Digital Commons Network^™

Environmental Drivers Of Southern Flounder (Paralichthys Lethostigma) Growth, Condition, And Juvenile Recruitment Along The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Meghan Elizabeth Angelina

All Theses

Southern Flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) is an economically important species that uses habitats across salinity gradients along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. During winter, adults spawn offshore, and larvae migrate to estuaries. During spring, larvae settle, grow, and metamorphose into juveniles. Juveniles and adults continue to use estuaries until adults mature and migrate offshore to spawn. This presumed, migratory life history indicates that Southern Flounder is an estuarine-dependent species. As with many estuarine-dependent species, growth, condition, and juvenile recruitment are highly variable across time and space. In response to declines across the species range, state managers have imposed a …

Role Of Cyp2b6 In Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (Pfos)-Induced Toxicity And Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (Nafld), Matthew C. Hamilton

All Theses

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) is a persistent, toxic fluorosurfactant foam used in firefighting foams, textiles, and other industrial products. Human CYP2B6 is predominantly expressed in the liver and responsible for metabolizing xeno- and endobiotics. CYP2B is induced by PFOS and high-fat diets in rodents and therefore it was hypothesized that CYP2B contributed to PFOS-induced steatosis. Cyp2b-9/10/13-null (Cyp2b-null) and humanized CYP2B6-Tg (hCYP2B6-Tg) mice were treated with PFOS (0, 1, or 10 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage in mice fed either a typical chow diet (ND) or a high-fat diet (HFD). Our studies show human CYP2B6 is also inducible in vivo by PFOS. In …

Arsenic Exposure Decreases The Number And Signaling Of Distinct Intestinal Stromal Cells, Michael Kellett

All Theses

Arsenic is a natural toxicant commonly found in drinking water. Since its main route of exposure is oral, arsenic is continually in contact with the small intestine. While in vitro arsenic exposures of environmentally relevant concentrations can disrupt differentiation in cardiac and skeletal muscle, neurons, and keratinocytes, little is known of the impact of an in vivo arsenic exposure. Since the epithelium of the small intestine rapidly regenerates, we wanted to investigate whether arsenic alters the balance of renewal and differentiation. Small intestinal organoids (enteroids) were used to assess arsenic’s impact on intestinal homeostasis by exposure to 0, 1, and …

Rendering Co-Products As Electron Donors For Subsurface Remediation, John K. Houston

All Theses

Chlorinated solvents are a widespread groundwater contaminant across the United States and worldwide. Bioremediation strategies for chlorinated solvents in groundwater environments often involve electron donor amendments to stimulate reductive dechlorination.

Electron donor amendment technologies have evolved over time, utilizing varying lipid or carbohydrate based compounds. Several popular electron donor amendments contain soybean based emulsified vegetable oil (EVO), or low molecular mass organic acid compounds including acetate and formate. This project seeks to develop a group of novel electron donor amendments based on animal co-products to outperform conventional products. These co-products are comprised of waste generated in the animal rendering process …

The Microbiome Of Southwestern Rattlesnakes, Erin Stiers

All Theses

The gut microbiota encompasses the microbial life present in animal digestive tracts, collectively termed the microbiome. These microbial communities are highly adapted to their environment and host, providing beneficial functions not encoded by the host genome. However, there is a lack of gut microbiome studies on wild, non-model organisms; because of the importance of microbiomes in host evolution, it is critical to understand how environment and host alike shape indigenous microbes in wild animal populations. Rattlesnakes (Crotalus and Sistrurus) provide a useful system to study microbiota differences due to their unique digestive process and locally adapted venoms, which function in …

Study Of Ultrafast Laser-Induced Surface Structures On Stainless Steel And Fused Silica For Optical Property Modification, Shreyas Vinay Limaye

All Theses

Nature exhibits numerous creature surfaces with interesting functionalities, such as tunable colors, improved wettability, and adhesivity. These functions are induced by multi-scale surface structures. To mimic these surface functionalities for engineering applications, it is important to create multi-scale surface structures on engineering materials. Ultrafast lasers have been proven to be capable to create micro- and nano-scale structures, such as nano-ripples, microholes, conical structures, and nanoparticles, on a variety of materials including metals, polymers, dielectrics, etc. These structures are responsible for enabling different surface functionalities like superhydrophobicity, superhydrophlicity, optical property modification, improved tribological properties, and enhanced heat transfer.

