Transubstantiation and Physics: Validity in Science Vs. Validity in Religion

Catholics believe Transubstantiation is the process of converting bread and wine into Jesus’ body and blood. There are no physical signs of change, but the substance changes. From a scientific perspective, there is no application of heat or light and no physical sign of change, therefore there is no change. Physics as we understand at an undergraduate level assumes Earth is a closed system. This assumption no longer applies if there can be substance change without physical modification from an energy source. I refuse to believe that science and religion are unrelated entities, yet I accept that this unexplainable phenomenon occurs every time Mass is celebrated. Miracles are consequential to faith due to their lack of worldly explanation, but science makes decisions based on reproducible, tangible data, therefore, the dissonance is evident

Direct and Indirect Effects of Fish Predation on the Replacement of a Native Crayfish by an Invading Congener

In Ohio streams, the crayfish Orconectes rusticus is replacing O. sanborni, and herein we test how predators influence this replacement. In a field survey, crayfish were scarce when fish were abundant, suggesting that predators can adversely affect these prey. In laboratory experiments, we examined underlying mechanisms for this inverse relationship; specifically, we tested how crayfish species, adult aggression, and habitat heterogeneity influenced the predator-prey interaction. In a laboratory stream, smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) ate similar numbers of equal-sized O. rusticus and O. sanborni, but when sizes mimicked those in the field (i.e., O. rusticus 4 mm > O. sanborni), fewer O. rusticus were eaten. Fish also reduced juvenileactivity and behaviors whereas adult aggression increased the frequency of these risky responses. More affected by adult crayfish, O. sanborni should suffer disproportional predation where adults and juveniles interact. Thus, fish predators should increase replacement rates and adult aggression should further accelerate this process. Manifested through crayfish size, both indirect and direct predator effects contribute to the replacement of O. sanborni by O. rusticusA National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant, a Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid, and the Ohio Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit provided funding

Rev1 Protein Purification

1 in every 15-30 million nucleotides can be considered a mutation in healthy individuals. Replication of damaged DNA leads to genetic mutations. Genetic mutations lead to disorders and cancer. Rev1, a Y family polymerase, prevents minor mutations, such as abasic sites and exocyclic guanines, in the template strand from shutting down the process of replication. Our mutant Rev1, R324G/L325G, has replaced both the arginine located on nucleotide base number 324 and the leucine on nucleotide base number 325 with glycine. The arginine and leucine have more complex side chains groups with specific hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties. By replacing them with glycine, the side chains are now simplified to hydrogen. Our hypothesis is that Rev1 evicts the nucleotide from the active site and replaces it with an arginine while the leucine stabilizes the template base outside of the active site. We hypothesis that arginine and leucine side chains provide the mechanism for Rev1 to be a functional polymerase. This mutated Rev1 should be unable to perform this mechanism. Based on protocol provided by Dr. Bret Freudenthal and his associates at the University of Kansas Medical Center and the support of the Phoebe Laser Research Group led by Dr. Carlson and Dr. Grace, and the Chemistry Department at Northwestern, we have grown E. coli with wild type and mutant Rev1 and are in the process of purifying the Rev1 protein for crystallography

Experimental Assessment of Mortality and Hyperglycemia in Tiger Muskellunge Due to Stocking Stressors

