bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analysis of disinfectant wipe effectiveness – an introductory microbiology lab?
Authors: Hunter Matthew , Roof Steven 
Published: May 2022

Determining the effectiveness of chemical germicides is a common laboratory exercise used in introductory microbiology course and examines the ability of disinfectants to kill 100% of a test organism. To make this more challenging for students we wanted a more quantitative approach and to make it more interesting we wanted to use commonly available disinfectant wipes. The goal was to develop and test a simple, inexpensive procedure that could be used in an introductory microbiology lab to quantitate the effectiveness of antibacterial wipes. Overnight cultures of S. epidermidis were spotted on glass slides and allowed to dry. Disinfectant wipes were placed over a small rubber stopper and used to “wipe” the slide by rotating 90 degrees with moderate pressure. After wiping the slide 100 µl of sterile water was applied to the slide, and immediately 50 µl was removed and serially diluted to determine the number of bacteria recovered from the slide. Multiple serial dilutions were tried to find a replicable procedure suitable for lab curriculum. Overall, the methods used showed results with rather inconclusive data and the techniques used to date would not be suitable for an introductory microbiology laboratory.
The Depths of Commonly Grafted Costal Cartilages for Use in Facial Reconstructive Surgery
Authors: Lynch Hannah 
Published: May 2022

Reconstructive surgery commonly employs grafted costal cartilages, but the appropriate cartilage to select is often a question of the volume of material necessary to shape the graft. However, there is little information regarding the depth (superficial-to-deep) of commonly grafted costal cartilages. Therefore, this cadaveric study sought to determine the average depth of the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th costal cartilages since these are the most commonly grafted cartilages. The cartilages were analyzed from medial, lateral, and intermediate locations, revealing that the thickest cartilage is found at the medial portion of the 6th cartilage while the thinnest cartilage is found at the medial aspect of the 8th cartilage. Average depth did not differ between cartilages near each respective rib, but the average thickness differed greatly near the sternum. Results support the assumption that any location along the 6th costal cartilage has, on average, a greater depth than any part of the 5th, 7th, or 8th cartilages.
Effects of diet on growth rates in Aleuropoda insignis.
Authors: Conley Ruth A. 
Published: May 2022

Aleuropoda insignis are a species of Madagascar Hissing Cockroach that typically live in colonies with males generating courtship calls (whistles or ‘hisses’, Comer & Conley 2016). Variability in individual courtship songs may be a factor in sexual selection within and between species of hissing cockroaches. Diet may influence effects of sexual selection since individuals in sparse populations may have to travel longer distances to find mates and may grow to a larger size (Kasumovic & Andrade 2006). To observe effects of diet on growth rates, Aleuropoda insignis were isolated from birth and put on one of three distinct diets. Ten individuals were fed a grain-based commercial cricket food, ten individuals were fed a corn-based commercial dog food and ten individuals were fed certified organic grain/corn/soybean-based human-grade food. Since social isolation may affect growth rate (simulating a sparse population), some animals were maintained in a colony and the growth rate of a representative sample individuals from the colony was calculated. Growth rate was calculated as the change in the area of the animals’ body over the number of days, measured from photographs. The data suggest a growth spurt at about 12 weeks of age across all diets. The average growth rate was lower for the corn-based dog food diet, but not significant (p<0.17); however a larger sample size may provide a significant difference. Differences in growth rates (or size) between colonial versus isolated animals may be insignificant since colonial species should not have to travel far to find mates. This work was funded in part by the Research Challenge Fund through a Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Grant from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Division of Science and Research
Development of a captive rearing protocol for two federally listed Central Appalachian crayfish species: Can it be done?
Authors: Delekta Emmy Michaela , Sadecky Nicole , Hern Tyler , Loughman Zachary 
Published: May 2022

