Biology Commons^™

Lycorine Effective Against Yellow Fever Virus, Ivy Binks

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Medical Assistant Internship/Research Blake Mckinley, Blake Mckinley

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Management For Game Species Can Positively Impact Reptiles And Amphibians In Artificial Wetlands, Kristopher Pedersen, Rich Etchberger, Lianna Etchberger, Charles Hanifin

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Chronic Care Management: Preventative Healthcare, Elysia Mesa

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Diving Into Utah's Water With Spectrofluorometry, Lindsay Capito

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Mate Selection Via Female Preference Of Male Guppies That Exhibit Brightly Colored Tails, Brett Mcadams, Danielle Swanson, Maggi Jolley, Makenna Johnson

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

What A Guppy Wants, Emily Edwards, Kaitlin Gonzales, Shelby Grover

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Food Analysis And Safety At The Institute Of Environmental Health, Terry Brunson

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Trade-Offs Associated With Adapting To Novel Host Plants, Caroline Bourgeois

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Inonotus Obliquus Efficacy On Influenza A H1n1-Nws/33 Mouse Infection Model, Arevik Ghazaryan

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Male Color Patterns On Female Mate Preference In Guppies, Mckenna Andelin, Eliza Haroldsen, Samuel Malan, Shandy A. Nelson

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Influenza Virus Subtypes Collected From Wild Birds Based On Neuraminidase Activity, Devin P. Lang, Justin D. Moscon

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Willow Park Zoo Enrichment Internship, Makenna Johnson

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Animal Nutrition, Diet Prep, And Feedings At Willow Park Zoo, Erica Brothersen

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Dietary Supplementation With Tart Cherries For Prevention Of Inflammation-Associated Colorectal Cancer In Mice, Ashli Hunter, Deanna Larson, Sumira Phatak, Abby D. Benninghoff

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Transgenic Silkworms- A Spider Silk Alternative, Jenessa Blotter, Xioali Zhang, Lijin Xia, Randy Lewis

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Tradeoffs Of Warm Adaptation In Aquatic Ectotherms: Live Fast, Die Young?, Eloy Martinez, Anthony Porreca, Robert Colombo, Michael Menze

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

In the face of a changing climate, questions regarding sub-lethal effects of elevated habitat temperature on the physiology of ectotherms remain unanswered. In particular, long-term responses of ectotherms to the warming trend in tropical regions are unknown, and understudied due to the difficulties in specimen and community traceability. In freshwater lakes employed as cooling reservoirs for power plants, increased physiological stress from high water temperature can potentially alter the community structure of fishes. We employ this highly tractable system to assess how thermal regimes can alter the physiology and ecology of aquatic species. We documented a significantly reduced lifespan, growth …

The Use Of Commercial Bacterial Soil Inoculant Regime In An Urban Prairie Restoration, W. J. Leonard, Kelly G. Lyons

Biology Faculty Research

For successful grassland restoration, commercial soil inoculants are often recommended to increase establishment success. In spring 2009, a 0.94-ha tract was targeted for restoration at Phil Hardberger Park, a 126-ha park in the heart of San Antonio, Texas. Woody species, mainly Texas persimmon (Diospyros texana Scheele), and Ashe juniper (Juniperus asheii Buchholz), were removed and the area was divided into 10 subplots measuring 911 m² on average. In September 2009, over 40,000 plugs of seven native grass species were planted. In addition, native prairie seed mixes, including various grass and forb seeds, were sown into the site …

Convergent Evolution Of Brain Morphology And Communication Modalities In Lizards, Christopher D. Robinson, Michael S. Patton, Brittany M. Andre, Michele A. Johnson

Biology Faculty Research

Animals communicate information within their environments via visual, chemical, auditory, and/or tactile modalities. The use of each modality is generally linked to particular brain regions, but it is not yet known whether the cellular morphology of neurons in these regions has evolved in association with the relative use of a modality. We investigated relationships between the behavioral use of communication modalities and neural morphologies in six lizard species. Two of these species (Anolis carolinensis and Leiocephalus carinatus) primarily use visual signals to communicate with conspecifics and detect potential prey, and two (Aspidoscelis gularis and Scincella lateralis) …

