Texas A&M International University: Research Information Online (RIO)
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Minimal Genomes Simplify the Analysis of Biological Relationships in Medicine, Taxonomy, Ecology, and Astrobiology
Full text linkAs humans, we continuously thrive to determine meaningful biological relationships between living things on the basis of specific characteristics. Taxonomy is the science that studies these connections for the purpose of naming and grouping organisms as well as identifying logical clusters (i.e, clade). Its origin may be traced as far back as ancient Greece and beyond, and while we explore species diversity, most of our attention focuses on the biomedical and ecological applications of taxonomy. The contemporary taxonomical revolution began with Carl Linnaeus. He established the principles of binomial nomenclature and taxonomical hierarchy that we employ now. Relationships were later drawn as tree diagrams whose order described the evolutionary development of species but the branch distances didn’t accurately reflect time. With Charles Darwin, genetics started to play a larger role in taxonomy, and cladograms were determined using relatedness. The rise of bioinformatics in the last century facilitated to calculate species divergence, resulting in accurate visuals of complex branch distances in the form of phylogenetic trees. Finally, the genomics revolution provided a wealth of information, but its sheer endless amount of data has been challenging to process. As a consequence, our ability to unfold the mysteries of biological evolution remain limited by technology since multi-species comparisons remain computationally intensive. To solve this problem, we used a new computational approach that is based on the analysis of organisms with small genomes to construct evolutionary relationships. Minimal genomes contain mostly the core set of genes, allowing the investigation of the origin of life, evolutionary connections, and potential antibiotic targets. By comparing genomics data of minimal genomes from all sequenced phyla, we observed that these organisms reflect the diversity of their genomically larger counterparts including GC content, proteins per megabase (Mb), and 16S rRNA relationships. Thus, minimal genomes are suitable to use in taxonomy studies. We also compared the 16S rRNA of all species of the phylum Tenericutes as described in the Bergey’s Manual as well as the proteomes from all mammalian Mycoplasma species. The Tenericutes, commonly known as “mycoplasmas,” are bacteria that lack a cell wall, have notoriously small genomes, and are AT rich. Our results demonstrated that phylogenies at small scales are alarmingly contingent upon the sequence alignment algorithms that is used. In addition, comparison of the 16S rRNA of all Tenericutes revealed that these organisms are paraphyletic. Proteome alignments found computed homologs lacking. However, 16S rRNA data combined with statistics on host range, geographical distribution, and habitat (e.g., host organ system) revealed that there are common features within the clades that may be helpful for taxonomy studies. Furthermore, our data supports the intention of other scientists to reorganize the taxonomy of the Mycoplasmatales order and its type species. Minimal genomes are therefore a source of untapped potential
Disparities In Status In Intimate Partner Violence
Full text linkIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive public health issue that is unfortunately universal throughout different social groups and cultural contexts. The issue of IPV among Latino has recently caught the attention of researchers; however, studies pertaining to Latino men who have sex with men (LMSM) remain virtually unexplored. The objective of this thesis in sociology is to understand how disparities in ascribed and in achieved statuses among LMSM couples impact mechanisms of IPV, and if affective (e.g., emotional) and instrumental (e.g., financial) mechanisms shape the form and the severity of IPV. Furthermore, this thesis is aimed at filling a gap in the literature, identifying unique features of LMSM-IPV, and challenging misconceptions of LMSM-IPV. This thesis seeks to find how power dynamics are defined and expressed through disparities in ascribed and in achieved statuses among LMSM couples. This thesis’ core hypothesis is: differences in ascribed and in achieved statuses impact the form and severity IPV; furthermore, mechanisms of IPV may or may not mediate between the relationship between these disparities and aspects of IPV. Variables were analyzed using a binary logistic regression. The findings of this study indicate that only disparity of ascribed status and mechanisms of IPV were associated in severe IPV. These findings are important studies of IPV seldom focus on double minorities such as LMSM. Using these findings can help produce effective prevention and intervention programs that are inclusive and culturally sensitive to the needs of LMSM
The Wonders of Water: How the Sea and Water Awaken Kate Chopin\u27s Edna Pontellier\u27s Sense of Self in The Awakening
Full text linkIn Kate Chopin’s The Awakening protagonist Edna Pontellier is a white, upper-class, southern American woman who seems to have it all: wealth, a loving husband, and beautifulchildren. She does not, however, have a sense of self, for she is not content with living a domestic life. What she does have is a close proximity to the sea, and the sea awakens Edna to new prospects for her life because each time that she returns from being in the sea’s transformative waters, she feels empowered to rebel against the patriarchy in her nineteenth-century Creole society in Louisiana. Not only does the sea embolden Edna to take more risks, but the water from her own tears also acts as a cathartic factor in compelling her to reevaluate her identity as a person. The stringent patriarchal society in which she lives, however, is a significant roadblock in her path toward self-fulfillment. Wives are the property of their husbands in this era, and a life outside the domestic sphere is unthinkable for a woman in Edna’s position. Society notwithstanding, her own inner battles with her society’s needs for propriety and her own needs for fulfillment clash as Nietzsche’s theory of the Apolline and Dionysian proves. Furthermore, because Edna is a symbol of how marginalized women from any segment of the social hierarchy felt, her journey in seeking her identity is analyzed from a feminist theoretical perspective in addition to the analysis of two female characters on opposite sides of the patriarchal spectrum. Examining Edna’s endeavor to achieve a sense of autonomy, though a defiance to her society’s norms, illustrates the message that women must have a choice in the path their lives will take, or they will do whatever it takes to achieve it
Aesthetics and Religion: Nietzche and Freud on the Value of Illusions
Full text linkThis work will examine the psychological function of religious belief, particularly their capacity to provide guidance and relief from the aspects of existence that prove troublesome. Religions, a culturally instituted set of traditions and practices, have played a significant role in shaping the development of civilization. The collective organization of individuals and the shared acceptance of values has made possible the formation of large and complex social arrangements, making existence for the human species a more bearable enterprise. Interested in the lives of the ancient Greeks, the philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, sought to apprehend the mystery of their deities as products of aesthetic invention. With their worldly outlook preserved in the projection of these cosmic fantasies, Nietzsche sought to resurrect the philosophy of pessimistic strength that sustained the lives of the Greeks, believing that a vital life force lay concealed in their mythology. The myths and rituals pertaining to the god Dionysus were capable of inducing powerful sublime experiences, as the mythic hero symbolized the struggle to transcend the painful ordeals of existence. While Nietzsche’s analysis lay the groundwork for the psychological origins of these myths, the psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud, developed a more systematized way of investigating the phenomena of religious belief, applying the principles of scientific analysis to the methodology of his theories. Though Freud believed that religious belief was symptomatic of a kind of mental neurosis, he contended that these myths or illusions played a pragmatic function in spurring the progression of civilization, as religious ideas imposed strict moral restraints on their adherents, thus making coexistence possible. While faith in religious ideas have waned with the scrutiny of scientific analysis, the works of Nietzsche and Freud have suggested that life for humans can only be made meaningful and comprehensible when life is experienced as an aesthetic phenomenon. In other words, life is made meaningful when apprehended through the lens of human interests and desires, which have been projected into the abstract constellation of religious phenomena that structure almost all cultures and societies
La Figura de la Bruja en las Novelas de Fernanda Melchor y Brenda Lozano: Un Estudio Hacia el Ecofeminismo, el Folclor Mexicano y la Violencia Hacia la Mujer
Full text linkWomen and witches have shared the same destiny of persecution since the emergence of the primitive capitalist system. Derived into its consequent patriarchal government which has spread to the new neo-liberal heteronormative regimes. My work seeks to review and highlight the perception of the witch figure in contemporary Mexican literature written by women. The works of Fernanda Melchor with Temporada de huracanes (2017) and Brenda Lozano with Brujas (2020) represent in their narrative the presence of the feminist folklore and how their characters feature the generational wisdom of unofficial knowledge that goes hand in hand with ecofeminist theory; the establishment of neoliberalism that oppresses and violates the physical and the metaphorical figure of women and the indigenous communities. Finally, the narrative also emphasizes the characterization of the grotesque in the novels along with the monstrous and disgusting description of the folk figure of the Mexican witch, indicative of the false representation and violence of free women. Las mujeres en general, y las brujas en particular, han compartido el mismo destino de persecución desde la aparición del sistema capitalista primitivo y de su consecuente gobierno patriarcal y se ha extendido hasta los nuevos regímenes neoliberales heteronormativos. Mi trabajo busca repasar y enfatizar la percepción de la bruja en la literatura contemporánea mexicana escrita por mujeres. Los trabajos de Fernanda Melchor con Temporada de huracanes (2017) y Brenda Lozano con Brujas (2020) representan en su narrativa la presencia del folclor feminista y como sus personajes enfatizan la sabiduría generacional del conocimiento no oficial que va de la mano con la teoría ecofeminista; el establecimiento del neoliberalismo que oprime y violenta la figura física y metafórica femenina y de las comunidades indígenas; por último, la caracterización de lo grotesco en la narrativa de las novelas y la descripción monstruosa y repugnante de la figura folclórica de la bruja que alude a la falsa representación y la violencia de la mujer libre
From the Corner of One\u27s Soul: The Methods of Negotiating Tension in Cormac McCarthy\u27s Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West
Full text linkThis thesis provides a practical and meaningful reading of Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West, one that is rooted in the claim that both Judge Holden and the Kid reflect two different methods for negotiating a tension impinged upon them by their external circumstances. Using a theoretical framework that is inspired by the social psychological Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, this thesis provides an extensive analysis of the novel’s fictional universe, Judge Holden, and the Kid. Such an analysis elucidates the violent nature of Blood Meridian’s universe and further reveals the character of Judge Holden and the kid by means of their actions and behaviors. As demonstrated by both the scope of the judge’s intellectual thought, and his response to the dissentient kid, the judge reflects a method of negotiation that relies on affirming himself as the ultimate agent over existence in order to dismiss his tension. Conversely, the kid reflects a method that entails engaging tension directly, as he takes personal responsibility for reconciling the conflicting ideas of his tension by means of his own actions. Through such an analysis, several important implications for the novel arise, and even a new, ambiguous reading of the novel’s conclusion is made available for the reader to ponder
Configuraciones y autorepresentaciones digitales de género y masculinidad en Tinder
No full textTinder es un espacio digital con contenido y categorías predefinidas para su uso e interacción. Desde la presentación de un perfil heterosexual, el espacio coloca al sistema sexo -género binario como punto de partida en la producción y reproducción del discurso de la masculinidad, que de manera hegemónica y dominante se construye en las sociedades occidentales. Ese modelo se funda en el privilegio y el éxito del estereotipo de hombre blanco y heterosexual, que goza de un amplio espectro de movilidad económica y social en la esfera pública contemporánea. El presente artículo es el resultado y análisis de una muestra de perfiles de hombres heterosexuales que se presentan en Tinder, en Barcelona, España. Para ello conjugamos elementos de la etnografía digital, los estudios visuales, psicosociales, y del discurso multimodal. Observamos que, desde el avatar digital de presentación, los hombres heterosexuales muestran cómo la representación de esa preferencia sexual es performada y autorepresentada, produciendo un contenido estrechamente relacionado con discursos y configuraciones de género y masculinidad; ampliamente reavivados, reafirmados y producidos en la comunicación mediática y digital de esta época
George Washington Gomez: The Twenty First Century American Tejano
Full text linkA Thesis based on exposing the Mexican American Conservative who sees himself as an American first. Mexican Americans or American Tejanos place an American Creed above anything else. American Tejanos believe nationality is more important than race
Generation of Antibiotic Resistant Mutants in the Minimal Pathogen Mycoplasma Pneumoniae
Full text linkMycoplasma pneumoniae (MPN) causes community acquired pneumonia (CAP). The inability to identify M. pneumoniae infections through common clinical screenings has added to the global antibiotic resistance problem. MPN characteristically lacks a cell wall, which prevents proper diagnosis in an infected patient. This has led to the inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics at insufficient dosages, allowing these microorganisms to thrive at sub-lethal concentrations. The small genome size of MPN, makes it a viable candidate for studying and developing tools to understand the genetic mechanisms behind the acquisition of antibiotic resistance by microbes. This study aimed to generate MPN mutants through prolonged exposure to 19 commercially available antibiotics. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of different antibiotic groups including macrolides, aminocyclitols, aminoglycosides, amphenicols, ansamycins, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, ketolides, nitrofurans, and tetracyclines against M. pneumoniae (MPN) wild type strain M129-B7 and (2) to generate antibiotic resistant mutants through exposure of M. pneumoniae M129-B7 to constant sub-inhibitory (SIC) antibiotic concentrations across subsequent generations. MICs were determined qualitatively through color changes in the medium used for MIC assays. The averages of the MIC values indicate that the antibiotics: SPT, PUR, LVX, MXF, AZM, CLR, ERY, RXM, DOX, and TET are under the suggested breakpoint of ≤ 1 µg/mL, which supports the efficacy of these drugs against unaltered versions of MPN M129-B7. Alternatively, GEN, KAN, CHL, RFB, CFZ, CRO, CIP, CLI, and NIT had MIC averages higher than 1 µg/mL. These MIC values were used to generate four separate sets of passages under decreasing sub-inhibitory concentrations (SIC). The antibiotics: SPT, GEN, KAN, PUR, CHL, CIP, LVX, MXF, CLI, DOX, and TET were tested on MPN M129-B7 and successfully generated five passages under antibiotic pressure for each. This study shows that antibiotic pressure from SPT, GEN, KAN, CIP, and MXF antibiotics can generate mutations in MPN M129-B7 within five passages. This indicates that we were able to further develop techniques to use on M. pneumoniae as a model system to lead to the exploration of the genetic mechanisms involved in antibiotic resistance development in mycoplasmas and possibly other microbes
Stamping out stigma: Does mental health literacy on eating disorders and ADHD lower stigma?
Full text linkBeginning college presents unique stressors and challenges for students. These stressors can be compounded by culture, mental health issues, and lack of knowledge about available resources. Mental health literacy aims to provide the necessary knowledge about mental health issues and promote action upon that knowledge to benefit the individual (Jorm, et al., 1997). This study focuses on utilizing mental health literacy workshops in attempts to lower stigma against ADHD and symptomology for anorexia and bulimia. The study was conducted on a predominantly Hispanic populated campus in south Texas. Students were provided one hour of mental health literacy on ADHD and one hour on eating disorders. Two measures were used to identify changes between the pre and post-assessments. Paired sample t-tests were used to analyze the data. The results were mixed. There were no significant changes in means between pre and post-assessment for ADHD stigma (p=0.291). This may be due to unforeseen impacts of the psychoeducation and awareness. There were significant decreases in eating disorder symptomology at pre and post-assessment (p\u3c0.01**). In conclusion, a one hour mental health literacy workshop on eating disorders significantly lowered anorexia and bulimia symptomology in Latinx, college freshmen