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Status, Distribution And Broad Scale Habitat Features Associated With Remnant Populations Of New England Cottontails (Sylvilagus Transitionalis ), Jeffrey P. Tash

Master's Theses and Capstones

Since 1960 the range occupied by New England cottontails (NEC, Sylvilagus transitionalis) in the northeastern United States has declined dramatically. Populations in some regions are known to be vulnerable to extirpation, but little was known about the status of populations in most areas. A range-wide survey of NEC was conducted from 2000 to 2004 to determine the current distribution and status of remnant populations. Because NEC are sympatric with eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) and snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) throughout much of their historic range, identity of resident lagomorphs was based on DNA either extracted from tissue of live-captures or from …

Gaca Regulation Of Luminescence In The Symbiotic Bacterium Vibrio Fischeri, Alicia Eve Ballok

Master's Theses and Capstones

The symbiosis of Euprymna scolopes and Vibrio fischeri depends on the ability of the bacterium to colonize the squid and produce light. GacA is an activator of symbiosis phenotypes including luminescence though it is not understood how GacA functions. My hypothesis, based on other bacterial models, is that GacA activates expression of CsrBs, functional RNAs, which sequester and repress a translational repressor, CsrA. I approached this question with mutagenesis and complementation techniques. We found mutation of CsrA or addition of a CsrB in trans could complement the GacA mutant for symbiosis and luminescence phenotypes. The inability of other luminescence regulators …

Influence Of Watershed Suburbanization On Leaf Litter Decomposition And Microbial Activity In Four Streams In Southeastern New Hampshire, Anna Bourakovsky

Master's Theses and Capstones

Rapid suburbanization has caused major land use transformation in New Hampshire, and contributed significantly to nitrogen (N) enrichment in aquatic ecosystems. However, we do not understand how increased nitrogen concentration in lotic environments affects key ecosystem-level processes such as decomposition. In this study, I measured the rate of in-stream leaf litter decomposition in four basins along a suburbanization gradient located in the Lamprey and Oyster River watersheds in southeastern New Hampshire. Basins varied in population density from 24 to 289 people km-2, and in-stream nitrate concentrations from 0.02 to 1.0 mg L-1 as N. A fine-mesh litter bag technique was …

The Effect Of Cyanobacteria And Their Chemical Cues On The Surface Area Of The Third Thoracic Limb Of Daphnia, Warren Travis Godkin

Master's Theses and Capstones

Changes in the filter appendage surface area (FSA) of Daphnia in response to cyanobacteria were examined in an effort to learn more about the relationship between Daphnia and extracellular cues exuded by cyanobacteria. The filtering appendage areas of two strains of D. pulex were measured after feeding on high and low concentrations of a mixture of Nanochloropsis spp. and toxic Microcystis aeruginosa for one generation. Daphnia were also raised in a filtrate of this same M. aeruginosa and given high and low concentrations of food to determine the cause of increased FSA in the presence of cyanobacteria: low amounts of …

Developing A Kalman Filter Approach To Home Range Estimation: Applied To The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus), Daniel Badger

Master's Theses and Capstones

Accurate estimation of an animal's home range, or utilization distribution, is of great importance to understanding the animal's role in the ecosystem, and for effective population management. Current methods for home range estimation often do not incorporate uncertainty in the observations of monitored animals. Given days without observations, they also have the potential to omit migration corridors when describing important habitat. Here the Extended Kalman filter is modified to return daily predicted geolocations, creating a most probable estimation of the true path the observed animal followed. Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods were used to map the uncertainty in this path …

Fungal Glycosphingolipids: Characterization Of Structures And Interactions With Plant Defensins, Jis Joe

Master's Theses and Capstones

Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) play important roles in many fundamental biological processes like activation of signal transduction pathways, immune responses, and cell-cell interactions. Recent reports imply that fungal GSLs are important targets for the antifungal action of plant defensins. In order to study intermolecular interactions of GSLs, it is crucial to know their structures in detail. This thesis consists of two projects in which fungal GSLs of biological and biomedical significance are studied. In the first project, we have completed the structural characterization of acidic GSLs from S. cerevisiae using NMR spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The second project of …

Investigation Of Cyanidin And Pelargonidin Contents In The Genus Fragaria L, Lise Bouchard Mahoney

