Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Thermal Stress On Amount, Composition, And Antibacterial Properties Of Coral Mucus, Rachel M. Wright, Marie E. Strader, Heather M. Genuise, Mikhail Matz

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America ABSTRACT The surface mucus layer of reef-building corals supports feeding, sediment clearing, and protection from pathogenic invaders. As much as half of the fixed carbon supplied by the corals' photosynthetic symbionts is incorporated into expelled mucus. It is therefore reasonable to expect that coral bleaching (disruption of the coralfialgal symbiosis) would affect mucus production. Since coral mucus serves as an important nutrient source for the entire reef community, this could have substantial ecosystemwide consequences. In this study, we examined the effects of heat …

Effect Of Process-Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning (Pogil) On Preservice Elementary Teachers' Understanding Of Biological Classification, Mackenzie Volz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined preservice elementary teachers’ biological classification conceptions and whether process-oriented guided-inquiry learning (POGIL) or traditional pedagogies affect preservice elementary teachers’ understanding of biological classification conceptions. A literature review was completed to determine common biological classification conceptions that exist among all researched populations, what misconceptions are present regarding biological classification, and whether POGIL was an appropriate pedagogy to use in the experimental study. The findings from the literature review were used to develop a mixed-method research study. Both quantitative and qualitative data was gathered through the use of pre- and posttests and post-instruction clinical interviews. Participants (n = 47) …

Stoichiometric Homeostasis In Two Native And Two Invasive South Dakotan Grasses, Joshua Thonas Harvey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increased nutrient availability has been widely linked to the success of invasive plants, however a general mechanism explaining these observations is lacking. Stoichiometric homeostasis (H), which is the regulation of internal nutrient concentrations, has been used to explain changes in plant community diversity under alterations in nutrient availability. One hypothesis holds that plants with high regulation (larger H) decrease in abundance in nutrient enriched conditions but are stable in nutrient deficient and drought conditions, likely due to extensive root systems. Additionally, plants with low regulation (lower H) increase in abundance under nutrient enriched conditions but are sensitive to drought …

Novel Approaches To Evaluate And Enhance Neonatal Calf Gastrointestinal Health And Development, Fernanda Trindade Da Rosa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Physiological adaptations of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) epithelial cells as well as methods to manipulate early life GIT microbiota colonization during the neonatal stage, is of great importance to the dairy industry. The first objective of this research was to optimize a method based on evaluation of bovine transcripts in fecal RNA via RTqPCR using L-selectin (SELL) as a marker for polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL), keratin 8 (KRT8) and fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2) for GIT enterocytes, and tight junctions in fecal RNA and GIT sections in dairy calves. To test the reliability of the fecal RNA method, fecal and …

Soil Health Indicators And Sustainable Practices On Indy Urban Farms: An Investigation Of Ecosystem Functionality, Rebecca Lewis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Urban agriculture is capable of restoring ecosystem services like food production, recreation, and clean soil and water to cities. Urban farms in particular can help relieve pressure for areas with limited food access, also known as food desserts. This is especially important to the community of Indianapolis because the city is tied for the most food desert areas within a U.S. metropolitan area. To help a community, an urban farm must have healthy, nutrient rich soils. Nitrogen is the most limiting nutrient for plants when it comes to growth and development. Plants cannot produce nitrogen; they acquire the mineral by …

Sex-Related Differences In Immune Response And Symptomatic Manifestations To Infection With Leishmania Species, Ryan D. Lockard, Mary E. Wilson, Nilda E. Rodriguez

Faculty Work

Worldwide, an estimated 12 million people are infected with Leishmania spp. and an additional 350 million are at risk of infection. Leishmania are intracellular parasites that cause disease by suppressing macrophage microbicidal responses. Infection can remain asymptomatic or lead to a spectrum of diseases including cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral leishmaniasis. Ultimately, the combination of both pathogen and host factors determines the outcome of infection. Leishmaniasis, as well as numerous other infectious diseases, exhibits sex-related differences that cannot be explained solely in terms of environmental exposure or healthcare access. Furthermore, transcriptomic evidence is revealing that biological sex is a variable impacting …

Complete Genome Sequence Analysis Of A Lytic Shigella Flexneri Vb_Sfls-Isf001 Bacteriophage, Khashayar Shahin, Majid Bouzari, Ran Wang

