5,220 Matching Annotations
  1. Dec 2017
    1. tenable explanations

      Tenable is defined as something that can be "holdable". It could mean that something must have enough support for it to be upheld. In other words, if someone has an argument against an idea, the explanation should be enough to defend the concept. ~J.D.A.

    2. concordant variation

      Concordant means to agree. A variation of this word would be "concor", which has the same meaning. For this paper, the word may be used to describe how data collected seem to show the same variation or consistency. ~J.D.A.

    3. shoaled

      The word shoal describes a shallow body of water. This is synonymous to sandbars or elevated sand in beaches. Therefore, something that "shoals" means that it doesn't have much depth. ~J.D.A.

    4. strombinid gastropods

      Strombinid refers to the taxa Strombidae. It's a family of medium-sized conch sea snails. Gastropods is also another term used to describe the Mollusca phylum. ~J.D.A.

    5. intraoceanic divergences

      "Intra" means within. Divergence is when something separates. Thus, this word could mean how species diverge from each other from within the same oceanic community. ~J.D.A.

    6. classic allopatric model

      The classic allopatric model is also known as geographic speciation or the dumbbell model. Classic allopatric model is a kind of speciation that occurs when biological populations of the same species become isolated from each other. This isolation is what will prevent genetic exchange between the separated populations. ~S.Z.

    7. Fossil foraminiferal assemblages

      Foraminifera are single-celled planktonic animals. They have an external shell and a granular ectoplasm for catching their food. When they die their shell becomes part of seafloor matter. ~J.D.A.

    8. allozymes

      Allozyme is an enzyme. They are coded by differ alleles found at the same locus of the gene. They were studied in this experiment via taxonomic branching to map out closely related pairs. ~J.D.A.

    9. oxidase I (COI) gene

      A gene coding for the cytochrome oxidase enzyme. This enzyme is found in the mitochondrial membrane. It is responsible for catalyzing transfer of electrons to the oxygen atom. This is for the electron transport chain to make ATP as a product. ~J.D.A.

    10. transisthmian

      Transisthmian refers to the opposite sides of an isthmus. The authors utilize this term to portray that the shrimps that were measured were from opposite sides (Pacific side and Caribbean side) of the Isthmus of Panama. ~J.D.A. (DV)

    11. phylogenetic

      Phylogeny refers to the study of evolutionary history among groups of organisms or individuals. The phylogenetic tree is a diagram that illustrates the relationships among species; this diagram is based on similarities and differences in the physical or genetic characteristics of different organisms. This diagram shows that all organisms originate from a single ancestor but have diverged due to speciation over a long period of time. (JP)

    12. staggered isolation

      Staggered suggests that the occurrence or arrangement of events did not happen at the same time. Staggered isolation is the thought of organisms become genetically isolated at different events or moments in time, therefore leading to speciation of these organisms. (DV)

    13. Isthmus of Panama

      Isthmus is a stretch of narrow land that connects two large landmasses and separates two bodies of water.

      The Isthmus of Panama formed 3 million years ago connecting North America and South America, while separating the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean. (DV)

    14. sister taxa

      Taxa refers to taxonomical groups like species, family, or class. Taxa are used in classifying organisms based on relatedness of characteristics.

      Sister taxa refers to two groups in which the organisms derived from a common ancestral organism, therefore these two groups are very closely related. (DV)

    15. molecular divergence

      Divergence is the differentiation of something (like an organism's genetic information) from its common state.

      Molecular divergence is the differentiation between the nucleotide sequence in DNA or amino acid sequences in proteins of organisms. (DV)

    16. snapping shrimps (Alpheus)

      The snapping shrimp (Alpheus) is a species of shrimp well known for their asymmetrical claws which when closed produce a loud snapping noise. They borrow in the sand and attack their prey by quickly reaching out with their larger claw to capture it. (DV)

    17. gene flow

      This explains the process of gene transfer. Usually this is observed from shifts in genes between different populations. So lets say a blue bird from one population migrates out of its territory and mates with a brown bird from the new population, the allele frequency shifts. ~J.D.A.

    1. recombinant inbred lines

      Offspring that have different alleles than their parents as a result of genetic recombination (such as crossing over and random assortment of chromosomes which causes each sex cell to be different from the parents' sex cells). These offspring are then crossed with each other so that resulting generations have nearly identical genes.

    2. genotypes

      The genetic makeup of an individual inherited from one's parents. Genotypes are particularly important in determining which variant of an allele or trait that individual has. When the author says that 14 genotypes were sowed, they mean that 14 different combinations of the same genes were planted in the populations. The plants each had their own variety of these genes. This is an important distinction because a genotype does not mean that the plants had different genes. They simply had different varieties of them.

