Life Sciences Commons^™

The Glycine And Proline Reductase Systems: An Evolutionary Perspective And Presence In Enterobacteriaceae, Joshua Witt

HIM 1990-2015

The Glycine and Proline Reduction systems are two of the best characterized selenoenzymes in bacteria and have been found to occur in a wide variety of clostridia [1-5]. These enzymes are utilized to reduce glycine or D-proline to obtain energy via substrate level phosporylation or membrane gradients, respectively [6, 7]. This includes the pathogens C. difficile and C. botulinum [5, 8]. Strains of C. difficile are activate toxigenic pathways whenever either of these pathways is active within the cell [5, 8]. Though evolutionary studies have been conducted on ammonia producing bacteria [9] none has been done to directly characterize these …

Smokejumper Obituary: Wolf, Howard Lee (Mccall 1953), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Smokejumper Obituary: Cumley, Del W. (Missoula 1950), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Novel Applications Of Multivariate Methods For Exploring Personality In African Elephants, Shilo Kimberly Felton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Investigators have shown that elephants exhibit consistent individual differences in behavior by rating elephants using personality adjectives. These adjectives, however, are not based on pre-defined measurements of the behaviors performed. Instead, they are based on the observers’ interpretations of an animal’s behavioral patterns, therefore making them subject to observer bias. Furthermore, elephants have a capacity for learning; thus, they may alter their behavioral patterns over time. This behavioral plasticity in itself might be a way of measuring consistent behavioral differences among individuals. With this in mind, I approached elephant personality as a multivariate problem. I used behavioral observations collected from …

Landscape Genetics Of The Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma Opacum) At Mammoth Cave National Park, James Kyle Martin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Habitat connectivity is important to maintain in order to prevent loss of genetic diversity, reduce inbreeding depression, and decrease extinction risk in threatened or endangered species. Here I present a landscape genetics study on marbled salamanders (Ambystoma opacum) in highly connected forested habitat at Mammoth Cave National Park. This investigation of gene flow among ponds within a mostly continuous landscape provides data that can be compared with patterns observed in more fragmented landscapes. These comparisons can provide a means of investigating the separate effects of structural and functional habitat connectivity on amphibian genetic population structure. Structural connectivity refers to the …

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Linked To Essential Hypertension In Kasigau, Kenya, Julia Carol Freeman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Hypertension, or high blood pressure (BP), is an ever-growing epidemic in the developing world. Understanding the genetics behind essential hypertension (EH), or hypertension with no known cause, is especially important. In this study, three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) known to be linked to an increase in susceptibility to EH were quantified from a cohort of Kenyans living in the Kasigau region. The SNPs are located in three genes that are part of the renin angiotensin system, the primary regulatory pathway in humans controlling BP. They include: AGT (rs699), AGTR1 (rs5186), and HSD11β2 (rs5479). Overall, by using a fluorescent-based RT-PCR technique, …

Interference In White Bass Reproduction By Two Introduced Predators In Barren River Lake, Kentucky, Jacob Franklin Fose

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

White bass Morone chrysops are native to the Mississippi River and its tributaries. This range includes the Barren River in south central Kentucky. Over the last thirty years, the population of white bass in Barren River Lake, a reservoir of the Barren River, has been in decline. During that same time, two congeners of white bass have been introduced to the lake. Hybrid striped bass Morone chrysops × Morone saxatilis were introduced in 1979 and yellow bass Morone mississippiensis were first discovered in 2000. Due to the similar life histories and spawning strategies of all three Morone species, I hypothesized …

Population Genetic Structure In A Social Landscape: Barley In A Traditional Ethiopian Agricultural System, Leah H. Samberg, Lila Fishman, Fred W. Allendorf

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Conservation strategies are increasingly driven by our understanding of the processes and patterns of gene flow across complex landscapes. The expansion of population genetic approaches into traditional agricultural systems requires understanding how social factors contribute to that landscape, and thus to gene flow. This study incorporates extensive farmer interviews and population genetic analysis of barley landraces (Hordeum vulgare) to build a holistic picture of farmer-mediated geneflow in an ancient, traditional agricultural system in the highlands of Ethiopia. We analyze barley samples at 14 microsatellite loci across sites at varying elevations and locations across a contiguous mountain range, and across farmer-identified …

Stairway To Heaven: Evaluating Levels Of Biological Organization Correlated With The Successful Ascent Of Natural Waterfalls In The Hawaiian Stream Goby Sicyopterus Stimpsoni, Richard W. Blob, Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Takashi Maie, Kristine N. Moody, Kelsey E. Lesteberg, Tonya C. Schoenfuss

