Life Sciences Commons^™

Reproductive Biology Of Rasbora Philippina At Lake Wood For Basis Management, Jerson A. Genovia, Manuel B. Barquilla, Marjohn Y. Baludo

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Rasbora philippina is an endemic species in Mindanao Island, Philippines. Its reproductive biology remains unstudied despite its economic importance to the local inhabitants of the lake, the Subanen tribe. Due to its marketability, Rasbora faces local threats. Thus, the formulation of fishery management and conservation recommendations is highly recommended. A research-made survey was used to interview fishermen in the lake, and fish samples were collected using a seine net with a catch per unit effort of three or four from March to May 2019. Water samples were collected using a Niskin water sampler at 1 m and 15 m depths …

The Effect Of Different Natural Waxes To Hydrophobic Properties Of Starch-Based Biodegradable Foams, Ikbal Alexander, Ahyahudin Sodri, Kosuke Mizuno

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Biodegradable foam has been vastly developed to replace polystyrene foam. However, its water absorption capacity has become a significant obstacle to being used in food packaging. Therefore, this study aims to assess the effect of incorporating natural waxes as a coating material in producing biodegradable foams. The four natural waxes are soy wax, candelilla wax, beeswax, and carnauba wax. The biodegradable foams were fabricated with cassava starch and rice straw as natural fiber sources using a thermal pressing machine. The Meyer-Rod coating method was adopted to produce high contact angle and highwater resistance starch-based biodegradable foams. Water absorption analysis was …

Addressing The Debate On The Eco-Friendliness Of Indonesian Batik By Water Footprint Approach, Widhi Handayani, Yohanes Budi Widianarko, Alberta Rika Pratiwi

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

The Indonesian batik is an intangible cultural heritage that contributes to the country's economy but raises environmental pollution. Synthetic dyes are considered to cause pollution, and the natural counterpart is recommended to replace it because natural dyes are considered more eco-friendly than synthetic ones. Therefore, this study examined the Blue Water Footprint (BWF) and Grey Water Footprint (GWF) of the batik household industry by applying synthetic dyeing and comparing the result to the natural dyeing from previous studies. This research used the Water Footprint accounting approach based on the Water Footprint Network, which involves identifying the batik process followed by …

Evaluating The Influence Of Reciprocity Of Meeting Partner's Temperament Needs In Terms Of Marital Intimacy, Jimmie Scott Inman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This narrative qualitative research project evaluated the influence of meeting a partner's needs regarding marital intimacy. This study investigated the archival data of couples who received temperament-focused marriage therapy. The essential principles taught throughout treatment (relational reciprocity, temperament needs met, the character of Christ) influence marital intimacy. A large body of work examined supports that needs-met (individual and relational) is essential for one's overall health and well-being. Three theories lay the theoretical foundation for this study: (1) Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory states that individuals have varying needs and that well-being hinges on their needs being met. (2) Schutz's Fundamental …

Using A Culturable Approach And Metagenomic Analysis To Uncover Gut Bacterial Diversity Of Gray Bats In Kansas, Bobbi Monroe

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

USING A CULTURABLE APPROACH AND METAGENOMIC ANALYSIS TO UNCOVER GUT BACTERIAL DIVERSITY OF GRAY BATS IN KANSAS

An Abstract of the Thesis by

Bobbi Monroe

Humans have historically had an ambivalent relationship with bats. In one hand, bats perform an important service to humans by reducing populations of many insect pests. On the other hand, they act as reservoirs of disease as highlighted by the recent Coronavirus pandemic. In the United States, many bat populations have been threatened by white nose syndrome caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. This study was designed to characterize the bacterial diversity associated with the …

Exploring Women's Interests In Household Waste Disposal And Management, Kemi Funlayo Akeju, Femi Omotoso

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Despite establishing waste management boards and environmental agencies across states in Southwest Nigeria, household waste disposal remains poorly managed, with low consideration given to its reuse and recycling. Previous research has established the menace of improper household waste disposal in Nigeria. This paper examines women's household waste disposal methods and their awareness, willingness, and interest in waste management and recycling. This study was conducted in November 2021 with a sample of 436 women selected across six communities in 3 States in Southwest Nigeria (Lagos, Osun, and Ekiti states). In each state, one rural and urban Community is selected. Descriptive analysis …

A Comparative Study Of Different Practices In Environmental Impact Assessment, Ni Putu Wulan Romianingsih, Suyud Warno Utomo, Udi Syahnoedi Hamzah

