Biology Commons^™

Validation Of A Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Equation Predicting Body Composition Using Conductor Length Instead Of Height, Jessica Dawn Nye

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is widely used in predicting body composition. Impedance of an electrical current that passes through the body is related to the composition of the body and the length of the conductor, conventionally estimated using height. The purpose of this study was to compare a BIA equation prediction fat-free mass (FFM) that utilized actual conductor length (Parsons) with a conventional BIA equation (NHANES), using hydrodensitometry as the reference method. Thirty-nine male and 53 female subjects were studied. For both sexes, FFM predicted by both Parsons and NHANES equations were equally and highly correlated with FFM measured using …

Ontogenetic Changes In Feeding Morphology And Diet In The Chiselmouth Minnow, Acrocheilus Alutaceus, Corrie Murray

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The chiselmouth minnow (Acrocheilus alutaceus) is an herbivorous fish endemic to freshwater systems of the Pacific Northwest and abundant in mid-reaches of the Yakima River, WA. Uncommon in temperate streams, herbivorous fish are ecologically important because they provide a direct link between primary production and fish biomass. Chiselmouth minnows undergo ontogenetic morphological changes as they transform from insectivore to herbivore, the lower jaw becomes flattened, calcified and hardened for scraping algae and the intestine grows long for digestion. The timing of these changes in relation to diet and ecological status are poorly understood. By quantifying changes in jaw …

Open Circuit Potential Shifts Of Activated Carbon In Aqueous Solutions During Chemical And Adsorption Interactions, Mikhail M. Goldin, Vladimir A. Kolesnikov, Mogely Sh. Khubutiya, Alexander G. Volkov, Gary J. Blanchard, Anatoly K. Evseev, Mark M. Goldin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Interaction of certain inorganic and organic compounds with activated carbon and the effect of such interaction on open circuit potential of activated carbon were studied. Open circuit potential shifts were observed for an overwhelming majority of the substances and brands of activated carbons investigated. Both negative and positive potential shifts were observed. It was shown that open circuit potential shifts for organic substances depend on degree of coverage of the activated carbon surface. Whereas adsorption of investigated organic compound on activated carbon led to positive potential shifts, desorption of adsorbates from the activated carbon surface led to potential shifts in …

Rapid Bursts Of Androgen-Binding Protein (Abp) Gene Duplication Occurred Independently In Diverse Mammals, Christina M. Laukaitis, Andreas Heger, Tyler D. Blakely, Pavel Munclinger, Chris P. Ponting, Robert C. Karn

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Background

The draft mouse (Mus musculus) genome sequence revealed an unexpected proliferation of gene duplicates encoding a family of secretoglobin proteins including the androgen-binding protein (ABP) α, β and γ subunits. Further investigation of 14 α-like (Abpa) and 13 β- or γ-like (Abpbg) undisrupted gene sequences revealed a rich diversity of developmental stage-, sex- and tissue-specific expression. Despite these studies, our understanding of the evolution of this gene family remains incomplete. Questions arise from imperfections in the initial mouse genome assembly and a dearth of information about the gene family structure in other rodents …

The Pholcid Spiders Of Micronesia And Polynesia (Araneae, Pholcidae), Joseph A. Beatty, James W. Berry, Bernhard A. Huber

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Records of pholcid spiders from Micronesia and Polynesia are presented, along with records from Indonesia and parts of Melanesia. Nineteen species representing eleven genera are included. An illustrated key for Pacific pholcids is provided. Two species and one genus are not yet known from Micronesia or Polynesia, but are included in the key because they may occur there. Seven species are widespread synanthropic or anthropophilic species, two species are widespread native species, and nine species are endemics of one or several neighboring islands. Distribution maps include only specimens we have seen, not literature records.

Plaster Creek Watershed Management Plan, Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr, & Huber, Inc.

Watershed Reports

The quality of Plaster Creek is influenced by many factors, such as human activities within the Plaster Creek Watershed (Watershed), physical and biological characteristics of the natural resources, and the management of those resources. This document provides an overview of these diverse aspects of the Watershed, including detailed information about the sources and causes of watershed pollution, recommendations needed to address impairments, and steps to implement the recommendations.

