Digital Commons Network^™

192 -- Identification And Classification Of Changes In Protein Expression And Localization Associated With Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transitions In Human Vulvar Carcinomas After Exposure To The Glucocorticoid Analog, Clobetasol, Jennie Dworkin, Julia Malinchak, Kia Haering

GREAT Day Posters

It has been well established that decreases in cellular adhesions are associated with progression of squamous cell carcinomas to a malignant state. We have found that clobetasol treatment of A431 cells results in the initial loss of E-cadherin preceded by the gain of vimentin expression. Our system provides an inducible model to study this process. During clobetasol induced EMT in the A431 cells the expression of vimentin increases, but the cells do not lose expression of their cytokeratin molecules. Using Raman spectroscopy, we can identify key changes in metabolites associated with EMT between the A431 cells that respond to clobetasol …

199 -- Chaf1b Protein In Gef Mutant Zebrafish, Laura Ulrich, Brianna Donlon, Choeyang Choku, Jacqueline Maloney

GREAT Day Posters

Zebrafish embryos that are homozygous for gef mutant alleles experience a small-eye phenotype and are hypothesized to have decreased levels of the Chaf1b protein. This could be detected by anti-Chaf1b antibodies in a western blot. This western blot will be performed using Chaf1b morpholino 3 dpf embryos, wild type 3 dpf embryos, and gef mutant embryos 3 dpf. Embryos inoculated with Chaf1b morpholino serve as a negative control. This was then compared to the positive control of wild type zebrafish embryos, whose western blot was expected to have normal levels of Chaf1b. Proteins isolated from a gef mutant were then …

163 -- Timing Of Use Of Artificial Nests By Exotic Mason Bees, Stephen Hoare, Rachel Williams, Kaitlyn Latorre

GREAT Day Posters

Solitary bees are a vital part of ecosystems due to their role in pollination of crops and native flowering plants. Some solitary bees, mason bees and leafcutter bees, use hollow cavities to rear their brood. Availability of above ground nesting sites is vital to their success. To promote these beneficial bees, people have set out artificial cavities for them to use. Unfortunately, exotic mason bees are outnumbering native mason bees in the eastern United States and may also benefit from these supplemental nest sites. In Spring 2020 boxes of hollow tubes for cavity-nesting bees were established at locations across SUNY …

202 -- The Effects Of Deforestation On Yellow Fever Virus Transmission, Meghan Sheridan

GREAT Day Posters

Deforestation is increasingly associated with the transmission of zoonotic viruses, such as Malaria in South America and Ebola in Africa. Increasing rates of deforestation may cause viral transmission to accelerate. In this study, I asked how deforestation and other factors may interact to affect transmission of Yellow Fever virus. For example, deforestation in areas with higher precipitation may have different effects on animal hosts and mosquito vectors of the Yellow Fever virus compared to areas with lower precipitation. In addition, more densely-populated countries could have increased transmission compared to less densely-populated countries. Also, the ability to successfully treat viral transmission …

215 -- Determining The Function Of Mhc Class I In Xenopus Laevisusing Crispr/Cas9 Gene Editing, Sarah Eckl, Keely Glasheen

GREAT Day Posters

The MHC Class I protein plays a critical role in the immune system of Xenopus laevis. This protein functions in the determination between self and non-self. The MHC Class I protein is an important immune gatekeeper identifying foreign pathogens and ensuring that infected cells are killed by CD8 T cells. Also, it’s important to ensure that normal cells are not attacked by the immune system. In Xenopus laevis, it has been shown that MHC Class I molecules are found active in adult frogs, but have not been detected in tadpoles even though they are immunocompetent. We are interested to see …

216 -- Changing Perceptions Of Reproductive And Sexual Health: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The New York Times (1960 Vs. 2020), Sara Rule

GREAT Day Posters

Popular approaches to and understandings of reproductive and sexual health have changed greatly over the course of history. The changing quality of our collective perceptions of these topics is largely owed to the way in which news sources frame issues involving reproductive and sexual health. Comparing New York Times articles published in 1960 to those published in 2020, this research aims to analyze the role the media plays in framing certain practices involved in the maintenance of reproductive and sexual health and the claim of one’s bodily autonomy, as well as how this role has changed over time. Findings of …

