Biology Commons^™

A Partitioned Likelihood Analysis Of Swallowtail Butterfly Phylogeny (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), Michael S. Caterino, Robert D. Reed, May M. Kuo, Felix A H Sperling

Publications

Although it is widely agreed that data from multiple sources are necessary to confidently resolve phylogenetic relationships, procedures for accommodating and incorporating heterogeneity in such data remained underdeveloped. We explored the use of partitioned, model-based analyses of heterogeneous molecular data in the context of a phylogenetic study of swallowtail butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae).

Revisiting Women And Feminism In Developmental Biology, Scott F. Gilbert, K. A. Rader

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Oogenesis In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Eleanor M. Maine

Biology - All Scholarship

Oogenesis is the process of forming the female gamete, i.e., the ovum or egg. In Caenorhabditis elegans, gametes derive from a tissue called the germ line, which is specified early in embryonic development. Two major events occur during oogenesis: the oocyte precursor germ cell undergoes meiotic division and it accumulates substantial cytoplasm. In meiosis, two sequential rounds of cell division produce a haploid egg, with only one copy of each chromosome, from the diploid oocyte precursor cell. Simultaneously, a large volume of cytoplasm is accumulated; it contains yolk and numerous other components that are essential for early embryonic development. Meiotic …

Rnai As A Tool For Understanding Germline Development In Caenorhabditis Elegans: Uses And Cautions, Eleanor M. Maine

Biology - All Scholarship

RNA-mediated genetic interference (RNAi) has become a very useful tool for analyzing gene function in development and other processes. RNAi can be used as a complement to traditional genetic studies or as a primary means of determining biological function. However, the efficacy of RNAi depends on a variety of factors that the researcher must take into consideration. This review focuses on germline development in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, and discusses the uses and limitations of RNAi in providing new information about gene function as well as the possible endogenous role RNAi plays in germline physiology.

Continuity And Change: Paradigm Shifts In Neural Induction, Scott F. Gilbert

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Description Of Hakka, A New Genus Of Jumping Spider (Araneae, Salticidae) From Hawaii And East Asia, James W. Berry, Jerzy Prószyński

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

We describe a new genus for a jumping spider that was originally placed in the large genus Menemerus Simon 1868, from which the new genus is clearly different. They were later reclassified as Icius, then as Pseudicius, and still later as Salticus. These initial classifications were repeated by a number of authors. The distinctive features of the male, and somewhat ambiguous features of the female, do not fit any known genus; and this species is here assigned to the new genus Hakka.

Intrinsically Bent Dna In The Promoter Regions Of The Yeast Gal1–10 And Gal80 Genes, Ralph C. Bash, Jeff Vargason, P. Shing Ho, D. Lohr

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Circular permutation analysis has detected fairly strong sites of intrinsic DNA bending on the promoter regions of the yeast GAL1–10 and GAL80 genes. These bends lie in functionally suggestive locations. On the promoter of the GAL1–10 structural genes, strong bends bracket nucleosome B, which lies between the UASG and the GAL1 TATA. These intrinsic bends could help position nucleosome B. Nucleosome B plus two other promoter nucleosomes protect the TATA and start site elements in the inactive state of expression but are completely disrupted (removed) when GAL1–10 expression is induced. The strongest intrinsic bend (;70°) lies at the downstream edge …

A Crystallographic Map Of The Transition From B-Dna To A-Dna, Jeff Vargason, Keith Henderson, P. Shing Ho

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

No abstract provided.

Leptin Activates Anorexigenic Pomc Neurons Through A Neural Network In The Arcuate Nucleus, Michael A. Cowley, James L. Smart, Marcelo Rubinstein, Marcelo G. Cerdan, Sabrina Diano, Tamas L. Horvath, Roger D. Cone, Malcolm J. Low

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

The administration of leptin to leptin-deficient humans, and the analogous Lepob/Lepob mice, effectively reduces hyperphagia and obesity. But common obesity is associated with elevated leptin, which suggests that obese humans are resistant to this adipocyte hormone. In addition to regulating long-term energy balance, leptin also rapidly affects neuronal activity. Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and neuropeptide-Y types of neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus7 are both principal sites of leptin receptor expression and the source of potent neuropeptide modulators, melanocortins and neuropeptide Y, which exert opposing effects on feeding and metabolism. These neurons are therefore ideal for characterizing leptin action and …

Cyclic Amp-Mediated Inhibition Of Cell Growth Requires The Small G Protein Rap1, John M. Schmitt, Philip J. S. Stork

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

In many normal and transformed cell types, the intracellular second messenger cyclic AMP (cAMP) blocks the effects of growth factors and serum on mitogenesis, proliferation, and cell cycle progression. cAMP exerts these growth-inhibitory effects via inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade. Here, using Hek293 and NIH 3T3 cells, we show that cAMP’s inhibition of the MAP kinase cascade is mediated by the small G protein Rap1. Activation of Rap1 by cAMP induces the association of Rap1 with Raf-1 and limits Ras-dependent activation of ERK. In NIH 3T3 cells, Rap1 is required not only for cAMP’s inhibition of ERK …

Antipredator Response Of Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon Cinereus) To Chemical Cues From Garter Snakes (Thamnophis Sirtalis) Laboratory And Field Experiments, Aaron M. Sullivan, John C. Maerz, Dale M. Madison

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Recent laboratory studies show that terrestrial salamanders exhibit anti-predatory behavior in response to chemical cues from predators, but no studies have confirmed these results in the field where environmental and social factors may influence responses. We examined the character and duration of anti-predator behavior of red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) exposed to control stimuli and chemical cues from garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) in evening laboratory and field trials. In the laboratory, P. cinereus significantly avoided snake rinse for 36 h. In the field, P. cinereus exposed to the same cues delayed emergence from refugia for 2 h, …

Mean Time To Extinction Of A Metapopulation With An Allee Effect, Chad Brassil

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The incorporation of Allee effects into a simple metapopulation extinction model reveals a large non-linear reduction in mean time to extinction with small changes in an Allee limit. The extent of this reduction is dependent on the level of migration in the metapopulation. With small amounts of migration, small changes in the Allee limit result in large changes in the meantime to extinction. With higher levels of migration, the mean time to extinction is not as sensitive to changes in the Allee limit, becoming more similar to the single population case. The metapopulation modeled here is a set of nine …

Effects Of Antimetabolites On Sclerotium Rolfsii Growth And Oxalic Acid Production, Ezikiel Okafor-Agilo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Effects Of Hydroperiod On Metamorphosis In Rana Sphenocephala, Travis J. Ryan, Christopher T. Winne

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Hydroperiod, the time a temporary pond holds water, is an important factor influencing recruitment in amphibian populations and structuring amphibian communities. We conducted an experiment to test the effect of hydroperiod on metamorphic traits of the southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala), a common amphibian in the southeastern United States. We reared larval R. sphenocephala in artificial ponds at a density of 32 larvae per tank (initial volume = approximately 650 liter). We dried the tanks according to natural patterns, using three different hydroperiods (60, 75 and 90 d). Experimental hydroperiods had a significant effect on the number of …

Nitric Oxide And Cnidarian-Dinoflagellate Symbioses: Pieces Of A Puzzle, Henry G. Trapido-Rosenthal, Katherine H. Sharp

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

The presence of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity is demonstrated in the tropical marine cnidarian Aiptasia pallida and in its symbiotic dinoflagellate algae, Symbiodinium bermudense. Enzyme activity was assayed by measuring the conversion of arginine to citrulline. Biochemical characterization of NOS from Aiptasia was characterized with respect to cellular localization, substrate and cofactor requirements, inhibitors, and kinetics. In response to acute temperature shock, anemones retracted their tentacles. Animals subjected to such stress had lower NOS activities than did controls. Treatment with NOS inhibitors caused tentacular retraction, while treatment with the NOS substrate L-arginine inhibited this response to stress, as did …

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Quasi Species That Rebound After Discontinuation Of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Are Similar To The Viral Quasi Species Present Before Initiation Of Therapy, Keith A. Crandall, Hiromi Imamichi, Ven Natarajan, Min Kang Jiang, Robin L. Dewar, Steve Berg, Arunasri Gaddam, Marjorie Bosche, Julie A. Metcalf, Richard T. Davey Jr., H. Clifford Lane

Faculty Publications

In an effort to identify the sources of the viruses that emerge after discontinuation of therapy, analyses of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) quasi species were done for 3 patients with sustained levels of HIV RNA of <50 copies/mL for 1-3 years. The sequences found in the rebounding plasma virus were closely related to those of the actively replicating form of viruses present before the initiation of combination therapy. All quasi species found in the rebounding plasma virus were also present in proviral DNA, cell-associated RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and virion RNA derived from PBMC coculture during periods when plasma HIV RNA levels were <50 copies/mL. These findings suggest that the rapid resurgence of plasma viremia observed after discontinuation of therapy and the viruses cocultured from PBMC are derived from a relatively stable pool of the replicating form of virus rather than from activation of a previously latent pool.

