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Biology News, Winter 2012, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Biology.

Biology News

Contents:

-- Greetings from the Biology Department
-- Focus on UNI Biology Alumni
-- Let us hear from you...
-- Science Teacher Pays it Forward
-- Reconnect with the Department of Biology
-- Taiwan exchange program - year one a success!
-- Dr. Steve O'Kane and Dr. John Ophus receive Dean's Awards
-- Field Research in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
-- Biology receives grant from Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust
-- Dr. Peter Berendzen receives State Wildlife Grant
-- Seed Grants from the UNI-Office of Sponsored Research
-- Focus on UNI Biology Students
-- Pre-Med Club
-- Student Nature …

Inhibition Of Adipocyte Differentiation In 3t3-L1 Cell Line By Quercetin Or Isorhamnetin, Diana Gabriela Carvajal-Aldaz

LSU Master's Theses

Carvajal-Aldaz, Diana Gabriela, B.S. Food Science, Zamorano University, 2007 Master of Science, Fall Commencement, 2012 Major: Food Science Inhibition of Adipocyte Differentiation in 3T3-L1 Cell Line by Quercetin or Isorhamnetin Thesis directed by Professor Jack N. Losso Pages in thesis, 43. Words in abstract, 281. ABSTRACT Obesity has become a major health problem worldwide. Obesity increases the risk of hypertension, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Quercetin is a bioactive compound widely found in a variety of foods that are consumed daily. Isorhamnetin is a bioactive compound found in some foods and also is a quercetin metabolite. Many studies have …

Do Learning Logs Have An Impact On The Conceptual Mastery Of Force And Motion?: Subtitle, John Arthur Underwood

LSU Master's Theses

This two-week study was conducted to investigate the impact Learning Logs have on student conceptual mastery of force, motion, and kinematics. To begin the study a sample of 554 ninth grade students were selected from a suburban public school in Louisiana. The students were randomly divided into experimental and control groups within four teachers’ classrooms. This distribution was to examine the impact of Learning Logs regardless of the teaching style or time of day. Upon the study’s conclusion there was no significant differences noted due to teaching style or time of day. The Force Motion Concept Evaluation (FMCE) was used …

The Yeast Homologue Of The Microtubule-Associated Protein Lis1 Interacts With The Sumoylation Machinery And A Sumo-Targeted Ubiquitin Ligase, Annabel Alonso, Sonia D'Silva, Maliha Rahman, Pam B. Meluh, Jacob Keeling, Nida Meednu, Harold J. Hoops, Rita K. Miller

Biology

Microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins are fundamental for multiple cellular processes, including mitosis and intracellular motility, but the factors that control microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) are poorly understood. Here we show that two MAPs - the CLIP-170 homologue Bik1p and the Lis1 homologue Pac1p - interact with several proteins in the sumoylation pathway. Bik1p and Pac1p interact with Smt3p, the yeast SUMO; Ubc9p, an E2; and Nfi1p, an E3. Bik1p interacts directly with SUMO in vitro, and overexpression of Smt3p and Bik1p results in its in vivo sumoylation. Modified Pac1p is observed when the SUMO protease Ulp1p is inactivated. Both ubiquitin and …

What Determines The Temporal Changes Of Species Degree And Strength In An Oceanic Island Plant-Disperser Network?, Aaron González-Castro, Suann Yang, Manuel Nogales, Tomas A. Carlo

Biology

Network models of frugivory and seed dispersal are usually static. To date, most studies on mutualistic networks assert that interaction properties such as species' degree (k) and strength (s) are strongly influenced by species abundances. We evaluated how species' degree and strength change as a function of temporal variation not only in species abundance, but also in species persistence (i.e., phenology length). In a two-year study, we collected community-wide data on seed dispersal by birds and examined the seasonal dynamics of the above-mentioned interaction properties. Our analyses revealed that species abundance is an important predictor for plant strength within a …

An Analysis Of Change In Policy Context Regarding Corexit Dispersant Use Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Kelly Arceneaux

