Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons^™

Changes In Walleye Fecundity And Egg Size Before, During, And After Rehabilitation Of The Red Lakes Fishery, Benjamin J. Miller, Benjamin D. Erb

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The Red Lakes in northern Minnesota experienced a major Walleye Sander vitreus fishery crash in the late 20th century, but has since recovered to record abundances and supports a major commercial and recreational fishery. Fecundity is an integral aspect of recruitment that can contribute greatly to the understanding of fishery population dynamics. To elucidate the effects of varying Walleye densities and exploitation rates on fecundity and egg size in years 1989 (overexploited fishery), 2004 (recovering fishery), and 2017 (recovered fishery), we analyzed linear models that related fecundity or egg size to morphological features for these three sampling periods. Walleyes were …

Goldeye Hidon Alosoides Calorimetry In Red Lake, Jesse Mendel

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Goldeye Hiodon alosoides are found across North America and are a relatively unstudied group of fish as they have had no economic value in the past. Ecologically speaking, these fish could have importance to the waters that they inhabit, as they are prey to fishes like Walleyes Sander vitreus, Northern Pike Esox lucius, and Muskellunge Esox masquinongy. These fish could potentially be vital to predatory fishes because of the amount of oil found in these fish, creating gram for gram more energy than compared to other consumable substances. The average energy density for all Goldeye was 6.73 …

Examining Black Bullhead Ameiurus Melas Age And Growth In Shallow Minnesota Lakes, Michael S. Collins, Anna M. Medina

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Ageing methods, population age structures, and growth trajectories for Black Bullhead Ameiurus melas were evaluated for six populations from shallow lakes divided between two ecoregions in Minnesota, USA. A total of 693 fish were collected in July and August 2018 and measured for total lengths (TL) and weights (g). We collected ageing structures from 320 of these fish. Crosssections of lapillar otoliths (n=191) and pectoral spine structures (n=75) were used to estimate age by two readers in a blind reading procedure. Fish caught ranged in total lengths from ~40 to 350 mm and weighed between 8 and 380 g. Black …

Cross-Limb Dynamics Of Postural Tremor Due To Limb Loading To Fatigue: Neural Overflow But Not Coupling, Steven Morrison, Justin Kavanagh, Karl Newell

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Many experiments have shown independence of the index finger dynamics under bilateral postural tremor protocols. Here we investigated in young adults the dynamics of bilateral multidirectional postural tremor and forearm muscle activity under the progressively fatiguing conditions supporting an external weight to the point of induced postural failure. When no loads were applied, tremor in the vertical (VT) and mediolateral (ML) directions was similar with prominent peaks within 2- to 4-Hz and 8- to 12-Hz bandwidths. Contrastingly tremor in the anterior-posterior (AP) direction was characterized by a single peak between 0 and 2 Hz. Although no tremor coupling occurred cross …

Smart Sheep Need More Protection, Michael L. Woodruff

Animal Sentience

The target article unequivocally establishes that sheep are far more intelligent and cognitively sophisticated than is generally acknowledged. For this reason, the authors advocate for significantly more stringent regulation of agricultural and research practices when sheep are used. I briefly review the existing US regulations governing the use of sheep in research and discuss the extent to which they are applied to sheep. I then discuss weaknesses in the current regulations, concluding that they should be changed to mandate housing all research animals in environments that accommodate the psychosocial needs of each species.

Effects Of Acute Hypoxia On Danio Rerio, Karly Crail

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this research experiment was to determine the effects of acute hypoxia on the embryonic zebrafish (Danio rerio) cardiovascular system and assess the critical oxygen level at which embryonic function is compromised. This goal was achieved by exposing embryos to decreasing oxygen concentrations, (6.0 mg/L-0 mg/L) and observing the heart under an inverted microscope. Data analysis was conducted to determine end systolic volume, end diastolic volume, stroke volume, heart rate, and cardiac output. It was hypothesized that hypoxia would stimulate cardiac activity, because in early developmental stages, tissues are supplied with oxygen through bulk diffusion, and …

Suction Dredge Mining Impacts On Pacific Lamprey Populations And Habitat In Washington State: A Case Study Of The Entiat River, Jaime Liljegren

