Biology Commons^™

An Inventory Of Endemic Leaf Litter Arthropods Of Arkansas With Emphasis On Certain Insect Groups And Diplopoda, Derek Alan Hennen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Endemic arthropods of Arkansas were sampled and their nomenclature and distributions were updated. The Arkansas endemic species list is updated to 121 species, including 16 species of millipedes. A study of the millipedes of Arkansas was undertaken, and resulted in the first checklist and key to all millipede species in the state. 68 species are known from Arkansas, including the genera Cylindroiulus and Polydesmus. The first state records for Ophyiulus pilosus, Cylindroiulus sp., and Ptyoiulus coveanus are reported, and new county records are reported for 16 species. This represents the first key to a state's species since 1980, and the …

Hormonal Effects On Expression Of Osmoregulatory Genes In The Gill Of Japanese Medaka (Oryzias Latipes), Peter Justin Reed

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) are euryhaline teleost and evolved divergently from the well-studied model organism zebrafish (Danio rerio). Claudins (cldns) are tight junction proteins known to regulate the permeability of the paracellular space, but little is known about the influence of the endocrine system on their regulation. In this study, in vitro gill culture model was used to test the effect of three osmoregulatory hormones (cortisol, growth hormone, and prolactin) on eight cldns previously identified in the gills of medaka. The stress hormone cortisol generally up-regulated the genes studied from 1.2- to 5-fold at the exceptions of cldn-28a and -28b. …

Fluorescent Cell Imaging Studies Of Antitumor Natural Macrocycle Ipomoeassin F, Margaret Grace Oliver

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ipomoeassin F is one member of a family of macromolecules isolated from the leaves of the morning glory flower, ipomoea squamosa, which has been used as a homeopathic cancer remedy for centuries (Zhu, Huang, Zheng, Zhu, & Yang, 2013). It has been proven to be highly cytotoxic to many cancer cell lines, but nothing is yet known of its mode of action in the cell (Cao, et al., 2007). To begin progress towards understanding the mode of action of ipomeoassin F, this study aimed to perform fluorescence imaging studies for the ultimate purpose of determining its cellular localization in MDA-MB-231 …

The Essential Nutrients For Methanococcus Maripaludis: Growth On Montmorillonite, Hunter William Waddell

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

When the topic of life on Mars gets brought up, our minds automatically jump to thinking of the definition of life as any advanced creature. But I am looking at life on a much smaller scale. A group of Archaea called methanogens live on Earth in some very normal as well as extreme conditions, and in the last few decades scientists have been questioning if they could even be found on the planet Mars. These microbes use hydrogen gas as their energy source and produce methane as a byproduct, which has been found in relatively significant amounts on Mars. It …

Comparison Of Microwear On Rodent Molars From Differing Species And A Wide Range Of Environments, Mikko Joiner

Anthropology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Dental microwear analysis is a very useful tool when trying to infer the diet of a particular organism. By studying the use-wear scars left on the enamel of the tooth due to eaten objects, one can infer the diet of the organism because certain types of food leave certain types of scars. For example, the consumption of tree parts produces pits, while the consumption of grasses produces striated scratches (Ungar et al., 2007). Thus, based on the type of microwear, the diet of the organism in question can be deduced, which indicates the type of environment that it lives in. …

Hypohydration And Glucose Regulation In Adult Males With Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus, Weldon Murry

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Daily total water intake (TWI) has been linked to a number of chronic diseases, such as urolithiasis and chronic kidney disease. Additionally, epidemiological and animal model data have tied low TWI to impaired blood glucose regulation. However, the effect of a fluid intake intervention on blood glucose regulation has not yet been observed in humans. PURPOSE: Thus, the purpose of the current investigation is to determine if the response to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is altered by manipulation of hydration status in people with diabetes. METHODS: Nine men (53±9 y, 94.9± 23.8 kg, 1.75± 0.11 m, 30.0± 4.3 …

