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Bio-H2 Conversion Of Wastewater Via Hybrid Dark/Photo Fermentation Reactor, Khaled El Sharkawy, Mohamed Elsamadony, Mohamed Gar Alalm, Hafez Afify

Journal of Engineering Research

Hydrogen energy is a clean source for liveliness betterthan fossil fuel that has hazardous effects on the environmentand atmosphere. Food wastes and organics in the sewage sludgeare a promising sustainable and renewable source for hydrogenproduction where amalgamation of waste treatment and energyproduction would be more than one benefit expressed intreatment of organic pollutants and energy generation.Discovering biohydrogen production from industrialwastewater by dark and photo fermentation was the main aimof this paper. The biogas produced was composed of H2 andCO2, and the maximum H2 content was 25.94%. This ratio wasachieved at batch configuration system and initial pH 6.2 withstarch concentration 15 …

Unveiling Novel Avenues In Mtor-Targeted Therapeutics: Advancements In Glioblastoma Treatment, Shilpi Singh, Debashis Barik, Karl Lawrie, Iteeshree Mohapatra, Sujata Prasad, Afsar R. Naqvi, Amar Singh, Gatikrushna Singh

Biology Student Work

The mTOR signaling pathway plays a pivotal and intricate role in the pathogenesis of glioblastoma, driving tumorigenesis and proliferation. Mutations or deletions in the PTEN gene constitutively activate the mTOR pathway by expressing growth factors EGF and PDGF, which activate their respective receptor pathways (e.g., EGFR and PDGFR). The convergence of signaling pathways, such as the PI3K-AKT pathway, intensifies the effect of mTOR activity. The inhibition of mTOR has the potential to disrupt diverse oncogenic processes and improve patient outcomes. However, the complexity of the mTOR signaling, off-target effects, cytotoxicity, suboptimal pharmacokinetics, and drug resistance of the mTOR inhibitors pose …

Improving Pharmacist-Led Pediatric Patient Education On Oral Chemotherapy At Home, Anika Patel, Christopher M. Nguyen, Kristin Willins, Elsabella Y. Wang, Grace Magedman, Sun Yang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Oral chemotherapy (OC) has been increasingly used in pediatric patients diagnosed with cancer, which is primarily managed in the outpatient setting. Different from adults, pediatric patients face unique challenges in administering these hazardous medications at home. Because of the complexity of pediatric pharmaceutical care and the hazardous nature of chemotherapy agents, comprehensive patient education is imperative to mitigate the potential safety risks associated with OC administration at home. Pharmacists play a vital role in patient education and medication consultations. However, the lack of practice guidelines and limited resources supporting OC counseling are noted. Additional barriers include insufficient knowledge and training …

Volume 1, Issue 6, Bryant University

Bryant Bulldog Bulletin (2023-2024)

No abstract provided.

Psychosocial Development Measures Modification For Adolescents With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Myles Maxey, Troy E. Beckert, Diana Meter, Trenton Landon

Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Publications

Background: Although diagnosis and identification of IDD is improving, adolescents with IDD receive limited attention in research, particularly concerning their psychosocial development. Measures developed and normed with typically developing populations may not be appropriate for IDD populations and may result in biased assessment. Aim: This study aimed to develop and validate modified psychosocial development assessments for adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), addressing the absence of such assessments.

Method: It involved two phases: modifying existing instruments and validating the revised versions. Four stakeholder groups participated: adolescents with IDD, parents, and scholars in adolescent developmental and disabilities. Validation included two …

Dissecting The Daily Feeding Pattern: Peripheral Clock/Cycle Generate The Feeding/Fasting Episodes And Neuronal Molecular Clocks Synchronize Them, Akiko Maruko, Koichi M Iijima, Kanae Ando

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

A 24-h rhythm of feeding behavior, or synchronized feeding/fasting episodes during the day, is crucial for survival. Internal clocks and light input regulate rhythmic behaviors, but how they generate feeding rhythms is not fully understood. Here we aimed to dissect the molecular pathways that generate daily feeding patterns. By measuring the semidiurnal amount of food ingested by single flies, we demonstrate that the generation of feeding rhythms under light:dark conditions requires quasimodo (qsm) but not molecular clocks. Under constant darkness, rhythmic feeding patterns consist of two components: CLOCK (CLK) in digestive/metabolic tissues generating feeding/fasting episodes, and the …

