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Role Of Microbiota In Urban Life's Well-Being, Ayu Okvitawanli

Psychological Research on Urban Society

The human beings have evolved together with microbes and are continuously exposed to diverse microbiota. A healthy gut flora promotes health and affords robust immune system, which is often advertised by probiotic supplements. These probiotics promises to build and restore gut flora health. Researches elucidate that gut bacteria are indispensable for our digestive system, and directly influence our moods, our weight, and our perception of the world. We discuss how urbanization possibly disturbs the symbiosis between microbiota and the human beings which leads to a negative impact on health. This review article summarized the previously reported studies and examines the …

Relationship Quality Between Stepdaughters And Stepfathers From The Children’S Perspective, Jemima Christian Utami, Fransisca Rosa Mira Lentari

Psychological Research on Urban Society

Stepfather–stepdaughter relationship quality is linked to the child’s psychological well-being and stepfamily stability. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the dynamics of these relationships among sociodemographically diverse stepfamilies including families in different cultures. The aim of this research was to explore two Indonesian young women’s interpretations of the quality of their relationships with their stepfathers. The phenomenological study was conducted via interviews, and the women discussed their experiences in depth. The women’s perceptions of the quality of their connections with their stepfathers were primarily influenced by their stepfathers’ to build the relationships. The five dimensions of the …

Identification And Characterization Of A Novel Axon Guidance Receptor In The Eye-Specific Visual Projection, Maya Dunson, Elaina Baker, Masaru Nakamoto

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Correct functioning of the nervous system critically depends on the formation of the precise neuronal network. In mammals with binocular vision, axons of the retinal ganglion cells from the right and left eyes project to different domains of the lateral geniculate nucleus in the thalamus (Retinogeniculate projection). The eye-specific visual projection provides the anatomical basis for disparity-based stereopsis (perception of depth). However, the molecular mechanism that regulated the eye-specific visual projection is not well understood. Nell2 (neural epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like-like 2) is an extracellular glycoprotein that is predominantly expressed in the nervous system. Our lab has previously shown that …

Topological Data Analysis And Ant Interaction Networks, Adam Banatwala, Esther Rønn

Mathematics & Computer Science Student Scholarship

Adam Banatwala ’22, Majors: Mathematics and Finance
Esther Rønn ’23, Majors: Physics and Mathematics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Murray, Mathematics and Computer Science

Our research group used topological data analysis (TDA) to quantify the movement and behavior of ants in a colony.

We extracted higher dimensional networks from point cloud data collected from Dr. James Waters’ lab. Varying the proximity parameter in this construction gives a sequence of networks. We analyzed the enduring topological features of these networks, and how these features evolve over time as the ants move in the colony. Both the experimental and null model simulation data …

Exploring Indicator Displacement Assays For Phosphate Detection In Seawater, Francis Radics

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Scholarship

Francis Radics ’22
Major: Biochemistry
Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Breen, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Indicator displacement assays are based on the optical signal modulation of a noncovalently bound indicator upon dissociation by an analyte species. Our work has focused on exploring the lower detection limits for luminescent displacement assays for inorganic phosphate in seawater using complex ions containing two di(2-picolyl)amine ligands (also called DPA or bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine), each coordinating a zinc cation. Following the work of B.D. Smith and coworkers, we have prepared three ligands by covalently attaching two DPA moieties, 2,6-bis(chloromethyl) benzene, and 2,6-bis(chloromethyl)-4-methylphenol, and 1,2-phenylenedimethylamine, for assays with 6,7-dihydroxy-4-methanesulfonic acid …

Nm-Rs Au Naturale: Investigations Into Simulating A Natural Environment, Jenna Pantophlet

Theses and Dissertations

Naked Mole-rats (NM-Rs) have been studied in laboratories for decades due to their unique behavior and physiology. However, due to the scope and complexity of the NM-R’s natural subterranean tunneling system, it has been difficult to replicate in the laboratory environment. From a researcher’s perspective, optimal housing is cost- and space-efficient and easily cleaned. On the other hand, optimal animal welfare and husbandry encourages the most biologically relevant enclosure to evoke the fullest range of an animal's behavioral repertoire. While there is an abundance of works centered on the biomedical potential of these odd rodents (Buffenstein et al, 2012; Delaney …

