Digital Commons Network^™

Rivers To The Deep Sea – Thoughts On My Career And Profession, Steve W. Ross

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Abstract: In this essay I review my 45+ year career and some of the significant changes I have observed. This journey involved research in rivers and streams, estuaries, coastal systems (including the continental shelf), and the deep sea to a depth of about 4,000 m. After completing undergraduate (BS, Duke University) and graduate (MA, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and PhD, NC State University) degrees in zoology, I found jobs as a Fishery Biologist (NC Division of Marine Fisheries), a program Research Coordinator (NC National Estuarine Research Reserve), and a Research Professor (University of NC – Wilmington). Between …

The Direct And Indirect Effects Of Mobile Phone Ownership On Maize Yields In Tanzania, Cool Dady Mangole, Kelvin Mulungu, Christian Kamala Kaghoma, Menale Kassie

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The study uses the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture to evaluate mobile phone ownership's direct and indirect effect on yields in Tanzania. The results indicate that transitioning from not owning to owning a mobile phone improves maize yields by about 16%. Mobile phones indirectly affect maize yield by facilitating farmers' access to extension services - regardless of the type of provider - but only account for about 2% of the total effects. Considering both direct and indirect effects, this study suggests that extension services partially moderate this causal relationship. Further, the impact of mobile phones is stronger among …

Creation Of A Dual-Fluorescence Reporter System To Assay Mirna Regulation Of Apobec3a, Tolulope D. Ajayi

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

MicroRNAs have an important role in regulating gene expression, including regulating the transcripts of the APOBEC3 family of cytidine deaminases. The APOBEC3 family is part of the immune defense against viral infection but has also been implicated in cancer progression. The hypothesis for this thesis is that specific miRNAs could be identified that regulate APOBEC3A (A3A) expression. I used molecular cloning and confocal microscopy to evaluate the miRNA-mediated silencing of A3A. A commercially available vector, psiCHECK-2, can be used to assay microRNA (miRNA) activity on specific targets. Molecular cloning was performed to modify the psiCHECK-2 Dual luciferase system (Renilla and …

Ubiquitin, Cavitand, And Nmr: 15n-1h Hsqc Analysis Of Cavitand Binding Domains On Ubiquitin, Grant Stucky

CMC Senior Theses

Ubiquitin and its derivatives through side chain modification are present in many of the degradation pathways for proteins found in neurodegenerative diseases. A non-toxic method for determining the amount of these proteins could have biosensing applications, but the binding domains of such proteins are not well characterized. ¹⁵N-¹H HSQC analysis of ubiquitin’s interactions with different concentrations of a small negatively charged host molecule called cavitand provides insight into the binding interactions with side chains on the protein such as lysine and arginine. This is done comparing the HSQC spectra of different concentrations of cavitand and ubiquitin to …

Designing Tpack-Driven Mobile Learning With Digital Citizenship For Biology Education: Insights From Ngt And Ism Approaches, Cik Jamaliah Abd Manaf, Shakinaz Desa, Muhamad Ikhwan Mat Saad, Helen Crompton

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The rapid digitization of education and the complexity of scientific content demand the integration of digital citizenship in TPACK-based mobile learning for Biology. This study aimed to identify and prioritize relevant digital citizenship practices using a Design and Development Research approach. In Phase One, the Nominal Group Technique with 10 experts evaluated eight proposed practices. Phase Two employed Interpretive Structural Modeling with nine experts to structure hierarchical relationships. Seven practices were retained, with Ethical Use of Digital Resources as the top-level driver. The resulting framework supports ethical and discipline-specific mobile learning models, promoting responsible digital engagement in Biology education.

