Digital Commons Network^™

Scoping Review Of Distribution Models For Selected Amblyomma Ticks And Rickettsial Group Pathogens, Catherine A. Lippi, Holly D. Gaff, Alexis L. White, Sadie J. Ryan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The rising prevalence of tick-borne diseases in humans in recent decades has called attention to the need for more information on geographic risk for public health planning. Species distribution models (SDMs) are an increasingly utilized method of constructing potential geographic ranges. There are many knowledge gaps in our understanding of risk of exposure to tick-borne pathogens, particularly for those in the rickettsial group. Here, we conducted a systematic scoping review of the SDM literature for rickettsial pathogens and tick vectors in the genus Amblyomma. Of the 174 reviewed articles, only 24 studies used SDMs to estimate the potential extent …

Double Anus In An Ixodes Scapularis Nymph, A Medically Important Tick Vector, Vikas Taank, Frank A. Lattanzio, Hameeda Sultana, Girish Neelakanta

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Ixodes scapularis ticks are medically important arthropod vectors that transmit several pathogens to humans. The observations of morphological abnormalities, including nanism, missing leg, extra leg, and gynandromorphism, have been reported in these ticks. In this study, we report the presence of two anuses in a laboratory-reared I. scapularis nymph.

Results: Larval ticks were allowed to feed on mice and to molt to nymphs. Two anuses were observed in one of the freshly molted nymphs. Stereo and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the presence of two anuses in one nymph within a single anal groove.

Conclusions: This report confirms the rare …

Global Extinction Risk For Seahorses, Pipefishes And Their Near Relatives (Syngnathiformes), Riley A. Pollom, Gina M. Ralph, Caroline M. Pollock, Amanda C.J. Vincent

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Few marine taxa have been comprehensively assessed for their conservation status, despite heavy pressures from fishing, habitat degradation and climate change. Here we report on the first global assessment of extinction risk for 300 species of syngnathiform fishes known as of 2017, using the IUCN Red List criteria. This order of bony teleosts is dominated by seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons (family Syngnathidae). It also includes trumpetfishes (Aulostomidae), shrimpfishes (Centriscidae), cornetfishes (Fistulariidae) and ghost pipefishes (Solenostomidae). At least 6% are threatened, but data suggest a mid-point estimate of 7.9% and an upper bound of 38%. Most of the threatened species are …

Diet Of Long-Eared Owl And Common Kestrel In An Urban Landscape (Ukraine), Ivan Zahorodnyi, Oleksii Dubovyk, Ivan Komarnytskyi, Ihor Dykyy

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

In the present study we performed a comparative dietary analysis of two predatory birds, the Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) and the Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in the district of Lviv city. We found that the Long-eared Owl and the Common Kestrel are typical small mammal specialists within the urban ecosystem. Considering the abundance and biomass of prey, small mammals comprise 98.4% of the Long-eared Owl’s diet. The species composition of mammals coincides almost 50% in the food intake comparison of the two birds. It has been established that the main prey of both species is the …

Triple Oxygen Isotope Measurements (Δ'17O) Of Body Water Reflect Water Intake, Metabolism, And Δ18O Of Ingested Water In Passerines, Pablo Sabat, Seth D. Newsome, Stephanie Pinochet, Roberto Nespolo, Juan Carlos Sanchez-Hernandez, Karen Maldonado, Alexander R. Gerson, Zachary D. Sharp, John P. Whiteman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding physiological traits and ecological conditions that influence a species reliance on metabolic water is critical to creating accurate physiological models that can assess their ability to adapt to environmental perturbations (e.g., drought) that impact water availability. However, relatively few studies have examined variation in the sources of water animals use to maintain water balance, and even fewer have focused on the role of metabolic water. A key reason is methodological limitations. Here, we applied a new method that measures the triple oxygen isotopic composition of a single blood sample to estimate the contribution of metabolic water to the body …

Spatio-Temporal Modelling Of Tick Life-Stage Count Data With Spatially Varying Coefficients, Thabo Lephoto, Henry Mwambi, Oliver Bodhlyera, Holly Gaff

