Life Sciences Commons^™

Modeling Dopaminergic Loss In The Zebrafish Olfactory System, Lexus Putt, Samantha Groenwold, Ted Lockett, Nathaniel Vorhees

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Zebrafish provide an ideal model to study neurodegenerative diseases and regenerative processes as they present neurogenesis and a high degree of neuroplasticity throughout their lifespan. It has been suggested that dopamine has an important role in regulating olfaction. We aimed to study the structural and functional effects of dopaminergic loss in the olfactory system. We injected 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) int the ventricular zone of adult zebrafish at the interphase between the olfactory bulbs and the telencephalon to target dopaminergic neurons in the olfactory bulb.Then, we assessed dopaminergic neural loss, markers of inflammation, morphological changes of olfactory axons, and synaptic connections. Olfactory …

Former Ncaa Diii College Athletes' Perceptions And Plans For Maintaining Post-Sport Exercise Behavior, Christian A. Clark, Samantha M. Vermeesch, Morgan A. Eckenrod

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

College athletes in the United States exhibit various declines in physical and mental health following retirement from sport. These declines in health are not well understood, however, one cause may be reduced exercise rates following retirement from regular sports training. It is unknown how former athletes' perceptions of health and fitness change after retirement and affect their exercise behavior post-sport. The purpose of this study was to understand former Division III (DIII) athletes' perceptions of health and fitness following college graduation and sports retirement and to explore what their future plans for exercise maintenance were. Recently graduated student-athletes from Hope …

Retrograde Degeneration Of The Olfactory Epithelium Following Neurotoxic Lesioning In Zebrafish, Sophia A. Farbarzhevich, Riley G. Checkley, Mackenzie T. Williams, Rachel J. Mast

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disease that deteriorates dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, is characterized by movement deficits, sleep disturbances, mental deficits, and hallucinations. About 95% of those with PD experience olfactory dysfunction or loss of the sense of smell. Prior research found evidence of retrograde degeneration in animal models of PD, which occurs when axons degenerate proximal to the neural injury itself, beginning in the axon terminals and proceeding to the cell body. Although dopaminergic retrograde degeneration has been observed in PD models, it is unknown if this contributes to some non-motor PD’s symptoms, such as olfactory loss. …

Examining The Use Of Two Novel Recovery Techniques On Reaction Time, Jack Hensley, Dustin Keltsch, Markus Roberts, Trevor Durfee, Nolan Gardner

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Box Breathing is a breathing technique in which a person inhales, holds, exhales, and holds, in four-second increments. It is believed to help improve an individual's focus. Purpose: This study was conducted to determine if Box Breathing would improve reaction time in lacrosse players after an exhaustive bout of exercise, compared to active recovery and passive recovery. Methods: Participants were familiarized with the components of the study, and then they returned on three separate days, approximately 2-10 days apart for three additional testing visits. Participants performed a 10-minute exhaustive bout of exercise on a cycle ergometer, then performed one of …

The Effect Of Foam Rolling With Vibration On Vertical Jump Performance In Division Iii Football Players, Madison Holloway, Elisa Melville, Jolie Labarge

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Vibrating foam rollers are a new percussive device that has become increasingly popular to perform myofascial release. Various studies have assessed these devices' effects on vertical jump performance in athletes. Prior research has reported that vibrating rollers (1) have no effect on performance, (2) improve performance to a similar degree as regular foam rollers, and (3) improve performance to a greater degree than regular foam rollers. The inconsistency of these results suggests that further investigation is warranted. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of vibrating and non-vibrating foam rolling on vertical jump performance in division …

Urinary Indicators Of Recovery Status In Collegiate Cross Country Runners, Madelynn Struck, Laura Taylor, Nile Devers, Erickson Kunzler

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Assessment of urinary biomarkers pre- and post-exercise has been used to monitor athletes' health status. This HSRB approved descriptive study measured 8 urinary biomarkers in 19 collegiate cross-country runners (M-10, F-9, age 20±1.0 years) throughout the first nine weeks of a fall cross-country season. Baseline values were measured prior to the start of the season and were repeated two and three days post-race. They were also measured pre-, immediately post-, and 1-day-post hard workout. All values were within normal, healthy physiological limits, however, there were some mean changes that occurred over the course of the season and within workouts. Significant …

Implications Of Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Exposure On The Auditory Physiology And Iron Bioaccumulation In House Sparrows (Passer Domesticus), Shae Johnston, Peyton Hallemann, Olivia Sprys-Tellner

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Air pollution (including particulate matter, PM) has increased as a result of a dramatic increase in urbanization. Nanoparticles within PM can be detrimental to health when inhaled., because they are small enough to bypass the blood-brain and blood-gas barriers, and can potentially accumulate in organs within the organism. For example, previous work has linked bioaccumulation of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPS) to cancer and organ poisoning. Interestingly, in model organisms, nanoparticle exposure has also been linked to hearing deficits, suggesting that decline in hearing may be an early bioindicator of future health consequences. While the specific mechanism for this hearing deficit …

Does It Pay To Play? A Dyadic Study Exploring Familial Investment In Organized Youth Sport, Kayla Wolma

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Parents play an important role in the youth sport experience for their child (Bonavolontá, 2021). Two ways that parental investment is evident in youth sport is through parental support and parental pressure. Parental support has been linked to child-athlete enjoyment and enthusiasm in the youth sport setting (Gagné, 2003), whereas heightened stress and anxiety for the child-athlete have been associated with parental pressure (Gould, 2008; O'Rourke, 2011). Recent literature has explored family investment in youth sport (fiscal) and discovered that greater investment is associated with greater perceived parental pressure on the athlete, while also showing a decline in the athlete's …

Fishing For Answers: Studying Hypoxia's Effects On The Zebrafish Olfactory Epithelium, Madelyn Yakes, Skylar Dewitt, Gracie Hill

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Hypoxia, i.e. low oxygen, is a physiologically damaging condition found in many health conditions such as ischemic stroke, sleep apnea, asthma, etc. Additionally, decreased dissolved oxygen levels in aquatic environments occur as a result of climate change. Zebrafish offer an excellent model to study hypoxia due to extensive neuroplasticity and injury-induced cell proliferation, which allows them to recover lost function in the central nervous system (CNS). We have shown that olfaction (i.e., the ability to smell), decreases in response to hypoxic exposure in adult zebrafish. Thus, it is important to study the structural abnormalities underlying this loss of smell. Olfactory …

Explorehope Summer Camps: Amazing Animal Abilities, Hannah Sturgeon, Alyssa Archer, Ashley Lauraine

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Did you know that mice can hear sounds that humans cannot? Or that birds and bees can see colors we can only dream of? ExploreHope is an organization on the Hope College campus that has been hosting summer camps for elementary to high school level students for 27 years. The ExploreHope Amazing Animal Abilities camp for students in grades 6 through 9 will explore the many incredible sensory abilities of animals. This camp will teach participants about a vast variety of sensory systems observed across the animal kingdom including the visual, auditory, and olfactory systems, mechanoreception and kinesthetics, and the …

Lc-Ms/Ms For Proteomic Analysis Of Post-Translational Modifications On Xct, Connor Bricco

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Membrane protein xCT and its heavy chain component 4F2HC make up the xc- transport system. 4F2HC may be necessary for membrane localization of the heterodimer and xCT is responsible for transport activity. Under basal conditions, xCT resides in endosomes, but upon oxidative insult, xCT moves to the membrane and functions to reduce oxidative stress. We hypothesize the movement of xCT to the membrane is directed by changes in posttranslational modifications (PTMs) such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination and glycosylation. The overall goal of this project is to use mass spectrometry to detect the PTMs of xCT isolated from cells grown under basal …

Quality Of Health, Physical Activity, And Exercise In Former College Athletes Post-Sport: A Systematic Review, Ryan P. Endres, Emily K. Mayfield, Christian A. Clark

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

A surplus of modern research in the field of sports science has yielded that, despite their immense athletic and physically active background, former college athletes tend to be less well off in aspects of fitness, and exercise than their non-athlete counterparts. These previous findings have led to further exploration of the question: what is the quality of health, physical activity, and exercise in former college athletes post-sport? Using a systematic approach based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this review explored three online databases (PubMed, SportDiscus, and PsychInfo) to collect peer-reviewed articles regarding this …

The Effects Of Vasopressin On Aquaporin-1 Expression And Localization In The Presence And Absence Of Vacm-1/Cul5, Parker Friend, Rachel Amicucci

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

The vasopressin-activated calcium mobilizing (VACM-1/Cul-5) protein plays a role in the E3 ubiquitin ligase system which is involved in the destruction of specific proteins. Our focus is on the impact that the (VACM-1/Cul-5) protein has on other proteins' expression and localization within human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). One of the proteins of interest to us is aquaporin-1 (AQP1). AQP1 is a water transporter that impacts cell growth and angiogenesis. To evaluate how the presence of VACM-1/Cul5 impacts AQP1, cells with and without the VACM-1/Cul5 gene are analyzed in the presence of increased vasopressin. VACM-1/Cul5 is knocked out of the …

