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

Biology Commons™

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

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
File Type

Articles 91 - 120 of 337

Full-Text Articles in Biology

Liana Host Preference And Implications For Deciduous Forest Regeneration, Laura Ladwig, Scott Meiners Jan 2010

Liana Host Preference And Implications For Deciduous Forest Regeneration, Laura Ladwig, Scott Meiners

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Lianas have the potential to shape forest communities and alter forest regeneration. However, impacts of lianas on forest regeneration, particularly in temperate forests, are largely unstudied. To understand potential liana impacts on the community we need to first know the location and intensity of liana burdens on host trees. We examined liana-tree host references within a series of young regenerating deciduous forests in the Piedmont region of New Jersey, USA. Established trees ($ 5 cm dbh) and the lianas associated with each tree were surveyed in 2008. The five most abundant liana species were Celastrus orbiculatus, Lonicera japonica, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, …


Influence Of Reproductive And Environmental Factors On Population Size .. Of Wild Hyacinth [Camassia Angusta (Engelm.· And A. Gray) Blank. (Liliaceae)], An Illinois Endangered Species, Kevin Franken, Janice Coons, Henry Owen, Eric Smith, John Ebinger Jun 2009

Influence Of Reproductive And Environmental Factors On Population Size .. Of Wild Hyacinth [Camassia Angusta (Engelm.· And A. Gray) Blank. (Liliaceae)], An Illinois Endangered Species, Kevin Franken, Janice Coons, Henry Owen, Eric Smith, John Ebinger

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Wild hyacinth (Camassia angusta) is a perennial species native to mesic prairies of the midwestern and south-central United States. In Illinois, the only extant population of this state-endangered species is in a small section of degraded black-soil prairie along a railroad track right-of-way south of Elwin, Macon County. The objectives of this study were to determine the population status, seed production, and effects of scarification and stratification on germination of C. angusta. The population was surveyed from 1990 to 2007. A survey of other plant species present was conducted in 1999. The site consisted of approximately 75% native and 25% …


Influence Of Reproductive And Environmental Factors On Population Size .. Of Wild Hyacinth [Camassia Angusta (Engelm.· And A. Gray) Blank. (Liliaceae)], An Illinois Endangered Species, Kevin M. Franken, Janice M. Coons, Henry R. Owen, Eric L. Smith, John E. Ebinger Jun 2009

Influence Of Reproductive And Environmental Factors On Population Size .. Of Wild Hyacinth [Camassia Angusta (Engelm.· And A. Gray) Blank. (Liliaceae)], An Illinois Endangered Species, Kevin M. Franken, Janice M. Coons, Henry R. Owen, Eric L. Smith, John E. Ebinger

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Wild hyacinth (Camassia angusta) is a perennial species native to mesic prairies of the midwestern and south-central United States. In Illinois, the only extant population of this state-endangered species is in a small section of degraded black-soil prairie along a railroad track right-of-way south of Elwin, Macon County. The objectives of this study were to determine the population status, seed production, and effects of scarification and stratification on germination of C. angusta. The population was surveyed from 1990 to 2007. A survey of other plant species present was conducted in 1999. The site consisted of approximately 75% native and 25% …


Comparative Vegetative Anatomy And Systematics Of Laeliinae (Orchidaceae), William Stern, Barbara Carlsward May 2009

Comparative Vegetative Anatomy And Systematics Of Laeliinae (Orchidaceae), William Stern, Barbara Carlsward

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Laeliinae are one of the most prominent orchid subtribes, with c. 40 genera and nearly 1500 species, and contain a disparate group of taxa with widely varying morphological features. There does not appear to be a complex of characters to which one can refer in order to delineate the subtribe as a whole. Thus, it was thought that vegetative anatomy might provide clues to the monophyly of the group. The microscopic structure of the leaves, stems and roots of representatives of most of the genera was studied. It was concluded that the anatomy lacks overall uniformity and that vegetative characters …


Comparative Vegetative Anatomy And Systematics Of Laeliinae (Orchidaceae), William Louis Stern, Barbara S. Carlsward May 2009

Comparative Vegetative Anatomy And Systematics Of Laeliinae (Orchidaceae), William Louis Stern, Barbara S. Carlsward

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Laeliinae are one of the most prominent orchid subtribes, with c. 40 genera and nearly 1500 species, and contain a disparate group of taxa with widely varying morphological features. There does not appear to be a complex of characters to which one can refer in order to delineate the subtribe as a whole. Thus, it was thought that vegetative anatomy might provide clues to the monophyly of the group. The microscopic structure of the leaves, stems and roots of representatives of most of the genera was studied. It was concluded that the anatomy lacks overall uniformity and that vegetative characters …


