Life Sciences Commons^™

Does Installation Method Affect Snake Entanglement In Erosion Control Blankets?, Nicholas C. Schiwitz, Kasey L. Jobe, Krista J. Ward

Undergraduate Research Conference

Erosion control blankets (ECBs) are installed at construction sites to mitigate against soil loss and promote plant growth. Wildlife, particularly snakes, are prone to becoming entangled in ECBs that contain fixed‐intersection, small‐diameter polypropylene mesh with multiple layers (Ebert et al. 2019 Wildl. Soc. Bull.; Fig. 1).

The majority of ECBs on the Texas Department of Transportation’s Approved Product List contain fixed-intersection mesh, which pose a risk to snakes.

Snake entanglements often occur at the edge of an ECB where the snake often passes between the multiple mesh layers (Ebert et al. 2019 Wildl. Soc. Bull.)

Burying the edge of an …

A Comparison Of High-Intensity Interval Running And Tabata On Post-Exercise Metabolism: A Pilot Analysis, Lauren Pate

Undergraduate Research Conference

Introduction

• It is well established that energy expenditure following exercise (EPOC) remains elevated above resting values for a period of time (3).

• The magnitude and duration of this elevation may be primarily dependent on exercise intensity, with exercise duration and expenditure having a smaller influence (3, 6).

• Short durations (≤ 30 minutes) of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) is becoming a popular alternative for individuals who have limited time to exercise (5).

• When compared to rest, short-duration HIIE has been reported to elicit similar elevations in EPOC when compared to longer bouts of moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) …

On The Diversity Of Erosion Control Products: Implications For Snake Entanglement, Kasey L. Jobe, Nicholas C. Schiwitz, Krista Ward

Undergraduate Research Conference

After a road construction project, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) mandates that erosion control products (ECPs) are installed to prevent soil loss and promote plant growth. However, their presence on the landscape pose negative consequences to wildlife via entanglement.

TxDOT provides an Approved Products List (APL) of ECPs meeting soil erosion prevention and plant growth standards. In Texas, multiple types of ECPs are produced with a range of materials and attributes to decrease the erosion potential on multiple soil types and slopes. Certain attributes are more likely to lead to snake entanglement (Ebert et al. 2019 Wildl. Soc. Bull.; Fig. …

Mediterranean House Geckos Exploit Novel Resources In A Recipient Lizard Assemblage, John M. Arnett, Connor S. Adams, Carmen G. Montana

Undergraduate Research Conference

A species’ ecological niche represents the environmental conditions needed for an individual to replace itself and is comprised of multiple resource axes (Pianka 2000 Evol. Ecol.).

One mechanism of establishment of non-native species is via exploitation of novel resources in recipient ecosystems through their unique functional traits (Schalk et al. 2018 Biol. Invas.).

Mediterranean House Geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) are an exotic species introduced in urban areas across Texas, yet little is known about their resource use relative to native lizards.

We hypothesized that H. turcicus would exhibit low overlap in resource use in their habitat, dietary, and isotopic niches compared …

The Transesterification Of Hickory Nuts Into Biodiesel Fuel, Hannah Trauger, Madilynn Dewell, Jahida A. Mendoza

Undergraduate Research Conference

• Biodiesel fuels can be produced from a fat and an alcohol via transesterification

• Hickory nuts have a high fat content (~60 % by weight)

• Can nuts from shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) be used to produce a biodiesel fuel using existing acidcatalyzed transesterification methods?

Longitudinal Study Of Lanana Creek, Bayler Barnes, Jackson T. Ortiz, Trace Washburn

Undergraduate Research Conference

A longitudinal study was done to collect data on the various conditions of LananaCreek in Nacogdoches, Texas over a seven week span from September 14 to November 2, 2018. The part of the creek studies is a 3.5 mile stretch from East Austin Street to Hoya Soccer Complex, mostly located on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University. There were 6 different testing sites selected along this expanse. Collection of samples was performed by the General Chemistry I Honors class as part of the laboratory experience. Once collected, the samples were transported back to the lab for testing. The …

Chemophobia And The Relation To Names, Justin Crow

Undergraduate Research Conference

Chemophobia is a recently identified cultural phenomena where people are afraid of chemicals in their lives, whether "chemicals" are in their food, their medicines, vaccinations, and other products. An increasing amount of people have a concern about the risk associated with chemicals in their everyday life. Chemistry professionals find this a bit strange as Chemistry states that all matter is made up of chemicals. Chemistry has many systems of naming and understanding chemicals which can exclude people from understanding the risk or lack thereof attributed to materials that are common in daily life. This effect could be accentuated by educational …

