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Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

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Articles 421 - 450 of 1571

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Impact Of Vehicular Traffic On Vertebrate Fauna In Horton Plains And Yala National Parks Of Sri Lanka: Some Implications For Conservation And Management, Suranjan Karunarathna, Sudheera Ranwala, Thilina Surasinghe, Majintha Madawala Jan 2017

Impact Of Vehicular Traffic On Vertebrate Fauna In Horton Plains And Yala National Parks Of Sri Lanka: Some Implications For Conservation And Management, Suranjan Karunarathna, Sudheera Ranwala, Thilina Surasinghe, Majintha Madawala

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Abstract: Impacts of roadkills are extensively documented in developed nations. Only a handful of studies on road mortality has emerged from developing nations where tourism and rural development have led to an expansion of transportation networks. To fill such gaps, we conducted a survey to document roadkills in and around two tourism-heavy national parks of Sri Lanka and identified factors that contribute to road mortality. Based on a questionnaire, we interviewed 68 local villagers, 56 local and 59 foreign visitors, and 57 safari drivers to document their opportunistic observations on roadkills, their awareness about roadkills, and to understand potential causes …

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Male And Female Parental Care In The Golden-Rumped Euphonia (Euphonia Cyanocephala), Zachary Wright, Jeff Port, Harold F. Greeney Jan 2017

Male And Female Parental Care In The Golden-Rumped Euphonia (Euphonia Cyanocephala), Zachary Wright, Jeff Port, Harold F. Greeney

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A single nest of the Golden-rumped Euphonia (Euphonia cyanocephala) was filmed for 72 hours near the Yanayacu Biological Station in Ecuador located in tropical montane forest. Recording was between 15-21 February 2014. We report the first observations of incubation and feeding behavior by individual parents. We use the collected observations collected during the six day period after hatching to analyze visit frequency, duration, time, and activity patterns during visits. Both male and female visited at similar rates (mean male = 20.2 ± 1.8, mean female = 21.0 ± 1.3 visits/day) with an alternation of visits by members of the pair …

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Statistical Hybrid Detection And The Inference Of Ancestral Distribution Areas In Tolpis (Asteraceae), Michael Gruenstaeudl, Bryan C. Carstens, Arnoldo Santos-Guerra, Robert K. Jansen Jan 2017

Statistical Hybrid Detection And The Inference Of Ancestral Distribution Areas In Tolpis (Asteraceae), Michael Gruenstaeudl, Bryan C. Carstens, Arnoldo Santos-Guerra, Robert K. Jansen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Many historical biogeographic studies do not account for the effect of hybrid taxa on phylogenetic tree inference, despite recent advances in the statistical identification of such taxa. This investigation aims to illustrate the impact that hybrid taxa can have on ancestral area reconstructions of the plant genus Tolpis, which displays an evolutionary history possibly indicative of a back-colonization of the continental Mediterranean. We evaluate and apply two statistical hybrid detection methods, JML and STEM-hy, which assist in identifying reticulate patterns of allele coalescence. We also evaluate and apply a software tool, P2C2M, to test the fit of genetic loci to …

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Implications Of Animal Water Balance For Terrestrial Food Webs, Kevin E. Mccluney Jan 2017

Implications Of Animal Water Balance For Terrestrial Food Webs, Kevin E. Mccluney

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Recent research has documented shifts in per capita trophic interactions and food webs in response to changes in environmental moisture, from the top-down (consumers to plants), rather than solely bottom-up (plants to consumers). These responses may be predictable from effects of physiological, behavioral, and ecological traits on animal water balance, although predictions could be modified by energy or nutrient requirements, the risk of predation, population-level responses, and bottom-up effects. Relatively little work has explicitly explored food web effects of changes in animal water balance, despite the likelihood of widespread relevance, including during periodic droughts in mesic locations, where taxa may …

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Analysis Of The Caenorhabditis Elegans Innate Immune Response To Coxiella Burnetii, James M. Battisti, Lance A. Watson, Myo T. Naung, Adam M. Drobish, Ekaterina Voronina, Michael F. Minnick Jan 2017

