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Horizontal Gene Transfer And Reciprocal Chimerism In Compactonostoc (Nostocales, Cyanobacteriophyta) With Evidence For Two New Species In The Genus., Daniel Al Fatayri

Masters Essays

The genus Nostoc has long been known to be polyphyletic, and recent taxonomic work has segregated several Nostoc-like lineages into new genera, including Compactonostoc. Until now, Compactonostoc shennongjiaensis was the only described species in the genus. In a survey of biological soil crusts from Santa Catalina Island (California, USA), we isolated two Nostoc- like strains that phylogenetically affiliate with Compactonostoc. A polyphasic approach based on morphology, 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, 16S–23S ITS secondary structure, and cloned ribosomal operons revealed that each strain harbors two highly divergent ribosomal operon types. One operon (Type 2) is closely related to C. shennongjiaensis and …

The Depuration Of Microplastic Pollution In Aquacultured Indian River Lagoon Oysters, Lee Nguyen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Plastics are widely used in consumer goods and industrial manufacturing, and their degradation into microplastics (MP, size < 5 mm) has created an emergent environmental pollutant. Plastics readily enter aquatic environments, where they accumulate additional contaminants and bioaccumulate in organisms. While MP contamination in marine ecosystems is well documented, less is known about MP presence in aquacultured shellfish. Depuration, the process of purging contaminants from shellfish, is conducted in sterile seawater without food, which may cause oyster starvation and death. To date, MP depuration has not been examined in the aquacultured eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in published studies. This study had 3 goals: 1) evaluate the effects of algal feed on oyster survival during depuration, 2) determine the effect of algal feed on depuration effectiveness, and 3) investigate the effect of a ten-day depuration on MP concentration in aquacultured C. virginica soft tissue. MP were quantified in oyster tissues, biodeposits, and in industrial algal feed. Tissues were digested using alkaline solutions, manually examined via microscopy, and analyzed using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to investigate MP polymer …

Noninvasive Monitoring Techniques: The Use Of Scat-Sourced Dna And Camera Traps To Monitor Mammalian Carnivore Species At The Ucf Arboretum, Zachary Montealegre

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The 800-acre University of Central Florida Arboretum Natural Lands functions as a conservation area, recreational space, and research site, making it essential to understand the ecological community it supports. Traditional wildlife monitoring methods such as mark-recapture and blood sampling can be effective but may stress animals or disrupt natural behaviors. To minimize these impacts, this study used non-invasive techniques, specifically scat-based DNA analysis and camera trapping, to assess carnivore species' presence. Two ecologically similar sites within the Arboretum were selected. Suspected carnivore scat was collected twice weekly over two months using both structured and opportunistic sampling. DNA was extracted, amplified, …

Evaluating The Use Of Precision Technology To Understand Differences Between Ketotic And Non-Ketotic Jersey Cows, Emily Kathryn Palermo

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Tmem116 Crispr-Mediated Knockout Prevents Proper Lens Regeneration In Iberian-Ribbed Newts, Damien T. Mann

Honors Theses and Capstones

Eye diseases like cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and glaucoma are widespread and detrimental conditions affecting many people across the globe. While there are reliable and successful treatments for those with cataracts that can reverse vision impediments, others like glaucoma and AMD have limited treatment options. Additionally, eye damage resulting from these conditions is commonly irreversible, establishing a need for new treatment options. The Iberian-ribbed newt, Pleurodeles waltl, is a salamander species primarily studied for their amazing regenerative capabilities. Particularly, these newts are capable of de novo lens regeneration after a complete resection, providing a unique opportunity to study regeneration …

Anuran Occupancy Of Created Wetlands Within Reforested Legacy Surface Mines In Kentucky And West Virginia, Jillian C. Newman, Steve Price, Jacquelyn C. Guzy, Joshua Castle, John J. Cox, Jeffery L. Larkin, Christopher D. Barton

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Restoration of habitat is an important component of wildlife management. Surface coal mining has altered forest cover in the Central Appalachians, and most reclamation activities on previously mined lands result in non-native grasslands or shrub lands. The Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA), which emphasizes non-native vegetation removal, soil decompaction, planting of native trees and shrubs, and, in some cases, wetland creation represents an alternative to grassland-based reclamation that may promote forest-associated wildlife on legacy surface mines. We used automated recording units to evaluate the response of anurans to created wetlands and the FRA in Kentucky and West Virginia, USA. We used …

