Biology Commons^™

A Study Of Bronchial Clearance In The Syrian Hamster Using Tantalum Bronchography, David Joseph Velasquez

Biology ETDs

A technique using simultaneous bilateral radiographic exposures of the bronchial tree of Syrian hamsters was used to examine clearance patterns of tantalum powder, an inert radiopaque substance. The tantalum powder, nominally 2.5 µm diameter particle size, was insufflated in small amounts ranging from 6 mg to 344 mg into the lungs of 10 animals. In most cases the major bronchi of the lungs were well outlined with tantalum initially, as were several medium and small bronchi. The clearance of the tantalum was noted by making simultaneous radiographic exposures from two directions at exponentially increasing time intervals. Exposures were begun within …

Optimal Prey Selection In The Great Tit (Parus Major), John Krebs, Jonathan Erichsen, Michael Webber, Eric Charnov

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

We tested the predictions of an optimal foraging model using five captive great tits as predators. The birds were presented with two prey types, profitable and unprofitable, on a moving belt. Both prey types were made out of mealworms. When the encounter rate with both prey types was low, the birds were non-selective, but at a higher encounter rate with profitable prey, the birds selectively ignored the less profitable type and did so irrespective of the encounter rate with them. These results are as predicted by the model, but the birds did not as predicted change from no selection in …

Studies On Atp-Dependent Co2 Fixation By Desulfovibrio Vulgaris, Maria Alvarez H.

Biology ETDs

Cell-free extracts and whole cell suspensions of Desulfovibrio vulgaris were employed to examine the fixation of ¹⁴CO₂ into acid stable material. Moderate levels of CO₂ fixation occured in the presence of ribulose-1,5-diphosphate, ribose-5-phosphate or pyruvate with only minimal levels of CO₂ fixation occuring with formate, malate, or succinate. The fixation of CO₂ in the presence of pyruvate was attributed to the pyruvate-CO₂ exchange reaction. This exchange reaction was dependent on the presence of an acidic protein fraction but was not stimulated by the additions of ATP to the reaction mixture. The fixation of CO …

The Effect Of Inhaled Plutonium-239 On The Pulmonary Clearance And Resistance To Infection In Mice Immunized Against Listeria Monocytogenes, Francis J. Wogenrich

Biology ETDs

With the expanding use of plutonium-239 (239Pu) as a nuclear reactor fuel and increased recycling of spent reactor fuel to recover 239Pu, the possibility of an accidental human exposure exists. Little information is available on the effects of inhaled 239Pu on immune mechanisms. This study was performed in order to examine the effects of 239Pu dioxide (239Pu02) inhalation on the ability of mice to be immunized against a bac­terial respiratory infection in which cell-mediated immunity is the primary mechanism of host resistance to infection. Groups of mice were exposed to 239Puo2 to achieve initial lung burdens (ILB) of 2.6 ± …

The Effects Of Tsh And Culture Conditions On Nucleic Acid Synthesis In Thyroid Cells In Vitro, David J. Orlicky

Biology ETDs

Cells enzymatically dispersed from ovine thyroid tissue were cultured in Ham's F-10 medium supplemented with 8.33% Fetal Calf Serum and 8.33% Lamb Serum. Cultures were maintained in a humidified 37° C incubator having a 5% CO₂ - 95% air atmosphere. At 48 hours post isolation, cell culture medium was replaced and experiments begun. Altering the serum content (between 4.76 - 16.66%) of the nutrient medium had little effect upon either DNA content or ³H-thyrnidine incorporation into DNA. Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) seemed to have a stablizing effect upon DNA content (between 0 and 7 days post TSH addition), and …

Cardiorespiratory Responses To Submaximal Exercise In Water, Karen Ann Carlberg

Biology ETDs

Maximal oxygen consumption is consistently lower when measured during swimming than during running or bicycling. A number of factors could contribute to this difference, including size of active muscle mass, body position, heat exchange mechanisms, breathing patterns and adjustments to water immersion.

