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Manipulating Light: Creating A Biomimetic Photonic Crystal Material Inspired By The Chameleon, Love L. Richburg

Honors Theses

The purpose of this project is to create a chameleon-inspired biomimetic material using guanine crystals and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to form a tunable photonic crystal and then characterize the material. The method for developing this material is to first synthesize a photonic crystal made of a guanine microsphere lattice. Then embed the guanine lattice in PDMS. Since PDMS is an elastomer, it can be stretched to adjust the spacing between the guanine crystals. This should allow for the photonic crystal to be adjusted similarly to the way that the chameleon adjusts the photonic crystal in its skin by changing the spacing …

High Expression Of Osm And Il-6 Are Associated With Decreased Breast Cancer Survival: Synergistic Induction Of Il-6 Secretion By Osm And Il-1Β, Ken Tawara, Hannah Scott, Jacqueline Emathinger, Cody Wolf, Dollie Lajoie, Danielle Hedeen, Laura Bond, Cheryl Jorcyk

Biomedical Research Institute Publications and Presentations

Chronic inflammation has been recognized as a risk factor for the development and maintenance of malignant disease. Cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), oncostatin M (OSM), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) promote the development of both acute and chronic inflammation while promoting in vitro metrics of breast cancer metastasis. However, anti-IL-6 and anti-IL-1β therapeutics have not yielded significant results against solid tumors in clinical trials. Here we show that these three cytokines are interrelated in expression. Using the Curtis TCGA™ dataset, we have determined that there is a correlation between expression levels of OSM, IL-6, and IL-1β and reduced breast cancer patient …

Using Motion-Activated Trail Cameras To Study Diet And Productivity Of Cliff-Nesting Golden Eagles, Jordan T. Harrison, Michael N. Kochert, Benjamin P. Pauli, Julie A. Heath

Raptor Research Center Publications and Presentations

Studies of cliff-nesting raptors can be challenging because direct observations of nest contents are difficult. Our goals were to develop a protocol for installing motion-activated trail cameras at Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) nests to record diet information and productivity, and to estimate prey detection probability using different diet study methods. In 2014 and 2015, we installed cameras at 12 Golden Eagle nests with 18–42-d-old nestlings. Following installation, we monitored adult behavior using direct observation and post-installation image review. At two nests, adult eagles did not return to nests or exhibited behaviors suggesting avoidance of the cameras, but returned …

Humpback Whales: Musical Migrating Mammals, Jamie Greenwood

Children's Book and Media Review

Humpback whales are one of the largest animals on Earth, known for traveling in pods and singing songs deep in the ocean. This book consists of an introduction to the humpback whale and four chapters. The chapters detail what humpback whales look like, where they live, what they do, and their life cycles. The book makes comparisons and identifies similarities and differences between humpback whales and dolphins, hedgehogs, gray whales, fennec foxes, gibbons, sloths, caribou, and house mice. The book concludes with a culminating chart of the shared characteristics of each of these animals.

Neuroscientist Is Keynote Speaker For Brain Awareness Week, Edwin B. Smith

University of Mississippi News

Vanderbilt assistant professor Erin Calipari to address opioid addiction

The Social Construction Of Life: Critical Thinking About Biology In Society, Peter J. Taylor

Working Papers on Science in a Changing World

This book aims to expand the boundaries of the influences that readers consider when interpreting the practices and products of the life sciences ("biology") and their impact on society. The chapter topics include: Interpreting Ideas of Nature; The structure of origin stories; Multiple layers in influencing an audience: The case of Darwin's On the Origin of Species; Metaphors of coordination and development; What causes a disease?—the consequences of hereditarianism in the case of pellagra; How changeable are IQ test scores?; Social negotiations around genetic screening; Intersecting processes involving genes and environment.

Each chapter consists of 5 parts:

1. Introduce simple …

Physical Laws And Human Behavior: A Three-Tier Framework, Shabnam Mousavi, Shyam Sunder

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Social sciences start by looking at the social-psychological attributes of humans to model and explain their observed behavior. However, we suggest starting the study of observed human behavior with the universal laws of physics, e.g., the principle of minimum action. In our proposed three-tier framework, behavior is a manifestation of action driven by physical, biological, and social-psychological principles at the core, intermediate, and top tier, respectively. More broadly, this reordering is an initial step towards building a platform for reorganizing the research methods used for theorizing and modeling behavior. This perspective outlines and illustrates how a physical law can account …

