Ininwewi-gichigami (Lake Michigan) Room | Celebration of Student Scholarship

Undergraduate Upper Division (Junior and Senior)

[1] A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Relationship Between Two Subgenera of Pinworms
[2] Activity Patterns of Bald Eagles, Owls, and Northern Flying Squirrels
[3] Activity Patterns of Bobcat, Snowshoe Hare, and Stripped Skunk
[4] Behavior Patterns of Gray Squirrels in Relation to Bald Eagle and Owl Species
[5] Biomass Power in Michigan: Social implications of renewables development
[6] Biomechanical Analysis of Chakrasana Backbend in Two Variations
[7] Canis Lupus, Vulpes Vulpes, and Canis Latrans Daily Activity Patterns
[8] Change in American Black Bear, White-Tailed Deer, and Gray Wolf Activity Pattern
[9] Changes Among Snowshoe Hares, Eastern Cottontails, and Black Tailed Jackrabbits
[10] Cleaning Up Clean Energy
[11] Comparing Activity Patterns of the Coyote and Owl Species for Eastern Cottontail
[12] Comparing Competitive Predators and Prey Activity
[13] Contributing to the Understanding of Wild Burbot Life Stages in the Great Lakes
[14] Coyote Opportunistic Prey Preference Based on Daily Patterns
[15] Daily Activity Pattern of Moose, Gray Wolf, and Mule Deer
[16] Daily Activity Patterns Affected by Predation
[17] Daily Activity Patterns Among the Red Fox, Gray Fox, and Eastern Cottontail
[18] Daily Activity Patterns and How They Differ Between Carnivores
[19] Daily Activity Patterns Between Three Species
[20] Daily Activity Patterns in Moose, American Black Bears, and Gray Wolves
[21] Daily Activity Patterns of American Black Bear, American Bison, and Grey Wolf
[22] Daily Activity Patterns of Coyotes, Striped Skunks, and Eastern Cottontails
[23] Daily activity patterns of Grey wolves American Bison and Moose
[24] Daily Activity Patterns of Red Fox, Red Squirrel, and Owl Species.
[25] Daily Activity Patterns of the Cottontail Rabbit, Snowshoe Hare and Red Fox
[26] Daily Activity Patterns of Wild Turkeys, Coyotes, and White-tailed Deer
[27] Detection of IDH1 Mutation in Glioblastoma Multiforme Cell Lines Using PNA-LAMP
[28] Detection of the Human Necrobiome in Soil: A Pilot Study
[29] Determining Performance of SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antibody Test for Point of Care Use
[30] Differing Daily Patterns Between Grey Foxes, Bobcats, and Eastern Gray Squirrels
[31] Drug Education Programs Reconsidered: Does Prevention Education Really Work?
[32] Effects of Alkaline Tap Water on the Growth and Survival of P. Reticulata
[33] Evaluating Solar Panel Performance Efficiency in Northern Michigan.
[34] Fisher Activity Compared to Prey
[35] Gray Wolf Predation Effects on Prey Daily Activity Patterns
[36] Gray Wolf, Red Fox, and the Moose, Surprising Similarities
[37] Green Synthesis of Coumarin Compounds and Enantiomer Separation Using HPLC
[38] Human Bone Adornment: Evidence from a Costa Rican Archaeological Site
[39] Implications of Daily Activity Patterns of Coyote, Grey Fox, and Desert Cottontail
[40] Influence of Bobcats and Coyotes' Activity Patterns on Snowshoe Hares
[41] Influence of Fisher and Coyote on Snowshoe Hare Daily Activity Pattern
[42] Influence of Social Media and News Apps on Anxiety in College Students
[43] Lifestyle Habits: Friends or Foes, Coyotes, Owls, and Desert Woodrats
[44] Moose, Wolf, and Bear Oh My!
[45] Muon Spin Research to Study Semiconductors: Techniques and Examples
[46] Nurse Hydration Habits Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
[47] Overlaps in Desert Species' Daily Activity Patterns
[48] Predator to Prey Dynamics Between Black Bear, Gray Wolf, and Snowshoe Hare
[49] Predators Pulling Together: Hunting the Western Gray Squirrel
[50] Prevalence of Recreational and Varsity Athlete’s Cell Phone Use at NMU
[51] Red Fox and Coyote Temporal Partitioning for Predation on Snowshoe Hare
[52] Relations of Montana Coyote, White-Tailed Deer and Mule Deer Activity Patterns
[53] Skeletal Evidence for a Chronic Shoulder Injury: A Case Study
[54] Squirrel Species Daily Activity With The Northern Raccoon In a Shared Ecosystem
[55] Stable Isotope Analysis of Brook Trout Caudal Fins
[56] Temporal Avoidance Behavior in Snowshoe Hare
[57] Temporal Patterns of Common Upper Peninsula Mammals
[58] Temporal Patterns of Midwestern White-Tailed Deer Vs. Two of Their Predators.
[59] Temporal Resource Partitioning of Coyotes and Red Foxes in the Rocky Mountains
[60] The Activity Patterns for Animals in MI
[61] The Ambiguity of Ancestry Estimation from the Skeleton: A Case Study
[62] The Differing Activity Patterns of Coyote, Brown Bear, and White-tailed Deer
[63] The Green Synthesis of 5-Fluoro-2,3-Dihydro-2-(Iodomethyl)-3-Phenyl Benzofuran
[64] The Partitioning of Time: Temporal Interactions of Prey and Predation
[65] The Risk Allocation Hypothesis with Canis Latrans and Two Principal Prey
[66] Underground Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Potential in the US
[67] Variation in Migratory Waterfowl Gut Microbiome
[68] Variation of Activity Patterns of Three Ecosystem Engineers
[69] Wild Turkey, Red Fox and Coyote Interactions on the Basis of Activity Patterns.
[70] Wolf Bite Force as a Result of Deer Density in Upper Michigan
[71] Woodland Trophic Dynamics: Carnivore, Omnivore, and Herbivore

Graduate Student Projects

[72] Affective Responses to Nature vs. Urban Pictures: Inherent or Associative?
[73] Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) Risk Induced Hatching
[74] Brown Bear Gut Microbiomes: A Micro-Approach to Wildlife Management
[75] Characterization of Basigin Knock-Out Cell Lines
[76] Characterization of the P2D7 mAb to Study Basigin Function During Implantation
[77] Describing Early Life History of Common Larval Fish in the St. Marys River
[78] Fluoxetine Sensitizes Glioblastoma Cells to Cisplatin Treatment
[79] Human Recreation Impacts American Black Bear Seasonal Activity and Occupancy
[80] Sequestration of Cadmium and Nickel Sulfide by Oyster Mushrooms
[81] The Etiology of Complex Blunt Force Trauma: A Case Study
[82] Variation in Adaptation Within the American Pika (Ochotona Princeps)

[1]

A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Relationship Between Two Subgenera of Pinworms

Annika Desai, Junior - Biology - Zoology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kurt Galbreath - Biology

Poster

Pikas are hosts to several major lineages of pinworms including the subgenera Labiostomum (Labiostomum) and Labiostomum (Eugenuris). These two subgenera are commonly considered to be reciprocally monophyletic sister lineages (i.e., within each subgenus all species are more closely related to one another than they are to any species in the other subgenus). However, preliminary phylogenetic analyses showed that some L. (Eugenuris) species may be more closely related to L. (Labiostomum) species than they are to other L. (Eugenuris) species, indicating that L. (Eugenuris) might be paraphyletic. To test this hypothesis I sequenced the DNA of two mitochondrial loci and one nuclear locus from representatives of each species within the two pinworm subgenera with the goal of creating a phylogeny that robustly confirms the relationship between L. (Eugenuris) and L. (Labiostomum.) Preliminary results suggest that the two subgenera are monophyletic.

[2]

Activity Patterns of Bald Eagles, Owls, and Northern Flying Squirrels

Maggie Thocker, Senior - Biology - Botany

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The relationship between common birds of prey and their prey is frequently studied. This specific investigation analyzes the daily activity patterns of different owl species, bald eagles, and northern flying squirrels. This study aimed to determine the overlap between their activity patterns and hypothesized that there would be more overlap between the owls and squirrels than with the eagles. Utilizing camera trapping data from Snapshot USA, these three species' daily activity pattern was able to be determined. The owl species and the northern flying squirrels were primarily nocturnal, and the bald eagles were diurnal. The data analyzed showed activity overlap between the owls and northern flying squirrels, but little between the bald eagles and the other species mentioned. The habitat of northern flying squirrels varies greatly, is often shared with the owls and bald eagles, and is slowly being encroached upon by human activity. Predation on the squirrels might increase due to the lack of habitat availability and a further decline in populations. Further research is needed to determine more detailed consequences of activity overlap and predation working in concert with habitat loss to affect fly squirrel populations.

[3]

Activity Patterns of Bobcat, Snowshoe Hare, and Stripped Skunk

Hope Lantagne, Junior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Neil Cumberlidge - Biology

Poster

The secretive bobcat (Lynx rufus) is heavily affected by human interference and will limit its range and activity patterns to avoid conflict. The purpose of this project is to determine the activity patterns of the bobcat and its prey in order to show the predator-prey dependence that can be negatively affected by human interference. Camera traps set up courtesy of Snapshot USA recorded sightings of the bobcat and its favored prey, the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), and lesser known prey, the stripped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). Chi-squared tests based off of number of sightings at a select time showed a significant difference between all three species' activity patterns being cathemeral. All three species showed a preference to nocturnal activity, although the bobcat also tended to be more crepuscular and even diurnal compared to the prey species. With an increase in urbanization affecting the United States, bobcat number may begin to decline as its prey’s range overlaps with human settlements.

[4]

Behavior Patterns of Gray Squirrels in Relation to Bald Eagle and Owl Species

Jayna LaViolette, Junior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The food web is complicated and there are many interactive parts of a food web that effect the whole. It has been observed that animals will change hunting and scavenging behavior in significant ways to avoid confrontation. Some prey animals even work with different prey species to lower their chances of being eaten. For this project I looked at the relationship between eastern gray squirrels, bald eagles, and different owl species to find out if the squirrels were more threatened by one predator than the other. My hypothesis was that the eastern gray squirrel will avoid bald eagles and owls equally. I studied data gathered by researchers through Snapshot USA. This data is comprised of animal detections amassed over 400 camera nights of effort in the United States. My hypothesis was proven incorrect based on temporal data. The eastern gray squirrels were active throughout a 24-hour period but especially during the day when the eagles were also active. The squirrels were less active during nighttime hours when the owls were most active. If we assume the squirrel's behavior is based on avoiding predation then it would seem the squirrels work harder to avoid the owls. More research could be done in this area looking at the impact human interference has on the predator-prey relationships. It would also be interesting to investigate other circumstances that could influence behavior such as availability of other food sources, prey preference, sleep and wakefulness patterns and environmental factors. Having a better understanding of predator prey relationships and eagle and owl resource availability can help us for a better understanding over all of how to protect these vulnerable birds.

[5]

Biomass Power in Michigan: Social Implications of Renewables Development

Andre Brown, Senior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah Mittlefehldt - Earth, Environmental & Geographical Sciences

Poster

The use of renewable energies will likely increase in the coming years as a response to climate change, public interest, and local environmental quality concerns. Biomass energy is projected to be at the forefront of this renewable revolution, and Michigan is an excellent candidate for its development due to a thriving forest products industry. However, the centralization and industrialization of modern biomass technology makes it prone to falling into existing fossil fuel power regimes that disproportionately burden poor and minority communities. This trend is evidenced by the wood waste burning Genesee Power Station (GPS) in Flint, Michigan that worsened pollution and noise from existing industry in a predominantly black neighborhood. An Environmental Protection Agency study found that when the Flint community organized opposition to the development of the plant, they were procedurally discriminated against by the State of Michigan. In order to improve the procedures and produce more equitable outcomes, decision-makers require more detailed information regarding social variables during the siting and planning process. This research will use GIS-based land-use suitability analysis to create an index of areas in Michigan suitable for biomass energy development. The index will then be overlaid with the Center for Disease Control’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) in order to identify communities with limited social and political power with which to resist potentially unwanted development. The goal of this project is to provide decision-makers information for physically suitable and socially sensitive outcomes in woody biomass energy development in Michigan. The novel contribution to the literature will be a land-use suitability index specific to biomass energy in Michigan that also provides social context with the SVI.

[6]

Biomechanical Analysis of Chakrasana Backbend in Two Variations

Aya Waite, Senior - Sports Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah Breen - Health & Human Performance

Graduate Student Mentor: Emily Klinkman, MS Graduate Program - Health & Human Performance

Poster

The purpose of this study is to compare two variations of movement leading into the same posture: wheel pose—or more traditionally—chakrasana. Analysis of data on the functional biomechanics of this pose provides a better understanding of what makes each variation more attainable to a given individual. EMG and video analysis in Kinovea assesses the variables of muscle excitation, velocity, angles of extension at the acetabulofemoral joint and flexion at the glenohumeral joint, horizontal displacement, and center of mass (COM) in the final position. This data provides a normative reference for athletes who perform chakrasana, which may be instrumental in assessing their form. The second variation is expected to require more muscle excitation overall, a greater degree of extension at the acetabulofemoral joint and flexion at the glenohumeral joint, higher velocity, less horizontal displacement and a lower COM in the final position.

