bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Validation of the antimicrobial activity of Nymphaea odorata extract.
Authors: Voellinger Jada Michelle , Horzempa Joseph 
Published: May 2022

We previously screened a library of nearly 4000 extracts of plants, marine life, and fungi from the National Center for Natural Product Research to identify compounds that exhibited antimicrobial activity. From this screen, Nymphaea odorata (Fragrant Water Lily) extract significantly inhibited the growth of Burkholderia cepacia (an opportunistic pathogen frequently associated with drug resistance). The objective of this project is to validate the antimicrobial activity exhibited N. odorata, extract and to isolate and identify the compound(s) responsible for this activity. For this project we conducted ethanol extractions on three different parts of the plant: the rhizome, roots, and stems. These antimicrobial properties of these extracts will be determined using drug resistant bacteria including B. cepacia, Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we will utilize the disk diffusion assays, time-to-kill assays, as well as a fluorescent live/dead staining to test for the presence of antimicrobial compounds.
Effect of Oxygen Concentration on Neisseria gonorrhoeae Susceptibility to Resazomycins
Authors: Rice Justin Cole , Young Emily , Cunningham Kailee , Schmitt Deanna M 
Published: May 2022

As pathogenic bacterial species are becoming more resistant to commonly used antibiotics, it is essential for new antibiotics to be developed. A family of resazurin (Rz)-based compounds, resazomycins, was discovered to be highly effective antimicrobials against Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) in vitro. However, when these compounds were tested in a mouse model of gonorrhea, only one resazomycin, resorufin pentyl ether (RPE), exhibited any therapeutic effect. These differences between in vitro and in vivo therapeutic efficacy may be due to differences in oxygen concentration. Most mammalian tissues exist at oxygen concentrations well below atmospheric levels, typically 2-5% instead of 20%. We hypothesized that decreased oxygen levels may confer resistance to resazomycins. To test this, we cultivated clinical isolates of Ng under different oxygen conditions and then determined the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of various resazomycins. The MIC of resazurin for the different Ng isolates were up to 4-fold higher under 2% oxygen than 20% oxygen suggesting oxygen levels affect susceptibility to resazomycins. No significant difference in the MIC of RPE was observed under the different oxygen concentrations consistent with RPE being the sole resazomycin having efficacy against N. gonorrhoeae. We also calculated the MIC of three non-resazomycin based antibiotics and saw that there was no significant difference in MIC at the two oxygen concentrations. Further investigation is needed to determine how Ng is becoming resistant to resazomycins under low oxygen conditions.
Microbiome associated with the Haustorium of Epifagus virginiana.
Authors: Lafferty Jasmine , Jimenez Esquilin Aida , Evans Desiree 
Published: May 2022

Epifagus virginana is a holoparsitic plant whose only host is the American Beech tree, Fagus grandifolia. Currently, little is known about the specific mechanism used by Epifagus to colonize the tree. It is thought that lignin-like or lignin degradation by-products are needed to signal the colonization process for other members of Orobanchaceae. Knowing that microbial communities that inhabit eukaryotic hosts can influence their function and development, we aimed to describe the microbial community structure of Epifagus, in particular the communities inhabiting the haustorium, (the organ used to parasitize). Using community-level physiological profiling, selective culture media, and metabarcoding we found that microbial communities in Epifagus haustorium were active and diverse and structurally similar to those from adjacent bulk soil in Fall (MRPP A= -0.004, p=0.509), but different in Summer (MRPP A= 0.169, p=0.003). Metabarcoding shows increase in the Rhizobiales, Betaproteobacteriales and Flavobacteriales in the haustorium associated soil compare to the beech tree bulk soil. We found that a larger number of endophytic isolates showed lignolytic activity compared to the haustorium associated microorganisms (HAMs). Finally, we were able to isolate bacterial isolates that use cellulose as their only carbon source. Altogether these findings lead us to further hypothesize that microbes associated with the haustorium could be involved in the production of the lignin-like haustorium inducing factors that are thought to facilitate the parasitism of other parasitic plants. These are, to our knowledge, the first published descriptions of the microorganisms inhabiting this holoparasite. Funding from the Appalachian College Association Ledford Scholars Program.
Resazomycins alter outer membrane protein expression in Francisella tularensis resulting in increased antibiotic susceptibility
Authors: Dodson Autumn Grace , Young Emily , Schmitt Deanna M 
Published: May 2022

