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Accurate Body Weight Class Prediction From Mirna And Gene Expression In Blood And Saliva Samples, Kimberly Lettner

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

miRNA interference on protein abundance related to glucose uptake and lipid production has been evaluated in biomedical research and linked to metabolic disorders like severe obesity. The direct regulation of protein abundance caused by miRNAs on a person’s metabolism can lead to an increased weight and overall size. Body size, measured by BMI, provides additional physical descriptions that can be combined with hair color, eye color, age, and skin pigment to aid investigations of unidentified remains or unknown suspects not found in a database. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the miRNA expression of target biomarkers in dried …

Functional Characterization Of The Hdt5 Gene In Aspergillus Flavus Morphogenesis, Mycotoxin Production, And Fungal Phytopathogenicity, Brenda Omburo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The present study aimed at elucidating the role of hdt5 in fungal morphology, mycotoxin production and in plant virulence in Aspergillus flavus. Currently, methodologies to prevent the negative impact of A. flavus are insufficient. It is known that expression of the hdt5 gene is dependent on hbx1, a master regulatory gene that affects expression of hundreds of genes in the A. flavus genome, controlling both development and secondary metabolism. However, while the aflatoxin gene cluster has been elucidated, the genetic regulatory mechanisms controlled by hdt5 are not fully understood. For this study, therefore, a complete strain set composed of a …

An Exploration Of Social Isolation’S Effects On The Gastrointestinal And Metabolic Health Of A Social Mammal, Daniel Adam Nuccio

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Human health can be impacted considerably by subjective feelings of loneliness, resulting in mental illness and the dysregulation of normal cardiovascular, immune and endocrine functioning. This occurs because social isolation serves as a form of chronic stress for social mammals, spurring physiological responses akin to those associated with more standard forms of stress. On account of their highly social nature, prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) subsequently have become one of the model organisms of choice for investigating the effects of social isolation on the development of disease in social mammals.

This dissertation seeks to expand the scientific community’s understanding of the …

Gadd34 And Crep Regulation In The Unfolded Protein Response, Comparing Molecular Mechanisms In Humans And Zebrafish, Angela Adams

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

In eukaryotic cells, many newly synthesized proteins are sent to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of a cell to be folded into the proper conformation for functionality. When proteins get misfolded, or cannot be folded fast enough, these proteins accumulate in the ER which causes the cell to become stressed. This leads to a process known as the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR). Once UPR has been initiated, the α subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) becomes phosphorylated to inhibit global protein synthesis within the cell, while simultaneously activating the expression of several genes to either aid in cell recovery or …

Responses Of Native And Invasive Aquatic Vegetation To Changes In Water Depth In An Ozark Spring-Fed Pond, Daphne Miles

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Spring-fed aquatic ecosystems in the Ozark Highlands are characterized by stable water depths, clear water, and diverse aquatic vegetation (filamentous algae, submerged, floating, and emergent plants). Sudden changes in water depth can impact aquatic vegetation dynamics but the impacts of prolonged changes are poorly understood. I investigated seasonal and annual changes to aquatic vegetation abundance in a spring impoundment during and after a two-year period of low water depth that was caused by a broken outlet below an artificial dam. Water depth was significantly lower in 2020 and 2021 (low water years), compared to 2022 and 2023 (high water years). …

Identification Of Salt Tolerance And Stress Response In Us Department Of Agriculture Tomato Germplasm At The Seedling Stage, Ibtisam Alatawi, Haizheng Xiong, Kenani Chiwina, Hanan Alkabkabi, Qun Luo, Neelendra K. Joshi, Xiaolun Sun, Xuan Zhuang, Kai-Shi Ling, Ainong Shi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soil salinity is a significant abiotic factor that impedes sustainable crop production in key agricultural regions worldwide. Saline cultivation adversely affects soil quality, whereas the use of saline water for irrigation disrupts the physiological and biochemical processes of plants. Continuous irrigation with high salt concentrations leads to a gradual buildup of soil salinity, thus hindering optimal plant growth and development. Consequently, there is a growing emphasis on breeding salinity-tolerant cultivars of various crops. In this study, 71 tomato accessions sourced from 20 countries and provided by the US Department of Agriculture were evaluated under controlled greenhouse conditions and subjected to …