Life Line - February 2019, Otterbein Biology And Earth Science Department

Life Line - The Biology Department Newsletter

Curricular Changes, Dr. Young's Sabbatical, Coal, Gas & Oil - Geology trip to eastern Ohio, Rebekah Perry is engaging the community in natural history, Student Research, Fem in STEM, Zoo students on Belize Trip, Scientific Art

Howard Booth, Oral History Interview, 2019, Matt Jones

Oral Histories

Dr. Howard Booth taught biology at Eastern Michigan University for forty-six years. An alumni of EMU, Booth was very active in athletics while a student, earning recognition in track and field and gymnastics, as well as joining the cheer team. After a 39-year hiatus from the sport, Booth took up the pole vault at age 61, traveling the world to compete, and winning gold medals in competitions ranging from the National Master's Track and Field Championship in Boston and the World Athletics Championship in Brazil.

Agrotechnology Of Melon Cultivation On Weak And Moderately Saline Soils, M Bektursunova,

Central Asian Problems of Modern Science and Education

In that article, weak and medium in having too much soil and in those agrotexnology of about melon and advices were given about planting melon.

Full Issue: Volume 13, Number 1

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Complete .pdf file of Volume 13, Number 1 of The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences.

Betting & Hierarchy In Paleontology, Leonard Finkelman

Faculty Publications

In his Rock, Bone, and Ruin: An Optimist’s Guide to the Historical Sciences, Adrian Currie argues that historical scientists should be optimistic about success in reconstructing the past on the basis of future research. This optimism follows in part from examples of success in paleontology. I argue that paleontologists’ success in these cases is underwritten by the hierarchical nature of biological information: extinct organisms have extant analogues at various levels of taxonomic, ecological, and physiological hierarchies, and paleontologists are adept at exploiting analogies within one informational hierarchy to infer information in another. On this account, fossils serve the role …

The Effects Of Medical Marijuana On The Endocannabinoid Systems Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Maya Eylon

Whittier Scholars Program

50% of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) have behavior abnormalities ranging from anxiety, to tantrum, to behavior outbreaks. Of these children, 40% are not responding to the treatment options available today (behavior therapy and medical treatments). There is a need within the ASD community that is not being address and because of that the desperate parents of these children have been turning to unconventional treatments, such as medical marijuana. Although there have been several anecdotes speaking to the power of cannabis, there is a severe slack of scientific data and research to demonstrate the effectiveness of cannabis in treating these …

Examination Of Behavioral Lateralizations In Juvenile Tarantulas In The Presence Of Prey Odors, Matthew Angelosanto

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The functional and/or structural specialization of the left or right side of the brain (behavioral lateralization) has substantial impacts on the interactions an animal makes with other organisms and its surroundings. While this has been extensively shown throughout vertebrates, it has recently been demonstrated in various taxa of invertebrates. Despite this, its presence in arachnids, and specifically tarantulas, remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine whether behavioral lateralization is present in the juvenile tarantulas Pterinochilus murinus and Brachypelma albopilosum in response to prey odors. If behavioral lateralization was found, I aimed to detennine how it differed …

Extracellular Matrix In Development And Disease, Julia Thom Oxford, Jonathon C. Reeck, Makenna J. Hardy

Biomedical Research Institute Publications and Presentations

The evolution of multicellular metazoan organisms was marked by the inclusion of an extracellular matrix (ECM), a multicomponent, proteinaceous network between cells that contributes to the spatial arrangement of cells and the resulting tissue organization. The development of an ECM that provides support in larger organisms may have represented an advantage in the face of selection pressure for the evolution of the ECM.

Mitochondria-Dependent Cellular Toxicity Of Α-Synuclein Modeled In Yeast, Rajalakshmi Santhanakrishnan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. This disease is caused by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, leading to debilitating motor symptoms and early mortality. The protein α-synuclein (α-syn), encoded by SNCA, misfolds and forms inclusions in Parkinson’s disease brains. When α-syn is overexpressed in yeast, it causes cellular toxicity and an increased number of aggregates, recapitulating the toxic phenotypes observed in humans and animal models. Yeast models are a powerful tool to perform high-throughput overexpression screening to identify modifiers of α-syn toxicity. α-syn causes mitochondrial dysfunction by inhibiting complex I and inducing mitochondrial fragmentation. Prior screening of …

Recovery Of Stem Cell Proliferation By Low Intensity Vibration Under Simulated Microgravity Requires Linc Complex, H. Touchstone, R. Bryd, S. Loisate, M. Thompson, X. Pu, R. Beard, J. T. Oxford, G. Uzer

