Life Sciences Commons^™

Forecasting Fine Fuels In The Intermountain West Rangelands, Mira Ensley-Field

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this thesis project was to develop a fine fuels forecast to help fire managers anticipate spatial variation in fuel loads before the start of the fire season. In Chapter 1 we compile and analyze the methodologies of the historical record of fine fuel loads reported to the Great Basin Coordination Center. Based on our data analysis, we developed a series of recommendations for improving the methods used to sample fine fuels in the future as well as more broad ideas for how land managers can use emerging technologies to more effectively monitor fine fuels. In Chapter 2, …

Standardization Of A Protocol To Propagate Gateway Vectors, Kayla Suisse

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Cloning is an important technique in functional genomics, particularly genetics and molecular biology. Cloned genes can be used to facilitate protein expression; this is an essential step in understanding gene function. In traditional cloning, the gene of interest is amplified and tagged with a restriction enzyme sequence and ligated to the digested open vector. However, the GATEWAY™ Cloning Technology provides a speedy and more efficient route to insert the gene of interest in the desired vector, known as Destination vectors or Expression vectors, using site-specific recombination sites and recombinase enzymes.¹ Once DNA segments from the gene of interest are …

Forage News [2022-05], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

No abstract provided.

A Bayesian Model Selection Approach To Mediation Analysis., Wesley L Crouse, Gregory R Keele, Madeleine S Gastonguay, Gary Churchill, William Valdar

Faculty Research 2022

Genetic studies often seek to establish a causal chain of events originating from genetic variation through to molecular and clinical phenotypes. When multiple phenotypes share a common genetic association, one phenotype may act as an intermediate for the genetic effects on the other. Alternatively, the phenotypes may be causally unrelated but share genetic loci. Mediation analysis represents a class of causal inference approaches used to determine which of these scenarios is most plausible. We have developed a general approach to mediation analysis based on Bayesian model selection and have implemented it in an R package, bmediatR. Bayesian model selection provides …

Genome-Wide Transcript And Protein Analysis Highlights The Role Of Protein Homeostasis In The Aging Mouse Heart., Isabela Gerdes Gyuricza, Joel M Chick, Gregory R Keele, Andrew Deighan, Steven C. Munger, Ron Korstanje, Steven P Gygi, Gary Churchill

Faculty Research 2022

Investigation of the molecular mechanisms of aging in the human heart is challenging because of confounding factors, such as diet and medications, as well as limited access to tissues from healthy aging individuals. The laboratory mouse provides an ideal model to study aging in healthy individuals in a controlled environment. However, previous mouse studies have examined only a narrow range of the genetic variation that shapes individual differences during aging. Here, we analyze transcriptome and proteome data from 185 genetically diverse male and female mice at ages 6, 12, and 18 mo to characterize molecular changes that occur in the …

Characterization Of Gangliosides And Fatty Acids In Extracellular Vesicles From Human Milk, Aliya Amin

Food Science (MS) Theses

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are bioactive components of human milk that may impact functionality to regulate growth, cognitive development, metabolism, and immunity in newborns. The biogenesis of EVs and the mechanism by which EVs elicit biologic effects in vivo have not been characterized entirely. Gangliosides and fatty acids are integral in the formation, release, stability, and functionalities of EVs. Presumably, EV function is related to EV composition and lipids in EVs influence the bioavailability of EV cargo and downstream functions of EVs. The objective of this research was to characterize the fatty acid and ganglioside composition of EVs in human milk. …

Cucurbit Downy Mildew Of Melon: Pathogen Diversity And Host Resistance, Sean Toporek

All Dissertations

Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM), caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis, is a major constraint on melon (Cucumis melo) production in the eastern United States, but P. cubensis populations infecting C. melo are not well characterized. Between 2019 and 2021, 248 P. cubensis isolates were collected from cultivars Halona and Hale’s Best Jumbo in ten states. Isolates were genotyped with nine microsatellites, and mating type and clade were determined. All isolates displayed an inverse mating type / clade relationship: 90.3% and 9.7% of the isolates were mating type A1 / Clade 2 and mating type A2 / Clade 1, respectively. …

