Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Biology Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2019

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 1111 - 1140 of 1905

Full-Text Articles in Biology

More Than Growth? A Study Of The Additional Functions Of Growth Hormone In The Human Body, Damien Chance Hutchins Apr 2019

More Than Growth? A Study Of The Additional Functions Of Growth Hormone In The Human Body, Damien Chance Hutchins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Growth Hormone (GH) may have many more effects on the human body than those commonly known by the public. A study was conducted to determine what these additional functions may be, if these functions could necessitate the continued use of GH treatment for adults with Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD), and how these effects might invite the additional usage of GH as a treatment for normal individuals. Research consisted of a literature review and a statistical analysis of 86 adult GHD reports regarding how GH treatment had affected various symptoms. Reports were analyzed for significance using one-way ANOVAs. Observed results support …

Go to article

Lingering Impacts Of Hurricane Hugo On Rhizophora Mangle (Red Mangrove) Population Genetics On St. John, Usvi, Paul Bologna, James Campanella, Dena J. Restaino, Zachary A. Fetske, Matthew Lourenco, John V. Smalley Apr 2019

Lingering Impacts Of Hurricane Hugo On Rhizophora Mangle (Red Mangrove) Population Genetics On St. John, Usvi, Paul Bologna, James Campanella, Dena J. Restaino, Zachary A. Fetske, Matthew Lourenco, John V. Smalley

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Stochastic events can have catastrophic effects on island populations through a series of genetic stressors from reduced population size. We investigated five populations of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) from St. John, USVI, an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, which were impacted by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Our goal was to determine diversity and to ascertain potential population bottlenecks two decades after the event. With the lowest observed heterozygosity, highest inbreeding coefficient, and evidence of a major bottleneck, our results demonstrated that the Great Lameshur mangroves, devastated by Hurricane Hugo, were the least diverse stand of trees. The other four populations from St. …

Go to article

Detection Of Heteroplasmic Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Using Melt Curve Analysis And Dual Labeled Fluorescent Probes, Emily Jezewski Apr 2019

Detection Of Heteroplasmic Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Using Melt Curve Analysis And Dual Labeled Fluorescent Probes, Emily Jezewski

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Plant mitochondrial genomes are strange – they are unusually large, consist of huge amounts of non-coding DNA, and contain of several overlapping regions throughout the genome. The genome is made of several different sized linear and circular molecules and different mitochondria within a cell will have different pieces of the genome. Even if multiple mitochondria contain the same region of the genome, these sequences can differ by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPS). This is known as heteroplasmy. Heteroplasmy has been documented in Arabidopsis thaliana using whole-genome sequencing data. While heteroplasmy is well-documented, its existence in the mitochondrial genome is unexpected and …

Go to article

The Effects Of Organic And Inorganic Nanoparticles On Bacterial Deactivation, Lauren Cooper Apr 2019

The Effects Of Organic And Inorganic Nanoparticles On Bacterial Deactivation, Lauren Cooper

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Antibacterial resistance is one of the greatest problems in modern medicine, as healthcare professionals are experiencing more and more difficulty in providing effective care. As such, alternative methods of treatment are needed in order to overcome this issue. One recently proposed method of alternative treatment is photodynamic therapy. Photodynamic therapy is a light-based method of treatment that utilizes (1) a photosensitizing agent, (2) light, (3) produced oxygen species. When the photosensitizing agent is injected into an infected region of interest and then irradiated with a certain wavelength of light, the agent is photoactivated and begins to produce harmful forms of …

Go to article

Multispecies Character Displacement In Mexican Poeciliopsis Fishes, Andrea J. Roth Apr 2019

Multispecies Character Displacement In Mexican Poeciliopsis Fishes, Andrea J. Roth

