Life Sciences Commons^™

Detection Of Antibiotic Resistance Loci In Wastewater And Fresh Water Samples, Mohammed Hamed Almalki

Masters Theses

Proper treatment of municipal wastewater is important not only for prevention of eutrophication but also for public health concerns. One consideration for wastewater treatment is the presence of organisms carrying antibiotic resistance genes. If these organisms survive the wastewater treatment process and are released into the streams, they can pose significant risks to public health. In addition, their presence also raises concerns for lateral gene transfer events at the wastewater plant. The spread of antibiotic loci has a major impact in public health and clinical therapy because resistant organisms render conventional treatments of important illnesses difficult. Beta-lactam drugs are known …

Effects Of Asiatic Acid On Neurite Outgrowth In Neuro-2a Cells, Aishah Asiri

Masters Theses

Recently, medicinal plants from ancient Ayurvedic medicine have provided clues to the discovery of novel therapeutics for various diseases. In Ayurvedic medicine, a common Indian plant, Centella asiatica is highly regarded as a "rasayana" or nerve tonic. The Centella extract is used to ward off age-related dementia and to increase memory and intelligence. The mechanism by which Centella improves memory and learning and reduces the risk of dementia is unclear.

We recently tested the effects of asiatic acid, the main active component of Centella, on neuronal growth. We hypothesized that asiatic acid will promote neuronal growth and neurite network …

Evaluation Of Ecto-Mycorrhizae As A Determinant Of Chestnut Growth And Stress Response, Pabitra Aryal

Masters Theses

Although agriculture focuses on row crops throughout much of the Midwest, chestnut (Castanea spp.) appears to be an agroforestry crop well suited as a sustainable alternative to row crops in areas prone to erosion. As ectomycorrhizal (ECM) colonization is often crucial for tree establishment and production, I addressed the importance of ECM colonization on chestnut performance by assessing 1) natural ECM colonization in an established chestnut orchard and 2) the effect of experimental ECM inoculation on seedling establishment and drought response in a greenhouse. In the established orchard, I selected 50 Chinese-American hybrid chestnuts (C. mollisima x C. dentata …

Morphology And Variation In The Gargle Call In A Chickadee Hybrid Zone In Central Illinois, Shannon Marie Regan

Masters Theses

Black-capped (Poecile atricapillus) and Carolina Chickadees (P. carolinensis) have distributions that span the northern and eastern portions of the United States. The areas where these distributions meet are called contact zones and extend from Kansas to New Jersey. Contact zones often have a narrow range of hybridization and usually within these zones of hybridization we will see a mixture of genetic, morphological, and cultural traits. One focus of this project was to compare morphology and genetics of chickadees within and near the largest Illinois contact zone, which has not been done previously. This contact zone was …

The Influence Of Different Pre-Exercise Routines On Sprint Performance, Rok Mravljak

Masters Theses

Sprint performance can be enhanced by interventions for short-term (acute) purposes and/or long-term purposes. Acute neuromuscular responses are usually achieved by using different pre-exercise routines at the end of the warm-up period. Recently, there have been several studies examining the effects of various pre-exercise routines on sprint performance, yet there has not been a research study designed that compared the three most commonly used pre-exercise routines in professional and recreational sports (static stretching, dynamic stretching and foam-rolling). Therefore, this study investigated and compared the results of static stretching, dynamic stretching, self-myofascial release and the control group, in order to provide …

Gauging The Importance Of Microhabitat In Qualitative Macroinvertebrate Sampling In An Effluent Dominated Stream, Samuel James Gradle

Masters Theses

In the past different sampling strategies have been used to relate macroinvertebrate assemblages with habitat quality in the Sangamon River, above and below the sanitary district effluent discharge in Decatur, IL. The standard 20 jab method of proportional sampling in multiple microhabitats, based on QHEI physical habitat score, sampled allowed for comparison between sites based on overall community composition. However, it oversampled fine sediments, which dominate the Sangamon, therefore potentially missing sensitive taxa in isolated quality habitats. In the fall of 2016 I tested an enhanced qualitative approach to better gauge the importance of microhabitat types to macroinvertebrate assemblages in …

Effects Of 17Β Estradiol In The Metabolism And Morphology Of Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus), Neeta Parajulee Karki

Masters Theses

Fish natural habitats are increasingly contaminated with various estrogenic compounds, including 17β estradiol (E2). This compound causes adverse effects on the reproductive system of male fish; however, the effects of E2 on other aspects of fish metabolism, morphology and histopathological changes in internal organs are not well known. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of E2 exposure on the basal and stressed metabolic rate, morphological changes in body shapes, and histological changes in the liver tissues of sunfish species. Fish were held individually in ten gallon tanks under two treatments of 40 and 80 ng/L and …

The Transcriptome Response Of The White-Rot Fungus Phanerochaete Chrysosporium To Maple And Miscanthus, Mashael Rashed Alaradi

Masters Theses

Lignocellulosic biomass is a valuable feedstock for the production of liquid biofuels. However, liquid biofuel production from lignocellulose is economically challenging due to the difficulties associated with separating the cellulosic sugars from lignin. In addition, the current thermochemical methods to deconstruct lignocellulose typically involve hazardous chemicals that can negatively impact the environment. Recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of white-rot fungi as alternative pretreatment agents that can lower the costs of lignocellulose deconstruction and reduce negative impacts on the environment. However, understanding of the biochemical mechanisms of lignocellulose breakdown used by these fungi is limited, particularly with respect to the …