Unveiling Sensory Gaps: A Study On Zebrafish Alanine Taste Blindness And The Consequential Neurotoxic Impact On Dopaminergic Neurons In Motor Regions, Samantha Groenwold, Mackenzie Korff

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by deficits in motor functions including loss of coordination and hypertonia. Dopaminergic (DA) neuronal death is found in the substantia nigra and reward centers of the brain in PD patients. Smell loss is also associated with patients with PD as DA neurons are found in the Olfactory Bulb (OB), the brain structure that processes odor signals. We use zebrafish as a model to study neurodegenerative diseases, including PD, as they can regenerate neurons throughout their lifespan. We have established a model to study DA loss in the zebrafish olfactory system. To do …

Identification Of Climate Change And Its Impact On Maize (Zea Mays L.) Production In Majalengka Regency, Ruminta, Maysix Lumbantobing, Fiky Yulianto Wicaksono

Jurnal Kultivasi

Maize is one of the multipurpose crop whose yields can be affected by climate change. Climate change includes increasing air temperature, increasing sea levels, and changes in rainfall can be a threat and cause a decrease in maize yields. This could be caused by climate change factors. This research aims to identify climate change and analyze the correlation between climate change and maize production in the Majalengka Regency. Maize plantations in the 26 sub-districts are still fluctuative. The method used in this research is quantitative descriptive using trend analysis and correlation. The data used include temperature, rainfall, harvested area, production, …

Successful Shoot Tip Grafting Of Cacao (Theobroma Cacao L.) Due To The Application Of Plant Growth Regulators On Various Concentrations, Wulan Kumala Sari, Nia Putri Utami

Jurnal Kultivasi

Cacao plays an important role in the Indonesia economy. Therefore, its production and area expansion have to increase to achieve maximum cacao productivity by the quality and superior cacao clones. Shoot tip grafting is one of the propagation methods to obtain superior cacao plants by applying Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs). Research on the effect of several PGRs with various concentrations on cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) shoot tip grafting was conducted at the Integrated Innovation Farmer Group, Belubus, Sungai Talang Village, Guguak District, Lima Puluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra from February until June 2022. This study aimed to determine the interaction …

The Effectiveness Of Different Formulations Of Glyphosate Herbicides Under Simulated Rainfall Conditions In Controlling Various Weeds, Syifa Fajriani, Denny Kurniadie, Uum Umiyati

Jurnal Kultivasi

Herbicide effectiveness is affected by herbicide formulation, rainfall, and weed type. Differences in glyphosate salt formulations and 2,4 D amine mixtures may result in variations in the herbicide's ability to wash off the herbicide due to rain. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of different glyphosate herbicide formulations under varying rainfall in controlling various weeds. The experiment took place in a controlled greenhouse environment, utilizing a split plot experimental design with four replications. The main plot was assigned to six different rainfall timings: 0 hours after application (HAA), 1 HAA, 2 HAA, 3 HAA, 4 HAA, …

Citdet, Jordan A. James, Heather K. Manching, Matthew R. Mattia, Kim D. Bowman, Amanda M. Hulse-Kemp, William J. Beksi

Computer Science and Engineering Datasets - Archive

The CitDet dataset is composed of images captured at the USDA Agricultural Research Service Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research Unit in Fort Pierce, FL, USA. Data was collected between October 2021 and October 2022. 579 images were captured from different sections of the orchard using the open-source application Field Book on Android tablets. While collecting images, we faced the camera in a portrait orientation directly centered on the tree of interest. All images were taken at the edge of the soil in the tree row to simulate a ground-based robot imaging the tree while moving between two rows of trees. …

Role Of Protein Kinase A And A Kinase Anchoring Proteins In Buffering And Compartmentation Of Camp Signalling In Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cells, Rinzhin T. Sherpa, Karni S. Moshal, Shailesh R. Agarwal, Rennolds S. Ostrom, Robert D. Harvey

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background and Purpose

In human airway smooth muscle (hASM) cells, not all receptors stimulating cAMP production elicit the same effects. This can only be explained if cAMP movement throughout the cell is restricted, yet the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) contribute to compartmentation of many cAMP responses, but PDE activity alone is predicted to be insufficient if cAMP is otherwise freely diffusible. We tested the hypothesis that buffering of cAMP by protein kinase A (PKA) associated with A kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) slows cAMP diffusion and that this contributes to receptor-mediated, compartmentalized responses.

