Life Sciences Commons^™

Coming Face-To-Face With The Influence Of Priming And Attentional Bias On Perception Of Emotional Faces, Alyssa Stephens, Carole Scherling Phd

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Unconscious emotional facial priming may affect subsequent actions, thoughts, and feelings in individuals (LeMoult et al., 2012). Previous work has shown that positive and negative emotional priming leads to subsequent judgments of neutral faces as positive and negative, respectively (Fazio et al., 1986). Further, emotional engagement levels of approach (ex. happiness, anger) and withdrawal (ex: sadness) elicit different affective responses (Lang, 1977). The current study subliminally primed participants with a 3x4 image matrix, either presenting 12 positive approach (happy), negative approach (angry), or negative withdrawal (sad) faces for 200 ms. Each matrix was followed by a single neutral face image …

Generating Improved Rna Localization Reporters Using The U1hp-U1a System, Ryan Dannemiller, Rebecca Adams Phd

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Generating Improved RNA Localization Reporters Using the U1hp-U1A System

Ryan Dannemiller, Rebecca Adams, PhD. Belmont University, Nashville, TN.

Messenger mRNA (mRNA) is genetic material that is used to bridge between DNA in the nucleus and protein-making machinery in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. The processes of transcription and translation are physically separated, so the localization of mRNA dictates whether the encoded protein can be generated. In order to observe the localization of specific transcripts in response to stimuli, tools are needed to track location of mRNA. For example, in response to heat shock and ethanol stress, most mRNA is retained …

Protein Engineering Of A Spectroscopic Probe Into Malate Dehydrogenase (Mdh), Equoia S. Gibson, Mary E. Ludwig, Olivia H. Thompson, Genevieve M. Woods, Ella M. Young

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) is an enzyme that has a key role in biological processes, like the Krebs cycle. Specifically, it reversibly catalyzes the interconversion of (S)-malate with NAD+ to oxaloacetate and NADH. Once oxaloacetate is synthesized, MDH dispatches it to citrate synthase, but it is not clear how this happens. One theory is that MDH channels it to citrate synthase by forming a metabolon, a mechanism for direct channeling, preventing diffusion of reaction intermediates into a bulk matrix. There is a lack of research in this area due to the absence of a spectroscopic probe necessary to visualize MDH’s conformational …

Smokejumper Obituary: Grenager, Lyle Quinn (Missoula 1949), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4f Promotes A Reorientation Of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 3 Binding On The 5 And The 3 Utrs Of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus Mrna, Paul Powell, Usha Bhardwaj, Dixie Goss

Publications and Research

Viral mRNAs that lack a 5 m 7 GTP cap and a 3 poly-A tail rely on structural elements in their untranslated regions (UTRs) to form unique RNA-protein complexes that regulate viral translation. Recent studies of the barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) have revealed eukaryotic initiation factor 3 (eIF3) plays a significant role in facilitating communication be- tween its 5 and 3 UTRs by binding both UTRs simultaneously. This report uses in vitro translation assays, fluorescence anisotropy binding assays, and selective 2 -hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer ex-tension (SHAPE) footprinting to identify secondary structures that are selectively interacting with eIF3. …

Exploring Interactions Between Arkansas Urban Producers: Social Networks And Modes Of Information Seeking, Catherine E. Sanders, Don W. Edgar, Casandra K. Cox, Leslie D. Edgar

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The purpose of this study was to explore the social networks and interactions between urban producers in Arkansas through a social network analysis. Using a mixed-methods approach, the current study collected data about participants’ social network interactions and methods of seeking information for urban farming. Results indicated how and where participants preferred to obtain information, peer-to-peer interactions within the network, and key players or opinion leaders in the network. The methods used in the current study may serve as an example of social network articulation for populations without a formal network to assist with outreach to communities potentially underserved by …

Trophic Ecology Of A Dominant Mesopredatory Fish Family (Alepisauridae) In The Western North Atlantic Revealed By Stomach Content And Stable Isotope Analysis, Ellyn Willse

