Life Sciences Commons^™

Selective Gsk3b Overexpression In Medial Prefrontal Cortex Camkiia Cells Produces Sex-Specific Changes In Ethanol Self-Administration, Anxiety-Like Behavior, And Working Memory, Sam Gottlieb, Zachary Tatom, Michael F. Miles

Graduate Research Posters

Background: Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (Gsk3b) is central in a gene network regulated by ethanol in mouse medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). GSK3B abundance/activity modulations regulate ethanol consumption, suggesting GSK3B could be a target in treating alcohol use disorder. However, the critical cell type in this ethanol response is not yet known, nor have sex differences in GSK3B modulations been fully investigated. Here we report results of GSK3B overexpression selectively in CamKIIa⁺ mPFC cells on multiple behaviors.

Methods: Mice underwent stereotaxic injections to overexpress GSK3B in mPFC CamKIIa⁺ cells or control virus (n=4-6/sex/virus). We assayed working …

Effects Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis (Bti) And Mosquito Larvae On Invasive Mosquito Egg-Laying Behavior, Zachary Runkle

Capstone Showcase

Invasive Aedes mosquitoes, including Asian tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) and Asian bush mosquitoes (Aedes japonicus), oviposit eggs in natural and artificial sites containing stagnant water. Aedes species exhibit versatility in novel ecological environments, including flexibility in oviposition site selection and overall habitat conditions, demonstrating their continued pertinence in human society. I examined the effects of the biopesticide BTI and Aedes larvae on oviposition habitat selection in Aedes albopictus and Aedes japonicus mosquitoes by observing the number of eggs oviposited. A total of 6552 and 1362 eggs were collected in experiments one and two, respectively. Females consistently …

Harnessing Citizen Science And Collections Data For Invasive Plant Surveillance, Adin L. Ring

Library Map Prize

Our main source of information about the distribution of invasive plants in the United States comes from occurrence records in three categories: biological collections (physical plant specimens in museums), citizen science (opportunistic observations by untrained civilians), and invasion monitoring (structured observation by government or non-profit agencies). This study compiles a set of 3.1 million occurrence records of 3,578 introduced plant species in the continental United States, and infers spatial, temporal, and taxonomic biases by comparing the three categories of data. We find that citizen science contributes the largest bulk of records, and does better capturing visually conspicuous plants and very …

College Of Natural Sciences 2022 Year-End Publication, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

This is the 2022 issue of the annual College of Natural Sciences year-end publication.

Contents:
[Page] 2 Dean's message
[Page] 3 Department highlights
[Page] 4 Overview of Bold & Blue Campaign
[Page] 5 Dr. Edward Hogan recognition & endowment
[Page] 6 Career milestones
[Page] 7 Student travel and research
[Page] 8 $11 million COBRE grant
[Page] 9 Professional Science Masters & Research highlights
[Page]10 Outreach highlights throughout the state
[Page] 11 2022 events recap – join us in 2023!
[Page] 12 Updates on our VR initiative
[Page] 14 Overview of awards and recognitions from 2022

Alzheimer’S Disease Genetics And Short-Chain Fatty Acid Treatment In Studies Of The Murine Gut Microbiome, Diana Zajac

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Elucidating the relationship of the gut microbiome in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) risk and pathogenesis is an area of intense interest. Since 60 to 80% of AD risk is related to genetics and APOE alleles represent the most impactful genetic risk factors for AD, their mechanism(s) of action are under intense scrutiny.

First, I conducted a study on APOE targeted replacement mice to investigate the impact of APOE alleles on the murine gut microbiome. The relative abundance of bacteria from the family Ruminococacceae and related genera increased with APOE2 status. The relative abundance of the class Erysipelotrichia increased with APOE4 status, …

Complex Narratives Of Individuals Living With Alpha-Gal Syndrome (Ags). A Mixed-Methods Investigation: Examined Through Self-Reported Data, In-Person Interviews, And A Group Body Mapping Art Therapy Intervention, Sylvan Streightiff

