Biology Commons^™

Geography Of Spring Landbird Migration Through Riparian Habitats In Southwestern North America, Susan K. Skagen, Jeffrey F. Kelly, Charles Van Riper Iii, Richard L. Hutto, Deborah M. Finch, David J. Krueper, Cynthia P. Melcher

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Migration stopover resources, particularly riparian habitats, are critically important to landbirds migrating across the arid southwestern region of North America. To explore the effects of species biogeography and habitat affinity on spring migration patterns, we synthesized existing bird abundance and capture data collected in riparian habitats of the borderlands region of the U.S. and Mexico. We determined the importance of geographic factors (longitude and latitude) in explaining variation in abundances and capture rates of 32 long-distance and three short-distance migrant species. Abundances and capture rates of 13 and 11 species, respectively, increased with increasing longitude, and four species' abundance and …

Validating Surface Energy Balance Fluxes Derived From Airborne Remote Sensing, José Luis Chávez Egüez

Biological Engineering

Remote sensing-derived energy balance components were compared against measured eddy covariance energy balance terms using heat flux source area models to validate the airborne multispectral remote sensing procedure in the estimation of instantaneous and daily evapotranspiration rates.

A procedure was developed to generate raster layers of the footprint weights for weighting/integrating the different components of the energy balance model and obtain meaningful comparisons to similar energy balance terms measured at eddy covariance and/or Bowen ratio stations.

Soil heat flux and surface aerodynamic temperature models were studied in an effort to improve the remote sensing estimation of distributed evapotranspiration rates. Aerial …

A Kinetic Analysis Of Bluetongue Virus Messenger Rna And Protein, Margaret K. Buccambuso

Biology

Bluetongue virus (BTV) of the family Reoviridae has a segmented double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) genome with ten dsRNA segments which encode seven structural proteins and four nonstructural proteins. Previous studies have revealed that newly synthesized RNA transcripts during viral replication were found in equimolar ratios within BTV virions. However, synthesized mRNA transcripts intended for translation into viral proteins are not equimolar. The levels of expression of these BTV mRNAs are still unknown although the number of viral proteins present in each BTV virion had been defined. The purpose of this research was to establish a kinetic analysis of the ten BTV …

Testing Species Disputes And Population Genetics In The Genus Phragmatopoma Using Molecular Characters, Carrie A. Drake

Biology

Phragmatopoma californica (found in the Pacific Ocean) and P. caudata (found in the Atlantic Ocean) are intertidal, marine reef-building polychaete worms that have been found to produce viable larvae in a laboratory setting, but are otherwise geographically isolated. The first study was aimed at determining their specific status by analyzing the DNA sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and the first internal transcribed spacer region (ITS-1). Phylogenetic analyses revealed that P. californica individuals shared no COI haplotypes or ITS-1 sequences with P. caudata individuals and formed well supported separate clades. The molecular data therefore supports the status of …

Characterization Of Monoclonal Antibodies That Recognize Myxobolus Cerebralis, The Causative Agent Of Whirling Disease, Carey A. Wicks

Biology

Twenty-five monoclonal antibodies produced against myxospores and triactinomyxon spores of M. cerebralis, the causative agent of whirling disease of salmonids, were selected in the initial screening for their reactivity to myxospores. Twelve were found to be effective and accordingly they were characterized fully for their potential as diagnostic reagents for isolated myxospores, pre-spore stages, and spores in frozen sections. Comparative detection assays using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescent assay (IFA), and immuno dot-blot were conducted. Six antibodies bound to developing stages and mature spores of the parasite. Localization of antibody binding in IFA was affirmed by electron microscopy. …

Hypoxia Signaling In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Julie C. Johnson

Biology

The oxygen level at or below which respiration is limited is termed hypoxia. Hypoxia can be induced by several different environmental factors, including flooding and microgravity. Plants have developed mechanisms to survive and acclimate to these conditions through changes in morphology, metabolic pathways, and protein synthesis. One mechanism used by plants to signal stress environments is a signal transduction pathway involving membrane phospholipids that can induce calcium mobilization, or the movement of calcium into the cytosol from extracellular or in-tracellular stores. However, the data from this study indicates that hypoxic stress did not result in phosphoinositide accumulation or calcium mobilization …

Cardiac Protein Rgs2: Structural And Functional Determinants, Stephanie Jan Chambers

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In this study, I explored the structure-function relationships of a cardiac RGS (regulator of G-protein signaling) protein, RGS2.

