58 research outputs found
Volatile fatty acid and aldehyde abundances evolve with behavior and habitat temperature in Sceloporus lizards
No full textAnimal signals evolve by striking a balance between the need to convey information through particular habitats and the limitations of what types of signals can most easily be produced and perceived. Here, we present new results from field measures of undisturbed behavior and biochemical analyses of scent marks from 12 species of Sceloporus lizards to explore whether evolutionary changes in chemical composition are better predicted by measures of species behavior, particularly those associated with visual displays, chemoreception, and locomotion, or by measures of habitat climate (precipitation and temperature). We found that more active lizard species used fewer compounds in their volatile scent marks, perhaps conveying less specific information about individual and species identity. Scent marks from more active lizard species also had higher proportions of saturated fatty acids, and the evolution of these compounds has been tracking the phylogeny closely as we would expect for a metabolic byproduct. In contrast, the proportions of unsaturated fatty acids were better explained by evolutionary shifts in habitat temperature (and not precipitation), with species in warmer climates using almost no volatile unsaturated fatty acids. The proportion of aldehydes was explained by both behavior and environment, decreasing with behavioral activity and increasing with habitat temperature. Our results highlight the evolutionary flexibility of complex chemical signals, with different chemical compounds responding to different elements of the selective landscape over evolutionary time
Reyna, Plymale, and Pruett publish research paper on AR-CURE program
No full textOuachita Baptist University professors Dr. Nathan Reyna, Dr. Ruth Plymale, and Dr. Christin Pruett collaborated with colleagues at other universities on a research paper that has been published in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, vol. 50, issue 5. Their paper, titled, “From genetics to biotechnology: Synthetic biology as a flexible course-embedded research experience,” details the implementation and assessment of the Arkansas Course Embedded Undergraduate Research Experience (AR-CURE) teaching model developed at Ouachita by Reyna and Plymale.
Reyna is professor of biology, Plymale is associate professor of biology and J.D. Patterson Chair of Biology, and Pruett is associate professor of biology. They wrote the paper together with lead author Dr. Kristen Johnson, assistant professor of biotechnology at the University of New Hampshire-Manchester, and co-authors Dr. Jaime Sabel and Dr. Judith Cole, associate professors of biological sciences at the University of Memphis
Vomeronasal organ volume increases with body size and is dissociated with the loss of a visual signal in Sceloporus lizards
No full textMany organisms communicate using signals in different sensory modalities (multicomponent or multimodal). When one signal or component is lost over evolutionary time, it may be indicative of changes in other characteristics of the signalling system, including the sensory organs used to perceive and process signals. Sceloporus lizards predominantly use chemical and visual signals to communicate, yet some species have lost the ancestral ventral colour patch used in male–male agonistic interactions and exhibit increased chemosensory behaviour. Here, we asked whether evolutionary loss of this sexual signal is associated with larger vomeronasal organ (VNO) volumes (an organ that detects chemical scents) compared with species that have retained the colour patch. We measured VNO coronal section areas of 7–8 adult males from each of 11 Sceloporus species (4 that lost and 7 that retained the colour patch), estimated sensory and total epithelium volume, and compared volumes using phylogenetic analysis of covariance, controlling for body size. Contrary to expectations, we found that species retaining the ventral patch had similar relative VNO volumes as did species that had lost the ancestral patch, and that body size explains VNO epithelium volume. Visual signal loss may be sufficiently compensated for by increased chemosensory behaviour, and the allometric pattern may indicate sensory system trade-offs for large-bodied species
The Crayfish Snakes of North America
No full textOne of the greatest feats of evolutionary innovation, the amniotic egg, allowed vertebrate organisms more freedom from the aquatic environment by being able to place their eggs on land. Amniotes became a diverse group occupying a myriad of habitats around the globe. Over time, there have been multiple independent invasions of aquatic systems by terrestrial amniotes from a variety of taxa. Reptiles (the historically recognized group) are a diverse group of organisms with aquatic representative taxa on every continent except Antarctica. Within reptiles, the ophidia (snakes) are found all across the globe and in most aquatic habitats. There have been multiple invasions of both freshwater and marine systems by snakes in several families, and members of the subfamily Natricinae are found in many freshwater systems in North America
Christopher Gadsden and Henry Laurens: The parallel lives of two American patriots