235 -- Academic Experiences Of Suny Geneseo Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Miranda Fanara, George Konstantinou

GREAT Day Posters

The COVID-19 pandemic caused many colleges across the US to abruptly change their instructional modes from in-person learning to hybrid and online formats, and many students had difficulties with this transition. The extent of the disruptions to learning and transitioning back to in-person learning for SUNY Geneseo students is not fully known. Our research examines how students viewed their academic experiences during the pandemic semesters from Spring 2020 to Spring 2021, compared to Fall 2021. For these semesters, we created a voluntary and anonymous survey asking Biology majors and related minors to compare their perceptions of course difficulty, ways they …

237 -- Tetrahydrocannabinol Produces Locomotor Hyperactivity And Disrupts Circadian Rhythmicity In Pregnant Or Nursing Long-Evans Rats., Vincent Markowski, Joey Morgan, Anna Hendricks

GREAT Day Posters

Studies have demonstrated that exposure to cannabis during development impairs cognitive processes in humans, as well as locomotor activity and learning in animals. This extends to pregnant women and those caring for newborns. The legalization of marijuana can confer an underestimation of the effects of the more potent cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This can lead to increased in utero exposure and postnatal exposure via breastfeeding. Newborns can also be affected if maternal care is compromised during an acute high. The current study used VitalView software and cage-top infrared activity monitors to quantify the effects of a range of THC …

238 -- Using Mathematical Modeling To Create A New Pyramidal Compost Bucket Design, Elizabeth Klosko

GREAT Day Posters

SUNY Geneseo's campus has a compost collecting program where students, faculty, and staff can empty their compostable items into bins which are emptied weekly. However, the bins release a putrid scent when opened, deterring SUNY Geneseo community members from using them. A phenomena commonly known as Pyramid Power claims that the pyramid shape, when exactly scaled to the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza, has properties that, once compostable items are put under it, can limit the growth of microorganisms and therefore reduce the foul smell. Using a 3-D printing device, we will scale and print the pyramid to …

254 -- Fluorescent In-Situ Hybridization In Zebrafish With The Neurod4 Gene, Lin Kai Ye, Brynn Johnson

GREAT Day Posters

Zebrafish are used as a model organism within experimental retinal research due to the developmental process of their eyes being similar to that of humans. This developmental process consists of apoptosis triggering the muller glial cells within the retina causing proliferation of progenitor cells. Similarities between the retinal development of zebrafish and that of humans, has led to the further exploration of the transcription factor neurod4 which may be of importance throughout the process of neuronal development. Not much is known about neurod4 but it is hypothesized to have a correspondingly important impact on human neuronal development. Due to a …

055 -- Forelimb Morphology And Function Of Raptorex Kriegsteini (Dinosauria: Theropoda), Alexandria Scotti

GREAT Day Posters

Raptorex kriegsteini is a bipedal species of predatory dinosaur that belongs to the clade Tyrannosauridae. A Raptorex skeleton 3 meters in length was discovered in the northeast region of China, and it was estimated to be a 5 or 6 year old adult. One of the unique morphological features of this taxon is the forearm. Similar to Tyrannosaurus rex, the forelimbs of Raptorex are very small in proportion to the rest of their body in comparison to those of other nonavian theropods. In order to investigate the potential function of the limb of this taxon, an analysis of the forelimb …

066 -- Feeding Morphology Of Deep-Sea Demersal Fishes, Ryan Bohen, Chryssanthi Tzetzis

GREAT Day Posters

Deep-sea inhabitants survive high pressure, limited food availability, lack of sunlight, and cold temperatures. These deep-sea conditions have spurred adaptations that allow organisms to fill an array of niches. For example, distinctive feeding modes and jaw morphologies enable organisms to utilize the food resources available in their environment. Here, we investigate feeding biomechanics in deep-sea fishes across three families of fishes, the rattails (Macrouridae), snailfishes (Liparidae), and cutthroat eels (Synaphobranchidae). Each of these families exist in abundance and occupy important ecological roles in their environment. We compare jaw morphologies and mechanics between families to gain insights into feeding mode, including …

