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A 16s & Its Soil Microbiome Analysis Of Native & Old-World Bluestem Invaded Soils Of Kansas Grasslands, Zachary Nelson

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Invasive species are becoming an increasing problem throughout the world. Their effect on local ecosystems is detrimental and widespread, harming productive efforts such as biomass accumulation, forcing native species (plant, animals, microbes) out, and ultimately, reducing biodiversity. Investigations of how invasive plants spread are widely studied; however, there has been little to no examination of how native plants influence the microbiome in the surrounding soil. In this study, I performed a fungal and bacterial metagenomic analysis of the soil and root microbiomes of both native grasslands and grasslands invaded by Old-World Bluestem Grasses to help determine if they influence the …

Healing Sanctuary, Kammy Downs

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

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

Efficacy Of Non-Lethal Molecular Methods In Elucidating Distribution Of Gray Treefrog Complex (Hyla Chrysoscelis/Versicolor) In Kansas, Nora K. Lazerus

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Globally, amphibians are the most imperiled vertebrate taxa in part because they rely on both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Specifically, their permeable skin makes them uniquely susceptible to habitat degradation and alteration. Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) and the Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) are a diploid-tetraploid, morphologically indistinguishable sister pair of cryptic anurans native to Kansas. Since 1987, the distribution of gray treefrogs in Kanas has extended west but the status of each species in the complex in Kansas is not known beyond its documented combined western expansion. Currently, species identification cannot be determined by nonlethal …

Effects Of Aggressive Reed (Phragmites Australis) On Aquatic Communities In A Kansas Reservoir, Allison Pardis

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Phragmites australis is an Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) in Kansas, a non-native reed that threatens lake and river ecology, displaces desirable species, impedes movement of wildlife and humans, that can have detrimental economic effects on communities. The majority of Phragmites research is in brackish ecosystems and the effects of Phragmites in freshwater systems and especially on fishes is undocumented, even as many states and agencies invest substantial resources in management. As freshwater systems face a biodiversity crisis, prevention and control of invasive species is critical. Effective management therefore requires a thorough understanding of the effects these invaders have on ecosystems …

Community-Level Effects Of A Widescale Reduction In White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Density, Mariah Slaughter

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The prolonged overabundance of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) throughout the deciduous forests of eastern North America has resulted in widespread changes in the understory community. Studies have demonstrated that the exclusion of deer can allow some aspects of the understory to recover, but there are strong time-lags for deer-preferred species. Additionally, these exclosures only test the presence/absence of deer, which is not a feasible management option or desirable as deer are a part of the community. Here I evaluate how large-scale deer density manipulations within the Kinzua Quality Deer Cooperative of Pennsylvania affected understory vegetation communities. Using data from six …

Temporal And Spatial Occurrence Of Karenia Brevis Blooms In The Northcentral Gulf Of Mexico, Jonathan Jackson, Yee Lau, Paul Mickle, Just Cebrian

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Nutrient Improvements In Chesapeake Bay: Direct Effect Of Load Reductions And Implications For Coastal Management, Rebecca R. Murphy, Jennifer Keisman, Jon Harcum, Renee R. Karrh, Mike Lane, Elgin S. Perry, Qian Zhang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

In Chesapeake Bay in the United States, decades of management efforts have resulted in modest reductions of nutrient loads from the watershed, but the corresponding improvements in estuarine water quality have not consistently followed. Generalized additive models were used to directly link river flows and nutrient loads from the watershed to nutrient trends in the estuary on a station-by-station basis, which allowed for identification of exactly when and where responses are happening. Results show that Chesapeake Bay’s total nitrogen and total phosphorus conditions are mostly improving after accounting for variation in freshwater flow. Almost all of these improving nutrient concentrations …

Rickettsial Pathogen Perturbs Tick Circadian Gene To Infect The Vertebrate Host, Supreet Khanal, Vikas Taank, John F. Anderson, Hameeda Sultana, Girish Neelakanta

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Ixodes scapularis is a medically important tick that transmits several microbes to humans, including rickettsial pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum. In nature, these ticks encounter several abiotic factors including changes in temperature, humidity, and light. Many organisms use endogenously generated circadian pathways to encounter abiotic factors. In this study, we provide evidence for the first time to show that A. phagocytophilum modulates the arthropod circadian gene for its transmission to the vertebrate host. We noted a circadian oscillation in the expression of arthropod clock, bmal1, period and timeless genes when ticks or tick cells were exposed to alternate 12 h …