"Broadening The Coverage Of Biodiversity Assessments" , Ben Collen, Mala Ram, Nadia Dewhurst, Viola Clausnitzer, Vincent Kalkman, Neil Cumberlidge, Jonathan Em Baillie

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

A Global Assessment Of Freshwater Crab Diversity , Darren Cj Yeo, Pkl Ng, Neil Cumberlidge, Celio Magalhães, Savel Regan Daniels Phd, Martha R. Campos

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Carbachol Regulation Of Akt In Lncap Prostate Cancer Cells, John M. Schmitt, Luke Fletcher

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Abstract Hormones and agonists that enhance cell survival through binding specific G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are of particular interest in cancer cell survival. LNCaP cells have been shown to express muscarinic cholinergic receptors that are responsive to the agonist, carbachol. In addition, LNCaP cells specifically express the M3-subtype of GPCR’s that may couple carbachol to Gq, increases in intracellular calcium, and activation of the intracelluar Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaM Ks). The CaM Kinase family of proteins includes CaM KII, CaM Kinase Kinase (CaM KK) and its substrates CaM KIV, CaM KI and the protein kinase AKT. AKT is an anti-apoptotic …

Mutational Analysis Of The Stability Of The H2a And H2b Histone Monomers, Matthew R. Stump, Lisa M. Gloss

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

The eukaryotic histone heterodimer H2A–H2B folds through an obligatory dimeric intermediate that forms in a nearly diffusion-limited association reaction in the stopped-flow dead time. It is unclear whether there is partial folding of the isolated monomers before association. To address the possible contributions of structure in the monomers to the rapid association, we characterized H2A and H2B monomers in the absence of their heterodimeric partner. By far-UV circular dichroism, the H2A and H2B monomers are 15% and 31% helical, respectively—significantly less than observed in X-ray crystal structures. Acrylamide quenching of the intrinsic Tyr fluorescence was indicative of tertiary structure. The …

Bioenergetic Profiles Of Isolated Mitochondria From Diapausing Embryos Of The Annual Killifish Austrofundulus Limnaeus, Jeff Duerr, Jason E. Podrabsky

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

The annual killifish, Austrofundulus limnaeus, occupy ephemeral pond habitats by producing diapausing embryos which can reduce their oxygen consumption rate by up 90% compared to developing embryos. Mitochondria isolated from whole embryos collected at 10 dpf, diapause II, post-diapause, diapause III, post-hatch larvae, and adult liver exhibited oxygen consumption rates that increased with developmental stage in the presence of glutamate or succinate. Measurements of electron transport chain activity reflected life-stage specific regulation. Minimum ETC activity was observed during diapause II: complex I activity was 12% of adult, complex II was 25% of adult, and complex IV activity was 20% of …

An Analysis Of Tracheid Length Versus Age In A 4842-Year Old Bristlecone Pine (Pinus Longaeva D.K. Bailey) Called Prometheus, Teresa Halupnik

Biology Dissertations - Archive

After felling, it was revealed that Prometheus, an ancient bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva D.K. Bailey) located in the Great Basin National Park, had been the oldest living organism at over 5000 years of age. Great Basin bristlecone pines are famous for their longevity, living thousands of years under extreme conditions of temperature and moisture at high altitudes. For the majority of conifer trees, a period of rapid growth in tracheid lengths has been observed from the pith up to ten to forty years of age. Since most pine trees live for an average of 100-300 years, it was hypothesized that, …

The Evolutionary History And Genomic Impact Of Mammalian Dna Transposons, John Kelly Pace

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile repetitive sequences that make up large fractions of mammalian genomes, including at least 45% of the human genome. Class 2, or DNA intermediate transposons, which make up approximately 3% of human nuclear DNA, have typically been overlooked in analyses of mammalian genomes and therefore remain poorly understood. Here, we carried out the first large-scale analysis of the evolutionary history of DNA transposons throughout eutherian mammal evolution. The analysis included 18 mammals from all major branches of the eutherian tree including Afrotheria, Laurasiatheria, primates, rodents and Xenarthra. We combined three different computational methods: average divergence of …

The Genome Sequence Of The Metal-Mobilizing, Extremely Thermoacidophilic Archaeon Metallosphaera Sedula Provides Insights Into Bioleaching-Associated Metabolism, Kathryne S. Auernik, Yukari Maezato, Paul H. Blum, Robert M. Kelly

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Despite their taxonomic description, not all members of the order Sulfolobales are capable of oxidizing

reduced sulfur species, which, in addition to iron oxidation, is a desirable trait of biomining microorganisms.