Publications

Selective pressures generated by locomotor challenges act at the level of the individual. However, phenotypic variation among individuals that might convey a selective advantage may occur across any of multiple levels of
biological organization. In this study, we test for differences in external morphology, muscle mechanical advantage, muscle fiber type and protein expression among individuals of the waterfall climbing Hawaiian fish Sicyopterus stimpsoni collected from sequential pools increasing in elevation within a single freshwater stream. Despite predictions from previous laboratory studies of morphological selection, few directional morphometric changes in
body shape were observed at successively higher elevations. Similarly, lever arm …

American Society Of Parasitologists Newsletter, V. 35, No. 3, Winter 2013, Scott Lyell Gardner

American Society of Parasitologists: Newsletter

An issue of the American Society of Parasitologists' quarterly newsletter, also called the Journal of Parasitology Newsletter.

The Effects Of Salinity On Pythium Disease Of Rice And Soybean, Terea Jeanette Stetina

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing salinity is an important factor limiting agricultural productivity worldwide. In addition to direct effects on growth and yield, diseases also may be affected. This study characterized the effects of soil salinity on seedling disease of soybean and rice caused by Pythium spp. Controlled environment experiments on soybean used two cultivars which differed in chloride tolerance and soil treated with a CaCl₂ solution to create a range of electrical conductivity (EC) levels. For soybean, soil was either not infested or infested with Pythium sylvaticum or P. aphanidermatum (pathogenic to soybean), or P. oligandrum (not pathogenic to soybean). Twenty-one days …

Effects Of Rain And Simulated Rain On Deoxynivalenol Levels In Grain And Chaff Of Winter Wheat With Fusarium Head Blight, Manoj Kumar Pun

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Wheat grain affected by Fusarium head blight (FHB) contains the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) that is harmful to humans and animals. Reducing the amount of DON in grain is the goal of management practices for FHB so it is important to understand the factors affecting DON in grain. Some studies on the effects of late-season moisture found increases in DON while others found decreases due to leaching. The objectives of this study were to determine effects of late-season rain and misting on DON concentration in wheat spike tissues and to quantify the amount of DON leached from spikes. Field experiments were …

Effect Of Prescribed Burning In The Forests Of Buffalo National River, Arkansas, Francis Ndar Onduso

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prescribed burning (also referred to as controlled or hazard reduction burning) refers to the use of fire under controlled conditions to achieve a desired end product or goal. However, the nature and magnitude of the changes that result from prescribed burning are still incompletely known, and this is especially true for the forests of the Ozarks of northern Arkansas. The overall objective of the research project described herein was to obtain the data necessary to develop a better understanding of these changes, particularly as they relate to the use of prescribed burning as a management technique in the Buffalo National …

Using Focus Groups To Understand What New Residents Want And Need In A Community, Randolph Cantrell, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, P. Thares, R. Vogt

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

No abstract provided.

Atf3 Expression In The Corpus Luteum: Possible Role In Luteal Regression, Dagan Mao, Xiaoying Hou, Heather Talbott, Robert A. Cushman, Andrea S. Cupp, John S. Davis

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The present study investigated the induction and possible role of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in the corpus luteum. Postpubertal cattle were treated at midcycle with prostaglandin F2α(PGF) for 0–4 hours. Luteal tissue was processed for immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and isolation of protein and RNA. Ovaries were also collected from midluteal phase and first-trimester pregnant cows. Luteal cells were prepared and sorted by centrifugal elutriation to obtain purified small (SLCs) and large luteal cells (LLCs). Real-time PCR and in situ hybridization showed that ATF3 mRNA increased within 1 hour of PGF treatment in vivo. Western blot and immunohistochemistry demonstrated …

Severe, Fatal Multisystem Manifestations In A Patient With Dolichol Kinase-Congenital Disorder Of Glycosylation., Michelle T Lieu, Bobby G Ng, Jeffrey S. Rush, Tim Wood, Monica J Basehore, Madhuri Hegde, Richard C Chang, Jose E Abdenur, Hudson H Freeze, Raymond Y Wang

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Congenital disorders of glycosylation are a group of metabolic disorders with an expansive and highly variable clinical presentation caused by abnormal glycosylation of proteins and lipids. Dolichol kinase (DOLK) catalyzes the final step in biosynthesis of dolichol phosphate (Dol-P), which is the oligosaccharide carrier required for protein N-glycosylation. Human DOLK deficiency, also known as DOLK-CDG or CDG-Im, results in a syndrome that has been reported to manifest with dilated cardiomyopathy of variable severity. A male neonate born to non-consanguineous parents of Palestinian origin presented with dysmorphic features, genital abnormalities, talipes equinovarus, and severe, refractory generalized seizures. Additional multi-systemic manifestations developed …

