Biology Commons^™

Library Impact Statement For Bio 501 Advanced Scientific Ethics, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BIO 501 Advanced Scientific Ethics new course proposal. No new resources are required to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Chris Lane.

Library Impact Statement For Bio 502 Advanced Scientific Communication, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BIO 502 Advanced Scientific Communication new course proposal. No new resources are needed to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Chris Lane.

Effect Of Wine And Vinegar Processing Of Rhizoma Corydalis On The Tissue Distribution Of Tetrahydropalmatine, Protopine And Dehydrocorydaline In Rats, Zhiying Dou, Kefeng Li, Ping Wang, Liu Cao

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Vinegar and wine processing of medicinal plants are two traditional pharmaceutical techniques which have been used for thousands of years in China. Tetrahydropalmatine (THP), dehydrocorydaline (DHC) and protopine are three major bioactive molecules in Rhizoma Corydalis. In this study, a simple and reliable HPLC method was developed for simultaneous analysis of THP, DHC and protopine in rat tissues after gastric gavage administration of Rhizoma Corydalis. The validated HPLC method was successfully applied to investigate the effect of wine and vinegar processing on the compounds’ distribution in rat tissues. Our results showed that processing mainly affect the T_max and mean …

Library Impact Statement For Bio 553 Regulatory Processes In Eucaryotic Cells, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BIO 553 Regulatory Processes in Eucaryotic Cells new course proposal. No new library resources are needed to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Joanna Norris.

Library Impact Statement For Bio 485x Salt Marsh Ecology, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BIO 485X Salt Marsh Ecology new course proposal. No new library resources are needed to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Serena Moseman-Valtierra.

Library Impact Statement For Bio 585x Salt Marsh Ecology, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BIO 585X Salt Marsh Ecology new course proposal. No new library resources are needed to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Serena Moseman-Valtierra.

The Role Of Plant-Soil Feedback In Exotic Plant Invasion: Soil Type, Biotic Or Abiotic Factors?, Kelly Dawn Schradin

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Plants alter soil characteristics in many ways causing changes in their subsequent growth resulting in either positive or negative feedback on their own fitness. Plants in their native ranges typically experience negative feedback from natural enemies, while feedback is often positive in invaded ranges where they escape enemies, experience new beneficial mutualisms, or bring with them a novel biochemical weapon. I conducted a fully factorial greenhouse experiment to examine plant-soil feedback in the invasive shrub Lonicera maackii and whether or not positive feedback may contribute to its successful invasion in southern Ohio. I also investigated whether the sign and strength …

Effects Of Conductivity And Fish Grazing On Alkaline Phosphatase Activity Of Littoral Periphyton, Samuel A. Drerup

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Littoral periphyton plays an important role in whole lake primary production and is a substantial contributor to whole lake energy budgets in moderately deep oligotrophic lakes. Under conditions of nutrient deficiency, members of the periphyton community supplement the available nutrient pool through the production of intracellular and extracellular enzymes. These enzymes are used to convert bio-unavailable forms of nitrogen and phosphorous to forms usable by the periphyton community. In this paper, I will investigate how conductivity and fish grazing affect periphyton production and phosphorus acquisition in both field and laboratory experiments.

Expression Of Inflamatory Response Genes In Ferrets Challenged With H5n1 Avian Influenza Virus, Brock M. Miniard

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Influenza A H5N1 has emerged as a potential to be the next pandemic influenza. Ferrets are a promising model of H5N1 infection because the disease progression is similar to that known in humans, however reagents to characterize infections in ferrets are few. We developed real-time PCR assays for the ferret cytokines IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-8, IL-12p40, TNF-α, IFN-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ, TGFB-β1, and TGFB-β2. Forty-eight ferrets were vaccinated with either one of three vaccine formulations (Vaccine 1, Vaccine 2, or Vaccine 3), or saline (0.9% NaCl), then challenged intranasally with a lethal dose of H5N1 strain A/Vietnam/1203/04. Cytokine assays were then …

House Dust Mite Induced Gene Expression And Cytokine Secretion By Human Dermal Fibroblasts, Jananie Rockwood

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House dust mites are a group of mites that are commonly found in homes worldwide. The three most commonly found species of house dust mites in temperate environments in the United States are Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Euroglyphus maynei. House dust mite allergens are strongly associated with asthma, perennial rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. Whole dust mite extracts contain both allergen and non-allergen molecules that can influence cell functions in the skin, mucous membranes of the nose and eyes, and epithelial linings of the lungs. Extracts from the three different house dust mite species contain different molecules that induce different …

