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2017 Fall Commencement Program: Winona State University, Winona State University

WSU Commencement Programs

This is the Winona State University Fall 2017 commencement program. Commencement was on Friday, December 8, 2017.

The Bison, December 8, 2017

The Bison Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Using Thermography To Monitor Inflammation As A Non-Invasive Supplementary Diagnostic Tool For Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In A Sprague Dawley Rat Model, Sonja Anne Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Incurring high economic cost due to medical imaging modalities, there is a need for a low-cost, on site, diagnostic screening tool for the early detection of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). We hypothesize that patients with TBI will exhibit temporal and spatial gradient dynamics in the thermal signature on the surface of the skin, and that these dynamics reflect the inflammatory process. Hence, we implemented far-infrared (FIR) thermography using a blunt TBI rat model to analyze changes in the external, surface temperature gradient as an indication of internal inflammation. Results show a consistent increase in average surface temperature after 0.5 days …

Ran Translation At C9orf72-Associated Repeat Expansions Is Selectively Enhanced By The Integrated Stress Response, Katelyn M. Green, M. Rebecca Glineburg, Michael G. Kearse, Brittany N. Flores, Alexander E. Linsalata, Stephen J. Fedak, Aaron C. Goldstrohm, Sami J. Barmada, Peter K. Todd

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation allows for unconventional initiation at disease-causing repeat expansions. As RAN translation contributes to pathogenesis in multiple neurodegenerative disorders, determining its mechanistic underpinnings may inform therapeutic development. Here we analyze RAN translation at G₄C₂ repeat expansions that cause C9orf72-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (C9RAN) and at CGG repeats that cause fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome. We find that C9RAN translation initiates through a cap- and eIF4A-dependent mechanism that utilizes a CUG start codon. C9RAN and CGG RAN are both selectively enhanced by integrated stress response (ISR) activation. ISR-enhanced RAN translation requires an …

Microstructural Behavior And Multiscale Structure-Property Relations For Cyclic Loading Of Metallic Alloys Procured From Additive Manufacturing (Laser Engineered Net Shaping -- Lens), Mohammad Ali Bagheri

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to investigate the microstructure and microstructure-based fatigue (MSF) model of additively-manufactured (AM) metallic materials. Several challenges associated with different metals produced through additive manufacturing (Laser Enhanced Net Shaping – LENS®) have been addressed experimentally and numerically. Significant research efforts are focused on optimizing the process parameters for AM manufacturing; however, achieving a homogenous, defectree AM product immediately after its fabrication without postabrication processing has not been fully established yet. Thus, in order to adopt AM materials for applications, a thorough understanding of the impact of AM process parameters on the mechanical behavior of AM …

Genetic Analysis Of The Major Capsid Protein Of The Archaeal Fusellovirus Ssv1: Mutational Flexibility And Conformational Change, Eric A. Iverson, David A. Goodman, Madeline E. Gorchels, Kenneth M. Stedman

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Viruses with spindle or lemon-shaped virions are rare in the world of viruses, but are common in viruses of archaeal extremophiles, possibly due to the extreme conditions in which they thrive. However, the structural and genetic basis for the unique spindle shape is unknown. The best-studied spindle-shaped virus, Sulfolobus Spindle-shaped Virus 1 (SSV1), is composed mostly of the major capsid protein VP1. Similar to many other viruses, proteolytic cleavage of VP1 is thought to be critical for virion formation. Unlike half of the genes in SSV1, including the minor capsid protein gene VP3, the VP1 gene does not tolerate …

An Investigative Study Toward The Development Of A Crosslinked Porcine Xenograft Meniscus Total Replacement, Patrick Ehren Barton

Theses and Dissertations

Meniscus damage is very common and eventually leads to the deterioration of the entire knee joint. The goal of this study was to provide evidence that supports a proof of concept for a decellularized porcine meniscal xenograft to be used as a treatment method for meniscal injury as a partial or full meniscus transplant. This research adapted an antigen removal protocol for articular cartilage to produce decellularized xenografts in 48% of the time and with no significant difference in DNA content as other current methods. DNA and GAG content, and the compression moduli were significantly lower in the xenograft than …

Tissue Stretching Device, Usama Ismail, Humza Ismail, Elvir Sarajlic

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

This tissue loading project consists of designing an apparatus that has two main functions. The first, and most obvious of these, being creating a device that will deform a band or disk of tissue with cells pre-seeded on them uniaxially while recording the stress and strain, specifically strain rate, that is applied to the tissue. While the deformation aspect of this device will be key, an equally important part of this project will be designing a part of our tissue loader that mimics the environmental chamber that the lab already uses or is compatible with the environmental chamber that is …

