Biology Commons^™

The Ecology Of The Peaks Of Otter Salamander (Plethodon Hubrichti) In Sympatry With The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon Cinereus), Norman Reichenbach, Andrew Kniowski

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Peaks of Otter Salamander, Plethodon hubrichti, is found along a 19 km length of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia, USA, often in sympatry with the Eastern Red-backed Salamander, P. cinereus. In a sympatric area of Bedford County, Virginia, we conducted a mark-recapture study on a 10 × 10 m site. Surface densities of salamanders increased as the number of days without precipitation prior to a collection event increased. This suggests vertical movements in response to surface moisture. When salamanders returned to the surface after rain, individuals appeared to “shuffle” between rocks and likely, leaf litter. That is, we were …

Remarks On The Stability Of Some Size-Structured Population Models V: The Case When The Death Rate Depends On Adults Only And The Growth Rate Depends On Size Only, M. El-Doma

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

We continue our study of size-structured population dynamics models when the population is divided into adults and juveniles, started in El-Doma (To appear). We concentrate our efforts in the special case when the death rate depends on adults only, the growth rate depends on size only and the maximum size for an individual in the population is infinite. Three demographic parameters are identified and are shown to determine conditions for the (in)stability of a nontrivial steady state. We also give examples that illustrate the stability results. The results in this paper generalize previous results, for example, see Calsina, et al. …

Remarks On The Stability Of Some Size-Structured Population Models Iv: The General Case Of Juveniles And Adults, M. El-Doma

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

The stability of some size-structured population dynamics models is investigated when the population is divided into adults and juveniles. We determine the steady states and study their stability. We also give examples that illustrate the stability results. The results in this paper generalize previous results, for example, see Calsina, et al. (2003), El-Doma (2006), Farkas, et al. (2008), and El-Doma (2008 a).

Two-Layered Model Of Blood Flow Through Composite Stenosed Artery, Padma Joshi, Ashutosh Pathak, B. K. Joshi

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper a steady, axisymmetric flow, with a constricted tube has been studied. The artery has been represented by a two-layered model consisting of a core layer and a peripheral layer. It has been shown that the resistance to flow and wall shear stress increases as the peripheral layer viscosity increases. The results are compared graphically with those of previous investigators. It has been observed that the existence of peripheral layer is useful in representation of diseased arterial system.

Protein Secondary Structure Prediction Using Parallelized Rule Induction From Coverings, Leong Lee, Cyriac Kandoth, Jennifer Leopold, Ronald L. Frank

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Protein 3D structure prediction has always been an important research area in bioinformatics. In particular, the prediction of secondary structure has been a well-studied research topic. Despite the recent breakthrough of combining multiple sequence alignment information and artificial intelligence algorithms to predict protein secondary structure, the Q3 accuracy of various computational prediction algorithms rarely has exceeded 75%. In a previous paper [1], this research team presented a rule-based method called RT-RICO (Relaxed Threshold Rule Induction from Coverings) to predict protein secondary structure. The average Q3 accuracy on the sample datasets using RT-RICO was 80.3%, an improvement over comparable computational methods. …

Characterization Of Arsenic-Tolerant Bacterial Cultures From The Lower Laguna Madre Of South Texas, Gemma A. Berlanga, Michael W. Persans, Thomas Eubanks, Kristine L. Lowe

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

Two forms of arsenic are found in the environment: As(V) and As(III), the latter being more toxic, water-soluble, and mobile. Microorganisms may increase the mobility of arsenic by reducing As(V) to As(III); however, detoxification and immobilization can occur via the oxidation of As(III) to As(V). The US EPA has set a minimum contaminant level of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for arsenic in drinking water. The research objective was to confirm the presence of arsenic-tolerant bacteria in the Lower Laguna Madre of south Texas. Sediment samples were collected and inoculated into growth media which contained either 2 mM As(III) or …

Venn, A Tool For Titrating Sequence Conservation Onto Protein Structures, Jay Vyas, Michael R. Gryk, Martin R. Schiller

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Residue conservation is an important, established method for inferring protein function, modularity and specificity. It is important to recognize that it is the 3D spatial orientation of residues that drives sequence conservation. Considering this, we have built a new computational tool, VENN that allows researchers to interactively and graphically titrate sequence homology onto surface representations of protein structures. Our proposed titration strategies reveal critical details that are not readily identified using other existing tools. Analyses of a bZIP transcription factor and receptor recognition of Fibroblast Growth Factor using VENN revealed key specificity determinants. Weblink: http://sbtools.uchc.edu/venn/.

