Biology Commons^™

Effect Of Rpon, Rpos And Luxs Pathways On The Biofilm Formation And Antibiotic Sensitivity Of Borrelia Burgdorferi, Eva Sapi, Priyanka A. Theophilus, Truc V. Pham, Divya Burugu, David Luecke

Biology and Environmental Science Faculty Publications

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is capable of forming biofilm in vivo and in vitro, a structure well known for its resistance to antimicrobial agents. For the formation of biofilm, signaling processes are required to communicate with the surrounding environment such as it was shown for the RpoN—RpoS alternative sigma factor and for the LuxS quorum-sensing pathways. Therefore, in this study, the wild-type B. burgdorferi and different mutant strains lacking RpoN, RpoS, and LuxS genes were studied for their growth characteristic and development of biofilm structures and markers as well as for their antibiotic sensitivity. …

Draft Allocation Report : Pearl Oyster (Pinctada Maxima) : Resource : By The Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

A Review Of Size Limits For Finfish In Western Australia : Discussion Paper, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Policy On The Application Of Fish Size Limits In Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Can We Predict Ectotherm Responses To Climate Change Using Thermal Performance Curves And Body Temperatures?, Brent J Sinclair, Katie E Marshall, Mary A Sewell, Danielle L Levesque, Christopher S Willett, Stine Slotsbo, Yunwei Dong, Christopher D G Harley, David J Marshall, Brian S Helmuth, Raymond B Huey

Biology Publications

Thermal performance curves (TPCs), which quantify how an ectotherm's body temperature (Tb ) affects its performance or fitness, are often used in an attempt to predict organismal responses to climate change. Here, we examine the key - but often biologically unreasonable - assumptions underlying this approach; for example, that physiology and thermal regimes are invariant over ontogeny, space and time, and also that TPCs are independent of previously experienced Tb. We show how a critical consideration of these assumptions can lead to biologically useful hypotheses and experimental designs. For example, rather than assuming that TPCs are fixed during ontogeny, one …

Six-Year Longitudinal Study Of Fasciola Hepatica Bulk Milk Antibody Elisa In The Dairy Dense Region Of The Republic Ireland, Maria Pia Munita

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Abstract

Completion of the F. hepatica lifecycle is dependent on suitable climatic conditions for development of immature stages of the parasite, and its snail intermediate host. Few investigations have been conducted regarding temporal variations in F. hepatica status in Irish dairy herds. The current study aimed to conduct a longitudinal study examining annual and seasonal trends in bulk milk seropositivity over six years, while also investigating associations with soil temperature, rainfall and flukicide treatment. Monthly bulk milk samples (BTM) were submitted by 28 herds between March 2009 and December 2014. In all, 1337 samples were analysed using a Cathepsin L1 …

Human-Associated Bacteroides Spp. And Human Polyomaviruses As Microbial Source Tracking Markers In Hawaii, Marek Kirs, Roberto A Caffaro-Filho, Mayee Wong, Valerie J. Harwood, Philip Moravcik, Roger S Fujioka

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Identification of sources of fecal contaminants is needed to (i) determine the health risk associated with recreational water use and (ii) implement appropriate management practices to mitigate this risk and protect the environment. This study evaluated human-associated Bacteroides spp. (HF183TaqMan) and human polyomavirus (HPyV) markers for host sensitivity and specificity using human and animal fecal samples collected in Hawaii. The decay rates of those markers and indicator bacteria were identified in marine and freshwater microcosms exposed and not exposed to sunlight, followed by field testing of the usability of the molecular markers. Both markers were strongly associated with sewage, although …

Reproductive Success Through High Pollinator Visitation Rates Despite Self Incompatibility In An Endangered Wallflower, Miranda K. Melen, Julie A. Herman, Jessica Lucas, Rachel E. O’Malley, Ingrid M. Parker, Aaron M. Thom, Justen B. Whittall

Biology

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Self incompatibility (SI) in rare plants presents a unique challenge—SI protects plants from inbreeding depression, but requires a sufficient number of mates and xenogamous pollination. Does SI persist in an endangered polyploid? Is pollinator visitation sufficient to ensure reproductive success? Is there evidence of inbreeding/outbreeding depression? We characterized the mating system, primary pollinators, pollen limitation, and inbreeding/outbreeding depression in Erysimum teretifolium to guide conservation efforts.

