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Articles 1 - 16 of 16
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The First Microbiological Contamination Assessment By Deep-Sea Drilling And Coring By The D/V Chikyu At The Iheya North Hydrothermal Field In The Mid-Okinawa Trough (Iodp Expedition 331), Katsunori Yanagawa, Takuro Nunoura, Sean M. Mcallister, Miho Hirai, Anja Breuker, Leah Brandt, Christopher H. House, Craig L. Moyer, Jean-Louis Birrien, Kan Aoike, Michinari Sunamura, Tetsuro Urabe, Michael J. Mottl, Ken Takai
The First Microbiological Contamination Assessment By Deep-Sea Drilling And Coring By The D/V Chikyu At The Iheya North Hydrothermal Field In The Mid-Okinawa Trough (Iodp Expedition 331), Katsunori Yanagawa, Takuro Nunoura, Sean M. Mcallister, Miho Hirai, Anja Breuker, Leah Brandt, Christopher H. House, Craig L. Moyer, Jean-Louis Birrien, Kan Aoike, Michinari Sunamura, Tetsuro Urabe, Michael J. Mottl, Ken Takai
Biology Faculty and Staff Publications
During the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 331 at the Iheya North hydrothermal system in the Mid-Okinawa Trough by the D/V Chikyu, we conducted microbiological contamination tests of the drilling and coring operations. The contamination from the drilling mud fluids was assessed using both perfluorocarbon tracers (PFT) and fluorescent microsphere beads. PFT infiltration was detected from the periphery of almost all whole round cores (WRCs). By contrast, fluorescent microspheres were not detected in hydrothermally active core samples, possibly due to thermal decomposition of the microspheres under high-temperature conditions. Microbial contamination from drilling mud fluids to the core interior subsamples …
Deep Genetic Divergence Between Disjunct Refugia In The Arctic-Alpine King's Crown, Rhodiola Integrifolia (Crassulaceae), Eric G. Dechaine, Brenna R. Forester, Hanno Schaefer, Charles C. Davis
Deep Genetic Divergence Between Disjunct Refugia In The Arctic-Alpine King's Crown, Rhodiola Integrifolia (Crassulaceae), Eric G. Dechaine, Brenna R. Forester, Hanno Schaefer, Charles C. Davis
Biology Faculty and Staff Publications
Despite the strength of climatic variability at high latitudes and upper elevations, we still do not fully understand how plants in North America that are distributed between Arctic and alpine areas responded to the environmental changes of the Quaternary. To address this question, we set out to resolve the evolutionary history of the King’s Crown, Rhodiola integrifolia using multi-locus population genetic and phylogenetic analyses in combination with ecological niche modeling. Our population genetic analyses of multiple anonymous nuclear loci revealed two major clades within R. integrifolia that diverged from each other ~ 700 kya: one occurring in Beringia to the …
On The Evolutionary And Biogeographic History Of Saxifraga Sect. Trachyphyllum (Gaud.) Koch (Saxifragaceae Juss.), Eric G. Dechaine, Stacy A. Anderson, Jennifer M. Mcnew, Barry M. Wendling
On The Evolutionary And Biogeographic History Of Saxifraga Sect. Trachyphyllum (Gaud.) Koch (Saxifragaceae Juss.), Eric G. Dechaine, Stacy A. Anderson, Jennifer M. Mcnew, Barry M. Wendling
Biology Faculty and Staff Publications
Arctic-alpine plants in the genus Saxifraga L. (Saxifragaceae Juss.) provide an excellent system for investigating the process of diversification in northern regions. Yet, sect.Trachyphyllum (Gaud.) Koch, which is comprised of about 8 to 26 species, has still not been explored by molecular systematists even though taxonomists concur that the section needs to be thoroughly re-examined. Our goals were to use chloroplast trnL-F and nuclear ITS DNA sequence data to circumscribe the section phylogenetically, test models of geographically-based population divergence, and assess the utility of morphological characters in estimating evolutionary relationships. To do so, we sequenced both genetic markers …
Advantages And Challenges Of Using Physics Curricula As A Model For Reforming An Undergraduate Biology Course, Deborah A. Donovan, L. J. Atkins, I.Y. Salter, D.J. Gallagher, R.F. Kratz, J.V. Rousseau, G.D. Nelson
Advantages And Challenges Of Using Physics Curricula As A Model For Reforming An Undergraduate Biology Course, Deborah A. Donovan, L. J. Atkins, I.Y. Salter, D.J. Gallagher, R.F. Kratz, J.V. Rousseau, G.D. Nelson
Biology Faculty and Staff Publications
We report on the development of a life sciences curriculum, targeted to undergraduate students, which was modeled after a commercially available physics curriculum and based on aspects of how people learn. Our paper describes the collaborative development process and necessary modifications required to apply a physics pedagogical model in a life sciences context. While some approaches were easily adapted, others provided significant challenges. Among these challenges were: representations of energy, introducing definitions, the placement of Scientists’ Ideas, and the replicability of data. In modifying the curriculum to address these challenges, we have come to see them as speaking to deeper …
Noninvasive Method For A Statewide Survey Of Eastern Hellbenders Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis Using Environmental Dna, Amy J. Santas, Tyler Persaud, Barbara A. Wolfe, Jenise Bauman
