Life Sciences Commons^™

Let's Get Serious About It: Plastic-Free Campus Initiative, Geoffrey Kain, Camdyn Doucette, Regan Bossie

Sustainability Conference

On February 23, 2022, the UN agreed to start negotiating a world-first global treaty on plastic waste--since nearly 200 nations unanimously agreed to move toward a legally binding plastics treaty by 2024. In 2019 the UN Environmental Programme report highlighted that "our world is drowning in plastic." As with the climate change crisis (to which plastics production and disposal are also linked), the data resoundingly illustrate the imminent systemic threat that disposable plastics pose to the world's seas, freshwater sources, soils, food supply, air, and species. Nevertheless, plastics production is predicted to rise dramatically over the next 20 years, with …

Landscapes Are Cornerstones Of Sustainability Programs, Don Spence

Sustainability Conference

Typical American landscapes are not sustainable in an economic or biological framework. The essence of the idea of sustainable growth and development are centered on the idea that those activities are not degrading natural resources or that they are outstrip budgets. A significant piece of any sustainable management plan is tied to how we manage our landscapes, how we use plants; specifically, how much grass there is, and how many native plants there are. Sustainable landscapes should require less chemical and financial inputs, which in the end, saves money and increases the biological value of the land and creates a …

Casein Kinases Are Required For The Stability Of The Glucose Sensing Receptor Rgt2 In Yeast, Danny Bloor

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Molecular Cloning Of Genes From The Bacteriophage, Phayonce, Kelly Walsh

Undergraduate Research Competition

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria, and have one of the most vast and diverse global populations of all biological entities. Despite this immense population size, the roles, and functions of individual phage genes within their genome, are widely unknown. The first, and one of the most important steps, toward elucidating the function of a phage gene, is molecular cloning. Because gene expression is easily influenced by other genes, it is essential to isolate and clone each individual gene into a plasmid expression vector. Once a single gene insert is cloned into a plasmid, we can introduce the …

Commercially Geneticizing Race, Ethnicity, And Nation: The Implications Of The Discourse Surrounding Commercialized Genetic Tests On Identity, Kiara Jacoby

The Compass

No abstract provided.

The Bigger They Are: Relationships Between Body Height And Mass With The Body Drag Task In Law Enforcement Recruits, Robert G. Lockie, J. Jay Dawes, Robin Marc Orr, Joseph Dulla

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(4): 570-584, 2022. California law enforcement recruits must perform a body drag before they graduate academy. While this task may be challenging for smaller recruits, no research has analyzed height and body mass relationships with the body drag. Data from 643 recruits (542 males, 101 females) who completed the drag in the final weeks of academy were analyzed. The recruits lifted a 74.84-kg, 1.73-m tall dummy and dragged it 9.75 m as quickly as possible. Independent samples t-tests compared the sexes; partial correlations controlling for sex detailed relationships between height and body mass with …

How Do Site Characteristics Of Arkansas River Sandbars Affect Potential Predators Of Interior Least Tern Nesting Colonies?, Carice N. Godbey, Tom Nupp

ATU Scholars Symposium

Causes of colony failure in interior least terns (Sternula antillarum antillarum) have been a prevalent topic for researchers investigating this previously endangered species. How site features of their Arkansas River sandbar habitats may factor into the frequency or types of tern predators, however, is unknown. I am interested in identifying which characteristics of sandbars may result in higher frequencies of predator encounters for colonies and which predator species are involved. I used a trio of on-foot colony, site characteristic, and trail camera surveys from the summer 2020 and 2021 nesting seasons for my investigation. This exploratory analysis used …

Two Magnaporthe Appressoria-Specific (Mas) Proteins, Momas3 And Momas5, Are Required For Suppressing Host Innate Immunity And Promoting Biotrophic Growth In Rice Cells, Ziwen Gong, Na Ning, Zhiqiang Li, Xin Xie, Richard Wilson, Wende Liu