However, the complete genome sequence of the extremely thermoacidophilic archaeon Metallosphaera sedula

DSM 5348 (2.2 Mb, _2,300 open reading frames [ORFs]) provides insights into biologically catalyzed metal

sulfide oxidation. Comparative genomics was used to identify pathways and proteins involved (directly or

indirectly) with bioleaching. As expected, the M. sedula genome contains genes related to autotrophic carbon

fixation, metal tolerance, and adhesion. Also, terminal oxidase cluster organization indicates the presence …

Analysis Of Wnt Signaling During Caenorhabditis Elegans Postembryonic Development, Samantha Van Hoffelen, Michael A. Herman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Wnts play a central role in the development of many cells and tissue types in all species studied to date. Like many other extracellular signaling pathways, secreted Wnt proteins are involved in many different processes; in C. elegans these include cell proliferation, differentiation, cell migration, control of cell polarity, axon outgrowth, and control of the stem cell niche. Perturbations in Wnt signaling are also key factors in cancer formation, and therefore of interest to oncobiologists. Wnts are secreted glycoproteins, which bind to Frizzled transmembrane receptors and signal either through, or independently of β-catenin. Both β-catenin-dependent (Wnt/β-catenin) and -independent pathways function …

Endogenous And Exogenous Control Of Ecosystem Function: N Cycling In Headwater Streams, H. M. Valett, S. A. Thomas, P. J. Mulholland, J. R. Webster, C. N. Dahm, C. S. Fellows, C. L. Crenshaw, C. G. Peterson

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Allochthonous inputs act as resource subsidies to many ecosystems, where they exert strong influences on metabolism and material cycling. At the same time, metabolic theory proposes endogenous thermal control independent of resource supply. To address the relative importance of exogenous and endogenous influences, we quantified spatial and temporal variation in ecosystem metabolism and nitrogen (N) uptake using seasonal releases of ¹⁵N as nitrate in six streams differing in riparian–stream interaction and metabolic character. Nitrate removal was quantified using a nutrient spiraling approach based on measurements of downstream decline in ¹⁵N flux. Respiration (R) and gross primary production (GPP) …

Chihuahuan Desertkangaroo Rats: Nonlinear Effects Of Population Dynamics, Competition, And Rainfall, M. Lima, S.K. Morgan Ernest, J. H. Brown, A. Belgrano, N. C. Stenseth

Biology Faculty Publications

Using long-term data on two kangaroo rats in the Chihuahuan Desert of North America, we fitted logistic models including the exogenous effects of seasonal rainfall patterns. Our aim was to test the effects of intraspecific interactions and seasonal rainfall in explaining and predicting the numerical fluctuations of these two kangaroo rats. We found that logistic models fit both data sets quite well; Dipodomys merriami showed lower maximum per capita growth rates than Dipodomys ordii, and in both cases logistic models were nonlinear. Summer rainfall appears to be the most important exogenous effect for both rodent populations; models including this variable …

Description Of The Immature Stages Of Methona Confusa Confusa Butler, 1873 And Methona Curvifascia Weymer, 1883 (Nymphalidae, Ithomiinae) From Eastern Ecuador, Ryan I. Hill, Luis A. Tipan

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

Here we describe the complete life history for Methona confusa confusa Butler, 1873 and Methona curvifascia Weymer, 1883 from eastern Ecuador. Each stage from egg to pupa is described and illustrated. Descriptions of first instar chaetotaxy and instar durations are also reported. Both species were found feeding on Brunfelsia grandiflora schultesii Plowman. Mature M. confusa larvae have 12 transverse bands that are all yellow in color, including one on segment A9 as observed for M. megisto and M. themisto. In contrast, M. curvifascia lacks a transverse band on segment A9, having 11 transverse bands in total that are white in …

