Biology Commons^™

Twitter: More Than Tweets For Undergraduate Student Researchers, Nathan S. Reyna, Christin Pruett, Mike Morrison, Jennifer Fowler, Sumali Pandey, Lori Hensley

Research, Publications & Creative Work

A vital component of a CURE is feeling a sense of community. While our students often present to each other at the end of the semester, we have struggled with having them interact with a wider audience. A few students may present class results at a regional or national meeting; however, feasibility limits this opportunity to only a handful of students. Twitter has been used as a tool to disseminate scientific findings (1, 2). As a result of COVID-19, scientific societies have used Twitter to provide snapshots of research to be presented at their virtual meetings using “Twitter Posters” (Michael …

Biofilms On Plastic Litter: Community Composition And Activity And The Effects On Ecosystem Processes, Raul F. Lazcano

Master's Theses

The rapid increase of plastic production and disposal has resulted in plastic pollution becoming a global problem. In aquatic ecosystems, plastic litter is a substrate for biofilms, but little research has simultaneously assessed the effects of plastic litter on biofilm activity, community composition, and ecosystem processes. Our objectives were to: (1) measure biofilm activity and community composition on plastic litter relative to a natural surface in an urban river and (2) assess the impact of microplastic pollution on ecosystem metabolism and N2 flux in an oligotrophic lake. For objective (1) we incubated three common plastics with distinct physical and chemical …

Can Gdp Be Predictive Of Fertility Rates In Sweden?, Hannah Coleman

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Fertility rates in a country vary and can be influenced by numerous different aspects of an individual’s life and the society in which they live. One aspect that may influence fertility rates at the national level is the gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is an indicator of a country’s economic productivity. Because fertility is linked to both economic development and individual resources, GDP may be a useful indicator of fertility rates. If so, knowing or predicting GDP could be used to project the fertility rates of a population years into the future. To determine if a reasonable connection between GDP …

Identification Of A Rickettsial Endosymbiont In A Soft Tick Ornithodoros Turicata Americanus, Lichao Liu, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Hameeda Sultana, Girish Neelakanta

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Bacterial endosymbionts are abundantly found in both hard and soft ticks. Occidentia massiliensis, a rickettsial endosymbiont, was first identified in the soft tick Ornithodoros sonrai collected from Senegal and later was identified in a hard tick Africaniella transversale. In this study, we noted the presence of Occidentia species, designated as Occidentia-like species, in a soft tick O. turicata americanus. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of the two genetic markers, 16S rRNA and groEL confirmed the presence of Occidentia-like species in O. turicata americanus ticks. The Occidentia-like species was noted to be present in all developmental stages …

Development Of Diagnostic Methods And Epidermiology Of Tuberculosis In Free-Ranging Long-Tailed Macaque Macaca Fascicularis And Rhesus Macaque M. Mulatta In Thailand, Suthirote Meesawat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Cross-species infectious disease transmission, especially between humans and wildlife, is increasing during the global warming. Tuberculosis (TB) is an air-borne infectious disease that can be transmitted from humans to non-human primates (NHPs), however, no report of TB prevalence in free ranging NHPs that highly interacted with humans in Thailand was published. Thus, this study was conducted and separated into 3 phases. Phase I, active TB in 1,836 free-ranging macaques including 6 rhesus (Macaca mulatta; Mm), 23 common long-tailed (M. fascicularis fascicularis; Mff), and 3 Burmese long-tailed (M. f. aurea; Mfa) macaque populations throughout Thailand was assesses. Monkeys were captured, anesthetized, …

Stop, Then Go! Rapid Acceleration Offsets The Costs Of Intermittent Locomotion When Turning In Florida Scrub Lizards, Cheyenne Walker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Intermittent locomotion is a commonly used escape strategy with a wide array of potential benefits. Pausing may aid in locating a predator, crypsis, lowering energy costs, and avoiding obstacles. Turning may also benefit from intermittent locomotion by allowing an animal time to assess its surroundings; therefore, decreasing the chances of making a mistake and/or stumbling. Florida scrub lizards live in environments with a variety of obstacles such as turns. The goal of this study is to quantify the locomotor behavior and performance by lizards while navigating a 45° or 90° turn. Lizards were run along both a 45° and 90° …