METHODS: We compared seed production following self pollination and within- and between-population crosses. Pollen tubes were visualized after self pollinations and between-population pollinations. Pollen limitation was tested in the field. Pollinator …

Detritus Quality And Locality Determines Survival And Mass, But Not Export, Of Wood Frogs At Metamorphosis, Joseph R. Milanovich, Kyle Barrett, John A. Crawford

Faculty Scholarship

Single-site experiments have demonstrated detritus quality in wetlands can have strongly negative, neutral, and even positive influences on wildlife. However, an examination of the influence of detritus quality across several regions is lacking and can provide information on whether impacts from variation in detritus quality are consistent across species with wide ranges. To address this gap in regional studies we examined effects of emergent and allochthonous detritus of different nutrient qualities on amphibians and assessed a mechanism that may contribute to potential impacts. We used aquatic mesocosms to raise wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) from two regions of the United States …

Chiral Separation And Quantitation Of Khat Designer Drug- Synthetic Cathinones- In Urine And Plasma, Rashed Humaid Khalfan Bin Huzaim

Accounting Dissertations

This dissertation is concerned with the latest class of the new designer drugs (NDDs) which overruns the world in the last few years as “legal high” drugs, under the name of bath salts or synthetic cathinones. Bath salts are a group of central nervous system stimulants that consists mainly of synthetic cathinone derivatives. In nature, cathinone (β-keto amphetamine) exists in the leaves of the Catha edulis plant which can be found easily in the region of northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. All synthetic cathinone derivatives contain a chiral center and most probably sold out as a racemic mixture. Commonly, …

Nonmotorized Recreation And Motorized Recreation In Shrub-Steppe Habitats Affects Behavior And Reproduction Of Golden Eagles (Aquila Chrysaetos), Robert J. Spaul, Julie A. Heath

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Different forms of outdoor recreation have different spatiotemporal activity patterns that may have interactive or cumulative effects on wildlife through human disturbance, physical habitat change, or both. In western North America, shrub-steppe habitats near urban areas are popular sites for motorized recreation and nonmotorized recreation and can provide important habitat for protected species, including golden eagles. Our objective was to determine whether recreation use (i.e., number of recreationists) or recreation features (e.g., trails or campsites) predicted golden eagle territory occupancy, egg-laying, or the probability a breeding attempt resulted in ≥1 offspring (nest survival). We monitored egg-laying, hatching and fledging success, …

Supportive Structures For Successful Science Teachers’ Professional Development, C. Schaben, C. Cutucache, N. Grandgenett, E. Mulkerrin, R. J. Hougham

Biology Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The Omaha Public Schools (OPS) Science Office collaborates closely with community partners to facilitate a private foundation grant that seeks to improve science education by focusing on in-service, science teachers’ professional learning in the context of professional development (PD) experiences and targeted graduate coursework. The three goals of the K-12 Comprehensive Science Teaching and Learning Grant are to 1) increase student achievement in science, 2) increase teacher effectiveness, and to 3) align and enhance science curriculum. At the end of year one, 83 teacher participants have taken graduate courses, attended professional conferences, completed action research projects, and/or have participated in …

The Role Of Acidosis In Fatigue: Pro Perspective, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Fluctuating Asymmetry In Two Common Freshwater Fishes As A Biological Indicator Of Urbanization And Environmental Stress Within The Middle Chattahoochee Watershed, William I. Lutterschmidt, Samantha L. Martin, Jacob F. Schaefer

Faculty Publications

Deviations in bilateral symmetry or fluctuating asymmetry of an organism may result under environmental stressors that reduce developmental homeostasis and stability. Anthropogenic stressors such as increased urbanization can negatively impact environmental quality of aquatic ecosystems. Researchers have stressed the value in finding easy, accurate and inexpensive methods for assessing potential stress within ecosystems. Here we use fluctuating asymmetry (FA) as a useful quantitative tool in assessing the environmental quality and potential urban-based stressors within eight creeks of the Bull and Upatoi Creeks Watershed within the larger watershed of the Middle Chattahoochee. Using Geographic Information System (GIS), we characterize land-use patterns …

Guidelines To Avoid Typical Difficulties According To The Rubric For Experimental Design (Red), Annwesa Dasgupta, Nancy Pelaez

PIBERG Publications

Experimental design is an important component of undergraduate biology education as it generates knowledge of biology. Despite its importance, there is limited information about what students actually learn from designing experiments. Dasgupta et al (2014) reported on the development and validation of a Rubric for Experimental Design (RED), informed by a literature review and empirical analysis of thousands of undergraduate biology students’ responses to three published assessments. The RED is a useful probe for five major areas of experimental design abilities: the variable properties of an experimental subject; the manipulated variables; measurement of outcomes; accounting for variability; and the scope …

The Effects Of Elevated Pco₂ And Temperature On The Embryonic Development, Larval Survivorship, Condition, Calcification, Morphology, And Behavior Of The Florida Stone Crab, Menippe Mercenaria, Philip Michael Gravinese

Theses and Dissertations

The emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere over the last century has increased atmospheric and oceanic temperatures, and has led to a decrease in oceanic pH. The increased ocean temperatures and reduced pH have been detrimental to marine life. In addition, Florida’s watersheds have suffered from decades of disrupted hydrology and diverted runoff, which has increased nutrients and changed coastal carbonate chemistry. Although the adult stages of many marine species are capable of tolerating fluctuations in environmental conditions (i.e., elevated pCO₂ tolerances to such conditions improve. and temperature), marine larvae that hatch in coastal habitats may not have the …