Display Of An Inedible Prop As A Signal Of Aggression? Adaptive Significance Of Leaf-Display By The Turquoise-Browed Motmot, Eumomota Superciliosa, Troy G. Murphy

Biology Faculty Research

The incorporation of an inedible object (prop) into a behavioral display is rare among birds. Only four avian taxa have been reported to display with a prop, and in all studied species, prop use has been found to play a role in mate acquisition. However, little is known about the context and adaptive significance of prop use by the motmots. Both male and female motmots perform a leaf-display, whereby a leaf is held horizontally in the tip of the bill for an extended period. I collected observational data on leaf-display by the turquoise-browed motmots (Eumomota superciliosa) to investigate …

Effect Of Three Orobanche Spp. Extracts On Some Local Phytopathogens, Agrobacterium And Erwinia, Ismail M. Saadoun, Khalid M. Hameed, Fouad Al-Momani, Qotaiba Ababneh

Turkish Journal of Biology

Tissues of the spikes of Orobanche spp. contain phenols and mannitol pathways, and it seems that it is very resistant, or may be immune, to bacterial infection. Therefore extracts of 3 Orobanche species, O. cernua, O. crenata, and O. egyptiaca, were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against local isolates of crown gall (Agrobacterium) and soft rot (Erwinia) phytopathogens. Extract of O. cernua showed the highest activity against both pathogens with clear inhibition zones of 8-24 mm and 12-16 mm in diameters, respectively. When the inhibitory action of 100 mg/ml concentration of the 3 Orobanche species extract on local isolates of …

Molecular Characterization And Related Aspects Of The Innate Immune Response In Ticks, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Wayne L. Hynes

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Compared to insects, little is known about innate immunity in ticks. This chapter addresses the molecular processes that recognize non-self and the cellular and molecular processes mobilized to phagocytose, engulf, inhibit or kill invaders. We discuss the receptors that recognize pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and the putative up-regulation of regulatory cascades that lead, ultimately, to cellular or molecular responses. We describe the molecular events that activate the cellular processes and the array of humoral factors that are mobilized against invading organisms, including antimicrobial peptides, proteases and protease inhibitors, lectins, coagulation factors and others. Special attention is directed to the …

Strong Genetic Differentiation Among Neighboring Populations Of A Locally Endemic Primrose, L. Bjerregaard, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

Maguire primrose is a locally endemic plant of northern Utah, USA, with a total known range of less than 20 km2. A previous study found evidence for strong differentiation among local populations at 4 allozyme loci. Here we reexamined populations using 165 AFLP loci and found further evidence of unusually strong genetic structure. We also found an apparently fixed nucleotide difference between populations for a noncoding region of chloroplast DNA, mirroring the patterns seen for AFLP loci. Furthermore, we tested the hypothesis that the current population structure is the result of breeding barriers between plants from different populations. We made …

Androgenesis In Anther Culture Of Lithuanian Spring Barley (Hordeum Vulgare L.) And Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Cultivars, Rita Asakaviciute

Turkish Journal of Biology

An anther culture method was used for the production of doubled haploids (DHs) in Lithuanian barley and potato cultivars that were directly regenerated from embryoids (Caredda´s method) were applied to determine androgenic potential according to the green regenerant yield and other morphogenetic factors. Green DH regenerants were obtained in 3 Lithuanian spring barley cultivars (´Aidas´, ´Alsa´, and ´Auksiniai´) out of 10 studied. The highest rate of embryoid formation was determined in cv. ´Auksiniai 3´, representing 580.0 embryoids per 100 responding anthers. The potato cultivar ´Nida´ was superior in terms of the rate of responding anthers (17.4%). The highest rate of …

Rapid Measurements Of Periphytic Responses To Nutrients Using Pam Fluorimetry, Sarah Brooke Whorley

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Water quality monitoring has traditionally been done by measuring periphytic algal biomass that has grown on fertilized or unfertilized patches of habitat produced by nutrientdiffusing substrata (NDS). This method requires the destruction of the accumulated periphyton communities and thus does not allow for convenient monitoring through time. Optical fluorometric methods of estimating biomass and photosynthetic activity have been used in saline environments, but generally not over different nutrient treatments and not for a substantial duration. This study evaluated the use of a pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometer for measuring biomass and photosynthetic activity in conjunction with NDS over several weeks. …

