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Biology News 2022, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Biology.

Biology News

Contents:

Letter from the Department Head ---- 2
Preparing Science Teachers ---- 2
Learning Biology at UNI ---- 3
In Case You Missed it ---- 4
Ch-ch-ch Changes ---- 4
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Accuracy Of A Sacral Drilling With A Custom 3d Printed Drilling Guide Or Free-Hand Technique In Canine Experimental Sacroiliac Luxation, Daniel Mccarthy

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to improve the accuracy of drilling during the repair of sacroiliac luxation with a 3D-printed patient-specific drill guide (3D-GDT) compared to free-hand drilling technique (FHDT). A blinded, randomized, prospective study was performed including sixteen canine cadavers (20-25 kg) euthanized for reasons not related to the study. Dorsal, bilateral, sacroiliac luxations (SILs) were created experimentally. A pelvic CT was performed pre- and post-drilling. The FHDT was drilled followed by 3D-GDT for each sacrum. CT and 3D measurements of craniocaudal and dorsoventral angles were compared between FHDT and 3D-GDT, as well as deviations of entry …

Access To The Kidney Transplant Waitlist For People Living With Hiv, Brittany A. Shelton

All ETDs from UAB

People living with HIV (PLWH) have experienced substantial increases in life expectancy, largely attributable to improvements in care such as antiretroviral therapy. As a result, there has been a concurrent increase in the development of aging-related comorbidities such as end-stage organ disease. One such comorbidity is kidney disease. Concerningly, PLWH are at disproportionately higher risk of chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) as compared to HIV-negative counterparts. Kidney transplantation is the ideal therapy for ESKD as it is both cost-effective and provides a significant survival benefit and yet, despite excellent transplant outcomes among PLWH, access to transplantation among …

Targeting The Frataxin Transcriptional Defect As A Therapeutic Approach For Friedreich's Ataxia, Anna Maria Schreiber

All ETDs from UAB

Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) is the most common inherited ataxia worldwide. This autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder manifests in the central and peripheral nervous system but also affects the cardiovascular and endocrine systems. No effective treatment is available. FRDA is caused by expansion of GAA repeat tracts in intron 1 of the frataxin (FXN) gene on both alleles. An inverse correlation between FXN levels and GAA repeat length exists. Frataxin is a mitochondrial protein participating in iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster formation. Frataxin deficiency results in reduced activity of Fe-S-containing enzymes involved in critical biological processes, such as cellular respiration and DNA repair. Expansion …

The Role Of The Bone Marrow Microenvironment In Flt3-Itd Acute Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cell Resistance To Flt3 Inhibition, Nicholas R. Anderson

All ETDs from UAB

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive, complex hematological malignancy. AML cases with constitutively-activating internal tandem duplications in the Flt3 receptor (Flt3-ITD) represent a distinct subtype of disease with poor prognosis, but unique opportunities for targeted therapy. Flt3-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have entered clinical practice due to their ability to induce remissions in a large proportion of Flt3-mutant AML patients, but their long-term efficacy remains limited due to the persistence of leukemia stem cells (LSC) in the bone marrow (BM). Herein, we outline the importance of the bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) in harboring LSC through AML development and drug …

Hail, Caesar!, Kel R. Karpinski

Publications and Research

This piece looks at queer characters in the Coen Brothers’ film Hail, Caesar! (2016). The film takes place during the heyday of the Hollywood film studio set in 1951 and draws on many films during that time period of the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

A Hybrid Data And Hypothesis-Driven Model For Software Development In Support Of The Machine-Learning Paradigm, Anthony D. Bowman

All ETDs from UAB

istorically, research has often been conducted in a hypothesis-driven manner with software development methodologies created to support those efforts. However, in recent years data-driven approaches to research have seen a dramatic rise in prominence. While software development methodologies such as agile development, extreme programming, and the waterfall model have allowed developers to tackle increasingly complex problems, they were not designed to efficiently support data-driven approaches such as the machine learning paradigm. To address the need to support the different programmatic requirements of both classical, hypothesis-driven as well as data-driven development, novel development strategies are warranted. In this research, we adapted …

