Um dos principais desafios no estudo da biodiversidade é o mapeamento de grupos faunísticos megadiversos. O mapeamento da biodiversidade auxilia na avaliação dos padrões de distribuição e riqueza de espécies e de suas comunidades, na compreensão de características ambientais e, consequentemente, dos fatores ecológicos por trás da especialização das espécies ao meio. Nesse trabalho foi avaliada a diversidade de aranhas (Araneae) coletadas em cavernas do Brasil, com o objetivo de determinar e classificar a araneofauna de cavernas. Um banco de dados composto por 29261 aranhas adultas oriundos de 3455 cavernas do Brasil foi elaborado. Foram determinadas 179 espécies nomeadas e 428 morfoespécies, totalizando 607 espécies, distribuídas em 59 famílias. Apresentamos os dados históricos dos estudos bioespeleológicos no Brasil com ênfase em aranhas entre 1972-2015, uma nova listagem das espécies nominadas e o mapeamento da distribuição dessas espécies, sendo este disponível para consulta em uma ferramenta virtual, o AppBio. Foi avaliada a diversidade funcional das espécies determinadas com base nos comportamentos de forrageamento conhecidos para as aranhas. Uma análise de guildas foi elaborada e as espécies foram classificadas ecológico-evolutiva em grupos funcionais, determinados pelo grau de relação das populações-fonte com o ambiente cavernícola (acidental, trogloxeno, troglófilo e troglóbio), categorias clássicas propostas por Schiner-Racovitza para as espécies subterrâneas. Características morfológicas que indicam preferência pelo ambiente hipógeo (ex. anoftalmia e despigmentação corporal) e especialização à vida no ambiente subterrâneo também foram avaliadas. Os padrões de riqueza tanto dos grupos funcionais como macroecológicos (ex. latitude e altitude) foram avaliados e discutidos de forma sucinta. A riqueza regional também foi avaliada sendo agrupada pela ocorrência das espécies em cavernas de diferentes Biomas brasileiros. Uma boa base de dados e um modelo de mapeamento e disponibilização desses dados de forma virtual foram elaborados para auxiliar nos estudos da fauna de aranhas cavernícolas e para definir propostas para preservação da fauna e conservação dos ambientes subterrâneos / One of the main challenges in the study of biodiversity is the mapping of megadiverse faunal groups. Biodiversity mapping assists in assessing patterns of distribution and species richness and their communities, understanding environmental characteristics and, consequently, ecological factors behind the species\' specialization to the environment. This work evaluated the diversity of spiders (Araneae) collected in caves in Brazil, with the objective of determining and classifying the araneofauna of caves. A database consisting of 29261 adult spiders from 3455 caves in Brazil was prepared. There were 179 named species and 428 morphospecies, totaling 607 species, distributed in 59 families. We present the historical data of the biospeleological studies in Brazil with a spider focus between 1972-2015, a new listing of the nominated species and the mapping of the species distribution, being available for consultation in a virtual tool, AppBio. It was evaluated the functional diversity of the determined species based on the known foraging behaviors for the spiders. An analysis of guilds was elaborated and the species were classified ecologically-evolutionary in functional groups, determined by the degrees of relation of the source populations with the cave environment (accidental, trogloxene, troglophile and troglobite), classical categories proposed by Schiner-Racovitza for subterranean species. Morphological characteristics indicating preference for the hypogeum environment (eg. anophthalmia and body depigmentation) and specialization in life in the underground environment were also evaluated. The richness patterns of both the functional and macroecological groups (eg. latitude and altitude) were evaluated and discussed succinctly. The regional richness was also evaluated by separating by the occurrence of the species in caves of different Brazilian Biomes. A good database and a model for mapping and making this data available in a virtual way were developed to assist in the study of cave spider fauna and to define proposals for preserving fauna and conserving underground environments

The purpose of this thesis is threefold: 1) A behavioral examination of the role of diacritics in Arabic, 2) A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) investigative study of diacritics in Arabic, and 3) An optimization algorithm for brain mapping and detecting brain function. Firstly, the role of diacritics in Arabic was examined behaviorally. The stimulus was a lexical decision task (LDT) that constituted of low, mid, and high frequency words and nonwords; with and without diacritics. Results showed that the presence of vowel diacritics slowed reaction time but did not affect word recognition accuracy. The longer reaction times for words with diacritics versus without diacritics suggest that the diacritics may contribute to differences in word recognition strategies. Secondly, an Event-related fMRI experiment of lexical decisions associated with real words with versus without diacritics in Arabic readers was done. Real words with no diacritics yielded shorter response times and stronger activation than with real words with diacritics in the hippocampus and middle temporal gyrus possibly reflecting a search from among multiple meanings associated with these words in a semantic store. In contrast, real words with diacritics had longer response times than real words without diacritics and activated the insula and frontal areas suggestive of phonological and semantic mediation in lexical retrieval. Both the behavioral and fMRI results in this study appear to support a role for diacritics in reading in Arabic. The third research work in this thesis is an optimization algorithm for fMRI data analysis. Current data-driven approaches for fMRI data analysis, such as independent component analysis (ICA), rely on algorithms that may have low computational expense, but are much more prone to suboptimal results. In this work, a genetic algorithm (GA) based on a clustering technique was designed, developed, and implemented for fMRI ICA data analysis. Results for the algorithm, GAICA, showed that although it might be computationally expensive; it provides global optimum convergence and results. Therefore, GAICA can be used as a complimentary or supplementary technique for brain mapping and detecting brain function by way of fMRI.

