Life Sciences Commons^™

Response Of Bird Populations To Long-Term Changes In Local Vegetation And Regional Forest Cover, Mary Buchanan, Robert A. Askins, Chad C. Jones

Biology Faculty Publications

We analyzed data from a woodland site for a 59-year period to determine whether changes in bird populations are related to changes in the diversity and relative abundance of woody plant species even when vegetation structure, degree of forest fragmentation in the surrounding landscape, and regional changes in bird populations are taken into account. Principal component analyses generated vegetation factors encompassing variables such as total basal area, shrub density, basal area of common tree species, and measures of tree and shrub species diversity. We also calculated a forest edge/ forest area index based on GIS analysis of the landscape within …

Zootaxa: Guide To The Parasites Of Fishes Of Canada Part V: Nematoda, Hisao P. Arai, John W. Smith

Biology Faculty Publications

Keys are provided for the identification of the nematode species known to be parasites of Canadian fishes. The nematodes are described and illustrated, with a note of the site(s) they occupy in named fish host(s) and their geographical distribution. Parasite records are given by author and date, full details of which can be found in a bibliography of over 800 references. Diagnoses and keys for 22 Families, 47 genera and 88 species of nematodes are also given, together with a glossary of terms, a host-parasite list, and indices to both nematode parasites and hosts

Behavioral And Neural Indices Of Metacognitive Sensitivity In Preverbal Infants, Louise Goupil, Sid Kouider

Biology Faculty Publications

Humans adapt their behavior not only by observing the consequences of their actions but also by internally monitoring their performance. This capacity, termed metacognitive sensitivity [1 ; 2], has traditionally been denied to young children because they have poor capacities in verbally reporting their own mental states [3; 4 ; 5]. Yet, these observations might reflect children’s limited capacities for explicit self-reports, rather than limitations in metacognition per se. Indeed, metacognitive sensitivity has been shown to reflect simple computational mechanisms [1; 6; 7 ; 8], and can be found in various …

The Biology Of Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, Kay Etheridge

Biology Faculty Publications

Book Description: This facsimile of one of the most beautiful books of natural history ever created contains sixty magnificent illustrations showing exotic insects, with the original descriptions. The reissue is the same size as the original and is enriched with an illustrated introduction about the life, work and significance of Maria Sibylla Merian, and a new scientific description of all the insects, animals and plants.

The life and work of this German woman who moved to the Netherlands has been the subject of international research by botanists, entomologists and historians concerned with the history of science, art, religion and economics. …

The History And Influence Of Maria Sibylla Merian's Bird-Eating Tarantula: Circulating Images And The Production Of Natural Knowledge, Kay Etheridge

Biology Faculty Publications

Chapter Summary: A 2009 exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum on the confluence of science and the visual arts included a plate from a nineteenth-century encyclopedia owned by Charles Darwin showing a tarantula poised over a dead bird (figure 3.1).1 The genesis of this startling scene was a work by Maria Sibylla Merian (German, 1647–1717), and the history of this image says much about how knowledge of the New World was obtained, and how it was transmitted to the studies and private libraries of Europe, and from there into popular works like Darwin’s encyclopedia. It is unlikely that Merian ever imagined …

Wire Netting Reduces African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) Impact To Selected Trees In South Africa, Kelly Derham, Michelle Henley, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are ecosystem engineers in that they substantially alter the environment through their unique foraging and feeding habits. At high densities, elephants potentially have negative impacts on the environment, specifically for large trees. Because of this, recent increases of elephants in the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, have caused concern regarding the survival of several tree species. Our objective was to assess the effectiveness of wrapping protective wire netting around the trunk of the tree for preventing and reducing bark stripping, branch breaking, …

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome Of The Shoal Chub, Macrhybopsis Hyostoma, Sarah Gaughan, Robin Johnson, Jun Wang, Michael Wachholtz, Kirk Steffensen, Timothy King, Guoqing Lu

Biology Faculty Publications

The complete mitochondrial genome of the shoal chub (Macrhybopsis hyostoma) was determined to be 16,899 bp and contained 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and 1 control region. The whole genome base composition was 30.5% A, 28.5% T, 24.9% C and 16.1 G. This complete mitochondrial genome provides essential molecular markers for resolving phylogeny and future conservation efforts.

