Digital Commons Network^™

A Better Way To Make Protein, James Gillette Bosco

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Producing recombinant proteins stands as a cornerstone in both biotechnology and pharmaceutical research, supporting the creation of therapeutics, vaccines, and enzymes used in various industries. Bacterial systems for expression, especially Escherichia coli, are preferred due to their rapid growth rates, ease of genetic manipulation, and scalability. However, generating proteins under current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards introduces substantial challenges, such as issues with scalability, toxicity, protein misfolding, and strict regulatory demands. This section delivers an in-depth review of these obstacles and current methods developed to address them. An extensive exploration is conducted into induction techniques, including auto-induction and isopropyl-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) …

An Examination Of The Relation Between Memory Self-Efficacy And Working Memory Within The Cognitive Reserve Framework, Genna Marie Mashinchi Ma

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Dementia has been found to negatively affect multiple aspects of cognitive functioning. Despite an increasing prevalence of cognitive decline, many aging adults do not experience reduced cognitive functioning. The reason as to why some experience cognitive decline and others do not is still unclear. One leading theory thought to explain this phenomenon is the cognitive reserve theory (CR), which proposes that certain lifestyle factors (e.g., educational attainment, occupational attainment, and leisure activity participation) prolong one’s cognitive functioning and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Memory self-efficacy (MSE), defined as one’s beliefs in their memory ability, was found to be positively …

Mouralherwaqh Coastal Wetland Road Crossing Da'luk, Romel Robinson Ii

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The integration of Indigenous and Western science plays an essential role in Tribally led collaborations for land management. This process of woven sciences is rooted in reciprocal relations and partnerships guided by Tribal Nations. Our cohort was invited by Wiyot Tribal Representatives to investigate a culvert located within the wetlands of Mouralherwaqh— a parcel of land reacquired by the Wiyot Tribe in 2022. This document seeks to share our experience and analysis as part of the Wiyot Tribe’s broader journey in navigating ecocultural restoration projects within Mouralherwaqh. The four community interests we investigated for the wetland crossing included a resized …

Exploring The Realities Of Queer/Trans, Black, Indigenous, And/Or People Of Color Students At Humboldt State University, Kat Hồng Nguyễn

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In this thesis, I use participant interviews with 12 queer student activists at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) and participant observation from 2019-2021 to provide a qualitative analysis of Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC) student knowledge. While student activism is not a primary site of analysis in this paper, all of the participants of this study identify as student activists which has implications on their overall experience. Participants in this study note the institutional efforts to disrupt institutional memory between student leaders and activists. This study was specifically designed to combat this issue by …

The Effect Of Interval Time On Time To Exhaustion During High Intensity Interval Training Running In Recreational Male Runners, Abraham Castrejon

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

High Intensity interval Training (HIIT) in running prescription can be applied in a variety of different ways, but HIIT prescription lacks specificity and efficiency in determining what duration of interval is optimal for improved aerobic performance. The purpose of this study was to test different HIIT protocols with a 1:1 ratio active: recovery intervals of 2:2 minute (Protocol 1), 4:4 minute (Protocol 2) and a continuous run trial (CRT). Seven recreational male runners (Age= 23.1 ± 3.4 yr, Height= 1.80 ± 0.1, Weight= 75.8 ± 9.6) performed a maximal oxygen consumption test (60.5 ± 4.9 ml/kg/min) with a graded exercise …

Comparative Morphology And Ultrastructure Of Olfactory Epithelia In Plethodontid Salamanders: Effect Of Life History Variation, Emily Gremling

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Many amphibian species rely on olfaction for locating prey and for social interactions during different life stages. Despite the importance of the olfactory system, research on its structure has been taxonomically limited. The most diverse family of salamanders, the Plethodontidae, has been largely excluded from research efforts to describe olfactory morphology. Although several histological studies have been conducted, no studies have yet looked at morphology at the level of ultrastructure using electron microscopy. The primary goal of my research was to examine olfactory morphology and ultrastructure in plethodontid species with a range of life history strategies, to better understand the …

Fire Severity Mediates Marten And Fisher Occurrence: Impacts Of The Dixie Fire On A Carnivore Community, Christopher James Collier

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The consumption of an astounding one million acres resulted from California’s largest single fire to date, the 2021 Dixie Fire. The social and economic losses associated with the fire were immediately apparent, but the effects on wildlife remained unknown. While previous research has suggested mixed or low severity fire may be beneficial to certain wildlife species, the responses to megafires are poorly understood for many carnivores. To better understand these responses to severe fire, I used a random sampling design stratified by burn severity to survey in and around the Dixie Fire footprint using baited camera stations. This allowed me …

Agitprop: A Deep Dive Into Leftist Affinity Spaces, Brittany M. Fuher

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This project is designed to explore what methods and theories of how we learn can tell us about what is occurring in leftist digital affinity spaces. My focus is the HasanAbi community, an online collective built around Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. I will examine the way YouTubers create memetic systems using an understanding of semiotics and translingualism. Based on my own experiences with digital community, and inspired by Linda Adler-Kassner, and Elizabeth Wardle’s discussion of Threshold Concepts in Naming What We Know, I’ve created five of my own Threshold Concepts for Leftist Community and crafted a video for each. …

Accelerations And Emg Differences Between Isocaloric High-Incline Walking And Level Grade Jogging, Taj Krieger

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Purpose: To examine muscle activation and biomechanical differences between high-incline walking (HIW) at 20% grade and level-grade jogging (LGJ) at isocaloric intensity on a treadmill. Methods: Physically inactive men and women between 18-31 completed the study. Participants (n=19) completed two isocaloric exercise trials (HIW and LGJ), each ten minutes in duration. EMG data was obtained from the Bicep Femoris (BF), Gluteus Maximus (GM), Lateral Gastrocnemius (LG), Tibialis Anterior (TA), Vastus Lateralis (VL), Anterior Deltoid (AD), Erector Spinae (ES) and Soleus (SOL). Resultant accelerations on the foot and sacrum were measured by IMU.

Results: When subjects were matched at isocaloric intensities …

Temperature Driven Variability In Bull Kelp (Nereocystis Luetkeana) Early Life Stages: A Comparative Study Of California Populations, Marzia Fattori

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study investigated the effects of elevated temperatures on the reproductive and developmental stages of Nereocystis luetkeana, a crucial brown macroalgae found along the western coast of North America. My objectives were to 1) evaluate the impact of increasing temperature on the abundance of gametophytes from various sites, 2) determine the length of gametophytes that were affected by temperature on day 10 of culture, 3) assess the presence or absence of oocytes, sporophytes (young vs. multicellular), and abnormal cells, to understand the reproductive and stress responses to higher temperatures, and 4) determine if there is variation among early developmental …

Risk Of Depression In Persons With Alzheimer's Disease: A National Cohort Study, Casey Crump, Weiva Sieh, Barbara G Vickrey, Alexis C Edwards, Jan Sundquist, Kristina Sundquist

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Depression is a risk factor and possible prodromal symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but little is known about subsequent risk of developing depression in persons with AD.

METHODS: National matched cohort study was conducted of all 129,410 persons diagnosed with AD and 390,088 with all-cause dementia during 1998-2017 in Sweden, and 3,900,880 age- and sex-matched controls without dementia, who had no prior depression. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for major depression through 2018.

RESULTS: Cumulative incidence of major depression was 13% in persons with AD and 3% in controls. Adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities, …

A Qr Code For The Brain: A Dynamical Systems Framework For Computing Neurophysiological Biomarkers, William Bosl, Michelle Bosquet Enlow, Charles Nelson

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

N Y State Dent J January 2024

The New York State Dental Journal

In the January 2024 issue, the reader will find the following feature articles:

• When One Door Closes, Another Opens
• Oral Manifestations of Metastatic Diseases: A Clinical and Histologic Analysis of Seven Cases
• Dentistry Transformed: An Overview of Artificial Intelligence’s Role in Dental Care
• Unlocking the Future of Dentistry: A Summary of AI and Augmented Intelligence in Dentistry from ADA’s White Paper
• Diagnostic Detail: Understanding the Impact of Tooth Rotation in Correcting Mucogingival Defects

This issue includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New York membership including: editorial and perspectives columns, legal, association activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and …