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

There is a vast amount of geo-referenced data in many fields of study including ecological studies. Geo-referencing is usually by point referencing; that is, latitudes and longitudes or by areal referencing, which includes districts, counties, states, provinces and other administrative units. The availability of large geo-referenced datasets for modelling has necessitated the development and application of spatial statistical methods. However, spatial varying coefficients models exploring the abundance of tick counts remain limited. In this study we used data that was collected and prepared by researchers in the Department of Biological Sciences from the Old Dominion University, Virginia, USA. We modelled …

Variation In Coral Thermotolerance Across A Pollution Gradient Erodes As Coral Symbionts Shift To More Heat-Tolerant Genera, Melissa S. Naugle, Thomas A. Oliver, Daniel J. Barshis, Ruth D. Gates, Cheryl A. Logan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Phenotypic plasticity is one mechanism whereby species may cope with stressful environmental changes associated with climate change. Reef building corals present a good model for studying phenotypic plasticity because they have experienced rapid climate-driven declines in recent decades (within a single generation of many corals), often with differential survival among individuals during heat stress. Underlying differences in thermotolerance may be driven by differences in baseline levels of environmental stress, including pollution stress. To examine this possibility, acute heat stress experiments were conducted on Acropora hyacinthus from 10 sites around Tutuila, American Samoa with differing nutrient pollution impact. A threshold-based heat …

Self And Microbiota-Derived Epitopes Induce Cd4⁺ T Cell Anergy And Conversion Into Cd4⁺Foxp3⁺ Regulatory Cells, Michal P. Kuczma, Edyta A. Szurek, Anna Cebula, Vu L. Ngo, Maciej Pietrzak, Piotr Kraj, Timothy L. Denning, Leszek Ignatowicz

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The physiological role of T cell anergy induction as a key mechanism supporting self-tolerance remains undefined, and natural antigens that induce anergy are largely unknown. In this report, we used TCR sequencing to show that the recruitment of CD4⁺CD44⁺Foxp3⁻CD73⁺FR4⁺ anergic (Tan) cells expands the CD4⁺Foxp3⁺ (Tregs) repertoire. Next, we report that blockade in peripherally-induced Tregs (pTregs) formation due to mutation in CNS1 region of Foxp3 or chronic exposure to a selecting self-peptide result in an accumulation of Tan cells. Finally, we show that microbial antigens from Akkermansia muciniphila …

Interaction Between Genetic Risk Scores For Reduced Pulmonary Function And Smoking, Asthma And Endotoxin, Sinjini Sikdar, Annah B. Wyss, Mi Kyeong Lee, Thanh T. Hoang, Marie Richards, Laura E. Beane Freeman, Christine Parks, Peter S. Thorne, John L. Hankinson, David M. Umbach, Alison Motsinger-Reif, Stephanie J. London

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Rationale Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified numerous loci associated with lower pulmonary function. Pulmonary function is strongly related to smoking and has also been associated with asthma and dust endotoxin. At the individual SNP level, genome-wide analyses of pulmonary function have not identified appreciable evidence for gene by environment interactions. Genetic Risk Scores (GRSs) may enhance power to identify gene–environment interactions, but studies are few.

Methods We analysed 2844 individuals of European ancestry with 1000 Genomes imputed GWAS data from a case–control study of adult asthma nested within a US agricultural cohort. Pulmonary function traits were FEV₁, …

Potentiometric Biosensing Of Ascorbic Acid, Uric Acid, And Cysteine In Microliter Volumes Using Miniaturized Nanoporous Gold Electrodes, Christopher J. Freeman, Borkat Ullah, Md. Shafiul Islam, Maryanne M. Collinson

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Potentiometric redox sensing is a relatively inexpensive and passive approach to evaluate the overall redox state of complex biological and environmental solutions. The ability to make such measurements in ultra-small volumes using high surface area, nanoporous electrodes is of particular importance as such electrodes can improve the rates of electron transfer and reduce the effects of biofouling on the electrochemical signal. This work focuses on the fabrication of miniaturized nanoporous gold (NPG) electrodes with a high surface area and a small footprint for the potentiometric redox sensing of three biologically relevant redox molecules (ascorbic acid, uric acid, and cysteine) in …

Association Between Sleep Quality And Dorsal Default Mode Network In College Students, Anna Klets

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

College students often have poor sleep quality, which may change resting state functional connectivity network in the brain. Prior research demonstrated that sleep is associated with structural and functional changes in some specific brain subareas, which are involved in the dorsal default mode network (dDMN). However, no study to date has comprehensively examined all possible individual pairs of functional connectivity in the dDMN in relation to sleep quality among college students. Therefore, the present study hypothesized that sleep quality in college students was linked to any resting state functional connectivity in the dDMN.

