Digital Commons Network^™

A Test Case For Raccoon Roundworm Anthelmintic Baiting In Western Virginia, Karen Powers, W. Jayme Viers, Carolyn K. Rossmeisl, L Kristen Page

Virginia Journal of Science

As a test case to determine the efficacy of anthelmintic baiting to reduce raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) prevalence in western Virginia, we deployed baits in a mountainous area of Roanoke Co., Virginia that historically was occupied by Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister). We deployed anthelmintic baits at 6-wk intervals from August to December 2024 at a density of 100/km². We opportunistically collected raccoon (Procyon lotor) scat in the drop area from August 2024 to May 2025 and found a marked decline in prevalence of raccoon roundworm in the samples. Deeming this a measured …

Enhancing Urban Garden Capacity By Linking Biodiversity And Ecosystem Function, Mary T. Nguyen, Carleen Rauh, Shelby Gresch, Charlotte Correiro, Heidi Elmendorf, Adriane Fugh-Berman, Gina Wimp, Alexandra L. Decandia

Virginia Journal of Science

Urban agriculture broadly describes food and plant cultivation in metropolitan areas. While biodiversity is thought to support ecosystem health and resilience, the relationship between above-ground and below-ground diversity has been understudied in urban green spaces. This study examines plant, animal, bacterial, and fungal diversity across three distinct urban habitats: a turf lawn, a forb garden, and a farming space. Using bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS2 sequencing, soil nutrient analyses, and surveys of vegetation and wildlife, we connect diverse philosophies in urban agriculture to their role in advancing community diversity and ecosystem function. We found that different urban gardens support …

Interspecific Overlap In Seabird Diet Throughout The Breeding Season, Alexis V. Berkey

Student Publications

Seabirds are central-place foragers that breed in multi-species colonies, providing an opportunity to study species coexistence. I quantified interspecific competition among four seabird species (common terns Sterna hirundo, Arctic terns Sterna paradisaea, Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica, black guillemots Cepphus grylle) breeding in the Gulf of Maine in 2022, 2024, and 2025. I hypothesized that, throughout the breeding season, 1) seabird diet would change and 2) interspecific overlap in diet would increase. I compared diets across species and time using direct observation of prey feeds and stable isotope values of seabird egg membranes and blood, which provide …

A Double-Edged Sword? Liana Wood Decomposes Faster Than Tree Wood, Denis Mburu Njoroge, Aphrodis Munyaneza, Juan Zuo, Gbadamassi G. O. Dossa, Douglas Schaefer, Rhett D. Harrison, Stefan A. Schnitzer, J. Hans C. Cornelissen

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Lianas are increasing in many forests and show higher stem turnover rates and different chemical profiles compared with trees. However, liana deadwood decomposition dynamics have been overlooked. We redress this omission and hypothesize that liana wood decomposes faster than tree wood due to its larger vessels and higher nutrient content than trees, resulting in greater activity of both microbial and invertebrate decomposers. We tested this hypothesis in a common-garden decomposition experiment with deadwood of two size classes (2.5 and 4 cm diameter) belonging to 12 liana and 12 tree species in tropical China. Liana wood decomposed 28.6% faster than tree …

The Importance Of Body Size And Spatial Scale In Modeling Winter Bird Distributions, Carissa M. Mobley

Student Publications

Birds’ annual cycles include biologically linked breeding and non-breeding seasons, yet most research and bird atlases focus exclusively on the breeding season. There have been very few winter bird atlas projects in North America, and none have been published for the northeastern United States. Short daylight hours and harsh weather limit winter survey coverage, making species distribution models (SDMs) essential for addressing spatial gaps.

I evaluated the optimal spatial scale for SDMs across bird species differing in body size and tested whether optimal scale varies with body mass. Using 16,967 eBird checklists collected during the first winter survey period (December …

Microplastic-Mediated Delivery Of Di-Butyl Phthalate Alters C. Elegans Lifespan And Reproductive Fidelity, Chiara Angelyn Maldonado

Presentations - 2026

•The challenge: microplastic contamination •The question: How do microplastics and chemical contaminants affect living organisms? •The follow-up: What’s next!