Thermodynamics Of Effector Binding To Hemocyanin: Influence Of Temperature, Ariane Pott, Michael A. Menze, Manfred K. Grieshaber Mar 2009

Thermodynamics Of Effector Binding To Hemocyanin: Influence Of Temperature, Ariane Pott, Michael A. Menze, Manfred K. Grieshaber

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Hemocyanins are allosterically regulated oxygen carriers freely dissolved in the blood of many crustaceans. The natural modulator urate accumulates under hypoxic conditions in the hemolymph of Homarus vulgaris, and increases the oxygen affinity of the respiratory pigment. Other non-physiological effectors such as caffeine, dimethylxanthines and methylxanthines are also known to modulate the oxygen-binding properties of hemocyanin. In order to gain insight into the thermodynamic driving forces of these interactions we analyzed the binding of several urate analogs to dodecameric hemocyanin at different temperatures by employing isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). All investigated non-physiological effectors including caffeine, dimethylxanthines and methylxanthines bind exothermically …


Botany At Eastern Illinois University, Marissa C. Jernegan, Nancy E. Coutant, Janice M. Coons Jan 2009

Botany At Eastern Illinois University, Marissa C. Jernegan, Nancy E. Coutant, Janice M. Coons

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Eastern Illinois University was established in 1899, and from its beginning the importance of the botanical sciences was recognized. Two terms of botany were required for the four year program. Dr. Otis W. Caldwell, a botanist, was one of the original faculty members. He taught all of the biology courses and initiated the acquisition of a greenhouse. Caldwell was the first in a series of talented and dedicated botany professors including Edgar N. Transeau, Ernest L. Stover, Hiram F. Thut and John E. Ebinger. These and many other professors incorporated a field component into almost all classes. This dedication to …


Natural History Notes: Rhinocheilus Lecontei Tesselatus (Longevity), Stephen J. Mullin Jan 2009

Natural History Notes: Rhinocheilus Lecontei Tesselatus (Longevity), Stephen J. Mullin

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.


Demographics Of A Geographically-Isolated Population Of Threatened Salamander (Caudata: Ambystomatidae) In Central Illinois, Stephen J. Mullin, Sarabeth Klueh Jan 2009

Demographics Of A Geographically-Isolated Population Of Threatened Salamander (Caudata: Ambystomatidae) In Central Illinois, Stephen J. Mullin, Sarabeth Klueh

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Amphibian populations that use small isolated wetlands are often small in size, susceptible to stochastic extinction processes, and have little to no contact with other populations. One can ascertain the persistence of such populations only by obtaining data that allow the prediction of future changes in population’s size, and propensity to achieve a sustainable number of individuals. The number of metamorphosing larvae leaving a pond predicts the viability of a salamander population, and thus, the number recruited into the terrestrial adult population. The Jefferson Salamander, Ambystoma jeffersonianum, is a listed threatened species in Illinois, occurring at fewer than 15 ponds …


Thermoregulation Of Male Elaphe Spiloides In An Agriculturally-Fragmented Forest In Illinois, C. Drew Foster, Sarabeth Kleuh, Stephen J. Mullin Jan 2009

Thermoregulation Of Male Elaphe Spiloides In An Agriculturally-Fragmented Forest In Illinois, C. Drew Foster, Sarabeth Kleuh, Stephen J. Mullin

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Anthropogenic forest fragmentation increases the amount of edge habitat. Although edges are harsh environments for many native species, ratsnakes often prefer this habitat. We examined thermoregulatory effectiveness of Central Ratsnakes (Elaphe spiloides) using forest edges preferentially to determine if edge preference is driven by increased thermoregulatory efficiencies. Six male subjects were located every 1-2 days using radio-telemetry and temperature sensitive transmitters. Subjects did not thermoregulate more efficiently in edges than in forest. Snakes were thermoconformers in both habitat types suggesting edge preference might be driven by other factors.


