Digital Commons Network^™

Seasonal Resource Allocation And Accumulated Degree Day Estimation For Cuban Bulrush (Oxycarum Cubense) In The Southeastern U.S., Allison Squires

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Cuban bulrush (Oxycaryum cubense (Poepp. & Kunth) Lye) is a non-native aquatic plant from South America and the West Indies, first introduced into the United States in 1878. This study focused on the resource allocation and accumulated degree day modeling of the monocephalous and polycephalous Cuban bulrush populations in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida. Environmental factors such as photoperiod and temperature were analyzed on its effect on plant growth. From October 2021- September 2022 Cuban bulrush biomass was harvested monthly from two 0.04 Ha (0.1 ac) plots in each state. Height was measured during each monthly event. Environmental monitoring of photoperiod …

Seasonal Starch Allocation In Starry Stonewort (Nitellopsis Obtusa) Harvested From Lake Koronis, Mn, And Development Of Non-Chemical Management Recommendations, Alyssa M. Haram

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa) (Desvaux in Loiseleur) J. Groves is an invasive macro alga that can take over entire water columns and outcompete native species. Previous research has quantified seasonal life history and phenology but there is no research quantifying carbohydrate allocation which was the aim for Chapter II. Management efforts to control Nitellopsis obtusa have been limited to stressing the thalli and have not been able to directly target the reproductive bulbils on larger scales. Smaller scale efforts such as the use of hand pulling can be used but hand pulling is not realistic for larger infestations. Chapter III …

Investigating Mirna Regulation Of The Human Apobec3 Enzymes, William Dietrich

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The human apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide 3 (APOBEC3, A3) are a family of proteins consisting of seven enzymes, A3A, B, C, D, F, G and H, which function as cytosine deaminases. The enzymes’ purpose in the cell is to mutate viral DNA during infection hindering or stopping replication of viruses such as human papillomavirus, herpes simplex virus, and HIV-1. Several of the A3 enzymes have also been implicated in contributing to cancers such as head and neck and breast cancers by mutating cellular genomic DNA, making the ability to control A3 expression an attractive target for cancer …

"Effects Of Chronic Clothianidin Exposure On Various Aspects Of Oncorhynchus Mykiss (Rainbow Trout) Development", Jacob Schmid

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Agricultural run-off is one of the leading sources of environmental pollution in the United States. One major pollutant within this is insecticides, and among these, neonicotinoids which have become the most used insecticide class across the world. Neonicotinoids act as an agonist on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in the central nervous system of insects. Neonicotinoids are perceived to have low toxicity on non-target organisms however recently extensive literature has been published showing various effects on non-target organisms. Clothianidin is one of the most applied compounds belonging to the neonicotinoid class, yet few studies have investigated its chronic effects on …

Application Of The Fine Sediment Biotic Index To Three Drain Tiled And Ditched Agricultural Systems In Southern Minnesota, Bailey Sanders

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Artificial drainage is a common agricultural management technique in the United States used to remove excess water from poorly drained soils. Approximately 22.48 million hectares of crop land are drain-tiled in the United States, providing long-term economic benefits to farmers. However, artificial drainage increases sediment transport in agricultural watersheds, which can degrade aquatic systems, destroy habitats, and limit biological diversity. Biotic indices based on benthic macroinvertebrates are commonly used to assess surface water quality, but recent studies show potential in developing sediment biotic indices using benthic macroinvertebrates to estimate fine sediment in streams. The objective of this study was to …

Life History, Resource Allocation, And Phenology Of Diploid Flowering Rush (Butomus Umbellatus) Collected From Populations In Ohio And New York, Maxwell G. Gebhart

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus) is an invasive wetland perennial monocot that is native to eastern Europe that invaded north America in the early 1900’s. Flowering rush made its way to the Great Lakes in the mid-1950’s and has now invaded lake and wetland systems along the U.S. – Canadian border causing a host of issues related to water quality and water use. Within the current invaded range two cytotypes, a diploid and a triploid, have been documented which much of the current research and developed management strategies have been largely on the triploid. Research presented here is on the diploid …

