Digital Commons Network^™

An Innovative Approach To Impacting Student Academic Achievement And Attitudes: Pilot Study Of The Heads Up Virtual Molecular Biology Lab, Melanie M. Mowry Mph, Ross Shegog Phd, Nathalie Sessions Bba, Nancy G. Murray Drph

Advances in Teaching and Learning Day Abstracts

Introduction: The Virtual Molecular Biology Lab is an innovative, computer-based educational program designed to teach advanced high school biology students how to create a transgenic mouse model in a simulated laboratory setting. It was created in an effort to combat the current decrease in adolescent enthusiasm for and academic achievement in science and science careers, especially in Hispanic students. Because studies have found that hands-on learning, particularly computer-based instruction, is effective in enhancing science achievement, the Virtual Lab is a potential tool for increasing the number of Hispanic students that choose to enter science fields. [See PDF for complete abstract]

Search For A Knox Gene In Kalanchöe Pinnatum, Ryan Michael Gleason

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Knox genes have been found in nearly all eukaryotic organisms. These genes code for a protein that is able to bind DNA. By binding to DNA, it is capable of controlling the expression of other genes. The coded sequence of these genes has been determined in many different organisms, but has yet to be searched for in the air plant, Kalanchoe pinnatum. I did research over the past year in an attempt to find the coded sequence of Kalanchoe's Knox gene. I grew Kalanchoe in Butler's greenhouse to accumulate enough plant material to begin work. I then extracted the RNA …

Reflections From The Garden: Developing A Critical Literacy Of Food Practices, Deborah Adelman, Shamili Sandiford

English Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Efectos Del Aplicativo Multimedial "Autoaprendizaje De La Biología General" En Estudiantes De Medicina Veterinaria De La Universidad De Ciencias Aplicadas Y Ambientales Udca, Que Cursan La Asignatura Ciencias Biológicas 1, Celio Edilberto Pineda Rodríguez

Maestría en Docencia – CESMAG

El propósito de este proyecto fue analizar los efectos sobre el aprendizaje, los aspectos motivacionales y las relaciones entre estos, utilizando el recurso multimedial “Autoaprendizaje de la Biología General” en el curso académico Ciencia Biológicas I de la carrera de Medicina Veterinaria de la Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales, UDCA. Este curso estaba conformado por treinta estudiantes. En principio, el proyecto se fundamentó en las teorías de aprendizaje que han influido en el diseño de aplicaciones orientadas a la adquisición de conocimiento. Como el grupo no se podía aleatorizar en su conformación, se utilizó un diseño cuesiexperimental, para lo …

G07-1769 Dealing With Skunks, Stephen Vantassel, Scott Hygnstrom, Dennis M. Ferraro

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This 2007 NebGuide describes the most common skunks found in Nebraska, how to remove them, and prevent or manage the damage they can cause.

G07-1434 Controlling Beaver Damage, Stephen M. Vantassel, Scott Hygnstrom, Dennis M. Ferraro, Sam Wilson, Ron Fryda

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This 2007 NebGuide describes beaver biology and behavior and characterizes the types of damage caused by them. It suggests control methods and equipment and describes legal restrictions.

Pardoo Dso Project Subterranean Fauna Report Pardoo Direct Shipping Ore Project Troglofauna Survey Phase 2 And 3 Results

KIP Articles

No abstract provided.

Status Of Jollyville Plateau Salamander (Eurycea Tonkawae) On Travis County Balcones Canyonlands Preserve Tracts, Laura Zebehazy

KIP Data Sets and Technical Reports

On May 2, 1996, the City of Austin and Travis County were jointly issued an U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) regional permit referred to as the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan (BCCP). This permit allows "incidental take" of eight locally occurring endangered species in compliance with Section 10(a) 1(b) of the Endangered Species Act (U. S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, 1996ab). The thirty-year permit covers approximately 561,000 acres in western Travis County, Texas identified in the Habitat Conservation Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (HCP) (U. S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, 1996c). …

