Digital Commons Network^™

Insights From Population Genomics To Enhance And Sustain Biological Control Of Insect Pests, Arun Sethuraman, Fredric J. Janzen, David W. Weisrock, John J. Obrycki

Biology Faculty Publications

Biological control—the use of organisms (e.g., nematodes, arthropods, bacteria, fungi, viruses) for the suppression of insect pest species—is a well-established, ecologically sound and economically profitable tactic for crop protection. This approach has served as a sustainable solution for many insect pest problems for over a century in North America. However, all pest management tactics have associated risks. Specifically, the ecological non-target effects of biological control have been examined in numerous systems. In contrast, the need to understand the short- and long-term evolutionary consequences of human-mediated manipulation of biological control organisms for importation, augmentation and conservation biological control has only recently …

Intermittent Fasting After Spinal Cord Injury Does Not Improve The Recovery Of Baroreflex Regulation In The Rat, Matthew R. Zahner, Eric Beaumont

ETSU Faculty Works

Modest recovery of somatic function after incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) has been widely demonstrated. Recently we have shown that spontaneous recovery of baroreflex regulation of sympathetic activity also occurs in rats. Dietary restriction in the form of every other day fasting (EODF) has been shown to have beneficial effects on the recovery of motor function after SCI in rats. The goal of this study was to determine if EODF augments the improvement of baroreflex regulation of sympathetic activity after chronic left thoracic (T8) surgical spinal hemisection. To determine this, we performed baroreflex tests on ad-lib fed or EODF rats …

Phase Transition Behaviour In Yeast And Bacterial Populations Under Stress, Stephen Ordway, Dawn King, David Friend, Christine Noto, Snowlee Phu, Holly Huelskamp, Fredrik Inglis, Wendy Olivas, Sonya Bahar

Biology Department Faculty Works

Non-equilibrium phase transitions from survival to extinction have recently been observed in computational models of evolutionary dynamics. Dynamical signatures predictive of population collapse have been observed in yeast populations under stress. We experimentally investigate the population response of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to biological stressors (temperature and salt concentration) in order to investigate the system's behaviour in the vicinity of population collapse. While both conditions lead to population decline, the dynamical characteristics of the population response differ significantly depending on the stressor. Under temperature stress, the population undergoes a sharp change with significant fluctuations within a critical temperature range, …

Critical Wisdom In The Training Of Clinical Psychologists, Ross B. Renfroe

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The construct of wisdom has been studied over the past 30 years with the majority of the research focused on wisdom as “expert knowledge in the fundamental pragmatics of life” (Baltes & Staudinger, 2000). In the Christian tradition, wisdom can be divided into two categories: conventional and critical. Conventional wisdom bears striking similarities to the understanding of wisdom used in psychological research. In contrast, critical wisdom addresses the difficult paradoxes of life, but has not been the focus of much empirical study. Critical wisdom could be a helpful construct for clinical psychologists who hope to practice psychology from an integrative …

Using University Research In Food Science To Study Their Characteristics And To Model The Research And Information Needs Of Researchers, Lutishoor Salisbury, Jeremy Smith, Abayomi Omotola Omolewu

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using University Research in Food Science to Study their Characteristics and to Model the Research and Information Needs of Researchers.

Making collection management decisions of resources is important and challenging. The challenges arise from finding the balance between the mission of libraries to meet the needs of a wide range of users; the high cost of subscription to journals and databases; the escalating annual increases imposed by publishers, and limited budget for collection management activities.

By identifying and analyzing the research output from faculty and graduate students from the Food Science Department to determine where they published and the sources …

The Role Of Nurse-Led Groups In Relapse Prevention, Danielle Hallman

DNP and Student Works

Purpose: To explore the possibility that residents in the SATP are less likely to relapse if offered nurse-led groups on the weekends, compared to current weekend group programming.

Wild Mice With Different Social Network Sizes Vary In Brain Gene Expression, Patricia C. Lopes, Barbara König

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Appropriate social interactions influence animal fitness by impacting several processes, such as mating, territory defense, and offspring care. Many studies shedding light on the neurobiological underpinnings of social behavior have focused on nonapeptides (vasopressin, oxytocin, and homologues) and on sexual or parent-offspring interactions. Furthermore, animals have been studied under artificial laboratory conditions, where the consequences of behavioral responses may not be as critical as when expressed under natural environments, therefore obscuring certain physiological responses. We used automated recording of social interactions of wild house mice outside of the breeding season to detect individuals at both tails of a distribution …

The Gcn5 Complexes In Drosophila As A Model For Metazoa, Eliana F. Torres-Zelada, Vikki M. Weake

