Life Sciences Commons^™

Spawning Ecology And Spawning Site Fidelity Of Alligator Gar, Atractosteus Spatula, In The Fourche Lafave River: Implications For River-Floodplain Management And Alligator Gar Conservation, S. Reid Adams, Thomas E. Inebnit, Lindsey C. Lewis, Christopher J. Naus, Edward Kluender, Geoffry G. Spooner

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

We studied the spawning ecology of Alligator Gar, Atractosteus spatula, in the Fourche LaFave River (FLR) of Arkansas to better understand their reproductive ecology and spawning resource requirements. Evidence of spawning was only observed in floodplain tributary habitats, particularly the small, adventitious headwater stream West Fork Mill Creek (WFMC). A mid-May to mid-June spawning season was observed for Alligator Gar in the FLR that corresponded with rising water levels (mostly due to backflooding from the Arkansas River) and increased water temperatures (> 20°C). Direct spawning observations at WFMC were made on 17 June 2007, 15 June 2008, 23 May …

Bridging Biological Systems With Social Behavior, Conservation, Decision Making, And Well-Being Through Hybrid Mathematical Modeling, Maggie Renee Sullens

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Mathematics

This dissertation defense presentation highlights the power of hybrid mathematical modeling and addresses crucial issues such as:

1️. The Impact of Industry Collapse on Community Mental Health: A Complex Contagion ODE Model.

2️. Budget Allocation and Illegal Fishing: A Game Theoretic Model.

3️. Reactive Scope Model with an Energy Budget and Multiple Mediators: An ODE Model

The overarching theme of Hybrid Mathematical Modeling beautifully captures the essence of this work, demonstrating its potential to unravel ecological issues while addressing the intricate interactions between humans and the environment.

It’S All About Fishing: Robert Ellis Jenkins (1940-2023) And His Life Among Freshwater Fishes Of Virginia And The Redhorse Suckers, Eric J. Hilton

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Robert (Bob) Ellis Jenkins passed away in Salem, Virginia, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. Bob was born February 9, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, Bob took an early interest in natural history, and was a particularly avid fisherman. He attended Roanoke College (Salem, VA) as an undergraduate and entered into a Masters degree program at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA), only to leave before finishing for a position at the NOAA Systematics Lab based at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. He eventually became faculty at his alma mater, Roanoke College, where he would spend virtually …

Induction And Evasion Of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps By Campylobacter Jejuni And Its Implication In Disease, Sean M. Callahan

Doctoral Dissertations

Campylobacteriosis, the foodborne disease caused by Campylobacter spp., infects one out of 10 individuals every year. C. jejuni accounts for 90% of these infections resulting in numerous postinfectious disorders including the development of colorectal cancer, Guillain-Barré syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and reactive arthritis. Despite its large impact on human health, the host immune response to the bacterium is largely uncharacterized. Chapter two of this dissertation addresses the development of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) within human and ferret campylobacteriosis. We observed NET-associated proteins increase in the feces of C. jejuni-infected patients and that in vitro C. jejuni induces NETs, which …

Dental Calculus: Future In Forensics, Emily Elgin

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Sphenoidal Sinuses And Spherical Harmonics: Variation And Covariation Of The Most Morphologically Diverse And Least Understood Paranasal Sinus, Katharine Grace Josephine Ryan

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the shape variation of the human sphenoidal sinus is important to several areas of research. This includes clinical investigation (sinus pathology and safe endoscopic endonasal surgical practice) and paranasal sinus evolution (for which there is still no consensus). Yet, the sphenoidal sinus has high morphological variation, prohibiting its quantification through traditional geometric morphometric landmarking methods. The sphenoid body, and thus also the sinus contained within, is located directly at the developmental center of the basicranium in humans, where the three cranial fossae meet at the midline, and adjacent to the three synchondroses which are the sites of cranial base …

What I Talk About When I Talk About Integration Of Single-Cell Data, Yang Xu

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past decade, single-cell technologies evolved from profiling hundreds of cells to millions of cells, and emerged from a single modality of data to cover multiple views at single-cell resolution, including genome, epigenome, transcriptome, and so on. With advance of these single-cell technologies, the booming of multimodal single-cell data creates a valuable resource for us to understand cellular heterogeneity and molecular mechanism at a comprehensive level. However, the large-scale multimodal single-cell data also presents a huge computational challenge for insightful integrative analysis. Here, I will lay out problems in data integration that single-cell research community is interested in and …