Resolving The 150 Year Debate Over The Ecological History Of The Common Periwinkle Snail, Littorina Littorea, In Northeast North America, April M H Blakeslee

Doctoral Dissertations

Littorina littorea (common periwinkle snail) is highly abundant in both Europe and North America. A known native of Europe, its presence in North America has been the subject of a one-hundred year debate. Prior published work attempting to resolve its cryptogenic (=uncertain origin) status with historical, archaeological, ecological and/or genetic data were not successful. I therefore included novel parasite and molecular evidence to definitively resolve L. littorea's North American cryptogenic status.

First, I explored trematode species richness patterns in European versus North American L. littorea and two co-occurring native congeners, L. saxatilis and L. obtusata. Through extensive field and literature …

Interactions Between Two Invasive Crab Predators, Carcinus Maenas And Hemigrapsus Sanguineus, And Consequences For The Native Community, Blaine David Griffen

Doctoral Dissertations

With continued globalization, species are being transported and introduced into novel habitats at an accelerating rate. As invasive species become more common, interactions between invasive species will also increase and may alter the way that these species impact invaded communities. The European green crab Carcinus maenas is an aggressive predator that was introduced to the east coast of North America in the mid 1800s and often has detrimental impacts on prey communities. A newer invasive predator, the Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus, was first discovered on the Atlantic coast in the 1980s, and now inhabits many of the same regions …

The Maintenance, Evolution, And Impacts Of Inducible Morphological Defenses In Mytilus Edulis: Responses To Multiple And Invasive Predators, Aaren Scott Freeman

Doctoral Dissertations

The burgeoning field of phenotypic plasticity and inducible defenses has documented a wide variety of predator-induced defenses. I this dissertation I have explored induced defenses in the marine mussel Mytilus edulis as they are affected by (a) shared evolutionary history with invasive crab predators, (b) specificity of responses to multiple predators (singly and combined) with different foraging strategies, and (c) spatial and temporal variation in the expression of predator specific induced defenses in situ.

Mytilus from southern New England expressed induced shell thickening when exposed to waterborne cues from the crab Hemigrapsus , but "naive" northern mussel populations do not …

Studies Of Verticillium Wilt And Characterization Of Candidate Verticillium Wilt Resistance Genes In The Mint Species Mentha Longifolia (L) Huds, Kelly Jean Vining

Doctoral Dissertations

To investigate the genetic basis of verticillium wilt resistance in mint (Mentha L., Lamiaceae), wild-collected germplasm obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture was employed to develop breeding populations for wilt resistance screening and molecular genetic study, including cloning of candidate verticillium wilt resistance genes.

A collection of fourteen Mentha longifolia accessions from Europe, Asia and South Africa was analyzed for morphological traits, oil composition, and verticillium wilt resistance. In addition, a preliminary molecular diversity assessment was conducted utilizing randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. The accessions were found to be diverse regarding all observed traits and the South …

Role Of The Biofilm In Metals Accumulation By Fucoid Algae And Their Surrounding Rock Surfaces, Joan Lydia Beskenis

Doctoral Dissertations

Both inanimate and animate intertidal surfaces including Fucus and Ascophyllum develop a biofilm that can bind metals contributed by non-point and point sources of pollution. The biofilm also functions as a habitat for the many organisms, i.e. bacteria, diatoms and other algal cells that are part of the biofilm and contribute to the polysaccharide matrix. Examinations of the biofilm were quantified by polysaccharide analysis using a spectrophotometer. Biofilm samples were recovered from both intertidal rock surfaces and the surface of the surrounding fucoid algae to determine if they bind Cu and Zn. Locations in Kittery, Maine differed by the amount …

Glycoprotein Hormone Receptors In Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon Marinus): Identification, Characterization And Implications For The Evolution Of The Vertebrate Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal/Thyroid Axes, Mihael Freamat

Doctoral Dissertations

The vertebrate hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) endocrine axes involve specific interaction between pituitary glycoprotein hormones GpH (lutropin LH, follitropin FSH, thyrotropin TSH) and glycoprotein hormone receptors GpH-R (LH-R, FSH-R and TSH-R respectively).

