Biology Commons^™

Vegetation Effects On Rhizosphere Microbial Communities In Coastal Wetlands Of South Mississippi, Sean Woo Kang

Honors Theses

The Mississippi vegetated coastal wetlands consist of many salt and brackish marshes. In those marshes, there are two plant species Spartina alterniflora and Juncus roemerianus that thrive in those environments. This would not be possible without the benefits of microbial communities that live in the portion of the plant's soil called the rhizosphere. The rhizosphere is crucial for plant nutrition, health, and quality. It supports the biomass and activity of microorganisms for carbon sequestration, ecosystem functioning, and nutrient cycling in natural ecosystems. To investigate the vegetation effects on rhizosphere microbial communities in coastal wetlands, plant samples and their rhizosphere soils …

Females Influence Brain Evolution: Dance Complexity Related To Volume Of A Sensorimotor Region In Manakins, Wilson Helmhout

Honors Theses

Manakins are a family of birds the males of which use acrobatic, non-vocal display behaviors to attract females to mate. Across the manakin family (Pipridae), species perform displays of varying complexities with variation in the number and type of display sites, acrobatics, and number of mechanical sounds. Females of at least one species, select males on the basis of 10s of ms differences in performance of certain male display elements suggesting strong sexually selection. Additionally, recent studies show a positive relationship between display complexity and relative brain weight in manakins. This overall association of complexity with brain weight could be …

Optimizing Rna Extraction From Fungal-Algal Tissues For Transcriptomic Gene Expression Analysis, Michael J. Hohl

Honors Theses

Extracting high-quality RNA is critical for downstream applications such a qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq based transcriptomics. Single-stranded RNA is readily susceptible to degradation by environmental RNases, necessitating rapid and sterile homogenization techniques; freezing at -80°C, lysis buffer addition, and short bursts of beadbeating have been shown to increase yields and quality of extracted RNA. Utilizing fungal-algal tissues from the model symbiosis between the filamentous fungi Aspergillus nidulans and the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, three different commercial homogenizers and six RNA extractions kits were assessed and an optimized extraction protocol for total RNA from fungal-algal tissues was determined. Using the protocol designed …

Hormonal And Social Factors Influencing Alternative Mating Tactic Decisions In Male Green Treefrogs, Hyla Cinerea, Brooks Pratt

Honors Theses

In many anuran species (frogs and toads), males alternate between calling and a non-calling satellite mating tactic. Satellite males characteristically associate with calling males and attempt to intercept females that are attracted to the vocalizations of the calling host male. The prevailing hypothesis is that the decision to adopt a calling or satellite mating tactic is based on relative attractiveness — males are predicted to adopt a satellite mating tactic when the vocalizations of nearby males are more attractive than their own. In support of this hypothesis, previous studies have shown that satellite males can be induced to call by …

Investigation Of The Expression Of The Haesa Receptor-Like Kinase As Regulated By The Stm And Ath1 Homeodomain Transcription Factors In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Darby Raybourn

Honors Theses

Abscission, the shedding of plant organs, is a key process in plant development. Abscission takes place in highly regulated regions called abscission zones (AZ). ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA HOMEOBOX GENE1 (ATH1) and SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) are organ boundary transcription factors that have previously been observed to play a role in sepal-stem boundary formation. Plants carrying mutations in both genes have flowers in which the sepal-stem boundary is abolished. The double mutant flowers are also observed to retain all floral organs. Because abscission zones in Arabidopsis form at organ boundary regions, we hypothesized that the STM and ATH1 transcription factors play a role …

Intrinsic And Extrinsic Factors Mediating The Expression Of Alternative Mating Tactics In Male Green Treefrogs, Hyla Cinerea, Aleah R. Liddell

