Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Mating On Male Choosiness In Bicyclus Anynana, Ellie Hope Magera

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Males mate multiply in many species, including butterflies, but little is known about whether the act of mating influences future male choosiness. We might expect mating to influence future preference, as previous studies have shown that pre-mating social experiences affect future male mate choice. To determine if initial male mate choice affects subsequent male mating decisions, we conducted behavioral assays using the subtropical nymphalid butterfly Bicyclus anynana. We tested three alternative hypotheses: 1) initial mating is a positive experience that strengthens male preference for the previously encountered phenotype; 2) males prefer mating with a different phenotype in their second …

Investigating The Effects Of Vitamin K1 And K2 On The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cell Line Sum159pt, Monica E. Alexander

Biological Sciences

Vitamin K serves as a cofactor in the post-translational carboxylation of glutamate to γ-carboxyglutamate (GLA) by the enzyme gamma-glutamyl carboxylase (GGCX). Vitamin K epoxide reductases (VKOR) then oxidize the vitamin K to regenerate the compound’s reduced form. While most of the known γcarboxylated proteins function in coagulation and bone homeostasis, the presence of GGCX and VKOR in a wide variety of tissues suggests that the vitamin and its pathway has more extensive physiological roles. Our previous research has assessed the expression of the vitamin K pathway in triple negative breast cancer cells (TNBCs) and compared the effects of vitamin K1 …

A New Frontier For Fat: Dietary Palmitic Acid Induces Innate Immune Memory, Amy L. Seufert, Brooke A. Napier

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dietary saturated fats have recently been appreciated for their ability to modify innate immune cell function, including monocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils. Many dietary saturated fatty acids (SFAs) embark on a unique pathway through the lymphatics following digestion, and this makes them intriguing candidates for inflammatory regulation during homeostasis and disease. Specifically, palmitic acid (PA) and diets enriched in PA have recently been implicated in driving innate immune memory in mice. PA has been shown to induce long-lasting hyper-inflammatory capacity against secondary microbial stimuli in vitro and in vivo, and PA-enriched diets alter the developmental trajectory of stem cell progenitors in …

Estimating The Functional Consequences Of Intra-Specific Trichome Variation Of Tomato, Solanum Lycopersicum On The Specialist Herbivore, Manduca Sexta, Satinderpal Kaur

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: Plants have a wide array of defenses against herbivores and hence they must confer trade-offs between growth and defense related traits. By using Solanum as a model genus, the major plant defense fitness trade-off hypotheses are reviewed in this chapter along with their assumptions and examples.

Chapter 2: This chapter provides an overview of the enormous intra-specific diversity in trichome morphology in tomato, Solanum lycopersicum. Also, the trichome sub-types are analyzed for the variations in density and dimensions in 10 varieties of tomato by using desktop scanning electron microscope.

Chapter 3: This chapter examines the functional consequences …

Maureen Biology: Teaching Environmentalism Through Television, Maureen Kennedy

Senior Honors Projects

Children’s television is proven to be an effective instrument for educational material for young age groups and can be utilized to teach social awareness, traditional educational content, and about worldly issues. Highly successful shows for varying adolescent ages, such as Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, and Bill Nye the Science Guy, exist for the sole purpose of increasing young viewers’ cognition and knowledge. Differing formats are used to convey educational content, such as narrative and expository structures, depending on the material and target age group. This project will develop the script for a children’s television show in the expository format that …

Nutritional Ecology Of The Western Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon Piscivorus Leucostoma), Jason Ortega

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutritional ecology aims to understand the factors that shape the diets of animals, how these ingested meals are processed, and how the assimilated nutrients are used to shape an organism’s interactions with its environment. As environmental parameters are altered due to anthropogenic changes, the availability and quality of prey may be altered. The alteration of the nutritional landscape can be devastating to nutritional specialists, yet generalist predators may be able to cope with these changes. The western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) is a unique semiaquatic pitviper that can both forage along the land-water interface and in upland habitat when faced …