Defining Genetic Underpinnings Of Cellular Diversity And Vulnerability In The Context Of Parkinson's Disease, Stephanie M. Boas

All ETDs from UAB

of ALL survivors are at risk for reduced functional outcomes, and these outcomes may be more strongly related to executive functioning than neighborhood-specific variables or IEP support. Long-term goals include translating findings into practice to remediate adaptive or academic difficulties in ALL survivors.

Monoclonal Antibody-Mediated Cancer Treatment: Development, Manufacturing And Evaluation, Yingnan Si

All ETDs from UAB

Malignant cancer is one of the greatest threats to human health globally. Conventional (non-targeted) treatments such as chemo-drugs and radiation therapy remain the major choices for cancer patients while always accompanied by severe systemic toxicity/side effects. Monoclonal antibody (mAb) is one of the most successful biomolecules discovered and well investigated as a targeted therapy to treat human disease. This dissertation research was aimed to develop monoclonal antibody-based targeted drugs for cancer treatment, which include antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), liposomal drug and exosome-based drug delivery. Novel targets were discovered, screened and confirmed by proteomics, western blotting and flow cytometry analysis. Cancer cells …

The Effects Of Curriculum-Integrated Explicit Learning Strategy Instruction On Reading Comprehension For English As A Second Language (Esl) Learners At The Community College, Sylvia Chaiyeon Lee

Doctoral Dissertations

Reading skills are critical for English as a Second Language (ESL) students in higher education to achieve academic success. However, effective ways to promote student success in ESL reading courses are under-researched. Identifying factors that may enhance the quality and outcomes of learning ESL reading is essential. One such factor identified by previous research is learning strategies. Explicit instruction on learning strategies may lessen the problems and difficulties that international students encounter. Explicit strategy instruction can bring a systematic scaffold into a language learning process, guide students toward proper learning strategies, and promote constructive cognitive processing during learning.

This study …

Cultural Organizations, Kean University

Evidence Inventory

No abstract provided.

Preventing Unintentional Childhood Injuries In Rural Uganda: Caregiver Perceptions And Promotion Of Personal Safety Skills Through Classroom-Based Instruction, Marissa H. Swanson

All ETDs from UAB

Objective: Unintentional childhood injuries present a substantial public health burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) including Uganda. Interventions to reduce this risk should be responsive to children’s unique developmental, environmental, and sociocultural context. This project had three primary objectives: 1) Analyzing caregiver reports of child injury events in rural Uganda to identify perceived causal and preventative factors; 2) Identifying Ugandan first and sixth graders’ developmental safety needs by comparing hazard recognition and past-year injuries among these students; and 3) Evaluating the impact of the Careful Cubs intervention on Ugandan first graders’ personal safety knowledge, skills, and beliefs. Methods: 1) …

Understanding The Protumorigenic Functions Of St6gal1 In Glioblastoma Stemness And Metabolism, Sajina Gc

All ETDs from UAB

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a rare but deadly cancer with median survival of just 15 months despite of aggressive treatment. Advancement in novel treatment modalities is hindered by its heterogeneous nature, which includes subsets of neural stem cell-like brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs) that are highly tumorigenic and therapy-resistant. bgalactoside a-2,6-sialyltransferase 1 (ST6Gal1) is elevated in most tumors including in normal and neoplastic stem cells. ST6Gal1 imparts oncogenic phenotypes such as invasion, apoptosis evasion, therapy resistance, TIC maintenance among others via sialylation of critical receptors like, Fas, TNFR1, EGFR and more. Yet ST6Gal1 led regulation of BTIC specific cell surface proteins …

