Life Sciences Commons^™

The Presence Of Ehrlichia In White-Tailed Deer In Central Virginia, Brenna Kurtz

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

Investigating Antimicrobial Chemicals Released From Developing Amphibian Eggs, Christian Sorensen, Abigail Piddock, Alexandria Hannah, Ciara Johnson, Connor Chapman

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

Marker-Trait Association Mapping Of Sorghum Mosaic Virus Resistance In Sugarcane, Chenie Zamora

LSU Master's Theses

Mosaic is a potentially devastating disease of sugarcane that had severe economic impact on Louisiana’s sugarcane industry in the 1920’s and has caused periodic problems ever since. The disease is vectored by migrating aphids that transmit Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) and Sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV) in a non-persistent manner. Mosaic in Louisiana is currently caused by strains of SrMV. Mosaic has been controlled primarily by developing resistant cultivars. Recently, mosaic was detected in some near-commercial clones in the cultivar selection program. This prompted extensive screening of breeding program parent populations that detected infiltration of susceptibility and revealed the need for …

Re-Evaluation Of Late Season Action Thresholds And The Effect Of Seed Treatments On Early Season Colonization Of Threecornered Alfalfa Hopper, Spissistilus Festinus (Say), In Louisiana Soybean, Glycine Max (L) Merr, Tyler Ray Tagle Musgrove

LSU Master's Theses

Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr, is considered the most economically important oil and feed crop in the US and is grown on nearly 35,000,000 ha on an annual basis. Factors that limit yield include weed pressure, disease infection, and of particular interest to entomologists, insect herbivory. Soybean is targeted by a range of above and below ground pests which are primarily controlled by insecticides. Neonicotinoids are a recently popularized insecticide class that when applied as a seed treatment, can provide protection from early season pests. The most economically significant early season pest is threecornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say), whose …

Redox Transition Of Iron-Sulfur Clusters In Mitoneet, Homyra Tasnim

LSU Master's Theses

Iron-sulfur proteins are ubiquitous in nature, and they play a crucial role in multifarious biological processes such as electron transfer, enzymatic catalysis, and homeostatic regulation. MitoNEET is the first discovered iron-sulfur protein in the outer mitochondrial membrane. Previous studies have shown that the [2Fe-2S] clusters of mitoNEET can be reduced by FMNH₂ in the presence of NADH and Flavin reductase (Fre) under aerobic conditions suggesting that mitoNEET is novel redox enzyme catalyzing electron transfer from NADH via FMN to oxygen.

The molecular docking models suggest that mitoNEET has a specific binding site for FMN close to its [2Fe-2S] cluster …

Development Of Alternative Materials And Strategies For Enhancing Rice Health, Jobelle S. Bruno

LSU Master's Theses

Bacterial panicle blight (BPB) and sheath blight (ShB) are economically important diseases of rice (Oryza sativa) in Louisiana and other rice-growing regions around the world. However, there are challenges in the current disease management practices for these diseases. Thus, the main goal of this study is to identify new materials and their application methods that effectively suppress BPB and ShB. To achieve this goal, we evaluated the effect of various materials and application methods against the rice diseases. In 2020 and 2021, various materials, such as ascorbic acid (AA), N-acetylcysteine, chitosan, the avirulent strain of Burkholderia glumae 257sh-1 …

Liquid Biopsies For Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Biomarkers For Disease Risk And Diagnosis, Stephanie Chidester

Dissertations

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. There is a critical need for earlier and more effective screening and diagnostic tools. Innovative liquid biopsy technologies may play a key role in meeting this need. Liquid biopsies are a non-invasive, adjunctive tool for determining diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic response. This dissertation focuses on two potential applications of liquid biopsy technologies to T2DM: (1) epigenome-wide association studies to identify epigenetic markers of risk for T2DM, and (2) extracellular vesicle (EV)-based biomarker studies to identify and detect markers associated with T2DM development and progression. Dissertation studies: …

