Life Sciences Commons^™

Development Of Bacteriophage Based Detection Technique For Food Safety And Environment Monitoring, Ziyuan Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

Foodborne or waterborne pathogens which are responsible for numerous worldwide outbreaks of disease have caused serious health problems and enormous economic cost. Development of new bacterial detection technologies with high sensitivity and specificity is of great importance for food safety and public health. This has highlighted the significance of developing rapid and effective techniques for pathogen screening. Thus we aim to explore a bacteriophage mediated detection system for foodborne or waterborne bacteria monitoring. Bacteriophage as a novel recognition probe has been applied in various biosensor by immobilizing phage particles on solid sensor surface. They possess high specificity for targeted microorganism …

Regional Recruitment Dynamics And Seasonal Ecology Of Juvenile Bluefish (Pomatomus Saltatrix), David G. Stormer

Doctoral Dissertations

Recruitment in fishes, defined as the survival of a cohort through the first year of life, can be highly variable and affected by small changes in biological and physical factors. Much of the historical focus into the sources of recruitment variability has concentrated on the larval stage, but recent attention has shifted to the relatively longer juvenile period. Spawning behavior that results in the production of multiple cohorts over time and space within a year-class may dampen recruitment variability by decreasing natural mortality risk. The bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) is a migratory marine species that produces multiple cohorts of …

Biopolymer Electrospun Nanofiber Mats To Inactivate And Remove Bacteria, Katrina Ann Rieger

Doctoral Dissertations

The persistence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens remains a primary concern for immunocompromised and critically-ill hospital patients. Hospital associated infections can be deadly and reduce the successes of medical advancements, such as, cancer therapies and medical implants. Thus, it is imperative to develop materials that can (i) deliver new antibiotics with accuracy, as well as (ii) uptake pathogenic microbes. In this work, we will demonstrate that electrospun nanofiber mats offer a promising platform for both of these objectives because of their high surface-to-volume ratio, interconnected high porosity, gas permeability, and ability to contour to virtually any surface. To provide …

Label-Free And Aptamer-Based Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy For Detection Of Food Contaminants, Shintaro Pang

Doctoral Dissertations

The development of analytical methods to detect food contaminants is a critical step for improving food safety. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an emerging detection technology that has the potential to rapidly, accurately and sensitively detect a wide variety of food contaminants. However, SERS detection becomes a challenge in real complex matrix, such as food, since non-specific matrix signals have the potential to drown out target associated Raman peaks. In this dissertation, we focused on the development and application of label-free, aptamer-based SERS in order to improve the accuracy and specificity of target contaminant detection in food. To accomplish …

Bacteriophage-Based Colorimetric Detection Of Escherichia Coli In Drinking Water, Juhong Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

One of the major safety causes in drinking water is from the bacteria contamination, especially in developing countries and resource-limited settings. Although many of these Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains in drinking water are nonpathogenic, they sever as the indicator for bacterial contamination. And, the more widely used method to detect E. coli in drinking water is to determine the activity of β-galactosidase (β-gal), which is released by E. coli. Rapid, sensitive and inexpensive detection of E. coli in drinking water can reduce the risk of food-borne bacteria infection and stop the disease widely spreading. In this …

Characterizing Colorectal Cancer Cells And Their Interactions With Polymethoxyflavones By Raman Microscopy, Hua Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

Polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), especially Nobiletin (NBT) and 5-demethylnobiletin (5DN), have been widely studied and proved to have anti-cancer effects. However, their exact modes of action against cancer cells are not fully understood. Raman spectroscopy is a molecular vibrational spectroscopy can be used to measure overall biochemical function of single cells noninvasively and without adding any chemical labels. Herein, we characterized the cellular responses of human colorectal cancer HT29 and HCT116 cells, that grow on the gold coated slides, to the treatments of NBT and 5DN using Raman microscopy. Raman microscopic images obtained indicated the different modes of action of these two …

Effects Of Adolescent Alcohol Binge Drinking On Prefrontal Myelin, Wanette M. Vargas-Rodriguez