The Evolutionary Ecology Of The Antarctic Red Macroalga Plocamium Sp. In Relation To Its Defensive Secondary Metabolite Diversity, Sabrina Heiser

All ETDs from UAB

Organisms produce chemical defenses to gain a competitive advantage, and to protect themselves from pathogens and predators. There is high inter- and, sometimes, intraspecific diversity in the types and quantities of defensive secondary metabolites. Yet, we do not know much about the mechanisms driving the diversity and its distribution. Macroalgae are important members of ecosystems since they provide living space and are primary producers. To prevent predation, macroalgae make structural or chemical defenses. Chemical defenses in the Antarctic red macroalga Plocamium sp. have extensively been studied. It is widespread along the western Antarctic Peninsula and abundant at sites where it …

The Role Ofbiomechanics In Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 Signaling, Bronte Miller

All ETDs from UAB

Angiogenesis, or the growth of new vasculature from existing blood vessels, is widely considered a primary hallmark of cancer progression. When a tumor is small, diffusion is sufficient to receive essential nutrients; however, as the tumor grows a vascular supply is needed to deliver oxygen and nutrients into the increasing mass. Several anti-angiogenic cancer therapies target VEGF and its receptor VEGFR-2, which are major promoters of blood vessel development. Unfortunately, many of these cancer treatments fail to completely stop angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Since these therapies focus on the biochemical activation of VEGFR-2 via VEGF ligand binding, we …

The Shifting Nature Of Empire: Vandalia And Other Plans For New Colonies West Of The Allegheny Mountains Before The American Revolution, Michael Davis

All ETDs from UAB

North American westward expansion following the end of the Seven Years’ War is a subject that has been dealt with by many historians from both sides of the Atlantic. The American push west of the Allegheny Mountains facilitated political divisions and divergent visions that would advance the push for independence from the British Empire and contribute to the creation of a new authority and a new kind of empire. This paper focuses on one aspect of this significant area of late-colonial and early republican American history. New western colonial schemes emerged from the ashes of the global war with France …

2021 Town Report Lempster, New Hampshire Incorporated 1767., Lempster Town Representatives

Lempster, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Development Of A Multiplex Qpcr For The Quantification Of Three Protozoan Parasites Of The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica, Jessica L. Piesz, Abigail K. Scro, Ryan Corbett, Kathryn Markey Lundgren, Roxanna Smolowitz, Marta Gomez-Chiarri

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

A multiplex quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for the simultaneous detection of 3 eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica parasites, Perkinsus marinus, Haplosporidium nelsoni, and H. costale, was developed using 3 different fluorescently labeled hydrolysis probes. The primers and probe from a previously validated singleplex qPCR for P. marinus detection were combined with newly designed primers and probes specific for H. nelsoni and H. costale. The functionality of the multiplex assay was demonstrated on 2 different platforms by the linear relationship of the standard curves and similar cycle threshold (C_T) values between parasites. Efficiency of the multiplex …

A Crew-Operated Data Recording System For Length-Based Stock Assessment Of Indonesia’S Deep Demersal Fisheries, Elle Wibisono, Peter Mous, Edwison Firmana, Austin T. Humphries

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Deep demersal fisheries in Indonesia yielded close to 90,000 metric tons of snapper and grouper in 2019, landed by a fleet of approximately 10,000 fishing boats. Prior to the present study, information on these multi-species, dispersed, small- to medium-scale fisheries was scarce, while reliable species-specific data on catch and effort were non-existent. This data-deficiency made stock assessments and design of harvest control rules impossible. We developed a new data collection method, the Crew Operated Data Recording System (CODRS), to collect verifiable species- and length-composition data from catches across all segments of the fleet. CODRS engaged crews of 579 fishing vessels …

