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Effects Of Alpha- And Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Blockade Upon Inflammatory Responses To Acute And Chronic Sleep Fragmentation, Nicholas David Wheeler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Generally, sleep is viewed as a recuperative process and its dysregulation has

cognitive, metabolic, immunological, and inflammatory implications that are largely deleterious to human health. Epidemiological and empirical studies have suggested that sleep fragmentation (SF) as result of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and other sleep abnormalities leads to pronounced systemic inflammatory responses, which are influenced by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to SNS regulation of SF-induced inflammatory states are not fully understood. To assess the effects of the SNS system, C57BL/6j female mice were placed in automated SF chambers (12L:12D) and subjected to either …

Genetic Removal Of Toxin And Integrase Genes From A Staphylococcal Bacteriophage, Hannah Sparks

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically infect and kill bacterial cells. Phages are the most numerous biological entities on Earth, with an estimated population size of 10³¹ (1). Discovery, purification, and characterization of phages illuminate the composition of the microbial world and provide potential applications in medicine. To combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria, phages are being investigated as supplements or alternatives to antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a commonly acquired infection in hospitals that has become difficult to treat due to its resistance to antibiotics commonly used to treat ordinary S. aureus infections (20). Bacteriophage, JB, isolated from dairy …

Assay Development For Isolation And Characterization Of Anticancer Properties Of Marine Fungi, Kyra Ricci

Honors Theses

Metabolites from fungi have potential use in the drug discovery process and have been used in the past to develop therapeutic agents for human use. Initial characterization of potential therapeutic properties of fungi is thus an important first step in identifying novel therapeutic compounds. In the present study, marine fungi were isolated from Myrtle Beach and assayed for anticancer properties using the soft agar colony formation assay in a 3D in vitro cellular environment. Many species were isolated from environmental samples, displaying unique morphologies and growth patterns. To optimize the soft agar assay in a six-well cell culture plate for …

Comparison Of Multi-Parallel Qpcr And Double-Slide Kato-Katz For Detection Of Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infection Among Children In Rural Bangladesh, Jade Benjamin-Chung, Nils Pilotte, Ayse Ercumen, Jessica R. Grant, Jacqueline R.M.A. Maasch, Andrew M. Gonzalez, Ashanta C. Ester, Benjamin F. Arnold, Mahbubur Rahman, Rashidul Haque, Alan E. Hubbard, Stephen P. Luby, Steven A. Williams, John M. Colford

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

There is growing interest in local elimination of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection in endemic settings. In such settings, highly sensitive diagnostics are needed to detect STH infection. We compared double-slide Kato-Katz, the most commonly used copromicroscopic detection method, to multi-parallel quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in 2,799 stool samples from children aged 2–12 years in a setting in rural Bangladesh with predominantly low STH infection intensity. We estimated the sensitivity and specificity of each diagnostic using Bayesian latent class analysis. Compared to double-slide Kato-Katz, STH prevalence using qPCR was almost 3-fold higher for hookworm species and nearly 2-fold higher for …

Role Of Ixodes Scapularis Sphingomyelinase-Like Protein (Issmase) In Tick Pathogen Interactions, Pravesh Regmi

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Arthropod-borne diseases are one of the major concerns throughout the world. Ixodes scapularis (hard tick) is one of the major vectors that is involved in arthropod-borne disease transmission. Langat virus (LGTV) is a model pathogen that is very similar to other medically important flaviviruses such as Tick-Borne Encephalitis virus (TBEV) and Powassan virus (POWV). Sphingomyelinase-like protein (IsSMase, a Sphingomyelinase D or SMase D, a venomous protein ortholog of spiders) is an enzyme present in ticks that helps to catalyze the hydrolysis of the sphingomyelin (cell membrane lipid) into phosphocholine and ceramide. The objective of our study is to delineate the …

Exosomes In Transmission And Blocking Of Arthropod-Borne Flaviviral Infection And Pathogenesis, Wenshuo Zhou

