Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons^™

Caspases Protect Against Hyperglycemia Induced Necroptosis-Like Cell Death In Brain Endothelial Cells, Aleena S. Mathew

Theses and Dissertations

Acute diabetes characterized by high spikes in blood glucose levels in association with severe hyperglycemia can lead to an increased risk of ischemic stroke in the brain. To better understand high blood glucose levels, hyperglycemia, in the brain we explored its effects on endothelial cells. Endothelial cells line the inner walls of blood vessels and are directly impacted in hyperglycemia. Brain endothelial cells are a major component of the blood brain barrier (BBB) which tightly regulates the brain’s microenvironment. The type of cell death such as apoptosis, caspase dependent, or necroptosis, caspase independent, can exacerbate diabetes associated complications. There is …

The Impact Of Seasonal Variation On Body Morphology In Temnothorax Curvispinosus, Chelsea Kalb

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study examines how seasonal variations affect the morphology of Temnothorax curvispinosus (acorn ants) by comparing workers hatched in the spring and in the fall. Colonies will be collected from the Bath Nature Preserve in May and September to represent the different seasonal groups. Morphological traits, such as the head, mesosoma, gaster, antennae, and leg, will be measured using a microscope and an image analysis software. The morphological measurements from each group will then be compared using ANOVA. By exploring how environmental variation influences developmental outcomes in acorn ants, this research contributes to our understanding of phenotypic plasticity and insect …

Impact Of Tetrahydrocannabinol (Thc) On Daphnia Magna Heart Rate, Ashley Cosgrave

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Marijuana (Cannabis) is currently federally illegal within the United States and classified as a Schedule I drug. This leaves a large research gap on the impacts of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use. Daphnia magna are frequently used as a model organism for the human heart and toxicology screenings due to their myogenic heart, similarities in physiological pathways, and sensitivity to toxins. As such, in order to bridge the research gap and uncover potential use of Daphnia magna as a model organism for humans in regard to impact on heart rate, we hypothesized that if Daphnia magna possess CB1 receptors or an equivalent …

Hip Strengthening In Female Collegiate Soccer Players: Effects Of Gluteus Medius Strengthening On Biodex Balance Scores, Caitlin Bruni, Morgan Shansky

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of gluteus medius (Gmed) strengthening program on single leg stability in collegiate female soccer players. Given the role of Gmed in stabilizing the hip, improving its strength may reduce lower extremity injury risk. Weakness in Gmed has been linked to conditions such as Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears and Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). This study investigates whether an 8-week strength program improves single-leg stability, measured using the Biodex Balance System. Thirty-three female soccer players (18-23 years) from The University of Akron were recruited, with 22 completing the study. Participants underwent …

Investigating The Role Of Prostasin In Angiogenesis: A Chorioallantoic Membrane Model Approach, Zaima Aline

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Prostasin, also known as PRSS8 or CAP1, is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored extracellular serine protease involved in various physiological and pathophysiological processes. Prostasin expression is observed during key phases of trophoblast invasion and placental development, critical steps in embryo implantation in Rhesus monkeys. This suggests a role for prostasin in extracellular matrix remodeling and tissue invasion, both essential for a healthy pregnancy. Moreover, prostasin appears vital for development as studies in mice show that a germline knockout of the gene leads to significant placental defects and eventual embryonic death, highlighting its importance in vascular and structural development within the placenta.

Building …

Movement And Activity Of Burbot, (Mizay; Lota Lota) In A Spring-Fed Minnesota Lake, Abigail M. Fountain

Biology Graduate Theses

Burbot (Mizay; Lota lota) are a relatively unmanaged freshwater fish, important in many local Indigenous cultures, but often overlooked or maltreated in research, conservation, and fishing practices. As such, relatively little research has been conducted on Burbot, despite ecological significance as an indicator species. A recent resurgence in popularity as a target species, however, has prompted new research to inform management policies. The objectives of this study were to summarize Burbot movement by identifying patterns in swimming activity and identify possible predictors of the movement observed. This study investigated the movements of 39 individuals implanted with acoustic transmitters in Bad …

An Edna Assessment Of The Diamond Darter (Crystallaria Cincotta) In Its Current And Historic Distribution Range, Cameron Moore Layne

