Biology Commons^™

Correlates Of Seasonal Variation In A Community Of Shelter Building Lepidoptera, Christopher J. Ernst

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Many species of Lepidoptera larvae (caterpillars) build structures of leaves and silk, commonly referred to as “shelters”. These shelters are constructed in one of several different ways, including rolling the leaf edge, folding the leaf over itself, or tying two or more leaves flat together. This study was conducted to first determine seasonal abundance of these shelters in a temperate oak forest. The second goal was to determine the influence of host plant identity, season, and topography on the abundance of these shelters, and their secondary occupancy by arthropods other than those that made them. The study site was the …

Ecomorphological Variation Among Redbreast Sunfish Populations Of The South-Eastern United States, Grayson Ariel Walker

Honors College Theses

Individual populations of a species will morphologically adapt to their surrounding environment. It has been noted in the past that when species are placed under similar environmental conditions, they will evolve similar morphological structures and shape variation to overcome those obstacles. Redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) were sampled from three different ecoregions (mountainous, Piedmont, and coastal plain) of 4 different isolated river basins in the southeastern North America. It was hypothesized that across basins, populations would show convergent morphological adaptations to mountain, piedmont, and coastal plain condition. I indexed using site elevation as an independent variable, serving as a …

Deducing The Reproductive, Behavioral, And Learning Effects Of Developmental Cannabinoid Exposure In Zebrafish, Marisa L. Kutchma

Honors Theses

With the spreading legalization of marijuana, it is important to investigate the effects of two of its active ingredients—Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC and CBD differ in that THC exerts psychoactive effects, while CBD does not. Thus, CBD is renowned for its analgesic effects in treating a variety of ailments, for example, childhood drug-resistant epilepsy. In addition, there is an increase in reports of prenatal CBD usage. As it is increasingly used, research has fallen far behind the proliferation of CBD and more needs to be done, particularly in the developmental realm. This study utilizes a developmental origins of …

The Effects Of A Bacterial Endotoxin On Behavior And Sensory-Cns-Motor Circuits In Drosophila Melanogaster, Oscar Istas, Abigail Greenhalgh, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

The effect of bacterial sepsis on animal behavior and physiology is complex due to direct and indirect actions. The most common form of bacterial sepsis in humans is from gram-negative bacterial strains. The endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) and/or associated peptidoglycans from the bacteria are the key agents to induce an immune response, which then produces a cascade of immunological consequences. However, there are direct actions of LPS and associated peptidoglycans on cells which are commonly overlooked. This study showed behavioral and neural changes in larval Drosophila fed commercially obtained LPS from Serratia marcescens. Locomotor behavior was not altered, but feeding …

Isolating And Quantifying The Role Of Developmental Noise In Generating Phenotypic Variation, Maria Kiskowski, Tilmann Glimm, Nickolas Moreno, Tony Gamble, Ylenia Chiari

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Genotypic variation, environmental variation, and their interaction may produce variation in the developmental process and cause phenotypic differences among individuals. Developmental noise, which arises during development from stochasticity in cellular and molecular processes when genotype and environment are fixed, also contributes to phenotypic variation. While evolutionary biology has long focused on teasing apart the relative contribution of genes and environment to phenotypic variation, our understanding of the role of developmental noise has lagged due to technical difficulties in directly measuring the contribution of developmental noise. The influence of developmental noise is likely underestimated in studies of phenotypic variation due to …

Manipulating Neck Temperatures Alters Contagious Yawning In Humans, Valentina Ramirez, Colleen P. Ryan, Omar Tonsi Eldakar, Andrew C. Gallup

Biology Faculty Articles

The existence of yawning across a diverse array of species has led many researchers to postulate its neurological significance. One hypothesis, which has garnered recent support, posits that yawns function to cool the brain by flushing hyperthermic blood away from the skull while simultaneously introducing a cooler arterial supply. The current study tested this hypothesis by examining how manipulations aimed at modifying carotid artery temperature, which in turn directly alters cranial temperature, influences contagious yawning in humans. Participants held either a warm (46 °C), cold (4 °C) or room temperature (22 °C) pack firmly to their neck, just over their …