Impacts Of Changing Permafrost Conditions On Vegetation Productivity In The Northern Boreal Forest, Emily Ogden

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Vegetation productivity across the boreal forest has increased over the past several decades. However, at a regional scale there is large variation from increased (greening) to decreased (browning) productivity and large areas with no measured change. Some of this variation can be explained by disturbances, such as wildfire, or by increased climate variability. In northern regions underlain by permafrost, the interactions between climate, disturbance, and vegetation productivity may be more complex. For my thesis, I used a time-series of ground thermal data from permafrost monitoring sites established by the Geological Survey of Canada along a latitudinal transect of the Northwest …

Impact Of Orthophosphate As A Corrosion Inhibitor And Chloramine Disinfectant On Drinking Water Biofilm Communities, Mitchell Cooke

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A drinking water distribution system (DWDS) must maintain conditions within quality standards which assure the effective and safe transport of finished drinking water from treatment plants to the household tap. Although safe to drink, finished water is not sterile, and may contain hundreds of microorganisms in a single milliliter. These microorganisms are present from the source waters, such as lakes, rivers and aquifers, and have passed through early treatment steps. Final treatment steps, such as the maintenance of disinfectant residuals, are used to further minimize viable cells present and focus on the reduction of harmful organisms. Microbial cells entering the …

Design And Validation Of Artificial Feeders To Study Feeding Preferences And Growth Of Hematophagous Juvenile Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon Marinus), Gracie Li-Ting-Wai

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The parasitic and invasive land-locked sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus populations contributed to the collapse of the Great Lakes fisheries in the mid-1900s, while native anadromous populations are currently under threat and require conservation efforts for protection. Despite the increasing concern for both populations of this species, the juvenile stage of the sea lamprey’s life cycle has not been well studied. This is due, in part, to ethical concerns raised around holding live host fish with juveniles and the lack of an alternative feeding method to maintain these juveniles in the laboratory. The feeder should be designed to minimize fouling of …

The Influence Of Faculty Peer Network Communication In The Diffusion Of A Centralized Cure, Nicole L. Scheuermann

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide students the benefits of undergraduate research participation by incorporating authentic scientific research into laboratory courses. CUREs are a relatively young pedagogy and are therefore innovative. Roger’s (2003) diffusion of innovations (DOI) framework posits that the diffusion of innovations, such as CUREs, is a highly social process. Most existing CURE research has focused on the impacts to students and the critical elements of CURE design. Investigation into instructor peer network communication is largely absent from the existing CURE literature. This study investigates the structure and function of a CURE community – the Malate Dehydrogenase CURE …

Mortality In Interspecific Hybrids Of Nasonia Vitripennis And Nasonia Giraulti, Bonnie Cobb

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Nasonia is a parasitoid wasp genus that serves as an emerging model for studying speciation due to an incompatibility between nuclear and mitochondrial genomes between sister taxa. Short generation times, easy rearing in a lab setting, producing large amounts of progeny, and whole genome sequencing make Nasonia is an excellent candidate for studying incomplete reproductive isolation. Nasonia have five chromosomes and exhibit haplo-diploid sex determination in which fertilized eggs develop into diploid females and unfertilized eggs develop into haploid males. Recessive phenotypes are hidden in diploid females but are laid bare in haploid males as there is no interaction between …

Hemocyte-Mediated Immune Response To A Bacterial Infection In The Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides Felis), Melanie Muñoz

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Despite their continued medical and veterinary importance, the vectorial capacity of fleas (Order Siphonaptera) is often underestimated. Fleas are best described as ectoparasites of a variety of mammalian and aviary hosts. In humans, fleas are infamous for the transmission of several detrimental agents, including those that cause plague, murine typhus, and cat-scratch disease. Although their significance in flea immune responses remains unknown, phagocytic immune cells, known as hemocytes, are important players in the cell mediated immune response of insects. Among invertebrates, hemocytes provide defense against foreign microbes via phagocytosis, cellular encapsulation, and the production of humoral immune factors. As mentioned …

Acceleration Of Slow Autophagy Flux Induced By Arabinofuranosyl Cytidine Improves Its Antileukemic Effectiveness In M-Nfs-60 Cells, Salwa Fouad, Gamal Elsokkary, Abo Bakr Abdel Shakor