Forty nine college students (25 females) underwent …

Individual Differences In Social Responsiveness, Social Experiences, And Oxytocin System Genetic Variation In Depression Symptom Severity, Grace Sullivan

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Social experiences including discrimination, low social support, and interpersonal conflict are reliable predictors of depression symptom severity (Costello, 1982; Monroe, Rohde, Seeley, & Lewinsohn, 1999; Phifer & Murrell, 1986). However, individual differences may buffer against or exacerbate risk (Pluess & Belsky, 2015). A more holistic and dimensional approach, in line with modern perspectives on mental health (Kircanski, LeMoult, Ordaz, & Gotlib, 2017), requires an investigation of individual differences that moderate associations of positive and negative social experiences with depression symptom severity. This dissertation assesses relative contributions of social experiences (low social support, discrimination, childhood trauma, and sexual objectification) to variation …

Spatiotemporal Interactions Between Deer And Cattle, Sydney Brewer

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Mule deer, white-tailed deer, and cattle are sympatric on the landscape throughout many portions of Nebraska and encounter each other in time and space. By considering variation in daily activity patterns and non-random patterns in the timing of passage through specific locations, we can better understand whether animals may be avoiding each other temporally when sharing space. I investigated temporal activity patterns and avoidance/attraction ratios to investigate if deer altered their activity patterns in the presence of cattle and if they exhibited avoidance at a study site near McCook, Nebraska, USA. We collected data from 19 game cameras that were …

Two-Dimensional & Three-Dimensional Microarray Cell Culture Using Elastomeric Assembly Substrates, Angel Olivera-Torres

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine represent the collection of all engineering disciplines brought together for the common goal of developing novel ways of growing tissues and organs in the laboratory. Efforts have made it possible to replicate or induce growth of 2D structures in the human body like skin, but the clinical need for on-demand solid organs has yet to be met due to lack of understanding of the variables responsible for organogenesis. Cell-colony heterogeneity, 3D-cellular architecture, bioactive molecules, and crosstalk communication between parenchymal cell populations need to be further investigated, and high-throughput technologies can rapidly increase the rate at …

Phylogenetic Relationships Among Mexican Species Of The Genus Sechium (Cucurbitaceae), Luis Ángel Barrera Guzmán, Juan Porfirio Legaria Solano, Jorge Cadena Iñiguez, Jaime Sahagún Castellanos

Turkish Journal of Botany

The genus Sechium includes 11 species, which are highly related to the genus Sicyos. Sechium is native to Mesoamerica, but only S. edule and S. tacaco have been domesticated. Sechium edule is the most exploited species of the genus due to its broad phenotypic variability. A total of 68 samples from the species S. chinantlense, S. compositum, S.hintonii and S.edule were evaluated, as well as their respective varietal complexes (albus, nigrum and virens groups), thereby amplifying the loci of mitochondrial DNA (CoxIII), chloroplast DNA (rbcL) and the nuclear ribosomal ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region. This was done with the aim of establishing phylogenetic …

Investigation Of The Effects Of Overexpression Of Novel_105 Mirna In Contrasting Potatocultivars During Separate And Combined Drought And Heat Stresses, Meli̇s Yalçin, Zahi̇de Nesli̇han Öztürk Gökçe

Turkish Journal of Botany

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) growth, development and production are sensitive to abiotic stress conditions, yet studies about investigation of stress response of potato plants in regulation of gene expression level are limited. The aim of this study was to identify the role of newly identified Novel_105 miRNA in contrasting potato cultivars (tolerant Unica and sensitive Russet Burbank) in response to heat, drought and combined heat and drought stresses using transgenic approach. Transgenic plants of Unica and Russet Burbank were generated with overexpression of pre-miRNA of Novel_105 and both wild type and transgenic T0 lines were subjected to stress. Physiological parameters …

Integrating Indicators Of Natural Regeneration, Enrichment Planting, Above-Ground Carbonstock, Micro-Climate And Soil To Asses Vegetation Succession In Postmining Reclamation Intropical Forest, Trimanto Trimanto, Lia Hapsari, Sugeng Budiharta

Turkish Journal of Botany

Open-cast mining in tropical forests causes negative impacts on biodiversity and carbon storage. Postmining reclamation is therefore imposed to recover the vegetation despite the lack of understanding which indicators can be used to monitor the progress ofsuccession. This study proposes an integrated framework to assess the trajectory of vegetation succession in coal mining site in East Kalimantan, Borneo. We combine the indicators of floristic diversity of naturally growing terrestrial and epiphytic plants, survival and growth of enrichment planting of native plants, above-ground carbon stock of pioneer trees, and the measurements on micro-climate and soil conditions. We compare some indicators across …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Botany

No abstract provided.

Identification And Characterization Of The Pvul-Gasa Gene Family In Thephaseolus Vulgaris And Expression Patterns Under Salt Stress, İlker Büyük, Aybüke Okay, Marta Gorska, Emre İlhan, Emi̇ne Sümer Aras

Turkish Journal of Botany

GASA (Gibberellic acid stimulated in Arabidopsis) is an important gene family that has important roles in both the developmental and physiological processes. In this study, 23 GASA genes in common bean were identified and detailed bioinformatics analyzes were conducted at both gene and protein levels. Pvul-GASA proteins were categorized into three clusters, and a total of 13 duplication events (12 segmental and one tandem) were shown to play a role in the expansion of the GASA gene family in Phaseolus vulgaris L. The identified Pvul-GASAs have been shown to be linked to stress and hormone signaling pathways. In addition, some …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Botany

No abstract provided.

Gc-Ms Profiling, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial Activities, Dna Cleavage Effect Ofsymphytum Aintabicum Hub.-Mor. & Wickens (Boraginaceae) And Its Anticancer Activityon Mcf-7 Cell Line, Alevcan Kaplan

Turkish Journal of Botany

Symphytum species, generally known as comfrey, have been used for ancient times in folk medicine for wounds, bone breakages, rheumatism, liver problems, and innumerable potentialities. However, many of the species belonging to the genus Symphytum have not been analyzed with scientific methods and principles yet. Therefore, this work is a guide for determining and researching the main gaps in the literature. In this study, MeOH and petroleum ether (PE) extracts of Symphytum aintabicum Hub.-Mor. & Wickens were analyzed for their biological activities and GC-MS analysis, antioxidant, antimicrobial activities, DNA cleavage effect, and anticancer activity on the MCF-7 human breast cell …

Screening Of Cytotoxicity And Dna Topoisomerase Iia Inhibitory Activity Of Turkish Onosma Species, Özge Güzel, Seda Duman, Si̇nem Yilmaz, Çi̇ğdem Karakoyun, Demet Kul, Ademi̇ Fahri̇ Pi̇rhan, Erdal Bedi̇r

Turkish Journal of Botany

Onosma L., the largest genus of Boraginaceae, is represented by 105 species in Turkey with an endemism rate of 52%. Phytochemical studies indicate that Boraginaceae plants mainly comprise naphthoquinones with a wide range of biological activities including anticancer, antiinflammatory, wound healing, and antioxidant effects. However, few taxa of the genus Onosma have been investigated in detail for their bioactivities. Considering the high rate of endemism and an inadequate number of bioactivity screening studies in literature, we aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic effects and topoisomerase inhibitory activities of some Onosma species growing in southwestern Turkey. Here, we describe a comprehensive cytotoxic …

Anticancer, And Antioxidant Activities Of Royal Jelly On Ht-29 Colon Cancer Cells Andmelissopalynological Analysis, Adnan Ayna, Abdullah Tunç, Seda Nur Özbolat, Aydin Şükrü Bengü, Gürkan Aykutoğlu, Deni̇z Canli, Ridvan Polat, Mehmet Çi̇ftci̇, Ekrem Darendeli̇oğlu

Turkish Journal of Botany

Royal jelly (RJ) is reflecting the flora around the apiaries as a result of the foraging activity of honeybees and therefore, pollen analysis could be used to verify its botanical/geographical origin. Colon cancer treatment by means of chemotherapeutics agents reflects a substantial problem for the organism due to high toxicity to other viable cells of the body. To explore a chemopreventive approach to enhancing colon cancer treatment efficacy, the antioxidant and antiproliferative effects of RJ in HT-29 colon cancer cells were assessed. Cell proliferation was performed by WST-1 assay, index of apoptosis was calculated by TUNEL Assay, antioxidant activities were …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Botany

No abstract provided.

