Digital Commons Network^™

Importance Of Reference Points In Orientation In A Current By Juvenile Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus), Ryan C. Heines, Jill Leonard

Celebration of Student Scholarship

Recent studies on the dispersal-relevant behavior of marine fish larvae suggest that they possess the behavioral capabilities necessary to directly affect dispersal outcomes. Current research has shifted to determining to what extent larvae and young juveniles can manage their dispersal, as well as what sensory cues they can use for orientation and settlement. There is little contemporary data to suggest that larvae can detect the speed and direction of current without an external reference, which suggests that they lack control over their trajectories and eventual settlement location. The mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) is a species of marine killifish that …

Integration Of Multiple Datasets To Evaluate Red Fox Distribution, Laura S. Whipple, Diana Jr Lafferty

Celebration of Student Scholarship

To address declining global biodiversity, large-scale and long-term standardized wildlife surveys allow biologists to directly compare data across time and space to identify drivers of species declines. However, standardized surveys are resource-intensive, often leading to significant data gaps. One source of abundant and inexpensive data are wildlife observations from the public (e.g., community/citizen science). When combined, community observations can provide wildlife data from areas that lack high-quality survey data, while standardized surveys can account for the opportunistic nature that makes community observations difficult to use in wildlife studies. Therefore, integrating high-quality survey data with abundant community observations may produce more …

Passing Through Beringia: Enhanced Sampling Resolves The History Of Intercontinental Dispersal, Annika Desai

Celebration of Student Scholarship

Terrestrial communities in North America were assembled through a history of climate-driven colonization across the Bering Land Bridge, which periodically connected Asia to North America during the Pleistocene. Taxa moving across the bridge carried their parasites, and studying these parasites can inform our understanding of the host’s intercontinental dispersal. For instance, the pika, a small lagomorph, carries a wide diversity of parasites that have recently indicated two different aspects of pika biogeographic history. Phylogenetic studies of Schizorchis, a genus of tapeworms that resides in pikas, demonstrated two episodes of North American colonization from Asia roughly 10 million and 4 …

Vgrg Gene As A Virulence Factor In Burkholeria Cepacia, Lexie Matte

Student Presentations

Burkholderia cepacia is a gram-negative bacterium responsible for causing onion soft rot disease and has been identified as an infectious agent in people with cystic fibrosis. As this bacterium is naturally antibiotic resistant, it is important to understand the virulence factors that contribute to this bacterium’s pathogenicity. Through the use of transposon mutagenesis and bioinformatics, the vgrG gene was identified as a possible virulence factor for B. cepacia ATCC 25416. This gene encodes the tip protein of the Type Six Secretion System (T6SS), a complex structure found in many species of bacteria. In other organisms, this syringe-like system allows a …

Dna Barcoding For Molecular Prospecting Of Platyhelminthes, Logan Elkin, Will Butak

Student Presentations

DNA barcoding (Folmer et al. 1994), is an efficient method to distinguish species by short specific DNA sequences from a common region of their genome, such as the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene. The early primers of Folmer et al. (1994) were not as universal as desired (Elias et al. 2007). Platyhelminthes (flatworms), being the fourth most speciose animal phylum, is a taxonomic group where universal barcoding primers are not very effective (Vanhove, et al. 2013). Recently, Van Steenkiste et al. (2014) and Elbrecht and Leese (2017) developed primers for parasitic and free-living flatworms that show promise as …

Genetic Analysis Of Planarian Protonephridia Using Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization And Tunel, Liz Maastricht

Student Presentations

Polycystic Kidney Disease is one of the most common inherited genetic conditions and is often caused by dysfunction of cellular appendages called cilia. My project aims to better understand the requirement for cilia in the excretory system using planarians as a model system. Based on past experiments, we hypothesize that cilia may be important in regulating downstream pathways such as the Hippo signaling pathway. I have performed gene knockdown experiments as well as imaging techniques, such as Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization and TUNEL. These were used to test the genetic interactions between Hippo signaling components and genes required for cilia …

Bioacoustics And Regional Differences Of Florida Scrub-Jay Rattle Calls, Rose Capek

Student Presentations

Florida Scrub Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) are endemic to Florida and use weep, scold, or growl calls to communicate. However, most female corvids produce a rattle call when alarmed that the males do not. Regional calls are common in general vocalization patterns, but have not been particularly well described in rattles outside of the Florida Scrub Jays. Due to the different dialects, birds from one region do not recognize the foreign rattle as the same species. In this project, digital recordings of bird vocalizations from different populations in Florida were accessed from the Macaulay Library and analyzed in Raven, bioacoustic analysis …

Interspecies Tissue Transplants In Planarians, Maddie Thorstad

Student Presentations

Planarian flatworms have many stem cells called neoblasts which makes them adept at regenerating tissue after injury. This project aims to determine if neoblasts from two different species of planarians—Schmidtea mediterranea and Dugesia japonica—can integrate into the regenerated tissue of the other species. This is done by transplantation of a donor tissue plug from one species into a host planarian of the opposite species. After the host planarian is injured, neoblasts travel to the site of injury and begin regeneration of tissue. We have worked to optimize the transplantation procedure to visually obtain a 75% success rate. Simultaneously, we have …

Chemical Ablation Of Stem Cells, Renata Foerstel

Student Presentations

Planarians are an amazing model system for studying regeneration due to their large population of stem cells. A critical technique in studying stem cell dynamics is to eliminate stem cells through exposure to gamma or X-ray radiation. These techniques require expensive equipment. The goal of this project was to develop a cheap alternative to kill stem cells by using the cell cycle inhibitor hydroxyurea.

