Life Sciences Commons^™

A Singular Case Of Early-Stage Long-Distance Dispersal Of The Smooth Newt, Lissotriton Vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758) (Amphibia, Caudata), Simone Costa, Francesco Paolo Faraone, Mario Lo Valvo

Turkish Journal of Zoology

To date, the global introduction of alien amphibians and reptiles has likely been facilitated by the expanding plant nursery trade. Here, we report in detail a singular case of unintentional introduction of Lissotriton vulgaris in Sicily. A newt in the final stages of its larval development was found in a private garden pond in north-western Sicily, where aquatic plants from a nursery in Veneto (northeastern Italy) had been introduced two months earlier. The analysis of the mithochondrial markers ND2 and ND4 revealed a shared haplotype between the Sicilian newt and a sample from Treviso, the province of the putative source. …

Molecular Phylogeny And Population Structure Of Eurygaster Integriceps (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae) In The Southeastern Anatolia Region Of Türkiye, Mehmet Sali̇h Özgökçe, Merve Doğaç, Hi̇lmi̇ Kara

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The aim of this study was to determine the identity and distribution of the sunn pest Eurygaster spp. and to quantify the population density in wheat fields across Southeastern Anatolia, Türkiye. A total of 309 samples were collected from 76 fields in 54 districts across all provinces within the study region, where wheat production is intensive. A combination of morphological and molecular techniques was employed to identify the collected specimens. Morphological identification was based on male genitalia, and PCR amplification of the COI mitochondrial gene region was used for DNA barcoding. Both morphological and molecular analyses confirmed that all collected …

Protein Composition Of The Foam Nest Of Rhacophorus Reinwardtii (Schlegel, 1840) (Anura: Rhacophoridae), With Notes On Breeding Sites Characteristics And Biomedical Applications, Muhammad Asyraf Rijalullah, Nia Kurniawan, Nia Kurnianingsih

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Rhacophorus reinwardtii is endemic to Java Island and is currently experiencing a population decline. Therefore, the sustainability of its offspring is important to prevent species extinction. Foam nest as a biosurfactant structure plays a crucial role as egg protection through major protein components function. However, studies on the functional proteins of rhacophoridae foam nests are limited. Thus, this study aims to uncover the protein-specific components and functions of the R. reinwardtii foam nest. Additionally, the characteristics of breeding sites, including abiotic factors, were also assessed. Total protein concentration of the R. reinwardtii foam nest was determined to be 747.7 μg/mL …

Thermal Physiology Of The Giant Day Gecko, Phelsuma Grandis, Infinity Alvarez

Masters Theses (Archived)

Ectotherms rely on their environment to regulate and maintain their body temperature. For this reason, environmental fluctuations strongly impact their biology. Lizards are ectotherms that are suitable models to investigate thermal physiology. However, the bulk of this research has been studied using new world Anolis lizards. In this study, the giant day gecko, (P.grandis), native to Madagascar but invasive in Florida, was selected as a model for comparison. In our physiotype of P.grandis we included measurements such as metabolic rates, sprint speed at relevant temperatures, thermal preference, critical thermal minimum, and voluntary thermal maximum. Our findings showed that …

Reproductive Natural History Of The American Grass Mantid, Thesprotia Graminis, Bridget N. Battaglia, Charles Watson

Masters Theses (Archived)

The American grass mantis, Thesprotia graminis, is an understudied mantis native to Texas, including the campus of Texas A&M-SA. Mantids are influential members of ecosystems as a major predator of small insects. Therefore, measuring elements of their natural history, such as maternal investment, timing of oviposition, and fecundity, will add to our understanding of this specie’s ecology in grassland communities. In controlled lab conditions, we measured the mass of every instar, mantids of both sexes, and the masses of oothecas (egg cases) pre- and post-hatch. Interestingly, we found that this species lays multiple, smaller oothecas throughout the reproductive season. …

Evaluation Of Schoenoplectus Californicus In An Artificial System For E. Coli Removal, Kimia Ahmadiyehyazdi

Masters Theses (Archived)