Parallel Inquiries: Investigation Of Social Resource Use In Early Career Stem Teachers And Impacts Of Metal Pollution On Fingernail Clam Microbiome, Emily Hamada

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Use Of Coculture And Carbon Source Manipulation To Stimulate Antibiotic Production In Soil-Dwelling Microbes, April R. Dembinski

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This study aimed to discover new antibiotics produced by soil microbes. Previous studies have shown that manipulation of microbial growth conditions through variable carbon sources and growth in coculture could induce the production of novel antibiotics by soil microbes. This study expanded on these observations by testing the levels of antibiotic production when a producing strain was grown in twenty different carbon sources and cocultured with more than one hundred different coculture partners. Organic extracts from liquid cultures were tested against a panel of four safe relatives to ESKAPE pathogens and one yeast to detect antimicrobial activity. Certain combinations of …

Allele-Specific Pcr (As-Pcr) Assays For Genetic Variants Associated With Color Morphs In Ball Pythons (Python Regius), Uyen Dao

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

While the genetic basis of color morphs in ball pythons (Python regius) has become increasingly studied, rapid and accessible tools for genotyping these known mutations are still limited. Here, we developed allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) assays for detecting genetic mutations associated with ten diUerent P. regius color morphs, providing a rapid and coste Uective genotyping tool. We first tested each color morph with diUerent combinations of AS-PCR primers to determine the optimal ones. Then, we performed AS-PCR again with a larger sample set after identifying optimal primers and amplification conditions specific to each morph-associated genetic variant. These AS-PCR assays distinguished wild-type …

Supplemental Feeding Alters Foraging Behaviors Of Tarantulas In Their Natural Habitat (Aphonopelma Hentzi), Annalyse Leach Brogan

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Foraging success is a crucial factor in survival and reproductive success for many animals. One mechanism that can improve an organism’s foraging success is foraging plasticity, or the organism’s ability to alter their behavior in response to environmental changes. This study aims to evaluate if the Colorado Brown Tarantula, Aphonopelma hentzi, a long-lived, sit-andwait predator will use foraging plasticity in response to increased prey encounters. I predicted that tarantulas with more prey encounters will have a higher body condition index, shorter foraging duration, and shorter distances traveled from the burrows. I conducted a field study on A. hentzi in their …

Colorblind Racial Attitudes Mediates The Association Between The Internalization Of Model Minority Myth Attitudes And Tolerance, Talal Ali

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The model minority myth is the belief that Asian Americans are generally more intelligent and more hardworking than other minority groups. Many studies have demonstrated the relationship between belief in the model minority myth and anti-Black sentiment in White Americans. However, there is little literature on the relationship between belief in the model minority myth and anti-Black sentiment in Asian Americans. With this in mind, we plan to determine whether the internalization of the model minority myth in Asian Americans has a relationship with anti- Black sentiment. This relationship is being measured by the IM-4 Scale (which measures the internalization …

A Study Of Collegiate Equine Team Funding, Expenditures, And Recruitment Strategies, Sydni Marie Nilles

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Collegiate equine teams (including horse judging, equestrian, ranch horse teams) have been recognized for their contributions to students' personal and professional development for post- graduation success. Teams have been used to provide opportunities, a sense of belonging and allow for experiences students may not have elsewhere. However, there is a notable gap in knowledge as to where funding comes from and how much teams may be able to budget for expenditures. Recruitment tactical knowledge provides other teams with knowledge of potential areas they may be lacking or unaware of. I used an online survey to understand current ranges of support …

The Role Of Host Factor Sptbn1 In Hiv-1 Capsid Uncoating In Human Microglial Cells, Callie Marie Fry

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

HIV-1 is the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and currently, there is no cure once an individual is infected. The development of new drugs targeting HIV-1 replication steps is essential for keeping viral loads low or undetectable to prevent further transmission. An attractive replication step for new drug targets is viral capsid uncoating, where the virus loses the protein structure encapsulating the genome. The exact mechanism of capsid uncoating is unknown; however, several host-factors may be involved including protein SPTBN1. Recent studies have shown a significant decrease in viral infectivity when SPTBN1 is knocked down, yet its role …

The Influence Of Flower-Microbe Interactions On Bumble Bee Behavior And Gut Microbiome Composition, Success Chiamaka Ekemezie

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis examines how microbial interactions in floral nectar and environmental variation influence bumble bee (Bombus spp.) foraging behavior and gut microbiome composition. Pollen germination experiments and behavioral assays in the lab tested whether Metschnikowia reukaufii (yeast) and Acinetobacter nectaris (bacteria) induce pollen germination and bursting in nectar and affect bee behavior subsequently. Both microbes reduced intact pollen, but bees did not alter flower preference. Furthermore, the study also assessed how floral and bee community composition shaped gut microbiome composition across six Missouri prairies. Using amplicon-sequenced fungal ITS and bacterial 16S rRNA genes, I found that fungal microbiome composition varied …