Laser-induced surface structures …

"The Unregulated Wild West": A Socio-Ethical Discourse Analysis Of Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Testing, Hannah Halusker

All Theses

More than 26 million individuals have submitted to direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTCGT) services since the personal genomics industry gained traction in the late 2010s. Private firms AncestryDNA and 23andMe dominate the market, and as a result, hold ownership of some of the largest collections of human genetic data in the world. As a novel technology that analyzes consumer disease risk or genetic genealogy, DTCGT has emerged alongside a number of ethical, legal, and social implications that require scholarly investigation. This study places a critical eye on AncestryDNA and 23andMe to examine how DTCGT is contextualized in the news media. Using …

Bacterial Spot Of Peach: Epidemiology And Chemical Sensitivity Of Xanthomonas Arboricola Pv. Pruni In South Carolina Orchards, Brodie Monroe Cox

All Theses

Bacterial spot on peach, caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni (Xap), is a major disease in the southeastern United States. The disease can cause substantial yield loss despite season long applications of copper. It is unknown whether selection of resistance over the course of the season contributes to disease development. Thus, we collect Xap from shoot cankers, leaves, and fruit over two years from cultivar O‘Henry of three conventional and one organic farms in South Carolina and determined sensitivity to copper at the beginning (bud break), middle (pit hardening) and end (final swell) of production season. Four canker types were …

Inferring Networks With Gene Knockouts And Computational Algebra, Tilly Grace Erwin

All Theses

The network inference problem is a significant problem in systems biology. In this paper, we will describe an approach to this problem involving computational algebra. Specifically, given an unknown Boolean function, we can create a square-free monomial or pseudomonomial ideal whose primary decomposition encodes the possible sets of variables that the function can depend on, and whether those interactions are activations or inhibitions. We apply this problem to time series data generated from a non-linear ODE, built over unknown feed-forward loops, and subject to gene knockouts.

Determining Indicators Of Successful Aging In A Population Of Individuals Living In An Active-Living Community, Olivia Tant Trapp

All Theses

In the United States, the older population in consistently growing, with 17.7% of adults over the age of 65 in South Carolina alone. As aging populations grow, research must examine factors linked to longevity and extended quality of life, as well as facts in both middle and later life that are associated with higher levels of successful aging (SA). This study examined the relationship between the Community Health Activities Model Program (CHAMPS) or the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP II) and fourteen selected markers of health and SA. Anthropometric data (including bodyweight, height, blood pressure, grip strength, body mass index, body …

Analysis Of Soil Amendments And Supplemental Watering For Establishing Fescue And Bermudagrass On Poor Soils In The Piedmont Region Of South Carolina, Ethan Richard Barnette

All Theses

Establishing permanent perennial vegetation that is uniform and covers at least seventy percent of disturbed areas is a requirement to close-out a construction project in South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) and the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) have well established procedures and protocols for contractors when establishing vegetation. However, difficulties are often faced by contractors to attain these coverage thresholds, resulting in negative consequences not only to the environment but also additional monetary costs.

A two-year study was conducted at Clemson University’s Agricultural Sciences Erosion Testing Facility to evaluate these difficulties. The …

Solving The Conundrum: Widespread Proteins Annotated For Urea Metabolism In Bacteria Are Carboxyguanidine Deiminases Mediating Nitrogen Assimilation From Guanidine, Nicholas O. Schneider, Lambros J. Tassoulas, Danyun Zeng, Amanda J. Laseke, Nicholas J. Reiter, Lawrence P. Wackett, Martin St. Maurice

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Free guanidine is increasingly recognized as a relevant molecule in biological systems. Recently, it was reported that urea carboxylase acts preferentially on guanidine, and consequently, it was considered to participate directly in guanidine biodegradation. Urea carboxylase combines with allophanate hydrolase to comprise the activity of urea amidolyase, an enzyme predominantly found in bacteria and fungi that catalyzes the carboxylation and subsequent hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide. Here, we demonstrate that urea carboxylase and allophanate hydrolase from Pseudomonas syringae are insufficient to catalyze the decomposition of guanidine. Rather, guanidine is decomposed to ammonia through the combined activities of …

Synthesis Of Novel Reducing Agent For Formation Of Metronidazole-Capped Silver Nanoparticle And Evaluating Antibacterial Efficiency In Gram-Positive And Gram-Negative Bacteria, Fatemeh Farjadian, Amin Reza Akbarizadeh, Lobat Tayebi

