Life Sciences Commons^™

Comparing The Microbial Diversity Of Campus Cultivated Flowers Vs Eec Wildflowers At Longwood University, Elizabeth Whitehead, Rodney Clark, Quinn Kehoe

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The purpose of this experiment is to see which type of bacteria are found on Longwood University's plant life. Identities of three of the flowers were found using genomics. It was found that there was a greater quantity of bacteria colonies on the wildflowers behind the EEC building however, there was greater diversity of bacterial colonies on the Rotunda flowers.

The Effect Of Pepck If The The Transcription Fact Dfoxo Is Knocked Down, Hunter Croom, Diego Sifuentes, Amari Riddick, Samari Gibson

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Cell Biology has evolved throughout the years from Hooke describing a cell for the first time to CRISPR now allowing scientists to think about gene editing. This experiment we will be using one of these advancements to see the effect on PEPCK when dFOXO is knocked down. The gene; PEPCK stands for Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, this enzyme typically is involved and is a key enzyme for the liver and the kidney. The transcription factor that will be inhibited is called FOXO, where transcription factors are binded to the target gene and begin to affect the development and metabolism. The results we …

Longevity And Aging Mediated By Foxo And The Gene Methuselah, Amanda Palmer, Hailee Banks, Kylee Wright, Tristana Foster

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Forkhead box (FOXO) transcription factors have been shown to influence longevity and ageing in various species. FOXO has shown to be involved in the regulation of cancer through the ageing process. The gene methuselah in Drosophila melanogaster is involved in longevity due to its connection to FOXO transcription factors. This study aims to discover the effects of FOXO on the gene methuselah through gene knockout. D. melanogaster cells were infused with FOXO transcription factors to alter the DNA strand. The methuselah gene within this DNA was knocked out by inhibition of the FOXO transcription factors. Knockout of this gene should …

An Investigation Into The Effect Of Polluted Bodies Of Water On The Food Source Of Shore Birds, Ian Castelow

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The goal or specific aim of this research is to gain better knowledge into how big of an effect heavy metal pollution is having on the not only the environment but also shorebird species and their food source. Shorebirds are a great climate change indicator and with this new knowledge we can show why they need to be protected even more.

Reconstructing Isotelus Rex, Brian White

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Isotelus rex is the largest trilobite currently known at over 720 mm in length, and by extension is one of the largest arthropods known. However, despite these accolades, it is relatively unknown in both the public consciousness and in the scientific community. This is partially due to its scant visual database, with barely any artistic restorations to help represent its life appearance. In order to rectify this, a digital reconstruction of Isotelus rex is produced utilizing programs such as Blender and Zbrush. The final result of the work is a fully animated restoration of the trilobite, bolstering its visual database …

Teaching Muscle Function And Physical Fitness: An Afterschool Program For Elementary Schools, Julianna Peters

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

For this creative project, a nine-week club curriculum about muscle function and exercise was designed for upper elementary students (4^th-6^th grade), integrating science and physical education. This curriculum aims to introduce students to a basic understanding of muscle function and their body utilizing a scientific lens while also encouraging movement through the education of different muscle groups. It principally covers the three types of muscle with an emphasis on skeletal muscles. Students engage in experiments and activities focused on different aspects of muscle function and then do exercises focused on certain muscle groups. Additionally, it aims to …

Squirrels On Longwood's Campus, Kelsey English, Miguel Diaz, Lloyd Dominguez, Rebecca Mills

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

In this project, we aim to analyze the distribution, behavior, and abundance of squirrels on Longwood's campus. We hypothesize that squirrels will be most abundant where canopy cover is high, and that these campus squirrels are generally unaffected by surrounding human activity. Multiple sites on campus were observed, and a survey was used to gather data about squirrel activity and sightings from Longwood students. The results indicate that Cox, Wheeler and Stubbs have the highest frequency of squirrels, and that squirrels are most commonly observed being active. Canopy cover was found to have no correlation with abundance of squirrels. Squirrels …

Microbial Diversity Of Human-Cultivated And Wild Soil On Longwood University's Campus, Cassandra Poole, Jack Kloeppel

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Soil pH is one of the biggest determinants for microbial diversity and composition. Many human interventions in soil chemistry involve processes that alter the pH. On Longwood University's campus, some regions are cultivated under a nutrient management plan. In this study, the microbial diversity of these human-cultivated regions was compared to that of wild regions. In general, it was found that the diversity of human-cultivated regions was higher than that of wild regions.

