Digital Commons Network^™

Menin Inhibitor Ds-1594b Drives Differentiation And Induces Synergistic Lethality In Combination With Venetoclax In Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells With Rearranged Mixed-Lineage Leukemia And Mutated Nucleophosmin-1, Valerio Ciaurro, Vassilena Sharlandjieva, Anna Skwarska, Catherine Chahrour, Natalia Baran, Zhihong Zeng, Cassandra Ramage, Naval Daver, Bing Z Carter, Sovira Chaundhry, Palaniraja Thandapani, Maria Paola Martelli, Thomas A Milne, Marina Konopleva

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) rearrangements and Nucleophosmin-1 (NPM1) mutations are associated with acute leukemias whose pathogenesis is critically influenced by protein-protein interactions between menin and MLL. We hypothesized that targeting the menin-MLL interaction using DS-1594b and blocking the antiapoptotic BCL-2 protein using venetoclax may promote differentiation and enhance eradication of MLL-rearranged and NPM1-mutated leukemias models. We treated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines with MLL rearrangements, NPM1 mutations, other leukemias and primary samples from AML patients with venetoclax alone, DS- 1594b alone, and their combination. We measured proliferation, viability, apoptosis, and differentiation using a variety of cellular assays, Western blotting, and …

The Effects Of Caffeine And Resistance Exercise On Pulse Wave Reflection In Resistance-Trained Women, Sarah G. Kearney, Therese M. Smith, Meredith C. Paskert Joplin, Erica Marshall, Jason C. Parks, Stacie M. Humm, Michelle A. Kern, J. Derek Kingsley

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(6): 1310-1320, 2025. https://doi.org/10.70252/RWDY4284 Caffeine, alone or in conjunction with an acute bout of resistance exercise (RE), increases measures of pulse wave reflection (PWR), with most studies focusing on men. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate caffeine’s effects on measures of PWR alone and following an acute bout of RE in young, healthy, resistance-trained women. Eleven resistance-trained women completed an acute bout of RE using free-weights with repetitions to failure for squat and bench press with caffeine (4mg/kg) and a placebo. Measures of PWR were measured at Rest, 50 minutes following ingestion …

The Head-Direction Signal Is Generated From Two Types Of Head Direction Cells In Brainstem Nuclei, Ryan M. Yoder

Psychology

Head direction (HD) cells discharge based on an animal's directional heading. Computational models propose that a ring-attractor network across the connections between the lateral mammillary (LMN) and dorsal tegmental nuclei (DTN) underlies the signal's generation. These models contain neurons that encode either HD or angular head velocity (AHV), but also require cells that are sensitive to both parameters conjunctively (HD + AHV). Here we identify both types of HD cells in the LMN and DTN of female rats, with one population sensitive to AHV (both symmetric and asymmetric), and the other population insensitive to AHV. Notably, many HD + AHV …

How Plants Defy Gravity, Olivia Y. Kim, Agatha Shaikhutdinova, Joshua Lee, Reece Sit, Daniel Yang, Aliyah Shams, Kathryn Choi, Esther Yoo

STEM for Success Showcase

This educational short book, written by students, uses creative descriptions to make biology and chemistry concepts engaging and easy to understand.

Strengthening The Utah Diabetes Cook Along Program For Statewide Extension Delivery: Curriculum Refinement And Randomized Controlled Trial, Carrie Durward

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Surface And Intradermal Temperature Responses Of Adults To Ambient Heat Stress With And Without Cooling, Zachary J. Mckenna, Elizabeth A. Gideon, Erin Harper, Taysom E. Wallace, Isa A. Farooqi, Craig G. Crandall

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Accurate measurement of skin temperature is crucial to understanding responses to heat. We tested the hypothesis that intradermal temperature would differ from skin surface temperature during ambient heating with and without fan and water spray (24 degrees C). Nine healthy adults rested in an environmental chamber maintained at 40 degrees C and 15% relative humidity with and without fan, fan + water spray, and water spray. We assessed temperature in the dermal space (intradermal) and on the skin surface (surface) using thermocouple microprobes. In addition, we measured skin temperature using a standard uninsulated thermocouple taped to the skin (standard). During …

Incidence And Risk Factors For Pneumonitis Due To Trastuzumab Deruxtecan In Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Maria Azhar, Felipe Soto, Amber Su, Norma Alicia Vazquez Gonzalez, Kevin Bernal Medina, Alejandro Lizarraga Madrigal, Cesar Chavez Duran, Carlos Ignacio Rodriguez Reyna, Colin Chan, Girish S Shroff, Roland L Bassett, Sarah Pasyar, David Zhang, Vickie R Shannon, Mehmet Altan, Melissa P Mitchell, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Jason Mouabbi, Rashmi K Murthy, Saadia A Faiz, Lara Bashoura, Bora Lim, Ajay Sheshadri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that targets human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and delivers a topoisomerase inhibitor payload. T-DXd has been effectively used to treat metastatic breast cancer but causes pneumonitis in 10–15% of cases. Risk factors associated with T-DXd pneumonitis are not well described.

