Biology Commons^™

Inaccurate And Biased Global Media Coverage Underlies Public Misunderstanding Of Shark Conservation Threats And Solutions, Sarah Joy Bittick

Biology Faculty Works

Sharks are a taxon of significant conservation concern and associated public interest. The scientific community largely supports management policies focusing on sustainable fisheries exploitation of sharks, but many concerned members of the public and some environmental advocates believe that sustainable shark fisheries cannot and do not exist and therefore support total bans on all shark fisheries and/or trade in shark products. The belief that sustainable shark fisheries cannot and do not exist persists despite scientific evidence showing that they can and do, and are important to livelihoods. Additionally, many concerned members of the public are only aware of one threat …

The Impact Of Key Processing Stages And Flock Variables On The Prevalence And Levels Of Campylobacter On Broiler Carcasses, Malgorzata Emanowicz, Joseph Meade, Declan Bolton, Olwen Golden, Montserrat Gutierrez, William Byrne, John Egan, Helen Lynch, Lisa O'Connor, Aidan Coffey, Brigid Lucey, Paul Whyte

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

This study examined the impact of key processing stages and flock variables on the prevalence of Campylobacter on broiler carcasses. Overall, the prevalence of Campylobacter was 62% in caeca, and 68%, 65% and 62% in neck skin samples collected after evisceration, final wash and carcass chilling, respectively. Campylobacter were found in 32% of caeca, and 52%, 40% and 32% of neck skin samples collected after evisceration, final wash and carcass chilling, respectively from first thin broiler batches. Final thin broiler batches were more frequently contaminated with prevalences of 83% found in caeca, 80% in neck skin samples collected after evisceration …

Investigating The Nightime Departures Of Glaucous-Winged Gulls (Larus Glaucescens) And The Role Of Social Facilitation, Devon Leigh Mcclain

Master's Theses

Daytime behaviors and occupancy patterns of Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) have been described and can be mathematically predicted based on environmental factors. However, little is known about the nighttime behaviors of Glaucous-winged Gulls. I used trail cameras to study the daytime and nighttime colony occupancy patterns of Glaucous-winged Gulls on a breeding colony on Protection Island, Washington, USA. Early in the breeding season gulls desert the colony en masse during nighttime even after some gulls have initiated clutches. Using acoustic recording units to identify an acoustic cue that signals the onset of the coordinated nightly departures from the colony, I …

Exploring The Biological Function Of Carboxypeptidase O: Analysis Of Expression And Association With Chylomicrons And Lipid Droplets, Erika Bauza Nowotny

Master's Theses

Carboxypeptidase O (CPO) is a membrane-bound peptidase that cleaves acidic and polar C-terminal amino acids of peptides; however, its biological function remains unknown. CPO is strongly expressed in the small intestine, where it has been proposed to participate in digestion events at the brush border by extracellular cleavage of dietary peptides. At the subcellular level, CPO is anchored to the inner leaflet of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, where it has been shown to associate with lipid droplets (LDs). The ER membrane also represents the site of iv chylomicron formation, a process that shares many similarities with that of LDs …

A Study Of Inactive Enzyme-Homologues: The Biochemical And Biological Function Of Ecm14 In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Robert Christian Mcdonald

Master's Theses

Like most major enzyme families, the M14 family of metallocarboxypeptidases (MCPs) contains several pseudoenzymes predicted to lack enzyme activity and with unknown molecular function. The genome of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes only one member of the M14 MCP family, a pseudoenzyme named Ecm14 proposed to function in the extracellular matrix. Ecm14 is found throughout ascomycete fungi, with a group of related pseudoenzymes found in basidiomycetes. Although the prodomain of Ecm14 can be cleaved in vivo and in vitro by endopeptidases, suggesting an activation mechanism, no activity has been detected using standard carboxypeptidase substrates.