Impact Of Heart Rate Intensity On Shooting Accuracy During Games In Ncaa Division I Women Basketball Players, James Hutson, Courtney Elliott, Casey Pederson

Undergraduate Research Conference

Shooting accuracy in basketball is key to winning games. While there are various factors as to why a team either makes or misses their shots, the intensity of play is likely a contributing factor. A player who has played the majority of the game would likely have a higher, more intense heart rate (HR). Depending on the athlete, this could impact shooting accuracy. Examining the relationship between HR intensity and shooting accuracy has not been looked at in a real game setting before. Therefore, we set out to determine the impact heart rate intensity has on shooting accuracy in a …

Extraction And Quantification Of Hydrolyzable Tannins In Acorns From Different Species Of Oak Trees (Quercus Spp.), Sarah Browning, Marshall E. Woodruff

Undergraduate Research Conference

Do white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) prefer to eat certain types of acorns based on tannin content?

Hydrolyzable tannins consist of gallate groups connected via ester linkages to a carbohydrate (D-glucose)

The Prussian Blue method was used to determine hydrolyzable tannin content

The Relationship Between Objective And Subjective Markers Of Training Stress In Ncaa Division I Women Basketball Players, Casey Pederson, Courtney Elliott, James Hutson

Undergraduate Research Conference

An athlete’s training stress score (TSS) is an objective marker of overall training volume and can be determined by tracking total time spent at specific heart rate (HR) zones. Additionally, an athlete’s power factor (PF) or explosive strength is an important marker of performance and can be measured objectively with power testing equipment. While these measures of training stress and performance are important, a coach with limited resources may not have access to the equipment or expertise to measure these variables. On a subjective level, perceived recovery status (PRS) prior to practice and the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during …

Food Insecurity Awareness, Acknowledgment, And Actions On A University Campus, Heather Adams

Undergraduate Research Conference

The purpose of this pilot study was to understand student awareness of food insecurities. Subjects for the study were students enrolled in a Foundations in Human Sciences course at a university located in East Texas (n=55). Students were asked to complete an online survey concerning knowledge of food insecurities, impacts of budgeting on food buying, previous personal food insecurity, skipped or had less nutritious meals due to the cost, and the food pantry on campus.

Comparison Of Heart Rate Intensity In Practice, Conditioning, And Games In Ncaa Division I Women Basketball Players, Courtney Elliott, Casey Pederson, James Hutson

Undergraduate Research Conference

Background: An athlete’s heart rate (HR) is an important variable in quantifying the intensity of exercise. Workouts that increase HR are an important stimulus for training adaptations and conditioning. At other times, workouts that do not overly stress the HR may be desired to allow for recovery. The principle of specificity emphasizes that athletes should train specific to the way they will need to perform in competition. Because of this, monitoring HR during training and competition can be a useful tool. While exercise intensity in endurance sports has been previously investigated, less is known regarding the HR response in team …

A Student Hosted Cattle Sale As An Approach To Experiential Learning, Wade Lang, Courtney Biles

Undergraduate Research Conference

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine if a student hosted cattle sale resulted in a beneficial learning experience and if a 30-day reflection period would change student perspective.

Cation Exchange Capacity Determination: Comparative Study Of Three Methods, Lillie Zech

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Fitness V. Physique: Is Body Image Harming Our Health?, Travis Maclin

Undergraduate Research Conference

Purpose: Determine how important health and fitness is to college aged individuals and whether they valued body image or personal fitness higher.

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity Is An Emerging Spectrum Of Gluten Intolerance, Darla O'Dwyer

Symposium on Arts and Research

People following gluten free diets have become increasingly prevalent. Many people indicate that they feel better on a gluten free diet and that their symptoms return after eating gluten. This is occurring in the absence of celiac disease or a wheat allergy. This new clinical entity is called non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). Volta and colleagues (2014) cite several reasons for an increase in this condition: 1) farming practices have led to an increase in specific wheat variants that contain high amounts of gluten peptides that maybe toxic to susceptible individuals; 2) dough fermentation has significantly been shortened compared to the …

Design Of A Robust Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory Course Based On A Modified And Expanded Bovine Serum Albumin Purification Scheme, Odutayo O. Odunuge, Nicholas Cheatwood, John Mullins, Michele Harris

