Digital Commons Network^™

Does Rac Gtpase Play A Role In Epha4 Signaling In Xenopus Embryos?, Ashley Durand

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

In embryonic development, many cells migrate in order to correctly form new structures. One way that guidance of this migration occurs is via a repulsion mechanism involving the Eph family of receptors. Signaling through these receptors activates the repulsive mechanism that limits which tissues can interact with each other. The repulsion mechanism is not well understood, but involves the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and a loss of cell-cell adhesion. Activation of the EphA4 signaling pathway in Xenopus laevis embryos has been shown to cause the repulsion mechanism. The Rho family of GTPases consisting of Cdc42, Rho, and Rac, has …

Qualitative Thm-Gc-Ms Analysis Of Proteins And Amino Acids In Rock Painting Binders, Melissa Doolin

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

A vital step to radiocarbon dating rock paintings involves the characterization of organic material in the paint. Using THM-GC-MS we have created a library of mass spectrometric data on possible organic binders, to compare to authentic paint samples. To reduce interference from contaminants and the mineral background, we are developing a simple purification technique to extract proteins and carbohydrates from these samples. Separating the organics can greatly enhance our results for GC-MS identification and subsequent radiocarbon analysis by accelerator mass spectroscopy.

Potential Export Of Unattached Benthic Macroalgae To The Deep Sea Through Wind Driven Langmuir Circulation, H. M. Dierssen, Richard C. Zimmerman, Lisa A. Drake, David J. Burdige

OES Faculty Publications

Carbon export to the deep sea is conventionally attributed to the sinking of open ocean phytoplankton. Here, we report a Langmuir supercell event driven by high winds across the shallow Great Bahama Bank that organized benthic non-attached macroalgae, Colpomenia sp., into visible windrows on the seafloor. Ocean color satellite imagery obtained before and after the windrows revealed a 588 km² patch that rapidly shifted from highly productive macroalgae to bare sand. We assess a number of possible fates for this macroalgae and contend that this event potentially transported negatively buoyant macroalgae to the deep Tongue of the Ocean …

Influence Of Irradiance And Iron On The Growth Of Colonial Phaeocystic Antarctica: Implications For Seasonal Bloom Dynamics In The Ross Sea, Antarctica, Nathan S. Garcia, Peter N. Sedwick, Giacomo R. Ditullio

OES Faculty Publications

Laboratory culture experiments were used to investigate the growth rate of colonial Phaeocystis anarctica as a function of irradiance and dissolved iron concentration. The experiments were conducted with a P. antarctica strain isolated from the southern Ross Sea, Antarctica, and made use of natural, low-iron (P. antarctica attained an average maximum cell-specific growth rate of 0.37 d^-1at an irradiance of 68 μE m^-2s^-1, above which growth rates decreased to 0.27 d^-1 at an irradiance of 314 μE m^-2s^-1. The dependence of growth rate on ambient dissolved iron concentration was …

Cirene Air-Sea Interactions In The Seychelles-Chagos Thermocline Ridge Region, J. Vialard, J. P. Duvel, M. J. Mcphaden, P. Bouruet-Aubertot, B. Ward, E. Key, D. Bourras, R. Weller, P. Minnett, A. Weil

OES Faculty Publications

A field experiment in the southwestern Indian Ocean provides new insights into ocean-atmosphere interactions in a key climatic region.

Thin Layer Formation During Runaway Stratification In The Tidally Dynamic San Francisco Estuary, Alexander B. Bochdansky, Stephen M. Bollens

OES Faculty Publications

During the course of a year, we repeatedly collected high-resolution vertical fluorometer data timed to coincide with a specific state during the tidal cycle. The time (end of the ebb during neap tide) and the location (a deep channel half-way between the Golden Gate and the point of tidally averaged bottom salinity of 2 psu) were chosen with the goal to observe runaway stratification. We consistently found at least one pronounced chlorophyll peak in the water column; however, the vertical location of these peaks varied within three types including surface, bottom and subsurface maxima. Our results showed that heterogeneity of …

