Biology Commons^™

Leaf Carbon Export And Nonstructural Carbohydrates In Relation To Diurnal Water Dynamics In Mature Oak Trees, Jess T. Gersony, Uri Hochberg, Fulton E. Rockwell, Maria Park, Paul P.G. Gauthier, N. Michele Holbrook

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Trees typically experience large diurnal depressions in water potential, which may impede carbon export from leaves during the day because the xylem is the source of water for the phloem. As water potential becomes more negative, higher phloem osmotic concentrations are needed to draw water in from the xylem. Generating this high concentration of sugar in the phloem is particularly an issue for the ∼50% of trees that exhibit passive loading. These ideas motivate the hypothesis that carbon export in woody plants occurs predominantly at night, with sugars that accumulate during the day assisting in mesophyll turgor maintenance or being …

Population Structure And Habitat Use Of Bluegill In The Upper Mississippi River, Ethan Allyn Rutledge

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Fish populations are driven by the dynamic rate functions (i.e., recruitment, growth, and mortality). Knowledge of these vital rates can provide critical information to determine spatiotemporal population-level changes in the system. Therefore, understanding these vital rates are important in the proper management of any fishery. Anthropogenic modifications to the environment have had damaging effects on the organisms within these ecosystems. Specific to Upper Mississippi River fishes, channelization, dams, and loss of floodplain connectivity have all been purported as deleterious. In the face of these modifications, understanding habitat use and vital rates of individual species is needed to help guide management …

Analysis Of Bacterial Loads In Houston Indoor Air., Zeest Hanif Hanif

Theses (2016-Present)

House dust is a complex matrix containing organic and inorganic content with a good percentage of microorganisms. Microorganism’s growth and survival in dust depends on available moisture level. Microbial origin in dust depends on sources other than dust. On average people spend approximately 90% of their time in indoor environment. Therefore, they are continuously exposed to microbes in dust. Based on the size and volume of dust particles the microbes get access to human lungs via airways. Based on previous research; culture dependent studies indicate that Penicillium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium are in abundance is house dust along with 20 other fungal …

A Histopathological Review Of Immune Response In Largemouth Bass To Parasitic Infections Of Soft Tissues, James D. Stephenson

Theses and Dissertations

The immune response can serve as a key indicator of a fish’s overall health and the effect stressors have on the health of the fish. Anthropogenic factors can stress a fish’s immune system and inhibit immune responses. This study investigated the response of eosinophilic cells and macrophage aggregates to parasites in the livers, spleens, and gonads of Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides. Largemouth Bass were sampled from three bodies of water in the Chattahoochee Valley of varying levels of urbanization. Histopathology of the aforementioned organs was conducted to observe both the parasite density and immune response. Eosinophilic cells were shown …

A Metanalysis Of Sequences Of Vascular Plants In The World’S Biodiversity Hotspots With A Special Section On Madagascar, John Michael Adrian Wojahn

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Humans have become a major factor in reshaping the Earth’s biosphere. One of the major effects of human changes to the environment is an increase in the rate of species extinction as compared to background rates. Biodiversity hotspots are areas whose species assemblages are very rich (50% of the world’s plants and 42% of land vertebrates) yet very threatened with extinction ( > 70% habitat destruction), and which ought to be foci for conservation efforts. The intense peril in which the flora of these endangered regions are requires an equally intense response from the scientific community. This study investigated the benefits …

The Structure And Symmetry Of The Radial Spoke Protein Complex In Chlamydomonas Flagella, Emiliya Poghosyan, Ioan Iacovache, Lenka Faltova, Alexander Leitner, Pinfen Yang, Dennis R. Diener, Ruedi Aebersold, Benoit Zuber, Takashi Ishikawa

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The radial spoke is a key element in a transducer apparatus controlling the motility of eukaryotic cilia. The transduction biomechanics is a long-standing question in cilia biology. The radial spoke has three regions – a spoke head, a bifurcated neck and a stalk. Although the neck and the stalk are asymmetric, twofold symmetry of the head has remained controversial. In this work we used single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) analysis to generate a 3D structure of the whole radial spoke at unprecedented resolution. We show the head region at 15 Å (1.5 nm) resolution and confirm twofold symmetry. Using distance …