077 -- Ironville Slag, Molly Smearing, Danielle Cox

GREAT Day Posters

Slag samples from Ironville, NY were analyzed to determine their mineral makeup. Slag is the byproduct that results from smelting, an industrial process used to separate a pure metal from an ore. A variety of samples were studied, and they range in their appearance from purple and blue glass, to gray and red vesicular material. All samples were crushed to a fine powder using a ball mill and then analyzed with the x-ray diffractometer (XRD). Glass was a main component of half of the samples we studied. The other half contained glass as well as crystalline materials. The crystals/minerals that …

085 -- Developing Resources For Assessing Genetic Diversity In A Non-Native Ant-Mimicking Spider, Cassidy Mills

GREAT Day Posters

The ant-mimicking spider Myrmarachne formicaria (Salticidae) is a species native to Eurasia and was first identified in North America in 2001. It has since been found in many locations in the Northeast including New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Ontario, and more recently as far as Chicago. Little is known about its introduction to North America and how it has dispersed since. By characterizing the mitochondrial and nuclear genetic diversity of this species, we can learn about its introduction history and dispersal patterns. Previous sequencing of two mitochondrial genes, CO1 and ND1, from 27 specimens collected from 14 localities in New York, …

088 -- Neighborhood Competition Models Of Co-Occurring Invasive And Native Species, Karissa Michel, Kaitlin Murphy

GREAT Day Posters

Invasive species can co-occur with native species, with varying effects on the community of native species. Invasive species may outcompete native species or have a facilitative (positive) effect. Ecological models are useful for understanding these varied effects, but models that examine the pairwise relationships are challenging to construct for an entire community. Neighborhood competition models have the potential to address this challenge. In our study, we focus on tree species of invaded forest communities. Being long-lived and stationary, tree species allow for repeat-censuses of stem diameter (DBH), and can be used to examine the growth of trees in relation to …

097 -- Changes In Bat Activity Levels With Differing Weather Patterns On The Suny Geneseo Campus, Peyton Mackey

GREAT Day Posters

Bat species within the order Chiroptera act as important predators of insects in North American ecosystems. Bats locate insect prey by emitting high frequency calls from their nose and mouth. This frequency is too high for humans to hear which makes studying them difficult (Maryland Dept Natural Resources). Two studies: in 2018 (Loce & Mann) and 2021 (Licata & Mackey) used acoustic recording to reveal the presence of bats at different habitats on the SUNY Geneseo campus. The current study was conducted to determine whether the difference in bat activity levels between years could, in part, be due to different …

098 -- Evolutionary Genomics Of Meiotic Drive In Teleopsis. Whitei, Reghan Meek

GREAT Day Posters

Meiotic drive violates the fundamental law of segregation, changing the allele inheritance pattern from 50% to 100%. An extreme sex-ratio meiotic drive (SR) trait is an X-linked selfish genetic element that causes the carrier males to produce mostly female offspring. The presence of this trait has been identified in two stalk-eyed fly species; Teleopsis whitei and Teleopsis dalmanni. Recent research suggests that despite T. whitei’s and T. dalmanni’s close evolutionary relationship, the mechanism of the SR trait might occur differently. Research also suggests there are fewer genomic differences between standard (ST) and SR T. whiteimales. Together, these findings suggest that …

134 -- Overexpression Of The Neurospora Crassa Transcription Factor Fsd-1 Inhibits Mating, Kaitlyn Gera, Hannah Smith

GREAT Day Posters

The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa can undergo both asexual and sexual reproduction. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate the N. crassa sexual development cycle. Previous research has shown that deletion strains of the transcription factor fsd-1 have delayed development of female reproductive structures and are sterile. fsd-1 is transcribed into three different transcripts, which differ by the length and intron/exon structure of their 5’ untranslated region, and these transcripts vary in expression level during the life cycle. The goal of this project is to phenotypically characterize the reproductive ability of strains overexpressing fsd-1, for each of …

