Digital Commons Network^™

Meta-Omic Signatures Of Microbial Metal And Nitrogen Cycling In Marine Oxygen Minimum Zones, Jennifer B. Glass, Cecilia B. Kretz, Sangita Ganesh, Piyush Ranjan, Sherry L. Seston, Kristen N. Buck, William M. Landing, Peter L. Morton, James W. Moffett, Stephen J. Giovannoni, Kevin L. Vergin, Frank J. Stewart

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) are essential cofactors for microbial metalloenzymes, but little is known about the metalloenyzme inventory of anaerobic marine microbial communities despite their importance to the nitrogen cycle. We compared dissolved O₂, NO3−" role="presentation">−3, NO2−" role="presentation">−2, Fe and Cu concentrations with nucleic acid sequences encoding Fe and Cu-binding proteins in 21 metagenomes and 9 metatranscriptomes from Eastern Tropical North and South Pacific oxygen minimum zones and 7 metagenomes from the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Station. Dissolved Fe concentrations increased sharply at upper oxic-anoxic transition zones, with the highest Fe:Cu molar ratio (1.8) occurring at …

Ecoscience + Art Initiative: Designing A New Paradigm For College Education, Scholarship, And Service, Changwoo Ahn

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

The paper presents a new initiative, EcoScience + Art, which blooms at George Mason University. The creator explains the background, history, and recent activities of the initiative, and also introduces an on-going special project called “The Rain Project”, a student participatory project to design, construct, and monitor a green infrastructure (i.e., floating wetland) for sustainable stormwater management on campus. The special project is geared to design and present a new paradigm to integrate college education, scholarship, and service. The relevance of the initiative and the special project to STEAM education is discussed.

Nanoparticle Interaction At Cellular And Subcellular Levels As Analyzed By Electron Microscopy For Biomedical Application, Thikra Mustafa

Theses and Dissertations

Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field of science. The merger of nanotechnology and biotechnology has led to the introduction of a new field of science called bionanotechnology. Bionanotechnology employs extremely small, engineered materials to perform tasks within biological systems. This new technology has benefits in many different sectors, including cancer fighting, disease detection, and medical imaging. The application of nanotechnology in biology and medicine offers exciting new possibilities. A nanoparticle (NP) --an extremely small, two- or three -dimensional object having a size ranging from 1-100nm--is the type of nanomaterial utilized in bionanotechnology applications. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) …

Coordinate Regulation Of The Wnt And Hippo Pathways By The Novel Ras Effector Nore1a., Marvin Lee Schmidt Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ras is the most frequently activated oncogene found in human cancer, but its mechanisms of action remain only partially understood. Ras activates multiple signaling pathways in order to promote transformation, but can also exhibit a potent ability to induce growth arrest and death. NORE1A (RASSF5) is a direct Ras effector that acts as a tumor suppressor promoting senescence and apoptosis. Its expression is frequently lost in human tumors and its mechanism of action remains unclear. Here I show that NORE1A forms a direct, Ras regulated, complex with β-TrCP, the substrate recognition component of the SCF-β-TrCP ubiquitin ligase complex. NORE1A also …

Exercise Mitigates The Effects Of Hyperhomocysteinemia On Adverse Skeletal Muscle Remodeling., Lee Winchester

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is heavily implicated in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. HHcy is known for causing inflammation and vascular remodeling, particularly through production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Although its impact on skeletal muscle is rather unclear, HHcy is known to cause skeletal muscle weakness and functional impairment. The impact of HHcy on inflammation makes it seem likely that HHcy causes skeletal muscle fibrosis through induction of inflammatory factors and destructive macrophages. Exercise has been shown to reduce homocysteine levels and therefore, could serve as a promising intervention for HHcy. The purpose of this study was …

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter (No. 8) = 嶺南彩園通訊 (第8期), Lingnan Gardeners, Kwan Fong Cultural Research And Development Programme, Lingnan University

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter 嶺南彩園通訊

Slight Heat 小暑

Regulation Of Thyroid Hormone-Induced Development In Vivo By Thyroid Hormone Transporters And Cytosolic Binding Proteins, Jinyoung Choi, Christine L. Moskalik, Allison Ng, Stephen F. Matter, Daniel R. Buchholz

Publications & Research

Differential tissue sensitivity/responsivity to hormones can explain developmental asynchrony among hormone-dependent events despite equivalent exposure of each tissue to circulating hormone levels. A dramatic vertebrate example is during frog metamorphosis, where transformation of the hind limb, brain, intestine, liver, and tail are completely dependent on thyroid hormone (TH) but occurs asynchronously during development. TH transporters (THTs) and cytosolic TH binding proteins (CTHBPs) have been proposed to affect the timing of tissue transformation based on expression profiles and in vitro studies, but they have not been previously tested in vivo. We used a combination of expression pattern, relative expression level, …