Analysis Of The Caenorhabditis Elegans Innate Immune Response To Coxiella Burnetii, James M. Battisti, Lance A. Watson, Myo T. Naung, Adam M. Drobish, Ekaterina Voronina, Michael F. Minnick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is well established as a system for characterization and discovery of molecular mechanisms mediating microbe-specific inducible innate immune responses to human pathogens. Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes a flu-like syndrome in humans (Q fever), as well as abortions in domesticated livestock, worldwide. Initially, when wild type C. elegans (N2 strain) was exposed to mCherry-expressing C. burnetii (CCB) a number of overt pathological manifestations resulted, including intestinal distension, deformed anal region and a decreased lifespan. However, nematodes fed autoclave-killed CCB did not exhibit these symptoms. Although vertebrates detect C. burnetii via TLRs, pathologies …

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Evidence Of Morphological And Functional Variation Among Bluegill Lepomis Macrochirus Populations Across Grand Lake St Mary's Watershed Area, Anthony Bell, Stephen J. Jacquemin Jan 2017

Evidence Of Morphological And Functional Variation Among Bluegill Lepomis Macrochirus Populations Across Grand Lake St Mary's Watershed Area, Anthony Bell, Stephen J. Jacquemin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A myriad of factors have been shown to influence the morphology offreshwaterfish. However, studies that parse out where variation is comingfrom (e.g. body size, sex, and habitat) as well as what potential thesechanges have to influence function (e.g. swimming performance) areunderstudied. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to describemorphological variation of BluegillLepomis macrochirusacross the GrandLake St Mary’s watershed area (northwest OH, USA) and test forcovariation of morphology with size, sex, and habitat as well as to assessswimming performance to discern whether any differences in habitat (andmorphology) correspond with functional aspects related to criticalswimming velocity. Geometric morphometric methods were used …

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Variation In Arthropod Hydration Across Us Cities With Distinct Climate, Kevin E. Mccluney, Justin D. Burdine, Steven D. Frank Jan 2017

Variation In Arthropod Hydration Across Us Cities With Distinct Climate, Kevin E. Mccluney, Justin D. Burdine, Steven D. Frank

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Increasing evidence suggests that altered environmental conditions within cities (e.g. temperature) can have strong effects on the biology and ecology of animals. Moreover, multiple abiotic (e.g. soil moisture, distributions of water bodies) and biotic factors (e.g. plant and animal communities) may be more similar among cities in distinct climate regions as compared to outside cities. But the mechanisms behind these patterns are unclear. We suggest that animal physiological condition responds to urbanization and may become more similar with urbanization among cities. As a first attempt at assessing this possibility, we measured hydration (water content) of field-collected arthropods, across variation in …

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First Definitive Fossil Of An Oestroid Fly (Diptera: Calyptratae: Oestroidea) And The Dating Of Oestroid Divergences, Pierfilippo Cerretti, John O. Stireman Iii, Thomas Pape, James E. O'Hara, Marco A. Marinho, Knut Rognes, David A. Grimaldi Jan 2017

First Definitive Fossil Of An Oestroid Fly (Diptera: Calyptratae: Oestroidea) And The Dating Of Oestroid Divergences, Pierfilippo Cerretti, John O. Stireman Iii, Thomas Pape, James E. O'Hara, Marco A. Marinho, Knut Rognes, David A. Grimaldi

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Calyptrate flies include about 22,000 extant species currently classified into Hippoboscoidea (tsetse, louse, and bat flies), the muscoid grade (house flies and relatives) and the Oestroidea (blow flies, bot flies, flesh flies, and relatives). Calyptrates are abundant in nearly all terrestrial ecosystems, often playing key roles as decomposers, parasites, parasitoids, vectors of pathogens, and pollinators. For oestroids, the most diverse group within calyptrates, definitive fossils have been lacking. The first unambiguous fossil of Oestroidea is described based on a specimen discovered in amber from the Dominican Republic. The specimen was identified through digital dissection by CT scans, which provided morphological …

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A New Tachinid Genus And Species Record For North America: Iceliopsis Borgmeieri Guimarães, John O. Stireman Iii, Jane E. Dell Jan 2017

A New Tachinid Genus And Species Record For North America: Iceliopsis Borgmeieri Guimarães, John O. Stireman Iii, Jane E. Dell