Master's Theses and Capstones

Cultivated strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa ) fruit contain primarily pelargonidin and little cyanidin. The antioxidant potential of cyanidin is reportedly twice that of pelargonidin. A High Performance Liquid Chromatography method was developed to assay fruit anthocyanidin content in 87 Fragaria accessions, including wild diploids and octoploids, cultivars, and two segregating populations. A cyanidin to pelargonidin ratio (CPRatio) greater than one was found only in diploids Fragaria vesca ssp. americana (confirming a previous report), F. viridis, and F. iinumae, and in three wild octoploid accessions: all F. chiloensis. The highest cyanidin contents were found in diploid F. viridis and in F. …

Controls On Denitrification In A Northeastern Coastal Suburban Riparian Zone, Katherine Traer

Master's Theses and Capstones

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) inputs in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems can alter groundwater N cycling, which affects N fluxes in surface water and coastal environments. Increased N inputs can decrease the overall health of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems as well as pose serious human health threats. It is well documented that riparian zones can reduce N fluxes to surface water bodies as well as coastal environments. Recently, it has been determined that riparian denitrification potential is largely influenced by hydrogeologic characteristics.

Hydrogeologic characteristics and groundwater physical properties and chemical constituents were evaluated in the James Farm well field located in Lee, …

Invasion Of Transition Hardwood Forests By Exotic Rhamnus Frangula: Chronology And Site Requirements, Hanna S. Wingard

Master's Theses and Capstones

The invasion chronology and site requirements of the exotic, invasive shrub, glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula), were studied within intact transition hardwood---hemlock---white pine forests in Durham, NH. Data were collected from 63 plots (7 sites with 9 plots each). Within sites, plots were arranged over a topographic gradient with 3 plots in each of 3 topographic positions (upper, middle, and lower slope). From each plot, information on soil nutrients and texture, soil moisture, overstory community composition, and canopy openness was collected. Densities of R. frangula in two size classes (≥1 m in height, <1 m in height) within each plot were calculated. Morphological data (height, diameter at stem base, number of live and dead stems, and age) were collected from each individual ≥1 m tall. R. frangula invaded these intact, closed-canopy forests over 30 years ago and the invasion has continued, with population density increasing over time. Nominal logistic regression suggested that site, topographic position, and overstory community type played a role in whether or not R. frangula was present in a plot. Plots on upper slopes dominated by Tsuga canadensis were less likely to become invaded than other plots. Multiple linear regression showed that density of R. frangula (≥1 m) increased with time since invasion and increasing soil quality. Density of R. frangula (<1 m) was positively influenced by time since invasion, canopy openness, and density of R. frangula (≥1 m). Multiple regressions also showed that mean age and age of oldest R. frangula per plot were higher in plots with higher soil moisture content. Size of R. frangula individuals (i.e. height, diameter) generally increased with mean age of stems. The results show that successional, transition hardwood forests can be invaded by R. frangula and should not be overlooked when managing against this species. Special attention should be given to low topographic positions and areas with rich soils, while upland areas with dense hemlock canopy are much less likely to experience heavy invasion by R. frangula..

Constitutive Expression Of Jagged-1 In 3t3-L1 Preadipocytes Suppresses Adipogenesis And Adipose Tissue Development, Jennifer Allen

Master's Theses and Capstones

The Notch signaling pathway regulates adipogenesis. To determine specific effects the Notch ligand Jagged-1 has on the regulation of adipogenesis, we transfected 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with either a constitutively expressed full-length human Jagged-1 construct or an empty vector control. These cells were grown in conditions promoting differentiation and then evaluated for lipid accumulation and gene expression. To test the role of Jagged-1 in adipose tissue development in vivo, transfected cells were examined for their ability to form fat pads after injection into nude mice. In vitro, cells constitutively expressing Jagged-1 accumulated less lipid and exhibited a delay in adipocyte protein expression. …

Community College Students' Plant Biodiversity Learning Experience In An Introductory Biology Course: Exploring The Value Added By Using A Cd-Rom To Develop Inquiry Lessons, Sandra M. Guzman-Rodriguez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the value added to standard textbook-based instruction of plant biodiversity by the use of the exemplary interactive CD-ROM, Conserving Earth’s Biodiversity. This CD-ROM features renowned conservation figure E.O. Wilson. The setting of the research was an introductory biology course in a rural public community college in the Deep South. Six participants were purposively selected to represent three levels of achievement and two groups, the CD-ROM group (exposed to CD-ROM in addition to the textbook) and the textbook group (only course textbook). Students experienced lecture-based, textual, virtual, and real experiences, and examined their ability to understand biodiversity-related concepts …

