Life Sciences Commons^™

Drivers Of Macroinvertebrate Community Integrity Within Mixed Urban And Agricultural Dominated Mississippi Tributary Watersheds, Matthew R. Straus, Bethany Mabel Lian Schorr, Kevin Geedey, Michael Reisner, Benjamin Ford

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The “urban stream syndrome” refers to a multitude of impacts caused by urbanization including flashier hydrograph, elevated concentrations of nutrients and contaminants, altered channel morphology and stability, reduced biotic richness, with increased dominance of tolerant species, reduced base flow and increased suspended solids. The drivers of these “symptoms” include impervious surfaces, piping in stormwater drainages, habitat and forest loss, water supply and sewer leaking, and direct alterations to channel morphology and flow. The goal of this study was to assess the integrity of the macroinvertebrate community and determine the most significant drivers of such integrity at the catchment, riparian zone, …

Non-Native Coccinellid Beetles And Land Use Abundance Patterns In The Quad Cities Region, Jack Hughes, Tierney Brosius, Michael Reisner

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Harmonia axyridis was introduced in 1916. This species of coccinellid beetle is considered a desirable species for agriculture practices because of its ability to control pests. There is increasing evidence that H. axyridis may be outcompeting native species which could be contributing to the decline of some species that are disappearing from the landscape. Harmonia axyridis has a large migration range of 2 Km enabling the species to affect a large area of land. Invasive species often increase in abundance in urban landscapes which may be the case with H. axyridis. During the summer of 2021 we investigated H. axyridis …

Light Pollution Levels On Beaches: How Window Tinting Effects Disorientation Of Sea Turtles On Hilton Head Island, Kathryn (Kate) Hettiger

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Loggerhead sea turtles, an endangered species, are decreasing at alarming rates worldwide. Artificial light from beachfront hotels on Hilton Head Island are causing disorientation in Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings affecting their ability to successfully find the ocean. To mitigate this, exterior windows facing the ocean will be tinted using either tinting spray, which will be implemented at the Marriott Grande Ocean, or using tinting film, which will be implemented at the Marriott Westin. During the typical nesting and hatching season (May-October), sea turtle hatchling tracks will be recorded using drones to compare the effects of various levels of light pollution …

Smoking Cessation Treatments Varenicline (Chantix®️), Nrts, And Nicotine Dependence, Marley Vea Devoss

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Varenicline was approved in 2006 by the FDA as an effective smoking cessation drug. Varenicline was designed to bind with α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) to work as both an agonist and antagonist. Other drugs like nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) have also contributed to the decreasing rate of active smokers in the United States. The mechanisms of varenicline and its role in addiction are reviewed in this paper. With NRTs and recent trends in electronic smoking devices, nicotine dependence is still a cause for concern due to studies connecting nicotine with cell proliferation and heart disease.

Stem Cell Generated Β-Cells: A Possible Solution To The Growing Problem Of Type 1 Diabetes, Danielle Rae Steffen

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Type 1 diabetes is a growing problem throughout the world. At this time, there is no functional cure, only various treatment options. However, in recent years there has been a significant increase in both the quantity and quality of research into potential cures for type 1 diabetes. This has led to a variety of new possibilities, the most promising of which are β-cells generated from the patient’s own stem cells.

An Issue Worth Tackling: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy In The National Football League, Lauren K. Hogan

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

America has become a sports empire over the past century. As the movie Concussion put it, the National Football League has single-handedly taken over the day that used to belong to the church–but this comes at a price. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, is a life-altering disease associated with high impact and contact sports that has created a heated debate in our sports-driven society. A study published in 2017 discovered CTE in 177 of 202 former football players–or a staggering 87%. Why do the players continue to play in the NFL if their longevity and well-being are jeopardized? Why has …

The Wilbarger Protocol, Brittany Hatlestad

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is ever-increasing in children with and without disabilities. The prevalence of such a diagnosis has given rise to many different therapeutic practices. The most prescriptive, the Wilbarger protocol, will be the topic of this technique and literature review with discussions of what sensory problems are, the Wilbarger protocol, the deep pressure and proprioceptive portion of the protocol, oral tactile techniques, mechanisms of the protocol, the limitations, other options for treatment, and will conclude by looking to future research.