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Iceliini are a small, enigmatic New World tribe of Tachininae consisting of three genera, Icelia RobineauDesvoidy, Iceliopsis Guimarães, and Erviopsis Townsend, and five recognized species (Guimarães 1976). All known species are exclusively Neotropical in distribution with the exception of Icelia triquetra (Olivier), which ranges from Brazil, through Central America, and as far north as New York state (O’Hara & Wood 2004). Members of the tribe are generally medium-sized (ca. 7–12 mm), elongate, yellowish or grayish in color, and resemble Dexiini or Leskiini in general appearance. Species of Iceliini are relatively rarely collected and there is but a single host …

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Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 Augments Myoblast Adhesion And Fusion Through Homophilic Trans-Interactions, Francis X. Pizza, Ryan A. Martin, Evan M. Springer, Maxwell S. Leffler, Bryce R. Woelmer, Issac J. Recker, Douglas W. Leaman Jan 2017

Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 Augments Myoblast Adhesion And Fusion Through Homophilic Trans-Interactions, Francis X. Pizza, Ryan A. Martin, Evan M. Springer, Maxwell S. Leffler, Bryce R. Woelmer, Issac J. Recker, Douglas W. Leaman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The overall objective of the study was to identify mechanisms through which intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) augments the adhesive and fusogenic properties of myogenic cells. Hypotheses were tested using cultured myoblasts and fibroblasts, which do not constitutively express ICAM-1, and myoblasts and fibroblasts forced to express full length ICAM-1 or a truncated form lacking the cytoplasmic domain of ICAM-1. ICAM-1 mediated myoblast adhesion and fusion were quantified using novel assays and cell mixing experiments. We report that ICAM-1 augments myoblast adhesion to myoblasts and myotubes through homophilic trans-interactions. Such adhesive interactions enhanced levels of active Rac in adherent and …

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Synaptic Up-Scaling Preserves Motor Circuit Output After Chronic, Natural Inactivity, Joseph Michael Santin, Mauricio Vallejo, Lynn K. Hartzler Jan 2017

Synaptic Up-Scaling Preserves Motor Circuit Output After Chronic, Natural Inactivity, Joseph Michael Santin, Mauricio Vallejo, Lynn K. Hartzler

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Neural systems use homeostatic plasticity to maintain normal brain functions and to prevent abnormal activity. Surprisingly, homeostatic mechanisms that regulate circuit output have mainly been demonstrated during artificial and/or pathological perturbations. Natural, physiological scenarios that activate these stabilizing mechanisms in neural networks of mature animals remain elusive. To establish the extent to which a naturally inactive circuit engages mechanisms of homeostatic plasticity, we utilized the respiratory motor circuit in bullfrogs that normally remains inactive for several months during the winter. We found that inactive respiratory motoneurons exhibit a classic form of homeostatic plasticity, up-scaling of AMPA-glutamate receptors. Up-scaling increased the …

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Insights Into The Ecology, Genetics And Distribution Of Lucanus Elaphus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), North America's Giant Stag Beetle, Michael D. Ulyshen, Louis G. Zachos, John O. Stireman Iii, Thomas N. Sheehan, Ryan C. Garrick Jan 2017

Insights Into The Ecology, Genetics And Distribution Of Lucanus Elaphus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), North America's Giant Stag Beetle, Michael D. Ulyshen, Louis G. Zachos, John O. Stireman Iii, Thomas N. Sheehan, Ryan C. Garrick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

1. Little is known about the biology or conservation status of Lucanus elaphus Fabricius in North America despite well-documented declines of a related species, Lucanus cervus (L.), in Europe. This study provides information critical to developing conservation plans for L. elaphus including the species’ larval substrate requirements, genetic data and range-wide estimates of habitat suitability. 2. In Mississippi floodplain forests, larval L. elaphus were recovered from a wide range of log sizes and rot types and were either found tunnelling within the wood or feeding beneath logs at the soil–wood interface. The species appears to require 1–2 years to complete …

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Rapid Adaptive Responses To Climate Change In Corals, Gergely Torda, Jennifer M. Donelson, Manuel Aranda, Daniel J. Barshis, Line Bay, Michael L. Berumen, David G. Bourne, Neal Cantin, Sylvain Foret, Mikhail Matz Jan 2017

