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The Comparative Impact Of Acesulfame-Potassium, Stevia Extract, And Monk Fruit On The Lifespan Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Beverly Holton

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS), non-caloric sweetening devices, have been widely commercialized to reduce sugar consumption. This intent has associated NNS with health benefits, though reports have correlated the consumption of these substitutes with noncommunicable diseases. The interaction between NNS and distinct physiological processes has been examined, though research into the broader implications of these interactions, toward longevity, for instance, is lacking. The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of three recently FDA-approved NNS - acesulfame-Potassium (ace-K), stevia, and monk fruit - on the survival of Drosophila melanogaster, a model species for longevity research, to discern the possible impacts …

The Effect Of Crystalline Phase On The Toxicity Of Tio2 Nanoparticles To Chlorella, Jisoo Lee

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Nanoparticles (NPs), or particles with dimensions that go below 100 nanometers, can be released into the environment in various ways, such as through cosmetic products like sunscreen. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a commonly used nanoparticle in sunscreen, and it has the potential to be harmful to various aquatic organisms including algae. The purpose of this study was to examine how the crystalline phase of TiO₂ NPs (brookite or rutile) influenced their toxicity to the microalgae species Chlorella. It was hypothesized that brookite phase TiO₂ NPs would inhibit the growth of Chlorella more than rutile phase TiO …

Parental Environnement Influences Offspring Gene Expression In The Olympia Oyster, Ostrea Lurida., Mark S. Yeats

LSU Master's Theses

The Olympia Oyster is the only native oyster species on the Pacific coast of North America. Seasonality in water temperatures across this threatened species’ broad and fragmented range has been linked to its development, reproductive timing, reproductive activity, growth, and survival rates. Recent evidence suggests parental environments can have carry-over effects on larval growth and respiration rates in response to temperature. In this study, we utilized transcriptomic methods to identify the underlying mechanisms of this cross-generation plasticity. Sequence libraries of adult ctenidia tissue and pooled larval replicates were extracted and spawned from hatchery raised oysters of the same parentage immediately …