Green technologies and nature-based solutions like constructed wetlands have be come more popular due to their environmentally friendly approach to remediation, low cost of construction, and maintenance. Also, they have shown efficiency in removing a wide range of contaminants. However, choosing a suitable aquatic plant for this system is one of the questions that should be answered wisely. Schoenoplectus californicus– Giant Bulrush is an aquatic plant that was tested in this controlled constructed wetland, and the final concentration of the targeted microbial contamination, which is E. coli, was reduced remarkably. Also, for this study, soil was removed from the …

Honey Bee & Reward Loss: A Deep Dive Into The Alarm Pheromone, Citlalli Guadarrama

Masters Theses (Archived)

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of Land Development On Soil Microdiversity And Antibiotic Production, Dennis Guillen Castro, Robert Garcia, Jonathan Castro, Davida Smyth

Masters Theses (Archived)

The impact of land development on soil microbial diversity and antibiotic production is critical due to industrial expansion and the scarcity of effective antibiotics. Low Impact Development (LID) aims to preserve ecosystems, but its effectiveness in maintaining microbial diversity is uncertain. This study compares soil samples from nine sites: undisturbed (UD), residential (RD), and Madla Greenway (GW) within the VIDA development area and Texas A&M University-San Antonio campus. Isolated microbes were screened for antibiotic production and genetically characterized. Preliminary findings indicate that UD sites harbor greater microbial abundance, and a higher proportion of antibiotic-producing microbes compared to GW and RD …

Sustainability In The Cruising Industry: Innovations In Air Quality, Energy Efficiency, And Waste Management, Fikret Durmus, Mi Ran Kim

ICHRIE Research Reports

The cruise industry, a cornerstone of the global hospitality and tourism sector, faces increasing scrutiny over its environmental impact. As passenger numbers grow, so does the industry's responsibility to adopt sustainable practices. This report examines key innovations in air quality management, energy efficiency, and waste management, highlighting the industry's transition from historically high emissions and waste production to advanced sustainability initiatives. Key focus areas include evolving maritime regulations, adopting cleaner propulsion technologies, integrating energy-efficient solutions, and improving waste treatment practices. Findings indicate that industry leaders are investing in liquefied natural gas engines, exhaust gas cleaning systems, and onshore power supply …

Engineering Hiv-1 Env Protein To Elucidate In Situ Structural Dynamics Of Env, Narendra Kumar Gonepudi

Biotechnology Theses

The HIV-1 Envelope (Env) glycoprotein trimers undergo structural changes upon interacting with host receptor CD4 and coreceptors (CCR5/CXCR4) for virus entry. As the only surface-exposed viral protein, Env is a key antibody target but evades recognition through structural changes. Studying Env dynamics with respect to the coreceptor binding region (V3 loop) provides insights into virus entry and immune evasion. Fluorescence labeling via genetic code expansion (amber–TAG suppression) offers a minimally invasive approach for fluorescence microscope-based Env dynamics studies. Here, two V3-related dual-amber Env constructs (A135_TAG-P308_TAG, P308_TAG-E395_TAG) were generated by incorporating two non-canonical …

Dynamical Evolution Of Kinematic Properties: The Steady Forcing Case, A.D. Kirwan, Jr, Helga Huntley, James Turbett

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Observations from recent large submesoscale drifter deployments in the ocean exhibit complicated time series of the kinematic properties (KP) — divergence, vorticity, shear and normal strain rates. These are challenging to interpret in the complex ocean-atmosphere system. The evolution equations for the four KP are derived from the two-dimensional momentum conservation equations on the f -plane. The resulting equations capture the submesoscale motion of drifters along fixed ocean surfaces, with time and space scales on the order of days and kilometers. They are linearly coupled through the Coriolis term and nonlinearly coupled through the horizontal divergence. The solution space, even …

Sequence Conservation Of Suppressor Of Ikk Epsilon Phosphorylation Sites, Kaydence M. Isaacs

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Suppressor of IKK epsilon (SIKE) is a protein that is implicated in immune response signaling pathways. SIKE interaction networks suggest roles in cell motility and macromolecular complexes mediating kinase/phosphatase activity. In this project, we aim to better understand the function of SIKE by analyzing amino acid sequences across different species. In human SIKE, viral infection leads to phosphorylation of SIKE at defined serine residues. Comparing SIKE sequences, and specifically these phosphorylation sites, allows us to discover its ancestral connections to innate immune function. This has particular applications in bridging the evolutionary gap between fungi and metazoa SIKE sequences. Multiple sequence …