135 -- Felidae Prey Preference And Skull Morphology: How Do Sabertooth Cat Skulls Compare Against Their Extant Relatives?, Brionn Currier

GREAT Day Posters

The family Felidae (i.e., cats) is composed entirely of hypercarnivores—animals who are solely adapted for consuming prey. As a result of this, the skull morphology of felids is highly conserved across species with some deviations to accommodate the difference in relative prey size selection. Generally, felids can be broken down into small prey, large prey, and mixed prey specialists. The purpose of this research was to use geometric morphometrics to quantify the differences in skull shape between felid species based on prey size specialization and to use those findings as a baseline for comparison with the extinct felid Smilodon fatalis …

139 -- Musculature Of The Bizarre Forelimb Of The Alvarezsaurid Mononykus Olecranus (Dinosauria: Theropoda) And Its Implications For Digging, Jada Smith

GREAT Day Posters

Mononykus olecranus, from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia, was a small, nonavian theropod dinosaur belonging to the clade Alvarezsauria. Some have hypothesized that derived members of this clade may have had an insectivorous diet, and might be specialized as ant or termite eaters, due to the unusual morphology of the forelimb. The forelimbs of Mononykus are distinctly stunted in size with only one digit and claw on each hand. In order to investigate the hypothesis that these forelimbs were used in digging, we completed the first muscular reconstruction of the forelimbs of Mononykus. Previous muscular reconstructions of the early theropod …

143 -- Distribution And Phenology Of Myrmarachne Formicaria In Its Native And Invaded Range, Eliana Ontiveros-Oberg

GREAT Day Posters

Myrmarachne formicaria are ant-mimicking jumping spiders native to Eurasia and North Asia which likely utilize protective mimicry to avoid predation. In 2001, they were first sighted in North America and are spreading throughout the Northeast US and Ontario. To learn more about the species in its native range, I conducted a series of data analyses on its geographic distribution and phenology using data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) database. GBIF compounds global species occurrence data from local and foreign databases, including iNaturalist. Most observations in Europe were recorded in France, Switzerland, and Belgium and were concentrated at low …

Meal Timing, Meal Frequency And Metabolic Syndrome, Fatema Alkhulaifi, Charles Darkoh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Individuals with metabolic syndrome have increased risk for developing health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Modifiable risk factors, such as exercise and diet, are key components in the prevention and control of metabolic syndrome. Specifically, dietary patterns and habits are extremely successful in controlling more than one of the metabolic syndrome risk factors. Meal timing and frequency have been associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other chronic conditions. However, there is limited evidence linking metabolic syndrome to meal timing and meal frequency. This review summarizes and discusses how meal timing and frequency impact metabolic outcomes in adults.

A Review Of Avian-Inspired Morphing For Uav Flight Control, Christina Harvey, Lawren L. Gamble, Christian R. Bolander, Douglas F. Hunsaker, James J. Joo, Daniel J. Inman

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The impressive maneuverability demonstrated by birds has so far eluded comparably sized uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). Modern studies have shown that birds’ ability to change the shape of their wings and tail in flight, known as morphing, allows birds to actively control their longitudinal and lateral flight characteristics. These advances in our understanding of avian flight paired with advances in UAV manufacturing capabilities and applications has, in part, led to a growing field of researchers studying and developing avian-inspired morphing aircraft. Because avian-inspired morphing bridges at least two distinct fields (biology and engineering), it becomes challenging to compare and contrast …

Factors Associated With Household Contacts' Tuberculosis Testing And Evaluation, Elvy G. Barroso

Dissertations

Contact investigation (CI) is one of the core elements of tuberculosis (TB) control. It is intended to achieve early identification of contacts who may have been exposed to a patient with infectious active TB and contacts who may benefit from treatment for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). LTBI is an infection in which the Mycobacterium tuberculosis organisms cause no signs and symptoms but the infection can be reactivated and develop into full-blown active TB disease. Failure to be identified as a contact is the primary reason for disease development in more than half of TB patients, thus a complete and timely …

