Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Integrated Pest Management Protocols For The Invasive Aquatic Weed Giant Salvinia (Salvinia Molesta), Samantha Lee Prinsloo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) is free-floating aquatic fern that originates from South America. Through human introduction, giant salvinia has escaped its native range and is listed as an invasive species across multiple continents causing negative socio-economic and environmental impacts. This research aimed to expand our understanding of integrated pest management for controlling giant salvinia by combining chemical and biological control. The objectives were to assess the effects of rainfastness, carrier volume, and growth stage on herbicide efficacy, assess augmented biological control and optimal weevil release densities, assess weevil populations in the field, determine herbicide and surfactant toxicity to …

The Hope College Department Of Biology: The First 50+ Years, Christopher C. Barney

Faculty Publications

The Hope College Department of Biology was founded in 1899 with the appointment of the first Professor of Biology at Hope, Samuel Mast. During the first 50+ years of the Biology Department, there were eight total faculty members in the department, including Frances Koeman, the first female faculty member in the natural sciences. Four faculty members, Mast, Frank Patterson, Oscar Thompson, and Teunis Vergeer were primarily responsible for developing the department’s curriculum and programs, with Mast and Vergeer also carrying out published research. The department was housed primarily in Van Raalte Hall and the Science Building (now Lubbers Hall) for …

Unveiling The Complexity Of Post-Roman Polity Formation In Pannonia Using Ancient Dna, Yijie Tian, István Koncz, Norbert Faragó, Corina Knipper, Ronny Friedrich, Deven N. Vyas, Levente Samu, Olga Spekker, Tamás Szeniczey, Tamás Hajdu, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Péter Tomka, Ildikó Katalin Pap, Dávid Czigány, Rita Radzeviciute, Luca Traverso, Guido Alberto Gnecchi-Ruscone, Paolo Francalacci, Bernd Schöne, Gábor Tóth, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Petrus Le Roux, Kurt W. Alt, Zuzana Hofmanová, Walter Pohl, Johannes Krause, Tivadar Vida, Patrick J. Geary, Krishna R. Vereramah

Ecology & Evolution Faculty Publications

The transformation of the Roman world [fourth to ninth centuries common era (CE)], culminating in the Western Roman Empire’s fall, marked a fundamental transition in European history. Key questions persist regarding the regionally specific nature of this transformation. We generated a paleogenomic dataset to reconstruct post-Roman organizations in the Little Hungarian Plain at microregional resolution. Genetic and archaeological analyses of two Roman (n = 68) and five post-Roman (n = 246) sites reveal a rise in Northern European ancestry, reflecting large-scale population movements into this region. Moreover, despite post-Roman sites sharing similar genetic profiles, material culture, and burial …

Establishing An Elite Core Panel For Accelerating Genetic Gain In The Philrice Irrigated Rice Breeding Program, Leonilo V. Gramaje, Frodie P. Waing, Raysha Ann Marie Garcia, Nia N. Manlulu, Rogemae C. Ravela, Alvin D. Palanog, Oliver E. Manangkil, Holden Verdeprado, Rose Imee Zhella Amar-Morante, Norvie L. Manigbas, Pompe C. Sta Cruz, Suresh Babu Kadaru, Parthiban Thathapalli Prakash, Jose E. Hernandez

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Increasing the performance of rice varieties in terms of yield and other economically significant traits through genetic improvement is crucial to achieving food security in the Philippines. The Department of Agriculture– Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) plays a central role in developing high-yielding rice varieties that are more adaptable to local conditions to meet national rice demand. This study determined the trend in genetic gain for yield among national test entries from 2015 through 2021 using historical data and evaluated key agronomic, grain quality, and pest- and disease-resistance traits as criteria for assembling an elite core panel. Historical yield data …

Great Graminoids! Quantifying Vegetation On Roan’S Western Balds Over The Last 80 Years (1936, 1956, 2016), James T. Donaldson

Faculty Open Access Works

PowerPoint originally presented at Friends of Roan Mountain Winter Naturalists' Rally 11 Feb. 2017.

Grant funding from Friends of Roan Mountain for resampling historic transects from Carvers Gap to Grassy Ridge. Revised 2021, 2022, & 2023 (technical features and diversity); edited for clarity 2026 (for written rather than oral presentation & added references slide).