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Environmental DNA (eDNA) can serve as a useful monitoring tool for cryptic and imperiled freshwater stream fishes. eDNA can fill knowledge gaps regarding species’ distribution, site abundance, and habitat usage. The last known stronghold of the Diamond Darter (Crystallaria cincotta) in the Elk River of West Virginia provides an excellent test case to examine the utility of this non-invasive method of surveying rare species. Diamond Darters are one of the most newly recognized freshwater fishes in North America and are among the most imperiled U.S. fishes, having been federally listed as endangered in 2013. The cryptic behavior and limitations of …

Trait-Based Predictors Of Social Rank In Astatotilapia Burtoni, Joshua T. Johnson

All Master's Theses

Dominance hierarchies are a central feature of social species, influencing access to resources, reproductive opportunities, and survival. In many animals, body size is a primary determinant of social rank, but other morphological traits may also contribute. This study investigates how physiological traits—including body size, pigmentation, lachrymal striping, and egg spots—relate to social dominance in Astatotilapia burtoni, a socially dynamic African cichlid.

Side-profile photographs were used to measure body size, red, green, and blue pigmentation intensity, lachrymal stripe area, and egg spot count. Behavioral interactions were recorded and analyzed using the Elo rating system to generate a continuous measure of …

Regulation And Function Of Mec-2 Alternative Splicing In Single Cells, Canyon Calovich-Benne

Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations

One mechanism for generating diversity at the single cell level is selective expression of a unique set of transcription factors (TFs) and RNA binding proteins (RBPs). These regulatory factors contribute to functions of cells by controlling cell fate, turning genes on and off, and processing of transcripts either co- or post-transcriptionally. Many genes, especially neuronal genes, have multiple different splicing events, promoters, and/or polyadenylation sites. Post-transcriptional coordination is in the infancy of being studied and the functional consequences of this coupling at the single cell level has yet to be explored. Here we show, mec-2 coordination of alternative transcription start …

A Quantitative Approach To Determining The Reduction Rate Of Cassette Labeling Errors Within A Surgical Pathology Diagnostic Laboratory, Kiaya Symonné Pruitt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cassette labeling errors within a surgical pathology laboratory can affect patient safety variously, including invalid patient results. In order to diminish these errors, automated systems have been placed in surgical pathology laboratories. However, there is no current research on reducing cassette labeling errors within a surgical pathology laboratory that possesses a partial automated system without a LIS connection. Therefore, the current study aimed to determine if there is a statistically significant reduction in pathology cassette labeling errors during different phases of the barcode system (an automated system) implementation for cassette creation. A nonexperimental correlational design was used for the current …

Exploring The Utility Of The Septicyte In Clinical Decision-Making In The Emergency Department, Sylvia Lowery-Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Know thy enemy. A significant obstacle in treating and managing sepsis is the absence of a test or method to diagnose the disease rapidly. Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection (Sinha & Ray, 2018). Despite improvements to sepsis-related care and sepsis outcomes, it remains a worldwide concern and a leading cause of mortality. Early recognition and management of sepsis is critical to provide rapid treatment and to prevent deaths associated with sepsis and septic shock. Since most patients with sepsis receive their initial care in the emergency department, it is …

Single-Molecule Studies Reveal The Off-Pathway Early Paused State Intermediates As A Target Of Streptolydigin Inhibition Of Rna Polymerase And Its Dramatic Enhancement By Gre Factors, Anatolii Arseniev, Mikhail Panfilov, Georgii Pobegalov, Alina Potyseva, Polina Pavlinova, Maria Yakunina, Jookyung Lee, Sergei Borukhov, Konstantin Severinov, Mikhail Khodorkovskii

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Antibiotic streptolydigin (Stl) inhibits bacterial transcription by blocking the trigger loop folding in the active center of RNA polymerase (RNAP), which is essential for catalysis. We use acoustic force spectroscopy to characterize the dynamics of transcription elongation in ternary elongation complexes (ECs) of RNAP in the presence of Stl at a single-molecule level. We found that Stl induces long-lived stochastic pauses while the instantaneous velocity of transcription between the pauses is unaffected. Stl enhances the short-lived pauses associated with an off-pathway early paused state intermediates of the RNAP nucleotide addition cycle. Unexpectedly, we found that transcript cleavage factors GreA and …

Informing Management Of American Shad (Alosa Sapidissima) In The Carolinas: Evaluating Novel Fish Passage Approaches And Acoustic Tracking Methods, Margaret Gaither