Trading Resistance For Vigor: A Potential Mechanism For Invasion By The Asian Grass Microstegium Vimineum, Matthew Dickinson

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The Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability (EICA) hypothesis predicts that subsequent to introduction, non-native plants escape enemies and selection favors genotypes that invest more in growth and reproduction and less in resistance. Here, I evaluated if the invasive Asian grass Microstegium vimineum has developed decreased resistance in its introduced range of the eastern US, as predicted by the EICA hypothesis. Asian and US genotypes were evaluated for differences in enemy damage, leaf toughness, specific leaf area (SLA), and flowering in a common garden experiment. Leaf damage, SLA, and flower production were greater and leaf toughness lower in US plants. These …

Regulation Of Mitosis By Nuclear Speckle Proteins, Keshia Nicole Torres-Munoz

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Mitosis is an intricate process that is monitored by multiple cell cycle regulator proteins. Errors in mitotic regulation have been linked to many types of cancer. Recently, evidence suggests an indirect regulation of mitosis by nuclear speckle proteins. Nuclear speckles are one of the multiple compartments found in the mammalian cell nucleus. They serve as assembly compartments for premRNA processing factors. Mass spectrometry analysis of purified nuclear speckles revealed 33 novel proteins including Son and TRAP150. The aim of my study was to determine how Son and TRAP150 can directly or indirectly impact mitosis. We and others recently reported that …

Powdery Mildew (Erysiphe Cruciferarum) Affects The Allelopathic And Competitive Abilities Of Invasive Garlic Mustard (Alliaria Petiolata), Andrew Russell Officer

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Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) has been previously found to be significantly affected negatively by powdery mildew (Erysiphe cruciferarum). While we could not significantly corroborate those findings we did find evidence that E. cruciferarum does inhibit A. petiolata's allelopathic and competitive effects which benefits some target neighbor species such as Impatiens capensis and Elymus canadensis. We also found that the inhibition of A. petiolata by E. cruciferarum had negative consequences on another neighboring invasive species (Lonicera maackii) compared to those grown next to uninfected A. petiolata. Acer saccharum, a slow-growing species had no effect between neighbors. Sterilization treatments had variable effects …

Characterization Of Hiv-1 Rev Mutants, Jennifer Lynn Chang

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The HIV Rev protein has the ability to bind tubulin heterodimers and depolymerize microtubules (MTs) in vitro (Watts et al. 2000). These interactions may account for MT defects observed in HIV infected cells or cells that over-express Rev. Watts et al. hypothesized Rev interacts with MTs by a mechanism shared with Kinesin-13 (Kin13) proteins owing to the presence of a shared amino acid sequence. Kin13 proteins are potent MT depolymerizing agents affecting MT behavior during mitosis. To test this hypothesis, point mutations were introduced into Rev substituting amino acids shared with Kin13. In this study, eight mutant Rev proteins (T34A, …

Examining The Relationship Between Garlic Mustard (Alliaria Petiolata) And European Earthworms, Alexandra M. Zelles

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Our goal was to characterize the interactive feedback between garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and European earthworm species in southwest Ohio. Earthworm community composition, abundance and biomass were compared between 0.1 m² plots of garlic mustard, cut-leaved toothwort (Cardamine concatenate), wild ginger (Asarum canadense), or no plant cover. Exotic earthworms were present in the study site. Earthworm abundance and biomass did not correlate with garlic mustard percent cover. There was a greater density of earthworms in the fall than in the spring. Worm abundance differed between garlic mustard and wild ginger plots and cut-leaved …

Temperature, Recreational Fishing And Diapause Egg Connections: Dispersal Of Spiny Water Fleas (Bythotrephes Longimanus), W. Charles Kerfoot, Foad Yousef, Martin M. Hobmeier, Ryan P. Maki, S. Taylor Jarnagin, James H. Churchill

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus) is spreading from Great Lakes coastal waters into northern inland lakes within a northern temperature-defined latitudinal band. Colonization of Great Lakes coastal embayments is assisted by winds and seiche surges, yet rapid inland expansion across the northern states comes through an overland process. The lack of invasions at Isle Royale National Park contrasts with rapid expansion on the nearby Keweenaw Peninsula. Both regions have comparable geology, lake density, and fauna, but differ in recreational fishing boat access, visitation, and containment measures. Tail spines protect Bythotrephes against young of the year, but not larger fish, …

Nuclear Reorganization And Gene Expression During Muscle Cell Differentiation, Amy L. Pitstick

