Effects Of Roadways On Seasonal Movement Strategies And Mate Location Success In An Imperiled Pit Viper (Crotalus Horridus), 2024 Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, GA 31061
Effects Of Roadways On Seasonal Movement Strategies And Mate Location Success In An Imperiled Pit Viper (Crotalus Horridus), Elizabeth J. Noble
Graduate Research Showcase
A detailed understanding of animal movement behavior is fundamental to effective conservation and management. Within populations, a diversity of movement strategies can be displayed in search of critical resources, and these strategies are influenced by multiple interacting factors related to individuals and the environment. Mating partners are one critical resource that often serves as a prominent selective force shaping movement during mating seasons. For many large-bodied snakes, such as pit vipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae), male mate- searching movements are the primary determinant of mate location success. During this time, males incur significant risks associated with elevated movement. In an increasingly human- …
Oil Identification Of Harp Seal And Other Select Marine Mammals, 2024 US Forest Service International Programs Wood Identification and Screening Center, Ashland
Oil Identification Of Harp Seal And Other Select Marine Mammals, Meghan Pinedo, Deborah A. Duffield, Dalin N. D’Alessandro, Erin R. Price, Edgard O. Espinoza
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Because of the rich omega-3 fatty acids content, harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) oil is a popular supplement that is packaged as pills in Canada and sold for medicinal purposes, although this practice is banned in the United States. Due to US regulations, it is important to be able to distinguish between fish oil and seal oil, but the taxonomic determination of oils provenance has been a difficult problem to solve. In this study, Direct Analysis in Real Time time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DART TOFMS) was used to analyze the chemotypes of blubber samples collected from seven species of …
Utilizing Biomimicry To Design Sustainable Architecture, 2024 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Utilizing Biomimicry To Design Sustainable Architecture, Virginia Hammond
Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses
Nature has an integral relationship with architecture and serves as a sustainable role model and inspiration for designers. The process of biomimicry in architecture has the potential to produce more sustainable design solutions and foster a connection between humans and nature. Existing biomimetic design projects have varying strengths and weaknesses as examples of the process. Utilizing guidelines and references from key leaders in biomimetic design consultancy (Biomimicry 3.8), selected case studies are assessed for their ability to demonstrate the benefits of this design strategy. Using these evaluations, the case studies are diagrammed and critiqued to determine how new projects could …
Unravelling The Genetic Basis Of Schizophrenia, 2024 Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland; Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States;
Unravelling The Genetic Basis Of Schizophrenia, Clara Casey, John F. Fullard, Roy D. Sleator
Department of Biological Sciences Publications
Neuronal development is a highly regulated mechanism that is central to organismal function in animals. In humans, disruptions to this process can lead to a range of neurodevelopmental phenotypes, including Schizophrenia (SCZ). SCZ has a significant genetic component, whereby an individual with an SCZ affected family member is eight times more likely to develop the disease than someone with no family history of SCZ. By examining a combination of genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic datasets, large-scale ‘omics’ studies aim to delineate the relationship between genetic variation and abnormal cellular activity in the SCZ brain. Herein, we provide a brief overview of …
Hgs-3 The Influence Of A Tandem Cycling Program In The Community On Physical And Functional Health, Therapeutic Bonds, And Quality Of Life For Individuals And Care Partners Coping With Parkinson’S Disease, 2024 university of south carolina school of medicine greenville
Hgs-3 The Influence Of A Tandem Cycling Program In The Community On Physical And Functional Health, Therapeutic Bonds, And Quality Of Life For Individuals And Care Partners Coping With Parkinson’S Disease, Leila Djerdjour, Jennifer L. Trilk
SC Upstate Research Symposium
Purpose Statement: Several studies have shown that aerobic exercise can have a positive impact on alleviating symptoms experienced by individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite this evidence, the potential benefits of exercise for both PD patients and their care partners (PD dyad) remain unexplored. This research project investigates the effectiveness, therapeutic collaborations, and physical outcomes of a virtual reality (VR) tandem cycling program specifically designed for PD dyads.