[7]

Canis Lupus, Vulpes Vulpes, and Canis Latrans Daily Activity Patterns

Justice Carter, Junior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The gray wolf (Canis lupus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and coyote (Canis latrans) are predators that reside in North America, influencing the structure of the ecosystem and prey abundance. These predators primarily compete for prey and territory. Our goal is to investigate the daily activity patterns of the gray wolf, red fox, and coyote. We hypothesize that the gray wolf, red fox, and coyote will have similar daily activity patterns. To accomplish our goals, cameras were deployed through Snapshot USA, thus tracking the time of day and the number of animals that were seen throughout the United States. The images were then analyzed using Chi-squared analysis and histograms to determine the animal’s daily activity patterns. It was concluded that the gray wolf, red fox, and coyote do not have similar daily activity patterns. Results indicate that gray wolves are cathemeral, red foxes are nocturnal, and coyotes are crepuscular. This study is important because it can further management/conservation efforts in areas of the animals. Through surveying and camera trapping scientists can gather more information about their daily activity patterns and hunting patterns. The gray wolf, red fox, and coyote are facing competition for their prey. Therefore, they are living and hunting more frequently near human civilization, causing harm to not only themselves, but to the communities in which they frequent. The predators are killing livestock, household pets, and if given the opportunity they can harm humans as well. Through further research and understanding we can find a way to solve this issue.

[8]

Change in American Black Bear, White-Tailed Deer, and Gray Wolf Activity Pattern

Alyssa Johnson, Senior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The gray wolf (Canis lupus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and American black bear (Ursus americanus) have all been observed to share a similar crepuscular activity pattern increasing interactions among the species, yet prey will generally avoid predators both spatially and temporally. Avoidance behavior has also been observed in highly competitive predator species that target the same prey species as a primary part of their diet as well as share similar habitats. As such, the goal of my study is to determine if white-tailed deer will alter their activity due to predation risk from American black bears and gray wolves, as well as if American black bears and gray wolves are observed to avoid each other temporally. To accomplish this goal, I used the popular method of camera trapping and the Snapshot USA dataset to run a chi square analysis. The results indicated that no species displayed a crepuscular activity pattern, but instead each was found to have a different pattern. These findings support a low likelihood of these species interacting; therefore, we can conclude we are observing temporal partitioning to avoid predation and competition among predator and prey. This research plays an important role in the continued reintroduction of gray wolves back into their natural habitat, and further understanding how this will impact other species who have been thriving in areas due to a smaller gray wolf population.

[9]

Changes Among Snowshoe Hares, Eastern Cottontails, and Black Tailed Jackrabbits

Tricia Schultz, Junior - Environmental Studies

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Studying the relationship between the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), and the black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) is of vital ecological importance due to their relationship with one another and how they interact within various ecosystems. A few key factors that can affect the activity pattern displayed in lagomorphs are the number and type of predators that they encounter, human disturbance, and the need to find and collect resources for survival. I hypothesize that the snowshoe hares’’ activity pattern will differ from the eastern cottontail and the black-tailed jackrabbit. I will be utilizing the Snapshot USA dataset collecting via camera-trapping to further analyze the activity patterns between the three lagomorph species. Further, following a chi square analysis, the results of my study depicted that all three species had a P-value greater than 0.05, thus the null hypothesis was accepted, reflecting no significant activity pattern. All three species were classified as having a cathemeral activity pattern, implying that they were not diurnal, nocturnal, or crepuscular. In sum, this topic is vital in ecological research because it reveals how three similar species affect one another, as well as how other predators and prey populations may influence this trophic level of closely related species. Conclusively, my study aligns with continuation of further research as these three species continued to adapt to ever-changing environments, which can create an immense number of opportunities to conduct research.

[10]

Cleaning Up Clean Energy

Alexander Nohel, Junior - Fisheries & Wildlife Management

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Is renewable energy, the energy of the future, as safe as it sounds? As of today, there are many options for clean and renewable energy available to the public -- solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, etc. -- but they are not as widely utilized as they could be. To aid the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, practices such as fracking are used to obtain ‘transition fuels’, such as natural gases, that are not as viable as clean energy, but not as damaging as fossil fuels. Initially, these practices were relatively harmless ways to obtain cleaner energy, with minimal environmental impacts; despite this belief, time and research proved that fracking is very detrimental to nature as it causes (air pollution, groundwater pollution, earthquakes, etc.). It became clear that even what may seem like the cleanest, most abundant renewable energy sources bring with them environmental issues that are not often taken into consideration. Beyond pollution, these can include habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and migration disruption. The goal of this project is to shed light on the ways that renewable energy impacts the environment, as well as explore possible methods to make clean energy as environmentally friendly as possible. To accomplish this goal, we conducted an extensive literature review to examine this issue from diverse perspectives. We researched the impacts of renewable energy production on both local and global environments, as well as many ways to potentially make its production safer for affected ecosystems. As the need for more energy rises each day, we must keep in mind the impacts that all forms of energy production have on ecological communities while transitioning to cleaner, more sustainable methods on a global and a local scale.

[11]

Comparing Activity Patterns of the Coyote and Owl Species for Eastern Cottontail

Vanessa Nasi, Senior - Biology, Pre-Pharmacy

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

When species share common prey it can lead to increased competition which can result in changes of species’ daily activity patterns to avoid and reduce conflict. An example of this relationship is observed between owls (genus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) which have both been previously determined to hunt the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) throughout regions of the U.S. The goal of my research project is to determine the variation among activity patterns for the coyote, eastern cottontail, and owl species that could support the idea of high competition between predators that share common prey. I hypothesize that the owl species will be primarily crepuscular in response to the eastern cottontail activity, while the coyote will display nocturnal activity to avoid competition with owls. Data collected by camera traps located in the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin from the Snapshot USA nationwide project were used to run a chi square analysis determining the activity patterns of the three species. Results found that the eastern cottontail and the owl species shared a crepuscular activity pattern, and the coyote was observed to be nocturnal. Understanding how competitive predators effect one another’s daily activity can be important for managing predator and prey populations across the U.S., yet further research is needed to capture the complexity of this relationship.

[12]

Comparing Competitive Predators and Prey Activity

Sarena Manee, Junior - Fisheries & Wildlife Management

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are a common mammal located all over the United States. Two of their main predators are the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and the coyote (Canis latrans). The relationship between these three animals can affect one another in terms of their activity pattern. The goal for this project is to determine the activity patterns of these three species. I hypothesize that the wolves and coyotes will have a similar daily activity pattern and when wolves and coyotes are more active, white-tailed deer won’t be as active. The results I found were very interesting, although similar all three species have a slightly different activity pattern. The reason this research is important is because learning the relationships and activity pattern of different species can help us better understand these different species. The more we learn about different species the more we can help keep their population thriving.

[13]

Contributing to the Understanding of Wild Burbot Life Stages in the Great Lakes

Michael Woodworth, Senior - Fisheries & Wildlife Management

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jill Leonard - Biology

Poster

Burbot (Lota lota) is the sole freshwater member of the Lotidae family of fishes. Lotidae are Gadiformes, which are characterized as coldwater species that inhabit different levels of the water column throughout their life cycle. Burbot exhibit a circumpolar distribution and are important influencers of food webs. However, there is a lack of understanding of their basic life history, especially in the Great Lakes region. One of the most important needs is an understanding of their reproduction and larval stages in a wild setting. Our project aims to shed light on life history of both river-spawning and lake-spawning burbot. We adapted a method of oocyte catheterization to sample pre-spawned oocyte development as a means to estimate spawn timing in wild adults. Fish were obtained using two hoop nets placed in the Chocolay River and through ice fishing in various locations on Lake Superior. Eggs were sampled via a 2mm catheter tube inserted into the vent and extracted using suction from a syringe. Eggs were then immediately fixed in 4% neutral buffered formalin and evaluated using microscopy within 10 days of sampling. Four female fish (100%) were successfully sampled during January and February. Evaluation of the oocyte sample allowed us to estimate the number of days until spawning was predicted to occur for each female; our samples ranged from 2 days to 6 days prior to spawning stage. This work demonstrates that our method of oocyte catheterization is a feasible method for characterizing pre-spawn oocyte development in wild female burbot under winter conditions.

[14]

Coyote Opportunistic Prey Preference Based on Daily Patterns

Erin Matula, Junior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The predator-prey relationship between coyote, mule deer, and pronghorn is not as direct as a relationship like wolves and white-tailed deer. In comparison the daily patterns would not be as clearly overlapping the preferred prey. Theoretically, the most time overlap between coyote and either mule deer or pronghorn should be the more opportunistic prey type. This predator-prey relationship is a different factor to consider when managing population of coyote, mule deer, and pronghorn. I hypothesized, coyotes will exhibit more diurnal patterns when being a possible predator of mule deer and pronghorn. Attempting to answer this through camera trapping research is the goal of my research. To accomplish this goal, I used data from camera trapping across the United States to compare frequencies of each animal at different times of the day. This will aid in determining daily patterns of each species. The results showed the 2,294 coyotes exhibited a nocturnal tendency, while the 364 pronghorn were diurnal, and 3,612 mule deer were crepuscular. Based on the data analysis, there is more daily pattern overlap to provide for opportunities of coyotes predating on mule deer. Thus their relationship should be taken into account with hunting quotas and rangeland management. Even viewing coyote as a scavenger, in hunting seasons, the gut and waste piles could be a food source for coyotes, which could be a potential hazard if there is an unexpected spread of CWD to different ungulate species in the future.

[15]

Daily Activity Pattern of Moose, Gray Wolf, and Mule Deer

John Paul Velasco, Senior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Animals sharing an ecosystem affect each other in some way or form. In this study we observed daily activity patterns of three different species, namely moose (Alces alces), Gray wolf (Canis lupus) and mule deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Camera trap data were obtained from snapshot USA data set provided to our class. Species to focus on were selected by this investigator randomly and camera trap data for their respective activity patterns were analyzed. Data from moose and mule deer observations appears to be statistically significant to suggest their activity pattern to be nocturnal and crepuscular respectively. Unfortunately data on gray wolf activity pattern appears to be insufficiently powered to draw inferences from, hence creating an opportunity for future studies to focus on. The greater application for this data is poorly understood by this investigator as he has a limited understanding of this field of research. It appears that it merely is an observation of daily activity patterns of species that he has never interacted with, hence we recommend consultation with experts on this field who have deeper understanding and appreciation of this data. Correlation with other studies of similar nature done by other investigators is also encouraged as systematic errors in data collection statistical analysis, and interpretation of aforementioned data that might have occurred from this investigator’s lack of expertise cannot be ruled out at the moment .

[16]

Daily Activity Patterns Affected by Predation

Skipper Schorfhaar, Senior - Biology - Botany

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Daily activity patterns can often be indicative of predator-prey interactions. Bobcat (Lynx Rufus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), are common species often found coexisting in similar regions. Bobcat acts as a predator on ruffed grouse and white-tailed deer. The purpose of the study is to determine if Predation can have a direct effect on a preys daily activity patterns. Specifically within this study, the daily activity patterns of three species were determined; White tailed deer, ruffed grouse, and bobcats. Through the use of camera trapping technology and the Snapshot USA collaboration. Observations can be thoroughly researched and analyzed to form conclusions that predation can have direct effects on a preys daily activity patterns.

[17]

Daily Activity Patterns Among the Red Fox, Gray Fox, and Eastern Cottontail

Aubrey Friedrich, Junior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The grey fox is a primarily nocturnal animal that possesses great ability to adapt. The grey fox differs from the red fox, in which it is an omnivore, and, in some cases, prefers plants over meat. The red fox primarily eats small mammals and is active when its prey is active. The eastern cottontail serves as a food source for both of the foxes, and plays a crucial role in the ecosystem it resides in. Studying the daily activity patterns of these three species can help to better understand how much each organism depends or is affected by the other. For example, the gray fox has high resilience, as its population was able to bounce back 100% after a devastating fire, where the majority of its food sources were depleted or very scarce. The goal of this research project is to determine the activity patterns of the red fox, grey fox, in regards to eastern cottontail bunny. Since the gray fox is nocturnal and the red fox tends to be active during the day, the two species would not have high interaction when hunting for their prey, the eastern cottontail. To execute this experiment, camera traps were used to capture the presence and activity pattern of these three species. The results presented all three species being nocturnal and the null hypothesis is rejected because p-values are less than .001. This study was of great significance due to its gathering of activity patterns of two competitors and one prey. Future studies could focus on the diet adaptability of the two fox species, in relation to the population of eastern cottontail.

[18]

Daily Activity Patterns and How They Differ Between Carnivores

Ashley Borchert, Senior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

American black bear (Ursus americanus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and coyote (Canis latrans) are three mammal species that are native to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and consume similar diets. A large portion of each species diet is made up of pure protein by hunting deer, squirrel, and other small mammals, while they are also excellent foragers that feed on nuts, berries, and eggs. Further, species feeding habits likely have a significant impact on temporal activity patterns across the region, as they are responsible for driving much competition and conflict among species. Due to the increase in competition for food, the American black bear, red fox, and coyote will have increased activity at different times of the day in order to avoid each other. To monitor daily activity patters, camera traps were used to record wildlife images throughout the U.P., which contributed to the Snapshot USA dataset utilized for analysis. A chi-square analysis was completed to determine which activity pattern each species was displaying. Results showed that the red fox and coyote are both nocturnal, while the American black bear is crepuscular. As such, further understanding competition among species that have overlapping activity patterns allows conservationists and wildlife managers to better regulate the availability of resources in areas where these species coexist.