Effects Of Food Label Education On Consumers' Sensory Perception And Awareness In Chicken Meat, Shilpa Samant

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recently, sustainability and process-related label claims have gained immense popularity especially for meat products like chicken. Apart from providing consumers with required product information, these labels have an impact on consumer perception and purchase behavior. The objective of this study was to determine whether providing label information affects consumers’ awareness and attitude toward the claims found on chicken products. Additionally, it was analyzed if enhanced label understanding affects consumers’ sensory and quality perceptions along with purchase intent. A total of 110 participants were randomly distributed into 1 of 3 types of education sessions: (1) reading a flyer (passive learning), (2) …

Predictors Of Preschool Children's Body Mass Index: Breastfeeding Duration, Child Eating Behaviors, And Parental Feeding Practices, Amy J. Encinger

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The current study examined how breastfeeding duration, child eating behaviors (Satiety and Food Responsiveness), and parental feeding practices (Environment and Parental Control over Food) are related to body mass index (BMI) among preschool-aged children. Participants were 224 primary caregivers (M age = 30.36; 90% mothers) of preschool-aged children (M age = 4.22 years, 55% male) from three Midwestern preschools serving low-income children. Mediated multiple regression analyses examined the effects of the various child eating behaviors and parental feeding practices as mediators of the relation between breastfeeding duration and child BMI. Three main findings emerged. There was a significant …

17th Annual Pacific Research Day Abstracts, University Of The Pacific

Excellence Day

No abstract provided.

K-Ras, But Not H-Ras Or N-Ras, Hyperactivation Regulates Brain Neural Stem Cell Proliferation In A Raf/Rb-Dependent Manner, R. Hugh F. Bender

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Neural stem cells (NSCs) give rise to all the major cell types in the brain, including neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes. However, the intracellular signaling pathways that govern brain NSC proliferation and differentiation have been incompletely characterized to date. Since several neurodevelopmental brain disorders (i.e., Costello syndrome, Noonan syndrome) are caused by germline mutations in the RAS genes, Ras small GTPases are likely critical regulators of brain NSC function. In the mammalian brain, Ras exists as three distinct molecules (H-Ras, K-Ras, and N-Ras), each with different subcellular localizations, downstream signaling effectors, and biological effects. Leveraging a novel series of conditional Ras …

Viral And Innate Immune Factors Controlling Disease Susceptibility During Chikungunya Virus Infection, Anjali Rohatgi

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging pathogen that causes a high fever, painful arthritis and a macular rash. The current outbreak began in Kenya in 2004 and spread throughout the Indian Ocean area and Southeast Asia, infecting millions. During this outbreak, more severe disease manifestations, including lethality, were reported for the first time. To understand one possible reason for this change in severity, we explored the impact of genetic changes in the virus on disease pathogenesis. In addition, we dissected the role of type I interferon (IFN) subtypes in CHIKV infection. From these studies, we have gained important insight into …

The Effect Of Dissolved Polyunsaturated Aldehydes On Microzooplankton Growth Rates In The Chesapeake Bay And Atlantic Coastal Waters, Peter J. Lavrentyev, Gayantonia Franze, James J. Pierson, Diane K. Stoecker

Biology Faculty Research

Allelopathy is wide spread among marine phytoplankton, including diatoms, which can produce cytotoxic secondary metabolites such as polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUA). Most studies on diatom-produced PUA have been dedicated to their inhibitory effects on reproduction and development of marine invertebrates. However, little information exists on their impact on key herbivores in the ocean, microzooplankton. This study examined the effects of dissolved 2E,4E-octadienal and 2E,4E-heptadienal on the growth rates of natural ciliate and dinoflagellate populations in the Chesapeake Bay and the coastal Atlantic waters. The overall effect of PUA on microzooplankton growth was negative, …

Improvement Of Nutrient Utilization Efficiency, Ruminal Fermentation And Lactational Performance Of Dairy Cows By Feeding Birdsfoot Trefoil, Rachael G. Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Condensed tannins (CT) are compounds that have shown potential to reduce the environmental impact of dairy farming waste products. In two live animal studies and a continuous culture study, it was hypothesized that feeding birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus, BFT), a CT-containing legume, would improve nutrient utilization, milk, and component yield of dairy cows compared with feeding alfalfa hay or grass pasture in two studies, while feeding BFT forage would decrease methane production and improve rumen fermentation in addition to concentrate supplementation was the hypothesis of the third study. Reduction in milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and …

Manipulating The Mass Distribution Of A Golf Putter, Paul J. Hessler Jr.