Structural And Functional Insights Into Alphavirus-Host Interactions, Arthur S. Kim

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Alphaviruses are arthropod-transmitted positive sense, single-stranded RNA viruses of the Togaviridae family that cause explosive, global outbreaks with significant morbidity. These viruses are classified into two groups based on genetic relatedness and clinical manifestations. Arthritogenic alphaviruses include chikungunya (CHIKV), Mayaro (MAYV), Ross River (RRV), O’nyong’nyong (ONNV) and generally cause acute and chronic musculoskeletal disease. To date, CHIKV has caused >1.8 million cases in over 40 countries. Encephalitic alphaviruses, including Eastern (EEEV), Venezuelan (VEEV), and Western (WEEV) equine encephalitis viruses, infect the central nervous system and result in encephalitic sequelae. In 2019, outbreaks of EEEV in the United States have resulted …

Examining The Efficacy Of Cover Crops As An Integrated Pest Management Tool In Organic Farms In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Lili M. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) consists of a mix in subtropical and costal habitats, a combination that provides a favorable environment for the animals and plants that inhabit it. This is a problem for organic farmers as they refrain from using synthetic chemicals and therefore led them to seek other methods of dealing with insect herbivory. Of the many alternative methods available, we looked specifically at integrated pest management methods (IPM) to determine their efficacy in reducing insect herbivory among cash crops. Chapter II discusses an experiment performed in an organic farm in Edinburg, Texas consisting of a two-year …

Comparison Of Retention Rates Between Traditional On-Ground And Online Biology Laboratory Courses In The Community College Setting, Megan Davis Winborne

Dissertations

Community colleges provide vital educational resources to students across the nation. Online learning has become an integral part of the course offerings for community colleges. With regards to online learning, there is a lack of empirical evidence and research focused on community college offered biology laboratories, particularly concerning retention rates of these students. Means, Toyama, Murphy, and Bakia. (2013) found that even though there are copious amounts of studies dedicated to evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning formats, many of them neglected to review retention rates associated with online educational courses.

The purpose of this study was to determine …

Transcriptional Control Of Virulence Genes In The Bacterial Pathogen Shigella Flexneri, Joy Asami Mckenna

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Shigella species, the causal agents of bacillary dysentery, use a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject two waves of virulence proteins, known as effectors, into the human colonic epithelium to subvert host cell machinery. Transcriptional regulation of these virulence genes is controlled by the three-tiered VirF/VirB/MxiE signaling cascade. Of these, VirB has the largest regulon (~50 genes); however, VirB regulatory properties are poorly understood. To date, VirB is known to function to counter or 'anti-silence' transcriptional silencing mediated by the histone-like nucleoid structuring protein H-NS. To better understand VirB regulation, my colleagues and I chose to better define the …

The Effects Of Elevation On Foraging Behavior Of Bats In Southern Appalachia, Victoria Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are limited studies on bat activity in higher elevations in the Appalachian region. Levels of bat activity were compared in south central Appalachia at low (< 914.4 m) and high (> 1, 524 m) elevations in open, forest edge, and riparian habitats. Additionally, habitat suitability was modeled for a common species, big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). The study started May 27^th 2019, and sites were monitored biweekly until October 2^nd 2019. Six species and one genus were recorded during the study. Species from the Myotis genus were grouped together because of similar call characteristics. Results show that species were significantly more …

Identifying Positive Selection In Multiple Subspecies Of Xylella Fastidiosa, Daniel Doroteo Flores

Theses and Dissertations

For this study, we will be looking to identify positive selection in eight genomes of the bacterial plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa. A previous study used a branching method that identified 2 genes with positive selection along with a site-specific method identifying 34 genes showing positive selection. This current study focused specifically on the site-specific method, resulting in 28 genes (of 1,039 tested) showing positive selection. Of the 28 genes showing positive selection, 12 of them come from the pathogenicity, virulence and cellular structural categories. The remaining genes are found in the biosynthesis, metabolism, macro metabolism, and cellular process categories. …