Checking The Checkered Taxonomy Of Plötz's Checkered Skippers (Hesperiidae: Pyrgini), Jing Zhang, Qing Cong, John M. Burns, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

We present an analysis of the names proposed by Carl Plötz in 1884 for the New World species in the genus Pyrgus Hübner, [1819] facilitated by the genomic sequencing of extant primary type specimens comparatively with a larger sample of more recently collected specimens of these species and their relatives. The changes to nomenclature suggested here are only caused by the identity of primary type specimens as revealed by their phenotypes or though genomic sequencing. All neotypes are designated to stabilize nomenclature in agreement with the current usage of these names, which in unison agrees best with the information available …

Genomic Dna Sequencing Reveals Two New North American Species Of Staphylus (Hesperiidae: Pyrginae: Carcharodini), Jing Zhang

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Two new skipper butterfly (Hesperiidae) species are described from the United States: Staphylus floridus Grishin, sp. n. (type locality in Florida, Volusia County) and Staphylus ecos Grishin, sp. n. (type locality in Texas, Brewster County). They are cryptic and hence escaped recognition. They differ from their sister species by the relative size and morphology of genitalia and by genotype—including and beyond the COI barcode—thus, suggesting genetic isolation that argues for their species-level status. A lectotype is designated for Helias ascalaphus Staudinger, 1876. Staphylus opites (Godman & Salvin, 1896), stat. rest. is a species-level taxon and not a synonym of Staphylus …

First Record Of Ancognatha Erythrodera (Blanchard, 1846) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) In The Altiplano Of Chile, José Mondaca, Sergio Rothmann

Insecta Mundi

The presence of Ancognatha erythrodera (Blanchard, 1846) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is confirmed for the first time in Chile based on male and female specimens collected in the extreme north of the country. This is the second species of Ancognatha Erichson, 1847 recorded in Chile. Morphological characters, illustrations of male genitalia, male and female habitus photographs of this species, and additional records in Argentina and Bolivia are provided. A map with the collection sites and montane habitats photograph in Chile are included.

The Dynastinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) that occur in Chile were comprehensively revised by Ratcliffe et al. (2021), who recorded nine species …

Liquid Chromatography With Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method Development For The Determination Of Β–Defensins In Bovine Milk, Symone T. Whalin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Bovine mastitis, caused by a wide array of pathogens, results in a substantial economic loss for the dairy cattle livestock industry. β-defensins are a part of the bovine’s innate immune system and act as the first line of defense against mastitis. Only foundational research has been done on β-defensins’ ability to treat and prevent mastitis. There have been no analytical methods reported in the literature for analyzing β-defensins in bovine milk. This research aims to create an analytical approach to determine β-defensins in bovine milk. It is challenging to determine an analyte in a complex sample matrix, and milk is …

Investigation Into The Relationship Between Posture And Psychology: The Psychological Ramifications Of Forward Head And Rounded Shoulder Posture, Samuel Thomas Lauman

Kinesiology Dissertations - Archive

Embodied cognition speaks to the notion that the mind and body are inherently linked, and directly influence one another. Nonverbal communication experts hold the thought that sustaining chronic postures can impact an individual’s psychological disposition and vice versa. Therefore, the potential to intervene on these postures from a musculoskeletal rehabilitation perspective provides the opportunity to improve not only an individual’s posture, but also their psychological state. Forward head posture (FHP) and rounded shoulder posture (RSP) are common postural adaptations that occur from musculoskeletal dysfunction, and often lead to acute and chronic changes that can be a precursor to etiological pathologies. …

Evaluating Headstarting As A Conservation Strategy For Anegada Rock Iguanas (Cyclura Pinguis), Kelly Allison Bradley

