Biology Commons^™

Development Of Methods To Improve Lactose Recovery From Permeate And Drying Characteristics Of Greek Acid Whey, Venkateswarlu Sunkesula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Growth of higher protein dairy products and ingredients such as cheese, Greek yogurt, whey protein concentrates, and milk protein concentrates is limited by the amount of co-product generated and the ability to process them into value added ingredients. Finding value for all the co-products will help dairy industry to meet the growing demand for dairy protein products and ingredients. Commercial scale evaluation of new technologies for improving lactose crystallization and drying ability of Greek yogurt acid whey will help dairy industry to better utilize different dairy co-products. Commercially, lactose is manufactured from concentrated permeate by cooling and separating α-lactose monohydrate …

Investigating Links Between Soil Microbial Structure And Function In Three Major Plant Communities Across Temporal Scales Of Arctic Alaska, Kaj Lynoe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Arctic microbial systems continue to get attention today as our understanding regarding their structure and function in a changing system is paramount to C feedbacks with warming and changes in precipitation. Plant communities and microbial community processes across the Arctic landscape are central to understanding tundra ecosystem processes because environmental conditions and plant community structure drive microbial cycling of soil organic matter. Here, we want to understand how soil microbial respiration, mineralization, biomass, and community composition are linked to three Alaskan tundra plant communities, namely Shrub, Tussock, and Sedge tundra and the seasonal variability in this system. A total of …

Exploring The Properties Of Chitin For Promoting Tissue Engineering And Repair, M. Jahir Raihan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Novel Mechanism For Turning Performance In Bluefin Tuna, Abigail Downs

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Scombrid fishes can attain exceptional swimming speeds due to their thunniform, lift-based propulsion, large muscle mass, and fusiform body shape. A rigid body restricts maneuverability for aquatic organisms. To test if turning maneuvers by the rigid-bodied Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) are constrained, captive animals were video recorded from above as the animals routinely swam around a large circular tank or during feeding bouts. The turning performance was classified into three different types of turns: 1) glide turn, where the tuna uses the caudal fin as a rudder to passively move through the turn, 2) powered turn, where …

Microbial Energy Storage And Antimicrobial Effects Of Metal Nanoparticles, Octavia Allen

West Chester University Master’s Theses

With the use of Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs) and anaerobic digester (AD) designs, wastewater treatment could be more effectively processed. Inoculation of anaerobic microorganisms, methanogens specifically, can help convert organic matter in wastewater metabolizing it to produce CH₄. Most MECs are stationary and are not actively mixed to promote expedited CH₄ production. The objective of this work was to design Wind-Actuated Vibrating Electrochemical (WAVE) digesters and utilize electrical current to increase CH₄ production rates generated by anaerobic microorganisms in MECs, optimizing efficiency of wastewater treatment. It was hypothesized WAVE mixed digesters will enhance conversion of wastewater …

Form And Function Of The California Sea Lion (Zalophus Californianus) Hindflippers: Control Surfaces For Subaqueous Maneuvers, Ariel Leahy

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The hindflippers of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) have previously been overlooked as aquatic control surfaces. Although passively trailed in rectilinear swimming, the hindflippers are abducted into a delta-wing shape during aquatic maneuvers. As the anatomy of sea lion hindflippers had not previously been described, anatomical/morphological examinations were completed via scaled measurements and dissections. It was found that the tendons of Flexor Hallucis Longus and Flexor Digitorum Longus insert into the collagen matrix of the crenellations instead of onto bone and the tendons of Flexor Digitorum Brevis contain foramen through which the tendons of Flexor Digitorum Longus pass. …

Screening And Detection Of Antiviral Activity In Alchornea Cordifolia Against Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 In Vitro, Abigail A. Yenser

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Alchornea cordifolia, known as Pennah, has been used extensively as a medicinal plant in Africa for treating a variety of ailments. Crude water (H₂O) and methanol (MeOH) extracts prepared from dried leaves of Pennah were tested for antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2) by plaque reduction assays, showing crude MeOH more effective as an antiviral against HSV2. Assays with fractionated MeOH extract resulted in highest plaque reduction in the 30% MeOH fraction (30% Pennah MeOH) at a significant 98% reduction at 250 µg/mL. Crude and 30% Pennah MeOH were found to contain alkaloids, phenols, …

