Biology Commons^™

Improving Quantitative Understanding Using Spreadsheet Models, Michelle A. Baker

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Social Interaction On The Electric Organ Discharge In A Mormyrid Fish, Gnathonemus Petersii (Mormyridae, Teleostei), Thomas A. Terleph, Peter Moller

Biology Faculty Publications

African weakly discharging electric fish (Mormyridae) use their self-generated electric signals and electroreceptive abilities for orientation and communication in the context of courtship and territorial interactions. This paper documents socially mediated changes in the electric organ discharge (EOD) of subadult Gnathonemus petersii under non-breeding environmental conditions. Increases in EOD duration and changes in the relative phase amplitudes occurred in dominant fish during same-sex (male–male, female–female) and opposite-sex interactions. Similar changes were also observed in fish that were restricted in their physical interactions, suggesting that direct contact is not necessary to induce dominance-typical EOD waveforms. The possible communicative functions of these …

Shallow-Water Reefs In Transition: Examples From Belize And The Bahamas, H. Allen Curran, Benjamin J. Greenstein

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

The plight of coral reefs throughout the Caribbean region has been widely reported by reef scientists. A variety of causes has lead to reefal decline, particularly in shallow waters. This study compares the responses of shallow-water reefs in Belize and the Bahamas to outbreaks of white­ band disease (WBD) and traces changes on these reefs to the early 2000s.

Prior to the mid-1980s, reef ridges of the Pelican Cays of Belize were constructed of luxu­ riant stands of Acropora cervicomis. As else­ where, this species suffered massive mortality in mid-1980s owing to WBD, and dead A. cervicor­ nis substrates were …

Comparative Serological And Molecular Analysis Of Group Viii Spiroplasma From Australia And North America, April Carmita Murphy

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

Spiroplasma bacteria (Mollicutes: Spiroplasmataceae) are characterized by motility, helical morphology and are most frequently found in insect guts and phloem tubes of plants. Traditionally, Spiroplasma have been classified by serology. Recent work has generated 16S rDNA sequences that generally correlate with the serological findings. Although the serology and the 16S rDNA sequence analysis clearly classifies strains to the group level, they do not distinguish between strains within the same group. The goal of this project was to investigate the utility of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region sequence as a means to distinguish these closely related strains.

We chose Group …

Mosquitoes, West Nile Virus, Attractants, Competition, Environmental Conditions, And Insecticide Resistance, Alan Bradley Wells

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

The six main objectives of this project were: 1) test for levels of West Nile Virus in mosquitoes collected at a Fulton County Recreational Facility, 2) assay various mosquito oviposition attractants on West Nile virus positive female mosquitoes, 3) test effects of distance between mosquito infusion attractants, 4) determine effects of study site location, treatment, and competition distances on mosquito collections, 5) test for any correlation between environmental factors and mosquito abundance, and 6) measure levels of enzymatic insecticide resistance present in species of female mosquitoes that tested positive for the presence of West Nile Virus. Ofthe two species that …

The Development Of A Modified Method For Isolating Plasmids From Exopolysaccharide Producing Lactobacillus Species Using Conventional Plasmid Isolation Methods, Osman Çataloluk

Turkish Journal of Biology

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a key element in the dairy industry. The gene products encoded by the plasmids of LAB carry out fermentation. To date, many successful plasmid isolation studies have been conducted with Escherichia coli, Staphilococcus, Streptococcus, Salmonella, Listeria and many strains of LAB. However, since LAB comprise a conglomerate of seven different genera, each with its own physiological and morphological characteristics, and produce a large amount of exopolysaccharide coat, it is extremely difficult to obtain plasmids by conventional methods. A field isolate of lactobacillus known as Lactobacillus salivarius M7 was utilized to obtain plasmids by all known …

Antimicrobial Activities Of Various Medicinal And Commercial Plant Extracts, D. Ayfer Ateş, Özlem Turgay

Turkish Journal of Biology

The antibacterial activities of the alcohol, ethyl acetate, acetone and chloroform extracts of 5 plant species were studied. The extracts of Pimpinella anisum (L.) (anise, aniseed) (seed), Coriandrum sativum (L.) (coriander, cilantro) (seed), Glycyrrhiza glabra (L.) (liquorice) (root), Cinnamomum cassia Blume (cassia bark, Chinese cinnamon) (bark), and Juniperus oxycedrus (L.) (juniper) (seed) were tested in vitro against 13 bacterial species and strains by the agar diffusion method. Bacillus brevis FMC 3, Bacillus cereus EU, Bacillus megaterium DSM 32, Bacillus subtilis IMG 22, Bacillus subtilis var. niger ATCC 10, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae FMC 5, Listeria monocytogenes SCOTT A, Micrococcus luteus …

Entomopathogenic Nematodes (Steinernematidae And Heterorhabditidae) For Biological Control Of Soil Pests, Selçuk Hazir, Harry K. Kaya, S. Patricia Stock, Nevi̇n Keski̇n

