Life Sciences Commons^™

Autoregulation Of The Glial Gene Reversed Polarity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Chase Suiter

Honors Theses

Autoregulation is the process where an encoded protein is able to bind to and positively or negatively regulate its own expression. Autoregulatory loops are crucial for sustained gene expression, and such loops have been demonstrated to be important for development in organisms ranging from Danio rerio to Arabidopsis thaliana and Drosophila melanogaster. The cells of the nervous system arise from progenitor cells that eventually adopt one of two fates: neuronal or glial. This decision is controlled by glial cells missing; however glial cells missing is expressed briefly at the beginning development. The glial gene repo is a gene that is …

Histopathological Analysis Of Lung Tissue Features In Rodents Exposed In Areas With Naturally Occurring Asbestos, Camille Catelo, Sean Neiswenter

AANAPISI Poster Presentations

In this work, we explore the histopathological analysis of lung tissue from rodents collected around Boulder City where actinolite was found. Actinolite is an amphibole asbestos that can cause asbestosrelated diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis and inflammation when it is inhaled1. Our goal is to determine if exposure to actinolite has been sufficient enough to cause disease in mammals. The presence of relatively high levels of actinolite collected around Boulder City suggests that people living in the same area could be experiencing ongoing exposure to asbestos fibers and negative health effects2. Studies of the effects of environmental hazards on wild …

Stress Reducing Effects Of Indoor Plants In A Classroom Setting, Laura Tennant

Student Research Posters

Previous research has demonstrated that natural views and access to plants appear to have significant beneficial effects on individuals (Relf, 1992). Studies of green views out of a classroom window showed significant reductions in students’ mental fatigue (Li & Sullivan, 2016), and studies of indoor plants in hospital settings showed stress reduction and increased healing rates in patients (Ulrich, 1984). Indoor plants in the workplace demonstrated improved employee performance (Kweon, Ulrich, Walker, & Tassinary, 2008). However, there have been few studies examining the impact indoor plants might have in a classroom setting. This study used an experimental design to measure …

Differences In Preservice Teachers’ Readiness To Use Ict In Education And Development Of Tpack, Erkko Sointu, Teemu Valtonen, Christine E. Cutucache, Jari Kukkonen, Matthew C. Lambert, Kati Mäkitalo‐Siegl

Biology Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Education for the 21st century society requires the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education. This presents challenges for preservice teacher education. Thus, more cognate understanding about preservice teachers’ readiness to use ICT in education, coupled with knowledge related to ICT in education, is needed. Furthermore, it is important to understand that preservice teachers have various levels of readiness to use ICT in education, thereby creating a demand to investigate sub-groups within preservice teachers. This study focuses on differences of readiness and development of knowledge between preservice teachers’ based on two theoretical constructs: Theory of Planned Behavior and …

How Do Former Undergraduate Mentors Evaluate Their Mentoring Experience 3-Years Post-Mentoring: A Phenomenological Study, Kari L. Nelson, Christine E. Cutucache

Biology Faculty Publications

This phenomenological study involves a unique, longitudinal assessment of the lived experiences of former undergraduate mentors (n=7) in light of their current experiences (i.e., career or advanced schooling). The objective of a phenomenological study is to engage in in-depth probing of a representative number of participants. Specifically, we followed up with graduates of the Nebraska STEM 4U (NE STEM 4U) intervention 3 years post-program, with the overall goal of describing the mentors’ experiences using the lens of their current experiences. This type of longitudinal perspective of mentoring is greatly lacking in the current literature. At the time of the interviews, …

University Of Nebraska At Omaha 2017-2018 Course Catalog, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Graduate Catalogs

The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) is a premier metropolitan university that combines the resources of a doctoral research institution with a thriving community in the heart of Omaha.

With a global reach and vision, UNO is large enough to provide opportunities students seek, yet personal enough to include the mentorship they need to achieve academic excellence, creativity, and engaged learningat competitive tuition rates.

UNO is committed to and engaged with the city surrounding it, allowing students unique hands-on opportunities, internships, service learning,applied research, and other collaborative activities that enhance time in the classroom.

