Digital Commons Network^™

Novel Infection By Mucor Hiemalis Kills Caenorhabditis Hosts Through Intestinal Perforation, Jay Ni

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a popular model system to investigate cell biology and host-pathogen interactions. Presently, C. elegans is studied as a natural host of intracellular pathogens such as microsporidia and Orsay virus along with extracellular bacterial and fungal pathogens. The use of C. elegans as a model in host-pathogen research is limited by the number of naturally occurring pathogens to the organism. Through a sampling project to identify new pathogens of C. elegans, we identified the fungus Mucor hiemalis as a pathogen of Caenorhabditis species. We observed the fungus in the intestinal lumen of wild-caught …

Improving Biocompatibility And Structural Integrity Of Decellularized Biomaterials, Elaine Vanterpool

Student Posters

Tissue engineering is a revolutionary approach to regenerative medicine. Within the field of tissue engineering, biomaterials such as the great saphenous vein or synthetic materials such as PET, are used in tissue generation for grafts and wound healing in many other uses. This is promising and has the potential to save many lives, but many glaring issues prevent the use of these scaffolds in a clinical setting. Some of these include body rejection, lack of hemocompatibility, and weak structural integrity.

An Overview Of Current Education Efforts Within The Ecological Society Of America, Kenneth M. Klemow, Christopher W. Beck, Loren B. Byrne, Carmen R. Cid, Et Al.

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Education has been and remains an important focus within the Ecological Society of America (ESA). Since the late 1980s, the number of initiatives, sections, and committees devoted to education, especially at the undergraduate level, has increased greatly. The purpose of this article is to identify and describe the education-related initiatives and groups within ESA (as of May 2025), especially to provide information for new members. Education activities within ESA are coordinated by the Office for Education and Diversity Programs (OEDP). The Education Committee, which reports to ESA’s Governing Board, engages in various education-related activities on behalf of the Board. Three …

Forage News [2025-01], University Of Kentucky

Forage News

No abstract provided.

Clonal Variation In Effector Gene Expression As A Mechanism For Pathogenic Adaptation In Magnaporthe Oryzae, Rebekah J. Ellsworth

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Magnaporthe oryzae is a filamentous fungal pathogen that causes destructive diseases in cereals, including rice blast, wheat blast, and gray leaf spot. It is responsible for 10–30% annual yield losses in rice (Nalley et al., 2016) and up to 100% loss in wheat under favorable conditions (Kohli et al., 2011). Disease management typically relies on the use of resistant cultivars, but M. oryzae rapidly overcomes host resistance by mutating or deleting avirulence (AVR) genes recognized by host immune receptors. This rapid adaptation, often occurring within one to two growing seasons, presents a major challenge to breeding for durable resistance.

The …

Homeostatic Influence Of Fig4 Outside Of The Fab1-Vac14-Fig4 Complex In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Hannah E. Reeves, Anna King, Imran Khan, Asha Thomas, Corey Chung, Anirudan Sivaprakash, Harrison A. Hall, Cole Mcguire, Victoria Cruz, Alim Habib, Lauren Dotson, Sophia R. Lee, Caroline L. Darbro, Bethany S. Strunk

Biology Faculty Research

The lipid phosphatase Fig4 is conserved in all eukaryotes and is associated with human neurological diseases for which there are currently no specific therapies. Fig4 functions in both the production and turnover of its lipid substrate, PI3,5P2, through participation in the Fab1-Vac14-Fig4 complex with its opposing kinase Fab1. The molecular mechanisms through which Fig4 influences PI3,5P2 production are not fully understood but are believed to require Fig4 binding to the scaffold protein Vac14. We unexpectedly found that multiple Fig4 disease-related mutants that are impaired in binding to the Fab1-Vac14-Fig4 complex dominantly confer tolerance to rapamycin, an inhibitor of the Target …

Identification Of Pharmacophore Modifications That Enhance Bmp-Receptor Agonism, An Investigation To Understand The Development Of Potential Therapeutic Interventions, Maleka T. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are the largest subfamily of the Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-ß superfamily. BMPs are renowned for their pivotal role in cellular functions such as cell growth, apoptosis, and differentiation. Yet, BMPs have also been attributed to the maintenance of adult tissue homeostasis. BMPs elicit physiological function at the cell membrane via a heterotetrameric complex composed of two Type I and two Type II serine-threonine kinase BMP receptors. Activation of BMP transmembrane receptors results in activation of either canonical (Smad-dependent) and/or non-canonical (Smad-independent) signaling. Given the physiological importance of this intricate communication between receptor activation and induction of …

