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Characterizing The Role Of Temperature On West Nile Virus Evolution And Vector-Virus Interactions, Rachel Lucy Fay

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

West Nile virus (WNV) is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the contiguous U.S. WNV is a member of the Flaviviridae family which is group of single stranded positive sense RNA genome viruses. It is commonly vectored by Culex mosquitoes and is found in a transmission cycle between its amplifying hosts of birds. Incidental hosts of WNV include people and animals. WNV is known to cause flu-like illness and in rare cases can become neuroinvasive. There are currently no approved therapeutics on the market for WNV. Since the beginning of the 20th century the earth’s average temperature has increased by …

Loss Of Courtship Suppression Memory In A Drosophila Melanogaster Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Eric Robles, Johannes Berlandi, Chris Ellis, Tianyi Wu, Astrid Jeibmann, Fang-Ju Lin

Biology

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent and lethal neurodegenerative disease. Memory loss and motor dysfunction are accompanied by pathological hallmarks like neurofibrillary tangles or amyloid plaques. In this study, courtship suppression assay was used to assess learning and memory of a transgenic Drosophila melanogaster (the fruit fly) line expressing human Amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42). At young age (4–6 days old), both parental control and AD flies displayed lower courtship indices during training after being rejected by previously mated females. However, in the subsequent testing phase, young AD flies showed compromised recall memory, unlike that of parental controls. Neither control …

A Tale Of Two Turtles: Sympatry Of Two Lotic Musk Turtle Species In The Pascagoula River Drainage, Grover J. Brown, Brian R. Kreiser

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Competition and hybridization between closely related species have remained topics of interest for decades. The ranges of the Razorback Musk Turtle (Sternotherus carinatus) and Stripe-necked Musk Turtle (Sternotherus peltifer) are mostly non-overlapping, but they are sympatric in south and central Mississippi, USA. In allopatry, each species fills the niche of a lotic, bottom-walking musk turtle and each can range in habitat from small, montane headwater streams to large, muddy bayous in the coastal plain. Using environmental, morphological, and genetic data, we assessed whether the two species exhibit different habitat associations, differ in morphology, and maintain reproductive isolation in sympatry. The …

Combination Of Hdac And Fyn Inhibitors In Synovial Sarcoma Treatment, Kyra Parker, Yanfeng Zhang, Gavin Anchondo, Ashlyn Smith, Sergio Guerrero Pacheco, Tadashi Kondo, Le Su

Research, Publications & Creative Work

The SS18-SSX fusion protein is an oncogenic driver in synovial sarcoma. At the molecular level, SS18-SSX functions as both an activator and a repressor to coordinate transcription of different genes responsible for tumorigenesis. Here, we identify the proto-oncogene FYN as a new SS18-SSX target gene and examine its relation to synovial sarcoma therapy. FYN is a tyrosine kinase that promotes cancer growth, metastasis and therapeutic resistance, but SS18-SSX appears to negatively regulate FYN expression in synovial sarcoma cells. Using both genetic and histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi)-based pharmacologic approaches, we show that suppression of SS18-SSX leads to FYN reactivation. In support …

Occupancy Of The Little Grass Frog (Pseudacris Ocularis), An Overlooked Longleaf Endemic, In A Managed Landscape, Anna M. Humphrey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Amphibians are declining globally, with many declines associated with habitat loss. The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem historically covered most of the southeastern United States and supports a host of endemic amphibians. This ecosystem has declined by over 97% in the last two hundred years and many associated species have declined with it. The Little Grass Frog (Pseudacris ocularis) is a longleaf pine endemic anuran that has been understudied and under-surveyed; almost no information is known on the ecology of this species and no population studies have been conducted. My goals were to create an acoustic …

9s1r Nullomer Peptide Induces Mitochondrial Pathology, Metabolic Suppression, And Enhanced Immune Cell Infiltration, In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Mouse Model, Nilufar Ali, Cody Wolf, Swarna Kanchan, Shivakumar R. Veerabhadraiah, Laura Bond, Matthew W. Turner, Cheryl L. Jorcyk, Greg Hampikian

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Nullomers are the shortest strings of absent amino acid (aa) sequences in a species or group of species. Primes are those nullomers that have not been detected in the genome of any species. 9S1R is a 5-aa peptide prime sequence attached to 5-arginine aa, used to treat triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in an in vivo mouse model. This unique peptide, administered with a trehalose carrier (9S1R-NulloPT), offers enhanced solubility and exhibits distinct anti-cancer effects against TNBC. In our study, we investigated the effect of 9S1R-NulloPT on tumor growth, metabolism, metastatic burden, tumor immune-microenvironment (TME), and transcriptome of aggressive mouse …

An Aggregation Of The Pandalid Shrimp, Heterocarpus Ensifer, On Deep Reef Habitats Of The West Florida Slope, Eastern Gulf Of Mexico, Steve W. Ross

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Heterocarpus ensifer A. Milne—Edwards (1881) (Crustacea: Pandalidae), armed nylon shrimp, is widely distributed in the western and eastern North Atlantic Ocean. In the western Atlantic this shrimp occurs from off North Carolina to Brazil and in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), western Bahamas, and Caribbean Sea at depths of 170—885 m. Despite its widespread occurrence, ecology or biology information for this species are sparse, and in situ observations of abundance, behavior and habitat preferences are particularly lacking. During extensive submersible and ROV observations on and near deep—reefs in the north—central and eastern GOM, a remarkably large aggregation of H. ensifer …

An Updated Outline For Clearing And Staining Of Preserved Specimens, Sadie E. Smith

Honors Theses and Capstones

This protocol outlines a enhanced clearing and staining procedure for persevered specimens, focusing on the visualization of cartilage and bone in small taxa. With origins from O. Shultze's diaphonization methodology in 1897, the process of clearing and staining improves the clarity and contrast of intricate tissues. It is essential for studies in developmental biology, histology and anatomy. This protocol covers the key steps of the process while detailing the materials, solutions and estimated timeline for each step pertaining to specific taxa. The aim of the protocol is to standardize and provide guidance for procedures in the Biological Sciences department at …

Evaluating Reactive Gliosis In The Brain Of Adult Zebrafish Following The Ingestion Of Nanopolystyrene., Hannah A. Kelehear

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Polystyrene nanoplastics are one of the most pervasive environmental contaminants and have been shown to infiltrate multiple organ systems following ingestion. Studies in several animal models and humans have demonstrated that nanoplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier. Additionally, there is evidence that plastics will induce an inflammatory response in the brain involving reactive gliosis of microglia and astrocytes. This process has yet to be thoroughly investigated in the zebrafish model system in the context of micro-/nanoplastic ingestion. In the current study, we examined microglial and astrocytic phenotypes in the adult zebrafish telencephalon after consuming food contaminated with 44 nm polystyrene …

Embryonic Exposure To Sodium Perchlorate Disrupts Organ Development In Mice, Kyle Bouten

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Perchlorate is an endocrine disrupting compound (EDC) commonly used for its oxidative properties. Perchlorate has been detected in many industrialized countries in drinking water, soil, foods, and breast milk. Perchlorate competitively inhibits the uptake of iodide into the thyroid follicles via the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS), thus reducing thyroid hormone synthesis. Perchlorate has many conflicting results in the toxicological effects that perchlorate has on organ development in model fishes, but much less work has been done on mammals. In the present study, I examined the morphological effects of environmentally relevant concentrations (0, 10, and 100ppm) of sodium perchlorate on the thyroid, …

Improving Growth Models Of Cultivated Sugar Kelp, Saccharina Latissima, By Accounting For Intraspecific Variation In Thermal Tolerance, Ruby Krasnow, Sara Gonzalez, Scott Lindell

Student Publications [Scholarly]

Dynamic models of sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) growth are used to estimate the production potential of seaweed aquaculture in many regions around the world. These models do not currently account for the existence of S. latissima ecotypes that are adapted to regional environmental conditions, particularly temperature. We tested the hypothesis that recalibrating the temperature parameters of a dynamic energy budget model using literature data for S. latissima from regions with a similar climate to the region of interest would result in more accurate predictions than using a general species-wide temperature response curve. Calibrating the model using data from warm regions …

