Biology Commons^™

Mcnamara 2011 Mpmicro - Multi-Probe Microscopy (10/31/2011), George Mcnamara

George McNamara

Multi-Probe Microscopy is an ~1500 page Word document summarizing what I know and/or found interesting in light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy and digital image analysis, from 1995-2005. Very little has been updated since 2005.

Arcane Secrets Of The Umass Libraries, Maxine G. Schmidt

Maxine G Schmidt

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Local And Migratory Movements Of Great Lakes Double-Crested Cormorants, Alban Guillaumet, Brian S. Dorr, Guiming Wang, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii, Richard B. Chipman, Heidi Scherr, Jeff Bowman, Kenneth F. Abraham, Terry J. Doyle, Elizabeth Cranker

Brian S Dorr

We investigated how individual strategies combine with demographic and ecological factors to determine local and migratory movements in the double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus). One hundred and forty-five cormorants were captured from 14 nesting colonies across the Great Lakes area and fitted with satellite transmitters. We first tested the hypotheses that sexual segregation, density-dependent effects, and the intensity of management operations influenced home range size during the breeding season. The influence of these factors appeared to be limited in part due to random variability in foraging and dispersal decisions at individual and colony levels. We also designed a statistical framework to …

Science Boot Camp For Librarians: Cpd On A Shoestring, Maxine G. Schmidt, Rebecca Reznik-Zellen

Maxine G Schmidt

Science Boot Camp for Librarians was envisioned as a casual but intensive immersion event into selected scientific subjects that employ networked computing capabilities for research and collaboration. The goal of the event is to provide librarians with networking opportunities, but more importantly, to give them some of the context and ocabulary of a discipline to enable them to better engage faculty and research scientists with regard to escience. A half-day is devoted to each of three topics chosen for that year’s camp. A local faculty member provides an overview of the research area, and a second describes a single project …

Transforming Ecological Science At Primarily Undergraduate Institutions Through Collaborative Networks, D. R. Bowne, A. L. Downing, M. F. Hoopes, K. Logiudice, C. L. Thomas, L. J. Anderson, T. Gartner, Daniel J. Hornbach, K. Kuers, J. Machado, B. R. Pohlad, K. L. Shea

Daniel J. Hornbach

No abstract provided.

Geographic Variation In Temperature Tolerance As An Indicator Of Potential Population Responses To Climate Change, Cascade J.B. Sorte, Sierra J. Jones, Luke P. Miller

Luke P. Miller

The temperature tolerances of individuals in geographically separated populations of a single species can be used as indicators of each population's potential to persist or become extinct in response to climate change. We evaluated the population-level variation in temperature tolerance in populations of several marine invertebrate taxa, including bryozoans, tunicates, bivalves, and gastropods, separated by distances of < 200 km to > 5000 km. We then combined physiological thermotolerance data with current temperature data and climate change predictions to predict which of these populations may be most vulnerable to future changes. In a trans-continental comparison of four subtidal epibenthic species, we show that populations on …

Trace Metals (Cu, Zn, Cd And Pb) In Juvenile Fish From Estuarine Nurseries Along The Portuguese Coast, Rita P. Vasconcelos, Patrick Reis-Santos, Anabela Maia, Miguel Ruano, Maria J. Costa, Henrique N. Cabral

Anabela M Maia

Organic and inorganic pollution can impact organisms directly and affect condition, growth and survival of juvenile fish which use estuaries as nurseries, and thereby affect marine adult populations quantitatively and qualitatively. Trace element contamination (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) in juveniles of commercial fish Solea solea, Solea senegalensis, Platichthys flesus, Diplodus vulgaris and Dicentrarchus labrax collected in putative nurseries of the main Portuguese estuaries (with diverse intensities and sources of anthropogenic pressures) was determined via atomic absorption spectrometry. Contamination was significantly different among species. Similar levels of contamination were found among estuaries, except for D. vulgaris. Cu and Zn concentrations ranged …

Latitude, Solar Elevation Angles And Gap-Regenerating Rainforest Pioneers, C H. Lusk, Kerrie M. Sendall, R Kooyman

Kerrie M Sendall

No abstract provided.

Species Composition And Abundance Of Mammalian Communities, K. M. Thibault, S. R. Supp, M. Griffin, Ethan P. White, S.K. Morgan Ernest

Ethan P White

Ecologists have long sought to understand the mechanisms underlying the assembly and structure of communities. Such understanding is relevant to both basic science and conservation-related issues. The macroecological approach to this problem involves asking scientific questions using a large number of communities in order to elucidate generalities in pattern and process. Such analyses are typically conducted using a substantial amount of data from a particular taxonomic group across a diversity of systems. Large community databases are available for a number of taxa, but no publicly available database exists for mammals. Given the logistical challenges of collecting such data de novo, …

Acute Toxicity Of Mercury And Chromium To Clarias Batrachus (Linn), Azhaguraj Ramakrishnan

Azhaguraj Ramakrishnan

Pollution of the aquatic ecosystems by heavy metals is a worldwide problem. In the present study, Clarias batrachus was exposed to Mercury and Chromium for 24, 48, 72 and 96 hrs. The median lethal concentration (LC50) of mercury to C. batrachus for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of exposure were 1.4 ppm, 1.2 ppm, 1.0 ppm and 0.8 ppm respectively. The median lethal concentration (LC50) of chromium to C. batrachus for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of exposure were 120 ppm, 115 ppm, 110 ppm and 102 ppm respectively. The acute toxicity levels were derived from LC50 concentrations …

Prevalence Of Piscine Myocarditis Virus (Pmcv) In Marine Fish Species, Torstein Tengs Dr.