Development Of A Numerical Model To Predict Impact Forces On A North Atlantic Right Whale During Collision With A Vessel, Jason J. Raymond

Master's Theses and Capstones

The North Atlantic right whale is under a great deal of public and private concern due to their endangered status and shrinking numbers. Of the 40 animals examined post-mortem (1970-2006), 21 deaths (52.5%) were caused by vessel-whale collision injuries, such as skull fractures. Several methods have been proposed to help reduce the number of fatalities. One such method is to place restrictions on ship speed within right whale critical habitats. However, no quantitative data exist regarding the effect of reduced vessel speed on the likelihood of fatality. The objective of this study is to develop a numerical model of the …

Nest Guarding And Aggression In The Red-Backed Salamander, Plethodon Cinereus, Jan Tornick

Master's Theses and Capstones

Several environmental factors and endocrine mechanisms were examined which may affect the intensity of aggression displayed by female red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) during nest guarding. In a set of behavioral experiments, female were challenged by conspecific intruders during egg guarding and intensity of aggression was scored. Four variables were examined: (1) clutch age, (2) clutch size, (3) sex of intruder, and (4) body size of the attendant. In a second set of experiments, tissue samples were taken from challenged and unchallenged brooding females to compare testosterone (T) titers. A novel non-lethal technique was developed for extraction and assay of T …

Impact Of Predation And Hunting On Eastern Cottontail Rabbits At Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts, Kelly M. Boland

Master's Theses and Capstones

In areas that experience environmental seasonality, wildlife populations may undergo annual declines until the capacity of the environment is reached. The degree to which hunting may influence these populations depends on whether hunting mortality is additional to natural mortality (additive) or if natural mortality decreases as hunting increases (hunting is a compensatory mortality). To comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS) initiated an examination of the current rabbit hunting program in 2004. Because of the lack of current information of rabbit hunting within CCNS, the primary objective of this study was to …

Evaluation Of A Putative Entomopathogenic Caenorhabditis (Nematoda: Rhabditid) And Associated Serratia (Proteobacteria: Enterobacteriaceae), Kaitlin M. Bonner

Master's Theses and Capstones

A major goal of modern biology is to extend our understanding of biological systems investigated in the laboratory to their ecological and evolutionary context. With extensive understanding of the function, development and genetics of C. elegans, exploring the link between this laboratory model and the environment in which this system evolved would be very interesting because very little is known about the natural history of this premier model organism.

A new strain of Caenorhabditis briggsae (SoAf) with an associated bacterium, Serratia sp. SCBI, has been isolated from South Africa using common entomopathogenic nematode trapping methods. This study taxonomically identified and …

Chemical Defenses: From Compounds To Communities, Valerie J. Paul, Koty H. Sharp

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Marine natural products play critical roles in the chemical defense of many marine organisms and in some cases can influence the community structure of entire ecosystems. Although many marine natural products have been studied for biomedical activity, yielding important information about their biochemical effects and mechanisms of action, much less is known about ecological functions. The way in which marine consumers perceive chemical defenses can influence their health and survival and determine whether some natural products persist through a food chain. This article focuses on selected marine natural products, including okadaic acid, brevetoxins, lyngbyatoxin A, caulerpenyne, bryostatins, and isocyano terpenes, …

Malaria : Quantitative Analysis Of Sporozoite Production And Movement Into Mosquito Salivary Glands, Gabriel W. Garman

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Role Of The Macrophage In Asbestos Induced Autoantibody Production, David J. Blake

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Environmental exposure to silicate compounds such as silica and asbestos has been associated with increased autoimmune responses and the development of autoimmune disease in humans. Residents of Libby, MT have experienced significant asbestos exposure due to an asbestos contaminated vermiculite mine near the community over several decades. Residents have developed numerous asbestos-related diseases as well as increased autoimmune responses. However, the exact mechanism by which Libby amphibole asbestos generates autoimmune responses is unclear. To elucidate a possible mechanism for asbestos induced autoimmunity, the cellular effects of Libby amphibole asbestos were characterized in vitro using a phagocytic murine macrophage cell line, …

Intellectual Property And Competition – Human Economic Universals, Wolfgang Fikentscher

The Gruter Institute Working Papers on Law, Economics, and Evolutionary Biology

My contribution to this workshop is an approach to answering the question whether property, in particular intellectual property, and competition for the acquisition of such property, are innate building blocks of human behavior “deep in our brain” and inherited characteristics of our human nature, or whether they are cultural attitudes and abilities which we have to learn because we are not born with it. In the first case we would call them human universals, in the second cultural specificities. Also, a way has to be shown how we can know the one or the other.

