Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

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 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. …

Final Report Floating Upwelling System Harvest Road Oceans, Robert Michael, Scott Bennett

Fisheries Occasional Publications

A Floating Upwelling System or FLUPSY is a mechanical system for the culture of seed stock during the nursery stage of commercial bivalve production.

Chemosensitivity Of Locus Coeruleus Neurons Decreases With Postnatal Development, Yasmeen Samar

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The locus coeruleus (LC) is a chemosensory area partially responsible for ventilation. Control over ventilation relies on inter-network communication via chemical and electrical synapses and chemosensitivity to CO2/pH. As the LC develops, it’s neural control over ventilation changes. This study investigates the chemosensitivity of the locus coeruleus over the course of development in postnatal rats. We hypothesize that 1) the CO2 sensitivity of LC neurons is highest at birth and declines with development 2) LC neurons are intrinsically chemosensitive and this chemosensitivity does not decrease with development and 3) the presence of gap junctions is highest at the beginning of …

Impaired Β-Cell Neogenesis In A Mouse Model Of Metabolic Syndrome, Modhi Abdullah Alshammari

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic islet β-cell plays an essential role in insulin release and hence glucose homeostasis. The maintenance of glucose homeostasis depends on β-cell ability to cope with enough insulin to fulfill metabolic and physiological demands. Adequate insulin release is the result of highly complex and dynamic interplays between acute changes in β- cell electrical activity, exocytosis and chronic adaptations in cellular function, volume, mass and proliferation. All of this appears modulated, to some extent, by the functional presence of Slc12a2 symporters, also known as Na+K+2Cl– cotransporter-1 (Nkcc1), which accumulates intracellular Cl– above its electrochemical equilibrium. Recent studies from our laboratory showed …

Evaluating Energy-Based Trait Shifts And Population Level Impacts Of Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus Fuscus) With Long-Term Exposure To Pseudogymnoascus Destructans, Molly C. Simonis

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Disturbances in environment can lead to a wide range of host physiological responses. These responses can either allow hosts to adjust to new conditions in their environment or can reduce their survival, and can subsequently cause host traits to shift. Small mammals are particularly vulnerable to stochastic disturbances, like a pathogen introduction, because of their high energy demands. Studies examining host responses to pathogens often focus on species highly susceptible to infection that typically have high mortality rates, leading to a gap in understanding the responses of less susceptible species. My dissertation evaluates the energy balance of Eptesicus fuscus (big …

Land-Use And Ant Biodiversity In California’S Central Valley, Laura L. Navarro

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The growing human population results in growing demand for land allocated to urban development and agricultural production (Godfray et al. 2010; Tilman et al. 2011; McDonnell and Hahs 2013; Alexander et al. 2015; Erlwein and Pauleit 2021). Changes to land allocation associated with agricultural and urban development will increasingly alter terrestrial ecosystems impacting biodiversity (Ricketts et al. 2001; McDonald et al. 2008). Ants are an ideal organism for monitoring changes in biodiversity related to land-use change due to their ubiquitous nature, high diversity, and their role as bioindicators. The goal of this study was to assess the diversity of the …

Modeling Als-Associated Matrin-3 Toxicity In Yeast, Widad El-Zein

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

ALS is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord leading to progressive paralysis and ultimately death. Perturbations in RNA metabolism and RNA binding proteins have emerged as underlying defects in ALS pathogenesis. Matrin-3 is a multifunctional RNA binding protein that has been linked to familial and sporadic ALS. Matrin-3 is normally found in the nucleus, but mutations in the gene cause mislocalization of the protein from the nucleus into the cytoplasm of neuronal cells where it forms protein aggregates. In this study, we show that over-expressing human MATR3 in …

Impacts Of Plastic Pollution On A Pelagic Marine Mammal, The Northern Elephant Seal, Lauren M. Kashiwabara

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

As plastic pollution increases, top marine predators such as marine mammals are becoming increasingly susceptible to plastic particles and their additives. Plastic particles have been found in gastrointestinal tracts and scat of many marine mammals, and quantifying plastic pollution in those that are pelagic can provide insight into plastic pollution in mesopelagic ecosystems that are just beginning to be analyzed. Adapting well-developed laboratory techniques for microplastic (MP) isolation (i.e. density separation and chemical digestion), I isolated MPs from the scat of the deepest diving pinniped, the northern elephant seal (NES), and found that100% of scat samples (n=11) contained high counts …

Urban Insect Biodiversity - Effects Of Native Landscaping, Caedmon Morgret, Dave Warners

Student Papers and Reports

Urban development comes with the cost of destroyed natural habitats. Urban infrastructure flattens entire ecosystems, replacing them with impervious, life-inhibiting constructions.

