Life Sciences Commons^™

Does Gut Microbiota Affect The Diet Preference In Anurans?, Jordan A. Rice

Honors Theses

Gut microbiota is a community of bacteria that live in the digestive track of a host. These microbes assist in the breakdown of indigestible materials as food passes through the alimentary canal. Metabolites from bacteria may play a role cell to cell communication with their host and thus gut microbiota may affect the diet preference of the animal host. Southern Leopard frogs (Rana sphenocephala) and Green Tree frogs (Hyla cinerea) were used as focal species to test whether gut microbiota affect their diet preference. Three groups of tadpoles were tested. The control group was fed a …

Influence Of Benagene Supplementation In Conjunction With High Intensity Cycling Exercise, Wilson P. Simmons

Honors Theses

High intensity aerobic performance is determined by the body’s maximal ability to match lactate production and clearance rates, defined as the lactate threshold (LaTh). Intensities performed above the LaTh result in accumulation of lactate causing fatigue. In a double-blind experiment, using trained cyclists and triathletes, we investigated skeletal muscle adaptations that occurred following 28-days of Benagene supplementation (oxaloacetate). The testing protocol consisted of an initial cycle test (T1) to measure VO₂max, LaTh, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), power output (PO) and heart rate (HR). Testing began after a 15-min warm-up at 75W, beginning at 100W, increasing 30W each 3-min …

Characterization Of Embryonic Stem Cell-Differentiated Cells As Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Rachael N. Kuehn

Honors Theses

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), due to their ability to differentiate into different cell types while still maintaining a high proliferation capacity, have been considered as a potential cell source in regenerative medicine. However, current ESC differentiation methods are low yielding and create heterogeneous cell populations. If transplanted in the human body, differentiated ESCs could be rejected by the immune system, form tumors, or may not function normally within the human body. On the other hand, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a type of adult stem cell typically derived from bone marrow, have proved to be excellent candidates in clinical applications due …

The Acoustics Of Introduction: An Analysis Of Vocalizations From The Captive Introduction Of An Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops Truncatus, Cheyenne M. Brady

Honors Theses

Vocalizations from dolphins were recorded using a hydrophone on several different occasions: from seven previously-housed dolphins prior to introduction of a new animal and from all eight dolphins together, both on the day of introduction and post-introduction. The vocalizations were categorized by visual inspection of spectrograms using Raven, then totaled and averaged. Total vocalizations appeared to peak during the physical introduction of a new individual to the previously-housed dolphins; however, the rates of vocalization per animal per hour showed that the post-introduction period had the most acoustic communications between individual dolphins. Whistles, chirps (a subcategory of whistles), and unmodulated burst …

The Evolution Of Body Size In The Order Siluriformes, D Cooper Campbell

Honors Theses

The evolution of body size has long been a topic of interest to biologists due to the close link between size and various aspects of an organism’s biology. Adult body size is influenced by the underlying tradeoff in energy allocation between maintenance, somatic growth and reproduction. I studied the evolution of a large group of globally distributed (primarily freshwater with some marine forms) fishes to test some basic hypotheses about the evolution of adult body size. Catfish (Siluriformes) are an excellent group for this type of research as they represent approximately 11% of fishes and species range in size from …

Species Delimitation And Phylogenetic Relationships Of The Wild Yams (Dioscorea) Native To Eastern North America, Tori A. Collins

Honors Theses

Most taxonomic treatments currently recognize two to three species of native yams in eastern North America: Dioscorea villosa, D. floridana, and sometimes D. quaternata, a segregate of D. villosa. Earlier authors (e.g., J. K. Small) had recognized as many as five species (with D. hirticaulis and D. glauca also as segregates of D. villosa). Key morphological features in distinguishing these putative species are rhizome morphology (long and cord-like vs. thick and contorted), number of first leaves (1–3 vs. 4–7), and habitat (sandy, rocky, swampy). Unfortunately, these critical features are rarely collected and preserved on herbarium …