Exploratory Evaluation Of Handler Performance And Processing-Related Outcomes During Cattle Handling, Morgan Marquardt

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Animals have several critical roles in society, including the production of food and fiber, and companionship. Contact with animals has been shown to benefit human physical and mental health, yet little research has investigated the impact that humans have on animals. Handler skill may considerably affect the extent to which humans influence animal health and wellbeing, and this may be a critical consideration for animal agriculture. Objective assessment of cattle handler skill has received limited attention in the scientific literature, despite its importance to human safety and animal welfare. When compared to less skilled handlers, highly skilled cattle handlers may …

Fisheries Research Report No. 358 - Recreational Fishing For Blue Swimmer Crab In Cockburn Sound: Estimates Of Effort And Catch In 2024/25, Alissa C. Tate, Claire B. Smallwood, Eva K M Lai

Fisheries Research Reports

The Cockburn Sound Blue Swimmer Crab (Portunus armatus) fishery was reopened to recreational fishing in December 2024 following a 10-year closure. Monitoring was essential to assess fishing effort and catch for this species.

A boat ramp (bus route) survey at four key access points (Leeuwin, Woodman Point, Palm Beach, and Point Peron) and shore-based roving creel survey (Fremantle South Mole to Point Peron) were used to collect data from December 2024 to May 2025. These surveys provide estimates of fishing effort, total catch (kept and released), harvest and catch rates for Blue Swimmer Crab in Cockburn Sound.

A total of …

Biol 210: Nutrition (Syllabus), Sam Newberry Ph.D.

School of Arts & Sciences

This syllabus was developed by SUNY Geneseo Professor Sam Newberry during the spring 2026 semester.

Course Learning Objectives:

Students who are active participants and complete course requirements will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate familiarity with nutrients, their food sources, their functions, and signs and symptoms of deficiency or excess.
2. Demonstrate familiarity with biological, psychological, social and cultural factors that influence human diet and nutrition.
3. Describe and explain in class discussion and on exams the relationship between diet and health, particularly for selected public health issues.
4. Demonstrate familiarity with nutritional guidelines used in the United States, and the challenges of establishing such …

Career Readiness In Developmental Biology Module, Travis Bailey Ph.D.

School of Arts & Sciences

This set of activities were developed and modified by SUNY Geneseo Professor Travis Bailey in the spring 2026 semester.

Blink & Beat: Pupillometry Response In Autonomic Nervous System Monitoring, Ximena Castillo

2026 Spring Honors Capstones Projects

In the neuroscience intensive care unit (NSICU), nurses rely on advanced monitoring tools to detect neurological deterioration. Two noninvasive measures, heart rate variability (HRV) and pupillary light reflex (PLR), are used to assess autonomic nervous system function; however, it remains unclear whether these indicators provide overlapping or distinct information. The purpose of this observational prospective study is to evaluate the relationship between HRV and quantitative pupillometry measurements to determine whether these noninvasive indicators provide congruent information. Data already collected as routine care from NSICU patients is extracted from the medical record for analysis. Understanding the correlation between HRV and PLR …

Ecological Studies Of Wolves On Isle Royale, Sarah R. Hoy, Rolf O. Peterson, John A. Vucetich

Ecological Studies of Wolves on Isle Royale

Annual Report 2025-2026

Mitochondria Dynamics In Microglia During Health, Inflammation, And Aging, Alicia Nicole Pietramale

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Microglia continually surveil the brain, allowing for rapid detection of tissue damage or infection. Microglial metabolism is linked to tissue homeostasis, yet how mitochondria are subcellularly partitioned in microglia and dynamically reorganize during surveillance, injury responses, and phagocytic engulfment in the intact brain has remained unclear. In this dissertation, I combine intravital imaging, ultrastructural analyses, and metabolic and cytoskeletal markers to investigate how mitochondrial organization relates to microglial function across health, inflammation, and aging.

