Biology Commons^™

Slow, Fast And In Between: Habitat Distribution And Behaviour Of Larvae In Nine Species Of Libellulid Dragonfly, Shannon J. Mccauley

Biological Sciences

1. Activity and microhabitat use are important factors determining species performance in habitats that differ in permanence and species composition of top predators. This study examined the relationship between the distribution across a gradient of habitat permanence and an associated transition in the composition of top predators and the behaviour of species of larval dragonflies. It also assessed the relationship between larval behaviour, body size and the duration of the larval stage. In laboratory mesocosms the mobility of the different species was measured, as was the extent to which they associated with artificial vegetation. 2. Species mobility was positively related …

Molecular Cloning And Sequence Analysis Of Multiple Cdna Variants For Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Β Subunit (Tshβ) In The Fathead Minnow (Pimephales Promelas), Sean C. Lema, Jon T. Dickey, Penny Swanson

Biological Sciences

We cloned and sequenced full-length cDNAs encoding the β subunit of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSHβ) from the pituitary of fathead minnow (Piephales promelas)using 5'-and 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Three cDNA variants for TSHβ with lengths of 1184-, 1093-, and 818-bp were identified. The cDNA variant of 1184-bp included 453-bp of open-reading frame and 610-bp of 3' UTR followed by a poly(A)site. This cDNA encodes 150 amino acids including a 19 residue signal peptide and a mature TSHβ protein of 131 residues with sequence identities of 97–53% to other fishes and 42–39% to mammals. The 1093-bp cDNA variant …

Correlated Evolution Of Genome Size And Cell Volume In Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae), Jessica A. Connolly, Matthew J. Oliver, Jeremy M. Beaulieu, Charles A. Knight, Lars Tomanek, Mark A. Moline

Biological Sciences

A correlation between genome size and cell volume has been observed across diverse assemblages of eukaryotes. We examined this relationship in diatoms (Bacillariophyceae), a phylum in which cell volume is of critical ecological and biogeochemical importance. In addition to testing whether there is a predictive relationship across extant species, we tested whether evolutionary divergences in genome size were correlated with evolutionary divergences in cell size (using independent contrasts). We estimated total DNA content for 16 diatom species using a flow cytometer and estimated cell volumes using critical dimensions with scaling equations. Our independent contrast analyses indicated a significant correlated evolution …

Sub-Kilometer Length Scales In Coastal Waters, Shelley M. Blackwell, Mark A. Moline, Andrew Schaffner, Thomas Garrison, Grace Chang

Biological Sciences

Patchiness or spatial variability is ubiquitous in marine systems. With increasing anthropogenic impacts to coastal resources and coastal systems being disproportionately large contributors to ocean productivity, identifying the spatial scales of this patchiness, particularly in coastal waters, is of critical importance to understand coastal ecosystem dynamics. The current work focuses on fine scale structure in three coastal regions. More specifically, we utilize variogram analyses to identify sub-kilometer scales of variability in biological and physical parameters measured by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, Monterey Bay, and in San Luis Obispo Bay between 2001 and 2004. Critical scales …

Dynamics In The Transient Complex Of Plastocyanin-Cytochrome F From Prochlorothrix Hollandica, Rinske Hulsker, Maria Baranova, George S. Bullerjahn, Marcellus Ubbink

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The nature of transient protein complexes can range from a highly dynamic ensemble of orientations to a single well-defined state. This represents variation in the equilibrium between the encounter and final, functional state. The transient complex between plastocyanin (Pc) and cytochrome f (cyt of the cyanobacterium Prochlorothrix hollandica was characterized by NMR spectroscopy. Intermolecular pseudocontact shifts and chemical shift perturbations were used as restraints in docking calculations to determine the structure of the wild-type Pc-cytf complex. The orientation of Pc is similar to orientations found in Pc-cytf complexes from other sources. Electrostatics seems to play a modest role in complex …

Ethnogenetic Layering (El): An Alternative To The Traditional Race Model In Human Variation And Health Disparity Studies, Fatimah Linda Collier Jackson

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Traditionally, studies in human biodiversity, disease risk, and health disparities have defined populations in the context of typological racial models. However, such racial models are often imprecise generalizations that fail to capture important local patterns of human biodiversity.More explicit, detailed, and integrated information on relevant geographic, environmental, cultural, genetic, historical, and demographic variables are needed to understand local group expressions of disease inequities. This paper details the methods used in ethnogenetic layering (EL), a non-typological alternative to the current reliance of the biological racial paradigm in public health, epidemiology, and biomedicine.EL is focused on geographically identified microethnic groups or MEGs, …