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

In the devastating rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, six Magnaporthe appressoria-specific (MAS) proteins are encoded by MoGAS1, MoGAS2 and MoMAS3–MoMAS6. MoGAS1 and MoGAS2 were previously characterized as M. oryzae virulence factors; however, the roles of the other four genes are unknown. Here, we found that, although the loss of any MAS gene did not affect appressorial formation or vegetative growth, ΔMomas3 and ΔMomas5 mutant strains (but not the others) were reduced in virulence on susceptible CO-39 rice seedlings. Focusing on ΔMomas3 and ΔMomas5 mutant strains, we found that they could penetrate …

Interlimb Asymmetries Differ Between Bilateral And Unilateral Countermovement Jump, Meghan Rea

2022 Student Academic Showcase

Measuring interlimb asymmetries is an important when evaluating injury risk and rehabilitation in athletes. PURPOSE: To compare the magnitude of interlimb asymmetries when performing a bilateral and unilateral CMJ. METHODS: Twenty-three female collegiate lacrosse athletes volunteered for this study. Athletes performed three bilateral CMJ and three unilateral CMJ using each leg. Data from the two jumps with highest height was averaged. Interlimb asymmetries were calculated as percent interlimb difference: (100/(maximum value)*(minimum value)*-1+100). RESULTS: Unilateral CMJ height revealed an average 12.2 ± 9.7% interlimb difference. Asymmetries were significantly different between CMJ styles when measuring peak breaking force, average breaking force, and …

Hamstring To Quadriceps Ratio In Female Collegiate Lacrosse Players, Lindsey Smith

2022 Student Academic Showcase

Decreased hamstrings strength relative to quadriceps strength (H:Q) is a potential risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. PURPOSE: To determine the H:Q at varying angular velocities in female collegiate lacrosse athletes. METHODS: Twenty-three female collegiate lacrosse athletes volunteered for this study. Concentric peak torques were utilized to determine H:Q for both legs by isokinetic dynamometry at 60°/s, 180°/s, and 300°/s. RESULTS: There was no significant interaction for H:Q between legs at different angular velocities. There was a significant main effect for angular velocity. CONCLUSION: Hamstrings peak torque relative to quadriceps increases significantly across all angular velocities in female …

Isolation Of Antibiotic Producing Bacteria From Local Soil, Sihlelelwe Joy Dlamini, Paige Julius

2022 Student Academic Showcase

Dr. Bewick and I have partnered with the Small World Initiative to transform our Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology lab into an authentic Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). Our students are isolating bacteria from soil and testing to see if they produce antibiotics. The students haven't finished collecting data yet, so I am submitting this "dummy" abstract in place of their real abstract. The students are going to vote as a class on April 5 as to who should present at the SAC. We talked to Dr. Bagley earlier in the semester and she said this would be fine. …

Cngpld: Case-Control Copy-Number Analysis Using Gaussian Process Latent Difference, David J H Shih, Ruoxing Li, Peter Müller, W Jim Zheng, Kim-Anh Do, Shiaw-Yih Lin, Scott L Carter

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

MOTIVATION: Cross-sectional analyses of primary cancer genomes have identified regions of recurrent somatic copy-number alteration, many of which result from positive selection during cancer formation and contain driver genes. However, no effective approach exists for identifying genomic loci under significantly different degrees of selection in cancers of different subtypes, anatomic sites or disease stages.

RESULTS: CNGPLD is a new tool for performing case-control somatic copy-number analysis that facilitates the discovery of differentially amplified or deleted copy-number aberrations in a case group of cancer compared with a control group of cancer. This tool uses a Gaussian process statistical framework in order …

A Generalist–Specialist Trade-Off Between Switchgrass Cytotypes Impacts Climate Adaptation And Geographic Range, Joseph D. Napier, Paul P. Grabowski, John T. Lovell, Jason Bonnette, Sujan Mamidi, Maria Jose Gomez-Hughes, Acer Vanwallendael, Xiaoyu Weng, Lori H. Handley, Min K. Kim, Arvid R. Boe, Philip A. Fay, Felix B. Fritschi, Julie D. Jastrow, John Lloyd-Reilley, David B. Lowry, Roser Matamala, Robert B. Mitchell, Francis M. Rouquette, Yanqi Wu, Jenell Webber, Teresa Jones, Kerrie Barry, Jane Grimwood, Jeremy Schmutz, Thomas E. Juenger