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

In this study, a new type of silver nanoparticles capped with metronidazolium based ionic liquid is synthesized. By this aim, metronidazole is altered to ionic-liquid type structure with citrate counter ion as reducing agent. The produced reducing agent was characterized using ¹HNMR and ¹³CNMR and FT-IR. The capability of metronidazolium-based reducing agent in formation and capping silver nanoparticles was examined in a chemical reaction. More specifically, synthesized silver nanoparticles were synthesized and capped with metronidazolium-citrate based ionic liquid, while the formation of particles in 48 h was monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the presence …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, August 2020, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 1. Issue 7

Contents:

Dean’s Update P.1
Awards & Recognition P.2
New Faculty | Student Clubs P.3
Research Spotlight | Open PRAIRIE P.4
ODFS | Interest in Science P.3

Undergraduate Bulletin, 2020-2021, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Undergraduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of An Elevational Gradient Reveals Strong Differences Between Bacterial And Eukaryotic Communities Coinhabiting Nepenthes Phytotelmata, Kadeem J. Gilbert, Leonora S. Bittleston, Mark Arcebal K. Naive, Anthony E. Kiszewski, Perry Archival C. Buenavente, David J. Lohman, Naomi E. Pierce

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Elevation is an important determinant of ecological community composition. It integrates several abiotic features and leads to strong, repeatable patterns of community structure, including changes in the abundance and richness of numerous taxa. However, the influence of elevational gradients on microbes is understudied relative to plants and animals. To compare the influence of elevation on multiple taxa simultaneously, we sampled phytotelm communities within a tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes mindanaoensis) along a gradient from 400 to 1200 m a.s.l. We use a combination of metabarcoding and physical counts to assess diversity and richness of bacteria, micro-eukaryotes, and arthropods, and …

Utilizing Manganese And Rhenium Sediment Concentrations To Reconstruct Past Interglacial Southern Ocean Circulation Changes, Evan E. Rohde

Honors Theses

The circulation in the Southern Ocean is a component of global nutrient, heat, and carbon cycles. Changes in any of these cycles can dramatically change ocean conditions around the world. Therefore, any changes that occurred to this circulation in the past is of scientific interest. We hypothesize that changes in the glacial cycle of the planet can affect this circulation. Specifically, we hypothesize that the strength of circulation in the Southern Ocean can be reduced by conditions during interglacial, or warm climate, time periods. It is proposed that during the interglacial period of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11 (425 to …

Plant Science Decadal Vision 2020–2030: Reimagining The Potential Of Plants For A Healthy And Sustainable Future, Natalie Henkhaus, Madelaine Bartlett, David Gang, Rebecca Grumet, Ingrid Jordon‐Thaden, Argelia Lorence, Eric Lyons, Samantha Miller, Seth Murray, Andrew Nelson, Chelsea Specht, Brett Tyler, Thomas Wentworth, David Ackerly, David Baltensperger, Philip Benfey, James Birchler, Sreekala Chellamma, Roslyn Crowder, Michael Donoghue, Jose Pablo Dundore‐Arias, Jacqueline Fletcher, Valerie Fraser, Kelly Gillespie, Lonnie Guralnick, Elizabeth Haswell, Mitchell Hunter, Shawn Kaeppler, Stefan Kepinski, Fay‐Wei Li, Sally Mackenzie, Lucinda Mcdade, Ya Min, Jennifer Nemhauser, Brian Pearson, Peter Petracek, Katie Rogers, Ann Sakai, Delanie Sickler, Crispin Taylor, Laura Wayne, Ole Wendroth, Felipe Zapata, David Stern

Biology, Agriculture and Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Plants, and the biological systems around them, are key to the future health of the planet and its inhabitants. The Plant Science Decadal Vision 2020–2030 frames our ability to perform vital and far‐reaching research in plant systems sciences, essential to how we value participants and apply emerging technologies. We outline a comprehensive vision for addressing some of our most pressing global problems through discovery, practical applications, and education. The Decadal Vision was developed by the participants at the Plant Summit 2019, a community event organized by the Plant Science Research Network. The Decadal Vision describes a holistic vision for the …

Structural And Functional Insights Into Alphavirus-Host Interactions, Arthur S. Kim

