Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Using Mitogenomes To Explore The Social And Ecological Contexts Of Crocodile Mummification In Ancient Egypt, Salima Ikram, Evon R. Hekkala, Roger Colten, Seth W. Cunningham

Faculty Journal Articles

We used isotopic and genomic data to explore the ecological and social context of cultural practices associated with the mummification of crocodiles in ancient Egypt. Ancient DNA was recovered from four mummified crocodile hatchlings held in the collections of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University. Previous genetic analyses of crocodile mummies have indicated that most mummies represent the newly resurrected taxon, Crocodylus suchus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1807. However, mitogenomic data for the Yale Peabody Museum mummies indicates that these specimens represent the first genomically authenticated representatives of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus Laurenti, 1768) in museum collections. We explore …

How Corrective Lens Choices Are Associated With The Self-Esteem Of College Students, Margaret Neenan

Honors Projects

If you wear glasses or contacts, which one do you wear more often, and why? How Corrective Lens Choices are Associated with the Self-Esteem of College Students is an observational study on 1) how corrective lens choices are associated with the self-esteem of college students, and 2) how do factors such as gender, ethnicity, finances, insurance, recreational and occupational use, or lens options recommended to a patient impact an individual’s choice of corrective lenses. The observational study shows that there is no significant difference in the self-esteem of college students who wore a specific corrective lens more often. However, research …

22 Faculty Receive Grants To Fund Developmental Projects At Uab, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session April 21, 2022, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Acceptance of the Agenda
Approval of the Minutes (March 17th, 2022 Meeting)
Remarks by the Chair
Remarks by the President
Updates by the Faculty Senate President
Updates by the Western Student Association President
Updates by the Graduate Student Association President
Changing Lives through the Promise Neighborhoods Program
Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

• Michigan State Employees Association (MSEA) Labor Agreement
• Five Year State Capital Outlay Master Plan
• Approval of Real Property Lease for WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine

Consent Items

• Curriculum Proposals
• Personnel Report
• One-Day Liquor License Application for June 18, 2022

General Public Comments

Retrospective Genomics Highlights Changes In Genetic Composition Of Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo Cuvier) And Potential Loss Of A South-Eastern Australia Population, Alice Manuzzi, Belen Jiménez-Mena, Romina Henriques, Bonnie J Holmes, Julian Pepperell, Janette Edson, Mike B Bennett, Charlie Huveneers, Jennifer R Ovenden, Einar E Nielsen

Staff and Researcher Publications

Over the last century, many shark populations have declined, primarily due to overexploitation in commercial, artisanal and recreational fisheries. In addition, in some locations the use of shark control programs also has had an impact on shark numbers. Still, there is a general perception that populations of large ocean predators cover wide areas and therefore their diversity is less susceptible to local anthropogenic disturbance. Here we report on temporal genomic analyses of tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) DNA samples that were collected from eastern Australia over the past century. Using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) loci, we documented a significant change in …

April 21, 2022, James Madison University

The Breeze, 2020-

The Breeze is the student newspaper of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Bis-Cinnamamide Derivatives As Ape/Ref-1 Inhibitors For The Treatment Of Human Melanoma, Razan Alhazmi, Shirley Tong, Shaban Darwish, Elina Khanjani, Bharti Khungar, Swati Chawla, Zhonghui Zheng, Richard Chamberlain, Keykavous Parang, Sun Yang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Human malignant melanoma exhibits imbalances in redox status, leading to activation of many redox-sensitive signaling pathways. APE/Ref-1 is a multifunctional protein that serves as a redox chaperone that regulates many nuclear transcription factors and is an important mechanism in cancer cell survival of oxidative stress. Previous studies showed that APE/Ref-1 is a potential druggable target for melanoma therapy. In this study, we synthesized a novel APE/Ref-1 inhibitor, bis-cinnamoyl-1,12-dodecamethylenediamine (2). In a xenograft mouse model, compound 2 treatment (5 mg/kg) significantly inhibited tumor growth compared to the control group, with no significant systemic toxicity observed. We further synthesized compound …

