Digital Commons Network^™

A Look At A Water Exhibit In Appalachia, Megan Kruger, Sally Deskins

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Climate change is an oft-controversial challenge – even uttering that term can cause discomfort, especially in the heavily rural areas where land is central to living, such as Appalachia. Visual art exhibitions and creatively designed educational information have the potential to open minds and transform perspectives. We explored this idea through a recent collaborative, interdisciplinary project between the West Virginia Water Research Institute and the West Virginia University Libraries, two organizations that don’t read as necessarily creative in the hills of Appalachia.

Ideonella Sakaiensis: The Bacterium That Eats Pet, David Edlund

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

This poster for the Natural Science Poster Session at Parkland College features information on Ideonella sakaiensis, bacterium that breaks down polyethylene terepthalate, and describes how it may have potential to reduce the environmental impact of plastics.

Behavioral Observations Of Drosophila Melanogaster As Compared To Humans, Ali Hosey, Marissa Arnett

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

In this poster for the Natural Sciences Poster Session at Parkland College, students posit whether there are behavioral similarities between fruit flies and humans, given the genetic similarity. Using both wild type and vestigial wing fruit flies, the students concluded that, while there were no obvious individual behaviors, there might be a similar drive to congregate together.

Ependymomas Overexpress Chemoresistance And Dna Repairrelated Proteins, Sherise D. Ferguson, Shouhao Zhou, Joanne Xiu, Yuuri Hashimoto, Nader Sanai, Lyndon Kim, Santosh Kesari, John De Groot, David Spetzler, Amy B. Heimberger

Neurosurgery

Background: After surgery and radiation, treatment options for ependymoma are few making recurrence a challenging issue. Specifically, the efficacy of chemotherapy at recurrence is limited. We performed molecular profiling on a cohort of ependymoma cases in order to uncover therapeutic targets and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms contributing to treatment resistance. Results: This ependymoma cohort showed minimal alterations in gene amplifications and mutations but had high expression rates of DNA synthesis and repair enzymes such as RRM1 (47%), ERCC1 (48%), TOPO1 (62%) and class III β-tublin (TUBB3) (57%), which are also all associated with chemoresistance. This cohort also had high …

Dynamical Properties Of Postural Control In Obese Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Christopher W. Frames, Rahul Soangra, Thurmon E. Lockhart, John Lach, Dong Sam Ha, Karen A. Roberto, Abraham N. Lieberman

Neurology

Postural control is a key aspect in preventing falls. The aim of this study was to determine if obesity affected balance in community-dwelling older adults and serve as an indicator of fall risk. The participants were randomly assigned to receive a comprehensive geriatric assessment followed by a longitudinal assessment of their fall history. The standing postural balance was measured for 98 participants with a Body Mass Index (BMI) ranging from 18 to 63 kg/m2, using a force plate and an inertial measurement unit affixed at the sternum. Participants€™ fall history was recorded over 2 years and participants with at least …

Motor Subtypes Of Parkinson's Disease Can Be Identified By Frequency Component Of Postural Stability, Saba Rezvanian, Thurmon Lockhart, Christopher Frames, Rahul Soangra, Abraham N. Lieberman

Neurology

Parkinson's disease (PD) can be divided into two subtypes based on clinical features€”namely tremor dominant (TD) and postural instability and gait difficulty (PIGD). This categorization is important at the early stage of PD, since identifying the subtypes can help to predict the clinical progression of the disease. Accordingly, correctly diagnosing subtypes is critical in initiating appropriate early interventions and tracking the progression of the disease. However, as the disease progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to further distinguish those attributes that are relevant to the subtypes. In this study, we investigated whether a method using the standing center of pressure (COP) …

Bilateral Vestibular Dysfunction Associated With Chronic Exposure To Military Jet Propellant Type-Eight Jet Fuel., Terry D. Fife, Michael J A Robb, Kristen K Steenerson, Kamala C Saha

Neurology

We describe three patients diagnosed with bilateral vestibular dysfunction associated with the jet propellant type-eight (JP-8) fuel exposure. Chronic exposure to aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, which are the main constituents of JP-8 military aircraft jet fuel, occurred over 3-5 years' duration while working on or near the flight line. Exposure to toxic hydrocarbons was substantiated by the presence of JP-8 metabolite