Utilizing Β-Gal To Visualize Selective Transport Of The Ssa4 Gene In S.Cerevisiae, Ian M. Staertow, Rebecca L. Adams Phd

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

In eukaryotic cells such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, protein synthesis begins with the transport of mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. In order for mRNA to leave the nucleus, it must first bind to specific transport proteins which can then facilitate transport via the nuclear pore complex (NPC), a selectively permeable membrane within the cell's nuclear envelope. Under environmental stress, such as heat shock, S. cerevisiae cells modulate transport rates. In this case, in heat stress or “heat shock” most mRNA transcripts will remain in the nucleus. The SSA4 transcript encodes for a chaperone protein which facilitates the subsequent export …

The Role Of Sodium Butyrate As An Inflammatory Regulator And Its Effect On Long Noncoding Rnas In Neuroinflammation, Angel Covarrubias

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses - Archive

Inflammation is a crucial homeostatic process that contributes to both the elimination of foreign invaders and tissue repair. Inflammation at sites of tissue injury or infection is initiated by the detection of a harmful stimulus, triggering vital inflammatory immune signaling pathways and a cascade of cytokines and inflammatory mediators. The dysregulation of this process, however, can result in inappropriate inflammatory responses manifesting in tissue damage and compromised cell function. Dysregulation of the inflammatory response is seen frequently in many human diseases such as Diabetes, Cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases.

In the context of the Central Nervous system, inflammation is …

For Dust Thou Art, And Unto Dust Shalt Thou Return — Testing Soil-Derived Plant-Beneficial Bacteria For Potential As Biofertilizers, Johnathon Brim, Blake Oler, Jacob Hardy, Joseph Richardson, Ryan Bjazevich, Kate Whalen, Emmelia Wevers, Foxx Naylor, Ethan Shreeve, Alex Cherry, Ethan Cherry, Tanner Gunnell, Jayden Longhurst, Andrew Burrows, Mailon Odell, Jacob Sy, Jeffrey Schacterle

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

• The results of plant testing have shown that bacteria treated seeds outperform the control seeds on a consistent basis
• We will continue to receive more data from out own experiments as well as crowdsourcing methods.
• Our next step is to begin comparing results of our soil/seed treatment against commercially available fertilizers that use beneficial bacteria.

Unveiling The Bacterial Communities Of Aphaenogaster: Taxonomic Composition, Developmental And Species Influences, And The Impact Of Climate Change, Lily Kelleher

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Ants are vital keystone species in many ecosystems because they provide ecosystem services such as: seed dispersal, soil bioturbation, and pest control. However, ant bacterial symbioses remain largely unstudied, but these interactions are crucial because microbes play a vital role in the ants’ overall health. Today, global climate change is impacting our biodiversity, and we can use information about how changing temperatures impact the symbiotic bacterial communities associated with ants to predict future impact. Aphaenogaster rudis and A. fulva remain understudied in terms of their bacterial community and are important North American species. For this study, ants from several colonies …

The Power Of Plate & Knowledge: Nutrition’S Role In Pcos Management For Asian American Women, Cassandra Curameng Diego Curameng

Nursing | Senior Theses

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common metabolic endocrine condition with symptoms that severely impair women's physical and reproductive health. However, individuals with PCOS, especially Asian American women, lack sufficient understanding of non-pharmacological symptom management options, such as dietary and lifestyle modifications. This research proposal explores whether culturally appropriate nutrition education can help manage PCOS symptoms and lessen the need for medical management. The literature critique focuses on addressing the knowledge gap regarding treatment management among women diagnosed with PCOS, health risks related to PCOS, ethnic differences, and nutrition. This proposal investigates the impact of a dietary education program tailored …

Swosu Research And Scholarly Activity Fair 2025, Swosu Office Of Sponsored Programs

SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair Programs

On behalf of the members of the University Research and Scholarly Activity Committee (USRAC) and the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) — welcome to the Thirty-Third SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair!