A Multi-Spatial Analysis Of Land Use Effects On Freshwater Mussels In The Upper Cuyahoga River And Tinkers Creek, Tamar Atwell

ETD Archive

Mussels are considered one indicator of good water quality in rivers, but over the past 20 years mussel populations have continued to decline, while water quality improves. According to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), water quality in the Cuyahoga River is now within safe levels for all parameters. However, what are safe levels for humans may not be safe for mussels. An analysis of freshwater mussel populations in two similarly sized watersheds, the Upper Cuyahoga River and Tinkers Creek was conducted. Correlations of mussel abundance and diversity were assessed by multivariate GIS/remote sensing tools to contrast water flow rates, …

Applying Requisite Imagination To Safeguard Electronic Health Record Transitions, Dean F Sittig, Priti Lakhani, Hardeep Singh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Over the next decade, many health care organizations (HCOs) will transition from one electronic health record (EHR) to another; some forced by hospital acquisition and others by choice in search of better EHRs. Herein, we apply principles of Requisite Imagination, or the ability to imagine key aspects of the future one is planning, to offer 6 recommendations on how to proactively safeguard these transitions. First, HCOs should implement a proactive leadership structure that values communication. Second, HCOs should implement proactive risk assessment and testing processes. Third, HCOs should anticipate and reduce unwarranted variation in their EHR and clinical processes. Fourth, …

Something Fishy In Seafood Trade?, Kathy Baylis, Lia Nogueira, Linlin Fan, Kathryn Pace

Cornhusker Economics

The safety of food imports continues to be in the spotlight. Globally, each year, contaminated food causes almost 1 in 10 people to fall ill and 420 thousand people to die (WHO, 2017). Protecting consumers from unsafe foods is complicated by the increased role of international trade in our food system. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that disease outbreaks associated with imported food increased from 1996 to 2014, with fish and produce being the main culprits (Gould et al., 2017). For example, in 2019, two separate cases of tuna from Vietnam were found to have sickened …

Valuation Of Dry And Wet Aged Beef By U.S. Consumers, Mario Ortez, Nicole Olynk Widmar, Nathan M. Thompson, Yuan H. Brad Kim

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Aged-beef has historically been available in high-end establishments, but investigation into consumer preferences for aging is increasingly important as it has become more readily available. Consumer perceptions of and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for aged-beef under two methods dry-aging and wet-aging, were studied in a representative sample of n = 1,275 US residents alongside USDA quality grades. In general, US residents are not knowledgeable regarding aged-beef but have a positive direct-stated perception of the practice. Respondents self-reported familiarity with USDA grades Prime and Choice and perceived them as superior beef attributes. Half of respondents were randomly assigned to receive a low information …

Soil Depth And Precipitation Moderate Soil Textural Effects On Seedling Survival Of A Foundation Shrub Species, Kari E. Veblen, Kyle C. Nehring, Michael C. Duniway, Anna Knight, Thomas A. Monaco, Eugene W. Schupp, Janis L. Boettinger, Juan J. Villalba, Stephen Fick, Colby Brungard, Eric Thacker

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

In drylands, there is a need for controlled experiments over multiple planting years to examine how woody seedlings respond to soil texture and the potentially interactive effects of soil depth and precipitation. Understanding how multiple environmental factors interactively influence plant establishment is critical to restoration ecology and in this case to broadscale restoration efforts in western U.S. drylands dominated by big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). We planted sagebrush seedlings across a range of soil textures and depths in the southern portion of the species' range, on the Colorado Plateau, USA. We evaluated survival of repeated plantings of caged and …

Penelitian Pendahuluan Pengaruh Pupuk Organik Cair Terhadap Ukuran, Warna, Dan Kandungan Antosianin Bunga Telang, Haryasi Abubakar, Rima Melati, Sri Soenarsih