Blattella Germanica As A Vector Of Salmonella Typhimurium, Matthew Turner

Dissertations and Theses

The following investigates the role of the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) as a vector of the bacterium Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). As such, this work examines various host-pathogen-microbiome interactions that define the vectorial capacity of the German cockroach for Salmonella. To date, the majority of literature focuses on the general association of the German cockroach with various human pathogens, claiming any dissemination to be carried out via passive mechanical transmission. This project recognizes those claims, while expanding to include the possibility of biological transmission, involving active and complex host-pathogen interactions, including mechanisms like replication within the …

Understanding Trends In Zostera Research, Stressors, And Response Variables, Hannah R. Lyford, Emma Guerrini Romano, Shayna A. Sura, Sarah Joy Bittick

Biology Faculty Works

Background. Seagrass meadows are ecologically significant habitats that are globally threatened. Thus, there is increased interest in conservation of seagrasses as they face widespread decline. Biotic and abiotic factors that influence seagrass can be classified as stressors, such as rising temperature and eutrophication. Our study met an imminent need to consolidate data from previous studies to discern knowledge gaps and identify trends in studies, stressors, species, and geographic origination of research for the genus Zostera. For our systematic review, the objectives were to (A) qualitatively assess and summarize the current state of literature focused on seagrass species within the Zostera …

A Comprehensive Embryonic Staging Series Of The Turtle Trachemys Scripta, Christina M. Noravian, Perla G. Rand, Amira Mahomed, Maxellende Ezin, Annie Rickard, Oscar D. Juvera, Maria Elena De Bellard

Biology Faculty Works

Background: Turtles hold a unique place in vertebrate evolutionary history, making them critical assets in embryology research. Yet, they remain understudied as potential model organisms in the field. Here, to support experimental manipulations with turtle embryos, we have created a complete normal table of development for comprehensive embryonic staging of Trachemys scripta, one of the most common invasive turtle species worldwide.

Results: The development of T. scripta embryos from 0 days post-oviposition (DPO) to hatching (~60 DPO) was described from approximately 300 viable eggs collected at California State University, Northridge during the 2021–2024 nesting seasons. Thirty-one stages between oviposition and …

Investigating Mitochondrial Stress Response Mechanisms In Aging, Aileigh E. Daniel

Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondrial dysfunction is widely recognized as a key contributor to aging and age-related diseases. The concept of mitohormesis suggests that low levels of ROS can activate stress-responsive transcription factors, promoting adaptive mechanisms that enhance longevity. We hypothesized that changes in protein abundance under conditions of mild mitochondrial stress reflect an adaptive response, and that commonly altered proteins across diverse genetic backgrounds of mitochondrial stress can help identify key regulators of stress resilience and aging. Our study identified conserved mitochondrial stress response pathways and highlighted candidate regulators for further investigation. These regulators appear to impair mitochondrial energy production by downregulating ATP …

Climate Change-Induced Shifts In Mediterranean Fungal Fruiting Phenology And Productivity, Rachel Demay

Theses and Dissertations

We used a 29-year dataset of mushroom fruiting from the Pinar Grande forest in northern Spain to investigate the effects of climate change on the phenology, productivity, and diversity of mycorrhizal and saprotrophic mushrooms. We investigated the long-term trends in fruiting season length, yield (by count, total weight, and average weight), and genus richness. Additionally, we identified associations between monthly temperature and monthly precipitation with these fungal responses across functional groups: mycorrhizal, saprotrophic, litter-decaying saprotrophic, and wood-decaying saprotrophic mushrooms, and the economically-important edible genera Boletus and Lactarius. We found that autumnal season length in the Pinar Grande has shortened over …

Bugs In The Flux: Links Between Arthropod Diversity And Spatial Variation Of Soil Respiration In A Temperate Forest, Erin-Darby H. Mcclain

