Integrative Biology Commons^™

Health And Social Disparities Influence Opioid Misuse Among Adult Females Living In Rural Areas, Tequila Porter

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Since the early 1800s scientists have been working to create the best non-addictive pain medication derived from opium. In the early 1800s morphine was distilled from opium extracted from opium poppy plants (Quinones, 2015). Soon after a chemist invents a synthetic derivative of opium and names it diacetylmorphine (heroin) (Quinones, 2015, (Drugs and Morphine Text, 2018). Heroin originally was a safe cure for morphine addiction. Once this was proven to be false, and as having addictive properties, the government intervened and began initiatives to address the issue. This public crisis quickly grew to what modern scientists and healthcare professionals know …

Trans-Cinnamic Acid-Induced Leaf Expansion Involves An Auxin-Independent Component, Jasmina Kurepa, Jan A. Smalle

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The phenylpropanoid pathway, the source of a large array of compounds with diverse functions, starts with the synthesis of trans-cinnamic acid (t-CA) that is converted by cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H) into p-coumaric acid. We have recently shown that in Arabidopsis, exogenous t-CA promotes leaf growth by increasing cell expansion and that this response requires auxin signaling. We have also shown that cell expansion is increased in C4H loss-of-function mutants. Here we provide further evidence that leaf growth is enhanced by either t-CA or a t-CA derivative that accumulates upstream of C4H. We also show that …

Phylogeny Of The Australian Solanum Dioicum Group Using Seven Nuclear Genes: Testing Symon’S Fruit And Seed Dispersal Hypotheses., Christopher T. Martine, Ingrid E. Jordon-Thaden, Angela J. Mcdonnell, Jason T. Cantley, Daniel S. Hayes, Morgan D. Roche, Emma S. Frawley, Ian S. Gilman, David C. Tank

Faculty Journal Articles

The dioecious and andromonoecious Solanum taxa (the “S. dioicum group”) of the Australian Monsoon Tropics have been the subject of phylogenetic and taxonomic study for decades, yet much of their basic biology is still unknown. This is especially true for plant-animal interactions, including the influence of fruit form and calyx morphology on seed dispersal. We combine field/greenhouse observations and specimen-based study with phylogenetic analysis of seven nuclear regions obtained via a microfluidic PCR-based enrichment strategy and high-throughput sequencing, and present the first species-tree hypothesis for the S. dioicum group. Our results suggest that epizoochorous trample burr seed …

Comparing Feeding Accuracy Between High And Low Predation Trinidad Guppies, Lydia J. Bonnell

Honors College Theses

Efficient feeding accuracy could increase an organism’s survival. Although local adaptation in Trinidad guppies is common, the effects on accuracy are unknown. Guppies were wild caught in 2015 and 2017, filmed while capturing prey. Accuracy wasn’t different within samples but differed across samples, possibly due to the prey types used.

Combating Drug Resistance - Comparison Of The Antibiotic Effect Of Hydrastis Canadensis Extract And Pure Berberine Via Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Assay, William Luke Scott, Timothy D. Trott

Research in Biology

Herbal medicines are a melee of complex organic chemicals, making it difficult to ascertain their direct mechanism of action. In contrast to mainstream pharmaceuticals, it is argued that herbal medicines are effective because of multiple constituents working synergistically. The complexity of herbal medicines may give them advantages over simpler pharmaceuticals in combating antibiotic resistant microbes, but these advantages can be difficult to quantitate. Popular literature frequently espouses the healing properties of herbal medicines, but many of these claims are not scientifically supported. Many gains could be realized in public health and medicine if more research was aimed at validating / …

Impact Of Intrinsic Physiological Factors In The Population Recovery Of Myotis Lucifugus (Little Brown Myotis) From White-Nose Syndrome, Caroline Burke, Caitlin Looney, Alissah Sillah, Christopher Richardson

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has decimated populations of hibernating bats in the US. In particular, Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis) has been one of the most affected. We investigated the energetic cost of innate immune response and Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) fungal activity on post-hibernating little brown myotis and the link with the recovery of local populations in New England from WNS. We captured bats at one of each of 4 colonies in Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire, consecutively, every 14 days to minimize disturbance to the colony. Blood samples were collected from each bat. Respirometry trials were performed on each …

Unified Methods For Feature Selection In Large-Scale Genomic Studies With Censored Survival Outcomes, Lauren Spirko-Burns, Karthik Devarajan