[19]

Daily Activity Patterns Between Three Species

Elma Bajraktarevic, Junior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The species of Ursus americanus (American black bear), Canis lupus (gray wolf), and Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer) can be found all over North America. They serve a huge role in the forests and food chain. Our question to answer is whether or not the daily activities of these species differ. Our hypothesis states: daily activity patterns of Ursus americanus, Canius lupus, and Odocoileus virginianus do not differ. The goal is to investigate the daily activity patterns of the species mentioned and how they interact. To accomplish our goals, we set out camera traps around the United States that these species are most abundant. The camera trap sites report the peak activity times throughout the day of each species. Results from the camera traps show that the activity patterns of both American black bear and white-tailed deer are crepuscular. The activity patter of the gray wolf species is diurnal. Although analyses of these species is ongoing, we expect to find that the activity patterns of Ursus americanus, Canius lupus, and Odocoileus virginianus will not differ. Observing the activity patterns of these three species will help us better understand their patterns and how to potentially conserve them some day.

[20]

Daily Activity Patterns in Moose, American Black Bears, and Gray Wolves

Abby Fletcher, Junior - Fisheries & Wildlife Management

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Moose (Alces alces), American black bears (Ursus americanus), and gray wolves (Canis lupus) are three large mammal species that are ecologically interesting and important to study due to their ability to coexist and share habitat, while maintaining a predator-prey relationship. The daily activity patterns of these species are impacted by food availability, human activity, and the changing seasons. Given this, I hypothesize that the daily activity patterns of moose, American black bear, and gray wolf will have little overlap due to high competition between the predators. Camera traps were used to collect data for the Snapshot USA project, and then further utilized to run a chi square analysis determining the activity patterns of each species. The results concluded that both the gray wolf and moose have cathemeral daily activity patterns whereas the American black bear has a diurnal daily activity pattern. Studying species daily activity patterns can help us better understand how temporal activity is impacted by different environmental and human variables.

[21]

Daily Activity Patterns of American Black Bear, American Bison, and Grey Wolf

Mark Zackrison, Senior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Predation can extremely affect daily activity patterns. As the American bison’s calves are the prey of black bears and grey wolves, this project seeks to distinguish daily activity patterns of the American bison (Bison bison), American black bear (Ursus americanus), and the grey wolf (Canis lupis). Through collaboration with SnapshotUSA and camera trap images, I will determine how predation of the American bison affects its activity pattern. Hypothesize that bison will be less active in the time periods that the wolves and black bears are more active. While there is some data that shows correlation to bison avoidance of wolves and bears, over all their daily activity patterns are not drastically impacted. I found bison and black bears to be diurnal and grey wolves to be cathemeral. Looking at how bigger mammals and how they coexist with each other even as predator-prey relationships is significant to how these systems operate and use their environment’s resources, such as accessing the resources a river brings to a system at different times due to avoidance and safety.

[22]

Daily Activity Patterns of Coyotes, Striped Skunks, and Eastern Cottontails

Blayne Pellinen, Senior - Secondary Education Integrated Sciences

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Activity patterns are an important aspect when considering species interactions. Striped skunks (Mefitis mephitis) are located through much of the United States along with coyotes (Canis latrans) while eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) inhabit the mid to eastern region of the United States. Coyotes activity patterns have been known to affected by the presence of other predators and prey. The goal of this research is to study the daily activity patterns of all three species in relation to each other while answering whether or not the activity patterns of striped skunk will overlap more with coyotes than eastern cottontail and coyotes. To accomplish this, data was collected from SnapshotUSA using camera trap deployed across the U.S. from September to October 2019. A chi-squared analysis was performed to analyze the data and determine the activity pattern of each species. The data indicated that the surveyed skunks and coyotes activity patterns were both nocturnal while the eastern cottontail was crepuscular. Some ecological consequences of these results include the importance of visual warnings related to activity patterns. Understanding these activity patterns allows us to infer about natural selection and how species characteristics can lead to species survival.

[23]

Daily Activity Patterns of Grey Wolves, American Bison and Moose

Leah Childress, Junior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Due to our past hunting experiences, for a long time large land mammals and their predators, specifically the American Bison, and Grey Wolf were considered endangered and fairly uncommon. However thanks to recent ecological efforts wolf and bison populations are on the rise, particularly in national parks such as Yellowstone. However this may spark a new question, how will the American Bison interact in shared territory with both its main predator (Grey Wolfs) and also with a competing extremely large mammal the Moose. I hypothesis that the moose and Bison will attempt to avoid conflict by resource partitioning while both will attempt to avoid entering territory of wolves. This means that the three species will largely partition their territories and we are likely to see both prey trying to avoid each other and their predators. At the same time I believe wolves will actively attempt to hunt these animals particularly weaker ones on the edge of their territories. I attempted to track the daily activity patterns of these animals by studying when and where they were spotted on many varying camera traps from the Snapshot USA database. This database is a collection of Camerach of these animals. The results of analyzing this footage shows that American Bison were primarily Diurnal while the Moose and Wolves were both Cathemeral not showing any activity pattern. This suggests that there is very little overlap between Moose and Bison, however wolves and moose may have more contact then I believed they would. These species could all have a large impact on the environment and are very large animals. Learning more about their behavior as they begin to settle into their environments again can help ecologists better protect them in the future so they can thrive once again.

[24]

Daily Activity Patterns of Red Fox, Red Squirrel, and Owl Species

Emma Stafford, Senior - Environmental Studies and Sustainability

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

This project is about analyzing different daily activity patterns between Red fox, American red squirrel, and owl species. It is known that both foxes and owls will predate on red squirrels if given the chance. Human disturbance is causing a shift on species daily activity patterns. The goal is to look at the daily activities between the three species and how their daily interactions may be based off of a predator-prey relationship. The hypothesis is that the Red fox, and owl species will predate on the red squirrels and have similar nocturnal activities. To study these relationships, camera traps were placed across the USA and documented whenever one of these species were caught on camera. Its apart of the snapshot USA program that uses citizen science to further scientific inquiries. The results were that the Red fox and owl species were mainly nocturnal where as the red squirrels are diurnal. This shows that the Red fox and owls can sometimes prey on red squirrels but its not as often since they aren’t usually interacting during the same time of day. This study is important because it examines the relationship between a predator, prey relationship and their daily activities patterns. An increase of human disturbance may shift the way that species interact with one another in the wild so its important to understand species interactions to help conservationists preserve natural interactions.

[25]

Daily Activity Patterns of the Cottontail Rabbit, Snowshoe Hare and Red Fox

Mya Brown, Senior - Biology - Botany

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The red fox, (Vulpes vulpes) eastern cottontail rabbit, (Sylvilagus floridanus) and the snowshoe hare, (Lepus americanus) are ecologically significant species that can all be found in Michigan’s upper peninsula. The red fox is considered a pretty generalized consumer, as it can adapt to consuming a wide array of food resources depending on certain factors such as local and seasonal availability, whereas the same is true for either of the rabbit species, with a slightly more significant environmental constraints for the hare. This study will explore whether it can be hypothesized that the cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hare alter their daily activity patterns in order to avoid predation by the red fox. Because of the difference in the preferred food resource amongst the rabbit species, it is likely they do not compete directly with each other. Camera traps were deployed across the USA in order to garner a wide array of observations over many camera-nights. The time and frequency of these sightings was analyzed using the Chi-squared test in order to determine the daily activity patterns, (dinural, nocturnal, crepuscular or simply cathemeral) for each species. Based on those results, red foxes were found to be predominantly nocturnal, whereas both rabbit species were found to be crepuscular. This suggests that the rabbit species likely alter their daily activity to avoid high movement at night, when foxes are more likely to be preying upon them. Understanding the natural roles of daily activity patterns in these mammals can help better understand the extent of the impact human activities may have on these species on a larger scale. Hunting, hiking, and human habitat disturbance can alter the delicate balance between these three species.

[26]

Daily Activity Patterns of Wild Turkeys, Coyotes, and White-tailed Deer

Lily Hendershot, Junior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The coyote, white-tailed deer, and wild turkey are all animals that are abundant in the state of Michigan. The white-tailed deer and wild turkey are critical prey resources for coyotes, which in turn are potential predation threats to deer and turkeys. Predator-prey interactions such as this will often influence a species daily activity pattern. My goal is to use camera trap data, collected through non-invasive camera trapping, to determine the daily activity patterns of these species. I hypothesize that the coyote, white-tailed deer, and wild turkey will have little very little overlap in their daily activity patterns. In order to accomplish my goal, I used the time stamps of camera trapping images from locations in Michigan from the Snapshot USA Project to create histograms for the daily activity patterns of each of the three species, and used a chi squared analysis to determine their activity patterns. My results show that there is a significant overlap in activity patterns between wild turkeys and white-tailed deer. There is limited overlap in the daily activity patterns of the white-tailed deer and coyote. There is not a significant overlap between the daily activity patterns of the coyote and wild turkey. This information can be used in future conservation efforts in Michigan by revealing the relationships between these common species.

[27]

Detection of IDH1 Mutation in Glioblastoma Multiforme Cell Lines Using PNA-LAMP

Veronica Line, Senior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Paul Mann - Clinical Sciences

Poster

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) accounts for 52% of all primary brain tumors and is the most invasive type of glial tumor. Median survival for patients diagnosed with GBM is generally around 12 to 15 months. The presence of a mutation in the isocitrate dehydrogenase enzyme (IDH1) is associated with better prognoses in GBM patients. If the IDH1 mutation status is known before surgical resection of the tumor, the surgeon can alter the plan in order to maximize the amount of resected tissue. Resecting as much of the IDH1 mutated tumor as possible can provide these patients with longer survival. Currently, there are no intraoperative assays that are used to determine IDH1 mutational status. This project is the next step in a broader goal focused on making a novel, clinically relevant assay that could be used in an intraoperative setting as a diagnostic tool. The purpose of this project is to detect the IDH1 mutation in established glioblastoma cell lines using peptide nucleic acid loop-mediated isothermal amplification (PNA-LAMP). PNA-LAMP is a DNA amplification technique that has the advantage of rapidly amplifying DNA obtained from crude samples at a constant temperature, as well as providing a colorimetric change in samples that test positive. This project tests IDH1 wild-type and CRISPR generated IDH1 mutant U87 GBM cell lines to determine the feasibility of using PNA-LAMP as a potential diagnostic assay. Established cell line lysates were tested in different concentrations to determine the sensitivity and specificity of PNA-LAMP on simulated tumor samples. The products of the PNA-LAMP assay were confirmed by gel electrophoresis. The obtained results indicated amplification in PNA-LAMP samples, however the specificity of the assay requires further investigation. Future directions include analyzing various concentrations of control DNA and cell lysate dilutions

[28]

Detection of the Human Necrobiome in Soil: A Pilot Study

Amanda Joslyn, Senior - Forensic Biochemistry

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Josh Sharp - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jane Harris - Sociology and Anthropology

Poster

Forensic microbiology has gained recognition in recent years for its utility in postmortem interval (PMI) estimation. I conducted my research at the NMU Forensic Research Outdoor Station (FROST), one of 10 facilities in North America dedicated to research involving human taphonomy (the study of all factors that affect the body after death). The main purpose of this research is to explore relationships between the necrobiome (bacteria and other microbes associated with human remains) and the soil microbiome. Two guiding research questions are: 1. Is the human necrobiome detectable in soil surrounding a decomposing body? and 2. Does the concentration of the human necrobiome in the soil change with time and distance? To answer these questions, soil samples were systematically collected on three separate dates from an area surrounding a human donor at FROST. Samples were collected from the surface and from 10cm below the surface using a soil probe. Control samples were also collected and analyzed for comparative purposes. Bacterial DNA was extracted and isolated from each soil sample using the DNeasy Powersoil Kit from Qiagen. After bacterial 16S sequencing of the samples at Michigan State University, bioinformatics analysis sorted the DNA sequences into the appropriate bacterial classifications (phyla, classes, orders, families, and genuses). Results show which bacteria are present and in what relative concentrations. These concentrations and the spatial and temporal analyses could have applications in medicolegal death investigations and PMI estimation. Knowing how long a body has been in a location may help investigators identify victims and/or possible suspects.

[29]

Determining Performance of SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antibody Test for Point of Care Use

Nicholas Stoyanoff, Senior - Biology - Physiology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Josh Sharp - Biology

Poster

During early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was understood that individuals in high exposure occupations would be at greater risk of infection. At this stage, PCR testing was limited to individuals with mild/moderate acute respiratory symptoms. Due to the possibility of asymptomatic cases among healthcare workers and law enforcement officers, AMD Urgent Care of Swartz Creek, MI obtained rapid immunochromatography SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests (SDS Biosensor Standard Q Covid-19 IgM/IgG Duo Test kit). This study had two aims. First, to determine potential cross reactivity to non-Covid-19 seasonal coronaviruses in the region. Second, to analyze agreement between antibody tests and PCR tests. False-positive results due to cross reactivity with non-SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus antibodies were addressed by screening serum samples obtained before prevalence of Covid-19 in the U.S. 56 serum samples were provided by MDHHS and were tested for Covid-19 IgM and IgG antibodies using the same rapid antibody test being used in the clinic. Antibody positive (IgM, IgG, or both) individuals were recommended a PCR test following antibody detection. PCR test results were compared to rapid antibody test results to determine agreement. Separate analyses were conducted for three possible antibody outcomes that would result in a PCR test being administered (IgM+/IgG-, IgM-/IgG+, IgM+/IgG+). Occupational information was collected in a follow-up survey to separate individuals into cohorts based on exposure risk according to OSHA guidelines. SDS Biosensor rapid antibody tests did not indicate a positive result for any pre-pandemic serum samples (0 out of 56). Point of care testing with the rapid test between 4/17/2020 and 6/10/2020 resulted in a positivity rate of 9.99% (188/1882). These rates will be compared to prevalence of non-Covid-19 coronavirus cases in Michigan. Agreement between the positive rapid antibody tests and the subsequent PCR tests was 94%.