Methods: Following approval from the Prisma Health Institutional Review Board, individuals with PD were identified and screened by clinical neurologists. The pre-testing measures for PD dyads (N=9) included emotional and cognitive status …
Bec-1 Survey Of Parasites In Ictalurus Punctatus (Channel Catfish) Of The Savannah River Basin At Little River In Mccormick, South Carolina, 2024 Lander University
Bec-1 Survey Of Parasites In Ictalurus Punctatus (Channel Catfish) Of The Savannah River Basin At Little River In Mccormick, South Carolina, Savannah Cade, Jason Lee
SC Upstate Research Symposium
Ictalurus punctatus, more commonly known as the Channel Catfish, is common throughout the Savannah River Basin. Fifteen specimens were captured by hook and line from the Little River in McCormick County, South Carolina. The gills and viscera were examined for metazoan parasites and prevalence and mean intensity were computed. The monogenean Ligictaluridus pricei and the copepod Ergasilus arthrosis were recovered from the gills. Two digenetic trematodes (Megalonia ictaluri and Alloglossidium corti), one tapeworm (Corallobothrium fimbriatum), two nematodes (Camallanus oxycephalus and Spinitectus carolini) and one acanthocephalan (Neoechinorhynchus cylindratus) were recovered from the …
Bioaerosol Size As A Potential Determinant Of Airborne E. Coli Viability Under Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation And Ozone Disinfection, 2024 Missouri University of Science and Technology
Bioaerosol Size As A Potential Determinant Of Airborne E. Coli Viability Under Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation And Ozone Disinfection, Weixing Hao, Yue-Wern Huang, Yang Wang
Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works
Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) and ozone disinfection are crucial methods for mitigating the airborne transmission of pathogenic microorganisms in high-risk settings, particularly with the emergence of respiratory viral pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and avian influenza viruses. This study quantitatively investigates the influence of UVGI and ozone on the viability of E. coli in bioaerosols, with a particular focus on how E. coli viability depends on the size of the bioaerosols, a critical factor that determines deposition patterns within the human respiratory system and the evolution of bioaerosols in indoor environments. This study used a controlled small-scale laboratory chamber where E. …
Quantifying Costs And Benefits Of Alternative Overwintering Strategies In A Southeastern Population Of Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus), 2024 Georgia College & State University
Quantifying Costs And Benefits Of Alternative Overwintering Strategies In A Southeastern Population Of Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus), John Powers, Amber Stubbs, Alfred J. Mead, Dominic L. Desantis
Graduate Research Showcase
Temperate reptile populations are under strong selective pressure to minimize the costs of extreme winter temperatures. For high latitude and high elevation snake populations, this has often favored communal overwintering behavior, wherein large numbers of conspecifics aggregate at optimal sites given the limited availability of such features in the environment. Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) are distributed across a wide latitudinal gradient in North America, and therefore represent ideal models for exploring how variable winter selective regimes might favor different strategies. Here, we leverage a unique intermediate population of C. horridus from central Georgia, USA, that exhibits both communal …
How To Spark Bio Curiosity: An Innovative High School Biology Curriculum, 2024 Georgia College
How To Spark Bio Curiosity: An Innovative High School Biology Curriculum, Audrie Charles
Graduate Research Showcase
This project is a researched creative endeavor focused around the creation of an exemplary high school biology course. This presentation will showcase an original high school biology curriculum designed to ignite students’ innate curiosity and empower meaningful learning of core concepts like cell structure, genetics, evolution and ecology. Students revisit key ideas through a spiral curriculum that builds complexity, tackling open-ended problems and collaborating on hands-on inquiries like formulating hypotheses, designing experiments, collecting data and drawing evidence-based conclusions. Tangible projects allow students to demonstrate content knowledge in addition to critical thinking abilities like synthesizing concepts, evaluating claims and applying learning …
Effectiveness Of Frog Skin Secretions Against Uv-B Radiation, 2024 Pepperdine University
Effectiveness Of Frog Skin Secretions Against Uv-B Radiation, Connor Mcgaha, Kinkade Mcmurray, Lee B. Kats
Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium
As an increasing number of their species face possible extinction, amphibian populations have been steadily declining over the past decades (IUCN). While various factors have been suggested or proven to be partially responsible for this reduction, increased ultraviolet B radiation (UVBR) appears to be one of the more prominent explanations, especially when considering the continual thinning of the Earth’s ozone layer due to anthropogenic climate change. However, it has also been discovered that skin secretions, which are reported to function as a component of amphibians’ innate immune systems, may have an effect on UVBR (Cramp and Franklin). With this in …
