Digital Commons Network^™

Chimes: November 6, 2023, Calvin University

Chimes

Campus construction steadily progresses by Savannah Shustack

Women's cross-country team named MIAA conference co-champions by Dillion Baumchen

Student researchers present at regional conference by Gabriel Choi & Savannah Shustack

"God the Father is not male": A Q&A with Rev. Dr. Amy Peeler by Ethan Meyers

Sextortion: A problem on college campuses by Savannah Shustack

Plaster Creek Stewards seek to heal both ecological and human relationships by Jacob Westra

Isolating meat consumption from production prevents us from a deep understanding of our food by Savannah Shustack

Mechanistic Toxicology In Light Of Genetic Compensation, Mary Jane Elizalde, Daniel A Gorelick

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mechanistic toxicology seeks to identify the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which toxicants exert their deleterious effects. One powerful approach is to generate mutations in genes that respond to a particular toxicant, and then test how such mutations change the effects of the toxicant. CRISPR is a rapid and versatile approach to generate mutations in cultured cells and in animal models. Many studies use CRISPR to generate short insertions or deletions in a target gene and then assume that the resulting mutation, such as a premature termination codon, causes a loss of functional protein. However, recent studies demonstrate that this …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Twist1-Regulated Transcription In Emt And Cancer Metastasis, Xiaobin Yu, Tao He, Zhangwei Tong, Lan Liao, Shixia Huang, Walid D Fakhouri, Dean P Edwards, Jianming Xu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

TWIST1 induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to drive cancer metastasis. It is yet unclear what determines TWIST1 functions to activate or repress transcription. We found that the TWIST1 N-terminus antagonizes TWIST1-regulated gene expression, cancer growth and metastasis. TWIST1 interacts with both the NuRD complex and the NuA4/TIP60 complex (TIP60-Com) via its N-terminus. Non-acetylated TWIST1-K73/76 selectively interacts with and recruits NuRD to repress epithelial target gene transcription. Diacetylated TWIST1-acK73/76 binds BRD8, a component of TIP60-Com that also binds histone H4-acK5/8, to recruit TIP60-Com to activate mesenchymal target genes and MYC. Knockdown of BRD8 abolishes TWIST1 and TIP60-Com interaction and TIP60-Com recruitment to …

Msis-Capaldi: Using Mathematical Models To Evaluate Strategies For Managing White-Nose Syndrome In Little Brown Bats, Julie Blackwood

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Utilizing Non-Negative Least Squares For Data-Driven Discovery Of Dynamics, Tracey G. Oellerich

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Modeling Student-Instructor Interactions To Predict Changes In Student Mindset, David Chan, Oyita Udiani, Rani Satyam, Miriah Dudley

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

An Integrated Pest Management Model Incorporating Prey Refuge And Movement Between Regions, Aashima Singh Sisodia, Timothy Comar

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Incorporating Adaptive Human Behavior Into Epidemiological Models Using Equation Learning, Austin Barton, Jordan Klein, Jonathan Greer, Kevin Flores, Patrick Haughey

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Modeling And Simulation Of Discrete Stochastic And Hybrid Systems In Gillespy2, Kevin Sanft

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Baa-Ttling Sore Mouth In Sheep With Mathematical Modeling, David C. Elzinga, W. Christopher Strickland

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

A Multi-Model Approach To Understanding Growth, Reproduction, And Life History Strategies In Bromeliads, Erin N. Bodine

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Modeling-Forward Initiatives In Differential Equations, Laura Ellwein

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Msis-Capaldi: Modelling The Winter Tick Epizootic In Moose, Charlotte Beckford

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Using A Coupled Integral Projection Model To Investigate Interspecific Competition During An Invasion: An Application To Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix) And Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma Cepedianum), James Peirce

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Distinguishing Community Assembly Through Functional Redundancy Models., Sandra A. Tsiorintsoa, Sharon Bewick, Matthew Macauley

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Contributions Of Tunneling In 8Π-6Π Electrocyclic Cascade Reactions Of Bicyclo[4.2.0]Octa-2,4-Diene Moieties, Ishika Jain, Claire Castro, William L. Karney

Featured Student Work

Six-electron electrocyclic reactions usually require relatively high temperatures; however recent research has shown that such reactions can occur at significantly lower temperatures in biosynthetic and biomimetic pathways. Pathways resulting in bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-2,4-diene moieties arise from thermally allowed 8π-6π electrocyclization cascade reactions of 1,3,5,7-octatetraenes, as in the biosynthesis of endiandric acids, elysiapyrones, and numerous other natural products. We report multidimensional tunneling calculations to explore the possible contribution of heavy-atom tunneling (e.g. by carbon) to biosynthetic pathways and biomimetic syntheses, and thus to provide a more complete picture of biochemical kinetics. M06-2X/cc-pVDZ calculations on the 8π-6π cascade cyclizations of methylated octatetraene model systems …