Mate Choice And Movement Ecology Of Plegadis Ibis In Louisiana, Ryan T. Klutts

LSU Master's Theses

In 1817, George Ord documented the first North American records of Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), a species native to the Old World. Over the next 200 years, Glossy Ibis expanded its breeding range to include the Atlantic coast to southernmost Florida and thence up the Gulf coast to eastern Texas. Forty-five to 75 years ago, its range expansion brought it into secondary contact with White-faced Ibis (P. chihi) in Louisiana, a native species whose breeding range includes freshwater wetlands in Louisiana and eastern Texas. Hybridization between the two species resulted in a large hybrid zone in southern Louisiana, providing an …

Myocardin Effector Proteins Affect Tgf-Beta-Induced Myofibroblast Differentiation In Ipf Cells, Allison Gonzalez

Biotechnology Theses

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable interstitial lung disease defined by the progressive, irreversible scarring of the tissues between the lung’s alveoli. To date, only two drugs have received approval for treatment. However, these medications are not considered cures since they do not stop the progression of the disease. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying IPF could aid in discovering a cure. We recently found that myocardin (MyoCD) regulates SMAD2/3 transcription factors in the TGF-β signaling pathway and governs the genes involved in pleural fibrosis. However, it is unclear whether MyoCD plays a critical role in IPF by …

Lethal And Sublethal Effects Of Cotton Expressing Single And Pyramided Proteins Of Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) On Helicoverpa Armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Spodoptera Litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), And Spodoptera Frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Sharna Holman, Paul Grundy, Helen Spafford, Michael Furlong

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

The susceptibility to proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) can vary among lepidopteran pest species. While Bollgard 3 cotton (BG3) effectively controls the primary pest Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) in Australia, its effectiveness against other pests, such as Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) and Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is unknown. This laboratory study assessed the survival and development of H. armigera, S. litura, and S. frugiperda larvae when fed foliage from a non-transgenic cotton variety (CC) and 3 transgenic cotton varieties: Bollgard (BG1) expressing Cry1Ac, Bollgard II (BG2) expressing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab, and Bollgard 3 (BG3) expressing Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab, and Vip3A. Pyramided …

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Nutrient Deprivation Reduces Nitrate Content In Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa Var. Ramosa Hort.) And Enhances Nitrogen Metabolism, Yingying Zhang, Xuena Liu, Shikai La, Mingjiao Wang, Xu Hu, Ainoug Shi, Jinghuai Guo, Lingdi Dong

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction Excessive nitrate accumulation in leafy vegetables poses health risks and indicates inefficient nitrogen use in conventional agriculture. While nitrogen metabolism has been extensively studied, the molecular mechanisms linking nutrient deprivation to nitrate reduction in vegetables remain unclear. Methods In this study, we investigated these mechanisms in lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. ramosa Hort.) by analyzing nitrate content and gene expression in leaves and roots under nutrient deprivation. Results After five days of treatment, nitrate content decreased by 57.49% in leaves and 50.77% in roots. Transcriptome sequencing identified 323 and 3,494 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in leaves and roots, respectively, with …

Application Of Bioinformatic Tools To Tuberculosis Surveillance At The Arkansas Department Of Health, Brian Scott Delavan

Theses and Dissertations

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a public health threat in Arkansas. Great strides have been made over the past fifty years to reduce the number of TB cases in Arkansas. However, the rate of TB cases has remained steady since 2010. According to the Arkansas Department of Health, from 2012 through 2023 the TB Case rate per 100,00 population was between 2.0 and 3.1. To continue Arkansas’ drive towards elimination of TB in Arkansas, defined as one TB case per million residents, new data analysis tools are needed. This project employs multiple bioinformatic tools to analyze TB cases and latent tuberculosis infections …

A Fundamentally New Direction In Embolization Using Reactive Chemistry In A Swine Model, Erik Cressman, Danielle Stolley, Shubhneet Warar, Natalie W Fowlkes, David Fuentes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Liver cancer carries a poor prognosis and incidence continues to increase. The main therapy for unresectable disease > 3 cm in diameter is Transarterial Chemoembolization. Unfortunately, overall survival for these patients has improved little in the past two decades. To address this, we propose a new approach using a chemical reaction in situ. We report here our results in a pilot study using a swine model. Domestic swine (n = 3) were treated in the liver with dichloroacetic anhydride in ethiodized oil. CT imaging was followed 24 h after the procedure by necropsy, histopathology, and mass spectrometry imaging. Animals tolerated the …

