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Cognition As An Independent Variable: Virtual Ecology, Alan C. Kamil, Alan B. Bond

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

On close examination, human cultural artifacts bear the unmistakable impress of the structure of the human mind: our tools, habitations. and methods of communication have been molded to suit the strengths and limitations of the human cognitive system (Nosman 1988). It has not commonly been emphasized. however. that similar shaping processes have taken place over the course of biological evolution in response to the cognitive features of other, nonhuman species (Bonner 1980; von Frisch 1974).
Cognitive influences are particularly evident in the modifications of color patterns and behavior of prey species that take advantage of biases and constraints in the …

‘Neuroecologists’ Are Not Made Of Straw, Robert R. Hampton, Susan D. Healy, Sara J. Shettleworth, Alan Kamil

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

In the October issue of Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Bolhuis and Macphail criticized the functional/evolutionary approach to the neural mechanisms of learning and memory, and concluded that the approach is ‘often misleading and might provide us with the wrong answers’ [1]. Their critique touches on a number of interesting issues, and provides a useful prompt to examine the role of an adaptationist approach to the study of cognition. In their effort to stimulate discussion, however, Bolhuis and Macphail have overstated positions they attribute to ‘neuroecologists’.

Spatial And Social Cognition In Corvids: An Evolutionary Approach, Russell P. Balda, Alan Kamil

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

The central research questions that have guided our studies since 1981 combine issues and techniques from both comparative psychology and avian ecology. Most of our questions originate from the cognitive implications of extensive field studies on the natural history, ecology, and behavior of seed-caching corvids. Because our questions have evolved as our studies progressed, we have chosen to give a historical perspective outlining the progression of our ideas and questions.

Rabd, A Dictyostelium Rab14-Related Gtpase, Regulates Phagocytosis And Homotypic Phagosome And Lysosome Fusion, Ed Harris, James Cardelli

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

RabD, a Dictyostelium Rab14-related GTPase, localizes in the endo-lysosomal pathway and contractile vacuole system of membranes. Cell lines expressing dominant-negative RabD were defective in endocytosis, endosomal membrane flow and homotypic lysosome fusion. In support of a role for RabD in fusion, cells overexpressing constitutively active RabD^Q67L accumulated enlarged hydrolase-rich acidic vesicles ringed with GFP-RabD, consistent with RabD directly regulating lysosome fusion. To determine whether RabD also regulated phagocytosis and/or homotypic phagosome fusion (a process stimulated by many intracellular pathogens), cells overexpressing dominant-active (RabD^Q67L) or dominant-negative (Rab^N121I) RabD were analyzed microscopically and biochemically. The rate of …

Identification And Analysis Of A Conserved Immunoglobulin E-Binding Epitope In Soybean G1a And G2a And Peanut Ara H 3 Glycinins, Ping Ziang, Tom A. Beardslee, Michael G. Zeece, John P. Markwell, Gautam Sarath

Gautam Sarath Publications

To identify conserved immunoglobulin E (IgE)-binding epitopes among legume glycinins, we utilized recombinant soybean G2a and G2a-derived polypeptide fragments.

Purification And Characterization Of Acylation Stimulating Protein From Porcine Serum, Hong Zhang, Sheila K. Jacobi, Candace F. Toombs, Katherine H. Cianflone, Natalya Nersesian, Gautam Sarath, Jess L. Miner

Gautam Sarath Publications

A method for purifying acylation stimulating protein (ASP) from porcine serum is described. The mRNA encoding ASP was cloned by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction which predicted a 76 residue peptide. Based on this sequence, we generated antisera to a C-terminal peptide (ASP_1–20) which aided ASP purification. Identity of the purified protein was verified by N-terminal sequencing. The molecular mass of porcine ASP is 8926. Porcine ASP stimulated esterification of fatty acid into triacylglycerol in cultured human cells with potency similar to that of human ASP (twofold at 5 μM). Based on this evidence that ASP exists in porcine …

‘Neuroecologists’ Are Not Made Of Straw, Robert Hampton, Susan Healy, Sara Shettleworth, Alan C. Kamil

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

In the October issue of Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Bolhuis and Macphail criticized the functional/evolutionary approach to the neural mechanisms of learning and memory, and concluded that the approach is ‘often misleading and might provide us with the wrong answers’ [1]. Their critique touches on a number of interesting issues, and provides a useful prompt to examine the role of an adaptationist approach to the study of cognition. In their effort to stimulate discussion, however, Bolhuis and Macphail have overstated positions they attribute to ‘neuroecologists’.

