Biology Commons^™

Determination Of Adamts13 Susceptibility In Type Iia Von Willebrand Disease, Monica Buselli

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

von Willebrand Disease (vWD) is a bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency in von Willebrand Factor (vWF), a large glycoprotein that assists in coagulation. Specifically, large vWF multimers in the blood stream are key components in starting the coagulation cascade. vWF is cleaved by the metalloprotease ADAMTS13, regulating the multimers size, which hinders vWF’s ability to function properly. The three main types of vWD —Type I, II, and III— are not well defined, and as a result are all similarly treated with plasma-derived vWF replacement therapy. Plasma-derived vWF is a treatment that does not cure the problem but relieves the …

Hypophosphatemic Rickets: A Targeted Literature Review To Characterize The Multiple Causes Of Phosphate Wasting Disorders And Identify Potential Disease Biomarkers, Christopher O'Mara

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Hypophosphatemic rickets is a rare, renal phosphate wasting disorder that presents various skeletal deformities. Although there are specific clinical presentations and biochemical findings used to identify hypophosphatemic rickets, there are various underlying renal phosphate wasting disorders that can lead to hypophosphatemic rickets making diagnosis extremely difficult. A targeted literature review through electronic search engines (e.g., BMC, PubMed, Google Scholar) was conducted to: 1) consolidate and summarize currently available data regarding the various renal phosphate wasting disorders, 2) identify current obstacles of successful diagnosis and treatment, and 3) propose directions for future hypophosphatemic rickets research into new biomarkers.

Critical Habitat Assessment And Recovery Plan For The Kansas State Threatened Broad-Headed Skink, Allison Hullinger

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The Broad-headed Skink (Plestiodon laticeps) is listed as threatened in the state of Kansas and protected under that Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1975. It is also listed as a Tier I species in the State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) for Kansas. To be protected under the Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1975, a Recovery Plan must be approved by the Secretary of the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism. An important part of the Recovery Plan requires defining critical habitat for the Broad-headed Skink. During the summers of 2015-2017, I performed standardized …

Evidence Of Pogo Transposable Elements In The Atlantic Bay Nettle (Chrysaora Chesapeakei) Genome, Jonathan C. Medina

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Atlantic Bay Nettle, Chrysaora chesapeakei, is a Scyphozoan found commonly in the bays and brackish waters of estuaries of the eastern United States. Research has shown that there has been a significant increase in jellyfish populations over the past decade, likely the result of factors such as global climate change, eutrophication, overfishing, and the explosive growth of hardened surfaces for polyp attachment.

Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic elements that are widespread and conserved throughout the biological world. Although TEs often comprise a large portion of eukaryotic genomes, their exact function is uncertain but they may provide a mechanism …

Spinal Cord Trauma: An Overview Of Normal Structure And Function, Primary And Secondary Mechanisms Of Injury, And Emerging Treatment Modalities, Daniel Morin

Senior Honors Theses

The structures of the spinal cord and vertebral column are designed to provide flexibility, while still providing ample protection for the spinal cord deep within. While it does offer remarkable protection against most routine trauma, the spinal cord is still vulnerable to high-force etiologies of trauma and may become damaged as a result. These events are referred to as primary injury. Following the initial injury, the body’s own physiological responses cause a cascade of deleterious effects, known as secondary injury. Secondary injury is a major therapeutic target in mitigating the effects of spinal cord injury (SCI), and much research is …

A Virtual Screen For Protein Targets: Elucidating Druggability In The Human Proteome With Efindsite, Omar Kana

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Implicit Self-Compassion In College Students, Emily Kutok

Senior Honors Projects

Typically, research on self-compassion and mental health has used the measurement tool of self-report (explicit) surveys to examine self-compassion. Implicit Association Tests (IAT) can be applied to a number of di erent constructs, some of which include racial biases, gender stereotypes, and suicidal ideation. ey are used to measure the strength of a person’s automatic association between two concepts (in this case, between self and compassion). By measuring implicit self-compassion, a researcher can expect less self-report bias related to self- presentational concerns and the limits of introspection, and they can capture psychological processes that occur without full conscious awareness but …