Facial Motion Augmented Identity Verification With Deep Neural Networks, Zheng Sun

Theses and Dissertations

Identity verification is ubiquitous in our daily life. By verifying the user's identity, the authorization process grants the privilege to access resources or facilities or perform certain tasks. The traditional and most prevalent authentication method is the personal identification number (PIN) or password. While these knowledge-based credentials could be lost or stolen, human biometric-based verification technologies have become popular alternatives in recent years. Nowadays, more people are used to unlocking their smartphones using their fingerprint or face instead of the conventional passcode. However, these biometric approaches have their weaknesses. For example, fingerprints could be easily fabricated, and a photo or …

Gnsi Decision Brief: Who Will Rebuild Ukraine's Public Health And Disease Research Laboratories?, Kelli L. Barr, Eric Bortz, Anton Gerilovych, Oleksii Solodiankin

GNSI Decision Briefs

Amid the devastating war in Ukraine, a parallel battle rages on – that against infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic starkly underlined the vital importance of global health surveillance for emerging and re-emerging human and animal pathogens. This challenge has become even more acute in war-torn regions like Ukraine, where healthcare infrastructure is under siege. For viruses with pandemic potential, such as the influenza virus, worldwide surveillance initiatives are essential in tracking the virus’s movement and spread among both animals and humans. Such monitoring serves dual purposes. Firstly, it guides the formulation of the yearly vaccine, ensuring it remains effective against …

Volume Cxliii, Number 3, October 6, 2023, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

Continuous Spin Excitations In The Three-Dimensional Frustrated Magnet K2ni2 (So4)3, Weiliang Yao, Qing Huang, Tao Xie, Andrey Podlesnyak, Alexander Brassington, Chengkun Xing, Ranuri S.Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage, Haozhe Wang, Weiwei Xie, Shengzhi Zhang, Minseong Lee, Vivien S. Zapf, Xiaojian Bai, D. Alan Tennant, Jian Liu, Haidong Zhou

Faculty Publications

Continuous spin excitations are widely recognized as one of the hallmarks of novel spin states in quantum magnets, such as quantum spin liquids (QSLs). Here, we report the observation of such kind of excitations in K2Ni2(SO4)3, which consists of two sets of intersected spin-1 (Ni2+) trillium lattices. Our inelastic neutron scattering measurement on single crystals clearly shows a dominant excitation continuum, which exhibits a distinct temperature-dependent behavior from that of spin waves, and is rooted in strong quantum spin fluctuations. Further using the self-consistent-Gaussian-approximation method, we determine that the fourth- and fifth-nearest-neighbor exchange interactions are dominant. These two bonds together …

Avoidance Behavior Ecotoxicity Testing Of Oppia Nitens In Conventional Microplastic And Bioplastic Spiked Soils., Catarina Zabot Pasini, Kaija Carr, Nina Shaffer, Philips Akinwole

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Environment and Climate Change Canada recently completed a standardized protocol of ecotoxicity testing for Oppia nitens, a soil oribatid mite that performs crucial functions to support ecosystem services. Consequently, O. nitens is now recommended among the class of soil invertebrates for ecotoxicity testing, however, its applicability is limited by the paucity of data on its avoidance behavior to contaminants in soils. In this study, we examined the avoidance behavior of O. nitens to three different conventional microplastics (polyvinyl chloride/PVC, polyethylene/PE, polystyrene/PS) and two bioplastics (poly vinyl alcohol/PVA and sodium polyacrylate/NaPa) at five different concentrations following standardized guidelines. PVC and PE …

Xrk3f2 Inhibits P62 Signaling And Augments Myeloma Killing By Proteasome Inhibitors, Ellen Trautman, Colin Crean, David Halladay, Attaya Suvannasankha

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Background:

Despite advancements in therapy, multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable blood cancer. Our mission is to maximize the efficacy of a primary treatment for myeloma, proteasome inhibitors (PIs) which cause intracellular waste buildup, leading to ER stress and cell death. p62(sequestosome-1) provides an alternate pathway when the proteasome is inhibited, by breaking down cytotoxic material via autophagy. Upregulation of p62 is associated with PI resistance. We identified a small molecule, XRK3F2, that binds to the ZZ domain of p62 and inhibits its autophagic function. We hypothesized that XRK3F2 would improve MM killing when combined with PIs.

