February 2008

DEPARTMENTAL SEMINARS

Adam Obaza (Major Advisor: Joel Trexler) will present his Master's Thesis Proposal Seminar entitled "Effectiveness of drift fences as a method for monitoring fish movement" on 15 February 2007 at 10:00 am in WC 130.

PRESENTATIONS

Derek Burkholder (Major Advisor: Mike Heithaus) presented an Environmental Studies Departmental seminar entitled “Non-lethal and Indirect Effects of Tiger Sharks on a Pristine Seagrass Ecosystem” on 30 Janaury 2008.

GRANTS

Robert Hegna (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) recently received a grant to support his M.S. research on aposematism in Oophaga pumilio from the Greater Cincinnati Herpetological Society. Congratulations Robert!

Robert Hegna (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) recently received a grant to support his M.S. research on aposematism in Oophaga pumilio from the Chicago Herpetological Society. Robert will also visit Chicago as a guest of the CHS to present the results of his research. Congratulations Robert!

PUBLICATIONS

Rudolf von May and Alessandro Catenazzi (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) and colleagues recently published 12 color guides to the Amphibians of Los Amigos, Manu, and Tambopata, Perú. These guides are part of a series of rapid color guides published by the Field Museum of Chicago. Congratulations Rudi & Ale!
(http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/plantguides/guideimages.asp?ID=350).

Derek Burkholder (Major Advisor Mike Heithaus) had been incredibly productive. He has published the following paper published in 2007 and two will come out in 2008:

Heithaus, M.R., D. Burkholder, R.E. Hueter, Li.I. Heithaus, H.L. Pratt, and J.C. Carrier. 2007. Spatial and temporal variation in shark communities of the lower Florida Keys and evidence for historical population declines. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 64:1302.1313.

Thomson, J.A. D.A. Burkholder, M.R. Heithaus, and L.M. Dill. Validation of a rapid visual-assessment technique for categorizing the body condition of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the field. Copeia, in press.

Heithaus, M.R., A.J. Wirsing, J.A. Thomson, and D.A. Burkholder. Predation on adult marine turtles: better off hungry than dead? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, in press. Congratulations Derek!

Paulo Olivas (Major Advisor: Steve Oberbauer) recently published a co-authored paper:

Jones, M.M., H. Tuomisto, P.C. Olivas. 2008. Differences in the degree of environmental control on large and small tropical plants: just a sampling effect?
Journal of Ecology 96:367-377. Congratulations Paulo!

Allison Adonizio and Dr. Kok-Fai Kong (Major Advisor: Kalai Mathee) recently published a co-authored paper: Adonizio, A., Kong, K.-F., and K. Mathee. 2008. Inhibition of quorum sensing-controlled virulence factor production in Pseudomonas aeruginosaby South Florida plant extracts. Journal of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 52:198-203. Congratulations Allison & Kok-Fai!

Allison Adonizio (Major Advisor Kalai Mathee) recently had a paper accepted for publication: Adonizio, A., S.M. Leal, Jr., F.M. Ausubel, and K. Mathee. Medicinal plant attenuation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence in a Caenorhabditis elegans model system. Journal of Medical Microbiology in press. Congratulations Allison!

Vielka Salazar and former student Susan Allee (Major Advisor: Philip Stoddard) recently published a paper: Allee, S.J., M.R. Markham, V.L. Salazar, and P.K. Stoddard. Opposing actions of 5HT1A and 5HT2-like serotonin receptors on modulations of the electric signal waveform in the electric fish Brachyhypopomus pinnicaudatus Hormones and Behavior 53:481-488. The cover of the journal depicts the study organism and highlights the paper. Congratulations Vicki & Susan!

Melissa Doud (Major Advisor: Kalai Mathee) recently published a co-authored paper in Nano Letters: Roy S., H. Vedala, A.D. Roy, D.H. Kim, M. Doud, K. Mathee, H.K. Shin, N. Shimamoto, V. Prasad, and W. Choi. 2008. Direct electrical measurements on single-molecule genomic DNA using single-walled carbon nanotubes. Nano Letters 8:26-30. Congratulations Melissa!

Melissa Doud (Major Advisor: Kalai Mathee) recently published a co-authored paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA: Mathee, K., G. Narasimhan, C. Valdes, X. Qiu, J.M> Matewish, M. Korehrsen, A. Rokas, C.N. Yandava, R. Engels, E. Zeng, R. Olavarietta, M. Doud, R.S. Smith, P. Montgomery, J.R. White, P.A. Godfrey, C. Kodira, B. Birren, J.E. Galagan, and S. Lory. 2008. Dynamics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa genome evolution. PNAS 105:3100-3105. Congratulations Melissa!

Vielka Salazar recently published a paper from her Master’s research: Salazar, V.L. and P.K. Stoddard. 2008. Sex differences in energetic costs explain sexual dimorphism in the circadian rhythm modulation of the electrocommunication signal of the gymnotiform fish Brachyhypopomus pinnicaudatus. The Journal of Experimental Biology 211:1012-1020. Congratulations Vicki!
CLUB ACTIVITIES

The MCB Club hosted a Valentine's party on February 13th at 5 pm in the Ecotank.

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