Digital Commons Network^™

Mathematical Modeling Of Type 1 Diabetes, Gianna Wu

HMC Senior Theses

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease where the pancreas produces little to no insulin, which is a hormone that regulates blood glucose levels. This happens because the immune system attacks (and kills) the beta cells of the pancreas, which are responsible for insulin production. Higher levels of glucose in the blood could have very negative, long term effects such as organ damage and blindness.

To date, T1D does not have a defined cause nor cure, and research for this disease is slow and difficult due to the invasive nature of T1D experimentation. Mathematical modeling provides an alternative approach …

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 …

Selective Distant Electrostimulation By Synchronized Bipolar Nanosecond Pulses, Elena C. Gianulis, Maura Casciola, Carol Zhou, Enbo Yang, Shu Xiao, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Bioelectrics Publications

A unique aspect of electrostimulation (ES) with nanosecond electric pulses (nsEP) is the inhibition of effects when the polarity is reversed. This bipolar cancellation feature makes bipolar nsEP less efficient at biostimulation than unipolar nsEP. We propose to minimize stimulation near pulse-delivering electrodes by applying bipolar nsEP, whereas the superposition of two phase-shifted bipolar nsEP from two independent sources yields a biologically-effective unipolar pulse remotely. This is accomplished by electrical compensation of all nsEP phases except the first one, resulting in the restoration of stimulation efficiency due to cancellation of bipolar cancellation (CANCAN-ES). We experimentally proved the CANCAN-ES paradigm by …

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.

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 …

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 …

Effects Of Coral Reef Habitat Complexity On The Community Composition And Trophic Structure Of Marine Fish Assemblages In Indonesia’S Wakatobi Marine National Park, Kuyer Josiah Fazekas Jr.

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The coral reefs within Indonesia’s Wakatobi Marine National Park support a high diversity of reef-building hard corals and associated marine fish. Climate change threatens to dramatically affect coral reef ecosystems by altering the interactions between reef fish and the specific microhabitats they depend on for survival. To examine the spatially varied effects of habitat complexity on the community composition and trophic structure of marine fish assemblages, I analyzed fish community and habitat complexity data across reef zones. Habitat complexity metrics were: structural complexity, the percentage of hard coral (HC) cover, HC genera richness, HC genera diversity (Shannon index), and HC …

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 …

Lifelines Winter 2019, Southern Adventist University

Lifelines - Biology Department Newsletter

The Winter 2019 issue of Lifelines contains articles on student missions in Micronesia, an alumni spotlight, and a pictorial directory of the 2019 biology and allied health graduates.

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

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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 …

Knowing Is Half The Battle: Assessments Of Both Student Perception And Performance Are Necessary To Successfully Evaluate Curricular Transformation, Tarren J. Shaw, Suann Yang, Troy R. Nash, Rachel M. Pigg, Jeffrey M. Grim

Biology

Student-centered pedagogies increase learning and retention. Quantifying change in both student learning gains and student perception of their experience allows faculty to evaluate curricular transformation more fully. Student buy-in, particularly how much students value and enjoy the active learning process, has been positively associated with engagement in active learning and increased learning gains. We hypothesize that as the frequency of students who have successfully completed the course increases in the student population, current students may be more likely to buy-in to the curriculum because this common experience could create a sense of community. We measured learning gains and attitudes during …

Transcriptome Analysis For Novel Peptide In Breeding Gland Of Hymenochirus Boettgeri, Minjin Ko

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of the project was to find nucleotide sequences potentially encoding a pheromone from the breeding gland of Hymenochirus boettgeri. The reasons in searching for the sequence of a pheromone were to better understand the organism and to use the information for application in reproduction of other species. Due to climate change and rampant deforestation, such as in Africa’s Congo Basin, many amphibian species are being threatened. With these increasing threats, a viable option for the future may be breeding in captivity for the amphibian species. Pheromone characterization from the breeding gland of Hymenochirus boettgeri may help with …

Supporting Teacher And Student Competency With Scientific Practices Through Lesson Study, Jonathan Robert Bowers

