Biology Commons^™

Taphonomic Evidence For Late Pleistocene Transitions In Coral Reef Community Composition, San Salvador, Bahamas, Thomas A. Rothfus, Benjamin J. Greenstein

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Over the past 20 years, the composi­ tion of Caribbean coral reef communities has changed drastically. The ecology of modern reefs, however, has only been studied since the late 1950's. Thus, only a thirty year data set on changes in coral community composi­ tion exists with which to assess the current faunal transition. The need for longer term data has been recognized by marine ecologists as essential for determining whether the cur­ rent transition is part of a long tenn cycle or itself is an unprecedented phenomenon.

On Telephone Pole Reef, San Salva­ dor, Bahamas, a transition from Acropora cer­ …

Renal Function In Suckling And Fasting Pups Of The Northern Elephant Seal, Dorian S. Houser, Daniel E E. Crocker, Paul M. Webb, Daniel P. Costa

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Elephant seals fast for prolonged periods without access to water. This is made possible, in part, by reductions in urine production. However, the mechanisms involved in reducing urine production are not understood. In this study, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured in five northern elephant seal pups (Mirounga angustirostris) via the inulin clearance technique. Measurements were made during day 9 and day 18–22 of nursing and the second and eighth week of the postweaning fast. Plasma aldosterone and cortisol concentrations, quantified by radioimmunoassay, were measured in eight other weanlings during the second and eighth week of the fast. …

Group Viii Spiroplasma Of Costa Rica, Kimberly M. Stewart

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Spiroplasma bacteria isolates are classified or identified through a series of serological tests that normally consists of screening, one-way deformation tests, cloning, antisera production, and reciprocal deformation tests. Serological tests on the spiroplasmas are followed by molecular analysis. The standard molecular analysis used for spiroplasmas has been 16S rRNA sequencing. The primary goal ofmy research was to evaluate serologically Group VIII spiroplasmas isolated from tropical Costa Rican tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) and to compare them to the temperate North American Group VIII spiroplasmas. A secondary goal was to evaluate both the temperate and tropical Group VIII strains by sequencing the 16S-23S …

The Prevalence Of Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiae In Ixodes Scapularis Ticks In Southeastern Georgia, Heather Anne Merten

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) is a newly emerging, tick-borne zoonosis in North America. The agent that causes HGE is very similar to Ehrlichia phagocytophilia and Ehrlichia equi, but has yet to be classified as a separate species.

This study was carried out in order to determine the prevalence rate of HGE infection in blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in insular and mainland sites in southeastern Georgia using nested PCR techniques. Four locations were studied representing 2 barrier islands and 2 mainland sites. We hypothesized that areas that have low levels of human disturbance and are somewhat isolated will …

A Comparative Study Of The Reproductive Biology Of Sympatric Morning Glories (Ipomoea-Convolvulaceae), Dexter R. Sowell Ii

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Despite the astounding diversity of flowering plants and of mobile organisms that serve as pollinators, sympatric co-flowering plants can potentially share pollinators with each other. This places two selection pressures on plants. First, plants compete for pollinators to visit their flowers and secondly, entice pollinators to be faithful (specialized) and visit only other members of their species. I tested whether sympatric co-flowering plants reduced their selection pressures via temporal partitioning or differential attraction of pollinators using six closely related, sympatric co-flowering morning glories (Ipomoea-Convolvulaceae).

Diurnal flower phenology tightly overlapped, which did not facilitate temporal partitioning of pollinators. However, …

An Investigation Of Captive Florida Manatee (Trichecus Manatus Latirostris) Behavior And Social Interactions, Jennifer Sadler Young

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Human impacts such as pollution, habitat alteration, and boating have caused many injuries and deaths of the Florida manatee, Trichechus manutus latirostris. Rehabilitation centers have been established in Florida to help return sick or injured manatees back to the wild. Manatees that are released back to the wild after undergoing rehabilitation in captivity might lose some of their abilities to survive in the wild. A factor that might alter behavior in captive individuals was examined by determining if length of time spent in captivity influenced the behavior of manatees during rehabilitation. Even though all facilities follow similar guidelines, invariable …