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Alpha-gal (galactose-α-1,3-galactose) Syndrome or AGS is an under-recognized chronic condition which coincides with tick-bite exposure, resulting in a unique allergy to non-primate mammalian products and byproducts (in addition to other items caring the α-gal epitope such as carrageenan, agar-agar, and nori). This paper explores the experiences of individuals with this illness, establishing psychological context for expressed symptomatology, while emphasizing the complex trauma rooted in the population’s experiences of the life-altering and life-threatening contexts associated with managing AGS. This research is structured with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) theory and utilizes a mixed-methods approach to arts-based research with the goal of …

Wetland Walk Vr: Field Ecology In Northeast Florida, Kailan Sindelar

UNF Faculty Research and Scholarship

Join Field Ecologists of the University of North Florida as they begin to monitor the water in swamps and marshes. In this virtual reality experience you will walk through places that are normally too dangerous or harmful to visit, learning about life in these places, how we study it, and how you may connect to it.

New Host Records Of Apicomplexan Blood Parasites (Haemogregarinidae And Hepatozoidae) Infecting Two Reptiles (Testudines; Ophidia) From Arkansas, C.T. Mcallister, H.W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Relatively few records of apicomplexan blood parasites from reptiles in Arkansas have been published although the effects of these parasites on reptilian health may be of concern. Using photomicrographs we describe the morphotypes of parasite gamonts found in blood samples from the Midland smooth softshell turtle, Apalone mutica mutica, and a western Milksnake Lampropeltis gentilis from Arkansas. The turtle possessed four distinct morphological gamont forms of a Haemogregarina sp. The snake possessed two morphological forms of gamonts of a Hepatozoon sp. Both infections are new host records and the western milksnake has not been described as a host elsewhere for …

Hemoparasites (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoon; Kinetoplastida: Trypanosoma) Of Two Anurans (Hylidae; Ranidae), From Polk County, Arkansas, C.T. Mcallister, H.W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Arkansas supports 26 species/subspecies of anurans and only one (4%), the green frog, Rana clamitans, has been previously reported with hemoparasites. Here, we collected blood samples from three species of anurans, five American green treefrogs, Dryophytes cinereus, five American bullfrogs, Rana catesbeianus, two southern leopard frogs, Rana sphenocephalus utricularius, and two Fowler’s toads, Anaxyrus fowleri from Polk County and examined each for hemoparasites. American green treefrogs and American bullfrogs harbored hemoparasites, including two (40%) D. cinereus and four (80%) R. catesbeianus with trypanosomes, and one (20%) R. catesbeiana with a Hepatozoon sp. This is the first time these two anurans …

Journal Acknowledgements And Editorial Board, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Farmer And Community Perceptions Of The New Rural Land Reform Policy Impacts In Henan Province, China, Lian Huijie, Agnes C. Rola, Vella A. Atienza, John Enrinorio M. Perez, Ferdinand C. Maquito, Merylyne M. Paunlagui

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

The household contract responsibility system which was the land reform policy from 1978 to 2008 in China revealed shortcomings in terms of its goals. This system veers away from the commune system (1958 -1978) and endows land use and management responsibility to households. The New Rural Land Reform Policy that started in 2008 aims to create a more market led policy and it captured adjustments to correct these shortcomings. This New Rural Land Reform Policy signals a significant policy change. This paper uses Lewin's change theory as a framework and Henan province in China as a case to determine the …

Genetic Algorithm For Solving A Just-In-Time Inventory Model With Imperfect Rework Implemented In A Serial Multi-Echelon System, Hsien-Chung Tsao, Cheng-Chi Chung, Hsuan-Shih Lee, Chih-Ping Lin, Yan-Yun Tu, Ssu-Chi Lin

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

As global industrial competition intensifies, enterprises can achieve substantial competitive advantages in the supply chain management environment by promptly meeting customer demands and efficiently reducing both supply and demand costs. This paper proposes an inventory model for supply chain optimization that considers uncertain delivery lead times and defective products. Solving the model requires solving a nonlinear mixed-integer problem, which traditionally requires considerable time. Solutions to nondeterministic polynomial-time hard problems with high complexity and difficulty are often obtained using heuristic algorithms. Among these algorithms, genetic algorithms have high efficiency and quality. Therefore, we employed a genetic algorithm to solve the proposed …