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are human illnesses that are transmitted by vectors such as ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas. These arthropods transmit infectious pathogens such as viruses, protozoa, and bacteria, to humans during their blood-feeding. According to the estimation of the WHO, billions of people are affected by VBDs worldwide, and about 700,000 deaths are reported annually. Currently, very few reliable VBDs control approaches and vaccines available to treat various VBDs. Additionally, approaches to control arthropod’ proliferation and migration are difficult to develop. Furthermore, molecular determinants and mechanisms for the transmission are poorly understood. This work describes two studies identifying the novel …

A New Genus And Two New Species Of Unarmed Hymenolepidid Cestodes (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) From Geomyid Rodents In Mexico And Costa Rica, Scott Lyell Gardner, Altangerel Tsogtsaikhan Dursahinhan, Mariel Campbell, S. Elizabeth Rácz

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Two new cestodes of the family Hymenolepididae are described from two species of rodents of the family Geomyidae collected in Mexico and Costa Rica. One new species of Hymenolepis is described from Cratogeomys planiceps Merriam 1895 from near Toluca, Mexico and another that we allocate to a new genus is described from Heterogeomys heterodus (Peters, 1865) from near Irazú Volcano, Costa Rica. Hymenolepis s. str. includes those Hymenolepididae with an apical organ, with no hooks on suckers or apical organ, and three testes. Hobergia irazuensis n. gen., n. sp. includes a hymenolepidid with an apical organ, unarmed scolex, small …

Before The Pandemic Ends: Making Sure This Never Happens Again, Daniel R. Brooks, Eric P. Hoberg, Walter A. Boeger, Scott Lyell Gardner, Sabrina B. L. Araujo, Katalin Bajer, Sebastian Botero-Cañola, Brian Byrd, Gábor Földvári, Joseph A. Cook, Jonathan L. Dunnum, Altangerel Tsogtsaikhan Dursahinhan, László Zsolt Garamszegi, Dávid Herczeg, Ferenc Jakab, Alicia Juarrero, Gábor Kemenesi, Kornélia Kurucz, Virginia León-Règagnon, Hugo H. Mejía-Madrid, Orsolya Molnár, Richard A. Nisbett, Wolfgang Preiser, Michael Stuart, Eors Szathmary, Valeria Trivellone

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Introduction

On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Global Health Emergency of international concern attendant to the emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2, nearly two months after the first reported emergence of human cases in Wuhan, China. In the subsequent two months, global, national and local health personnel and infrastructures have been overwhelmed, leading to suffering and death for infected people, and the threat of socio-economic instability and potential collapse for humanity as a whole. This shows that our current and traditional mode of coping, anchored in responses after the fact, is not capable of dealing with …

A Bioinformatics Study: Differential Analysis Of Hsv-1 And The Live-Attenuated Vaccine Vc2 To Determine Biological Implications In Enhanced Protection Against Lethal Hsv-1 Infection, Hebah Shaikh

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Role Of Cereblon In Hematopoiesis Through Structural And Functional Analyses, Afua Adutwumwa Akuffo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The discovery and implementation of immunomodulatory drugs (IMiD®s) has revolutionized the treatment of many hematological malignancies due to the plethora of IMiD®-induced clinical responses that include anti-angiogenesis, anti-inflammation, and anti-tumor effects, as well as enhanced erythropoiesis, immune modulation and improved metabolism. More ground-breaking was the identification of cereblon as the target of IMiD®s. Upon binding to thalidomide and other immunomodulatory drugs, the E3 ligase substrate receptor cereblon (CRBN) promotes proteosomal destruction of neo-substrates by engaging the DDB1-CUL4A-Roc1-RBX1 E3-ubiquitin ligase in human cells but not in mouse cells suggesting that sequence variations in CRBN may cause its inactivation. Therapeutically, CRBN engagers …

Investigating Mechanisms Of Immune Suppression Secondary To An Inflammatory Microenvironment, Wendy Michelle Kandell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The immune system plays a dynamic role in cancer progression. The theory of immunoediting suggests that the relationship between the tumor cell and the immune cell is one that is in flux: initially highly active and responsive to tumor antigen to one that has escaped immune responsiveness. Once the tumor has formed and effectively “escaped”, there are multiple mechanisms that work against a conventional immune response. The tumor cell clones that have escaped the elimination phase are those that are less immunogenic. These clones downregulate MHC, have increased apoptosis through DAMP-driven mechanisms, and suppressive cell phenotypes are driven through cytokine-driven …

Editorial Board

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

No abstract provided.

