Biology Commons^™

A Comparison Of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages Between Perennial And Intermittent Headwater Streams Of The Mattole River In Northern California, Usa, Mason S. London

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Intermittent streams are common throughout the world and comprise 60% or more of total river lengths in the conterminous United States. Despite their prevalence, intermittent streams are understudied, particularly first-order headwater streams, which are vital for maintaining the function, health and biotic diversity of river networks. In June 2016, I sampled five intermittent and five perennial headwater streams in the Mattole River watershed in northwestern coastal California, USA, to compare benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) assemblages between intermittent and perennial streams. BMI samples were collected using a 500µm mesh D-net at eight randomly located riffles along a 150-m reach, and then composited, …

Full Issue: Volume 10, Number 2

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

A National Audit Of Smoking Cessation Services In Irish Maternity Units, C. Reynolds, B. Egan, Shona Cawley, S. Sheehan, M. Turner

Articles

Irish Medical Journal

Access the journal here

Investigating Mirna Functions In Arabidopsis By Short Tandem Target Mimic (Sttm), Yiyou Gu

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

MicroRNA (miRNAs) and other endogenous small RNAs play important role in regulating gene expression in eukaryotes. Till now, several techniques have been developed for miRNA function analysis. Because of the characteristic of miRNAs, the most applicable method for miRNA function research is blocking the whole miRNA family specifically. Here, we report an artificial non-coding transcript termed Short Tandem Target Mimic (STTM) for blocking miRNA activity in Arabidopsis thaliana. The STTM composed of two miRNA target sites with three nucleotides bulge in the miRNA cleavage site, the two-miRNA targets separated by spacer linker. We used this technique blocking several important endogenous …

The Effect Of Road Crossings On Stream-Associated Salamanders Within Holly Springs National Forest, Caleb Ashton Aldridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Road crossings have significant effects on wildlife, but there is limited information on how road crossings affect stream-associated salamanders. Stream-associated salamanders are vital to their ecological communities and are likely to experience the effect of roads more readily than other species due to their physiological characteristics. To test the effects of road crossings on stream-associated salamanders, I surveyed 12 pairs of confluent streams – one stream crossed by a road and the other not in each pair – within Holly Springs National Forest, Mississippi. Surveys in the summer of 2015 were used to measure abundance and species richness of stream-associated …

Analysis Of Transient Hypermorphic Activity Of E(Spl)D During R8 Specification, Adam T. Majot, Ashok P. Bidwai

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Drosophila atonal (ato) is required for the specification of founding R8 photoreceptors during retinal development. ato is regulated via dual eye-specific enhancers; ato-3’ is subject to initial induction whereas 5’-ato facilitates Notch-mediated autoregulation. Notch is further utilized to induce bHLH repressors of the E(spl) locus to restrict Ato from its initial broad expression to individual cells. Although Notch operates in two, distinct phases, it has remained unclear how the two phases maintain independence from one another. The difference in these two phases has attributed to the hypothesized delayed expression of E(spl). However, immunofluorescence data indicate that E(spl) are expressed during …

Studies On Organogenesis During Regeneration In The Earthworm, Eudrilus Eugeniae, In Support Of Symbiotic Association With Bacillus Endophyticus, Elaiya Raja Subramanian, Dineshkumar Sudalaimani, Johnson Retnaraj Samuel Selvan Christyraj, Kalidas Ramamoorthy M, Nino Gopi D, Jackson Durairaj Selvan Christyraj, Kasimani Renganathan, Sundar Krishnan, Sudhakar Sivasubramaniam

Turkish Journal of Biology

Organogenesis and animal adaptation upon loss of body parts are crucial events in regeneration of all traits, and both are uncovered areas in biology. The organogenesis of the mouth and anus during regeneration was studied in Eudrilus eugeniae. It was found that the earthworm regenerates a functional mouth and anus in six days. During the course of organogenesis, the earthworm adopts unique starvation behavior for 5 days, and the starvation triggers the gut microflora of E. eugeniae to produce riboflavin. One of the efficient riboflavin-producing bacteria, Bacillus endophyticus, confirmed through 16S rRNA sequencing, has been isolated from its gut. The …

The Mtt Viability Assay Yields Strikingly False-Positive Viabilities Although The Cells Are Killed By Some Plant Extracts, Di̇dem Karakaş, Ferda Ari, Engi̇n Ulukaya

Turkish Journal of Biology

The MTT assay is one of the often used cell viability/cytotoxicity assays. However, when the methanol extracts of plants are used to test their cytotoxic potential, interference may occur, resulting in false-positive viability results. Therefore, in this study, the reliability of the MTT assay was investigated in the case of plant use. The methanol extracts of three different plants (Hypericum adenotrichum, Salvia kronenburgii, and Pelargonium quercetorum) were tested in breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) using the MTT assay and the results were compared to the ATP assay, which is a much more sensitive and reliable assay due to …

