Life Sciences Commons^™

The Acute Effects Of Incorporating Lower Limb Foam Rolling Into A Dynamic Warm Up For Men’S Soccer Player Aerobic Endurance And Muscular Power Performance, Grace Wunderlich, Madeline Walter, Amelia Bont, Alyssa Hettel

22nd Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2023)

Warming up before exercise increases muscle metabolism and reduces the risk of injury. Soccer players are prone to lower limb injuries, therefore a warm up that reduces injury and improves performance is ideal. Foam rolling is known to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, loosen muscle fascia, and promote blood flow to muscles when utilized post-exercise. As such, the inclusion of foam rolling in conjunction with a dynamic warm up prior to exercise may further reduce injury risk and optimize performance. However, current research has not examined the relationship between combining foam rolling with a dynamic warm up on exercise performance. …

Degeneration And Neurogenesis Following An Excitotoxic Focal Lesion To The Olfactory Bulb Of Zebrafish, Solange Fingleton, Alina Ciesielski

22nd Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2023)

Neurogenesis is the process of new neuron generation in the brain. Zebrafish have 16 different neurogenic sites, which allows for effective damage and lesion repair because of the ability to constitutively regenerate neurons. In zebrafish, the olfactory bulbs — part of the olfactory system – are highly regenerative and neurogenic. Our lab established a model of excitotoxic lesion (that targets glutamatergic neurons), and determined that the olfactory bulbs are structurally and functionally recovered. However, the processes of neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb following direct injury has not been studied. In this work, we use the same neurodegenerative model using an …

A Christian Framework For Competitive Sport, Owen Leibrock

22nd Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2023)

Christianity and competitive sport have a long history of interaction, oftentimes adversarial in nature. Yet in the last century and a half, Christians have embraced sport in such foundational ways that it is often now hard to imagine sport without certain Christian ideas and images. Competitive sport has taken on many forms and has been used in many ways both destructive and constructive. This wide range of Christian responses to sport throughout history begs the question: Does competitive sport truly fit within a framework of Christian ethics and values?

In order to answer this question, I will engage with theories …

Dopaminergic Synapse Loss In 6-Ohda Lesioned Zebrafish, Grace Stalions, Heather Van Dort, Gabriella Taylor

22nd Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2023)

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, and an early symptom of Parkinson's disease is olfactory dysfunction. A common animal model used in Parkinson's disease research is zebrafish because of their unique neuro-regenerative ability, which is particularly in their olfactory bulb. In order to create a model of the early stages of Parkinson's disease we injected zebrafish with the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) to induce the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the olfactory bulb. Olfactory system recovery post 6-OHDA injection has been recorded in previous literature, but the state of synaptic dopaminergic synapses post-injection has not …

Temporal Qualitative Analysis Of Former High School Athletes’ Exercise Satisfaction During Their Freshman Year Of College, Sophia K. Rosiek, Alec W. Kowalski, Adam H. Ibrahim

22nd Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2023)

Research studying the exercise behavior of retired athletes has discovered that former athletes have a more difficult time transitioning to life after sports. This comes as a surprise, as it is expected that athletes not only understand the benefits of exercise but also desire to remain physically active. Following their last competition, former athletes may feel lost without their sport holding them accountable to regular exercise. The extent of these former athletes' exercise behavior is not completely understood. Therefore, the objective of this study is to perform a qualitative analysis of survey responses aimed at further comprehending exercise behavior among …

A Comparison Of The Nike Vaporfly And Nike Dragonfly’S Effect On Running Economy, Maggie Peckham, Aidan Jones, Taylor Truman, Anastasia Tucker

22nd Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2023)

The purpose of this study was to compare the oxygen consumption, stride rate, and stride length of highly trained distance runners wearing the Nike Vaporfly and Nike Dragonfly spikes while running at competitive speeds. Fifteen (6 men and 9 women) collegiate volunteers (aged 18-22) were recruited from Hope College’s Division III cross country team. Participants engaged in a total of 3 visits. On the first visit, all participants were familiarized with the testing protocol. For visits 2 and 3, a planned crossover was completed, and either the Vaporfly or Dragonfly was assigned for each participant to wear. All trials were …

Effect Of Delaying Hca Exposure On The Development Of Manic/Depressive Behaviors In Sprague Dawley Rats, Eden Comer, Rachel Mast, Natalie Olander, Mackenzie Williams