Vegetative Anatomy And Systematics Of Triphorinae (Orchidaceae), Barbara S. Carlsward, William Louis Stern Jan 2009

Vegetative Anatomy And Systematics Of Triphorinae (Orchidaceae), Barbara S. Carlsward, William Louis Stern

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Triphorinae represents a group of three anatomically simple genera, the structural features of which are unspecialized. The anomocytic stomatal pattern occurs in all genera; it predominates in Triphora . A foliar hypodermis, sclerenchyma, fibre bundles and stegmata are absent. The mesophyll is homogeneous. The exodermal and endodermal cells in the roots are entirely thin-walled and tilosomes are absent. However, there are anatomical modifications that appear to be unique: root hairs in Monophyllorchis are borne on velamenal buttresses and, in Psilochilus , they arise endogenously. In the root vascular system of Psilochilus , the metaxylem occurs as a circumferential band. The …


Sucrose Phosphate Synthase Expression Influences Poplar Phenology, Thomas Canam, Ji-Young Park, Kyu-Young Kang, Faride Unda, Shawn Mansfield Jan 2009

Sucrose Phosphate Synthase Expression Influences Poplar Phenology, Thomas Canam, Ji-Young Park, Kyu-Young Kang, Faride Unda, Shawn Mansfield

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The objective of this study was to manipulate the intracellular pools of sucrose, and investigate its role in regulating plant growth, phenology (leaf senescence and bud break) and fibre development. This objective was achieved by differentially expressing an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana L. Heynh.) sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) gene in hybrid poplar (Populus alba · Populus grandidentata Michx.), a model system for tree biology with substantial industrial relevance in the context of short rotation forestry and a target bioenergy crop. Phenotypic differences were evident in the transgenic trees, as both the timing of bud flush and leaf senescence were altered compared …


Botany At Eastern Illinois University, Marissa Jernegan, Nancy Coutant, Janice Coons Jan 2009

Botany At Eastern Illinois University, Marissa Jernegan, Nancy Coutant, Janice Coons

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Eastern Illinois University was established in 1899, and from its beginning the importance of the botanical sciences was recognized. Two terms of botany were required for the four year program. Dr. Otis W. Caldwell, a botanist, was one of the original faculty members. He taught all of the biology courses and initiated the acquisition of a greenhouse. Caldwell was the first in a series of talented and dedicated botany professors including Edgar N. Transeau, Ernest L. Stover, Hiram F. Thut and John E. Ebinger. These and many other professors incorporated a field component into almost all classes. This dedication to …


How Do Animal Mitochondria Tolerate Water Stress?, Michael A. Menze, Steven C. Hand Jan 2009

How Do Animal Mitochondria Tolerate Water Stress?, Michael A. Menze, Steven C. Hand

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The vast majority of animal species do not tolerate severe water stress, but the encysted embryo of the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana is an exceptionally useful organism to investigate physiological mechanisms for enduring extreme environmental insults. Any substantial reduction in cellular water poses a threat to survival. Nevertheless anhydrobiotic animals survive virtually complete loss of cellular water. The mechanisms that govern “life without water” (anhydrobiosis) are still not well understood. With certain exceptions, it seems that a recurring strategy for tolerating severe water loss involves the accumulation of both low molecular weight solutes (e.g. trehalose or other polyol) and highly …


Investigation Of Insect Visits To Flowers Of Stylisma Pickeringii (Patterson Bindweed), An Endangered Plant Of Illinois Sand Prairies, A. E. Claerbout, H. R. Owen, Janice M. Coons, B. L. Todd Jan 2009

Investigation Of Insect Visits To Flowers Of Stylisma Pickeringii (Patterson Bindweed), An Endangered Plant Of Illinois Sand Prairies, A. E. Claerbout, H. R. Owen, Janice M. Coons, B. L. Todd

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Little is known about the reproductive biology of Stylisma pickeringii var. pattersonii, an endangered plant in Illinois occurring in only three counties (Cass, Henderson, and Mason). The objective of this study was to estimate flower densities and temporal (time of day and seasonal) differences in insect visitation to flowers of S. pickeringii in 2002 for native populations in Henderson and Mason Counties. A 50 m transect was located where S. pickeringii was most abundant and quadrats (0.25 m2) were placed on alternate sides of the tape measure at every meter at random distances from the transect. The number of flowers …


Sucrose Phosphate Synthase Expression Influences Poplar Phenology, Thomas Canam, Ji-Young Park, Kyu-Young Kang, Faride Unda, Shawn D. Mansfield Jan 2009

Sucrose Phosphate Synthase Expression Influences Poplar Phenology, Thomas Canam, Ji-Young Park, Kyu-Young Kang, Faride Unda, Shawn D. Mansfield