Turkish Journal of Biology

Arabinofuranosyl cytidine (AraC) is an analog of deoxycytidine used as an anticancer drug for leukemic patients. The effective dose always produces severe complications. The present study investigated the modulation of autophagy and its impact on the cytotoxicity of AraC toward murine myelogenous leukemia cells (M-NFS-60). Autophagy was inhibited by NH4Cl or Bafilomycin A1 or enhanced by amino acid starvation, glucose starvation, mild hyperthermia (41 °C), or rapamycin (Rap). Cells were treated with different concentrations, 0 to 2 µM, of AraC in the presence or absence of autophagy modulators. AraC-induced apoptosis is combined with autophagy, especially at lower concentrations. This autophagy …

Assessing The Effects Of Age And Sex On Mtbi Severity, Jennifer Harrell

Honors Academy

“Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) accounts for 70-90% of TBIs recorded in the last two decades. Subjection to continued mTBIs could result in severe comorbidities appearing years later. Current research on mTBI shows significant male sex and single age skew in murine animal models. Using the Missouri Blast Model, mice were inflicted with mTBI and evaluated using standard behavior tests and a novel method not previously used for mTBI with an open blast model. With both methods, a larger clinical difference was found between age groups than sex. We were also able to show that the novel tracking method was …

It's A Small World After All: Insights, Interferences, And Implications Of In Situ Chlorophyll Fluorescence Monitoring In Estuaries, James Silas Tanner

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Concentrations of the photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll a are used as a proxy for phytoplankton biomass by estuarine scientists to study eutrophication, food web dynamics, and harmful algal blooms. Coastal managers use chlorophyll as an indicator of nutrient pollution and for assessments to meet Clean Water Act standards. Chlorophyll a, as measured in the laboratory by extraction from monthly discrete water samples, is a core component of the National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP). Field-deployable sensors based on the excitation and emission spectra of in situ chlorophyll have not been incorporated into SWMP to date because past …

Histological Comparison Of Shark Dermis Across Various Ecomorphologies, Olivia Schuitema

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The integument plays essential roles in the structural support, protection, and hydrodynamic capability among fishes. Most shark skin research has been done on the external epidermal layer containing the dermal denticles, while the larger dermis layer has been mostly ignored. The dermis layer in sharks is composed of two layers, the upper stratum laxum and the lower stratum compactum, holding supportive collagen and elastin fibers. There may be morphological and compositional differences in the dermis layers across various species of sharks, although the extent of such is unknown. These potential differences may be represented by various dermal thicknesses and different …

Environmentally Friendly Agent Against Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda): Antifeedant Potency Of Mentha Spicata Aqueous Extracts, Emmanuel Peprah-Yamoah, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, Hayford Ofori, Eric Adua

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The rising trends of insect resistance, coupled with escalating environmental pollution from synthetic pesticides, heighten the need for a more effective and, non-hazardous agents to control insect/pests. Different aqueous extracts of Mentha spicata were screened for their phytochemical constituents and their antifeedant activities against Spodoptera frugiperda. Screening of the different aqueous extracts of Mentha spicata obtained by cold maceration revealed the presence of phenolics and tannins. The concentration of phenols and tannins in the water, glycerine, and glycerine plus water (glycerine-water) extracts were significantly different (p < 0.05). Mentha spicata water extract had a greater antifeedant activity against Spodoptera frugiperda as compared to glycerine and glycerine-water (60 : 40, v/v) extracts at a concentration of 5g/100 mL. The estimated % antifeedant activity recorded were 97 as against 8.21 and 49.81, respectively. Aqueous neem seed water extracts gave an estimated % antifeedant activity of 93.07 and it served as a control. Saponins were absent in all extracts and only water extracts had alkaloids present. The simple, non-hazardous, and cost-saving extraction method demonstrated could be applied in both commercial and subsistent farming to counteract the damnable effects of Spodoptera frugiperda infestation.