Ecto- And Endoparasites Of The Texas Deermouse, Peromyscus Attwateri And Eastern Woodrat, Neotoma Floridana (Rodentia: Cricetidae) From Polk County, Arkansas, Chris T. Mcallister, Lance A, Durden, John A. Hnida, Henry W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

In Arkansas, the Texas deermouse (Peromyscus attwateri) occurs in the western part of the state where it is restricted to the uplands of the Interior Highlands. The eastern woodrat (Neotoma floridana) is found statewide but is less common in the Gulf Coastal Plain. Very little is known about the parasites of either rodent in Arkansas, especially helminths from P. attwateri at any locality within its range. Found in/on P. attwateri were a coccidian (Eimeria langbarteli), a tapeworm (Catenotaenia peromysci), a nematode (Syphacia peromysci), 2 ticks (Dermacenter variabilis and Ixodes …

Examining A Fish Community And Its Response To Coastal Restoration In A Dynamic Coastal Estuary, Richard Mahoney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Globally, coastal habitats are experiencing degradation due to the increase of human population growth, development along coastlines, and a constantly changing climate. This threatens the future production of critical ecosystem services such as shoreline stabilization, water filtration, nursery grounds for marine fauna, and many more. To combat these losses, resource managers are actively restoring coastal habitat. Past research suggests restoring habitats has mixed results; numerous factors influence restoration success. This study is among the first to assess the nekton community in the Matanzas River estuary and uses a BACI experimental design to quantify the effect of habitat restoration on the …

Masters Of The Manipulator? A Species Description And Comparative Genomics Study Of Two New Hyperparasites Of The Zombie Ant Fungus, Brittany Lebert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Fungal hyperparasites have been known to indirectly impact ecosystem composition and disease dynamics by modulating the population size and transmission of their parasite host. In the present study we formally describe two new hyperparasite species that infect the fungus Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani, which manipulates the behavior of the Florida carpenter ant. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that both fungal hyperparasites are new, distinct species. The unique morphology and phylogenetic placement of one of the species even supports its placement in a new genus, which we have named Niveomyces. Our field data suggests that both new species, Polycephalomyces oviedoensis and Niveomyces ophiocordycipitis, negatively impact …

Bone Morphogenic Proteins Are Immunoregulatory Cytokines Controlling Foxp3+ TReg Cells, Lauren M. Browning, Caroline Miller, Michal Kuczma, Maciej Pietrzak, Yu Jing, Grzegorz Rempala, Pawel Muranski, Leszek Ignatowicz, Piotr Kraj

Bioelectrics Publications

Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) are members of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) cytokine family promoting differentiation, homeostasis, and self-renewal of multiple tissues. We show that signaling through the bone morphogenic protein receptor 1α (BMPR1α) sustains expression of FOXP3 in T_reg cells in peripheral lymphoid tissues. BMPR1α signaling promotes molecular circuits supporting acquisition and preservation of T_reg cell phenotype and inhibiting differentiation of pro-inflammatory effector Th1/Th17 CD4+ T cell. Mechanistically, increased expression of KDM6B (JMJD3) histone demethylase, an antagonist of the polycomb repressive complex 2, underlies lineage-specific changes of T cell phenotypes associated with abrogation of BMPR1α signaling. …

Discovery And Optimization Of Anti-Cancer Properties Of Traditional Herbal Medicines Using Zebrafish-Human Tumor Xenografts, Ashleigh M. Solheim

Honors College Theses

Cancer is one of the most well-known diseases around the world. It hurts everyone in some way, whether they have it themselves or they know someone that is diagnosed. But the problem is not just this brutal disease, the problem is its invasive treatments. The most common treatments for cancer have harmful and painful side-effects that occur in most cases. As a solution to invasive cancer treatments, this experiment is testing herbal medications Neem, Nilavembu, Ashwagandha and Tulsi as potential nontoxic cancer treatments. First, the maximum tolerable dosage for each herbal agent was found. This dosage was used for the …

Temperate Eurasian Origins Of Hawaiian Chenopodium (Amaranthaceae) Plus Description Of A New Species Endemic To Moloka‘I, Jason T. Cantley, Angela J. Mcdonnell, J Branson, S R. Long, W Garnett, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

Chenopodium taxa of Hawai‘i are tetraploids distinguished from other members of the circumglobally distributed genus by minute morphological characters. Because of these reasons, the geographic origin of Hawaiian Chenopodium has remained unclear. Across the Hawaiian Archipelago, Chenopodium taxa are morphologically variable and grow in highly disparate xeric habitats, especially in terms of precipitation, temperature, wind, salt spray, and solar irradiation. Habitats include dry subalpine shrublands, sandy beach strand of atolls in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, dry forests, and precipitously tall sea cliffs of northwestern Moloka‘i. From the Moloka‘i sea cliffs, which are battered by high energy winds, salt spray, and …

Dam Effects On Freshwater Mussel Growth And Recruitment In A Midwestern Stream, Taylor Lyndon Fagin

Masters Theses

There have been many studies that examine the negative impact of dams on freshwater mussel populations. However, recent studies suggest that some dams may create more suitable growing conditions immediately below some dams. This study’s main objectives were to 1) document where faster growth of mussels is found in relation to the Charleston Dam, 2) determine if sites with faster growth have higher recruitment and 3) investigate which water quality variable(s) could be correlated with faster growth. Live Corbicula sp. were set in cages in multiple sites at varying distances from the dam and shells of two native mussel species …

Comparison Of The Effects Of Growing-Season Burns And Dormant-Season Burns On Vegetation Structure And Grassland Bird Diversity In East-Central Illinois Prairies, Joseph Lee Boise

Masters Theses

For managed grasslands, prescribed burns are a method to manage species composition by preventing crowding by bunch grasses and woody encroachment. While dormant-season (spring) burns are routinely performed, managers have recently introduced growing-season (late summer/fall) burns to prairies in east-central Illinois. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of dormant-season and growingseason burns on vegetation structure and associated avian diversity. Specifically, objectives were to determine if: (1) Growing-season burns increase bird diversity or density of rare/declining species relative to dormant season burns; (2) Growing-season burns cause more bare ground to open and reduce litter and woody species …

Phenotypic Divergence In Two Sibling Species Of Shorebird: Common Snipe And Wilson’S Snipe (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae), Tiago M. Rodrigues, Edward H. Miller, Sergei V. Drovetski, Robert M. Zink, Jon Fjeldså, David Gonçalves

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Natural and social selection are among the main shapers of biological diversity but their relative importance in divergence remains understudied. Additionally, although neutral evolutionary processes may promote phenotypic divergence, their potential contribution in speciation is often overlooked in studies of comparative morphology. In this study, we investigated phenotypic differentiation in two allopatric shorebirds: the Palaearctic Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago and the Nearctic Wilson’s Snipe Gallinago delicata. Specimens of Common Snipe (n = 355 skins, n = 163 skeletons) and Wilson’s Snipe (n = 403 skins, n = 141 skeletons) in natural history collections were examined to quantify differences in skeletal …

A Discrete Age Structured Model Of Hantavirus In A Rodent Reservoir In Paraguay, Megan A. Rúa

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Many rodent-borne hantaviruses are zoonotic pathogens that can cause disease in humans through inhalation of aerosolized rodent excreta. To evaluate the prevalence of Jaborâ virus (JABV) over time within its rodent reservoir, Akodon montensis, we formulated a mathematical model with multiple rodent age classes and unique infection class progression features. We then parameterized the model with data collected from a survey of JABV harbored by Akodon montensis in the Mbaracayú Reserve in Paraguay. Our model incorporates three types of infection over the lifetime of the rodent as well as a recovered class. A new feature of the model allows transition …

Phylogenomics Of The Epigenetic Toolkit Reveals Punctate Retention Of Genes Across Eukaryotes, Agnes K.M. Weiner, Mario A. Cerón-Romero, Ying Yan, Laura A. Katz

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Epigenetic processes in eukaryotes play important roles through regulation of gene expression, chromatin structure, and genome rearrangements. The roles of chromatin modification (e.g., DNA methylation and histone modification) and non-protein-coding RNAs have been well studied in animals and plants. With the exception of a few model organisms (e.g., Saccharomyces and Plasmodium), much less is known about epigenetic toolkits across the remainder of the eukaryotic tree of life. Even with limited data, previous work suggested the existence of an ancient epigenetic toolkit in the last eukaryotic common ancestor. We use PhyloToL, our taxon-rich phylogenomic pipeline, to detect homologs of epigenetic genes …