[30]

Differing Daily Patterns Between Grey Foxes, Bobcats, and Eastern Gray Squirrels

Jennifer McClure, Junior - Biology - Zoology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Grey foxes are typically nocturnal in areas with other predators to reduce the risk of predation while bobcats and eastern gray squirrels are usually active around dusk. Squirrels are tolerant of human presence and active in urban areas, foxes and bobcats are intolerant of human presence and generally avoid urban areas. With these similarities and differences in mind, the goal of this research was to see how the typical daily patterns of bobcats, grey foxes, and gray squirrel differ and if they affect each other; I hypothesized that the gray squirrel and bobcat will have some overlap in activity patterns whereas the grey fox will not overlap with either. Using camera trap data from Snapshot USA I determined the daily activity patterns of bobcat, grey fox, and eastern grey squirrel. Bobcats and grey foxes were found to be nocturnal and eastern gray squirrels were diurnal. The results found from this research may suggest that in the US, animal activity patterns differ from the past and could ultimately lead to changes in conservation to protect affected wildlife from human interference.

[31]

Drug Education Programs Reconsidered: Does Prevention Education Really Work?

Rachel Placeway, Junior - Sociology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alan McEvoy - Sociology and Anthropology

Poster

A common element in K-12 education in American schools is the incorporation of drug prevention curricula. Programming is intended to increase awareness of the risk associated with drug and alcohol use and reduce the likelihood of both drug experimentation and sustained use. Typically, these programs begin early in elementary school and continue through high school. The most widely used drug education program in the United States is Drug Awareness Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.). This research offers a critique of the D.A.R.E. program and related curricula in terms of their effectiveness in reducing drug use among youth. Semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of Northern Michigan University (NMU) students (N=30) focused on two basic concerns. First, what were students’ actual experiences and views of the drug education programs to which they were exposed? Specifically, were the programs successful in reducing drug and alcohol use? Second, what suggestions do respondents have to realistically improve drug education programs? A critique of the empirical literature and findings from respondents point to the overall ineffectiveness of the D.A.R.E. and related programs in achieving their stated goals. In particular, these programs appear not to be realistic in how they frame the social context of actual drug use. Suggestions are offered regarding how drug education programming can more effectively prepare young people to be safe in the context of actual use.

[32]

Effects of Alkaline Tap Water on the Growth and Survival of P. Reticulata

Madeline McDonald, Senior - Biology - Ecology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jill Leonard - Biology

Poster

In wake of the Flint Water Crisis, many municipalities are choosing to increase the pH of the public water supply to prevent corrosion of the lead pipes often present in older buildings. The EPA recommends that drinking water maintain a pH between 6.5 and 8.5 for human health, but several cities have stepped outside of that range, including Denver (8.5<pH<9.2), Boston (9.0<pH<9.5), San Francisco (7.8<pH<9.9), and Ottawa (9.2<pH<9.4). While climate change has spurred frantic research in acidifying systems, the effects of such basic water on aquatic organisms are poorly known, despite relevance to pets, research animals, and ecosystems downstream of discharge sites. In this study, the effects of low (5), neutral (7), and high (9) pH rearing tank water on the growth and survival of guppy (Poecilia reticulata) fry were analyzed. No difference was found in the growth or survival rates between the high and neutral pH groups, while low pH treatment was both detrimental to growth, and resulted in premature death of the fish. It appears that the adjustment of tap water pH is unnecessary for the growth and survival of P. reticulata.

[33]

Evaluating Solar Panel Performance Efficiency in Northern Michigan

Casey Haugen, Senior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matt Van Grinsven - Earth, Environmental & Geographical Sciences

Faculty Mentor: Micheal Martin - Technology & Occupational Sciences (Jacobetti Complex Programs)

Poster

There are three different types of solar panels, monocrystalline, polycrystalline and thin film amorphous. In this study, the performance of monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels that are commonly used for commercial and residential purposes will be evaluated. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of monocrystalline and polycrystalline, panels by comparing their over all efficiencies, averaging between 14-20%. Meaning the percent of the sun that the panels are collecting and converted into energy. These are recorded from around eight 330 Watt monocrystalline panels and polycrystalline panels in Marquette, MI. We hypothesized that monocrystalline solar panels will have a higher efficiency and the best power output compared to polycrystalline solar panels. Traditionally, monocrystalline panels produce efficiencies of 18-20% while polycrystalline produces 14-16%. On Northern Michigan University’s campus at the Jacobetti Complex, are monocrystalline panels and panels on Granite Island off the coast of Marquette provided by my internship at NASA Langley are being used for data collection. From these two locations data is present from the summer months of 2020 and beginning three months of 2021. Overall, I will be determining the overall efficiencies of the panels at the locations over the given time periods to determine the higher percentage of overall energy. Results from industry testing suggest that monocrystalline panels will produce more efficiency while having a shorter return on the installation investment costs then polycrystalline panels.

[34]

Fisher Activity Compared to Prey

Joshua Cameron, Junior - Fisheries & Wildlife Management

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jill Leonard - Biology

Poster

Throughout the world an unimaginable amount of predator prey interactions one such is between Fishers, Woodchuck, and Muskrat. Fishers the Fisher is an essential Mesopredator in any environment feeding on every and anything they can. My goal is to see whether the Fisher alters its daily activity pattern in order to more easily hunt its main prey sources. Using camera traps I have studied the day to day activity of each of the animals involved in different locations around the U.S. and compare the activity patterns to see if the Fisher alters it based on what prey items are in the area. My study showed that altogether Fisher can be seen at nearly anytime of day which would make it seem that they do in fact alter their patterns in order to pursue prey. This study shows us that the Fisher will do nearly anything to capture it’s prey and without the Fisher the entirety of the ecosystem could be drastically changed we must continue to study the activity changes in these animals to ensure that we as people are not vastly affecting the day to day lives of these essential predators or their prey, without them the ecosystem would die ultimately leading to the death of humanity

[35]

Gray Wolf Predation Effects on Prey Daily Activity Patterns

Hailey Rogers, Junior - Biology - Physiology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

White-tailed deer, gray wolves, and moose represent the diversity of consumers located in forests across the United States and they also relate to each other through forest food webs. Both white-tailed deer and moose fall into predator-prey interactions with the gray wolf (Bergerud et al. 1983). Predator-prey interactions can greatly affect daily activity patterns of different species as prey try to avoid interactions that could lead to severe injury or death (Higdon et al. 2019). This project looked at how predation by gray wolf effects both white-tailed deer and moose daily activity patterns through statistical analysis of images captured by camera traps that have been deployed by the Snapshot USA project. Using a chi square analysis to determine the type of daily activity pattern that each respective species has, it was found that: the gray wolf and moose were both cathemeral with no significant overlap in the times they were active. The white-tailed deer was found to have crepuscular daily activity patterns peaking mainly right after the sunrise and right before sunset. It is important to study these patterns so that we have a better understanding of the ecology of different forest areas across the United States and the biodiversity that lies within them.

[36]

Gray Wolf, Red Fox, and the Moose, Surprising Similarities

Nathan Medina, Senior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The Red fox (Vulpus vulpus), Gray wolf (Canis lupus), and the Moose (Alces alces) are ecologically interesting to investigate together due to the ways they are able to benefit from each other’s presence. For example, the Gray wolves control the moose population, and the moose population has an effect on some of the fox’s prey items food. Across the United States these species are found in many of the same areas, sharing similar environments, resources, and time through temporal activity overlap. My research goal is to determine if gray wolves daily activity patterns will differ from that of the red fox or if they will have a higher overlap. Also, to see how or if the moose will have an affect on the gray wolves activity patterns. To accomplish my goal I used camera traps that were deployed across the northern range of the U.S. from the Snapshot USA project. Results showed that all three species activity patterns were all considered cathemeral, or irregular, meaning there is a possibility that these species do interact with each other in some way throughout the day. In particular when the sun rises is when their activity patterns are most overlapping. Further, my research can contribute to the work supporting the importance of gray wolves inhabiting their native range, acting as the apex predator.

[37]

Green Synthesis of Coumarin Compounds and Enantiomer Separation Using HPLC

Spencer Johnson, Senior - Medicinal Plant Chemistry

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sebastien Inagaki - Chemistry

Poster

Coumaran is a template molecule found in even bigger molecules that can be used as antibiotics or that have anti-tubercular or anti-HIV potency. A Green synthesis of that coumaran is proposed with efforts to minimize the by-product formation and the use of toxic, non-environment friendly organic solvents. One of the steps of the synthesis calls for a rearrangement reaction in which all the atoms of the starting material end up in the product without the use of reactants and without generating any by-products. This reaction is an important step in the synthesis of the coumaran as a pair of enantiomers are formed. Enantiomers can be assimilated as someone’s hands: while one enantiomer would be the left hand, the other one would be the right hand. Like someone is more agile with their left hand to complete some tasks and with their other hand to complete some other tasks, one enantiomer can be useful in some applications and the other enantiomer can be useful for others. However, instead of forming both of them in the rearrangement reaction and separating them later on, a more efficient way is to form only one enantiomer. This method, called asymmetric synthesis, involves the use of a suitable catalyst in the reaction. In order to gauge the efficiency of such a catalyst, the enantiomers need to be separated and identified by HPLC to determine their relative ratios. A common catalyst for this reaction is made of a metal with one or several molecules bonded to it. While a brief metal survey was carried out, efforts have been spent to separate the two enantiomers with the HPLC instrument. Different parameters such as solvents, solvent ratios, flow rate, wavelength and chiral columns were explored to achieve separation of these enantiomers.

[38]

Human Bone Adornment: Evidence from a Costa Rican Archaeological Site

Sage Pletka, Senior - Anthropology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jane Harris - Sociology and Anthropology

Poster

Bioarchaeological analysis of Jícaro, a site in Costa Rica from the Sapoa Period (AD 800/900-1350), has described artifacts made from human bone and teeth associated with a number of burials (Wankmiller, 2016). The interpretation of the cultural importance and meaning behind these artifacts has not yet fully been explored. This research seeks to provide context for the artifacts made from human bones and teeth at Jícaro and to determine whether the artifacts are most likely related to ancestor veneration, trophy taking, or some other cultural practice. This was accomplished first by conducting a literature review of archaeology in Lower Central America and Mesoamerica, and second by reviewing and re-analyzing data presented in Wankmiller (2016). The practice of taking human remains as trophies and wearing them as ornaments is well-documented among the Maya civilization (located in what is now southern Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala), but there is almost no evidence of such practices among pre-Hispanic civilizations in Lower Central America. The collapse of the Maya Empire is known to have occurred in approximately AD900, which also marks the beginning of the occupation period at Jícaro. Based on the lines of evidence incorporated into this research, it is most likely that the human bone artifacts from Jícaro are associated with trophy taking, and it is this researchers conclusion that the practice is most likely something that was brought to Costa Rica by people migrating into the region, as opposed to being a practice that came about through cultural contact or local development.

[39]

Implications of Daily Activity Patterns of Coyote, Grey Fox, and Desert Cottontail

Jordan DeLaRosa, Senior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The daily activity patterns of species inhabiting the same ecosystem can be influenced by a variety of factors including predation and competition, as prey avoid predators for survival and competing species develop habits to maintain an adequate food supply. For example, coyotes (Canis latrans) have been known to kill off the grey fox (Lepus californicus) solely to reduce competition for resources, and desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii) avoid predation from both of these predators. My goal is to determine the difference in daily activity patterns between these three coexisting species and assess the impact of predation avoidance and competitive interaction on those differences. To accomplish my goals, I compiled camera trap data from SnapshotUSA taken in a forested area near the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, USA and used it to create histograms for the coyote, grey fox, and desert cottontail to compare and determine daily activity patterns. I found that each species was nocturnal, but there was a difference in distribution of daily activity for each species. Understanding responses to predation and competitive interaction between these species may provide useful insight into how these relationships shape their communities and whether top predators have an overreaching or harmful impact on their community.

[40]

Influence of Bobcats and Coyotes' Activity Patterns on Snowshoe Hares

Shannon Kaczmarek, Junior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Balanced and healthy ecosystems are only possible through predatory species ability to control prey species’ populations and promote species diversity, similarly to how bobcat (Lynx rufus) and coyote (Canis latrans) influence the environments they inhabit. The influence of these predatory species on ecosystems is important for studying bobcat and coyote activity patterns and how they might further impact the activity patterns of prey species such as the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). I hypothesized that the bobcat and coyote will be primarily nocturnal, with bobcats displaying a higher level of crepuscular activity than coyotes. Further, the snowshoe hare will tend to be active during the day in order to avoid these predators due to high predation risk. Through the use of camera traps, set up across the United States, data of each species’ activity pattern was acquired and added to the Snapshot USA dataset. The daily activity pattern of each species was determined using a chi square analysis, and results showed that all three species have a nocturnal activity pattern. Understanding snowshoe hare responses to bobcat and coyote activity patterns across the United States can provide useful information for understanding the possible affects two predators have on this prey species.

