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The Potential Synergistic Effect F Egcg-S And Antibiotics On The Eskape Bacteria Group, Summer Elsayed

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The primary etiology of nosocomial infections derives from the following pathogenic ESKAPE organisms: Enterococcus faecium/faecalis, Staphyloccoccus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanni, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species. These opportunistic organisms are multidrug resistant and have the ability to form biofilm, which pose a great threat to clinical medicine. Evidence has shown catechins found in green tea (Camellia sinensis), have antibacterial activity. In this study, a modified polyphenolic catechin compound Epigallocatechin-3-gallate stearate (EGCG-S) was used to research its potential to inhibit ESKAPE growth and biofilm formation. In addition, synergistic ability of EGCG-S with antibiotics was also studied. Disk diffusion and colony forming …

Assessing Minimal-Input Restoration Strategies For Desert Soil And Vegetation Restoration, Audrey Jean Rader

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Mojave and Sonoran Deserts have been negatively impacted by anthropogenic disturbances. Considering that these ecosystems may recover on millennial timescales, research has shown that restoration techniques can be fairly successful in initiating long-term recovery processes in these sensitive environments. However, uncertainty remains as to which techniques are effective in different circumstances, such as in different climates or across different soil properties, and which techniques may best avoid unintended consequences, such as facilitating non-native plants. To reduce fugitive dust as a human health hazard, increase soil stability, and enhance wildlife habitat, further work is necessary to develop restoration techniques for …

The Endosymbiotic Gut Fungus Zancudomyces Culisetae Influences Transstadial Transmission Of Host-Associated Microbiota In The Yellow Fever Mosquito (Aedes Aegypti), Jonas Frankel-Bricker

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Mosquitoes are vectors for a variety of human pathogens and have a significant impact on human health worldwide. There is growing evidence that host-associated microbiota influence mosquito vector competence for certain viruses. Transstadial transmission of bacteria from larvae through pupae to adults could affect these interactions, though further studies are needed to fully unravel the mechanisms involved. Current microbiome research primarily focuses on bacterial communities, whereas the potential role endosymbiotic gut fungi have in transstadial transmission dynamics remains largely unknown. Trichomycetes is an ecological group of endosymbiotic microfungi that colonize the digestive tracts of arthropod hosts, including the Yellow Fever …

Defects In Fetal Mouth Movement And Pharyngeal Patterning Underlie Cleft Palate Caused By Retinoid Deficiency., Regina Friedl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cleft palate is a common birth defect. Etiologic mechanisms of palate cleft include defects in palate morphogenesis, mandibular growth, or spontaneous fetal mouth movement. Cleft palate linked to deficient fetal mouth movement has been demonstrated directly only in a single experimental model of loss of neurotransmission. Here, using retinoid deficient mouse embryos, we demonstrate directly for the first time that deficient fetal mouth movement and cleft palate occurs as a result of mis-patterned development of pharyngeal peripheral nerves and cartilages. Retinoid deficient embryos were generated by inactivation of retinol dehydrogenase 10 (Rdh10), which is critical for production of …

Identification Of Inhibitors Of The Glutaminyl And Prolyl Trna Synthetases From Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Yaritza Escamilla

Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global threat and bacterial infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria have become increasingly difficult and expensive to treat with most current antibiotics. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen and a leading cause of nosocomial infections and is the leading cause of mortality in cystic fibrosis patients. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are a class of enzymes that catalyze the covalent attachment of amino acids to their cognate tRNAs during protein biosynthesis. The glutaminyl- tRNA synthetase from P. aeruginosa was over-expressed, enzymatically characterized and developed into a screening platform for the discovery of chemical compounds that inhibit …

Cross-Presentation Is A Source Of Tumor Antigens For Multiple Myeloma Immunotherapy, Alexander A. Perakis

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cross-presentation is an essential bridge between the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system where antigen presenting cells (APCs) prime cytotoxic T cell responses. We have recently identified cross-presentation as a mechanism by which solid tumors present exogenous antigens. We therefore hypothesized that multiple myeloma would be capable of cross-presentation as these cells are derived from B cells, known APCs. We explored the capacity of multiple myeloma to cross-present PR1, a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 nonameric peptide that is derived from neutrophil elastase (NE) and proteinase 3 (P3), and the ability to treat multiple myeloma using PR1-targeting immunotherapies. Here …

