Digital Commons Network^™

Alternative Treatments To Koalas With Chlamydia, Kelsey Thornton

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Koala populations have declined rapidly in the past 2 decades due to many reasons such as disease, vehicle collisions, dog attacks, urbanization and deforestation, and climate-related issues. Chlamydia is one of the leading causes for population declines in koalas. Koalas are difficult to treat for chlamydia because antibiotic treatment kills the specialized gut bacteria they have and need for degrading toxic compounds within eucalyptus leaves, their only source of food. I propose that doxycycline, a drug with a 97% cure rate and reduced dysbiosis, to be administered at higher concentrations less frequently. Additionally, I propose that koalas treated with antibiotics …

Biol 475-H01: Ecological Field Methods, Maria Stanko

Biology Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Emerging Gene-Editing Modalities For Osteoarthritis, Alekya S. Tanikella, Makenna J. Hardy, Stephanie M. Frahs, Aidan G. Cormier, Kalin D. Gibbons, Clare K. Fitzpatrick, Julia Thom Oxford

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a pathological degenerative condition of the joints that is widely prevalent worldwide, resulting in significant pain, disability, and impaired quality of life. The diverse etiology and pathogenesis of OA can explain the paucity of viable preventive and disease-modifying strategies to counter it. Advances in genome-editing techniques may improve disease-modifying solutions by addressing inherited predisposing risk factors and the activity of inflammatory modulators. Recent progress on technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 and cell-based genome-editing therapies targeting the genetic and epigenetic alternations in OA offer promising avenues for early diagnosis and the development of personalized therapies. The purpose of this …

Biol 338-001: Ecology Of Dining Hall, Maria Stanko

Biology Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Biol 385-H01: Evolution Of Animal Behavior Lab, Caroline Devan

Biology Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Biol 321-001: Comparative Anatomy Of Vertebrates, Brooke Flammang-Lockyer

Biology Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Biol 321-101: Comparative Anatomy Of Vertebrates, Brooke Flammang-Lockyer

Biology Syllabi

No abstract provided.

To Feed Or Not To Feed: Examining The Effects Of Provisioning Tourism On Nurse Sharks In Caye Caulker, Belize, Carlee Jackson

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Wildlife tourism is increasing in popularity around the world, creating the need to understand alterations in animal behavior and spatial distributions that may occur due to associated anthropogenic disturbances. Nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum, Bonnaterre 1788) are commonly used for wildlife tourism within the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve in Belize. Shark and Ray Village (SRV) is a site within the reserve where nurse sharks are consistently fed by tour/snorkel boats to create an interactive experience with tourists, termed provisioning tourism. Prior to this experiment, no studies had been conducted in SRV to evaluate the impact of provisioning tourism (tourism …

The Evolution Of Life Histories And Phenotypic Plasticity Across Environmental Gradients In Daphnia Sp., Michelle Renee Swan Packer

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Understanding how environmentally-induced variation ultimately leads to speciation is a main component of evolutionary ecology. This dissertation uses Daphnia in experimental and comparative studies to address several theoretical questions concerning the role of phenotypic plasticity in the evolutionary process. Specifically, I explore novel environmental factors which induce plasticity and investigate the plastic response across systems to determine general hypotheses for understanding the mechanisms which may be involved. Additionally, this dissertation provides empirical results which add to the body of research investigating the transition between environmentally induced phenotypes and genetic adaptation. The results of this body of work show that ancestral …

“Tomorrow Never Dies”: Recent Advances In Diagnosis, Treatment, And Prevention Modalities Against Coronavirus (Covid-19) Amid Controversies, Partha Laskar, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan

School of Medicine Publications

The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (2019-nCoV or COVID-19) is responsible for severe health emergency throughout the world. The attack of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is found to be responsible for COVID-19. The World Health Organization has declared the ongoing global public health emergency as a pandemic. The whole world fights against this invincible enemy in various capacities to restore economy, lifestyle, and safe life. Enormous amount of scientific research work(s), administrative strategies, and economic measurements are in place to create a successful step against COVID-19. Furthermore, differences in opinion, facts, and implementation methods laid additional layers …

Investigation Of A Novel Mitophagy Regulatory Pathway And Chemical Inducer, Jane E. Craig

