Integrative Biology Commons^™

A Basic Ddradseq Two‐Enzyme Protocol Performs Well With Herbarium And Silica‐Dried Tissues Across Four Genera, Ingrid E. Jordon-Thaden, James B. Beck, Catherine A. Rushworth, Michael D. Windham, Nicolas Diaz, Jason T. Cantley, Christopher T. Martine, Carl J. Rothfels

Faculty Journal Articles

Premise

The ability to sequence genome‐scale data from herbarium specimens would allow for the economical development of data sets with broad taxonomic and geographic sampling that would otherwise not be possible. Here, we evaluate the utility of a basic double‐digest restriction site–associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) protocol using DNAs from four genera extracted from both silica‐dried and herbarium tissue.

Methods

DNAs from Draba, Boechera, Solidago, and Ilex were processed with a ddRADseq protocol. The effects of DNA degradation, taxon, and specimen age were assessed.

Results

Although taxon, preservation method, and specimen age affected data recovery, large phylogenetically informative …

Analyzing The Flight Patterns And Behavior Of Dragonflies Engaged In Aerial Territory Battles, Brandon Hastings, Brandon Jackson

Virtual 2020 Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

It has previously been determined that male dragonflies occupying the most suitable territory within a habitat have a higher flight-muscle ratio (FMR) than those occupying poor territories, but it is unknown how this increased FMR relates to their flight patterns. This study examined the flight patterns of dragonflies engaged in aerial territory battles to investigate differences in maneuverability between winners and losers. 3D video data of dragonflies interacting in a natural habitat was analyzed for territorial flights. Winners showed a lower maximum angular velocity compared to losers.

470— Quantifying The Shape Of A Plant (Brassica Rapa) During Growth Under Different Light Intensities Using Fractal Geometry, Matthew Cotroneo

GREAT Day Posters

Over time plants not only increase in size but also change their shape. Quantifying this change in shape, however, is challenging. Fractal dimension, a measure of how these plants fill space, can provide a wholistic understanding of plant shape and how that shape changes as the plants react to their environments. I used a high-resolution, three-dimensional scanner to estimate the shape of Brassica rapa plants during growth under three different light intensities: low (40 Einsteins), medium (75 Einsteins) and high (100 Einsteins). From these data, each plant's above-ground shape was quantified using fractal geometry. The fractal dimension (D) of plants …

Genome-Wide Changes In Genetic Diversity In A Population Of Myotis Lucifugus Affected By White-Nose Syndrome, Thomas M. Lilley, Ian W. Wilson, Kenneth A. Field, Deeann Reeder, Megan E. Vodzak, Gregory G. Turner, Allen Kurta, Anna S. Blomberg, Samantha Hoff, Carl J. Herzog, Brent J. Sewall, Steve Paterson

Faculty Journal Articles

Novel pathogens can cause massive declines in populations, and even extirpation of hosts. But disease can also act as a selective pressure on survivors, driving the evolution of resistance or tolerance. Bat white-nose syndrome (WNS) is a rapidly spreading wildlife disease in North America. The fungus causing the disease invades skin tissues of hibernating bats, resulting in disruption of hibernation behavior, premature energy depletion, and subsequent death. We used whole-genome sequencing to investigate changes in allele frequencies within a population of Myotis lucifugus in eastern North America to search for genetic resistance to WNS. Our results show low FST values …

Effects Of Alpha- And Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Blockade Upon Inflammatory Responses To Acute And Chronic Sleep Fragmentation, Nicholas David Wheeler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Generally, sleep is viewed as a recuperative process and its dysregulation has

cognitive, metabolic, immunological, and inflammatory implications that are largely deleterious to human health. Epidemiological and empirical studies have suggested that sleep fragmentation (SF) as result of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and other sleep abnormalities leads to pronounced systemic inflammatory responses, which are influenced by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to SNS regulation of SF-induced inflammatory states are not fully understood. To assess the effects of the SNS system, C57BL/6j female mice were placed in automated SF chambers (12L:12D) and subjected to either …

The Relationship Between Woodland Caribou, Soil Carbon Cycling And Soil Fertility On The Slate Islands Archipelago In Ontario, Canada, Melinda Kantola

All NMU Master's Theses

I investigated biogeochemical connections between woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) herbivory, vegetation, soil fertility, and soil carbon cycling on the Slate Islands Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. Woodland caribou are threatened in Ontario, and the caribou population on the Slate Islands has declined steeply since 2015. Northern Michigan University (NMU) and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF) ecologists established caribou and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) exclosures on the islands in 2006, and have routinely monitored the vegetation to study the effects of limiting herbivory.