Theses and Dissertations

Competition has long been recognized as a central force in shaping evolution, particularly through character displacement. Yet research on character displacement is biased as it has focused almost exclusively on pairs of interacting species while ignoring multispecies interactions. Unfortunately, communities are seldom so simple that only pairs of species interact, and it is not clear if inferences from pairwise interactions are sufficient to explain patterns in nature. A more realistic approach is to ask how traits evolve when multiple species interact. Here I explore the importance of multispecies competitive interactions on trait evolution in four congeneric species of livebearing fishes …

Go to article

Modulation Of Listeria Monocytogenes Carbon Metabolism By Short Chain Fatty Acids, Diksha Bedi Apr 2019

Modulation Of Listeria Monocytogenes Carbon Metabolism By Short Chain Fatty Acids, Diksha Bedi

Honors Theses

Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterial pathogen, is associated with foodborne infections in humans. Listeria encounters short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) during its transit through the intestine but its metabolic responses to SCFAs are not fully understood. To determine how Listeria metabolism is affected by SCFAs, I performed basic microbiology assays, including monitoring optical density, determining acetoin production, and measuring culture pH levels. I also performed preliminary 13C-NMR assays to provide a more in-depth look into carbon metabolism in SCFA-treated Listeria. I found that propionate-supplemented Listeria produced significantly more acetoin compared to no supplemented controls. Because acetoin is a product of central …

Go to article

Analysis Of Change In The Biodiversity Of Fish And Macroinvertebrates Following Low Dam Modification And Kayak Chute Installation In The Great Miami River In Downtown Dayton, Ohio, Madison E. Conway Apr 2019

Analysis Of Change In The Biodiversity Of Fish And Macroinvertebrates Following Low Dam Modification And Kayak Chute Installation In The Great Miami River In Downtown Dayton, Ohio, Madison E. Conway

Honors Theses

Over two years, from 2015-2017, the Miami Conservancy District and Five Rivers Metroparks completed a project to modify the low dam above Monument Avenue into a kayak chute and constructed a second, entirely new kayak chute about one-half mile upstream near Riverscape Metropark in downtown Dayton, Ohio. Low dams have a negative impact on river habitat by decreasing water velocity in the impoundment behind the dam. Physical habitat, which should consist of alternating pools and riffles, is disturbed and replaced by deeper, slower-moving water that accumulates deposits of sediment on the river bottom degrading its value as habitat. The conditions …

Go to article

The Prickly Problem Of Pears Potential Effects Of Native Orthopteran Herbivory On An Invasive Woody Plant, Kaitlin Gawkins Apr 2019

The Prickly Problem Of Pears Potential Effects Of Native Orthopteran Herbivory On An Invasive Woody Plant, Kaitlin Gawkins

Honors Theses

Across the United States, land managers are struggling to cope with a relatively new invasive species, Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana). Callery pear is currently one of the most important invasive species threatening prairies and early successional habitats in Ohio and the Midwest, and yet, no viable means of control exists for this species. This species is relatively resistant to herbicides and resilient against prescribed cutting and burning. One potential management of invasive species is biocontrol, or the intentional introduction of natural enemies to control the growth and propagation of a target organism. Previous experiments with Callery Pear have examined herbivory …

Go to article

Pathogenic Differences In Listeria Monocytogenes 10403s And Cardiotropic Strains Grown Under Aerobic And Anaerobic Conditions, Alexander Hayes Apr 2019

Pathogenic Differences In Listeria Monocytogenes 10403s And Cardiotropic Strains Grown Under Aerobic And Anaerobic Conditions, Alexander Hayes

Honors Theses

Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive bacillus that is commonly associated with foodborne illness. It is a facultative intracellular pathogen responsible for causing the listeriosis infection in humans which is particularly dangerous to immunocompromised individuals. L. monocytogenes pathogenesis occurs through a series of complex interactions between host and bacterial cellular machinery. The wild-type strain as well as a cardiotropic strain with high affinity for infecting cardiac tissue were used to investigate pathogenesis in L. monocytogenes. Specifically, the Listeriolysin O protein that is critical for virulence was investigated. Aerobic and anaerobic growth environments as well as short-chain fatty acid supplementation were utilized …

