Digital Commons Network^™

Nest Sanitation Behavior Does Not Increase The Likelihood Of Parasitic Egg Rejection In Herring Gulls, James B. Stratton, Donald C. Dearborn

All Faculty Scholarship

Birds’ behavioral response to brood parasitism can be influenced not only by evolution but also by context and individual experience. This could include nest sanitation, in which birds remove debris from their nests. Ultimately, nest sanitation behavior might be an evolutionary precursor to the rejection of parasitic eggs. Proximately, the context or experience of performing nest sanitation behavior might increase the detection or prime the removal of parasitic eggs, but evidence to date is limited. We tested incubation-stage nests of herring gulls Larus argentatus to ask whether nest sanitation increased parasitic egg rejection. In an initial set of 160 single-object …

Characterization Of The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Rsv) Attachment Protein Mucin Domains, Molly Kathleen Roe

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is currently a leading cause of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI). Despite contributing to a significant mortality rate in young children and immunocompromised populations, it still lacks a vaccine. Live-attenuated vaccines are the preferred vaccination model for RSV, but achieving attenuation, immunogenicity, and stability can be difficult. Previous studies have indicated that deletion of the RSV G protein attenuates viral replication, but the role of the protein’s mucin domains has not been fully explored. We generate two new RSV strains here with varying G protein deletions: A2-line19F-G155 with deletion of the G-protein mucin domains, and A2- …

Vaccines: The Controversies And Effects Surrounding The Mmr Vaccine, Abigail Schley

Senior Honors Theses

The MMR vaccine serves to prevent the onset of severe illness and transmission of measles, mumps, and rubella. Vaccines benefit an individual by strengthening their immunity to a virus or bacteria through a small or weakened introduction of the disease in the body. However, in recent years, people have blamed the MMR vaccine for the development of several health risks in children, namely autism. Although multiple studies have indicated that there exists no link between the MMR vaccine and autism, some parents choose not to vaccinate their children due to misinformation or lack of education. This thesis seeks to explore …

2021-December-01-Etsu Commencement, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY – East Tennessee State University will confer more than 1,300 degrees during Commencement Exercises on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballad Health Athletic Center. Gayle Conelly Manchin, who is federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), will deliver the keynote address at 10 a.m. ETSU faculty member Dr. Sean Fox, who won the Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching, will address graduates during the 2 p.m. ceremony.

Manchin works directly with the ARC’s 13 member governors, their state alternates and program managers, and a network of local development districts to continue to …

Investigation Of Mitochondrial Inheritance In The Smut Fungus Sporisorium Reilianum., Hector Eduardo Mendoza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An important goal in evolutionary biology is to address the origin of Earth’s immense biodiversity through the evolution of complex sexual reproduction mechanisms in eukaryotes. Inheritance of mitochondria during sexual reproduction has received special attention in recent years, as these organelles cannot be synthesized de novo and must be transmitted from parent to offspring. The importance of these organelles far exceeds its common function as the energy-producing “powerhouse” of the cell, as it has been found to also be involved in fundamental processes like apoptosis, aging and metabolic homeostasis. Thus, appropriate inheritance of mitochondria is essential for growth and development …

Role Of Meibum And Tear Phospholipids In The Evaporative Water Loss Associated With Dry Eye., Samiyyah M. Sledge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is generally believed that the tear film lipid surface film inhibits the rate of evaporation (Revap) of the underlying tear aqueous. It is also generally believed that changes in the composition of the tear film lipid layer is responsible for an increase in Revap in patients with dry eye. Both of these ideas have never been proven. The purpose of the current studies was to test these ideas. Revap was measured in vitro gravimetrically. Lipid spreading was measured using Raman spectroscopy and microscopy. The influence of the following surface films on the Revap of the sub phase of physiologically …