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The objective of this study was to manipulate the intracellular pools of sucrose, and investigate its role in regulating plant growth, phenology (leaf senescence and bud break) and fibre development. This objective was achieved by differentially expressing an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana L. Heynh.) sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) gene in hybrid poplar (Populus alba · Populus grandidentata Michx.), a model system for tree biology with substantial industrial relevance in the context of short rotation forestry and a target bioenergy crop. Phenotypic differences were evident in the transgenic trees, as both the timing of bud flush and leaf senescence were altered compared …


Investigation Of Insect Visits To Flowers Of Stylisma Pickeringii (Patterson Bindweed), An Endangered Plant Of Illinois Sand Prairies, A. Claerbout, H. Owen, Janice Coons, B. Todd Jan 2009

Investigation Of Insect Visits To Flowers Of Stylisma Pickeringii (Patterson Bindweed), An Endangered Plant Of Illinois Sand Prairies, A. Claerbout, H. Owen, Janice Coons, B. Todd

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Little is known about the reproductive biology of Stylisma pickeringii var. pattersonii, an endangered plant in Illinois occurring in only three counties (Cass, Henderson, and Mason). The objective of this study was to estimate flower densities and temporal (time of day and seasonal) differences in insect visitation to flowers of S. pickeringii in 2002 for native populations in Henderson and Mason Counties. A 50 m transect was located where S. pickeringii was most abundant and quadrats (0.25 m2) were placed on alternate sides of the tape measure at every meter at random distances from the transect. The number of flowers …


Vegetative Anatomy And Systematics Of Triphorinae (Orchidaceae), Barbara Carlsward, William Stern Jan 2009

Vegetative Anatomy And Systematics Of Triphorinae (Orchidaceae), Barbara Carlsward, William Stern

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Triphorinae represents a group of three anatomically simple genera, the structural features of which are unspecialized. The anomocytic stomatal pattern occurs in all genera; it predominates in Triphora . A foliar hypodermis, sclerenchyma, fibre bundles and stegmata are absent. The mesophyll is homogeneous. The exodermal and endodermal cells in the roots are entirely thin-walled and tilosomes are absent. However, there are anatomical modifications that appear to be unique: root hairs in Monophyllorchis are borne on velamenal buttresses and, in Psilochilus , they arise endogenously. In the root vascular system of Psilochilus , the metaxylem occurs as a circumferential band. The …


Impact Of Apoe Deficiency During Synaptic Remodeling In The Mouse Olfactory Bulb, Ikemefuna Nwosu, Salina Gairhe, Robert G. Struble, Britto P. Nathan Aug 2008

Impact Of Apoe Deficiency During Synaptic Remodeling In The Mouse Olfactory Bulb, Ikemefuna Nwosu, Salina Gairhe, Robert G. Struble, Britto P. Nathan

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

In this study we examined the role of apoE on the rate of synaptic recovery in the olfactory bulb (OB) following olfactory epithelium (OE) lesioning in mice. We used both immunoblotting and immunohistochemical techniques to compare the density of OB synaptophysin (Syn, a synaptic marker) in apoE-gene deficient/knockout (KO) mice and wild-type (WT) mice following OE lesion. We found that the whole bulb concentrations of Syn, measured by immunoblotting, declined sharply following injury in both WT and KO mice during the degenerative phase (3–7 days). After this initial decline, the Syn concentration gradually increased to normal levels by 56 days …


Impact Of Apoe Deficiency During Synaptic Remodeling In The Mouse Olfactory Bulb, Ikemefuna Nwosu, Salina Gairhe, Robert Struble, Britto Nathan Aug 2008

Impact Of Apoe Deficiency During Synaptic Remodeling In The Mouse Olfactory Bulb, Ikemefuna Nwosu, Salina Gairhe, Robert Struble, Britto Nathan

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

In this study we examined the role of apoE on the rate of synaptic recovery in the olfactory bulb (OB) following olfactory epithelium (OE) lesioning in mice. We used both immunoblotting and immunohistochemical techniques to compare the density of OB synaptophysin (Syn, a synaptic marker) in apoE-gene deficient/knockout (KO) mice and wild-type (WT) mice following OE lesion. We found that the whole bulb concentrations of Syn, measured by immunoblotting, declined sharply following injury in both WT and KO mice during the degenerative phase (3–7 days). After this initial decline, the Syn concentration gradually increased to normal levels by 56 days …


Botany At Eastern Illinois University, Marissa C. Jernegan, Nancy Coutant, Janice M. Coons Jun 2008

Botany At Eastern Illinois University, Marissa C. Jernegan, Nancy Coutant, Janice M. Coons