Methods Used:

We …

Stressed, But Doing Fine. An Investigation Of Apocynum Cannabinum Patches And Individuals, Lauren Kyburz, Lily Monnett, Quincie Simmons, Dana Dudle

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Apocynum cannabinum (hemp dogbane) is a native Indiana plant that is abundant in the DePauw University Nature Park’s quarry, a heterogeneous site that contains stretches of dry, rocky terrain in addition to many temporary ponds. In 2023, I mapped the distribution of A. cannabinum in the quarry to see if its habitats are associated with elevation and/or the presence of temporary ponds. I also conducted a study of diurnal pollinator visitation, and an examination of damage caused by the dogbane saucrobotys moth (Saucrobotys futilalis).

Modeling Light For Platanus Occidentalis (American Sycamore) Trees In The Depauw Quarry, Grace Lucchesi, Beth Wilkerson, Quincie Simmons, Dana Dudle

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Platanus Occidentalis, characterized by shedding bark and ball-shaped seed pods, is native to much of the mid-southeastern US, and is commonly used as an ornamental tree. Individuals growing in the quarry of DePauw’s Nature Park are often small, discolored, or even dying. We used devices to measure the UV and Photosynthetically Active Radiation present at the locations of 70 random trees. We then used known sun path equations and GIS to start to develop a way to estimate the maximum amount of time a plant experiences full sun in different locations in the quarry relative to the quarry walls.

Pyrrolidine Derivative Targets Actin Cytoskeleton In Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cells, An Pham, Jeff Hansen, Sarah Mordan-Mccombs

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Recent research has brought pyrrolidine derivatives into consideration for the development of anticancer drugs with high efficacy and low toxicity. Dr. Hansen’s lab at DePauw has synthesized a pyrrolidine derivative that demonstrated anticancer activity. However, there are many ways a compound can affect cancer cells. In this research, we decided to investigate the mechanism of action of this new compound, specifically on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Based on the results, we believe that there is a great likelihood that the pyrrolidine derivative can induce apoptosis (cell death) and disrupt cell movement in MCF-7 cells. In other words, these are …

Life On The Quarry Wall Vs The Quarry Floor: Parthenocissus Quinquefolia, Lily Monnett, Quincie Simmons, Lauren Kyburz

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Virginia creeper, is found in two parts of the DePauw Nature Park quarry: vertically along the quarry wall and on large rock piles on the quarry floor. I looked into how these different habitats influenced the growth form, stress responses, and fitness of the P. quinquefolia growing in them. P. quinquefolia on the wall has higher chlorophyll a content and higher water content. There was also a higher percentage of flowering individuals on the quarry wall than on the floor. Lastly, the two habitats had vastly different morphological growth forms, with those on the wall having very long …

Investigating Sucrose And D-Trehalose In Aot Reverse Micelles, Delaney Collier, Bridget L. Gourley

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Reverse micelles are nanosized structures that encapsulate small water pools and allow us to investigate the fundamental interactions of small organic molecules in nanoconfinement. The behavior of small organic molecules, sometimes referred to as osmolytes, differs in bulk solution and confinement. Because reverse micelles are a good model for biological nanoconfinement, investigating osmolytes in reverse micelle systems can help us to better understand the role they play in biological systems. Optical spectroscopy such as UV-Vis, Fluorescence, and Red Edge Excitation (REES) was used to probe the environment of the reverse micelles. Three small organic molecules were studied: a monosaccharide, d-glucose, …

Minutes Of Graduate College Committee On Curricula, October 6, 2023, University Of Northern Iowa. Graduate College Curriculum Committee.

Minutes - Graduate Curriculum Committee

Minutes of the committee that oversees the development of the curriculum of the University of Northern Iowa Graduate College.

October 6, 2023 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Characterizing The Effects Of Benzyl-Amino Alcohol On Cell Growth, Viability, And Migration, Ryan Miller, Jeff Hansen, Sarah Mordan-Mccombs

Annual Student Research Poster Session

The research we are performing investigates a new compound classified as benzyl-amino alcohol and begins a new endeavor into the effects of this class of compound. This compound would work well in chemotherapies because affecting healthy cells can lead to a patient’s health decline.

