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Articles 31 - 60 of 845
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Needs Assessment For A Web-Based Support Resource For Patients With A Pathogenic Variant In Lmna, Dylan M. Allen
Needs Assessment For A Web-Based Support Resource For Patients With A Pathogenic Variant In Lmna, Dylan M. Allen
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Pathogenic variants (PV) in the gene LMNA cause autosomal dominant inherited “laminopathies” that can affect multiple different organs, most specifically the heart. Current resources for LMNA patients are sparse and disjointed, leaving a need for a comprehensive resource catering to the wants and needs of the patients. A needs assessment of LMNA support resources was completed through reviewing published literature and existing support resources and conducting 11 semi-structured interviews with individuals who have a PV in LMNA. The Social Support Theoretical Model and thematic analysis of interview transcripts were used to identify discrepancies between the support that affected individuals receive …
Using The Genetic Counseling Skills Checklist To Characterize Prenatal Genetic Counseling, David A. Cline
Using The Genetic Counseling Skills Checklist To Characterize Prenatal Genetic Counseling, David A. Cline
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Genetic Counseling relies on communication skills to help patients understand and adapt to a genetic disease or risk. However, little is known about which skills are most commonly used or the extent to which genetic counseling sessions vary. A novel process measure titled the "Genetic Counseling Skills Checklist" (GCSC) was developed in a prior pilot study and includes 8 broad categories each consisting of 5-8 skills. This study is the first to apply the final GCSC to characterize 20 mock prenatal sessions conducted by 5 genetic counselors (GCs) for 2 prenatal indications using 3 trained actors as patients. Two experienced …
Comparing Mortality In Response To Simulated Climate Change In The Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex Badius, And The Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta, Haley Depner
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
With the rapid transport of plants, produce, and goods out of its South American home, the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, has invaded continents on a global scale. In the United States alone, S. invicta is responsible for an estimated $1 billion in damages annually. In contrast to the invasive fire ant, Florida’s native harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius, is a keystone seed disperser, providing seed relocation benefits to Florida’s sandhill wildfire-adapted habitats. Seed relocation reduces seedling competition for nutrients with the parent plant, reduces predation of seeds by rodents, increases nutrient loads associated with ant mound soils, and protects seeds from …
Healthcare Decision Makers' Perspectives On Barriers And Facilitators To Hiring Genetic Counselors In Huntington Disease (Hd) Clinic Settings, Bailey Hummel
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Huntington disease (HD) is a hereditary, neurodegenerative autosomal dominant disorder for which there are currently no effective options to prevent the onset of symptoms. Although meeting with a genetic counselor (GC) is recommended as part of national guidelines for predictive HD genetic testing and a GC is required for Centers of Excellence, not all HD centers have hired a GC. To explore drivers for, valued outcomes of, and barriers to the creation of GC positions in clinics that treat patients with HD, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 individuals involved with HD clinics and/or hiring decisions at 8 clinics across …
Piloting A Spanish-Language Web-Based Tool For Hereditary Cancer Genetic Testing, Gretter Manso
Piloting A Spanish-Language Web-Based Tool For Hereditary Cancer Genetic Testing, Gretter Manso
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Cancer genetic services (including genetic counseling and testing) help identify patients and families at increased risk of developing cancer so that steps can be taken to reduce risks or find cancers early. Receipt of genetic services in the Hispanic/Latinx population is low due, in part, to a shortage of Spanish-speaking genetic counselors. To address this concern, a 12-minute online tool designed to inform individuals about cancer genetic services was translated into Spanish. The objectives of this pilot study were to determine if the educational tool improves knowledge and informed decision making and to assess usability and appropriateness of the tool …
Evaluation Of A Story-Telling Approach To Educate Minority Populations About Inherited Cancer, Celestyn B. Angot
Evaluation Of A Story-Telling Approach To Educate Minority Populations About Inherited Cancer, Celestyn B. Angot
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Utilization of hereditary cancer genetic counseling and testing services is substantially lower among minority populations compared to white populations due, in part, to lower levels of awareness and knowledge. To help improve awareness, we designed a 7-minute video that uses storytelling to translate knowledge of genetic testing and hereditary cancer to individuals who have a personal history or family history of cancer. Consented participants were asked baseline questions about hereditary cancer and genetic testing, reviewed the video, and provided feedback on its content, understandability, and visual appeal during semi-structured interviews. Data were coded and analyzed to identify themes and determine …