Go to article

Drosophila Tumor Mosaic Models To Study Intercellular Interaction, Minh T.D. Ho Apr 2019

Drosophila Tumor Mosaic Models To Study Intercellular Interaction, Minh T.D. Ho

Honors Theses

Drosophila is a powerful genetic model system to study cancer. In patients, a small number of mutations accumulate in cells that change their growth characteristics and eventually lead to the formation of tumors. These tumors are clonal in origin, meaning the cancer arose from the proliferation of a single rogue cell. We have developed similar "clonal" cancer models in the Drosophila brain to study how tumor cells interact among each other and with their neighbors. To study such interactions, we need to tag the tumor cells and their neighboring cells. Such differentially marked clone-pairs or ‘twin-spots’ are ideal for genetic …

Go to article

Cortisol Regulation Of Aquaglyceroporin Hc-3 Protein Expression In The Erythrocytes Of The Freeze Tolerant Tree Frog Dryophytes Chrysoscelis, Maria P. Labello Apr 2019

Cortisol Regulation Of Aquaglyceroporin Hc-3 Protein Expression In The Erythrocytes Of The Freeze Tolerant Tree Frog Dryophytes Chrysoscelis, Maria P. Labello

Honors Theses

Dryophytes chrysoscelis, commonly known as Cope’s gray treefrog, is a freeze tolerant anuran that freezes up to 65% of extracellular fluid during winter to survive. Glycerol is presumably used as a cryoprotectant during a period of cold-acclimation to protect cells from permanent damage due to hypoosmotic stress upon freezing and thawing. The passage of glycerol and water during cold-acclimation is mediated through aquaglyceroporin HC-3 in the nucleated erythrocytes (RBCs) of D. chrysoscelis. This thesis analyzes the mechanisms in which D. chrysoscelis prepares for cold-acclimation and glycerol synthesis. Cortisol is a stress hormone known to respond to osmolarity and metabolic challenges …

Go to article

Establishing The Effect Of Ethanol On Listeria Infection, Ryan Evan Restrepo Apr 2019

Establishing The Effect Of Ethanol On Listeria Infection, Ryan Evan Restrepo

Honors Theses

Excessive alcohol consumption is common in the United States, particularly among college campuses. Previous studies have shown that excessive drinking increases the risk of drug dependency, sexual assault and liver damage. Heavy drinking has also proven to impact immune capabilities. Immune cell function and numbers have been shown to be negatively impacted by alcohol treatment. This research project used different cell cultures to model human cells and investigated how exposure to alcohol affects susceptibility to bacterial infection. Listeria monocytogenes, a common foodborne bacterium, was used as a model pathogen. A high alcohol preferring mouse model was also used to examine …

Go to article

Flourishing The Urban Environment: How Urban Gardens Affect Pollinators, Emily Ann Rickert Apr 2019

Flourishing The Urban Environment: How Urban Gardens Affect Pollinators, Emily Ann Rickert

Honors Theses

The order of Hymenoptera is classified as bees, wasps, and ants and are widely recognized as pollinators. Some species of bees (family Apoidea) and hoverflies tend to focus on certain types of flowers and are attracted to patterns and colors. Native plants and crops that are specifically bee-friendly can encourage bees and other pollinators that are decreasing in biodiversity and population to come back. Urban gardens work to provide vegetables and organic produce to its communities and subsequently are also growing pollinator-friendly food. This study focuses on whether the biodiversity of Hymenoptera, hoverflies, and other significant pollinators are affected by …

Go to article

The Effects Of L. Rhamnosus Consumption On Male Long Evans Rat Anxiety-Like Behavior, Amanda Marie Schleper Apr 2019

The Effects Of L. Rhamnosus Consumption On Male Long Evans Rat Anxiety-Like Behavior, Amanda Marie Schleper

