Digital Commons Network^™

A Developmental Approach To Predicting Neuronal Connectivity From Small Biological Datasets: A Gradient-Based Neuron Growth Model., R Borisyuk, Ak Al Azad, D Conte, A Roberts, Sr Soffe

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Relating structure and function of neuronal circuits is a challenging problem. It requires demonstrating how dynamical patterns of spiking activity lead to functions like cognitive behaviour and identifying the neurons and connections that lead to appropriate activity of a circuit. We apply a "developmental approach" to define the connectome of a simple nervous system, where connections between neurons are not prescribed but appear as a result of neuron growth. A gradient based mathematical model of two-dimensional axon growth from rows of undifferentiated neurons is derived for the different types of neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord of young tadpoles …

Capture Of Fixation By Rotational Flow; A Deterministic Hypothesis Regarding Scaling And Stochasticity In Fixational Eye Movements, Nm Wilkinson, G Metta

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Visual scan paths exhibit complex, stochastic dynamics. Even during visual fixation, the eye is in constant motion. Fixational drift and tremor are thought to reflect fluctuations in the persistent neural activity of neural integrators in the oculomotor brainstem, which integrate sequences of transient saccadic velocity signals into a short term memory of eye position. Despite intensive research and much progress, the precise mechanisms by which oculomotor posture is maintained remain elusive. Drift exhibits a stochastic statistical profile which has been modeled using random walk formalisms. Tremor is widely dismissed as noise. Here we focus on the dynamical profile of fixational …

Thinking In Circuits: Toward Neurobiological Explanation In Cognitive Neuroscience., Friedemann Pulvermüller, Max Garagnani, Thomas Wennekers

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Cognitive theory has decomposed human mental abilities into cognitive (sub) systems, and cognitive neuroscience succeeded in disclosing a host of relationships between cognitive systems and specific structures of the human brain. However, an explanation of why specific functions are located in specific brain loci had still been missing, along with a neurobiological model that makes concrete the neuronal circuits that carry thoughts and meaning. Brain theory, in particular the Hebb-inspired neurocybernetic proposals by Braitenberg, now offers an avenue toward explaining brain-mind relationships and to spell out cognition in terms of neuron circuits in a neuromechanistic sense. Central to this endeavor …

The Effects Of A Competitor On The Foraging Behaviour Of The Shore Crab Carcinus Maenas., Lj Chakravarti, Pa Cotton

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Optimal Diet Theory suggests that individuals make foraging decisions that maximise net energy intake. Many studies provide qualitative support for this, but factors such as digestive constraints, learning, predation-risk and competition can influence foraging behaviour and lead to departures from quantitative predictions. We examined the effects of intraspecific competition within a classic model of optimal diet--the common shore crab, Carcinus maenas, feeding on the mussel, Mytilus edulis. Unexpectedly, we found that breaking time (Tb), eating time (Te), and handling time (Th) all decreased significantly in the presence of a conspecific. Reduced handling time in the presence of a competitor resulted …

Uptake Epithelia Behave In A Cell-Centric And Not Systems Homeostatic Manner In Response To Zinc Depletion And Supplementation, D Zheng, Gp Feeney, Rd Handy, C Hogstrand, P Kille

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Minimal Effects Of Waterborne Exposure To Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes On Behaviour And Physiology Of Juvenile Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss)., D Boyle, Je Fox, Jm Akerman, Ka Sloman, Tb Henry, Rd Handy

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Fish behaviours are often considered to be sensitive endpoints of waterborne contaminants, but little attention has been given to engineered nanomaterials. The present study aimed to determine the locomotor and social behaviours of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) during waterborne exposure to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), and to ascertain the physiological basis for any observed effects. Dispersed stock suspensions of SWCNTs were prepared by stirring in sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), an anionic surfactant, on an equal w/w basis. Trout were exposed to control (no SWCNT or SDS), 0.25 mg L(-1) SDS (dispersant control), or 0.25 mg L(-1) of SWCNT for 10 …

Steps Toward A Shared Governance Response For Achieving Good Environmental Status In The Mediterranean Sea, Sergio Cinnirella, R Sarda, Suarez De Vivero J Luis, Ruth Brennan, Alberto Barausse, John Icely, Tiziana Luisetti, David March, Carla Murciano, Alice Newton, T O'Higgins, Luca Palmeri, Maria Giovanna Palmieri, Pascal Raux, Sian Rees, J Albaiges, Nicola Pirrone, Kerry Turner