Honors Theses

Males of many anuran species optimize their chances of reproductive success by vigorously calling to attract females or by adopting a non-calling satellite mating tactic. Satellite males perch silently near calling males and attempt to intercept females that the caller attracts. Models predict that tactic expression in male anurans is influenced by either extrinsic factors (i.e., the social-acoustic environment) or intrinsic factors (i.e., circulating hormone levels and body condition), but it is unclear how these factors potentially interact to influence tactic expression. For example, males often adopt a satellite mating tactic in response to the broadcast vocalizations of conspecific males, …

The Effects Of Tillage, Glyphosate, And Genetic Modification On Bacterial Root Endophyte Composition In Zea Mays, Breena Lori Nolan

Honors Theses

The community structure of the endophytic bacteria in Zea mays roots was examined for the potential effects of glyphosate application, tillage strategies, and whether or not the corn plant in question was of an organic or glyphosate-resistant variety. Roots were harvested from plots designated to receive their specific treatments at the USDA-ARS Crop Production Systems Research Unit Farm. Vortexing, sonication, and tissue grinding, extraction, and next generation sequencing of 16S rRNA genes from these roots were used to describe their bacterial community composition. Results indicated significant differences in the bacterial communities correlated to tillage practice or corn type, whereas glyphosate …

Methods Of Quantification And Characterization Of Coccidian Oocysts, Mariam Abunemeh

Honors Theses

Coccidiosis is a major economic and health risk in the poultry industry. The oocysts of the causative agent of coccidiosis are excreted in animal feces and must be ingested by a new host for a new infection to begin. These oocysts are microscopic and very similar between species. The ability to quantify and identify the oocysts that are causing the illness is important to controlling this disease. My research first compares methods of quantifying oocysts of domestic turkeys for their ease of use and accuracy. Next, I attempt to identifying novel oocysts from a different turkey species by morphological and …

Christian Faith And Evolution: One Person's Journey In Science And In Faith, Logan Wilson

Honors Theses

Evolution has always proved to be controversial to many people of faith, but it has been specifically problematic to many Christians including myself. This thesis explores the history and substance of the controversy between different expressions of Christianity and evolution by providing a relatable rendition of the theory of evolution. It breaks down the contributions of Charles Darwin and explains them in a manner than can be understood by a non-biologist. It also explores the stances of certain authors such as Richard Dawkins and Michael Ruse on the matter. This thesis is an independent study comprised of input from articles, …

Courtship Lateralization And Its Effect On Mating Success Of Male Wild Turkeys (Meleagris Gallopavo), Mara E. Vernier

Honors Theses

Lateralization results from unequal processing of tasks in the different hemispheres of the brain. While lateralization is a widely researched topic of study, little is known about the effects of sexual selection on lateralization. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is lateralization of male wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) courtship and whether the presence of lateralization is associated with male mating success. Male behavioral data were collected from video recordings of courtship made by Dr. Richard Buchholz during a previous mating study. Males were categorized as either successful or unsuccessful males based on how often they were …

Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Comparison Of Three Different Plants And Their Processes, Facilities, And Challenges They Face, Jon Abigail Mcdonald

Honors Theses

This study compared methods of wastewater treatment, and the conditions that they must be able to accommodate. To address this issue I visited wastewater treatment plants in three locations: Clarksdale, MS; University of Mississippi; and Oxford, MS. Additionally, I examined the chemistry and microbiology of the water in their respective receiving streams. I hypothesized that the wastewater plant with the most modern facilities and resources available would have the least effect on the water quality of its receiving stream. At each plant I learned what chemicals, equipment, and other methods are used, as well as unique challenges their treatment systems …

Analysis Of Joint Dysfunction During An Aging- Simulation, Laboratory Exercise For Allied Health Students, Anna E. O'Connor

Honors Theses

The aim of this experiment was to (1) develop and assess a joint-dysfunction simulation learning and sensitization activity for a Human Anatomy and Physiology I lab on joint structure and function (Part A) and (2) quantify the range of motion experienced during the simulation (Part B). The lab protocol allowed 318 allied health students to experience some of the physical limitations of aging, specifically arthritis, by asking them to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) while wearing simulation equipment that inhibited their range of movement. In Part A, students completed a pre- simulation survey, which assessed the students' knowledge about …

