Biology Commons^™

A Chemical In Filter Paper Interferes With Trail Following Behavior In The Termite Reticulitermes Hesperus (Banks), Kathryn Vest

Student Scholar Showcase

Termites follow chemical trails. In previous experiments we dissolved and diluted chemicals in acetone to test if they elicited trail following. Each trail was a straight line across the arena drawn with 10 µl using a glass capillary (Microcaps). We noticed a minor but stable response to trails laid with pure acetone. The response could be caused by contaminated acetone or by a chemical in the filter paper (Watman #5) that lined our arena (petri dish, 10cm diameter). We could confirm that the termites respond to acetone alone. Soxkhlet extraction for 8 hours removed the signal from the filter paper. …

Co-Occurrence Of Manganese Oxidase Genes Indicates Lateral Transfer Between Classes Of Proteobacteria, Jacob Olichney

Student Scholar Showcase

Pseudomonas putida GB-1 is a model organism for the study of manganese oxidation in bacteria, however, the frequency of co-localization of multiple known and suspected manganese oxidizing proteins, as well as their occurrence between species, is unknown. Eight different genes isolated from known manganese oxidizing bacteria (MnxG, MopA, McoA, PputGB1_2552, PputGB1_2553, MoxA, MofA, and Bacillus MnxG) were tested individually using BioPython and BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) on multiple genomic databases. BLAST searches had an expect value cutoff of 1e-50, limiting gene homologs to those with high sequence similarity. The abundance of homologous genes across classes of proteobacteria point …

Effect Of Environmental Conditions On Biomass Of Symplocarpus Foetidus, Christy Lemay

Student Scholar Showcase

Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage) is an obligate wetland plant that occurs sporadically in wetlands throughout Virginia. Its life cycle is well studied with flowers budding in late January to early February through a process known as thermogenesis that heats the soil surrounding the plant. Pollination of fruits by flies and distribution of fruits/seeds through wildlife. Leaves appear in March with full growth above ground by early May. The leaves die back by July. Reproduction and distribution is sensitive to disturbance and environmental factors such as soil moisture, hydrology, and seed distribution. We collected environmental data in eight designated wetland plots …

King Of The Hill? How Biotic Interactions Affect Biogeographical Pattern And Species Responses To Climate Change, Joshua Scott Lynn, Jennifer A. Rudgers, Tom E. X. Miller, Stephanie N. Kivlin, Melanie R. Kazenel

Biology ETDs

As climate has warmed, many species have moved up mountains as physiological limits to their distributions have ameliorated. These distribution shifts are creating novel communities, begging the question: What happens to species at the tops of mountains as potential antagonists encroach upwards? Theory predicts that upward migrations will cause range contractions for high-elevation species because of novel interactions with encroaching antagonists. My dissertation work is one of the most comprehensive tests of this question to date, using a combination of ecological niche modeling (ENM), experiments, and demographic and trait-based modeling approaches. I created novel ENMs that suggest context-dependency of biotic …

Relative Abundance And Diversity Of Rosaceae From Protected Parks In Northern Areas Of Pakistan, Kishwar Sultana, Madeeha Manzoor, Mohammad Sikandar Farooq

Journal of Bioresource Management

The Rosaceae family is also considered as the rose family. There are 27 genera and nearly 160 species from this family in Pakistan. This study was carried out to determine the diversity and population size of species belonging to the Rosaceae family in selected national parks from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Unbiased stage-sampling was carried out. Four species belonging to the Rosaceae family were observed in Banjosa Game Reserve. Rosa brunonii and Duchesnea indica present, were not enough to calculate relative abundance. Only two species from this family were recorded from Dhirkot National Park, Rubus fruticosus and Fragaria nubicola …

Identification Of Bird-Associated Nonpoint Sources Of Microbial Contamination In Sediments, Savannah D. Mullins

Honors College Theses

Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), such as Enterococci, are commonly used to monitor the microbial contamination of recreational beach waters based on standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Sediment and sand may also harbor FIB and reintroduce these bacteria to the water column. Enterococci may be originated from various non-point sources such as humans and wildlife. Recent literature has shown that avian feces also harbor high concentrations of Enterococci. The purpose of this study is identify the relationship between Enterococci and avian-associated markers in sediments. Sediment samples were collected monthly from four sites at Kings Ferry Beach in …

Comparing Feeding Accuracy Between High And Low Predation Trinidad Guppies, Lydia J. Bonnell

Honors College Theses

Efficient feeding accuracy could increase an organism’s survival. Although local adaptation in Trinidad guppies is common, the effects on accuracy are unknown. Guppies were wild caught in 2015 and 2017, filmed while capturing prey. Accuracy wasn’t different within samples but differed across samples, possibly due to the prey types used.

