Digital Commons Network^™

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, …

Response Patterns Of Simulated Corn Yield And Soil Nitrous Oxide Emission To Precipitation Change, Navneet Kaur, Dafeng Hui, Daniel M. Riccuito, Melanie A. Mayes, Hanqin Tian

Biology Faculty Research

Background

Precipitation plays an important role in crop production and soil greenhouse gas emissions. However, how crop yield and soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission respond to precipitation change, particularly with different background precipitations (dry, normal, and wet years), has not been well investigated. In this study, we examined the impacts of precipitation changes on corn yield and soil N2O emission using a long-term (1981–2020, 40 years) climate dataset as well as seven manipulated precipitation treatments with different background precipitations using the DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model.

Results

Results showed large variations of corn yield and precipitation but small variation of soil N2O …

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 …

A Quieter Ocean: Experimentally Derived Differences In Attentive Responses Of Tursiops Truncatus To Anthropogenic Noise Playbacks Before And During The Covid-19-Related Anthropause, Paige E. Stevens, Veda Allen, Jason N. Bruck

Faculty Publications

The effects of anthropogenic noise continue to threaten marine fauna, yet the impacts of human-produced sound on the broad aspects of cognition in marine mammals remain relatively understudied. The shutdown of non-essential activities due to the COVID-19-related anthropause created an opportunity to determine if reducing levels of oceanic anthropogenic noise on cetaceans affected processes of sensitization and habituation for common human-made sounds in an experimental setting. Dolphins at Dolphin Quest Bermuda were presented with three noises related to human activities (cruise ship, personal watercraft, and Navy low-frequency active sonar) both in 2018 and again during the anthropause in 2021 via …

The Power Of Citizen Science: Overcoming The Knowledge Gap Of The Marine Mammal Diversity In The Bay Islands Of Honduras, Gloria Joo Ryung Oh

Honors Theses

Preservation of regional biological diversity requires an understanding of the inhabiting species. However, species surveys are often difficult due to a a lack of resources.  This study utilized citizen science, which involves the use of non-scientists for data collection, to summarize the marine mammal sightings  in the Bay Islands of Honduras (BIH). After data filtration, thirteen species of marine mammals were identified in the 509 observations records, of which 92% originated from citizen science sources.  These included four species that did not have a previous record in the BIH, two of which were first reports for the country of Honduras: …

Upregulation Of Cell Surface Glycoproteins In Correlation With Kshv Lana In The Kaposi Sarcoma Tumor Microenvironment, Sara R. Privatt, Owen Ngalamika, Jianshui Zhang, Qinsheng Li, Charles Wood, John T. West

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

HIV-associated epidemic Kaposi sarcoma (EpKS) remains one of the most prevalent cancers in sub-Saharan Africa despite the widespread uptake of anti-retroviral therapy and HIV-1 suppression. In an effort to define potential therapeutic targets against KS tumors, we analyzed previously published KS bulk tumor transcriptomics to identify cell surface biomarkers. In addition to upregulated gene expression (>6-fold) in the EpKS tumor microenvironment, biomarkers were selected for correlation with KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) expression. The cell surface glycoprotein genes identified were KDR, FLT4, ADAM12, UNC5A, ZP2, and OX40, as well as the endothelial lineage determinants Prox-1 and CD34. Each protein …

Locomotor Biomechanics In Stream Gobies, Rhinogobius Sp.: Functional Performance Of Waterfall-Climbing Behavior, Ernest W. Murphy

Student Scholar Showcase

Gobiidae is the taxonomic classification of a large fish family comprising over 2,000 species. A few goby species have the unique ability of scaling waterfalls using pelvic fins that are fused into a suction disc (pelvic sucker) located on the ventral side of the body, aiding them in upstream migration to freshwater feeding and reproduction locations. This study aimed to investigate the locomotor biomechanics of Rhinogobius goby fish due to the lack of literature in the area. In particular, climbing performance variables (pressure differential, force, endurance, and kinematics of attachment), pelvic sucker fatigability, and ontogenetic patterns of physical development and …

The Application Of Microbial Source Tracking To Aid In Site Prioritization For Remediation In Lower Michigan, John J. Hart

Masters Theses

Non-point source fecal pollution is a threat to both the environment and public health. Climate change, aging infrastructure, and intensified agricultural practices are predicted to accentuate this issue. In Michigan, due to the high instance of aging infrastructure and intensified agriculture, non-point source fecal pollution has caused many waterbodies to exceed the state standards posing a risk to recreational activities and source water. Due to this threat, there is an increased effort to identify and remediate these sources. My study focused on improving the identification of non-point source fecal pollution through a combination of culture-based and molecular fecal indicator bacteria …

Reactive Chlorine Species Reversibly Inhibit Dnab Protein Splicing In Mycobacteria, Daniel Wahl

