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EFFECTS OF TYPE I DIABETES ON THE HEALTH OF ATHLETES’ GUT MICROBIOMES**
No full textType 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease, in which the pancreas makes little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Studies have shown differences in the gut microbiomes between type I diabetics and healthy people, but this has not specifically been studied in college athletes. Diabetics tend to have lower diversity in gut microbiota than non diabetics. Diabetic athletes have to be especially careful about their glucose intake. In addition, there is an increase in diabetes nationwide and the gut microbiome may be a contributor to this. This study\u27s purpose is to compare gut microbiota health in athletes with type 1 diabetes vs. non-diabetic athletes. Six fecal samples were collected, three from non-diabetic female athletes and three from diabetic female athletes, all between the ages of 18 and 22. Participants filled out a survey about their overall health and diet. Participants were provided an at-home fecal sample kit from Biomesight and were asked to follow the manufacturer\u27s instructions. Samples were mailed to the Biomesight lab where 16S rRNA sequencing will be performed to analyze the community of microbes in each participant’s gut. A Shannon diversity index will be calculated for each participant as well as genus identification of their microbes
DETERMINING THE EFFECTS OF GREEN TEA EXTRACT, QUERECITIN, AND EPICATECHIN ON CELL PROLIFERATION AND LACTATE LEVELS IN MOUSE HEPATOCYTES**
No full textMany health benefits have been reported in relation to the consumption of green tea, including the possible prevention of Type II Diabetes. Green tea (GT) is known to contain a variety of bioflavonoids, including quercetin and epicatechin, which are both ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The AhR has been associated with the regulation of intracellular lactate levels, which are high in diabetics, especially when in a state of ketoacidosis. Long-term exposure to high lactate levels can result in the development of a variety of health concerns related to decreased heart function and increased mortality. Using a colorimetric assay, we are examining the ability of GT ethanol extracts, quercetin (200 μM), or epicatechin (100-200 μM) to lower L-lactate levels in Hepa 1.1 mouse hepatocytes in the presence or absence of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), another ligand of the AhR that is commonly found in the human diet. Cell morphology (as monitored using photographs taken through an inverted microscope) will be analyzed to determine if any treatments impacted cell growth or survival. Total protein levels (measured using a Bradford Assay) will also be used to normalize lactate readings in the samples. Initial results indicate that GT and quercetin treatments lowered lactate levels; however, this is likely due to a decrease in cell confluency observed under these conditions. Neither lactate levels nor cell growth seem to be influenced by epicatechin. Similarly, the addition of B[a]P to these treatments does not appear to impact lactate levels
CRIME RATES NEAR RUNNING TRAILS AND PARKS IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA
No full textRecent events have fueled a public perception that there is a high rate of criminal activity within and near urban parks and trails. This study examines two years (2021-2022) of crime reports from the City of Atlanta, Georgia to examine this perception. The data found was categorized into homicide, rape, and aggravated assault. Geographic analysis of point locations shows that 15.5% of all crimes recorded during the time period occurred within 300 feet of the parks. Since 18.8% of Atlanta is greenspace, there appears to be a lower rate of criminal activity associated with parks and trails. Additional statistical analyses reveal the geographic patterns of crime near selected parks and trails. Efforts to publicize and account for crime in parks serves both to highlight safety awareness and to discourage recreational use of public spaces. There has been an implementation of police portals within the parks and community organizations to help encourage utilization of parks. The goal of this study is to help characterize the social dangers of urban spaces and evaluate whether parks and trails encourage criminal behaviors
GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE GEORGE SMITH LITHIC ARTIFACTS USING PORTABLE X-RAY FLUORESENCE**
No full textThe Middle Woodland period witnessed elaborate social and economic networks involving several different sites. While the Hopewell Interaction Sphere (HIS) typifies the level of trade and exchange among large sites like Leake located in north Georgia, smaller sites were engaged in resource extraction activities. One of the critical components of these economic networks was the extraction of stone resources to create lithic tools. Investigations at the George Smith Site, located in Bartow County, Georgia, have revealed significant quantities of lithic material. This paper seeks to determine the source of the stone used to create the lithic material found at the George Smith Site by examining their geochemical makeup
SEXUAL DIMORPHISM AND PHYLOGENY OF THE MANDIBULAR NOTCH IN HUMANS, APES AND FOSSIL HOMININS.