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Cellular differentiation is a process regulated by environmental, intracellular and intercellular factors. Myogenesis is a differentiation program in mammalian myotome cells in which Pax3 activates myogenic transcription factors to convert myotome cells to committed myoblasts. Myoblasts differentiate to become fully differentiated, multi-nucleated myotubes (Tajbakhsh et al., 1997). C2C12 cells are a model system for myogenesis. We noted that Bcl2-associated transcription factor (Btf) is upregulated during myogenesis. We observed that C2C12 nuclei reorganize during myogenesis. We observed that myoblast nuclei have approximately 5-10 small nucleoli, while nuclei in myotubes have fewer and larger nucleoli. Nucleolar reorganization occurs independently of multinucleation. Also, …

An Evaluation Of Habitat Structure And The Distribution Of Rare And Common Darters In Ohio, Erin Lee Kingdom

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Darters are small benthic-feeding fish. I examined reasons why some darter species are rarer than others based on geographic range, habitat specificity, and local population size using the Ohio EPA database and field research. The Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) represented habitat quality. I examined drainage area and gradient at the landscape-scale, riparian and channel characteristics at the reach-scale, and substrate, cover, and riffle/pool characteristics at the microhabitat scale. Some rare species occur in few rivers in Ohio, but throughout a basin, while other rare species occur only in moderate-sized rivers. Most rare species occur at only a few sites …

Changes In Avian Community Composition At Sugarcreek Metropark Between 1978 And 2010, Jennifer Lynne Hays

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Quantifying changes in forest avian diversity is a challenging, but necessary task for development of effective conservation plans. While small changes in diversity accumulate over time, these changes do not necessarily reflect overall long-term trends in species diversity. Long-term changes from established baseline conditions may be more interpretable because the changes in diversity are assessed over longer periods. In 1978, Dr. Reed Noss (1981) initiated a study of thirty-three breeding bird censuses at Sugarcreek Reserve (Metropark) in Southwestern Ohio and evaluated the species richness and composition during the breeding and post-breeding season to inform ecological reserve design theory. In 2010, …

Multi-Locus Evidence Of A Late Pleistocene Divergence And Sex-Biased Dispersal In The North American Wood Duck (Aix Sponsa), Christopher T. Bigley

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The Pleistocene was characterized by fluctuations in climate causing repeated advances and retreats of glacial ice. The advancing ice sheets caused habitat fragmentation which initiated population divergence and speciation events between eastern and western avian populations within northern temperate forests. Based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences, North American Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) populations fit this model of divergence. However, mtDNA is maternally inherited, and thus may not reflect the genomic history of this species, because of male biased-dispersal, selection, or stochastic lineage sorting. To test the "Late Pleistocene divergence" hypothesis, I sequenced 11 independent nuclear introns (nuDNA) for …

The Effect Of Mycorrhizal Inoculation Prior To Transplantation On Wetland Restoration Success In Sites Of Different Land Use Histories, Brett Joseph Fisher

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One factor used to determine wetland mitigation success is the establishment of native wetland plant species. Although mycorrhizal associations are known to be present in 70 to 95% of all plant species and have been linked to seedling establishment as well as nutrient and carbon flux within plant communities, the presence or absence of mycorrhizal fungi are not assessed or addressed during wetland mitigation work. Three experiments were devised to examine the effects of mycorrhizal fungi on the germination and growth of native wetland plant species in soils and field sites from natural, restored, and created wetlands.

Greenhouse experiment I …

Soil Moisture, Fire, And Tree Community Structure, William Patrick White

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My study was conducted to understand tree community structure and how soil moisture and fire frequency influence them. Eighteen plots were placed in the Edge of Appalachia Nature Preserve of unglaciated southern Ohio: nine within a prescribed burn site and nine control sites outside the burn. Sites were stratified in triplicate across GIS-derived integrated soil moisture index (IMI) classes. Burning was done in 1996. Overstory species dbh and sapling species were sampled 1997, 2001, and 2008. Overstory stems were located in 2009 using range finders. Stem locations were loaded into GIS using novel techniques to quantify individual stem IMI values. …

The Effects Of Forest Fragmentation On The Reproductive Success Of Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers And Their Pollinators, Holly Lynn Schlotman

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Low reproductive output has been shown in small, isolated populations of plants, and spring wildflowers in forest fragments may show a similar pattern. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of forest fragmentation on the reproductive success of three wildflowers: Cardamine concatenata, Delphinium tricorne, and Dicentra cucullaria. A secondary goal was to determine the impact of forest fragmentation on bumblebees (Bombus spp.) since they are important spring pollinators. Correlations and stepwise regression were used to determine the effects of forest fragment size on the reproductive success of each wildflower species, and also on the abundance and diversity …