In this study, the effects of water immersion on submaximal exer­cise were isolated by having subjects perform identical work in air and water. The exercise consisted of rowing on a rowing machine, with rate of movement controlled so that the subjects always worked at the same relative workload and oxygen consumption. To compare the physiological responses to exercise …

Respiratory Physiology Of The Scorpion Paruroctonus Aquilonalis, Wayne A. Riddle

Biology ETDs

The scorpion Paruroctonus aquilonalis (Stahnke) was studied to better understand the influence that six potentially important factors (size, sex, temperature, nutrition, season, and humidity) have on its respiratory metabolism. Respiratory rate: temperature relations of oxygen consumption from 5°C to 36°C, and standard metabolism estimates at 20°C and 25°C were employed. Respirometry was performed on both freshly collected mature and immature scorpions and on laboratory-maintained animals.

Inverse weight: metabolism relationships were noted for males and females above 24°C, but below 24°C live weight did not influence metabolic rate among females. For mature males positive weight: metabolism patterns were found below 24 …

Why Be An Hermaphrodite?, Eric Charnov, J. Maynard Smith, James Bull

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Contribution Of The Electron Transport System To The Energetics Of Growth In Two Species Of Desulfovibrio, Burt D. Ensley

Biology ETDs

The growth of Desulfovibrio vulgaris and D. gigas on various electron donors and electron acceptors was measured in order to determine the influence of the donors and acceptors on energetics of growth. When using lactate, pyruvate, or formate as electron donors, and sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate, or fumarate as electron acceptors, pyruvate-sulfate medium produced the most rapid growth, and intermediate levels of growth were observed on lactate­sulfate, with lowest levels on formate-sulfate. Both organisms grew best when sulfate was the electron acceptor regardless of electron donor. No growth occurred in cultures containing pyruvate and sulfite, and slight growth was observed in …

The Concentrations Of Ten Heavy Metals In Some Selected Lake Powell Game Fishes, Robert E. Bussey

Biology ETDs

Ten tissues from each of four species of fish-large­mouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) and rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) from Lake Powell were analyzed and compared for the concentrations of ten heavy metals: Fe, Ca, Mg, Cu, Cr, Cd, Zn, As, Se, and Pb.

Samples were digested with nitric and perchloric acids, and analyses were performed by atomic absorption spectro­photometry. Concentrations were expressed on a dry weight basis for all tissues, and were not corrected for percent recovery.

As expected, high levels of iron were observed in the blood tissues, with low concentrations being observed …

A Comparison Of The In Vitro Phagocytic Activity Of Polymorphonuclear Leucocytes And Alveolar Macrophages From Man And Rabbits, Thomas S. Harrison

Biology ETDs

It has been thought for many years that the alveolar macrophage is the primary agent responsible for prevention or bacterial invasion or the lung. Numerous studies with Staphylococcus aureua, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli. Klebsiella, and Proteus have been cited to substantiate this statement. Together these organisms cause less than ten per cent of human bacterial pneumonias. Both in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that the alveolar macrophage is capable of bacterial clearance with time. Sadly lacking ss evidence that alveolar macrophages readily phagocytose Streptococcus pneumoniae which are responsible tor greater than ninety percent of all bacterial pneumonias. The …

Macroinvertebrates And Diatoms On Submerged Bottom Substrates, Lake Powell, Ellen T. Louderbough

Biology ETDs

To collect and examine the organisms associated with newly inundated terrestrial vegetation in Lake Powell, small plastic Christmas trees were "planted" along a sloping sandy bottom at depths of 2, 3, 4.5, 6, 8, and 10 meters. For the 17 months from July, 1973, through October, 1974, the trees were harvested and replanted by scuba divers at 4- and 12-week intervals. The macroinvertebrate and diatom components of the periphytic community associated with each tree were collected and evaluated for number of individuals per unit area (density) and species composition. A diversity index was computed for the diatom portion of each …

Allografts And Xenografts Of Thyroid Gland Tissue And Cultured Thyroid Gland Cells Into Thyroidectomized Rats, Jerry Martin Katz