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Eastern Illinois University was established in 1899, and from its beginning recognized the importance of the botanical sciences. Two terms of botany were required for the four year program. Otis W. Caldwell, a botanist, was one of the original faculty members. He taught all of the biology courses and initiated the acquisition of a greenhouse. Caldwell was the first of a series of talented and dedicated botany professors including Edgar N. Transeau, Ernest L. Stover, Hiram F. Thut and John E. Ebinger. These and many other professors incorporated a field component into almost all classes. This dedication to the study …


Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Harvesting On And Near The U.S. Department Of Energy’S Savannah River Site, Karen F. Gaines, James M. Novak Jan 2008

Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Harvesting On And Near The U.S. Department Of Energy’S Savannah River Site, Karen F. Gaines, James M. Novak

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Understanding the toxicodynamics of wildlife populations in contaminated ecosystems is one of the greatest challenges in ecotoxicology today. The goal is to manage these populations to minimize risk to ecosystem integrity as well as human health. Ecological risk assessments (ERAs) in the United States are designed to meet the regulatory mandates of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an ERA evaluates the potential adverse effects that human activities have on the ' ora and fauna that de( ne an ecosystem (U.S. Environmental Protection …


Spatial And Temporal Expression Profiling Of Cell-Wall Invertase Genes During Early Development In Hybrid Poplar, Thomas Canam, Sarah W.Y. Mak, Shawn D. Mansfield Jan 2008

Spatial And Temporal Expression Profiling Of Cell-Wall Invertase Genes During Early Development In Hybrid Poplar, Thomas Canam, Sarah W.Y. Mak, Shawn D. Mansfield

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Cell-wall invertase genes are spatially and temporally regulated in several plant species, including Daucus carota L., Lycopersicon esculentum L. and Solanum tuberosum L. However, few studies of cell-wall invertase genes of trees have been conducted, despite the importance of trees as a source of lignocellulosic biopolymers.We identified three putative cell-wall invertase genes in hybrid poplar (Populus alba L. × grandidentata Michx.) that showed higher homology to each other than to cell-wall invertases of other dicotyledonous species, with two of the genes (Pa×gINV2 and Pa×gINV3) appearing as a genomic tandem repeat. These genes are more similar to each other than to …


Phylogenetic Utility Of Ycf1 In Orchids: A Plastid Gene More Variable Than Matk, Kurt M. Neubig, W. Mark Whitten, Barbara S. Carlsward, Mario A. Blanco, Lorena Endara, Norris H. Williams, Michael Moore Jan 2008

Phylogenetic Utility Of Ycf1 In Orchids: A Plastid Gene More Variable Than Matk, Kurt M. Neubig, W. Mark Whitten, Barbara S. Carlsward, Mario A. Blanco, Lorena Endara, Norris H. Williams, Michael Moore

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Plastid DNA sequences have been widely used by systematists for reconstructing plant phylogenies. The utility of any DNA region for phylogenetic analysis is determined by ease of amplification and sequencing, confidence of assessment in phylogenetic character alignment, and by variability across broad taxon sampling. Often, a compromise must be made between using relatively highly conserved coding regions or highly variable introns and intergenic spacers. Analyses of a combination of these types of DNA regions yield phylogenetic structure at various levels of a tree (i.e., along the spine and at the tips of the branches). Here, we demonstrate the phylogenetic utility …


Simulating The Effects Of Wetland Loss And Inter-Annual Variability On The Fitness Of Migratory Bird Species, Jill L. Deppe, James A. Smith Jan 2008

Simulating The Effects Of Wetland Loss And Inter-Annual Variability On The Fitness Of Migratory Bird Species, Jill L. Deppe, James A. Smith

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Long-distance migratory shorebirds require wetland stopover sites where they can forage and deposit sufficient fat to complete their migration and, in the spring, reproduce. Conservation biologists are concerned that continental-scale reductions in wetland availability and quality due to human disturbance, climate change, and natural drought events are negatively impacting these species by eliminating critical stopovers along migratory flyways. We describe an individual-based migration model driven by remotely sensed land surface data, climate data assimilation models, and biological field data to examine the impact of changing environmental conditions on migration routes, temporal patterns, and fitness. We used an evolutionary programming approach …


Vegetative Anatomy Of Calypsoeae (Orchidaceae), William Louis Stern, Barbara S. Carlsward Jan 2008

Vegetative Anatomy Of Calypsoeae (Orchidaceae), William Louis Stern, Barbara S. Carlsward

