Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Impact Of K135t Mutation On Malate Dehydrogenase Kinetic Activity, Emily Frost, Kaitlyn Mello

Undergraduate Research Symposium (2026- )

Malate Dehydrogenase (MDH) is a key protein in the citric acid cycle; its dysregulation can have catastrophic impacts, such as neurological and metabolic disorders, and various cancers. MDH catalyzes the reversible oxidation-reduction reaction between malate and oxaloacetate, also reducing NAD+ to NADH in the process. The citric acid cycle is one of the central metabolic pathways, connecting to other essential pathways, such as amino acid and fatty acid biosynthesis, highlighting the importance of understanding how MDH works. A key site in MDH is the flexible loop region (amino acids 119-137), responsible for substrate binding, catalysis, and orientation. The flexibility of …

Characterizing The Macroinvertebrate Community In Crissy Lake, An Impounded Reach Of The Pomme De Terre River, Prior To Channel Modification, Max Lundgren

Undergraduate Research Symposium (2026- )

The aging Crissy Lake Dam, on the Pomme de Terre River in Morris, has altered natural stream flow and impeded upstream passage of several fish species since 1939. In late 2026 the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will replace the dam with stone arch rapids and facilitate river channel formation upstream of the dam. In order to evaluate the river modification project, we characterized the macroinvertebrate community in Crissy Lake, the impoundment upstream of the dam before implementation of channel modification. In September 2025 we collected benthic macroinvertebrates from two sets of Ekman grab samples. We found 12 taxa (average …

Proline To Serine Mutation In Flexible Loop Region Of Malate Dehydrogenase, Anna Molstad, Hannah Robertson

Undergraduate Research Symposium (2026- )

Malate Dehydrogenase (MDH) is an essential enzyme that converts malate to oxaloacetate using the reduction of NAD+ to NADH. In humans, MDH plays a role in energy metabolism by catalyzing a key step of the citric acid cycle, important for energy production. Other indirect roles for MDH include gluconeogenesis and reoxidizing NADH from fatty-acid β-oxidation. An important feature of MDH is a flexible loop region that can alter substrate binding and enzyme activity, but its role is not well understood. Our study investigated how Pro123 to Ser (P123S) mutation in the flexible loop region affects MDH function. We hypothesized that …

Evaluating Differences In The Dynamic Growth Patterns Of Cvi And Ler Genetic Strains Of Arabidopsis During Seedling Establishment, Emily Frost

Undergraduate Research Symposium (2026- )

Seedling establishment is the process by which seedlings transition from depending on seed nutrients to making their own through photosynthesis. An important aspect is photomorphogenesis, the growth of plants in response to light, transitioning from rapid embryonic stem growth to a slower rate focused on root growth and leaf formation. The process is influenced by many genetic and environmental factors, making better characterization essential to understand plant development. For our research, we examined the dynamic growth of two Arabidopsis genetic strains (Cvi and Ler) over time in response to darkness, then to the change in response when light is introduced. …

The Impact Of Sex Education On College Student’S Perceptions Of Sexual Taboos, Noel Gamon

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to explore how college students' differing levels of sex education are associated with their views about sexual behavior, particularly behaviors defined as taboo. In comparison to 25 years ago, adolescents are less likely to receive important sex education today; and are unlikely to receive valuable information until after their first sexual experience. Conventionally, the benefits of a sex education program are linked with its ability to lower STI rates, unplanned pregnancies, unwanted behavior, etc. Sexual taboos are sexual practices excluded from the hegemonic heterosexual monogamous relationship model. Presently, society acknowledges a wider range of …

G1p3 Dysregulates Interferon-Stimulated Gene Expression In Er (+) Breast Cancer Cells, Karina Santana

Honors Theses

Even with advances in diagnosis and treatment, breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women, with nearly 90% of fatalities linked to drug resistance driven by metastasis and recurrence. G1P3, an anti-apoptotic mitochondrial protein, is upregulated in breast cancer and has been associated with increased metastatic potential and poor prognosis. Recent findings show that G1P3 enhances interactions between Rab5-containing endosomes (RCEs) and mitochondria, and emerging evidence suggests that mitochondria play a critical role in initiating interferon (IFN) responses. Based on this, we hypothesized that G1P3-mediated interactions between RCEs and mitochondria promote interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression in …

Biophysical Insights Into A Cryptic, Hydrophobic Binding Site On Pcna, Alexis Dispensa