Rapid Adaptive Responses To Climate Change In Corals, Gergely Torda, Jennifer M. Donelson, Manuel Aranda, Daniel J. Barshis, Line Bay, Michael L. Berumen, David G. Bourne, Neal Cantin, Sylvain Foret, Mikhail Matz

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Pivotal to projecting the fate of coral reefs is the capacity of reef-building corals to acclimatize and adapt to climate change. Transgenerational plasticity may enable some marine organisms to acclimatize over several generations and it has been hypothesized that epigenetic processes and microbial associations might facilitate adaptive responses. However, current evidence is equivocal and understanding of the underlying processes is limited. Here, we discuss prospects for observing transgenerational plasticity in corals and the mechanisms that could enable adaptive plasticity in the coral holobiont, including the potential role of epigenetics and coral-associated microbes. Well-designed and strictly controlled experiments are needed to …

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The Conservation Status Of Marine Biodiversity Of The Pacific Islands Of Oceania, H. Pippard, G. M. Ralph, M. S. Harvey, K. E. Carpenter, J. R. Buchanan, D. W. Greenfield, H. D. Harwell, H. K. Larson, A. Lawrence, C. Linardich, K. Matsuura, H. Motomura, T. A. Munroe, R. F. Myers, B. C. Russell, W. F. Smith-Vaniz, J. C. Vié, R. R. Thaman, J. T. Williams Jan 2017

The Conservation Status Of Marine Biodiversity Of The Pacific Islands Of Oceania, H. Pippard, G. M. Ralph, M. S. Harvey, K. E. Carpenter, J. R. Buchanan, D. W. Greenfield, H. D. Harwell, H. K. Larson, A. Lawrence, C. Linardich, K. Matsuura, H. Motomura, T. A. Munroe, R. F. Myers, B. C. Russell, W. F. Smith-Vaniz, J. C. Vié, R. R. Thaman, J. T. Williams

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Pacific Islands of Oceania are small islands and atolls occurring over a vast expanse of ocean that are characterized by immense biodiversity and endemism. This project represents a major expansion of the coverage of the Pacific Islands’ marine biodiversity on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The threats to Pacific Island marine biodiversity are many. Results from IUCN Red List initiatives such as this can guide decision-making and conservation prioritization of Pacific Island governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector. By shaping regional and national policies with these data in mind, priority sites for maintaining marine biodiversity …

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Tick Haller's Organ, A New Paradigm For Arthropod Olfaction: How Ticks Differ From Insects, Ann L. Carr, Robert D. Michell Iii, Anirudh Dhammi, Brooke W. Bissinger, Daniel E. Sonenshine, R. Michael Roe Jan 2017

Tick Haller's Organ, A New Paradigm For Arthropod Olfaction: How Ticks Differ From Insects, Ann L. Carr, Robert D. Michell Iii, Anirudh Dhammi, Brooke W. Bissinger, Daniel E. Sonenshine, R. Michael Roe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Ticks are the vector of many human and animal diseases; and host detection is critical to this process. Ticks have a unique sensory structure located exclusively on the 1st pairs of legs; the fore-tarsal Haller's organ, not found in any other animals, presumed to function like the insect antennae in chemosensation but morphologically very different. The mechanism of tick chemoreception is unknown. Utilizing next-generation sequencing and comparative transcriptomics between the 1st and 4th legs (the latter without the Haller's organ), we characterized 1st leg specific and putative Haller's organ specific transcripts from adult American dog ticks, Dermacentor variabilis. The …

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Impact Of Disease On The Survival Of Three Commercially Fished Species, John M. Hoenig, Maya L. Groner, Matthew W. Smith, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein, David M. Taylor, Donald F. Landers Jr., John T. Swenarton, David T. Gauthier Jan 2017

Impact Of Disease On The Survival Of Three Commercially Fished Species, John M. Hoenig, Maya L. Groner, Matthew W. Smith, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein, David M. Taylor, Donald F. Landers Jr., John T. Swenarton, David T. Gauthier

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Recent increases in emergent infectious diseases have raised concerns about the sustainability of some marine species. The complexity and expense of studying diseases in marine systems often dictate that conservation and management decisions are made without quantitative data on population-level impacts of disease. Mark-recapture is a powerful, underutilized, tool for calculating impacts of disease on population size and structure, even in the absence of etiological information. We applied logistic regression models to mark-recapture data to obtain estimates of disease-associated mortality rates in three commercially important marine species: snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in Newfoundland, Canada, that experience sporadic epizootics …

