Biology Commons^™

Home-Range Dynamics And Resource Selection Of American Marten (Martes Americana) In Michigan’S Northern Lower Peninsula, Angela Kujawa

Masters Theses

American marten (Martes americana) are typically associated with mature coniferous forests. Marten were extirpated from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula due to human impacts, such as fire, logging, and over-harvest. Little is known about the resource selection and distribution of marten in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula since their reintroduction in 1985-86. Resource selection functions are valuable tools to estimate the relative probability an animal will utilize an area and predict where they may occur. When creating a resource selection function, potential sources of variation in data collection methods and wildlife populations should be considered to ensure accurate results. We sought …

Dynamic Sex Chromosomes In Old World Chameleons (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae), Stuart V. Nielsen, J. L. Banks, R. E. Diaz Jr., P. A. Trainor, Tony Gamble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Much of our current state of knowledge concerning sex chromosome evolution is based on a handful of ‘exceptional’ taxa with heteromorphic sex chromosomes. However, classifying the sex chromosome systems of additional species lacking easily identifiable, heteromorphic sex chromosomes is indispensable if we wish to fully understand the genesis, degeneration and turnover of vertebrate sex chromosomes. Squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes) are a potential model clade for studying sex chromosome evolution as they exhibit a suite of sex‐determining modes yet most species lack heteromorphic sex chromosomes. Only three (of 203) chameleon species have identified sex chromosome systems (all with female heterogamety, …

Reproductive Correlates Of A Perineal Gland In The Hispid Cotton Rat, Robert K. Rose, Julie A. Winchell

Virginia Journal of Science

During studies of the annual cycle of reproduction in the hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) in southeastern Virginia, we discovered an anal (more specifically, perineal) gland that is present only in males during the breeding season.  The perineal gland encircles the lower end of the rectum and has ductal connections to the urethra, through which its secretions probably are delivered.  This fatty gland is highly developed in breeding males but, like the testes and seminal vesicles, regresses during the winter non-breeding season. The prominence and cyclicity of the perineal gland suggest that it somehow facilitates normal reproduction.  The …

Organismal Biology (Georgia Tech), Shana Kerr, David Garton

Biological Sciences Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for Organismal Biology was created under a Round Six ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

Principles Of Biology (Egsc), Martiana Sega, David Chevalier

Biological Sciences Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for Principles of Biology was created under a Round Six ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

Plants, Society, And The Environment, Thomas Harnden, Katie Bridges

Biological Sciences Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for Plants, Society, and the Environment was created under a Round Six ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

Data Files Column Key: Effects Of Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera Maackii) On Headwater Streams, Julia I. Chapman, Eric B. Borth, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files

Document provides a description for each column heading used in the data files contained in the collection "Effects of Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) on Headwater Streams."

File is in comma-separated values (.csv) format; to view the file in Excel (.xlsx), see the supplemental file.

Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase Is A Potential Therapeutic Target In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells, Abdul Manan Sanni-Adam

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Biology News, Spring 2018, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Biology.

Biology News

Contents:

-- Greetings from Biology
-- Biology Alumni
-- Department News
-- You Can Make a Difference
-- Support for Students

Changes In Herbaceous Plant Diversity In An Old-Growth Ohio Forest Before And After Emerald Ash Borer Invasion, Taylor Melissa Buskey

Honors Theses

The herbaceous layer of eastern North American deciduous forests is an important contributor to biodiversity in this region. One of the greatest threats to herbaceous plant diversity is the introduction of invasive species, which can suppress native species and alter local environmental conditions. Agrilus planipennis (emerald ash borer) is a non-native insect pest that has caused a mass death of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America since its introduction to the United States. The resultant changes in canopy structure may affect local conditions and thus have indirect impacts on herbaceous layer composition. Drew Woods State Nature Preserve is a …

Chronic Administration Of Probiotic L. Rhamnosus Increases Anxiety-Like Behavior In Group-Housed Male Long Evans Rats, Parker Maddison Griff

Honors Theses

Early life stress is a risk factor for later development of alcohol use disorders and anxiety disorders in humans. Using rodent experimental models, we know that rats experiencing social isolation as early-life stress exhibit greater anxiety-like behavior and alcohol consumption than rats housed in groups. Examining potential preventive strategies, we investigated the effects of probiotics, which have previously been shown to decrease rodent anxiety-like behavior, on the relationship between early-life stress and anxiety-like behavior in rats. We hypothesized that probiotics consumption would decrease anxiety-like behavior in socially isolated rats, as well as in rats housed in groups. To our surprise, …

Microbial Diversity In The Eukaryotic Sar Clade: Illuminating The Darkness Between Morphology And Molecular Data, Jean David Grattepanche, Laura M. Walker, Brittany M. Ott, Daniela L. Paim Pinto, Charles F. Delwiche, Christopher E. Lane, Laura A. Katz