Evolutionary History Influences The Salinity Preference Of Bacterial Taxa In Wetland Soils, Ember M. Morrisey, Rima B. Franklin

Biology Publications

Salinity is a major driver of bacterial community composition across the globe. Despite growing recognition that different bacterial species are present or active at different salinities, the mechanisms by which salinity structures community composition remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that these patterns reflect ecological coherence in the salinity preferences of phylogenetic groups using a reciprocal transplant experiment of fresh- and saltwater wetland soils. The salinity of both the origin and host environments affected community composition (16S rRNA gene sequences) and activity (CO2 and CH4 production, and extracellular enzyme activity). These changes in community composition and activity rates were …

Risk Assessment Based On Indirect Predation Cues: Revisiting Fine-Grained Variation, Michael W. Mccoy, Stefan K. Wheat, Karen M. Warkentin, James R. Vonesh

Biology Publications

To adaptively express inducible defenses, prey must gauge risk based on indirect cues of predation. However, the information contained in indirect cues that enable prey to fine-tune their phenotypes to variation in risk is still unclear. In aquatic systems, research has focused on cue concentration as the key variable driving threat-sensitive responses to risk. However, while risk is measured as individuals killed per time, cue concentration may vary with either the number or biomass killed. Alternatively, fine-grained variation in cue, that is, frequency of cue pulses irrespective of concentration, may provide a more reliable signal of risk. Here, we present …

Metagenomic Analysis Of Planktonic Microbial Consortia From A Non-Tidal Urban-Impacted Segment Of James River, Bonnie L. Brown, Rebecca V. Leprell, Rima B. Franklin, Maria C. Rivera, Francine M. Cabral, Hugh L. Eaves, Vicki Gardiakos, Kevin P. Keegan, Timothy L. King

Biology Publications

Knowledge of the diversity and ecological function of the microbial consortia of James River in Virginia, USA, is essential to developing a more complete understanding of the ecology of this model river system. Metagenomic analysis of James River's planktonic microbial community was performed for the first time using an unamplified genomic library and a 16S rDNA amplicon library prepared and sequenced by Ion PGM and MiSeq, respectively. From the 0.46-Gb WGS library (GenBank:SRR1146621; MG-RAST:4532156.3), 4 × 106 reads revealed >3 × 106 genes, 240 families of prokaryotes, and 155 families of eukaryotes. From the 0.68-Gb 16S library (GenBank:SRR2124995; MG-RAST:4631271.3; EMB:2184), …

Habituation To Auditory Stimuli By Captive African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana), Sarah Elizabeth Goodyear, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

Habituation is a major concern for the development of effective, long-term human-wildlife conflict mitigation and zoo enrichment programs. Elephants are cognitive species that exhibit many types of learning, such as associative, social, and insight learning. However, no study has examined the habituation process in elephants. Elephants possess a well-developed sensory system and may habituate to stimuli that could be used for enrichment and/or management. The aim of this study was to examine their habituation process in response to repeated presentations of two auditory stimuli: buzzing by a disturbed beehive and the sound created by banging on pots and pans, and …

Regulation Of Synaptogenesis By The Mirna Pathway And Fmr/P Bodies, Jacqueline Rochelle Furlong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA is facilitated by different mechanisms, such as microRNA (miRNA) induced gene silencing or fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) mediated repression either independent of or acting through cytoplasmic RNA Processing bodies (P bodies). DPTP99A, Lar, and Wg have known functions during synaptogenesis and may be targets of miR-8. Here, we provide evidence that miR-8 regulates DPTP99A in vitro. Non-endogenous miR-8 expressed using an UAS driver regulates Lar. Endogenous miR-8 may regulate DPTP99A in vivo. Here we show that FMRP is capable of colocalizing with the P body components: DCP1, HPat, and Me31B, but not …

Limited Role Of Functional Differentiation In Early Diversification Of Animals, Matthew L. Knope, N A. Heim, L O. Frishkoff, J L. Payne

Biology Faculty Publications

The origin of most animal phyla and classes during the Cambrian explosion has been hypothesized to represent an ‘early burst’ of evolutionary exploration of functional ecological possibilities. However, the ecological history of marine animals has yet to be fully quantified, preventing an assessment of the early-burst model for functional ecology. Here we use ecological assignments for 18,621 marine animal genera to assess the relative timing of functional differentiation versus taxonomic diversification from the Cambrian to the present day. We find that functional diversity increased more slowly than would be expected given the history of taxonomic diversity. Contrary to previous inferences …

An Integrative Approach To Phylogeography: Investigating The Effects Of Ancient Seaways, Climate, And Historical Geology On Multi-Locus Phylogeographic Boundaries Of The Arboreal Salamander (Aneides Lugubris), S B. Reilly, Ammon Corl, D B. Wake

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Phylogeography is an important tool that can be used to reveal cryptic biodiversity and to better understand the processes that promote lineage diversification. We studied the phylogeographic history of the Arboreal Salamander (Aneides lugubris), a wide-ranging species endemic to the California floristic province. We used multi-locus data to reconstruct the evolutionary history of A. lugubris and to discover the geographic location of major genetic breaks within the species. We also used species distribution modeling and comparative phylogeography to better understand the environmental factors that have shaped the genetic history of A. lugubris.

Results: We found six major mitochondrial clades …

Developmental Ethanol Exposure Leads To Dysregulation Of Lipid Metabolism And Oxidative Stress In Drosophila, Theresa Logan-Garbisch, Anthony Bortolazzo, Peter Luu, Audrey Ford, David Do, Payam Khodabakhshi, Rachael French

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Ethanol exposure during development causes an array of developmental abnormalities, both physiological and behavioral. In mammals, these abnormalities are collectively known as Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). We have established a Drosophila melanogaster model of FASD, and have previously shown that developmental ethanol exposure in flies leads to reduced expression of insulin like peptides (dILPs) and their receptor. In this work, we link that observation to dysregulation of fatty acid metabolism and lipid accumulation. Further, we show that developmental ethanol exposure in Drosophila causes oxidative stress, that this stress is a primary cause of the …

Increased Susceptibility To Bladder Inflammation In Smokers: Targeting The Paf–Paf Receptor Interaction To Manage Inflammatory Cell Recruitment, John Marentette, Grant Kolar, Jane Mchowat

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Chronic bladder inflammation can result in a significant reduction in quality of life. Smoking remains a leading preventable risk factor in many diseases. Despite the large amount of evidence supporting the risks of smoking, roughly 45 million people in the United States remain smokers. The impact of cigarette smoking on inflammation is well established, but how smoking promotes bladder inflammation is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if cigarette smoke exposure impacts inflammatory cell adherence to bladder endothelial cells and if targeting the platelet-activating factor (PAF)– PAF receptor (PAFR) interaction could be beneficial in managing bladder …

Increased Susceptibility To Bladder Inflammation In Smokers: Targeting The Paf–Paf Receptor Interaction To Manage Inflammatory Cell Recruitment, John Marentette, Grant Kolar, Jane Mchowat

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Chronic bladder inflammation can result in a significant reduction in quality of life. Smoking remains a leading preventable risk factor in many diseases. Despite the large amount of evidence supporting the risks of smoking, roughly 45 million people in the United States remain smokers. The impact of cigarette smoking on inflammation is well established, but how smoking promotes bladder inflammation is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if cigarette smoke exposure impacts inflammatory cell adherence to bladder endothelial cells and if targeting the platelet-activating factor (PAF)– PAF receptor (PAFR) interaction could be beneficial in managing bladder …

Microhabitat Conditions Influence Mesohabitat Associations And Distribution Of Larval Salamanders In Headwater Streams, J. M. Yeiser, Stephen C. Richter

Biological Sciences Faculty and Staff Research

Distribution patterns of stream biota are the result of complex interactions between individuals and their surrounding environment. Determining the spatial scale by which an organism is most influenced is paramount to understanding distribution patterns. Using a multi-scale approach, we investigated factors influencing habitat associations of larval Ambystoma barbouri (streamside salamander) and Eurycea cirrigera (southern two-lined salamander) in three Kentucky headwater streams. We used likelihood ratio G tests to identify associations between species and mesohabitat (i.e., runs, riffles, and pools), and we used microhabitat variables to predict the presence and abundance of salamanders via a priori multiple regression modeling. Ambystoma barbouri …