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Why Should Early-Career Scientists Publish In Society Journals, Stephen K. Dolan, Lori D. Banks, Wenqi Yu

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

In this editorial, written by early-career scientists, we advocate for the invaluable role of society journals in our scientific community. By choosing to support these journals as authors, peer reviewers, and as editors, we can reinforce our academic growth and benefit from their re-investment back into the scientific ecosystem. Considering the numerous clear merits of this system for future generations of microbiologists and more broadly, society, we argue that early-career researchers should publish our high-quality research in society journals to shape the future of science and scientific publishing landscape.

The Inaugural Mbio Junior Editorial Board—Lessons Learned And The Path Forward Toward Improving The Peer Review Process, Cynthia Ayefoumi Adinortey, Stephen K. Dolan, Sarah Doore, Rebeccah Lijek, Diana Priscila Pires, Wenqi Yu, Elizabeth B. Draganova, Lennart Schada Von Borzyskowski

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

The inaugural Junior Editorial Board (JEB) of mBio consisted of 64 early-career researchers active from 2022 to 2023. The goal of the JEB was to train early-career researchers in the art of peer review under the guidance of experienced editors. JEB members gained hands-on experience in peer review by participating in modules detailing the publishing process through the lenses of the journal, editor, and reviewer. Ultimately, JEB members applied this new knowledge by reviewing mBio manuscripts. Here, we summarize the background, the mission, and the achievements of the first mBio JEB. We also include possible trajectories for the future editions …

Human Motion Detection Evaluated Through An Evoked Cortical Potential Frequency Spectrum, Howard E. Painter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electrical potentials were recorded from scalp of normal male subjects while they were viewing continuously moving sinusoidal gratings. Responses from the occipital cortex were amplified, digitized, stored and then transformed from the time domain to the frequency domain using a microcomputer based Fast Fourier Transform algorithm. High frequency components (Beta Activity) of the resulting power spectrum were analyzed for evidence on neural generators (electrical sources) in the striate cortex driven presumably by transient-cells (Y-cells or Magnocellular) responding to the continuously moving grating. Several stimulus parameters were examined: angular velocity, spatial frequency, direction (orientation), color, and intensity. A16 Hz component of …

Integration Of Algae And Biomass Processes To Synthesize Renewable Bioproducts For The Circular Economy, Jessica Martin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapid population growth and global industrialization have substantially heightened the demand for fossil-based fuels and products in various sectors of the global economy, including energy production, transportation fuels, and as raw materials for petrochemicals. The intense consumption of fossil fuels has caused immense environmental impacts, especially pertaining to carbon dioxide emissions. Shifting to renewable feedstocks (raw materials) is expected to reduce these emissions by lowering the carbon footprint of fuels and products compared to traditional fossil-derived alternatives. This transition aligns with the goal of creating a sustainable and circular economy, emphasizing efficient resource use, and reducing waste generation through recycling …

Integration Of Algae And Biomass Processes To Synthesize Renewable Bioproducts For The Circular Economy, Jessica Martin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapid population growth and global industrialization have substantially heightened the demand for fossil-based fuels and products in various sectors of the global economy, including energy production, transportation fuels, and as raw materials for petrochemicals. The intense consumption of fossil fuels has caused immense environmental impacts, especially pertaining to carbon dioxide emissions. Shifting to renewable feedstocks (raw materials) is expected to reduce these emissions by lowering the carbon footprint of fuels and products compared to traditional fossil-derived alternatives. This transition aligns with the goal of creating a sustainable and circular economy, emphasizing efficient resource use, and reducing waste generation through recycling …

Book Review: Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths: From Alexander To Hitler To The Corporation, Tim Bakken

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

The book Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths is a survey of a vast amount of human wrongdoing. It lays bare the motivations of aggressors who wish to subjugate nations or groups of people and corporate executives and government bureaucrats who make discretionary decisions that harm people. Along with cataloging mass killings by despots and soldiers, the book includes stories about Ponzi-schemers and the deaths of automobile drivers and passengers who were killed by vehicle defects known to the manufacturer. The book posits that “[p]owerful, elite forces are trying to force us backward toward a non-democratic state, one where power, wealth, and prerogative …

Targeting Bet Proteins Downregulates Mir-33a To Promote Synergy With Pim Inhibitors In Cmml, Christopher T. Letson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML) is a rare myeloid malignancy with a dismal prognosis and no therapeutic options which are capable of altering the natural course of the disease. There remains a significant need for novel therapies that are able to meaningfully improve patient outcomes. In this study we explore the effectiveness of Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal domain protein inhibitor (BETi) combinations in CMML. Preclinical studies in myeloid neoplasms have demonstrated efficacy of BETi. However, BETi demonstrate poor single agent activity in clinical trials. Several studies suggest that combinations with other anti-cancer inhibitors may enhance the efficacy of BETi. To nominate BETi …

