Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Sun Exposure On The Intensity And Distribution Of Salamander Biofluorescence, Julianne Chairez

Scholars Week

Salamanders have been used in a variety of different experiments to  determine the health of various ecosystems. Biofluorescence was recently studied in  amphibians in a study done in 2020. Not much is known about all its functions,  more studies are needed to fully understand how it works and how it can be affected  by environmental factors. Learning more about the functions of salamander  biofluorescence could lead to a greater understanding of how pollutants and human  impacts can affect salamanders and the health of their ecosystems. This project  aims to focus on tiger salamander biofluorescence and how its distribution and  intensity …

Comparing A Normal (2005) And A Drought (2007) Year Crop Health Using Ndvi, Pratibha Adhikari

Scholars Week

Agricultural productivity in the southeastern United States is highly vulnerable to drought-induced crop stress, as interannual climate variability can markedly alter crop development and production dynamics. The main goal of this project is to assess how crop health in Calloway County changed between a normal year (2005) and an extreme drought year (2007) using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and to evaluate the effectiveness of NDVI for monitoring crop stress. Cloud free Landsat images were acquired from USGS Earth Explorer. NDVI was produced for each year and a pixel-wise NDVI differencing image was created (ΔNDVI = NDVI_2007 − NDVI_2005). While …

Verifying Mutations In Arabidopsis Thaliana Gene Apetala3, Michelle Wang, Tara Phelps-Durr, Hazel Frans

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The purpose of this research is to verify the mutation in the Arabidopsis thaliana APETALA3 (AP3) gene. By sequencing DNA, we confirmed the presence of an extra guanine in the mutant AP3 gene. These findings support that further investigation is needed into how the AP3 gene affects flower development in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Using Machine Learning Algorithms To Clarify Relationships Between Soil Properties And Lead Stomach Bioaccessibility, Shehan Wijesinghe, Dibyendu Sarkar, Hadeer Saleh, Khalid Mustafa, Smitha Rao, Rupali Datta

Michigan Tech Publications

Featured Application: This paper has important applications in environmental health risk assessment and urban soil remediation planning. By demonstrating how machine learning can predict lead bioaccessibility in lead paint-contaminated soil, the study provides a scalable, cost-effective alternative to laboratory-based extraction methods. Such models could support rapid screening of contaminated sites, helping prioritize high-risk areas for intervention and allocate remediation resources more efficiently. This model is expected to advance data-driven decision-making for managing lead-contaminated soils and protect vulnerable urban populations from exposure. Lead contamination in urban soils, primarily from deteriorating lead-based paint, poses a significant health risk in the United States. …

Characterization Of Srsf1’S Functions In Transcription And Alternative Splicing, Elena Bisotto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Serine/Arginine splicing factor 1 (SRSF1) is an RNA-binding protein (RBP) that serves as a central regulator of RNA biogenesis. SRSF1 has been implicated in cell replication, motility, ageing, immune function, and other physiological processes, while its dysregulation is associated with multiple cancers and autoimmune diseases. In this study, we characterized the global impact and structural requirements of SRSF1-mediated gene regulation to elucidate its proto-oncogenic functions.

Utilizing a time-course RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) approach in HEK293 cells, we identified 28 primary transcriptional targets of SRSF1, 18 of which were consistently upregulated in the established cancer cell models PC-3 and MCF-7. These targets …

Behavioral Analyses Of Reproductive Behaviors Of The River Dolphin Tucuxi (Sotalia Fluviatilis), Jaden Wee

Honors Theses

This research project investigates the reproductive behavior of the tucuxi river dolphin (Sotalia fluviatilis), whose mating strategies are poorly documented. In 2022, over Lake Amanã, Brazil, Dr. Gonzalez-Socoloske captured drone footage of a natural mating event involving multiple tucuxi individuals, which provided us a rare opportunity to study their behavior. Using Behavioral Observation Research Interactive Software (BORIS), behavioral states and point events, such as intromission, proximity, synchrony, and periods of non-visibility, were coded and quantified, enabling statistical and graphical analyses that characterize the tucuxi’s social and reproductive interaction patterns. The results indicate that 30 intromission events occurred within the 13-minute …

Anti-Inflammatory And Insulin-Modulating Effects Of Tithonia-Curcuma-Moringa (Tcm) Formulation In Type 2 Diabetes: An Experimental Study In Mice, Rif’Atul Hawani Burhan, Nabila Shafa Yumna Salsabila, Devita Zulfa Pratama, La Tazkia Aulia Wibowo, Yulian Ervin Maulana, Moh Dliyauddin, Noviana Dwi Lestari, Agung Pramana Warih Marhendra, Aris Soewondo, Hideo Tsuboi, Muhaimin Rifa’I

