Biology Commons^™

Displaying To Females May Lower Male Foraging Time And Vigilance In A Lekking Bird, Sarah A. Cowles, Robert M. Gibson

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Males of many species use courtship behavior to attract mates. However, by doing so males may face the associated costs of increased energetic expenditure, reduced foraging time, and elevated predation risk. We investigated the costs of display in lekking male Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus). We used lek-wide scan sampling to study how males allocated time among courtship display (‘‘dancing’’), agonism, foraging, and inactivity in relation to female numbers both within and across days. We also addressed the limited attention hypothesis and estimated visual attentiveness by videotaping 13 males and scoring head turns during these different activities. We found that the …

Gene-Expression Patterns In Peripheral Blood Classify Familial Breast Cancer Susceptibility, Stephen R. Piccolo, Irene L. Andrulis, Adam L. Cohen, Thomas Connor, Philip J. Moos, Avrum E. Spira, Saundra S. Buys, W. Evan Johnson, Andrea H. Bild

Faculty Publications

Background: Women with a family history of breast cancer face considerable uncertainty about whether to pursue standard screening, intensive screening, or prophylactic surgery. Accurate and individualized risk-estimation approaches may help these women make more informed decisions. Although highly penetrant genetic variants have been associated with familial breast cancer (FBC) risk, many individuals do not carry these variants, and many carriers never develop breast cancer. Common risk variants have a relatively modest effect on risk and show limited potential for predicting FBC development. As an alternative, we hypothesized that additional genomic data types, such as gene-expression levels, which can reflect …

Basal Salivary Oxytocin And Skin To Skin Contact Among Lactating Mothers Of Premature Infants, Jessica Marie Gordon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research explored mechanisms of human milk (HM) expulsion by describing the effects of skin to skin contact (SSC) on maternal basal oxytocin (OT) secretion among 20 premature mothers with hospitalized premature infants. This one-group, repeated measures design consisted of: 1) daily SSC with covariant data via self-report diary and 2) maternal salivary OT with and without SSC at 4 time points were collected over a 7 day time frame. Results indicate that mean levels of basal OT increase over time (M 234 pg/ml, SD 108 pg/ml time point 1; M 257 pg/ml, SD 125 pg/ml time point 3). …

Predicting Toucan Locations In Panama Using Arcgis, Daniel J. Herrera

Geography: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Toucans are omnivorous birds native to southern Latin America and South America. They are non-migratory, and their range is disputed among experts. In an attempt to develop a better understanding of the range and behavior of toucans, correlations between toucan presence and geographic features of the area were analyzed to create a location probability map.

Viewpoint: A Response To "Screening And Isolation To Control Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus: Sense, Nonsense, And Evidence", Kevin T. Kavanagh, Lindsay Calderon, Daniel Saman

Biological Sciences Faculty and Staff Research

Surveillance and isolation for the prevention of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a controversial topic, one that causes heated debate and appears to be surrounded by both politics and industrial conflicts-of-interest. There have been calls from numerous authors for a movement away from rigid mandates and toward an evidence-based medicine approach. However, much of the evidence can be viewed with an entirely different interpretation. Two major studies with negative findings have had an adverse impact on recommendations regarding active detection and isolation (ADI) for MRSA. However the negative findings in these studies can be explained by shortcomings in study …

Rna Interference: Potato/Tomato Psyllid, Bactericera Cockerelli, Oral Delivery Of Double-Stranded Rnai Construct, Bijaya Kumar Sharma

Biology Theses

The potato/tomato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc.), is a serious and economically important pest of the potato, tomato and other solanaceous crops. This insect is the putative primary vector of the phytopathogenic bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum which causes the Zebra Chip in potato. This disease has caused millions of dollars loss to the potato industry. While traditional management programs have minimized the negative impacts of this disease system, a sustainable alternative to chemical treatment is needed. Management of this pest by downregulation of endogenous mRNA using RNA interference (RNAi) technology is one of the best molecular method available; however, several technical …

An Integrative Approach To Species Delimitation In The Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus Catenatus) With An Emphasis On The Western Massasauga, S.C. Tergeminus, And Desert Massasauga, S.C. Edwardsii In Texas, Steven R. Hein

Biology Theses

The subspecies concept was originally introduced as a means to explain geographic variation in species with subspecific boundaries normally being designated by morphological variation. Because a growing wealth of studies have shown that these morphologically defined subspecies are often not reflective of true evolutionary history, it is important to reassess subspecific boundaries. Subspecific designations have conservational consequence with regards to management practices. I reassessed the subspecific designations of the massasauga rattlesnake, S. catenatus, using both ecological niche modeling and molecular phylogenetic techniques. The ecological niche modeling determined the western and desert massasauga, S. c. tergeminus and S. c. edwardsii occupy …

