Research Methods in Life Sciences Commons^™

A Deeper Dive Into Literature Published About Pinnipeds And Cetaceans Using The Five Domain Model, Aqsa Khan, Pedro Beltran

Posters - 2024

Research was conducted on cetaceans (whales and dolphins) (Figure 1) and pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) (Figure 2), focusing on five domains: nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and mental state. The goal was to identify the most discussed domain in existing literature. Specifically examining researchers' opinions on assessing the well-being of these marine mammals. After analyzing articles, hypotheses were formed suggesting that environmental factors are prominent for cetaceans, while behavior is the prominent domain for pinnipeds. To test these hypotheses, peer-reviewed articles were coded, providing both qualitative insights and quantitative representations of each domain's prevalence. The research uncovered the focal domains …

Materials And Methods Developed For The Recording And Analysis Of Behavior In The Common Marmoset (Callithrix Jacchus)., Christian Wintle

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Materials and methods developed for the recording and analysis of behavior in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).

Christian J. Wintle^a, Jordan B. Hernandez^a,b,c, Dobromir Dotov^d, and Jonathan B. Clayton^a,b,e,f,g

^aDepartment of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA

^bNebraska Food for Health Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

^cDepartment of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, NE, USA

^dDepartment of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA

^eDepartment of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, …

Investigating Interrater-Reliability In Assessing Social Behavior Of Monodelphis Domestica, Bianca A. Camacho, Johanna Perez, Jatziry L. Escobedo, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Reliable, consistent, and objective data is a goal all studies aim to achieve, but many struggle to obtain when subjective biases between researchers can occur. Inter-rater reliability (IRR) is a statistical measure used to quantify the degree of agreement between researchers qualitatively scoring the same phenomenon. The primary goal of this study is to enhance the methodology used to achieve optimal IRR. Using an established ethogram, our team of researchers scored the social behavior of the adult gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) to propose an effective method for achieving high IRR that can contribute to future …

A Comparison Of Larvicide And Garlic Mineral Salts On Horn Fly Populations, Kristina N. Dees, Benjamin J. Schrag

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

For this research project, we studied three separate pastures containing Fort Hays State University’s Holstein cows. One pasture was our control group, with no horn fly protection applied. Another pasture had cattle that were fed with garlic in their mineral salts, an all-natural horn fly prevention method. Our final pasture contained cows sprayed with a larvicide. This was a single-blind study, meaning I did not know which pasture had what treatment, but my professor knew. Throughout the late summer and early fall of 2023, we went out to each pasture and took pictures of ten cows per pasture. Then, using …

Modulation Of Hippocampal Protein Expression By A Brain Penetrant Biologic Tnf-Α Inhibitor In The 3xtg Alzheimer’S Disease Mice, Nataraj Jagadeesan, G. Chuli Roules, Devaraj V. Chandrashekar, Joshua Yang, Sanjana Kolluru, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Biologic TNF-α inhibitors (bTNFIs) can block cerebral TNF-α in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) if these macromolecules can cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Thus, a model bTNFI, the extracellular domain of type II TNF-α receptor (TNFR), which can bind to and sequester TNF-α, was fused with a mouse transferrin receptor antibody (TfRMAb) to enable brain delivery via BBB TfR-mediated transcytosis. Previously, we found TfRMAb-TNFR to be protective in a mouse model of amyloidosis (APP/PS1) and tauopathy (PS19), and herein we investigated its effects in mice that combine both amyloidosis and tauopathy (3xTg-AD).

Methods

Eight-month-old female 3xTg-AD mice were injected intraperitoneally with …

Limonene Exerts Anti-Inflammatory Effect On Lps-Induced Jejunal Injury In Mice By Inhibiting Nf-Κb/Ap-1 Pathway, Sarmed H. Kathem, Yasameen Sh. Nasrawi, Shihab H. Mutlag, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The human gastrointestinal system is a complex ecosystem crucial for well-being. During sepsis-induced gut injury, the integrity of the intestinal barrier can be compromised. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria, disrupts the intestinal barrier, contributing to inflammation and various dysfunctions. The current study explores the protective effects of limonene, a natural compound with diverse biological properties, against LPS-induced jejunal injury in mice. Oral administration of limonene at dosages of 100 and 200 mg/kg was used in the LPS mouse model. The Murine Sepsis Score (MSS) was utilized to evaluate the severity of sepsis, while serum levels of urea and …

A Dietary Variety: Analyzing The Impacts Of Diverse Vs Worm-Exclusive Diets On The Blanding’S Turtle (Emydoidea Blandingii), Caitlin F. Copenhaver