Honors Theses

Adolescent stress in humans has been correlated with an increased likelihood of an individual to develop an alcohol use disorder later in life. Literature has demonstrated that rats subjected to adolescent stress tend to show an increased preference and consumption of ethanol. Adolescence is a critical time of development. The link between adolescent stressors and alcohol use disorders is not fully understood yet. This study examined the relationship between adolescent stress and alcohol consumption and preference in rats. Probiotics are bacteria with potential health benefits and have been well accepted as a dietary supplement. Literature shows that probiotics could decrease …

Go to article

The Vascular Flora Of Bill Yeck Park: Supporting The Conservation Of Local Biodiversity, Taylor Sparbanie Apr 2019

The Vascular Flora Of Bill Yeck Park: Supporting The Conservation Of Local Biodiversity, Taylor Sparbanie

Honors Theses

Maintaining and fostering biodiversity is a critical component of natural areas management and conservation because of its known links to ecosystem function and stability. Identifying and documenting species through a floristic inventory is an important strategy for detecting the presence of rare or unique species, as well as invasive species that pose a threat to biodiversity. Bill Yeck Park is a 194-acre nature park maintained by Centerville-Washington Park District and is largely surrounded by residential areas. The goal of this project was to generate list of vascular plant species for Bill Yeck Park, a large park within the Centerville-Washington Township …

Go to article

In The Face Of Antimicrobialsfactors Contributing To Listeria Monocytogenes Survival And Development Of Resistance, Andrea M. Vietti Apr 2019

In The Face Of Antimicrobialsfactors Contributing To Listeria Monocytogenes Survival And Development Of Resistance, Andrea M. Vietti

Honors Theses

Bacterial antibiotic resistance is on an alarming rise worldwide, thus posing an urgent threat to human health. The rise in antibiotic resistance can be attributed to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in both the healthcare and agricultural industries. In order to address this concern, this research aimed to identify environmental conditions that may lead to the development of antibiotic resistance in Listeria monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen capable of causing the disease listeriosis and is especially dangerous for immunocompromised populations. Although infected individuals are treated with antibiotics, an alarmingly high mortality rate of 20 percent still persists; …

Go to article

Streptococcus Agalactiae Strains With Chromosomal Deletions Evade Detection With Molecular Methods, Isabella A. Tickler, Fred C. Tenover, Scott Dewell, Victoria M. Le, Rachel N. Blackman, Richard V. Goering, Amy E. Rogers, Heather Piwonka, Brittney D. Jung-Hynes, Derrick J. Chen, Michael J. Loeffelholz, Devasena Gnanashanmugam, Ellen Jo Baron Apr 2019

Streptococcus Agalactiae Strains With Chromosomal Deletions Evade Detection With Molecular Methods, Isabella A. Tickler, Fred C. Tenover, Scott Dewell, Victoria M. Le, Rachel N. Blackman, Richard V. Goering, Amy E. Rogers, Heather Piwonka, Brittney D. Jung-Hynes, Derrick J. Chen, Michael J. Loeffelholz, Devasena Gnanashanmugam, Ellen Jo Baron

Biology Faculty Publications

Surveillance of circulating microbial populations is critical for monitoring the performance of a molecular diagnostic test. In this study, we characterized 31 isolates of Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus [GBS]) from several geographic locations in the United States and Ireland that contain deletions in or adjacent to the region of the chromosome that encodes the hemolysin gene cfb, the region targeted by the Xpert GBS and GBS LB assays. PCR-negative, culture-positive isolates were recognized during verification studies of the Xpert GBS assay in 12 laboratories between 2012 and 2018. Whole-genome sequencing of 15 GBS isolates from 11 laboratories revealed …

Go to article

Optimizing Tools For The Investigation Of Flagella Protein Trafficking In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Brandon M. Wills Apr 2019

Optimizing Tools For The Investigation Of Flagella Protein Trafficking In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Brandon M. Wills