Editorial: Tick Saliva: Secret To Blood Feeding Success, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Patricia A. Nuttall, Sukanya Narasimhan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Bone Morphogenetic Proteins Shape TReg Cells, Piotr Kraj

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family includes cytokines controlling cell behavior, differentiation and homeostasis of various tissues including components of the immune system. Despite well recognized importance of TGF-β in controlling T cell functions, the immunomodulatory roles of many other members of the TGF-β cytokine family, especially bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), start to emerge. Bone Morphogenic Protein Receptor 1α (BMPR1α) is upregulated by activated effector and Foxp3+ regulatory CD4+ T cells (Treg cells) and modulates functions of both of these cell types. BMPR1α inhibits generation of proinflammatory Th17 cells and sustains peripheral Treg cells. This finding underscores the importance of …

Population Dynamics And Seasonal Movements Of Blue Suckers (Cycleptus Elongatus) In The James River, South Dakota, Tanner Leigh Carlson

Dissertations and Theses

Blue Suckers are a declining long lived catostomid, native to the large rivers and tributaries of the central United States. Currently in decline throughout their range due to anthropogenic impacts such as river channelization and dam construction, there are few stable Blue Sucker populations remaining. This study sought to describe population demographics of a stable population of Blue Suckers located in the unchannelized reach of the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam. Year class strength, growth, and natural mortality was estimated based on aging data collected from lapillus otoliths. Previous research was conflicting as to what aging structure, pectoral fin …

A Flora Of Coyote Ridge And Flat, Inyo County, California, Martin Purdy

CGU Theses & Dissertations

California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range contains a disproportionate share of the state’s plant diversity and is one of the most floristically diverse regions of its size in the United States. The high Sierra Nevada, in particular, has been identified as an important center of species richness and endemism within California. Anthropogenic climate warming is expected to disproportionately affect mountain ecosystems, and models have predicted serious habitat contraction and extirpation for many alpine plant taxa. A specimen-based inventory of the vascular and non-vascular plants of Coyote Ridge and Flat was conducted to establish baseline data for one such sensitive alpine and …

Tick Transmission Of Borrelia Burgdorferi To The Murine Host Is Not Influenced By Environmentally Acquired Midgut Microbiota, Sukanya Narasimhan, Nallakkandi Rajeevan, Morven Graham, Ming-Jie Wu, Kathleen Deponte, Solenne Marion, Orlanne Masson, Anya J. O'Neal, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Erol Fikrig

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Ixodes scapularis is the predominant tick vector of Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, in the USA. Molecular interactions between the tick and B. burgdorferi orchestrate the migration of spirochetes from the midgut to the salivary glands—critical steps that precede transmission to the vertebrate host. Over the last decade, research efforts have invoked a potential role for the tick microbiome in modulating tick-pathogen interactions.

Results

Using multiple strategies to perturb the microbiome composition of B. burgdorferi-infected nymphal ticks, we observe that changes in the microbiome composition do not significantly influence B. burgdorferi migration from the midgut, invasion of …

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

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

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

Combining Gwas And Population Genomic Analyses To Characterize Coevolution In A Legume-Rhizobia Symbiosis, Brendan Epstein, Liana T. Burghardt, Katy D. Heath, Michael A. Grillo, Adam Kostanecki, Toumas Hämälä, Nevin D. Young, Peter Tiffin

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The mutualism between legumes and rhizobia is clearly the product of past coevolution. However, the nature of ongoing evolution between these partners is less clear. To characterize the nature of recent coevolution between legumes and rhizobia, we used population genomic analysis to characterize selection on functionally annotated symbiosis genes as well as on symbiosis gene candidates identified through a two-species association analysis. For the association analysis, we inoculated each of 202 accessions of the legume host Medicago truncatula with a community of 88 Sinorhizobia (Ensifer) meliloti strains. Multistrain inoculation, which better reflects the ecological reality of rhizobial selection in nature …

Not Coming Home: The Flaws In Skilled Nursing Facilities And Their Contribution To Cyclical Hospitalizations Of Post-Acute Patients, Kate Eisenbraun