Doctoral Dissertations

Alcohol binge drinking is highly prevalent in teenagers and is associated with various harmful health effects and social problems. During adolescence, brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are still undergoing active development, characterized by increases in white matter volume. While the morphological details and the cellular and molecular sequences governing adolescent white matter development are not fully known, it is known that this development process is sensitive and can be disrupted. Although consumption of alcohol in a binge drinking pattern has been linked to lower white matter integrity in humans, it is important to determine if alcohol is …

Evaluating Digital Vhf Technology To Monitor Shorebird And Seabird Use Of Offshore Wind Energy Areas In The Western North Atlantic, Pamela H. Loring

Doctoral Dissertations

Information on offshore movements of high priority bird species is needed for monitoring and managing adverse effects of offshore wind energy development in the western North Atlantic Ocean. This information is particularly important at night and during periods of inclement weather when risks of collision with offshore wind turbines may be elevated. For small-bodied avian taxa, technologies for monitoring movements of individually-marked birds are limited since satellite-based devices are still too heavy (> 5 g) for use on birds weighing < 150 g. In this dissertation, I evaluate the use of light-weight (1 to 1.5 g) digital VHF transmitters and a network of automated radio telemetry stations for tracking shorebirds and seabirds in offshore areas. In Chapter One, I compare digital VHF telemetry with satellite telemetry for tracking a shorebird, the American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), at nesting areas in coastal Massachusetts. In Chapter Two, I evaluate possible adverse effects and retention time …

Evaluating The Role Of Glutathione In Detoxification Of Metal-Based Nanoparticles In Plants, Chuanxin Ma

Doctoral Dissertations

The potential risks from metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) in the environment have increased with the rapidly rising demand for and use of nano-enabled consumer products. Plant’s central roles in ecosystem function and food chain integrity ensure intimate contact with water and soil systems, both of which are considered sinks for NPs accumulation. Thus, this dissertation describes three main objectives to comprehensively understand the interactions between plants and NPs and to characterize the role of glutathione (GSH) in detoxification of metal-based NPs in plants at physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels. (1) The effects of cerium oxide (CeO₂) and indium oxide …

Alterations To Maternal Behavior And Brain By Exogenous Estrogen Exposure, Mary Catanese

Doctoral Dissertations

Maternal care is critical for the development and long-term success of offspring. Poor maternal care can have profound effects on offspring that can last into adult life. Despite our understanding of the role of endogenous estrogen in maternal behavior, the potential effects of exogenous estrogens (xenoestrogens) on maternal behavior and brain remain poorly understood. The active synthetic estrogen in contraceptive pills, 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2), is widely used as a positive control for estrogenicity in endocrinology and toxicology studies. Another xenoestrogen, bisphenol A (BPA) alters a broad range of physiological processes including neural development and reproduction. Due to public health concerns …

Extracellular Matrix Control Of Breast Cancer Metastasis And Dormancy, Lauren Barney

Doctoral Dissertations

To metastasize, a cell must travel through circulation to a secondary tissue, and this process causes 90% of all cancer deaths. Although inefficient, metastasis is not random, and only capable seeds in hospitable soils are capable of outgrowing into detectable metastases. The overall hypothesis in this work is that the secondary tissue microenvironment, particularly the extracellular matrix (ECM), mediates metastasis. We posit that the ability of metastatic cells to survive dormancy, exit quiescence, and colonize a tissue depends upon the ability of the soil to sustain survival, and subsequently trigger outgrowth. We created a simple biomaterial platform with systematic control …

The Cellular Context Of Estradiol Regulation In The Zebra Finch Auditory Forebrain, Maaya Ikeda

Doctoral Dissertations

Estradiol, traditionally known as a hormone that communicates with distant cells in the body, is also synthesized locally in the brain to act as a neuromodulator. Neuromodulators differ from neurotransmitters in that they simultaneously affect a population of neurons and their actions are not limited to the synapse. One of the many effects of estradiol signaling is rapid modulation of auditory processing in response to external stimuli. The enzyme required for estradiol synthesis, aromatase, is highly expressed in the regions that are involved in higher-order processing of sounds in humans and songbirds. Since zebra finches, a type of songbird, are …

Investigating The Impact Of Small Molecule Ligands And The Proteostasis Network On Protein Folding Inside The Cell, Karan Hingorani

