Digital Commons Network^™

From Mitochondria To Tumor Suppression: Acat1’S Crucial Role In Gastric Cancer, Wei He, Yanfang Li, Song-Bai Liu, Ying Chang, Shiyuan Han, Xingyu Han, Zixin Ma, Hesham M Amin, Yao-Hua Song, Jin Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acetyl CoA acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT1), a mitochondrial enzyme, is mainly involved in the formation and decomposition of ketones, isoleucine, and fatty acids. Previous clinical studies showed that mutations in the ACAT1 gene lead to ketoacidosis, Notably the role of ACAT1 in human cancer' pathogenesis varies depending on cancer type, and its specific role in gastric cancer remains largely unknown. In the current study, we found that the expression of ACAT1 in primary late-stage gastric cancer tumor tissues was significantly lower than in early-stage tumors. This observation was further confirmed in high-grade gastric cancer cell line MKN45. The expression of CD44 …

Anticancer Drugs Of Lysine Specific Histone Demethylase-1 (Lsd1) Display Variable Inhibition On Nucleosome Substrates, Dulmi Senanayaka, Danyun Zeng, Emre Deniz, Indunil K. Priyankara, Joceline Helmbreck, Owen Schneider, Aashay Mardikar, Aykut Uren, Nicholas J. Reiter

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Lysine specific demethylase-1 (LSD1) serves as a regulator of transcription and represents a promising epigenetic target for anticancer treatment. LSD1 inhibitors are in clinical trials for the treatment of Ewing’s sarcoma (EWS), acute myeloid leukemia, and small cell lung cancer, and the development of robust inhibitors requires accurate methods for probing demethylation, potency, and selectivity. Here, the inhibition kinetics on the H3K4me2 peptide and nucleosome substrates was examined, comparing the rates of demethylation in the presence of reversible [CC-90011 (PD) and SP-2577 (SD)] and irreversible [ORY-1001 (ID) and tranylcypromine (TCP)] inhibitors. Inhibitors were also subject to viability studies in three …

Systemic Treatment Of Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer: Asco Resource-Stratified Guideline, Sana Al Sukhun, Sarah Temin, Carlos H Barrios, Nicoleta Zenovia Antone, Yanin Chavarri Guerra, Mariana Chavez-Macgregor, Rakesh Chopra, Michael A Danso, Henry Leonidas Gomez, N'Da Marcelin Homian, Alaa Kandil, Benda Kithaka, Bogda Koczwara, Beverly Moy, Gertrude Nakigudde, Fernando Enrique Petracci, Hope S Rugo, Nagi S El Saghir, Banu K Arun

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To guide clinicians and policymakers in three global resource-constrained settings on treating patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) when Maximal setting-guideline recommended treatment is unavailable.

Methods: A multidisciplinary, multinational panel reviewed existing ASCO guidelines and conducted modified ADAPTE and formal consensus processes.

Results: Four published resource-agnostic guidelines were adapted for resource-constrained settings; informing two rounds of formal consensus; recommendations received ≥75% agreement.

Recommendations: Clinicians should recommend treatment according to menopausal status, pathological and biomarker features when quality results are available. In first-line, for hormone receptor (HR)-positive MBC, when a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor and CDK 4/6 inhibitor combination is unavailable, …

Mental Health Prevention And Treatment Programs For Infants Experiencing Homelessness: A Systematic Review, Megan M Hare, Taylor D Landis, Melissa Hernandez, Paulo A Graziano

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Experiencing homelessness in infancy has been linked to negative physical and mental health outcomes. Parental well-being and the parent-infant relationship can also be negatively impacted by experiencing homelessness. While numerous parent-based infant mental health programs have been identified by a recent review, the goal of this study was to further determine the extent to which these existing programs were developed and/or examined with at-risk populations such as families experiencing homelessness. Out of 60 programs identified by Hare et al., in press, only three had been implemented specifically in shelter settings with infants 0-12 months (Parent-Infant Psychotherapy, New Beginnings, and My …

Studying Redtail And Silver Surfperch In Sandy Beach Surf Zones With Mpas In Humboldt County, California, Usa, Noah G. Angell