Taxonomy Of Usa East Coast Fishing Communities In Terms Of Social Vulnerability And Resilience, Richard Pollnac, Tarsila Seara, Lisa Colburn, Michael Jepson

Biology and Environmental Science Faculty Publications

Increased concern with the impacts that changing coastal environments can have on coastal fishing communities led to a recent effort by NOAA Fisheries social scientists to develop a set of indicators of social vulnerability and resilience for the U.S. Southeast and Northeast coastal communities. A goal of the NOAA Fisheries social vulnerability and resilience indicator program is to support time and cost effective use of readily available data in furtherance of both social impact assessments of proposed changes to fishery management regulations and climate change adaptation planning. The use of the indicators to predict the response to change in coastal …

Identification Of Novel Gastric Stem Cell Markers And Investigation Of Intestinal Stem Cell Cre-Mediated Recombination, Theresa M. Keeley

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Very few genetic markers for gastric stem cells are currently described. Identifying new markers is important for increasing our basic understanding of gastric tissues and studying mechanisms of cancer development. Gastric and intestinal tissues share a common developmental program. Thus, intestinal stem cell genetic drivers were investigated for putative expression in gastric stem cells, utilizing Cre/Lox technology for lineage tracing. The recombination efficiencies of reporters with intestinal drivers and the effect of tamoxifen-induced tissue damage were also investigated.

It was discovered that higher doses of tamoxifen do not increase reporter activation in the intestine but induce gastric tissue damage. It …

Heme-Mediated Induction Of Cxcl10 And Depletion Of Cd34+ Progenitor Cells Is Toll-Like Receptor 4 Dependent, Winston Anderson

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Plasmodium falciparum infection can cause microvascular dysfunction, cerebral encephalopathy and death if untreated. We have previously shown that high concentrations of free heme, and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10) in sera of malaria patients induce apoptosis in microvascular endothelial and neuronal cells contributing to vascular dysfunction, blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage and mortality. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) are microvascular endothelial cell precursors partly responsible for repair and regeneration of damaged BBB endothelium. Studies have shown that EPC's are depleted in severe malaria patients, but the mechanisms mediating this phenomenon are unknown. Toll-like receptors recognize a wide variety of pathogen-associated molecular patterns …

Dynamic Proteomic Characteristics And Network Integration Revealing Key Proteins For Two Kernel Tissue Developments In Popcorn, Yongbin Dong, Qilei Wang, Long Zhang, Chunguang Du, Wenwei Xiong, Xinjian Chen, Fei Deng, Zhiyan Ma, Dahe Qiao, Chunhui Hu, Yangliu Ren, Yuling Li

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The formation and development of maize kernel is a complex dynamic physiological and biochemical process that involves the temporal and spatial expression of many proteins and the regulation of metabolic pathways. In this study, the protein profiles of the endosperm and pericarp at three important developmental stages were analyzed by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) labeling coupled with LC-MS/MS in popcorn inbred N04. Comparative quantitative proteomic analyses among developmental stages and between tissues were performed, and the protein networks were integrated. A total of 6,876 proteins were identified, of which 1,396 were nonredundant. Specific proteins and different …

King Penguins Can Detect Two Odours Associated With Conspecifics, Gregory B. Cunningham, Francesco Bonadonna

Biology Faculty/Staff Publications

Recent studies on olfaction in penguins have focused on their use of odours while foraging. It has been proposed for some seabirds that an olfactory landscape shaped by odours coming from feeding areas exists. Islands and colonies, however, may also contribute to the olfactory landscape and may act as an orienting map. To test sensitivities to a colony scent we studied whether King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) could detect the smell of sand, feathers or feces by holding presentations beneath their beaks while they naturally slept on the beach. Penguins had a significantly greater response to the feathers and feces presentations …

The Downregulation Of Short Neuropeptide Receptor (Snpfr) In The Red Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis Invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) And The Tawny Crazy Ant Nylanderia Fulva (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Using Rna Interference, And The Use Of An Anthranilic Diamide As A Novel Management Technique, Megan Rudolph