Microplastics Exposure In At-Risk Myotis Lucifugus Bats Of The Northeastern United States, Leah Crowley

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of The Ectocranial Squamosal Suture To Estimate Age-At-Death, Navit S. Nachmias

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Crispr-Cas In The Field Of Dentistry: A Comprehensive Collection Of The Potential Uses Of Crispr-Cas9 In Dental Health Care, Lexi Elaine Bales

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Seasonality, Distribution, And Biological Control Of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale, A New Invasive Threat In Tennessee, Amira Cornish

Masters Theses

Crapemyrtle bark scale, Acanthococcus (= Eriococcus) lagerstroemiae (Kuwana), an invasive pest from Asia, is a threat in the United States. to crape myrtles grown in ornamental nurseries and in landscapes. Although mortality to crape myrtles is rare, its negative effects on aesthetics is considerable. It should affect the sale (valued at >$66 million wholesale) and use of crape myrtle in landscapes. This pest species has been found in numerous states, including Tennessee, where little is known about its state-wide distribution, lifecycle, biology, natural enemies, and impact on crape myrtles. The purpose of this two-year study is to gain additional knowledge …

Medical Illustration As A Tool For Health Literacy, Courtney Anne Wombles

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Health literacy is most commonly described as the ability of an individual to obtain, comprehend, and utilize information related to their health. Including the ability to read, write, speak, and display numeracy in medical situations, rates of health literacy impact the ability of an individual to navigate the healthcare system and make informed decisions. As reported by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, only 12% of individuals have the proficiency to understand and manage their health. This research identifies problems existing in health literacy and doctor-patient communication, with an emphasis on consumer health information. It explores resources used for science …

Evaluating The Winter Diet Of A Reintroduced Herd Of Elk In The Cumberland Mountains, Tennessee, Using Next-Generation Sequencing Techniques, Dailee L. Metts

Masters Theses

A distinct subspecies of elk (Cervus canadensis), the North American elk (C. canadensis canadensis), once inhabited portions of the southeastern United States, including Tennessee, until their extirpation in the mid 1800s. From 2000 to 2008, 201 Manitoban elk were reintroduced on the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (NCWMA). A year-long food habits study using histological analysis of plant material from feces was completed for the NCWMA elk from 2003 to 2004 and has since aided managers in their landscape planning. Since then, more elk have been released onto the area, food plots have been established throughout …

A Tissue Specific Transcriptomic, Proteomic And Phospho-Proteomic Atlas Of The Translational Machinery Of Arabidopsis Thaliana, Abdullah Salim

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Gene expression encompasses the flow of genetic information from DNA to mRNA (transcription) and from mRNA to protein (translation) along with the regulatory mechanisms underlying these processes. Omics technologies offer a powerful toolset with which to study gene expression at each of these stages. A recently published dataset integrating transcriptomic, proteomic and phospho-proteomic measurements from 30 Arabidopsis thaliana tissues provides a unique resource to explore gene expression.¹ The translational machinery (the ribosome, and its initiation, elongation, and termination factors) are a core component in gene expression. Defects in translation can be lethal or lead to major developmental defects and …

Antibiotic Resistance Crisis Spurring Phage Therapy Research, Cameron Miguel Perry

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Dna Damage And Aging In Progeria Compared To Healthy Cells., Ashtyn Marie Hill

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Life History, Diet And Habitat Of The Federally Endangered Laurel Dace (Chrosomus Saylori), Shawna M. Fix

Masters Theses

Laurel Dace (Chrosomus saylori) is a small, freshwater minnow that is endemic to headwater streams on Walden Ridge, Tennessee. The species was listed as federally endangered in 2011 and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Plan indicates a need for life history, diet and habitat studies. A literature review, samples of archived specimens, and a surrogate species, the Tennessee Dace (Chrosomus tennesseensis), were used to describe the life history and diet of the Laurel Dace. A total of 370 Tennessee Dace were collected from Laurel Ford Branch, a stream 8.6 km from the Laurel Dace …

Diagnosis And Distribution Of Florida Sand Darter, Ammocrypta Bifascia (Teleostei; Percidae), In The Flint River, Georgia, Camm C. Swift, Gregory R. Moyer, Christine E. Fallon, Brett Albanese

