croall
Mechanisms And Integration Of Signal Pathway: A Role For Calpains?, Dorothy E. Croall
University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports
In order to survive cells must sense and respond to changes in their environment. Environmental cues trigger a variety of events within cells. The concentration and movements of calcium ions are essential regulators of many of these cellular responses. Proper control of intracellular calcium is essential because at thigh levels calcium can lead to cell damage or death. Calcium accomplishes it effects through binding to specific proteins such as calmodulin and calpain. Calmodulin, named for its ability to bind calcium and to modulate the activity of other cellular components, is an important mediator of calcium signals and its mechanism of …
Accurate Dna Base Caller, Mohamad T. Musavi
Accurate Dna Base Caller, Mohamad T. Musavi
University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports
The major goal of this project is to develop a new base calling technique that will improve the efficiency of the DNA sequencing process. This will be achieved by increasing the average length of error-free sequencing and enhancing the base identification process at the beginning and end of sequences. This will increase sequencing throughput and reduce the cost of DNA sequencing. Previous work by the PI has demonstrated the ability to extend the error-free read by 30%. This was achieved through work on cross-talk filtering, baseline adjustment, base-spacing prediction and development of a fuzzy base-calling algorithm. Further adaptive capabilities as …
Collaborative Research: A Dynamic Atlas Of The Cricket Cercal Sensory System, Sharon M. Crook
Collaborative Research: A Dynamic Atlas Of The Cricket Cercal Sensory System, Sharon M. Crook
University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports
A fundamental question in neuroscience is how natural sensory stimuli are encoded for information handling by the brain. Invertebrate animals often offer systems that are in some ways simpler than those of mammals, and including such features as identifiable single cells in networks of relatively few numbers. This collaborative project exploits a sensory system called the cercal system of the cricket, in which small appendages on the rear of the body contain fine hairs that are used to detect, identify and localize behaviorally relevant air current movements, such as those produced by a predator. The input from roughly 2000 receptor …