Microglial Apoe Across Alzheimer’S Disease-Relevant Pathologies, Georgia Nolt

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

APOE exists as three common alleles (APOE2, APOE3, APOE4) that encode their corresponding protein isoforms (apoE2, apoE3, apoE4). Despite differing by only one or two single-amino acid substitutions, each APOE allele confers a distinct AD risk profile with APOE4 increasing risk by 28% and APOE2 decreasing risk by 14% compared to the most commonly expressed APOE3 allele. While traditionally considered “neutral,” APOE3 still accounts for ~36% of AD cases while APOE4 contributes ~57%, indicating that the majority of AD cases would not occur in the absence of the APOE3 and APOE4 alleles. Microglia, the resident phagocytic immune cells …

Characterizing Gut Microbial Communities And Symbiont-Mediated Detoxification In Herbivorous Insects, Rachel C. Vargas

Biology Dissertations

Insect gut bacteria are vital contributors to host physiology, yet the broader prevalence and fitness implications of symbiont-mediated detoxification remain poorly understood. This thesis investigates these dynamics across three research chapters. Chapter 1 uses 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize how grasshopper gut microbial communities vary across species, dietary breadths, and gastrointestinal segments. Chapter 2 evaluates the detoxification capacity of over 150 bacterial isolates from diverse herbivores against the plant allelochemicals phenethyl isothiocyanate, rutin, and chlorogenic acid to determine if host dietary specialization predicts microbial metabolic ability. Finally, Chapter 3 employs fitness bioassays to test whether inoculating generalist herbivores with detoxifying …

American Elderberry's Next Top Pollinator: Evaluating The Role Of Arthropods In Pollination, Jenny K. Burrow

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

American elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis) is a woody deciduous shrub native to eastern North America. In addition to its long history of use by indigenous peoples, there is renewed interest in cultivating and consuming American elderberry, primarily driven by expanding health supplement markets. Despite recent advances in horticultural development of American elderberry, its pollination ecology remains poorly understood. In this field study, I evaluated the contribution of arthropod visitors to pollination of American elderberry. To do this, I first characterized the identities and abundances of arthropod visitors via timed arthropod collections and floral observations during peak flowering …

A Transdisciplinary Approach To Advancing Water Security And Public Health: The “Nurse + Engineer” Model For Achieving Sustainability In Wash Systems Using Community-Based Participatory Research, Daniel B. Oerther, Sarah Oerther

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Human health is linked to the health of the environment, a concept referred to as planetary health. As environmental challenges become increasingly complex, single-disciplinary approaches are insufficient to achieve sustainable solutions. This article presents a transdisciplinary framework, termed the "Nurse + Engineer" model, as a novel methodology for addressing complex problems at the nexus of environmental engineering and public health. The model integrates the technical design and systems-level thinking of environmental engineering with the community-based, patient-centered care of nursing. This work details the key lessons learned from the retrospective application of this framework to a series of multi-year, community-based participatory …

Environmental Engineers Develop Solutions To Problems Of Planetary Health: The Legacy Of Professor P. Aarne Vesilind, Daniel B. Oerther

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The principal ethical obligation of the engineering profession, to "hold paramount the health, safety, and welfare of the public," has been challenged for decades. Professor P. Aarne Vesilind identified two primary deficiencies: an anthropocentric bias that values nature only instrumentally and the use of non-mandatory, aspirational language for environmental protection, which resulted in the exclusion of enforceable environmental canons. This paper argues that two recent developments provide a comprehensive response to Vesilind's recommendations for engineering ethics. First, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has redefined environmental engineering as "developing solutions to problems of planetary health." Second, Oerther proposed a …

Development Of A Semi-Mechanistic Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Model For Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Combination Against Enterococcus Faecalis Based On Time-Kill Assays To Predict Drug Disposition And Guide Dosing Strategy In A Severe Renal Impairment Population, Ruhma Zia Khan