This year’s event features 99 poster presentations and 9 oral presentations, showcasing the work of over 170 student and faculty researchers, writers, presenters, artists, collaborators, and faculty sponsors. These presentations represent a wide array of scholarly and academic activity from across SWOSU’s academic community, including the Departments of Art, Communication, and Theatre; Allied Health Sciences; Biological Sciences; Business; Chemistry & …

Characterization Of The Erv41-Erv46 Complex As A Retrograde Receptor For Misfolded Secretory Proteins, John Andrew Fuesler

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER), the site of secretory protein biosynthesis

provides a favorable environment to promote polypeptide folding, protein

oligomerization and export. Although the ER contains many chaperones and other

factors that assist in protein folding, this process is error prone. Eukaryotes have

evolved protein quality control checkpoints to maintain homeostasis in the secretory

pathway, however these processes are imperfect and may result in proteotoxicity

when toxic levels or aggregates of proteins arise. Mutations in proteins involved in

trafficking in the early secretory pathway are closely associated with disease states.

Therefore, it is of great interest to further understand how …

Using Secreted Biomarkers In The Development Of The Detection Of Advanced Cancer Screening System, Elaine Vanterpool

Student Posters

An estimated 20 million people globally develop cancer every year. Furthermore, over 9.7 million people die from cancer. The best prognosis of cancer occurs when detected early. Cancer, in its early stages, usually does not display clinical symptoms and is usually not detectable by symptoms and is diagnosed later. The goal of the D.A.C.S. is to provide a screen that can detect cancer. It is hypothesized that developing a cancer detection system/technology, named D.A.C.S. (Detection of Advanced Cancer Screening) system, can help with early cancer detection, while still being affordable for the general public.

Mctr3 Mitigates Cigarette Smoke-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation And Damage, Yu Par Aung Myo

Theses and Dissertations

Smoking is deleterious to our lungs and can precipitate in a multitude of diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is primarily caused by smoking cigarettes and is a major public health issue. Current therapies only treat symptoms without halting or reversing disease progression, thus highlighting a large unmet need to develop new therapies. We address this gap by investigating maresin conjugate in tissue regeneration 3 (MCTR3) which is a newly discovered specialized pro-resoling mediator (SPM) that has the novel property of promoting tissue repair and regeneration in addition to being anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving. For the first time, we …

A Study Of Differences In Enjoyment, Exercise Commitment, And Intention To Continue Participation Among Age Groups Of Adult Amateur Golfers, Hye Jin Yang, Ji-Hye Yang, Chulhwan Choi, Chul-Ho Bum

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Golf is one of the leisure sports that offers various benefits and has become a popular public sport with participation from people of various age groups. A total of 262 questionnaires were distributed online, with 240 valid responses collected after excluding 22 with non-responses or partial answers. The results showed statistically significant differences in enjoyment by age group, except for recognition from others. Regarding physical health, those in their 60s and above had higher mean scores than other age groups, and those in their 50s scored higher than those in their 30s. Stress relief was greater among those in their …

Critical Environmental Communication Framework, Shumaila J. Bhatti, Srivi Ramasubramanian, Andrea Feldpausch-Parker, Bruno Takahashi, Silje Kristiansen

Media Studies - All Scholarship

This study develops a Critical Environmental Communication (CEC) framework to assess the landscape of Environmental Communication research and to what extent and in which ways critical and justice-oriented perspectives are included. The CEC framework consists of four interconnected themes: (a) Marginalized Ecocultural Identities, (b) Context and Scale, (c) Power and Agency, and (d) Justice, Equity, Diversity, Access, and Inclusion (JEDAI). Using this framework in a bibliometric analysis examining 1,297 Environmental Communication publications, we assess the occurrence of these themes in the scholarship. Our analysis found that Marginalized Ecocultural Identities, and Context and Scale were most frequently occurring, while Power and …

Dietary Patterns And Nutrition Education: A Comparison Of Eating Patterns, Physical Activity Levels And Nutrition Education Of Older Adults That Utilize Community Meal Assistance Services In The Community, Teresa A. Ridolfi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The older adult population is rapidly increasing, with projections indicating that 21% of the general population will be 65 years or older by 2030. This demographic shift is accompanied by a rise in health co-morbidities such as obesity, heart disease, certain types of cancers, and diabetes, which are exacerbated by inadequate nutrition and decreased physical function. This thesis examines dietary patterns, physical activity levels, and nutrition education among older adults utilizing community meal assistance services in Northern Illinois. The study aims to evaluate nutrient intakes, adherence to dietary guidelines, and physical activity levels among this population, using a descriptive epidemiological …

