Chloroplast Rna-Binding Protein Rbd1 Promotes Chilling Tolerance Through 23s Rrna Processing In Arabidopsis, Shuai Wang, Ge Bai, Shu Wang, Leiyun Yang, Fen Yang, Yi Wang, Jiankang Zhu, Jian Hua

Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture Faculty Publications

Plants have varying abilities to tolerate chilling (low but not freezing temperatures), and it is largely unknown how plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana achieve chilling tolerance. Here, we describe a genome-wide screen for genes important for chilling tolerance by their putative knockout mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana. Out of 11,000 T-DNA insertion mutant lines representing half of the genome, 54 lines associated with disruption of 49 genes had a drastic chilling sensitive phenotype. Sixteen of these genes encode proteins with chloroplast localization, suggesting a critical role of chloroplast function in chilling tolerance. Study of one of these proteins RBD1 with an …

Changes In The Proteome Of Langat-Infected Ixodes Scapularis Ise6 Cells: Metabolic Pathways Associated With Flavivirus Infection, Jeffrey M. Grabowski, Rushika Perera, Ali M. Roumani, Victoria E. Hedrick, Halina Dorota Inerowicz, Catherine A. Hill, Richard Kuhn

Department of Entomology Faculty Publications

Background: Ticks (Family Ixodidae) transmit a variety of disease causing agents to humans and animals. The tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFs; family Flaviviridae) are a complex of viruses, many of which cause encephalitis and hemorrhagic fever, and represent global threats to human health and biosecurity. Pathogenesis has been well studied in human and animal disease models. Equivalent analyses of tick-flavivirus interactions are limited and represent an area of study that could reveal novel approaches for TBF control. Methodology/Principal Findings: High resolution LC-MS/MS was used to analyze the proteome of Ixodes scapularis (Lyme disease tick) embryonic ISE6 cells following infection with Langat virus …

A Methodology For Measuring The Air Infiltration Rates Into Refrigerated Compartments, Paula Do Vale Pereira, André Sgrott, Lucas F. Back, Débora T. Kohara, Claudio Melo

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

This work focuses on the development of a methodology for measuring the air infiltration rates into refrigerated compartments based on the tracer gas technique. To this end an experimental apparatus was designed and constructed. The apparatus is comprised of a device to supply the tracer gas uniformly into the zone, a device to ensure a uniform concentration both in the vertical and horizontal directions, a device to collect the air samples and a gas analyzer to measure the gas concentration according to the infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy technique. Tests were carried out with three distinct refrigerators, with the compressor on and …

Regulation Of Brown And White Adipocyte Transcriptome By The Transcriptional Coactivator Nt-Pgc-1Α, Jihyun Kim, Vivian E. Fernand, Tara M. Henagan, Jeho Shin, Peter Huypens, Susan Newman, Thomas W. Gettys, Ji Suk Chang

Department of Nutrition Science Faculty Publications

The β3-adrenergic receptor (AR) signaling pathway is a major component of adaptive thermogenesis in brown and white adipose tissue during cold acclimation. The β3-AR signaling highly induces the expression of transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α and its splice variant N-terminal (NT)-PGC-1α, which in turn activate the transcription program of adaptive thermogenesis by co-activating a number of transcription factors. We previously reported that NT-PGC-1α is able to increase mitochondrial number and activity in cultured brown adipocytes by promoting the expression of mitochondrial and thermogenic genes. In the present study, we performed genome-wide profiling of NT-PGC-1α-responsive genes in brown adipocytes to identify genes potentially …

Β-Aminopropionitrile-Induced Reduction In Enzymatic Crosslinking Causes In Vitro Changes In Collagen Morphology And Molecular Composition, Silvia P. Canelón, Joseph M. Wallace

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Graduate Student Publications

Type I collagen morphology can be characterized using fibril D-spacing, a metric which describes the periodicity of repeating bands of gap and overlap regions of collagen molecules arranged into collagen fibrils. This fibrillar structure is stabilized by enzymatic crosslinks initiated by lysyl oxidase (LOX), a step which can be disrupted using β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN). Murine in vivo studies have confirmed effects of BAPN on collagen nanostructure and the objective of this study was to evaluate the mechanism of these effects in vitro by measuring D-spacing, evaluating the ratio of mature to immature crosslinks, and quantifying gene expression of type I collagen …