Linkage between markers and genes that affect a phenotype of interest may be determined by examining differences in marker allele frequency in the extreme progeny of a cross between two inbred lines. This strategy is usually employed when pooling is used to reduce genotyping costs. When the cross progeny are asexual the extreme progeny may be selected by multiple generations of asexual reproduction and selection. In this thesis I will analyse this method of measuring phenotype in asexual cross progeny. The aim is to examine the behaviour of marker allele frequency due to selection over many generations, and also to identify statistically significant changes in frequency in the selected population. I will show that stochasticity in marker frequency in the selected population arises due the finite initial population size. For Mendelian traits, the initial population size should be at least in the low to mid hundreds to avoid spurious changes in marker frequency in the selected population. For quantitative traits the length of time selection is applied for, as well as the initial population size, will affect the stochasticity in marker frequency. The longer selection is applied for, the more chance of spurious changes in marker frequency. Also for quantitative traits, I will show that the presence of epistasis can hinder changes in marker frequency at selected loci, and consequently make identification of selected loci more difficult. I also show that it is possible to detect epistasis from the marker frequency by identifying reversals in the direction of marker frequency change. Finally, I develop a maximum likelihood based statistical model that aims to identify significant changes in marker frequency in the selected population. I will show that the power of this statistical model is high for detecting large changes in marker frequency, but very low for detecting small changes in frequency.

The past three decades of synaptic research have provided new insights into synapse biology. While synapses are still considered the fundamental connectors between the nerve cells in the central nervous system, they are no longer seen as simple neuron-to-neuron contacts. In fact, the estimated 100 trillion of human synapses are extremely complex, diverse and capable of performing sophisticated computational operations giving rise to advanced repertoires of cognitive and organic behaviours. These intricate synaptic properties mean that existing methodologies for quantifying and characterising synapses are inadequate. Yet, understanding of synapse biology is crucial to deciphering human pathology as disruptions in synapse numbers, architecture and function have already been linked to many human brain disorders. The purpose of this PhD was to evaluate a novel, high-throughput synaptic protein quantification method at a single synapse resolution in human post-mortem brain tissue. The method has already been successfully tested in our laboratory in genetically engineered mice, whereby synapses have been systematically quantified across a large number of areas to generate the first molecular maps of synapses, the synaptome maps. In this project, methods have been developed to label human brain tissue with postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), the most common postsynaptic protein. We describe the use of PSD-95 combined with confocal microscopy and computational image analysis to quantify synaptic puncta immunofluorescence (IF) parameters in the human brain. In the first part of this study, the new method was used to quantify PSD-95 IF across selected 20 human brain regions to generate first PSD-95 human synaptome map. In the second part, PSD-95 IF was systematically assessed across 16 hippocampal subregions. Finally, we confirmed that our novel synaptic quantification method was sensitive to hippocampal synaptic losses in patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Such a high degree of systematic synapse quantification has not previously been reported in human brain tissue. Our method is a promising approach for synaptic protein quantification in tissue with several potential applications in diagnosis and development of therapeutics for neurological and psychiatric disorders.

My work is defined by where I reside at the time of its creation. I am interested in exploring my own sense of place based on my curiosity with the unique character and history of my surroundings. The work discussed here is specifically concerned with the landscapes, communities and development practices prevalent throughout the Midwest. In my work I use my own personal experiences with disorientation and dislocation in the various suburban, urban and rural landscapes I encounter in my everyday life and share them with a wider audience. In that way they can place themselves within the ambiguous landscape I choose to depict and recall that it happens everywhere throughout the United States. My work uses combinations of printmaking, drawing, installation, book arts, and video art to express these themes.