Theses and Dissertations

Proteins are dynamic molecules whose functional landscapes extend beyond static structural representations. Transient cryptic pockets (buried cavities that emerge through protein motion) represent underexplored targets for allosteric regulation and drug discovery. General anesthetics are small, lipophilic, weakly polar molecules that are well suited to partition into such hydrophobic sites. In this work, environment-sensitive fluorescence, photoaffinity labeling, mass spectrometry, mutational analysis, and microsecond molecular dynamics simulations were integrated to discover and characterize a cryptic, highly apolar binding site within the hydrophobic core of human proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a central scaffold in DNA replication and repair. Using the solvatochromic fluorescent …

Dietary Manipulations Of The Undernourished Infant Microbiome, Cyrus Zhou

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Today, undernutrition affects approximately 150 million children worldwide. During the first two years of life, the healthy gut microbial community undergoes a series of predictable developmental transitions. These transitions are delayed in undernourished children resulting in microbiota “immaturity.” In a foundational study, immature gut microbial communities from undernourished children and normally developing communities from chronologically age-matched healthy children living in the same area were transplanted into groups of germ-free mice consuming the same diet – one representative of what consumed by the study population. Compared mice with a mature gut microbiome, mice with an immature gut microbiome had impaired weight …

The Role Of Pten Subcellular Localization In Neuronal Development And Autism Spectrum Disorder, Nicole Desmet

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are genetically heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions that nevertheless converge on altered neuronal connectivity and circuit function. A central unresolved problem in the field is how diverse genetic perturbations, acting at different biological levels and developmental stages, give rise to shared neurodevelopmental outcomes. This dissertation addresses this problem by examining how gene function, subcellular signaling, and developmental context interact to shape neuronal morphology and circuit-relevant phenotypes.

Cell-autonomous mechanisms regulating neuronal morphology are examined through the ASD risk gene Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) in developing dentate gyrus granule neurons. Selective biasing of PTEN to defined intracellular compartments in …

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus Occidentalis) Groundings On A Four-Lane Divided Highway In South Texas: A Comparative Study Using Citizen Science, Bradley Evan Beer, Kevin W. Ryer, Md. Saydur Rahman, John H. Young Jr., Richard J. Kline

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

The population of the once-endangered brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) has increased over the past several decades and is now considered fully recovered. However, in south Texas, the combined effects of weather patterns, transportation infrastructure, and brown pelican biology have led to road mortalities on State Highway 48 (SH 48) at the Carl “Joe” Gayman Bridge. To mitigate these mortalities, the Texas Department of Transportation modified traffic barriers on SH 48. We aimed to examine the effect of the barrier change and determine which weather variables influence brown pelican groundings on SH 48. Citizen scientists monitored sections of SH …

Growing Healthy Habits: Impacts Of A Youth Community Garden For Children In Rural Mississippi, Olivia G. Degravelle

Honors Theses

This study examines the implementation and outcomes of a Youth Garden Program conducted in Pontotoc, Mississippi. Funded by the Allstate Community Service Project Grant, the Youth Garden was constructed within the previously established Pontotoc Community Garden. The initiative comprised four weekly workshops designed for participants ranging from preschool to adolescence. Each session incorporated hands-on fruit and vegetable (FV) planting or harvesting, an educational lesson, and a complementary craft activity. Children’s FV consumption patterns, nutritional knowledge, and attitudes toward FV were assessed through pre- and post-program surveys. In addition, the photo-elicitation interview method invited participants to take digital photographs of garden …

High Germinability Can Facilitate Recovery Of Adelia Vaseyi (Euphorbiaceae), An Imperiled Tamaulipan Thornscrub Shrub, Saroj Dhakal, Bashira Chowdhury, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

While critical to maintaining dryland biodiversity and drought resilience, reforestation has been limited in subtropical dry forests because of knowledge gaps in seed biology that must be filled to upscale seedling production and ensure recovery of imperiled endemic plants. We characterized seed germination, dormancy, and storage needs for Adelia vaseyi, a threatened endemic shrub commonly included in planting mixes to restore Tamaulipan thornscrub, an imperiled subtropical forest spanning South Texas and Northeastern Mexico. We found A. vaseyi seeds have high germinability (82.0%) and a short mean germination time (3.04 ± 0.08 days). A delia vaseyi seed does not appear …

Evaluating Sand Characteristics And Their Influence On Sea Turtle Nest Incubation Conditions, Thomas Naylor

