Biology Commons^™

Acoustic Communication In The Atlantic Mudskipper, Periopthalmus Barbarus, Seth Hoffman

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Mudskippers are intertidal fishes that can survive both in and out of the water. They are territorial and exhibit behaviors to attract mates and defend against competitors. Recently, it has been shown that vibrations are produced and transmitted through the mud during such displays in one species, Periophthalmodon septemradiatus. To see if similar vibrations are produced in other species of mudskippers, I recorded the behavioral interactions of pairs of the mudskipper Periophthalmus barbarus via digital video and acoustic signals via accelerometer. Comparative analysis of fish mass, sex, contest length, and contest outcome coupled with acoustic characteristics within dyadic pairings …

A Comparison Of Bee Abundance And Species Richness In Three Managed Grassland Types, Emily Russ

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Bees are threatened by environmental changes, pathogens, and pesticides (Pettis, 2012, Meeus et al., 2018). The goal of the study is to compare and evaluate the bee abundance and species richness in three different field types. My hypothesis is that bees would favor the fields planted for their benefit, and that the tall grass dominated plantings would be preferred over mowed fescue. My findings have low power considering few replicates and the use of relative abundance and relative species richness for statistical analyses. Bee abundance and species richness had an overall positive relationship of varying degrees across habitat types. Relative …

Antibiotic Resistant Gene Concentrations In Bacteria In Groundwater From Agricultural Waste, Koji Barnaby

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The overuse of antibiotics has led to an increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria since some antibiotics are sent into the wastewater system by waste produced by both humans and agriculture, making exposure to these bacteria more likely. The evolution of these bacteria in groundwater is of particular concern, as groundwater is used as a source of drinking water, and infections by these bacteria would be more difficult to treat. There are no policies in place to monitor or regulate antibiotic resistance bacteria in groundwater, leaving the threat to public health unknown. The study area of Crumps Cave in Smiths Grove, …

Effect Of Acute Sleep Fragmentation Upon Inflammatory Response Of Brown And White Adipose Tissue In Male Mice, Zach Wriedt

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Sleep is an important process required for vertebrates, including humans, to function. When sleep is disrupted, it leads to deleterious effects such as inflammatory responses throughout the body. Past studies have shown that acute (24 h) sleep fragmentation (SF) leads to an inflammatory response in white adipose tissue. However, whether brown adipose tissue responds in a similar fashion is unknown. Male adult (>8 weeks of age) C57BL/6j mice were subjected to SF for 24 h using a cage outfitted with a bar that moves horizontally across the cage every 2 min to periodically awaken mice (N =10). Controls were …

The Effect Of Age On Neurological Inflammation To Acute Sleep Fragmentation In Mice, Molly Taylor

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Obstructive sleep apnea is identified by recurring events of airway collapse during sleep, intermittent hypoxia, and perturbations in sleep continuity, known as sleep fragmentation. There is evidence to suggest that elderly patients are more at risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea. The purpose of this study was to assess whether age affects neurological inflammatory responses to acute sleep fragmentation. This assessment was made by subjecting young (4-5 months old) and old (10-11 months old) male C57BL/6j mice to automated sleep fragmentation, as well as having mice in both age categories as a control with no sleep fragmentation, for twenty-four hours. …

Viropana (Vna) 2, Abijeet Singh Mehta, Panagiotis A. Tsonis, Amit Singh

Components of a Regeneration Toolkit: Notophthalmus viridescens

Viropana (vna) 2

• ID – vna 2
• Details – Gene from a novel protein family belonging to the regeneration tool kit of Notophthalmus viridescens
• Base pairs – 396

The Structure Of The Cysteine-Rich Region From Human Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase Ehmt2 (G9a), Keshia M. Kerchner, Tung-Chung Mou, Yizhi Sun, Domniţa-Valeria Rusnac, Stephen R. Sprang, Klára Briknarová

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Euchromatic histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 1 (EHMT1; G9a-like protein; GLP) and euchromatic histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2 (EHMT2; G9a) are protein lysine methyltransferases that regulate gene expression and are essential for development and the ability of organisms to change and adapt. In addition to ankyrin repeats and the catalytic SET domain, the EHMT proteins contain a unique cysteine-rich region (CRR) that mediates protein-protein interactions and recruitment of the methyltransferases to specific sites in chromatin. We have determined the structure of the CRR from human EHMT2 by X-ray crystallography and show that the CRR adopts an unusual compact fold with four bound zinc atoms. The …

Understanding Pathophysiology Of Nonsyndromic Autism By Examining And Extrapolating From Syndromic Variants, Alexander Labkowsky

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a broad, heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder encompassing a range of presentation and severity. The common characteristics include communication deficits, impaired social skills, dependency on routine, sensitivity to environmental change, and stereotyped behavior (DSM-5, 2013). When ASD is accompanied by a host of other symptoms it is often referred to as syndromic autism. Syndromic autism is usually severe and can usually be traced to deletions or duplications on a specific gene. These monogenic disorders are by definition easier to diagnose and are good candidates for study since specific biological markers can be assessed and tracked. There have …

The Role Of Immunotherapy In Treating High-Risk Neuroblastoma, Mollie Raczkowski

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Neuroblastoma originates from the cells in the neural crest. High-risk neuroblastoma, patients have poor outcomes even with the multi-step treatment plans, including immunotherapy maintenance treatment. Researchers in developmental biology search for unique antigens in neuroblastoma cells to utilize monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Currently, GD2 is the most effective antigen that scientists have isolated in the tumor; these anti-GD2 mAbs are administered in the forms of Dinutuximab or Dinutuximab beta to attack the tumor. Monoclonal antibodies are currently administered in neuroblastoma instead of CAR T (that has seen success in curing different types of leukemias) due to the heterogeneity of this tumor. …

Etiology And Associations Of Oral And Oropharyngeal Cancer, Aron Yaghar

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

This research paper discusses oral cavity cancer, which is one of the 11th most common cancers in the world. According to newer research, some important possible causes include smokeless tobacco, marijuana, and citrus fruits. Some research attributes it to one’s genetic makeup and include exposure to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and diagnosis of Diabetes mellitus, all in conjunction with one’s age. In this research paper, each of these factors are discussed in depth, and their association with this illness is considered and debated. Review of the literature reveals that the high concentrations of nicotine found in smokeless tobacco products is deleterious …

Epigenetic Memories And The Evolution Of Infectious Diseases, Geoff Wild

Biology Publications

Genes with identical DNA sequence may show differential expression because of epigenetic marks. Where epigenetic marks respond to past conditions, they represent a form of “memory”. Despite their medical relevance, the impact of memories on the evolution of infectious diseases has rarely been considered. Here we explore the evolution of virulence in pathogens that carry memories of the sex of their previous host. We show that this form of memory provides information about the sex of present and future hosts when the sexes differ in their pathogen’s transmission pattern. Memories of past hosts enable the evolution of greater virulence in …

A Study Of Bone Histology Procedures And Applications, Breanna Smith

Student Research Poster Presentations 2021

Bone histology paired with ontogeny can allow for discovery of the way in which an individual grows. “Bone” umbrellas so many types and patterns which are all linked to both environmental and genetic influences. Vascular patterns allow for the differentiation of growth rates and growth periods. Veracious usage of terminology and proper specimen selection can lead to these explanations.