No full textThe mandibular notch, located superiorly on the ascending ramus, extends from the coronoid process to the mandibular condyle. Given the dimorphism of the inferior cranial vault and mandible, we investigated the potential to differentiate human females and males (n = 14) using solely the shape of the mandibular notch. To determine if the differences between the human sexes can be generalized to hominids, we also included female and male Gorilla, Pan and Australopithecus. We chose elliptical Fourier analysis to capture the shape of the mandibular notch. Photographic images for each individual were rotated to standardize the position of the ascending ramus. The mandibular notch was then traced and binarized, and input into SHAPE v.2 where differences between the samples and a standard ellipse were recorded as amplitudes of the harmonics and reduced to principal components scores. The first two PC vectors, accounting for 75% of variation, showed the convex hulls surrounding female and male human groupings are nearly separate. The convex hull representing human males overlaps slightly with gorillas while the fossil hominin grouping is completely distinct with the exception of AL 288-1 falling close to chimpanzees. When the first 7 PC scores, representing 95.6% of the variance, are classified using canonical scores analysis, human females and males are entirely separated from one another on CS1, and both are distinct from the apes and fossil hominins, which are polarized on CS2. The apes have different patterns of sexual dimorphism of the mandibular notch than humans, and the sex of fossil hominins appears to correspond to humans in some aspects and apes in others. These results demonstrate the utility of using mandibular notch shape in human sex estimation and suggest the morphology of the superior ramus has the potential to be used to infer sex membership in the hominin fossil record
PIGMENTS AND PALETTES: ART PRODUCTION AT A MIDDLE MISSISSIPPIAN PERIOD HOUSE IN NORTH GEORGIA**
No full textThe Mississippian Period is defined by the system of interrelated political and cultural ideas that were prevalent in the Midwest and Southeastern regions of the United States from around 1000 to 1550 CE. It is considered by many to be the height of societal complexity and is characterized by a system of strong social and political hierarchy with major centers with mounds and palisades dominating smaller surrounding settlements. The most notable Mississippian period site in Georgia is Etowah in the northwest of the state. It belonged to what is known as the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex (SECC), which was an exchange network of culture and spirituality that spread during the period. Art from this time period largely followed the themes of the SECC and is largely thought to have been produced by specialists in relatively large quantities and distributed throughout the Mississippian world. However, there is a lack of information on exactly who these art specialists were and what they used to produce their art. The Cummings site in northwest Georgia has provided a unique opportunity to learn more about Mississippian period artists, as a unique assemblage of potentially art related artifacts and chunks of raw minerals have been found on the floor of a Middle Mississippian (1260-1300 CE) house that has been excavated on the site. This presentation focuses on the detailed description of the artifacts as well as a preliminary analysis of the raw minerals using Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), which is used for detecting the elemental composition of a material
TOWARDS A TRANSGENERATIONAL TRAUMA ASSESSMENT TOOL**
No full textTrauma exposure is common. Moreover, the peak age of trauma exposure in the United States of America is between 16 and 20 years. As a human developmental consideration, adaptation after traumatic exposure depends on one’s developmental stage. Noteworthy, the human brain continues to develop during adolescence and into emerging adulthood, and trauma experiences can influence brain maturation. Significantly, trauma has been associated with poverty, criminality, divorce, mental health and physical health, but trauma responses vary. Given that trauma is a broad concept, there have been calls to focus on specific types of trauma to facilitate comprehension of the multifinality following trauma exposure. Since people between the ages of 12 and 19 are twice as likely as people over the age of 25 to experience a potentially traumatic event, it is reasonable to suggest that many parents may experience trauma prior to their first child’s birth. One specific type of trauma is transgenerational trauma. Transgenerational trauma refers to the transfer of trauma from one generation to the next. Theorists have proposed that trauma may be transferred through biological (epigenetics), family systems (enmeshment), psychodynamic (unconscious) or sociocultural (socialization) mechanisms. Additionally, some take an integrative view, where there are various factors that influence the transmission of trauma from parent to offspring. However, an assessment tool that measures the general concept of transgenerational trauma and considers how localized constructions may influence the transfer of trauma is needed. A quality measure that assesses transgenerational trauma could be used to obtain helpful information to better understand this construct. Hence, research to develop such a tool is in progress. Specifically, a qualitative measure has been developed and data collected from that measure will inform the development of a mixed methods measure. Theories, current findings from the qualitative data obtained and future considerations will be discussed
Diversity and Dispersal Among Eastern Continental Divide Headwater Stream Fishes in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
Get PDFThe eastern continental divide that bisects Georgia runs through Gwinnett County, separating headwater streams of the western Chattahoochee River watershed from headwater streams of the eastern Ocmulgee and Oconee River watersheds. This landscape feature was used to test hypotheses regarding headwater habitat, fish diversity and gene flow. Headwater habitats are dominant components of river network ecosystems delivering vital ecosystem services and biodiversity. Three headwater streams, one in the Chattahoochee watershed and two in the Oconee watershed, on Gwinnett County Park property, were sampled for differences in physical and chemical properties and fish inter- and intraspecific diversity. Our results suggest the headwater habitats are each distinguished by unique physical and temporal features. Initial hypotheses regarding expectations of fish diversity based on habitat type were not supported. However, hypotheses regarding the impact of gene flow on genetic diversity among headwater stream species were supported. Gene flow estimates and phylogenetic analyses among three well-sampled species observed in these headwater streams, Semotilus atromaculatus, Notropis lutipinnis, and Nocomis leptocephalus, suggest the Eastern Continental Divide acts as a barrier for gene flow for some species. Our findings highlight a proposed methodology for headwater stream analysis that combines habitat heterogeneity with community and species-level measures of diversity
WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING FOR MILLIPEDE CHEROKIA GEORGIANA (BOLLMAN 1889)**
No full textOut of thousands of known millipede species, only five sequenced genomes (in four of sixteen orders) are publicly available. No whole genomes and limited genetic information are available for incredibly diverse families such as Xystodesmidae. The purpose of this project (our research goal) is to sequence the whole genome of the millipede Cherokia georgiana. A de novo sequence of the complete genome of a North American species will facilitate future research in understanding gene expression under a variety of conditions. Many interesting biological processes in millipedes are poorly described, such as the production of a defensive hydrogen cyanide secretion found in the Polydesmida. While genes in this pathway have been identified, it is unclear how they differ between polydesmid families. Another research avenue this will facilitate is understanding how this cyanogenic pathway is regulated under stressed conditions. This may also aid in understanding this species’ importance in phylogeny and its relationship to other North American millipede species. Here, we present our research strategy for de novo sequencing using the next-generation sequencing platform Oxford Nanopore MinION. For this, DNA extraction kits will be used to extract high-molecular weight (HMW) DNA to be used in sequencing. We will evaluate NGS library quality using the Agilent TapeStation 4200 automated electrophoresis system. Long read sequencing data will be collected using multiple flow cells to enhance read-depth and accuracy. Genome assembly will be conducted using available millipede genome data, and genomes of related species. In future experiments, we will conduct RNA-seq analysis to identify actively transcribed genes
EFFECTS OF ROADWAYS ON MATE SEARCHING MOVEMENTS AND MATE LOCATION SUCCESS IN AN IMPERILED PIT VIPER (CROTALUS HORRIDUS)**
No full textA detailed understanding of animal movement behavior is fundamental to effective conservation and management. Within populations, a diversity of movement strategies can be displayed in search of critical resources, and these strategies are influenced by multiple interacting factors related to individuals and the environment. Mating partners are one critical resource that often serves as a prominent selective force shaping movement during mating seasons. For many large-bodied snakes, such as pit vipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae), male mate-searching movements are the primary determinant of mate location success. During this time, males incur significant risks associated with elevated movement. In an increasingly human-modified world, this often includes more frequent interactions with anthropogenic landscape features, such as roadways. A recent range-wide status assessment for Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) identified roadways among the leading threats to population persistence. More narrowly, roads are implicated in recent declines for C. horridus populations in the Piedmont ecoregion of Georgia, USA. Before effective mitigation strategies can be developed, it is critical to identify behavioral mechanisms that mediate the relative risk that roads pose to populations and individuals. Even in the absence of significant road mortality, sub-lethal effects of roads have been well documented for other wildlife but remain largely untested in snakes. In order to fill these gaps and better inform conservation, I propose an integration of radio telemetry and accelerometry to quantify the effects of proximity to roads and road interaction frequency on mate searching movements and mate location success in C. horridus from the Georgia Piedmont