Digital Commons Network^™

Mixture Effects On Metal Accumulation In The Asian Clam, Corbicula Fluminea, Mark A. Huff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Field collected Corbicula fluminea were exposed to trace level copper, lead, and zinc with the aim of examining the preferential accumulation between the soft tissue and shell. Metal levels were based on those in a permitted industrial effluent. At 1X effluent and 2X effluent exposure levels, copper was found to preferentially accumulate in the clam soft tissue, lead was found to preferentially accumulate in the clam shell, and zinc was found to excrete back into the diluent after preferentially accumulating in the clam soft tissue. When exposed as a mixture at 1X effluent levels, copper and lead were found to …

Isolation And Characterization Of Siderophore(S) From Pseudomonas Mosselii, Casey J. Stophel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iron is essential for growth of most microorganisms. It functions as an important cofactor in many important biological processes. However, iron found in soil is rendered insoluble and unavailable to microorganisms for use. To overcome this, many bacterial species produce siderophores, a small organic molecule that has high affinity for iron. Siderophores allow for bacterial cells to obtain otherwise insoluble iron. Pseudomonas mosselii, a Gram negative bacterium, was isolated from a local soil sample. P. mosselii was found to produce siderophore(s) under iron restricted environment, however, they have not been characterized. Therefore, it was of interest to isolate, purify and …

Investigating The Impact Of Psychoactive Plant Alkaloids On Bumblebee Behavior, Skylar Mathieson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between plants and their pollinators is often framed as a food-for-service exchange in which plants provide pollinators with nutrients in exchange for transport of their gametes. However, in addition to essential nutrients, many floral rewards (nectar, pollen) also contain defensive toxins such as alkaloids, with largely unexplored consequences for plant-pollinator interactions. I investigated how three psychoactive and addictive plant alkaloids — caffeine, nicotine, and morphine — affect foraging behavior in generalist bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) using robotic flowers. Each of these chemicals affected pollinator foraging behavior, influencing the number and duration of their visits to flowers in …

Impact Of S-Phase Kinase Protien 2 Blockades On Hematopoetic Stem Cell Metabolism, Nicole Elmaraghy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) quiescence is vital for the success of bone marrow transplantation, as it preserves long term self- renewal and prevents premature exhaustion (Takubo et al., 2013; Wilson et al., 2008). However, bone marrow transplant (BMT) failure remains a clinical challenge, often due to lack of long-term engraftment and insufficient stress reliance. Both of these characteristics are tightly linked to disrupted stem cell quiescence and metabolic imbalance (Anso et al., 2017; Vannini et al., 2016). One key player is S-phase kinase protein (SKP2), an E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets cell cycle inhibitors, like p27, for proteosome …

The Role Of The Jnk Gene In Ovarian Cancer Inflammatory Pathways, Tashoy D. Campbell

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Ovarian cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women globally, presents a significant challenge due to its common late-stage diagnosis and chemoresistance (inability of the tumor to respond to drugs). The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in ovarian cancer progression, contributing to inflammation, tumor survival, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. This literature review examines the role of the JNK signaling pathway in ovarian cancer, with a focus on its role in inflammation, metastasis, and chemoresistance. JNK regulates key inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6, which promote tumor growth and immune evasion. Moreover, …

Use Of Infrared Spectroscopy In Animal Studies: Aspects Of Health Science, Brian Manzanares

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Non-invasive imaging technologies, such as infrared thermography (IRT), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) are revolutionizing the field of animal research by enabling real-time, stress-free assessment of physiological conditions. Such methods like these are align with the ethical standards of the 3Rs, replacement, reduction, and refinement-by reducing the need of invasive procedures while enhancing data quality and animal welfare. These methods can also provide critical insight into animal health, behavior, and stress responses without the need for invasive procedures or restraint, thereby minimizing harm and distress. This literature review will explore the practical applications of IRT, NIRS, and …

The Role Of Nicotine In Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases, Jacquelyn T. Deaton

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Neurodegenerative diseases have emerged as a critical medical challenge because they cause progressive neuronal death alongside structural or functional deterioration. Families, healthcare institutions, and affected individuals face significant challenges due to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases, which impair both cognitive function and motor abilities. Researchers have found that nicotine in tobacco products is a compound with therapeutic potential. This literature review explores how nicotine interacts with neurodegenerative mechanisms, such as oxidative stress and inflammation, and assesses its potential neuroprotective effects in conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In the central nervous system, nicotine binds to the …