Research question: What are the major clinical risk factors for T-DXd pneumonitis?

Study design and methods: We conducted a retrospective study of women with metastatic breast cancer at our institution treated with T-DXd as standard of care between 2020 and 2024. We collected clinical data, including demographics, relevant review …

Prospective Phase Ii Clinical Trial Of Molecular Glioblastoma (Historical Grade 2 And 3 Idh Wildtype Gliomas) Preliminary Novel Exploratory Analyses: Treatment Intensification, Margin Reduction And Epigenetic Stratified Outcomes With Radiation Therapy And Chemotherapy, Debra Nana Yeboa, Benjamin T Whitfield, Ruitao Lin, Chinenye Lynette Ejezie, Todd A Swanson, Thomas H Beckham, Chenyang Wang, Brian De, Subha Perni, Martin C Tom, Jing Li, Susan L Mcgovern, Rebecca Harrison, Nazanin K Majd, Vinay K Puduvalli, Ashley E Aaroe, Monica Loghin, Barbara J O'Brien, Anuj D Patel, Chirag B Patel, Jeffrey S Wefel, Ceylan Altintas Taslicay, Maria Gule-Monroe, Arnold C Paulino, Mary Frances Mcaleer, David R Grosshans, Amol J Ghia, Wen Jiang, Caroline Chung, Moshe Maor, Cheng-Han Yang, Maria A Gubbiotti, Carlos Kamiya-Matsuoka, Leomar Y Ballester, Shiao-Pei Weathers, Jason T Huse

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Molecular glioblastoma (molGBM) is a variant lacking the full histopathological profile of glioblastoma. We report a trial aimed at addressing the optimal management of this newly recognized rarer form of glioma.

Methods: In this phase II study, molGBM patients were treated with radiation to a dose of 60Gy to the gross tumor volume (GTV) only, and a single smaller margin potentially as low as 1cm to the clinical tumor volume (CTV). As the trial is ongoing, we report on important exploratory biomarker findings correlating with median overall survival (mOS). Analysis included Kaplan-Meier and univariable/multivariable cox proportional hazard models. Available …

Cofilin Inhibition Ameliorates Piezo2 And Ampa Dysfunction In A Mouse Model Of Angelman Syndrome, Luis O Romero, Manisha Bade, Elisa Carrillo, Sonia Paz-López, Syed A M Hasan, William James Antonisamy, Vasanthi Jayaraman, Zahoor A Shah, Valeria Vásquez, Julio F Cordero-Morales

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by motor coordination and cognitive deficits. In AS, hippocampal neurons show reduced filamentous (F-)actin, a decrease we also reported in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, along with impaired mechanosensitive ion channel activity. Currently, there are no pharmacological targets to prevent the decrease of F-actin in AS. Here, we utilize a first-in-class selective cofilin inhibitor (SZ-3) to restore PIEZO2 function in DRG neurons and glutamate-evoked currents in hippocampal neurons from AS mice. Using atomic force microscopy, we demonstrate that inhibiting cofilin, an actin-severing protein, with SZ-3 increases cellular stiffness by stabilizing the actin …

Targeting Gd2 With Naxitamab Overcomes Gd3 Synthase-Driven Immune Suppression In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Vivek Anand, Bolutyfe Oderinde, Maryam Siddiqui, Anudishi Tyagi, Jenny Borgman, Chong Wu, Michael Andreeff, V Lokesh Battula

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Gangliosides are acidic glycosphingolipids involved in cell-adhesion, signal-transduction and tumor progression. GD3 synthase (GD3S/ST8SIA1), a key enzyme in ganglioside biosynthesis, is upregulated in many cancers, including GD2+ breast cancer stem-like cells (BCSCs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Here, we demonstrated the immunomodulatory role of GD3S and identified a fully humanized anti-GD2 antibody, naxitamab, as a therapeutic tool to target GD3S/GD2+ breast tumors. GD3S expression correlates with immune-checkpoint activation and reduced immune infiltration. Ectopic overexpression of GD3S suppressed macrophage-mediated phagocytosis and NK or T cell-induced cell death in BC cells. Lipidomic analysis identified GD2 as the major effector ganglioside …