Computational Investigations Of The Photochemical Properties Of B12-Dependent Systems: From Solution To Enzymes., Megan Toda Mackintosh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The photochemical properties of the B₁₂ family of molecules (cobalamins = Cbls) have been known for many years yet only until the 21^st century have applications for the light-sensitivity of Cbls come to the surface. Photolabile Cbls can be used for the delivery of therapeutics with spatial and temporal control, in the generation of hydroxyl radicals, and in nature, as demonstrated in the catalytic cycle of coenzyme B₁₂-dependent photoreceptors. This dissertation describes the use of computational methods to explore the photochemical properties of Cbl systems including antivitamins B₁₂, a thiolato-cobalamin, and the coenzyme B …

Literature Review: Analysis Of Physical Activity In Physical Education Learning On Optimizing Students’ Neuromuscular System, Prima Suci Ibar Wati Ningrum, Sugiharto Sugiharto, Sapto Adi

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

This literature review aimed to analyze the optimization of students’ neuromuscular systems through physical activity in physical education learning. Articles were collected from four databases—Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Hindawi, and PubMed—covering publications from the last ten years (2011–2021). The keywords used in searching and analyzing the relevant articles included physical education, physical activity, neuromuscular, neurotransmitters, acetylcholine, dopamine, motor function, and student. Data extraction and analysis were conducted using the PRISMA flowchart method. The analysis of 30 articles showed that physical education learning influences the optimization of acetylcholine and dopamine, as well as the optimization of the neuromuscular system in performing movement …

Comparison Of Solutions To Reduce Air Quality Impacts To Environmental Justice Neighborhoods, Rebecca Merrell

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Air quality is a complex problem with as many potential solutions. The objective of this thesis is to identify solutions that will create cleaner air for Environmental Justice Communities in Barstow, California. California is now requiring cities to create plans for air quality improvement and this thesis strives to try to evaluate the effectiveness of options cities may use. There are many solutions that claim they will improve air quality but few comparisons on the feasibility for a town to implement them.

This thesis explores the effectiveness of three types of vegetation solutions, three types of mechanical air filtering solutions, …

Conserved And Divergent Features Of Neuronal Camkii Holoenzyme Structure, Function, And Highorder Assembly, Olivia R. Buonarati, Adam P. Miller, Steven J. Coultrap, K. Ulrich Bayer, Steve L. Reichow

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Neuronal CaMKII holoenzymes (^a and ^b isoforms) enable molecular signal computation underlying learning and memory but also mediate excitotoxic neuronal death. Here, we provide a comparative analysis of these signaling devices, using single-particle electron microscopy (EM) in combination with biochemical and live cell imaging studies. In the basal state, both isoforms assemble mainly as 12-mers (but also 14-mers and even 16-mers for the b isoform). CaMKIIa and ^b isoforms adopt an ensemble of extended activatable states (with average radius of 12.6 versus 16.8 nm, respectively), characterized by multiple transient intra- and interholoenzyme interactions associated with distinct functional properties. The …

Long Haulers: The Us Airline Industry And Moving Forward From The Covid-19 Pandemic, James Norman

Aviation Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hermeneutics Of Hate: How Martin Luther's Rhetorical Manipulation Of The Greek Bible Led To His Anti-Judaic Treatise On The Jews And Their Lies, Michael Parrish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Though lauded as a Protestant hero, it is impossible to read Martin Luther's On the Jews and Their Lies and not think about the numerous acts of violence inspired by his commentary. Luther argues that his anti-Judaic treatise is simply reiterating the Greek Bible (the New Testament) and anyone who reads the Greek Bible would come to the same conclusion. This thesis argues that Luther adopted a hermeneutical Jew from theologians and the Greek Bible before him to create his own hermeneutics that demonized the European Jewish population with devastating consequence. Though much of the Greek Bible was part of …

The Effects Of Molecular Crowding And Cpg Hypermethylation On Dna G-Quadruplexes Formed By The C9orf72 Nucleotide Repeat Expansion., Kadir A. Ozcan, Layla T. Ghaffari, Aaron R. Haeusler