Smokeless Tobacco Use: A Risk Factor For Hyperhomocysteinemia In A Pakistani Population, Mohammad Perwaiz Iqbal, Mohsin Yakub

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background

Smokeless tobacco (ST) use is highly prevalent in the South Asian populations. While there have been a number of reports on association of ST consumption with cancer, very few studies have been conducted to investigate its relationship with cardiovascular disease. Hyperhomocysteinemia is a well-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease; however, its association with ST use has never been investigated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship of ST use with hyperhomocysteinemia in an urban Pakistani population.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In a cross-sectional study for assessment of risks of hyperhomocysteinemia, 872 healthy adults (355 males and 517 females …

Species Composition And Reproductive Strategies Of Commensal Synalpheus Shrimp (Decapoda:Alpheidae) Occupying The Sponges Spheciospongia Vesparium And Spongia Sp. Of The Florida Reef Tract, Brittnee Nicole Barris

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Synalpheus shrimp species of the gambarelloides group are the only marine organisms displaying the highest level of social functioning, eusociality. Their social hierarchies are equally complex compared to the reproductive abnormalities that have been recently discovered. For instance, snapping shrimp of the genus Synalpheus were thought to be gonochoric, i.e. developing as independent sexes, until scanning electron microscopy studies revealed intersexed gonopores in several species. This project analyzed both the species composition, and accompanying reproductive structures, of Synalpheus spp. (Caridea: Alpheidae) comprised of densely aggregating communal and pair-living colonies in the Florida Keys, Florida.

Colonies of pair-living and communal Synalpheus …

Effects Of Energy Drinks On Metabolism At Rest And During Submaximal Exercise In Adult Males And Females, Peter Deng

Kinesiology Student Research - Archive

INTRODUCTION: Energy drinks have become the soft drink of this millennium. They are commonly available everywhere including stores, schools and fitness centers. Yet, the effects of energy drinks, on metabolism at rest and during exercise, receive little attention. Ingredients in energy drinks such as caffeine and taurine are sympathetic stimulants and increase heart rate and blood pressure. However, it is unclear as to whether or not these effects actually improve exercise performance. Redbull is an example of an energy drink that is often consumed with the idea that it will improve performance during an exercise workout. PURPOSE The purpose of …

Investigating The Importance Of The N-Terminal Negative Residues In Human Prmt1, Brooke Siler

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Many essential physiological pathways, such as cell proliferation, gene expression, and cardiovascular health are regulated by Protein Arginine Methyltransferases (PRMTs) through methylation of arginine residues in protein substrates. Understanding how PRMTs interact with their substrates is pivotal to understanding the biological role of these enzymes, and fundamental to the goal of identifying possible sites to be inhibited through drug therapy. Natural variations in the N-terminus of the PRMTl enzymes and data collected in our lab suggest that the N-terminus is important for activity and/or the binding of protein substrates. Preliminary data collected had led us to hypothesize that the negatively …

Influence Of Mountain Pine Beetle On Fuels, Foliar Fuel Moisture Content, And Litter And Volatile Terpenes In Whitebark Pine, Chelsea Toone

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) has caused extensive tree mortality in whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm) forests. Previous studies conducted in various conifer forests have shown that fine surface fuels are significantly altered during a bark beetle outbreak. Bark beetle activity in conifer stands has also been shown to alter foliar fuel moisture content and chemistry over the course of the bark beetle rotation.

The objective of this study was to evaluate changes to fine surface fuels, foliar fuel moisture and chemistry and litter chemistry in and under whitebark pine trees infested by mountain pine beetle. Fuels …

Winter Waterbird Ecology On The Great Salt Lake, Utah, And Interactions With Commercial Harvest Of Brine Shrimp Cysts, Anthony J. Roberts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Interactions among commercial fisheries and birds have been studied in open ocean ecosystems and at aquaculture facilities. On the Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah, USA, a commercial harvest of brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) eggs (i.e. cysts) occurs annually during fall and winter. Coinciding with commercial harvest is the use of the GSL by millions of waterbirds which has the potential to result in conflict among industry and birds. The objectives of my research were to examine fall and winter ecology of birds using the GSL and interactions with the brine shrimp cyst harvest. I examined the influence of temperature and …

Sagestep News, Fall 2013, No. 22, Sagestep

Newsletters

Seasonal newsletter of SageSTEP.