Biology ETDs

The most desirable way of treating endocrine deficiencies would be by the successful transplantation of functional endocrine tissue into the deficient animal. However, unless the donor and recipient are identical twins or from an inbred strain of animals, an immune response is usually elicited in the recipient by the foreign tissues leading to rejection of the transplant. Thyroid gland cells which have been enzymatically dispersed from thyroid tissue and cultured in vitro are capable of reforming functional thyroid tissue when implanted into animals of the same strain. The purpose of this work was to test the ability of cultured thyroid …

Effects Of Acute Dehydration, Heat Acclimatization And Physical Condition On Fluid Shifts Induced By Lower Body Negative Pressure, Michael Dyar Venters

Biology ETDs

This study was designed to analyze the effects of heat acclimatization, acute dehydration and physical conditioning on the fluid shifts induced by lower body negative pressure (LBNP). Ten male subjects, five trained runners and five non-runners, were subjected to LBNP before and after nine days of acclimatization to work in the heat and pre- and post-dehydration induced by heat and exercise. During each of the four LBNP runs the subjects were monitored for changes in blood volume and variances in the volume of the left forearm and lower leg at the calf. Each LBNP test consisted of five minute long …

Cardiorespiratory Function During Two Methods Of Lung Lavage And During Unilateral Hypoxia, Steven Allen Silbaugh

Biology ETDs

Therapeutic lung lavage is a procedure by which the interior of the lung of a living animal is “washed” with a suitable solution. Broncho­pulmonary lavage, a special type of lung lavage in which the bronchioles and alveoli are washed, is the major concern of this thesis. Broncho­pulmonary lavage was investigated in 1920 as a possible treatment for lungs damaged by irritant gases and in the late 1950‘s as a method of hemodialysis. Currently, it is effectively used for the treatment of patients with obstructive lung disease and for the removal of radioactive materials from the mammalian lung. Bronchopulmonary lavage interferes …

Vegetative Propagation Of Saltgrass Rhizomes, Kenneth A. Pavlicek

Biology ETDs

Saltgrass (Distichlis stricta) is a potential candidate for mine spoil-bank revegetation in New Mexico. Laboratory studies were conducted on the vegetative propagation of saltgrass from rhizomes. Optimum temperature for growth was 25 to 30 C. No clear relationship was found between the length of a rhizome section and its capacity to sprout vegetative material. In rhizome desiccation experiments, one-node segments lost water more quickly than did two-node sections. A marked reduction in rhizome sprouting was observed when moisture losses exceeded 35% of the initial fresh weight. Rhizome buds failed to demonstrate seasonal dormancy but were influenced by apical dominance. One­node …

Effect Of Hemozoin (A Malarial Pigment) On ⁵¹Cr Release From ⁵¹Cr-Labeled Rbc's, John E. Heidrich

Biology ETDs

The incubation of chromium (⁵¹Cr)-labeled red blood cells (RBC) at 37° C in 5% CO₂ in the presence of hemozoin, a malarial pigment, resulted in the release of ⁵¹Cr depending upon the species of Plasmodium (rodent or simian) from which the hemozoin was prepared. Hemozoin prepared from Plasmodium berghei caused specific release of 26% of the label from RBC of Lewis rats of age 4 months or older. No significant effect was seen in younger rats since the control RBC's released 55-65% of the label spontaneously. This same hemozoin preparation caused inhibition of release of the …

The Effects Of Hibernation On Memory In Myotis Velifer, Brian Thomas Snider

Biology ETDs

The effects of hibernation on learning ability and retention were studied in Myotis velifer, a small cave bat. Bats were maze trained using illumination intensity as visual discrimination and food as positive reinforcement. In experiment one, bats placed in a hibernaculum at 7 C for intervals of 4 or 10 days after learning had memory retention similar to control animals maintained at 31 C. In experiment two the effect of placing animals daily in a 7 C hibernaculum for 5-7 hr immediately after learning was studied. Animals hibernating daily showed significant decreases in the rate of learning. Experiment two procedure …