A growing number of human pathogens are becoming resistant to most common antibiotics. Each year, antibiotic-resistant infections are responsible for 35,000 deaths in the United States and billions of dollars in health care costs. The development of new antibiotics is essential to combat this public health crisis. Our laboratory has identified a novel family of compounds based on the compound resazurin, known as resazomycins, that inhibit the growth of Neisseria gonorrhaeae and Francisella tularensis. The mechanism of action of these compounds remains unknown. We hypothesized that resazomycins disrupt the membrane integrity of N. gonorrhaeae and F. tularensis resulting in bacterial cell death. To test this hypothesis, we measured differences in inner and outer membrane protein expression of F. tularensis in the absence and presence of resazurin. Treatment with resazurin altered protein expression in the outer membrane of F. tularensis suggesting enhanced membrane permeability. Kirby Bauer assays were then performed to assess the susceptibility of F. tularensis to various detergents and antibiotics in the presence of sublethal concentrations of resazurin. Larger zones of inhibition were observed in the presence of resazurin suggesting increased antibiotic uptake due to perturbation of the outer membrane. Further investigation is needed to determine the exact target of resazomycins.
The West Virginia Science Public Outreach Team: Impacts of an Undergraduate STEM Outreach Program
Authors: Heatherly Sue Ann 
Published: May 2022

The WV Science Public Outreach Team is an undergraduate outreach program in WV. The primary goal of SPOT is to inspire K-12 students to consider STEM careers through engaging activities and presentations delivered by undergraduate students. All SPOT presentations feature research going on in the Mountain State. To ensure accessibility for rural, under-served, and underrepresented populations, SPOT offers all programming at little to no cost and provides materials for hands-on activities and AV equipment for presentations. By route of exposure to college role models, K-12 students begin to visualize themselves as future scientists and engineers while increasing their level of engagement in STEM education and new STEM topics. An equally compelling outcome is the professional development of the SPOT Ambassadors themselves. Through training, practice and implementation in K-12 classrooms, SPOT ambassadors gain valuable experience communicating complex science concepts to diverse audiences and develop confidence in public speaking. Through training and networking with STEM professionals, ambassadors gain access to STEM career opportunities. In this session we will explore the impact WV SPOT has on the professional development of STEM undergraduate students.
Pleistocene Vertebrates from West Virginia
Authors: Garton E. Ray , Grady Frederick 
Published: May 2022

RAY GARTON, Curator, WV Geological & Economic Survey Museum, Morgantown, WV 26508 and FREDERICK GRADY, Prehistoric Planet, Barrackville, WV. Pleistocene Vertebrates from West Virginia.

West Virginia was not glaciated but change due to the states proximity to Pleistocene ice sheets and interglacial warming had a dramatic effect on the flora and fauna of the state. Over 50 years of prospecting for and digging of sites resulted in the discovery of 130 species from 673 records in 104 localities, including 27 extinct species. Megafauna extinct genera include Mammuthus, mammoth, Mammut, mastodon, Megalonyx, sloth, Arctodus, bear, Platygonus, peccary, and Smilodon, saber tooth cat. Carbon-14 dating ranges from 11,350 to 51,650 YBP. NALMA dating of some fauna puts some sites at 400,000 to over 750,000 YBP..
Production of CD4+ T Cell Subsets in a Beta2-Adrenergic Receptor Knockout Stress Mouse Model during Chlamydia muridarum Genital Infection
Authors: Cook Kaitlyn , Belay Tesfaye 
Published: May 2022

Kaitlyn Cook*, Tesfaye Belay, Ph.D*., *Department of Applied Science and Mathematics, Bluefield State College, Bluefield WV 24701 Production of CD4+ T Cell Subsets in a Beta2-Adrenergic Receptor Knockout Stress Mouse Model during Chlamydia muridarum Genital Infection
Chlamydia is the most widely spread sexually transmitted disease, with more than one hundred million new cases occurring every year worldwide. Studies show the effect of stress promoting infection, but little is known about Chlamydia and the impact of stress. Cold-induced stress was used to simulate stress in mice to understand the relationship between the stress hormone norepinephrine (NE) and the immune system. This study aims to determine the role of beta2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) under stressful conditions during infection. We hypothesize the β2-AR suppresses T helper cell 1 (Th1) and promotes the production of Th2 cytokines. Following stressing, infection, sacrificing, and dissection of mice, the spleen, lymph node, and genital tract cells were proliferated for 72 hours. ELISA data for IL-13 concentration shows stressed knockout (KO) mice had 273.6pg/mL compared to stressed wildtype (WT) mice with 120.6pg/mL. Various treatment of CD4+ T cells resulted in production of TNF- α, ranging from 595pg/mL to 398.7pg/mL. Viability of CD4+ T cells treated with β2-AR agonist Fenoterol, and antagonist ICI 118,551 were analyzed. The viability of CD4+ T cells treated with NE was 70.7% in KO, compared to 69.1% and 70.2% for the agonist and antagonist, respectively. NE, Fenoterol, and ICI 118,551 treatment resulted in 72.2%, 83.6% and 84.4% respectively for WT. No significant difference is found between the agonist and antagonist. Chlamydia muridarum isolation from the genital tract of treatment groups is underway. The ELISA data implies that β2-AR mice restored increased production of protective cytokines more than their WT counterparts.
Thyroxine Metabolism in an Avian Model of Induced Thyrotoxicosis
Authors: Bogunovich Kirsten , Racine Holly , Gray Peri 
Published: May 2022