Trip13’S Crucial Role In Pancreatic Cancer Progression, 2024 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Trip13’S Crucial Role In Pancreatic Cancer Progression, Swati Dhasmana, Anupam Dhasmana, Stella Rios, Iris A. Enriquez-Perez, Sheema Khan, Farrukh Afaq, Upender Manne, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash Chauhan
Research Symposium
Background: Pancreatic cancer, characterized by its high mortality rate, stands as one of the most aggressive cancer forms. The projected surge in pancreatic cancer-related deaths, making it the second leading cause in the United States by 2030, underscores the urgency for effective early screening tools. This study employs data mining methods to scrutinize bioinformatic data surrounding TRIP13. Examining differential expression across various cancers, correlating TRIP13 expression with pancreatic cancer stages, exploring associations with common cancer genes, and analyzing overall survival rates constitute the core investigations. Integrated with molecular biology techniques, the study further quantifies TRIP13 expression in progressive pancreatic cancer …
Ongoing Study Of The Association Of Apoe Gene Polymorphisms With Cognitive Impairment In The Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Population, 2024 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Ongoing Study Of The Association Of Apoe Gene Polymorphisms With Cognitive Impairment In The Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Population, Jaime Miguel L. Saveron, Daniela Gamez, Chun Xu
Research Symposium
Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD), a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, exhibits a significant genetic component. In addition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a key risk factor for AD. While certain demographic factors and genetic variants associated with AD and cognitive impairment have been identified in non-Hispanic populations, limited research exists on this subject within the Hispanic population, particularly in the Rio Grande Valley. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the APOE gene, specifically its ε4 allele, and cognitive impairment in the Hispanic population of the Rio Grande Valley.
Methods: A total of 269 Hispanic subjects, aged 60 and above, with …
A Tick's Quest: The Effects Of Climatic Stress On Host-Seeking Behavior Of Wild Ticks, 2024 Pepperdine University
A Tick's Quest: The Effects Of Climatic Stress On Host-Seeking Behavior Of Wild Ticks, Lawson Trimmell, Peter Briggs, Javier Monzón
Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium
The Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) is one of the most epidemiologically relevant tick species in the United States and is experiencing a range expansion. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of climatic stress on the behavior and physiology of the Lone Star Tick at the expansion front. We hypothesized that there are differences in survivorship, questing (host-seeking) behavior, and dehydration tolerance based on sex or geographic origin. We also predicted that ticks increase their host-seeking behavior as they approach death due to dehydration stress. We collected adult ticks from six sites across Oklahoma and New York/New Jersey. We …
Deep Learning Can Be Used To Classify And Segment Plant Cell Types In Xylem Tissue, 2024 Pepperdine University
Deep Learning Can Be Used To Classify And Segment Plant Cell Types In Xylem Tissue, Reem Al Dabagh, Benjamin Shin, Sean Wu, Fabien Scalzo, Helen Holmlund, Jessica Lee, Chris Ghim, Samuel Fitzgerald, Marinna Grijalva
Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium
Studies of plant anatomical traits are essential for understanding plant physiological adaptations to stressful environments. For example, shrubs in the chaparral ecosystem of southern California have adapted various xylem anatomical traits that help them survive drought and freezing. Previous studies have shown that xylem conduits with a narrow diameter allows certain chaparral shrub species to survive temperatures as low as -12 C. Other studies have shown that increased cell wall thickness of fibers surrounding xylem vessels improves resistance to water stress-induced embolism formation. Historically, these studies on xylem anatomical traits have relied on hand measurements of cells in light micrographs, …
Whole Genome Sequencing Of The Whipple Azalea Garden, 2024 Taylor University
Whole Genome Sequencing Of The Whipple Azalea Garden, Afia Asamoah, Elizabeth Toth, Amy Vasudevan, Sarah Justice, Elizabeth D. Hasenmyer
Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars
Taylor University houses a large collection of North American azaleas. Deciduous azalea species, like those found on campus, are vastly understudied. This project aims to provide publicly available genomic data which will be used to study the genetic basis behind their physical characteristics and their relatedness to other species.