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Alphaviruses are arthropod-transmitted positive sense, single-stranded RNA viruses of the Togaviridae family that cause explosive, global outbreaks with significant morbidity. These viruses are classified into two groups based on genetic relatedness and clinical manifestations. Arthritogenic alphaviruses include chikungunya (CHIKV), Mayaro (MAYV), Ross River (RRV), O’nyong’nyong (ONNV) and generally cause acute and chronic musculoskeletal disease. To date, CHIKV has caused >1.8 million cases in over 40 countries. Encephalitic alphaviruses, including Eastern (EEEV), Venezuelan (VEEV), and Western (WEEV) equine encephalitis viruses, infect the central nervous system and result in encephalitic sequelae. In 2019, outbreaks of EEEV in the United States have resulted …

Bonnet Carré Spillway Freshwater Transport And Corresponding Biochemical Properties In The Mississippi Bight, Sabrina M. Parra, Virginie Sanial, Adam D. Boyette, M. Kemal Cambazoglu, Inia M. Soto, Adam T. Greer, Luciano M. Chiaverano, Angie Hoover, Michael S. Dinniman

CCPO Publications

Large freshwater pulses to coastal ecosystems change local hydrologic regimes and alter biogeochemical processes. The Mississippi Bight coastal ecosystem, located in the northern Gulf of Mexico shelf, is influenced by extensive freshwater inputs: the Mississippi River (MSR) and several smaller rivers to the east. Under river flood conditions, MSR waters flow through the Bonnet Carré Spillway (BCS) to relieve pressure on levees in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2015, mild wintertime temperatures and heavy rainfall throughout the MSR watershed led to extreme flooding and prompted an unusually early BCS opening on January 10, 2016 for 23 days. This study examines the …

Changes In Neural Network Connectivity Of Normal Young Adults In Response To Power Wheelchair Trainer Using Eeg Coherence, Ruby Phung

Masters Theses

The ability to move and explore their surrounding environment plays a critical role in the development of cognitive function in children, especially during early childhood. The lack of independent and autonomous mobility is, therefore, a clear disadvantage for the overall development of children with multiple, severe disabilities. Limited number of studies have been conducted on the impact of power mobility device on this specific population. Previous exploratory and pilot studies showed promising results regarding quantifiable and consistent changes in the electroencephalogram (EEG) of children with multiple, severe disabilities when provided with power mobility training. This study aimed to further extend …

Demographic Disparities In The Efficacy Of A Family-Based Treatment Program For Pediatric Obesity, Genevieve Davison

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Background: Family-based behavioral weight loss treatment (FBT) is an evidence-based intervention for pediatric overweight/obesity (OV/OB), but little research has examined the relative efficacy of FBT across socioeconomic status (SES), and racial groups. Method: 172 youth (7-11 y; 61.6% female; 70.1% White, 15.7% Black; child percent OV=64.2±25.2; SES=44.0±10.2; 14.5% low-income) completed 4 months of FBT and 8 months of additional intervention (either weight-control or education control). Parents reported family income, social status (Barratt Simplified Measure of Social Status), and child race at baseline. Income was dichotomized with low-income defined as family income less than 50% of the area median family …

Video Education For Improved Education Of Newly Diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Theresa Mccrumb

Doctoral Projects

Anxiety and depression are prevalent in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, especially those newly diagnosed. Receiving a diagnosis of MS can be overwhelming and impact patients in multiple areas including physical issues, cognitive changes and anxiety and depression (Kantor, Bright & Burtchell, 2017). This anxiety and depression can cause patients to be less engaged in their plan of care and thereby reduce their quality of life (Rieckmann, et al., 2015). According to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA), four of 10 MS patients are diagnosed with depression and anxiety, with the highest incidence at diagnosis (Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, …

Variation In Tundra Plant Traits Across A Latitudinal Gradient, Katlyn Rose Betway

Masters Theses

High latitude regions are warming faster than most regions. Studies documenting change in plant cover due to warming have reported that graminoids, deciduous shrubs, and evergreen shrubs are increasing in some regions of the Arctic, but not at others. Mixed responses to warming have caused researchers to shift towards an emphasis on functional traits of individual species rather than their growth forms. This thesis focuses on ten measured plant functional traits for twelve arctic species at three regions spanning a latitudinal gradient in northern Alaska (Utqiaġvik, Atqasuk, and Toolik Lake). We compare mean trait values across the three regions for …

