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Newsletter October 2020, Mandarin Garden Club

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Newsletter September 2020, Mandarin Garden Club

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Newsletter August 2020, Mandarin Garden Club

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Newsletter June 2020, Mandarin Garden Club

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Orthorexia Nervosa In College Students: Eating Disorder History, Gender, And Dieting Behaviors, Katrina Agger, Brittany Moran, Zhiping Yu Phd, Rnd, Ldn

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Objective: College students are at higher risk for the development of orthorexia nervosa (ON), a term used to describe the pathological obsession with healthy eating. This study aimed to assess how the factors of eating disorder (ED) history, gender, and dieting behaviors affect the ON in this population.

Methods: Students 18 years or older in a southeastern university were invited to take an online survey. Survey questions include Bratman Orthorexia Test (BOT), Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26) and participant characteristics.

Results: 411 students (ages 18-65, BMI 15.1-55.5, female 75.2%, white 75.6%, graduate students 16.1%) have completed the survey. Comparing to students …

Regenerative Medicine Therapy: Adipose Derived Extracellular Vesicles In Viral Myocarditis, David Gorelov, Damian N. Di Florio, Gary R. Salomon, Angita Jain, Nick E. Saikaili, Danielle J. Beetler, Swikriti Shrestha, Ming Tian, Joy Wolfram Phd, Delisa Fairweather Phd, Katelyn Bruno Phd, Judith D. Ochrietor Phd

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Objective: Myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, is an autoimmune heart disease that can be caused by viruses, bacteria and toxins. Myocarditis can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and heart failure. Currently there are no disease-specific therapies for treating myocarditis or preventing progression to DCM. Adipose Extracellular Vesicles (AEVs) are lipid bilayer nanoparticles that are released into the outside environment of adipocytes and provide promising regenerative potential for inflammatory diseases like myocarditis.

Methods: Lipoaspirate was obtained from women and men and AEVs isolated from the lipoaspirate using tangential flow filtration. We injected wild type male BALB/c mice with 250uL AEVs …

Investigation Of Authophagy In Activated Monocytes, Blake T. Bizzell, Judith D. Ochrietor

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

The innate immune system is the body’s first line of defense against foreign molecules. When white blood cells like monocytes encounter a foreign molecule, they initiate an immune response to eliminate that molecule and further infection. Metabolism is the biochemical reactions that happen inside a cell. Typically, cell metabolism increases in active cells. It would therefore be thought that metabolic processes would increase in monocytes that have become activated through the innate immune response. A study conducted by this laboratory, however, indicated that transporter proteins responsible for delivering metabolic substrates to cells were decreased in expression in response to an …

What Do Alligators Eat On Golf Courses?, Eli R. Beal, Adam E. Rosenblatt

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Urbanization is an ever-increasing threat to wildlife and their natural habitats, yet research has been limited to a small number of taxa and very few large predator species. The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is an apex predator across the southeast U.S. and has surprisingly received minimal attention within urban areas. To investigate the potential effects of land development on alligator trophic ecology, we performed gut content analysis on golf course alligators found on Jekyll Island, Georgia. We then made comparisons with alligators found in more natural areas on Sapelo Island, Georgia. In total, we collected stomach content samples from 25 …

Fggy Carbohydrate Kinase Domain Containing Is Induced During Skeletal Muscle Atrophy And Regulates Map Kinase Signaling, Anastasia Smith, Mahnoor Izhar, Erisa Gjoka, Karla Novo, David Waddell Phd

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Skeletal muscle atrophy can result from a range of physiological conditions, including denervation. To better characterize the molecular genetic events of atrophy, skeletal muscle was isolated from mice following 3 and 14 days of denervation. The gene expression profile of the denervated muscle tissue was analyzed by microarray and compared to control muscle to identify novel atrophy-induced genes. The microarray revealed that Fggy carbohydrate kinase domain containing (Fggy) is expressed in skeletal muscle and is induced in response to denervation. Bioinformatic analysis of the Fggy gene locus revealed two validated alternative isoforms, which we have termed Fggy-001 and Fggy-003. To …

