Life Sciences Commons^™

Patterns And Potential Mechanisms Of Phenotypic Changes In Urban Small Mammals, Leslie Lopez

Master's Theses

Urbanization is an example of human induced rapid environmental change that can have wide-reaching ecological effects, including habitat destruction, fragmentation, and alteration of local climates. Effects of urbanization have been shown to impact wildlife, as disturbances resulting from urbanization can create novel environments and selective pressures that could lead to changes in morphology, physiology, or both. Small mammals such as rodents are an ecologically important set of wildlife species because they are a key prey item for several predators, hold strong influence over plants as a primary consumer, and some species carry and transmit major human and animal diseases. Previous …

Swimming: A Great Decision And An Even Better Journey, Eva M. Hunnius

Emerging Writers

Swimming is loved, feared, and cherished by so many around the world. People love it because it gives them a sense of freedom and peace, while also receiving a great workout. Some may fear it because they do not know how to swim, or they feel like there are many dangers and risks to swimming. Others cherish it because it is the only sport they have ever known. In my case, swimming is one of the only things that has been with me since I was a little kid. This remains true for many athletes. In this discussion, I hope …

Controlled Radiation Capsule For Precision And Rapid Cancer Treatment, Hoseon Lee, Zsolt Kollar, Bailey R. White, Junia Nguyen, David Roque, Sowjanya Palagani

Symposium of Student Scholars

This research aims to transform cancer treatment through the optimization of brachytherapy, with a focus on reducing treatment duration, setup complexities, and financial burdens, all while emphasizing patient safety. Patients living at a distance from radiation clinics, particularly those undergoing extended Low Dose Radiation brachytherapy, often struggle with the formidable financial challenges associated with securing nearby accommodations. In response to these issues, the research introduces a radiation capsule designed to condense the conventional six-month treatment period to approximately just one week, thereby significantly reducing the duration of required accommodations. This capsule is especially relevant considering the construction cost of $40 …

Quantifying The Role Of Water Quality On Nitrogen Cycling In A Trophic Estuary, Kayla Gonzalez-Boy

Symposium of Student Scholars

Jobos Bay Estuary is an intertidal, tropical estuary located in southern Puerto Rico. The estuary covers about 12 km² and has a variety of habitats, such as seagrass beds, mangroves, mud flats, and coral reefs, which play important roles in sediment trapping and water quality maintenance. Seagrasses also serve as nursery and feeding grounds and provide shelter for macrofauna. Currently, the role of seagrasses and water quality on nitrogen (N) cycling in trophic estuaries is not well constrained. Understanding variations in sediment-based effects on N cycling rates and transformations, and how they are associated with water quality, is an …

Culled Lionfish Sexual Maturity Over A Four-Year Timespan​, Christina Bland, Jurgen Hauer, Bilal Saleem, Noelle James

Symposium of Student Scholars

Lionfish are invasive in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Like many other invasive species, they do not have any natural predators in these areas, so their population can grow unchecked. This can decrease the population of native fish species due to lionfish eating to excess. Because of their impact on native species, resource managers have incentivized lionfish hunting. Hunters were paid $6 USD for every pound of lionfish they brought in, so they possibly favored larger lionfish to increase their reward which would lead to an adaptive advantage for fish of smaller sizes. We hypothesized that the lionfish bounty program …

Validation Of Machine Vision And Action Sport Cameras For 3d Motion Analysis Model Reconstruction, John David Johnson, Michael Hales, Randy Emert

Faculty and Research Publications

The study investigated the feasibility of using action sport cameras for motion analysis research. Data acquired from two different marker-based motion capture systems and six different camera combinations were analyzed for motion reconstruction accuracy. Two different calibration procedures were used to determine the influence on marker position reconstruction. Static and dynamic calibration mean merit score differences between the reference and experimental camera systems were 0.4 mm and 1.3 mm, respectively. Angular displacement difference between the reference and experimental camera systems range between 0.1 and 2.0 degrees. A systematic bias (− 0.54 to 0.19 degrees) was determined between the reference and …

2023 - The Fourth Annual Fall Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Fall 2023 Symposium of Student Scholars, held in November 2023. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Principles Of Chemistry Ii, Janet L. Shaw

KSU Distinguished Course Repository

Second course in a two-semester sequence covering the fundamental principles and applications of chemistry designed for science majors.