Department of Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The histone acetyltransferase Gcn5 is conserved throughout eukaryotes where it functions as part of large multi-subunit transcriptional coactivator complexes that stimulate gene expression. Here, we describe how studies in the model insect Drosophila melanogaster have provided insight into the essential roles played by Gcn5 in the development of multicellular organisms. We outline the composition and activity of the four different Gcn5 complexes in Drosophila: the Spt-Ada-Gcn5 Acetyltransferase (SAGA), Ada2a-containing (ATAC), Ada2/Gcn5/Ada3 transcription activator (ADA), and Chiffon Histone Acetyltransferase (CHAT) complexes. Whereas the SAGA and ADA complexes are also present in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ATAC has only been …

The Drosophila Dbf4 Ortholog Chiffon Forms A Complex With Gcn5 That Is Necessary For Histone Acetylation And Viability, Eliana F. Torres-Zelada, Robert E. Stephenson, Aktan Aksoy, Benjamin D. Anderson, Selene K. Swanson, Laurence Laurence Florens, Emily C. Dykhuizen, Michael P. Washburn, Vikki M. Weake

Department of Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Metazoans contain two homologs of the Gcn5-binding protein Ada2, Ada2a and Ada2b, which nucleate formation of the ATAC and SAGA complexes respectively. In Drosophila melanogaster, there are two splice isoforms of Ada2b: Ada2b-PA and Ada2b-PB. Here we show only the Ada2b-PB isoform is in SAGA; in contrast, Ada2b-PA associates with Gcn5, Ada3, Sgf29 and Chiffon forming the Chiffon Histone Acetyltransferase (CHAT) complex. Chiffon is theDrosophila ortholog of Dbf4, which binds and activates the cell cycle kinase Cdc7 to initiate DNA replication. In flies, Chiffon and Cdc7 are required in ovary follicle cells for gene amplification, a specialized form of DNA …

The Development Of A New Entry Point Into Enantiomerically Enriched Sulfinyl Derivatives, Jessica Shaw

Theses and Dissertations

Optical probes may be used as reliable tools for detecting and imagining the inside of cells for medical diagnostics. Among available options, the use of thiol probes is of interest as thiols are present in nearly all cells and their levels are tightly regulated, thus any variation is associated with disease. A proper thiol bioimaging probe must have a thiol cleavage group/reactive group and a fluorophore. It is found that novel sulfinate aryl ester (phenoxysulfinate esters) probes selectively cleave thiols at physiological pH and show much promise as effective tools for bioimaging.

In this context, the synthesis of the related …

Data Mining And Image Classification Using Genetic Programming, Mahsa Shokri Varniab

Master of Science in Computer Science Theses

Genetic programming (GP), a capable machine learning and search method, motivated by Darwinian-evolution, is an evolutionary learning algorithm which automatically evolves computer programs in the form of trees to solve problems. This thesis studies the application of GP for data mining and image processing. Knowledge discovery and data mining have been widely used in business, healthcare, and scientific fields. In data mining, classification is supervised learning that identifies new patterns and maps the data to predefined targets. A GP based classifier is developed in order to perform these mappings. GP has been investigated in a series of studies to classify …

Cbd & Ethanol Disrupt Early Embryonic Development, Janasha Goffigan-Holmes

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

The heavily conserved neural circuits that govern the vertebrate reward system, receive sensory stimuli and produce appropriate, self-preserving responses that correspond to experience-based learning and are driven by the communication of dopamine. Many of these circuits lie within the endocannabinoid system (ECS). At the most basic level, the ECS drives homeostatic behaviors, such as seeking nutrients, avoiding danger, and reproductive function. Unfortunately, this system can be hijacked by psychoactive drugs which ultimately alter the expression of dopamine. Cannabis sativa has two main active ingredients, THC and CBD, which modify the ECS receptor’s ability to bind to hormones and neurotransmitters such …

Identifying Pleiotropic Snps Associated With Femoral Neck And Heel Bone Mineral Density, Pei He, Xinag-He Ming, Xiao Zhang, Xu Lin, Qiang Zhang, Ri-Li Jiang, Martin R. Schiller, Fei-Yan Deng, Hong-Wen Deng

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) routinely identify loci associated with risk factors for osteoporosis. However, GWASs with relatively small sample sizes still lack sufficient power to ascertain the majority of genetic variants with small to modest effect size, which may together truly influence the phenotype. The loci identified only account for a small percentage of the heritability of osteoporosis. This study aims to identify novel genetic loci associated with DXA-derived femoral neck (FNK) bone mineral density (BMD) and quantitative ultrasound of the heel calcaneus estimated BMD (eBMD), and to detect shared/causal variants for the two traits, to assess whether the …

