Life Sciences Commons^™

2013 Program, Office Of Academic Affairs

Programs

At its best, a university is a collection of individuals ‐‐ students and faculty ‐‐ focused on learning and discovering new knowledge. For this goal to be realized, a critical element is having faculty members deeply engaged with their disciplines. Scholarship, in the form of journal articles, book chapters, monographs and similar endeavors, creative activity which can take an even wider range of forms, and funded research which explores the boundaries of their disciplines all contribute to such engagement. Through such participation, faculty members stay at the growing edges of their fields, and in so doing, they enrich their intellectual …

Spiranthes Cernua (L.) Rich., Gordon C. Tucker

Specimens by Name

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Exercise Order On Upper Body Maximum And Submaximal Strength Gains In Trained Men, Claudio O. Assumpcao, Ramires A. Tibana, Luan C. Viana, Jeffrey Willardson, Jonato Prestes

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of exercise order on one-repetition maximum (1-RM) and ten-repetition maximum (10-RM) strength gains after 6 weeks of resistance training (RT) in trained men. Sixteen men were randomly assigned into two groups based on the order of exercises performed during training sessions: a group that performed large muscle group exercises first and progressed to small muscle group exercises (LG-SM); while a second group performed the opposite sequence and started with small muscle group exercises and progressed to large muscle group exercises (SM-LG). Four sessions of RT were conducted per week; all …

Morus Rubra L., Gordon C. Tucker

Specimens by Name

No abstract provided.

Acer Ginnala Maxim., Gordon C. Tucker

Specimens by Name

No abstract provided.

Acer Pseudoplatanus L., Gordon C. Tucker

Specimens by Name

No abstract provided.

Morus Rubra L., Gordon C. Tucker

Specimens by Name

No abstract provided.

Mitochondrial Energetics Of Benthic And Pelagic Antarctic Teleosts, Eloy Martinez, Michael A. Menze, Joseph P. Torres

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Antarctic fauna are highly adapted to the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean. This study describes the in vitro temperature sensitivity of oxygen consumption rates measured in liver mitochondria from the pelagic notothenioid Pleuragramma antarcticum between 5 and 35 C. Oxygen fluxes were measured after the addition of millimolar levels of pyruvate, malate, succinate and glutamate (state II, LEAK) and saturating levels of ADP [state III, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)]. State III respiration significantly decreased above 18.7 C. A comparison of the oxidative capacities among P. antarcticum and other notothenioids showed significant differences in state III respiration, where benthic species exhibited …

Vitis Riparia Michx., Gordon C. Tucker, Vicky M. Tucker

Specimens by Name

No abstract provided.

Vitis Riparia Michx., Gordon C. Tucker, Vicky M. Tucker

Specimens by Name

No abstract provided.

Supra-Physiological Doses Of Testosterone Affect Membrane Oxidation Of Human Neutrophils Monitored By The Fluorescent Probe C11-Bodipy581/591, Tacito Pessoa De Souza Jr, Andre K. Yamada, Roberto Simao, Tatiana G. Polotow, Rui Curi, Zachary Pope, Jeffrey Willardson, Marcelo P. Barros

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of supra-physiological doses of testosterone (TES) on membrane oxidation of activated human neutrophils in vitro using an innovative and sensitive technique: the real-time detection with the fluorescence probe C11-BODIPY581/591. Methodological controls were performed with the lipid-soluble and powerful antioxidant astaxanthin at different neutrophil density cultures. Neutrophils from nine healthy young men (23.4 ± 2.5 years, 174.4 ± 7.0 cm height, and 78.3 ± 7.0 kg weight) were isolated and treated with 0.1 or 10 μM TES for 24 h and subsequently labeled with the free radical-sensitive probe C11-BODIPY581/591 for monitoring …

Puccinia Mariae-Wilsoniae And Claytonia Virginica: A Pathogen's Tale, Sarah A. Schlund

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Rusts are economically important fungal plant pathogens. For the majority of rust species, complete life history data, including host range, geographic distribution, plant response to the rust, identity of alternate hosts, and mode of sexual reproduction are incomplete. The purpose of this study was to examine the life history of Puccinia mariae-wilsoniae, a rust on Claytonia virginica (spring beauty), and to observe responses in leaf anatomy to its fungal pathogen. Spring beauty is an ephemeral woodland plant that lasts three to four weeks and P. mariae-wilsoniae infects C. virginica almost as soon as the plant emerges from dormancy in …

Seed Germination And Seed Bank Of Scutellaria Species, Jennifer O'Brien

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Florida skullcap, Scutellaria floridana Chapm. (Lamiaceae), is a federally threatened species found in the Florida Panhandle. Its habitat is a fire-prone, longleaf pine forest dominated by Aristida stricta Michx. var. beyrichiana (wiregrass). Other Scutellaria species used in the study are found in southeastern U.S., including two within the Florida Panhandle. The objective of this study was to compare several techniques to germinate seeds of Scutellaria incana, Scutellaria lateriflora, Scutellaria ovata ssp. ovata, and Scutellaria floridana, and to access the presence of a seed bank for S. floridana. For the germination study, Scutellaria later …

An Assessment Of Transformation Protocols Of Trametes Versicolor: A Possible Biological Pretreatment For Biomass, Michelle Hartnett

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Lignin is an obstacle in large-scale biofuel production. This can be overcome by the use of fungal pretreatment. This experiment assessed two transformation assays, based on the protocols of Laccaria bicolor and Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and applied them to Trametes versicolor. In order to determine a successful transformation, T. versicolor was transformed with green fluorescence protein (GFP) using the two assays, followed by detection of transformed mycelia under UV light. The two protocols were assessed based on timeliness, ease, and effectiveness. Based on the quantity of viable transformants and ease, the membrane assay described for Laccaria is successful when …

Taking The Road Most Travelled: Understanding Patterns Of Snake (Colubridae; Storeria) Movement And Road Mortality In A State Park, Iwo P. Gross

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Seed Ecology Of Federally Threatened Pinguicula Ionantha (Godfrey's Butterwort), Jenna Annis

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pinguicula ionantha G. (Lentibulariaceae) is a carnivorous plant occurring in historically fire-dependent bog habitats of longleaf pine savannas. The species is limited to 6 counties within the Florida Panhandle. The species is currently listed as federally threatened due largely to habitat loss. The objective of this research is to provide the appropriate Pinguicula ionantha germination and seed bank information that would aid in the deli sting of the species. Eleven collections of Pinguicula ionantha seeds were made from natural populations. All germination trials took place in a seed germination chamber. Treatments included stratification, liquid smoke solutions, plant growth regulators (PGR), …

Activities Of Methionine-Γ-Lyase In The Acidophilic Archaeon “Ferroplasma Acidarmanus” Strain Fer1, M. A. Khan, Madeline M. Lopez-Munoz, Charles W. Kaspar, Kai F. Hung

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Biogeochemical processes on exposed pyrite ores result in extremely high levels of sulfuric acid at these locations. Acidophiles that thrive in these conditions must overcome significant challenges, including an environment with proton concentrations at pH 3 or below. The role of sulfur metabolism in the archaeon “Ferroplasma acidarmanus” strain fer1’s ability to thrive in this environment was investigated due to its growth-dependent production of methanethiol, a volatile organic sulfur compound. Two putative sequences for methionine- γ-lyase (EC 4.4.1.11), an enzyme known to carry out α,γ-elimination on L-methionine to produce methanethiol, were identified in fer1. Bioinformatic analyses identified a conserved pyridoxal-5′-phosphate …

Activities Of Methionine-Γ-Lyase In The Acidophilic Archaeon “Ferroplasma Acidarmanus” Strain Fer1, M. Khan, Madeline Lopez-Munoz, Charles Kaspar, Kai Hung

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Biogeochemical processes on exposed pyrite ores result in extremely high levels of sulfuric acid at these locations. Acidophiles that thrive in these conditions must overcome significant challenges, including an environment with proton concentrations at pH 3 or below. The role of sulfur metabolism in the archaeon “Ferroplasma acidarmanus” strain fer1’s ability to thrive in this environment was investigated due to its growth-dependent production of methanethiol, a volatile organic sulfur compound. Two putative sequences for methionine- γ-lyase (EC 4.4.1.11), an enzyme known to carry out α,γ-elimination on L-methionine to produce methanethiol, were identified in fer1. Bioinformatic analyses identified a conserved pyridoxal-5′-phosphate …

Taking The Road Most Travelled: Understanding Patterns Of Snake (Colubridae; Storeria) Movement And Road Mortality In A State Park, Iwo P. Gross

Student Honors Theses

Roadways negatively affect their surrounding ecosystems through the contamination of air, water, and soil resources, the dissection of populations and habitat areas, and the direct mortality of several fauna. My study assessed the significance of a number of variables that might influence the temporal and spatial patterns of road mortality in a population of Midland Brownsnakes (Storeria dekayi wrightorum). I utilized passive sampling techniques and roadwalking surveys to collect individual snakes from a road during their biannual migrations from lowland activity areas to upland forests where they hibernate. I discovered that sexually biased behavioral and natural history traits impacted an …