Validation Of Edna Metabarcoding : A Comparison To Traditional Survey Methods In Ozark Streams, Veronica Marian Lee

Masters Theses

Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling provides a method for assessing fish communities that has potential as a supplement to traditional sampling methods due to its ability to save time as well as its non-invasive nature. This is a method in which from just one sample, eDNA from multiple individual species are able to be sequenced in tandem and the resulting reads identified to describe a community. In order to evaluate this technique and its efficacy for monitoring fish community diversity, we collected water samples alongside surveys performed by the Missouri Department of Conservation sampling program in summers 2020-21. DNA were extracted …

Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation In Restored Native Prairies Over Time, Samrin Shahnaz

Honors Program Theses

With the recent focus on the causes and effects of climate change, the relationship between agriculture and climate change has become an important concern. Conventional farming maximizes crop production at the expense of ecosystem services like soil carbon storage. As the human population grows, it is vital to develop practices that balance crop production and ecosystem services.

We investigated organic carbon accumulation in restored prairie soil over the course of a decade. Our goal was to determine how organic carbon levels and soil bulk density changed over time, and how that change was influenced by species diversity and soil depth. …

The Role Of Rad51 In Trichomonas Vaginalis, Dominique Hall

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Drug resistance to the current treatments on the market is on the rise, therefore there is strong interest in understanding what could be causing the resistance, how resistance could be spreading through the population, and finding some possible new drug targets. One protein of interest is Radiation Sensitive Protein 51 (Rad51). It is a protein that is involved in homologous recombination as well as other processes such as DNA damage repair. While Trichomonas vaginalis traditionally has been known to replicate via binary fission, a modified form of closed mitosis, there is some evidence that meiosis, or at least some form …

Regulation Of Ppp1r15a (Gadd34) And Ppp1r15b (Crep) Mrna Expression And Localization In The Unfolded Protein Response, Krithika Giresh

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The failure to balance protein synthesis, folding, and degradation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) leads to the accumulation of unfolded proteins, leading to ER stress. Cells respond to this stress by activating a response signaling pathway known as the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR). One of the branches of the UPR induces the phosphorylation of eIF2α (Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 2) to attenuate global protein synthesis, allowing for a chance to clear misfolded and unfolded proteins. This phosphorylation of eIF2α is opposed by a phosphatase, containing a catalytic subunit, Protein Phosphatase 1, and a scaffolding protein, either GADD34 or CReP. Inhibition of …

Tooth Agenesis, Thomas Labarias

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

In this literature review, I will discuss tooth agenesis, which is a congenital absence of one tooth or more, and the terminology associated. I will then discuss and compare the studies regarding the etiology and the prevalences of tooth agenesis throughout the world population. The second half of the paper will cover tooth agenesis from a clinical standpoint. I will describe the capital different complications and phenotypes that tooth agenesis creates. In the last section, I will explain how tooth agenesis is medically treated, and the multidisciplinary management needed to improve the patient’s quality of life.

Sickle Cell Anemia & Associated Neurological Complications: A Literature Review, Rodjmar Joseph

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Sickle cell anemia, an inherited disorder, causes red blood cells to contort into a disk or sickled shape becoming hard and sticky and obstructing blood flow. As the most common hemoglobinopathy, over 100,000 Americans in the US are affected by sickle cell disease. Sickle cell anemia is an inheritance of the abnormal sickle cell gene genetically transferred from both parents. Sickle cell anemia can be easily diagnosed in DNA through a blood test or genetic screening. With a 1 in 4 chance of inheriting copies of the sickle cell gene from both parents if both biological parents are carriers, the …

Association Between Habitat And The Genetic Diversity Of The Brown-Belted Bumblebee (Bombus Griseocollis) In The Agricultural Landscape Across Northeast Iowa, Clarissa Elizabeth Bruns

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Wild bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) are key pollinators in natural ecosystems and major contributors to pollination in agriculture. Despite this, numerous bee species are in decline from introduced pathogens, pesticides, and habitat fragmentation. In the Midwestern United States, the land is dominated by agricultural landscape, and farming practices result in limited floral resources and frequently disturbed nesting grounds for bee species. In this thesis, I examine the genetic diversity between and within populations of brown-belted bumblebee (Bombus griseocollis) across northeast Iowa and test for population genetic structure between reconstructed prairies within 3 years of establishment and prairies >10 years …

Identification, Enumeration, And Diversity Determinations For Fungi Enriched On Phthalates As Sole Carbon Source From Riverine Sediments Using Molecular Methods, Anthony M. Vicidomini