Evolutionary Analysis Of The Genomic Region Of Foxp3 In Vertebrates, Ethan G. Guffey

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Human FOXP3 gene plays a role in immunosuppression, which includes the suppression of the maternal immune system to allow the growth of a semi-foreign fetus inside her uterus. This has lead scientists to hypothesize that FOXP3 gene played a crucial role in the development of viviparous species. FOXP3 is highly conserved across Eutherian mammals, but the degree of conservation in other viviparous species has not been investigated. This study found that FOXP3 orthologs are much less highly conserved in aplacental species and may be more closely related to other members of the FOXP gene family than to the FOXP3 …

Clinical Microendoscopy For The Mapping Of Tumor Margins Using A Support Template For Near-Continuous Imaging, Chantal Marie Soobhanath

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related death in the United States, and the third most common cancer in men and women. This disease is largely asymptomatic and goes unnoticed until the disease has progressed to a later stage. The conventional method of screening and diagnosis of colorectal cancer is white light colonoscopy with biopsy. This technique, although very effective, is limited to the observation of reflected visible light from the mucosal surface of the tissue. As such, regions of occult dysplasia cannot be observed using this diagnostic tool. Hence, this limitation has led to the need …

Developing Double Mutant Arabidopsis Plants Deficient In Fatty Acid Desaturase 7 And A Salicylic Acid Pathway Regulator, Npr1-1, Alexys Marrufo

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Salicylic acid (SA) is one of several molecules whose accumulation is known to stimulate the synthesis of defense genes in Arabidopsis thaliana as well as in other green plants. Fatty acid desaturase 7 is a cytoplasmic desaturase that introduces double bonds into fatty acids. In previous experiments on both Arabidopsis thaliana and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), it was observed that a loss of function mutation in FAD7 coincided with an increase in SA accumulation in plant cells. Additionally, in those experiments, plants displaying the fad7-1 mutation displayed increased resistance when challenged with aphids as compared to WT Arabidopsis possessing functional FAD7. …

Dlipin-A Link Between Lipid Metabolism, Glucose Homeostasis And Growth In Drosophila Melanogaster, Sandra Schmitt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lipins are a family of highly conserved proteins found from yeasts to humans. Lipins have dual functions, serving as phosphatidate phosphatase enzymes (PAP) in the synthesis of neutral fats (triacylglycerols, TAG) and as transcriptional co-regulators that affect the expression of genes involved in lipid and fatty acid metabolism. Thus, they play central roles in metabolic control. Disruption of Lipin function has been implicated in lipodystrophy, obesity and insulin resistance. Using dLipin, the Drosophila homolog of Lipin, as a model, I aimed to elucidate the relationship between the two biochemical functions of Lipin and metabolic homeostasis. I discovered there is a …

Management Of A Primordial Problem: Redox-Sensitive Transcriptional Regulation In Methanosarcina Acetivorans, Ryan Christopher Sheehan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primordial Earth which hosted the first forms of life was an environment free of oxygen. Early organisms utilized metabolisms dependent upon anaerobic conditions and incorporated systems to which oxygen is deleterious. As the content of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere increased, anaerobic organisms had to acquire methods to sense and combat oxygen and reactive oxygen species. Several mechanisms were advantageous to such anaerobic organisms which correlated transcriptional processes with the redox state of the cell so that energy may be conserved and oxygen stress recovery genes activated during periods of oxidative stress. Iron sulfur (Fe-S) cluster cofactors incorporated within RNA …

The Reproductive Ecology Of The Timber Rattlesnake, Crotalus Horridus, In Northwestern Arkansas: Interactions Between Environment, Steroid Hormones, And Life History, Craig Michael Lind

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I examined the relationship between individual energetic status, hormone production, and life history trait expression in field-active Timber Rattlesnakes, Crotalus horridus. In chapter one I reviewed what is known regarding these relationships in snakes and defined major research goals. In chapter two I described the seasonal profile of testosterone (T) and corticosterone (CORT) in relation to the breeding season and to individual energetic status in males. Results showed that the seasonal pattern of T production in C. horridus was different than other pit viper species with similar mating patterns. Testosterone was elevated in the months leading up …