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The mesopelagic zone of the ocean is gaining increased notice due to its potential for commercial value and the lack of knowledge of its ecosystems. Lancetfishes, Alepisaurus spp., are large mesopelagic predators and common bycatch species in commercial fishing operations that potentially play a role in connecting epipelagic and mesopelagic waters and may be a source of carbon from near the surface to the mesopelagic. While little is known about the behavior and biology of Lancetfishes, they share many food sources, and are themselves a food source for important commercial fisheries species such as tuna and swordfish. This study examines …

High Level Of Persister Frequency In Clinical Staphylococcal Isolates, Sarita Manandhar, Anjana Singh, Ajit Varma, Shanti Pandey, Neeraj Shrivastava

Faculty Publications

Staphylococcus aureus is a notorious human pathogen that causes often lethal systemic conditions that are mostly medical device associated biofilm infections. Similarly, coagulase negative staphylococci are emerging as leading pathogen for nosocomial infections owing to their ability to form biofilm on implanted medical equipment. Chronic in nature, these infections are difficult to treat. Such recalcitrance of these infections is caused mainly due to the presence of persister cells, which exhibit transient yet extreme tolerance to antibiotics. Despite tremendous clinical significance, there is lack of studies on persister cells formation among clinical bacterial isolates. Considering the importance of factors influencing persister …

Data For Dancing, Joseph D. Birch, James A. Lutz, Justine Karst

Browse all Datasets

Fungal communities can influence the productivity, composition, and survival of trees through cycling nutrients, providing resources, and altering pathogens. Thus, shifts in fungal communities could impact forests by altering interactions between trees and their environments. Fungal community composition may be shaped by stochastic and deterministic processes such as dispersal-limitation, environmental filtering, and partner specificity between trees and fungi. For tree species with large geographic ranges, we expect fungal assembly processes to change with environmental variation across the range of the tree partner. Due to specificity between trees and symbiotic fungi, we expect deterministic to outweigh stochastic processes in root compared …

Fast Photochemical Oxidation And Footprinting Of Proteins Via Trifluoromethyl Radical Chemistry, Elaine Morrow

Honors Theses

Fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) is a useful tool in proteomics because of the ability for modifications to occur on the scale of microseconds which reduces the modifications to tertiary and quaternary structure allowing for more accurate labeling of the protein. Labels for FPOP are generated from various radicals in our experiments which include hydroxyl radicals and trifluoromethyl radicals. Hydroxyl radicals are easily generated by using an excimer laser (KrF laser, 248 nm) or a UV flash lamp (as a part of the Fox™ System) by the photolysis of hydrogen peroxide. Trifluoromethyl radicals, however, need hydroxyl radicals to be …

Racial Health And Productivity Inequalities In The United States, Elissia Vecere

Honors Theses

Across America, it is frequently seen that there are may differences by race in economic and social outcomes. This variability can be seen in judicial, social, and economic systems. The breakdown of economic systems presenting racial variability can be displayed via workplace statistics. There is a general discrepancy between the workplace statistics represented with Black and White employees. These differences frequently are blamed on the productivity and background education supplied by the employee upon being hired. However, the levels of variation across these two races varies minutely in comparison to the differences in wages supplied. When all factors are kept …

Exploring Models Of Local Food Procurement In Farm To Early Care And Education Programs, Dara Bloom, Kathryn Boys, Rebecca C. Shisler, Rebecca Dunning, Caroline Hundley, David Yates

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Volume 10, Number 2, Julie Fox, Donna J. Peterson, Scott Cummings

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

No abstract provided.

Black Carbon And Meteorological Parameters At Two Locations In Northern Mississippi, Ashton Swader

Honors Theses

Black Carbon, which is a component of fine particulate matter, is a known pollutant that has been linked to the development of several diseases including cardiovascular disease. This pollutant can be measured by taking samples of air within a certain region and analyzing them using a transmissometer. It is known that black carbon concentrations tend to be higher in urban areas when compared to rural areas within a region. Black carbon concentrations can also vary depending on certain meteorological parameters such as temperature and humidity. There were no current studies that analyze the air quality in northern Mississippi due to …

How Corrective Lens Choices Are Associated With The Self-Esteem Of College Students, Margaret Neenan