Kenyon Collegiate - December 8, 2017

Kenyon Collegiate

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Murine Models Of Leukemia And Lymphoma, Christine E. Cutucache, Pierluigi Porcu

Biology Faculty Publications

Murine models serve as an effective way to mimic the in vivo tumor microenvironmental interactions that take place in patients with leukemias and lymphomas. Specifically, leukemias and lymphomas rely heavily on the surrounding stroma and tissue microenvironmental cytokine and chemokine signals to ensure survival and expansion of tumor cells. Finally, leukemic cells migrate thanks to signals from varying regions of the host, furthering the progression and severity of disease. It is therefore impossible to fully understand such a dynamic relationship between tumor cells and their surrounding microenvironment, and the events to transformation in leukemias and lymphomas without an in vivo, …

Bayesian Prediction Intervals For Assessing P-Value Variability In Prospective Replication Studies, Olga A. Vsevolozhskaya, Gabriel Ruiz, Dmitri Zaykin

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Increased availability of data and accessibility of computational tools in recent years have created an unprecedented upsurge of scientific studies driven by statistical analysis. Limitations inherent to statistics impose constraints on the reliability of conclusions drawn from data, so misuse of statistical methods is a growing concern. Hypothesis and significance testing, and the accompanying P-values are being scrutinized as representing the most widely applied and abused practices. One line of critique is that P-values are inherently unfit to fulfill their ostensible role as measures of credibility for scientific hypotheses. It has also been suggested that while P-values …

Structure-Property Relations Of The Exoskeleton Of The Ironclad Beetle (Zopherus Nodulosus Haldemani), Vina Le Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, structure-property relationships in the ironclad beetle (Zopherus nodulosus haldemani) exoskeleton are quantified to develop novel bio-inspired impact resistance technologies. The hierarchical structure of this exoskeleton was observed at various length scales for both the ironclad beetle pronotum and elytron. The exocuticle and endocuticle layers provide the bulk of the structural integrity and consist of chitiniber planes arranged in a Bouligand structure. The pronotum consists of a layered structure, while elytron consists of an extra layer with “tunnel-like” voids running along the anteroposterior axis along with smaller interconnecting “tunnel-like” voids in the lateral plane. Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction …

Investigation Of The Directed Self-Assembly Process In Bacteriophage Virus Structures Using The Discrete Element Method, David Peter Mcinnis

Theses and Dissertations

Current researchers have looked to nature to learn how self-assembly processes occur. By understanding the self-assembly process, designers can begin to build strong structural materials that are extremely light weight. The discrete element modeling method was used to gain a better understanding of the directed self-assembly of M13 bacteriophage. This model was parameterized from molecular dynamics simulations at the nanometer scale. Three types of functionalized bacteriophage were studied: Wild-type, 4E, and CLP8. Results showed that Wild-type phage are attracted in a head-to-tail orientation, but repelled in head-to-head orientation. The 4E bacteriophage behaved similarly with a stronger bond in the head-to-tail …

Large-Scale Graph Visual Analytics, Fangyan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Large-scale graph analysis and visualization is becoming a more challenging task, due to the increasing amount of graph data. This dissertation focuses on methods to ease the task of exploring large-scale graphs through graph sampling and visualization. Graph sampling aims to reduce the complexity of graph drawing, while preserving properties of the original graph, allowing analysis of the smaller sample which yields the characteristics similar to those of the original graph. Graph visualization is an effective and intuitive approach to observing structures within graph data. For large-scale graphs, graph sampling and visualization are straightforward strategies to gain insights into common …

Commencement Ceremonies, University Of North Florida

Commencement Printed Materials

Program for the Fall Commencement ceremonies.

Acquisition Of Functions On The Outer Capsid Surface During Evolution Of Double-Stranded Rna Fungal Viruses, Carlos P. Mata, Daniel Luque, Josué Gómez-Blanco, Javier M. Rodríguez, José M. González, Nobuhiro Suzuki, Said A. Ghabrial, José L. Carrascosa, Benes L. Trus, José R. Castón

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Unlike their counterparts in bacterial and higher eukaryotic hosts, most fungal viruses are transmitted intracellularly and lack an extracellular phase. Here we determined the cryo-EM structure at 3.7 Å resolution of Rosellinia necatrix quadrivirus 1 (RnQV1), a fungal double-stranded (ds)RNA virus. RnQV1, the type species of the family Quadriviridae, has a multipartite genome consisting of four monocistronic segments. Whereas most dsRNA virus capsids are based on dimers of a single protein, the ~450-Å-diameter, T = 1 RnQV1 capsid is built of P2 and P4 protein heterodimers, each with more than 1000 residues. Despite a lack of sequence similarity between …

The Misconception Of Social Anxiety Disorder: Creating Understanding Through Motion Graphics, Kaijun Qu

Theses

This thesis project explores Social Anxiety Disorder, by showing emotions and feelings of the person who suffers from social phobia to help his/her friends and classmates to understand them.