Alleviating the impacts of urbanization is possible. Green infrastructure mitigates habitat loss by restoring native habitats within urbanized areas. One benefit of green infrastructure is the reestablishment of biodiversity, benefitting plants, animals, and insects alike. Biodiversity creates a healthier habitat and location than urban infrastructure –and lack of biodiversity –does.

To investigate this benefit we performed a pilot study, sampling lawns and curb-cut rain gardens (CCRGs). We compared biodiversity between restored and unrestored urban habitats.

Quantification, Isolation, Characterization, And Biogeography Of Thermoacidophilic Bacteria From Mesophilic Soils, Margaux Karp

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Many thermoacidophilic bacterial species thrive in hot springs, fumaroles, and geothermally heated soils. These habitats are globally distributed but often small in size and located distantly from similar habitats, and therefore the biogeography of thermoacidophiles may be similar to island biogeography of plants and animals. Little is known about dispersal of thermoacidophiles. In this study I aimed to quantify, isolate, and characterize thermoacidophilic bacteria from non-permissive habitats. I also used genetic approaches to compare these isolates to thermoacidophilic bacteria from permissive habitats to provide insight to their biogeography.

To determine if I could enrich thermoacidophiles from non-permissive habitats, and if …

How Do They Do It? Using Omics Approaches To Explore Metabolic Responses Associated With Hypoxia And Exercise Tolerance In The Deepest Diving Pinniped, Elizabeth R. Piotrowski

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Marine mammals such as northern elephant seals (NES) routinely experience hypoxemia and ischemia-reperfusion events to many tissues during deep dives with no apparent adverse effects. Adaptations to diving include increased antioxidants and elevated oxygen storage capacity associated with high hemoprotein content in blood and muscle. Despite experiencing decreased oxygen tensions during diving, NES likely rely on the mobilization of large lipids stores and catabolism of fatty acids to provide energy to exercising muscle while diving. To identify potential regulatory mechanisms that may underly hypoxia and exercise tolerance in diving mammals, this study used system-wide approaches to characterize changes in genes …

Beyond Cortisol: Indicators Of Stress And Negative Feedback In Plasma And Blubber Of Marine Mammals, Jessica Avalos

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Marine mammals play an important role in ecosystem stability. However, anthropogenic activity is compounding pressure on many already vulnerable populations. A potential consequence of anthropogenic disturbance is physiological stress, which can impact metabolism, immunity, and reproduction, especially if it occurs repeatedly. Previous studies on marine mammals have focused on acute stress, but the impacts of repeated stress are poorly understood. Due to its accessibility on land during haul-outs, the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is a good system in which to study the effects of stress in marine mammals. Stress stimulates the release of glucocorticoid hormones, primarily cortisol. Elevated cortisol …

The Transcription Factor Nfe2l2a Is Required For Development Of Hematopoietic Stem Cells In The Zebrafish Embryo, Sivam Bhatt, Teerth Patel, Madeleine Seputro, Anubhav Thapaliya, Erich Damm

UROP Posters

Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) are the self-renewing population of cells that generate all erythrocytes and leukocytes over the lifetime of a vertebrate organism. HSCs are also the therapeutic units of curative bone marrow transplants used in the treatment of blood malignancies and in gene therapy for genetic blood disorders. In all vertebrate embryos, HSCs originate from the floor of the embryonic dorsal aorta during the endothelial to hematopoietic transition. Nascent HSCs will bud into the blood vessel and be carried to maturation sites by the embryonic blood flow. Despite the curative potential of HSC transplants in blood disorders, this approach …

Astrocyte Elevated Gene-1 (Aeg-1) Deletion Selectively Enhances The Antinociceptive Effects Of Morphine, Apurva Puli, Shivani Patel, Bryan Mckiver, Eda Köseli, Devanand Sarkar Ph.D., M. Imad Damaj Ph.D.