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Calypsoeae represent a small tribe of anatomically little-known orchids with a wide distribution in the Western Hemisphere. Leaves are present in all genera, except Corallorhiza and Wullschlaegelia both of which are subterranean taxa. Stomata are abaxial (ad- and abaxial in Aplectrum) and tetracytic (anomocytic in Calypso). Fiber bundles are absent in leaves of all taxa examined except Govenia tingens. Stegmata are present in leaves of only Cremastra and Govenia. Roots are velamentous, except in filiform roots of Wullschlaegelia. Vegetative anatomy supports a relationship between Wullschlaegelia and Corallorhiza but does not support the grouping of winter-leaved Aplectrum and Tipularia nor proposed …


Phylogenetic Utility Of Ycf1 In Orchids: A Plastid Gene More Variable Than Matk, Kurt Neubig, W. Whitten, Barbara Carlsward, Mario Blanco, Lorena Endara, Norris Williams, Michael Moore Jan 2008

Phylogenetic Utility Of Ycf1 In Orchids: A Plastid Gene More Variable Than Matk, Kurt Neubig, W. Whitten, Barbara Carlsward, Mario Blanco, Lorena Endara, Norris Williams, Michael Moore

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Plastid DNA sequences have been widely used by systematists for reconstructing plant phylogenies. The utility of any DNA region for phylogenetic analysis is determined by ease of amplification and sequencing, confidence of assessment in phylogenetic character alignment, and by variability across broad taxon sampling. Often, a compromise must be made between using relatively highly conserved coding regions or highly variable introns and intergenic spacers. Analyses of a combination of these types of DNA regions yield phylogenetic structure at various levels of a tree (i.e., along the spine and at the tips of the branches). Here, we demonstrate the phylogenetic utility …


Mitochondria In Energy-Limited States: Mechanisms That Blunt The Signaling Of Cell Death, Steven C. Hand, Michael A. Menze Jan 2008

Mitochondria In Energy-Limited States: Mechanisms That Blunt The Signaling Of Cell Death, Steven C. Hand, Michael A. Menze

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Cellular conditions experienced during energy-limited states – elevated calcium, shifts in cellular adenylate status, compromised mitochondrial membrane potential – are precisely those that trigger, at least in mammals, the mitochondrion to initiate opening of the permeability transition pore, to assemble additional protein release channels, and to release pro-apoptotic factors. These proapototic factors in turn activate initiator and executer caspases. How is activation of mitochondria-based pathways for the signaling of apoptotic and necrotic cell death avoided under conditions of hypoxia, anoxia, diapause, estivation and anhydrobiosis? Functional trade-offs in environmental tolerance may have occurred in parallel with the evolution of diversified pathways …


Clapper Rails As Indicators Of Mercury And Pcb Bioavailability In A Georgia Saltmarsh System, James C. Cumbee Jr., Karen F. Gaines, Gary L. Mills, N. Garvin, Warren L. Stephens Jr., James N. Novak, I. L. Brisbin Jr. Jan 2008

Clapper Rails As Indicators Of Mercury And Pcb Bioavailability In A Georgia Saltmarsh System, James C. Cumbee Jr., Karen F. Gaines, Gary L. Mills, N. Garvin, Warren L. Stephens Jr., James N. Novak, I. L. Brisbin Jr.

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Clapper rails (Rallus longirostris) were used as an indicator species of estuarine marsh habitat quality because of their strong site fidelity and predictable diet consisting of mostly benthic organisms. Mercury (Hg) and the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) Aroclor 1268 concentrations were determined for sediments, crabs, as well as clapper rail adults and chicks collected from salt marshes associated with the LCP Superfund site in Brunswick, Georgia. Home ranges were established for adult rails, and sediment and crab samples were taken from each individual’s range. The study was designed to minimize the spatial variability associated with trophic transfer studies by choosing an …


Exposure And Exposure Modeling, Karen F. Gaines, T. E. Chow, S. A. Dyer Jan 2008

Exposure And Exposure Modeling, Karen F. Gaines, T. E. Chow, S. A. Dyer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Exposure to contaminants in the environment is quantified through the ecological risk assessment (ERA) process which provides a framework for the development and implementation of environmental management decisions. The ERA uses available toxicological and ecological information to estimate the probability of occurrence for a specified undesired ecological event or endpoint. The level for these endpoints depends on the objectives and the constraints imposed upon the risk assessment process; therefore, multiple endpoints at different scales may be necessary. ERAs Ecotoxicology | Exposure and Exposure Assessment 1527Author's personal copy often rely on the link between these undesired endpoints to a threshold of …