Turkish Journal of Biology

Several species of entomopathogenic nematodes in the families Steinernematidae (Steinernema) and Heterorhabditidae (Heterorhabditis) are being produced commercially and used as biological control agents against many soil insect pests and insects in cryptic habitats in many parts of the world. These nematodes, which are mutualistically associated with bacteria (Steinernema with Xenorhabdus bacteria and Heterorhabditis with Photorhabdus bacteria), offer a number of advantages because they have a broad host range, kill their hosts within 48 h, can be easily produced in vivo and in vitro, can be applied with standard spray equipment, are safe to humans and other non-target organisms, have no …

Identification Of Asteroid Genera With Species Capable Of Larval Cloning, K. E. Knott, E. J. Balser, William Jaeckle

Scholarship

Asexual reproduction in larvae, larval cloning, is a recently recognized component of the complex life histories of asteroids. We compare DNA sequences of mitochondrial tRNA genes (Ala, Leu, Asn, Pro and Gln) from larvae in the process of cloning collected in the field with sequences from adults of known species in order to identify asteroid taxa capable of cloning. Neighbor-joining analysis identified four distinct groups of larvae, each having no, or very little, sequence divergence (p distances ranging from 0.00000 to 0.02589); thus, we conclude that each larval group most likely represents a single species. These field-collected larvae cannot …

Serpents Of The Ark-La-Tex, Jennifer L. Hollis

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Slides and notes from a presentation focusing on the snakes of western Arkansas, northeastern Texas, and the Edwards Plateau of central Texas.

Synthetic Lethal Analysis Implicates Ste20p, A P21- Activated Protein Kinase, In Polarisome Activation, April S. Goehring, David A. Mitchell, Amy Hin Yan Tong, Megan Keniry, Charles Boone, George F. Sprague Jr.

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

The p21-activated kinases Ste20p and Cla4p carry out undefined functions that are essential for viability during budding in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To gain insight into the roles of Ste20p, we have used a synthetic lethal mutant screen to identify additional genes that are required in the absence of Cla4p. Altogether, we identified 65 genes, including genes with roles in cell polarity, mitosis, and cell wall maintenance. Herein, we focus on a set that defines a function carried out by Bni1p and several of its interacting proteins. We found that Bni1p and a group of proteins that complex with Bni1p (Bud6p, Spa2p, …

Detecting Stress In Glasshouse Plants Using Color Infrared Imagery: A Potential New Application For Remote Sensing, Kenneth R. Summy, Christopher R. Little, Ruben A. Mazariegos, James H. Everitt, M. R. Davis, J. V. French, A. W. Scott Jr.

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

English: Studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of color infrared (CIR) film for detecting physiological stress in plants located within glasshouse structures. Spectroradiometer measurements obtained within and outside of a structure constructed of polycarbonate plastic indicated no significant attenuation or disruption of visible and near-infrared radiation entering the structure. CIR photographs of cucumber seedlings (Cucumis sativus) obtained within the greenhouse were comparable in quality to those obtained outside the structure, and clearly distinguished between foliage of healthy plants and those subjected to a moderate level of nitrogen stress. In CIR imagery of a trifoliate orange tree (Poncirus trifoliata (L.) …

Cissus Sicyoides C. Linnaeus (Vitaceae), A Potential Exotic Pest In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, J. V. French, Robert I. Lonard, James H. Everitt

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

English:Cissus sicyoides C. Linnaeus, a perennial vine native to tropical Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, has recently been rediscovered in the Lower Rio Grande Valley,Texas. A dense population of this exotic species has been located in a brushy area along a canal network and in two adjacent citrus groves near Weslaco. This species produces a dense mantle that covers other vegetation, appears to be invasive, and may pose a potential weed problem in citrus in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Spanish: Cissus sicyoides C. Linnaeus, una enredadera perene nativa de los trópicos de México, América Central y el Caribe, …

First Nesting Attempt Of Yellow-Faced Grassquit (Tiaris Olivacea) In The United States, Timothy Brush

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

No abstract provided.

Electrochemical And Hydrodynamic Interferences On The Performance Of An Oxygen Microsensor With Built-In Electrochemical Microactuator, Chang-Soo Kim, Chae-Hyang Lee

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An in situ self-diagnostic technique for a dissolved oxygen microsensor is proposed in an effort to devise an intelligent microsensor system with an integrated electro-chemical actuation electrode. With a built-in platinum microelectrode that surrounds the microsensor, two kinds of microenvironments (oxygen-saturated or oxygen-depleted phases) can be created by water electrolysis depending on the polarity. The functionality of the microsensor can be checked during these microenvironment phases. The polarographic oxygen microsensor is fabricated on a flexible polyimide substrate (Kapton/sup ©/) and the influences of electrochemical and hydrodynamic conditions on the sensor responses have been investigated.

