Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Table Of Contents, Michele Harmon

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Dose Dependent Effects Of Caffeine On Cognitive Performance And Neuronal Activation, Stephan Albrecht, Helen Morris, Michelle Vieyra

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Many students assume that the more caffeine you drink, the better your cognitive performance. Over-consumption of caffeine has many negative effects, so if there are no dose related cognitive benefits to large amounts of caffeine, then college students should limit their intake. This study looked at whether ingesting a medium dose (200 mg) versus a lower dose (100 mg) of caffeine improved short term memory as measured by Flanker and n-back tests, compared to a control group. In addition, we looked at whether larger doses of caffeine produced a difference in neuronal activation during these tests as measured by functional …

Fourier Analysis Of Phase Resetting Curves Of Neural Oscillators, Robert A. Raidt, Sorinel A. Oprisan

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

We investigated the impact of changes in biologically relevant control parameters, such as the shape of an external perturbation or the conductance values of an individual model neuron, on the shape of the phase resetting curve (PRC) of that neuron. For that purpose, PRCs were generated for groups of Morris-Lecar (ML) model neurons with different conductance values but similar firing periods (within 0.005ms) using external rectangular, triangular, or trapezoidal perturbations of varying areas. These PRCs were numerically described and analyzed as a series of coefficient values using a Fourier Discrete Sine Transform (DST). We found that changes in the shape …

A Supramolecular Strategy To Assemble Multifunctional Viral Nanoparticles, Limin Chen, Xia Zhao, Yuan Lin, Yubin Huang, Qian Wang

Faculty Publications

Using a one-pot approach driven by the supramolecular interaction between β-cyclodextrin and adamantyl moieties, multifunctional viral nanoparticles can be facilely formulated for biomedical applications.

2013 Annual Meeting Program

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Ernest Everett Just, Phd: Pioneer In Ecological Developmental (Eco-Devo) Biology, Katelyn M. Williams, Bryan A. Wilson, Wendi G. O'Connor, Monte S. Willis

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Ernest Everett Just, a pioneering American biologist, discovered the fundamental role of the environment in the development of embryos. His work led to the creation of the area of biology known as ecological developmental (Eco-Devo) biology. However, both his work and the context of his scientific contributions are not widely known. His work covered a diversity of fields of biology, including marine biology, cytology, and parthogenesis (asexual reproduction where growth and development of embryos occur without fertilization). His findings provided important concepts in developmental biology that are used to this day. Specifically, he demonstrated the importance of the cellular cytoplasm …

Expansion Of Breast Cancer Stem Cells With Fibrous Scaffolds, Sheng Feng, Pang-Kuo Lo, Shou Liu, Xinfeng Liu, Hexin Chen, Qian Wang

Faculty Publications

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are hypothesized as tumor-initiating cells within tumors and main contributors of tumor growth, metastasis and recurrence. Mammary cancer cells, MCF-7 cells, were cultured on 3D polycaprolactone (PCL) fibrous scaffolds, showing an increased proportion of CSCs. The expression of stem cell markers, including OCT3/4 and SOX2, and breast CSC-specific markers, SOX4 and CD49f, was significantly upregulated, and the mammosphere-forming capability in cells cultured on PCL fibrous scaffolds increased. The fibrous scaffolds also induced the elongation of MCF-7 cells and extended cell proliferation. The increase of CSC properties after being cultured on fibrous scaffolds was further confirmed with …

The Effect Of Cancer Cachexia Severity And Eccentric Muscle Contractions On Selected Myofiber Metabolic Properties In Mouse Skeletal Muscle, Joshua Earl Mangum

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome that induces skeletal muscle wasting and dysregulation of skeletal muscle metabolism. Alterations in area of myofibers and myofiber metabolic properties can significantly impact the function of skeletal muscle. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cachexia severity and resistance exercise training on frequency and area of selected myofiber metabolic characteristics during cachexia-induced myofiber atrophy. Male ApcMin/+ (Min) mice were studied during the progression of cachexia (16-20 weeks of age) and stratified into groups based on the severity of cachexia. For the second study, male Min mice performed resistance exercise (RE) …

Characterization Of The Role Of Fro6 In Metal Homeostasis In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Margo Ellen Maynes

Theses and Dissertations

Iron deficiency is the most common human nutritional disorder in the world today, affecting approximately 2 billon people worldwide, almost a third of the world's population. For most of the world's population, plant foods serve as the major source of dietary iron. One approach that may contribute towards the solution of iron deficiency is the development of crop plants that contain higher levels of bioavailable iron. This project focuses on FRO6, a ferric chelate reductase in Arabidopsis thaliana that is thought to reduce apoplastic iron for transport across the plasma membrane in leaf cells. We hypothesize therefore that FRO6 controls …