The Roles Of Biotin In Candida Albicans Physiology, Nur Ras Aini Ahmad Hussin

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Due to the increased number of immunocompromised patients, infections by Candida albicans have significantly increased in recent years. C. albicans transition from yeast to germ tubes is an essential factor for virulence. In this study we noted that Lee's medium, commonly used to induce filamentation, contained 500-fold more biotin than needed for growth. Thus, we investigated the effects of excess biotin on growth rate and filamentation by C. albicans in different media. At 37 °C, excess biotin (4 µM) enhanced germ tube formation (GTF) ca. 10-fold in both Lee's medium and a defined glucose proline medium, and ca. …

Inter- And Intra-Individual Variation In Predator-Related Behavioral Plasticity Expressed By Female Green Swordtails (Xiphophorus Hellerii), Rachael A. Disciullo

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of one genotype to express multiple phenotypes under variable environments. Behavioral plasticity is a type of phenotypic plasticity in which individuals adjust behavior in response to changes in environment. Often, behavioral plasticity is studied at the level of the population, rather than at the level of the individual. Further, few studies have considered the effect of individual traits, such as size and age, on the expression of behavioral plasticity, or, how individual plasticity may be correlated across different contexts. In this study, we used female green swordtails (Xiphophorus hellerii) to test the effects …

Microplastic In Surface Waters Of Urban Rivers: Concentration, Sources, And Associated Bacterial Assemblages, Amanda Rae Mccormick, Timothy Hoellein, Maxwell G. London, Joshua Hittie, John J. Kelly, John W. Scott

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The ecological dynamics of microplastic (<5 mm) are well documented in marine ecosystems, but the sources, abundance, and ecological role of microplastic in rivers are unknown and likely to be substantial. Microplastic fibers (e.g., synthetic fabrics) and pellets (e.g., abrasives in personal care products) are abundant in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, and can serve as a point source of microplastic in rivers. The buoyancy, hydrophobic surface, and long transport distance of microplastic make it a novel substrate for the selection and dispersal of unique microbial assemblages. We measured microplastic concentration and bacterial assemblage composition on microplastic and natural surfaces upstream and downstream of WWTP effluent sites at nine rivers in Illinois, United States. Microplastic concentration was higher downstream of WWTP effluent outfall sites in all but two rivers. Pellets, fibers, and fragments were the dominant microplastic types, and polymers were identified as polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene. Mean microplastic flux was 1,338,757 pieces per day, although the flux was highly variable among nine sites (min = 15,520 per day, max = 4,721,709 per day). High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes showed bacterial assemblage composition was significantly different among microplastic, seston, and water column substrates. Microplastic bacterial assemblages had lower taxon richness, diversity, and evenness than those on other substrates, and microplastic selected for taxa that may degrade plastic polymers (e.g., Pseudomonas) and those representing common human intestinal pathogens (e.g., Arcobacter). Effluent from WWTPs in rivers is an important component of the global plastic “life cycle,” and microplastic serves as a novel substrate that selects and transports distinct bacterial assemblages in urban rivers. Rates of microplastic deposition, consumption by stream biota, and the metabolic capacity of microplastic biofilms in rivers are unknown and merit further research.

Draft Genome Sequence For A Urinary Isolate Of Nosocomiicoccus Ampullae, Catherine Putonti, Evann E. Hilt, Travis K. Price, Katherine Diebel, Alan J. Wolfe

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

A draft genome sequence for a urinary isolate of Nosocomiicoccus ampullae (UMB0853) was investigated. The size of the genome was 1,578,043 bp, with an observed G+C content of 36.1%. Annotation revealed 10 rRNA sequences, 40 tRNA genes, and 1,532 protein-coding sequences. Genome coverage was 727× and consisted of 32 contigs, with an N₅₀ of 109,831 bp.

Muscle Fatigue From The Perspective Of A Single Crossbridge, Edward Patrick Debold, Robert H. Fitts, Christopher W. Sundberg, Thomas M. Nosek

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The repeated intense stimulation of skeletal muscle rapidly decreases its force- and motion-generating capacity. This type of fatigue can be temporally correlated with the accumulation of metabolic by-products, including phosphate (P_i) and protons (H⁺). Experiments on skinned single muscle fibers demonstrate that elevated concentrations of these ions can reduce maximal isometric force, unloaded shortening velocity, and peak power, providing strong evidence for a causative role in the fatigue process. This seems to be due, in part, to their direct effect on muscle’s molecular motor, myosin, because in assays using isolated proteins, these ions directly inhibit myosin’s …

Cho Endonuclease Functions During Dna Interstrand Crosslink Repair In Escherichia Coli, Anthonige Vidya Perera, James Brian Mendenhall, Charmain T. Courcelle, Justin Courcelle

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

DNA interstrand crosslinks are complex lesions that covalently link both strands of the duplex DNA. Lesion removal is proposed to initiate via the UvrABC nucleotide excision repair complex, however less is known about the subsequent steps of this complex repair pathway. In this study, we characterized the contribution of nucleotide excision repair mutants to survival in the presence of psoralen-induced damage. Unexpectedly, we observed that the nucleotide excision repair mutants exhibit differential sensitivity to psoralen-induced damage, with uvrC mutants being less sensitive than either uvrA or uvrB. We show that Cho, an alternative endonuclease, acts with UvrAB and is …