Peptide Hydrolysis And The Uptake Of Dipeptides By Phytoplankton, Margaret R. Mulholland, Cindy Lee

OES Faculty Publications

Rates of peptide hydrolysis (using the fluorescent substrate, lucifer yellow anhydride-labeled tetra-alanine) and dipeptide uptake (using dually labeled, ¹⁵N and ¹³C, dialanine) were measured in phytoplankton cultures and in natural populations during algal blooms dominated by one or two taxa. During most sampling events, both peptide hydrolysis and dipeptide uptake were greatest in the size fraction containing the dominant phytoplankter, suggesting that phytoplankton contribute substantially to or may even dominate observed extracellular peptide hydrolysis and dipeptide uptake in the environment. These are the first data suggesting that dipeptides may be taken up directly by phytoplankton and this may …

Spatial Variation In Otolith Chemistry Of Atlantic Croaker Larvae In The Mid-Atlantic Bight, Jason J. Schaffler, Christian S. Reiss, Cynthia M. Jones

OES Faculty Publications

Larval Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus (1 to 7 mm in standard length) were collected on the east coast of the United States from North Carolina to Delaware during 2000. We defined 3 water-mass boundaries for potential groups of spawning Atlantic croaker using temperature and salinity measured at each sampling station. We tested the hypothesis that distinct otolith chemistries existed among 3 groups of larval Atlantic croaker collected from these water masses using solution-based inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that otolith chemistry differed significantly among water masses. Using a quadratic discriminant function, we were able to correctly …

Patterns Of Larval Atlantic Croaker Ingress Into Chesapeake Bay, Usa, Jason J. Schaffler, Christian S. Reiss, Cynthia M. Jones

OES Faculty Publications

We compared ingress patterns of Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus larvae into Chesapeake Bay, USA, with published ingress patterns through barrier island inlets, the accepted model for larval fish ingress. This model asserts that larvae ingress on night flood tides at the flooddominated side of the inlet and at all depths. At the Chesapeake Bay mouth and in the adjacent coastal waters, we compared the distribution of abundance, size, age, and growth rates of croaker prior to ingress, In contrast to the barrier island inlet model, croaker larvae were more abundant at depth than closer to the surface regardless of location. …

Synergistic Effects Of Iron And Temperature On Antarctic Phytoplankton And Microzooplankton Assemblages, J. M. Rose, Y. Feng, G. R. Ditullio, R. B. Dunbar, C. E. Hare, P. A. Lee, M. Lohan, M. Long, W. O. Smith Jr., B. Sohst, S. Tozzi, Y. Zhang, D. A. Hutchins

OES Faculty Publications

Iron availability and temperature are important limiting factors for the biota in many areas of the world ocean, and both have been predicted to change in future climate scenarios. However, the impacts of combined changes in these two key factors on microbial trophic dynamics and nutrient cycling are unknown. We examined the relative effects of iron addition (+1 nM) and increased temperature (+4° C) on plankton assemblages of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, a region characterized by annual algal blooms and an active microbial community. Increased iron and temperature individually had consistently significant but relatively minor positive effects on total phytoplankton …

Cross-Basin Comparison Of Phosphorus Stress And Nitrogen Fixation In Trichodesmium, Annette M. Hynes, P. Dreux Chappell, Sonya T. Dyhrman, Scott C. Doney, Eric A. Webb

OES Faculty Publications

We investigated the phosphorus (P) status and N₂ fixation rates of Trichodesmium populations from the North Pacific, western South Pacific, and western North Atlantic. Colonies of Trichodesmium were collected and analyzed for endogenous alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity using enzyme-labeled fluorescence ( ELF) and for nitrogenase activity using acetylene reduction. AP hydrolyzes dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) from dissolved organic phosphorus and is active in Trichodesmium colonies experiencing P stress. Across multiple stations in the subtropical North and South Pacific, there was low to moderate ELF labeling in Trichodesmium, although labeling was present in other taxa. In contrast, Trichodesmium ELF …