In order to examine the function …

Paleoenvironmental Implications Of Small-Animal Fossils From The Black Mountain Turtle Layer And Associated Layers, Eocene Of Wyoming, Jeremy Mclarty

Master's Theses

The Bridger Formation is an Early Middle Eocene deposit in southwestern Wyoming that preserves a rich record of life from North America. Some horizons within the Bridger Formation contain abundant fossil turtle shells, but turtle skulls are rarely found. Previous research focused on one of these fossil-rich horizons, the Black Mountain turtle layer, to develop a model for the abundance and taphonomic condition of the fossil turtles. The proposed model begins with a limestone layer deposited in a lake. Then, an influx of fine-grained volcanic ash (forming the Black Mountain turtle layer) was rapidly deposited into this lake likely causing …

The Use Of Multiple Sensory Modalities By The Antillean Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Manatus) To Locate Food In Their Natural Environments, Amanda Marie Moore

Master's Theses

Manatees are herbivorous aquatic mammals found in the coastal and inland waters of the Atlantic Ocean. All three manatee species are currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list and there still remains much unknown about their ecology. It is currently unknown what sensory modalities manatees use to locate their food in the wild. A literature review of the Paenungulata clade (sirenians, proboscideans, and hyracoideans) was conducted in order to compare and contrast what is known about the sensory modalities of the clade, to better understand the sensory modalities of manatees, particularly the ones they use to locate their …

Group B Streptococcus: Molecular Epidemiology, Pathogenic Profiling And Control Strategies, Katherine Mary Hayes

Theses

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) are frequent colonisers of the gastrointestinal tract of healthy adults with worldwide rates of 18% colonisation; however, they are also opportunistic pathogens capable of causing invasive disease, particularly in neonates and adults with underlying conditions. Indeed, GBS is the leading cause of invasive neonatal disease worldwide with a global incidence of 0.49 per 1000 live births and GBS disease in adults is increasing globally, with estimated rates of 10.9 cases per 100,000 people. While GBS remain largely susceptible to penicillin, there have been reports of reduced beta-lactam susceptibility in certain countries and resistance to other antibiotic …

The Use Of Mycobacteriophages As A Novel Therapeutic Option To Control And Treat Johne's Disease, Gillian Catherine Crowley

Theses

The incidences of Johne’s disease (JD) in farms worldwide have increased significantly over the last 80 years. The increase in JD is owing to the lack of diagnostic tests available and the long incubation period of the disease causing pathogen, Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP). In addition, treatment of JD with antibiotics has proven difficult due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance MAP strains and the presence of the thick lipid rich mycobacterial cell wall. An alternative diagnostic and treatment method for JD involves the use of mycobacteriophages. As part of this research, individual mycobacteriophages (TM4) and a mycobacteriophage cocktail (LE1 …

Functional Analysis Of Fam83d And Dupd1 – Two Novel Neruogenic Skeletal Muscle Atrophy-Induced Genes, Lisa Michelle Cooper

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fam83d and Dupd1 have been identified as novel genes in skeletal muscle that are upregulated in response to neurogenic atrophy in a mouse model. qPCR analysis reveaed both genes are expressed in skeletal muscle with Fam83d expression being highest during myoblast proliferation, while Dupd1 expression is highest during myotube differentiation. Overexpression of either protein results in inhibition of proper muscle cell differentiation as evidenced by repression of both myosin heavy chain and myogenin expression. Characterization of transcriptional activity revealed both genes are modulated by myogenic regulatory factors and additionally, Dupd1 expression is enhanced by dexamethasone treatment. Assessment of subcellular localization …

An Insight Into The Epitope-Based Peptide Vaccine Design Strategy And Studies Against Covid-19, Murat Topuzoğullari, Tayfun Acar, Peli̇n Peli̇t Arayici, Burcu Uçar, Erennur Uğurel, Emrah Şefi̇k Abamor, Tüli̇n Arasoğlu, Di̇lek Balik, Serap Derman

Turkish Journal of Biology

SARS-CoV-2 is a new member of the coronavirus family and caused the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 2020. It is crucial to design and produce an effective vaccine for the prevention of rapid transmission and possible deaths wcaused by the disease. Although intensive work and research are being carried out all over the world to develop a vaccine, an effective and approved formulation that can prevent the infection and limit the outbreak has not been announced yet. Among all types of vaccines, epitope-based peptide vaccines outshine with their low-cost production, easy modification in the structure, and safety. In …

