Life Sciences Commons^™

Discovery Of Photosynthetic Oxic N2-Fixation In Cyanobacteria Using Wet Lab And Machine Learning Approaches, James A. Young Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

In The Footsteps Of Moose: Using Non-Invasive Techniques To Identify Cause-Specific Calf Mortalities And Evaluate Moose (Alces Alces) Movements Pertaining To Mineral Lick Locations On Ancestral Lands Of The Grand Portage Ojibwe, Anna B. Weesies

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following a sharp moose (Alces alces; mooz, Anishinaabemowin, Ojibwe language) population decline in northeastern Minnesota during the early 2000s, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa initiated a long-term moose collaring effort to assess survival and mortality causes. Moose are a culturally important species to the Band, with annual subsistence hunts held on the Reservation and adjacent 1854 Ceded Territory. Continued research guides culturally appropriate management decisions aimed at bolstering calf and adult survival, helping to preserve this moose in Minnesota today and for subsequent generations. Chapter 1 identifies cause-specific calf mortality rates in this multi-predator system using minimally …

Characterizing A Free-Roaming Cat Population To Predict Predation Of Threatened Species In An Island Ecosystem, Sarah Gheida

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Integrated Wetland Condition Index And Environmental Metric Framework For The Prairie Pothole Region, Mercedes L. Batalla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The USDA-NRCS Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) assists landowners with protecting, restoring, and enhancing wetlands. Evaluating wetland conservation efforts is crucial for informing future management decisions. However, assessment frameworks vary across regions and among stakeholders. The Prairie Pothole Region is an ecologically unique landscape characterized by its abundance of wetlands that provide important ecosystem services. To evaluate wetlands enrolled in ACEP, I sampled forty-five semi-permanent wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region from July – August 2023 and 2024. I selected and sampled twenty-six wetlands enrolled in ACEP. Nineteen additional wetlands not enrolled in ACEP were also sampled; these included nine …

The Formation And Degradation Of Carboxysomes During Heterocyst Development In Filamentous Cyanobacteria, Maxwell Anton Jakubiak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Photosynthetic carbon (CO2) fixation and solar-powered nitrogen (N2) fixation are foundational biochemical processes that introduce essential elements into the biosphere. While atmospheric dinitrogen gas (N2) is unusable to most organisms, diazotrophs utilize the nitrogenase enzyme to reduce N2 to ammonia. Because all known nitrogenases are highly susceptible to irreversible oxygen inactivation, N2 fixation is generally incompatible with oxygenic photosynthesis. However, several cyanobacteria are both photosynthetic and diazotrophic, balancing these opposing metabolisms by temporally or spatially separating the respective enzymes. Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 is a model multicellular cyanobacterium that grows in filaments of photosynthetic vegetative cells, which respond to nitrogen …

Isolation, Characterization & Identification Of Cultivable Field Pea Seed Bacteria In South Dakota, Diana Wairimu Njuguna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a legume, cultivated on over 25 million acres, particularly in Canada, France, China, Russia, and the United States. Its seeds harbor microbiota including bacteria and fungi, either on the surface (epiphytes) or within seed tissues (endophytes). These microbes can be pathogenic or beneficial, enhancing seedling metabolism and protection from environmental stresses. Characterizing beneficial seed microbiota enables development of microbial inoculants for seed treatment. Seeds from 12 varieties (green or yellow seed coats) were harvested from Sturgis and Dakota Lakes in 2021. Epiphytes were extracted using sonication followed by grinding the seeds to obtain endophytes. Isolates …

Cover Cropping Strategies For Improving Weed Suppression, Yashar Askarzadeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cover crops (CCs) play an essential role in sustainable agriculture by providing multiple ecosystem services. However, adoption remains low due to concerns about economic returns, management complexity, and potential yield reductions in cash crops. Applying CCs uniformly across fields without accounting for spatial variability can result in inconsistent outcomes. A precision cover cropping system (PCCS), which incorporates site-specific management zones (MZs), offers a more targeted approach to improving performance while minimizing costs and uncertainties. This study explores the interaction between CCs and field variability through complementary field and greenhouse experiments. The field experiment demonstrates that field heterogeneity significantly influences CC …

A Multifactorial Approach To Improve Piglet Health And Survival, Aryeri Stephanie Bardales Castellanos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pre-weaning mortality (PWM) remains a significant challenge in modern swine production systems, particularly in the context of hyper prolific sows. Although genetic selection has successfully increased litter sizes, these advancements have also intensified physiological stress on sows and increased the vulnerability of neonatal piglets. The majority of PWM occurs within the first 72 hours postpartum, with crushing by the sow as the leading cause of death. Additionally, iron deficiency anemia remains one of the most widespread nutritional disorders in piglets, further compromising survival, immune function, and growth. This thesis adopts a multifactorial approach to evaluate two management interventions aimed at …