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics continues to be a global health problem, limiting antibacterial therapy against infective endocarditis caused by Enterococcus faecalis. To overcome increasing resistance, dual beta-lactam therapy has been advocated as an alternative regimen for treatment – the synergistic activity against E. faecalis demonstrated to be effective. Currently, ampicillin plus ceftriaxone is the standard of care, but the practical application of this therapy is limited by ampicillin’s poor stability in solution at room temperature. A synergistic combination of penicillin plus ceftriaxone shows promise due to penicillin’s superior stability at ambient temperature, but ceftriaxone’s potential to cause hepatoxicity further limits …

Factors Affecting Detection Of A Cryptic Ambush Predator Using Camera Traps, With Implications For Snake Monitoring, Sarah Elizabeth Ebert

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Camera traps are becoming increasingly popular in wildlife research because they can be deployed for long time periods with little maintenance and are much less invasive than traditional trapping methods. However, they are primarily used to study large mammals and have not been extensively tested for snake species, many of which are cryptic and understudied. The Adapted-Hunt Drift Fence Technique (AHDriFT) arrays were designed to improve detection of herpetofauna by attaching camera traps to drift fences. In the summer of 2022, we installed 20 AHDriFT arrays at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in coastal South Carolina where we …

Prevention Of Inflammation-Associated Neurodegeneration: Assessing The Efficacy Of N,N-Dimethylacetamide (Dma) In Lipopolysaccharide (Lps)-Induced Neuroinflammation Using C57bl/6 Mice, Teeshavi Devi Acosta

Theses and Dissertations

Neurological function is closely linked to both longevity and quality of life. While some degree of neurodegeneration occurs naturally with aging, pathological neurodegeneration leads to devastating functional decline. The mechanisms underlying these processes remain incompletely understood; however, neuroinflammation is recognized as a key driver of neuronal dysfunction and death. Emerging evidence indicates that neuroinflammatory cascades can precede and potentiate hallmark features of neurodegenerative diseases, including synaptic loss and cognitive decline observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway contributes to amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide production, further amplifying a cycle of inflammation and neuronal injury. Preclinical work from …

Effectiveness Of Walleye Stocking In Winter Kill Lakes, Tyler Haus

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Winter kill events, marked by extensive fish mortality due to hypoxic conditions under the ice, are a common phenomenon in shallow eutrophic lakes, especially in the northern lakes in the northern United States. These events can drastically alter fish communities and often result in the elimination of top predators. Though these lakes will typically slowly bounce back to what they were in a couple of years. This study evaluates the effectiveness of walleye, Sander vitreus, stocking in lakes after a winter kill. For this study, four known winter kill lakes that are consistently stocked with walleye were studied. Pre- …

Assessing Urban–Rural Differences In Largemouth Bass Abundance In Minnesota, Jonathan Gates

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Urbanization can significantly alter freshwater ecosystems and influence sport fish populations. This study examined differences in largemouth bass Micropterus nigricans catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) between urban and rural lakes in Minnesota and evaluated temporal changes between 2000–2010 and 2011–2021. Forty lakes (20 urban, 20 rural) were selected using Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fisheries survey data. Lakes were classified using NLCD 2019 land cover data, with ≥10% developed land designated as urban. Nonparametric analyses (Wilcoxon rank-sum and signed-rank tests) were used to assess spatial and temporal differences in CPUE. Results showed that rural lakes had consistently higher median CPUE than urban lakes …

Statewide Northern Pike Response To Minnesota’S 2018 Regulation Change, Elijah Wozniak

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Management of northern pike (Esox lucius) is challenging because it attempts to balance ecological sustainability with angler interests. Northern pike often stunt their own growth by diminishing the size and abundance of prey fish, their food source. Anglers are often displeased when small pike occur in high population densities. In response to populations of small northern pike, the DNR implemented a new, statewide northern pike regulation in 2018. The objective of this study was to determine whether the regulation successfully changed the mean weight, length, and CPUE of northern pike in Minnesota. The secondary objective was to test …

Neonicotinoid Bioaccumulation In Bluegill And Bullhead Within Lake Julia And Lake Zumwalde, Jake Stuber