It’S A Trap?! Escape From An Ancient, Ancestral Sex Chromosome System And Implication Of Foxl2 As The Putative Primary Sex-Determining Gene In A Lizard (Anguimorpha; Shinisauridae), Brendan J. Pinto, Stuart V. Nielsen, Kathryn A. Sullivan, Ashmika Behere, Shannon E. Keating, Mona Van Schingen-Khan, Truong Q. Nguyen, Thomas Ziegler, Jennifer Pramuk, Melissa A. Wilson, Tony Gamble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Although sex determination is ubiquitous in vertebrates, mechanisms of sex determination vary from environmentally to genetically influenced. In vertebrates, genetic sex determination is typically accomplished with sex chromosomes. Groups like mammals maintain conserved sex chromosome systems, while sex chromosomes in most vertebrate clades are not conserved across similar evolutionary timescales. One group inferred to have an evolutionarily stable mode of sex determination is Anguimorpha, a clade of charismatic taxa including monitor lizards, Gila monsters, and crocodile lizards. The common ancestor of extant anguimorphs possessed a ZW system that has been retained across the clade. However, the sex chromosome system in …

Stress Biology: Complexity And Multifariousness In Health And Disease, Emily M. Sontag

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Preserving and regulating cellular homeostasis in the light of changing environmental conditions or developmental processes is of pivotal importance for single cellular and multicellular organisms alike. To counteract an imbalance in cellular homeostasis transcriptional programs evolved, called the heat shock response, unfolded protein response, and integrated stress response, that act cell-autonomously in most cells but in multicellular organisms are subjected to cell-nonautonomous regulation. These transcriptional programs downregulate the expression of most genes but increase the expression of heat shock genes, including genes encoding molecular chaperones and proteases, proteins involved in the repair of stress-induced damage to macromolecules and cellular structures. …

Low Spatial Habitat Overlap Of Herbivores In The High Arctic Tundra, Virve Ravolainen, Ingrid M. G. Paulsen, Isabell Eischeid, Jennifer Sorensen Forbey, Eva Fuglei, Tomáš Hájek, Brage B. Hansen, Leif Egil Loe, Petr Macek, Jesper Madsen, Eeva M. Soininen, James D. M. Speed, Audun Stien, Hans Tømmervik, Åshild Ønvik Pedersen

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Herbivores play a crucial role in shaping tundra ecosystems through their effects on vegetation, nutrient cycling, and soil abiotic factors. Understanding their habitat use, co-occurrence, and overlap is therefore essential for informing ecosystem-based management and conservation. In the High Arctic, only a marginal proportion of the land area is vegetated, and climate change is impacting herbivore population sizes and their habitats. In this study, we assessed the spatial habitat overlap of a vertebrate herbivore community based on: 1) regional predictive summer habitat suitability models for the resident Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), resident Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus …

Reciprocal Inhibition And Competitive Hierarchy Cause Negative Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function Relationships, Rafael D'Andrea, Gabriel Khattar, Thomas Koffel, Veronica F. Frans, Leonora S. Bittleston, Catalina Cuellar-Gempeler

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF) captivates ecologists, but the factors responsible for the direction of this relationship remain unclear. While higher ecosystem functioning at higher biodiversity levels (‘positive BEF’) is not universal in nature, negative BEF relationships seem puzzlingly rare. Here, we develop a dynamical consumer-resource model inspired by microbial decomposer communities in pitcher plant leaves to investigate BEF. We manipulate microbial diversity via controlled colonization and measure their function as total ammonia production. We test how niche partitioning among bacteria and other ecological processes influence BEF in the leaves. We find that a negative BEF can …

Full Issue: Volume 17, Number 2, Spring 2024

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Complete .pdf file of Volume 17, Number 2 of The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences. Published Spring 2024.

Lead Exposure: Neurological Implications, Transmission In Utero, And Treatment, Chana Birnbaum

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Blood lead levels are routinely measured in pediatric clinics due to the well-documented detrimental effects of lead exposure on neurodevelopment and consequently cognition. Reading difficulties, impaired detailed movement, and depressed reaction time are three areas, among others, implicated in lead toxicity (Needleman, 1990). Furthermore, lead toxicity can be of particular concern in pregnant women, as placental transmission is viable (Gundacker & Hengstschläger, 2012, as cited in Sun et al., 2018). Future research investigating the transmission of lead from mother to fetus may provide insight into the timeline of in utero lead transmission and consequently the ability to direct anti-toxicity treatment …