COBRA Preprint Series

One of the major goals in large-scale genomic studies is to identify genes with a prognostic impact on time-to-event outcomes which provide insight into the disease's process. With rapid developments in high-throughput genomic technologies in the past two decades, the scientific community is able to monitor the expression levels of tens of thousands of genes and proteins resulting in enormous data sets where the number of genomic features is far greater than the number of subjects. Methods based on univariate Cox regression are often used to select genomic features related to survival outcome; however, the Cox model assumes proportional hazards …

Supervised Dimension Reduction For Large-Scale "Omics" Data With Censored Survival Outcomes Under Possible Non-Proportional Hazards, Lauren Spirko-Burns, Karthik Devarajan

COBRA Preprint Series

The past two decades have witnessed significant advances in high-throughput ``omics" technologies such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and radiomics. These technologies have enabled simultaneous measurement of the expression levels of tens of thousands of features from individual patient samples and have generated enormous amounts of data that require analysis and interpretation. One specific area of interest has been in studying the relationship between these features and patient outcomes, such as overall and recurrence-free survival, with the goal of developing a predictive ``omics" profile. Large-scale studies often suffer from the presence of a large fraction of censored observations and potential …

Multiscale Model Of Regional Population Decline In Little Brown Bats Due To White-Nose Syndrome, Andrew M. Kramer, Claire S. Teitelbaum, Ashton Griffin, John M. Drake

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

1. The introduced fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans is causing decline of several species of bats in North America, with some even at risk of extinction or extirpation. The severity of the epidemic of white-nose syndrome caused by P. destructans has prompted investigation of the transmission and virulence of infection at multiple scales, but linking these scales is necessary to quantify the mechanisms of transmission and assess population-scale declines.
2. We built a model connecting within-hibernaculum disease dynamics of little brown bats to regional-scale dispersal, reproduction, and disease spread, including multiple plausible mechanisms of transmission.
3. We parameterized the model using the approach of …

A Ctenophore (Comb Jelly) Employs Vortex Rebound Dynamics And Outperforms Other Gelatinous Swimmers, Brad J. Gemmell, Sean P. Colin, John H. Costello, Kelly R. Sutherland

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Gelatinous zooplankton exhibit a wide range of propulsive swimming modes. One of the most energetically efficient is the rowing behaviour exhibited by many species of schyphomedusae, which employ vortex interactions to achieve this result. Ctenophores (comb jellies) typically use a slow swimming, cilia-based mode of propulsion. However, species within the genus Ocyropsis have developed an additional propulsive strategy of rowing the lobes, which are normally used for feeding, in order to rapidly escape from predators. In this study, we used high-speed digital particle image velocimetry to examine the kinematics and fluid dynamics of this rarely studied propulsive mechanism. This mechanism …

4dee—What's Next? Designing Instruction And Assessing Student Learning, Luanna Prevost, Amanda E. Sorensen, Jennifer H. Doherty, Diane Ebert-May, Bob Pohlad

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Multiscale Model Of Regional Population Decline In Little Brown Bats Due To White-Nose Syndrome, Andrew M. Kramer, Claire S. Teitelbaum, Ashton Griffin, John M. Drake

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

1. The introduced fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans is causing decline of several species of bats in North America, with some even at risk of extinction or extirpation. The severity of the epidemic of white-nose syndrome caused by P. destructans has prompted investigation of the transmission and virulence of infection at multiple scales, but linking these scales is necessary to quantify the mechanisms of transmission and assess population-scale declines.
2. We built a model connecting within-hibernaculum disease dynamics of little brown bats to regional-scale dispersal, reproduction, and disease spread, including multiple plausible mechanisms of transmission.
3. We parameterized the model using the approach of …

The Caricomp Network Of Caribbean Marine Laboratories (1985–2007): History, Key Findings, And Lessons Learned, Jorge Cortes, Hazel A. Oxenford, Brigitta I. Van Tussenbroek, Eric Jordan-Dahlgren, Aldo Croquer, Carolina Bastidas, John C. Ogden

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity (CARICOMP) was a basin-wide cooperative, international network of marine laboratories established in 1985. Recognizing major trends of change in coastal ecosystems and the importance of the linkages among them, our goal was to monitor synoptically with standardized methods the physical environment and to document trends in measures of the structure and functioning of coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves. Between 1985 and 1993, the CARICOMP Steering Committee established a data management center and wrote a methods manual. Marine laboratories joined the program by appointing a Site Director and signing an agreement specifying the cost sharing and responsibilities …

Comparison Of Dna Methylation In Vibrio Vulnificus Cells Grown In Human Serum With Those Grown In Seawater, James W. Conrad, Valerie J. Harwood

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

The chromosomal methylation statuses of the highly virulent Vibrio vulnificus strain CMCP6 grown in human serum and in seawater are compared here. Growth in seawater resulted in ∼4 times as much methylation as that in human serum, primarily N⁴-methylcytosines.

