Digital Commons Network^™

First Record Of The Camphor Shot Borer, Cnestus Mutilatus (Blandford) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), In Massachusetts, Lawrence E. Barringer

Insecta Mundi

Cnestus mutilatus (Blandford) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is reported from Massachusetts, United States for the first time. Brief trapping information is provided.

Thermotherapy Has Sexually Dimorphic Responses In App/Ps1 Mice., Samuel A Mcfadden, Mackenzie R Peck, Lindsey N Sime, Makayla F Cox, Erol D Ikiz, Caleigh A Findley, Kathleen Quinn, Yimin Fang, Andrzej Bartke, Erin R Hascup, Kevin N Hascup

Articles

A thermoregulatory decline occurs with age due to changes in muscle mass, vasoconstriction, and metabolism that lowers core body temperature (Tc). Although lower Tc is a biomarker of successful aging, we have previously shown this worsens cognitive performance in the APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We hypothesized that elevating Tc with thermotherapy would improve metabolism and cognition in APP/PS1 mice. From 6-12 months of age, male and female APP/PS1 and C57BL/6 mice were chronically housed at 23 or 30°C. At 12 months of age, mice were assayed for insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, and spatial cognition. Plasma, hippocampal, and …

Akt Kinases As Therapeutic Targets, Dalal Hassan, Craig Menges, Joseph Testa, Alfonso Bellacosa

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

AKT, or protein kinase B, is a central node of the PI3K signaling pathway that is pivotal for a range of normal cellular physiologies that also underlie several pathological conditions, including inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, overgrowth syndromes, and neoplastic transformation. These pathologies, notably cancer, arise if either the activity of AKT or its positive or negative upstream or downstream regulators or effectors goes unchecked, superimposed on by its intersection with a slew of other pathways. Targeting the PI3K/AKT pathway is, therefore, a prudent countermeasure. AKT inhibitors have been tested in many clinical trials, primarily in combination with other drugs. While …

Accumbal Plasticity And Associated Behavioral Adaptations In The Spared Nerve Injury Model Of Chronic Neuropathic Pain, Yu-Hsuan Chang

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Chronic pain is a debilitating neurological disorder that affects hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide. It is associated with cognitive symptoms such as cognitive inflexibility, which is defined as the inability to adaptively update behavior in response to changing environmental conditions. To date, there are no effective treatments for these symptoms, even though they substantially contribute to the decreased quality of life of chronic pain patients and are associated with reduced efficacy of pain management strategies. Therefore, understanding the neural circuit adaptations that drive cognitive symptoms of chronic pain, like cognitive inflexibility, is essential for improving existing treatments for this …

A Phenomenological Case Study Of High School Administrator Perceptions Of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports, Kimberly Renee Pittman

Student Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological case study explores the perceptions of high school administrators who have implemented Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) at the universal tier with fidelity. For this study, perceptions refer to the views and experiences of administrators implementing SWPBIS on the success and growth they have seen in their schools. The researcher was interested in determining whether these perceptions are related to the experienced successes. The study’s theoretical framework was derived from theories of motivation and reinforcement. SWPBIS is discussed in the study as a positive reinforcer to stimulate learners to show positive outcomes. It is also addressed …

Household Food Expenditure Typology And Its Association With Child Stunting And Anemia In Indonesia, Ratu Ayu Dewi Sartika, Yusnita Yusnita, Winda M. Ningsih, Ririn Arminsih Wulandari, Siti A. Pujonarti, Fadila Wirawan

Kesmas

Stunting and anemia remain the coexisting nutritional problems among Indonesian children. However, evidence of household-level food expenditure and its association with child stunting and anemia is limited. This study aimed to observe the association between household food expenditure typology and child stunting and anemia in Indonesia. Data was obtained from the 2007 and 2014 Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS). The household food expenditure, child nutritional status, and anemia were observed in 2007 and 2014. Latent class analysis was taken to identify the food expenditure pattern. Binary logistic regression was applied to analyze the association between household food expenditure patterns and …

Home Births Among Ethnic Minority Communities In Bokeo Province, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Jukkrit Wungrath, Rungrasami Sriwongphan, Krissana Kapheak, Wanchalerm Ritthimon

Kesmas

Home births among ethnic minorities in developing countries pose significant risks to maternal and neonatal health. In Lao PDR, the government has taken steps to manage home births through training traditional birth attendants, improving transportation, and establishing referral systems. However, high home birth rates in regions like Bokeo remain concerning. This review emphasized the need for more skilled birth attendants and better access to emergency obstetric care in rural, ethnic minority areas. This review used 40 articles published between 2000 and 2023 and highlighted gaps in research regarding healthcare access, cultural practices, socioeconomic barriers, and the role of traditional birth …

