Biology Commons^™

Use Of Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy To Study Hydroxyfulvenes, Ashley Stefani

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

This project was conducted to determine the conditions necessary in Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GCMS) for various hydroxyfulvenes. Several samples each having unique characteristics, such as high molar mass or specific functional groups, were used to determine the optimal conditions for each compound. Different GC parameters were varied including the inlet temperature, initial oven temperature and oven temperature ramp. Compounds were also studied at varying concentrations in order to determine the optimal conditions needed to produce reliable molecular ion data in the MS.

Emotion Recognition Using Brainwave Datasets, Bethlehem Seid, Heba Elgazzar

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

The purpose of this research project is to analyze the brainwave data collected from MUSE EEG headband and use machine learning techniques to select a small number of features and accurately predict the emotional state of an individual. The brainwave dataset records the reading of the MUSE EEG headband. Supervised machine learning techniques are designed and implemented on a brainwave dataset to predict positive, negative, and neutral emotional state. The classification algorithms: K-Nearest neighbors (KNN), Random Forest, and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are used in this research. Further, the dimensions of this dataset were also reduced without compromising the accuracy …

An Overview Of The Qualified Immunity Doctrine And Its Application In Kentucky Law, Ethan Garvin, Joe Dunman

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that protects law enforcement officers from lawsuits if the courts find their actions fit three criteria: the action must be discretionary rather than ministerial, the action must be in good faith, and the action must be within the scope of the employee’s authority. By conducting a survey of cases in both the Kentucky court system and the federal court system, this presentation analyzes how qualified immunity is applied. This presentation looks at the doctrine and what the courts look for in various tort claims involving police officers, such as negligence, assault, and false imprisonment. …

Testing Turmoil, Laura Von Mann, Christopher Beckham

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Test anxiety affects students throughout all grade levels, higher education, and even into adult life, at various levels of severity. With standardized testing becoming increasingly more present in the American school system, the condition known as test anxiety has also become a more prevalent topic amongst researchers and educators. This research aims to better understand test anxiety, its symptoms, causes, and possible treatments in order to ensure student success.

Continuous Authentication Of Smartphone Users Using Machine Learning, Suhana Ambol, Sherif Rashad

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Current smartphone security techniques offer less reliability. As an instance, personal identification numbers can be easily guessed or hacked, fingerprint scan requires hardware to operate, and face recognition can be affected by light, other people in the background, or different poses by the users. In addition, they are beneficial for one-time security, therefore commonly used at the time of login to verify users. However, what if there’s a change of user while accessing the smartphone, and the phone is accessed by an intruder after login. To deal with this issue, continuous authentication is applied which regularly and unnoticeably will address …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, April 2021, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 2, Issue 4

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2 & 3 Awards & Recognition
Page 4 Student Spotlight: Allsion Bjornstad
Page 5 Research Spotlight: Dr. Vondruska & Students
Page 6 Department Head Interviews
Page 7 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 8 Open PRAIRIE Data
Page 9 Student Club Spotlight: BMGSA
Page 10 Then & Now: Urban Geography

Cultivating Gratitude And Learning: Virtual Agriculture Education For Elementary School Students, Heather Smith, Joy Gritton

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

In a time when the majority of young children know more about a computer than agriculture, this project brings agriculture to them in a unique way. This presentation introduces a program that aims to connect elementary students with the vast agriculture industry in the digital age using appropriate technology. The project consists of teaching children in Eastern Kentucky and beyond about agriculture and land use through the virtual dissemination of relevant stories, facts, and activities. In this way children can learn how agriculture is vital to their everyday life. Featured topics include horticulture crops, agronomic crops, livestock, and the history …

How To Get Away With Murder: The Effectiveness Of Blood Detectors On Surfaces Cleaned Of Blood, Grace Cavanaugh

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this experiment was to test blood detectors against household cleaners. Similar experiments have been run before, but not on the selected surfaces. It is important to understand what one is looking for at a crime scene, and what a cleaned surface may look like. Four surfaces were chosen for this experiment: ceramic tile as a control, concrete, laminated wood flooring, and drywall. For each surface, 0.5mL of pig’s blood was allowed to dry before being cleaned off with either Clorox bleach, Dawn soap and hot water, a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, or Mrs. Meyer’s Multi-Purpose Concentrate. Bluestar …