Extreme Drought Impacts Have Been Underestimated In Grasslands And Shrublands Globally, Melinda D Smith, Kate D Wilkins, Martin C Holdrege, Peter Wilfahrt, Scott L Collins, Alan K Knapp, Osvaldo E Sala, Jeffrey S Dukes, Richard P Phillips, Laura Yahdjian, Laureano A Gherardi, Timothy Ohlert, Claus Beier, Lauchlan H Fraser, Anke Jentsch, Michael E Loik, Fernando T Maestre, Sally A Power, Qiang Yu, Andrew J Felton, Seth M Munson, Yiqi Luo, Hamed Abdoli, Mehdi Abedi, Concepción L Alados, Juan Alberti, Moshe Alon, Hui An, Brian Anacker, Maggie Anderson, Harald Auge, Seton Bachle, Khadijeh Bahalkeh, Michael Bahn, Amgaa Batbaatar, Taryn Bauerle, Karen H Beard, Kai Behn, Ilka Beil, Lucio Biancari, Irmgard Blindow, Viviana Florencia Bondaruk, Elizabeth T Borer, Edward W Bork, Carlos Martin Bruschetti, Kerry M Byrne, James F Cahill, Dianela A Calvo, Michele Carbognani, Augusto Cardoni, Cameron N Carlyle, Miguel Castillo-Garcia, Scott X Chang, Jeff Chieppa, Marcus V Cianciaruso, Ofer Cohen, Amanda L Cordeiro, Daniela F Cusack, Sven Dahlke, Pedro Daleo, Carla M D'Antonio, Lee H Dietterich, Tim S Doherty, Maren Dubbert, Anne Ebeling, Nico Eisenhauer, Felícia M Fischer, T'Ai G W Forte, Tobias Gebauer, Beatriz Gozalo, Aaron C Greenville, Karlo G Guidoni-Martins, Heather J Hannusch, Siri Vatsø Haugum, Yann Hautier, Mariet Hefting, Hugh A L Henry, Daniela Hoss, Johannes Ingrisch, Oscar Iribarne, Forest Isbell, Yari Johnson, Samuel Jordan, Eugene F Kelly, Kaitlin Kimmel, Juergen Kreyling, György Kröel-Dulay, Alicia Kröpfl, Angelika Kübert, Andrew Kulmatiski, Eric G Lamb, Klaus Steenberg Larsen, Julie Larson, Jason Lawson, Cintia V Leder, Anja Linstädter, Jielin Liu, Shirong Liu, Alexandra G Lodge, Grisel Longo, Alejandro Loydi, Junwei Luan, Frederick Curtis Lubbe, Craig Macfarlane, Kathleen Mackie-Haas, Andrey V Malyshev, Adrián Maturano-Ruiz, Thomas Merchant, Daniel B Metcalfe, Akira S Mori, Edwin Mudongo, Gregory S Newman, Uffe N Nielsen, Dale Nimmo, Yujie Niu, Paola Nobre, Rory C O'Connor, Romà Ogaya, Gastón R Oñatibia, Ildikó Orbán, Brooke Osborne, Rafael Otfinowski, Meelis Pärtel, Josep Penuelas, Pablo L Peri, Guadalupe Peter, Alessandro Petraglia, Catherine Picon-Cochard, Valério D Pillar, Juan Manuel Piñeiro-Guerra, Laura W Ploughe, Robert M Plowes, Cristy Portales-Reyes, Suzanne M Prober, Yolanda Pueyo, Sasha C Reed, Euan G Ritchie, Dana Aylén Rodríguez, William E Rogers, Christiane Roscher, Ana M Sánchez, Bráulio A Santos, María Cecilia Scarfó, Eric W Seabloom, Baoku Shi, Lara Souza, Andreas Stampfli, Rachel J Standish, Marcelo Sternberg, Wei Sun, Marie Sünnemann, Michelle Tedder, Pål Thorvaldsen, Dashuan Tian, Katja Tielbörger, Alejandro Valdecantos, Liesbeth Van Den Brink, Vigdis Vandvik, Mathew R Vankoughnett, Liv Guri Velle, Changhui Wang, Yi Wang, Glenda M Wardle, Christiane Werner, Cunzheng Wei, Georg Wiehl, Jennifer L Williams, Amelia A Wolf, Michaela Zeiter, Fawei Zhang, Juntao Zhu, Ning Zong, Xiaoan Zuo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of short-term (~1 y) drought events-the most common duration of drought-globally. Yet the impact of this intensification of drought on ecosystem functioning remains poorly resolved. This is due in part to the widely disparate approaches ecologists have employed to study drought, variation in the severity and duration of drought studied, and differences among ecosystems in vegetation, edaphic and climatic attributes that can mediate drought impacts. To overcome these problems and better identify the factors that modulate drought responses, we used a coordinated distributed experiment to quantify the impact of short-term drought on …

Crispr-Dipoff: An Interpretable Deep Learning Approach For Crispr Cas-9 Off-Target Prediction, Md Toufikuzzaman, Md Abul Hassan Samee, M Sohel Rahman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

CRISPR Cas-9 is a groundbreaking genome-editing tool that harnesses bacterial defense systems to alter DNA sequences accurately. This innovative technology holds vast promise in multiple domains like biotechnology, agriculture and medicine. However, such power does not come without its own peril, and one such issue is the potential for unintended modifications (Off-Target), which highlights the need for accurate prediction and mitigation strategies. Though previous studies have demonstrated improvement in Off-Target prediction capability with the application of deep learning, they often struggle with the precision-recall trade-off, limiting their effectiveness and do not provide proper interpretation of the complex decision-making process of …

