Biology Commons^™

Zero Textbook Cost Syllabus For Env 3009/Bio 4009 (Conservation Biology And Sustainable Development), Natalia Borrego

Open Educational Resources

Conservation biology is an interdisciplinary topic that explores how we can protect and maintain natural areas. Due to the resources we take and impacts we have on natural environments, this field is directly related to restoration ecology (restoring natural areas) and sustainable development/natural resource management. We will explore the basis for these related fields from an ecological, social, legal, and cultural perspective, as all conservation and management projects take place in the larger human landscape. We will consider how we measure biodiversity, why it matters, why is it is threatened, and how we can manage (protect, restore, maintain, use) it …

Regulation Of Local Auxin Metabolism During Soybean Nodule Development, Suresh Damodaran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Legume-rhizobia symbiosis leads to the development of secondary root organs called nodules. Rhizobia bacteria housed inside nodules assimilate atmospheric nitrogen and convert them into plant usable forms thereby reducing the need for fertilizer application in crop legumes like soybean. Nodule development is a coordinated process orchestrated by multiple plant hormones. In soybean, the auxin responsive gene expression was detected in nodule primordia and in the periphery of mature nodules, primarily in nodule vasculature. Auxin hypersensitivity reduces nodule formation in soybean and also polar auxin transport inhibition at the site of nodule development is not crucial for determinate nodule formation. Therefore, …

Surveillance Of South Dakota Mosquito Abundance, Infection Rate, And Insecticide Susceptibility, Geoffrey P. Vincent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation was to survey and evaluate the abundance, infection rate, and insecticide susceptibility of mosquito fauna present in South Dakota. Mosquito surveillance has been conducted across South Dakota to record and track potential West Nile virus (WNV) vectors from 2004 to 2017. The nuisance mosquito Aedes vexans was found to be the most abundant species overall in the state and most abundant in many of the regions. The WNV vector, Culex tarsalis, was found to be the second most abundant mosquito and the most abundant vector mosquito across the state. However, geospatial variation did exist between …

Identification Of Qtl Modifying The Activity Of The Tcb1-S Locus And Characterization And Sequencing Of Two Plutonium-Beryllium Induced Reduced Gametophyte Transmission Mutants In Maize, Merritt Bryer Burch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is split into two independent projects both involving the male gametophyte generation of maize. The first project looks at how pollen interacts with the female gametophyte to reduce its transmission in cross-incompatible reactions controlled by the unilateral cross-incompatibility system, teosinte crossing barrier 1. The second project explores two plutonium-beryllium induced male gametophyte mutants and attempts to uncover their genetic basis.

Identification of QTL Modifying the Activity of the Tcb1-s Locus
Teosinte crossing barrier 1 (Tcb1) is a unilateral cross-incompatibility system present in maize that provides a pre-zygotic pistil barrier to plants carrying Tcb1-s (strong allele) from pollen …

The Effects Of Acidic Conditions And Tannins On The Survival, Development, And Behavior Of Cope’S Gray Treefrog (Hyla Chrysoscelis), Caleb E. Dodd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As amphibians decline around the world, freshwater acidification resulting from pollutants and acid rain may be a contributor. The ability of organisms to cope with environmental changes is greatly mediated by behavior, and recent studies indicate that anthropogenic acidification impairs behavioral responses by impacting olfactory abilities of aquatic organisms. Responding appropriately to novel stimuli is important for individual performance and survival, and pollutants may cause organisms to behave maladaptively. In this study I sought to: a) determine whether the oviposition site choices of adult female frogs correspond with the pH and tannin conditions that maximize tadpole survival and performance in …