Pitzer Senior Theses

This literature review will discuss the experience of patients within the US healthcare system, focusing on skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and their contribution to cyclical hospitalizations. SNFs differ from nursing homes and other long-term care facilities by providing short-term, post-operational rehabilitation at a cost lower than what is offered at hospitals. Despite their critical role, SNFs often face fundamental issues, such as understaffing, underfunding, and staff burn-out, which result in lower quality patient care. This thesis argues that the issues faced by SNFs are a result of inconsistencies with state and federal staffing regulations, as well as inadequate insurance reimbursements. …

Validation Of The Use Of Clathromorphum Compactum Growth And Skeletal Δ18o As A Proxy For Seawater Conditions, Teagan Mcmahon

Pitzer Senior Theses

Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are important organisms that create benthic habitat in the photic zone of oceans worldwide. CCAs mechanisms of photosynthesis and calcification may, in some cases, make them vulnerable to climate change and ocean acidification. Therefore, CCA are important not only for their ecological role within ecosystems but also for their ability to indicate the effects that ocean acidification and climate change may have on other marine calcifying organisms. Some species of CCA are known to be useful recorders of paleo oceanic conditions. These climate archives and reconstructions of past environmental conditions are important for understanding past changes …

Benchmarking Ultra-High Molecular Weight Dna Preservation Methods For Long-Read And Long-Range Sequencing, Hollis A. Dahn, Jacquelyn Mountcastle, Jennifer Balacco, Sylke Winkler, Iliana Bista, Anthony D. Schmitt, Olga Vinnere Pettersson, Giulio Formenti, Karen Oliver, Michelle Smith, Wenhua Tan, Anne Kraus, Stephen Mac, Lisa M. Komoroske, Tanya Lama, Andrew J. Crawford, Robert W. Murphy, Samara Brown, Alan F. Scott, Phillip A. Morin, Erich D. Jarvis, Olivier Fedrigo

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Studies in vertebrate genomics require sampling from a broad range of tissue types, taxa, and localities. Recent advancements in long-read and long-range genome sequencing have made it possible to produce high-quality chromosome-level genome assemblies for almost any organism. However, adequate tissue preservation for the requisite ultra-high molecular weight DNA (uHMW DNA) remains a major challenge. Here we present a comparative study of preservation methods for field and laboratory tissue sampling, across vertebrate classes and different tissue types. Results: We find that storage temperature was the strongest predictor of uHMW fragment lengths. While immediate flash-freezing remains the sample preservation gold …

Genome-Wide Identification Of Wrky Transcription Factor Encoding Genes In Amborella Trichopoda Baill. (Amborellaceae), Bijaya Pradhan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are DNA-binding proteins, which play important roles in managing plant stresses and regulating growth and development processes. The WRKY TF family has expanded significantly through genome/gene duplications in the plant evolutionary process. Although the WRKY TFs have been identified in hundreds of plant species, they are yet to be identified in Amborella trichopoda, a species that represents the most basal group of Angiosperms. The main objectives of this study were to conduct genome-wide identification of the WRKY gene family in A. trichopoda and to assess their homologs in Angiosperms. In this study, we identified …

Identifying Adp-Ribosylation As The Biochemical Signal That Marks Dna-Protein Crosslinks For Sprtn-Dependent Proteolysis, Katelyn Hurley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) form when proteins covalently attach to DNA. It is estimated that hundreds of DPCs form in our cells each day. Because these lesions are cytotoxic, mammalian cells have evolved multiple intricate repair systems to remove DPCs and restore genome integrity. One mechanism mammalian cells rely on for DPC repair is direct proteolysis by the metalloprotease, SPRTN. While it is known that SPRTN degrades a heterogenous array of DPCs, including both naturally occurring and chemically induced, how SPRTN selects DPCs amongst chromatin-associated proteins remains unknown. Our main objective is to determine how DPC repair is regulated. In Chapter …

The Ecology And Evolution Of Human Reproductive Behavior, Kaylynne Glover

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

The complexity of human reproductive behavior has necessitated its examination through a variety of scientific disciplines, each focusing on specific elements of our biology, behavior, and society. However, this complexity also necessitates that we reintegrate the information learned from each discipline into a single framework, one rooted in the evolutionary principles that have shaped the development of all life on earth. In this dissertation, I use this framework to explore human reproductive behavior, with a particular focus on sexual coercion and fertility-mediated sexual behavior.