Integrating Pathogenic Variants, Polygenic Risk Score, And Family History For Prostate Cancer Risk Estimation In Men Of African Ancestry, Fei Chen, Xin Sheng, Anqi Wang, Yili Xu, Raymond Hughley, Wei Xiong, Loreall Pooler, Peggy Wan, Susan M Gundell, Godfrey Kigozi, Gertrude Nakigozi, Fred Nalugoda, Joseph Kagaayi, Grace Nalwoga Kigozi, Stephen Mugamba, Emmanuel Kyasanku, James Nkale, Vitalis Ofumbi Olwa, Alexander Lubwama, Alex Daama, Resty Nakajugo, Ben Adusei, Mohamed Jalloh, Serigne Magueye Gueye, Andrew A Adjei, James Mensah, Pedro W Fernandez, Akindele Olupelumi Adebiyi, J Olufemi Ogunbiyi, Oseremen Inokhoife Aisuodionoe-Shadrach, Lindsay Petersen, Wenlong Carl Chen, Jo Mcbride, Jeannette T Bensen, James L Mohler, Jack A Taylor, Caroline Andrews, Mbaaga Kigongo, Amanya Colline, Vicky Kiddu, Juliet Namugambe, Shallot Owamaani, Kuteesa Job, Benon Joseph Masaba, Frank Asiimwe, Proscovia Muwanga, Joy Namulondo, Florence Nagawa, Charity Kayiraba, Martin Ogwang, Ronald Okidi, David Oweka, Elio Kitara, James Obonyo, Daniel Lajul, Paul Matovu, Precious Arinda Muheki, Johnson Natumanya, Emmanuel Agaba, Emmanuel Aculokin, Amos Twongyeirwe, George Mutema, Denis Bitamazire, Eboneé N Butler, Sue Ann Ingles, Benjamin A Rybicki, Janet L Stanford, Wei Zheng, Sonja I Berndt, Stephen J Chanock, Chad D Huff, Joseph Lachance, Luc Multigner, Burcu F Darst, Timothy R Rebbeck, Laurent Brureau, Stephen Watya, David V Conti, Christopher A Haiman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The impact of germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in cancer predisposition genes on risk of prostate cancer (PCa) remains understudied in large populations of African ancestry. This study aims to characterize the range of genetic risk of PCa and aggressive disease phenotypes in men of African ancestry.

METHODS: We analyzed 7176 PCa cases and 4873 controls from seven countries across North America and Africa to assess the association between PVs in 37 cancer predisposition genes and the risk of overall, aggressive, and metastatic PCa. Genes significantly associated with PCa risk were used to estimate lifetime absolute risk based …

A Multi-Faceted Study Of Antibiotic-Resistant, Opportunistic Pathogens In Wastewater And Environmental Water, Jeanette Calarco

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

More than 2.8 million infections due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria occur annually in the United States, and more than 35,000 people die as a result. Domestic wastewater (sewage), which contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes, is collected at treatment plants for removal of contaminants, e.g. pathogenic microorganisms and nutrients. While wastewater treatment is designed to remove antibiotic-resistant bacteria and other microorganisms through treatment and disinfection, some bacteria may escape treatment. Treated wastewater effluent is generally discharged into surface waters; however, some fraction of the effluent may be used as recycled water. Compromised wastewater collection infrastructure and sewage spills can disseminate …

Leveraging Dna Methylation Profiling And Microrna Sequencing To Characterize The Epigenomic Landscape Of Major Depressive Disorder Disease Trajectory, Jan Dahrendorff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and debilitating mental disorder associated with a significant disease burden and economic cost. Despite ample evidence documenting the efficacy of a diverse array of established MDD therapies, a large proportion of patients are inadequately responsive to initial treatment attempts, with first-line treatments leading to remission in only ~30% of the patients. Importantly, about a third of patients even fail to achieve symptom improvement after two or more antidepressant trials, resulting in what is commonly defined as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The ability to identify which treatments are most likely to elicit a positive response …

Comparing Characteristics Of Southern Illinois And Western Kentucky Soils, Jenna Grab, Jodi Terhorst, Madelyn G. Hughes, Kaitlynn R. Burrus

Scholars Week

Comparing Characteristics

of Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky Soils

Jenna Grab, Kaitlynn Burrus, Madelyn Hughes & Jodi Terhorst

Mentor: Dr. Iin Handayani, Ph.D.

Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Kentucky, USA

ABSTRACT

Assessing soil quality indicators is essential to determining soil health for plant growth. The objective of this study was to determine and compare various physical and chemical characteristics of soils in Western Kentucky (KY) and Southern Illinois (IL). Twenty-seven undisturbed and twenty-seven disturbed soil samples were collected from September 5th-27th from fields in Mascoutah and Metropolis, Illinois, along with fields in Schochoh and Benton, Kentucky. All soil …

Evaluating Soil Responses To Three Different Tillage Practices, Robert L. Burchett, Cordale L. Straub Senior, Logan D. Renfrow Sophomore

Scholars Week

Evaluating Soil Responses to Three Different Tillage Practices

Luke Burchett, Logan Renfrow, and Cordale Straub

Mentor: Dr. Iin Handayani Ph.D

Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Kentucky, USA

ABSTRACT

Tillage systems can greatly affect soil health by changing its structure, chemistry, and biological activity. This study examined how soil organic carbon (SOC), soil pH, soil moisture, soil organic matter (SOM) responds under three tillage systems: no-till, biannual tillage, and conventional tillage. Soil samples were taken from a 1–7.6 cm depth during September 2025 across three locations. The no-till site was located in Caldwell County, Kentucky, on an irrigated double-crop …

Impact Of Crop Rotation And Species Variation On Soil Quality Indicators, Somasekhar Auduti, Uday Kiran Pittala, Pratibha Adhikari

Scholars Week

Impact of Crop Rotation and Species Variation on Soil Quality Indicators

Pratibha Adhikari, Somasekhar Auduti, Uday Kiran Pittala

Mentor: Dr. Iin P. Handayani, Ph.D.

Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Murray, KY, USA

Designing crop rotations that counter the negative effects of monocropping requires crop choices that build carbon and create stable pore structure. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of crop rotation on selected soil health indicators and to interpret soil health conditions across agricultural fields. Soil samples were collected from West Farm, Murray, KY, from six crop fields—corn, soybean, tobacco, millet, cotton, and …

Assessing Soil Properties Under Pastures Managed For Different Livestock Systems In Western Kentucky, Chandralekha Joga Miss

Scholars Week

Soil health plays a vital role in sustainable agriculture, particularly in pasture-based livestock systems that influence physical and chemical soil properties. This study evaluated the effects of different livestock systems on surface soil characteristics in western Kentucky. Soil samples were collected from September 16 to September 22, 2025. Six fields were selected, representing beef, equine, swine, sheep/goat, poultry, and control (no livestock) systems. Both disturbed and undisturbed samples were collected from one soil depth (0–7.5 cm) to assess physical and chemical properties including bulk density (BD), total porosity, macroporosity, soil water holding capacity (SWHC), soil water at field capacity (SWFC), …

Shaping The Soil: A Comparison Of Equine, Bovine, And Ungrazed Hay Fields, Brody Ellis Higgs, Taylor Madison Wynn, Scottie Craig Berry

Scholars Week

Shaping the Soil: A Comparison of Equine, Bovine, and Ungrazed Hay Fields

Brody Higgs, Taylor Wynn, and Scottie Berry

Mentor: Dr. Iin. P. Handayani, PhD.

Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, USA

ABSTRACT

Kentucky raises grazing species for multiple reasons, including food, recreation, and show. The most common of them are equine and bovine. These animals graze many acres across the state of Kentucky and impact soil properties in their pastures. This study was conducted on three pasturelands across Caldwell and Calloway counties in Kentucky. The pastures consisted of a cow pasture, a horse pasture, and a …

Assessing Soil Quality Indicators In Leguminous And Non-Leguminous Cropping Systems, Kabita Budthapa, Kranthi Vinukonda, Ramya Sree Teeguri

Scholars Week

It is crucial to understand how different cropping systems influence soil health to boost the efficiency of resources and sustainable agricultural outputs. This study examined the effects of leguminous (soybean and pea) and non-leguminous (sunflower and maize) cropping systems on selected soil characteristics. On September 16th, 2025, soil samples (24 disturbed and 24 undisturbed) were collected from the 0-7.5 cm depth of West Farm, Murray, Kentucky. Disturbed samples were analyzed for pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and soil organic carbon (SOC), while undisturbed samples were used to determine bulk density, porosity, soil water holding capacity (SWHC), and soil water field …

Comparative Assessment Of Soil Properties In Cropland And Forested Areas In Western Kentucky, Shiba Hari Dhakal, Abinash Dhungana, Ramson K C

Scholars Week

Soil health is profoundly influenced by its physical and chemical properties. These properties rely on land use systems; consequently, impact on soil functions and agricultural sustainability. The objective of this study was to determine selected physical and chemical properties affected by crop and forest management in Western Kentucky. Two crop and two forested areas with six replications each were selected for this study in September 2025 in Calloway County, Kentucky. A total of 24 disturbed and 24 undisturbed soil samples were collected at 0-7 cm depth. Disturbed samples were analyzed for soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and soil organic …

Evaluating Fungicide Efficacy In One And Two-Pass Fungicide Programs, Carson Buchanan

Scholars Week

Evaluating Fungicide Efficacy in One and Two-Pass Fungicide Programs

Carson Buchanan

Mentors: Dr. Megan Taylor, Dr. Iin Handayani

Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, USA Abstract

Plant diseases continually threaten corn yields year after year. This study compared regionally important corn hybrids in a one-pass and two-pass application system. Eight rows of sixteen hybrids were planted in a field in Bargersville, Indiana. These hybrids consisted mostly of regionally important Dekalb hybrids, along with some competitive Pioneer hybrids. The entire field then got a V8 application of Stratego YLD. The field was then split in half and one half of the field …

A Fine Lady And Excellent Field Botanist: Sister Remberta Westkaemper, O.S.B., Stephen G. Saupe

Biology Faculty Publications

This report provides a brief biography of Sister Remberta and an overview of her botanical activities

Pregnancy Outcomes In Women With Heritable Thoracic Aortic Disease: Data From The Eorp Esc Registry Of Pregnancy And Cardiac Disease (Ropac) Iii, Puck N J Peters, Johanna A Van Der Zande, Julie De Backer, Guillaume Jondeau, Osama Ahmad, Marjorie Richardson, Francesca M Comoglio, Heleen Van Der Zwaan, Siddharth K Prakash, Christina Christersson, Karishma P Ramlakhan, Roger Hall, Mark R Johnson, Jolien W Roos-Hesselink, Ropac Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Aims: The risk of pregnancy in women with heritable thoracic aortic disease (HTAD) is estimated to be high, but supporting data are scarce. The aim of this study is to prospectively investigate pregnancy outcomes to improve patient management and care.

Methods and results: The Registry of Pregnancy and Cardiac disease (ROPAC) III is a prospective global registry including pregnant women with known aortic pathology between 2018 and 2023. Cardiac, obstetric and fetal outcomes, beta-blocker use, and the impact of breastfeeding were investigated. Additionally, changes in aortic diameters were assessed. In total, 176 pregnancies in 170 women (mean age 32 years, …

Effects Of Combining Traditional East Asian And Conventional Western Medicine On Acute Stroke Outcomes, Dong-Seok Gwak, Jong-Sik Lee, Dawid Schellingerhout, Jinyong Chung, Hyerin Oh, Sang-Wuk Jeong, Ji Sung Lee, Hee-Joon Bae, Mikyung Kim, Dong-Jun Choi, Dong-Eog Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Traditional East Asian medicine (TM) is widely used in Korea and other East Asian countries. However, the effects of TM treatment on acute ischemic stroke (AIS) outcomes remain unclear, as previous studies lacked a sufficient sample size, a consecutive series design, or a prospective outcome capture approach. We aimed to investigate whether combining TM with conventional Western medicine (CM) treatments (C+TM) leads to better outcomes after AIS, relative to CM treatment alone.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 2157 consecutive patients with AIS from a prospectively collected registry (2011-2021) at our center and compared the CM and C+TM groups in terms …

Therapeutic Potential Of Prmt1 As A Critical Survival Dependency Target In Multiple Myeloma, Tabish Hussain, Sharad Awasthi, Farid Shahid, S Stephen Yi, Nidhi Sahni, C Marcelo Aldaz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a neoplasm of antibody-producing plasma cells and is the second most prevalent hematological malignancy worldwide. Development of drug resistance and disease relapse significantly impede the success of MM treatment, highlighting the critical need to discover novel therapeutic targets. In a custom CRISPR/Cas9 screen targeting 197 DNA damage response-related genes, Protein Arginine N-Methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) emerged as a top hit, revealing it as a potential therapeutic vulnerability and survival dependency in MM cells. PRMT1, a major Type I PRMT enzyme, catalyzes the asymmetric transfer of methyl groups to arginine residues, influencing gene transcription and protein function through …

