Pub Date : 2023-08-22DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i3.1020
Allen Parks
Noether’s theorem is used to identify a conservation law for the quantum mechanical pointed weak energy. Under this law the pointed weak energy is a constant of the motion and leads to simple expressions for the correlation amplitude between and probability for an associated evolving quantum state and the state at a previous initial time.
{"title":"A Pointed Weak Energy Conservation Law via Noether's Theorem","authors":"Allen Parks","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i3.1020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i3.1020","url":null,"abstract":"Noether’s theorem is used to identify a conservation law for the quantum mechanical pointed weak energy. Under this law the pointed weak energy is a constant of the motion and leads to simple expressions for the correlation amplitude between and probability for an associated evolving quantum state and the state at a previous initial time. \u0000 ","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"136 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73752379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-13DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i3.976
Haidyn DePinho, Thomas Saladyga
Appalachian riverscour woodlands are intermittently flooded areas along high-energy rivers characterized by exposed bedrock and poorly developed sandy soils, high plant diversity, and scattered and stunted trees. These sites can be negatively impacted by dam construction and alterations to river hydrology, trampling associated with riverside recreation activities, and non-native species. In West Virginia, little is known about the development of riverscour woodlands or the growth and hydroclimate sensitivity of associated tree species. In this exploratory study, our objectives were to evaluate our ability to crossdate riverscour woodland trees (i.e., assign accurate calendar years to annual growth rings) as well as determine stand structure and tree establishment patterns at one site along the New River in Fayette County, West Virginia. In addition, for two species, Ulmus americana and Diospyros virginiana, we examined annual growth trends and relationships between tree growth and monthly hydroclimate, including streamflow, precipitation, and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). Seventy-three percent of all ring-width measurement series were crossdated, but results were mixed across species. Most trees were less than 50 years old and no trees established before the late 1940s. Both U. americana and D. virginiana were highly sensitive to April–August hydroclimate, but differed in response to previous year moisture availability. These findings provide new direction for the use of riverscour woodland trees in future dendroecological studies.
{"title":"Dendroecological Potential of Appalachian Riverscour Woodland Trees","authors":"Haidyn DePinho, Thomas Saladyga","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i3.976","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i3.976","url":null,"abstract":"Appalachian riverscour woodlands are intermittently flooded areas along high-energy rivers characterized by exposed bedrock and poorly developed sandy soils, high plant diversity, and scattered and stunted trees. These sites can be negatively impacted by dam construction and alterations to river hydrology, trampling associated with riverside recreation activities, and non-native species. In West Virginia, little is known about the development of riverscour woodlands or the growth and hydroclimate sensitivity of associated tree species. In this exploratory study, our objectives were to evaluate our ability to crossdate riverscour woodland trees (i.e., assign accurate calendar years to annual growth rings) as well as determine stand structure and tree establishment patterns at one site along the New River in Fayette County, West Virginia. In addition, for two species, Ulmus americana and Diospyros virginiana, we examined annual growth trends and relationships between tree growth and monthly hydroclimate, including streamflow, precipitation, and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). Seventy-three percent of all ring-width measurement series were crossdated, but results were mixed across species. Most trees were less than 50 years old and no trees established before the late 1940s. Both U. americana and D. virginiana were highly sensitive to April–August hydroclimate, but differed in response to previous year moisture availability. These findings provide new direction for the use of riverscour woodland trees in future dendroecological studies.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81052391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-19DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.1014
Y. Panta, W. Church
The conservation of energy, mass, and momentum are three governing laws of physics that are regularly uttered in teaching engineering courses. Mechanical energies in the form of kinetic and potential forms are the most common forms of energy in dynamics. Fluid flow energies relating to pressure, velocity, elevation, fluid friction, pump, and turbine are covered in fluid dynamics. In thermodynamics course, the first law deals with heat energy and work that can alter internal energy in a system. In all these courses, the conservation of energy states that the amount of energy remains constant, that means that energy is neither created nor destroyed but transferable from one form to another, keeping the total energy same within a fixed domain. Students are initially exposed to energy balance equation in their first Thermodynamics course. In this course, emphasis is placed upon those parameters of specific interest related to energy to this subject. We attempted to tie the concepts of the energy balance equation through 1st Law in thermodynamics to those emphasized in Fluid Mechanics. This was accomplished by taking the students from the starting point of the thermodynamics’ first law for Energy Balance equation to the finished Fluid Mechanics’ Bernoulli’s equation. In the following semester, students were again taken through the process of converting the 1st Law of thermodynamics to Bernoulli’s equation of fluid mechanics. Direct and indirect assessments were then conducted to measure students’ understanding on the energy and its conservation. Through a series of questionnaire and their feedback, Students were found to be more knowledgeable in the conservation of energy through the synchronization of energy balance concepts in these two courses. This presentation is a part of work-in-progress project that we first presented at 2022 WVAS meeting.