Leaping Behavior In Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix): Analysis Of Burst Swimming Speeds, Angle Of Escape, Height, And Distance Of Leaps, Ehlana Stell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Silver Carp have rapidly expanded their range exploiting vulnerable habitats, disrupting fisheries, and inflicting unknown ecological damage. These fish have continued to spread into the Middle Mississippi River and the Tennessee River Valley and great effort is being expended to prevent Silver Carp from entering the Great Lakes and expanding further into the Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee Rivers. Using boat-mounted cameras, we recorded in situ video of invasive Silver Carp, Hypopthalmichthys molitrix leaps to measure their horizontal distance, height, and angle of escape as well as their burst speed. Video tapes of fish leaps were obtained from populations of …

Habitat Characteristics Provide Insights Of Carbon Storage In Seagrass Meadows, Inés Mazarrasa, Jimena Samper-Villarreal, Oscar Serrano, Paul S. Lavery, Catherine E. Lovelock, Núrià N. Marbà, Carlos M. Duarte, Jorge A. Cortés

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Seagrass meadows provide multiple ecosystem services, yet they are among the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Because of their role as carbon sinks, protection and restoration of seagrass meadows contribute to climate change mitigation. Blue Carbon strategies aim to enhance CO2 sequestration and avoid greenhouse gasses emissions through the management of coastal vegetated ecosystems, including seagrass meadows. The implementation of Blue Carbon strategies requires a good understanding of the habitat characteristics that influence Corg sequestration. Here, we review the existing knowledge on Blue Carbon research in seagrass meadows to identify the key habitat characteristics that influence Corg sequestration in seagrass …

A Link Between Gut Microbes & Depression: Microbial Activation Of The Human Kynurenine Pathway, Christina Cobb

CMC Senior Theses

Our gut microbiota is involved in human development, nutrition, and the pathogenesis of gut disorders, but has more recently been implicated as a possible mechanism in the pathophysiology of several brain disorders, including disorders of mood and affect, such as depression. Researchers have referred to this dynamic, bidirectional signaling pathway between the gut and the brain as the “gut-brain axis.” However, most research on this axis has been limited to rodent studies, and there has been little insight into the mechanism behind it. I propose that the kynurenine pathway, where tryptophan is converted to kynurenine, is a compelling mechanism mediating …

Do The Lifetime Prevalence And Prognosis Of Schizophrenia Differ Among World Regions?, Cheryl Lynn Smith

CMC Senior Theses

Much cross-cultural research has been done on the topic of schizophrenia, but few studies thus far have focused on lifetime prevalence and prognosis together, grouped by world region. Additionally, there has been severe bias in which countries and regions have been studied both historically and currently. Any study that had statistics on lifetime prevalence per 1000 people and/or DALYs, from a specified country or region, was included in this thesis. Results showed that lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia does not differ among WHO regions, but DALYs and thus prognosis do differ. Several major conclusions can be drawn from these results. One …

Elucidating A Role For The Cytoplasmic Domain In The Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Mechanosensitive Channel Of Large Conductance, Nadia Herrera, Grigory Maksaev, Elizabeth S. Haswell, Douglas C. Rees

All Faculty Publications

Microbial survival in dynamic environments requires the ability to successfully respond to abrupt changes in osmolarity. The mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) is a ubiquitous channel that facilitates the survival of bacteria and archaea under severe osmotic downshock conditions by relieving excess turgor pressure in response to increased membrane tension. A prominent structural feature of MscL, the cytoplasmic C-terminal domain, has been suggested to infuence channel assembly and function. In this report, we describe the X-ray crystal structure and electrophysiological properties of a C-terminal domain truncation of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis MscL (MtMscLΔC). A crystal structure of MtMscLΔC solubilized in …

Immunization By Radiotherapy: Enhancing An Immune-Mediated Abscopal Effect, Amy Steffen

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Radiotherapy aims to destroy tumors by inducing DNA damage in their cells at the local irradiation site. Its immune-mediated systemic effects, called abscopal effect, has shown to enhance anti-tumor immunity when combined with immune therapies and thus, have gained attention by researchers and clinicians to investigate. Below is a summary of the fundamentals of cancer and the immune system’s response to it, as well as the changes in the phenotype and microenvironment of tumor cells after exposure to radiation. Impacts of the abscopal effect and the induction of effective antitumor immunity with various immune therapy strategies will be outlined. The …