Isolation And Characterization Of A Halophilic, Extremely Acidophilic, Iron-Oxidizing Bacterium, Connor Crites

Masters Theses

This thesis describes the isolation and characterization of a halophilic iron- oxidizing bacterium from sediments obtained from Lake Magic; an extremely acidic, saline lake located in Western Australia. The purpose for the isolation of novel, halotolerant/halophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria is to aid in metal-mining bioleaching operations. Currently used iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria are extremely sensitive to chloride, which restricts their use in these industries.

A singular bacterial morphology was isolated from Lake Magic sediments that was roundly-rod shaped, 1-2 um in length, and stained Gram-negative. This organism was able to grow in a modified medium (DSM14174) using ferrous sulfate as an …

The Rad6-Like Ubiquitin Conjugase Gene Osubc7 Has A Positive Role In The Early Cold Stress Tolerance Response Of Rice, Huy Phan, Michael Schläppi

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Background/Objectives: Cold stress poses a significant threat to Asian rice cultivation, disrupting important physiological processes crucial for seedling establishment and overall plant growth. It is, thus, crucial to elucidate genetic pathways involved in cold stress tolerance response mechanisms. Methods: We mapped OsUBC7, a Radiation-sensitive 6 (RAD6)-type homolog of rice, to a low-temperature seedling survivability (LTSS) QTL and used genomics, molecular genetics, and physiological assays to assess its role in plant resilience against low-temperature stress. Results: OsUBC7 is cold responsive and has higher expression levels in cold-tolerant japonica than cold-sensitive indica. Overexpression of OsUBC7 enhances LTSS of indica and freezing tolerance …

Exploring Mating Patterns: The Interplay Of Genes, Environment, And Their Evolutionary Outcomes, Sanduni Talagala

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

There is great variation in the reproductive tactics exhibited both between and within different species, which is reflected in how individuals engage in mate assessment, mate choice and offspring production. It is therefore important to understand general mating patterns of populations, the factors that influence these mating patterns, and the consequences they carry, in order to get a more holistic understanding of mating systems. This doctoral research represents a multi-pronged investigation of the factors shaping mating patterns and their consequences, how environmental factors influence mating patterns, and how both genotypes and the environment interact to influence mate choice decisions and …

Npr1 As A Temperature-Sensitive Regulator Of Pipecolic Acid-Mediated Plant Systemic Immunity, Spencer Tout

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Healthy plant development requires balancing both abiotic (e.g. climate) and biotic (e.g. pathogen) challenges, which intercept important signaling pathways in plants. For example, climate change-associated elevated temperature can negatively modulate various aspects of plant immunity, including the production of central immune signals salicylic acid (SA) and N-hydroxypipecolic acid (NHP). Since SA and NHP signaling both require the master immune co-activator protein NON-EXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES 1 (NPR1), it is important to investigate NPR1 as a potentially temperature-regulated molecular hub. Although the NPR1 gene is not transcriptionally downregulated at elevated temperatures (28° C vs. 23° C), little is known about …

Exploring The Salinity Tolerance Of Zooplankton Communities On The Great Plains, Abbeneet Binning Bath, Derek Gray

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Palaeoecological data shows fluctuating salinity levels in lakes across the Great Plains due to alternating wet and dry periods over the last two millennia. Droughts caused by this natural variation may be exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change, as the Great Plains are expected to become drier over the coming decades. As conditions become drier, the evaporation of water will increase the salinity of lakes across the region. Increases in salinity may significantly impact biodiversity, including important members of lake food webs such as zooplankton. Due to the region's history of alternating wet and dry periods, zooplankton may have adapted to …

Immune Pathway Modulation In Melanoma Using Chitosan Nanoparticle-Mediated Dsrna Delivery, Bethel C. Iwuji

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, which typically results in the formation of tumours. Even with advances in treatments, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death globally. Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer which is highly malignant, develops in the pigment-producing cells of the skin, melanocytes, and in the late stages of the disease poses a significant challenge for therapeutic intervention due to its multidrug resistance. The innate immune system is the first line of defence against invading pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi, and can recognize and destroy …