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Silver Nanoparticles (Nm-300k) On Lumbricus Rubellus Earthworms And Particle Characterization In Relevant Test Matrices Including Soil, Der Ploeg Mjc Van, Rd Handy, Pl Waalewijn-Kool, Den Berg Jhj Van, Zeh Rivera, J Bovenschen, B Molleman, Jm Baveco, P Tromp, Rjb Peters, Gf Koopmans, Imcm Rietjens, Den Brink Nw Van

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Moving Beyond Too Little, Too Late: Managing Emerging Infectious Diseases In Wild Populations Requires International Policy And Partnerships, Jamie Voyles, A. Marm Kilpatrick, James P. Collins, Matthew C. Fisher, Winifred F. Frick, Hamish Mccallum, Craig K.R. Willis, David S. Blehert, Kris A. Murray, Robert Puschendorf, Erica Bree Rosenblum, Benjamin M. Bolker, Tina L. Cheng, Kate E. Langwig, Daniel L. Lindner, Mary Toothman, Mark Q. Wilber, Cheryl J. Briggs

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are on the rise due to multiple factors, including human facilitated movement of pathogens, broad-scale landscape changes, and perturbations to ecological systems (Jones et al. 2008; Fisher et al. 2012). Epidemics in wildlife are problematic because they can lead to pathogen spillover to new host organisms, erode biodiversity and threaten ecosystems that sustain human societies (Fisher et al. 2012; Kilpatrick 2011). There have been recent calls for large-scale research approaches to combat the threats EIDs pose to wildlife (Sleeman 2013). While it is true that developing new analytical models, diagnostic assays and molecular tools will significantly …

Toxicity Of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles To The Earthworm Eisenia Fetida: Subtle Effects, E Lahive, K Jurkschat, Bj Shaw, Rd Handy, Dj Spurgeon, C Svendsen

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Deep Sea Is A Major Sink For Microplastic Debris, Lucy C. Woodall, Anna Sanchez-Vidal, Miquel Canals, Gordon L.J. Paterson, Rachel Coppock, Victoria Sleight, Antonio Calafat, Alex D. Rogers, Bhavani E. Narayanaswamy, Richard C. Thompson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Marine debris, mostly consisting of plastic, is a global problem, negatively impacting wildlife, tourism and shipping. However, despite the durability of plastic, and the exponential increase in its production, monitoring data show limited evidence of concomitant increasing concentrations in marine habitats. There appears to be a considerable proportion of the manufactured plastic that is unaccounted for in surveys tracking the fate of environmental plastics. Even the discovery of widespread accumulation of microscopic fragments (microplastics) in oceanic gyres and shallow water sediments is unable to explain the missing fraction. Here, we show that deep-sea sediments are a likely sink for microplastics. …

Looking Forward Through The Past. Identification Of Fifty Priority Research Questions In Palaeoecology., A Seddon, A Mackay, A Baker, Et Al

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Priority question exercises are becoming an increasingly common tool to frame future agendas in conservation and ecological science. They are an effective way to identify research foci that advance the field and that also have high policy and conservation relevance. To date, there has been no coherent synthesis of key questions and priority research areas for palaeoecology, which combines biological, geochemical and molecular techniques in order to reconstruct past ecological and environmental systems on time-scales from decades to millions of years. We adapted a well-established methodology to identify 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology. Using a set of criteria designed …

Functional Diversity Of Marine Ecosystems After The Late Permian Mass Extinction Event, Wj Foster, Rj Twitchett

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Late Permian mass extinction event was the most severe such crisis of the past 500 million years and occurred during an episode of global warming. It is assumed to have had significant ecological impact, but its effects on marine ecosystem functioning are unknown and the patterns of marine recovery are debated. We analysed the fossil occurrences of all known Permian-Triassic benthic marine genera and assigned each to a functional group based on their inferred life habit. We show that despite the selective extinction of 62-74% of marine genera there was no significant loss of functional diversity at the global …

Comparative Studies To Assess Bacterial Communities On The Clover Phylloplane Using Mlst, Dgge And T-Rflp, A Prabhakar, Ah Bishop

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) were used to characterise the changes that occurred in Bacillus cereus group strains present in the phylloplane of clover Trifolium hybridum over 4 months. These strains had previously been analysed by multiple locus sequence typing (MLST). DGGE displayed many equally intense bands which indicated many equally abundant ribotypes. The bacterial community composition was variable and the leaves sampled as little as a week apart were found to have some temporal variability, indicating that diverse phylloplane bacterial communities follow sequential patterns from time to time. The B. cereus group …