The Cetacean Sanctuary: A Sea Of Unknowns, Jason N. Bruck

Faculty Publications

Housing cetaceans in netted sea pens is not new and is common for many accredited managed- care facilities. Hence, the distinction between sanctuary and sea pen is more about the philosophies of those who run these sanctuary facilities, the effects of these philosophies on the animals’ welfare, and how proponents of these sanctuaries fund the care of these animals. Here, I consider what plans exist for cetacean sanctuaries and discuss the caveats and challenges associated with this form of activist-managed captivity. One goal for stakeholders should be to disregard the emotional connotations of the word “sanctuary” …

Analysis On Development Status And Characteristics Of Non-Governmental Bio-Safety And Bio-Security Think Tanks In The United States, Wenbing Ma, Qiang Song, Lei Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

At present, the complexity of bio-safety governance is becoming increasingly prominent, and complex issues such as security and development in the bio-economy, preparedness and response to infectious disease pandemics, the interweaving and integration of bio-security and other security factors, and the integration of scientific and technological factors and security factors urgently require think tanks to conduct systematic, comprehensive and forward-looking assessments and provide professional solutions. Rooted in the relatively mature experience in the construction of think tanks in the United States, a number of bio-safety and bio-security think tanks with greater influence have been developed, which have acted as an …

Genome-Wide Profiling Of Novel Conserved Zea Mays Micrornas Along With Their Key Biological, Molecular And Cellular Targets And Validation Using An Rt-Pcr Platform, Abdul Baqi, Sami Ullah, Muhammad Ayub, Muhammad Zafar Saleem, Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Asad Ullah

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are typically non-coding RNAs that start off as endogenous molecules and regulate post-transcriptional levels of gene expression by mRNA degradation or translational repression. They are 18–26 nucleotides long, evolutionarily conserved and essential for predicting novel miRNAs in a variety of plants. Maize (Zea mays) is a significant food and forage crop in the globe today. In the present study, many maize miRNAs have been found to be associated with both plant development and responses to stress. In this study, 66 unique conserved maize miRNAs from 65 different miRNA families were predicted using several genomics-based methods …

The Role Of Cu (0-0.03) And Zn (0.02) Substitution On The Structural, Optical And Magnetic Properties Of Mgo Nanoparticles, S. Naseem Shah, Atif Dawar, Yasmeen Bibi, Abid Ali, M. Asif Siddiqui

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The co-precipitation method was employed to prepared Cu (0-0.03) and Zn (0.02) dual doped MgO nanoparticles. The secondary phases of CuO and Cu₂O were observed along with the cubical phase of MgO. The doping induced effect was noticed for the crystallite size variations (14.39-19.89 nm). The morphological transformation from spherical to rice-like shape were observed. The estimated values of optical bandgap (4.66-4.45 eV) were well correlated with the crystallite size and dopant concentrations. The ferromagnetic ordering was observed at room temperature and the enchantment in the coercivity (142.27 Oe) with Zn (0.02) doping was noticed. Such type of …

Computer Models Can Help Us Learn More About How Eye Diseases Progress, Cassandra Corry

Research on Capitol Hill

Eye diseases are difficult to study because taking samples from living eyes can be challenging and uncomfortable. We need a model that mimics the human eye; running computer simulations seems like a promising way to conduct this research.

Attitudes Of South-Central Kentucky Residents Towards Coyotes And Their Management, Andrew T. Mcqueen, Stephen Sumithran Phd

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The existence of the coyote in the eastern U.S. is a recent development and the public’s perception of coyotes has been widely studied in urban areas. However, perceptions in rural areas, especially rural Appalachia, have been largely unstudied. It is necessary for wildlife managers to understand the public’s perceptions of coyotes and coyote management when creating management plans. We conducted a public survey in South-central Kentucky to determine perceptions toward coyotes and coyote management methods. The survey contained questions about demographics (age, gender, county of residence, landownership, etc.), perceptions (fears, opinions), knowledge (true/false questions), and preferred management practices (hunting, trapping, …

Development And Evaluation Of A Mitochondrial Dna Marker For The Detection Of Rattus Rattus And Rattus Norvegicus Fecal Contamination, A'Aden Redhead

Graduate Research Showcase

No abstract provided.