Turkish Journal of Biology

Shigellosis is one of the most important acute enteric infections caused by different species of Shigella, such as Shigella flexneri. Despite the use of antibiotic therapy to reduce disease duration, this approach is becoming less effective due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance among Shigella spp. Bacteriophages have been introduced as an alternative for controlling shigellosis. However, the bacteriophages must be without any lysogenic or virulence factors, toxin coding, or antibiotic-resistant genes. In this study, the whole genome sequence of vB_SflS-ISF001, a virulent Siphoviridae bacteriophage specific for Shigella flexneri, was obtained, and a comparative genomic analysis was carried out to …

Functional Characteristics Of Lactobacilli From Traditional Bulgarian Fermented Milk Products, Veronica Nemska, Petya Logar, Tanya Rasheva, Zdravka Sholeva, Nelly Georgieva, Svetla Danova

Turkish Journal of Biology

After oral administration, probiotic lactobacilli meet a number of protection systems in the human body, such as exposure to gastric, pancreatic, and small intestinal juices. Overcoming these detrimental barriers allows living bacteria to adhere to the intestinal epithelium and permanently colonize the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), providing health benefits to the host. Based on this, the transit tolerance of 25 candidate probiotic lactobacilli from katak, yoghurt, and white-brined and yellow cheese to simulated bile and small intestinal juices of variable pH was investigated. To establish their resistance, in vitro model systems based on modified MRS media and a longer duration of …

Effects Of B2o3 (Boron Trioxide) On Colon Cancer Cells: Our First-Step Experience And In Vitro Results, Özgür Albuz, Di̇lek Dülger, Beste Çağdaş Tunali, Feray Aydin, Seli̇m Yalçin, Mustafa Türk

Turkish Journal of Biology

Boron oxide (B2O3) is derived from dehydration of boric acid and is a colorless, semitransparent, crystalline compound that is moderately soluble in water. On the other hand, boron oxide is chemically hygroscopic. This gives the molecule the ability to soak up water and adhere to tissues. Boron oxide can be used locally after tumor debulking in inoperable tumors and especially when the tumor-free margin distance cannot be provided. For all these reasons we aimed to evaluate the in vitro test results of B2O3 in terms of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, apoptosis, and necrotic effects on L929 fibroblast cells and DLD-1 colorectal adenocarcinoma …

Identification Of Watermelon Heat Shock Protein Members And Tissue-Specific Gene Expression Analysis Under Combined Drought And Heat Stresses, Yasemi̇n Çeli̇k Altunoğlu, Merve Keleş, Tevfi̇k Hasan Can, Mehmet Cengi̇z Baloğlu

Turkish Journal of Biology

Heat shock protein (Hsp) gene family members in the watermelon genome were identified and characterized by bioinformatics analysis. In addition, expression profiles of genes under combined drought and heat stress conditions were experimentally analyzed. In the watermelon genome, 39 genes belonging to the sHsp family, 101 genes belonging to the Hsp40 family, 23 genes belonging to the Hsp60 family, 12 genes belonging to the Hsp70 family, 6 genes belonging to the Hsp90 family, and 102 genes belonging to the Hsp100 family were found. It was also observed that the proteins in the same cluster in the phylogenetic trees had similar …

Of Course, Humans Are Not Unique!, Bernard Wallner

Animal Sentience

This commentary focuses on the question of the uniqueness of humans in comparison to other species and on the false assumption that single arguments support logical conclusions. Comparative analysis of genetic data in humans and nonhuman primates regarding the dopaminergic system of the subcortical mesolimbic reward system highlights homologous traits shared and modified by the process of evolution. Such an analytical approach is more relevant than claims of uniqueness.

Differences In Soil Bacterial Diversity After Treatment With Benzyl Isothiocyanate, An Allelopathic Secondary Metabolite Derivative Of Alliaria Petiolata (Garlic Mustard), Samantha Pagel

Undergraduate Student Research

The species, Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard), has overtaken the understory of North American forests for over a century, but how the plant has become invasively successful is not well understood. There is some indication that the secretion and breakdown of its allelopathic metabolic compounds, known as glucosinolates, contribute to its success. Benzyl isothiocyanate, an end product of garlic mustard glucosinolate breakdown, has been found in previous studies to inhibit seed germination and the growth of certain mycorrhizal fungi species. Soil bacterial communities, in addition to fungi, play an important role in the surrounding abiotic and biotic environment. This study aims …