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The Conservation Status Of Marine Bony Shorefishes Of The Greater Caribbean, Kent E. Carptenter, Christi Linardich, Gina Ralph, N. Cox, D. R. Robertson, H. Harwell, A. Acero P., W. Anderson Jr., F. Barthelat, J. -L. Bouchereau, J. J. Brown, J. Buchanan, D. Buddo, B. Collette, M. Comeros-Raynal, M. Craig, M. Curtis, T. Defex, J. Dooley, W. Driggers Iii, C. Elfes Livsey, T. Fraser, R. Gilmore Jr., L. Grijalba Bendeck, A. Hines, R. Kishore, K. Lindeman, J. -P. Maréchal, J. Mceachran, R. Mcmanus, J. Moore, T. Munroe, H. Oxenford, F. Pezold, F. Pina Amargós, A. Polanco Fernandez, B. Polidoro, C. Pollock, R. Robins, B. Russell, C. Sayer, S. Williams Jan 2017

The Conservation Status Of Marine Bony Shorefishes Of The Greater Caribbean, Kent E. Carptenter, Christi Linardich, Gina Ralph, N. Cox, D. R. Robertson, H. Harwell, A. Acero P., W. Anderson Jr., F. Barthelat, J. -L. Bouchereau, J. J. Brown, J. Buchanan, D. Buddo, B. Collette, M. Comeros-Raynal, M. Craig, M. Curtis, T. Defex, J. Dooley, W. Driggers Iii, C. Elfes Livsey, T. Fraser, R. Gilmore Jr., L. Grijalba Bendeck, A. Hines, R. Kishore, K. Lindeman, J. -P. Maréchal, J. Mceachran, R. Mcmanus, J. Moore, T. Munroe, H. Oxenford, F. Pezold, F. Pina Amargós, A. Polanco Fernandez, B. Polidoro, C. Pollock, R. Robins, B. Russell, C. Sayer, S. Williams

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The greater Caribbean biogeographic region covered in this report (representing 38 countries and territories) encompasses an outstanding marine bony shorefish richness of approximately 1,360 species, with many (53%) being endemic. This report provides an overview of the conservation status of greater Caribbean shorefishes, with detailed information available through the IUCN Red List, and gives recommendations.

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Reproductive Competency And Mitochondrial Variation In Aged Syrian Hamster Oocytes, Fang Li, Frank J. Castora, Wentia Ford, Khalid Alarid, Howard W. Jones Jr., R. James Swanson Jan 2017

Reproductive Competency And Mitochondrial Variation In Aged Syrian Hamster Oocytes, Fang Li, Frank J. Castora, Wentia Ford, Khalid Alarid, Howard W. Jones Jr., R. James Swanson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The hamster is a useful model of human reproductive biology because its oocytes are similar to those in humans in terms of size and structural stability. In the present study we evaluated fecundity rate, ovarian follicular numbers, ova production, mitochondrial number, structure and function, and cytoplasmic lamellae (CL) in young (2–4 months) and old (12–18 months) Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Young hamsters had higher fertilisation rates and larger litters than old hamsters (100 vs 50% and 9.3 +/- 0.6 vs 5.5 +/- 0.6, respectively). Ovarian tissue from superovulated animals showed a 46% decrease in preantral follicles in old …

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Acanthurus Albimento, A New Species Of Surgeonfish (Acanthuriformes: Acanthuridae) From Northeastern Luzon, Philippines, With Comments On Zoogeography, Kent E. Carpenter, Jeffrey T. Williams, Mudjekeewis D. Santos Jan 2017

Acanthurus Albimento, A New Species Of Surgeonfish (Acanthuriformes: Acanthuridae) From Northeastern Luzon, Philippines, With Comments On Zoogeography, Kent E. Carpenter, Jeffrey T. Williams, Mudjekeewis D. Santos