Honors Theses

The embryonic development of sea turtles is strongly influenced by the environmental factors experienced during incubation within the nest. These environmental factors can influence hatchling sex ratios, body condition, and their success emerging from nests. Adult female sea turtles lay nests across a range of sites throughout the nesting season, resulting in each nest encountering unique abiotic conditions. This study aims to identify how variation in sand characteristics, such as grain size proportions, permeability, and color, influences nest temperature and subsequent hatchling outcomes of Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta) and Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) from …

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

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

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) comparative molecular …

Quantitative Proteomics For The Investigation Of Phosphoprotein Phosphatase 1 And 3 Substrate Specificities, Galini Poimenidou

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Reversible phosphorylation is a crucial post-translational modification (PTM) that modulates a variety of signaling pathways intracellularly, with aberrant protein phosphorylation being a hallmark of many human diseases. Kinases, which catalyze phosphorylation of their substrates, have been extensively studied in the context of the signaling pathways they regulate and their effects on cellular processes. In contrast, phosphoprotein phosphatases (PPPs), which catalyze the removal of phosphate groups from substrate proteins, have only recently come to the research spotlight. For a long time, protein phosphatases were deemed unspecific housekeeping enzymes, but they are now known to display exquisite substrate specificity. Phosphoprotein phosphatase 1 …

Hybrid Bermudagrass Dormancy Management In A Cool-Season Climate, Clarissa H. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Hybrid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt Davy) (HBG) is a water efficient warm-season turfgrass increasingly adopted in cool-season and semi-arid regions due to climate change and the demand for reduced irrigation inputs. However, prolonged winter dormancy limits its visual quality (verdure) and seasonal performance. This thesis evaluated multiple management strategies to modify dormancy dynamics and improve off-season turf quality in a cool-season environment. Field experiments assessed the effects of growth covers, fertilizers, colorants, surfactants, organic acids, and overseeding with cool-season species on HBG dormancy over two seasons. Dormancy responses were quantified using normalized difference vegetation index …

Secondary Contact Dynamics In White-Breasted Nuthatches (Sitta Carolinensis) Across The Pine Ridge Of Nebraska, Eugene A. Huryn

Biology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Populations’ interactions in contact zones are important for understanding divergence dynamics of closely related taxa. Such interactions may vary from inter-population divergence being reinforced to secondary contact resulting in the creation of a hybrid swarm. The ecology of each lineage, and different factors like behavior and ecological niches, may impact the outcome of such contact. However, there is little current research on how habitat choice at local scales might reflect distinct populations, particularly in cryptic species. To study how niche dynamics affect diversification, we studied the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) complex in northwestern Nebraska. Two members of this …

Neural Signaling Contributes To Heart Formation And Growth In The Invertebrate Chordate, Ciona Robusta, Hannah N. Gruner, C. J. Pickett, Jasmine Yimeng Bao , '24, Richard Garcia , '24, A. Hozumi, T. D. Scully, Sydney Popsuj, Shaoyang Ning, Mavis Gao , '26, Gia Bautista , '23, Keren Meze , '24, Haeun Karissa Lim , '25, T. Osugi, Mae Collins-Doijode , '26, Ofubofu Cairns , '24, Gabriel Levis , '23, Shu Yi Chen , '24, Taixi Gong , '24, H. Satake, A. M. Klein, Y. Sasakura, Bradley Justin Davidson

Biology Faculty Works

Neurons contribute to the complex interplay of signals that mediate heart development and homeostasis. Although a limited set of studies suggest that neuronal peptides impact vertebrate heart growth, the specific contributions of these peptides to cardiomyocyte progenitor differentiation or proliferation have not been elucidated. Here, we show that the neuropeptide tachykinin along with canonical Wnt signaling regulate cardiomyocyte progenitor proliferation in the chordate model Ciona robusta. In C. robusta, the heart continues to grow throughout adulthood and classic histological studies indicate that a line of undifferentiated cells may serve as a reserve progenitor lineage. We found that this line of …

Semiochemicals And Odorant Receptors Underlying Potato Cultivar Susceptibility And Resistance To Potato Tuber Moth, Ruipeng Chen, Wangtao Hu, Qin Hu, Junjie Yan, Jiao Yin, Fathiya M. Khamis, Yulin Gao, Walter S. Leal