Exploration Of The Binding Pocket Of Histone Deacetylases: The Design Of Potent And Isoform-Selective Inhibitors, Abdullahi̇ İbrahi̇m Uba, Kemal Yelekçi̇

Turkish Journal of Biology

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are enzymes that act on histone proteins to remove the acetyl group and thereby regulate the chromatin state. HDACs act not only on histone protein but also nonhistone proteins that are key players in cellular processes such as the cell cycle, signal transduction, apoptosis, and more. "Classical" HDACs have been shown to be promising targets for anticancer drug design and development. However, the selectivity of HDAC inhibitors for HDAC isoforms remains the motivation of current research in this field. Here, we explored Class I HDACs and HDAC6 by sequence alignment and structural superimposition, catalytic channel extraction, and …

Characterization Of Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Core Histones By Top-Down Mass Spectrometry Reveals Unique Algae-Specific Variants And Post-Translational Modifications, Aliyya Khan, Carlo Eikani, Hana Khan, Anthony Iavarone, James Pesavento

School of Science Faculty Works

The unicellular microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has played an instrumental role in the development of many new fields (bioproducts, biofuels, etc.) as well as the advancement of basic science (photosynthetic apparati, flagellar function, etc.). Chlamydomonas' versatility ultimately derives from the genes encoded in its genome and the way that the expression of these genes is regulated, which is largely influenced by a family of DNA binding proteins called histones. We characterize C. reinhardtii core histones, both variants and their post-translational modifications, by chromatographic separation, followed by top-down mass spectrometry (TDMS). Because TDMS has not been previously used to study Chlamydomonas proteins, …

Quantification And Analysis Of Carbon-13 And Nitrogen-15 Stable Isotope Variation In Brood V Cicada Nymph Exoskeletons, Eric Aho

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Endemic to eastern North America, the periodical cicada of the genus Magicicada is an insect that has captured people’s curiosity for centuries. Feeding on root xylem for 13 or 17 years, these insects emerge from the earth by the millions and shed their exoskeletons before maturing into reproductive adults. The short 2-3 month window in which periodical cicadas are active provides a short yet large resource pulse to both consumers and soil. Capitalizing on the 2016 emergence of Brood V, this study examined the d¹³C and d¹⁵N values of cicada nymph exoskeletons, seeking to identify patterns …

Wetland Connectivity And Macroinvertebrate Diversity, Samantha M. Hodgson, Jacob Pollock, Dr. Anne E. Wiley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Wetlands are important in filtering pollutants from aquatic ecosystems and also serve as habitats for a diverse array of organisms. However, wetland-river networks are often subject to human disturbances such as dyke construction. These decreases in connectivity have the potential to impede movement of organisms and nutrients between habitats.

This study examined how the food web structure and diversity of macroinvertebrate communities differ between wetland sites connected and disconnected to nearby rivers. According to macroinvertebrate surveys in wetlands connected to nearby rivers and dyked wetlands (not connected to nearby rivers), there is an increase in average species richness and diversity …

The Impacts Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Herbivory On The Forage Quality Of Forest Vegetation, Jonathan David Becker

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are abundant across North America. Deer impact ecosystems, both directly and indirectly. These impacts are driven by the foraging preferences of deer. The energy, protein, mineral, fiber, and secondary metabolite content of plants are important factors that inform the selective herbivory of deer. I examined the interactions between forage quality and deer impacts in northern Wisconsin using deer exclosures. I examined the forage quality of four focal species (Acer saccharum, Maianthemum canadense, Dryopteris intermedia and Carex pensylvanica) in both control and exclosure plots. Forage quality parameters measured were energy, protein, ash, phosphorus, silica, fiber, and saponins. …

Determinants Of Host Use In Tachinid Parasitoids (Diptera: Tachinidae) Of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) In Southwest Ohio, Matthew W. Duncan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Tachinid parasitoids in the subfamily Phasiinae are important natural enemies of heteropteran bugs. Host location by these flies occurs via antennal reception to the pheromones of their hosts; however little is known regarding the mechanisms which underlie host selection. Halyomorpha halys, the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, represents a potential novel host species in North America. This study was conducted to determine the suitability of H. halys as a host for phasiine species, and to assess cues used in host selection by the species Gymnoclytia occidua. Field attraction to pentatomid pheromones by both phasiines and pentatomids in Southwest Ohio were …