Life Is Good No Matter What, Daniel J. Wyrock, Emily Kosuda, Brian Raglow

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As part of our Leadership Experience Project through the Institute of Leadership Advancement, our goal was to create an alternative revenue stream for an Akron cancer charity, Life Is Good No Matter What. As a team of three, we had to plan, development and implement our strategy over the course of a year. We researched charities and trends in the charity space which led us to the development of a product. After much time, we developed the idea of an ice cream line that not only fit the message of Life Is Good No Matter What, bus also helped define …

Relationship Among Motivation, Emotion Regulation, And Psychological Well-Being Of Sophomore And Senior Level Nursing Students, Aryene Delgado, Douglas Garner, Nicole Langhals

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Nursing education and professional work involve stressful circumstances that may lead to attrition, which can further contribute to the projected nursing shortage. This study examines the relationships between motivation, emotional regulation, psychological well-being and academic performance in baccalaureate sophomore and senior level nursing students at a Midwest urban university in the United States. The non-experimental, correlational study is guided by Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory and uses an online survey data collection and convenience sampling. Measures include: motivation, emotional regulation, psychological well-being (burnout; inauthenticity), and academic performance (GPA), and will be measured using Deci and Ryan’s scale, the Emotion Regulation …

Stress And Exercise In Undergraduate Health Professions Students, Kristin R. Weismantel, Meghan G. Brickner, Leah N. Rosler

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Background: Stress is prevalent among undergraduate students, especially students in health professions majors. Exercise as a health promoting behavior decreases stress. At the same time, increased stress may decrease exercise. This study described exercise and stress among undergraduate health professions students. More specifically this study described the intensity and duration of each exercise and the frequency of exercise during a typical week of the semester for students in health professions majors.

Theoretical framework: Pender’s Health Promotion Model guided this study.

Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive survey.

Methods: A convenience sample of 437 undergraduate students in a college of health professions (N =2,700) …

A Systematic Review: Effects Of Breastfeeding On Early And Late Childhood, Kara Campbell, Samantha Fritz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Abstract

The topic of the long-term impact of breast milk and formula milk composition on the health status of children continues to be a focus of discussion and research. The aim of this systematic review is to describe and critically appraise current evidence regarding the lasting effects of breastfeeding on health outcomes in children throughout early and late childhood. Twenty-one studies focusing on infant feeding were identified using PubMed, CINAHL, and Medline databases. These studies were then categorized according to health outcomes such as: weight, developmental, and immune system effects. Through a critical appraisal of this evidence, it was found …

Effect Of Case Management On Frequency Of Emergency Department Visits By Persons With Mental Illness: A Systematic Review, Allison M. Stanton, Kayla C. Osoteo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A problem in healthcare is the increasing number of emergency department visits by repeat users with a comorbid mental illness. These visits increase costs, patient wait times, demand for service, overcrowding, and fragmented care; they may decrease quality of care and effective treatment. The purpose of this study is to identify, review, and critically appraise the evidence about the effect of case management on repeat emergency department (ED) use in those with comorbid mental illness. A systematic review of 21 studies was performed. All explored mental illness, frequent visits to the ED, and interventions. These twenty-one studies were reviewed and …

The Psychological Effects Of Cochlear Implants: A Comparison Of One Adult With A Cochlear Implant And One Without., Sarah Schwartzer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study involved the development, implementation and analyzation of two qualitative case studies, with one involving a profoundly deaf individual who possesses a cochlear implant, the other with an individual who possesses normal hearing ranges. Participants were given two quantitative measures of observation, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire and the Thought Control Questionnaire, before participating in a semi-structured interview that was intended to gather information about the individuals, their life experiences, and the factors of psychological flexibility, adaptability and resiliency as applied to their lives. The semi-structured interview involved a set list of questions that were posed to the individuals; …