Thousand Cankers Disease Of Walnut (Geosmithia Morbida), Claudia Nischwitz, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Development And Evaluation Of A Simple Human Body Link Model Considering The Degrees-Of-Freedom Of Shoulders, Mizuki Takeda, Yuki Saito, Kaiji Sato

Progress in Scale Modeling, an International Journal

Modeling of the human body is widely utilized in the field of human–robot interaction, warranting the development of a simple model to measure and recognize the human body movements. To this end, a two-dimensional (2D) human body link model in the sagittal plane has been used to represent the human body with rotating joints and links connecting these joints. The joint positions can be determined by using the coordinates of a limited number of points on the links and estimated using a few sensor outputs when the links are of constant length. However, models with constant link lengths may result …

An Examination Of The Effect Of Cloth Material On The Efficiency And Success Of Tick Dragging Protocol In Lynchburg Va., Hyden Draughon

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Ticks serve as a major vector of arthropod-borne pathogens that could affect human populations. Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, and Haemaphysalis longicornis populations have been commonly reported in the state of Virginia, and can carry pathogens potentially fatal to humans. I. scapularis serves as a vector of Borrelia burgdorferi (the bacterium that causes Lyme disease), A. americanum has been found to carry Ehrlichia chaffeensis (the bacterium that causes Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis), D. variabilis can carry Rickettsia rickettsii (the bacterium that causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), and H. longicornis has been found to transmit protozoan Theileria orientalis to livestock. Over …

Pollinator Plant Communities Within Restored Montane Longleaf Pine Ecosystems, Hanen Van Rossem

Master's Theses

Historically the fire-dependent and biodiverse longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem was the dominant ecosystem of the Southeastern US. This ecosystem’s range was massively reduced due to land conversion and fire exclusion, causing the decline of many native species. Efforts to restore and protect longleaf pine stands are now ongoing with the goal of expanding habitat and refuge for threatened species. Differences in restoration practices and prior land use may influence the extent to which restored habitat patches can support pollinators and their plants. This study compared pollinator plant biodiversity between restored neighboring montane longleaf pine stands that differed in …

A Phylogenomic Investigation Of The Historical Biogeography Of Livebearers (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae), Sheila Rodríguez Machado

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Neotropics contain several biodiversity hotspots and harbor the highest diversity of freshwater fishes globally. Yet, recognizing the patterns and processes driving this richness remains a challenge. Similarly, all groups and subregions have not received the same attention, especially in the genomics era. Addressing these knowledge gaps will help us to better understand the region’s evolutionary and biogeographic complexity. The goal of this dissertation is to examine phylogenetic and biogeographic patterns of Neotropical freshwater fishes, with emphasis on the Greater Antilles, across multiple taxonomic and geographic scales. To achieve this goal, I generated a genomic dataset of hundreds of ultraconserved …

Observing The Prevalence Of Wolbachia Found In Tick Species From The Central Virginia Region, Madison Hoover

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Research has found that ticks are considered the second highest global vector of disease. Ticks can serve as a vector for pathogens such as Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme Disease), Borrelia miyamotoi (B. miyamotoi disease) and Borrelia hermsii (tick-borne relapsing fever). Tick species such as Dermacentor variabilis (American Dog ticks), Amblyomma maculatum (Gulf Coast ticks), Amblyomma americanum (Lone Star ticks), Ixodes scapulari (Black legged ticks), and Ixodes affinis can be found within the southeastern Virginia region. Arthropod hosts that possess Wolbachia can have their reproduction negatively impacted through methods such as Parthenogenesis, Male Killing, Feminization, and …

Oviposition And Immature Development Of Blowflies In Forensic Investigations, Amalia Herrera-Benitez

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Forensic entomology is a subspecialty within the field of forensic science where insect evidence is analyzed to solve criminal cases. Insects begin to colonize the body, with blowflies being the first insects to arrive. Within minutes, blowflies can lay eggs on a decomposing body, and the larvae will feed once they hatch. The life cycles of blowflies are analyzed to help determine an estimated post-mortem interval (PMI), which is crucial in investigations, as it can help establish a timeline. Various factors, such as temperature and access to the body, can cause delays in the oviposition of blowflies. A delay in …