Biology Theses - Archive

In an effort to combat the current extinction crisis, conservation biologists have developed a diverse set of tools, including conservation physiology. This scientific discipline applies physiological concepts and tools to generate conservation solutions for a broad range of species. The Anegada Rock Iguana (Cyclura pinguis) is a Critically Endangered species native to Anegada, British Virgin Islands. Feral cats depredate hatchlings within months of emergence, drastically reducing recruitment and population growth. By the 1990s, the population had declined by 80%. A headstart program was initiated in 1997 to combat this threat and increase the population. Wild collected hatchlings are reared in …

Global Mapping Of Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Of The Rle Line R2bm, Dhamala Santosh

Biology Theses - Archive

The R2 Long Interspersed Nucleotide Elements (LINEs) is a widely distributed site specific non-LTR retrotransposons that integrates exclusively into host genome’s 28s rRNA genes and replicate by a process called Target Primed Reverse Transcription (TPRT) which is a “copy-out, copy-in” mechanism whereby element protein binds to the mRNA from which they are translated, forming ribonucleic acid protein particles (RNPs). The investigation of nucleic acid-protein interactions using chemical modification of surface amino acid residues on a protein in the presence and absence of nucleic acids is a relatively new application/technique in the field of Mass Spectrometry and particularly significant in studying …

The Evolution Of Neurosensory Structures: Evaluating Ecological Drivers Of Brain And Eye Size Variation, Kaitlyn J. Howell

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Neurosensory structures (i.e., brain and eye size) vary extensively across taxa. The evolution of large neurosensory structures has long been an area of interest for scientists, but focus has largely been placed on macroevolutionary patterns at or above the species level. Few studies have investigated the role contrasting ecological factors play in the evolution of such structures within species. My dissertation examines 1) how divergent ecological pressures, particularly predation and competition, drive evolutionary shifts in brain and eye size within species and across sexes, and 2) why such variation evolves, particularly if larger brains drive shifts in behavior and fitness. …

Evaluation Of Diaphragmatic Movement In The Respiratory System Of An Emphysema Patient, Aubri Ford

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

Respiration is an essential part of life. The diaphragm is the main muscle involved in the process of respiration. However, respiratory diseases such as emphysema alter the function of the diaphragm which sometimes leads to respiratory failure and death. This review compiles studies concerning emphysema and how the morphological changes in the lungs (i.e. hyperinflation) caused by the disease affect the diaphragm. The first major point covers the risks associated with developing the disease as a component of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Next, the paper outlines the pathophysiology of emphysema within the lungs, the methods used to diagnose emphysema, …

Lipid Rafts, Exosomal Vesicles And Anti-Giardial Therapies, Brian Ivan Grajeda

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Giardia lamblia, a protozoan parasite, is a major cause of waterborne infection, worldwide. While the trophozoite form of this parasite induces pathological symptoms in the gut, the cyst forms transmit the infection via contaminated water. Since Giardia is a non-invasive parasite, the actual mechanism by which it causes infection remains elusive. We have previously reported that Giardia assembles cholesterol and GM1 glycolipid-enriched lipid rafts (LRs) that participate in encystation and cyst production. To further delineate the role of LRs in pathogenesis, we isolated LRs from Giardia and subjected them to proteomic analysis. Various cellular proteins including the virulent proteins—e.g., giardins, …

Generating And Sustaining Meaningful Professional Development Opportunities For Graduate Teaching Assistants Facilitating Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences In The Biological Sciences, Amie M. Kern

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Current national efforts to reform postsecondary laboratory education have emphasized the incorporation of authentic research opportunities into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curricula. Within the last decade, course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as a viable mechanism to achieve this goal. Evidence within the biology education literature suggests that student engagement in CUREs has the potential to positively impact their development of scientific inquiry and process skills, content knowledge, and affect in the domain. While the majority of studies have focused on student outcomes, few studies have examined instructor outcomes in CURE learning environments. This is especially true …

