Digital Commons Network^™

Optimal Science Lab Design: Impacts Of Various Components Of Lab Design On Students’ Attitudes Toward Lab, John Basey, Loren Sackett, Natalie Robinson

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Variations in science lab design can differentially impact student learning. Quantification of these differential impacts can be used in modeling – an approach we term “optimal lab design.” In this study we estimated relative influences of six characteristics of lab design on students’ attitudes toward science labs in three different first-year college biology lab courses (USA). We used two end-of-semester surveys. The first had students choose their favorite and least favorite lab and answer questions associated with the six characteristics and their choices. The second had students provide an overall rating of each lab and a rating based on their …

In Vitro Plant Regeneration From Petiole-Derived Callus And Characterization Of Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (Issr) Markers Of Amorphophallus Hewittii Alderw. (Araceae)., Douglas Charles Bertelsen

Student Work

The genus Amorphophallus contains many species that are sought after by collectors. A large proportion of these species do not reproduce quickly enough to satisfy the demand. Consequently, the establishment of micropropagation methods to increase the supply is desirable. Though several protocols for tissue culture do exist, these focus on species of agricultural importance that naturally reproduce vegetatively. This research demonstrated the successful in vitro reproduction of Amorphophallus hewittii Alderw., a species that is not known to reproduce vegetatively. The protocol avoided destroying the parent plant through use of petiole material. It concluded with direct transfer of shoots to soil, …

A Hybrid First Year Science Course For Engineering Students – Integrating Biology With Chemistry, David Harding, Pauline Schwartz, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Agamemnon Koutsospyros

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Biology is playing an increasingly important role in many engineering fields. With the typical engineering program already having a high credit hour requirement, the question becomes, how to best integrate biology concepts into a packed engineering curriculum. A typical biology course is not likely to introduce the important concepts of biology to engineering students. The solution here is to develop a hybrid course that integrates chemistry and biology. In the course, Chemistry with Applications to Biosystems, the concept is to develop a course that integrally links important concepts of chemistry and biology. The course focuses on the areas of biology …

The Taxonomic And Systematic Relationships Of Several Salt Marsh Fucus Taxa (Heterokontophyta, Phaeophyceae) Within The Gulf Of Maine And Ireland Examined Using Microsatellite Markers, Aaron L. Wallace

Doctoral Dissertations

The present thesis utilizes microsatellite markers to examine genetic affinities between several salt marsh Fucus ecads in order to ascertain their relationships with attached parental species. Chapter I provides an introduction to the genus Fucus and discusses morphological plasticity, systematic difficulties, and studies of hybridization between different Fucus species.

Chapter II describes my development of microsatellite markers for Fucus. Four polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to determine the origin of a dwarf muscoides-like Fucus from the Brave Boat Harbor (ME) salt marsh. Similar forms were originally described in Europe, and appear to be derived from F. vesiculosus L. However, my …

Students’ Assessment Of Biology Education At Marshall University, Chris A. Barker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis research was to evaluate the quality of scientific education offered in the College of Science’s Department of Biology at Marshall University. The objectives of this study were to emphasize the important aspects of higher education assessment, point out that a scientifically literate citizenry is imperative for society to function effectively, and to determine what factors contribute to differences among students with regard to their perception of the quality of scientific education they are receiving at Marshall. A survey questionnaire was administered to students in eleven biological science courses during the Fall semester of 2003 and …

Microscale Patchiness Of Bacterioplankton Assemblage Richness In Seawater, Richard A. Long, Farooq Azam

Faculty Publications

We sought to test the hypothesis that bacterial species richness and composition vary at the millimeter scale in the marine pelagic environment, in response to the heterogeneous distribution of organic matter. To test this hypothesis, it was necessary to design and test a protocol to sample, lyse and analyze (by polymerase chain reaction/denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis [PCR-DGGE]) bacterioplankton species richness in a single microliter of seawater. Significant variation in bacterial species richness was found amongst 1 μl samples. Greater species richness was seen when seawater was enriched with diatom detritus. Examination of species richness at 2 mm intervals over a …

Variations In Bacterial Community Structure During A Dinoflagellate Bloom Analyzed By Dgge And 16s Rdna Sequencing, Laura B. Fandino, Lasse Riemann, Grieg F. Steward, Richard A. Long, Farooq Azam

Faculty Publications

The relationship between bacterial 16S rRNA gene composition and carbon metabolism was analyzed during an intense dinoflagellate bloom off the Southern California coast during the spring of 1997. Bacterial numbers and rate processes, chlorophyll a, and the dissolved and particulate organic matter pools were measured during the bloom to provide a framework within which to assess bacterial community composition. Free bacteria were numerically dominant, generally comprising >90% of the total, and were responsible for >70% of bacterial production. Attached bacteria had higher cell-specific growth rates than free bacteria (range = 0.5 to 15.1 and 0.7 to 2.5 d^{-1 …}

Reproductive Biology And Search Behavior Of Amitus Bennetti (Hymenoptera: Platygasteridae), A Parasitoid Of Bemisia Argentifolii (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), Andrea L. Joyce, Thomas S. Bellows, Jr., David H. Headrick

Horticulture and Crop Science

No abstract provided.