Through The Eyes Of Faculty: Using Personas As A Tool For Learner-Centered Professional Development, Patricia Zagallo, Jill Mccourt, Robert Idsardi, Michelle K. Smith, Mark Urban-Lurain, Tessa C. Andrews, Kevin Haudek, Jennifer K. Knight, John Merrill, Ross Nehm, Luanna B. Prevost, Paula P. Lemons

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

College science instructors need continuous professional development (PD) to meet the call to evidence-based practice. New PD efforts need to focus on the nuanced blend of factors that influence instructors’ teaching practices. We used persona methodology to describe the diversity among instructors who were participating in a long-term PD initiative. Persona methodology originates from ethnography. It takes data from product users and compiles those data in the form of fictional characters. Personas facilitate user-centered design. We identified four personas among our participants: Emma the Expert views herself as the subject-matter expert in the classroom and values her hard-earned excellence in …

Regional-Scale Environmental Resistance To Non-Native Ant Invasion, Robert Warren

Biology Faculty Datasets

A successful invasion of novel habitat requires that non-native organisms overcome native abiotic and biotic resistance. Non-native species can overcome abiotic resistance if they arrive with traits well-suited for the invaded habitat or if they can rapidly acclimate or adapt. Non-native species may co-exist with native species if they require novel, underused resources or if they can out-compete similar native species. We investigated abiotic and biotic resistance to the progression of a Brachyponera chinensis invasion in the southeastern U.S. relative to the dominant native woodland ant (Aphaenogaster). We used observational data from long-term plots along the elevation gradient …

Seascape Genetics And Rehabilitation Efficiency In The Florida Manatee, Madison Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) was recently downlisted federally from "endangered" to "threatened" despite acknowledgments of remaining threats to long term population persistence. Challenges to future manatee conservation include, but are not limited to, increases in frequency of harmful algal blooms, intensifying anthropogenic disturbance, and loss of warm-water habitat. The goals of this dissertation were 1) to assess threats to the manatee via a comprehensive, long-term (1973-2016), retrospective analysis of the manatee rescue and rehabilitation partnership (MRRP) and 2) to use seascape genetics analysis to examine whether abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic seascape variables could significantly describe genetic distance patterns …

Life History Of The Coastal Tailed Frog (Ascaphus Truei) Across An Elevational Gradient, Adrian Daniel Macedo

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The life history of a species is described in terms of its growth, longevity, and reproduction. Unsurprisingly, life history traits are known to vary in many taxa across environmental gradients. In the case of amphibians, species at high elevations and latitudes tend to have shorter breeding seasons, shorter activity periods, longer larval periods, reach sexual maturity at older ages, and produce fewer and larger clutches per year.

The Coastal Tailed Frog (Ascaphus truei) is an ideal species for the study of geographic variation in life history because it ranges across most of the Pacific Northwest from northern California …

Size And Age Structure Of Introduced Populations Of Blue Catfish (Ictalurus Furcatus) In Two Kansas Reservoirs And Implications For Management, Ernesto Flores

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

ABSTRACT

The introduction of a new fish species into an aquatic ecosystem can bring about many challenges for fisheries managers. Questions might arise for the manager regarding the initial sportfish survival rate, grow rate, reproduction and recruitment, and what kind of impact will the introduction have on the already established populations found in the water body. A new population of fish is often protected using length limit regulations, allowing biologists to gain insight on whether the population will be self-sustaining or in need of periodic stockings. Age and growth information is used to understand population dynamics, estimate annual mortality and …

Plant Hormone Lab Module: Assessing Different Factors To Create The Most Effective Lab, Ahmed El-Kulak

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The research project focused on evaluating 3 different factors in creating a plant hormone lab module for Principles of Biology II lab. The main hormone of focus was brassinosteroid. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, brassinosteroids promote cell elongation, cell division, root growth, and seed germination. Three goals were established to create the most efficient lab module possible. First, mutant (bes1,bri1) root length was assessed without addition of brassinolide (BL), a synthetic brassinosteroid. Then, ½ MS and ½ MS + 20% sucrose plates were compared to see which media produced the greatest difference in root growth between the mutant lines. …