Elevated Corticosterone Levels Decrease Vocal Attractiveness And Elicit Non-Calling Mating Tactics In Male Green Tree Frogs, Hyla Cinerea, Hannah Burroff

Honors Theses

Condition-dependent male alternative tactics are often driven by competition among males for females. The expression of alternative male mating tactics can be influenced by the external social environment as well as internal physiological state. Recent models predict that circulating levels of stress hormones (i.e., glucocorticoids) and androgens may be particularly important in determining mating tactic expression under varying social circumstances. This study intergrates both components to investigate the cause of alternative tactic adoption in male green tree frogs, Hyla cinerea. Males of this species produce acoustic signals that are critical for attracting females and male vocalizations stimulate production of the …

Computational Studies Of Paradifluorobenzene Cations And Hydrogen Cyanide Molecule, John C. Rowe Iv

Honors Theses

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hypothesized to comprise a significant portion of interstellar carbon identified from the Diffuse Interstellar Bands (DIBs). Gas phase cation-molecule reactions between compounds that previously existed as weakly bound species provides the best explanation for the emergence of PAHs in the interstellar medium (ISM). In this work, we use computational methods to characterize one of these weakly-bound systems. We discovered that intramolecular charge distribution (calculated using the Natural Population Analysis) dictate the complexes formed between a paradifluorobenzene cation and either one or two HCN molecules. Additionally, the relative stabilities of the complexes and the binding energies …

Characterization Of Catecholamine Receptors And Transporters In Murine Macrophages, Elizabeth Gonye

Honors Theses

Macrophages are a critical part of the immune response. When circulating monocytes move into tissues they differentiate int macrophages to mount the first line of defense against pathogens.

Impact Of Vector Range Expansion On Pathogen Transmission Dynamics Of Lyme Disease In Southwestern Virginia, Bishan Bhattarai

Honors Theses

Blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis is the primary vector of Lyme disease in eastern United States. Borrelia Burgdorfei, the etiological agent of Lyme disease is transferred by ticks of Ixodes species. In recent years, its congener, Ixodes affinis has been expanding its range northwards from its southern population. We were interested in studying how the introduction of this new vector affected the interaction between the pathogen genotype and the host. We hypothesized that differential host use by I. affinis and I. scapularis would partly explain observed differences in B. burgdorferi infection prevalence and genotypic structure in southeastern Virginia. The result …

Collective Prey Capture By Juvenile Venus Flytraps (Dionaea Muscipula), Steven Rosen

Honors Theses

The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), first described by Charles Darwin, is a unique carnivorous plant which acquires prey using leaf blades modified into snap-traps. A recent study showed that prey capture by flytraps was not selective. With this study we examined prey capture rates further by analyzing D. muscipula traps less than 1 em in length to determine if juvenile flytraps differ from adults. Similar to the earlier findings, trap size appeared to play no role in prey capture success. This was likely due to the fact that 88% of all prey items recovered were smaller than the smallest collected …

Is The Zebrafish Zombie Mutant Caused By A Mutation In Cdc20?, Peyton Johnston

Honors Theses

The zombie mutant was identified as an early arrest mutant, stopping in development around the 10-somite stage (14 hours of development). Further inspection revealed that this mutant was a cell cycle mutant and cells in the mutant arrest during metaphase as early as the 5-somite stage (11.6 hours of development). A similar phenotype is seen in the Drosophila melanogaster cell cycle gene fizzy, known to be to be a homolog of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene, cell division cycle 20 (cdc20). CDC20 is an activator protein of the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), an ubiquitin E3 ligase that is …

Exploration Of The Range Overlap Between Cynomys Leucurus And Cynomys Ludovicianus, Kenneth D. Choi