Ecological Diversification In An Adaptive Radiation Of Plants: The Role Of De Novo Mutation And Introgression, Benjamin Stone, Carolyn A. Wessinger

Faculty Publications

Adaptive radiations are characterized by rapid ecological diversification and speciation events, leading to fuzzy species boundaries between ecologically differentiated species. Adaptive radiations are therefore key systems for understanding how species are formed and maintained, including the role of de novo mutations versus preexisting variation in ecological adaptation and the genome-wide consequences of hybridization events. For example, adaptive introgression, where beneficial alleles are transferred between lineages through hybridization, may fuel diversification in adaptive radiations and facilitate adaptation to new environments. In this study, we employed whole-genome resequencing data to investigate the evolutionary origin of hummingbird-pollinated flowers and to characterize genome-wide patterns …

Badger Ecology, Bovine Tuberculosis, And Population Management: Lessons From The Island Of Ireland, Andrew W. Byrne, Adrian Allen, Simone Ciuti, Eamonn Gormley, David J. Kelly, Nikki J. Marks, Nicola M. Marples, Fraser Menzies, Ian Montgomery, Chris Newman, Maria O’Hagan, Neil Reid, David M. Scantlebury, Peter Stuart, Ming-Shan Tsai

Publications

The European badger, Meles meles, is an important wildlife host for Mycobacterium bovis and contributes to the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle in several countries. The control of zoonotic diseases, such as bTB, is a central component of global One-Health strategies. Such strategies are complicated by human–wildlife conflicts, particularly where wildlife reservoirs are legally protected. The contrasting objectives of disease management and wildlife conservation, therefore, can require significant investment in research to support evidence-based policies. In Britain and Ireland, for example, badgers are a legally protected species but are also subject to lethal control and vaccination for …

Kinase Inhibitor Pulldown Assay (Kip) For Clinical Proteomics, Alexander B Saltzman, Doug W Chan, Matthew V Holt, Junkai Wang, Eric J Jaehnig, Meenakshi Anurag, Purba Singh, Anna Malovannaya, Beom-Jun Kim, Matthew J Ellis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Protein kinases are frequently dysregulated and/or mutated in cancer and represent essential targets for therapy. Accurate quantification is essential. For breast cancer treatment, the identification and quantification of the protein kinase ERBB2 is critical for therapeutic decisions. While immunohistochemistry (IHC) is the current clinical diagnostic approach, it is only semiquantitative. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics offers quantitative assays that, unlike IHC, can be used to accurately evaluate hundreds of kinases simultaneously. The enrichment of less abundant kinase targets for quantification, along with depletion of interfering proteins, improves sensitivity and thus promotes more effective downstream analyses. Multiple kinase inhibitors were therefore deployed as …

Seeing Eye To Eye? Comparing Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Biomolecular Visualization Assessments, Josh T. Beckham, Daniel R. Dries, Bonnie L. Hall, Rarchel M. Mitton-Fry, Shelly Engelman, Charmita Burch, Roderico Acevedo, Pamela S. Mertz, Didem Vardar-Ulu, Swati Agrawal, Kristin M. Fox, Shane Austin, Margaret A. Franzen, Henry V. Jakubowski, Walter R. P. Novak, Rebecca Roberts, Alberto I. Roca, Kristen Procko

Chemistry Faculty Publications

While visual literacy has been identified as a foundational skill in life science education, there are many challenges in teaching and assessing biomolecular visualization skills. Among these are the lack of consensus about what constitutes competence and limited understanding of student and instructor perceptions of visual literacy tasks. In this study, we administered a set of biomolecular visualization assessments, developed as part of the BioMolViz project, to both students and instructors at multiple institutions and compared their perceptions of task difficulty. We then analyzed our findings using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative analysis was used to answer the following research questions: …

