Digital Commons Network^™

The Dynamics Of Dominance: Open Questions, Challenges And Solutions, Eli D. Strauss, Daizaburo Shizuka

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Although social hierarchies are recognized as dynamic systems, they are typically treated as static entities for practical reasons. Here, we ask what we can learn from a dynamical view of dominance, and provide a research agenda for the next decades. We identify five broad questions at the individual, dyadic and group levels, exploring the causes and consequences of individual changes in rank, the dynamics underlying dyadic dominance relationships, and the origins and impacts of social instability. Although challenges remain, we propose avenues for overcoming them. We suggest distinguishing between different types of social mobility to provide conceptual clarity about hierarchy …

Evolutionary Mechanisms For Host Resistance To Tumor Growth And Subsequent Cancer Cell Counter-Adaptations, Arig Ibrahim Hashim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is well-recognized as an evolutionary system, as first proposed by Cairns and Nowell more than 60 years ago. In an evolutionary context, cancers growing in vivo typically consist of heterogeneous subpopulations of cells that interact with each other and with host cells through selection forces operating at many temporal and spatial scales. Moreover, the tumor environment comprises more than just cancer cells; it includes a rich cancer stroma and cancer-driving molecules such as cytokines and metabolites. The tumor’s environment comprises intratumoral heterogeneity that often leads to therapy resistance attributed to the essential roles of many genetic and nongenetic mechanisms. …

High Rates Of Polygyny In Tropical Mexico Within The Native Range Of Vespula Squamosa., Alex K. Snyder, Kevin J. Loope

Honors College Theses

Polygyny, or the formation of colonies with multiple cooperating queens, has been observed in a variety of social Hymenoptera and likely exists as a convergent evolutionary strategy. Polygyne cooperation has been observed in several Vespula sp. and is correlated with a perennial social strategy. This perennial-polygyne behavior has been observed most commonly within the tropical and subtropical regions of the invasive Vespula pensylvanica and V. germanica, and rarely within their native temperate ranges. This phenomenon has been relatively undocumented within the tropical portions the V. squamosa native range, despite it being observed in their temperate ranges several times. We observed …

Mapping The Hidden Diversity Of The Geophagus Sensu Stricto Species Group (Cichlidae: Geophagini) From The Amazon Basin, A. M. Ximenes, P. S. Bittencourt, V. N. Machado, Tomas Hrbek, I. P. Farias

Biology Faculty Research

South American freshwater ichthyofauna is taxonomically the most diverse on the planet, yet its diversity is still vastly underestimated. The Amazon basin alone holds more than half of this diversity. The evidence of this underestimation comes from the backlog of morphologically distinct, yet undescribed forms deposited in museum collections, and from DNA-based inventories which consistently identify large numbers of divergent lineages within even well-studied species groups. In the present study, we investigated lineage diversity within the Geophagus sensu stricto species group. To achieve these objectives, we analyzed 337 individuals sampled from 77 locations within and outside the Amazon basin representing …

Cetacean Acousticwelfare In Wild And Managed-Care Settings: Gaps And Opportunities, Paige E. Stevens, Heather Hill, Jason N. Bruck

Faculty Publications

Cetaceans are potentially at risk of poor welfare due to the animals’ natural reliance on sound and the persistent nature of anthropogenic noise, especially in the wild. Industrial, commercial, and recreational human activity has expanded across the seas, resulting in a propagation of sound with varying frequency characteristics. In many countries, current regulations are based on the potential to induce hearing loss; however, a more nuanced approach is needed when shaping regulations, due to other non-hearing loss effects including activation of the stress response, acoustic masking, frequency shifts, alterations in behavior, and decreased foraging. Cetaceans in managedcare settings share the …

Intraspecific Variation Mediates Density Dependence In A Genetically Diverse Plant Species, Andrii Zaiats, Matthew J. Germino, Marcelo D. Serpe, Bryce Richardson, T. Trevor Caughlin