Diatom Diversity And Functional Groups In 72 Florida Lakes: Assessing Ecological Changes For Improved Protection And Management, Francesca M. Lauterman
Diatom Diversity And Functional Groups In 72 Florida Lakes: Assessing Ecological Changes For Improved Protection And Management, Francesca M. Lauterman
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Florida lakes are diverse ecosystems and are an important part of the state's biodiversity and ecosystem services. As human population and development increase across the state, many lakes have been documented as nutrient impaired and are unable to maintain essential ecological functions. In this study, diatom diversity and functional groups in 72 Florida lakes were assessed for their relationships with associated water-quality data. Common alpha diversity indices, including Shannon-Weiner Index, the Gini-Simpson Index, and Hill’s numbers were utilized to measure trends in diatom communities, while the relationships between diatom lifeform characteristics and environmental data were explored using multivariate methods and …
Atrial Fibrillation In Aging: Mechanisms And Potential Therapeutics, Mengmeng Chang
Atrial Fibrillation In Aging: Mechanisms And Potential Therapeutics, Mengmeng Chang
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias seen in the clinics, and currently available antiarrhythmic pharmacotherapies in AF are not very effective. Although AF has been recognized as an aging-mediated disease, our understanding of the electrophysiological pathways that link aging and AF remain incomplete, which limits breakthroughs in the development of novel antiarrhythmic treatments for this disease. Studies have shown that aging increases the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the heart, and high levels of ROS have been associated with development of AF in animals and patients. Additionally, in some forms of AF, the …
Population Demography, Spatial Ecology, And Habitat Use Of The Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene Bauri) On A Barrier Island, Michael D. Mills
Population Demography, Spatial Ecology, And Habitat Use Of The Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene Bauri) On A Barrier Island, Michael D. Mills
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Turtles are one the most threatened vertebrate groups in the world due to anthropogenic threats such as habitat loss and overexploitation. In addition to occupying a range that has been vulnerable to major habitat loss, the Florida box turtle (Terrapene bauri) is particularly at risk of overexploitation due to its popularity in the pet trade. Sanibel Island is a barrier island in southwest Florida that has experienced major habitat loss and is the site of a recent poaching event. In response to these threats, studies of both the population demography and spatial ecology were conducted on Sanibel’s Florida box turtle …
Quantifying Environmental Sensitivity Of Marine Resources To Oil Well Blowouts In The Gulf Of Mexico, Emily Chancellor
Quantifying Environmental Sensitivity Of Marine Resources To Oil Well Blowouts In The Gulf Of Mexico, Emily Chancellor
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation focused on oil spill risk assessment techniques historically utilized for coastal resources (e.g., environmental sensitivity indices (ESIs), vulnerability assessments, species-specific vulnerability frameworks) and their application and expansion to offshore resources found in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Additional included techniques (e.g., multi-sector trade-off analysis, marine spatial planning (MSP) software) provide support in decision making processes regarding the potential siting of oil production sites and/or the withdrawal of areas from oil and natural gas production. Chapter 1 included an overview and justification for this study. Chapter 2 demonstrated an initial methodology for the creation of offshore ESIs and how …
Reproduction In Relation To Heavy-Metal Contamination Along An Urbanization Gradient In Aninvasive Florida Lizard Species (Anolis Sagrei), Elizabeth Hauck
Reproduction In Relation To Heavy-Metal Contamination Along An Urbanization Gradient In Aninvasive Florida Lizard Species (Anolis Sagrei), Elizabeth Hauck
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Environmental contamination is accumulating rapidly worldwide due to increasing urbanization rates. Heavy metals are known to be particularly toxic to organisms, to accumulate in biological systems, and to be found in higher concentrations in animals located in areas of high urban levels. However, the physiological impacts of these toxic heavy metals in wildlife remain largely unknown. Lizards are excellent bioindicator species for environmental contaminants due to their trophic level as mesopredators and their susceptibility of exposure via air, water, diet, and soil through egg deposition. To assess the impacts heavy-metal contamination has on reproductive parameters in lizards and how these …
Farmer Adoption Of Advanced Technology In Agribusiness, Justin W. Belcher
Farmer Adoption Of Advanced Technology In Agribusiness, Justin W. Belcher
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Normally, family-owned farms are slow to adopt advanced technologies though these technologies can provide several benefits to the farm and have the potential to increase farm production volumes to help meet future population growth. The goal of this study was to document the factors that influence the adoption decision of advanced technologies by family-owned farms and what strategies can be used to motivate adoption. Case study research was conducted to gather data in a more structured way from family-owned farms typically excluded from past research for the purpose of comparing similarities across similar and dissimilar farms. For generalizing similarities, a …