Theses and Dissertations

Soil respiration (Rs) is the largest terrestrial flux of carbon (C) to the atmosphere, with heterotrophic contributions to Rs varying spatially and temporally. While microbes are the primary and most thoroughly studied source of soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh), contributions from higher trophic organisms, including arthropods, are rarely quantified and poorly understood. Arthropod abundance and diversity correspond with variation in soil microclimate, which is influenced by site factors including canopy structure, site productivity, and disturbance. However, the extent to which these site factors influence arthropod abundance and diversity, and consequently, spatial variation in Rs is not known. The objective of our …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Kynurenine-Mediated Lifespan Regulation In Yeast, Ryan E. Counterman Jobb

Theses and Dissertations

The kynurenine pathway is a highly conserved pathway that acts as the primary pathway for tryptophan catabolism and has been found to be involved in lifespan regulation across many diverse organisms. Caloric restriction (CR) is the only known dietary intervention to date that both increases the mean lifespan and the health span of multiple organisms, although the molecular mechanisms of these effects are not fully understood. There are known and sometimes contradictory relationships between the kynurenine pathway activity and the life- extending effect of CR but the crosstalk between the two is not well characterized. Understanding these relationships could lead …

Identification Of Benzothiophene-Derived Inhibitors Of Flaviviruses By Targeting Rna-Dependent Rna Polymerase, Leah Liu Wang, Shazeed-Ul Karim, Aidan Hand, Ryan Brunkhorst, Mackenna Petersen, Sarah Altam, Yi Liu, Luwen Zhang, Fengwei Bai, Shi-Hua Xiang

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Flaviviruses such as Dengue, West Nile, and Zika viruses are mosquito-borne RNA viruses that can cause serious diseases in humans. To develop effective drugs for treating these viruses’ infections, we create a new approach for developing common or shared drugs that may work for several different viral species of flaviviruses. It is based on the conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which is the key enzyme for viral replication. We built up a common structure of RdRps (POLcon) from their consensus sequence. A conserved Triple-D structural motif was identified at the active site of POLcon that has been used for virtual …

Soils From Different Solidago Altissima Clones Mediate Intraspecific Interactions In Schizachyrium Scoparium, Sarah Alharbi

Masters Theses

While previous studies have examined plant intraspecific competition and soil microbial effects separately, fewer studies have investigated how these factors interact, particularly in the context of genotype-specific soil conditioning effects. Plant-soil feedbacks can significantly alter interspecific competitive outcomes, yet few studies have examined how local variation in soil conditioning influences plant responses to density-dependent competition. I investigated how soil inocula derived from four Solidago altissima clones that were previously shown to differ in their soil conditioning effects (Foster et al., 2022) affected the growth and root traits of Schizachyrium scoparium across a gradient of intraspecific competition (1, 2, or 4 …

Gustatory Behaviors Of House Flies: Body Parts Used And Response To Bitter, R M Panchalie Bhagya Gunathunga

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Insects use multiple body parts, not just their mouth, to taste. Whether a particular body part has a taste function can be determined indirectly by examining the morphology or electrophysiological response of its sensilla (sense organs) or directly by the insects’ behavioral response. Understanding the taste system of insects allows development of better management strategies against pest insects and strategies to protect beneficial insects.House flies, Musca domestica L., are pests at livestock facilities. House fly numbers are controlled mainly by manure management and chemical controls. Toxic granular fly baits remain one of the most popular and effective forms of chemical …

Geology, Paleoecology And Vertebrate Biostratigraphy Of The Hell Creek Formation, Carter County, Montana, Usa, Joshua Collin Mathews

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Hell Creek Formation of the Northern Great Plains records one of the greatest mass extinction events in Earth’s history, bringing to a close the reign of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period. This rock unit comprises one of the most studied geological formations in the world and is one of the few locations on the planet that preserve terrestrial deposits containing ejecta from the bolide impact that slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula 66 million years ago. This profound event in the geologic record has led to numerous studies of paleobiotas, climate change, ecosystem recovery dynamics, and …

Establishing A Microfiber Recovery Rate In Human Lung Tissue, Kylie Nicole Babin-Howard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Microplastics (plastic particles smaller than 5mm) are of increasing concern to environmental and human health as they have persistently been found in all areas of study—becoming a ubiquitous part of the planet. Microplastics have been found in a variety of human tissues (lungs, blood, brain matter, etc.) yet their health effects are poorly understood, with experimental exposure model studies indicating adverse health effects. Microfibers have been found to be more toxic when compared to other microplastic shapes and are also shed from a majority of everyday items, with environmental reports showing that fibers are more than twice as prevalent than …