Scholars Week

Intervening proteins, or inteins, are mobile genetic elements translated within host polypeptides and removed at the protein level by splicing. In protein splicing, a selfmediated reaction removes the intein, leaving only a peptide bond in place. While protein splicing can proceed in the absence of external co-factors, several natural examples of conditional protein splicing (CPS) have emerged. In CPS, the rate and accuracy of splicing is highly-dependent on environmental conditions. As activity of the intein-containing host protein is compromised prior to splicing, and inteins are highly abundant in the microbial world, CPS represents an emerging form of …

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 …

Svip Dependent Tubular Lysosomal Restoration: A New Direction In Vcp Diseases, Ankita Basu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Multisystem Proteinopathy-1 (MSP-1) is a rare, autosomal dominant, degenerative disease resulting from single amino acid mis-sense mutations in the AAA+ ATPase, Valosin containing protein (VCP). Patients with VCP mutations vary widely in their pathology and clinical penetrance, making it difficult to devise effective treatment strategies. To investigate the pathology of VCP- related disease, we engineered CRISPR knock-in Drosophila models for nine MSP-1 associated VCP mutations. These mutant animals mimic human MSP-1 disease phenotypes, including progressive mobility decline and accumulation of protein aggregates, making them excellent models to study the pathology of VCP associated mutations and test potential treatment strategies. At …

Cell-Penetrating Peptides For Use In Development Of Transgenic Plants, Betty Revon Liu, Chi Wei Chen, Yue-Wern Huang, Han Jung Lee

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Genetically Modified Plants and Crops Can Contribute to Remarkable Increase in Global Food Supply, with Improved Yield and Resistance to Plant Diseases or Insect Pests. the Development of Biotechnology Introducing Exogenous Nucleic Acids in Transgenic Plants is Important for Plant Health Management. Different Genetic Engineering Methods for DNA Delivery, Such as Biolistic Methods, Agrobacterium Tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation, and Other Physicochemical Methods Have Been Developed to Improve Translocation Across the Plasma Membrane and Cell Wall in Plants. Recently, the Peptide-Based Gene Delivery System, Mediated by Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs), Has Been Regarded as a Promising Non-Viral Tool for Efficient and Stable Gene Transfection …

Scale-Dependent Spatial Ecology Of Paleotropical Leaf Litter Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Lillian Germeroth, Theodore Sumnicht, Robin M. Verble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Grain for Which an Observer Conducts a Study is an Important Determinant of its Outcome. Studies of Ants Have Considered Spatial Grains Spanning from Single Meters to Entire Forest Ecosystems and Found Patterns Related to Nutrient Availability, Leaf Litter Depth, Disturbance, and Forest Composition. Here, We Examine a Bornean Leaf Litter Ant Community at Small (1–4 M) and Large (50–250 M) Spatial Scales and Consider the Differences in Community Structure using Structured 1 M2 Quadrats Sampled Via Leaf Litter Sifting and Berlese Extraction. We Found that Small-Scale Patterns in Ant Abundance and Richness Did Not Spatially Auto correlate within …

Chlorophyll Dynamics From Sentinel-3 Using An Optimized Algorithm For Enhanced Ecological Monitoring In Complex Urban Estuarine Waters, Jonathan Sherman, Maria Tzortziou, Kyle J. Turner, Joaquim Goes, Brice Grunert

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Urban estuaries are dynamic environments that hold high ecological and economic value. Yet, their optical complexity hinders accurate satellite retrievals of important biogeochemical variables, such as chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) biomass. Approaches based on a limited number of satellite spectral bands often fail to capture seasonal transitions and sharp spatial gradients in estuarine Chl-a concentrations, inhibiting integration of satellite data into water quality monitoring and conservation programs. We propose a novel approach that utilizes the wide range of spectral information captured by the Ocean and Land Color Instrument (OLCI) to retrieve estuarine Chl-a. To validate our approach, we used measurements in Long …

The Effect Of Photoperiod On Male Zebrafish Sex Hormones, Madeline Phillips

Research and Creativity Symposium

The goal of this research was to explore how photoperiod affects the reproductive endocrine axis in zebrafish (Danio rerio). It is known that the reproductive endocrine axis controls zebrafish reproduction. Additionally, it is known that photoperiod determines both reproductive seasonality (long days promote reproduction) and daily timing of spawning (initiates at the start of the light phase). However, there is limited research examining the effects of photoperiod on those endocrine pathways controlling zebrafish reproduction. I hypothesized that in males, long-day photoperiods promote the synthesis of key reproductive hormones, the gonadotropins (FSH and LH). To test this hypothesis, I used qPCR …

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 10 No. 1, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