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Mitochondria are vital organelles that coordinate cellular energy homeostasis and also have important roles in cell death. Therefore, the removal of damaged or excessive mitochondria through autophagy, a process called mitophagy, is critical for maintaining proper cellular function. Much of the research elucidating the mechanism and regulation of autophagy was performed in yeast cells, so there is still a lot of mystery surrounding how mitophagy is promoted and regulated in mammals in general and in different tissues. The most well understood mechanism involved in mitophagy is the PINK1-PARKN pathway. However, studies often rely on severe mitochondrial damage using CCCP that …

Effect Of Hypothesis Type On Scientific Literacy In Nonscience Majors, Sharon Schmidt, Leanne Davis, Danyelle N. Dehner-Aganovic, Margaret (Meg) Smith

Georgia Journal of Science

The University System of Georgia has undergone nine consolidations of institutions of higher education in the past seven years. One consequence of a consolidation is that faculty from historically different institutions are brought together to work in newly-created units, and this requires merging of ideas, particularly at the departmental level. In the Department of Biology of our own institution, this manifested as differences in the types of hypotheses taught in nonmajors classes in which scientific literacy is a learning outcome of high priority. Data can be useful for resolving such differences, but there was limited data on the effect of …

Investigation Of Multiphasic 3d-Bioplotted Scaffolds For Site-Specific Chondrogenic And Osteogenic Differentiation Of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells For Osteochondral Tissue Engineering Applications, Julia T. Oxford

Biomedical Research Institute Publications and Presentations

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that limits mobility of the affected joint due to the degradation of articular cartilage and subchondral bone. The limited regenerative capacity of cartilage presents significant challenges when attempting to repair or reverse the effects of cartilage degradation. Tissue engineered medical products are a promising alternative to treat osteochondral degeneration due to their potential to integrate into the patient's existing tissue. The goal of this study was to create a scaffold that would induce site-specific osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASC) to generate a full osteochondral implant. Scaffolds were fabricated using …

Estimation Of Immunoglobulin A, Immunoglobulin G, And Immunoglobulin M Antibody Levels In Laboratory Mice Balb/C Infected With Entamoeba Histolytica And Treatment With Aqueous Extracts Of Cyperus Rotundus And Thymus Serpyllum, Farhan K. Hussein, Ashraf J. Mahmoud, Buthainah J. Yousif

Polytechnic Journal

Sixty Balb/c mice (Mus musculus) were used in the present study. It was conducted out in the animal house of the Department of Biology/College of Education for Women. The mice were infected with Entamoeba histolytica isolated from positive stool samples obtained from children in pediatric hospital in Kirkuk city governorate followed by treatment with aqueous extract of Cyperus rotundus and Thymus serpyllum. Results revealed a significant increase of P < 0.05 in immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G,, and immunoglobulin M antibody levels among infected mice when it was compared with the control and treated groups of aqueous extracts of studied plant. This indicates the efficacy of these extracts as treatment.

Estimation Of Immunoglobulin A, Immunoglobulin G, And Immunoglobulin M Antibody Levels In Laboratory Mice Balb/C Infected With Entamoeba Histolytica And Treatment With Aqueous Extracts Of Cyperus Rotundus And Thymus Serpyllum, Farhan K. Hussein, Ashraf J. Mahmoud, Buthainah J. Yousif

Polytechnic Journal

Sixty Balb/c mice (Mus musculus) were used in the present study. It was conducted out in the animal house of the Department of Biology/College of Education for Women. The mice were infected with Entamoeba histolytica isolated from positive stool samples obtained from children in pediatric hospital in Kirkuk city governorate followed by treatment with aqueous extract of Cyperus rotundus and Thymus serpyllum. Results revealed a significant increase of P < 0.05 in immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G,, and immunoglobulin M antibody levels among infected mice when it was compared with the control and treated groups of aqueous extracts of studied plant. This indicates the efficacy of these extracts as treatment.

The Impact Of Probiotics In Respiratory Diseases, Rafee H. Askandar, Nasim Ebrahimi

Polytechnic Journal

Probiotics are viable microorganisms that, if adequately administered, confer great benefits to the host for the prevention or treatment of a wide range of human diseases, including recurrent respiratory tract infection (RRTI), cystic fibrosis, allergies, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One of the current problems is that the overuse of antibiotics during respiratory tract infection has led to increased resistance to them, which has been demonstrated in numerous examinations that specific lactic acid bacteria (LAB), one of the key probiotics, against bacterial and viral infections of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract, have a protective effect. On the other hand, …