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and chronic inflammation. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory and insulin-modulating effects of Tithonia-Curcuma-Moringa (TCM) formulation in type 2 diabetes model. Male BALB/c mice were divided into six groups: normal control, type 2 diabetes control, metformin treatment, and three TCM formulation treatment groups with three different dose combinations. Type 2 diabetes was induced using a high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin injection, supported by sucrose administration. After 21 days of treatment, the spleen and pancreas were isolated for flow cytometry analysis. The results showed that the expression levels of …

Literature Review Of Local Culture-Based Mathematics E-Module With Islamic Values In Probability, Maya Puspita Sari, Surya Sari Faradiba

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

This study is grounded in the need to address the limitations of probability learning that is often procedural, decontextualized, and disconnected from students’ cultural and religious values. It aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of how local cultural contexts and Islamic values can be systematically integrated into mathematics e-modules, particularly for probability learning, and to formulate structured design principles and quality indicators for their development. This paper adopts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach by analyzing empirical studies published between 2020 and 2025, using a structured selection process involving identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion stages. A total of 11 high-quality …

The Effect Of Virtual Laboratories On Students Interest And Learning Outcomes In Spermatophyta At Sma Negeri 1 Sojol, Ismawati Ismawati, Sutrisnawati Sutrisnawati, Manap Trianto, Masrianih Masrianih, Abd Rauf, Musdalifah Nurdin

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

Limited access to physical laboratory facilities and the abstract nature of Spermatophyta material reduce students’ learning interest and outcomes, necessitating the use of innovative digital learning media such as virtual laboratories. This study aims to analyze the effect of Virtual Laboratory (V-Lab) implementation on students’ learning interest and cognitive learning outcomes in Spermatophyta material at the senior high school level. A quantitative quasi-experimental design with a posttest-only control group was employed involving 66 eleventh-grade students divided into experimental and control classes; data were collected using a learning interest questionnaire and a multiple-choice test, and analyzed using independent samples t-test after …

Reading Literacy Research Trends In Science Learning (2015–2025), Siwi Handayani, Siswanto Siswanto, Rina Rahayu

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

This study aims to analyze research trends in reading literacy within science learning from 2015 to 2025 through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework. The initial screening of 150 articles from the WoS Core Collection and SINTA databases yielded 29 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The analysis focused on publication dynamics, contributing countries, participant characteristics, research variables, and the science subjects investigated. The findings indicate that research on reading literacy in science learning remains limited and shows fluctuating development. Most publications originate from national journals indexed by SINTA, …

Exposure To Manganese During Juvenile Development Increases Microglial Activation In The Hippocampus Following Systemic Infection With A/California/04/2009 Influenza A H1n1 Virus, Megan Hager, Adam Schuller, Omar Yanouri, Collin Bantle, Richard Smeyne, Ronald Tjalkens

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Up to 80% of patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) develop dementia within 20 years of diagnosis. Although the etiology of PD and related neurodegenerative disorders is poorly understood, risk factors including environmental toxicants and viral infections are linked to disease onset and progression. Exposure to high doses of the essential element, manganese (Mn), causes neurotoxicity associated with parkinsonian symptoms and cognitive impairment in humans. Additionally, epidemiologic studies indicate that viral infections increase risk of developing PD. Previously, our lab demonstrated that mice exposed to Mn during juvenile development showed greater neuroinflammatory changes in microglia within the substantia nigra following systemic …

Breaking Barriers: Advancement Toward Practical Nursing Licensure For Certified Medication Assistants In Long-Term Care--A Descriptive Study, Aleshia L. Maxwell

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The persistent nursing shortage across the United States, particularly in Long-Term Care (LTC) settings, has complicated the healthcare system’s ability to meet the needs of an aging population. While existing research often examines progression from Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to Registered Nurse (RN), limited research explores factors influencing progression from entry-level LTC healthcare workers to Practical Nursing (PN) licensure. This quantitative descriptive study examined the barriers and supporting factors influencing advancement toward PN licensure for Medication Assistants-Certified (MA-Cs) in Arkansas LTC facilities. A convenience sample of N=100 participated in the study. Results indicated that financial and structural barriers often …

Understanding Local Ecological Context Through Historic And Contemporary Vegetation Maps, Ray L. Brunner

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon's historic vegetation map represents patterns of vegetation prior to widespread EuroAmerican settlement and subsequent land use changes. This map is based on General Land Office surveys from 1851 – 1910 and 1930s timber mapping and serves as a valuable resource to help understand historical context and potential vegetation. Over the past few hundred years, the vegetation composition and land cover of the Oregon and the Willamette Valley have been significantly altered, with wholesale conversion of prairies and riparian woodlands to agriculture and development and encroachment of woody vegetation in the absence of fire. Presented at the 2026 LIVE conference …

Florence State Prepares For Jet Age Needs With New, Expanded Facilities, Tommy Hill