An Assessment Of The Impact Of Fentanyl On Post-Mortem Interval From A Decomposition And Biochemical Perspective, Kaylene Mcdonald

Senior Honors Theses

In the realm of body decomposition, bodies undergo a plethora of different metabolic and chemical changes. The human body follows a very consistent pattern and predictable time frame, with the exclusion of extenuating circumstances. The presence of fentanyl at the time of death provides the possibility of changes in decomposition rates, potentially skewing the time of death estimations. This research analyzes the varying decompositional stages of a body and their subsequent close relations with activity in the environment around it, specifically investigating the impacts of fentanyl on those surroundings and postmortem interval estimation determinations. This research found evidence that fentanyl …

Regeneration: A Collaborative Writing, Making, And Moving Inquiry, Melissa Dunlop, Alys Mendus, Mark Price, Karen Abadie, Laurinda Brown, Carol Laidler, Marian Liebmann, Marina Malthouse, Grace Mendus

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Nine members of the Collaborative Artful Narrative Inquiry network (CANI-net) gathered to explore a regenerative intention. This article tracks our interplay of writing, making, and moving together and questions that arose: How do we go about regenerating? Can we find openings to processes happening outside awareness? How does the refrain “now let’s write” act in relation to the un/intention of regeneration? Is our material, embodied co-presence regenerative? Answers were intimated through listening, touching hands, printmaking, and sculpting clay; in letting things be said and unsaid, writing as response, in making shapes and animal sounds, and dancing Zorba’s Dance.

A Tetramer Of Bcl11a Is Required For Stable Protein Production And Fetal Hemoglobin Silencing, Ge Zheng, Maolu Yin, Stuti Mehta, I-Te Chu, Stacy Wang, Alia Alshaye, Kirstin Drainville, Altantsetseg Buyanbat, Frédérique Bienfait, Karin Tenglin, Qian Zhu, Stuart H Orkin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Down-regulation of BCL11A protein reverses the fetal (HbF, α2γ2) to adult (HbA, α2β2) hemoglobin switch and is exploited in gene-based therapy for hemoglobin disorders. Due to reliance on ex vivo cell manipulation and marrow transplant, such therapies cannot lessen disease burden. To develop novel small molecule approaches, we interrogated the state of BCL11A protein in erythroid cells. We report that tetramer formation mediated by a single zinc-finger (ZnF0) is required for production of steady-state protein. Beyond its role in protein stability, the tetramer state is necessary for γ-globin gene repression, as an engineered monomer fails to engage a critical corepressor …

E-Learning Management Technology Integration For Laboratory Usage, Mohammed Khaleel Hussein, Mohammed Ahmed Subhi, Saleh Mahdi Mohammed, Mayasah Al-Khateeb

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

E-learning systems have transformed educational sectors and more interestingly, the use of these educational platforms for laboratory-based practices has been trending in the last couple of years. Laboratory-usage e-learning system has various tremendous benefits such as the skill of accessibility utilization and practical experimentation simulation. Several intelligent tasks still need to be tackled to make the most of it. One of the biggest problems is how to recreate hands-on experience in a virtual or remote environment. Some e-learning systems offer simulations and virtual experiments but may also require additional tactile feedback through interaction with physical equipment for this challenge, it …

Providing Real Background For Videoconferencing Via Virtual Reality Headset, Jason Feinstein

Defensive Publications Series

When a user participates in a video conference while wearing a virtual reality headset or other head-mounted device, inward facing cameras and sensors of the device are used to obtain data that, together with a face model of the user, can be used to provide an animated avatar of the user as the user’s video in the video conference. However, this video needs to be depicted on a virtual background since video data about the user’s real environment is not available. This disclosure describes a headset with rear-facing and/or side-facing cameras or other sensors that, with user permission, capture images …

Books Of Note

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

Skiing Mount Moosilauke: To The Summit And Back From His House In North Woodstock—A Fourteen-Hour Day, Satisfying And Exotic, Geoff Wilson

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

Alone With Wolves: Gudrun Pflueger Believes That A Buried Instinct To Handle Predators Saved Her In A Wilderness Meadow, Christine Woodside

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

The Long Way Home: What Panic Lurks Beneath The Voice Of Calm?, Christine Woodside

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

Appalachia Winter/Spring 2009: Complete Issue

Appalachia

Winter/Spring 2009 - Volume LX, Number 1 - issue #227. What are we afraid of? Facing up to grizzlies, ghosts, wolves, crevasses—and ourselves.