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The sandy beach surf zone (SBSZ) represents an ecologically, economically, and culturally important marine habitat around the world. Despite its significance, the SBSZ has been historically underrepresented in marine and coastal ecology research. This in turn has caused many inshore marine species that prefer this habitat to be largely ignored. Two particular species, the Redtail surfperch Amphistichus rhodoterus and the Silver surfperch Hyperprosopon ellipticum, have not been well studied in the PNW region . There are merely three studies conducted on the Redtail surfperch in the Pacific Northwest region and the Silver surfperch has received even less research attention with …

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Liver Fibrosis, And Structural Brain Imaging: The Cross-Cohort Collaboration, Galit Weinstein, Adrienne O'Donnell, Stefan Frenzel, Tian Xiao, Amber Yaqub, Pinar Yilmaz, Robert J. De Knegt, Gladys E. Maestre, Debora Melo Van Lent, Michelle Long

School of Medicine Publications

Background and purpose

Prior studies reported conflicting findings regarding the association of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver fibrosis with measures of brain health. We examined whether NAFLD and liver fibrosis are associated with structural brain imaging measures in middle- and old-age adults.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study among dementia- and stroke-free individuals, data were pooled from the Offspring and Third Generation cohorts of the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), the Rotterdam Study (RS), and the Study of Health in Pomerania. NAFLD was assessed through abdominal imaging. Transient hepatic elastography (FibroScan) was used to assess liver fibrosis in FHS and …

Ceacam7 Expression Contributes To Early Events Of Pancreatic Cancer, Anupam Dhasmana, Swati Dhasmana, Sudhir Kotnala, Partha Laskar, Sheema Khan, Shafiul Haque, Meena Jaggi, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan

School of Medicine Publications

Highlights

• The trends of pancreatic cancer (PanCa) incidence and mortality are on rising pattern, and it will a second leading cause of cancer related deaths by 2030.
• Approximately 85–90% PanCa are pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which is one of the most challenging and aggressive malignancy.
• PDAC exhibits with grim prognosis as mortality rate is very close to the incidence due lack of early detection methods and effective therapeutic regimen.
• Our team has identified a novel oncogenic protein, carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 7 (CEACAM7), that can be useful for early PDAC diagnosis and predictor of patient survival.
• We also observed …

Trans-Ancestry Analysis Of Psychosis Biotypes: Shared Polygenic Risk And Unique Genomic Associations, Elliot S. Gershon, Ney Alliey-Rodriguez, Carol A. Tamminga, Matcheri S. Keshavan, Godfrey D. Pearlson, Sarah K. Keedy, David Parker, Rebekka Lencer, Scot Hill, Jeffrey R. Bishop

School of Medicine Publications

The Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network for Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP) has categorized psychosis disorders (Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder and Bipolar Disorder) into three distinct Biotypes, based on neurobiological measurements in a multi-ancestry sample. Two recently developed post hoc ancestry adjustment methods of Polygenic Risk Scores (PRSs) generate Trans-Ancestry PRSs (TAPRSs), which allow for PRS analysis of multi-ancestry samples. Applied to schizophrenia PRS, we found the Khera TAPRS method to show superior portability and comparable prediction accuracy as compared with the Ge method. The three Biotypes of psychosis disorders had similar TAPRSs across ancestries. In genomic analysis of Biotypes, nine genes and isoforms showed significant …

Effect Of Plant Based Nutritional Education On A1c Levels In Type 2 Diabetic Adults, Candice Kim

Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner

Type 2 diabetic adults are those with a condition that prevents production of enough insulin and are also resistant to the effects of insulin itself (American Diabetes Association, 2018). According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “diabetes mellitus affects an estimated 29.1 million people in the United States, and is the 7th leading cause of death,” (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2022, section 3). Risk factors that affect type 2 diabetic adults include being overweight, aged 45 or older, high blood pressure, and high level of triglycerides (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney …

Forty Years Of Inferential Methods In The Journals Of The Society For Molecular Biology And Evolution, Claudia A.M. Russo, Adam Eyre-Walker, Laura A. Katz, Brandon S. Gaut

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We are launching a series to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first issue of Molecular Biology and Evolution. In 2024, we will publish virtual issues containing selected papers published in the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution journals, Molecular Biology and Evolution and Genome Biology and Evolution. Each virtual issue will be accompanied by a perspective that highlights the historic and contemporary contributions of our journals to a specific topic in molecular evolution. This perspective, the first in the series, presents an account of the broad array of methods that have been published in the Society for Molecular Biology …

