Life Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of The Expansion Segment 7 Of 25s Rrna During Oxidative Stress In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Ethan Gardner

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Translation is an essential process for protein expression in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Like any cellular process, translational factors are prone to damage when the cell is under stress. One common stressor that nearly all cells may experience is abnormal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Damage caused by ROS has been associated with disease ranging from neurodegenerative impairments, to the aging process of cells. These oxygen radicals are capable of damaging a litany of molecules including nucleic acids, and molecular factors involved in translation. It has been shown that tRNA can be cleaved upon ROS-induced stress and these fragments …

Demographic Performance Of Brownlip Abalone : Exploration Of Wild And Cultured Harvest Potential, Lachlan W.S. Strain, Alexander Hesp, Frank Fabris, Anthony M. Hart

Fisheries Research Reports

This research provides the most comprehensive evaluation of Brownlip abalone (Haliotis conicopora) biology and fisheries assessment to date, thereby laying a solid foundation for future management of the Brownlip abalone fishery in Western Australia (WA). For wild populations, it has provided the most reliable estimates of natural and fishing mortality, size composition and the first to model growth throughout all stages of life.

A Specialized Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase Contributes To The Extreme Medium-Chain Fatty Acid Content Of Cuphea Seed Oil, Umidjon Iskandarov, Jillian E. Silva, Hae Jin Kim, Mariette Andersson, Rebecca E. Cahoon, Keithanne Mockaitis, Edgar B. Cahoon

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Seed oils of many Cuphea sp. contain .90% of medium-chain fatty acids, such as decanoic acid (10:0). These seed oils, which are among the most compositionally variant in the plant kingdom, arise from specialized fatty acid biosynthetic enzymes and specialized acyltransferases. These include lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferases (LPAT) and diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGAT) that are required for successive acylation of medium-chain fatty acids in the sn-2 and sn-3 positions of seed triacylglycerols (TAGs). Here we report the identification of a cDNA for a DGAT1-type enzyme, designated CpuDGAT1, from the transcriptome of C. avigera var pulcherrima developing seeds. Microsomes of camelina (Camelina …

Simulating Foodborne Pathogens In Poultry Production And Processing To Defend Against Intentional Contamination, Silas B. Lankford

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is a lack of data in recent history of food terrorism attacks, and as such, it is difficult to predict its impact. The food supply industry is one of the most vulnerable industries for terrorist threats while the poultry industry is one of the largest food industries in the United States. A small food terrorism attack against just a single poultry processing center has the potential to affect a much larger population than its immediate consumers. In this work, the spread of foodborne pathogens is simulated in a poultry production and processing system to defend against intentional contamination. An …

An Assessment Of Economic Considerations For Industrial Hemp Production, Luke T. Lane

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Farm Bill now allows for the legal production and research of industrial hemp as long as it meets the standards outlined in the Farm Bill. The bill passed by the House of Representatives states, “To amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marihuana, and for other purposes” (House of Representatives, Bill 525). Prior to the passing of this bill, farmers were not allowed to produce industrial hemp. Industrial hemp is defined as, “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of …

Cost Benefit Analysis Of Genetic Markers In Cattle, Josh Crystal

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

Genetic sequencing in beef cattle (L. Bos Taurus) is expected to aid producers select cattle with traits that enhance profitability. Using data from experimental trials conducted with Angus, Brahman, and their reciprocal cross, this project analyzes the profitability of grazing endophyte infected tall Fescue (L. Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) vs. Bermuda grass (L. Cynodon dactylon) pasture. The study is unique in the sense that actual cow-calf breeding failure rates (open cows were not culled) were tracked from 1991 to 1997 on herds that were bred to calf in spring and either exposed to fungal endophyte (L.Acremonium coenophialum Morgan-Jones …

Natural Sciences At Parkland College -- Spring 2017, Parkland College Natural Sciences Department, David Wilson, Scott Siechen, Amy Nicely, Erik Johnson, Britt Carlson, Toni Burkhalter, Derrick Baker, Christina Beatty, Heidi Leuszler, David Leake

Department of Natural Sciences Newsletter

This issue of the Natural Sciences Newsletter features an article on the SciCommons, an open tutoring center for Natural Sciences students at Parkland, a report on the seventh annual Illinois Science Olympiad Regional Tournament, submissions from the Astronomy Club and Science Club, a summary of the Laboratory Skills Assessment Survey, an article on internationalizing curriculum, and an article on the local March for Science (April 22, 2017).