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

A nucleotide repeat expansion (NRE), (G₄C₂)_n, located in a classically noncoding region of C9orf72 (C9), is the most common genetic mutation associated with ALS/FTD. There is increasing evidence that nucleic acid structures formed by the C9-NRE may both contribute to ALS/FTD, and serve as therapeutic targets, but there is limited characterization of these nucleic acid structures under physiologically and disease relevant conditions. Here we show in vitro that the C9-NRE DNA can form both parallel and antiparallel DNA G-quadruplex (GQ) topological structures and that the structural preference of these DNA GQs can be dependent …

We're All Originalists Now… Or Are We?: Bostock's Misperceived Quest To Distinguish Title Vii's Meaning From The Public's Expectations, Steven Semeraro

Hofstra Law Review

Two principal tenets underlie originalism-textualism: First, judicial interpreters of a statute should not use modern values to supplant original meaning because the law should change only through democratic processes. Second, original meaning is limited to the intersubjective original understanding that a reasonable reader would draw from a statute’s text. Meaning does not include anyone’s extratextual subjective expectations about how a statute should apply.

The divided Bostock Court’s decision that Title VII prohibits sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination reveals a contradiction between originalism-textualisms dual tenets. The mid-1960s public’s expectations about how Title VII would apply to sexual orientation and gender …

Chronostratigrapy Of Miocene Fluviolacustrine Deposits In Amargosa Valley, Levente Laisz

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Fluviolacustrine deposits of middle Miocene age occur on the western margins of the Amargosa Valley, in the central Basin and Range. These deposits contain the earliest pupfish (Cyprinodon) reported from the fossil record. National Park collections contain specimens of pupfish fossils, interpreted as possibly Pliocene; however the exact collection location and stratigraphic horizon was not known. Therefore, the geographic extent of the fossil locality and geologic age of these specimens were uncertain. Recently, these collection sites were relocated and additional sites were discovered. Ar-Ar dating of interbedded tuffs established the first appearance datum of pupfish at 14.79 Ma and extended …

4d Ex Vivo Crispr/Cas9 Whole-Genome Screen To Identify Genes Regulating Lung Cancer Metastasis, Alexandria Plumer

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Metastatic lung cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 5%. Lung cancers tend to be asymptomatic until late stages, and almost 90% are not diagnosed until they are advanced. Metastases are very rare events, often initiated by a single cell from a primary tumor into a new niche at a distant location. Investigation of the early metastatic process is of urgent need for the development of early diagnostics and targeted therapeutics. We performed a proof-of-concept CRISPR/Cas9 whole genome knockout screen in the A549 lung adenocarcinoma cell line and utilized a novel ex vivo 4D lung metastasis model to find gene …

The Src- And Abl- Dependent Regulation Of Net1a In Breast Cancer, Ashabari Sprenger

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The neuroepithelial cell transforming gene 1 (Net1) is a RhoA guanine nucleotide exchange factor that promotes cancer cell motility and metastasis. Two isoforms of Net1 exist, Net1 and Net1A, both of which are which sequestered in the nucleus in quiescent cells to prevent aberrant RhoA activation. Many cell motility stimuli drive cytosolic relocalization of Net1A, but mechanisms controlling this event are not fully understood. Here we demonstrate that EGF stimulates Src- and Abl1-dependent phosphorylation of Net1A to promote its cytosolic localization. We find that Abl1 efficiently phosphorylates Net1A on Y373, and that phenylalanine substitution of Y373 prevents Net1A cytosolic localization. …

Lgr5 Regulation Of Stat3 Signaling And Drug Resistance In Colorectal Cancer, Tressie Posey, Tressie Alexandra Posey

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

LGR5 Regulation of STAT3 Signaling and Drug Resistance in Colorectal Cancer

Tressie Alexandra Capri Posey B.S.

Advisory Professor: Kendra Carmon, Ph.D.