From The Dinner Pot To Smoking Pot; How A Better Understanding Of Cannabidiol In Crayfish Could Alleviate Anxiety And Modulate Hunger, Christopher Michael Timmer

Masters Theses

Anxiety affects approximately 1/3 of the US population and presents in many different forms, ranging from social to panic disorders. It also presents with high comorbidity for other mental disorders. One treatment is Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) which allow for increased activation of serotonin (5-HT) receptors. SSRIs come with an extensive list of side effects, which can fail to maintain quality of life. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabis derived compound which has been shown to decrease anxiety by activation of multiple subtype 5-HT amine receptors. CBD has few side effects, is not psychoactive, and exhibits anti-psychotic properties. The current …

Competitive Interactions: Spatial And Temporal Niche Partitioning Between Brook And Brown Trout In Southwest Michigan, Frederick J. Glassen

Masters Theses

Niche diet partitioning between Brook Trout and Brown Trout were studied in two southwestern Michigan, USA streams, one dominated by Brook Trout, the other with both Brook and Brown Trout. Brook Trout are endemic to eastern North America and have been introduced throughout the world for sport fishing. Brown Trout were first introduced to Michigan in 1883 using a genetic strain from Germany. Stomach contents were collected from a population of Brook Trout in the absence of Brown Trout in Frost Creek, while the other population was in potential competition with Brown Trout in Cedar Creek. Absent Brown Trout, Brook …

Carbon Sequestration In A Restored West Michigan Oak Savanna: Implications For Management Practices, Jeffrey A. Heise

Masters Theses

The savanna system is an ecosystem (i.e. a transitional ecosystem) that lies between forest and grassland ecosystems. They occur across the world in various forms, but in the North American Midwest they are specifically oak savannas: systems where the open overstory is dominated by various species of oak (Quercus spp.) and the understory consists of carbon-rich prairie grasses and forbs. This ecosystem is a highly degraded ecosystem and has lost almost 99% of its former range due to agriculture and fire suppression. Since savannas are fire-evolved systems, they are maintained by and require fire as a regular disturbance to …

Detection Of Food Proteins In Human Serum Using Mass Spectrometry Methods, Abigail S. Burrows

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Allergenic peanut proteins are highly resistant to digestion and are detectable by immunoassays after gastrointestinal digestion. The application of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods for in vivo detection of peptides originating from allergenic food proteins has not been thoroughly studied. The aim of this work was to develop an in vivo detection method for peanut proteins in serum using LC-MS/MS. The method(s) were validated by analyzing subject serum collected after peanut consumption.

Three de-complexation strategies were evaluated including (1) MS acquisition settings (i.e. inclusion, exclusion lists), (2) commercial depletion kits, and (3) organic solvent fractionation by discovery LC-MS/MS. Overall, …

Population Genomics And Conservation Of Texas Cave And Spring Salamanders (Plethodontidae: Eurycea), Andrew Brian Corbin

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Understanding species boundaries and gene flow among the cave and spring salamanders of the central Texas region (genus Eurycea) has been a challenge for many decades. Although previous research has greatly increased our understanding of these salamanders, there are still many unanswered questions involving the number of species in the group and the degree to which populations are connected. The plummeting cost of DNA sequencing has transformed the field of biology, including the field of population genetics. Before the recent advent of high-throughput sequencing, population genetic studies in Eurycea were limited to only a few genetic markers. Here, we leverage …

Taxonomy, Systematics, Biogeography, And Conservation Of Toads (Anura: Bufonidae) In The Sunda Shelf Of Indonesia, Goutam Chandra Sarker

Biology Dissertations - Archive

After Van Kampen’s 1905–1911 visit to Indonesia culminating in his Amphibians of the Indo-Australian Archipelago (1923), there has been no extensive herpetological exploration and compendium for Indonesia, particularly for Sumatra, Java, and Kalimantan. This lack of herpetological surveys has resulted in recent molecular studies from Southeast Asia lacking samples from Sumatra, Java, and Kalimantan, and subsequent underestimation of herpetofaunal diversity, inaccuracies in phylogeny and biogeography, and lack of massive conservation status assessments. This is truer for the not so aesthetically appealing and rather warty bufonid toads of Indonesia, which have received very little attention from the small scientific community who …