Does Playing Video Games Make You An Athlete?, Taylor Murphy, Briana Scott, Alyandra Lee, Katelin Savage

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The purpose of this study is to compare the tap and move-and-tap reaction times between those who play sports, those who play video games, and those who do neither. We hypothesize that the "Neither" group will have the slowest reaction times, while the "Sports" group will have the fastest move-and-tap reaction times, and the "Gamers" group has the fastest tap reaction times. Many research articles have indicated that gamers and athletes have similar reaction times speeds, with non-gamers/athletes having the slowest. However, we wanted to test the reaction times of all groups, based on them simply taping a button/mouse already …

The Effect Of Weight On The Amount Of Force On Ankle Joints During A Vertical Jump, Layne Fadely, Isabella Riccoboni, Stephanie Willis

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Ankles are one of the most complex parts of the human body. The ankle consists of bones, muscles, and joints that all work together to carry the weight of the human body, meaning the ankle also faces the most pressure and injuries. The main goal of this class project and what we are trying to determine is whether or not weight is a factor that effects the amount of force that the ankle takes on when jumping. The angles of the ankles are also being monitored due to the fact that weight could also have a correlation with them. We …

Masking Away Our Emotions, Marshall White, Kyle Hiatt

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The use of face masks has the potential to greatly reduce the efficacy and ability of nonverbal communication during in-person social interactions. The purpose of this study is to determine the consequences and implications that face masks have on nonverbal communication, as well as the effect that the use of face masks has on an individual's ability to perceive emotions based on facial expressions. It is believed that an individual would be statistically successful matching an unmasked facial expression to a pictured emotion, but not as statistically successful matching a masked facial expression to a pictured emotion. This study will …

Why Is It Beneficial For Crustaceans To Become Crab-Like?, Dylan Blanton

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

There are two types of crabs, true crabs and false crabs. The true crabs, Brachyurans, evolved from the original lineage and false crabs, Anomurans, have evolved from separate lineages. The main research plan is to analyze the use of each morphological feature that is similar between the Brachyurans and Anomurans and identify if it provides an edge over other competitive organisms that do not exhibit that trait. This is planned to be studied by identifying and observing if certain crab-like morphological traits provide any advantage over organisms without those traits. This will be executed by finding several locations associated with …

The Classification Of Basket Neural Cells In The Mammalian Neocortex, Sreya Pudi

Senior Theses

Basket neuronal cells of the mammalian neocortex have been classically categorized into two or more groups. Originally, it was thought that the large and small types are the naturally occurring groups that emerge from reasons that relate to neurobiological function and anatomical position. Later, a study based on anatomical and physiological features of these neurons introduced a third type, the net basket cell which is intermediate in size as compared to the large and small types. In this study, multivariate analysis was used to test the hypothesis that the large and small types are morphologically distinct groups. The results of …

Celebrating The Stories Of Black Cellular Biologists And The Path Towards Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Stem, Henning Schneider, Nipun Chopra, Kenneth Brown, Scott Stetson, Wendy Tomamichel, Rebecca Kinney, Valerie O'Hair

President Lori S. White Inauguration Symposium

Black scientists have made major contributions to their scientific communities, but their stories and work have not received well-deserved recognition due to systemic inequities within science and academia. By celebrating the stories of Black scientists, we aim to encourage students of color and underrepresented groups to pursue a caree in the natural sciences. Here we tell the stories of Ernest E. Just, Sandra A. Murray and Avery August, three Black cellular biologists from three different generations who have made major contributions to the scientific community using microscopy. The presented project is carried out as part of the Buehler Biomedical Imaging …