Applying Social Science To Bring Resident Stakeholders Into Pollution Governance: A Rural Environmental Justice Public Health Case Study, Sherrie M. Steiner, Jordan M. Marshall, Atefeh Mohammadpour, Aaron W. Thompson

Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture Faculty Publications

The purpose of this engaged public sociology study was to use social science to bring resident stakeholders into the process of governing pollution production in a rural community. The community has cancer clusters. Residents have concerns about direct exposure to pollution production in their neighborhood by a steel recycling plant that has been cited numerous times for environmental violations. The facility has been under voluntary remediation since 2009, but neighborhood residents were marginalized from the governance process. This case study details how social science was used to bring neighborhood residents’ concerns about direct exposure to toxic air pollution into remediation …

Rhetorical Field Methods For Science Communication Bes 521, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Phenology Of Antler Casting And Occurrence Of Late-Breeding In Nebraska White-Tailed Deer, Brian C. Peterson, Patrick D. Farrell, Dave Fehlhafer, Miranda C. Reinson, Dustin H. Ranglack

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Nebraska primarily breed in November (stimulated by photoperiod), but this season extends into December and January for unfertilized females and healthy fawns reaching the appropriate breeding weight by winter. Variation in the typical mating period can be attributed to geographic region, skewed sex ratios, and fawns reaching sexual maturity during their first year of birth. During April of 2019, we observed late season breeding by a male white-tailed deer in the central Platte River valley and documented late antler casting for this same late-copulating male. An additional male was observed in April of …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, March 2021, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 2. Issue 3

Contents:

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2-3 Awards and Recognition
Page 4 Student Club Spotlight: MICROBIOLOGY CLUB
Page 5 Research Spotlight: Dr. Chakravarty
Page 6 Open PRAIRIE Data; Grants Awarded in CNS; Research Collquia
Page 7 A Busy Month in Review; Media Coverage of the College

Parisitology Bio 331, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Diversity And Equity During Covid 19: An Analysis Of Student Attitude And Understanding In Pathophysiology, Sowmya Anjur

Faculty Publications & Research

To increase student engagement and reduce frustration over grades, data is being collected in my Pathophysiology classes on specific assessment questions which require students to think and apply what they have learned to answer assessment questions (“transfer” questions). These questions are being administered both before and after students have completed specific modules to assess their attitude and understanding of the material. Data is also being collected on student study habits before and after specific assessments for correlation with their scores on “transfer” questions. It is hoped to reduce student frustration over grades by analyzing their behavior and improving their understanding.

Maternal Cannabis Use Is Associated With Suppression Of Immune Gene Networks In Placenta And Increased Anxiety Phenotypes In Offspring, Gregory Rompala, Yoko Nomura, Yasmin L. Hurd

Publications and Research

While cannabis is among the most used recreational drugs during pregnancy, the impact of maternal cannabis use (mCB) on fetal and child development remains unclear. Here, we assessed the effects of mCB on psychosocial and physiological measures in young children along with the potential relevance of the in-utero environment reflected in the placental transcriptome. Children (~3-6 years) were assessed for hair hormone levels, neurobehavioral traits on the behavioral assessment system for children (BASC-2) survey, and heart rate variability (HRV) at rest and during auditory startle. For a subset of children with behavioral assessments, placental specimens collected at birth were processed …

College Of Natural Sciences 2021 Year-End Publication, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Page 2 Welcome, Table of Contents
Page 3 Our Departments: Highlights From 2021
Page 4 Overview of the College
Page 5 Overview of Bold & Blue
Pages 6, 7 Announcing the First Endowed Professorship in the College of Natural Sciences
Page 8 Spooky Science, Astronomy Outreach, SDSU Chemistry Research Features on Journal Cover
Page 9 Students Win Business Plan Competition With Aims to Improve Shelf Life of Produce, Summer Researchers
Page 10 NIH Grant Helps Unravel Rare Inflammatory Genetic Disorders, International Excellence in South Dakota
Page 11 The Next Frontier of Science Education: Virtual Reality, SDSU Researchers Uncover how Cancer …

Patterning And Quality Of Male-Male Interactions In Hamadryas Baboons (Papio Hamadryas), John Calcitrai