The symptoms of a person with social phobia can be seen as being afraid of communicating with other people, appearing in public, and/or being the center of attention. In such situations, others may easily misunderstand them, so the patient can lose the chance to communicate to others. As a result, the patient's condition will be getting worse. Therefore, it is very hard for people with social phobia to make new friends. …

Identification And Quantification Of Cyanide And Its Metabolites In Lemur Urine, Jeremy Peralta

Student Theses

Cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the monovalent groups of carbon and nitrogen. This substance is considered a rapidly acting deadly chemical. However, some animals such as lemurs consume food products that are known to contain elevated levels of cyanide without major consequences. The mechanism by which the lemur can handle this high exposure to cyanide is unknown. In this study, we developed and validated two analytical methods for the determination of cyanide and two metabolites, thiocyanate and 2-aminothiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (ATCA) in lemur urine. The method was applied to 47 authentic lemur urine samples collected from 4 different species …

Charged Particles In Oncology, Marco Durante, Francis A. Cucinotta, Jay Loeffler

Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences Faculty Research

In this research topic, we invited scientists studying high-energy charged particles either for cancer treatment or for space radiation protection. We believe that space radiation protection and particle therapy share many common problems, and this research topic can be an inspiration to find applications and answers from fields that are apparently far away. Physics, biology, and medical contributions in this field will be found in the volume, owing to the fact that the field of charged particles in oncology is highly interdisciplinary

Genome Maintenance By Selenoprotein H In The Nucleolus, Li Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Selenoprotein H (SELENOH) is a nucleolar oxidoreductase with DNA binding properties whose function is not well understood. To determine the functional and physiological roles of SELENOH, a knockout of SELENOH was generated in cell lines using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genomic deletion and in mice by targeted disruption. Based on the sequenced genome, the results of deduced protein sequences indicated various forms of mutants in the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout, including a frame-shift by aberrant splicing and truncated SELENOH by early termination of the translation process. Loss of SELENOH in HeLa cells induced slow cell proliferation, the formation of giant multinucleated cells, accumulation of unrepaired …

Dry Reforming Of Methane To Produce Syngas Over Ni-Based Bimodal Pore Catalysts, Zhenghong Bao

Theses and Dissertations

Dry reforming of methane is an important reaction to generate syngas from two greenhouse gases. The syngas can be used in Fishcher-Tropsch synthesis to produce valueded chemicals. Chapter I reviews the catalytic conversion of methane and carbon dioxide to syngas, including DRM reaction chemistry, catalysts used in this process, catalyst deactivation, and the kinetics of DRM reaction. Chapter II discusses the development of bimodal pore NiCeMgAl catalysts for DRM reaction. Bimodal pore NiCeMgAl catalysts were synthesized via the refluxed co-precipitation method and systematically investigated the influence of active metal loading, calcination temperature, reduction temperature and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) …

Development Of Herbicide Tolerant Tomato, Gourav Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

Tomato is a major horticulture crop grown across the globe. Unfortunately, its yield is reduced by 25% because of auxin herbicides and glyphosate drift. In this present study, wild germplasm of tomato was screened for herbicide tolerance. From the greenhouse study nine accessions for glyphosate and 2,4-D, eleven accessions for dicamba, five accessions for quinclorac, eight accessions for aminocyclopyrachlor, and two accessions for picloram and aminopyralid were identified to be tolerant. A few accessions were selected from each herbicide tolerant group for field trials at two locations in Mississippi in 2016 and 2017. Results indicated that TOM18 was most tolerant …

Assessing Visual Preference Among Fourth Grade Students For Habitat Components On Educational Green Roofs In Starkville, Mississippi, Amy Counterman

Theses and Dissertations

As urbanization grows wildlife habitat is displaced and fragmented. Vegetative roofs offer an innovative alternative to provide animal food and habitat in urban environments. This research study investigates how wildlife needs in a green roof ecosystem are interpreted through children’s visual perception. A visual preference survey was administered to fourth-grade students in Starkville, Mississippi which offered paired photographs displaying basic vertebrate and invertebrate needs. The responses from 85 students (n=85) were compared to identify preferences for legible habitat components. The results of this survey showed that fourth-grade students could readily identify the basic habitat needs for birds but were less …

An Analysis Of Signaling Processes Leading To A Defense Response In Soybean, Brandon Trey Mcneece

