Questioning the Question: Review of MODERNISM AND THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE

Through my book review of Houston A. Baker, Jr.’s Modernism and the Harlem Renaissance, I examine how well Baker ingeniously transforms the question defining Harlem Renaissance scholarship from “Why did the Harlem Renaissance fail?” to “How did the Harlem Renaissance marshal black aesthetic tradition to develop a form of modernism for the New Negro?” Baker’s bold refusal to limit scholarship to the question being asked engages current readers in a previously unreachable aspect of this momentous movement

Rocket Stats

An Android application to allow Rocket League players to view their stats and track progress

Beyond Marital Bliss: A Redemption of Motherhood in Jane Austen

Though the mother figures in Jane Austen’s novels are often written off as ridiculous or unlikeable, this thesis posits that the mothers of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Park are written as they are in an intentional effort on Austen’s part to condemn the society that forced them into roles of ridiculousness or stinginess. Their inconsistencies highlight the unattainable standards placed on mothers by society as a whole and their eccentricities are the result of a lack of outlet for feminine energy. Character studies of the women of these novels illustrate that they are not unlikeable by nature. Rather, by choosing to perform one duty that society has assigned them they invariably must neglect another because the multitudes of responsibilities expected of mothers are often mutually exclusive. If she is emotionally available, she neglects her children’s education; if she is stringent in societal necessity, she stifles the heroine’s spirit. One woman cannot be all that a mother is expected to be. Austen recognizes this and illustrates the inevitable results of women who try and redeems their right to be flawed human beings

Biological and Chemical Control Options for Geomyces Destructans and Characterization of Physiological Responses to Control Efforts

The recently identified causative agent of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), Geomyces destructans, has been responsible for the mortality of an estimated 5.7 million North American bats since its emergence in 2006. A primary focus of the National Response Plan, established by US Fish and Wildlife in 2011, was the identification of biological and chemical control options. In an effort to identify potential biological and chemical control options for WNS, six previously described bacterially produced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and multiply induced Rhodococcus rhodochrous DAP96253 were screened for anti-Geomyces destructans activity. Geomyces destructans conidia and mycelial plugs were exposed to the VOCs and induced Rhodococcus in a closed air space at 15°C and 4°C and evaluated for inhibition of conidia germination and mycelial extension. Additionally, in situ application methods for induced Rhodococcus, such as fixed cell catalyst and fermentation cell paste in non-growth conditions, were screened with positive results. Rhodococcus was assayed for ex vivo activity via exposure to bat tissue ex-plants inoculated with G. destructans conidia. All VOCs inhibited radial growth of mycelial plugs and growth from conidia at both temperatures, with the greatest effect at low temperature (4°C). Induced Rhodococcus completely inhibited growth from conidia at 15°C and had a strong fungistatic effect at 4°C. Induced Rhodococcus inhibited Geomyces destructans growth from conidia when cultured in a shared air space with bat tissue explants inoculated with Geomyces destructans conidia. During the evaluation diffusible brown pigment was observed in G. destructans cultures exposed to induced Rhodococcus or select VOCs. The pigment was induced by light and oxidative challenge and hypothesized to be melanin. Traditional microbiological methods, as well as copper sulfide-silver staining and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, were utilized to confirm this hypothesis. This was a noteworthy result as melanin is a known virulence factor in other pathogenic fungi and may play a significant role in WNS. The identification of bacterially produced VOCs and inducible biological agents with anti-Geomyces destructans activity expands the pool of potential biological and chemical control options for WNS and provides wildlife management personnel with tools to combat this devastating disease

Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Promotes Peripheral and Central Trigeminal Sensitization

Temporomandibular joint disorder is characterized by peripheral and central sensitization of trigeminal nociceptive neurons. Although CGRP is implicated in the development of central sensitization by stimulating glial activation via its receptor, the mechanism by which CGRP promotes and maintains sensitization of trigeminal nociceptive neurons is not well understood. The goal of my study was to investigate the role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on the initiation and maintenance of a nocifensive withdrawal response to mechanical stimulation following activation of primary trigeminal sensory neurons. For my studies, I used adult male Sprague Dawley rats that were injected with CGRP alone or co-injected with inhibitors and determined changes in nocifensive behavior and inflammatory proteins. Intrathecal injection of CGRP increased nocifensive responses to mechanical stimulation up to 48 hours and this stimulatory effect was blocked by the antagonist peptide CGRP8-37 and a protein kinase A inhibitor. Results from my cellular studies provide evidence that elevated levels of CGRP in the spinal cord can promote bidirectional signaling within the trigeminal system, a novel finding that helps to explain how central sensitization can lower the activation threshold of primary nociceptors in TMD patients

Anti-canine Syndecan-4 as a Tool to Identify and Analyze Dystrophic Dog Satellite Cells [abstract]

Abstract only availableFaculty Mentor: Dr. Kathleen Newton, Biological SciencesMitochondria are organelles containing their own genomic DNA that are found in most eukaryotic cells. In contrast to those of animals, plant mitochondrial genomes are large and very complex in structure. While maize mitochondrial DNA can be mapped as a large single circle, it has not been observed as such.  Thus, the in vivo organization of the mitochondrial genome is not known.  Using the B37 maize inbred line, which has a 570 kilobase (kb) mitochondrial genome, observations were made regarding the possibility of sub-genomes resulting from recombination between repeats.  Mitochondria were isolated from fresh B37 seedling shoots and were placed on slides to be observed using the FISH (Fluorescent in situ Hybridization) technique.  Two probes were used, cosmid 6 in Alexafluor 488 (green) and cosmid 19 in Texas Red (red).  These cosmids are separated in the mitochondrial genome by approximately 350kb.  They also occur on separate sides of a small repeat that is known to recombine frequently.  If the genome is intact the two colors should overlap and produce a yellow color.  If there are sub-genomes, red and green should be seen individually.  The mitochondria were observed on an Olympus Spectral Imaging Microscope and the genome appeared to be fragmented most of the time. Five slides were counted and 31,077 spots were observed.  The red: green: yellow ratio was 6.44 : 2.96 :1.00.  Stretching out of an intact mitochondrial genome could cause apparent sub-genomes.  However, it is more likely that there are sub-genomes present in separate mitochondria because small mitochondria (about one micron) were selected during the isolation procedure. This is small enough that the microscope should have seen the signal as overlapping.  Future studies could extend the analysis into other maize lines and to other types of plants to determine if the sub-genomic structures are universal

The influence of a naturally occurring health challenge on U.S. pork production in grow-finish pigs

It is imperative for pork producers to understand the effects of disease on commercial production, including its impact on pig performance, carcass quality and net returns. Due to production losses caused by health challenges, historically, most research has focused on prevention and/or eradication, and has been conducted under carefully controlled conditions where the etiology of one or possibly 2 diseases can be carefully investigated. This leaves a particular gap in information on the impact of naturally occurring disease that is often complex and multi-factorial in nature. As one example, there is some limited data that suggests that health challenged pigs must be fed diets with lower concentrations of synthetic AA and higher concentrations of soybean meal (SBM). Therefore, the overall objectives of this thesis were to assess the productivity and economic importance of naturally occurring health challenges (HC) under commercial conditions and to investigate a possible benefit of higher levels of dietary SBM in HC pigs. Three commercial grow-finish facilities located in central Iowa were each populated with 936 weaned crossbred pigs [Cambrough female (PIC 1050) àDNA600 terminal sire] each. Pigs were allotted based on sex and visual BW distribution across pen and within barn. Thirty-four d post weaning (13.1 ñ 0.2 kg), pigs were placed on test until harvest (130.5 ñ 1.4 kg). Barns were characterized as low challenge health (LCh), moderate challenge health (MCh) or high challenge health (HCh) according to diagnostic assessments and other health indicators. In chapter 2, each barn represented an independent study. Four dietary treatments were applied within experiment to contain one of 4 levels of SBM ranging from high SBM (HSBM) to high synthetic AA (HSAA). In addition to measuring ADG, ADF and G:F, blood samples were collected to determine serum levels of isoflavones, a class of phytoestrogens thought to possibly improve pig health when they are challenged with bacterial or viral pathogens. In the LCh experiment, ADG was improved (P \u3c 0.05) in pigs fed the HSBM and moderate SBM (MSBM) diets. Improvements in G:F were observed in pigs fed the HSBM and MSBM treatments in the LCh and HCh experiments (P \u3c 0.05), and tended to be improved in the MCh experiment (P \u3c 0.10). Final BW was lower on the HSAA diet in all experiments (P \u3c 0.05). In the MCh experiment, reduced levels of all serum isoflavones in the HSAA treatment was associated with reduced final BW and a tendency to decrease G:F (P \u3c 0.10). Unfortunately, inconsistent amino acid levels, some of which were estimated to be below requirement, prevent the drawing of any conclusions from this dataset. In chapter 3, the observed HC was considered the applied treatment. Average daily gain, ADFI and G:F were reduced and mortality increased with an increased HC (P \u3c 0.05). Decreased ADG increased days to achieve market BW, by 10 and 15 d in the MCh and HCh treatments compared with LCh, respectively (P \u3c 0.05). No differences were observed for percent lean, loin depth or fat depth (P \u3e 0.10). In order to assess the economic impact of the HC, the results of this experiment were applied to a 2,400 grow-finish barn using one of two economic models, encompassing the two main marketing methods used by U.S. pig producers, namely fixed-weight and fixed-time. Production losses attributed to disease severity were between $9.47 and$23.27 U.S dollars (USD)/pig marketed at fixed-weight or between $12.61 and$25.27 USD/pig marketed at fixed-time, depending on feed costs and market hog prices. More work is necessary to evaluate the usage of SBM as an immune modulator in grow-finish pigs. Nonetheless, the economic impact of disease clearly demonstrates that this is a subject of great concern to the competitiveness of the U.S. pig industry