Experimental Approach

Raster image …

Hormetic Modulation Of On Mtor Mitochondria Cross Talk For Mitigation Of Cellular Aging, Mahalakshmi R

Theses and Dissertations

Cellular aging is a gradual process involving structural and functional deterioration of cells. Mitochondria, the biological clock in cells, are known to play a crucial role in the progression of cell aging. According to the mitochondrial free radical theory of aging, oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria produces free radicals, such as, reactive oxygen species (ROS), which lead to oxidative stress in cells. This, in turn, results in mitochondrial dysregulation, and eventually causes degeneration of cellular components, thereby propagating cell aging. However, it is to be underscored that aging, at its core, is a multifaceted phenomenon that involves a number of …

Multivalency Of The Mdmx Acidic Domain Slims Use Different Binding Modes To Inhibit Mdmx And P53, Malissa Fenton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Regulation of protein binding through autoinhibition commonly occurs via interactions involving intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). These intramolecular interactions can directly or allosterically inhibit intermolecular protein or DNA binding, regulate enzymatic activity, and control the assembly of large macromolecular complexes. Autoinhibitory interactions mediated by protein disorder are inherently transient, making their identification and characterization challenging. In this work, we explore the structural and functional diversity of disorder-mediated autoinhibition for a variety of biological mechanisms, with a focus on the role of multivalency and effective concentration. We also discuss the evolution of disordered motifs that participate in autoinhibition using examples where sequence …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Dormant Season Grazing To Reduce Cheatgrass And Its Effect On Biodiversity, Curtis L. Drake

Theses and Dissertations

Invasion of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) into sagebrush steppe communities threatens the survival of these at-risk ecosystems. One tool available to combat cheatgrass invasion is dormant season grazing. This study investigates the effectiveness of dormant season cattle grazing to reduce cheatgrass abundance in two high-elevation sagebrush steppe communities in southeastern Idaho, as well as the impact of dormant season grazing on plant species biodiversity. Our experiment utilized a randomized complete block design with four grazing treatments – ungrazed, fall-grazed, spring-grazed, and a combination of spring- and fall-grazed. We used an ANOVA standard least squares procedure to determine differences in biodiversity …

Nutrient Transformations Based On Sampling Scheme And Cropping System Following Subsurface-Banded Poultry Litter, Amanda Ashworth, H. Amorim, P. A. Moore, T. A. Adams, C. Nieman, P. R. Owens

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Poultry litter (PL) is an excellent source of micro- and macronutrients. However, surface applications result in greater nutrient runoff and nitrogen loss via ammonia volatilization. Subsurface banding PL is a promising technology for combating these challenges, but scant information exists on proper soil sampling techniques and management recommendations for subsurface-applied PL. Therefore, objectives were to quantify the nutrient status based on sampling depth (0–15 cm and 15–30 cm) and schema (systematic [0, 3, 7, and 10 cm from PL bands] and composite) to develop subsurface PL recommendations per system (annual cropping and perennial pasture). Soil samples were collected during PL …

Non-Traumatic Osteonecrosis Of The Femoral Head Induced By Steroid And Alcohol Exposure Is Associated With Intestinal Flora Alterations And Metabolomic Profiles, Ming Ni, Guo-Qiang Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a severe disease that primarily affects the middle-aged population, imposing a significant economic and social burden. Recent research has linked the progression of non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (NONFH) to the composition of the gut microbiota. Steroids and alcohol are considered major contributing factors. However, the relationship between NONFH caused by two etiologies and the microbiota remains unclear. In this study, we examined the gut microbiota and fecal metabolic phenotypes of two groups of patients, and analyzed potential differences in the pathogenic mechanisms from both the microbial and metabolic perspectives.