The greatest difficulty in treating colorectal cancer (CRC) is the development of drug resistance which leads to relapse after treatment and progression to metastasis. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are believed to drive relapse because of their capacity to self-renew, acquire resistance mechanisms, and differentiate promoting tumor growth and heterogeneity. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5), is a bona-fide marker of CSCs and has been considered a viable target for CSC specific therapeutic development. While we showed targeting LGR5 …

Patch Size Drives Colonization By Aquatic Insects, With Minor Priority Effects Of A Cohabitant, Reed C. Scott, Matthew R. Pintar, William J. Resetarits

Faculty and Student Publications

Patch size is one of the most important factors affecting the distribution and abundance of species, and recent research has shown that patch size is an important niche dimension affecting community structure in aquatic insects. Building on this result, we examined the impact of patch size in conjunction with presence of larval anurans on colonization by aquatic insects. Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's gray treefrog) larvae are abundant and early colonists in fishless lentic habitats, and these larvae can fill multiple ecological roles. By establishing larvae in mesocosms prior to colonization, we were able to assess whether H. chrysoscelis larvae have priority …

In Vitro Fertilization, Fertility Frustrations, And The Lack Of Regulation, Delores V. Chichi

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Just Benjamin, Paige R. Murphy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This documentary short film is about a now 30-year-old transgender man telling his story of growing up queer in a small Arkansas town, from being outed as a lesbian in high school, to ultimately being accepted as a trans man by members of his military and biological families. Benjamin “Benji” Davis grew up in the small town of Friendship, Arkansas, enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after high school and served for six years, then came back to Arkansas and primarily lived in Little Rock until he moved to Denver, Colorado this fall. The documentary is structured linearly both with …

Winter Cover Crop Mixes: Effects On Strip-Tilled Plasticulture And No-Till Watermelon Production In Arkansas, Alden Neil Hotz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai, producers in Arkansas grow watermelons in either plasticulture or bare-ground systems. Both systems can benefit from the use of winter cover crops for weed control and to supply nitrogen (N) to the watermelon crop. Currently, the use of cover crops in watermelon production in AR is mostly limited to either cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) or winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L). The objective of this research is to evaluate the potential benefits of growing a mix of a legume and grass cover crops before watermelon production in both a strip-till plasticulture and a …

An Assessment Of The Neurovascular Structures Of The Trigeminal Nerve And Their Relationship To Diet In Primates, Caitlin Yoakum

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) enters the mandible via the mental foramen, supplies nervous sensation to the mandibular teeth as it travels through the mandibular canal, and exits the mandibular foramen to send information to the brain to maintain chewing cycles and protect the teeth from damage. Although bony canals and foramina have been shown to form around soft-tissue structures, there are some examples (e.g., the hypoglossal nerve/canal) where the nervous structures do not comprise most of the canal/foramina space. It is important to know the size of nerves because it has been established that larger nerves convey more information …

Deciphering Chemomechanical Couplings In Proteins Using Microsecond-Level Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Vivek Govind Kumar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations combine the high temporal resolution of experimental methods like smFRET and spatial resolution of methods like x-ray crystallography, to provide a detailed dynamic picture of biomolecular processes. Here, microsecond-level atomistic MD simulations have been used to characterize chemomechanical couplings in human fibroblast growth factor 1 (hFGF1) and the spike proteins of SARS CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. hFGF1 is a globular signaling protein that is involved in several physiological processes ranging from cell proliferation to wound healing. Experimental studies have previously described the low proteolytic and thermal stability of hFGF1, in addition to the stabilizing role of …

The Importance Of Acquisition Learning On Nicotine And Varenicline Drug Substitution In A Drug-Discriminated Goal-Tracking Task, Brady M. Thompson, Scott T. Barrett, Y. Wendy Huynh, David A. Kwan, Jennifer E. Murray, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Nicotine and varenicline (Chantix®; the leading non-nicotine cessation pharmacotherapy) can come to control appetitive behaviors such as goal-tracking. We tested rats (N = 48) in a drug-discriminated goal-tracking (DGT) task where each rat received daily subcutaneous injections of either nicotine (0.4 mg/kg) or saline (0.9% [w/v]) interspersed across the acquisition phase (Phase 1). On saline days, sucrose was intermittently available. On nicotine days, sucrose was withheld. All rats acquired the discrimination with increased goal-tracking rates on saline days relative to nicotine days. Following acquisition, rats were separated into four groups to assess drug-substitution and discrimination reversal in Phase 2. The …