Is It Possible For Glp-1ras To Combat Type 2 Diabetes And Its Comorbidities?, Michael Weingarten

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a prevalent metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction, leading to chronic hyperglycemia and comorbidities such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. Traditional treatments focus on glycemic control, but often fail to address the broader spectrum of related conditions. This study investigates the potential of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) to combat type 2 diabetes and its comorbidities through their diverse mechanisms of action. GLP-1RAs not only improve glycemic control by enhancing insulin secretion and inhibiting glucagon release, but also promote weight loss, reduce inflammation, and lower cardiovascular risk. The efficacy of GLP-1RAs …

Full Issue: Volume 18, Number 1, Fall 2024

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Complete .pdf file of Volume 18, Number 1 of The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences. Published Fall 2024.

Overview Of Weight Loss Medications, Malky Mandel

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Obesity is a complex medical condition that is multifactorial in origin. About one-third of adults in the United States are obese, and another third are overweight (Ogden et al., 2007). Obesity is associated with a multitude of comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and osteoarthritis (Lim, Boster, 2023). Additionally, obesity may cause psychological disorders due to social prejudice and discrimination toward obese people (Wadden et al. 2002). Economically, obesity is also a tremendous financial burden (Tremmel et al. 2017). It is estimated that the overall cost of obesity-related illness in the US is nearly $500 billion (Cawley et al., …

Endophytic Fungi Associated With Galls And Host Plants Of Asphondylia Borrichiae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), Shannon Lynn Sharpe

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Asphondylia borrichiae, like other gall-forming gnats, are obligate symbionts to the endophytic fungi (EF) they deposit when laying eggs. Asphondylia spp. and EF are important biocontrol agents, yet details surrounding their diversity, life cycles, and host interactions remain poorly understood. Galls and leaf-stem tissues from two host plants were surveyed to identify and compare EF diversity between the host tissues and species of A. borrichiae. Identification of 114 isolates was carried out by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS 1/4 primers). Pairwise alignments in multiple genetic databases were bolstered by phylogenetic analyses using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood …

Evaluating The Use Of Baited Remote Underwater Video (Bruv) In Assessing Shark And Fish Populations In A Low Visibility Estuarine System, The Tolomato River, Fl, Usa, Sarah Worthington

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recently, there has been increasing use of baited remote underwater video (BRUV) surveys for assessing shark and fish populations in marine ecosystems. This approach can be useful because it may provide a non-destructive, non-extractive, and cost-effective alternative to traditional fishing-based methods. However, to date, most studies using BRUVs have focused on their use in high-visibility ecosystems, such as tropical reefs. Furthermore, few studies have compared results from BRUV surveys with those obtained using traditional methods to evaluate the efficacy of this approach. Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using BRUV surveys to assess shark …

Characterization Of Nuclear Microsatellites In Marchantia Polymorpha (Liverwort) With Additional Trans-Specific Analyses, Nicole Rodriguez Ortiz, Niharika Sharma, Tian Xiong Zheng, James J. Campanella

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Microsatellites are present in mitochondria, chloroplast, and nuclear DNA, but nuclear microsatellites are more useful genetic tools than those in plastids or mitochondria. Plastid and mitochondrial microsatellites have been identified in the model plant Marchantia polymorpha (liverwort), but no laboratory has published information on nuclear microsatellite loci. The aim of this study was to detect novel nuclear markers in the most commonly employed liverwort species, design PCR primers that would allow amplification, and characterize the subsequently generated loci. We detected 18 polymorphic nuclear loci in M. polymorpha, amplifiable by PCR across all chromosomes. Additionally, trans-specific amplification of the eighteen loci …

Relationships Between Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon Pyrrhonota) And Feather Coloration, Morphological Characteristics, And Colony Size, Sonja M. Brandt

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Environmental stressors such as drought and roadways can strongly affect breeding birds. Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon Pyrrhonota) are aerial insectivores that experience mortality from car collisions, because they often nest and hunt under bridges and road culverts. Individual traits that may convey social information, such as body condition, or feather coloration, might be associated with better coping around cars and other environmental stressors. Few studies have investigated relationships between coloration and other environmental stressors, such as water loss due to drought near the colony and foraging areas. Colony size can be heavily affected by various environmental factors such as water level …

