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Articles 1 - 30 of 231

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Radiopaque Femnn-Mo Composite Drawn Filled Tubing Wires For Braided Absorbable Neurovascular Devices, Adam J. Griebel, Petra Maier, Henry D. Summers, Benjamin Clausius, Isabella Kanasty, Weilue He, Nicholas Peterson, Carolyn Czerniak, Alexander A. Oliver, David F. Kallmes, Ramanathan Kadirvel, Jeremy E. Schaffer, Roger J. Guillory Oct 2024

Radiopaque Femnn-Mo Composite Drawn Filled Tubing Wires For Braided Absorbable Neurovascular Devices, Adam J. Griebel, Petra Maier, Henry D. Summers, Benjamin Clausius, Isabella Kanasty, Weilue He, Nicholas Peterson, Carolyn Czerniak, Alexander A. Oliver, David F. Kallmes, Ramanathan Kadirvel, Jeremy E. Schaffer, Roger J. Guillory

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Flow diverter devices are small stents used to divert blood flow away from aneurysms in the brain, stagnating flow and inducing intra-aneurysmal thrombosis which in time will prevent aneurysm rupture. Current devices are formed from thin (∼25 μm) wires which will remain in place long after the aneurysm has been mitigated. As their continued presence could lead to secondary complications, an absorbable flow diverter which dissolves into the body after aneurysm occlusion is desirable. The absorbable metals investigated to date struggle to achieve the necessary combination of strength, elasticity, corrosion rate, fragmentation resistance, radiopacity, and biocompatibility. This work proposes and …


Single-Fly Genome Assemblies Fill Major Phylogenomic Gaps Across The Drosophilidae Tree Of Life, Bernard Y. Kim, Hannah R. Gellert, Samuel H. Church, Anton Suvorov, Sean S. Anderson, Olga Barmina, Sofia G. Beskid, Aaron A. Comeault, K. Nicole Crown, Sarah E. Diamond, Steve Dorus, Takako Fujichika, James A. Hemker, Jan Hrcek, Thomas Werner, Et. Al Jul 2024

Single-Fly Genome Assemblies Fill Major Phylogenomic Gaps Across The Drosophilidae Tree Of Life, Bernard Y. Kim, Hannah R. Gellert, Samuel H. Church, Anton Suvorov, Sean S. Anderson, Olga Barmina, Sofia G. Beskid, Aaron A. Comeault, K. Nicole Crown, Sarah E. Diamond, Steve Dorus, Takako Fujichika, James A. Hemker, Jan Hrcek, Thomas Werner, Et. Al

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

AU Long-read: Pleaseconfirmthatallheadinglevelsarerepresentedcorrectly sequencing is driving rapid progress in genome assembly : across all major groups of life, including species of the family Drosophilidae, a longtime model system for genetics, genomics, and evolution. We previously developed a cost-effective hybrid Oxford Nanopore (ONT) long-read and Illumina short-read sequencing approach and used it to assemble 101 drosophilid genomes from laboratory cultures, greatly increasing the number of genome assemblies for this taxonomic group. The next major challenge is to address the laboratory culture bias in taxon sampling by sequencing genomes of species that cannot easily be reared in the lab. Here, we build …


Microrna166: Old Players And New Insights Into Crop Agronomic Traits Improvement, Zhanhui Zhang, Tianxiao Yang, Na Li, Guiliang Tang, Jihua Tang Jul 2024

Microrna166: Old Players And New Insights Into Crop Agronomic Traits Improvement, Zhanhui Zhang, Tianxiao Yang, Na Li, Guiliang Tang, Jihua Tang

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

MicroRNA (miRNA), a type of non-coding RNA, is crucial for controlling gene expression. Among the various miRNA families, miR166 stands out as a highly conserved group found in both model and crop plants. It plays a key role in regulating a wide range of developmental and environmental responses. In this review, we explore the diverse sequences of in major crops and discuss the important regulatory functions of miR166 in plant growth and stress responses. Additionally, we summarize how miR166 interacts with other miRNAs and highlight the potential for enhancing agronomic traits by manipulating the expression of miR166 and its targeted …