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Cilia and flagella are synonymous organelles that protrude above the cell surface to propel fluid and monitor signals in the environment. These functions are central to human development and health, as well as for numerous organisms to thrive in their natural habitats. Pioneering studies of their fundamental mechanisms heavily rely on the biflagellate green alga, Chlamydomonas. One example is the extensive characterization of bidirectional intraflagellar transport (IFT), a transport system that perpetually delivers flagellar components between the base and the tip of the flagella. Such characterization has resulted in the discovery of numerous evolutionarily conserved genes crucial for flagella growth …

Go to article

Spinal Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 Regulates Painafter Peripheral Trauma, Maral Tajerian, J. David Clark Apr 2019

Spinal Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 Regulates Painafter Peripheral Trauma, Maral Tajerian, J. David Clark

Publications and Research

It is well documented that pain chronification requires a host of plastic mechanisms at the spinal cord (SC) level, including alterations in neuronal and glial structure and function. Such cellular plasticity necessitates the existence of a plastic extracellular matrix(ECM). Here, we describe a key role for ECM remodeling in the regulation of chronic pain following peripheral injury. Three weeks following tibia fracture in mice, we show increased levels of MMP8 in the SC. Furthermore, we show that the pharmacological or genetic down regulation of MMP8 ameliorates the pain phenotype observed after injury. These results delineate an extracellular mechanism for pain …

Go to article

The Glycosyltransferase Gene Elt1 (Osugt90a1) Protects Plasma Membranes During Chilling Stress In Rice, Yao Shi Apr 2019

The Glycosyltransferase Gene Elt1 (Osugt90a1) Protects Plasma Membranes During Chilling Stress In Rice, Yao Shi

Dissertations (1934 -)

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) has a sub-tropically origin and is sensitive to low-temperature stress at the young seedling stage. Very few effector genes that code enzymes involved in low-temperature stress response mechanisms have been identified so far. Here, we report a genome-wide association study (GWAS) mapping and a Bi-parental Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) mapping using 202 O. sativa accessions from the Rice Mini-Core (RMC) collection, which uncovered 48 QTL across all 12 rice chromosomes associated with five chilling tolerance indices. In addition, we characterized qLTSS4-1, a novel strong-effect low-temperature seedling survivability (LTSS) QTL and its associated gene, Os04g24110, which is …

Go to article

Comparison Of The Cardiopharyngeal Gene Regulatory Networks In Corella Inflata And Ciona Robusta Provides Insights Into Developmental Systems Drift, William N. Colgan , '19 Apr 2019

Comparison Of The Cardiopharyngeal Gene Regulatory Networks In Corella Inflata And Ciona Robusta Provides Insights Into Developmental Systems Drift, William N. Colgan , '19

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Mutations to gene regulatory networks drive evolutionary adaptation, but mutations can also occur without phenotypic change. These neutral mutations instead lead to developmental systems drift, evolutionary divergence in developmental systems that does not alter the traits produced. Here we examine developmental systems drift between two tunicate species, Corella inflata and Ciona robusta, in the cardiopharyngeal gene regulatory network. Through cross-species assays and functional enhancer analysis, we assess the amount of drift both in cis and in trans. Here we show that the trans-regulatory architecture of the cardiopharyngeal gene regulatory network is largely conserved between C. robusta and …

Go to article

Megaphylogeny Resolves Global Patterns Of Mushroom Evolution, Torda Varga, Krisztina Krizsán, Csenge Földi, Bálint Dima, Marisol Sánchez-García, Santiago Sánchez-Ramírez, Gergely J. Szöllősi, János G. Szarkándi, Viktor Papp, László Albert, William Andreopoulos, Claudio Angelini, Vladimír Antonín, Kerrie W. Barry, Neale L. Bougher, Peter Buchanan, Bart Buyck, Viktória Bense, Pam Catcheside, Mansi Chovatia, Jerry Cooper, Wolfgang Dämon, Dennis Desjardin, Péter Finy, József Geml, Sajeet Haridas, Karen Hughes, Alfredo Justo, Dariusz Karasiński, Ivona Kautmanova, Brigitta Kiss, Sándor Kocsubé, David Hibbett Apr 2019

