Digital Commons Network^™

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021, Saint Mary's College Of Califiornia

The Collegian

No abstract provided.

Genetic Landscape And Emerging Therapies In Uveal Melanoma, Rino S Seedor, Marlana Orloff, Takami Sato

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Despite successful treatment of primary uveal melanoma, up to 50% of patients will develop systemic metastasis. Metastatic disease portends a poor outcome, and no adjuvant or metastatic therapy has been FDA approved. The genetic landscape of uveal melanoma is unique, providing prognostic and potentially therapeutic insight. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the molecular and cytogenetic mutations in uveal melanoma, and the importance of obtaining such information. Most of our knowledge is based on primary uveal melanoma and a better understanding of the mutational landscape in metastatic uveal melanoma is needed. Clinical trials targeting certain mutations such …

Mirna-30e Downregulation Increases Cancer Cell Proliferation, Invasion And Tumor Growth Through Targeting Rps6kb1, Lin Wang, Xiang-Bo Ji, Li-Hong Wang, Zhong-Kun Xia, Yun-Xia Xie, Wen-Jing Liu, Jian-Ge Qiu, Bing-Hua Jiang, Ling-Zhi Liu

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Human esophagus carcinoma (EC) is one of the most common malignant tumors, especially in Africa and Asia including China. In EC initiation and progression, genetic and epigenetic aberrations have been reported to play a major role, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, the miR-30e levels were analyzed in human EC tissues and TCGA databases, and the results demonstrated that miR-30e expression in EC tissues was significantly decreased compared to adjacent normal tissues. To further investigate the role of miR-30e in cancer cells, we found that forced expression of miR-30e dramatically inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, tube …

College Students’ Experienced Parenting Style Influences The Level Of Difficulty In Career Decision-Making, Carlota Cruces Serrano

Honors College Theses

Career choice can be a difficult process for young adults, and parental involvement is a key factor in students’ career development. In this study, we examined whether college students’ degree of decidedness differs with respect to parental styles, following Baumrind’s (1967) classification: authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative. The authoritative style tends to be associated with better outcomes overall due to parental figures seeking discipline and control while embracing an autonomy-supportive environment. We recruited 200 first and second-year college students to complete the Parent Authority Questionnaire to determine the parenting style exercised by their parents (Buri, 1991). Then, they completed the Career …

Socially Acceptable Alcohol Use: The Normalization Of Binge-Drinking And The Influences Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In A College Sample., Carter Golembeski

Honors College Theses

The relationship between college students and binge-drinking is a heavily researched and discussed topic. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic a whole new side of the issue is introduced. The impacts of the pandemic on binge drinking episodes, as well as personal desire to binge drink, is valuable data to be analyzed. This capstone project collected data from Georgia Southern students on their drinking habits, as well as how COVID-19 interrupted their social life. Their personal drinking habits were investigated, including how often they find themselves “black-out drinking” and how many drinks they usually consume on a single drinking occasion, as …

Investigation Of Immobilized Enzymes In Confined Environment Of Mesoporous Host Matrices, Xiaoliang Wang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Enzyme immobilization in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a promising strategy, is attracting the interest of scientists from different disciplines with the expansion of MOF’s development. Different from other traditional host materials, their unique strengths of high surface areas, large yet adjustable pore sizes, functionalizable pore walls, and diverse architectures make MOFs an ideal platform to investigate hosted enzymes, which is critical to the industrial and commercial process. In addition to the protective function of MOFs, the extensive roles of MOFs in the enzyme immobilization are being well-explored by making full use of their remarkable properties like well-defined structure, high porosity, …

Excitotoxic Lesions Of The Perirhinal Cortex Leave Intact Rats’ Gustatory Sensory Preconditioning, Jasper Robinson, Peter M. Jones, Emma J. Whitt

School of Psychology

We report findings from two sensory preconditioning experiments in which rats consumed two flavoured solutions, each with two gustatory components (AX and BY), composed of sweet, bitter, salt, and acid elements. After this pre-exposure, rats were conditioned to X by pairing with lithium chloride. Standard sensory preconditioning was observed: Consumption of flavour A was less than that of B. We found that sensory preconditioning was maintained when X was added to A and B. Both experiments included one group of rats with lesions of the perirhinal cortex, which did not influence sensory preconditioning. We discuss our findings in the light …