Recently the USFWS listed two crayfishes, Cambarus callainus and Cambarus veteranus as threatened and endangered respectively. As part of the listing process, recovery of both species is now of paramount importance if the obligations of the ESA are to be met. Crayfish propagation under human care has been promoted as a critical action needed for the recovery of both species. While several aquaculture techniques have been developed for lentic living Procambarus species, methodologies specific to lentic living Cambarus species do not exists. We sought to begin the process of developing a captive rearing protocol for endangered Cambarus crayfishes by investigating forage type and its impact on growth. Cambarus chasmodactylus, an ecological equivalent for both imperiled crayfishes was used as a surrogate taxa. Ovigerous females were collected from the wild, and juveniles raised individually in PVC domiciles at the National Fish Hatchery at White Sulphur Springs West Virginia and fed commercial trout chow or blood worms, with growth tracked overtime via photographic measurements. Initial results indicate survival potential was high, and growth was strongly correlated with bloodworm diet over trout chow.
anti-Markovnikov Hydrobromination of Alkenes
Authors: Evans Tara S , Evans Kevin L 
Published: May 2022

Alkyl bromides are key intermediates in many multi-step organic syntheses and are commonly synthesized from the hydrobromination of alkenes. While both the Markovnikov and anti-Markovnikov product can theoretically be produced from either the electrophilic addition mechanism or the radical mechanism, the electrophilic addition mechanism produces predominately the Markovnikov product while the radical mechanism mainly produces the anti-Markovnikov product. The regiochemistry of this reaction is controlled by the absence or presence of radicals. The addition of UV radiation or peroxide results in radical formation which yields predominately the anti-Markovnikov product. To improve the synthesis of the anti-Markovnikov product, conditions need to be modified to favor the production of radicals over carbocations. The objective of this research is to develop an efficient synthesis of the anti-Markovnikov alkyl bromides by generating hydrobromic acid from the in situ hydrolysis of phosphorous tribromide with water. Increasing the amount of phosphorous tribromide increases both the percent conversion and percent yield of the anti-Markovnikov alkyl bromide from both 1-octene and undecylenic acid. Based on the data, 1-octene is consumed within 2 hours with percent conversion greater than 80% anti-Markovnikov product when an excess of phosphorus tribromide is used. A minimum ratio of 1.6 mmol of hydrobromic acid to undecylenic acid consumes all of the alkene with percent yields ranging from 80-100%.
Role of Francisella tularensis PhoH-Like Protein in Erythrocyte Invasion and Pathogenesis
Authors: Haggerty Kristen , Schmitt Deanna , Horzempa Joseph 
Published: May 2022

Francisella tularensis is the cause of the disease tularemia. This bacterium usually infects the host via arthropod bites. F. tularensis is able to invade mammalian erythrocytes which increases tick colonization following a blood meal. We hypothesized that bacterial genes involved in erythrocyte invasion would be upregulated in the presence of red blood cells. mRNA profiling experiments revealed that FTL_0885 was one of the most highly induced genes in the presence of erythrocytes. We initially attempted to generate deletion and disruption mutants of FTL_0885. However, these attempts were unsuccessful likely due to the proximity FTL_0885 to a neighboring essential gene. A transposon insertion mutation was available in the homolog to FTL_0885 in a related bacterium, F. novicida. F. novicida is not a human pathogen and its ability to invade erythrocytes is poorly characterized. Therefore, we are reconstructing this mutation in the F. tularensis LVS background so that we may study the effects of this gene on erythrocyte invasion. Also, because erythrocytes may contain cues important for pathogenesis, we also were interested in determining whether the FTL_0885 mutant is attenuated. To test this, the mutant bacteria will be evaluated for their ability to replicate in host macrophages in vitro. In addition, the chicken embryo infection model will be used to evaluate in vivo pathogenesis.
The Role of FOX-1 in FASD.
Authors: Quinones Tristan , Anthony Bruce 
Published: May 2022