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Interactions between neighboring plants are critical for biodiversity maintenance in plant populations and communities. Intraspecific trait variation and genome duplication are common in plant species and can drive eco-evolutionary dynamics through genotype-mediated plant-plant interactions. However, few studies have examined how species-wide intraspecific variation may alter interactions between neighboring plants. We investigate how subspecies and ploidy variation in a genetically diverse species, big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), can alter the demographic outcomes of plant interactions. Using a replicated, long-term common garden experiment that represents range-wide diversity of A. tridentata, we ask how intraspecific variation, environment, and stand age mediate …

A Draft Genome Provides Hypotheses On Drought Tolerance In A Keystone Plant Species In Western North America Threatened By Climate Change, Anthony E. Melton, James Beck, Stephanie J. Galla, Marcelo Serpe, Stephen Novak, Sven Buerki

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate change presents distinct ecological and physiological challenges to plants as extreme climate events become more common. Understanding how species have adapted to drought, especially ecologically important nonmodel organisms, will be crucial to elucidate potential biological pathways for drought adaptation and inform conservation strategies. To aid in genome-to-phenome research, a draft genome was assembled for a diploid individual of Artemisia tridentata subsp. tridentata, a threatened keystone shrub in western North America. While this taxon has few genetic resources available and genetic/genomics work has proven difficult due to genetic heterozygosity in the past, a draft genome was successfully assembled. Aquaporin …

The Role Of Zingiberales Shared Evolutionary History And Leaf Traits In Structuring Rolled-Leaf Beetle Assemblages In A Tropical Forest, José Miguel Chaves Fallas

Dissertations

Understanding how local assemblages of plants and animals are structured is a central challenge for evolutionary ecology. Tropical assemblages are high in species numbers and in variety of ecological interactions, providing unique multispecies biological systems to test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses about community assembly. The objective of this dissertation was to understand the role of Zingiberales shared evolutionary history and plant traits for structuring the rolled-leaf beetle (Cephaloleia and Chelobasis, Chrysomelidae) assemblage in a lowland wet forest (La Selva Biological Station) of Costa Rica.

In chapter I studied the evolution of physical, nutritional, and chemical leaf traits, how …

Ancient Dna Of The Pygmy Marmoset Type Specimen Cebuella Pygmaea (Spix, 1823) Resolves A Taxonomic Conundrum, J. P. Boubli, M. C. Janiak, L. M. Porter, Stella De La Torre, L. Cortés-Ortiz, M. N. F. Da Silva, A. B. Rylands, Stephen Nash, F. Bertuol, H. Byrne, F. E. Silva, F. Rohe, D. De Vries, R. M. D. Beck, I. Ruiz-Gartzia, L. F. K. Kuderna, T. Marques-Bonet, Tomas Hrbek, I. P. Farias, A. H. Van Heteren, C. Roos

Biology Faculty Research

The pygmy marmoset, the smallest of the anthropoid primates, has a broad distribution in Western Amazonia. Recent studies using molecular and morphological data have identified two distinct species separated by the Napo and Solimões-Amazonas rivers. However, reconciling this new biological evidence with current taxonomy, i.e., two subspecies, Cebuella pygmaea pygmaea (Spix, 1823) and Cebuella pygmaea niveiventris (Lönnberg, 1940), was problematic given the uncertainty as to whether Spix’s pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea pygmaea) was collected north or south of the Napo and Solimões-Amazonas rivers, making it unclear to which of the two newly revealed species the name pygmaea would …

A Shift To Human Body Temperature (37°C) Rapidly Reprograms Multiple Adaptive Responses In Escherichia Coli That Would Facilitate Niche Survival And Colonization, Anastasia Gant Kanegusuku, Isidora N. Stankovic, Pamela A. Cote-Hammarlof, Priscilla H. Yong, Christine A. White-Ziegler