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Infestation of potato by the potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella) varies markedly among cultivars, yet the chemical and molecular mechanisms underlying this variation remain poorly understood. Here, we combine field surveys, chemical ecology, functional genomics, and structural modeling to reveal how cultivar-specific volatile profiles shape moth oviposition behavior and pest outcomes. Field and laboratory assays identified marked differences in adult attraction, oviposition, and larval damage among potato cultivars, which correlated with distinct blends of emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Behavioral analyses revealed that among other VOCs, trans-nerolidol and β-ionone act as attractants, whereas 3-carene and benzyl tiglate function as oviposition …

The Efficacy Of Manganese Sulfate As A Negative Contrast Agent For Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography, Zainab Abdulla Mankhi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The current study aims to find an alternate oral contrast media for use in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) that satisfies the following criteria, the greatest imaging quality safety, no or few side effects, and low cost. The present study created an oral contrast agent sample (solution) by dissolving a one tablet of manganese sulfate supplement (taken daily dose) in 200 ml of distilled water. Thirty-three volunteers assessed the sample using MRCP examine pre and post contrast. By evaluating the signal intensity to compute contrast (C), signal to noise ratios (SNR), and contrast to noise ratio (CNR), the resulting MR images …

Antioxidant And Antifungal Activity Of Lactuca Serriola L. Plant And Silver Nanoparticles Against Aspergillus Species., Sakar Abdulqadr Saheed, Badr Qader Ismael

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Medicinal plants remain a valuable source of antifungal agents, and recent developments in green nanotechnology have increased the prospects for Lactuca serriola L. as a useful bioresource. In the current study, leaves and roots were extracted by ultrasonic-assisted chloroform, ethanol, and aqueous extraction methods for the biological mediation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). Screening of Phytochemicals for extracts revealed the present secondary metabolites. Ag NPs were verified through UV-visible spectroscopy, indicating a peak at (408-423 nm) corresponding to a surface plasmon resonance, FT-IR functional groups of O–H, C=O, and C–N binding. The morphological analysis revealed an irregular-to-quasi-spherical shape, with an …

Sustainable Land Use Optimization In Radioactively Contaminated Landscapes Of Ukrainian Polissia, Iryna Mcdonald, Liudmyla Raichuk

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Sustainable Land Use Optimization in Radioactively Contaminated Landscapes of Ukrainian Polissia

Dr. Iryna McDonald¹, Dr. Liudmyla Raichuk²

¹Fort Hays State University, Department of Agriculture, Hays, KS, USA

²Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management of the NAAS, Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract

The radioecological situation in territories contaminated due to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident remains challenging, particularly in the Zhytomyr, Kyiv, and Rivne regions, where certain products continue to exhibit elevated levels of radionuclide content. Contemporary challenges –  such as the full-scale war, which has led to the loss of productive lands in southern and eastern …

Apoe As A Potential Link In Glioblastoma Therapeutic Resistance, Xiwen She, Ifelayo Adefuye

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor characterized by recurrence and resistance to therapy, which are driven by interactions between glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and the tumor microenvironment. In this study, single-cell RNA sequencing data were analyzed using QIAGEN CLC Genomics Workbench to identify genes associated with tumor–immune interactions. Following clustering, differential expression, and a multi-step prioritization strategy, we identified APOE as a top candidate gene connecting tumor and immune processes, contributing to therapeutic resistance in glioblastoma.

Roles Of Mads-Box Transcription Factors In Plant Responses To Abiotic And Biotic Stresses, Na Liu, Zihao Liu, Guangxiang Tian, Shijia Zhao, Hao Chu, Yiheng Hu, Yingfan Zhao, Yanyan Zhang, Kun Cheng, Daowen Wang, Wenming Zheng, Zhengqing Fu, Xu Wang

Faculty Publications

Plants deploy sophisticated adaptive mechanisms to mitigate the detrimental effects of abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, temperature extremes, and heavy metals) and biotic stresses (pathogens and senescence) on growth and productivity. Central to these responses are transcription factors (TFs) that orchestrate stress-responsive gene networks. Among TF families, MADS-box proteins, characterized by their evolutionarily conserved DNA-binding domain, function as pivotal regulators of developmental plasticity and stress adaptation. While recent advances have clarified their roles in abiotic stress tolerance, a systematic integration of their functions in biotic stress responses has yet to be achieved. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how MADS-box TFs …

Three-Dimensional Imaging Of Neuronal Activation Patterns In Chronic Neuropathic Pain And Opioid Pharmacology, Madeline Martinez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic neuropathic pain severely diminishes quality of life, yet the supraspinal neural circuits that sustain pain perception and mediate analgesic relief remain incompletely characterized. While peripheral and spinal pain pathways are well established, relatively few studies have mapped pain- or opioid-related neuronal activation across the entire brain. This dissertation employed activity-dependent genetic labeling (TRAP2/Ai9), whole-brain tissue clearing, light sheet microscopy, and graph-theoretic network analysis to characterize brain-wide activation patterns across chronic pain and analgesic conditions in mice.