Coupling Chemical And Genomic Data Of Marine Sediment-Associated Bacteria For Metabolite Profiling, Stephanie P. Suarez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marine sediment-associated bacteria house many new and exciting novel secondary metabolites. These metabolites can be tested for bioactivity against various types of cancer and fungal, bacterial, and viral infections. In this thesis, we investigated the combination of biosynthetic gene cluster information with mass spectra to perform a chemical profiling of sediment- associated bacteria. Furthermore, we utilized a scoring technique to provide an identification and confidence score to each annotated compound. The sediment was collected from east Arthur Harbor, Palmer Station, Antarctica, at depths of 20 ft and 60 ft. After plating on agar, 52 unique bacterial strains were isolated, with …

Targeting Bet Proteins Downregulates Mir-33a To Promote Synergy With Pim Inhibitors In Cmml, Christopher T. Letson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML) is a rare myeloid malignancy with a dismal prognosis and no therapeutic options which are capable of altering the natural course of the disease. There remains a significant need for novel therapies that are able to meaningfully improve patient outcomes. In this study we explore the effectiveness of Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal domain protein inhibitor (BETi) combinations in CMML.

Preclinical studies in myeloid neoplasms have demonstrated efficacy of BETi. However, BETi demonstrate poor single agent activity in clinical trials. Several studies suggest that combinations with other anti-cancer inhibitors may enhance the efficacy of BETi. To nominate BETi …

Coupling Chemical And Genomic Data Of Marine Sediment-Associated Bacteria For Metabolite Profiling, Stephanie P. Suarez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marine sediment-associated bacteria house many new and exciting novel secondary metabolites. These metabolites can be tested for bioactivity against various types of cancer and fungal, bacterial, and viral infections. In this thesis, we investigated the combination of biosynthetic gene cluster information with mass spectra to perform a chemical profiling of sediment- associated bacteria. Furthermore, we utilized a scoring technique to provide an identification and confidence score to each annotated compound. The sediment was collected from east Arthur Harbor, Palmer Station, Antarctica, at depths of 20 ft and 60 ft. After plating on agar, 52 unique bacterial strains were isolated, with …

Book Review: Habitantes De La Obscuridad (Fauna Ibero-Balear De Las Cuevas) – Inhabitants Of The Darkness (Ibero-Baleric Fauna Of Caves), Oana Teodora Moldovan

International Journal of Speleology

NA

Red Mangrove (Rhizophora Mangle) Recruitment And Retention Dynamics On Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Reefs In A Subtropical Estuary, Noreen Selma Mathews

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mangroves are invading oyster reefs in areas no longer impacted by winter freezes and completely transforming them into mangrove islands. The mechanisms influencing the transition between these two habitat states remain unclear. Here, I test experimentally whether oyster reef (Crassostrea virginica) structure directly facilitates red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) propagule capture via differences in propagule retention and successful mangrove establishment. In addition to oyster reef structure, I compared physical reef features of size, elevation, and wind-wave exposure to uncover whether these traits influenced mangrove retention. Recently- abscised red mangrove propagules were inserted onto 21 oyster reefs across 5 sites in Tampa …

Red Mangrove (Rhizophora Mangle) Recruitment And Retention Dynamics On Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Reefs In A Subtropical Estuary, Noreen Selma Mathews

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mangroves are invading oyster reefs in areas no longer impacted by winter freezes and completely transforming them into mangrove islands. The mechanisms influencing the transition between these two habitat states remain unclear. Here, I test experimentally whether oyster reef (Crassostrea virginica) structure directly facilitates red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) propagule capture via differences in propagule retention and successful mangrove establishment. In addition to oyster reef structure, I compared physical reef features of size, elevation, and wind-wave exposure to uncover whether these traits influenced mangrove retention. Recently- abscised red mangrove propagules were inserted onto 21 oyster reefs across …

Patterns In Biodiversity And Community Assemblage In Macrofaunal Fouling Communities On Tampa Bay Floating Docks, Cassidy C. Bell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding biodiversity trends of highly disturbed urban landscapes is essential as anthropogenic factors continue to drive global biodiversity loss. Within marine ecosystems, macrofaunal fouling communities, aggregations of epibenthic invertebrates that colonize human-made structures, represent an ecologically important subset of urban coastlines. Tampa Bay is a highly urbanized estuary in Florida, USA, and is home to the state’s largest port, Port Tampa Bay. This makes the bay a prime site for the introduction of new species, with many organisms either considered invasive or cryptogenic, their origins left unclear. Many factors may contribute to the communities that form on urban structures including …