[41]

Influence of Fisher and Coyote on Snowshoe Hare Daily Activity Pattern

Emma Rondeau, Junior - Biology - Physiology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) are a large resident of forest habitats across the United States providing a number of important functions, but especially serving as a main food source for many predators such as coyotes (Canis latrans) and fisher (Pekania pennanti). The daily activity pattern of snowshoe hares is largely influenced by these predators, while trying to avoid being preyed upon by them. The goal is to understand more about the influence these predators have on the snowshoe hare’s daily activity patterns. By being active at times different from fishers and coyotes, the snowshoe hare can potentially avoid encounters with these predators. To test this, camera traps were deployed across many forest habitats in the United States. The images collected gave information on the activity patterns of all three species. The results indicate that coyotes and snowshoe hares are both nocturnal, while fishers tend to be diurnal. The results don’t align perfectly with the expected proposed hypothesis but it is relevant. This study is important because by understanding daily activity patterns of different species, better management tactics can be applied if desired, as well as allowing for a better understanding of the ecology of each species. By understanding these patterns, more is able to be understood of how species function and live.

[42]

Influence of Social Media and News Apps on Anxiety in College Students

Sydney Reif, Junior - Psychology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Vincent Jeevar - Psychological Sciences

Poster

The relationship between social media and news apps, and anxiety has been the subject of multiple studies in recent years. However, it is known that the rates of anxiety are increasing at a staggering rate in college students. The current COVID-19 pandemic is now being shown to add to anxiety and a decline in mental health. Along with news stories often presenting an increase in divisive opinion and discord, the content influencing the mind and mood of an adolescent often presents negative representations of society and contributes to setting unrealistic views of the world and others. To explore this an experiment has been designed, in which one group of participants were asked to remove all social media and news apps from their phones and to not access those forms of media over the course of the experiment. Throughout the experiment, anxiety levels were collected using self-report methods and then compared to a control group, who had not changed their media consumption habits. This study is being conducted in order to understand the current relationship between social media and news apps, and anxiety.

[43]

Lifestyle Habits: Friends or Foes, Coyotes, Owls, and Desert Woodrats

Claire Donner, Junior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Across the United States, the abundance of species varies based on environment as well as interactions between one another. To put into a smaller diameter of research, three species in the southwest of the U.S. were looked at; coyote, desert woodrat and owl species. The known ecological interactions between these species include coyotes and owls scouting desert woodrats as prey. A goal when observing these interactions is to determine how their daily activity patterns affect one another, while determining a specific type of pattern for each species. The expected outcomes are that the numbers of owl species and coyotes will have different patterns in relation to the woodrat, which they both prey on. Observation and data were taken from a world-wide accumulation of trail camera traps through Snapshot USA. Results displayed that owls and woodrats remained similar with nocturnal habits compared to coyotes, diurnal patterns throughout a days’ time. It is important to uncover relationships between these three at this level of activity to fully understand prey and predator habits. Their patterns found can tell us now and be useful for further research that yes, they base eating and outings on another species because they are hiding, or they change their pattern to prey more.

[44]

Moose, Wolf, and Bear Oh My!

Ithaca Bergholtz, Junior - Biology - Ecology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Activity patterns can reflect predation, gray wolf and brown bear both have moose as a source of prey. In Alaska’s Chikat Bald Eagle Preserve all three of these species are present and may have interaction. The use of camera trapping is a low disturbance way to view the activity of the two predators and their prey. Using this technique the goal was to see if the activity pattern between gray wolf, brown bear, and moose differ greatly. Overall there was not a significant interaction between the three species (data was limited). Understanding the interaction between predator and prey is important to lesser known species and the conservation of the animals studied.

[45]

Muon Spin Research to Study Semiconductors: Techniques and Examples

Mariah Goeks, Senior - Physics, Mathematics, French

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rick (P.W.) Mengyan - Physics

Collaborators: Dr. J.S. Lord and Dr. K. Yokoyama - STFC-ISIS at Rutherford Appleton National Laboratory, Chilton, Oxfordshire, UK OX11 0QX

Dr. R.C. Vilão and Dr. H.V. Alberto - CFisUC, Department of Physics, University of Coimbra, P-3004-516 Coimbra, Portugal

Mr. J.A. Horn - Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-4111 USA

Dr. R.L. Lichti - Department of Physics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1051 USA

Dr. B.B. Baker - Department of Physics and Engineering, Francis Marion University, Florence, SC 29506 USA

Poster

Here we present an overview and examples from our work studying hydrogen in semiconductors over the last four years. Hydrogen is a ubiquitous, unavoidable, mobile, highly reactive impurity that can significantly modify the electrical, magnetic, and optical properties of the host material (semiconductor), even in minute quantities. Therefore, it is important to understand how and why hydrogen modifies the properties of the host to be able to optimize the materials for device performance in their particular applications. Unfortunately, the same properties of isolated hydrogen that make it such an interesting impurity (e.g. reactivity, tendency to form complexes) also make it nearly impossible to study directly.

Muon Spin Research (MuSR) techniques are the only direct method of studying isolated hydrogen in materials. MuSR uses 100% spin-polarized positive muons as an experimentally accessible analogue to isolated hydrogen; these muons have the same charge and spin as a proton, approximately 1/9th the mass and an average lifetime (2.2 us). Muons can also probe the local electronic and magnetic properties of systems. When implanted into a sample, the muon precesses in the magnetic field at the muon stopping site until decay, upon which a positron is emitted preferentially aligned with the muon spin. By tracking the time-evolution of emitted positrons, we map the local (microscopic) environment that provides insight into the processes and dynamics involving isolated hydrogen centers.

Typical MuSR studies of materials use multiple techniques to fully characterize hydrogen-like behavior. This contribution uses select examples from our group’s work from the past four years to showcase how several specific MuSR techniques are applied to semiconductor research on materials currently of interest for potential applications (e.g. use in solar cells). The laser-MuSR technique under development by our collaboration is of particular interest for its novel and unique contributions to the semiconductor field.

[46]

Nurse Hydration Habits Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Elizabeth Mansfield, Senior - Sports Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lanae Joubert - Health & Human Performance

Poster

Nursing is a profession focused on caring for others and often involves periods of physically and mentally taxing work. With pressure to provide the highest standard of care possible, nurses have historically been known to work without taking breaks for eating and drinking. Dehydration can lead to illness which can cause burnout in the workplace. Habits such as taking appropriate breaks and drinking effectively help foster good hydration. Nursing professionals learn the importance of adequate hydration and are taught how to correctly educate their patients on the topic. However, nursing professionals are still highly susceptible to poor hydration when practicing in a clinical setting. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges with staffing shortages, new protective equipment, and safety concerns. Though in the past, some research has been conducted to assess healthcare worker hydration, minimal research specifically targets how nurse hydration habits were influenced by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal is to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the hydration habits of nursing professionals. We will use a survey to determine habits and changes in our target population of nurses working in a rural hospital setting in Michigan. This process is currently underway. Utilizing a general population of nurses, we hope this initial survey will act as an unofficial needs assessment tool. The results will indicate whether more data collection should be conducted to compare nurse hydration habits before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect to see that COVID-19 will have a significant impact on hydration habits for nursing professionals at rural Michigan hospitals.

[47]

Overlaps in Desert Species' Daily Activity Patterns

Lindsay Dose, Junior - Biology - Ecology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

With global warming pushing average temperatures higher and higher, desert ecosystems are no exception. Increases in temperature within the desert environment may affect organisms by selecting for adaptations that favor fitness in a hotter environment or changing daily activity patterns. This research aims to explain daily activity patterns among 3 desert species: Merriam’s kangaroo rat, Greater roadrunner and coyote. Kangaroo rats are known to be prey of coyotes and roadrunners and coyotes are also known to prey on roadrunners. These predator prey interactions influence their daily activity patterns, but how they overlap is unknown. To answer this question, camera trap data collected by Snapshot U.S.A in desert ecosystems will be analyzed using chi square tests and p values. Results show that each species seemed to display a distinct activity pattern as the data suggested Merriam’s kangaroo rats are nocturnal, Greater roadrunners are diurnal and coyotes are nocturnal. Tracking the activity patterns of these desert species over time may assist in understanding how climate change is affecting daily activity patterns and predator prey interactions.

[48]

Predator to Prey Dynamics Between Black Bear, Gray Wolf, and Snowshoe Hare

Alexis Giesey, Junior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The consequences of the high predator to prey relationship can become lethal to species and their environment. By gathering further analysis into their relationships and activity patterns I hope to determine how to ensure that this dynamic is kept positively mutual. The Ursus americanus and Canis lupus are predators in the U.S. that prey on Lepus americanus. I believe that there will be a significant difference in the daily activity patterns between American black bears, gray wolves and snowshoe hares. In order to find significance in this study, I collaborated with SnapshotUSA to obtain camera trap data and analyzed the activity patterns for the three species and using chi-squared analysis and histograms to visualize daily activity. I found by using the chi-squared test that the gray wolf did not have a distinct activity pattern and displays cathemeral or irregular, daily activity. Conversely, the American black bear and snowshoe hare did display a distinct activity pattern and were found to be nocturnal and crepuscular. As a result of this study, I can accurately put together an idea of how the relationships might be between these species and hopefully find ways to make the American black bear and snowshoe hares predator to prey dynamic less lethal.

[49]

Predators Pulling Together: Hunting the Western Gray Squirrel

Elizabeth Martin, Senior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Based on previous data, it may be assumed that the coyote (Canis latrans) and American badger (Taxidea taxus) have a highly competitive relationship due to their carnivorous diet that includes many similar prey species. However, these two predators have actually been observed to work together, increasing their success for catching certain ground squirrels (i.e., western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus). It is not known what factors drive this unique relationship, thus further investigation of this partnership would be beneficial to fully understanding how this predator-prey relationship developed and is maintained. This research aims to examine if the daily activity patterns of the American badger and coyote overlap with each other and their common prey of the western gray squirrel, thus providing temporal evidence supporting the collaboration between the two predators. To accomplish this goal, camera trap data from the Snapshot USA project was used to run a chi square analysis determining the daily activity pattern of each species. The results indicate that the coyote and western gray squirrel follow a diurnal activity pattern, while the American badger displays a nocturnal activity pattern. This may indicate that overlapping activity is not a driving factor in collaboration between the coyote and American badger; thus further research should investigate the factors that can contribute to this predator-predator relationship.

[50]

Prevalence of Recreational and Varsity Athlete’s Cell Phone Use at NMU

Amber Huebner, Senior - Community Health Education

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Yuba Gautam - Health & Human Performance

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Marguerite Moore - Health & Human Performance

Poster

Smartphone use is popular among college students and it provides tremendous opportunities for learning and innovation for students, however its over use may negatively impact their daily lives. Smartphone use has been studied in a general collegiate population, but has not been assessed among student athletes. Student athlete’s schedules are interspersed with practice, strength training and school, leaving less free time than peers. This study assessed student athletes’ prevalence of smartphone uses utilizing the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS). Students (n=124) recreational and varsity athletes ages 18-24 participated in this study (18-20 years 70.2% and 21-23 years 29.8%, 63.7% female and 36.3% males, 14.5% freshmen, 28.2% sophomore, 35.5% Junior, and 27% senior and up). The internal consistency of the MPPUS survey (Cronbach Alpha) was 0.89 and average total score on the MPPUS (out of 130) was 68.84+ 12.58. Among different sport affiliations, volleyball athletes had the highest score of 77.20, followed by swimming 73.46, basketball 73.22, soccer 69.17, tack & field 67.70, hockey 65.80, golf & football 65.50, winter sports 63.0, and lacrosse athletes had lowest score of 62.40 on the MPPUS scale. There was no statistically significant difference on the MPPUS scores among gender, year in school, and sports affiliation. The smartphone uses among athletes was high with only about 8.1% of athletes utilizing the American Academia of Pediatrics recommended 1-2 hours of cell phone use per day. From the remaining 91.9% of athletes, 51.6% used 2-4 hours, 30.6% used 4-6 hours, and 9.7% used more than 6 hours per day. These findings confirmed that the prevalence of smartphone use among college athletes was high. Public health intervention discouraging the excessive use of smartphone among athletes is warranted.

[51]

Red Fox and Coyote Temporal Partitioning for Predation on Snowshoe Hare

Johnathan Youngson, Senior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Predation on the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) is a common feature establishing competition between the red fox (Vulpes Vulpes) and the coyote (Canis latrans). These predators are known to share habitat and prey on the same species, and direct competition between foxes and coyotes has been observed (Arjo et al. 2007). This study looked to determine if the red fox adapts its activity pattern in response to competition from the coyote. Data from the Snapshot USA project, which used trail cameras deployed in regions nationally, to generate activity pattern histograms. The results show that both red fox and coyote are definitely nocturnal, and little deviation from this trend was witnessed. These results show that the red fox, while know to be able to adapt its temporal activity to some disturbances, does not do so in response to coyote competition. Previous studies allude to fox reactions to coyotes to be more spatially oriented, such as avoidance measures. Recommended further research would be to verify the results of this analysis by concentrating on single regions where foxes and coyotes are known to share habitat, use similar methods to analyze activity patterns, and compare temporal activity.

