Biology Commons^™

Differential Impacts Of Hhv-6a Versus Hhv-6b Infection In Differentiated Human Neural Stem Cells, Elham Bahramian, Mercede Furr, Jerry T. Wu, Ruben Michael Ceballos

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Within the family Herpesviridae, sub-family β-herpesvirinae, and genus Roseolovirus, there are only three human herpesviruses that have been described: HHV-6A, HHV-6B, and HHV-7. Initially, HHV-6A and HHV-6B were considered as two variants of the same virus (i.e., HHV6). Despite high overall genetic sequence identity (~90%), HHV-6A and HHV-6B are now recognized as two distinct viruses. Sequence divergence (e.g., >30%) in key coding regions and significant differences in physiological and biochemical profiles (e.g., use of different receptors for viral entry) underscore the conclusion that HHV-6A and HHV-6B are distinct viruses of the β-herpesvirinae. Despite these viruses being …

Vegetative Phenologies Of Lianas And Trees In Two Neotropical Forests With Contrasting Rainfall Regimes, Jose A. Medina-Vega, S. Joseph Wright, Frans Bongers, Stefan A. Schnitzer, Frank J. Sterck

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

• Among tropical forests, lianas are predicted to have a growth advantage over trees during seasonal drought, with substantial implications for tree and forest dynamics. We tested the hypotheses that lianas maintain higher water status than trees during seasonal drought and that lianas maximize leaf cover to match high, dry-season light conditions, while trees are more limited by moisture availability during the dry season.
• We monitored the seasonal dynamics of predawn and midday leaf water potentials and leaf phenology for branches of 16 liana and 16 tree species in the canopies of two lowland tropical forests with contrasting rainfall regimes in …

Recycled Concrete Aggregates Are An Economic Form Of Urban Riparian Erosion Management With Limited Impacts On Freshwater Chemistry And Microbial Diversity, Rachelle E. Beattie, Bixia Su, Rebecca Thill, Krassimira R. Hristova

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Urban streams are at high risk of riparian erosion which impacts adjacent infrastructure stability. Methods to prevent stream erosion have been proposed including using recycled concrete (RC) materials to help stabilize the streambed; however, little is known about the environmental and biological impacts of using RC in urban streams. RC, new concrete (NC), and river rock controls were evaluated for their impact on water chemistry, water quality, and microbial community composition over 6.5 months in controlled laboratory mesocosms. Concentrations of 19 metals, nutrients, and pH of mesocosms containing RC were not significantly different from the river rock mesocosm throughout the …

The Effect Of Salvia Fruticosa Water Extract In Acetic-Acid-Induced Colitis In Mice, Rim Mrad, Suzana Salhab, Miriam Al-Battal, Jamilah Borjac

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease, is a chronic condition of the intestine characterized by an uncontrolled inflammatory response. Current biologic treatments developed to treat IBD are expensive and associated with significant side effects; thus, alternative approaches are required. Recently, herbal concoctions have emerged as promising intervention. This study investigates the protective effects of Salvia fruticosa (SF) against acetic acid-induced colitis in mice, a model of human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Mice were divided into four groups (n=3). IBD was induced with acetic acid (6%). SF was administered by gavage at 1.5ug/kg mimicking folk medicine. …

Method Of Hybrid Control Based Of Dynamic Objects Of Neuro-Fuzzy Inference, Noilakhon Yakubova

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

The Results of interaction of the work is development of a method of control that allows simplifying, automating and unifying the process of design of the hybrid systems which are a basis of modern automation. To achieve a definite purpose, a method of control of a technical object based on the construction of an adaptive system of neuro-fuzzy inference is developed. The objects of the system of neuro-fuzzy inference are the classical and neuro-fuzzy models of control. Information exchange between models is provided by means of the developed hybrid control system. The result of the interaction of the two models …

Application Of A Synergetic Approach To The Problem Of Synthesizing An Intelligent Control System For Chemical Reactors, Komil Usmanov

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

The article deals with the synthesis of effective algorithms for controlling a chemical reactor and developed a intelligent synergistic controller for a class of indefinite nonlinear dynamic systems. A synergetic control scheme is proposed for solving the control problem for nonlinear systems. Non-linear systems with configurations and parameters that change over time require a completely non-linear model and adaptive control scheme for a practical operating environment. The synthesis of control laws is performed by the method of analytical design of aggregated controllers (ADAR).