Fish And Complementary Feeding Practices For Young Children: Qualitative Research Findings From Coastal Kenya, Mary Kate Cartmill, Ivy Blackmore, Catherine Sarange, Ruth Mbeyu, Christopher Cheupe, Joaquim Cheupe, Elizabeth Kamau-Mbuthia, Lora Iannotti, Andrew Wamukota, Austin T. Humphries, Carolyn Lesorogol

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

This study examines barriers to fish consumption during the complementary feeding period in two coastal counties of Kenya with high rates of child malnutrition. Study findings indicate that young child fish consumption is impacted by factors related to accessibility, food preferences, and caregiver’s knowledge and beliefs about fish during the complementary feeding period. These factors are influenced by prominent community figures such as elder women and health workers, whose own beliefs and understandings are impacted by underlying cultural norms, potentially limiting fish consumption. To our knowledge, this is the first study conducted in the coastal region of Kenya to focus …

Diversity And Distribution Of Symbiodiniaceae Detected On Coral Reefs Of Lombok, Indonesia Using Environmental Dna Metabarcoding, Arief Pratomo, Dietriech G. Bengen, Neviaty P. Zamani, Christopher E. Lane, Austin T. Humphries, Erin Borbee, Beginer Subhan, Hawis Madduppa

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Dinoflagellates of family Symbiodiniaceae are important to coral reef ecosystems because of their contribution to coral health and growth; however, only a few studies have investigated the function and distribution of Symbiodiniaceae in Indonesia. Understanding the distribution of different kinds of Symbiodiniaceae can improve forecasting of future responses of various coral reef systems to climate change. This study aimed to determine the diversity of Symbiodiniaceae around Lombok using environmental DNA (eDNA).

Methods

Seawater and sediment samples were collected from 18 locations and filtered to obtain fractions of 0.4–12 and >12 µm. After extraction, molecular barcoding polymerase chain reaction was …

Nutrient Capture And Sustainable Yield Maximized By A Gear Modification In Artisanal Fishing Traps, Bryan P. Galligan, Timothy R. Mcclanahan, Austin T. Humphries

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Coral reef artisanal fisheries are an important source of nutrition and economic wellbeing for coastal communities, but their management is subject to conflicts and tradeoffs between short-term food security benefits and long-term ecological function. One potential tradeoff is between nutrient capture and fish yields, where targeting small, nutrient-dense species may be more valuable for food security than maximizing fish yields, which is more closely aligned with supporting biodiversity and ecological function. We explored these potential tradeoffs by comparing two similar gears: traditional African basket traps and traps modified with an escape gap. Traps without escape gaps captured a higher frequency …

Organic Farmers Face Persistent Barriers To Adopting Diversification Practices In California’S Central Coast, Liz Carlisle, Kenzo Esquivel, Patrick Baur, Nina F. Ichikawa, Elissa M. Olimpi, Joanna Ory, Hannah Waterhouse, Alastair Iles, Daniel S. Karp, Claire Kremen, Timothy M. Bowles

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

In the face of myriad environmental challenges associated with industrial agriculture, some farmers and researchers have looked to diversified farming systems as a promising alternative. Despite well-documented ecological benefits, diversification practices remain rare in many regions of the U.S, even amongst organic farmers. Our study focuses on organic farmers in the Central Coast region of California, an area that has played a crucial role in the rise of organic agriculture over the last several decades. Through 20 interviews with farmers who all grow lettuce and 8 interviews with technical assistance providers, we investigate the persistent barriers that growers in this …

Tailoring Ex Machina: Perspectives On Personalized Law, Gregory Klass

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In their book Personalized Law: Different Rules for Different People, Omri Ben-Shahar and Ariel Porat propose a radical approach to lawmaking: using of big data and artificial intelligence to tailor legal dictates to the individual histories and characteristics of persons they affect. This essay critically discusses that proposal.