In Chapter 1, we mapped supraspinal neuronal activation in a bilateral spared nerve injury model of chronic neuropathic pain. Although no individual region …

Evaluating The Geographic Patterns In Isotopic Composition For Nesting Hawksbill Sea Turtles In The Wider Caribbean By Coupling Satellite Telemetry And Stable Isotopes, Anna Kreiger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Combining satellite telemetry and stable isotope analysis offers a framework for inferring sea turtle foraging habitats when spatial isotopic gradients exist. We evaluated this combined approach using carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ1⁵N) isotope values from critically endangered hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting at Buck Island Reef National Monument, U.S. Virgin Islands (N=31), and Long Island (Jumby Bay), Antigua (N = 31). Nesting females were satellite-tracked to identify foraging areas and sampled for skin tissue, and Empirical Bayesian Kriging was used to generate basin-scale δ13C and δ1⁵N isoscapes. Tracked turtles foraged widely across the Caribbean Basin, including the Greater …

Maintaining And Axenizing Live Cyanobacterial Cultures For Bacterial Genome Sequencing, Yufei Wang, Louisa Acquah

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are an

increasing concern in western Kansas, yet the

bloom-forming species in this region remain

poorly characterized. In this study, we

established and maintained axenic

cyanobacterial cultures to support future

genomic and ecological investigations. By

ensuring low contamination levels and stable

growth conditions, this work provides a

foundation for downstream analyses of bloom-

forming cyanobacteria. It contributes to a better

understanding of freshwater ecosystem health

in western Kansas.

Continuous Light And Pinealectomy: Two Models Of Melatonin Deficiency Revealing Distinct Interactions With Vitamin D Deficiency On Blood Parameters, Rebaz Sedeeq Shekh, Ismail Mustafa Maulood

Polytechnic Journal

Modern lifestyles reduce sunlight exposure and increase artificial light at night, potentially promoting vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and melatonin (MEL) suppression. The two hormones regulate immunity, erythropoiesis, and platelet (PLT) indices, but their combined hematological effects are not well characterized. We investigated the independent and combined effects of VDD and MEL deficiency on leukocyte profiles, erythrocyte indices, and PLT parameters in albino rats using two 12-week models (n = 8/group): continuous light (CL)-induced MEL suppression (Control, CL, VDD, and CL + VDD) and pinealectomy (Px)-induced MEL deficiency (Sham. Px, VDD, Px + VDD). Complete blood counts (CBCs) and inflammation-related ratios …

An Occupation-Based Support Group For Underserved Adults Living With Lymphedema, Amivi Amega

Student Capstone Papers

Lymphedema is a chronic condition that can significantly impact physical function, psychosocial well-being, and participation in meaningful occupations. Although traditional management primarily focuses on physical symptom reduction, gaps remain in addressing long-term participation and quality of life, particularly among underserved populations. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop an occupation-based support group manual designed to support both the physical and psychosocial needs of adults living with lymphedema.

This project was informed by a needs assessment and expert feedback from Certified Lymphedema Therapists, enhancing clinical relevance and applicability. The manual integrates principles from the Model of Human Occupation and …

Mechanistic Insights Into E. Coli Recovery From Growth Arrest, Ahmed H. Hassan, Yuko Nakano, Howard Gamper, Isao Masuda, Ludmila Vesela, Matyas Pinkas, Sathya Narayanan Nagarajan, Jonathan Dworkin, Gregor Blaha, Ya-Ming Hou, Gabriel Demo

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Bacteria survive hostile conditions by shutting down protein synthesis, but how they restart growth remains poorly understood. Here, we use an E. coli ΔrimM strain, which exhibits a prolonged growth arrest, as a model to investigate how bacteria recover from this state and restore protein synthesis. RimM is a conserved ribosome maturation factor for the 3'-major (head) domain of the 16S rRNA within the bacterial 30S subunit. The loss of RimM causes a longer delay in recovery than other 30S maturation factors, including RbfA. Cryo-EM analysis of ΔrimM ribosomes suggests a delayed recruitment of ribosomal proteins to the 30S head …