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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Reduced Light Availability Diminishes Mycorrhizal Growth Response Of Invasive Forb, Regina O'Kelley Dec 2017

Reduced Light Availability Diminishes Mycorrhizal Growth Response Of Invasive Forb, Regina O'Kelley

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form mycorrhizae, a common, well-studied symbiotic relationship. Controls on the magnitude and direction of plant mycorrhizal growth response (MGR) remain obscured. Specifically, the influence of light availability in the MGR of an invasive forb, spotted knapweed Centaurea stoebe, has not been studied. Greenhouse studies exploring the growth response of knapweed to arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) often fail to report light intensity levels, which could impact the quality of their data. I conducted a greenhouse experiment studying the MGR in spotted knapweed under shaded and unshaded conditions, designed to approximate light availability in ambient greenhouse and full-sun …


Lipid Binding Studies Of Blood Coagulation Factor Viii C1 And C2 Domains, Rachel L. Blazevic Apr 2017

Lipid Binding Studies Of Blood Coagulation Factor Viii C1 And C2 Domains, Rachel L. Blazevic

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Blood coagulation factor VIII (fVIII) is an essential cofactor in the mammalian blood-clotting cascade. fVIII must bind the phospholipid membrane of activated platelets to function as a cofactor for fIXa. The blood coagulation cascade culminates in the formation of a stable blood clot. In humans, the C1 and C2 domains are implicated in binding phospholipid membranes, however the relative contribution of different residues in the lipid-binding mechanism is unclear. Using site-directed mutagenesis, expression of the isolated C1 and C2 domains in Escherichia coli cells, protein purification with metal affinity chromatography, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, liposome sedimentation assays, …


Western Washington University Sustainability Action Plan 2015 - 2035, Western Washington University Jan 2017

Western Washington University Sustainability Action Plan 2015 - 2035, Western Washington University

Western Sustainability

Western’s Sustainability Action Plan is the University’s road map for protecting local and global ecology, upholding social equity, creating economic vitality, and maintaining human health.


Increasing The Use Of Student-Centered Pedagogies From Moderate To High Improves Student Learning And Attitudes About Biology, Georgianne L. Connell, Deborah A. Donovan, Timothy G. Chambers Apr 2016

Increasing The Use Of Student-Centered Pedagogies From Moderate To High Improves Student Learning And Attitudes About Biology, Georgianne L. Connell, Deborah A. Donovan, Timothy G. Chambers

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Student-centered strategies are being incorporated into undergraduate classrooms in response to a call for reform. We tested whether teaching in an extensively student-centered manner (many active-learning pedagogies, consistent formative assessment, cooperative groups; the Extensive section) was more effective than teaching in a moderately student-centered manner (fewer active-learning pedagogies, less formative assessment, without groups; the Moderate section) in a large-enrollment course. One instructor taught both sections of Biology 101 during the same quarter, covering the same material. Students in the Extensive section had significantly higher mean scores on course exams. They also scored significantly higher on a content postassessment when accounting …


Toe Running: The Good, The Fad, And The Ugly, Molly Quinn-Shea Apr 2014

Toe Running: The Good, The Fad, And The Ugly, Molly Quinn-Shea

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Compared to most other animal on the planet, humans are pathetic runners. We are not graceful like the deer nor fast like the cheetah. In fact, many have wondered why the homo sapien evolved into an upright figure since that posture is less efficient for running. Christopher McDougall, in his National Bestseller Born to Run, hypothesized that early humans were distance runners that outran their prey. Born to Run, which has been linked to the rise of the popularity of barefoot running, describes how humans do not use their Achilles tendon efficiently by striking with the heel of …