Life Sciences Commons^™

Progress And Potential Of Two Biological Control Agents Of The Invasive Giant Reed (Arundo Donax L.), Madeline Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

Biological control, or the use of natural enemies for pest management, may the best long-term option for managing the invasive Arundo donax , a noxious weed dominating riparian habitats globally and along the Rio Grande River. This work reports on the progress and potential of two arundo biological control agents permitted for release in Texas and Mexico. The arundo wasp, Tetramesa romana, released in 2009, is having significant impacts as reported from various field locations around the world, described here using standard exit hole counts. The highest density levels were found in Texas (introduced range) compared to relatively low …

Monitoring Wildlife Guards And Crossing Structures On A Divided Highway In South Texas, Tiffany C. Cogan

Theses and Dissertations

To mitigate ocelot (Leopardus pardalis albescens ) road mortality, Texas Department of Transportation installed fencing, wildlife road crossing structures (WRCS, n = 5), and wildlife guards (WG, n = 18) on divided State Highway 100 in Cameron County, Texas. During construction, active infrared (AIR, n = 24) and passive infrared (PIR, n = 24) cameras were side-by-side at WRCS (n = 6) and WG (n = 6). Community composition was significantly different (p = 0.0001) between camera types with AIR cameras detecting a more diverse and abundant community. Wildlife community was significantly different (p = 0.0002) between three WRCS …

Extraction Of Metazoan Meiofauna From Muddy Deep-Sea Samples: Operator And Taxon Effects On Efficiency, Melissa Rohal, David Thistle, Erin E. Easton

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Deep-sea metazoan meiofaunal specimens are usually extracted from muddy samples by centrifugation in a fluid in which meiofauna tend to float and sediment particles tend to sink. Although the procedure is in common use, its efficiency has seldom been examined. The study reported here showed that well-trained operators extracted metazoan meiofauna with efficiencies that were different enough to be a concern in quantitative studies. Therefore, samples should be assigned to operators in a stratified-random manner. In the course of these studies, both operators also extracted individuals of the common nematode family Desmoscolecidae significantly less efficiently than other nematode families, a …

Leaf Trichomes Affect Caterpillar Feeding In An Instar-Specific Manner, Rupesh R. Kariyat, Sean B. Hardison, Aisling B. Ryan, Andrew G. Stephenson, Consuelo M. De Moraes, Mark C. Mescher

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Leaf trichomes play well-established roles in defense against insect herbivores, both as a physical barrier that impedes herbivore movement and by mediating chemical defenses. However, little work has examined how different trichome types influence herbivory by herbivores at different stages of development. We examined whether caterpillar instar and trichome type (glandular or non-glandular) affected the ability of the specialist herbivore caterpillar Manduca sexta to initiate feeding on 11 Solanaceous species exhibiting variation in the density and type of leaf trichomes. Our results suggest that non-glandular trichomes are far more effective than glandular trichomes in deterring the initiation of feeding by …

Genetic Analysis Of Deep Phenotyping Projects In Common Disorders, Elliot S. Gershon, Godfrey Pearlson, Matcheri S. Keshavan, Carol Tamminga, Ney Alliey Rodriguez

School of Medicine Publications

Several studies of complex psychotic disorders with large numbers of neurobiological phenotypes are currently under way, in living patients and controls, and on assemblies of brain specimens. Genetic analyses of such data typically present challenges, because of the choice of underlying hypotheses on genetic architecture of the studied disorders and phenotypes, large numbers of phenotypes, the appropriate multiple testing corrections, limited numbers of subjects, imputations required on missing phenotypes and genotypes, and the cross-disciplinary nature of the phenotype measures. Advances in genotype and phenotype imputation, and in genome-wide association (GWAS) methods, are useful in dealing with these challenges. As compared …

Species Delimitation Among Southeastern Us Oxyloma (Gastropoda: Succineidae), Marco A. Martinez Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

