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Articles 1 - 22 of 22
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Investigating Stormwater Parameters From Runoff On East Tennessee State University Campus, Abby Mciver, Dr. Joseph R. Bidwell
Investigating Stormwater Parameters From Runoff On East Tennessee State University Campus, Abby Mciver, Dr. Joseph R. Bidwell
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Climate change has caused an increase in extreme rain events and flooding in certain regions across the globe. During rain events, water flows over impervious surfaces structures such as roads and sidewalks, picking up contaminants such as metals, fertilizers and other nutrients, and various organics that which may impact organisms in such as streams, river, and lakes. Previous work has found significant differences in survival of organisms that were exposed to contaminated stormwater runoff. This study investigated stormwater chemistry parameters at collection sites on the East Tennessee State University campus. Sites were selected based on the extent of human interaction …
Epidemiology And Impacts Of A Leaf Spot Disease In Veratrum Viride (Melanthiaceae), Leeah R. Sutton, Foster Levy
Epidemiology And Impacts Of A Leaf Spot Disease In Veratrum Viride (Melanthiaceae), Leeah R. Sutton, Foster Levy
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Fungal phytopathogens can cause disease epidemics in crops, weeds, and
populations of native plants. To investigate the impact of a foliar phytopathogen on the native herbaceous species, Veratrum viride, a demographic and disease assessment was carried out on two high elevation grassy bald populations on Roan Mountain, Tennessee. A leaf spot disease impacted all plants in both populations, causing widespread premature senescence of leaves and stems. Disease severity increased over the course of the growing season. Based on host disease symptoms and fungal conidia morphology, Pseudocercosporella sublineolata was shown to be the causal pathogen. A study of herbarium specimens …
Simulating Polistes Dominulus Nest-Building Heuristics With Deterministic And Markovian Properties, Benjamin Pottinger
Simulating Polistes Dominulus Nest-Building Heuristics With Deterministic And Markovian Properties, Benjamin Pottinger
Undergraduate Honors Theses
European Paper Wasps (Polistes dominula) are social insects that build round, symmetrical nests. Current models indicate that these wasps develop colonies by following simple heuristics based on nest stimuli. Computer simulations can model wasp behavior to imitate natural nest building. This research investigated various building heuristics through a novel Markov-based simulation. The simulation used a hexagonal grid to build cells based on the building rule supplied to the agent. Nest data was compared with natural data and through visual inspection. Larger nests were found to be less compact for the rules simulated.
Composition, Diversity, Abundance, And Spatial Variation In The Floral Nectar Mycobiome Of Rhododendron Catawbiense And Lobelia Cardinalis, Ayesha Khan
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Plant nectar microbiome, primarily consisting of fungi and bacteria, can qualitatively and quantitively alter the floral rewards by exploiting the chemical composition of the nectar which can thus impact plant-pollinator interactions, and ultimately affect plant reproductive success. Evidence suggests that changes in the microenvironmental conditions across various spatial gradients can induce changes in the floral nectar microbiome, which can account for microbial variation not only across plant species, but also within. Furthermore, nectar microbiome is also contingent on the pollinator systems and nectar quality. In this study, we used Rhododendron catawbiense (bee-pollinated; highly toxic nectar) and Lobelia cardinalis (hummingbird-pollinated; mildly …
Synthetic Viral Pyrogen Induces Behavioral Fever In Plethodon Glutinosus Salamanders, Nicholas Britt
Synthetic Viral Pyrogen Induces Behavioral Fever In Plethodon Glutinosus Salamanders, Nicholas Britt
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Behavioral fever is an essential coping mechanism across ectothermic phyla to aid in combating pathogenic threats. Ectotherms lack internal temperature regulation associated with fever in endotherms; thus, ectotherms can exhibit a behavioral fever response when immunocompromised to thermoregulate by moving to warmer locations. The salamander order Caudata, tend to be keystone species in their resident ecosystems through their role as secondary consumers of invertebrates to maintain the food chain. With growing interest about ecology and conservation of salamanders as species diversity declines, this study was designed to determine if salamanders use their environment to take advantage of behavioral fever. The …