[52]

Relations of Montana Coyote, White-Tailed Deer and Mule Deer Activity Patterns

Bailee Drogowski, Junior - Pre-Nursing

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The vast lands in the United States of Montana serve as supple habitat for species of coyote (Canis latrans), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus), and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). These species portray clear ecological interaction following their natural proclivities of predation from coyote unto deer, and competing deer species' niche overlap. The analysis of this research provided by Snapshot USA is to determine the level of true effect each of these three species’ has on one another based on activity patterns, accounting for both temporal and spatial classes of interactions. It was hypothesized that the white-tailed deer and mule deer would have similar daily activity patterns demonstrating akin niches; the coyote would play a substantial predator role to both species of deer, showing a more nocturnal activity pattern, but having a great deal of overlap as it preys on deer. The main method used to attain the data for analysis was camera trapping, done by Snapshot USA. Multiple trail cameras were placed in six distinct regions throughout the state of Montana and set on motion-censored timers. Analysis shows that the coyote was statistically nocturnal, but still maintained a reputable amount of daytime activity. Both species of deer were classifiable as crepuscular. These results demonstrate that coyotes are indeed nocturnal, but act in patterns to allow for predation of both of the deer species while they operate under extremely similar niches, occupying akin spatial and temporal activity trends. The data analysis of the three valuable Montana-dwelling species is important in understanding the relationship between predator-prey: coyote to deer, as well as the ongoing niche competition between the two deer species. These relationships relate to other states of the US that house species of similar descendants and ecological relations and may be significant for further research involving the balance of populations and crop insurance.

[53]

Skeletal Evidence for a Chronic Shoulder Injury: A Case Study

Megan Carroll, Senior - Anthropology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jane Harris - Sociology and Anthropology

Poster

The NMU Forensic Research Outdoor Station (FROST) and Forensic Anthropology Research Laboratory (FARL) facilities receive donated human remains through the NMU Body Donation Program. All FROST/FARL donors are asked to complete a questionnaire that details their health and social histories, including previous falls, fractures, surgeries, and other life experiences that may leave observable traces on the skeleton. Because the donor histories are self-reported, important information is often missing. One donor, for example, displays skeletal evidence of a chronic, apparently untreated dislocation at the glenohumeral joint (the joint between the shoulder blade and the bone in the upper arm) that is not mentioned in her paperwork. This project examines how shoulder dislocations and osteoarthritis can be determined based on the examination of skeletal elements in an attempt to reconstruct the etiology of this particular individual’s injury. The analysis includes an assessment of whether or not surrounding muscles were affected by the injury, based on known injury patterns. By reviewing the relevant scientific literature, I am able to reflect on various aspects of this type of injury, for example: the type of traumatic event that may have led to the injury and whether or not the injury was treated (and if that treatment was successful). Based on the available information, I present my own conclusions regarding the most likely scenario for the injury that led to the individual’s skeletal evidence for trauma and osteoarthritis and how the injury would have affected her quality of life.

[54]

Squirrel Species Daily Activity With The Northern Raccoon In a Shared Ecosystem

Ashley Dunneback, Junior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Northern raccoons (Procyon lotor), red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), and gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are all common foraging creatures in Michigan, yet they all have their own ways of finding resources in the environment. Each species can inhibit a similar diet within their ecosystems and have their own ecological effect because of how they use the resources. All three species can be found in a forest location and they can all interact with each other, and I will be investigating their daily activity patterns and how human interaction could disrupt this process. I hypothesize that both squirrel species will maintain a similar daily activity pattern whereas the Northern Raccoon will show the opposite. My hypothesis is shown using camera trapping and the Snapshot USA Dataset that captures the different time marks for each animal and tracks their activity patterns. Using the Snapshot USA Dataset, I was able to run a Chi square analysis to determine the daily activity patterns and my results found that the American Red Squirrel and Eastern Gray Squirrel are both considered diurnal while the Northern Raccoon is nocturnal. The activity patterns between the squirrels are similar along with habitat and resources, whereas the Northern Raccoon has a different activity pattern, yet similar habitat and resources. The Northern Raccoon was found to have the most detections of activity during the night making the species nocturnal. Studying these species daily activity patterns can help scientists better understand the important role these creatures play in their surrounding ecosystem and how a change, either negatively or positively can affect the ecosystem and show which species have high levels of human interaction.

[55]

Stable Isotope Analysis of Brook Trout Caudal Fins

Brady Rudh, Junior - Fisheries & Wildlife Management

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Brandon Gerig - Biology

Poster

Coaster brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations in Lake Superior have been in rapid decline for some time now (Schreiner et al. 2008). As with many salmonids, brook trout populations can take on different life history variants. Coaster brook trout are those which live the majority of their lives in the main body of Lake Superior (Huckins et al. 2008). In contrast, the stream resident brook trout will spend their entire lives within the streams surrounding the lake (Huckins et al. 2008). It can be very difficult to differentiate with confidence whether an individual is a coaster or stream resident based upon its appearance. For management purposes, it is vital to create a reliable method for correctly identifying individuals. A promising method that has begun to take root is the process of stable isotope analysis as outlined in 1999 by Zanden and Rasmussen. Using this method, a tissue sample from the fish is dried, ground, and analyzed with a mass spectrometer to determine the ratios of carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 isotopes within (Zanden and Rasmussen 1999). While this approach provides valuable insight into the fish, it generally requires samples of muscle tissue which are both expensive and can be irritating, if not lethal, to the fish. For this reason, we investigated the possibility of using caudal fin clips rather than muscle samples, as they are both simple to harvest and from a more external tissue. This method would likely reduce the impact of the procedure upon the fish, lower the cost of sample acquisition, and ultimately result in more samples available for subsequent studies. All in all, this method could be extremely beneficial to fisheries managers intent on sustaining stocks of both coaster and stream resident brook trout.

[56]

Temporal Avoidance Behavior in Snowshoe Hare

Grace Filipiak, Junior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) have consistently been considered a staple in both the northern living coyote (Canis latrans) and bobcat (Lynx rufus) diets for years. When facing high predation risk, Snowshoe hare will to alter their behavior by avoidance, or changing activity patterns to reduce the potential risk of predation. Given this, do snowshoe hare show temporal avoidance in response to associated predation risk? If so, are the responses a result of the bobcat and coyote activity? I predicted that the snowshoe hare would alter their daily activity pattern in response to the daily activity patterns of the coyote and bobcat, reducing overlap among the three species. Higher amounts of overlapping active hours would indicate an increased risk of predation on the snowshoe hare. Data was collected through the use of camera traps across the United States in areas where all three species were present during the study period consisting of the months September through November of 2019. Assessment of the data collected was done through statistical analyses and a chi-square goodness of fit test to determine whether the daily activity patterns of the animals did overlap. We found that no animals activity hours overlapped, with a p-value of <.05 in each trial. The small p-value of our results supports our hypothesis that snowshoe hare change their daily activity patterns in response to bobcat and coyote predation. Further research should be done to investigate interaction between the Coyote and Bobcat during their overlapping active hours to better understand their competitive relationship.

[57]

Temporal Patterns of Common Upper Peninsula Mammals

Abby Szukalski, Senior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

It is already well known that different species that live in the same place are going to affect each other, like predator-prey relationships, but how does that affect their daily activity patterns? My goal is to investigate the relationship of temporal patterns between three mammals that commonly live together in the forests of the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, the American black bear, coyote, and white-tailed deer. I hypothesize that the American black bear (Ursus americanus) and coyote (Canis latrans) temporal patterns will be similar due to the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) being a common prey victim for both. To achieve my goals, I collaborated with Snapshot USA and analyzed camera trap data for each respective species using chi-squared analyses. Results indicate that the American black bear and coyote did indeed share the same temporal pattern of being nocturnal species and the white-tailed deer avoided activity during night time and was more active during crepuscular times. With white-tailed deer populations having the potential to run rampant, spread disease and eating other species’ habitats, these comparisons are important because it shows if more regulation over the populations need to be put in place or if the predator-prey relationships are enough to keep species in check.

[58]

Temporal Patterns of Midwestern White-Tailed Deer Vs. Two of Their Predators

Todd Miller, Senior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

In the Midwest USA, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are often preyed upon by local predators such as gray wolves (Canis lupis) and bobcats (Lynx rufus), and in October and November they are sought out by human hunters as well who compete with each other and the local predators for this resource. White-tailed deer have to adjust their daily activity patterns to avoid predation by hunters, gray wolves, and bobcats during this period, and bobcats and gray wolves need to adjust their daily activity patterns to avoid competition with each other and humans during this period as well. I’ve hypothesized that to avoid competition or predation respectively, there will be a significant difference between the daily activity patterns of gray wolves, bobcats, and white-tailed deer. I’ve used data collected from camera traps placed across the Midwest USA (Cove et al. 2019) and ran a chi squared analysis to test my hypothesis, and found that there is a significant difference between the daily activity patterns of the white-tailed deer which were found to be mostly crepuscular (mostly active at sunrise and sunset), and that of the gray wolves and bobcats which were found to be mostly cathemeral or without pattern. Understanding the effects that these three species have on one another and how they partition their time could help us to improve our conservation efforts and avoid undesired human predator interactions in the future.

[59]

Temporal Resource Partitioning of Coyotes and Red Foxes in the Rocky Mountains

Catie Glodowski, Junior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The study of daily activity patterns of closely related species can reveal how temporal partitioning allows two or more species to coexist, and could further drive us to investigate other contributions to sympatric coexistence. The coyote (Canis latrans) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) have a common source of prey – mountain cottontails (Sylvilagus nuttali) – in the Rocky Mountain region, which implies competition between the two predators that can be resolved through temporal, spatial or resource partitioning to coexist and reduce conflict. The goal of my research project is to observe the daily activity patterns of these three species to discover whether the two predators utilize temporal partitioning to coexist and share a common prey. To accomplish this goal, camera traps and the Snapshot USA dataset were used to conduct a chi squared analysis of the three species’ daily activity patterns. The mountain cottontail had two major activity peaks that each lined up with one of the two predators’ major activity peaks, suggesting that temporal partitioning occurs between the coyote and red fox, allowing them to hunt mountain cottontail at different times of the day. This study discovered a method of temporal partitioning that facilitate the coexistence of two predators that share habitat and compete for similar prey, thus further studies may find this same method utilized by other competitive species across various habitats and locations.

[60]

The Activity Patterns for Animals in MI

Abigale Newkirk, Senior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Focusing on camera trapping in Marquette MI, looking at how the activity patterns of American black bear (Ursus americanus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) impact one another. . Looking at these animals, we will see that they are active at different times of the day. Red fox and the American black bear will be more active at dusk and at night compared to the white-tailed deer will be more active during the day. I hypothesize that the three species will each display different activity patterns due to competition of resources. The American black bear and red fox will have some overlap during the nocturnal time period.

[61]

The Ambiguity of Ancestry Estimation from the Skeleton: A Case Study

Kirsten Twork, Senior - Post-Bachelor's non-degree

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jane Harris - Sociology and Anthropology

Poster

When unidentified human remains are discovered, a forensic anthropologist is often asked to determine a biological profile of the remains as a first step toward identification. Ancestry determination is an important aspect of the biological profile (other aspects include age-at-death, sex, and stature), which is accomplished by using metric (measurement-based) and morphoscopic (observation-based) methods. This case study involves ancestry assessment for an individual of known identity whose remains were donated to NMU to facilitate research and education at the Forensic Research Outdoor Station (FROST) and Forensic Anthropology Research Laboratory (FARL). All FROST/FARL donors are of known identity with self-reported age, sex, ancestry, and stature. All donors are allowed to decompose naturally, then they are prepared for curation, photographed, and analyzed according to standard skeletal analysis methods. For metric assessment of ancestry, cranial (skull) and postcranial (all other areas of the body) measurements are recorded and then input into computer software that returns results for sex and ancestry, based on statistical probability. In this case, a discrepancy was noted between the donor’s self-reported ancestry and the ancestry category that resulted from metric analysis. Additional metric and morphoscopic analyses were conducted for this individual, with varying results. This research explores the discrepancy between the individual’s self-reported ancestry and the ancestry estimation conducted by the forensic anthropologist. This type of discrepancy could have implications for the determination of ancestry for unidentified remains and may be a cautionary tale showing the potential for forensic anthropologists to mis-identify an individual’s ancestry, despite using the most currently available methods.

[62]

The Differing Activity Patterns of Coyote, Brown Bear, and White-tailed Deer

Maddie Nylund, Senior - Secondary Education Integrated Sciences

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

White-tailed deer are prey for both the coyote (Canis latrans) and the brown bear (Ursus arctos). It is interesting to study these animals because they are all commonly found in Michigan and are relatively common in a forest landscape. Human activity can affect the activity patterns of these species, along with competition and predation between species. The goal of this study is to determine whether the competition or predation of these species helps drive their daily activity patterns in a forest landscape. To accomplish this goal, camera traps were deployed within a forest landscape, about 2 feet off the ground at a 10-degree angle. I predict that the daily activity patterns would differ depending on predation and competition in a forest landscape, with white-tailed deer being more crepuscular than coyote and brown bear. The white-tailed deer had the most detections of activity between the three species and had higher activity during the dawn/dusk hours than the other two species. While the white-tailed deer had the most detections, the camera detections showed that all three species were nocturnal. Studying these animals’ daily activity patterns can help scientists understand what drives these species activity and what affects their behavioral responses to environmental factors.