Phylogeny Of The Orangethroat Darter (Etheostoma Spectabile) Species Complex In The Ozark Highlands Of Arkansas, Mckenna George

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Darters are small, benthic fishes that live in freshwater rivers and streams and belong to the family Percidae. Pleistocene glaciations fragmented many darter species, resulting in speciation, but new species are often hard to detect if they are morphologically identical to pre-existing species. Intraspecific hybridization and resulting introgression, which occur frequently in glaciated areas, further complicate identification by introducing heterospecific genomes into mitochondrial DNA, making it difficult to accurately resolve phylogenetic relationships. The results of Bossu and Near’s 2009 study highlight this issue, showing a large degree of incongruence between mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees.

This study analyzed samples from …

Green Tea Polyphenol Egcg-S As An Antimicrobial Agent, Theresa Renee Aponte

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In recent years, a growing concern in the medical field has been the ability to treat infectious diseases. The microorganisms that cause these diseases have developed invasive mechanisms that elude possible treatments and increase their virulence. Some virulent factors that have been observed in microorganisms are biofilm and endospore formation. Development of new antimicrobial agents are needed to combat these microorganisms.

Green tea from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, has many health benefits, such as anti-bacterial, anti-spore, anti-cariogenic and anti-viral properties. Epigallocatechin-3- gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant catechin and contributes to these effects. Due to the instability of EGCG, …

The Role Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi In Urban Brownfield Soils, Jennifer Rosalia Balacco

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

AMF are symbionts to a majority of terrestrial plants and can improve plant nutrient uptake, water relations, and stress tolerance. This study evaluated the effects of AMF in heavy metal contaminated soils via a growth chamber experiment to determine the interactions between soil and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) affecting plant growth. Rye grass was grown in two contaminated soils from Liberty State Park, an urban brownfield, and one non-contaminated commercial soil, to which half of the treatments received AMF inoculum. Dried plant biomass, root:shoot ratio, and soil phosphatase activity were measured at the completion of the experiment. Soil contamination was …

The Study And Analysis Of Historic Allegheny Woodrat (Neotoma Magister) Sites, Elizabeth Grietzer

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister) once ranged throughout most of the eastern United States, however in recent years their populations have experienced dramatic declines. Several mutually inclusive hypotheses may explain the decline of the woodrat populations, including habitat fragmentation and disturbance, decreased food availability, and increased exposure to the deadly raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis). Select historic locations were evaluated for habitat characteristics, the prevalence of raccoon roundworm and the presence of predators and competitors, in order to evaluate the impacts of each of the three hypotheses. The results indicated that raccoon roundworm and decreased hard mast availability are the main drivers …

Behavioral Response Of Adult And Larval Wood Frogs (Lithobates Sylvaticus) To A Common Road De-Icer, Nacl, Dylan Jones

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Amphibians are highly vulnerable to aquatic pollutants. Due to the permeability of their skin and their aquatic larval stages, pollutants are easily absorbed into the body, which can have adverse effects on performance, survival, and fitness. This has prompted research on how environmental pollutants affect amphibian populations, especially road deicers such as sodium chloride (NaCl). Elevated NaCl can have a negative physiological impact on both adult and larval stages of amphibians, leading to reduced breeding success, morphological abnormalities, and even mortality. However, less is known about the behavioral responses of adults and especially larval amphibians to increased environmental salinity. Earlier …

A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Extinct And Extant Pan-Alcidae (Charadriiformes: Aves), Alexandria A. Digiacomo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Pan-Alcidae is a clade of birds consisting of the crown-clade Alcidae and the extinct Mancallinae. They include 24 extant species, 1 recently extinct species, and a fossil record extending as far back as the Eocene. All extinct and extant Pan-alcid diversity exhibit an exclusively Holarctic distribution with the majority of extant diversity found in the Pacific. The relationships of the Pan-Alcidae have been a long-standing subject of debate. Early systematic hypotheses placed Pan-Alcidae as close relatives of various water birds, however modern phylogenetic hypotheses have supported their placement within Charadriiformes. Their exact placement within Charadriiformes has yielded multiple hypotheses with …