Using Molecular Diet Analysis To Inform Invasive Species Management: A Case Study Of Introduced Rats Consuming Endemic New Zealand Frogs, Bastian Egeter, Cailín Roe, Sara Peixoto, Pamela Puppo, Luke J. Easton, Joana Pinto, Phillip J. Bishop, Bruce C. Robertson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

The decline of amphibians has been of international concern for more than two decades, and the global spread of introduced fauna is a major factor in this decline. Conservation management decisions to implement control of introduced fauna are often based on diet studies. One of the most common metrics to report in diet studies is Frequency of Occurrence (FO), but this can be difficult to interpret, as it does not include a temporal perspective. Here, we examine the potential for FO data derived from molecular diet analysis to inform invasive species management, using invasive ship rats (Rattus rattus) …

A Framework To Guide Undergraduate Education In Interdisciplinary Science, Brie Tripp, Erin E. Shortlidge

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

An expanded investment in interdisciplinary research has prompted greater demands to integrate knowledge across disciplinary boundaries. Vision and Change similarly made interdisciplinary expectations a key competency for undergraduate biology majors; however, we are not yet synchronized on the meaning of interdisciplinarity, making this benchmark difficult to meet and assess. Here, we discuss aspects of interdisciplinarity through a historical lens and address various institutional barriers to interdisciplinary work. In an effort to forge a unified path forward, we provide a working definition of interdisciplinary science derived from both the perspectives of science faculty members and scientific organizations. We leveraged the existing …

Characterization Of Developmental Genes In Streptomyces, Erin Orr

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Characterization of two developmental genes in Streptomyces was carried out by different genetic manipulation techniques in two different species. The construction of an overexpression mutant for a gene encoding a putative c-di-GMP binding protein in Streptomyces scabies was started. This gene was found to be a homologue of a protein that was found to bind to c-di-GMP in a protein binding assay that consisted of streptavidin coated beads and biotinylated c-di-GMP. Attempts at cloning the gene encoding this protein into an overexpression construct were made. Another developmental gene was also investigated. Gene disruption by PCR targeting was used to isolate …

Ecological Mechanisms Can Modify Radiation Effects In A Key Forest Mammal Of Chernobyl, Tapio Mappes, Zbyszek Boratynski, Kati Kivisaari, Anton Lavrinienko, Anders P. Moller, Eugene Tukalenko, Phillip C. Watts

Faculty Publications

Nuclear accidents underpin the need to quantify the ecological mechanisms which determineinjury to ecosystems from chronic low-dose radiation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that ecological mech-anisms interact with ionizing radiation to affect natural populations in unexpected ways. We used large-scale replicated experiments and food manipulations in wild populations of the rodent, Myodes glareolus,inhabiting the region near the site of the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. We show linear decreases in breedingsuccess with increasing ambient radiation levels with no evidence of any threshold below which effects arenot seen. Food supplementation of experimental populations resulted in increased abundances but only inlocations where radioactive …

Enhancing Immunotherapeutic Interventions For Treatment Of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Kamira K. Maharaj

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in developed countries. It is characterized by the accumulation of CD5+ B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid tissues of affected patients. Patients experience lymphadenopathy, fatigue, and are severely immunocompromised. Management of disease and symptoms is possible with chemo-immunotherapy for higher risk patients; however, CLL remains incurable unless bone marrow transplant is performed. Identification of novel targets and optimization of current therapeutics is therefore still necessary. The new targeted therapies are at the forefront of development for CLL treatment, but it remains challenging to maximize their efficacies while …

The Sucking Louse Fauna Of Mongolian Rodents: Host Associations, Molecular Phylogenetics And Description Of Two New Species, Chase N. Robinson

Honors College Theses

This study aimed to screen Mongolian rodents for sucking lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Anoplura) to better understand host-parasite associations for this understudied region. Nine species, including 3 previously undescribed, from 4 genera were identified. A molecular phylogeny based on 2 mitochondrial genes of collected louse specimens is included.

Analysis Of Hepatitis C Prevalence In A Justice-Involved Medicaid Population In Louisiana, William R. Boles Iii

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Propionate Enhances The Antimicrobial Defenses In Macrophages Against Listeria Monocytogenes, John Weis

Honors Theses

Propionate is a short chain fatty acid produced by the bacteria in the human gut. It has a wide range of nutritional functions in the human body. Several studies have also reported the effects of propionate on immune cell activation. In this study, we used Listeria monocytogenes as a model pathogen to determine how and what the effects of propionate on immune cells influence cell susceptibility to infections. Listeria is a dangerous intracellular pathogen that can replicate inside immune cells such as macrophages. Therefore, we can assess the impact of propionate on infection susceptibility by performing cell culture infections. We …

Amplification Dynamics Of Platy-1 Retrotransposons In The Cebidae Platyrrhine Lineage, Mark A. Batzer, Jessica M. Storer, Jackson R. Mierl, Sarah A. Brantley

Faculty Publications

Platy-1 elements are Platyrrhine-specific, short interspersed elements originally discovered in the Callithrix jacchus (common marmoset) genome. To date, only the marmoset genome has been analyzed for Platy-1 repeat content. Here, we report full-length Platy-1 insertions in other New World monkey (NWM) genomes (Saimiri boliviensis, squirrel monkey; Cebus imitator, capuchin monkey; and Aotus nancymaae, owl monkey) and analyze the amplification dynamics of lineage-specific Platy-1 insertions. A relatively small number of full-length and lineage-specific Platy-1 elements were found in the squirrel, capuchin, and owl monkey genomes compared with the marmoset genome. In addition, only a few older Platy-1 subfamilies were recovered in …

The Effects Of Organic And Inorganic Nanoparticles On Bacterial Deactivation, Lauren Cooper

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Antibacterial resistance is one of the greatest problems in modern medicine, as healthcare professionals are experiencing more and more difficulty in providing effective care. As such, alternative methods of treatment are needed in order to overcome this issue. One recently proposed method of alternative treatment is photodynamic therapy. Photodynamic therapy is a light-based method of treatment that utilizes (1) a photosensitizing agent, (2) light, (3) produced oxygen species. When the photosensitizing agent is injected into an infected region of interest and then irradiated with a certain wavelength of light, the agent is photoactivated and begins to produce harmful forms of …

Pathogenic Differences In Listeria Monocytogenes 10403s And Cardiotropic Strains Grown Under Aerobic And Anaerobic Conditions, Alexander Hayes

Honors Theses

Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive bacillus that is commonly associated with foodborne illness. It is a facultative intracellular pathogen responsible for causing the listeriosis infection in humans which is particularly dangerous to immunocompromised individuals. L. monocytogenes pathogenesis occurs through a series of complex interactions between host and bacterial cellular machinery. The wild-type strain as well as a cardiotropic strain with high affinity for infecting cardiac tissue were used to investigate pathogenesis in L. monocytogenes. Specifically, the Listeriolysin O protein that is critical for virulence was investigated. Aerobic and anaerobic growth environments as well as short-chain fatty acid supplementation were utilized …

Establishing The Effect Of Ethanol On Listeria Infection, Ryan Evan Restrepo

Honors Theses

Excessive alcohol consumption is common in the United States, particularly among college campuses. Previous studies have shown that excessive drinking increases the risk of drug dependency, sexual assault and liver damage. Heavy drinking has also proven to impact immune capabilities. Immune cell function and numbers have been shown to be negatively impacted by alcohol treatment. This research project used different cell cultures to model human cells and investigated how exposure to alcohol affects susceptibility to bacterial infection. Listeria monocytogenes, a common foodborne bacterium, was used as a model pathogen. A high alcohol preferring mouse model was also used to examine …

Streptococcus Agalactiae Strains With Chromosomal Deletions Evade Detection With Molecular Methods, Isabella A. Tickler, Fred C. Tenover, Scott Dewell, Victoria M. Le, Rachel N. Blackman, Richard V. Goering, Amy E. Rogers, Heather Piwonka, Brittney D. Jung-Hynes, Derrick J. Chen, Michael J. Loeffelholz, Devasena Gnanashanmugam, Ellen Jo Baron

Biology Faculty Publications

Surveillance of circulating microbial populations is critical for monitoring the performance of a molecular diagnostic test. In this study, we characterized 31 isolates of Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus [GBS]) from several geographic locations in the United States and Ireland that contain deletions in or adjacent to the region of the chromosome that encodes the hemolysin gene cfb, the region targeted by the Xpert GBS and GBS LB assays. PCR-negative, culture-positive isolates were recognized during verification studies of the Xpert GBS assay in 12 laboratories between 2012 and 2018. Whole-genome sequencing of 15 GBS isolates from 11 laboratories revealed …