The Role Of Insulin-Like Growth Factor I In The Development Of The Cerebellum In Euthyroid And Hypothyroid Mice, Prathibha Mangedarage

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Thyroid hormone deficiency during development is known to cause anatomical defects in the cerebellum that lead to neurological deficits. It has been observed that insufficient thyroid hormone levels also decrease the levels of brain derived Insulin-like growth factor 1 (Igf-1). Given that the deficits caused by low Igf-1 levels are similar to those caused by low thyroid hormone, we designed this study to investigate if the deficits caused in the development of the cerebellum by low thyroid hormone levels may be due to the lack of sufficient Igf-1. We also sought to determine if ectopic over expression of Igf-1 in …

Environmental Heterogeneity As A Driver Of Understory Vegetation Composition In Midwestern Oak Savannas, Jean Pengra

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The following thesis is submitted as two chapters. Chapter one contains background information, literature review, and predictions. Chapter two is formatted as a paper submission to Invasive Plant Science and Management. Note that this journal requires a combined results and discussion section and a summary of management implications written after the abstract. The appendix contains supplementary materials that are relevant to study hypotheses but do not necessarily align with the scope of the article submission. Oak (Quercus spp.) savannas are one of the most threatened ecological systems within the United States. Like many ecotones, these savannas are considered biodiversity hotspots …

Investigation Of Glycoside Hydrolases And Calcium In Cytophaga Hutchinsonii Cellulose Utilization, Choua Kou Vang

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Cytophaga hutchinsonii is a soil bacterium that can utilize cellulose as a carbon source. The cellulose utilization system of C. hutchinsonii has been predicted to be novel and its endoglucanases could potentially be used in the production of cellulosic based biofuels. These enzymes could be used to process cellulose to glucose or other soluble sugars, which can be further converted to ethanol by yeast fermentation. Current biofuels utilize starches, primarily from corn, which has direct competition with farming space for food crops. This study focuses on observing the growth of C. hutchinsonii knockout mutant strains on cellulose substrate to better …

Location Of The Fibronectin Binding Domain On The Fibronectin Attachment Protein Of Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis, Chrissy Rose Hattery

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) is an acid-fast bacillus that causes a fatal granulomatous ileocolitis called Johne’s Disease that affects primarily ruminants. The impact of MAP infection in the US dairy industry is particularly severe, with up to 70.4% of the herds being infected and annual losses as high as $1.5 billion. MAP is capable of persisting for months in the livestock environment and surviving the pasteurization process. While several vaccines are available, none can prevent infection and treatment with antimycobacterial chemotherapy does not result in a cure. Management and control of MAP infection requires characterization of host-pathogen interaction at the …

Pre-Exposure Of Escherichia Coli And Staphylococcus Aureus To Sub-Bactericidal Concentrations Of Benzalkonium Chloride And Its Effect On Low-Level Antimicrobial Resistance, Logan Fette

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Antimicrobial resistance that develops in bacteria is a highly studied aspect of microbiology due to the concerns that it poses for public health. Antibiotics remain our primary care option when dealing with bacterial infections. The concept of tolerance of bacteria to disinfectants is similar and it also poses a significant health risk. Since use of disinfectants for sanitation is a primary manner in which we are able to prevent potential infections from occurring in the first place, it can be a helpful means to preventing development of antimicrobial resistance. However, what has not been explored to the same extent is …

Environmental Effects On Biomass Allocation And Small Plot Evaluations Of Aquatic Pesticides For Control Of Nitellopsis Obtusa (Starry Stonewort) Collected From Lake Koronis In Stearns County, Minnesota, Patrick J. Carver

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Phenology is the study of critical life stages in plants in relation to shifts in environmental factors during seasonal changes. Starry stonewort is a green macro alga in the family Characeae native to Eurasia. Much of the Midwestern United States has been invaded by this species. Starry stonewort has been seen to have late season growth patterns in its invaded range. This study found that this growth pattern was dependent upon water temperature and light transmittance both of which affect biomass production and senescence. It was hypothesized that peak biomass would occur in the late summer (August), however we observed …