Increasing The Clinical Efficacy Of Radiotherapeutics For Solid Tumors By Inhibition Of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1a, Austin Levi Walz

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Radiotherapy is commonly used in a variety of tumor types and is effective in control of long term progression and may be curative under certain circumstances. Radiotherapeutics have been shown to be the single most effective therapeutic for cancer and only account for 5% of the total cost. However, treatment of cells with radiation causes the tumor microenvironment to undergo changes and leads to cycles of hypoxia inside the tumor which allows for the cell to undergo angiogenesis, metastasize and may lead to repopulation of the tumor. Current systemic chemotherapeutics typically have an additive toxicity due to the unintended targeting …

A Review Of Multiple Sclerosis Treatments: Interferon Beta, Glatiramer Acetate, Fingolimod, And Natalizumab, Ryan Golden

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system works to demyelinate the myelin sheaths in the central nervous system. The beginning of the review will concentrate on the history of MS while also describing how MS, the disease, differs from that of normal immune responses. The review then shifts to the four different stages of MS and how to differentiate between the stages, since the treatment options are often dependent on the stage of MS that the patient is in. The main focus of this review is to take an in depth look on …

A Biological Review Of Mental Illness: An Overview Of Genetics And Pathophysiology Of Schizophrenia, Major Depression, And Addiction, Christopher R. Angerhofer

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Novel approaches in understanding mental illness present solutions to current issues in treatment and diagnosis. With advancements in genetics and neurology, the etiology and pathophysiology of mental illness is slowly unwrapping. In discovering biomarkers for depression, addiction, and schizophrenia, the precision for preventing, diagnosing, and treating these disorders increases. The aim of this paper is to review current research for addiction, major depression, and schizophrenia in genetics and physiology, while also clarifying the need for reclassifying mental illness as diseases with a pathophysiological basis, not syndromal, idiopathic disorders. Mental illness is dynamic in that it encompasses both environmental and biological …

Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries And Cte: A Review Highlighting The Connection Between The Two, Leandre Kennedy

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a traumatic brain injury based disease that is garnering a lot of attention in the United States. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an extensive review of the information available about the condition. Recently there has been a limited amount of published information and treatment opportunities are rare since the only way of diagnosing has come post mortem. Various literary reviews and experiments were analyzed for appropriate information regarding CTE’s pathology and treatments and only peer reviewed published works were allowed in this paper. This resulted in promising information about the disease and …

Do Novel Weapons That Degrade Mycorrhizal Mutualisms Promote Species Invasion?, Robert Warren, Phil Pinzone, Daniel L. Potts, Gary Pettibone

Biology Faculty Datasets

Non-native plants often dominate novel habitats where they did not co-evolve with the local species. The novel weapons hypothesis suggests that non-native plants bring competitive traits against which native species have not adapted defenses. Novel weapons may directly affect plant competitors by inhibiting germination or growth, or indirectly by attacking competitor plant mutualists (degraded mutualisms hypothesis). Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) and European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) are widespread plant invaders that produce potent secondary compounds that negatively impact plant competitors. We tested whether their impacts were consistent with a direct effect on the tree seedlings (novel weapons) or an indirect attack …

Marine Bioactives From Saccharina Latissima, Orlaith O'Connell

Masters

Due to rapid global urbanization and therefore increased adoption of a 'Westernized' lifestyle, including decreased physical activity and increased consumption of highly processed and refined foods with a high sugar, fat and salt content, prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders are on the rise. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in particular is closely associated with this type of lifestyle. IBD is a term used to describe chronic inflammatory conditions which affects all or parts of the gastrointestinal tract. It includes conditions such as Crohn's Disease, which affects all the gastrointestinal tract and Ulcerative Colitis which mainly affects the colan. Due to the role …