With a pre-requisite of CHEM 1211: Principles of Chemistry I, this course is part of a two-semester sequence covering principles and applications of chemistry. The course is designed to help students apply simplified models to complex systems to build critical thinking and problem-solving skills. A major goal of this course is to help students become self-directed learners thereby preparing them for whatever career path they choose. Although designed for science majors who typically complete the course during their freshman year, pre-health majors …

Effects Of Plyometric- And Cycle-Based High-Intensity Interval Training On Body Composition, Aerobic Capacity, And Muscle Function In Young Females: A Field-Based Group Fitness Assessment, A. J. Holmes, M. T. Stratton, A. R. Bailly, J. S. Gottschall, Y. Feito, P. L. Ha, A. Lavigne, K. Persaud, H. L. Gagnon, A. Krueger, A. Modjeski, T. A. Esmat, L. N. Harper, T. A. Vandusseldorp, Garrett Hester

Faculty and Research Publications

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an effective alternative to moderate intensity continuous training for improvements in body composition and aerobic capacity; however, there is little work comparing different modalities of HIIT. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of plyometric- (PLYO) and cycle-oriented (CYC) HIIT on body composition, aerobic capacity, and skeletal muscle size, quality, and function in recreationally trained females. Young (21.7 ± 3.1 yrs), recreationally active females were quasi-randomized (1:1 ratio) to 8 weeks of twice weekly PLYO (n = 15) or CYC (n = 15) HIIT. Body composition (four-compartment model), VO_{2peak …}

Early Stage Or Curable Cancer Diagnoses In Minorities: A Journey Of Survivors, Lora Asberry

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Patients diagnosed with early-staged or curable forms of cancer experience physical, as well as, mental challenges associated with disease progression and treatment. Previous studies have demonstrated that minorities and underrepresented communities did not receive the same level of care in comparison to their non-minority counterparts. Previous studies have also demonstrated that health disparities among minorities affected their cancer journey. This study addressed: how medical disparities varied between minorities and non-minorities, the overall effects of the cancer diagnoses in minorities compared to non-minorities, whether these perspectives differed in male vs. female participants, and whether there were any possible communication barriers between …

Influence Of Woody Vegetation Composition And Structure On Fuels And Prescribed Fire In Mountain Longleaf Restoration, Collin J. Anderson

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Longleaf pine (LLP) ecosystems have experienced a widespread ecological state shift largely due to fire exclusion which has allowed mesophytes, i.e., shade-tolerant, often fire-sensitive species to encroach, reducing flammability and biodiversity through a process known as “mesophication.” Although prescribed fire is commonly used to reverse mesophication, fire behavior, and thus prescribed fire utility for this purpose, is poorly characterized in mixed pine-hardwood stands with mesophyte encroachment. This study aimed to identify mechanisms by which tree composition, structure, and fuels contribute to fire behavior, focusing on the understudied mountain longleaf pine (MLLP) ecoregion in northwest Georgia. I hypothesized that woody vegetation …

Investigating The Activity Of Alternative Warheads For Targeted Covalent Inhibition Of The Inhibitor Vertebrate Lysozyme Protein From Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Katie Hambrick

Master of Science in Chemical Sciences Theses

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes blood and lung infections in hospital environments due to its ability to survive on improperly sterilized medical equipment. P. aeruginosa has developed several multi-drug resistance mechanisms that make it very difficult to treat with current antibiotics.¹ This presents the need for a new class of antibiotics that cannot be overcome by P. aeruginosa’s mechanisms of resistance.