Population Genetics, Distributions And Phenology Of Bombus Latreille, 1802 And Xylocopa Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Amber Dawn Tripodi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work addresses multiple knowledge gaps in bee ecology, population health and phylogeography in order to provide insights into the changing distributions of native bees. A comparison of Arkansas bumble bee records mirrors range-wide surveys, with records of stable species (Bombus bimaculatus Cresson, 1863 and B. impatiens Cresson, 1863) increasing three-fold, and records of the declining B. pensylvanicus (DeGeer, 1773) dropping to 60% of historical levels. However, nationally-recommended conservation-genetics tools did not mirror these results on a regional level. Stable and declining species had equivalent genetic diversity in samples from Arkansas and Tennessee (H_S range: 0.46-0.63). Diploid males, …

Survival, Abundance, And Geographic Distribution Of Temperate-Nesting Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis) In Arkansas, Margaret Eliese Ronke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Temperate-nesting Canada geese in Arkansas have grown in abundance and range since reintroduction in the 1980s. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission uses harvest and other methods to maintain the population at desired levels. However, continued management of temperate-nesting geese requires knowledge of the population's demographics and current range to help establish quantifiable management goals.

To assess the need and effect of changing hunting regulations, survival and recovery rates and abundance were estimated for this population. Annual survival rates of temperate-nesting Canada geese banded and recovered in Arkansas from 2005 to 2011 were estimated using the Burnham joint live-dead recovery …

Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus Urophasianus) Habitat Selection In Northwestern Wyoming And Stable Isotope Analysis Of Fecal Material, Andrea Renee Green

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dramatic range-wide declines in Greater Sage-Grouse populations have prompted efforts to determine habitat characteristics that are selected by sage-grouse for foraging, nesting and brood-rearing areas in an effort to conserve this species. Managers at Heart Mountain and Y U Bench in northwestern Wyoming expressed the need to quantify various habitat characteristics and to determine key use areas at both study sites. Data were collected on a variety of habitat variables in spots selected by grouse for foraging, nesting, and brood-rearing activities. These variables were compared to the same variables measured at random points at both study sites. Significant differences existed …

Community Structure And Ecological Specialization In Plant-Ant Interactions, Paola Barriga

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Positive associations among species have contributed to the maintenance of biodiversity. These interactions are typically studied in pairwise fashion where two interacting organisms are the focus. This dissertation uses network theory to analyze positive plant-ant associations in three Neotropical forests. Obligate plant-ant mutualisms were used, where plants host the ants in domatia and provide food bodies while the ants protect the plants and can feed them. A network approach was used to depict all obligate plant-ant interactions within a community. The main questions asked at the community level were: 1) Do network structure and levels of specialization change geographically and, …

The Effects Of Varying Levels Of Perchlorate On The Metabolism Of Methanogens, Chris Hearnsberger

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The search for life on Mars has been one of the more intriguing pursuits of NASA and astrobiologists over the last fifteen years. With the help of NASA’s Martian landers and orbiters, discoveries about the red planet have narrowed the range of possible known organisms that could survive on its surface or beneath its icy crust. The discoveries of water ice, methane, and perchlorate on Mars have excited astrobiologists and prompted experimentation on Earth to help determine whether life could exist on Mars. Methanogens seem an ideal candidate to be the organism responsible for biological production of methane on Mars, …

Kinematics And Kinetics Of Two Different Overhead Throws: Passing And Pitching, Brian Platt

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

ABSTRACT: Study Design: Controlled Laboratory Study. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine kinematics and kinetics of the overhand throwing motion while throwing a football pass and a baseball fastball pitch. Background: Though the football throw seems similar to the overhand baseball throw except for the weight of the balls [.42kg football versus .14 kg baseball] the weight has been shown to affect shoulder position and stress throughout the throwing motion [6,11]. In addition, a football quarterback is at risk of shoulder injury as is a baseball pitcher. It is often stated that football quarterbacks are at risk …