The Effects Of Left Vs Right Hemisphere Cerebrovascular Accident, And Treatment, Nellie M. Turner

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project takes an in depth look at the various methods of treatment for stroke patients, the results that are gained, and the possible benefits and detriments of each type of treatment when administered properly. It examines the definition of a Cerebrovascular accident (CVA), and the various symptoms that occur when the left versus the right hemisphere is affected. The different causes of strokes are taken into account, along with the wide range of ways the victims may be affected by it, physically and mentally. It is important to be familiar with the different methods of treatment for a patient …

Rep As A Predictor Of Weight Categories Determined By Anthropometric Measurements, Nicholas Mendola

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Obesity has become one of the leading public health issues in the world today. An aspect of this issue that must be addressed in order for it to not persist as a problem in the future is the issue of childhood obesity. One of the most common screening methods to determine if a child is classified as overweight or obese is to utilize anthropometric measurements like body mass index, and waist-to-height ratios. Past studies have shown that children who are categorized as overweight or obese can struggle with physical activity and typically have lower fitness levels as their anthropometric measurements …

Economical Retrofit System To Reduce Cooking Emissions In Third World Dwellings, Jonathan Vanzummeren, Tyler Sturgeon, Ben Dalessandro

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Abstract:

The purpose of this document is to propose and demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of substituting an open flame biomass cooking process with a closed system with the capabilities of sustaining an adequate fire. Clay ovens or “chulhas” are the traditional piece of cooking equipment used in poorer areas of the world. They are often built inside cramped one-room housing units with little or no ventilation. The emissions released from burning fuel sources such as wood, coal, or animal waste bring with them detrimental and often fatal health problems and results in approximately 1.3 million deaths per year.

The …

Simulation Model Of An Automatic Commercial Ice Machine, Haithem Murgham, David Myszka, Vijay Bahel, Rajan Rajendran, Kurt Knapke, Suresh Shivashankar, Kyaw Wynn

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

Automatic commercial ice making machines that produce a batch of cube ice at regular intervals are known as “cubers”. Such machines are commonly used in food service, food preservation, hotel, and health service industries.  Machines are typically rated for the weight of ice produced over a 24 hour period at ambient air temperatures of 90°F and water inlet temperature of 70°F. These cubers typically utilize an air-cooled, vapor-compression cycle to freeze circulating water flowing over an evaporator grid. Once a sufficient amount ice is formed, a valve switches to enable a harvest mode, where the compressor’s discharge gas is …

Impact Of A 12-Volt Lead Acid Battery State-Of-Charge On The Performance Of An Automotive Air Conditioning System, Santanu Prasad Datta, Prasanta Kumar Das, Siddhartha Mukhopadhyay

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

In most of the Automotive Air Conditioning Systems (AACSs) though the compressor is powered by the car engine, the evaporator blower and the condenser fan are run by an alternator. Further, this alternator is powered from engine shaft. If there is any fault in the alternator that must drop the output voltage. This variation in output voltage can be achieved from a car battery by regulating its charging current. Owing to this, a stationary test rig for an AACS is developed with all actual automotive components coupled with a large number of sensors and additional accessories. However, the present investigation …

Development Of An Embedded Rtu Fdd Using Open-Source Monitoring And Control Platform, Andrew L. Hjortland, James E. Braun

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

Previous research on automated fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) for HVAC systems has shown promising benefits like earlier detection and more accurate isolation of different faults. While most researchers, equipment manufacturers, and policymakers agree that HVAC system FDD is important and has the potential to reduce significant energy waste due to faulty system operation, widespread adoption of these tools has been slow. An automated fault detection and diagnosis system has been developed for packaged (rooftop) air conditioners based on the VOLTTRONTM monitoring and controls framework developed by the Department of Energy. The system implements a virtual-sensor-based FDD methodology capable of …

De Novo Assembly And Characterization Of Bud, Leaf And Flowers Transcriptome From Juglans Regia L. For The Identification And Characterization Of New Est-Ssrs, Meng Dang, Tian Zhang, Yiheng Hu, Huijuan Zhou, Keith E. Woeste, Peng Zhao