Megaphylogeny Resolves Global Patterns Of Mushroom Evolution, Torda Varga, Krisztina Krizsán, Csenge Földi, Bálint Dima, Marisol Sánchez-García, Santiago Sánchez-Ramírez, Gergely J. Szöllősi, János G. Szarkándi, Viktor Papp, László Albert, William Andreopoulos, Claudio Angelini, Vladimír Antonín, Kerrie W. Barry, Neale L. Bougher, Peter Buchanan, Bart Buyck, Viktória Bense, Pam Catcheside, Mansi Chovatia, Jerry Cooper, Wolfgang Dämon, Dennis Desjardin, Péter Finy, József Geml, Sajeet Haridas, Karen Hughes, Alfredo Justo, Dariusz Karasiński, Ivona Kautmanova, Brigitta Kiss, Sándor Kocsubé, David Hibbett

Biology

Mushroom-forming fungi (Agaricomycetes) have the greatest morphological diversity and complexity of any group of fungi. They have radiated into most niches and fulfil diverse roles in the ecosystem, including wood decomposers, pathogens or mycorrhizal mutualists. Despite the importance of mushroom-forming fungi, large-scale patterns of their evolutionary history are poorly known, in part due to the lack of a comprehensive and dated molecular phylogeny. Here, using multigene and genome-based data, we assemble a 5,284-species phylogenetic tree and infer ages and broad patterns of speciation/extinction and morphological innovation in mushroom-forming fungi. Agaricomycetes started a rapid class-wide radiation in the Jurassic, coinciding with …

Go to article

Synmuv B Proteins Regulate Chromatin Compaction During Development, Meghan Elizabeth Costello Apr 2019

Synmuv B Proteins Regulate Chromatin Compaction During Development, Meghan Elizabeth Costello

Dissertations (1934 -)

Tissue-specific establishment of repressive chromatin through creation of compact chromatin domains during development is necessary to ensure proper gene expression and cell fate. C. elegans synMuv B proteins are important for the soma/germline fate decision and mutants demonstrate ectopic germline gene expression in somatic tissue, especially at high temperature. To study chromatin compaction during development we visualized chromatin using both nuclear-spot assays and FISH of native synMuv B regulated loci. We showed that C. elegans synMuv B proteins regulate developmental chromatin compaction and that timing of chromatin compaction was temperature sensitive in both wild-type and synMuv B mutants. Chromatin compaction …

Go to article

Ecological Succession In Tropical Forests: The Role Of Edaphic Factors, Initial Conditions And Competition, Sergio Estrada Villegas Apr 2019

Ecological Succession In Tropical Forests: The Role Of Edaphic Factors, Initial Conditions And Competition, Sergio Estrada Villegas

Dissertations (1934 -)

Succession is a fundamental process in ecology in which ecosystems recover after disturbances. The goal of the study of ecological succession is to understand the mechanisms responsible for changes in species’ density, diversity, and ecosystem processes. Understanding the mechanisms that determine how young tropical forests change during succession is crucial because approximately half of the world’s tropical forests are regenerating after farmland abandonment, and successional forests are now expected to supply the vast majority of ecosystems services that were provided by old growth forests (e.g. carbon sequestration). Edaphic factors, initial conditions, and competition have been proposed to be key drivers …

Go to article

Microarray Analysis Identifies Potential Genes Associated With Botrytis Cinerea And Hormonal Stresses, Kenna Marie Whitley Apr 2019

Microarray Analysis Identifies Potential Genes Associated With Botrytis Cinerea And Hormonal Stresses, Kenna Marie Whitley

Biology Theses

Biotic and abiotic stresses critically influence plant survival and growth; survival depends on the ability to correctly sense and react to their environment. Certain environmental stresses must be overcome through careful manipulation of internal levels, and of the resulting signaling cascades. Hormones signaling networks and the crosstalk among each respective hormone signaling pathway are principle for response mediation via transcriptional reprogramming or altered signaling pathways. The long-term objective is to determine how plants sense biotic stresses, and how hormone signaling networks control and direct plant responses to the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. This research aims to identify commonly regulated genes …