Food Insecurity As A Continuum: Investigating The Emotional Well-Being Of Parents, Monquie Villamor, Jody Nicholson-Bell, Lauri Wright

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Household food insecurity is one of the United States’ leading public health concerns that affects millions of families every year. Current literature has mainly focused on the impact of food insecurity on multidimensional outcomes of children (Jyoti et al., 2005; Shankar et al., 2017). However, there is limited research on parents’ experiences and the distinct levels of food insecurity outlined by the USDA. The present study investigates parents’ emotional well-being in association with levels of food insecurity and participation in food assistance programs. It is hypothesized that increased severity of food insecurity will be associated with poorer emotional well-being in …

Photosynthetic Responses To Climate Warming Differ Among Forest Plant Species In A Temperate--Subtropical Forest Ecotone, Eve Gray, Jeff Chieppa, Michael Aspinwall

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Temperatures in Florida are expected to increase ~5°C by 2100. North Florida will shift from a temperate/subtropical climate to a tropical climate within 30 years which could alter the forest composition and productivity. We conducted a field experiment using warming chambers to determine how warming impacts the physiological performance of four species in North Florida: Serenoa repens (saw palmetto), Andropogon glomeratus (bushy bluestem), Pinus palustris (longleaf pine), and Quercus laevis (turkey oak). Over one year we measured rates of leaf net photosynthesis (A) and stomatal conductance to water vapor (gs) on seedlings of each species under ambient and warmed treatments. …

Diamondback Terrapin Population Distribution And Nesting Areas In Coastal Georgia, Grace Clements, Joseph Butler Phd

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

The terrapin population range is small and the research is scarce. Surveil of the entire Georgia coast is the overarching goal of the research and the past four years have already resulted in 60% percent of the state completed and 1500 records accomplished. Coverage of the coastline will be continued in 2019 in the southernmost county, Cambden, and in 2020 completing the research in the northernmost county, Chathman. Diamondback terrapins are the only turtle to prefer brackish water habitats and are the first to be affected by sea level rising. Crab pots are a main factor in terrapin mortality. When …

The Role Of Basigin As An Immune Mediator In The Cns, Alicia Gonzalez, Judith D. Ochrietor

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders. Although the central nervous system (CNS) can stave peripheral pathogens from crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) through a network of endothelia, astrocytes, and pericytes, prolonged exposure to a pathogen can comprise this barrier, leading to an infiltration of cytokines and T-cells. T-cells are lined with surface receptors that detect pathogens and elicit further immune responses, particularly toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). TLR4 has been demonstrated to detect lipopolysaccharide (LPS), found on the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Recently, Basigin, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, has been shown to interact with TLR4 …

Adipose-Induced Regeneration Of Scalp (Air-Scalp) To Treat Radiation Injury, Whisper Grayson, Rachel Sarabia-Estrada, D.V.M., Phd

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Whole brain radiation therapy is a common treatment for cancer patients. After radiation, approximately 95% of the patients can experience acute and/or chronic side-effects: Radiation dermatitis, fibrosis, and chronic ulcers. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of adipose-derived products (ADPs) in an animal model of radiation dermatitis. We hypothesized that ADPs would enhance wound healing and regenerate the skin; improving cellularity, vascularity, and decreasing scar tissue formation. Immunocompromised mice received a 0.5 cm skin incision on their scalp, which was closed with surgical glue. After 2 weeks, the mice received focal radiation using a 5 mm …

Kombucha Leather Durability: Sugar Concentration's Effect On Bacterial Cellulose, Jason A. Constantas, John D. Hatle

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Due to its rising popularity many people may now know of kombucha; A fermented tea beverage thought to have originated long ago in the region that is now known as China. Through the same process that this familiar beverage is made, there is also the less familiar production of a polymeric bacterial cellulose pellicle that floats on the surface of the culture. This and other forms of bacterial cellulose are the subject of research for several different applications. Bacterial cellulose has potential for use in medicine, textiles, and as a food additive. The tensile strength of kombucha’s leather-like material grown …

The Synergistic Effect Of Radiation And Inhibition Of Spak/Osr1 In The Reduction Of Cell Proliferation And Clonogenic Potential In Patient-Derived Gbm Cells In Vitro, Matea Spahiu, Paola Suarez-Meade, Paula Schiapparelli, Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive brain tumor in adults. Cell invasion, migration and proliferation into the heathy brain parenchyma it’s one of the most important challenges in the treatment of this deadly tumor. One potential mechanism that GBM cells can utilize to enhance cell migration and evade pro-apoptotic signals is the tight regulation of cell volume by the STE20/SPS1-Related Proline-Alanine-Rich Protein Kinase (SPAK) and (Oxidative Stress Responsive Kinase 1) OSR1 kinases. Dynamic changes in cell volume can be used by GBM cells to disseminate through the narrow perivascular spaces of the brain. In addition, cancer cells could counteract pro-apoptotic …

Generation Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells From Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells For Regenerative Medicine, Astrid Quintero, Tammee M. Parsons, Ralph B. Perkerson Iii, Marie-Louise Holm, Takahisa Kanekiyo

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Adult stem cells represent self-renewing, multipotent cells that are capable of producing mature cells of another tissue through differentiation. Stem cells can be sourced from a variety of tissues such as bone marrow, adipose tissue, and cord blood. Bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) have the ability to differentiate, lack of ethical concerns, no teratoma potential, easily cultured and expanded ex vivo, and are immunomodulatory via paracrine effects. Thus, BM-MSCs have been actively used as a therapeutic agent in a variety of clinical trials to treat diverse diseases including neurological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, hepatic diseases, lung injury, renal failure, cancers, …

Characterization Of Metabolic Gene Expression In The Raw 264.7 Cell Line, Lauren Macaisa, Judith D. Ochrietor

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

The current study is being conducted to examine transporter proteins on the surface of white blood cells (murine monocyte cell line RAW 246.7), specifically the transporter GLUT1 (an amino acid transporter) in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The purpose of this is to analyze metabolism in monocytes because surprisingly little is known about this subject. Cellular metabolism is important because it consists of all the biochemical reactions occurring within cells and thus drives cellular processes and activity. We hypothesize that expression of the GLUT1 transporter will increase in the presence of LPS.

To test this hypothesis, we plated two cell …

Potential Predictors Of Nodal Metastasis In Early Tongue Cancer Found Through Aperio Image Analysis, Robin Pupo, Neda Qosja, Mohammad Tehseen, Omer Farooq, Arif Jamshaid, Fatima Rehman

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Introduction: Excessive use of cigarettes cigars/ pipe as well as smokeless tobacco is one of the most common cause of oral cancer. In Shaukat Khanum Memorial Center Hospital and Research Center (SKMCH&RC) in Pakistan, Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Tongue (SCCOT) is the second most common head and neck malignancy. Approximately 20-30% of patients with early oral tongue carcinoma will have occult neck nodal modal metastasis. Presently, elective neck dissection remains the only reliable way to predict regional and or distant metastasis. There is a pressing need to find reliable biomarkers and non-invasive predictors of metastasis and patient response in early …

Manipulation Of Cellular Machinery To Produce Anti-Cancer Drugs, Garrett Deletti, Sajan Green, Caleb Weber, Amy Lane

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

The nocardioazine natural products are uniquely prenylated and methylated indole alkaloid diketopiperazines (DKPs) that reverse drug resistance of cancer cell lines. We unveiled the nocardioazine biosynthetic pathway from a marine actinomycete, demonstrating that a cyclodipeptide synthase catalyzes cyclo(L-Trp-L-Trp) DKP precursor formation followed by tailoring of this DKP via a novel racemase, prenyltransferase, and methyltransferase to yield nocardioazine B. These results highlight the aptitude of bacteria for chemical synthesis and offer new enzymatic tools for crafting complex organic molecules.