Using Isoconversional Methods To Study The Effect Of Antioxidants On The Oxidation Kinetics Of Milk Fat, Khalid Ahmed Alsaleem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Milk fat is a versatile ingredient because of its nutritional value, functionality, and flavor. During processing and storage, milk fat may undergo oxidation resulting in many undesirable changes such as unpleasant flavor and aroma, and formation of toxic compounds. A common practice to prevent the oxidation of milk fat is by the addition of antioxidants. It is worth to mention that little is known on the effect of antioxidants on the oxidation kinetics. In this work, the effect of selected antioxidants on the oxidation kinetics of anhydrous milk fat (AMF) under non-isothermal conditions was investigated. AMF with an addition of …

Increasing Accumulation Of Glyceollins In Soybeans Via Optimization Of The Fungal Incubation Process, Stephanie Wootton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Continual use of antibiotics in the feed of food animals was viewed a solution to the problem of disease outbreaks in livestock produced in confinement operations. This practice also improved animal performance, likely due to the reduction in sub-clinical infections. Unfortunately, this practice led to a new problem, the development of antibiotic resistant microbes. This increase in antibiotic resistance reduced the direct benefits of antibiotics in animal production. Moreover, as antibiotic resistance spread from animal to human pathogens, this practice created a major public health concern. This led the FDA to enact the Veterinary Feed Directive in 2017 that greatly …

Negative Effects Of Common Herbicides On Non-Target Invertebrates, Debbi Albanese

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Three herbicide formulations, Roundup® Ready to Use Weed and Grass Killer, Bayer Advanced Southern Weed Killer for Lawns and Pure 20% Vinegar Solution were directly applied to eggs of four species of butterflies, Danaus plexippus, Papilio cresphontes, Papilio polyxenes and Papilio troilus. Roundup and Bayer Advanced containing 2,4-D, mecoprop-p and dicamba significantly reduced hatch success in all four species. Lethal and sublethal effects of these herbicides on the earthworm, Eisenia andrei, was also examined. Direct contact by E. andrei with a heavy dose of the herbicides applied to tops of soil 24 hours prior was lethal to earthworms. …

Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Constipation (Ibs-C) Treatment Efficacy And The Emerging Importance Of Serotonin, Meghan Schenk

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) affects a large proportion of the population. It decreases quality of life for the patient both physically and mentally. Patients report higher levels of mental health issues and other gastrointestinal maladies compared to the normal population, in addition to an IBS diagnosis. Patients have increased healthcare visits and costs, raising insurance rates for all, and also results in more missed time from work. There are limited treatments available for IBS-C, and medicinal and non-medicinal modalities are differentially prescribed to patients throughout the country. Recently, serotonin has emerged as a key mediator of normal gut …

A Review: The Association Of Asthma And The Microbiome, Kathleen Olson

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

The microbiome gut-lung axis has been associated with asthma. Asthma is a respiratory disease that presents itself in many different ways. The microbiome is the bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses found in a particular environment. The association of the microbiome gutlung axis in an asthmatic individual compared to a healthy individual has shown that different types and/or concentrations of bacterial genera are present in an asthmatic individual compared to a healthy individual. A causal relationship between the microbiome and asthma has not yet been identified. The aim of this review is to present the association of asthma and the microbiome …

Pathogenesis Of Cte: A Review Of Ptau, Lewy Bodies, And Cytokine Involvement In Cte, Karter Keefer

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a neuropathological disease that develops years after experiencing repetitive traumatic brain injuries. In recent years, this disease has been gaining recognition from professional, college, and high school teams that participate in contact sports. The purpose of this paper is to review available information about this neurodegenerative disease. Only limited published experiments are available on this disease. Research on CTE has been limited by the fact that patients can only be diagnosed with the disease by a post mortem autopsy. Many experiments were analyzed regarding different CTE pathologies, symptoms, and treatments. Articles used in this paper …

Energy Drinks: Cardiovascular Effects And The Specific Components Responsible, Malka B. Gelbfish

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Energy drink usage as a stimulant is on the rise among adolescents and young adults. While these drinks have positive energizing effects, they pose significant health concerns. This paper examines the adverse cardiovascular effects of energy drinks and the components that could possibly be responsible. Analysis was conducted by reviewing and comparing many studies available in this area of research. Studies of energy drinks in general and energy drinks versus drinks containing caffeine alone were analyzed. Additionally, this review investigated studies of the specific ingredients in energy drinks such as caffeine, taurine, guarana, and sugar. This review found that energy …