Longitudinal Evaluation Of Quality Of Life In 288 Patients With Neurofibromatosis 2, Rosalie E. Ferner, Adam Shaw, D. Gareth Evans, Dympna Mcaleer, Dorothy Halliday, Allyson Parry, F. Lucy Raymond, Juliette Durie-Gair, C. Oliver Hanemann, Rachel Hornigold, Patrick Axon, John F. Golding

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The Microbial Community, Acidity And Proximate Composition Of Akamu, A Fermented Maize Food, Patience C. Obinna-Echem, Victor Kuri, Jane Beal

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Combined Effect Of Rotation And Topography On Shoaling Oceanic Internal Solitary Waves, Roger Grimshaw, Chuncheng Guo, Karl Helfrich, Vasiliy Vlasenko

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Social Experience During Adolescence Influences How Male Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia Guttata) Group With Conspecifics, Tim Ruploh, Hans Joachim Bischof, N Von Engelhardt

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Official Statistics Data Integration Using Copulas, L Dalla Valle

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

An Updated Synthesis Of The Impacts Of Ocean Acidification On Marine Biodiversity, Tracy Aze, J Barry, R G J Bellerby, L Brander, M Byrne, S Dupont, J-P Gattuso, S Gibbs, L Hansson, C Hattam, Others

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Clinical Trial Transparency - Antidote To Increased Off-Label Promotion?, Kevin Outterson

Faculty Scholarship

Abstract

Clinical trial transparency will improve the accuracy and reliability of biomedical science, while also reducing the burdens on both trial participants and sponsors.

A Not-So-Silent Spring: The Impacts Of Traffic Noise On Call Features Of The Bloody Bay Poison Frog (Mannophryne Olmonae), Catherine G. Clemmens

Senior Independent Study Theses

No abstract provided.

The Language Of Mens Rea, Kenneth Simons, Matthew R. Ginther, Francis X. Shen, Richard J. Bonnie

Faculty Scholarship

This article answers two key questions. First: Do jurors understand and apply the criminal mental state categories the way that the widely influential Model Penal Code (MPC) assumes? Second: If not, what can be done about it?

Editor's Page, Randall W. Younker

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

Biology I Lab, Sheila Prabhakar Abraham Dr.

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Biology Ii Lab, Todd Schraw

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

General Genetics Lab, Steelman Library, Todd Schraw Dr.

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Exposure To Btex And Assessment Of The Potential Risk Among Pregnant Residents Living In The Vicinity Of A Petro-Chemical Industrial Estate, Santi Keadthongthawee, Nipa Maharachpong, Sirirat Chanvaivit, Nalinee Sripaung, Nantaporn Phatrabuddha

Applied Environmental Research

This research was conducted to estimate exposure and risk of exposure to BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene)by a cross-sectional studying among pregnant women who lived in the vicinity of a petro-chemical industrial estatearea. Personal exposure was monitored by environmental and biological sampling.Other relevant data were gathered by a structured questionnaire for analysis. The relationship between BTEX exposure and potential risk factors was determined by multiple linear regression. Average BTEX exposure levels were 18.89, 29.40, 10.26, and 17.85µg m-3, respectively, which were significantlyhigher than the control group. Urinary metabolite levels of muconic acid(t,t-MA), hippuric acid (HA),mandelic acid (MA), andmethyl-hippuric acid …

Environmental Management And Monitoring Of Mining Operation In Lao Pdr, Phengkhamla Phonvisai, Jiragorn Gajaseni

Applied Environmental Research

Overall, mining projects make a significant contribution to gross of domestic product (GDP) in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). Benefits include increased export revenues, provision of royalty and tax income to the government, technology transfer, worker training and the creation of a skilled workforce. This can also lead to improved social, physical, legal and financial infrastructure due to development around the mining areas such as roads, electricity and water distribution. Managed properly, economic benefits from mining projects can benefit future generations,even after operations have ceased. For Lao PDR, rapid expansion of the mining sector is seen as vital to …

Transcriptional Regulation Of Neurogenic Atrophy-Induced Gene Expression By Muscle Ring Finger-1 And Myogenic Regulatory Factors, Theodore Olson

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle wasting is a consequence of numerous physiological conditions, including denervation, corticosteroid treatment, immobilization, and aging. The E3 ubiquitin ligases, MuRF1 and MAFbx, are induced under nearly all atrophy conditions and are believed to play a key role in protein degradation in atrophying muscle. However, the preliminary data described in this study provides new evidence that MuRF1 may also act as a transcriptional modulator of atrophy-induced gene activity, including the regulation of MAFbx and MuRF1 expression. To characterize the transcriptional regulation of MuRF1 and MAFbx, reporter gene constructs containing fragments of the proximal promoter regions of these genes were …