Seagrass Ecosystem Recovery: Experimental Removal And Synthesis Of Disturbance Studies, Spencer J. Tassone, Carolyn J. Ewers Lewis, Karen J. Mcglathery, Michael L. Pace Jul 2024

Seagrass Ecosystem Recovery: Experimental Removal And Synthesis Of Disturbance Studies, Spencer J. Tassone, Carolyn J. Ewers Lewis, Karen J. Mcglathery, Michael L. Pace

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Net global losses of seagrasses have accelerated efforts to understand recovery from disturbances. Stressors causing disturbances (e.g., storms, heatwaves, boating) vary temporally and spatially within meadows potentially affecting recovery. To test differential recovery, we conducted a removal experiment at sites that differed in thermal stress for a temperate seagrass (Zostera marina). We also synthesized prior studies of seagrass recovery to assess general patterns. Seagrass shoots were removed from 28.3 m2 plots at edge and central sites of a meadow in South Bay, Virginia, USA. We hypothesized faster recovery for edge plots where greater oceanic exchange reduces thermal stress. Contrary to …


Editorial: Microorganisms In Polar Regions: Understanding Their Survival Strategies For A Sustainable Future, Trista Vick-Majors, Shiv Mohan Singh, Prashant Kumar Singh Jun 2024

Editorial: Microorganisms In Polar Regions: Understanding Their Survival Strategies For A Sustainable Future, Trista Vick-Majors, Shiv Mohan Singh, Prashant Kumar Singh

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

No abstract provided.


Knockdown Of Microrna390 Enhances Maize Brace Root Growth, Juan Meng, Weiya Li, Feiyan Qi, Tianxiao Yang, Na Li, Jiong Wan, Xiaoqi Li, Yajuan Jiang, Chenhui Wang, Meilian Huang, Yuanyuan Zhang, Yongqiang Chen, Sachin Teotia, Guiliang Tang, Zhanhui Zhang, Jihua Tang Jun 2024

Knockdown Of Microrna390 Enhances Maize Brace Root Growth, Juan Meng, Weiya Li, Feiyan Qi, Tianxiao Yang, Na Li, Jiong Wan, Xiaoqi Li, Yajuan Jiang, Chenhui Wang, Meilian Huang, Yuanyuan Zhang, Yongqiang Chen, Sachin Teotia, Guiliang Tang, Zhanhui Zhang, Jihua Tang

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Brace root architecture is a critical determinant of maize's stalk anchorage and nutrition uptake, influencing root lodging resistance, stress tolerance, and plant growth. To identify the key microRNAs (miRNAs) in control of maize brace root growth, we performed small RNA sequencing using brace root samples at emergence and growth stages. We focused on the genetic modulation of brace root development in maize through manipulation of miR390 and its downstream regulated (). In the present study, miR167, miR166, miR172, and miR390 were identified to be involved in maize brace root growth in inbred line B73. Utilizing short tandem target mimic (STTM) …


Neuroinflammation Levels Measured By Microglial Cell Activation, Emma G. Whitlock, Linda S. Yasui May 2024

Neuroinflammation Levels Measured By Microglial Cell Activation, Emma G. Whitlock, Linda S. Yasui

Honors Capstones

Neuroinflammation is an inflammatory response in the brain that can be caused by different stressors such as diseases and/or external factors such as traumatic brain injuries. It is important to note duration and intensity of neuroinflammation levels when determining the impacts of these stressors to the brain environment. During neuroinflammation, a type of immune cell that becomes activated in the brain is called microglial cells. Microglial cells play a role in progression of the pathophysiological effects from the brain stressor. Studying changes in microglial cell shape provides evidence of the degree of neuroinflammation in the brain. Researchers can quantify neuroinflammation …