Gut Microbiota Composition Is Correlated To Host Hummingbird Protein Requirements, Ryan C. Stanton , '20

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

The gut microbiome shapes and is shaped by a host animal’s physiology. Avian taxa hold physiological characteristics unique from mammals and might inform novel pressures experienced by microbial communities. Further, the symbionts’ relative abundance and their abilities to adapt to available resources are of critical importance to a holobiont’s fitness in rapidly changing climates. Therefore, wild populations of hummingbirds Selasphorus rufus and Calypte anna were studied. The two systems differ in S. rufus’s annual migrations from wintering grounds to their breeding grounds in the Pacific Northwest, whereas C. anna are resident in the latter region. Previous findings have indicated …

Changes In The Home Range Sizes Of Terrestrial Vertebrates In Response To Urban Disturbance: A Meta-Analysis, Kate O'Donnell, Javier Delbarco-Trillo

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

The unprecedented growth rate in human population and the increasing movement of people to urban areas is causing a rapid increase in urbanisation globally. Urban environments may restrict or affect the behaviour of many animal species. Importantly, urban populations may change their spatial movement, particularly decreasing their home ranges in response to habitat fragmentation, the presence of landscape barriers and the availability and density of resources. Several species specific studies suggest that urban animals decrease their home ranges compared with their non-urban counterparts; however, it remained unclear whether this pattern is widespread across taxa or is instead restricted to specific …

The Evolution Of Dragons, Laura J. Mayfield

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Dragons have been depicted in human art as early as 4500 BCE. For centuries, these fantasy creatures have inspired countless folk and fantasy tales, as well as appearing in the art of different cultures around the world. Now there are thousands of different depictions of these huge, flying, fire-breathing lizards, but are any of them possible? In this study, I reference peer-reviewed scientific articles, phylogenetic analysis, and paleoart studies to create biologically-sound dragons. Basing the dragon lineage on a real branch of webbed-winged scansoriopterygids—an extinct family of climbing and gliding maniraptoran dinosaurs—I explored the possible wing-structure, fire-breathing abilities, and effects …

The Regulatory Role Of Tnac In The Universal Expression Regulation Of Rf-2 Dependent Regulons, Chi Pham

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Spring Migration Of Blackpoll Warblers Across North America, Kristen M. Covino, Sara R. Morris, Mark Shieldcastle Shieldcastle, Philip D. Taylor

Biology Faculty Works

The awe-inspiring seasonal migrations of birds between breeding and wintering grounds has long attracted the interest of casual naturalists and professional ornithologists alike. Although new technologies improve our ability to follow individual migrants throughout their annual cycle, the scale and detail provided by banding records remain incredibly valuable. The focus of avian migration studies is often the most physiologically challenging migratory feats that sometimes leaves certain species or seasons relatively understudied. The Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) is well-known for its transoceanic migratory flight during fall migration, the season in which it is best studied, yet the details of its spring …

Investigating Los Angeles' Urban Roadway Network From A Biologically-Formed Perspective, Sophia Deen, Tatiana Kuzmenko, Demian A. Willette, Hossein Asghari

Biology Faculty Works

The evolution of networks is constrained by spatial properties of the environment; a characterization that is true in both biological and built networks. Hence built networks such as urban streets can be compared to biological networks to reveal differences in efficiency and complexity. This study assessed foraging networks created by the slime-mold Physarium polycephalum on proportional 3D-printed topographic maps of metropolitan city of Los Angeles, California. Rapidly-generated isomorphic solutions were found to be consistently and statistically shorter than existing roadways in system length. Slime mold also allocated resources to supporting key nodes, analogous to how heavy traffic flows through major …

Examining Traumatic Bone Fracture Healing Versus Surgical Osteotomies In Canines And Resulting Rates Of Infection, Grace Gsellman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The development of osteomyelitis after surgical osteotomies and fracture repair in canines can propose serious health risks, ultimately leading to additional intervention from veterinarians that can become costly for pet owners and effect prognosis for the patient. Preventive measures are currently implemented during surgery and postoperatively. However, infection rates still range from 3.0% to 7.9% (Clark et al., 2018). By examining traumatic bone fracture healing versus surgical osteotomies in canines through the collection of both clinical and radiographic medical records, our primary objective was to further understand the physiological mechanism by which osteomyelitis develops. Limitations related to the collection of …