GpHs and GpH-Rs originate in a common ancestral ligand/receptor pair. Their duplications were followed by divergent evolution resulting in the emergence of a novel, pituitary/peripheral gland control level. It is estimated that this occurred more than 500 million years ago (mya), before or concomitant with the divergence of the jawed vertebrates (Gnathostomes) lineage from their jawless (Agnathan) ancestors. This coincides with the estimated time of divergence of …

The Roles Of Brook Trout And Larval Two -Lined Salamanders As Predators In Streams, Garrett Evan Barr

Doctoral Dissertations

To test the effects of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) on stream macroinvertebrates and salamander larvae, I conducted a large-scale manipulation of trout presence in the White Mountain National Forest, NH. I included 9 streams in the study: 3 with trout, 3 without fish, and 3 without fish to which I added trout. I measured invertebrate benthic density before and 1 yr following trout translocation and drift density before, shortly following, and 1 yr following trout translocation. I also measured larval two-lined salamander (Eurycea bislineata) density and day and night activity on the stream substrate surface before and 1 yr following …

Climate Change And Invasive Species Interact To Impact Succession And Diversity In Gulf Of Maine Marine Fouling Communities, Jennifer Anne Dijkstra

Doctoral Dissertations

Gulf of Maine subtidal communities have changed in recent years resulting from anthropogenic pressures such as climate change and the introduction of non-indigenous species. Sea surface temperatures have risen while salinity is predicted to decline; concurrently invasive tunicates (ascidians) became conspicuous members of fouling communities. These abiotic and biotic changes may lead to shifts in species composition, diversity and succession. The goals of these studies were to examine the relationship between depressed salinities and invasive tunicate species and to determine the impact of climate change and invasive species on diversity, succession and community homogeneity.

Anthropogenic impacts on diversity, succession, species …

The Function Of Pab1 In Translation And In Puf3 Dependent Deadenylation, Darren J. Lee

Doctoral Dissertations

The involvement of the poly(A)-binding protein (PAB1) in deadenylation and translation is well known. How PAB1 inhibits deadenylation and promotes translation is not well understood. I have analyzed PAB1 variants, containing entire domain deletions and substitutions of yeast residues with human residues. Chapter I discusses and provides in vivo translation rates of strains containing PAB1 variants, defects in mRNA degradation proteins, and defects in translation components. In chapter II, I address the role of PAB1 in regulated deadenylation. For this analysis I studied the effect of PUF3, a member of the PUF family of proteins that bind specific 3' UTR …

The Development Of Tools To Allow Genetic And Genomic Analysis Of Frankia, Tania Rawnsley Spenlinhauer

Doctoral Dissertations

Frankia, a nitrogen-fixing actinomycete, forms a symbiotic association with a variety of woody dicotyledonous plants. The lack of standard genetic tools for this important bacterium has hindered studies on the molecular biology of this symbiosis. We are interested in developing tools for the genetic analysis of Frankia physiology and its interactions with its host plants. Our approach has focused on the development of a physical and genetic map of the Frankia chromosome by macrorestriction analysis. Agarose-embedded chromosomal DNA plugs were prepared from three Frankia isolates: Eul1c, EAN1pec and Ccl3. The genome sizes of the three strains were determined by pulse-field …

Risks Of Diazinon Use To The Federally Listed Endangered Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea Sosorum), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

KIP Data Sets and Technical Reports

The purpose of this assessment is to make an "effects determination" for the Barton Springs salamander (Eurycea sosorum) by evaluating the potential direct and indirect effects of currently registered uses of the insecticide diazinon within the Barton Springs area (action area) on the survival, growth, and reproduction of this federally listed endangered species. This assessment was completed in accordance with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Endangered Species Consultation Handbook (USFWS/NMFS, 1998 and procedures outlined in the Agency's Overview Document (U.S. EPA, 2004). Open Access - Permission by Publisher See Extended description for …

