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Full Issue: Volume 15, Number 2, Spring 2022 Jan 2022

Full Issue: Volume 15, Number 2, Spring 2022

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Complete .pdf file of Volume 15, Number 2 of The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences. Published Spring 2022.


Cardiovascular Disease - Is A Whole Food Plant-Based Diet The Answer?, Shalom Katz Jan 2022

Cardiovascular Disease - Is A Whole Food Plant-Based Diet The Answer?, Shalom Katz

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Objective: To determine if a whole food plant-based diet can prevent and cure cardiovascular disease. Results: People on whole food plant-based diets exhibit extremely low levels of plasma LDL. Another risk factor for developing atherosclerosis, is inhibited production of nitric oxide, which is vital for healthy blood flow. One of the main inhibitors of nitric oxide production is asymmetric dimethyl-l-arginine (ADMA). An inverse relationship was found between dietary fat and ADMA levels. The diets with the best results were the diets where oil intake was reduced to a minimum. Clinically, people who went on whole food plant-based diets had their …


Osteoporosis: A Comprehensive Review, Eliyahu Greenberg Jan 2022

Osteoporosis: A Comprehensive Review, Eliyahu Greenberg

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Osteoporosis is a disease of the skeleton that becomes more common with advanced age, especially in postmenopausal women. Osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures, thereby reducing the quality of life for those who suffer from it. Due to the aging population, direct costs resulting from osteoporosis are projected to reach upward of $25 billion per year by 2025. The main pharmaceuticals primarily target osteoclasts. Exercise may be an effective method of preventing osteoporosis, although more research needs to be done. More research should be conducted to explore potential ways to enhance osteoblastic activity as a method to treat and/or reverse …


Healing Sanctuary, Kammy Downs Jan 2022

Healing Sanctuary, Kammy Downs

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The natural world has hidden wisdom and resources that are disregarded as we misuse our responsibility to care for them. The benefits of being in tune with nature have been traded for a culture that manipulates nature on the altar of expediency, waste, and unquenchable desire. Healing Sanctuary presents a duality. My work speaks about the relationship between the seen and unseen, represented by ten larger-than-life drawings of medicinal herbal plants that have had a profound physical healing effect on me. At the same time, plants, roots, and seeds create visceral metaphors for mental health. Our accomplishments, outlook on life, …


The Acute Physiological Response Of Polar Bears To Helicopter Capture, John P. Whiteman, Henry J. Harlow, George M. Durner, Eric V. Regehr, Steven C. Amstrup, Anthony M. Pagano, Merav Ben-David Jan 2022

The Acute Physiological Response Of Polar Bears To Helicopter Capture, John P. Whiteman, Henry J. Harlow, George M. Durner, Eric V. Regehr, Steven C. Amstrup, Anthony M. Pagano, Merav Ben-David

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Many wildlife species are live captured, sampled, and released; for polar bears (Ursus maritimus) capture often requires chemical immobilization via helicopter darting. Polar bears reduce their activity for approximately 4 days after capture, likely reflecting stress recovery. To better understand this stress, we quantified polar bear activity (via collar‐mounted accelerometers) and body temperature (via loggers in the body core [Tabd] and periphery [Tper]) during 2–6 months of natural behavior, and during helicopter recapture and immobilization. Recapture induced bouts of peak activity higher than those that occurred during natural behavior for 2 of 5 bears, …


Estrogen Regulation Of Daily Metabolic Rhythms In Female Mice, Oluwabukola Omotola Jan 2022

Estrogen Regulation Of Daily Metabolic Rhythms In Female Mice, Oluwabukola Omotola

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Circadian rhythms are approximately 24-hour cycles of behavior, physiology, and gene expression. In mammals, these circadian rhythms are generated by clocks located in nearly every tissue in the body. The function of circadian clocks is to synchronize physiology and behavior with environmental cycles such as the light-dark cycle. After menopause, when circulating levels of estrogens are very low, women are more susceptible to obesity comorbidities such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, suggesting that estrogens regulate these processes. Estrogens could protect females from metabolic dysfunction by regulating circadian rhythms. Consumption of diets that are high in fat contribute to obesity. …


Decomposition And Macroinvertebrate Shredder Colonization Of Autumnal Shed Sycamore Leaves In Mining-Contaminated Streams, Leslie Marie Hatch Jan 2022

Decomposition And Macroinvertebrate Shredder Colonization Of Autumnal Shed Sycamore Leaves In Mining-Contaminated Streams, Leslie Marie Hatch