Honors Theses

The ranges of two species of prairie dogs, Cynomys leucurus and Cynomys ludovicianus, overlap in a narrow area in the western Great Plains in Wyoming. We used GIS software to map their distributions and infer land cover preferences within and on either side of the zone of overlap. In general, both species used habitats in proportion to their availability and did not display strong selection of their expected vegetation types (based on the literature). However, both species of prairie dogs were overrepresented in areas of human settlements and crops, which may indicate that these species prefer human-modified habitats, or perhaps …

L3 Auditory Interneuron Responses To Dual-Frequency Calling Songs In Female Crickets (Acheta Domesticus), Jeong Bin Lee

Honors Theses

Female crickets exhibit positive phonotaxis in response to calling songs with specific carrier frequencies (4-5 kHz), syllable periods (SP; 50-70ms), and other parameters. Among a number of ascending prothoracic auditory neurons identified, only L3 has been proposed to be involved in SP selective phonotaxis. L3 responds with selective decrement to 5 kHz stimulus with attractive SPs. Furthermore, L3 is highly tuned to 16 kHz auditory stimulus, which has been correlated with aversive phonotactic behaviors. L3’s cellular responses to simultaneous 16 kHz and 5 kHz stimuli were examined through extracellular recording, thereby further establishing the connection between L3’s selective decrement and …

A Comparison Of Gastrointestinal Bacterial Population Between Indoor Cats And Outdoor Cats, Farhana Binti Ikmal Hisham

Honors Theses

This study used fecal samples from four indoor cats and four indoor-outdoor cats in order to identify the microbial communities in the gut of cats. This information was then used to compare the microbial phyla between both groups for any differences. Total microbial DNA was isolated from each fecal sample, and the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced using Illumina MiSeq high throughput method. The sequences were identified using the bioinformatics program mothur. The results show that indoor cats had a more diverse microbial community as compared to outdoor cats. Indoor cat samples had 26% more microbial species, and eight more …

Does Gut Microbiota Affect The Diet Preference In Anurans?, Jordan A. Rice

Honors Theses

Gut microbiota is a community of bacteria that live in the digestive track of a host. These microbes assist in the breakdown of indigestible materials as food passes through the alimentary canal. Metabolites from bacteria may play a role cell to cell communication with their host and thus gut microbiota may affect the diet preference of the animal host. Southern Leopard frogs (Rana sphenocephala) and Green Tree frogs (Hyla cinerea) were used as focal species to test whether gut microbiota affect their diet preference. Three groups of tadpoles were tested. The control group was fed a …

Anticancer Activity Of Some Boronic Acid Arylidene Heterocycles, Joy Kim

Honors Theses

This research was done in order to investigate the anticancer activity of boronic acid arylidene heterocycles. Boronic acid, heterocycles, and aryl compounds have all independently exhibited various anti-microbial properties and have shown potential to be used in pharmaceuticals for the treatment of viruses and cancers. Using a one-step protocol developed by Dr. Murray, several different arylheterocyclic compounds were combined with an arylboronic acid to synthesize novel compounds. These were then tested for their anti-cancer activity on glioblastoma brain cancer cells. Although varied in potency, all had some amount of anti-cellular effect on the cancer cells. This is only the start …

Alternative Material Nest Boxes And Impacts On Nestling Physiology And Adult Behavior In The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia Sialis), Jamie E. Jackson

Honors Theses

In the mid-nineteenth century, Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis, a native cavity nesting species) populations experienced serious declines because of a decrease in natural cavities and the introduction of non-native, competitive cavity nesting species. The creation of nest box programs led to an increase in bluebird populations and these programs continue to be of importance. In this study, a recycled metal ammunition can was used as a nest box to determine if this was a viable resource for bluebirds. This work investigated the effects of this alternate material nest box on nestling physiology and adult behavior with special emphasis …