Risks Of Carbaryl Use To The Federally Listed Endangered Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea Sosorum), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

KIP Data Sets and Technical Reports

The purpose of this assessment is to make an "effects determination" for the Barton Springs salamander (Eurycea sosorum) by evaluating the potential direct and indirect effects of currently registered uses of the insecticide carbaryl within the Barton Springs area (action area) on the survival, growth, and reproduction of this federally-listed endangered species. This assessment was completed in accordance with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Endangered Species Consultation Handbook (USFWS/NMFS, 1998 and procedures outlined in the Agency's Overview Document (U.S. EPA, 2004). Open Access - Permission by Publisher See Extended description for more …

Grazing Impacts Of Diverse Zooplankton Taxa On Thin Layers, Alexander Bochdansky

OES Faculty Publications

The US Navy needs to know how distributions and abundances of light-scattering and sound-scattering organisms in the ocean vary in space and time, particularly in the vertical dimension. Recent field observations have shown that many biological properties may vary substantially over small e.g. centimeter scales, commonly referred to as thin layers e.g. Cowles et al. 1998, 1999, Hanson Donaghay 1998, Holliday et al. 1999, Dekshenieks et al. 2001, Alldredge et al. 2002, Rines et al. 2002. Our previous ONR-funded research has allowed us to begin to understand how zooplankton interact with thin layers and how they can take advantage of …

Cryptic Speciation In Two Widespread Subterranean Amphipod Genera Reflects Historical Drainage Patterns In An Ancient Landscape, Stefan Eberhard, Stuart A. Halse, William F. Humphreys

KIP Abstracts

The landscape of the Pilbara region of Western Australia has been relatively unchanged for 100 million years. The ancient river systems of this region might be expected to be sources of isolation and divergence for aquatic species. Hence, the occurrence of widespread groundwater taxa in this landscape offers the opportunity to examine associations between genetic diversity and drainage patterns. Pilbarus and Chydaekata are two widespread genera of subterranean amphipods endemic to the Pilbara, each occupying multiple tributaries. We used molecular data to examine the roles of drainage patterns in structuring genetic diversity. Gene flow within a tributary may be facilitated …

A Survey For Sex Determination Systems In East African Lake Malawi Cichlids, Jennifer R. Ser

Master's Theses and Capstones

African cichlids are at an early stage in the evolution of sex chromosomes. Their sex chromosomes have not become distinct from the rest of their autosomal chromosomes, and no morphologically distinct sex chromosomes have been identified (Kornfield, 1984). These fishes therefore provide a unique model for understanding the early stages of sex chromosome evolution. It is further speculated that evolution of sex chromosomes may have an effect on cichlid speciation as well.

Lake Malawi formed in East African ∼700,000 years ago and contains a diverse flock of endemic cichlid fish (Danley at al., 2001). Within this flock the genus Metriaclima …

Biology Discipline Assessment Report 2006/2007, Biology Discipline

Assessment of Student Learning Reports

No abstract provided.

Denitrification Drives Total Nitrate Uptake In Small Puerto Rican Streams, Jody D. Potter

Master's Theses and Capstones

An intensive study that was part of the Lotic Intersite Nitrogen eXperiment II (LINX II) project was conducted to determine nitrogen transformations in nine low-order streams with contrasting land use. Short term (24-hour) additions of K15NO3 and NaBr were performed on a gradient of anthropogenically impacted streams in Puerto Rico. Nitrate uptake was determined from longitudinal decline in 15NO3 and denitrification rates were determined from the longitudinal pattern of 15N 2 and 15N2O. Several physical, chemical, and biological variables were also measured to determine controlling factors. I performed these experiments to investigate: (1) the mechanisms for NO3 uptake and denitrification …