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus, Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis, and Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus are unique in their stark differences. Bullhead are scaleless bottom feeders that can tolerate high pollution and low O₂ conditions. In contrast, Bluegill are scaled, aggressive nesters and are less tolerant of high pollutants or low-oxygen conditions. Among these pollutants include a class of chemicals called neonicotinoids (hereafter referred to as neonics). Neonics are a class of insecticides primarily used within agriculture and pest management. Due to the effectiveness, application has escalated on a global scale. They have been well documented by many toxicology assessments. …

Comparison Of Calcified Structures To Estimate Ages Of Northern Pike Esox Lucius In Various Lakes, Kaed Rauk

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Northern pike Esox lucius are a dominant predatory fish in many aquatic systems. They can have significant impacts on the ecosystems they inhabit and are also a popular game fish among anglers. However, northern pike are a difficult species to age accurately. This study aimed to compare calcified aging structures to identify trends and determine which structure provides the most accurate age estimates. A total of 119 northern pike were sampled, and multiple structures from each fish were independently aged by two readers. The coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated for each structure to assess precision. Sectioned sagittal otoliths exhibited …

Indigenous Land Seizure & Environmental Injustice: Impacts Of Settler Colonialism, Lydia Moorman

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The fields of conservation and environmentalism prioritize ecosystem health, yet both emerged from western frameworks that displaced and criminalized Indigenous land stewardship. The idealization of “pristine wilderness” narratives served to justify the removal of Indigenous peoples from their homelands and erased millennia of sustainable land stewardship that had maintained ecological balance long before western conservation existed. These narratives not only misrepresented Indigenous relationship with land but also constructed a false dichotomy between humans and nature that positioned Indigenous presence as a threat rather than a source of ecological knowledge. Simultaneously, anthropogenic expansion; such as pipelines, mining, railroads, and other extractive …

Size Structure Comparison Of Bluegill In Lakes With And Without Special Regulations, Jenna Lawin

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Lots of individuals have mixed feelings about special regulations for all sorts of game fish species such as northern pike Esox lucius, crappie Pomoxis spp., sunfish Lepomis spp., and so on. One species commonly sought after by many is bluegill Lepomis macrochirus. Bluegill are often deemed easy to find, catch, and clean. This study looks at three different categories of lakes (all lakes contain bluegill populations). The three categories are lakes with a five sunfish limit, lakes with a ten sunfish limit, and lakes without any special regulations. This study provides valuable insight into the size …

Small Mammal Communities Within And Land Coverage Around Southwestern Missouri Prairies, Kaitlyn J. Bebensee

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Land alterations can reduce the amount of suitable habitat necessary for persistence of an associated species. Within such constrained habitats, limited resources may elicit competition, which could cause shifts in abundance and occurrence of species. Missouri prairies have been declining in size, making it imperative to collect reference data on mammal populations within and land use types around remnants. For this study, I trapped small mammals in Southwestern Missouri prairies because they can be indicators of environmental health and can vary in abundance between prairies. I focus on the diet of two dominant small mammals, Peromyscus maniculatus and Microtus ochrogaster …

Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (Pfos)-Induced Disruption Of Mitochondrial Activity And Cell Adhesion In Liver Cells, Phuong Dam Nam Tran

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a persistent environmental pollutant associated with potential hepatoxic effects and other health risks. Despite its widespread distribution, the mechanisms underlying its toxicities remain to be fully understood. To investigate PFOS toxicology, my study utilized HepG2 and THLE-2 human hepatic cell models to replicate conditions reflecting PFOS accumulation in the liver. Cell viability, cell stress, and cell death assays were conducted to assess the toxicological influence of the chemical on both cell lines. Total RNA extraction was performed, followed by cDNA sequencing, and RT-qPCR. The XTT viability assay revealed a dose-dependent decrease in number of viable cells …

Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger) Occupancy In A Southern Missouri Woodland, Daniel Garten

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Species occupancy, which relates the probability of presence of a species at a specific place and time, is an important component of conservation and wildlife management. Principally it is used for estimation of a species’ distribution as well as understanding species interactions and quantifying environmental effects. The purpose of this study was to analyze occupancy of the Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) across multiple seasons (2019–2022) at Bull Shoals Field Station (BSFS), and to identify potential covariates associated with detection and colonization. Data were drawn from camera trap surveys from 26 sites during summer and fall seasons. Multi-season occupancy models …

