Life Sciences Commons^™

Devil In A Hula Skirt: Comparative Conservation Efforts Between The United States And Australia Using Two Endemic Species As Case Studies, Sarah Catherine Kuchinsky

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

There is a biodiversity crisis in our midst. An abundance of technology and innovation in the last 200 years has revamped our world but at the cost of pushing many species to extinction. Since the passing of the Endangered Species Act by Congress in 1973, more than 100 species in the United States have disappeared (Wilson 2006). The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) stats that "19,265 species out of the 59,507 so far assessed as threatened with extinction," (IUCN 2011). Extinction is the result of a combination of factors caused by human environmental disturbance. Disturbances in the …

Teaching Old Buildings New Tricks: Benefits Of Retrofitting Indianapolis Buildings With Green Roofs, Sarah Elizabeth Strobl

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Not your basic rooftop garden, green roofs contain growing media and are planted with various types of vegetation. Green roofs can be either intensive, with soil depths above 6 inches and increased size and attractiveness of vegetation, such as trees and shrubs, or extensive, with soil depths between 2-6 inches and low, moss or grass-like plants that require little care (Getter et al. 2009, Indianapolis DPW 2008, Obemdorfer et al. 2007, US DOE 2004).

Although green roofs are initially more expensive than traditional roofing techniques due to the cost of additional materials, the long-term cost savings are high and can …

Synthesis Of Fluorogenic Substrates For The Enzymatic Characterization Of Rv0045c From M. Tuberculosis, Kelly Jo Mckenna

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the pathogenic bacterial agent commonly responsible for tuberculosis, or TB. Although treatment exists for the active form of tuberculosis, no method has been developed for eliminating M tuberculosis in its dormant state. One hypothesized method for the elimination of dormant TB is to develop an inhibitor specific for M tuberculosis esterases and lipases, as these esterases and lipases are essential to the survival of dormant TB infection. In this research, the substrate specificity of the Rv0045c esterase from M tuberculosis was studied due to the essential role of Rv0045c in TB metabolism and its dissimilarity to other …

Various Gaits Of African Elephant Calves, Elizabeth Anne Jennings

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

It is commonly believed that elephants exhibit only one gait, a lateral sequence walk. However, recently there have been several interesting studies on the footfall patterns of adult African elephants (Loxodonta africana). Scientists have recognized that elephants actually exhibit two patterns of locomotion: a lateral sequence walk and an amble. The amble is a slight modification of the lateral sequence gait. The present study extends this work by examining the relationship between gait and speed in African elephant calves at the Indianapolis Zoo. I collected frame-by-frame observational video data from a newborn calf born at the Indianapolis Zoo across a …