Senior Honors Projects

Putting may appear to be the easiest but is actually the most technically challenging part of the game of golf. The ideal putting stroke will remain parallel to its desired trajectory both in the reverse and forward direction when the putter head is within six inches of the ball. Deviation from this concept will cause a cut or sidespin on the ball that will affect the path the ball will travel.

Club design plays a large part in how well a player will be able to achieve a straight back and straight through club head path near impact; specifically the …

The Role Of Oxidative Stress In The Rotenone Model Lymnaea Stagnalis, Homero L. Cantu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder, characterized by progressive depletion of dopamine (DA). Rotenone, a common pesticide, can induce PD like symptoms in animal models. The goal of this thesis is to quantify the levels and effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in brain tissue of the common neurobiological gastropod model, Lymnaea stagnalis, after treatment with Rotenone. The results show that rotenone causes a behavioral deficit and increases ROS production, especially superoxide. Furthermore, glutathione was depleted and protein carbonyl formation increased. These results are consistent with findings in human PD and the high levels of ROS …

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter (No. 5) = 嶺南彩園通訊 (第5期), Lingnan Gardeners, Kwan Fong Cultural Research And Development Programme, Lingnan University

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter 嶺南彩園通訊

Pure Brightness Day 清明

Micrornas Are Absorbed In Biologically Meaningful Amounts From Nutritionally Relevant Doses Of Cow’S Milk And Chicken Eggs And Affect Gene Expression In Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells, Cell Cultures, And Mouse Livers, Scott Baier

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Throughout the twenty-first century, evidence has been continually increasing to show the importance of epigenetic regulation in health. While the term “epigenetics” can be applied to many different processes, the focus of this dissertation will be on microRNAs and chromatin structure. Ultimately, both of these forms of epigenetic regulation can be used to fine tune gene expression based on environmental cues. The first three chapters of the dissertation focus on microRNA bioavailability, stability, and function from two commonly consumed food products: cow’s milk and chicken eggs. This important work has been the first of its kind to demonstrate the bioavailability …

45rd Annual Wku Student Research Conference, Student Research Council

Student Research Conference Select Presentations

See document below for project abstracts

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter (No. 4) = 嶺南彩園通訊 (第4期), Lingnan Gardeners, Kwan Fong Cultural Research And Development Programme, Lingnan University

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter 嶺南彩園通訊

Day of Insects Awakening 驚螫

Dynamics Of Marine Bacterial Community Diversity Of The Coastal Waters Of The Reefs, Inlets, And Wastewater Outfalls Of Southeast Florida, Alexandra Mandina Campbell, Jay Fleisher, Christopher D. Sinigalliano, James R. White, Jose V. Lopez

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coastal waters adjacent to populated southeast Florida possess different habitats (reefs, oceanic inlets, sewage outfalls) that may affect the composition of their inherent microbiomes. To determine variation according to site, season, and depth, over the course of 1 year, we characterized the bacterioplankton communities within 38 nearshore seawater samples derived from the Florida Area Coastal Environment (FACE) water quality survey. Six distinct coastal locales were profiled – the Port Everglades and Hillsboro Inlets, Hollywood and Broward wastewater outfalls, and associated reef sites using culture-independent, high-throughput pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA V4 region. More than 227,000 sequences helped describe longitudinal taxonomic …

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter (No. 3) = 嶺南彩園通訊 (第3期), Lingnan Gardeners, Kwan Fong Cultural Research And Development Programme, Lingnan University

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter 嶺南彩園通訊

Beginning of Spring 立春

Volume 2, Chapter 11-2: Aquatic Insects: Bryophyte Roles As Habitats, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Repeated Effects Of The Neurotensin Receptor Agonist Pd149163 In Three Animal Tests Of Antipsychotic Activity: Assessing For Tolerance And Cross-Tolerance To Clozapine, Shinnyi Chou, Collin Davis, Sean Jones, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Neurotensin is an endogenous neuropeptide closely associated with the mesolimbic dopaminergic system and shown to possess antipsychotic-like effects. In particular, acute neurotensin receptor activation can inhibit conditioned avoidance response (CAR), attenuate phencyclidine (PCP)-induced prepulse inhibition (PPI) disruptions, and reverse PCP-induced hyperlocomotion. However, few studies have examined the long term effects of repeated neurotensin receptor activation and results are inconsistent. Since clinical administration of antipsychotic therapy often requires a prolonged treatment schedule, here we assessed the effects of repeated activation of neurotensin receptors using an NTS1 receptor selective agonist, PD149163, in 3 behavioral tests of antipsychotic activity. We also investigated whether …