Analysis Of Cd74 Occurrence In Oncogenic Fusion Proteins, Jasmine Vargas, Georgios Pantouris

Pacific Faculty Work

CD74 is a type II cell surface receptor found to be highly expressed in several hematological and solid cancers, due to its ability to activate pathways associated with tumor cell survival and proliferation. Over the past 16 years, CD74 has emerged as a commonly detected fusion partner in multiple oncogenic fusion proteins. Studies have found CD74 fusion proteins in a range of cancers, including lung adenocarcinoma, inflammatory breast cancer, and pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. To date, there are five known CD74 fusion proteins, CD74-ROS1, CD74-NTRK1, CD74-NRG1, CD74-NRG2α, and CD74-PDGFRB, with a total of 16 different variants, each with unique genetic …

The Effect Of Obesity On Comorbidities: A Benchmark Study, Kaley Nolen

MSN Capstone Projects

Obesity is distinguished by a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30. Tremmel et al. (2017) reports obese individuals are at a greater risk for developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. In 2014, approximately 641 million adults were classified as obese (Zhang et al., 2018). This epidemic has drastically worsened over the last two decades resulting in obesity ranking as the fifth most common cause of death globally (Safaei et al., 2021). Okunogbe et al. (2021) states, slowing the incidence rate of obesity by 5% will save approximately $3.3 billion annually between 2020-2060. The pathophysiology and cause of obesity is …

Polyrhythmic Modelling Of Non-Isochronous And Microtiming Patterns, G Sioros

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Computational models and analyses of musical rhythms are predominantly based on the subdivision of durations down to a common isochronous pulse, which plays a fundamental structural role in the organization of their durational patterns. Meter, the most widespread example of such a temporal scheme, consists of several hierarchically organized pulses. Deviations from isochrony found in musical patterns are considered to form an expressive, micro level of organization that is distinct from the structural macro-organization of the basic pulse. However, polyrhythmic structures, such as those found in music from West Africa or the African diaspora, challenge both the hierarchical subdivision of …

Machine Learning Methods For Endocrine Disrupting Potential Identification Based On Single-Cell Data, Zahir Aghayev, Adam T Szafran, Anh Tran, Hari S Ganesh, Fabio Stossi, Lan Zhou, Michael A Mancini, Efstratios N Pistikopoulos, Burcu Beykal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Humans are continuously exposed to a variety of toxicants and chemicals which is exacerbated during and after environmental catastrophes such as floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes. The hazardous chemical mixtures generated during these events threaten the health and safety of humans and other living organisms. This necessitates the development of rapid decision-making tools to facilitate mitigating the adverse effects of exposure on the key modulators of the endocrine system, such as the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), for example. The mechanistic stages of the estrogenic transcriptional activity can be measured with high content/high throughput microscopy-based biosensor assays at the single-cell level, which …

Nutrient Driven Dynamics Of Ecosystem Diseases, Rebecca Everett

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

A Game-Theoretic Analysis Of Covid-19 Dynamics With Self-Isolation And Vaccination Behavior In Heterogeneous Populations, Igor V. Erovenko

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Disturbances On Biodiversity In A Forest, David Chan, Benjamin S. Ramage

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Modeling Multiphage-Bacteria Kinetics To Predict Phage Therapy Outcomes, Rebecca Segal, Zhiyuan Yu, Tiffany Luong, Selenne Banuelos, Andrew Sue, Mary Ann Horn, Hwayeon Ryu, Qimin Huang, Dwayne Roach

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Characterizing Us Spatial Connectivity During The Early Phase Of The Covid Pandemic: Implications For Metapopulation Modeling, Giulia Pullano

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Impacts On Malaria Transmission Of Altered Biogenic Amine Levels In {\It Anopheles} Mosquitoes: Insights From A Mathematical Model, Michael Robert

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Msis Kondrashov: Redesigning Calculus 1, And The Unexpected Benefits Of Collaboration, Sarah C. Bannen, Valerie A. Maciejewski

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Luria-Delbruck Experiment Turns 80. Its Legacy Is Powerful., Raina Robeva

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

A Game-Theoretic Analysis Of Covid-19 Dynamics With Self-Isolation And Vaccination Behavior, Liam Gilmore-Greiss, Gleb Gribovskii

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Minimization Of Diet For Optimum Consumption Using Linear Programming, Nita Ngozi Ezekwem, Aditi Ghosh

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.