All Master's Theses

The social structure of a primate group is defined as the content, quality, and patterning of interactions and relationships among the members of the social group. Ecological variables, stress physiology, and phylogenetic inertia play a role in regulating measures of interactions and relationships between non-human primates. To examine social dynamics among male hamadryas baboons, video recordings of focal follows of this species were coded for three behavioral categories: self-directed behaviors (SDB), socio-positive behaviors, and agonistic behaviors. The analysis of self-directed behaviors revealed no differences in SDB across males of differing sex classes (i.e., Leader Male, Follower Male, or Solitary Male), …

A Genetic Investigation Of Anticoagulant Rodenticide Resistance In Mus Musculus Of Western Australia: Implications For Conservation And Biosecurity, Bridget Judith Maria Lucrezia Duncan

Theses : Honours

Human-wildlife interactions have developed since the agricultural revolution that occurred 10,000 years ago, and the expansion of commensal species’ geographical distribution led to conflicts that prompted humans to adopt a wide range of control methods for pest species (Horvitz, Wang, Wan, & Nathan, 2017; Riyahi et al., 2013; Saraswat, Sinha, & Radhakrishna, 2015). The order Rodentia is characterised by a high number of successful invaders, which humans have attempted to manage with the use of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) since the 1940s (Capizzi, Bertolino, & Mortelliti, 2014; Ruiz-Suárez et al., 2014). The rise and spread of a genetic mutation that infers …

The Evolution Of Technology, Kelly Cooper

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As per outlined by Dr. Quinn, this literature review will be a comprehensive review paper including an overview of current and previous research done in the field of Memetics. This will further include sifting through literature to hone in on a specific, new area of memetics Dr. Weeks is focused on, the evolutionary change of abiotic factors through purchasing. This is to be completed with the help of the library worshops designed to teach the skills necessary to undergo a literature review of this size. I will also participate in weekly reading groups to discuss papers and work closely with …

Ghanaian Immigrant Women In The United States Beliefs About Maternal Nutrition And Fetal Development, Yassi Azhdari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ghanaian women, in their native country, experience a high rate of anemia, malaria, and malnutrition while pregnant. Poor health outcomes for mother and child are caused by a lack of protein in their diet, food taboos, consumption of nutrient-poor foods, and infections. These conditions may cause pregnancy complications such as premature birth, or maternal or fetal death. There is little known about, the differences between the Ghanaian and U.S. birth experience, and foods used by Ghanaian immigrant women while pregnant. The biopsychosocial model was used in this descriptive qualitative study to examine how Ghanaian immigrant women are impacted by pregnancy …

The Genetic Influence On Subjective Well-Being: A Review Of The Current Knowledge On The Role Of Genetics On Our Sense Of Subjective Well-Being And The Implications It Has For Future Research In Improving Well-Being At Both A Population And Individual Level., Abhishek Gupta

Honors Scholar Theses

This thesis project explores the genetic underpinnings of one of the most cherished attributes in the world, well-being.¹ Specifically, it attempts to understand the influence of the genome on subjective, or experienced, well-being. An investigation was conducted into current literature concerning both the structure of measurement devices of well-being as well as association studies to determine the scope of the correlation that exists between the genome and well-being and identify genetic findings of interest. Ultimately, being able to provide evidence of causality between the genome and sense of well-being at this iteration of well-being and genome research is limited, …

Impact Of Endangered Animal Protection Rights, Policies, And Practices On Zoonotic Disease Spread, Daniella Fedak-Lengel

Honors Projects

Building on field research in Costa Rica and Belize, this honors project analyzes environmental and endangered animal protection policies, rights, and practices in Central America and the Caribbean, and assesses the impact of veterinary science and biological research and practice, particularly conservation biology, on animal welfare concerns. Informed by the recent surge in awareness regarding zoonoses and zoonotic disease transmission, prevention and control, resulting from the current global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, the project assesses the need for new and innovative types of collaboration, particularly involving conservation biologists, environmental scientists, public health experts, law and policy makers, and global trade and …

Stability Of Modified Host-Parasitoid Model With Allee Effect, Özlem A. Gümüs, A. G. Maria Selvam, R. Janagaraj

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

This paper deals with a host-parasitoid model subject to Allee effect and its dynamical behavior. Steady state points of the proposed host-parasitoid model are computed. Stability properties are analyzed with eigen values of Jacobian matrix which are determined at the steady states. Theoretical findings are supported by numerical illustrations and enhanced by pictorial representations such as bifurcation diagrams, phase portraits and local amplifications for different parameter values. Existence of chaotic behavior in the system is established via bifurcation and sensitivity analysis of the system at the initial conditions. Various phase portraits are simulated for a better understanding of the qualitative …