Department of Forestry & Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.), valued for both its nut and wood, is an ecologically important temperate tree species native to the mountainous regions of central Asia. Despite its importance, there are still few transcriptomic resources in public databases for J. regia, limiting gene discovery and breeding. Here, more than 49.9 million sequencing reads were generated using Illumina sequencing technology in the characterization of the transcriptome of four J. regia organs (bud, leaf, female flowers, and male flowers). De novo assembly yielded 117,229 unigenes with an N50 of 1955 bp. Based on sequence similarity searches against known proteins, …

Vegetative And Adaptive Traits Predict Different Outcomes For Restoration Using Hybrids, Philip A. Crystal, Nathanael I. Lichti, Keith E. Woeste, Douglass F. Jacobs

Department of Forestry & Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Hybridization has been implicated as a driver of speciation, extinction, and invasiveness, but can also provide resistant breeding stock following epidemics. However, evaluating the appropriateness of hybrids for use in restoration programs is difficult. Past the F1 generation, the proportion of a progenitor’s genome can vary widely, as can the combinations of parental genomes. Detailed genetic analysis can reveal this information, but cannot expose phenotypic alterations due to heterosis, transgressive traits, or changes in metabolism or development. In addition, because evolution is often driven by extreme individuals, decisions based on phenotypic averages of hybrid classes may have unintended results. We …

Differential Gene Expression In Varroa Jacobsoni Mites Following A Host Shift To European Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera), Gladys K. Andino, Michael R. Gribskov, Denis L. Anderson, Jay D. Evans, Greg Hunt

Department of Entomology Faculty Publications

Background: Varroa mites are widely considered the biggest honey bee health problem worldwide. Until recently, Varroa jacobsoni has been found to live and reproduce only in Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) colonies, while V. destructor successfully reproduces in both A. cerana and A. mellifera colonies. However, we have identified an island population of V. jacobsoni that is highly destructive to A. mellifera, the primary species used for pollination and honey production. The ability of these populations of mites to cross the host species boundary potentially represents an enormous threat to apiculture, and is presumably due to genetic variation that exists …

High Resolution Genomic Scans Reveal Genetic Architecture Controlling Alcohol Preference In Bidirectionally Selected Rat Model, Chiao-Ling Lo, Amy C. Lossie, Tiebing Liang, Yunlong Liu, Xiaoling Xuei, Lawrence Lumeng, Feng C. Zhou, William M. Muir

Department of Animal Sciences Faculty Publications

Investigations on the influence of nature vs. nurture on Alcoholism (Alcohol Use Disorder) in human have yet to provide a clear view on potential genomic etiologies. To address this issue, we sequenced a replicated animal model system bidirectionally-selected for alcohol preference (AP). This model is uniquely suited to map genetic effects with high reproducibility, and resolution. The origin of the rat lines (an 8-way cross) resulted in small haplotype blocks (HB) with a corresponding high level of resolution. We sequenced DNAs from 40 samples (10 per line of each replicate) to determine allele frequencies and HB. We achieved ~46X coverage …

Seeking Personal Financial Understanding For College Students, Nathan Webel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With the cost of college increasing it is critical that students develop sound a sound financial understanding of key topics that will effect them for the rest of their lives. Budgeting, interest rates, debt, and other key topics are not well understood by the majority of college students. This paper looks at how much students understand their debt, as well as other key finance areas and demonstrates what The University of Akron can do to produce students that understand personal finance concepts.

Identification And Quantification Of Zooplankton In Ne Ohio Drinking Water Reservoirs, Michael Vigorito

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, are present in most freshwater ecosystems and are usually harmless. When these algae swell in numbers, they release harmful toxins that can be detrimental to animal and human health, and can destroy ecosystems. For this reason, many scientists and engineers have studied these harmful algal blooms in an attempt to predict, prevent, or control them to keep people and ecosystems safe. One of the variables in this investigation is the presence and quantity of zooplankton. These animals could play an important role in the prevalence of cyanobacteria, but more information is needed to determine what that …

Support For Suicide Terrorism In Egypt, Matthew J. Pastoria

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Evaluating the factors that affect support for suicide terrorism in Egypt based upon the PEW Research Center's Global Attitudes Project data from 2014.