I first show that microglial processes diverge in their mitochondrial content, with some containing multiple mitochondria while others are completely void. This heterogeneous partitioning is conserved …

Nucleotide Excision Repair In Yeast, Kinleigh Mines, Larry Ramirez, Jacob Rodriguez, Delynda Gonzalez

Posters - 2026

DNA damage occurs constantly in cells due to environmental factors and normal cellular processes, making DNA repair pathways essential for maintaining genomic stability (Hindi et al., 2021). One major repair mechanism is Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER), which is responsible for recognizing and removing bulky DNA lesions that distort the double helix structure (Scharer, 2013). In Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast), the RAD14 gene plays a critical role in this pathway by helping identify and initiate repair of damaged DNA (Scharer, 2013). Another source of instability comes from the formation of G-quadruplex (G4) structures, which are secondary DNA configurations that can interfere with …

Evaluating The Environmental Parameters Impacting Spawning Movement Of Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser Desotoi) In The Bouie River System., Olivia St. Germain

Honors Theses

The anadromous Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser desotoi) is federally listed as “threatened” and is natal to seven rivers from Louisiana to Florida. Only one spawning reach for Gulf Sturgeon natal to the Pascagoula River has been verified via the collection of eggs and larvae; a reach of the lower Bouie River. This reach is anthropogenically modified by four gravel mining formations, hereafter referred to as pits. The greater depths associated with this area have prompted previous researchers to suggest that Gulf Sturgeon may over-summer in pit formations instead of migrating to downstream holding areas in the Pascagoula River after spawning. The …

Growing South Dakota (Spring 2026), College Of Agriculture, Food, And Environmental Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 2 National heritage, statewide research, local impact
[Page] 7 About the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Stations
[Page] 14 Managing the mooo-ment: How SDSU researchers are looking to improve cow health during the Transition Period
[Page] 18 Discovering strength in science: How education through undergraduate research prepares students for the future
[Page] 20 From India to Brookings: One grad student’s path to make a world of difference in virology
[Page] 22 Solving a billion-dollar problem: Identifying disease-resistent wheat genes
[Page] 24 Unlocking manure’s potential: SDSU leads multistate study on the power of swine manure in growing better crops
[Page] 28 …

Emerald Bowfin Amia Ocellicauda Ecology In Three Minnesota Lakes: Abundance, Age Analysis, Diet Composition, And Stable Isotope Food Web, Griffin Blegen

Biology Graduate Theses

The Emerald Bowfin Amia ocellicauda is a predatory fish species native to Minnesota that has often been discriminated against. This research expands ecological knowledge of Bowfin in Minnesota and provides population data to guide future management. Bowfin were sampled in the spring of 2024 and 2025 and a multi-census mark–recapture model was used to estimate abundance in three lakes. Estimated populations were 196 individuals in Little Toad Lake (95% CI: 116, 242) or 4.4 fish/littoral ha (95% CI: 2.7,5.7), 657 in Lake Sarah (95% CI: 436, 1014) or 4.2 fish/littoral ha (95% CI: 3.0, 6.7), and 612 in Gun Lake …

Structural-Functional Analyses Of The Huntingtin/Hap40 Complex In Drosophila And Humans, Stephen M Farmer, Amanda Solbach, Shiyu Xu, Beatriz Rios, Xin Ye, Amy Gao, Daniela Covarrubias, Yue Yu, Lili Ye, Vicky Chuong, Erin Furr Stimming, Haiqing Zhao, Sheng Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an abnormal CAG expansion in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. Given its simple genetic cause but complex pathogenic mechanisms, interest in targeting HTT for HD treatment is growing, necessitating a clear understanding of HTT regulation. HTT protein primarily exists in a core complex with HAP40, forming a highly ordered structure with two large globular domains connected by a bridge. We previously demonstrated that HAP40 is conserved in

Unraveling The Nexus: Tumor Mutational Burden, Pd-L1 Expression, And Oncogenic Alterations In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cytology Specimens, Min Dai, Francis Anthony San Lucas, Hector Alvarez, Leomar Ballester, Hui Chen, Keyur P Patel, Asif Rashid, Shun Rao, Mark J Routbort, Gloria Sura, Keith Sweeney, Gokce Toruner, Peng Wei, Richard Yang, Hyvan Dang, Rajyalakshmi Luthra, Sinchita Roy-Chowdhuri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: PD-L1 expression and tumor mutational burden (TMB) are biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, patients harboring oncogenic alterations have limited benefit from ICIs. The impact of oncogenic alterations on TMB and PD-L1 tumor proportion score in lung cytology specimens is poorly understood. Herein, the association between oncogenic alterations, TMB, and PD-L1 in NSCLC cytology specimens is explored.

Methods: Next-generation sequencing results from 312 NSCLC cytology specimens were retrospectively reviewed that interrogate 610 genes and select immuno-oncology signatures. TMB and PD-L1 immunohistochemical expression across oncogenic alterations were analyzed to explore associations.