Protein Nutrition And Immunity In Male Bumblebees (Bombus Impatiens), Carson Stoker

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Male bumble bees play a vital but understudied role in their colonies. They are essential to colony reproduction and success, despite not emerging until the end of the colony's life cycle. Even so, the biology of male bumble bees is not well understood, which leaves our understanding of colony health incomplete. This knowledge gap is important because bumblebee populations are declining, which threatens the ecosystems and industries which rely on them for pollination. This study aimed to understand how two understudied factors of bumble bee health—diet and immunity—are related in males. Pollen, a bee’s main source of protein, has been …

Assessing Stream Ecosystem Structure And Function In An Urban Canal And Logan River In Logan, Utah, Ellie Smith-Eskridge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Humans have constructed canals to support agriculture, to mitigate flooding, and to discharge stormwater, especially in the Intermountain West. These canals are common in Cache Valley, where they receive flows from the Logan River during summer months. However, the ecological structure (e.g., water quality, freshwater invertebrates) and function (e.g., leaf decomposition) of these canals remains largely unknown. Studying ecosystem structure and function of these urban waterways is important because it can inform us of the health of these waterways.

My research had three objectives. First, I compared water chemistry, invertebrate assemblages, and leaf decomposition in an urban canal and the …

Status And Enhancement Of Trissolcus Japonicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) For Biological Control Of Halyomorpha Halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) In Northern Utah, Kate V. Richardson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is a major insect pest that invades human structures causing nuisance issues and attacks numerous fruit and vegetable crops in Northern America. As this pest threatens $23 billion worth of specialty and agricultural crops in the U.S. and is difficult to manage due to insecticide resistance, control practices such as the use of biological control through egg parasitoid wasps are critical. In its native range of Asia, BMSB populations are controlled primarily by members of the Trissolcus genus such as the samurai wasp, but U.S. native wasps have demonstrated low success of BMSB …

Consequences Of Host Life Cycles For Symbiont Genome Evolution, Ashley Elizabeth Dederich

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aphids are small insects that feed exclusively on plant sap, a notoriously low source of nutrients due to the high sugar content and low amino acid content. To make up for these deficiencies in nutrition, aphids harbor Buchnera aphidicola, a bacterial endosymbiont that resides in a specialized organ called the bacteriome. B. aphidicola provides essential amino acids and vitamins for the aphid in exchange for a safe place to live. Over the course of the symbiosis (established 160 million years ago), B. aphidicola has lost much of its genome, including essential genes for cell envelope synthesis, DNA replication and …

Gonads Without Glp-1: Silencing Glp-1 In The Male Somatic Gonad In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Matthew Titus

Undergraduate Theses

In C. elegans, the gene glp-1 encodes for a Notch receptor called GLP-1, one of two found in C. elegans’ genome. The gene has been previously implicated in the development of the hermaphroditic germline as well as playing a role in the mitosis/meiosis decision. Genetic screening has further identified it as potentially playing a role in the development of the male somatic gonad, making it an ideal candidate for a reverse genetic. We did this by silencing glp-1 and observing if any alterations to the gonad’s phenotype occur.

Normally this could be done by performing a gene knockout. …

Physiological, Temporal, And Environmental Determinants Of Forage Fish Caloric Content In The Gulf Of Mexico, Rebecca R. Walsh

Honors Theses

Within the Gulf of Mexico, forage fish species serve as an important link between lower trophic levels and higher trophic levels, supporting economically valuable predator fish, birds, and mammals. Despite the key ecological role of forage fish, fisheries management efforts are often directed elsewhere; as a result, input data for fisheries models is unavailable for many forage fish species. To fill this knowledge gap, we sought to produce species-specific caloric content values for four forage fish species in the Gulf of Mexico: Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), white trout (Cynoscion arenarius), bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), …

Circadian Rhythm Effects Of Social Jetlag And Exercise On Stress Levels And Weight Change Of Fischer Rats, Brian Schwalm

