Life Sciences Commons^™

The Future Of The Organization Of The Petroleum Exporting Countries, Mikayla Gross

Honors Theses

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a multinational and intergovernmental organization that dictates the petroleum exportation policies of 13 countries: Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela (About Us, 2023). The mission of OPEC is to ensure a stable supply of petroleum through its shared policies for its Member Countries and consumers (Our Mission, 2023). Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela founded OPEC in 1960 under the foundations and principles that dictated the international world order. Those foundations and principles …

Analyzing Phototaxis And Related Visual Behaviors Among Diverse Species Of Drosophila, Madeline M. Hill

Honors Theses

Phototaxis and related visual behaviors can vary between species, and thus members of the genus Drosophila make an excellent study system to examine the evolution of vision. While some existing research points to these phototactic behaviors arising due to mating requirements or due to their species-specific ecology or environmental factors, there exists a lack of understanding as to why striking behavioral differences can exist between closely related species, or between members belonging to the same genus. The present research seeks to uncover the specifics regarding these discrepancies in visual evolution and aims to provide a foundation of knowledge about visual …

Toxicological Effects And Treatment Of Accidental Ingestion Of Simparica Trio® In Felis Catus: An Investigative Review, Aussia Stander

Honors Theses

Simparica TRIO^®, a canine endectocide manufactured by Zoetis, contains sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel pamoate salt in an orally administered chewable tablet. These compounds are all toxic to both cats and dogs in sufficient amounts. As Simparica TRIO^® rises in popularity among pet owners, Felis catus (felines, cats) in multi-pet households (households with both cats and dogs) are at increased risk of overdosage and toxicosis from accidental ingestion of Simparica TRIO^® due to their smaller weight.

Simparica TRIO^® is not for feline use and little literature exists on the symptoms of and treatment for accidental ingestion …

Sarcopenia And The Importance Of Resistance Training And Protein-Rich Diets For Prevention Of Muscle Loss In Older Adults: A Literature Review And Informational Pamphlet, Madison Steele

Honors Theses

The growing prevalence of sarcopenia among older adults as well as youths has prompted further research aimed at developing effective preventative measures and treatment plans. Sarcopenia is often thought to occur solely due to aging, but several other factors contribute to progressive muscle loss. Previous research studies have found an effect of physical activity and dietary protein levels on the risk of developing sarcopenia as well as its onset age. This study aims to review existing knowledge in the field to compile an extensive list of sarcopenia causes and methods of prevention. The main causes identified in this review are …

Investigating Large Repeats In The Arabidopsis Thaliana Mitochondrial Genome Using Mitotalens, Megan Gusso

Honors Theses

This lab project explores the complexity of the mitochondrial genome by investigating large genomic repeats and their effect on flowering plants’ reproduction and viability. Mitochondria are the site of cellular respiration to create energy and contain their own DNA. This is counterintuitive because the byproducts of cellular respiration impose a threat of mutation for the stored DNA. The mitochondrial genome differs in size between animals and plants. Plant mitochondrial DNA is larger due to the presence of large, noncoding repeated sequences, and a large amount of DNA of unknown function. These sequences undergo high levels of recombination and rearrangement. The …

Equine Nutrition: Pasture Planning In Nebraska, Emma Vazquez

Honors Theses

This paper describes the rationale behind four infographics on equine nutrition and pasture planning. These infographics are intended to provide Nebraskan horse owners with general advice on setting up and maintaining their pastures. The first three infographics cover pasture basics when building, pasture care, and ideal grass types. These grass types are further broken down between Western and Eastern Nebraska. Additionally, the fourth infographic gives some insight into why forage is a staple in the equine diet based on the digestive system.

All four infographics have been posted to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Horse Program social media pages in an …

Extranodal Tumors And Chromosomal Abnormalities Associated With Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma In T(14;18)-Positive Patients, Alexis Finch

Honors Theses

Nebraska is mostly an agricultural state with a non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) incidence rate of 20.1 per 100,000 individuals, which is greater than the US incidence rate of 19 per 100,000 individuals. It is possible that the higher incidence rate in Nebraska is due to an increase in pesticide usage. Pesticide exposure is linked to t(14;18), a genetic translocation involving the BCL2 gene that regulates apoptosis. The dysregulation of apoptosis could contribute to the proliferation of NHL. This exploratory study utilized the Nebraska Lymphoma Study Group, which consists of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, or some other neoplastic hematologic disorder …

Cats Of Unl: An Investigation Into The Human-Feral Cat Relationships On A University Campus In Nebraska, Jacey Skoda