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Polyploidy results from whole-genome duplication and is a unique form of heritable variation with pronounced evolutionary implications. Different ploidy levels, or cytotypes, can exist within a single species, and such systems provide an opportunity to assess how ploidy variation alters phenotypic novelty, adaptability, and fitness, which can, in turn, drive the development of unique ecological niches that promote the coexistence of multiple cytotypes. Switchgrass, Panicum virgatum, is a widespread, perennial C4 grass in North America with multiple naturally occurring cytotypes, primarily tetraploids (4×) and octoploids (8×). Using a combination of genomic, quantitative genetic, landscape, and niche modeling approaches, we detect …

A Diverse Flea (Shiponaptera) Assemblage From The Small Mammals Of Central New Mexico, Dianne Esther Peterson

Biology ETDs

The geographical ranges of many mammals and their associated parasites are dynamic. Comprehensive documentation of these communities over time provides a foundation for interpreting how changing environmental conditions, driven by accelerating climate change, other anthropogenic disturbances, and natural events may influence host-parasite interactions. Fleas (Order Siphonaptera) are obligate, hematophagous parasites of birds and mammals with medical interest due to their role in transmitting pathogens. From 2016 to 2019, we sampled the small mammal and associated flea communities in El Malpais National Conservation Area (El Malpais) in Cibola County, New Mexico. Among 898 mammalian specimens, 925 fleas representing 29 species were …

Analysis And Identification Of Lipolytic Bacterial Species For The Degradation Of Wastewater Lipids, Lindsay C. Smoak

Honors College Theses

The aim of this study was to isolate native bacterial strains from the wastewater treatment facilities of Statesboro, GA to identify their lipolytic activities. Obtained bacterial strains were further assessed via morphological and biochemical methods to determine their enzymatic capabilities. Use of the detergent Tween-20 in growth mediums was the first criteria to assess lipase activity, and these isolates were further investigated to quantitatively measure lipase presence and activity. Lipase protein was precipitated and dialyzed to perform a lipase activity assay, followed by Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate–Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to confirm the presence of the lipolytic enzymes. Sanger sequencing was …

Investigation To Discover Antibiotic Producing Soil Bacteria, Sophia Juliana, Joscelyn White, Sydney Mcash

2022 Student Academic Showcase

Dr. Bewick and I have partnered with the Small World Initiative to transform our Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology lab into an authentic Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). Our students are isolating bacteria from soil and testing to see if they produce antibiotics. The students haven't finished collecting data yet, so I am submitting this "dummy" abstract in place of their real abstract. The students are going to vote as a class on April 5 as to who should present at the SAC. We talked to Dr. Bagley earlier in the semester and she said this would be fine. …

Antibiotics Isolated From Soil, Aryan Hudson, Anna Arauz

2022 Student Academic Showcase

Dr. Bewick and I have partnered with the Small World Initiative to transform our Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology lab into an authentic Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). Our students are isolating bacteria from soil and testing to see if they produce antibiotics. The students haven't finished collecting data yet, so I am submitting this "dummy" abstract in place of their real abstract. The students are going to vote as a class on April 5 as to who should present at the SAC. We talked to Dr. Bagley earlier in the semester and she said this would be fine. …

Workloads Of Collegiate Female Lacrosse Athletes During A Division Ii National Championship Season, Paige Sutton

2022 Student Academic Showcase

There is a paucity of data on workloads in collegiate female lacrosse players. PURPOSE: Determine internal and external workloads of collegiate female lacrosse players. METHODS: Heart rate (HR), perceived exertion, and GPS data were analyzed from 19 collegiate female lacrosse players throughout an entire National Championship season. RESULTS: Except for average HR (p=0.494), workload variables were significantly less during training compared to games. Average practice duration was shorter than average gameday duration (p

Assessment Of Skeletal Muscle Characteristics In Female Collegiate Cheer Athletes, Amy Meyers, Esther Duncan, Blair Besancenez, Claire Gruenke, Petey Mumford

2022 Student Academic Showcase

PURPOSE: To examine training modalities and muscle architecture characteristics between legs in collegiate cheer athletes. METHODS: Thirteen female collegiate cheer athletes (19 ± 1 years, 164.3 ± 6.8 cm, 63.0 ± 10.2 kg) were assessed for anthropometrics, a survey to assess type of training outside of cheer practice, and B mode ultrasound on both legs during a single visit. All ultrasound images were analyzed at 50% of the vastus lateralis for muscle thickness (MT), pennation angle (PA), and fascicle length (FL). RESULTS: Type of exercise training outside of practice counts: endurance (2), resistance (2), mixed (6), and do not train …