Effects Of Perchlorate Exposure On Swimming Performance Of Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) And Organ Development Of Mice (Mus Musculus), Quentin Phillips

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Biomimetic properties of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) enable these chemicals to induce physiological responses in organisms at the cellular level, affecting fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Perchlorate is a ubiquitous EDC to which nearly all humans of industrialized countries are exposed. Perchlorate competitively inhibits the sodium-iodide symporters located within the follicular cells of the thyroid gland, reducing the body’s ability to uptake iodide and synthesize thyroid hormone (TH), a crucial hormone in the regulation of many metabolic processes. Threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) are aquatic model organisms used in perchlorate exposure research. Exposure causes many common …

Investigating Anxiety-Like Behavior As A Non-Motor Side Effect Of Deep Brain Stimulation Of The Subthalamic Nucleus In A Parkinsonian Rat Model, Carter Mulder

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is estimated to impact nearly 10 million people globally and is estimated to increase in the future. PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that worsens through continuous cell death of dopaminergic neurons. This cell death can create motor symptoms such as bradykinesia, tremor, and muscular rigidity. Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation, STN DBS, is a surgical intervention which places stimulating electrodes in the STN greatly improving motor symptoms. However, STN DBS has been reported to possibly influence non-motor symptoms such as anxiety both acutely and long-term, which decreases the quality of life for those with PD. We …

Functional Trade-Offs Between Terrestrial And Aquatic Locomotion In The Amphibious Fish Kryptolebias Marmoratus, Erik Axlid

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus) is a phenotypically plastic teleost fish that can spend considerable time on land and traverse the terrestrial realm through a ballistic behavior termed the tail-flip jump. The tail-flip jump is a transitional stage between fully aquatic and terrestrial lifestyles. Therefore, understanding this behavior can provide insight into how organisms adapt to new environments over evolutionary time. Taxa that are successful tail-flip jumpers have a deep caudal peduncle and uniform body shape. Studies of K. marmoratus show that terrestrial acclimation and exercise improves tail-flip jumping performance due to muscle remodeling, but the implications of these muscular …

Aquatic Macrophyte Communities In Five Sibley County (Minnesota) Lakes And The Factors That Affect Their Distribution, Samuel A. Schmid

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purposes of this study are to 1) quantify the shifts in the macrophyte community structure of five lakes in Sibley County, and 2) to assess the relationships between the macrophyte communities and abiotic factors in these five lakes. In both the early and late growing season of 2019, point-intercept surveys were conducted on High Island Lake, Titlow Lake, Schilling Lake, Silver Lake, and Clear Lake. At each point, water depth was recorded, and all macrophytes sampled were identified and recorded as “present.” There was not a late season survey conducted for High Island Lake in 2019 due to a …

Investigation Of Fermentation Efficiency In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Through Telomere Integrity And Maltase Expression, Dana Bennett

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Many microbreweries practice serial fermentation, or serial repitching. Serial repitching is the process by which one yeast culture is reused for multiple batches of beer. Each batch of subsequent beer is called a “pitch.” This technique helps breweries limit production costs. However, fermentation is difficult to predict throughout serial fermentation. This leads to beer quality issues such as fluctuation in alcohol production, buildup of unwanted flavor compounds, and decreased carbon dioxide production, which results in reduced profit. To combat this issue, many breweries will attempt to predict fermentation efficiency through viable cell counting in order to ensure a consistent number …

Caregiver Knowledge And Perceptions Of Dementia-Specific Nutritional Approaches, Danielle Freitag

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Dementia is a syndrome that affects millions worldwide. The syndrome can cause great distress not only for the diagnosed individual but also for the family and friends who provide care. It is known that many caregivers for people with dementia face difficulties in planning and preparing meals, feeding, and making nutritional decisions for their loved ones. Several diets have been shown to assist with dementia-related symptoms pre and post diagnosis. However, what is unknown is whether caregivers are aware of the benefits of these diets and what the barriers are to implementing them into their nutrition regime. This study surveyed …

