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Principles Of Biology Ii (Valdosta State University), Joshua Reece, Gretchen Bielmyer, John Elder, Theresa Grove

Biological Sciences Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for Principles of Biology II was created under a Round Four ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

"Cells In Motion" The Focus Of This Month's Cafe Scientifique, University Relations

Campus News Archive

The next Café Scientifique will take place on Tuesday, September 27, at 6 p.m. at the Common Cup Coffeehouse (501 Atlantic Avenue, Morris, MN 56267). Associate Professor of Biology PZ Myers and Katrine Sjovold ’18, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will lead the discussion: “Cells in Motion: How Cells Move to Build Embryos, Create Patterns, and Cause Cancer.”

Optimization Of A Genomic Editing System Using Crispr/Cas9-Induced Site-Specific Gene Integration, Jillian L. Mccool Ms., Nick Hum, Gabriela G. Loots

STAR Program Research Presentations

The CRISPR-Cas system is an adaptive immune system found in bacteria which helps protect against the invasion of other microorganisms. This system induces double stranded breaks at precise genomic loci (1) in which repairs are initiated and insertions of a target are completed in the process. This mechanism can be used in eukaryotic cells in combination with sgRNAs (1) as a tool for genome editing. By using this CRISPR-Cas system, in addition to the “safe harbor locus,” ROSAβ26, the incorporation of a target gene into a site that is not susceptible to gene silencing effects can be achieved through few …

The Influence Of Peer-Led Team Learning On Underrepresented Minority Student Achievement In Introductory Biology And Recruitment And Retention In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Majors, Jeremy David Sloane

Dissertations - ALL

Increasing underrepresented minority (URM) participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is of increasing national importance as the United States continues to fall behind other nations in global economic competitiveness. These students constitute a large pool of potential STEM majors at the college level, but they have been recruited to and retained in STEM programs at significantly lower rates than students from other populations. As such, President Barack Obama’s President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) has called on undergraduate science instructors to diversify their teaching methods and employ active learning strategies to improve students’ success in …

Individual Movement Rates Are Sufficient To Determine And Maintain Dynamic Spatial Positioning Within Uca Pugilator Herds, Eilea R. Knotts

Theses and Dissertations

Spatial location within aggregations (i.e. periphery, central) is of biological significance to gregarious animals. Because these positions are a potential consequence of consistent individual behavioral differences, or personality, a better understanding of potential mechanisms concerning personality is central to predicting an individuals’ location. To determine the effects of individual personality on the dynamic spatial positioning of Uca pugilator while herding, field data collection and agent-based modeling were employed. Individuals were assayed to establish their personalities and returned to the field for observation as a means of identifying location preference within selfish herds. There was a significant difference between the extreme …

Improved Student Learning Through A Faculty Learning Community: How Faculty Collaboration Transformed A Large-Enrollment Course From Lecture To Student Centered, Emily R. Elliott, Robert D. Reason, Clark R. Coffman, Eric J. Gangloff, Jeffrey R Raker, Jo Anne Powell-Coffman, Craig A. Ogilvie

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Undergraduate introductory biology courses are changing based on our growing understanding of how students learn and rapid scientific advancement in the biological sciences. At Iowa State University, faculty instructors are transforming a second-semester large-enrollment introductory biology course to include active learning within the lecture setting. To support this change, we set up a faculty learning community (FLC) in which instructors develop new pedagogies, adapt active-learning strategies to large courses, discuss challenges and progress, critique and revise classroom interventions, and share materials. We present data on how the collaborative work of the FLC led to increased implementation of active-learning strategies and …

Prokaryotic And Eukaryotic Cells (6th Grade), Samantha Bos

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit is meant to provide a concrete and hands-on approach to introducing cells and differences between prokaryotic cells (cells without a nucleus), and eukaryotic cells (cells with a nucleus). Certain organelles and their functions are introduced, although this is covered much more in depth in 7^th grade; the unit is based on the TEKS (Texas Standards).