The Development Of An H1 Embryonic Stem Cell Line To Study The Role Of The Oncogenes Lmo1 And Mycn In Human Neuroblastoma Formation, Vincent Quiroz

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Neuroblastoma (NB) is an extracranial tumor that affects the nervous system and accounts for approximately 650 – 800 cases diagnosed per year in children under the age of 5 (www.cancer.org/cancer/neuroblastoma/about/key-statistics.html). NB occurs at a relatively rare rate of 10.2 per million children under 15 years old but accounts for 12-15% of pediatric cancer death because patients with high-risk NB (HRNB) have 5-year survival rates between 40-50%(Brodeur, 2003; Park et al. 2010). Developmental biology research has recognized neural crest cells (NCC) as the progenitor cells of NB, as tumors form in the trunk NC derived sympathetic nervous system (Dupin, 2013; Simões-Costa …

Madrepora, Elizabeth Burmann Littin

Masters Theses

Exploring materiality and how we’re inextricably entangled with it, this thesis dive into bodily, aqueous, and political engagements for dissolving the human project of separating nature from culture and bodies from environments. This dematerialization practice driven by discursive means has served as an excuse for the industrial exploitation and abuse of the less seen.

Infused by the material turn in feminist theory, I propose to think with materiality in all its wet, slimy, and dusty ongoingness as a way to craft from the living and dying processes that we embody as current wanderers among contamination, scarcity, and ruins.

Proposing a …

Using Stable Isotopes To Determine Foraging Areas Of Leatherback Sea Turtles: Limitations Of The Isotope Tracking Technique In The Western Atlantic Ocean, Sharon Hsu

Master's Theses

Reproductive output has long been linked to habitat quality and resource availability. Individuals foraging in high-quality habitats with high resource availability will have better body conditions and higher survival rates, as well as greater reproductive output. Post-nesting, Western Caribbean leatherback turtles are known to migrate to at least two foraging regions: the western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. This study had three objectives: [1] measure δ13C and δ15N values in bulk skin tissue of females nesting in Parismina, Costa Rica to reveal prior foraging region; [2] assess influence of foraging region on female body size and reproductive output; and …

A Genomic Analysis Of Bobcat Populations In North America With A Comparison To The Canada Lynx: An Assessment Of Local Adaptation To Unique Ecoregions And Phylogeography, Jennifer C. Broderick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are an ecologically and genetically diverse species with a large contiguous range throughout North America. The species not only has a wide array of phenotypic variation compared to other mammals, but shows marked adaptability across ecozones with differing ecological influences. It is these various selective pressures in distinctive parts of the continent that have likely led to localized adaptations within the bobcat metapopulations. The species is also marked by its ability to maintain connectivity and populations in anthropogenically developed areas, an advantage it has over other felids, including its close relative the Canada lynx ( …

Gardner-Webb Honors Student Presents Research On Campus Water Quality, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Celsea Reeder, ’20, of Salisbury, N.C., recently culminated her Gardner-Webb University experience by presenting her Honors thesis in a Zoom teleconference. The University’s Honors Program hosted the virtual event because of Coronavirus social distancing guidelines. Reeder earned a degree in biology with a concentration in biomedical sciences and minor in Spanish.

Does Population Density Affect The Singing Behavior Of Female Canyon Wrens (Catherpes Mexicanus)?, Lorraine Dargis

Master's Theses

Bird song has historically been considered from the perspective of temperate males despite females in many bird species being prolific singers. In this study, I investigated one species with female song, the canyon wren (Catherpes mexicanus). Canyon wrens do not duet like many other species with female song or other wrens. Instead, males and females sing sex-specific songs. The resource defense function of male canyon wren song is well-described, and males sing often during the breeding season. Females have only been observed to sing sporadically during the breeding season but sing reliably and often when exposed to playback of other …

A Comparison Of Egg Desiccation Tolerance And Development Under Different Temperatures For Three Common Aedes Mosquitoes, Shelby A. Hosch

Honors Theses

With the rise in global temperatures, invasive mosquito species like Aedes albopictus may be able to reach regions that were previously inhospitable to these species. Therefore, if A. albopictus were to potentially reach Puerto Rico, it would come into contact with the species of Aedes aegypti and Aedes mediovittatus in local containers, and it is unclear how the tropical temperatures and precipitation patterns would affect the co-occurrence of these three species. Egg desiccation and temperature dependent growth among the species were measured to test how these species hatched and developed during different humidity and temperature. It was hypothesized that there …

An Investigation Of The Impacts Of Traditional, Virtual, And Hybrid Biological Laboratories On College Students’ Achievement And Motivation To Learn Biology, Shavonda Jackson

Dissertations

Virtual courses function in a different manner than traditional courses, therefore they require teaching methods and assessment techniques geared specifically to maximize this learning experience. Internet-based learning and distance-education are no longer new concepts in the science field. Because of this, many collegiate biology programs have created courses that can be taken virtual or hybrid. A number of experimental studies have had great influence in terms of the effects and impacts of educational technology in relation to virtual laboratories.