Books Of Note

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

Research

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

Early Highways In Peru: Retracing An Ancient Incan Trade Route, Lisa Densmore

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

The Significance Of Cannibalism, Panic, And Sanctuary In The Interactions Between Prey And Predator With A Stage Structure, Ahmed Sami Abdulghafour, Raid Kamel Naji

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

This paper analyzes a novel prey-predator model that takes into account the predator's stage structure, cannibalism within the predator population, panicky behavior, and the existence of a sanctuary where the prey might hide from the predator. The Holling type II functional response is used in the predation process. The behavior of the identified fixed points of the proposed system has been closely analyzed. The analysis focuses on the local stability and potential bifurcations that could happen close to the system's fixed points. The Lyapunov function approach is used to investigate the fixed-point stability zone globally. Numerical simulations were run to …

Soil Biogeography And Community Assembly In Polar Regions, Jesse Jorna

Theses and Dissertations

The polar regions provide community ecologists with natural microcosms, that include reduced species diversity, steep environmental gradients and limited human perturbance. Soil biodiversity in the polar regions is poorly understood, and the driving forces behind community compositions can range in scale from glacial forces 20,000 years ago to the impact of a researcher's footstep. Here, we present the results of an investigation of the driving factors behind biodiversity in Arctic and Antarctic soils, with specific attention to the role of community assembly processes. We suggest a framework for investigating the effects of inter-bacterial community processes like facilitation and argue for …

Strprofiler: Efficient Comparisons Of Short Tandem Repeat Profiles For Biomedical Model Authentication., Jared M Andrews, Michael W Lloyd, Steven Neuhauser, Margaret Bundy, Emily L Jocoy, Susan Airhart, Carol J Bult, Yvonne A Evrard, Jeffrey Chuang, Suzanne Baker

Faculty Research 2024

SUMMARY: Short tandem repeat (STR) profiling is commonly performed for authentication of biomedical models of human origin, yet no tools exist to easily compare sets of STR profiles to each other or an existing database in a high-throughput manner. Here, we present STRprofiler, a Python package, command line tool, and Shiny application providing methods for STR profile comparison and cross-contamination detection. STRprofiler can be run with custom databases or used to query against the Cellosaurus cell line database.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: STRprofiler is freely available as a Python package with a rich CLI from PyPI https://pypi.org/project/strprofiler/ with source code available …

Hypertonic Saline Induces Host Protective Immune Responses Against, Tran Xuan Ngoc Huy, Trang Thi Nguyen, Said Abdi Salad, Ched Nicole Turbela Aguilar, Alisha Wehdnesday Bernardo Reyes, Lauren Togonon Arayan, Wongi Min, Hu Jang Lee, Huynh Tan Hop, Suk Kim

Faculty Research 2024

Hypertonic saline (HTS) resuscitation can enhance immune responses against various pathogens, however, the effect of HTS on brucellosis is yet to be defined. In this study, we found that HTS inhibited Brucella infection in mice by augmenting Th1 immunity. HTS treatment enhanced the serum cytokines production and the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-ĸB) p50 and p65, crucial anti-Brucella effectors in splenocytes. In addition, HTS treatment also inhibited the phosphorylation of MAPK signaling, accompanied by the down-regulation of the autophagy marker LC3B-II. Due to directing an appropriate immune response, HTS treatment substantially decreased bacterial …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of In-Hospital Adverse Events After Scopolamine Administration: Insights From A Retrospective Cohort Study Using A Large Nationwide Inpatient Database, George Sun, Marc Torjman, Kevin Min

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Scopolamine is a widely used antiemetic in anesthetic practice, particularly for postoperative and post-discharge nausea and vomiting. Despite its frequent usage and recognized efficacy, concerns have emerged regarding the potential for increased side effects, particularly in elderly patients. Further research is needed to assess safety and determine age thresholds for adverse events. This study hypothesizes associations between perioperative scopolamine use, worse clinical outcomes, increased pneumonia, delirium, urinary retention, and readmissions.