This is the ”O” we want …

Taxonomic Position Of Abies Equi-Trojani On The Basis Of Needlecharacters By Comparison With Different Fir Species, Anna Katarzyna Jasinska, Katarzyna Sekiewicz, Tolga Ok, Angel Romo, Adam Boratynski, Krystyna Boratynska

Turkish Journal of Botany

The needles from 25 trees of Abies equi-trojani from Kazdağı (Mount Ida) were compared with those from four populations of A. alba, two of A. cephalonica, and three of each of A. xborisii-regis, A. bornmuelleriana, and A. nordmanniana, each represented by 29-31 individuals. Thirty-nine morphological and anatomical needle characters (26 main and 13 estimated ones) were examined biometrically to verify the systematic position of A. equi-trojani. To evaluate the relationships among taxa, Student's t-test for independent samples, the Mann-Whitney U test, and discrimination and clustering analyses were applied. The differences between taxa were statistically significant for several characters, but the …

Influencing Food Choice: Effects Of Stress And Sleep Deprivation On Dietary Habits Of Young Adults, Amy L. Leiferman

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Introduction: Lifelong dietary habits are shaped during young adulthood; hence, preventing poor food choice practices during this period is vital. Stress and sleep deprivation are two important lifestyle elements that affect eating habits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate stress and sleep deprivation as factors contributing to poor dietary choices of college-aged students. Methodology: During finals week, a survey inquiring about sleep duration, perceived stress, and dietary patterns throughout the semester (typical week vs. finals week), was administered to university students (n=83). Fifty-five participants (21 male) provided an ID number, which allowed university-collected demographic and food-purchasing …

Seed Dispersal For The Unusual Inflated Berries Of Burmeistera (Campanulaceae), Diana Gamba, N. Maguiña, Camilo Calderón-Acevedo, Karina Torres, Nathan Muchhala

Biology Department Faculty Works

Examining dispersal is critical for understanding the diversity of Andean-centered plant lineages, like Burmeistera (Campanulaceae). One-third of its species present an unusual inflated berry. Unlike the bright colors of non-inflated fruits in the genus, these fruits are typically dull-green; however, the fact that the seeds are loosely held in the placenta and easily removed when touched seems to suggest adaptation to animal dispersal. We studied two inflated-baccate species, Burmeistera glabrata and B. borjensis, with the aim of testing the non-exclusive hypotheses that their seeds are dispersed by (1) small mammals, (2) slugs, or (3) adult flies that develop inside the …

Exploring The Interaction Of Drosophila Tdp-43 And The Type Ii Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel, Cacophony, In Regulating Motor Function And Behavior, Kayly M. Lembke, David B. Morton

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult onset motor neurodegenerative disease. The cause of the disease remains obscure, and as such there is no effective treatment or cure. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases are frequently characterized by dysfunction of the RNA-binding protein, TDP-43. Using model systems to understand the mechanisms underlying TDP-43 dysfunction should accelerate identification of therapeutic targets. A recent report has shown that motor defects caused by the deletion of the Drosophila TDP-43 ortholog, tbph, are not driven by changes in the physiology at the neuromuscular junction. Rather, defective motor burst rhythmicity and coordination, …

Ionic Regulation Of Critical Cellular Processes In Non-Excitable Cells, Brandon M. Franklin

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

There are long-standing hypotheses that endogenous ion currents act to control cell dynamics in development, wound healing and regeneration. However, the mechanisms employed by cells to detect the electric field (EF) and translate it into a discernable message to drive specific cell behaviors, such as migration, proliferation and differentiation, are not well understood. A better understanding of how cells are able to sense EFs and react to them is vital to understanding physiological mechanisms are involved in regeneration. Ion channel signaling provides a reasonable suspect for mediating these effects based on their documented involvement in proliferation, migration and differentiation.

To …

Sexual Dimorphism In The Moss Bryum Argenteum And Its Implications For Sex Ratio Bias, Jonathan David Moore Iii

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

In dioecious plants, selection due to sex function differences has produced sex-specific life histories, morphologies, and physiologies. In many dioecious seed plants, dimorphisms and population sex ratios have been plausibly linked, but similar links are not yet apparent in dioecious bryophytes. Population sex ratio bias is often expected to favor the sex with lower investment in sexual reproduction, especially in resource-poor environments. Unlike in seed plants, bryophyte males may have higher average reproductive investment than females, which typically have low offspring production rates due to sperm limitation. However, traits aside from reproductive investment such as shoot and leaf arrangement may …

Examining The Role Of Host Use On Divergence In The Redheaded Pine Sawfly, Neodiprion Lecontei, Across Multiple Spatial Scales, Robin Kimberly Bagley

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Phytophagous insects make up over one quarter of described species on Earth, and this incredible diversity seems directly linked to feeding on plants. Comparative studies of sister groups have shown shifts to herbivory are consistently associated with increased species diversity in insects, but the reasons for this diversification remain unclear. While other explanations, such as decreased extinction rates or influences on population structure, exist, one prominent hypothesis suggests shifts and subsequent adaptation to novel host plants can lead to the evolution of reproductive barriers.

Given their extreme specialization on host plants in the genus Pinus and intimate, life-long association with …

Characterization Of A Large Vertebrate Genome And Homomorphic Sex Chromosomes In The Axolotl, Ambystoma Mexicanum, Melissa Keinath

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Changes in the structure, content and morphology of chromosomes accumulate over evolutionary time and contribute to cell, developmental and organismal biology. The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is an important model for studying these changes because: 1) it provides important phylogenetic perspective for reconstructing the evolution of vertebrate genomes and amphibian karyotypes, 2) its genome has evolved to a large size (~10X larger than human) but has maintained gene orders, and 3) it possesses potentially young sex chromosomes that have not undergone extensive differentiation in the structure that is typical of many other vertebrate sex chromosomes (e.g. mammalian XY chromosomes …

Fluvial-Lacustrine Processes Shaping The Landforms Of The Distal Paraguay Fluvial Megafan, Edward Limin Lo

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Tropical wetlands such as the Pantanal help regulate global biogeochemical cycles, but climate change is modifying these environments. Controls on environmental changes can potentially be assessed from ancient, well-dated lacustrine sedimentary records. An integrated field and laboratory approach was undertaken to study the limnogeology of Lake Uberaba in the northern Pantanal, and test whether the lake has preserved a reliable record of environmental change in its strata. This study was designed to understand how the basin accumulates sediment and to assess its sensitivity to hydroclimatic variability. The data showed that modern Lake Uberaba is a highly dynamic, freshwater fluvial-lacustrine basin. …

Feeding The Soul: Voices Of Kentucky Women Combating Child Hunger, Mya Oneisha Price

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

This study addresses the overarching topic of food insecurity by giving voice to individuals who are dedicating their careers toward combating child food insecurity throughout their communities. Voices are uplifted through the representation of narratives by volunteer coordinators overseeing child feeding programs, which have been established throughout Kentucky as an effort to help alleviate child hunger. This study is guided by London’s theory on career motivation, with the outcomes of this study serving as a pilot for future research centered around individuals working to combat child food insecurity. The narratives collected from this study will be used as a resource …

Riding Through Life: A Lifespan Study Of The Attitudes, Behaviors, And Areas Of Educational Opportunity For Female Equestrians Toward Bra Use And Health Outcomes When Engaged In Equestrian Sports, Karin Pekarchik

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Equestrian sport is a popular exercise choice for females of all ages, although the links between this exercise choice, health outcomes, and risk to health have not been thoroughly examined. These issues are of particular interest because the female equestrian has the opportunity to ride and/or compete for decades, from early to very late in life, covering almost the full sequence of the female lifespan. Equestrian sports provide physical activity through riding and caring for the horse, and promote positive mental outcomes through tangible practices, such as engaging in physical activity and hard work, goal-setting, acquisition of skills, and participation …

Fractionation And Characterization Of Lignin Streams From Genetically Engineered Switchgrass, Enshi Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Development of biomass feedstocks with desirable traits for cost-effective conversion is one of the main focus areas in biofuels research. As suggested by techno-economic analyses, the success of a lignocellulose-based biorefinery largely relies on the utilization of lignin to generate value-added products, i.e. fuels and chemicals. The fate of lignin and its structural/compositional changes during pretreatment have received increasing attention; however, the effect of genetic modification on the fractionation, depolymerization and catalytic upgrading of lignin from genetically engineered plants is not well understood. This study aims to fractionate and characterize the lignin streams from a wild-type and two genetically engineered …

The Default Mode Network And Executive Function: Influence Of Age, White Matter Connectivity, And Alzheimer’S Pathology, Christopher A. Brown

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

The default mode network (DMN) consists of a set of interconnected brain regions supporting autobiographical memory, our concept of the self, and the internal monologue. These processes must be maintained at all times and consume the highest amount of the brain’s energy during its baseline state. However, when faced with an active, externally-directed cognitive task, the DMN shows a small, but significant, decrease in activity. The reduction in DMN activity during the performance of an active, externally-directed task compared to a baseline state is termed task-induced deactivation (TID), which is thought to ‘free-up’ resources required to respond to external demands. …

Role Of Intracellular Growth During The Gastrointestinal Stage Of Listeria Monocytogenes Infection, Grant Steven Jones

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular bacterium that causes foodborne disease in humans. L. monocytogenes invade the gut mucosa and then disseminate, causing systemic infections associated with high mortality rates in immunocompromised individuals. It is unknown how L. monocytogenes traffic to the mesenteric lymph nodes, which represent an important bottleneck for systemic spread. In addition, little is known about the gastrointestinal stage of infection due to the general resistance of mice to oral infection with L. monocytogenes. Our laboratory developed a novel foodborne mouse model of listeriosis utilizing a murinized strain of L. monocytogenes to investigate the gastrointestinal stage …

Novel Role Of Prostate Apoptosis Response-4 Tumor Suppressor In B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Mary Kathryn Mckenna

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is defined by the accumulation of clonally expanded CD5+ and CD19+ B lymphocytes in blood and secondary lymphoid organs with impaired apoptotic mechanisms. CLL represents one third of all leukemia cases with an average age of 72 years at diagnosis making it the most common adult leukemia. The Eµ-Tcl1 mouse serves as an excellent model to study the development of CLL as they progress to a CLL like disease by 9-14 months of age, due to overexpression of an oncogene, T cell Leukemia 1(Tcl1), specifically in B cells through the Ig VH promoter and Eµ enhancer …

Investigation Of The Mechanism Of Action For Mithramycin And The Biosynthesis Of L-Rednose In Saquayamycins, Stevi Weidenbach

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Natural products continue to be a major chemical lead matter for drug discovery due to their diverse chemical structures and bioactivities. Clinically significant natural products include anti-cancer and anti-infective compounds and while many more of these compounds show promising bioactivity, their clinical relevance is often limited by toxicity or poor solubility. Combinatorial biosynthesis can be employed to modify existing chemical scaffolds towards reducing these limitations. To fully take advantage of these biochemical tools, it is important to understand the biosynthesis and mechanism of action of the molecules.

Saccharides in glycosylated natural products provide specific interactions with cellular targets and are …

Statistical Analyses To Detect And Refine Genetic Associations With Neurodegenerative Diseases, Yuriko Katsumata

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Dementia is a clinical state caused by neurodegeneration and characterized by a loss of function in cognitive domains and behavior. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Although the amyloid β (Aβ) protein and hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates in the brain are considered to be the key pathological hallmarks of AD, the exact cause of AD is yet to be identified. In addition, clinical diagnoses of AD can be error prone. Many previous studies have compared the clinical diagnosis of AD against the gold standard of autopsy confirmation and shown substantial AD misdiagnosis Hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-Aging) …

Vocal Function Exercises For Normal Voice: With And Without Semi-Occlusion, Megan Suzanne Brown

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

The primary purpose of this investigation was to explore the effects of varying degrees of vocal tract semi-occlusion in Vocal Function Exercises (VFEs) on attainment of pre- established maximum phonation time (MPT) goals in individuals between the ages of 18 and 45 with normal voice. Individuals were randomized into three experimental groups: the traditional VFE with a semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT), modified /o/ with partial occlusion, and modified /a/ without significant occlusion. For six weeks, the participants completed the four exercises two times each, twice daily on corresponding vocal tract postures assigned by group. Results indicated significant change in percent …

The Role Of Progesterone Receptor Membrane Component 1 In Receptor Trafficking And Disease, Kaia K. Hampton

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

The progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) is a multifunctional protein with a heme-binding domain that promotes cellular signaling via receptor trafficking, and is essential for some elements of tumor growth and metastasis. PGRMC1 is upregulated in breast, colon, lung and thyroid tumors. We expanded the analysis of PGRMC1 in the clinical setting, and report the first analysis of PGRMC1 in human oral cavity and ovarian tumors and found PGRMC1 to correlate with lung and ovarian cancer patient survival. Furthermore, we discovered a specific role for PGRMC1 in cancer stem cell viability. PGRMC1 directly associates with the epidermal growth factor …

The Relationship Between Modifiable Lifestyle Factors And Muscle Lipid Depots In Older Adults, Maja Redzic

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Muscle health declines with age, influencing both muscle strength and performance. Modifiable lifestyle factors may mitigate muscle dysfunction by altering muscle lipid depots. Vitamin D status, dietary intake, and physical activity each play a role in muscle health during aging. Low vitamin D status (measured as 25(OH)D) is prevalent among older adults and has been associated with functional limitations and impaired physical performance. Previously, 25(OH)D concentrations were inversely associated with extramyocellular lipid (EMCL) and our lab observed a significant positive relationship between 25(OH)D concentrations and IMCL. Studies have shown mixed results regarding the effects dietary fat intake interventions have on …

Role Of Skeletal Paracrine Signals In The Proliferation And Chondrogenic Differentiation Of Interzone Cells, Parvathy Thampi

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Articular cartilage in mammals has a limited intrinsic capacity to repair structural injuries and defects, a fact that contributes to the chronic and progressive nature of osteoarthritis. Current treatment modalities do not enable articular cartilage to achieve a complete and permanent restoration of normal structure and function with large or partial thickness lesions. In contrast to mammals, Mexican axolotl salamanders (Ambystoma mexicanum) have demonstrated the remarkable ability to spontaneously and completely repair even large joint cartilage lesions, an intrinsic healing process that involves interzone cells in the intraarticular space. Further, when interzone tissue is transplanted into critical sized …

Establishment Of American Chestnuts On Surface Mined Lands In Appalachian Coalfields Region, Michael E. French

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.) was an dominant hardwood throughout eastern North America until the introduction of an exotic fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr) in the early 20^th century devastated American chestnut populations. Chestnuts that have been bred for blight resistance have recently become available for testing. Due to the overlap of American chestnut’s natural range and the Appalachian coalfields region, the potential establishment of founder populations of blight-resistant chestnuts on reclaimed coal surface mines has recently gained attention. This work examined chestnut establishment on a surface mine in eastern Kentucky to assess factors controlling early …

Biology And Detection Of Pregnanes During Late Gestation In The Mare, Michelle Arelia Ann Wynn

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Progesterone in the mare declines to almost undetectable concentrations in late gestation. It’s metabolized into several pregnanes, some circulating at very high concentrations. Although the function of many pregnanes remains unclear, 5α-dihydroprogesterone and allopregnanolone are bioactive. Measurements of pregnanes in late gestation are typically by immunoassay, although results are confounded by cross-reactivity with related pregnanes. Conversely, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) allows differentiation of individual pregnanes. The purposes of these studies were: 1) to evaluate the ability of a 5α-reductase inhibitor, dutasteride, to alter pregnane metabolism and pregnancy outcome, 2) to evaluate changes in target pregnanes in late gestation …

Roosting Behavior, Habitat Use, And Relative Abundance Of The Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis Septentrionalis) Following Arrival Of White-Nose Syndrome To Mammoth Cave National Park, Marissa M. Thalken

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

White-Nose Syndrome (WNS; Pseudogymnoascus destructans) is responsible for the regional population collapse of many cave-hibernating bat species, including the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), in eastern United States and Canada. I evaluated roosting behavior, habitat selection, and landscape-scale distribution of roosts of the northern long-eared bat during spring emergence and the early maternity season in Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, USA, from 2015 to 2016. Logistic regression analysis comparing habitat features of roosts with random plots indicated selection of roosts reflected the costs of energetic demands by sex and reproductive status. Relative abundance of local bat species …