22nd Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2023)

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a neuropsychological disorder that is characterized by cyclical periods of depressive and manic behaviors. The Chase lab is focused on developing a reliable animal model for BD in order to characterize the critical neurophysiological and neurochemical changes that trigger BD. Previous studies in the lab have shown that daily injection of rat pups from postnatal day 3 through 19 (P3-P19) with homocysteic acid (HCA) leads to the development of a mixed manic and depressive state after puberty. These behaviors can be reversed by treatment with lithium and involve changes in gene expression in the prefrontal cortex …

The Chronic Effects Of A Stretching Program On Range Of Motion And Velocity Output Of An Overhand Throw In Collegiate Baseball Players, Keaton Hamilton

22nd Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2023)

Current acute stretching programs have been reported to increase shoulder range of motion (ROM) utilizing the cross-body stretch and the sleeper stretch but have not examined how this increase could affect throwing velocity in overhead athletes. Few methods have been found to increase throwing velocity with the exception of various weighted ball and strength training programs, often associated with high rates of injury. The aim of this study was to determine if a nine week stretching protocol would result in improvements in shoulder ROM which may lead to an increase in overhand throwing velocity. It was hypothesized that a 9-week …

Creation Of An N-Terminal Xct Mutant Lacking Lysines For Use In Protein Turnover Studies, Alexandria Switzer

22nd Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2023)

xCT plays a role in protecting cells from oxidative stress as well as intracellular glutathione synthesis. If this process is impeded, reactive oxygen species accumulate in the cell, leading to cellular damage, and if left unchecked, it can lead to neuronal loss. Ubiquitin is a small protein that some evidence suggests can negatively affect the stress response pathway modulated by xCT, as well as induce cell death. It is hypothesized that ubiquitin binds to xCT on the N-terminal lysine residues, and there are six conserved lysines in the N-terminal domain at positions K4R, K12R, K30R, K37R, K41R, and K43R. Previous …

In-Situ Characterization Of Jatigede Local Roid Banana (Musa Spp.) Based On Morphological And Agronomical Characteristics, Ade Ismail, Vika Faraditha Pratiwi, Haris Maulana, Ichsan Nurul Bari, Yani Maharani, Fajar Maulana Wijaya Kusumah

Jurnal Kultivasi

Banana (Musa spp.) is one of the agricultural commodities that’s widely cultivated and used by the local community. Currently, only 101 types of local varieties of bananas are registered in Indonesia; one of them is the Roid banana from Jatigede District. Roid bananas grow wild without any mandatory special care. Continuous use without any conservation and preservation efforts can lead to scarcity of Roid banana germplasm as a genetic resource. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the distribution and diversity of Roid bananas through in situ exploration and characterization activities. This study aimed to identify the potential for genetic diversity …

Impact Of Community-Driven Interventions On Dietary And Physical Activity Outcomes Among A Cohort Of Adults In A Rural Appalachian County In Eastern Kentucky, 2019–2022, Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Emily M. Dewitt, Rachel Gillespie, Kathryn Cardarelli, Stacey Slone, Alison Gustafson

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Several environmental level factors exacerbate poor health outcomes in rural populations in the United States, such as lack of access to healthy food and locations to be physically active, which support healthy choices at the individual level. Thus, utilizing innovative place-based approaches in rural locations is essential to improve health outcomes. Leveraging community assets, like Cooperative Extension, is a novel strategy for implementing community-driven interventions. This prospective cohort study (n = 152), recruited in 2019 and surveyed again in 2020 and 2021, examined individual level changes in diet and physical activity in one rural Appalachian county. During this time, multiple …

The Science Of Baking Bread, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

Activity plan to teach biology and chemistry using a lesson on the baking of bread.

Fusarium Species Structure In Nebraska Corn, Yuchu Ma

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Fusarium species are known to infect corn and cause significant yield losses and mycotoxin contamination worldwide. In this study, we investigated the diversity of Fusarium species infecting corn in Nebraska and their potential to produce fumonisins and trichothecenes. A total of 259 Fusarium isolates were collected from different corn tissues (ear, stalk, and root), revealing a significant association between the various Fusarium species complexes and different plant parts (p < 0.05). Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC) was the most widespread and abundant, followed by the Fusarium sambucinum (FSAMSC) and Fusarium fujikuroi species complexes (FFSC). In the subsequent analysis, we investigated the mycotoxin …

