Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Biology Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Biological Sciences

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication Type

Articles 271 - 300 of 627

Full-Text Articles in Biology

Bioluminescence To Reveal Structure And Interaction Of Coastal Planktonic Communities, Mark A. Moline, Shelley M. Blackwell, James F. Case, Steven H.D. Haddock, Christen M. Herren, Cristina M. Orrico, Eric Terrill Feb 2009

Bioluminescence To Reveal Structure And Interaction Of Coastal Planktonic Communities, Mark A. Moline, Shelley M. Blackwell, James F. Case, Steven H.D. Haddock, Christen M. Herren, Cristina M. Orrico, Eric Terrill

Biological Sciences

Ecosystem function will in large part be determined by functional groups present in biological communities. The simplest distinction with respect to functional groups of an ecosystem is the differentiation between primary and secondary producers. A challenge thus far has been to examine these groups simultaneously with sufficient temporal and spatial resolution for observations to be relevant to the scales of change in coastal oceans. This study takes advantage of general differences in the bioluminescence flash kinetics between planktonic dinoflagellates and zooplankton to measure relative abundances of the two groups within the same-time space volume. This novel approach for distinguishing these …


The Most Widely Publicized Gender Problem In Human Genetics, William D. Stansfield, Matthew A. Carlton Feb 2009

The Most Widely Publicized Gender Problem In Human Genetics, William D. Stansfield, Matthew A. Carlton

Biological Sciences

In two-child families containing at least one boy, the expected probability that such a family has two boys is 1/3, provided that the boy/girl (B/G) ratio is 1.0 and the population to which they belong has a binomial distribution of BB, (BG + GB), and GG families. It is commonly known that in most human populations the sex ratio at birth (i.e., the ratio of the number of boys to the number of girls) is greater than 1.0. Teachers and textbook writers seldom discuss the more realistic expected distributions in populations where the sex ratio is greater than 1.0. We …


Forward And Reverse Genetics Of Rapid-Cycling Brassica Oleracea, Edward Himelblau, Laurie Mentzer, Erin J. Gilchrist, Kelly Buono, Colleen Bizzell, Robert Vogelzang, Thomas Osborn, Richard M. Amasino, Isobel A.P. Parkin, George W. Haughn Jan 2009

Forward And Reverse Genetics Of Rapid-Cycling Brassica Oleracea, Edward Himelblau, Laurie Mentzer, Erin J. Gilchrist, Kelly Buono, Colleen Bizzell, Robert Vogelzang, Thomas Osborn, Richard M. Amasino, Isobel A.P. Parkin, George W. Haughn

Biological Sciences

Seeds of rapid-cycling Brassica oleracea were mutagenized with the chemical mutagen, ethylmethane sulfonate. The reverse genetics technique, TILLING, was used on a sample population of 1,000 plants, to determine the mutation profile. The spectrum and frequency of mutations induced by ethylmethane sulfonate was similar to that seen in other diploid species such as Arabidopsis thaliana. These data indicate that the mutagenesis was effective and demonstrate that TILLING represents an efficient reverse genetic technique in B. oleracea that will become more valuable as increasing genomic sequence data become available for this species. The extensive duplication in the B. oleracea genome …


Mendel's Search For True-Breeding Hybrids, William D. Stansfield Jan 2009

Mendel's Search For True-Breeding Hybrids, William D. Stansfield

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.


Hydrothermal And Thermal Time Models For The Invasive Grass, Arundo Donax, Anthony Graziani, Scott J. Steinmaus Jan 2009

Hydrothermal And Thermal Time Models For The Invasive Grass, Arundo Donax, Anthony Graziani, Scott J. Steinmaus

Biological Sciences

Controlled laboratory and field experiments were performed to determine the developmental response to temperature and moisture of Arundo donax, a riparian invasive grass and potential bioenergy crop. A logistic function was parameterized and used to predict thermal times to sprouting and the nine-leaf stage. Consistent estimates of the base temperature (Tb) and base water potential (ψb) below which development ceases were obtained from various statistical and mathematical analyses. Estimates of Tb and ψb were 12.7 ± 1.7 °C and −1.56 ± 0.43 MPa, respectively, for the median fraction of sprouting rhizomes. Median …