Impact Of Automated Controlled Tile Drainage On Field Discharge Water, Soil Moisture, And Crop Yield In Southeastern South Dakota, Joshua Becker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Automated controlled tile drainage is an innovative approach to water management, using dynamic weir settings programmed to drain water out of the tile system if it encroaches into the root zone at pre-programmed depths and duration. While past studies have indicated potential yield and water quality benefits of controlled drainage, there has been very little research into the performance of automated controlled drainage. In addition to overall performance, there is a gap in knowledge of management settings to optimize yield and water quality benefits. Two experiments, one plot-scale and one modeling, were conducted to assess the impact of automated controlled …

The Effects Of Flaxseed Oil-Based Supplementation On Feeding Behavior, Performance, Follicular Dynamics, And Embryo Production In Beef Cattle, Kendal Lynn Green

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This review seeks to provide an overview of fatty acid supplementation in cattle, opening with their structural and functional properties. Nutritional supplementation helps to regulate the precursors and substrates crucial to reproduction. This review aims to examine nutritional supplementation strategies, the role of fatty acids on follicular dynamics, and their impact on embryo production. The base of literature regarding lipid supplementation is vast, with varying results found across studies. Comparing results from prior studies remains difficult as there is a vast range of lipid sources used in beef and dairy animals. The emphasis of this review was placed on evaluating …

Mechanisms Leading To Cell Survival Through Membrane Repair In Pyroptosis, Prafulla Shrestha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Interactions Of The Sars-Cov-2 Viral Genome 3’-Untranslated Region With Viral And Host Rnas, Caleb Frye, Mihaela Rita Mihailescu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the characterization of RNA-RNA interactions within the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome and with host microRNAs. As the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), SARS-CoV-2 has evolved rapidly since its appearance. This has warranted prompt characterization of the virus particularly of its single stranded RNA (ssRNA) genome. By using a combination of bioinformatics, biophysics, and/or biological assays, we analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 viral genomic RNA and uncovered interactions of genomic RNA with host RNAs, highlighting an underutilized method of targeting RNA viruses. We showed here that the conserved elements in the viral genomic …

Advancing Continuous Manufacturing: The Role Of Process Analytical Technology In Process Development, Samuel R. Henson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The pharmaceutical industry is actively pursuing technologies which improve manufacturing processes with the goal of producing high-quality pharmaceutical products for patients, manifesting in an industry-wide investment in continuous manufacturing (CM). Process analytical technology (PAT) has been recognized for its successful monitoring of critical quality attributes during routine production and is often cited alongside CM due to its ability to make timely, in-line measurements of intermediate materials. Various PAT tools are valuable in process development, particularly as continuous wet granulation processes are developed for use within pharmaceutical manufacturing. This work applied PAT and chemometric modeling during CM process development to enhance …

Hidden Markov Model For Identifying Local Variants In Human Genomes Using Simulated Data, Scott Mccallum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifying adaptive mutations in genetic data is challenging due to the low frequency of occurrence of such events, and because signatures of selection are intertwined with the footprints of various other evolutionary forces that shape our genomes. Even when a larger region appears to be under selection, genomic sites that are linked to adaptive mutations have similar statistical signals, and thus can obfuscate the identification of the actual adaptive mutation. The new method described here uses a Hidden Markov Model that allows for classification of neutral, linked, and sweep (adaptive mutation) genomic sites. This model is general and can be …

Society Of American Foresters (Saf) Academic Publications As They Relate To The Curriculum Standards For Saf Forestry Program Accreditation: A Content Analysis, Lisa M. Bentley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Goals that impact decision-making components within academic programs in the university system have the potential to define and change the direction of a field of study, and, with that, should be thoughtfully approached with a certainty of evidence that supports responsible paradigms in forestry education. Periodic revision of the standards for accreditation by SAF influences institutional expectations that result in shifts in forestry education and should be consistent with professional forestry standards. The methodology utilized in this research contextualizes data from a sociological perspective intentionally as a method to holistically integrate data as evidence to support the interpretation of Society …

Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas) Image Preprocessing To Reduce Artifacts And Improve Geometric Registration When Generating Orthophoto Mosaics And 3d Models, Eddie Ironsmith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drones can now be used to quickly collect imagery data in a highly automated way; however, individual images must be combined to form an orthomosaic or 3-Dimentional (3D) model using photogrammetry software. Currently, the existing software may generate erroneous output in the form of artifacts or positional errors caused by homogeneous areas, light reflections, object movement between photos, or sub-optimal algorithms. The goal of this research was to develop preprocessing algorithms that would filter movement (or other time or position-based differences) and areas of homogeneity. The hypothesis is that filtering these parts of the image would reduce artifacts and improve …