It is well-known that abusive alcohol exposure in humans induces a wide range of defects including changes to the heart, liver renal function and central nervous system (CNS). In the CNS, repetitive exposure reduces stem cell and neuron numbers and function, in turn reducing the potential for neuroplasticity and altering limbic system signaling. Alcohol-exposed neuronal stem cells, show reduced proliferation and survival through cell cycle mis-regulation and induced cell death. Both the G1-S and the G2-M checkpoints are disrupted through variations in cyclin/cyclin dependent kinase activities. Our lab has demonstrated increased expression of transcription factor E2F1, CDK4/6, and retinoblastoma (Rb) which accelerates G1-S phase transition and inducing premature DNA synthesis. This acceleration into replication can induce apoptosis or hinder the success of the G2-M phase transition. FOXM1 has been demonstrated to regulate a set of genes that are mainly involved in regulating progression of G2-M phase. However, its mechanism and interaction with other proteins is unclear. Therefore, it was hypothesized that FOX-1 is notably upregulated in alcohol induced cells. This upregulation could potentially affect interactions with key regulatory protein that monitor DNA integrity and induce cell death. We examine FOXM1 expression through western blot and immunohistochemistry to determine the extent of mis-regulation. Our results indicate expressional and possible functional changes in FOX1 and potential regulation changes by RB that may induce apoptosis in alcohol induced neuronal stem cells.
Diversity of Monopyle within Columbia
Authors: Coombs Sara Brook , Keene Jeremy L 
Published: May 2022

The family Gesneriaceae is a group of herbaceous tropical plants that are identified generically by their attractive flowers. They are also well known for their variation in form and physical characteristics. The largest genus within the subtribe Gloxiniinae is Monopyle. Monopyle includes around one hundred species spanning from South America to Guatemala. The classification of species within Monopyle of Columbia needs further review to insure that species properly delimited. My research focuses on the description of Monopyle campanulata. This species will be compared to other species within this region using both morphological and molecular methods. The use of morphological characteristics such as petiole length, density of pubescence, corolla shape coupled with color, and calyx shape differences allow me to compare the phenotype of each species for separation. In addition to this, molecular studies will be performed to provide a separate objective dataset to insure the morphological differences are valid. These procedures will also allow me to identify any hybridization or cryptic speciation.
Effects of Seed Depth Emergence on Corn, Wheat, Lima, and Rapeseeds
Authors: Bright Cortney , Cook Rachel , Huggins Pamela 
Published: May 2022

When planting seeds for agricultural purposes, there is usually a range as to what depth the seed should be planted and if it will affect emergence. The objective of this study was to determine if the depth a seed is planted will have an impact on the emergence time, shoot length, root length, and subsoil shoot length. Corn, Lima, Wheat, and Rapeseeds were planted on the surface, at the low and high end of their optimum depth, and double the optimum depth. The seeds were kept moist and under 40-watt fluorescence F4T12 plant light. After the seed emerged, the time was recorded and the shoots were measured for 7 days. They were dug up from the soil and the sub-soil shoot was measured as well as the roots. I hypothesized that seed depth will have a direct correlation to emergence time as well as height of the shoots. Based on the results, there was a trend between the time it took the seeds to emerged and the depth the seeds were planted indicating it took longer for seeds to emerge when planted at deeper depths. There was a direct correlation to the depth of seed and the shoot height for each seed type. Some seeds did better than others at each depth. There was no correlation between root length and seed depth. Based on this data we can accept the hypothesis that that seed depth will have a direct correlation to emergence time as well as the height of the shoots.
The Utilization of Resazomycins in a Tularemia Infection Model.
Authors: Blackwell Colin Michael , Schmitt Deanna , Horzempa Joseph 
Published: May 2022

