Biology Commons^™

Evolving Possibilities: Postembryonic Axial Elongation In Salamanders With Biphasic (Eurcyea Cirrigera, Eurycea Longicauda, Eurycea Quadridigitata) And Paedomorphic Life Cycles (Eurycea Nana And Ambystoma Mexicanum), Janet L. Vaglia, Kurt White '09, Alison Case '09

Biology Faculty publications

Typically, the number of vertebrae an organism will have postembryonically is determined during embryogenesis via the development of paired somites. Our research investigates the phenomenon of postembryonic vertebral addition in salamander tails. We describe body and tail growth and patterns of postsacral vertebral addition and elongation in context with caudal morphology for four plethodontids ( Eurycea) and one ambystomatid. Eurycea nana and Ambystoma mexicanum have paedomorphic life cycles; Eurcyea cirrigera, Eurycea longicauda and Eurycea quadridigitata are biphasic. Specimens were collected, borrowed and/or purchased, and cleared and stained for bone and cartilage. Data collected include snout-vent length (SVL), tail length (TL), …

Strong Self-Limitation Promotes The Persistence Ofrare Species, G. M. Yenni, P. B. Adler, S.K. Morgan Ernest

Biology Faculty Publications

Theory has recognized a combination of niche and neutral processes each contributing, with varying importance, to species coexistence. However, long-term persistence of rare species has been difficult to produce in trait-based models of coexistence that incorporate stochastic dynamics, raising questions about how rare species persist despite such variability. Following recent evidence that rare species may experience significantly different population dynamics than dominant species, we use a plant community model to simulate the effect of disproportionately strong negative frequency dependence on the long-term persistence of the rare species in a simulated community. This strong self-limitation produces long persistence times for the …

Ramphotyphlops Braminus (Brahminy Blindsnake): Predation, Louis A. Somma

Papers in Herpetology

Ramphotyphlops braminus currently has the most widespread, near worldwide, nonindigenous distribution of any snake. In Florida, USA, R. braminus is rapidly expanding its distribution.

The stomach contents of a necropsied Dasypus novemcinctus (nine-banded armadillo) found on the premises of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Gaisesville in March 2011 included an intact adult R. braminus. Dasypus novemcinctus is nonindigenous in Florida. It has a primarily insectivorous diet but occasionally preys upon small vertebrates, including reptiles. This is the first record of R. braminus in the diet of D. novemcinctus.

Thoughts On Quorum Sensing And Fungal Dimorphism, Kenneth W. Nickerson, Audrey L. Atkin, Jessica C. Hargarten, Ruvini U. Pathirana, Sahar Hasim

Papers in Microbiology

Farnesol has been best studied for its role in regulating fungal dimorphism. However, farnesol is also a lipid and in this review we analyze data relevant to farnesol’s function and synthesis from the perspective of farnesol and bacterial endotoxins acting as membrane active compounds. This analysis implicates the possible roles of: (1) endotoxins in the regulation of farnesol production by C. albicans; (2) farnesol in the interactions between C. albicans and the host during disseminated infections; and (3) ubiquinones in the mechanisms for unusually high resistance to farnesol by some C. albicans cell types. Finally we discuss the implications …

Notes On Notonectidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) From Southeastern Asia, Mostly From Brunei And The Philippines, Hendrik Freitag, Herbert Zettel, David J.W Lane, Clister V. Pangantihon

Biology Faculty Publications

Updated distribution data are presented for the following species of Notonectidae (Heteroptera) in southeastern Asia: Anisops breddini Kirkaldy, 1901, A. kuroiwae Matsumura, 1915, A. nasutus Fieber, 1851, A. nigrolineatus Lundblad, 1933, A. occipitalis Breddin, 1905, A. rhomboides Nieser & Chen, 1999, A. stali Kirkaldy, 1904, Aphelonecta philippina Zettel, 1995, Enithares bakeri Brooks, 1948, E. freyi Brooks, 1948, E. intha Paiva, 1918, E. mandalayensis Distant, 1910, E. martini martini Kirkaldy, 1898, E. quadrispinosa Lansbury, 1967, E. sinica (Stål, 1854), E. subparallela Lansbury, 1968, E. uncata Lundblad, 1933, E. cf. vicintricata Lansbury, 1968, and Nychia sappho Kirkaldy, 1901. There are six fi …