Exploring Xenophagy: How Colon Epithelial Cells Combat Intracellular Bacterial Threats, 2024 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Exploring Xenophagy: How Colon Epithelial Cells Combat Intracellular Bacterial Threats, Dikshanta V. Luitel, Anyssa Rodriguez, Sasmita Sahoo, Veerachandra K. Yemmireddy, Robert K. Dearth, Nirakar Vinaya Sahoo
Research Symposium
Background: The immune system utilizes macrophages and other specialized cells to counteract invading pathogens; however, the mechanisms of defense utilized by non-immune cells remain a subject of interest for research. The gastrointestinal tract, specifically the colon, is a location where host cells and pathogenic microorganisms interact frequently.
Methods: This study uses Listeria innocua, as a model system to investigate how colon epithelial cells fight these invading bacteria, specifically focusing on xenophagy as a potential protective mechanism. By using immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy and western blotting, we assessed the potential impact of L. innocua invasion on colon epithelial cells.
Results: Our …
Novel Microbiological Medium Developed For The Isolation Of Bacteria Associated With Estuarine Anemones, 2024 California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
Novel Microbiological Medium Developed For The Isolation Of Bacteria Associated With Estuarine Anemones, Parker K. Lund
IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt
Out of the nearly one trillion species of microbiota estimated to inhabit Earth only ten thousand have been cultured in the laboratory. Culturing continues to play a vital role in determining the physiology and ecologic function of individual bacteria in microbial communities and for microbes associated with host organisms one of the major challenges is developing microbiological media that mimics the bacteria’s natural environment enough to promote growth. Here, we target bacteria associated with the estuary anemones Diadumene lineata and Metridium senile by developing a novel medium that uses anemone tissue as the sole source of nutrients. We further measured …
Analysis Of Botulinum Toxin A And Interacting Proteins In Skeletal Muscle Cells: An Investigation Into The Mechanisms Of Botulinum Toxin A As A Treatment For Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome, 2024 Olivet Nazarene University
Analysis Of Botulinum Toxin A And Interacting Proteins In Skeletal Muscle Cells: An Investigation Into The Mechanisms Of Botulinum Toxin A As A Treatment For Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome, Lauren R. Kee
ELAIA
Background Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) is a condition in which muscle tissue expands against the surrounding fascia during activity and is compressed along with the nerves and blood vessels within the muscle compartment, leading to abnormally high intracompartmental pressure (ICP) and debilitating pain. Treatment typically includes fasciotomy, which results in significant levels of CECS recurrence; however, botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) injection has recently been seen to decrease both ICP and pain through an unknown mechanism with little to no recurrence. Methods In this study, PyRosetta was used to model the probability of docking interaction between BoNT-A light or heavy …
How To Identify Various Sparrow Species, 2024 Providence College
How To Identify Various Sparrow Species, Aidan Castricone '24, Alexis Larsen '24, Emma Barry '25
Biology Student Scholarship
A helpful infographic on how to differentiate between four little brown birds: the house sparrow, the song sparrow, the white-throated sparrow, and the swamp sparrow. Animal behavior (BIO 350/350L) final project
Mallards And Their Interesting Facts, 2024 Providence College
Mallards And Their Interesting Facts, Caitlin Mchugh '24, Jessica Slaton '24
Biology Student Scholarship
A guide on how to differentiate between male and female mallards, where to find these ducks, and their common behaviors. Animal behavior (BIO 350/350L) final project