An Mrf Model-Based Study On The Effect Of Fishes Upon The Characteristics Of Flow Field Of An Aquaculture Tank, Xian-Ying Shi, Zheng-Zheng Huang, Meng Li, Yinxin Zhou, Xiao-Zhong Ren, Hang-Fei Liu, Shu-Peng Du

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The study aims to investigate the effect of fish movement on the flow field in the aquaculture tank of a recirculating water aquaculture system. Herein, based on the Navier-Stokes equations and the RNG k-ε turbulence model, the flow field in the aquaculture tank with fish movement was numerically simulated using the multiple reference frame (MRF) model and compared with the numerical simulation results of the fishless aquaculture tank. The results revealed that the overall mean flow velocity in the tank decreased significantly when the fish swam counter-currently with a fixed trajectory, and the overall mean flow velocity increased slightly when …

Occurrence Of Predation Of Juvenile Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus Keta) By Chub Mackerel (Scomber Japonicus) And Spotted Mackerel (Scomber Australasicus) In Miyako Bay, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, Kei Sasaki, Miwa Yatsuya, Daisuke Shimizu, Daisuke Ojima, Shinji Komatsu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In recent years, chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) and spotted mackerel (Scomber australasicus) have started migrating to the coastal areas off Iwate Prefecture earlier than they did previously, resulting in a geographic overlap between hatchery-bred juvenile chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) released at sea and the occurrence of predatory mackerel. To clarify whether the mackerels prey on the juvenile chum salmon, we captured adult mackerels by angling during the period when these species overlap in Miyako Bay, Iwate Prefecture. After capture, the stomach contents of the mackerel were examined using a combination of visual examinations and DNA metabarcoding analysis. As a result, …

Hybridization And Polyploidy In The Turtleheads, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

The VNPS Wildflower of the Year for 2024 is Chelone glabra, White Turtlehead. Altogether, there are four species of Turtlehead native to eastern North America, and three of these are known to occur in Virginia.

Unraveling A Paradox Of Habitat Relationships: Scale-Dependent Drivers Of Temporal Occupancy-Abundance Relationships In A Cooperatively Breeding Bird, Natasha D.G. Hagemeyer, Mario B. Pesendorfer, Walter D. Koenig, Eric L. Walters

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Context Spatial occupancy and local abundance of species often positively covary, but the mechanisms driving this widespread relationship are poorly understood. Resource dynamics and habitat changes have been suggested as potential drivers, but long-term studies relating them to abundance and occupancy are rare. In this 34-year study of acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus), a cooperatively breeding species, we observed a paradoxical response to changes in habitat composition: despite a reduction in the availability of high-quality breeding habitat, the population increased considerably.

Objectives We investigated the role of annual variation in food availability and long-term changes in habitat composition as predictors …

Artificial Light At Night Disrupts Pain Behavior And Cerebrovascular Structure In Mice, Jacob Raymond Bumgarner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Artificial Light at Night Disrupts Pain Behavior and Cerebrovascular Structure in Mice

Jacob R. Bumgarner

Circadian rhythms are intrinsic biological processes that fluctuate in function with a period of approximately 24 hours. These rhythms are precisely synchronized to the 24- hour day of the Earth by external rhythmic signaling cues. Solar light-dark cycles are the most potent environmental signaling cue for terrestrial organisms to align internal rhythms with the external day. Proper alignment and synchrony of internal circadian rhythms with external environmental rhythms are essential for health and optimal biological function.

The modern human environment on Earth is no longer …

Staff Perceptions Of Responsibility And Implementation Of Cognitive Enrichment For Non-Human Primates In Zoo Settings, Ember Nevada Toth

All Master's Theses

In zoos, caregivers have considered enrichment as vital for their animal collections’ physical health and development. Since primate species are endangered and continue to decline in numbers in their natural habitat, zoos are steadily becoming the only places we can view and learn about them. In today’s zoos, cognitive enrichment—which falls into overlapping categories of enrichment and does not yet have a universally accepted definition—is either absent or inconsistently offered. Providing challenges to stimulate cognitive well-being has been found to influence the overall welfare of captive primates. Cognitive enrichment is considered very important according to zookeeper surveys but is not …