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Leaf decomposition in streams is an important ecological function facilitated by bacteria, fungi, and macroinvertebrates. Metal contamination can decrease leaf decomposition rates and reduce macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity. In the current study, I focused on mining-contamination in well-buffered streams in two different Missouri mining districts with varying extents of mining contamination, Big River and Pierson Creek. I measured decomposition rates of sycamore leaves, and abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrate shredders in leaf pack experiments with a full-factorial design to determine the effects of metal contamination of leaves and stream substrates. Comparisons were made between leaf packs upstream and downstream of …


Optimization Of Electrically Driven Fluid Flow Through Tissue Hydrogels, Joseph C. Walker Jan 2022

Optimization Of Electrically Driven Fluid Flow Through Tissue Hydrogels, Joseph C. Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Exploring Bioprocessing Technologies For Diverse Industrial Application Of Canola, Ahmad Fawzi N Alhomodi Jan 2022

Exploring Bioprocessing Technologies For Diverse Industrial Application Of Canola, Ahmad Fawzi N Alhomodi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Globally, canola is the second largest oilseed crop after soybean, which is processed for the commercial production of high value oil. The industrial processing steps for canola oil extraction include preprocessing (cleaning, pressing, flaking, and cooking), mechanical pressing, and/or organic solvents. This process results in large quantities of protein-rich (~ 40% dry basis) meal as a co-product. The meal is used partially in animal diet (<30% inclusion) due to high levels of antinutritional factors (ANFs) such as high fibers, phytic acid, and glucosinolates, and low metabolizable energy. Thus, this research was designed to examine various bioprocessing technologies (i.e., traditional sprouting, solid state fermentation, submerged state fermentation, co-culture fermentation, mild pretreatments, and their combinations) for possible advancement in canola use. Canola seed sprouting for 6-day period led to an increase in protein content and a reduction in ANFs and oil content of sprouts compared to ungerminated seed. Subsequent submerged state fermentation of 6- day old sprouts using three different strains (Aureobasidium pullulans, Trichoderma reesei and Neurospora crassa) further increased protein content and lowered ANFs. Solid-state fermentation of 144 h old sprouts using A. pullulans, N. crassa and T. reesei enhanced the protein content and reduced ANFs of sprouts. Sprouting canola seed for three days helped in hull removal, leading to high protein meal accompanied by low fiber and phytic acid level. Three-day seed sprouting had no effect on oil yield, but free fatty acid content was higher compared to seed oil. Co-culture fermentation of HECM under solid state process showed maximum reduction in fiber content with co-culture of A. pullulans and N. crassa while a combination of A. pullulans and T. reesei promoted the highest GLS and phytic acid reductions compared to other combinations, which indicated the advantage of coculture inoculation over monoculture in terms of ANFs reduction. Mild pretreatment of HECM using deionized water resulted in washed HECM (WHECM) with lower soluble sugars and GLS compared to untreated HECM, whereas protein and amino acid were concentrated due to the removal of soluble components. WHECM compared to HECM showed higher protein digestibility when fed to rainbow trout. Subsequent mono- and coculture fermentation of HECM and WHECM under submerged process resulted in higher protein and amino acid content and lower ANFs levels compared to uninoculated controls. The results of cellulase, endoglucanase and β-glucosidase activity indicated the crucial role of used substrates, fungi, fermentation modes (solid state/submerged stated) and inoculation methods (mono-/co-culture) on enzyme activities.


Identification Of The Role Of Swra In Copper Induced Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid Production In Bacillus Subtilis, Maya Addison Jan 2022

Identification Of The Role Of Swra In Copper Induced Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid Production In Bacillus Subtilis, Maya Addison

Scripps Senior Theses

Each year over 2.8 million Americans are infected by an antibiotic resistant strain of bacteria with over 35, 000 dying as a result (CDC). The lack of development of new antibiotics has renewed interest in the antimicrobial properties of copper. Gram positive bacterium such as Bacillus subtilis produce poly-gamma-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) to sequester excess copper ions. swrA has shown to be essential for proper activation of the pgs operon by phosphorylated DegU via an unknown mechanism. This study seeks to determine the role of swrA in copper induced gamma-PGA production and if swrA and ppsB are involved in copper resistance. …


Effects Of Melatonin Implantation On The Activity Levels Of Captive Snow Buntings (Plectrophenax Nivalis), Zoë Ward Jan 2022

Effects Of Melatonin Implantation On The Activity Levels Of Captive Snow Buntings (Plectrophenax Nivalis), Zoë Ward