    3. stochastic

      Random processes, events occurring with no apparent relationship or meaning. Stochastic models are necessary for ecological studies because environmental systems are often impacted by random events such as natural catastrophes or human interference. In order to account for this randomness, multiple trials are done in studies to ensure that the results were not simply a result of randomness. The more trials that affirm a result, the less likely it is that result is due to chance.

    4. genetic drift

      The random selection of organisms to survive and reproduce. Unlike other selection devices, genetic drift is completely due to random chance. An example of genetic drift could be something like a volcano erupting and randomly taking out half of the population just due to chance. Genetic drift is typically more pronounced in smaller populations because changes in allele frequencies are more observable when even just a few members of a population are removed. If those members had a unique trait, their removal can be very influential on the traits of that population.

    5. epigenetic

      Factors outside the strand of DNA that impact how the genes are expressed. The most common examples of this are DNA methylation and histone modifications. Both essentially make the DNA harder to access by the enzymes that convert it into proteins. These epigenetic regulators are mostly caused by environmental factors such as nutrition or exposure to certain chemicals. These epigenetic changes are heritable, meaning the modifications can be passed on to offspring.

    1. Panther-defined pathway

      The HIF pathway is one of the molecular pathways used to regulate angiogenesis. The Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) proteins act as transcription factors by inducing the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promoter. HIF proteins are activated as a result of low oxygen concentration. In normal conditions, the HIF protein is rapidly degraded by the actions of Von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor proteins. VHL proteins bind to hydroxylated HIF and targets HIF for proteasomal degradation. However, under hypoxia, HIF is no longer bounded to oxygen and VHL can’t bind to HIF, resulting in the activation of HIF. HIF can then induce angiogenesis by activating VEGF genes.

    2. priori candidates

      In genetics, candidate genes are genes that are likely to cause a disease due to their location or their protein products. Candidate genes are studies based on a priori knowledge. A priori knowledge is gained based on detective and derivative reasoning. Hence, a priori candidates are genes that cause disease and have been studied and analyzed.

    1. ectodysplasin A

      A protein involved in cell signaling between two layers of skin (ectoderm and mesoderm). It is especially important in embryo formation and promotes the formation of hair follicles, sweat glands, and teeth.

    1. (reasonable, because all aboveground biomass dies back each year in these perennial plants

      Perennial plants grow and bloom over the spring and summer, but die back every autumn and winter, This seasonal process involves the annual gain and loss of the biomass required for blooming.

    1. nonsynonymous substitutions

      Nonsynonymous substitutions are a nucleotide mutations that alters the amino acid sequence of a protein. These differ from silent mutations, because they alter the amino acid sequences. - Jake Barbee

    2. splicing

      Splicing refers to RNA gene splicing which is, the editing of new messenger RNA transcript into a mature messenger RNA. Splicing removes introns, joining together only the exons to create a mature mRNA. - Jake Barbee

    1. Aβ precursor protein (APP)

      Amyloid beta precursor protein (APP); The protein is found in many tissues and concentrated at the synapses of neurons.The protein itself is not dangerous, it is found in many tissues and concentrated at the synapses of neurons. Truncated forms of APP can form plaques that cause AB toxicity.

    2.  N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)–type glutamatergic receptors

      Receptor and ion channel protein found in neurons, which controls the ability of synapses to weaken or strengthen due to brain activity level and memory function.

    3. p38γ

      A kinase that helps transfer a phosphate group to a specific site on the tau protein. Each isoform of the p38 kinase phosphorylates tau at a different site. A kinase is a protein that catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group to a specific site on a specific protein.

    4. Amyloid-β (Aβ) toxicity

      Amyloid beta is a short chain amino acid and is a main component of amyloid plaques that are associated with Alzheimer’s. Amyloid beta plaques are located outside of neurons. Amyloid beta plaques are composed of amyloid precursor protein (APP) that is truncated into a shorter form. Amyloid beta toxicity occurs when the build of of amyloid beta plaques becomes toxic to neural cells.

    5. Morris water maze (MWM) test:

      Mice are placed in a circular pool of water. In one of the quadrants, a hidden platform is present. The platform allows the mice to stand instead of swim.The mice are shown where the platform is and how to get to it multiple times. After showing the mice, the researchers put the mice somewhere in the four quadrants and track their movement as the mice attempt to find the platform. Time to escape can also be quantified. (https://www.jove.com/video/2920/morris-water-maze-test-for-learning-memory-deficits-alzheimers)

    6. Electroencephalography

      Electroencephalography (EEG), measures electrical activity of the brain Epileptiform: A wave on an EEG that is a sharp wave or spike that is a marker for patients with epilepsy or a focus of seizure studies.