Engaging Educational Professionals And Students On The Viability Of Afnr Careers, Denton Perkins, Tyson Sorensen, Kelsey Hall, Joshua Dallin, Dave Francis

Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education Student Research

Between 2015 and 2020, an average of 57,900 annual job openings are expected in careers related to agriculture, food, and natural resource (AFNR) areas. With an average of 35,400 new U.S. graduates annually that have expertise in these areas, a large gap is present between the number of expected job openings and the number of well-qualified graduates to fill those positions (Goeker, Smith, Fernandez, Ali, & Theller, 2015). Due to this shortage, employers will have to look elsewhere to fill the remaining thirty-nine percent of job openings. Parents and counselors are often more willing to support agriculture than people believe; …

Hydration And Hot Yoga: Encouragement, Behaviors, And Outcomes, Casey Mace-Firebaugh, Brandon Eggleston

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Education and Professional Studies

Context: Currently, the literature on hot yoga is lacking, and there is still much to understand regarding the safety of these practices. However, one point of safety often emphasized is hydration during the practice of hot yoga. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine hydration encouragement by hot yoga instructors and hydration behaviors and related outcomes by hot yoga participants. Methods: A cross-sectional study (n = 700) collected self-report data on demographics, types and frequency of yoga practiced, hydration behaviors, and self-report measures of adverse outcomes experienced by participants during hot yoga. Associations between hydration encouragement, protective …

Annotation Of The Nuclear Receptors In An Estuarine Fish Species, Fundulus Heteroclitus, William S. Baldwin

Publications

The nuclear receptors (NRs) are ligand-dependent transcription factors that respond to various internal as well as external cues such as nutrients, pheromones, and steroid hormones that play crucial roles in regulation and maintenance of homeostasis and orchestrating the physiological and stress responses of an organism. We annotated the Fundulus heteroclitus (mummichog; Atlantic killifish) nuclear receptors. Mummichog are a non-migratory, estuarine fish with a limited home range often used in environmental research as a field model for studying ecological and evolutionary responses to variable environmental conditions such as salinity, oxygen, temperature, pH, and toxic compounds because of their hardiness. F. heteroclitus …

Biochemical Effects Of Pollutant Exposure In Fish From Urban Creeks In Greenville, Sc (Usa), Peter Van Den Hurk, Dennis C. Haney

Publications

The city of Greenville, SC is a rapidly expanding urban area located on the Reedy River in the upstate of South Carolina. Historical and current point-source pollutants and runoff from impermeable surfaces have resulted in a contaminated river environment, which through previous studies was demonstrated to be reflected in biological effects in fish species in the river. Because it was not known how much smaller tributaries in the urbanized area were contributing to the pollution of the main stem of the Reedy River, we collected fish (bluehead chub (Nocomis leptocephalus), creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), bluegill ( …

Therapeutic Strategies And Drug Development For Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Eric E. Smith, Alicja Cieslak, Philip Barber, Jerry Chen, Yu-Wei Chen, Ida Donnini, Jodi D. Edwards, Richard Frayne, Thalia S. Field, Janka Hegedus, Victoria Hanganu, Zahinoor Ismail, Jamila Kanji, Makoto Nakajima, Raza Noor, Stefano Peca, Demetrios Sahlas, Mukul Sharma, Luciano A. Sposato, Richard H. Swartz, Charlotte Zerna, Sandra E. Black, Vladimir Hachinski

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

No abstract provided.

Birc6 Mediates Imatinib Resistance Independently Of Mcl-1, Denis O. Okumu, Michael P. East, Merlin Levine, Laura E. Herring, Raymond Zhang, Thomas S.K. Gilbert, David Litchfield, Yanping Zhang, Lee M. Graves

Biochemistry Publications

© 2017 Okumu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Baculoviral IAP repeat containing 6 (BIRC6) is a member of the inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), a family of functionally and structurally related proteins that inhibit apoptosis. BIRC6 has been implicated in drug resistance in several different human cancers, however mechanisms regulating BIRC6 have not been extensively explored. Our phosphoproteomic analysis of an imatinib-resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cell line (MYL-R) …

Identifying Professional Development Needs Of Secondary Education Professionals, Denton Perkins, Kelsey Hall, Tyson Sorensen, Joshua Dallin, Dave Francis

Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education Student Research

The increasingly important issues and top U.S. priorities of food security, sustainable energy, and environmental quality demand highly qualified graduates with expertise in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR). Despite demand, a recent study found 32% of U.S. employers report difficulties filling job vacancies due to a lack of skills and training among potential employees (ManPower, 2015). Between 2015 and 2020, an average of 57,900 annual job openings are expected in careers related to AFNR areas. With an average of 35,400 new U.S. graduates annually with expertise in these areas, a large gap exists between the number of expected job …

Identification And Characterization Of Endophytic Fungi Associated With The Leaves Of Moringa Oleifera Lam, Vivian A. Panes, E.S Carbungco, N.B Pedroche, T.E De La Cruz

Biology Faculty Publications

Fungal endophytes live within host plants and are recently gaining interest as sources of biologically active secondary metabolites. In this research, fungal endophytes associated with leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam. were isolated, characterized and identified. Leaf samples from two moringa trees were collected from Barangay Pandan, which is an urban area and Barangay Sapang Bato considered as a rural area with the highest elevation of all the barangays of Angeles City. All leaf samples were rid of debris by rinsing with tap water. A flame-sterilized one-hole puncher was used to bore 54 explants from leaves collected from each tree of …

Sagestep News, Spring 2017, No. 30, Sagestep

Newsletters

Seasonal newsletter of SageSTEP.

Spatial Variability Of Seedling Disease Pressure In Cotton Fields, Kyle Douglas Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Seedling diseases are important factors in cotton stand establishment, and seedling disease pathogens are widespread in fields in Arkansas. Little is known about the variability of seedling disease pressure within fields. With expanded adoption of site-specific management and other precision agriculture approaches, cotton producers are increasingly interested in predicting seedling disease pressure, particularly in spatially variable fields. The cotton seedling disease pathogens include the soilborne pathogens Thielaviopsis basicola, Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium spp., and Fusarium spp. These pathogens can survive in soil for long periods and, and when the environment is conducive, these pathogens can act individually or in combination to …

A Review Of The Signal Transduction Pathways Involved In Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition Induced In Breast Cancer Metastasis And Their Cross-Talks, Kasey Cervantes '17

Independent Study

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a biological process utilized by epithelial cells to transform into motile mesenchymal cells, initiating metastasis in cancer. EMT is also utilized during development and wound healing [10]. This process allows for cancerous cells to detach themselves from their primary tumor and invade normal tissue in preferred organ sites, forming secondary tumors called metastases. Metastasis is very important in the progression of cancer in patients as it the process responsible for the mortality of patients through the collection of metastases that effect vital organs like the brain, lung, or immune system. The most common metastases for malignant …

The Effects Of Various Therapeutics On Cystine Stone Formation, See Yang

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Cystinuria is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by the defect of a renal transporter involved in cystine reabsorption. When this transporter is deficient, cystine cannot be broken down and reabsorbed by the body and is excreted via urine in high concentrations. The high levels of cystine present in the urine eventually lead to recurrent cystine urolithiasis due to its inability to solubilize. Despite having various forms of treatments such as thiol pharmaceutical therapies such as tiopronin and urine alkalinizing agents like potassium citrate, only few patients with cystinuria are able to successfully decrease cystine urine concentration. We observed the …

Modeling 3d Retinogenesis In Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Following Crispr-Mediated Crx Knockdown, Pooja Prasad

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

An emerging technology known as three-dimensional (3D) tissue engineering has allowed scientists to mimic tissues found in vivo. Previous studies indicate that it is possible to differentiate dissociated mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) into 3D retinal tissues in vitro (Bertacchi, 2015; Eiraku, 2012). The newly differentiated retinal tissues are said to encompass all of the major components found in retinal tissues. The generation of in vitro 3D tissues holds great potential in terms of patient-specific disease modeling. Although various diseases have been well-studied in animal models, there are limitations with regards to patient-specificity. The generation of animal models to study …

Lymphoid Hematopoiesis And The Role Of B-Cells In Transgenic Mouse Model Of Sickle Cell Disease, Christina Cotte

University Scholar Projects

Sickle cell disease (SCD) has been shown to be associated with decreased baseline immunity and thus increased susceptibility to infection. I sought to discern possible causes of this by looking into the correlations between SCD and hematopoiesis, the immune system and the neuroendocrine system, and ultimately by conducting experiments surrounding the impaired immune system of SCD. These experiments focused on the potential causes and effects of the diminution of B-1a cells in the SCD spleen. Adoptive transfers, infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae, and histologic imaging were conducted to establish if the diminution of the B-1a cells in the SCD spleen …

Characterization Of Myod And Myf5 Double-Knockout Muscle Stem Cells During Muscle Development, Andreea Dinicu

University Scholar Projects

MyoD and Myf5 are transcription factors that regulate myogenesis by promoting satellite cell transcription. The two genes are known to display functional redundancy. Both genes are considered myogenic determination genes and are expressed in satellite cells. The fate of myogenic precursors in the absence of both MyoD and Myf5 remains largely unknown. We aimed to begin attaining this knowledge as part of this project. We utilized a CreLoxP system to control the expression of MyoD in mice lacking Myf5. MyoD was knocked out at embryonic day (E) 11.5 during myogenesis. Limbs were collected from experimental mice following tamoxifen injection. …

Beyond Capture: Development And Validation Of A Method To Assess Body Condition In Mule Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus) Using Camera Traps, Rachel A. Smiley 6820420