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Fall 2009, Tom Monaco, Scott R. Abella, Amber Lee, James E. Deacon

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

USDA working to manage invasive annual grasses, effects of heat and smoke on red brome soil seed bank, how burial depth and substrate affect germination of Sahara mustard and red brome, environmental effects of the southern Nevada groundwater project

First Records Of Hypleurochilus Geminatus And Centropristis Philadelphica From Chesapeake Bay, Aimee D. Halvorson

Virginia Journal of Science

During the fall of 2007, Centropris philadelphica (rock seabass) and Hypleurochilus geminatus (Crested blenny) were collected from Chesapeake Bay. These captures are significant as they represent the first substantiated record of C. philadelphica from Chesapeake Bay and only the second and third validated records of H. geminatus. Additionally, the first record of H. geminatus from Chesapeake Bay was only recently recognized since the specimen had been previously misidentified as Parablennius marmoreus (seaweed blenny). The collection of seven individuals of H. geminatus in 2007, from two locations, indicates that the species may be resident within the Chesapeake Bay estuary.

Phytoplankton Blooms: Their Occurrence And Composition Within Virginia's Tidal Tributaries, Harold G. Marshall, Todd A. Egerton

Virginia Journal of Science

Sporadic algal bloom development within a 10 year monitoring program in Virginia tidal tributaries of Chesapeake Bay is reviewed. These blooms were common events, characteristically producing a color signature to the surface water, typically short lived, occurring mainly from spring into autumn throughout different salinity regions of these rivers, and were produced primarily by dinoflagellates. The abundance threshold levels that would identify bloom status from a non-bloom presence were species specific, varied with the taxon's cell size, and ranged from ca. 10 to 10⁴ cells mL^-1. Among the most consistent sporadic bloom producers were the dinoflagellates Akashiwo …

Five Year Management Strategy For The Recreational Trout Fishery. Discussion Paper For Public Comment On Future Management., The Rfac’S Recreational Freshwater Fisheries Stakeholder Sub-Committee

Fisheries Management Papers

The Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC) was concerned over the delay in time in progressing this issue and recommended that the issue of trout stocking for recreational purposes be progressed in isolation. This matter was referred to the Recreational Freshwater Fisheries Stakeholder Sub-Committee (RFFSS) to progress the recreational aspects of stocking trout within State public waters. This strategy represents a significant step in ensuring the appropriate level of management is provided for the translocation of trout into and within Western Australia for recreational purposes. It is also hoped that this policy will serve as a guide for the management and …

A Proposed Syntax For Minimotif Semantics, Version 1., Jay Vyas, Ronald J. Nowling, Mark W. Maciejewski, Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, Michael R. Gryk, Martin R. Schiller

Life Sciences Faculty Research

BACKGROUND:

One of the most important developments in bioinformatics over the past few decades has been the observation that short linear peptide sequences (minimotifs) mediate many classes of cellular functions such as protein-protein interactions, molecular trafficking and post-translational modifications. As both the creators and curators of a database which catalogues minimotifs, Minimotif Miner, the authors have a unique perspective on the commonalities of the many functional roles of minimotifs. There is an obvious usefulness in standardizing functional annotations both in allowing for the facile exchange of data between various bioinformatics resources, as well as the internal clustering of sets of …

Fisheries Management Paper No.245 - Aquaculture Of Coral, Live Rocks And Associated Products. Aquaculture Policy, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Aquarium enthusiasts use corals, live rock and associated products (e.g. live sand) for display and to maintain healthy water quality conditions in their marine aquariums. There is a large and growing market for these products. While the wild harvest fisheries for aquarium products in Western Australia are sustainably managed, output is capped, so increased product is needed to meet the market demand. With a trend towards the capping of wild harvest and additional pressures, such as the introduction of Marine Parks and other marine protected areas, the aquaculture of these products is set for industry development and expansion.

The large …

Serotonin Immunoreactive Cells And Nerve Fibers In The Mucosa Of The Rat Stomach, A P Gesase

Tanzania Journal of Science

The current study has showed the morphological features of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) immunoreactivity in the pyloric mucosa of the rat stomach. The immunoreactive elements included the endocrine cells, mast cells and mucosal nerve fibers in the lamina propria. The immunopositive endocrine cells were oval in shape and located mostly in the basal part of the gastric glands. The cell contained a central non-staining area and the peripheral staining zone. The mast cells stained homogenously and appeared to be oval-round in shape. They were located in the upper, middle and basal parts of the mucosa. Serotonin immunoreactive nerve fibers with varicosities were …

Morphological Features Of Tyrosine Hydroxylase Immunoreactive Cells In The Mouse Islets Of Langerhans, A P Gesase, Y -I Satoh

Tanzania Journal of Science

The current immunohistochemical study used the antibody against tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) to observe the immunoreactive elements in the mouse pancreas. The results indicated the presence of immunoreactive nerve fibers and endocrine cells. The immunopositive nerve fibers appeared as thick and thin bundles; thick bundles were seen to run along the blood vessels giving out fine fibers to the wall. Varicose nerve fibers were seen in the islets of Langerhans and also in close association with the exocrine endpieces. The TH immunoreactive cells were oval-round in shape and some showed the central non-staining area and the dense staining peripheral zone. More …