C-Di-Gmp Modulates Type Iv Msha Pilus Retraction And Surface Attachment In Vibrio Cholerae, Kyle A. Floyd, Calvin K. Lee, Wujing Xian, Mahmoud Nametalla, Aneesa Valentine, Benjamin Crair, Shiwei Zhu, Hannah Q. Hughes, Jennifer L. Chlebek, Daniel C. Wu, Jin Hwan Park, Ali M. Farhat, Charles J. Lomba, Courtney K. Ellison, Yves V. Brun, Javier Campos-Gomez, Ankur B. Dalia, Jun Liu, Nicolas Biais, Gerard C. L. Wong, Fitnat H. Yildiz

Publications and Research

Biofilm formation by Vibrio cholerae facilitates environmental persistence, and hyperinfectivity within the host. Biofilm formation is regulated by 3’,5’-cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) and requires production of the type IV mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA) pilus. Here, we show that the MSHA pilus is a dynamic extendable and retractable system, and its activity is directly controlled by c-di-GMP. The interaction between c-di-GMP and the ATPase MshE promotes pilus extension, whereas low levels of c-di-GMP correlate with enhanced retrac- tion. Loss of retraction facilitated by the ATPase PilT increases near-surface roaming motility, and impairs initial surface attachment. However, prolonged retraction upon surface attach- ment results …

Gaharitrema Droneni N. Gen., N. Sp. (Digenea: Zoogonidae: Lepidophyllinae) From The Pudgy Cuskeel, Spectrunculus Grandis (Ophidiiformes: Ophidiidae), From Deep Waters Off Oregon, With Updates Keys To Zoogonid Subfamilies And Genera, Charles K. Blend, Gábor R. Rácz, Scott Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Gaharitrema droneni n. gen., n. sp. (Digenea: Zoogonidae: Lepidophyllinae) is described from the intestine of the pudgy cuskeel, Spectrunculus grandis (Gu¨ nther, 1877) (Ophidiiformes: Ophidiidae), collected at 2,800 m depth from the northeastern Pacific Ocean off Oregon. The new genus is distinguished from Brachyenteron Manter, 1934 and Steganoderma Stafford, 1904, the 2 closest lepidophylline genera, and from 4 other zoogonid genera erected since 2007, the last major revision of the family, by a combination of diagnostic features including a pyriform or spindle-shaped body, smooth testes and ovary, narrow ceca that reach with the vitellarium into the hindbody, an unspecialized ventral …

Is Romania Ready To Face The Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Outbreak? The Role Of Incoming Travelers And That Of Romanian Diaspora, Iulian Gherghel

Student Scholarship

Letter to editor of Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease

Probable African Tick Bite Fever In The United States, Kami Lowery, Theodore Rosen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

African tick bite fever (ATBF) is a tick-borne rickettsial disease most often observed in North American and European tourists returning home from the southern portion of Africa. Ticks infected with Rickettsia africae transmit this parasitic bacterium to humans, who subsequently develop an influenza-like illness, one or more inoculation eschars, and in some cases, a cutaneous rash. Because ATBF often presents with non-specific symptoms that suggest other infectious diseases, establishing the diagnosis may be difficult. Confirmatory assays, including serology and nucleic acid amplification, may take weeks to return and cannot help with acute treatment decisions. We present a case of a …