Skeletal Muscle Mass And Composition During Mammalian Hibernation, Clark J. Cotton

Biology Faculty Publications

Hibernation is characterized by prolonged periods of inactivity with concomitantly low nutrient intake, conditions that would typically result in muscle atrophy combined with a loss of oxidative fibers. Yet, hibernators consistently emerge from winter with very little atrophy, frequently accompanied by a slight shift in fiber ratios to more oxidative fiber types. Preservation of muscle morphology is combined with down-regulation of glycolytic pathways and increased reliance on lipid metabolism instead. Furthermore, while rates of protein synthesis are reduced during hibernation, balance is maintained by correspondingly low rates of protein degradation. Proposed mechanisms include a number of signaling pathways and transcription …

Review Of "Eye Of Newt And Toe Of Frog, Adder’S Fork And Lizards’ Leg, The Lore And Mythology Of Amphibians And Reptiles", Kay Etheridge

Biology Faculty Publications

A review of Marty Crump's book on the folklore surrounding reptiles and amphibians. Crump's book is a collection of tales and myths both ancient and contemporary, and a fascinating analysis of how humans perceive and sometimes revere snakes, frogs and other "loathsome" creatures.

Two New Species Of Geosesarma De Man, 1892 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Sesarmidae) From Palawan, The Philippines, Hendrik Freitag, Marivene Manuel-Santos, Peter K.L Ng

Biology Faculty Publications

Two new and relatively large species of semi-terrestrial sesarmid crabs of the genus Geosesarma De Man, 1892, are described from Palawan Island, Philippines. They are distinguishable from congeners by the characteristic structure of their carapace, chelipeds, ambulatory legs and male first gonopods. Aspects of their ecology are briefly discussed

2016 Virginia Wildflower Of The Year: Downy Rattlesnake Plantain, Goodyera Pubescens, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

Regardless of season, Downy Rattlesnake Plantain is a delight to encounter in the woods of Virginia. This evergreen orchid is a perennial rhizomatous herb of the forest floor. The horizontal rhizomes, usually covered lightly by leaf litter, bear roots at intervals and terminate in a rosette of leaves. Leaves are alternate, somewhat crowded together, and only slightly elevated above ground level. Leaf blades are ovate, 3–8 cm long, and 1.5–3 cm wide, often of varying size within a rosette. Leaves are present year-round, bluish-green, with prominent white veins; on each leaf, a broad midvein is flanked by two smaller veins …

Modulatory Action By The Serotonergic System: Behavior And Neurophysiology In Drosophila Melanogaster, Zana R Majeed, Esraa Abdeljaber, Robin Soveland, Kristin Cornwell, Aubrey Bankemper, Felicitas Koch, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Serotonin modulates various physiological processes and behaviors. This study investigates the role of 5-HT in locomotion and feeding behaviors as well as in modulation of sensory-motor circuits. The 5-HT biosynthesis was dysregulated by feeding Drosophila larvae 5-HT, a 5-HT precursor, or an inhibitor of tryptophan hydroxylase during early stages of development. The effects of feeding fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, during early second instars were also examined. 5-HT receptor subtypes were manipulated using RNA interference mediated knockdown and 5-HT receptor insertional mutations. Moreover, synaptic transmission at 5-HT neurons was blocked or enhanced in both larvae and adult flies. The …

Evolution Of The Vertebrate Claudin Gene Family: Insights From A Basal Vertebrate, The Sea Lamprey, Christian Mukendi, Nicholas Dean, Rushil Lala, Jeramiah J. Smith, Marianne E Bronner, Natalya V. Nikitina

Biology Faculty Publications

Claudins are major constituents of tight junctions, contributing both to their intercellular sealing and selective permeability properties. While claudins and claudin-like molecules are present in some invertebrates, the association of claudins with tight junctions has been conclusively documented only in vertebrates. Here we report the sequencing, phylogenetic analysis and comprehensive spatiotemporal expression analysis of the entire claudin gene family in the basal extant vertebrate, the sea lamprey. Our results demonstrate that clear orthologues to about half of all mammalian claudins are present in the lamprey, suggesting that at least one round of whole genome duplication contributed to the diversification of …

Enhancing The Stem Ecosystem Through Teacher-Researcher Partnerships, William E. Tapprich, Neal Grandgenett, Heather Leas, Steven N. Rodie, Robert Duncan Shuster, Chris Schaben, Christine E. Cutucache

Biology Faculty Publications

STEM faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) have partnered with teachers and administrators in the Omaha Public Schools (OPS) to implement a Teacher-Researcher Partnership Program. This program establishes resources and infrastructure that engage K-12 science teachers in scientific research experiences. In the first implementation of this program, eleven UNO faculty mentors, drawn from several STEM disciplines, were matched with eleven OPS teachers to conduct genuine research projects in support of their teaching.