Development Of A Python Pipeline For The Inference Of Selection In Human Genomes And Applications To Adh1b*2, Aine Macdermott

Honors Theses

Human evolutionary genomics provides an avenue to understand how genetic variation has been impacted by the environmental pressures of the past, revealing how selective pressures impacted past populations and contributed to present-day biological diversity. In this thesis, I describe the construction of a Python-based computational pipeline designed to automate and integrate multiple analyses of positive selection across worldwide population datasets, including derived allele frequency calculation, haplotype-based tests of selection, RELATE-based genealogical inference, and CLUES2-based temporal modeling. By automating file preparation, format conversion, job submission, result aggregation, model comparison, and visualization, this pipeline streamlines the data interpretation process, and shifts focus …

Ovipositional Behavior Of The Twig Girdler (Cerambycidae: Oncideres Cingulata) On Stems Of Mockernut Hickory (Carya Tomentosa) In Arkansas, R. Tumlison, L. Serviss

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Twig Girdler (Cerambycidae: Oncideres cingulata) is a long-horned beetle that girdles stems of certain species of trees to prepare a habitat for its offspring. The stems eventually die, break, and fall from the tree, but the beetle usually had already laid its eggs within the stems. Eggs are laid singly, almost always at growth rings or leaf bases. Because the space for the young to develop is finite, laying too many eggs could cause reproductive failure and too few eggs would be suboptimal. We hypothesized that the female laying eggs should be able to evaluate the stem and …

Bulletin 4936: Guidelines To Importing And Keeping Regulated Animals In Western Australia, Win Kirkpatrick

Bulletins 4000 -

Updated:

• January 2026 after a review of permit keeping conditions.
• December 2025 for transfer of restricted keeping bird permit business to DPIRD.

Introduced, exotic or alien animals are species that have been brought to a country or location where they do not occur naturally. (Hereafter referred to as introduced species). Mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians that are introduced or relocated to new areas often cause problems to agriculture, the environment and the community. Problems occur when introduced species:

• damage agricultural crops
• displace and compete with native animals and plants
• carry disease or parasites
• damage property
• cause land degradation
• have a …

The Rna-Binding Protein Pumilio Limits Polymodal Noiception In Drosophila Larvae, Sara Palega, Hannah Davenport, Rebeccah K. Stewart, Jessica Horton, Andrew Bellemer

Microbiology & Molecular Cell Biology Faculty Publications

Nociception is the process by which the nervous system detects and processes information about potentially harmful environmental stimuli to generate behavioral and physiological responses. The process of nociception undergoes plasticity in response to injury, inflammation, and infection to shape the sensitivity of nociceptive circuits and the behavioral responses they control. We are increasingly aware that post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression shapes the sensitivity and plasticity of nociceptive sensory neurons and nociceptive behavior. In Drosophila, the Pumilio RNA-binding protein interacts with diverse target mRNAs to regulate their abundance and translation in a wide range of contexts including the establishment of …

Sae For All: Curriculum Guide, Emily Carpenter

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is a critical component of agricultural education, designed to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. The SAE for All model ensures that every student participates in meaningful experiential learning tailored to their interests and career goals. By integrating SAE into the curriculum, students develop technical skills, career readiness competencies, and an understanding of real-world agricultural applications. This guide includes a teaching plan and a comprehensive set of assignments.

The Histamine-3 Receptor In Cardiac Fibrosis: A Novel Role In Fibroblast Function, Heather Linsky

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the United States, heart failure affects approximately 6.7 million individuals. Despite a number of available therapies, heart failure prevalence continues to grow, suggesting the need for a broader range of effective therapies. More specifically, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction comprises approximately 50% of all heart failure cases and, as the name suggests, is a disease of diastolic dysfunction as opposed to systolic dysfunction. A hallmark of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is myocardial fibrosis, which is a key contributor to diastolic dysfunction, and is the major focus of this dissertation work. In the heart, histamine-3 receptor activation …