Transposon Mutagenesis In Mycobacterium Kansasii Links A Small Rna Gene To Colony Morphology And Biofilm Formation And Identifies 9,885 Intragenic Insertions That Do Not Compromise Colony Outgrowth, William C. Budell, Gabrielle A. Germain, Niklas Janisch, Zaid Mckie-Krisberg, Anitha D. Jayaprakash, Andrew E. Resnick, Luis E. N. Quadri

Publications and Research

Mycobacterium kansasii (Mk) is a resilient opportunistic human pathogen that causes tuberculosis-like chronic pulmonary disease and mortality stemming from comorbidities and treatment failure. The standard treatment of Mk infections requires costly, long-term, multidrug courses with adverse side effects. The emergence of drug-resistant isolates further complicates the already challenging drug therapy regimens and threatens to compromise the future control of Mk infections. Despite the increasingly recognized global burden of Mk infections, the biology of this opportunistic pathogen remains essentially unexplored. In particular, studies reporting gene function or generation of defined mutants are scarce. Moreover, no transposon (Tn) mutagenesis tool has been …

Sustainable, Alginate-Based Sensor For Detection Of Escherichia Coli In Human Breast Milk, Nicholas Kikuchi, Margaret May, Matthew Zweber, Jerard Madamba, Craig M. Stephens, Unyoung Kim, Maryam Mobed-Miremadi

Bioengineering

There are no existing affordable diagnostics for sensitive, rapid, and on-site detection of pathogens in milk. To this end, an on-site colorimetric-based sustainable assay has been developed and optimized using an L₁₆ (5⁴) Taguchi design to obtain results in hours without PCR amplification. To determine the level of Escherichia coli (E. coli) contamination, after induction with 150 µL of breast milk, the B-Per bacterial protein extraction kit was added to a solution containing an alginate-based microcapsule assay. Within this 3 mm spherical novel sensor design, X-Gal (5-Bromo-4-Chloro-3-Indolyl β-_D-Galactopyranoside) was entrapped at a concentration of 2 …

Invasive Vegetation Affects Amphibian Skin Microbiota And Body Condition, Obed HernáNdez-GóMez, Allison Q. Byrne, Alex R. Gunderson, Thomas S. Jenkinson, Clay F. Noss, Andrew P. Rothstein, Molly C. Womack, Erica B. Rosenblum

Biology Faculty Publications

Invasive plants are major drivers of habitat modification and the scale of their impact is increasing globally as anthropogenic activities facilitate their spread. In California, an invasive plant genus of great concern is Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus leaves can alter soil chemistry and negatively affect underground macro- and microbial communities. Amphibians serve as excellent models to evaluate the effect of Eucalyptus invasion on ground-dwelling species as they predate on soil arthropods and incorporate soil microbes into their microbiotas. The skin microbiota is particularly important to amphibian health, suggesting that invasive plant species could ultimately affect amphibian populations. To investigate the potential for …

A Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Molecule, Ql47, Selectively Inhibits Eukaryotic Translation, Mélissanne De Wispelaere, Margot Carocci, Dominique J Burri, William J Neidermyer, Calla M Olson, Imme Roggenbach, Yanke Liang, Jinhua Wang, Sean P J Whelan, Nathanael S Gray, Priscilla L Yang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Small-molecule inhibitors of translation are critical tools to study the molecular mechanisms of protein synthesis. In this study, we sought to characterize how QL47, a host-targeted, small-molecule antiviral agent, inhibits steady-state viral protein expression. We demonstrate that this small molecule broadly inhibits both viral and host protein synthesis and targets a translation step specific to eukaryotic cells. We show that QL47 inhibits protein neosynthesis initiated by both canonical cap-driven and noncanonical initiation strategies, most likely by targeting an early step in translation elongation. Our findings thus establish QL47 as a new small-molecule inhibitor that can be utilized to probe the …

Immune-Endocrine Links To Gregariousness In Wild House Mice, Patricia C. Lopes, Esther H. D. Carlitz, Morgan Kindel, Barbara König