Sequential Estimation Methodologies With Observations Gathered In Groups: Theory, Practice And Data Analysis, Zhe Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

Purely sequential procedure has been widely studied in different inference problems. However, in purely sequential procedure, only one observation should be taken at-a-time. In real life, packaged items purchased in bulk often cost less per unit sample than the cost of an individual item. This dissertation discussed this situation when observations are gathered in groups. First, two fundamental problems on purely sequential estimation are revisited: (i) the fixed-width confidence interval (FWCI) estimation problem, and (ii) the minimum risk point estimation (MRPE) problem, in the context of estimating an unknown mean in a normal population having an unknown variance. We begin …

Thermal Macrophysiology Of The Estuarine Copepod Acartia Tonsa: Adaptation Across Spatial And Temporal Temperature Gradients, Matthew Sasaki

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the mechanisms that allow organisms to cope with spatial and temporal variation is a fundamental challenge for modern biology. In this dissertation I examine spatial and temporal patterns in two adaptive mechanisms, genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity, in the widespread copepod Acartia tonsa. Live populations of A. tonsa were collected from sites across a large latitudinal temperature gradient. Common garden laboratory experiments revealed local adaptation of both thermal tolerance and phenotypic plasticity at the sampling range extremes. However, there was also a remarkable lack of differentiation between populations over a large area. DNA barcoding suggests this lack of …

Tensegrity And Recurrent Neural Networks: Towards An Ecological Model Of Postural Coordination, Martin Fultot

Doctoral Dissertations

Tensegrity systems have been proposed as both the medium of haptic perception and the functional architecture of motor coordination in animals. However, a full working model integrating those two aspects with some form of neural implementation is still lacking. A basic two-dimensional cross-tensegrity plant is designed and its mechanics simulated. The plant is coupled to a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN). The model’s task is to maintain postural balance against gravity despite the intrinsically unstable configuration of the plant. The RNN takes only proprioceptive input about the springs’ lengths and rate of length change and outputs minimum lengths for each spring …

Estimating Age From 2d And 3d Imaging Of Skeletal Remains: An Assessment Of Reliability Using The Medial Clavicle, Sarah Ghannam

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Research into the utility of digital imagery in conducting remote forensic analyses, or analyses of remains occurring outside of the laboratory, is necessary for the progression of forensic anthropology as new technologies arise. This research assesses the utility of 2D photographs and 3D scans in the assessment of the stage of fusion of the medial clavicular epiphysis. In this study, six participants analyzed 44 physical clavicles, photographs, and 3D scans to determine if stage of fusion can be reliably assessed using digital imagery. The participants either had extensive anthropological experience or no experience, which allows for assessment regarding how experience …

A Race Against Time: Reduced Azithromycin Susceptibility In Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhi In Pakistan, Junaid Iqbal, Irum Fatima Dehraj, Megan E. Carey, Zoe A. Dyson, Denise Garrett, Jessica C. Seidman, Furqan Kabir, Senjuti Saha, Stephen Baker, Farah Naz Qamar

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Antimicrobial resistance is an ongoing issue in the treatment of typhoid fever. Resistance to first-line antimicrobials and extensively drug resistant (XDR) Salmonella Typhi isolates in Pakistan have left azithromycin as the only remaining effective oral treatment. Here, we report the emergence of organisms with a single point mutation in acrB gene, implicated in azithromycin resistance, in a S. Typhi isolate from Pakistan. The isolation of this organism is worrisome and highlights the significance of the introduction of typhoid conjugate vaccine in South Asia.
Importance: The emergence of XDR Salmonella Typhi in Pakistan has left azithromycin as the only viable oral …

Self-Assembly Of Aqueous Soft Matter Patterned By Liquid Crystal Polymer Networks For Controlling The Dynamics Of Bacteria, Netra Prasad Dhakal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The study of controlling the moleculat self-assembly of aqueous soft matter is a fundamental scheme across multiple disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science. In this work, we use liquid-crystal polymer networks (LCNs) to control the superstrucutre of one aqueous soft material called lyotropic choromonic liquis crystals(LCLC), which shows spontanenous orientational order by stacking the plank-like molecules into elongated aggregates. We synthesize a layer of patterned LCN flims by a nematic liquid-crystal host in which the spatially varying molecular orientations are predesigned by plasmonic photopatterning. We demonstrate that the LCLC aggregates are oriented parallel to the polymer filaments …

Points Of Pride, Georgia Southern University

Points of Pride (2013-2023)

• Rankings
• Academics
• Athletics
• Facilities
• Outreach
• Research

Rna-Gps Predicts Sars-Cov-2 Rna Residency To Host Mitochondria And Nucleolus, Kevin E Wu, Furqan M Fazal, Kevin R Parker, James Zou, Howard Y Chang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