Contractions of the heart are triggered by calcium ions (Ca) entering heart cells through L-type Ca channels (1a). The activity of L-type channels (and thereby Ca influx) is modulated by cell surface receptors that couple to intracellular G proteins. G proteins in turn, are regulated by a newly-discovered family of proteins called RGS. RGS proteins speed the hydrolysis of GTP by G proteins, and thereby control the strength and duration of G protein-mediated signals. Stimulation of G proteins, which are coupled to …

Modulation Of L-Type (Cav1.3) Calcium Channels, Brian Thomas

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

L-type Ca_V1.3 calcium channels perform critical functions in auditory hair cells, cardiac pacemaker cells, and pancreatic β-cells, but little is currently known about how these channels are modulated by cell signaling mechanisms. To begin to address this issue, we have tested the ability of various G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to modulate Ca_V1.3 expressed in a mammalian cell line. Expression plasmids encoding Ca_V1.3 and auxiliary calcium channel subunits α2-δb and β3 were transiently coexpressed in HEK293 cells along with plasmids encoding a single type of GPCR. As a control for functional expression of the GPCR, …

The Effect Of Wildfire On Populations Of The Jemez Mountains Salamander (Plethodon Neomexicanus) With Consideration To Arthropod Prey Availability Following The Cerro Grande Fire Of Northern New Mexico, Michelle R. Cummer

Biology

Fire regimes in North America, including the American Southwest, have undergone relatively dramatic shifts in the last century, resulting in novel stand-replacing fires that are changing landscapes in unprecedented ways. Some possible effects of these novel landscape changes on a terrestrial plethodontid salamander (Plethodon neomexicanus) were investigated. Microhabitat temperatures in four burn-severity types following recent fires were measured. Temperatures were significantly greater in high-severity and moderate-severity burn areas than in low-severity and unburned areas. Salamander presence/absence data from four burn-severity types that were documented as having salamanders prior to wildfire are considered. The proportions of presence and absence …

Ecology And Physiology Of Tetrodotoxin Toxicity In The Newt Genus Taricha: Ramifications For A Coevolutionary Predator-Prey Interaction, Charles T. Hanifin

Biology

I examined the ecology and physiology of tetrodotoxin (TTX) toxicity in the newt genus Taricha (family Salamandridae) to understand the forces that have shaped the adaptive evolution of TTX toxicity in this group. In particular, this work sought to explore how coevolution with a TTX-resistant predator (the garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis) has shaped patterns of phenotypic diversity in TTX toxicity among populations of Taricha. I developed a set of techniques to directly measure levels of TTX in the skin of newts, and used those measurements to estimate the amount of TTX a snake predator would be exposed to …

Yellow Starthistle In Utah: An Investigation Of Centaurea Solstitialis Invasion Patterns, Processes, And Population Dynamics, Julie Patrice Rieder

Biology

In a series of observational studies and experiments in the field, I investigated the general biology of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) within a landscape in Utah in light of three main phases of invasion: arrival and establishment, spread, and equilibrium. During the establishment phase, the effect of disturbance on yellow starthistle establishment and performance was context dependent; disturbance positively influenced establishment and fecundity on relatively large disturbed plots that were artificially seeded, but had no significant effect on YST performance on small disturbed plots receiving ambient seed rain. Importantly, disturbance was not essential for establishment of yellow starthistle. …

Characterization Of Microbial Communities In Karstic Sediments : A Study Of Cave Bacteria In Central Kentucky., Justine Kay Roback 1964-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Few previous studies have compared microbial communities in subterranean and surface environments. Chemical analyses used to characterize the surface and cave microbial environments indicated limited exchange between surface and subsurface waters. Here, bacterial communities from four distinct cave sediments collected in central Kentucky and adjacent surface streams were compared using a combination of culture and molecular methods. Predictions were that: 1) Cave communities will have unique community structures when compared to those of nearby surface sediments, and 2) Genetic diversity of bacterial communities in cave sediments will be higher than those in nearby surface sediments. Since diversity and community structure …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Peter M. Grant

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Characterization Of The Domain-Domain Interactions And Dna Binding In The Saccharomyces Cervisiae Hmcb Protein, Hmo1, Kevin Thomas Bauerle

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Density On Timing Of Emergence And Its Consequences For Survival And Growth In Two Communities Of Annual Plants, Roy Turkington, Deborah E. Goldberg, Linda Olsvig-Whittaker, Andrew R. Dyer

Faculty Publications

We tested whether increasing seed density results in a change in the timing of emergence in two communities of sand dune annual plants in Israel. Specifically we tested (i) if emergence is accelerated or delayed due to high seed density. We also tested two predictions about the consequences of changes in the timing of emergence; (ii) seedlings emerging earlier will have higher survival and growth; (iii) the advantage of earlier emergence increases as seed density increases. We examined these predictions for both monocots and dicots growing under different irrigation regimes and using species from a desert and a semi-arid community …

Cell Wall Functions Required For Mating In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Stephen Dougherty

