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Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin [2017], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Undergraduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2017-2018. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for undergraduate programs.

Chapter 4 - Invertebrates, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Volume 2: Bryological Interaction

Explore the contents of Bryophyte Ecology, Volume 2, Chapter 4 - Invertebrates by clicking the links above. For the Contents section of this ebook, as well as Volumes 1 through 5, please visit the Bryophyte Ecology Main Page.

Use CTRL+F to easily search within PDF files.

Ebook sponsored by Michigan Technological University and the International Association of Bryologists.

Biogeophysical And Physiological Processes Drive Movement Patterns In A Marine Predator, Lucy A. Howey, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Emily R. Tolentino, Mahmood S. Shuvji

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Blue sharks (Prionace glauca) are among the most abundant and widely distributed of oceanic elasmobranchs. Millions are taken annually in pelagic longline fisheries and comprise the highest component of auctioned fin weight in the international shark fin trade. Though studies of blue sharks outnumber those of other large pelagic sharks, the species’ complicated and sexually segregated life history still confound current understanding of Atlantic movement patterns. Lack of detailed information regarding movement and vertical behavior continues to limit management efforts that require such data for stock assessment and sustainable catch modeling. Therefore, this study aims to …

Because You Are Beautiful And Dead, Yvonne Amey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The poems in Because You Are Beautiful and Dead deal with dysfunctional people, substance abuse, loss, and death and dying. The poems also highlight the struggle of the poet/speaker finding her place in a hideous world, which, paradoxically, she really doesn't want to belong. The poems are influenced by the playful and sad imagery and subject matter of poet Matthew Dickman. These poems, like Dickman's, are assessable and quirky. Michael Earl Craig and Terrance Hayes are two other influences. Hayes' work is artistic and experimental. Michael Earl Craig's poems have a brilliance that isn't fueled in its complex or radical …

Mechanism Of Actin Bundle Assembly, Mechanics And Structure By Ion Interaction, Nicholas Castaneda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The assembly of actin filaments into bundles plays an essential role in mechanical strength and dynamic reorganization of cytoskeleton. Divalent counterions at high concentrations promote bundle formation through electrostatic attraction between charged filaments. Although it has been hypothesized that specific cation interactions may contribute to salt-induced bundling, molecular mechanisms of how salt modulates bundle assembly and mechanics are not well established. Here we determine the mechanical and dynamic properties of actin bundles with physiologically relevant cations. Using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, we measure the bending stiffness of actin bundles determined by persistence length analysis. We characterize real-time formation …

Map It! Creating Meaningful Learning Experiences In Social Studies With Ihmc Cmaptools, Erica M. Southworth

Faculty Creative and Scholarly Works

As a free software tool, IHMC CmapTools redefines the concept mapping learning strategy with an infusion of technology to provide students with meaningful and non-rote learning experiences. The following review discusses what IHMC

CmapTools is, the literature-supported academic benefits of student-employed concept mapping, and how my secondary social studies colleague and I introduced this software to his students to create meaningful learning opportunities with social studies content. After working with IHMC CmapTools for over four years in both social studies and non-social studies classes, I would strongly encourage social studies educators in grades 5-12 to consider implementing this tool in …

Provenance Investigations Of Raw Materials In Pre-Columbian Textiles From Pachacamac; Strontium Isotope Analyses, Karin Margarita Frei, Lena Bjerregaard

PreColumbian Textile Conference VII / Jornadas de Textiles PreColombinos VII (2016)

Pachacamac was considered a sanctuary or oracle by several of the pre-Columbian Andean cultures. As a pilgrimage destination, the site was rich in archaeological artifacts and yielded also many well preserved textiles. Some of the objects found at Pachacamac are considered offerings by the pilgrims to their Gods, and the majority are assumed to be of nonlocal origin. Others are from the Ychsma people, who lived in Pachacamac and the nearby Rimac Valley during the last centuries before the conquest. We have investigated 10 pre-Columbian textile samples, which were supposedly excavated at the archaeological site of Pachacamac, Peru. The textiles …

Beneficial Aerodynamic Effect Of Wing Scales On The Climbing Flight Of Butterflies, Nathan Slegers, Michael Heilman, Jacob Cranford, Amy Lang, John Yoder, Maria Laura Habegger