Parenthood Orientation Among Young Women: Is It Associated With Pregnancy Intention And Unprotected Intercourse?, Nakeisha Blades

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored relationships between parenthood orientation, pregnancy intention, and unprotected intercourse. Nulligravid, sexually active women aged 18-29 (N = 252) were surveyed on these topics in May 2019. There were significant differences in parenthood orientation by past and current pregnancy intention. Higher scores on parenthood orientation were associated with increased odds of past unprotected intercourse and expecting future unprotected intercourse. Only education and contraceptive self-efficacy retained significance in adjusted models. Study results are consistent with prior work on parenthood orientation and pregnancy intention and point to other factors as stronger correlates of contraceptive use.

Non-Verbal Pride Expressions As A Predictor Of Lgbtq Health, Craig Gilbert

Theses and Dissertations

Pride is a self-conscious, positive emotion that has been assessed in a wide range of populations and with a variety of pre-validated measures. Research has shown that the presence of pride can function as a potential resilience factor against minority based stress and has been linked to increased emotional well being, life satisfaction, and self-esteem. However, a majority of this research relies upon self-report questionnaires as opposed to observational data. To evaluate the predictive power of non-verbal pride behaviors, a group of LGBTQ+ individuals (n=125) were asked during a recorded interview to describe an experience where they felt prideful about …

Unveiling The Nature Of A Miniature World: A Horizon Scan Of Fundamental Questions In Bryology, Jairo Patiño, Irene Bisang, Bernard Goffinet, Lars Hedenäs, Stuart Mcdaniel, Silvia Pressel, Michael Stech, Claudine Ah-Peng, Sarah Eppley, Multiple Additional Authors

Center for Life in Extreme Environments Publications

Introduction: Half a century since the creation of the International Association of Bryologists, we carried out a review to identify outstanding challenges and future perspectives in bryology. Specifically, we have identified 50 fundamental questions that are critical in advancing the discipline.

Methods: We have adapted a deep-rooted methodology of horizon scanning to identify key research foci. An initial pool of 258 questions was prepared by a multidisciplinary and international working group of 32 bryologists. A series of online surveys completed by a broader community of researchers in bryology, followed by quality-control steps implemented by the working group, were …

Naked Mole-Rat Social Phenotypes Vary In Investigative And Aggressive Behavior In A Laboratory Partner Preference Paradigm, Ilapreet Toor, Rashoun Maynard, Xinye Peng, Annaliese K. Beery, Melissa M. Holmes

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Here we employed the partner preference test (PPT) to examine how naked mole-rat non-breeding individuals of different behavioral phenotypes make social decisions. Naked mole-rats from six colonies were classified into three behavioral phenotypes (soldiers, dispersers, and workers) using a battery of behavioral tests. They then participated in a 3 h long PPT, where they could freely interact with a tethered familiar or tethered unfamiliar conspecific. By comparing the three behavioral phenotypes, we tested the hypothesis that the PPT can be used to interrogate social decision-making in this species, revealing individual differences in behavior that are consistent with discrete social phenotypes. …

Loving Algorithms, P.J. Powell

Bryant Literary Review

My husband and I were watching TV with my mom late one night when my phone rang. It was her doctor calling to tell me we needed to take her to the hospital—now.

How Humans And Nature Can Coexist: The Creation Of A Modern Day Responsible Landscape, Allison Pariso

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Japanese tradition has modeled how humans and nature can coexist in harmony through concepts such as satoyama (the belief in human societies existing on the edges of nature) and Shintoism (the belief in kami or spirits of the natural realm). However, these ideas are traditional as they primarily feature agricultural, low-tech societies that would not be feasible in today’s industrial age. In watching the anime film Princess Mononoke, I believe that the film suggests a new version of this traditional coexistence that is applicable to the modern age through three landscape types as defined by scholars Mumcu and Yilmz. The …

Effect Of Estrogen On Candida Albicans Growth Cultured On Yepd Solid Media, George Gundelach, Paige Camp, Idalia Zachara, Caleb Vanarragon, Tiffany Kolba, Michael Watters, Patrice G. Bouyer

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

C. albicans is a commensal fungus which under certain environmental cues shifts morphology from spores to filamentous and becomes invasive within the human body. During sepsis, blood estrogen (E2) becomes elevated. E2 is also known to promote tissue growth, thus we hypothesize that E2 may influence C. albicans growth. In the present work, we investigated the effect of estrogen on C. albicans colony sizes grown on yeast extract peptone dextrose (YEPD). Using bright field microscopy, images of five colonies in each condition were captured on day one and pictures of the same colonies were captured on day two. The diameter …

Effects Of Environmental Factors On Candida Albicans Morphology: A Focus On Estrogen And Microgravity, Sky Kaur, Idalia Zachara, Anita Coleman, Caleb Vanarragon, Tiffany Kolba, Michael Watters, Patrice Bouyer

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

C. albicans is one of the commensal fungi living in the human intestinal tract in a harmless spore form. In its filamentous form, C. albicans becomes invasive and penetrates the human body, which can cause serious health issues. In vitro factors such as change in temperature or pH are known to induce morphology shift in C. albicans. Interestingly, microgravity has been reported to decrease the human immunity and increase gene virulence expression in C. albicans. During sepsis, high levels of estrogen are reported and the risk of candidiasis also increases. Within present work, we tested the effect of microgravity and …

Characterizing The Cytotoxic Effects And Several Antimicrobial Phytocompounds Of Argemone Mexicana, Helene Bee, Lanna Sirhan, Emily Gonzalez, Ashley Wasserman, Katelyn Shouse, Alexis Dres, Caleb Vanarragon, Jeffrey Pruet, Danielle Orozco-Nunnelly

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Commonly called the Mexican prickly poppy, Argemone mexicana is a stress-resistant member of the Papaveraceae family of plants that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries by indigenous communities in Mexico and Western parts of the United States. This plant has been exploited to treat a wide variety of ailments, with reported antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, as well as cytotoxic effects against some human cancer cell lines. Due to its various therapeutic uses and its abundance of secondary metabolites, A. mexicana has great potential as a drug discovery candidate. Herein, the cytotoxic activities of different parts (seeds, leaves, inner …

Nanoplastic Formation From Macro And Microplastics In Aqueous Solution, Joe Castleman, Scott Kaiser

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Plastic pollution is a growing issue and has been found increasingly in our water systems. Given the massive, global extent of this pollution, it is important to understand the chemical reactivity of these plastics in water. Plastics fragment and weather over time, often turning into micro- and nanoplastics. Microplastics (MP) are plastic pieces smaller than 5 mm, and are a significant part of the plastic pollution in surface waters. The separate classification of nanoplastics (NP) was more recently adopted for plastic particles smaller than a micrometer. Nanoplastics display different properties and interactions. In our research, we discovered that microplastics, which …

Investigation Of A Local Plastic Pollution Incident And Presentation Of A Potential Remediation Strategy, Antigone Wilson, Julie Peller Phd, Christopher Iceman Phd, Seth Junglas, Gregory P. Horne Phd

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Microplastic (MP) pollution is ubiquitous in environments across the globe, since plastics are known to fragment into smaller pieces over time. Microplastics are contaminants of emerging concern and the full extent of their effects is unknown. In some areas, microplastics heavily contaminate surface waters and are susceptible to chemical weathering, which alters their properties. These pollutants have the potential to enter the trophic levels and disrupt biological systems, as well as serve as a vector for other environmental contaminants through adsorption. The increase in the input of MP pollution into the environment requires technical remediation strategies, as there is no …

Circadian Phase Shifts Effect Of Social Jetlag On Cellular Metabolism And Circadian Genes In Wildtype Flies, Olivia Kozub

Biology Student Scholarship

Olivia Kozub ’23
Major: Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Pamela Snodgrass-Belt, Biology

Drosophila, like humans, have circadian clocks which regulate behavioral and physiological systems within the body. This “biological clock” is synchronized to the environment via temperature and/or light cycles. Small fluctuations in day-length trigger a reset of circadian clocks daily. However, large disruptions can cause health and stress issues such as social jetlag. Social jetlag occurs when an individual’s biological clock clashes with the timing of one’s sleep schedule determined by social factors and the demands of the day.

Acoustofluidics For Simultaneous Nanoparticle-Based Drug Loading And Exosome Encapsulation, Zeyu Wang, Joseph Rich, Nanjing Hao, Yuyang Gu, Chuyi Chen, Shujie Yang, Peiran Zhang, Tony Jun Huang

Faculty Publications

Nanocarrier and exosome encapsulation has been found to significantly increase the efficacy of targeted drug delivery while also minimizing unwanted side effects. However, the development of exosome-encapsulated drug nanocarriers is limited by low drug loading efficiencies and/or complex, time-consuming drug loading processes. Herein, we have developed an acoustofluidic device that simultaneously performs both drug loading and exosome encapsulation. By synergistically leveraging the acoustic radiation force, acoustic microstreaming, and shear stresses in a rotating droplet, the concentration, and fusion of exosomes, drugs, and porous silica nanoparticles is achieved. The final product consists of drug-loaded silica nanocarriers that are encased within an …

Dna Methylation Among Chestnut-Crowned Babblers, Caddie E. Nguyen

Honors College Theses

Many Australian birds, including chestnut-crowned babblers, commonly use cooperative breeding. In these species, individuals may delay or refuse dispersal to provide care to the offspring of the others instead of producing their own. This system challenges natural selection evolution and postulates that reproductively advantage genes will be more favorable. One possibility that contributes to chestnut-crowned babblers’ dispersal behavior is the epigenetic modifications interacting between the genome and the environment during development. Chestnut-crowned babblers (Pomatostomus ruficeps) are usually found in arid and semi-arid zones, which are varied and poor-conditioned. In the undesired conditions, helpers are needed for breeding to occur …

Wrongful Conviction Compensation In The United States, Brenda I. Morel

Honors College Theses

Although the United States has signed a United Nations agreement that stipulates that all wrongfully convicted individuals have a right to compensation, not all states have compensation laws. In addition, it is not guaranteed that exonerees living in states with compensation statutes will be compensated. This thesis examines the scope of wrongful conviction compensation statutes across states. Furthermore, it examines whether exoneree characteristics, as identified by the National Exoneree Registry, map onto state-level differences in laws and effectiveness in compensating exonerees. I compile two sources of data to link individual exonerees with their state of conviction.

Improving Provider Adherence To Ada Clinical Practice Guidelines: A Qi Project In A Patient Centered Medical Home, David H. Kamp

Masters Projects

Background and purpose: Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputations, and adult blindness. The American Diabetes Association recommends timely screenings to reduce complications. Flowsheets facilitate improved outcomes. The project implemented an electronic flowsheet to promote staff adherence to select screenings.

Methods: Screenings included foot exam, eye exam, glycohemoglobin, microalbumin creatinine ratio, lipid profile, and anti-hypertensive medication. Staff viewed the flowsheet to determine screening eligibility per ADA guidelines. Quantitative and qualitative data analyzed.

Results: Quantitative results: 40% improvement among medical assistants (MAs) completing foot exams and 75.53% improvement among providers ordering eye exams. No statistical significance among …

Children Of Divorce Parents Group Manual, Sheyenne Hokit

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Divorce is something that is, unfortunately, becoming a commonality for a lot of children, and due to the complexity of divorce, many children struggle when trying to understand divorce and how it affects them. Some effects of divorce are various emotional and behavioral issues such as increased anger and decreased emotion regulation. Social, health, and academic concerns were also found. Counseling interventions like narrative therapy, emotion-focused family therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and play therapy were found to be effective with this population (Hirschfeld & Wittenborn, 2016, Thomas & Gibbons, 2009). The identified interventions provide peer-based social support, education on the misconceptions …

Factors Associated With Racial Differences In Health Care Access, Memory Manda

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Using data from the 2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), this study examined racial group differences in health care access, including measures for usual place of sick or preventative care and delayed or forgone care and the mechanisms that explain those differences. This study integrated the Fundamental Cause Theory and Anderson’s Behavioral model to understand the causal mechanism responsible for racial disparities in health care access. Results showed that Hispanics were more likely to have no usual place for sick or preventative care and more likely to delay care than other racial groups. Blacks were more likely to use other …

Anti-Immigration Policy And Mental Health: Risk Of Distress And Trauma Among Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals Recipients In The United States, Luz M. Garcini, Melanie M. Domenech Rodriguez, Alfonso Mercado, Michelle Silva, German Cadenas, Thania Galvan, Manuel Paris

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Objective: This study examined the association between immigration legal status and distress from the announcement of the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program among individuals affected by this potentially traumatic event (PTE), along with identifying relevant risk factors.

Method: Participants (N = 233) affected by the termination announcement provided cross-sectional self-reports on distress from the announcement that was measured using the Impact of Events Scale-Revised.

Results: Of the participants, 40.7% met the clinical cutoff for distress from the PTE indicative of posttraumatic stress disorder. DACA recipients had significantly higher levels of distress from the PTE …

Tuning The Physicochemical, Structural, And Antimicrobial Attributes Of Whey-Based Poly (L-Lactic Acid) (Plla) Films By Chitosan Nanoparticles, Farhad Garavand, Milad Rouhi, Shima Jafarzadeh, Diako Khodaei, Ilaria Cacciotti, Masoumeh Zargar, Seyed Hadi Razavi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recently, the research and innovation to produce raw materials from microbial processes has gained much attention due to their economic and environmental impacts. Lactic acid is a very important microbial product due to its wide application in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and chemical industries. In the current study, poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) was produced by the ring opening polymerization (ROP) technique of L-lactic acid recovered from whey fermentation, and was used for the production of nanocomposites films reinforced with chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) (average diameter ca. 100–200 nm). Three different CNPs concentrations, namely 1, 3, and 5% w/w, were tested, and …

Weird/Black/Play: Turning Racial Authenticity And Professorial Performance On Its Head In The Black Studies Classroom, Wendy M. Thompson

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This essay examines the expectations placed on black faculty to act as conduits of authentic blackness and black knowing even as they are undermined and undervalued in the classroom and other institutional settings. Paying special attention to the way that racial performance, engaged learning, and the role of the black instructor converge in the black studies classroom, I offer the black/weird as a framework (departure/positioning) from which students can engage in black/weird/play, a remedy that interrupts students’ desire for a particular hegemonic racial performance from black faculty while stimulating critical collective inquiry about black history, experience, culture, and the self. …

Contributor Bios, Obsculta Editors

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Electroconvulsive Therapy Safety Biomarkers, Jeremy Duvall Miller

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Objective: The two studies presented utilize neuroimaging data to evaluate potential therapeutic and safety biomarkers in depressed patients receiving Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT).

Method: The first study enrolled 41 depressed subjects receiving ECT from two independent sites and evaluated gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA+) in the anterior cingulate cortex with proton-spectroscopy contrasted with healthy controls and therapeutic and cognitive outcomes. The second study investigated 17 subjects receiving ECT and evaluated ictal theta power during ECT to electric dose measured by E-field modeling, therapeutic and cognitive outcomes.

Results: No significant difference was seen in GABA+ in depressed subjects receiving ECT compared to healthy …

Risk Factors For Severe Covid-19 Differ By Age For Hospitalized Adults, Sevda Molani, Patricia V Hernandez, Ryan T Roper, Venkata R Duvvuri, Andrew M Baumgartner, Jason D Goldman, Nilüfer Ertekin-Taner, Cory C Funk, Nathan D Price, Noa Rappaport, Jennifer J Hadlock

Open Access Publications

Risk stratification for hospitalized adults with COVID-19 is essential to inform decisions about individual patients and allocation of resources. So far, risk models for severe COVID outcomes have included age but have not been optimized to best serve the needs of either older or younger adults. Models also need to be updated to reflect improvements in COVID-19 treatments. This retrospective study analyzed data from 6906 hospitalized adults with COVID-19 from a community health system across five states in the western United States. Risk models were developed to predict mechanical ventilation illness or death across one to 56 days of hospitalization, …