The primary goal of this project was to develop a small library of inhibitors that could later be incorporated into lead compounds for novel antibiotic drug discovery. One of P. …

Variation In Salamander Life History And Community Composition Across An Urban Gradient In Atlanta, Georgia, Usa, Leah Rittenburg

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Urbanization threatens to alter stream systems in watersheds in the eastern United States. These highly disturbed systems may result in many local extirpations of sensitive salamander species. One group of organisms that often persists in urban streams is the Eurycea bislineata (Two-lined Salamander) species complex. Many aspects of Two-lined Salamander life history are linked to environmental factors, particularly stream temperature, prey abundance, and stream hydrology. Urbanization threatens to alter these environmental factors, potentially influencing Two-lined Salamander life history. At 14 sites spanning an urban gradient in Atlanta, GA, I investigated the variation in life history and phenology in the Southern …

The Manhattant: Identification, Natural History, And Nutritional Ecology Of A Recently Introduced Pest In New York City, Lasius Emarginatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Samantha Kennett

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

New York City is one of the oldest and largest cities in North America, and it is a center for global trade and shipping. As such, it has also been the site of introduction for some of North America’s most damaging invasive pests, from chestnut blight to the Asian long-horned beetle. Despite these cautionary examples, there has been no formal research on a newly introduced ant species that was tentatively identified as a European ant species, Lasius cf. emarginatus. Since its discovery in 2011, L. cf. emarginatus has become among the most common urban ant species in New York …

Measuring The Physiological Effects Of Methylobacterium Oryzae Foliar Inoculation Onto Salt-Stressed Tomatoes Grown In A Greenhouse Semi-Hydroponic System, Collin Dice

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Salinity stress has been shown to improve hydroponic produce quality such as that of tomato but at the trade-off of produce yield. In order to improve demand for hydroponic produce, techniques that improve salinity tolerance could offset declines in yield without altering the improved quality of produce. In two separate trials, we tested whether foliar inoculation of the ACC deaminase-producing bacteria Methylobacterium oryzae CBMB20 improved salt tolerance in tomatoes grown in a semi-hydroponic system using an indeterminate variety exposed to 26mM NaCl (Trial 1) and a determinate variety exposed to 17mM NaCl (Trial 2). We also tested how salinity and …

The City Blues Of An Iridescent Canary: Physiological, Behavioral, And Developmental Impacts Of Lead (Pb) On Songbirds Along An Urban-To-Rural Gradient, Michelle Ross

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Urbanization is rapidly changing the environment and creating new challenges in the lives of animals across the globe. Anthropogenic contaminants found commonly in old construction materials—including heavy metals like lead— persist within the environment for prolonged periods of time and present a widespread problem for all who live near contaminated areas. Despite the phase-out of lead usage, it continues to threaten the health of all organisms but especially those from urban areas where historical lead use was more common. Currently, the sub-lethal effects of lead on wildlife are not well understood, though lead is known to affect physiology and behavior …

Proximate Causes Of Alternative Reproductive Tactics In Blue Ridge Two-Lined Salamanders (Eurycea Cf. Wilderae), Yatin Kalki

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) refer to discrete variation in reproductive behavior between members of a sex and within a species. ARTs are present in Blue Ridge two-lined salamanders (Eurcyea cf. wilderae) in the form of male polymorphism. Two male morphs exist: “searching” males and “guarding” males. Each phenotype has a unique reproductive ecology and associated discrete morphological differences. Another trait that shows discrete variation in E. cf. wilderae is the larval period, which may be one or two years in length. This thesis explores the proximate causes of ARTs in a population of E. cf. wilderae from the …

White Blood Cell Make Up In Kellback Snake Offspring Of Varying Maternal Size, Angelica Mccoy

Symposium of Student Scholars

The immune system is composed of various organs, systems, and other components with one of the most important being white blood cells. White blood cells are commonly separated into two scientific varieties, granulocytes and agranulocytes, which can be differentiated by the presence or absence of granules in the cytoplasm once stained on a slide. There are three granulocytes and two agranulocytes, each with a distinct function and shape. The ratio of these may impact the effectiveness of this portion of the immune system, and multiple factors could play a role in this ratio, an example being the size of an …