SARS-CoV-2 genomic and subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) transcripts hijack the host cell's machinery. Subcellular localization of its viral RNA could, thus, play important roles in viral replication and host antiviral immune response. We perform computational modeling of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA subcellular residency across eight subcellular neighborhoods. We compare hundreds of SARS-CoV-2 genomes with the human transcriptome and other coronaviruses. We predict the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome and sgRNAs to be enriched toward the host mitochondrial matrix and nucleolus, and that the 5' and 3' viral untranslated regions contain the strongest, most distinct localization signals. We interpret the mitochondrial residency signal as an …

A Small S-Mif Signal In Martian Regolith Pyrite: Implications For The Atmosphere, Ag Tomkins, Sl Alkemade, Se Nutku, Et Al

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The past Martian atmosphere is often compared to the Archean Earth’s as both were dominated by CO2-rich and O2-poor chemistries. Archean Earth rocks preserve mass-independently fractionated sulfur isotopes (S-MIF; non-zero ?33S and ?36S), originating from photochemistry in an anoxic atmosphere. Thus, Martian crustal rocks might also be expected to preserve a S-MIF signature, providing insights into past atmospheric chemistry. We have used secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to investigate in situ, the sulfur isotope systematics of NWA 8171 (paired to NWA 7034), a Martian polymict breccia containing pyrite that formed through hydrothermal sulfur addition in a near-surface regolith setting. In …

Influence Of Stress On Physiological‐Biochemical Characteristics Of Three Atriplex L. Plants, Dandan Zhou, Shengrong Hu, Yong Gao

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Technique Of Plant Regeneration From Immature Inflorescence Of Pennisetum Purpureum In Vitro, Xiaoxian Zhong, Jianming She, Hongru Gu, Jianli Zhang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Atrial High-Rate Episodes, Subclinical Atrial Fibrillation And Short-Duration Clinical Atrial Fibrillation: Different Names For The Same Arrhythmia Or A New Player On The Pitch?, Juan Benezet-Mazuecos, Alvaro Lozano Rosado, Julian Crosa, Jose Antonio Iglesias

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

No abstract provided.

Association Of Neighborhood Disorder And Minority Stress With Depression Among Young Gay And Bisexual Males In Denver And Chicago, Liesl Gonzales, Douglas Bruce

DePaul Discoveries

Excess risk for poor mental health outcomes has been found within sexual minority populations. This study aimed to examine factors that may contribute to depression rates within two populations of YMSM in Denver and Chicago. 100 HIV-positive and 100 HIV-negative YMSM completed a survey regarding demographic information, minority stress (such as same-sex stigma), and perceived neighborhood disorder. Chicago participants reported higher rates of neighborhood disorder, history of incarceration, and being kicked out of a parent’s house, variables predicted to be positively correlated with depression. Surprisingly, it was found that YMSM in Denver were significantly more likely to have depressive symptoms …

Comparative Analysis Of Lead In Crassostrea Angulata And Cerastoderma Edule From Cádiz, Spain, Margaret Mullen, Kyle Grice

DePaul Discoveries

In order to study the capacity of bivalve shells as bioindicators in estuarine ecosystems, a comparative analysis of lead concentration in oyster (C.angulata) and clam (C. edule) shells collected near the coast of Cádiz, Spain was performed. Infrared spectroscopy was used to assess calcite and aragonite compositional differences in the shells. An atomic absorption spectrometer was employed for lead concentation method development and analysis. Infrared spectroscopy results found that C. edule shells may contain more aragonite than C.angulata shells. The average lead concentration in oyster shells was calculated to be 44 ± 24 ppm from one …

Examination Of Inflammatory Caspase Aggregates Formed In The Presence Of Lipopolysaccharide, Grant D. Andersen

DePaul Discoveries

Inflammatory caspases are involved in the innate immune response, in which cell damage and microorganism invasion lead to cell death via pyroptosis and the release of chemical signals that produce inflammation. Currently, little is known pertaining to the mechanism of activation for one of the major caspase isoforms, caspase-4, other than its ability to bind LPS and become more active because of it. It has been theorized that caspase-4 agregation occurs through a non-cannonical based pathways in forming its respective complex following binding to LPS. Alternatively, caspase-4 may be activated after binding LPS micelles. Herein, we sought to incorporate lipopollysaccharide …

Comparison On Water‐Stress Tolerance Of Three Alfalfa Varieties, Jinmei Zhao, He Zhou, Qizhong Sun

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Grassland Resource In Hebei Province Of China, Hailiang Yu, Minyun Xu, Lianshu Li, Yunqi Li, Jiaxiang Li, Jinshan Gen, Haiyan Yang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.