Effects Of Drosophila Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinase On Wing Growth, M. J. Stewart, J. L. Hunt

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

In multicellular animals, organ size, cell size and total organism size are regulated by signaling through the insulin receptor and TOR signaling pathways. The ribosomal protein S6 kinase is a key component of these pathways. It has been shown that mice or Drosophila lacking this kinase have a reduced body size that is associated with a decrease in cell size. Ectopic expression of activated or dominant negative transgenic variants of the Drosophila homolog of ribosomal S6 kinase (dS6K) has been shown to cause phenotypes that are consistent with a role for dS6K in growth, but whether the phenotypes were due …

The Role Of Atpase In The Development Of Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension In Broilers, Jessica Worley

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to assess the ATPase activity in the vascular walls of the pulmonary artery, 1A arteriole, and 2A arteriole of the lung of broilers susceptible to idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. This was achieved through the modification of tryptophan in the diet and through the examination of the ATPase activity in the different pulmonary vessels. A QuantiChrom ATPase assay quantified the amount of phosphate ion correlating to the amount of ATPase activity, which was normalized for vessel size using the Coomassie and MicroBCA Protein Assays (giving ?M of phosphate/?g of protein per mL). One way repeated …

Mechanism Of Transcriptional Suppression Of A Phytochrome A Epiallele In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Gulab D. Rangani

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cytosine methylation in DNA is an integral part of epigenetically controlled regulatory networks in eukaryotes. Both plants and vertebrates display DNA methylation in the gene coding region; however, its role in gene expression is not well understood. Gene promoter, on the other hand, remains largely unmethylated. Acquisition of methylation in promoter results in transcriptional suppression of the gene. The goal of this research is to study the effect of coding region methylation in gene expression using a unique gene model, phyA'. phyA' is a transcriptionally suppressed epiallele of the Arabidopsis thaliana Phytochrome A gene, which contains methylation in CG sites …

Intraspecific Variation In Two Cosmopolitan Myxomycetes, Didymium Squamulosum And Didymium Difforme (Physarales: Didymiaceae), Katherine Elizabeth Winsett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The myxomycetes (plasmodial slime molds or myxogastrids) are one of three groups considered to be true slime molds (class Eumycetozoa sensu Olive 1975). Two vegetative states--amoebae and plasmodia--along with a spore-producing fruiting body characterize the life cycle of the myxomycetes. These organisms are associated with decaying plant material and are found in all terrestrial habitats worldwide. A number of species are considered cosmopolitan, being found worldwide, where they are associated with a diversity of microhabitats and substrates. A review of the literature, including molecular investigations in all three groups of slime molds, is presented, and this is followed by four …

Biogeography And Microhabitat Distribution Of Myxomycetes In High-Elevation Areas Of The Neotropics, Carlos Alonso Rojas-Alvarado

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Myxomycetes are a group of amoeboid organisms with the capacity of forming fruiting bodies that resemble some macrofungi. The ecology and global distribution of species within the group have been studied only during the last half century. For this reason, a number of questions regarding the nature of the interactions that exist between myxomycetes and their environment still lack the empirical evidence required to obtain complete answers. In the Neotropical region, species assemblages have been moderately well studied, but their biogeography and macroecology have received little attention. In high-elevation areas of this region, the situation is especially precarious, due the …

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 …

Effects Of Temperature And Crowding On The Pathogenicity Of Edwardsiella Ictaluri In Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus), Sharon L. Johnson, Lawrence W. Hinck

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Channel catfish were injected with Edwardsiella ictaluri and stocked at increasing temperatures and densities. Bacteriological examination of kidney, liver and spleen revealed the greatest numbers of organisms in fish from the highest temperature and stocking density tested. Survival time was the shortest for fish held at the highest temperature and stocking density. Increased temperature and crowding were directly proportional to the number of organisms recovered from the organs and inversely proportional to fish survival time.