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Social interactions are critically important for survival and impact overall-health, but also impose costs on animals, such as exposure to contagious agents. The immune system can play a critical role in modulating social behavior when animals are sick, as has been demonstrated within the context of “sickness behaviors.” Can immune molecules affect or be affected by social interactions even when animals are not sick, therefore serving a role in mediating pathogen exposure? We tested whether markers of immune function in both the blood and the brain are associated with gregariousness, quantified as number of animals interacted with per day. To …

Through The Back Door: Proteins Escape Cells Without Conventional Permission, Michael J. Cohen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Proteins secreted to the extracellular environment play a fundamental role as signals, in metabolism, and a variety of other processes. The process of secretion through the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi to the plasma membrane is well documented, and all cargo in this pathway contains a signal peptide. However, a variety of proteins secreted from eukaryotes lack a signal peptide and are called unconventionally secreted proteins. Here we discuss known mechanisms of unconventional protein secretion, as well as model proteins which follow characterized pathways. Additionally, we summarize the roles various unconventionally secreted proteins play outside of cells and suggest criteria for …

Humanized Nog Mice For Intravaginal Hiv Exposure And Treatment Of Hiv Infection, Anna Halling Folkmar Andersen, Stine Sofie Frank Nielsen, Rikka Olesen, Katharine Mack, Frederik Dagnæs-Hansen, N. Uldbjerg, Lars Østergaard, Ole S. Søgaard, Paul Denton, Martin Tolstrup

Biology Faculty Publications

Humanized mice provide a sophisticated platform to study human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) virology and to test antiviral drugs. This protocol describes the establishment of a human immune system in adult NOG mice. Here, we explain all the practical steps from isolation of umbilical cord blood derived human CD34+ cells and their subsequent intravenous transplantation into the mice, to the manipulation of the model through HIV infection, combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), and blood sampling. Approximately 75,000 hCD34+ cells are injected intravenously into the mice and the level of human chimerism, also known as humanization, in the peripheral blood is estimated longitudinally …

Wise Blood: The Principle Of Overcoming In Disease And Immunity (Part 1), Alan L. Gillen, Keoprommony Huy

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The immune system is an intelligently made system designed for interaction with microbes even in a perfect world; it is more than a defense. However, in a post-fall world, it is primarily a body’s defense system. Battle imagery is appropriate for describing the interaction with pathogens and parasites. A person’s blood becomes more potent over time as that person prevails and overcomes pathogens and parasites with its newly formed antibodies in high numbers. Antibodies have the secret locked away to defeat the germ that has invaded. The second infection usually has minimal harm; hence, the “wise” blood is more likely …

Identification Of Antibiotic Producing Soil Bacteria Against Bacillus Subtilis, Morgan Brockhouse, Dr. Lori Scott

Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil

This project is a collaboration with the Tiny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of educators and students focused on student-sourcing antibiotic discovery from soil. Individual strains of soil bacteria were isolated and produced antibiotic against Bacillus subtilis. Two of these samples were sequenced using the 16S rRNA gene to reveal they are very closely related to the genus Pseudomonas.

"When The Enemy Drew Our Attention": Reconsidering Prior Restraint In The Context Of Dual Use Research Of Concern, Caine Caverly

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Through 2016 and 2017, a team led by Canadian virologist David Evans, and funded by an American pharmaceutical company, attempted to synthesize the previously extinct horsepox virus. After just six months and an expenditure of $100,000, the research team was able to successfully construct the virus “using only commercially available information, technology and tools.” In January of 2018, the team went on to publish their information in an American-based journal, PLOS ONE.

The publication was controversial because it included a potential “blueprint” for the synthesis of a genetic strand in the same viral family as the highly lethal, albeit eradicated, …

Structure Of The Cell-Binding Component Of The Clostridium Difficile Binary Toxin Reveals A Di-Heptamer Macromolecular Assembly, Xingjian Xu, Raquel Godoy-Ruiz, Kaylin A. Adipietro, Christopher Peralta, Danya Ben-Hail, Kristeny M. Varney, Mary E. Cook, Braden M. Roth, Paul T. Wilder, Thomas Cleveland, Alexander Grishaev, Heather M. Neu, Sarah L. J. Michel, Wenbo Yu, Dorothy Beckett, Richard R. Rustand, Catherine Lancaster, John W. Loughney, Adam Kristopeit, Sianny Christantii, Jessica W. Olson, Alexander D. Mackerell, Amedee Des Georges, Edwin Pozharski, David J. Weber

Advanced Science Research Center

Targeting Clostridium difficile infection is challenging because treatment options are limited, and high recurrence rates are common. One reason for this is that hypervirulent C. difficile strains often have a binary toxin termed the C. difficile toxin, in addition to the enterotoxins TsdA and TsdB. The C. difficile toxin has an enzymatic component, termed CDTa, and a pore-forming or delivery subunit termed CDTb. CDTb was characterized here using a combination of singleparticle cryoelectron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, NMR, and other biophysical methods. In the absence of CDTa, 2 di-heptamer structures for activated CDTb (1.0 MDa) were solved at atomic resolution, including …

Adjuvant Potency Of Astragaloside Vii Embedded Cholesterol Nanoparticles For H3n2 Influenza Vaccine, Rükan Genç, Ni̇lgün Yakuboğullari, Ayşe Nalbantsoy, Fethi̇ye Çöven, Erdal Bedi̇r

Turkish Journal of Biology

Adjuvants are substances that increase the immune response to a given antigen. In the development of novel vaccine adjuvants/ systems, saponins are one of the most attractive molecules due to their altered immunomodulatory activities. In this study, we tried to develop PEG (polyethylene glycol)/cholesterol-based lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver the Astragaloside VII (AST-VII) and potentiate adjuvant properties of AST-VII for the influenza vaccine. In the formation of PEG/cholesterol/AST-VII-based LNPs (PEG300: Chol-AST-VII LNPs), 3 different primary solvents (acetone, ethanol, and chloroform) were evaluated, employing their effects on hydrodynamic particle size, distribution, surface chemistry, and colloidal stability. Prepared nanoparticles were simply admixtured …

Integration Of Transcriptomic Profile Of Sars-Cov-2 Infected Normal Human Bronchial Epi-Thelial Cells With Metabolic And Protein-Protein Interaction Networks, Hamza Umut Karakurt, Pinar Pi̇r

Turkish Journal of Biology

A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2, formerly known as nCoV-2019) that causes an acute respiratory disease has emerged in Wuhan, China and spread globally in early 2020. On January the 30th, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared spread of this virus as an epidemic and a public health emergency. With its highly contagious characteristic and long incubation time, confinement of SARS-CoV-2 requires drastic lock-down measures to be taken and therefore early diagnosis is crucial. We analysed transcriptome of SARS-CoV-2 infected human lung epithelial cells, compared it with mock-infected cells, used network-based reporter metabolite approach and integrated the transcriptome data with protein-protein interaction …

Sars-Cov-2 Neutralizing Antibody Development Strategies, Bertan Koray Balcioğlu, Meli̇s Deni̇zci̇ Öncü, Hasan Ümi̇t Öztürk, Fatima Yücel, Fi̇li̇z Kaya, Müge Serhatli, Hi̇vda Ülbeği̇ Polat, Şaban Teki̇n, Ayli̇n Özdemi̇r Bahadir

Turkish Journal of Biology

In December 2019 a novel coronavirus was detected in Wuhan City of Hubei Province-China. Owing to a high rate of transmission from human to human, the new virus called SARS-CoV-2 differed from others by its unexpectedly rapid spread. The World Health Organization (WHO) described the most recent coronavirus epidemic as a global pandemic in March 2020. The virus spread triggered a health crisis (the COVID-19 disease) within three months, with socioeconomic implications. No approved targeted-therapies are available for COVID-19, yet. However, it is foreseen that antibody-based treatments may provide an immediate cure for patients. Current neutralizing antibody development studies primarily …