Development Of The Implementation Of Iot Monitoring System Based On Node-Red Technology, Anvar Kabulov, Inomjon Yarashov, Salamat Mirzataev

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

This article describes how to design and implement a process for storing environmental information in a database using the Internet of Things. The problems that need to be solved with the help of this IoT system are the growing demand for forecasts in the world, the demand of the world market for a new sustainable method of implementing the digitization environment through the Internet of Things. The design was implemented using Arduino, Node-Red and sensors, selected when choosing a component based on the required parameters and sent to the database for monitoring and processing. A study of previous work and …

Theoretical Features Of Foreign Systems Of Preschool Education, Ayjamal Bazarbaeva

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

This article analyzes the features of preschool education systems in foreign countries. The positive experience and features of some systems are highlighted. Comparison of domestic and foreign systems of preschool education is carried out.

Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyrna Lewini) Jaw, Daria W. Ghegan, Brittney Dreyer, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw prep from Sphyrna lewini (Scalloped Hammerhead) obtained from the NSU Fisheries and Avian Ecology

The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna Giberson

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Bio 120: General Biology Oer Curation, Erica L. Schiller

Curated OER Collections

This OER curation is an annotated bibliography of prospective OER for the GVSU course BIO 120: General Biology.

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

An Essential Role For Tungsten In The Ecology And Evolution Of A Previously Uncultivated Lineage Of Anaerobic, Thermophilic Archaea, Steffen Buessecker, Marike Palmer, Dengxun Lai, Joshua Dimapilis, Xavier Mayali, Damon Mosier, Jian-Yu Jiao, Daniel R. Colman, Anna-Louise Reysenbach, Multiple Additional Authors

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Trace metals have been an important ingredient for life throughout Earth’s history. Here, we describe the genome-guided cultivation of a member of the elusive archaeal lineage Caldarchaeales (syn. Aigarchaeota), Wolframiiraptor gerlachensis, and its growth dependence on tungsten. A metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) of W. gerlachensis encodes putative tungsten membrane transport systems, as well as pathways for anaerobic oxidation of sugars probably mediated by tungsten-dependent ferredoxin oxidoreductases that are expressed during growth. Catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in-situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (nanoSIMS) show that W. gerlachensis preferentially assimilates xylose. Phylogenetic analyses of 78 high-quality Wolframiiraptoraceae MAGs from …

Chemical Constituents And Antimicrobial Evaluation Of Selected Aloe Vera Branded Commercial Products In Tanzania, Stephen S Nyandoro, Bahati F Kyando, Joan Je Munissi

Tanzania Journal of Science

Chemical compositions and antimicrobial activities of twenty-two Aloe vera branded commercial products in Tanzania, a case of marketed soaps, creams, lotions, petroleum jelly, toothpastes and hair conditioner products in Dar es Salaam, were investigated. Chemical compositions were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) whereas antimicrobial activities were evaluated using agar dilution method against four bacteria species, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoneae and Salmonella typhi) and two fungal species Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of seven non-polar constituents, namely methyl palmitate, 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester, methyl stearate, tetratetracontane, hexacosane, and pentacosane and methyl …

Seasonality In Phytoplankton Species Composition And Their Influence On Small Pelagic Fish Along The Western Pemba Channel, Margareth S Kyewalyanga

Tanzania Journal of Science

The influence of phytoplankton biomass on small pelagic fish groups was studied at three sites along the Western Pemba Channel, to assess the contribution of seasonality. Sampling took place at the three sites in the coastal waters of Tanga, Tanzania. The study used in-situ data from July 2016 to January 2017, remotely-sensed chlorophyll-a data from August 2016 to August 2017 and 2019–2020, and small pelagic fish catch data from the same periods as the remotely-sensed data. The dominant groups at all the three sites were diatoms, dinoflagellates, and cyanobacteria, with diatoms having the highest number of species compared to the …

Effects Of Temperature And Salinity On Incubation Time, Hatching Success, And Larvae Survival Of The Giant Tiger Prawn Penaeus Monodon Under Experimental Conditions, Sawadi Ndunguru, Marcelian Njau, Blandina Robert Lugendo

Tanzania Journal of Science

Prawns are commercially one of the most important marine resources. However, in their early developmental stages, they face challenges related to physico-chemical and environmental changes. This study aimed at investigating the effects of temperature and salinity on egg incubation time, hatching success, larval and postlarval survival of the giant tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon (Fabricius 1798) obtained from the coastal waters of Tanzania. The adult females P. monodon collected off Rufiji delta were left to acclimatize and spawn at 28.5 ± 0.5 °C and 32 ppt in the hatchery. Spawned eggs were incubated at experimental temperatures of 27 °C, 31 °C …

Increasing The Resilience Of Plant Immunity To A Warming Climate, Jong Hum Kim, Christian Castroverde, Shuai Huang, Chao Li, Richard Hilleary, Adam Seroka, Reza Sohrabi, Diana Medina-Yerena, Bethany Huot, Jie Wang, Sharon Marr, Mary Wildermuth, Tao Chen, John Macmicking, Sheng Yang He