Rapid Survey Of Anuran Species In Baguio-Benguet Area And Isolation Of Their Fungal Symbionts, Arthien Lovell P. Pelingen, Camille Andrea Flores, Axel John Briz, Roland Hipol, Celia Austria

Biology Faculty Publications

Baguio City is one of the fastest-growing centers of urbanization in the Philippines. As part of the Cordillera Mountain Range, it is a biodiversity hotspot that is largely unexplored. This study is a preliminary investigation using visual encounter surveys of anuran species in various localities of the Baguio-Benguet area (BBA). These include Loakan Airport (LA), Camp John Hay (CJH), and Soroptimist Compound (SC) at the Military Cut Off, all in Baguio; Nangalisan, Tuba (NT), Benguet; and Master’s Garden (MG) at Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet. We documented three Luzon-endemic species of frogs – namely, Kaloula rigida (Family Microhylidae), Sanguirana luzonensis (Family …

Aquatic Coleoptera Of Northern Negros, Philippines, Marc Ryan Sabordo, Carl Michael Buyco, Gwendalyn Henares, Jessica Pacalioga, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

The water beetle fauna of northern Negros Island has not been comprehensively studied. In this study, aquatic Coleoptera of northern Negros have been compiled from various collections. Specimens were sampled through manual sampling and light trap. Twenty-six (26) species were recorded including 21 which are Philippine endemics. Nine genera and three known species are recorded for the first time from Negros.. Notes on distribution, ecology and identification are provided. Possible new species, future potential discoveries as well as current significance in terms of conservation are discussed.

Crippling Rapid Evolution Of Metastasis And Drug Resistance In A549 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells With The Clinically Relevant Hsp90 Inhibitor Auy922, Nickolas Anthony Bacon

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The ability for species to evolve new features in response to changing circumstances in order to survive and propagate is a ubiquitous observation on both the macroscopic and microscopic levels of living systems. It should be no surprise, then, that diseases such as cancer utilize their own forms of adaptation to perpetuate themselves when exposed to external threats. Indeed, concepts drawn from Darwinian evolution are now widely accepted to help explain certain aspects of carcinogenesis and malignant progression, the sum of which have come to be known as the theory of tumor evolution. Since metastasis and drug resistance are features …

Comparing The Condition Of Deformed And Non-Deformed Walleyes In Long Lake, Mn, Clayton Beck

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Walleye Sander vitreus is a popular game fish in Minnesota. Walleye’s have become such a popular game fish for anglers that it has led agencies to raise Walleye in rearing ponds. Farm raised fish can show deformities due to environmental, genetic, nutritional, infectious, and toxic factors. Due to this phenomenon, the purpose of this study was to determine if the condition of the Walleye differed between those with and without deformities in Long Lake, MN. Angling was the method of capture during the months of September 2020 through July 2021. There was no evidence to suggest condition differed between non-deformed …

A Review And Comparison Of U.S. State Wildlife Action Plans For Stonefly (Insecta, Plecoptera) Species Of Greatest Conservation Need, Kathryn Greene

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) were created in order to identify Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and develop plans to prevent their populations from further decline and the possibility of being listed as threatened or endangered. Which SGCNs are included are decided based on characteristics that determine their vulnerability. As of early 2021, approximately 720stoneflies (Insecta, Plecoptera) species are found in the U.S., but only 143 are listed as SGCN. Only 29 states have stoneflies included on their SGCN lists, but 37 states use EPT (Ephemeroptera + Plecoptera + Trichoptera) metrics when assessing water quality issues in running water …

Occurrence Of Tick-Borne Diseases And Parasites Of American Black Bears In Lakewood And Hiles, Wisconsin, Daniela Mathieu

Undergraduate Honors College Theses 2016-

We conducted a study of 159 American Black Bears (Ursus Americanus) to establish the occurrence rates of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis as well as the presence of their vectors Dermacentor variabilis and Rhipicephalus sanguineus. There are many factors that influence the prevalence of not only the ticks, but tick-borne diseases as well including seasonal and environmental changes, interactions between humans and their domestic animals, as well as changes observed in the tick and host species themselves. We studied the effects of sex, location, and the presence of fecal parasites based on the tick …

Viropana (Vna) 4, Abijeet Singh Mehta, Panagiotis A. Tsonis, Amit Singh

Components of a Regeneration Toolkit: Notophthalmus viridescens

Viropana (vna) 4

• ID – vna 4
• Details – Gene from a novel protein family belonging to the regeneration toolkit of Notophthalmus viridescens
• Base pairs – 501