LSU Master's Theses

On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the offshore drilling platform Deepwater Horizon located in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the largest oil spill in U.S. history. The subsequent use of massive amounts of chemical dispersants near the Gulf floor, an untested method, led to great controversy regarding the regulation, use, and toxicity of dispersants of the COREXIT family of products, as well as of dispersants in general. This study compares dispersant (COREXIT brand products in particular) regulation and use in the United States, Norway and the United Kingdom; the latter two countries are among the largest oil producers …

Microencapsulation Of Self-Healing Concrete Properties, James Gilford Iii

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT Recent studies in the literature have demonstrated the ability of self-healing processes to be effective in enhancing the overall life of concrete. The main goal of this project is to evaluate and to control specific parameters for the production of an effective self-healing matrix that can be utilized within the application of self-healing concrete. Therefore, the project objective is to synthesize microcapsules using dicyclopentadine and sodium silicate and to evaluate the effects of pH, temperature, and agitation rate on microcapsule morphology. The microcapsule diameter, yield analysis, and shell thickness were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. During the experimental analysis, …

Experimental And Numerical Investigation Of Pilot Scale Microwave Assisted Transesterification Process For Biodiesel Production, Pranjali D. Muley

LSU Master's Theses

The goal of this study was to design and test a pilot scale process for biodiesel production using advanced microwave technology and develop a numerical model for investigating various parameters affecting this process. Dielectric properties of materials play a major role in microwave design of a process. The dielectric properties (dielectric constant ε’ and dielectric loss ε”) of biodiesel precursors: soybean oil, alcohols and catalyst and their different mixtures were measured at four different temperatures (30°C, 45°C, 60°C and 75°C) and in the frequency range of 154 MHz to 4.5 GHz. Results indicate that the microwave dielectric properties of almost …

Yogurt Cultures Survive Upon Exposure To Two Antimicrobials And Streptococcus Thermophilus St-M5 Acquired Resistance To Both Antimicrobials, Maria Carolina Vives Habeych

LSU Master's Theses

Different antimicrobials are added in the manufacturing of dairy products such as flavored yogurts and processed cheese. Potassium Metabisulfite (PM) and Potassium Nitrite (PN) have been reported to have antimicrobial effect on pathogenic microorganisms such as Clostridium botulinum and Listeria monocytogenes. Yogurt is known for its health benefits, due to the presence of cultured bacteria. PM and PN are not commonly used in the dairy industry hence it would be interesting to study their influence in yogurt culture bacteria. The objectives of this study were: 1. to elucidate the influence of PM and PN at various concentrations, on the growth …

Habitat- And Region-Specific Reproductive Biology Of Female Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) In The Gulf Of Mexico, Dannielle Helen Kulaw

LSU Master's Theses

This study compares reproductive biology estimates of female red snapper among three habitat types (natural shelf-edge banks, standing petroleum platforms and toppled petroleum platforms) and among six regions in the Gulf of Mexico (central Florida, northwest Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, north Texas and south Texas). In both studies, batch fecundity and spawning frequency increased with length, weight and age, and batch fecundity was best correlated with maternal length. Gulf-wide, 75% maturity was achieved by age-3 and 100% maturity was reached by age-8. Sizes- and ages-at-maturity differed among habitat types and regions. Females from natural habitat reached 50% maturity the slowest (age-5, …

Assessment Of Stink Bug Feeding Damage In Louisiana Soybean: Use Of A No-Choice Feeding Field Protocol, Jessica Leigh Parker

LSU Master's Theses

Numerous arthropods are pests of soybean in the subtropical environment of Louisiana. The most important pod-feeding guild includes a complex of stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). One of these species, redbanded stink bug (Piezodorus guildinii [Westwood]), has emerged as a significant pest in Louisiana soybean. Currently, limited information is available describing soybean plant injury from this pest in the United States or compares injury relative to native stink bugs. Therefore, a field protocol was modified to assess injury to soybean seeds. Studies conducted in Louisiana during 2009-2011 used procedures to isolate the effects of infestation duration (24-96 h after infestation [HAI]) …

Predictors Of Resiliency In Women Affected By Hurricane Katrina, Valerie L. Walls

LSU Master's Theses

While the physical devastation of Hurricane Katrina was immediately obvious, the psychological effects of the storm are still being investigated and the positive effects of trauma, although few, have yet to be adequately explored. Although most individuals will experience a trauma during their lifetime, only a small minority experience negative psychological consequences (Breslau, 2002). Resiliency is a quickly developing area in the literature; however, few studies have investigated predictors of resilience and positive outcomes in adults exposed to natural disasters. The purpose of this study was to explore individual factors and predictors of resilience in women exposed to Hurricane Katrina. …