Tiger muskellunge (the F1 hybrid of female muskellunge Esox masquinongy and male northern pike E.lucius) have survived poorly when stocked in reservoirs. To understand why, we quantified, in the laboratory, both mortality and plasma glucose responses to three common stocking stressors: dipnet handling, confinement, and temperature increase. No young-of-year hybrids died within 48 h when the temperature was abruptly increased 10C, and only 5% died when the temperature was increased 12C, but 98% died within 4 h when the temperature was increased 15C. Thus, we concluded that thermal stress is an important determinant of poststocking mortality. Mortalities in response to three multiple-stressor treatments--(1) handling and temperature increase, (2) handling, confinement at a fish density of 83 g/L, and temperature increase, and (3) handling, confinement at 135 g/L, and temperature increase--did not differ from each other or from mortality associated with a temperature increase alone. Thus, handling and moderate-density confinement during transport do not necessarily increase poststocking mortality of tiger muskellunge. Abrupt temperature increases of 12 and 15C increased peak plasma glucose concentrations significantly. Handling and confinement together caused a significant hyperglycemia both with and without a temperature increase. However, the relative magnitude of the hyperglycemia caused by individual handling and confinement stressors depended on the presence of a thermal stressor. Finally, we found that plasma glucose concentrations and mortality were not correlated. Although glucose is easily measured and sensitive to small changes in stress, it is not a good indicator of reduced survival and should not be used as such in studies intended to quantify stress-induced mortality.This research was supported in part by funds from the Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Project F-57-R. The Department of Zoology, The Ohio State University, and the Ohio Cooperative Fishery Research Unit also provided financial assistance, computer money, and equipment

Problem-solving Research for Management: A Perspective

We convened a symposium titled "Problem-solving Research for Management: Shared Responsibilities" at the 123rd annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society in Portland, Oregon. Our symposium sought to encourage researchers and managers to work together more effectively by reviewing successful research projects that have incorporated problemsolving approaches. In this first paper, we carefully define and distinguish between management and research by exploring the goals and tools of each discipline. In our view, problemsolving for management, as an iterative approach of which research is a major component, serves as a template for improving the relationship between managers and researchers as well as contributing to the solution of management problems. To improve the less-than-stellar record of interaction between these two groups, not only must problem-solving approaches be incorporated into the effort, but managers and researchers also must come to recognize, appreciate, and understand the differences in tools and goals of their respective trades. Unfortunately, we think neither group appreciates that successful management relies on rigorous, quantitative research that must be held accountable for providing management solutions. Managers and researchers clearly share the burden for the current state of fisheries science

Utilization of Escherichia Coli for the growth of Y Family DNA Polymerase Rev1 and GSTrap column for purification​

Rev1 is a Y family DNA polymerase that specializes in translesion DNA synthesis. Rev1 is unique in that it preferentially incorporates dCTP in the growing DNA strand, regardless of the templating base. This is because the template base is evicted from the active site and a template amino acid, arginine 324 (R324) acts as the template for the incoming dCTP. We hypothesize that arginine 324 and the neighboring leucine (L325) facilitate the eviction of the DNA template from the active site. To test this hypothesis, we worked to purify R324G/L325G Rev1 double mutant for the purpose of X-ray crystallographic examination of the protein-DNA-dNTP ternary complex. We transformed Escherichia coli (E. coli) and induced expression of both wild type Rev1 and R324G/L325G Rev1. The bacterial cells were lysed by sonification, and the lysate was purified with a GSTrap column. We were able to successfully isolate the Rev1 enzyme. Further purification and crystallization will be necessary to explore the x-ray crystal structure of R324G/L325G Rev1 protein

Management Issues and Their Relative Priority within State Fisheries Agencies

For researchers and managers to work together for greatest mutual benefit, researchers must understand what issues fisheries managers consider most important. To assess management priorities, we conducted a mail survey asking U.S. state fisheries agencies to identify the priority, based on personnel time, they place on 12 fisheries management issues. Based on an 88% response rate, we determined relative emphases across (1) management issues, (2) geographic regions, and (3) freshwater or marine orientations. Issues directly linked to sport and commercial fishers, i.e., stocking, harvest regulations, fishing pressure, and exploring recruitment, were of paramount importance in all agency time budgets. The issue that included conflict, policy, and human dimensions concerns also was identified as "high priority." Six other issueshabitat restoration, hydropower licensing, instream flow, contaminants, introduced species, and nongame species-were of "moderate priority" nationwide. Approximately 50% of the issues varied in emphases across geographic region, and five issues were differentially emphasized in agencies with freshwater and marine responsibilities. To solve persistent problems that plague fisheries management, agencies must clearly identify high-priority management concerns and communicate their specific problem-solving needs to researchers. Results of this survey should provide a first step in identifying these management priorities and research needs