Advances In Insects For Food And Feed, James Peter Egonyu, John Kinyuru, Forkwa Fombong, Jeremiah Ng’Ang’A, Yusuf Abdullahi Ahmed, Saliou Niassy

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This Special Issue presents the outcomes from the 23rd African Association of Insect Scientists' Conference held in Cote D’Ivoire, in connection with similar initiatives within and outside Africa. Over 65 scientific papers from several countries, worldwide, were submitted, of which about 40 were accepted and published. The issue focused on new advances in the value chain of edible insects in Africa and beyond. An innovative light-emitting diode technology for mass harvesting of edible grasshopper has been developed. The nutrient composition of insects such as the desert locust has been evaluated. Organic waste streams have been found to affect insect productivity …

Summer To Autumn Population Of Wild Eumaeus Atala On The Ft. Lauderdale Campus Of Nova Southeastern University, Alexandra M. Lens

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Eumaeus atala is an endangered tropical butterfly native to the Caribbean and some parts of Florida, USA. Following population reductions primarily due to habitat loss, E. atala populations are now increasing due to conservation efforts of its cycad host plants, especially Zamia integrifolia (coontie). The purpose of this study was to observe, document, and measure the population of wild E. atala on the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida campus of Nova Southeastern University where landscaping use of host plants supports a natural population of E. atala. Forty-four host plants located in two different sites were observed for 14 weeks. One site …

Bioactive Recombinant Human Oncostatin M For Nmr-Based Screening In Drug Discovery, Olga A. Mass, Joseph Tuccinardi, Luke Woodbury, Cody L. Wolf, Bri Grantham, Kelsey Holdaway, Xinzhu Pu, Matthew D. King, Don L. Warner, Cheryl L. Jorcyk, Lisa R. Warner

Biomedical Research Institute Publications and Presentations

Oncostatin M (OSM) is a pleiotropic, interleukin-6 family inflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer progression and metastasis. Recently, elevated OSM levels have been found in the serum of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units. Multiple anti-OSM therapeutics have been investigated, but to date no OSM small molecule inhibitors are clinically available. To pursue a high-throughput screening and structure-based drug discovery strategy to design a small molecule inhibitor of OSM, milligram quantities of highly pure, bioactive OSM are required. Here, we developed a reliable protocol to produce highly pure …

Partnering With Archivists To Process The Manuscript Collection Present At The Marshall University Herbarium, Pamela Puppo, Lori Thompson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

The Marshall University Herbarium (MUHW) is located on the third floor of the Science Building at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, United States. It was founded in the 1930's by Dr. Frank A. Gilbert when Marshall was still Marshall College. Today, MUHW is the second largest herbarium in West Virginia with about 50,000 specimens, including 20 types. Mostly composed of vascular plants, the herbarium also contains small collections of non-vascular plants, fungi, algae, fossils, and some ethnobotanical material, mainly brought from Ecuador by one of the former curators, Dr. Dan Evans between the 1980's and 2000's. Apart from these …

Anatomy And Physiology Preparatory Course Textbook (2nd Edition), Carlos Liachovitzky

Open Educational Resources

The goal of this preparatory textbook is to give students a chance to become familiar with some terms and some basic concepts they will find later on in the Anatomy and Physiology course, especially during the first few weeks of the course.

Organization and functioning of the human organism are generally presented starting from the simplest building blocks, and then moving into levels of increasing complexity. This textbook follows the same presentation. It begins introducing the concept of homeostasis, then covers the chemical level, and later on a basic introduction to cellular level, organ level, and organ system level. This …

Influence Of Flipped Learning Strategy On High School Students’ Learning Outcomes In Biology In Osun State, Mutahir Oluwafemi Abanikannda

Frameless

The study was conducted to investigate the influence of flipped learning strategy on high school students’ learning outcomes in Biology in Osun State. The study adopted a descriptive survey and respondents used for the study were three hundred and fifty (350) students were randomly selected from twelve (12) High Schools in Osun State. The study consists of one research question and one research hypothesis. The instrument used to obtain information on this research was an inventory. Frequency counts and percentages with mean deviation was the descriptive statistics used. The research findings revealed that flipped learning strategy has a positive influence …

