Life Sciences Commons^™

Psychedelics Can Save: The Scientific And Social Case For Rescheduling Psychedelic Compounds, Galen M. Fader

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Homology Of A Maturase To The Heart Of The Nuclear Spliceosome, Isabella Becker

Undergraduate Research Competition

Structural and biochemical evidence links group II introns as evolutionary precursors of nuclear introns. The spliceosome binds and excises nuclear introns. Maturases are prokaryotic enzymes that aid group II intron excision. The evolutionary ties between group II introns and nuclear introns suggest a possible link between maturases and the nuclear spliceosome. Structural analysis of Prp8, a core enzyme of the nuclear spliceosome has demonstrated this link and revealed similarity to prokaryotic maturases. Maturase K (MatK) is a chloroplast group II intron maturase. Unlike prokaryotic maturases, MatK binds to multiple intron substrates suggesting possible evolution akin to the nuclear spliceosome machinery ...

Data For Farmland Preservation Study, Arthur J. Caplan, Brent C. Chamberlain

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This study fills a gap in cultural ecosystem service (CES) assessment of prime farmland located in peri-urban areas by presenting results from a choice experiment recently conducted in Utah’s Wasatch Front region. The choice experiment was designed to account for heterogeneous effects associated with a wide array of socio-demographic and attitudinal characteristics on household preferences for farmland preservation, including farmland used for the joint production of solar power and agricultural products. We apply a mixed-logit model to our data that controls for preference heterogeneity among Wasatch Front households along two dimensions – at the individual household level and according to ...

Anthropogenic And Climatic Factors Interact To Influence Reproductive Timing And Effort, Susannah S. French, Geoffrey Smith

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Reproduction, although absolutely essential to a species’ persistence, is in itself challenging. As anthropogenic change increasingly affects every landscape on Earth, it is critical to understand how specific pressures impact the reproductive efforts of individuals, which directly contribute to the success or failure of populations. However, organisms rarely encounter a single burden at a time, and the interactions of environmental challenges can have compounding effects. Disentangling environmental and physiological pressures is difficult because they are often context-dependent and not generalizable, but long-term monitoring across variable landscapes and weather patterns can improve our understanding of these complex interactions. We tested the ...

Recovery From Discrete Wound Severities In Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana): Implications For Energy Budget, Locomotor Performance, And Oxidative Stress, Susannah S. French, Spencer B. Hudson

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Wounding events (predation attempts, competitive combat) result in injuries and/or infections that induce integrated immune responses for the recovery process. Despite the survival benefits of immunity in this context, the costs incurred may require investment to be diverted from traits contributing to immediate and/or future survival, such as locomotor performance and oxidative status. Yet, whether trait constraints manifest likely depends on wound severity and the implications for energy budget. For this study, food intake, body mass, sprint speed, and oxidative indices (reactive oxygen metabolites, antioxidant capacity) were monitored in male side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) healing from cutaneous wounds ...

Data For "Arch_Covid_Crowding_Vc", Wayne Freimund, Zachary D. Miller

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Monitoring of visitor use in Arches National Park to assess social distancing behaviors of visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Environmental Data: Geospatial And Elevation Data, Albert J. Burky, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

GPS Coordinates, Elevation, and Distance to Edge data for 32 sample plots in Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Data For « Does Invasion Science Encompass The Invaded Range? A Comparison Of The Geographies Of Invasion Science Versus Management In The U.S. », Lara Munro, Bridget Griffin, Brittany Laginhas, Bethany Bradley

Data and Datasets

Data collected from English-language articles published between 1999-2018 on the ten most studied invasive plants in the United States.

