Life Sciences Commons^™

An Improved Regional Honey Production Model For The United States, Anthony B. Trimboli

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Currently three systems are used to categorize honey production regions in the United States, one from the United States Department of Agriculture, one from the American Bee Journal used for its monthly U.S. Honey Crop and Markets report, and one from Bee Culture’s monthly regional honey price report. These systems follow political state boundaries and are based upon climate, bee forage, and regional beekeeping practices. While these systems are popular with the general beekeeping community, to our knowledge, their accuracy has not been studied.

Although differing geographic regions can vary in bee forage species availability, states with similar geography and …

Geoprofiles And Data About Data, Dolly Na-Yemah

Student Research Conference Select Presentations

In climatological studies, it’s been long understood that it is not only crucial in documenting characteristics of the proximate landscapes for determining climate instrument exposures, but also doing so in such a way that those characteristics can be readily communicated to users of climatological data (Mahmood et al. 2006). Geoprofiles, a model for visualizing spatial metadata, do just that by including layers of elevation, land use and land cover. For this project, Geoprofiles for selected weather and climate monitoring stations of Kentucky Mesonet (www.kymesonet.org) were created using geographic information system (GIS) software. GIS processed Digital Elevation Models (D EMs), aerial …

Molecular Evolution Of App Gene In Alzheimer's Disease, Mary E. Husk

Student Research Conference Select Presentations

The purpose of my study is to examine the role of the APP gene in Alzheimer's Disease. Also this study intends to explore the interactions between the APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 genes in the molecular pathways related to the Alzheimer's disease . My central theme of research is to decipher the molecular evolution of the APP gene and utilize the phylogenetic analyses to examine specific molecular domains involved in the molecular pathways related to Alzheimer's disease . Current research indicates the role of several types of mutations discovered in the APP gene related to disease. My study intends to look …

Perception Towards Beef Industry And Willingness To Pay For Beef Products Among Millennials In Kentucky, Steven Green

Student Research Conference Select Presentations

As the future of the beef industry contin ues to develop, it is safe to say millennials are going to have a massive impact. This paper expl ained the perception millennials have towards beef products and the beef industry as a wh ole, beef consumption patterns, and compared willingness to pay between rural and urban millennials. We applied a conditional logistic model to online survey data collected from 219 millennials during Spring 2016. Data collection was done by distributing a web link to m illennials in various colleges and universities throughout the state of Kentucky. Resu lts indicate that millennials …

The Statistical Dynamics Of Nonequilibrium Control, Grant Murray Rotskoff '09

Doctoral Dissertations

Living systems, even at the scale of single molecules, are constantly adapting to changing environmental conditions. The physical response of a nanoscale system to external gradients or changing thermodynamic conditions can be chaotic, nonlinear, and hence difficult to control or predict. Nevertheless, biology has evolved systems that reliably carry out the cell’s vital functions efficiently enough to ensure survival. Moreover, the development of new experimental techniques to monitor and manipulate single biological molecules has provided a natural testbed for theoretical investigations of nonequilibrium dynamics. This work focuses on developing paradigms for both understanding the principles of nonequilibrium dynamics and also …

Finally, The Molecular Characterization Of Geitleria: Results In The Formation Of A Newly Described Nostocales (Cyanobacteria) Clade Geitleriaceae Fam. Prov., Sp. Prov, Jonathan Kilgore

Masters Theses

Geitleria was described from a limestone cave in Israel, and subsequently reported from caves of France, Romania, Spain, and Florida, Costa Rica, and Cook Islands. It is morphologically unusual in that it has true-branching, but no heterocytes. A morphologically distinct species of Geitleria was recently collected from a limestone cave in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, and is herein described as G. appalachiana sp. prov. Sequence data for 16S-rRNA and rpoC1 loci for the species were obtained from field material using single filament PCR. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Geitleria does not belong to any family in the Nostocales containing …

Ua42 Regional Review: Reaching New Heights In The Region Spring 2017, Heather Garcia , Editor

Regional Campuses Publications

No abstract provided.

Small-Scale Farming Of Sandfish (Holothuria Scabra) At Unguja Ukuu, Zanzibar, Claire Hacker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The biological and social components of sandfish farming were studied at Unguja Ukuu, Zanzibar. Measurement of temperature and depth, along with quadrat sampling of substrate and sea cucumbers, led to recommendations for future management of depth, biomass per area, disease and crabs, and substrate. Interviews revealed the role and potential benefits of sea cucumber farming for communities. Several barriers to, and complications with, the expansion of sea cucumber farming were also identified. This study provided information for improvement of this farm and hoped to spread knowledge of sandfish farming to Zanzibaris, who may benefit economically from the practice.

Agrarian Reform In Sumber Klampok, Emma Trainor

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Agrarian reform in Indonesia is part of a movement beginning after independence was gained in 1945. Farmers have been fighting to obtain rights to their land from a government that has a history of violence, repression, and corruption for decades. Environmental, indigenous peoples’, peasant, and agrarian movements were given a legitimate, legal framework to work within after 1960 when the Basic Agrarian Law was passed, protecting the rights of the people to their land. However, during both the Old Order and especially New Order regimes, the law was often ignored by the government, and many grassroots organizations had to work …

Vulnerability And Resilience: The Farmers Of Sagara Village, Nick Olkovsky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Agriculture is a large part of the economy and society of Tanzania, equating to 28% of the country’s GDP. Up to 80% of these farms are owned and worked by 19 million smallholder agriculturalists (FAO, 2015). Smallholder farmers are an inherently vulnerable demographic, due to their high reliance on agriculture for food and income in addition to their limited financial, technological, and labor resources (Morton, 2007). Simultaneously, these farmers are often uniquely adapted for the challenges they face, having developed strategies of addressing and mitigating risks over many generations. This study investigates the adaptative capacity of smallholder farmers in Sagara …

The Effects Of Music Genres On Average Heart Rate During Exercise, Dulcenea Scott, Shelby Paris, Ben Cochrane, Annie Rund, Kumar Bhowmik

Kinesiology 288

Different types of music can cause a fluctuation of heart rate and intensity during exercise due to the variance in rhythm. This project evaluates heart rate and other physiological responses during exercise while being exposed to two genres of music and a control variable of no music. The two genres of music used for the study include rap and classical for a duration of fifteen minutes on a cycling machine set at the lowest resistance possible. The two genres of music chosen was rap and classical due to their distinctive differences in slow and fast pace in rhythm. [Methodology] The …

Comparing The Middle And C-Terminal Domains Of The Soxe Proteins, Abigail Beer

Senior Honors Projects

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and affects millions of adults in the United States. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that is characterized by irreversible loss of cartilage. Cartilage develops when stem cells differentiate into chondrocytes, the cells found in cartilage, through a process called chondrogenesis. Several proteins are needed for chondrogenesis, including the SOXE family of proteins. The SOXE proteins act as transcriptional activators and consist of three members: SOX8, SOX9, and SOX10. The three proteins share the same basic structure consisting of two transactivation domains. A transactivation domain is a region of a protein that …

Teaching Assistant [Career Paper], Madelynn Williams

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

What Are People Tweeting About Zika? An Exploratory Study Concerning Its Symptoms, Treatment, Transmission, And Prevention, Michele Miller, Tanvi Banerjee, Roopteja Muppalla, William L. Romine, Amit Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

Background: In order to harness what people are tweeting about Zika, there needs to be a computational framework that leverages machine learning techniques to recognize relevant Zika tweets and, further, categorize these into disease-specific categories to address specific societal concerns related to the prevention, transmission, symptoms, and treatment of Zika virus.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the relevancy of the tweets and what people were tweeting about the 4 disease characteristics of Zika: symptoms, transmission, prevention, and treatment.

Methods: A combination of natural language processing and machine learning techniques was used to determine what people were …

Accelerated Increase In The Arctic Tropospheric Warming Events Surpassing Stratospheric Warming Events During Winter, Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang, Yen-Heng Lin, Ming-Ying Lee, Jin-Ho Yoon, Jonathan D.D. Meyer, Philip J. Rasch

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

In January 2016, a robust reversal of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) took place associated with a rapid tropospheric warming in the Arctic region; this was followed by the occurrence of a classic sudden stratospheric warming in March-April. The succession of these two distinct Arctic warming events provides a stimulating opportunity to examine their characteristics in terms of similarities and differences. Historical cases of these two types of Arctic warming were identified and validated based upon tropical linkages with the Madden-Julian Oscillation and El Niño as well as those documented in previous studies. Our results indicate a recent and accelerated increase …

Rolling Circle Mutagenesis Of Gst-Mcherry To Understand Mutation, Gene Expression, And Regulation, Jessica Cole, Amanda Ferguson, Veronica A. Segarra, Susan Walsh

