Life Sciences Commons^™

Progressive Assessment Of Lake Depths In Cedar Lake, Thomas L. Rice, Samuel L. Rice

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Cedar Lake on the campus of Cedarville University (CU) has a history that probably does not match what the original developers had envisioned. At present, the lake is the visual focal point of the campus and people often ask about its physical characteristics. The questioned characteristics include, but are not limited to, water depth, bottom configuration, water volume, drainage area that feeds it, rate of infilling, perimeter length, and lake surface area. This study considers the issues of potential changes in water depth, bottom configuration, and lake volume over an extended period of time, and further considers what to use …

Tree Biomass And Carbon Storage In An Old Growth Forest In Southeastern Ohio, Adam Levesque, Christina Gall, Doug Fox, Karen Washburne, Sam Scherneck, Mark A. Gathany

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Recently there has been increased interest in determining the baseline levels of carbon storage in different ecosystems, because of greater concern over the issue of global climate change and increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations. With a better understanding of carbon sequestration in various ecosystems, we can use land in a more environment-conscious way, and negative human impacts on the earth can be decreased. Forest ecosystems are especially important, because they have an immense capacity to store carbon as compared to other ecosystems. The majority of carbon sequestered in forest ecosystems is contained in tree biomass, but there is also carbon contained …

Distribution Of Fish Species In Cedar Lake, David Dombrowski, Katherine Guffey, Brittany Hayes, Mark A. Gathany

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

With over 13,000 described species of freshwater fishes, diversity within aquatic systems can vary extensively. At the local scale small changes in the diversity of fish species within an ecosystem will modify processes within the ecosystem such as community decomposition and metabolism. Recent analyses indicate that actual species diversity within small, shallow ponds may be higher than previously thought. Fish species distribution will differ based on location within the aquatic system relative to the species’ position in the trophic web. We will measure both quantitative and qualitative differences among species at different locations within of Cedar Lake, expecting to find …

Evaluation Of Massie’S Creek Habitat And Water Quality, Kaitlyn Sturm, Amiah Warder, Malorie Young, Mark A. Gathany

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

In November of 2009, Greene County completed a restoration project on the North Fork of Massie Creek. This project was designed to address “...erosion and water quality concerns, improve drainage, and restore the habitat of NFMC”. The project worked to “...stabilize the stream banks, create riffle/pool habitat, and restore and enhance vegetation along a 2.2-mile long segment of the creek”. The project was finalized with seeding the area in January of 2010. Now four years later we will evaluate the aquatic habitats, macroinvertebrate biodiversity, and water quality in the restored (North Fork) and unrestored (South Fork) segments of Massie’s Creek …

Netrin-1-Like Peptides Are Secreted By Tetrahymena Thermophila, Marian Bhajjan, Kortney Good, Graham Heston, Elise Newcomer, Stephanie Song, Heather G. Kuruvilla

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Netrin-1 is a peptide signaling molecule that has many roles in vertebrates. In the ciliated protozoan, Tetrahymena thermophila, netrin-1 acts as a chemorepellent, causing cells to exhibit a characteristic avoidance behavior. We have previously shown that netrin-1 avoidance by T. thermophila is inhibited by genistein, which is a broad spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

One question we wished to answer in our current study was, “Is genistein specifically acting upon tyrosine kinases in order to inhibit netrin avoidance in Tetrahymena?” In order to answer this question, we used the phytoestrogen, diadzein, as a negative control for genistein inhibition. Diadzein …

Evaluating Fire Temperatures During A Prescribed Burn Of A Restored Tallgrass Prairie, Taylor A. Fulton, Connor J. Gilmour, Titus J. Hendricks, Mark A. Gathany

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Wildfire is recognized to have shaped the great prairies of the central US. While the vast majority of these grasslands have been lost there remain significant remnants as well as sites under active restoration. Prescribed fire is often used in these systems in order to maximize the success of the native grasses. Beginning in 1999 Cedarville University established a prairie restoration site and have used disturbances, such as fire, to maintain the system. Without this regular burn, the prairie would likely show decreased grass growth and increased growth of forb species. The Cedarville Prairie Restoration site has a variable topography, …

Does Baylisascaris Procyonis Impact Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Genetics?, Matthew E. Ingle, Stephen G. Dunbar, Jaynee L. Bartsch, Kyle J. Culbertson, Taylor A. Fulton, Katherine R. Guffey, Aubrey J. Juris, Ashlie N. Nolan, Daniel P. Nordquist, Carrie E. Rowlands, Joshua A. Sitler

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are the final host for raccoon roundworms (Baylisascaris procyonis). Raccoon roundworm is the leading cause of a dangerous neurological disease, known as larva migrans encephalopathy. Phylogenetic trees illustrate co-evolutionary events between species living in a symbiotic relationship with each other. Throughout the coevolution of host and parasite, many aspects of a population affect the way the members interact with one another and with symbiotic species. In order to evaluate the relationship between host and parasite in regards to diet, we isolated DNA from intestinal wall tissue, amplified a portion of exon 2 from …

Baylisascaris Procyonis Prevalence In Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) And Its Relation To Landscape Features, Matthew E. Ingle, Stephen G. Dunbar, Jaynee L. Bartsch, Kyle J. Culbertson, Taylor A. Fulton, Katherine R. Guffey, Aubrey J. Juris, Ashlie N. Nolan, Dan P. Nordquist, Carrie E. Rowlands, Joshua A. Sitler

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are the final host for raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis). Raccoon roundworm is the leading cause of a dangerous neurological disease known as larva migrans encephalopathy. Land fragmentation occurs when natural environments are broken up by urban or agricultural landscapes. Raccoons thrive in urban environments, while raccoons in agricultural settings forage over larger areas than raccoons in urban settings do. Land fragmentation affects concentrations of B. procyonis parasites in intermediate hosts. We calculated the prevalence of raccoon roundworm in 9 townships of Greene and Clark Counties by necropsying 226 raccoon intestines. Prevalence is defined …

Soil Bulk Density Variability In A Restored Prairie Ecosystem, Andy Johnson, Emilee Kurtz, Andrea Martinson, Steve Mccown, Mark A. Gathany

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Soils act as the foundation for all terrestrial biotic activity. Given this it is important to consider the factors that influence the physical makeup of soil as well as the management practices that can lead to changes and significant biological implications. Beginning in 1999 Cedarville University established a Prairie Restoration Site. In the past fifteen years work has been to done to reseed the area with native prairie grasses as well as to introduce regular disturbances that are common to prairie grasslands, such as fire. The goal of this work the goal has been to aid a system in ecological …

The Chemorepellent, Netrin-1, Appears To Signal Through A Tyrosine Kinase In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Marian A. Bhajjan, Anna O. Hurtubise, David C. Petroff, Cambria R. Puffenberger, Stephanie E. Song, Heather G. Kuruvilla

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Netrin-1 is a pleiotropic peptide signaling molecule. Its most well-known role in vertebrate development is neuronal guidance. Depending upon the cell type and signal concentration gradient, netrin-1 may serve either as a chemoattractant, causing formation of axonal growth cones, or as a chemorepellent, causing growth cone collapse within the axon.

Netrin-1 can bind to at least two types of receptors, and uses a variety of signaling proteins to convey its message. In some vertebrate cell types, the netrin-1 signal is G-protein mediated, while in other cell types, netrin signaling requires a tyrosine kinase or some other combination of kinases in …

2014 Symposium Overview, Cedarville University

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

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The Effects Of A Prescribed Burn On Small Mammals In An Ohio Tallgrass Prairie, Austin Bush, Randy Howell, Daniel Nordquist, Grace Revenaugh, Kortney Good, Chelsea Griffin, Abbie Belcher, Mark A. Gathany

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Prescribed burning is used on prairies for increased prairie health and to manage the communities of organisms that rely on the prairie’s natural resources. Small mammals are also affected by the burning of prairies. Previous research by Chance in 1986 and Cook in 1950 has established that burning decreases the small mammal capture rates in the burned area because of the habitat loss and rapid change of habitat post-burn that stresses the animals and leads to lower reproductive levels (Chance, 1986). Other studies by Francl and Small also showed that small mammal populations did not return to pre-burn numbers even …

Baylisascaris Procyonis Impacts Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Diets, Matthew E. Ingle, Stephen G. Dunbar, Jaynee L. Bartsch, Kyle J. Culbertson, Taylor A. Fulton, Katherine R. Guffey, Aubrey J. Juris, Ashlie N. Nolan, Dan P. Nordquist, Carrie E. Rowlands, Joshua A. Sitler

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are the definitive host for raccoon roundworms (Baylisascaris procyonis). Raccoon roundworm is responsible for a dangerous neurological disease known as larva migrans encephalopathy. Raccoons are omnivorous animals and rely on various food items. Dietary analyses help determine how a raccoon changes its diet in response to environmental features. Raccoons eat whatever food resource is most convenient and abundant. Parasite infections can potentially affect host eating habits in order to keep the host alive and active longer. In this study, we analyzed the diets of necropsied raccoons from ten townships of Clark and Greene …

Does Baylisascaris Procyonis Phylogeny Correlate With That Of The Raccoon (Procyon Lotor), Matthew E. Ingle, Stephen G. Dunbar, Jaynee L. Bartsch, Kyle J. Culbertson, Taylor A. Fulton, Katherine R. Guffey, Aubrey J. Juris, Ashlie N. Nolan, Daniel P. Nordquist, Carrie E. Rowlands, Joshua A. Sitler

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Baylisacaris procyonis, commonly known as the raccoon roundworm, is a parasite that inhabits the small intestine of the North American raccoon (Procyon lotor). Although humans do not typically become the definitive host, humans can become infected through handling soil containing eggs. B. procyonis can induce serious health complications in cases of human infection, including degenerative retinal and behavioral changes, coma, and even death. High prevalence of B. procyonis in a raccoon population increases the probability of transference to human hosts. In our study, we analyzed the genetic structure of B. procyonis harvested from raccoons of southwestern Ohio, …