Regulated Intramembrane Proteolysis By M82 Peptidases: The Role Of Prss In The Staphylococcus Aureus Stress Response, Baylie M. Schott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is a major threat to human health, which is only exacerbated by its resistance to methicillin and other frontline antibiotics. Consequently, annual hospitalizations resulting from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been recorded in the hundreds of thousands for decades. However, the global impact of this opportunistic pathogen cannot solely be attributed to its antibiotic resistance, as S. aureus is also an expert at adapting to host conditions and responding to external stress. Here we attempt to gain a better understanding of a S. aureus factor that aids in circumventing such external insult - PrsS - a membrane protease …

Hurricanes And Tropical Storms’ Impact On Water Quality In Lake Okeechobee, Florida, Daniela Vasquez Diaz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hurricanes are natural events with catastrophic outcomes, while climate change's effects on their intensity and frequency remain discussed. However, it is crucial to analyze these through models and statistics to understand their behavior and impact on the basins. Particularly in lakes on tropical coasts since disruptive events such as hurricanes tend to be highly affected. Lake Okeechobee is a unique lake located in Florida and one of the largest freshwater lakes. The lake and some of its significant stations are the locations chosen to perform the investigation. The main focus of the investigation is determining the effect that hurricanes have …

Patterns In Biodiversity And Community Assemblage In Macrofaunal Fouling Communities On Tampa Bay Floating Docks, Cassidy C. Bell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding biodiversity trends of highly disturbed urban landscapes is essential as anthropogenic factors continue to drive global biodiversity loss. Within marine ecosystems, macrofaunal fouling communities, aggregations of epibenthic invertebrates that colonize human-made structures, represent an ecologically important subset of urban coastlines. Tampa Bay is a highly urbanized estuary in Florida, USA, and is home to the state’s largest port, Port Tampa Bay. This makes the bay a prime site for the introduction of new species, with many organisms either considered invasive or cryptogenic, their origins left unclear. Many factors may contribute to the communities that form on urban structures including …

Regulated Intramembrane Proteolysis By M82 Peptidases: The Role Of Prss In The Staphylococcus Aureus Stress Response, Baylie M. Schott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is a major threat to human health, which is only exacerbated by its resistance to methicillin and other frontline antibiotics. Consequently, annual hospitalizations resulting from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been recorded in the hundreds of thousands for decades. However, the global impact of this opportunistic pathogen cannot solely be attributed to its antibiotic resistance, as S. aureus is also an expert at adapting to host conditions and responding to external stress. Here we attempt to gain a better understanding of a S. aureus factor that aids in circumventing such external insult - PrsS - a membrane protease …

Hurricanes And Tropical Storms’ Impact On Water Quality In Lake Okeechobee, Florida, Daniela Vasquez Diaz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hurricanes are natural events with catastrophic outcomes, while climate change's effects on their intensity and frequency remain discussed. However, it is crucial to analyze these through models and statistics to understand their behavior and impact on the basins. Particularly in lakes on tropical coasts since disruptive events such as hurricanes tend to be highly affected. Lake Okeechobee is a unique lake located in Florida and one of the largest freshwater lakes. The lake and some of its significant stations are the locations chosen to perform the investigation. The main focus of the investigation is determining the effect that hurricanes have …

Book Review: Australian Caves And Karst Systems, John Webb, Susan White, Garry K. Smith, Jo De Waele

International Journal of Speleology

No abstract provided.

Developing A Point-Of-Care Detection Kit For Parkinson’S Disease Using Gold Nanoparticle-Based Lateral Flow Assay, Ali Aljassabi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease and the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorder in the world. The major issue with PD is that it takes several years of biological changes until the patient starts to experience physiological symptoms that could affect their daily lives. The major hallmark of PD is the appearance of Lewy body inclusions in the neuron’s cytoplasm, which is rich in a protein called α-Synuclein (α-Syn). Several studies have shown that the levels of α-Syn in blood increase because the excess α-Syn is released from neurons into the bloodstream through extracellular vesicles. …

Developing A Point-Of-Care Detection Kit For Parkinson’S Disease Using Gold Nanoparticle-Based Lateral Flow Assay, Ali Aljassabi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease and the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorder in the world. The major issue with PD is that it takes several years of biological changes until the patient starts to experience physiological symptoms that could affect their daily lives. The major hallmark of PD is the appearance of Lewy body inclusions in the neuron’s cytoplasm, which is rich in a protein called α-Synuclein (α-Syn). Several studies have shown that the levels of α-Syn in blood increase because the excess α-Syn is released from neurons into the bloodstream through extracellular vesicles. …

Thermodynamic Frustration Of Tad2 And Prr Contribute To Autoinhibition Of P53, Emily Gregory