METHODS: A large, retrospective cohort study was performed using the TriNetX Analytics Network database on patients undergoing major surgical procedures between Jan 1, 2009, and March 21, 2018, to …

Role Of Myeloid Cell-Specific Adenylyl Cyclase Type 7 In Lipopolysaccharide- And Alcohol-Induced Immune Responses, Yawen Hu, Sonika Patial, Yogesh Saini, Masami Yoshimura

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Clinical and experimental evidence indicates that alcohol use causes various abnormalities in the immune system and compromises immune functions. However, the mechanistic understanding of ethanol’s effects on the immune system remains limited. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) regulates multiple processes, including immune responses. Earlier research indicated that type 7 adenylyl cyclase (AC7) regulates the immune system and is highly responsive to ethanol. Therefore, we hypothesized that AC7 is a central player in regulating the effects of alcohol on innate immune responses. To test this hypothesis, we utilized a myeloid lineage-specific AC7 KO mouse model and compared the effects of acute and chronic …

Effective Nutrient Management Of Surface Waters In The United States Requires Expanded Water Quality Monitoring In Agriculturally Intensive Areas, Christopher Oates, Hactor Fajardo, Khara Grieger, Daniel Obenaur, Rebecca Muenich, Natalie G. Nelson

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The U.S. Clean Water Act is believed to have driven widespread decreases in pollutants from point sources and developed areas, but has not substantially affected nutrient pollution from agriculture. Today, the highest nutrient concentrations in surface waters are often associated with agricultural production. In this Perspective, we explore whether challenges stemming from the Clean Water Act’s inability to mitigate agricultural nutrient pollution are also exacerbated by coarse nutrient monitoring. We evaluate the current state of nutrient monitoring in surface waters of the contiguous U.S. relative to agricultural nutrient inputs to assess how monitoring effort varies across agriculturally intensive areas. The …

Complement Immune System In Pulmonary Hypertension-Cooperating Roles Of Circadian Rhythmicity In Complement-Mediated Vascular Pathology, Hunter Devaughn, Haydn E Rich, Anthony Shadid, Priyanka K Vaidya, Marie-Francoise Doursout, Pooja Shivshankar

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Originally discovered in the 1890s, the complement system has traditionally been viewed as a "compliment" to the body's innate and adaptive immune response. However, emerging data have shown that the complement system is a much more complex mechanism within the body involved in regulating inflammation, gene transcription, attraction of macrophages, and many more processes. Sustained complement activation contributes to autoimmunity and chronic inflammation. Pulmonary hypertension is a disease with a poor prognosis and an average life expectancy of 2-3 years that leads to vascular remodeling of the pulmonary arteries; the pulmonary arteries are essential to host homeostasis, as they divert …

Blood Matters: The Hematological Signatures Of Coronavirus Infection, Ayelen Toro, Ana P Arévalo, Marianoel Pereira-Gómez, Agustina Sabater, Eric A Zizzi, Paula Perbolianachis, Gaston Pascual, Sofia Lage-Vickers, Jorge L Pórfido, Ines Achinelli, Rocio Seniuk, Juan Bizzotto, Pablo Sanchis, Alvaro Olivera, Alejandro Leyva, Pilar Moreno, Alicia Costábile, Alvaro Fajardo, Federico Carrión, Martín Fló, Natalia Olivero-Deibe, Fernando Rodriguez, Nicolas Nin, Nicolas Anselmino, Estefania Labanca, Elba Vazquez, Javier Cotignola, Daniel F Alonso, Maria P Valacco, Marcelo Marti, Francesco Gentile, Artem Cherkasov, Martina Crispo, Gonzalo Moratorio, Geraldine Gueron

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recent developments have broadened our perception of SARS-CoV-2, indicating its capability to affect the body systemically beyond its initial recognition as a mere respiratory pathogen. However, the pathways of its widespread are not well understood. Employing a dual-modality approach, we integrated findings from a Murine Hepatitis Virus (MHV) infection model with corroborative clinical data to investigate the pervasive reach of Coronaviruses. The novel presence of viral particles within red blood cells (RBCs) was demonstrated via high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, with computational modeling elucidating a potential heme-mediated viral entry mechanism via Spike protein affinity. Our data affirm viral localization in RBCs, …

The Laboratory Opossum (Monodelphis Domestica) Is A Unique Model For Research On Zika Virus: Robust Immune Response, Widespread Dissemination, And Long-Term Persistence, André Filipe Pastor, Susan M. Mahaney, Juan Garcia Jr., Marisol Morales, Oscar Quintanilla, Marco Arriaga, John M. Thomas, John L. Vandeberg

School of Medicine Publications

The Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic elicited a rapid commitment to the development of animal models for ZIKV research. Non-human primates (NHPs) and mice have made significant contributions to this research, but NHPs are expensive, have a long gestation period, and are available only in small numbers; non-genetically modified mice are resistant to infection. To address these deficiencies, we have established the laboratory opossum, Monodelphis domestica, as a small animal model that complements the mouse and monkey models. We developed and validated an indirect ELISA for measuring antibodies to ZIKV in opossums, as well as an immunohistochemistry (IHC) method to detect …