Life Sciences Commons^™

Nutritional Knowledge Of Collegiate Track Athletes, Haleigh Risner

Honors Theses

There are rising concerns on whether collegiate athletes are being diligent with their nutritional practices. With an increase in RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in sports) cases in athletes, their knowledge about their nutritional needs comes into question. Nutrition has a significant impact on athletic performance and the development in an athlete’s specialty. To assess the current knowledge of athletes, the track athletes of East Texas A&M University were asked to participate in a nutritional assessment to determine their knowledge of nutrition in regard to their sport. It was hypothesized that the majority of athletes surveyed would not possess adequate knowledge …

High Germinability Can Facilitate Recovery Of Adelia Vaseyi (Euphorbiaceae), An Imperiled Tamaulipan Thornscrub Shrub, Saroj Dhakal, Bashira Chowdhury, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

While critical to maintaining dryland biodiversity and drought resilience, reforestation has been limited in subtropical dry forests because of knowledge gaps in seed biology that must be filled to upscale seedling production and ensure recovery of imperiled endemic plants. We characterized seed germination, dormancy, and storage needs for Adelia vaseyi, a threatened endemic shrub commonly included in planting mixes to restore Tamaulipan thornscrub, an imperiled subtropical forest spanning South Texas and Northeastern Mexico. We found A. vaseyi seeds have high germinability (82.0%) and a short mean germination time (3.04 ± 0.08 days). A delia vaseyi seed does not appear …

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus Occidentalis) Groundings On A Four-Lane Divided Highway In South Texas: A Comparative Study Using Citizen Science, Bradley Evan Beer, Kevin W. Ryer, Md. Saydur Rahman, John H. Young Jr., Richard J. Kline

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

The population of the once-endangered brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) has increased over the past several decades and is now considered fully recovered. However, in south Texas, the combined effects of weather patterns, transportation infrastructure, and brown pelican biology have led to road mortalities on State Highway 48 (SH 48) at the Carl “Joe” Gayman Bridge. To mitigate these mortalities, the Texas Department of Transportation modified traffic barriers on SH 48. We aimed to examine the effect of the barrier change and determine which weather variables influence brown pelican groundings on SH 48. Citizen scientists monitored sections of SH …

Dietary Manipulations Of The Undernourished Infant Microbiome, Cyrus Zhou

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Today, undernutrition affects approximately 150 million children worldwide. During the first two years of life, the healthy gut microbial community undergoes a series of predictable developmental transitions. These transitions are delayed in undernourished children resulting in microbiota “immaturity.” In a foundational study, immature gut microbial communities from undernourished children and normally developing communities from chronologically age-matched healthy children living in the same area were transplanted into groups of germ-free mice consuming the same diet – one representative of what consumed by the study population. Compared mice with a mature gut microbiome, mice with an immature gut microbiome had impaired weight …

A Computational Assessment Of Halobacterium Salinarum Glutamate Dehydrogenase Enzymes, Maaz Abdalla

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is a hexameric enzyme. GDH is involved in several pathways and cellular processes such as oxidation-reduction homeostasis, ammonia metabolism, lipid biosynthesis, insulin and lactate production, and acid-base equilibrium. The main objective of this thesis is to understand the structural and biochemical properties of this enzyme and why some organisms, for e.g., Halobacterium salinarum, have more than one GDH with different coenzyme specificities. The catabolism of glutamate is linked to NAD+-specific GDHs, meanwhile, NADP+-specific GDHs play an anabolic role in ammonia assimilation. Molecular docking and binding free energy calculations were employed followed by long-scale (500 nanoseconds) comparative molecular …

Synthesis, Characterization And Field Application Of Date Palm Biochar, Raed Sameeh Raja Hussain

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Date palm cultivation generates large quantities of lignocellulosic residues as a part of orchard management and regular pruning activities. Total date palm biomass produced in the UAE has been estimated at around 1.2 million tons per year. These residues are usually burned or disposed of in open areas or used in compost pits which in turn create waste management and environmental issues. This study investigated the conversion of date palm fronds into biochar and evaluated the feasibility of using it as a soil amendment for arid and saline agricultural systems. Biochar was produced using a locally fabricated double canister pyrolysis …

False Halos: A Case Of Digoxin Poisoning, Usman Nazeer, Sarita Thanedar, Jacob Sanderson, Gongkai Liu, Hitesh Gidwani