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In vertebrates, melatonin regulates many components of the circadian rhythm; depending on the organism’s location and time of year, the pineal gland will produce melatonin accordingly, controlling the sleep-wake cycle and breeding physiologies. However, locations at the poles in which the sun is above the horizon for multiple days at a time pose unique challenges for the organisms living there. The goal of this study was to examine how the implantation of melatonin in an arctic-breeding songbird affects its activity levels and circadian rhythm. The subject of this study, the snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis), is a small songbird …


Prevalence Of Rickettsia Sp. Phylotype G022 And Rickettsia Tillamookensis In Ixodes Pacificus Nymphs From Northern California, Erin Rose Trent Jan 2022

Prevalence Of Rickettsia Sp. Phylotype G022 And Rickettsia Tillamookensis In Ixodes Pacificus Nymphs From Northern California, Erin Rose Trent

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Back in 2011 an unknown Rickettsia species was discovered in adult Ixodes pacificus and became known as Rickettsiaspecies phylotype G022. Preliminary analyses placed it among the Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia, indicating unknown pathogenicity. Another Rickettsia species previously found in I. pacificus, R. tillamookensis, was only recently the subject of research efforts after its original discovery in the 1960s. The main focus of this research was to determine the prevalence of phylotype G022 in nymphal I. pacificus to gain further insight into this tick-Rickettsia relationship. The prevalence of R. tillamookensis was also a topic of this …


Evaluating Muskellunge (Esox Masquinongy) Catch-And-Release Mortality At Elevated Summer Water Temperature, Ian Taylor Booth Jan 2022

Evaluating Muskellunge (Esox Masquinongy) Catch-And-Release Mortality At Elevated Summer Water Temperature, Ian Taylor Booth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Angling for Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) has become widespread and increasingly popular throughout the fish’s range. Current management strategies for Muskellunge include high minimum harvest lengths (>1016mm), closed seasons, and catch-and-release regulations. Due to these strategies and angler sentiments, up to 97% of Muskellunge caught today are released by anglers assuming they will live and be caught again in the future. Previous research on catchand-release mortality in Muskellunge has suggested relatively low mortality rates (0%-5%). However, these studies were all conducted within the fish’s thermal optimum and generally at water temperatures25°C during the summer months, representing a need to evaluate …


Comparison Of The Different Isoforms Of Vitamin E Against Amyloid Beta-Induced Neurodegeneration, Alp Yi̇ği̇t Özdemi̇r, Esi̇n Çeti̇n, Mehmet Ali̇ Onur Jan 2022

Comparison Of The Different Isoforms Of Vitamin E Against Amyloid Beta-Induced Neurodegeneration, Alp Yi̇ği̇t Özdemi̇r, Esi̇n Çeti̇n, Mehmet Ali̇ Onur

Turkish Journal of Biology

Neurodegeneration is the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons. Amyloid beta oligomers and aggregates have been linked to neurodegeneration. While previous studies have suggested that dietary α-tocopherol intake can prevent amyloid beta aggregation and protect the brain against neurotoxicity, other research, however, indicated that tocotrienol forms might be used as an alternate agent against this kind of degeneration. In the presented research, we compared the in vitro protective effects of α-tocopherol and α-tocotrienol. In this context, we formed an in vitro neurodegeneration model with primary isolated neurons and measured α-tocopherol's and α-tocotrienol's protective effects. As a result, α-tocopherol …


Impacts Of Covid-19 On Global Healthcare Management And Research, Stephanie Autore, Santanu De Jan 2022

Impacts Of Covid-19 On Global Healthcare Management And Research, Stephanie Autore, Santanu De

Biology Faculty Articles

The Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected most nations at all levels of functioning, individual to governmental. Therefore, it is imperative to evaluate the effects the virus has had on one of the most important socioeconomic global sectors, healthcare. This literature review explores key, recent research and management strategies that have been undertaken in healthcare systems around the world in order to make meaningful attempts at identifying the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease, and combating the spread of this deadly virus. Healthcare facilities have implemented a variety of changes, all geared towards reducing non-emergency patient visits …


The Regulation Of Stress Steroid Release In Freshwater Turtles, Yoke Tassent Jan 2022

