Biology Commons^™

A Coupled Experimental And Computational Approach To Quantify Deleterious Hemodynamics, Vascular Alterations, And Mechanisms Of Long-Term Morbidity In Response To Aortic Coarctati, Arjun Menon, David C. Wendell, Hongfeng Wang, Thomas J. Eddinger, Jeffrey M. Toth, Ronak Jashwant Dholakia, Paul M. Larsen, Eric S. Jensen, John F. Ladisa

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is associated with morbidity despite treatment. Although mechanisms remain elusive, abnormal hemodynamics and vascular biomechanics are implicated. We present a novel approach that facilitates quantification of coarctation-induced mechanical alterations and their impact on vascular structure and function, without genetic or confounding factors.

Methods

Rabbits underwent thoracic CoA at 10 weeks of age (~ 9 human years) to induce a 20 mm Hg blood pressure (BP) gradient using permanent or dissolvable suture thereby replicating untreated and corrected CoA. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was performed using imaging and BP data at 32 weeks to quantify velocity, …

Abundance, Distribution, And Habitat Use Of Sharks In Two Northeast Florida Estuaries, Michael Philip Mccallister

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sharks are considered top predators in many marine ecosystems, and can play an important role in structuring those communities. As a result, it is necessary to understand the factors that influence their abundance and distribution. This is particularly important as fishery managers develop fishery management plans for sharks that identify areas that serve as essential fish habitat (EFH). This includes nursery habitat where sharks are born and juveniles spend the early part of their life. However, our understanding of shark habitat use in the northeast Florida waters is limited. The goal of this thesis was to characterize the abundance and …

Demography And Reproductive Biology Of The Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Population At White Oak Plantation, Nassau County, Florida, Julia Rachel Smith

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The demography and reproductive biology of the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) was studied for two years at White Oak Plantation (WOP), located in northeast Florida along the St. Mary’s river. Two sub‐populations were studied in regions I referred to as Site A and Site B. I located 312 burrows and captured 109 different tortoises, either by hand or using bucket traps. Tortoise density was 4.48/ha at Site A and only 1.15/ha at Site B. Juveniles were the most abundant age class overall, while hatchlings were numerous at Site A but virtually absent at Site B. The combined sex ratio for …

The Sign And Strength Of Plant-Soil Feedback For The Invasive Shrub, Lonicera Maackii, Varies In Different Soils, Kelly Schradin, Don Cipollini

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Plants alter soil characteristics causing changes in their subsequent growth resulting in positive or negative feedback on both their own fitness and that of other plants. In a greenhouse study, we investigated whether the sign and strength of feedback changed across two distinct soil types, and whether effects were due to shifts in biotic or abiotic soil traits. Using soils from two different locations, we examined growth of the exotic invasive shrub, Lonicera maackii and the related native shrub, Diervilla lonicera, in unconditioned soils and in soils conditioned by previous growth of L. maackii, D. lonicera, and …

A Generalized Cholera Model And Epidemic-Endemic Analysis, Jin Wang, Shu Liao

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

The transmission of cholera involves both human-to-human and environment-to-human pathways that complicate its dynamics. In this paper, we present a new and unified deterministic model that incorporates a general incidence rate and a general formulation of the pathogen concentration to analyse the dynamics of cholera. Particularly, this work unifies many existing cholera models proposed by different authors. We conduct equilibrium analysis to carefully study the complex epidemic and endemic behaviour of the disease. Our results show that despite the incorporation of the environmental component, there exists a forward transcritical bifurcation at R₀ = 1 for the combined human-environment epidemiological …

Molecular Characterization And Tissue-Specific Gene Expression Of Dermacentor Variabilis Α-Catenin In Response To Rickettsial Infection, Piyanate Sunyakumthorn, Natthida Petchampai, Michael T. Kearney, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Kevin R. Macaluso