Phylogenomics Reveals The History Of Host Use In Mosquitoes, John Soghigian, Charles Sither, Silvia Andrade Justi, Gen Morinaga, Brian K. Cassel, Christopher J. Vitek, Todd Livdahl, Siyang Xia, Andrea Gloria-Soria, Jeffrey R. Powell

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Mosquitoes have profoundly affected human history and continue to threaten human health through the transmission of a diverse array of pathogens. The phylogeny of mosquitoes has remained poorly characterized due to difficulty in taxonomic sampling and limited availability of genomic data beyond the most important vector species. Here, we used phylogenomic analysis of 709 single copy ortholog groups from 256 mosquito species to produce a strongly supported phylogeny that resolves the position of the major disease vector species and the major mosquito lineages. Our analyses support an origin of mosquitoes in the early Triassic (217 MYA [highest posterior density region: …

How To Treat Alzheimer’S Disease By Boosting Glymphatic Flow: Simulations In A New Computational Model, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Working Papers

This study exercises a new mathematical model to search for unappreciated therapeutic targets in Alzheimer’s disease. The model describes detailed mechanisms underlying the glymphatic pump mechanism, which removes toxic proteins of Alzheimer’s disease from the interstitial fluid of the brain. It shows that the glymphatic pump is driven by the amplitude of intracranial pressure pulsations in the subarachnoid space, which are correlated with the arterial pulse and modulated by many other factors. Implementing ways to increase intracranial pressure pulses quickly comes to mind as a potential treatment strategy. Specific interventions include drugs that increase arterial pulse volume and small devices …

Effects Of Large Mammal Exclusion On Seedling Communities Depend On Plant Species Traits And Landscape Protection In Human-Modified Costa Rican Forests, Nohemi Huanca-Nuñez, Robin L. Chazdon, Sabrina E. Russo

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

1. Large terrestrial herbivorous mammals (LTH-mammals) influence plant community structure by affecting seedling establishment in mature tropical forests. Many of these LTH-mammals frequent secondary forests, but their effects on seedling establishment in them are understudied, hindering our understanding of how LTH-mammals influence forest regeneration in human-modified landscapes.

2. We tested the hypothesis that the strength of LTH-mammals' effects on seedling establishment depends on landscape protection, forest successional stage and plant species' traits using a manipulative field experiment in six 1-ha sites with varying successional age and landscape protection. In each site, we established 40 seedling plot-pairs, with one plot excluding LTH-mammals and …

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Effects Of Large Mammal Exclusion On Seedling Communities Depend On Plant Species Traits And Landscape Protection In Human-Modified Costa Rican Forests, Nohemi Huanca-Nuñez, University Of Connecticut, University Of The Sunshine Coast, Sabrina E. Russo

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

1. Large terrestrial herbivorous mammals (LTH-mammals) influence plant community structure by affecting seedling establishment in mature tropical forests. Many of these LTH-mammals frequent secondary forests, but their effects on seedling establishment in them are understudied, hindering our understanding of how LTH-mammals influence forest regeneration in human-modified landscapes.
2. We tested the hypothesis that the strength of LTH-mammals' effects on seedling establishment depends on landscape protection, forest successional stage and plant species' traits using a manipulative field experiment in six 1-ha sites with varying successional age and landscape protection. In each site, we established 40 seedling plot-pairs, with one plot excluding LTH-mammals and …

Multiphoton In Vivo Microscopy Of Embryonic Thrombopoiesis Reveals The Generation Of Platelets Through Budding, Huan Liu, Hellen Ishikawa-Ankerhold, Julia Winterhalter, Michael Lorenz, Mykhailo Vladymyrov, Steffen Massberg, Christian Schulz, Mathias Orban

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Platelets are generated by specialized cells called megakaryocytes (MKs). However, MK's origin and platelet release mode have remained incompletely understood. Here, we established direct visualization of embryonic thrombopoiesis in vivo by combining multiphoton intravital microscopy (MP-IVM) with a fluorescence switch reporter mouse model under control of the platelet factor 4 promoter (Pf4CreRosa26mTmG). Using this microscopy tool, we discovered that fetal liver MKs provide higher thrombopoietic activity than yolk sac MKs. Mechanistically, fetal platelets were released from MKs either by membrane buds or the formation of proplatelets, with the former constituting the key process. In E14.5 c-Myb-deficient …