New Year’s Day has always been, for me, a time to reflect and project into the near future. Nature’s influence on us all certainly tops my listing with several environmental concerns. For example, the frequency and intensity of hurricanes to Long Island. A decade has passed since Superstorm Sandy re-opened the “Old Inlet” on Long Island which now has mostly naturally closed. So, the new year immediately prompts me to assess the previous year’s Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 system, with winds exceeding 150 mph, which had considerable impact in Florida, and then proceeded north resulting in over 2 inches …

Analysis Of Hawk Mountain Wind Speed To Raptor Count Trends From 1976 Through 2021, Dale E. Parson

Computer Science and Information Technology Faculty

This analysis of summer 2023 is a sequel to the summer 2022 Analysis of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Observation Data from 1976 through 2021, also available as a web page through end of 2024 here. A presentation of that and subsequent analysis presented at Kutztown University in November 2022 and to Hawk Mountain researchers in January 2023 is available as PDF slides here and also on the web through 2024 here. This work was funded by a Kutztown University Research Grant for spring 2022 through summer 2023. Analytical use of these data proceeded through a subset of projects in three courses …

Effects Of Withania Somnifera On Zebrafish, Diyari Bekhtyar

Student Works

Withania somnifera (commonly known as Ashwagandha), is a plant in which its root powder is sold as a dietary supplement. It is being commonly used as an anti-anxiety supplement to combat stress. While the sale of Withania somnifera is widely accessible and available throughout the U.S., it is concerning that a number of teens and young adults are taking this supplement without consulting a physician. Previous studies and claims conclude that Withania somnifera has both neuroprotective and antiinflammatory properties in human neuronal cells. We have chosen to test Withania somnifera’s effects on early embryonic development using Danio rerio, zebrafish, as …

Various Synthetic Pathways Towards Efavirenz And Its Analogs; The Replacement Of The Side Chain, Elizabeth S. Bautista

Selected Honors Theses

Cyclopropyl acetylene (CA) is a key intermediate in the synthesis of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase inhibitor, Efavirenz (EFV), an antiviral drug used to treat HIV. CA is an expensive raw material, difficult to obtain, and employed in the preparation of medications to combat acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It was found that the structure could be synthesized by the utilization of PCl5; however, this resulted in unwanted ring opening products. To address this issue, a one pot synthesis was developed using Ph3PCl2 as a mild chlorinating agent. In addition, a new analog has been proposed substituting the cyclopropyl …

Serving Justice Case By Case, Michael Becker

WRIT: Journal of First-Year Writing

Forensic Science is an integral part of serving justice in today's society, and majority of the world has little understanding of what forensics is. Read this article on forensic science and how it relates to writing in today's world.

Chemotaxis In Tardigrades, Lindsay Rowland, Jensyn Goss, Sara Dipnarine, Alex Keta, Joy Bowling, Felicity Kelsch, Sophia Willis, Emma Welsh, Ella Newton, Kathyrn Morris

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Chemotaxis describes the movement of an organism towards or away from a particular substance. Tardigrades are often thought to be lumbering organisms, not capable of seeking out nutrients and therefore unable to demonstrate chemotaxis. The ability to recognize foods and poisons in the environment and move up or down their concentration gradients appropriately is so beneficial for life that we suspected that tardigrades also possessed this ability. We constructed testing arenas where an agar block with concentrated test substance was placed on a water agar plate and incubated for two hours to establish a concentration gradient. Enough water was then …

Development Of Host-Selective, Pcr-Inhibiting Oligos As A Tool To Investigate The Eukaryotic Symbionts Of Insect Hosts, Christian L. Weinrich

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Insects are hosts to diverse communities of other organisms. These communities can include microbes such as bacteria, yeast, and protists, as well as multicellular organisms such as nematodes and mites. The prokaryotic associates of many insects have been well-studied and are often investigated by amplifying and sequencing the gene for the 16S ribosomal subunit using universal primers.

However, the eukaryotic associates of many insects remain poorly characterized, and this is in part due to the difficulty in utilizing 18S (the eukaryotic analog for 16S) for eukaryote detection. Because the insect host is also a eukaryote and makes up the bulk …

Ketamine Slows Microinvertebrate Movement: Ecotoxicological Implications, Joy Bowling, Felicity Kelsch, Emma Welsh, Sophia Willis, Kathyrn Morris

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

With the new release of medications incorporating ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, there is an ecotoxicology concern due to the presence of ketamine in local environments. Tardigrades, microscopic organisms commonly known as water bears, possess the same NDMA receptor that ketamine targets in humans, allowing for potential adverse reactions in exposure to ketamine. Our goal was to determine if tardigrade movement slowed under ketamine exposure over time. Tardigrade (Hypsibius exemplaris) velocity was measured using imaging software to record their response to increasing concentrations of the dissociative anesthetic. With higher concentrations, the tardigrades displayed a slower velocity. This indication of …