Documents

News article from The Birmingham News about the expanded facilities at Florence State College

Construction Projects Picking Up At Una Again, Jennifer Edwards

Documents

Demolition of Floyd Hall and other talk of new construction for The University of North Alabama

Location Set For Una Science Building, Bernie Delinski

Documents

Talk on new Science building at The University of North Alabama

Scientist Floyd Retires At Florence State, Jack Bridges

Documents

Dr. Homer H. Floyd's retirement from Florence State College

Screening Biostimulants To Enhance Early Growth Of Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) Under Water-Limited Conditions, Claudia Garrido-Ruiz, James Frisby, Amita Kaundal, Youping Sun, Milena Maria Tomaz De Oliveira

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Biostimulants offer a sustainable strategy to improve plant growth and stress resilience, particularly under limited water availability. We evaluated seven biostimulant treatments, including beneficial bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, seaweed extract with humic acid, and their combinations, on early growth and physiological responses of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under well–watered and drought-stressed conditions. Plants were assessed before and after a seven-day controlled drought period using a range of morphological and physiological traits, including height, effective quantum yield of PSII (Φ_PSII), stomatal conductance (g_s), and leaf pigment profile. Results showed that microbial treatments that included Bacteria + …

Designing Life Science Assessments In The Era Of Generative Artificial Intelligence, Andrew C. Kwong, Christopher Magnano, Christine Goglia, Joseph J. Loparo, John J. Peters

Biology Faculty Publications

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) algorithms have the potential to reshape education. Though GAI may help democratize access to education, it also presents many challenges for educators. Already, the ease of use of GAI has made it easier for students to bypass learning gains by prompting GAI for answers to assignments. Here, we assessed how ChatGPT performed on take-home assignments in a doctoral-level molecular biology course designed to train students in experimental design. Using Bloom’s taxonomy as a framework, we hypothesized that ChatGPT would perform similarly to doctoral students on lower cognitive levels involving memorization and underperform at higher levels that …

Cytokinesis And Dbf2, Katharine Gray

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

The Mitotic Exit Network (MEN) is a signaling pathway that allows a dividing cell to exit cytokinesis. Dbf2 is a MEN protein kinase in yeast, which provides a simplified model for studying this pathway. By altering Dbf2’s activity through phosphorylation mutants, its effect on cytokinesis can be studied. Transformed cells with a mutant and degron Dbf2 allele are prompted to destroy the degron Dbf2 protein, leaving only mutated Dbf2 behind. This allows for clear analysis of the effect of the phosphorylation mutant on division. Fluorescence microscopy can be used to visualise this degradation, and the impact on actin ring formation …

The Effects Of Preventing Dephosphorylation Of Lqg1 On Cytokinesis, Jenna Mueller

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Iqg1 plays crucial roles in cytokinesis, including the assembly, contraction, and disassembly of the actomyosin ring, as well as the coordination of contraction and septation. Given that cytokinesis must occur post-mitosis, Iqg1 is regulated by the cell cycle. This study explores hypotheses regarding Iqg1 regulation: it’s binding to action is negatively influenced by the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) Cdc28 and positively influenced by dephosphorylation via Cdc14. Newly developed yeast degron tagged strains allow for rapid depletion of specific proteins. Iqg1 mutations that alter serine to threonine, which allows phosphorylation but not dephosphorylation, in the degron strain allow testing of mutant phenotypes. …

The Stability Study Of Dna-Polymer Hybrids For Nanotechnology Applications, Ethan Kuehn, Milan Jebaraj

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

DNA nanostructures have garnered increasing interest in their application as drug delivery vehicles. However, DNA is susceptible to degradation under physiological conditions. To remedy this, we have devised a novel method to coat DNA nanostructures with the polysaccharide chitosan (a natural derivative of chitin). Chitosan binds to DNA electrostatically and inhibits nuclease activity that would normally degrade DNA in a physiological environment. We used both agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine the stability of DNA before and after immersion in a simulated biological environment. Physiological conditions were mimicked by incubating the DNA in cell culture …

Optimizing Duckweeds Harvesting Strategies To Maximize Nutrient Recovery And Its Role As A Phytosensor In Different Water Sources While Maximizing Sustainable Biomass Growth, Basma Ghannam

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This thesis is concerned with determining the optimal water treatment and harvesting strategy for Lemna minor duckweed plants. The main objective of this thesis is to examine how duckweed plants grow in terms of biomass, photosynthetic activity, leaf morphology, chlorophyll and carotenoid content, and their efficiency in nutrient removal from different water sources. The methodology of the study included assessing duckweed in three water samples including tap water, saline water, and greywater and three harvesting strategies, including low, medium, and high harvesting intensities to determine their growth and nutrient removal efficiency. The results of the study showed that L.minor grown …