Rationale For A Focus On Biomphalaria Glabrata, Coen M. Adema, Eric S. Loker, Fred Lewis, Matty Knight

Biomphalaria Genome Initiative

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Recording Media On Echolocation Data From Broadband Bat Detectors, Ethan P. White, S. D. Gehrt

Biology Faculty Publications

Bat detectors are an important tool for ecological studies of bats. However, the quality and quantity of data may be affected by the recording devices used to record the output from the detector. We compared recordings of bat activity from audiocassette recorders and computers. Numbers of calls/hour, passes/hour, identifiable passes/hour, and feeding buzzes/hour were similar (all P’s > 0.1) between recording devices. All call characteristics, except for the minimum frequency and characteristic frequency, differed (P < 0.05) between tapes and computers. Species identification with discriminate function analysis was less reliable with tape data than with computer data, particularly when the model built with computer-recorded reference calls was tested with tape-recorded calls. Therefore, we suggest when tape recorders are used for field recording that they also are used to record reference calls.

Density-Dependent Invariance, Dimensionless Life-Histories And The Energy-Equivalence Rule, E. L. Charnov, J. P. Haskell, S.K. Morgan Ernest

Biology Faculty Publications

It is suggested that Damuth’s ‘energy-equivalence rule’ for mammal populations follows from a particular population dynamics invariance rule, one which leads to similar population dynamics when various species are viewed in a particular density and rate-of-change space.

Sexual Dimorphism And Body Temperatures Of Sceloporus Siniferus From Guerrero, Mexico, J. A. Lemos-Espinal, Geoffrey R. Smith, R. E. Ballinger

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Microsatellite Analysis Of Female Mating Behaviour In Lek-Breeding Sage Grouse, Katy Semple, Robert K. Wayne, Robert M. Gibson

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We used microsatellite DNA markers to genotype chicks in 10 broods of lek-breeding sage grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus, whose mothers’ behaviour was studied by radio tracking and observing leks. Previous behavioural studies suggested that almost all matings are performed by territorial males on leks and that multiple mating is rare. Two broods (20%) were sired by more than one male. Genetic analyses of the broods of eight females that visited an intensively studied lek were consistent with behavioural observations. Four females observed mating produced singly sired broods and males other than the individual observed copulating were excluded as sires for most …

The Phylogenetic Relationships Of Lembocarpus And Goyazia (Gesneriaceae) Based On NdhF Sequences, James F. Smith

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The phylogenetic relationships of Goyazia and Lembocarpus are investigated based on cladistic analysis of ndhF sequences. Both genera are currently classified in the tribe Gloxinieae, but both are poorly known. Based on its floral morphology, the classification of Goyazia in Gloxinieae is not controversial. Lembocarpus may be placed in Gloxinieae, Episcieae, or Sinningieae. The acaulescent, tuberous nature of Lembocarpus limits the number of characters available for a morphological analysis and has made its classification and phylogenetic relationships difficult to resolve. Phylogenetic analyses of ndhF sequences place both genera in Gloxinieae. Although the affinities within the tribe are ambiguous …

A Comparative Study Of The Feeding Ecology Of Chelonia Mydas (Green Turtle) And The Incidental Ingestion Of Prorocentrum Spp, Karen Gayle Holloway Adkins

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The diets of green turtles from five dissimilar aggregations of juvenile C. mydas on the East Coast of Florida were analyzed. C. mydas were captured by tangle net from four of the study sites and a dietary sample was collected by an esophageal flushing technique. The gut content of stranded individuals was collected for the fifth site. The vegetation in these study areas differs in varying degrees of abundance and diversity. Analysis of the samples revealed the alga types preferred by green turtles from each population and provided the basis for examination of similarities and differences in their diets.