Genome Size As A Predictor Of Guard Cell Length In Arabidopsis Thaliana Is Independent Of Environmental Conditions, Barry H. Lomax, F. Ian Woodward, Ilia J. Leitch, Charles A. Knight, Janice A. Lake Jan 2009

Genome Size As A Predictor Of Guard Cell Length In Arabidopsis Thaliana Is Independent Of Environmental Conditions, Barry H. Lomax, F. Ian Woodward, Ilia J. Leitch, Charles A. Knight, Janice A. Lake

Biological Sciences

• The recent discovery of a strong positive relationship between angiosperm genome size and stomatal guard cell length (GCL) opens the possibility of using plant fossil guard cell size as a proxy for changes in angiosperm genome size over periods of environmental change.
• The responses of GCL to environmental stimuli are currently unknown and may obscure this predictive relationship.
• Here, we investigated the effects of environmental variables (atmospheric CO2, drought, relative humidity, irradiance, ultraviolet radiation and pathogen attack) on GCL in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to quantify environmentally induced variation.
• GCL responded to all …


Collaborative Research: An Effective Way To Collect Data For Stock Assessments And Evaluate Marine Proteced Areas In California, Dean E. Wendt, Richard M. Starr Jan 2009

Collaborative Research: An Effective Way To Collect Data For Stock Assessments And Evaluate Marine Proteced Areas In California, Dean E. Wendt, Richard M. Starr

Biological Sciences

Collaborative fisheries research (in contrast to cooperative research) is based on the intellectual partnership between scientists and fishermen and is an effective way to collect data for stock assessments and to evaluate marine protected areas. Collaborative fisheries research is discussed in the context of comanagement of marine resources and how it contributes to a more democratic form of fisheries management. Many benefits result from working together, including (1) the incorporation of fishers’ knowledge and expertise into the management process and (2) the development of shared perspectives derived through science-based investigations on the status of marine resources. The California Collaborative Fisheries …


The Coriolis Effect, William D. Stansfield Jan 2009

The Coriolis Effect, William D. Stansfield

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.


Bryophytes Of Adjacent Serpentine And Granite Outcrops On The Deer Isles, Maine, U.S.A, Laura R. E. Briscoe, Tanner B. Harris, William Broussard, Eva Dannenberg, Fred C. Olday, Nishanta Rajakaruna Jan 2009

Bryophytes Of Adjacent Serpentine And Granite Outcrops On The Deer Isles, Maine, U.S.A, Laura R. E. Briscoe, Tanner B. Harris, William Broussard, Eva Dannenberg, Fred C. Olday, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

The serpentine-substrate effect is well documented for vascular plants, but the literature for bryophytes is limited. The majority of literature on bryophytes in extreme geoedaphic habitats focuses on the use of species as bioindicators of industrial pollution. Few attempts have been made to characterize bryophyte floras on serpentine soils derived from peridotite and other ultramafic rocks. This paper compares the bryophyte floras of both a peridotite and a granite outcrop from the Deer Isles, Hancock County, Maine, and examines tissue elemental concentrations for select species from both sites. Fifty-five species were found, 43 on serpentine, 26 on granite. Fourteen species …


Antifouling Character Of 'Active' Hybrid Xerogel Coatings With Sequestered Catalysts For The Activation Of Hydrogen Peroxide, Daniell M. Mcmaster, Stephanie M. Bennett, Ying Tang, John A. Finlay, Gregory L. Kowalke, Brian Nedved, Frank V. Bright, Maureen E. Callow, James A. Callow, Dean E. Wendt, Michael G. Hadfield, Michael R. Detty Jan 2009