Beside Marriage Equality: Conversations On Supriyo, Danish Sheikh, Rupali Samuel

Socio-Legal Review

This case comment takes the form of an epistolary exchange between the authors as they reflect on the Indian Supreme Court’s 2023 judgment in Supriyo @ Supriya Chakraborty & Anr v Union of India, which denied the existence of a constitutional right to marriage and deferred the responsibility of legalising same-sex marriage to the legislature. Through a staged conversation, the comment explores personal subject positions, legal frameworks, and the intricate entanglements of intimacy and state recognition. The authors consider how the law leaves imprints on our bodies and, in turn, how our embodied lives reshape the law through acts …

Optimizing Microbe-Infected Mosquito Release: A Stochastic Model For Malaria Prevention, Steeven Belvinos Affognon, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Philip Ngare, Benard Kipchumba Kiplangat, Shirley Abelman, Jeremy K. Herren

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Malaria remains a critical public health challenge in Africa, demanding innovative control strategies. This study introduces a novel approach using Microsporidia MB-infected mosquitoes and stochastic optimal control within a Lévy process framework to regulate mosquito release strategies. The primary goal is to optimize Microsporidia MB prevalence within mosquito populations to disrupt Plasmodium transmission to humans. By incorporating Lévy noise into the modeling process, we capture the inherent randomness of mosquito dynamics, improving intervention accuracy. The model, guided by the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equation, optimizes release protocols while accounting for key environmental factors like seasonality and temperature fluctuations. Results show that intervention …

Immunomodulatory Activity Of Different Polyphenolic Compounds Isolated From Origanum Majorana, Doaa G. El-Hosari, Nermine M. Mohammd, Mohamed F. Barghash, Mohamed I. S. Abdelhady, Reham R. Ibrahim

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

Growing in many Mediterranean nations since antiquity, Origanum majorana L. is an aromatic herb that gained popularity as a spice and medicinal plant during the Middle Ages. Although O. majorana possesses a wide range of pharmacological effects, its immunoreactive components and mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, six compounds were isolated and identified from O. majorana. The isolated compounds were identified on the basis of acid hydrolysis, comparative PC, UV, ESI-MS, 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopic analysis and comparing with authentics and previous reported data. The compounds were identified as Cinnamic acid, Gallic acid, Caffeic acid, PCoumaric acid, Apigenin and Luteolin. …

Evaluation Of The Diagnostic Performance Of Nucleocapsid Antigen For Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection, Doaa Fathy Ahmed, Amal Ahmed Mohamed, Manar S. Fouda, Sara A. Mekkawy, Randa Ibrahim Ahmed, Omar Mohamoud Azzam, Doaa Ghaith, Ahmed El-Kasses, Mostafa Omran

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) was identified as the aetiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The SARS-COV-2 genome encodes four structural proteins include spike (S) protein, envelope (E) protein, membrane (M) protein, and nucleocapsid (N) protein. nucleocapsid protein is one of the predominantly expressed structural proteins and has been confirmed as an ideal target for early diagnostic detection in SARS-COV-2 infection. In the current study, the diagnostic performance of Nucleocapsid antigen in severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 infected individuals is evaluated in Egypt. Patients and Methods: All human individuals’ samples (n= 106) were collected from El …

Synthesis, Anticancer Activity And Docking Study Of Novel Benzo[H]Quinoline Derivatives, Marwa A. Khodair, Mosaad S. Mohamed, Samir M. Awad, Rania H. Abd El-Hameed

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

Background: Benzo[h]quinolines have attracted a lot of interest because of their biological characteristics, especially their capacity to impede cell proliferation, for this reason it is essential to utilize their high activity for new, powerful anti-cancer agents’ discovery. Objective: The main objectives are to synthesize de-novo benzo[h]quinolines and fused analogues then evaluate their anti-cancer activities. Methods: Our target compounds 1a-d were prepared through Knoevenagel condensation followed by Michael addition. Compounds 1a-d were further cyclized via reactions with different reagents particularly, formic acid, formamide, acetic anhydride and carbon disulfide to obtain fused derivatives 2-5 (a-d) respectively. Structures …