Morphological Characterization Of Trichomes Shows Enormous Variation In Shape, Density And Dimensions Across The Leaves Of 14 Solanum Species, Sakshi Watts, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Trichomes are the epidermal appendages commonly observed on plant surfaces including leaves, stem and fruits. Plant trichomes have been well studied as a structural plant defence designed to protect plants against abiotic and biotic stressors such as UV rays, temperature extremities and herbivores. Trichomes are primarily classified into glandular and non-glandular trichomes, based on the presence or absence of a glandular head. The plant genus Solanum is the largest genus of family Solanaceae that houses ~3500 species of ecological and economic importance have a diverse set of trichomes that vary in density and morphology. However, due to the incomplete and …

Sno 2020 Diversity Survey: Defining Demographics, Racial Biases, Career Success Metrics And A Path Forward For The Field Of Neuro-Oncology, Yazmin Odia

All Publications

Background. Neuro-oncology has grown tremendously since 2010, marked by increasing society membership, specialized clinical expertise, and new journals. Yet, modest improvement in racial/ethnic diversity amongst clinical trial participants, researchers, and clinicians led us to conduct a survey to identify opportunities to enhance diversity and inclusiveness amongst neuro-oncology professionals. Methods. In summer 2020, the Women and Diversity Committee of the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) distributed an anonymous online survey to members and affiliates including the European Association of NeuroOncology (EANO), Asian Society for Neuro-Oncology (ASNO), Society for Neuro-Oncology Latin America (SNOLA) and Society for Neuro-Oncology Sub-Saharan Africa (SNOSSA). The survey captured …

Influential Periods In Longitudinal Clinical Cardiovascular Health Scores, Amy E Krefman, Vito M R Muggeo, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) among adults in the United States is low and decreases with age. Our objective was to identify specific age windows when the loss of CVH accelerates, to ascertain preventive opportunities for intervention. Data were pooled from 5 longitudinal cohorts (Project Heartbeat!, Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, The Bogalusa Heart Study, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults, Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project) from the United States and Finland from 1973 to 2012. Individuals with clinical CVH factors (i.e., body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose) measured from ages 8 …

Reward Deficiency Syndrome (Rds): A Cytoarchitectural Common Neurobiological Trait Of All Addictions, Kenneth Blum, Abdalla Bowirrat, Eric R Braverman, David Baron, Jean Lud Cadet, Shan Kazmi, Igor Elman, Panyotis K Thanos, Rajendra D Badgaiyan, William B Downs, Debasis Bagchi, Luis Llanos-Gomez, Mark S Gold

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Alcohol and other substance use disorders share comorbidity with other RDS disorders, i.e., a reduction in dopamine signaling within the reward pathway. RDS is a term that connects addictive, obsessive, compulsive, and impulsive behavioral disorders. An estimated 2 million individuals in the United States have opioid use disorder related to prescription opioids. It is estimated that the overall cost of the illegal and legally prescribed opioid crisis exceeds one trillion dollars. Opioid Replacement Therapy is the most common treatment for addictions and other RDS disorders. Even after repeated relapses, patients are repeatedly prescribed the same opioid replacement treatments. A recent …

Using The Labyrinth To Foster Community Prayer And Devotion, Denice F. Knight-Slater

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

While excellent resources are available to teach people how to use labyrinths in personal ways, there are fewer guides available for seeking Christian community awareness using that same tool. This essay seeks to explore the value of a labyrinth as a sacred space, and it offers several novel suggestions for incorporating the labyrinth into the rhythms of the church. Although very little is known about how medieval Christians utilized the labyrinth, today’s Christians can still experience God in those same spaces. People need physical spaces in which they can gather in unexpected ways—places where they can explore their spiritual creativity …

New Record Of Idana Marginata (Say) (Diptera: Tephritoidea: Ulidiidae) From Wisconsin, Daniel K. Young

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Idana marginata (Say) was previously known from northeastern North America: Canada and the United States, west to northeastern Illinois and south to North Carolina. Herein, collection events are reported from Richland County in southwestern Wisconsin. This new state record significantly increases the known geographical distribution of the species to the west. The specimens were recovered from an unbaited Lindgren funnel trap during two intervals between 26 June and 28 July 2019.