In Vitro Model For The Study Of Listeria And Salmonella Adherence To Intestinal Epithelial Cells, Nevzat Yurdusev

Turkish Journal of Biology

A quantitative test to study Listeria and Salmonella adherence to epithelial cells was developed. The quantitative test is rapid and allows the simultaneous testing of many variables such as the adherence ability of different bacteria to their target cells as well as the capability of various molecules to inhibit bacterial adherence. By using a strain-specific standard curve in each test, the test for the quantification of adherent bacteria became specifically sensitive. Non-viable biotinylated bacteria and immobilized cells or their extract were found relevant for the study of bacteria-epithelial cell interactions. Adherence ability of Listeria strains was found to be 10-fold …

The Cytogenetical Comparisons Of Spalax (Rodentia: Spalacidae) Populations From Middle Kızılırmak Basin, Turkey, Eşref Yüksel, Mehmet Doğan Gülkaç

Turkish Journal of Biology

Chromosomal polymorphism and speciation problem in genus Spalax has been investigated. All the specimens were identified as Spalax leucodon cilicicus Mehely, 1909. In according to karyotype analysis, two different populations were described from the field. The diploid number of Population A from south ant northwest of the field were found to be 60 and number of fundamental numbers were 80. The corresponding numbers in the Population B from northeast of the field were 54 and 74 respectively. In the result, the possibility of inversions in the Population B was discussed from evolutionary point of view and also the evolutionary background …

Availability Of Use Of Total Extracellular Proteins In Sds-Page For Typing Staphylococcus Aureus And Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci, Sefa Can Saçilik, Özlem Osmanağaoğlu, A. Hakki Sayar, Cumhur Çökmüş

Turkish Journal of Biology

A total of nineteen Staphylococcus references, nine of which are Staphylococcus aureus and ten coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CNS), were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Whole-cell protein (WCP) profiles obtained by SDS-PAGE were compared with banding patterns produced by SDS-PAGE of total extracellular proteins (TEP). No report has yet been issued which explains Staphylococcus typing by SDS-PAGE of extracellular proteins. SDS-PAGE of whole-cell extracts did not usefully distinguish different isolates of Staphylococci. Our preliminary results suggest that SDS-PAGE of total extracellular proteins provides additional criteria and characteristic banding patterns for the study of the epidemiology and characterization of Staphylococci. …

Determination Of Some Fungal Metabolite As Influenced By Temperature, Time, Ph And Sugars By Bioassay Method, Meti̇n Diğrak, Sami̇ Özçeli̇k

Turkish Journal of Biology

This study investigated the fungal biomass and inhibition of Bacillus megaterium DSM 32 with extracts of Fusarium equiseti, Penicillium italicum, Penicillium digitatum, Aspergillus candidus and Aspergillus parasiticus in modified Czapek Dox Broth (mCDB) as affected by temperature (6, 15, 25 °C), incubation time (up to 4 wk), pH (3.0, 5.0 and 8.0) and glucose the and fructose (4.0, 6.0 and 9.0%). The biomass production was greatest at 25 °C. In general, biomass production was greatest in media containing an addition of 4.0% glucose or 6.0% fructose; however, bacterial inhibition production was reduced by elevated sugars in mCDB over a 4-wk …

Effects Of Cd^{2+}, Zn^{2+}, Li^+ And Al^{3+} On The Fertilization-Induced Membrane Potential Changes In The Egg Of The Frog Rana Cameranoi, Şeref Erdoğan, Gülay Loğoğlu, Kerem Tuncay Özgünen, Tuncay Özgünen

Turkish Journal of Biology

The apparent change in the egg membrane potential at fertilization gives rise to fertilization potential (FP). FP is the initial, transient electrical block to polyspermy as shown in most species especially those exhibiting external fertilization, and it protects the egg from a second sperm entry until the permanent, mechanical block is set up. Polyspermy risk is increased when this effective electrical block cannot reach a certain peak value or when it is of short duration. On the other hand, metal accumulation in the external environment is potentially toxic to living beings, and we aimed in the present study to evaluate …