Stance And Engagement In Scientific Research Articles, Caoyuan Ma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Stance and engagement are important rhetorical resources for writers to construct interaction with readers and ideas by marking epistemic evaluation and bringing readers into the texts. Building on previous research that suggests notable differences in the use of stance and engagement in academic discourse, this comparative study investigates the use of stance and engagement in scientific research articles. By comparing two corpora that contain 144 research articles in total across 16 scientific disciplines, this study examines if the numbers of stance and engagement differ between manuscripts (unpublished research papers) that are produced by nonnative writers and those that are published …

Student Government: A Phenomenological Study Of Student Government Leaders, K. Bonnieblue Rodríguez-Valentín

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This phenomenological study investigated the transition process of student government leaders in a university setting. The study consisted of interviewing a total of 17 participants from Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches, as well as the Election Commission. This study focused on finding the types of transitions student leaders experience while serving in student government, the meaning obtained from such transitions, and the impact succession planning and university personnel had on those transitions. Themes that emerged from the study included stress, conflict, advocacy, resiliency, and boundaries. Recommendations and future applications of the research findings were made to help guide higher education …

Southeast Michigan Wastewater Treatment Plants As Potential Sources Of Microplastic Pollution In The Rouge River And Huron River, Jennifer Troost

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Plastic pollution is a global issue affecting the health and stability of freshwater and marine environments. Microplastics can be introduced into waterways from a variety of sources, such as agricultural runoff, anthropogenic litter, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). To determine whether WWTPs are a source of microplastics to the Lower Rouge and Huron Rivers, we measured microplastic load upstream and downstream of two Southeast Michigan wastewater treatment plants: the Ann Arbor Wastewater Treatment Plant and Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA). Results from this study indicated that YCUA, which discharges into a small stream with limited watershed inputs, is a significant …

Canals, Community, And Coastal Permits: Overcoming Inadequate Remedies For Erosion Within The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary, Brandon Naquin

Emory Law Journal

The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary has lost over 934 square miles of land since 1932, causing a mass exodus of communities within the estuary, including the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw tribe of Isle de Jean Charles. Though some of this erosion can be attributed to rising sea levels and natural subsidence, scientists now realize that the majority of this loss has been caused by human development. Specifically, navigation and pipeline canals dredged by the oil and natural gas industry are alleged to be responsible for as much as 89% of all land lost within Louisiana before 1983. This ongoing land loss has led to …

The Short Circuit: Privatized Organ Allocation Policymaking Violates Fundamental Fairness, Sean F. Driscoll

Emory Law Journal

The successful development of organ transplantation brought with it a new challenge—how to share the scarce organs that are donated. To resolve this challenge, Congress contracted out to the United Network for Organ Sharing, a non-profit corporation composed of transplantation stakeholders, the responsibility of developing, implementing, and administering organ allocation policies under the oversight of the Department of Health and Human Services. However, increased scrutiny due to ongoing litigation between transplantation stakeholders has called into question the accountability and objectivity of this quasi-governmental agency. This Comment argues that the delegation of organ allocation policymaking to the United Network for Organ …

Association Between Anthropometric Factors And Balance Among Elderly Fallers And Non-Fallers: A Cross-Sectional Study, Pothiraj Pitchai, Reshma Gurav, Srishti Kuldeep Chauhan

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Falls are an emerging public health problem causing a cascade of medical, functional, and socio-economic consequences. Apart from other widely explored risk factors affecting balance, anthropometric factors are also known to have an impact on balance. However, this relationship hasn’t been studied extensively in older adults. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the anthropometric factors such as Body Mass Index (BMI), Body Fat Mass (BFM), Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR), Lower Limb Length (LLL), Foot Length (FL) and balance in the elderly among fallers and non-fallers. Method: This cross-sectional study was performed on 100 fallers and 100 non-fallers, aged …