The Succineid genus Oxyloma found throughout Canada and United States contains approximately 15 described species whose criterion for differentiation is considered unreliable. As a first step towards understanding the evolutionary history and revising the taxonomy of North American Oxyloma, we have sampled four species found in eastern North America (O. salleana, O. subeffusa, O. effusa, and O. retusa) from their type localities. We used mitochondrial COI, and nuclear LSU sequences with samples found across their range and members of the family to produce a phylogenetic hypothesis of evolutionary relationships and test species boundaries. Molecular phylogeny and species …

A Phylogeographic Analysis Of Black Coral (Antipatharia) On Artificial And Natural Reefs In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Heather Otte

Theses and Dissertations

NOAA's Islands in the Stream concept (IitS) of designating networks of marine protected areas as refugia in the Gulf of Mexico depends on genetic connectivity. Isolated habitats like those proposed by the IitS occur naturally off the Texas coast where hard-bottom structures protrude from mudflats, offering a small-scale study of the IitS feasibility. Two sequences, mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA and nuclear internal transcribed spacer, were used to build haplotype networks of Antipatharians (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia), corals with planktonic larvae that can act as a proxy for connectivity of other organisms. Two species showed no significant genetic differentiation or pattern of genetic …

Interactive Effects Of Hypoxia And Pcb Co-Exposure On Expression Of Cyp1a And Its Potential Regulators In Atlantic Croaker Liver, Md. Saydur Rahman, Peter Thomas

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Although marine and coastal environments which are contaminated with xenobiotic organic compounds often become hypoxic during the summer, the interactive effects of hypoxia and xenobiotic exposure on marine species such as teleost fishes remain poorly understood. The expression and activity of monooxygenase enzyme cytochrome P450-1A (CYP1A) in fishes are upregulated by exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), whereas they are down-regulated during hypoxia exposure. We investigated the interactive effects of hypoxia and PCB co-exposure on hepatic CYP1A expression in Atlantic croaker and on potential regulators of CYP1A. Croaker were exposed to hypoxia (1.7 mg/L dissolved oxygen), 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 77, dose: 2 …

Mesoscale Effects On Carbon Export: A Global Perspective, Cheryl S. Harrison, Matthew C. Long, Nicole S. Lovenduski, Jefferson K. Moore

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Carbon export from the surface to the deep ocean is a primary control on global carbon budgets and is mediated by plankton that are sensitive to physical forcing. Earth system models generally do not resolve ocean mesoscale circulation ((10–100) km), scales that strongly affect transport of nutrients and plankton. The role of mesoscale circulation in modulating export is evaluated by comparing global ocean simulations conducted at 1∘ and 0.1∘ horizontal resolution. Mesoscale resolution produces a small reduction in globally integrated export production (<2%); however, the impact on local export production can be large (±50%), with compensating effects in different ocean basins. With mesoscale resolution, improved representation of coastal jets block off-shelf transport, leading to lower export in regions where shelf-derived nutrients fuel production. Export is further reduced in these regions by resolution of mesoscale turbulence, which restricts the spatial area of production. Maximum mixed layer depths are narrower and deeper across the Subantarctic at higher resolution, driving locally stronger nutrient entrainment and enhanced summer export production. In energetic regions with seasonal blooms, such as the Subantarctic and North Pacific, internally generated mesoscale variability drives substantial interannual variation in local export production. These results suggest that biogeochemical tracer dynamics show different sensitivities to transport biases than temperature and salinity, which should be considered in the formulation and validation of physical parameterizations. Efforts to compare estimates of export production from observations and models should account for large variability in space and time expected for regions strongly affected by mesoscale circulation.

Use Of The Sea Hare (Aplysia Fasciata) In Marine Pollution Biomonitoring Of Harbors And Bays, Frank J. Dirrigl, Zachariah Badaoui, Carlos Tamez, Christopher Vitek, Jason Parsons

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Our study evaluated heavy metal concentrations in soft tissues of sea hare, Aplysia fasciata, from the Lower Laguna Madre, Texas. Heavy metals in tissues followed Se > As > Pb > Cd. Concentrations ranged As (BDL-28.08), Cd (BDL-5.50), Pb (BDL-12.85) and Se (4.25-93.43 ppm). Median As, Cd, Pb, and Se tissue levels exceeded exposure levels. Significant relationships occurred in metal-metal (As-Cd, As-Pb, Cd-Pb, Cd-Se, and Pb-Se), metal-tissue (significant Se uptake by inhalant and exhalant siphons and As in the hepatopancreas), and metal-metal within tissue (As-Pb in the hepatopancreas and Cd-Pb in the digestive cecum) analyses (p