Defining The Peripheral Plasticity Of Nociceptive Afferents Following Spinal Cord Injury And Physical Therapy Intervention., Morgan Julianna Forston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is to explore the peripheral plasticity of nociceptive afferents following spinal cord injury (SCI) and whether it is exacerbated or induced when physical therapy-based muscle stretching, a therapy we have shown to be detrimental to locomotor recovery in rodents, is implemented post-SCI. Chapter I provides a brief introduction on sensory afferents with particular emphasis on nociceptive afferents and their multifaceted role within the peripheral and central nervous systems. Chapter II describes SCI epidemiology and common sensory related complications that occur in patients as well and pharmaco- and physical therapies that are employed post-SCI. Chapter III …

Differential Responses Of Human Neutrophils To Legionella Species., Hannah E. Hanford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Legionella species are Gram-negative facultative intracellular bacterial pathogens commonly found in freshwater or soil environments where they survive and replicate within their natural protozoan hosts. Humans serve as an accidental host for Legionella species after inhalation of contaminated aerosolized water droplets or soil particles enabling the bacteria to enter the lungs, infect alveolar macrophages, and result in severe pneumonia. Evasion of degradation and proliferation within alveolar macrophages by Legionella species and manifestation of “Legionnaires’ disease” is dependent on the Dot/Icm type IV secretion system (T4SS). The T4SS apparatus is a needle-like channel for translocation of over ~350 effector proteins, depending …

Heat Acclimated Algae Improves Heat Tolerance And Longevity In Daphnia, Ashit Dutta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Xenohormesis suggests that consuming stressed food provides physiological adaptation to the consumer for similar stresses. To evaluate this, Daphnia magna was provided with heat-stressed Nannochloropsis limnetica grown at 25℃ whereas the control group was provided Nannochloropsis limnetica grown at 12℃. In the heat tolerance experiment, Daphnia kept at 28℃ and 20℃ while consuming 25℃ algae had significantly higher heat tolerance compared to the control. Additionally, in stressed conditions, Daphnia consuming 25℃-grown food had significantly higher lifespan compared to the control. Next, Daphnia consuming 25℃-grown algae had significantly higher levels of antioxidants which could explain the lifespan extension. Finally, in fatty …

Overcoming The Barrier To The Clinical Application Of Naloxone: Application Of Drug Delivery Technologies, Akeemat O. Tijani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Opioid overdose crisis continues to demand innovative solutions for rapid and effective drug administration. Naloxone (NAL), a critical opioid antagonist, has been the primary treatment for reversing opioid-induced respiratory depression. However, its current delivery methods, such as intravenous and intranasal formulations, are limited by their invasive nature, short half-life, and the need for repeated dosing. This dissertation investigates advanced drug delivery technologies aimed at overcoming these challenges and enhancing the clinical utility of NAL.

This research focused on improving the transdermal and transnasal delivery of NAL using minimally invasive techniques. Various approaches were evaluated, including sonophoresis, microneedles, laser ablation, dermaplaning …

Elevation And Population Size Effects On The Survival Of Drosera Rotundifolia, Jessica Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carnivorous plants face significant conservation challenges due to habitat destruction, climate change, and illegal harvesting. This study explores how elevation and population size influence key-life history traits of D. rotundifolia, such as flowering phenology, prey capture efficiency, seed production, and germination rates. Higher elevations and larger populations are associated with extended flowering durations and increased prey capture. However, seed production and germination rates show complex patterns that are likely influenced by genetic diversity, resource availability, or environmental conditions. These insights inform targeted conservation strategies, emphasizing habitat preservation, enhancing prey availability, and maintaining genetic diversity. Public education and community engagement …

Analysis Of Microbiome In Various Human Medical Conditions Using Next-Generation Sequencing Of The 16s Rrna Gene, Pallavi Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies of human microbiomics, spanning diverse anatomical sites, offer a unique perspective into the complex microbial communities within the body. Influenced by age, gender, and disease, it mirrors broader microbial ecosystems. This study specifically delves into the ocular and gastrointestinal tract microbiome, comparing its composition in 43 healthy and diseased patients using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We identified a rich microbial landscape, identifying over 338 bacterial taxa. Notably, Acinetobacter, Cutibacterium, Acidovorax and Herbaspirillum were prevalent in the ocular samples and Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, and Anaerostipes were mostly prevalent in gut samples. Moreover, dry eye disease conditions were characterized by …

Proteolytic Manipulation Of Neutrophil Responses And The Efferocytic Synapse By Porphyromonas Gingivalis., Kelley N. Cooper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) is etiologically associated with chronic periodontitis, a highly prevalent chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the destruction of hard and soft tissues of the periodontium. Pg is adapted to live in the human oral subgingival niche, a hostile environment dominated by excessive numbers of activated neutrophils and antimicrobial mediators. Its survival is contingent upon prompt and effective inactivation of neutrophil effector functions. In this dissertation, I uncover a novel pathogenic mechanism employed by Pg that disarms the antimicrobial capacity of live neutrophils and simultaneously sequesters them within macrophages. Mechanistically, RgpB, a cysteine protease produced by Pg …