Survey Of Tardigrade Diversity In Cincinnati, Oh, Justin Groskopf, Alex Keta, Kathyrn Morris

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

This study was performed to assess tardigrade (Tardigrada) diversity in the localized Cincinnati area of Xavier University in response to a shortage of similar studies in recent years. We expected to find a wide variety of genera and species in moss and lichen samples. We collected moss and lichen from many locations on the campus of Xavier University and recorded height above ground level, tree genus, latitude and longitude, and cardinal directionality. Samples were air dried until processing, when we then individually rehydrated each sample and removed all intact tardigrades for identification. Tardigrades were identified as precisely as keys allowed, …

How Does Sediment Organic Matter Content Mediate The Effects Of Chironomid Larvae On Benthic Greenhouse Gas Fluxes, Mark Tierney

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Some aquatic macroinvertebrates, including larval midges (Chironomidae), can increase wetland sediment nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes. Chironomids ingest denitrifying bacteria and bioirrigate their U-shaped burrows which can subject these bacteria to rapidly alternating oxic and anoxic conditions that can produce N₂O. Through this same process, chironomids may also modulate methane (CH₄) fluxes. Although previous studies have demonstrated the potential for chironomids to enhance N₂O flux, most have only incorporated low levels of organic matter (OM). In this study, three densities of Chironomus riparius larvae (0m², 9,000m², 18,000m²) …

Functional Evaluation Of Two Wetland Sites Within Eastern Michigan University’S Fish Lake Environmental Education Center (Fleec), Brianna M. Rice

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Wetland ecosystems function as reservoirs of biodiversity for both terrestrial and aquatic organisms, while being among the most vulnerable ecosystems to degradation. The quality of two wetlands at Eastern Michigan University’s Fish Lake Environmental Education Center (FLEEC) was measured based on plant diversity, a northern peat moss bog and one of several vernal pools. The EMU Herbarium documents 122 wetland plant species from 44 families at FLEEC, with 55 species expected within the bog and 67 species expected within vernal pools; 32 species are expected to be shared between sites. The metrics used to assess plant community composition were coefficient …

Does The Genome Of A Putatively Specialist Moth (Schinia Gracilenta) Contain A Signal Of The Indigenous Cultivation Of Its Host Plant (Iva Annua), Wren Renquist

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

When one species depends on one another for survival, they may have shared demographic histories. Further, when symbionts have shorter life spans, their rate of evolution may be quicker than that of their hosts. For this reason, detecting a recent demographic signal in a symbiont’s genome may often be easier than directly studying the host.

Here I study the slender flower moth (Schinia gracilenta) and its host plant, sumpweed (Iva annua). Sumpweed is thought to have been cultivated in North American ca. 5000 BC - AD 1700 and its range may have been expanded during this time. I collected S. …

Decadal Patterns Of Adaptation And Trait Variation Of The Dominant Prairie Grass Across The Midwest Rainfall Gradient And Response To Drought, Jack Sytsma

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Frequent droughts are predicted to impact grasslands but intraspecific variation in response to drought is not well-known. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a grass distributed across the Midwest rainfall gradient (MAP500-1200mm/yr) giving rise to climate-adapted ecotypes. This dominant grass is important for cattle forage and conservation. Reciprocal gardens were established in 2009 in ecological communities (driest to wettest: Colby, Hays, Manhattan, KS to Carbondale IL) and measured for over a decade. Rainfall was reduced using rainout shelters in three sites. Cover and biomass were monitored in plots over time, and height, width, photosynthetic rate, SPAD, and reproductive phenology …

Identifying The Effect Of Individual Quality On The Production Of A Second Brood In House Wrens (Troglodytes Aedon), Lauren Leischner

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Climate change affects the reproductive success of migratory species as they are limited by time and appropriate weather conditions during the breeding season. This research asked whether variation in individual quality, in addition to timing, explains some of the variation in production of a second brood. Female house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) that nest early often have high quality territory, may be in better condition, and have an increased probability of having a second brood. Because of this, it is unclear whether the production of a second brood is solely due to the constraints of time or also due …

Documenting Plant Biodiversity At The Eastern Michigan University Owned Parsons Center For Arts And Sciences, Emily R. Edwards Mrs.

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) owns an 86-acre property in northwest Michigan called the Parsons Center for Arts and Sciences. No botanical research has been done at the Center. A comprehensive plant species list will provide important resources for EMU students, all Parsons users (e.g., artists and community members), and county biologists. This research aims to collect and identify as many plant species at the site as possible and create two online, publicly available databases of the plant list and collection. Such a collection will bring awareness to the Parsons Center and add to its botanical value.

Initial field-work was conducted …