{"title":"Synchronizing Teaching Resources of Energy Conservation Principle in Mechanical Engineering Courses- Year 2 Updates","authors":"Y. Panta, W. Church","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.1014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.1014","url":null,"abstract":"The conservation of energy, mass, and momentum are three governing laws of physics that are regularly uttered in teaching engineering courses. Mechanical energies in the form of kinetic and potential forms are the most common forms of energy in dynamics. Fluid flow energies relating to pressure, velocity, elevation, fluid friction, pump, and turbine are covered in fluid dynamics. In thermodynamics course, the first law deals with heat energy and work that can alter internal energy in a system. In all these courses, the conservation of energy states that the amount of energy remains constant, that means that energy is neither created nor destroyed but transferable from one form to another, keeping the total energy same within a fixed domain. Students are initially exposed to energy balance equation in their first Thermodynamics course. In this course, emphasis is placed upon those parameters of specific interest related to energy to this subject. We attempted to tie the concepts of the energy balance equation through 1st Law in thermodynamics to those emphasized in Fluid Mechanics. This was accomplished by taking the students from the starting point of the thermodynamics’ first law for Energy Balance equation to the finished Fluid Mechanics’ Bernoulli’s equation. In the following semester, students were again taken through the process of converting the 1st Law of thermodynamics to Bernoulli’s equation of fluid mechanics. Direct and indirect assessments were then conducted to measure students’ understanding on the energy and its conservation. Through a series of questionnaire and their feedback, Students were found to be more knowledgeable in the conservation of energy through the synchronization of energy balance concepts in these two courses. This presentation is a part of work-in-progress project that we first presented at 2022 WVAS meeting.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80342973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-19DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i3.947
Karmann G. Kessler, Karli M. Rogers, C. Marsh, N. Hitt
The response of stream ecosystems to climate change will depend in part on groundwater processes that reduce the sensitivity of streams to atmospheric conditions. We investigated the thermal sensitivity of streams across a gradient of groundwater inputs defined by karst terrain (carbonate parent materials) in the headwaters of the Potomac River basin in eastern North America. We collected stream temperature data and quantified thermal sensitivity for 30 sites from the relationship between daily mean water and air temperatures. Our analysis demonstrates that thermal sensitivity is lower for streams in karst terrain than elsewhere, and that the effect of karst terrain is more important than effects of elevation or basin size in this regard. Our study indicates the importance of karstic groundwater for stream thermal resiliency and suggests the importance of riparian vegetation for maintaining stream temperatures elsewhere. Our study also provides a simple and rapid method for climate change research that can be implemented in conjunction with watershed organizations and citizen science networks.