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Although numerous studies have documented the benefits of using scientific practices in K-12 education, many in-service teachers continue to use traditional pedagogical practices. In order to address the underlying deficiencies in teacher pedagogical design capacity (PDC) for practices, we developed a lesson study (LS) based professional learning (PL) program, which we implemented at a low socio-economic status (SES) school district. Using classical content analysis and supplementary assessments, I investigated the impact this LS based PL program had on teacher PDC for scientific practices (particularly the practice of argumentation), student argumentation competency, and teacher self-efficacy. My results demonstrate that teacher PDC …

Counting Platelets: A Novel Image Analysis Algorithm For Detecting And Counting Platelet Adhesion On An Assay Pattern, Thomas Lee, Niamh Gilmartin, Damon Berry, Jane Courtney

Session 5: Medical and Biomedical Imaging

Changes in platelet function is a major complication in patients with cardiovascular disease. The authors have previously designed a portable, easy to use, low cost biochip for monitoring of anti-platelet therapy in cardiovascular disease patients [1]. This method directly measures platelet function by measuring platelet adhesion to platelet-specific protein patterns using a simple, optical counting technique. The patterned surfaces are designed so that a single platelet adheres to a single protein spot and for imaging purposes, the proteins patterned on the surface are labelled with a fluorescent dye, as are the platelets that adhere to the patterned surface. Following image …

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 …

Reconciling Evolution In A Biology And Theology Classroom, Jamie Jensen

ScholarsArchive Data

Data collected from Biology and Theology classes before and after a reconciliation lesson.

Structural Characterization Of Black Widow Spider Dragline Silk Proteins Crp1 And Crp4, Mikayla Shanafelt

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Spider dragline silk is a biomaterial with outstanding material properties, possessing high-tensile strength and toughness. In nature, dragline silk serves a central role during spider locomotion and web construction. Today, scientists are racing to elucidate the molecular machinery governing silk extrusion, attempting to translate this knowledge into a mimicry process in the laboratory to create synthetic fibers for a wide range of different applications. During extrusion, it has been established that biochemical and mechanical forces govern spidroin folding, aggregation, and assembly. In black widow spiders, at least 7 different proteins have been identified as constituents of dragline silk fibers. These …

Development Of A Biomarker Panel For Identifying Stressed Marine Mammals, Laura Pujade

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Increasing anthropogenic disturbance in marine ecosystems such as fishing, oil-drilling, and noise pollution can have detrimental effects on the reproduction and survival of apex predators such as marine mammals. Stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in increased circulating glucocorticoid (GCs) hormones, which alter expression of target genes encoding metabolic enzymes and other mediators of stress. Prolonged HPA axis stimulation may increase catabolism of nutrient stores and suppress immune and reproductive functions, impacting the fitness of marine mammals. GCs measurements are used to identify wild animals experiencing stress. However, these measurements may not be sensitive enough to distinguish between an …

Phylogenomic Analyses Clarify Butterfly Species Within The Genus Speyeria Despite Evidence Of A Recent Adaptive Radiation, Erin Thompson

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The North American genus Speyeria is an especially challenging radiation of butterflies due to ongoing hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting, and similar morphological characters among species. Adaptive radiations often require considerable evidence in order to resolve the evolutionary relationships of closely related individuals. Previous studies of this genus have found paraphyly among species and have been unable to disentangle these taxa due to a lack of data and/or incomplete sampling of the genus. As a result, the interspecific relationships among Speyeria remain unresolved. In an attempt to achieve phylogenetic resolution of the genus, we conducted population genomic and phylogenomic analyses of …

Characterization Of The Blood-Feeding Patterns Of Culex Quinquefasciatus In San Bernadino County, California, Aelish Ann Guinn

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Culex quinquefasciatus has been identified as one of the most prominent vectors of West Nile virus (WNV) in Southern California. WNV is a zoonotic disease that is endemic in North America and is known to primarily cause flu-like symptoms in humans, and in rare cases, life-threatening conditions. The goal of this study was to identify which animal species are most frequently fed upon by these mosquitoes in this region. To examine the relationship between blood-feeding patterns and West Nile virus activity in San Bernardino County, the feeding patterns of Cx. quinquefasciatus are determined in a variety of habitat types, which …