The Regulation Of Stress Steroid Release In Freshwater Turtles, Yoke Tassent

Honors Program Theses

The goal of this study is to characterize the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis regulators of the stress response in a turtle species, the Red-Eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans and to determine if NPY acts as a secretagogue for adrenal steroids in reptilian species, as it does in mammals. Here, I caught turtles using baited hoop traps. Then, I used pharmacological injections of ACTH (intermediate in HPA axis), dexamethasone (DEX, a synthetic steroid that blocks ACTH release and induces HPA negative feedback), NPY (starvation hormone), and NPY receptor agonists. Each turtle received a single injection upon capture, and I recorded whether adrenal …


Tooth Agenesis, Thomas Labarias Jan 2022

Tooth Agenesis, Thomas Labarias

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

In this literature review, I will discuss tooth agenesis, which is a congenital absence of one tooth or more, and the terminology associated. I will then discuss and compare the studies regarding the etiology and the prevalences of tooth agenesis throughout the world population. The second half of the paper will cover tooth agenesis from a clinical standpoint. I will describe the capital different complications and phenotypes that tooth agenesis creates. In the last section, I will explain how tooth agenesis is medically treated, and the multidisciplinary management needed to improve the patient’s quality of life.


Cultivation Of Industrial Hemp On And Near Airports: Implications For Wildlife Use And Risk To Aviation Safety, Bradley F. Blackwell, Page E. Klug, Lee A. Humberg, Zachary T. Brym, Bryan M. Kluever, Jennifer M. Edwards Jan 2022

Cultivation Of Industrial Hemp On And Near Airports: Implications For Wildlife Use And Risk To Aviation Safety, Bradley F. Blackwell, Page E. Klug, Lee A. Humberg, Zachary T. Brym, Bryan M. Kluever, Jennifer M. Edwards

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Land-use planning on and near airports should consider possible revenue from land covers, associated maintenance costs, and potential for land covers to attract vertebrate species recognized as hazardous to aviation safety. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has expressed interest in recent attention given to industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.; hemp) as a revenue-producing land cover that might be cultivated on or near airports. Our purpose was to better understand the potential production value of hemp as well as its possible role in affecting aviation safety if cultivated on or near airports. Our objectives were to: (1) review the literature …


Industrial Hemp As A Resource For Birds In Agroecosystems: Human–Wildlife Conflict Or Conservation Opportunity?, Emily A. Kotten, Iona Hennessy, Bryan M. Kluever, Zachary T. Brym, Bradley F. Blackwell, Lee A. Humberg, Page E. Klug Jan 2022

Industrial Hemp As A Resource For Birds In Agroecosystems: Human–Wildlife Conflict Or Conservation Opportunity?, Emily A. Kotten, Iona Hennessy, Bryan M. Kluever, Zachary T. Brym, Bradley F. Blackwell, Lee A. Humberg, Page E. Klug

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.; hemp) is an emerging crop in the United States with little known about bird use or the potential for birds to become an agricultural pest. We identified birds associated with hemp fields, using repeated visits to oilseed plots in North Dakota, USA (n = 6) and cannabinoid (CBD) plots in Florida, USA (n = 4) from August to November 2020. We did not control for plot area or density; our observations were descriptive only. We observed 10 species in hemp, 12 species flying over hemp, and 11 species both foraging in and …


Targeted Browsing With Goats For Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus Virginiana L.) Control, Alanna M. Hartsfield Jan 2022

Targeted Browsing With Goats For Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus Virginiana L.) Control, Alanna M. Hartsfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As eastern redcedar (ERC) (Juniperus virginiana L.) grassland encroachment progresses, all potential control methods should be explored in the interest of Great Plains grassland health and longevity. Targeted browsing with goats has been proven as an effective control method on some juniper species; however, little is known about its ability to control ERC. These studies intend to mend knowledge gaps of how targeted browsing with goats control ERC by causing tree death without chemicals or machinery. The first study is two 3x3 Latin squares comparing protein-supplemented diets. The second study is a randomized complete block design of five 0.224 ha …


Feeling The Burn: Assessing The Effects Of Fire Severity On Elk Nutritional Resources And Resource Selection, Lauren Ashley Snobl Jan 2022

Feeling The Burn: Assessing The Effects Of Fire Severity On Elk Nutritional Resources And Resource Selection, Lauren Ashley Snobl

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wildfires in the western United States have been increasing in size and severity over the last several decades, and climate forecasts suggest a continued increase in wildfire activity in the future. Large-scale wildfires often burn in a mosaic-like pattern of varying fire severity creating a heterogenous landscape with concomitant effects on vegetation communities. By changing vegetative structure, fire severity potentially alters the availability and distribution of key resources for wildlife such as food and cover, ultimately influencing habitat use. However, the impact of fire on wildlife has frequently been treated as binary (i.e., burned vs unburned), and a deeper understanding …