Central & West Texas and San Antonio GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Proteomics For The Investigation Of Phosphoprotein Phosphatase 1 And 3 Substrate Specificities, Galini Poimenidou

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Reversible phosphorylation is a crucial post-translational modification (PTM) that modulates a variety of signaling pathways intracellularly, with aberrant protein phosphorylation being a hallmark of many human diseases. Kinases, which catalyze phosphorylation of their substrates, have been extensively studied in the context of the signaling pathways they regulate and their effects on cellular processes. In contrast, phosphoprotein phosphatases (PPPs), which catalyze the removal of phosphate groups from substrate proteins, have only recently come to the research spotlight. For a long time, protein phosphatases were deemed unspecific housekeeping enzymes, but they are now known to display exquisite substrate specificity. Phosphoprotein phosphatase 1 …

Hybrid Bermudagrass Dormancy Management In A Cool-Season Climate, Clarissa H. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Hybrid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt Davy) (HBG) is a water efficient warm-season turfgrass increasingly adopted in cool-season and semi-arid regions due to climate change and the demand for reduced irrigation inputs. However, prolonged winter dormancy limits its visual quality (verdure) and seasonal performance. This thesis evaluated multiple management strategies to modify dormancy dynamics and improve off-season turf quality in a cool-season environment. Field experiments assessed the effects of growth covers, fertilizers, colorants, surfactants, organic acids, and overseeding with cool-season species on HBG dormancy over two seasons. Dormancy responses were quantified using normalized difference vegetation index …

Secondary Contact Dynamics In White-Breasted Nuthatches (Sitta Carolinensis) Across The Pine Ridge Of Nebraska, Eugene A. Huryn

Biology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Populations’ interactions in contact zones are important for understanding divergence dynamics of closely related taxa. Such interactions may vary from inter-population divergence being reinforced to secondary contact resulting in the creation of a hybrid swarm. The ecology of each lineage, and different factors like behavior and ecological niches, may impact the outcome of such contact. However, there is little current research on how habitat choice at local scales might reflect distinct populations, particularly in cryptic species. To study how niche dynamics affect diversification, we studied the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) complex in northwestern Nebraska. Two members of this …

Neural Signaling Contributes To Heart Formation And Growth In The Invertebrate Chordate, Ciona Robusta, Hannah N. Gruner, C. J. Pickett, Jasmine Yimeng Bao , '24, Richard Garcia , '24, A. Hozumi, T. D. Scully, Sydney Popsuj, Shaoyang Ning, Mavis Gao , '26, Gia Bautista , '23, Keren Meze , '24, Haeun Karissa Lim , '25, T. Osugi, Mae Collins-Doijode , '26, Ofubofu Cairns , '24, Gabriel Levis , '23, Shu Yi Chen , '24, Taixi Gong , '24, H. Satake, A. M. Klein, Y. Sasakura, Bradley Justin Davidson

Biology Faculty Works

Neurons contribute to the complex interplay of signals that mediate heart development and homeostasis. Although a limited set of studies suggest that neuronal peptides impact vertebrate heart growth, the specific contributions of these peptides to cardiomyocyte progenitor differentiation or proliferation have not been elucidated. Here, we show that the neuropeptide tachykinin along with canonical Wnt signaling regulate cardiomyocyte progenitor proliferation in the chordate model Ciona robusta. In C. robusta, the heart continues to grow throughout adulthood and classic histological studies indicate that a line of undifferentiated cells may serve as a reserve progenitor lineage. We found that this line of …

Semiochemicals And Odorant Receptors Underlying Potato Cultivar Susceptibility And Resistance To Potato Tuber Moth, Ruipeng Chen, Wangtao Hu, Qin Hu, Junjie Yan, Jiao Yin, Fathiya M. Khamis, Yulin Gao, Walter S. Leal

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Infestation of potato by the potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella) varies markedly among cultivars, yet the chemical and molecular mechanisms underlying this variation remain poorly understood. Here, we combine field surveys, chemical ecology, functional genomics, and structural modeling to reveal how cultivar-specific volatile profiles shape moth oviposition behavior and pest outcomes. Field and laboratory assays identified marked differences in adult attraction, oviposition, and larval damage among potato cultivars, which correlated with distinct blends of emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Behavioral analyses revealed that among other VOCs, trans-nerolidol and β-ionone act as attractants, whereas 3-carene and benzyl tiglate function as oviposition …