This study explores the implications of limiting herbivory on soil …

Up To Scratch: An Evidence-Based (And Fun!) Assessment Tool, Breanna Putman

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

This poster describes a project using Immediate Feedback Assessment. As part of the ISSUES-X Large Lecture Faculty Learning Community, I implemented a different assessment technique in my class. The technique is called Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IF-AT) and it basically consists of a scratch-off scantron form. Students scratch off the oval corresponding to their answer and if it is correct, a star will be revealed. They keep scratching until revealing the correct answer. This technique was beneficial because it corrects students’ misunderstandings by providing immediate feedback, it helps students utilize an “internal dialogue” of learning through evaluation of incorrect responses …

Strain Improvement Of Pleurotus Giganteus (Berk.) Karunarathna & K. D. Hyde Via Conventional Mating Techniques, Kwan Yun Ha

Student Works (2020-2029)

Recently, a commercial strain of Pleurotus giganteus (Berk.) Karunarathna & K.D. Hyde from China has been cultivated in Malaysia. Pleurotus giganteus was prone to insect infestation which led to heavy losses for farmers. The aim of this study was to generate new hybrids of P. giganteus that maybe resistant to pest and contamination. The commercial strain of P. giganteus from China (KLU-M 1227) and a wild strain from Malaysia (KLU-M 1391) were subjected to intraspecific breeding. Of the 56 combinations, 16 hybrids were obtained. All the 16 hybrids together with the parents were subjected to radial and linear growth study. …

A&P Workshop Summary—Uniting Anatomy And Physiology Through Case Studies, Angela Horner, Stuart Sumida, Tomasz Owercowicz

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

Introducing problem-solving based methods of pedagogy is one approach to engage students early in their careers with developing analytic and diagnostic skills. PBL approaches in anatomy and medical teaching are a logical extension of clinical case studies, wherein an example of a pathology or clinical procedure is provided, and students must ascertain the anatomical and/or physiological basis for it. Students report a deeper understanding of material presented in clinical case studies, as the ‘real world’ relevance and importance is immediately clear (Cliff and Wright, 1996).

Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

I investigated interactions between ectoparasites (ticks) and their host, the southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata). Alligator lizards are capable of complement-mediated killing of the Lyme disease spirochete carried by ticks and may potentially reduce Lyme disease prevalence by cleansing pathogenic organisms from ticks. Despite this, little is known about host-parasite dynamics in alligator lizards. My goals were to 1) assess patterns of tick presence (i.e. parasite load) on alligator lizards and 2) investigate potential negative effects of ticks on alligator lizards. I sampled lizards during the summer of 2019 near Catherine Creek, along the Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington. …

Temporal Variability Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Deep-Sea Cephalopods Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Isabel C. Romero, Heather L. Judkins, Michael Vecchione

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

As part of the effort to understand the effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWHOS), we analyzed tissue from five species of midwater oceanic cephalopods in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) during three time periods, including one period sampled fortuitously just before the spill (2010), and two periods sampled after the spill (2011 and 2015–2016). The species, Japetella diaphana, Abralia redfieldi, Histioteuthis corona, Leachia atlantica, and Onychoteuthis banksii were collected in three geographic areas in the GoM (east, south and southeast of the Macondo wellhead). Results indicate a shift in the composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in …

First Genome Sequence Of The Gunnison’S Prairie Dog (Cynomys Gunnisoni), A Keystone Species And Player In The Transmission Of Sylvatic Plague, Mirian T. N. Tsuchiya, Rebecca B. Dikow, Loren Cassin-Sackett

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Prairie dogs (genus Cynomys) are a charismatic symbol of the American West. Their large social aggregations and complex vocalizations have been the subject of scientific and popular interest for decades. A large body of literature has documented their role as keystone species of western North America’s grasslands: They generate habitat for other vertebrates, increase nutrient availability for plants, and act as a food source for mammalian, squamate, and avian predators. An additional keystone role lies in their extreme susceptibility to sylvatic plague (caused by Yersinia pestis), which results in periodic population extinctions, thereby generating spatiotemporal heterogeneity in both …

Molecular Tools For Coral Reef Restoration: Beyond Biomarker Discovery, John Everett Parkinson, Andrew C. Baker, Iliana B. Baums, Sarah W. Davies, Andréa G. Grottoli, Sheila A. Kitchen, Mikhail V. Matz, Margaret W. Miller, Andrew A. Shantz, Carly D. Kenkel

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

As coral reefs continue to decline due to climate change and other stressors, scientists have proposed adopting genomic tools, such as biomarkers, to aid in the conservation and restoration of these threatened ecosystems. Biomarkers are easily measured indicators of biological processes that can be used to predict or diagnose health, resilience, and other key performance metrics. The ultimate goal of developing biomarkers is to determine the conservation value and utility of a given coral colony, including the host animal, its algal symbionts, and their microbial partners. However, this goal remains distant because most efforts have not yet moved beyond the …

Diversity And Abundance Of Dragonflies And Damselflies In Tampa Bay, Florida, Meredith A. Krause, Thomas Koster, Bryan N. Macneill, Daniel J. Zydek, Nicholas T. Ogburn, Jonathan Sharpin, Robert Shell, Marc J. Lajeunesse