Effects Of Benzyl Isothiocyanate And Papain On Parascaris Spp. Larval Embryonation, Moriah Wood

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Ascarids (Parascaris equorum and Parascaris univalens) are a common type of intestinal parasite found in foals. By the age of one year, most horses have built a natural immunity to Parascaris spp. However, Parascaris spp. are known to be the most pathogenic type of parasite in foals and can cause poor growth, weight loss, colic, and even death. Unfortunately, Parascaris spp. have developed resistance to most anthelmintic drugs. Prior studies have found promising results for the use of ground papaya seeds as a short-term anthelmintic. Further research has shown similar results when determining the effectiveness of compounds found in papayas, …

A Comparison Of Kid Goat Lipase And Microbial Lipase On The Development Of Cheddar Cheese Flavor, Reece H. Larsen

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Manufacturers continue to look for methods to save time in aging cheese. Complex reactions occur during cheese ripening that produce characteristic flavors and aromas. The addition of exogenous lipase enzymes is one accelerated ripening method that has been studied. Our objective was to document and compare the flavor profiles of cheddar cheeses created with either microbial lipase or animal lipase. Materials and Methods: The experiment followed a conventional formulation to create experimental batches of cheddar cheese. Kid goat lipase and three microbial lipase treatments were compared against a control. Other animal lipases were evaluated in preliminary research but were …

Consequences Of Environment And Loss On Maternal Behavior, Anxiety, Boldness, And Memory In Rats, Alayna Skye Palamar

Longwood Senior Thesis Proposal

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Study Of Food Behaviors In University Of Mississippi Students As They Relate To Nutrition Security, Bethany Selby

Honors Theses

Recent literature has demonstrated high rates of food insecurity in college students, with most estimates ranging from 30 to 40 percent. Additionally, the college diet is notoriously lacking in nutrition, and a large majority of college students do not meet the recommendations made by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Nutrition security, defined as an individual having consistent access, availability, and affordability of foods that promote wellbeing and prevent disease, addresses both of these issues.

This study, conducted in Spring 2022, used focus groups to examine food behaviors in a sample of majority undergraduate students at the University of Mississippi (n …

Mixing Regimes In A Cluster Of Seven Maar Lakes In Tropical Monsoon Asia, Milette U. Mendoza, Jaydan I. Aguilar, Karol Sophia Agape R. Padilla, Rey Donne S. Papa, Noboru Okuda

Environmental Science Faculty Publications

The 7 maar lakes of San Pablo are a cluster of small volcanic lakes on Luzon Island; Philippines. These lakes; which are heavily utilized for aquaculture and ecotourism; usually experience fish kills that coincide with the northeast monsoon (NEM). This study explores limnophysical processes; particularly mixing regimes; in the lakes in relation to prevailing monsoons. We monitored monthly vertical and seasonal profiles of water temperature; salinity; conductivity; and dissolved oxygen from October 2016 to December 2018. Three types of mixing regimes were observed among the lakes; which have similar surface areas but different depths: polymixis in the shallowest; warm monomixis …

Early Life Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure Of F0 Zebrafish Causes Hyperactivity In F1 Offspring, Jenna Cripe

Honors Theses

As cannabis increases in its accessibility, potency, and acceptance across the United States, investigation into the multigenerational effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure during key stages of development is critical. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there would be behavioral impacts in the F1 offspring following a dose-response of THC exposure (0.08, 0.4, or 1 µM) during development in the F0 generation. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) were utilized in this study. Behaviors (locomotive activity and anxiety-like behavior) in the F1 generation were evaluated at 120 hours post-fertilization (hpf) with the larval photometer response (LPR) assay, and at 3, 11, …

The Rna Cargo In Small Extracellular Vesicles From Chicken Eggs Is Bioactive In C57bl/6j Mice And Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Ex Vivo, Deborah Fratantonio, Javaria Munir, Jiang Shu, Katherine Howard, Scott R. Baier, Juan Cui, Janos Zempleni

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) and their RNA cargo in milk are bioavailable in humans, pigs, and mice, and their dietary depletion and supplementation elicits phenotypes. Little is known about the content and biological activity of sEVs in foods of animal origin other than milk. Here we tested the hypothesis that sEVs in chicken eggs (Gallus gallus) facilitate the transfer of RNA cargo from an avian species to humans and mice, and their dietary depletion elicits phenotypes. sEVs were purified from raw egg yolk by ultracentrifugation and authenticated by transmission electron microscopy, nano-tracking device, and immunoblots. The miRNA profile …