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Despite their diversity and ecological importance, many areas of the SAR—Stramenopila, Alveolata, and Rhizaria—clade are poorly understood as the majority (90%) of SAR species lack molecular data and only 5% of species are from well-sampled families. Here, we review and summarize the state of knowledge about the three major clades of SAR, describing the diversity within each clade and identifying synapomorphies when possible. We also assess the “dark area” of SAR: the morphologically described species that are missing molecular data. The majority of molecular data for SAR lineages are characterized from marine samples and vertebrate hosts, highlighting the need for …

Characterization Of A Morphogenetic Furrow Specific Gal4 Driver In The Developing Drosophila Eye, Ankita Sarkar, Neha Gogia, Kevin Farley, Lydia C. Payton, Amit Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

The ability to express a gene of interest in a spatio-temporal manner using Gal4-UAS system has allowed the use of Drosophila model to study various biological phenomenon. During Drosophila eye development, a synchronous wave of differentiation called Morphogenetic furrow (MF) initiates at the posterior margin resulting in differentiation of retinal neurons. This synchronous differentiation is also observed in the differentiating retina of vertebrates. Since MF is highly dynamic, it can serve as an excellent model to study patterning and differentiation. However, there are not any Gal4 drivers available to observe the gain- of- function or loss- of- function of a …

Proteasome Storage Granules Protect Proteasomes From Autophagic Degradation Upon Carbon Starvation, Richard S. Marshall, Richard D. Vierstra

Biology Faculty Research

26S proteasome abundance is tightly regulated at multiple levels, including the elimination of excess or inactive particles by autophagy. In yeast, this proteaphagy occurs upon nitrogen starvation but not carbon starvation, which instead stimulates the rapid sequestration of proteasomes into cytoplasmic puncta termed proteasome storage granules (PSGs). Here, we show that PSGs help protect proteasomes from autophagic degradation. Both the core protease and regulatory particle sub-complexes are sequestered separately into PSGs via pathways dependent on the accessory proteins Blm10 and Spg5, respectively. Modulating PSG formation, either by perturbing cellular energy status or pH, or by genetically eliminating factors required for …

Kelch F-Box Protein Positively Influences Arabidopsis Seed Germination By Targeting Phytochrome-Interacting Factor1, Manoj Majee, Santosh Kumar, Praveen Kumar Kathare, Shuiqin Wu, Derek Gingerich, Nihar R. Nayak, Louai Salaita, Randy Dinkins, Kathleen Martin, Michael Goodin, Lynnette M A Dirk, Taylor D. Lloyd, Ling Zhu, Joseph Chappell, Arthur G. Hunt, Richard D. Vierstra, Enamul Huq, A Bruce Downie

Biology Faculty Research

Seeds employ sensory systems that assess various environmental cues over time to maximize the successful transition from embryo to seedling. Here we show that the Arabidopsis F-BOX protein COLD TEMPERATURE-GERMINATING (CTG)-10, identified by activation tagging, is a positive regulator of this process. When overexpressed (OE), CTG10 hastens aspects of seed germination. CTG10 is expressed predominantly in the hypocotyl, and the protein is localized to the nucleus. CTG10 interacts with PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR 1 (PIF1) and helps regulate its abundance in planta. CTG10-OE accelerates the loss of PIF1 in light, increasing germination efficiency, while PIF1-OE lines fail to complete germination in …

The Importance Of Preventative Medicine In Conjunction With Modern Day Genetic Studies, Sierra Sandler, Lauren Alfino, Mir Saleem

Biology Faculty Articles

Genetic screening in the primary care setting is the future of preventative medicine. Genetic testing is an important medical tool for assessing various inheritable diseases, conditions, and cancers. The ability to diagnose patients before symptoms surface can help lessen the severity of symptoms and promote quality of life. However, genetic screening can cause psychological distress from the knowledge of test results, in some cases only serving to increase the risk of developing a condition due to stress. Genetic testing can be conducted anytime in life, even before birth. In this review, a compilation of genetic testing's definitions and boundaries, factors …

Analysis Of Whole Exome Sequence Data In Affected Cousin Pairs From High-Risk Alzheimer's Pedigrees, Lyndsay Ann Staley

Theses and Dissertations

Genetic factors account for about half of Alzheimers Disease (AD) risk and only about a quarter of that heritability is accounted for by known variants. Family based approaches to understanding AD genetics may be an effective way to identify additional risk factors. Here we report the results of whole exome sequencing (WES) and analyses done on pairs of AD affected cousins from 19 families from the Utah Population Database (UPDB) with a statistical excess of AD risk. WES variants passing quality control were additionally filtered by population frequency (minor allele <<> 0.01) and concordance between cousin pairs, resulting in 564 variants …