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Abstract: In 2013, we observed the presence of an undocumented Ammocrypta species in the lower Flint River, Georgia. The occurrence represents the first record of the genus in Georgia. Subsequent surveys at 24 sites, using seining or snorkeling, documented additional specimens from mainstem sites (n = 3) between Albany and Bainbridge and from Ichawaynochaway Creek (n = 5 sites), a large tributary to the Flint River. We used morphological and genetic data to identify specimens to species. Morphological examination included 23 morphometric and 8 meristic characters from fifteen specimens that were compared to specimens from Williams (1975). For genetic analyses, …

The Effect Of Nuclear Perturbations On The 3d Organization Of The Genome, Rosela Golloshi

Doctoral Dissertations

Cells in our body experience constant mechanical forces that influence biological functions such as growth and development. The nucleus has been implicated as a key mechanosensor and can directly influence chromatin organization and epigenetic alterations leading to gene expression changes. However, the mechanism by which such mechanical forces lead to genomic alterations and expression of mechanosensitive genes is not fully understood. The work presented in this dissertation investigates the effect of mechanical and epigenetic perturbations on the 3D genome organization. To investigate this 3D genome folding, we use Chromosome Conformation Capture followed by high throughput sequencing (Hi-C) (Chapter-1) which identifies …

Classification Of Bacterial Motility Using Machine Learning, Yue Ma

Masters Theses

Cells can display a diverse set of motility behaviors, and these behaviors may reflect a cell’s functional state. Automated, and accurate cell motility analysis is essential to cell studies where the analysis of motility pattern is required. The results of such analysis can be used for diagnostic or curative decisions. Deep learning area has made astonishing progresses in the past several years. For computer vision tasks, different convolutional neural networks (CNN) and optimizers have been proposed to fix some problems. For time sequence data, recurrent neural networks (RNN) have been widely used.

This project leveraged on these recent advances to …

Unsustainable: A Planet In Crisis, Sam Yates

Ewing Gallery of Art & Architecture

Unsustainable: A Planet in Crisis features artwork ranging in material, discipline, and execution that addresses the theme of planetary crises – climate change, the rise of disease and superbugs, world conflict and national instability, plastics in the ocean, gun violence, pollution of the waterways from mining, air pollution from use of fossil fuels, the opioid crisis, and species extinction.

Participating artists are: Michele Banks, Brandon Ballengee, PhD, Scott Chimileski, PhD + Roberto Kolter, PhD, Brandon Donahue, Lorrie Fredette, Yeon Jin Kim Pam Longobardi, Dan Mills, John Sabraw, and Karen Shaw.

The Full Genome Sequence Of An Antarctic Microbe Constructed Using A Rapid, Portable Sequencer And A Hybrid Assembly, Bruce Wyatt Boles

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Microbial genomes contain combinations of nucleotides that code for genes which subsequently determines the function of the cell. This information provides significant insight into the unique niche of microbes from extreme environments. Here we use two sequencing technologies, the Oxford Nanopore MinION with accompanying software and Illumina HiSeq, to generate a hybrid genome for a Shewanella strain isolated from an Antarctic glacier. Bioinformatic programs, Albacore and SPAdes, allowed us to decrease the time of genome assembly while also obtaining a large quantity of information related to the Shewanella sp. Our combined approach yielded a high quality genome assembly 5.3 …

Aspects Of The Reproductive Biology And Growth Of The Mississippi Silvery Minnow, Hybognathus Nuchalis (Agassiz, 1855) (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) From The Pearl River, Louisiana., Arely Ramírez-García, Kyle R. Piller

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

The reproductive biology and growth of the Mississippi Silvery Minnow, Hybognathus nuchalis, is described from multiple sites in the Pearl River, Louisiana. Individuals were collected from August 2011 to August 2012. Ovarian weights, expressed as a percentage of body weights, peaked in December. Size structure ranged from 29.0 to 60.0 mm SL for females and 25.0 to 56.0 mm SL for males. Mature ova were found from November to January. Females reached first maturity (L50) at 37.0 mm SL and L50 for males is at 41.0 mm SL. Sex ratio (females:males) is biased towards females (X²= 18.57 p …

Updated Distributional Records Of Selected Kentucky Fishes, David J. Eisenhour, Matthew R. Thomas, J. Jacob Culp, Michael C. Compton, Stephanie L. Brandt, Rodney Pierce