Concanavalin A-Binding Enzymes Of Crotalus Scutulatus Scutulatus Venom, Michael W. Hinson, C. K. Childs, Bob D. Johnson, Dewey H. Sifford

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus crude venom was separated into two fractions by Concanavalin A Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. The proteins binding to Con A exhibited phosphomonoesterase (orthophosphoric monoester phosphohydrolase EC 3.1.3.2), phosphodiesterase, 5'-nucleotidase (5'-ribonucleotide phosphohydrolase EC 3.1.3.5), phospholipase A(phosphatidate 2-acylhydrolase EC 3.1.1 .4), hyaluronidase (hyaluronate glycanohydrolase EC 3.2.1 d), N-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl esterase, p-toluenesulfonyl-L-arginine methyl esterase, L-amino acid oxidase (L-amino acid: 02 oxidoreductase [deaminating] EC 1.4.3.2), and caseinolytic activities. Thrombin-like and NAD nucleosidase (5'-ribonucleotide phosphohydrolase EC 3.1.3.5) activities were not observed. The crude venom and the fraction containing the glycoproteins which bound to Con A were fractionated by DEAE Sephadex A-50 ion …

Comparative Study Of Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity In Diving And Nondiving Reptiles, Dennis A. Baeyens, Deborah Bursey, Robert Rountree

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The properties of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were examined in two snake species and one turtle species. The snakes used in the study were the semi-aquatic Nerodia rhombifera and the terrestrial Elaphe obsoleta, while Pseudemys scripta represented the turtle species. Our purpose was to compare the LDH activity of nondiving reptiles (Nerodia and Elaphe) with that of the well established diver Pseudemys. The kinetic properties of LDH and its susceptibility to inhibition by elevated pyruvate concentrations were investigated in the brain and heart of the three species. Brain and heart were chosen because they are highly aerobic tissues and therefore should …

Repair Of Lethal Damage Induced In A Hamster X Amphibian Hybrid Tissue Culture Cell Line By Ultraviolet Light And Gamma Ray, Susan Kulp, Ann Page, H. Gaston Griggs

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A hybrid cell line was formed by fusing cells from two established vertebrate tissue culture cell lines (V79B1 hamster and A84 Xenopus), which were known to differ substantially in resistance to some radiation-induced lesions and in associated repair potential. Ultraviolet and gamma ray dose-survival relations were then determined and analyzed for the three cell lines, primarily to compare the radiosensitivity (Do dose) of the hybrid line with that of each parental line for each radiation. Further experimentation was conducted to determine the extent to which observed differences in these Do doses could be attributed to interactions of the combined parental …

Corticocortical Projections Of A Visually Responsive Area In The Cat Brain, Joseph Mcgrath

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Clare-Bishop (CB) area bears the name of the investigators who first (1954) demonstrated a cortical area in the cat brain located along the lateral aspect of the middle suprasylvian gyrus which responded electrophysiologically to both optic nerve and striate cortex (area 17) stimulation. More recent studies of CB or the lateral suprasylvian (LS) area have supported its role in visual and/or oculomotor functions. Silver degeneration methods were undertaken to clarify some of the corticocortical connections of this cortical region. The data accumulated provides a morphological basis in support of the CB area's role in visual and/or oculomotor activities

Toward A Concise Definition And Perspective For Biology, Arthur V. Brown, Kristine Basinger Brown

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The content of introductory biology courses at the high school and college levels are currently being re-examined. Many biological educators favor revision of the high school biology courses to a format that directly addresses current social issues to "promote good citizenship". We believe it would be more meaningful to teach the fundamental principles of biology, the study of living systems. Properly defining biology, by defining a living system, should help identify important topics to include in a basic biology course. Emphasis should be placed on subjects which would contribute most to the development of a basic understanding of how all …