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

One of the first environmental cues sensed by a microbe as it enters a human host is an upshift in temperature to 37°C. In this dynamic time point analysis, we demonstrate that this environmental transition rapidly signals a multitude of gene expression changes in Escherichia coli. Bacteria grown at 23°C under aerobic conditions were shifted to 37°C, and mRNA expression was measured at time points after the shift to 37°C (t = 0.5, 1, and 4 h). The first hour is characterized by a transient shift to anaerobic respiration strategies and stress responses, particularly acid resistance, indicating that temperature serves …

Quantitative Super-Resolution Microscopy To Assess Adhesion Of Neuronal Cells On Single-Layer Graphene Substrates, Silvia Scalisi, Francesca Pennacchietti, Sandeep Keshavan, Nathan D. Derr, Alberto Diaspro, Dario Pisignano, Agnieszka Pierzynska-Mach, Silvia Dante, Francesca Cella Zanacchi

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Single Layer Graphene (SLG) has emerged as a critically important nanomaterial due to its unique optical and electrical properties and has become a potential candidate for biomedical applications, biosensors, and tissue engineering. Due to its intrinsic 2D nature, SLG is an ideal surface for the development of large-area biosensors and, due to its biocompatibility, can be easily exploited as a substrate for cell growth. The cellular response to SLG has been addressed in different studies with high cellular affinity for graphene often detected. Still, little is known about the molecular mechanism that drives/regulates the cellular adhesion and migration on SLG …

College Of Natural Sciences Scholarship Brunch Program, November 6th 2021, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

This is the program for the first annual College of Natural Sciences Scholarship Brunch, held on November 6th, 2021 at McCrory Gardens.

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, November 2021, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 2, Issue 11

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2 Awards & Recognition
Page 3 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 4 2021 Day of Scholars
Page 5 Astronomy Outreach
Page 6 SDSU Faculty & Students Host American Society for Microbiology Annual Conference
Page 7 Scholarship Brunch
Page 8 Open PRAIRIE Data, SI Final Exam Review Sessions
Page 9 Aamlid Family Anatomy Lab Photos

Overfishing Drives Over One-Third Of All Sharks And Rays Toward A Global Extinction Crisis, Nicholas K. Dulvy, Nathan Pacoureau, Cassandra L. Rigby, Riley A. Pollom, Rima W. Jabado, David A. Ebert, Brittany Finucci, Caroline M. Pollock, Jessica Cheok, Danielle H. Derrick, Katelyn B. Herman, C. Samantha Sherman, Wade J. Vanderwright, Julia M. Lawson, Rachel H.L. Walls, John K. Carlson, Patricia Charvet, Kinattumkara K. Bineesh, Daniel Fernando, Gina M. Ralph, Jay H. Matsushiba, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Sonja V. Fordham, Colin A. Simpfendorfer

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The scale and drivers of marine biodiversity loss are being revealed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessment process. We present the first global reassessment of 1,199 species in Class Chondrichthyes-sharks, rays, and chimeras. The first global assessment (in 2014) concluded that one-quarter (24%) of species were threatened. Now, 391 (32.6%) species are threatened with extinction. When this percentage of threat is applied to Data Deficient species, more than one-third (37.5%) of chondrichthyans are estimated to be threatened, with much of this change resulting from new information. Three species are Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct), representing …

Neurotoxicological Effects Of Chlorpyrifos And Deltamethrin On Dopamine And Acetylcholine Systems In Drosophila Melanogaster, Hala Husam Abdul Baki

Theses

Emerging evidence suggests a positive association between pesticide exposure and sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) development. The molecular mechanisms of PD and other neurodegenerative diseases are not fully understood, which hinders the development of therapeutic agents to cure or prevent the development of such diseases. Drosophila has been widely used as a model organism to study various neurodegenerative diseases and to screen for promising therapeutic agents. The aims of this study were: (i) investigating the toxic effect of 24 hours exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPF) and deltamethrin (DLM) on the dopaminergic system and AChE activity in Drosophila melanogaster; (ii) comparing different methodologies …