All Capstone Projects

Phthalates are a common chemical compound used as plasticizers in various industries that have been linked to several detrimental effects on health. Due to their widespread use, they have become a common environmental pollutant of soil and water. The persistence and distribution of phthalate esters in the environment has given rise to many microorganisms that are able to incorporate phthalates into various metabolic pathways and degrade them into harmless substances, with fungi being among those that are capable of such degradation of industrial polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In this study, the diversity of fungal communities in response to the presence of …

The Mitospecific Domain Of Mrp7 (Bl27) Supports Mitochondrial Translation During Fermentation And Is Required For Effective Adaptation To Respiration, Jessica M. Anderson, Jodie M. Box, Rosemary A. Stuart

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

We demonstrate here that mitoribosomal protein synthesis, responsible for the synthesis of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) subunits encoded by the mitochondrial genome, occurs at high levels during glycolysis fermentation and in a manner uncoupled from OXPHOS complex assembly regulation. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the mitospecific domain of Mrp7 (bL27), a mitoribosomal component, is required to maintain mitochondrial protein synthesis during fermentation but is not required under respiration growth conditions. Maintaining mitotranslation under high-glucose-fermentation conditions also involves Mam33 (p32/gC1qR homologue), a binding partner of Mrp7’s mitospecific domain, and together they confer a competitive advantage for a cell’s ability to adapt to …

Beyond Cortisol: Indicators Of Stress And Negative Feedback In Plasma And Blubber Of Marine Mammals, Jessica Avalos

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Marine mammals play an important role in ecosystem stability. However, anthropogenic activity is compounding pressure on many already vulnerable populations. A potential consequence of anthropogenic disturbance is physiological stress, which can impact metabolism, immunity, and reproduction, especially if it occurs repeatedly. Previous studies on marine mammals have focused on acute stress, but the impacts of repeated stress are poorly understood. Due to its accessibility on land during haul-outs, the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is a good system in which to study the effects of stress in marine mammals. Stress stimulates the release of glucocorticoid hormones, primarily cortisol. Elevated cortisol …

How Do They Do It? Using Omics Approaches To Explore Metabolic Responses Associated With Hypoxia And Exercise Tolerance In The Deepest Diving Pinniped, Elizabeth R. Piotrowski

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Marine mammals such as northern elephant seals (NES) routinely experience hypoxemia and ischemia-reperfusion events to many tissues during deep dives with no apparent adverse effects. Adaptations to diving include increased antioxidants and elevated oxygen storage capacity associated with high hemoprotein content in blood and muscle. Despite experiencing decreased oxygen tensions during diving, NES likely rely on the mobilization of large lipids stores and catabolism of fatty acids to provide energy to exercising muscle while diving. To identify potential regulatory mechanisms that may underly hypoxia and exercise tolerance in diving mammals, this study used system-wide approaches to characterize changes in genes …

Bioturbation By Echidna (Tachyglossus Aculeatus) In A Forest Habitat, South-Western Australia, Shannon J. Dundas, Lara Osborne, Anna J. M. Hopkins, Katinka X. Ruthrof, Patricia A. Fleming

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Bioturbation by digging animals is important for key forest ecosystem processes such as soil turnover, decomposition, nutrient cycling, water infiltration, seedling recruitment, and fungal dispersal. Despite their widespread geographic range, little is known about the role of the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) in forest ecosystems. We measured the density and size of echidna diggings in the Northern Jarrah Forest, south-western Australia, to quantify the contribution echidna make to soil turnover. We recorded an overall density of 298 echidna diggings per hectare, 21 % of which were estimated to be less than 1 month old. The average size of digs was …

Cultivation Of Industrial Hemp On And Near Airports: Implications For Wildlife Use And Risk To Aviation Safety, Bradley F. Blackwell, Page E. Klug, Lee A. Humberg, Zachary T. Brym, Bryan M. Kluever, Jennifer M. Edwards

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Land-use planning on and near airports should consider possible revenue from land covers, associated maintenance costs, and potential for land covers to attract vertebrate species recognized as hazardous to aviation safety. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has expressed interest in recent attention given to industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.; hemp) as a revenue-producing land cover that might be cultivated on or near airports. Our purpose was to better understand the potential production value of hemp as well as its possible role in affecting aviation safety if cultivated on or near airports. Our objectives were to: (1) review the literature …