Digital Microscopic Imaging Of Important Taxonomic Characters Of Philippine Hydraena (Hydraenopsis) Species, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

Biodiversity surveys have revealed several new aquatic beetle species of minute size (0.9 mm to 1.8 mm body length). Following modern standards of morphological taxonomy, internal and external microstructures such as aedeagus, ovipositor, spermatheca, gonocoxite as well as the distribution pattern and shape of certain hair structures were used to illustrate the distinguishing characters of new species. As even the smallest diaphragm opening of light microscopes fails to retrieve images of sufficient depth of the field, light microscope images under ZEISS Primo Vert inverted microscope, equipped with ZEISS LD Plan-ACHROMAT 20X objective lens, and an OLYMPUS SZ 61 stereomicroscope, were …

Landscaping Perceptions And Behaviors: Socio-Ecological Drivers Of Nitrogen In The Residential Landscape, Leesa Souto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Driven by individual influences such as beliefs, attitudes, personal norms, and abilities, as well as by social influences like community norms, mandates, and the market, suburban homeowners are motivated to select and maintain a turf grass landscape. In many areas of Florida, effective suburban lawn maintenance requires regular inputs of nitrogenous fertilizer, some of which is lost to the environment, contributing to water quality degradation and ecosystem dysfunction. Reducing nitrogen inputs to aquatic systems requires a better understanding of the links between residential landscape management and the potential for fertilizer loss. This dissertation examines the linkages between the human behaviors …

Chemotherapy: The Physiological Cost Of A Cure, Megan Ellis

A with Honors Projects

This project focuses on the common long term side effects of cancer treatments, apart from cure. In addition to physiological function changes, it focuses on the chemical composition of chemotherapy drugs.

Plants Of The Western United States: Expanding The Collection And Biological Testing Of Extracts, Fernando N. Galvan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this research was to find compounds with the potential for use as medicines. Many microorganisms use a mechanism known as active efflux to move antibiotics out of cells. As a result, the effectiveness of antibiotics may be partially or completely reduced allowing the pathogen to survive. A major theme of this research was to look for compounds in plants that inhibit active efflux processes and that are related to multi-drug resistance. After the diffusion of an antibiotic into a bacterial cell, an efflux pump inhibitor may prevent the antibiotic from being expelled from the organism, leading to …

Acetylcholinesterase Isozyme Banding May Be Useful In Revealing Heart Failure, Cherelle Palmer, Charlene Blando-Hoegler

Student-Faculty Research Projects

Cardiopathology provides insights into the functioning heart and its circulatory vessels. Recent studies have proposed a critical role for esterases in heart failure (Dunlop et. al. 2003). Evidence points to a loss of vagal (parasympathetic) control and a parallel increase in sympathetic activity as the disease progresses. Other researchers (Ojaimi et.al. 2007) used microarray technique on tissues from canine paced heart failure models to show selective re-regulation of genes as the pathology developed. To further explore this connection, a pilot project comparing the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from normal (N) and heart failure (HF) specimens was designed. Non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis …

Dioecious Plants: Evolution And Sex Ratio And Asepen Decline, Jordan P. Sinclair

Wayne State University Dissertations

Although dioecious species are rare in nature, the sexual system appears in a diverse number of families and across all life forms and global locations. We looked at the population dynamics of natural populations to determine why many dioecious populations display biased sex ratios. We also looked at the role incestuous matings, seed and pollen dispersal patterns, and compensation play in the evolution of this sexual system using two theoretical models we developed. Finally, we studied aspen populations in the Midwest to determine how climate variables affect growth and decline. We found many dioecious species display male biased ratios and …

Effect Of Nitrogen Fertilization On Net Nitrogen Mineralization In Grassland Soil Of Northern China: Implications For Grassland Management, X. Zhang, Q. Wang, Frank S. Gilliam, W. Bai, X. Han, L. Li