Arthropod Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptides In Tick-Borne Bacterial And Viral Infections, Vikas Kumar Taank

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are human illness transmitted by an arthropod vector. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that VBD has a huge impact worldwide that is responsible for affecting a billion people and causes 700,000 deaths annually. In recent years, there has been a continuous increase in the incidences of tick-borne diseases such as Lyme diseases and human anaplasmosis as reported by Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Very few reliable VBD control strategies have emerged till now. Transmission-blocking vaccines can provide effective management of VBDs but requires identification and characterization of novel vector-pathogen conserved molecules that play a significant role …

The Ecological Niche Of Echinococcus Multilocularis In North America: Understanding Biotic And Abiotic Determinants Of Parasite Distribution With New Records In New Mexico And Maryland, United States, Sebastian Botero-Cañola, Altangerel Tsogtsaikhan Dursahinhan, Sara E. Rácz, Parker V. Lowe, John E. Ubelaker, Scott Lyell Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

English abstract: Understanding the factors shaping the niche of parasites and its expression over geographical space and through time continues to be a modern scientific challenge with the results of research in this area directly influencing both theoretical and applied biology. This is especially important for proactive management of zoonotic parasites such as Echinococcus multilocularis, the etiologic agent of alveolar echinococcosis. Echinococcus multilocularis has a Holarctic distribution; with its geographic range and prevalence increasing recently in areas of the western Palearctic, while its distribution dynamics are poorly understood in the Nearctic. In this paper, we use an ecological niche …

Cytotoxic And Antimicrobial Activities Of The Constituents Of Ten Plant Species From Tanzania, Joan J. E. Munissi

Tanzania Journal of Science

This paper reports on the antimicrobial and cytotoxicity activities of crude extracts from the plant species Clemaptosis scabiosifolia (Ranunculaceae), Diospyros mafiensis (Ebenaceae), Dolichos kilimandscharicus (Leguminosae), Gnidia kraussiana (Thymelaeaceae), Hugonia castaneifolia (Linaceae), Neorautanenia mitis (Pappilionaceae), Tagetes minuta (Asteraceae), Uvaria acuminata (Annonaceae), Vernonia amygdalina (Asteraceae) and Zanha africana (Sapindaceae). All crude extracts were screened for their cytotoxicities in the brine shrimp lethality test (BST). Fractions and pure compounds from Hugonia castaneifolia, Diospyros mafiensis and Uvaria acuminata were tested for their cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activities against ten microorganisms, namely Candida albicans, Bacillus anthracis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiela pneumoniae, Proteus sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, …

Prevalence Of Zoonotic Parasites In Stray Dogs In Rural Communities, Tanzania, Winifrida Kidima

Tanzania Journal of Science

The aim of this study was to identify and establish the baseline information on the prevalence of zoonotic parasites in stray dogs in Tanzania. A cross sectional study was conducted in Katavi, Arusha and Rukwa Regions in Tanzania. Intestinal parasites were analyzed from faecal samples collected from 364 dogs using modified sedimentation technique. Sixty-sixpercentage (66%) of the faecal samples were positive for gastrointestinal parasites while 7% had mixed infections, 27% were negative for the parasites. Higher proportions of the faecal samples were positive for gastrointestinal parasites in Arusha and Rukwa compared to Katavi (p< 0.0001). The prevalence of Ancylostomacaninum(49%) was higher compared to that of other parasites (p <0.0001). Prevalence of A. lumbricoideswas significantly higher compared to that of E. granulosusand S. stercoralis(p = 0.0046). There was a positive association between parasite positivity rates and collecting dog’s faecal samples near domestic animals (p < 0.00001). Parasite diversity was higher in stray dogs from Katavi and Arusha (p > 0.05). There was no association between …

Impact Of Intrinsic Physiological Factors In The Population Recovery Of Myotis Lucifugus (Little Brown Myotis) From White-Nose Syndrome, Caroline Burke, Caitlin Looney, Alissah Sillah, Christopher Richardson

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has decimated populations of hibernating bats in the US. In particular, Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis) has been one of the most affected. We investigated the energetic cost of innate immune response and Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) fungal activity on post-hibernating little brown myotis and the link with the recovery of local populations in New England from WNS. We captured bats at one of each of 4 colonies in Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire, consecutively, every 14 days to minimize disturbance to the colony. Blood samples were collected from each bat. Respirometry trials were performed on each …