The conclusion of the unit is a fun lab in which students practice using the scientific method as well microscopes to collect data. Students will be expected to apply their knowledge to identify the eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells provided on the slides. …

Ocean Acidification And Predator-Prey Relations: Correlating Disruption Of Predator Avoidance With Chemosensory Deficits, Alexandra Fw Sidun, William G. Wright

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

One of the most destructive effects of global climate change is the increased carbon sequestering and consequential acidification of our world’s oceans. The impacts of ocean acidification on marine organisms are still relatively unknown, especially effects on behavioral ecology. Avoiding predation has emerged from recent behavioral ecology literature as a critical feature in the life history of a wide array of animal species; experiments on marine fishes suggest acidic water compromises their predator-avoidance abilities. Recent assays in our lab suggest predator-induced behavior is reduced by weakly acidic water. These experiments do not address the potential factor of generalized malaise caused …

Spontaneous Calcium Release In Cardiac Myocytes: Store Overload And Electrical Dynamics, Amanda M. Alexander, Erin K. Denardo, Eric Frazier Iii, Michael Mccauley, Nicholas Rojina, Zana Coulibaly, Bradford E. Peercy, Leighton T. Izu

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. One cause of heart arrhythmia is calcium (Ca²⁺) mishandling in cardiac muscle cells. We adapt Izu's et al. mathematical reaction-diffusion model of calcium in cardiac muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes implemented by Gobbert, and analyzed in Coulibaly et al. to include calcium being released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), the effects of buffers in the SR, particularly calsequestrin, and the effects of Ca²⁺ influx due to voltage across the cell membrane. Based on simulations of the model implemented in parallel using MPI, our findings aligned with …

Effect Of Bisphenol-A On Neurodevelopment In Drosophila Melanogaster Larvae, Alexandra M. Streifel

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

This paper examines the effects of the chemical preservative bisphenol-A on the developing nervous systems of Drosophila melanogaster, or fruit fly, larvae. This study examines the effects of bisphenol-A using both behavioral as well as morphological paradigms. It was determined that bisphenol-A significantly increased the amount of time larvae spent in seeking behavior, the number of peristaltic contractions, and the distance traveled in a linear fashion. In the morphological analysis, indications of increased dendritic area in experimental larvae existed, but there was not enough data to determine significance. For future research, it is recommended that more data be gathered to …

Habitat Effects On Blood Adiponectin Isoforms In Black Bears., James-Dean Wood

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Bipolar Cell Dendritic Morphology Analysis In Mice With Model Retinitis Pigmentosa., Simra Ahmed

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Invasive Species: A Look At Their Disastrous Effects On Ecosystems, Health, And Stability Of Native Species, Vanessa Nikolovska

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

Invasive predators, competitors, and disease-causing pathogens are the cause of immense and often irreversible harm to the environment, presenting a serious threat to biodiversity. The problem of invasive species dates back to ancient times, when people started using different methods of transport such as horses, canoes, and camels to travel quickly, bringing with them lice, rats, microbes, cows, cats, dogs, goats, pigs, and other creatures. The actions of other species, most notably humans, play an increasing role in species invasions, as Homo sapiens have colonized almost all of the ecosystems on Earth and tend to transform natural environments into agricultural …

The Cosm Newsletter, Georgia Southern University

College of Science & Mathematics: News & Publications (2012-2022)

• Research Cooperative Membership Approved
• Bo Ginn National Fish Hatchery
• Faculty Highlights
• Professor Heralds Unsung Pioneer of Evolutionary Biology in LeConte Lecture
• Biology Students Recognized
• Special Thank You to Dr. Daniel Hagan and Miriam Hagan
• Mole Day & National Chemistry Week Celebration 2015
• Mole Day & National Chemistry Week Celebration 2015
• Chemistry Student Presents at Annual Biomedical Research Conference
• Dr. Anke Hildebrandt Talk
• 28th Annual Mathematics Tournament
• Eagle Battalion to Build New $9.5 Million Building
• Dr. Maxim Durach's Nanotechnology Computational Group
• Dr. Xiaojun Wang Research in Phosphors
• Dr. Monique Aller Presents Interstellar Matter Research at the International Astronomical Union
• Physics Team …

Research Opportunities Abound For Graduate Student, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Graduate student Hafasa Mojaddidi’s passion for science led her to Dominican as an undergraduate, drawn to the prospect of being able to immerse herself in research early in her academic career.

Analysis Of Johne’S Disease Elisa Status And Associated Performance Parameters In Irish Dairy Cows, A. E. Kennedy, N. Byrne, A. B. Garcia, Jim O'Mahony, R. G. Sayers

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Infection with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) has been associated with reductions in milk production in dairy cows and sub optimal fertility. The aim of this study was to highlight the production losses associated with testing MAP ELISA positive in Irish dairy cows. Secondary objectives included investigation of risk factors associated with testing MAP ELISA positive. A survey of management practices on study farms was also conducted, with examination of associations between management practices and herd MAP status.