Full Issue: Volume 11, Number 2

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

Nonsurgical Approaches To Glioblastoma, Moshe Baitelman

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Due to the sensitivity of location, brain cancer is one of the most difficult and deadly known cancers. There are various forms of cancer in the brain with many shared characteristics as well as unique manifestations in each. While cancers originating in the central nervous system present in several ways, the most common forms are high grade gliomas generally, and glioblastoma or anaplastic astrocytomas specifically. With the advent of technology, researchers have been able to propose and refine extensive profiles of these relentless tumors, enabling greater and more successful treatment profiles to be developed. Where treatments used to consist primarily …

Uvb Induced Mutation Of P53 In Non Melanoma Skin Cancer, Raizy Berger

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

There is a clear correlation between excessive sun exposure and the development of skin cancer. UVB radiation from the sun is potent, and as the ozone layer gets depleted, more UVB can reach Earth and cause cell damage. UV radiation causes DNA lesions, such as 6-4 photoproducts and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers. Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers are more abundant and take longer to be repaired and therefore are responsible for most of the mutation and DNA damage. These DNA lesions lead to mutation of the p53 gene. The signature mutation on p53 from UV radiation is a CC to TT mutation, which …

Neuraxial Analgesia And Its Effects On Neonatal And Maternal Outcomes, Tziporah L. Falkowvsky

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Neuraxial analgesia is one of the most popular and effective forms of pain relief for labor and childbirth used by more than 50% of women in North America. Despite the standard use of the procedure, there is much that is still inconclusive about the side effects on mother and baby. Current studies show it has an impact on some outcomes and seemingly no effect on others. While the extent of the impact is still unclear, there are some adverse side effects of neuraxial analgesia, which include instrumental deliveries, respiratory distress and lower Apgar scores. Further research is required to conclude …

Avian Habitat Use In A Chronosequence Of Bottomland Hardwood Forest Restoration Sites, Paul T. Le, Lindley B. Ballen, Richard Essner, Peter R. Minchin

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Since the 1950s, anthropogenic activity has caused the loss of millions of hectares of bottomland hardwood forest in the Upper Mississippi River Valley, causing population declines in bird populations. Restoration of these forest stands has been ongoing for the past 2 decades. We assessed bird species presence on sites in the Upper Mississippi River Valley to quantify diversity and relate presence to habitat conditions and sites’ age since restoration. We observed higher mean diversities at mature bottomland-forest sites during the spring and autumn, but nested ANOVAs indicated no significant differences among restoration-age categories during spring. During the autumn, the 15–23-y …

Cryptic Diversification Of Two Widespread Species In Madagascar, Lynika Sharlice Strozier

Master's Theses

Using phylogenetic and phylogeographic tools to uncover hidden diversity within the genus Newtonia in Madagascar

Madagascar is known for its rich biodiversity and high level of endemic species that are found nowhere else. Cryptic diversification, defined as genetically and evolutionarily distinct species that are hard to detect because they are morphologically indistinguishable from their closest relatives, has been hypothesized to occur in many groups on Madagascar. Currently it is unclear to what extent this phenomenon occurs in birds because only a few studies have been conducted. My study examined the phylogenetic and phylogeographic patterns within a songbird genus, Newtonia, that …

Does The Foundational Model Of Anatomy Ontology Provide A Knowledge Base For Learning And Assessment In Anatomy Education?, Melissa D. Clarkson, Mark E. Whipple

Institute for Biomedical Informatics Faculty Publications

Throughout the development of the Foundational Model of Anatomy (FMA) ontology, one of the use cases put forth has been anatomy education. In this work, we examine which types of knowledge taught to anatomy students can be supported by the FMA knowledge base. We first categorize types of anatomical knowledge, then express these patterns in the form “Given ____, state ____”. Each of the 33 patterns was evaluated for whether this type of knowledge is compatible with the modeling and scope of the FMA.