Functional Analysis Of Protonephridia Genes Identified By Drop-Seq, Andrew Gaetano

Student Presentations

Schmidtea mediterranea, the freshwater planarian, possesses protonephridia, which are an organized network of branched tubules that function in waste filtration and water regulation. On a cellular and molecular level, these structures show considerable homology to the human kidney making planarians a useful model system for exploring human excretory biology and disease (Scimone, 2011 and Vu, 2015). Additionally, the planarian genome contains many flatworm-specific protonephridia genes essential for survival, making them potential drug targets for parasitic worm infections of humans. We set out to validate the expression of protonephridia genes identified by Drop-seq, a single-cell RNA sequencing technique that identified the …

Exploring The Effects Of Β-N-Methylamino-L-Alanine On Schmidtea Mediterranea’S Glun1/Glun2a Nmda Receptor Subunits., Frida Chavez

Student Presentations

β-N-methylamino-L-alanine, also known as BMAA, is a neurotoxin produced by several species of cyanobacteria and eukaryotic microorganisms such as diatoms and dinoflagellates. BMAA has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. Being that it biomagnifies through the food chain, accumulation occurs in its symbionts like cycad seeds and seafood, and eventually gets ingested by humans causing possible neuronal consequences. There is evidence that BMAA agonizes N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, a family of L-glutamate receptors that play a critical role in learning and memory, inducing excitotoxicity against neurons. However, exactly how it causes death of motor neurons …

Analysis Of The Zebra Finch Gut Microbiota, Cole Hanke

Student Presentations

The purpose of this study is to analyze the gut microbiota of the zebra finch. The fecal samples of both male and female birds were collected from two separate populations. The bacteria were then incubated and isolated in order to amplify and sequence their 16s rRNA. The analysis of the 16s rRNA in a bacterial database showed the presence of a variety of species from the bacillus, staphylococcus, and citrobacter genera.

Genetic Analysis Of Elephant Species In Guinea Conakry, Olivia Bruni, Olivia Groenewold

Student Presentations

In the aim of conservation, this project studied the elephant population in the transitional zone of Guinea Conakry to determine whether the individuals in the population are African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis), African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana), or a hybridized species. In the transitional zone, the elephants live under low surveillance and security, making them vulnerable to poaching. In this study, we collected genetic data from the elephants of Guinea Conakry to better understand their taxonomic affinity and added to a larger genetic database that has been developed to locate the origin of ivory seized from poachers to better direct …

Characterization Of Thig Gene In B. Cepacia As A Thiazole Synthase, Olivia Peplinski

Student Presentations

Burkholderia cepacia is a gram-negative bacterium found in water and soil that is known to cause infection in plants and humans. Limited treatments are available for this bacteria due to widespread antibiotic resistance and a lack of knowledge of the mechanisms of virulence used by B. cepacia. This work seeks to identify virulence factors needed for pathogenesis. Transposon mutagenesis in B. cepacia ATCC 25416 was used to generate mutants that were screened for defects in pathogenesis in an onion infection model and mutant 370 was selected for further studies. Recent data from the model demonstrate that the mutant produced smaller …

Antimicrobial Effects Of Compounds Used In Cleaning Wipes, Emma O'Neill, Will Butak, Audrey Makope, Morgan Gauthier

Student Presentations

The antimicrobial effectiveness and level of biofilm inhibition of three compounds from Rockline Industries were tested, along with five compounds made by the St. Norbert College Organic Chemistry Department. The Rockline compounds, ColaLipid (CL), Sodium Benzoate (NaB) and Benzoic Acid (BA), were solubilized in 10% DMSO and tested at concentrations of 0.15%, 0.10%, and 0.01%. To ensure that any growth effects were due to the compounds in question, DMSO was also tested for antimicrobial activity. The compounds were tested against safe relative of eight bacteria of clinical importance (Acinetobacter baylyi, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus raffinosus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas fluorescens, …

Characterization Of Rfbb As A Virulence-Associated Gene In B. Cepacia, Jack Klahr

Student Presentations

Burkholderia cepacia is a gram-negative bacterium that is a known pathogen of plants and humans. B. cepacia was first described as the causative agent of sour skin rot in onion crops and has more recently been recognized as an opportunistic pathogen in cystic fibrosis patients where it is able to colonize the airway and cause rapid pulmonary decline. There are limited treatments available for this bacterium due to its innate resistance to antibiotics, and the mechanisms of virulence used by B. cepacia in different contexts are not well understood. This work aims to identify and describe virulence factors necessary for …