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Acanthurus albimento is described as a new surgeonfish from northeastern Luzon from six specimens collected during extensive fish-market surveys in the Philippines. The new species is characterized by a distinctive white band below the lower jaw; many irregular, wavy, thin, blue lines on the head; a brown-orange pectoral fin with a bluish tinge on the outer membrane of the rays and a dark band on the posterior margin; a narrow rust-orange stripe along the base of the dorsal fin; and a large blackish caudal spine and sheath with the socket broadly edged in black. An analysis using the mitochondrial cytochrome …

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Informing Marine Protected Area Designation And Management For Nesting Olive Ridley Sea Turtles Using Satellite Tracking, Tiffany M. Dawson, Angela Formia, Pierre D. Agamboué, Georges M. Asseko, François Boussamba, Floriane Cardiec, Emmanuel Chartrain, Philip D. Doherty, J. Michael Fay, Brendan J. Godley, Francis Lambert, Brice D. Koumba Mabert, Jean C. Manfoumbi, Kristian Metcalfe, Gianna Minton, Ivan Ndanga, Jacob Nzegoue, Carmen K. Kouerey Oliwina, Philippe Du Plessis, Guy-Philippe Sounguet, Dominic Tilley, Matthew J. Witt, Sara M. Maxwell Jan 2017

Informing Marine Protected Area Designation And Management For Nesting Olive Ridley Sea Turtles Using Satellite Tracking, Tiffany M. Dawson, Angela Formia, Pierre D. Agamboué, Georges M. Asseko, François Boussamba, Floriane Cardiec, Emmanuel Chartrain, Philip D. Doherty, J. Michael Fay, Brendan J. Godley, Francis Lambert, Brice D. Koumba Mabert, Jean C. Manfoumbi, Kristian Metcalfe, Gianna Minton, Ivan Ndanga, Jacob Nzegoue, Carmen K. Kouerey Oliwina, Philippe Du Plessis, Guy-Philippe Sounguet, Dominic Tilley, Matthew J. Witt, Sara M. Maxwell

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding the horizontal and vertical habitat of olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), a threatened species, is critical for determining regions for protection and relevant gear modifications that may effectively reduce bycatch, the largest threat to this species. Satellite transmitters were used to determine the movement and dive behavior of 21 female olive ridley turtles tagged in Pongara National Park, Gabon during the 2012, 2013, and 2015 nesting seasons. A switching state-space model was used to filter the tracking data and categorize the internesting and post-nesting movements. Gridded utilization distribution (UD) home range analysis of tracking data revealed …

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Defining The Risk Of Zika And Chikungunya Virus Transmission In Human Population Centers Of The Eastern United States, Carrie A. Manore, Richard S. Ostfeld, Folashade B. Agusto, Holly Gaff, Shannon L. Ladeau Jan 2017

Defining The Risk Of Zika And Chikungunya Virus Transmission In Human Population Centers Of The Eastern United States, Carrie A. Manore, Richard S. Ostfeld, Folashade B. Agusto, Holly Gaff, Shannon L. Ladeau

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The recent spread of mosquito-transmitted viruses and associated disease to the Americas motivates a new, data-driven evaluation of risk in temperate population centers. Temperate regions are generally expected to pose low risk for significant mosquito-borne disease; however, the spread of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) across densely populated urban areas has established a new landscape of risk. We use a model informed by field data to assess the conditions likely to facilitate local transmission of chikungunya and Zika viruses from an infected traveler to Ae. albopictus and then to other humans in USA cities with variable human …

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Testing Alternative Hypotheses For The Cause Of Population Declines: The Case Of The Red-Headed Woodpecker, Walter D. Koenig, Eric L. Walters, Paul G. Rodewald Jan 2017

Testing Alternative Hypotheses For The Cause Of Population Declines: The Case Of The Red-Headed Woodpecker, Walter D. Koenig, Eric L. Walters, Paul G. Rodewald

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) has experienced strong population declines during the past 3 decades. Using North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data, we investigated 4 hypotheses that may explain this decline, including: (1) interspecific competition with native Red-bellied Woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) and nonnative European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris); (2) predation by Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter cooperii) and Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus); (3) climate change; and (4) changes in forested area within their range. In analyses of both the breeding and overwintering periods, our results indicated …

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A Review Of Phage Therapy Against Bacterial Pathogens Of Aquatic And Terrestrial Organisms, Janis Doss, Kayla Culbertson, Delilah Hahn, Joanna Camacho, Nazir Barekzi Jan 2017