Go to article

Plant Mitochondrial Genome Evolution And Structure Has Been Shaped By Double-Strand Break Repair And Recombination, Emily Wynn Apr 2019

Plant Mitochondrial Genome Evolution And Structure Has Been Shaped By Double-Strand Break Repair And Recombination, Emily Wynn

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Plant mitochondrial genomes are large but contain a small number of genes. These genes have very low mutation rates, but genomes rearrange and expand at significant rates. We propose that much of the apparent complexity of plant mitochondrial genomes can be explained by the interactions of double-strand break repair, recombination, and selection. One possible explanation for the disparity between the low mutation rates of genes and the high divergence of non-genes is that synonymous mutations in genes are not truly neutral. In some species, rps14 has been duplicated in the nucleus, allowing the mitochondrial copy to become a pseudogene. By …

Go to article

Sonification Of Epigenetic Processes, Joelle Strom Apr 2019

Sonification Of Epigenetic Processes, Joelle Strom

Senior Theses

Sonification is the process of creating sound or music from data for investigative or aesthetic purposes. Data sonification has been used in multiple fields to provide an additional layer of analysis to datasets, engage general audiences in a scientific topic, or create an evocative musical piece. Sonification has been extended to biological subjects, including macromolecules such as protein and DNA. Epigenetics, the processes by which gene expression is regulated, is a burgeoning field of molecular biology research. Epigenetic processes have been scarcely sonified, and the process of sonifying DNA base methylation has never been published. DNA methylation is an integral …

Go to article

The Living Archive In The Anthropocene, Nora Almeida, Jen Hoyer Apr 2019

The Living Archive In The Anthropocene, Nora Almeida, Jen Hoyer

Publications and Research

This paper presents the concept of the living archive as a system which reflects how social behavior and cultural production are part of the Anthropocene. The authors explore how dominant narratives of both the Anthropocene and the archive work to consolidate power and maintain cultural and disciplinary divisions. The authors refute conceptions of the Anthropocene as a purely biophysical phenomenon that is alienated from cultural practice and of the archive as a comprehensive and nostalgic space. They then introduce the living archive as an alternative representational, creative, and reactive space and illustrate how the living archive can intervene in ecological …

Go to article

Arthropod Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptides In Tick-Borne Bacterial And Viral Infections, Vikas Kumar Taank Apr 2019

Arthropod Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptides In Tick-Borne Bacterial And Viral Infections, Vikas Kumar Taank

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are human illness transmitted by an arthropod vector. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that VBD has a huge impact worldwide that is responsible for affecting a billion people and causes 700,000 deaths annually. In recent years, there has been a continuous increase in the incidences of tick-borne diseases such as Lyme diseases and human anaplasmosis as reported by Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Very few reliable VBD control strategies have emerged till now. Transmission-blocking vaccines can provide effective management of VBDs but requires identification and characterization of novel vector-pathogen conserved molecules that play a significant role …

Go to article

Relationship Of Mastication Rate And Body Length In West Indian Manatees, Adam Weir Apr 2019

Relationship Of Mastication Rate And Body Length In West Indian Manatees, Adam Weir

Honors Theses

This study investigates the intraspecific relationship between body length and chewing cycle duration (CCD) among West Indian manatees (Trichechus  manatus).  We recorded 18 captive manatees of varying body lengths consuming two food types.  Additionally, nine of these manatees were recorded on two separate occasions, six years apart, allowing us to control for individual variation to test whether CCD increases as the manatees grow.  CCD was determined from the recordings using Raven Pro 1.5 bioacoustic analysis software.  Food type (r=0.78, p=6.8x10-5, n=17) and body length (r=0.53, p=0.033, n=17) significantly affected CCD.  Manatees chew at a consistent rate, so it may be …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last