Francisella tularensis is a highly pathogenic bacterium that causes the disease tularemia. The pneumonic form of this disease is often lethal without treatment. This bacterium has been categorized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Category A Select Agent. Therefore, the development of novel therapeutics is essential to prepare society against potential bioterrorism. We previously showed that the compound resazurin exhibits antimicrobial activity against F. tularensis in vitro. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of resazurin-based antibiotics (resazomycins) in vivo. Therefore, we infected chicken embryos to model tularemia (this is an established surrogate for mammalian tularemia). Chicken embryos treated with resazurin and the reduced form of this compound, resorufin, did not show enhanced survival compared to the control-treatment groups. This indicated that although effective in vitro, these compounds were being inactivated in vivo. A separate study from our laboratory revealed that serum proteins can bind and inactivate resazurin and resorufin. Modification of this compound to pentoxyresorufin (RPE) resulted in a resazomycin with efficacy in the presence of serum proteins. Therefore, chicken embryos were infected with F. tularensis LVS (live vaccine strain) and were treated with various doses of RPE or a vehicle. Results showed that various doses of RPE significantly enhanced the survival of the infected chicken embryos compared to those treated with the vehicle. This study indicates that resazomycins have potential for the treatment of tularemia.
Effect of Non-Uniform Coal Dust Distribution in a Gaseous-Dusty Premixed Environment on Flame Acceleration due to Wall Friction
Authors: Demir Sinan , Sezer Hayri , Bush Torli , Akkerman Vyacheslav 
Published: May 2022

While a premixed flame front would consume an unburnt matter with a constant speed SL, such a flame occurs extremely seldom in the reality, where flames are curved and characterized by another velocity, Sw, and it is oftentimes conventionally assumed that the ratio Sw/SL is proportional to the corrugated flame surface area scaled by the planar one. However, the thermal-chemical parameter SL may experience spatial and temporal variations; in particular, due to the combustible (coal) dust impurities. The present study initiates a systematic investigation of the influence of local variations of the thermal-chemical flame properties on the global flame dynamics. This particular work focuses on the effects of SL-variations on flame acceleration due to wall friction in a gaseous-dusty premixture. Specifically, we performed the computational simulations of the reacting flow equations, with compressible hydrodynamics and combustible coal dust particles incorporated into the original (gaseous) computational platform by replacing an “effective fluid” with the locally-modified, dust-induced flow and flame parameters. Keeping in mind a coalmine passage, we employed a channel with a large aspect ratio. Various spatial distributions of the coal dust concentration are studied, namely: homogenous, linear, cubic and parabolic. As a result, the similarity and differences in the evolutions of the flame shape and velocity have been identified for each distribution. It is shown that the non-uniform distributions may result in an extra distortion or a local stabilization of the flame front, which promotes or reduces the flame surface area, thereby facilitating or moderating flame acceleration due to wall friction.
Effect of dietary cholesterol and fatty acid on transcriptomes of intestinal cells in zebrafish (Danio rerio).
Authors: Francis Elizabeth Anne , Walters James W 
Published: May 2022

Absorption of dietary cholesterol into intestinal enterocytes takes place in the presence of other lipids such as triacylglycerides, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and fatty acids. To facilitate transport, non-esterified cholesterol, along with fatty acids and phospholipids, are formed into micelles in the lumen which interact with the brush border of enterocytes. The mechanism by which cholesterol is taken up by enterocytes remains unclear despite the discovery of key proteins involved in regulating cholesterol absorption (NPC1L1, ABCG5, ABCG8). This research investigates changes in gene expression in intestinal enterocytes using a zebrafish model. We fed 6dpf zebrafish larvae diets of a) 1% BSA, b) 1% BSA and 1mM OA, or c) 1% BSA, 1mM OA, and 1mM cholesterol for 3h. Intestinal tissue was dissected for RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis followed by RNA sequencing performed at the Marshall University Genomics Core Facility. Our experimental design allows us to distinguish between genes regulated by a specific dietary fatty acid versus those used when cholesterol is present. By identifying targets that are specifically involved in cholesterol uptake and processing we expect to find molecular targets for drug therapies to lower dietary uptake of cholesterol and hence, its impact on dyslipidemias. Acknowledgements: Supported by NIH Grant 2P20GM1.343_14 P1500699 to the West Virginia IDEA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence.
The Habitat Preferences of the Data Deficient, Cambarus spicatus
Authors: Aulick Riley W 
Published: May 2022

The Broad River Spiny crayfish, Cambarus spicatus, is endemic to the Broad River and some of its tributaries. Few life history studies of C. spicatus have caused the IUCN to list it as data deficient. The goal of this study was to determine the impacts of land development on the distribution of C. spicatus. In the summer of the 2017, the West Liberty University Crayfish Conservation Research Lab surveyed the Catawba watershed in North Carolina and the Broad and Saluda watersheds in South Carolina in search of C. spicatus. A standard protocol of ten seine hauls per riffle was implemented in one hundred and twenty-three streams. Dip nets were used in addition to seines to survey the banks of the streams. ArcMap, an application of ArcGIS, was utilized by adding layers such as land cover and a buffer around each collection area which provided land type percentages for each survey site. Six individuals from four sites in North Carolina and one individual from South Carolina were collected out of a total of one-hundred and twenty-three sites. According to the models, C. spicatus was least likely to be found in areas developed for agriculture and urban development. This study provides strong evidence that land development is negatively impacting C. spicatus distribution. Additional studies are needed throughout the species range to make a final determination that land development has a negative impact on C. spicatus.
Life History of Cambarus veteranus (Guyandotte River Crayfish); an imperiled West Virginia endemic
Authors: Sadecky Nicole Marie , McKinney Matthew , Loughman Zachary 
Published: May 2022

Cambarus veteranus Faxon, 1914 (Guyandotte River Crayfish), is an endangered, narrow endemic, residing in just two streams in the southern coalfields of West Virginia. A life history study was initiated for C. veteranus in Clear Fork of the Guyandotte River, Wyoming County, West Virginia to gather basic life history information needed for future conservation efforts. Monthly collections began June 2017 and will continue through June 2018. Two 400-meter stream reaches were designated as life history study sites with two different 100-meter sub-reaches sampled each month. Specimens, regardless of species, were collected, sexed, and molt stage determined. Preliminary results suggest an importance of water temperature on crayfish capture with December yielding considerably higher capture rates of C. veteranus relative to other species collected. Form I males are ever present and reach their highest density in early winter. Pre-glaired females reached their highest densities in October and December with glaired females present nearly every month. Thus far, a single ovigerous female has been found, bearing just two stage 4 juveniles. A molting event occurred between September and October with pre-molting individuals present in September and freshly molted individuals present in October. Providing life history information for C. veteranus will assist in conservation efforts and possible repatriation of C. veteranus in the future. Additionally, life history information for C. veteranus can be compared to closely related species that are often used as surrogates for C. veteranus in captive rearing studies.
Creating Chemistry Outcomes and Methods of Assessment: A Proposal
Authors: Serafin Juliana , Pauley Beth , Lewis Donna 
Published: May 2022

The curriculum at the University of Charleston (UC) is outcomes-based and is rooted in six Liberal Learning Outcomes (LLOs): Citizenship, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communications, Ethical Practice, and Inquiry. The LLOs are the skills, knowledge, and dispositions that enable UC graduates to be successful in their careers and beyond. These LLOs are integrated into the academic programs and students are assessed for competency at multiple levels (Foundational, Midlevel, and Advanced). In addition to the University-wide LLOs, UC graduates are also assessed on program-specific outcomes at the three levels. The Chemistry program has previously used a single rubric to evaluate all program outcomes at all levels. In Fall 2017, the Chemistry program revised the program outcomes as well as the assessment methods. The program outcomes now emphasize the four competencies needed by Chemistry graduates: accumulation of conceptual and specific knowledge, working safely in a laboratory to obtain meaningful results, planning experiments and carrying them out to create new knowledge, and analyzing data and communicating findings. These changes specifically addressed two missing links to the LLOs: Ethical Practice and Citizenship. A series of twelve assignments spanning the freshman-to-senior curriculum were designed for the program assessments. Four new rubrics were created, and two existing rubrics are being used to assess the new outcomes. The design of these outcomes and assessment tools, current results, and successes and failures are discussed.