Revision Of The Genus Erythromelana Townsend, 1919 (Diptera: Tachinidae) With Notes On Their Phylogeny And Diversification, Diego Javier Inclan Luna

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The neotropics harbor an enormous diversity of tachinid flies, yet the fauna remains poorly known. The tribe Blondeliini is particularly diverse in this region and desperately needs taxonomic attention. Here, I present a revision of the neotropical genus Erythromelana Townsend including the redescription of three previously described species and the description of 11 new species. Two species previously assigned into this genus, are resurrected as distinct genera. Erythromelana species are widely distributed from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, with the Andes being a hotspot of diversity. Erythromelana are specialized on geometrids in the genus Eois, which mainly feed on plants …

An Assessment Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Dynamics, Management, And Impacts In Highly Fragmented Landscapes, Bambi Shafer

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Habitat and forage selection by deer can cause local extinction of plant species. In my research, I asked: 1) How do deer population growth rates in urban parks change through time? 2) Are culling rates and deer densities correlated? 3) Are browse rates on Trillium spp. and deer densities correlated? I used FLIR deer census data from Davis Aviation and culling data from Five Rivers MetroParks (Montgomery County, Ohio). I found that deer population growth rates generally declined from 2003 to 2008. The number of deer culled was positively correlated to the deer densities. The browse rates of Trillium spp. …

Impacts Of A Herbivorous Fish, Campostoma Anomalum (Central Stoneroller), On Nitrogen Fixation By Benthic Algae, Chad Robert Schwinnen

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Herbivorous fish negatively impact algal biomass and promote the growth of cyanobacteria. In nutrient poor conditions that sustain high levels of productivity nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria can supply up to 28% of the available nitrogen (Higgins et al. 2001) We investigated the role of grazing fish in sustaining high levels of productivity in nutrient poor conditions. We used the grazing minnow, Campostoma anomalum, and the acetylene reduction technique in a controlled environment to analyze rates of nitrogen fixation and primary production by the periphyton. Fish grazing reduced algal biomass and promoted the growth of cyanobacteria but had no impact on overall …

Ecological Speciation In A Multi-Trophic Complex: Gall Midges, Goldenrods, And Parasitoids, Brenda L. Wells

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The importance of ecological interactions in the origin and maintenance of species diversity remains unclear. The current study assesses how ecological interactions shape the process of evolutionary diversification using a gall midge-host plant system in Ohio involving the gall midge, Asteromyia carbonifera (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), and its goldenrod (Solidago) host-plants. A. carbonifera form four morphologically distinctive gall morphs and differ genetically. I studied phenology, host-plant specialization, and parasitism at three field sites in Southwestern Ohio. Phenology was assessed for twelve weeks while host-plant distribution and pressure from parasitoids were measured by monthly plot and rearing gall collections. Relative gall frequencies and …

Constitutive And Jasmonate-Inducible Defenses In Phloem Of Two North American And Two Asian Ash Species Grown In A Common Garden, Qin Wang

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Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is more damaging to North American ashes than Asian ashes. Variation in the resistance of ash species to feeding by larvae of EAB may be related to variation in levels of chemical defenses in the phloem. I compared constitutive and methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-inducible levels of several chemical defenses in the phloem of young Manchurian, Chinese, white, and green ashes. Manchurian ash is known to be highly resistant to attack by EAB in the field, while white and green ashes are both susceptible. The hypotheses of this experiment were that: (1) Manchurian (Fraxinus mandshurica) and Chinese ash …

The Influence Of Stored Product Mites On The Function Of Skin Microvascular Endothelial Cells, Jennifer Graff Curp

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The prevalence of allergenic diseases and sensitization to stored product mites is increasing worldwide. Stored product mites are prevalent in homes, foods, and some work environments. Stored product mites need to be further studied so we can characterize their inflammatory properties to understand their role in skin disease, and provide proper treatment to patients with mite allergies. The purpose of the study was to show the role of stored product mites in modulating the inflammatory and immune response to human dermal endothelial cells in the skin. The epidermis serves as the first line of defense between the body and the …

Competition And Allelopathic Effects Of Native And Invasive Populations Of Lonicera Maackii: A Comparative Analysis, Daniel M. Romanek

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It is unknown if the novel weapons or evolution of increased competitive ability hypotheses explain the invasiveness of L. maackii in eastern United States woodlands. I tested if L. maackii's allelopathic properties have a significant impact on the fitness of native Pilea pumila in addition to below ground competition as well as if L. maackii populations vary in allelopathic and/ or competitive ability within the invasive range and between native and invasive ranges. Addition of activate carbon to potting soil increased the ability of L. maackii to inhibit the fitness of P. pumila in addition to competition. L. maackii …