Biology Theses

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is an invasive species endemic to South America that was inadvertently introduced into the United States. This invasive species costs over six billion dollars (USD) annually and causes substantial ecological and agricultural damage. Anthranilic diamides are novel chemical insecticides that selectively target the insect ryanodine receptor in the endoplasmic reticulum, causing calcium release and insect mortality. In this study, cyclaniliprole, an anthranilic diamide, was used to cause significant mortality in S. invicta workers. RNA interference (RNAi) is a known regulator of biological systems in insects and was also used in …

Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2015 – 2020, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Reclaiming Lost Territory: The Response Of Owyhee Harvester Ants To Forager Intrusions By Neighboring Colonies, Brett D. Howell, Ian C. Robertson

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Neighboring colonies of the Owyhee harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex salinus, often share nonoverlapping foraging boundaries in the areas between their nests. We found that interactions between neighbors along these foraging boundaries were infrequent but peaceful, and usually resulted in one or both individuals becoming agitated and scurrying away in opposite directions. Interactions between neighbors were necessary to maintain the foraging ranges of their respective colonies. An exclusion experiment showed that when one colony of a pair situated 5-7 m apart was denied access to its foraging range, individuals from the other colony would usually (i.e., in 7 out of 10 cases) …

Effects Of Environmental And Anthropogenic Factors On The Range Contraction Of Bird And Mammal Species, Patrice M. Betz

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The largest contributor to biodiversity loss is habitat destruction caused by humans. A common consequence of habitat destruction is a reduction in the geographic range of a species. Little research has been done to separate the contribution of anthropogenic and environmental variables to the extinction or persistence of species that have experienced range contraction. In this thesis, I examined the relative effects of several variables (elevation, mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, human population density, distance from roads, and proportion of land converted to built-up land, cropland, and rangeland) on the geographic ranges of declining bird and mammal species from …

Occupancy Modeling Of Herpetofauna And Grassland Nesting Birds At Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Kasandra A. Brown

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Only about 11% of native grasslands remain in the United States (North America Bird Conservation Initiative, 2011). Grasslands are a considerable source of biodiversity and play a crucial role in nutrient cycling (Suttie et al. 2005; Holechek et al. 2011). Stewards, such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service, are essential to grassland conservation, especially in Kansas, where less than one percent of land is under federal stewardship or public trust (Holechek et al. 2011). Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, an 8,900 hectare refuge located in Stafford County, has traditionally been managed as a stopover for migratory birds, but is now …

Population Structure And Habitat Association Of Aquatic Testudines In Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Jeffrey T. Seim

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

I researched aquatic turtle population structure and habitat association of the turtles of Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (QNWR), in central Kansas. This group of organisms was focused on because of the lack of baseline knowledge and understanding of species presences, population sizes, structure, or habitat use on the refuge. I selected wetland units for sampling based on water permanence and quality of habitat. I then deployed baited hoop traps on these wetland units from April 24 to July 4, 2015. Captures were identified to species, measured, marked, and then release. Schnabel Multiple Census Method and Combined Percent Estimates were used …

Lyme Disease Ecology In San Luis Obispo County: The Role Of The Western Gray Squirrel, Ryan William Baker-Branstetter

Master's Theses

Despite the fact that eight cases of Lyme disease were diagnosed in San Luis Obispo County between 2005-2013, the identity of wildlife hosts serving as sources for tick infection in this region remained unidentified. The primary cause of Lyme disease in the U.S. is the spirochetal bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, and this agent had not been previously isolated from the region. Borrelia bissettii, a related species that has not been implicated as a common causative agent of Lyme disease, was isolated in small rodents inhabiting coastal scrub and chaparral habitats in a previous San Luis Obispo County study. However, …

Effects Of Prenatal Environment Are Revealed By Post-Natal Challenges: Embryonic Hormone Exposure, Adrenocortical Function And Food In Seabird Chicks, Z. Morgan Benowitz-Fredericks, Jannik Schultner, Alexander S. Kitaysky

Faculty Journal Articles

The interaction between prenatal environments and postnatal environments is an important source of phenotypic variability. We examined the ability of prenatal steroid exposure and postnatal energy restriction to explain adrenocortical function and fledging age in captive seabird chicks. We proposed and tested two hypotheses: (1) the strength of prenatal effects is attenuated by challenging postnatal environments (postnatal override) and (2) the strength of prenatal effects increases with the severity of postnatal challenges (postnatal reveal). We reared common murre (Uria aalge) chicks and measured prenatal exposure to corticosterone (CORT) and testosterone (T) from allantoic waste. Adrenocortical function was assessed after 10 …