Green Flow-Gradient Micellar High Performance Liquid Chromatograpic Method For Determination Of A Hypertensive Combination ; Azilsartan Medoxomil And Chlorthalidone :Application To Spiked Human Plasma And Urine, Maha M. Abou El-Alamin, Maha A. Sultan, Dina A Mohamed, Marwa M. Azab

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

A green novel cost effective flow-gradient micellar high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of two antihypertensive drugs,Azilsartan Medoxomil (AZL) and chlorthalidone (CLT) in plasma and urine. The eco-friendly method showed good linearity over the ranges of 15.00-80.00 µg/mL and 12.50-62.50 µg/mL with limits of detection (LOD) of 0.19, 0.12 µg/mL and limits of quantification (LOQ) of 0.59, 0.36 µg/mL for AZL and CLT, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for the simultaneous analysis of the studied drugs in their single tablets, laboratory mixed tablets in human plasma and urine without prior extraction …

Dual Activity Of Aromatic And Heterocyclic Compounds As Anti-Inflammatory And Anticancer Promising Agents, Samar Said Fatahala, Rania Helmy Abd El-Hameed, Mosaad Sayed Mohamed, Neama Abdallah Abd El-Tawab

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

As the second leading cause of mortality worldwide, cancer poses a severe threat to human health. Chronic inflammation has recently been linked to an increased risk for a number of malignancies, suggesting that reducing inflammation could be a useful approach to both cancer prevention and treatment. This review delves into the connection between inflammation and cancer and outlines the current use of anti-inflammatory drugs as potentially effective cancer prevention and therapy strategies. we herein describe the main relation and the mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer outcomes of anti-inflammatory agents; namely Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), COX-2 inhibitors, LOX-inhibitors, Toll- inhibitors, and antioxidant …

The Decline Of Science In The Early Years: A Diagnosis And A Plan Of Action, Jennifer Bentley

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Science instruction in the early years of a student’s education career is essential to a student successfully continuing science in their secondary and postsecondary careers. However, the amount of high-quality science instruction students receive at the elementary level has been steadily declining for two decades, resulting in an inequitable imbalance in those who pursue STEM careers, a lack of critical science literacy in the U.S. populace, and a shortage of qualified employees entering the U.S. economy. Much of the lack of science instruction can be traced to decreased training of teachers to teach science during elementary credentialing programs or the …

Exploring The Relative Contribution Of Humans On Genetic Differentiation Among Speyeria Callippe Populations In The California Coast Ranges, Laura K. Heller

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The distinction between populations due to environmental factors like climate and geography are well-known and expected, therefore it is not illogical to believe more disjunct habitats would also impact genetic structure. Through Restriction Site Associated DNA Sequencing (RADseq) and Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis the genetic structure and differentiation (fixation index, Fst) of Speyeria callippe across four regions in California: the North Coast Ranges, Bay Area, Diablo Range, and South Coast Ranges were analyzed. The influence of geographic distance, human population density, and forest cover were explored as factors influencing the genetics of these populations. The combination of mtDNA and RADseq …

Quantitative Shotgun Proteomic Analysis Of Bacteria After Overexpression Of Recombinant Spider Miniature Spidrion, Masp1, Kathryn P. Randene

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Spider silk has extraordinary mechanical properties, displaying high tensile strength, elasticity, and toughness. Given the high performance of natural fibers, one of the long-term goals of the silk community is to manufacture large-scale synthetic spider silk. This process requires vast quantities of recombinant proteins for wet-spinning applications. Attempts to synthesize large amounts of native size recombinant spidroins in diverse cell types have been unsuccessful. In these studies, we design and express recombinant miniature black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) MaSp1 spidroins in bacteria that incorporate the NTD and CTD, along with varying numbers of codon-optimized internal block repeats. Following spidroin overexpression, we …

Structural And Functional Studies Of The Human Members Of The Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Family, Andrew Parkins

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and D-dopachrome tautomerase (D-DT) are the two human members of the MIF superfamily, which are implicated in an array of autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, and cancer via their pleiotropic functionality. Despite only sharing 34% sequence identity, MIF and D-DT have high structural homology and overlapping functional traits, including activation of the type II cell surface receptor CD74 and keto-enol tautomerase activity. The MIF and/or D-DT-induced activation of CD74 leads to signaling cascades pivotal for cell growth, proliferation, and inhibition of apoptosis. Such characteristics make MIF and D-DT attractive molecular targets for drug discovery.

