Life Sciences Commons^™

Walking It Off: Habituation Of Gait At Virtual High Elevation, Kelly Poretti, Toby J. Ellmers, Christopher K. Rhea, Tiphanie Raffegeau

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Fear and anxiety about falling can disrupt gait control, leading to activity restriction and increased fall risk in older adults. VR can be used to induce postural threat (e.g., by simulating high elevation settings) within a controlled environment, inducing fall-related anxiety and cautious gait (i.e. slower, shorter steps) in young and older adults. However, it is unknown how emotional and motor responses to VR postural threat habituate across time because existing studies feature short exposures (10 seconds or less). Before VR-induced postural threat can be translated into an intervention, it is critical to understand threat-related gait habituation across time. …

Organized Sports-Based Interventions And Motor Outcomes In Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review, Kailash Ram, Maeren Hill, Caitlyn Stewart, Kaitlin P. Hardy Md, Sonia Khurana

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Aim

To evaluate the effectiveness of organized sports-based interventions on motor outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Method

Four databases were searched from inception to November 2025 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized controlled trials (NRCTs) reporting motor outcomes of organized sports-based interventions in children with ASD. Risk of bias was evaluated using ROB-2 (Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, Version Two) for RCTs and ROBINS-I (Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions) for NRCTs.

Results

Eleven studies (six RCTs, five NRCTs) were included and categorized as martial arts (n = 5), aquatic training (n = …

Eeg And Imu Gait Signal Processing: A Comparative Assessment Of The "Reza" Exponential Filter And Classic Filters, Reza Pousti, Daniel M. Russell, Derek C. Monroe, Christopher K. Rhea

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Noise degrades both EEG and gait signals, and classical IIR filters (Butterworth, Chebyshev, elliptic) involve trade-offs between passband flatness, ripple, and roll-off. This study compared a novel exponential "Reza" filter with these designs for neural and locomotor data. We analyzed an open-source mobile brain-body imaging dataset with EEG and gait data from 49 healthy adults (EEG: 256-channel, 512 Hz; IMUs: six APDM Opals, 128 Hz). EEG channels were grand-averaged and band-pass filtered at 0.5-50 Hz, while IMU axes were averaged and band-pass filtered at 0.5-5 Hz. The outcomes were signal-to-noise ratio SNR (dB) and band-integrated Welch PSD (EEG:0.5-50 Hz; IMU:0.5-5 …

Contralateral Breast Cancer After Radiotherapy And Hormone Therapy In Two Cohorts Of Us Breast Cancer Survivors, Lene H S Veiga, Gretchen L Gierach, Susan A Smith, Rebecca M Howell, Matthew M Mille, Monjoy Saha, Rochelle E Curtis, Cody Ramin, Clara Bodelon, Heather Spencer Feigelson, Erin J Aiello Bowles, Diana S M Buist, Sheila Weinmann, Jacqueline B Vo, Choonsik Lee, Amy Berrington De Gonzalez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Radiotherapy increases contralateral breast cancer risk, while hormone therapy reduces it; their combined effects are unclear.

Methods: Data from two US retrospective cohort studies of 5-year breast cancer survivors (stage I-III, ages 20-84), Kaiser Permanente (KP, 1990-2012) and SEER (1990-2013), were analysed. Contralateral breast radiation doses were estimated for the KP cohort. Multivariable Poisson regression estimated relative risks (RRs) and excess relative risks per Gray (ERR/Gy), stratified by hormone therapy use.

Results: KP cohort (n = 9053) included 353 contralateral breast cancer cases (73% ER+); SEER cohort (n = 244,834) included 10,470 cases (72% ER+). Among women with ER+ …

Alternative Polyadenylation Signatures Distinguish Maladaptive Right Ventricular Remodeling In Pulmonary Hypertension: Implications For Rna-Based Diagnostics And Therapeutics, Janani Subramaniam, Venkata Jonnakuti, Scott D Collum, Sandra Martineau, Kai-Lieh Huang, Sandra Breuils-Bonnet, Andrea L Frump, Bindu H Akkanti, Jayeshkumar A Patel, Manish K Patel, Ismael Salas De Armas, Isabella N Lefebvre, Rajko Radovancevic, Elvin Blanco, Eric J Wagner, Igor Gregoric, Sriram Nathan, Biswajit Kar, Steeve Provencher, Sebastien Bonnet, François Potus, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Harry Karmouty-Quintana