The Meaning Of Song Type: Exploring Behavioral Responses Of Field Sparrows To Three Simple Song Types, Eliza Foli

Honors Theses

The frequency, rate, and overall quality of a male’s song may indicate the singer’s physical quality, either as a threat or as a potential mate, and are used for species recognition. However, the degree to which a song must differ acoustically to communicate different information about the singer remains unclear. Analysis of male field sparrow simple song recorded in southwest Michigan revealed three structurally distinct clusters of simple song that differ in frequency characteristics. We hypothesize that songs in each cluster convey information about the singer and that receivers respond more strongly to songs more similar to their own song. …

Time Course Effects Of Repetitive Social Defeat Stress On A Prefrontal Cortex-Dependent Cognitive Flexibility Task, Shaffer Hannah

Honors Theses

Stress is known to change the structure and function of the brain in animals and humans as well as their behavior. It has a high correlation with the development of psychiatric disorders as well. We looked to investigate how repetitive intermittent social defeat stress using the resident-intruder paradigm in rats affected a cognitive flexibility task. The task used was a set-shifting protocol known to be associated with the function of the prefrontal cortex. Measurements on the task were taken intermittently between social stress sessions to determine short-term effects and 10 days after the last social stress session to measure long …

Pyy3-36 Efficacy Is Independent Of Photoperiod But Dependent On Time Of Day, Marissa Maroni

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Approximately 70% of Americans are overweight or obese and studies have shown that poverty-dense American counties are the most prone to obesity (Levine, 2011). Along with diet, the endogenous circadian rhythms have been found to be an important piece of human metabolic health. Circadian disruption in humans, such as jet-lag and shift work, have been linked to metabolic problems such as Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolic Syndrome. Since circadian disruption affects many demographics including shift workers and routine business travelers it is imperative to understand the biological mechanism behind the relationship between circadian disruption and weight gain. One potential …

Taxonomy And The History Of Science: A Critical Analysis Of Four Historic Publications, Christopher M. Rogers

KSU Journey Honors College Capstones and Theses

The history of taxonomy is not usually taught in modern biology classes, but it is necessary to understand the history of classification and science as a whole in order to better understand the processes of classification and thinking that are commonly taught at the college level. Through the exploration of the difficulties of publishing, Linnaeus' Species Plantarum, and three pre-Linnaean works from Pliny the Elder, Nehemiah Grew, and Rembert Dodoens, I have found that the history of the sciences has been largely distorted. The distortion appears to be of many factors, including the replacement of ideas, censorship from scholarly …

Isolation And Characterization Of A Novel Terpenoid From The Needles Of Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus), And Its Potential Relation To Climate Change, Samantha Hack

Honors Theses

Climate changes is one of the most serious threats facing the future of our planet, and with is we will see drastic changes to water levels global temperatures, and atmospheric conditions. Modeling future atmospheric conditions is crucial if we are to plan for and mitigate the consequences of climate change – while important, these models will not be useful to future scientists unless various parameters, such as BVOC emission to the atmosphere, are accounted for and included in computer models. Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) are predicted to be a major component of future climax forests as their abundance increases …

The Correlation Between The Microbiome And Neurodegenerative Disorders Such As Alzheimer Disease, Aurora Mokris

Honors Theses

Recent studies suggest that there are 1.3 times as many microbial cells as human cells in the body (Abbot, 2016). Another study claims that the combined genomes of this microbiota is 150 times that of the human genome (Zhuang & Shen, 2018). If you have ever had the feeling that you are not alone in an empty room you are most certainly correct. Your body is teeming with millions of organisms living in mutualistic symbiosis with you and surrounding microbes, but at times, this seemingly harmonious relationship can be disturbed, resulting in serious physical and psychological changes to the human …

Trans-Cinnamic Acid-Induced Leaf Expansion Involves An Auxin-Independent Component, Jasmina Kurepa, Jan A. Smalle

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The phenylpropanoid pathway, the source of a large array of compounds with diverse functions, starts with the synthesis of trans-cinnamic acid (t-CA) that is converted by cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H) into p-coumaric acid. We have recently shown that in Arabidopsis, exogenous t-CA promotes leaf growth by increasing cell expansion and that this response requires auxin signaling. We have also shown that cell expansion is increased in C4H loss-of-function mutants. Here we provide further evidence that leaf growth is enhanced by either t-CA or a t-CA derivative that accumulates upstream of C4H. We also show that …

Peroxisomal Protein Defects Disrupt Coordinated Peroxisomal Processes And Affect Early Seedling Development Through Accumulating Toxic Catabolic Intermediates, Ying Li

Dissertations

Many peroxisomal proteins act in β-oxidation processes on a range of substrates. It is unclear how these proteins are coordinated to determine the flux of peroxisomal processes and meet the requirements for plant growth and development. Using mutant analysis and metabolic profiling, I examined proteins predicted to act in fatty acid and indole-butyric-acid (IBA) β-oxidation. ECH2 confers enoyl-CoA hydratase activity for the auxiliary β-oxidation of fatty acids with an even cis-unsaturated bond. ECH2 was suggested to function in IBA β-oxidation, as ech2 seedlings have altered IBA response. ech2 seedlings have reduced root length and cotyledon area. ech2 seedlings accumulate 3-hydroxyoctenoate …

Phylogeny Of The Australian Solanum Dioicum Group Using Seven Nuclear Genes: Testing Symon’S Fruit And Seed Dispersal Hypotheses., Christopher T. Martine, Ingrid E. Jordon-Thaden, Angela J. Mcdonnell, Jason T. Cantley, Daniel S. Hayes, Morgan D. Roche, Emma S. Frawley, Ian S. Gilman, David C. Tank

Faculty Journal Articles

The dioecious and andromonoecious Solanum taxa (the “S. dioicum group”) of the Australian Monsoon Tropics have been the subject of phylogenetic and taxonomic study for decades, yet much of their basic biology is still unknown. This is especially true for plant-animal interactions, including the influence of fruit form and calyx morphology on seed dispersal. We combine field/greenhouse observations and specimen-based study with phylogenetic analysis of seven nuclear regions obtained via a microfluidic PCR-based enrichment strategy and high-throughput sequencing, and present the first species-tree hypothesis for the S. dioicum group. Our results suggest that epizoochorous trample burr seed …

Life‐History Differences Across Latitude In Common Side‐Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana), Geoffrey D. Smith, Peter A. Zani, Susannah S. French

Biology Faculty Publications

1. Life‐history strategies are known to shift with latitude in many species. While life‐history variation related to body size, reproductive investment, and behavior has been studied for years, another crucial life‐history component is the immune system, which can influence an animal's survival.
2. We measured selected life‐history traits in side‐blotched lizards in southern Utah and Oregon in the field for two consecutive years and conducted a common‐garden experiment in the laboratory to determine how organisms from different latitudes optimize either immunity or reproduction. We observed lizards from southern populations, which are known to be shorter‐lived, had lower immune function during reproduction when …

High Efficiency Drug Repurposing Design For New Antifungal Agents, Jong H. Kim, Kathleen L. Chan, Luisa W. Cheng, Lisa A. Tell, Barbara A. Byrne, Kristin Clothier, Kirkwood M. Land

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

Current antifungal interventions have often limited efficiency in treating fungal pathogens, particularly those resistant to commercial drugs or fungicides. Antifungal drug repurposing is an alternative intervention strategy, whereby new utility of various marketed, non-antifungal drugs could be repositioned as novel antifungal agents. In this study, we investigated "chemosensitization" as a method to improve the efficiency of antifungal drug repurposing, wherein combined application of a second compound (viz., chemosensitizer) with a conventional, non-antifungal drug could greatly enhance the antifungal activity of the co-applied drug. Redox-active natural compounds or structural derivatives, such as thymol (2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol), 4-isopropyl-3-methylphenol, or 3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, could serve as potent …