Optimal Foraging: The Marginal Value Theorem, Eric Charnov

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

Science Citation Classic Award

Ecological Implications Of Resource Depression, Eric Charnov, Gordon Orians, Kim Hyatt

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

A common but not universal consequence of the foraging activities of a predator is a lowering of capture rates with prey in its immediate vicinity. This may result from a number of different processes and need not require actual harvesting of any prey items by the predator. We term this phenomenon "depression" and its ecological consequences are the focus of this paper. A great deal of attention has been devoted to implications of changes in prey abundances as a result of the activity of predators. We will focus on changes in prey availability strictly in terms of the perspective of …

Sex Ratio, Sex Change And Natural Selection., Egbert G. Leigh, Eric Charnov, Robert R. Warner

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

We describe the analogy between the theory of natural selection on sex ratio in newborn gonochores (which will not change sex) and on the age of sex change in sequential hermaphrodites (which are all born into one sex and change to the other later on). We also discuss the conditions under which natural selection favors sequential hermaphrodites over gonochores and vice versa. We show that, in a nearly stable population of nearly constant age composition, selection favors a rare mutant if it increases the prospective reproduction of its newborn bearers that are (or while they are) members of one sex …

Optimal Foraging: Attack Strategy Of A Mantid, Eric Charnov

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

Much recent theoretical work in foraging theory derives hypotheses from the general assumption that animals are "efficient" in their foraging activities. Useful reviews may be found in Krebs (1973), Schoener (1971), MacArthur (1972), and Charnov (1973). The problems considered usually relate to breadth of diet (Schoeneer 1969, 1971; Emlen 1966; MacArthur 1972; Marten 1973; Pulliam 1973; Werner and Hall 1974; Timin 1973; MacArthur and Pianka 1966; Pearson 1974; Rapport 1971), strategies of movement (Cody 1971; Pyke 1974a, 1974b; Smith 1974a, 1974b), or use of a patchy environment (Royama 1970; MacArthur and Pianka 1966; Pulliam 1973; Krebs et al. 1974; Smith …

Corticosterone Levels And The Critical Period In Imprinting Behavior Of Domestic Chicks, Lorraine Feldman

Biology ETDs

The following research was undertaken to monitor a glucocorticoid corticosterone to determine whether or not a reduction in glucocorticoids occurs during the critical period of imprinting behavior. Two groups of domestic chicks (Schaffer white Leghorns) were incubated, hatched and maintained under brooding conditions prior to imprinting procedures. Chicks were first divided into seven age groups, four hour intervals, beginning at hatching. The critical period of imprinting behavior was established with Group I. Success of imprinting training in this group was tested 24 hours after the training sessions. The second group provided blood samples taken after imprinting training sessions; they were …

Phenetic Structure And Zoogeography Of North American Insectivorous Bat Faunas, Gregory Michael Shum

Biology ETDs

Eighteen morphological features were measured for 103 species of insectivorous bats found throughout North America. These characters were standardized to a mean of zero and a standard deviation of unity. Using these morphological characters, thirty-one distinct faunas, ranging from a Boreal Forest fauna with three species to a Wet Tropical fauna with 50 species, were analyzed in an 18-dimensional mathematical hyperspace with the numerical taxonomic techniques of distance, correlation and principal components.

The results show that tropical faunas occupy a greater morphological hypervolume than temperate-zone faunas. Morphological packing is not greater in tropical faunas, and it appears that a limiting …

Radio-Telemetry Of Body Temperature Of Prairie Dogs, Cynomys Ludovicianus, And Response Of Isolated Perfused Hearts To Temperature, Trent H. Thomas

Biology ETDs

The black-tailed prairie dog, Cynomys ludovicianus, was described by the early naturalists and explorers as inhabiting an area ranging from southern Canada to northern Mexico. Although their habitat varies in environmental extremes, little is known of the physiological responses of this species. Most investigations concerning them have dealt with their possible role as disease vectors, their effects on agriculture and livestock management, and the structure of their social organization. The purpose of the following studies is to contribute to the basic knowledge of the physiological responses of Cynomys ludovicianus. The experiments include radio-telemetering of body-core temperatures at low ambient temperatures …