METHODS: …

Growth And Yield Response Of Watani Wado Job's Tears (Coix Lacryma-Jobi L.) To The Application Frequency Of Phosphate Fertilizer And Paclobutrazol In Different Growing Seasons, Arifa Syahanna Mahdya, Rizka Farahdillah, Muhamad Kadapi, Tati Nurmala

Jurnal Kultivasi

Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) is a carbohydrate source functional food crop that can be developed as a substitute for rice. This study aims to determine the best application frequency of phosphate (P) fertilizer and paclobutrazol for supporting the growth and yield of job's tears in both rainy and dry seasons. The research was conducted from November 2021 - November 2022 at the Ciparanje research station and Laboratory Centre Universitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor, Sumedang. The experiment used a randomized block design (RBD) consisting of P fertilizer application frequency (once, twice, and thrice) and paclobutrazol application frequency (once, twice, and thrice) and …

Understanding The Mechanism Behind Hfip's Effect On Diastereomeric Separation Of Oligonucleotides, Ian Neidigh

Honors Theses

The goal of this research was to determine the mechanism behind 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol's (HFIP0 ability to suppress the separation of oligonucleotide diastereomers. This was accomplished by selecting different molecules that were like HFIP but differed in specific ways such as polarity, number and type of halogen(s), alcohol group location, carbon chain length, hydrophobicity, and chao/kosmotropicity. These molecules replaced HFIP in an IPRP chromatography method to determine if splitting of the diastereomers was observed and then they would becompared to HFIP's effect. Viscosity tests were to run to acquire quantitative data to determine chao/kosmotropicity. No decisive trend among a single factor was …

Heterogeneity And Plasticity Of The Naïve Cd4+ T Cell Compartment, Alia Sajani

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Recent studies have illuminated unexpected heterogeneity in the naïve T cell compartment. Using single cell RNA sequencing of mouse naïve CD4⁺ T cells, we identified 5 unique transcriptional subsets within the naïve CD4⁺ T cell compartment. These include a quiescence cluster (T^Q) marked by Klf2, Klf6, Jun and Btg2, a memory-like cluster (T^MEM) marked by Ccr7, Il7r and Tcf7, a TCR reactive cluster (T^TCR) marked by Cd5, Cd6 and Nr4a1, an IFN responsive cluster (T^IFN) marked by Stat1, Irf7 and Ifit1 and …

Seasonal And Species-Level Water-Use Strategies And Groundwater Dependence In Dryland Riparian Woodlands During Extreme Drought, Jared Williams, John C. Stella, Michael Bliss Singer, Adam M. Lambert, Steve L. Voelker, John E. Drake, Jonathan M. Friedman, Lissa Pelletier, Li Kui, Dar A. Roberts

Michigan Tech Publications

Drought-induced groundwater decline and warming associated with climate change are primary threats to dryland riparian woodlands. We used the extreme 2012–2019 drought in southern California as a natural experiment to assess how differences in water-use strategies and groundwater dependence may influence the drought susceptibility of dryland riparian tree species with overlapping distributions. We analyzed tree-ring stable carbon and oxygen isotopes collected from two cottonwood species (Populus trichocarpa and P. fremontii) along the semi-arid Santa Clara River. We also modeled tree source water δ18O composition to compare with observed source water δ18O within the floodplain to infer patterns of groundwater reliance. …

In Silico And In Vitro Study Of Isoquercitrin Against Kidney Cancer And Inflammation By Triggering Potential Gene Targets, Safia Iqbal, Md Rezaul Karim, Shahnawaz Mohammad, Jong Chan Ahn, Anjali Kariyarath Valappil, Deok-Chun Yang, Hyocheol Bae, Dong Uk Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Kidney cancer has emerged as a major medical problem in recent times. Multiple compounds are used to treat kidney cancer by triggering cancer-causing gene targets. For instance, isoquercitrin (quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside) is frequently present in fruits, vegetables, medicinal herbs, and foods and drinks made from plants. Our previous study predicted using protein-protein interaction (PPI) and molecular docking analysis that the isoquercitrin compound can control kidney cancer and inflammation by triggering potential gene targets of IGF1R, PIK3CA, IL6, and PTGS2. So, the present study is about further in silico and in vitro validation. We performed molecular dynamic (MD) simulation, gene ontology (GO), Kyoto …

Combined Deletion Of Men1, Atrx And Pten Triggers Development Of High-Grade Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors In Mice, Mary Esmeralda Fuentes, Xiaoyin Lu, Natasha M Flores, Simone Hausmann, Pawel K Mazur

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors that exhibit an unpredictable and broad spectrum of clinical presentations and biological aggressiveness. Surgical resection is still the only curative therapeutic option for localized PanNET, but the majority of patients are diagnosed at an advanced and metastatic stage with limited therapeutic options. Key factors limiting the development of new therapeutics are the extensive heterogeneity of PanNETs and the lack of appropriate clinically relevant models. In that context, genomic sequencing of human PanNETs revealed recurrent mutations and structural alterations in several tumor suppressors. Here, we demonstrated that combined loss of MEN1, …