Epigenetic Response To Environmental Change: Dna Methylation Varies With Invasion Status, Aaron W. Schrey, Travis R. Robbins, Jacob Lee, David W. Dukes Jr., Alexandria K. Ragsdale, Christopher J. Thawley

Biology Faculty Publications

Epigenetic mechanisms may be important for a native species’ response to rapid environmental change. Red Imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta Santschi, 1916) were recently introduced to areas occupied by the Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus Bosc & Daudin, 1801). Behavioral, morphological and physiological phenotypes of the Eastern Fence Lizard have changed following invasion, creating a natural biological system to investigate environmentally induced epigenetic changes.We tested for variation in DNA methylation patterns in Eastern Fence Lizard populations associated with different histories of invasion by Red Imported Fire Ants. At methylation sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism loci, we detected a higher diversity …

Convergence Of Detrital Stoichiometry Predicts Thresholds Of Nutrient-Stimulated Breakdown In Streams, David W. P. Manning, Amy D. Rosemond, Vladislav Gulis, Jonathan P. Benstead, John S. Kominoski, John C. Maerz

Biology Faculty Publications

Nutrient enrichment of detritus‐based streams increases detrital resource quality for consumers and stimulates breakdown rates of particulate organic carbon (C). The relative importance of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (N) vs. phosphorus (P) for detrital quality and their effects on microbial‐ vs. detritivore‐mediated detrital breakdown are poorly understood. We tested effects of experimental N and P additions on detrital stoichiometry (C:N, C:P) and total and microbial breakdown (i.e., with and without detritivorous shredders, respectively) of five detritus types (four leaf litter species and wood) with different initial C : nutrient content. We enriched five headwater streams continuously for two years at different …

De Novo Assembly And Analysis Of The Chilean Pencil Catfish Trichomycterus Areolatus Transcriptome, Thomas T. Schulze, Jonathan Ali, Maggie Bartlett, Madalyn Mcfarland, Emalie Clement, Harim Won, Austin G. Sanford, Elyssa Monzingo, Matthew C. Martens, Ryan M. Hemsley, Sidharta Kumar, Nicolas Gouin, Alan Kolok, Paul H. Davis

Biology Faculty Publications

Trichomycterus areolatus is an endemic species of pencil catfish that inhabits the riffles and rapids of many freshwater ecosystems of Chile. Despite its unique adaptation to Chile’s high gradient watersheds and therefore potential application in the investigation of ecosystem integrity and environmental contamination, relatively little is known regarding the molecular biology of this environmental sentinel. Here, we detail the assembly of the Trichomycterus areolatus transcriptome, a molecular resource for the study of this organism and its molecular response to the environment. RNA-Seq reads were obtained by next-generation sequencing with an Illumina® platform and processed using PRINSEQ. The transcriptome assembly was …

Broad Activation Of Latent Hiv-1 In Vivo, Kirston Barton, Bonnie Hiener, Anni Winckelmann, Thomas Aagaard Rasmussen, Wei Shao, Karen Byth, Robert Lanfear, Ajantha Solomon, James Mcmahon, Sean Harrington, Maria Buzon, Mathias Lichterfeld, Paul W. Denton, Rikke Olesen, Lars Østergaard, Martin Tolstrup, Sharon R. Lewin, Ole Schmeltz Søgaard, Sarah Palmer

Biology Faculty Publications

The ‘shock and kill’ approach to cure human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) includes transcriptional induction of latent HIV-1 proviruses using latency-reversing agents (LRAs) with targeted immunotherapy to purge infected cells. The administration of LRAs (panobinostat or vorinostat) to HIV-1-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy induces a significant increase in cell-associated unspliced (CA-US) HIV-1 RNA from CD4+ T cells. However, it is important to discern whether the increases in CA-US HIV-1 RNA are due to limited or broad activation of HIV-1 proviruses. Here we use single-genome sequencing to find that the RNA transcripts observed following LRA administration are genetically diverse, indicating activation of …

Using Animal Models To Overcome Temporal, Spatial And Combinatorial Challenges In Hiv Persistence Research, Paul W. Denton, Ole S. Søgaard, Martin Tolstrup

Biology Faculty Publications

Research challenges associated with understanding HIV persistence during antiretroviral therapy can be categorized as temporal, spatial and combinatorial. Temporal research challenges relate to the timing of events during establishment and maintenance of HIV persistence. Spatial research challenges regard the anatomical locations and cell subsets that harbor persistent HIV. Combinatorial research challenges pertain to the order of administration, timing of administration and specific combinations of compounds to be administered during HIV eradication therapy. Overcoming these challenges will improve our understanding of HIV persistence and move the field closer to achieving eradication of persistent HIV. Given that humanized mice and non-human primate …