Serological And Molecular Biological Studies Of Marine Predator-Prey Systems., Marilyn J. Hoyt

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Two aspects of species identification were addressed; a molecular approach to identify anchovy larval and serological methods for prey detection in predator gut washes. Analysis of the pattern of restriction fragments of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from adult anchovies from the Gulf of Mexico was employed to speciate four anchovy species. MtDNA isolated from white muscle of adult Anchoa mitchilli, A. hepsetus, A. nasuta and Engraulis eurystole produced an amplified 2.4 Kb DNA product when primers for NADH dehydrogenase 5 and 6 genes were used in polymerase chain reactions (PCR). Digestion of the amplified sequence with Dpn II produced a unique …

Phylogeny Of The Characeae (Charophyta) And Biogeography Of Chara (Characeae) Inferred From Ribosomal Rna Genes., Susan T. Meiers

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation examined generic, subsection, and infraspecific aspects of the phylogeny of the Characeae, and biogeography of Chara subsections and Chara haitensis. These relationships were inferred from cladistic and maximum likelihood analyses of sequence data for 18S and ITS regions of nuclear-encoded ribosomal RNA genes. Morphologically-based phylogenetic hypotheses of Wood and Imahori (1965) and Khan and Sarma (1984) concerning the six extant members of Characeae were tested. The analyses supported: monophyly of family Characeae, tribe Chareae, and of Lamprothamnium; placement of Nitellopsis basal to tribe Chareae; and an unresolved relationship between Lamprothamnium and Chara. Neither the hypothesis of Wood and …

Spatial Distribution And Sequential Sampling Of The Rice Water Weevil, Lissorhoptrus Oryzophilus Kuschel, In Louisiana., Mark Alan Muegge

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Studies were conducted in Louisiana to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of rice water weevil (RWW), Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, adults, eggs, larvae and pupae in drill-seeded rice. In addition, three sequential sampling plans, Kuno's fixed precision sequential sampling plan, the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT), and 2-SPRT, were developed and evaluated to establish an accurate and economically efficient sampling plan for RWW larvae in drill-seeded rice in Louisiana. Values obtained for the aggregation indices, b, from Taylor's power law, $\beta$, from Iwao's patchiness regression and, k, from the negative binomial distribution indicated that RWW larvae were nearly randomly distributed …

Characterization Of Physiological Changes In Roots Grown In Spaceflight Conditions: A Comparison Of Nutrient Delivery Technologies., David Marshall Porterfield

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The best strategy for providing food and maintaining the environment on long-duration space missions is a bioregenerative life support system based on the growth of higher plants. Before such a system can be implemented, a better understanding of plant growth in space will have to be achieved. Little is known about the role of gravity-dependent physical processes in normal physiological function. A series of ground-based and spaceflight experiments was conducted to examine root oxygen availability in microgravity nutrient delivery systems. In spaceflight experiments Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. plants were analyzed for changes in root medium redox potential and root alcohol …

The Biology And Ecology Of The Yellowmargined Leaf Beetle, Microtheca Ochroloma Stal, (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) On Crucifers., Abdullahi Olod Ameen

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The biology and ecology of the yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma Stal, were studied on cabbage, Brassica oleracea var capitata L., collard, B. oleracea var acephala L., mustard, B. juncea Cosson, turnip, B. rapa L., and radish, Raphanus sativus L. The life cycle of the beetle consists of an egg stage, four larval instars, prepupal, pupal and adult stages. There were no significant differences in the effect of host plant on duration of development of immature beetles (p = 0.3353). The mean duration of development from oviposition to adult emergence ranged from 26.6 d on turnip to 27.5 d on …

Scientific Discipline And The Origins Of Race: A Foucaultian Reading Of The History Of Biology, Ladelle Mcwhorter

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Foucault's "power-knowledge" is a controversial concept. Brought into English-speaking theoretical circles less than two decades ago, its meaning and range of applicability are still in dispute. While no one denies that some fields of social scientific knowledge (such as criminology) intersect institutionally with mechanisms of power, these intersections do not seem, to many, to constitute any essential relation of "mutual reinforcement" between knowledge and power. If, in rare cases, politics and scientific research are admitted to be mutually constitutive, the results of their mingling are typically dismissed as propaganda or pseudo-science. A few thinkers are willing to allow the entirety …

The Role Of Opsonin-Independent Bacterial Adherence In The Pathogenesis Of Legionnaires' Disease, Frank Clinton Gibson

Doctoral Dissertations

Legionella pneumophila is a facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen which initiates infection of the human host by adhering to macrophages in the alveoli of the lung following which internalization and intracellular multiplication occurs. In this study a novel mechanism of opsonin-independent attachment for this organism to host cells was identified. L. pneumophila serogroup 1, strain Nottingham N7, and U-937 cells as well as primary guinea pig alveolar macrophages were used to study this adherence phenomenon.

