Pub Date : 2023-04-18DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.985
Rori Schreiber
The CDC classifies Francisella tularensis as a Category A bioterrorism agent. Due to the risk of potential release of antibiotic-resistant F. tularensis strains, new therapeutics against F. tularensis must be developed. Resazomycins are resazurin (Rz)-based compounds that exhibit antimicrobial activity against F. tularensis and other gram-negative bacteria. The mode of action of resazomycins is not understood, but potential targets of the antibiotic were identified in a high throughput screen for Rz-resistant isolates. The FTL_1504 gene was identified as being mutated in all of the Rz-resistant (Rzr) strains sequenced. FTL_1504 encodes for the catalase KatG which catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. Moreover, KatG has also been shown to play an essential role in the activity of a different antibiotic, isonazid. Four different coding mutations were characterized in katG that included single base pair substitutions and a deletion with all resulting in the introduction of a premature stop codon. All Rzr mutants tested had reduced catalase activity compared to wild-type F. tularensis LVS with three of the four mutations resulting in loss of KatG expression. Based on this data, we hypothesize KatG plays a role in the susceptibility of F. tularensis to resazurin. To address this, we are generating a katG deletion mutant in F. tularensis LVS and measuring its Rz susceptibility via agar dilution assays. Investigation of the contribution of KatG may unveil a unique role for the oxidative stress response in the mode of action of this family of antibiotics
{"title":"Role of KatG in Francisella tularensis Susceptibility to Resazurin.","authors":"Rori Schreiber","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.985","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.985","url":null,"abstract":"The CDC classifies Francisella tularensis as a Category A bioterrorism agent. Due to the risk of potential release of antibiotic-resistant F. tularensis strains, new therapeutics against F. tularensis must be developed. Resazomycins are resazurin (Rz)-based compounds that exhibit antimicrobial activity against F. tularensis and other gram-negative bacteria. The mode of action of resazomycins is not understood, but potential targets of the antibiotic were identified in a high throughput screen for Rz-resistant isolates. The FTL_1504 gene was identified as being mutated in all of the Rz-resistant (Rzr) strains sequenced. FTL_1504 encodes for the catalase KatG which catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. Moreover, KatG has also been shown to play an essential role in the activity of a different antibiotic, isonazid. Four different coding mutations were characterized in katG that included single base pair substitutions and a deletion with all resulting in the introduction of a premature stop codon. All Rzr mutants tested had reduced catalase activity compared to wild-type F. tularensis LVS with three of the four mutations resulting in loss of KatG expression. Based on this data, we hypothesize KatG plays a role in the susceptibility of F. tularensis to resazurin. To address this, we are generating a katG deletion mutant in F. tularensis LVS and measuring its Rz susceptibility via agar dilution assays. Investigation of the contribution of KatG may unveil a unique role for the oxidative stress response in the mode of action of this family of antibiotics","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87899944","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.v95i2.975
ARM AMIN, Raji Lukmon
Carcinogenesis is initiated with irreversible genetic mutation due to endogenously derived or carcinogen-induced oxidative stress. Activation of the antioxidant pathways ameliorates oxidative stress, protects cells from carcinogenic insults, and plays a pivotal role in chemoprevention. We have previously reported that FLLL12 is a potent curcumin analog, possesses in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity, and has better pharmacokinetic profiles than curcumin. The current study aims to identify novel pathways activated by FLLL12. MDA686, a head and neck cancer cell line, was treated with FLLL12 for 24h. Total RNA was used for RNA-Seq analysis. 2-fold differentially expressed genes were used for Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to identify the most significantly affected pathways. Real-time qPCR and western blotting were used to confirm the expression of the genes and their protein products, respectively, in normal, premalignant, and malignant cell lines. RNASeq identified 641 genes. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified the ferroptosis, the tumor microenvironment, and the oxidative response pathway as the top three most significantly affected pathways. We confirmed the activation of HMOX-1, NQO1, SLC7A11, and GCLC mRNA and proteins in normal, premalignant, and malignant cells. Although these genes are common for ferroptosis and the oxidative response pathway, treatment of cells with ferroptosis inhibitors, ferrostatin-1, and deferoxamine, did not affect FLLL12-induced cell death, suggesting that these genes are associated with the oxidative stress response pathway. Our results indicate that FLLL12 activates the oxidative stress response pathway in normal, premalignant, and malignant head and neck cancer cell lines and has strong promise for chemoprevention.