Huntington’S Disease Cerebrospinal Fluid Seeds Aggregation Of Mutant Huntingtin, Z. Tan, W. Dai, Theo G.M. Van Erp, J. Overman, A. Demuro, M. A. Digman, A. Hatami, R. Albay, Emily M. Sontag, K. T. Potkin, S. Ling, F. Macciardi, W. E. Bunney, J. D. Long, J. S. Paulsen, J. M. Ringman, I. Parker, Charles G. Glabe, L. M. Thompson, W. Chiu, Steven G. Potkin

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Huntington’s disease (HD), a progressive neurodegenerative disease, is caused by an expanded CAG triplet repeat producing a mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) with a polyglutamine-repeat expansion. Onset of symptoms in mutant huntingtin gene-carrying individuals remains unpredictable. We report that synthetic polyglutamine oligomers and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from BACHD transgenic rats and from human HD subjects can seed mutant huntingtin aggregation in a cell model and its cell lysate. Our studies demonstrate that seeding requires the mutant huntingtin template and may reflect an underlying prion-like protein propagation mechanism. Light and cryo-electron microscopy show that synthetic seeds nucleate and enhance mutant huntingtin aggregation. …

Handedness For Unimanual Grasping In 564 Great Apes: The Effect On Grip Morphology And A Comparison With Hand Use For A Bimanual Coordinated Task, Adrien Meguerditchian, Kimberley A. Phillips, Amandine Chapelain, Lindsay M. Mahovetz, Scott Milne, Tara Stoinski, Amanda Bania, Elizabeth Lonsdorf, Jennifer Schaeffer, Jamie Russell, William D. Hopkins

Faculty Articles

A number of factors have been proposed to influence within and between species variation in handedness in non-human primates. In the initial study, we assessed the influence of grip morphology on hand use for simple reaching in a sample of 564 great apes including 49 orangutans Pongo pygmaeus, 66 gorillas Gorilla gorilla, 354 chimpanzees Pan troglodytes and 95 bonobos Pan paniscus. Overall, we found a significant right hand bias for reaching. We also found a significant effect of the grip morphology of hand use. Grasping with the thumb and index finger was more prevalent in the right compared to left …

The Reverse Transcription Signature Of N-1-Methyladenosine In Rna-Seq Is Sequence Dependent, Ralf Hauenschild, Lyudmil Tserovski, Katharina Schmid, Kathrin Thuring, Marie-Luise Winz, Sunny Sharma, Karl-Dieter Entian, Ludvine Wacheul, Denis L.J. Lafontaine, James T. Anderson, Juan Alfonzo, Andreas Hildebrandt, Andres Jaschke, Yuri Motorin, Mark Helm

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The combination of Reverse Transcription (RT) and high-throughput sequencing has emerged as a powerful combination to detect modified nucleotides in RNA via analysis of either abortive RT-products or of the incorporation of mismatched dNTPs into cDNA. Here we simultaneously analyze both parameters in detail with respect to the occurrence of N-1-methyladenosine (m¹A) in the template RNA. This naturally occurring modification is associated with structural effects, but it is also known as a mediator of antibiotic resistance in ribosomal RNA. In structural probing experiments with dimethylsulfate, m¹A is routinely detected by RT-arrest. A specifically developed RNA-Seq protocol …

A Cytotoxic, Co-Operative Interaction Between Energy Deprivation And Glutamate Release From System XC− Mediates Aglycemic Neuronal Cell Death, Trista L. Thorn, Yan He, Nicole A. Jackman, Doug Lobner, James A. Hewett, Sandra J. Hewett

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The astrocyte cystine/glutamate antiporter (system x_c⁻) contributes substantially to the excitotoxic neuronal cell death facilitated by glucose deprivation. The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism by which this occurred. Using pure astrocyte cultures, as well as, mixed cortical cell cultures containing both neurons and astrocytes, we found that neither an enhancement in system x_c⁻ expression nor activity underlies the excitotoxic effects of aglycemia. In addition, using three separate bioassays, we demonstrate no change in the ability of glucose-deprived astrocytes—either cultured alone or with neurons—to remove glutamate from the extracellular space. Instead, we …

Rapid Liana Colonization Along A Secondary Forest Chronosequence, Kathryn E. Barry, Stefan A. Schnitzer, Michiel Van Breugel, Jefferson S. Hall