Brown Booby Family Units: Comparing Mothers, Fathers, And Chicks Through Stable Isotopes, Erin Taylor

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Seabird behavior and diet is important to study in order to determine where to focus conservation efforts in a rapidly changing climate. A primary aim of my project is to understand how brown booby family members from a breeding colony on Islas Marietas, Mexico relate to each other isotopically and in terms of their diet. Comparing the family units (mother, father, and chick from the same nest) of these seabirds and sex trends overall will help develop the big picture to determine the best conservation efforts for this species. I also aim to improve our ability to compare seabird plasma …

Exploring Tensile Mechanics Of Cribellar Hypochilus Pococki, Morgan Waggoner

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The two major types of silk seen, are cribellate and viscid silk. Cribellate silk is produced by the behavioral trait of combing the silk with the spiders hindlegs to achieve the adhesion property needed to capture prey in a web. This study aims to classify the most primitive cribellate capture thread, from a species not studied thus far- Hypochilus pococki. Previous studies on cribellate silk, have produced extraordinary tensile results, increasing the need to study more cribellate species (Michalik et al, 2019). The results found suggest that Hypochilus pococki, does not exhibit extreme values of tensile mechanics, but more …

Non-Invasive Method For Leptin Supplementation In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Regan Mcnamara

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I tested the hypothesis that recombinant leptin protein can be introduced to zebrafish in vivo through non-invasive soaking in a solution containing the protein. One way to study various molecules’ effects in vivo is through intraperitoneal or intracerebroventricular injections during the embryonic or larval stage, which is invasive, difficult to administer, and can have a high mortality rate. 48 hours post fertilization (hpf) zebrafish were soaked in a His-tagged recombinant leptin protein solution at 10 nM and 100 nM concentrations (produced by Genscript). After soaking, zebrafish larvae were washed extensively to remove all recombinant protein on their exterior before homogenization. …

The Role Of Influenza Infection On Cell Metabolism, Megha Mokkapati

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this particular study global metabolomics LCMS data was analyzed to determine the effect of influenza infection on host metabolic processes. Specifically, wild-type male and female mouse lung samples from mice infected with PR8 (H1N1) or both PR8 and a reinfection of X31 (H3N2) were analyzed. The LC/MS(liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) based global metabolomics will be performed on the samples using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography to separate polar analytes from the tissues (Dettmer, Aronov, 2007). Metabolites impacted by influenza infection in all samples will be analyzed to compare male and female mice, as well as differences between PR8 infection and X31 …

Assessing Morphology Of Iprgcs After Traumatic Brain Injury, Brian Foresi, Matt Smith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

ipRGCs are retinal ganglion cells that project to visual processing centers of the brain for nonimage forming visual functions. The relation of ipRGCs to tramatic brain injury (TBI) is emerging as data has been published describing ipRGC functional changes in TBI affected military veterans. Major symptomologies of concussions, a mild form of TBI, also overlap with the function governed by sites in the brain with major ipRGC projection percentages. Assesing if a morphological change is occuring in the ipRGCs after a TBI could support the idea of a pathological mechanism of the injury. This study could also indicate further relevance …

Fate Of White Fringetree Through The Invasion Wave Of Emerald Ash Borer And Its Variation In Resistance To Attack, Emily A. Ellison

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Ornamental white fringetrees in IL, IN, OH, and PA were reassessed in 2018 as a follow-up study to determine the fate of the white fringetree through the invasion wave of emerald ash borer. Attack rates decline by half from 2015-2018 and only 13% of trees were infested. Health of not reinfested trees in 2018 improved suggesting resilience against EAB attack whereas currently infested trees in 2018 displayed signs of declining health. Trees differed in their resistance to EAB attack and 41 additional ornamental and wild white fringetrees were studied in OH to determine if the anti-herbivory defense chemical, oleuropein, influenced …