American Horse Power During The Great War, Hanna K. Lipsey
American Horse Power During The Great War, Hanna K. Lipsey
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation charts the significant, if understudied, history of American horses during the era of World War I, from roughly 1914 to 1919. Its chapters trace how the US Army acquired, used, cared for, and ultimately demobilized horses over the course of that conflict. Beginning with their acquisition, via either an Army Horse Breeding Program or a complicated buying process, horses faced a complex introduction into military service. Life for these animals did not get any easier once they reached the European front. Although the US military was beginning to replace horses with motor trucks and tractors, horses remained central …
Investigating Students' Interpretations Of Ecological Food Webs, Christopher Neil Grissett
Investigating Students' Interpretations Of Ecological Food Webs, Christopher Neil Grissett
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
To better prepare undergraduate students for current and future biological challenges, scientists, educators and researchers in the Vision and Change report recommended five core conceptual areas essential for the improvement of biological literacy, one of which is biological systems. Systems are an identified core concept that may help promote biological literacy. One example of a system that students have difficulty understanding is an ecological food web, which consists of parts or components interacting with one another to perform a given phenomenon. The intricacies of this system tend to confuse students and can produce naïve conceptions that could hinder future learning …
Utilizing Maternal Investment Strategies Of Sharks To Develop Management Tools To Aid In Shark Conservation, Dennis Deeken
Utilizing Maternal Investment Strategies Of Sharks To Develop Management Tools To Aid In Shark Conservation, Dennis Deeken
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Every generation, breeding females and males repopulate ecosystems with the next generation of offspring. Two models link maternal investments in offspring size and number to natural selection processes. In unstable resource environments, bet-hedging models predict a conservative tradeoff in maternal investments resulting in moderate egg size and clutch size within a given range of sizes for a given species. r/K selection models make predictions on maternal investments across species. In unstable resource environments, r-selected species invest in large broods of small offspring. In stable environments, K-selected species invest in small broods of large offspring. The maternal risk management model predicts …
Effect Of Hyperoxia On Cardiac Pathophysiology In Female Guinea Pig Hearts, Chayapatou Chayawatto
Effect Of Hyperoxia On Cardiac Pathophysiology In Female Guinea Pig Hearts, Chayapatou Chayawatto
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Hyperoxia is widely implemented in critical care and ICU patients. The administration of a high concentration of inspired oxygen to the lung can unknowingly cause hyperoxia and thereby damaging the lungs and heart due to oxidative stress. Technically, hyperoxia occurs when the patient receives PaO2 > 200 mmHg. Major research focused on hyperoxia-induced lung injury, but nothing is known on its effect on heart. Our lab is the pioneer in understanding the effect of hyperoxia on cardiovascular remodeling using mice model. Previous results show that mice under 72 hours of hyperoxia present severe cardiac pathophysiology. This research uses Guinea pigs, which …
Interactions Between Juvenile Estuary-Dependent Fishes And Microalgal Dynamics, Ian C. Williams
Interactions Between Juvenile Estuary-Dependent Fishes And Microalgal Dynamics, Ian C. Williams
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The ontogenetic movement of juvenile estuary-dependent fishes upstream in estuarine settings is a phenomenon observed around the world. These movements usually coincide with a shift in diet from smaller prey, such as calanoid copepods, to larger prey, such as mysids. However, the mechanism that drives this pattern has yet to be conclusively described. Prior to the current study, zooplankton/hyperbenthos (“zooplankton”), primary production, and water quality data were collected from the Caloosahatchee River estuary in two concurrent and coordinated studies over a two-year period. One of the products of these sampling efforts was a classification of primary-producer types at the sediment-water …
Association Between Use Of Remdesivir And Bradycardia, Gibret Umeukeje
Association Between Use Of Remdesivir And Bradycardia, Gibret Umeukeje
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Remdesivir received the first emergency use authorization from the FDA for the treatment of COVID-19. Multiple adverse drug reactions (ADR) have been reported since its approval in October 2020. Bradycardia, defined by a decrease in heart rate has been reported as an adverse event for patients receiving remdesivir for COVID-19 treatment. The purpose of the research is to systematically investigate the frequency of occurrence of bradycardia in adults receiving remdesivir using clinical data derived from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. Patients receiving remdesivir were compared to those receiving Paxlovid, Regen-Cov, and Dexamethasone for COVID-19 treatment to see …
Screening Pathological Protein Specific Antibodies As Biomarker Discovery Tools For Neurodegenerative Disease, Yitong Li
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
With the increase in the average life span, the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases also increases, among which Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the two most common types of neurological disorders. AD and PD share the same pathogenic mechanism that involves a class of proteins called beta-amyloid (Aβ), which, under the induction of some factors, changes from its natural monomeric state to the oligomers containing β-sheet, which is neurotoxic and thus leads to cell damage or apoptosis. This study focused on the selection of antibodies used as biomarkers for AD and PD. The selection of antibodies was based …
A Holistic Investigation Of Acidosis In Breast Cancer, Bryce Ordway
A Holistic Investigation Of Acidosis In Breast Cancer, Bryce Ordway
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
In the early 20th century, Nobel laureate Otto Warburg made the observation that cells of a carcinoma had considerably higher glycolytic metabolism and considerably lower oxidative metabolism compared to cells of a normal tissue. He postulated that within this observation was the key to deciphering the differences between malignant and normal tissue. It is now well established that tumors of the breast are unequivocally acidic, caused by an abnormal amount of aerobic glycolysis, colloquially known as the Warburg effect. Over the last decades, our group, led by Dr. Robert J. Gillies, has set out to characterize the causes and consequences …
X-Linked Ubiquitin-Specific Peptidase 11 Increases Tauopathy Vulnerability In Women, Yan Yan
X-Linked Ubiquitin-Specific Peptidase 11 Increases Tauopathy Vulnerability In Women, Yan Yan
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Women experience significantly higher tau burden and increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) than men, yet the underlying mechanism for this vulnerability has not been explained. Here, we demonstrate through in vitro and in vivo models, as well as human AD brain tissue, that X-linked ubiquitin specific peptidase 11 (USP11) augments pathological tau aggregation via tau deubiquitination initiated at lysine-281. Removal of ubiquitin provides access for enzymatic tau acetylation at lysines 281 and 274. USP11 escapes complete X-inactivation, and female mice and people both exhibit higher USP11 levels than males. Genetic elimination of usp11 in a tauopathy mouse model preferentially …
Neural And Cardiac Mechanisms In Friedreich's Ataxia With Patient-Derived Ipscs, Mariana Burgos Angulo
Neural And Cardiac Mechanisms In Friedreich's Ataxia With Patient-Derived Ipscs, Mariana Burgos Angulo
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is an autosomal recessive disease caused, in most cases, by a GAA trinucleotide repeat expansion in the first intron of the frataxin (FXN) gene, which results in transcriptional repression of the encoded protein frataxin. FA is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, but the primary cause of death is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which occurs in 60% of the patients. Several functions of frataxin have been proposed, but none of them can fully explain why its deficiency causes the FA phenotypes nor why the most affected cell types are neurons and cardiomyocytes. It is possible that frataxin affects neural and cardiac …
The Effects Of Temperature And Oxygen Availability On Aerobic Performance In Three Coastal Shark Species; Squalus Acanthias, Carcharhinus Limbatus, And Carcharhinus Leucas, Alyssa M. Andres
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Anthropogenically driven climate changes are altering marine habitats globally. Rising sea surface temperatures and coastal eutrophication, arising from global warming and coastal nutrient loading, have resulted in progressive ocean deoxygenation. This may restrict available habitat of marine organisms as studies suggest that the balance between metabolic oxygen demand and environmental supply plays an important role in limiting viable habitat and species fitness. As ectothermic predators, with temperature-dependent metabolism and high metabolic demands, coastal shark species may be susceptible to shifts in ocean temperature and oxygen. Such environmental changes may alter metabolic performance and ultimately success and survival within shark habitat. …
Regulation Of The Heat Shock Response Via Lysine Acetyltransferase Cbp-1 And In Neurodegenerative Disease In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Lindsey N. Barrett
Regulation Of The Heat Shock Response Via Lysine Acetyltransferase Cbp-1 And In Neurodegenerative Disease In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Lindsey N. Barrett
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The decline of proteostasis is a hallmark of aging that is, in part, affected by the dysregulation of the heat shock response (HSR), a highly conserved cellular response to proteotoxic stress in the cell. The heat shock transcription factor HSF-1 is well-studied as a key regulator of proteostasis, but mechanisms that could be used to modulate HSF-1 function to enhance proteostasis during aging are largely unknown. In this study, we examined lysine acetyltransferase regulation of the HSR and HSF-1 in C. elegans. We performed an RNA interference screen of lysine acetyltransferases and examined mRNA expression of the heat-shock inducible gene …
A Protein-Based Therapeutic Combination For The Treatment Of Hard-To-Heal Wounds, Graham L. Strauss
A Protein-Based Therapeutic Combination For The Treatment Of Hard-To-Heal Wounds, Graham L. Strauss
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Chronic wounds present many clinical challenges in relation to the successful treatment and closure of the damaged tissue. Most current treatment methods focused on one or two aspects to drive wound closure, while most chronic wounds are multifactorial environments with many of those dependencies relying on the termination of one another to effectively gain tissue construction, closure, and full skin thickness and composition. Natural wound healing processes allude to potential biologics that can impede the chronic breakdown of tissue, while restoring deposition of new tissue, and effectively leading to a healed wound. Proteases secreted by the body’s immune system lay …
Assessing The Human-Health Risk Of Exposure To Pathogens From Beach Sands, Javier Federico Gallard-Góngora
Assessing The Human-Health Risk Of Exposure To Pathogens From Beach Sands, Javier Federico Gallard-Góngora
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Fecal contamination at recreational beaches impacts the health of beachgoers, through the introduction of disease-causing microorganisms, and the well-being of communities dependent on income from recreational beach activities. Beach ecosystems are also impacted by sewage through the introduction of nutrients that can cause abnormal increases in autochthonous microorganisms which can impact the population of larger organisms in the ecosystem. Fecal contamination is introduced into sand via untreated sewage, direct deposition of human feces into sand, runoff, and deposition of animal feces into sand. The introduction of fecal contamination into sand exposes individuals to pathogens (disease causing microorganisms) which can result …
Comparing Brood Care Behaviors Across Five Fertility Castes In The Invasive Fire Ant,Solenopsis Invicta,And The Expression Of Inotocin, Alexis Masnjak
Comparing Brood Care Behaviors Across Five Fertility Castes In The Invasive Fire Ant,Solenopsis Invicta,And The Expression Of Inotocin, Alexis Masnjak
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is one of the most successful of the invasive eusocial invertebrates. The fire ant’s prolific reproductive capacity and its division of labor among five fertility castes are key factors to its successful invasion and global colonization across all continents except Antarctica. Although the rate of self-care and brood care by sterile S. invicta workers is well known, little is known about the rate of self-care and brood care by the other four fertility castes. In this study, I quantified the frequency and duration of behaviors by alate males, alate queens, newly mated queens, older mature …
Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia Coli And EnterococcusSpp. In Sand And Water At Tampa Bay Beaches, Jennifer K. Sabater
Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia Coli And EnterococcusSpp. In Sand And Water At Tampa Bay Beaches, Jennifer K. Sabater
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
As antibiotic resistance in the environment continues to rise there is an increased concern that infections may become harder to treat as bacteria acquire genes for multidrug resistance. Recreational beach waters in the Tampa Bay area are routinely monitored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the presence of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) such as Escherichia coli and enterococci. Exceedances of beach action values (BAV) 235 CFU/100 mL (E. coli) and 70 CFU/100 mL (enterococci) indicate the presence of fecal contamination which is associated with an increased risk of disease for beachgoers. Antibiotic-resistant E. coli and Enterococcus spp. have …
Assessing Environmental Sensitivity In San Diego County, California, For Bird Species Of Special Concern, Eda Okan Kilic
Assessing Environmental Sensitivity In San Diego County, California, For Bird Species Of Special Concern, Eda Okan Kilic
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
It is widely recognized that desertification constitutes one of the biggest environmental problems on Earth. Desertification negatively impacts the future of humans and other living things all over the globe. Therefore, the assessment of desertification is essential to both monitor and combat desertification. A number of models are routinely applied to assess desertification. The MEDALUS model is one of the most popular approaches, identifying desertification risk based on an environmentally sensitive area index (ESAI) that integrates climate, vegetation, soils, groundwater, and socio-economic factors to obtain an overall rating. The goal of this study was to measure the potential impacts of …
Continuous Effort Required To Maintain Populations Of Outplanted Acropora Cervicornis In The Florida Reef Tract, Usa, Tiffany S. Boisvert
Continuous Effort Required To Maintain Populations Of Outplanted Acropora Cervicornis In The Florida Reef Tract, Usa, Tiffany S. Boisvert
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The degradation of coral reefs due to natural and anthropogenic stressors has resulted in the expansion of coral restoration projects worldwide. In the Caribbean region, most restoration efforts focus on outplanting Acropora cervicornis, once a dominant branching coral, now found predominantly in spatially isolated populations. Thousands of A. cervicornis colonies are propagated within nurseries and outplanted onto degraded reefs every year. However, monitoring the long-term growth and survival of outplanted corals has been limited by financial, physical, and temporal constraints. In the current study, we assessed the long-term success of A. cervicornis restoration by determining the relationship between current populations …