Biology Student Scholarship

Brian Schwalm ’23
Major: Biology
Minor: Economics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Pamela Snodgrass, Biology

Function And Regulation Of Virulence-Associated Siderophores In Uropathogenic Enterobacterales, James Robert Heffernan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Siderophores are small molecules created by fungi and bacterial cells to help obtain iron. This may extend to cells in iron-limiting environments within host organisms. Certain siderophores are associated with increased virulence in urinary tract infections (UTIs). Siderophore system activity is typically regulated by feedback inhibition via ferric uptake regulator (Fur) which, in the presence of cytosolic iron, binds to a ~19 base pair inverted DNA repeat (9-1-9) called a Fur box. Once bound to this motif, the iron-Fur complex suppresses siderophore expression when adequate bacterial iron status is achieved. Many organisms produce more than one siderophore, and in the …

Use Of Resources By Adult Karner Blue Butterflies (Lycaeides Melissa Samuelis) In Michigan: Comparisons Of Nectar Selections On Native And Non-Native Species, Afafia Herweyer

Masters Projects

Abstract

The endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) is at risk due to the decline of oak barrens and dry sand prairies, the butterfly’s sole habitat. Survival depends on effective conservation of remaining habitat and creation of new viable habitats. Successful management must consider resource needs for both larval and adult stages. Information on adult nectar requirements is limited (Grundel et al. 2000, Pickens & Root 2008). Sufficient nectar increases lifespan and fecundity of butterflies (Murphy et al. 1983, Hill & Pierce 1989, Fischer & Fielder 2001), and deters emigration. Encroachment of non-native nectar species into butterfly habitat warrants …

The Bellarmine Bee Bed: Organizing A Native Plant Garden Using Feedback From The Local Community, Kate Moran

Undergraduate Theses

Animal pollinators are the cornerstone of healthy ecosystems. Their survival is essential for the persistence of entire food chains: from the flowers they cross-pollinate directly, to the animals who depend on those plants for nutrition. The establishment of pollinator gardens—particularly ones that consist of native plants—is an effective way to enhance their biodiversity, abundance, and well-being.

The main goal of this thesis is to construct a pollinator garden that maximizes the benefits for animal pollinators using feedback from local gardeners. A survey was used to gather information about the popularity and preferences of 40 flowering plants, and after analyzing the …

Interactions Between Metabolism And Growth Can Determine The Co-Existence Of Staphylococcus Aureus And Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Camryn Pajon, Marla C. Fortoul, Gabriela Diaz-Tang, Estefania Marin Meneses, Ariane R. Kalifa, Elinor Sevy, Taniya Mariah, Brandon Toscan, Maili Marcelin, Daniella M. Hernandez, Melissa M. Marzouk, Allison J. Lopatkin, Omar T. Eldakar, Robert Smith

Biology Faculty Articles

Most bacteria exist and interact within polymicrobial communities. These interactions produce unique compounds, increase virulence and augment antibiotic resistance. One community associated with negative healthcare outcomes consists of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. When co-cultured, virulence factors secreted by P. aeruginosa reduce metabolism and growth in S. aureus. When grown in vitro, this allows P. aeruginosa to drive S. aureus toward extinction. However, when found in vivo, both species can co-exist. Previous work has noted that this may be due to altered gene expression or mutations. However, little is known about how the growth environment could influence the …

Detection Of A Diverse Endophyte Assemblage Within Fungal Communities Associated With The Arundo Leaf Miner, Lasioptera Donacis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), Marie-Claude Bon, John A. Goolsby, Guy Mercadier, Fatiha Guermache, Javid Kashef, Massimo Cristofaro, Ann T. Vacek, Alan Kirk

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The larvae of Lasioptera donacis Coutin feed on fungal communities lining galleries within the mesophyll of leaf sheaths of Arundo donax in an aggregative manner. It has been stated that L. donacis could have established a fundamental symbiotic relationship with one fungus, although the fungal composition of these communities remains unsettled. Using a culture-dependent approach and ITS sequencing, the present work characterizes and compares the fungal communities associated with L. donacis in Eurasia with the endophytes of A. donax in Texas where L. donacis is absent. The 65 cultivable isolates obtained from L. donacis fungal communities were sorted into 15 …