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Alpha catenin is a cytoskeleton protein that acts as a regulator of actin rearrangement by forming an E-cadherin adhesion complex. In Dermacentor variabilis, a putative α-catenin (Dvα-catenin) was previously identified as differentially regulated in ovaries of ticks chronically infected with Rickettsia montanensis. To begin characterizing the role(s) of Dvα-catenin during rickettsial infection, the full-length Dvα-catenin cDNA was cloned and analysed. Comparative sequence analysis demonstrates a 3069-bp cDNA with a 2718-bp open reading frame with a sequence similar to Ixodes scapularis α-catenin. A portion of Dvα-catenin is homologous to the vinculin-conserved domain containing a putative …

Fungal Endophytes Directly Increase The Competitive Effects Of An Invasive Forb, Erik T. Aschehoug, Kerry L. Metlen, Ragan M. Callaway, George Newcombe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Competitive outcomes among plants can vary in different abiotic and biotic conditions. Here we tested the effects of two phylotypes of Alternaria endophytes on the growth, competitive effects, and competitive responses of the exotic invasive forb Centaurea stoebe. Centaurea stoebe was a better competitor against North American grass species than grasses from its European home range in the absence of endophytes. However, one endophyte both increased the biomass of C. stoebe and reduced the competitive effect of North American grasses on C. stoebe. The competitive effects of C. stoebe on grass species native to North America were enhanced by both …

The Effect Of Fire On Spatial Separation Between Wolves And Caribou, Hugh S. Robinson, Mark Hebblewhite, Nicholas J. Decesare, Jessie Whittington, Layla Neufeld, Mark Bradley, Marco Musiani

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Fire management is an important conservation tool in Canada’s national parks. Fires can benefit some species, while others may be negatively impacted. We used GPS and VHF collar data for 47 wolves from 12 separate packs and 153 caribou from 5 separate herds, and resource selection analysis to model the effects of fire on these species’ habitat and potential interactions. Resource selection modeling showed that wolves select for burned areas and areas close to burns, presumably due to the presence of primary prey (i.e., elk and moose), while caribou avoid burns. Fire reduced the amount of high quality caribou habitat …

Study Of Ph And Cellular Response In Pulmonary Fibroblasts After Exposure To Market Street World Trade Center Particulate Matter, Michelle Hernandez, Sung Choi, Ann Marie Dilorenzo

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Chronic health conditions have been noted among first responders and residents exposed to the dust generated from the World Trade Center (WTC) collapse on September 11, 2001. This study sought to isolate a single factor thought to play a substantial role in the decreased lung function of World Trade Center (WTC) workers and victims. Human pulmonary fibroblasts were exposed to 0 (control), 2.5, 25, 250 mg mL-1 WTC dust at 5% CO2 and 10% CO2 to test the hypothesis that cellular toxicity is attributed to the high pH (9.3) of the WTC dust. A decrease in viability, increase in toxicity, …

Evolutionary Relationships In Some Northern Groups Of The Direct-Developing Frog Genus Craugastor (Anura: Craugastoridae), Jeffrey W. Streicher

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Comparing phylogeographic patterns among vertebrates can give insight into the landscape and ecological determinants of phylogenetic diversity. However, in certain taxonomic groups (e.g., birds and mammals) natural history traits can be more influential in structuring phylogeographic patterns than historical interactions with the landscape. In contrast, groups like anurans (6132+ species) with poor dispersal capability and strict ecological requirements often display patterns of genetic diversification consonant with the geological and climatic characteristics of a landscape. The patterns resulting from these interactions can be used to elucidate the temporal dynamics of ecological differentiation, historical biogeography, and morphological evolution. The study of anurans …

Phylogenetic Systematics Of Dispholidine Colubrids (Serpentes: Colubridae), Thomas Gernot Eimermacher

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Dispholidine colubrids are a group of arboreal African snakes that are distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Despite their vast distribution and medical significance, the systematic relationships of this group remain poorly understood. I used molecular and morphological data in both a phylogenetic and a multivariate framework to study the evolutionary relationships and external morphology of these snakes. The results of the phylogeographic investigation based on two mitochondrial markers indicated the presence of two distinct evolutionary lineages of Dispholidus sp. in southern Africa that are largely geographically separated by the Great Escarpment and associated habitat. A study of the molecular systematics of …