Characterizing The Developmental And Reproductive Toxicities Of Cannabidiol And Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Dennis Ray Carty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Medical marijuana is legal in twenty-nine of the United States and an additional nineteen states have passed legislation for cannabidiol (CBD) treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy, such as Dravet Syndrome (DS) which is diagnosed in children as young as two months. While CBD has shown anecdotal and recently clinical trial efficacy in reducing seizure frequency in DS patients, little is known about the potential adverse side-effects on child physiology, brain development, adult disease, or subsequent generations. Moreover, CBD is rarely administered without including low concentrations of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The goal of this project is to characterize the relative morphological, behavioral, reproductive, …

Effect Of Fuel Deposition Rate On Departure Fuel Load Of Migratory Songbirds During Spring Stopover Along The Northern Coast Of The Gulf Of Mexico, Kristen M. Covino

Biology Faculty Works

Migrants are generally assumed to minimize their overall migration time by adjusting their departure fuel loads (DFL) in relation to anticipated and experienced fuel deposition rates (FDRs). We utilized a 21-yr long migration banding station dataset to examine the relationship between FDR and DFL during spring migration in six Nearctic-Neotropical migratory songbird species during stopover along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) following trans-gulf flight. Estimates of fuel stores, stopover durations, and FDRs from our long term migration data set were combined to determine DFL. We expected and found that migrants across all six species adjust their …

Novel Functions Of Cardiolipin Remodeling In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae And Mammalian Cells: Implications For Barth Syndrome, Wenjia Lou

Wayne State University Dissertations

Cardiolipin (CL) is a unique phospholipid that is primarily localized within the inner mitochondrial membrane. Newly synthesized CL undergoes acyl remodeling to produce CL species enriched with unsaturated acyl groups. The tafazzin gene (TAZ) encodes a transacylase that remodels CL. Deficiencies in CL remodeling cause Barth syndrome (BTHS), an X-linked genetic disorder resulting from TAZ mutations that lead to reduced total CL content and an accumulation of monolysocardiolipin (MLCL), an intermediate of the CL remodeling pathway. However, which of these biochemical outcomes contributes to the physiological defects is not fully understood.

Deletion of yeast CL phospholipase rescues the taz1growth phenotype. …

Targeting Host Defense: The Dynamic Nd10 Interaction And The Differential Substrate Recognition Of Hsv-1 Icp0, Yi Zheng

Wayne State University Dissertations

ICP0 is one of the immediate early viral proteins and essential for HSV-1 replication in low MOI infection. ICP0 is involved in manipulating various cellular pathways and attenuating their inhibitory functions on viral replication through either protein-protein interaction or using its E3 ligase activity to degrade restrictive factors. Upon infection, HSV-1 viral DNA is injected into the nucleus and found to be closely associated with ND10. ND10 association with viral DNA causes the repression of viral gene expression, which is inactivated by ICP0. HSV-1 employs ICP0 to target key ND10 components PML and Sp100 for proteasomal degradation, leading to the …

Evidence Of Chemical Camouflage In Pirate Perch (Aphredoderus Sayanus); Avoiding Detection By Colonizing/Ovipositing Prey Through Chemical Crypsis, Tyler Breech

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

West Indian Manatee (Trichechus Manatus) Habitat Characterization Using Side-Scan Sonar, Mindy J. Mclarty

Master's Theses

In this study, the reliability of low cost side-scan sonar to accurately identify soft substrates such as grass and mud was tested. Benthic substrates can be hard to classify from the surface, necessitating an alternative survey approach. A total area of 11.5 km² was surveyed with the sonar in a large, brackish mangrove lagoon system. Individual points were ground-truthed for comparison with the sonar recordings to provide a measure of accuracy. Five substrate types were identified: Dense seagrass, sparse seagrass, mangrove soil, mangrove soil with rock, and silt. A zoned benthic substrate map was created from the sonar recordings. …

Increased Bufflehead (Bucephala Albeola) Breeding Activity In Minnesota, Susan N. Ellis-Felege, Cassandra G. Skaggs, Gregory A. Knutsen

Biology Faculty Publications

Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) predominantly nest in the boreal forests and aspen parklands of Canada and Alaska. Historically, Buffleheads were common migrants but not summer residents in Minnesota. However, recent observations in Minnesota and surrounding states suggest increased breeding activity in the region. In 1978, the first Bufflehead brood in Minnesota was recorded at East Park Wildlife Management Area. Annually, Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) has conducted pair and brood surveys, with species-specific records available from 1990 to 2014. We report an increase in numbers of Bufflehead breeding pairs and broods at Agassiz NWR and new pair observations in …