Association Between Personal Exposure To Ambient Metals And Respiratory Disease In Italian Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study, Maria José Rosa, Chiara Benedetti, Marco Peli, Filippo Donna, Marco Nazzaro, Chiara Fedrighi, Silvia Zoni, Alessandro Marcon, Neil Zimmerman, Rosalind Wright, Roberto Lucchini

School of Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Release of ambient metals during ferroalloy production may be an important source of environmental exposure for nearby communities and exposure to these metals has been linked to adverse respiratory outcomes. We sought to characterize the association between personal air levels of metals and respiratory health in Italian adolescents living in communities with historic and current ferroalloy activity.

Methods

As part of a study in the industrial province of Brescia, Italy, 410 adolescents aged 11–14 years were recruited. Participants were enrolled from three different communities with varying manganese (Mn) levels: Bagnolo Mella which has current ferroalloy activity, Valcamonica, which has …

R-32 As An Alternative To Ammonia In Industrial Refrigeration, Andy Pearson

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

Ammonia is recognised to be the most commonly used refrigerant in industrial systems however it is limited in some applications by its toxicity. Â R-32 has similar flammability characteristics and a similar pressure-temperature relationship, and through its use as a blend component it has become widely used and readily available. Â This paper compares and contrasts ammonia and R-32 with specific reference to industrial applications. Â The analysis includes comparison of refrigerating effect, heat transfer performance and equipment size and looks at a variety of applications from low temperature freezers to high temperature heat pumps. Â Commercial factors such as …

Nutrition Education At First Glance, Allison G. Leffler Miss, Sarah O. Ulrich Miss

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project is a community-based program conducted in a local community center, First Glance. It specifically worked with the Teen Mom and Young Mom programs as well as with their children in the Tiny Glancers program. Over the course of a year the authors planned, created, and implemented an interdisciplinary nutrition education unit with the objective of increasing their nutrition and health awareness while providing support in education fundamentals such as math skills and social-cultural awareness. The unit included pre-assessment surveys as well as round-table discussions with the participants to establish base knowledge, correlating yet age-appropriate lessons for the moms …

Relationship Among Motivation, Emotion Regulation, And Psychological Well-Being Of Sophomore And Senior Level Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Aryene C. Delgado, Douglas Garner, Nicole Langhals

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Nursing education and professional work involve stressful circumstances that may indirectly lead to attrition, which can further contribute to the projected nursing shortage. This study examines the relationships between motivation, emotional regulation, psychological well-being and academic performance in baccalaureate sophomore and senior level nursing students at a Midwest urban university in the United States. The non-experimental, correlational study is guided by the self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) and uses online survey data collection and convenience sampling. Motivation, emotional regulation, psychological well-being (burnout; inauthenticity), and academic performance (GPA) are measured respectively with Deci and Ryan’s scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, …

The Relationship Between Stress And Social Support In Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Hannah M. Greczanik, Vincent A. Lupico

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Nursing students experience high levels of stress throughout their college career. When it comes to managing this stress, the use of social support as a coping mechanism may be a factor. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between social support and stress in undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students and to compare social support and stress across levels of education. The study was guided by the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. This study used a non-experimental descriptive design and a cross-sectional data collection with an online survey. The sample was a convenience sample of second, third, and …

Hydroband: The Continuous Hydration Monitoring System, Karina E. Atkinson, Catherine P. Benedict

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Dehydration is defined as a mild, moderate, or extreme loss of water in the body. It can result in fever, muscle cramps, headaches, dizziness, or heat stroke in athletes. Ways to determine hydration levels include analysis of the urine, blood, or sweat, body weight changes, skin elasticity tests, and increases in core temperature. Patent search, research journals, and outside studies in the health and fitness market showed that a convenient and continuous hydration monitoring system was not available. Changes in core body temperature proved to be the quickest way to measure hydration levels. The HydroBand system is geared towards athletes …