Cushion Sea Stars (Oreaster Reticulatus) Have The Ability To Respond To Disturbance, Peyton Kopel, Thomas Ellis

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

We were interested in the distance of movement among cushion sea stars (Oreaster reticulatus) located in Graham’s Harbor, San Salvador, Bahamas. We hypothesized that there is a difference in distance moved when the starfish are under disturbed conditions as compared to undisturbed conditions. Based on our hypothesis, we predicted that the starfish move further when disturbed in comparison to when they have not been disturbed. The data was collected through six trials, over the course of three days (9-11 March, 2022). For the disturbed environment, we collected the starfish and placed them in a central location. From there, we measured …

Under Pressure: Stress At Csb/Sju, Erin Long, Aaron Crema, Ashlee Vyskocil, Isaiah Primus, Bryan Leon Cartagena

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This presentation highlights research done on campus with CSB/SJU students regarding stress and their experiences with stress. Utilizing literature about stress and interviews with students, we explored what stress looks like at CSB/SJU, how it affects students, and what CSB/SJU could do to better support student stress.

Structural Preference Of Banded (Ophiolepis Apressa) And Reticulated (Ophionereis Reticulata) Brittle Stars, Sophie Stoffers, Jillian Neudahl

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Research was conducted on the habitat preference of brittle stars (Ophiodermatidae), located on the coast of the island San Salvador in the Bahamas. These marine organisms feed during the night and hide within dark areas of the ocean such as rocks and conch shells during the day. We hypothesized that brittle stars had no preference for the structure they chose to hide in during the daytime. Based on this hypothesis, we predicted that brittle stars would utilize all structural areas equally. Two species of brittle stars (Ophionereis reticulata and Ophiolepis apressa) were our study animals. Six reticulated brittle stars and …

Differences In Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Stress, And Lifestyle Factors In Adults With And Without Irritable Bowel Syndrome After Consumption Of Gluten And Inulin, Shelby Stovern, Codi Zwack, Austin Windsperger, Linnea Metelmann, Grace Johnson, Elissa Rooney, Jessica Milstroh

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Background: Gluten and inulin type fibers have been shown to impact satiety, breath hydrogen, GI symptoms, and properties of different food products. Stress is often thought to play a role in breath hydrogen and gastrointestinal symptoms. Additional lifestyle factors are often related to increased GI symptoms including fiber consumption, increased high-intensity exercise, higher rates of anxiety, and disrupted sleep behaviors. Furthermore, individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often display differences in GI symptoms based on consumption of gluten and inulin and lifestyle factors.

Objective: The objective of this panel will be to describe the findings from a year-long study examining …

Interactions Of Tug-Ubl1 And Insulin And Implications For Glucose Uptake, Megan Kohout

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

TUG-UBL1 (Tether Containing UBX Domain for GLUT-4 Ubiquitin Like 1) is a glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) regulating protein which facilitates the release of GLUT4 transport vesicles when insulin stimulation is present. To understand the role of TUG-UBL1 in glucose metabolism, especially for type two diabetic patients for whom increases in insulin concentration do not correlate with increased glucose uptake, we explored the research question of whether TUG-UBL1 binds to insulin. Initially, models of full-length TUG-UBL1 (amino acids 1-473), the GLUT4 binding domain of TUG-UBL1 (amino acids 86-337), and the insulin heterodimer were built using PHYRE2. All of these structures were …

Alpha Synuclein: A Therapeutic Target And Biomarker For Parkinson’S Disease, Max Chase

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s Disease, and the most common motor disorder. In fact, nearly a third of those with AD have PD. A major hallmark of PD is the appearance of Lewy Bodies, proteinaceous cytoplasm inclusions, that build up and spread throughout the CNS in a prion like fashion. The major component of these Lewy Bodies is a protein called alpha-synuclein. Alpha-syn is a 14kDa protein made of 140 amino acids and found in the presynaptic ends of CNS neurons, acting as a chaperone and regulator. The protein is also found in the …