Ckb Inhibits Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition And Prostate Cancer Progression By Sequestering And Inhibiting Akt Activation, Zheng Wang, Mohit Hulsurkar, Lijuan Zhuo, Jinbang Xu, Han Yang, Samira Naderinezhad, Lin Wang, Guoliang Zhang, Nanping Ai, Linna Li, Jeffrey T Chang, Songlin Zhang, Ladan Fazli, Chad J Creighton, Fang Bai, Michael M Ittmann, Martin E Gleave, Wenliang Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to tumor invasion, metastasis and drug resistance. AKT activation is key in a number of cellular processes. While many positive regulators for either EMT or AKT activation have been reported, few negative regulators are established. Through kinase cDNA screen, we identified brain-type creatine kinase (CKB or BCK) as a potent suppressor for both. As a ubiquitously expressed kinase in normal tissues, CKB is significantly downregulated in several solid cancer types. Lower CKB expression is significantly associated with worse prognosis. Phenotypically, CKB overexpression suppresses, while its silencing promotes, EMT and cell migration, xenograft tumor growth and metastasis …

Propagation Of A De Novo Gene Under Natural Selection: Antifreeze Glycoprotein Genes And Their Evolutionary History In Codfishes, Xuan Zhuang, C.-H. Christina Cheng

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The de novo birth of functional genes from non-coding DNA as an important contributor to new gene formation is increasingly supported by evidence from diverse eukaryotic lineages. However, many uncertainties remain, including how the incipient de novo genes would continue to evolve and the molecular mechanisms underlying their evolutionary trajectory. Here we address these questions by investigating evolutionary history of the de novo antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP) gene and gene family in gadid (codfish) lineages. We examined AFGP phenotype on a phylogenetic framework encompassing a broad sampling of gadids from freezing and non-freezing habitats. In three select species representing different AFGP-bearing …

Studying Neurotoxic Effects Of Three Synthetic Insecticides And Two Herbal Infusions On The Nervous System Of The Fruit Fly Drosophila Melanogaster, Sara Khamis Obaid Hamarain Al Dhaheri

Theses

Pesticides applied on plants and animals can reach the human diet once they enter food chains. Insecticides are neurotoxic agents; they have the potential of causing damage to the nervous system in people. The damage could induce or promote neurodegenerative diseases such as the Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's. It is well-documented that the exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) stimulate the Parkinson disease in humans and experimental animals. Thus, this research project will study effect of three synthetic insecticides pirimicarb, tefluthrin, and CPF on the nervous system of Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. In addition, the project will evaluate the …

Impact Of Date-Pit Activated Carbon In Different Applications: Biomedical And Environment, Betty Titus Mathew

Dissertations

Activated carbon (AC) or activated charcoal are black carbonaceous porous solid material with prominent physico-chemical properties such as low volume pore size distribution, high specific surface area, and high-degree of surface reactivity for adsorption and other chemicals reactions. AC as strong and reliable adsorbent have been reported to be employed in diverse applications stretching from water/air purification, medical, sewage treatment, energy storage devices, catalyst, supercapacitor electrodes fabrication, and as biosensors component. In this current work, AC was produced from date pits, which is a common biological waste product in UAE, and used for biomedical and environmental applications instead of using …

Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus Novemcinctus) Activity Patterns Are Influenced By Human Activity, Brett A. Degregorio, Connor Gale, Ellery V. Lassiter, Andrhea Darleen Massey, Caleb P. Roberts, John T. Veon

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

As the human footprint upon the landscape expands, wildlife seeking to avoid human contact are losing the option of altering their spatial distribution and instead are shifting their daily activity patterns to be active at different times than humans. In this study, we used game cameras to evaluate how human development and activity were related to the daily activity patterns of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) along an urban to rural gradient in Arkansas, USA during the winter of 2020–2021. We found that armadillos had substantial behavioral plasticity in regard to the timing of their activity patterns; >95% of …

Zebrafish Paralogs Brd2a And Brd2b Are Needed For Proper Circulatory, Excretory And Central Nervous System Formation And Act As Genetic Antagonists During Development, Gregory L Branigan, Kelly S Olsen, Isabella Burda, Matthew W Haemmerle, Jason Ho, Alexandra Venuto, Nicholas D D'Antonio, Ian E Briggs, Angela J Dibenedetto