Effects Of Forest Age And Composition On Coleoptera Associated With Fungal Fruiting Bodies In Southwest Ohio, Jeffrey M. Brown

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Mature forests often harbor greater biodiversity than younger woods. As this relationship of forest age to biodiversity has not been examined for all taxa, this study sought to document the diversity of mycophilous beetle communities in deciduous forests of southwest Ohio and understand how they vary in relation to forest age. I surveyed fungus associated beetles using baited traps at eight forested sites in the Dayton, Ohio region. Traps were surveyed three times during 2018 to account for seasonal variation, something that has not been done for this geographic region. Forest age had no significant effect on beetle abundance or …

Composition Of Dung Beetle Communities In A Tropical Montane Forest Alters The Rate Of Dung Removal More Than Species Diversity Alone, Elizabeth A. Engle

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Dung beetles provide key ecological functions by degrading and recycling dung. I used experimentally-assembled communities to examine the role of species richness, community biomass, species diversity, species identity, and community composition in dung removal, using Ateuchus chrysopyge, Copris nubilosis, Onothophagus cyanellus, and Dichotomius satanas. I hypothesized: (1) that as species richness, biomass, and diversity increases within a community, dung removal increases; and (2) species are not functionally equivalent, so community composition should influence dung removal rates. As species richness, biomass, and diversity of experimentally-assembled communities increased, the proportion of dung removed also increased. Also, the four species in this study …

Assessment Of In Vivo Muscle Force In The R6/2 Mouse Model Of Huntington's Disease Using Newly Designed Force Rig, Steven Russell Alan Burke

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we develop a system to study in vivo muscle function in a mouse model of Huntington’s disease that allows for the recording of muscle force by stimulating the motor nerves or the muscles directly after a nerve block. This allows us to distinguish between defects in the nerve, such as problems with vesicle release, and primary muscle defects, such as altered intracellular calcium homeostasis. We hypothesize that there are primary defects in R6/2 skeletal muscle that are separate from neurodegeneration or defects in the CNS. In this case, we should see defects in muscle force generation during …

To Eat Or Not To Eat: Urbanization And The Foraging Behaviors Of Michigan Passerines, Victoria T. Vo

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Urbanization creates novel problems for wildlife, potentially altering the foraging behavior of passerine birds. Foraging is driven by factors like food preference and food accessibility; the foraging of urban birds may be more innovative due to frequent exposure to unfamiliar items. I hypothesized that high novelty exposure in urban birds would promote faster discovery and longer visits to novel feeders compared to rural conspecifics. Additionally, I hypothesized that birds would prioritize food quality over access regardless of habitat, but when faced with barriers, urban birds would be better at accessing food compared to rural birds because of frequent exposure to …

The Process And A Pitfall In Developing Biology And Chemistry Problems For Mathematics Courses, Mary Beisiegel, Lori Kayes, Devon Quick, Richard Nafshun, Michael Lopez, Steve Dobrioglo, Michael Dickens

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

In this paper, we describe our process for developing applied problems from biology and chemistry for use in a differential calculus course. We describe our conversations and curricular analyses that led us to change from our initial focus on college algebra to calculus. We provide results that allowed us to see the overlaps between biology and mathematics and chemistry and mathematics and led to a specific focus on problems related to rates of change. Finally, we investigate the problems that were developed by the partner disciplines for use on recitation activities in calculus and how those problems were modified by …

The Effect Of Ph On Synaptic Transmission At The Neuromuscular Junction In Drosophila Melanogaster, Catherine Elizabeth Stanley

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Synaptic transmission is the main avenue of neuronal communication and can be affected by a multitude of factors, both intracellularly and extracellularly. The effects of pH changes on synaptic transmission have been studied for many years across many different models. Intracellular acidification at the presynaptic terminal is known to occur with increased neuronal activity and can also occur in pathological conditions. The effects of these pH alterations are therefore an important area of study. Here, intracellular acidification using either propionic acid or the ammonium chloride pre-pulse technique was examined for the effects on both spontaneous and evoked synaptic transmission at …