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Survey of the Boletes from Fish River Nature Preserve
Get PDFBoletes are a special kind of mushroom inside of the Kingdom Fungi that are distinguished from other mushrooms by their uniquely pored hymenium, as opposed to gills. Many boletes are ectomycorrhizal, meaning they are mutualists with vascular plants, and thus beneficial to the overall health of the terrestrial ecosystem. Some are well-known for their edibility and are of economic importance. In the United States 59 genus-level clades comprising 290 operational taxonomic units have been reported. The southeastern US and Gulf Coast regions however are less researched and recorded for their mushroom ecology. In Alabama, only 56 bolete species have been reported so far. Specimens in this project were collected from Baldwin and Mobile Counties, AL, with the majority of specimens collected at The Fish River Nature Preserve. The Fish River Nature Preserve (FRNP) is located south of Fairhope in Baldwin County, and was recently purchased by the South Alabama Land Trust Conservation group. This property includes an upper level section with a tract dominated by oaks and another by pines, which is fire-controlled, and one near the river dominated by palmetto palms.
Upon collection, all collected specimens were brought from the field to the South Alabama campus lab for technical descriptions, imaging, freezing of a small tissue sample, dehydration preservation of the fruiting body, and storage of the specimen. Microscopic work followed that and included the measurement of basidiospores. A primary list of the suspected species of each specimen was created based on morphological descriptions, and spore measurements. The frozen tissue sample then underwent DNA extraction via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification. Specimens that yielded DNA products were then uploaded into GenBan via Blasting to find matches of named sequences that are already in the GenBank database. A total of 26 specimens were collected at the FRNP and Mobile County. 19 of the 26 specimens\u27 identities were confirmed via DNA blasting from which 2 were confirmed to the genus level and the other 17 the the species level. Those remaining 7 that did not yield a DNA confirmed identity were identified morphologically. Together with morphological descriptions and DNA confirmation, a total of 17 species were identified, and they include: A. russellii (NTN-16); B. alutaceus (NTN-09); B. vermiculosoides (NTN-21); E. floridanus (NTN-14); G. castaneus (NTN-01; NTN-03, NTN-06, NTN-12, NTN-17, NTN-22); H. rubellus (NTN-10, NTN-13); L. albellum (NTN-04, NTN-18); P. bellus (NTN-02); P. rhodoxanthus (NTN-15); S. floccopus (NTN-05); S. decipiens (NTN-23); T. balloui (NTN-11); T. rhoadsiae (NTN-08); T. rubrobrunneus (NTN-20, NTN-26); X.affine (NTN-24, NTN-25); X. intermedius (NTN-07); X. subtomentosus (NTN-19). One species, B. alutaceus (NTN-09) commonly known as the “Leather Colored Bolete” is a species native to New England that was identified on the FRNP with no previously reported collections in Southern Alabama.https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/honors_college_posters/1022/thumbnail.jp
Testing for the Significance of Generational Differences on Opinions of Nuclear Power
Get PDFDifferent generations have different experiences from each other depending on the circumstances of the world they were raised in. As a result, different generations have different views of different controversial topics, and there are few topics as controversial as nuclear power. Throughout its history, it has been seen as both the solution to our energy problems, as well as a threat to the safety of life as we know it. This project aims to see if such a difference exists, and if so, what factors would be most influential in creating this difference? Would the past mistakes and catastrophes shape the views of newer generations? Or have the pressures and challenges of the modern era made people more amenable to the concept of nuclear power? We went about this by designing a survey to investigate variables we believe would affect a different generation’s views on nuclear power and then built a model to see if such views would change a person\u27s opinions on nuclear power.
In our findings, we found that there were significant differences between Gen Z and the Baby Bomers. Particularly on matters of nuclear abolishment. It appears that even though Baby Boomers on average are more supportive than Gen Z towards nuclear power they are also more likely to advocate for its abolishment. While Gen Z, despite being less supportive of nuclear power, viewed abolishing the industry as an extreme scenario with over half saying they were against it. Cumulatively both generations had the economy as the factor most likely to sway their stance on nuclear power.https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/honors_college_posters/1021/thumbnail.jp
Effects of Pulmonary Infection on Glia and Neurons
No full textAfter pulmonary infections such as pneumonia from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and COVID-19, a decrease in cognitive function has been witnessed like that of Alzheimer\u27s disease. One contributing factor to Alzheimer\u27s disease is the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, causing neurodegeneration and reactivity of glial cells. Two of the cell types that support the blood-brain barrier include astrocytes and microglia. Phosphorylated tau is another hallmark of Alzheimer\u27s disease. To visualize the effects of lung infection on glia, mice were infected with a strain of P. aeruginosa, and slices of the brain were stained using immunohistochemistry. There was increased glial-specific fluorescence in the brains of the infected mice, suggesting reactivity of the glia. The effects of pulmonary infection on the density of neurons and axons were also visualized. It was seen that there was no change in the density of neurons or axons at 24 hours, but a significant decrease in neuronal density at 48 hours only in the cortex. Changes in the concentration of phosphorylated tau were also visualized. We observed an increased trend in tau tangles in the hippocampus and cortex at 24 hours post-infection but no significant change 48 hours after pulmonary infection. These findings may lead to novel understanding of how pulmonary infection contributes to Alzheimer\u27s disease
Flood Waters Rise: Hurricanes, Disaster Response, and Race Relations in Coastal Alabama, 1906 – 2006
Get PDFThis thesis examines the changes in social relations after natural disasters, specifically hurricanes. The Hurricane of 1906 caused massive damage to Mobile due to the limited warnings. Tensions before the hurricane were already heightened from the Atlanta Race Riot and boiled over after the storm, resulting in a double lynching. Mobile received very little federal aid after the 1906 hurricane and relief heavily on their own communities and the Alabama National Guard. Hurricane Frederic in 1979 was much different because of its position in the Civil Rights Movement. The government relief was slow due to the overwhelming amount needed, and community members of all kinds joined together to help. There were no discussions of racial discrimination besides some lower-income African American areas receiving aid after other cities. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was similar to Hurricane Frederic in Mobile. However, low-income residents waited years for aid funds, and African Americans in New Orleans were discriminated against
Bay Water Level Influences on Inundation and Morphological Changes of a Semi-Connected Barrier Island During a Hurricane
Get PDFThis research aims to identify flooding and erosion changes along a semi-connected barrier island system due to varying bay water levels during storm conditions. The numerical model XBeach is used to simulate Hurricane Michael conditions and the resulting inundation and morphological change near Tyndall Air Force Base (Tyndall AFB). The installation is located 12 miles southeast of Panama City Beach along the panhandle of Florida and is vulnerable to flooding due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), Saint Andrew Sound and Saint Andrew Bay. A land bridge connects the barrier island to the mainland of Tyndall AFB and separates the two back-barrier bays. After establishing a model with hindcast Hurricane Michael waves and water levels, a sensitivity analysis was conducted on the two back-barrier bay water levels by shifting the phase of the peaks and increasing the magnitudes to determine bay water level influences on inundation and morphological changes during storm conditions. A pressure gradient formed when hydraulic connectivity was established between the GoM and back-barrier bays and governed the extent and directionality of barrier island breaching
Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - March 17, 2024
Get PDFThis is the March 17, 2024 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine’s newsletter - Watercooler.
Contents Include It\u27s a match! Class of 2024 celebrate residency placements Meet a Med Student: Emily Hartsell Internal medicine residents hone nonverbal skills with unlikely subjects USA Research Mixer set for April
Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - May 23, 2024
Get PDFThis is the May 23, 2024 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine’s newsletter - Watercooler.
Contents Include Tuckey earns Outstanding Young Scientist Award at research symposium Graduate student earns national scholarship for research Basic medical sciences student wins Stanford BioX Award M3 Case Symposium set for June 7 Pediatric patients may rate pain differently than caregivers, study find
Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - June 21, 2024
Get PDFThis is the June 21, 2024 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine’s newsletter - Watercooler.
Contents Include Prakash named 2024 recipient of the Samuel H. Wilson Award for Studies on DNA Repair M3 students prepare for patient care in the clinical setting Medical student selected to present findings of MS research at national forum Pediatric gastroenterologist joins pediatrics faculty Class of 2026 dons white coats, GHHS inducts new member
Medical Graphic Novels: Comic Art and Medicine
Get PDFLeesha Coleman, USA Biomedical Librarian, gave a presentation at the West Regional Library of the Mobile Public Library. She discussed the use of medical graphic novels and the incorporation of art in science degrees