Revealing Nitrate Uptake And Dispersion Dynamics Using High-Frequency Sensors And Two-Dimensional Modeling In A Large River System, Amirreza Zarnaghsh, Michelle Kelly, Amy Burgin, Admin Husic May 2024

Revealing Nitrate Uptake And Dispersion Dynamics Using High-Frequency Sensors And Two-Dimensional Modeling In A Large River System, Amirreza Zarnaghsh, Michelle Kelly, Amy Burgin, Admin Husic

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Nitrate pollution of water bodies is a critical issue in many parts of the world because of its negative effects on aquatic ecosystem and human health. Effective management of pollution, such as the continuous or instantaneous release from point-sources, requires an understanding – with high spatial and temporal resolution – of how nitrate is dispersed and cycled within rivers. Nitrate sensing data show promise for this purpose, but their integration into numerical models is scarce; thus, questions remain regarding the necessary spatial grid size and temporal resolution required to resolve sensor readings. In this study, we developed an unsteady two-dimensional …


Fostering Effective And Sustainable Scientific Collaboration And Knowledge Exchange: A Workshop-Based Approach To Establish A National Ecological Observatory Network (Neon) Domain-Specific User Group, Alison Donnelly, Ankur R. Desai, Katherine A. Heckman, Lucas E. Nave, Michael J. Cramer, Marie Faust, Peter Weishampel, Caleb Slemmons, Christian G. Andresen, Edward Ayres, Stacy Cotey, Kathryn M. Docherty, Joshua Hatzis, Kathryn Hofmeister, Jalene M. Lamontagne, John Lenters, Noah R. Lottig, Amy Marcarelli, Jessica Miesel, Jason Riddle, Meghan Salmon-Tumas, Mike D. Sanclements, Subash Sapkota, Mark D. Schwartz, Puja Sharma, Ojaswee Shrestha, Geoffrey Vincent, Angela Waupochick, Ting Zheng, Ye Zhiwei Apr 2024

Fostering Effective And Sustainable Scientific Collaboration And Knowledge Exchange: A Workshop-Based Approach To Establish A National Ecological Observatory Network (Neon) Domain-Specific User Group, Alison Donnelly, Ankur R. Desai, Katherine A. Heckman, Lucas E. Nave, Michael J. Cramer, Marie Faust, Peter Weishampel, Caleb Slemmons, Christian G. Andresen, Edward Ayres, Stacy Cotey, Kathryn M. Docherty, Joshua Hatzis, Kathryn Hofmeister, Jalene M. Lamontagne, John Lenters, Noah R. Lottig, Amy Marcarelli, Jessica Miesel, Jason Riddle, Meghan Salmon-Tumas, Mike D. Sanclements, Subash Sapkota, Mark D. Schwartz, Puja Sharma, Ojaswee Shrestha, Geoffrey Vincent, Angela Waupochick, Ting Zheng, Ye Zhiwei

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

The decision to establish a network of researchers centers on identifying shared research goals. Ecologically specific regions, such as the USA’s National Ecological Observatory Network’s (NEON’s) eco-climatic domains, are ideal locations by which to assemble researchers with a diverse range of expertise but focused on the same set of ecological challenges. The recently established Great Lakes User Group (GLUG) is NEON’s first domain specific ensemble of researchers, whose goal is to address scientific and technical issues specific to the Great Lakes Domain 5 (D05) by using NEON data to enable advancement of ecosystem science. Here, we report on GLUG’s kick …


Roles Of Bryophytes In Forest Sustainability—Positive Or Negative?, Janice M. Glime Mar 2024

Roles Of Bryophytes In Forest Sustainability—Positive Or Negative?, Janice M. Glime

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Bryophytes were traditionally ignored in most studies of forest ecosystem processes, or they were included with litter or soil. In the last few decades we have begun to understand their many roles that permit them to be ecosystem engineers. This review serves to pull together many scattered sources into a single source on the many contributions bryophytes can perform as ecosystem engineers and to support what several authors have already stressed: that bryophytes should not be treated as a single functional group. It puts bryophytes in perspective in terms of richness and biomass, then explores their roles as ecosystem engineers; …