Large …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 31 - Feeding Lupins To Fish: A Review Of The Nutritional And Biological Value Of Lupins In Aquaculture Feeds, Brett Glencross

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Lupins are the harvested seed of species from the Lupinus genus, a group within the leguminous bean and pea family Fabaceae. Legumes are particularly valuable agricultural crops because of their capacity to provide a grain crop and also fix and return nitrogen to soils and improve the soil value for further cropping. The oilseeds, soybeans and peanuts are also leguminous plants, though traditionally they have been cropped for their oil value, whereas lupins, are cropped for both their protein and nitrogen fixing value (Gladstones, 1998; Perry et al., 1998).

The three key commercial species of lupins are L. angustifolius (Narrow-leafed …

The Role Of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 In Glioma Invasion, Nicole Danielle Sauers

Master's Theses

Overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase 2, MMP-2, is correlated with highgrade gliomas in vivo. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether MMP-2 overexpression in glioma cell lines leads to increased invasion of glioma cells in vitro. The entire MMP-2 gene was isolated from U87, a glioma cell line known to have high expression of wild-type MMP-2. This :tvIMP-2 gene was inserted in a sense and antisense orientation into pCR3 .1 vectors with a CMV promoter to ensure high levels of expression. Glioma cell lines were transfected with the sense and antisense constructs, as well as the pCR3.l vector alone …

"Notes On The Position Of The True Freshwater Crabs Within The Brachyrhynchan Eubrachyura" , Richard V. Sternberg, Neil Cumberlidge

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Using Upper Boundary Constraints To Quantify Competitive Response Of Desert Annuals, Laura M. Lessin, Andrew R. Dyer, Deborah E. Goldberg

Faculty Publications

Using a target-neighborhood approach with six annual dicot species in the Negev Desert of Israel, we tested whether neighborhood biomass constrained the upper limit of plant performance and if the slope of the upper boundary was correlated to species trait means, such as relative growth rate (RGR) and seed mass. Target individuals were measured in early spring and then collected at the onset of the dry season along with all naturally occurring neighbors within a 5-cm radius of the target. Using a minimum of 50 samples for each of the six target species, we found no significant relationships between target …

Reproduction, Population Structure, And Recruitment Limitation In A Bay Scallop (Argopecten Irradians Lamarck) Population From New Jersey, Usa, Paul Bologna, A. E. Wilbur, K. W. Able

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

A bay scallop, Argopecten irradians irradians (Lamarck 1819), population was studied in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, USA to investigate the distribution, reproduction and genetic structure of the population because virtually nothing is known about this species in this region. Argopecten irradians irradians densities varied among eelgrass (Zostera marina Lamarck) beds in 1998 (range 0.12-1.0 individuals per 10m transect), but were virtually absent from the region in 1999. The absence of adults in 1999 may have been due to limited spat recruitment and survival in the fall of 1998, which may be attributed to a reduction in above ground biomass …

Hydrologic Events And Water Quality In The Pigeon River, Ottawa County, Michigan, Neil W. Macdonald, Richard R. Rediske, Jonathan E. Van Denend

Peer Reviewed Publications

The Pigeon River drains a 16,765-ha agricultural watershed in western Ottawa County, Michigan and discharges into south-central Lake Michigan. Extensive areas of wetlands in the upper watershed were drained in the 1920s, causing significantly altered hydrology characteristics by flashy discharges during storms and periods of snowmelt. We studied stream chemistry and hydrology for a four-year period between September, 1996, and October, 2000, to determine water quality status, to estimate annual nutrient exports, and to evaluate the effects of different seasonal flow types. Results of our study confirmed that the upper reaches of the Pigeon River experience chronically degraded water quality, …

Classification And Identification Of Pfiesteria And Pfiesteria-Like Species, Karen Steidinger, Jan Landsberg, R. William Richardson, Earnest Truby, Barbara Blakesley, Paula Scott, Patricia Tester, Torstein Tengs, Patrice Mason, Stever Morton, David Seaborn, Wayne Litaker, Kimberly Reece, David Oldach, Leonard Haas, Gerardo Vasta

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Dinoflagellates can be classified both botanically and zoologically; however, they are typically put in the botanical division Pyrrhophyta. As a group they appear most related to the protistan ciliates and apicomplexans at the ultrastructure level. Within the Pyrrhophyta are both unarmored and armored forms of the dominant, motile flagellated stage. Unarmored dinoflagellates do not have thecal or wall plates arranged in specific series, whereas armored species have plates that vary in thickness but are specific in number and arrangement. In armored dinoflagellates, the plate pattern and tabulation is a diagnostic character at the family, subfamily, and even genus levels. In …