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Increased pulmonary vascular pressures due to vascular remodeling, elevated vascular resistance, and vasoconstriction characterize Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). The narrowing of the pulmonary arteries and obstruction of blood flow increase the Right Ventricular (RV) afterload, forcing the RV to undergo structural and functional changes. While adaptive remodeling leads to RV compensation by maintaining function, maladaptive remodeling leads to RV decompensation, characterized by worsening function and eventual failure. At present, there is no effective treatment for these patients as therapies for left ventricular failure are ineffectual, and there are no therapies specifically targeting the RV. Therefore, there is a clear need …

Guadecitabine Improved Relapse-Free Survival In High-Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia And Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients After Transplant: Phase Ii Results From A Single Center, Betül Oran, Peter Thall, Amin Alousi, Gheath Al-Atrash, Rohtesh Mehta, David Marin, Partow Kebriaei, Uday Popat, Roland Bassett, Qaiser Bashir, Jin Im, Amanda Olson, Jessica Jewell, Portia Smallbone, Elizabeth Shpall, Richard Champlin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This phase II, single-center clinical trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of guadecitabine, with or without donor lymphocyte infusion, following allogeneic stem cell transplantation in adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The study had three treatment cohorts based on post-transplant disease status. Cohort 1 included patients with hematologic relapse after transplant (N=13). Cohort 2 consisted of patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) detected after transplant (N=18). Cohort 3 compromised patients in remission without MRD within 100 days after transplant (N=24). The primary objectives were achievement of morphological complete remission in cohort 1 and MRD eradication …

Endogenous Processes Underlying Clock-Like Mutational Signatures, Teresa Druck, Rami I Aqeilan, C Marcelo Aldaz, Nicola Zanesi, Kay Huebner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Wellcome Trust scientists have shown that “mutational signatures” in specific nucleotide contexts accumulate in genomes of mammalian tissues, providing clues to underlying causes of specific signatures. Analysis of cancer genomes has identified more than 50 single‐base substitution (SBS) signatures, with SBS1, SBS5, and SBS40 linked to aging and present in normal tissues. SBS1 results from cytosine demethylation, whereas SBS5 and SBS40 arise from unknown endogenous mechanisms. We hypothesized that loss of fragile‐site genes drives these two signatures. FHIT, located at FRA3B, is frequently deleted in cancers, and Fhit‐deficient mouse tissues exhibit a mutation profile resembling human SBS5. Data mining of …

Preclinical Ischemic Stroke Multicenter Trials (Prism) Collective Statement: Opportunities, Challenges, And Recommendations For A New Era, Cenk Ayata, Philip M Bath, Anna M Planas, Stuart M Allan, Johannes Boltze, Ryan P Cabeen, Claire L Gibson, Marilyn J Cipolla, Marcio A Diniz, Stefano Fumagalli, Fahmeed Hyder, Raymond C Koehler, Arthur Liesz, Sarah K Mccann, Tim Magnus, Louise D Mccullough, Emily S Sena, Simone Beretta, Jaroslaw Aronowski, Francesca Bosetti, Clinton B Wright, Patrick D Lyden, Lauren H Sansing

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Preclinical stroke research faces a critical translational gap, with animal studies failing to reliably predict clinical efficacy. To address this, the field is moving toward rigorous, multicenter preclinical randomized controlled trials (mpRCTs) that mimic phase 3 clinical trials in several key components. This collective statement, derived from experts involved in mpRCTs, outlines considerations for designing and executing such trials. mpRCTs offer advantages such as increased sample sizes, robust statistical design, incorporation of heterogeneity, and standardized protocols, but they face challenges in finding the right balance between standardization and heterogeneity, appropriate stroke model selection, and outcome measures, as well as the …

Management Of Retropharyngeal Lymph Node Metastases In Thyroid Cancer, Isabelle Fournier, Ashwini Venkata Bandi, Sarah Hamidi, Priyanka Iyer, Naifa L Busaidy, Maria E Cabanillas, Ramona Dadu, Mimi I Hu, Steven G Waguespack, Ugur Nur Basmaci, Michelle D Williams, Mena Mansour, Maria Gule Monroe, Neil D Gross, Ryan P Goepfert, Nancy D Perrier, Victoria Banuchi, Jennifer R Wang, Anastasios Maniakas, Mark E Zafereo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) metastases in thyroid cancer are rare, with optimal management underreported.

Methods: Retrospective study of consecutive thyroid cancer patients with RPLN metastases treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2000 and 2024.