Novel Bryophyte Auxin Conjugate Amidohydrolases From Physcomitrella Patens And Marchantia Polymorpha And Their Role In The Evolution Of Auxin Metabolism, Stephanie Lyn Kurdach

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Auxin (indole-3-acetic acid) was the first phytohormone to be discovered, and today is still regarded as one of the most widely understood plant hormones. Auxin has the ability to stimulate, promote, delay, or inhibit many of a plant’s physiological processes. The concentration of the hormone within in a plant is critical; low concentrations of IAA positively impact plants’ physiological processes, but high concentrations of IAA are inhibitory and toxic to plants. For this reason, auxin metabolism must be tightly regulated. Plants can regulate their endogenous concentration of auxin via conjugation to sugars, amino acids, or peptides. Indole-3-acetic acid is active …

A Population Characterization Of Allegheny Woodrats (Neotoma Magister) In The Hudson River Palisades Of New Jersey, Amanda Menasion

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister) are an endangered species within New Jersey, with a limited number of individuals found within one small area of suitable habitat along the Hudson River Palisades. There are very little detailed datum on the number of woodrats living at this location, however new conservation measures are being instituted to sustain this last remaining population in New Jersey. To gather additional data on the extent of the population of woodrats at this location, wildlife camera monitoring was conducted in two-week intervals at 10 separate locations that appeared to have satisfactory habitat for the woodrats but had not …

Increased Levels Of Oxidative Stress In Human Fibroblast Lung Cell Cultures And The Loss Of Mitochonndrial Function Due To Exposure To Particulate Matter From September 11, 2001, Lara Seder

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Not only did over 2,753 individuals perish on the morning of September 11, 2001, many have suffered from mental and physical illnesses ever since. Thousands of individuals experienced breathing complications, asthma and lung cancer. Clinical trials on cancer, including a patient who was exposed to the World Trade Center (WTC) dust, have seen a decrease in the progression of tumor growth with the use of oral nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). NADH is naturally occurring within a cell’s mitochondria and aids in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy of the cell. NADH is an anti-aging, energy enhancing substance that …

The Expression Of Icer Under The Control Of The Ovarian Cyp19a1 Promoter In Zebrafish Ovaries Danio Rerio, James Reilly

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Infertility, according to the World Health Organization, is defined as the failure to conceive after twelve months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. A recent study measuring the prevalence of female infertility estimated that 48.5 million women were affected globally (World Health Organization). To even begin to understand infertility is a colossal undertaking. Before we can hope to cure this disorder in humans we must first understand its pathogenesis in animal models. For this purpose, a study will be undertaken in zebrafish, Danio rerio, a popular model organism for reproductive studies (Segner, 2009). Based on a previous study in mouse models …

An Evaluation Of The Bgsu Herpetarium As An Educational Tool, Katherine Herzog

Honors Projects

The goal of this research was to evaluate the impact of the BGSU Herpetarium on students, both as a means of academic success and preparation for the workforce. The Herpetarium offers undergraduate students the chance to volunteer, serve in leadership positions, conduct research, and develop a network of like-minded peers and faculty. Because of the great opportunities for student involvement, we hypothesized that the Herpetarium would prove successful in positively impacting students’ college experiences and leave them better prepared to graduate and take their next steps. To assess these impacts, a variety of qualitative and quantitative data was collected. Six …