A variety of assay methods were used to evaluate the nature of this binding event: transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to visualize …

A Brief Introduction To Aims And Methods For Image Processing Of Electron Micrographs Of Biological Specimens, Murray Stewart

Scanning Microscopy

A common problem with electron micrographs of biological objects is that fine details are usually faint and, moreover, tend to be obscured by background noise from stain and support film. Filtering is a useful way to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and is particularly important when trying to detect small changes (conformational or due to labelling) or when examining frozen hydrated objects, where the statistical definition of the image has been reduced because of the low-dose conditions needed to prevent radiation damage. Filtering can also be used to address the superposition effects that result from the large depth of focus of …

Integrated Pest Management Studies Of The Cotton Aphid, Aphis Gossypii Glover., Patti Jane O'Brien

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Studies were conducted to characterize insecticide resistance and to document aspects of the basic biology of the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, that were related to recommendations for integrated pest management. Laboratory, greenhouse, and field techniques were employed in these investigations. Significant levels of resistance were demonstrated to four recommended insecticide classes. Resistance appeared more stable over time for the organophosphate insecticide (chlorpyrifos) than for the organochlorine (endosulfan) and pyrethroid (bifenthrin) insecticide tested. The organophosphate resistance ratio of a clonal line of the cotton aphid was significant, but relatively low. Carboxylesterases, as studied by spectrophotometric and electrophoretic techniques, appeared involved …

Genetic Variability And Population Structure Of Eastern White Pine In A Two Hectare Stand, Durham, New Hampshire, Petr R. Brym

Doctoral Dissertations

The genetic structure of a two hectare stand of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) was studied by relating foliar allozyme composition of individual trees to tree location and age. Using starch gel electrophoresis, the trees were found to have variants for six of the seven enzymes analyzed. Trees of similar age and with common allozymes were found in clusters, suggesting that genetic structure existed in the stand. The genetic structure may have originated during establishment of several seedlings from common parents when openings were created in the canopy. Knowing that a genetic structure, such as that observed in this …

Age And Growth Of King Mackerel, Scomberomorus Cavalla, From The Atlantic Coast Of The United States, Mark R. Collins, David J. Schmidt, C. Wayne Waltz, James L. Pinckney

Faculty Publications

Whole sagittae from 683 and sectioned sagittae from 773 "adult" (age> 0 ; 437-1.310 mm FL), and lapilli from 29 larval (2-7 mm SL) and 69 young-of-the-year (79-320 mm FL) king mackerel, were examined. All fish were from waters off the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States (Cape Canaveral, Florida to Cape Fear. North Carolina). Back-calculated lengths at ages and von Bertalanffy growth equations were calculated from both whole and sectioned sagittae. Ages determined from sectioned sagittae were significantly greater than ages determined from whole sagittae, and the magnitude of the difference increased with age (from sections). Rings on …

Molecular Biological Studies On The Degradation Of Diphenyl Ethers By Bacteria., Hung-Ming James Liaw

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Microbial degradation of diphenyl ethers was studied utilizing several different approaches. The first approach was to isolate mutants from a ligninolytic Erwinia sp. by conventional mutagenesis and selection. A copper-resistant mutant, designated as Erwinia sp. CU3614, was isolated and characterized to be capable of degrading diphenyl ethers as well as one dibenzo-p-dioxin in the presence of copper ions. Isolation of Tn5 transposon-induced mutants of Erwinia sp. CU3614, which lost degradation ability, demonstrated that in all probability a copper-associated activity in the biotransformation of aromatic ethers was involved. In order to study the degradation at the molecular biological level, a 2.1 …

Molecular Biological Studies On The Rep Gene Of Escherichia Coli, Carol Anne Gilchrist

Digitized Theses

My work has involved the sequencing of the Escherichia coli rep gene. This gene codes for the Rep helicase, a ssDNA-dependent ATPase required by some phages ({dollar}\Phi{dollar}X174, fd, P2) for their replication.;The section of E. coli chromosome known to contain the rep gene, which I have sequenced, has only one transcribed open reading frame of the correct size to encode the Rep protein. The predicted N-terminal amino acids and the predicted total amino acid composition are in agreement with those determined from purified Rep protein.;The proposed amino acid sequence of Rep contains in its N terminus a peptide common to …