Eye Tissue Regeneration: Seam As A Cure For Prevalent Eye Disease, Molly Bute

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

SEAM (Self-formed ectodermal autonomous multizone) is a form of eye tissue regeneration discovered by Japanese scientists in 2016. This tissue regeneration encompasses tissues from all areas of the human eye. The SEAM forms tissues using stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells were used in the first study, and produces four concentric zones. The SEAM that has been created was shown to cure corneal blindness in animal models, and has the potential to cure a multitude of human eye diseases in the future.

The New Hero Of Upper Limb Prosthetics, Erin Miskell

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

This paper looks at the history and future of upper extremity prosthesis. The goal of this paper was to compare three different up and coming technological advances in the field of prosthesis that may help the devices to become more life-like for their users. Of the three different approaches looked at, the Open Bionics Hero Arm is praised as being the best option.

Animal Agriculture And American Health: The Search For Sustainable Protein, Britta Brinkmann

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

This study examines the impact large-scale animal agriculture has on the environment. It links the environment and health. The goal is to find protein sources that are sustainable and nutritious in order to replace typical meat and dairy products. A study is proposed to measure the impact of the typical American diet, a vegan diet, an insect-supplemented diet and a diet heavy in seafood.

Do We Own Our Bodies: The Legality Of Body Ownership, Nicole Marie Kasman

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

In common times, property ownership has become a hard pressed issue as people try and claim what is rightfully theirs. As medical practices have expanded, the problem of ownership has also extended to the human body and thus questions of ownership arise. It is a common belief that each individual owns their own body but this will be shown to be untrue throughout this paper. Not only that but this paper will also show potential benefits of following through with the body belonging to the common biomass rather than each individual. Court cases such as Moore vs Reagents of the …

Ethics And Euthanasia, Nicole Marie Kasman

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Illness is never easy to deal with and death is even harder whether it be for the patient, the patient's family, or the physician. Add into that, cases of sever and/or long-term suffering and people can begin wondering what there is to live for. Our animal companions have been able to escape pain via euthanasia for some time now but that same option is not generally available for their human counterparts. A suggested option for our terminally in is physician-assisted suicide. This has been met with a large amount of opposition, partly due to fear of promoting suicide, partly due …

Spinal Cord Injuries And Evaluation Of Treatments, Amanda Nelson

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are common injuries that do not currently have a fully successful treatment. These injuries cause many physical, psychological, and social burdens for the injured person and any close friends or family members. Older treatment options include surgery, pharmacotherapy, and physical therapy, while newer treatment options include stem cell therapy, bionics, and electrical stimulation. After a full evaluation of the treatments, it was concluded that the best treatment for today is pharmacotherapy, but with more research, stem cell therapy will become the ideal treatment for SCI in the future.

Trap-Neuter-Return Programs And The Importance Of Associated Public Awareness, Nicolette Sliwa

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The focus of this paper is to describe a typical Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program and highlight the major pros and cons surrounding this somewhat controversial method of managing the overwhelming free-roaming cat population. The effects of the species’ overabundance on the environment and human health are also discussed. Citing studies completed on TNR programs around the globe as well as mathematical models, the effectiveness of this method is compared to other, currently used alternatives. Finally, it has been suggested that the general awareness level a neighborhood possesses about the true goals of TNR programs has a potentially significant impact on the …

Diabetes Mellitus: Concerns, Treatment Options, And The Future, Ryan Curry

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Diabetes is a serious disease that is becoming very serious worldwide. This review will discuss some of the treatment options that are available for type two diabetes with a comparison to insulin management. It will discuss the history, genetics, economics, and also the future of diabetes management.

Evaluating Trophic Rewilding As A Conservation Technique, Aaron Sieve

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The focus for this paper is to define specifically trophic rewilding, determine its efficacy as a conservation technique, and explore ways to lessen one of its key limitations. Trophic rewilding is the conservation technique whereby an extirpated keystone species or ecosystem engineer is reintroduced into a degraded habitat to restore ecological function by triggering trophic cascades. The technique is evaluated through analysis of the concepts of trophic cascades and ecosystem engineers. Key limitations of trophic rewilding are that a lack of population control in reintroduced may cause issues, that many times not enough is known about trophic cascades to be …

Hiv Vaccines: Progress, Limitations And A Crispr/Cas9 Vaccine, Omar A. Garcia Martinez

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

ABSTRACT: The HIV-1 pandemic continues to thrive due to ineffective HIV-1 vaccines. Historically, the world’s most infectious diseases, such as polio and smallpox, have been eradicated or have come close to eradication due to the advent of effective vaccines. Highly active antiretroviral therapy is able to delay the onset of AIDS but can neither rid the body of HIV-1 proviral DNA nor prevent further transmission. A prophylactic vaccine that prevents the various mechanisms HIV-1 has to evade and attack our immune system is needed to end the HIV-1 pandemic. Recent advances in engineered nuclease systems, like the CRISPR/Cas9 system, have …

Impacts From The Use Of Antibiotics In Livestock: Methods Of Transmission Of Antibiotic Resistance From Livestock To Humans, Kristin M. Walden

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Antibiotic use in livestock production has been around since the 1950s. Antibiotic feed is used in livestock and other meat producing animals for three reasons: illness prevention, illness treatment, and growth promotion. Unfortunately, since the time that antibiotics were first invented, antibiotic resistant bacteria have become a threat to public health. There are many studies showing methods of transmission of antibiotic resistance from livestock to humans. Antibiotic resistance can spread from livestock to soil, water, insects, and food, which ultimately comes into contact with humans. A proposed study to measure antibiotic resistance when eliminating antibiotic feed will provide a hypothesis …

Challenges Of Adoptive (T-)Cell Transfer Immunotherapy For Cancer, Aaron Volk

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Background and significance: The rebirth of the theory of immunosurveillance in 2001 rejuvenated interest in anticancer immunotherapies. In particular, T-cell-based therapies have garnered substantial interest due to the robustness and tumor antigen-specific cytotoxicity of T-cell anticancer immune responses.

Hypothesis: The efficacy of adoptive cell transfer (ACT) T-cell immunotherapy could significantly improve and gain widespread approval if future innovations in ACT-based approaches account for the pro- and antitumoral properties of non-CD8⁺ lineages of effector T-cells, evasion of T-cell antitumor immunity, and tumor-induced suppression of antitumor immunity.

Problem Analysis: Despite numerous reports of highly successful ACT-based clinical trials, no such therapy …

Using Social Justice And Intersectionality To Improve Stakeholder Conflict In Conservation: A Transdisciplinary Solution, Ana V. Gomez

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The social sciences can help to further our causes and help limit conflict within conservation efforts.

Studying Macroinvertebrate Diversity In An Urbanized Watershed Of Rock Island, Illinois., Brittany A. Poynor

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Urban land-use covers millions of hectares in the United States. Rock Island is an urbanized city in Illinois, U.S.A. that currently has issues with their stormwater system due to being an urban area. For the past few years, the water quality of the streams in this watershed has been examined, but the biodiversity which can also contribute to water quality knowledge, has not been studied in depth.

The study proposed in this paper is based on the amount of biodiversity in the streams at ten sites in the Rock Island watershed and the water quality at those same sites. It …

Ex-Situ Conservation Programs: Worthwhile?, Nicolette Sliwa, Aaron Sieve

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The effectiveness of conservation programs was researched, specifically within zoos, and their attempts to repopulate areas with captive-born individuals of endangered species. There are major biological and economic concerns with these programs focused on, including potential genetic adaptation to captivity, effects of inbreeding, and if this is a truly worthwhile use of funds to restore a species. Looking at the black-footed ferret, the whooping crane, and other supposed successful captive-breeding programs, it is explored whether reintroduced individuals thrive in their new habitats sufficiently enough to contribute to the restoration of the species, and more broadly, their ecosystems.

Environmental Processing In Meiothermus Ruber: The Inorganic Phosphate Abc Transporter, Mich A. Gehrig Jr., Emma M. Segura-Fernandez, Dr. Lori Scott

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Bioinformatics analysis of M. ruber