Jurnal Kultivasi

Ukuran, warna, dan kandungan antosianin bunga telang (Clitoria ternatea) dapat ditingkatkan dengan penambahan pupuk. Informasi tentang konsentrasi pupuk organik cair yang tepat untuk tanaman telang belum tersedia. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menentukan konsentrasi yang dapat meningkatkan kuantitas dan kualitas bunga telang. Penelitian berupa eksperimen dengan menggunakan metode Rancangan Acak Kelompok yang terdiri dari 6 perlakuan yang diulang sebanyak 4 kali. Perlakuan adalah konsentrasi pupuk organik cair, yang terdiri dari tanpa pupuk, 2, 4, 6, 8, dan 10 mL/L. Data hasil pengamatan dianalisis menggunakan sidik ragam dan dilanjutkan dengan uji Beda Nyata Terkecil. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa peningkatan konsentrasi pupuk organik …

Morfologi Dan Kandungan Flavonoid Total Bunga Telang Di Berbagai Ketinggian Tempat Tumbuh Berbeda, Hawari, Bambang Pujiasmanto, Eddy Triharyanto

Jurnal Kultivasi

Bunga telang (Clitoria ternatea L) merupakan salah satu tanaman leguminoceae yang memiliki manfaat farmakologis, namun sebagian besar pemanenannya berasal dari alam dan belum dibudidayakan secara luas. Oleh karena itu, perlu diadakan suatu penelitian spesifik terkait morfologi dan kandungan flavonoid bunga telang untuk dijadikan tanaman budidaya serta mengkaji kesesuaian lingkungan untuk budidayanya. Tujuan riset ini untuk mengkaji karakter morfologi dan kandungan flavonoid bunga telang di berbagai ketinggian. Survei dilaksanakan di lokasi berbeda, yaitu dataran rendah (Karangasem, Jeyengan, dan Purwosari) dan dataran tinggi Ngargoyoso, mulai bulan Februari sampai April 2021. Lokasi survei dipilih dengan metode acak memihak (purpose random sampling) melalui pendekatan …

Pengaruh Rizobakteri Indigenous Terhadap Serangan Penyakit Budok, Enzim Peroksidase, Dan Pertumbuhan Setek Nilam Aceh, Halimursyadah, Siti Hafsah, Siti Nurminah Nasution, Zuraida

Jurnal Kultivasi

Rizobakteri adalah kelompok mikroba yang aktif dan agressif mengkolonisasi area rizosfir. Mikroba ini mampu berperan sebagai biofertilizer, biostimulan, dan bioprotektan. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui jenis isolat rizobakteri indigenous yang berpotensi sebagai agen biokontrol pada patogen Synchytrium pogostemonis penyebab penyakit budok pada tanaman nilam Aceh (Pogostemon cablin Benth.). Penelitian dilaksanakan di Laboratorium Ilmu dan Teknologi Benih Jurusan Agroteknologi, Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Syiah Kuala dan Kebun Percobaan Sektor Timur Fakultas Pertanian, Darussalam Banda Aceh. Waktu pelaksanaan penelitian dimulai pada bulan Januari sampai dengan Mei 2021. Percobaan ini disusun berdasarkan Rancangan Acak Lengkap dengan 15 perlakuan yang terdiri atas 14 perlakuan …

Targeting Non-Coding Rnas To Overcome Cancer Therapy Resistance, Baoqing Chen, Mihnea P Dragomir, Chen Yang, Qiaoqiao Li, David Horst, George A Calin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

It is now well known that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), rather than protein-coding transcripts, are the preponderant RNA transcripts. NcRNAs, particularly microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), are widely appreciated as pervasive regulators of multiple cancer hallmarks such as proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, and genomic instability. Despite recent discoveries in cancer therapy, resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy continue to be a major setback. Recent studies have shown that ncRNAs also play a major role in resistance to different cancer therapies by rewiring essential signaling pathways. In this review, we present the intricate mechanisms through …

Improving Photosynthetic Efficiency In Microalgae Through The Genetic Engineering Of Energy Sensors And Photoreceptors, Taylor L. Britton