Biology Faculty Publications

Extreme weather conditions associated with climate change affect many aspects of plant and animal life, including the response to infectious diseases. Production of salicylic acid (SA), a central plant defence hormone, is particularly vulnerable to suppression by short periods of hot weather above the normal plant growth temperature range via an unknown mechanism. Here we show that suppression of SA production in Arabidopsis thaliana at 28 °C is independent of PHYTOCHROME B (phyB) and EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3), which regulate thermo-responsive plant growth and development. Instead, we found that formation of GUANYLATE BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 3 (GBPL3) defence-activated biomolecular condensates (GDACs) …

Ant Cuticle Microsculpture: Diversity, Classification, Evolution, And Function, John Paul Hellenbrand

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

My thesis covers the intricacies of ant microsculpture diversity, classification, evolution and function. To do this, the thesis is organized into two chapters. The first chapter is a review of ant cuticle and microsculpture diversity as well as including analyses examining the evolution and lability of microsculpture traits. I then review the literature for functional hypotheses related to ant microsculpture. The second chapter explores the relationship of microsculpture and important morphological, physiological, and ecological traits to evaluate support for functional hypotheses.

Optimizing Process-Based Models To Predict Current And Future Soil Organic Carbon Stocks At High-Resolution, Marie-Anne De Graaff, Ryan Will

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

From hillslope to small catchment scales (< 50 km²), soil carbon management and mitigation policies rely on estimates and projections of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Here we apply a process-based modeling approach that parameterizes the MIcrobial-MIneral Carbon Stabilization (MIMICS) model with SOC measurements and remotely sensed environmental data from the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed in SW Idaho, USA. Calibrating model parameters reduced error between simulated and observed SOC stocks by 25%, relative to the initial parameter estimates and better captured local gradients in climate and productivity. The calibrated parameter ensemble was used to produce spatially continuous, high-resolution (10 m …

Comparing Brood Care Behaviors Across Five Fertility Castes In The Invasive Fire Ant,Solenopsis Invicta,And The Expression Of Inotocin, Alexis Masnjak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is one of the most successful of the invasive eusocial invertebrates. The fire ant’s prolific reproductive capacity and its division of labor among five fertility castes are key factors to its successful invasion and global colonization across all continents except Antarctica. Although the rate of self-care and brood care by sterile S. invicta workers is well known, little is known about the rate of self-care and brood care by the other four fertility castes. In this study, I quantified the frequency and duration of behaviors by alate males, alate queens, newly mated queens, older mature …

The Molecular Mechanism Of Load Adaptation By Branched Actin Networks, Tai-De Li, Peter Bieling, Julian Weichsel, R Dyche Mullins, Daniel A. Fletcher

Advanced Science Research Center

Branched actin networks are self-assembling molecular motors that move biological membranes and drive many important cellular processes, including phagocytosis, endocytosis, and pseudopod protrusion. When confronted with opposing forces, the growth rate of these networks slows and their density increases, but the stoichiometry of key components does not change. The molecular mechanisms governing this force response are not well understood, so we used single-molecule imaging and AFM cantilever deflection to measure how applied forces affect each step in branched actin network assembly. Although load forces are observed to increase the density of growing filaments, we find that they actually decrease the …

Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia Coli And EnterococcusSpp. In Sand And Water At Tampa Bay Beaches, Jennifer K. Sabater

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As antibiotic resistance in the environment continues to rise there is an increased concern that infections may become harder to treat as bacteria acquire genes for multidrug resistance. Recreational beach waters in the Tampa Bay area are routinely monitored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the presence of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) such as Escherichia coli and enterococci. Exceedances of beach action values (BAV) 235 CFU/100 mL (E. coli) and 70 CFU/100 mL (enterococci) indicate the presence of fecal contamination which is associated with an increased risk of disease for beachgoers. Antibiotic-resistant E. coli and Enterococcus spp. have …

Why Are There So Many Mosquitoes?, Alan L. Gillen, Savannah Childs, Megan Goin, Karly Mckinney

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mosquitoes have been challenging man and animals alike since the fall.Mosquitoes number in the trillions worldwide. Not only is the mosquito a nuisance with the constant buzz around your ear, they also are the primary vector of many dangerous diseases including the West Nile Virus (WNV). WNV has become a more prominent mosquito-transmitted disease in the United States and more specifically in Colorado, Texas, and other states in the Midwest. While commonly found in the genus Culex, WNV and other diseases can be found in differentgenera of mosquito, including Aedes and Anopheles. While these two are not themost common regarding …