Active Formation Of Mixed-Species Grouse Leks: A Role For Predation In Lek Evolution?, Robert M. Gibson

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Behavioural ecologists have interpreted avian leks as products of sexual selection, in which males display socially to increase their opportunities to mate. However, without invoking reproductive queuing or kin selection, this paradigm does not necessarily explain why many males that fail to mate participate in leks. An alternative solution, that males also aggregate to reduce predation, has previously lacked compelling support. We show that mixed-species leks, comprising two congeneric grouse, form when single males or small groups of one species, the greater prairie chicken Tympanuchus cupido, join leks of another, the sharp-tailed grouse T. phasianellus. We documented the …

Active Formation Of Mixed-Species Grouse Leks: A Role For Predation In Lek Evolution?, Robert M. Gibson, Andrea S. Aspbury, Leonard L. Mcdaniel

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Behavioral ecologists have interpreted avian leks as products of sexual selection, in which males display socially to increase their opportunities to mate. However, without invoking reproductive queuing or kin selection, this paradigm does not necessarily explain why many males that fail to mate participate in leks. An alternative solution, that males also aggregate to reduce predation, has previously lacked compelling support. We show that mixed-species leks, comprising two congeneric grouse, form when single males or small groups of one species, the greater prairie chicken Tympanuchus cupido, join leks of another, the sharp-tailed grouse T. phasianellus. We documented the …

Life History Response Of Mediterranean Fruit Flies To Dietary Restriction, James R. Carey, Pablo Liedo, Lawrence G. Harshman, Ying Zhang, Hans-Georg Müller, Linda Partridge, Jane-Ling Wang

Lawrence G. Harshman Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate medfly longevity and reproduction across a broad spectrum of diet restriction using a protocol similar to those applied in most rodent studies. Age-specific reproduction and age of death were monitored for 1,200 adult males and 1,200 females, each individually maintained on one of 12 diets from ad libitum to 30% of ad libitum. Diet was provided in a fixed volume of solution that was fully consumed each day, ensuring control of total nutrient consumption for every fly. Contrary to expectation and precedence, increased longevity was not observed at any level of …

Relating The Unique Sensory System Of Amblypygids To The Ecology And Behavior Of Phrynus Parvulus From Costa Rica (Arachnida, Amblypygi), Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Abstract: While the unique sensory system and neuroanatomy of amblypygids suggest that olfaction is important in their lives, to date no behavioral data exist to support this suggestion. To gain insight into amblypygid ecology and behavior, an individual mark–recapture study was conducted on the Costa Rican amblypygid Phrynus parvulus. Within two 50 by 25 m plots, the distribution and movement patterns of individual amblypygids were recorded for over 2 months. A total of 88 adult individuals (60 males and 28 females) were marked, with an average 51% resighted. Females were resighted more frequently than males (75% females, 40% males). …

Food Pulses Increase Longevity And Induce Cyclical Egg Production In Mediterranean Fruit Flies, James R. Carey, Pablo Liedo, Lawrence G. Harshman, X. Liu, Hans-Georg Müller, Linda Partridge, Jane-Ling Wang

Lawrence G. Harshman Publications

1. Inasmuch as virtually all studies on mortality and reproduction in insects are conducted under conditions in which food availability is constant, little is known about the demographic response of insects to variable food environments. For example, it is not known if and to what extent the life expectancy of insects subjected to shortages of high-quality food will increase and/or whether this increase is associated with major decreases in lifetime reproduction.

2. Therefore cohorts of 100 individual female medflies were subjected to different sets of conditions of protein availability (interspersed with sugar-only diets) including ad libitum sugar-only (no protein), ad …

A Comparative Study Of Geometric Rule Learning By Nutcrackers (Nucifraga Columbiana), Pigeons (Columba Livia), And Jackdaws (Corvus Monedula ), Juli E. Jones, Elena Antoniadis, Sara J. Shettleworth, Alan Kamil

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

Three avian species, a seed-caching corvid (Clark’s nutcrackers; Nucifraga columbiana), a non-seed-caching corvid (jackdaws; Corvus monedula), and a non-seed-caching columbid (pigeons; Columba livia), were tested for ability to learn to find a goal halfway between 2 landmarks when distance between the landmarks varied during training. All 3 species learned, but jackdaws took much longer than either pigeons or nutcrackers. The nutcrackers searched more accurately than either pigeons or jackdaws. Both nutcrackers and pigeons showed good transfer to novel landmark arrays in which interlandmark distances were novel, but inconclusive results were obtained from jackdaws. Species differences in this …