Dynamics Of Soil Microbial Communities Involved In Carbon Cycling Along Three Successional Forests In Southern China, Minghui Hu, Shuyidan Zhou, Xin Xiong, Xuan Wang, Yu Sun, Ze Meng, Dafeng Hui, Jianling Li, Deqiang Zhang, Qi Deng

Biology Faculty Research

Dynamics of plant communities during forest succession have been received great attention in the past decades, yet information about soil microbial communities that are involved in carbon cycling remains limited. Here we investigated soil microbial community composition and carbohydrate degradation potential using metagenomic analysis and examined their influencing factors in three successional subtropical forests in southern China. Results showed that the abundances of soil bacteria and fungi increased (p ≤ 0.05 for both) with forest succession in relation to both soil and litter characteristics, whereas the bacterial diversity did not change (p > 0.05) and the fungal diversity of Shannon-Wiener index …

Trade-Offs In Rooting Strategy Dimensions Along An Edaphic Gradient In A Grassland Ecosystem, Yuguo Yang, Sabrina E. Russo

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

1. Roots are essential to the diversity and functioning of plant communities, but trade-offs in rooting strategies are still poorly understood.
2. We evaluated existing frameworks of rooting strategy trade-offs and tested their underlying assumptions, guided by the hypothesis that community-level rooting strategies are best described by a combination of variation in organ-level traits, plant-level root:shoot allocation and symbiosis-level mycorrhizal dependency. We tested this hypothesis using data on plant community structure, above-and below-ground biomass, eight root traits including mycorrhizal colonisation and soil properties from an edaphic gradient driven by elevation and water availability in sandhills prairie, Nebraska, USA.
3. We found multidimensional trade-offs …

A Test Of The Pioneer Factor Hypothesis For Silent Gene Activation, Jeffrey Hansen

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Transcription factors (TFs) activate silent genes by binding to and opening heterochromatic instances of their motifs. While we rely on this process for cellular reprogramming, we have an incomplete understanding of which TFs are capable of recognizing inaccessible instance of their motifs and what parameters are important for this activity. My thesis work aimed to address these two questions. The leading model for silent gene activation is the pioneer factor hypothesis (PFH). The PFH states that pioneer factors (PFs) are qualitatively unique TFs that can bind to and open DNA and subsequently recruit non-pioneer factors (nonPFs) to activate expression. We …

Treatment Of Oil Refinery Wastewater Polluted By Heavy Metal Ions Via Adsorption Technique Using Non-Valuable Media: Cadmium Ions And Buckthorn Leaves As A Study Case, Salem Jawad Alhamd, Mohammed Nsaif Abbas, Mehrdad Manteghian, Thekra Atta Ibrahim, Karar Dawood Salman Jarmondi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

This study focuses on the removal of cadmium ions generated by oil refinery wastewater, employing an agricultural by-product. Buckthorn leaves, sourced from Baghdad and Diyala provinces, underwent preparation, including washing, drying, crushing, and sieving before being utilized in experiments. Batch experiments were conducted using simulated solutions to assess the impact of six key adsorption design parameters: pH, cadmium concentration, agitation speed, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and temperature. The highest adsorption efficiency, reaching 94.4367%, was directly correlated with contact time, adsorbent dosage, pH value, and agitation speed, and inversely related to other variables. Morphological studies on the treated adsorbent, indicated structural …

Turtle Species And Ecology Drive Carapace Microbiome Diversity In Three Seasonally Interconnected Wetland Habitats, Matthew Parks, Jun Sheng Lee, Kassandra Camua, Ethan Hollender