Dr. Torstein Tengs

No abstract.

Vermicomposting Of Sewage Sludge By Lumbricus Rubellus Using Spent Mushroom Compost As Feed Material: Effect On Concentration Of Heavy Metals., Adi Ainurzaman Jamaludin, Noor Zalina Mahmood, Azizi Abu Bakar, Noorlidah Abdullah, Jaime A Teixeira Da Silva

Adi Ainurzaman Jamaludin

Vermicomposting of sewage sludge (SS) using spent mushroom compost from Pleurotus sajor-caju as feed material was conducted to determine the effect on the concentration of heavy metals, namely Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn. Previous studies have reported the feasibility of brandling worms, Eisenia foetida, for vermicomposting SS, whereas we conducted vermicomposting by employing red worms, Lumbricus rubellus, with a combination of different percentages of SS and spent mushroom compost (SMC) for 70 days subsequent to 21 days of precomposting. The vermicompost produced in treatments with a low percentage of SS were fine in texture, dark in colour and odourless …

Energy Performance : A Comparison Of Four Different Multi-Residential Building Designs And Forms In The Equatorial Region, Adi Ainurzaman Jamaludin

Adi Ainurzaman Jamaludin

No abstract provided.

Optimization Of Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis Protocols For Boesenbergia Rotunda In Vitro Suspension Culture, Norzulaani Khalid

Norzulaani Khalid

Boesenbergia rotunda belongs to the Zingiberaceae family and is abundant in the Southeast Asia. It is widely used as food ingredient and traditional medicine. Biologically, the plant extract contains pharmaceutically important bioactive compounds that exhibit anti-HIV protease, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and antioxidant activities. Proteomics approaches to study the proteins and/or enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of these compounds are challenging due to the complexity of plant samples and the presence of interfering substances. Here, we describe the development a highly robust and reproducible two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) protocols for resolving the proteome of B. rotunda suspension cultures.

Effect Of Benzylaminopurine (Bap) Pulsing On In Vitro Shoot Multiplication Of Musa Acuminata (Banana) Cv. Berangan, Norzulaani Khalid

Norzulaani Khalid

MS (Murashige and Skoog) media supplemented with benzylaminopurine (BAP) showed that the number of bud formation in shoot cultures of Musa acuminata cv.Berangan during the initiation stage increased proportionately with the concentrations used (11, 22 and 33 μM). However, the highest concentration of BAP (33 μM) simultaneously increased the formation of abnormal shoots. After the first apical bud appeared, explants were transferred to MS medium with lower concentrations of BAP either with or without indole acetic acid (IAA). Proliferation media supplemented with IAA showed enhanced shoot multiplication and elongation but did not help to reduce the abnormality index that occurred

Rapid Micropropagation Of Boesenbergia Rotunda (L.) Mansf. Kulturpfl. (A Valuable Medicinal Plant) From Shoot Bud Explants, Norzulaani Khalid

Norzulaani Khalid

A successful protocol was developed for mass propagation of Boesenbergia rotunda (L.) Mansf. Kulturpfl., an important medicinal plant. Numerous shoots were induced from young shoot bud of B. rotunda mature rhizome on Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium supplemented with 30.0 g/l sucrose, 2.0 g/l gelrite, different concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and α-naphtaleneacetic acid (NAA). Plant medium supplemented with different concentrations of BAP alone or with NAA produced varying degree of multiple shoots. A supplementation of 2.0 mg/l BAP and 0.5 mg/l NAA gave the best result. Ninety percent of the explants induced multiple shoots within 10 to 14 days of …

Determining The Optimal Concentration Of Mannose As An Effective Selection Agent For Transformed Oil Palm Cells Using The Phosphomannose Isomerase (Pmi) Gene As A Positive Selectable Marker, Norzulaani Khalid

Norzulaani Khalid

The elimination of antibiotic or herbicide resistance gene usage in genetically modified plants is being encouraged due to public concern. In response to this, alternative selection systems for the recovery of transgenic oil palm were developed using positive selectable markers. To establish a selection system that utilises the phosphomannose isomerase (pmi) gene for oil palm transformation, we first determined the optimal mannose concentration for selecting the transformed cells. Non-transformed embryogenic calli were cultured on media containing various combinations and concentrations of mannose and a usable source of carbon, i.e. sucrose, ranging in content from 0 to 30 g litre . …