Economic Estimates Of Wild Hog (Sus Scrofa) Damage And Control Among Young Forest Plantations In Alabama, Micah Fern, Rebecca Barlow, Chris Slootmaker, John Kush, Stephanie Shwiff, Larry Teeter, Jim Armstrong

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Operating as ecological engineers, the increased distribution and abundance of wild hogs (Sus scrofa) has caused considerable socio-economic impacts. The international scope of economic research providing wild hog damage estimates are often confined to agricultural crops, while damage estimates among forest plantations are lacking. In Alabama, private landowners hold the majority of timberland acreage and are less equipped to absorb financial losses from wild hog damage than their industrial counterparts. A survey was conducted to estimate the economic impact of wild hogs, namely costs of damage and control, to privately owned forestlands. The survey was distributed in the …

Characterization Of Biomarkers For Alzheimer’S Disease And Hiv-1 Associated Neurocognitive Disorders, Armando Garces Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by progressive cognitive decline and the accumulation of amyloid beta and neurofibrillary tangles in regions of the brain. These protein deposits are known to generate multiple effects on the brain that lead to neurodegeneration. It has been established that (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) HIV-1 accelerates the aging process of people living with HIV-1. Moreover, there is significant clinical evidence indicating a potential link between the neurodegeneration developed by those with an HIV-1 infection and AD. HIV-1 viral infection causes cognitive impairment known as …

Phenology Dictates The Impact Of Climate Change On Geographic Distributions Of Six Co-Occurring North American Grasshoppers, Nathan P. Lemoine

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Throughout the last century, climate change has altered the geographic distributions of many species. Insects, in particular, vary in their ability to track changing climates, and it is likely that phenology is an important determinant of how well insects can either expand or shift their geographic distributions in response to climate change. Grasshoppers are an ideal group to test the hypothesis that phenology correlates with range expansion, given that co-occurring confamilial, and even congeneric, species can differ in phenology. Here, I tested the hypothesis that early- and late-season species should possess different range expansion potentials, as estimated by habitat suitability …

The Philosophy Of Outliers: Reintegrating Rare Events Into Biological Science, Chelsea N. Cook, Angela R. Freeman, James C. Liao, Lisa A. Mangiamele

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Individual variation in morphology, physiology, and behavior has been a topic of great interest in the biological sciences. While scientists realize the importance of understanding diversity in individual phenotypes, historically the “minority” results (I.e., outlier observations or rare events) of any given experiment have been dismissed from further analysis. We need to reframe how we view “outliers” to improve our understanding of biology. These rare events are often treated as problematic or spurious, when they can be real rare events or individuals driving evolution in a population. It is our perspective that to understand what outliers can tell us in …

Herbivores Alleviate The Negative Effects Of Extreme Drought On Plant Community By Enhancing Dominant Species, Chong Xu, Yuguang Ke, Honghui Wu, Melinda D. Smith, Nathan P. Lemoine, Weiguo Zhang, Qiang Yu

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Aims

Both extreme drought and insect herbivores can suppress plant growth in grassland communities. However, most studies have examined extreme drought and insects in isolation, and there is reason to believe that insects might alter the ability of grasslands to withstand drought. Unfortunately, few studies have tested the interactive effects of extreme drought and insect herbivores in grassland communities.

Methods

Here, we tested the drought–herbivore interactions using a manipulative experiment that factorially crossed extreme drought with the exclusion of insect herbivores in a temperate semiarid grassland in Inner Mongolia.

Important Findings

Our results demonstrated that both extreme drought and insect …