Dna Markers Identify Genetic Heritage Between Chickadees Near A Contact Zone In Illinois, Fahad M. Alshammari

Masters Theses

I studied the genetic interactions of Black-capped (Poecile atricapilus) (BCCH) and Carolina (P. carolinensis) (CACH) Chickadees in and near the largest hybrid contact zone in Illinois. Biologists have assumed Carolina and Black-capped Chickadees hybridize in their large contact zone in Bond and Fayette Counties, based on intermediate morphological measurements, plumage characteristics and the production of aberrant vocalizations. In determining hybridization, however, diagnostic genetics may be more useful than any other criterion. The genetic and environmental factors that have contributed to the survival of this chickadees hybrid zone have underscored the genetic integrity of both species. We …

The Role Of Creg1 As A Master Regulator Of Liver Function, Abdulrahman Siran Aldaghmi

Masters Theses

The liver is known as the chemical factory of the body because it performs a wide range of biochemical functions required for life. Since the liver has such an important role in regulation of normal physiological processes, liver diseases cause a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of liver development will shed light on the causes of liver disease. In this study, a cell line model that utilizes rat hepatoma cells (Fg14) and hepatoma variant cells (H11) was used to identify master regulators of liver gene expression. Whole genome expression studies identified the gene CREG1 (Cellular …

The North American River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) On The Department Of Energy's Savannah River Site, Emily B. Mccallen

Masters Theses

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) faces a legacy of radionuclide and metal contamination from industrial processes that occurred within the site. The risks posed to ecosystems on the site from contaminants are quantified using the ecological risk assessment process, which often uses the health of a particular species as an ecological endpoint. Northern river otters (Lontra canadensis) are appropriate receptors for studying the effects of long-term, low-level contamination because they are long-lived, higher trophic level organisms likely to accumulate high levels of pollutants. However, little information about river otters on the SRS is known; …

Comparative Leaf Anatomy Of C3 And Cam Species In Oncidiinae (Maxillarieae, Orchidaceae), Samuel A. Eident

Masters Theses

The subtribe Oncidiinae is a diverse group of mostly epiphytic orchids within the tribe Maxillarieae, consisting of 55 genera and 1700 species. In this group, there have been many studies examining morphological and anatomical variation as well as metabolic pathways of carbon fixation, but most have not integrated morphological and anatomical variation with a physiological aspect of inquiry. The objective of my research was to establish a suite of anatomical characteristics that can be used to distinguish between C₃ and CAM species. Secondarily, I hoped to use that suite of characteristics in determining whether intermediate CAM species (those that …

Expression, Purification, And Characterization Of An Intrinsically Disordered Late Embryogenesis Abundant (Lea) Protein From Artemia Franciscana Utilizing Escherichia Coli And Nicotiana Tabacum, Md Fazlul Karim

Masters Theses

Anhydrobiosis is an astounding strategy that allows certain species (both animals and plants) to survive severe environmental conditions such as desiccation, extreme cold, or heat in the habitat. Despite the occurrence of several different molecular strategies, expression of highly hydrophilic polypeptides termed LEA proteins has been most conclusive identified as a requirement for the survival of plants and animals during periods of water stress such as freezing and drying. Several classification schemes for LEA proteins have been proposed and the brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana, is the only known animal that naturally expresses LEA proteins from three different classification groups …

The Effects Of Limb Dominance On Cross-Education In A Four Week Resistance Training Program, Caitlin Wend

Masters Theses

Cross-education is known as the phenomenon of strength transfer from the trained side of the body to the untrained side of the body by unilateral resistance training. Research has shown that limb dominance has an effect on the amount of strength that is gained on the untrained side. Studies have found that there is a greater cross over effect in strength from the dominant side of the body to the non-dominant side of the body than vice versa. The present study examined this effect by taking 12 college females and splitting them into three groups: dominant training, non-dominant training, and …

Exercise Is Medicine: The Exercise Habits And Attitudes Towards Exercise Counseling Of Medical Practitioners, Zoë Roberts

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to examine the exercise habits of practicing physicians, physician assistants (PA), and nurse practitioners (NP) in Illinois to better understand their attitudes towards counseling their patients on exercise, and to analyze the frequency that these health care providers incorporate exercise counseling into their practices. Current data has revealed the exercise habits of physicians and how it has influenced the physicians' exercise counseling behaviors. But PAs and NPs have not been included in research collectively as a medical team on the topic using exercise counseling and prescription for patient care and treatment. The research was …

Metabolic And Morphologic Shifts In Neuro2a Cells Cultured In Galactose Medium, Leah Welker

Masters Theses

It has been observed that highly-proliferating cells, such as cancer cells, rely mainly on glycolysis for ATP production, regardless of presence of oxygen. This effect, however, can be reversed by changing the main energy substrate in the medium from glucose to galactose. The oxidation of galactose in glycolysis yields less net ATP, presumably forcing the cell into OXPHOS. This has been established in many cell lines, including HeLA, HepG2, and skeletal muscle cells. As of yet, this has not been reproduced in neuronal cells. Using Neuro2a, a murine neuroblastoma cell line, this study exposes neuronal cells to galactose medium, and …