Blood samples were collected from 4188 breeding animals on 22 farms. Samples were ELISA tested using the ID Screen Paratuberculosis Indirect Screening …

Life Line March 2016, Otterbein Biology And Earth Science Department

Life Line - The Biology Department Newsletter

Department welcomes Dr. Elizabeth Berkeley - Ben Titus '08 - Panama Research - Fracing in Toga County, PA. - Students Intern in China - Faculty Partnerships in Africa

Spring 2016

Scientia

Stress busters: intervention study combats stress in African-American youth; Peer-to-peer health power; Research roundup; Notes from the field; Program accelerates health care careers; Deep dive: Alumnus researches underwater volcanoes; Lab notes

The Glucose Model Of Mediation: Physiological Bases Of Willpower As Important Explanations For Common Mediation Behavior, Roy F. Baumeister, W. Scott Simpson, Stephen J. Ware, Daniel S. Weber

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Success in life requires the ability to resist urges and control behavior. This ability is commonly called “willpower,” the capacity to overcome impulses and engage in conscious acts of self-control. Social psychologists believe willpower is a finite resource dependent on physiological bases including glucose (from food and drink), sleep and other forms of rest, and the absence of stress. In short, people who are hungry, exhausted, or highly stressed tend to have less willpower than those who are well-fed, well-rested, and relatively stress-free. In addition, a person who exerts self-control (uses willpower) tends to reduce temporarily the amount of willpower …

The Regulatory Role Of Interleukin-1 Receptor Associated Kinase M In Toll-Like Receptor Signaling, Hao Zhou

ETD Archive

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are one of the major groups of pattern recognition receptors. TLRs are able to recognize the pathogen-associated molecular patterns and transduce their signals through the adaptor molecule MyD88 and members of the IL-1R-associated kinase family (IRAK1, 2, M and 4). IRAKM was previously known to function as a negative regulator that prevents the dissociation of IRAKs from MyD88, thereby inhibiting downstream signaling. However, we now found that IRAKM was also able to interact with MyD88-IRAK4 to form IRAKM Myddosome to mediate TLR7-induced MEKK3-dependent second wave NF¿B activation. As a result, the IRAKM-dependent pathway only induced expression of …

Aristotle's Clivus Naturae, John Thorp

Philosophy Presentations

It is usually thought that Aristotle's understanding of the soul sees it has having four distinct parts, cumulatively arranged, resulting in a kind of scala or ladder: all living things have the nutritive and reproductive soul; animals have, in addition, the sensitive soul, and most of them also the locomotive soul; only humans have all these plus the intellective soul. This ladder-like picture emerges from his theoretical work de Anima. In his more empirical studies, though, the discreteness of these levels is softened, and the image is more that of a clivus or slope, rather than a scala or ladder …

Development Of A Testicular Cancer Vaccine, Roberto Aguilar Iii

ETD Archive

Testicular cancer mainly affects men between the ages of 20 and 35 but is the most common male neoplasm between the ages of 15 and 34. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) states that localized testicular cancer has a recurrence rate of 15-20% and tumors that are Sertoli or Leydig cell derived fail to respond to chemotherapy or radiation treatments. The recurrence rate may increase to 32% if at diagnosis the tumor is greater than 4 cm in size with invasion of the rete testes. To improve therapy for testicular cancer, we examined the usefulness of a testicular cancer vaccine. We …

Calorie Restriction Effect On Circadian Clock Gene Expression, Sonal Arvind Patel

ETD Archive

Calorie Restriction (CR) is a powerful paradigm known to delay aging and thus increase longevity in several organisms, from yeast to non-human primates. Many molecular pathways have been proposed to mediate the beneficial effects of CR, however, the mechanism is still unknown. Circadian clock which is an internal time keeping system is regulated by feeding. Thus our aim was to study the effect of CR on the circadian clock. Here we show that CR significantly affects the expression of circadian clock genes in mice at the mRNA and protein levels, suggesting that CR reprograms the clocks at the transcriptional and …

The Role Of Rnase L In Type I Diabetes And Development Of Quantitative Lc-Ms/Ms Methods For The Pharmacological Studies Of Anti-Cancer Drug Candidates, Chun Zeng

ETD Archive

PROJECT I: The cause of type I diabetes continues to be a focus of investigation. In this study, we found that 2-5A dependent RNase L (RNase L), an IFN-a-inducible enzyme that functions in IFN action against viruses and cell proliferation, played an important role in dsRNA-induced onset of type I diabetes. By using RNase L deficient RIP-B7.1 mice which are more vulnerable to environmental harmful factors such as viral infection, we demonstrated that deficiency of RNase L in mice resulted in a significant delay of diabetes onset induced by polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), a type of dsRNA, and streptozotocin (STZ). …