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Nitrogen (N) applications can have a significant effect on soil N availability. The effect of 3 years of N fertilization on soil net N mineralization during the growing season (May–September) was studied in 2005 and 2006 in grassland of northern China. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications of five rates of N addition as urea (0, 2, 4, 8 and 16 g N m⁻² year⁻¹). Results indicated that net N mineralization rate varied seasonally and between years, ranging from −0.04 to 0.52 μg g⁻¹ d⁻¹ in 2005 and from −0.09 …

How Muscles Function - The Work Loop Technique, Anna N. Ahn

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Anna Ahn discusses Bob Josephson’s 1985 paper entitled: ‘Mechanical power output from striated muscle during cyclic contraction’.

Widespread Triploidy In Western North American Aspen (Populus Tremuloides), Karen E. Mock, Colin M. Callahan, M. Nurul Islam-Faridi, John D. Shaw, Hardeep S. Rai, Stewart C. Sanderson, Carol A. Rowe, Ronald J. Rye, Michael D. Madritch, Richard S. Gardner, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

We document high rates of triploidy in aspen (Populus tremuloides) across the western USA (up to 69% of genets), and ask whether the incidence of triploidy across the species range corresponds with latitude, glacial history (as has been documented in other species), climate, or regional variance in clone size. Using a combination of microsatellite genotyping, flow cytometry, and cytology, we demonstrate that triploidy is highest in unglaciated, drought-prone regions of North America, where the largest clone sizes have been reported for this species. While we cannot completely rule out a low incidence of undetected aneuploidy, tetraploidy or duplicated loci, our …

Improved Ex Vivo Method For Microbiocidal Activity Across Vertebrate Species, Susannah S. French, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee

Biology Faculty Publications

The field of ecoimmunology is currently undergoing rapid expansion, whereby biologists from a wide range of ecological disciplines are increasingly interested in assessing immunocompetence in their study organisms. One of the key challenges to researchers is determining what eco-immune measures to use in a given experiment. Moreover, there are limitations depending on study species, requirements for specific antibodies, and relevance of the methodology to the study organism. Here we introduce an improved ex vivo method for microbiocidal activity across vertebrate species. The utility of this assay is that it determines the ability of an organism to remove a pathogen that …

Characterization Of Mocr, A Gntr Transcriptional Regulator In Bradyrhizobium Japonicum, May Nyan Taw

Biology Theses - Archive

The GntR family is one of the most widely distributed and prolific groups of the helix-turn-helix (HTH) transcription factors. In particular, microorganisms that live in complex, fast-changing environments such as soil tend to have a larger aggregate of the gntR regulatory genes. Bradyrhizobium japonicum is a Gram-negative soil bacterium capable of forming nodules and fixing nitrogen when in a symbiosis with the leguminous soybean plant (Glycine max). Although these metabolite-responsive gntR genes have been found to be involved in many cellular processes, little is known about their role in the B. japonicum-soybean symbiosis. The blr6977 gene (mocR), one of 35 …

Arctic Arthropod Communities In Habitats Of Differing Shrub Abundance, Matthew E. Rich

Biology Theses - Archive

Recent global warming, which has been severe in the Arctic, has caused advancement in the timing of snowmelt and expansion of shrubs into open tundra. Such an altered climate may directly and indirectly (via effects on vegetation) affect arctic arthropod populations. I conducted research at four sites in the vicinity of the Arctic Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site at Toolik Field Station in northern Alaska in the summers of 2010 and 2011 to determine how vegetation and environmental variables affect arthropod abundance, diversity, and phenology (the timing of life history events) in habitats of differing shrub abundance. Shrub-dominated habitats …

The Role Of Life History In The Toxicity Of The Toxic Golden Haptophyte Prymnesium Parvum, Betty Zitoon