Total Phenolic Contents, Antioxidant And Antimicrobial Activities Of Bruguiera Gymnorrhiza, Rosna Binti Mat Taha

Rosna Binti Mat Taha

In the present work, the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of methanolic, ethanolic and chloroform crude extract of leaves and barks of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza were investigated. The antioxidant activity of the crude extracts were evaluated using the enzymatic and non enzymatic methods namely superoxide dismutase determination, reducing power assay and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil free radical scavenging assays. Folin-ciocalteu reagent method was used to estimate the amount of total phenolic compounds of the extracts. Ethanol extract of barks showed the best result in all antioxidant assays which was positively co-related with the total phenolic contents. There was no significant difference between the IC(50) …

Effect Of Picloram, Additives And Plant Growth Regulators On Somatic Embryogenesis Of Phyla Nodiflora (L.) Greene, Rosna Binti Mat Taha

Rosna Binti Mat Taha

The present study describes the plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis in suspension culture derived from the leaf and stem explants of Phyla nodiflora. The medium type, plant growth regulators, complex extract (coconut milk and malt extract) and anti-oxidant (activated charcoal, ascorbic acid, Polyvinylpyrrolidone and citric acid) markedly influenced the embryo regeneration of P. nodiflora. MS with 2,4-D and activated charcoal (10 mg/L) gave the highest stimulation of embryogenic callus growth. Optimized callus was transfered into suspension culture, which showed the globular, heart shaped embryos in MS with 2,4-D + BA + picloram (0.1 mg/L), coconut milk (10 ml/L), citric acid …

Demography Of Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus) At Uda Walawe National Park, Sri Lanka Based On Identified Individuals, Shermin De Silva, Ashoka Ranjeewa, Devaka Weerakoon

Shermin de Silva

We provide estimates of population size and other demographic variables for individually-identified Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Uda Walawe National Park (UWNP), Sri Lanka based on systematic year-round observations. Two hundred and eighty-six adult females and 241 adult males were identified, of which four adults (2% of males) had tusks. Sightings-based demographic models showed seasonal immigration and emigration from the study area. The total population, including non-adults, was between 804 and 1160 individuals. Density ranged from 102 to 116 adult females per 100 km2 and remains at this level throughout the year. This large, un-fragmented population of Asian elephants should …

Detection And Characterization Of A Distinct Bornavirus Lineage From Healthy Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis), John A. Baroch

John A Baroch

Avian bornaviruses (ABV), identified in 2008, infect captive parrots and macaws worldwide. The natural reservoirs of these viruses are unknown. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) was used to screen oropha- ryngeal/cloacal swab and brain samples from wild Canada geese (Branta canadensis) for ABV. Approximately 2.9% of swab samples were positive for bornavirus sequences. Fifty-two percent of brain samples from 2 urban flocks also tested positive, and brain isolates were cultured in duck embryo fibroblasts. Phylogenetic analyses placed goose isolates in an independent cluster, and more notably, important regulatory sequences present in Borna disease virus but lacking in psittacine ABVs were present in …

Ameliorating The Effects Of The Digenetic Trematode, Bolbophorus Damnificus On The Channel Catfish Industry, Lester Khoo, David J. Wise, Linda M. Pote, Andrew J. Mitchell, Todd S. Byars, Marlena C. Yost, Cynthia M. Doffitt, Brian S. Dorr

Brian S Dorr

No abstract provided.

Simple Structural Differences Between Coding And Noncoding Dna, K. J. Locey, Ethan P. White

Ethan P White

Background: The study of large-scale genome structure has revealed patterns suggesting the influence of evolutionaryconstraints on genome evolution. However, the results of these studies can be difficult to interpret due to the conceptualcomplexity of the analyses. This makes it difficult to understand how observed statistical patterns relate to the physical distribution of genomic elements. We use a simpler and more intuitive approach to evaluate patterns of genome structure. Methodology/Principal Findings: We used randomization tests based on Morisita’s Index of aggregation to examine average differences in the distribution of purines and pyrimidines among coding and noncoding regions of 261 chromosomes from …

Do Native Birds Care Whether Their Berries Are Native Or Exotic? No, Mark A. Davis

Mark Davis

No abstract provided.

Population Growth Of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida Braziliensis Mexicana) Predates Human Agricultural Activity, A. L. Russell, M. P. Cox, V. A. Brown, Gary F. Mccracken

Gary F. McCracken

Background

Human activities, such as agriculture, hunting, and habitat modification, exert a significant effect on native species. Although many species have suffered population declines, increased population fragmentation, or even extinction in connection with these human impacts, others seem to have benefitted from human modification of their habitat. Here we examine whether population growth in an insectivorous bat (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana) can be attributed to the widespread expansion of agriculture in North America following European settlement. Colonies of T. b. mexicana are extremely large (~106 individuals) and, in the modern era, major agricultural insect pests form an important component of their …

The Composite Insect Trap: An Innovative Combination Trap For Biologically Diverse Sampling, Laura Russo, Rachel Stehouwer, J. Heberling, Katriona Shea

Mason Heberling

No abstract provided.