Risk Of Low Energy Availability, Disordered Eating, And Menstrual Dysfunction In Female Collegiate Runners, Leah Louise Dambacher

All Master's Theses

Collegiate female distance runners may be at risk for low energy availability (LEA) due to increased exercise energy expenditure with or without decreased energy intake. Furthermore, this population has increased risk of disordered eating (DE), which can lead to LEA and negative health consequences, such as menstrual dysfunction (MD). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to: 1) investigate risk of LEA and DE and 2) compare DE, training volume, and weight dissatisfaction among female collegiate runners athletes at risk vs not at risk for LEA. Methods: Female runners (n = 287) who competed on an NCAA Division …

Intestinal Parasite Infection In Tibetan Macaques (Macac Thebetana) In Eastern China, Miarisoa Ramilison

All Master's Theses

Grooming is one of the crucial social behaviors of primate species that functions to remove parasites and maintain social bonds. Although, much data exists to support the idea that grooming is essential in forming and sustaining social bonds among individuals, there is a lack of information about the extent to which it removes ectoparasites or contributes to the spread of internal parasites. To fill this gap in the literature, we investigated the relationship between social contact behavior including grooming and intestinal parasite infection in Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana). This species lives at Mt. Huangshan in China. We used …

Chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes) Skin Temperature During Resting Behavior At Different Ambient Temperatures, Benjamin Lake

All Master's Theses

Thermal imaging, as a tool in psychological research, has been used to distinguish mental states evoked by different environmental and social cues, with prior research across several species. Ambient temperature can affect the precision of the measures of body temperature, however, so we investigated a methodology for recording thermal imaging data in sanctuary-housed chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) while they engaged in resting behavior across different ambient temperatures. Data were collected on 30 adult chimpanzees (16 females and 14 males) ranging in age from 21 to 53 years (Mage = 33.4 years, SD = 8.0). The chimpanzees lived in nine social groups …

Impact Of The Washington State Covid-19 Lockdown On 5-10-Year-Ol School-Aged Children Residing In Kitties County, Peyton Rondeau

All Master's Theses

Background: The Washington State COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent school closures brought increased dependency on parents to provide nutritious meals and opportunities for physical activity for their children.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the impacts of the Washington State COVID-19 lockdown on the dietary, physical activity, and screen time habits of children ages 5-10-years-old residing in Kittitas County.

Methods: A researcher-developed Qualtrics survey was created and validated via the Index of Item Objective Congruence. The survey was administered to parents via Facebook, using local Kittitas County Facebook groups.

Results: Most parents identified that the Washington lockdown negatively …

Effect Of Soil Transplantation On Fungal Communities During Restoration, Thomas Luehl

All Master's Theses

Ectomycorrhizal fungi are integral parts of natural ecological systems that provide access to nutrients that would otherwise be unavailable by forming symbiotic relationships with plants. Relationships with ectomycorrhizal fungi are known to improve plant growth rate, increase plant resistance to pathogens, and improve survival. Current revegetation practices often ignore this relationship between fungi and plants. During the revegetation of the Interstate 90 Keechelus Lake wildlife overcrossing (Easton, WA), soil from forest sites adjacent to the restoration area were collected and used to inoculate a set of experimental plots to determine whether ectomycorrhizal fungi would become established in the plots and …

Manipulating Social Mobility To Measure Group Stability In Crickets, Anne Tolo

All Master's Theses

Dominance hierarchies are typically formed so that members of the hierarchy can benefit from residing in a social structure where conflict is decreased, and each individual obtains a rank within the group. Members can either actively seek out a higher social rank to maximize fitness or remain in a lower position to benefit from the protection of living in a group. This study was designed to manipulate the social stability typically exhibited within hierarchies by experimentally increasing social perturbance in groups of tropical house crickets, Gryllodes sigillatus. Rank changes per unit time were used as a measure to understand …

Forest Patrol Guards And Caregivers' Perceptions Of Wild Chimpanzee Populations Near Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Sierra Leone, Virginia Sanchez