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Different species of freshwater turtles exhibit primary behaviours ranging from aerial basking to benthic bottom-walking, cycle between wet and dry conditions at different time intervals, and undertake short-distance overland movements between aquatic habitats. These behaviours in turn may impact the accumulation of microbes on external shell surfaces of turtles and provide novel niches for differentiation of microbial communities. We assessed microbial diversity using 16S and 18S rRNA metabarcoding on carapace surfaces of six species of freshwater turtles residing in three adjacent and seasonally interconnected wetland habitats in southeast Oklahoma (United States). Communities were highly diverse, with nearly 4200 prokaryotic and …

Applications Of Bioinformatics For Exploring The Genomic Landscape Of Cancer And Characterizing Treatment Response For Precision Oncology, Sharon Freshour

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

While the integration of next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics into cancer research has been immeasurably useful for advancing the field, there are still many gaps in understanding the genomic landscape of cancer due to the complexity of cancer development and evolution. Likewise, there are still many challenges for identifying and applying effective therapeutics for cancer treatment. Thus, there remains a need to continue characterizing the genomic landscape of cancer, to explore the evolution of cancer, and to understand how tumors respond to treatment. The projects described in this dissertation cover several applications of next-generation sequencing, bioinformatic analysis, and database resources for …

Chemical Catalysis Guides Structural Identification For The Major In Vivo Metabolite Of The Bet Inhibitor Jq1, Secondra Holmes, Prashi Jain, Kenneth Guzman Rodriguez, Jade Williams, Zhifeng Yu, Christian Cerda-Smith, Errol L G Samuel, James Campbell, John Michael Hakenjos, Diana Monsivais, Feng Li, Srinivas Chamakuri, Martin M Matzuk, Conrad Santini, Kevin R Mackenzie, Damian W Young

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The bromodomain inhibitor (+)-JQ1 is a highly validated chemical probe; however, it exhibits poor in vivo pharmacokinetics. To guide efforts toward improving its pharmacological properties, we identified the (+)-JQ1 primary metabolite using chemical catalysis methods. Treatment of (+)-JQ1 with tetrabutylammonium decatungstate under photochemical conditions resulted in selective formation of an aldehyde at the 2-position of the thiophene ring [(+)-JQ1-CHO], which was further reduced to the 2-hydroxymethyl analog [(+)-JQ1-OH]. Comparative LC/MS analysis of (+)-JQ1-OH to the product obtained from liver microsomes suggested (+)-JQ1-OH as the major metabolite of (+)-JQ1. The 2-thienyl position was then substituted to generate a trideuterated (−CD3, (+)-JQ1-D) …

The Macrophage Autophagy-Lysosome System In Atherosclerosis Pathogenesis, Astrid Carolina Rodriguez Velez

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular diseases, particularly atherosclerosis, pose significant health concerns, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of underlying mechanisms for effective therapeutic interventions. In this dissertation, I studied diverse topics, ranging from dietary impacts to intracellular processes, shedding light on novel avenues for atherosclerosis research. It is divided in 4 core projects. In Chapter 2) I studied how dietary protein drives atherosclerosis and lesion complexity. We found that protein ingestion acutely elevates amino acid levels in blood and atherosclerotic plaques, stimulating macrophage mTOR signaling. This is causal in plaque progression as the effects are abrogated in macrophage-specific Raptor-null mice. Mechanistically, we find amino acids …

Mechanism Of Anion Exchange And Small-Molecule Inhibition Of Pendrin, Lie Wang, Anthony Hoang, Eva Gil-Iturbe, Arthur Laganowsky, Matthias Quick, Ming Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Pendrin (SLC26A4) is an anion exchanger that mediates bicarbonate (HCO3−) exchange for chloride (Cl−) and is crucial for maintaining pH and salt homeostasis in the kidney, lung, and cochlea. Pendrin also exports iodide (I−) in the thyroid gland. Pendrin mutations in humans lead to Pendred syndrome, causing hearing loss and goiter. Inhibition of pendrin is a validated approach for attenuating airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma and for treating hypertension. However, the mechanism of anion exchange and its inhibition by drugs remains poorly understood. We applied cryo-electron microscopy to determine structures of pendrin from Sus scrofa in the presence of either Cl−, …