Antifouling Character Of 'Active' Hybrid Xerogel Coatings With Sequestered Catalysts For The Activation Of Hydrogen Peroxide, Daniell M. Mcmaster, Stephanie M. Bennett, Ying Tang, John A. Finlay, Gregory L. Kowalke, Brian Nedved, Frank V. Bright, Maureen E. Callow, James A. Callow, Dean E. Wendt, Michael G. Hadfield, Michael R. Detty

Biological Sciences

Halide-permeable xerogel films prepared from sols containing 50 mol% aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)/50 mol% tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) or 10 mol% APTES/90 mol% TEOS and 0.015 M selenoxide or telluride catalyst in the sol gave reduced settlement of cypris larvae of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite and larvae of the tubeworm Hydroides elegans in the presence of artificial seawater (ASW) and hydrogen peroxide (5-100 μM) relative to glass controls. Settlement of Ulva zoospores was lower on both the 50 mol% APTES/50 mol% TEOS and 10 mol% APTES/90 mol% TEOS xerogel formulations in comparison with glass controls with or without the added catalyst. The 50 mol% …


Food Availability And Parasite Infection Influence Mating Tactics In Guppies (Poecilia Reticulata), Gita R. Kolluru, Gregory F. Grether, Eric Dunlop, Sandra H. South Jan 2009

Food Availability And Parasite Infection Influence Mating Tactics In Guppies (Poecilia Reticulata), Gita R. Kolluru, Gregory F. Grether, Eric Dunlop, Sandra H. South

Biological Sciences

Despite the important effects of diet and parasite infection on male reproductive behavior, few studies have simultaneously addressed their influence on intrasexual selection (male–male competition). We examined the synergistic effects of 2 naturally varying environmental factors, lifetime food intake and infection, with the monogenean parasite Gyrodactylus turnbulli on the mating tactics and foraging behavior of male guppies (Poecilia reticulata). We allowed fish to interact directly with each other during observations and found that unparasitized males won more intermale contests, courted females more frequently, and received positive responses to courtship displays more frequently than males that had been infected. …


Serpentine Geoecology Of Eastern North America: A Review, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Tanner B. Harris, Earl B. Alexander Jan 2009

Serpentine Geoecology Of Eastern North America: A Review, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Tanner B. Harris, Earl B. Alexander

Biological Sciences

Serpentine outcrops are model habitats for geoecological studies. While much attention has been paid to serpentine outcrops worldwide, the literature on eastern North American serpentine and associated biota is scant. This review examines the available literature, published and unpublished, on geoecological studies conducted on serpentine in eastern North America, from Newfoundland through Québec and New England south to Alabama. Most serpentine outcrops in the region have been mapped, but there have been few intensive mineralogical and pedological investigations. The limited soil analyses available suggest elevated levels of heavy metals such as Ni, near-neutral pH values, and Ca∶Mg ratios < 1, characteristic of serpentine soils worldwide. Botanical studies to date have largely focused on floristic surveys and the influence of fire exclusion and grazing on indigenous vegetation. To date, 751 taxa of vascular plants belonging to 92 families have been reported from serpentine outcrops in the region. Two taxa, Agalinis acuta …


Changes In Biotic And Abiotic Processes Following Mangrove Clearing, Elise Granek, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg Dec 2008

Changes In Biotic And Abiotic Processes Following Mangrove Clearing, Elise Granek, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg

Biological Sciences

Mangrove forests, important tropical coastal habitats, are in decline worldwide primarily due to removal by humans. Changes to mangrove systems can alter ecosystem properties through direct effects on abiotic factors such as temperature, light and nutrient supply or through changes in biotic factors such as primary productivity or species composition. Despite the importance of mangroves as transitional habitats between land and sea, little research has examined changes that occur when they are cleared. We examined changes in a number of biotic and abiotic factors following the anthropogenic removal of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) in the Panamanian Caribbean, including …


Biological Responses In A Dynamic Bouyant River Plume, Mark A. Moline, Thomas K. Frazer, Robert Chant, Scott Glenn, Charles A. Jacoby, John R. Reinfelder, Jennifer Yost, Meng Zhou, Oscar Schofield Dec 2008