Evolutionary History Influences The Salinity Preference Of Bacterial Taxa In Wetland Soils, Ember M. Morrisey, Rima B. Franklin

Biology Publications

Salinity is a major driver of bacterial community composition across the globe. Despite growing recognition that different bacterial species are present or active at different salinities, the mechanisms by which salinity structures community composition remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that these patterns reflect ecological coherence in the salinity preferences of phylogenetic groups using a reciprocal transplant experiment of fresh- and saltwater wetland soils. The salinity of both the origin and host environments affected community composition (16S rRNA gene sequences) and activity (CO2 and CH4 production, and extracellular enzyme activity). These changes in community composition and activity rates were …

Evolutionary History Influences The Salinity Preference Of Bacterial Taxa In Wetland Soils, Ember Morrissey, Rima B. Franklin

Biology Publications

Salinity is a major driver of bacterial community composition across the globe. Despite growing recognition that different bacterial species are present or active at different salinities, the mechanisms by which salinity structures community composition remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that these patterns reflect ecological coherence in the salinity preferences of phylogenetic groups using a reciprocal transplant experiment of fresh- and saltwater wetland soils. The salinity of both the origin and host environments affected community composition (16S rRNA gene sequences) and activity (CO2 and CH4 production, and extracellular enzyme activity). These changes in community composition and activity rates were …

Current Advances In The Application Of Raman Spectroscopy For Molecular Diagnosis Of Cervical Cancer, Ines Martins Ramos, Alison Malkin, Fiona Lyng

Articles

Raman spectroscopy provides a unique biochemical fingerprint capable of identifying and characterizing the structure of molecules, cells and tissues. In cervical cancer, it is acknowledged as a promising biochemical tool due to its ability to detect pre-malignancy and early malignancy stages. This review summarizes the key research in the area and the evidence compiled is very encouraging for ongoing and further research. In addition to the diagnostic potential, promising results for HPV detection and monitoring treatment response suggest more than just a diagnosis prospective. A greater body of evidence is however necessary before Raman spectroscopy is fully validated for clinical …

The Use Of Oral History And Narrative Research In Broadening The Historical Foundation Of The Agricultural Communication Field, Natalie L Federer

Open Access Dissertations

The historical foundation of the agricultural communication community (consisting of both academics and the profession) is shallow and void of humanistic perspective, and there is a minimal amount of historical content that focuses on academic and professional history. The need to explore and interpret historical dimensions of this field is vital to further development of the discipline as an academic and professional field. Oral history was utilized to capture and preserve the interview content from a small sample of agricultural communication and Extension professionals and faculty while narrative research, interpretative theory, and constructivism were utilized to further understand and interpret …

Muscular Dystrophy In The Mdx Mouse Is A Severe Myopathy Compounded By Hypotrophy, Hypertrophy And Hyperplasia., William Duddy, Stephanie Duguez, Helen Johnston, Tatiana V. Cohen, Aditi Phadke, Heather Gordish-Dressman, Kanneboyina Nagaraju, Viola Gnocchi, Siewhui Low, Terence Partridge

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Preclinical testing of potential therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is conducted predominantly of the mdx mouse. But lack of a detailed quantitative description of the pathology of this animal limits our ability to evaluate the effectiveness of putative therapies or their relevance to DMD.

Methods

Accordingly, we have measured the main cellular components of muscle growth and regeneration over the period of postnatal growth and early pathology in mdx and wild-type (WT) mice; phalloidin binding is used as a measure of fibre size, myonuclear counts and BrdU labelling as records of myogenic activity.

Results

We confirm a two-phase …

The Role Of Culture In Agricultural Education: A Synthesis Of Research, Jonathan A. Tubbs

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Culture is studied across many different disciplines and is viewed as a topic of great and valuable interest within research. Agricultural education has come to recognize the value of embracing a multicultural attitude and the need for recruitment of culturally diverse individuals. While definitions of culture can vary from individual to individual, understanding the degree which a topic has been researched within a discipline is necessary in order to know what direction future research should take. Therefore, this study presents the findings of research on culture within the Journal of Agricultural Education from 1960-2015. This study’s findings indicate that culture, …