Glacial Origin Of Massie Creek Gorge, Greene County Ohio, Dylan J. Mckevitt

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Massie Creek Gorge is one of several small but impressive canyons in Greene County, Ohio that cut through a typically low-relief landscape. It displays spectacular dolomite cliffs (up to 20 m high), large rockfalls (up to 1800 m³), numerous large potholes (up to >5 m wide and >7 m high), a dry valley branching off the main channel with a resultant bedrock island (≈30,000 m² in area) and two boulder bars on its lee side (the largest ≈13.5 m thick). Short, dry side canyons are cut to the same depth as the main drainage and sometimes contain …

Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screenings In Athletics, Benjamin A. Dixson

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Preparticipation cardiovascular screenings are a key method of injury prevention utilized in athletic training and sports medicine. Much research is available to describe the key components of a cardiovascular screening, but not much research has been conducted regarding the current clinical practices of this idealized screening model. The primary purpose of this study was to describe the current cardiovascular screening practices of clinicians in high school, collegiate, and professional athletic settings. The secondary purpose was to evaluate whether or not current cardiovascular screening practices align with the current, evidence-based recommendations regarding cardiovascular screening practices. Surveys were sent to certified athletic …

Concussion Return To Play Protocols Effect On Athletes' Reporting Of Symptoms, Timothy S. Waller, Amanda R. Meade, Elizabeth A. Sled, Michael S. Weller

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

When an athlete suffers a concussion, the standard return to play (RTP) guidelines are that they must sit out a minimum of a week as they go through a slow progression of exertional and neurocognitive tests once they are asymptomatic. This is a great improvement to concussion treatment in the past where athletes were often dangerously returned. However, because of this “blanket” 7-day minimum return policy, we believe the current RTP guidelines are potentially leading athletes to hide their symptoms more so they do not have to sit out. Fifty-three athletes were surveyed from soccer, basketball, lacrosse, and football teams …

Dissolved Oxygen Content In Cedar Lake, Danielle Swanson, Angela Mccain, Paige White, Samuel Scherneck, Mark A. Gathany

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

In an aquatic system, there is a balance between the production and consumption of oxygen. Oxygen is produced by photosynthetic microorganisms, and is taken directly from the atmosphere; it is consumed by the respiration of aquatic animals, decomposers, and a myriad of other chemical reactions. The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is the amount of oxygen consumed by organisms and is measured as dissolved oxygen (DO). DO concentrations are dependent upon temperature, wind and other physical factors, fluctuating diurnally.

In our experiment we will compare the DO concentrations at different depths in Cedar Lake. We will accomplish this by using a …

Comparing Common Techniques For Calculating Parasite Prevalence, Matthew E. Ingle, Stephen Dunbar, Jaynee L. Bartsch, Kyle J. Culbertson, Taylor A. Fulton, Katherine R. Guffey, Aubrey J. Juris, Ashlie N. Nolan, Daniel Nordquist, Carrie E. Rowlands, Joshua A. Sitler

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are the final host for raccoon roundworms (Baylisascaris procyonis). Raccoon roundworm is the leading cause of a dangerous neurological disease, known as larva migrans encephalopathy. Diagnostic tools for detecting the presence of B. procyonis within a raccoon population include necropsy, fecal flotation, and latrine analysis. Necropsies yield the highest measure of prevalence, with fecal flotation and latrine analysis often underestimating infection rates. We necropsied 225 raccoons gathered from 10 townships of Clark and Greene Counties in Ohio. We collected fecal samples from 95 raccoons negative for B. procyonis at necropsy. We suspended the …

Developing Criteria For Identifying Fossil Raindrop Prints, April Menendez

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Raindrop imprints have been identified many times in the rock record as stated in papers by Rindsberg, Shul’ga 2004 and Kahle 2009. However, there is a question of whether those raindrops have been determined accurately or if the spherical depressions are caused by some other occurrence. Studies by Twenhofel have been done that describe raindrop prints in modern sediment, and the research conducted during this project continues to broaden that field of information. During this research project, experiments were carried out to collect the appearance of raindrop prints in sand, both wet and dry. After photographs of the imprints were …

Differential Regulation Of Dynamin-Related Protein 1 Splice Variants By Membrane Adaptors, Anthony J. Baglio

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

We begin the first biochemical examination of the multiple splice variants of human Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), a GTPase involved in mitochondrial fission. While eight such variants, generated through alternative mRNA splicing, have been identified, here we focus on two: the shortest variant (Short) which is ubiquitous, and the longest (Long), which piqued our interest since Drp1 Long is expressed exclusively in neurons. We now establish the various functional differences between these two Drp1 splice variants. Our data reveal that whereas Drp1 Short exhibits constitutively high GTPase activity, Drp1 Long does not. Interestingly, mitochondrial outer membrane proteins, mitochondrial fission protein …