Biological Responses In A Dynamic Bouyant River Plume, Mark A. Moline, Thomas K. Frazer, Robert Chant, Scott Glenn, Charles A. Jacoby, John R. Reinfelder, Jennifer Yost, Meng Zhou, Oscar Schofield

Biological Sciences

Buoyant river plumes are highly dynamic and often characterized by marked physical and chemical gradients that interact to drive biological responses. For example, interactions among factors resulting in algal growth (e.g., nutrient and light availability) and algal loss (e.g., sinking and zooplankton grazing) vary with spatiotemporal changes in physics and chemistry. The nature of these interactions profoundly influences the transfer and transformation of materials carried by the plume, including nutrients and metals. In April 2005, during the Lagrangian Transport and Transformation Experiment (LaTTE), water from the Hudson River recirculated in a nearshore eddy before moving southward to mix with relatively …


Dispersal Of The Hudson River Plume In The New York Bight: Synthesis Of Observational And Numerical Studies During Latte, Robert J. Chant, John Wilkin, Weifeng Zhang, Byoung-Ju Choi, Eli Hunter, Renato Castelao, Scott Glenn, Joe Jurisa, Oscar Schofield, Robert Houghton, Josh Kohut, Thomas K. Frazer, Mark A. Moline Dec 2008

Dispersal Of The Hudson River Plume In The New York Bight: Synthesis Of Observational And Numerical Studies During Latte, Robert J. Chant, John Wilkin, Weifeng Zhang, Byoung-Ju Choi, Eli Hunter, Renato Castelao, Scott Glenn, Joe Jurisa, Oscar Schofield, Robert Houghton, Josh Kohut, Thomas K. Frazer, Mark A. Moline

Biological Sciences

Observations and modeling during the Lagrangian Transport and Transformation Experiment (LaTTE) characterized the variability of the Hudson River discharge and identified several freshwater transport pathways that lead to cross-shelf mixing of the Hudson plume. The plume’s variability is comprised of several different outflow configurations that are related to wind forcing, river discharge, and shelf circulation. The modes are characterized by coastal current formation and unsteady bulge recirculation. Coastal currents are favored during low-discharge conditions and downwelling winds, and represent a rapid downshelf transport pathway. Bulge formation is favored during high-discharge conditions and upwelling winds. The bulge is characterized by clockwise …


Dietary Exposure To 2,2´,4,4´-Tetrabromodiphenyl Ether (Pbde-47) Alters Thyroid Status And Thyroid Hormone–Regulated Gene Transcription In The Pituitary And Brain, Sean C. Lema, Jon T. Dickey, Irvin R. Schultz, Penny Swanson Dec 2008

Dietary Exposure To 2,2´,4,4´-Tetrabromodiphenyl Ether (Pbde-47) Alters Thyroid Status And Thyroid Hormone–Regulated Gene Transcription In The Pituitary And Brain, Sean C. Lema, Jon T. Dickey, Irvin R. Schultz, Penny Swanson

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.


The Importance Of Physiological Limits In Determining Biogeographical Range Shifts Due To Global Climate Change: The Heat-Shock Response, Lars Tomanek Oct 2008

The Importance Of Physiological Limits In Determining Biogeographical Range Shifts Due To Global Climate Change: The Heat-Shock Response, Lars Tomanek

Biological Sciences

Physiological processes that set an organism’s thermal limits are in part determining recent shifts in biogeographic distribution ranges due to global climate change. Several characteristics of the heat-shock response (HSR), such as the onset, maximal, and upper limit of heat-shock protein (Hsp) synthesis, contribute to setting the acute upper thermal limits of most organisms. Aquatic animals from stable, moderately variable, or highly variable thermal environments differ in their HSR. Some animals living in extremely stable thermal environments lack the response altogether. In contrast, rocky intertidal animals that experience highly variable thermal conditions start synthesizing Hsps, that is, the onset of …