An Analysis Of Accelerated Atherosclerosis In The Hyperglycemic Hyperlipidemic Syrian F(1)B Hamster, Adele Jeanne Marone

Master's Theses and Capstones

Humans with diabetes mellitus are two to five times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and do so at a much younger age than non-diabetics. This study utilized the Syrian F1B hamster, a model of human atherosclerosis, to: (1) determine whether one intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) could induce a diabetic-like hyperglycemic state, (2) compare the development of atherosclerotic lesions between non-treated (N), hyperglycemic (G), hyperlipidemic (L) and combined hyperlipidemic/hyperglycemic (L+G) hamsters, and (3) determine whether lesion development was accelerated due to plasma levels of glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, non-HDL-C, HDL-C, or lipid hydroperoxides, or by the TC/HDL-C or TG/HDL-C …

Reproductive Ecology Variation And Molecular Phylogeography In The Garter Snakes Of Northern New England: (Thamnophis Sirtalis Sirtalis L 1758 And Thamnophis Sirtalis Pallidulus Allen 1899), William Stephen Kean

Master's Theses and Capstones

Thamnophis sirtalis, the Common garter snake, is a wide-ranging North American snake exhibiting great variation in morphology and life-history attributes across its range. This thesis studied reproductive variation and molecular phylogeography of T. s. sirtalis, the Eastern garter snake, and T. s. pallidulus, the Maritime garter snake, in populations from New England in 2005 and 2006. Pregnant female snakes were captured and held in captivity until parturition, and measurements were taken on parent and offspring for comparisons across years and locations. Tissue samples were taken from adult snakes for mtDNA sequencing and subsequent phylogenetic comparisons. No substantial trends were observed …

Modeling Physical Controls On Northern Shrimp (Pandalus Borealis) Dispersal, Retention And Settlement Success In The Gulf Of Maine, Michael J. Bates

Master's Theses and Capstones

Understanding the population dynamics of commercially harvested species is critical to fishery management. Coupled physical-biological models are powerful tools for exploring interactions among species and their environment. This study creates a coupled, individual-based model to explore interactions between northern shrimp in the Gulf of Maine and their physical environment to try to understand the variability in their population from year to year and to draw hypotheses regarding spawning grounds, larval dispersal and settlement success zones for further study.

Model runs are performed using standardized winds to understand the general effects of variability in physical forcing on the population. Runs are …

Impacts Of Palustrine Wetlands On Surface Water Quality In The Lamprey River Watershed, New Hampshire, Shelby A. Flint

Master's Theses and Capstones

Surface water chemistry was measured monthly at ten wetlands in New Hampshire from January, 2005 through October, 2006. An additional wetland was sampled intensively and only during summer-autumn, 2005, and summer, 2006. Nitrate, ammonium, dissolved organic nitrogen, total dissolved nitrogen, nitrous oxide, and dissolved organic carbon concentrations in surface waters immediately up- and downstream of the wetlands were compared and changes in concentration were modeled. Nitrate, total nitrogen, organic nitrogen, and organic carbon concentrations differed significantly between upstream and downstream sampling stations. Ammonium and nitrous oxide did not show strong differences between upstream and downstream during much of the sampling …

Impacts Of Changing Water Temperatures On The Life Histories Of Two Invasive Ascidians In The Gulf Of Maine: Botryllus Schlosseri And Botrylloides Violaceus, Erica Westerman

Master's Theses and Capstones

The impact of temperature on organism life cycles has received great attention due to heightened awareness of global warming. Relative growth and reproductive development were monitored in two dominant ascidians from the Gulf of Maine to compare effects of rising temperatures on established ( Botryllus schlosseri) versus recently arrived (Botrylloides violaceus) species. Settlement panels were deployed at three sites with different temperature regimes (Damariscotta, ME, Newcastle, NH, and Salem, MA) during two growing seasons June 2005 to December 2006, and a recruitment study conducted May to December 2006. Both species had elongated breeding seasons in Salem, MA relative to the …