Serum Response Factor Is Essential For Endometrial Function And Prevention Of Inflammatory Fibrosis, Ryan M Marquardt, Sara A Grimm, San-Pin Wu, Peter F Lais, Shu-Yun Li, Xin Xu, Erin Smithberger, David Cunefare, Charan Ganta, David Olson, Eunhee M Jeong, Jae-Wook Jeong, Bruce A Lessey, John P Lydon, Francesco J Demayo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Pregnancy requires a supportive uterine environment facilitated by steroid hormone–regulated differentiation of endometrial stromal fibroblasts into decidual cells and tight control of inflammation. Serum response factor (SRF) is a widely expressed transcription factor essential for mesenchymal cell growth and differentiation with noted roles in hormonal regulation of muscle tissues but little characterization in reproductive organs. Here, we reveal that endometrial SRF is dysregulated in human endometriosis and is critical for female reproductive success in mice through regulation of endometrial stromal and epithelial cells. Immunohistochemical analysis identified decreased endometrial SRF expression in infertile endometriosis patient tissues. RNAi-based SRF knockdown in human …

Disparate Leukemia Mutations Converge On Nuclear Phase-Separated Condensates, Gandhar K Datar, Elmira Khabusheva, Archish Anand, Joshua Beale, Marwa Sadek, Chun-Wei Chen, Evdokiia Potolitsyna, Nayara Alcantara-Contessoto, Guangyuan Liu, Josephine De La Fuente, Christina Dollinger, Anna Guzman, Alejandra Martell, Katharina Wohlan, Abhishek Maiti, Nicholas J Short, S Stephen Yi, Vibeke Andresen, Bjørn Tore Gjertsen, Brunangelo Falini, Rachel E Rau, Lorenzo Brunetti, Nidhi Sahni, Margaret A Goodell, Joshua A Riback

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

During cancer development, mutations promote changes in gene expression that cause transformation. Leukemia associated with aberrant HOXA expression is driven by translocations of nucleoporin genes or KMT2A as well as mutations in NPM1. The mechanistic convergence of these disparate mutations remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that mutant nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1c) forms nuclear condensates in human cell lines, mouse models, and primary patient samples. We show NPM1c phase separation is necessary and sufficient to recruit NUP98 and KMT2A to condensates. Through extensive mutagenesis and pharmacological destabilization of phase separation, we find that NPM1c condensates are necessary for regulating gene expression, promoting …

Improving Coral Restoration Outcomes Through Novel Molecular Applications, Matthew H. Gamache

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coral reef ecosystems are declining globally from numerous stressors, including localized pollution, disease, and marine heatwaves induced by climate change. To preserve these ecosystems, it is critical to identify corals that can withstand stressors—primarily future marine heatwaves—and prioritize them for coral restoration efforts until these stressors are mitigated. Coral responses to thermal stress can be influenced by several partners, including mutualistic microalgae and a vast prokaryotic community. Here, I use advanced molecular techniques to examine which partners (coral host, algal symbiont, and microbial communities) are associated with coral health, how they contribute to holobiont physiology, and their potential to increase …

Two-Year Skeletal Adaptations In Development And National Level Female Figure Skaters, Chelsea Wong, Leigh Gabel, Erik Groves, Kelly Quipp, Steven Boyd, Lauren Burt

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(3): 1297-1309, 2025. https://doi.org/10.70252/ZSKN7069 Figure skaters typically have higher bone mineral density (BMD) than the general population. However, the current literature is limited to cross-sectional studies. The objective of this study was to determine two-year changes in volumetric BMD, bone microarchitecture, and estimated bone strength in elite national and development level Canadian figure skaters. Eleven female figure skaters aged 14+ years were recruited for this longitudinal study. Measurements occurred annually. High-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) scans of the radius and tibia underwent three-dimensional image registration. Total (Tt), cortical (Ct) and trabecular (Tb) volumetric BMD …

Deforestation Affecting Developing Nations, Nicole Villa

Sustainability Conference

Deforestation continues to be a growing problem around the globe, while it is affecting wildlife what can be overlooked is the challenges it’s creating for the livelihood of nations. This goes beyond losing the biodiversity of our ecosystems but social consequences with the scarcity of water in Malawi, rise in health risks in Democratic Republic of Congo and negative effects of agricultural expansion in Belize. Overall social conflict in these areas that are suffering to grow. Furthermore, I aim to cover the major challenges previously mentioned followed by counteracts of deforestation including action plan in Brazil, efforts of other countries …