Studies On The Seasonal Biology, Influence Of Temperature On Immature Stages, And Damage To Field Corn By The Chinch Bug, Blissus Leucopterus Leucopterus (Say)., Jose Fermin Negron-Segarra

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Seasonal biology studies of the chinch bug, Blissus leucopterus leucopterus (Say), indicated movement out of overwintering sites in April in central Louisiana. Mass emergence appeared to be influenced by ambient temperatures of 26.7$\sp\circ$C or above. Overwintering populations attacked corn and wheat simultaneously and field invasions were predominantly by flight. Peak overwintering populations in Andropogon virginicus L. occurred in November and December. Overwintering populations decreased consistently beginning in January and culminated with spring emergence. Fall migrations back to overwintering sites began in September and peaked in October. Studies on the effect of temperature on the immature stages of this insect indicated …

The Behavioral Ecology Of The First Instar Southern Green Stink Bug, Nezara Viridula (L.) (Aggregation, Pheromone, Embryo, Egg, Nymph)., Jeffrey Alan Lockwood

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Outer row embryos of the southern green stick bug, Nezara viridula (L.), orient toward the center of the egg mass; inner row embryos do not. Embryonic orientation was mediated by stimuli provided by the glue which holds the egg mass together. Physical and chemical orientation cues associated with the glue were present only on the inner surfaces of outer row eggs; other eggs received no such differential stimuli and therefore oriented as a function of the oviposition behavior of the female. Embryonic orientation assured that upon hatching, outer row nymphs received the stimulation necessary for arrestment and inclusion in the …

Annual Activities And Behavior Of A Grizzly Bear (Ursus Arctos) Family In Northern Alaska, James George Gebhard

Theses (Unassigned)

No abstract provided.

A Bibliography Of Varietal Resistance To The Rice Gall Midge, Orseolia Oryzae (Wood-Mason), P. K. Pathak, E. A. Heinrichs

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

This bibliography contains 330 published and unpublished references for the period 1881-1981. References are arranged alphabetically by author and are also classified by country and by subjects (mass rearing, screening, evaluation and utilization of resistant varieties, breeding for and inheritance of resistance, and biotype variation). Tables list resistant varieties identified, varietal sources used in breeding programs, varieties which have been released for cultivation by farmers and biotype classification.

Nesting Behavior And Hunting Activity Of The Gyrfalcon, Falco Rusticolus, In South Central Alaska, Peter James Bente

Theses (Unassigned)

No abstract provided.

Interview With Isabel Potter - Oh 089, Carrie Isabel Potter

Winthrop University Oral History Program

This interview features Carrie Isabel Potter (1900–1997), a biology instructor at Winthrop College from 1928 to 1966, who was interviewed by Winthrop student Jeff Clark for an oral history project on the college during the Great Depression. Potter reflects on her experiences as a faculty member during the early 1930s, discussing declining enrollment, reductions in state funding, faculty salary cuts and layoffs, and the effects of budget constraints on academic departments and campus programs. She describes how the Biology Department adapted by improvising and constructing equipment rather than purchasing commercially manufactured materials. Potter also recalls the close relationships among faculty …

Objectives Of Animal Use In Biology Courses, William V. Mayer

Education Collection

To confine discussion of educational use of animals to experimentation is to focus on only part of the animal use problem. To focus on use of animals in the classroom solely is to negate the value of field and community resource areas such as zoos, animal parks, nature trails, etc. The primary objective in dealing with living organisms is to inculcate a respect for all life. Objectives that focus on use of living animals for experimental purposes can, at best, be secondary and may in many cases be contrived. An understanding of animal life requirements and animal contributions is an …

Humaneness Supersedes Curiosity, F. Barbara Orlans

Education Collection

Ethical considerations need to be addressed with respect to educational use of animals. Society extends greater latitude in what is permissible to do to an animal in the name of science to a professional research worker than to a high school student. A balance needs to be made of the significance of the expected experimental results, on the one hand, which the ethical costs, (in terms of pain or death to the animal), on the other. A reasonable boundary can be drawn, based on ethical as well as on practical considerations, to exclude invasive procedures on vertebrate animals in high …

A Limnological Study Of 43 Selected Maine Lakes, Derrill J. Cowing, Matthew Scott

Maine Collection

A Limnological Study of 43 Selected Maine Lakes

by Derrill J. Cowing and Matthew Scott

U.S. Geological Survey : Water-Resources Investigations 80-69

Prepared in cooperation with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection

U.S. Geological Survey, 26 Ganneston Drive, August, Maine 04330