Variations In The Dragonfly Microbiome Through Life Stages And Its Ability To Harbor Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, Sarah Russell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Juvenile dragonflies (nymphs) may possess the ability to pass their microbiome to the adult life stage through metamorphosis. If this is so, the environment in which the nymph develops may have an effect on the adult microbiome. In this study, the gut microbiomes of 13 species of dragonfly were compared across life stages and when collected from environments at different levels of urbanization. The gut of each dragonfly was removed, DNA extracted, and a portion of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplified and sequenced. Gut suspensions were also plated on antibiotic amended plates to determine the potential for dragonflies to …

An Experimental Test Of Controls On Resource Exchange In An Ectomycorrhizal Mutualism, Amber Lynn Horning

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Models of resource exchange mutualisms utilize economic principles to explain how the costs and benefits of these interactions vary with environmental context. All of these models use a ratio of resource exchange (e.g., nitrogen: carbon) as the central variable, and it is unclear whether such exchange ratios predict outcomes of mutualisms in natural systems. Corrêa et al. (2008) hypothesized instead that the absolute flux of the most limiting nutrient, rather than the ratio of the two exchanged resources, best explains the benefits of resource exchange mutualisms. To distinguish between these two competing hypotheses, we measured resource transfers, and their ratios, …

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Reforming Organized Dentistry To Address Persistent Oral Health Disparities In The U.S., Aparna Chintapalli

Pomona Senior Theses

The importance of oral health has been largely neglected from the conventional standards of healthcare in terms of public understanding & prioritization, the industrial infrastructure, and the scope of prevention & early-intervention services. Its adjunctive locus to the field of medicine has lead to the bifurcation of the oral cavity from the rest of the human body. As a result of this divide, there have been multiple factors that have allowed socially stratified oral health outcomes to manifest. This thesis examines the determinants of oral health disparities through a multidisciplinary lens (i.e. biology, public policy, infrastructure), and offers evidence of …

Healthy Skepticism: The Relationship Between Funding Source And Conclusion In Nutrition-Related Scientific Articles On Saturated Fat, Lili Muskal

CMC Senior Theses

Recently published scientific articles have led to mixed nutritional advice on dietary saturated fatty acids. Lesser et. al (2007) identified that mixed conclusions in scientific articles on sweetened beverages might be attributed industry funding, as articles funded by the beverage industry are four to eight times more likely to report conclusions in favor of the sponsor’s products. This thesis applies Lesser’s methods to determine whether industry funding influences the inconsistent conclusions on saturated fatty acids. This thesis analyzes 100 articles on foods high in dietary saturated fatty acids. While studies with food industry funding are more likely to produce favorable …

Cytotoxic And Genotoxic Action Of Tagetes Patula Flower Methanol Extract And Patuletin Using The Allium Test, Mudassar Azhar, Ahsana Dar Farooq, Sayedul Haque, Samina Bano, Lubna Zaheer, Shaheen Faizi

Turkish Journal of Biology

Tagetes patula is used to treat cancer patients in alternative healthcare systems. However, its cytotoxic and genotoxic effects have not been reported. Therefore, the methanol extract of T. patula flower, the ethyl acetate fraction, and the pure compound patuletin were evaluated using the Allium test. The methanol extract and fraction contained ~3% and ~36% patuletin, respectively, with ~98% purity. The methanol extract caused inhibition of Allium root growth displaying an IC50 value of ~500 μg/mL, while the fraction and patuletin were more potent by ~2 and ~5 times, respectively. The Allium root tips demonstrated a decline in prophase, metaphase, anaphase, …

Squalene Attenuates The Oxidative Stress And Activates Akt/Mtor Pathway Against Cisplatin-Induced Kidney Damage In Mice, Ayşe Arzu Şakul, Mehmet Ozansoy, Bi̇rsen Eli̇bol, Şule Ayla, Mehmet Yalçin Günal, Yasemi̇n Yozgat, Selma Hüveyda Başağa, Kazi̇m Şahi̇n, Rümeyza Kazancioğlu, Ülkan Kiliç

Turkish Journal of Biology

The clinical use of cisplatin, which is a first-line anticancer agent, is highly restricted due to its adverse effects on kidneys that lead to nephrotoxicity. Therefore, some potential reno-protective substances have been used in combination with cisplatin to cope with nephrotoxicity. Due to its high antitumor activity and oxygen-carrying capacity, we investigated the molecular effects of squalene against cisplatin-induced oxidative stress and kidney damage in mice. Single dose of cisplatin (7 mg/kg) was given to male Balb/c mice. Squalene (100 mg/kg/day) was administered orogastrically to mice for 10 days. Following sacrification, molecular alterations were investigated as analysis of the levels …