All Theses

Acoustic telemetry is a valuable tool for fisheries scientists to study the movements and migratory behaviors of aquatic organisms. A critical assumption of this method is that tagged fish exhibit similar behaviors and survival rates as their untagged counterparts. To investigate this, we conducted a 12-week laboratory study on adult American Shad (Alosa sapidissima) using gastroesophageal insertion of acoustic transmitters. We implanted 80 fish with dummy transmitters and monitored tag retention and survival. Our analysis, employing a mixed effects Cox’s proportional hazards model, revealed no significant differences in survival between tagged and control fish, regardless of sex. Additionally, …

Cmos-Based Rotational Spectroscopy: Massive Spectral Fingerprint Generation And Molecular Detection With Deep Learning, Yasamin Fozouni

Computer Science and Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Rotational Spectroscopy is a powerful spectral fingerprinting approach that can be used for identifying different gas molecules in a sample. Gas molecules are free to rotate, with inertia, in fixed states of quantized energy. In Rotational Spectroscopy, radiative beams are shown onto a sample to cause an energy-based transition between quantized rotational states. By sweeping the frequency of the radiative beams and monitoring the absorption with a sensor, one can profile the different rotational states, monitoring for energy based transitions. These transitions are dependent on unique properties of the molecules, thus presenting a unique molecular identification fingerprint (in the form …

An Update On Novel Taxa And Revised Taxonomic Status Of Bacteria Isolated From Domestic Companion And Agricultural Animals Described In 2023, Sara D. Lawhon, Claire R. Burbick, Trinity Kreuger, Elena Ruiz-Reyes, Erik Munson

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

With the proliferation of abundant bacterial genomic data comes the recognition of new organisms as well as a better understanding of the relatedness of known bacteria. Recognizing the associated taxonomic changes enhances communication and understanding about the significance of novel organisms and deeper understanding of known pathogens. This review addresses the addition of multiple gastrointestinal bacteria that form the normal microbiota in a variety of animals including honeybees as well as novel bacteria from domestic animals including an alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus species from guinea pigs, two Moraxella spp. from cows and goats, a new Capnocytophaga species from cats, a thermophilic Campylobacter …

Investigating Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi-Cover Crop Interactions To Improve Sustainable Agricultural Practices, Isabel M. Zanartu, Connor Morozumi, Natalie Christian

The Cardinal Edge

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are fungal species that form beneficial relationships with plants. AMFs are known to help crops acquire important nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil, and in return the plants provide carbon to the fungi. At least 80% of all plants partner with AMFs including staple crops such as rice, corn, wheat and soybeans. With so many plants likely relying on AMFs, current farming practices such as planting in monocultures and fallow overwintering may limit these relationships. On top of this, climate change challenges the reliability of these practices in the future. One sustainable agricultural practice …

Electron-Beam-Killed Staphylococcus Vaccine Reduced Lameness In Broiler Chickens, Anna L.F.V. Assumpcao, Komala Arsi, Andi Asnayanti, Khawla Alharbi, Anh Dang Trieu Do, Quentin D. Read, Ruvindu Perera, Abdulkarim Shwani, Amer Abdullah Hasan, Suresh D. Pillai, Robin C. Anderson, Annie M. Donoghue, Douglas D. Rhoads, Palmy R.R. Jesudhasan, Adnan A. Alrubaye

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Broiler chicken lameness caused by bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) is presently amongst the most important economic and animal welfare issues faced by the poultry industry, and the estimated economic loss is around USD 150 million. BCO lameness is associated with multiple opportunistic bacterial pathogens inhabiting the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. In cases of immune deficiency resulting from stress, injury, or inflammation of the tissue, opportunistic pathogens, mainly Staphylococcus spp., can infiltrate the respiratory or gastrointestinal mucosa and migrate through the bloodstream to eventually colonize the growth plates of long bones, causing necrosis that leads to lameness. This is the …

An Update On Novel Taxa And Revised Taxonomic Status Of Bacteria Isolated From Aquatic Host Species Described In 2022–2023, Claire R. Burbick, Sara D. Lawhon, Brittany Bukouras, Giovanna Lazzerini, Erik Munson

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The description of new taxa and nomenclature updates to currently known taxa from aquatic animal species continues. After a review of the literature from 2022 and 2023, multiple lists of bacteria, including members of Phylum Planctomycetota, were compiled. As with the previous review, most bacteria are oxidase-positive Gram-negative bacilli with familiar families including new taxa in Aeromonadaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, and Vibrionaceae. A number of Gram-positive bacilli are described including new taxa in the Nocardioides, Paenibacillus, and Streptomyces genera. Two anaerobic species are listed, and one new member of Family Planctomycetaceae is noted. Revised taxa are …

Oxidative Stress Responses In Arabidopsis Thaliana Plants To Uv-B Irradiation, Bolaji Olalere

Theses

The depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer has led to increased levels of harmful UV-B radiation reaching the Earth's surface, posing significant challenges for plant health and development. This study investigates the oxidative stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana when exposed to UV-B irradiation. Arabidopsis thaliana, a well-established model organism, is particularly sensitive to UV-B, making it ideal for understanding the effects of UV-B-induced oxidative stress. UV-B radiation, a mutagenic component of sunlight, disrupts key metabolic, molecular, and developmental processes, leading to DNA damage, impaired metabolism, and morphological changes. This research aims to explore how UV-B exposure affects the activities of …

Valid And Accepted Novel Bacterial Taxa Isolated From Non-Domestic Animals And Taxonomic Revisions Published In 2023, Erik Munson, Claire R. Burbick, Sara D. Lawhon, Trinity Krueger, Elena Ruiz-Reyes

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Continued investigation into the bacteria associated with non-domestic animals provides important information for recognizing normal flora, assessing the health status of these unique species of animals, and identifying new or emerging pathogens of concern. In this summary of novel taxa and taxonomic revisions, considerable additions have been made toward understanding fecal and mucosal flora in multiple wild animal species. In addition, novel pathogenic bacteria are discussed, including multiple Chlamydia spp. causing disease in a hawk and crocodile, two Corynebacterium spp. causing oral lesions in penguins and a lesser-known genus, Mergibacter within Family Pasteurellaceae, causing disease in multiple wild bird …

Louisiana Graduate Network In Applied Evolution (Lagniappe): 2023-2024 End-Year Report, Kristina Little, Samuel B. Robison, Bret Blackmon, Andrew R. Burns

Reports

The Louisiana Graduate Network in Applied Evolution (hereinafter; LAGNiAppE) was funded by a grant awarded through the National Science Foundation (NSF 22-506), as part of the Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates in Biological Sciences (RaMP) grant program. The LAGNiAppE program provides training and mentorship to cohorts of recent college graduates from underrepresented groups interested in advancing their knowledge and research skills in evolutionary biology. Social Research and Evaluation Center (SREC) at Louisiana State University conducted the evaluation of LAGNiAppE, assessing program implementation and impact. The evaluation team at SREC employed a mixed methods design that included online surveys for scholars …

The Reveal: A Technical Study And Conservation Treatment Of An Overpaint Portrait, Camille Ferrer

Art Conservation Master's Projects

A severely damaged 19th-century oil painting depicting a portrait of a woman was treated at Patricia H. and E. Garman Art Conservation Department. A typed letter provided by the owner mentioned that it has been previously restored yet returned with unsatisfactory results. After further examination, the painting appeared to have been previously treated multiple times by different people. There was overpaint distinctly present on the face and later discovered to be present overall. The full state of condition of the painting was initially unknown due to the sum of the surface being overpainted. However, there were evidence of paint loss …

Effects Of Oxycodone On Placental Lineages: Evidence From The Transcriptome Profile Of Mouse Trophoblast Giant Cells, Zhen Lyua, Jessica A. Kinkadeb, Nathan J. Bivens, R. Michael Roberts, Trupti Joshi, Cheryl S. Rosenfeld

Biomedical Sciences

Pregnant women are often prescribed or abuse opioid drugs. The placenta is likely the key to understanding how opioids cause adverse pregnancy outcomes. Maternal oxycodone (OXY) exposure of pregnant mice leads to disturbances in the layer of invasive parietal trophoblast giant cells (pTGC) that forms the interface between the placenta and uterus. These cells are analogous to extravillous trophoblasts of the human placenta. They are crucial to coordinating the metabolic needs of the conceptus with those of the mother and are primary participants in the placenta–brain axis. Their large nuclear size, however, has precluded both single- cell (sc) and single- …

How Many Fathers? Frequency Of Multiple Paternity In Soupfin Sharks (Galeorhinus Galeus) From California And Australia, Okoiya Kelly