Effect Of Npk Fertilizer Dose And Ga3 Concentration On Growth, Yield, And Yield Quality Of Coix Lacryma-Jobi L. Var. Ma-Yuen From Ratoons, Tati Nurmala, Falih Ijlal Septian, Agus Wahyudin, Fiky Yulianto Wicaksono

Jurnal Kultivasi

Salah satu jenis serealia yang dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai sumber pangan alternatif adalah hanjeli (Coix lacryma-jobi L.). Tanaman hanjeli masih memiliki banyak kendala yaitu produktivitasnya masih rendah di Indonesia serta umurnya yang lama. Peratunan memiliki beberapa keuntungan diantaranya yaitu mengurangi biaya produksi, umurnya relatif lebih pendek dibandingkan tanaman utama, dan kebutuhan air lebih sedikit. Pemupukan dan pengaplikasian hormon giberelin diharapkan mampu meningkatkan pertumbuhan dan produksi hanjeli. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui interaksi pupuk NPK dan giberelin (GA3) terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman ratun hanjeli pulut. Percobaan ini dilaksanakan di Kebun Percobaan Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor, Kabupaten Sumedang, Jawa Barat pada …

Influence Of Metabolic Interventions On Animal Aging And Lifespan, Bhaswati Ghosh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Aging is associated with metabolic rewiring. Most lifespan-extending longevity interventions target metabolic pathways. Genetic or pharmacological metabolic approaches that mediate longer lifespan and healthspan, are often linked to detrimental effects on human health. Here, I show that supplementation of botanical extracts from Artemisia scoparia (SCO), dramatically increases animal lifespan. Mechanistically, this lifespan extension is dependent on AMPK-DAF-16 signaling via inhibition of the insulin pathway. In SCO-fed worms, longer lifespan was accompanied by higher fat storage and improved resiliency to age-related physiological stress. Notably, DAF-16, the master regulator of longevity, activated the fatty acid desaturation processes, which promoted the accumulation of …

Bayesian Adaptive Model Selection Design For Optimal Biological Dose Finding In Phase I/Ii Clinical Trials, Ruitao Lin, Guosheng Yin, Haolun Shi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Identification of the optimal dose presents a major challenge in drug development with molecularly targeted agents, immunotherapy, as well as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell treatments. By casting dose finding as a Bayesian model selection problem, we propose an adaptive design by simultaneously incorporating the toxicity and efficacy outcomes to select the optimal biological dose (OBD) in phase I/II clinical trials. Without imposing any parametric assumption or shape constraint on the underlying dose-response curves, we specify curve-free models for both the toxicity and efficacy endpoints to determine the OBD. By integrating the observed data across all dose levels, the proposed design …

The Abscopal Effect In Patients With Cancer Receiving Immunotherapy, Blessie Elizabeth Nelson, Jacob J Adashek, Steven H Lin, Vivek Subbiah

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Interest in the abscopal effect has been rekindled over the past decade with the advent of immunotherapy. Although purportedly elusive, this phenomenon is being increasingly reported. Venturing further using a multimodality approach with an array of systemic agents and unconventional modalities is direly needed. In this perspective, we describe the fundamentals of abscopal responses (ARs), explore combinations with systemic therapies that hold promise in eliciting ARs, and reconnoiter unconventional modalities that may induce ARs. Finally, we scrutinize prospective agents and modalities that exhibit preclinical ability to elicit ARs and discuss prognostic biomarkers, their limitations, and pathways of abscopal resistance for …

Antibody-Drug Conjugates For Multiple Myeloma: Just The Beginning, Or The Beginning Of The End?, Upasana Ray, Robert Z Orlowski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Multiple myeloma is a malignancy of immunoglobulin-secreting plasma cells that is now often treated in the newly diagnosed and relapsed and/or refractory settings with monoclonal antibodies targeting lineage-specific markers used either alone or in rationally designed combination regimens. Among these are the anti-CD38 antibodies daratumumab and isatuximab, and the anti-Signaling lymphocytic activation molecule family member 7 antibody elotuzumab, all of which are used in their unconjugated formats. Single-chain variable fragments from antibodies also form a key element of the chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) in the B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeted CAR T-cell products idecabtagene vicleucel and ciltacabtagene autoleucel, which are approved …