Ecology And Host Specificity Of Laelapine Mites (Acari: Laelapidae) Of Small Mammals In An Atlantic Forest Area Of Brazil, Fernanda Martins-Hatano, Donald Gettinger, Helena G. Bergallo

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Mesostigmaticm ites of the Laelapinae Berlese, 1892 (Acari:Laelapidae) are nidicolous arthropods that commonly occur in the fur of Neotropical small mammmals. In this 2-yr study, the laelapine acarofauna associated with the small mammal community in an area of Atlantic forest on Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro State, was examined, including observations on patterns of host specificity, mite dispersal, ecology, and food habits. A total of 1,347 laelapines was sampled from the pelage of 6 species of small mammals( Marmosops incanus, Nectomyss quamipes, Oryzomys russatus, Rhipidomys n. sp., Oxymycterus dasytrichus, and Trinomys dimidiatus), all of which occurred exclusively in …

Kant And Capital Punishment Today, Nelson T. Potter

Department of Philosophy: Faculty Publications

We will consider alternative ways that Kant’s philosophical views on ethics generally and on punishment more particularly could be brought into harmony with the present near consensus of opposition to the death penalty. We will make use of the notion of the contemporary consensus about certain issues, particularly equality of the sexes and the death penalty, found in widespread agreement, though not unanimity. Of course, it is always possible that some consensuses are wrong, or misguided, or mistaken. We should not put too much philosophical weight on the notion of a consensus here. If there is a consensus for the …

Development Of The Muskox Lungworm, Umingmakstrongylus Pallikuukensis (Protostrongylidae), In Gastropods In The Arctic, Susan J. Kutz, Eric P. Hoberg, John Nishi, Lydden Polley

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Development of the muskox protostrongylid lungworm, Umingmakstrongylus pallikuukensis, in its slug intermediate host, Deroceras laeve, was investigated under field conditions in the Arctic. Every two weeks, from 19 June to 28 August 1997, groups of ten experimentally infected slugs were placed in tundra enclosures in a mesic sedge meadow near Kugluktuk, Nunavut, Canada. First-stage larvae (L1) infecting slugs on or before 17 July developed to third-stage larvae (L3) in 4–6 weeks. Intensity of L3 in slugs peaked at 6–8 weeks post infection (PI) and then progressively declined by 10, 12, and 48–50 weeks PI. Abundance of L3 in …

Biomedical Research In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia (1982-2000), Ghazi O. Tadmouri, Nisrine B. Tadmouri

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Follow Up Of Carbonic Anhydrase Ii Deficiency Syndrome, Mohammad Awad, Abdullah A. Al-Ashwal, Nadia Sakati, Abbas A. Al-Abbad, Bassam S. Bin-Abbas

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To describe the long term clinical, biochemical and radiological features of 35 Saudi Arabian children with carbonic anhydrase II deficiency syndrome who have been followed at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh since 1979. METHODS: The records of these patients were retrospectively evaluated. The diagnosis was based on the clinical and the radiological evidence of the disease. Carbonic anhydrase II level was measured in 9 patients. RESULTS: Clinically, these patients had typical facial features, growth failure and varying degrees of psychomotor retardation. Biochemically, all children had renal tubular acidosis that was of distal type in the majority …

Effect Of Dietary Zinc Deficiency On Rat Lipid Concentrations, Samir M. Khoja, Zuhair M. Marzouki, Khaled M. Ashry, Sami A. Hamdi

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the lipid profile in serum, liver, and testis of rats fed marginal and severe zinc deficient diets. METHODS: Three groups of rats were treated for 8 weeks with normal diet, marginally zinc deficient diet and severely zinc deficient diet. Lipid concentrations were measured in serum, liver, and testis of these groups. RESULTS: The concentrations of serum lipids were not significantly altered between marginally zinc deficient diet treated and control rats. However, in rats treated with severely zinc deficient diet, the concentrations of serum total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and phospholipids were significantly increased (P < 0.01) and (P < 0.001), whereas the concentration of triacylglycerol was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). However, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration was non-significantly different from controls. The concentrations of liver total cholesterol, triacylglycerol and phospholipids were significantly decreased (P < 0.001) in rats treated with severely zinc deficient diet. The testicular concentration of total cholesterol was increased but this increase was non-significantly different from controls, whereas the testicular concentrations of triacylglycerol and phospholipids were significantly decreased (P < 0.001) in rats treated with severely zinc deficient diet. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a marginally zinc deficient diet does not play a significant role in altering rat lipid concentrations. However, the changes in serum lipid concentrations could be related to those changes in tissue lipid concentrations.