Valorization Of Spent Vetiver Roots For Biochar Generation, Sameer Neve, Dibyendu Sarkar, Manas Warke, Teresa Bandosz, Rupali Datta Jan 2024

Valorization Of Spent Vetiver Roots For Biochar Generation, Sameer Neve, Dibyendu Sarkar, Manas Warke, Teresa Bandosz, Rupali Datta

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Vetiver root is widely used to produce essential oils in the aromatherapy industry. After the extraction of oil, the roots are disposed of as waste. The central objective of this research was to explore the conversion of this waste into a resource using a circular economy framework. To generate biochar, vetiver roots were pyrolyzed at different temperatures (300, 500, and 700 °C) and residence times (30, 60, and 120 min). Analysis showed the root biochar generated at 500 °C and held for 60 min had the highest surface area of 308.15 m2/g and a yield of 53.76%, in addition to …


Lead In Paint-Contaminated Residential Soils With Varying Physicochemical Properties From Three Large Us Cities: Assessment Of Geochemical Forms And Recommendations On Amendments For Immobilization, Hadeer Saleh, Dibyendu Sarkar, Washington Braida, Steve Larson, Rupali Datta Dec 2023

Lead In Paint-Contaminated Residential Soils With Varying Physicochemical Properties From Three Large Us Cities: Assessment Of Geochemical Forms And Recommendations On Amendments For Immobilization, Hadeer Saleh, Dibyendu Sarkar, Washington Braida, Steve Larson, Rupali Datta

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Lead in yard soils has been recognized as the principal source of excess lead absorption among young children. The hazard imposed by soil lead is dependent on the geochemical forms of lead in soils. Soil properties such as pH, soil organic matter, clay, and carbonate content influence the geochemical forms of lead in soil. This study was conducted to investigate the correlation between soil properties and the geochemical speciation of lead in lead paint-contaminated residential soils from three major US cities. A comprehensive field survey was conducted, involving the collection of soils from ten houses in each of the cities: …


Monitoring Time Domain Characteristics Of Parkinson's Disease Using 3d Memristive Neuromorphic System, Md Abu Bakr Siddique, Yan Zhang, Hongyu An Dec 2023

Monitoring Time Domain Characteristics Of Parkinson's Disease Using 3d Memristive Neuromorphic System, Md Abu Bakr Siddique, Yan Zhang, Hongyu An

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of patients. Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation (CL-DBS) is a therapy that can alleviate the symptoms of PD. The CL-DBS system consists of an electrode sending electrical stimulation signals to a specific region of the brain and a battery-powered stimulator implanted in the chest. The electrical stimuli in CL-DBS systems need to be adjusted in real-time in accordance with the state of PD symptoms. Therefore, fast and precise monitoring of PD symptoms is a critical function for CL-DBS systems. However, the current CL-DBS techniques suffer from high computational demands for real-time …


Snail Races: An Inquiry-Based Approach To Learn Invasive Species Ecology, Emma Grindle, Heather E. Bergan-Roller, Ashton Johnson, Grace Lunaburg, Jennifer A.H. Koop Dec 2023

Snail Races: An Inquiry-Based Approach To Learn Invasive Species Ecology, Emma Grindle, Heather E. Bergan-Roller, Ashton Johnson, Grace Lunaburg, Jennifer A.H. Koop

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Inquiry-based lessons allow learning that is hands-on and student-driven, fostering engagement and retention of knowledge in any discipline. Here, we use this learning framework to engage students in exploring the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on animal dispersal as a means of connecting students to multiple ecological concepts. Instructors are provided with a guided lecture on key ecological concepts including the impacts of invasive species, dispersal mechanisms, and species interactions with the environment. Furthermore, the interactive lecture introduces students to the snail study system and explains the experimental process, which involves low-cost, readily available materials (e.g., kiddie pools). Students …