An In-Vitro Examination Of The Effects Of Enterodiole On Glucose Disposal In Human Adipocytes, Abigail Mclaughlin

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Determining The Influence Of Diet And Ers On The Structure-Function Of Relationship In The Kidney, Efosa Osayamwen, Nathaniel Spears

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Influence Of Metabolic Interventions On Animal Aging And Lifespan, Bhaswati Ghosh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Aging is associated with metabolic rewiring. Most lifespan-extending longevity interventions target metabolic pathways. Genetic or pharmacological metabolic approaches that mediate longer lifespan and healthspan, are often linked to detrimental effects on human health. Here, I show that supplementation of botanical extracts from Artemisia scoparia (SCO), dramatically increases animal lifespan. Mechanistically, this lifespan extension is dependent on AMPK-DAF-16 signaling via inhibition of the insulin pathway. In SCO-fed worms, longer lifespan was accompanied by higher fat storage and improved resiliency to age-related physiological stress. Notably, DAF-16, the master regulator of longevity, activated the fatty acid desaturation processes, which promoted the accumulation of …

Protein Nutrition And Immunity In Male Bumblebees Of Bombus Impatiens, Carson Stoker

Student Research Symposium

Male bumblebees play a vital but undervalued role in their colonies. They are important to colony reproduction and success despite not emerging until the end of the colony's life cycle. Little research has been conducted on the biology and the role of male bumblebees. Further understanding could lead to heightened colony success in agricultural and environmental conditions. The objectives of this study are to 1) understand the effect of protein nutrition on the melanization responses of male bumblebees, 2) measure gene expression of various immune genes after an immune challenge with different diet conditions, and 3) further scientific knowledge about …

The Effect Of Gibberellic Acid Treatment On The Growth Of Dwarf Setaria Mutations, Audrianna Torrey, Mariana Gutierrez, Shelby Nolde, Agnes Adams, Andrés Acuña, Maia Busi, Hannah Edwards, Joshua Neely

2023 Student Academic Showcase

Dwarfism is a common mutation found in many organisms and Setaria (millets) is no different. In millets and other plants, a reduction or complete lack of production of necessary hormones such as Gibberellic acid (GA), auxin, or Brassinosteroid can cause a mutant’s vertical and sometimes outward growth to be significantly reduced when compared to a wild type of the same variety. A typical solution to this mutation is the application of a hormone solution to allow the plant’s cells and organs to have access to the hormones needed to continue growing at an average rate. We decided to test an …

Evaluation Of Eastern Gamagrass As Dual-Purpose Complementary Bioenergy And Forage Feedstock To Switchgrass, Christina Kieffer, Dafeng Hui, Roser Matamala, Jianwei Li, Donald Tyler, E. Kudjo Dzantor

Biology Faculty Research

Switchgrass (SG) is considered a model bioenergy crop and a warm-season perennial grass (WSPG) that traditionally served as forage feedstock in the United States. To avoid the sole dependence on SG for bioenergy production, evaluation of other crops to diversify the pool of feedstock is needed. We conducted a 3-year field experiment evaluating eastern gamagrass (GG), another WSPG, as complementary feedstock to SG in one- and two-cut systems, with or without intercropping with crimson clover or hairy vetch, and under different nitrogen (N) application rates. Our results showed that GG generally produced lower biomass (by 29.5%), theoretical ethanol potential (TEP, …

Predicting Successful Completion Of Biology From Course Satisfaction And Curriculum Format For Nontraditional Students, Janet Elizabeth Forde

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The overall purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between the biology curriculum design with student course satisfaction and the successful completion for nontraditional adult students. The current study was important in determining course curriculum format leading to nontraditional students’ successful course completion. The selected college is a small two-year community college in the southeast United States. This quantitative, predictive correlation study surveyed 85 nontraditional students’ satisfaction with the biology course curriculum format using the Online Course Satisfaction Scale. The survey data was correlated along with the type curriculum used in the course section (Open …