It first examines normative differences among the Ben-Shahar and Porat’s proposals for personalizing laws. There are important differences, for example, between using big data and artificial intelligence to tailor how a private legal power can be exercised to the capacities and interests of the power-holder and imposing different speed limits on …

Interviews With Farmers Suggest Negative Direct And Indirect Effects Of The Invasive Green Iguana (Iguana Iguana) On Agriculture In Puerto Rico, Christina N. De Jesús Villanueva, Gabriela P. Massanet Prado, William Gould, Carlos G. Garcia-Quijano

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Agricultural communities and crop production are negatively impacted by invasive species, with the effects of pathogenic fungi, parasitic insects and weedy plants being well studied. Mammals and birds are also recognized as impacting crops, but reptiles, such as non-native green iguanas (Iguana iguana), are typically not considered agricultural pests. Research on non-native green iguanas has largely focused on the lizard’s interactions with native species with little attention given to its impact in the agricultural landscape. We conducted semi-structured interviews with farmers from 20 farms in Puerto Rico to explore the effect of the invasive green iguana on the production of …

Dentin Microhardness And Porosity Of Wistar Rats Teeth Following Herbal-Based Devitalizing Agent Application, Maria Tanumiharja, Mustakim, Aries C. Trilaksana, Lukman Muslimin

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

No abstract provided.

Voices From Below—Africa’S Contribution To The Development Of The Norm Of Corporate Responsibility To Respect Human Rights, Akinwumi Olawuyi Ogunranti

PhD Dissertations

The long conversations about corporate responsibility predominantly take place in forums and conferences in the Global North. Yet, the majority of the human rights abuses and their impacts are felt by peasants, farmers, children, and women in local communities in the Global South who do not have a voice in the institutionalized governance systems that animate global affairs. This thesis answers the question of how norms and human rights institutions in Africa can influence the corporate responsibility to respect (CR2R) norm as embedded in pillar II of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Through the theory …

Reconstruction Of Sparse Recurrent Connectivity And Inputs From The Nonlinear Dynamics Of Neuronal Networks, Victor J. Barranca

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Works

Reconstructing the recurrent structural connectivity of neuronal networks is a challenge crucial to address in characterizing neuronal computations. While directly measuring the detailed connectivity structure is generally prohibitive for large networks, we develop a novel framework for reverse-engineering large-scale recurrent network connectivity matrices from neuronal dynamics by utilizing the widespread sparsity of neuronal connections. We derive a linear input-output mapping that underlies the irregular dynamics of a model network composed of both excitatory and inhibitory integrate-and-fire neurons with pulse coupling, thereby relating network inputs to evoked neuronal activity. Using this embedded mapping and experimentally feasible measurements of the firing rate …

Measuring The Effects Of System Conditions On U.S. Elections Through Simulation, Nicholas D. Bernardo Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

Elections are fundamental to the success of democracy in the United States (U.S.). For decades, researchers from various domains have investigated voting in the U.S. with many aims. One focus of investigation has been the act of in-person voting, sparked by instances of voter disenfranchisement and severe delays at polling locations. Despite many efforts to improve voting processes, some voters continue to face multi-hour long waits to cast a ballot. This research builds a robust simulation framework that is applied iteratively to assess several system conditions to quantify their exacerbation of voting delays. Once quantified, simulation results are analyzed through …

Probiotics For Eastern Oyster Hatcheries: Commercial Formulations And Effect On Microbial Communities, Evelyn Takyi

Open Access Dissertations

In the United States of America, oyster production is an important component of the seafood industry in many coastal communities. Oysters provide ecological, economic, and cultural services. Several hatcheries providing eastern oyster, C. virginica, seed to oyster farms face significant losses owing to Vibrio spp. infections causing massive larval mortalities. Probiotics have been proposed as a potential preventive measure to limit the impact of bacterial diseases in shellfish hatcheries. The probiotic bacterium Phaeobacter inhibens S4 has been shown to protect C. virginica larvae from Vibrio coralliilyticus RE22 (RE22) infection. A liquid formulation of this probiotic has been developed for …