{"title":"Karst Terrain Promotes Thermal Resiliency in Headwater Streams","authors":"Karmann G. Kessler, Karli M. Rogers, C. Marsh, N. Hitt","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i3.947","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i3.947","url":null,"abstract":"The response of stream ecosystems to climate change will depend in part on groundwater processes that reduce the sensitivity of streams to atmospheric conditions. We investigated the thermal sensitivity of streams across a gradient of groundwater inputs defined by karst terrain (carbonate parent materials) in the headwaters of the Potomac River basin in eastern North America. We collected stream temperature data and quantified thermal sensitivity for 30 sites from the relationship between daily mean water and air temperatures. Our analysis demonstrates that thermal sensitivity is lower for streams in karst terrain than elsewhere, and that the effect of karst terrain is more important than effects of elevation or basin size in this regard. Our study indicates the importance of karstic groundwater for stream thermal resiliency and suggests the importance of riparian vegetation for maintaining stream temperatures elsewhere. Our study also provides a simple and rapid method for climate change research that can be implemented in conjunction with watershed organizations and citizen science networks.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"125 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85585121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-19DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.948
M. Richards-Babb
Timely, formative feedback is important for instructors and students. In this project, “embedded students” provided instructors with formative feedback through anonymized reports. Students enrolled in preparatory chemistry course sections in fall 2022 self-selected to submit reports documenting their ongoing experiences in learning chemistry content. Embedded students journaled about (i) hours devoted to the course; (ii) topic-specific content mastery, comfort, and confusion; and (iii) instructor pedagogy. An average of 108 reports per week were anonymized and shared with instructors. Instructor effort was limited to agreeing to receive the weekly reports, look them over, and potentially use them to inform upcoming teaching. Embedded students benefited by thinking about their learning in the class (metacognition) and focusing their learning for the upcoming week. Overall, 300 distinct students submitted 1,513 weekly reports, with overall means of 2.81 hours per week of self-reported time devoted to attending lecture, 4.75 hours per week of self-reported time engaged in additional study, and 7.56 hours per week of self-reported total time devoted to the course. Instructors reported reading over 87% of the reports and using feedback to make an average of 4.6 instructional adjustments ranging from working additional practice problems on difficult concepts, providing answer keys to extra problems, implementing problem-solving/review days, and reviewing difficult material or content from earlier in the course. Instructors indicated that the weekly reports contributed to “instructor beneficence”. Students “felt heard” especially when instructors explicitly and constructively addressed comments from the weekly reports. This work is partially supported by the NSF-funded First2 Network.
{"title":"Embedded student formative reporting to promote student metacognition and instructor pedagogical adjustments","authors":"M. Richards-Babb","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.948","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.948","url":null,"abstract":"Timely, formative feedback is important for instructors and students. In this project, “embedded students” provided instructors with formative feedback through anonymized reports. Students enrolled in preparatory chemistry course sections in fall 2022 self-selected to submit reports documenting their ongoing experiences in learning chemistry content. Embedded students journaled about (i) hours devoted to the course; (ii) topic-specific content mastery, comfort, and confusion; and (iii) instructor pedagogy. An average of 108 reports per week were anonymized and shared with instructors. Instructor effort was limited to agreeing to receive the weekly reports, look them over, and potentially use them to inform upcoming teaching. Embedded students benefited by thinking about their learning in the class (metacognition) and focusing their learning for the upcoming week. Overall, 300 distinct students submitted 1,513 weekly reports, with overall means of 2.81 hours per week of self-reported time devoted to attending lecture, 4.75 hours per week of self-reported time engaged in additional study, and 7.56 hours per week of self-reported total time devoted to the course. Instructors reported reading over 87% of the reports and using feedback to make an average of 4.6 instructional adjustments ranging from working additional practice problems on difficult concepts, providing answer keys to extra problems, implementing problem-solving/review days, and reviewing difficult material or content from earlier in the course. Instructors indicated that the weekly reports contributed to “instructor beneficence”. Students “felt heard” especially when instructors explicitly and constructively addressed comments from the weekly reports. This work is partially supported by the NSF-funded First2 Network.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82703917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-19DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.992
C. Gibson
To address the perpetual need for STEM education resources that foster an interest in scientific research, promote a positive public perception of science, and create an appreciation for the relevance of scientific data in decision-making, we developed a modular set of undergraduate laboratory exercises influenced by ongoing basic research towards elucidating the chemical composition of pure maple syrups. Maple syrup has garnered attention in the chemical literature due to the abundance of phenolic and antioxidant compounds that impart both flavor and therapeutic potential. These experiments feature liquid-liquid extraction techniques and instrumental analysis using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) as well as UV-visible spectroscopy. These lab modules can be adapted to different levels of technical rigor for use in courses designed for chemistry majors as well as those designed as introductory courses for nonmajors. Two versions of these exercises were implemented in the spring of 2023: one in a majors-level sophomore organic chemistry, and another in a 100-level food chemistry course. Learning outcomes were specified and survey data was collected from students to assess the ability of the exercises to facilitate student learning.
{"title":"Development of Undergraduate Teaching Laboratories in the Analysis of Maple Syrup Antioxidants and Phenolics","authors":"C. Gibson","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.992","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.992","url":null,"abstract":"To address the perpetual need for STEM education resources that foster an interest in scientific research, promote a positive public perception of science, and create an appreciation for the relevance of scientific data in decision-making, we developed a modular set of undergraduate laboratory exercises influenced by ongoing basic research towards elucidating the chemical composition of pure maple syrups. Maple syrup has garnered attention in the chemical literature due to the abundance of phenolic and antioxidant compounds that impart both flavor and therapeutic potential. These experiments feature liquid-liquid extraction techniques and instrumental analysis using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) as well as UV-visible spectroscopy. These lab modules can be adapted to different levels of technical rigor for use in courses designed for chemistry majors as well as those designed as introductory courses for nonmajors. Two versions of these exercises were implemented in the spring of 2023: one in a majors-level sophomore organic chemistry, and another in a 100-level food chemistry course. Learning outcomes were specified and survey data was collected from students to assess the ability of the exercises to facilitate student learning.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"78 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89834195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-18DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.954
Jessica S. Kellison, Elizabeth Rea, L. Robertson
Diverse fungi are abundant within soil communities and commonly found in association with many plant and tree species. This study investigates the culturable, airborne fungi found in the outside environment of the Shepherd University campus. Viable fungi were captured in two different locations on two different culture media, using the open plate method. Captured fungi were isolated and putative species identified by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene cassette. Due to insufficient sequence variability within the ITS region, most isolates could not be identified to species. 15 fungal isolates were identified to order, family, genus, or species complex: Dothideales (1 isolate), Didymellaceae (4 isolates), Aureobasidium (1 isolate), Cladosporium (1 isolate), Mucor (3 isolates), Nigrospora (1 isolate), Pestalotiopsis (2 isolates), and Penicillium (2 isolates), including Penicillium thiersii (1 isolate). These isolates are similar to those isolated from inside a teaching laboratory on the Shepherd University campus; Didymellaceae, Cladosporiaceae, and Penicillium fungi were isolated multiple times within the teaching laboratory. This research was supported by the Shepherd University Biology Department, a student fellowship from NASA-WVSGC (J. Kellison), and a research enhancement award from NASA-WVSGC (L. Robertson).
{"title":"Identification by DNA barcode of culturable, airborne, environmental fungi isolated from the Shepherd University campus","authors":"Jessica S. Kellison, Elizabeth Rea, L. Robertson","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.954","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.954","url":null,"abstract":"Diverse fungi are abundant within soil communities and commonly found in association with many plant and tree species. This study investigates the culturable, airborne fungi found in the outside environment of the Shepherd University campus. Viable fungi were captured in two different locations on two different culture media, using the open plate method. Captured fungi were isolated and putative species identified by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene cassette. Due to insufficient sequence variability within the ITS region, most isolates could not be identified to species. 15 fungal isolates were identified to order, family, genus, or species complex: Dothideales (1 isolate), Didymellaceae (4 isolates), Aureobasidium (1 isolate), Cladosporium (1 isolate), Mucor (3 isolates), Nigrospora (1 isolate), Pestalotiopsis (2 isolates), and Penicillium (2 isolates), including Penicillium thiersii (1 isolate). These isolates are similar to those isolated from inside a teaching laboratory on the Shepherd University campus; Didymellaceae, Cladosporiaceae, and Penicillium fungi were isolated multiple times within the teaching laboratory. This research was supported by the Shepherd University Biology Department, a student fellowship from NASA-WVSGC (J. Kellison), and a research enhancement award from NASA-WVSGC (L. Robertson).","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"137 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75759872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-18DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.979
Haley Carter, Holly Racine
Thyroid hormone (TH) is essential for bone development. Altered TH levels such as hyperthyroidism, or thyrotoxicosis, results in the early maturation of the cartilaginous scaffold for long bone development, which can cause improper ossification. Maternal hyperthyroidism during embryonic development causes neonatal thyrotoxicosis and can therefore lead to stunted growth in infants. In our avian model of induced thyrotoxicosis, we injected saline (control) or 25ng thyroxine (T4) in 0.1 mL dose into fertilized chicken eggs on embryonic (E) days E11 and E15. On E19, chicken embryo length was measured and limbs were collected. The left limbs were whole-mount stained with Alizarin Red (bone) and Alcian Blue (cartilage). Limbs were then imaged and tibias were measured using ImageJ. The tibias from the right limbs were further dissected, embedded in paraffin, cut (5μM), and stained with Safranin O (cartilage) and Fast Green (bone). Sections were examined to determine morphological changes in the cartilaginous long bone scaffold. Body length was 4.8% shorter following thyroxine exposure (p<0.01). Tibias were 2.4% shorter, though not statistically significant (p=0.36). Paraffin-embedded sections suggested increased chondrocyte hypertrophy, although further quantification is required. In conclusion, our data support thyroxine-induced changes in long bone morphology. Understanding how thyrotoxicosis can alter bone development in utero is important for developing potential targeted therapies for improving ossification in cases of neonatal thyrotoxicosis. Acknowledgment of NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium (Grant #80NSSC20M0055) and the Genomics Core Facility and WV-INBRE (NIH grant P20GM103434).
{"title":"The Effect of Induced Thyrotoxicosis on Avian Limb Development.","authors":"Haley Carter, Holly Racine","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.979","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.979","url":null,"abstract":"Thyroid hormone (TH) is essential for bone development. Altered TH levels such as hyperthyroidism, or thyrotoxicosis, results in the early maturation of the cartilaginous scaffold for long bone development, which can cause improper ossification. Maternal hyperthyroidism during embryonic development causes neonatal thyrotoxicosis and can therefore lead to stunted growth in infants. In our avian model of induced thyrotoxicosis, we injected saline (control) or 25ng thyroxine (T4) in 0.1 mL dose into fertilized chicken eggs on embryonic (E) days E11 and E15. On E19, chicken embryo length was measured and limbs were collected. The left limbs were whole-mount stained with Alizarin Red (bone) and Alcian Blue (cartilage). Limbs were then imaged and tibias were measured using ImageJ. The tibias from the right limbs were further dissected, embedded in paraffin, cut (5μM), and stained with Safranin O (cartilage) and Fast Green (bone). Sections were examined to determine morphological changes in the cartilaginous long bone scaffold. Body length was 4.8% shorter following thyroxine exposure (p<0.01). Tibias were 2.4% shorter, though not statistically significant (p=0.36). Paraffin-embedded sections suggested increased chondrocyte hypertrophy, although further quantification is required. In conclusion, our data support thyroxine-induced changes in long bone morphology. Understanding how thyrotoxicosis can alter bone development in utero is important for developing potential targeted therapies for improving ossification in cases of neonatal thyrotoxicosis. \u0000 \u0000Acknowledgment of NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium (Grant #80NSSC20M0055) and the Genomics Core Facility and WV-INBRE (NIH grant P20GM103434).","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74779468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-18DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.970
Shania Davis
SHANIA DAVIS, MARIAH CASHBAUGH, ELIO DELATORE & JOSEPH HORZEMPA Dept of Biomedical Sciences, West Liberty University, West Liberty, WV, 26074. Analyzing the contribution to pathogenesis by three putative transcriptional regulators of Francisella tularensis using the chicken embryo infection model. Francisella tularensis is a highly pathogenic bacterium that can be used as a biological weapon. This bacterium causes tularemia which is also known as Rabbit Fever. Previously, our laboratory identified three F. tularensis loci predicted to encode transcriptional regulators (FTL_0671, FTL_1199, and FTL_1665) that exhibited transcriptional changes in the presence of human erythrocytes. We hypothesized that because transcriptional modulations were associated with the presence of host cues, these potential transcriptional regulators may be important for pathogenesis. Therefore, mutants of these three loci and the isogenic wild-type bacterium (strain LVS) were used to infect chicken embryos. Healthy chicken embryos were injected with 104, 105, or 106 colony forming units of each strain, and chicken embryoys were candled daily for viability. The chicken embryos were housed in an egg incubator (~37°C with occasional rocking) and were observed over a span of 10 days. Neither FTL_0671 nor FTL_1199 affected the pathogenesis of F. tularensis. However, chicken embryos infected with the FTL_1665 deletion strain exhibited mortality more rapidly compared to those infected with wild-type bacteria suggesting that this locus may be repressing pathogenesis. Future studies will evaluate the function of FTL_1665 to determine if the protein encoded by this locus truly mediates transcriptional regulation.
{"title":"Analyzing the contribution to pathogenesis by three putative transcriptional regulators of Francisella tularensis using the chicken embryo infection model.","authors":"Shania Davis","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.970","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.970","url":null,"abstract":"SHANIA DAVIS, MARIAH CASHBAUGH, ELIO DELATORE & JOSEPH HORZEMPA Dept of Biomedical Sciences, West Liberty University, West Liberty, WV, 26074. Analyzing the contribution to pathogenesis by three putative transcriptional regulators of Francisella tularensis using the chicken embryo infection model. \u0000Francisella tularensis is a highly pathogenic bacterium that can be used as a biological weapon. This bacterium causes tularemia which is also known as Rabbit Fever. Previously, our laboratory identified three F. tularensis loci predicted to encode transcriptional regulators (FTL_0671, FTL_1199, and FTL_1665) that exhibited transcriptional changes in the presence of human erythrocytes. We hypothesized that because transcriptional modulations were associated with the presence of host cues, these potential transcriptional regulators may be important for pathogenesis. Therefore, mutants of these three loci and the isogenic wild-type bacterium (strain LVS) were used to infect chicken embryos. Healthy chicken embryos were injected with 104, 105, or 106 colony forming units of each strain, and chicken embryoys were candled daily for viability. The chicken embryos were housed in an egg incubator (~37°C with occasional rocking) and were observed over a span of 10 days. Neither FTL_0671 nor FTL_1199 affected the pathogenesis of F. tularensis. However, chicken embryos infected with the FTL_1665 deletion strain exhibited mortality more rapidly compared to those infected with wild-type bacteria suggesting that this locus may be repressing pathogenesis. Future studies will evaluate the function of FTL_1665 to determine if the protein encoded by this locus truly mediates transcriptional regulation.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78442269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-18DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.996
Kristen Rolen
Murine CD4+ T cells have two distinct cytokine secretion patterns to play different functions. We have demonstrated that cold-induced stress (CIS) suppresses the immune system leading to increased intensity of Chlamydia muridaum in mice. We have reported that beta2-adrenergic receptor (b2-AR) knockout (KO) mice resist chlamydia genital infection. However, the cytokine profile of CD4+ T cells is not well explored. This study aimed to determine the cytokine production of Th1 and Th2 types in stressed and non-stressed b2-AR KO mice. We investigated the cytokine production levels of stressed and non-stressed mice during C. muridarum genital infection. Significantly increased production of cytokines was observed in plates pre-coated with anti-CD3/CD28 or in the presence of Con A or LPS. A decrease in the production of IFN-g and IL-2, whereas an increase in the secretion of IL-10, IL-13, and IL-23 in CD4+ T cells of stressed wild-type mice was obtained; however, the secretion of IFN-g and IL-2 was restored in T cells of b2-AR KO mice. Moreover, in vitro proliferation of CD4 T cells in the presence of b2-AR antagonists, ICI 118, 551 stimulated the production of Th1 cytokines, whereas b2-AR agonist, Fenoterol, decreased the production of Th1-type cytokines. Overall, Th1 cytokine responses are reduced in stressed mice suggesting that the cytokine status was polarized toward a Th2 immune response that can be restored by removing b2-AR from immune cells.
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