No full textBorn within weeks of each other in colonial Charleston, Christopher Gadsden and Henry Laurens shared similar social and economic backgrounds and became close friends. This friendship deepened during the 1750s, as the two young men pursued similar social and intellectual interests and rose into the Charleston mercantile elite. In the early 1760s, however, this friendship was shaken by several serious local issues, which, coincidentally, marked the birth of the revolutionary movement in South Carolina. As the relationship between Great Britain and the colonies deteriorated during the 1760s and 1770s, so, too, did that between Gadsden and Laurens.In the dispute with Britain, Gadsden became the leader of radical opposition to British policy, while Laurens was prominent among the moderates in South Carolina. Clearly the socio-economic model has limits in explaining the stances of American leaders in the controversy with Britain. This is particularly true in South Carolina, as these two cases demonstrate that personal experiences and conceptions of empire must be considered as well. These two factors were the critical elements in the emergence of Gadsden as a leading radical force and Laurens as the voice of moderation. It is the purpose of this study to show, through the lives and careers of these two men, exactly how, and why, this was the case.Made available in DSpace on 2011-05-07T14:04:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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The struggle for orthodoxy: Religion, revivals, and Anglo-American relations in the British northern colonies
No full text"This work traces the theological origins and developments of dissenters from the Church of England who settled in the British northern colonies. The views of New England dissenters are examined as well as those of dissenters in the proprietary colonies which included groups such as the Quakers and Pietists. The implicit affinity for emotionalism among these dissenters is highlighted, even though many of them would have been quick to condemn anything perceived as extreme emotionalism or ""enthusiasm."""During the early eighteenth century there was a gradual drift toward Arminianism in many of these dissenting sects which had previously stressed Calvinism. This drift was halted by a wave of popular revivals, led by the Calvinist (albeit Anglican) preacher George Whitefield. These revivals are collectively known as the Great Awakening. While the Awakening revived the ideas of Calvin it also brought a new stress on an emotional conversion experience to confirm one's religious status. Many colonists welcomed this, others did not. The result was that the Congregationalists and Presbyterians in the northern colonies often saw their churches divided. Those embracing the revivals became the New Lights (in the case of Congregationalists) or New Sides (in the case of Presbyterians) while opponents of the revival were dubbed the Old Lights or Old Sides. In cases where no anti-revival church existed in an area, people begin to turn to the Church of England as an institutional alternative. The resulting growth experienced by the Church of England, coupled with increased missionary efforts in America led by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel resulted in many colonists becoming fearful of an attempt to formally establish the Church of England in America and to send a bishop here. These fears helped to contribute to the growing anti-British sentiment which ultimately fueled the Revolution.Made available in DSpace on 2011-05-07T13:05:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Christopher Gadsden and Henry Laurens: The parallel lives of two American patriots
No full textBorn within weeks of each other in colonial Charleston, Christopher Gadsden and Henry Laurens shared similar social and economic backgrounds and became close friends. This friendship deepened during the 1750s, as the two young men pursued similar social and intellectual interests and rose into the Charleston mercantile elite. In the early 1760s, however, this friendship was shaken by several serious local issues, which, coincidentally, marked the birth of the revolutionary movement in South Carolina. As the relationship between Great Britain and the colonies deteriorated during the 1760s and 1770s, so, too, did that between Gadsden and Laurens.In the dispute with Britain, Gadsden became the leader of radical opposition to British policy, while Laurens was prominent among the moderates in South Carolina. Clearly the socio-economic model has limits in explaining the stances of American leaders in the controversy with Britain. This is particularly true in South Carolina, as these two cases demonstrate that personal experiences and conceptions of empire must be considered as well. These two factors were the critical elements in the emergence of Gadsden as a leading radical force and Laurens as the voice of moderation. It is the purpose of this study to show, through the lives and careers of these two men, exactly how, and why, this was the case.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio
Rule 12 of Judicial Administration’s Impact on the Cloudy Judiciary Exception to the Texas Open Records Act: Clearer Skies Predicted?