Coexistence Of Specialist And Generalist Species Within Mixed Plastic Derivative-Utilizing Microbial Communities, Laura G. Schaerer, Lindsay I. Putman, Isaac Bigcraft, Emma Byrne, Daniel G. Kulas, Ali Zolghadr, Sulihat Aloba, Rebecca Ong, David Shonnard, Stephen Techtmann Oct 2023

Coexistence Of Specialist And Generalist Species Within Mixed Plastic Derivative-Utilizing Microbial Communities, Laura G. Schaerer, Lindsay I. Putman, Isaac Bigcraft, Emma Byrne, Daniel G. Kulas, Ali Zolghadr, Sulihat Aloba, Rebecca Ong, David Shonnard, Stephen Techtmann

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

BACKGROUND Plastic-degrading microbial isolates offer great potential to degrade, transform, and upcycle plastic waste. Tandem chemical and biological processing of plastic wastes has been shown to substantially increase the rates of plastic degradation however, the focus of this work has been almost entirely on microbial isolates (either bioengineered or naturally occurring). We propose that a microbial community has even greater potential for plastic upcycling. A microbial community has greater metabolic diversity to process mixed plastic waste streams and has built-in functional redundancy for optimal resilience. RESULTS Here, we used two plastic-derivative degrading communities as a model system to investigate the …


Quantification Of Amu River Riverbank Erosion In Balkh Province Of Afghanistan During 2004–2020, Abdul Basir Mahmoodzada, Divyesh Varade, Sawahiko Shimada, Hiromu Okazawa, Shafiqullah Aryan, Gulbuddin Gulab, Abd El Zaher M.A. Mustafa, Humaira Rizwana, Yogesh Ahlawat, Hosam O. Elansary Oct 2023

Quantification Of Amu River Riverbank Erosion In Balkh Province Of Afghanistan During 2004–2020, Abdul Basir Mahmoodzada, Divyesh Varade, Sawahiko Shimada, Hiromu Okazawa, Shafiqullah Aryan, Gulbuddin Gulab, Abd El Zaher M.A. Mustafa, Humaira Rizwana, Yogesh Ahlawat, Hosam O. Elansary

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

In this study, we propose quantifying the Amu River riverbank erosion with the modelled river discharge in Kaldar District, Balkh Province of Afghanistan from 2004 to 2020. We propose a framework synergizing multi-source information for modelling the erosion area based on three components: (1) river discharge, (2) river width, and (3) erosion area. The total river discharge for the watershed shared by Afghanistan and Tajikistan was modelled using hydrological parameters from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Reanalysis v5 (ERA5) data through multivariate linear regression with ground station data. The river width was determined manually using the Normalized …


A High-Efficiency Gene Silencing In Plants Using Two-Hit Asymmetrical Artificial Micrornas, Sachin Teotia, Xiaoran Wang, Na Zhou, Mengmeng Wang, Haiping Liu, Jun Qin, Dianwei Han, Chingwen Li, Christine E. Li, Shangjin Pan, Haifeng Tang, Wenjun Kang, Zhanhui Zhang, Xiaoqing Tang, Ting Peng, Guiliang Tang Sep 2023

A High-Efficiency Gene Silencing In Plants Using Two-Hit Asymmetrical Artificial Micrornas, Sachin Teotia, Xiaoran Wang, Na Zhou, Mengmeng Wang, Haiping Liu, Jun Qin, Dianwei Han, Chingwen Li, Christine E. Li, Shangjin Pan, Haifeng Tang, Wenjun Kang, Zhanhui Zhang, Xiaoqing Tang, Ting Peng, Guiliang Tang

Michigan Tech Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. They are produced through an enzyme-guided process called dicing and have an asymmetrical structure with two nucleotide overhangs at the 3' ends. Artificial microRNAs (amiRNAs or amiRs) are designed to mimic the structure of miRNAs and can be used to silence specific genes of interest. Traditionally, amiRNAs are designed based on an endogenous miRNA precursor with certain mismatches at specific positions to increase their efficiency. In this study, the authors modified the highly expressed miR168a in Arabidopsis thaliana by replacing the single miR168 stem-loop / …