Theses

Multiple paternity has been widely documented in elasmobranch fishes (sharks, rays, and skates); however, the frequency of multiple paternity (FMP; the percentage of sampled litters having multiple sires) varies greatly both among and within species. Understanding the reasons for this inter- and intraspecific variation in FMP may be key to understanding why females mate with multiple males. The soupfin shark (Galeorhinus galeus) is an understudied species in this regard with only one study previously investigating multiple paternity, in which two out of five litters sampled from New Zealand were found to have multiple sires (FMP = 40.0%). We augmented this …

Understanding The Role Of Mastl In Colon Homeostasis And Colitis-Associated Cancer Development, Kristina Pravoverov

Theses & Dissertations

Colitis-associated cancer (CAC) is the most devastating complication of longstanding inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Understanding the mechanisms underlying the switch from damage-repair to dysplasia in IBD is critical for identifying novel therapies to facilitate mucosal healing while mitigating CAC risk. Microtubule-associated serine-threonine kinase-like (MASTL), though crucial in cell growth and repair, is upregulated in sporadic colorectal cancer and CAC. This study sought to delineate the role of MASTL in colitis and CAC development.

First, we examined whether MASTL is associated with colitis and recovery. Review of publicly available data found significant elevation of MASTL and interleukin (IL)-22 in biopsies from …

Agnotology Of The E-Cigarette Industry: How The E-Cigarette Industry Continues The Tobacco Industry's Legacy Of Creating Controversy And Confusion Within The Scientific Community And The General Population, Calvin Lewis

University Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which the e-cigarette industry follows in the footsteps of the tobacco industry's attempts to disrupt science and cause controversy. Four tactics are described that the tobacco industry uses to disrupt science: funding research that is designed to show results that support their position, criticizing and suppressing research that goes against their position, changing risk assessment and scientific research standards to fit their aims, and spreading data created by their interest groups to politicians and the nonacademic press. Evidence is found to show that both the tobacco industry and e-cigarette …

Effect Of Glucocorticoid Blockade On Inflammatory Responses To Acute Sleep Fragmentation In Male Mice, Zim Hasan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The association between sleep and the immune-endocrine system is well recognized, but the nature of that relationship is not well understood. Sleep fragmentation induces a pro-inflammatory response in peripheral tissues and brain, but it also activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, releasing glucocorticoids (GCs) (cortisol in humans and corticosterone in mice). It is unclear whether this rapid release of glucocorticoids acts to potentiate or dampen the inflammatory response in the short term. The purpose of this study was to determine whether blocking or suppressing glucocorticoid activity will affect the inflammatory response from acute sleep fragmentation (ASF). Male C57BL/6J mice were injected …

Sustainable Waste-To-Bioproducts Engineering Center Laboratory Safety Project, Claudine Mock

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Laboratory accidents are common in teaching and research labs; these accidents can be injurious or even fatal. The consequences of each type of laboratory accident are different based on the activities performed and the hazardous materials used in each facility. However, the most common issue related to laboratory accidents is the lack of proper safety measures (e.g., poor handling of hazardous materials, not reporting incidents immediately, etc.). This project aimed to establish and strengthen best practices and procedures to ensure laboratory safety at the Utah State University Sustainable Waste-to-Bioproducts Engineering Center. To achieve this goal, different practices and measures were …

Effects Of Increasing Cycling Cadence On Post-Cycling Gait Velocity: An Experimental Study, Nitu Lama

Master's Theses

Previous research has shown that increasing cycling cadence, rather than the workrate, can result in improved post-cycling gait velocity. However, the specific threshold of cycling cadence required to bring about clinically meaningful changes in gait velocity remains unknown. To address this knowledge gap, our study aimed to determine the minimum incremental increase in cycling cadence that would lead to a significant improvement in post-cycling gait velocity. A total of 42 young adults participated in our study and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: TEN, TWENTY, and THIRTY. Each group was assigned to cycle at a cadence at the …

High Fat Diet & Social Isolation: Interactive Effects On Pain, Cognition, & Neuroinflammation, Ian M. Campuzano

Research Psychology Theses

Prior research has established a role for both social isolation and exposure to high fat Western diets in altering a range of behaviors from reduced memory performance to increased depression-like behaviors. The present study scrutinizes the interplay among these variables during the peri-adolescent developmental phase, utilizing Long-Evans rats as the experimental model. Our overarching hypothesis is that rats exposed to either social isolation, a high-fat diet, or both will result in heightened pain sensitivity, diminished cognitive flexibility, and increased neuroinflammatory responses within brain regions implicated in sociability, cognition, memory, and pain processing. Behavioral flexibility will be assessed using a maze-based …