Doctoral Dissertations

The folded forms of most proteins are critical to their functions. Despite the complexity of the cellular milieu and the presence of high-risk deleterious interactions, there is a high level of fidelity observed in the folding process for entire proteomes. Two important reasons for this are the presence of the quality control machinery consisting of chaperones and degradation enzymes that work jointly to optimize the population of the folded state and interaction partners that re-enforce the functional state and add to the competitive advantage of an organism. While substantial effort has been directed to understand protein folding and interactions in …

Historical Fire In Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris) Forests Of South Mississippi And Its Relation To Land Use And Climate, Charles Raymond White, Grant L. Harley

Faculty Publications

We characterized historical fire regimes in Pinus palustris (longleaf pine) forests of southern Mississippi with regard to global and regional coupled climate systems (e.g., El Niño–Southern Oscillation) and past human activity. The composite fire chronology spanned 1756–2013 with 132 individual scars representing 89 separate fire events. The mean fire interval was 2.9 yr, and mean intervals were significantly different between identified time periods (e.g., settlement period vs. management period). Evidence of biannual fire activity (up to three fires occurring within a 12‐ to 15‐month period) was found coeval with a peak in livestock grazing and logging from the 1850s through …

An Ecosystem-Based Approach To Reef Fish Management In The Gulf Of Mexico, Michelle D. Masi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fisheries managers have the potential to significantly improve reef fish management in the Gulf of Mexico through the use of ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management. Ecosystem-based approaches are needed to address the effects of fishing on trophodynamic interactions, to better account for ecosystem-scale processes in model projections, and to recognize the short and long-term biomass tradeoffs associated with making regulatory choices. My research was concentrated around three objectives: (1) characterizing the trophodynamic interactions between Gulf of Mexico fishes, in order to construct an invaluable tool (a Gulf of Mexico Atlantis model) to be used in ecological hypothesis testing and policy …

Characterization And Analysis Of Pcs1 Gene From Wheat, Haris Ahmed Khan, Ayaz Ahmad, Sehar Nawaz

Journal of Bioresource Management

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is an important cereal crop grown worldwide on large areas. Yields of wheat are decreasing worldwide due to heavy metal contamination. A number of genes have been characterized as those that confer tolerance to cadmium stress. PCS1 is one of them. Phytochelatins have a key role in the detoxification of heavy metals in plants. However, the mechanism behind the detoxification remains unknown and wheat genes related to detoxification have not yet been identified. Here we report the isolation of cDNA encoding of phytochelatin synthase (PCS) from wheat (var. Galaxy 2013). The AtPCS1 cDNA sequence contained …

Black-Legged Kittiwake (Rissa Tridactyla) In Karakoram: Record On Vagrancy, Fakhar -I- Abbas, Madeeha Manzoor, Imran Shah, Afsar Mian

Journal of Bioresource Management

A Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla; BLK) circumpolar shore bird was recorded on the Borith Lake (36°25'54.31"N, 74°51'44.09"E) 4,000-5,000 km away from the gull family bird's eastern or western normal habitat and 2000 km from its last report few years ago and 1500 km from nearest seashore. This report discusses the possible reasons and so far reported vagrancy of this bird.

Regulation Of E2f1 In Keratinocytes During Uv-Damage And Differentiation, Randeep K. Singh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The E2F1 transcription factor regulates the expression of key genes involved in cell proliferation and differentiation to maintain skin homeostasis. The expression of E2F1 is tightly regulated during cell cycle progression and when cells are committed to differentiate, as well as in response to DNA damage. In keratinocytes, E2F1 protein and transcript levels increase following UV-induced DNA damage, whereas, in response to Ca2+-induced differentiation, both E2F1 protein and transcript levels decrease. In this thesis, I examined in detail the mechanism that modulates E2F1 stability following DNA damage and during keratinocyte differentiation. I show that E2F1 associates with hHR23 and together …

Avoiding Regions Symptomatic Of Conformational And Functional Flexibility To Identify Antiviral Targets In Current And Future Coronaviruses, Jordon Rahaman, Jessica Siltberg-Liberles