All Master's Theses

Suction dredge mining is a largely unregulated recreational activity in Washington State with potentially significant impacts to aquatic habitat. Although dredging has the potential to cause widespread ecological effects, only impacts to select species have been thoroughly assessed. Due to their reliance on freshwater habitat throughout multiple life stages, Pacific lamprey are significantly vulnerable to impacts from dredging practices. This thesis focuses on assessing the effects of dredging to lamprey habitat within state-owned aquatic lands of Washington. Pacific lamprey are anadromous, utilizing freshwater habitat throughout key life stages including spawning in substrate ranging from coarse gravel to fine sand, and …

The Effect Of Manipulating Vertical Motion On Running Economy, Claire Copriviza

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

While several biomechanical factors have been identified as key determinants of running economy (i.e. metabolic cost), the influence of individual mechanical factors such as center of mass vertical motion (ΔCoM_z) remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine how manipulating ΔCoM_z effects running economy. Twelve runners used a visual biofeedback system to control their ΔCoM_z during running as we measured the metabolic, kinematic, and muscle activation responses to the different levels of ΔCoM_z. Running economy was strongly correlated to ΔCoM_z and was optimized at an intermediate center of mass vertical motion …

Effects Of A Race Timer On The Three Minute All-Out Test For Critical Power, Paul K. Mandell

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Maximal exercise testing is commonly employed by exercise scientists in order to assess an athlete's’ capabilities and inform future training goals and tactics. The Critical Power (CP) concept provides a novel perspective on the physiological capacity of an individual to perform work. The 3 Minute All-Out Test (3MT) for critical power was developed by Vanhatalo, Doust, & Burnley in 2006. Concerns about pacing during the test lead to the development of protocol which blinds participants to time during the test. Twelve healthy active males were recruited to participate in the current study on the effects of a race timer on …

An Investigation On The Role Of Β-Arrestin 2, Protein Kinase C And Sex On The Mechanism Of Morphine Tolerance In The Mouse Ileum, Karan Hitesh Muchhala

Theses and Dissertations

Opioids such as morphine are frequently used in the clinic to treat pain. However, the perennial bane of chronic opioid use is the rapid development of tolerance to the analgesic effects but delayed development of tolerance to the respiratory depressant and constipating effects. As constipation is one of the most common opioid-related adverse effects in humans, it is important to delineate mechanisms that drive opioid tolerance in the ileum and lack of it in the colon. The overarching goal of this thesis was to investigate mechanisms of morphine tolerance in the ileum by comparing the mechanism of morphine tolerance in …

Neuronal And Glial Expression Of Glun2c And Glun2d Nmda Receptor Subunit Mrna In Different Regions Of The Mouse Forebrain, Hassan Alsaad

Theses & Dissertations

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are a subtype of glutamate receptors that are widely expressed in the brain, where they mediate critical functions. While the actions of the predominate GluN2 NMDAR subunits, GluN2A and GluN2B are relatively well understood, the function of GluN2C and GluN2D in the telencephalon is largely unknown. To better understand the possible role of GluN2C and GluN2D subunits, we used fluorescence in situ hybridization together with multiple cell markers to define the distribution and type of cells expressing GluN2C and GluN2D mRNA. Also, a GluN2C-KO mouse was used as a negative control.

GluN2C mRNA expression was only found …

Polyglutamine Repeat Proteins Disrupt Actin Structure In Drosophila Photoreceptors., Annie Vu, Tyler Humphries, Sean Vogel, Adam Haberman

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

Expansions of polygutamine-encoding stretches in several genes cause neurodegenerative disorders including Huntington's Disease and Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 3. Expression of the human disease alleles in Drosophila melanogaster neurons recapitulates cellular features of these disorders, and has therefore been used to model the cell biology of these diseases. Here, we show that polyglutamine disease alleles expressed in Drosophila photoreceptors disrupt actin structure at rhabdomeres, as other groups have shown they do in Drosophila and mammalian dendrites. We show this actin regulatory pathway works through the small G protein Rac and the actin nucleating protein Form3. We also find that Form3 has …

The Role Of Tumor Suppressor Dear1 In The Acquisition Of Mammary Stem/Progenitor Cell Properties, Uyen Le

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in America. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), one of the earliest pre-invasive forms of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), has a 30-50% risk of progressing to IDC. Understanding the mechanisms regulating progression from DCIS to IDC would help identify biomarkers to stratify patients at higher risk of progression or metastasis. Cumulative literature suggests the earliest phase of dissemination from the primary tumor is driven by the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program. DEAR1 is a tumor suppressor gene which is mutated, undergoes loss of heterozygosity in breast cancer, and is downregulated in DCIS …