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The endangered Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) is a species with a generally diverse diet in their freshwater wetland habitats; they consume prey such as crayfish and snails. In captivity, these options often become more limited due to logistical reasons. As ex situ conservation efforts such as captive rearing and head-starting are becoming more popular for this species, it will be important to gain more insight on how these more limited diets might affect these turtles. This study describes a comparison between diets in six captive Blanding’s turtles from September to November of 2023, with three turtles receiving only …

Exploring The Developmental Effects Of Antidepressants In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Alexandra Van Stone

Annual Research Symposium

It is so important to explore the potential side effects of antidepressants especially if these side effects could lead to a future detriment to an individual’s financial and social well-being. A better understanding of these side effects in regards to human developmental issues is imperative considering issues related to mental health and depression affect a large percentage of the population. In this study, we tested if Caenorhabditis (C.) elegans could be a potential model organism to predict possible side effects associated with select antidepressants. Their developmental problems potentially encountered upon drug treatment may be encountered in humans.

Investigating Optimal Laboratory Growth Conditions Of Gracilibacillus Halotolerans In Media Supplemented With Salt, Isaac Young

Annual Research Symposium

As interest continues to grow in the field of persister cells and their morphology, there arises an ever-evolving desire to further understand specific strains of bacteria that exemplify the qualities of seemingly anomalous survival regardless of anti-bacterial treatment. In the case of the Gracilibacillus halotolerans, a halotolerant extremophile extracted from the Great Salt Lake with known persistent characteristics, uncovering its optimal growth conditions was essential for future investigations. Identifying the optimal salinity for the growth of G. halotolerans will allow us to standardize our growth methods, uncover several mechanisms of saline tolerance, and add to future investigations of persistence with …

Eristalis Tenax Movement Behavior In Response To Light, Temperature, And Food, Jeffery J. Zheng, Zdena M. Janderova, Jason D. Lang

Georgia Journal of Science

Drone flies, Eristalis tenax (Diptera: Syrphidae), are important generalist pollinators and visit flowers globally that range widely in color. The flies’ photoreceptors allow them to sense light wavelengths between 300-600 nm and E. tenax exhibit a positive phototactic response. To understand the effects of light on E. tenax movement, we conducted two-choice behavioral tests to determine their phototactic response to different wavelengths of light across the spectrum (ultraviolet to red light, plus full spectrum white light). The drone flies moved most and quickest toward sunlight, with almost twice the percentage of flies moving toward sunlight than toward black and …

Too Hot To Thrive: A Qualitative Inquiry Of Community Perspectives On The Effect Of High Ambient Temperature On Postpartum Women And Neonates In Kilifi, Kenya., Adelaide Lusambili, Sari Kovats, Britt Nakstad, Veronique Filippi, Peter Khaemba, Nathalie Roos, Cherie Part, Stanley Luchters, Matthew Chersich, Jeremy Hess

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Objectives; To understand community perspectives on the effects of high ambient temperature on the health and wellbeing of neonates, and impacts on post-partum women and infant care in Kilifi.

Design; Qualitative study using key informant interviews, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with pregnant and postpartum women (n = 22), mothers-in-law (n = 19), male spouses (n = 20), community health volunteers (CHVs) (n = 22) and stakeholders from health and government ministries (n = 16).

Settings; We conducted our research in Kilifi County in Kenya’s Coast Province. The area is largely rural and during …

Quantifying Wild Pig Disturbance In Pastures And Wetlands Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Derived Imagery, Wesley M. Anderson, Bethany Wight, Raoul K. Boughton

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for agricultural and environmental research has increased markedly in recent years, and a key application has been to conduct damage assessments. Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) cause both agricultural and environmental damage, and past studies have utilized UAVs to quantify this damage. Each methodology has advantages, but they also have drawbacks such as high rates of damage omission or reliance upon a near-infrared camera, which may be prohibitively expensive for some land managers and scientists. Our objective was to develop a methodology that could be easily implemented to conduct wild pig …

Estimation Of Probability Of Habitat Use Of Roosevelt Elk On The Olympic Peninsula, Vincent Michael Gugliotti

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Estimating the probability of habitat use for a particular species is crucial to the direct management and conservation of that species. Without knowledge of habitat preferences, managers cannot effectively focus efforts on vital resources or landscape types. However, modelling probability of habitat use can be done in several ways which leaves room for variation and uncertainty in the estimates produced by each method. This study is an examination of the variation between two estimates of probability of habitat use while focusing on a particular subspecies of elk that inhabits a unique ecosystem relative to other elk subspecies. I modeled elk …

Distribution Of Tick Species On Free-Ranging Ungulates In Northern New England, Karisa Graham