Effect Of Redox-Cycling Agents On Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity In Vitro And Modulation Of Protein Expression In Vivo: No Nitric Oxide Synthase In Mitochondria, Priya Venkatakrishnan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation describes studies conducted in three areas dealing with the interaction of redox-active compounds with the flavin- and heme- containing enzyme, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS). They are as follows:

I. Studies were initiated using extracts from several varieties of tobacco to identify constituent(s) that could interact with nNOS. Results from [¹⁴C]-L-arginine to [¹⁴C]-L-citrulline conversion assays to which tobacco extracts were individually added, indicate that there are nNOS inhibitors present in tobacco and they are non-polar, lipophilic and non-volatile in nature. In addition, results from assays in which the tobacco-derived redox-active compound, 2,3,6- …

Reproductive Allometry And The Size-Number Trade-Off For Lizards, Eric Charnov, Robin Warne

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

The yearly reproductive allocation shows a 0.75 allometry with adult size across lizard species.

Are Rivers Just Bigstreams? Using A Pulse Method To Measure Nitrogen Demand In A Large River, J. L. Tank, E. J. Rosi-Marshall, Michelle A. Baker, R. O. Hall Jr.

Biology Faculty Publications

Given recent focus on large rivers as conduits for excess nutrients to coastal zones, their role in processing and retaining nutrients has been overlooked and understudied. Empirical measurements of nutrient uptake in large rivers are lacking, despite a substantial body of knowledge on nutrient transport and removal in smaller streams. Researchers interested in nutrient transport by rivers (discharge >10000 L/s) are left to extrapolate riverine nutrient demand using a modeling framework or a mass balance approach. To begin to fill this knowledge gap, we present data using a pulse method to measure inorganic nitrogen. (N) transport and removal in the …

On Estimating The Exponent Of Power-Law Frequency Distributions, Ethan P. White, B. J. Enquist, J. L. Green

Biology Faculty Publications

Power-law frequency distributions characterize a wide array of natural phenomena. In ecology, biology, and many physical and social sciences, the exponents of these power-laws are estimated to draw inference about the processes underlying the phenomenon, to test theoretical models, and to scale up from local observations to global patterns. Therefore, it is essential that these exponents be estimated accurately. Unfortunately, the binning-based methods traditionally utilized in ecology and other disciplines perform quite poorly. Here we discuss more sophisticated methods for fitting these exponents based on cumulative distribution functions and maximum likelihood estimation. We illustrate their superior performance at estimating known …

On The Relationship Between Mass And Diameter Distributions In Tree Communities, J. C. Stegen, Ethan P. White

Biology Faculty Publications

It has been suggested that frequency distributions of individual tree masses in natural stands are characterized by power-law distributions with exponents near -3/4, and that therefore tree communities exhibit energetic equivalence among size classes. Because the mass of trees is not measured directly, but estimated from diameter, this supposition is based on the fact that the observed distribution of tree diameters is approximately characterized by a power-law with an exponent -2. Here we show that diameter distributions of this form are not equivalent to mass distributions with exponents of -3/4, but actually to mass distributions with exponents of -11/8. We …

Zero-Sum, The Niche,And Metacommunities: Long-Term Dynamics Of Community Assembly, S.K. Morgan Ernest, J. H. Brown, K. M. Thibault, Ethan P. White, J. R. Goheen

Biology Faculty Publications

Recent models of community assembly, structure, and dynamics have incorporated, to varying degrees, three mechanistic processes: resource limitation and interspecific competition, niche requirements of species, and exchanges between a local community and a regional species pool. Synthesizing 30 years of data from an intensively studied desert rodent community, we show that all of these processes, separately and in combination, have influenced the structural organization of this community and affected its dynamical response to both natural environmental changes and experimental perturbations. In addition, our analyses suggest that zero-sum constraints, niche differences, and metacommunity processes are inextricably linked in the ways that …