Craniosynostosis (CS) is the premature fusion of cranial sutures which leads to abnormal cranial structure and causes abnormal neurocognition and behavior. Maternal thyroid disorders are associated with incidence of CS in infants. However, the mechanism of TH-induced CS is still obscure. Thyroxine (T4) metabolism is regulated by the expression of deiodinases. Type I and type II deiodinases (DIO1 and DIO2) remove iodine from T4 producing active triiodothyronine (T3). Deiodinase III (DIO3) inactivates both T4 and T3. Our lab is establishing a model to study the effects of thyrotoxicosis induced CS using fertilized chicken eggs. Eggs were injected into the air cell with either saline or 25 ng T4 on days E11 and E15 of embryonic development. Heart rates were measured daily from EKG recordings and on E19, tissue samples were collected for qRT-PCR analysis. The main objective was to validate the induced state of thyrotoxicosis by evaluating negative feedback mechanisms of thyroid hormone regulation following exposure by measuring expression of DIO1 and DIO3 in embryonic livers. Since livers are the main site of metabolism, we hypothesize that levels of DIO3 will increase following thyroxine exposure. Results demonstrated a significant upregulation of DIO3 2 days after exposure and a significant downregulation 4 days following exposure. No significant differences were observed in DIO1 on any of the days after exposure. These results, along with correlating heart rates, support our model by of induced thyrotoxicosis by demonstrating the metabolism of thyroxine in response to our treatment regimen.

Acknowledgment of NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium (Grant #80NSSC20M0055) and the Genomics Core Facility and WV-INBRE (NIH grant P20GM103434).
STEAM Trek – The West Virginia Virtual STEM and the Arts Festival
Authors: Deana White  , Josh White  
Published: May 2022

West Virginia Alliance for STEM and the Arts (WV All STAR) has developed a free, web-based interactive game platform “STEAM Trek” which is now available to students, educators, parents, and the public. STEAM Trek currently promotes and shares the educational resources and opportunities of over 22 different organizations, institutions, individuals, student/educator teams, etc. from WV and beyond, and includes over 250 unique links (with plans to include more) to material including but not limited to virtual tours, lectures, student support material (e.g. career exploration and college readiness resources), activities, films, etc. Users are incentivized to explore and learn via free play and guided treks, earning virtual coins which can then be redeemed for virtual prizes to be used in fun ways in the game. WV All STAR considers STEAM Trek a “build in public” platform as it is being released with incentives for feedback from educators and students such that it can be improved to serve the users in the best way possible. STEAM Trek has been beta tested and revised per feedback from the Marshall University HATS STEAM Camp and attendees of the National Youth Science Camp in 2021, and was demonstrated at NASA Day at the Clay Center in 2022. Educators and learners can also contribute to the game by sharing their own created content as exemplified by the Poca High School coding classes’ contributions found in the Arcade portion of the game.
Phase wise assessment of COVID-19 related depression, anxiety, and stress level among patients in Herat city, Afghanistan - A descriptive study
Authors: Shayan Nasar Ahmad , Azizi Ahmad Tariq , Razaqi Nosaibah , Afzali Habibah , Neyazi Ahmad , Waez Hekmat , Noormohmmadi Morteza , Bhattacharya Sudip 
Published: May 2022

Background: COVID-19 affected not only people’s physical health but also their mental health too. The purpose of this study was to measure the level of depression, anxiety, and stress among COVID-19 patients before, during, and after being infected by the virus, living in Herat city of Afghanistan.
Methods: This descriptive study was conducted among COVID-19 patients between April 22th 2020 and August 20th, 2020 living in Herat Province of Afghanistan. Our sample size was 100. To measure the level of depression, anxiety, and stress, among the COVID-19 patients, the developed version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 42 (DASS-42) standard questionnaire was used.
Results: About 67% of participants were male and 14% of them were illiterate. Of all the participants in this study 12% of them used to smoke and 30% of them had a chronic disease accompanied. The result of this study shows that at the Start stage, 52.0% of the participants had a level of depression from mild to extremely severe. In the After stage only 10.0% of the participants had a level of depression from mild to severe. At the Start stage, 82.0% of the participants had a level of anxiety. At the End stage, 29.0% of the participants suffered a level of stress from mild to extremely severe.
Conclusion: Generally, the COVID-19 patients’ mental health was affected negatively due to the disease. After passing the COVID-19 disease and knowing the facts about the disease, the anxiety, stress, and depression level of patients caused by the disease were decreased.
Libertines and the Law
Authors: Horsley Adam 
Published: May 2022