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Of Apixaban Using Chromogenic Kits, Brooke Vogel
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Of Apixaban Using Chromogenic Kits, Brooke Vogel
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Apixaban is a novel oral anticoagulant that prevents clotting by directly inhibiting Factor Xa in the coagulation cascade. Due to its different pharmacokinetics, previous standards for testing anticoagulant concentrations are ineffective at measuring apixaban. In this study, Hyphen Biomed Biophen Direct Xa Inhibitor and Biophen Heparin chromogenic kits from Aniara Diagnostica were used along with a NanoDrop™ One/OneC Microvolume UV-Vis Spectrophotometer to see if either of these kits provide acceptable precision and accuracy for the quantification of apixaban in plasma samples, as well as if there is a significant difference in these two kits at varying concentrations of apixaban. …
Investigating The Behavioral Response Of Lampsilis Ovata To Various Salinity Conditions, Victoria Good
Investigating The Behavioral Response Of Lampsilis Ovata To Various Salinity Conditions, Victoria Good
Undergraduate Honors Theses
The Pocket-book mussel, Lampsilis ovata, is a native freshwater bivalve species that is endemic to North America. The salinity tolerance of this species is of interest because anthropogenic salinization events and climate change factors threaten their natural freshwater habitats. Furthermore, the invasive freshwater bivalve species Corbicula fluminea has been shown to display significant salinity tolerance, which may lead to negative competitive interactions with native freshwater bivalve species if the salinization of freshwater habitats exceeds thresholds beyond which native species can effectively cope. It was hypothesized that L. ovata would be sensitive to salinity conditions above 1 g/L and respond …
Analyzing Physiological Stress Response Using Dermal Swabs In Plethodon Montanus, John Tester
Analyzing Physiological Stress Response Using Dermal Swabs In Plethodon Montanus, John Tester
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Upon exposure to environmental stressors, amphibians such as Plethodon montanus will release corticosterone (CORT) thus causing a behavioral and physiological response to cope with the stress. Currently, there are several invasive ways of collecting CORT in salamanders. However, these techniques typically require euthanasia of the organism. We hypothesized that exposure of P. montanus to stressful handling conditions will result in elevations of CORT that can be detected through dermal swabbing. To test this, two experiments were conducted which involved swabbing the dorsal side of the trunk before and immediately after exposing P. montanus to two different environmental stressors. The first …
Circadian Rhythms Of The Spider Pholcus Phalangeoides In Activity Monitors And Web Boxes, Steven Dirmeyer
Circadian Rhythms Of The Spider Pholcus Phalangeoides In Activity Monitors And Web Boxes, Steven Dirmeyer
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Circadian rhythms are endogenous molecular clocks that correspond to the 24-hour day and are regulated by light stimulus, allowing organisms to entrain to the dawn-dusk cycle. These clocks may allow organisms to anticipate daily events, influencing their behavior. In arthropods, including spiders, circadian rhythmicity is tested using activity monitors, which house individuals in tubes. However, this does not reflect the natural habitat of many spiders. We compared the locomotor activity of the cellar spider Pholcus phalangiodes in activity monitors with the locomotor activity in web boxes. After being entrained to a 12:12 light:dark cycle, the spiders were recorded in constant …
Elucidating The Effects Of Thiamethoxam Neonicotinoid On Honey Bee Learning Using The Proboscis Extension Response, David J. Shepherd
Elucidating The Effects Of Thiamethoxam Neonicotinoid On Honey Bee Learning Using The Proboscis Extension Response, David J. Shepherd
Undergraduate Honors Theses
In this study, the effects of the neonicotinoid pesticide, thiamethoxam, are examined through the Proboscis Extension Response (PER) in honey bees (Apis mellifera). PER is a form of classical conditioning applied to honey bees through scent and reward association which quantifies learning rates. Results between groups treated with thiamethoxam did not differ significantly from untreated control groups. Potential reasons for these results are discussed. The method and experimental apparatus for testing the PER assay are also discussed.