Does A Brisk Six Minute Walk Cause Upper Body Fatigue In Females, Kaden Buford

Symposium of Student Scholars

Non-local performance fatigue (NLPF) can be described as performance decrements occurring for a muscle group that was not directly involved in the fatiguing activity that preceded. Most studies on NLPF involve strenuous exercise of an isolated joint in trained populations, however, little evidence exists on NLPF derived from activities mimicking acts of daily living. Determining whether NLPF exists following brisk walking is worthwhile, and rate of force development (RFD), the rate at which muscle force is produced, may possess increased susceptibility compared to maximal strength. The purpose of our ongoing study is to determine the responses, if any, for maximal …

Distribution Of Micropredators In The Longleaf Pine Soil Microbiome, Faith Arends, Eithar Mirghani

Symposium of Student Scholars

Bacterial micropredators of the soil, like their larger-scale counterparts, play a key role in shaping their ecosystem and are thus of particular interest from an ecological standpoint. An important micropredator to study are Myxobacteria. Myxobacteria are gram-negative rod-shaped social bacteria that hunt in wolf packs to lyse their prey and facilitate their growth. Myxobacteria are a potential source of novel antibiotics, therefore, the isolation of new strains is of great interest. We investigated longleaf pine soil as a source of novel isolates. The Longleaf Pine Ecosystem is an endangered ecosystem that is of crucial importance due to its ability to …

Estimating Blue Carbon Stocks In Native And Non-Native Seagrass Beds Of Jobos Bay, Pr, Michael Chapman, Raven Winant, Kayla Gonzalez-Boy, Mark Mccarthy, Ángel Dieppa-Ayala

Symposium of Student Scholars

Seagrasses are keystone species that support coastal biodiversity, but not all species of seagrasses provide the same ecosystem services. Although seagrasses occupy a small area of marine habitat, they provide many ecosystem services. They stabilize sediments, remove nutrients, provide habitat and food for diverse marine life, and promote carbon storage in sediments. Jobos Bay is the second largest estuary in Puerto Rico and contains salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrass beds. The native seagrass, Thalassia testudinum, is the most abundant seagrass in the bay; however, a seagrass species from the Indian Ocean, Halophila stipulacea, began invading in recent years. The impacts …

2023- The Twenty-Seventh Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Twenty-seventh Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 18-21, 2023. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Remote Working And Online Education Among Neurodiverse Individuals, Kendall Smith

Emerging Writers

Many jobs and schools closed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and a vast majority of students and employees found it difficult to resume their education and careers online; however, those on the neurodiverse spectrum found it much harder. Upon first glance, it was easy to see how frustrating and stressful online schooling was for special needs students. Many had difficulty concentrating during virtual lectures or lacked motivation to stay on task. Likewise, many neurodiverse employees found that at-home distractions were far worse than in-office ones, and the loneliness from staying home all day was jarring. But after pulling research …

Investigating Biometrics Of Perimyotis Subflavus In Traditional And Nontraditional Hibernacula In The Southeastern United States As It Relates To Susceptibility To White-Nose Syndrome., Makayla Ferrari

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Perimyotis subflavus, or tricolored bat, populations have declined significantly since the emergence of white-nose syndrome (WNS) and has been proposed for listing as “endangered” under the United States Endangered Species Act. Traditionally, bats use caves as hibernacula, but as anthropogenic impacts have increased so has the use of manmade structures like culverts and bridges for roosting by several bat species. The internal environment of these anthropogenic structures is influenced by external temperature and humidity differently than caves and may influence P. subflavus winter activity, and thus susceptibility to WNS. One of the most significant differences in P. subflavus roosting behavior …

The Role Of Long Non-Coding Rna (Lncrna) In The Organization Of Nuclear Bodies, Soobin An

Symposium of Student Scholars

Nuclear bodies (NBs) (e.g., the nucleolus, nuclear speckles, and others) are membraneless compartments within the eukaryotic cell nucleus that selectively accumulate and retain specific nuclear proteins. NBs have become a new interest in recent discoveries because of their potential involvement in cancer and neurological disorders. However, the regulation and function of NBs are still enigmatic. Our laboratory studies a specific type of NBs, called B-bodies, to understand how NBs are formed and regulated in the nucleus. We hypothesized that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) functions as a structural scaffold of NBs.