Family Planning, Pregnancy, And Birth In Guatemala: Maya Women And Modern Healthcare, Kelsay Payton

Honors Theses

Within Maya populations in rural Guatemala, childbearing is considered a sacred and spiritual experience, in addition to a physical one. This country is home to some of the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality in Latin America, along with the largest disparities in health care, primarily between the indigenous Maya and ladino women (Schooley 2009). The use of biomedical reproductive services remains surprisingly low among the Maya, while it is continually rising in the ladino populations. To increase the overall reproductive health care in these indigenous communities, attention must be given to the understanding of Maya’s beliefs, therefore enabling …

Investigation Of The Genetic Interactions Between Hippo Signaling Pathway And Drosophila C-Terminal Src Kinase (Dcsk), Hailey Jimin Kwon

Honors Theses

The focus of my research revolved around the intersection between the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway and the Src oncogenic pathway. Both pathways control tissue and organ size during development by regulating cell proliferation, cell death, cell migration, and cell adhesion. Aberrant functions in either pathway are often detected in human cancers and correlate with poor prognosis. The Drosophila C-terminal Src kinase (dCsk) is a genetic modifier of warts (wts), a tumor-suppressor gene in the Hippo pathway, and interacts with the Src oncogene. Reduction in dCsk expression and the consequent activation of Src are reported in hepatocellular and colorectal tumors. …

Coding Dna Into Music: An Alternate Way Of Analysis, Samuel Fesenmeier

Honors Theses

In the study, we are analyzing the human genome in order to determine patterns that may tell something about how DNA functions. Patterns require an explanation: it is highly improbable that they are random occurrence. These patterns may hint to something about how DNA functions. There are known patterns already discovered in DNA. For example, in the coding portion, three base pairs translate to a specific amino acid. In the non coding portion, however, specific patterns are not as simple.

We will search for patterns by applying a coding system that turns DNA into music. Music may serve as a …

Spatial Variation Of Bacterial Communities On The Leaves Of Southern Magnolia Trees, Heather L. Valdin

Honors Theses

Bacteria are found in almost all environments on earth, including on the surface of other living things. Bacteria that exist on the leaves of plants (the phyllosphere) are of interest because of the potentially harsh nature of the environment they inhabit, and of applied interest. Although there has been a substantial amount of research in phyllosphere microbiology, few studies have examined the effect of spatial variation on phyllosphere community composition. This project investigated the effect of spatial variation on the bacterial communities living on the surface of Magnolia grandiflora leaves. Following DNA extraction, next generation sequencing of 16S rRNA gene …

Differences In Bacterial Communities On Decaying Leaf Litter Of Different Tress In Response To Burning As A Forest Restoration Technique, Allison Marcum

Honors Theses

Decomposition is the process by which organic matter gets degraded into basic components to provide energy for decomposer microorganisms and to also make nutrients available for plant uptake. Leaf litter decomposition is an important process and influences the nutrient cycling and the productivity and structure of the entire ecosystem; however, few studies have examined the bacterial communities on decomposing litter, especially how they may vary between tree species or in woodlands subject to ecological restoration. Such restoration has become important, as fire suppression beginning in the 1920s has impacted the structure of forest ecosystems through the process of mesophication, diminishing …

Feasibility Of Incorporating Electrogastrography Into An Undergraduate Physiology Laboratory Curriculum, Lauren A. Foropoulos

Honors Theses

This study aimed to detect the effects of mental stress on gastric motility in college students through the use of cutaneous electrogastrography (EGG). Additionally, the study aimed to determine the feasibility of creating a laboratory curriculum for a cutaneous electrogastrography experiment that an undergraduate could perform, analyze, and interpret during a three hour physiology lab. Through this study and the laboratory procedures designed from the experiment, undergraduates will be able to interpret the physiological aspects of gastrointestinal function within the human body, including how it is effected by mental stress. According to previous studies by Yin et al. (2004) and …