Supporting Data - Recycling Of Nitrate And Organic Matter By Plants In The Vadose Zone Of A Saturated Riparian Buffer, Patience Bosompemaa, Eric Wade Peterson, William Perry, Wondwosen M. Seyoum

Faculty Publications-- Geography, Geology, and the Environment

Data from the analysis of nitrate as nitrogen in the soil and soil pore water within the vadose zone of a saturated riparian buffer (SRB). Additional properties measured include: Organic matter (as %), bulk density, moisture content, and porosity. Soil samples were collected pre-growing season (n=57) and post-growing season from two plots (n=29): vegetated plots and barren plots. Statistical comparison of among the treatments, Pre-growing season, plot with plants, and barren plot, and among the different depths, 30 cm, 60 cm, and 90 cm identified significantly different soil NO₃^--N concentrations. Plots with plants experienced a reduction in ...

Ecological Repentance, Emmanuel Salem

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In an age ripe with discovery and analysis regarding anthropogenic pollution and the resultant climate change, a causal ideological explanation is naturally sought. This paper seeks to delve deep into the Christian religion and its relationship to the current climate crisis, as well as discuss whether or not predictions and speculative assertions professed in the famous essay by Lynn White, Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis, hold up when surveyed with a more critical and thorough evaluative lens. This conversation is undertaken under three core considerations: biblical cosmology, what has happened in the world of Christian bioethics since White’s ...

How The Amino Acid L-Serine Provides Neuroprotection Against L-Bmaa Induced Alzheimer’S Disease, Joseph Cimino

Capstone Showcase

More than 6 million people in America are living with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and there are currently no cures or treatments. It is time to move on from the ꞵ-amyloid hypothesis and broaden AD research. New research is suggesting that dietary exposure to a cyanobacterial toxin known as L-BMAA is causing neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s Disease. L-BMAA is misincorporated during protein folding, in place of the proper amino acid, L-Serine. It has been shown that the naturally occurring amino acid, L-Serine, can provide neuroprotection against L-BMAA, but the mechanism by which ...

The Fear Of Reptiles And How To Change It, Maxwell Lyman

Honors Projects

Reptile fear is prominent across many cultures. Anti-reptilian attitudes can lead to anti-conservation attitudes towards reptiles. Person-animal interaction has been shown to decrease fear desensitization and increase positive attitudes towards "unpopular" animals. My project demonstrates the effectiveness of live animal presentation in dispelling negative attitudes of reptiles. However, due to the sample size of the project, further research is highly suggested.

Using Structural Equation Modeling To Model Compliance With Covid-19 Related Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions Amongst University Students In The United States, Spencer G. Shumway, Jonas D. Hopper, Ethan R. Tolman, Daniel G. Ferguson, Gabriella Hubble, David Patterson, Jamie Jensen

ScholarsArchive Data

There are two data files. The "General Data" comes from a nationwide poll using Qualtrics polling software. The "Utah Data" comes from undergraduate biology students at UVU and BYU. The survey gathered demographic data and attitudes toward the COVID pandemic.

Morrissey, Donald T., National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumpers by Name

No abstract provided.

Soil Chemistry And Enzyme Data Examining Impacts Of Callery Pear Stem Cutting, Michaela J. Woods, Grace K. Attea, Ryan W. Mcewan

Five Rivers MetroParks Collaboration Data Archive

This dataset encompasses information following the collection of soil from underneath cut and treated Callery pear stems and untreated Callery pear trees. Soil was assessed for moisture, pH, and enzyme activities.

Shadowed Image Particle Profiling Evaluation Recorder (Sipper) Plankton And Marine Snow Abundance And Distribution Data Collected Aboard Multiple Research Cruises In The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico From 2010-05-12 To 2010-09-16, Kendra L. Daly, Andrew W. Remsen, Kurt Kramer

C-IMAGE data

This dataset contains the abundance and distribution of marine snow, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and larval fish, along with environmental parameters, collected aboard several research vessels (RV Weatherbird II, MV Specialty Diver, RV Gordon Gunter) in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico from 2010-05-12 to 2010-09-16. A high speed Dalsa Piranha-2 line-scan camera and a pseudo-collimated LED generated light sheet was used to image the shadows and outlines of resolvable particles that passed through a 100 cm2 field of view. The operational optical resolution of the system was ~65 um. The camera was towed at speeds between 2-3 knots in an oblique profile ...