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Brd2 belongs to the BET family of epigenetic transcriptional co-regulators that act as adaptor-scaffolds for the assembly of chromatin-modifying complexes and other factors at target gene promoters. Brd2 is a protooncogene and candidate gene for juvenile myoclonic epilepsy in humans, a homeobox gene regulator in Drosophila, and a maternal-zygotic factor and cell death modulator that is necessary for normal development of the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS). As two copies of Brd2 exist in zebrafish, we use antisense morpholino knockdown to probe the role of paralog Brd2b, as a comparative study to Brd2a, the ortholog of human Brd2. A deficiency …

Collections Education: The Extended Specimen And Data Acumen, Anna K. Monfils, Erica R. Krimmel, Debra L. Linton, Travis D. Marsico, Ashley B. Morris, Brad R. Ruhfel

Open Access Fund Publications

Biodiversity scientists must be fluent across disciplines; they must possess the quantitative, computational, and data skills necessary for working with large, complex data sets, and they must have foundational skills and content knowledge from ecology, evolution, taxonomy, and systematics. To effectively train the emerging workforce, we must teach science as we conduct science and embrace emerging concepts of data acumen alongside the knowledge, tools, and techniques foundational to organismal biology. We present an open education resource that updates the traditional plant collection exercise to incorporate best practices in twenty-first century collecting and to contextualize the activities that build data acumen. …

The Multifaceted Role Of Ccar-1 In The Alternative Splicing And Germline Regulation In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Doreen Ikhuva Lugano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Cell Division Cycle and Apoptosis Regulator (CCAR) family members are an enigmatic family of proteins regulating metabolism, cancer, apoptosis, DNA damage, and stress. Mammals have CCAR family members, CCAR1 and CCAR2/DBC1, which evolved from the founding family member CCAR-1/LST-3 expressed in Caenorhabditis elegans. Several studies have shown the importance of understanding these proteins' function in standard and altered physiological processes. Our studies aim to understand the genome-wide alternative splicing and germline regulation of Caenorhabditis elegans CCAR-1 in normal and heat shock conditions. Recently, mammalian CCAR family member CCAR2/DBC1 regulates the alternative splicing by forming a complex with ZNF326. This …

Developing Inside A Layer Of Germs—A Potential Role For Multiciliated Surface Cells In Vertebrate Embryos, Ryan R. Kerney

Biology Faculty Publications

This paper reviews current research on the microbial life that surrounds vertebrate embryos. Several clades are believed to develop inside sterile—or near-sterile—embryonic microhabitats, while others thrive within a veritable zoo of microbial life. The occurrence of embryo-associated microbes in some groups, but not others, is an under-appreciated transition (possibly transitions) in vertebrate evolution. A lack of comparable studies makes it currently impossible to correlate embryo-associated microbiomes with other aspects of vertebrate evolution. However, there are embryonic features that should instruct a more targeted survey. This paper concludes with a hypothesis for the role of multiciliated surface cells in amphibian and …

The Effect Of Calcium Ions On Mechanosensation And Neuronal Activity In Proprioceptive Neurons, Devan E. Atkins, Kimberly L. Bosh, Grace W. Breakfield, Sydney E. Daniels, Makayla J. Devore, Hailey E. Fite, Landys Z. Guo, Danielle K. J. Henry, Alana K. Kaffenberger, Katherine S. Manning, Tatum E. Mowery, Cecilia L. Pankau, Nyla Parker, Malina E. Serrano, Yamaan Shakhashiro, Hannah N. Tanner, Ruth. A. Ward, Aubrey H. Wehry, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Proprioception of all animals is important in being able to have coordinated locomotion. Stretch activated ion channels (SACs) transduce the mechanical force into electrical signals in the proprioceptive sensory endings. The types of SACs vary among sensory neurons in animals as defined by pharmacological, physiological and molecular identification. The chordotonal organs within insects and crustaceans offer a unique ability to investigate proprioceptive function. The effects of the extracellular environment on neuronal activity, as well as the function of associated SACs are easily accessible and viable in minimal saline for ease in experimentation. The effect of extracellular [Ca²⁺] on …