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Currently, there are two practices to assess the environmental and social impacts of the power development projects in Indonesia, namely Indonesia Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or Amdal and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) based on the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards. However, the ESIA practices in Indonesia, in particular, have yet to be thoroughly examined in the academic context. This research compares the procedural features and environmental and socio-economic aspect coverage of Indonesia's EIA against the IFC (IFC PS) ESIA. A document analysis was employed to systematically analyze the main divergences and similarities contrasted with applicable Indonesian regulations …

Seaweed As Bioadsorbent For Nitrogen And Phosphorus Removal, Hanny Meirinawati, A’An Johan Wahyudi

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Eutrophication has become a serious environmental problem because of the excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water. Aquaculture waste is one of the drivers of eutrophication. Seaweed is known for its ability to remove nutrients from the water. In Indonesia, research about the efficiency of seaweed in decreasing nutrient concentration in wastewater is still rare. This article reviewed the use of seaweed as an adsorbent for nitrogen and phosphorus removal. This review aims to summarize the efficiency of nutrient removal in various genera of macroalgae. The comparing bioremediation potentials of macroalgae, including growth, nutrient bioaccumulation capacity, and potential …

Uvrd1 Helicase Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis That Can Be Activated By Multiple Unique Mechanisms, Ankita Chadda

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) causes tuberculosis disease in humans and is one of the leading causes of death worldwide due to infectious agents. During infection, Mtb is exposed to reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen intermediates from the host immune response that causes DNA damage. UvrD-like helicases are involved in DNA repair and use energy from ATP hydrolysis to translocate on single stranded DNA (ssDNA) or unwind double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) to remove the damaged DNA strand. Previous studies on UvrD-like helicases have shown that they exist in a monomer-dimer equilibrium and unwind only as dimers in the absence of accessory …

The Third Domain Of T Cells In The Evolution Of Novel Immune Cell Types, Kimberly Anne Morrissey

Biology ETDs

αβ and γδ T cells play an essential role in the adaptive immune response and are present in the majority of jawed vertebrates. The T cell receptor (TCR) structure and genetic organization have been generally stable throughout 400 million years of gnathostome evolution. However, the TCRδ chain has displayed degrees of plasticity unseen in other TCR isoforms. One such form appears to be a chimera of a TCR chain with an antibody-like binding domain, known as VHδ and has been found a wide array of vertebrates including cartilaginous fish, coelacanths, amphibians, tuataras, birds, crocodilians, and monotreme mammals. Another, more extreme …

Prorelaxant E-Type Prostanoid Receptors Functionally Partition To Different Procontractile Receptors In Airway Smooth Muscle, Ajay P. Nayak, Elham Javed, Dominic R. Villaba, Yinna Wang, Henry P. Morelli, Sushrut D. Shah, Nicholas Kim, Rennolds S. Ostrom, Reynold A. Pannettieri Jr., Steven S. An, Dale D. Tang, Raymond B. Penn

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Prostaglandin E2 imparts diverse physiological effects on multiple airway cells through its actions on four distinct E-type prostanoid (EP) receptor subtypes (EP1–EP4). Gs-coupled EP2 and EP4 receptors are expressed on airway smooth muscle (ASM), yet their capacity to regulate the ASM contractile state remains subject to debate. We used EP2 and EP4 subtype-specific agonists (ONO-259 and ONO-329, respectively) in cell- and tissue-based models of human ASM contraction—magnetic twisting cytometry (MTC), and precision-cut lung slices (PCLSs), respectively—to study the EP2 and EP4 regulation of ASM contraction and signaling under conditions of histamine or methacholine (MCh) stimulation. ONO-329 was superior (<0.05) to ONO-259 in relaxing MCh-contracted PCLSs (log half maximal effective concentration [logEC50]: 4.9 × 10−7 vs. 2.2 × 10−6; maximal bronchodilation ± SE, 35 ± 2% vs. 15 ± 2%). However, ONO-259 and ONO-329 were similarly efficacious in relaxing histamine-contracted PCLSs. Similar differential effects were observed in MTC studies. Signaling analyses revealed only modest differences in ONO-329– and ONO-259–induced phosphorylation of the protein kinase A substrates VASP and HSP20, with concomitant stimulation with MCh or histamine. Conversely, ONO-259 failed to inhibit MCh-induced phosphorylation of the regulatory myosin light chain (pMLC20) and the F-actin/G-actin ratio (F/G-actin ratio) while effectively inhibiting their induction by histamine. ONO-329 was effective in reversing induced pMLC20 and the F/G-actin ratio with both MCh and histamine. Thus, the contractile-agonist–dependent differential effects are not explained by changes in the global levels of phosphorylated protein kinase A substrates but are reflected in the regulation of pMLC20 (cross-bridge cycling) and F/G-actin ratio (actin cytoskeleton integrity, force transmission), implicating a role for compartmentalized signaling involving muscarinic, histamine, and EP receptor subtypes.