Dietary Fish Oil Supplement Induces Age-Specific Contractile And Proteomic Responses In Muscles Of Male Rats, David W. Russ, Kalina Dimova, Emily Morris, Marguerite Pacheco, Sean M. Garvey, Stylianos P. Scordilis

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Dietary fish oil (DFO) has been identified as a micronutrient supplement with the potential to improve musculoskeletal health in old age. Few data are available for effects of DFO on muscle contractility, despite the significant negative impact of muscle weakness on age-related health outcomes. Accordingly, the effects of a DFO intervention on the contractile function and proteomic profile of adult and aged in an animal model of aging were investigated.

Methods: This preliminary study evaluated 14 adult (8 months) and 12 aged (22 months) male, Sprague-Dawley rats consuming a DFO-supplemented diet or a control diet for 8 weeks (7 …

Analysis Of Genetic Structure And Pathogen Dynamics Of Ixodes Scapularis In Southwestern Virginia, Leemu Jackson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ixodes scapularis, or the blacklegged tick, is the primary vector of Borrelia burgdorferi. This pathogen is the causative agent of Lyme disease, the most common vector-transmitted disease in the United States. Although I. scapularis is distributed throughout the eastern U.S., Lyme disease is only considered endemic in the northeastern region of the country. Prior to 2007, Lyme disease was uncommon in Virginia, but since then cases of Lyme disease have increased dramatically with a hotspot forming in the Roanoke-Blacksburg area. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether B. burgdorferi prevalence and the genetic structure of I. …

Diet Of Spalangia Cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), A Parasitoid Of Filth Flies, Elizabeth Taylor

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Parasitoid wasps are often part of the rich invertebrate communities in decaying organic matter where their hosts are found. However, little is known about what adults of these parasitoids eat. Most parasitoid wasps parasitize herbaceous insects, so nectar from flowers often is readily available. The present study examined feeding by adult Spalangia cameroni Perkins (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), a species that burrows through manure, where it finds and parasitizes pupae of filth flies. Feeding on host fluids occurs in many parasitoid wasps, including S. cameroni. In the laboratory, these wasps also readily feed on honey or a sucrose solution, which increases their …

Characterization Of The Putative Polysaccharide Synthase Cpsa And Its Effects On The Virulence Of The Human Pathogen Aspergillus Fumigatus, Binita Nepal

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous opportunistic human pathogen capable of causing a life-threatening disease called invasive aspergillosis, or IA, with an associated 40–90% mortality rate in immunocompromised patients. Of the approximately 250 species known in the genus Aspergillus, A. fumigatus is responsible for up to 90% of IA infections. This study focuses on examining the role of the putative polysaccharide synthase cpsA gene in A. fumigatus virulence. Additionally, we evaluated its role in cellular processes that influence invasion and colonization of host tissue. Importantly, our results support that cpsA is indispensable for virulence in A. fumigatus infection of …

Model-Based Network Reconstruction From Cascade Dynamics, Katherine Irena Chwistek

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Network representation provides a natural framework for the study of real world complex systems. From social networks and animal groups to interneuronal communications and power grid systems, complex patterns of interaction can be captured and modeled using networks in a simple mathematical form. In many cases, however, a faithful network representation of the system is not readily available. For this reason, network reconstruction has become a growing topic of interest in recent years, the goal of which is to discover the hidden interaction patterns among individuals by fitting input-output data from multiple experiments to candidate network topologies.

During a cascade, …

Fishes Of The Dakotas, Kathryn Schlafke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biological reference materials play a critical role in studies of species biodiversity, biology, distribution, and historic diversity. Since the publications Fishes of North Dakota (Hankinson, 1929) and Fishes of South Dakota (Bailey and Allum, 1962), no new books have attempted to update the knowledge gained from the past decades of fish surveys and incorporate georeferenced collections at the state level. The last published book with the most complete accounts of fishes from North Dakota and South Dakota is the Distribution of Fishes in North and South Dakota Basins affected by the Garrison Diversion Unit (Owen et al. 1981) which includes …

Factors That Influence Persistence Of Biology Majors At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Shetay Ashford-Hanserd, Kristy Daniel, Dana M. García, Jenn L. Idema