Theses and Dissertations

Plant-parasitic nematodes are the cause of devastating yield loss in vital agricultural crops around the world. Heterodera glycines, also referred to as soybean cyst nematode, is the main pathogen of Glycine max (soybean) causing more loss than all other pathogens of G. max combined. The resultant economic impact due to H. glycines in United States soybean production alone is estimated to account for an annual one-billion-dollar loss. Natural resistant genotypes have been found in trials to combat this pathogen. Of the resistant varieties identified, G. max[Peking/PI 548402] and G. max[PI 88788] are the major sources of resistance. Identification of genes …

Experimental Development Of Paleoproxies : Investigation Into Anaerobic Conditions And The Amorphous Calcium Carbonate Precursor For Carbonate Minerals, Brittany M. Garner

Theses and Dissertations

Carbonate geochemistry plays an important role in understanding environmental conditions during the time of precipitation. The studies for this dissertation research were focused on carbonate precipitation and crystallization in different chemical and physical environments. The first project aimed to precipitate aragonite at low oxygen levels to identify a correlation between partitioning of trace elements and anoxic and suboxic conditions. The second study focused on the precipitation of amorphous calcium carbonate in varying magnesium concentrations to determine the identity of crystalline material after transformation of ACC. Lastly, the third project was developed to understand transformation of CaCO3 polymorphs. Specifically, whether or …

Explaining Mental Health Stigma Through Controllability, Just World Beliefs, And Social Dominance Orientation, Katherine F. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Mental illness carries a pervasive stigma. Research uncovered several theories to explain stigma, including the Attribution Theory, the Biological Model, Belief in a Just World (BJW), and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO). Previous research identified a mediational pathway in which BJW influenced SDO, and where SDO predicted stigmatizing beliefs and intent to discriminate. There is a lack of research examining BJW and SDO from within the framework of mental illness controllability. This study attempted to fill in the gap within stigma literature by examining if perceived mental illness controllability influences the BJW-SDO- Stigma model. Analyses failed to replicate the previously found …

Chimes: December 8, 2017, Calvin College

Chimes

Calvin commits to be carbon neutral by 2057 by Rae Gernant

Student senate committee works toward more diverse faculty by Kathryn Mae Post

Arts theme announced by Isabella Ebbert

Downtown GR rings in the holiday season by Morgan Anderson

Over the Rhine brings Christmas to Calvin by Brandon Schreur

How the tax reform bill affects Calvin students by Peter Ford

Worship institute launches new video series to serve churches by Ben Demaso

Incorporating Fermented By-Products Of Lactobacillus Diolivorans Sp. In Food Grade Coatings Designed For Inhibition Of Tyrophagus Putrescentiae On Dry-Cured Hams, Hector Asis Portillo

Theses and Dissertations

Distillate solutions that were derived from concentrated ferment were incorporated into either a carrageenan (CG) and propylene glycol alginate (PGA) gum blend or into a CG, PGA, and xanthan gum (XG) blend. Distillate treatments were compared against a 10% propylene glycol treatment, a gum only control, and negative control using three hams that were cut into 2.5 cm thick slices and then cut into 2.5×2.5×2.5cm cubes (n=50) that were dipped into solutions prior to conducting mite bioassays. Coated and control ham cubes were inoculated with 20 adult mites from the species T. putrescentiae (Schrank), and incubated for 2 and 3 …

The Effects Of Institutional Structure Of Predominantly White Land-Grant Colleges And Universities In The Southeast On African American Graduation Rates In Engineering, Angela Denice Clinkscales Verdell

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that only 5% of U.S. workers are employed in fields related to science and engineering, yet they are responsible for more than 50% of our sustained economic expansion (U.S Department of Labor, 2007). Furthermore, minorities makeup 0.0025 % (1/400) of that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. Methods are currently underway to understand and address the attrition of minority students in the STEM workforce. The problem of underrepresentation of minorities (URMs) in STEM careers continues to result in a “leaky pipeline” where URMs have cited institutional factors such “chilly campus” climates as barriers …

Understanding Molecular Mechanisms Of Host-Edwardsiella Ictaluri Interaction, Nawar Hadi Al-Janabi

Theses and Dissertations

Catfish, the "king" of the U.S. aquaculture, is threatened by a severe, systemic bacterial disease known as enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC). This disease causes high mortality and massive economic losses in cultured channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in the United States. E. ictaluri penetrates catfish intestinal epithelia quickly and establishes a systemic infection rapidly. However, our knowledge on catfish intestine and E. ictaluri interaction is very limited. In Particular, catfish intestinal immune responses and virulence genes needed by E. ictaluri to evade host defenses are not well understood. Hence, our long-term goal is to identify the molecular mechanisms of E. …