Genetic Analysis Of Pi3k And Mtor Inhibition In U87mg Glioblastoma Cell Line, Carl G. Litif

Theses and Dissertations

NVP-BEZ235 is a Glioblastoma Multiform chemotherapeutic dual PI3K/mTOR pathway inhibitor created in 2008 and has since been proven experimentally to induce pluripotentcy in oncological cell populations. The inhibition of PI3K and mTOR has shown to coerce phenotypes associated with stem cell markers, most notably OCT4. It is necessary to understand the genetic composure of how PI3K/mTOR inhibited tumor cells are bypassing the canonical pathway for proliferation and growth and utilizing other parallel sources for tumor invasion into other neural regions. Taking a genetic approach with RNA-sequencing allowed us to gain insight into how glioblastoma interact with cytoskeleton factors MAPK4 and …

Optimizing Species Selection For Forest Restoration In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Faeqa Mohsin

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past four decades, the Lower Rio Grande Valley has been reforested with over 3.3 million native thornscrub plants in old agricultural land through transplanting native species. However, assessments of LRGV forest restoration efforts are scarce, and to address the knowledge gap, this study examined species-specific responses to restoration interventions (RIs) aimed at minimizing seedling mortality for optimizing species selection. A critical period for forest restoration in old croplands is the seedling stage, where high mortality occurs due to the interactive effects of abiotic stress, compromised soil nutrient status from intensive agriculture, and mammalian herbivory. So, we evaluated seedling …

The Long-Term Persistence And Tissue Tropism Of Brazilian Zika Virus In Monodelphis Domestica, Marisol Morales

Theses and Dissertations

Zika virus (ZIKV) rose as a major public health concern due to the congenital abnormalities of infants born to infected mothers during the 2015 Latin American outbreak. While animal models such as transgenic mice and nonhuman primates are used to study ZIKV pathogenesis, they display various limitations. Additionally, the persistence and tissue distribution of long-term ZIKV infection remains unknown. We describe the laboratory opossum, Monodelphis domestica, as a potential new model for ZIKV pathogenesis research to address these issues. We utilized immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and ELISA to show that: infant animals inoculated intracerebrally were susceptible to infection, ZIKV infection persisted …

Multiple Cold Tolerance Trait Phenotyping Reveals Shared Quantitative Trait Loci In Oryza Sativa, Naoki Shimoyama, Melineeh Johnson, André Beaumont, Michael Schläppi

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Developing chilling tolerant accessions of domesticated Asian rice is a potential source of significant crop improvement. The uniquely chilling sensitive nature of the tropically originating Oryza sativa make it the most important cereal crop that can gain significantly from improved tolerance to low temperatures. However, mechanisms underlying this complex trait are not fully understood. Oryza sativa has two subspecies with different levels of chilling tolerance, JAPONICA and INDICA, providing an ideal tool to investigate mechanistic differences in the chilling stress tolerance responses within this important crop species.

Results

The Rice Diversity Panel 1 (RDP1) was used to investigate …

Mutations Within And Between Early Cell Division Proteins And Their Effects On Division Regulation In Escherichia Coli, Kara Schoenemann

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cell division is a highly regulated process that must coordinate multiple implicit activities in different locations in the cell simultaneously. E. coli utilizes a macromolecular machine known as the divisome to accomplish cytokinesis. Assembly of the divisome begins with the assembly of a simpler structure known as the proto-ring. The proto-ring consists mainly of three essential proteins: FtsZ and its membrane tethers FtsA and ZipA. In this work, I aimed to understand the early regulation of division in E. coli by investigating the structure/function relationships of the proto-ring proteins, as well as their interactions with one another and how these …

Embryonic Exposure To The Synthetic-Progesterone Levonorgestrel (Lng) Results In Hyperactive Behavior In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Austin D. Fuentes

Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals has been associated with an increased risk of anxiety-like behavior at various life stages. Levonorgestrel (LNG), a synthetic contraceptive, could potentially alter steroidal regulated brain development based on the findings of this thesis. In-silico measurements were used for comparing LNG, which had been found in surface water, to chemical databases to predict the bioavailability, half-life, and estrogen binding potential. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) for illuminating the effects of LNG exposure during early zebrafish embryonic development, similar to fetal development, on behavior was investigated. Our data suggests exposure in a dose-dependent manner of LNG can potentially …