Geobiology: Evidence For Early Life On Earth And The Search For Life On Other Planets, Sherry L. Cady, Nora Noffke

OES Faculty Publications

Extensive research efforts in the subdisciplinary field of geobiology have focused on the interactions between Earth and life through time. As a consequence, gaps in our knowledge of Earth’s history are closing, and the search for life beyond Earth is expanding. A few examples of geobiology studies designed to advance our understanding of life on early Earth and to improve the chances of finding life on other planets are provided to highlight recent developments and research areas that are on the verge of new discoveries.

Association Of Polymorphisms In The Intron 1 Of Duck Prolactin With Egg Performance, Hui Fang Li, Wen Qi Zhu, Kuan Wei Chen, Tang Jie Zhang, Wei Tao Song

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Gaoyou duck (Chinese indigenous breed) is famous for double-yolked egg. In the present study, SNP of prolactin (PRL) gene intron 1 of Gaoyou duck was detected by PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing. The results indicated that there were 2 Dra I recognition sites in intron 1 of the PRL gene, but only 1 was of polymorphism. A T/C mutation at the position of the 1326 bp of the PRL gene was found by DNA sequencing, and resulted in 3 genotypes AA, AB, and BB. The frequencies of genotype BB and allele B were the highest. The association analysis between the polymorphism …

Occurrence Of Haematopinus Suis Linnaeus, 1758 (Insecta, Anopluridae) On A Wild Boar (Sus Scrofa), Oya Gi̇ri̇şgi̇n, A. Onur Gi̇ri̇şgi̇n, Fi̇gen Sönmez, Ç. Volkan Akyol

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

A wild boar (Sus scrofa) about 2 years old was brought to our parasitology laboratory from Orhaneli region, Bursa province. It was examined for ectoparasites and 32 lice collected from the animal's head were inspected and identified as Haematopinus suis. Five of them were found to be as nymphs, whereas 27 were adults. This paper is the first report of H. suis found in Bursa province, Turkey.

Fumigant Toxicity Of Plant Essential Oils And Selected Monoterpenoid Components Against The Adult German Cockroach, Blattella Germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae), Hasan Tunaz, Mehmet Kubi̇lay Er, Ali̇ Arda Işikber

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The fumigant toxicity of various essential oils and selected monoterpenoid components were tested against the adult German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae). Responses varied according to plant material, concentration, and exposure time. High insecticidal activity against adult B. germanica specimens was achieved with allyl isothiocyanate (component of horseradish) and the essential oil of Allium sativum (L.) (Liliales: Liliaceae) at the concentration of 2.5 and 5 \mul l^{-1} of air, respectively, while the essential oils of Thymus vulgaris (L.) (Lamiales: Lamiaceae), Oregano dubium (L.) (Lamiales: Lamiaceae), Allium cepa (L.) (Liliales: Liliaceae), and Rosemarinus officinalis (L.) (Lamiales: Lamiaceae), and the monoterpenoid …

Genetic Analysis Of Some Physical Properties Of Bread Wheat Grain (Triticum Aestivum L. Em Thell), Cemal Yücel, Faheem Shehzad Baloch, Hakan Özkan

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Very little information exists on the relative genetic architecture of the grain physical properties of wheat. The physical properties of grain have a direct or indirect influence on the milling and baking quality of wheat. Therefore, understanding the inheritance of grain physical properties will be useful to improve varieties with better quality. Five bread wheat cultivars were crossed in order to evaluate the mode of inheritance and combining ability and the correlation of the grain's physical properties. Analysis of variance for combining ability showed that both additive and non-additive gene actions were involved in controlling most of the traits. Magnitudes …

Post Adoption Contact With Birth Parents In Foster Care Adoptions, Michelle Eileen Roberts

Masters Theses

In private adoptions in the United States, a general trend towards more openness and contact post-adoption has been documented in the research over the last 20 years. In contrast, there has been very little research on openness in foster care adoptions. This study sought to begin to fill this void in the research by examining the level of openness in foster care adoptions and exploring how agencies facilitate and support openness in adoptions. A 20-question survey was administered to adoptive parents over the internet, covering the level of openness in their adoption, their satisfaction with the level of contact and …

You've Come A Long Way, Baby?: A Feminist Rhetorical Analysis Of More Magazine, Therese Supple Kincade

Masters Theses

Past research has focused on the power of mediated artifacts to reinforce gender roles in girls and women. For decades, women's magazines have focused on an idealized representation of women in a male dominated socio-political system guided by patriarchal investments. Since 1998, More magazine has offered an updated version of this image to an over 40 female audience. This thesis explores normative gender expectations as conveyed in More magazine, paying specific attention to the tensions negotiated in the liminal space assigned to middle-aged women. This feminist rhetorical analysis of More argues that the magazine presents contradictory images of middle-aged women, …

Eliminating Hazing By Addressing Masculinities In A Fraternity Setting, Kevin J. Kolman

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Students Attitudes And Beliefs Towards Recycling On The Campus Of A Midwestern Masters Granting Institution, Mark D. Bates

Masters Theses

In choosing this topic, research was conducted to determine what students know about recycling, how they participate in recycling on campus and see how the recycling programs on the campus of Eastern Illinois University (EIU) has been beneficial to the institution, and to the campus community as it attests to helping develop students as global citizenship. Recycling on the Eastern Illinois University's campus generally takes place in two distinct areas: residence halls and academic buildings. Each of these areas presents a unique challenge for the recycling coordinator, in terms of materials readily available, the collection method, and the level of …

Relationship Between Fluency And Comprehension For Middle School Students, Ingrid Mccallister

Masters Theses

A study was conducted to examine the relationship between fluency and comprehension for middle school students and determine if interest, prior knowledge, reading achievement and/or prior exposure to the content topic impact rate of reading (fluency) and level of comprehension for these students. Seventh grade students (n=242) completed fluency and comprehension assessments given by the school as benchmark assessments. In addition, the students were given prior knowledge and interest surveys concerning a topic (i.e., astronomy) to which only half of the population had been exposed. The students were then given researcher created fluency and comprehension assessments using a narrative text …

The Effect Of Coalmine Effluent On The Parasite Assemblages Of Lepomis Spp. In The Saline River Basin, Andrew Claxton

Masters Theses

To determine the efficacy of using parasite assemblages as bioindicators of coalmine effluent, a survey of gastro-intestinal helminths from the gut of sunfish, Lepomis spp, was performed. Five species of Lepomis, L. cyanellus, L. nwcrochirus, L. megalotis, L. microlophus, and L. gulosus, were collected from six locations near the Palzo mine, an abandoned coalmine that actively discharges into the lower reach of Sugar Creek. Sunfish were collected from three sites which did not receive effluent from the Palzo mine (Sugar Creek (37° 37'/ 88° 50'), South Fork(37° 41 '/ 88° 52'), and the Little Saline River (37° 38'/ 88° 38')) …

Feathers As Bioindicators Of Pcb Exposure In Clapper Rails, Jay W. Summers

Masters Theses

In this study we used feathers as a biomonitor for exposure to the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) Aroclor 1268. Clapper rails have been used as an indicator species of environmental damage for the LCP superfund site located in Brunswick, GA USA. LCP is contaminated with Aroclor 1268, which has been used in limited amounts elsewhere and therefore can be used as a contaminant marker. Aroclor 1268, including congener profiles, were quantified using gas chromatography (GC). Concurrently each sample was quantified for total Aroclor 1268 using an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and compared to the GC results to determine if ELISA was …

Behavioral Response Of Japanese Beetles (Popillia Japonica) To Sex Pheromone: Exploring Factors Of Social Situation And Recent Mating Experience, Carissa A. Schoenick