Biomolecular Sciences Institute: Faculty Publications

Within the last 15 years, two related coronaviruses (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome [SARS]-CoV and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [MERS]-CoV) expanded their host range to include humans, with increased virulence in their new host. Coronaviruses were recently found to have little intrinsic disorder compared with many other virus families. Because intrinsically disordered regions have been proposed to be important for rewiring interactions between virus and host, we investigated the conservation of intrinsic disorder and secondary structure in coronaviruses in an evolutionary context. We found that regions of intrinsic disorder are rarely conserved among different coronavirus protein families, with the primary exception …

Radiation Damage In Xfel: Case Study From The Oxygen-Evolving Complex Of Photosystem Ii, Muhamed Amin, Ashraf Badawi, S.S. Obayya

Publications and Research

Structural changes induced by radiation damage in X-ray crystallography hinder the ability to understand the structure/function relationship in chemical reactions. Serial femtosecond crystallography overcomes this problem by exposing the sample to very short and intense laser pulse leading to measurement before destruction. Here we use molecular modeling to map the radiation damage during the 10–50 fs to the intensity, the energy and the time duration of the laser pulse on the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II. In the model, the nuclei move classically in a fully quantum potential created by electron density under the effect of strong laser pulse …

A Framework For Assessing Alternative Agro-Ecosystems: Finding Multi-Functional Solutions For Sustainable Urban Landscapes., Thais H. Thiesen Ms.

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Creating sustainable urban landscapes in light of growing population pressures requires interdisciplinary multi-functional solutions. Alternative agro-ecosystems described as food forests, permaculture gardens, and/or edible landscapes among others could offer potential ways to address the social, economic and ecological goals of various stakeholders simultaneously. The present research used a unique rubric, the Permaculture and Agro-ecosystems Sustainability Scorecard (PASS) that combines existing agricultural and landscape sustainability indicators in order to assess alternative agro-ecosystems. The rubric evaluates provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural ecosystem services such as pollinator presence, biodiversity, pesticides and fertilizer use, carbon sequestration and human interactions. The PASS was used to …

Effect Of Elevated Carbon Dioxide On Shoal Familiarity And Metabolism In A Coral Reef Fish, Lauren E. Nadler, Shaun S. Killen, Mark I. Mccormick, Sue-Ann Watson, Philip L. Munday

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Atmospheric CO₂ is expected to more than double by the end of the century. The resulting changes in ocean chemistry will affect the behaviour, sensory systems and physiology of a range of fish species. Although a number of past studies have examined effects of CO₂ in gregarious fishes, most have assessed individuals in social isolation, which can alter individual behaviour and metabolism in social species. Within social groups, a learned familiarity can develop following a prolonged period of interaction between individuals, with fishes preferentially associating with familiar conspecifics because of benefits such as improved social learning and greater …

Effect Of Manganese Chloride (Mncl2) On Peroxidase Activity In Labeo Rohita, Nadia Altaf, Muhammad Javed, Sidra Abbas

Journal of Bioresource Management

Four groups (n=10) of one year old Labeo rohita were exposed to 96-hr LC50 and sub-lethal (2/3rd, 1/4th and 1/5th) concentrations of MnCl2 for a duration of 30 days in the glass aquaria of 50L water capacity. After an exposure period of 30 days, the activity of peroxidase enzyme in the liver and brain of MnCl2 exposed fish was measured and compared with the control group. Physico-chemical parameters of the test media, viz. pH, dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, total ammonia, total hardness, calcium and magnesium were also monitored on a 12 hour basis during the whole experimental duration by following …

Pyruvate Oxidase Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae Contributes To Penumolysin Release, Joseph C. Bryant, Ridge C. Dabbs, Katie L. Oswalt, Lindsey R. Brown, Jason W. Rosch, Keun S. Seo, Janet R. Donaldson, Larry S. Mcdaniel, Justin A. Thornton

Faculty Publications

Background

Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the leading causes of community acquired pneumonia and acute otitis media. Certain aspects of S. pneumoniae’s virulence are dependent upon expression and release of the protein toxin pneumolysin (PLY) and upon the activity of the peroxide-producing enzyme, pyruvate oxidase (SpxB). We investigated the possible synergy of these two proteins and identified that release of PLY is enhanced by expression of SpxB prior to stationary phase growth.