Effects Of Nutrient Limitation, Competitors And Grazers On The Abundance And Toxicity Of Laboratory Cultures Of P. Parvum, A Harmful Alga, Ratheesh Ramachandrannair Marunnamkattil

Biology Theses - Archive

P. parvum Carter is a haptophyte that occurs world wide in both fresh and brackish waters. Though P. parvum blooms occur world wide under a variety of environmental conditions, it occurs during the cooler months of the year in Texas. Various treatment combinations of temperatures, salinity and limiting nutrients were used to test the hypothesis that the interaction of these factors would affect the abundance and toxicity of P. parvum. In addition to testing various above mentioned factors and their interactions, P. parvum was grown in mixed species cultures with major competitors from a natural lake community (Lake Whitney) to …

Tachinid Collecting In Southwest New Mexico And Arizona During The 2007 Nads Field Meeting, John O. Stireman Iii

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The 2007 field meeting of the North American Dipterists Society (NADS) was held August 13–16 in southwestern New Mexico, centered in Silver City (at Western New Mexico University), and the surrounding Gila National Forest. This was the first NADS meeting that I have been able to attend, and I think I can speak for all in saying it was enjoyable, productive, and interesting; an overall success. A more detailed account and evaluation of this meeting is available in the 2007 Fly Times article (O’Hara 2007).

A Novel Approach To Control Growth, Orientation, And Shape Of Human Osteoblasts, Jarema S. Czarnecki, Khalid Lafdi, Panagiotis A. Tsonis

Biology Faculty Publications

Carbon-based materials are considered to be promising materials as implants because of their unique mechanical and biocompatibility properties. The current paper investigates the use of carbon-based materials as a functional interface for tissue scaffolds and medical implants. Three basic parameters were explored such as graphene orientation, crystallinity and surface interaction. To explore the effect of the orientation, samples were made with and without a preferred carbon orientation. Conversely, the crystallinity was studied using graphitic and carbonaceous matrices. Fluorescent, confocal and environmental scanning microscopy was used to visualize cell response. The cell attachment, proliferation and elongation were prevalent on the unidirectional …

The Cross-Bridge Cycle And Skeletal Muscle Fatigue, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The functional correlates of fatigue observed in both animals and humans during exercise include a decline in peak force (P₀), maximal velocity, and peak power. Establishing the extent to which these deleterious functional changes result from direct effects on the myofilaments is facilitated through understanding the molecular mechanisms of the cross-bridge cycle. With actin-myosin binding, the cross-bridge transitions from a weakly bound low-force state to a strongly bound high-force state. Low pH reduces the number of high-force cross bridges in fast fibers, and the force per cross bridge in both fast and slow fibers. The former is thought …

Biomass And Toxicity Responses Of Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron Radicans) To Elevated Atmospheric Co2: Comment, Stefan A. Schnitzer, Ronald A. Londre, John Klironomos, Peter B. Reich

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Computational Prediction And Molecular Confirmation Of Helitron Transposons In The Maize Genome, Chunguang Du, Jason Caronna, Limei He, Hugo K. Dooner

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Helitrons represent a new class of transposable elements recently uncovered in plants and animals. One remarkable feature of Helitrons is their ability to capture gene sequences, which makes them of considerable potential evolutionary importance. However, because Helitrons lack the typical structural features of other DNA transposable elements, identifying them is a challenge. Currently, most researchers identify Helitrons manually by comparing sequences. With the maize whole genome sequencing project underway, an automated computational Helitron searching tool is needed. The characterization of Helitron activities in maize needs to be addressed in order to better understand the impact of Helitrons on the …

Mechanisms Of Ionic Current Changes Underlying Rhythmic Activity Recovery After Decentralization, Olga E. Khorkova Sherman

Dissertations

Neuronal networks capableof generating rhythmic output in the absence of patterned sensory or central inputs are widely represented in the nervous system where they support a variety of functions, from learning and memory to rhythmic motor activity such as breathing. To perfectly function in a living organism, rhythm-generating networks have to combine the capability of producing a stable output with the plasticity needed to adapt to the changing demands of the organism and environment. This dissertation used the pyloric network of the crab Cancer borealis to identify potential mechanisms that ensure stability and adaptation of rhythm generation by neuronal networks …

What Do Students Have To Say About Ecology And Evolution? Using Podcasting To Apply Integrative Biology Themes Across The Tree Of Life, Amy M. Treonis, Malcolm Hill, Theresa Dolson, Sue Mcginnis, Elizabeth Miles

Biology Faculty Publications

We describe a versatile podcasting assignment that requires students to (i) review primary and secondary literature relating to an assigned organism with the goal of identifying the main features of its ecology and evolution, (ii) prepare an enhanced podcast about their organism, and (iii) critique peer podcasts. The goal of this assignment is for each student to gain a fuller appreciation for and understanding of biological diversity. This assignment will enhance students' research, technology, and communication skills while reinforcing the main themes of integrative biology.