Assessing Collegiate Esports Players, Nicholas Andrews, Petey W. Mumford

2022 Student Academic Showcase

Little is known about the training habits and supplementation practices by collegiate Esports players. Supplements are widely used in the United States and in 2021 eighty percent of the adult population used dietary supplements (1). Additionally, supplement use is also high among athletes where one meta-analysis in 1994 showed that of the 10,274 male and female athletes surveyed 46% of the college athletes and 59% of the elite athletes used dietary supplements (2). With this information it is interesting to ponder if a similar percentage of college Esports athletes are using supplements. However, to date there has been no investigation …

Wellness Review 2021, Part 2, Brian A. Ferguson, Martin Huecker

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: This article presents Part 2 of the biannual JWellness Review of literature from 2021 (July – December). We emphasize new science and resilience initiatives published outside of JWellness that seek understanding of burnout and thriving among healthcare professionals (HCPs).

Methods: For the interval of July 1 to December 30, 2021, PubMed was queried for empirical and observational research studies, review articles, guideline summaries, letters, and editorials. Of 93 results, we reviewed methods and salient points to arrive at a final list of 48 articles for inclusion.

Literature in Review: Common themes that emerged included teamwork, EMR optimization, group decompression, …

Can We Use Antipredator Behavior Theory To Predict Wildlife Responses To High-Speed Vehicles?, Ryan B. Lunn, Bradley Blackwell, Travis L. Devault, Esteban Fernández-Juricic

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Animals seem to rely on antipredator behavior to avoid vehicle collisions. There is an extensive body of antipredator behavior theory that have been used to predict the distance/time animals should escape from predators. These models have also been used to guide empirical research on escape behavior from vehicles. However, little is known as to whether antipredator behavior models are appropriate to apply to an approaching high-speed vehicle scenario. We addressed this gap by (a) providing an overview of the main hypotheses and predictions of different antipredator behavior models via a literature review, (b) exploring whether these models can generate quantitative …

Implementation Of A Genome-Wide Survey Of Induced Mutations To Identify Agronomically Valuable Variants In Chenopodium Quinoa, Andrew Alarcon Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Quinoa has been utilized for millennia in the Andes region of South America as a nutritious and hardy food crop. In recent years interest in quinoa has grown as need increases for an alternative to traditional cereal crops that can tolerate marginal environments while offering superior nutrition. Growers outside the Andes have experienced several complications adopting quinoa, including undesirable secondary metabolites, poor yield, lodging, and height inconsistency. Unfortunately, access to native ecotypes for crop improvement is limited, and desirable traits are difficult to introduce into available quinoa cultivars because of its allotetraploid genome and tendency to self-pollinate. A genome-wide survey …

The Interplay Between Hydrogen Sulfide And Phytohormone Signaling Pathways Under Challenging Environments, Muhammad Saad Shoaib Khan, Faisal Islam, Yajin Ye, Matthew Ashline, Daowen Wang, Biying Zhao, Zheng Qing Fu, Jian Chen

Faculty Publications

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) serves as an important gaseous signaling molecule that is involved in intra- and intercellular signal transduction in plant–environment interactions. In plants, H₂S is formed in sulfate/cysteine reduction pathways. The activation of endogenous H₂S and its exogenous application has been found to be highly effective in ameliorating a wide variety of stress conditions in plants. The H₂S interferes with the cellular redox regulatory network and prevents the degradation of proteins from oxidative stress via post-translational modifications (PTMs). H₂S-mediated persulfidation allows the rapid response of proteins in signaling networks …