UROP Posters

Background: Opioids are a class of drugs that are utilized in clinical settings to alleviate acute and chronic pain, but can often lead to development of tolerance, addiction and overdose following prolonged usage. Opioids such as morphine function by activating endogenous µ opioid receptors, which are located in various tissues throughout the body. Astrocyte Elevated Gene-1 (AEG-1) is a multifunctional protein that regulates inflammation, myeloid cell activity and lipid metabolism. Studies have shown interactions and overlaps in cellular signaling between the inflammatory/immune responses and the endogenous opioid system which could suggest a role for AEG-1 in opioids effects. Our goal …

Effect Of Fenugreek Seeds In Maternal Diet On Some Features Of Newborn Pups In Albino Mice, Karim R. Hamad

Polytechnic Journal

Introduction: Fenugreek seeds have got interest of researchers for their positive effects on laboratory animals and human being, including their effects on reproductive system. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of 5% raw fenugreek seed and its boiled aqueous extract containing diet on adult female mice, for 2 weeks before mating, to evaluate fertility, and some features of newborn pups. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 adult female mice randomly and equally were divided into three groups. Group I: Control, Group II: Female mice treated with 5% raw fenugreek seed containing diet, and Group III: Female mice …

Effect Of Fenugreek Seeds In Maternal Diet On Some Features Of Newborn Pups In Albino Mice, Karim R. Hamad

Polytechnic Journal

Introduction: Fenugreek seeds have got interest of researchers for their positive effects on laboratory animals and human being, including their effects on reproductive system. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of 5% raw fenugreek seed and its boiled aqueous extract containing diet on adult female mice, for 2 weeks before mating, to evaluate fertility, and some features of newborn pups. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 adult female mice randomly and equally were divided into three groups. Group I: Control, Group II: Female mice treated with 5% raw fenugreek seed containing diet, and Group III: Female mice …

Effect Of Fenugreek Seeds In Maternal Diet On Some Features Of Newborn Pups In Albino Mice, Karim R. Hamad

Polytechnic Journal

Introduction: Fenugreek seeds have got interest of researchers for their positive effects on laboratory animals and human being, including their effects on reproductive system. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of 5% raw fenugreek seed and its boiled aqueous extract containing diet on adult female mice, for 2 weeks before mating, to evaluate fertility, and some features of newborn pups. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 adult female mice randomly and equally were divided into three groups. Group I: Control, Group II: Female mice treated with 5% raw fenugreek seed containing diet, and Group III: Female mice …

Effect Of Fenugreek Seeds In Maternal Diet On Some Features Of Newborn Pups In Albino Mice, Karim R. Hamad

Polytechnic Journal

Introduction: Fenugreek seeds have got interest of researchers for their positive effects on laboratory animals and human being, including their effects on reproductive system. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of 5% raw fenugreek seed and its boiled aqueous extract containing diet on adult female mice, for 2 weeks before mating, to evaluate fertility, and some features of newborn pups. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 adult female mice randomly and equally were divided into three groups. Group I: Control, Group II: Female mice treated with 5% raw fenugreek seed containing diet, and Group III: Female mice …

Effect Of Fenugreek Seeds In Maternal Diet On Some Features Of Newborn Pups In Albino Mice, Karim R. Hamad

Polytechnic Journal

Introduction: Fenugreek seeds have got interest of researchers for their positive effects on laboratory animals and human being, including their effects on reproductive system. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of 5% raw fenugreek seed and its boiled aqueous extract containing diet on adult female mice, for 2 weeks before mating, to evaluate fertility, and some features of newborn pups. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 adult female mice randomly and equally were divided into three groups. Group I: Control, Group II: Female mice treated with 5% raw fenugreek seed containing diet, and Group III: Female mice …

Host Range, Biology, And Species Specificity Of Seven-Segmented Influenza Viruses—A Comparative Review On Influenza C And D, Chithra Sreenivasan, Zizhang Sheng, Dan Wang, Feng Li