Landscape Features Affecting Northern Bobwhite Predator-Specific Nest Failures In Southeastern Usa, Susan N. Ellis-Felege, Shannon E. Albeke, Nathan P. Nibbelink, Michael J. Conroy, Clay Sisson, William E. Palmer, John P. Carroll

Biology Faculty Publications

Nest predation is a critical component in avian productivity and typically is the leading cause of nest failure for most birds. Several landscape features are thought to drive the behavioral interaction between northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; e.g., nest placement) and their predators (e.g., search methods for food acquisition). In order to understand habitat characteristics influencing predation, we studied bobwhite nests using 24-hour near-infrared video cameras. We monitored 675 bobwhite nests with cameras on 3 properties in northern Florida and southern Georgia, USA, during 2000–2006. To test the association between nest failures and specific failure causes with landscape structure, we calculated …

A Novel Approach To Assessing The Quality Of Coach-Athlete Relationships: Can The Coach-Athlete Relationship Be Evaluated For Motivational Support By Analysis Of Published Coach Interviews?, Nikia C. Evans

University Honors Theses

The aim of this paper is to present a novel methodology to be used in evaluating the quality of the coach-athlete relationship in line self-determination theory and based on the motivational model of the coach-athlete relationship proposed by Mageau and Vallerand. This paper consists of a review of the extant literature surrounding self-determination theory as applied to sports, followed by a pilot study testing the proposed new methodology. The methodology utilizes existing coach interviews conducted by institution media to evaluate the language used by NCAA D1 soccer coaches in reference to their teams. The findings of the study serve to …

Responding To Soil Fungal Communities: A Look At Interactions Between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi And The Common Yellow Monkeyflower, Mariah Mcintosh

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The obligate fungal mutualists arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonize the roots approximately 80% of vascular plants, generally thought to provide mineral nutrition, pathogen protection, or drought resistance to plants in exchange for photosynthetic carbon. Because of the ecological and evolutionary significance of these interactions, much work has been done to understand this symbiosis at the community level. However, much remains to be understood about how AMF affect plant fitness on an individual level. In this study, we took advantage of the tractability of the emerging model species Mimulus guttatus, the common yellow monkeyflower, to identify genetic differences in how …

Treating Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines With The Use Of Plants, Shaylee Green

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Purification Of Human Hematopoietic Prostaglandin D-Synthase, Katherine Peffen

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Striped Tail Darter Project, Zeina Sleiman

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Osm1 Facilitates The Transfer Of Electrons From Erv1 To Fumarate In The Redox-Regulated Import Pathway In The Mitochondrial Intermembrane Space, Deepa V. Dabir

Biology Faculty Works

Prokaryotes have aerobic and anaerobic electron acceptors for oxidative folding of periplasmic proteins. The mitochondrial intermembrane space has an analogous pathway with the oxidoreductase Mia40 and sulfhydryl oxidase Erv1, termed the mitochondrial intermembrane space assembly (MIA) pathway. The aerobic electron acceptors include oxygen and cytochrome c, but an acceptor that can function under anaerobic conditions has not been identified. Here we show that the fumarate reductase Osm1, which facilitates electron transfer from fumarate to succinate, fills this gap as a new electron acceptor. In addition to microsomes, Osm1 localizes to the mitochondrial intermembrane space and assembles with Erv1 in a …

Clinical Implications Of Augmenter Of Liver Regeneration In Cancer: A Systematic Review, Deepa V. Dabir

Biology Faculty Works

Background/Aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma is a substantial healthcare burden with high prevalence and poor prognosiS. As such, efforts are continually made to uncover molecules relevant in cancer biology, that are exploitable as targets for therapy. The mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell and exhibits altered functionality in the malignant state, including aberrant regulation of apoptosis and cellular respiration. Augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) is a multifunctional mitochondrial protein that demonstrates antioxidative and anti-apoptotic properties and plays a key role in liver regeneration. Materials and Methods: The present study systematically reviews the available literature on the role of ALR in cancer. …

Simultaneous Synergist, Antagonistic, And Additive Interactions Between Multiple Local Stressors All Degrade Algal Turf Communities On Coral Reefs, Sarah Joy Bittick

Biology Faculty Works

1. Ecological communities are subjected to multiple anthropogenic stressors at both global and local scales that are increasing in number and magnitude. Stressors can interact in complex ways and are classified as additive, synergistic or antagonistic; the nature of the interaction is key to predicting changes and understanding community resilience. Coral reefs are among the most impacted communities and have shifted from coral to algal-dominated states, and overfishing, nutrient enrichment and sedimentation are local stressors that often cooccur and may support degraded algal states. Short algal turfs are abundant benthic space holders on healthy reefs that may be pushed by …