Results: One hundred and sixty-seven patients (75% differentiated, 21% medullary, 4% poorly differentiated thyroid cancer) were divided into three groups: active surveillance (AS) (13%), surgery (56%), and nonsurgical treatment (31%). In the AS group (median follow-up 2.3 years), RPLN metastases grew a median 3% (range: 0-56) or 0.02 cm (range: 0-0.7) per year. Surgical therapy included transcervical (73%), transoral robotic (14%), transoral (12%), and …

Knowledge Distillation And Dataset Distillation Of Large Language Models: Emerging Trends, Challenges, And Future Directions, Luyang Fang, Xiaowei Yu, Jiazhang Cai, Yongkai Chen, Shushan Wu, Zhengliang Liu, Zhenyuan Yang, Haoran Lu, Xilin Gong, Yufang Liu, Terry Ma, Wei Ruan, Ali Abbasi, Jing Zhang, Tao Wang, Ehsan Latif, Wei Liu, Wei Zhang, Soheil Kolouri, Xiaoming Zhai, Dajiang Zhu, Wenxuan Zhong, Tianming Liu, Ping Ma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The exponential growth of Large Language Models (LLMs) continues to highlight the need for efficient strategies to meet ever-expanding computational and data demands. This survey provides a comprehensive analysis of two complementary paradigms: Knowledge Distillation (KD) and Dataset Distillation (DD), both aimed at compressing LLMs while preserving their advanced reasoning capabilities and linguistic diversity. We first examine key methodologies in KD, such as task-specific alignment, rationale-based training, and multi-teacher frameworks, alongside DD techniques that synthesize compact, high-impact datasets through optimization-based gradient matching, latent space regularization, and generative synthesis. Building on these foundations, we explore how integrating KD and DD can …

Blood Flow Regulates Metabolism In Hematopoietic Development, Pamela L Wenzel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Blood flow modifies oxygen availability and biomechanical forces within the vasculature of the embryo as the hematopoietic system develops. The aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) envelops the largest artery in the body and is a critical site for the emergence of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Herein, I discuss the role of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and force as determinants of metabolism and fate determination. To address the effects of blood flow on hematopoietic development, I employ mouse embryo models and biomimetic culture. Real-time cell metabolic analyses show that oxygen consumption rates (OCR) and extracellular acidification rates (ECAR) are altered by flow in cultures of …

Host Modulation Therapy In Periodontitis: From Established Therapies To Emerging Technologies, Aonjittra Phanrungsuwan, Jiaqi Huang, Neeraja Dharmaraj, Alejandra Cobos Perez, Omid Veiseh, Simon Young, Chun-Teh Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Periodontitis is a biofilm-induced chronic inflammatory disease, characterized by gingival inflammation and alveolar bone loss. According to a national survey, approximately half of the U.S. adults are affected by periodontal disease. To effectively prevent and treat periodontitis, it is essential to address its underlying causes. The primary etiological factors include polymicrobial synergy and dysbiosis of the oral microbiota, and a dysregulated immune response. The standard therapeutic approach, mechanical removal of biofilm through debridement, sometimes demonstrates limited efficacy, particularly in cases of severe periodontitis, which may require adjunctive or additional therapy. Emerging evidence indicates that periodontal tissue destruction is initiated by …

Serum Protein Signatures For Breast Cancer Detection In Treatment-Naïve African American Women Using Integrated Proteomics And Pattern Analysis, Padma Tadi Uppala, Elmer Rivera, Hyun J. Kwon, Sharon S. Lum

Faculty Publications

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in African American (AA) women. In this study we evaluated the serum proteomic profile of AA women with breast cancer using an integrated proteomic framework with multivariate pattern analysis. Using 2D-DIGE, thousands of serum protein spots were detected across 33 gels; 46 spots met criteria for presence, statistical significance, and differential expression. Proteins from the spots were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF and matched in curated databases, highlighting serum biomarkers including ceruloplasmin, alpha-2-macroglobulin, complement component C3 and C6, alpha-1-antitrypsin, alpha-1B-glycoprotein, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein and haptoglobin-related protein. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed 163 differentiating peptides after imputing and …

Applications And Challenges Of Utilizing Digital Pathology And Ai-Enabled Workflows In Clinical Trials, Manu Sebastian, Harsh Batra, Monika Lamba Saini, Staci Kearney, Lorcan Sherry, Serge Alexanian, Michael Cohen, William Weber, Joe Lennerz, Anil V Parwani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This is a comprehensive review on current utilization and challenges of digital pathology adoption in clinical trials and aims to provide a broad view on its impact on pathology review processes in clinical trials. It provides an overview of current pathology review practices in clinical trials and unique advantages digital pathology adoption can offer. The key areas including existing workflows, use case scenarios in different disease areas in clinical trials, including but not limited to patient identification and pre-screening, and regulatory aspects have been described with relevance. In addition, the review delves into the integration of genomics, AI, image analysis, …