Validity Of Wrist-Worn Consumer Products To Measure Heart Rate And Energy Expenditure, R. S. Thiebaud, Merrill D. Funk, Jacelyn C. Patton, Brook L. Massey, Terri E. Shay, Martin G. Schmidt, Nicolas Giovannitti

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications

Introduction: The ability to monitor physical activity throughout the day and during various activities continues to improve with the development of wrist-worn monitors. However, the accuracy of wrist-worn monitors to measure both heart rate and energy expenditure during physical activity is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of several popular wrist-worn monitors at measuring heart rate and energy expenditure.

Methods: Participants wore the TomTom Cardio, Microsoft Band and Fitbit Surge on randomly assigned locations on each wrist. The maximum number of monitors per wrist was two. The criteria used for heart rate and energy …

Obesity And Obesogenic Growth Are Both Highly Heritable And Modified By Diet In A Nonhuman Primate Model, The African Green Monkey (Chlorocebus Aethiops Sabaeus), C. A. Schmitt, S. K. Service, A. J. Jasinska, Thomas D. Dyer, M. J. Jorgensen, R. M. Cantor, G. M. Weinstock, John Blangero, J. R. Kaplan, N. B. Freimer

School of Medicine Publications

OBJECTIVE: In humans, the ontogeny of obesity throughout the life course and the genetics underlying it has been historically difficult to study. We compared, in a non-human primate model, the lifelong growth trajectories of obese and non-obese adults to assess the heritability of and map potential genomic regions implicated in growth and obesity.

STUDY POPULATION: A total of 905 African green monkeys, or vervets (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) (472 females, 433 males) from a pedigreed captive colony. METHODS: We measured fasted body weight (BW), crown-to-rump length (CRL), body-mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) from 2000 to 2015. We used a …

The Juniperus Flaccida-J. Poblana Complex Revisited: Insights From Molecular And Oil Analysis, Robert P. Adams, M. Socorro González-Elizondo, Martha González-Elizondo, Andrea E. Schwarzbach

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Analysis of nrDNA, petN-psbM, trnS-trnG, trnD-trnT, and trnF-trnL revealed that J. flaccida is diverse, but quite separated from J. poblana and J. aff. poblana from Nayarit by at least 10 Mutational events (MEs, SNPs + indels), and is actually a bit closer to J. standleyi (8 MEs). A divergent J. poblana from Oaxaca is merely 2 MEs distant from the Nayarit trees. The J. poblana samples from the type locality (Amozoc, Pue.) vary by only 1 ME among samples. Leaf oils, on the other hand, show to the Nayarit juniper quite differentiated from other J. poblana. In addition, the habit …

Population Dynamics Of Off-Host Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) Microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) Larvae In Response To Habitat And Seasonality In South Texas, Brenda Leal, Donald B. Thomas, Robert K. Dearth

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini), is an economically destructive arthropod because of its ability to vector bovine babesiosis. It is known that cattle ticks can spend 80–90% of their lifecycle as questing larvae, yet the effect of climatic factors on their off-host behavior and survival is unclear. The goal of this study was to measure the effects of specific ecological factors on off-host questing larvae in nature. The study was conducted in a south Texas pasture over a two-year period, during which time larval populations were surveyed. Simultaneously, weather variables—precipitation, relative humidity, and ambient temperatures—were recorded. Larval survival rates …

Winter Site Fidelity Of Orange-Crowned Warblers (Oreothlypis Celata) In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Mark H. Conway, Timothy Brush

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Abstract—We documented between-winter site fidelity of orange-crowned warblers (Oreothlypis celata) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, between 2004 and 2017. Overall, we recaptured 13.9% of the 201 banded birds in ‡1 subsequent winter season: 20.8% of the 101 birds banded in urban natural areas, and 7.0% of the 100 banded in rural areas. We recaptured 8 birds ‡3 winters after their initial capture, indicating extended winter site fidelity.