Using Audio Recording Devices And Multiseason Occupancy Modelling To Evaluate Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga Columbiana) Occurrence In Whitebark Pine Habitats Of Washington's Cascade Mountains, Lauren Taracka

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) and whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), both native to the harsh subalpine habitats of Washington’s Cascade Mountains, are being negatively impacted by white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), and climate change. As temperatures continue to warm, while many species at lower elevations can move upward in elevation to suit their temperature needs, subalpine species do not have that option. Whitebark pine is a keystone tree species - numerous animals consume its high fat, high energy seeds; it’s a nurse tree, providing shelter …

The Implications Of Case-Based Learning (Cbl) On Biochemistry Education: An Integrative Literature Review, Ryan C. Ripert

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The COVID-19 has significantly impacted the world as we know it, especially in higher education institutions. In response to COVID-19, most colleges and universities were forced to close their doors to students and switch to online learning over Zoom. Although most students are adjusted well to this new mode of education, other students, such as individuals pursuing degrees in the sciences, have difficulty adapting to the online mode of instruction. Case-based learning (CBL) is considered one of the best strategies in teaching a course like Biochemistry in a large classroom setting. Implementing CBL in biochemistry education may increase student engagement …

Protein Prenylation In The Moss Physcomitrium Patens, Zayna H. Qaissi, Anam F. Ahmed, Katherine V. Brown, Mark P. Running

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

Protein prenylation is the addition of a 15 or 20 carbon lipid to a cysteine near carboxyl terminus of target proteins. Prenylation increases hydrophobicity, which facilitates membrane associations and protein-protein interaction. Protein prenylation is generally conserved among eukaryotes, and mutations in genes that carry out prenylation are lethal in animals and yeast. In plants prenylation mutations are not always lethal, but they do affect development, disease resistance, biofuel production, and drought response, among other processes of agricultural interest. To understand the evolutionary and developmental implications of plant protein prenylation, we used the sequenced, annotated, and translated genome of the moss …

Gateway Scholarships In Biological Sciences: Year 4 Annual Report, Vicki Stieha, Julia Oxford, Amy Ulappa, Brittnee Earl, Jennifer Forbey, Laura Bond, Kevin Feris, Jocelyn Cullers, Caleb Hartman

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report summarizes grant activities, progress toward goals, and broader impacts of the Gateway Scholars Program in the Boise State Department of Biological Sciences during the 2020-21 academic year.

Estrogen Disruption Of Hypothalamic Neural Activity, Princess Dickson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The brain is highly dependent on the endocrine system for proper neurodevelopment, as it plays a key role in many biological processes. Bisphenol A is a chemical found in plastics that has the potential to mimic the effects of Estrogen in the body, at least weakly. People interact with plastic that contains BPA regularly, and people are at risk for exposure even before being born. The abundance of BPA, along with other exogenous estrogens, makes examining the relationship between early exposure and changes in brain activity imperative. The current study aims to establish a relationship between disrupted estrogen function and …

Phylogeography, Diversification, And Historical Demography Of The White-Toothed Rats (Berylmys) In Indochina, Kristy Lee Tuttle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Berylmys, the White-toothed rats, and other members of the Rattus sl (Rattus, Maxomys, Leopoldamys, Niviventer, Bandicota, and Sundamys) evolved from 3-5 million years ago during a period of dynamic landscape change in Indochinese south Asia wherein climatically stable, warm forests of Miocene and Pliocene Indochina transitioned to a modern landscape regime. From the late Pliocene through the terminal Pleistocene, climate changes, ecological shifts, rising and falling sea levels, and tectonic uplift drove adaptive radiation within Rattus sl, in complex interactions that are still not completely understood. The goal of this study is to understand species relationships and population structure in …

Assembly And Function Of The Polycystin Receptor-Ion Channel Complexes And The Otop1 Proton Channel, Bin Li