Masters Theses

Insects in have several methods of advertising for mates; one important and common method is via the use of chemical pheromones. Insects release pheromones into the environment to communicate information about their sex, mating status and receptivity to others. For example, Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) produce a very volatile sex pheromone conspecifics can readily detect. This pheromone is released by virgin females only, and triggers scramble competition among the males that detect and follow the signal for access to these females. Because Japanese beetles are an invasive species and an important pest of ornamental and agricultural plants, there is strong …

Photopigments As Descriptors Of Phytoplankton Assemblages For Biotic Assessment Of Illinois Lakes And Reservoirs: An Hplc Aided Analysis, Robert J. Krenz Iii

Masters Theses

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEP A) identify needs to monitor aquatic resources by quantitative means using biocriteria in conjunction with routine environmental assessment to identify sources of impairment, and determine the effectiveness of management protocols (IEP A 2007; USEPA 2007). Though bioassessment protocols have been implemented within lotic systems and lakes of natural origin, investigation of their application to functionally unique reservoir habitat, which dominates the Midwest, has been limited. This study .evaluated the utility of photopigment profiles, attained using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), for development ofbioassessment protocols for Illinois lakes and reservoirs. …

Disparity Between Boys' And Girls' Academic Achievement, Laura M. Harris

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that contribute to the disparity between the academic achievement level of boys and girls in the school setting. Current literature indicates that while boys have historically outperformed girls in the area of math, girls have all but closed this achievement gap.

One hundred and twenty-four fourth and fifth grade students (71 girls, 53 boys, predominantly Caucasian) from a school in the Midwest region of the United States participated in the study. Gender and living with a male role model were found to have no relationship with academic achievement. These results …

Familial Factors And Attachment Styles Of Adult Children Of Alcoholics, Tiffany Marie Konz

Masters Theses

Substance abuse is a prevalent issue that has far-reaching implications for not only the abuser but also the family. Research on parental alcoholism and its effects on offspring have developed over the last several years. Following the lead of other researchers, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between parental alcoholism and attachment styles in adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and possible mediating or moderating effects of familial factors. A sample of 84 college students completed a series of measures on parental alcoholism, family satisfaction, family cohesion, parent-child attachment, and psychological and physical maltreatment. Participants were divided into two …

The Road To Post Apocalyptic Fiction: Mccarthy’S Challenges To Post-Apocalyptic Genre, Glenna Andrade

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

This presentation examines The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006) set in the United States after some undetermined apocalypse where an unnamed man and his son negotiate starvation and the devastated landscape. The novel presents several challenges to the Post Apocalypse genre. It foregrounds character development rather than plot and counterbalances horror with lyricism. The novel also confronts the more typical happy ending of a new family suggested by the religious imagery, instead predicting the inevitable approach of human extinction, but also promising a third, the long-term, rebirth of life (not necessarily human) through the mystery of re-evolution.

2009 Wildflower Of The Year: Skunk Cabbage, Symplocarpus Foetidus, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

Skunk cabbage is a coarse herbaceous plant. The stem consists of a stout rhizome oriented vertically in the soil. Leaves and flowers arise from the tip of the rhizome which is often not visible, resulting in the appearance of leaves and flowers arising directly from the swampy mires where these plants grow. Flowers appear during the winter, long before the leaves. The flowers are minute, clustered into a ball-like group (spadix) almost entirely enclosed by a fleshy, hood-like, spathe. The spathe ranges from 8 to 15 cm in height, is more or less pear-shaped, widest near the bottom, and tapers …

Skunk Cabbage Flowers: The Heat Is On, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

It is a remarkable sight, as striking as it is unexpected: January skunk cabbages emerging from the frozen mires they call home, melting their way through snow and ice. It seems so improbable because in everyday experience plants exist at equilibrium with ambient temperatures. Leave an apple on the front seat of your car in summer, it gets hot; examine your tomato plants on that first frosty morning in autumn, and they are permeated with ice crystals. People, mammals and birds are inherently warm, and pretty much nothing else is. Except, of course, for the exceptions, of which skunk cabbage …