Interest In Training Certifications Within The Horticulture Industry, Bradley S. Peiffer

Scholars Week

When it comes to post-secondary education, less than half of Americans hold a college degree. While certain industries don’t necessarily need college-level education, they can still have a lot to learn beyond hands-on education and training. Horticulture, for example, can have a large knowledge gap from people with a secondary education only. Oftentimes, a certificate in a field of work can significantly improve knowledge in the workforce without such an extreme time or cost expense. This study investigates whether there is a potential interest in training certifications within the Horticulture Industry. Specifically, this research was conducted to determine if Horticulture …

Impact Of Climate Change Factors On Physiological And Biochemical Alterations In Some Uae Native Plants, Khalfan Mohammed Alnaqbi

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

The worldwide effects of climate change on ecosystems are glaring because rising environmental stresses from UV radiation and elevated CO₂ and temperature variations make it difficult for plants to grow and sustain productivity. In this study, we compared how these four species, i.e., Calligonum crinitum, Juncus rigidus, Pulicaria glutinosa, and Senna artemisioides, respond to UV radiation exposure alongside elevated CO₂ levels and their combined effect. These species were selected due to their ecological importance and resilience to extreme desert conditions. The study focused on key morphological and physiological responses, including plant height, fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll content, and other …

The Efficacy Of Manganese Sulfate As A Negative Contrast Agent For Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography, Zainab Abdulla Mankhi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The current study aims to find an alternate oral contrast media for use in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) that satisfies the following criteria, the greatest imaging quality safety, no or few side effects, and low cost. The present study created an oral contrast agent sample (solution) by dissolving a one tablet of manganese sulfate supplement (taken daily dose) in 200 ml of distilled water. Thirty-three volunteers assessed the sample using MRCP examine pre and post contrast. By evaluating the signal intensity to compute contrast (C), signal to noise ratios (SNR), and contrast to noise ratio (CNR), the resulting MR images …

Antioxidant And Antifungal Activity Of Lactuca Serriola L. Plant And Silver Nanoparticles Against Aspergillus Species., Sakar Abdulqadr Saheed, Badr Qader Ismael

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Medicinal plants remain a valuable source of antifungal agents, and recent developments in green nanotechnology have increased the prospects for Lactuca serriola L. as a useful bioresource. In the current study, leaves and roots were extracted by ultrasonic-assisted chloroform, ethanol, and aqueous extraction methods for the biological mediation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). Screening of Phytochemicals for extracts revealed the present secondary metabolites. Ag NPs were verified through UV-visible spectroscopy, indicating a peak at (408-423 nm) corresponding to a surface plasmon resonance, FT-IR functional groups of O–H, C=O, and C–N binding. The morphological analysis revealed an irregular-to-quasi-spherical shape, with an …

Evaluating Ai-Driven Sustainable Neuro-Urbanism Through A Human-Centered Framework: The Case Of Ras Elbar City, Egypt, Esraa Elazab, Ahmed Eltawil

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This study applies and evaluates a previously developed human-centered framework for AI-driven sustainable neuro-urbanism through a case study of Ras Elbar City, Egypt. Building on earlier conceptual research that integrated artificial intelligence (AI), neuroscience-informed design, and sustainability principles, this paper seeks to test the framework’s practical relevance in the context of a developing coastal city. Using qualitative evaluation methods, including field observation and spatial assessment, the research examines twelve key urban design elements such as green spaces, mobility networks, lighting, and soundscapes. Each element is analyzed across three dimensions: neuro-urbanism goals, AI integration, and sustainability outcomes. The findings show that …

Spectroscopic Characterization And Extraction Optimization Of Catechins In Green Tea, Zach J. Mckinley, Masakatsu Watanabe

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This research initiative immerses students in a multifaceted analytical chemistry investigation of catechins—polyphenolic antioxidants prevalent in green tea—through the application of both classical and modern techniques. The project emphasizes hands-on experience with real-world sample analysis, method development, and critical data interpretation.