World Checklist Of Hornworts And Liverworts, Lars Söderström, Anders Hagborg, Matt Von Konrat, Sharon Bartholomew-Began, David Bell, Laura Briscoe, Elizabeth Brown, D. Christine Cargill, Denise P. Costa, Barbara J. Crandall-Stotler, Endymion D. Cooper, Gregorio Dauphin, John J. Engel, Kathrin Feldberg, David Glenny, S. Robbert Gradstein, Xiaolan He, Jochen Heinrichs, Jörn Hentschel, Anna Luiza Ilkiu-Borges, Tomoyuki Katagiri, Nadezhda A. Konstantinova, Juan Larraín, David G. Long, Martin Nebel, Tamás Pócs, Felisa Puche, Elena Reiner-Drehwald, Matt A.M. Renner, Andrea Sass-Gyarmati, Alfons Schäfer-Verwimp, José Gabriel Segarra Moragues, Raymond E. Stotler, Phiangphak Sukkharak, Barbara M. Thiers, Jaime Uribe, Jiří Váňa, Juan Carlos Villarreal, Martin Wigginton, Li Zhang, Rui-Liang Zhu

Biology Faculty Publications

A working checklist of accepted taxa worldwide is vital in achieving the goal of developing an online flora of all known plants by 2020 as part of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. We here present the first-ever worldwide checklist for liverworts (Marchantiophyta) and hornworts (Anthocerotophyta) that includes 7486 species in 398 genera representing 92 families from the two phyla. Th e checklist has far reaching implications and applications, including providing a valuable tool for taxonomists and systematists, analyzing phytogeographic and diversity patterns, aiding in the assessment of floristic and taxonomic knowledge, and identifying geographical gaps in our understanding of …

Acoustic Detection Reveals Fine-Scale Distributions Of Myotis Lucifugus, Myotis Septentrionalis, And Perimyotis Subflavus In Eastern Nebraska, Jeremy A. White, Cliff A. Lemen, Patricia W. Freeman

Biology Faculty Publications

Before white-nose syndrome arrives in Nebraska, it is important to document the preexposure distributions of cave bats in the state. We examined the distributions of Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis), Myotis septentrionalis (northern long-eared myotis), and Perimyotis subflavus (tri-colored bat) in eastern Nebraska by setting acoustic detectors for a single night at 105 sites in wooded habitats during summers of 2012 and 2014. We compared 2 methods of determining presence at each site. Results of our analyses are fine-scale distributional maps for these bats and some range extensions from published records. Results for M. septentrionalis and P. subflavus are largely …

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome Of The Silver Chub, Macrhybopsis Storeriana, Sarah Gaughan, Robin Johnson, Jun Wang, Michael Wachholtz, Kirk Steffensen, Timothy King, Guoqing Lu

Biology Faculty Publications

The complete mitochondrial genome of the silver chub M. storeriana was determined to be 16,709 bp and contained 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and one control region. The whole genome base composition was 30.3% A, 28% T, 25.5% C and 16.2 G. This complete mitochondrial genome provides essential molecular markers for resolving phylogeny and aiding future conservation efforts.

The Impact Of Oxygen On Bacterial Enteric Pathogens, Nathan Wallace, Ashley N. Zani, Elizabeth A. Abrams, Yvonne Sun

Biology Faculty Publications

Bacterial enteric pathogens are responsible for a tremendous amount of foodborne illnesses every year through the consumption of contaminated food products. During their transit from contaminated food sources to the host gastrointestinal tract, these pathogens are exposed and must adapt to fluctuating oxygen levels to successfully colonize the host and cause diseases. However, the majority of enteric infection research has been conducted under aerobic conditions. To raise awareness of the importance in understanding the impact of oxygen, or lack of oxygen, on enteric pathogenesis, we describe in this review the metabolic and physiological responses of nine bacterial enteric pathogens exposed …

Fluorescent Nanocomposite Of Embedded Ceria Nanoparticles In Crosslinked Pva Electrospun Nanofibers, Nader Shehata, Soha Gaballah, Effat Samir, Aya Hamed, Marwa Saad