Biosensors For Biomedicine, Drake O'Leary

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

This project investigated the use of engineered bacterial reporter systems to detect cellular stress responses associated with antibiotic activity. While constructs were successfully introduced and tested against known antibiotics, the reporter consistently produced a blue signal across conditions, limiting the ability to distinguish specific stress responses. This suggests issues such as leaky expression, insufficient regulatory control, or lack of specificity in the reporter design. Although results were inconclusive, this work highlights key challenges in developing reliable biosensors and provides a foundation for future optimization. Improving signal specificity and reducing background expression will be critical for enabling accurate characterization of antibiotic …

Asphalt Pavement Rejuvenation Investigated By Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry, Catherine Skaggs

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Asphalt is a relatively inexpensive material commonly used for road pavements; however, asphalt ages from exposure to oxygen and UV radiation, leading to loss of elasticity, which leads to cracks and potholes. To slow or reverse asphalt aging, pavement preservation treatments are in use. It’s unclear whether these treatments truly rejuvenate the pavement structure or merely offer a short-term benefit. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry is an analytical technique that uses the recovery of excited nuclear magnetization as a parameter to gain insights into molecular environments. Recovery-time distributions gathered from asphalt materials show differences between regular and rejuvenated asphalt samples, …

Validating Endosomal Antibodies For Use In Immunofluorescence Assays In A Cell-Based Model Of Prader Willi Syndrome, Hayden O'Dell

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare progressive metabolic disease characterized by a wide range of behavioral and cognitive defects, most notably severe hyperphagia. The disorder is caused by the complete loss of some paternally inherited genes on chromosome 15q11-q13, resulting in endocrine dysfunction and a loss of control over feeding behaviors. Among the deleted genes within this region is MAGEL2. Our lab recently characterized a paternally deficient MAGEL2 rat model of PWS, discovering a defect in pituitary secretory capacity that is consistent with the impaired vesicular trafficking and secretion observed in PWS patients. To further characterize the defects in vesicular …

Community Dynamics In Urban Ponds Could Be Influenced By Artificial Habitats, Keagan Miller, Uma Adrianna Misra

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Urban ponds are subject to nutrient influxes from stormwater runoff, and blooms of harmful algae can develop in response. One management strategy includes deployment of Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWs) or floating mats of aquatic plants designed to maximize uptake of nutrients to plant biomass. An understudied component of these artificial systems is their potential to provide microhabitat for aquatic biota. This study focused on the intersection of aquatic insect communities and fish presence between natural and artificial habitat types. Insect communities were found to be weakly dissimilar between habitat types (ANOSIM: R=0.254, p=0.048). Specifically, Anisoptera and Zygoptera were absent or …

An Overview Of Herpetofauna Surveys At Fort Leavenworth Military Reserve., Zane Smith, Sandra Guzman-Duran

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Herpetofauna surveys focused on Crayfish Frog, Spring Peeper, Eastern Tiger Salamander, Red-Bellied Snake, and Smooth Earth Snake were conducted concurrently with Bush Honeysuckle removal projects on the Fort Leavenworth Military Reservation.  Survey techniques included coverboard arrays, adaptive hunt drift fences, traditional pit fall traps and visual encounter surveys and were conducted between May and August in 2024 and 2025. The survey effort resulted in the detection of one of the target species, the Smooth Earth Snake. Based on our survey results we are confident that the Crayfish frog and Spring Peeper do not occur on Fort Leavenworth Military Reserve, but …

Investigating The Role Of Sk-3 Interval I401 In Gene Drive By Neurospora Spore Killer-3, Alexandra Spriggs

Senior Theses – Biological Sciences

Neurospora crassa is a fungus that has been used to study genetics, more specifically, meiotic gene drive through its spore killing abilities. Meiotic drive describes a process in which selfish genetic elements bias Mendelian genetics to increase transmission to their offspring, eliminating any alleles that are sensitive. The spore killing mechanism of Neurospora’s Spore killer-3 (Sk-3) is an example of how meiotic drive works through a poison-antidote model. The Sk-3 genetic element consists of both a killing (poison) gene and a resistance (antidote) gene. The location of the resistance gene has been identified while the killing gene has not. To …

Investigating The Role Of Interval I402 On Sk-3-Based Spore Killing And Gene Drive In Neurospora Crassa, Ellana Tobin

Senior Theses – Biological Sciences

Neurospora crassa is a useful model organism for genetic research due to its haploid life cycle and its ability to produce large numbers of sexual spores called ascospores. The haploid ascospores form within asci, which typically contain eight ascospores at maturity. However, selfish genetic elements known as meiotic gene drivers have been discovered in Neurospora fungi, and some of these alter the number of viable ascospores that form in each ascus. There are two known meiotic gene drivers in N. crassa: Spore killer-2 (Sk-2) and Spore killer-3 (Sk-3). Spore killing occurs when a killer strain mates with a sensitive …