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Prymnesium parvum is a harmful algal species that causes widespread fish kills. It is usually motile, but non-motile stages have been observed that may represent an encysted stage. The relationship of these life history changes to the abundance and acute toxicity to fish of P. parvum was studied. As part of research into factors regulating abundance and toxicity of this species, a series of experiments was conducted. The first was a semi-continuous culture experiment examining limiting nutrient (N vs. P), temperature (14 or 20 °C), and dilution rate (at four levels). Samples from the lower temperature generally exhibited greater acute …

Phylogenetic Relationships And Feeding Behavior Of Neotropical Snail-Eating Snakes (Dipsadinae, Dipsadini), Coleman Matthew Sheehy

Biology Dissertations - Archive

The snake subfamily Dipsadinae contains more than 350 ecologically diverse species in about 32 genera. Members of the tribe Dipsadini are gastropod specialists, and many possess a suite of adaptations for eating snails. I tested chemosensory prey preference in Dipsas, Sibon and Tropidodipsas species. Additionally, I described the feeding behavior of Tropidodipsas annuliferus, T. philippii and Sibon nebulatus. All snakes preferred gastropod prey. Tropidodipsas philippii also showed strong interest in the earthworm scent and subsequently consumed earthworms. Snakes snagged or wedged snail shells on surface irregularities and extracted snails using muscular contractions of the body, representing an undescribed feeding behavior …

Phylogenetic Systematics, Population Genetics, And The Evolution Of Color Pattern Polymorphism And Coralsnake Mimicry In The Snake Genus Sonora, Christian L. Cox

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Mimicry is a widespread biological phenomenon and is simply defined as the resemblance of one organism to another for some sort of protective purpose. Specifically, Batesian mimicry occurs when a harmless species imitates a noxious or harmful species. Neotropical coralsnakes and their colubrid snake mimics are a very diverse example of Batesian mimicry and coralsnake mimicry has been posited as a major factor underlying the diversity of Neotropical colubrids. One type of phenotypic diversity that is widespread among Neotropical coralsnake mimics is geographic variation in color and color pattern polymorphism. Color pattern polymorphism is the presence of multiple color pattern …

The Cchc Motif In Non-Ltr Retrotransposons Modulates Rna Associated Protein Conformational Changes, Athena Jagdish

Biology Theses - Archive

Non-LTR retrotransposons encode a conserved cysteine histidine motif of undetermined function. The spacing of the cysteines and histidine residues in the motif is CX₃CX₇HX4C. The site specific non-LTR retrotransposon R2Bm inserts into a specific site within the 28S ribosomal gene. Two subunits of the R2 protein, bound to distinct segments of the element RNA, are involved in the integration reaction. The subunit bound to the 5′ protein binding motif of the element RNA binds to target DNA downstream of the insertion site. The subunit bound to the 3′ protein binding motif of the element RNA binds to target DNA upstream …

Glioblastoma Derived Exosomes Induce Apoptosis In Cytotoxic T Cells Through A Fas Ligand Mediated Mechanism , Keith Z. Sabin, Richard A. Rovin, Johnathan Lawrence, Robert J. Belton Jr, Robert J. Winn

Journal Articles

INTRODUCTION: Glioblastoma multiforme deploy s a number of weapons to thwart the immune system. Within the tumor microenvironment, cytotoxic T cells fall victim to Fas ligand (FasL) induced apoptosis. In prostate and colorectal cancer, exosomes can mediate this FasL induced T cell apoptosis. Exosomes are tiny, membrane bound vesicles that are released from a cell. They contain functional mRNA and protein and have cell surface molecules representative of their parent cell. It is not known if GBM derived exosomes can also mediate FasL triggered apoptosis. In this study, the role of tumor derived exosomes as the delivery vehicle for FasL …

Understanding Fracture, Allison Marsh

Section 3: Imaging the Fast Moving

No abstract provided.

Wall_1.6 — Acknowledgements, Allison Marsh

Section 1: Introduction

No abstract provided.