The B-body is a recently discovered NB expressed in the …

Guano Among Bat Species From Two Regions Shows Influence Of Geography And Diet On Bacterial Community, Rahma Ahmed, Thomas Mcelroy, Shannon Whitney, Lydia Moore

Symposium of Student Scholars

Studies of bat guano have shown that the diversity and structure of associated microbial communities can be related to factors such as host phylogeny, life history and reproductive stage, geography, and diet. Many insectivorous bat species in the southeastern U.S. have generalist diets that may shift seasonally to take advantage of abundant prey species or maximize caloric intake. Seasonal shifts in prey availability or consumption should be reflected in a guano microbiome change. We also expected to detect distinct guano microbiomes within species. Within species, distinct microbial communities related to geography, and finally life history and reproductive stage. We compared …

Reducing Skin Injury And Breakdown In Neonatal Patients, Emily Herring

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract

The integumentary system is known for being the body’s largest organ, comprised of water, fats, protein, and minerals, for which composition plays a significant role in protecting the body against thermal, chemical, and microbial agents. However, the skin’s functionality is reduced in neonates as the stratum corneum is thin at birth due to diminished water-holding capacity (Oranges et al., 2015). The skin’s fragility is further stressed among preterm neonates and newborns in neonatal intensive-care units (NICU) due to medical status, procedures, and exposure to skin irritants (Visscher et al., 2009). Reduction in skin injury and breakdown in NICU patients …

Alternative Precautionary Measures Yielding Lower C. Diff Infection Rates In Healthcare Facilities, Matthew Kramer

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: An international healthcare concern is the persistent spread of Clostridium difficile, a Gram-positive spore forming bacterium that is responsible for the most common hospital-acquired infection, amongst patients.

Objective: A systematic review was performed to summarize evidence that the interventions utilized in healthcare facilities which indicate a patient’s precautionary status are insufficient, outdated, and commonly lead to infection in neighboring patient rooms. Databases such as PubMed, NCBI, Google Scholar, and APHA’s Medical Care were searched, covering the period from 2017-2022. Studies were included if their focus concentrated on C. diff and the precautionary measures taken by employees at healthcare …

Insect Availability And Parental Care Behavior In A Common Bird, Cole Bourque

Symposium of Student Scholars

Populations of aerially insectivorous birds are declining throughout North America. Urbanization may indirectly contribute to this decline through its negative effects on populations of insects, an important food source in insectivores' diets, where low insect availability may be especially challenging for birds during breeding. How fluctuations in insect populations impact various species at higher trophic levels is an important area of current study for future conservation biology. Here, we examine whether nestling provisioning, brooding and guarding behaviors in a breeding bird—the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)—may be altered depending on the relative insect availability in the environment. We found …

Detecting Bacterial Species From Ancient Human Skeletal Samples, Ariel Owens, Daisy Mcgrath, Tsai-Tien Tseng

Symposium of Student Scholars

Diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) via morphological analysis is difficult and often inconsistent. With next-generation sequencing (NGS), ancient host microbiomes can be subjected to metagenomic analyses for the detection of TB in silico. Suitable bioinformatic workflows are needed for reliable ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis of causative agents. This study aims to enhance available bioinformatic screening methods to create more suitable bioinformatic processes and generate insights in relation to TB.

This research utilizes publicly available NGS data accessed through the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Initial quality control steps included adapter trimming with Trim …