Theses and Dissertations

Polycystin complexes, or TRPP/PKD complexes, made of transient receptor potential channel polycystin subfamily proteins (TRPP) and polycystic kidney disease (PKD) proteins, play key roles in coupling extracellular stimuli with intracellular Ca2+ signals. For example, the TRPP2/PKD1 complex has a crucial function in renal physiology, with mutations in either protein causing autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). In contrast, the TRPP3/PKD1L3 complex responds to low pH and plays a potential role in sour taste. It has been previously shown that the protein partners interact via association of the C-terminal or transmembrane segments, with consequences for the assembly, surface expression, and function …

Eimeria Lancasterensis (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae), Three Nematodes (Heligmosomoidea: Boehmiellidae, Heligmonellidae), And A Flea (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) From The Eastern Fox Squirrel, Sciurus Niger (Rodentia: Sciuridae) In Arkansas, Chris T. Mcallister, John A. Hnida, Henry W. Robison, Lance A, Durden, Christopher Whipps

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

In Arkansas, the eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) is a common inhabitant of the state. Although information is available on ectoparasites of this host in Arkansas, little is known about the endoparasites of this squirrel. A single specimen from Montgomery County was examined and found to harbor the following: a coccidian (Eimeria lancasterensis), three nematodes, Boehmiella wilsoni, Citellinema bifurcatum, and Sciurodendrium hassalli, and a flea, Orchopeas howardi. We document these nematodes from an Arkansas S. niger for the first time, and add mensural and molecular information on E. lancasterensis from this host.

Novel Reproductive Data On Pealip Redhorse, Moxostoma Pisolabrum (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae), From Northeastern Arkansas, Chris T. Mcallister, Henry W. Robison, Ethan T. Woodyard, Thomas Graham Rosser, Thomas J. Fayton

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Little is known about the natural history of the Pealip Redhorse (Moxostoma pisolabrum), particularly on its reproductive biology in Arkansas. We examined 11 female M. pisolabrum collected in late February 2020 and 2021 from the Black River, Lawrence County. Egg mass (g) represented 9‒14% of the total weight of these gravid females. This is the first time information on female reproduction in this species has been reported from any population of M. pisolabrum in the state.

Combined Effects Of Experimentally Elevated Cort And Predation Threat On Exploratory And Foraging Behavior Of Desmognathus Ochrophaeus, Aaron M. Sullivan, Ian E. Kratzer, Seanna C. Jobe, Jacquelyn L. Lewis

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Amphibian responses to stress are generally mediated through glucocorticoids produced by the hypothalamic–pituitary–interrenal axis. Chronic elevation of glucocorticoids can result in delayed wound healing and growth, but less is known about its influence on behavioral responses to predators. We examined the effect of acute and chronic CORT elevation on exploratory and foraging behaviors of Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamanders (Desmognathus ochrophaeus) exposed to kairomones from a predatory snake. We established ‘No CORT,' ‘Acute CORT,' and ‘Chronic CORT’ conditions during an 18-d preparation phase by varying salamander exposure to an exogenous source of CORT (0.51 mg/mL) delivered via cutaneous patch. …

Measurement And Theory Of Gas-Phase Ion Mobility Shifts Resulting From Isotopomer Mass Distribution Changes, Christopher P. Harrilal, Viraj D. Gandhi, Gabe Nagy, Xi Chen, Michael G. Buchanan, Roza Wojcik, Christopher R. Conant, Micah T. Donor, Yehia M. Ibrahim, Sandilya V. B. Garimella, Richard D. Smith, Carlos Larriba-Andaluz

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

The unanticipated discovery of recent ultra-high-resolution ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) measurements revealing that isotopomers—compounds that differ only in the isotopic substitution sites—can be separated has raised questions as to the physical basis for their separation. A study comparing IMS separations for two isotopomer sets in conjunction with theory and simulations accounting for ion rotational effects provides the first-ever prediction of rotation-mediated shifts. The simulations produce observable mobility shifts due to differences in gas−ion collision frequency and translational-to-rotational energy transfer. These differences can be attributed to distinct changes in the moment of inertia and center of mass between isotopomers. The simulations …