Algal-Mediated Priming Effects On The Ecological Stoichiometry Of Leaf Litter Decomposition: A Meta-Analysis, Halvor M. Halvorson, Steven N. Francoeur, Robert H. Findlay, Kevin A. Kuehn

Faculty Publications

In aquatic settings, periphytic algae exude labile carbon (C) that can significantly suppress or stimulate heterotrophic decomposition of recalcitrant C via priming effects. The magnitude and direction of priming effects may depend on the availability and stoichiometry of nutrients like nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), which can constrain algal and heterotrophic activity; in turn, priming may affect heterotrophic acquisition not only of recalcitrant C, but also N and P. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of algal-mediated priming across leaf litter decomposition experiments to investigate (1) bottom-up controls on priming intensity by dissolved N and P concentrations, and (2) …

Making 3d Laser Cut Stratigraphic Audio-Responsive Tactile Templates, Michael A. Kolitsky

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The geologic method of stratigraphy which studies the structure of the earth by making layers was employed with 3D laser cutting techniques to make more easily defined tactile regions in templates of cells, tissues and anatomic regions containing muscles and bones. Templates were made audio responsive by hand-drilling a small hole in a template and filling that hole with conductive electric paint. A finger touch to the template top side now carries a charge similar to an electric circuit to the template bottom side resting on the surface of an iPad or iPad Pro where an audio button produces audio …

Anisotropy Vs Isotropy In Living Cell Indentation With Afm, Yuri M. Efremov, Mirian Velay-Lizancos, Cory J. Weaver, Ahmad I. Athamneh, Pablo D. Zavattieri, Daniel M. Suter, Arvind Raman

Faculty Publications

The measurement of local mechanical properties of living cells by nano/micro indentation relies on the foundational assumption of locally isotropic cellular deformation. As a consequence of assumed isotropy, the cell membrane and underlying cytoskeleton are expected to locally deform axisymmetrically when indented by a spherical tip. Here, we directly observe the local geometry of deformation of membrane and cytoskeleton of different living adherent cells during nanoindentation with the integrated Atomic Force (AFM) and spinning disk confocal (SDC) microscope. We show that the presence of the perinuclear actin cap (apical stress fibers), such as those encountered in cells subject to physiological …

Enhancing Immunotherapeutic Interventions For Treatment Of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Kamira K. Maharaj

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in developed countries. It is characterized by the accumulation of CD5+ B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid tissues of affected patients. Patients experience lymphadenopathy, fatigue, and are severely immunocompromised. Management of disease and symptoms is possible with chemo-immunotherapy for higher risk patients; however, CLL remains incurable unless bone marrow transplant is performed. Identification of novel targets and optimization of current therapeutics is therefore still necessary. The new targeted therapies are at the forefront of development for CLL treatment, but it remains challenging to maximize their efficacies while …

The Impact Of Male-Exposure In The Neuronal Response Of The L3 Auditory Intemeuron To Model Calls, Shekinah Dosunmu

Honors Theses

The L3 auditory neuron in female cricket Acheta domesticus responds to phonotactically attractive calls with decrement: a reduction in the number of action potentials in response to consecutive sound pulses within a chirp. Such unique response has been reported only in virgin females. This study evaluates the response of the L3 in male-exposed females to determine whether they respond to auditory stimuli differently from those exhibited by virgin female crickets.