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) rely on their ability to integrate physical and spatial signals at load bearing sites to replace and renew musculoskeletal tissues. Designed to mimic unloading experienced during spaceflight, preclinical unloading and simulated microgravity models show that alteration of gravitational loading limits proliferative activity of stem cells. Emerging evidence indicates that this loss of proliferation may be linked to loss of cellular cytoskeleton and contractility. Low intensity vibration (LIV) is an exercise mimetic that promotes proliferation and differentiation of MSCs by enhancing cell structure. Here, we asked whether application of LIV could restore the reduced proliferative capacity seen …

Full Issue: Volume 12, Number 2

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

Description And Alleviation Of The Stress Response In Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae), White-Spotted Bamboo Sharks (Chiloscyllium Plagiosum), And Golden Shiners (Notemigonus Crysoleucas), Lauren Nicole Fuller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sharks are an essential component of many marine ecosystems; however they have experienced population declines mainly attributed to overfishing and capture of sharks as bycatch. Despite sharks often being released when captured as bycatch the act of capture can result in a stress response which may cause severe physiological perturbations. Studies have investigated the physiological impacts of capture stress on elasmobranchs but most have primarily focused on the secondary stress response. I conducted a series of studies to further describe the primary stress response through quantification of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) while also investigating methods such as sedation and limiting air …

Application And Refinement Of Molecular Ecology Techniques For Amphibian Conservation, Stephanie Marie Burgess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wildlife conservation has become increasingly difficult due to habitat loss habitat fragmentation and land use change. Thus conservationists have embraced advances in molecular ecology such as landscape genetics and microbial bioinformatics that employ genetic techniques to further understand the relationship between individuals and their environment. In landscape genetics model inferences can be used to identify features that facilitate or resist gene flow providing a framework for anticipating the impacts of land use changes on a species’ ability to disperse. However the factors that affect the transferability of landscape genetics inferences are poorly understood and little is known about the effect …

Teachers Support For English Language Learners To Build Inquiry Skills In Online Biology Simulations, Hermione Joseph-Orelus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The population of English language learners (ELLs) is on the rise in the United States, but they are lagging behind English speaking students in several subject areas--including biology. Scholarly literature lacks information on how biology teachers use scaffolding strategies to support ELL students with inquiry skills during online simulations. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore how biology teachers support ELLs in learning biology, using biology simulations to promote inquiry learning. The conceptual framework for this study included the constructivist perspective regarding the zone of proximal development, Electronic Quality of Inquiry Protocol, and technology use in science …

Transgenerational Plasticity Is Sex-Dependent And Persistent In Yellow Moneyflower (Mimulus Guttatus), Kayla Akkerman

All Master's Theses

Transgenerational phenotypic plasticity, whereby environmental cues experienced by parents alter the phenotype of their progeny, has now been documented in diverse organisms. Transmission of environmentally determined responses is known to occur through both maternal and paternal gametes, but the underlying mechanisms have rarely been compared. In addition, the persistence of induction over multiple generations appears to vary widely but has been characterized for relatively few systems. Yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus) is known to exhibit transgenerational induction of increased glandular trichome production in response to simulated insect damage. Here we test for differences between maternal and paternal transmission of …

Florida Science: The Science That Makes Florida Different, Terence W. Cavanaugh

Secondary Level Resources

This book was created to assist students with their understanding of how science occurs in Florida. When teaching science or any subject it’s important to remember to begin with the concrete and then move to the abstract. I have found that it has helped my students when I begin by teaching science concepts in a concrete manner and expand from there. For example, when I taught about topographic maps, the students were much more successful in their learning when I started with local topographic maps that included the school and the surrounding area than with places that had mountains or …

Characterization And Analysis Of Proteins Secreted By The Mutant Pichia Pastoris Strain, Bgs13, Christopher Alan Naranjo

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris has been utilized for heterologous protein expression for research, clinical, and industrial purposes to produce thousands of recombinant protein products. Because P. pastoris secretes very few of its own proteins, the exported recombinant protein is the major polypeptide in the extracellular medium, making purification relatively easy. Unfortunately, a disadvantage to the programmed export is that some recombinant proteins intended for secretion are retained within the cell and may be subsequently degraded. A mutant strain isolated in our lab, containing a pREMI-derived disruption of the BGS13 gene, has displayed elevated levels of secretion for a variety …