A Multitrophic Perspective On Biodiversity–Ecosystem Functioning Research, Nico Eisenhauer, Holger Schielzeth, Andrew D. Barnes, Kathryn Barry, Aletta Bonn, Ulrich Brose, Helge Bruelheide, Nina Buchmann, Francois Buscott, Anne Ebeling, Olga Ferlian, Grégoire T. Freschet, Darren P. Giling, Stephan Hättenschwiler, Helmut Hillebrand, Jes Hines, Forest Isbell, Eva Koller-France, Birgitta König-Ries, Hans De Kroon, Sebastian T. Meyer, Alexandru Milcu, Jörg Müller, Charles A. Nock, Jana S. Petermann, Christiane Roscher, Christoph Scherber, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Bernhard Schmid, Andreas Schuldt, Teja Tscharntke, Manfred Türke, Nicole M. Van Dam, Fons Van Der Plas, Anja Vogel, Cameron Wagg, David A. Wardle, Alexandra Weigelt, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Christian Wirth, Malte Jochum

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Concern about the functional consequences of unprecedented loss in biodiversity has prompted biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) research to become one of the most active fields of ecological research in the past 25 years. Hundreds of experiments have manipulated biodiversity as an independent variable and found compelling support that the functioning of ecosystems increases with the diversity of their ecological communities. This research has also identified some of the mechanisms underlying BEF relationships, some context-dependencies of the strength of relationships, as well as implications for various ecosystem services that mankind depends upon. In this paper, we argue that a multitrophic perspective of …

Pursue Undergraduate Research Journal Volume 2 (Issue 1) 2019

Pursue: Undergraduate Research Journal

The scholarly journal, “PURSUE: Undergraduate Research Journal” (ISSN 2473-6201), provides undergraduates an avenue to publish their original research abstracts and articles in the following areas: psychology, sociology, biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, computer science, mathematics, humanities, agriculture, architecture, health, business, and education (this list is not exclusive).

The original research articles included in this journal are peer reviewed and selected by the journal’s Editorial Board. The review process allows undergraduate researchers to receive feedback from notable scientists in their field of study and teach them about the publication process. Publication of their work will not only inform the scientific community; it …

Vitellogenin Receptor As A Target For Tick Control: A Mini-Review, Robert D. Mitchell Iii, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Adalberto A. Pérez De León

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

While much effort has been put into understanding vitellogenesis in insects and other organisms, much less is known of this process in ticks. There are several steps that facilitate yolk formation in developing oocytes of which the vitellogenin receptor (VgR) is a key component. The tick VgR binds vitellogenin (Vg) circulating in the hemolymph to initiate receptor-mediated endocytosis and its transformation into vitellin (Vn). The conversion of Vg into Vn, the final form of the yolk protein, occurs inside oocytes of the female tick ovary. Vn is critical to tick embryos since it serves as the nutritional source for their …

Goldeye Hidon Alosoides Calorimetry In Red Lake, Jesse Mendel

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Goldeye Hiodon alosoides are found across North America and are a relatively unstudied group of fish as they have had no economic value in the past. Ecologically speaking, these fish could have importance to the waters that they inhabit, as they are prey to fishes like Walleyes Sander vitreus, Northern Pike Esox lucius, and Muskellunge Esox masquinongy. These fish could potentially be vital to predatory fishes because of the amount of oil found in these fish, creating gram for gram more energy than compared to other consumable substances. The average energy density for all Goldeye was 6.73 …

To Sleep Or Not To Sleep, That Is The Question: Sleep, Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms In Pregnancy, Alexis B. Miller

Honors Theses

Pregnancy is a time associated with many changes in a woman’s body including hormonal, metabolic, physical, and physiological changes (Miller, 2004; Okun, Kiewra, Luther, Wisniewski, & Wisner, 2011). A related concern is pregnant women and the impact of disturbed sleep. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 36% of the population in Mississippi experience an insufficient amount of sleep (CDC, 2014). Moreover, sleep disturbances in pregnancy are significantly associated with antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms (Volkovich, Tikotzky, & Manber, 2015; Yu et al., 2017). The present study assessed potential relations between sleep disturbances, anxiety, depressive symptoms …