All Master's Theses

Relationships between humans and alloprimates, in particular between humans and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), have occurred for centuries. Chimpanzee discoveries by western philosophers date back to the 16^th and 17^th centuries, and their earliest accounts in West Africa suggest that chimpanzees interacted and lived in close contact with humans, thus shaping the way both species adapt to their environments. Humans occupy this same space along with chimpanzees, and we need them as much as they need us. The continued decline in wild populations of species such as chimpanzees can have negative impacts for biodiversity. Chimpanzees have a …

Effects Of Solar Arrays On Southwestern Desert Thermal Landscapes: Consequences For Terrestrial Ectotherms, Adrian Slade

All Master's Theses

Solar energy development in the Southwestern United States coincides with habitat for many sensitive and endemic species, including reptiles such as Mojave Fringe-toed Lizards and Mojave Desert Tortoises who are threatened by a warming and drying climate. While utility-scale solar energy reduces carbon emissions and should ultimately benefit climate-sensitive species, it locally destroys fragile desert habitat, displaces wildlife, and has been shown to incur local air and surface temperature changes. Mitigation-based translocation of wildlife species in the face of solar development yields mixed results, and the unprecedented pace of solar expansion in the desert highlights the need for alternative practices …

Hide And Seek: An Exploration Of Antipredator And Predator Avoidance Mechanisms In Orthopodomyia Signifera In Response To Predation From Toxorhynchites Rutilus, Nathaniel Dahlberg

Master's Theses

There have been many observations of larval Orthopodomyia signifera coexisting with the predator Toxorhynchites rutilus. There are three hypotheses that could explain how Or. signifera resists predation from Tx. rutilus. The first hypothesis states that larvae adapt behavioral changes that limit predation. The second hypothesis states thoracic setae serve as a physical defense that prevents Tx. rutilus from grasping Or. signifera. The third hypothesis states Or. signifera possess a chemical defense indicated by aposematic coloration. To test the first hypothesis larval Or. signifera were exposed to conspecific and heterospecific predation cues and their behavior was observed. Both cues …

Reactive Oxygen Species (Ros)-Responsive Size-Reducible Nanoassemblies For Deeper Atherosclerotic Plaque Penetration And Enhanced Macrophage-Targeted Drug Delivery, Jianhua He, Wenli Zhang, Xiaoju Zhou, Fengfei Xu, Jiahui Zou, Qiqi Zhang, Yi Zhao, Hongliang He, Hu Yang, Jianping Liu

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nanoparticle-Based therapeutics represent potential strategies for treating atherosclerosis; however, the complex plaque microenvironment poses a barrier for nanoparticles to target the dysfunctional cells. Here, we report reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive and size-reducible nano assemblies, formed by multivalent host-guest interactions between β-cyclodextrins (β-CD)-anchored discoidal recombinant high-density lipoprotein (NP3ST) and hyaluronic acid-ferrocene (HA-Fc) conjugates. the HA-Fc/NP3ST nano assemblies have extended blood circulation time, specifically accumulate in atherosclerotic plaque mediated by the HA receptors CD44 highly expressed in injured endothelium, rapidly disassemble in response to excess ROS in the intimal and release smaller NP3ST, allowing for further plaque penetration, macrophage-targeted cholesterol efflux and …

I2n: Image To Nutrients, A Sensor Guided Semi-Automated Tool For Annotation Of Images For Nutrition Analysis Of Eating Episodes, Tonmoy Ghosh, Megan A Mccrory, Tyson Marden, Janine Higgins, Alex Kojo Anderson, Christabel Ampong Domfe, Wenyan Jia, Benny Lo, Gary Frost, Matilda Steiner-Asiedu, Tom Baranowski, Mingui Sun, Edward Sazonov

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Introduction: Dietary assessment is important for understanding nutritional status. Traditional methods of monitoring food intake through self-report such as diet diaries, 24-hour dietary recall, and food frequency questionnaires may be subject to errors and can be time-consuming for the user.

Methods: This paper presents a semi-automatic dietary assessment tool we developed - a desktop application called Image to Nutrients (I2N) - to process sensor-detected eating events and images captured during these eating events by a wearable sensor. I2N has the capacity to offer multiple food and nutrient databases (e.g., USDA-SR, FNDDS, USDA Global Branded Food Products Database) for annotating eating …