Modeling Cell Line-Specific Recruitment Of Signaling Proteins To The Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Receptor, Keesha E. Erickson, Dipak Barua, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) typically contain multiple autophosphorylation sites in their cytoplasmic domains. Once activated, these autophosphorylation sites can recruit downstream signaling proteins containing Src homology 2 (SH2) and phosphotyrosine-binding (PTB) domains, which recognize phosphotyrosine-containing short linear motifs (SLiMs). These domains and SLiMs have polyspecific or promiscuous binding activities. Thus, multiple signaling proteins may compete for binding to a common SLiM and vice versa. To investigate the effects of competition on RTK signaling, we used a rule-based modeling approach to develop and analyze models for ligand-induced recruitment of SH2/PTB domain-containing proteins to autophosphorylation sites in the insulin-like growth factor 1 …

Regional Patterns Of Vascularity Within The Limb Bones Of Small And Large-Bodied Bats, Logan Usher

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Bats have humeri and femora that are poorly vascularized or avascular compared to birds, with only larger bats typically displaying vascular canals. Vascular canals provide passageways for blood vessels and nerves, which help maintain bone homeostasis, and support bones by resisting torsional stresses placed on them. The presence of a greater number of canals in large bats suggests that they may have a larger need for the support of nutrient and waste exchange than their dense lacunar-canalicular system can provide on its own. The focus of the current project will be to analyze SR micro-CT data from various bat humeri …

City Limits: Heat Tolerance Is Influenced By Body Size And Hydration State In An Urban Ant Community, Dustin Jerald Johnson

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Cities are rapidly expanding, and global warming is intensified in urban environments due to the urban heat island effect. Therefore, urban animals may be particularly susceptible to warming associated with ongoing climate change. Thus, I used a comparative and manipulative approach to test three related hypotheses about the determinants of heat tolerance or critical thermal maximum (CTmax) in urban ants—specifically, that (1) body size, (2) hydration status, and (3) preferred micro-environments influence CTmax. I further tested a fourth hypothesis that native species are particularly physiologically vulnerable in urban environments. I manipulated water access and determined CTmax for 11 species common …

Bat Species Diversity And Habitat Use Assessment With Focus On Endangered Indiana Bats In The Wright State University Woods, Megan R. Rude

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The goals of my thesis are to: 1) identify species of bats in Wright State University’s (WSU) campus woods via acoustic surveys to compare to detections from previous years (Chapter 1) (2) analyze occupancy and detection probabilities of Indiana bats in different areas throughout the woods (Chapter 1), and 3) create an acoustical approach to analyze habitat use through bat social calls (Chapter 2). In Chapter 1, I conducted stationary acoustic surveys in the Wright State University woods in hydric (riparian), edge, and old growth habitats to record bat vocalizations. The WSU woods have a diverse bat community as ten …

Identification Of A Hybrid Lethal Gene On The X Chromosome Of Caenorhabditis Briggsae, John Kelly Dougherty

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Two closely related Caenorhabditis species, C. briggsae and C. nigoni are cross fertile and produce viable adult progeny. From C. nigoni mothers, F1 adult females are viable and fertile, F1 males are viable but sterile. In crosses that utilize C. nigoni males and C. briggsae hermaphrodites produce viable adult F1 females but F1 males arrest during embryogenesis. A mutation in the Cbr-him-8 gene is a recessive maternal-effect suppressor of male-specific lethality. Hybrid crosses with cbr-him-8 mutant mothers produce viable adult male progeny. The HIM-8 protein in C. elegans is required for the pairing of X-chromosomes during meiosis. This function is …

Phylogenetic, Genomic, And Biogeographic Characterization Of Anovel And Ubiquitous Marine Invertebrate-Associated Rickettsiales Parasite,Candidatus Aquarickettsia Rohweri, Gen. Nov., Sp. Nov, J. Grace Klinges, Stephanie M. Rosales, Ryan Mcminds, Koty H. Sharp

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Bacterial symbionts are integral to the health and homeostasis of invertebrate hosts. Notably, members of the Rickettsiales genus Wolbachia influence several aspects of the fitness and evolution of their terrestrial hosts, but few analogous partnerships have been found in marine systems. We report here the genome, phylogenetics, and biogeography of a ubiquitous and novel Rickettsiales species that primarily associates with marine organisms. We previously showed that this bacterium was found in scleractinian corals, responds to nutrient exposure, and is associated with reduced host growth and increased mortality. This bacterium, like other Rickettsiales, has a reduced genome indicative of a parasitic …