Vibroscape Analysis Reveals Acoustic Niche Overlap And Plastic Alteration Of Vibratory Courtship Signals In Ground-Dwelling Wolf Spiders, Noori Choi, Pat Miller, Eileen A. Hebets

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

To expand the scope of soundscape ecology to encompass substrate-borne vibrations (i.e. vibroscapes), we analyzed the vibroscape of a deciduous forest floor using contact microphone arrays followed by automated processing of large audio datasets. We then focused on vibratory signaling of ground-dwelling Schizocosa wolf spiders to test for (i) acoustic niche partitioning and (ii) plastic behavioral responses that might reduce the risk of signal interference from substrate-borne noise and conspecific/heterospecific signaling. Two closely related species - S. stridulans and S. uetzi - showed high acoustic niche overlap across space, time, and dominant frequency. Both species show plastic behavioral …

Headstarting Eastern Box Turtles In Southwest Michigan: Implications For Growth, Survival, And Spatial Ecology, Faith C. Kuzma

Masters Theses

Turtles and tortoises are one of the most endangered groups of animals in the world as anthropogenic activities like overexploitation, collection for the pet trade, and habitat loss and fragmentation have caused dramatic population declines in recent years. As a result, proactive conservation techniques are being increasingly implemented to facilitate population recovery. Headstarting is a popular chelonian conservation technique that aims to reduce vulnerability and increase survival of juvenile turtles. While headstarting has been a valuable tool for many species, there is increasing evidence that species-specific influences impact its success. In this study, we headstarted four annual cohorts of eastern …

Microhabitat Selection Of Adult Female Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Adamanteus) In The Carolinas, Matthew Gacheny

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Reptiles rely on environmental conditions to regulate body temperature using behavioral strategies to meet basic life history needs. Viviparous squamates use thermoregulatory behaviors to meet energetic requirements for vitellogenesis and gestation, which carry considerable energetic costs and must balance with maintenance and survival. Embryonic development is often optimized in a narrower temperature range than the mother’s preferred temperature, creating an intergenerational conflict that should be addressed with maternal microhabitat selection. Field-based studies are needed to understand the link between the thermal biology of reptiles, their reproduction, and implications for population viability. With a use-availability logistic regression framework, I examined thermal …

Symbiosis Under Stress: Unraveling The Interplay Of Ocean Acidification And Rising Temperatures On Acropora Samoensis (Staghorn Coral), Jerald William Smolkin

Theses and Dissertations

This experiment explores the response of marine organisms to the combined challenges of ocean acidification and rising temperatures, with a focus on coral reef ecosystems. As global climate change threatens profound declines in coral reefs, understanding the multifaceted impacts of these stressors becomes crucial. The study observes cellular changes in A. samoensis tissues in four different groups, including control, Temp, pH, and Temp and pH. Results indicate significant breakdown of membrane compartmentalization and cell junctions, with notable degradation and calcium carbonate crystallization in pH-stressed samples. Additionally, chlorophyll extraction data support coral bleaching due to the expulsion of zooxanthellae. These findings …

Mercury Bioaccumulation In Top-Level Predatory Fishes From Marine And Freshwater Environments, David L. Taylor, Jillian Haudenshield, Johnathan Serbst, Jim Lake, Alan Libby

Student Research Symposium

Mercury is a widespread environmental contaminant that poses a threat to human and wildlife health. Mercury concentrations ([Hg]) may be elevated in fish tissues due to individual bioaccumulation and biomagnification in the food web. This study examined Hg bioaccumulation rates in striped bass (SB) and largemouth bass (LMB): top-level predatory fishes in marine and freshwater environments. SB, LMB, and their prey were collected in Rhode Island waters from 2006 to 2023 using rod & reel, electrofishing, and trawling methods. Age (yr) was determined for each fish based on measurements of total lengths (TL; cm) in the laboratory (LMB: 15-57 cm, …