Biology B.A. Program And Curriculum Approval 09/25/2006, Curriculum Committee

Curriculum Committee Reports

No abstract provided.

Biology Minor Program And Curriculum Approval 09/21/2006, Curriculum Committee

Curriculum Committee Reports

No abstract provided.

Biology Multiple Course Revisions Form 09/08/2006, Curriculum Committee

Curriculum Committee Reports

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Feedlots On Epiphytic Lichen Species Composition And Cover In Eastern Nebraska., Margaret K. Reed

Student Work

Environmental factors greatly influence what species of lichens may occur in a particular region. Among these factors is nitrogen deposition in the form of ammonia as a result of feedlot operations, which may be manifested by an increase in bark pH. Epiphytic lichens on trees located in close proximity to medium and large-scale feedlot operations in Eastern Nebraska were analyzed for bark pH levels, species composition and species abundance, then compared to trees located at a greater distance from feedlot operations. Five sites were selected based on the presence of trees and accessibility. Ten trees from each site were selected …

The Asteraceae Of Pico Zunil., Taylor Sultan Quedensley

Student Work

Forty-four genera and 93 species of native Asteraceae were collected from 2003- 2005 on the northwestern slopes of Pico Zunil, a montane cloud forest habitat in southwestern Guatemala. Combining the present survey with past surveys, a total of 56 genera and 126 species of Asteraceae now have been reported from Pico Zunil, only five of which were naturalized Old World species. In the present study, the tribe Heliantheae contained the greatest number of native species (n=29) with the most diverse genus being Ageratina (Eupatorieae) (10 species). Species richness of native Asteraceae measured along an elevational gradient ranged from a low …

Ecological Fitting As A Determinant Of The Community Structure Of Platyhelminth Parasites Of Anurans, Daniel R. Brooks, Virginia León-Règagnon, Deborah Mclennan, Derek Zelmer

Faculty Publications

Host–parasite associations are assumed to be ecologically specialized, tightly coevolved systems driven by mutual modification in which host switching is a rare phenomenon. Ecological fitting, however, increases the probability of host switching, creating incongruences between host and parasite phylogenies, when (1) specialization on a particular host resource is a shared characteristic of distantly related parasites, and (2) the resource being tracked by the parasite is widespread among many host species. We investigated the effect of ecological fitting on structuring the platyhelminth communities of anurans from a temperate forest and grassland in the United States and tropical dry and wet forests …

Ecology [10th Grade], Matt Simonds

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

By the end of this unit students will understand that organisms in an ecosystem are interdependent and that an ecosystem is made up of more than just the living things in it. Furthermore, they will be able to create, correctly label, and predict the effects of a given event on a food web. Throughout this unit students will practice creating and interpreting food webs & nutrient cycles. They will also practice using the appropriate vocabulary as listed in the unit below. In the performance assessment, students research an ecological issue of their choice and create a report containing an explanation …

Dolomedes Scriptus (Water Spider): Male Response To Females’ Putative Pheromones On Perches., Katherine Hunt

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Sexual signals are commonly used among animals to enhance reproductive success. Chemical signals such as pheromones are commonly used to attract mates. Little is known, though, about how these signals are received or interpreted by the target. I studied the water spider, Dolomedes scriptus in the pisaurid family. Most Dolomedes species only make webs as a nursery for their young. However, females often create silk drag lines, potentially serving for species recognition. In some Dolomedes species, females who are previously mated are known to cannibalize most approaching males. Males might avoid cannibalism by avoiding mated females, particularly if they can …

Abstracts Of Papers, 84th Annual Meeting Of The Virginia Academy Of Science

Virginia Journal of Science

Full abstracts of papers for the 84th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 25-26, 2006, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA

A Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Curriculum For Secondary Biology Teachers, Raquel Georgina Martinez

All Graduate Projects

Research was conducted in the following areas, which help support the need for a culturally and linguistically responsive curriculum for secondary biology teachers. The history of both bilingual education and science, the importance of bilingual education, a summarization of selected bilingual and ESL models, bilingual and science curriculum, supported bilingual research, standardized tests, science and ELL students, and in closing secondary bilingual research. Based on the conducted research, the curriculum was developed utilizing the late-exit bilingual model, preview/review, and the incorporation of the student's culture.

Diet Affects Immunologically Relevant Gene Expression In Brains Of Toxoplasma Gondii Infected, Lydia Kullman

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

No abstract provided.