The Relationship Between Salvinia Molesta Infestation And The Microbial Ecology Of Wetlands At Caddo Lake, Tx, Usa, Martin Hadsell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wetlands are known to host many beneficial geochemical processes such as nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. These processes are primarily driven by the microbial communities within a wetland. The establishment of non-native invasive species within wetlands has the potential to alter the once beneficial functionality of wetland microbial communities due to the sensitivity microbes have towards environmental changes. Because of this, several metagenomic studies have been conducted to assess microbial community response to aquatic plant invasion; however, there haven’t been any studies researching the influence of Salvinia molesta (D.S. Mitch.), commonly known as Giant Salvinia, on microbial communities. The goal …

Dysfunction Of Polyamine Metabolism In Down Syndrome Related To Cellular Senescence And Β-Amyloid Production, Andres D. Sola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polyamines (PA) are ubiquitous in cells and highly involved in several important cellular functions and thus the dysregulation of their biosynthetic pathway is potentially associated with the progression of age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s’ disease (AD). Though there is research describing how PA content changes in organisms as they age or in those experiencing rapid aging from increased rates of senescence, as in Down syndrome (DS), it is not clear how this connection occurs and whether modulating this pathway may reveal downstream effects on related disease progression. This study examines how the modulation of the PA biosynthetic pathway by inhibition of …

Investigating The Role Of Tetherin Protein In Multivesicular Bodies Fusions In Lung Cancer Cells, Md. Rakib Miah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cells rely on the secretion of exosomes to communicate with one another and this process is potentially mediated by a protein called tetherin, which anchors exosomes to the cell surface to limit their spread. Tetherin protein has attracted a lot of attention because of its capacity to hinder the propagation of viruses by attaching virions to the surface of host cells. Treatment with interferon-alpha (IFNα) increases the production of tetherin, although it is not known how this affects tetherin localization and exosome-mediated communication. This thesis looks at how the expression of tetherin, which IFNα boosts, affects the dynamics of intercellular …

Unraveling The Role Of Hid-1: Insights Into Sgii Regulation, Breanna L. Sellers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The regulated secretory pathway is important for the secretion of hormones and neuropeptides from large dense core vesicles (LDCVs). Dysregulation of the biogenesis of LDCVs can result in metabolic and neurological diseases. Recent studies have suggested that the peripheral membrane protein HID-1 plays a role in the sorting and storage of granins which contribute to LDCV biogenesis. To further understand how HID-1 influences the regulation of granins, we investigated potential HID-1 interactors. We determined that while HID-1 is likely functioning in the same pathway as USP25, a deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB), the cause of reduced cellular SgII levels is likely not …

Sequence Specificity Of Non-Structural Protein 15 From Sars-Cov-2, John Vincent Mcguire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The SARS-CoV-2 virus was recently able to cause a global pandemic, largely due to the asymptomatic period that occurs during initial infection. During this period, patients are infectious but do not exhibit symptoms, resulting in the unintentional spread of the virus. This occurs because the virus effectively avoids detection by the immune system during the early stages of infection, and as symptoms are the result of immune system activation, they never manifest. Non-structural Protein 15 (Nsp15) is one of the tools the virus uses to remain undetected, via its degradation of Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) that would otherwise be recognized …

Population Genetic Diversity In Two Biological Systems, Alyson Emery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Population genetic analysis can be used to answer questions about population structure and composition in many biological systems. Recent improvements to sequencing technologies have made population genetic studies more accessible than ever before. Many of the same techniques can be applied to different biological systems, but some analyses may differ depending on how genetically divergent the populations in question are. Here, we describe two unique projects using next-generation genome sequencing, each looking at population structure at different levels of genetic divergence: the first involved determining interspecific population structure between two species of hybridizing field cricket using a novel sequencing method, …

Akt Disruption Leads To Non-Canonical Apical Constriction In Drosophila Embryos, Vincent Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Akt/mTOR pathway (Akt pathway) has largely been examined in terms of its role as the primary nutrient sensing pathway due to its ability to recognize nutrient availability within a cell, particularly amino acids and glucose. Among its nutrient sensing characteristics, this pathway also contributes to a large variety of other cell functions such as cell growth, proliferation, protein synthesis, and cell survival via anti-apoptotic signaling. Although many aspects of this pathway have been carefully studied, the extent to which it regulates embryonic development remains unclear. Here, I examine Akt function in the early Drosophila embryo and demonstrate that Akt …