Use Of Expanded Shales, Clays And Slates-Light Weight Aggregate For Erosion Control And Grass Establishment On Un-Vegetated Embankments, Murilo De Santana Martins

LSU Master's Theses

High salinity concentrations in soils used to renovation and construct levees adversely affect levee’s performance due to increased susceptibility for erosion problems. Dispersion of the soil particles caused by salts and seal formation affect levee structure stabilization and vegetation establishment is impaired due to lower water infiltration capacity in levees; and high osmotic pressure exerted by salts reducing water availability for seed germination leaving levee surface prone to severe rilling and soil loss from runoff erosion. The objectives of this research were determine if expanded shales, clays, and slates-light weight aggregate (ESCS-LWA) over clay reduces erosion and evaluate how ESCS-LWA …

Spatial Variability In Response Of Deltaic Baldcypress Forests To Hydrology And Climate, Som Bahadur Bohora

LSU Master's Theses

Changing hydrology and climate have significantly altered ecologically significant cypress-tupelo forests in the deltaic plain of the Mississippi River. Though local responses of these swamps to hydrology are relatively well understood, broad-scale evaluation of ecological response differences of deltaic wetland forests has been limited by the lack of site-specific coupled hydrologic and ecological data. Baldcypress tree-rings from twenty-two sites were used to examine the responses of coastal swamp forests throughout the deltaic plain to environmental variables. The responses of these forests to environmental variables varied spatially; however, broad-scale measures of deltaic hydrology were more correlated with tree radial growth than …

Investigation Of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter And Dissolved Organic Carbon Using Combination Of Ocean Color Data And Numerical Model In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Nazanin Chaichitehrani

LSU Master's Theses

The first part of this thesis includes evaluating and developing empirical band ratio algorithms for the estimation of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) for SeaWiFS, MODIS and MERIS ocean color sensors for the northern Gulf of Mexico. For CDOM, matchup comparison between SeaWiFS-derived CDOM absorption coefficients and in situ absorption measurements at 412 nm (aCDOM(412)) were examined using the D’Sa et al. (2006) and the Mannino et al. (2008) algorithms. These reflectance band ratio algorithms were also assessed to retrieve aCDOM(412) from MODIS and MERIS data using the Rrs(488)/Rrs(555) and Rrs(510)/Rrs(560) band ratios, respectively. Since …

Water Quality Dynamics Of Low-Gradient, Headwater Streams In A Timber-Industry Dominated Watershed In Louisiana, Abram Atys Dasilva

LSU Master's Theses

Timber harvesting can degrade the quality of adjacent water bodies, an important concern for Louisiana, nearly 50% of which is forested, and in which the forest industry is the second-largest manufacturing employer. To protect valuable freshwater resources in Louisiana, a manual of best management practices (BMPs) was published in 2000 describing techniques for limiting forestry-caused water quality degradation. While these BMPs are widely implemented, their effectiveness in protecting water quality is largely unknown. To determine the effectiveness of these BMPs, this thesis research conducted three studies to address timber harvest BMP effectiveness on protection of stream dissolved oxygen, metabolism, and …

Detection And Characterization Of Vibrio Vulnificus And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Isolates: Pentaplex Pcr Assay And Its Application., Nabanita Bhattacharyya

LSU Master's Theses

The aim of the study was to develop an effective multiplex PCR protocol for simultaneous, rapid detection and characterization of two potential pathogens, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus and to enumerate their abundance in the environment. A Pentaplex PCR (pPCR) assay condition was developed with a combination of two species- and three pathogenic- specific PCR primer sets to simultaneously detect and characterize bacterial isolates for virulent/ non- virulent strains of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus. The pPCR assay was validated by three methods. First pPCR was tested on 300 bacterial isolates comprising of 7 reference strains, 117 V. vulnificus, 30 …

Soil Accretion And Organic Carbon Accumulation In The Tidal Salt Marshes Of The Liaohe Delta, China, Nicholas Lawrence Yuknis