Saffron (Crocus Sativus) Extract Has Anticancer Activity Through Inhibition Of Migration And Invasion Potential Of Breast Cancer Cells, Janelle Mecias, Meaghan Mcdonald, Savannah Bradley, Albina Mikhaylova, Phd, Fatima Rehman Phd

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Introduction: Saffron is a spice which has been used throughout history for various therapeutic properties. Recently, it has also been documented to have significant anticancer effect on primary tumors. However, limited studies are found studying its effect on metastatic potential of cancers. The goal of our study was to explore the effect of saffron on migration and metastatic potential of breast cancer cells.

Methods: MDA468 breast carcinoma cells were treated with varying concentrations of Saffron and examined using Q-phase holographic time-lapse microscopy to measure the movement of cells over time. The anticancer activity of Saffron was confirmed using cell viability …

Dietary And Body Mass Thresholds For Reproduction In Grasshoppers, Sarah Morningstar, Victoriya Maslikova, Brooke Reams, C. A. Short, Victor Mashanov, Ali Jihan-Mihan, Daniel Hahn, John Hatle

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

An organism’s dietary protein should match its respective dietary needs to yield the most advantageous effects; an extended lifespan and increased reproductive output. The key challenge however, is how to tailor a specific diet to an organism’s individual needs. Applying the technique of Piper et. al, we can approximate the optimal diet of the lubber grasshopper, Romalea microptera, by using the AA profile of vitellogenin (Vg), the precursor to egg yolk protein. The lubber grasshopper, Romalea microptera, was selected because of its plasticity in reproductive responsiveness in response to diet quality and quantity. Each of the organisms were fed 1g …

Changes In Colony Morphology And Antibiotic Resistance In Response To In Vitro Exposure Of Klebsiella Pneumoniae To The Antibiotic Cephalothin, Montserrat Roberts, Fjona Dulli, Sean Dorenkott, Olivia Wright, Terry N. Ellis

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a gram-negative nosocomial pathogen and causative agent of many hospital acquired infections. K. pneumoniae infections have become increasingly of interest due to the rise of hypervirulent variants and multidrug resistant strains. Modeling how antibiotic resistance evolves in K. pneumoniae will allow us to better understand exactly how the bacterium acquires resistance to various antibiotics. A previous experiment in our lab exposed a strain of K. pneumoniae to low but increasing concentrations of the antibiotic cephalothin. As a result, the strain evolved to be mucoid with elongated cellular morphology and resistant to multiple antibiotics. This study aimed to …

Florida Mangroves Show No Evidence Of Thermal Acclimation Of Leaf Respiration: Implications For Coastal Carbon Cycling And Future Climate, Kylie Harris, Jeff Chieppa, Matt Sturchio, Michael Aspinwall

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Temperature controls of physiological processes that regulate C cycling in mangrove ecosystems remain understudied. New studies that investigate mangrove sensitivity to temperature could improve representation of coastal C cycling in global scale models. Respiration represents the second largest C flux between vegetation and the atmosphere, and roughly 50% of plant respiration comes from leaves. Leaf respiration increases with temperature, but thermal acclimation can dampen this response, and mitigate the positive feedback between temperature, respiration, and atmospheric CO2. We tested whether thermal acclimation of leaf respiration (R) to seasonal temperature changes and experimental warming is similar among three common mangrove species …

The Loss Of Several Wnt Genes Is Correlated With The Loss Of Posterior Growth In Tardigrada, Raul Chavarria, Frank W. Smith

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Recent analyses of Hox genes have revealed that tardigrades have lost mid-trunk segments. The segments that are missing in tardigrades develop by posterior growth in most panarthropods (Arthropoda, Onychophora, Tardigrada). Posterior growth is thought to be an ancestral mechanism of Nephrozoa. This process is regulated by the canonical Wnt signaling pathway (cWnt) in nephrozoans that have been investigated. Tardigrades lack posterior growth, suggesting that the loss of this process may explain the loss of mid-trunk segments in tardigrades. We analyzed the genomes of two representatives of Eutardigrada, Hypsibius exemplaris and Ramazzottius varieornatus, to identify genomic signatures of the loss of …