Coastal Environments: Mine Discharges And Infringements On Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, Charles Kerfoot, Gary Swain, Luis M. Verissimo, Erin Johnston, Carol Maclennan, Daniel Schneider, Noel Urban Jul 2023

Coastal Environments: Mine Discharges And Infringements On Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, Charles Kerfoot, Gary Swain, Luis M. Verissimo, Erin Johnston, Carol Maclennan, Daniel Schneider, Noel Urban

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Over a century ago, copper mills on the Keweenaw Peninsula of Lake Superior sluiced 64 million metric tonnes (MMT) of tailings into coastal waters, creating a metal-rich “halo”. Here we show that relatively small discharges can spread widely in time and space. Mass Mill (2.9 MMT) dumping into Lake Superior also illustrates the complexity of interactions with Indigenous Peoples. A combination of aerial photos, LiDAR, and a microscope technique for distinguishing end-member particles traces the migration of tailings. The clay fraction spread rapidly across Keweenaw Bay and curled into terminal L’Anse Bay, within tribal Reservation boundaries. The coarse stamp sand …


Putrescine Mitigates High Temperature Effects By Modulating Morpho-Physiological And Biochemical Attributes In Brassica Juncea Seedlings, Parul Sharma, Nita Lakra, Yogesh Ahlawat, Abbu Zaid, Ahmed M. Abd-Elgawad, Hosam O. Elansary, Anita Gupta Jul 2023

Putrescine Mitigates High Temperature Effects By Modulating Morpho-Physiological And Biochemical Attributes In Brassica Juncea Seedlings, Parul Sharma, Nita Lakra, Yogesh Ahlawat, Abbu Zaid, Ahmed M. Abd-Elgawad, Hosam O. Elansary, Anita Gupta

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

A variety of environmental issues are affecting crops all across the world, but rising temperatures are posing the greatest threat. High temperature has been found to drastically inhibit seedling emergence and cause leaf necrosis at the seedling stage, which results in poor plant stand and significantly decreased yields. Polyamines (PAs) are positively charged, low-molecular-weight aliphatic nitrogenous bases present in all living organisms and are involved in various biological processes in plant growth and development, including senescence and response to different abiotic stresses. Putrescine (Put) functions as a master growth regulator that promotes optimal plant development and greater stress tolerance. Here, …


Impacts Of Microrna-483 On Human Diseases, Katy Matson, Aaron B. Macleod, Nirali Mehta, Ellie Sempek, Xiaoqing Tang Jun 2023

Impacts Of Microrna-483 On Human Diseases, Katy Matson, Aaron B. Macleod, Nirali Mehta, Ellie Sempek, Xiaoqing Tang

Michigan Tech Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by targeting specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in distinct cell types. This review provides a com-prehensive overview of the current understanding regarding the involvement of miR-483-5p and miR-483-3p in various physiological and pathological processes. Downregulation of miR-483-5p has been linked to numerous diseases, including type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, diabetic nephropathy, and neurological injury. Accumulating evidence indicates that miR-483-5p plays a crucial protective role in preserving cell function and viability by targeting specific transcripts. Notably, elevated levels of miR-483-5p in the bloodstream strongly correlate with metabolic risk factors and …


Deconstructed Plastic Substrate Preferences Of Microbial Populations From The Natural Environment, Lindsay I. Putman, Laura G. Schaerer, Ruochen Wu, Daniel G. Kulas, Ali Zolghadr, Rebecca Ong, David Shonnard, Stephen Techtmann Jun 2023

Deconstructed Plastic Substrate Preferences Of Microbial Populations From The Natural Environment, Lindsay I. Putman, Laura G. Schaerer, Ruochen Wu, Daniel G. Kulas, Ali Zolghadr, Rebecca Ong, David Shonnard, Stephen Techtmann