The Effects Of White-Nose Syndrome On Cave-Dwelling Bats During Their Pre-Hibernation Season In Eastern Nebraska, Maggie Bockart

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is currently the leading cause of death to North American bats and was first documented in the United States in 2006 on the East Coast. Infection with the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) causes bats to arise from hibernation with unnecessary frequency, leading to depletion of fat reserves that are imperative for extended periods of torpor. In October 2014, biologists surveyed the activity levels of bats at Fontenelle Forest in eastern Nebraska using acoustic detectors and determined what species of bats were present and their relative abundance before being exposed to WNS. By returning to the …

Spirituality As A Moderator Between Ptss And Cardiovascular Reactivity, Kriti Sharda

Honors Scholar Theses

Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) can be distressing and produce robust cardiovascular symptoms, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, which have been implicated in higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Identifying factors that may reduce symptoms may suggest therapeutic strategies. One such potential factor is spirituality, given that spirituality is associated with both reducing PTSS and with preventing or improving CVD. We sampled 63 young college women who indicated being exposed to unwanted sexual contact. We asked them to write about their experience while we took heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) …

The Effects Of Multiple Stressors On Stream Communities: The Convergence Of Drought, Nutrient Pollution, And Invasive Species, Robert Joseph Fournier Iii

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater systems experience multi-faceted degradation from a variety of ecological and environmental stressors. Three common stressors in these systems, drought, nutrient pollution, and invasive species, have wide-ranging effects on stream population- community- and ecosystem dynamics. We have a broad understanding of how each of these stressors works to influence stream systems independently. However, we still know relatively little about if, and how, these stressors might interact when they co-occur. Though drought is a natural part of many stream systems, all three of these stressors can be exacerbated or facilitated by anthropogenic actions. Accordingly, as human population and resource use continue …

Effects Of Long-Term Variation In Temperature On Reproductive Phenology In A Population Of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Paul Pleiman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the relationship between multiple temperature variables, to include annual and pre-lay date temperatures with first-egg and mean first-egg lay dates of the eastern bluebird at the Warner Parks in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Data is collected by citizen scientists for the Eastern Bluebird Nesting Box Project while visiting artificial nest boxes throughout the park and recording observations made during the breeding season. Temperature data is retrieved from the Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering’s Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) Climate Group, based at Oregon State University. The analyses showed no correlation between annual or pre-lay …

A Spatial And Multivariate Approach To Examining Effects Of Urbanization On Nitrogen Sources, Organic Matter Inputs, And Trophic Structure In Streams Of Cobb And Paulding Counties, Georgia., Katharine Horning

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Urbanization and land use changes have a negative effect on streams often causing numerous physical changes in stream morphology, a change in nutrient concentrations, and altered ecosystems contributing to a loss of habitat, decreased biodiversity, and loss of stability for ecosystem function (Walsh et al., 2005; Meyer et al., 2005; Cardinale and Palmer, 2012). The use of stable isotope analysis for monitoring could be valuable because it accounts for temporal integration from anthropogenic wastewater inputs, characterized by a shift in the abundance of ¹⁵N. This project had three main objectives: (1) to examine how nitrogen and carbon sources are …

Lab Notes

Scientia

Paleo Showcase; Expert Opinions; School of Nursing Director Appointed; EPISTEM Porject; CSH Honors Award Recipients; Diversity Fellowship

A Multi‑Disciplinary Comparison Of Great Ape Gut Microbiota In A Central African Forest And European Zoo, Victor Narat, Katherine R. Amato, Noémie Ranger, Maud Salmona, Séverine Mercier‑Delarue, Stephanie Rupp, Philippe Ambata, Richard Njouom, François Simon, Tamara Giles‑Vernick, Jérôme Legoff

Publications and Research

Comparisons of mammalian gut microbiota across different environmental conditions shed light on the diversity and composition of gut bacteriome and suggest consequences for human and animal health. Gut bacteriome comparisons across different environments diverge in their results, showing no generalizable patterns linking habitat and dietary degradation with bacterial diversity. The challenge in drawing general conclusions from such studies lies in the broad terms describing diverse habitats (“wild”, “captive”, “pristine”). We conducted 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing to characterize intestinal microbiota of free-ranging sympatric chimpanzees and gorillas in southeastern Cameroon and sympatric chimpanzees and gorillas in a European zoo. We conducted …