Blooming Mountains Of Biodiversity: An Investigation Of Angiosperms On Cerro Mayordomo, Tungurahua, Ecuador, Ella Matsuda

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, and many of the species in the region are found nowhere else in the world. The cloud forest is particularly diverse because the mountainous terrain isolates populations and changes in elevation create a wide variety of habitats. Cerro Mayordomo is a relatively unexplored mountain in the cloud forest of Tungurahua, Ecuador. It is known to have very high levels of endemism and several new species have been discovered there, but the biodiversity of angiosperms on the mountain has never been quantified. In this study, 5x5 m quadrants were established …

Selection Of Potential Therapeutic Bacteriophages That Lyse A Ctx-M-15 Extended Spectrum Β-Lactamase Producing Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhi Strain From The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Elene Kakabadze, Khatuna Makalatia, Nino Grdzelishvili, Nata Bakuradze, Marina Goderdzishvili, Ia Kusradze, Marie France Phoba, Octavie Lunguya, Cédric Lood, Rob Lavigne, Jan Jacobs, Stijn Deborggraeve, Tessa De Block, Sandra Van Puyvelde, David Lee, Aidan Coffey, Anahit Sedrakyan, Patrick Soentjens, Daniel De Vos, Jean Paul Pirnay, Nina Chanishvili

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Recently, a Salmonella Typhi isolate producing CTX-M-15 extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and with decreased ciprofloxacin susceptibility was isolated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We have selected bacteriophages that show strong lytic activity against this isolate and have potential for phage-based treatment of S. Typhi, and Salmonella in general.

Salivary Biomarkers For The Diagnosis And Monitoring Of Neurological Diseases, R. Farah, H. Haraty, Z. Salame, Y. Fares, David M. Ojcius, N. Said Sadier

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Current research efforts on neurological diseases are focused on identifying novel disease biomarkers to aid in diagnosis, provide accurate prognostic information and monitor disease progression. With advances in detection and quantification methods in genomics, proteomics and metabolomics, saliva has emerged as a good source of samples for detection of disease biomarkers. Obtaining a sample of saliva offers multiple advantages over the currently tested biological fluids as it is a non-invasive, painless and simple procedure that does not require expert training or harbour undesirable side effects for the patients. Here, we review the existing literature on salivary biomarkers and examine their …

Electrical And Biomechanical Properties Of Rat Ventricular Myocytes: Effect Of Exercise-Training & Beta-Adrenergic Regulation, Xinrui Wang

Dissertations (1934 -)

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the western world, and programs of exercise-training have been shown to ameliorate cardiovascular risk factors and protect against heart diseases. The cellular/molecular mechanisms of regular exercise induced adaptations in the heart remains incomplete. To address this, female and male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to exercise trained (TRN) or sedentary (SED) groups. After 6-8 weeks training, ventricular myocytes were isolated and studied.Exercise-training prolonged the action potential duration (APD) in myocytes isolated from apex and base regions at low stimulation rate (1Hz), while shortening the APD at high …

An Assessment Of Dna Extraction Protocols For Herbarium Specimen: The Case Of Uaeu Herbarium, Mouza Ali Hasan Mohammad Alshehhi

Biology Theses

The herbarium collections have become vastly used due to the recent developments in molecular techniques. Molecular techniques such as DNA extraction and DNA sequencing are playing an important role in studying genetic makeup of plant and identifying the evolutionary relationship using DNA bar coding. Herbarium collection is considered as one of the potential source to access the genetic material of the extinct plant species. Study focused on the DNA isolation process using five isolation techniques: Maxwell, Synergy, Qiagen, I-Genomic , and CTAB on herbarium desert/medicine plant: Inula Helenium, Chenopodium album, Salsola Kali, Haloxylon Persicum, Atriplex Halimus and compared them with …

The Evolutionary Significance Of Body Size In Burying Beetles, Ashlee Nichole Momcilovich

Theses and Dissertations

Body size is one of the most commonly studied traits of an organism, which is largely due to its direct correlation with fitness, life history strategy, and physiology of the organism. Patterns of body size distribution are also often studied. The distribution of body size within species is looked at for suggestions of differential mating strategies or niche variation among ontogenetic development. Patterns are also examined among species to determine the effects of competition, environmental factors, and phylogenetic inertia. Finally, the distribution of body size across the geographic range of a species or group of closely related is looked at …

Influenza D Virus M2 Protein Exhibits Ion Channel Activity In Xenopus Laevis Oocytes, Evan Daniel Kesinger