Michigan Tech Publications

Over half of the world's plastic waste is landfilled, where it is estimated to take hundreds of years to degrade. Given the continued use and disposal of plastic products, it is vital that we develop fast and effective ways to utilize plastic waste. Here, we explore the potential of tandem chemical and biological processing to process various plastics quickly and effectively. Four samples of compost or sediment were used to set up enrichment cultures grown on mixtures of compounds, including disodium terephthalate and terephthalic acid (monomers of polyethylene terephthalate), compounds derived from the chemical deconstruction of polycarbonate, and pyrolysis oil …


The G-Signaling Protein Rcp Controls The Polarized Basement Membrane Deposition In Epithelial Cells, Rebecca M. Brnot May 2023

The G-Signaling Protein Rcp Controls The Polarized Basement Membrane Deposition In Epithelial Cells, Rebecca M. Brnot

Honors Capstones

Epithelial tissues are the most common type of tissue in the human body, forming the outer layer of the skin and most organs. They are composed of epithelial cells and rely heavily on their cellular architecture, which is organized by an apical-basal polarity, for their function. One critical component for the establishment and maintenance of the epithelial cell architecture is the proper placement of the basement membrane. The basement membrane is a specialized sheet within the extracellular matrix that lines the basal side of epithelial cells, and there is a biological pathway that is responsible for the proper placement of …


An In-Depth Study Of Border Cell Migration Within Drosophila Melanogaster, Leif R. Verace May 2023

An In-Depth Study Of Border Cell Migration Within Drosophila Melanogaster, Leif R. Verace

Honors Capstones

Cell migration plays a key role in many biological processes including embryonic development, tissue morphogenesis, and the metastasis of cancer cells; thus, understanding how this behavior works is highly important. To study cell migration, we use the process of border cell (BC) migration in Drosophila melanogaster, which sees a cluster of cells migrate through a multicellular structure known as the egg chamber found in the Drosophila ovary. Here, I will describe my results in studying the role of a particular kinesin-like gene, CG14535, in BC migration. Through analysis of a mutant for this gene (labelled KC53), RNAi …


Editorial: Gulf Of Mexico Estuaries: Ecology Of The Nearshore And Coastal Ecosystems Impacted By The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Charles W. Martin, Paola C. López-Duarte, Jill A. Olin, Brian J. Roberts May 2023

Editorial: Gulf Of Mexico Estuaries: Ecology Of The Nearshore And Coastal Ecosystems Impacted By The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Charles W. Martin, Paola C. López-Duarte, Jill A. Olin, Brian J. Roberts

Michigan Tech Publications

No abstract provided.


Chemically Catalyzed Phytoextraction For Sustainable Cleanup Of Soil Lead Contamination In A Community Garden In Jersey City, New Jersey, Zhiming Zhang, Dibyendu Sarkar, Frances Levy, Rupali Datta May 2023

Chemically Catalyzed Phytoextraction For Sustainable Cleanup Of Soil Lead Contamination In A Community Garden In Jersey City, New Jersey, Zhiming Zhang, Dibyendu Sarkar, Frances Levy, Rupali Datta

Michigan Tech Publications

Soil lead (Pb) contamination in Pb paint-contaminated homes is a serious health risk in urban areas. Phytoextraction is a green and sustainable technology for soil Pb remediation, but its efficiency depends on the geochemical partitioning of Pb in soil. Following successful laboratory, greenhouse, and panel experiments, a field study was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of a chemically catalyzed phytoextraction model for Pb removal. A biodegradable chelating agent, ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) was applied during Pb phytoextraction by vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) in a Pb-contaminated community garden in Jersey City, New Jersey. Results showed that soil Pb concentration was reduced from …


Mechanical Properties And Morphological Alterations In Fiber-Based Scaffolds Affecting Tissue Engineering Outcomes, James Dolgin, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Stephen Farias, Carl G. Simon, Smitha Rao Apr 2023

Mechanical Properties And Morphological Alterations In Fiber-Based Scaffolds Affecting Tissue Engineering Outcomes, James Dolgin, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Stephen Farias, Carl G. Simon, Smitha Rao