Use Of The Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification For Food Safety And Drug Discovery, Maria R. Benavente Garcia-Huidobro

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by the misfolding of the normal prion protein (PrP^C) into its infectious form (PrP^Sc). While the zoonotic potential of chronic wasting disease (CWD) remains uncertain, the presence of prions in food products raises public health concerns. Additionally, therapeutic strategies for prion diseases remain limited. This thesis presents a methodological exploration of the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) technique to address these challenges in two key areas: (1) detecting CWD prions in processed meats subjected to common cooking procedures, and (2) identifying potential anti-prion compounds through a high-throughput PMCA adaptation. …

The Pharmacology Of Gpr171 Ligands In The Treatment Of Pain: An In Vitro And In Vivo Preclinical Characterization, Max V. Mcdermott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Opioids are addictive, ineffective for long-term treatment, readily produce withdrawal and tolerance, and can cause overdose and death. These properties have contributed to an epidemic of addiction and overdose, which continues unabated in the United States. Therefore, new drugs to treat acute and chronic pain are needed. Opioids bind to receptors belonging to a superfamily of proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs are the most commonly targeted proteins among FDA-approved drugs. As such, under-researched GPCRs are a viable source of new targets in the field of drug development. One such underexplored GPCR is GPR171. Studies have demonstrated that a …

Using Livestreaming Technology To Answer Novel Questions About The Behavior And Physiological Ecology Of The Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus Viridis), Max C. Roberts

Master's Theses

Recent advances in remote monitoring technology are opening up new opportunities for developing innovative natural history and biological research methodologies. In particular, the emergence of livestreaming camera technology has made recording remote video of wild and secretive animals much easier and made it possible to collect data at extremely fine temporal resolutions. In 2024, Project RattleCam launched a livestreaming camera at a Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) den in Colorado. The goal of this work was to study Prairie Rattlesnake behavior 24-7 throughout the species’ active season with minimal human disturbance. Additionally, I used this system to study the …

Evolutionary Biomechanics In Cetartiodactyla: Impacts Of Ecological Shifts On Bone Material Properties And Control Surface Morphology, Danielle S. Adams

All Dissertations

Extreme ecological transitions expose organisms to novel selective pressures that can reshape morphology and performance. This dissertation investigates how the transition from land to water has influenced form and material properties in cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), a clade that has undergone dramatic morphological and physiological adaptations to a fully aquatic lifestyle. I integrate comparative morphology, material property testing, and phylogenetic analyses, to explore how ecological demands, particularly related to foraging mode and prey detection, have shaped multiple aspects of cetacean morphology and function. Using nanoindentation and microCT, I measured elastic modulus and bone density of the skull and mandible …

Small Molecule Inhibitor 3i-1000 Dosed During Bouts Of Anoxia Increases Survivability Of Austrofundulus Limnaeus Embryos, Connor Kime

University Honors Theses

The annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus possesses exceptional tolerance to prolonged anoxia, offering a unique vertebrate model for investigating cardiac resilience and survival under metabolic stress. This study tested whether inhibition of the GATA4–NKX2-5 transcriptional axis with the small molecule 3i-1000 enhances post-anoxic survival. WS40 embryos were exposed to 50 µM 3i-1000 during anoxia and early aerobic recovery. Outcomes were assessed across two independent experimental cohorts. Treated embryos exhibited higher survivability during reoxygenation: in the October cohort, survival increased from 76.0% in vehicle controls (n = 25) to 91.7% in treated embryos (n = 24); in the November cohort, survival improved …

Immune Modulation Affects Olfactory Glomerular Recovery In Zebrafish, Bonnie E. Ebendick

Dissertations

Adult zebrafish regenerate neurons throughout their lifetime and exhibit rapid recovery from neuronal damage with support from their immune system, making them an excellent model for studying neuroinflammation and brain repair mechanisms. When olfactory sensory neurons are lesioned, their cell death stimulates the immune system by activating microglia and other immune cells in the olfactory bulb, initiating tissue repair and neuronal replacement. This dissertation investigates how the immune system influences recovery from neuronal damage, testing the hypothesis that immune perturbation in zebrafish alters neural recovery.