Currently, all …

Elaboration Of Diquinanes To Access Trifunctional Angular Triquinanes And Designed Dna Polymerase Α Inhibitors, Spencer M. Webber

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Natural products are of great significance to the pharmaceutical industry in the development of new drugs. Diquinane or bicyclo[3.3.0]octane is a conspicuous structural unit existing in the carbo-frameworks of a wide range of natural products such as alkaloids and terpenoids. These diquinane-containing molecules not only exhibit intriguing architectures, but also showcase a broad spectrum of significant bioactivities, which draw widespread attention from the global synthetic community. A more specific group of compounds containing a diquinane moiety with one extra 5-membered ring are called the angular triquinanes.In this work, we have developed a general synthetic scheme to the angular triquinanes. We …

From Elementary School To Doctoral Education: An Autoethnographic Journey, Gwendolyn D. Dailey

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Every child has a right to education, and their skin color should not determine their education quality. However, since the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), it has been proven that race continues to matter in the success and failure of education (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). The persistent achievement gaps between students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as the disparities in access to high-quality educational opportunities, demonstrate how race and ethnicity shape the educational experiences of students of color (Stanford Center for Education Policy Analysis, 2012). Unfortunately, stories such as Ruby Bridges of New …

Effects Of Glyphosate-Based Herbicide Exposure On Life History, Stress Tolerance, And Microbiome—From Plasticity To Evolution, Jacob R. Whitlock

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Glyphosate (GLY) is the most used pesticide worldwide, and GLY-based herbicides (GBHs) can affect animals’ microbiomes and, in turn, their physiology and morphology. Environmental stressors can be mitigated by flexibility in life-history strategies, which can also dictate animal physiology and morphology. However, we lack an understanding of how GBH influences life-history strategies and stress tolerance, in addition to its effects across generations. Thus, I exposed the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps, to GBH within- and across-generations to examine the role of GBH in developmental plasticity and evolution. Specifically, I measured its effects on life-history traits (e.g., developmental duration and a …

Effects Of Fetal Bovine Serum On The Proteome And Secretome Of Pichia Pastoris, Kenneth L. Nguyen

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Komagataella pastoris, formerly known as Pichia pastoris, and hereafter referred to as Pichia, is a methylotrophic yeast widely employed as a recombinant protein factory for biotechnical and industrial purposes. P. pastoris boasts the ability to thrive at high cell densities, executes numerous post-translational modifications, and exhibits minimal secretion of endogenous proteins, thus greatly facilitating the expression and purification of recombinant proteins. Despite these advantages, Pichia still presents certain challenges as an expression system. Occasionally, recombinant proteins are retained within the cell and subject to degradation. Furthermore, Pichia falls short in matching the production capabilities of more widely used systems like …

The Role Of The Unfolded Protein Response In Fatty Liver Disease, Anusha L. Murshed

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is composed of three highly conserved pathways (ATF6, IRE1, PERK). Cellular stressors induce protein misfolding and aggregation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This signaling pathway maintains protein homeostasis when there is stress in the ER. When the UPR is activated, the eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) becomes phosphorylated, which inhibits global mRNA translation. If ER stress remains chronically unmitigated, the UPR induces apoptosis. GADD34 and CReP shift in expression when the UPR is activated and work as phosphatases and dephosphorylate eIF2α in a feedback loop, allowing protein synthesis to resume. Several human diseases, including …

Insight Into A Sexually Dimorphic Ostracod Crustacean By Mass Spectrometry And Microtomography, Cindy D. Davis

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The importance of the central nervous system cannot be understated. An array ofmolecules associated with the brain regulate basic behaviors as well as sex specific behaviors. Describing the molecular background is not the only way that I can learn more of the central nervous system. Describing the anatomy of the central nervous system can be crucial in understanding what regions of the brain is particularly key to the animal. Euphilomedes carcharodonta is a small marine crustacean native to the subtidal zone of the California coast. This ostracod makes for a compelling candidate to explore these research interests as this organism …