Honors Theses

At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), there exists a population of feral cats that is monitored and cared for by a group known as Husker Cats. As the cats wander the sidewalks and gardens of the university, they may appear non-threatening and pleasant to have around. However, a feral cat presence could have detrimental impacts on the surrounding ecosystem, property, and community. The first component of this project, a survey of individuals on UNL campus, ultimately seeks to understand what those in the UNL community know about the feral cats, how they feel about the feral cats, and how they …

Exploring Modern Trends And Prevention Strategies For Childhood Obesity: A Comprehensive Literature Review, Anya E. Bogen

Honors Theses

This literature review seeks to provide an overview of the current research on childhood obesity. The study examines the prevalence and causes of childhood obesity, including genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors. The review also discusses the health consequences associated with childhood obesity, such as the increased risk for chronic diseases and psychological and social problems. Additionally, the review explores the effectiveness of interventions designed to prevent childhood obesity, including individual lifestyle modifications, education from health practitioners and school programs, and global, national, and state programs to promote wellness. The literature review concludes that childhood obesity is a complex and multifactorial …

A Look Into The Physiological Impacts Of Childhood Cancers And Modeling Of Tumor Growth Rate, Erica Steiner, Kimberly Hansen, Marissa Stanton

Honors Theses

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases present in the world. Children have different reactions to diseases and treatments; thus, it is important to study those reactions specifically in children. Knowing how children are impacted by these factors can be helpful in diagnosis and treatment of cancer. I performed this study by researching the different types of cancer I was interested in and using MATLAB to code for and simulate a growth curve of a brain tumor. I found that there are many different physiological impacts of different cancers in children. As for the modeling, I was able to get …

College Students' Relationship With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Learning Accommodations At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Brianna Danehey, Kim Hansen Dr., Chelsea Witt Dr.

Honors Theses

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can provide many challenges for college students due to difficulties focusing, multi-tasking, and staying organized. Colleges are required to offer academic accommodations to students with disabilities in an attempt to provide students with an equitable learning environment. However, accommodations may be ineffective if they are highly unattainable, unused by the student once granted, or hindered by university faculty.

The objective of this study was to identify barriers to receiving effective and beneficial academic accommodations for individuals with ADHD at the University level and to provide insight into college students' knowledge and relationships relating to the …

Cell Volume As A Determinant Of Virus-Mediated Population Growth In Ciliates, Jace Miller, John Paul Delong Phd

Honors Theses

Many protists and other small aquatic organisms consume virus particles, a behavior known as virovory. Some species of protists, such as the ciliate Halteria grandinella, can grow and divide using viruses as their sole food source. Other ciliate species have previously been shown to consume large quantities of viral particles, but it is unclear if they are able to support population growth with viruses alone. Because large ciliates have a higher energy demand, we hypothesize that they will be unable to support population growth on a virus-only diet. We fed nine ciliate species a diet of chloroviruses and found …

Social Transmission Of Predator Information Through Referential Alarm Calls Within And Across Species, Carly Trebac

Honors Theses

Animals can encode information about a predator’s size, identity, or threat through alarm calls. This can provide referential information that can be used by individuals within and across species receiving the information. Referential alarm calls can encode information through changes in structure or rate of the call, and these variances in their call can elicit different responses, such as fleeing or mobbing, in conspecifics and heterospecifics. We aimed to investigate whether white-breasted nuthatch alarm calls can encode referential information and elicit different responses from conspecifics. Previous studies showed that a related species of nuthatch varies their call rate in the …

Utilizing Markov Chains To Estimate Allele Progression Through Generations, Ronit Gandhi

Honors Theses

All populations display patterns in allele frequencies over time. Some alleles cease to exist, while some grow to become the norm. These frequencies can shift or stay constant based on the conditions the population lives in. If in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the allele frequencies stay constant. Most populations, however, have bias from environmental factors, sexual preferences, other organisms, etc. We propose a stochastic Markov chain model to study allele progression across generations. In such a model, the allele frequencies in the next generation depend only on the frequencies in the current one.

We use this model to track a recessive allele …

The Impact Of The Inclusion Of Grains In A Canine Diet On The Animal's Overall Health, Rachel Bruner

Honors Theses

The objective of this senior project was to examine the impacts that grains in a canine diet have on the overall health of the animal. Specifically, there was a focus on the nutritional attributes of grains, potential concerns regarding their inclusion in foods, misconceptions from consumers about grains in pet food, and alternatives to grains used in some diet formulations. The method of research for this project was a literature review. Scholarly articles focused on the various subtopics which helped to answer the research question were reviewed and included throughout the following discussion. Ultimately, the review of various literature resulted …

Sex Differences In Lateral Hypothalamic Extracellular Glucose Concentrations During Cumulative Dosing Of Methamphetamine In Rats, Joshua A. Jolton