Assessment Of Polymorphic Aflp Markers In Triticum Durum And Aegilops Sp., Aytül İnci̇rli̇, Hati̇ce Bi̇lgi̇ç, Mahi̇nur S. Akkaya

Turkish Journal of Biology

Compared to other Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based molecular markers, the Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) marker system probably requires more technical expertise for the sequential enzymatic reaction steps. In addition, the reproducibility of the AFLP marker patterns is much more dependent on the quality and the purity of the DNA samples to be processed. The present study describes the optimization of reaction conditions and determination of the most polymorphic selective amplification primer sets in a comparison of winter and spring type Turkish durum wheat varieties. AFLP products resulted in about 100 bands, and the number of polymorphic AFLP loci …

In Vitro Inhibition Of The Mycelial Growth Of Some Root Rot Fungi By Rhizobium Leguminosarum Biovar Phaseoli Isolates, İbrahi̇m Özkoç, Muhammet Hani̇fi̇ Deli̇veli̇

Turkish Journal of Biology

In solid medium, the effects of twenty-three Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar phaseoli isolates on the mycelium development of the phytopathogenic fungi of three different genera (Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium ultimum and Rhizoctonia solani) were tested in vitro. The experiments were achieved by applying the superimpose dual culture technique. Most of the rhizobia tested inhibited the fungal development. The inhibition rates displayed differences in accordance with the bacteria and fungi isolates utilized. However, the inhibitory effect of the rhizobia occurred most on the isolates of Fusarium and Pythium species (up to 30.35% and 29.75% respectively) and least on those of Rhizoctonia species (16.03%). …

Germination, Emergence, And Early Growth Of Spartina Pectinata, Wade Herold Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Spartina pectinata Link is frequently omitted from lowland prairie restorations because the seed often fails to grow when planted, and inclusion is limited to plugs of young plants. Anecdotal reports indicated improvement of seed germination following stratification. The effects of seed stratification on the germination of S. pectinata seed were systematically studied. Seed was obtained from both relict populations of plants and germplasm plants as defined by Englert and White (1977). Seed from 5 different collections were subjected to 4 different seed stratifying treatments: imbibed-chilled (1 oc for 15 to 45 days); imbibed-frozen (-12°C for 4 to 7 days); or …

Biennialism And Vernalization-Promoted Flowering In Hyoscyamus Niger: A Comparison With Arabidopsis, Michael Schläppi, Monica Patel

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

There are genetic similarities between the biennial growth habit of Hyoscyamus niger (H. niger) and winter annual ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana, including the response to demethylating agents. One focus of our research group at Marquette is to determine whether FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) homologs or FLC-related MADS-box genes are involved in biennialism of H. niger. This review also summarizes our initial characterization of expression profiles of 4 groups of H. niger MADS-box genes. Our results suggest that B-class floral homeotic gene homologs of H. niger are differentially expressed in flowers of annual and …

Effects Of Depolarization And Low Intracellular Ph On Charge Movement Currents Of Frog Skeletal Muscle Fibers, Edward Michael Balog, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The low intracellular pH and membrane depolarization associated with repeated skeletal muscle stimulation could impair the function of the transverse tubular (t tubule) voltage sensor and result in a decreased sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ release and muscle fatigue. We therefore examined the effects of membrane depolarization and low intracellular pH on the t-tubular charge movement. Fibers were voltage clamped in a double Vaseline gap, at holding potential (HP) of 290 or 260 mV, and studied at an internal pH of 7.0 and 6.2. Decreasing intracellular pH did not significantly alter the maximum amount of charge moved, transition voltage, or steepness …

Productivity Estimation In Halodule Wrightii: Comparison Of Leaf-Clipping And Leaf-Marking Techniques, And The Importance Of Clip Height, Joseph L. Kowalski, Hudson R. Deyoe, Terry C. Allison, James E. Kaldy

