Life Sciences Commons^™

Estimation Of Nitrates In Southern California Water Resources, Sarath Babu, Sarath Babu

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The research examines the water quality of Southern California, focusing on nitrate (NO₃) levels. The study aims to provide insights into potential health disparities stemming from disproportionate exposure to these contaminants, particularly in underserved communities. Utilizing advanced analytical tools such as the UV spectrophotometer AquaMate Plus, water samples (n=40) were analyzed to assess nitrate levels compared to previous data (n=70 Approx.). The UV spectrophotometer operates based on measuring the absorbance of light intensity by the analyzed samples, providing valuable data for water quality assessment. Preliminary findings suggest varying levels of nitrate presence across the studied regions (0.4-43 ppm), …

Engineering An In Vitro Hipsc-Derived Cardiac Tissue Construct For Regenerative Medicine Applications, Larry Mendoza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality across the world with invasive surgeries and pharmaceutical intervention commonly associated with urgent care. Moreover, congenital, progressive, and hereditary heart diseases rely on many forms of medical prevention and intervention (pharmaceuticals, x-rays, bloodwork, etc.). Developing a three-dimensional (3D) cardiac tissue engineered in vitro model to study human cardiac physiology can revolutionize biomedical research. The purpose of this research is to optimize natural & synthetic biomaterials to fuse cardiac stem cells and synthesize a 3D-printed in vitro model for disease modeling, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine. Natural biopolymers needed for such innovations are …

Passive Electronic Cigarette Exposure Initiates Squamous Metaplasia In A Developing 3d Human Tracheobronchial Epithelial Tissue In-Vitro Model, Edgar Rolon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The prevalence of vaping has rapidly increased. ECs are often perceived as less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. A recent meta-analysis showed electronic cigarette (EC) aerosols adversely affected the respiratory system, similar to cigarette smoke, with some effects specific to EC use. Failure to prevent these alterations could lead to life-long comorbidities, and predisposition to respiratory diseases, including COPD and squamous cell carcinoma. While these effects are the result of active vaping, EC aerosols can also settle on indoor surfaces, be absorbed passively through the skin or orally, enter the blood stream, and subsequently expose internal organs, including the airway basal …

Awareness And Attitudes Toward Diabetes Among Students In The California State University System, Cesar Fajardo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and Aims: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has been increasing globally. Studies examining patient awareness and attitudes toward diabetes have been conducted and found that diabetes education does increase patient knowledge but has no effect on attitudes. Additionally, many of these studies did not assess university students’ views on type 2 diabetes. Given that type 2 diabetes incidence is increasing among young adults, more attention must be given to this population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate CSUSB students' understanding and attitudes toward type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A cross-sectional study using electronic surveys with …

Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination Protocols Using Pre-Synchronization In Suckled Beef Cows, Wyatt Eugene Weber

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adoption of artificial insemination by beef producers has been limited within the United States. Estrous synchronization (ES) for fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) has been one of the most effective ways to implement artificial insemination into beef production systems, but its efficiency has primarily been restrained by the dependency on the effectiveness of the initial gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) injection in many FTAI protocols. The hypotheses of these studies were to determine practical methods of pre-synchronization to improve current FTAI protocols, ultimately increasing beef herd reproductive performance. The objective was to evaluate the use of prostaglandin F2α (PGF) and progesterone (P4) …

An Analysis Of Cellular And Tissue Function Of Lipin In Drosophila Melanogaster, Judah Christian Scott

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Regulation of energy expenditure and energy storage is a key characteristic of life. Numerous enzymes play a crucial role in regulating energy metabolism. Lipins are a highly conserved family of proteins that function in both lipid synthesis and gene regulation. In the glycerol-3 phosphate pathway, lipins act as a phosphatidate phosphatase (PAP) producing diacylglycerol. In gene regulation, lipins act as transcriptional co-regulators of metabolic genes. The enzymatic PAP activity occurs in the cytoplasm; however, for lipins to function as gene regulators, they must translocate into the nucleus. Nuclear translocation is facilitated by the nuclear localization signal (NLS) within the protein. …

