Life Sciences Commons^™

Transcriptomic Profiling Of Postmortem Prefrontal Cortex And Nucleus Accumbens From Chronic Alcohol Abusers., Eric S. Vornholt

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a debilitating psychiatric illness that develops from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. While it is well documented that AUD is heritable, the shift from recreational alcohol use to abuse/dependence is poorly understood. In this dissertation, using postmortem brain tissue from individuals with alcohol dependence (AD), we profiled the genome-wide expression of circular RNA (circRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA) to better understand the impact of gene expression on the development of AUD. To achieve this, we performed two independent studies that explore transcriptome differences between AD cases and controls. The first of …

Effects Of Gestational Ozone Exposure On Privileged Placental And Brain Barrier Integrity, Alexander I. Hamm

Theses and Dissertations

Ambient outdoor ozone, a common of component of photochemical smog and urban air pollution, is linked to various neurological and vascular pathologies. Its immediate reaction with lung surfactant after inhalation results in complete reactivity of the gas, with no active ozone passing into circulation. This indicates the presence of secondary and tertiary mediators in ozone-related systemic pathologies after pulmonary insult. In vasculature, ozone exposure is associated with an acute hypertensive phenotype apparent at least 24 hours after dose, such as experienced on a hot summer afternoon in a large metropolitan area like Los Angeles or Mexico City. However, the effects …

Assessing The Feasibility Of Freshwater Mussel Restoration In Urban Streams., John-Reid Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to determine whether introduced freshwater mussels (Alewife floater, Utterbackiana implicata) can survive and grow in urban streams in the James River watershed. A secondary objective was to assess differences in U. implicata survival and growth of in the context of differing water quality and food resource conditions among three urban sites and three rural sites. Results from this study show large differences in growth and survivorship of mussels across sites. Higher survivorship was observed among mussels stocked into rural streams (35% and 44%) in comparison to urban streams (3%, 6% and 14%). …

Environmental Governance For Whom? Examining The Political, Institutional, Fiscal, And Legal Determinants Of State Environmental Agency Budget Policy In The Us, Andrew R. Duggan

Theses and Dissertations

Budgets are a prospective tool of governance, and appropriations are a planning vehicle reflecting: bureaucracies’ values, complex interactions, collective preferences, political influences, and available resources. Research spanning 30 years finds that environmental pollution is a key determinant of environmental budgets in the US, though myriad factors, actors, and subsystems are important to consider. Due to federalism and devolution of responsibilities and authorities, environmental governance falls largely to the states. While the dynamics that shape state environmental budget policy have received scholarly interest, theoretically-driven examinations of environmental appropriations remain limited within the public budgeting and environmental policy literature.

Using panel data …

Belowground Characteristics Of Dominant Coastal Dune Grasses And Potential Community-Level Effects On Coastal Erosion, Shannon L. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Natural dunes arise out of complex relationships between ecological, hydrological, and geological processes and are important for reducing erosion along coastlines. Aboveground structures of coastal dune grasses are known to impact erosional dynamics, and recent studies have shown that belowground structures—such as roots, rhizomes, and belowground stems— may be important in erosional resistance. My objectives were to 1) characterize above- and belowground characteristics of prominent dune grasses and 2) combine these data with functional group abundances and distribution to evaluate community effects on two adjacent locations of distinctive morphology and erosional characteristics and their response to storm disturbance. Whole plant …

Epigenetic Regulation Of Drug Metabolizing Enzymes In Normal Aging, Mohamad M. Kronfol

Theses and Dissertations

Geriatric populations are at a higher risk for adverse drug reactions (ADRs). This may be partly due to changes in drug metabolism in old age, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Prior research in humans and mice has shown age-associated changes to the expression of several genes involved in drug metabolism. Furthermore, studies of human blood showed that epigenetic regulation of genes encoding drug metabolizing enzymes change with age. However, it is unknown if genes in the liver are similarly affected. Therefore, we hypothesize that genes encoding drug metabolizing enzymes may show differential epigenetic regulation in the liver with …

Evidence Of Local Adaptation To Climate In An Invasive Ectotherm: A Study On The Eurasian Gypsy Moth (Lymantria Dispar) In North America, Phillip M. Gibbs

Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species exist in nearly every ecosystem both terrestrial and aquatic. Improving our understanding of the mechanisms that shape the ability of these organisms to physiologically cope with their surroundings will be crucial to preparing for future impacts of climate change. The Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar) has been expanding its range across North America over the last 100+ years since its arrival in Medford, Massachusetts. This study quantifies upper thermal limits (UTL) across 8 different populations of L. dispar in North America and seeks to determine if signals of local adaptation to climate across a latitudinal gradient may …

The Utilization Of Sex Hormone Antibodies For Screening And Separation Of Trace Biological Mixtures, Kristin N. Jones

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Touch or trace evidence consists of epidermal cells deposited by contact with items such as handled objects, touched surfaces, or worn clothes. This type of evidence has surpassed most other sample types submitted to forensic labs and typically consists of low quantities of DNA and multiple contributors. In this study epithelial skin cells, i.e., “touch/trace evidence,” were used as they are estimated to constitute approximately half of the casework evidence items submitted for DNA analysis. For the optimization of antibody staining, male and female skin epithelial samples from donors were incubated and hybridized with antibodies of various concentrations of Alexa …

Non-Destructive, Rapid Differentiation Of Cell Types Relevant To Sexual Assault Investigations Utilizing Morphological And Autofluorescence Signatures, Taylor R. Moldenhauer

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Current methods for confirming the presence of spermatozoa in sexual assault samples can be time-consuming and often lack sensitivity; however, this remains the most definitive test for the presence of semen. Additionally, male DNA can be deposited without the presence of intact sperm as may be the case with seminal fluid from vasectomized individuals or sexual activity where seminal fluid is not recovered (e.g., perpetrator wears a condom, penetration without ejaculation, etc.). The ability to detect bodily fluids, as well as quantify their presence in a sample, could aid in forensic DNA analysis by limiting the amount of time performing …

Development Of A Screening Assay For Type Iii Secretion System Inhibitors And High Throughput Screening Campaign Of Inhibitors Of Prp Of Staphylococcus Aureus, Heather A. Pendergrass

Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotics inhibit the growth or survival of bacteria by targeting their essential functions.¹ Due to weaknesses in traditional antibiotics and the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors are being targeted for therapeutic treatment of bacterial infection.² We have developed an assay to quantify and observe type III secretion system (T3SS) activity. The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a virulence factor present in some Gram-negative pathogens including enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EPEC and EHEC, respectively),³ and others.^4–9 The T3SS between EPEC and EHEC are highly conserved and share over 90% sequence identity with …

Disruption Of The Dream Complex Results In Cell Cycle Deregulation, Hayley C. Walston

Theses and Dissertations

The Dimerization Partner, Rb-like, E2F, And MuvB (DREAM) complex was identified in humans due to homology of the genes involved in the D. melanogaster dREAM complex. It assembles during cellular arrest, or G0, to function as a transcriptional repressor of cell cycle genes. It is known that phosphorylation of LIN52 at serine 28 is necessary for the critical DREAM forming interaction between LIN52 and the pocket protein p130. Our laboratory has previously shown that gene editing of LIN52 to replace serine 28 with alanine (S28A) prevents phosphorylation by the kinase DYRK1A and inhibits DREAM formation. Here we have confirmed this …

Bee Diversity Of Three Appalachian Shale Barren Sites, Olivia C. Latham

Theses and Dissertations

Insect pollination is vital to ecosystem function. However, climate change, habitat loss, pesticides, and a variety of other anthropogenic sources are contributing to a decline in pollinator diversity. Fragile small ecosystems with a high composition of specialized plant species that rely on specific pollinators such as Appalachian shale barrens, are especially at risk of losing biodiversity. This study combines the use of active sweep net sampling of endemic shale barren forbs and passive trap methods over the course of a bloom season (April-August) in three barren sites to identify bee community populations and visitation relationships between pollinator species and endemic …