Environmental Effects On Constructed Wetland Microbial Diversity And Function In The Context Of Wastewater Management, Sandrine Grandmont-Lemire Jan 2022

Environmental Effects On Constructed Wetland Microbial Diversity And Function In The Context Of Wastewater Management, Sandrine Grandmont-Lemire

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Microbial communities play a crucial role in ecosystems, yet we know little about how microbial diversity influences ecosystem functioning. An important gap in our understanding is how environmental change affects microbial Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function relationships (BEF). These complex interactions between microbial biodiversity and ecosystem function can influence major biogeochemical processes, such as the nitrogen cycle in wetland ecosystems, which play an important role in managing wastewater. To address the effect of biodiversity on function, my study investigates the BEF relationships between microbial diversity and the function in terms of ammonia removal from wastewater at the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility (AWTF) both …


Understanding The Effects Of Embryonic Hyperglycemia On Retinal Development And Maintenance, Kayla Titialii-Torres Jan 2022

Understanding The Effects Of Embryonic Hyperglycemia On Retinal Development And Maintenance, Kayla Titialii-Torres

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Hundreds of millions of people are affected by diabetes worldwide. Whether they are diagnosed with prediabetes or Type I or II diabetes, there are a variety of mechanisms in the pathogenesis of diabetes. Diabetes is a disease which consists of recurring states of hyperglycemia that can be difficult to manage due to either lack of insulin production or improper utilization of insulin. While these mechanisms of action differ, complications induced by diabetes occur in both poorly regulated Type I and II. Common complications of diabetes include nerve damage, kidney damage, and eye damage. Eye damage specifically is called diabetic retinopathy …


Increased Signal Complexity Is Associated With Increased Mating Success, Noori Choi, Matt Adams, Kasey Fowler-Finn, Elise Knowlton, Malcolm Rosenthal, Aaron Rundus, Roger D. Santer, Dustin J. Wilgers, Eileen Hebets Jan 2022

Increased Signal Complexity Is Associated With Increased Mating Success, Noori Choi, Matt Adams, Kasey Fowler-Finn, Elise Knowlton, Malcolm Rosenthal, Aaron Rundus, Roger D. Santer, Dustin J. Wilgers, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

The evolution of complex signals has often been explored by testing multiple functional hypotheses regarding how independent signal components provide selective benefits to offset the costs of their production. In the present study, we take a different approach by exploring the function of complexity per se. We test the hypothesis that increased vibratory signal complexity— based on both proportional and temporal patterning—provides selective benefits to courting male Schizocosa stridulans wolf spiders. In support of this hypothesis, all of our quantified metrics of vibratory signal complexity predicted the mating success of male S. stridulans. The rate of visual signalling, which is …


The Ecology Of Wealth Inequality In Animal Societies, Eli D. Strauss, Daizaburo Shizuka Jan 2022

The Ecology Of Wealth Inequality In Animal Societies, Eli D. Strauss, Daizaburo Shizuka

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Individuals vary in their access to resources, social connections and phenotypic traits, and a central goal of evolutionary biology is to understand how this variation arises and influences fitness. Parallel research on humans has focused on the causes and consequences of variation in material possessions, opportunity and health. Central to both fields of study is that unequal distribution of wealth is an important component of social structure that drives variation in relevant outcomes. Here, we advance a research framework and agenda for studying wealth inequality within an ecological and evolutionary context. This ecology of inequality approach presents the opportunity to …


Functional Response Of Harmonia Axyridis To The Larvae Of Spodoptera Litura: The Combined Effect Of Temperatures And Prey Instars, Yasir Islam, Farhan Mahmood Shah, Ali Güncan, John Paul Delong, Xingmiao Zhou Jan 2022

Functional Response Of Harmonia Axyridis To The Larvae Of Spodoptera Litura: The Combined Effect Of Temperatures And Prey Instars, Yasir Islam, Farhan Mahmood Shah, Ali Güncan, John Paul Delong, Xingmiao Zhou

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Functional responses are central to predator–prey dynamics and describe how predation varies with prey abundance. Functional responses often are measured without regard to prey size (i.e., body mass) or the temperature dependence of feeding rates. However, variation in prey size within populations is ubiquitous, and predation rates are often both size and temperature-dependent. Here, we assessed functional responses of larvae and adult Harmonia axyridis on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd instars of the prey Spodoptera litura across a range of temperatures (i.e., 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35◦C). The type and parameters of the functional responses were determined using logistic …