Following the assassination of Henri IV in 1610, the political turbulence of Louis XIII's early reign led to renewed efforts to police the book trade. Yet it also witnessed a golden age of 'libertine' literature, including a plethora of sexually explicit and irreverent poetry as well as works of free-thinking that cast doubt on the dogma of Church and State. As France moved towards absolutism, a number of unorthodox writers were forced to defend themselves before the law courts. Part I offers a conceptual history of libertinism, as well as an exploration of literary censorship and the mechanics of the criminal justice system in this period. Part II examines the notorious trials of three subversive authors. The Italian philosopher Giulio Cesare Vanini was brutally executed for blasphemy by the Parlement de Toulouse in 1619. Jean Fontanier was burned at the stake two years later in Paris for authoring a text to convert Christians to Judaism. The trial of the infamous poet Théophile de Viau for irreligion, obscenity, and poems describing homosexuality was a landmark in French literary and social history, despite him eventually escaping the death penalty in 1625. Drawing from rarely explored sources, archival discoveries and legal manuals, it provides new insights into the censorship of French literature and thought from the perspectives of both the defendants and the magistrates. Through a diverse corpus including poetry, philosophical texts, religious polemics, Jewish teachings, and private memoirs, it sheds new light on this crucial period in literary, legal, and intellectual history.
Trajetórias formativas com pesquisas em gênero e sexualidade na educação
Authors: Soares Alexandre Gomes , Paraíso Marlucy Alves 
Published: May 2022

A entrevista realizada com a docente e pesquisadora teve como objetivo compreender suas trajetórias formativas com pesquisas em gênero e sexualidade no campo educacional e da saúde. Buscou oferecer elementos para problematizar os marcadores de gênero e de sexualidade e sua interface com as políticas públicas de inclusão social, com derivações que permitem pensar a transversalidade de gênero na formação inicial. Uma das perspectivas da pesquisadora no campo educacional é que a atividade de educar supõe processos de ensino e de aprendizagem: o que, quem e como ensinam e o que, quem e como se aprende, extrapolando, assim, as instituições de ensino e as salas de aula. A entrevista foi realizada no âmbito de uma atividade de pesquisa[i] de Pós-Doutoramento, na Faculdade de Educação da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.

[i] Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo geral analisar as percepções de docentes e discentes sobre gênero e sexualidade no currículo de Pedagogia na formação transversal na Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG).
Differences in college students’ occupational dysfunction and mental health considering trait and state anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Kusumoto Yasuaki , Higo Rieko , Ohno Kanta 
Published: May 2022

Background
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, university education has shifted from face-to-face classes to online and distance learning. Effects of exposure may manifest in terms of psychological, cognitive, or musculoskeletal impairments that affect an individual’s daily functioning and quality of life. There is a dearth of studies exploring anxiety states, occupational dysfunction, and mental health associated with the new standard of increased telecommunication. Accordingly, the present study aimed to identify the differences in occupational dysfunction, health literacy, positive and negative emotions, and stress response considering the anxiety states of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another purpose is to identify relationships among the parameters such as occupational dysfunction and mental health.

Methods
This cross-sectional study included 358 students (average age: 18.5 years, age range: 18–29 years). Five tools were used: the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Classification and Assessment of Occupational Dysfunction (CAOD), European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47), Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition (POMS-2), and Stress Response Scale-18 (SRS-18). Based on the cutoff value of state and trait anxiety of the STAI, the participants were classified into four groups and compared using one-way analysis of variance and multiple comparison tests. The relationship between all parameters was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

Results
The group with high trait anxiety and high state anxiety had the highest CAOD total score, Total Mood Disturbance score on the POMS-2, SRS-18 score, and scores on many sub-items of the three parameters. The prevalence of occupational dysfunction was 47% for university students, and there was a variation of from 19 to 61% in each group. The correlation coefficients of the state and trait anxiety scores of the STAI, Total Mood Disturbance score, and SRS-18 ranged from .64 to .75. Additionally, the correlation coefficient between the CAOD total score and these parameters ranged from .44 to .48.

Conclusion
The prevalence of occupational dysfunction was highest in the group with high trait anxiety and high state anxiety, and occupational dysfunction, negative emotions, and stress responses were strongest in this group. Our findings point to potential areas for targeted support and interventions.