Characterizing The Molecular Response Of Embryonic Zebra Finch To Acute Sound Playback, Saidat O. Adeniran-Obey Miss

All Theses

Auditory stimuli are important cues that influence developmental plasticity in animals and are important for development and adaptation to an ever-changing environment. In the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), there is evidence of adaptive developmental reprogramming in response to a prenatal ‘heat call’. Embryos exposed to this heat call exhibit changes in growth rate post-hatch, increased heat resistance, and enhanced reproductive success at maturity. However, it has long been assumed that embryonic zebra finches cannot respond to sound due to the immaturity of their auditory system. These findings raise the critical question of whether late-stage zebra finch embryos can, …

Establishment Of A Hek293t Cell Model System To Investigate Direct Intracellular Interactions Between Amyloid-Β (Aβ) And The Nlrp3 Inflammasome, Cristina Sinobas Pereira

Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia worldwide. While Amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation is a defining pathological feature, increasing evidence highlights chronic neuroinflammation as a critical contributor to disease progression. Soluble Aβ assemblies can act as damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) including activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which links amyloid pathology to sustained inflammatory responses in the brain (Heneka et al., 2015; Nakanishi et al., 2018). However, the molecular mechanisms by which specific Aβ conformations influence inflammasome assembly remain incompletely understood.This study aimed to investigate whether distinct aggregation states of amyloid β42 (Aβ42) are …

Long-Term Tillage And Straw Returning Practices Enhance Soil Humus Composition, Carbon Sequestration, And Ecological–Economic Benefits, Kai Wang

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

While straw return is widely promoted, its specific effects on soil humus composition, structure, and ecological functions are not fully understood. This study investigates the long-term impacts of different straw types and farming practices on humus composition, carbon sequestration, and ecological–economic benefits. In Hunan Province’s paddy fields, six soils with 5–30-year farming histories were selected. Treatments included a blank control, corn straw return, and rice straw return, each replicated three times. Humus structure was analyzed via infrared spectroscopy, component contents were determined by alkali extraction, and a carbon footprint model assessed emissions. Ecological economic analysis integrated soil carbon pool dynamics, …

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

Control Arm Overperformance In Phase 3 Oncology Clinical Trials, Ansel P Nalin, Pavlos Msaouel, Adam J Grippin, Ramez Kouzy, Joseph Abi Jaoude, Timothy A Lin, Avital M Miller, Noah S Meimoun, Ethan B Ludmir, Alexander D Sherry

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: In randomized clinical trials (RCTs), anticipating control arm outcomes is important for power calculations and enrollment goals. Unexpected overperformance of the control arm can underpower RCTs. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of control arm overperformance in phase 3 oncology RCTs.

Methods: The authors conducted a meta-epidemiological study of two-arm, superiority-design, phase 3 oncology RCTs. They reviewed articles/publications and protocols for power calculations, justification, and outcomes. Control arm performance was measured as the ratio of observed control arm outcomes relative to pretrial estimates, and overperformance was defined as a 10% improvement.

Results: In total, 385 …

Hfpo-Da Aquatic Toxicity And Bioaccumulation, Bailey Dawn Rappold

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected globally in environmental media and biota. Legacy compounds PFOA and PFOS have been observed to be toxic and bioaccumulative in low doses and have been removed from production and industrial processes. Replacement PFAS chemicals are less understood and present a gap in current knowledge in their toxicological effects. This research utilized extended chronic toxicity studies to assess the impacts of HFPO-DA, a short chain replacement PFAS, on the standard aquatic toxicology organism Pimephales promelas. Organisms were exposed for 29 to 30 days at environmentally relevant concentrations of the toxicant, 7.8125 ng/L …

Preserving The Identity Of Historic Coptic Orthodox Monasteries In Egypt Under Contemporary Pressures: Case Studies Of St. Bishoy And St. Anthony Monasteries, George Medhat Adeeb, Mohamed Khairy Amin, Mohamed Ahmed Al-Sherbiny

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Historic Coptic Orthodox monasteries in Egypt (HCOMEs) represent an important component of Christian heritage, integrating architectural value with enduring spiritual traditions that reflect both tangible and intangible dimensions. However, contemporary development and changing functional demands are generating transformations that may affect their identity if not carefully managed. Despite extensive scholarship, limited research has systematically examined these transformations through a structured evaluative approach. This study addresses this gap by developing and applying an analytical and evaluation framework to examine how contemporary pressures influence the historical, architectural-spatial, and spiritual identity of HCOMEs, and to assess the effectiveness of monastic responses. The framework …

Succession And Alpine Plant Habitat Of A Recently Deglaciated Foreland In The Trinity Alps, California, Sebastian Evans