Acute Eosinophilic Pneumonia Simulating Severe Community Acquired Pneumonia, Ahmed S. Bahammam

Saudi Medical Journal

Idiopathic acute eosinophilic pneumonia is a recently described cause of acute respiratory failure. It usually affects young healthy individuals. Usually non-pulmonary organs are not involved. Bronchoalveolar lavage eosinophilia is required for diagnosis. This disease responds uniformly to a short course of corticosteroids and does not recur. We report a young man who presented with a 2-day history of acute respiratory failure simulating severe community acquired pneumonia and necessitating mechanical ventilation. The diagnosis was made based on the classical clinical presentation and bronchoalveolar lavage and peripheral blood eosinophilia. Acute eosinophilic pneumonia in our patient was associated with acute hepatitis and erythema …

Effect Of Zinc On The Treatment Of Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria In Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial, F. Sempertegui, B. Estrella, F.R. Toapanta, D.S. Torres, D.E. Calahorrano, K. Yeboah-Antwi, E. Addo-Yobo, P. Arthur, S. Newton, Zul Premji, M. Hubert, C.S. Makwaya, F. Ssengooba, J. Konde-Lule, E. Mukisa, D.H. Hamer, W. Macleod, C. Duggan, W. Fawzi, J. Simon, V. Mwanakasale, M. Mulenga, T. Sukwa, J. Tshiula

Pathology, East Africa

Background: Zinc supplementation in young children has been associated with reductions in the incidence and severity of diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections, and malaria.

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the potential role of zinc as an adjunct in the treatment of acute, uncomplicated falciparum malaria; a multicenter, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial was undertaken.

Design: Children (n = 1087) aged 6 mo to 5 y were enrolled at sites in Ecuador, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Children with fever and ≥ 2000 asexual forms of Plasmodium falciparum/μL in a thick blood smear received chloroquine and were randomly assigned to …

Species Richness, Latitude, And Scale-Sensitivity, S. Kathleen Lyons, Michael R. Willig

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The latitudinal gradient of species richness is well documented for a variety of taxa in both terrestrial and aquatic environs. Moreover, a number of recent attempts to assess the effects of scale on the relationship have concluded that the latitudinal pattern is scale-invariant. Nonetheless, the power of those approaches is predicated on precise knowledge of the forms of the latitudinal gradient, the area relationship, and their interaction. We used a model developed by J. Pastor, A. Downing, and H. E. Erickson for assessing the effects of scale on the productivity–diversity gradient to avoid such complications. More specifically, for 253 sets …

Multidisciplinary Coprolite Analysis, Karl Reinhard, Dennis R. Danielson, Mark Daniels, Sérgio Augusto De Miranda Chaves

Karl Reinhard Publications

Coprolite analysis, as reviewed by Reinhard and Bryant (1992), contributes unique and detailed information regarding diet and parasitic disease. We present here an analysis of dietary components of coprolites from Bighorn Cave using macroscopic remains, pollen concentrations, and phytoliths. In addition, we analyzed Bighorn Cave coprolites for evidence of parasitic organisms, especially intestinal worms. Such analyses of coprolites have become important methods for reconstructing past dietary and medicinal practices. Pollen concentration and phytolith quantification techniques have recently been developed, but until this report no known attempt has been made to synthesize pollen, macroscopic, and phytolith data from a single coprolite …

Recommended Terminology And Advances In The Systematics Of The Cyathostominea (Nematoda: Strongyloidea) Of Horses, J. Ralph Lichtenfels, L. M. Gibbons, R. C. Krecek

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Terminology for common names for the Tribe Cyathostominea (cyathostomins), and disease caused by the nematodes (cyathostominosis), were recommended to replace the previously used names cyathostomes and cyathostomosis, which are ambiguous, inaccurate or synonymous, by the Third Internal Workshop on the Systematics of Cyathostominea of Horses, held in Stresa, Italy, 28 August 2001. The progress by this international working group at three workshops is reviewed briefly and a list of publications is provided. Included are an annotated checklist by genus and species of 93 species level names and the recognition of 52 species, redescriptions of seven species, and the description of …

A Preliminary Analysis Of Proteolytic Activity Of Excretory-Secretory Products From Cyathostominea, Jane L. Kinsella, J. Ralph Lichtenfels, Michael F. Ryan

