Digital Commons Network^™

The Sandy Bay West End Marine Reserve: Hawksbill Inhabitance And Reserve Suitability, Marsha Wright

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtle has been classified as critically endangered. Reductions in populations call for protective strategies, one being the implementation of protected areas. However, as a highly migratory species, preservation and restoration is difficult, as protection is required in nesting, foraging, and breeding regions. To establish adequate protected areas to aid hawksbill survival, a clear understanding of movement patterns between protected and unprotected regions is required. A foraging aggregation of juvenile hawksbills resides off the coast of Roatán, Honduras within the Sandy Bay West End Marine Reserve. The reserve is a protected area, but also spans the …

Investigating The Effects Of Temperature On Lesser Celandine, Regina Bellian

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

This paper explores invasive species Ficaria verna (Lesser celandine) and the effects of temperature on its growth. Trials were completed with two treatments, 13OC cold temperature and 20OC ambient temperature. Germinated bulbils of Lesser celandine were planted on February 15, 2017 and placed in their respective growing chambers. The plants were watered weekly and monitored for growth until harvest on March 29, 2017. Upon harvest, the plants’ height, largest leaf diameter and biomass were measured after extraction from soil and the removal of the leftover soil debris. Average height was found to be 11.66cm for the cold treatment and 5.14cm …

Genetic Intelligence: Myth Busted, Carissa Brand

Academic Symposium of Undergraduate Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Immune System Detection Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Persister Cells, Grace Elizabeth Himmler

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Persister cells are a subpopulation of bacterial cells known to be tolerant to antimicrobials. Their reduced susceptibility to antimicrobials allows them to be the source of recurrence of many chronic bacterial infections. As a result, it is vital to understand the mechanisms that allow these cells to be able to evade further treatment. Furthermore, it is currently unknown whether the persister cells are detected and killed by the host immune response. In this work I explored the host-pathogen interactions between Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells, both persister and regular, and human macrophages. I hypothesized that persister cells would be engulfed at a …

Investigating The Effects Of Sea-Level Rise And Increasing Salinity On Procambarus Lunzi Of Sapelo Island, Georgia, Samuel Long

Biology Theses

Barrier islands have great ecological and economical importance and face a threat from increasing sea-level due to climate change. Erosion of existing freshwater lens and ocean inundation could greatly change freshwater availability on the island. This could have significant impacts on freshwater crayfish like Procambarus lunzi, which are complexly intertwined into the trophic food web of the island. This study’s goal was to investigate the salinity tolerance of this crayfish on Sapelo Island, Georgia, in an attempt to predict the possible effects and response to sea-level rise by this crayfish. Crayfish were wild-caught from the island in March, June, and …

Determining Age-Related Visual Memory And Line Length Perception In Children And Adults, Katie Exline

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

There is little research in the field of visual memory and perceptual abilities of children as compared to adults. This thesis seeks to understand and provide new perspectives to this field with potential implications in the fields of optometry and education. Through two basic experiments, this thesis evaluates the abilities of individuals to perceive a visual stimulus and compare it other visual stimuli, while also observing their abilities to learn and remember various visual stimuli. Through experimentation using line length as the visual stimulus, the method of constant stimuli (MCS) evaluates subjects’ visual perception and the method of single stimuli …

3d-Printed Biomimetic Bioactive Glass Scaffolds For Bone Regeneration In Rat Calvarial Defects, Krishna C. R. Kolan, Yue-Wern Huang, Julie A. Semon, Ming-Chuan Leu

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

The pore geometry of scaffold intended for the use in the bone repair or replacement is one of the most important parameters in bone tissue engineering. It affects not only the mechanical properties of the scaffold but also the amount of bone regeneration after implantation. Scaffolds with five different architectures (cubic, spherical, x, gyroid, and diamond) at different porosities were fabricated with bioactive borate glass using the selective laser sintering (SLS) process. The compressive strength of scaffolds with porosities ranging from 60% to 30% varied from 1.7 to 15.5 MPa. The scaffold's compressive strength decreased significantly (up to 90%) after …