LSU Master's Theses

Wetlands provide a multitude of functions to people and ecosystems and because of this, maintaining or increasing wetland area is important. Wetlands can be significant carbon sinks because of the relatively high primary productivity and slow decomposition of organic matter in these systems and can thus impact the global carbon cycle and potentially climate change. The marshes of the Liaohe Delta are the largest in Liaoning Province; however, very little research has been done in this area to determine the rate of accretion and organic carbon sequestration in the salt marshes there. By using Cs-137 and Pb-210 dating techniques and …

Salt Of The Maya: Evidence Of Prehispanic Salt Production And Architectural Function At The Eleanor Betty Site, Paynes Creek National Park, Belize, Tamara L. Spann

LSU Master's Theses

The Punta Ycacos Lagoon is home to many Classic Maya saltworks. Located in Paynes Creek National Park in southern Belize, these ancient sites may unlock answers to understanding Classic period trade along the southern coast of Belize. Archaeological investigations took place at one such site, the Eleanor Betty Site, in order to determine organization and architectural function. One transect was excavated along what is hypothesized to be the interior of a wooden structure. Using ethnographic, ethnohistoric data, in conjunction with archaeological fieldwork, the function of the structure within the salt-production site has been analyzed. The presence of preserved wooden posts, …

Insulin Dose Response Curves And Factors Affecting Insulin Sensitivity In Horses, Jeanne D. Lestelle

LSU Master's Theses

Three experiments were conducted to further study the use of intravenous insulin injection to measure insulin sensitivity in horses. In the first experiment, glucose responses to multiple doses of recombinant human insulin were compared in insulin sensitive and insensitive mares. Regression lines describing the responses in insensitive mares had less (P = 0.003) steep slopes and greater (P = 0.006) effective doses at 50% response (ED50) compared to sensitive mares. Curvilinear regression models provided a good fit (R2 = 0.95) for the prediction of ED50 from the individual responses to 50 mU/kg BW insulin. The second experiment estimated the repeatability …

Effect Of Surfactants On The Pretreatment Of Sugarcane Bagasse With Dilute Ammonia, Shuo Cao

LSU Master's Theses

Lignocellulosic biomass is composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin which are not readily available for conversion in their native form. It is widely accepted that lignin acts as the “glue” that binds cellulose and hemicellulose, giving rigidity and resistance to lignocellulose. The use of non-ionic surfactants during pretreatment can help alter the structure of lignocellulosic biomass to improve cellulose digestibility and ethanol yields. Tween 80, Tween 20, PEG 4000, or PEG 6000 was used with ammonium hydroxide for the pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse. The pretreatment was carried out by mixing sugarcane bagasse, ammonium hydroxide (28% v/v) and water at a …

The Ecological Impact Of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill On Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Type Iii Secretion System And The Vibrio Community, Erica L. Stephens

LSU Master's Theses

Vibrio spp are gram-negative, halophilic bacteria that naturally occur in both shallow coastal waters and parts of the deepest oceans and are a known human pathogen. There have not been extensive studies that analyze an oil spill as an environmental stressor to vibrios. If there were to be an increase in the pathogenicity of vibrios it would be a cause for human health concern. The purpose of the two studies presented was to determine changes in the pathogenicity of V. parahaemolyticus pathogenicity and the vibrio community, with respect to V. cholera, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus. The results showed that …

Kinetic Studies On Lactonization Of Quinone Propionic Acid Derivatives For The Development Of Redox Responsive Liposomes, K. L. Iresha Sampathi Perera

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT Stimuli-responsive liposome systems that utilize endogenous triggers of tumor microenvironment have generated great attention in recent drug delivery research. Among such formulations, redox-responsive liposomes seem highly promising for cancer treatment due to their potential to release high drug concentrations upon reduction (by reductase enzymes). The research described in this thesis involved the evaluation of kinetics of trimethyl-lock quinone propionic acid reduction and lactonization, which accounts for payload release from trimethyl-lock quinone propionic acid-decorated liposomes. To achieve the ultimate goal of this research, several trimethyl-lock quinone propionic acid-based amide compounds were synthesized and characterized. Kinetic studies were carried out with …

Evaluation Of Plasma Sprayed Hydroxyapatite Coated Ao Cortical Screws In Equine Third Metacarpal Bone, Myra Elizabeth Durham