Role Of Microorganisms In Communication Between Soil And Plants, Domenico Prisa

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Microbial population in the rhizosphere establishes a number of important interactions with plants, whose study is crucial in perspective of sustainable agricultural production. Studies on various plant crops have revealed that, despite the complex microbial biodiversity of the soil, the bacterial microbiome is characterised by multiple functionalities. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms, underlying the interactions between plants and the microbiome, could enable better development of plants, related to the beneficial action of microorganisms. Therefore, this review aims to describe the characteristics of the rhizosphere microbiome with the interactions that occur between soil and roots, as well as the …

Local Translation And Focal Adhesions Are Dysregulated In Down Syndrome, Ashlyn Gotberg, Nikita Kirkise M.S., Kristy Welshhans Ph.D.

Senior Theses

During cellular migration, fibroblasts sense extracellular cues through membrane complexes at their leading edge and can respond to these cues via local translation. Local translation is the process in which mRNAs are transported to subcellular regions and translated in response to specific cues. There is evidence that local translation may be dysregulated in the neurodevelopmental disorder, Down syndrome, which is caused by the triplication of chromosome 21 and results in genome-wide dysregulation of protein expression. To determine if dysregulated local translation contributes to Down syndrome, we used three sets of primary fibroblasts from individuals with Down syndrome and apparently healthy …

Prevalence Of Endoparasites And Haematology In Redbelly Tilapia From A Shallow Tropical Reservoir In Ghana, Elliot H. Alhassan, Samuel A. Osei, Akwasi Ampofo-Yeboah, Samuel O. Dandi

Tanzania Journal of Science

The goal of this study was to assess common endoparasites on Tilapia zillii in the Tono Reservoir, as well as to investigate the mean intensity and prevalence of these parasites. A total of 175 fish specimens were examined during the study. Endoparasites of three metazoans and one protozoan were observed from the Tilapia zillii gills, intestines, and stomach. The findings showed that the most common endoparasites affecting Tilapia zillii are Ichthyopthirius multifiliis, Bothriocephalus sp., Contracaecum sp., and Dactylogyrus sp. Also, Contracaecum sp had the highest prevalence of 29.71, followed by Bothriocephalus sp (18.86), Ichthyopthirius multifiliis (12), and Dactylogyrus sp (6.86). …

The Influence Of Gmos On The Composition Of The Gut Microbiome, Shawnia Rakhshani, Hailey Wight

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Genetically modified organisms have been used for decades in agriculture across the world. The use of GMOs has been advertised as a solution to many agricultural issues. However, people have raised concerns about GMOs reshaping human health, and more importantly, the composition of the gut microbiome. The gut microbiome has a vital role in human health through digestion, immune abilities, and protection against disease-causing bacteria. If any disturbances occur in the microbiome, it can have negative effects on an individual’s overall health and wellbeing. Our paper investigates the pros and cons of ingesting GMOs in relation to our human gut …

Nutrient Resorption And Stoichiometric Characteristics Of Wuyi Rock Tea Cultivars, Dehuang Zhu, Suhong Peng, Wenzhen Liu, Shengjie Yu, Dafeng Hui

Biology Faculty Research

Nutrient resorption is an important strategy for plants to retain critical nutrients from senesced leaves and plays important roles in nutrient cycling and ecosystem productivity. As a main economic crop and soil and water conservation species, Wuyi Rock tea has been widely planted in Fujian Province, China. However, foliar nutrient resorptions of Wuyi Rock tea cultivars have not been well quantified. In this study, three Wuyi Rock tea cultivars (Wuyi Jingui, Wuyi Rougui, and Wuyi Shuixian) were selected in the Wuyishan National Soil and Water Conservation, Science and Technology Demonstration Park. Resorption efficiencies of nitrogen (NRE), phosphorus (PRE), and potassium …