Understanding The Anticancer Mechanism Of Oridonin Using Proteomics Approach, Xiaojun Zhang

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Oridonin has attracted extensive attention from cancer biologists ascribed to its outstanding anticancer ability. It is a kaurane diterpene, the first bioactive natural compound from Rabdosia rubescens (Hemsl.) Hara, a natural herb. Oridonin is conventionally used as an anti-tumor, ani-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-bacterial compound as well as an adjunct treatment for many cancers, especially gastrointestinal tumors, such as esophageal and liver cancers. Its antitumor effects have been connected to its interference with several pathways involved in apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, cell proliferation, autophagy, and cell migration. Presently, both the molecular chaperone Hsp70 and Nucleolin have been identified as targets interacting …

Heritability Of Maxillary Dental Arch Dimensions In A Pedigreed Sample Of Hamadryas Baboons, Samuel Park

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis presents a study of heritability of maxillary dental arch dimensions in a captive baboon colony. Arch dimensions are important subject because they influence the entirety of the craniofacial and masticatory complex. The goal of this study was to quantify the relative genetic influence on arch dimensions and the nature of this influence at different points along the maxillary arcade. Referencing virtual, three-dimensional dental cast scans, widths were measured at different points between the a) maxillary left and right canines, and b) maxillary left and right first molars (M1). Specifically, measurements were taken at the inner (lingual) gingival margin, …

Quantifying The Relationship Between Pond Size And Water Quality, Rebekah Mason

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The water quality of ponds, streams, and groundwater is at risk due to agricultural and urban development. Implementation of ponds near developmental areas can act as catchment sites to reduce further water pollution (Bichsel et al., 2015). However, maintenance of pond water quality is necessary for continued water supply to livestock and general recreational use. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between pond size (surface area range from 142 to 5336 m²) and water quality. Analysis of water quality parameters, including dissolved oxygen, nitrate, phosphate, and chlorophyll-a, were conducted during the summer of 2021 and winter …

Pandemics And Animal Welfare: A Quantitative Inquiry Into How The Covid-19 Pandemic Has Affected The Companion Animal Industry In Northwest Arkansas, Kayla N. Desmet

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019, industries have been impacted globally. The companion animal care industry has not received much recognition in mainstream news, and though multiple grants have been allocated (Nolen, 2020), limited resources were available to individual facilities such as animal shelters, animal day cares, and boarding facilities. Little is known about the long-term effects of the pandemic on these facilities and how companion animal care may have changed. The purpose of this study was to explore the day-to-day impacts and long-term effects of COVID-19 on the companion animal industry in Northwest Arkansas from …

Time Course Investigation Of The Dermal Leukocyte Response To Lipoteichoic Acid In Chickens, Ian Gilbert

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is component of the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria that stimulates inflammation during bacterial infection. However, few studies have investigated the in vivo immune response to LTA, and none of the in vivo studies done have been performed in birds. For this project, the pulp (a skin-derivative) of growing feathers (GFs) of chickens were used as a test site to investigate the in vivo effects of intradermally injected LTA. In Study 1, the pulp of 12 GFs of 11-week-old Light-brown Leghorn (LBL) males were injected with 10 μL of differing concentrations of LTA (0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 …

Atrazine Levels In Rural Nebraska Counties And Parkinson's Disease, Muhammad Zahid

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multifactorial disorder, connecting both genetic susceptibility and environmental risk factors. Several epidemiological and experimental studies support the evidence that pesticides exposure is positively associated with enhancing neurodegenerative diseases. The high amount of atrazine used in Nebraska and increased PD cases led us to evaluate the association between the long-lived water-soluble pesticide atrazine and PD in Nebraska counties. A person's exposure to atrazine may come from inhalation, dermal absorption, and ingestion. Three types of atrazine data covering 1992 to 2017 were used for this study: applied atrazine, atrazine in surface water, and atrazine in groundwater. In …