Preliminary data indicate that L3 in young exposed female crickets responds with different decrement patterns as those reported for virgin females. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Delineation Of Ohio River Flood Zones In Ballard County Using Remote Sensing, Nathan Rister

Scholars Week

The purpose of this study was to use remote sensing to map flood zones in Ballard County as it correlates to the Ohio River flood gauges. This will help Wildlife managers to know which areas are most likely to be flooded by simply looking at river gauges and prevent them to having to check which areas are flooded in person. By using this technique wildlife managers will be able to save time and resources as well as better manage wildlife areas along the Ohio River.

Rapid Habituation Of A Touch-Induced Escape Response In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Larvae, Adam C. Roberts, Julia Chornak, Joseph B. Alzagatiti, Duy T. Ly

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Zebrafish larvae have several biological features that make them useful for cellular investigations of the mechanisms underlying learning and memory. Of particular interest in this regard is a rapid escape, or startle, reflex possessed by zebrafish larvae; this reflex, the Cstart, is mediated by a relatively simple neuronal circuit and exhibits habituation, a non-associative form of learning. Here we demonstrate a rapid form of habituation of the C-start to touch that resembles the previously reported rapid habituation induced by auditory or vibrational stimuli. We also show that touch-induced habituation exhibits input specificity. This work sets the stage for in vivo …

Differential Prey Delivery Rates In Male And Female Rock Wrens As An Indicator Of Parental Effort, Ryan Worley

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

The Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) is a small songbird native to Colorado and many Western states in arid climates. Scientific understanding of these birds is limited, and most knowledge about their behaviors is based on anecdotal evidence. In this study, we aimed to investigate the variability in parental effort between males and females with regards to food delivery to hatchlings. We placed motion-activated field cameras at the entrance of several Rock Wren nest sites to examine parental prey delivery effort. As the birds came and went from their nests, the camera captured time-stamped images that showed exactly which food the …

Chemotaxis In Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells: Characterizing The Interaction Between Tff2 And Cxcr4, Michael Berger

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a heterogenous population of immature myeloid cells. However, unlike the mature immune cells of the same lineage, MDSC have demonstrated the capacity to suppress the immune system. In previous studies, it has been demonstrated that MDSC accumulate in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of cancer patients. This makes MDSC a potent therapeutic target. A protein that aids in the protection of gastrointestinal mucosa called trefoil factor two (TFF2) activates signal cascades, although only recently has the link between TFF2 and the chemokine receptor CXCR4 been studied. The aim of this project was to characterize this signal-receptor …

Growing On A Scar: Population Genetics Of A Colorado Wildflower, Ace Spitzer

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

Speciation is a natural process in organisms caused by geographic isolation and adaptation to novel conditions. Human activities are a source for environmental changes in the air, soil, and waterways of an ecosystem. Organisms living around agricultural or industrial developments must adapt at a much faster rate than organisms subjected to natural selection pressures. Molecular biology technologies allow us to study genetic variation changes in populations subjected to human disturbances, with preliminary studies on plants showing greater genetic diversity in the genome, contrary to how organisms are expected to respond to anthropogenic pressures. Leaf tissue from the yarrow plant, Achillea …

Wild Bee Diversity Increases With Local Fire Severity In A Fire‐Prone Landscape, Sara M. Galbraith, James H. Cane, Andrew R. Moldenke, James W. Rivers

All PIRU Publications

As wildfire activity increases in many regions of the world, it is imperative that we understand how key components of fire‐prone ecosystems respond to spatial variation in fire characteristics. Pollinators provide a foundation for ecological communities by assisting in the reproduction of native plants, yet our understanding of how pollinators such as wild bees respond to variation in fire severity is limited, particularly for forest ecosystems. Here, we took advantage of a natural experiment created by a large‐scale, mixed‐severity wildfire to provide the first assessment of how wild bee communities are shaped by fire severity in mixed‐conifer forest. We sampled …

Neuronal And Behavioral Response Relationships In Virgin Females Of Acheta Domesticus, Brandon Shin

Honors Theses

Animals that communicate acoustically serve as models for investigating how organisms respond to sound. For instance, in field crickets, females exhibit phonotaxis (directed movement towards the sound's source) to calls with a specific frequency, intensity, and syllable period (SP) - the time between the beginning of one sound pulse and the beginning of another within the same chirp. Additionally, auditory neurons in females produce action potentials in direct response to the sound pulses of a male 's call. A previous study on the species Gryllus bimaculatus demonstrated a relationship between an individual female's behavioral and neuronal responses; however, no such …

The Sucking Louse Fauna Of Mongolian Rodents: Host Associations, Molecular Phylogenetics And Description Of Two New Species, Chase N. Robinson

Honors College Theses

This study aimed to screen Mongolian rodents for sucking lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Anoplura) to better understand host-parasite associations for this understudied region. Nine species, including 3 previously undescribed, from 4 genera were identified. A molecular phylogeny based on 2 mitochondrial genes of collected louse specimens is included.