Characterizing Niche Specialization In Staphylococcus Epidermidis, Sandra Jablonsk

Dissertations

This thesis investigates the microbial diversity of Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) across various anatomical sites in the human body. While traditionally viewed as a benign skin microbe, S. epidermidis also inhabits the urinary, gastrointestinal, and respiratory tracts, raising questions about its genetic variation and adaptability in different environments. The research aims to compare strains of S. epidermidis isolated from the oral cavity, nostrils, urinary tract, and skin of healthy individuals to determine if they share a common ancestor or if they evolved independently in response to specific environmental factors. The study comprises three main aims. Aim 1 focuses on assessing …

Analyzing The Population Structure Of The Rhizobia Associated With Astragalus Lentiginosus, Joshua Adam Melnick

Dissertations

Legumes are an incredibly diverse and agriculturally important family of plants. They have a special relationship with symbiotic bacteria known as rhizobia which fix nitrogen into ammonia within nodules on their roots. Astragalus is the largest plant genus on Earth, and the species Astragalus lentiginosus is extraordinarily diverse, consisting of approximately 40 varieties. However, the rhizobia of A. lentiginosus have never been studied. In this study, root nodules were extracted from 17 varieties of A. lentiginosus to obtain rhizobial strains and metagenomes. A. lentiginosus primarily associates with rhizobia from the genera Mesorhizobium and Allomesorhizobium. There was little evidence of horizontal …

Microbial Mavericks: Turning Hazards Into Snacks, Alison G. Blanton

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Symbiotic associations with microbes are widespread across life and provide hosts with essential and beneficial functions. A growing concern in pest management is symbiont-mediated detoxification (SMD), a form of metabolic resistance to insecticides. The best-known example of SMD involves the bean bug Riptortus pedestris, where an environmentally acquired but obligate Caballeronia symbiont confers resistance to the organophosphorus insecticide fenitrothion. Motivated by this model, I began my work in another known bug-Caballeronia symbiosis: Leptoglossus phyllopus, native to the United States. I then expanded the study to include two additional U.S.-native hosts, Leptoglossus zonatus and Anasa tristis. Representative …

The Influence Of Anthropogenic Infrastructure On The Reproductive Success Of Northern House Wrens (Troglodytes Aedon) In Proximity To Highways, Nana-Esi Irie Hanson

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Anthropogenic disturbances, particularly road infrastructure and noise pollution, significantly affect avian populations, influencing their ecology, behaviour, and reproductive success. This study examined the impact of highway proximity on the reproductive success of the Northern House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) in a rural landscape. Noise levels and reproductive outcomes were compared between two sites in Hays, Kansas: a high-traffic site near Interstate 70 (Sternberg Museum Nature Trail) and a lower-traffic site at Big Creek on the Fort Hays State University campus. I hypothesized that increased traffic volume and noise pollution would negatively affect Northern House Wren reproductive success. Ambient noise …

Metabolic And Barrier Function In Response To Β-Caryophyllene In Intestinal Epithelial Cells, Hannah Scroggins

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, regulates cellular metabolism and energy status in intestinal epithelial cells. β-caryophyllene (BCP) is a plant-derived compound that may provide advantageous effects on intestinal barrier function and nutrient utilization. The goal of this thesis was to investigate the effects of BCP on butyrate utilization and metabolism in intestinal epithelial cells. Throughout this thesis, Caco-2 cells in hanging inserts in multi-well plates were used as a model for the intestinal barrier. One study was conducted to investigate the effect of BCP on butyrate utilization and barrier function in intestinal epithelial cells. A second study aimed to elucidate …

Comparison Of Sheep And Cattle Rumen Microbiological And Physiological Responses To An Abrupt Transition From A High-Forage To A High-Concentrate Diet, Katherine Purvis

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Sheep and cattle are often used interchangeably due to having the same gastrointestinal anatomy; however literature directly comparing the two species is minimal. Previous in vitro studies have pointed towards potential species differences in rumen carbohydrate utilization and acidosis susceptibility. The objective of this study was to evaluate in vivo microbiological and physiological responses of wethers and steers when abruptly transitioned from a high-forage to a high-concentrate diet. We hypothesized there are differences between species in response to abrupt dietary transition with respect to intake, rumen microbiology, and the rumen environment. Individually housed, rumen cannulated purebred Polypay wethers (n = …