Trophic Response To Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons And Copper In Tidal Flats Of North Inlet, South Carolina, Leslie Lynn Muggelberg

Theses and Dissertations

The trophic link between benthic microalgae (BMA) and fiddler crabs is critical for the ecosystem functioning of estuaries and alterations in this linkage by anthropogenic activities could have cascading impacts on food webs and biogeochemical cycling in these sensitive habitats. Singular and interactive effects of two common pollutants in aquatic ecosystems, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and copper (Cu), were investigated by exposing field collected sediment communities to the contaminants and measuring changes in BMA biomass and community composition in a bioassay design. The consequential impacts on the food web were then explored by examining the effects of PAHs and copper …

The Role Of Reactive Oxygen Species In Cell Death Induced By Thymidylate Synthase Inhibitors, Ufuk Ozer

Theses and Dissertations

Thymidylate synthase (TS) catalyzes the reductive transfer of a methyl group from N5,N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH₂-THF) to dUMP, forming dTMP and dihydrofolate (DHF). It is generally accepted that inhibition of the enzyme leads to a deficiency of dTMP, followed by genome damage and programmed cell death. As such, TS has long been viewed as an important target of anti-neoplastic agents, such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and raltitrexed (RTX), which lead to inhibition of the enzyme. Oxidative stress is well-recognized as having a central role in cellular response to a number of DNA damaging agents, and may be a proximate cause of …

Environmental Pre-Conditioning Of Bacterial Populations And Communities To Extreme Acidity, Gabriel Joseph Swenson

Theses and Dissertations

The ability of opportunistic enteric pathogens to cause disease is effected by their ability to survive the variable and lethal acidity of the mammalian host gastrointestinal milieu. In many of these pathogens, survival is conferred by an acid stress response (ASR). ASR is elicited when bacterial cells are pre-conditioned in sub-lethal acidity (pH 4-6) which induces rapid biochemical and physiological modifications and facilitates survival when extreme acidity (pH 1-3) is encountered. In Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the diarrheal disease Cholera, ASR was initially investigated in an effort to determine how this ubiquitous aquatic bacterium is capable of causing …

The Role Of Host-Tumor Interactions In Liver Metastasis Of Colorectal Cancer, Yu Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Colon cancer is the third most frequent cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Liver metastasis is the major cause of death in colon cancer. Successful metastases depend on productive collaborations between tumor cells and host-derived cells in the tumor microenvironment, target organ environments, and cells in the hematopoietic compartment.

To identify the host-tumor interactions promoting liver metastasis and their molecular and cellular mediators, an orthotopic mouse model of liver metastasis of colon cancer was established that recapitulates all stages of tumor growth and metastasis. A highly metastatic mouse carcinoma cell line CT26-FL3 was …

Insects As Indicators Of Environmental Stress, De Anna Estella Beasley

Theses and Dissertations

In the face of climate change-related events and anthropogenic disturbances, understanding the impacts of these events on species richness, abundance and distribution is important for us to mitigate biodiversity loss and better predict consequences for the environment and for human life. Insects are excellent models for understanding the consequences of environmental stress due to the sensitivity of their development and behavior. The overall focus of my dissertation research is the investigation of fluctuating asymmetry and oviposition behavior as indicators of environmental stress. My research includes a meta-analysis of published literature, and empirical research that was part of a collaborative initiative …

A Critical Review Of Endometriosis Pathology, Brittany Lauren Cureton

Theses and Dissertations

Endometriosis is a complex, multifactorial, reproductive disorder present in approximately 10-15% of adult women between the ages of 25-35. This disorder occurs when endometrial glands and stroma grow ectopically on the surface of the ovaries, pelvic peritoneum, fallopian tubes, and the uterus. Endometriosis causes varying degrees of painful symptoms and infertility in infected individuals. Three main theories of endometrial accumulation attempt to explain the etiology of this elusive disease. There have been various staging of endometriosis symptoms that attempt to standardize classification as well as predict pain and infertility. Angiogenesis, necessary to the survival of endometrial tissue, along with immune …

The Reproductive Ecology Of Plethodontid Salamanders In The South Carolina Inner Coastal Plain, Heather Rena Oswald

Theses and Dissertations

Nest- site selection is a critical process in the life history of amphibians, directly influencing offspring survival and parental fitness. When and where an amphibian chooses to nest is strongly influenced by a range of environmental cues. We monitored plethodontid salamander breeding behavior in seepage wetlands in the South Carolina inner Coastal Plain. Seepage wetlands are ideal for monitoring semiaquatic salamander breeding, because they provide habitat for both larval and adult salamanders while having relatively predictable, constant water temperatures and presence year round. We observed the breeding phenology of three sympatric salamanders (Eurycea cirrigera, Desmognathus auriculatus, and Pseudotriton ruber) in …