To investigate the link between immune function and neuronal regeneration, zebrafish received a unilateral lesion …

Using Herpetofauna To Determine Wetland Health And Function In The Red River Watershed, Shelby Rodriguez-Edwards

Biology Theses

Reptiles and amphibians are commonly used indicator species in wetlands because of their increased sensitivity to environmental conditions and use of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Herpetofauna can reflect wetland ecological functionality through their community composition and responsiveness to environmental stressors. This study evaluated reptile and amphibian communities in natural and ACEP-WRE wetlands within the Red River Watershed of northeastern Texas and Northwestern Louisiana to assess whether restored wetlands support herpetofaunal assemblages compares to their natural counterparts. Fifteen wetlands were surveyed from February to June 2024 using visual encounter surveys, call surveys, and standardized trapping methods to document species richness …

Examining Light-Circadian Interactions In Regulation Of Amyloid Plaque Pathology, Melvin William King

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Circadian disruption has long been appreciated as a downstream consequence of Alzheimer’s Disease in humans. However, an upstream role for circadian disruption in regulating AD pathology remains an open question. The mammalian circadian system is hierarchical, with cellular clocks – driven largely by BMAL1 – synchronized by the hypothalamic SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus) via a combination of hormonal and synaptic cues. To assess the relative contributions of each component to Alzheimer’s Disease pathology, we crossed mice harboring either microglial (Cx3cr1/Lyz2-Cre) or GABAergic (VGAT-iCre, expressed in more than 95% of the SCN) BMAL1-knockout to mouse models of Aβ aggregation (5xFAD; APP/PS1-21), which …

Dissecting Macrophage Metabolism In Metabolic Liver Disease, Mandy Mei-Ying Chan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease around the globe; however, the mechanisms that lead to the progression of metabolic liver disease are poorly understood. Liver-resident macrophages, known as Kupffer cells (KCs), are the largest population of macrophage in the human body, playing a critical role in immune sensing and tissue homeostasis. In the context of MASLD, KCs undergo cell death through an unclear mechanism, and monocytes enter the liver where they differentiate into macrophages. Next-generation sequencing and spatial-omics studies have revealed significant, heterogeneity in the recruited macrophage populations in both human …

Computational And In Vitro Investigation Of P. Crocatum Bioactive Compounds As Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitors, Gusnia Meilin Gholam, Dimas Andrianto, Dewi Anggraini Septaningsih, Mega Safithri

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Obesity, a prevalent metabolic disorder characterized by excessive fat accumulation, can severely affect overall health if left untreated. This study investigated the potential of a 70% ethanol extract from Piper crocatum (red betel) leaves as an in vitro inhibitor of pancreatic lipase (PL), supported by computational analyses to identify alternative compounds to orlistat. The phytochemical profile was characterized using LC-MS/MS, revealing alkaloids and terpenoids with contents of 1.1 ± 0.01 mg CE/g and 3.14 ± 0.3 mg UAE/g, respectively. The extract exhibited 49 ± 9.1% inhibition of PL activity. Molecular docking identified three promising compounds: calanolide A (10.43 kcal/mol), myricanone …

Baseline Testosterone Levels Peak During The Inactive Period In Male Degus (Octodon Degus), Yuta Sato , '26, Tate M. S. Garcia , '26, Josephine S. Low , '27, Carolyn M. Bauer

Biology Faculty Works

The steroid hormone testosterone is important for stimulating male reproductive processes including territory acquisition, mating displays, and spermatogenesis. When examining the relative effects of testosterone on reproductive processes, it is most reasonable to focus on peak baseline testosterone levels, especially for reproductive processes that may occur during specific times of day, such as mating and spermatogenesis. However, some studies have not found consistent positive relationships between circulating testosterone levels and reproductive variables. These nonsignificant relationships could be driven by methodology, as most studies in wild, free-living animals collect blood samples during an animals' active period, yet many species show peak …

Assessing The Ecological Drivers And Consequences Of Partial Migration In Hudson River Striped Bass Over Three Decades, Caitlin Egan Zimmer

Biology ETDs

Climate change and shifts in human land use have caused extensive impacts to the connectivity, structure, and resilience of aquatic populations. Partial migration (PM), where only some individuals from a population migrate while the rest remain resident, can mitigate population-level responses to environmental stressors. However, little is known of the underlying mechanisms promoting variation in migration and whether these shift over time. In the Hudson River Estuary, striped bass (Morone saxatilis) are known to exhibit anadromous PM behavior. Here, I measured carbon isotopes (δ¹³C) of essential amino acids in striped bass scales to determine variation in …