High-Fat Diet, But Not Duration Of Lactation, Increases Mammary Gland Lymphatic Vessel Function And Subsequent Growth Of Inflammatory Breast Cancer Cells, Wintana Balema, Janelle Morton, Richard A Larson, Li Li, Fred Christian Velasquez, Natalie W Fowlkes, Savitri Krishnamurthy, Bisrat G Debeb, Eva Sevick-Muraca, Wendy A Woodward

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) presents as rapid-onset swelling and breast skin changes caused by tumor emboli in the breast and breast skin lymphatics. IBC has been linked with obesity and duration of breastfeeding, but how these factors affect IBC tumor progression is not clear. We modeled the simultaneous effects of diet and weaning in mice on in vivo lymphatic function; on IBC tumor growth; and on aspects of the mammary gland microenvironment before and after IBC (SUM149) xenograft inoculation. We hypothesized that weaning status and diet would have synergistic effects on lymphatic function and the breast microenvironment to enhance IBC …

Epigenomic Signature Of Major Congenital Heart Defects In Newborns With Down Syndrome, Julia S Mouat, Shaobo Li, Swe Swe Myint, Benjamin I Laufer, Philip J Lupo, Jeremy M Schraw, John P Woodhouse, Adam J De Smith, Janine M Lasalle

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Congenital heart defects (CHDs) affect approximately half of individuals with Down syndrome (DS), but the molecular reasons for incomplete penetrance are unknown. Previous studies have largely focused on identifying genetic risk factors associated with CHDs in individuals with DS, but comprehensive studies of the contribution of epigenetic marks are lacking. We aimed to identify and characterize DNA methylation differences from newborn dried blood spots (NDBS) of DS individuals with major CHDs compared to DS individuals without CHDs.

METHODS: We used the Illumina EPIC array and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) to quantitate DNA methylation for 86 NDBS samples from the …

Characterizing The Patterns Of Electronic Health Record-Integrated Secure Messaging Use: Cross-Sectional Study, Laura R Baratta, Derek Harford, Christine A Sinsky, Thomas Kannampallil, Sunny S Lou

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Communication among health care professionals is essential for the delivery of safe clinical care. Secure messaging has rapidly emerged as a new mode of asynchronous communication. Despite its popularity, relatively little is known about how secure messaging is used and how such use contributes to communication burden.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to characterize the use of an electronic health record-integrated secure messaging platform across 14 hospitals and 263 outpatient clinics within a large health care system.

METHODS: We collected metadata on the use of the Epic Systems Secure Chat platform for 6 months (July 2022 to January 2023). Information …

Generalization Of Procedural Motor Sequence Learning After A Single Practice Trial, B P Johnson, I Iturrate, R Y Fakhreddine, M Bönstrup, E R Buch, E M Robertson, L G Cohen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

When humans begin learning new motor skills, they typically display early rapid performance improvements. It is not well understood how knowledge acquired during this early skill learning period generalizes to new, related skills. Here, we addressed this question by investigating factors influencing generalization of early learning from a skill A to a different, but related skill B. Early skill generalization was tested over four experiments (N = 2095). Subjects successively learned two related motor sequence skills (skills A and B) over different practice schedules. Skill A and B sequences shared ordinal (i.e., matching keypress locations), transitional (i.e., ordered keypress pairs), …

Investigating An Instructional Model For Integrated Stem In Teacher Education, Laurie O. Campbell, Nicole Damico

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

Active learning experiences that incorporate technology, design, and making combine to form an important and necessary pedagogical approach that supports the 21st century skills of collaboration, communication, creativity, digital literacies, and computational thinking as a problem-solving framework. Active learning experiences in teacher preparation serve as a model for future educators to follow, while building the educators' efficacy to conduct future implementations with their own students. In this study, a multidisciplinary Pop-Up Makerspaces activity was conducted as an active hands-on approach to interdisciplinary STEM education. The intersectionality of English language arts with integrated STEM through design and making included: (a) enriching …