Towards An Integrative View Of Virus Phenotypes, John P. Delong, Maitham A. Al-Sammak, Zeina Al-Ameeli, David Dunigan, Kyle F. Edwards, Jeffry J. Fuhrmann, Jason P. Gleghorn, Hanqun Li, Kona Haramoto, Amelia O. Harrison, Marcia F. Marston, Ryan M. Moore, Shawn W. Polson, Barbra D. Ferrell, Miranda E. Salsbery, Christopher R. Schvarcz, Jasmine Shirazi, Grieg F. Steward, James L. Van Etten, K. Eric Wommack Jan 2022

Towards An Integrative View Of Virus Phenotypes, John P. Delong, Maitham A. Al-Sammak, Zeina Al-Ameeli, David Dunigan, Kyle F. Edwards, Jeffry J. Fuhrmann, Jason P. Gleghorn, Hanqun Li, Kona Haramoto, Amelia O. Harrison, Marcia F. Marston, Ryan M. Moore, Shawn W. Polson, Barbra D. Ferrell, Miranda E. Salsbery, Christopher R. Schvarcz, Jasmine Shirazi, Grieg F. Steward, James L. Van Etten, K. Eric Wommack

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Understanding how phenotypes emerge from genotypes is a foundational goal in biology. As challenging as this task is when considering cellular life, it is further complicated in the case of viruses. During replication, a virus as a discrete entity (the virion) disappears and manifests itself as a metabolic amalgam between the virus and the host (the virocell). Identifying traits that unambiguously constitute a virus’s phenotype is straightforward for the virion, less so for the virocell. Here, we present a framework for categorizing virus phenotypes that encompasses both virion and virocell stages and considers functional and performance traits of viruses in …


Toxicity Of The Technology Critical Elements Germanium And Yttrium To Daphnia Magna And Hyalella Azteca And The Influence Of Toxicity Modifying Factors, Rashid Shah Jan 2022

Toxicity Of The Technology Critical Elements Germanium And Yttrium To Daphnia Magna And Hyalella Azteca And The Influence Of Toxicity Modifying Factors, Rashid Shah

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Technology critical elements (TCEs) are increasingly used in high and green technologies but there is little aquatic toxicity data for TCEs, particularly in fresh water. The objective of this study was to investigate the toxicity of two TCEs, Ge and Y, to Daphnia magna and Hyalella azteca and to understand the role of natural organic matter and cations on toxicity modification. Testing followed standard methods. The 48 h EC50 for D. magna was 11.6 (95% CI of 9.64-13.8) mg Ge/L based on measured dissolved concentrations at test end. The addition of NOM at 10 mg DOC/L resulted in a significant …


Exosome- And Microrna-Based Therapeutic Approach For Tendinopathy, Angela Wang Ilaltdinov Jan 2022

Exosome- And Microrna-Based Therapeutic Approach For Tendinopathy, Angela Wang Ilaltdinov

Dissertations and Theses

Tendinopathy, characterized by degeneration and chronic inflammation, is a significant clinical burden. Current treatments focus on symptom management but do not sufficiently address its underlying pathology; however, stem cell-based approaches aimed at repairing diseased tissues may overcome this limitation. Therapeutic effects of stem cells may be due in part to paracrine actions, including some mediated by exosomes – extracellular vesicles secreted by cells that play a role in cell communication. MicroRNA (miRNA), small non-coding RNA carried by exosomes, are likely responsible for many exosome effects. Exosomes and miRNA therapies show promise in treating diseases such as cancer and arthritis, but …


Microbial Community And Soil Responses To Land Management Practices In Remnant And Restored Tallgrass Prairies, Desirae Marie Klimek Jan 2022

Microbial Community And Soil Responses To Land Management Practices In Remnant And Restored Tallgrass Prairies, Desirae Marie Klimek

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Critical ecosystem functions, such as decomposition and nutrient cycling, are driven by microbial communities within soil. As such, it is important to examine the effect of restoration practices, such as the presence of native grazers and prescribed burning, on these microbes and the soil they inhabit. The Nachusa Grasslands provides a chronosequence of restored tallgrass prairies ranging in restoration age from 5 to 33 years, as well as remnant prairies, and agricultural fields. These sites were sampled seasonally from 2013-2020 and microbial ribosomal RNA genes were surveyed to characterize soil microbial communities and assess how common restoration practices affect these …