Honors Theses

The present study experimentally investigated sex differences in lateral hypothalamic glucose concentrations following cumulative dosing of methamphetamine. Male (n=17) and female (n=11) rats were surgically implanted with enzyme-based glucose biosensors in the lateral hypothalamus. Rats then received a saline injection followed by four methamphetamine doses (0.025 mg/kg, 0.05 mg/kg, 0.1 mg/kg, and 0.2 mg/kg) spaced 55 minutes apart. We found that while there was a general decrease in glucose baseline throughout the study for both sexes, the magnitude of the decrease was significantly greater in females compared to males. On a rapid timescale, fixed sex effects existed at the lower …

Source Of Off-Type Frequencies In Winter Wheat Varieties, Michaela Benes

Honors Theses

The enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is undesirable in most wheat products due to the discoloration it causes. Purifying wheat varieties through selective breeding is the best way at getting rid of PPO in a variety. The variety NW15443 was planted in both a field in McCook, NE, and in a greenhouse in Lincoln, NE. Individual heads were snapped from the field and the greenhouse seed was harvested in bulk. After completing a PPO test of the seed, it was determined that the percentages of off-type frequencies from the field seed and the greenhouse seed were 11% and 3.6%, respectively. Using …

Tiny Earth, Tinier Microbes: An Experiential Learning Approach To Antibiotic Discovery, Emily Kassing

Honors Theses

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest global health challenges of the 21^st century as antibiotic discovery has slowed even as scientific knowledge about AMR has progressed. At the same time, science education has turned to active learning approaches like CUREs, or course-based undergraduate research experiences, to achieve educational objectives while engaging students in real-life research. The Tiny Earth Project is a global research initiative that seeks to crowdsource antibiotic discovery by recruiting undergraduate students to screen soil samples for antibiotic producers. The goal of this study was to determine the viability of translating the Tiny Earth programming to …

Comparison Of Transcervical Insemination Versus Surgical Insemination Methods In Dogs At A Veterinary Clinic In Lincoln, Nebraska, Lauren Ahlers

Honors Theses

Artificial insemination paved the way for many advancements in reproductive technology. Two common artificial insemination methods recommended for use with frozen semen are transcervical insemination and surgical insemination. To better understand the conception rates of dogs for each method, data was collected from Hillcrest Animal Clinic. The data suggested that neither transcervical insemination nor surgical insemination was significantly better than the other. 50% of the dogs conceived when inseminated using the transcervical method, and 54.5% of the dogs conceived when inseminated using the surgical method. Based on the results, more data needs to be collected on both insemination procedures to …

Developing Activities On Uncharismatic Animals Found At Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo And Aquarium, Justin Hultquist

Honors Theses

The Education Department at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium has a number of educational activities based on charismatic species found there. I wished to develop activities the department may use for less charismatic or misunderstood species at the zoo. I began by surveying the exhibits at the zoo and taking note of what species or groups didn’t receive as much visitor engagement, or what comments were made on species that were incorrect. I then began to brainstorm and narrow down potential species that I could develop an educational activity around. As I began to develop and create activities, a …

Influence Of Fertilizer Rate On Swollen Stem Formation (“Bulbing”) And Vitamin C Content In Different Kohlrabi Cultivars, Mark Iradukunda, Paul E. Read

Honors Theses

Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group) is a vegetable crop found in the Brassicaceae, and it is rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C. Vitamin C helps in oxidative damage repair and strengthens the immune system, so exploring vitamin C sources may contribute to improving human health. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different fertilizer rates on kohlrabi yield, in terms of the swollen stem and the vitamin C content, and if those effects are similar in different kohlrabi cultivars. In this greenhouse study, we fertilized four potted kohlrabi cultivars with a common water-soluble greenhouse fertilizer …

Bacteriophage That Infect Gordonia Species Show Varying Host Specificity And Infection, Lindsay Birge

Honors Theses

Bacteriophage (phage) are an incredibly abundant species of virus that infect bacteria. One major characteristic of phage is their small host range- many phage are known to infect only one or a few hosts. This phage and host relationship has led to phage therapy recently becoming highlighted as a possible alternative to traditional antibiotics in light of the growing antibiotic resistance crisis. The study of phage host specificity has risen in line with this concept, as a phage with a more extensive host range can provide more opportunities for use as an antibiotic. Samples of phage previously isolated on a …

The Crucial Role Of Sestrins In Oxidative Stress Response And Disease: An Analysis Of Phosphorylation Mutation S110a In Hsesn2, Julianne Fay