[63]

The Green Synthesis of 5-Fluoro-2,3-Dihydro-2-(Iodomethyl)-3-Phenyl Benzofuran

Eric Ochoa, Senior - Biochemistry

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sebastien Inagaki - Chemistry

Poster

Green Chemistry emerged in the 1990s with its Twelve Principles established by Anastas and Warner. From atom economy to use of renewable feedstock, different aspects are taken into consideration. With these Principles in mind, a short synthesis of a coumaran molecule was designed and attempted. Coumaran is a template molecule found in even bigger molecules that can be used as antibiotics or that have anti-tubercular or anti-HIV potency, along with other industrial uses. Due to its properties, a Green synthesis can be appealing to pharmaceutical industries. The synthesis was designed with a closer look at several of the Twelve Principles: catalyzing each step, using safer solvents, and reducing the waste. Overall, out of the four steps in the synthesis, three of them are catalyzed and the fourth one does not require any reactants. Three steps use water as either the solvent or co-solvent limiting the use of toxic, non-environment friendly organic solvents. The waste generated in this synthesis, besides the catalysts, are acetic acid found in vinegar, potassium bicarbonate found in low-sodium baking powder, and water. Purifications, if needed, are also revisited in order to limit the waste as well. Once the synthesis is optimized, different coumaran derivative molecules with substituents at different positions and further the functionalization of the derivatives. will be obtained in order to create a library and show the efficiency of this Green synthesis.

[64]

The Partitioning of Time: Temporal Interactions of Prey and Predation

Sena Parker, Junior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The phenomenon of the partitioning of daily activity patterns has been recorded in the past (Kronfeld-Schor and Dayan 2003), demonstrating that multiple species can coexist with minimal conflict. For example, predators will stagger the times that they target a shared prey, effectively utilizing time as a resource. Through the use of camera trapping techniques, this study is aiming to examine the relationships between two predators (Canis latrans and Lynx rufus) and one prey organism (Lepus americanus), searching for cooperation between the two predators by the partitioning of temporal activity. I hypothesize that bobcats and coyotes will stagger their daily activity patterns around the activity pattern of the snowshoe hare, allowing them to coexist with minimal conflict while utilizing a shared prey species. After conducting a chi square analysis, the results are shown to support the hypothesis. Bobcats were detected later in the mornings and earlier in the evenings compared to coyotes. By studying the relationships between predators sharing a common prey, it is possible that we will be able to identify complex interactions between species that otherwise are viewed as competitors.

[65]

The Risk Allocation Hypothesis with Canis Latrans and Two Principal Prey

Eli Faymonville, Junior - Biology - Botany

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

In analyzing nationwide camera trapping evidence, the author relates may coyote, white-tailed jackrabbit, and snowshoe hare in a critical triangle of competitive driven self-reliance. Through visual and statistical analyses, it is found that all three species, although two being the main prey of the other, are most active at the same times of day. In using the predation risk allocation hypothesis, the presentation further justifies spatial and temporal movements of these three key species and discusses possible trophic pushes and pulls within the triangle.

[66]

Underground Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Potential in the US

Hilde Eide, Senior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matt Van Grinsven - Earth, Environmental & Geographical Sciences

Poster

With an increasing global population, the demand for energy is growing. Existing energy infrastructure is not capable of handling the demand, which is further emphasized after the blackout in Texas in February 2021. There is a need for alternative ways to offset the load on the system. Pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) offers a low-cost resource for peak hours between 8 AM and 8 PM. However, exploiting abandoned mines for their existing infrastructure to construct PHES plants would reduce capital cost. This underground pumped hydro energy storage (UPHES) mitigate the risk associated with traditional operations above ground. The alleviation of the demand on the grid would reduce the risk of black outs, something that have serious socio-economic repercussions. Low operation cost and durable technology makes PHES an attractive alternative. There are already 20 gigawatts from traditional PHES plants in the US. However, this technology poses a threat to aquatic life by destruction of habitat and is a subject of costly installations and objections from the community. PHES can be implemented in available infrastructure in abandoned mines. Groundwater in the mine or wastewater from a nearby treatment facility can be utilized to create the upper and lower reservoir which is beneficial for aeration and water improvements. I plan to perform a spatial analysis to determine the feasibility of underground pumped hydro energy storage (UPHES) in abandoned mines close to the 50 areas of highest electricity demand. Additionally, I will assess the potential for renewable energy around these areas. These results will not only illustrate the potential for this technology in the US, but create a blueprint for suitable locations for UPHES. To my knowledge, there are no other studies assessing the proximity of abandoned mines to demand centers in the US and compare it to the renewable potential in said areas.

[67]

Variation in Migratory Waterfowl Gut Microbiome

Julia Soma, Senior - Biology - Ecology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

The vast majority of vertebrate-associated microbiomes are found in the gastrointestinal tracts of their hosts (i.e., gut microbiomes [GMBs]) and perform myriad metabolic functions that affect host behavior, physiology, reproduction, health, and ultimately evolution. Our understanding of the diverse factors that shape GMBs in wildlife are increasing (e.g., diet, phylogeny, age), yet the extent to which GMBs vary across the length of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is poorly known. Waterfowl have complex GITs (e.g., gizzard, small and large intestine, paired ceca, cloaca) and therefore serve as an interesting ecological model to evaluate variation in GMBs across the length of the GIT both within and among species spanning diverse phylogenies. Thus, we opportunistically sampled five species harvested by hunters across Michigan: ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), bufflehead (Bucephala albeola), wood duck (Aix sponsa), and Canada goose (Branta canadensis). With permission from hunters, we collected gut content samples from the gizzard, each ceca, and the cloaca; subsequently extracting microbial DNA for 16S rRNA sequencing and bioinformatic analyses. Our preliminary analysis indicates there are microbiome differences not only between species but between the sexes of each species, and even between the paired ceca within an individual. These preliminary findings suggest that phylogeny, gut morphology, and possibly diet influence waterfowl GMBs. We anticipate our findings will illuminate a gap in our knowledge of waterfowl natural history and health that can aid future waterfowl management decisions in a world increasingly impacted by humans.

[68]

Variation of Activity Patterns of Three Ecosystem Engineers

Raquel Green, Junior - Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Animals who are morphologically similar and therefore require similar resources have a high probability of interaction throughout the day. The American beaver (Castor canadensis), North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), and muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) all reside within the same ecosystem and compete for similar resources including trees and water space. My goal was to observe how the potential overlap in daily activity patterns effect interactions among these three species, thus I predicted that the American beaver and the North American porcupine will have little to no overlap between their activity patterns while the muskrat will overlap with both as a result of crepuscular activity. Using data from the Snapshot USA camera trapping project, I performed a Chi Square analysis determining that each species demonstrated a nocturnal activity pattern with the majority of activity between 11:09 pm and 6:06 am. The results of this study can help to preserve an American keystone species, the American beaver, who is known for increasing biodiversity and acting as an ecosystem engineer throughout much of North America.

[69]

Wild Turkey, Red Fox and Coyote Interactions on the Basis of Activity Patterns

Andrew Tallmadge, Junior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and coyote (Canis latrans) activity patterns are affected by their predator-prey relationship and human activity. I hypothesize that wild turkey’s activity pattern will differ from the activity of red fox and coyote because of their predator prey relationship. In collaboration with Snapshot USA, data was collected from around the country in forested areas using camera traps. Data was analyzed and activity patterns were determined chi-squared analysis and histograms. Wild turkeys were found to be diurnal while both red fox and coyotes were found to be nocturnal. This data is important and should be put into consideration when creating hunting regulations for wild turkey, who’s stable population hunters and ecosystems rely on.

[70]

Wolf Bite Force as a Result of Deer Density in Upper Michigan

Rebecca Kaufman, Senior - Fisheries & Wildlife Management

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jill Leonard - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kurt Galbreath - Biology

Poster

Gray wolf morphology has the potential to be variable across the geographic range of this species. Variation can be attributed to differences in external environmental stressors, prey type, and prey availability. The skull of the wolf showcases several characteristics that can be quantified in such a way that the bite force of an individual can be reliably estimated. The masticatory muscle groups (primarily the temporalis and masseter) adhere to the cranium and the mandible and when contracted, adduct the mandible (close the jaw). Differences in skull morphology between individuals and populations can result in bite force variation. The abundance of deer (a common prey item for wolves) is subject to fluctuations over time in a given area. Deer availability can determine wolf survivability, as individuals that are better equipped (have stronger bite forces) may be more successful hunters and have greater survivability. This project tested for a relationship between wolf bite force and deer density in upper Michigan using the bite force calculation process used by Christiansen and Adolfssen (2005) and deer density data presented by Potvin et al. (2005). No significant relationship was detected, nor were there noticeable patterns of variation in wolf skull morphology across the region. These results may be attributable to gene flow among packs and the relatively recent re-establishment of wolf populations in the region. Though the results of this study do not indicate that bite force was significantly associated with deer density, other factors such as differences in prey species available may drive differences in bite force over larger geographic areas.

[71]

Woodland Trophic Dynamics: Carnivore, Omnivore, and Herbivore

Emma Rogers, Junior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

There are a vast number of species that inhabit forest landscapes all over the United States and these species interact and cross paths with one another on a daily basis. Most interactions between species are widely unknown and the frequency of interaction is also not known between species in a forested landscape. We tested the daily activity patterns between American black bears (Ursus americanus), moose (Alces alces), and coyotes (Canis latrans) to understand how these three species interact in their common ecological niches. In order to test our hypothesis we collaborated with SnapshotUSA to obtain data from camera traps in several forested landscapes across the United States. Our preliminary results showed that American black bears have a diurnal activity pattern, coyotes have nocturnal patterns, and moose have cathemeral patterns, therefore these species do not interact very often. Understanding the daily activity patterns of American black bears, moose, and coyotes may provide a basis for research on the daily activity patterns of these species compared to other species. Understanding these patterns would also provide insight on how human disturbance has an effect on their daily activity patterns.

[72]

Affective Responses to Nature vs. Urban Pictures: Inherent or Associative?

Zoe Folsom, Senior - Sociology

Kiley Nettesheim, Senior - Psychology

Rachel Miller, Senior - Psychology

Abby Moffett, Graduate - Psychology

Jeremy Lawrence, Graduate - Psychology

Abbie Siemen, Senior - Psychology

Luke Leppanen, Senior - Psychology

Sarah Houpt, Senior - Psychology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jon Barch - Psychological Sciences

Poster

Previous research (see Weinstein, Przybylski, & Ryan, 2009) has found significant variance in cognitive and affective responses to immersion in natural versus urban photographs. This project seeks to expand on this literature by incorporating the cognitive associations made by participants viewing these photographs, in order to better understand whether this acknowledged affect comes from natural scenery itself, or the associations that people make with natural scenes. This study utilizes a 2x2 factorial between-subjects design, in which participants are randomly assigned to either nature or urban photos, as well as to either a cognitive association or object identification task. Participants will be told that they are participating in three distinct studies: the first to measure their relatedness to nature and connection to material values, the second to gather information about some pictures, and the third to measure their overall life satisfaction. However, each of these survey elements will work toward the same goal of revealing the nuance of the disparate responses to natural and urban pictures found in previous psychological literature. All studies will be delivered online, and participants will be recruited from introductory psychology courses (as well as anyone else who hears about the study and would like to participate). The measures used include a simple demographic questionnaire, the Material Values Scale, Nature Relatedness Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, State Vitality Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, and Aspirations Index. We expect to corroborate previous findings in terms of participants' emotional reactions to the photographs. In line with findings from Weinstein, Przybylski, & Ryan (2009), we expect those who view nature photographs to experience a more positive affective response, greater satisfaction with life, and less materialistic aspirations, and expect the opposite for those who view urban photographs.

[73]

Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) Risk Induced Hatching

Troy Pierce, Senior - Fisheries & Wildlife Management

Chase Daiek, Graduate - MS Graduate Program - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jill Leonard - Biology

Poster

The most important and dramatic environmental change in a fish’s life is hatching. During development, embryo resource requirements change and so can external conditions, at this time costs and benefits of remaining encapsulated can vary greatly. The egg capsule provides protection during development for the embryo, but imposes some obvious constraints. While encapsulated, an embryo is afforded resources and provides protection from predation. Conversely, being encapsulated reduces growth to the limits of the capsule, prevents access to external resources, determines location of the individual, and impedes oxygen uptake. When it is more beneficial for an individual to hatch rather than being encapsulated, hatching should be favored by selection. The hatching process can be accelerated or delayed by various factors. For fish like brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) that reproduce in shallow streams, the eggs may be subjected to low water events, with the risk of emergence into air. This project examines the ramifications of a low water event on brook trout egg hatching in a laboratory setting. Eggs of two different life stages (eyed and notochord) were exposed to an artificial low water event for 24 hours. The thermal units of hatched fish were used to compare the two risk groups as well as a control. Initial results suggest an effect of air exposure on hatch timing which may be important to understanding how environmental change impacts larval brook trout.