Suppression Of Pulmonary Innate Immunity By Pneumoviruses, Jayeeta Dhar

ETD Archive

Pneumonia Virus of Mice (PVM) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are negative sense, single-stranded, enveloped RNA viruses from Pneumovirus genus, Paramyxoviridae family. RSV is the leading cause of respiratory diseases in infants. PVM causes similar respiratory illness in mice. PVM is used as an animal model to study RSV pathogenesis because of its similarity with RSV infection. Viral infection induces type I interferon (IFN) response as an antiviral strategy. PVM and RSV both have two non-structural (NS) proteins that are known to be IFN antagonists. While RSV can target different signaling components of IFN pathway, the mechanism of IFN suppression …

An Investigation Of Juvenile Alewife (Alosa Pseudoharengus) Habitat Use And Growth Using Natural Markers, Gregory Norman Labonte Ms

All Student Scholarship

This research attempts to connect patterns in growth and migration of an anadromous species. The goal of this research was to understand habitat movements and growth of juvenile alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) in the Penobscot Estuary and Bay through the use of otolith microchemistry, otolith growth increments, and a laboratory stable isotope turnover study. Understanding the connection between growth and movement of juvenile alewives may lead to more accurate and sophisticated conservation and restoration methods for anadromous species.

Channeled Whelk (Busycotypus Canaliculatus) Ecology In Relation To The Fishery In Vineyard And Nantucket Sounds, Massachusetts, Shelley Ann Edmundson

Doctoral Dissertations

Channeled whelks (Busycotypus canaliculatus) are predatory marine gastropods that support lucrative commercial fisheries along the east coast of the United States, with areas around Massachusetts supplying the largest landings. In the absence of a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of channeled whelk biology, it is unclear how to sustainably manage their fisheries. Within this dissertation, various aspects of whelk ecology were investigated to determine how to protect this species, while effectively managing the local fishery.

Early life history experiments revealed channeled whelk egg strings may incubate for 8 to 9 months in MA water temperatures. Incubation period decreased with increasing …

A Revision Of The Genus Eremoleon Banks (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Nemoleontini), Robert B. Miller, Lionel A. Stange

Insecta Mundi

Descriptions or diagnoses are given for 36 species of New World Eremoleon including 12 new species:

Eremoleon attenuatus, E. durangoensis, E. jacumba, E. jamaica, E. inca, E. monagas, E. morazani, E. pygmaeus, E.

samne, E. tanya, E. tepuyiensis and E. venezolanus. A neotype is designated for Hesperoleon atomarius Navás 1933.

The larvae of 25 species are described and keyed. Keys to the adults and larvae are given, and biological notes are

provided. Twenty-five species were reared from larvae found in cave mouths, rock overhangs, or other less common

habitats; for example, E. nigribasis were found in deep recesses of …

Morphological Comparisons Of Five Species Of Tamarins In Peru, Leila M. Porter, Tyler D. Kotowski

Honors Capstones

Tamarins of the genus Leontocebus (formerly Saguinus), subfamily Callitrichinae, represent one of the most diverse primate taxa but detailed information about their phylogeny is still lacking. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have led to the reclassification of many taxa. In Peru, ten subspecies of tamarins were reclassified as eight new species and four new subspecies based on genetic differences among these taxa. However, no one has attempted to determine whether these new “genetic species” have distinguishable morphological traits. To do this, we examined twenty crania and skins representing five Peruvian “genetic species” housed in the Mammals Collection at the Field Museum …

Investigation Of The Localization And Expression Of The G-Protein Coupled Receptor Fshr-1 In C. Elegans Neurons, Kyle Cherry

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Neurons communicate at specialized junctions called synapses. Synaptic transmission occurs when presynaptically released neurotransmitters bind to receptors either continuing (excitatory) or stopping (inhibitory) the signal in the postsynaptic cell. Excitatory to inhibitory (E:I) balance is critical for proper neurological function. This balance is achieved through the function of various proteins such as the ubiquitin ligase, the anaphase promoting complex (APC). My thesis project focuses on one potential APC substrate, a G protein-coupled receptor called FSHR-1, and its role in synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in Caenorhabditis elegans. Previous data from our lab and others showed that worms lacking …