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Lianas (woody vines) can have profound effects on tree recruitment, growth, survival, and diversity in tropical forests. However, the dynamics of liana colonization soon after land abandonment are poorly understood, and thus it is unknown whether lianas alter tree regeneration early in succession. We examined the liana community in 43 forests that ranged from 1 to 31 yr old in central Panama to determine how fast lianas colonize young forests and how the liana community changes with forest succession. We found that lianas reached high densities early in succession, commonly exceeding 1000 stems/ha within the first 5 yr of forest …

The Evolution Of Digit Form In Gonatodes (Gekkota: Sphaerodactylidae) And Its Bearing On The Transition From Frictional To Adhesive Contact In Gekkotans, Anthony P. Russell, Joelle Baskerville, Tony Gamble, Timothy E. Higham

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Although the phenomenon of adhesion in geckos has been intensively studied for over 200 years, our understanding of how the morphological apparatus associated with this arose is less clear. Indeed, whether or not all of the intricate morphological hierarchy that is implicated in the attachment and removal of the adhesive setae originated at the same time is unknown. To explore whether setae may have arisen prior to the other parts of this structural hierarchy, we undertook morphological observations of Gonatodes, an ancestrally padless, sphaerodatyline genus known to exhibit the expression of incipient subdigital pads in some species. Focusing on …

Rapid And Repeatable Shifts In Life-History Timing Of Rhagoletis Pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) Following Colonization Of Novel Host Plants In The Pacific Northwestern United States, Monte Mattsson, Glen R. Hood, Jeffery L. Feder, Luis A. Ruedas

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Host shifts of phytophagous insect specialists to novel plants can result in divergent ecological adaptation, generating reproductive isolation and potentially new species. Rhagoletis pomonellafruit flies in eastern North America underwent a host shift ~160 ya from native downy hawthorn (Crataegus mollis) to introduced, domesticated apple (Malus domestica). Divergent selection on diapause phenology related to the earlier fruiting time of apples versus downy hawthorns resulted in partial allochronic reproductive isolation between the fly races. Here, we test for how rapid and repeatable shifts in life-history timing are driving ecological divergence of R. pomonella in the Pacific …

On Flavonoid Accumulation In Different Plant Parts: Variation Patterns Among Individuals And Populations In The Shore Campion (Silene Littorea), José C. Del Valle, Mª Luisa Buide, Inés Casimiro-Soriguer, Justen B. Whittall, Eduardo Narbona

Biology

The presence of anthocyanins in flowers and fruits is frequently attributed to attracting pollinators and dispersers. In vegetative organs, anthocyanins and other non-pigmented flavonoids such as flavones and flavonols may serve protective functions against UV radiation, cold, heat, drought, salinity, pathogens, and herbivores; thus, these compounds are usually produced as a plastic response to such stressors. Although, the independent accumulation of anthocyanins in reproductive and vegetative tissues is commonly postulated due to differential regulation, the accumulation of flavonoids within and among populations has never been thoroughly compared. Here, we investigated the shore campion (Silene littorea, Caryophyllaceae) which exhibits …

Seed Germination Ecology Of The Cold Desert Annual Isatis Violascens (Brassicaceae): Two Levels Of Physiological Dormancy And Role Of The Pericarp, Yuan M. Zhou, Juan J. Lu, Dun Y. Tan, Carol C. Baskin, Jerry M. Baskin

Biology Faculty Publications

The occurrence of various species of Brassicaceae with indehiscent fruits in the cold deserts of NW China suggests that there are adaptive advantages of this trait. We hypothesized that the pericarp of the single-seeded silicles of Isatis violascens restricts embryo expansion and thus prevents germination for 1 or more years. Thus, our aim was to investigate the role of the pericarp in seed dormancy and germination of this species. The effects of afterripening, treatment with gibberellic acid (GA₃) and cold stratification on seed dormancy-break were tested using intact silicles and isolated seeds, and germination phenology was monitored in …

No Effect Of Host Species On Phenoloxidase Activity In A Mycophagous Beetle, Vincent A. Formica, Amanda Kar-Men Chan , '16

Biology Faculty Works

Ecological immunology is an interdisciplinary field that helps elucidate interactions between the environment and immune response. The host species individuals experience have profound effects on immune response in many species of insects. However, this conclusion comes from studies of herbivorous insects even though species of mycophagous insects also inhabit many different host species. The goal of this study was to determine if fungal host species as well as individual, sex, body size, and host patch predict one aspect of immune function, phenoloxidase activity (PO). We sampled a metapopulation of Bolitotherus cornutus, a mycophagous beetle in southwestern Virginia. B. cornutus live …