Honors Projects

If you wear glasses or contacts, which one do you wear more often, and why? How Corrective Lens Choices are Associated with the Self-Esteem of College Students is an observational study on 1) how corrective lens choices are associated with the self-esteem of college students, and 2) how do factors such as gender, ethnicity, finances, insurance, recreational and occupational use, or lens options recommended to a patient impact an individual’s choice of corrective lenses. The observational study shows that there is no significant difference in the self-esteem of college students who wore a specific corrective lens more often. However, research …

Bis-Cinnamamide Derivatives As Ape/Ref-1 Inhibitors For The Treatment Of Human Melanoma, Razan Alhazmi, Shirley Tong, Shaban Darwish, Elina Khanjani, Bharti Khungar, Swati Chawla, Zhonghui Zheng, Richard Chamberlain, Keykavous Parang, Sun Yang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Human malignant melanoma exhibits imbalances in redox status, leading to activation of many redox-sensitive signaling pathways. APE/Ref-1 is a multifunctional protein that serves as a redox chaperone that regulates many nuclear transcription factors and is an important mechanism in cancer cell survival of oxidative stress. Previous studies showed that APE/Ref-1 is a potential druggable target for melanoma therapy. In this study, we synthesized a novel APE/Ref-1 inhibitor, bis-cinnamoyl-1,12-dodecamethylenediamine (2). In a xenograft mouse model, compound 2 treatment (5 mg/kg) significantly inhibited tumor growth compared to the control group, with no significant systemic toxicity observed. We further synthesized compound …

A Study Into The Impact Of Screen Time On Student Gpa, Mia Brown, David Santos, Akeisha Belgrave

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

With advances in technology, the use of computers has become a common habit for most college students. Recent studies show that the amount of time spent on those devices can affect their grades. (Class Project)

A Study Into The Ownership And Care Of Animals Among The Hu Community, Amir Khan, Akeisha Belgrave

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

My project involves understanding the animal care routines of persons in the HU Community. (Class Project)

Biochemical Analysis Of Biofilm Formation In Response To Changes In Concentrations Of D-Alanine, Jasmin Cruz, Akeisha Belgrave, Erica Ward

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

This project involves the biochemical analysis of biofilm formation in response to changes in concentration of D-alanine. I hypothesized that an increase in D-alanine concentration increases the ability for cells to make more cross-links, which increases the viability of bacteria allowing them to make more biofilms. The experiment done showed no significant difference in cell density between four treatment conditions. (Independent Research)

Using Mycelium To Bioremediate Environments Damaged By Acid Mine Drainage, Michael Lazar, Jacquelyn Maddox

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a major source of environmental contamination around areas that were once utilized by the mining industry, and does not have many pragmatic remediation solutions. Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium has been previously tested and shown to be able to biosorb a variety of heavy metals into its mycelial tissue. This project utilized P. ostreatus mycelium as a novel and natural approach to bioremediate acid mine drainage. There were two experiments: one proof-of-concept experiment and one situational experiment that used stream mesocosms. (Project II)

Polydactyly In Cats, Rosa Benson, Cassie Morris, Leaha Mancuso, Bernardo Mesa

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

Polydactyly is a genetic condition in which a cat is born with more than the typical number of toes. It is a dominant genetic mutation and is fairly common in cats. (Class Project)

Reday Poster, Bryant University

Bryant REDay (Research and Engagement Day)

No abstract provided.

Keynote Speaker Poster, Bryant University

Bryant REDay (Research and Engagement Day)

No abstract provided.