A Combined Conduit-Bioactive Hydrogel Approach For Regeneration Of Transected Sciatic Nerves, Cheuk Sun Edwin Lai, Viridiana Leyva-Aranda, Victoria H Kong, Tania L Lopez-Silva, Adam C Farsheed, Carlo D Cristobal, Joseph W R Swain, Hyun Kyoung Lee, Jeffrey D Hartgerink

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Transected peripheral nerve injury (PNI) affects the quality of life of patients, which leads to socioeconomic burden. Despite the existence of autografts and commercially available nerve guidance conduits (NGCs), the complexity of peripheral nerve regeneration requires further research in bioengineered NGCs to improve surgical outcomes. In this work, we introduce multidomain peptide (MDP) hydrogels, as intraluminal fillers, into electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) conduits to bridge 10 mm rat sciatic nerve defects. The efficacy of treatment groups was evaluated by electromyography and gait analysis to determine their electrical and motor recovery. We then studied the samples' histomorphometry with immunofluorescence staining and automatic …

Clinical Diagnosis Of Metabolic Disorders Using Untargeted Metabolomic Profiling And Disease-Specific Networks Learned From Profiling Data, Lillian R Thistlethwaite, Xiqi Li, Lindsay C Burrage, Kevin Riehle, Joseph G Hacia, Nancy Braverman, Michael F Wangler, Marcus J Miller, Sarah H Elsea, Aleksandar Milosavljevic

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Untargeted metabolomics is a global molecular profiling technology that can be used to screen for inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs). Metabolite perturbations are evaluated based on current knowledge of specific metabolic pathway deficiencies, a manual diagnostic process that is qualitative, has limited scalability, and is not equipped to learn from accumulating clinical data. Our purpose was to improve upon manual diagnosis of IEMs in the clinic by developing novel computational methods for analyzing untargeted metabolomics data. We employed CTD, an automated computational diagnostic method that "connects the dots" between metabolite perturbations observed in individual metabolomics profiling data and modules identified …

Importing Indian Intolerance: How Title Vii Can Prevent Caste Discrimination In The American Workplace, Brett Whitley

Arkansas Law Review

"If Hindus migrate to other regions on [E]arth, [Indian] Caste would become a world problem." - Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1916) Imagine it is the year 2020. You are one of the more than 160 million people across India that are labeled as Dalits, formerly known as the “Untouchables." Most Hindus view Dalits as belonging to the lowest rung in the ancient system of social stratification that impacts individuals across the globe called the caste system. Your people have endured human rights abuses for centuries, but luckily, neither you nor a loved one have ever been the victim of one of …

Timing Legal Parenthood, Noy Naaman

Arkansas Law Review

When does a parent become a parent? This Article examines this question through a novel framework that analyzes the tension between an individual’s evolving self-identification as a parent and the law’s acknowledgment of the individual’s parental status. It focuses on two forms of that tension. The first concerns a scenario occurring after the birth of a child, when the self-identification as a parent is established but the law has yet to formalize the parental status. The second involves a scenario occurring before the birth, when the self-identification as a parent-to-be—the process of becoming—is legally overlooked. This Article argues that this …

The Microbial Load On Used Disposable Face Masks: Exploring Sustainable Disinfection Methods, Clara Ray

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Face masks have become common-place in public settings since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, with many people choosing to wear masks in order to mitigate the risk of becoming infected with viral or bacterial infections. Two of the most widely-available types of masks are cloth masks, which may be reused if cleaned properly, and disposable surgical masks. Despite the fact that surgical masks are intended for one-time use, many people chose to store and re-wear them. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in biological contamination on surgical face masks after daily wear and overnight …

Dietary Supplement Used Among Americans, Okiki Adegboro, Akeisha Belgrave

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

This project is to show the intake of vitamins before and after the pandemic among Americans. To get this information, I made a survey with a sample size of 100 people, and the questions that were asked were; "What is your gender?" Do you take vitamins? "How often do you take vitamins?" "Types of vitamins?" Age group? and "Did your use of vitamins grow due to the pandemic?. (Class Project)