Altering United States Drug Policy And Shifting The Focus Of Drug Use From Conviction Toward Drug Addiction Treatment, Natalie Marra

Honors Projects

While these substances were not always controlled by law, drug use has been as issue throughout time going back thousands of years and continues to be a concern in the twenty-first century. Possession, distribution, and manufacturing of controlled substances outside of what is considered legal can lead to fines and or jail time and can also increases the severity of other crimes committed either due to or under the influence of drugs. As of Saturday June 10th, 2023, 44.5% of Federal inmates are incarcerated for drug offenses, including possession, distribution, and manufacturing1. Drug offenses make up the largest percentage of …

A Deep Learning Onion Peeling Approach To Measure Oral Epithelium Layer Number, Xinyi Zhang, Frederico O Gleber-Netto, Shidan Wang, Kevin W Jin, Donghan M Yang, Jeffrey N Myers, Curtis R Pickering, Guanghua Xiao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), specifically in the oral cavity (oral squamous cell carcinoma, OSCC), is a common, complex cancer that significantly affects patients' quality of life. Early diagnosis typically improves prognoses yet relies on pathologist examination of histology images that exhibit high inter- and intra-observer variation. The advent of deep learning has automated this analysis, notably with object segmentation. However, techniques for automated oral dysplasia diagnosis have been limited to shape or cell stain information, without addressing the diagnostic potential in counting the number of cell layers in the oral epithelium. Our study attempts to address this …

Inhibition Of Microsomal Prostaglandin E2 Synthase Reduces Collagen Deposition In Melanoma Tumors And May Improve Immunotherapy Efficacy By Reducing T-Cell Exhaustion, Yasunari Fukuda, Sun-Hee Kim, Matias A Bustos, Sung-Nam Cho, Jason Roszik, Hong Kim, Elizabeth A Grimm, Suhendan Ekmekcioglu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The arachidonic acid pathway participates in immunosuppression in various types of cancer. Our previous observation detailed that microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase 1 (mPGES-1), an enzyme downstream of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), limited antitumor immunity in melanoma; in addition, genetic depletion of mPGES-1 specifically enhanced immune checkpoint blockade therapy. The current study set out to distinguish the roles of mPGES-1 from those of COX-2 in tumor immunity and determine the potential of mPGES-1 inhibitors for reinforcing immunotherapy in melanoma. Genetic deletion of mPGES-1 showed different profiles of prostaglandin metabolites from that of COX-2 deletion. In our syngeneic mouse model, mPGES-1-deficient cells exhibited …

Potential Toxic Elements And Their Carcinogenic And Non-Carcinogenic Risk Assessment In Some Commercially Important Fish Species From A Ramsar Site, Mohammad Belal Hossain, Md Moudud Ahmed, Yeasmin Nahar Jolly, As-Ad Ujjaman Nur, Salma Sultana, Jimmy Yu, Takaomi Arai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as Hg, As, and Pb have become concentrated in the aquatic ecosystem as a result of increased human activities. However, these substances frequently have synergistic or antagonistic effects on the human body or other animals. As a result, there are concerns world-wide that commercially available food products, especially fish, may be contaminated with hazardous elements. In this study, samples of four selected fishes, Gutum (Lepidocephalichthys guntea), Baim (Macrognathus pancalus), Baila (Glossogobius giuris), Meni (Nandus nandus) were analyzed from one of the largest freshwater wetlands (designed as a …

Missing Value Imputation For Single Omics And Multi-Omics Data, Meng Song

Dissertations

The integration analyses of multi-omics data have the advantages of extending our understanding of biological system across multiple omics layers, unraveling the functional mechanism of complex disease development, and refining the discovery of novel drug targets. However, multi-omics studies often face challenges such as data heterogeneity, missing values problem, interpretability, and imbalance classes. Among these challenges, the missing values problem is a critical issue for large cohort studies as not all samples will get a complete measurement for all the omics layers. To address the problem of missing values in multi-omics data, I focused on the imputation of completely missing …

Commercial Fishing Identification Guide 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Throughout this guide you will see all or some of the marine bioregion symbols with each fish illustration, indicating where the species is most likely to occur.