Microbes And The Days Of Creation, Alan L. Gillen

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The world of germs and microbes has received much attention in recent years. But where do microbes fit into the creation account? Were they created along with the rest of the plants and animals in the first week of creation, or were they created later, after the Fall? These are some questions that creation microbiologists have been asking in recent years. Ongoing research, based on the creation paradigm, appears to provide some answers to these puzzling questions. The answers to these questions are not explicit in Scripture, so the answers cannot be dogmatic. However, a reasonable extrapolation from biological data …

A Method To Determine 18 O Kinetic Isotope Effects In The Hydrolysis Of Nucleotide Triphosphates, Xinlin Du, Kurt Ferguson, Robert Gregory, Stephen R. Sprang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A method to determine 18 O kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) in the hydrolysis of GTP that is generally applicable to reactions involving other nucleotide triphosphates is described. Internal competition, where the substrate of the reaction is a mixture of 18 O-labeled and unlabeled nucleotides, is employed, and the change in relative abundance of the two species in the course of the reaction is used to calculate KIE. The nucleotide labeled with 18 O at sites of mechanistic interest also contains 13C at all carbon positions, whereas the 16 O-labeled nucleotide is depleted of 13C. The relative abundance of the labeled …

Antiretroviral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Prevents Vaginal Transmission Of Hiv-1 In Humanized Blt Mice, Paul W. Denton, Jacob D. Estes, Zhifeng Sun, Florence A. Othieno, Bangdong L. Wei, Anja K. Wege, Daniel A. Powell, Deborah A. Payne, Ashley T. Haase, J. Victor Garcia

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Worldwide, vaginal transmission now accounts for more than half of newly acquired HIV-1 infections. Despite the urgency to develop and implement novel approaches capable of preventing HIV transmission, this process has been hindered by the lack of adequate small animal models for preclinical efficacy and safety testing. Given the importance of this route of transmission, we investigated the susceptibility of humanized mice to intravaginal HIV-1 infection.

Methods and Findings: We show that the female reproductive tract of humanized bone marrow–liver–thymus (BLT) mice is reconstituted with human CD4þ T and other relevant human cells, rendering these humanized mice …

First Male Sperm Precedence In Multiply-Mated Females Of The Cooperative Spider Anelosimus Studiosus (Araneae, Theridiidae), Thomas Jones, Patricia Parker

Biology Department Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Differential Degradation Of Extraplastidic And Plastidic Lipids During Freezing And Post-Freezing Recovery In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Xuemin Wang, Weiqi Li, Ruiping Wang, Maoyin Li, Lixia Li, Chuanming Wang, Ruth Welti

Biology Department Faculty Works

Changes in membrane lipid composition play important roles in plant adaptation to and survival after freezing. Plant response to cold and freezing involves three distinct phases: cold acclimation, freezing, and post-freezing recovery. Considerable progress has been made toward understanding lipid changes during cold acclimation and freezing, but little is known about lipid alteration during post-freezing recovery. We previously showed that phospholipase D (PLD) is involved in lipid hydrolysis and Arabidopsis thaliana freezing tolerance. This study was undertaken to determine how lipid species change during post-freezing recovery and to determine the effect of two PLDs, PLDδ1 and PLD, on lipid changes …

A Journey Through The Scott Creek Watershed, James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

This PDF contains content captured from: West, James. A Journey Through the Scott Creek Watershed, https://swanton.ucscarboretum.org/index.html. Accessed 9 July 2020. The website was created for the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanic Garden. It serves as the beginnings and provides a basic outline of the content within "Traversing Swanton Road," an essay by James A. West. A most recent version of the essay can be found at https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/spr_assocres/1/

Plant Succession On Gopher Mounds In Western Cascade Meadows: Consequences For Species Diversity And Heterogeneity, Chad C. Jones, Charles B. Halpern, Jessica Niederer

Botany Faculty Publications

Pocket gophers have the potential to alter the dynamics of grasslands by creating mounds that bury existing vegetation and locally reset succession. Gopher mounds may provide safe sites for less competitive species, potentially increasing both species diversity and vegetation heterogeneity (spatial variation in species composition). We compared species composition, diversity and heterogeneity among gopher mounds of different ages in three montane meadows in the Cascade Range of Oregon. Cover of graminoids and forbs increased with mound age, as did species richness. Contrary to many studies, we found no evidence that mounds provided safe sites for early successional species, despite their …