Results: …

Exchanging Genes Within A City: Analysis Of Pollen Flow Patterns In A Narrow Endemic Plant Species Threatened By Urbanisation, Nicola Delnevo, Andrea Piotti, Eddie J. Van Etten, William D. Stock, David L. Field, Margaret Byrne

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Human-driven habitat fragmentation is known to disrupt gene flow in a wide range of species. However, its consequences for endemic plant species that depend on specialised invertebrate pollinators remain poorly understood. Although honeybees are capable of travelling considerable distances while foraging, many small-bodied native bee species lack the capacity to expand their foraging ranges or cross anthropogenic barriers, rendering habitat fragmentation the most significant threat to these ecological interactions. In many long-lived plants, the time since fragmentation has not been long enough for detectable changes in the genetic composition of standing populations. Changes in dispersal patterns observed in seedlings may …

A Computational Assessment Of Halobacterium Salinarum Glutamate Dehydrogenase Enzymes, Maaz Abdalla

Theses

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is a hexameric enzyme. GDH is involved in several pathways and cellular processes such as oxidation-reduction homeostasis, ammonia metabolism, lipid biosynthesis, insulin and lactate production, and acid-base equilibrium. The main objective of this thesis is to understand the structural and biochemical properties of this enzyme and why some organisms, for e.g., Halobacterium salinarum, have more than one GDH with different coenzyme specificities. The catabolism of glutamate is linked to NAD+ specific GDHs, meanwhile, NADP+ specific GDHs play an anabolic role in ammonia assimilation. Molecular docking and binding free energy calculations were employed followed by long-scale (500 nanoseconds) …

Evolution Of Antibiotic Responses During Chronic P. Aeruginosa Infections In The Human Lung, David Frank Ritz

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Typical antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) of microbial samples is performed in homogeneous cultures in batch environments, which does not account for the highly heterogeneous and dynamic nature of antibiotic responses. The most common mutation found in P. aeruginosa lineages evolved during chronic cystic fibrosis infections in the human lung, a loss of function of repressor MexZ, increases basal levels of multidrug efflux MexXY, but does not increase resistance by traditional minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays. Here, we use single cell microfluidics to show that P. aeruginosa’s response to aminoglycosides is highly heterogeneous, with only a subpopulation of cells surviving exposure. …

Quantifying Nutrient Fluxes Across The Sediment-Water Interface In The Lafayette River Estuary, Adriana E. Amrhein

OES Theses and Dissertations

The Lafayette River, a shallow, eutrophic tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, experiences seasonal harmful algal blooms (HABs). While management efforts focus on reducing external nutrient inputs, internal loading from benthic sediments remains poorly constrained. This study quantifies spatial and seasonal variability in nutrient and radium isotope fluxes across the sediment–water interface at three sites where HABs are known to initiate and represent contrasting sediment textures and hydrodynamic conditions. Sediment cores and porewater samples were collected in summer 2023 and winter 2024 to measure grain size, porosity, dissolved nutrients (NH₄⁺, NOₓ⁻, PO₄³⁻), and radionuclide activities (²²⁴Ra and ²²⁸Th). Radium isotope disequilibrium …

Dissecting The Etiology Of Alcohol Use Disorder By An Integrative Heritable Component Approach, Ivy Garrenton

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a pervasive condition characterized by complex interplay among genetic, phenotypic, and environmental factors. Although previous studies have identi fied genetic loci associated with alcohol consumption, these efforts have not captured the genetic heterogeneity and gene-environment interactions underlying AUD pathogenesis. To address this critical gap, we developed a novel statistical methodology that integrates phenotypic, genotypic, and environmental data through an environmentally modified Genetic Relationship Matrix (GRM) to derive AUD-related traits with enhanced heritability.

This approach demonstrated superior performance in both simulated and real-world datasets. Traits derived using the environmentally modified GRM exhibited significantly higher estimated heritability …

Role Of Listeria Adhesion Protein In Monocyte-Associated And Extracellular Translocation Of Listeria Monocytogenes Across The In Vitro Placental Barrier Co-Culture Model, Ayesha Atique

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular foodborne pathogen capable of crossing the placental barrier, leading to miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal sepsis, and has a fetal/neonatal fatality rate of ~20–30%. Although the importance of canonical virulence factors such as Internalin A (InlA) and Internalin B (InlB) in L. monocytogenes crossing of the placental barrier has been demonstrated, clinical strains lacking functional canonical internalins have been reported to cause severe neonatal disease, suggesting additional mechanisms of placental translocation.