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

It is hypothesized that butterfly wing scale geometry and surface patterning may function to improve aerodynamic efficiency. In order to investigate this hypothesis, a method to measure butterfly flapping kinematics optically over long uninhibited flapping sequences was developed. Statistical results for the climbing flight flapping kinematics of 11 butterflies, based on a total of 236 individual flights, both with and without their wing scales, are presented. Results show, that for each of the 11 butterflies, the mean climbing efficiency decreased after scales were removed. Data was reduced to a single set of differences of climbing efficiency using are paired t …

Localized Removal Affects White-Tailed Deer Space Use And Contacts, Marie I. Tosa, Eric M. Schauber, Clayton K. Nielsen

Publications

Transmission and impact of infectious diseases can be altered if host social structure is disrupted by disease outbreaks or lethal management. Specifically, if remnants of depopulated groups join or increase contact with neighboring groups, between-group transmission may increase even as population density decreases. We tested whether this phenomenon could apply to diseases of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) by using a before-after-control-impact design. We monitored space use and contacts among adult female and juvenile deer in southern Illinois during 2011–2014; midway through each study season, we removed all members except 1 collared deer from centrally located groups and left …

Ex Libris, Winter 2017, West Virginia University. Library.

Ex Libris: The WVU Libraries Magazine

Forever a West Virginia Boy: Basketball Legend Jerry West returned to campus to announce WVRHC will preserve the Jerry West Collection

The Association Of Hyperglycemia And Diabetes Mellitus And The Risk Of Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia Among Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis, Ebtihag O. Alenzi, George A. Kelley

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Aim—Conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis to determine the association between incident chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) and either diabetes mellitus (DM) or hyperglycemia in patients with cancer. Methods—Observational studies in cancer patients of any age receiving chemotherapy and having diabetes or hyperglycemia either during or before chemotherapy induction were included. Studies were retrieved by searching four databases (PubMed, EBSCO, ProQuest, and Cochrane) and cross-referencing. The metric for combining studies was the odds ratio (OR). Results were pooled using a random-effects model, while heterogeneity and inconsistency were assessed using the Q and I 2 statistic, respectively. Potential small-study effects were assessed using …

Cancer Type And Risk Of Newly Diagnosed Depression Among Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries With Incident Breast, Colorectal, And Prostate Cancers, Monira Alwhaibi, Usha Sambamoorthi, Suresh Madhavan, Thomas Bias, Kimberly Kelly, James Walkup

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Background—Elderly individuals (age >65 years) with cancer are at high risk for newly diagnosed depression after a cancer diagnosis. It is not known whether the risk of newly diagnosed depression varies by cancer type. Purpose—To examine the variations in the risk of newly diagnosed depression by cancer type among elderly individuals with cancer. Methods—This study used a retrospective cohort study design and data from the linked SEERMedicare files. Elderly individuals (age >65 years) with incident breast, colorectal (CRC), and prostate cancers diagnosed between 2007 and 2011 (N=53,821) were followed for 12 months after cancer diagnosis. Depression diagnosis was identified during …

2017 Symposium Brochure

Programs

No abstract provided.

Fibrous Nanocellulose, Crystalline Nanocellulose, Carbon Nanotubes, And Crocidolite Asbestos Elicit Disparate Immune Responses Upon Pharyngeal Aspiration In Mice, Eun-Jung Park, Timur O. Khaliullin, Michael R. Shurin, Elena R. Kisin, Naveena Yanamala, Bengt Fadeel, Jaerak Chang, Anna A. Shvedova

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

With the rapid development of synthetic alternatives to mineral fibers, their possible effects on the environment and human health have become recognized as important issues worldwide. This study investigated effects of four fibrous materials, i.e. nanofibrillar/nanocrystalline celluloses (NCF and CNC), single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and crocidolite asbestos (ASB), on pulmonary inflammation and immune responses found in the lungs, as well as the effects on spleen and peripheral blood immune cell subsets. BALB/c mice were given NCF, CNC, CNT, and ASB on Day 1 by oropharyngeal aspiration. At 14 days post-exposure, the animals were evaluated. Total cell number, mononuclear phagocytes, polymorphonuclear …

The Effect Of The 2015 Earthquake On The Bacterial Community Compositions In Water In Nepal, Sital Uprety, Pei-Ying Hong, Nora Sadik, Bipin Dangol, Rameswor Adhikari, Antarpreet Jutla, Joanna L. Shisler, Patrick Degnan, Thanh H. Nguyen