Potentiation Of Gelonin Cytotoxicity By Pulsed Electric Fields, Olga N. Pakhomova, Eleni Zivla, Giedre Silkuniene, Mantas Silkunas, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Bioelectrics Publications

Gelonin is a ribosome-inactivating protein with extreme intracellular toxicity but poor permeation into cells. Targeted disruption of cell membranes to facilitate gelonin entry is explored for cancer and tissue ablation. We demonstrate a hundreds- to thousands-fold enhancement of gelonin cytotoxicity by pulsed electric fields in the T24, U-87, and CT26 cell lines. The effective gelonin concentration to kill 50% of cells (EC₅₀) after electroporation ranged from <1 nM to about 100 nM. For intact cells, the EC₅₀ was unattainable even at the highest gelonin concentration of 1000 nM, which reduced cell survival by only 5–15%. For isoeffective electroporation treatments using 300 ns, 9 µs, and 100 µs pulses, longer pulses were more efficient at lowering gelonin EC₅₀. Increasing the electric field strength of 8, 100 µs pulses from 0.65 to 1.25 kV/cm reduced gelonin EC₅₀ from 128 nM to 0.72 nM. Conversely, the presence of 100 nM gelonin enabled a more than 20-fold reduction in the number of pulses required for equivalent cell killing. Pulsed electric field-mediated delivery of gelonin shows promise for hyperplasia ablation at concentrations sufficiently low to minimize or avoid systemic toxicity.

Characterizing A Rad23 Dependent Ultraviolet Radiation Resistance In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Emma June Liimatta

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In 2020, 10 million deaths were attributed to cancer, with multidrug resistance being responsible for over 90% of deaths in cancer patients receiving treatment. This study utilized the model organism Tetrahymena thermophila to study how cells become resistant to Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) radiation, a process similar to multidrug resistance, specifically focusing on the nucleotide excision repair and ubiquitin shuttle protein Rad23. The National Cancer Institute documented 30-60% of cancers tested had a mutation in RAD23. Knockdown of RAD23 in Tetrahymena thermophila demonstrated a UV resistance phenotype with decreased nucleotide excision repair and differential expression of proteins active within caspase-independent …

Rice Plants Response To Modulation Of The Erecta Signaling, Yasmin Vasques Berchembrock, Flavia Barbos Silva Botelho, Bhuvan Pathak, Shan Zhao, Vibha Srivastava

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The ERECTA family of receptors (ERfs), encoding leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs), can regulate multiple aspects of plant development and abiotic stress responses. The rice (Oryza sativa) genome contains three ERfs, namely ERECTA 1 (OsER1), ERECTA 2 (OsER2), and ERECTA-LIKE (OsERL). However, there is limited information currently available on their expression pattern during the plant developmental stages. The expression pattern of OsERfs genes at reproductive stages from the booting (R2) to milk (R6) stage in Nipponbare cultivar and the transgenic plants expressing a truncated Arabidopsis ERECTA (ER) lacking the kinase domain (triangle Kinase) were studied. The triangle Kinase functions as …

Spermidine And Polyamine Blockade As Key Mediators Of Intestinal Epithelial Cell Functions, Madison Lynn Flory

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Frequently, alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota and its metabolites are linked with intestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. However, the direct connections between alterations in the microbiome and disease states often remain elusive. Prior research has identified increases in both polyamines, which are a class of microbial metabolite, and in the abundance of bacteria that can produce polyamines, in a murine colorectal cancer model. Understanding the significance of the interaction between these microbial metabolites and intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) will provide new and expanded evidence of the importance of the gut microbiome in colorectal …

International Society Of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Nutritional Concerns Of The Female Athlete, Ralf Jäger, Jeffery L. Heileson, Sidney Abou Sawan, Broderick L. Dickerson, Megan Leonard, Richard B. Kreider, Chad M. Kerksick, Stephen M. Cornish, Darren G. Candow, Dean M. Cordingley, Scott C. Forbes, Grant M. Tinsley, Tindaro Bongiovanni, Roberto Cannataro, Bill I. Campbell, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak, Jeffrey R. Stout, Douglas S. Kalman, Jose Antonio