Resumen—Documentamos la fidelidad al sitio invernal de los chipes olivaceos (Oreothlypis celata) en el Valle del R´ıo Grande Baja de Texas entre 2004 y 2017. En general, se …

Efficacy Evaluation Of Six Entomopathogenic Nematode Species Against Engorged Females Of Southern Cattle Fever Tick, Rhipicephalus (=Boophilus) Microplus, N. K. Singh, John A. Goolsby, David I. Shapiro-Ilan, R. J. Miller, D. B. Thomas, Guilherme M. Klafke, Jason Tidwell, Alexis Racelis, Parwinder Grewal, Adalberto A. Perez De Leon

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus microplus Canestrini, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, causing huge economic losses to milk and meat production. Application of acaricides is the most widely used control strategy, but because of increasing evidence of resistance to acaricide and environmental concerns, novel strategies are needed. Use of entomopathogenic nematodes is a promising alternative for tick control. Six species of nematodes, Steinernema riobrave Cabanillas, Poinar, and Raulston (355 strain), S. carpocapsae (Weiser) (All strain), S. feltiae Filipjev (SN strain), Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar (VS strain), H. indica Poinar, Karunakar, and David (HOM1 strain), and H. floridensis …

A Protocol For Custom Crispr Cas9 Donor Vector Construction To Truncate Genes In Mammalian Cells Using Pcdna3 Backbone, Neftali Vasquez, Lilia Sanchez, Rebecca Marks, Eduardo Martinez, Victor Fanniel, Alma Lopez, Andrea Salinas, Itzel Flores, Jesse Hirshmann, Robert Gilkerson, Erin Schuenzel, Robert Dearth, Wendy Innis-Whitehouse, Megan Keniry

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Background: Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) RNA-guided adaptive immune systems are found in prokaryotes to defend cells from foreign DNA. CRISPR Cas9 systems have been modified and employed as genome editing tools in wide ranging organisms. Here, we provide a detailed protocol to truncate genes in mammalian cells using CRISPR Cas9 editing. We describe custom donor vector construction using Gibson assembly with the commonly utilized pcDNA3 vector as the backbone.

Results: We describe a step-by-step method to truncate genes of interest in mammalian cell lines using custom-made donor vectors. Our method employs 2 guide RNAs, mutant Cas9D10A nickase …

Effects Of Herbivores, Wave Exposure And Depth On Benthic Coral Communities Of The Easter Island Ecoregion, Erin E. Easton, Carlos F. Gaymer, Alan M. Friedlander, James J. Herlan

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Easter Island ecoregion includes Rapa Nui (Easter Island; RN), with a human population of ~5600, and the uninhabited Salas y Gómez (SyG). Although the culture and terrestrial ecology of RN have been well studied, we know little about the marine environment of these islands, particularly the interplay among herbivores, algae, and corals, and how coral reef communities differ between islands, by wave energy exposure, and between depths. To address the potential roles of herbivores, wave-energy exposure, and depth on the sessile benthic communities, we examined herbivorous fish biomass, sea urchin (Diadema savignyi) density, and algal and coral …

Drivers And Mechanisms Of Tree Mortality In Moist Tropical Forests, Nate G. Mcdowell, Craig D. Allen, Kristina Anderson-Teixeira, Paulo Brando, Roel J. W. Brienen, Jeff Chambers, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Stuart Davies, Alvaro Duque, Fernando Espiritu-Santo

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Tree mortality rates appear to be increasing in moist tropical forests (MTFs) with significant carbon cycle consequences. Here, we review the state of knowledge regarding MTF tree mortality, create a conceptual framework with testable hypotheses regarding the drivers, mechanisms and interactions that may underlie increasing MTF mortality rates, and identify the next steps for improved understanding and reduced prediction. Increasing mortality rates are associated with rising temperature and vapor pressure deficit, liana abundance, drought, wind events, fire and, possibly, CO2 fertilization-induced increases in stand thinning or acceleration of trees reaching larger, more vulnerable heights. The majority of these mortality drivers …

Amphibians And Reptiles Of C. E. Miller Ranch And The Sierra Vieja, Chihuahuan Desert, Texas, Usa, Drew R. Davis, Travis J. Laduc