Transcription And Maturation Of Sv40 Messenger Rna In Lytic And Transformed Cells, Daniel Robert Henderson

Biology ETDs

Asymmetric RNA was synthesized in vitro from SV4O form I DNA using Escherichia coli DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Using this RNA, sheared ³²P-SV4O DNA was separated into (+) and (-) DNA strands. (+) and (-) DNA was shown to be complementary strands of SV4O DNA. The separated strands were hybridized to nuclear, informosome, and polysome RNAs extracted at different times in the lytic infection, and to similar RNAs from transformed cells. Further, the size of the RNAs hybridizing to (+) and (-) DNAs was determined by sucrose gradient sedimentation. The results showed:

(1) Nuclear, informosome and polysome RNA from transformed …

Energetics Of Formate, Lactate, And Pyruvate Metabolism By An Obligate Anaerobic Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium, Desulfovibrio Vulgaris, Edward L. Magee Jr.

Biology ETDs

The increase in growth of Desulfovibrio vulgaris NCIB 8303 in a basal medium containing either 0.1M lactate, 0.1M pyruvate or 0.1M formate was proportional to the energy derived by substrate oxidation. Parameters of growth included OD₅₈₀, counts of viable cells, mean generation time, maximum cell density and molar growth yield. Pyruvate stimulated the largest amount of growth by all parameters except the generation time which equalled that measured for growth on lactate. Lactate produced intermediate levels of growth and formate the least amount. Minimal growth occurred when the basal medium had no intermediate energy source. Growth on the …

Interspecific Territoriality In Williamson's And Red-Naped Sapsuckers (Sphrapicus Thyroideus And S. Varius Nuchalis), Richard C. Young

Biology ETDs

Six territories of Williamson's Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) and eight of Red-naped Sapsuckers (S. varius nuchalis) were mapped and sampled with a line-strip vegetation sampling technique; these data were subjected to discriminant function and 1·rinciple components analyses to investigate similarities and differences letween territories of the two species.

Interspecific overlap in territorial characteristics is great; differences occur primarily in the number of dead trees, and to a lesser extent in the degree of clumping of aspens (Populus tremuloides); S. Thyroideus tends to nest in areas where aspens are more clumped.

Experiments with playbacks of tape-recordings of calls and drums of the …

The Effects Of Heat And Co-60 [Gamma]-Radiation On The Oocysts Of Eimeria Nieschulzi, George A. Conder

Biology ETDs

Sporulated oocysts of Eimeria nieschulzi Dieben, 1924, a rat coccidium, were exposed to radiation, to heat, or to both in an effort to attenuate the parasite. In addition, studies were conducted on the excystation capabilities and infectivity of treated sporozoites and on their immunogenic potential. These observations were correlated with the immune response of the host. Treatments had no effect on oocyst structure but altered the excystation process and decreased the percentage of sporozoites capable of excysting. Moderate levels of radiation, of heat, or of both radiation and heat attenuated the parasite, reduced pathological effect (as judged by oocyst discharge …

The Humoral Response Of Inbred Female Rats To Eimeria Nieschulzi Dieben, Lanna Ruth Schoonover Bartholomew

Biology ETDs

The humeral response of 32-day-old specific-pathogen-free Fisher 344 strain inbred albino female rats to a 5,000 sporulated oocyst inoculum of Eimeria nieschulzi at post­inoculation day 0 (PI+0) was followed for 77 days, as were syngeneic uninfected control rats of the same age. Some of these infected rats were challenged with 50,000 sporulated oocysts at PI+15 and followed through PI+77; some were challenged with 50,000 sporulated oocysts at PI+15 and PI+60 and followed through PI+77; and some were challenged with 50,000 sporulated oocysts at PI+60 and followed through PI+77. The Pfizer agarose system of analysis was used for the serum and …