Recruitment Of Coastal Fishes And Oceanographic Variability In Central California, J. R. Wilson, B. R. Broitman, J. E. Caselle, D. E. Wendt Sep 2008

Recruitment Of Coastal Fishes And Oceanographic Variability In Central California, J. R. Wilson, B. R. Broitman, J. E. Caselle, D. E. Wendt

Biological Sciences

Recruitment of pelagic larval fishes to the nearshore environment is dependent on a suite of biological and physical processes operating at many spatial and temporal scales. Nearshore circulation processes associated with coastal upwelling are widely upheld as major determinants of year class strength for many rockfishes (Sebastes spp.), but the mechanism by which these processes drive recruitment is largely unknown. We used Standard Monitoring Units for the Recruitment of Fishes (SMURFs) to monitor recruitment of two rockfish complexes (Sebastes spp.) and cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) from March to September of 2004 and 2005 at 3 sites along …


Synergistic Applications Of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles And Regional Ocean Modeling System In Coastal Ocean Forecasting, Yi Chao, Zhijin Li, John D. Farrara, Mark A. Moline, Oscar M.E. Schofield, Sharanya J. Majumdar Sep 2008

Synergistic Applications Of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles And Regional Ocean Modeling System In Coastal Ocean Forecasting, Yi Chao, Zhijin Li, John D. Farrara, Mark A. Moline, Oscar M.E. Schofield, Sharanya J. Majumdar

Biological Sciences

The potential for using synergistic combinations of measurements from autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and output from three-dimensional numerical models for studying the central California coastal region is demonstrated. Two case studies are used to illustrate the approach. In the first, propeller-driven AUV observations revealed a subsurface salinity minimum in northern Monterey Bay. A Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) reanalysis of the three-dimensional flow in the region suggested an offshore source for this water and particular propagation pathways from the south and west into the bay. In the second case study, the effectiveness of assimilating observations in improving the ROMS reanalysis …


Introduction To The Limnology And Oceanography Special Issue On Autonomous And Lagrangian Platforms And Sensors (Alps), Mark A. Moline, T. D. Dickey, E. C. Itsweire, M. J. Perry Sep 2008

Introduction To The Limnology And Oceanography Special Issue On Autonomous And Lagrangian Platforms And Sensors (Alps), Mark A. Moline, T. D. Dickey, E. C. Itsweire, M. J. Perry

Biological Sciences

This issue is devoted to recent developments of autonomous and Lagrangian platforms and sensors (ALPS) and their uses for solving a broad range of interdisciplinary aquatic problems. The collective papers treat a variety of problems that generally require measurements spanning a continuum of temporal and spatial scales. ALPS platforms in this issue include surface drifters, profiling and other types of subsurface floats, gliders, unmanned boats, autonomous underwater vehicles, and instrumented animals. ALPS platforms can provide access in difficult environments (e.g., under ice and in high-sea states). They are also important for emerging networked ocean and lake observing systems that require …


Genome Size Is A Strong Predictor Of Cell Size And Stomatal Density In Angiosperms, Jeremy M. Beaulieu, Ilia J. Leitch, Sunil Patil, Arjun Pendharkar, Charles A. Knight Sep 2008

Genome Size Is A Strong Predictor Of Cell Size And Stomatal Density In Angiosperms, Jeremy M. Beaulieu, Ilia J. Leitch, Sunil Patil, Arjun Pendharkar, Charles A. Knight

Biological Sciences

• Across eukaryotes phenotypic correlations with genome size are thought to scale from genome size effects on cell size. However, for plants the genome/cell size link has only been thoroughly documented within ploidy series and small subsets of herbaceous species. • Here, the first large-scale comparative analysis is made of the relationship between genome size and cell size across 101 species of angiosperms of varying growth forms. Guard cell length and epidermal cell area were used as two metrics of cell size and, in addition, stomatal density was measured. • There was a significant positive relationship between genome size and …