Biology ETDs

Through photosynthesis microalgae can convert sunlight, water, and CO₂ into chemical energy that can be used to generate carbon neutral biofuels and biomass. With an ever-increasing demand and need for petroleum substitutes it is imperative that we improve the output of industrial-relevant crops such as microalgae. One important way of improving output in algae is by understanding the roles that stress and energy conversion is regulated in these organisms. Photosynthetic organisms fundamentally depend on light- and sugar-driven metabolic and signaling networks, which integrate environmental cues to govern and sustain growth and survival. SnRKs (SNF1-related protein kinases) and the photoreceptor …

Adaptive Coping For Covid-Related Stress, Sandra Maloy

Undergraduate Research Conference

The restrictions placed on society by the COVID- 19 pandemic for the purpose of limiting spread of the disease appear to have produced a different set of potential chronic health issues. Through lockdown and social distancing measures the general public lost access to key elements of daily life. The literature and qualitative interview data primarily support a negative association between participation in spiritual and physical activity and COVID-19 related stress. These findings are not surprising based on previous research investigating coping and other chronic stressors.

Quantification Of Kaempferol Conjugates In Watercress Juice And Methanol Extract: A Study Using Hplc And Protein Binding, Laken Simington

Undergraduate Research Conference

Flavonoids are a large group of biologically active polyphenolic compounds found in plants, that have gained importance in recent years due to their potential medicinal and therapeutic properties of high potency and low systemic toxicity. Kaempferol (3,4′,5,7- tetrahydroxyflavone) is a polyphenol antioxidant dietary flavonoid found in a variety of fruits and leafy vegetables, specifically vegetables of the Brassica family, which includes our subject vegetable, watercress (WC) which is usually grown in marshy lands. Kaempferol (KMP) has been depicted to have revolutionary attribute in overall human health ranging from anti-cancerous to anti-inflammatory properties. Here we show a novel approach for quantifying …

Organic Chemistry Through Dance, Holly Gibson

Undergraduate Research Conference

This research project explores representing organic chemistry mechanisms using dance. Dancers represent molecules, electrons, and atoms in demonstrating the movement of electrons and bonds created and broken by the movement. It was concluded that some organic mechanisms and ideas can be easily transferred to a dance concept, while others take more time and exploration. Additionally, dancers representing the atoms and electrons were able to have a better grasp of what was occurring, regardless of chemical education background. This leads to the conclusion of a new way to implement kinesthetic learning into the chemistry classroom. The purpose of the videos are …

Bomb Calorimetry: A New Method Of Cec Determination, Trace Washburn

Undergraduate Research Conference

A new method of determining the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of clay minerals was examined. This method involved exchanging the smectite clay with organic cations and using bomb calorimetry to measure the energy of combustion of the material. Because the clay is noncombustible, the energy is completely dependent on the amount of organic present, which is dependent on the CEC of the clay. Two organic cations, tetrapentylammonium and octadecyltrimethylammonium , with similar size but much different shape were used. For clays with lower CECs, using the more symmetric ion yielded better accuracy (4.24%), while for clays with higher CEC, using …

Modelling, Cloning, And Expression Of The J Domain Of C. Elegans Rme-8 Protein, Madison Thornhill, My Tran, Bingbing Xiao

Undergraduate Research Conference

Rme-8 is a J domain containing plasma membrane protein that is required for endocytosis in various cells The J domain is a characteristic structural motif found mainly in heat shock protein 40 (Hsp 40 or DnaJ) and other proteins such as Rme-8 Within the J domain is a tripeptide, the HPD motif, that is required by the J domain protein to interact with and stimulate the ATPase activity of Hsp70 a major cellular chaperone Rme-8 protein in C elegans CeRme-8 has not been identified with a particular Hsp70 partner CeHsp70 1 is the only cytosolic Hsp70 in C elegans therefore, …

Aquatic Macroinvertebrates As Sentinels Of Changes In Local Stream Conditions In East Texas, Courtney Plummer, Erin Shepta

Undergraduate Research Conference

Study objective: To use aquatic macroinvertebrates to assess the habitat quality and biological conditions of a stream, La Nana Creek, impacted by different land use.