Distribution Of Porcine Endogenous Retrovirus (Perv) Variants In Domestic And Feral Pigs, Rashmi Acharya

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Xenotransplantation is considered an alternative to allotransplantation to relieve the current shortage of human organs. Due to their similar size and physiology, the organs of pigs are of particular interest for this purpose. Endogenous retroviruses are a result of integration of retroviral genomes into the genome of infected germ cells as DNA copies (proviruses), which are then carried in all cells of the offspring of the organism. Porcine Endogenous Retroviruses (PERVs) are of special concern because they are found in pig organs and tissue that might be used for xenotransplantation. PERV proviruses, already incorporated into the pig’s genome, can be …

An Evaluation Of Trap-Neuter-Release Practices For Free-Roaming Cat Populations, Brian Gaston

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

As of 2002, estimates of free-roaming domestic cat (Felis catus) populations exceeded 100 million individuals, throughout the United States. Many lost or abandoned cats will revert to living outdoors as free-roaming individuals. To try to control the abundance of free-roaming cats, trap-neuter-release (TNR) programs have been implemented across the United States. The goal of many TNR programs is to reduce cat populations by sterilizing the individuals to prevent breeding, while also providing food and water to the unconfined colony. However, wildlife conservationists question the effectiveness of TNR programs. The objectives of my study were to: determine the population size and …

Identification And Characterization Of Tri-Colored Bat Hibernaculum In Russell County, Kansas, Angelica Sprague

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Caves are often essential during hibernation, a sensitive stage in the life cycle of bats. Caves offer more stable conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity, during the changing seasons when food supply is limited, and weather is unstable. As caves in North-Central Kansas are sparse, the hibernating status of tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) is not well known. Bats are experiencing substantial population declines within the United States, caused primarily by white nose-syndrome, as well as habitat loss and degradation, and increased wind-power facilities. In the winter seasons of 2015 and 2016, I studied tri-colored bat hibernacula. A man-made “cave” …

Incorporating Multi-Spectral Imaging Into Long-Term Upland Breeding Bird Monitoring, Kyle William Schumacher

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas, United States partnered with Fort Hays State University Hays, KS in 2014 to begin a collaborative research project that aimed to develop a long-term monitoring protocol guided by the Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the refuge published in 2013. This plan identified specific wildlife taxa underrepresented in management impact assessments throughout the property. As a result of this plan, surveys were established to monitor interactions between upland breeding birds and the vegetation community. I conducted point count surveys in 2016, 2017, and 2018 for 122 observation points across four transects. I measured seventeen vegetation variables …

The Effect Of Increased Quizzing On Retention Of Material By Histology Laboratory Students, R. J. Nogrady

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In traditional approaches to teaching, examinations and quizzes have been considered secondary activities, designed to assess and motivate learning, but not generally as teaching tools in themselves (Roediger and Butler, 2011). However, abundant psychological research in laboratory settings indicates that the act of taking a quiz or examination on the material can directly enhance retention of that material in ways which are distinct from and often more effective than restudying of the material. This phenomenon is now referred to as the testing effect. The testing effect hypothesis asserts that (1) repeated retrieval attempts have a longer lasting effect on retention …

Lonicera Maackii Alters Decay Dynamics Of Coarse Woody Debris, Michaela J. Woods

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Since industrialization, anthropogenic carbon emissions have led to excess atmospheric carbon dioxide that may alter the stability of ecosystem processes. Microorganisms are essential in mitigating excess carbon and play a notable role in the breakdown of organic material. This process, decomposition, is essential in forested ecosystems where microorganisms can recycle nutrients and store carbon in soil organic matter or release it through respiration. Fungi participate in decomposition through the release of enzymes responsible for carrying out the chemical reactions that break down plant material. Species introductions have the potential to alter decomposition dynamics. In the Midwestern US, the invasive shrub …