The Effect Of Phylogenetic Uncertainty And Imputation On Edge Scores, K. Bodie Weedop, Arne Ø. Mooers, Caroline M. Tucker, William D. Pearse

Biology Faculty Publications

Faced with the challenge of saving as much diversity as possible given financial and time constraints, conservation biologists are increasingly prioritizing species on the basis of their overall contribution to evolutionary diversity. Metrics such as EDGE (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered) have been used to set such evolutionarily based conservation priorities for a number of taxa, such as mammals, birds, corals, amphibians, and sharks. Each application of EDGE has required some form of correction to account for species whose positions within the tree of life are unknown. Perhaps the most advanced of these corrections is phylogenetic imputation, but to date …

Mechanisms To Regulate Genes Encoding Clinically Relevant Multidrug Transporters At The Crossroads Of Antibiotic Resistance And Oxidative Stress Detection, Afsana Sabrin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Multiple Antibiotic Resistance Regulators (MarRs) are DNA binding proteins involved in bacterial survival and pathogenesis. My PhD dissertation focuses on a MarR homolog, OstR, which regulates genes encoding major multidrug transporters, a resistance-nodulation-division (RND) and an E. coli multidrug resistance B (EmrB) efflux pump homolog in Burkholderia thailandensis. The ostR gene is divergently oriented from genes encoding a hypothetical protein (Hyp) and an RND transporter and adjacent to a gene encoding an EmrB transporter. OstR binds to the promoters of each gene (K_d = 64.9 ± 8.0 nM, K_d = 126.1 ± 10.9 nM and K …

Editorial Board

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

No abstract provided.

Diversity Of Resistance Mechanisms In Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae At A Health Care System In Northern California, From 2013 To 2016, Fiona Senchyna, Rajiv L. Gaur, Johanna Sandlund, Cynthia Truong, Guillaume Tremintin, Dietmar Kültz, Carlos A. Gomez, Fiona B. Tamburini, Tessa Andermann, Ami Bhatt, Isabella A. Tickler, Nancy Watz, Indre Budvytiene, Gongyi Shi, Fred C. Tenover, Niaz Banaei

Biology Faculty Publications

The mechanism of resistance in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has therapeutic implications. We comprehensively characterized emerging mechanisms of resistance in CRE between 2013 and 2016 at a health system in Northern California. A total of 38.7% (24/62) of CRE isolates were carbapenemase gene-positive, comprising 25.0% (6/24) blaOXA-48 like, 20.8% (5/24) bla_KPC, 20.8% (5/24) bla_NDM, 20.8% (5/24) bla_SME, 8.3% (2/24) bla_IMP, and 4.2% (1/24) bla_VIM. Between carbapenemases and porin loss, the resistance mechanism was identified in 95.2% (59/62) of CRE isolates. Isolates expressing bla_KPC were 100% susceptible to ceftazidime–avibactam, meropenem–vaborbactam, …

The Demographic And Life-History Costs Of Fear: Trait-Mediated Effects Of Threat Of Predation On Aedes Triseriatus, Geoffrey D. Ower, Steven A. Juliano

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

1. Predators alter prey populations via direct lethality (density-mediated effects), but in many taxa, the indirect nonlethal threat of predation may be almost as strong an effect, altering phenotypically plastic traits such as prey morphology, behavior, and life history (trait-mediated effects). There are costs to antipredator defenses and the strength of prey responses to cues of predation likely depends on both the perceived level of risk and food availability.
2. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that the costs of nonlethal trait-mediated interactions impacting larvae can have carryover effects that alter life-history traits, adult characteristics, and ultimately population …

Host Lipids In Positive-Strand Rna Virus Genome Replication, Zhenlu Zhang, Guijuan He, Natalie A. Filipowicz, Glenn Randall, George A. Belov, Benjamin G. Kopek, Xiaofeng Wang

Faculty Publications

Membrane association is a hallmark of the genome replication of positive-strand RNA viruses [(+)RNA viruses]. All well-studied (+)RNA viruses remodel host membranes and lipid metabolism through orchestrated virus-host interactions to create a suitable microenvironment to survive and thrive in host cells. Recent research has shown that host lipids, as major components of cellular membranes, play key roles in the replication of multiple (+)RNA viruses. This review focuses on how (+)RNA viruses manipulate host lipid synthesis and metabolism to facilitate their genomic RNA replication, and how interference with the cellular lipid metabolism affects viral replication.