Infliximab For Grade Iii Or Iv Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Nephritis Clinical And Translational Evidence, Nada Youssef, Masroor Habeeb, Hong Chen, Zainab Alhamal, Omar Mamlouk, Heather Lin, Valda Page, Amanda Tchakarov, Sreyashi Basu, Adi Diab, Padmanee Sharma, Ala Abudayyeh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) is a common presentation of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) toxicity. Increased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression has been observed in ICI-induced AIN (ICI-AIN). In this study, we compared treatment with glucocorticoids plus infliximab to glucocorticoids only in stage III or IV ICI-AIN. We conducted retrospective NanoString analysis of ICI-exposed kidney samples to identify associated gene signatures and possible association with TNF-α expression.

Methods: We reviewed the records of patients who received ICI, developed acute kidney injury (AKI), and underwent kidney biopsy at MD Anderson Cancer Center from January 2022 to October 2024. Fifty-five patients had …

Reconsidering The Definition Of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer In The Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Era: An Optimal Cut-Off Value For Hormone Receptor Percentage Of Her2-Negative Invasive Breast Cancer, Takeo Fujii, Toshiaki Iwase, Yu Shen, Jami Fukui, Naoto T Ueno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The optimal cut-off values of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) expression to define the positivity of ER and PgR have been under discussion for over a decade but remain controversial. The American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists (ASCO/CAP) and the St. Gallen International Expert Consensus recommended that breast cancers with ≥1% of ER or PgR expression should be considered hormone receptor (HR)-positive tumors but ER/PR expression of 1% to 10% should be reported as HR-low positive; however, among HER2-negative disease, data on the overall benefit of adjuvant endocrine therapies for patients with HR-low positive disease is …

A Preliminary Investigation Of Research Collaboration Through Scientific Paper Co-Authorship In The Gulf Of Mexico, Juliet Vallejo, Evelyn Roozee, Dongkyu Kim, Andrew M Song, Christopher A Gabler, Jasper De Vries, Antonia Sohns, Gordon M Hickey, Owen Temby

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

It is well known that publications with collaborators from external institutions increase citations. This effect scales with spatial distance. There are also many barriers to long-distance collaborations, including linguistic differences, funding constraints, and the incremental costs of remote collaboration. This paper uses the Gulf of Mexico as a case study to examine long-distance research collaboration because it consists of three countries with diverse development levels and two prominent diplomatic languages, within a singular regional ecosystem of tremendous natural and economic value. This paper uses bibliometric network analysis to examine scientific research article co-authorship in the Gulf of Mexico from 2000 …

Digital Communication Strategies For Culinary Medicine In Cancer Prevention And Survivorship: Information-Seeking Habits And Content Preferences Of Online Cooking Media Among Adults Participating In Four Cancer Prevention And Control Cohort Studies, Margaret Raber, Sara Fares, Maria Vazquez, Larkin Strong, Carrie Daniel-Macdougall, Lorna Mcneill, Karen Basen-Engquist

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction

Poor diet and excess weight have been linked to increased risk for at least 13 types of cancer. Culinary medicine utilizes experiential cooking skill development to improve individuals’ capacity for healthy eating. Digital communication strategies offer pathways for scalable culinary medicine interventions, but little research has explored how online cooking tools could be leveraged for cancer prevention messaging. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study exploring online cooking information-seeking habits and content preferences among participants in four cancer prevention and control cohorts to inform future digital culinary medicine interventions.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey study was conducted with a convenience sample …

Interventional Oncology: A Primer For Clinicians On The Role Of Ablation And Embolization For Solid Tumors, Mohamed E Abdelsalam, Kamran Ahrar, Rahul A Sheth, Ketan Y Shah, Steven Yevich, Varshana Gurusamy, Bruno C Odisio, Alda L Tam, Armeen Mahvash, Peiman Habibollahi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Interventional radiology (IR) is a rapidly evolving medical field that combines advanced imaging with minimally invasive techniques for both diagnosis and treatment. Interventional oncology (IO), a subspecialty of IR, focuses on the minimally invasive, image-guided intervention for cancer and cancer-related conditions. IR plays an important and increasingly recognized role within the multidisciplinary care of patients with cancer, contributing meaningfully to diagnosis, therapy, and palliation. IO therapies, particularly tumor ablation and transarterial embolization, aim to target tumors directly while preserving surrounding healthy tissue. These therapies are increasingly supported by clinical guidelines and have shown favorable outcomes in cancers such as hepatocellular …