Resting State Fmri Study Of The Olfactory Region In Autism, Madlyn Lawrence

Honors Theses

This thesis was conducted to further the investigation of the Olfactory system of a typically developing individual compared to an individual with Autism. The Olfactory system is unique in that it is the only sensory system that is not relayed through the thalamus in the brain. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), also known as Autism, is a developmental disorder which impairs a person's social, behavioral, developmental, cognitive and psychological aspects. Autism Spectrum Disorder can present with symptoms such as difficulty communicating, difficulty with social interactions obsessive thoughts and compulsions and repetitive behaviors. Subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorder present with an inability …

Advanced Cell & Molecular Biology Ii Cmb 502, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Enhancing The Anti-Tumor Efficacy Of T Cells With Naturally Occurring Plant Stilbenes, Elle Richardson, Andrea Leigh Soles

Undergraduate Publications

Despite advances in treatment options, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States. Many therapies use immune cells, specifically T cells, for cancer therapy. To enhance tumor recognition by T cells, chimeric antigen receptors consisting of signaling domains fused to receptors that recognize tumor antigens can be created and expressed in T cells. One receptor that is a prospective target for a chimeric antigen receptor is PD1 because the ligands for the PD1 receptor are expressed on many cancer types. Our lab has genetically engineered a chimeric PD1 (chPD1) receptor and has shown that chPD1-expressing T …

Nanomedical Applications In Zebrafish: Characterizing Vlp Hk97 As A Cell-Specific Delivery Tool In Danio Rerio, Bridget A. Fitzgerald

Biology Theses

Virus Like Particles (VLPs) are self-assembling protein subunits which organize in vitro into hollow protein cages that mimic the structure of a viral capsid. VLPs possess valuable characteristics of the native virus including immunogenicity and a propensity for entrance into cells. However, they lack the viral genome and the ability to replicate, rendering them non-virulent. VLPs can be internally and externally modified utilizing genetic engineering and biochemical techniques. Applications of modified VLPs are vast in nanomedicine, and tissue-specific drug targeting is a desirable potential use for this technology. VLP HK97 is a well characterized VLP derived from a bacteriophage found …

Advanced Cell And Molecular Biology I Cmb 501, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Climate Change And Forest Disturbances On Terpene Production Of White Pine (Pinus Strobus) And Red Pine (Pinus Resinosa) In Northern Michigan, Troy Dehagen

Honors Theses

The secondary impacts that climate change may have on the interactions between forests and the atmosphere through forest disturbances is of increasing interest as the climate continues to change. Anthropogenic climate change, which is a direct result of coal and fossil fuel emissions, is likely to impact forest ecology through increased temperatures and extreme precipitation events, thus increasing the frequency and severity of climate-induced forest disturbances. Forest disturbances may have a secondary impact on the production and emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) within forests. In the presence of oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) produced from fossil fuel …

Effects Of Age And Exercise On Density Of Sympathetic Innervation And Localization With Nerve Growth Factor And Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor In Vascular Tissue, Kori Mecklenburg

Honors Theses

Hypertension is a condition that affects nearly 75 million people in the United States (Merai et al, 2017). To better understand this mostly idiopathic condition, the role of survival factors on arterial innervation must be understood. Nerve growth factor (NGF) and glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) have been shown to support development and maintenance of the sympathetic nervous system. The aim of this study was to reveal how density of sympathetic innervation changes in mesenteric arteries over time and with six-months of exercise. Additionally, this study aimed to reveal the localization of GDNF and NGF alongside these changes in …

The Interactive Effect Of Temperature And Salinity In The Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus), Rachel Marie Palmer