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The recent extinction of the Salmon Glacier in the Trinity Alps, California, provides a rare opportunity to examine post-glacial succession in a region of high endemism experiencing climatic stress. Using a chronosequence spanning ~150 years since deglaciation, I investigated (1) vegetation successional trajectories in the foreland, (2) whether the foreland functions as a climate refugium for alpine specialists, and (3) whether facilitative interactions between the dominant vascular plant (DVP) and bryophytes occur and persist through succession. I surveyed 100 plots across 11 transects within the foreland and 40 randomized plots in adjacent ecosystems. Successional patterns and refugial potential were analyzed …

Change In Community Composition And Structure On Subtidal Rock Walls In The Gulf Of Maine Over Four Decades Of Warming, Breck A. Mccollum

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The Gulf of Maine (GOM) has faced many changes over the last 47 years from overfishing of its iconic cod fish stocks to the introduction on non-native species, but no change has been as dramatic as the warming ocean temperatures that began to increase rapidly in the 2010s. This thermal shift is due largely to the northward movement of the Gulf Stream current mixing with Arctic meltwater before entering the GOM. Average summer temperatures jumped by 3.35°C between the periods of 1980-1985 and 2015-2020. This warming trend, combined with an increasing frequency of marine heat wave events, has led to …

Everyday Practices In Seed Sovereignty, Tapiwa Singini, Wu Xu

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Seed sovereignty is increasingly recognized as central to debates around food security, biodiversity, and rural livelihoods, particularly in the Global South. In Malawi, seed is not merely an agricultural input but a carrier of memory, resilience, and political agency. This paper explores how smallholder farmers in rural Malawi engage in everyday acts of resistance to maintain seed sovereignty amidst expanding corporate influence, restrictive state policies, and climate variability. Based on 12 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Mchinji District, I employ a political ecology framework and peasant resistance theory to analyze the lived strategies of farmers. These include seed saving, informal …

Piping Up: Exploring Body Length And Density Metrics Of Dominant Pipefish Species Urocampus Carinirostris Across Spatially Distinct Sites In Moreton Bay, Qld, Leah Esser

Australia: Rainforest, Reef, and Cultural Ecology

The morphologically unique family Syngnathidae faces high levels of anthropogenic pressures in Moreton Bay Marine Park where seagrass beds, habitat to many syngnathid species, are increasingly vulnerable. Among these species, the pipefish Urocampus carinirostris is especially prevalent, making it a strong candidate as an indicator and model species. Threats to seagrass, including pollution and nutrient overload, largely stem from sources on the bay’s western banks. This study aimed to conduct a preliminary investigation of how U. carinirostris size, density, and site-level pipefish diversity compares across locations, with particular attention to differences between eastern and western sites. An exploratory comparison between …

Population Genomics And Status Of The Flattened Musk Turtle (Sternotherus Depressus) In The Locust Fork Of The Black Warrior River, Seamus C. O'Brien

Theses

Alabama is home to some of the highest freshwater endemism in the world and ranks near the top in numbers of endangered and extinct species. One of these endangered species is the Flattened Musk Turtle (FMT), only found in the Black Warrior River Drainage of Alabama above the Fall Line. The FMT is listed as “Threatened” by the United State Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act and is considered Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature due to drastic declines in populations since the 1980s. Declines have been attributed to several factors, including …

The Brescia International Multidisciplinary Consensus Guidelines On The Optimal Pathology Assessment And Multidisciplinary Pathways Of Non-Pancreatic Neoplasms In And Around The Ampulla Of Vater (Peripan), Mohammad Abu Hilal, Bas A Uijterwijk, Daniël H L Lemmers, Boris V Janssen, Marc G Besselink, Denise Bianchi, Arantza Fariña, Noriyoshi Fukushima, Anthony J Gill, Seung-Mo Hong, Alyssa Krasinskas, Claudio Luchini, Laura Melocchi, Giulio Rossi, Aldo Scarpa, Olca Basturk, Deyali Chatterjee, Angela Chou, Irene Esposito, Roger Feakins, Bas Groot Koerkamp, Ralph H Hruban, Stefano La Rosa, Chanjuan Shi, Aatur Singhi, Joanne Verheij, Huamin Wang, Sergio Alfieri, Fabio Ausania, Adnan Alseidi, Marco J Bruno, Ugo Boggi, Claudio Bnà, Christos Dervenis, Massimo Falconi, Michele Ghidini, Jakob W Kist, Giovanni Marchegiani, Michele Milella, Roberto Salvia, Ajith Siriwardena, Hanneke Wilmink, Alberto Zaniboni, Shaimaa Al-Janabi, Maia Blomhoff Holm, Eva Roos, Naoki Sano, In Hye Song, Zeynep Tarcan, Gianpaolo Balzano, Isabella Frigerio, Alfredo Guglielmi, Giuseppe Malleo, Horacio Asbun, Volkan Adsay, Caroline Verbeke

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: The lack of multidisciplinary workflow guidelines and clear definitions and classifications for neoplasms in and around the ampulla of Vater results in inconsistencies affecting patient care and research.