{"title":"FLLL12, a curcumin analog, activates the oxidative stress response pathway in head and neck cancer: implication for chemoprevention.","authors":"ARM AMIN, Raji Lukmon","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.975","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.975","url":null,"abstract":"Carcinogenesis is initiated with irreversible genetic mutation due to endogenously derived or carcinogen-induced oxidative stress. Activation of the antioxidant pathways ameliorates oxidative stress, protects cells from carcinogenic insults, and plays a pivotal role in chemoprevention. We have previously reported that FLLL12 is a potent curcumin analog, possesses in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity, and has better pharmacokinetic profiles than curcumin. The current study aims to identify novel pathways activated by FLLL12. MDA686, a head and neck cancer cell line, was treated with FLLL12 for 24h. Total RNA was used for RNA-Seq analysis. 2-fold differentially expressed genes were used for Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to identify the most significantly affected pathways. Real-time qPCR and western blotting were used to confirm the expression of the genes and their protein products, respectively, in normal, premalignant, and malignant cell lines. RNASeq identified 641 genes. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified the ferroptosis, the tumor microenvironment, and the oxidative response pathway as the top three most significantly affected pathways. We confirmed the activation of HMOX-1, NQO1, SLC7A11, and GCLC mRNA and proteins in normal, premalignant, and malignant cells. Although these genes are common for ferroptosis and the oxidative response pathway, treatment of cells with ferroptosis inhibitors, ferrostatin-1, and deferoxamine, did not affect FLLL12-induced cell death, suggesting that these genes are associated with the oxidative stress response pathway. Our results indicate that FLLL12 activates the oxidative stress response pathway in normal, premalignant, and malignant head and neck cancer cell lines and has strong promise for chemoprevention.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"110 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135972601","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.v95i2.988
None Rachelle Patterson
Many species of bacteria enter a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state when exposed to stressful conditions. The VBNC state acts as an adaptive strategy that allows for long-term survival of bacteria in unfavorable environments. VBNC bacteria are difficult to detect in the environment due to an inability to grow on nutrient agar. Although the ability to enter the VBNC state may be advantageous for bacteria, it poses a risk to human health. Francisella tularensis, transitions rapidly and spontaneously to the VBNC state, giving it the potential to be an excellent model organism for the study of this phenomenon. Microscopic observations reveal that changes in cell morphology are coincident with the VBNC state. To characterize these morphological changes, fluorescence microscopy imaging using membrane lipid staining has been used in the live vaccine strain of F. tularensis. Microscopy imaging suggested that lipid metabolism may be important for the transition into the VBNC state, and the change in morphology. To investigate further, genetic deletion mutants have been constructed from two predicted lipid metabolism genes, FTL_1569 (phosphoglycolate phosphatase) and FTL_1570 (phospholipase D family protein). Gentamicin protection assays with immune cells and red blood cells have been conducted to investigate the role of these genes in virulence of F. tularensis. Our preliminary results suggest that lipid metabolism may play roles in both persistence and in invasion in F. tularensis. (This work was supported by NIH Grant P20GM103434 to the West Virginia IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence).