Distinct Molecular And Immune Hallmarks Of Inflammatory Arthritis Induced By Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors For Cancer Therapy, Sang T Kim, Yanshuo Chu, Mercy Misoi, Maria E Suarez-Almazor, Jean H Tayar, Huifang Lu, Maryam Buni, Jordan Kramer, Emma Rodriguez, Zulekha Hussain, Sattva S Neelapu, Jennifer Wang, Amishi Y Shah, Nizar M Tannir, Matthew T Campbell, Don L Gibbons, Tina Cascone, Charles Lu, George R Blumenschein, Mehmet Altan, Bora Lim, Vincente Valero, Monica E Loghin, Janet Tu, Shannon N Westin, Aung Naing, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Noha Abdel-Wahab, Hussein A Tawbi, Patrick Hwu, Isabella C Glitza Oliva, Michael A Davies, Sapna P Patel, Jun Zou, Andrew Futreal, Adi Diab, Linghua Wang, Roza Nurieva

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are associated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including arthritis (arthritis-irAE). Management of arthritis-irAE is challenging because immunomodulatory therapy for arthritis should not impede antitumor immunity. Understanding of the mechanisms of arthritis-irAE is critical to overcome this challenge, but the pathophysiology remains unknown. Here, we comprehensively analyze peripheral blood and/or synovial fluid samples from 20 patients with arthritis-irAE, and unmask a prominent Th1-CD8

Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation For Large B-Cell Lymphoma With Secondary Central Nervous System Involvement, Serkan Akin, Chitra Hosing, Issa Khouri, Sairah Ahmed, Amin Alousi, Nathan Fowler, Jacinth Joseph, Jonathan Truxillo, Jeremy L Ramdial, Farzaneh Maadani, Gabriela Rondon, May Daher, Jin S Im, Raphael Steiner, Jason Westin, Swaminathan P Iyer, Bouthaina Dabaja, Paolo Anderlini, Uday R Popat, Muzaffar H Qazilbash, Christopher R Flowers, Elizabeth Shpall, Richard E Champlin, Yago Nieto, Samer A Srour

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Secondary central nervous system large B-cell lymphoma (SCNSL) is rare, with a generally poor prognosis. There is limited data about the role of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in these high-risk patients. We explored in this study treatment outcomes and prognostic factors for patients with SCNSL who underwent ASCT. We included all consecutive patients who underwent ASCT at our institution. Primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). One-hundred two patients were identified. Median age at transplant was 56 (range, 21-71) years. With a median follow-up of 56 (range, 1-256) months, the median PFS and OS were 40 …

Quadruped Gait And Regulation Of Apoptotic Factors In Tibiofemoral Joints Following Intra-Articular Rhprg4 Injection In Prg4 Null Mice, Daniel S. Yang, Edward E. Dickerson, Ling X. Zhang, Holly Richendrfer, Padmini N. Karamchedu, Gary A. Badger, Tannin A. Schmidt, Alger M. Fredericks, Khaled A. Elsaid, Gregory D. Jay

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Camptodactyly-arthropathy-coxa vara-pericarditis (CACP) syndrome leads to diarthrodial joint arthropathy and is caused by the absence of lubricin (proteoglycan 4—PRG4), a surface-active mucinous glycoprotein responsible for lubricating articular cartilage. In this study, mice lacking the orthologous gene Prg4 served as a model that recapitulates the destructive arthrosis that involves biofouling of cartilage by serum proteins in lieu of Prg4. This study hypothesized that Prg4-deficient mice would demonstrate a quadruped gait change and decreased markers of mitochondrial dyscrasia, following intra-articular injection of both hindlimbs with recombinant human PRG4 (rhPRG4). Prg4^−/− (N = 44) mice of both sexes were injected with rhPRG4 …

Suicide Risk And School Related Stressors In Veterinary Students, Deanna Arnold

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Compared to the general population of the United States, veterinarians are at an increasingly higher risk for suicide. This is commonly associated with stressful work environments, long work hours, poor work-life balance, client demands and complaints, and large amounts of euthanasia procedures. While many studies have been performed to confirm the above statements, few to no studies have been done on students currently enrolled in veterinary school to assess their mental health. This study will survey graduate school students in this field and will evaluate their mental health state and risk factors towards suicide. Through comparing the results of this …

Characterization Of A Putative Serine-Threonine Kinase In Cryptococcus Neoformans, Joshua Sparks

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Binding Affinities Of Bpa Derivatives To The Human Estrogen Receptor: Utilization And Assessment Of Autodock Vina, Luke Newman

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic