Life Sciences Commons^™

Review: Celebrate Healthy Eating, Dannon Institute, Inc. (2003), Updated 2006. Web Site For Early Childhood Professionals: Http://Www.Celebratehealthyeating.Org, Chrissy Mitzel, Jae Mukoyama, Gwen Zumwalt, Melanie Burns

Faculty Research & Creative Activity until 2018 (FCS)

No abstract provided.

Review: Your Personal Path To Health: Steps To A Healthier You!, Lindsay Schwarz, Jennette Ryan, Melanie Burns

Faculty Research & Creative Activity until 2018 (FCS)

No abstract provided.

Review: Water With Lemon, Jessica Petruszak, Mary Jane Hacker, Brie Gulley, Melanie Burns

Faculty Research & Creative Activity until 2018 (FCS)

No abstract provided.

Review: Healthy Living Program, Module 6: Fall Prevention, Carol Hendricks, Angie Ison, Jasmine Sufranski, Melanie Burns

Faculty Research & Creative Activity until 2018 (FCS)

No abstract provided.

Review: Eat Smart North Carolina: Guidelines For Healthy Foods And Beverages At Meetings, Gatherings, And Events, Megan Mccallister, Kelly Knust, Lindsey Wilson, Melanie Burns

Faculty Research & Creative Activity until 2018 (FCS)

No abstract provided.

Apoptosis Of Dedifferentiated Hepatoma Cells Is Independent Of Nf-Jb Activation In Response To Lps, M. Ryan Reidy, Janette Ellis, Erin A. Schmitz, David M. Kraus, Gary A. Bulla

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Dedifferentiated hepatoma cells, in contrast to most other cell types including hepatoma cells, undergo apoptosis when treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHx). We recently reported that the dedifferentiated hepatoma cells also exhibit a strong and prolonged NF-jB induction phenotype upon exposure to LPS, suggesting that NF-jB signaling may play a pro-survival role, as reported in several other cell systems. To test the role of NF-jB in preventing LPS-mediated apoptosis, we examined the dedifferentiated cell line M38. Results show that antioxidants strongly inhibited LPS + CHx-mediated cell death in the M38 cells, yet only modestly inhibited …

Physical Contests For Females In The Japanese Beetle, Popillia Japonica, Paul Switzer, Kipp C. Kruse

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

We conducted field observations of physical competition for mates, in which a single male attempts to usurp a female from another male, in male Japanese beetles, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera; Scarabaeidae). Physical contests for mates were relatively rare, but when they occurred the challenger male was able to successfully takeover females by dislodging the previously paired resident male in only 18% of contests, suggesting that a substantial prior residency advantage exists in this species. Challenger males that were successful in takeover attempts were significantly larger than the resident male. In contrast, no size pattern was found between intruding males and …

Additions To The Flora Of Connecticut, Gordon C. Tucker

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Since the publication of the Connecticut checklist by Dowhan (1979), new state records have continued to appear. These were summarized by Mehrhoff (1995), including some made by Tucker ( 1987, 1991 ). Although geographically distant, the flora of Connecticut has continued to hold my attention since the publication of a flora of the southeastern part of the state (Tucker 1995). Over the past decade, I have made several collections that are new records for the state flora. These new records are reported in this paper, as well as a 1970 collection of Coronilla scorpio ides that was never added to …

A Comparison Of Once Versus Twice Per Week Training On Leg Press Strength In Women, J. Burt, R. Wilson, Jeffrey Willardson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

The purpose of this study was to compare strength differences between 2 groups of untrained women, who performed a single set of the leg press exercise once or twice per week. Methods. Twenty-one women were divided randomly into 2 groups: Group 1 (n=10) performed a single set of the leg press exercise once per week, while Group 2 (n=11) performed a single set of the leg press exercise twice per week for a period of 8 weeks. Throughout the duration of the study, an amount of resistance was utilized that allowed for a single set of 6 to 10 repetitions …

Using Dragonflies As Common, Flexible, And Charismatic Subjects For Teaching The Scientific Process, Paul Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Male And Female Body Size On Mating Behavior Of Male Fairy Shrimp, Eubranchipus Neglectus, Craig Feigenbaum, Paul V. Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

We studied size-related mating patterns in the freshwater fairy shrimp Eubranchipus neglectus in the laboratory. Males were provided with relatively small or large females that they could only sense by vision. We recorded the number of times a male pursued the female (“follows”), the duration of these follows, and the number of times a male attempted to grasp the female. Relatively large males performed more mating behavior than relatively small males. Furthermore, males (regardless of their own size) exhibited more mating behavior towards large than small females. They followed large females more frequently, attempted to grasp large females more often, …

Over-Expression Of Udp-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase In Hybrid Poplar Affects Carbon Allocation, Heather D. Coleman, Thomas Canam, Kyu-Young Kang, David D. Ellis, Shawn D. Mansfield

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The effects of the over-expression of the Acetobacter xylinum UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) under the control of the tandem repeat Cauliflower Mosaic Virus promoter (2335S) on plant metabolism and growth were investigated in hybrid poplar (Populus alba3grandidentata). Transcript levels, enzyme activity, growth parameters, leaf morphology, structural and soluble carbohydrates, and soluble metabolite levels were quantified in both transgenic and wild-type trees. Transgenic 2335S::UGPase poplar showed impaired growth rates, displaying reduced height growth and stem diameter. Morphologically, 2335S::UGPase trees had elongated axial shoots, and leaves that were substantially smaller in size when compared with wild-type trees at equivalent developmental stages. Biochemical analysis …

Review: Water With Lemon, Jessica Petruszak, Mary Hacker, Brie Gulley, Melanie Burns

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Review: Your Personal Path To Health: Steps To A Healthier You!, Lindsay Schwarz, Jennette Ryan, Melanie Burns

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Review: Eat Smart North Carolina: Guidelines For Healthy Foods And Beverages At Meetings, Gatherings, And Events, Megan Mccallister, Kelly Knust, Lindsey Wilson, Melanie Burns

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Phylogeny And Geological History Of The Cynipoid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea), Zhiwei Liu, Michael Engel, David Grimaldi

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The geological history of the wasp superfamily Cynipoidea is reviewed, with the description of various new taxa, being mostly in Late Cretaceous amber from New Jersey and Canada. The various fossil lineages are incorporated into a phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily, and their implications for understanding the evolution of the group are explored. The following new taxa or taxonomic changes are proposed (authorship of all taxa is Liu and Engel): Protimaspidae, new family; Stolamissidae, new family; Stolamissus, new genus; Stolamissus mirabilis, new species; Proliopterinae, new subfamily; Proliopteron, new genus; Proliopteron redactus, new species; Goeraniinae, new subfamily; Goerania, new genus; Goerania …

The Effect Of Male And Female Body Size On Mating Behavior Of Male Fairy Shrimp, Eubranchipus Neglectus, Craig Feigenbaum, Paul Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

We studied size-related mating patterns in the freshwater fairy shrimp Eubranchipus neglectus in the laboratory. Males were provided with relatively small or large females that they could only sense by vision. We recorded the number of times a male pursued the female (“follows”), the duration of these follows, and the number of times a male attempted to grasp the female. Relatively large males performed more mating behavior than relatively small males. Furthermore, males (regardless of their own size) exhibited more mating behavior towards large than small females. They followed large females more frequently, attempted to grasp large females more often, …

Alaska At The Crossroads Of Migration: Space-Based Ornithology, Jill Deppe, K Wessels, J Smith

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Understanding bird migration on a global scale is one of the most compelling and challenging problems of modern biology. Each year multitudes of migratory birds travel between breeding grounds in Alaska and wintering grounds in the Americas, Asia, and Australia. Here we present the conceptual framework for a spatially explicit, individual-based biophysical migration model driven by dynamic remote sensing observations of atmospheric and land surface conditions to simulate migration routes, timing, energy budgets, and probability of survival. Understanding temporal and spatial patterns of bird migration will provide insight into pressing conservation and human health issues related to this taxonomic group.

Additions To The Flora Of Connecticut, Gordon Tucker

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Since the publication of the Connecticut checklist by Dowhan (1979), new state records have continued to appear. These were summarized by Mehrhoff (1995), including some made by Tucker ( 1987, 1991 ). Although geographically distant, the flora of Connecticut has continued to hold my attention since the publication of a flora of the southeastern part of the state (Tucker 1995). Over the past decade, I have made several collections that are new records for the state flora. These new records are reported in this paper, as well as a 1970 collection of Coronilla scorpio ides that was never added to …

Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Total Heterotroph And Fecal Coliform Bacteria In An Urban Stream, Heather R. English

Masters Theses

Total heterotroph bacteria populations in the Sangamon River in east central Illinois, U.S.A. were monitored during a period between June and October in 2003 and 2004. Fecal coliforms (FC) were also monitored during this period in 2004. The four sites monitored were upstream and downstream of the Sanitary District of Decatur (SOD). All areas ofthe river monitored showed similar populations ofboth total heterotrophs and FCs. No correlations could be made between increases in populations of total heterotrophs or FC in relation to flow rate, dissolved oxygen, or total solids. Most sites were found to exceed the recommended amount ofFC for …

Long Term Population Dynamics For Rosa Multiflora In A Successional System, Stephen Eugene Banasiak

Masters Theses

There is a real need for long term studies of invasions to develop a more complete understanding of the factors that influence species spread. Rosa multiflora was chosen to study to address this issue due to its pervasiveness throughout the study site's successional history. The study-site was composed of 10 abandoned agricultural fields near an old growth forest with fifty years of annual vegetation data collection. R. multiflora colonization and extinction rates were examined along with frequency and coefficient of variance since field abandonment. Environmental factors such as rainfall, tree cover, and common species and their effects on R. multiflora …

The Influence Of Extreme Hydrologic Events On Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages In The Sangamon River, Decatur, Illinois, Catherine E. Ciak

Masters Theses

One of the most extreme disturbances to aquatic systems is river impoundment. Dams alter a river's ecological processes by changing the flow of water, nutrients, sediment, biota and energy. Anthropogenic flow variability can lead to changes in natural seasonal variation, which has subsequent effects on biological assemblages within the ecosystem. This study investigated the influence of extreme hydrologic events on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages within the Sangamon River in Decatur, Illinois. Four sites were sampled from June-August 2006 using the EPA 20 jab method. Samples were processed and macroinvertebrates were identified to family or lowest identifiable taxonomic group. Primer 6.1.6 was …

Cell Signaling Pathways In Lps-Mediated Apoptosis Of Dedifferentiated Hepatoma Cells, Michael Ryan Reidy

Masters Theses

Using liver tumor cells and their dedifferentiated cell lines, mechanisms underlying tissue specific gene expression can be studied. We have derived cell lines, from liver tumor cells, which fail to express liver genes. These cells are termed "dedifferentiated cells". One significant observation made was that cells which fail to express liver genes also rapidly undergo programmed cell death (known as apoptosis) under the influence of the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Understanding the mechanism of how liver function relates to cell apoptosis is the goal of this study.

Apoptosis is known to play a critical role in development and homeostasis, yet …

Comparison Of Avian Nest Success Among Linear Wooded Habitats In An Agricultural Landscape, Terri J.E. Thompson

Masters Theses

In the Midwest, urban expansion and more intensive agricultural practices have reduced habitat available to most species of breeding birds. Linear wooded habitats including fencerows and riparian strips are a common habitat feature in many agricultural landscapes. Changes in agricultural practices and the subsequent reduction in grasslands and fencerows have lead to greater breeding densities in species that use the remaining fencerows as nest sites. This may lead to a lower nesting success due to factors such as higher predation risk. Specifically, it is not known how such linear habitats currently contribute to avian populations in central Illinois.

We monitored …

Effects Of Food Deprivation, Body Size, And Egg Load On The Mating Behavior Of Female Japanese Beetles, Popillia Japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Natasha Tigreros

Masters Theses

Female condition may play an important role in the mating frequency of species that mate at foraging areas. For example, in species where feeding females are more easily encountered or less resistant to mating than females that are performing other activities, low energy levels could increase mating activity. We studied the relationship between female condition and mating activity in the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in a laboratory study. We altered condition by depriving some females of food for one day and comparing their mating behavior to well-fed females. Our results showed that the effect of condition on mating …

Red Squirrel Distribution And Habitat Use In Illinois, Corinna Hanson

Masters Theses

The North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is a species of special concern in Illinois due to its restricted geographic range and low numbers. This species occupies a broad geographic range in North America and is usually associated with the boreal forests of Canada and coniferous forests in the Rocky Mountain range. The squirrels also occupy deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests in the eastern U.S. In Illinois, available habitat is suboptimal, and limited to pine plantations and small tracts of deciduous forest embedded in an agricultural matrix landscapе. Information on the spatial distribution of red squirrels in northeastern Illinois was …

Mating, Kinship, And Population Structure In Illinois Beaver Populations, Joanne C. Crawford

Masters Theses

The North American beaver, Castor canadensis, is an important wildlife species for a variety of reasons. As a furbearer, it provides income and recreation to trappers throughout the state. As a wetland engineer, it helps maintain functioning ecosystems (Naiman et al. 1986, McKinstry and Anderson 2002). Finally, the beaver serves as a model organism for studies of mating and kinship, as it has beed reported to be almost exclusively monogamous (Sun 2003).

Monogamy in mammals is generally restricted to the primates, canids, and rodents, and is defined as a mating system in which a pair remains together for at least …

Classification Of Illinois Lakes And Reservoirs And Evaluation Of The Potential Use Of Phytoplankton As Biocriteria, Jessica A. Rasmussen

Masters Theses

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Habitat Use And Overwintering Ecology Of The Northern Watersnake (Nerodia Sipedon) On An Artificial Levee In Central Illinois, Melanie J. Olds

Masters Theses

Several reptile species have populations that are in decline, and anthropogenic habitat loss and alteration are arguably the factors having the greatest impact on these species. More attention has been paid to understanding the activity season habitat needs in snakes than on the habitat requirements for overwintering. I examined the patterns of both activity season and overwintering habitat use by a population of northern watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon) that inhabit an artificial levee in central Illinois. My research objectives were to determine how a population of northern watersnakes uses an artificial levee during the activity season and to determine what type …

Influence Of Fish Presence And Removal On Woodland Pond Breeding Amphibians, J. Brian Towey

Masters Theses

Predatory fish can have devastating effects on populations of amphibians, many of which are already declining around the world. Land managers seeking to restore disturbed woodland ponds to more historically-accurate conditions may consider removing fish, a potentially difficult or costly process. I report on the effects of introduced sunfish (Lepomis spp.) and black bullhead catfish (Ameiurus melas), and their removal, on the reproductive efforts of three species of amphibians: smallmouth salamanders (Ambystoma texanum), American toads (Bufo americanus) and wood frogs (Rana sylvatica). Using drift fences and pitfall traps around four woodland ponds, amphibians were monitored for one year prior to …