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

We report the occurrence of 50 species of amphibians and reptiles recently collected on C. E. Miller Ranch and the Sierra Vieja in the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas, USA and describe their perceived distribution and abundance across various habitat associations of the region. Our recent surveys follow intense, historic sampling of amphibians and reptiles from this region in 1948. Of the 50 species detected in recent surveys, six were not collected in 1948 and an additional three species documented in 1948 have yet to be detected in a 14-year period of recent surveys. Combining data from both historic and recent …

Examination Of Clock And Adcyap1 Gene Variation In A Neotropical Migratory Passerine, Andrea Contina, Eli S. Bridge, Jeremy D. Ross, J. Ryan Shipley, Jeffrey F. Kelly

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Complex behavioral traits, such as those making up a migratory phenotype, are regulated by multiple environmental factors and multiple genes. We investigated possible relationships between microsatellite variation at two candidate genes implicated in the control of migratory behavior, Clock and Adcyap1, and several aspects of migratory life-history and evolutionary divergence in the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris), a species that shows wide variation in migratory and molting strategies across a disjunct distribution. We focused on Clock and Adcyap1 microsatellite variation across three Painted Bunting populations in Oklahoma, Louisiana, and North Carolina, and for the Oklahoma breeding population we …

Temporal Migration Patterns Between Natal Locations Of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus Colubris) And Their Gulf Coast Stopover Site, Theodore J. Zenzal Jr., Andrea Contina, Jeffrey F. Kelly, Frank R. Moore

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Autumn latitudinal migrations generally exhibit one of two different temporal migration patterns: type 1 where southern populations migrate south before northern populations, or type 2 where northern populations overtake southern populations en route. The ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is a species with an expansive breeding range, which allows opportunities to examine variation in the timing of migration. Our objective was to determine a relationship between natal origin of ruby-throated hummingbirds and arrival at a Gulf coast stopover site; and if so, what factors, such as differences in body size across the range as well as the …

Preliminary Multivariate Comparison Of Coral Assemblages On Carbonate Banks In The Western Gulf Of Mexico, Rebekah E. Rodriguez, Erin E. Easton, Thomas C. Shirley, John W. Tunnell, David Hicks

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Hermatypic corals flourished on reefs in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Today, many of these relict reefs are mesophotic banks that have unique coral assemblages and provide critical habitat; however, the South Texas Banks (STB) lack quantitative surveys. Therefore, we used a remotely operated vehicle to conduct quantitative surveys of 5 banks: Baker, Aransas, Dream, Blackfish Ridge, and Harte. Coral communities, based on estimated coral densities (colonies/m2), significantly differed among banks for terraces, slopes, and overall (combined terrace and slope) communities for most banks examined. Within banks, terrace and slope communities significantly differed …

First Record Of The Yellowfin Soldierfish, Myripristis Chryseresjordan & Evermann, 1903, In The Easter Island Ecoregion, Erin E. Easton, Javier Sellanes, Matthias Gorny

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Myripristis chryseres Jordan & Evermann, 1903, is recorded for the first time in the Easter Island Ecoregion. Two specimens were observed swimming along a rock cliff and entering a cavern at ∼163 m depth near the peak of Pukao seamount, located ∼85 km (46 nm) west of Easter Island. This report expands the geographic range of M. chryseres eastward by ∼3,800 km and is the first report of the species for the eastern Pacific. It is unclear whether this new record is indicative of a relatively recent range expansion or a lack of visual surveys in the region, which …

Ecological Resilience Indicators For Salt Marsh Ecosystems, Scott T. Allen, Camille L. Stagg, Jorge Brenner, Kathleen L. Goodin, Don Faber-Langendoen, Christopher A. Gabler, Katherine Wirt Ames

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Salt marshes are coastal ecosystems within the intertidal zone, characterized by hypoxic, saline, soil conditions and low biodiversity. Low diversity arises from frequent disturbance and stressful conditions (i.e., high salinity and hypoxia), where vegetative reproduction and low competition result in mostly monotypic stands, with some differences in plant community influenced by flooding regime (described below). While there are several types of salt marshes in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM), ranging from low to high salt marshes and salt flats (Tiner, 2013), Spartina alterniflora–dominated salt marshes in the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) Low and Intermediate Salt Marsh …