The Reliability And Validity Of Accelerometry And Gnss, Christine Coniglio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to evaluate the reliability, validity, and utility of accelerometers and GNSS in sport-like scenarios, assess accelerometry-derived metrics and GNSS for distance prediction, and explore how accelerometer placement, specifically chest and back, affect the detection of various locomotor events. In Study I, the purpose was to investigate the accelerometer reliability and predictive capabilities of accelerometers and GNSS to predict a known distance. Thirty physically active female participants (mean height = 163.6 ± 6.8 cm, mean weight = 57.8 ± 8.7 kg) completed jogging trials over two courses (5m and 20m). Each participant wore two tri-axial accelerometers (100Hz) and …

The Forest Through The Trees: Modeling The Ecological Niche And Potential Assemblage Distribution Of Oak-Hickory Forests Across The Eastern U.S., Elijah Worley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how tree species’ ranges and populations may shift by the end of the 21^st Century is critical for effective conservation and forest management. Ecological niche models are widely used to predict species distributions by modeling the relationships between environmental variables and species presence. While numerous models have been developed for individual tree species across the USA, there is limited research on how tree species assemblages, such as oak-hickory forests, will respond to changes in climate over time. Maxent modeling software was used to predict potential shifts in suitable habitat for the oak-hickory forest type, based on environmental variables …

Unraveling The Unknown: Characterization Of A Novel Antimicrobial Compound Found In Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Jasmal Cruz Perez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Klebsiella pneumoniae, a pathogenic bacterium resistant to numerous antimicrobials, is a worldwide health issue due to its ability to cause healthcare-associated diseases such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections. This study investigated an antimicrobial compound secreted by K. pneumoniae. The compound was found to possess inhibitory activity against Enterobacteriaceae members, including other Klebsiella pneumoniae strains, Citrobacter freundii, and Enterobacter cloacae. The inhibitory activity is mediated via a secreted protein that is active across a wide range of pH and temperature conditions. Higher concentrations of the compound enhanced antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial protein suppressed biofilm formation during both …

Exploring The Antagonistic Polymicrobial Interaction Of Alcaligenes Faecalis With Prokaryotic And Eukaryotic Microorganisms, Aly Hargrave

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcaligenes faecalis, a generally nonpathogenic, Gram-negative bacterium, has been observed by our laboratory to possess antagonistic activity against antimicrobial-resistant genera Staphylococcus, Candida, and Bacillus. This study focused on exploring the inhibition mechanism of A. faecalis against the three genera, with an emphasis on S. aureus. A library of A. faecalis transposon mutants was constructed and identified fourteen possible genetic factors linked to this inhibitory activity. Characterization of this inhibition indicated that A. faecalis suppressed S. aureus planktonic and biofilm growth via a contact-dependent mechanism, with pronounced effects during biofilm attachment phase. In a Caenorhabditis elegans …

Impact Of Shear Flow On Marine Biofilms Using Hyperspectral Imaging, Shantanu Mahesh Kore

All Theses

Various microbial communities in marine biofilms cause biofouling on submerged surfaces, posing challenges to marine industries. Despite their ecological and economic importance, biofilms' biomechanical and biochemical responses to hydrodynamic shear stress are insufficiently understood, particularly in dynamic flow conditions. To fill this gap, our study uses an innovative fiber-optic hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system and a supercontinuum laser source to examine marine biofilms' structure, composition, and detachment behavior at different shear stress levels.

To detect spectral and spatial heterogeneity in live biofilms without labeling, we created a custom imaging pipeline that captures reflectance spectra in the 600-850 nm range, targeting microbial …

Identification Of New Germplasm Sources And Traits For Breeding Heat-Tolerant Soybean Varieties, Shelby Hammond

All Theses

The heat-tolerant soybean breeding is constrained by limited genetic diversity for heat tolerance, lack of efficient selection criteria, and incomplete knowledge of heat tolerance mechanisms. The objectives of this study were to characterize the heat tolerance of a soybean recombinant inbred line (RIL) population based on traits defining leaf function, pollen viability and yield, and identify genotypes and traits that can be included in breeding programs for heat tolerance. Field trials were conducted at Pendleton, SC in 2022 and 2023 to test the heat stress responses of 192 RILs [derived from DS 25-1 (heat tolerant) x DT97-4290 (heat-susceptible)], parental lines, …