Strain-Dependent Relationship Between Growth Rate And Hyphal Branching In Neurospora Crassa, Michael K. Watters, Erik Lindamood, Margaret Meunich, Ryan Vetor

Biology Faculty Publications

In a previous study of branch frequency in Neurospora crassa focused on the wild-type, no relationship between growth rate and the frequency of hyphal branching was observed. In subsequent experiments, it became clear that while this independence is valid for the wild type and most mutant strains, it fails to hold for a subset of morphological mutants. This study distinguishes a subset of Neurospora morphological mutants for their morphological response to altered growth rate. Growth rates are altered using two different methods: reduced temperature and nutrient-deficient media. This should assure that the observed effect is not due to simple conditional …

A Watershed Analysis Of Pattee Pond: Implications For Water Quality And Land Use Management, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College, Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Pattee Pond (2008, 1992)

The Colby Environmental Assessment Team (CEAT) investigated the impact of land use patterns on the water quality of Pattee Pond in Winslow, Maine, during the summer and fall of 2008. Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water quality were analyzed to evaluate the current health of the lake. Data collected were compared with previous studies conducted by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and CEAT to examine changes in water quality and land use over time. Trends in Pattee Pond water quality suggest an improvement since the 1970s. However, the lake is still experiencing algal blooms resulting from phosphorus …

Effects Of Aging And Gender On Regulators Of Muscle Adaptation In F344/Bn Rat Model, Satyanarayana Paturi

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass and strength that occurs with aging. Here we examine the effects of aging and gender on the regulation of molecules believed to regulate muscle growth and adaptation in the F344/BN rat. In male animals, soleus and EDL muscle/body weight ratio declined continuously with aging while muscle atrophy in female animals plateaued at 26-months and remained constant thereafter. Aging increased the phosphorylation of protein kinase-B (Akt) and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in the female but not male soleus muscle. This finding was associated with the attenuation of muscle atrophy observed in female …

Studying Gene Function In Caenorhabditis Elegans Using Rna-Mediated Interference, Eleanor M. Maine

Biology - All Scholarship

The RNA interference (RNAi) method for targeted gene silencing is widely used in Caenorhabditis elegans for large-scale functional genomic studies, analysis of limited gene sets and detailed analysis of individual gene function. The application of RNAi has identified genes that participate in various aspects of development, physiology and cell biology. In addition, RNAi has been used to identify interacting genes and to study functionally redundant genes. This review discusses the various applications of RNAi in C. elegans, focusing particularly on the analysis of developmental processes.

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 …

Of Mice And Men: A Comparative Study Assessing Behavioral Indicators Of Sugar Addiction In Mice And College Students, Kahlilia Morris

Capstone Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Genomic Organization And Phylogenetic Utility Of Deer Mouse (Peromyscus Maniculatus) Lymphotoxin-Alpha And Lymphotoxin-Beta, Tiffany Richens, Aparna D.N. Palmer, Joseph Prescott, Tony Schountz

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are among the most common mammals in North America and are important reservoirs of several human pathogens, including Sin Nombre hantavirus (SNV). SNV can establish a life-long apathogenic infection in deer mice, which can shed virus in excrement for transmission to humans. Patients that die from hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) have been found to express several proinflammatory cytokines, including lymphotoxin (LT), in the lungs. It is thought that these cytokines contribute to the pathogenesis of HCPS. LT is not expressed by virus-specific CD4+ T cells from infected deer mice, suggesting a limited role for this …

Sustainability In A Time Of Climate Change: Developing An Intensive Research Framework For The Platte River Basin And The High Plains Proceedings From The 2008 Climate Change Workshop, Monica Norby, Ashley Washburn

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Proceedings from the 2008 Climate change Workshop, Nebraska Sandhills, May 19-22, 2008. Hosted by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the U.S. Geological Survey

Input And Output Of Dissolved Organic And Inorganic Nitrogen In Subtropical Forests Of South China Under High Air Pollution, Yunting T. Fang, Per Gundersen, Jiangming M. Mo, Weixing Zhu

Biological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

The nitrogen (N) emissions to the atmosphere and N deposition to forest ecosystems are increasing rapidly in Southeast Asia, but little is known about the fates and effects of elevated N deposition in forest ecosystems in this warm and humid region. Here we report the concentrations and fluxes of dissolved inorganic ( DIN) and organic N ( DON) in precipitation, throughfall, surface runoff and soil solution for three subtropical forests in a region of South China under high air pollution over two years ( 2004 and 2005), to investigate how deposited N is processed, and to examine the importance of …