Escherichia Coli Antimicrobial Resistance Variability In Water Runoff And Soil From A Remnant Native Prairie, And Improved Pasture, And A Cultivated Agricultural Watershed, Maitreyee Mukherjee, Terry Gentry, Heidi Mjelde, John P. Brooks, Daren Harmel, Lucas Gregory, Kevin Wagner

Faculty Publications

Although many previous studies have examined patterns of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and multidrug resistance (MDR) from domestic animals and farm environments, comparatively little is known about the environmental sources and natural reservoirs of AMR and MDR. In this study, we collected stormwater runoff and soil samples from three watersheds in Texas. Escherichia coli (E. coli) were enumerated, isolated, and analyzed for resistance patterns. E. coli from all sites, irrespective of land use, displayed the presence of AMR/MDR. Higher levels of AMR/MDR were observed in water compared to soil. More isolates were resistant to cephalothin than other antibiotics. For …

Cd11b+ Depletion Of Bone Marrow Derived Macrophages Negatively Affects Bone Fracture Healing, Sarah Hozain

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Hematoma formation and inflammation occurs during the beginning stages of fracture repair, which require the presence of innate cells such as macrophages. Macrophages are subdivided into proinflammatory, M1, or anti-inflammatory, M2, phenotypes with different functions, cytokine profiles, and surface markers. In this study, in vitro and in vivo models were used to deplete M1 macrophages, using Mac-1 Sap conjugated antibody (Mac1SAP), to determine the effects on fracture healing. In vitro study, primary macrophages isolated from mice femoral bone marrow were harvested and differentiated into M1 macrophages (+LPS), M2 macrophages (+IL-4), or undifferentiated then treated with either vehicle or 10pM Mac1SAP. …

Are Florida Manatees (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) Wearing Their Teeth Beyond Functionality? Interspecific And Intraspecific Mesowear In Manatees, Nina Woodard

Honors Theses

Manatees (Trichechus spp.) are herbivorous aquatic mammals found in tropical and subtropical waters. At maturity, they possess only supernumerary molars (SM), with 5-8 in occlusion at each quadrant. Manatees exhibit a dental replacement system in which they shed old teeth anteriorly and erupt new teeth posteriorly. This adaptation is thought to have arisen to deal with abrasive foods. Mesowear (facet development on occlusal surfaces of teeth) increases from posterior (younger) to anterior (older) molars. Tooth functionality is linked to level of mesowear, with increased amounts resulting in decreased food-processing ability. Less functional teeth can result in an increase in feeding …

The Role Of Reactive Oxygen Species In The Gut Immune Response Of Cat Fleas (Ctenocephalides Felis), Clark Hall

Honors College Theses

Fleas transmit numerous deadly and debilitating diseases, including the causative agents of murine typhus and plague. Because initial entry of these infectious agents occurs while blood feeding, the immune response in the flea gut is considered to be the first line of defense against invading microbes. However, relatively few studies have identified the flea immune molecules that effectively resist or limit infection in the gut. In other hematophagous insects, an immediate immune response to imbibed pathogens is the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we utilized cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) to investigate whether natural infections …

Impacts Of Invasive Rats And Tourism On A Threatened Island Bird: The Palau Micronesian Scrubfowl, Paul M. Radley, Robert A. Davis, Tim S. Doherty

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Invasive predators have decimated island biodiversity worldwide. Rats (Rattus spp.) are perhaps the greatest conservation threat to island fauna. The ground nesting Palau Micronesian Scrubfowl Megapodius laperouse senex (Megapodiidae) inhabits many of the islands of Palau's Rock Island Southern Lagoon Conservation Area (RISL) in the western Pacific. These islands are also heavily visited by tourists and support populations of introduced rats, both of which may act as added stressors for the scrubfowl. Using passive chew-tag and call playback surveys on five tourist-visited and five tourist-free islands, we investigated if rats and tourists negatively affect scrubfowl, and if higher rat activity …