Alternative Material Nest Boxes And Impacts On Nestling Physiology And Adult Behavior In The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia Sialis), Jamie E. Jackson

Honors Theses

In the mid-nineteenth century, Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis, a native cavity nesting species) populations experienced serious declines because of a decrease in natural cavities and the introduction of non-native, competitive cavity nesting species. The creation of nest box programs led to an increase in bluebird populations and these programs continue to be of importance. In this study, a recycled metal ammunition can was used as a nest box to determine if this was a viable resource for bluebirds. This work investigated the effects of this alternate material nest box on nestling physiology and adult behavior with special emphasis …

Activation Of Nf-Κb Transcription Factor During In Vitro Differentiation Of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells, Natalya A. Ortolano

Honors Theses

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are a promising cell source for regenerative medicine. However, recent studies indicated that ESCs and ESC-derived cells (ESC-DCs) lack functional innate immunity against various pathogens and inflammatory cytokines. This presents a barrier to clinical application, as ESC-DCs would be placed in a wound site and exposed to pathogens and inflammatory cytokines. Using mouse ESCs (mESCs) as a model, we recently demonstrated that they are deficient in expressing type I interferons (IFN) and inflammatory cytokines. To determine the molecular basis for this finding, this study examined the activation state of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), a transcription factor that …

Tracking Plastid Gene Migration In Karenia Brevis, Kelly E. Scott

Honors Theses

Karenia brevis is a marine dinoflagellate responsible for the harmful algal blooms (also known as red tides) in the Gulf of Mexico. K. brevis expresses antisense (AS) RNAs, each of which has a complementary region to the messenger RNA (mRNA) of a variety of genes. In dinoflagellates, many plastid (and mitochondrial) genes have migrated to the nuclear genome. It is unknown whether chloroplast genes, such as photosystem – D2, have migrated in K. brevis. It is also unknown where the gene that expresses the AS RNA for photosystem D2 resides. The protein-coding gene and the AS RNA-expressing gene could …

Granulins As Inflammatory Mediators In Alzheimer Disease, Randi G. Reed

Honors Theses

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by severe memory deficit and cognitive decline among the elderly. This degeneration is caused by the aggregation and deposition of a protein called amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain. Aggregation of Aβ causes neuroinflammation in addition to other toxic events. However, it is unclear whether inflammation from an external source, such as from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), could trigger Aβ aggregation. In this context, several pro-inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and chemokines have been suspects. It is now hypothesized that a group of proteins called granulins (Grns) are unique inflammatory mediators that …

Alcohol Consumption And Dietary Behavior Among College Greek Students, William B. Stevens

Honors Theses

Background: Alcohol consumption among college students has increased dramatically within the last three decades. Drinking has increased in even higher rates among students involved in Greek fraternities and sororities. The implications that this rise in drinking has on dietary behaviors are an important concern. While several studies have focused on investigating reasons for drinking and negative consequences with regards to drinking, literature is limited that focuses on how alcohol consumption affects dietary habits and behavior.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of alcohol consumption on the dietary behaviors of college Greek students.

Methods: …

A New Species Of Euphorbia Subgenus Chamaesyce Section Alectoroctonum (Euphorbiaceae) From Limestone Hills Of Wayne County, Mississippi, Andrew C. Fennell

Honors Theses

As part of a project to document the vascular flora of Wayne County, Mississippi, an unusual Euphorbia, which keys to the Euphorbia corollata complex, was encountered in mature hardwood forests in limestone regions. Unlike typical E. corollata and E. pubentissima, these individuals have long petioles (0.4–1.2 cm), oval to ovate leaves, short stature, small cyathia, small seeds, and a different phenology. In order to test species boundaries, morphological character differences were explored using principal component analysis (PCA), and additional characters were gathered from plastid (rpL16) and nuclear (ITS) DNA data of the unusual individuals as well …