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We conducted a study to examine the effect of seasonal variations and the disruptive effects of the 2015 Nepal earthquake on microbial communities associated with drinking water sources. We first characterized the microbial communities of water samples in two Nepali regions (Kathmandu and Jhapa) to understand the stability of microbial communities in water samples collected in 2014. We analyzed additional water samples from the same sources collected from May to August 2015, allowing the comparison of samples from dry-to-dry season and from dry-to-monsoon seasons. Emphasis was placed on microbes responsible for maintaining the geobiochemical characteristics of water (e.g., ammonia-oxidizing and …

Healthcare Resource Availability And Cardiovascular Health In The Usa, Courtney S. Pilkerton, Sarah S. Singh, Thomas K. Bias, Stephanie J. Frisbee

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objectives Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the USA. Reducing the population-level burden of CVD disease will require a better understanding and support of cardiovascular health (CVH) in individuals and entire communities. The objectives for this study were to examine associations between community-level healthcare resources (HCrRes) and CVH in individuals and entire communities.

Setting This study consisted of a retrospective, cross-sectional study design, using multivariable epidemiological analyses.

Participants All participants in the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey were examined for eligibility. CVH, defined using the American Heart Association CVH Index (CVHI), was determined …

Integrated Lateral Flow Device For Flow Control With Blood Separation And Biosensing, Veronica Bentancur, Jianbo Sun, Nianqiang Wu, Yuxin Liu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Lateral flow devices are versatile and serve a wide variety of purposes, including medical, agricultural, environmental, and military applications. Yet, the most promising opportunities of these devices for diagnosis might reside in point-of-care (POC) applications. Disposable paper-based lateral flow strips have been of particular interest, because they utilize low-cost materials and do not require expensive fabrication instruments. However, there are constraints on tuning flow rates and immunoassays functionalization in papers, as well as technical challenges in sensors’ integration and concentration units for low-abundant molecular detection. In the present work, we demonstrated an integrated lateral flow device that applied the capillary …

Stroke-Associated Pattern Of Gene Expression Previously Identified By Machine-Learning Is Diagnostically Robust In An Independent Patient Population, Grant C. O'Connell, Paul D. Chantler, Taura L. Barr

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Our group recently employed genome-wide transcriptional profiling in tandem with machine-learning based analysis to identify a ten-gene pattern of differential expression in peripheral blood which may have utility for detection of stroke. The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic capacity and temporal stability of this stroke-associated transcriptional signature in an independent patient population. Publicly available whole blood microarray data generated from 23 ischemic stroke patients at 3, 5, and 24 h post-symptom onset, as well from 23 cardiovascular disease controls, were obtained via the National Center for Biotechnology Information Gene Expression Omnibus. Expression levels of the ten …

Agronomic Performance Of Populus Deltoides Trees Engineered For Biofuel Production, David Macaya-Sanz, Jin-Gui Chen, Udaya C. Kalluri, Wellington Muchero, Timothy J. Tschaplinski, Lee E. Gunter, Sandra J. Simpson, Ajaya K. Biswal, Anthony C. Bryan, Raja Payyavula, Meng Xie, Yongil Yang, Jin Zhang, Debra Mohnen, Gerald A. Tuskan, Stephen P. Difazio

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: One of the major barriers to the development of lignocellulosic feedstocks is the recalcitrance of plant cell walls to deconstruction and saccharification. Recalcitrance can be reduced by targeting genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis, but this can have unintended consequences that compromise the agronomic performance of the trees under field conditions. Here we report the results of a field trial of fourteen distinct transgenic Populus deltoides lines that had previously demonstrated reduced recalcitrance without yield penalties under greenhouse conditions.