Results

Mutants lacking the <>spxB gene were defective in PLY release and complementation of spxB restored PLY release. This was demonstrated by cytotoxic effects of sterile filtered …

The Use Of P3b As An Indicator Of Neurophysiologic Change From Subconcussive Impacts In Football Players, Jeffrey S. Brooks

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

There is a growing appreciation in research that subconcussive impacts may affect cognitive functioning. Canadian University football players (n=45) were separated into three groups based on their position/skill (small skilled, big skilled and big unskilled). An impact measuring device (GForceTracker) was used to record the number of impacts that each player experienced in a season. Player groups were separated into two levels of impact exposure: low and high. Players completed baseline, midseason, postseason, and follow-up neurophysiological tests (four months later) to measure P3b amplitude in response to a visual oddball paradigm, and high versus low impact subgroups for each player …

Near-Space Conditions And Their Effects On Physiology, Jennifer Jo Burden, Sarah E. Bell

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Abstract 1:

Jennifer Jo Burden

UVA and UVB

The NASA Balloon Satellite, which is a balloon that is sent 100,000 feet into the upper atmosphere to collect data, and stream that data live to NASA webpage, will carry experiments that are part of a payload. My experiment will be a Neulog Sensor Logger that will collect data on the UVA and UVB exposure rate of light from the upper stratosphere and on the ground. Data measuring the exposure rate of the light will also be collected from robot welding cells or sections in which one robot will be measured in …

Responding To Modern Flooding: Old English Place-Names As A Repository Of Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Richard L.C. Jones

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

Place-names are used to communicate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) by all indigenous, aboriginal and First Nations people. Here and for the first time, English place-names are examined through a TEK lens. Specifically, place-names formed in Old English—the language of the Anglo-Saxon—and coined between c. 550 and c. 1100 A.D., are explored. This naming horizon provides the basic name stock for the majority of English towns and villages still occupied today. While modern English place-names now simply function as convenient geographical tags Old English toponymy is shown here to exhibit close semantic parallels with many other indigenous place-names around the world. …

Dietary Supplement Attitudes And Behaviors In The Personal Training Profession, Allison Hull

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Dietary supplement attitudes and behaviors in the personal training profession

Allison Hull, Gina Blunt Gonzalez PhD (Mentor)

Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Imaging Sciences

Morehead State University, Morehead, KY

Dietary supplements are a growing multi-billion dollar industry. Supplement usage is widespread and many individuals take supplements for health, performance, and disease prevention reasons. However, due to a lack of FDA regulation, there are concerns with the safety and efficacy of many dietary supplements. Exercise professionals and personal trainers are in a position to educate the public on dietary supplements; however, it is unknown how exercise professionals and personal trainers approach …

Effect Of Microgravity On The Contraction And Cytoskeletal Remodeling Of A7r5 Smooth Muscle Cells, Danielle N. Gibson, Mark Will Casto Jr., Michael E. Fultz

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Smooth muscle presents several unique contractile properties when compared to striated muscle. Data suggests that differential remodeling of the alpha-actin and beta-actin and the regulation of such remodeling may play an essential role in smooth muscle contraction. At rest both alpha- and beta-actin both exhibit a cable-like appearance. During contraction, alpha-actin appears to undergo significant remodeling with dissolution on the majority of the cables and the formation of podosomes where it demonstrates co-localization with myosin while beta-actin retains a cable-like appearance. While the remodeling of the two actin domains has been characterized under normal gravity little is known regarding cytoskeletal …

Pt-Mal-Lhrh Mediates Breast Cancer Cell Cytotoxicity Through Increased Apoptosis, Kendall E. Collins

Posters-at-the-Capitol

In the United States one in eight women will be afflicted with breast cancer. It is estimated that in 2016 there will be approximately 246,600 new invasive breast cancer cases and 61,000 new non-invasive cases. Triple negative breast cancers account for 15% of all breast cancers and are significantly more aggressive than other subtypes. Treatment options for triple negative breast cancer are limited due to the cancers not expressing the estrogen, progestogen, or herceptin receptors making them unresponsive to hormonal therapy. Our recent work centers around developing a novel chemotherapeutic agent that will direct therapy selectively to triple negative (4T1) …