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Other than genome structure, influenza C (ICV), and D (IDV) viruses with seven-segmented genomes are biologically different from the eight-segmented influenza A (IAV), and B (IBV) viruses concerning the presence of hemagglutinin–esterase fusion protein, which combines the function of hemagglutinin and neuraminidase responsible for receptor-binding, fusion, and receptor-destroying enzymatic activities, respectively. Whereas ICV with humans as primary hosts emerged nearly 74 years ago, IDV, a distant relative of ICV, was isolated in 2011, with bovines as the primary host. Despite its initial emergence in swine, IDV has turned out to be a transboundary bovine pathogen and a broader host range, …

Light Pollution Levels On Beaches: How Window Tinting Effects Disorientation Of Sea Turtles On Hilton Head Island, Kathryn (Kate) Hettiger

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Loggerhead sea turtles, an endangered species, are decreasing at alarming rates worldwide. Artificial light from beachfront hotels on Hilton Head Island are causing disorientation in Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings affecting their ability to successfully find the ocean. To mitigate this, exterior windows facing the ocean will be tinted using either tinting spray, which will be implemented at the Marriott Grande Ocean, or using tinting film, which will be implemented at the Marriott Westin. During the typical nesting and hatching season (May-October), sea turtle hatchling tracks will be recorded using drones to compare the effects of various levels of light pollution …

Local Weather Explains Annual Variation In Northern Goshawk Reproduction In The Northern Great Basin, Usa, Allyson B. Bangerter, Eliana R. Heiser, Jay D. Carlisle, Robert A. Miller

Intermountain Bird Observatory Publications and Presentations

Weather is thought to influence raptor reproduction through effects on prey availability, condition of adults, and survival of nests and young; however, there are few long-term studies of the effects of weather on raptor reproduction. We investigated the effects of weather on Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis; henceforth goshawk) breeding rate, productivity, and fledging date in south-central Idaho and northern Utah, USA. Using data from 42 territories where we found evidence of breeding attempts in ≥1 yr from 2011–2019, we analyzed breeding rates using 315 territory–season combinations, analyzed productivity for 134 breeding attempts, and analyzed fledging date for 118 …

An Assessment Of The Neurovascular Structures Of The Trigeminal Nerve And Their Relationship To Diet In Primates, Caitlin Yoakum

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) enters the mandible via the mental foramen, supplies nervous sensation to the mandibular teeth as it travels through the mandibular canal, and exits the mandibular foramen to send information to the brain to maintain chewing cycles and protect the teeth from damage. Although bony canals and foramina have been shown to form around soft-tissue structures, there are some examples (e.g., the hypoglossal nerve/canal) where the nervous structures do not comprise most of the canal/foramina space. It is important to know the size of nerves because it has been established that larger nerves convey more information …

Lifelines Fall 2021, Southern Adventist University

Lifelines - Biology Department Newsletter

The Fall 2021 issue of Lifelines contains articles on a former biology student, information on student research, the Palau Adventist Wellness Center, and Department Happenings.

Risk Assessment Of Yellow Pine Mining Area, Noel Preece

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The risk assessment process involves identifying and characterizing hazards, determining dose-response relationships, and assessing possible exposures to toxins in order to inform risk management. The goal of this project was to complete the steps of a risk assessment and develop a perspective on risk management. Data collected from publicly available databases, scholarly articles, and targeted sources were used to perform a risk assessment for Yellow Pine Mining Area. Social, economic, political, and/or legal perspectives were considered when determining the best risk management approaches.

Risk Assessment Of Devil's Swamp Lake, Jocelyn Price

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The risk assessment process involves identifying and characterizing hazards, determining dose-response relationships, and assessing possible exposures to toxins in order to inform risk management. The goal of this project was to complete the steps of a risk assessment and develop a perspective on risk management. Data collected from publicly available databases, scholarly articles, and targeted sources were used to perform a risk assessment for Devil's Swamp Lake. Social, economic, political, and/or legal perspectives were considered when determining the best risk management approaches.

Microbial Diversity Of Rural And Urban Soil At Different Depths On Longwood University's Campus, Kristen Dobek, Madalyn Cook

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Microbial diversity is the range of various kinds of bacteria. The purpose of this experimental research was to determine the complex diversity of bacteria among soil samples at two locations on Longwood University's campus. The study found that there was a higher microbial diversity in the rural soil sample location compared to the urban soil sample location.