OBJECTIVE: The PERIPAN international multidisciplinary consensus group aimed to standardize the multidisciplinary diagnostic workflow and achieve consensus on definitions and classifications in order to ensure proper classification and optimal diagnostic assessment and consequently to improve patient care and future research.

DESIGN: An international team of 43 experts (pathologists, surgeons, radiologists, gastroenterologists, oncologists) from 12 countries identified knowledge gaps, reviewed 37061 articles, and proposed recommendations using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network methodology …

In Silico Investigations Of Class Ii Trans Activator (Ciita): Its Plausible Implications In Neuroinflammation And Neurological Disorders, Kishore N

Theses and Dissertations

Inflammation plays a significant role in maintaining homeostasis. Neuroinflammation is a chronic inflammatory response in the central nervous system (CNS), leading to brain or spinal cord dysfunction. To promote mental health, it is crucial to understand the regulation of neuroinflammation. Class II transactivator (CIITA) is a master-regulator of the major histocompatibility complex II (MHCII).

Modulation of CIITA has been suggested as a promising intervention for inflammatory conditions, including neurological disorders. However, there is limited knowledge about the role of CIITA and its interactors in inflammation. This study aimed to understand the role of CIITA in neuroinflammation and neurological disorders using …

Site Fidelity, Seasonality, Movement, And Fish Associates Of Sand Tigers Carcharias Taurus In North Carolina, Ara L. Mcclanahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sand tigers Carcharias taurus are mackerel sharks with a disjunct global distribution in tropical and temperate seas. In the northwest Atlantic, sand tigers migrate along the coast of the eastern United States from the Gulf of Maine to Florida and occupy structurally complex benthic habitats. The long-term, underwater camera installation, SharkCam, at Frying Pan Tower, off Cape Fear, North Carolina, USA, sits atop an expanse of hard bottom reef frequented by sand tigers. The citizen-science platform Spot A Shark USA (SAS USA) uses images of sand tigers to identify and track individuals. This study utilized image encounters from SAS USA …

Predicting Genetic Interactions Using Functional Interaction Networks, Iulia Veronica Gheorghe

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Mapping genetic interactions is central to understanding cellular systems and identifying therapeutic vulnerabilities, particularly in the context of cancer. Among these interactions, synthetic lethality, where simultaneous loss of two genes is lethal but loss of either alone is tolerated, offers a powerful framework for selectively targeting tumor-specific dependencies. In model organisms like S. cerevisiae, comprehensive double-knockout screens have revealed detailed genetic interaction maps, enabling systems-level insights into pathway structure, gene function, and cellular organization. Replicating this achievement in human cells, however, is complicated by the scale and complexity of the human genome. Recent advances in genome-wide CRISPR knockout screening have …

Ecomorphological Diversification Of Tooth Complexity In The Oral Jaws Of Marine Teleostean Fishes, Keiffer L. Williams

All Dissertations

Teeth are essential biological tools that function as a direct interface between predator and prey, thus providing essential insights into the evolutionary history and ecological diversity of vertebrates. Historically, studies on vertebrate dentitions have been qualitative and focused on mammals. More recently, quantitative methods have been developed that can reliably measure tooth surface complexity. These methods have been applied across both mammals and saurian reptiles to test for correlations with diet, leading to the conclusion that herbivorous species generally possess higher overall tooth complexity than any other dietary group. Surprisingly, the relationship between tooth complexity and diet in the most …

Master Protocol Design With Hybrid Control For Efficient Early-Phase Trial Consolidation, Alexander M Kaizer, Xiaojiang Zhan, Eric Baron, Rui Sammi Tang, David S Hong, Brian P Hobbs

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Master protocols represent transformations, enabling multiple therapies or diseases under a single protocol. These designs streamline therapeutic development by reducing redundancies. Suited for evolving fields such as oncology and global emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, master protocols have been exemplified by studies such as RECOVERY, Solidarity, and I-SPY 2, which accelerated effective treatment identification (with I-SPY 2 focused on molecular subtypes). Recent oncology examples, such as MORPHEUS, evaluate immunotherapy combinations with shared controls. Despite advantages, their application in early-phase oncology remains underutilized amid growing regulatory emphasis on randomization for robust evidence.