Both Reintroduction And Recolonization Likely Contributed To The Re-Establishment Of A Fisher Population In East-Central Alberta, Gilbert Proulx, Keith B. Aubry, Adam L. Brandt, Jessica R. Brandt, Benjamin N. Sacks, Jun J. Sato, Thomas L. Serfass

Faculty Creative and Scholarly Works

Recently, Stewart et al. (2017) investigated the origins of contemporary fisher populations in the Cooking Lake Moraine (CLM) of east-central Alberta, Canada, where fishers (Pekania pennanti) from Ontario and Manitoba, Canada were reintroduced in the early 1990s. To address this objective, Stewart et al. (2017) compared microsatellite alleles from extant fisher populations in the CLM to those from Ontario, Manitoba, and other Alberta populations. They reported that the CLM population clustered with adjacent native Alberta populations, consistent with recolonization, but also that 2 of 109 microsatellite alleles in the CLM occurred only in the source populations from Ontario …

Regressed But Not Gone: Patterns Of Vision Gene Loss And Retention In Subterranean Mammals, Christopher A. Emerling

Biology

Regressive evolution involves the degradation of formerly useful traits as organisms invade novel ecological niches. In animals, committing to a strict subterranean habit can lead to regression of the eyes, likely due to a limited exposure to light. Several lineages of subterranean mammals show evidence of such degeneration, which can include decreased organization of the retina, malformation of the lens, and subcutaneous positioning of the eye. Advances in DNA sequencing have revealed that this regression co-occurs with a degradation of genomic loci encoding visual functions, including protein-coding genes. Other dim light-adapted vertebrates with normal ocular anatomy, such as nocturnal and …

Chitinase Genes (Chias) Provide Genomic Footprints Of A Post-Cretaceous Dietary Radiation In Placental Mammals, Christopher A. Emerling, Frédéric Delsuc, Michael W. Nachman

Biology

The end-Cretaceous extinction led to a massive faunal turnover, with placental mammals radiating in the wake of nonavian dinosaurs. Fossils indicate that Cretaceous stem placentals were generally insectivorous, whereas their earliest Cenozoic descendants occupied a variety of dietary niches. It is hypothesized that this dietary radiation resulted from the opening of niche space, following the extinction of dinosaurian carnivores and herbivores. We provide the first genomic evidence for the occurrence and timing of this dietary radiation in placental mammals. By comparing the genomes of 107 placental mammals, we robustly infer that chitinase genes (CHIAs), encoding enzymes capable of digesting insect …

Undergraduate Brochure 2018-2019, Southern Adventist University

Brochures & Flyers

Southern Adventist University's 2018-1019 undergraduate brochure.

Southern Adventist University Graduate Catalog 2018-2019, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Graduate

Southern Adventist University's graduate catalog for the academic year 2018-2019.

January 2018 Quicknotes, Southern Adventist University

QuickNotes – Advancement e-Newsletter

QuickNotes is an e-newsletter that comes from Advancement at Southern Adventist University. January 2018 edition features the article "'We Believe' Capital Campaign Approaches $42 Million in Gifts".

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Catalog 2018-2019, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Undergraduate

Southern Adventist University's undergraduate catalog for the academic year 2018-2019.

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Handbook & Planner 2018-2019, Southern Adventist University

Student Handbooks, Undergraduate

No abstract provided.

Kinetics And Inhibition Studies Of The L205r Mutant Of Camp-Dependent Protein Kinase Involved In Cushing’S Syndrome, Nicole M. Luzi, Charles E. Lyons, Darrell L. Peterson, Keith C. Ellis

Medicinal Chemistry Publications

Overproduction of cortisol by the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal hormone system results in the clinical disorder known as Cushing's syndrome. Genomics studies have identified a key mutation (L205R) in the α‐isoform of the catalytic subunit of cAMP‐dependent protein kinase (PKACα) in adrenal adenomas of patients with adrenocorticotropic hormone‐independent Cushing's syndrome. Here, we conducted kinetics and inhibition studies on the L205R‐PKACα mutant. We have found that the L205R mutation affects the kinetics of both Kemptide and ATP as substrates, decreasing the catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_M) for each substrate by 12‐fold and 4.5‐fold, respectively. We have also determined the IC …