Comparative Bioassay-Guided Fractionation Of Citrus Species: Phytochemical Characterization And Nanoformulation Of A Polyphenol-Rich Leaf Fraction From Citrus Aurantifolia For Skin Anti-Aging Applications, Noha Swilam, Khaled A. Nematallah, Amgad Albohy, Noha M. Badawi, Sameh S. Gad, Maha M. Shouman, Saeed S. Al-Ghamdi, Nahla Ayoub

Pharmacy

Background: Skin aging is driven by oxidative stress and ultraviolet (UV) exposure, leading to extracellular matrix degradation and loss of skin elasticity. This study aimed to identify the most biologically active Citrus species using a bioassay-guided approach and evaluate its potential for dermal applications. Methods: Hydroalcohol extracts and ethyl acetate fractions of Citrus sinensis, Citrus aurantifolia, and Citrus reticulata leaves were screened for antioxidant, enzyme-inhibitory, and polyphenol content. The most active fraction was characterized by UPLC-PDA and LC–MS/MS, formulated into Span-based nanovesicles, and evaluated for physicochemical properties and drug release. Biological activity was assessed using an in vitro scratch wound-healing …

Mxene-Enabled Wearable Biosensors: A Design Framework For Autonomous Biosensing, Jegan Rajendran, Gymama Slaughter

Center for Bioelectronics Publications

MXenes, a rapidly expanding family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, have emerged as leading materials for wearable bioelectronics due to their metallic conductivity, termination-rich surfaces, mechanical compliance, and tunable interlayer structures. However, wearable biosensor performance does not arise from conductivity alone, but from coupled interactions among surface termination chemistry, heterointerface engineering, hierarchical architecture, and device integration under dynamic physiological conditions. This review establishes a predictive structure-interface-device framework linking MXene chemistry to system-level performance across electrochemical, mechanical, gas, optical, and energy-storage modalities. We analyze how termination-controlled adsorption governs charge transfer and selectivity, how heterojunction formation modulates carrier density and …

Ion-Imprinted Polymer-Based Sensors For Toxic Metal-Ion Detection In Water: Coordination Chemistry, Transduction Strategies, And Environmental Applications, Ghita Yammouri, Gymama Slaughter

Center for Bioelectronics Publications

Toxic metal contamination in aquatic environments remains a persistent threat to human health and ecosystems. Yet, the high cost, infrastructure demands, and centralized nature of conventional analytical methods constrain routine monitoring. Ion-imprinted polymers (IIPs), a subclass of molecularly imprinted polymers, have emerged as promising synthetic recognition materials for metal-ion sensing because they generate coordination-defined binding sites with high selectivity, chemical stability, low cost, and reusability. This review summarizes recent advances in Ion-imprinted polymer (IIP)-based sensing technologies for toxic metal-ion detection in water from 2016 to 2026. It examines the fundamental recognition chemistry of IIPs, major synthesis strategies used to generate …

Seasonal And Lunar Patterns Of Peach Blossom Jellyfish (Craspedacusta Sowerbii) In Michigan, Claire Kozal

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The peach blossom jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbii) is the only freshwater medusa found in the United States, yet its distribution, abundance, and mechanisms of dispersal remain poorly understood. Given its uncertain status, understanding the ecology of this species is a priority. To characterize population dynamics during the medusa season, surface water temperature and medusa abundance were surveyed at six inland lakes in Michigan. Occurrence records of C. sowerbii in Michigan were then used to compare co-occurrence patterns with nine aquatic invasives as a window into potential dispersal mechanisms and to create a regional ecological niche model. Medusae were observed in one …

From Nesting To Emergence: Environmental Drivers Of Hatchling Success In Blanding’S Turtles And Implications For Management In Southeast Michigan, Morgan Boyer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) are long-lived turtles whose populations are highly sensitive to juvenile recruitment. We used intensive nest monitoring, microclimate logging, soil measurements, and local weather data at two Southeast Michigan sites to quantify how nest placement, incubation environments, and substrate conditions influence emergence success and hatchling condition. Nesting females were morphologically similar in size and produced average clutch sizes for the species (8 ± 2 eggs). Nest sites were found on relatively open, disturbed uplands with sandier soil substrates. Emergence success was generally high (≈ 70-80%) in nests protected from predation. Sandy loam had the highest success rates …