Heterosternuta Sulphuria (Coloptera: Dytiscidae) Occurence In The Sulphur Springs Headwater System And In Buffalo National River Tributaries (Arkansas, Usa): Current Distribution, Habitat Conditions, And Biomonitoring Framework, S.D. Longing, B.E. Haggard

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Heterosternuta sulphuria is an endemic aquatic species of concern in Arkansas, with a priority score of 80 out of 100 and a conservation rank of S1and G1. A need of the Arkansas Wildlife Action Plan (AWAP) was to obtain baseline information on distribution and population status of H. sulphuria. Here, we report new H. sulphuria records for 39 sites across 10 counties in the Ozark Highlands and Boston Mountain ecoregions and a determined habitat type of shallow margins and small bedrock pools of perennial streams and spring seeps. Few habitat patches were observed per site because detection was typically rapid …

Assessing Organic Matter Breakdown And Associated Macroinvertebrate Community Structure In Headwater Streams: Effects Of Hydrologic Gradients And Upland Timber Harvesting, Miller Scott Jarrell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

I examined the effects of hydrologic gradients and upland timber harvesting with different streamside management zone widths on yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) processing and the associated macroinvertebrate community structure in the Cumberland Plateau ecophysic region, U.S.A. Prior to upland timber harvesting, 5.0 ± 0.1 g yellow-poplar leaf packs were constructed, zip-tied to gutter nails, and placed into 7 perennial and 6 temporary stream reaches with similar physiochemical and geomorphic characteristics. From December 2007 to May 2008, 3–5 leaf packs were collected per reach monthly. I found significant differences in the functional feeding group composition. Temporary reaches contained higher shredder, gathering-collector, predator, …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Summer 2009, Kevin E. Oliver, Dianne N. Bangle, E. Cayenne Engel, Lindsay P. Chiquoine, Scott R. Abella

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

BLM and wildfire protection in the Mojave, studies of the sticky ringstem flowering phenology in Lake Mead NRA, restoration work within gypsum soils, post-fire response synthesis for Mojave and Sonoran deserts

Finfish Aquaculture In Western Australia. Final Esd Management Report For Marine Finfish Aquaculture., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia.

Fisheries Management Papers

It has been recognized that there are a number of potential impediments to achieving continued growth of this industry. These include the need for increased investment, an expansion in markets and ensuring environmental sustainability. One of the most important however, is meeting the growing expectations of the community that all aquaculture sectors can clearly demonstrate that they are operating within the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). Western Australia’s Department of Fisheries is responsible for the management of aquaculture in the State and is committed to implementing ESD. These principles are contained within the objectives of the Fish Resources Management …

Effects Of Hematocrit On Impedance And Shear Stress During Stenosed Artery Catheterization, V. P. Srivastava, Rati Rastogi

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

The flow of blood through a stenosed catheterized artery has been studied. To observe the effects of hematocrit, blood has been represented by a two-phase macroscopic model (i.e., a suspension of red cells in plasma). It is found that for any given catheter size, the impedance increases with hematocrit and also for a given hematocrit, the same increases with the catheter size. In the stenotic region, the wall shear stress increases in the upstream of the stenosis throat and decreases in the downstream in an uncatheterized artery but the same possesses an opposite character in the case of a catheterized …

Effect Of Glycocalyx On Red Blood Cell Motion In Capillary Surrounded By Tissue, Rekha Bali, Swati Mishra, P. N. Tandon

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

The aim of the paper is to develop a simple model for capillary tissue fluid exchange system to study the effect of glycocalyx layer on the single file flow of red cells. We have considered the channel version of an idealized Krogh capillary-tissue exchange system. The glycocalyx and the tissue are represented as porous layers with different property parametric values. Hydrodynamic Lubrication theory is used to compute the squeezing flow of plasma within the small gap between the cell and the glycocalyx layer symmetrically surrounded by the tissue. The system of non linear partial differential equations has been solved using …

Stability Of An Age-Structured Seir Epidemic Model With Infectivity In Latent Period, Xue-Zhi Li, Bin Fang

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

We study an age-structured SEIR epidemic model with infectivity in the latent period. By using the theory and methods of Differential and Integral Equations, the explicit expression for the basic reproductive number R₀ is first derived. It is shown that the disease-free equilibrium is locally and globally asymptotically stable if R₀ < 1. It is then proved that only one endemic equilibrium exists if R₀ > 1 and its stability conditions are also given.