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

We compared estimates of Halodule wrightii leaf growth rates obtained from leaf-clipping and leaf-piercing methods in a south Texas lagoon. Leaf clipping underestimated leaf production from 15 to 37% in winter and 25 to 60% in summer relative to leaf piercing. The underestimation of leaf-clipping derived growth rates were corrected using a linear regression between leaf growth rates determined by leaf-clipping and leaf-piercing methods. To examine the effect of clip height on H. wrightii leaf growth rate estimation, leaves were clipped at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 cm above the sediment. Leaves clipped at 2 cm exhibited the fastest …

Volume Management In San Environment, Chang-Soo Kim, Gyoung-Bae Kim, Bum-Joo Shin

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Logical volume managers have long been key components of a storage system. Their key features are creation of logical or virtual views of physical storage devices and support for various software RAID levels. These make it possible to overcome the limits to capacity, availability and performance of a physical storage device. Most logical volume managers are operated in a single system environment. They are not adequate for SAN (storage area network) environments where several hosts share and access a logical volume at the same time. Some recent logical volume managers are run in a multi-host environment. However, they cannot support …

Reproductive Efficiencies In The Evolution Of Life Histories, Eric Charnov

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

Darwinian fitness is expressed as the product of 2 cost/benefit ratios.

Density-Dependent Invariance, Dimensionless Life Histories, And The Energy-Equivalence Rule, Eric Charnov, John Haskell, S.K.M. Ernest

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

Damuth's energy equivalence rule for mammals is studied in a population dynamic framework.

Fitness Trade-Offs Select For Semelparous Reproduction In An Extreme Environment, Felisa Smith, Eric Charnov

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Evolution Of Mammal Life Histories, Eric Charnov

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

If we assume that adult life span and age-at-maturity are described correctly by quarter power allometries across (typical) mammal species, we are tempted to look for some fundamental explanation. The explanation must acknowledge that within-species growth is sigmoid and not a power function at all, and that natural selection probably sets the age at maturity in the face of externally imposed mortality, while also allowing some mortality adjustment due to internal factors. This paper develops hypotheses to account for the above scaling rules and it predicts the numeric values of several new dimensionless numbers that interrelate growth, mortality and investment …

Cellular Adhesion And Adhesion Molecules, Zerri̇n Seller

Turkish Journal of Biology

In recent years, cell adhesion and cell adhesion molecules have been shown to be important for many normal biological processes, including embryonic cell migration, immune system functions and wound healing. It has also been shown that they contribute to the pathogenesis of a large number of common human disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and tumor cell metastasis in cancer. In this review, the basic mechanisms of cellular adhesion and the structural and functional features of adhesion molecules are summarized.

Expression Of A Fungal Cellulase Gene By \Beta-Glucanase Promoter Of Streptococcus Bovis, Mehmet Sai̇t Eki̇nci̇

Turkish Journal of Biology

The promoter region of the §-glucanase gene was identified using a transcriptional fusion between the upstream region of the Streptococcus bovis \beta-glucanase gene and the celA gene. Using the transcriptional and protein localisation signals of the S. bovis \beta-glucanase gene, an in-frame tarnslational fusion between the end of the \beta-glucanase signal sequence and the ATG of the Neocallimastix patriciarum celA gene was constructed. The \beta-glucanase promoter-celA fusion was expressed in both E. coli and S. bovis. The activity of the protein produced was found to be cell-associated in E. coli, it but localised to the supernatant fraction of harvested cells …

Effects Of Isochronal Exogenously Applied Synthetic-Ga_3, Fungal-Gibberellic Acid And Red Light On The Sheath Length Of The Second Leaf Of Oryza Sativa L.Cv. Tan-Ginbozu, Ş. Fati̇h Topçuoğlu, Serpi̇l Ünyayar

Turkish Journal of Biology

The effects of isochronal exogenously applied synthetic-GA_3, fungal-gibberellic acid and different light on the sheath length of the second leaf of Oryza sativa L.cv.Tan-ginbozu were determined under controlled environmental conditions. Our results showed that the effect of fungal-gibberellic acid on the sheath length of the second leaf is higher than that on the control groups (group of 1/2N Hoagland culture solution and group of 1/2N Hoagland culture solution+methanol); however, synthetic-GA_3 was more effective on the length of the second leaf than fungal gibberellic acid. Moreover, it was identified that the effect of red light is higher than that of fluorescent …