Improved Fine-Scale Transport Model Performance Using Auv And Hsi Feedback In A Tidally Dominated System, L. F. Hibler, A. R. Maxwell, L. M. Miller, N. P. Kohn, D. L. Woodruff, M. J. Montes, J. H. Bowles, Mark A. Moline Aug 2008

Improved Fine-Scale Transport Model Performance Using Auv And Hsi Feedback In A Tidally Dominated System, L. F. Hibler, A. R. Maxwell, L. M. Miller, N. P. Kohn, D. L. Woodruff, M. J. Montes, J. H. Bowles, Mark A. Moline

Biological Sciences

One of the challenges for model prediction and validation is providing them with data of appropriate spatial and temporal resolution. The maturation and increased application of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in aquatic environments allows systematic data collection on these model-relevant scales. The goal of this study was to apply a fine-scale circulation and transport model (Delft3D) to improve AUV mission planning and use data collected by the AUV to evaluate and improve model performance. A dye release was conducted in a tidally dominated embayment, and a planning phase model based on the best available data was used as a baseline …


Teaching Mendelism, William D. Stansfield Aug 2008

Teaching Mendelism, William D. Stansfield

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.


Mulched Cover Crops As An Alternative To Conventional Weed Management Systems In Vineyards, Scott J. Steinmaus, C. L. Elmore, R. J. Smith, D. Donaldson, E. A. Weber, J. A. Roncoroni, P. R.M. Miller Jun 2008

Mulched Cover Crops As An Alternative To Conventional Weed Management Systems In Vineyards, Scott J. Steinmaus, C. L. Elmore, R. J. Smith, D. Donaldson, E. A. Weber, J. A. Roncoroni, P. R.M. Miller

Biological Sciences

Conventional methods of weed management in vineyards rely primarily on herbicides and tillage. The desire to adopt alternatives to these methods is driven by environmental and economic reasons. Weed suppression and grape yield under mulched cover crop systems at two rainfed northern California vineyards were similar to, and at times exceeded, those under conventional tillage or herbicide management. Cover crop productivity was positively correlated with weed suppression and mulch decomposition rates and seemed to be determined primarily by location and then by cover crop type. The mulch from mowed cover crops averaged 603(± 94) gm−2 at the two sites. …


Climate Change And The Future Of California's Endemic Flora, Scott R. Loarie, Benjamin E. Carter, Katherine Hayhoe, Sean Mcmahon, Richard Moe, Charles A. Knight, David D. Ackerly Jun 2008

Climate Change And The Future Of California's Endemic Flora, Scott R. Loarie, Benjamin E. Carter, Katherine Hayhoe, Sean Mcmahon, Richard Moe, Charles A. Knight, David D. Ackerly

Biological Sciences

The flora of California, a global biodiversity hotspot, includes 2387 endemic plant taxa. With anticipated climate change, we project that up to 66% will experience >80% reductions in range size within a century. These results are comparable with other studies of fewer species or just samples of a region’s endemics. Projected reductions depend on the magnitude of future emissions and on the ability of species to disperse from their current locations. California’s varied terrain could cause species to move in very different directions, breaking up present-day floras. However, our projections also identify regions where species undergoing severe range reductions may …


Spatial And Temporal Variation In The Natal Otolith Chemistry Of A Hawaiian Reef Fish: Prospects For Measuring Population Connectivity, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg, Scott L. Hamilton, Robert R. Warner May 2008

Spatial And Temporal Variation In The Natal Otolith Chemistry Of A Hawaiian Reef Fish: Prospects For Measuring Population Connectivity, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg, Scott L. Hamilton, Robert R. Warner

Biological Sciences

One of the most compelling unanswered questions in marine ecology is the extent to which local populations are connected via larval exchange. Recent work has suggested that variation in the chemistry of otoliths (earstones) of fishes may function as a natural tag, potentially allowing investigators to determine sources of individual larvae and estimate larval connectivity. We analyzed the spatial and temporal variation in natal otolith chemistry of a benthic-spawning reef fish from the Hawaiian Islands. We found no consistent chemical variation at the largest scale (>100 km, among islands), but found significant variation at moderate scales (sites within islands, …