First State Record And Interdiction For The Wood Slave, Hemidactylus Mabouia (Moreau De Jonnès 1818) (Gekkonidae), In Maryland, Usa., Louis A. Somma, William L. Grogan Jr.

Papers in Herpetology

The Wood Slave, Hemidactylus mabouia (Moreau de Jonnès 1818; Fig. 1), is indigenous to Africa south of the Sahara, with nonindigenous populations established in Cape Verde, Mexico, much of Central and South America, numerous localities in the Caribbean, perhaps Madagascar, and at least 21 counties in Florida, USA (Carranza and Arnold 2006; Kraus 2009; Krysko et al. 2011a, 2011b; Meshaka 2011; Powell and Henderson 2012). Recently, H. mabouia has successfully invaded temperate regions of southern Africa and northern peninsular Florida (Alexander and Marais 2007, Krysko and Somma 2007).

On 20 December 2012, Brian R. Grogan and Shane Forsythe collected and …

Forage News [2013-12], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Thank You Kentucky Farmers
• Forages at KCA
• Forage Variety Reports Now Available
• Southern Forages Translated Into Spanish
• Small Ruminant Grazing Conference to be held in Lexington on February 1, 2014
• AFGC Annual Conference - Memphis, TN
• 34th Kentucky Alfalfa Conference
• Updated Analysis on Fungicides and Alfalfa

Correction [December 2013]

Nebraska Bird Review

The first Nebraska record of an Acorn Woodpecker was from Holt Co., 19–22 May 1996, not Cherry Co., as was reported on page 112 of the September 2013 issue of The Nebraska Bird Review.

First Documented Record Of Hooded Oriole (Icterus Cucullatus) In Nebraska, Joseph Gubanyi

Nebraska Bird Review

During May 2013 a very cooperative Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus) provided lots of excitement for Nebraska birders, becoming the first documented record for the species in Nebraska. The bird was first observed 25 May 2013 by Susie and Bill Daro at their residence in Garrison (Butler County). The Daros have several oriole feeders, and Baltimore and Orchard Orioles are common visitors. On the morning of May 25 they noted an unusual oriole visiting their feeders and, after checking the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, concluded it was a Hooded Oriole. They found …

Bridgeport Fall Field Days, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The 2013 NOU Fall Field Days took place at the Prairie Winds Community Center in Bridgeport on Sept. 20–22. The meeting, organized by Kathy DeLara, drew a total of 50 attendees. On Friday evening Luke Hamilton led a group owling to the Bridgeport SRA and to Courthouse Rock. Field trip destinations on Saturday and on Sunday morning included Bridgeport SRA, Fleisbach WMA (aka Facus Springs), Crescent Lake NWR, Hackberry Road in Banner Co., the I-80 Exit I area in Kimball Co, Oliver Reservoir, Wildcat Hills SRA and Wind Springs Ranch. Trips were led by Kathy DeLara, Ann Duey, Cheryl Hamilton, …

Index To Volume 81

Nebraska Bird Review

Akers, D. J. 164
Albano, D. J. 164
Alberts, Byron 103, 113
Allen: Edward 4, 52, 103, 136; Jan 136
Arctos 168
Arnold, K. A. 31
Aubushon, Kathy 34
Austin, O. L. 92
Avocet, American 59, 94, 95, 109, 142, 171

. . .

Yantachka, Jen 52
Yellowlegs: Greater 10, 59, 94, 96, 109, 142, 171; Lesser 60, 94, 96, 110, 142, 171
Yellowthroat, Common 71, 97, 117, 156, 173
Young, Matt 53
Zimmerman: Jerald 34; Roy 53
Ziolkowski, D., Jr. 80
Zonotrichia leucophrys: leucophrys 158; oriantha 158

Dual Capture Of A Piñon Deer Mouse And A Silky Pocket Mouse Resulting In Consumption Of The Smaller Animal, Jon C. Pigage, Roger D. Peyton

The Prairie Naturalist

Intraspecific dual captures of rodents are uncommon, but not rare. There are several reports of brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), white-footed deer mice (Peromyscus leucopus), North American deer mice (P. maniculatus), western harvest mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis) and meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) caught simultaneously in the same trap (i.e. a door-closing live-trap; Davis 1955, Getz 1961, Blaustein and Rothstein 1978, Jenkins and Llewellyn 1981, Novak 1983). Some reports are incidental whereas others are interpreted as social associations or bonding between conspecifics. Interspecific dual captures are rarely reported in the literature. The earliest report of …