A Comparative Assessment Of Soil Characteristics Between Forests And Urban Lawns, Remigio Casanova, Stephanie Huerta, Lukia Kalugin, Garrison Layne, Valerie Pacheco

Undergraduate Research Conference

Objectives

• Examine the differences in soil characteristics between a recreational lawn and a forest

• Make comparisons between a forest and lawn sampling area from a visual standpoint to observe a difference in what vegetation the soil supports.

• Collect data through on on-site and in in-laboratory methods.

• Interpret the results by examining the collected data and looking for patterns.

Urbanization Increases Isolation Of A Threatened Fish Species In East Texas Streams: A 20-Year Perspective, Zachary Hutchens

Undergraduate Research Conference

We conducted monthly surveys of fish and in-stream habitat conditions from August 2020 to August 2021 in reaches along Banita Creek and La Nana Creek to investigate ecology and population status of the Sabine shiner (Notropis sabinae) within these streams. On average, Banita Creek had shallow water with low flow, more diverse instream habitats, and lower values of salinity, conductivity, and turbidity compared La Nana Creek. The movements of Sabine shiners were tracked monthly using Visual Implant Elastomer tags. Over a year-long survey, we collected 267 Sabine shiners from Banita Creek and 10 individuals from La Nana Creek. Out of …

El Salvador's Food Clock, Zarea Collins

Undergraduate Research Conference

The initial concept stemmed from an honors project collaboration. The project was a research paper on the evolution of El Salvador’s food culture. Topics discussed were El Salvador's food culture, focusing on the history, staple foods, food medicine, dietetics, and how the country has been impacted by the expansion of globalization. Additionally, the relationship between medical conditions and how dietitians respond to them are further explored. Globalization has negatively impacted El Salvador's health status, dietary practices, and ingrained poor habits that will be carried on for generations.

Let's Get Serious About It: Plastic-Free Campus Initiative, Geoffrey Kain, Camdyn Doucette, Regan Bossie

Sustainability Conference

On February 23, 2022, the UN agreed to start negotiating a world-first global treaty on plastic waste--since nearly 200 nations unanimously agreed to move toward a legally binding plastics treaty by 2024. In 2019 the UN Environmental Programme report highlighted that "our world is drowning in plastic." As with the climate change crisis (to which plastics production and disposal are also linked), the data resoundingly illustrate the imminent systemic threat that disposable plastics pose to the world's seas, freshwater sources, soils, food supply, air, and species. Nevertheless, plastics production is predicted to rise dramatically over the next 20 years, with …

Landscapes Are Cornerstones Of Sustainability Programs, Don Spence

Sustainability Conference

Typical American landscapes are not sustainable in an economic or biological framework. The essence of the idea of sustainable growth and development are centered on the idea that those activities are not degrading natural resources or that they are outstrip budgets. A significant piece of any sustainable management plan is tied to how we manage our landscapes, how we use plants; specifically, how much grass there is, and how many native plants there are. Sustainable landscapes should require less chemical and financial inputs, which in the end, saves money and increases the biological value of the land and creates a …

Casein Kinases Are Required For The Stability Of The Glucose Sensing Receptor Rgt2 In Yeast, Danny Bloor

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Molecular Cloning Of Genes From The Bacteriophage, Phayonce, Kelly Walsh

Undergraduate Research Competition

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria, and have one of the most vast and diverse global populations of all biological entities. Despite this immense population size, the roles, and functions of individual phage genes within their genome, are widely unknown. The first, and one of the most important steps, toward elucidating the function of a phage gene, is molecular cloning. Because gene expression is easily influenced by other genes, it is essential to isolate and clone each individual gene into a plasmid expression vector. Once a single gene insert is cloned into a plasmid, we can introduce the …