Bark- And Wood-Infesting Insects (Coleoptera And Hymenoptera) And Associated Parasitoids Reared From Yellow Birch (Betula Alleghaniensis) In Ingham County, Michigan, Robert A. Haack

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Four species of bark- and wood-infesting borers (two Coleoptera and two Hymenoptera) and six parasitoid species (Hymenoptera) were reared from yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) one year after the trees were cut and left standing in a woodlot in Ingham County, Michigan in 1986–87. The borers were species of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) and Xiphydriidae (Hymenoptera), and hymenopteran parasitoid species of Aulacidae, Braconidae, Chalcididae, and Pteromalidae. Xiphydriophagus meyerinckii (Ratzeburg) (Pteromalidae) is a new Michigan state record. For the borers, yellow birch is a new host record for the cerambycid Sternidius alpha (Say) and the xiphydriid Xiphydria tibialis Say. Seasonal emergence data …

Anomalously Pale-Haired Specimens In Three Genera Of Cleptoparasitic Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Nomadinae), Thomas M. Onuferko

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Cases of partially albinic specimens of cleptoparasitic bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Nomadinae) in which the pubescence lacks the usual pigmentation are presented and discussed. Anomalously pale-haired individuals within the following three genera are known: Brachymelecta Linsley, Epeolus Latreille, and Triepeolus Robertson. Since two of the aberrant specimens were mistaken for and erroneously described as new taxa, the present paper draws attention to this phenomenon within bees and its potential to cause taxonomic confusion.

Plant Extract Efficacy On Mosquito Mortality: Preliminary Studies On The Effect Of Ailanthus Altissima Extract On Adult Aedes Aegypti And Culex Quinquefasciatus, John R. Wallace, Calen D. Wylie, Ryan L. Wagner

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Abstract

Due to the negative environmental impact and resistance to synthetic insecticides, the development of biological control has increased significantly over the past half century with the potential of plant extracts only recently attracting attention. The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the potential of Ailanthus altissima extract as a botanical insecticide on adult mosquitoes. Two species of mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus) and a non-target lepidopteran species, Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) were treated with A. altissima extract from new, mature, and senesced leaflets using serial dilutions (0, 25, 50, 75, 100%) …

Agricultural Natural Enemies Benefit Predominantly From Broader Scales Of Environmental Heterogeneity: A Quantitative Review, Aaron Iverson, Robyn Burnham, John Vandermeer

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Naturally occurring predator and parasitoid communities are well known to respond to multiple scales of environmental heterogeneity within and around agroecoystems, yet our understanding of which scales are most influential on different functional guilds of enemies is limited. Using vote-counting methodology, we synthesized the results from 40 empirical studies that observed how natural enemy richness, diversity, or parasitism rate is affected by environmental heterogeneity at a local scale (e.g. a focal field), an intermediate scale (e.g. habitat in immediate proximity of a focal field), and landscape scale (e.g. habitat within >200 m radius around focal field). Heterogeneity at all scales …

Spiraling Flight Behavior May Integrate The Biological Compass Systems Of Migratory North American Monarch Butterflies, (Danaus Plexippus, L.), Matthew M. Douglas

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Here I report a unique spiraling flight and orientation behavior (comprising multiple clockwise and counterclockwise circles coupled by extended figure-8 patterns) observed in free-flying “late” migratory monarchs released under sunny ambient field conditions from a location with an unobstructed view of the sky. Following this spiraling flight, migrants continue to fly at very high altitudes until a final orientation and migratory flight direction is established with vanishing bearings statistically concentrated to the SW/W. These results provide preliminary evidence for the possible calibration and use of an inclination magnetic compass that can be used under all local free-flying field conditions. During …

Influence Of Age On Decision Making By Ovipositing Pieris Rapae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)., Brett Breitkreutz, Tracy Le Wagner, Rodrigo J. Mercader

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Due to its effect on the time available for host selection and learning, butterfly age is expected to alter the degree of host specificity and potentially niche breadth. Here, we use the small cabbage white, Pieris rapae L., to test the effect of age on ovipositional specificity and decision-making time. Specifically, we examined the ovipositional behavior of P. rapae 4, 8, and 12 days post-emergence. Females were recorded in thirty-minute trials using leaves of two hosts, mustard leaves, Brassica juncea, and collard greens, Brassica oleracea Acephala group, and the non-host common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris. Subsequently, we measured …

Cover Pages For Tgle Vol. 54 Nos. 1 & 2

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Cover Pages for TGLE Vol. 54 Nos. 1 & 2

Full Issue For Tgle Vol. 54 Nos. 1 & 2

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Full issue for TGLE Vol. 54 Nos. 1 & 2

Giving Beets A Chance: Heavy Metal Accumulation In Mycorrhizal And Non-Mycorrhizal Crops At An Urban Farm, Eric Vukicevich

Sustainability Seminar Series

Urban, community farming seeks to provide access to affordable, healthy, culturally-appropriate produce via cooperatively-run growing spaces. However, the threat of contaminated soils so common to older cities can limit the scale of production and/or necessitates costly remediation efforts. Although there are rough guidelines outlining at what level a soil is unsafe for growing food, there are many uncertainties as to which crops might be safe in soils with slightly elevated (but below guidelines) levels of contaminants and to what degree soil biology affects uptake. We grew mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal root, leafy green, and fruit crops representing five different plant families …

Vol. 56-2 Complete Issue

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

No abstract provided.