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

The excretory-secretory product (ESP) derived from Cyathostominea in vitro was assessed, in terms of subunit composition, and proteolytic activity using as substrates azocasein and two synthetic fluorogenic peptides. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) resolved 13 subunits, and the presence of the protein cysteine proteinase activator dithiothreitol (DTT) revealed 21 subunits.DTTalso enhanced azocaseinolysis, and hydrolysis of carbobenzoxy-phenylalanyl-arginine-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin (Z-Phe-Arg-NHMec) and carbobenzoxy-arginyl-arginine-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin (Z-Arg-Arg-NHMec). At the optimum pH of 5.5, hydrolysis of Z-Phe-Arg-NHMec was three-fold greater than that of Z-Arg-Arg-NHMec suggesting that the proteolytic specificities of the ESP are more like those of papain or cathepsin L, rather than cathepsin B. In SDS-PAGE …

Identification And Characterisation Of A Cdna Sequence Encoding A Glutamic Acid-Rich Protein Specifically Transcribed In Trichinella Spiralis Newborn Larvae And Recognised By Infected Swine Serum, Dante S. Zarlenga, Patricia Boyd, J. Ralph Lichtenfels, Dolores Hill, H. Ray Gamble

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Presently, little is known of the mechanism by which Trichinella penetrates and modulates reprogramming of muscle cells. In light of evidence demonstrating strong protective characteristics of antigens derived from this stage, understanding this process may shed light on potential targets for effective abatement of infection. To this end, a PCR-derived cDNA expression library was constructed using 0.5 mg of total RNA from Trichinella spiralis newborn larvae. The library consisted of >125,000 insert-containing clones. Approximately 40-50 × 10³ clones were screened immunologically using sera from pigs experimentally infected with 7,000 Trichinella L1. Multiple clones reacting positively with the swine infection …

Foundations For An Integrative Parasitology: Collections, Archives, And Biodiversity Informatics, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Burgeoning awareness about biodiversity emphasizes the fundamental importance of museum collections and the contributions of systematists and taxonomists in documenting the structure and history of the biosphere. An essential role is served by this infrastructure in collecting, preparing, analyzing, and disseminating information about the specimens that represent species, document a range of complex biological associations from symbioses to parasitism, and form the tapestry and the myriad facets of biodiversity (e.g., Wilson, 2000). As parasitologists we can examine how we may contribute to this broader documentation and understanding of global biodiversity, and we can articulate and communicate our role as vital …

Protostrongylus Stilesi (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae): Ecological Isolation And Putative Host-Switching Between Dall’S Sheep And Muskoxen In A Contact Zone, Eric P. Hoberg, Susan J. Kutz, John Nagy, Emily Jenkins, Brett Elkin, Marsha Branigan, Dorothy Cooley

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

The occurrence of Protostrongylus stilesi in a population of introduced muskoxen, Ovibos moschatus wardi, on the Arctic Coastal Plain, Yukon Territory (YT) and Northwest Territories (NT), Canada, is consistent with a contemporary colonization event from Dall’s sheep, Ovis dalli dalli, which indicates that host specificity may be ecologically based and contextual for this parasite. Colonization of muskoxen by P. stilesi may be a predictable event in zones of sympatry with Dall’s sheep; exposure to infection may coincide with occupation of winter ranges of Dall’s sheep by muskoxen during the summer season. Disruption of contemporary ecological isolating barriers can …

New Amphicyonid Carnivorans (Mammalia, Daphoeninae) From The Early Miocene Of Southeastern Wyoming, Robert M. Hunt Jr.

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Latest Arikareean sediments of the upper Arikaree Group in southeastern Wyoming produced rare fossils of large, early Miocene amphicyonid carnivorans for field parties of the Frick Laboratory, American Museum, from 1932 to 1940. Recent geologic field investigations, including mapping, have discovered additional remains of these carnivorans, clarifying their geographic and stratigraphic distribution, and permitting a more informed description of the earlier collections. These carnivorans come from tuffaceous sandstones of the Upper Harrison beds, the terminal formation-rank unit of the Arikaree Group in southeastern Wyoming. A large species of the amphicyonid Daphoenodon (D. falkenbachi, n. sp.) occurs in northern …

Relating Net Nitrogen Input In The Mississippi River Basin To Nitrate Flux In The Lower Mississippi River: A Comparison Of Approaches, Gregory F. Mcisaac, Mark B. David, George Z. Gertner, Donald A. Goolsby

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A quantitative understanding of the relationship between terrestrial N inputs and riverine N flux can help guide conservation, policy, and adaptive management efforts aimed at preserving or restoring water quality. The objective of this study was to compare recently published approaches for relating terrestrial N inputs to the Mississippi River basin (MRB) with measured nitrate flux in the lower Mississippi River. Nitrogen inputs to and outputs from the MRB (1951 to 1996) were estimated from state-level annual agricultural production statistics and NO_y (inorganic oxides of N) deposition estimates for 20 states that comprise 90% of the MRB. A model …