In the past five years, Iowa has experienced weather extremes with records or near-records set for spring flooding in 2008, summer rainfall in 2010 and drought in 2012. To determine whether these weather events affected growth or body condition in ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornate ornata), we analyzed the changes in shell morphology and mass/volume ratio during their active season of May to August of 2005-2006 and 2008-2012. Read More…

The ornate box turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata, is threatened in Iowa, as the species’ prairie habitat has mostly been converted into agricultural land, reducing and fragmenting natural habitat and increasing contact with motor vehicles, farm implements, and mesopredators. Our project strives to understand the ecology and natural history of T. ornata in Iowa for conservation purposes. Read More…

This past summer I participated in an internship in partnership with Dr. Peter Korpi, an optometrist from Muscatine, Iowa. Dr. Korpi has traveled to underdeveloped countries to examine people’s eyes and provide the residents with corrective eyeglasses free of charge. Dr. Korpi and I arrived in Uzbekistan, my home country, to inspect eyesight of citizens who lacked the financial means to afford basic healthcare. We hoped that our mission would lead to a dramatic improvement in their quality of life. Read More…

Yeast (S. cerevisiae) are a relatively simple, ubiquitous, single-cell organism, like bacteria. However, unlike bacteria, yeast are eukaryotes, like humans. They also have some proteins that are similar to those found in humans. Some of the proteins are TOR proteins, which are responsible for many things, including resource partitioning. For this reason, TOR proteins influence a variety of issues, such as obesity and cancer. Read More…

 We quantified home range size and movements of hatchling and juvenile ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornata ornata) at Hawkeye Wildlife Area, Iowa, during the summer of 2011.  Ten hatchlings and juveniles were followed using radio telemetry from May through July. Read More…

The evolutionary relationship of the Millepores in the Caribbean has been problematic for years. Taxonomic classification of these Millepores is based upon habitat and morphology. Two distinct morphologies, classified as separate species, have been recorded, but extensive phenotypic plasticity yields a large variety of intermediate morphologies that do not fit into the current taxonomic groupings. Read More…

The ornate box turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata, displays significant sexual dimorphism. Males generally have thicker and longer tails, modified hind toes, a concave plastron, more muscular hind legs, and vividly red or orange irises and antebrachial scales, as opposed to the pale yellows and browns of juveniles and females (Legler, 1960). Read More…

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), silver amalgams are used for posterior tooth restorations in more than 100 million Americans annually. However, the safety of using silver amalgams has been contested in the United States since 1840. Read More…

Ecological health depends on a wide diversity of all life forms. The greater the biodiversity the more opportunities there are for adaptive responses to environmental challenges such as climate change and economic development.  Loss in biodiversity may limit medical and pharmacological discoveries.  Biodiversity-rich ecosystems are more resilient and boost ecosystem productivity. Read More…

The evolutionary relationship of the Millepores in the Western Atlantic has been problematic for years. Current taxonomic distinction is based mainly upon morphological characters and habitat. Millepora complanta is found in shallower, more turbulent waters and is composed of sturdy blade-like colonies whereas M. alcicornis has delicate branching spires and inhabits deeper or more sheltered areas. However, the presence of a wide range of intermediate forms calls the currently accepted phylogeny into question. Read More…

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is a technique that combines gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to characterize substances within a sample. We first used this technique to analyze turtle nest volatiles to determine if turtle nest predators use olfactory cues to find nest sites. Read More…

Since 1995, the Peruvian government has been working to restructure their healthcare system. In rural areas and small towns, healthcare services are limited, while in major cities healthcare is more available and is considered adequate. Thus, a large proportion of Peruvians have inadequate access to health services. Approximately seventy percent of the population lives at or below the poverty line. Read More…

Gurania bignoniacea and Gurania acuminata are two species of flowering vines in the cucurbit family native to tropical South America. Although each is currently considered to be a single species with widespread geographic distribution, these two names encompass more than 20 historical species epithets applied to type specimens collected across the continent. Read More…

Flies of the genus Blepharoneura, found throughout South America, are highly diverse and highly specific to the plant species they infest. The flies are parasitized by wasps, called “parasitoids” because the wasps kill their hosts (the flies). If the wasps themselves exhibit high degrees of host specificity, they may have influenced the high degree of speciation exhibited by the fly species. Read More…

Prosthesis malignment can lead to acute and chronic health problems. Prosthetic alignment is traditionally set through physical exam and gait observation.  Based on experience, these methods are often not optimal, thus, we began to use long leg anterior and posterior (AP) radiographs during the fitting process in order to obtain neutral alignment more accurately and efficiently. Read More…

The ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata) is on the threatened species list in Iowa. Predation on nests is the primary source of mortality in this species; Cornell faculty and students have investigated interventions intended to reduce nest predation in a nearby population of ornate box turtles. Read More…

Two morphologies of Millepora, currently classified as separate species, exist in the Bahamas.  Millepora complanata, is found primarily in shallow waters, possessing wide, smooth branches whereas Millepora alcicornis, is found primarily in deeper waters, possessing thinner, knobby branches. Read More…

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is common following joint injuries. Injury itself and its after effects are known to kill chondrocytes. A large factor in the death of chondrocytes following blunt impact during in vitro studies has been superoxide release. Read More…