However, not many studies emphasize the impact of hybrid laboratories on student achievement or assess students’ motivation to learn in a …

Investigating The Effects Of Temperature On Lesser Celandine, Regina Bellian

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

This paper explores invasive species Ficaria verna (Lesser celandine) and the effects of temperature on its growth. Trials were completed with two treatments, 13OC cold temperature and 20OC ambient temperature. Germinated bulbils of Lesser celandine were planted on February 15, 2017 and placed in their respective growing chambers. The plants were watered weekly and monitored for growth until harvest on March 29, 2017. Upon harvest, the plants’ height, largest leaf diameter and biomass were measured after extraction from soil and the removal of the leftover soil debris. Average height was found to be 11.66cm for the cold treatment and 5.14cm …

Clean Meat: Did We Under Or Over Estimate How Far This New Industry Could Grow?, Tyler R. Glick

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

Soon lab-grown meat will be on the market for everyday consumers to purchase, but will it be successful as the companies producing it are predicting? Scholarly discussions on lab-grown meat are in their beginning stages with most attention being directed toward the production process (Kowitt 2017; Mitchell 2017: Schwartz & Conley 2018). The late decade of the 2010’s saw an increasing amount of coverage and interest in lab-grown meat. As the technology continues to advance, I hypothesize thatlab-grown meat will become more readily available to consumers; however, I question whether or not consumers are ready for such a change even …

Yeast Bxi1p/Ybh3p Is A Ph-Sensitive Calcium Channel In Escherichia Coli., Amanda Raffa, John Kalhorn

Biology Student Scholarship

Amanda Raffa ’21
Major: Biology

John Kalhorn ’21
Major: Biology

Faculty Mentor: Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, Biology

39 And Me: The Evolution Of Dogs Through The Study Of Genomics, Lauren Flynn, Kathleen Kuhl, Jordan Pagliuca, Megan Russel

Biology Student Scholarship

Lauren Flynn ’21
Major: Biology and Mathematics

Jordan Pagliuca ’21
Major: Biology

Kathleen Kuhl ’22
Major: Biology

Megan Russell ’20
Major: Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Elisabeth Arévalo, Biology

Our lab is interested in utilizing the dog model to explore the relationship between genes, evolution, and physical traits. The human selection and manipulation of different desirable traits in dogs has led to mutations that create the unique traits and diversity of breeds. Our lab uses different molecular methods to assess genetic mutations and different inheritable traits ranging from physical characteristics to disease in a variety of dog breeds. Statistical analysis and …

Autophagy And Lipid Metabolism In C.Elegans, Cristina De Corral, Samantha Otalvaro

Biology Student Scholarship

Cristina de Corral ’22
Major: Biology

Samantha Otalvaro ’22
Major: Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Melissa Silvestrini, Biology

The synthesis, storage, delivery and breakdown of lipids in the cell is crucial for organismal homeostasis. Dysfunction in lipid metabolism can lead to a variety of pathologies including diabetes, heart disease, and even neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s. One common link between these metabolic diseases is the cellular recycling process of autophagy. Autophagy plays a complex role in lipid metabolism as it is required for both lipid storage and breakdown. In C. elegans, loss of autophagy during development impairs production of neutral lipids. …

There’S A New Species Of Thief Ant Hiding In The Pine Barrens Of Rhode Island, Justin Andries

Biology Student Scholarship

Major: Biology and Sociology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Waters, Biology

Ants are often missed underfoot and overlooked, but they are among the most ecologically dominant groups of animals on the planet. There are more than 200 species of ants which have been scientifically recorded in New England but samples from Rhode Island represent less than a percent of the overall survey of our regional taxa. To discover the species that are found in Rhode Island, we are engaged in a multi-year and multi-location effort to systematically trap and accurately identify the ant species found in diverse rural and urban habitats …