[74]

Brown Bear Gut Microbiomes: A Micro-Approach to Wildlife Management

Sarah Trujillo, Graduate - MS Graduate Program - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Poster

Gut microbiomes (GMBs), complex communities of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tracts of their hosts, perform countless micro-ecosystem services such as facilitating energy uptake and modulating immune responses. While scientists increasingly recognize the role GMBs play in host health, the role of GMBs in wildlife ecology and conservation have yet to be realized fully. Using brown bears (Ursus arctos) as an ecological model, we aim to a) assess variation in brown bear GMBs across three protected areas in Alaska and b) evaluate the role that extrinsic factors (e.g., location, diet, and season) play in brown bear GMBs. To achieve these aims, we subsampled brown bear fecal samples collected during previous United States Geological Survey and National Park Service research activities at Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, and Katmai National Park and Preserve. From these fecal samples, we extracted microbial DNA for 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and conducted bioinformatic analysis to identify factors driving variation in brown bear GMBs. Our preliminary results indicate that location drives GMB variation across the study area. However, alpha diversity indices, Faith’s Phylogenetic and Shannon, are not significantly different between parks. By integrating macro and micro-ecological perspectives, we hope to identify characteristics of brown bear-associated GMBs that can serve as biomarkers for population-level health, thus informing local and landscape-level management decisions to promote long-term conservation and management.

[75]

Characterization of Basigin Knock-Out Cell Lines

Amy Abel, Graduate - MS Graduate Program – Biology

Collin Banger, Senior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert Belton - Biology

Poster

Our lab studies the several functions of the transmembrane glycoprotein called Basigin. This protein is expressed in the mouse both in the uterus and the developing embryo during implantation (Chen, 2009). Normal implantation does not occur if either tissue lacks Basigin expression (Kuno, 1999). Basigin is also overexpressed in cancer cells capable of metastasizing into normal tissues. The significance of this is that both the embryo and cancer cells are able to induce changes in their neighboring tissues resulting in embryo/cancer cell invasion. These cellular interactions are mediated by Basigin on the surface of these tissues. For example, treatment of cells with recombinant Basigin (rBSG) can stimulate the expression of extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are central for cell invasion (Belton, 2008). Cell lines lacking a functional Basigin gene are required to determine the necessity for Basigin to induce MMP expression. Our lab employed CRISPR/cas9 technology to knock out Basigin and test the hypothesis that Basigin is necessary to induce MMP expression. Current work in our lab aims to characterize these cell lines by utilizing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genomic DNA sequence analysis. For this, CRISPR/cas9 treated cells were isolated and genomic DNA was purified. PCR analysis was performed using custom-designed oligonucleotide primers. The amplified PCR products were then subjected to DNA sequencing to identify cell lines that contained mutated Basigin genes. Several independent clones were identified and will allow us to directly test the necessity of Basigin in stimulating MMP expression in target cells. If the hypothesis is supported, future studies could look at Basigin as a target for treatments to inhibit cancer metastasis.

[76]

Characterization of the P2D7 mAb to Study Basigin Function During Implantation

Jeannine Barna, Graduate - MS Graduate Program – Biology

Mitchell Messing, Senior - Biology - Physiology

Lauren Clausen, Senior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert Belton - Biology

Poster

Between 1990 and 2017, the worldwide rate of female infertility has increased by nearly 15% (Sun et al., 2019). The major factor responsible for early pregnancy loss is attributed to the failure of an embryo to implant into the uterus. A number of studies have identified molecules that are necessary for successful implantation, but their function during implantation remains poorly understood (Zhang et al., 2013). Therefore, it is imperative to further investigate the process of embryo implantation to progress the field of reproduction and fertility. The cell surface glycoprotein basigin, is necessary for embryo implantation in the mouse (Li & Nowak, 2020) and plays a significant role in many cellular functions including cell communication and the remodeling of the extracellular matrix (Chen et al., 2009). In vitro studies using human uterine cells grown in culture, demonstrate that basigin regulates the expression and secretion of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases, (MMPs) which are critical for successful implantation to occur in the mouse (Belton et al., 2008). Recently, our lab purified the anti-basigin-2 monoclonal antibody originally developed by Dr. Belton at the University of Illinois. We hypothesize that this monoclonal antibody (P2D7) will specifically label human basigin proteins in human uterine tissue. To test this hypothesis, we sectioned paraffin-embedded human endometrial tissue samples and performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) using the P2D7 antibody to demonstrate antibody labeling of basigin proteins. Antibody competition assays were also performed using the purified recombinant basigin protein (rBSG) to block antibody binding to the tissues. Our results reveal that the P2D7 antibody specifically and reproducibly labels basigin within the uterine tissue samples. These results will allow us to address the overall research question of “Is basigin-2 involved in cellular migration of human endometrial stromal cells?”.

[77]

Describing Early Life History of Common Larval Fish in the St. Marys River

Faith VanDrunen, Graduate - MS Graduate Program - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Brandon Gerig - Biology

Poster

The St Marys River, which connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron, supports a diverse assemblage of ecologically and economically important fish species. However, little contemporary information is known about fish production in the St. Marys River Rapids, where anthropogenic activities include shipping, hydropower generation, and hydrologic regulation through compensating works. In this study, we examined larval fish emergence, diel drift times, and passive and active catch per unit effort (CPUE) of the five most common larval fish species. Paired bongo samplers fished at 16 locations near the St. Marys River Rapids and Little Rapids using active surface tows and/or passive depth-integrated collections. Larvae were identified to the lowest taxonomic level using methods from Auer 1982. The five most abundant species were rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), trout-perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus), burbot (Lota lota), cyprinids (Cyprinidae), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens). Rainbow smelt and trout-perch numerically dominated catches. Burbot were the earliest species to emerge (mid-May) and were captured over the greatest timespan at 15 weeks. Burbot and rainbow smelt persisted throughout the sampling season suggesting protracted spawning and/or emergence. Yellow perch were collected over a 7-week timespan which was the shortest drift window observed. Capture abundance across species was highest between July 16 and 23. Larvae were collected in highest abundance at night with trout-perch and yellow perch only being caught during nighttime sampling. Finally, CPUE of active samples was superior to depth-integrated samples with trout-perch having the greatest CPUE of all five species. Future research will include the addition of less common species, introduction of environmental variables such as altered flow regime, and data from additional sample years.

[78]

Fluoxetine Sensitizes Glioblastoma Cells to Cisplatin Treatment

Xochitl Delgado, Graduate - MS Graduate Program - Psychological Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amber LaCrosse - Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center

Poster

According to the American Cancer Society, in 2019, there were more than 16.6 million Americans alive with a history of cancer, and more than 1.8 million new cancer diagnoses are expected in 2020. Due to the large number of people affected by this disease, cancer is a significant public health problem. Chemotherapy is among the first line of treatment options for cancer. Among the chemotherapy types currently used, platinum-based drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin are commonly used to treat tumors outside of the central nervous system. Cisplatin, is a metallic coordination compound that initiates cell death through various methods that include DNA damage during cell replication and produces damaging pro-inflammatory cytokines. Unfortunately, the damage caused by cisplatin treatment is not selective to only cancer cells but also damages healthy cells, which leads to undesirable side effects that include a range of factors from loss of appetite to lasting impairments in cognitive function. Fluoxetine (FLX) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor widely used in patients with anxiety and mood disorders. Published literature reports that FLX decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines that can damage healthy cells. The goals of this project to assess whether co-therapy of cisplatin and FLX can lower the dosage of chemotherapy needed to achieve ideal cancer cell death and to evaluate the possible protective effects of FLX treatment using similar doses in normal cells. This research will ultimately provide scientists and medical professionals with new information to improve treatment options and the overall quality of life for cancer patients.

[79]

Human Recreation Impacts American Black Bear Seasonal Activity and Occupancy

Tru Hubbard, Graduate - MS Graduate Program – Biology

Mitchell Hawthorne, Senior - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diana Lafferty - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Cove

Poster

While protected areas encompass ~15% of Earth’s terrestrial surface and serve an important role in wildlife conservation, most wildlife occur outside protected areas and are subject to varying degrees of human disturbance. In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, for example, American black bears (Ursus americanus) are relatively common across the forested landscape despite a rapidly growing outdoor recreation industry (e.g., mountain biking, snow biking, snowmobiling, hiking). As a highly mobile, opportunistic species with a large home range, increased human activity across the landscape has the potential to affect black bear spatial and temporal activity, as well as reduce their period of inactivity (i.e., hibernation) which may lead to an increase in human-bear conflicts. As such, our goal is to investigate how landscape (e.g., land cover type, distance to water) and anthropogenic (e.g., human presence, recreating type, infrastructure) factors influence black bear occupancy, detection probability, and activity patterns across the urban-wildland interface before and after hibernation. To accomplish our goals, we deployed 30 trail cameras across a 60km2 study area that includes multi-use lands managed by MI-Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy and Hancock Timber Management Group in Marquette County, MI. Preliminary results indicate black bear occurrence at 23 camera sites (~77%), and an increase in activity following hibernation in the spring. Though analyses are ongoing, we expect to find that peak black bear activity not only differs seasonally, but also differs based on peak human activity and the type of activity being performed. Understanding black bear responses to human recreation patterns across the urban-wildland interface may provide useful information for minimizing human-mediated disturbance of this common, wide-ranging carnivore.

[80]

Sequestration of Cadmium and Nickel Sulfide by Oyster Mushrooms

Dylan Anderson, Graduate - MS Graduate Program - Chemistry

Kylee Hackman, Graduate - MS Graduate Program - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Philip Yangyuoru - Chemistry

Faculty Mentor: Eugene Wickenheiser - Chemistry

Poster

In Michigan’s upper peninsula, local sulfide mining releases significant levels of non-biodegradable pollutants, including heavy metals, into the surrounding environment. High concentrations of cadmium and nickel among other metals are readily mobilized under the acidic conditions created by the oxidation of sulfur. Metals can enter the tissues of mushrooms and pose a health risk to foragers and scavengers. Innovative strategies to mitigate these impacts include bioremediation, a low risk and low cost solution. Mycoremediation is the use of fungi to extract and degrade pollutants from contaminated soils, sediments, and waterways. The Pluteus ostreatus mushroom species has been shown to be a great bioremediation agent. In this study, we investigate the uptake of metals by the Pluteus ostreatus mushroom in woody substrates containing varying concentrations of cadmium (II) 10, 20, 40, 80 ppm and nickel (II) sulfide 10, 20, 40, 80, 200 ppm. Upon harvest of the fruiting body, the concentration of the metals in the mushrooms was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We found a direct correlation between the metal content in the substrates and the total amount of metal sequestered/adsorbed by the mushrooms. The amount of Cadmium sequestered in all treatments was found to be greater than the Nickle, most likely due to Cd being more soluble in water. This study gives more insight on the accumulation metal sulfides, their effect on the growth of oyster mushrooms and the possibility of mycoremediation as a treatment for mine tailings.

[81]

The Etiology of Complex Blunt Force Trauma: A Case Study

Samuel Holmes II, Graduate

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jane Harris - Sociology and Anthropology

Poster

A major aspect of forensic anthropology is the analysis of unidentified human skeletal remains. The main goal of this analysis is to determine a biological profile of the individual consisting of age, sex, ancestry, and stature which will hopefully match the individual’s remains with a missing person and eventually lead to an identification. For medico-legal reasons, trauma analysis is also very important and can shed light on what may have happened to someone around their time of death. Pedestrian deaths account for approximately 13% of all traffic fatalities (National Police Administration, 2014). This research involves the analysis of a human donor whose body was accepted to the NMU Forensic Research Outdoor Station (FROST) and Forensic Anthropology Research Laboratory (FARL) for research and education purposes. The donor is known to have been a victim of an Automobile Versus Pedestrian (AVP) fatality, however no medical or incident reports were provided with the donation, so the exact etiology of the traumatic injuries is unknown. To attempt a reconstruction of the peri-mortem (at or near the time of death) events, the individual’s extensive injuries are documented and analyzed for impact locations, directionality, and fracture patterns. The results of this analysis are compared with other known AVP fatalities involving individuals with similar age, sex, stature, and traumatic injuries. Based on my analysis and comparisons, I present conclusions about the most likely type of car crash and area of impact. Furthermore, I delve into anatomical injuries and crash characteristics associated with AVPs and specific classifications of trauma such as vehicle type, speed of vehicle, and direction the pedestrian was facing when struck – all things missing from this particular individual’s record. In conducting this analysis, I attempt to explain this specific individual’s AVP fatality.

[82]

Variation in Adaptation Within the American Pika (Ochotona Princeps)

Zach Farrand, Graduate - MS Graduate Program - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Katherine Teeter - Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kurt Galbreath - Biology

Poster

The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is discontinuously distributed in high elevation and montane regions across western North America, where isolated lineages have potentially evolved along divergent trajectories since the mid-Pleistocene. Ochotona princeps encounters cold temperatures, hypoxia, and dietary toxins, and therefore has thermoregulatory and metabolic adaptations related to these environmental challenges. Studies have confirmed interspecific adaptive variation between O. princeps and other Ochotona species, but there is limited research regarding intraspecific adaptive variation within O. princeps. We are investigating adaptive responses to thermoregulation, hypoxia, and detoxification in a panel of candidate genes previously shown to be linked to these conditions in Ochotona and other mammal species. Specifically, our goal is to identify differential selection among five O. princeps subspecies, and we are testing the following hypotheses: interspecific adaptive variation exists among six Ochotona species and closely related mammals, intraspecific adaptive variation exists among five O. princeps subspecies, and allelic variation among regional samples reflects site-specific environmental parameters. We have selected candidate genes that are linked to thermoregulatory, metabolic, and detoxification pathways. We will isolate these genes for sequencing using a target capture protocol. We will test for selection using codon evolution, site-frequency spectrum, fixation index, and linkage disequilibrium tests. Signatures of selection will be evaluated against several site parameters, including elevation, latitude, temperature, and vegetative communities for each sample location.