Genomic And Developmental Origins Of Tardigrade Legs, Mandy Game, Frank W. Smith

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Tardigrada consists of two lineages—Heterotardigrada and Eutardigrada. All tardigrades are microscopic animals with tiny legs. To understand the evolution of tardigrade legs, we have analyzed the leg gap genes, Distal-less, dachshund, and homothorax/extradenticle, which specify distal, intermediate, and proximal appendage domains in arthropods. In Hypsibius exemplaris, a representative of Eutardigrada, Distal-less is broadly expressed across the appendage bud during development. Homothorax/extradenticle do not specify proximodistal appendage domains in this species. Dachshund is not found in the genomes of H. exemplaris or a second representative of Eutardigrada, Ramazzottius varieornatus. These results indicate that tardigrade legs evolved by the loss of proximal …

Managing A Chocolate Factory And Controlling Forest Fires: How To Learn To Make Smarter Decisions, Yoannis Hermida, C. Dominik Guss

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Within much of society, people have to make decisions under time pressure and in unpredictable, changing situations. The current study explores the effects that training has on improving DDM in two computer simulation tasks with different characteristics. A total of 100 undergraduate students participated in the current study. Participants either managed a computer-simulated chocolate factory—ChocoFine (Dörner, 2000) or were a fire rescue chief controlling a forest fire, WinFire (Schaub, 2017). ChocoFine lasted 1-hour involving high complexity and lower time pressure. WinFire lasted 15 minutes with lower complexity and higher time pressure. We employed a between-subjects design comprised of an experimental …

Genetic Variation In Stomatal Density And Nighttime Stomatal Conductance In Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum): Climate And Trait Associations, Presley Giresi, Michael Aspinwall

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a perennial C4 plant with a wide geographic distribution. Although switchgrass is widely distributed, deviations in morphological and physiological traits can occur as an adaptation response to the unique climate and habitat in which it is found. Variation in abaxial (lower) and adaxial (upper) stomatal density and size could result in different rates of leaf water loss and evaporative cooling. The purpose of this study was to determine genetic implications affecting nighttime stomatal conductance (gsn). We measured rates of nighttime and daytime gas-exchange, as well as stomatal size and density during early-, mid-, and late-summer. We …

Exploring Patterns Of Thermal Acclimation Of Leaf Respiration In A Marsh-Mangrove Ecotone, Matthew Sturchio, Jeff Chieppa, Gabby Canas, Michael Aspinwall

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Vegetated coastal ecosystems (saltmarsh, mangroves) make a large contribution to global net primary productivity and C cycling despite covering a small proportion of the earth’s surface. Yet, our understanding of C cycling processes over space and time and in response to temperature remain limited for these ecosystems. At the global scale, respiration is the second largest flux of C (behind photosynthesis), and ~50% of respiration comes from leaves. Respiration is also a key parameter for global models that predict climate-carbon cycle interactions. But respiratory responses to temperature in marsh and mangrove species remain uncertain. Here, we repeatedly measured short-term temperature …

Common Gba Variants In Parkinson's Disease And Lewy Body Dementia Patients, Megan T. Mazak, Alexandra I. Soto Ms, Zbidniew K. Wszolek, Md, Dennis W. Dickson Md, Owen A. Ross Phd

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Lewy Body Dementias (LBD) are two distinct synucleinopathies with a great amount of symptomatic and genetic overlap. This overlap can often lead to misdiagnosis. Misdiagnosis can result in improper therapy and therefore a poorer prognosis. LBD is a neuropath diagnosis with subcategories, but for the purpose of this project we discuss LBD as a whole. GBA is a gene common to both diseases with different effect sizes in each, although increasing severity of disease for both. Common is defined as a presence greater than 1% in healthy controls. GBA is found in 2-37% of Parkinson cases …