Discursive Femininity In The Encounter Of Sultan Kamil And St. Francis, Zilka Spahić Šiljak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In discussions about violence, wars, and peacebuilding, we often hear essentialist arguments about women and men, equating men with masculine and women with feminine characteristics, while avoiding the acceptance that both genders contain both sets of traits, depending on how they are nurtured and exhibited. Socialization polarizes and solidifies essentialist views on gender roles, and any deviation from these norms is sanctioned through stigmatization and exclusion. However, the greatest male spiritual authorities in the world serve as examples of embracing the feminine within themselves, and it is this acceptance that makes them memorable and continues to inspire humanity today. Two …

Tribes,States, And Sovereigns' Interest In Children, Emily Stolzenberg

Faculty Publications

Haaland v. Brackeen, the unsuccessful SCOTUS challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), trumpeted a critique made consistently over the statute’s 45-year history: that ICWA harms Indian children by subordinating their interests to their tribes’ interests, unlike State family law, which pursues the “best interests of the child.” This critique is likely to underpin future challenges to ICWA—and it is wrong in both fact and theory. Not only does ICWA generally benefit Indian children. More fundamentally, a tribe’s interest in Indian children corresponds directly to an interest States regularly pursue vis-à-vis all children: the political community’s interest in self-perpetuation. …

Mouralherwaqh Coastal Wetland Road Crossing Da'luk, Pakunihanich Nicoli Martin

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 …

Comparing Alternative Developmental Modes: Structure And Gene Expression In The Olfactory System Of Plethodontid Salamanders, Giuseppina S. Lanzilli

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The olfactory system of extant amphibians changes as the animal transitions from a fully aquatic to a terrestrial lifestyle at metamorphosis. Cellular morphology of the nose and expression patterns of olfactory genes in the nasal cavity have been examined for a variety of frogs and salamanders, but among plethodontid salamanders, molecular data are available only for Plethodon shermani. Using standard histology and micro-CT reconstruction, I investigated the structure of the olfactory organs of larvae, juveniles, and adults of six plethodontid species, with terrestrial, streamside, semiaquatic, and aquatic adults. The overall structure of the olfactory cavity was generally similar across …

Evaluating The Utility Of Tracers To Characterize Environmental Dna Transport And Inform Detection Of Fishes In Small Streams, Gavin B. Bandy

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study was motivated by the need to develop a noninvasive and highly sensitive monitoring tool for determining local occupancy of an endangered aquatic species To make inference into the occupancy of fishes within small stream sites, we developed a method to determine whether environmental DNA (eDNA) concentrations from a target species were elevated relative to a tracer, formulated to mimic eDNA and introduced at a single location. We examined patterns in the observed distribution of the tracer to account for the effects of site-specific transport processes and sampling on distributions of naturally occurring eDNA at small spatial scales (400 …

"They Are Expecting Us To Stay Strong": How Ambulance Personnel Navigate And Manage Their Emotions In A Rural Region Of Northern California, Tina M. Orton-Owens

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This research examines how emergency medical service (EMS) workers navigate and manage their calls in Humboldt County, a rural region of Northern California. The primary theoretical framework is drawn from Arlie Hochschild’s theory of Emotional Labor. This paper examines how emotional labor impacts EMS workers within a rural environment and with limited resources. I also look at how COVID-19 complicated EMS workers’ experiences. This paper is based on qualitative research where I conducted 13 mostly face-to-face interviews with EMS workers throughout the County between 2020 and 2022. Interviews consisted of 30 questions and interviews ranged in length from 1 to …

The Larval Preference Of An Invasive Bryozoan (Watersipora 'New Species') For Copper-Based Antifouling Paints, Alexander K. Strawhand

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The bryozoan Watersipora subtorquata and its cryptic congener Watersipora ‘new species’ are now globally invasive species. Previous studies have found this species complex to have a high tolerance to copper-based antifouling paints, which represent a large portion of the mitigation effort toward preventing hull fouling by invasive invertebrates. Tolerance alone, however, is unlikely to explain the full extent of Watersipora’s massive and rapid worldwide invasion success. The aim of this research was to move beyond tolerance, and test whether larvae of Watersipora ‘new species’ exhibit a preference for copper-coated settlement surfaces in both laboratory and field settings. For the laboratory …

A Case Of Incipient Budding Speciation In The California Floristic Province, Infraspecific Divergence In Abronia Villosa, Eli J. Allen