Honors Theses

Sestrins are highly conserved proteins which are induced under environmentally stressful conditions to adjust the cell’s response to such disturbances. This protein possesses two domains critical for its dual function in reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and regulating the mTORC1 complex. Sestrins may use diverse transcription factors, such as Nrf2, peroxiredoxin reductase activity, and a catalytic cysteine to regenerate oxidized species; however this was confirmed to be through a mechanism likely different than AhpD, for which there was distance sequence similarity. Furthermore, Sestrins are important regulators of TORC1 and AMPK, which are crucial energy sensors able to control cellular metabolism …

Supplemental Peer Instruction In Physiologic Core Concept Education, Austin Choat

Honors Theses

The objective of my thesis project was to create and research the importance of supplemental learning videos within core physiological concepts identified by the Advancement of Physiological Principles for the purpose of assisting Dr. Kim Hansen in better educating students with less extensive foundational knowledge of chemical and biological sciences. Through researching the benefits of peer instruction, identifying core physiological concepts crucial to wholistic physiology education, and describing a student population hypothesized to benefit substantially from the work, I created educational videos to aid Dr. Hansen in her work as an educator and in the educational research she is striving …

Genomic Analysis Of Acetoanaerobium Sp. Vlb-1, An Anaerobic Bacterium Isolated From Nebraska's Eastern Saline Wetlands, Claire Martin

Honors Theses

Through the analysis of genetic code, the genomic and physiological characteristics of an environmental anaerobic bacterial isolate, Acetoanaerobium sp. strain VLB-1, can be determined and significant pathways can be identified in its significance to the environment. This particular organism was isolated from the Eastern Saline Wetlands in Lincoln, NE. With this isolate, an investigation into elemental and amino acid cycling via the Stickland reaction and the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway was conducted to determine possible metabolic products. The Stickland reaction is a relatively newly discovered pathway, observed in the genus Clostridium. A. sticklandii is the main model for this method of …

Can Gdp Be Predictive Of Fertility Rates In Sweden?, Hannah Coleman

Honors Theses

Fertility rates in a country vary and can be influenced by numerous different aspects of an individual’s life and the society in which they live. One aspect that may influence fertility rates at the national level is the gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is an indicator of a country’s economic productivity. Because fertility is linked to both economic development and individual resources, GDP may be a useful indicator of fertility rates. If so, knowing or predicting GDP could be used to project the fertility rates of a population years into the future. To determine if a reasonable connection between GDP …

Targeting Transgenic Proteins To The Mitochondria In Plants, Susan Qudus, Jeffrey P. Mower

Honors Theses

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in plants can convert an individual into female through sterilization of the male reproductive parts, creating an inability to produce functional pollen. In nature, this is advantageous for genetic diversity and producing progeny with unique genes that may be beneficial in evolution. For agriculture, this method is preferential for selection of desirable traits in crops when cross breeding. CMS is typically caused by genes in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), such as novel open reading frames (ORFs) that form after imperfect repair of double-stranded breaks in the mtDNA. Specific CMS genes vary among various plant species. It …

How To Effectively Reach Farmers And Assist Them In Reaching Their Precision Management Goals, Courtney Nelson

Honors Theses

Precision and digital agriculture have been popular buzz words floating around the last several years. These broad terms cover a plethora of topics including GPS ear tags for livestock, soil moisture probes, and aerial imagery. With such a wide number of technological advances at their fingertips, it can be overwhelming for farmers to know where to start.

A study conducted by Purdue University in 2019 took a deeper look at data and software usage across 800 farms larger than 1000 acres (DeLay et al, 2020). Their research revealed that over half of farmers who don’t use farm data or software …

The Importance Of Nutrition And Preventing Malnutrition In Older Adults: A Literature Review And Informational Booklet, Sophie Johnson

Honors Theses

Over years of studying nutrition science and gerontology, there was very little information in classes that combined these two important topics. Older adults are often classified as those above the age of 65 years old. There is a growing number of older adults in the United States, which increases the need for information on how nutrition and aging are interlaced. As humans age, multiple factors can impact nutrition. Nutrition involves consuming the proper amount of nutrients to maintain body function. There are physiological, physical, socioeconomic and medication factors that can all influence nutrition status. It is important to be aware …

A Mathematical Model Of Pancreatic Cancer Growth And Response To Treatment, Allison Cruikshank

Honors Theses

Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of death due to cancer in the United States. Analyzing the effects of radiation is extremely valuable in determining when a patient is allowed surgical resection, which is, presently, the only potentially curative treatment for pancreatic cancer. This study examines pancreatic tumor growth and shrinkage to predict tumor response and change of resectability for pancreatic cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. This is done using ordinary differential equations as a mathematical model. Mathematical models have increasingly been applied to various biological systems/processes to analyze the principles involved. In our project, a population dynamical …