Minimum Cost Of Transport In Asian Elephants: Do We Really Need A Bigger Elephant?, V. A. Langman, M. F. Rowe, T. J. Roberts, N. V. Langman, C. R. Taylor

Dartmouth Scholarship

Body mass is the primary determinant of an animal’s energy requirements. At their optimum walking speed, large animals have lower mass-specific energy requirements for locomotion than small ones. In animals ranging in size from 0.8 g (roach) to 260 kg (zebu steer), the minimum cost of transport (COT_min) decreases with increasing body size roughly as COT_min∝body mass (M_b)^{–0.316±0.023} (95% CI). Typically, the variation of COT_min with body mass is weaker at the intraspecific level as a result of physiological and geometric similarity within closely related species. The interspecific relationship estimates that …

Mixing It Up: Multiple Symbiont Acquisition Strategies As An Adaptive Mechanism In The Coral Stylophora Pistillata, Kristen A. Byler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In obligate symbioses, the host's survival relies on the successful acquisition and maintenance of symbionts, which can be transferred from parent to offspring via direct inheritance (vertical transmission) or acquired anew each generation from the environment (horizontal transmission). Vertical transmission ensures progeny acquire their obligate symbionts, but progeny encountering an environment that differs from that of their parent may be disadvantaged by hosting a suboptimal symbiont. Conversely, horizontal symbiont acquisition provides hosts the benefit of acquiring symbionts well suited to the prevailing environment, but progeny may fail to acquire their obligate symbionts. Here I show that the coral Stylophora pistillata …

Brooding, Provisioning, And Compensatory Care In The Cooperatively Breeding Acorn Woodpecker, Walter D. Koenig, Eric L. Walters

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We analyzed reproductive investment in parental care (brooding and the provisioning of nestlings) in the acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus), a cooperatively breeding species in which both polygynandry and helping-at-the-nest are common. As predicted based on the strategies pursued by birds of different sex and status, breeders generally invested more in parental care than helpers, and breeder females invested more than breeder males. Contrary to expectations, however, the degree to which individuals reduced their effort with increasing group size (i.e., patterns of load lightening or compensatory care) did not match overall investment. Instead, as group size increased, there was …

A Global Diatom Database- Abundance, Biovolume And Biomass In The World Ocean, K. Leblanc, J. Aristegui, L. Armand, P. Assmy, B. Becker, A. Bode, E. Breton, V. Cornet, J. Gibson, M. P. Gosselin, H. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton identification and abundance data are now commonly feeding plankton distribution databases worldwide. This study is a first attempt to compile the largest possible body of data available from different databases as well as from individual published or unpublished datasets regarding diatom distribution in the world ocean. The data obtained originate from time series studies as well as spatial studies. This effort is supported by the Marine Ecosystem Model Inter-Comparison Project (MAREMIP), which aims at building consistent datasets for the main plankton functional types (PFTs) in order to help validate biogeochemical ocean models by using carbon (C) biomass derived from …

Cyanobacteria Dominance In The Oligohaline Waters Of Back Bay, Virginia, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Back Bay and its flora have historically been influenced by the interaction of freshwater flow in combination with frequent intrusion of saline water into its basin. These events have resulted in a dynamic environmental setting influencing the abundance and composition of its phytoplankton community. Dominating these oligohaline waters is a diverse representation and high abundance of freshwater filamentous and colonial cyanobacteria. These include the nonheterocystous Planktolyngbya contorta, Planktolyngbya limnetica, and Pseudanabaena limnetica, taxa implicated as bloom producers in Bay waters with N:P molar ratios ranging from 23:1 to 74:1.