Effect Of Six-Day Germination On Chemical Composition, Functional, And Nutritional Properties Of Pea Varieties, Hojjat Abdollahikhamene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pulses, particularly peas, have long been a crucial source of protein in vegetarian and cost-effective diets worldwide. They have gained popularity in Western diets as more people turn to plant-based proteins as alternatives to animal products. Peas are known for their high protein content; however, their use in food products has been limited due to factors like poor solubility and digestibility. Germination improves the nutritional profile of peas by enhancing protein content and digestibility. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of six days of germination on the nutritional composition and functional properties of different varieties of …

Using Fungal Dna Barcoding To Identify Fungal Species In A James River Park System Soil Microbiome, Erwin Murray, D Jennings

UROP Posters

Fungi in the soil have the ability to form mutualistic relationships with plant roots and improve the way they resist a variety of plant diseases and abiotic stressors, influencing the survivability of the plants. The James River Park System (JRPS) is home to a variety of ecosystems that support diverse plant and fungal populations, including native plants and invasive plants. Therefore, it is important to identify what is present in the soil microbiome. The purpose of this project is to isolate fungal sequences from soil samples collected in the JRPS to identify what fungal species are present in the JRPS …

Characterizing The Targeting Of Toc159 Receptors To The Chloroplast Outer Envelope Membrane And Their Role In The Assembly Of Distinct Toc Complexes, Michael Fish

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Global agriculture and food security face challenges from climate change, population growth, and other human-driven pressures. Enhancing our understanding of plant biology, particularly chloroplast function, is critical for improving crop yield and stress resilience. As the sites of photosynthesis and key regulators of plant responses to environmental cues, chloroplasts depend on the precise import of thousands of nuclear-encoded proteins to maintain their biogenesis and function. While much is known about the core translocon components in the chloroplast outer envelope membrane that form the TOC complex, the mechanisms underlying their targeting, assembly, and regulation remain incompletely understood.

Plastids, including chloroplasts, evolved …

Transcriptome-Wide Gene Expression Analysis Of Skeletal Muscles Of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Mouse Models And Patients, Olivia N. Ransiear

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive muscle degenerative disease that frequently proves fatal by age 30. It primarily affects adolescent males with symptoms appearing as early as age 6. Patients quickly lose their ability to walk due to muscle weakness and are confined to wheelchairs for the remainder of their lives. DMD is caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene. Without dystrophin, mechanical stress, injury, or shock takes a drastic toll on muscle tissue and muscle stem cells, rendering them unable to regenerate or be repaired. This results in a rapid loss of muscular strength and muscle …

Contactin2(Cntn2)Creert2 Mouse Line, A New Genetic Tool For Temporal Control To Trace The Developing Neurons In The Nose, Alexis M. Semon

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Neuronal migration is a vital process in embryonic development. In rodents, the very first neurons that originate from the olfactory placode migrate toward the developing brain as part of the migratory mass. This migratory mass includes Gonadotropin-releasing hormone-1 (GnRH-1) neurons, pioneer/terminal nerve (TN) neurons, and olfactory ensheathing cells—a type of glial cell.

Contactin-2 (Cntn2), also referred to as transiently expressed axonal surface glycoprotein-1 (TAG-1), belongs to the contactin family of proteins, which is part of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion molecules. Cntn2 has been extensively utilized as a transient/stage-specific molecular marker for various neuronal populations, including commissural neurons of …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns In Short-Term Surface Sediment Deposition And Accretion At The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve: Implications For Resilience Of Coastal Wetlands To Sea-Level Rise, Jacob Michael Berna

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coastal wetlands are at risk of drowning due to the increasing threat of rising sea levels. Wetlands will have to build in elevation vertically or migrate horizontally to survive. Previous research has demonstrated that some wetlands have the potential to naturally build in elevation over time if deposition and accretion rates from allochthonous sediment delivery are substantial, but work in this area has been limited, and many coastal wetlands remain understudied. Portions of Northeast Florida are especially lacking in short-term surface deposition and accretion data. Without surface rates it is difficult to determine the vulnerability of different wetlands to rising …