Methods: US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) …

De-Escalating Local Therapies Without Compromising Outcomes: Lessons From The Collision Trial, Jessica Albuquerque, Noreen S Siddiqi, Van K Morris, Hop Tran Cao, Iwan Paolucci, Bruno C Odisio

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Ecoimmunology Of Dirty Physella Acuta Snails, Kevin Arthur Mcquirk

Biology ETDs

Research on Physella acuta, an invasive freshwater snail, reveals insights into its parasitology, fitness, and molecular biology. Morphological and molecular analyses revealed two distinct mitogenomic lineages, local (B) and invasive (A) strains of native P. acuta, both having comparable trematode infection rates, suggesting that the low infection rates observed from A in invaded regions result from "enemy release" rather than immune incompatibility. Fitness assessments showed that while lineages A and B performed similarly under laboratory conditions, rewilding experiments revealed significantly higher fitness in lineage A. Transcriptomic profiling supported these differences, with A snails showing greater immune-related gene expression and …

Emergent Collective Reproduction Via Evolving Neuronal Flocks, Nam H. Le, Michael Levin, Richard A. Watson, Josh Bongard, Christopher L. Buckley

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

This study advances the understanding of evolutionary transitions in individuality (ETIs) through a novel artificial life framework, VitaNova, which integrates self-organization and natural selection to simulate the emergence of complex, reproductive groups. By dynamically modeling individual agents within an environment shaped by predators and spatial constraints, VitaNova reveals mechanisms by which simple agents evolve into cohesive units exhibiting collective reproduction. The findings highlight the synergy between self-organized behaviors and adaptive evolutionary strategies as fundamental drivers of ETIs. This approach deepens our understanding of higher-order biological individuality and offers a new empirical pathway for investigating ETIs, extending current theoretical frameworks.

Polaris: Encorafenib Plus Binimetinib For People With Braf V600-Mutant Melanoma With Brain Metastasis, Alexander M Menzies, Michael A Davies

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

POLARIS was a study to evaluate different doses of encorafenib plus binimetinib for people with BRAF V600-mutant melanoma with brain metastasis. The first part, known as the safety lead-in, looked at a high dose of encorafenib (300 mg twice daily) combined with standard binimetinib (45 mg twice daily); in the phase 2 part, patients were given the standard dose of encorafenib (450 mg once daily) plus binimetinib. In the safety lead-in, many patients were unable to tolerate the high dose of encorafenib plus binimetinib. Despite recruitment challenges in POLARIS, in the 13 enrolled patients with unresectable metastatic BRAF V600-mutant melanoma …

Structural Basis For The Substrate Specificity Of Helix Pomatia Amp Deaminase And A Chimeric Adgf Adenosine Deaminase, Gundeep Kaur, John R Horton, George Tzertzinis, Jujun Zhou, Ira Schildkraut, Xiaodong Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Helix pomatia AMP deaminase (HPAMPD), an enzyme enriched in the foot muscle of the mollusk H. pomatia, exhibits deaminase activity on adenosine-5'-monophosphate (AMP). HPAMPD is the first member of the adenosine deaminase-related growth factor (ADGF) family to prefer the nucleotide AMP over the nucleoside adenosine. To investigate the substrate selectivity of HPAMPD, we determined its structure in both the apo form and in complex with the adenosine analogs pentostatin and pentostatin-5'-monophosphate. Structurally, HPAMPD adopts a fold similar to human ADA2, an ADGF family member. HPAMPD has acquired the ability to interact with the 5'-monophosphate group of AMP through polar and …

Thermal Physiology Of The Giant Day Gecko, Phelsuma Grandis, Infinity Alvarez

Masters Theses (Archived)

Ectotherms rely on their environment to regulate and maintain their body temperature. For this reason, environmental fluctuations strongly impact their biology. Lizards are ectotherms that are suitable models to investigate thermal physiology. However, the bulk of this research has been studied using new world Anolis lizards. In this study, the giant day gecko, (P.grandis), native to Madagascar but invasive in Florida, was selected as a model for comparison. In our physiotype of P.grandis we included measurements such as metabolic rates, sprint speed at relevant temperatures, thermal preference, critical thermal minimum, and voluntary thermal maximum. Our findings showed that …

Temporal Assessment Of Fish Communities In A South Central Plains Ecoregion Watershed, Tara L. Schnelting

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Among South Central Plains ecoregion fish communities, there is limited knowledge of the importance of headwaters yet this information is needed to understand their role in fish communities. I addressed this gap by assessing seasonal changes in fish communities in headwater streams of the Moro Creek watershed, Arkansas. I conducted two studies pertaining to temporal fish community assessments: (i) utilize multi-season, community occupancy models to estimate μ (species probability), Ω (community occupancy mean), and p (detection probability) and (ii) utilize beta diversity (β) analyses to address the diversity across different scales in the headwaters of the Moro Creek …