Dissertations and Theses

Frequent measures that aim to identify the tolerance of an organism to various environmental conditions rely on the mortality of said organism. However, the effects of sub-lethal stress can be just as important to consider as they may give rise to how an organism may live in such an environment (growth, reproduction, etc.). Coping with changes in environmental conditions can have a high energy cost. Even starting a cellular stress response alone has proven to be costly. It is therefore reasonable that organisms in stressful situations will dedicate energy sources to survival mechanisms, and downregulate non-necessary activities like growth, and …

Post-Fire Competition Between Native Ceanothus Spinosus And Exotic Grasses, Katarina Carter, Nina Duchild

Featured Research

In our experiment, we investigated the post-fire competition between native Ceanothus spinosus and exotic grasses in low and high-density fuel sites. We hypothesized that C. spinosus seedlings in the high-density fuel site would be larger and more numerous than seedlings in the low-density fuel site, due to differences in competition from exotics. Our results showed that there was no significant difference in seedling height of C. spinosus in the high-density fuel site (5.33 ± 0.55 cm) and in the low-density fuel site (4.31 ± 0.51 cm). There was also no significant difference in the average number of seedlings in the …

Physiological Performance Of Ceanothus Spinosus In Hot Burn And Cool Burn Sites, Rishi Gattu, Christian Hill, Chris Kulpaca

Featured Research

After the Woolsey Fire, many fire adapted plants will resprout. However, increased fire frequency has negatively impacted the reproduction of many native species, while enhancing the survivorship of many invasive species. We compared the physiological performance of Ceanothus spinosus resprouters in areas that burned hotter compared to areas that burned cooler. We hypothesized that resprouters in hotter burn sites would have better physiological performance than resprouters in cooler burn sites. The resprouters in hotter burn sites would have better performance because of decreased competition from invasive species. We measured physiological performance using a Li-Cor LI-6400, specifically photosynthesis, transpiration, and stomatal …

A Post-Fire Comparison Of Resprouts To Unburned Malosma Laurina Shrubs In The Santa Monica Mountains Of Southern California, Anthony Joseph Adducci Ii, Sierra Jo Smith, Dylan Jesse Waddill

Featured Research

Fire is a cornerstone to Mediterranean ecosystems but increased droughts, climate change and human interference has caused a shift in fire frequency and severity. This experiment accessed the physiological performance of Malosma laurina resprouts in burned areas compared to mature Malosma laurina in unburned areas. Specifically, we hypothesized that the stomatal conductance, photosynthesis rate, and electron transport rate of the burned resprouts would all be higher than the unburned shrubs as there are more nutrients available in the soil post-fire and the resprouts have a larger root to stem ratio. Using the LI-6400 Portable Photosynthesis System, we measured the physiological …

A Survey Of Post-Fire Chaparral Species’ Densities Using Point Quarter Sampling, Emma C. Stenz, Brandon R. Grinovich, Catherine H. William, Michael E. Gayed, Stephen D. Davis, Grace Palmer

Featured Research

The purpose of this observational study was twofold: to add to the existing data regarding the plant species composition of the Pepperdine hillsides and to set in place a foundation for post-fire chaparral recovery studies that will ensue over the coming years through various programs and classes. The 2018 Woolsey Fire burned nearly all of the natural environment surrounding Pepperdine University and the greater Malibu region, so it is a matter of urgency to take this opportunity to learn more about how this natural environment of the chaparral responds to a catastrophic event like fire. We focused primarily on facultative …

Soil Respiration In Burned And Unburned Sites Of The Santa Monica Mountains, Sydney C. Jones, Micah S. Kim, Sierra H. Ball, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

Soil respiration (the flux of CO₂ released by the soil due to microbial and root respiration and organic matter decomposition) can be affected by fire (Qu et al., 2009, Richards et al., 2012, Ryu et al., 2009). After the 2018 Woolsey Fire in the Santa Monica Mountains, we hypothesized that soil respiration would be greater in unburned soil than in burned soil. This is because fire can decrease soil nutrient concentration, which could decrease soil microbial concentration and also because fire could burn and kill soil microbes and roots. To test this relationship, we recorded soil respiration on three …