Leucine Catabolism Is Associated With Longevity In Female Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers, Kerri R. Conklin

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background & Aims: Dietary isoleucine restriction can improve metabolic health and increase lifespan. It has been hypothesized that shifts in branched-chain amino acid catabolism drives this longevity effect. Impaired branched-chain amino acid catabolism is linked to several age-related diseases. We investigated whether dietary isoleucine restriction increases leucine catabolism and associates with longevity and full reproduction.

Methods: In two experiments, adult female Eastern Lubber grasshoppers (Romalea microptera) were assigned to either a high-quality diet (Balanced ile), or diets with varying isoleucine content (Moderate ile-R and Severe ile-R). In Experiment 1, we used a low-energy (Low Lettuce) group as a positive …

The Presence Of Mercury (Hg) And Perfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) In The Guana And Tolomato Rivers, Morgan E. Lattomus

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Guana and Tolomato Rivers provide essential habitat for several ecologically and economically important species and is a well-loved and recreated area. Spanning the northeastern Florida coast, the rivers are home to over 50 endangered or threatened species and host several habitat restoration projects due to their ecological significance and proximity to development along the coast. The effects of human influence and pollution, and specifically toxic metal mercury (Hg) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are not well known within the system. Hg is known to biomagnify within food webs, and there is a considerable lack of literature concerning PFAS behavior within …

Dictyostelids: The Second Major Group Of Slime Molds, P. Liu, Z.J. Zhang, J.H. Ge, Y. Zou, Z. Li, S. Li, Y. Li, S.L. Stephenson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The dictyostelids (also called cellular slime molds or social amoebae) are among the more abundant and widespread groups of microorganisms in terrestrial ecosystems. Despite this fact, they are totally unknown to most people, who sometimes confuse the dictyostelids with myxomycetes (or plasmodial slime molds). The first dictyostelid (Dictyostelium mucoroides) was described by the German Oskar Brefeld in 1869. More than 180 species are now known, and these organisms have been recorded from the high arctic to the subantarctic. The primary microhabitat for dictyostelids is the soil/humus layer on a forest floor, but they also occur in a number of other …

Using Secreted Biomarkers In The Development Of The Detection Of Advanced Cancer Screening System, Elaine Vanterpool

Student Posters

An estimated 20 million people globally develop cancer every year. Furthermore, over 9.7 million people die from cancer. The best prognosis of cancer occurs when detected early. Cancer, in its early stages, usually does not display clinical symptoms and is usually not detectable by symptoms and is diagnosed later. The goal of the D.A.C.S. is to provide a screen that can detect cancer. It is hypothesized that developing a cancer detection system/technology, named D.A.C.S. (Detection of Advanced Cancer Screening) system, can help with early cancer detection, while still being affordable for the general public.

Mutation In Rpl10 Disrupts Ribosomal Function And Contributes To Autism Spectrum Disorder, Elaine Vanterpool, Paula Ramirez-Mejia

Student Posters

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities. A study in 2020 estimated that ASD affects 2.8% of children in the United States (NIMH). The RPL10 gene, encodes the Ribosomal protein L10, has been implicated in ASD and plays a crucial role in protein synthesis and neuronal development, contributing to a protein essential for assembling the large ribosomal subunit. This study investigates how variations in PRL10 (Ribosomal Protein L10) can contribute to ASD.

Eed Gene Variants And Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Genetic Approach To Understanding Ibs, Elaine Vanterpool, Ted Howard

Student Posters

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a disease linked with the gastrointestinal system and seen to cause bloating, abdominal pain, and harmful alterations in the digestive system. Its cause is complex and is known to have both environmental and genetic factors. Recent studies have shown that IBS occurs due to genetic variations, which leads to the pathogenesis of IBS. One gene, the EED (Embryonic Ectoderm Development) gene has been involved in various biological processes, particularly gastrointestinal functions. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential relationship between the EED gene and IBS.