Watershed-Scale Analysis Of Riparian Buffer Function, Molly Van Appledorn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The ability of riparian buffers to filter undesirable nutrients from upland sources has long been recognized as an important ecosystem service for maintaining or improving water quality, and as a result, many land management strategies have been built around the preservation or restoration of buffer zones. Newly derived flow-path metrics have shown great promise as a way to assess riparian buffer function at the watershed scale but a thorough investigation of metric performance was necessary. The goals of this study were to: 1) test the independence of flow-path metrics from traditional metrics using a spatially extensive, independent sample of watersheds, …

Predicting The Growth Potential Of A Shallow, Warm-Water Sport Fishery: A Spatially Explicit Bioenergetics Approach, Samuel Kirk Dahle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Capturing the range of fish consumption and growth potential of large, heterogeneous lentic systems can be challenging due to strong gradients in productivity, the diversity of habits types present, and in some cases, site-specific water quality issues. Cutler Reservoir (Utah, USA) displays a high degree of spatial and temporal variation in physical conditions and potential water quality limitations for fish, including high summertime water temperature and large, diel fluctuations in dissolved oxygen concentrations. The combination of bioenergetics modeling and GIS spatial analysis offers a promising interface for quantifying the fish consumptive and growth potential across a spatially and temporally heterogeneous …

An Analysis Of The Environmental And Hormonal Effects On The Growth And Development Of The Moss Ceratodon Purpureus, Megan Knight

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Ceratodon has not been documented in scientific literature as thoroughly as other species of moss such as Funaria or Tortula. Commonly known as fire moss or purple horned moss, Ceratodon is often reddish or yellow-brown and the spore capsules are usually purple (Crum, 1983). A picture of the species growing in its natural habitat is shown in Figure 4. Ceratodon often grows in tufts and is considered a weed, often thriving in polluted or disturbed areas and frequently invading after a fire (Crum 1983). Ceratodon belongs to the class Bryopsida, which also contains the previously mentioned Funaria and Tortula species. …

The Furman Lake Restoration Plan, Wade Worthen

Furman Lake Restoration Book Gallery

A presentation with text and images providing information on the history of the Furman Lake, it's environmental health decline throughout the years, and the lake's restoration. The presentation details the Furman Lake's problems, causes of these problems, and solutions. It describes Furman's progress in the restoration project, as well as it's goals for the future.

Integrated Fisheries Management. Allocation Report Roe's Abalone Resource Perth Metropolitan Region., Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee

Fisheries Management Papers

The introduction of Integrated Fisheries Management (IFM) is a recent development in the management of fisheries in Western Australia. IFM is an initiative aimed at addressing the issue of how fish resources in Western Australia can be best shared between competing users within the broad context of “Ecologically Sustainable Development”, or ESD.

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Spring 2009, Russell Scofield, Michele Slaton Ph.D, Alexis Suazo, Donovan J. Craig

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

California desert managers group, vegetation monitoring in Death Valley, undergraduate research symposium at UNLV, response of Sahara mustard to water and disturbance, JFS update

Volume 02, Joseph A. Mann, Kathryn J. Greenly, Scott E. Jenkins, Andrew E. Puckette, Daniel M. Honey, Jeffery P. Ravenhorst, Jamie Elizabeth Mesrobian, Thomas Scott, Jay Crowell, Sarah Spangenberg, Amy S. Eason, Kenny Wolfe, Liz Hale, Rachel Bouchard, Will Semonco, Carley York, Ryan Higgenbothom, Adrienne Heinbaugh, Melissa Dorton, Madeline Hunter, June Ashmore, Clark Barkley, Jay Haley

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction from Dean Dr. Charles Ross

Mike's Nite: New Jazz for an Old Instrument by Joseph A. Mann

Investigation of the use of Cucumis Sativus for Remediation Of Chromium from Contaminated Environmental Matrices: An Interdisciplinary Instrumental Analysis Project by Kathryn J. Greenly, Scott E. Jenkins, and Andrew E. Puckette

Development of GC-MS and Chemometric Methods for the Analysis of Accelerants in Arson Cases by Scott Jenkins

Building and Measuring Scalable Computing Systems by Daniel M. Honey and Jeffery P. Ravenhorst

Nomini Hall: A Case Study in the Use of Archival Resources as Guides for Excavation at An Archaeological Site by …

Differential Response Of Amp Activated Protein Kinase (Ampk) And Hsp70 To Temperature Stress In The Gastropod, Nucella Lapillus, Emily Zimmermann

All Theses And Dissertations

Populations of the gastropod Nucella lapillus are polymorphic for shell color, with light-colored shells predominating on warmer, wave-protected shores and dark-colored shells limited primarily to cooler, wave-exposed shores. During thermal stress, darker shells attain higher body temperatures than lighter shells. These results suggest that heat stress may determine field distribution patterns. However, there is currently little evidence of physiological consequences of thermal stress in these organisms. Following the guiding hypothesis that heat stress leads to cellular energy depletion, we explored whether the central energy regulator AMP-activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) is activated by heat stress. We compared this response in both …