Behavioral Insights Into Nociceptor Function: A Systematic Approach To Understanding Postsurgical And Neuropathic Pain Mechanisms In Rats, Max Odem

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Postsurgical and neuropathic pain are each clinically common, and often associated with ongoing pain. Ongoing pain has been linked to ongoing activity (OA) in human C-fiber nociceptors. Preclinical studies using rodent neuropathic models have concentrated on allodynia driven by OA generated in non-nociceptive Aβ fibers, but little attention has been paid to postsurgical pain in sham controls or to C-fiber nociceptor OA promoting ongoing pain.

Operant assays that reveal negative motivational and cognitive aspects of voluntary pain-related behavior may be particularly sensitive to pain-related alterations. In the mechanical conflict (MC) test, rodents can freely choose to escape from a brightly …

Comparisons Between Movement Onset Identification Methods Used In Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull Test, Junshi Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aimed to explore the usefulness of using force derivatives for onset detection in the isometric mid-thigh pull test. First, we examined applications of three differential calculus principles, first and second derivative, and curvature using visual detection as a reference under different baseline conditions. Second, we compared the best derivative method to a threshold-based method using visual detection as a reference. Results of our first investigation showed trivial differences between many differential calculus methods and visual detection. However, statistical differences exceeding a trivial effect was observed when instantaneous force and rate of force develop were examined. Through the first …

Environmental Health And Saafety For Scientists Bps 357x, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Adapting Cell-Free Protein Synthesis As A Platform Technology For Education, Grace W. Chu, Max Z. Levine, Nicole E. Gregorio, Javin P. Oza

STAR Program Research Presentations

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) has emerged as an enabling biotechnology for research and biomanufacturing as it allows for the production of protein without the need for a living cell. Applications of CFPS include the construction of libraries for functional genomics and structural biology, the production of personalized medicine, and the expression of virus-like particles. The absence of a cell wall provides an open platform for direct manipulation of the reaction conditions and biological machinery. This project focuses on adapting the CFPS biotechnology to the classroom, making a hands-on bioengineering approach to learning protein synthesis accessible to students grades K-16 through …

Adult Walleye Abundance And Subsequent Fry Production In The Tamarac River, Mn, Phillip Oswald

Biology Graduate Theses

Walleye reproductive success is of critical interest for the Red Lakes as this system is maintained entirely by natural reproduction and supports robust commercial and recreational fisheries. The Tamarac River, a major tributary to the Red Lakes, hosts a substantial Walleye spawning migration annually. The river drains the largest peat bog in the lower 48 states and thus experiences low dissolved oxygen at times. It is largely unknown how the potential anoxic bog water affects Walleye reproductive success each year and subsequent year class strength. Fyke nets were set from 2014-2018 to assess the relative abundance of adult Walleye spawning …

Personal Safety Culture: A New Measure For General Aviation Pilots, Bradley S. Baugh, Kimberly M. Bracewell, Urara Takano, Mattie N. Milner, Emily C. Anania, Nadine K. Ragbir, Mudhur Bharat Gupta, Diego M. Garcia, Drishti O. Valecha, Daniel A. Marte, Scott R. Winter, Stephen Rice

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Safety culture has been a subject of research for over three decades and is now widely accepted as a critical component of organizational safety programs both domestically and internationally. Through the development of a healthy safety culture, aviation organizations can improve safety processes, reduce mishaps, and mitigate risk more effectively. This is done through the holistic team efforts of an organization’s members and the organization’s leadership. How about aviators who are not part of an organization? Is it possible to identify a personal safety culture defined outside of the traditional organization? And, is it possible to create an instrument allowing …

Promoting Adherence To Best Practice Related To Urine Reflex To Culture Testing, Maykel Verdecia Alonso Ba,Rn-Cphn

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Over a two week period, the infection control nurse, from a trauma designated facility located in norther California, planned a practice improvement project in collaboration with the laboratory microsystem to educate referring physicians and increase adherence to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) protocol, which delineates recommended best practices related to urine reflex to culture testing. Urinalysis (UA) is a test that triggers a reflex urine culture when pyuria is present. Frequent urine culturing without the presence of pyuria can cause unnecessary treatment with antimicrobials. From January 2017 to December 2017, 10% of UAs from 200 urine samples from asymptomatic …