Tracking Antibiotic Resistant And Multidrug Resistant Bacteria And Antibiotic Resistance Genes In The Huron River Watershed: A Vital Water Resource In Southeast Michigan, Evan Siemienkiewicz

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global public health concern that extends beyond clinical settings and into natural freshwater environments, where resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can persist and disseminate through watersheds. Despite growing recognition of freshwater systems as environmental reservoirs of resistance, no published studies have examined antibiotic resistance within the Huron River watershed in Southeast Michigan. Water samples were collected monthly from May through October 2025 at 10 sites along the Huron River. E. coli and Enterococcus isolates were evaluated for resistance to eight antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method, and environmental DNA was analyzed by …

Dog Waste Creates A Preference-Performance Mismatch For Urban Dung Beetles, Erin L. Mccullough, Beatrice M. Altopp, Daniel F. Kellogg, Madelyn S. Mcinnis, Luna J. Pagan

Biology

Urban environments expose animals to novel conditions that may favor behavioral flexibility but can create preference-performance mismatches when attractive resources are associated with reduced reproductive success. Dung beetles are often considered dietary generalists, yet little is known about how they respond to altered food availability in human-dominated habitats. We combined field surveys and laboratory experiments using two domestic dung types to examine diet preference, maternal provisioning, and offspring performance in the urban dung beetle Onthophagus orpheus. Beetles strongly preferred dog dung over cow dung, and offspring reared on dog dung developed faster and emerged as larger adults. Despite these apparent …

Microbiota Characterization Of Zostera Marina Seeds At Early Stage Development, Gina Chaput, Torrie Hanley, Jonathan A. Eisen, E. Maggie Sogin, A. Randall Hughes, Cynthia G. Hays

Biology Faculty Publications

Understanding seagrass seed microbiomes is crucial for developing microbial-mediated methods to improve germination in restoration efforts. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene and ITS2 amplicon sequencing to characterize the bacterial and fungal communities of seeds from the model seagrass, Zostera marina.

Investigating The Potential Neurotoxic Effects Of Cell-Free Factors By Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis On Locomotion In Xenopus Laevis, Anna Lennon, Laura K. Reinert, Louise A. Rollins-Smith, Will Best, Chase T. Kinsey Phd

Funded Scholarship

Chytridiomycosis is a contributor to amphibian population declines. Diseased amphibians show symptoms of lethargy and loss of righting reflexes, likely due to ion imbalance across the skin. However, it is possible developing zoosporangia release toxins that affect neuromuscular activity. Using Xenopus laevis as a model, we hypothesized that locomotor performance would be affected by injection of Bd supernatant factors. X. laevis were injected and then filmed performing a swimming escape response with high-speed cameras at 4 hours, 24 hours, and 1- week post-injection. Average maximum swimming velocity and escape latency were digitized using high speed video. Despite no difference in …

Comparison Of Enrichment Interaction Duration Between Male And Female Panthera Leo Leo, Maegen G. Meldrum

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

African lion (Panthera leo leo) populations have declined significantly over the past century within their natural habitats, increasing the importance of effective management strategies for individuals in human care. Environment enrichment is a critical tool for promoting species typical behavior in human care; however, enrichment practices are often generalized and may not account for sex-specific differences. This study examined how sex, enrichment types, behaviors, and time of day influenced enrichment interaction duration in a small pride of African lions (n = 4) housed at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Two enrichment types were evaluated: cognitive/occupational (CO, a manipulable barrel) …

Behavioral And Electrophysiological Responses Of Fall Armyworm Larval Parasitoid Coccygidium Luteum To Maize And Companion Plant Volatiles, Emmanuel Peter, Sevgan Subramanian, Abdullahi Yusuf, Samira A. Mohamed, Baldwyn Torto, Emily A. Martin, Amanuel Tamiru

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Companion cropping and biological control are among the best agronomic practices recommended for ecologically sustainable management of the invasive fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Companion plants may suppress the FAW population by repelling the pest, disrupting host-plant location and recruiting biocontrol agents such as parasitoids. These interactions are primarily mediated by plant-derived volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Understanding parasitoids’ responses to VOCs emitted by companion plants enables selection of suitable cultivars to enhance biological control and design appropriate intercropping systems for effective FAW management. This study investigated behavioral and electrophysiological responses of a key FAW larval parasitoid, …