Autism spectrum disorders, a group of developmental disorders that affect one in every 150 children, are highly heritable. Autism is thought to be caused by a number of epigenetic and genetic factors that are de novo or inherited and influenced by the environment. Read More…

We examined the distribution and fates of natural nests of ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornata) in the Hawkeye Wildlife Area, Johnson County, Iowa. Read More…

Osteoporosis is marked by a decrease in bone mineral density and an increased susceptibility to fracture. Read More…

Several studies have indicated that Parkinson’s disease (PD) is more common in males as opposed to females. Read More…

Two morphologies of Millepora, currently classified as separate species, exist off the coast of the Bahamas. Read More…

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of organisms to change their phenotype in order to adapt to their environment. Read More…

Nest predation is an important source of mortality in turtles. We have been studying nest predation on ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornata) for several years at Hawkeye Wildlife Area, Johnson County. Iowa. Read More…

Female turtles are capable of storing sperm from multiple males, potentially enabling offspring from a single clutch to be fathered by several males. Read More…

Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are critically endangered, largely due to a variety of human activities. While many aspects of their life history are documented, there is virtuallynothing known about survival of hatchlings during their first hours at sea. Read More…

The knowledge that life is precious and that our hold on life is tenuous has haunted humans for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians had a strong belief surrounding life, death and the afterlife. Read More…

Environmental enrichment is a natural means by which the brain can make itself more resilient against disease; however, its mechanisms remain incompletely defined. Environmental enrichment consists of increased social, physical and intellectual activity (i.e., learning), which can reduce brain injury by more than 50%. Read More…

This research focused on the role of Toll-like Receptor 2 (TLR 2) in the development of adipose inflammation in obesity. Read More…

Host race formation is believed to be an important step in the formation of new species. Several varieties of Strauzia longipennis may exhibit differential host use, either by being host-taxon specific or by being host-tissue specific. Read More…

Fire coral from the genus Millepora are ubiquitous in tropical western Atlantic reefs. Two distinct morphologies of Millepora, currently classified as separate species, exist off the coast of the Bahamas. M. complanata have broad, smooth blades and prefer shallow waters whereas M. alcicornis have knobby branches and prefer deeper waters. Read More…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that usually causes eventual respiratory failure due to motor neuron death. Approximately 90% of all ALS cases are classified as sporadic ALS, meaning that there is no known cause. Read More…

Operation Walk is a nonprofit organization that provides free hip and knee replacement surgeries to patients in underdeveloped countries. Each year, Cornell students have the opportunity to travel with Operation Walk and founder Dr. Larry Dorr (’63) to assist with every aspect of the surgery process. Read More…

Multivalent ligands display multiple copies of one or more ligands that can simultaneously bind to multiple receptors contained on another entity. By combining multiple ligands into a multivalent construct, it should be possible to target them specifically to cancer cells that express all of their cognate receptors. Read More…

This study was part of a long-term research program on the ecology of the ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata). Read More…

Strauzia longipennis (Wiedemann) is a notoriously variable species. Seven varieties were once recognized, all but three considered as synonyms by some authors. Read More…

The genus Millepora, commonly known as fire coral, is a calcareous hydrozoan common in tropical seas worldwide. Read More…

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) is a technique that has been used to estimate the diversity in bacterial samples based on the melting behaviors of DNA segments. DGGE may provide a new, more efficient manner to identify unknown bacteria, Read More…

HDL is the major carrier in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). Low plasma HDL and cardiovascular disease are strongly associated. Read More…

Last October and November I completed an internship at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Phoenix, Arizona. The internship was created and supported by Dimensions, based on the ideas of Dr. Candice Nulsen (’ 94). Read More…

Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase-1 (CuZnSOD) is a radical-scavenging enzyme occurring intracellularly in humans. A toxic gain-of-function in this enzyme has been established as a cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’ s Disease). Read More…

In today’ s society it is now possible to live for extended periods of time with an HIV infection. The current standard of treatment is highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). Read More…

Fire coral of the genus Millepora are prevalent in tropical western Atlantic reefs.  Two distinct morphologies of Millepora, currently classified as separate species, exist off the coast of the Bahamas. Read More…

Chronic myelogenous leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow that is characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of myeloid cells. Nearly 4500 new cases of CML are diagnosed each year in the United States alone Read More…

In my presentation I will summarize the research project from my internship studying Huntington’ s disease at The University of Iowa Department of Neuropsychiatry. Read More…

Throughout the last 16 years, the methods used for patients who undergo surgery have drastically changed, as is the case with Total Hip Replacement surgery (THR). A recent revolution in patient care has been catalyzed by the age of technology, as patients are now able to learn a great deal of information about the surgery and various other components of the THR process such as preparation and recovery. Read More…

The ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata) is a species native to Iowa and much of the Midwest. Read More…

There is a phenotypic change in tail morphology when gray tree frog (Hyla versicolor) tadpoles are raised in the presence of feeding dragonfly larvae. This change in tail morphology appears to be induced in response to byproducts released during tadpole predation. Read More…

Subadult skulls from protohistoric archaeological sites in Maryland and Georgia were surveyed for evidence of scurvy. Read More…