Ecology And Economic Impact Of The Invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae; Halyomorpha Halys) In The Utah Agricultural Landscape, Zachary R. Schumm

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is a major insect pest that causes economic loss to a diversity of U.S. fruit and vegetable crops, and invades homes and human structures, causing nuisance issues for homeowners. This destructive insect causes millions of dollars of crop damage annually, and is difficult to manage due to its resistance to some common insecticides. BMSB is a relatively new pest to Utah, and its biology and ecology is not well known in the high elevation, arid Intermountain West region. In Chapter II, I explored the potential impact of BMSB to tart cherry, an unstudied crop …

Anthropogenic Influences On Bacterial Assemblages In Stream Biofilms, Elizabeth M. Ogata

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bacteria within biofilms are an essential component of stream ecosystems, influencing the movement of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in watersheds. To better understand the ecological effects of human activities on stream ecosystems, my research examined how nutrients and pharmaceuticals, common pollutants in streams worldwide, influence bacterial assemblages in stream biofilms. First, I tested how nutrients (N, P, iron) and pharmaceuticals (caffeine, diphenhydramine) influenced biofilm bacterial microbiomes (taxa present in at least 75% of samples of a contaminant treatment). Nutrients allowed taxa known for their ability to thrive in nutrient-rich environments to dominate microbiomes, pharmaceuticals supported a rich …

A Novel Quantitative Real-Time Pcr Diagnostic Assay For Fecal And Nasal Swab Detection Of An Otariid Lungworm, Parafilaroides Decorus, Kalani M. Williams, M. K. Fessler, R. A. Bloomfield, William D. Sandke, Clara R. Malekshahi, Caroline D. Keroack, Pádraig J. Duignan, Samantha D. Torquato, Steven A. Williams

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Parafilaroides decorus, also known as sea lion lungworm, is a metastrongyloid nematode that infects otariid hosts, such as the charismatic California sea lion, Zalophus californianus. P. decorus causes bronchointerstitial pneumonia, respiratory distress, reduced ability to swim, dive and hunt and as a result, increased mortality particularly in young animals. Respiratory disease is a leading cause of stranding and admission to rehabilitation centers on the Pacific coast. Low-coverage genomic sequencing of four P. decorus individuals analyzed through Galaxy's RepeatExplorer identified a novel repeat DNA family we employed to design a sensitive quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for diagnosing infections from fecal or …

Genotoxic And Hematological Effects Of Aluminium And Lead Exposure In Red Hybrid Tilapia (Oreochromis Sp.), Mohamad Zaid Faten Fatehah

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study was conducted to investigate the genotoxic effects of single aluminium (Al), 25.00 mg/l, single lead (Pb), 18.75 mg/l and binary mixtures of Al and Pb (25.00 mg/l + 18.75 mg/l) and to determine their hematological effects on the tilapia fish as test subjects after 96 h exposure to these heavy metals. Oreochromis sp. was selected as the test subjects because of its adaptability to the environment and it can be easily found as it is the most common species of freshwater fish being cultured and farmed. Two different methods, micronucleus test and comet assay, were used for the …

Analysis Of The Role Of Dnaa Recognition Site Position In Directing Assembly Of The Pre-Replicative Complex In Escherichia Coli, Christopher Aaron Czerwonka

Theses and Dissertations

Prior to initiating new rounds of DNA replication, all cells assemble pre-replicative complexes (pre-RC) consisting of initiator proteins and regions of DNA termed origins of replication. In the bacterial model system, E. coli, multiple copies of the initiator protein, DnaA,assemble into a complex with the unique chromosomal replication origin, oriC, to produce a pre-RC that unwinds the DNA helix, preparing the origin for the new replication forks. Nine base pair (bp) low affinity DnaA recognition sites are distinctly arrayed in each half of oriC and both arrays are bounded by high affinity recognition sites. Although it is known that DnaA …

A Phylogenetic Assembly And Positive Selection Analysis Of The Dmp1 Gene In Aves, Testudines And Crocodilia, Nicholas Michael Morelli