Computational Analysis Of Myxococcus Xanthus Gliding Motility With Varying Cellular Growth Rate, Laura Batista, Akeisha Belgrave

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

This project focuses on determining the effects of varying growth rates on bacteria motility. Cell growth has been shown to affect peptidoglycan biosynthesis, interacting indirectly with the motility complex that spans across the bacteria. This complex adheres to the external surface via focal adhesion complexes that exert a mechanical force to push the cell forward. Affecting bacteria growth rate, affects peptidoglycan biosynthesis, & should therefore affect M. xanthus motility. (Independent Research)

The Effects Of Paclitaxel On Cellular Migration And The Cytoskeleton, Ashley Salguero-Gonzalez

Thinking Matters Symposium

In a clinical setting, some patients are exposed to an anti-cancer chemotherapy agent, paclitaxel. Cancerous cells undergo rapid, continuous cell division without control. Chemotherapy treatments try to slow and stop the uncontrollable cell division cycles and eliminate cancerous cells in the process. Paclitaxel serves as a treatment for some types of cancers, including lung, melanoma, bladder, and esophageal. Because it targets the cytoskeleton, paclitaxel can also influence cell migration. This project utilizes a cellular migration assay and an immunohistochemistry assay to analyze the effects of paclitaxel on the movement of cells and on the cytoskeleton of neuroglia rat cells with …

Land Use Effects On Fish Assemblages In Mississippi River Tributaries In Scott County, Ia And Rock Island County, Il, Benjamin Ford, Kevin Geedey

Urban Watershed Project

Fish assemblages are viable indicators of stream quality because they respond predictably to changes in abiotic and biotic factors, such as habitat and water quality, and human exploitation and species additions. In this a study we examined the relationship between fish abundance, diversity, and IBI (Index of Biotic Integrity), and urban and agricultural land use in Scott County, IA and Rock Island County, IL. Fish were sampled during the summer of 2021 within 12 local watersheds, which contain a variety of land use types. We followed a standardized sampling method of a single pass with a backpack electrofishing unit through …

Laurier Biology Departmental Seminars Poster Colouring Book (Vol 1), Tristan A.F. Long

Biology Faculty Publications

Departmental seminar posters are largely utilitarian affairs – who is talking?, when are they speaking?, where is the seminar? (and maybe will there will be refreshments served?). While functional, they often fail to capture the beauty and excitement of their subject matter, and may fail to engage a wider audience. As the organizer of the Wilfrid Laurier University Department of Biology seminar series in 2014, on a lark, I started drawing posters that tried to illustrate our speaker’s research in a non-conventional manner, and hopefully appeal to those that might otherwise find attending a departmental seminar intimidating. Little did I …

Public School Nurse To Student Ratios: Does It Affect Absenteeism?, Laura Beth Hobbs

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The demands for adequate nursing workloads in public schools have increased with special needs children in Arkansas. School nurses are a necessary component of student academic achievement and physical well-being. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects that nurse-to-student ratios have on absenteeism by providing a convenience sample questionnaire to Arkansas K-12 public school superintendents. The questionnaire has examined the relationship between school nurse ratios and school absentee numbers. A four-question survey was sent out to 233 Arkansas K-12 public schools using a QuestionPro survey. Superintendents were asked about their school district numbers for the 2020-2021 school …

Transforming The “Great Resignation” Into The “Great Attraction”, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel

Cornhusker Economics

Businesses of all types are scrambling to hire people, especially those that work on the frontline with customers - from healthcare to hospitality to retail and everything in between. This is resulting in an incredibly tight labor market across the nation. Some are calling this time “The Great Resignation” which refers to the more than 19 million workers - and counting - that have quit their jobs since April 2021. Logic would say that if people are resigning in record numbers that there should be a lot of employees out there to hire, but that is not the case. It …

Volume 13, Payton Davenport, Audrey Lemons, Jacob Shope, Haley Smith, Cassandra Poole, Rachel Cannon, Rachel Boch, Suzanne Stetson

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction Dr. Roger A. Byrne, Dean

From the Editor Dr. Larissa “Kat” Tracy

From the Designers Rachel English, Rachel Hanson

The Effect of Compliment Type on the Estimated Value of the Compliment by Payton Davenport, Audrey Lemons, and Jacob Shope

The Imperial Japanese Military: A New Identity in the Twentieth Century, 1853–1922 by Haley Smith

Longwood University’s campus: Human-cultivated Soil has Higher Microbial Diversity than Soil Collected from Wild Sites by Cassandra Poole

Reminiscent Modernism: Poetry Magazine’s Modernist Nostalgia for the Past by Rachel Cannon

Challenges Faced by Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Preliminary Study of Age and …