Glucocorticoids, Energy Metabolites, And Immunity Vary Across Allostatic States For Plateau Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana Uniformis) Residing In A Heterogeneous Thermal Environment, Susannah S. French, Spencer B. Hudson

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Reptiles rely on thermal heat exchange to achieve body temperatures (Tbody) conducive to maintaining homeostasis. Diurnal changes in the thermal environment are therefore liable to influence allostatic mediation of survival processes (e.g., immunity) during environmental challenges or stressors. However, the extent to which Tbody prompts individual variation in physiology remains largely unexplored in reptiles. Our study tested how circulating energy-mobilizing hormone, energy metabolites, and immunity can vary across basal and stress-induced allostatic states for plateau side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana uniformis) residing in a heterogeneous thermal environment. We collected baseline and acute stress blood samples from male lizards to compare ...

Data For "Consistent Differences In A Virtual World Model Of Ape Societies", Bart J. Wilson, Sarah F. Brosnan, Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf, Crickette M. Sanz

Business and Economics Faculty Data Sets

The zip file contains the data for the paper entitled "Consistent Differences in a Virtual World Model of Ape Societies" which appears in Scientific Reports.

Sabie Water Use, Andrew Kulmatiski

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Plant root distributions are thought to determine plant growth and coexistence, but are notoriously difficult to measure. This dataset describes the concentration of deuterium oxide in plant tissues in plots where deuterium oxide was injected to target depths.

Dna Barcoding Of Fish Eggs Collected Aboard R/V Weatherbird Ii Cruise Wb1731 Across The Florida Straits And Off Of Northwestern Cuba From 2017-05-13 To 2017-05-25, Makenzie Kerr, Mya Breitbart, Steven Murawski, Ernst B. Peebles, Maickel Armenteros, Jeremy Browning, Eva-Maria Bønnelycke, Chuanmin Hu, Yingjun Zhang

C-IMAGE data

This dataset contains DNA barcoding results of fish eggs collected along the northwestern coast of Cuba and across the Florida Straits from 2017-05-13 to 2017-05-25 using bongo plankton nets. The dataset also includes cruise data from twenty-three different stations collected during R/V Weatherbird II cruise WB1731. Individual eggs were DNA barcoded to identify species of fish spawning in the area. This dataset supports the publication: Kerr, M., Browning, J., Bønnelycke, E.M., Zhang, Y., Hu, C., Armenteros, M., Murawski, S., Peebles, E. and Breitbart, M. (2020). DNA barcoding of fish eggs collected off northwestern Cuba and across the Florida ...

Spreading Mechanics And Differentiation Of Astrocytes During Retinal Development, Tracy Stepien, Timothy W. Secomb

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Modeling Of Pmv Neuronal Circuitry In Adaptive Changes Of Energy Balance, Pilhwa Lee, Cristina Saenz De Miera, Nicole Bellefontaine, Kevin W. Williams, Renata Frazao, Carol Elias

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Switching Off The Pancreatic Islet: Complex Network Analysis Of Multicellular Clusters, Janita Patwardhan

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

The Ability Of Thaumoctopus Mimicus To Be Operantly Conditioned To A Sound Stimulus, Stephanie Wittman

Honors Projects

This paper focuses on the ability of the mimic octopus Thaumoctopus mimicus to be operantly conditioned to an auditory stimulus. The octopus is known to be the most advanced of the invertebrates and has learning abilities that are comparable to vertebrates in spite of their differences in brain structure. These animals have been shown to react to visual and tactile stimuli and can be operantly conditioned to perform behaviors to obtain a food reward. The goal of this experiment is to determine whether the octopus can be operantly conditioned to swim into a box on the side of its tank ...