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

The Influenza virus M2 ion channel has good potential as a target for antiviral drugs, as the channel is necessary for viral replication. M2 of Influenza A and B viruses has beenstudied extensively, and is understood to function as a proton channel. Antiviral drugs like amantadine and rimantadine have been used to block the function of Influenza A virus M2. Influenza C virus M2 has also been researched and is understood to act as a chloride ion channel. However, the M2 channel of Influenza D virus (DM2) has been studied very little, and the activity and mechanism of the channel …

The Role Of Vitamin D Receptors In Gastric Epithelial Homeostasis, Ifrah Ismail Ali

Biology Theses

The gastric epithelium consists of different types of cells, which are involved in gastric homeostasis by balancing cell proliferation and differentiation. This process involves several signaling molecules such as growth factors, hormones and vitamins. Vitamin D3 (VD3) is engaged in several biological activities. It plays a role in cell differentiation, cell proliferation, immune response and also regulates calcium homeostasis. The biological activities of VD3 are mediated by vitamin D receptor (VDR). Target tissues of VD3 in the gastrointestinal tract were identified earlier in intestine, colon and gastric cancer tissues; however, the normal expression of VDR in stomach is poorly studied. …

Effect Of Feeding Frequency And Stocking Density On Tilapia Oreochromis Niloticus And Lettuce Lactuca Sativa Production In Aquaponics System Under The Uae Condition And Business Enterprise Analysis, Ahmed Abdelrahman Mohamed Abdelrahman

Biology Theses

This thesis was carried out to investigate the impact of various Tilapia (Oreochromisniloticus) feeding frequency and stocking density on quality and quantity of organic lettuce that is produced in an aquaponic system, knowing that they affect the nutrient content in water. Business analysis through enterprise budget was developed considering different feeding frequency and stocking density of the fish to predict the business efficiency of the system, and the net incomes were as high as AED 34,394 and AED 46,637, respectively. On the other hand, lettuce was seeded in a culture raceway. The duration of the experiments was decided to be …

Anti-Colon Cancer Effect Of Origanum Majorana Essential Oil, Asma Nasser Rashed Alrashedi

Biology Theses

Plants have been shown to be an excellent source of new drugs, including anticancer agents. Origanum majorana commonly known as marjoram is a plant that is known to possess different therapeutic values including antioxidant andantimicrobial activities.

Our research team has previously tested the ethanolic extract of O. majorana on triple negative breast cancer and published the findings. The ethanolic extract promoted mitotic arrest at G2/M phase, induced apoptosis as well as inhibition of migration and metastasis. The promising potential of the ethanolic extract encouraged us to test the effects of O. majorana essential oil on human colon cancer cell lines. …

School Of Biological Sciences News, 2018, School Of Biological Sciences

School of Biological Sciences News

Alumni newsletter of Illinois State University's School of Biological Sciences.

The Geometry Of Nutrient Space–Based Life-History Trade-Offs: Sex-Specific Effects Of Macronutrient Intake On The Trade-Off Between Encapsulation Ability And Reproductive Effort In Decorated Crickets, James Rapkin, Clarissa M. House, John Hunt, Scott K. Sakaluk, Kim Jensen, C. Ruth Archer, Enrique Del Castillo

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Life-history theory assumes that traits compete for limited resources, resulting in trade-offs. The most commonly manipulated resource in empirical studies is the quantity or quality of diet. Recent studies using the geometric framework for nutrition, however, suggest that trade-offs are often regulated by the intake of specific nutrients, but a formal approach to identify and quantify the strength of such trade-offs is lacking. We posit that trade-offs occur whenever life-history traits are maximized in different regions of nutrient space, as evidenced by nonoverlapping 95% confidence regions of the global maximum for each trait and large angles (θ) between linear nutritional …

Use Of The Sea Hare (Aplysia Fasciata) In Marine Pollution Biomonitoring Of Harbors And Bays, Frank J. Dirrigl, Zachariah Badaoui, Carlos Tamez, Christopher Vitek, Jason Parsons

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Our study evaluated heavy metal concentrations in soft tissues of sea hare, Aplysia fasciata, from the Lower Laguna Madre, Texas. Heavy metals in tissues followed Se > As > Pb > Cd. Concentrations ranged As (BDL-28.08), Cd (BDL-5.50), Pb (BDL-12.85) and Se (4.25-93.43 ppm). Median As, Cd, Pb, and Se tissue levels exceeded exposure levels. Significant relationships occurred in metal-metal (As-Cd, As-Pb, Cd-Pb, Cd-Se, and Pb-Se), metal-tissue (significant Se uptake by inhalant and exhalant siphons and As in the hepatopancreas), and metal-metal within tissue (As-Pb in the hepatopancreas and Cd-Pb in the digestive cecum) analyses (p