Stem Major Perceptions And Persistence To Teacher Certification, Chrissy Cross Ph.D., Keith Hubbard, Dennis A. Gravatt, Lesa Beverly

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

In this qualitative research study, researchers from a rural regional university in Texas examined the perceptions of STEM teaching and persistence to STEM teacher certification in a group of STEM majors participating in a hybrid recruitment and early intense field experience. The findings from this study indicate that the hybrid recruitment and early field experience influences the desire of the STEM majors to persist to teacher certification and influences the accuracy of their perceptions regarding STEM teaching and general perceptions of teaching as a career.

Singaporean Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions Of Stem Epistemic Practices And Education, Dominic Koh, Aik Ling Tan

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is perceived to be the magic bullet for progressive and futuristic learning. It is widely touted as a way to develop 21^st century competencies and scientific literacy. Despite the ubiquitous use of the term STEM, understanding of STEM education remains largely diffused. This study serves as a first in contributing a Singaporean narrative on perceptions of STEM education. To discern the diversity and prevalence of understanding of STEM education, 16 undergraduate preservice teachers (PST) responded to a series of questions. Out of the 16, nine PSTs were randomly selected for an …

Sunsat Design Competition 2014-2015 Third Place Winner – Team Martian: Space Solar Power Test Bed, Jeremy Straub, Tristan Plante, Benjamin Kading, Alex Holland, Landon Klein, Jordan Forbord

Online Journal of Space Communication

We propose a four-stage plan to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of Space Solar Power (SSP) for use on Earth. Our project goal is to achieve Technology Readiness Level (TRL) by means of: 1) a test mission in low Earth orbit using a small spacecraft; 2) that will support a manned mission to Mars; 3) that includes a bent pipe experiment (power supplied from Earth, to a spacecraft and back to Earth), and 4) to complete system deployment.

The primary impediment to SSP implementation is thought to be the acceptance of the system by those on Earth who may be …

Sunsat Design Competition 2013-2014 Third Place Winner – Team University Of North Dakota: Nano Ssp Satellite, Corey Bergsrud, Robert Bernaciak, Ben Kading, John Mcclure, Jeremy Straub, Subin Shahukhal, Karl Williams

Online Journal of Space Communication

This work presents the conceptualization of a Space-to-Space Microwave Wireless Power Transmission (S2S-MWPT) experimental demonstration mission using small spacecraft. Literature reviews [1, 2] suggest a stepwise procedure for technology demonstrations in support of advancing space solar power satellite (SSPS) systems. These technologies should be verified first on Earth and then in-space using small satellites. This project built its S2S-MWPT demonstration concept within the University NanoSat program restrictions (dimensions of 50cm x 50cm x 60cm and mass of 50kg). The idea is to use these upper limit restrictions to develop the MWPT spacecraft (MicroSat). Contained inside the MicroSat …

“A Brave Group Of People”: Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions Of Teaching In Middle School, Bettie Perry, Jori S. Beck, Kaavonia Hinton

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

We set out to create a middle grades program and to inform the field about the perceptions of our teacher candidates on teaching middle school. To accomplish these twin goals, we sought to better understand our teacher candidates’ perceptions of teaching middle school and how these perceptions might be changed if necessary. Our review of research included three themes to frame this work: (a) middle school philosophy, (b) motivations to teach, and (c) middle school teacher preparation. We chose an emergent, qualitative research design to cull rich data from diverse stakeholders including open-ended survey data. We found an overarching deficit …

Call For A Paradigm Shift In Institutional Communication Norms, Ann Colgan

Journal of Access, Retention, and Inclusion in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Lessons Learned From Using The Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (Elli) To Support Student Growth And Success, Suzanne Shaffer, Sukhdeep Gill, Robin Yaure, Jackie Schwab Ph.D.

Journal of Access, Retention, and Inclusion in Higher Education

No abstract provided.