Mechanisms Of Freeze Avoidance In Eggs Of The Antarctic Naked Dragonfish (Gymnodraco Acuticeps) And Atlantic Tomcod (Microgadus Tomcod), Jeremy M. Carlson

Student Honors Theses

A remarkable number of marine teleosts belonging to the perciform suborder Notothenioidei and the paracanthopterygian suborder Gadoidei (cods and their allies) have evolved biophysical and physiological adaptations that promote freeze avoidance to temperatures as low as 1oC below the equilibrium freezing point of their body fluids (Cheng et al. 2003; Costanzo et al. 1995; Howes 1991; Raymond and DeVries 1977). Among the Notothenioids endemic to the Antarctic Ocean, the naked dragonfish (Gymnodraco acuticeps, Figure 1) inhabits the ice-laden waters near McMurdo Sound where the annual water temperature remains stable at -1.87 ± 0.1oC (Komatsu et al. 1970; Bargelloni et al. …

Seed Germination And Seed Bank Of Scutellaria Species, Jennifer O'Brien

Student Honors Theses

Florida skullcap, Scutellaria floridana Chapm. (Lamiaceae), is a federally threatened species found in the Florida Panhandle. Its habitat is a fire-prone, longleaf pine forest dominated by Aristida stricta Michx. var. beyrichiana (wiregrass). Other Scutellaria species used in the study are found in southeastern U.S., including two within the Florida Panhandle. The objective of this study was to compare several techniques to germinate seeds of Scutellaria incana, Scutellaria lateriflora, Scutellaria ovata ssp. ovata, and Scutellaria floridana, and to access the presence of a seed bank for S. floridana. For the germination study, Scutellaria lateriflora and S. ovata ssp. ovata were stratified …

Improved Tolerance To Freeze And Salt Stress In Mitochondria Of Drosophilia Melanogaster Cells Conferred By Lea Protein, Matthew R. Marunde

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mechanisms that govern anhydrobiosis involve the accumulation of highly hydrophilic macromolecules, such as late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins. Group 1 LEA proteins comprised of 181 (AfLEA1.1) and 197 (AfLEA1.3) amino acids were cloned from embryos of Artemia franciscana and expressed in Drosophila melanogaster cells (Kc167). Confocal microscopy revealed accumulations of green fluorescence protein (GFP) and AfLEA1.3 constructs in the mitochondria (AfLEA1.3-GFP) and AfLEA1.1-GFP constructs in the cytoplasm. In the presence of mixed substrates, oxygen consumption was similar for permeabilized Kc167 control and Kc167-AfLEA1.3 cells. Acute titrations of NaCl (up to 500 mM) led to successive drops in oxygen flux of …

Influence Of Upper-Body Exercise Order On Hormonal Responses In Trained Men, Roberto Simao, Richard Diego Leite, Guilherme Fleury Fina Speretta, Alex Souto Maior, Belmiro Freitas De Salles, Tacito Pessoa De Souza Jr, Jakob L. Vingren, Jeffrey Willardson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

The aim of this study was to examine acute hormonal responses after different sequences of an upper-body resistance-exercise session. Twenty men completed 2 sessions (3 sets; 70% 1-repetition maximum; 2 min passive rest between sets) of the same exercises in opposite sequences (larger to smaller vs. smaller to larger muscle-group exercises). Total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), testosterone/cortisol (T/C) ratio, sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), growth hormone (GH), and cortisol (C) concentrations were measured before and immediately after each sequence. The results indicate that the GH concentration increased after both sessions, but the increase was significantly greater (p < 0.05) after the sequence in which larger muscle-group exercises were performed prior to the smaller muscle-group exercises. No differences were observed between sessions for TT, FT, SHBG, C, or the T/C ratio at baseline or immediately after resistance exercise. These results indicate that performing larger muscle-group exercises first in an upper-body resistance-exercise session leads to a significantly greater GH response. This may have been due to the significantly greater exercise volume accomplished. In summary, the findings of this investigation support the common prescriptive recommendation to perform larger-muscle group exercises first during a resistance-exercise session.