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

To promote diversity within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, we must identify factors that influence or hinder historically underrepresented minority (URM) students’ persistence to degrees in STEM. We documented potential factors that influence students’ persistence in an undergraduate biology program and created a 14-item, Likert-scale instrument. We recruited 137 undergraduate biology majors at a Hispanic-serving institution in Texas to report which factors they found influential in their decision to remain enrolled in their degree programs. We used a modified social cognitive career theory model of career choice to guide interpretation of the reported influences and identify patterns …

Inhibiting Fatty Acid Binding Proteins Decreases Multiple Myeloma Cell Proliferation And Increases Efficacy Of Dexamethasone, Mariah Farrell

Student Scholarship

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable cancer of the plasma cell and currently only has a 5 year survival rate of 53%. MM cells depend on a multitude of cells within the bone marrow microenvironment to flourish and resist treatment-induced cell death. Bone marrow adipocytes (BMAd), which increase in number with aging and obesity, have been shown to support myeloma cells by inducing proliferation, migration, and drug resistance, and ultimately contributing to myeloma patient relapse from remission. Herein we confirm the pro-myeloma effects of BMAd conditioned media (CM) and investigate the effects of the family of proteins termed the fatty …

Characterization Of A Conserved Transient Receptor Potential Channel Supporting Spermatogenesis In Planarian Flatworms, Haley Nicole Curry

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The molecular processes underlying the control of external stimuli on development of the reproductive system remain to be understood. The Transient Receptor Potential superfamily of proteins (TRPs) consists of cation channels that respond to external stimuli and are abundant in the somatosensory as well as reproductive systems. Mammalian TRP-Melastatin 3 (TRPM3) channels are activated by heat and the neurosteroid pregnenolone. Here we characterize an ortholog of TRPM3 in the planarian flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea (Smed-TRPM3). Smed-TRPM3 was hypothesized to play a role in germline development due to enriched expression in the reproductive system of sexual planarians. In situ hybridization analysis revealed …

Establishment Of Isoform-Specific Coxsackievirus And Adenovirus Receptor Knockout Epithelial Cell Lines To Understand The Mechanism Of Adenoviral Infection, Amal S. Alkahlout

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Adenovirus infection mostly triggers cold-like symptoms, but in some cases, adenovirus infection may lead to severe symptoms and death. The primary receptor for many adenoviruses is the Coxsackievirus and Adenovirus receptor (CAR). There are two transmembrane isoforms of CAR; CAR^Ex7 and CAR^Ex8. CAR^Ex7 localizes at the basolateral surface and CAR^Ex8 localizes at the apical surface. I hypothesized that knockout of CAR^Ex8 will prevent apical adenovirus transduction, while knockout of all CAR isoforms will prevent apical and basolateral adenovirus transduction. To test this, I utilized CRISPR/Cas9 to knockout endogenous CAR^Ex8 or all CAR isoforms in MDCK-CAR^Ex8 cells. The results indicate that …

Variation In Available Habitat Impacts The Spatiotemporal Interactions Of A Great Lakes Carnivore Community, Mackenzie E. Rich

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Interactions between carnivores play a crucial role in regulating lower trophic levels. In order to examine interspecific interactions among Great Lakes carnivores, I used occupancy models to examine habitat selection patterns and quantify interactions between species. I determined temporal patterns of activity for each species and quantified interspecific activity overlap using kernel density estimates. To generate these models and analyze the patterns displayed, I placed 25 cameras across 25 km2 of diverse northern Wisconsin forest. I extracted habitat data from the National Landcover Database using GIS to inform my occurrence models for each detected carnivore species. The only significant influence …

Analysis Of Two Maize Mutations That Arose After Exposure To Radiation From A Plutonium-Beryllium Source And Developing Molecular Markers For Antimorph Aei1-5180, An Alternative To Aei To Increase Amylose Content In Maize Endosperm, Prameela Awale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis consists of two independent projects dealing with two different aspects of maize. The first project is about the maize reproduction, where we try to uncover the candidate genes of two mutations that affect pollen viability and successful fertilization. The second project is about maize endosperm starch, where we developed molecular markers to characterize a mutant allele that knocks a major starch branching enzyme in maize.

Analysis of two maize mutations that arose after exposure to radiation from a plutonium-beryllium source
Maize is a monoecious and diclinous plant. Sexual reproduction takes place by the fusion of haploid male and …