Forage Preference In Two Geographically Co-Occurring Fungus Gardening Ants (Formicidae): A Novel Dietary Dna Approach, Matthew Richards-Perhatch V

Biology Theses

Existing biological techniques, when applied in novel ways or to novel systems, can be used to overcome long-standing obstacles. Limitations resulting from traditional methods of forage material identification make resource partitioning impractical to study in non-leafcutting fungus gardening ants. This thesis explores the use of dietary DNA (dDNA) metabarcoding as a method of forage material identification in ant fungus gardens. We hypothesize that dDNA analysis will be sufficient to identify forage material in the gardens of co-occurring species Trachymyrmex septentrionalis and Mycetomoellerius turrifex. Furthermore, we hypothesize that T. septentrionalis and M. turrifex will forage on significantly different …

Arousal Patterns, Fungal Loads, And Wing Damage In A Surviving Population Of Little Brown Bats (Myotis Lucifugus), Brooke A. Daly

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) at Tippy Dam in Michigan have shown resilience to white-nose syndrome (WNS), which is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. This study evaluated the impact of environment (temperature and moisture), pathogen virulence, and host susceptibility on survival. Host response was assessed using temperature-sensitive radio transmitters (n = 37) and ultraviolet photography (n = 57), while fungal load (n = 56) was evaluated through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). High autumn temperatures (>10°C) favored growth of the fungus, while mid-hibernation temperature (3.2°C) was unfavorable. The mean torpor bout length (TBL) …

Effects Of Neonatal Estradiol Treatment On Regulating Sexual Differentiation Of Daily Rhythms Underlying Diet-Induced Obesity In Female Mice, Samuel Nwadialo

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Sex differences of the brain and behavior often require the combination of organizational and activational effects of sex hormones. The activational effects of estrogens in adult female mice protect daily eating and activity rhythms from disruption by high-fat diet feeding and inhibit diet-induced obesity. However, male mice have disrupted eating rhythms when fed high-fat diet and this causes obesity. Treatment of adult male mice with estradiol does not protect rhythms from disruption by high-fat diet, as it does in females. In this study, we sought to determine whether the organizational effects of estradiol masculinize the daily eating and activity rhythms …

Investigations Across Biology And Education: Exploring The Gut Microbiome Of Freshwater Mussels And Understanding Undergraduate Biology Student Motivation, Mary Foley

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

A PhD aims to make a unique contribution to the current body of knowledge while developing as an independent researcher and critical thinker. This dissertation covers a wide range of topics, from microbiome analysis to biology education. Although there is no broad overarching research theme, all the chapters are connected by the process of scientific inquiry and by their contribution to the completion of a PhD.

Chapter One serves as a comprehensive literature review, delving into the standard methods of measuring the health of at-risk species. It describes direct measures of health (e.g., birth and death rates) crucial for predicting …

Estrogen Signaling Regulates The Sex Difference In Resynchronization To Abrupt Shifts Of The Light-Dark Cycle In A Mouse Model Of Jet Lag, Maria Venegas

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

The circadian system coordinates 24-hour cycles of internal biological processes with the environmental light-dark cycle. Abrupt shifts in the timing of the light-dark cycle misalign internal circadian clocks with the environment and cause jet lag until resynchronization occurs. The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying sex differences in jet lag in mice. Female mice resynchronized faster than male mice to 6-hour advances and delays of the light-dark cycle, which mimicked eastward and westward travel, respectively. Circulating estradiol was necessary for rapid resynchronization in female mice since ovariectomized females resynchronized slower than mice treated with estradiol. We …

All Eyes On The Spiny Mouse: An Investigation Into Acomys Dimidiatus As A Model For Retinal Biology And Regeneration, Jessica D. Bills

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

The retina is a complex tissue with six types of neurons, supported by an intrinsic glia cell, that work in concert to input a visual stimulus and relay a visual message to the brain. Efficient communication between neurons is vital to this process and each neuron plays a significant role in vision. When retinal neurons degenerate, that visual signal is lost. Degenerative eye diseases affect the neurons of the retina in millions of people world-wide and can ultimately lead to blindness. While treatments are evolving, most are designed to prevent further damage; the field has yet to piece together how …