A Taxonomic Revision And Characterization Of Sciuravus Nitidus And S. Undans (Rodentia; Sciuravidae), Early To Middle Eocene Rodents From The Bridger Formation, Green River Basin, Wyoming, Emily Mazier

Student Presentations

New specimens from the Bridger Formation allow for a critical review of the alpha taxonomy and evolution of the two most abundant species of sciuravid rodents from the Early Eocene of the Green River Basin, Sciuravus nitidus and S. undans. Previously, the two species were considered to be synonymous, based on studies of the upper and/or lower dentitions. Specimens with nearly complete lower dentitions are studied for the first time and they reveal clear distinctions between the two species in the molar crown patterns, incisor shape, and mandible morphology. The key specimen, UM 101638, closely matched the type specimen of …

Genetic Characterization And Dna Barcoding Of The Zoonotic Parasite Gnathostoma, Ryan Pogodzinski

Student Presentations

Zoonotic diseases are transmitted to humans from wildlife and often pose serious health risks. One such disease, gnathostomiasis, is caused by parasitic nematodes in the genus Gnathostoma, commonly transmitted by consumption of infected undercooked freshwater fish. Lately, movement of animals over international borders has increased, leading to emerging zoonotic diseases (2018; CDC – One Health Basics). Human gnathostomiasis is just one example.

This project expands on previous research (Cole et al.) which identified Gnathostoma in invasive eels and imported eels from food markets, using morphological features and DNA sequences of the ribosomal RNA gene array’s ITS-2 (intergenic transcribed spacer-2) region. …

Meet The Family, Crystal Schuster

Student Presentations

Early adulthood is a developmental stage in which romantic relationships often take priority (Ciesielski & Janowicz, 2021). Parents and parent-in-laws play an important role in new romantic relationships, even before marriage, and their role increases as the couple becomes more serious (Ciesielski & Janowicz, 2021). The family acts as a socialization agent by transferring schemas from parents to children, and the family’s role in an adult child’s life can influence attitudes toward outsiders (Young & Schrodt, 2016). Meeting one’s family is often viewed as an important milestone in a relationship because parents’ approval of a couple’s relationship has been shown …

Designing An Experimental Apparatus For Rotational Mixing In Stokes Flow, William Bethard, Logan Hennes

Student Presentations

We report on the design, construction, and operation of a rotational mixing apparatus that magnetically rotates a thin metal rod interacting with tracers suspended in a high-viscosity fluid. The purpose of this apparatus is to achieve Stokes flow, defined as having a Reynolds number below 0.001, where viscous forces dominate over inertial forces in a fluid system. The apparatus, designed using 3D modeling software and constructed using additive manufacturing techniques, holds a rod at a fixed angle with a magnetic field and rotates the rod conically about a fixed point. Tracer trajectories within the fluid were tracked using a custom …

Death As Birth And The Mutuality Of Life: Being Born Into The World Through The Female Body As A Door In At The Back Of The North Wind, Ayumi Kumabe

North Wind: A Journal of George MacDonald Studies

No abstract provided.

Southern Adventist University Adult Degree Completion Catalog 2021-2022, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Adult Degree Completion

Southern Adventist University's adult degree completion catalog for the academic year 2021-2022.

Southern Adventist University Gradate Catalog 2021-2022, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Graduate

Southern Adventist University's graduate catalog for the academic year 2021-2022.

Lawrence University Course Catalog, 2022-2023, Lawrence University

Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Catalog 2021-2022, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Undergraduate

Southern Adventist University's undergraduate catalog for the academic year 2021-2022.

The Effects Of Celiac Disease On Oral Health In Children And Adults, Marissa Balducci, Katarina Jones

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

Objectives: Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by intolerance to dietary gluten in genetically predisposed subjects. To ensure affected patients receive optimal dental care, it is necessary for dental professionals to recognize the oral manifestations of celiac disease in both children and adults. Upon associating oral conditions with celiac disease, the dental provider should be able to present recommendations to the patient, contributing to an improvement in their oral health.

Methods: This review of the literature used PubMed to identify relevant professional research articles with publication after 2017. MesH terms utilized in the search process were …

Repressive Interactions Between Transcription Factors Separate Different Embryonic Ectodermal Domains., Steven L. Klein, Andre L P Tavares, Meredith Peterson, Charles H Sullivan, Sally A. Moody

Anatomy and Regenerative Biology Faculty Publications

The embryonic ectoderm is composed of four domains: neural plate, neural crest, pre-placodal region (PPR) and epidermis. Their formation is initiated during early gastrulation by dorsal-ventral and anterior-posterior gradients of signaling factors that first divide the embryonic ectoderm into neural and non-neural domains. Next, the neural crest and PPR domains arise, either

Assessing Multimodal Learning In Biochemistry, Sharifa Love-Rutledge

Summer Community of Scholars (RCEU and HCR) Project Proposals

No abstract provided.

Biochemical Sensors Based On Metallic Nanoparticles, Seyed Sadeghi

Summer Community of Scholars (RCEU and HCR) Project Proposals

No abstract provided.

Informational Materials: Dual Prevention Pill, Population Council

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Informational materials being used in a dual prevention pill study in South Africa.