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In order for two haploid yeast cells to undergo normal fusion during mating, adhesive contacts are formed by a general class of fungal proteins termed “adhesins”. Within this family there is a subgroup of cell wall proteins termed “agglutinins” which are known to mediate aggregation, thereby increasing mating efficiency in liquid medium (Aga1p, Aga2p, Aga1p). In the absence of sufficient mating adhesive contacts we observed that cells undergo defective morphogenesis, apparently continuing to grow at their tips after fusing at the expense of laterally expanding their conjugation bridge. Based on these qualitative observations, I utilized differential interference microscopy to capture …

The Role Of Dosage Sensitive Sex Reversal Adrenal Hyperplasia Congenita 1 (Dax-1) In Mouse Oogenesis, Krystal Wilson

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Although critically important to fertility and reproduction, the mechanisms controlling development of mammalian primordial germ cells into functional oocytes are poorly understood. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate oocyte development will ultimately reveal significant insights into female infertility problems in mammals, including humans. In order to decipher what mediates the formation of a functional oocyte, we are studying oogenesis in the mammalian model Mus musculus. During mouse embryonic development the oocytes develop as interconnected clusters of cells called germline cysts. Evidence suggests that in humans, oocytes are also organized into cysts. Eventually the cysts undergo programmed cell breakdown, each giving …

Essential Kinase-Independent Role Of A Fer-Like Non-Receptor Tyrosine Kinase In Caenorhabditis Elegans Morphogenesis, Aaron P. Putzke

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Morphogenesis requires coordination of cell surface activity and cytoskeletal architecture. During the initial stage of morphogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans, the concerted movement of surface epithelial cells results in enclosure of the embryo by the epidermis. We report that Fer-related kinase-1 (FRK-1), an ortholog of the mammalian non-receptor tyrosine kinase Fer, is necessary for embryonic enclosure and morphogenesis in C. elegans. Expression of FRK-1 in epidermal cells is sufficient to rescue a chromosomal deficiency that removes the frk-1 locus, demonstrating its autonomous requirement in the epidermis. The essential function of FRK-1 is independent of its kinase domain, suggesting a …

Developing A Constitutively Active Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor In The Mouse Heart, Bruno Decaria

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Abstract not Included

Methods For Non-Invasive Body Temperature Measurement And Partitioning Heat Loss To Air And Water From Swimming Mallard Ducklings (Anas Platyrhynchos), Matthew J. Van Sant

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water birds whose young begin swimming while downy are interesting because hypothermia and mortality are associated with wetting. Wetting is known to increase heat loss, but little is known about the amount of heat lost to air vs. water during swimming. Accurate measurements of body temperature are required in studies investigating heat loss. I used 2-d to 3-d-old mallard ducklings (Anas platyrhynchos) to test whether remote thermographic measurement of scalp temperature could be used to estimate core temperature from a distance. For wind speeds of up to 2.5 mis, I found cloaca} temperature could be estimated to within 1 °C …

Diaspora, A Large Family Of Ty3-Gypsy Retrotransposons In Glycine Max, Is An Envelope-Less Member Of An Endogenous Plant Retrovirus Lineage, Sho T. Yano, Bahman Panbehi, Arpita Das, Howard M. Laten

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Background

The chromosomes of higher plants are littered with retrotransposons that, in many cases, constitute as much as 80% of plant genomes. Long terminal repeat retrotransposons have been especially successful colonizers of the chromosomes of higher plants and examinations of their function, evolution, and dispersal are essential to understanding the evolution of eukaryotic genomes. In soybean, several families of retrotransposons have been identified, including at least two that, by virtue of the presence of an envelope-like gene, may constitute endogenous retroviruses. However, most elements are highly degenerate and are often sequestered in regions of the genome that sequencing projects initially …

Collection, Isolation And Evaluation Of Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria In The Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Thomas M. Eubanks

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Isolation from local soil samples with Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) produced 20 samples from which pure cultures were obtained. A commercial strain of Rhizobium #132 was obtained from Becker Underwood and included as a standard in the experiment. The results demonstrated that a variety of infective and effective of strains of Rhizobium nodulating Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) exist in the native soils of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. A cluster of effective bacteria was identified and can serve as a basis for recommendations to inoculant industry in the Valley. An isolate collection has been established to serve as a source of …

Phosphotyrosine Phosphatases Of The Att-20 Murine Corticotroph Cell Line, Kari A. Belin

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Somatostatin (somatotropin release inhibitory factor; SRIF) is a peptide-signaling molecule that activates a family of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding protein (G­ protein) coupled receptors (sst.-sst-). SRIF receptors control essential intracellular signaling events and, by reducing cyclic nucleotide levels, ion concentrations and protein phosphorylation, ultimately controlling cell proliferation and secretion. In the current study, we investigated the intracellular phosphatase activity present in the AtT-20 cell, as well as whether these enzymes were under direct SRIF receptor control. AtT-20 cells retain many of the properties of anterior pituitary corticotrophs, yet are an established cell line that expresses at least two SRIF receptor …

