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Investigating Viral Impact on Nitrogen Cycling Through Phage-host Interactions in Soil
No full textMicrobial communities, though unseen, are an essential part of all ecosystems. Fixation of atmospheric dinitrogen into ammonium and nitrate by soil bacteria is critical to the nitrogen cycle, which all plants and primary producers depend upon. Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, are known to impact bacterial activity and could affect these processes, yet their role in soil nitrogen cycling is largely unknown. Current predictions regarding phage impacts on terrestrial nitrogen cycling are largely based upon sequencing analyses and highly speculative. Accordingly, this project aims to directly quantify phage impact on soil nitrogen cycling. To investigate this, we designed a series of microcosm experiments with soil denitrifier Bacillus subtilis and its phage, HA. First, we determined baseline B. subtilis nitrate metabolism through liquid microcosm experiments in minimal medium with nitrate as the sole nitrogen source. In measuring broth nitrate levels with vanadium colorimetry, we found that B. subtilis uses nitrate only in low-oxygen conditions. Addition of phage to B. subtilis cultures in subsequent microcosms resulted in a near 5-fold decrease (p < 0.0001) in broth nitrate concentration over two weeks, suggesting that host nitrate reduction is stimulated by phage infection. Pilot synthetic soil microcosms demonstrated no significant difference in nitrate concentrations between B. subtilis-inoculated replicates and uninoculated controls. However, further investigation indicated that the soil medium used may not have been sufficiently sterilized to prevent microbial growth. In addition to analyzing autoclave sterilization efficiency, we also investigated the infectious particle recovery phage concentration methods for our chosen phage. While we used ultracentrifugation to resuspend phage in phage buffer prior to inoculation of liquid microcosms, we noted that it significantly reduced phage infectivity in comparison to concentration via polyethylene glycol precipitation and ultrafiltration. Another characteristic of phage that we examined was replication activity in different media. Nutrient limitations presented by minimal medium extended phage latent period by 30 minutes and significantly decreased burst size when compared to phage replication in rich media. Determining the latent period of HA is key in deciding the frequency of data collection in future microcosm experiments, as soil is also a low-nutrient medium which may alter the rate of HA progeny production and therefore the potential impact of phage on B. subtilis denitrification. In the future, we plan to refine our methodology further and continue this approach with doubly-sterilized soil microcosms inoculated with B. subtilis and phage HA, and time series data collection to determine change in nitrate, bacteria, and phage concentrations over two weeks.BiologyBachelors of Science (BS
‘In A State Of Flight’: Mobility, Freedom, And The Law In The Haitian Revolutionary Diaspora, 1791-1830
No full textBetween 1791 and 1810, roughly 20-25,000 people traveled from revolutionary Haiti to the United States, fleeing the events that would become known as the Haitian Revolution. Of these, an estimated ¼ were enslaved, traveling with enslavers from a site of nascent emancipation to jurisdictions where their legal enslavement seemed secure. This dissertation traces these individuals’ journeys, focusing on their encounters with the legalities of slavery and their efforts to achieve freedom at the intersection of legal status and mobility. At the moment of departure from revolutionary Haiti, the legal status of enslaved and formerly enslaved Haitians was often ambiguous. Chapters One and Two of this dissertation examine the circumstances of these departures, and the legal significance of travel at sea for free or enslaved Black passengers from revolutionary Haiti to the United States. Once in the U.S., however, Saint-Dominguan enslavers often acted as though the people whom they held were unambiguously enslaved, retaining control over their labor and affirming their enslavement through legal acts. Chapters Three, Four, and Five shift to examine enslaved Haitians’ efforts to seek legal and extra-legal freedom in three different jurisdictions in the U.S – Philadelphia, Charleston, and Baltimore – using methods that were informed both by local cultures of freedom-seeking and by the broader context of the Haitian Revolution. This dissertation makes two key interventions. First, it argues that flight from emancipation, and the forced movement of enslaved people from sites of emancipatory possibility, was a central feature of the Haitian Revolution. I term this process of forced movement “recaptive mobility.” While recaptive mobility began when Saint-Dominguan enslavers moved their households from revolutionary Haiti to the U.S., it continued on a smaller scale after their arrival. The second intervention of this dissertation is to argue for the necessity of understanding enslaved people’s struggles for freedom in the revolutionary Atlantic as struggles for control over their own mobility. After arriving in the United States, enslaved Haitians sought freedom and autonomy by seeking greater control over their own movement through place, whether to access legal institutions and claim legal freedom or by evading capture and seeking extra-legal autonomy. In response, their enslavers sought to control their movement through recaptive mobility and imprisonment in order to prevent freedom-seeking. At every stage of this diaspora, enslaved Haitians and their enslavers recognized that struggles over freedom were inseparable from struggles over one’s own mobility.HistoryDoctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.
Using Professional Development As A Tool To Build Teacher Capacity For Recognizing Giftedness In African American Students
Get PDFAfrican American students are underrepresented in gifted programs in American public schools. This is due in part to the teachers’ role in the gifted identification process. Classroom teachers are asked to refer students for evaluation for gifted services. To effectively do this, teachers must understand the unique challenges faced by gifted students from diverse populations, be able to recognize potential and be willing to explore their own perceptions about giftedness. When considering the historical plight of African Americans and their quest for an equitable education, coupled with current statistics on income, employment and educational attainment, the need to address this issue becomes clear. Students of high ability, regardless of race, must be given opportunities to realize their potential, ultimately benefiting the individual and society at large. The purpose of my study was to ascertain elementary school teachers’ perceptions of giftedness toward African American students and to determine the impact that professional development on underachievement, implicit bias, deficit mindset and recognizing giftedness in diverse populations has on teachers’ perceptions. Using an online questionnaire and activities designed to capture teacher’s perceptions of giftedness, qualitative data were collected before and after teachers participated in a series of professional development sessions. The data collected were analyzed using codes and themes. Grounded in Critical Race Theory, my action research study provided an opportunity for teachers to explore factors that contribute to inequitable trends in gifted education and provided an opportunity for teachers to reflect on their roles in perpetuating or minimizing this historical concern.EducationDoctor of Education (Ed.D.
Food Webs - Here, There, and Everywhere!
No full textGrades: 4. Subjects: Life Science | Biology | Oceanography Examining how food webs depict the flow of energy and relationships between organisms in the marine environment.Virginia Institute of Marine Scienc
From terror to pride: Supporting faculty through a blended learning community of transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote, blended, and online teaching and learning presented universities around the world with myriad challenges. This rapid shift into uncharted territory, however, also created an opportunity for faculty developers to lead exploration of new pedagogies, challenging teaching assumptions. In this article, we share the story of how a center for teaching and learning led the shift to remote and blended learning through a community of transformation (Kezar et al., 2018). We share results from a survey of faculty following multiple professional development opportunities and explore themes that emerged from interviews with six instructors representing a range of disciplines and experience in remote and blended teaching. We conclude by offering our design elements to consider when pursuing faculty development as a potentially transformative learning experience (Mezirow, 1991).Educatio
GIS Data: 2024 Northumberland County, Virginia - Shoreline Inventory, Coastal Natural Buffers, & Marsh Migration Corridors
No full textGeodatabase: Northumberland_ShlInventory_NatBuffers_MarshCorridors_2024
Feature classes.
Northumberland_BankHeightSlope_2024 - a polyline feature class
containing bank height category and slope for segments of the upland
shoreline.
Northumberland_RecreationalStructures_2024 - a polygon feature
class with locations of docks, community docks, dilapidated docks, private and public boat ramps, jetties, marinas ( 50 slips), and wharves.
Northumberland_ErosionControlStructures_2024_Line (Shoreline
Protection Structures & Living Shoreline Treatments) - a line feature
class delineating hardened shoreline structures that are used for
erosion control (i.e., revetment, sill, bulkhead, breakwaters, groins,
unconventional, oyster structures, and dilapidated bulkhead), as well
as living shoreline treatments (breakwater with beach nourishment,
marsh with sill, marsh with oyster structures [oyster bags,
manufactured, natural materials), constructed oyster reef and coir
logs).
Northumberland_ErosionControlStructures_2024_Polygon
(Shoreline Protection Structures & Living Shoreline Treatments) - a
polygon feature class delineating hardened shoreline structures that
are used for erosion control (i.e., revetment, sill, bulkhead,
breakwaters, groins, unconventional, oyster structures, and
dilapidated bulkhead), as well as living shoreline treatments
(breakwater with beach nourishment, marsh with sill, marsh with
oyster structures [oyster bags, manufactured, natural materials),
constructed oyster reef and coir logs).
Northumberland_BeachesAndDunes_2024 - a polygon feature
class that delineates the location of beaches and dunes.
Northumberland_TMI_2024 - a polygon feature class that shows the
location, size, and community type of tidal marshes. In 2023, the tidal
marsh inventory update began in conjunction with the shoreline
inventory update. Marsh boundaries (updated marsh extent and
distribution) were identified and mapped remotely using high-
resolution color imagery from the Virginia Base Map Program
(VBMP). Plant community types and other historical data from the
previous inventory were maintained for marshes that intersected the
same geographic location. New marshes were initially classified as
having an "undetermined" plant community type. This classification
was only updated if high-resolution aerial imagery or drone-based
photography provided conclusive evidence of the specific plant
communities present.
Northumberland_MarshMigrationCorridors_2ft_2024 &
Northumberland_MarshMigrationCorridors_4ft_2024- Polygons
that show the potential area of the current upland expected to
become marsh under 2ft and 4ft sea level rise scenario. This layer is
the result of combining the outputs from four existing marsh migration
models into marsh migration corridor envelopes.
The metadata file is embedded in the geodatabase and defines attribute
accuracy, data development, and any use restrictions that pertain to data.
Disclaimer: The Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) provides these data with the understanding that they are not guaranteed to be correct or complete, and conclusions drawn from the data set are the sole responsibility of the user. Every attempt has been made to ensure that these data and the documentation are reliable and accurate. CCRM, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program assume no liability for any damages caused by inaccuracies in the data or documentation; and make no warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or utility of this information, nor does the fact of distribution constitute a warranty.The 2024 Shoreline Inventory, Coastal Natural Buffers, and Migration Corridors layers for the City of Northumberland were generated using on- screen, digitizing techniques in ArcGIS® Pro v. 3.x while viewing conditions observed in Bing high-resolution oblique imagery, Google Earth, and 2021 imagery from the Virginia Base Mapping Program (VBMP). A geodatabase was developed named Northumberland_ShlInventory_NatBuffers_MarshCorridors_2024 containing the following eight features classes displaying bank conditions, shoreline features, natural buffers, and marsh migration corridors: Northumberland_BankHeightSlope_2024, Northumberland_RecreationalStructures_2024, Northumberland_ErosionControlStructures_2024_Line, Northumberland_ErosionControlStructures_2024_Polygon, Northumberland_BeachesAndDunes_2024, Northumberland_TMI_2024, Northumberland_MarshMigrationCorridors_2ft_2024 and Northumberland_MarshMigrationCorridors_4ft_2024.This project was funded in part by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management
Program at the Department of Environmental Quality through Grant #
NA23NOS4190255 of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration.Virginia Institute of Marine Scienc
Achieving Impactful Treatment for Pediatric Endocrine Disorders through Primary Care in Low to Middle-income Countries: A Scoping Review
No full textBackground: Endocrine disorders affect over 5% of the world’s population, with an additional 5% undiagnosed. Despite the increasing prevalence of endocrine disorders, especially cases in low to middle-income countries, limited research offers comprehensive guidance on trea9ng this complex medical field. Objecive/Aim: To provide evidence-based recommendations for efficient, effective, and accessible treatment of pediatric endocrine conditions in low to middle income countries. Method: We used the Arksey and O’Malley methodological framework for scoping reviews to analyze health care administration approaches in low to middle-income countries. These approaches included primary care, specialized care, government intervention, and mobile health initiatives. Evaluation criteria focused on measuring levels of efficiency, efficacy, and accessibility. Results/Findings: After reviewing primary care, specialized care, government intervention programs, and mobile care initiatives within developing countries, primary care emerged as the best approach for treating pediatric endocrine disorders. Conclusion: In summary, despite recommendations favoring specialized care or government interventions, primary care proves to be the most effective, efficient, and accessible method for treating pediatric endocrine conditions. Given limited healthcare funding in low to middle income countries, implementing primary care initiatives can achieve optimal outcomes while maximizing resources. Key Words: low to middle-income countries, pediatric, endocrine, health care, treatment methodsKinesiology & Health Science
Plotting the Battlefield: Russia's Use of Language and Memory to Legitimize Aggression Against Ukraine
No full textThe Russian Federation has launched a series of propaganda campaigns in preparation for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A discourse analysis of Russian state-sponsored news channels reveals an evolution of linguistic propaganda techniques over the past decade. A further analysis of Soviet and Russian state-funded cinema suggests that cinematic portrayals of Ukrainians have shifted in alignment with political contexts. After the fall of the Soviet Union and especially after Putin’s rise to power, cinematic representations of Ukrainians in Russia have evolved to fit into ongoing media campaigns regarding Ukraine. The language and symbols of these campaigns largely evoke the memory of World War II, often drawing on WWII imagery and Soviet historical narratives. The prevalence of these linguistic and visual techniques against Ukraine over recent years suggest that a full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been developing in Russia for at least a decade. These media campaigns, although marked with inconsistencies and contradictions, reflect a long-term strategy aimed at justifying military action in Ukraine. Building upon the “firehose of falsehood” propaganda model, the nature of these government-sponsored publications suggest that the inconsistencies and contradictions that are prevalent in state narratives about Ukraine are key to the larger Russian propaganda model.Global StudiesBachelors of Arts (BA
An Experimental Test on the Effects of Digital Framing Disputes on Social Movement Organization’s Mobilization and Organizational Image
No full textFraming disputes within social movement organizations have been shown to damage people’s opinions of the organization and the organization's ability to maintain mobilization. However, the majority of the research surrounding framing disputes has been conducted through case studies at in-person movement meetings. While these town hall-style meetings do still take place, many social movement organizations have begun to utilize social media as a part of their regular interactions with supporters and messaging efforts. This study employs a survey experimental design to examine the effects of online framing disputes on how social movement organizations are perceived and their ability to generate mobilization. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups where they were presented with a story about a student-run social movement organization and their use of social media. One group's article included a description of a framing dispute happening in the comments of the organization's posts. They were then polled on their opinions of the organization and how likely they were to willingly interact with the organization and its activities. Findings suggest that while online framing disputes did negatively affect how cohesive participants viewed the social movement organization to be, they did not affect mobilization nor how successful people thought the social movement organization was likely to be. These findings go against the previous findings on the effects of framing disputes in in-person settings, suggesting there is something unique about the digital setting.GovernmentBachelors of Arts (BA