Effect Of Tidal Cycling Rate On The Distribution And Abundance Of Nitrogen-Oxidizing Bacteria In A Bench-Scale Fill-And-Drain Bioreactor, Joseph M. Battistelli, Rima B. Franklin, Aaron L. Mills

Biology Publications

Most domestic wastewater can be effectively treated for secondary uses by engineered biological systems. These systems rely on microbial activity to reduce nitrogen (N) content of the reclaimed water. Such systems often employ a tidal-flow process to minimize space requirements for the coupling of aerobic and anaerobic metabolic processes. In this study, laboratory-scale tidal-flow treatment systems were studied to determine how the frequency and duration of tidal cycling may impact reactor performance. Fluorescent in situ hybridization and epifluorescence microscopy were used to enumerate the key functional groups of bacteria responsible for nitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), and N-removal efficiency …

Review: Do The Different Sensory Areas Within The Cat Anterior Ectosylvian Sulcal Cortex Collectively Represent A Network Multisensory Hub?, M. Alex Meredith, Mark T. Wallace, H. Ruth Clemo

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Current theory supports that the numerous functional areas of the cerebral cortex are organized and function as a network. Using connectional databases and computational approaches, the cerebral network has been demonstrated to exhibit a hierarchical structure composed of areas, clusters and, ultimately, hubs. Hubs are highly connected, higher-order regions that also facilitate communication between different sensory modalities. One region computationally identified network hub is the visual area of the Anterior Ectosylvian Sulcal cortex (AESc) of the cat. The Anterior Ectosylvian Visual area (AEV) is but one component of the AESc that also includes the auditory (Field of the Anterior Ectosylvian …

Interpersonal Violence And Suicidality Among Former Child Soldiers And War-Exposed Civilian Children In Nepal., Anvita Bhardwaj, Christine Bourey, Sauharda Rai, Ramesh Prasad Adhikari, Carol M Worthman, Brandon A Kohrt

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Suicide risk reduction is crucial for 15-29-year-old youth, who account for 46% of suicide deaths in low- and middle-income countries. Suicide predictors in high-resource settings, specifically depression, do not adequately predict suicidality in these settings. We explored if interpersonal violence (IPV) was associated with suicidality, independent of depression, in Nepal.

Methods: A longitudinal cohort of child soldiers and matched civilian children, enrolled in 2007 after the People's War in Nepal, were re-interviewed in 2012. The Depression Self-Rating Scale and Composite International Diagnostic Interview assessed depression and suicidality, respectively. Non-verbal response cards were used to capture experiences of sexual and …

Aloe Vera: A Multipurpose Healer And Bacterial Eradicator, Mary X. Tran, Leira N. Jimenez, Linda K. Blackburn

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

The Aloe vera plant is a succulent known for its rich content in vitamins and minerals, thus gaining popularity over the years in healthcare products. With advancements in alternative medicine, it has been recently found useful in dentistry due to properties such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial actions that contribute to wound healing. The purpose of this study was to examine and discover how Aloe vera can be used as an alternative therapy in the dental field. The PubMed, Google Scholar and Dentistry & Oral Sciences (DOSS) databases were utilized to find current scientific evidence on the effects of Aloe …

Got Caries? Breast Milk And Early Childhood Caries?, Megan L. Dean, Rebecca Fields, Hannah Fritz

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

Objective: To provide an analysis of the association between the longevity of breastfeeding and development of ECC. Determine the optimal time frame in which mothers should cease breastfeeding to reduce ECC development. Methods: Dr. Brickhouse, PubMed, Google Scholar and other scholarly databases were utilized to find current scientific evidence on the effects of breast milk on ECC. Relevant articles were summarized to write a review of literature. 16 articles published from 2015 to the present date were reviewed and cited. Results: From the studies, there is strong evidence to support breastfeeding beyond 12 months of age increases the prevalence …

Superelastic And Ph-Responsive Degradable Dendrimer Cryogels Prepared By Cryo-Aza-Michael Addition Reaction, Juan Wang, Hu Yang