The Effect Of A Health Educational Program On Sleep Related Health Outcomes, Swetha Sirigineedi

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Sleep quality has effects on both physical and mental health. Because of this, sleep hygiene is an important health goal. Participation in health programs promoting healthy behaviors has helped people reach their health goals and elicited positive behavior change. Because of this, it was of interest to determine if participation in a virtual, multi-media health education program improved health and wellbeing outcomes of Arkansans. The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of a 20-week behavior and health educational program on the ability of participants to achieve their health goals and improve their health behaviors related to …

Life After Death – Does Carcass Biodiversity Scale With Carcass Body Size?, Troy Warfield

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mammals play a large role in the ecosystems where some, especially large-bodied mammals, act as ecosystem engineers. Mammal carcasses, particularly those of large body mass act as a temporary island of dense nutrients that support other organisms, including other mammal species, for an extended period. Research in this field currently focuses on the link between mammal carcass size and nutrient availably or on non-mammalian size and biodiversity, but little is available on the correlation between mammal carcass size and its influence on ecosystem biodiversity. Here we ask, does the available biomass (i.e., body size) of the carcass affect its role …

Seasonality Of Orthohantavirus Seroprevalence In Northwest Arkansas Rodents, Amy Schexnayder

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Zoonotic viruses are viruses that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Rodent species are likely to be reservoirs for zoonotic viruses, and particular rodent-borne viruses, such as orthohantaviruses, may greatly threaten human health. Orthohantaviruses are a group of rodent-borne viruses that are at risk for spillover to human populations. Many aspects of orthohantaviruses have been well-researched, yet the seasonality of orthohantaviruses has not yet been thoroughly examined, especially in the southern United States. In this study, we captured 616 rodents trapped over 5953 trap nights across 13 grassland sites in Northwest Arkansas. Rodents were trapped for two consecutive nights …

Effect Of Larval Rearing Environment On Female Bicyclus Anynana Mate Choice, Adriana Beruvides

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Around eighty percent of animals go through metamorphosis or drastic phase changes at some point in their life. We know that juvenile interactions can influence adult behavior and mate choice in species that don’t go through metamorphosis, but we know very little about how social interactions during early life stages of animals who go through metamorphosis affect mate choice. To fill this knowledge gap, I used the butterfly Bicyclus anynana to assess whether female butterflies raised in complete isolation from the beginning of their lives exhibit the same mate preference as butterflies raised in normal social conditions. To test this, …

Root Phenotyping Of Peptide-Treated Glycine Max, Salem Jackson

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Plant elicitor peptides (Peps) – endogenous chains of amino acids involved in natural plant defense – have been shown to decrease damage from herbivores and pathogens by inducing an immune response, increasing the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCS), transcripts, and metabolites. Exogenous treatment of soybean seeds with plant elicitor peptide GmPep3 has been shown to induce these broad-spectrum defenses and offers a new method for increasing crop yield. However, the effects of GmPep3 on indicators of soybean health – root characteristics, growth stages, etc. – have not been fully realized.

Using the root-phenotyping platform RhizoVision Explorer, several root traits …

Identifying The Distinct Adaptive And Plastic Gene Expression Patterns And Microbial Indicators That Mediate Coral Disease Resistance, Nicholas James Macknight

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Infectious diseases are an increasing threat to coral reefs, resulting in altered community structure and hindering the functional contributions of disease susceptible species. While forecasting disease outbreaks based on environmental factors has progressed, we still lack a comparative understanding of susceptibility among coral species that would help predict disease impacts on coral communities. This dissertation compared the phenotypic, microbial, and coral host gene expression responses of seven diverse Caribbean coral species after exposure to white plague disease. Disease incidence and lesion progression rates were evaluated over a seven-day exposure. Coral microbiomes and RNA were sampled after lesion appearance or at …