Noninvasive Method For A Statewide Survey Of Eastern Hellbenders Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis Using Environmental Dna, Amy J. Santas, Tyler Persaud, Barbara A. Wolfe, Jenise Bauman
College of the Environment on the Peninsulas Publications
Traditional survey methods of aquatic organisms may be difficult, lengthy, and destructive to the habitat. Some methods are invasive and can be harmful to the target species. The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) has proven to be effective at detecting low population density aquatic macroorganisms. This study refined the technique to support statewide surveys. Hellbender presence was identified by using hellbender specific primers (cytochrome b gene) to detect eDNA in water samples collected at rivers, streams and creeks in Ohio and Kentucky with historical accounts of the imperiled eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis). Two sampling protocols are described; …
Concrete Shroud, Jake Reller, Mariah Tate Klemens
Concrete Shroud, Jake Reller, Mariah Tate Klemens
Occam's Razor
Concrete shroud is an exhibition originating from a dialogue between the two artists, culminating in a series of lectures written by Mariah Tate Klemens and Jake Reller.
Community, Culture And Identity In An Age Of Globalization, Katie Wiggins
Community, Culture And Identity In An Age Of Globalization, Katie Wiggins
Occam's Razor
As we move further into the age of globalization, we are seeing changes not only at a global level but at individual and communal levels; changes that we cannot wholly identify but that we recognize in ourselves. We are adapting to a global world, one that is affecting our identity and culture and, as we attempt to hold on to this identity and still converse with a larger world, we ultimately are forced to reshape our identities. Some may wonder what this will mean for the future and to what extent it affects us as individuals and communities. To answer …
Occam's Razor Vol. 3 - Full (2013)
Fish Consumption By Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina) In The San Juan Islands, Washington, Sarah M.S. Howard, Monique M. Lance, Steven J. Jeffries, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez
Fish Consumption By Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina) In The San Juan Islands, Washington, Sarah M.S. Howard, Monique M. Lance, Steven J. Jeffries, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez
Biology Faculty and Staff Publications
The harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) is a large-bodied and abundant predator in the Salish Sea ecosystem, and its population has recovered since the 1970s after pas sage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the cessation of bounties. Little is known about how this large predator population may affect the recovery of fish stocks in the Salish Sea, where candidate marine protected areas are being proposed. We used a bioenergetics model to calculate baseline consumption rates in the San Juan Islands, Washing ton. Salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) and herring (Clupeidae) were the 2 most energetically important prey groups for biomass consumed …
New Insights Into The Diets Of Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina) In The Salish Sea Revealed By Analysis Of Fatty Acid Signatures, Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Monique M. Lance, Elizabeth W. Elliott, Steven J. Jeffries, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez, John M. Kennish
New Insights Into The Diets Of Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina) In The Salish Sea Revealed By Analysis Of Fatty Acid Signatures, Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Monique M. Lance, Elizabeth W. Elliott, Steven J. Jeffries, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez, John M. Kennish
Biology Faculty and Staff Publications
Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are an abundant predator along the west coast of North America, and there is considerable interest in their diet composition, especially in regard to predation on valued fish stocks. Available information on harbor seal diets, primarily derived from scat analysis, suggests that adult salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii), and gadids predominate. Because diet assessments based on scat analysis may be biased, we investigated diet composition through quantitative analysis of fatty acid signatures. Blubber samples from 49 harbor seals captured in western North America from haul-outs within the area of the San Juan Islands and …
Identification Of Proteins That Putatively Bind The Promoter Of The Stomatal Master Regulator Gene, Mute, Anthony F. (Anthony Fahike) Williams
Identification Of Proteins That Putatively Bind The Promoter Of The Stomatal Master Regulator Gene, Mute, Anthony F. (Anthony Fahike) Williams
WWU Graduate School Collection