Molecular Evolutionary Trends And Feeding Ecology Diversification In The Hemiptera, Anchored By The Milkweed Bug Genome, Kristen A. Panfilio, Iris M. Vargas Jentzsch, Joshua B. Benoit, Deniz Erezyilmaz, Yuichiro Suzuki, Stefano Colella, Hugh M. Robertson, Monica F. Poelchau, Robert M. Waterhouse, Panagiotis Ioannidis, Matthew T. Weirauch, Daniel S. T. Hughes, Shwetha C. Murali, John H. Werren, Chris G. C. Jacobs, Elizabeth J. Duncan, David Armisén, Barbara M. I. Vreede, Patrice Baa-Puyoulet, Chloé S. Berger, Chun-Che Chang, Hsu Chao, Mei-Ju M. Chen, Yen-Ta Chen, Christopher P. Childers, Ariel D. Chipman, Andrew G. Cridge, Antonin J. J. Crumière, Peter K. Dearden, Elise M. Didion, Subba Reddy Palli, Jayendra Nath Shukla

Entomology Faculty Publications

Background: The Hemiptera (aphids, cicadas, and true bugs) are a key insect order, with high diversity for feeding ecology and excellent experimental tractability for molecular genetics. Building upon recent sequencing of hemipteran pests such as phloem-feeding aphids and blood-feeding bed bugs, we present the genome sequence and comparative analyses centered on the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus, a seed feeder of the family Lygaeidae.

Results: The 926-Mb Oncopeltus genome is well represented by the current assembly and official gene set. We use our genomic and RNA-seq data not only to characterize the protein-coding gene repertoire and perform isoform-specific RNAi, but …

Effects Of Electrical Stimulation On Glioma Cells In Vitro With Implications For Treating Chronic Pain: Development Of A Model System, David C. Platt

Theses and Dissertations

Glial cells comprise over 70% of the central nervous system cells and exhibit diverse functions including regulation of synaptic transmission, neuron protection/repair, maintenance of neuronal metabolism, and are implicated in the development of persistent neuropathic pain. In addition, a perturbation in the concentration of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) has likewise been associated with the development of a chronic pain state. This perturbation in ROS/RNS creates an environment of oxidative stress. However, the mechanism by which the pain signal transmission is modulated, and the roles ROS play in the perpetuation of the pain state are …

Consistency Is Futile!: Selecting Phycoremediators For Consortia, Tori Spencer

BIO 410 Spring 2019 Research Papers

Bioremediation is the process by which organisms remove and transform toxic compounds in a contaminated source. This is a waste management technique currently used to clean up man-made contamination. Many organisms act as natural remediators; in the case of algae, they are called phycoremediators who perform phycoremediaton. The term algae encompasses a variety of taxonomic groups and their diversity is still being realized; there are over 44,000 named species of the 72,000 species that we have identified. Some estimates calculate that there are over 200,000 diatom species alone. This diversity continues to be difficult to organize, which is problematic for …

Combating Drug Resistance - Comparison Of The Antibiotic Effect Of Hydrastis Canadensis Extract And Pure Berberine Via Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Assay, William Luke Scott, Timothy D. Trott

Research in Biology

Herbal medicines are a melee of complex organic chemicals, making it difficult to ascertain their direct mechanism of action. In contrast to mainstream pharmaceuticals, it is argued that herbal medicines are effective because of multiple constituents working synergistically. The complexity of herbal medicines may give them advantages over simpler pharmaceuticals in combating antibiotic resistant microbes, but these advantages can be difficult to quantitate. Popular literature frequently espouses the healing properties of herbal medicines, but many of these claims are not scientifically supported. Many gains could be realized in public health and medicine if more research was aimed at validating / …