Integrating Across Life-History Stages: Consequences Of Natal Habitat Effects On Dispersal, Michael F. Benard, Shannon J. Mccauley May 2008

Integrating Across Life-History Stages: Consequences Of Natal Habitat Effects On Dispersal, Michael F. Benard, Shannon J. Mccauley

Biological Sciences

Ecological and evolutionary processes are affected by forces acting at both local and regional scales, yet our understanding of how these scales interact has remained limited. These processes are fundamentally linked through individuals that develop as juveniles in one environment and then either remain in the natal habitat or disperse to new environments. Empirical studies in a diverse range of organisms have demonstrated that the conditions experienced in the natal habitat can have profound effects on the adult phenotype. This environmentally induced phenotypic variation can in turn affect the probability that an individual will disperse to a new environment and …


Inhibition Of Barnacle (Amphibalanus Amphitrite) Cyprid Settlement By Means Of Localized, Pulsed Electric Fields, Rodolfo E. Perez-Roa, Marc A. Anderson, Dan Rittschof, Beatriz Orihuela, Dean Wendt, Gregory L. Kowalke, Daniel R. Noguera May 2008

Inhibition Of Barnacle (Amphibalanus Amphitrite) Cyprid Settlement By Means Of Localized, Pulsed Electric Fields, Rodolfo E. Perez-Roa, Marc A. Anderson, Dan Rittschof, Beatriz Orihuela, Dean Wendt, Gregory L. Kowalke, Daniel R. Noguera

Biological Sciences

The increasing needs for environmental friendly antifouling coatings have led to investigation of new alternatives for replacing copper and TBT-based paints. In this study, results are presented from larval settlement assays of the barnacle Amphibalanus (= Balanus) amphitrite on planar, interdigitated electrodes (IDE), having 8 or 25 mum of inter-electrode spacing, upon the application of pulsed electric fields (PEF). Using pulses of 100 ms in duration, 200 Hz in frequency and 10 V in pulse amplitude, barnacle settlement below 5% was observed, while similar IDE surfaces without pulse application had an average of 40% settlement. The spacing between the electrodes …


Genome Size Scaling Through Phenotype Space, Charles A. Knight, Jeremy M. Beaulieu Apr 2008

Genome Size Scaling Through Phenotype Space, Charles A. Knight, Jeremy M. Beaulieu

Biological Sciences

Background and Aims Early observations that genome size was positively correlated with cell size formed the basis of hypothesized consequences of genome size variation at higher phenotypic scales. This scaling was supported by several studies showing a positive relationship between genome size and seed mass, and various metrics of growth and leaf morphology. However, many of these studies were undertaken with limited species sets, and often performed within a single genus. Here we seek to generalize the relationship between genome size and the phenotype by examining eight phenotypic traits using large cross-species comparisons involving diverse assemblages of angiosperm and gymnosperm …


Maternal Effects Of Carotenoid Consumption In Guppies (Poecilia Reticulata), Gregory F. Grether, Gita R. Kolluru, K. Lin, M. A. Quiroz, G. Robertson, A. J. Snyder Apr 2008

Maternal Effects Of Carotenoid Consumption In Guppies (Poecilia Reticulata), Gregory F. Grether, Gita R. Kolluru, K. Lin, M. A. Quiroz, G. Robertson, A. J. Snyder

Biological Sciences

1. Carotenoids transferred from mother to offspring may enhance the quality of the offspring. Whether such maternal effects occur in guppies (Poecilia reticulata) has an important bearing on mate preference evolution.
2. By raising female guppies from birth on different dietary carotenoid levels, we examined the pattern of carotenoid allocation to maternal tissue (skin) vs. eggs. Skin carotenoid content was only weakly affected by carotenoid intake while egg carotenoid content was strongly affected.
3. We then tested for effects of maternal carotenoid intake on several measures of offspring quality, including size and condition at birth, juvenile growth rate, …