Continuous Effort Required To Maintain Populations Of Outplanted Acropora Cervicornis In The Florida Reef Tract, Usa, Tiffany S. Boisvert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The degradation of coral reefs due to natural and anthropogenic stressors has resulted in the expansion of coral restoration projects worldwide. In the Caribbean region, most restoration efforts focus on outplanting Acropora cervicornis, once a dominant branching coral, now found predominantly in spatially isolated populations. Thousands of A. cervicornis colonies are propagated within nurseries and outplanted onto degraded reefs every year. However, monitoring the long-term growth and survival of outplanted corals has been limited by financial, physical, and temporal constraints. In the current study, we assessed the long-term success of A. cervicornis restoration by determining the relationship between current populations …

Anti-Bat Ultrasound Production In Moths Is Globally And Phylogenetically Widespread, Jesse R. Barber, Brian C. Leavell, Krystie A. Miner, Brandt Quirk-Royal

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Warning signals are well known in the visual system, but rare in other modalities. Some moths produce ultrasonic sounds to warn bats of noxious taste or to mimic unpalatable models. Here, we report results from a long-term study across the globe, assaying moth response to playback of bat echolocation. We tested 252 genera, spanning most families of large-bodied moths, and document anti-bat ultrasound production in 52 genera, with eight subfamily origins described. Based on acoustic analysis of ultrasonic emissions and palatability experiments with bats, it seems that acoustic warning and mimicry are the raison d'être for sound production in most …

The Evolution Of Honeycomb, Grace Cope

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

The regular cells of honeycomb nests have fascinated scholars and mathematicians for millennia. In 36BC, the Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro first proposed the “honeycomb conjecture,” in which he postulated that bees build their comb using hexagons because it is the shape that requires the least amount of material to divide space into equal portions. Since this time, honeycomb has been used by engineers in applications that range from skyscraper supports to impact absorbers inside the feet of the lunar lander during the first moon missions, but mysteries remain about the biological origins of honeycomb and the mechanical properties of …

High Daily And Year-Round Variability In Denitrification And Nitrogen Fixation In A Northern Temperate River, Kevin Nevorski, Amy M. Marcarelli

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Rates of nitrogen (N) cycling processes like denitrification and dinitrogen (N2) fixation, which together are the primary contributors to N2 flux rates from surface waters, may change at different time scales from seasons to weeks to days. Yet, we know little about the magnitude, mechanisms or drivers of these temporal changes, especially at shorter daily and weekly timescales. Quantifying variation in rates and drivers across temporal scales is essential to understand how nutrient cycling processes operate in aquatic ecosystems and predict how they may respond to shifting seasonal dynamics caused by global change (i.e., earlier snowmelt and extreme weather events). …

Investigating Roles Of 2 Novel Eklf Targets Involved In Erythropoiesis, Rose M. Gott

ETD Archive

Erythrocytes are primarily comprised of the oxygen carrying protein hemoglobin. Genetic mutations causing defects in the proper synthesis of hemoglobin result in various anemias. It is during the last phases of terminal erythroid differentiation that hemoglobin levels rise, making it a focus for therapeutic research. Fetal hemoglobin is comprised of ⍺-globin and gamma globin, then after a change in gene expression called hemoglobin switching which takes place after birth, adult hemoglobin is comprised of ⍺-globin and beta globin. We investigated hemoglobin switching and erythroid terminal differentiation by focusing on the master erythroid transcription factor Erythroid Krüppel-like Factor (EKLF). Data led …

The Roleo F Selectionin Maintaining Mhc Variationi N Mammals: Heterozygotaed Vantage,R Area Llelea Dvantagea Nd Mate Choice, Carol Titterton Ms

Student Scholarship

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is the most polymorphic gene

region in jawed vertebrates. Its gene products play a critical role in determining

individual and population fitness by presenting foreign antigens to immune system

cells, thereby initiating immune response to pathogen and parasite infections and

cancer. I surveyed the literature to investigate how selection maintains such

important adaptive diversity in mammalian populations and how MHC diversity

affects individual and population fitness. Balancing selection in the form of either

heterozygote advantage or rare allele advantage has long been proposed as the key

mechanism for maintaining the extreme diversity in MHC gene …

Mixed Method Analysis Of Undergraduate Student Interpretation Of Different Phylogenetic Trees, Faith Frings

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phylogenetic trees are common tools used to visualize evolutionary concepts such as historical patterns of ancestry, divergence of species, and descent of species. However, students have misconceptions when reading these abstract diagrams. The purpose of this study was to compare student performance and evolutionary thinking when using two styles of phylogenetic trees: cladograms and phylograms. The study also assessed the validity of a hierarchal theoretical framework evaluating student phylogenetic tree interpretation. Introductory biology students from two research universities were assigned to two groups, one solely given assessments with phylograms, and one solely given assessments with cladograms. One-on-one student interviews were …