Effects Of Voluntary Exercise On Pressure-Induced Natriuresis In Hypertensive Female And Male Rats, Keshari Sudasinghe

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Hypertension (HT) is one of the major diseases associated with the circulatory system and remains a public health problem with a high rate of prevalence in the adult population in the USA. The pressure natriuresis mechanism which is Na+ excretion in respond to rise in blood pressure acts as a long-term regulator of arterial blood pressure. Recent studies have demonstrated that impairment of this long-term pressure natriuresis mechanism is involved in hypertension (HT) and many other renal disorders. Exercise is a nonpharmacological treatment to help control HT, and exercise has a beneficial effect on vascular health, endothelial functions, arterial stiffness, …

Defining Plant Ecological Specialists And Generalists: Building A Framework For Identification And Classification, Alex N. Kirsch

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This thesis is submitted in two chapters. The first chapter contains background research, literature review, relevant information, and justification for the primary study. The second chapter is written as a standalone paper for submission to Ecology and Evolution, that can be read and interpreted independently of the first chapter. Specialization is a widespread but highly ambiguous and context dependent ecological concept. Here, we construct a framework to assess specialization using an objective, metric-based approach, utilizing study system Quercus. To create Metric-Based Specialization rankings, metrics related to specialization were gathered for 141 Quercus species (Number of distinct inhabited ecoregions, extent of …

Intracellular Localization Of The Novel Polyq Protein Fam171b, Dulanjani Rajaguru

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

FAM171B is a relatively uncharacterized protein that contains fourteen consecutive glutamine residues within its primary amino acid sequence; thus it is a polyglutamine (polyQ) protein. PolyQ proteins are interesting because mutations within the polyQ tract have been linked to a number of severe neurodegenerative diseases including Huntingtons Disease (HD). To date, there are minimal published data regarding FAM171B and its molecular function, such that both expression levels and intracellular localization have yet to be definitively determined. Using immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization analyses, our lab has recently found that FAM171B is expressed throughout the mouse brain. This current study attempts …

Characterization Of Deiodinase Expression In The Hypothyroid Developing Cochlea, Maria A. Uscategui Calderon

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Thyroid hormone (TH) is essential for cochlear development and normal auditory function. Considering the importance of TH in mediating cochlear development, understanding the degree to which developing tissues can adapt to perturbations in thyroid hormone signaling is extremely important. The deiodinases (D2 and D3) are enzymes that tightly control TH availability at the tissue level and have been proposed to function as adaptive mechanisms that maintain tissue TH homeostasis. D2 converts thyroxine (T4) to a biologically active ligand triiodothyronine (T3); locally amplifying a T3 signal. Conversely, Dio3 inactivates T3 and T4 by converting these iodothyronines to the inactive metabolites diiodothyronine …

An Assessment Of Knowledge, Behavior, And Consumption Patterns Surrounding Sugar- Sweetened Beverages Among Young Adults, Anne Harguth

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Background The obesity epidemic is a growing problem in this country. Many studies have been conducted in effort to unravel and derail the rise in obesity and overweight status among Americans. Strong evidence supports the notion that excessive sugar consumption is largely contributing to an increase in obesity and risk for many chronic diseases and conditions.

Objective This study assessed sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, knowledge of sugar-sweetened beverages, disease risk associated with consumption, and correlation between the knowledge and consumption among a sample of students at a large midwestern university. A cross-sectional, retrospective design with random sampling was utilized for this …

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: A Survey To Assess Adults Knowledge, Attitudes, And Consumption Patterns Of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Jeff Schafer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) have a direct impact on the general health of the country when looking at the rising obesity levels (CDC, 2017a). The USDA’s dietary guidelines suggest that the daily intake of added sugar should be limited to 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men (Hughes, 2017). However, the average American consumes 20 teaspoons of sugar daily (Hughes, 2017). These extra calories are converted into fat and stored in the body. Data collected throughout the years indicates a rise in the number of Americans living with a weight above healthy recommendations, which is termed, obese. Obesity is …