The Next "Killer" Algae? Assessing And Mitigating Invasion Risk For Aquarium Strains Of The Marine Macroalgal Genus Chaetomorpha, Rachel Odom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biological invasions threaten the ecological integrity of natural ecosystems. Anthropogenic introductions of non-native species can displace native flora and fauna, altering community compositions and disrupting ecosystem services. One often-overlooked vector for such introductions is the release of aquarium organisms into aquatic ecosystems. Following detrimental aquarium-release invasions by the "killer alga" Caulerpa taxifolia, aquarium hobbyists and professions began promoting the use of other genera of macroalgae as "safe" alternatives. The most popular of these marine aquarium macroalgae, the genus Chaetomorpha, is analyzed here for invasion risk. Mitigation strategies are also evaluated. I found that the propensity for reproduction by vegetative fragmentation …

Factors Limiting Native Species Establishment On Former Agricultural Lands, Annalisa M. Weiler-Lazarz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Restoration of abandoned, nonnative species-dominated agricultural lands provides opportunities for conserving declining shrubland and grassland ecosystems. Land-use legacies, such as elevated soil fertility and pH from agricultural amendments, often persist for years and can favor nonnative species at the expense of native species. Understanding the factors that limit native species establishment on abandoned agricultural lands can provide important insights for restoration and conservation of native species on human-modified lands. I conducted two field experiments on abandoned agricultural lands: a former pasture on Martha’s Vineyard, MA and a former citrus grove at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) in Titusville, FL. …

Livelihoods Support Programs, Conservation Attitudes, And Tropical Biodiversity: An Evaluation Of Biocomplexity In Southeastern Ghana, Edem Kodzo Ekpe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human activities are a major driver of biodiversity degradation and loss, especially in tropical forest areas, where forest-fringe towns and villages depend on the forests for their livelihoods. In order to reduce threats that human activities pose to biodiversity, livelihoods support programs are employed as economic incentives for biodiversity conservation. These programs support the livelihoods activities of local communities, with the aim of triggering favorable attitudes and behaviors towards conservation, and ultimately reduce biodiversity degradation. Their effectiveness as conservation tools has not been evaluated. I investigated the effects of livelihoods programs on conservation attitudes and the consequent effects on biodiversity …

Relating Ancient Maya Land Use Legacies To The Contemporary Forest Of Caracol, Belize, Jessica N. Hightower

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human land use legacies have significant and long lasting impacts across landscapes. However, investigating the impacts of ancient land use legacies ( > 400 years) remains problematic due to the difficulty in detecting ancient land uses, especially those beneath dense canopies. The city of Caracol, one of the most important Maya archaeological sites in Belize, was abandoned after the collapse of the Maya civilization (ca. A.D. 900), leaving behind numerous structures, causeways, and agricultural terraces that persist beneath the dense tropical forest of western Belize. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology enables detection of below canopy Maya archaeological features, providing an …

Genetic Interactions Between The Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor Gefmeso And Gtpase Signaling Components In The Drosophila Wing Reveal Microenvironment Dependent Variation Within Gtpase Signaling N, Ashley Megan Iketani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Ras superfamily of GTPases are important regulators of morphogenesis involved in control of cytoskeletal dynamics, intracellular trafficking, apical-basal polarity and cell migration. Mis-regulation of GTPase signaling interferes with development and is linked to pathogenesis. Traditionally, GTPase signaling has been depicted as a series of independent linear pathways. However, recently it has become apparent that multiple GTPases can interact to regulate a single cellular process, functioning in poorly understood networks of cross talk between pathways during development. Jim Fristrom (unpublished data) identified a mutation (18-5) that interacts with components of the GTPases Rho1, Rala, and Cdc42 signaling in multiple developmental …

An Exhibit Wordle, Allison Marsh

Handouts

No abstract provided.

A Crossword Puzzle For Kids, Allison Marsh

Handouts

No abstract provided.

Word Find, Allison Marsh

Handouts

No abstract provided.

Images From The Exhibit, Page 1, Allison Marsh

Handouts

No abstract provided.

Lesson Plans, Activities, And Further Reading, Allison Marsh

Handouts

No abstract provided.

Usc Image Center, Allison Marsh

Section 1: Introduction

No abstract provided.

Powers Of Ten, Allison Marsh

Section 1: Introduction

No abstract provided.

Imaging In 3-D, Allison Marsh

Section 1: Introduction

No abstract provided.

Questioning Images, Allison Marsh

Section 1: Introduction

No abstract provided.