{"title":"Characterization of two predicted lipid metabolism genes (FTL_1569 and FTL_1570) in the intracellular pathogen, Francisella tularensis LVS.","authors":"None Rachelle Patterson","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.988","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i2.988","url":null,"abstract":"Many species of bacteria enter a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state when exposed to stressful conditions. The VBNC state acts as an adaptive strategy that allows for long-term survival of bacteria in unfavorable environments. VBNC bacteria are difficult to detect in the environment due to an inability to grow on nutrient agar. Although the ability to enter the VBNC state may be advantageous for bacteria, it poses a risk to human health. Francisella tularensis, transitions rapidly and spontaneously to the VBNC state, giving it the potential to be an excellent model organism for the study of this phenomenon. Microscopic observations reveal that changes in cell morphology are coincident with the VBNC state. To characterize these morphological changes, fluorescence microscopy imaging using membrane lipid staining has been used in the live vaccine strain of F. tularensis. Microscopy imaging suggested that lipid metabolism may be important for the transition into the VBNC state, and the change in morphology. To investigate further, genetic deletion mutants have been constructed from two predicted lipid metabolism genes, FTL_1569 (phosphoglycolate phosphatase) and FTL_1570 (phospholipase D family protein). Gentamicin protection assays with immune cells and red blood cells have been conducted to investigate the role of these genes in virulence of F. tularensis. Our preliminary results suggest that lipid metabolism may play roles in both persistence and in invasion in F. tularensis. (This work was supported by NIH Grant P20GM103434 to the West Virginia IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence).","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"76 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135972604","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 : 2023-03-30DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i1.946
M. Zdilla, W. Goldsmith, Timothy Nurkiewicz
Pathogenic aerosols are common, especially in clinical settings. Aerosols are released from quiet and forced respiration, non-respiratory movements (e.g., coughing and sneezing), aerosol-generating procedures, and surgical smoke plumes. Aerosols may contain viruses (e.g., coronaviruses, influenza viruses, adenoviruses) and bacteria (e.g., Streptococcus pneumoniae, Stapylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Surgical smoke plumes may contain harmful volatile organic compounds (e.g., formaldehyde), viral particles (e.g., human papillomavirus), or cancerous cells. Thus, the containment of airborne pathogenic organisms, xenobiotics, and bioaerosols is of the utmost importance. Yet, despite the importance of negative airflow and exhaust ventilation, many clinical environments do not have adequate ventilation systems— often due to significant monetary expenses or other barriers to access such as remote locations. Recently, a relatively inexpensive downdraft table (< 200 USD), made of wood, tarps, rebar, and corrugated steel roofing material and a simple local exhaust ventilation system (~ 300 USD) have been demonstrated to eliminate airborne VOCs, including VOCs found in surgical smoke. However, the table has not been assessed regarding the capacity to remove water-based aerosols. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to assess the ability of the downdraft table and local exhaust ventilation system to exhaust varied water-based and organic aerosols. The study identifies that a simple and inexpensive downdraft table can effectively exhaust aerosols like those found in clinical environments. This study represents an innovation in accessible medical technology that will improve health and safety in regions that include developing countries and remote locations.
{"title":"Simple and Inexpensive Downdraft Table to Limit Aerosol Exposure from Patients, Aerosol-Generating Procedures, and Surgical Smoke","authors":"M. Zdilla, W. Goldsmith, Timothy Nurkiewicz","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i1.946","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i1.946","url":null,"abstract":"Pathogenic aerosols are common, especially in clinical settings. Aerosols are released from quiet and forced respiration, non-respiratory movements (e.g., coughing and sneezing), aerosol-generating procedures, and surgical smoke plumes. Aerosols may contain viruses (e.g., coronaviruses, influenza viruses, adenoviruses) and bacteria (e.g., Streptococcus pneumoniae, Stapylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Surgical smoke plumes may contain harmful volatile organic compounds (e.g., formaldehyde), viral particles (e.g., human papillomavirus), or cancerous cells. Thus, the containment of airborne pathogenic organisms, xenobiotics, and bioaerosols is of the utmost importance. Yet, despite the importance of negative airflow and exhaust ventilation, many clinical environments do not have adequate ventilation systems— often due to significant monetary expenses or other barriers to access such as remote locations. Recently, a relatively inexpensive downdraft table (< 200 USD), made of wood, tarps, rebar, and corrugated steel roofing material and a simple local exhaust ventilation system (~ 300 USD) have been demonstrated to eliminate airborne VOCs, including VOCs found in surgical smoke. However, the table has not been assessed regarding the capacity to remove water-based aerosols. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to assess the ability of the downdraft table and local exhaust ventilation system to exhaust varied water-based and organic aerosols. The study identifies that a simple and inexpensive downdraft table can effectively exhaust aerosols like those found in clinical environments. This study represents an innovation in accessible medical technology that will improve health and safety in regions that include developing countries and remote locations.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81585404","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 : 2023-01-24DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i1.945
M. Zdilla, Evan French, Halee Sowinski, U. Alfaro-Gomez, S. Guzmán-López, R. Elizondo-Omaña, A. Quiroga-Garza
Uniform assessment of the glenoid anatomy is fundamental in establishing uniform standards of care. Subjectivity in classification inherent in the absence of quantification permits deficiency in glenoid assessment methods (e.g., Walch classifications). Therefore, this report aims to objectively quantify the variance of glenoid fossa contours in both sexes via geometric morphometric techniques. A total of 135 glenoid fossae from 135 adult Mexican individuals, who had undergone CT scanning for non-shoulder-related reasons, were randomly selected for this study. Geometric morphometric analysis, including principal component analysis, canonical variate analysis, and two-block partial least squares analysis, was performed on glenoid contours in coronal and axial planes among males and females of varied age groups. The canonical variate analysis of the glenoid revealed sexual dimorphism in both the coronal and axial glenoid contours. Males tend to have a move concave glenoid contour than females, especially in the axial plane. Partial least squares analysis revealed a shape-relationship between coronal and axial contours— when coronal contours are relatively concave, axial contours also exhibit concavity; conversely, when there is minimal concavity in one dimension, there tends to be minimal concavity in the other. This manuscript establishes a novel means of assessing the glenoid cavity through geometric morphometrics; in doing so, the objective and quantifiable methods can be an important supplement to evolving glenoid assessments such as the Walch classification system. The novel approach used in this research revealed sexual dimorphism in the shape of the glenoid cavity as well as a relationship between coronal and axial contours.
{"title":"Glenoid shape is sexually dimorphic","authors":"M. Zdilla, Evan French, Halee Sowinski, U. Alfaro-Gomez, S. Guzmán-López, R. Elizondo-Omaña, A. Quiroga-Garza","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i1.945","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i1.945","url":null,"abstract":"Uniform assessment of the glenoid anatomy is fundamental in establishing uniform standards of care. Subjectivity in classification inherent in the absence of quantification permits deficiency in glenoid assessment methods (e.g., Walch classifications). Therefore, this report aims to objectively quantify the variance of glenoid fossa contours in both sexes via geometric morphometric techniques. A total of 135 glenoid fossae from 135 adult Mexican individuals, who had undergone CT scanning for non-shoulder-related reasons, were randomly selected for this study. Geometric morphometric analysis, including principal component analysis, canonical variate analysis, and two-block partial least squares analysis, was performed on glenoid contours in coronal and axial planes among males and females of varied age groups. The canonical variate analysis of the glenoid revealed sexual dimorphism in both the coronal and axial glenoid contours. Males tend to have a move concave glenoid contour than females, especially in the axial plane. Partial least squares analysis revealed a shape-relationship between coronal and axial contours— when coronal contours are relatively concave, axial contours also exhibit concavity; conversely, when there is minimal concavity in one dimension, there tends to be minimal concavity in the other. This manuscript establishes a novel means of assessing the glenoid cavity through geometric morphometrics; in doing so, the objective and quantifiable methods can be an important supplement to evolving glenoid assessments such as the Walch classification system. The novel approach used in this research revealed sexual dimorphism in the shape of the glenoid cavity as well as a relationship between coronal and axial contours.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86643742","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 : 2023-01-17DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v95i1.942
M. Zdilla
The etymology of anatomical terminology provides insight into the history of anatomy, medicine, and scientific understanding. Therefore, this study assessed the anatomical language of the 7th century Codex Amiatinus, the earliest surviving and most reliable copy of Saint Jerome’s original 4th century Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible, for details regarding the injury of Jacob as described in the Book of Genesis 32:22-32. The Codex Amiatinus notes that Jacob sustained an injury to the “neruus femoris.” Additional context, given by Jewish dietary practice, suggests the neruus femoris most likely refers to the modern-day sciatic nerve (nervus ischiadicus). However, conceivably, neruus femoris may refer to any motor nerve in the vicinity of the thigh including either the femoral nerve, tibial nerve, common fibular nerve, or obturator nerve. By utilizing the term neruus femoris, “nerve of the thigh,” the Codex Amiatinus provides evidence of ancient knowledge of human neuroanatomy and ancient understanding of the sequelae that result from peripheral nerve injury.
{"title":"sciatic nerve was first known as the femoral nerve (neruus femoris)","authors":"M. Zdilla","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v95i1.942","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v95i1.942","url":null,"abstract":"The etymology of anatomical terminology provides insight into the history of anatomy, medicine, and scientific understanding. Therefore, this study assessed the anatomical language of the 7th century Codex Amiatinus, the earliest surviving and most reliable copy of Saint Jerome’s original 4th century Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible, for details regarding the injury of Jacob as described in the Book of Genesis 32:22-32. The Codex Amiatinus notes that Jacob sustained an injury to the “neruus femoris.” Additional context, given by Jewish dietary practice, suggests the neruus femoris most likely refers to the modern-day sciatic nerve (nervus ischiadicus). However, conceivably, neruus femoris may refer to any motor nerve in the vicinity of the thigh including either the femoral nerve, tibial nerve, common fibular nerve, or obturator nerve. By utilizing the term neruus femoris, “nerve of the thigh,” the Codex Amiatinus provides evidence of ancient knowledge of human neuroanatomy and ancient understanding of the sequelae that result from peripheral nerve injury.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"46 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79730466","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 : 2022-12-12DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v94i3.941
Amanda Rodrigues Silva, Brady Watters, J. Quaranta, L. Hopkinson
The treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) involves chemical additives to raise pH and precipitate solubilized metals. The byproduct of this process is an AMD sludge precipitate, and its management and disposal are a continuous environmental legacy. This study evaluated the application of AMD sludge as a soil amendment to support vegetation establishment. A small-scale growth study was completed with six treatments composed of different proportions of topsoil and AMD sludge as follows: i) 100% topsoil, ii) 10% sludge, and 90% topsoil, iii) 20% sludge and 80% topsoil, iv) 30% sludge and 70% topsoil), v) 40% sludge and 60% topsoil), and vi) 50% sludge and 50% topsoil. Four replications of each treatment were considered. Ground cover was monitored weekly for nine weeks (September 29, 2021 – December 2, 2021). Stem length and biomass were measured. Groundcover varied from 14.6% to 70.1% among all treatments throughout the study; all treatments were determined as statistically similar to the 100% topsoil treatment. Biomass ranged from 1.41 to 6.22 g, and average stem length varied from 3.6 to 4.6 cm. Toxicity did not exceed minimum levels for one representative sludge sample. This preliminary study provides support for the further advancing AMD sludge as a soil amendment.
{"title":"Evaluation of the use of acid mine drainage (AMD) sludge as soil amendment","authors":"Amanda Rodrigues Silva, Brady Watters, J. Quaranta, L. Hopkinson","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v94i3.941","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v94i3.941","url":null,"abstract":"The treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) involves chemical additives to raise pH and precipitate solubilized metals. The byproduct of this process is an AMD sludge precipitate, and its management and disposal are a continuous environmental legacy. This study evaluated the application of AMD sludge as a soil amendment to support vegetation establishment. A small-scale growth study was completed with six treatments composed of different proportions of topsoil and AMD sludge as follows: i) 100% topsoil, ii) 10% sludge, and 90% topsoil, iii) 20% sludge and 80% topsoil, iv) 30% sludge and 70% topsoil), v) 40% sludge and 60% topsoil), and vi) 50% sludge and 50% topsoil. Four replications of each treatment were considered. Ground cover was monitored weekly for nine weeks (September 29, 2021 – December 2, 2021). Stem length and biomass were measured. Groundcover varied from 14.6% to 70.1% among all treatments throughout the study; all treatments were determined as statistically similar to the 100% topsoil treatment. Biomass ranged from 1.41 to 6.22 g, and average stem length varied from 3.6 to 4.6 cm. Toxicity did not exceed minimum levels for one representative sludge sample. This preliminary study provides support for the further advancing AMD sludge as a soil amendment.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"202 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82819045","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 : 2022-07-13DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v94i3.851
M. Williams, Dane Gaiser, Luke A. Stevens, Danielle Stewart, Adrienne Williams
In this investigation information was collected regarding the habitat condition, channel profile, and stream discharge of key waterways within the Piney Creek Watershed in vicinity of Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia. Piney Creek is a major tributary that flows into the New River within the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. To establish robust and sustainable ongoing stream monitoring, West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech), Beckley Sanitary Board (BSB) and Piney Creek Watershed Association (PCWA) partnered in conducting stream habitat assessments at key sites within the watershed utilizing the guidelines provided by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Save Our Streams initiative. Additionally, the organizations developed standard operating procedures for calculating flow and discharge utilizing low-cost, easy-to-perform float gauging methodology. In total, 21 sites from five named streams (Beaver Creek, Cranberry Creek, Little Whitestick Creek, Whitestick Creek, and Piney Creek) and seven unnamed streams were selected and assessed for channel width and depth, velocity, discharge, sediment deposition, embeddedness, bank stability, riparian buffer, and stream bed composition. Streambed composition and discharge showed variability among the subwatershed sites. Nine site habitat scores received overall habitat scores of “suboptimal”, while ten were scored as “marginal” and two as “poor” stream habitat. Lack of riparian buffer was found to be the most frequent habitat score deficiency in the Piney Creek Watershed, with 18 out of the 42 total stream banks receiving a score of “poor” in this category. Characterization of the watershed is important for establishing baseline information as well as identifying important sites for future research and execution of improvement projects. This study defines an area that could serve as an accessible research resource and model watershed.
在这项调查中，收集了有关西弗吉尼亚州罗利县贝克利附近的皮尼溪流域主要水道的栖息地条件、河道剖面和流量的信息。松树溪是一条主要的支流，流入新河峡谷国家公园和保护区内的新河。为了建立健全和可持续的河流监测，西弗吉尼亚大学理工学院(WVU Tech)、贝克利卫生委员会(BSB)和派尼溪流域协会(PCWA)合作，利用西弗吉尼亚环境保护部“拯救我们的河流”倡议提供的指导方针，在流域内的关键地点进行了河流栖息地评估。此外，各组织还开发了使用低成本、易于执行的浮子测量方法计算流量和排放量的标准操作程序。从5条命名的河流(Beaver Creek, Cranberry Creek, Little whitstick Creek, whitstick Creek和Piney Creek)和7条未命名的河流中选择了21个地点，并对河道宽度和深度、流速、流量、沉积物沉积、嵌入性、河岸稳定性、河岸缓冲和河床组成进行了评估。河床组成和流量在各小流域间表现出差异。9个站点的栖息地得分为“次优”，10个为“边缘”，2个为“差”的溪流栖息地。在Piney Creek流域，缺乏河岸缓冲被发现是最常见的栖息地得分不足，42个河岸中有18个在这一类别中得分为“差”。分水岭的特征对于建立基线信息以及确定未来研究和执行改善项目的重要地点非常重要。本研究定义了一个区域，可以作为一个可访问的研究资源和模型分水岭。
{"title":"Hydromorphological Characterization of the Piney Creek Watershed of Raleigh County, West Virginia, a Tributary of the New River Gorge National Park","authors":"M. Williams, Dane Gaiser, Luke A. Stevens, Danielle Stewart, Adrienne Williams","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v94i3.851","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v94i3.851","url":null,"abstract":"In this investigation information was collected regarding the habitat condition, channel profile, and stream discharge of key waterways within the Piney Creek Watershed in vicinity of Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia. Piney Creek is a major tributary that flows into the New River within the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. To establish robust and sustainable ongoing stream monitoring, West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech), Beckley Sanitary Board (BSB) and Piney Creek Watershed Association (PCWA) partnered in conducting stream habitat assessments at key sites within the watershed utilizing the guidelines provided by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Save Our Streams initiative. Additionally, the organizations developed standard operating procedures for calculating flow and discharge utilizing low-cost, easy-to-perform float gauging methodology. In total, 21 sites from five named streams (Beaver Creek, Cranberry Creek, Little Whitestick Creek, Whitestick Creek, and Piney Creek) and seven unnamed streams were selected and assessed for channel width and depth, velocity, discharge, sediment deposition, embeddedness, bank stability, riparian buffer, and stream bed composition. Streambed composition and discharge showed variability among the subwatershed sites. Nine site habitat scores received overall habitat scores of “suboptimal”, while ten were scored as “marginal” and two as “poor” stream habitat. Lack of riparian buffer was found to be the most frequent habitat score deficiency in the Piney Creek Watershed, with 18 out of the 42 total stream banks receiving a score of “poor” in this category. Characterization of the watershed is important for establishing baseline information as well as identifying important sites for future research and execution of improvement projects. This study defines an area that could serve as an accessible research resource and model watershed.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81249646","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 : 2022-04-22DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v94i1.910
K. Scott, Zachary W. Dillard
Following the description of Cambarus callainus (Thoma et al., 2014), a range-wide survey was completed to determine the current distribution and conservation status of the species, resulting in federal protection enforced by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 2016 and listing as Threatened on the U.S. Endangered Species Act. While significant efforts evaluating the life history of Cambarus callainus have been completed (Vopal & Loughman, 2021), a more specific analysis of microhabitat utilization, habitat preference, resource partitioning, and movement patterns remains incomplete. High-resolution data involving the specific habitat requirements of crayfishes are lacking, which is recognized as a significant limiting factor in crayfish conservation and management (Jones & Bergey, 2007). We aim to resolve these unknowns by observing potential micro- and macrohabitat associations and individual movement patterns of adult C. callainus individuals, assessed via radiotelemetry across a temporal scale. We also hope to determine movement biology and any potential accidental or behavioral drift of crayfish young-of-the-year. Previous studies indicate that radiotelemetry methods are effective in determining the movement biology of Cambarid crayfishes (Bubb et al., 2004, 2006a, 2006b; Sadecky, 2020). Radio-monitoring of C. callainus will be beneficial for conservation management involving this species and will expand our ability to efficiently address issues affecting Threatened and Endangered crayfishes in the future.
根据对Cambarus callainus的描述(Thoma et al.， 2014)，完成了一项范围广泛的调查，以确定该物种的当前分布和保护状况，从而在2016年由美国鱼类和野生动物管理局实施联邦保护，并将其列为美国濒危物种法案的受威胁物种。虽然已经完成了对callainus生活史的评估(Vopal & Loughman, 2021)，但对微栖息地利用、栖息地偏好、资源分配和运动模式的更具体分析仍然不完整。缺乏涉及小龙虾特定栖息地需求的高分辨率数据，这被认为是小龙虾保护和管理的重要限制因素(Jones & Bergey, 2007)。我们的目标是通过观察潜在的微观和宏观栖息地关联以及成年callainus个体的个体运动模式来解决这些未知问题，并通过无线电遥测技术在时间尺度上进行评估。我们还希望确定运动生物学和任何潜在的意外或行为漂移小龙虾的年轻。以往的研究表明，无线电遥测方法可以有效地确定康巴底小龙虾的运动生物学(Bubb et al.， 2004,2006a, 2006b;Sadecky, 2020)。对callainus的无线电监测将有助于该物种的保护管理，并将扩大我们未来有效解决影响受威胁和濒危小龙虾问题的能力。
{"title":"Specific microhabitat utilization, resource partitioning, and movement biology of Cambarus callainus Thoma 2014 (Decapoda: Cambaridae) in Tug Fork, WV, USA.","authors":"K. Scott, Zachary W. Dillard","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v94i1.910","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v94i1.910","url":null,"abstract":"Following the description of Cambarus callainus (Thoma et al., 2014), a range-wide survey was completed to determine the current distribution and conservation status of the species, resulting in federal protection enforced by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 2016 and listing as Threatened on the U.S. Endangered Species Act. While significant efforts evaluating the life history of Cambarus callainus have been completed (Vopal & Loughman, 2021), a more specific analysis of microhabitat utilization, habitat preference, resource partitioning, and movement patterns remains incomplete. High-resolution data involving the specific habitat requirements of crayfishes are lacking, which is recognized as a significant limiting factor in crayfish conservation and management (Jones & Bergey, 2007). We aim to resolve these unknowns by observing potential micro- and macrohabitat associations and individual movement patterns of adult C. callainus individuals, assessed via radiotelemetry across a temporal scale. We also hope to determine movement biology and any potential accidental or behavioral drift of crayfish young-of-the-year. Previous studies indicate that radiotelemetry methods are effective in determining the movement biology of Cambarid crayfishes (Bubb et al., 2004, 2006a, 2006b; Sadecky, 2020). Radio-monitoring of C. callainus will be beneficial for conservation management involving this species and will expand our ability to efficiently address issues affecting Threatened and Endangered crayfishes in the future.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80010578","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 : 2022-04-22DOI: 10.55632/pwvas.v94i1.866
E. Huff, J. Wood
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a gut bacterium found in intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals and pollutes water bodies through fecal contamination. At high concentrations some strains can cause serious illnesses if ingested by individuals. High concentrations of E. coli can also indicate the presence of other potentially harmful pathogens. Surface waters can become contaminated via nonpoint sources of runoff from agricultural lands and resident waterfowl population and point sources including leaking sewage infrastructure and combined sewer overflows (CSOs). In freshwaters E. coli can live free floating throughout the water column or attached to streambed sediments, and when these sediments are resuspended due to precipitation E. coli concentrations increase in the water column. The USEPA has set a maximum safe limit for recreational waters at 235 CFU/100 mL of water for a single sample and a 30-day five-sample mean of 126 CFU/100 mL. We chose seventeen sampling sites to monitor and identify trends and predictors of E. coli in Wheeling Creek watershed, in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. We measured water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, chloride, and turbidity in the field and used an IDEXX system for E. coli quantification. Our results indicate that 51% of samples (125 out of 245) have exceeded that single sample safe limit (235 CFU/100ml). Escherichia coli concentrations are increasing with increasing urban development and show a positive correlation with turbidity, this could suggest that humans are the primary source of E. coli in Wheeling Creek.
{"title":"Analysis of E. coli trends in the Wheeling Creek watershed","authors":"E. Huff, J. Wood","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v94i1.866","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v94i1.866","url":null,"abstract":"Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a gut bacterium found in intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals and pollutes water bodies through fecal contamination. At high concentrations some strains can cause serious illnesses if ingested by individuals. High concentrations of E. coli can also indicate the presence of other potentially harmful pathogens. Surface waters can become contaminated via nonpoint sources of runoff from agricultural lands and resident waterfowl population and point sources including leaking sewage infrastructure and combined sewer overflows (CSOs). In freshwaters E. coli can live free floating throughout the water column or attached to streambed sediments, and when these sediments are resuspended due to precipitation E. coli concentrations increase in the water column. The USEPA has set a maximum safe limit for recreational waters at 235 CFU/100 mL of water for a single sample and a 30-day five-sample mean of 126 CFU/100 mL. We chose seventeen sampling sites to monitor and identify trends and predictors of E. coli in Wheeling Creek watershed, in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. We measured water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, chloride, and turbidity in the field and used an IDEXX system for E. coli quantification. Our results indicate that 51% of samples (125 out of 245) have exceeded that single sample safe limit (235 CFU/100ml). Escherichia coli concentrations are increasing with increasing urban development and show a positive correlation with turbidity, this could suggest that humans are the primary source of E. coli in Wheeling Creek.","PeriodicalId":92280,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science","volume":"261 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79000338","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}
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