Effect Of Process-Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning (Pogil) On Preservice Elementary Teachers' Understanding Of Biological Classification, Mackenzie Volz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined preservice elementary teachers’ biological classification conceptions and whether process-oriented guided-inquiry learning (POGIL) or traditional pedagogies affect preservice elementary teachers’ understanding of biological classification conceptions. A literature review was completed to determine common biological classification conceptions that exist among all researched populations, what misconceptions are present regarding biological classification, and whether POGIL was an appropriate pedagogy to use in the experimental study. The findings from the literature review were used to develop a mixed-method research study. Both quantitative and qualitative data was gathered through the use of pre- and posttests and post-instruction clinical interviews. Participants (n = 47) …

The Effect Of Dorsal Rhizotomy On Renal Sodium Excretion Following Dorsal Spinal Stimulation, Tanko Tijani Ahmed

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Hypertension is one of the most common risk factors in the development of heart disease, stroke and end stage renal failure. Sympathetic overactivity is believed to be one of the main mechanism behind resistant hypertension. Renal denervation has been used to treat resistant hypertension, although this procedure is an invasive one. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a known modality to treat ischemic pain, angina pectoris, and peripheral vascular diseases. In previous studies in this laboratory, unilateral spinal cord stimulation in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) at 67% of the motor threshold increased urinary sodium and water excretion significantly, without affecting mean …

The Relationship Between Seasonal Breeding And Deiodinase Expression In The Green Anole Lizard, Hyejoo Kang

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Reproductive physiology and behavior is mainly regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis. Interestingly, abnormal levels of thyroid hormone (TH) results in the delayed onset of puberty and affects gonadal function of adults by altering HPG axis activity. Seasonally breeding animals undergo drastic hormonal and behavioral changes between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis), similar to other seasonally breeding animals, have increased sex steroid hormones, larger gonads, upregulated gonadal steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) mRNA and increased reproductive behavior during the breeding compared to non-breeding seasons. Relatively less is known regarding the regulation of gonadal TH in seasonal …

The Effects Of Heat-Killed Echinostomatid Parasites On Mice Treated With Dextran Sodium Sulfate (Dss), Natalie Gooder

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Objective: Autoimmune diseases are chronic, incurable, and affect approximately 50 million Americans. This is a strong need for better ways to treat autoimmune diseases. Parasites and parasite proteins have been observed to protect mice from symptoms of induced colitis in mice treated with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), a model for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). I hypothesize that non-living echinostomatid parasites, given during DSS treatment, can decrease intestinal inflammation and weight loss, providing a possible novel treatment for IBD.

Methods: A range of DSS concentrations (0.5%-3%) were delivered to female C57BL/6 mice in their drinking water in order to determine the …

Metabolic And Morphological Evaluation Of Two Brewer’S Yeast Strains Throughout Serial Re-Pitching In Beer Fermentation, Anh Pham

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Beer fermentation is the process of growing yeast anaerobically in a malt-based medium, ultimately resulting in alcohol and carbon dioxide production. In order to reduce the cost and waiting time, serial repitching has been practiced among microbrewers. The technique emphasizes transferring yeast from one batch of beer to the subsequent brewing cycles. It has been shown that aged yeast cultures have higher fermentation efficiency and shorter lag period, thereby resulting in shorter fermentation times, faster pH drop, and lower concentrations of unwanted products. Despite the advantages of serial repitching, one can only practice repitching for approximately 5-6 times with a …

Agricultural Intensification In The Midwest: Impacts On Regional Surface Humidity, Andrew Hill

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

An overwhelming majority of anthropogenic climate change studies have placed emphasis on biogeochemical agents, chiefly carbon dioxide emissions, which operate on a global scale. Fewer studies focus on biophysical factors such as land use/ land cover which operate on a regional or local scale. The impact from biophysical factors will continue to be reinforced with a growing human population and expanding resource demands. Of these factors, agricultural land use represents one of the largest, most extensive, and vital land use allocations.

The U.S. Midwest, dominated by rain-fed corn and soybean agriculture, is a key agricultural region which is lacking in …