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Distribution records for 15 fish species of conservation interest are included for Kentucky. Notropis dorsalis, previously undocumented in Kentucky, is reported for the first time (Mayfield Creek drainage). Also reported are state rediscoveries of three species thought to be extirpated from Kentucky: Ichthyomyzon gagei (Tennessee River drainage), Hemitremia flammea (Lower Cumberland and Green river drainages), and Hybopsis amnis (upper Cumberland River drainage). Unreported drainage records comprise nine species: Ichthyomyzon castaneus (Salt River drainage and Upper Green River drainage); Ichthyomyzon unicuspis (Salt River drainage and upper Big Sandy River drainage); Campostoma pullum (Tennessee River drainage); Umbra limi (Obion Creek drainage); …

Synechococcus As An Hooh-Consuming Helper For Prochlorococcus, Abigail Mcgettigan Jarratt

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is an abundant and globally important microbe that contributes an estimated 40% of bacterial production in the oligotrophic ocean. The success of this photosynthetic bacterium is largely a consequence of its small cell size and streamlined genome, which are advantageous in nutrient-limited environments. However, this genomic streamlining has also led to the loss of the gene (katG) encoding catalase, an enzyme that is essential for the degradation and detoxification of the reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide (HOOH). HOOH is naturally present in the illuminated waters of the ocean, and in the absence of catalase, Prochlorococcus is …

Isolation And Identification Of A Chloromethane-Degrading Bacterium From A Strictly Anaerobic Mixed Culture, Samiha Sadruddin

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Design And Synthesis Of Analogs Of Myo-Inositol, Serine, And Cysteine To Enable Chemical Biology Studies, Tanei J. Ricks

Doctoral Dissertations

Phosphorylated myo-inositol compounds including inositol phosphates (InsPs) as well as the phosphatidylinositol polyphosphate lipids (PIP_ns) are critical biomolecules that regulate many of the most important biological processes and pathways. They are aberrant in many disease states due to their regulatory function. The same is true of the phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS) which can serve as a marker to begin apoptosis. However, the full scope of activities of these structures is not clear, particularly since techniques that enable global detection and analysis of the production of these compounds spatially and temporally are lacking. With all of these obstacles in …

Aspects Of The Physiological And Behavioral Defense Adaptations Of The Mountain Madtom (Noturus Eleutherus), Meredith Leigh Hayes

Masters Theses

Madtoms (Noturus spp.) are a highly endemic clade of miniature catfishes that faces widespread imperilment. Little is known about the ecology of these secretive fishes, and understanding the behavioral and physiological adaptations madtoms have evolved to resist pathogens and competitors is necessary for conservation.

Madtoms nest under cover and provide extensive paternal care. Attempts to rear eggs in captivity result in high mortality rates from infection, leading to questions about how wild nests resist disease. In many fishes, males produce antimicrobial substances that confer protection to eggs. To determine if guardian males deter disease in nests, Mountain Madtoms ( …

Stressing Out: Dynamics Of Chromatin Insulator Body Formation In Eukaryotes Under Osmotic Stress, Shannon Marie Garland

Masters Theses

Higher order genome organization and the role it plays in governing cell dynamics and protein expression has become a widely studied field. Chromatin insulators are important to this organization in their ability to form long range contacts between distant regions on the genome. During times of osmotic stress, insulator proteins leave their binding sites on the DNA to form insulator bodies in the nucleus. This phenomenon relieves the DNA of its structure and is rapidly reversible. Using a variety of immunofluorescent staining methods, this work looked to further characterize this process while attempting to identify molecular mechanisms that mediate chromatin …

Assessment Of Genetic And Education Recovery Plan Objectives For The Bog Turtle (Glyptemys Muhlenbergii), Cassie Marie Dresser

Doctoral Dissertations

Unprecedented declines in biodiversity are threatening the natural world as we know it. Without human intervention, two thousand species listed under the US Endangered Species Act are likely to disappear. Fortunately, these species receive federal protection and increased research effort is needed to create and satisfy the objectives outlined in the mandated Species Recovery Plan. In this dissertation, I address three conservation objectives outlined in the Recovery Plan for North America’s smallest and rarest turtle, the Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii): (1) investigate the potential genetic differentiation in southern portions of the species’ range, (2) investigate the genetic impacts …