Impact Of Seawall Type On Mollusc Size And Diversity In South Water Caye Belize: A Case Study, Morgan O. Orand, Ginger R. Fisher

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

The size and diversity of molluscs on and in front of artificial and natural sea walls in the tropical rocky intertidal of South Water Caye, Belize were investigated with the intent of determining the suitability of artificial surfaces to replace natural seawalls. Four seawalls, three artificial and one natural, were observed over a period of eight days. Mollusc size did not change based on distance from the wall for any of the walls. However, there were some significant differences in the species and number of molluscs in front of each wall as well as on the walls themselves. Measures of …

Black And White Health Disparities: Racial Bias In American Healthcare, Yasmeen Almomani

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

This paper explores the historical implications of race in American society that have led to implicit racism in the healthcare system. Racial bias in healthcare against Black people is a factor in the health disparities between Black and white people in America, such as the gap in life expectancy, infant death, and maternal mortality. Black people are more likely to report racial discrimination from healthcare providers, which is a reason for the decreased quality of care received. The past justifications of slavery, the Tuskegee syphilis study, and the medical experimentations on Black women are horrifying but were considered acceptable in …

Ahr Expression On Rorc-Expressing Immune Cells Is Essential For I3c-Mediated Protection Against Colitis, Michal C. Williams

Senior Theses

Colitis is an inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD) whose etiology is attributed to modification in the luminal microbiota and dysregulation in the immune response. Indole is a signaling molecule which is naturally produced by gut luminal microbiota. Indole-3- carbinol (I3C) is a compound commonly found in vegetables and a ligand for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Previous studies have detected decreased expression and activation on the AhR receptor in colitis patients, thought to possibly alter gut microbiota metabolism, subsequently promoting colitis. 1 AhR, expressed in a variety of immune and epithelial cells, contributes to gut homeostasis by affecting vital mediators such …

Genetic Diversity Among Ten Maize Genotypes Using Simple Sequence Repeat Dna Markers, Sebar D. Abdulazeez, Sakar A. Kakarash, Namam B. Ismael

Polytechnic Journal

Genetic diversity among ten maize genotypes (seven inbred lines and three testers) was investigated using ten simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Primers (bnlg128, bnlg1839, Umc1117, bnlg1144, and bnlg1152) generated the highest number of bands (4 bands) for inbred lines while the primer bnlg128 showing the highest number of bands (3 bands) for testers. The primer bnlg128 shows the highest effective number of alleles (ne) for inbred lines and testers. Among the studied primer bnlg1839 in inbred lines and primer bnlg128 in testers showed the maximum polymorphism information content (PIC) and the greatest diversity. Using UPGMA cluster analysis, the seven inbred lines …

Study The Effects Of Formaldehyde And Xylene Vapor On Lung And Testicular Tissue With Sperm Morphology Of Adult Albino Rats, Trefa F. Ismail, Galawezh O. Othman, Naznaz H. Othman, Ban A. Hassan

Polytechnic Journal

Formalin is widely used chemical substance in industry and medicine (as tissue fixative and disinfectant). It contains reactive molecules which have been known for its cytotoxic effects. Furthermore, xylene used in histological techniques during preparation of tissue and has different toxic effects on tissues. The present study was performed to investigate the effects of formaldehyde and xylene inhalation on albino rat’s lung and testes. Fifteen adult male rats were used in this study; the rats were divided randomly into three groups (A, B, and C). Group (A) comprises the control group, whereas the rats in the Group (B) were exposed …

Green Synthesis Of Bioactive Cuo@Fe3o4@Walnut Shell Nanocomposite Using Crataegus Azarolus Var. Aronia L. Extract And Its Antivasoconstrictive Action On Rat’S Aortic Smooth Muscle, Sarbast A. Mahmud