Toll Like Receptor 4 Stimulation Increases Scavenger Receptor A Expression On Murine Macrophages, Mackenzie L. Guthrie
Toll Like Receptor 4 Stimulation Increases Scavenger Receptor A Expression On Murine Macrophages, Mackenzie L. Guthrie
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Sepsis is the body’s response to an overwhelming infection and is a serious consequence of critical illness. It can cause tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Sepsis continues to have an unacceptably high mortality rate, due to the lack of effective treatments. Specific therapeutic targets for sepsis remain elusive since the complex functional changes that result in a septic state remain poorly understood. Macrophage Scavenger Receptor A (SRA, CD204) is a surface receptor that binds negatively charged, endogenous and exogenous ligands. We have discovered that SRA plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of sepsis. We have shown that mice …
Identification Of N-Acylethanolamine Hydrolyzing Enzyme In Solanum Lycopersicum, Derek A. Stuffle
Identification Of N-Acylethanolamine Hydrolyzing Enzyme In Solanum Lycopersicum, Derek A. Stuffle
Undergraduate Honors Theses
N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) are fatty acid derivatives that occur naturally in plant and animal systems. In mammals, they regulate physiological functions, including neurotransmission, immune responses, vasodilation, embryo development and implantation, feeding behavior, and cell proliferation. NAEs are metabolized by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which belongs to the amidase signature family. It is hypothesized that putative FAAH functions as the catalyst in the metabolism of N-acylethanolamine in tomato plants. To test the hypothesis, FAAH protein homologs were identified in tomato via in silico analysis. Among the six homologs identified, FAAH1 and FAAH2 were selected for further validation. This study …
Demography And Disease Of The Rare Shrub Buckleya Distichophylla (Santalaceae) In Northeastern Tennessee, William Seth Ratliff
Demography And Disease Of The Rare Shrub Buckleya Distichophylla (Santalaceae) In Northeastern Tennessee, William Seth Ratliff
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Piratebush (Buckleya distichophylla (Nutt.) Torr.) is a rare, hemiparasitic shrub with the only extant populations in western North Carolina, northeastern Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia. The preferred natural hosts of piratebush, Carolina and eastern hemlocks, have seen sharp declines over the last decade due to the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid. Virginia pine, another important host of piratebush, is also susceptible to disease, specifically Cronartium appalachianum, a rust fungus for which piratebush is the secondary host. This study described and analyzed current demographic parameters of three Tennessee piratebush populations. Additionally, spatial patterns of disease and demographic characters were analyzed. These …
Establishing The Dance Floor: Frame Manipulation Experiments, Peter D. Suich
Establishing The Dance Floor: Frame Manipulation Experiments, Peter D. Suich
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Past studies of honey bee populations, in both natural and laboratory settings have allowed researchers to elucidate the dance language of honey bees within the hive. While the intent and meaning of the waggle dance is thoroughly understood, the area within the hive on which the bees dance is poorly understood. Several factors that may contribute to waggle dancing were studied: substrate, scent and hive entrance proximity. Two separate honey bee colonies were placed in three-frame observation hives. After establishing the dance floor, new experimental conditions were introduced by changing the position of the frames and watching for three days …
Relationship Between Relative Hive Entrance Position And Dance Floor Location, Chelsea E. Corrigan
Relationship Between Relative Hive Entrance Position And Dance Floor Location, Chelsea E. Corrigan
Undergraduate Honors Theses
It has been observed that returning honey bee foragers congregate with unemployed foragers and food receiver bees in a localized region of the hive known as the dance floor. Here, the returning foragers advertise food sources via the waggle dance. It was hypothesized that the close proximity of the dance floor to the hive entrance was related to foragers minimizing time and travel inside the hive. The hive entrance is conventionally located at the bottom of the hive. It was suggested that this location was ideal for easy removal of debris. This correlation between dance floor location and hive entrance …
Infectious Disease: An Agent-Based Simulation., Iqra Ahmad
Infectious Disease: An Agent-Based Simulation., Iqra Ahmad
Undergraduate Honors Theses
One of the primary reasons for studying infectious diseases is to improve control and ultimately eradicate the infection from the population (Keeling 2008). An agent base model was designed to observe the spread of disease and the effect of vaccination using the program known as StarLogo- TNG. Experiments were designed, not having a particular disease in mind, and simulations were run to determine the effects of different variables on the vaccination process of a certain population. Goals included observation of how infections spread and how vaccination plays a role in various situations such as, root of the infection, population size, …