Thoughts On Quorum Sensing And Fungal Dimorphism, Kenneth W. Nickerson, Audrey L. Atkin, Jessica C. Hargarten, Ruvini U. Pathirana, Sahar Hasim

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Farnesol has been best studied for its role in regulating fungal dimorphism. However, farnesol is also a lipid and in this review we analyze data relevant to farnesol’s function and synthesis from the perspective of farnesol and bacterial endotoxins acting as membrane active compounds. This analysis implicates the possible roles of: (1) endotoxins in the regulation of farnesol production by C. albicans; (2) farnesol in the interactions between C. albicans and the host during disseminated infections; and (3) ubiquinones in the mechanisms for unusually high resistance to farnesol by some C. albicans cell types. Finally we discuss the implications …

Correlation Of Air Displacement Plethysmography With Alternative Body Fat Measurement Techniques In Men And Women, Brittany L. Reinert, Roberta L. Pohlman, Lynn K. Hartzler

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions with serious health consequences. Techniques used to measure body fat (BF) yield variable BF estimates, and this variability may lead to underestimation or overestimation of BF and subsequent treatment options. The measurements that are most accurate (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) and Air Displacement Plethysmography (ADP)) are expensive and often unavailable. The purpose of this study is to find the commonly available BF measurement that is the most accurate and practical for individual body types in the general population and compare these measurements to ADP (BOD POD^®) as the standard. Field measurements include skinfolds …

Prmt5 And The Role Of Symmetrical Dimethylarginine In Chromatoid Bodies Of Planarian Stem Cells, Labib Rouhana, Ana P. Vieira, Rachel H. Roberts-Galbraith, Phillip A. Newmark

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Planarian flatworms contain a population of adult stem cells (neoblasts) that proliferate and generate cells of all tissues during growth, regeneration and tissue homeostasis. A characteristic feature of neoblasts is the presence of chromatoid bodies, large cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules morphologically similar to structures present in the germline of many organisms. This study aims to reveal the function, and identify additional components, of planarian chromatoid bodies. We uncover the presence of symmetrical dimethylarginine (sDMA) on chromatoid body components and identify the ortholog of protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT5 as the enzyme responsible for sDMA modification in these proteins. RNA interference-mediated depletion …

Morphological Variation Of Rusty Crayfish Orconectes Rusticus (Cambaridae) With Gender And Local Scale Spatial Gradients, Luke Etchison, Stephen J. Jacquemin, Michael Allen, Mark Pyron

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We tested for the influence of gender, stream, and urbanization on morphological variation in rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) in an east-central Indiana, US watershed. We used geometric morphometrics to characterize shape and tested for differences among and within sites. Males had shallower rostrum, increased head width and length, decreased abdomen and cephalothorax width and length, and increased telson length compared to females. Morphology of males did not vary with stream or along an urban gradient. The morphology of females varied with stream and along an urban gradient. Female shapes from small creek sites were stouter and less fusiform …

Standardised Classification Of Pre-Release Development In Male-Brooding Pipefish, Seahorses, And Seadragons (Family Syngnathidae), Stefan Sommer, Camilla M. Whittington, Anthony B. Wilson

Publications and Research

Background: Members of the family Syngnathidae share a unique reproductive mode termed male pregnancy. Males carry eggs in specialised brooding structures for several weeks and release free-swimming offspring. Here we describe a systematic investigation of pre-release development in syngnathid fishes, reviewing available data for 17 species distributed across the family. This work is complemented by in-depth examinations of the straight-nosed pipefish Nerophis ophidion, the black-striped pipefish Syngnathus abaster, and the potbellied seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis.

Results: We propose a standardised classification of early syngnathid development that extends from the activation of the egg to the release of newborn. The classification consists …

Assessment Of Carbon Nanoparticle Exposure On Murine Macrophage Function, Raquel M. Suro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There is growing concern about the potential cytotoxicity of nanoparticles. Exposure to respirable ultrafine particles (2.5uM) can adversely affect human health and have been implicated with episodes of increased respiratory diseases such as asthma and allergies. Nanoparticles are of particular interest because of their ability to penetrate into the lung and potentially elicit health effects triggering immune responses. Nanoparticles are structures and devises with length scales in the 1 to 100-nanometer range. Black carbon (BC) nanoparticles have been observed to be products of combustion, especially flame combustion and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have been shown to be found in both …