This guide has been developed to help you identify the more common species in Western Australia you may encounter. The purpose of this guide is to enhance consistent and accurate species identification.

If you are unsure about a particular species (or if it is not in this guide), please discuss it with a representative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia.

Investigating The Costs And Benefits Of A Nutritional Fungal Endosymbiont, Nolan L. Perryman

Biology ETDs

Research on insect symbiosis is dominated by insect–bacteria models, however, the role of fungal symbionts in insects is poorly understood. Fungi are de novo synthesizers of many essential nutrients, therefore, insect–fungal pairings can permit specialization on nutritionally deprived diets. Here, I address the costs and benefits of symbiosis using a system of beetle–fungal symbiosis. Specifically, I ask 1) when reared on a low-quality diet, does the beetle increase the number of viable symbionts to compensate for a heightened nutritional demand, and 2) Is the conferred fitness benefit of the symbiont only present in low-quality diets? When reared on low-quality diets, …

Artificial Intelligence Frameworks To Detect And Investigate The Pathophysiology Of Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (Sans), Joshua Ong, Ethan Waisberg, Mouayad Masalkhi, Sharif Amit Kamran, Kemper Lowry, Nasif Zaman, Alireza Tavakkoli, Andrew G Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) is a unique phenomenon that has been observed in astronauts who have undergone long-duration spaceflight (LDSF). The syndrome is characterized by distinct imaging and clinical findings including optic disc edema, hyperopic refractive shift, posterior globe flattening, and choroidal folds. SANS serves a large barrier to planetary spaceflight such as a mission to Mars and has been noted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a high risk based on its likelihood to occur and its severity to human health and mission performance. While it is a large barrier to future spaceflight, the underlying …

Change In Grassland Science: Implications For Training, Research And Grassland Societies, G. Lemaire, R. J. Wilkins, J. Hodgson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In most of the world the priority for production-oriented research has been succeeded by the need for grassland research to focus on systems which satisfy requirements relating to the stability and protection of land, water and atmospheric resources and to biodiversity, in addition to production efficiency. This dictates not only a new approach to research, but also new approaches for the organisation of research, the training and development of research scientists and the activities of Grassland Societies and associated organisations.

Citizen Scientists: Efforts By The Tri-Societies To Inject Science Into Us Policymaking, E. Bergfeld, K. Glasener

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Tri-Societies (American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America), the largest life science professional societies in the United States (US) dedicated to the agronomic, crop and soil sciences, encompass approximately 18,000 members globally and include approximately 14,000 certified professionals who are a direct conduit to the farming communities across the US. The Tri-Societies' US-based federal science policy programmes have been active for decades. There is a Washington, DC-based Director of Science Policy, Congressional Science Fellows (CSF) and Science Policy Interns.

Automated Capture And Analysis Of Circulating Tumor Cells In Pediatric, Adolescent And Young Adult Patients With Central Nervous System Tumors, Wafik Zaky, Dristhi Ragoonanan, Izhar Batth, Long Dao, Jian Wang, Najat C Daw, Soumen Khatua, Shulin Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) are the most common and lethal childhood malignancy. Detection of residual disease and longitudinal monitoring of treatment response in patients are challenging and rely on serial imaging. This current standard of care fails to detect microscopic disease or provide molecular characteristics of residual tumors. As such, there is dire need for minimally invasive liquid biopsy techniques. We have previously shown the high specificity of using cell surface vimentin (CSV) to identify circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from patients bearing various types of cancers. Here, we describe the first report of CTCs captured from peripheral …

The New World Of Rna Diagnostics And Therapeutics, Giovanni Blandino, Roberto Dinami, Marco Marcia, Eleni Anastasiadou, Brid M Ryan, Luigi Fattore, Rosanna Sestito, Rossella Loria, Ana Belén Díaz Méndez, Maria Chiara Cappelletto, Claudio Pulito, Laura Monteonofrio, George A Calin, Gabriella Sozzi, Jit Kong Cheong, Ranit Aharonov, Gennaro Ciliberto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The 5th Workshop IRE on Translational Oncology was held in Rome (Italy) on 27-28 March at the IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute. This meeting entitled "The New World of RNA diagnostics and therapeutics" highlightes the significant progress in the RNA field made over the last years. Research moved from pure discovery towards the development of diagnostic biomarkers or RNA-base targeted therapies seeking validation in several clinical trials. Non-coding RNAs in particular have been the focus of this workshop due to their unique properties that make them attractive tools for the diagnosis and therapy of cancer.This report collected the presentations …