Characterization Of P38alpha And Nitric Oxide Synthase 3 Binding, Gillyan M. Jewett

Master's Theses

P38alpha is a member of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) family. This family is important for mediating signal transduction pathways through phosphorylation of downstream substrates. Previous work has described the ability of p38alpha to bind and phosphorylate nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) at two sites, the autoinhibitory loop (AI) at S600 and the N-terminal MAPK binding site (NtMAP) at S114. P38alpha has two substrate binding domains, the common docking groove (CD-groove) and a hydrophobic pocket (DEF) that are important in binding and phosphorylating various substrates specific to each pocket. Utilizing biolayer interferometry, this work describes the importance of both …

Ina Scuba: Mobilization Of French West Indies Scuba Diving Clubs To Rapidly Improve Knowledge On Threatened Marine Species. Case Of The White-Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus Narinari)., Océane Beaufort, Rocio Prieto González

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The White—Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari), listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2021, is experiencing alarming population declines, underscoring the urgent need for targeted conservation efforts. This species, which plays a vital ecological role in marine food webs, has biological and ecological characteristics that make it particularly vulnerable to habitat degradation and anthropogenic pressures, particularly fishing, tourism, and maritime traffic. In the French West Indies (FWI), the paucity of data on the White—Spotted Eagle Ray remains a major obstacle to the development of effective, island—specific conservation strategies. To address this gap, the INA Scuba participatory …

Nucleotide-Derived Bacterial Alarmones Attenuate The Induction Of Type-I Interferon Responses In A Murine Macrophage Reporter Cell Line, Ryan P. Kilduff, Erin B. Purcell, Lisa M. Shollenberger

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The stringent response is a well-studied phenomenon in many bacterial systems and regulates resource-consuming activities such as transcription, translation, and replication. The stringent response is a well-conserved signaling framework, as are the nucleotide-derived signaling mediators, collectively referred to as (p)ppGpp or as alarmones. There is a wealth of research evaluating nucleotide-derived alarmone signaling in bacterial models, however, their potential to modulate innate immune signaling has not yet been evaluated. Several common pathogen-synthesized molecules, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and cyclic-di-AMP (c-di-AMP), act as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), which are common patterns that alert the innate immune system of bacterial infection. The …

Lap-Hsp60 Complex Modulates Epithelial Tight Junction Barrier, Arun Bhunia, Manalee Manalee Samaddar, Chen Sun, Nicholas Gallina, Nicole Irizarry-Tardi, Donqi Liu, Shivendra Tenguria, Rishi Drolia, Anika Jain, Daisuke Kihara, Wen Jiang, Kee-Hong Kim, Abigail Cox, Kurt Ristroph, Gregory Knipp, Nicholas Noinaj

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

During infection, Listeria adhesion protein (LAP), a housekeeping enzyme, acts as a tight junction modulator (TJM) through interaction with Hsp60 to facilitate Listeria monocytogenes translocation across the intestinal epithelial barrier. Here, we used purified LAP as a potential TJM to overcome the limiting and variable effects observed by other agents in the class. We structurally determined the LAP interaction alone and in complex with Hsp60 utilizing cryo-EM and computational analysis. LAP structure resolved at 2.83 Å, forms multimeric interlocking dimers and tetramers, and the N-domain interacts with Hsp60, while the C-domain bridges the bacterial surface receptor InlB. The structural studies …

Huchum: The Legacy Of Fire Suppression, Indigenous Land Management, And Media Representation, Carolyn Coyne

Pomona Senior Theses

In my thesis, I examine how various forms of news media from the 1900s to present day in Ohlone territory have framed a particular hegemonic ideology around fire that matches early colonial journal entries – an ideology that is fueled by fear, sensationalism, and exclusion and directly commits violence against the Ohlone people. I investigate this time period because this is when modern news corporations, like The New York Times, rose into prominence. Specifically, I question how media representations of fire inform regulations over controlled burns; what are the similarities in discourse between media framing and policy? What tactics are …