No full textAddresses how Rule 12 of the Texas Rules of Judicial Administration, which imposes more specific restriction on the scope of the term “judiciary” fits into the Texas open records law, including statutory law (Texas Open Records Act (TORA)), Attorney General open records rulings, and case law. The author proposes that the passing of Rule 12 and a stricter definition of “judiciary” will make the unpredictable framework of open records law more consistent. This is because Rule 12 provides courts and the Office of the Attorney General with clearer guidelines on what is and what is not exempt under the judiciary exceptions to TORA.Original journal title: Texas Tech Journal of Texas Administrative Law
SLOW INTRAMOLECULAR VIBRATIONAL REDISTRIBUTION (IVR) IN ISOLATED BENZENE MOLECULES
No full text K. V. Reddy. D. F. Heller and M. J. Berry, J. Chem. Phys. 76. 2814 (1982). Address of Chernoff and Pruett: Corporate Research Center. The Standard Oil Company (Ohio). 4440 Warrensville Center Road. Warrensville Heights. Ohio 44128. Address of Myers: Dept. of Chemistry. U. of Calif., Berkeley, CA 94720.Author Institution:We report small homogeneous widths of high overtones of mode 1 (C-C ring breathing) in benzene and , in contrast with much larger widths of C-H stretch overtones at similar energies. From the uncertainty principle, these widths provide an upper bound to the potential rate of IVR. We used a tunable. nsec UV laser to excite benzene molecules seeded in a supersonic free jet to the vibrational level in the electronic state. We recorded emission spectra including transitions terminating at various levels up to ca. in the state. With the same upper state, any changes in transition linewidth would be characteristic of the lower state. Our emission spectra consist of several hundred sharp vibrational bands and a congested background which breaks into many additional bands at higher resolution. Our major finding is that the sharp structure persists throughout the spectrum. Most of these bands can be assigned readily: in particular, we have located members of the progression. A comparison of the band shapes in this progression indicates little or no change in width. Considering our limiting spectral resolution of , we estimate that the homogeneous linewidths of the highest levels we observe are probably less than for both benzene and . This result is significantly different from that found by Reddy and co-workers for the C-H and C-D stretching overtones (homogeneous widths of for at in benzene and for at in ). [1] Clearly, the couplings of the C-C ring breathing mode to other modes are much different
The Line of Lilith: Remy de Gourmont’s Demons of Erotic Idealism
No full textAccording to medieval tradition, the (male) incubus and (female) succubus were demons who preyed upon their victims by engaging in sexual activity with them. Representations of these spirits can be found in various works by the fin-de-sièclewriter, critic, and poet Remy de Gourmont (1851-1915). In this article, I offer a close textual comparison of the play Lilith (1892) and the short story ‘Péhor’, as well as considering a pseudonymous treatise entitled Les Incubes et les succubes (1897) of which Gourmont is likely the author. In the fin de siècle, as in the middle ages, the incubus or succubus could be found at the centre of western culture’s discourse over abnormal, dangerous, or obscure sexual phenomena. Aware of the prominent place this symbol held in the collective imagination, Gourmont sought to imbue the trope of the demon lover with his own set of phenomenological questions pertaining to the erotic life. Gourmont’s work is perennially concerned with the condition of Eros in a world which, according to idealist principles, is ultimately unknowable except as a projection of the individual mind and the fallible senses. In the texts I shall address, Gourmont extrapolates Arthur Schopenhauer’s neo-Kantian notion of ‘the world as representation’ to the realm of demonology, adopting the incubus and succubus as potent subjective phenomena which contribute to an idealist view of erotic dynamics and interactions.
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