Analysis Of Biologically Active Secondary Metabolites From Fungi, Elizabeth E. Guevara, Kirk Manfredi

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Fungi produce secondary metabolites, which are organic compounds that allow the organism to be competitive in their environment. Secondary metabolites are not involved in growth and development, instead they affect ecological interactions to increase survivability. These compounds will often have antimicrobial properties, leading to their use in antibiotics. Isolating a compound with significant antimicrobial activity could lead to its use in therapeutic antibiotics. New antibiotics are needed to address the growing issue of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. This project explores the antimicrobial compounds produced by fungi collected Wind Cave National Park or carried by local insects. Accurate taxonomic identification of the …

Functional Analysis Of Spermidine Synthase (Spds) Using Virus-Induced Gene Silencing In Barley, Ammar A. Shaikh, Tilahun Abebe

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Polyamines are low molecular weight aliphatic nitrogenous compounds with two or more amino groups (Liu et al., 2015). Polyamines are found in all organisms. They play diverse roles in growth and development as well as environmental stress response. One of the major polyamines in plants is spermidine. Spermidine increases grain filling by increasing hormones and enzymes in sucrose biosynthesis (Luo et al., 2019). Expression of genes in the spermidine biosynthesis pathway increases during drought in barley (Abebe et al., 2010). However, the role of spermidine biosynthesis for drought tolerance has not been systematically investigated in barley. In the past, we …

Analysis Of The Role Of Gamma-Aminobutyrate (Gaba) In Drought Tolerance In Barley Using Virus-Induced Gene Silencing, Thomas Manternach, Tilahun Abebe

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a messenger in cellular communication. As GABA is also an enhancer in stress tolerance, this often leads to rapid accumulation during drought. . GABA increases photosynthesis and reduces water loss through the stomata (Li et al., 2021; Xu et al., 2021). The metabolization of GABA occurs via the GABA shunt, which is produced primarily from a glutamic acid catalyzed by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) in the cytosol. GABA is imported into the mitochondria and subsequently degraded by GABA-transaminase (GABA-T) into succinic semialdehyde (SSA) . In barley, both GABA and GAD genes are induced during drought (Abebe et …

Comparison Of Gut And Leg Pollen Composition In Female Halictus Ligatus With Flower Source, Sriya Kalala, Ai Wen

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

It is commonly believed by bee biologists that wild bees visit one single flower species during each trip to make nest provision. However, the exact foraging behavior is not clear and may vary in different species of bees, and therefore the pollination patterns have continued to be studied. When a bee undergoes the process of pollination, the majority of the pollen consumed by the bee passes through the digestive tract and remains undigested. However, when the pollen is digested and used as an energy source, the pollen grain digestion occurs in the midgut intestine within the bee instead of the …

Iowa’S Agricultural Landscape: Is Tef A Viable Option?, Kyran Hines, Tilahun Abebe

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Tef (Eragrostis tef Zucc.) Trotter is a significant grain crop in Ethiopia, occupying over 30% of the country's total cultivated land. Tef is known for its long shelf life, drought resistance, natural pest resistance, versatility in food, beverages, and cattle feed. The crop has recently gained popularity in the United States for its nutritional qualities. Tef has a high content of minerals, amino acids, and is also gluten-free. In the context of climate change and the need for sustainable agriculture, exploring alternative crops to ensure food security is crucial. This research focuses on identifying tef accessions that are well-adapted to …

Forming A Comprehensive Pollen Library For The Purpose Of Native Bee Pollen Identification And Analysis, Madeline Roubik, Ai Wen

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

The Iowa prairie is home to many species of bees who collect pollen for nutrition or nesting purposes (Real, 1983). Most bees collect pollen in their scopa, a small pollen collection pouch on their back legs or abdomen. However, the entire bee, including their thorax, can come in contact with pollen. Because of this, it is assumed that a bee’s pollen collection will be more diverse on its thorax where it unintentionally comes into contact with pollen, than its legs where it intentionally collects pollen. In this study, we created a comprehensive pollen library of native Iowa prairie flowers, and …

Investigating Gene Looping In Yeast, Abbie Bangs, Justin Peters

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as brewer’s yeast, is the model organism we chose to interrogate a possible length dependence of gene looping. Gene looping occurs when the promoter and the terminator regions of a gene come together in a physical interaction to form a loop. RNA polymerase transcribes the gene at an amplified rate due to the gene loop (Figure 1), but little research exists as to what factors are important for this process, including the mechanics of the underlying DNA.