Competition In A Simple Pond: A 3d Agent Based Model Approach., Emil W.H. Montano
Competition In A Simple Pond: A 3d Agent Based Model Approach., Emil W.H. Montano
Undergraduate Honors Theses
If two species are competing for a limited resource, the species that uses the resource more efficiently will eventually eliminate the other. This is known as the principle of competitive exclusion developed by Georgy Gause. To determine the effect of this competition, a simple three-dimensional model of a pond is created in which two species compete for a single source of energy (algae). The model is based solely on the conservation of the energy that flows through an ecosystem where primary production is the only source of energy. The first scenario tested is of two competing species with identical life …
Putative Glucosyltransferase 11 From Citrus Paradisi: Cloning, Recombinant Expression In Yeast, And Substrate Screening., Bruce E. Williams
Putative Glucosyltransferase 11 From Citrus Paradisi: Cloning, Recombinant Expression In Yeast, And Substrate Screening., Bruce E. Williams
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Plant secondary products, which include the flavonoids, have a variety of roles in plant systems. Their roles include UV protection, antifeedant activity, pollinator attraction, stress response, and many others. Flavonoids also have effects on human physiology. Glucosylation is an important modification of many flavonoids and other plant secondary products. In grapefruit, glucosylation is important in the synthesis of the bitter compound naringin. Glucosyltransferases catalyze glucosylation reactions. Putative plant secondary product glucosyltransferases may be identified by the loosely conserved “PSPG box” amino acid sequence, and eleven have been isolated to date in Citrus paradisi. With current knowledge, however, biochemical characterization …
Recombination And Screening Of Putative Grapefruit Glucosyltransferase 4 Expressed In Pichia Pastoris., Peri Loftis
Recombination And Screening Of Putative Grapefruit Glucosyltransferase 4 Expressed In Pichia Pastoris., Peri Loftis
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Flavonoids are a group of plant secondary metabolites that are vital to the cell systems of plants. The intake of these chemicals is advantageous to animals for their antioxidant properties that affect the function of immune and inflammatory cells. The bitter taste of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) and other citrus species is caused by the accumulation of glycosylated flavonoids. Glucosyltransferases (GTs) are enzymes that add glucose moieties to a carbon or hydroxyl group of natural products. The function of a putative secondary product GT clone was tested. In previous research, putative GT 4 was cloned into a pCD1 modified …
Role Of Stress In The Onset Of Diabetes Mellitus In Mice., Lindsey Brianne Mcamis
Role Of Stress In The Onset Of Diabetes Mellitus In Mice., Lindsey Brianne Mcamis
Undergraduate Honors Theses
This study investigated the effects of stress on the onset of chemically-induced diabetes mellitus in mice. Sixty male ICR mice were randomly divided into 6 groups of 10 mice. A factorial arrangement of 2 factors (streptozotocin (STZ) and stress) was used to produce 6 treatments. Three levels of STZ (0, 25 and 50 mg/kg bodyweight) and 2 levels of stress (stress and no-stress) were used. Stressed groups were exposed to restraint stress 6 hours daily for 18 days. Mice bodyweight, feed consumption and blood glucose levels were recorded regularly during the study period. At the end of the study period, …
Calcium Provision In A Placentotrophic Lizard: Structural Differentiation Reflects Functional Specialization., Haley K. Stinnett
Calcium Provision In A Placentotrophic Lizard: Structural Differentiation Reflects Functional Specialization., Haley K. Stinnett
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Viviparity (live birth) and placentation have evolved in more than 100 lineages of squamate reptiles. However, highly placentotrophic species in which embryos receive the majority of nutrients for development via maternal transport across a placenta are rare. Pseudemoia pagenstecheri is a viviparous Australian scincid lizard with extensive placental transfer of nutrients. For example, 90% of neonate calcium is received via placental transfer. This species has a regionally differentiated chorioallantoic placenta distinguished by an elliptical-shaped region, the placentome. The placentome is characterized by hypertrophied uterine and embryonic epithelial cells supported by dense vascular networks. The remainder of the chorioallantoic placenta is …
A Profile Of Rural Southern Appalachian Hiv Patients: Vamc Versus Com., Lauren Brooks
A Profile Of Rural Southern Appalachian Hiv Patients: Vamc Versus Com., Lauren Brooks
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Although the AIDS epidemic in America began approximately three decades ago, much remains to be learned about the epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in rural America. This study compared profiles of HIV patients at the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Mountain Home, TN to those seen at a university-based community HIV care clinic (COM) in Johnson City, TN.