Density Of Hemigrapsus Sanguineus And Carcinus Maenas In Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Valerie Huston, Teresa Martel, Zimzim Mohamed

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Our focus for this project is to determine how the population densities of Hemigrapsus sanguineus, Asian shore crab and Carcinus maenas, European green crabs have shifted over a brief period of time. We are comparing data collected on September 17, 2018, to data collected on October 22, 2018. The location where the two sets of data were collected from is Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The GPS coordinance was 43°.33.55N70°.13.40N. We discuss what affects the influences of environmental factors such as temperature, salinity, high intertidal versus low intertidal, and percent ascophyllum cover affect have on the population densities of these …

Quantifying Atlantic Sea Scallop (Placopecten Magellanicus) Larval Abundance Throughout Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Hannah Haskell, Britney Evangelista, Alex Loftis

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

As markets for the Atlantic Sea scallop are growing, the need for sustainable and reliable harvesting methods such as aquaculture is more imperative than ever. Due to the difficulty of maintaining sea scallop hatcheries, scallop farmers typically collect larvae from the ocean and raise them until a marketable size on lease sites. In order to efficiently collect scallop larvae, being able to predict when the larvae are most abundant in the water column is crucial. The goal of our research was to learn when scallop larvae are most abundant in the water column and to determine if there is a …

Functional Feeding Groups Of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates On Natural And Artificial Leaves In Forested Stream Habitats In The Sebago Lake Land Reserve, Sam H. Matey, Kala Freytag Wistar

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

We investigated preferential insect colonization of natural versus artificial leaves in forested streams to determine the impact of invertebrate-substrate associations on macroinvertebrate community composition and ecosystem nutrient cycling. We created 10 onion bags filled with natural maple leaves and 10 filled with artificial maple leaves, and placed 5 of each in two forested streams, one larger and one smaller, in the Sebago Lake Land Reserve in Standish, Maine. We identified the aquatic macroinvertebrates found on these samples after approximately one month to order-level and used Maine DEP biomonitoring data and functional feeding group taxonomies to classify macroinvertebrates by functional feeding …

The Androscoggin Bioblitz: A Citizen Science Biological Survey In New Auburn, Maine, Sam H. Matey

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

After several weeks of planning, the Androscoggin Citizen Biological Survey, or “BioBlitz,” took place on August 11th, 2018 in New Auburn, near the confluence of the Little Androscoggin and Androscoggin Rivers. The BioBlitz was a joint project of Maine Conservation Voters and the Androscoggin Land Trust and was conceived of an organized by a USM Environmental Science student interning with Maine Conservation Voters. In this BioBlitz, participants used the citizen science app iNaturalist to photograph wildlife of the river shoreline and add their observations to the app’s database. The Androscoggin BioBlitz project established on the iNaturalist website collected all of …

Diversity Of Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria In A Sample Aquaponics Ecosystem, Joshua Trombley, Haley Depner

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

In natural ecosystems, nitrogen-fixing bacteria act as the primary source of useable nitrogen for many plants by converting atmospheric N2 into ammonia. In an aquaponics system, however, the primary source of ammonia is provided by fish waste. We are investigating the effect of this ammonia saturation on the diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in a sample aquaponics system. We seek to answer two fundamental questions: First, what nitrogen fixing microbes are present in these systems? Second, does the character of these microbial communities have any effect on plant growth? In order to answer these questions, we first determine whether nitrogen-fixing bacteria …

X-Inactivation And Epigenetics, Serena Weston

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

To prevent abnormal development caused by expressing both X chromosomes, female mammals inactivate one of their X chromosomes using an epigenetic process called dosage compensation. This literature review examines how X chromosome inactivation (XCI) occurs during the formation and development of an embryo. This condensation of DNA is marked by histone tail modifications, DNA methylation, and the arrival of structural proteins resulting in extraordinarily stable heterochromatin. X-inactivation is regulated in cis by the X-inactivation center (Xic) that contains the Xist gene and its antisense gene, Tsix. On one X chromosome, Xist RNA is expressed and coats the center of the …