Plant Reproductive Strategies Shift In Response To Restoration Using Beaver Dam Analogs, Laurel F. Martinez

Biology ETDs

As riparian communities become increasingly degraded, restoration treatments are being implemented in streams to recover ecosystem functions. In the Jemez Mountains, beaver dam analogs (BDAs) are used to restore degraded streams by connecting the floodplain and increasing the extent of anoxic soil conditions. These environmental disturbances are expected to alter how riparian plants recruit, particularly their allocation to seed-based and vegetative regeneration strategies. We investigated whether BDAs and associated changes in soil water filled pore space (WFPS) affected riparian plant recruitment. We investigated the number of flowering stems as a proxy for seed-based regeneration and rhizome length and mass as …

Ecoimmunology Of Dirty Physella Acuta Snails, Kevin Arthur Mcquirk

Biology ETDs

Research on Physella acuta, an invasive freshwater snail, reveals insights into its parasitology, fitness, and molecular biology. Morphological and molecular analyses revealed two distinct mitogenomic lineages, local (B) and invasive (A) strains of native P. acuta, both having comparable trematode infection rates, suggesting that the low infection rates observed from A in invaded regions result from "enemy release" rather than immune incompatibility. Fitness assessments showed that while lineages A and B performed similarly under laboratory conditions, rewilding experiments revealed significantly higher fitness in lineage A. Transcriptomic profiling supported these differences, with A snails showing greater immune-related gene expression and …

Spatial Ecology And Habitat Selection Of Eastern Pinesnakes: Case Study On The Importance Of Scale In Conservation Biology, Matthew Grisnik, Alan Jones, Rachel Brubaker, Andrew M. Grosse, Scott L. Parker

Biology

Species are in decline world-wide, driven by multiple factors including habitat fragmentation. Understanding the habitat selection processes of species in these fragmented landscapes has become a focus of ecological studies and is a major component of conservation plan development. However, understanding how landscape level processes influence patterns of habitat selection is often ignored. Here we assessed the influence of landscape level processes in the habitat selection of Eastern Pinesnakes, a species in decline, within a protected area in South Carolina, USA. Over the course of a year, we tracked 8 Eastern Pinesnakes within a small protected area. Snakes exhibited seasonal …

Gallic, Aconitic, And Crocetin Acids As Potential Tnf Modulators: An Integrated Study Combining Molecular Docking, Dynamics Simulations, Admet Profiling, And Gene Expression Analysis, Adolat Manakbayeva, Ahdrey P. Bogoyavlenskiy, Timur Kerimov, Igor Yershov, Pavel Alexyuk, Madina Alexyuk, Vladimir Berezin, Vyacheslav Dushenkov

Publications and Research

Organic acids, as natural metabolites, play crucial roles in human metabolism and health. Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), a pivotal mediator in immune regulation and inflammation, is a key therapeutic target. We evaluated ten organic acids as TNF modulators using in silico molecular docking, followed by detailed ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) profiling and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for three lead candidates: gallic, aconitic, and crocetin acids. Their effects on TNF gene expression were then assessed in vivo using a mouse leukocyte model. The in silico results indicated that crocetin had the highest TNF binding affinity (−5.6 to −4.6 …

The Nature Of Anthropogenically Driven River Drying: Spatiotemporal Causes And Consequences, Eliza Inez Gilbert

Biology ETDs

Streambed drying naturally occurs in over 60% of rivers and streams worldwide. Climate change and human regulation of surface and groundwater have increased drying in naturally intermittent systems and caused perennial systems to transition to intermittency, impacting water security, water quality, and biodiversity. To understand human-induced drying dynamics, we used 12 years of daily drying data along a 154-km regulated reach of the Rio Grande. We conceptualized river drying as a regime analogous to the natural flow regime paradigm and quantified drying magnitude, rate of change, and duration. Although linear models predicting drying magnitude and rate of change were uninterpretable, …

Characterization Of The Role Of Rsd-6, A Tudor Domain Protein, In Antiviral Rnai Pathway In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Krishna Prasad Dahal