University Scholar Projects

Advances in technology and availability associated with camera traps have resulted in a rapid rise in their use to monitor wildlife distribution, abundance, and behavior. We focus on assessing body condition, a new application of camera traps. Body condition indices must relate to the percent body fat if they are to be useful. To acquire measurements of body fat, most body condition indices require capture or mortality of animals to estimate, which has limitations when applied to free-ranging animals. We developed a non-invasive, visual body condition index (VBCI) to assess body condition of mule deer that can be applied …

Attraction-Repulsion Forces Between Biological Cells: A Theoretical Explanation Of Empirical Formulas, Olga Kosheleva, Martine Ceberio, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Biological calls attract and repulse each other: if they get too close to each other, they repulse, and if they get too far away from each other, they attract. There are empirical formulas that describe the dependence of the corresponding forces on the distance between the cells. In this paper, we provide a theoretical explanation for these empirical formulas.

Perspectives And Expectations In Structural Bioinformatics Of Metalloproteins, Sen Yao, Robert M. Flight, Eric C. Rouchka, Hunter N. B. Moseley

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Recent papers highlight the presence of large numbers of compressed angles in metal ion coordination geometries for metalloprotein entries in the worldwide Protein Data Bank, due mainly to multidentate coordination. The prevalence of these compressed angles has raised the controversial idea that significantly populated aberrant or even novel coordination geometries may exist. Some of these papers have undergone severe criticism, apparently due to views held that only canonical coordination geometries exist in significant numbers. While criticism of controversial ideas is warranted and to be expected, we believe that a line was crossed where unfair criticism was put forth to discredit …

Regioselective Synthesis Of Biologically Active Pyrazolone Nucleosides And Their Benzoyl Analogues, Heba Ahmed Ghanim Aboukhousa

Philosophy Dissertations

Increasing incidence of anticancer and antimicrobial resistance are the most common concerns in the medical field. Cancer is a serious disease that can affect almost every tissue lineage in the human body and poses great challenges to medicinal science. In addition, many antibiotics have a tendency to becoming resistant and are prone to severe adverse effects after long term use. Hence, there is an urgent need to discover and develop novel antitumor drug molecules which could effectively inhibit proliferative pathways with fewer side effects. Also, increasing demand to synthesize novel antimicrobial agents that are active against resistant strains.

This research …

Time-Activity And Energy Budgets Of Eared Grebes (Podiceps Nigricollis) At Salton Sea, Samantha San Francisco

Theses

Time-activity budgets have been a widely accepted way of approximating the daily energy expenditure of many species, including waterbirds. For this study, focal animal sampling was used to study Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) at their post-wintering stopover site, Salton Sea. Daylight time-activity budgets were converted to energy budgets using energy equivalents for diving, preening, swimming, and resting on water developed for Eared Grebes previously by H. I. Ellis (1994). Post-wintering Eared Grebes arrive at Salton Sea in waves at differing times in the spring. As a result, there can be individuals in a variety of physiological states during …

Becoming Women Engineers: Dismantled Notions And Distorted Perspectives, Lisa Zagumny, Holly Garrett Anthony, Sally J. Pardue

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

In an investigation of (non-international) undergraduate students’ experiences with their engineering major, we interviewed 10 young women asking questions about their interactions with instructors, academic successes/struggles, and any challenges they felt they had faced as women/girls in engineering. Initial findings echoed those in previous research serving to affirm held notions of interventions that would improve women/girls’ experiences in engineering. In reflecting on the research methods and troubling its design, we realized that we had approached the data with limited perspectives. A new approach to analysis opened up concepts and yielded findings that offer a different course of action for abating …

Effect Of Urinary Urge On Using Urinary Frequency As An Indicator Of Hydration Status, Mackenzie Cale

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Void Frequency (VF) has recently been determined as a valid and reliable marker of 24-hr hydration status when void urgency is controlled (i.e., urinating at “first urge”). Limitations for real world applicability of this technique are apparent because individuals often void at varying urge levels throughout the day. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if urgency affects the validity of void number as a marker of hydration status. We hypothesized that void urgency would not affect the validity of void number as a way to assess hydration status. Methodology: Participants included 18 females and 13 …

Ducks Diet And Dormancy: Implications For Seed-Based Wetland Restoration, Bret N. Mossman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Waterfowl have been shown to be important dispersers of different species of aquatic plants and the ingestion of seeds by waterfowl can affect seed dormancy loss. Additionally, it has been found that cold and chemical stratification is an effective means of initiating dormancy loss. By studying the effects of duck ingestion and natural cold stratification this project can determine whether bulrush seed dormancy loss was a direct cause of duck ingestion or natural cold stratification. Determining which specific environmental factors most greatly effect seed dormancy will help managers maximize the effectiveness of restoration of alkali bulrush (Schoenoplectus maritimus), …