Michigan Tech Publications

Electrospinning is a versatile tool used to produce highly customizable nonwoven nanofiber mats of various fiber diameters, pore sizes, and alignment. It is possible to create electrospun mats from synthetic polymers, biobased polymers, and combinations thereof. The post-processing of the end products can occur in many ways, such as cross-linking, enzyme linking, and thermal curing, to achieve enhanced chemical and physical properties. Such multi-factor tunability is very promising in applications such as tissue engineering, 3D organs/organoids, and cell differentiation. While the established methods involve the use of soluble small molecules, growth factors, stereolithography, and micro-patterning, electrospinning involves an inexpensive, labor …


The Impact Of Study Strategies On Academic Performance For Medical Students At Wright State University, Markia Black Jan 2023

The Impact Of Study Strategies On Academic Performance For Medical Students At Wright State University, Markia Black

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Studying plays an important role in the academic success of medical students. It is likely that ineffective study skills result in poor performances on required standardized exams. There is a concern for the lack of empirical data related to what study strategies are the most productive for medical students to practice. My goal is to 1) identify what study strategies students use in their pre-clinical years of medical school, 2) determine if these strategies impact students’ performance on Comprehensive Basic Science Exams and Step 1 exam, and 3) identify study methods that best support student achievement in the pre-clinical phase …


To What Extent Do Non-Native Shrubs Support Higher Trophic Levels?, Ari Zakroff Jan 2023

To What Extent Do Non-Native Shrubs Support Higher Trophic Levels?, Ari Zakroff

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species threaten ecosystems and economies. Globally, biological invasions are estimated to have cost over $2.1 trillion since 1970. In Eastern North American woodlands, invasive plants are rapidly displacing natives. This is concerning, because invasive plants may not support the diverse and abundant arthropod communities essential to ecosystem function. Despite the conceptual understanding of invasive shrubs’ potential to transform forest communities, scant research has focused on the effect of invasive plants on higher trophic levels here in Ohio. To address this gap, I examined the diversity and abundance of arthropod communities, caterpillar performance, and caterpillar predation on two invasive shrubs, …


Tracking The Progression Of Defects At The Neuromuscular Junction In Huntington's Disease, Katherine A. Trittschuh Jan 2023

Tracking The Progression Of Defects At The Neuromuscular Junction In Huntington's Disease, Katherine A. Trittschuh

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a genetic disorder associated with progressive cognitive and motor decline. Recent studies in HD models suggest primary peripheral pathologies arise independent of changes in the central nervous system. Our lab found defects in skeletal muscle occurring early in the progression of disease in transgenic R6/2 HD mice, resulting in membrane hyperexcitability. Additionally, there is evidence of decreased quantal content in late-stage R6/2 mice. Here, we investigate pre-synaptic and post-synaptic function at single neuromuscular junctions (NMJ) to make direct comparisons of disease progression in the muscle membrane and motor nerve terminal. We hypothesize that muscle membrane defects …


Microplastics In Wetlands Of West Central Ohio : Concentration And Distribution, Mitchell Link Jan 2023

Microplastics In Wetlands Of West Central Ohio : Concentration And Distribution, Mitchell Link

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Wetlands provide many valuable ecosystem services; however, an emerging global contaminant—microplastic (< 5 mm)—may be degrading this important resource. Few studies have extensively surveyed microplastic distribution in wetlands over a broad spatial area. Therefore, the goal of this study is to identify where microplastics are accumulating in wetlands, and whether there is any correlation between microplastic concentration and wetland quality. Soil samples were collected from 30 wetlands in west–central Ohio. Samples were physically separated, density separated, and digested. Average microplastic concentrations were 637 ± 494 items per kg soil per wetland. Higher quality wetlands are accumulating larger concentrations of microplastics. This relationship seems to be driven by greater accumulation of microplastics in forested wetlands than in wetlands surrounded by agriculture. There is no clear distribution pattern of microplastics within wetlands. These results provide insight into the role that wetlands have in association with microplastic accumulation.