Catechins were extracted from various commercial green tea products, including loose leaves, powders, and dietary supplements, by trituration with ethyl acetate followed by solvent partitioning using a methanol and water solution. The resulting extracts were analyzed using UV-Visible spectroscopy to quantify catechin content. Selected samples were further characterized by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), confirming both the identity and purity …

Sustainable Land Use Optimization In Radioactively Contaminated Landscapes Of Ukrainian Polissia, Iryna Mcdonald, Liudmyla Raichuk

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Sustainable Land Use Optimization in Radioactively Contaminated Landscapes of Ukrainian Polissia

Dr. Iryna McDonald¹, Dr. Liudmyla Raichuk²

¹Fort Hays State University, Department of Agriculture, Hays, KS, USA

²Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management of the NAAS, Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract

The radioecological situation in territories contaminated due to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident remains challenging, particularly in the Zhytomyr, Kyiv, and Rivne regions, where certain products continue to exhibit elevated levels of radionuclide content. Contemporary challenges –  such as the full-scale war, which has led to the loss of productive lands in southern and eastern …

Feeding Strategies And Milking Behavior In Robotic Milking Systems, Katherine M. Kennedy, Elizabeth French, Porter D. Ricks, Emma K. Lundgreen

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Adoption of automatic milking systems (AMS) in the US are expected to increase rapidly in the coming years driven primarily by a desire to improve labor efficiency and flexibility and decrease reliance on hired labor. As such, feeding and milking strategies to best optimize milk production and economic gains tailored to US dairy production systems are needed. Initially introduced as a method to encourage the cow to visit the AMS more frequently, offered feeds through the AMS provide an opportunity to individualize nutrient needs. Often, a pelleted concentrate is offered through the AMS due to its uniformity and customizable nature. …

Three-Dimensional Imaging Of Neuronal Activation Patterns In Chronic Neuropathic Pain And Opioid Pharmacology, Madeline Martinez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Chronic neuropathic pain severely diminishes quality of life, yet the supraspinal neural circuits that sustain pain perception and mediate analgesic relief remain incompletely characterized. While peripheral and spinal pain pathways are well established, relatively few studies have mapped pain- or opioid-related neuronal activation across the entire brain. This dissertation employed activity-dependent genetic labeling (TRAP2/Ai9), whole-brain tissue clearing, light sheet microscopy, and graph-theoretic network analysis to characterize brain-wide activation patterns across chronic pain and analgesic conditions in mice.

In Chapter 1, we mapped supraspinal neuronal activation in a bilateral spared nerve injury model of chronic neuropathic pain. Although no individual region …

Evaluating The Geographic Patterns In Isotopic Composition For Nesting Hawksbill Sea Turtles In The Wider Caribbean By Coupling Satellite Telemetry And Stable Isotopes, Anna Kreiger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Combining satellite telemetry and stable isotope analysis offers a framework for inferring sea turtle foraging habitats when spatial isotopic gradients exist. We evaluated this combined approach using carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ1⁵N) isotope values from critically endangered hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting at Buck Island Reef National Monument, U.S. Virgin Islands (N=31), and Long Island (Jumby Bay), Antigua (N = 31). Nesting females were satellite-tracked to identify foraging areas and sampled for skin tissue, and Empirical Bayesian Kriging was used to generate basin-scale δ13C and δ1⁵N isoscapes. Tracked turtles foraged widely across the Caribbean Basin, including the Greater …

Apoe As A Potential Link In Glioblastoma Therapeutic Resistance, Xiwen She, Ifelayo Adefuye

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor characterized by recurrence and resistance to therapy, which are driven by interactions between glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and the tumor microenvironment. In this study, single-cell RNA sequencing data were analyzed using QIAGEN CLC Genomics Workbench to identify genes associated with tumor–immune interactions. Following clustering, differential expression, and a multi-step prioritization strategy, we identified APOE as a top candidate gene connecting tumor and immune processes, contributing to therapeutic resistance in glioblastoma.

Roles Of Mads-Box Transcription Factors In Plant Responses To Abiotic And Biotic Stresses, Na Liu, Zihao Liu, Guangxiang Tian, Shijia Zhao, Hao Chu, Yiheng Hu, Yingfan Zhao, Yanyan Zhang, Kun Cheng, Daowen Wang, Wenming Zheng, Zhengqing Fu, Xu Wang

Faculty Publications

Plants deploy sophisticated adaptive mechanisms to mitigate the detrimental effects of abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, temperature extremes, and heavy metals) and biotic stresses (pathogens and senescence) on growth and productivity. Central to these responses are transcription factors (TFs) that orchestrate stress-responsive gene networks. Among TF families, MADS-box proteins, characterized by their evolutionarily conserved DNA-binding domain, function as pivotal regulators of developmental plasticity and stress adaptation. While recent advances have clarified their roles in abiotic stress tolerance, a systematic integration of their functions in biotic stress responses has yet to be achieved. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how MADS-box TFs …