A Review Of Phage Therapy Against Bacterial Pathogens Of Aquatic And Terrestrial Organisms, Janis Doss, Kayla Culbertson, Delilah Hahn, Joanna Camacho, Nazir Barekzi

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Since the discovery of bacteriophage in the early 1900s, there have been numerous attempts to exploit their innate ability to kill bacteria. The purpose of this report is to review current findings and new developments in phage therapy with an emphasis on bacterial diseases of marine organisms, humans, and plants. The body of evidence includes data from studies investigating bacteriophage in marine and land environments as modern antimicrobial agents against harmful bacteria. The goal of this paper is to present an overview of the topic of phage therapy, the use of phage-derived protein therapy, and the hosts that bacteriophage are …

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Fit To Predict? Ecoinformatics For Predicting The Catchability Of A Pelagic Fish In Near Real-Time, Kylie L. Scales, Elliot L. Hazen, Sara M. Maxwell, Heidi Dewar, Suzanne Kohin, Michael G. Jacox, Christopher A. Edwards, Dana K. Briscoe, Larry B. Crowder, Rebecca L. Lewison, Steven J. Bograd Jan 2017

Fit To Predict? Ecoinformatics For Predicting The Catchability Of A Pelagic Fish In Near Real-Time, Kylie L. Scales, Elliot L. Hazen, Sara M. Maxwell, Heidi Dewar, Suzanne Kohin, Michael G. Jacox, Christopher A. Edwards, Dana K. Briscoe, Larry B. Crowder, Rebecca L. Lewison, Steven J. Bograd

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The ocean is a dynamic environment inhabited by a diverse array of highly migratory species, many of which are under direct exploitation in targeted fisheries. The timescales of variability in the marine realm coupled with the extreme mobility of ocean-wandering species such as tuna and billfish complicates fisheries management. Developing ecoinformatics solutions that allow for near real-time prediction of the distributions of highly mobile marine species is an important step towards the maturation of dynamic ocean management and ecological forecasting. Using 25 years (1990-2014) of NOAA fisheries' observer data from the California drift gillnet fishery, we model relative probability of …

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Exosomes Serve As Novel Modes Of Tick-Borne Flavivirus Transmission From Arthropod To Human Cells And Facilitates Dissemination Of Viral Rna And Proteins To The Vertebrate Neuronal Cells, Wenshuo Zhou, Michael Woodson, Biswas Neupane, Fengwei Bai, Michael B. Sherman, Kyung H. Choi, Girish Neelakanta, Hameeda Sultana Jan 2017

Exosomes Serve As Novel Modes Of Tick-Borne Flavivirus Transmission From Arthropod To Human Cells And Facilitates Dissemination Of Viral Rna And Proteins To The Vertebrate Neuronal Cells, Wenshuo Zhou, Michael Woodson, Biswas Neupane, Fengwei Bai, Michael B. Sherman, Kyung H. Choi, Girish Neelakanta, Hameeda Sultana

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Molecular determinants and mechanisms of arthropod-borne flavivirus transmission to the vertebrate host are poorly understood. In this study, we show for the first time that a cell line from medically important arthropods, such as ticks, secretes extracellular vesicles (EVs) including exosomes that mediate transmission of flavivirus RNA and proteins to the human cells. Our study shows that tick-borne Langat virus (LGTV), a model pathogen closely related to tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), profusely uses arthropod exosomes for transmission of viral RNA and proteins to the human- skin keratinocytes and blood endothelial cells. Cryo-electron microscopy showed the presence of purified arthropod/neuronal exosomes …

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Experimental Evaluation Of Several Key Factors Affecting Root Biomass Estimation By 1500 Mhz Ground-Penetrating Radar, John C. Bain, Frank P. Day, John R. Butnor Jan 2017

Experimental Evaluation Of Several Key Factors Affecting Root Biomass Estimation By 1500 Mhz Ground-Penetrating Radar, John C. Bain, Frank P. Day, John R. Butnor