Stomata are epidermal pores on land plants that exchange gases to maintain water potential and photosynthesis. Two guard cells flank each pore and change the aperture based on turgor pressure-induced changes in their shape. Stomatal aperture and density are affected by environmental stimuli such as light quality and quantity, CO2 concentrations, and water availability. The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor MUTE drives the differentiation of transient epidermal stem cells, called meristemoids, to guard mother cells, which divide to form a mature stoma. MUTE is only transcriptionally active in late-stage meristemoids, but the mechanisms controlling its expression are unknown. The purpose …
Voltage-Sensitive Gating Of The Pannexin-1 Channel, Margaret A. Fuqua
Voltage-Sensitive Gating Of The Pannexin-1 Channel, Margaret A. Fuqua
WWU Graduate School Collection
Since its discovery just over a decade ago, Pannexin-1 (Px1) has been recognized in a number of important physiological and pathophysiological processes such as taste, inflammation, and tumor suppression. This large-pore, polymodal ion channel was initially identified as ‗voltage-dependent,‘ though there have been no precise studies concerning the gating properties of Px1 to date. Because Px1 is expressed in excitable cells, identifying voltage-gating properties of Px1 was our primary goal. Using the two-electrode voltage clamp technique, we showed for the first time that Px1 is a weakly voltage-gated channel. Depolarizing voltages up to +200 mV revealed half-maximal activation at +51 …
Short-Range Host Preference In Snowberry Maggot Flies Depends On Life History Stage, John L. (John Lawton) Huddleston
Short-Range Host Preference In Snowberry Maggot Flies Depends On Life History Stage, John L. (John Lawton) Huddleston
WWU Graduate School Collection
Closely related animal species are often incompletely isolated reproductively and occasionally hybridize. Many host-specific insects are primarily isolated by the reproductive barrier of host choice and provide model systems to study gene flow in sympatry. Understanding conditions that alter barriers like host choice can help us understand reproductive isolation between these species. Hybridization occurs between microsympatric populations of apple and snowberry maggots in Bellingham, Washington which are also not isolated by mating season or assortative mating. I exposed apple and snowberry maggots to their natal fruits in two-way choice experiments to measure their short-range host preferences. I tested snowberry flies …
The Effects Of Elevated Temperature And Ocean Acidity On Bacterioplankton Community Structure And Metabolism, Nam Siu
WWU Graduate School Collection
By the end of the 21st century, mean sea surface temperatures are expected to increase 4°C, while atmospheric CO2 concentrations are predicted to triple causing seawater to become more acidic. These compounding effects will undoubtedly have major consequences for the organisms and processes in the oceans. Bacterioplankton play a vital role in the marine carbon cycle and the oceans' ability to sequester CO2. We utilized pCO2 perturbation experiments to investigate the effects of elevated temperature and acidity on bacterioplankton community structure and metabolism. Terminalrestriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) revealed that bacterioplankton incubated in lower pH conditions exhibited a reduction of …
Biogeography And Evolution Of Thermococcus Isolates From Hydrothermal Vent Systems Of The Pacific, Mark T. (Mark Thomas) Price
Biogeography And Evolution Of Thermococcus Isolates From Hydrothermal Vent Systems Of The Pacific, Mark T. (Mark Thomas) Price
WWU Graduate School Collection
Thermococcus are an Archaeal genus of hyperthermophilic microorganisms found to be ubiquitously present in hydrothermal habitats. DNA analyses of Thermococcus isolates focusing primarily on isolates from the Juan de Fuca Ridge, Gorda Ridge, and South East Pacific Rise, were applied in order to determine the relationship between geographic distribution and relatedness. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were used to resolve genomic differences at the species and strain level in 90 isolates of Thermococcus, allowing for the detection of biogeographic patterns and evolutionary relationships within this genus. Isolates were differentiated at regional levels and into …
Physiological Adaptations And Feeding Mechanisms Of The Invasive Purple Varnish Clam, Nuttallia Obscurata, Leesa E. Sorber
Physiological Adaptations And Feeding Mechanisms Of The Invasive Purple Varnish Clam, Nuttallia Obscurata, Leesa E. Sorber
WWU Graduate School Collection
The Purple Varnish Clam, Nuttallia obscurata, is an example of a recent successful invader to the Pacific Northwest. Nuttallia obscurata reside in the high intertidal zone where it must adapt to daily and seasonal fluctuations in salinity and food availability. I investigated their physiological and morphological adaptations to these conditions. The acute physiological response of the invasive, N. obscurata and the native, L. staminea's excised gill tissue's respiratory metabolism (measured as oxygen consumption) in 5, 30, and 55 ppt salinities were measured in a closed system, Gilson Differential Respirometer and compared. The excised gill tissue of both species displayed the …