Chemical and Life Science Engineering Publications

Dendrimers exhibit super atomistic features by virtue of their well-defined discrete quantized nanoscale structures. Here, we show that hyperbranched amine-terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer G4.0 reacts with linear polyethylene glycol (PEG) diacrylate (575 g/mol) via the aza-Michael addition reaction at a subzero temperature (−20 °C), namely cryo-aza-Michael addition, to form a macroporous superelastic network, i.e., dendrimer cryogel. Dendrimer cryogels exhibit biologically relevant Young’s modulus, high compression elasticity and super resilience at ambient temperature. Furthermore, the dendrimer cryogels exhibit excellent rebound performance and do not show significant stress relaxation under cyclic deformation over a wide temperature range (−80 to 100 °C). The …

"Epigenetic Silencing Of Socs3 Expression Contributes To Fibrosis In Crohn’S Disease", Emily T. Marshall, Chao Li, John F. Kuemmerle

MD Student Summer Research Fellowship Program Posters

Identified risk polymorphisms affecting the Jak-STAT3 pathway in patients with Crohn’s disease could affect TGF-β1 and collagen I expression and in the pathway’s negative regulator, SOCS3. Genetic factors, however, account for only ~25% of disease. Epigenetic events also shape gene expression. Recent experiments showed that autocrine IL-6 production in mesenchymal cells, subepithelial myofibroblasts (SEMF) and muscle cells, of patients with fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease causes sustained Jak-STAT3 activity, excess TGF-β1 and Collagen I production and fibrosis. SOCS3 paradoxically decreased in these cells. We now identify epigenetic mechanisms that silence SOCS3 expression in SEMF of patients with fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease. In a …

Benchmark Evaluation Of True Single Molecular Sequencing To Determine Cystic Fibrosis Airway Microbiome Diversity, Andrea Hahn, Matthew L. Bendall, Keylie M. Gibson, Hollis Chaney, Iman Sami, Geovanny F. Perez, Anastassios C. Koumbourlis, Timothy A. Mccaffrey, Robert J. Freishtat, Keith A Crandall

Computational Biology Institute

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease associated with recurrent lung infections that can lead to morbidity and mortality. The impact of antibiotics for treatment of acute pulmonary exacerbations on the CF airway microbiome remains unclear with prior studies giving conflicting results and being limited by their use of 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Our primary objective was to validate the use of true single molecular sequencing (tSMS) and PathoScope in the analysis of the CF airway microbiome. Three control samples were created with differing amounts of Burkholderia cepacia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Prevotella melaninogenica, three common bacteria found in cystic …

Why West? Comparisons Of Clinical, Genetic And Molecular Features Of Infants With And Without Spasms., Anne T Berg, Samya Chakravorty, Sookyong Koh, Zachary M Grinspan, Renée A Shellhaas, William D Gaillard, +Several Additional Authors

Neurology Faculty Publications

Infantile spasms are the defining seizures of West syndrome, a severe form of early life epilepsy with poorly-understood pathophysiology. We present a novel comparative analysis of infants with spasms versus other seizure-types and identify clinical, etiological, and molecular-genetic factors preferentially predisposing to spasms. We compared ages, clinical etiologies, and associated-genes between spasms and non-spasms groups in a multicenter cohort of 509 infants (

Proteome Fishing: A Reverse Docking Study, Kendall G. Byler

Summer Community of Scholars (RCEU and HCR) Project Proposals

No abstract provided.

Computer Design Of Antibiotics That Affect The Expression Of Specific Genes, Luis R. Cruz-Vera

Summer Community of Scholars (RCEU and HCR) Project Proposals

No abstract provided.

Developing Small Molecule Ribosome Sensors, Luis R. Cruz-Vera

Summer Community of Scholars (RCEU and HCR) Project Proposals

No abstract provided.

Quantification Of The Limit Of Detection Of Pathogenic Bacteria Using A Glyconanomaterial Based Rapid Point-Of-Care Diagnostic System, Surangi Jayawardena

Summer Community of Scholars (RCEU and HCR) Project Proposals

No abstract provided.

Functionalized Nanomaterial As A Tool For Rapid Point-Of-Care Diagnostics, Surangi Jayawardena

Summer Community of Scholars (RCEU and HCR) Project Proposals

No abstract provided.