Phenotypic And Genotypic Characterization Of Escherichia Coli Isolated From Untreated Surface Waters, Kai Hung, Steven Daniel, Kristopher Janezic, Blake Ferry, Eric Hendricks, Brian Janiga, Tiffany Johnson, Samantha Murphy, Morgan Roberts, Sarah Scott, Alexandra Theisen

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

A common member of the intestinal microbiota in humans and animals is Escherichia coli. Based on the presence of virulence factors, E. coli can be potentially pathogenic. The focus of this study was to isolate E. coli from untreated surface waters (37 sites) in Illinois and Missouri and determine phenotypic and genotypic diversity among isolates. Water samples positive for fecal coliforms based on the Colisure® test were streaked directly onto Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar (37°C) or transferred to EC broth (44.5°C). EC broth cultures producing gas were then streaked onto EMB agar. Forty-five isolates were identified as E. coli …

The Spatial Distribution Of The Japanese Beetle, Popillia Japonica, In Soybean Fields, Stacey Sara, Emily Mccallen, Paul Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is a serious pest of many agricultural and horticultural plants. Relatively little research has investigated the distributions of Japanese beetles in agricultural fields, and this lack of information makes pest management more difficult. In the present study, the spatial distribution of Japanese beetles in soybean fields was examined. Specifically, how the distribution and abundance of beetles was affected by distance from an edge, edge direction, and edge type was examined. An edge effect for density was discovered; beetle numbers decreased significantly with increasing distance from the field edge. The east and south …

Improved Tolerance To Salt And Water Stress In Drosophila Melanogaster Cells Conferred By Late Embryogenesis Abundant Protein, Matthew R. Marunde, Dilini A. Samarajeewa, John Anderson, Shumin Li, Steven C. Hand, Michael A. Menze

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Mechanisms that govern anhydrobiosis involve the accumulation of highly hydrophilic macromolecules, such as late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins. Group 1 LEA proteins comprised of 181 (AfLEA1.1) and 197 (AfLEA1.3) amino acids were cloned from embryos of Artemia franciscana and expressed in Drosophila melanogaster cells (Kc167). Confocal microscopy revealed a construct composed of green fluorescence protein (GFP) and AfLEA1.3 accumulates in the mitochondria (AfLEA1.3-GFP), while AfLEA1.1-GFP was found in the cytoplasm. In the presence of mixed substrates, oxygen consumption was statistically identical for permeabilized Kc167 control and Kc167-AfLEA1.3 cells. Acute titrations of permeabilized cells with NaCl up to 500 mM led …

Effects Of Different Antagonist Protocols On Repetition Performance And Muscle Activation, Andrade Paz, Jeffrey Willardson, Roberto Simao, Humberto Miranda

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Objective: To investigate the acute effects of different antagonist manipulation protocols on maximal repetition performance and muscle activation during seated row (SR) exercise.

Methods: Fifteen men (22.4 ± 1.1 years old, height 175 cm ± 5.5, weight 76.6 kg ± 7, and 12.3 ± 2.1 of body fat percentage) with previous resistance training experience (3.5 ± 1.2 years) performed four experimental protocols: (TP) one set to repetition failure of SR exercise; (AS) Antagonist static stretching for the pectoralis major (PM) followed by one set of SR; (PNFA) Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation for PM followed by one set of the SR; (APS) …

Effectiveness Of Exercise On Cognitive Impairment And Alzheimer’S Disease, Sandor Balsamo, Jeffrey Willardson, Frederico Santos De Santana, Jonato Prestes, Denise Coscrato Balsamo, Dahan Da Cunha Nascimento, Leopoldo Dos Santos-Neto, Octavio T. Nobrega

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Physical activity has a protective effect on brain function in older people. Here, we briefly reviewed the studies and results related to the effects of exercise on cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. The main findings from the current body of literature indicate positive evidence for structured physical activity (cardiorespiratory and resistance exercise) as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for preventing cognitive decline. More studies are needed to determine the mechanisms involved in this preventative effect, including on strength, cardiorespiratory, and other types of exercise. Thus, the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease may depend on healthy lifestyle habits, such as a structured physical …

Book Review: Gadamer’S Ethics Of Play: Hermeneutics And The Other, Chad R. Carlson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Function Of Dorsal Fins In Bamboo Shark During Steady Swimming, Anabela Maia, Cheryl Wilga

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

To gain insight into the function of the dorsal fins in white-spotted bamboo sharks (Orectolobiformes: Hemiscyillidae) during steady swimming, data on three-dimensional kinematics and electromyographic recordings were collected. Bamboo sharks were induced to swim at 0.5 and 0.75 body lengths per second in a laminar flow tank. Displacement, lag and angles were analyzed from high-speed video images. Onset, offset, duration, duty cycle and asynchrony index were calculated from three muscle implants on each side of each dorsal fin. The dorsal fins were displaced more laterally than the undulating body. In addition, the dorsal tips had larger lateral displacement than the …