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Physical barriers to gene flow are the traditional evidence for species divergence. Conversely, there has been increasing acknowledgment of speciation in the face of gene flow as an evolutionary process. Budding speciation involves peripheral populations adapting to local ecological conditions, thereby budding off from a widespread progenitor species. Budding speciation is distinguished by ecological divergence and is generally evidenced by asymmetrical range size and nested phylogenetic relationships of sister species. The narrow endemic Abronia villosa var. aurita is adapted to montane sandy washes adjacent to its widespread sister variety, the desert dwelling var. villosa. Here, I tested the hypothesis …

Using Environmental Dna Methods For Estimating Juvenile Chinook Salmon Abundance, Jacqueline Marie Bridegum

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In the Central Valley of California, stocks of Chinook Salmon are declining, and two out of the four ecotypes of Chinook Salmon within the Sacramento River system are federally listed. A monitoring network has been developed to estimate the abundances of downstream migrating Chinook Salmon smolts, but there is high uncertainty in these estimates due to low catch rates. Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring, which involves capture of genetic material that organisms release into their surrounding environment, has shown promise for estimating abundance of salmonids and could complement existing monitoring efforts and potentially reduce uncertainty in abundance estimates. This research project …

The Effects Of Scour And Marginal Inundation On Trinity River Invertebrate Biomass And Density With Potential Implications For Juvenile Salmonid Food Resources, Benjamin King

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Regulated flow releases on the Trinity River in northern California have shifted the timing of high flows from winter to late spring and reduced their magnitude. The timing and extent of scour from high flow events and the timing and duration of marginal (bankside) habitat inundation has shifted as a result. Literature is sparse regarding the effects of these hydrologic alterations on Trinity River benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) communities, an important food resource for juvenile salmonids. In the 2023 water year, a wet winter coupled with additional flow releases from Lewiston Dam provided the opportunity to analyze the impact of scour …

Neurocinematics And Empathy: How Cognitive Neuroscience Enhances Our Understanding Of Emotional Responses Of Film, Kira Trinity

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Cinema is a medium that is beloved around the globe since its inception over a century ago. There have been speculations on how it is that cinema works, from editing to emotional processing of the story, but only recently have we begun to explore the inner workings of cinematic impact on the brain. In this paper we will review research on cinematic impact and define cinematic editing, discuss the birth of “neurocinematics”, highlight what we have observed with regards to neuroimaging and empathy when viewing films, and speculate on how our responses to cinema may be driven by the Mirror …

The Nature And Extent Of Algal Symbiosis In Three North American Ranids, Zachary T. Vegso

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The symbiotic relationship between the chlamydomonad green alga Oophila amblystomatis and embryos of certain amphibian species is often presumed to be mutualistic. However, the existence of a mutualism has only been experimentally tested and established in two closely related ambystomatid salamanders. These experiments showed a positive correlation between intracapsular algal density and embryonic growth, survival, hatching synchrony, and hatchling body size. Oophila has been documented within egg capsules of a growing number of amphibian species, including several frogs in the family Ranidae. However, the nature and extent of this relationship remains unclear. Ranid eggs are better oxygenated than ambystomatid eggs, …

Effects Of Habitat Selection And Individual Quality On The Reproductive Success Of Barn Owls (Tyto Furcata), Jaime E. Carlino

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The hypothesis of adaptive breeding habitat selection proposes congruence between the evolved selection of habitats and fitness components such as reproductive success. However, mismatches between habitat selection and observed fitness outcomes are not unusual and can arise for multiple reasons. Variation in individual qualities of animals has also been found to affect reproduction and survival. I examined associations between barn owl nest box selection, reproductive output, and plumage characteristics previously shown to correspond to individual quality. I found that barn owls selected tall nest boxes made of wood, mounted high off the ground, and with increased proportions of grassland around …

The Effects Of Native Perennial Cover On Physiological Indicators Of Habitat Quality For Sparrows In California Coastal Prairie Rangelands, Madeleine A. Ybarra

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Prescribed grazing management can have myriad effects on wildlife, with low to moderate grazing being associated with an increased abundance of some grassland birds. Specifically, Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) and Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) abundance have been shown to be positively associated with both grazing and a higher percentage of native plant cover. However, measures of abundance provide an incomplete assessment of habitat quality for birds. Physiological and morphological measurements can help indicate environmental stress in individual birds, which reveals more information about habitat quality. We measured body condition and heterophil:lymphocyte ratios to gauge avian stress …

Impact Of Oxytocin And Tetrahydrocannabinol On Signs Of Fear In The Rat, Jair E. Alvarez Jr.