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Accurate quantification of coarse roots without disturbance represents a gap in our understanding of belowground ecology. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) has shown significant promise for coarse root detection and measurement, however root orientation relative to scanning transect direction, the difficulty identifying dead root mass, and the effects of root shadowing are all key factors affecting biomass estimation that require additional research. Specifically, many aspects of GPR applicability for coarse root measurement have not been tested with a full range of antenna frequencies. We tested the effects of multiple scanning directions, root crossover, and root versus soil moisture content in a …

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Stability Of Cross-Feeding Polymorphisms In Microbial Communities, Ivana Gudelj, Margie Kinnersley, Peter Rashkov, Karen Schmidt, Frank Rosenzweig Dec 2016

Stability Of Cross-Feeding Polymorphisms In Microbial Communities, Ivana Gudelj, Margie Kinnersley, Peter Rashkov, Karen Schmidt, Frank Rosenzweig

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cross-feeding, a relationship wherein one organism consumes metabolites excreted by another, is a ubiquitous feature of natural and clinically-relevant microbial communities and could be a key factor promoting diversity in extreme and/or nutrient-poor environments. However, it remains unclear how readily cross-feeding interactions form, and therefore our ability to predict their emergence is limited. In this paper we developed a mathematical model parameterized using data from the biochemistry and ecology of an E. coli cross-feeding laboratory system. The model accurately captures short-term dynamics of the two competitors that have been observed empirically and we use it to systematically explore the stability …

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Recent Diatoms Reported From The Central United States: Register Of Taxa And Synonyms, Mark E. Eberle Dec 2016

Recent Diatoms Reported From The Central United States: Register Of Taxa And Synonyms, Mark E. Eberle

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

This list of diatoms summarizes information for more than 1000 taxa and synonyms reported in published accounts of collections made in the central United States, principally within the states of Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, but also including adjacent areas in eastern Colorado and western Missouri. The objective was to provide people working on diatom projects in this region with a base reference to help them assess the results of their research. Records from Master’s theses and references focused on fossil diatoms were not incorporated into this list. Specimens were not examined, so taxa presented here are those reported in the …

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Cytochrome C Can Form A Well-Defined Binding Pocket For Hydrocarbons, Levi J. Mcclelland, Harmen B. Steele, Frank G. Whitby, Tung-Chung Mou, David Holley, J B. Ross, Stephen R. Sprang, Bruce E. Bowler Dec 2016

Cytochrome C Can Form A Well-Defined Binding Pocket For Hydrocarbons, Levi J. Mcclelland, Harmen B. Steele, Frank G. Whitby, Tung-Chung Mou, David Holley, J B. Ross, Stephen R. Sprang, Bruce E. Bowler

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cytochrome c can acquire peroxidase activity when it binds to cardiolipin in mitochondrial membranes. The resulting oxygenation of cardiolipin by cytochrome c provides an early signal for the onset of apoptosis. The structure of this enzyme-substrate complex is a matter of considerable debate. We present three structures at 1.7-2.0 Å resolution of a domain-swapped dimer of yeast iso-1-cytochrome c with the detergents, CYMAL-5, CYMAL-6, and ω-undecylenyl-β-d-maltopyranoside, bound in a channel that places the hydrocarbon moieties of these detergents next to the heme. The heme is poised for peroxidase activity with water bound in place of Met80, which serves as the …

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Ric-8a, A G Protein Chaperone With Nucleotide Exchange Activity Induces Long-Range Secondary Structure Changes In Gα, Ravi Kant, Baisen Zeng, Celestine J. Thomas, Brian Bothner, Stephen R. Sprang Dec 2016

Ric-8a, A G Protein Chaperone With Nucleotide Exchange Activity Induces Long-Range Secondary Structure Changes In Gα, Ravi Kant, Baisen Zeng, Celestine J. Thomas, Brian Bothner, Stephen R. Sprang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cytosolic Ric-8A has guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) activity and is a chaperone for several classes of heterotrimeric G protein α subunits in vertebrates. Using Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange-Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS) we show that Ric-8A disrupts the secondary structure of the Gα Ras-like domain that girds the guanine nucleotide-binding site, and destabilizes the interface between the Gαi1 Ras and helical domains, allowing domain separation and nucleotide release. These changes are largely reversed upon binding GTP and dissociation of Ric-8A. HDX-MS identifies a potential Gα interaction site in Ric-8A. Alanine scanning reveals residues crucial for GEF activity within that sequence. HDX confirms that, …

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