Berm-Leveling Machine For Peach Orchards: Incorporation Of Tree-Sensing Feature And Profitability Study, Shubham Singh

All Theses

Root collar excavation extends the productive life of peach trees in Armillaria root rot-infested soil, but the process requires trees to be planted on berms. Berm-planted peach orchards restrict the mobility of workers and machinery and can lead to increased erosion in furrows on either side of the berms. The current inter-tree berm-leveling machine depends on the driver's command to dodge the peach trees. The objectives of this thesis were to (1) integrate the feeler, infrared, and LiDAR-based tree sensing systems in the berm-leveling machine to make the soil excavating head's movement independent, (2) measure the impact of finger weeder-based …

Characterizing Xylella Fastidiosa Pathogen Dynamics On Diverse Small Fruit Farms, Alexandra Ratay

All Theses

Global agriculture has been threatened for over a century due to the emergence of the plant pathogenic bacteria Xylella fastidiosa (Lysobacterales: Lysobacteraceae) (Xf). Xf comprises five main subspecies and induces severe physiological symptoms in a diverse set of host plant species by limiting xylem function. Xylem-feeding insect vectors can transmit Xf to host plants, spreading disease and reducing fruit yield. Here I studied Xf prevalence on small fruit farms to determine Xf host plant and vector infective status to the Xf subspecies level. I detected Xf in 28 host plants in South Carolina containing either Xf subspecies fastidiosa …

Application Of Remote Sensing In Mapping Callery Pear Distribution And Biomass Estimation In The Southeastern United States, Kavi Raj Awasthi

All Theses

Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana Decne. Rosaceae) is a rapidly spreading invasive species in the southeast United States (US) that hampers the function of native tree species and the forest ecosystem. Native to Southeast Asia, the species has encroached on the natural and secondary vegetation habitats of the Southern US in recent years. This study attempted to 1) map the Callery pear across the southeast US and 2) model the aboveground biomass (AGB) of individual Callery pear trees.

We used Callery pear locations and winter imageries of Sentinel-2, Sentinel-1, L-band radar, and terrain imagery for mapping purposes. In addition, we …

Thymosin Beta-4: A Novel Treatment For Acanthamoeba Keratitis, Victoria A. Murphey

All Theses

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a severe corneal infection caused by the free-living amoeba, Acanthamoeba. Both stages of its life cycle (trophozoite and cyst) cause infection, primarily in contact lens wearers. It is often misdiagnosed, leading to delayed treatment and poor clinical outcomes. Current treatment options for AK rely on anti-amoebic agents that are toxic to corneal epithelial cells. Further, no single drug can eliminate both forms of the amoeba. Approximately 30% of all AK infections require a corneal transplant.

Thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4) is a G-actin binding protein synthesized in almost all human cells, including corneal epithelial cells. Tβ4 exhibits …

African Sleeping Sickness: From Basic Biology To Future Directions, Riddhi R. Patel

All Theses

African Sleeping Sickness is a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) which poses a significant health risk to impoverished populations in 36 Sub-Saharan African countries. It is a devastating disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, which is transmitted to mammals via the bite of infected tsetse flies. The disease manifests in two stages: the hemolymphatic stage and the meningoencephalitic stage. In the latter stage, it invades the Central Nervous System (CNS) and can be fatal if left untreated. It is caused by morphologically indistinguishable species of Trypanosoma brucei in both humans and animals, where in humans it is known as …

Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation As A Non-Chemical Management Option Against Fungi And Heterotrophic Bacteria In Organic Sweetpotato Production, Meredith Tucker

All Theses

North Carolina is the largest producer of sweetpotatoes in the United States, with South Carolina increasing farming acreage to 2,501 in 2022 compared to 1,300 in 2017. Growers producing conventional and organic sweetpotatoes are equally challenged with managing fungal pathogens due to fungicide resistance or fungicides being unavailable due to environmental regulations, leading many to shift to growing organic crops. Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is a non-chemical pre-plant management option that uses a carbon amendment, irrigation, and plasticulture to establish an anaerobic environment in soils, killing soil microbes. A greenhouse study was conducted to assess ASD on fungal pathogens and …

Evaluating The Role Of Electrostatic Forces In The Adsorption Of Perfluoroalkyl Substances To Granular Activated Carbon, Thomas A. Mccall

All Theses

In response to new drinking water regulations announced by the EPA in 2024, many municipalities will need to monitor concentrations and implement new treatments to address PFAS, a class of anthropogenic organic contaminants. A leading technology for this application is GAC adsorption due to its familiarity and availability. The adsorption of four PFAS species (PFBA, PFBS, PFOA and PFOS) to Calgon Filtrasorb400 (F400) was evaluated for a range of pH and ionic strength conditions to investigate the role of electrostatic interactions in adsorption capacity. These PFAS are all strong acids, so pH was used as a control for GAC surface …

Fully Bio-Based, Flexible, Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane Foams With High Lignin Content For Protective Packaging Applications, Kathryn N. Evancho

All Theses

Polyurethane foam is a valuable material with applications across the automotive, packaging, construction, appliance, and furniture industries. However, traditional polyurethane foams are made from petroleum-based precursors including harmful isocyanates. Isocyanates are the leading cause of workplace asthma and are made from toxic phosgene gas, representing a challenge to green chemistry principles such reducing risk and environmental footprint. To address these concerns, non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) foams have been the focus of research for the past decade, but they still face significant challenges in achieving commercial viability. NIPUs replace the traditional polyurethane reaction with a safer, non-isocyanate process most often employing cyclic …

Chromosome Evolution Model Reveals Hidden Variation In Karyotype-Driven Speciation In Ferns, Thomas Buchloh

All Theses

Because karyotype change commonly generates reproductive isolation between diverging species, rapid karyotype evolution, like that seen in plants, may increase the total rate of diversification. However, few studies have investigated this predicted relationship. Tests of this prediction have identified a positive correlation between the rate of karyotype change (specifically whole genome duplications) and diversification, but tests have been restricted to relatively small and young clades. Fortunately, novel macroevolutionary models have recently become available to investigate patterns of karyotype evolution in large phylogenies, providing new opportunity to investigate variation in karyotype driven diversification. Ferns are one of the most karyotype rich …

Assessing The Viability Of A Proposed Third-Party Reusable Foodware System: An Environmental And Economic Comparison, Margaret Milani

All Theses

The United States generates 73 million tons of plastic waste annually, with over 6% attributed to the restaurant industry. The EPA recommends that restaurants reduce their plastic waste by transitioning to reusable foodware items. Previous studies have shown that using a single reusable foodware item, such as a cup, can result in lower environmental impacts and greater economic benefits compared to single-use plastic alternatives. However, the upfront costs of purchasing reusables, commercial dishwashers, and other associated expenses remain significant barriers for restaurants, leading many to continue using single-use plastic foodware. This study aims to analyze and compare the environmental impacts …

The Impact Of Emdr Therapy On Past Suicidal Ideation: Lived Experiences Of Young Adults, Lindsey Faehnrich

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study explores the effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in reducing suicidal ideation and improving mental health outcomes among college-attending young adults (ages 18–24) with a history of trauma. EMDR is a body-based psychotherapy designed to alleviate distressing thoughts and trauma. It gained attention for its positive impact on PTSD and has more recently been applied to other mental health disorders. The literature review highlights risk factors including trauma, mental health disorders, suicidal ideation, and EMDR. The methods detail a phenomenological approach, interviewing four young adults who underwent EMDR and experienced past suicidal ideation. This provided …

Interventions Of Eating Habits And Healthy Behaviors, Diego Armando Mazariegos Espinosa

Undergraduate Honors Theses

About thirty to fifty percent of college students report having negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, sadness, anger, hopelessness, shame, fear, and more. And over seventy percent feel exhausted or overwhelmed by schoolwork. According to scholarly research, these emotions pose obstacles during college life impacting the eating habits and healthy behaviors of college students. These habits can have a possibility of bringing lifelong issues in social, educational, and self-esteem aspects. Technology has revolutionized the world in a spectacular way in a short period of time. As students today have access to all sorts of technology like phones and computers, the …

Whole-Genome Assembly And Annotation Of The Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon Eatonii), David E. Jarvis, Mikel R. Stevens, Payton Carter, Ying Fei Lin, Kate E. Jaggi, Gabriela Jijon, Teal Kalt, Jouber Calixto, Samantha Standring, Kaitlin Torres, Kayla B. Stephensen, Hayley Mangelson, Noah H. Williams, Carolyn A. Wessinger, Peter J. Maughan, Paul B. Frandsen

Faculty Publications

The penstemons are ornamental annual flowering plants native to the Intermountain West and Rocky Mountains and commonly used for urban landscaping. Elite commercial penstemons are generally susceptible to abiotic stresses, including drought, root rot, cold, and high salinity. Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii), however, is much more tolerant to these stresses than most elite cultivars. Importantly, firecracker penstemon has been reported to hybridize with many other penstemons and therefore provides the opportunity to develop more tolerant elite cultivars through strategic crossing. To facilitate the study and utilization of firecracker penstemon, we sequenced and annotated the genome of a P. …

Network-Based Attacks In Cloud Computing In 2020-2024, Yaswanth Sai Manikanta Anguluri

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As the use of cloud technologies has increased in the past five years, the number of network attacks is also increasing. During 2020 to 2024, there are lot of changes in cloud technologies which led to various network attacks in the cloud computing environments from 2020 to 2024. This study investigates the evolution of network-based attacks in cloud environments from 2020 to 2024. Data was collected from Kaggle website to analyze the trends of the evolution of network-based attacks. The research questions are: (Q1) How do the trends change in network-based attack from 2020 to 2024 and why? (Q2) Which …

Exploring Factors That Contribute To Poverty Among Singleparent Households Headed By Latinas: A Qualitative Study, Jeffrey M. Balencia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Despite the new strategies and programs being developed and implemented, poverty still finds itself at a continuous increase yearly (Banovcinova et al., 2014). Families have been found to be the most susceptible group compared to everyone else due to the many factors they face that can affect them. By using the information provided by other articles, gaps identified is there are lack of studies on the factors that contribute to poverty among singleparent households headed by Latinas. Objective: This exploratory study aims to identify contributing factors to poverty among single-parent households headed by Latinas. Method: Qualitative data will be …

Population Dynamics, Life History Characteristics, And Environmental Drivers Of Neomysis Americana In The Damariscotta River Estuary, Allison Fogg Ms '25

All Student Scholarship

Mysid shrimp (Neomysis americana) play a pivotal role in estuarine food webs by linking primary producers to higher trophic levels and serving as an important food source for commercially valuable fish. Despite their ecological significance, mysids are often under sampled, leading to gaps in our understanding of their population dynamics and life history traits. My study investigated N. americana over a full year (June 2023 to May 2024) in the temperate Damariscotta River Estuary in Maine. My research focused on how environmental factors such as temperature, turbidity, salinity, chlorophyll-a, and zooplankton biomass affect mysid density and reproduction. Temperature emerged as …

A Multi-Tiered Approach To Improving Vaccination: Adjuvanticity, Alternate Routes Of Delivery, And Science Communication, Haley Agnes Bridgewater

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Vaccines have been used to prevent infectious disease for over 200 years. While they are an incredible way to prevent loss of life, they can be improved upon. Researchers around the globe are working to improve the immune response and ultimately the protection provided by existing and new vaccines. In this dissertation, I investigate three ways to improve vaccine immune responses: using an adjuvant, using a prime-boost intramammary delivery route in cows, and using microneedle delivery route. Cholera toxin (CT) is a bacterial toxin that has a non-toxic B subunit (CTB) used as a vaccine adjuvant. However, little is known …

The Regulatory Role Of Collagen Α1(Xi) Amino-Terminal Domain Isoforms In Collagen Fibrillogenesis, Abu Sayeed Chowdhury

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Collagen α1(XI) is a minor fibrillar collagen involved in the critical regulation of collagen fibrils, such as nucleation, assembly, and regulation of fibril diameter. The amino-terminal domain consists of an amino-propeptide (Npp) domain and a variable region, which is the result of alternative splicing from exon 6A, 6B, 7, and 9. The spliced variants involving Npp, with the combinations of exon 6A, 6B, 7, and 9 gives rise to different isoforms with very distinctive chemical nature. The Npp of collagen α1(XI) chain is retained on the surface of the collagen fibril for an extended period of time and may play …