    1. Human Genome Project

      The Human Genome Project was an effort to map and understand all of the genes that make up the human genome. Although it was announced complete in 2003, we still have much to learn about the genome.

  2. Nov 2017
    1. mean TDD ± s.e.

      Vertical lines in these graphs represent error bars, which represent the level of uncertainty in results. The larger the variation in data, the longer the error bars will be. These graphs have been created with 95% certainty.

      RW

    1. CYP2E1

      Is one of the member of the cytochrome P450 superfamily, and regulates metabolism of xenobiotics in the body. Xenobiotics are chemical compounds found in the body, but are not synthesized within the body.

    2. partial selective sweeps

      Beneficial mutations that increase an organism's survival and reproductive rate are favored by natural selection. That is, alleles that increase an individual’s fitness are increased in frequency. Eventually most beneficial mutations become fixed : their frequency will reach 1. However, mutations increase in frequency but don’t get fixed. Beneficial mutations that are nearly fixed result in partial selective sweep.

    3. positive selection

      When a specific trait is made more prevalent overtime in a population (the Tibetan highlands people in this case), because this trait increases the survival and reproduction of the person who expresses it.

    4. aerobic metabolism

      Cellular process where energy generated by the cell (in the form of ATP) is made through oxidative phosphorylation (the electron transport chain) where oxygen is the final electron acceptor.

    1. marine biotoxin okadaic acid

      This marine biotoxin is incredibly common in aquatic environments because of pollution and other factors. Thus it was important to investigate how it affects the DNA/chromatin of mussels. Researchers mapped out the specific effects of the biotoxin and compiled it in a database.

    2. models

      A model organism is a species with a fast regeneration time and a relatively simple genome. We try to find similarities between model organisms and complex ones in order to make a clinical use of the research. AT

    3. H2A.Z

      H2A.Z is another variant in the H2A family. It replaces the core H2A protein and is involved in gene silencing. It wraps the DNA tighter than a normal H2A protein would. It is also involved in sensing heat which can damage the DNA or proteins. AT

    4. macroH2A

      macroH2A is a variant that represses transcription (the transfer of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA). It also works to inactivate the expression of alleles on one of the X chromosomes. AT

    5. variants

      A variant histone is a substitute protein that acts in place of a real histone protein. They have mutations that result in a functional group. A functional group is an additional group on a protein that carries out a particular job (ie. signal, attachment point, etc). AT

    6. Histones

      A protein structure that DNA winds around to compact the DNA into tight structures instead of being loose in the nucleus. The protein amino acid sequence has two tail ends, the N-terminal at the beginning and C-terminal at the end. For histones these ends act as receptors to a signal that tells them to either open up to allow transcription or close to inhibit transcription. AT

    1. imidacloprid

      Currently the most widely used pesticide in the world. It is used to control pests in agricultural crops and forests. It is also sold for home use, such as for gardening, killing household pests, and treating fleas in pets.

    2. ecosystem services

      Resources and benefits that humans receive from properly functioning environments (e.g., clean water, pollination, flood protection, waste decomposition, and recreational enjoyment).

    3. limits of quantification (LOQ)

      Different terms are used to standardize the question, "How much of chemical X does this sample contain?" The smallest concentration at which a chemical can be feasibly measured is known as the limit of detection, or LOD. The limit of quantification (LOQ) is the LOD plus any adjustment for known measurement bias or imprecision. LOQ can be thought of as the lowest LOD that can be made confidently.

      Because of different instruments and protocols, LOQs vary across studies, which may make comparison difficult. (See definition for "quantification thresholds" above.)

    4. Maximum residue levels (MRLs)

      A term used in food safety by the European Commission, a legal body of the European Union: "The traces pesticides leave in treated products are called 'residues.' A maximum residue level (MRL) is the highest level of a pesticide residue that is legally tolerated in or on food or feed when pesticides are applied correctly."

    5. quantification thresholds

      Sensitivity in detecting a chemical of interest. Varying quantification thresholds make comparisons across studies difficult, because there is no standardized baseline measurement. For example, if Lab A uses an instrument that is much more sensitive than Lab B's, then Lab A may report measurements that were too low for Lab B to detect. As a result, Lab B will appear to report higher results than Lab A. (See definition for "limit of quantification (LOQ)" below.)

    1. Carcharhinid sharks

      There are 50 species of carcharhinid sharks that can be grouped into 12 different genera. If the shark follows a migration path, stays in generally warm waters, and contains the stereotypical shark look, it can be considered a carcharhinid shark. - Alejandro