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Little is known about the community of dragonflies and damselflies in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA. To address this gap, we conducted 2 longitudinal surveys of adult odonates in a natural floodplain of the Hillsborough River in 2013 and 2017. Along with abundance and species diversity, we also measured intraspecific variation in body size, sexual dimorphism, wing-cell asymmetry, and water mite ectoparasitism. Our first weekly survey from Oct 2013 to Oct 2014 sampled 327 adults (230 female, 97 male) from 8 dragonfly species, with the eastern pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis Say; Odonata: Libellulidae) representing 79% of captures, followed by the second …

Transmission Of West Nile And Five Other Temperate Mosquito-Borne Viruses Peaks At Temperatures Between 23°C And 26°C, Marta S. Shocket, Anna B. Verwillow, Mailo G. Numazu, Hani Slamani, Jeremy M. Cohen, Fadoua El Moustaid, Jason Rohr, Leah R. Johnson, Erin A. Mordecai

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

The temperature-dependence of many important mosquito-borne diseases has never been quantified. These relationships are critical for understanding current distributions and predicting future shifts from climate change. We used trait-based models to characterize temperature-dependent transmission of 10 vector–pathogen pairs of mosquitoes (Culex pipiens, Cx. quinquefascsiatus, Cx. tarsalis, and others) and viruses (West Nile, Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis, Sindbis, and Rift Valley Fever viruses), most with substantial transmission in temperate regions. Transmission is optimized at intermediate temperatures (23–26°C) and often has wider thermal breadths (due to cooler lower thermal limits) compared to pathogens with …

Phylogeny Of Terrestrial Isopods Based On The Complete Mitochondrial Genomes, Subvert The Monophyly Of Oniscidea, Rui Zhang, Ruru Chen, Jianmei An, Carlos A. Santamaria

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: Oniscidea is the only truly terrestrial taxon within the Crustacea, and vital to soil formation. However, the monophyly of suborder Oniscidea has been in dispute since 1995, with different studies disagreeing on whether the coastal Ligiidae are included within the suborder. To clarify the phylogenetic hypothesis of suborder Oniscidea, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of Ligia exotica (Roux, 1828) and Mongoloniscus sinensis (Dollfus, 1901).

Results: Like most metazoan, the complete mitogenomes of two species with circular double strands. The structure and characters of mitogenomes of these two species are analyzed. The constructed phylogenetic analyses show that Oniscidea is …

Novel Mechanism For Turning Performance In Bluefin Tuna, Abigail Downs

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Scombrid fishes can attain exceptional swimming speeds due to their thunniform, lift-based propulsion, large muscle mass, and fusiform body shape. A rigid body restricts maneuverability for aquatic organisms. To test if turning maneuvers by the rigid-bodied Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) are constrained, captive animals were video recorded from above as the animals routinely swam around a large circular tank or during feeding bouts. The turning performance was classified into three different types of turns: 1) glide turn, where the tuna uses the caudal fin as a rudder to passively move through the turn, 2) powered turn, where …

Metabolic And Cardiovascular Marker Alterations During Critical Training In Wildland Firefighters, Shae Gurney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction: Wildland firefighters (WLFFs) are confronted with numerous physical and mental stressors. Pre-fire season includes an intense 2-week critical training (CT) period; a preparatory phase of multiple activities that can result in injury, illness, and rhabdomyolysis. The purpose of this study was to identify physiologic changes in metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress biomarkers during 2 weeks of CT in WLFFs.

Methods: Eighteen male (29.4 ± 1.1 yr, 182.1 ± 1.6 cm) and three female (26.7  2.6 yr, 169.5  4.2 cm) participants were recruited from a Type I interagency hotshot crew and monitored over their 2-week CT. Fitness was …

Comparison Of The Effects Of Growing-Season Burns And Dormant-Season Burns On Vegetation Structure And Grassland Bird Diversity In East-Central Illinois Prairies, Joseph Lee Boise

Masters Theses

For managed grasslands, prescribed burns are a method to manage species composition by preventing crowding by bunch grasses and woody encroachment. While dormant-season (spring) burns are routinely performed, managers have recently introduced growing-season (late summer/fall) burns to prairies in east-central Illinois. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of dormant-season and growingseason burns on vegetation structure and associated avian diversity. Specifically, objectives were to determine if: (1) Growing-season burns increase bird diversity or density of rare/declining species relative to dormant season burns; (2) Growing-season burns cause more bare ground to open and reduce litter and woody species …

Heat For The Masses: Thermal Ecology Of The Western Tent Caterpillar, Victoria Dahlhoff

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A unique feature of some gregarious, colonial insects is their ability to create external structures that alter environmental conditions for the entire (often family) group. A combination of physical alteration of local microhabitats and behavioral thermoregulation allows many of these animals to actively control their body temperatures, which allows them to regulate energy use and metabolism in variable thermal environments. Here I describe mechanisms of microhabitat modification and thermal regulation in the western tent caterpillar, Malacosoma californicum pluviale. Tent caterpillars build communal silk tents, whose temperatures can rise substantially above ambient air temperature. I experimentally manipulated colony sizes and examined …