Profiling Of Small Non-Coding Rna In Bovine Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Embryos During Early Development Through The Maternal-To-Embryonic Transition, Abby D. Benninghoff, Jocelyn Cuthbert

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Supplementary File 1. Read lengths and annotation summaries of sncRNA: Microsoft Excel document with information from small RNA sequencing on the aligned, annotated reads.

Supplementary File 2. Normalized and variance-stabilized values for annotated sncRNAs: Microsoft Excel document with normalized and variance-stabilized reads generated by RNA sequencing of small non-coding RNA from cattle embryos.

Supplementary File 3. Results of DESeq2 analyses for miRNAs, tRNA fragments and piRNAs: Microsoft Excel document with results of DESeq2 differential expression analysis comparing scNT vs IVF embryos at each developmental stage and sequential comparisons of developmental stage for both IVF and scNT embryos.

Supplementary File 4 ...

Mapping Transcriptional Changes Associated With The Maternal-To-Embryonic Transition In Bovine Embryos To Small Non-Coding Rna Profiles In Both In Vitro-Fertilized And Scnt Cattle Embryos, Abby D. Benninghoff, Jocelyn Cuthbert

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Supplementary File 1. Normalized reads for annotated mRNA transcripts. Microsoft Excel document providing normalized sequencing reads per sample.

Supplementary File 2. Results of DESeq2 analyses for annotated mRNAs. Microsoft Excel document with results of DESeq2 differential expression analysis comparing scNT vs IVF embryos at each developmental stage and sequential comparisons of developmental stage for both IVF and scNT embryos.

Supplementary File 3. Results of Metascape ontology analyses for differentially expressed mRNAs. Microsoft Excel document with results of Metascape ontology analyses for biological processes associated with predicted mRNA targets of differentially expressed miRNAs.

Supplementary File 4. Cytoscape networks for differentially expressed ...

Ethics And Familiarity With Elephant Population Management, Katelyn Shook

Honors Theses

Biologists study population statuses because, while many species are considered healthy, others are overpopulated or vulnerable to extinction. Assessing the extinction risk for various species on earth can be a difficult task. The International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) is the global authority in charge of assessing a species’ status and putting it on the “Red List” (Blanc 2008). This IUCN Red List uses scientific studies such as population assessments and threat assessments to properly label a species as least concern, near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, extinct in the wild, or extinct (NRDC 2016). Within these categories, least ...

Dataset For "Attributes Of Phragmites Australis In Response To Climate Change Using A Common Garden Study", Stephen L. Young

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The response of plant species to environmental change, including climate, is based on phenotypic plasticity. Empirical research can help in understanding how invasive plants adapt to changing conditions for successful establishment. Our goal was to assess the effect of environment of origin and ecotypic variation on phenotypic response of native and invasive Phragmites australis using morphological and ecophysiological measurements. We established a common garden study using seeds collected from Southwest, Midwest, and Great Lakes regions that crossed longitudinal and latitudinal gradients of the US. Within and end of growing season measurements were made for morphological (e.g., height, leaf size ...

Seed Size And Germination, Meredith Cobb, Michaela J. Woods, Ryan W. Mcewan

Five Rivers MetroParks Collaboration Data Archive

This dataset encompasses information related to predictors of seed germination from the species Carya laciniosa, Juglans cinerea, and Quercus rubra. Seed sizes were recorded prior to incubation in sand, vermiculite, or without media. Seeds were then germinated with time to germination recorded in this dataset.

Carbon Dioxide Attracts Nesting Behavior In Captive African Naked Mole-Rats, Dan Mccloskey

Publications and Research

This dataset contains raw Radio Frequency Identification data for a 185 hour gas infusion study conducted in the TT-2 colony at the College of Staten Island in May-June 2019. The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether colony members would be attracted to a chamber with elevated carbon dioxide levels matching the highest values recorded in the typical colony nest. The results show a significant attraction to the CO2-infused chamber during and after the period of CO2 in=fusion, with the relocation of the colony nest to this site for the first time in the history of this colony ...