Symposium on Arts and Research

The ASBMB curriculum for an undergraduate degree recommends a set of skills that can be acquired only through laboratory courses and research experience. Based on a previously reported purification scheme for BSA (Odunuga and Shazhko, 2013), we designed a robust, reproducible, cost-effective, safe and enquiry-based undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course that encompasses many of the skill-sets recommend-ed in the ASBMB curriculum. Our work not only modi-fied certain steps in the scheme, it also included addi-tional steps to enhance student learning and skill ac-quisition. Salt precipitation, ion exchange and size ex-clusion chromatography were employed by students to purify BSA from cow plasma. …

Accuracy Assessment On Drone Measured Heights At Different Height Levels, David L. Kulhavy, I-Kuai Hung, Daniel Unger, Yanli Zhang

Symposium on Arts and Research

The advancement in unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology has made it possible to attain an aerial unit, commonly known as a drone, at an affordable price with increasing precision and accuracy in positioning and photographing. While aerial photography is the most common use of a drone, many of the models available in the market are also capable of measuring height, the height of the drone above ground, or the altitude above the mean sea level. On board a drone, a barometer is used to control the flight height by detecting the atmospheric pressure change; while a GPS receiver is mainly …

The Methods Used For Eradication Of Polio Versus The Defense Efforts That Are Being Conducted For Global Defense Against Ebola, Kalyn Johnson

Undergraduate Research Conference

Poliovirus eradication has been a long-lasting and difficult process that has become a global issue. The World Health Organization and the European Union have been trying to end the terrible reign of this abhorrent disease since the 1980s and are continually fighting the virus today. Poliomyelitis is an Old World disease, much like smallpox. It has been easily, through a twenty year process, eradicable through mass vaccination and circle vaccination.

However, as poliovirus is coming to the end of its reign, a more recent danger lurks nearby. Ebola virus is considered a non-traditional disease in that it requires more developed …

Health Of Value Menu: Cost Versus Benefits Analysis, Lucas Sartain

Undergraduate Research Conference

Consumption of fast food is rapidly increasing on both a domestic and global scale. Fast food has become increasingly popular not only for its quick service, but also for the economic savings it provides. One arguable factor however, rests with the health concerns that accompany this category of food. Important preliminary measures include clearly defining what is classified as fast food, what is considered to be unhealthy, and what determines healthiness. The most frequently ordered items at most fast food restaurants are located on the dollar menu. Through various research, it will be determined whether the dollar menu is less …

Removable Discontinuity: Crispr, Gene Drives, And Bioethics, Emily Dunnahoe

Undergraduate Research Conference

This paper questions whether bioethical scrutiny has been devoted to the ethical dilemmas that have arisen with advancements of CRISPR-Cas 9 gene editing techniques, particularly its use in conjunction with gene drive applications. Therefore, the trend of genetic research using both gene drives and CRISPR-Cas 9 systems must be established, while also simultaneously observing the trend of bioethical scholarly works. The tabulation of all articles from 2012 to 2015 from selected genetic journals yielded a significant increase in articles relating to CRISPR, while no articles were found in their selected bioethical counterparts for the same period. Similarly, no significant CRISPR/gene …

The Relationship Between Pain Sensitivity And Eye Tracking, Michaella Petrosky, Luis E. Aguerrevere

Undergraduate Research Conference

The purpose of the study was to determine if laboratory-induced pain has possible effects on attention as captured by eye tracking technology.

Building Height Using The Uas Dji Phantom 3 And Drone2map Software, Chandler Fong, Kai Busch-Peterson

Undergraduate Research Conference

At Stephen F. Austin State University, the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture has invested in the most current drone technology in order to keep up with the new trends in Geographic Information System (GIS). Students and faculty can fly the drone and get up to date images of the area. When it comes to analyzing data and creating maps, all measurements must be extremely accurate in order for the map to be reliable. With this in mind, the objective of this project is to determine if the height measurements from DJI Phantom 3 drone are as accurate as …

Using Freshwater Mussels As An Indicator For River Water Quality, Joseph Gerland, Will Titone, Ariana Clark, Brad Michael

Undergraduate Research Conference

Using the freshwater mussel to monitor water quality is a practical and advantageous way to use nature’s indicator species. River water quality is an important measurement that is constantly monitored for many purposes. The sampling involved with monitoring can be very costly and time-consuming. Using mussels as indicator species could save money and time. So, this project has been dedicated to exploring the applications and reality of using freshwater mussels to monitor river quality.