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The DMP1 gene codes for proteins that play a role in the calcification of hard tissues, including dentin, in vertebrates. Deleterious mutations in the gene can cause genetic disorders such as rickets in humans. The gene function, however, has only been investigated widely within mammalian lineages, and has not been thoroughly researched within sauropsids (reptiles and birds). Birds are edentulous (toothless) and have a unique bone structure that allows a majority of species to withstand the rigors of flight. In contrast, their closest living relatives, the crocodilians, are polydontous and possess dense skeletons as an adaptation to their semi-aquatic lifestyle. …

Impacts Of Forest Fire On Stream Sediment : A Chemical Analysis Of The 16 Mile Fire In Delaware State Forest, Pennsylvania, Usa, Bernadette Rosario Calderon

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Wildfires, which will occur naturally or be produced from anthropogenic activities, are known to have significant impacts in most terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems such as streams. Following a wildfire, burning of soil and vegetation to ash can potentially lead to the input of contaminants such as trace elements into nearby aquatic streams. For this study, stream sediments were examined from the 16-Mile Fire that occurred in April 2016 at the Delaware State Forest, Pennsylvania, USA to determine major and trace elements present. While major and trace elements have been previously examined in soil from the 16-Mile Wildfire, stream sediments have …

Assessing The Impact Of Restored Wetlands On Bat Foraging Activity Over Nearby Farmland, Philip Allagas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Up to 87% of the world’s wetlands have been destroyed, considerably reducing ecosystem services these wetlands once provided. More recently, many wetlands are being restored in an attempt to regain their ecosystem service. This study seeks to determine the effects of restored wetlands on local bat habitat use. Bat activity was found to be significantly higher around the wetlands when compared to distant grassy fields; however, no significant difference was found among the restored wetlands and a remote cattle farm containing multiple water features. Geospatial models of bat distribution and bat foraging were produced using machine learning that showed higher …

Bdnf-Related Gene Expression Of Laser Capture Microdissected Glutamate Neurons From The Anterior Cingulate Cortex In Mouse Models Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Misty Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting social behaviors. ASD affects 1 in 59 children with males affected more frequently. ASD is postulated to result from excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission imbalances. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling affects ASD by influencing synaptogenesis, plasticity, and survival. Studying early in-utero neuropathological changes within ASD requires the use of animal models. Expression of BDNF-associated genes were analyzed within laser capture microdissected pyramidal neurons from the anterior cingulate cortex of male and female BTBR and valproic acid mouse models. No expression differences were found in any gene comparing the three groups. Gender comparisons …

Natural By Design, Craig Steele

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

I’m a professor in the Department of Biology and Health Sciences at Edinboro University, in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, a small, comprehensive liberal arts institution within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. My major teaching duties involve environmental biology, zoology, and ichthyology. I emphasize to my students how mathematics underlies the natural world of plants and animals, pointing out to them how many of “our” most amazing engineering and constructional achievements are copied from nature (from geodesic domes to the fusiform bows of modern commercial ships), as well as how plant and animal physiology and animal behavior (of individuals and of …

Blood Pressure Awareness Among University Of Northern Iowa Students, Abigail Weekley, Theresa Spradling, Robert Good

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

No abstract provided.

Model-Based Analysis Of Chromatin Interactions From Dcas9-Based Capture-3c-Seq., Yong Chen, Yunfei Wang, Xin Liu, Jian Xu, Michael Q Zhang

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Deciphering long-range chromatin interactions is critical for understanding temporal and tissue-specific gene expression regulated by cis- and trans-acting factors. By combining the chromosome conformation capture (3C) and biotinylated dCas9 system, we previously established a method CAPTURE-3C-seq to unbiasedly identify high-resolution and locus-specific long-range DNA interactions. Here we present the statistical model and a flexible pipeline, C3S, for analysing CAPTURE-3C-seq or similar experimental data from raw sequencing reads to significantly interacting chromatin loci. C3S provides all steps for data processing, quality control and result illustration. It can automatically define the bin size based on the binding peak of the dCas9-targeted regions. …