There is a need to understand the spatial distribution of soil taxonomic classes, the spatial distribution of potential biological soil crust, and soil properties related to wind erosion to address land use and management decisions in arid and semi-arid areas of the western USA. Digital soil mapping (DSM) can provide this information. Chapter 2 compared multiple DSM functions and environmental covariate sets at three geographically distinct semi-arid study areas to identify combinations that would best predict soil taxonomic classes. No single model or type of model was consistently the most accurate classifier for all three areas. The use of the “most important” variables consistently resulted in the highest model accuracies for all study areas. Overall classification accuracy was largely dependent upon the number of taxonomic classes and the distribution of pedons between taxonomic classes. Individual class accuracy was dependent upon the distribution of pedons in each class. Model accuracy could be increased by increasing the number of pedon observations or decreasing the number of taxonomic classes. Potential biological soil crust level of development (LOD) classes were predicted over a large area surrounding Canyonlands National Park in Chapter 3. The moderate LOD class was modeled with reasonable accuracy. The low and high LOD classes were modeled with poor accuracy. Prediction accuracy could likely be improved through the use of additional covariates. Spatial predictions of LOD classes may be useful for assessing the impact of past land uses on biological soil crusts. Threshold friction velocity (TFV) was measured and then correlated with other, easier-to-measure soil properties in Chapter 4. Only soils with alluvial surficial rocks or weak physical crusts reached TFV in undisturbed conditions. All soil surfaces reached TFV after disturbance. Soils with weak physical crusts produced the most sediment. Future work on wind erosion in the eastern Great Basin should focus on non-crusted/weakly crusted soils and soils formed in alluvium overlying lacustrine materials. Soils with other crust types are likely not susceptible to wind erosion. Threshold friction velocity in undisturbed soils with weak physical crusts and undisturbed soils with surficial rocks was predicted using a combination of penetrometer, rock cover, and silt measurements.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Restriction enzyme, molecular cloning and DNA annealing techniques have been used to study mRNA and DNA coding for the embryonic feather keratins of the chicken and the DNA genomes of coliphages 186 and P2. The coliphage DNAs were used to develop the techniques for application to the keratin system which awaited the availability of appropriate bio - hazard containment facilities before being undertaken. The following results were obtained. 1. Restriction endonuclease cleavage of chick DNA with BamHI, BgïII, EcoRI, or HindIII, fractionation on agarose gels, immobilization on nitrocellulose filters and annealing to DNA complementary to purified 12S mRNA isolated from the developing embryonic feather and coding for embryonic feather keratins, yielded a complex pattern of major and minor bands. These patterns consisted of 4 - 6 major bands and many minor bands. No simple repeat length could be deduced from these patterns, suggesting that keratin - coding DNA is heterogeneous in coding sequences, non - coding sequences or both. 2. Keratin gene expression was shown to be independent of DNA rearrangement, as the complex pattern of restriction fragments was identical in DNA isolated from germ - line tissue ( sperm ) the differentiated feather tissue and somatic tissue not synthesizing keratins ( erythrocytes ). Keratin gene expression must therefore involve the activation of pre - existing control regions in the DNA. 3. The purified 12S mRNA coding for feather keratin was transcribed into double - stranded DNA and individual species isolated by molecular cloning in E. coli. Sequence variation between species was confirmed by restriction enzyme analysis. 4. Preliminary analysis of the cloned species revealed the existence of two distinct groups of species comprising 12S mRNA : Group I ( the more abundant group ) and Group II ( the less abundant ). The fact that filter - bound DNA of individual Group I species bound more 12s cDNA than equal amounts of Group II species DNA and that pure Group I species and total 12S mRNA sequences ( coding for keratins in cell - free translation systems ) annealed to exactly the same complex set of EcoRI, HindIII, or BgïII restricted chick DNA fragments, compels the conclusion that Group I species represent true keratin coding sequences. Group II species annealed to restricted chick DNA fragments which were totally different to those annealing, to either Group I species or total 12S mRNA sequences. Different Group II species appeared to anneal to certain common fragments, suggesting that this less abundant group was comprised of a family of sequence related species and were not simply contaminating mRNA species coding for ' housekeeping ' functions. Their exact nature is at present, however, uncertain. 5. Group I species, the presumptive keratin - coding species, are members of a family of homologous species present in the chick genome. This is demonstrated by the fact that the two Group I species which have been examined so far, shown to be non - identical by restriction analysis, and total 12S mRNA sequences from which they were derived, annealed to the same set of between 20 and 30 BglII, HindIII or EcoRI restricted chick DNA fragments under annealing and washing conditions of low stringency, ( high salt ). Under stringent ( low salt ) washing conditions, however, all except between 1 and 3 of the duplexes formed by these fragments and the Group I species were differentially lost from the filter, indicating that the majority of duplexes were mis - matched and therefore that these multiple copies were homologous and not identical. In addition the two non - identical Group I species annealed to EcoRI generated chick DNA fragments of different sizes under the stringent ( low salt ) washing conditions, demonstrating that differences must exist in the sequence of adjacent non - coding and / or intervening sequences ( should they exist ) for these two species. 6. Although the two Group I species discussed above annealed to different EcoRI generated chick DNA fragments under the stringent ( low salt ) washing conditions, they both annealed under these conditions to a HindIII generated chick DNA fragment of size 3.0 kb. Assuming that this is a single fragment and not two fragments co - electrophoresing by chance, sequences identical to or with very close homology to both of these species lie on the same fragment and are therefore linked in the genome. The exact nature of this linkage and of the extent of gene clustering, should it exist, was not determined. 7. Restriction cleavage maps of coliphages 186 and P2 were determined for the enzymes BamHI, BglII, EcoRI, HindIII, PstI, SaïI, XbaI, and XhoI. These maps were used to analyse four insertion or deletion mutants affecting the major control region of 186. 186ins2 and 186ins3 were shown to be insertions of an IS3 element in the cI. gene and int gene respectively. 186dell and 186del2 were shown to carry the same deletion affecting the cI gene, but 186del2 carried a cryptic insert in the repressor binding site ( operator ). / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Department of Biochemistry, 1979.