Faculty Publications

Position Statement: The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) presents this position based on a critical examination of the literature surrounding the effects of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3 PUFA) supplementation on exercise performance, recovery, and brain health. This position stand is intended to provide a scientific foundation for athletes, dietitians, trainers, and other practitioners regarding the effects of supplemental ω-3 PUFA in healthy and athletic populations. The following conclusions represent the official position of the ISSN: Athletes may be at a higher risk for ω-3 PUFA insufficiency. Diets rich in ω-3 PUFA, including supplements, are effective strategies for …

The Chesapeake Pearl: A Proposal For An Environmental Public Art Installation, Samuel I. Reichard

Pitzer Senior Theses

In this thesis, I lay the foundation for an environmental art project along Chesapeake Bay. It includes an analysis of relevant literature and case studies, as well as a proposal for the project. The Chesapeake Pearl (working title) would be a 20-foot spherical aquarium that will visually display the water filtration capacity of eastern oysters and native seagrass, aiming to inspire curiosity around these organisms and the greater Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The project exists at the intersection of environmental art and environmental education and seeks to promote learning and public engagement through visually demonstrating a scientific process, the water filtration …

Visions Of The Garden: Transforming The Former Claremont Golf Course Into The Coastal Sage Mosaic, Ella C. Kim

Pitzer Senior Theses

A thirty-three-acre parcel of land sits at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains at a vulnerable wildland-urban interface (WUI), raising key ecological concerns. This parcel, a former golf course, is the focused site for this conceptual landscape and restoration plan. The now-neglected site has no proposed plans for restoration or development yet holds significant potential for transformation. Stakeholders’ conflicting visions range from land preservation, ecological restoration, Indigenous land rights, commodification for revenue and development, and prioritizing the needs of the natural environment in coexistence with modern human enjoyment. The conceptual plan addresses these critical considerations in verbal and visual …

Characterization Of A Highly Arsenic-Resistant Microbe, Eleanor E. Windholz

Honors Theses

Heavy metal pollution in our terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is a major global concern, as chronic exposure to heavy metals such as arsenic and chromium has dire effects on mammalian health. In these polluted, arsenic-rich environments, microorganisms resistant to heavy metals have been isolated. The microbe isolated in this paper was resistant to As(V) up to 1100 mM, which is significantly higher than most published strains, and resistant to Cr(VI) at concentrations up to 5 mM. The microbe was tentatively identified as Micrococcus luteus, but its high arsenic resistance suggests it may be a novel strain. The ability of the …

An Apple A Day: Have The Growing Conditions Of Apples In Maine Changed Over The Past 20 Years, Anooshka Sethi

Honors Theses

Climate change is increasingly affecting the growing conditions that farmers face. This study focused on if and how the growing conditions of apples have changed over the past two decades. Apples are an economically, socially, and culturally important crop to Maine's agriculture landscape. By production acreage, Maine is the second largest state in New England, with 2700 acres of land used to grow apples (USDA NASS CoA, 2022). A unique characteristic of agricultural production in Maine is that most farms are small-scale, run by families or small groups, making adverse changes to the growing conditions of a major crop in …

Investigation Of Hydrogen Gas Production And Motility In Δselab And Δfdhf Mutants Of Clostridioides Difficile, Ria D. Gupta

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacterium and the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea worldwide. During infection, antibiotic-induced disruption of the gut microbiota allows C. difficile to colonize and proliferate. Motility, enabled by flagella, is an important factor in colonization and may be influenced by metabolic activity. Recent experiments have observed gas production during C. difficile motility assays, but the biochemical basis of this phenomenon remains unknown. Because gas formation in other bacteria such as E. coli involves the formate hydrogenlyase complex and the enzyme formate dehydrogenase (FDH), we hypothesize that C. difficile gas production under motility conditions is …

Lifetime History Of Concussions In Relation To Blind Perceptual Distance Estimation Ability, Mackenzie K. Miller

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examined the relationship between visuospatial estimation and a lifetime history of concussions. Current literature on concussions investigates visuospatial working memory and estimation ability separately, but not conjointly. In order to examine this relationship, a novel neuropsychological task was designed to measure visuospatial estimation ability in working memory, named the Perceptual Estimation Test (PET). This novel task was designed with three variations that would increase in complexity as they progressed, and each variation would include three trials. Participants were scored on their accuracy performance during the PET. Participants aged 18-25 were recruited from students attending the University of Central …