Impact Of Animal Programming On Human Attitudes Of Local Wildlife, Ashton Jerger

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Attitudes towards wildlife can have direct implications on peoples’ interest in conserving local habitats and their overall ecological choices. Attitudes are formed by multiple components of an individual’s life history. However, through interactive, educational experiences, there is a potential to change current attitudes. Animal programs are an example of interactive, educational experiences that provide individuals the opportunity to get up-close to animal ambassadors and participate in engaging conversations about them. An animal program assessment was conducted with the 2019 summer camps at the Ohio Wildlife Center to quantify the changes in peoples’ affiliation for local wildlife and their willingness to …

Analyzing The Flight Patterns And Behavior Of Dragonflies Engaged In Aerial Territory Battles, Brandon Hastings, Brandon Jackson

Virtual 2020 Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

It has previously been determined that male dragonflies occupying the most suitable territory within a habitat have a higher flight-muscle ratio (FMR) than those occupying poor territories, but it is unknown how this increased FMR relates to their flight patterns. This study examined the flight patterns of dragonflies engaged in aerial territory battles to investigate differences in maneuverability between winners and losers. 3D video data of dragonflies interacting in a natural habitat was analyzed for territorial flights. Winners showed a lower maximum angular velocity compared to losers.

How Can We Change Gut Microbiota For Healthy Lives?, Elizaveta Shmakova

Scientific Communication News

No abstract provided.

Yeast Bxi1p/Ybh3p Is A Ph-Sensitive Calcium Channel In Escherichia Coli., Amanda Raffa, John Kalhorn

Biology Student Scholarship

Amanda Raffa ’21
Major: Biology

John Kalhorn ’21
Major: Biology

Faculty Mentor: Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, Biology

39 And Me: The Evolution Of Dogs Through The Study Of Genomics, Lauren Flynn, Kathleen Kuhl, Jordan Pagliuca, Megan Russel

Biology Student Scholarship

Lauren Flynn ’21
Major: Biology and Mathematics

Jordan Pagliuca ’21
Major: Biology

Kathleen Kuhl ’22
Major: Biology

Megan Russell ’20
Major: Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Elisabeth Arévalo, Biology

Our lab is interested in utilizing the dog model to explore the relationship between genes, evolution, and physical traits. The human selection and manipulation of different desirable traits in dogs has led to mutations that create the unique traits and diversity of breeds. Our lab uses different molecular methods to assess genetic mutations and different inheritable traits ranging from physical characteristics to disease in a variety of dog breeds. Statistical analysis and …

Autophagy And Lipid Metabolism In C.Elegans, Cristina De Corral, Samantha Otalvaro

Biology Student Scholarship

Cristina de Corral ’22
Major: Biology

Samantha Otalvaro ’22
Major: Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Melissa Silvestrini, Biology

The synthesis, storage, delivery and breakdown of lipids in the cell is crucial for organismal homeostasis. Dysfunction in lipid metabolism can lead to a variety of pathologies including diabetes, heart disease, and even neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s. One common link between these metabolic diseases is the cellular recycling process of autophagy. Autophagy plays a complex role in lipid metabolism as it is required for both lipid storage and breakdown. In C. elegans, loss of autophagy during development impairs production of neutral lipids. …

There’S A New Species Of Thief Ant Hiding In The Pine Barrens Of Rhode Island, Justin Andries

Biology Student Scholarship

Major: Biology and Sociology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Waters, Biology

Ants are often missed underfoot and overlooked, but they are among the most ecologically dominant groups of animals on the planet. There are more than 200 species of ants which have been scientifically recorded in New England but samples from Rhode Island represent less than a percent of the overall survey of our regional taxa. To discover the species that are found in Rhode Island, we are engaged in a multi-year and multi-location effort to systematically trap and accurately identify the ant species found in diverse rural and urban habitats …

