College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
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The Physiological Mechanisms by which Exercise Improves Sleep Quality
Get PDFExercise and sleep are important components of everyday life. Adequate sleep and exercise are vital to maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid health complications such as diabetes and obesity. Moderate to high intensity exercise is linked with increased sleep quality and sleep duration. The purpose of this thesis was to determine the short- and long-term physiological mechanisms through which moderate intensity exercise improves sleep quality
Variation in Aggressive Behavior in Sally Lightfoot Crabs (Grapsus grapsus) Relative to Age Class
Get PDFThree beach locations in San Cristóbal, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador were examined to observe aggressive behavior of Grapsus grapsus. Sally lightfoot crabs play a significant role in the intertidal ecosystem, so understanding factors that influence population dynamics is necessary to ensure equilibrium. With regards to age, it is hypothesized that variation in aggressive behavior is present between age groups of Sally lightfoot crabs. It is predicted that intermediate-aged crabs will display aggressive acts most often. Also, crab distribution by age varies with distance from water, and it is predicted that larger crabs will be more prevalent in the wet zones. Further, we hypothesize that aggression in Sally lightfoot crabs varies with level of activity by outside factors, and it is predicted the crabs inhabiting beaches of higher activity levels will display more acts of aggression. Three beach locations were analyzed one hour before and one hour after low tide for aggressive behavior such as chasing or physical contact between two or more crabs. A Chi-square test was used to determine significance of data collected. The majority of acts of aggression were initiated by intermediate crabs (58%). Juvenile and intermediate crabs were most often found in the zone of observation furthest from the water, while more adults were found in the moist zone. Across all age categories, the number of acts of aggression increased in beaches with more activity from outside factors. Age, food availability, and hormonal changes are all possible contributors to aggressive behavior in the G. grapsus
Athletes\u27 Funk: A Study of Bacterial Communities at Saint John\u27s University Athletic Facilities
Get PDFFor our research project, bacterial swabs were taken in both the baseball locker room at the Saint John’s Palaestra facility and hockey locker room at the SCSU Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. The bacterial samples were then isolated and subsequently tested for antibiotic resistance. PCR was done in an attempt to identify the most heavily antibiotic resistant cultures. The goal of this research was to identify bacteria that pose danger to athletes upon exposure. Due the nature of the different sports in question as well as the separate facilities, we wanted to assess the comparative risk of exposure between the different groups of athletes
Development of Anthranilic Acid Based Thiourea Catalysts for the Nitroaldol Reaction
Get PDFOrganocatalysis is the use of low molecular weight organic molecules to accelerate chemical reactions. As seen by its rapid growth over the last couple decades, this type of catalysis is attractive to synthetic chemists due to the mild reaction conditions, low cost materials and green chemistry characteristics organocatalysis offers. Thiourea-based organocatalysts promote reactions using reversible and selective, hydrogen bonding, which can be used to activate the electrophile and nucleophile reactants. By modifying the structure, co-catalysts, and other conditions used with these catalysts the activity can be modified and improved for specific products.
Using these design principles, a set of thiourea catalysts were synthesized using 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl isothiocyanate and either ortho and para-aminobenzoic acid, or ortho and para-aminophenol. The catalysts were screened for catalytic activity in the Henry Nitroaldol Reaction. As catalytic activity differed with structure this gave insight into optimal motifs and conditions for thiourea catalysts. These catalysts also provide a novel pairing as the thiourea functional group is paired with a carboxylic acid group instead of one of the many basic functional groups commonly paired with it. To further improve both the catalytic activity and recyclability of these catalysts while preserving their initial appealing features a silica surface could be functionalized with these thiourea catalysts
Cultivating Inclusive and Peaceful Communities: Multi-faith Sources of Inspiration
Get PDFLeaders, educators, clergy and laypeople engaged in the work of peacemaking must acknowledge the powerful role religion can play in the peacebuilding effort. However, we cannot limit our peacebuilding conversation to religious communities. Educational institutions also have a uniquely compelling role to play in the work of peacebuilding. This essay reviews why and how educational institutions must engage in this work; explores emerging best practices in this area; and concludes with a call to action.
Importantly, the essay highlights the importance, power and capacity of interfaith dialogue and education to support peacebuilding. Interfaith education and dialogue is not a call to abandoning religious traditions’ unique and powerful convictions. Rather, it is a call to utilizing one’s religious convictions for the common good and the creation of positive peace
Landfill Distribution Across the United States
Get PDFUsing GIS software I mapped the locations of landfills across the US. I then compared the locations of landfills to population statistics of different counties. Income levels and minority presence were compared to the density of landfills in the county to examine the presence of bias
Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Disobedience and the Duty to Obey the Law: Where Do We Go From Here?
Get PDFNot so long ago, several friends joined approximately 40,000 others in DC demanding action on climate change and opposing the Keystone pipeline. They left Illinois committed to breaking the law and getting arrested in front of the White House, as they put it, in the spirit of Dr. King. The law they broke when they got there was an anti-trespass type ordinance. They sat and waited to be ordered to move. They refused. They were arrested, fined and released the same day.
Being a lawyer, the son of a New York City police officer, and sometimes an activist I couldn\u27t help but wonder when if ever it was okay to violate a law that is not itself unjust, and what Dr. King actually thought about civil disobedience. The paper begins with a brief argument that democratic law is a moral idea. It then discusses in detail the thoughts and actions of Dr. King as they relate to the law, and to law-breaking as a movement tactic. It also briefly looks at contemporary activist thinking on disruption, violence, and law-breaking as a tactic of social change
“The People of Aram Shall Go into Exile”: Practical and Theological Dilemmas of Middle Eastern Churches since the Beginning of the Syrian War
Get PDFThis paper discusses the way in which Christian churches in the Middle East have responded to the Syrian War. It signals some practical and theological dilemmas that these churches have faced since the conflict in Syria broke out. The description of these dilemmas is primarily based on interviews with a representative sample of church leaders. Analysis of these dilemmas sheds light on the way the churches of the Middle East have contributed to peaceful resolutions of the Syrian conflict, or failed to do so. Before going into the practical and theological dilemmas of the churches, the article provides a short sketch of the socio-political situation in Syria prior to the war. It also offers a brief overview of the war and the way it has impacted the Christian communities in the region
Temporal gene expression of mesenchymal cells in the pediatric lung
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: The newborn lung undergoes vast biochemical and physiological changes during adaptation from the intrauterine to the extrauterine environment. Lung morphogenesis continues from birth into early childhood, mediated by dynamic gene expression and a diversity of pulmonary cell types (Whitsett, JA. et al. Physiol. Rev, 2019). Murine models demonstrate that pulmonary mesenchymal cells exhibit remarkable heterogeneity in function and morphology during development, however, confirmation of their role is lacking in human neonates and early childhood (Guo, M. et al. Nat. Comm, 2019). In addition, many current human genomic studies of lung maturation suffer from limited sample size, limiting their applicability to longitudinal pediatric lung development. Temporal analysis of gene expression aims to bridge this gap, and the most common analytical approach utilizes Short Time-series Expression Miner (STEM) (Ernst, J. & Bar-Joseph, Z. BMC Bioinformatics, 2006). STEM utilizes unique methods to cluster, compare, and visualize short time-series gene expression data.
METHODS: Dissociation of lung cells, sorting into enriched populations, and RNA isolation was performed at the Human Tissue Core of the Molecular Atlas of Lung Development Program (Bandyopadhyay, G. et al. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol, 2018). RNA sequencing (RNAseq) was performed at the University of Rochester Genomics Research Center using the Ilumina NovaSeq6000, and reads were aligned using the Splice Transcript Alignment to a Reference algorithm (STaR). Reads were further normalized using counts per million (CPM) and variance-mean dependence calculated with DESeq as implemented in Bioconductor. Genes not detected in at least 3 time points or exhibiting a minimum fold change of at least 3 across the time series were excluded from further analysis. Time-series analysis was performed with STEM, and profiles were assigned significance by Fisher’s exact test (p\u3c0.05). Genes selected from profiles of interest were functionally enriched using ToppGene Functional Gene Enricher (Chen, J. et al. BMC Bioinformatics, 2007).
RESULTS: RNAseq was performed using RNA obtained from pulmonary mesenchymal cells, (n=24, (\u3c1 d/o - 8 y/o, 17 m, 7 f) generating 24.3±5.5 million reads at depth of 10 million reads (48.3±4.6% of genome mapped). CPM normalized expression values for repeat donor time points were averaged and then separated into a younger (n=9, \u3c1 d/o - 1 y/o) and older (n=8, 1 y/o - 8 y/o) group. A total of 17,843 genes passed filtering criteria in the younger group and 17,840 passed in the older group. Using STEM, 16 and 20 profiles were found to be significant in the younger and older group, respectively. 7 profiles in the younger group and 8 profiles in the older group were selected for further functional analysis based on significance and directionality of gene expression changes. Multiple profiles in both groups demonstrated matrix fibroblast associated gene expression increasing in both groups, peaking at 2 years. Next, proliferative fibroblast and cell division associated gene expression decreased from birth to 1 year in the younger group. Detection of multiple mesenchymal- like profiles validates the purity of cells enriched. Additionally, gene expression associated with immune- like pathways increased in both groups. Finally, cell signatures in the older group associated with the Wnt pathway decreased from 1 year until 2 years and then increased from 4 years to 8 years.
CONCLUSIONS: In summary, analysis of dynamic gene expression in isolated cells across a time series demonstrates the unique heterogeneity of pulmonary mesenchymal cells throughout adolescence. In addition, increased gene expression associated with immune signatures during pediatric lung development was noted. Further validation and exploration using this technique may advance understanding of the diversity of pulmonary cell types and pathophysiology of pediatric lung disease
Exploring research in the Fine Arts
No full textAcademics perceive research in qualitative and quantitative terms, yet there are many broader experiences of scholarship in a liberal arts environment. Join us as four Fine Arts professors share what scholarship is as defined by their discipline and department, learn about the creative work that is happening in the Benedictine Arts Complex, and engage in discussion about the integral role the Fine Arts hold in our liberal arts education. Join professors Amelia Cheever (Costume Designer), Betsy Johnson (Poetry, Non-Fiction, Memoir, Interpersonal and Group Communication), Rachel Melis (Printmaking, Book Arts, and Design), and Susan Vollbrecht (Music Education & Women’s Choir Director) in this forum presentation