Weed Seed Burial And Long-Term Viability Following Soil Inversion, Catherine Borger, Sultan Mia, Gaus Azam, Stephen Davies

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Strategic soil inversion is advocated as a periodic weed management strategy, typically recommended every 4 to 8 yr if the goal is to delay the evolution of herbicide resistance. It is assumed that the weed seeds buried during the inversion process will lose viability during this period. However, long-term seedbank persistence following soil inversion has not been investigated. If the buried seeds retain viability, subsequent inversions or other deep-tillage operations may return them to the soil surface, potentially replenishing the weed seedbank. The current study identified 30 sites within the wheatbelt of Western Australia (in 2020) that had previously been …

Maintaining And Axenizing Live Cyanobacterial Cultures For Bacterial Genome Sequencing, Yufei Wang, Louisa Acquah

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are an

increasing concern in western Kansas, yet the

bloom-forming species in this region remain

poorly characterized. In this study, we

established and maintained axenic

cyanobacterial cultures to support future

genomic and ecological investigations. By

ensuring low contamination levels and stable

growth conditions, this work provides a

foundation for downstream analyses of bloom-

forming cyanobacteria. It contributes to a better

understanding of freshwater ecosystem health

in western Kansas.

Mandibular Ecomorphology Of Tylosaurus (Reptilia: Mosasauridae), Andrew I. Price, Amanda Peng

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The large mosasaur Tylosaurus is known to have been a predator of large marine animals. Performing beam theory analysis, a computational technique that uses linear dimensions of a structure to calculate its resistance to bending, on the mandibles of six Tylosaurus specimens from the Smoky Hill Chalk of Kansas indicates dorsoventral and mediolateral bending strength both increase posteriorly along the mandible. Comparisons with Varanus komodoensis indicate relatively greater mediolateral bending strength mid-dentary in Tylosaurus, suggesting that resisting torsional forces of struggling prey was more important at this landmark in Tylosaurus and that more of its jaw length was used …

Continuous Light And Pinealectomy: Two Models Of Melatonin Deficiency Revealing Distinct Interactions With Vitamin D Deficiency On Blood Parameters, Rebaz Sedeeq Shekh, Ismail Mustafa Maulood

Polytechnic Journal

Modern lifestyles reduce sunlight exposure and increase artificial light at night, potentially promoting vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and melatonin (MEL) suppression. The two hormones regulate immunity, erythropoiesis, and platelet (PLT) indices, but their combined hematological effects are not well characterized. We investigated the independent and combined effects of VDD and MEL deficiency on leukocyte profiles, erythrocyte indices, and PLT parameters in albino rats using two 12-week models (n = 8/group): continuous light (CL)-induced MEL suppression (Control, CL, VDD, and CL + VDD) and pinealectomy (Px)-induced MEL deficiency (Sham. Px, VDD, Px + VDD). Complete blood counts (CBCs) and inflammation-related ratios …

An Occupation-Based Support Group For Underserved Adults Living With Lymphedema, Amivi Amega

Student Capstone Papers

Lymphedema is a chronic condition that can significantly impact physical function, psychosocial well-being, and participation in meaningful occupations. Although traditional management primarily focuses on physical symptom reduction, gaps remain in addressing long-term participation and quality of life, particularly among underserved populations. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop an occupation-based support group manual designed to support both the physical and psychosocial needs of adults living with lymphedema.

This project was informed by a needs assessment and expert feedback from Certified Lymphedema Therapists, enhancing clinical relevance and applicability. The manual integrates principles from the Model of Human Occupation and …

Testing Effects Of Acoustic Propagation, Morphology, And Intrasexual Selection On The Elaboration And Performance Of Song In Bachman’S Sparrows (Peucaea Aestivalis), Hans Kayser Gonzembach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Birdsong is a communication signal shaped by ecological, morphological, and cultural processes. While many songbird species produce relatively simple vocal repertoires, others, such as the Bachman’s Sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis), produce moderately large repertoires with multiple distinct and context-dependent song categories. Despite this complexity, little is known about the major drivers that shape song elaboration in this species. Additionally, it is unclear whether abiotic factors play a significant role in determining how different song types are learned and shared within a population. To better understand how ecological and social pressures shape song variation, I conducted three studies using Bachman’s …