Research Methods in Life Sciences Commons^™

Positron Emission Tomography In Oncology And Environmental Science, Samantha Delaney

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The last half century has played witness to the onset of molecular imaging for the clinical assessment of physiological targets. While several medical imaging modalities allow for the visualization of the functional and anatomical properties of humans and living systems, few offer accurate quantitation and the ability to detect biochemical processes with low-administered drug mass doses. This limits how physicians and scientists may diagnose and treat medical issues, such as cancer, disease, and foreign agents.

A promising alternative to extant invasive procedures and suboptimal imaging modalities to assess the nature of a biological environment is the use of positron emission …

Techniques And Trials In Pteridophyte Conservation And Cultivation, Jessica Bartel

Senior Theses and Projects

With the progressive nature of climate change conditions globally over the past century, there has been increasing focus on conservation of all species, but particularly those already endangered. Over 12,000 species of ferns live on Earth, and they do not produce seeds, so an investigation into their spores and how they reach maturity will allow us to preserve more genetic material in the future for these species. As a result, we investigated ex situ conservation and survivability of in vitro cultured gametophytes of within the genus Dryopteridaceae through herbarium sample germination rates across samples representing a wide age range ( …

Dissecting The Tissue-Specific Contributions To Seizures, Cardiorespiratory Dysfunction, And Sudden Death In The Kv1.1 Mouse Model Of Epilepsy Using Conditional Knockout Approaches, Kelsey Paulhus

Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), the primary cause of mortality in epilepsy, remains poorly understood. Studies suggest seizures may trigger dangerous signals affecting the heart and lungs leading to collapse and death. The Kv1.1 deficiency mouse model mirrors clinical SUDEP cases, showing spontaneous seizures, cardiorespiratory issues, and premature death. However, this model lacks regional specificity in Kv1.1 deletion, hindering insights into SUDEP’s mechanisms and anatomical substrates.

This dissertation employs three distinct conditional knockout (cKO) techniques to investigate the individual roles for the forebrain, brainstem, and heart in SUDEP related phenotypes. The findings reveal that the forebrain alone can trigger …

Quantifying The Respiratory Plasticity Of Common Fishes Of The Indian River Lagoon, Logan Exton

Honors Theses

Increasing water temperatures resulting from global climate change introduce new energetic demands for marine organisms. Higher energy input will be required to cope with a subsequently higher metabolic rate, affecting all aspects of an individual’s life and therefore their survival. Because estuaries act as a link between rivers and oceans, they and their inhabitants are considered to be the most threatened by climate change. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how these organisms will respond to increased stressors due to climate change. Checkered pufferfish (Sphoeroides testudineus) are among the most common teleost fish in the Indian River Lagoon, …

Estimation Of Probability Of Habitat Use Of Roosevelt Elk On The Olympic Peninsula, Vincent Michael Gugliotti

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Estimating the probability of habitat use for a particular species is crucial to the direct management and conservation of that species. Without knowledge of habitat preferences, managers cannot effectively focus efforts on vital resources or landscape types. However, modelling probability of habitat use can be done in several ways which leaves room for variation and uncertainty in the estimates produced by each method. This study is an examination of the variation between two estimates of probability of habitat use while focusing on a particular subspecies of elk that inhabits a unique ecosystem relative to other elk subspecies. I modeled elk …

Tropical Fish Study In Tahiti, French Polynesia, Miranda Brainard, Caitlyn Swango, Paityn Houglan, Richard Londraville

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In May of 2023, I embarked on an exciting research journey to Moorea, French Polynesia, alongside fellow students and faculty members from the University of Akron and Syracuse University. This expedition was part of the university-sponsored Tropical Vertebrate Biology course, where we delved into the exploration of various tropical species inhabiting the island, including sea urchins, geckos, and my primary focus, the blackspotted rockskipper.

My research team, composed of my co-authors and me, was particularly intrigued by the unique refuge-seeking behavior displayed by blackspotted rockskippers. These amphibious fish are renowned for their remarkable ability to inhabit tide pools and rocky …

Dynamic Mathematical Approaches To Understanding Pain In Sickle Cell Disease, Quindel Jones

Theses and Dissertations

In the last 50 years, pain in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) has become more widely studied thanks to advancements in technology and awareness. Clinical studies, population surveys, pharmaceutical trials, and computational models have been created and conducted to elucidate the mechanisms, treatments, and prediction of Sickle Cell disease pain episodes. Computational models have become quite useful in unraveling disease pathology with the rise in data collection accessibility and advanced computational power. In particular, dynamic mathematical models have been used to investigate Sickle Cell disease pathology and treatment. In this work we conduct a literature review of mathematical models used in …

Eliciting The Effect Free Roaming Ads Have On Native Hawaiian Wildlife, Erin Salano

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

This study measured the concentration of the stable isotopes Carbon and Nitrogen within the tissues of free-roaming and indoor cats on the Hawai’ian islands. This study aimed to determine whether cats are consuming more human provisioned or wild food sources and whether their diet is having a negative impact on endemic species; with a focus on assessing impacts on conserved bird populations. We hypothesized that human provisioned food sources have higher levels of carbon due to the amount of corn fillers within them, while wild food sources are more Nitrogen rich. We found that indoor and feral cats sampled from …

Distribution Of Tick Species On Free-Ranging Ungulates In Northern New England, Karisa Graham

Honors Theses and Capstones

In Northern New England, ungulates are often parasitized by ticks, which is one of the leading causes for the decline in population. Ungulates are a good host for ticks, specifically deer ticks and winter ticks, and these ticks cause many tick-borne diseases in humans as well. The purpose of this study was to assess passive sampling from harvested animals as a means of tick surveillance in Vermont and New Hampshire. Ticks were collected from deer and moose and mapped throughout the two states by ArcGIS to visualize the trends in distribution. Relative abundance was greater in southeastern Vermont, with no …

Puberty-Associated Changes In Kiss1r, Mc3r, And Mc4r In The Ewe, Ashleigh Caitlyn Thomson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The neural mechanisms that control the onset of puberty are not completely understood. In livestock, the onset of puberty relies on an increase in gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Kisspeptin, neurokinin B, and dynorphin neurons (KNDy) and their receptors, Kiss1r, NK3R, and KOR, respectively, are important regulators of puberty. Previous data from our laboratory has shown that KNDy neurons may be responding to other inputs, including the melanocortin system, that will affect the timing of puberty. Given this, we examined kisspeptin receptor (Kiss1r) mRNA expression in GnRH neurons as well as examining melanocortin 3 and 4 receptor …