To investigate these virulence mechanisms, we adapted a physiologically relevant co-culture human placental barrier Transwell model composed of BeWo trophoblasts and primary human placental …

A Methotrexate Dashboard: Integrating Mtxpk.Org Into The Electronic Health Record To Facilitate Model-Informed Care For Pediatric Patients Receiving High-Dose Methotrexate., Zachary L. Taylor, Nieko Punt, Chris Jenkinson, Bill Vidonish, Jennifer Young, Maureen M. O'Brien, Laura Ramsey

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: The MTXPK.org webtool facilitates model-informed supportive care and glucarpidase use in patients receiving high-dose methotrexate, but its reliance on manual data entry limits workflow integration. We aimed to highlight how translational informatics can advance, automate, and enhance the usability of clinical decision support tools by embedding MTXPK.org within the electronic health record (EHR).

METHODS: A human factors study with 6 clinical providers guided iterative prototype development. MTXPK.org was rebuilt within the EHR using a 3-tier architecture with Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources-based data retrieval, automated pharmacokinetic modeling, and interactive visualization.

RESULTS: Two rounds of prototyping with task-based evaluations and contextual …

Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics For Studying Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolites In Biological Samples, Ya-Ting Lin, Huai-Hsuan Chiu, Chih-Ning Cheng, Ching-Hua Kuo

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Gut microbiota produces a wide range of metabolites and plays a critical role in maintaining host health. Dysregulation of these metabolites can influence host metabolism through systemic circulation, contributing to the development of various diseases, including immunological, neurological and cancer-related disorders. Chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a powerful analytical approach, offering high sensitivity and resolution for studying gut microbiota-related metabolites. This review provides a comprehensive overview of chromatographic MS-based methods applied to the study of the gut microbial metabolome. We summarize strategies for sample collection, storage, and preparation of commonly analyzed sample types, including feces, plasma/serum, …

Perspective In Biomedical Sciences Field: Education And Career, Fitra Adi Prayogo, Mellyaning Oktaviani Sonya Kirana Sari, Isy Royhanaty, Poppy Fansisca Amelia, Heni Wijayanti, Ni Nyoman Maryaningtyas Adinatha, Dyah Wulandari, Anto Budiharjo

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Abstract

Background: The biomedical sciences represent a dynamic and multidisciplinary field pivotal to advancing human health through research, education, and innovation.

Objective(s): This review explores the evolving landscape of biomedical education and career pathways, driven by technological advancements, interdisciplinary integration, and global health demands.

Methods: We examine the distinctions between biomedical science, biomedicine, and biomedical engineering, highlighting their historical origins and contemporary roles. The education and career trajectories of biomedical laboratory scientists (BLS) are analysed, emphasising diverse competencies, core curricula, and the impact of regional policies on professional qualifications. Emerging trends and ethical/regulatory challenges are discussed.

Result(s): Key trends include …

Evaluating Forearm Strength Variability In Collegiate Tennis Players Over The Course Of A Competitive Season, Jeffrey Williams, Payton Jensen, Kevin Laudner

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

The muscles of the forearm undergo routine, forceful, and repetitive contractions while playing tennis and may experience adaptive changes that can precede injury. An understanding of forearm strength profiles of tennis players following a competitive season would assist clinicians’ evidence-based management of the forearm’s readiness for training, competition, and return-to-sport participation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a competitive tennis season on forearm strength among collegiate tennis athletes. A prospective, case-series design was used to examine a convenience sample of 15 asymptomatic NCAA Division I tennis players (males = 10, height = 182.88 [SD …

What Is Alive? Students’ Conceptions Of The Traits That Unite Living Organisms, Jeremy L. Hsu, Meredith A. Dorner, Kate Hill

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Biology is the study of life, but students often hold misconceptions about what it means to be alive, with children often associating life with movement. These misconceptions can lead to biases in what students think is alive, with younger children often not thinking of plants as living given their lack of discernable movement. Despite this past work, there have been no prior studies that we are aware of that have examined how students in introductory biology conceptualize what it means to be alive. Here, we draw upon a fortuitous dataset collected from an in-class activity done on the first day …