The Substantiality Of The Neuroplasticity Hypothesis Of Major Depressive Disorder: The Prospective Use Of Ketamine-Like Drugs As Antidepressants, Roma Kankaria

Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects approximately 17.3 million adults in the United States each year. For more than 50 years, the serotonin hypothesis of MDD, which hypothesizes that a deficiency of monoaminergic neurotransmitters results in depression, has been the foundation for neuropsychological research. However, studies reveal that only an estimated 50% of MDD patients respond to traditional, biogenic-amine-based antidepressants (ADs), like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Research has noted that the neuroplasticity hypothesis, which posits that weakened excitatory synaptic transmission results in depression, offers an alternative mechanism by which ketamine-like drugs lacking the abuse liability and psychoactive effects of …

The Utilization Of Eukaryotic Cell Types In Microbiomes For Semen, Vaginal Fluid, And Menstrual Blood Identification Using 18s Rdna, Ines Benaissa

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

The accurate identification of body fluids is vital for crime scene investigation and forensic analysis. While many body fluids can be presumptively identified, there is a lack of confirmatory testing for verification. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if body fluids (menstrual blood, vaginal fluid, and semen) could be differentiated based on their eukaryotic microbial communities. The target area of interest was the V9 hyper-variable region of 18S ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA). The samples were extracted, barcoded using a duel-index strategy, and PCR amplified before undergoing high throughput sequencing using the Illumina Miseq FGx instrument. The samples …

Development Of An Untargeted Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Gc/Ms) Method For The Detection Of Drugs In Wastewater, Samuel A. Miller

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Monitoring current illicit drug trends and consumption rates of pharmaceuticals using a non-invasive collection technique is needed to address the present drug use and the growing drug epidemic. Reliance on self-reporting drug use surveys is not always a practical measure of illicit drug use. Wastewater analysis has been used globally as a targeted method for monitoring the consumption of specific illicit drugs. Current existing analytical techniques for wastewater analysis focus on the use of targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based techniques. Few gas chromatography (GC) procedures exist for wastewater analysis, and those that do concentrate their methods on a single …

A Eukaryotic Signature Based Method For Identification Of Saliva, Feces, And Urine, Alyssa Daniels

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

The conception of the Human Microbiome Project advanced the understanding of microbial communities in the human body and previous research has established that unique microbial signatures can help distinguish each body fluid. While these signatures have been developed for the prokaryotic microbiome, the next step is the examination of the eukaryotic microbiome. Eukaryotic signatures could provide a greater specificity and statistical weight when discerning between body fluids. These microbial markers can be implemented to develop a confirmatory assay for body fluid identification that works in tandem with other DNA based methods in the forensic workflow. Using a VCU approved IRB …

Application Of Optical Trapping To Obtain Single-Source Str Profiles From Forensically Relevant Body Fluid Mixtures With Modified Dna Analysis Workflow, Benjamin J. O'Brien

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Current methods of mixture separation in forensic DNA laboratories typically deconvolute the mixture after analysis using statistical analysis or probabilistic genotyping. To save time and effort of labs already backlogged, a method to separate mixtures on a cellular level before analysis needs to be developed. Optical trapping is a method that uses a focused 1064 nm laser to manipulate cells. Previous research has shown that approximately 50 spermatozoa or 15 leukocytes from a liquid sample are required to produce a full STR DNA profile. It was found that the number of spermatozoa required remains constant when the method of sample …

Development Of A Quantitative Pcr (Qpcr) Based Method For Studying Temporal Dna Degradation In Waterlogged Bone, Isis Thornton

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Human activities are often centered around the presence of water, thus it is not surprising that there are many water-related human deaths. Accumulated degree days (ADD), and other aquatic variables may affect DNA retrieval from waterlogged bone. Calcium and collagen in bone can inhibit the PCR necessary to produce an STR profile; the current solution is a time-consuming organic extraction. While there are examples of research on DNA degradation in terrestrial bone over time, there has been little work done on submerged bone samples and they are usually limited to case studies. The major aim of this study was to …