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT Objectives - To compare the osteointegration of plasma sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) coated and uncoated 5.5 mm cortical screws in equine third metacarpal (MC3) bones in combination with a 4.5mm broad dynamic compression plate (DCP). Study design - In vivo study. Animals – 6 Adult Thoroughbred horses. Methods – For each horse, four HA coated screws were placed unicortically through a 4.5mm broad DCP in the dorsal cortex of a randomly chosen MC3 bone, with 4 uncoated screws placed in an identical manner in the contralateral MC3 bone. All screws were tightened to a torque of 5.4 N-m. Extraction torques …

Admissions Brochure 2012-2013, William & Mary Law School

Admissions Brochures

No abstract provided.

Black Women’S Perceptions Of The Relationship Among Nepotism, Cronyism Job Satisfaction, And Job-Focused Self-Efficacy, Johnson Lavoria Chandler

Doctoral Dissertations

Corporate America struggles with inclusion of certain groups such as Black women. Although Black women have met or surpassed their Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American female counterparts and their Black male counterparts in education, and sit on boards of Fortune 500 companies, too many Black women are stymied in attempts for advancement as a result of nepotism and cronyism. Oftentimes, Black women are left with feelings of incompetence and believing they are undervalued in the workplace.

This study examined Black women's perceptions of nepotism and cronyism in the workplace. Further, the study was conducted to establish to what extent …

Hepatic Effect Of Inhaled Ozone In Sprague-Dawley Rat, Whitney Slone Theis

All ETDs from UAB

Ozone (O3) is a primary component of photochemical smog and represents a serious public health concern as more than 50% of the U.S. population lives in areas exceeding national ambient air quality standards for this toxic pollutant. Recent findings indicate that the effects of inhaled O3 extend to extra-pulmonary tissues like the heart and liver. We hypothesize that inhaled O3 exposure-related events in the lung will cause downstream alterations in the liver proteome. To test this, we exposed male Sprague-Dawley rats to 0.5 ppm ozone for 8 hr a day for 5 days. After exposures, livers were removed and proteomic …

Hepatic Effect Of Inhaled Ozone In Sprague-Dawley Rat, Whitney Slone Theis

All ETDs from UAB

Ozone (O3) is a primary component of photochemical smog and represents a serious public health concern as more than 50% of the U.S. population lives in areas exceeding national ambient air quality standards for this toxic pollutant. Recent findings indicate that the effects of inhaled O3 extend to extra-pulmonary tissues like the heart and liver. We hypothesize that inhaled O3 exposure-related events in the lung will cause downstream alterations in the liver proteome. To test this, we exposed male Sprague-Dawley rats to 0.5 ppm ozone for 8 hr a day for 5 days. After exposures, livers were removed and proteomic …

Environmental Enrichment Recouples Histone Methylation In The Hippocampus To Restore Cognition In Aging, Sarah Jean Morse

All ETDs from UAB

It is hypothesized that age-related memory deficits arise in part due to altered gene transcription within the hippocampus. These aberrations in gene transcription can lead to alterations in the induction of synaptic plasticity and subsequently interrupt the process of memory formation. Histone methylation-mediated chromatin remodeling mechanisms have recently emerged as crucial regulators of gene transcription in the hippocampus during memory formation. In the present study, we examined the contributions of histone methylation to cognitive deficits and transcriptional aberrations in the hippocampus throughout aging. We found that aging is associated with reduced histone acetylation and an increase in tri-methylation of histone …

Down-Modulation Of Mica On Malignant Glioma Cells By Herpes Simplex Virus, Carl Irwin Odom

All ETDs from UAB

Glioblastoma Multiforme is a primary malignancy of the central nervous system and is fatal for patients despite surgical resection and radiotherapy. Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus (oHSV) vectors deleted of the γ134.5 neurovirulence gene are potential therapies for treating glioblastoma tumors. Although replication in permissive cells is considered the primary mechanism of oHSV mediated tumor clearance, there is evidence that the immune system is part of the tumor clearance mechanism during treatment with oncolytic viruses. Specifically, natural killer (NK) cells may be important for tumor clearance during oHSV therapy. NK cell activation relies partially on the stimulation of activating or inhibitory …