Antibody-Drug Conjugates For Multiple Myeloma: Just The Beginning, Or The Beginning Of The End?, Upasana Ray, Robert Z Orlowski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Multiple myeloma is a malignancy of immunoglobulin-secreting plasma cells that is now often treated in the newly diagnosed and relapsed and/or refractory settings with monoclonal antibodies targeting lineage-specific markers used either alone or in rationally designed combination regimens. Among these are the anti-CD38 antibodies daratumumab and isatuximab, and the anti-Signaling lymphocytic activation molecule family member 7 antibody elotuzumab, all of which are used in their unconjugated formats. Single-chain variable fragments from antibodies also form a key element of the chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) in the B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeted CAR T-cell products idecabtagene vicleucel and ciltacabtagene autoleucel, which are approved …

Antibody-Drug Conjugates For Multiple Myeloma: Just The Beginning, Or The Beginning Of The End?, Upasana Ray, Robert Z Orlowski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Multiple myeloma is a malignancy of immunoglobulin-secreting plasma cells that is now often treated in the newly diagnosed and relapsed and/or refractory settings with monoclonal antibodies targeting lineage-specific markers used either alone or in rationally designed combination regimens. Among these are the anti-CD38 antibodies daratumumab and isatuximab, and the anti-Signaling lymphocytic activation molecule family member 7 antibody elotuzumab, all of which are used in their unconjugated formats. Single-chain variable fragments from antibodies also form a key element of the chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) in the B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeted CAR T-cell products idecabtagene vicleucel and ciltacabtagene autoleucel, which are approved …

Serinc5 Restricts Hiv Membrane Fusion By Altering Lipid Order And Heterogeneity In The Viral Membrane, Amanda E Ward, Daria Sokovikova, Melvin Neal Waxham, Frederick A Heberle, Ilya Levental, Kandice R Levental, Volker Kiessling, Judith M White, Lukas K Tamm

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The host restriction factor, Serinc5, incorporates into budding HIV particles and inhibits their infection by an incompletely understood mechanism. We have previously reported that Serinc5 but not its paralogue, Serinc2, blocks HIV cell entry by membrane fusion, specifically by inhibiting fusion pore formation and dilation. A body of work suggests that Serinc5 may alter the conformation and clustering of the HIV fusion protein, Env. To contribute an additional perspective to the developing model of Serinc5 restriction, we assessed Serinc2 and Serinc5's effects on HIV pseudoviral membranes. By measuring pseudoviral membrane thickness via cryo-electron microscopy and order via the fluorescent dye, …

Soil Nutrient And Invertase-Producing Bacteria Relation Impact On Cilembu Sweet Potato (Ipomoea Batatas L.) Growth: A Study Based On Upland And Wetland Cultivation In Cilembu Village Sumedang District, Eso Solihin, Syaiful Anwar, Dwi Andreas Santoso, Budi Nugroho, Purwono, Rija Sudirja, Haris Maulana, Nadia Nuraniya Kamaluddin, Agung Karuniawan

Jurnal Kultivasi

Environment is one important factors that must be considered in supporting sweet potato productivity. Environmental factors can be biotic and abiotic, including the availability of nutrients and microbes in the soil. This study aimed to identify the nutrient content of the soil in paddy fields and dry fields, identify the total invertase microorganisms in paddy fields and dry fields, and identify the relationship between soil nutrients and microorganisms during the growth of Cilembu sweet potato in dry and paddy fields agroecosystems. This research was conducted on dry fields and paddy fields in Cilembu Village, Sumedang Regency. The experimental design used …

Feature Selection For Support Vector Regression Using A Genetic Algorithm, Shannon B Mckearnan, David M Vock, G Elisabeta Marai, Guadalupe Canahuate, Clifton D Fuller, Julian Wolfson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Support vector regression (SVR) is particularly beneficial when the outcome and predictors are nonlinearly related. However, when many covariates are available, the method's flexibility can lead to overfitting and an overall loss in predictive accuracy. To overcome this drawback, we develop a feature selection method for SVR based on a genetic algorithm that iteratively searches across potential subsets of covariates to find those that yield the best performance according to a user-defined fitness function. We evaluate the performance of our feature selection method for SVR, comparing it to alternate methods including LASSO and random forest, in a simulation study. We …