Biology Faculty Publications

This paper introduces a new fluorescent nanocomposite of electrospun biodegradable nanofibers embedded with optical nanoparticles. In detail, this work introduces the fluorescence properties of PVA nanofibers generated by the electrospinning technique with embedded cerium oxide (ceria) nanoparticles. Under near-ultra violet excitation, the synthesized nanocomposite generates a visible fluorescent emission at 520 nm, varying its intensity peak according to the concentration of in situ embedded ceria nanoparticles. This is due to the fact that the embedded ceria nanoparticles have optical tri-valiant cerium ions, associated with formed oxygen vacancies, with a direct allowed bandgap around 3.5 eV. In addition, the impact of …

Diagnostic Doses And Times For Phlebotomus Papatasi And Lutzomiya Longipalpis Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phleboominae) Using The Cdc Bottle Bioassay To Assess Insecticide Resistance, David S. Denlinger, Joseph A. Creswell, J. Laine Anderson, Connor K. Reese, Scott A. Bernhardt

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Insecticide resistance to synthetic chemical insecticides is a worldwide concern in phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae), the vectors of Leishmania spp. parasites. The CDC bottle bioassay assesses resistance by testing populations against verified diagnostic doses and diagnostic times for an insecticide, but the assay has been used limitedly with sand flies. The objective of this study was to determine diagnostic doses and diagnostic times for laboratory Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Nieva) and Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli) to ten insecticides, including pyrethroids, organophosphates, carbamates, and DDT, that are used worldwide to control vectors.

Methods: Bioassays were conducted in 1,000-ml …

Metabolism, Gas Exchange, And Carbon Spiraling In Rivers, Robert Ogden Hall, Jennifer L. Tank, Michelle A. Baker, Erin R. Hotchkiss, Emma J. Rosi-Marshall

Biology Faculty Publications

Ecosystem metabolism, that is, gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER), controls organic carbon (OC) cycling in stream and river networks and is expected to vary predictably with network position. However, estimates of metabolism in small streams outnumber those from rivers such that there are limited empirical data comparing metabolism across a range of stream and river sizes. We measured metabolism in 14 rivers (discharge range 14–84 m³ s⁻¹) in the Western and Midwestern United States (US). We estimated GPP, ER, and gas exchange rates using a Lagrangian, 2-station oxygen model solved in a Bayesian framework. …

Comparing Process-Based And Constraint-Based Approaches For Modeling Macroecological Patterns, Xiao Xiao

Biology Faculty Publications

Ecological patterns arise from the interplay of many different processes, and yet the emergence of consistent phenomena across a diverse range of ecological systems suggests that many patterns may in part be determined by statistical or numerical constraints. Differentiating the extent to which patterns in a given system are determined statistically, and where it requires explicit ecological processes, has been difficult. We tackled this challenge by directly comparing models from a constraint-based theory, the Maximum Entropy Theory of Ecology (METE) and models from a process-based theory, the size-structured neutral theory (SSNT). Models from both theories were capable of characterizing the …

Role-Playing In A Vaccination Debate Strengthens Student Scientific Debate Skills For Various Audiences, Gianne Souza, P. F. Mixter

Biology Faculty Publications

Students are surrounded by strongly-held viewpoints on scientific topics and frequently discuss news reports with their classmates. We developed the vaccination debate exercise to leverage this interest and develop core higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS), including, but not limited to, the ability to critique public media or primary research sources and create arguments for defending multiple viewpoints. Students prepared to debate different sides of the topic and then randomly assumed one of the roles: “Physician” (pro-vaccine), “Activist” (anti-vaccination), or “Parent-on-the-fence” (undecided). Students reported an increase in their abilities to discuss scientific topics with diverse audiences and an increased awareness of importance …

Ten Simple Rules For Digital Data Storage, E. M. Hart, P. Barmby, D. Lebauer, F. Michonneau, S. Mount, P. Mulrooney, T. Poisot, K. H. Woo, Naupaka B. Zimmerman, J. W. Hollister

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Altitudinal Shifts Of The Native And Introduced Flora Of California In The Context Of 20th-Century Warming, A. Wolf, Naupaka B. Zimmerman, W. R. Anderegg, P. E. Busby, J. Christensen

Biology Faculty Publications

Aim: The differential responses of plant species to climate change are of great interest and grave concern for scientists and conservationists. One underexploited resource for better understanding these changes are the records held by herbaria. Using these records to assess the responses of different groups of species across the entire flora of California, we sought to quantify the magnitude of species elevational shifts, to measure differences in shifts among functional groups and between native and introduced species, and to evaluate whether these shifts were related to the conservation of thermal niches.

Location: California.

Methods: To characterize these shifts in California, …