Faculty Publications

Undergraduates are often familiar with textbook examples of human mutations that affect coding regions and the subsequent disorders, but they may struggle with understanding the implications of mutations in the regulatory regions of genes. We have designed a laboratory sequence that will allow students to explore the effect random mutagenesis can have on protein function, expression, and ultimately phenotype. Students design and perform a safe and time-efficient random mutagenesis experiment using error-prone rolling circular amplification of a plasmid expressing the inducible fusion protein glutathione S-transferase (GST)-mCherry. Mutagenized and wild-type control plasmid DNA, respectively, are then purified and transformed into bacteria …

Effects Of Type 1 Interferon Deficiency On B-Cells In Lupus Prone Mice, Teddy Nemunaitis

Celebration of Scholarship 2012-2017

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the production of autoantibodies that target nuclear and cytoplasmic agents. Lupus manifests an array of symptoms and is estimated to affect more females than males. This study analyzed the effects of type 1 interferon deficiency on B-cells in lupus prone mice. Data indicates that specific B-cell IFNAR deficiency in lupus prone mice results in significantly lower spleen weight, splenocyte count, and anti-chromatin IgG levels. Funded by the Cleveland Clinic Summer Research Program.

A New Method For Extracting Alkaloid Defenses From Poison Frog Skins, Noemi Becza

Celebration of Scholarship 2012-2017

Poison frogs possess a diversity of skin alkaloids that serve as defense against predation and inhibit microbial infection. These alkaloid defenses are exclusively obtained from a diet of alkaloid-containing arthropods and differ significantly with species, geographic location, sex, size, and age. Previous research on the chemical ecology of these defenses has been largely dependent on sacrificing frogs to extract and chemically analyze alkaloids. Recently, a new non-destructive method of extracting alkaloids has been developed, using a Transcutaneous Amphibian Stimulator (TAS). This device delivers mild electrical pulses to the frog skin, causing it to release its alkaloids unharmed. The alkaloids can …

Detection And Quantitation Of Tetracycline Antibiotics In Agricultural Swine Wastes, Ali Jamal Abdulrheem

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The spread of tetracyclines through agricultural systems is causing the present bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance. The spread of this bacteria, as well as the tetracycline antibiotics in the environment is dangerous because these antibiotics pose health hazards for humans. The overuse of antibiotics, which are added to livestock feed, results in the antibiotics being released into the environment via animal feces. In this research, we have attempted to design an analytical method to isolate antibiotics from agricultural wastes with subsequent detection using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The antibiotics investigated in this study were tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and oxytetracycline. …

Genetics Research Paper: The Inheritance Of Schizophrenia, Kolbi Holmes

Academic Symposium of Undergraduate Scholarship

Schizophrenia is a spectrum of disorders defined by abnormalities in one or more areas including delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking or speech, grossly disorganized or abnormal motor behaviors including catatonia and other negative symptoms (American Psychology Association, 2013). Schizophrenia is inherited on autosomal chromosome 8p12. Neuregulin 1 (NRG1), an epithelial growth factor protein, located at 8p12, has been identified as being a nucleotide variation of the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs833497 located on chromosome 18q21.1 that is associated with schizophrenia.

Symmetry In Nature, Jessica Bourke

Academic Symposium of Undergraduate Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Cancer As A Metabolic Disease, Javaria Haseeb

Honors Senior Capstone Projects

Despite decades of intensive scientific and medical efforts to develop efficient and effective treatments for cancer, it remains one of the prime causes of death today. For example, in 2016, there will be an estimated 1,685,210 new cases of cancer and 595,690 deaths due to cancer in the United States alone (National Cancer Institute). Worldwide in 2012, there were an estimated 14 million new cases of cancer and 8.2 million deaths due to cancer. In order to come up with better methods of detection and more successful modes of treatment, it is crucial that scientists understand the depth of not …

Utilization And Accessibility Of Securinega Virosa For Medical Use In Morogoro Municipality, Sasha Friedrich

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Approximately 80% of rural communities in Tanzania utilize the services of traditional healers. This is largely because modern medicine is often expensive, inaccessible, or has undesirable side effects. This study investigates use of traditional medicine in Morogoro Urban district where people do have access to hospitals. In particular, this study aims to assess the utilization and accessibility the plant species Securinega virosa for medicinal use by identifying and interviewing the actors involved in the supply chain from harvester to consumer. I conducted semi-structured interviews with eight traditional healers and one herbal medicine shopkeeper. I expected harvesters to express a decline …

Making Sense Of Sustainable Seafood Certifications, Samantha Yoder

Honors Projects in Management

This project is aimed at tackling the issues regarding the varying seafood sustainability certifications currently in circulation. It aims to uncover the confusion, controversy, and differences that arise from the numerous governmental policies and organizations that issue seafood sustainability certifications. Furthermore, it will assess the primary motivations for each participant in the sustainable seafood supply chain, as the value derived from participation. Supply chain members considered include the fisheries that supply the seafood products, the various companies that issue the seafood certifications, the grocers that stock the numerous seafood products, the restaurants that serve sustainable seafood products, and the end …

Mtorc1 Signaling Is Involved In Nephron Size Control In The Metanephric Kidney, Carolyn Stierhoff

Celebration of Scholarship 2012-2017

The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney that uses channels and transporters to regulate water concentration and recover essential biomolecules. Previous studies in mouse have shown that the proximal tubules, which are primarily responsible for biomolecule recovery, undergo a rapid burst of cell proliferation. Other studies suggest that the development and growth of proximal tubules in Xenopus is regulated by the developmental signaling pathway mTORC1. Here we now identified that various mTORC1 signaling molecules are expressed in mouse kidneys and that they follow a pattern that mimics the previously identified growth cycle. Additionally, comparing mouse kidneys lacking mTORC1 …

Nebline, April 2017

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Emerald Ash Borer — Next Steps

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

and other extension news and events

Special Pullout Section: Weed Awareness

Coral-Excavating Sponge Cliona Delitrix: Current Trends Of Space Occupation On High Latitude Coral Reefs, Ari Halperin, Andia Chaves-Fonnegra, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The recent increase in abundance of coral-excavating sponges is a threat to the health of coral reefs. However, the distribution and growth of these sponges are poorly documented on high latitude reefs where corals live in marginal environmental conditions. In this study, we characterize the current trends of space occupation of Cliona delitrix on high latitude reefs (26°N) in southeast Florida. C. delitrix densities were significantly higher on the deepest habitat of this reef tract (the outer reef) in response to a higher availability of coral substratum. Sponge growth rates increased with depth, and in relation to presence of tunicates …

Surveying The Distribution And Abundance Of Flying Fishes And Other Epipelagics In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Using Airborne Lidar, James H. Churnside, R J David Wells, Kevin M. Boswell, John A. Quinlan, Richard D. Marchbanks, Brandi J. Mccarty, Tracey Sutton

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Flying fishes (family Exocoetidae) are important components of epipelagic ecosystems and are targeted by fishing fleets in the Caribbean Sea and elsewhere. However, owing to their anti-predator behavior and habitats, their ecology, abundance, and distributions are only partially known. From September 20 to October 6, 2011, we conducted a series of surveys over a large area (approximately 75,000 km2) of the northern Gulf of Mexico (87°W–90.5°W, 28°N–30°N). The surveys used an airborne lidar and vessel-based sampling, supported by near real time satellite observations of oceanic conditions. The aerial survey was conducted from a fixed wing aircraft that flew repeated surveys …

Efficacy Of A Mobile Application For Improving Gait Performance In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Dustin Glenn Falls

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The United States is a rapidly aging nation. Older adults have higher rates of falls than any other age group. One in four older adults fall each year. Many of these falls are associated with sedentary lifestyles and decreased muscular strength effecting balance and gait performance. Physical activity (exercise) can reduce the risk of falls among older adults, yet adherence remains low. Exergames can increase adherence to interventions that promote health and physical activity. Social engagement can increase self-efficacy and motivation to exercise. By design, the Bingocize® health promotion mobile application (app) increases social engagement, while providing a multi-factorial fall …

Senior Woman Administrator: The Definition, Challenges, Influence, And Perceptions, Jacqueline Michelle Mcgill

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Diversity efforts implemented by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) hope to improve the Association through the addition of multiple voices in athletics. Notably, the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) designation is intended to encourage and promote the involvement of female administrators in meaningful ways in the decision-making process in intercollegiate athletics. This role, created under Article 4.02.4 of the NCAA constitution, is to be filled by the highest ranking female in each NCAA athletic department or member conference (Levick, 2002; Raphaely, 2003). Given the evolving definition and nature of the SWA designation and of female managerial roles (Eagly & Karau, …