Results: Survival and productivity of the trial were excellent in the first year, and there was little evidence for reduced …

Point Of View: What’S In A Name?, Michale D. Schaller, Gary Mcdowell, Andre Porter, Dorothy Shippen, Katherine L. Friedman, Matthew S. Gentry, Tricia R. Serio, Wesley I. Sundquist

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Numerous concerns have been raised about the sustainability of the biomedical research enterprise in the United States. Improving the postdoctoral training experience is seen as a priority in addressing these concerns, but even identifying who the postdocs are is made difficult by the multitude of different job titles they can carry. Here, we summarize the detrimental effects that current employment structures have on training, compensation and benefits for postdocs, and argue that academic research institutions should standardize the categorization and treatment of postdocs. We also present brief case studies of two institutions that have addressed these challenges and can provide …

Functional Role Of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 In The Regulation Of Melanogenesis And Epidermal Structure, Changsheng Dong, Shanshan Yang, Ruiwen Fan, Kaiyuan Ji, Junzhen Zhang, Xuexian Liu, Shuaipeng Hu, Jianshan Xie, Yu Liu, Wenjun Gao, Haidong Wang, Jianbo Yao, George W. Smith, Muren Herrid

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The mammalian integumentary system plays important roles in body homeostasis, and dysfunction of melanogenesis or epidermal development may lead to a variety of skin diseases, including melanoma. Skin pigmentation in humans and coat color in fleece-producing animals are regulated by many genes. Among them, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and paired-box 3 (PAX3) are at the top of the cascade and regulate activities of many important melanogenic enzymes. Here, we report for the first time that cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is an essential regulator of MITF and PAX3. Cdk5 knockdown in mice causes a lightened coat …

Monocyte-Lymphocyte Cross-Communication Via Soluble Cd163 Directly Links Innate Immune System Activation And Adaptive Immune System Suppression Following Ischemic Stroke, Grant C. O'Connell, Connie S. Tennant, Noelle Lucke-Wold, Yasser Kabbani, Abdul R. Tarabishy, Paul D. Chantler, Taura L. Barr

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

CD163 is a scavenger receptor expressed on innate immune cell populations which can be shed from the plasma membrane via the metalloprotease ADAM17 to generate a soluble peptide with lympho-inhibitory properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate CD163 as a possible effector of stroke-induced adaptive immune system suppression. Liquid biopsies were collected from ischemic stroke patients (n = 39), neurologically asymptomatic controls (n = 20), and stroke mimics (n = 20) within 24 hours of symptom onset. Peripheral blood ADAM17 activity and soluble CD163 levels were elevated in stroke patients relative to non-stroke control groups, and negatively associated …

Health-Promoting Phytochemicals From 11 Mustard Cultivars At Baby Leaf And Mature Stages, Marissa D. Frazie, Moo J. Kim, Kang-Mo Ku

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Mustard is a Brassica vegetable that provides a number of phytonutrients. However, the phytonutrient profile of mustard has been relatively limited. We analyzed the glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products, carotenoids, total anthocyanin and phenolic contents, and antioxidant capacity of the leaves of 11 mustard cultivars grown in a greenhouse at the baby leaf and mature stages. An aliphatic glucosinolate sinigrin and its hydrolysis products allyl isothiocyanate and 1-cyano-2,3-epithiopropane were the major phytonutrients in the mustard leaves. Carotenoids β-carotene, lutein, violaxanthin, and neoxanthin were detected. We found phytonutrient concentration and their change with plant growth were cultivar-dependent. The %RDA value for …

Gravitational And Dynamic Components Of Muscle Torque Underlie Tonic And Phasic Muscle Activity During Goal-Directed Reaching, Erirnne V. Olesh, Bradley S. Pollard, Valeriya Gritsenko

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Human reaching movements require complex muscle activations to produce the forces necessary to move the limb in a controlled manner. How gravity and the complex kinetic properties of the limb contribute to the generation of the muscle activation pattern by the central nervous system (CNS) is a long-standing and controversial question in neuroscience. To tackle this issue, muscle activity is often subdivided into static and phasic components. The former corresponds to posture maintenance and transitions between postures. The latter corresponds to active movement production and the compensation for the kinetic properties of the limb. In the present study, we improved …

Chemopreventive Glucosinolate Accumulation In Various Broccoli And Collard Tissues: Microfluidic-Based Targeted Transcriptomics For By-Product Valorization, Young-Sang Lee, Kang-Mo Ku, John A. Juvik

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Floret, leaf, and root tissues were harvested from broccoli and collard cultivars and extracted to determine their glucosinolate and hydrolysis product profiles using high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromotography. Quinone reductase inducing bioactivity, an estimate of anti-cancer chemopreventive potential, of the extracts was measured using a hepa1c1c7 murine cell line. Extracts from root tissues were significantly different from other tissues and contained high levels of gluconasturtiin and glucoerucin. Targeted gene expression analysis on glucosinolate biosynthesis revealed that broccoli root tissue has elevated gene expression of AOP2 and low expression of FMOGS-OX homologs, essentially the opposite of what was observed …