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

RNA interference (RNAi) triggered by virus produced dsRNA intermediate offers robust innate immunity against invading viruses in plants, insects and animals. Caenorhabditis elegans has been extensively used as a model organism to study host virus interaction. Recently, a forward genetic screen identified RNAi spreading deficient-6 (RSD-6), a Tudor domain protein, as a key component in antiviral RNAi pathway against Orsay virus in C. elegans but its contribution in the pathway remained unclear. Here, we generated a rsd-6 null allele using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, crossed it with other known RNAi mutants and analyzed Orsay virus replication in them and in combination …

Selenium Nanoparticles Synthesized By Pulsed Laser Ablation In Liquids For Antimicrobial Applications, Tina Hesabizadeh

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to synthesize selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) by Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquids (PLAL) and investigate their antibacterial and biological effects, particularly their impact on cell viability and related biological responses. Spherical amorphous Se NPs were produced by irradiating a selenium target using a combination of bottom- and top-ablation protocols. After autoclaving, the amorphous Se NPs were converted into trigonal Se NPs. Se NPs were characterized by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The biological effects of Se NPs were quantitatively assessed through evaluations of cell viability and associated …

Effects Of Mating System And Adaptedness On The Evolution Of Fitness And Mtdna Copy Number In Mitonuclear Mismatched C. Elegans, Zachary P. Dietz, Devshuvam Banerji, Jennifer A. Sullins, Brent W. Bever, Stephen F. Christy, Ulfar Bergthorsson, Vaishali Katju, Suzanne Estes

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Metabolic functioning in nearly all eukaryotes relies on molecular machinery dual-encoded by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) genomes. The two genomes have sustained an extraordinary degree of cooperation across evolutionary time, preserving the capacity for indispensable processes including oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production, which in turn influence many fitness-related traits. How this cooperation is maintained when one member of the pair is debilitated by deleterious mutation is poorly understood, as is the influence of mutation location (mtDNA or nDNA), mating system, or the potentially compensatory effects of mtDNA copy number changes on the process. We asked whether and …

Dual Action Dynamics: Assessing Hypopharyngeal Cancer Cell Survival Using Combination Chemotherapy, Luke Nieman

Biology Summer Fellows

Targeting glucose metabolism is an attractive strategy for cancer treatment, as cancer cells rely more heavily on glycolysis than oxidative phosphorylation, a phenomenon known as the Warburg Effect (Wang et al 2015). Reversing this metabolic reprogramming can impair cancer cell proliferation. NG52, a small-molecule inhibitor of PGK1, has been shown to effectively reverse the Warburg Effect and reduce cancer cell viability (Wycliffe et al. 2007). Paclitaxel, commonly Taxol, is a chemotherapeutic agent that disrupts mitotic spindle function, causing mitotic arrest and apoptosis (Markman et al 2005). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the individual and combined effects of NG52 …

Twist And Snout: Head And Body Morphologies Determine Feeding Kinematics In Substrate-Biting Fishes, Tal Perevolotsky, Jacob M. Brotman-Krass, Yarden Ratner, Yael Avigad, Adam P. Summers, Cassandra M. Donatelli, Roi Holzman

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Synopsis

Across teleosts, feeding by biting substrate-attached prey has evolved multiple times and is associated with convergent morphologies that include a deep body and an elongated, tapered head. However, the functional role of these morphologies in substrate-biting fish is not established. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these morphologies function as control surfaces that affect feeding kinematics during biting. To test this hypothesis, we used simplified physical models of substrate-biting reef fish and examined the role of head, body, and fin morphology in determining feeding kinematics that facilitate the removal of substrate-attached prey. Models simulated the swift lateral movement of …

Antibacterial Potential Of Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo Tapanuliensis) Food In Batang Toru Forest Against Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Typhi, Herna Febrianty Sianipar, Wahyu Widoretno, Luchman Hakim, Rezi Rahmi Amolia, Fatchiyah Fatchiyah

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Diarrhea is a common disease affecting orangutans, primarily caused by Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi bacteria. To treat this disease, antibacterial food sources are essential as therapeutic agents for orangutans. The fruits consumed by Tapanuli orangutans include Campnosperma auriculatum, Agathis borneensis, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Castanopsis argantea, and Aglaia tomentosa. This study aims to examine the amino acid and phytochemical components with potential antibacterial properties in these five fruit species and their inhibitory effects on E. coli and S. typhi growth through cell lysis, observed using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The samples were tested for amino acids, phytochemicals, vitamin C content, …