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The intrinsically disordered transcription factor and tumor suppressor p53 binds to promoter response element DNA upon cellular stress and activates genes associated with cell cycle arrest, senescence, and apoptosis. Disruption of sequence specific binding to target gene promoters is heavily implicated in human health, where a majority of cancers contain mutations localized to the DNA binding domain (DBD) of p53. p53 DNA binding is regulated by posttranslational modifications, associations with cellular factors, and by an autoinhibitory intramolecular interaction. The autoinhibitory intramolecular interaction occurs when the disordered N-terminal transactivation domain (TAD) interacts with the ordered DBD. Previous work in the Daughdrill …

Thermodynamic Frustration Of Tad2 And Prr Contribute To Autoinhibition Of P53, Emily Gregory

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The intrinsically disordered transcription factor and tumor suppressor p53 binds to promoter response element DNA upon cellular stress and activates genes associated with cell cycle arrest, senescence, and apoptosis. Disruption of sequence specific binding to target gene promoters is heavily implicated in human health, where a majority of cancers contain mutations localized to the DNA binding domain (DBD) of p53. p53 DNA binding is regulated by posttranslational modifications, associations with cellular factors, and by an autoinhibitory intramolecular interaction. The autoinhibitory intramolecular interaction occurs when the disordered N-terminal transactivation domain (TAD) interacts with the ordered DBD. Previous work in the Daughdrill …

Distinct Nrf2 Signaling Thresholds Mediate Lung Tumor Initiation And Progression, Janine M. Deblasi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

NRF2 is a redox-responsive transcription factor the directs the antioxidant program and several critical metabolic processes. Mutations in NRF2 or its negative regulator KEAP1 occur in up to one third of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) and are often associated with resistance to therapy and poor outcomes. In the present studies, murine alleles of the Keap1 and Nrf2 mutations found in human NSCLC were developed and I comprehensively investigated their impact on tumor initiation and progression. I observed that chronic Nrf2 stabilization by Keap1 loss-of-function or Nrf2 activating mutation was not sufficient to cause lung tumor initiation, even when p53 …

Distinct Nrf2 Signaling Thresholds Mediate Lung Tumor Initiation And Progression, Janine M. Deblasi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

NRF2 is a redox-responsive transcription factor the directs the antioxidant program and several critical metabolic processes. Mutations in NRF2 or its negative regulator KEAP1 occur in up to one third of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) and are often associated with resistance to therapy and poor outcomes. In the present studies, murine alleles of the Keap1 and Nrf2 mutations found in human NSCLC were developed and I comprehensively investigated their impact on tumor initiation and progression. I observed that chronic Nrf2 stabilization by Keap1 loss-of-function or Nrf2 activating mutation was not sufficient to cause lung tumor initiation, even when p53 …

Development Of Antiviral Peptidomimetics, Songyi Xue

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are essential for biological processes and are associated with a number of diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. As a result, modulation of PPIs has been recognized as one of the most promising strategies to develop the novel drugs. Peptide modulators always exhibit higher specificity and affinities with targets than small compounds or monoclonal antibodies, but their broad medicinal effectiveness is constrained by their poor bioavailability and biostability. Peptidomimetics, which have been developed to mimic the structure as well as function of bioactive peptides and proteins, have shown excellent potential in protein surface mimicry and …

The Effect Of Entrepreneurial Traits On Career Planning In Food Processing Enterprises, Ali S. Cetinkaya

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

Economic, social, and technological changes create new demands and opportunities for people's jobs. Entrepreneurship is one way to deal with these demands and take advantage of new opportunities. Career planning assists an individual in becoming aware of various career options, including entrepreneurial intent. Even if they have all of the necessary resources, not everyone wants to start a new business. Some people have specific entrepreneurial characteristics that motivate them to pursue a career investing in new businesses. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of individuals' entrepreneurial traits on their career planning. The survey technique was used …

Evaluating The Accuracy Of Inertial Measurment Units In Detecting Gait Parameters For Lower Limb Prosthesis And Orthosis Users, Bryce Fuller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A Gait Extraction System (GES) was developed to investigate the accuracy of wearable sensors by producing gait parameters, to be compared against a gold standard motion capture system. Two inertial measurement units (IMUs) were placed in the lower limb region, specifically in the shank region of each leg. The GES uses algorithms to extract the gait cycle from raw acceleration data to produce gait parameters such as stride length, stride time, step length, step time, stance time, swing time and cadence. There were three main trials that consisted solely of a flat road, a road with small hills and a …

Withaferin A And Immune Checkpoint Blocker Therapy For The Treatment Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Roukiah Khalil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the first cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women with an overall five-year survival rate of 28%. Although immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) are currently FDA-approved for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), only 17-20% of patients achieve durable responses by the induction of immunologic memory. The lack of response in most patients can be attributed to the tumor-intrinsic or tumor-extrinsic immune resistance mechanisms. A biomarker of importance is the Programmed Death Ligand-1 (PD-L1), as higher PD-L1 expression is usually associated with a better response to ICBs. Although studies have attempted to combine ICBs …