Misused And Misunderstood: Examining The Inappropriate Use Of Stimulant Medications, Connor Dains, Madilyn Paphanchith, Makayla Eversole, Chaehyeon Jin, Minhwan Yang, Joshua Honaker, Samantha Mccord, Kayla Petkus

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children, characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorses stimulant medications as the first-line treatment option. When combined with behavioral therapy, this pharmacologic class can improve focus, executive functioning, and the overall quality of life. While stimulant prescriptions can have a positive effect when used as directed, there is concern for the potential of provider overprescription and patient misuse related to these medications. Consequently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revised the boxed warning and prescribing information for stimulant medications. Healthcare providers must educate …

Endophenotype-Informed Association Analyses For Liver Fat Accumulation And Metabolic Dysfunction In The Fels Longitudinal Study, Ariana L. Garza, John Blangero, Miryoung Lee, Cici X. Bauer, Stefan A. Czerwinski, Audrey Choh

School of Medicine Publications

The identification of causal genomic regions for liver fat accumulation in the context of metabolic dysfunction remains a challenging goal. This study aimed to identify potential endophenotypes for liver fat content and employ them in bivariate linkage searches for pleiotropic genetic regions where targeted association analysis is more likely to reveal significant variants. Multiple metabolic risk and adiposity distribution traits were assessed using the endophenotype ranking value. The top-ranked endophenotypes were then used in a bivariate linkage analysis, paired with liver fat content. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) identified as significant or suggestive were targeted for measured genotype association analyses. The …

Causes Of Heterozygosity Excess: The Case Of Mexican Populations Of Populus Tremuloides, Javier Hernández-Velasco, José Ciro Hernández-Díaz, Sergio Leonel Simental-Rodríguez, Juan P. Jaramillo-Correa, David S. Gernandt, José Jesús Vargas-Hernández, Ilga Porth, Roos Goessen, M. Socorro Gonzáles-Elizondo, Matthias Fladung, Cuauhtémoc Sáenz-Romero, José Guadalupe Martínez-Ávalos, Artemio Carrillo-Parra, Eduardo Mendoza-Maya, Arnulfo Blanco-García, Christian Wehenkel

Aspen Bibliography

The presence of heterozygous individuals in a population is crucial for maintaining genetic diversity, which can positively affect fitness and adaptability to environmental changes. While inbreeding generally reduces the proportion of heterozygous individuals in a population, polyploidy tends to increase the proportion. North American Populus tremuloides is one of the most widely distributed and ecologically important tree species in the Northern Hemisphere. However, genetic variation in Mexican populations of P. tremuloides, including the genetic signatures of their adaptation to a variety of environments, remains largely uncharacterized. The aim of this study was to analyze how inbreeding coefficient (F …

The State Of Municipal Scale Highest Use Urban Wood Reclamation Projects, Bradley C. Almond

Graduate Liberal Studies Theses and Dissertations

Millions of urban trees are downed annually for various reasons, such as storms, disease, or development. We are all witnesses to the loss of trees as we see the piles of woody waste assembled on the curbside, ready for public works pickup. Today, most urban wood waste ends up in landfills, mulching/chipping facilities, or firewood production. Each of these alternatives results in the release of sequestered carbon back into the atmosphere.

The initial research led to successful diversion from landfills to mulch and firewood operations. Then, the research shifted to converting urban wood waste for its best use, which outlined …

Computational Identification Of Infiltrating T Lymphocytes Into Solid Tumor, Lin Zhong

Statistical Science Theses and Dissertations

T cells play a central role in cancer immunity. Successful anti-tumor immunotherapy relies on the effective infiltration of cytotoxic T cells. However, the tumor microenvironment presents physical and immunosuppressive barriers to prevent T cell entry. Here, we developed two novel computational tools, ReMITT and SIBERT, to search for migrating T cells and T cell entry regions (TERs) into the tumor core. SIBERT combines a novel change point detection method and a spatial imputation model to detect regions with signatures of recent T cell entry using the spatial transcriptomics data. Applying SIBERT to multiple human cancer samples revealed several TERs for …