Identification Of “Fhua” Like Genes In Rhizobium Leguminosarum Atcc 14479 And Its Role In Vicibactin Transport And Investigation Of Heme Bound Iron Uptake System, Sushant Khanal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Siderophores are low molecular weight, iron chelating compounds produced by many bacteria for uptake of iron in case of iron scarcity. Vicibactin is a trihydroxamate type siderophore produced by Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii ATCC 14479. This work focuses on identifying an outer membrane receptor involved in the transport of vicibactin. We have confirmed the presence of the putative fhuA gene in R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii ATCC 14479. This bacteria shows mutualistic symbiosis with the red clover plant Trifoliium prantense. Leghemoglobin, with its cofactor heme is present in the plant root nodules that surrounds the infecting organism present in the nodules. …

Does Spaceflight Increase The Chance Of Female Astronauts Developing Uterine Cancer?, Areej Mosa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the main questions put forth by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) is whether or not an organism, especially mankind, can complete an entire life cycle in space. With this in mind, it is essential to study the effect of spaceflight on reproductive tissues. Using simulated microgravity techniques and whole-body radiation we sought to determine if females subjected to a simulated spaceflight environment have increased incidences of uterine cancer. Uterine tissue from mice subjected to simulated spaceflight was analyzed using immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis. Two pathways commonly activated in cancer were investigated. Additionally, the uterine …

A Role Of Vitamin B2 In Reducing Amyloid-Beta Toxicity In A Caenorhabditis Elegans Alzheimer’S Disease Model, Muhammad Tukur Ameen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with amyloid-beta peptide deposition and loss of mitochondrial function. Using a transgenic C. elegans AD worm model expressing amyloid-beta in body wall muscle, we determined that supplementation with either of the forms of vitamin B₂, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) or flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) protected against amyloid-beta mediated paralysis. FMN and FAD were then assayed to determine effects on ATP, oxygen consumption, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) with these compounds not significantly improving any of these mitochondrial bioenergetic functions. Knockdown of the daf-16/FOXO transcriptional regulator or the FAD synthase enzyme completely abrogated the …

Dicer1 Syndrome: Dicer1 Mutations In Rare Cancers, Jake C. Robertson, Cheryl L. Jorcyk, Julia Thom Oxford

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

DICER1 syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that predisposes individuals to multiple cancer types. Through mutations of the gene encoding the endoribonuclease, Dicer, DICER1 syndrome disrupts the biogenesis and processing of miRNAs with subsequent disruption in control of gene expression. Since the first description of DICER1 syndrome, case reports have documented novel germline mutations of the DICER1 gene in patients with cancers as well as second site mutations that alter the function of the Dicer protein expressed. Here, we present a review of mutations in the DICER1 gene, the respective protein sequence changes, and clinical manifestations of DICER1 syndrome. Directions …

Molecular Monitoring Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Mrsa) In A Hospital Setting, Jessica Ammon

Honors Theses

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a potentially pathogenic bacterium that poses a serious risk in healthcare settings. MRSA can be characterized by a genetic element, known as the staphylococcal cassette chromosome, which harbors the gene responsible for methicillin resistance, mecA. MRSA can be classified into two categories: community acquired (CA) and hospital acquired (HA). S. aureus strains represent a major health concern due to their prevalence in healthcare facilities and their rapidly evolving antibiotic resistance. The current study investigated the association between MRSA isolates obtained from patients and from the intensive care units in a local hospital. Among the …

Dsba-L Protein Levels In White Adipose Tissue In An Obesity Model., Madison E. Kerley

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Adiponectin is an adipose tissue-secreted protein found in three isoforms. Disulfide bond A oxidoreductase-like protein (DsbA-L) is thought to assist with protomeric disulfide bonding to generate the HMW (high molecular weight) isoform, which regulates insulin sensitivity. Both adiponectin and DsbA-L were previously found to negatively correlate with obesity.