The Effect Of Optogenetically Activating Glia On Neuronal Function, Cecilia Pankau, Shelby Mccubbin, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Glia, or glial cells, are considered a vital component of the nervous system, serving as an electrical insulator and a protective barrier from the interstitial (extracellular) media. Certain glial cells (i.e., astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes) within the CNS have been shown to directly affect neural functions, but these properties are challenging to study due to the difficulty involved with selectively-activating specific glia. To overcome this hurdle, we selectively expressed light-sensitive ion channels (i.e., channel rhodopsin, ChR2-XXL) in glia of larvae and adult Drosophila melanogaster. Upon activation of ChR2, both adults and larvae showed a rapid contracture of body wall …

Super-Resolution Microscopy Reveals Photoreceptor-Specific Subciliary Location And Function Of Ciliopathy-Associated Protein Cep290, Valencia L Potter, Abigail R Moye, Michael A Robichaux, Theodore G Wensel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mutations in the cilium-associated protein CEP290 cause retinal degeneration as part of multiorgan ciliopathies or as retina-specific diseases. The precise location and the functional roles of CEP290 within cilia and, specifically, the connecting cilia (CC) of photoreceptors, remain unclear. We used super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy to localize CEP290 in the CC and in the primary cilia of cultured cells with subdiffraction resolution and to determine effects of CEP290 deficiency in 3 mutant models. Radially, CEP290 localizes in close proximity to the microtubule doublets in the region between the doublets and the ciliary membrane. Longitudinally, it is distributed throughout …

Domarchive: A Century Of Published Dominance Data, Eli D. Strauss, Alex R. Decasien, Gabriela Galindo, Elizabeth A. Hobson, Daizaburo Shizuka, James P. Curley

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Dominance behaviours have been collected for many groups of animals since 1922 and serve as a foundation for research on social behaviour and social structure. Despite a wealth of data from the last century of research on dominance hierarchies, these data are only rarely used for comparative insight. Here, we aim to facilitate comparative studies of the structure and function of dominance hierarchies by compiling published dominance interaction datasets from the last 100 years of work. This compiled archive includes 436 datasets from 190 studies of 367 unique groups (mean group size 13.8, s.d. = 13.4) of 135 different species, …

Simultaneous Monitoring Cytoplasmic Calcium Ion And Cell Surface Phosphatidylserine In The Necrotic Touch Neurons Of Caenorhabditis Elegans, Yoshitaka Furuta, Zheng Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Calcium ions trigger many cellular events, including the release of neurotransmitters at the synaptic terminal and excitotoxic cell death. Recently, we have discovered that a transient increase in the level of cytoplasmic Ca2+ triggers the exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) on the surfaces of necrotic cells in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. PS serves as an “eat me” signal that attracts engulfing cells to engulf and degrade necrotic cells. During the above study, we developed a microscopic imaging protocol for real-time monitoring the levels of cytoplasmic Ca2+ and cell surface PS in Caenorhabditis elegans touch neurons. Previously, Ca2+ dynamics was monitored …

Carpe Diem: Winner And Loser Effects Are Constrained To Same-Day Competitions In Collegiate Baseball, Omar Tonsi Eldakar, Natalie Buckwold, Andrew C. Gallup

Biology Faculty Articles

Competitive outcomes can be significantly influenced by previous experience of winning and losing, whereby all things considered, winners are likely to continue winning and losers are likely to keep losing. Although short-lived, the underlying hormonal changes associated with these effects have been observed into the following day. Here, we assess the functional persistence of winner and loser effects in college baseball by investigating outcomes (splits vs. sweeps) of multigame series played over one or more days. Results show that sweeps occur at disproportionately higher frequencies in single-day series, but drop off to expected levels for multiday series.