In Vivo And In Vitro Micrografting Of Pistachio, Pistacia Vera L. Cv. "Siirt", Ahmet Onay, Vedat Pi̇ri̇nç, Fi̇li̇z Adiyaman, Çi̇ğdem Işikalan, Engi̇n Ti̇lkat, Davut Başaran

Turkish Journal of Biology

In this study, the success of in vivo and in vitro micrografts of pistachio (Pistacia vera L. cv. "Siirt") materials are presented. The only variable tested was age (1, 5, 10, and 30-year-old trees). Ten- to 12-day-old axenic seedlings germinated in vitro or seedlings (3 to 5 months-old) grown in pots in vivo were used as rootstocks. Shoot tips collected from the four age classes of mature trees of pistachio were the source of scions. Firm contact between the scion and rootstock was assured through the use of parafilm tape at the graft junction for in vivo micrografts. The in …

Effects Of Pesticides And Their Combinations On Human Fibroblast Cells, Yijun Deng

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Pesticides are widely used in Iowa due to its primarily agricultural economy. Many studies have shown that the water sources in Iowa are contaminated by multiple pesticides. Most of the information about the adverse human health effects due to such environmental contaminants comes from studies that focus on exposure to single rather than multiple pesticides. Additionally, many of the environmental regulations regarding levels of pesticide contamination refer only to single, individual pesticides. Many questions remain about the human health effects of exposure to pesticide combinations. This study attempts to understand the effects of pesticide combinations on human cells. A cell …

Thermal Time: Body Size, Food Quality And The 10c Rule, Eric Charnov, James Gillooly

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

Developmental rates of ectotherms (y) are often linearly related to temperature (Tc in C) within some biologically relevant range of temperatures as y = (1/S)(Tc - Tb), where Tb is the estimated temperature at zero development, and the thermal constant S is the development time multiplied by the temperature above Tb (i.e. degree days above Tb). Among similar species, it has been widely shown that S and Tb are negatively related across environments, that S is positively related to body size, and that Tb is independent of body size but increases with mean environmental temperature. Here we present a model …

Fecal Coliforms And Antibiotic Resistance Of Tuckahoe Creek, Catherine C. Parker

Honors Theses

The Tuckahoe Creek has been classified impaired by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) indicating that one of the following parameters exceed the accepted limits: pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), phosphates, nitrates, and concentration of fecal coliforms. Throughout the course of this study, two selected sites have been monitored monthly in order to measure these parameters. Route 288 is located near a construction site, and Route 621 is near Sycamore Creek Golf Course in a more rural area. The results from this study have shown that the fecal coliforms have been uniformly within the set legal limit of 1,000 …

Bacs: An Abundant Bacteroid Protein In Rhizobium Etli Whose Expression Ex Planta Requires Nifa, Olivia Jeanne Jahn, Guillermo Davila, David Romero, K. Dale Noel

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Rhizobium etli CFN42 bacteroids from bean nodules possessed an abundant 16-kDa protein (BacS) that was found in the membrane pellet after cell disruption. This protein was not detected in bacteria cultured in tryptone-yeast extract. In minimal media, it was produced at low oxygen concentration but not in a mutant whose nifA was disrupted. N-terminal sequencing of the protein led to isolation of a bacS DNA fragment. DNA hybridization and nucleotide sequencing revealed three copies of the bacS gene, all residing on the main symbiotic plasmid of strain CFN42. A stretch of 304 nucleotides, exactly conserved upstream of all three bacS …

Comparative Studies Of Evolutionary Responses To Light Environments In Arabidopsis, Massimo Pigliucci, Heidi Pollard, Mitchell B. Cruzan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this article, we compare the reaction norms to foliage shade (changes in light quality, spatially fine-grained environmental variation) and photoperiod (day length, spatially coarse-grained environmental variation) in several haplotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana from Scandinavia. We found that both across-environment means and phenotypic plasticities evolved continuously and very rapidly within this group. Both character means and trait plasticities were highly integrated, in part as predicted by the adaptive plasticity hypothesis for response to foliage shade (the so-called shade-avoidance syndrome). We found that a significant but small fraction of the variance in across-treatment trait means and plasticities in response to one …

Avian Population Trends Within The Evolving Agricultural Landscape Of The Eastern And Central United States, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

State-level Breeding Bird Survey (1980-1998) and U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics were used to test the hypothesis that changes in agricultural land use within the eastern and central U.S. have driven population trends of grassland and shrub habitat birds over the past two decades. The degree to which population trends differed between grassland and shrub habitats was evaluated with respect to migratory and nesting behavior. Grassland birds declined significantly between 1980 and 1999, but, on average, shrub habitat species did not. Grassland-breeding, long-distance migrants exhibited the strongest negative trends. Most species (78%; n = 63) exhibited at least one significant …