Immunoblots were conducted on adipose tissue samples from male mice fed a high or low-fat diet for 6, 10, or 16 weeks. Immunoblots from high-fat diet-fed mice revealed double bands for DsbA-L. High and low molecular weight bands were analyzed together, revealing significantly higher relative band densities with 10 and 16-week high-fat …

Seasonal Leaf Structure And Function Tradeoffs In Native And Invasive Shrubs, Lauren Woolhiser

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The spread of invasive alien plants continues to raise the overall threat to biodiversity around the world. The Enemy Release Hypothesis indicates that invasive alien plants are less regulated by natural enemies when introduced to a region (Keane and Crawley, 2002). Due to this, I hypothesize that invasive plants have more flexibility to allocate to photosynthetic ability, while native plants are required to allocate to structural defense in order to defend against more enemy regulation. To test this, woody shrub species leaves were collected and tested for nitrogen/carbon content, chlorophyll content, photosystem quantum efficiency, and fiber analysis across three seasons. …

Characterizing Pitx2 Tooth Morphology And Candidate Genes Of Axenfeld- Rieger Syndrome In Zebrafish, Anthe Stylianou

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome (ARS) has been shown to be correlated with the Pitx2 mutation in both humans and zebrafish (Ji et al, 2016). ARS is classified as a rare autosomal dominant disorder that includes defects in the eyes, teeth and craniofacial design (Dressler et al 2010). The earliest signs of a Pitx2 mutation have yet to be defined in tooth morphogenesis. In this review, the earliest signs of the mutation are defined at 4dpf but, it is understood that further research needs to be done in order to classify that this mutation does not start to appear earlier.

The second goal …

Influence Of Running On The Seizure Threshold, Kylie Kerker

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is one of two COX enzymes involved in the conversion of free arachidonic acid (AA) to prostaglandin H2, a precursor for prostaglandin synthesis. COX-2 expression has been detected in the cerebral cortex, hippocampal formation, and amygdala, with its expression localized to the dendritic spines of excitatory neurons. In addition to its localization in excitatory neurons, COX-2 expression is regulated by neuronal activity, suggesting a modulatory role of COX-2 in synaptic transmission. COX-2 contributes to numerous functions in the normal brain, including learning and memory. Findings from our lab suggest that COX-2 also contributes to the maintenance of the …

Analysis Of Enzyme Activity Levels In Unfertilized, Fertilized, And Parthenogenetically Activated Sea Urchin Eggs, Patrick Castle

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The overarching question of this project is how do cells make the decision to divide? Over the past century, essential metabolites including ATP and NADPH have been studied for their metabolic role in cellular processes such as cell division, inflammatory responses, DNA synthesis, and apoptosis. This work focuses on two enzymes that are involved in the production of these essential metabolites using sea urchin eggs and embryos as a model system. The specific activity of cytochrome c oxidase was found in unfertilized, fertilized, and parthenogenetically activated sea urchin eggs by monitoring the RED/OX state of cytochrome c at 550 nm. …

The Effects Of Insulin Signaling On Follicle Development And Activation, Ali Abdullah

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Women are born with the all the germ cells they will produce in their lifetime, with the establishment of this initial pool of germ cells being critical for fertility. In the mouse model, germ cells arrive at the genital ridge around 10.5 days post coitum (dpc) and divide by mitosis, forming cysts, until 13.5 dpc. These germ cells, referred to as oocytes, enter meiosis and begin to arrest in the diplotene stage of prophase I around 17.5 dpc. Simultaneously, the cysts begin to break apart and flattened granulosa cells surround the remaining single oocytes to form primordial follicles. Most oocytes …

Effects Of Hypoxia On Swimming And Sensing In A Weakly Electric Fish, Kerri Lynn Ackerly, Rüdiger Krahe, Christopher P. Sanford, Lauren J. Chapman

Faculty Articles

Low dissolved oxygen (hypoxia) can severely limit fish performance, especially aerobically expensive behaviours including swimming and acquisition of sensory information. Fishes can reduce oxygen requirements by altering these behaviours under hypoxia, but the underlying mechanisms can be difficult to quantify. We used a weakly electric fish as a model system to explore potential effects of hypoxia on swim performance and sensory information acquisition, which enabled us to non-invasively record electric signalling activity used for active acquisition of sensory information during swimming. To quantify potential effects of hypoxia, we measured critical swim speed (Ucrit) and concurrent electric signalling activity under highand …