Post‐Dispersal Factors Influence Recruitment Patterns But Do Not Override The Importance Of Seed Limitation In Populations Of A Native Thistle, Tatyana A. Rand, Natalie M. West, F. Leland Russell, Svata M. Louda

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Whether plant populations are limited by seed or microsite availability is a long-standing debate. However, since both can be important, increasing emphasis is placed on disentangling their relative importance and how they vary through space and time. Although uncommon, seed addition studies that include multiple levels of seed augmentation, and follow plants through to the adult stage, are critical to achieving this goal. Such data are also vital to understanding when biotic pressures, such as herbivory, influence plant abundance. In this study, we experimentally added seeds of a native thistle, Cirsium canescens, at four augmentation densities to plots at two …

333— Effectiveness Of Batesian Mimicry In The Ant Mimicking Spider Myrmarachne Formicaria, Alanna Richman, Bea Dipzinski

GREAT Day Posters

Myrmarachne formicaria is a non-native ant-mimicking spider that was first recorded in New York in 2006. Little is known about its natural history in its native range in Europe and Asia or in its newly colonized range in North America. Some spider species are Batesian mimics that resemble ants in order to avoid being eaten, since many potential predators will not prey on ants. To assess the effectiveness of Batesian mimicry in this species, we staged encounters with a larger salticid spider species that could be a potential predator of M. formicaria. In total, 12 predator spiders were observed …

Testing Kinship Via Mitochondrial Dna On Colony Vs. Non-Colony Cats, Ashley Ruddy

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Populations of feral cats (Felis catus) have drawn public attention due to a variety of reasons, including the increasing population size and decreasing native fauna populations. Several communities have implemented the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) method, developed in Rome. This study examined whether cats that live in a certain social environment (colony cats) are more likely to be related than cats of the general population (non-colony cats). The degree of relatedness was to be determined separately for the populations. The alternative hypothesis for this study is that colony cats are more related than non-colony cats.

Frankie’s Friends, spay and neuter …

A Case Study Of Suicide By Hemlock Intoxication, Erica Maney

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), the infamous plant responsible for the death of Socrates, is toxic to humans and animals. In cases where hemlock led to death, the cause of death is usually associated with respiratory arrest, muscle paralysis or complications of acute renal failure. While the entire plant is toxic, the most dangerous part is the seeds, which contain the highest alkaloid concentration. It contains eight piperidine alkaloids, with the most potent one being coniine. Coniine is a neurotoxin that disrupts the function of the peripheral nervous system, causing respiratory paralysis. Initial symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, …

Cancer: The Role Of Bax Inhibitor In C. Elegans, Ibrahim Abaherah, Michael Bittner, Kevin Ly

Biology Student Scholarship

Ibrahim Abaherah ’20
Major: Biology

Michael Bittner '21
Major: Biology

Kevin Ly '23
Major: Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Melissa Silvestrini, Biology

Bax inhibitor-1 is an evolutionarily conserved regulator of apoptosis and ER stress in cells. Bax inhibitor-1 is regulated by IRE-1, a transmembrane protein in the ER that is responsible for detection of ER-induced stress and activation of downstream targets involved in the unfolded protein response (UPR) to maintain homeostasis. Our goal is to determine whether the C. elegans Bax inhibitor-1 homolog tmbi-4 is dependent on the IRE1 pathway in C. elegans. Our preliminary data in the lab suggest that …

Assessment Of The Toxicological Effects Of Cnt-Ab In Mice Followed By Microwave Hyperthermia 14 Days Post Treatment., Andrew C. Mixson