In Vitro Progesterone Production By Luteinized Human Mural Granulosa Cells Is Modulated By Activation Of Ampk And Cause Of Infertility, E C Bowdridge, M W Vernon, J A Flores, M J Clemmer

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Mural granulosa cells from IVF patients were provided by the West Virginia University Center for Reproductive Medicine in Morgantown, WV. The effect of adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation, primary cause of infertility, age, BMI, and pregnancy outcome on production of progesterone were examined separately.

Methods: Isolated mural sheets from IVF patients (n = 26) were centrifuged, supernatant discarded, and the pellet re-suspended in 500 μl of DMEM/F12. Mural granulosa cells were plated at 10,000 cells/well in triplicate per treatment group with 300 μl DMEM/F12 media at 37 °C and 5% CO2 in a humidified incubator to permit …

Comprehensive Analysis Of Lncrnas And Mrnas In Skeletal Muscle Of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Exposed To Estradiol, Jian Wang, Pransanthi P. Kogan, Jianbo Yao, Shuo Wei, Beth Cleveland

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Estradiol (E2) is a steroid hormone that negatively affects muscle growth in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), but the mechanisms directing with this response are not fully understood. To better characterize the effects of E2 in muscle, we identified differentially regulated mRNAs and lncRNAs in juvenile rainbow trout exposed to E2. Here, we performed next-generation RNA sequencing and comprehensive bioinformatics analyses to characterize the transcriptome profiles, including mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), in skeletal muscle of rainbow trout injected with E2. A total of 226 lncRNAs and 253 mRNAs were identified as differentially regulated. We identified crucial pathways, including several …

Sox9 Regulates Cancer Stem-Like Properties And Metastatic Potential Of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Exposed Cells, Maria A. Voronkova, Sudjit Luanpitpong, Liying W. Rojanasakul, Vincent Castranova, Cerasela Z. Dinu, Heimo Riedel, Yon Rojanasakul

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Engineered nanomaterials hold great promise for the future development of innovative products but their adverse health effects are a major concern. Recent studies have indicated that certain nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), may be carcinogenic. However, the underlying mechanisms behind their potential malignant properties remain unclear. In this study, we linked SOX9, a stem cell associated transcription factor, to the neoplastic-like properties of human lung epithelial cells chronically exposed to a low-dose of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). We found

that SOX9 is upregulated in SWCNT-exposed cells, which is consistent with their abilities to induce tumor formation and metastasis in vivo. …

Cell-Specific Gain Modulation By Synaptically Released Zinc In Cortical Circuits Of Audition, Charles T. Anderson, Manoj Kumar, Shanshan Xiong, Thanos Tzounopolos

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

In many excitatory synapses, mobile zinc is found within glutamatergic vesicles and is coreleased with glutamate. Ex vivo studies established that synaptically released (synaptic) zinc inhibits excitatory neurotransmission at lower frequencies of synaptic activity but enhances steady state synaptic responses during higher frequencies of activity. However, it remains unknown how synaptic zinc affects neuronal processing in vivo. Here, we imaged the sound-evoked neuronal activity of the primary auditory cortex in awake mice. We discovered that synaptic zinc enhanced the gain of sound-evoked responses in CaMKII-expressing principal neurons, but it reduced the gain of parvalbumin- and somatostatin-expressing interneurons. This modulation was …

Comparison Of Orchid Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Species Composition Collected With Four Chemical Attractants, Kenneth W. Mccravy, Joseph Van Dyke, Thomas J. Creedy, Katie Williams

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini) are a diverse and important group of Neotropical pollinators. Numerous chemicals have been used in sampling orchid bees, and species-specific attraction, particularly of males, to these chemicals is well known. However, there have been few studies that have quantified differences in the species composition of orchid bees attracted to particular chemicals. In this study, we compared the abundance and species composition of orchid bees collected with 4 commonly used attractants: benzyl acetate, eucalyptol (or cineole), eugenol, and methyl salicylate. Eucalyptol collected the greatest abundance and species richness of orchid bees. Indicator species analysis revealed that …