Honors Theses and Capstones

In Northern New England, ungulates are often parasitized by ticks, which is one of the leading causes for the decline in population. Ungulates are a good host for ticks, specifically deer ticks and winter ticks, and these ticks cause many tick-borne diseases in humans as well. The purpose of this study was to assess passive sampling from harvested animals as a means of tick surveillance in Vermont and New Hampshire. Ticks were collected from deer and moose and mapped throughout the two states by ArcGIS to visualize the trends in distribution. Relative abundance was greater in southeastern Vermont, with no …

Delineating Contributions Of Genotype And Lineage To Lung Cancer Therapy Response, Kassandra Jo Naughton

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) heterogeneity is a major challenge for determining effective treatment strategies. Adenocarcinomas (ADCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are histologically and epigenetically distinct subtypes of NSCLC. Patients with ADC tumors harboring mutations in both KRAS and LKB1 (aka STK11) have lower survival rates than those with KRAS-only tumors. KRAS/LKB1 tumors are not only aggressive, but also respond poorly to immunotherapy. However, these data are limited to ADCs, and it is unclear if SCCs with this genotype are also resistant to immunotherapy. We developed a mouse model of Kras^mut/Lkb1^mut capable of producing …

Zebrafish Drug Screening Identifies Erlotinib As An Inhibitor Of Wnt/ Β-Catenin Signaling And Self-Renewal In T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Majd A. Al-Hamaly, Anna H. Cox, Meghan G. Haney, Wen Zhang, Emma C. Arvin, Shilpa Sampathi, Mary Wimsett, Chunming Liu, Jessica S. Blackburn

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway’s significance in cancer initiation, progression, and stem cell biology underscores its therapeutic potential. However, the clinical application of Wnt inhibitors remains limited due to challenges posed by off-target effects and complex cross-talk of Wnt signaling with other pathways. In this study, we leveraged a zebrafish model to perform a robust and rapid drug screening of 773 FDA-approved compounds to identify Wnt/β-catenin inhibitors with minimal toxicity. Utilizing zebrafish expressing a Wnt reporter, we identified several drugs that suppressed Wnt signaling without compromising zebrafish development. The effi- cacy of the top hit, Erlotinib, extended to human cells, where it …

The Influence Of Anesthesia And Nicotine On Dopamine Signaling In The Rat Dorsal Striatum, Gracie E. Rosenbaum

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

The striatum is highly innervated by dopamine neurons and is involved in movement control (dorsal striatum) reward learning (ventral striatum). Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is a technique that uses microelectrodes (diameter ~5 μm, length ~150 μm) to monitor dopamine signaling in the brain. Although urethane and isoflurane anesthetics are commonly used in in vivo studies, isoflurane’s potential influence on dopamine signaling has not been thoroughly investigated. In addition to this, the addictive nature of nicotine indicates the importance of understanding its impact of dopamine neurotransmission within the different striatal subregions. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvegicus) 300 – 450 grams were …

Impact Of Oxytocin And Tetrahydrocannabinol On Signs Of Fear In The Rat, Jair E. Alvarez Jr.

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

BACKGROUND: Oxytocin (OXT) has been used as a post-treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous research suggests that pre-treatment of intranasal OXT attenuates signs of fear in rats; however, the impact of intraperitoneal (i.p) OXT pre-treatment on signs of fear in rats is unknown. We also explored the effects of delta-9 (psychoactive component of cannabidiol) and delta-8 (delta-9 isomer) THC pre-treatment on attenuating signs of fear in the rat. METHODS: For each experiment, male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups, (n=8 per group); 1.) controls (vehicle and no foot shock), 2.) shock (vehicle and foot shock), 3.) low dose …

The Delineation Of Platelet Pathology In Cardiometabolic Disease, Chi Peng

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Obesity is a multifactorial disease with many comorbidities leading to multiorgan dysfunction. Current studies point towards dysregulation of platelet signaling as a driver for increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. The exact mechanisms remain elusive due to the complex interplay of factors involved, warranting the need to further understand how platelets are affected. Our preliminary data evaluating changes in platelet and coagulation parameters from bariatric patients showed that obesity did not affect platelet count or clotting time as demonstrated in INR values. However, female patients had increased bleeding events before surgery that were decreased after surgery. Due to limitations …

Advancing The Blue Economy Through Sustainable Mariculture: The Prospect Of Pearl Oyster And Sponge Cultivation In St. Vincent And The Grenadines, Kevin Antonio Providence

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The Blue Economy is estimated to be worth over USD 2.5 trillion annually, or almost 3% of the world’s GDP in 2020. St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) in the Caribbean region has a vast and rich marine space that is underutilized. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of pearl oyster and sponge farming to advance the country’s Blue Economy through sustainable mariculture. A qualitative approach was applied, using a literature review and thematic analysis of data gathered through semi—structured interviews and focus group discussions with relevant stakeholders. Among several species evaluated, the result of the study revealed that …