Honors College Theses

Serious side effects and treatment resistance are the main impediments to successful cancer therapy. A variety of nanoparticles have been used for localized, site-specific treatment that prevent or circumvent these impediments. Microwaves alone have been previously used for thermal ablation of various tumors, setting precedence for their successful use in live organisms. In cell culture studies, it has been observed that multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) instantly and efficiently absorb microwaves, causing hyperthermia of cells in direct contact with them with unnoticed harm to other cells. It is hypothesized that a treatment can be developed based on a safe microwave heating …

The Effects Of Leaf Litter On Predation Cue Response In Gray Tree Frog Tadpoles, Hyla Versicolor, Dani Mccauley

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Plant litter is an important resource for consumers, particularly in freshwater environments where it influences the development processes of larval amphibians. Leaf litter alters the physiochemical environment by lowering dissolved oxygen while increasing nitrogen, tannin, and phenolic acid levels. Many anuran species show plastic responses to the threat of predation. This is communicated through a kairomone when a tadpole is consumed, allowing surviving tadpoles to alter their behavior and morphology to evade predators. The purpose of this study was to analyze the interactive effects of leaf litter and predation on gray treefrog tadpoles (Hyla versicolor). The chemical output of the …

Organized Caudal Photoreceptors In The Medicinal Leech, Baylee Bancroft

Honors Theses

Visual systems are essential to an organism’s survival. There are a wide range of photosensory organs across the animal kingdom, varying by means of structure, complexity, and the way in which they transduce information. Regardless of variation, visual systems provide the organism with information regarding external stimuli based on how light interacts with surrounding matter. The medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana, is one of the many important model organisms of neurobiology as this segmented annelid possesses a relatively simple nervous system and a rudimentary visual system. The leech also exhibits a restricted range of quantifiable overt behaviors and is capable of …

Biol 404- Effects Of Estrogen-Mimicking Compounds, Progesterone And Estriol, On Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cell Development, Raquel Perez, Tatyana Green, Haley Bresnahan, Matthew Jones, Amorette Barber

Virtual 2020 Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Estrogen is primarily known for being a female sex hormone. It has three major subcategories estrone, estradiol, and estriol. They are known to have a role within regulation of the reproductive system and menopause. Progesterone is also a well-known steroid sex hormone that is usually associated with menstruation. These sex hormones are commonly used in oral contraceptive pills. The purpose of this study is to see if progesterone and estriol will have the same effects that estrogen has on MHC II and B7 expression. With the use of flow cytometry, T cell isolation, T cell proliferation, and ELISAs we are …

Checklist Of The Freshwater Sponges (Porifera: Spongillida) Of Tennessee, John E. Copeland

Cumberland Mountain Naturalist

Of the ~8,500 sponge species that are known to exist, approximately 3% inhabit freshwater. Taxonomically, freshwater sponges are divided into 6 families with less than 250 identified species. Of these, 33 species of freshwater sponge can be found in the Nearctic Biogeographical realm with 13 species documented in Tennessee waters. Species of three families, Metanidae, Potamolepidae, and Spongillidae, are known to occur in the United States but only members of Potamolepidae and Spongillidae have been collected from Tennessee waters. This article presents a species checklist with currently known distribution information.

Evolution Of Feeding Shapes Swimming Kinematics Of Barnacle Naupliar Larvae: A Comparison Between Trophic Modes, J. Y. Wong, B. K. K. Chan, Kit Yu Karen Chan

Biology Faculty Works

A central goal in evolutionary biology is connecting morphological features with ecological functions. For marine invertebrate larvae, appendage movement determines locomotion, feeding, and predator avoidance ability. Barnacle larvae are morphologically diverse, and the morphology of non-feeding lecithotrophic nauplii are distinct from those that are planktotrophic. Lecithotrophic larvae have a more globular body shape and simplified appendages when compared with planktotrophs. However, little is known about whether and how such morphological changes affect kinematics, hydrodynamics, and ecological functions. Here, we compared the nauplii kinematics and hydrodynamics of a lecithotrophic Rhizocephalan species, Polyascus planus, against that of the planktotrophic nauplii of an …