Water Uptake And Transport In Lianas And Co-Occurring Trees Of A Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest, Jose Luis Andrade, Frederick C. Meinzer, Stefan A. Schnitzer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Water uptake and transport were studied in eight liana species in a seasonally dry tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Stable hydrogen isotope composition (δD) of xylem and soil water, soil volumetric water content (θ_v), and basal sap flow were measured during the 1997 and 1998 dry seasons. Sap flow of several neighboring trees was measured to assess differences between lianas and trees in magnitudes and patterns of daily sap flow. Little seasonal change in θ_v was observed at 90–120 cm depth in both years. Mean soil water δD during the dry season was −19‰ at …

Glucose Oxidase (God)-Coupled Amperometric Microsensor With Integrated Electrochemical Actuation System, Jongwon Park, Chang-Soo Kim, Minsu Choi, Shanrui Zhang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recent developments for biosensors have been mainly focused on miniaturization and exploratory use of new materials. It should be emphasized that the absence of a novel "in-situ self-calibration/diagnosis technique" that is not connected to an external apparatus is a key obstacle to the realization of a biosensor for continuous use with minimum attendance. In order to address this issue, a novel solid-state glucose oxidase-coupled amperometric biosensor with integrated electrochemical actuation system has been designed and validated. There are two key components of the proposed glucose biosensor: solid-state GOD-coupled thin-lm amperometric sensing element and O₂ depleting/saturating built-in electrochemical actuator. The …

The Effects Of Heavy Metals On The Cyanobacterium, Anacystis Nidulans, Suzen Sameer Awad

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Anacystis nidulans is a rod-shaped, freshwater cyanobacterium. Like other cyanobacteria, it is an obligate photoautotroph that is similar to gram-negative bacteria in cell wall structure, replication and ability to harbor plasmids. Anacystis nidulans is often used as an indicator of the presence and level of pollutants in the environment. Mercury, iron, cadmium, and zinc are among the heavy metal contaminants found in the environment and in bodies of freshwater through industrial discharges, agricultural runoff and sewage treatments. In very low concentrations, they do not pose any threat to the environment, but high concentrations can be lethal. Different microorganisms vary in …

A Dimensionless Invariant For Relative Size At Sex Change In Animals: Explanation And Implications, Andy Gardner, David Allsop, Eric Charnov, Stuart West

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

Recent comparative studies across sex-changing animals have found that the relative size and age at sex change are strikingly invariant. In particular, 91%-97% of the variation in size at sex change across species can be explained by the simple rule that individuals change sex when they reach 72% of their maximum body size. However, this degree of invariance is surprising and has proved controversial. In particular, it is not clear why this result should hold, given that there is considerable biological variation across species in factors that can influence the evolutionarily stable timing of sex change. Our overall aim here …

Digestibility, Nitrogen Balance, And Blood Metabolites In Llama And Alpaca Fed Barley And Barley Alfalfa Forages., Heather Loree Davies

Theses and Dissertations

These projects were conducted to determine the digestibility of forage diets with differing CP levels in llamas and alpacas. The Utah study was designed to compare llama and alpaca nutritional parameters to determine if nutritional recommendations for llamas can be directly extrapolated to alpacas. The first study evaluated the effects of forage quality on blood metabolites and nitrogen balance in mature, intact male llamas (n = 4, 36 ± 4.4 months, 87 ± 17 kg) at high altitude in Letanias, Bolivia (4,267 m = aprox.14,000 ft above sea level). A second experiment was conducted with eight adult gelded camelids (n …

Are Nutrients Assimilated By Juveniles Of The Brittle Star Amphipholis Squamata (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea)?, Elizabeth A.G. Whitehill '05

Honors Projects

Over 50 species of brittle stars (Echinodennata: Ophiuroidea) are known to brood their developmental stages (embryos and larvae) through metamorphosis in internal structures called bursae (Hyman, 1955). In some of these brooding ophiuroids, the source of the organic material necessary to support the growth and development of the embryos is somewhat obscure because the amount of material required is not maternally supplied in the egg. A species that follows this example is Amphipholis squamata (Delle Chiaje). Previous studies (Fontaine and Chia 1968) have shown that the larvae of A. squamata are able to acquire the organic material needed to sustain …

The Effect Of Rooibos Tea (Aspalathus Linearis) On The Survival And Transformation Of C3h-Bt1 Mouse Fibroblasts, Krista M. Beach, Paul J. Smith

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.