Polytechnic Journal

The antioxidant potential of Crataegus azarolus Var. aronia aqueous extract was used as reducing and stabilizing media to the green synthesis of bioactive CuO@Fe3O4@Walnut shell nanocomposite (NCs). The ability of the plant extract as bioreducing medium was proved using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. While, the structural identification of synthesized CuO@Fe3O4@Walnut shell NCs was proved using the scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy, elemental mapping, and point analysis. Then, the antivasoconstriction effects of CuO@Fe3O4@Walnut shell NCs (5*10−2 mg/ml) and (1*10−1 mg/ml) on rats isolated thoracic aortic smooth muscle cells were studied. Green synthesized CuO@Fe3O4@Walnut shell NCs showed effective antivasoconstriction …

Genetic Diversity Among Ten Maize Genotypes Using Simple Sequence Repeat Dna Markers, Sebar D. Abdulazeez, Sakar A. Kakarash, Namam B. Ismael

Polytechnic Journal

Genetic diversity among ten maize genotypes (seven inbred lines and three testers) was investigated using ten simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Primers (bnlg128, bnlg1839, Umc1117, bnlg1144, and bnlg1152) generated the highest number of bands (4 bands) for inbred lines while the primer bnlg128 showing the highest number of bands (3 bands) for testers. The primer bnlg128 shows the highest effective number of alleles (ne) for inbred lines and testers. Among the studied primer bnlg1839 in inbred lines and primer bnlg128 in testers showed the maximum polymorphism information content (PIC) and the greatest diversity. Using UPGMA cluster analysis, the seven inbred lines …

Study The Effects Of Formaldehyde And Xylene Vapor On Lung And Testicular Tissue With Sperm Morphology Of Adult Albino Rats, Trefa F. Ismail, Galawezh O. Othman, Naznaz H. Othman, Ban A. Hassan

Polytechnic Journal

Formalin is widely used chemical substance in industry and medicine (as tissue fixative and disinfectant). It contains reactive molecules which have been known for its cytotoxic effects. Furthermore, xylene used in histological techniques during preparation of tissue and has different toxic effects on tissues. The present study was performed to investigate the effects of formaldehyde and xylene inhalation on albino rat’s lung and testes. Fifteen adult male rats were used in this study; the rats were divided randomly into three groups (A, B, and C). Group (A) comprises the control group, whereas the rats in the Group (B) were exposed …

Green Synthesis Of Bioactive Cuo@Fe3o4@Walnut Shell Nanocomposite Using Crataegus Azarolus Var. Aronia L. Extract And Its Antivasoconstrictive Action On Rat’S Aortic Smooth Muscle, Sarbast A. Mahmud

Polytechnic Journal

The antioxidant potential of Crataegus azarolus Var. aronia aqueous extract was used as reducing and stabilizing media to the green synthesis of bioactive CuO@Fe3O4@Walnut shell nanocomposite (NCs). The ability of the plant extract as bioreducing medium was proved using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. While, the structural identification of synthesized CuO@Fe3O4@Walnut shell NCs was proved using the scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy, elemental mapping, and point analysis. Then, the antivasoconstriction effects of CuO@Fe3O4@Walnut shell NCs (5*10−2 mg/ml) and (1*10−1 mg/ml) on rats isolated thoracic aortic smooth muscle cells were studied. Green synthesized CuO@Fe3O4@Walnut shell NCs showed effective antivasoconstriction …

Genetic Diversity Among Ten Maize Genotypes Using Simple Sequence Repeat Dna Markers, Sebar D. Abdulazeez, Sakar A. Kakarash, Namam B. Ismael

Polytechnic Journal

Genetic diversity among ten maize genotypes (seven inbred lines and three testers) was investigated using ten simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Primers (bnlg128, bnlg1839, Umc1117, bnlg1144, and bnlg1152) generated the highest number of bands (4 bands) for inbred lines while the primer bnlg128 showing the highest number of bands (3 bands) for testers. The primer bnlg128 shows the highest effective number of alleles (ne) for inbred lines and testers. Among the studied primer bnlg1839 in inbred lines and primer bnlg128 in testers showed the maximum polymorphism information content (PIC) and the greatest diversity. Using UPGMA cluster analysis, the seven inbred lines …