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

BACKGROUND: Oxytocin (OXT) has been used as a post-treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous research suggests that pre-treatment of intranasal OXT attenuates signs of fear in rats; however, the impact of intraperitoneal (i.p) OXT pre-treatment on signs of fear in rats is unknown. We also explored the effects of delta-9 (psychoactive component of cannabidiol) and delta-8 (delta-9 isomer) THC pre-treatment on attenuating signs of fear in the rat. METHODS: For each experiment, male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups, (n=8 per group); 1.) controls (vehicle and no foot shock), 2.) shock (vehicle and foot shock), 3.) low dose …

Using Novel And Traditional Survey Techniques To Monitor Small Mammal Species In Northwestern California, Sydney Mccluskey

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Small mammal species play a critical role in forest ecosystems contributing significantly to overall forest biodiversity and ecological dynamics. Forest-dwelling species are among the most vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation. It is essential to develop efficient techniques for monitoring small mammal populations in forested ecosystems to inform conservation efforts and management plans; yet, monitoring small mammals in these habitats can be particularly challenging due to their size, activity patterns, and frequently nocturnal nature. In this study, I aimed to address two primary research objectives: 1) compare the effectiveness of 3 distinct camera-trap survey techniques (i.e., ground, tree, and tube) …

The "Upside-Down" River: Trends In Total Nitrogen, Total Phosphorus, And Microcystin Concentration In The Klamath Basin, 2010-2021, Kayla M. Fitzpatrick

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Klamath River tends to experience impaired upstream water quality, which improves downstream. Although this consensus is accepted, an updated spatiotemporal analysis of certain water quality parameters has not been conducted since 2017. With four of the Klamath River’s dams slated for removal by the end of 2024, it is critical to have an updated assessment of current water quality conditions from which to compare conditions following dam removal. In this study, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and microcystin data from 2010-2021 were analyzed to determine concentration trends from Link Dam to the Klamath River Estuary.

Concentrations of TN …

Basal Topography And Carbon Accumulation Rate Of A Rare Northern California Coastal Fen, Sarah Leidinger

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Increasingly, the importance of peatlands as biodiversity hotpots, year-round water storage features, and significant carbon sinks are being recognized. Despite this, they are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems globally. While some peatland conservation and restoration initiatives are being developed, a greater understanding of small peatlands is needed to make management decisions. This study aims to determine the timing of peat formation, peat volume, and carbon accumulation rates of the Conspicuous Scoop Fen, a small (2.1-acre) fen near Bridgeville, California (~840 m.a.s.l.). During the summers of 2022 and 2023, I collected 39 m of peat cores at 14 sampling locations. …

Walleye (Sander Vitreus) Do Not Exhibit An Aggregative Predatory Response To Larval White Sturgeon (Acipenser Transmontanus) In The Upper Columbia River In Lake Roosevelt, Washington, Seth A. Barr

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Seasonal prey abundance can drive predatory fishes to aggregate in areas of high prey density. This project aimed to determine whether Walleye (Sander vitreus) exhibit an aggregative predation response to larval White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) drifts in the Lake Roosevelt system which is a reservoir of the Columbia River in Washington State. Populations of sturgeon are threatened worldwide, and are in need of conservation research. Walleye are a popular nonnative piscivorous game fish that were accidentally or illegally introduced to Lake Roosevelt in the 1950’s. Walleye in this study were obtained by gillnetting during White Sturgeon pre-spawn, peak spawn, and …

Evolutionary Origins Of Secondary Growth - The Periderm Perspective: Integrating Evidence From Fossils And Living Plants, Madison A.K. Lalica

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Periderm is a structural feature with roles in protection of inner plant tissues and wound healing. Knowledge of periderm occurrences in the fossil record and living lineages outside the seed plants is limited and its evolutionary origins remain poorly explored. Here, I review the known taxonomic distribution of canonical periderm (typical ontogenetic stage) and wound periderm (self-repair mechanism). To this sparse body of data I add new observations and experiments on living plant lineages and new occurrences from the fossil record. One of the latter, documented in the new early euphyllophyte species Nebuloxyla mikmaqiana, joins the oldest known periderm …