Antimicrobial Properties Of S-Benzofuran-2-Yl Ethanol Produced By Biotransformation, Nick Cheatwood, Ann Davis, Elizabeth Schabeck, Kelsi Hooker, Michele Harris

Undergraduate Research Conference

All living organisms contain enzymes to carry out biological reactions, which produce substances with a specific three dimensional shape. Enantiomers are two molecules that are mirror images of each other just as hands are mirror images of each other. It is well known in the pharmaceutical world that one of the enantiomers (one of the mirrorimage molecules) has a positive biological effect while the other can be harmful or have no effect. Currently, any potential pharmaceutical that could exist as enantiomers must have each enantiomer tested for biological activity prior to FDA approval. In our laboratory, we have focused on …

Influence Of Chinese Tallow Infestation On Winter Bird Community Along Lanana Creek Basin, Kelli Bashaw, Christopher E. Comer

Undergraduate Research Conference

Exotic invasive plant species are among the greatest threats to biodiversity and persistence of rare wildlife species in the United States. These plants compete with native plants, causing extinctions or severe reductions in native populations. They may also affect wildlife through loss of preferred food items or changes in vegetation structure. Chinese tallow tree (Triadeca sebifera) is one of the most important and widespread exotic plants in the Southeast. Although impacts of Chinese tallow on vegetation communities are well studied, impacts on native wildlife are less well understood. This study explored the interaction between native wildlife and Chinese tallow infestation …

The Addition Of Arachidin 1 Or Arachidin 3 To Human Rotavirus-Infected Cells Inhibits Viral Replication And Alters The Apoptotic Cell Death Pathway, Macie N. Mattila, Caleb M. Witcher, Rebekah Napier-Jameson, Hannah N. Lockwood, Josephine Taylor, Beatrice A. Clack, Judith M. Ball, Fabricio Medina Bolivar, Rebecca D. Parr

Undergraduate Research Conference

Rotavirus (RV) infections are a leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants and children under the age of five. There are two vaccines available in the United States and one in India that can be administered early in childhood, however they only protect against specific strains1. From our previous work, both arachidin-1 (A1) and arachidin-3 (A3) from peanut (Arachis hypogaea) hairy root cultures significantly inhibit simian RV replication2,3,4. The purpose of this study was to determine if a human intestinal cell line, HT29.f8, infected with a human RV, Wa, was affected by A1 and A3. Cell viability assays were utilized …

The Bees Of A.L. Mangham Jr. Regional Airport, Nacogdoches, Texas, Ryan J. Pingedot, Daniel J. Bennett

Undergraduate Research Conference

The United States is home to about 4,000 species of native bees, and many are critically important due to the pollination services they provide (Buchman & Nabhan 1996). Most of these are inconspicuous, solitary bees that nest in the ground. In recent years, a number of bee species have been shown to be in decline (Burkle 2013). Due to these declines, it is important to study and provide habitat for local bee populations.

As a result of periodic mowing, the surroundings of the A.L. Mangham Jr. Regional Airport in Nacogdoches County, Texas provide a grassy, prairie-like habitat that results in …

Antimicrobial Properties Of Isomers Of Benzofuranylethanol, Nick Cheatwood, Jessica Bronstad, Michele Harris

Undergraduate Research Conference

A biotransformaDon reacDon is a chemical conversion of a substance into a desired product with the aid of whole, living cells containing the necessary enzymes. In addiDons to living cells, other substances, such as vegetable strips, will also catalyze biotransformaDon reacDons. Advantages of biotransformaDon reacDons include the following: the ability to recycle material, the use of less hazardous chemicals, the ability to compost vegetable strips, the use of inexpensive materials that are locally available, and the ability to produce a single isomer. The biotransformaDon reacDon for the conversion of benzofuranyl methyl ketone (BMK) to (-)-benzofuranylethanol (BMA) using carrot strips as …

Combined Effects Of Optimism Level And Caffeine Intake On Qeeg Alpha Wave Power: A Pilot Study, Melissa Lenert, Luis E. Aguerrevere

Undergraduate Research Conference

Caffeine has a general effect on alpha brain waves (Diukova, 2010).

Heavy caffeine users experienced increased neural activity compared to vasoconstriction (Gilbert et al., 2000).

Purpose of the pilot study is to assess the effects of caffeine intake and optimism levels on alpha wave activity in heavy caffeine users.