Biotic And Abiotic Factors Influencing Infestation Levels Of The Arundo Leafminer, Lasioptera Donacis, In Its Native Range In Mediterranean Europe, Madeline Marshall, John A. Goolsby, Ann T. Vacek, Alexis Racelis

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Lasioptera donacis is a biological control agent of Arundo donax, which is an invasive weed in the riparian hab-itats of the Rio Grande Basin of Texas and Northern Mexico. Field research was conducted in the native range of L. donacis in Mediterranean Europe to evaluate the biotic and abiotic factors that influence its local infestation levels. Lasioptera donacis feeding damage was documented on 40.4 and 67.8 % of dead and decaying leaf sheaths respectively across all sites. Lasioptera donacis was active in all locations including highly disturbed sites, but showed a slight preference for sites near running freshwater sources and …

Many Paths Toward Discovery: A Module For Teaching How Science Works, Rebecca M. Price, Kathryn E. Perez

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Improving students' understanding of how science works requires explicit instruction. Here, we test the efficacy of a module based on two previously published activities (the "Cube Puzzle" and the case study "Asteroids and Dinosaurs") that teach how science works to college science majors. Students also use the How Science Works Flowchart from Understanding Science (http://undsci.berkeley. edu/) to reflect on these activities. To assess the efficacy of this module, we asked students to illustrate the process of science before and after the intervention. After the intervention, students' diagrams were significantly more complex and nonlinear. Students also incorporated more social aspects of …

Vegetation Demographics In Earth System Models: A Review Of Progress And Priorities, Rosie A. Fisher, Charles D. Koven, William R. L. Anderegg, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Michael C. Dietze, Caroline E. Farrior, Jennifer A. Holm, George C. Hurtt, Ryan G. Knox, Peter J. Lawrence

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Numerous current efforts seek to improve the representation of ecosystem ecology and vegetation demographic processes within Earth System Models (ESMs). These developments are widely viewed as an important step in developing greater realism in predictions of future ecosystem states and fluxes. Increased realism, however, leads to increased model complexity, with new features raising a suite of ecological questions that require empirical constraints. Here, we review the developments that permit the representation of plant demographics in ESMs, and identify issues raised by these developments that highlight important gaps in ecological understanding. These issues inevitably translate into uncertainty in model projections but …

Key Enzymes In Cancer: Mechanism Of Action And Inhibition With Anticancer Agents, Debasish Bandyopadhyay, Gabriel Lopez, Stephanie Cantu, Samantha Balboa, Annabel Garcia, Christina Silva, Diandra Valdes

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

Several enzymes play significant role in different stages of cancer including proliferation, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. Mechanism of actions of a few key enzymes along with their inhibitors have been discussed with particular attentation to riboneucleotide reductase, thymidylate synthease, topoisomerase II, interleukins, cell survival proteins and aminopeptidase N.

Geographic Variation In Juniperus Drupacea: Dna Sequencing And Volatile Leaf Oils: Further Evidence Of Putative Pleistocene Genetic Isolation Between Europe And Asia, Robert P. Adams, Adam Boratynski, Magda Dou Dagher-Kharrat, Hagar V. Leschner, Tuğrul Mataraci, Andrea E. Schwarzbach

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Recently, Sobierajska et al. (2016), using nSSR and morphology, showed that Juniperus drupacea exhibited differentiation between Greece and Turkey/ Lebanon, suggestive of Pleistocene genetic isolation. Here, we report that leaf terpenoids and DNA sequence data support their hypothesis by confirming differentiation between Greece and Turkey/ Lebanon/ Israel. The leaf oils of the Turkey/ Lebanon plants contained one unique terpene (trans-verbenol, 0.1-1.4%) that was absent in the Greece plants. The Greece oil contained three terpenes not found in the Lebanon/ Turkey plants: (ar)-curcumene (2.2%), β-alaskene (0.3%) and α-alaskene (0.4%). Four other terpenes were in higher concentration in the Greece oils: camphene …