Effect Of Some Organophosphorus Insecticides On Soil Microorganisms, Meti̇n Diğrak, Ferdağ Kazanici

Turkish Journal of Biology

The effect of some organophosphorus insecticides [Isofenphos (=Oftanol DS 40), Phorate (=Thimet 10G and Foratox 10-G) and Fonofos] were investigated on soil microbiota (total viable bacteria, actinomycetes, anaerobic bacteria, aerobic endospores, proteolytic bacteria, cellülolytic microorganisms and yeast-mold). In the isofenphos-treated soil sample, the total viable bacteria number was found to be higher than that of the control groups during incubation. Moreover, it was observed that this treatment had no inhibitory effect on the development of the other microorganism groups. It was determined that the fonofos and phorate pesticides were had no inhibitory effect on the devel- opment of the soil …

Purification Of Buchnericin Lb Produced By Lactobacillus Buchneri Lb, Meti̇n Yildirim

Turkish Journal of Biology

Buchnericin LB produced by Lactobacillus buchneri LB was purified to homogeneity by a rapid and simple three-step purification procedure including freeze drying, silicic acid adsorption/desorption and cation-exchange chromatography. After the silicic acid and cation-exchange chromatography steps, the activity of buchnericin LB was recovered by 85 and 25%, and its purity increased about 111 and 2,500 fold, respectively. It was determined that the adsorption of buchnericin LB to silicic acid and cation-exchange chromatography was dependent on the pH of the suspending environment. The molecular weight of buchnericin LB was determined to be about 4.0 kDa by tricine SDS-PAGE.

Dechlorination Of Bleached Kraft Pulp By Laccase Enzyme Produced From Some White-Rot Fungi, Nazi̇f Kolankaya, Arzu Taşpinar Ünal

Turkish Journal of Biology

The possibility of using crude laccase in the dechlorination of chlorine-based bleached kraft pulp was investigated. Culture supernatants of seven white-rot fungal strains and kraft-pulp samples taken from E1 (Alkaline Extraction-1), E2 (Alkaline Extraction-2) and D2 (Chlorinedioxide treatment) stages of chlorine-based bleaching processes were used as the laccase source and substrates respectively during the studies. The dechlorination activity of Trametes versicolor was found to be more than that of the other fungi examined. The addition of a laccase inducer, xylidine, into the culture medium of T. Versicolor led to an increase in dechlorination activity. In the experiment performed to find …

Characterization Of Buchnericin Lb Produced By Lactobacillus Buchneri Lb, Zeli̇ha Yildirim, Meti̇n Yildirim

Turkish Journal of Biology

Lactobacillus buchneri LB isolated from a commercially fermented vegetable product produced a bacteriocin-designated buchnericin LB. It was found that buchnericin LB was heat-stable (90-121^oC for 15 min) and hydrolyzed by proteases, \alpha-chymotrypsin, trypsin, papain, proteinase K and pepsin. However, it was observed that it was resistant to catalase, peroxidase, lipase, amylases and organic solvents. Also, it was found that it retained its biological activity after exposure to pH 2.0-9.0 and after storage at -20^o and -70^oC. It was determined that buchnericin LB had a wide inhibitory spectrum, being inhibitory to the Listeria, Bacillus, Enterococcus, Micrococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Streptococcus …

Blood-Serum Proteins Of Rattus Rattus And Rattus Norvegicus (Mammalia: Rodentia) In Turkey, Nuri̇ Yi̇ği̇t, Reyhan Çolak, Ercüment Çolak, Mustafa Sözen, Şaki̇r Özkurt

Turkish Journal of Biology

The blood serum proteins of 35 live specimens of Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus collected from ten localities in Turkey were examined by SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulphate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). Globulin, albumin, postalbumin, and prealbumin proteins in blood serum showed different electrophoretic patterns in populations of R. rattusand R. norvegicus.Because of the variations in electrophoretic patterns of both species, these patterns do not seem to be diagnostic characters in distinguishing R. rattus from R. norvegicus.