In Chapter 1, I introduce the approach taken in this document, identify several key limitations, and …

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

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

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

Callery Pear Removal Experiment: Trees-Intact (Medlar Conservation Area), Margaret E. Maloney, Eric B. Borth, Grace Dietsch, Mary C. Lloyd, Ryan W. Mcewan

Five Rivers MetroParks Collaboration Data Archive

The invasive tree Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) is problematic in open habitats in the American Midwest. We investigated the efficacy of various control techniques on P. calleryana invasion in grasslands. Treatments were applied to P. calleryana stems that were single-stemmed trees (around 7 years; n = 40 stems), and response of those stems was measured.

Callery Pear Removal Experiment: Trees-Sprouting (Stillwater Conservation Area), Margaret E. Maloney, Eric B. Borth, Grace Dietsch, Mary C. Lloyd, Ryan W. Mcewan

Five Rivers MetroParks Collaboration Data Archive

The invasive tree Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) is problematic in open habitats in the American Midwest. We investigated the efficacy of various control techniques on P. calleryana invasion in grasslands. Treatments were applied to P. calleryana stems that had experienced mowing annually for several years and were sprouting (n = 100 stems) and response of those stems was measured.

Activity Patterns Among Head-Started Juvenile Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii), Parker R. Golliglee

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In contrast to many species of aquatic turtle, Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) are putatively nocturnal. Data supporting this assertion are chiefly anecdotal, however, and two recent studies cast doubt on this generalization. Differences in activity patterns may be related to variability in temperature and photoperiod across the species’ range and may be influenced by ontogenetic changes, as well. To assess this, I equipped juvenile Alligator Snapping Turtles spanning a range of different ages with activity data loggers. I used 4-year-old turtles were to measure latitudinal differences in activity which were reared in hatchery ponds spanning the species’ …

Largemouth Bass In The Upper Mississippi River: An Evaluation Of Management Strategies And Understanding Potential Factors Influencing Dynamic Rate Functions, Kylie Beth Sterling

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Upper Mississippi River (UMR) supports ecologically and economically important commercial and recreational fisheries. One recreational fishery in the UMR is the Largemouth Bass fishery. Recreational fisheries can be effectively managed using information on population dynamics, though little is known about Largemouth Bass population dynamics in large river ecosystems. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate recruitment, growth, and mortality of three Largemouth Bass populations in the UMR, specifically within Pools 4, 8, and 13, and 2) to use those estimates of recruitment, growth and mortality to inform exploitation models to evaluate best management practices for each …

Investigation Of The Neuroprotective Effects Of Grape Seed Extract On Trigeminal Ganglion Primary Cultures, Sophia Rose Antonopoulos

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Migraine and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are prevalent, debilitating orofacial pain conditions involving peripheral and central sensitization of the trigeminal system. The pro-inflammatory neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which is synthesized and secreted from trigeminal ganglion neurons, is implicated in the underlying pathology of migraine and TMD. Secreted CGRP modulates the excitability state of neurons and glial cells that express CGRP receptors. Recent studies from our lab in preclinical models of migraine and TMD have provided evidence that dietary supplementation with a proanthocyanin-enriched grape seed extract (GSE) inhibits trigeminal pain signaling. The effect of GSE was blocked by an antagonist of …

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

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

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

Environmental Effects On Biomass Allocation And Small Plot Evaluations Of Aquatic Pesticides For Control Of Nitellopsis Obtusa (Starry Stonewort) Collected From Lake Koronis In Stearns County, Minnesota, Patrick J. Carver

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Phenology is the study of critical life stages in plants in relation to shifts in environmental factors during seasonal changes. Starry stonewort is a green macro alga in the family Characeae native to Eurasia. Much of the Midwestern United States has been invaded by this species. Starry stonewort has been seen to have late season growth patterns in its invaded range. This study found that this growth pattern was dependent upon water temperature and light transmittance both of which affect biomass production and senescence. It was hypothesized that peak biomass would occur in the late summer (August), however we observed …

Sheepshead (Archosargus Probatocephalus) Neurocranium, Andrew J. Hartmann, Steven Peterson, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus)