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Unveiling The Biochemical Pathway Responsible For Ankyloglossia (Tongue-Tie) By Tracking Enzymatic Activity Of Apoptosis Pathways, Becca Ringstad

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Ankyloglossia (Tongue-tie) is a condition that is caused by failed cellular degeneration leading to a short lingual frenulum. This short lingual frenulum tethers the tongue to the bottom palate of the mouth and leads to problems, including breastfeeding for infants, depriving them of important proteins that build the gut microbiome, strengthen the immune system, and fight off antigens. If left untreated, it leads to problems with speech articulation, airway development, and obstructive sleep apnea. Treatment involves a frenectomy, which is the release of the short lingual frenulum using surgical scissors or a laser. Ankyloglossia can occur with conditions such as …

Lipid Deposition In Beef Cattle, Kyra L. Elliott

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Both the amount and types of lipid deposition in beef cattle are key determinants of carcass value and meat quality. Amounts of intramuscular, subcutaneous, and visceral fat influence carcass grading outcomes, palatability, and composition traits that are important to beef producers as well as consumers. The objectives of this thesis were to: 1) compare beef grading camera estimates of intramuscular fat to amounts of chemically extractable lipid, 2) characterize the lipidomes of beef intramuscular fat, subcutaneous fat, and lean muscle using shotgun lipidomics, and 3) identify and characterize a novel genetic variant in cattle that may have important implications for …

Factors Affecting The Efficacy Of Free Choice Vitamin & Mineral Supplementation Programs, Tanner K. Wansing

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While free choice vitamin and mineral supplements are widely used within the cow/calf sector, large knowledge gaps exist around the proper management of those supplements. This thesis discusses two factors affecting the efficacy of supplementation. The first interest was the stability of vitamin A when stored with a common free choice mineral supplement. This research addressed a critical data gap by generating information on vitamin A stability within the beef industry, as current data are predominantly based in the swine industry. Vitamin A was discovered to be stable until 4 months of storage regardless of storage conditions, whereas after 4 …

Cytoplasmic Shift Of Interferon Regulatory Factors Co‐Evolved With Jawed Vertebrate Innate Immunity, Vanessa M. Hubing

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The emergence of jaws in early vertebrates introduced a novel feeding apparatus and powerful oral defenses, but it also increased the risk of physical injury and pathogen exposure. Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) play critical roles in orches-trating innate immunity and inflammation in response to invading microbes and tissue damage, with their subcellular local-ization being essential to some IRFs' function. Our results indicate that IRF members underwent independent expansion and diversification in two distinct vertebrate lineages: jawed and jawless vertebrates. The jawed vertebrate-specific factor, IRF5, has maintained conserved nuclear export sequences throughout evolution, while newly diversified IRF members in jawed verte-brates …

Long-Term Stimulant Use Is Associated With Normalized White Matter Integrity In The Vta-Nacc Pathway In Adolescents, Isaac T. Arsenault

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Medical practitioners are diagnosing Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at a high and ever-increasing rate. The use of stimulant medication to treat ADHD is also increasing and is associated with changes in the brain. Past research found that children with ADHD have lower volume in reward neurocircuitry, such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Research has also found that stimulant usage in those with ADHD might “normalize” the reward circuits. However, few longitudinal studies have directly tested the long-term effects of stimulant medication on brain development. Here we tested whether long-term stimulant use is associated with changes …

Leveraging Historic Collections: Investigating Morphometric Differentiation In Members Of The Arisaema Triphyllum (L.) Schott (Araceae) Species Complex, Morgan Bradley Russell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum (L.) Schott) is an herbaceous perennial herb of North America, and its taxonomic history is full of confusion and rank shifts. Now split into six species, the A. triphyllum species complex consists of morphologically similar taxa that have differing ploidy levels. In Chapter I, I compiled a detailed introduction and history for these taxa, focusing on their taxonomic complexity and morphological ambiguity in herbarium specimens and immature plants. I also presented their ploidy distinctions and how the implications of polyploidy may hold answers to parsing them apart, especially in dried herbarium specimens where defining characteristics are …

Population Structure And Connectivity Of Atlantic Nurse Sharks (Ginglymostoma Cirratum) In The Bahamas And Outlying Areas, Baylie A. Fadool

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding animal ecosystem dynamics and behavior at the individual and population levels is essential for identifying life-history patterns and important areas for management and conservation. Marine fish species often face minimal geographic barriers to movement, but environmental (temperature, salinity, current) or intrinsic barriers (philopatry, site fidelity) can dictate gene flow. Atlantic nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) are an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed ‘vulnerable’ species and present a unique opportunity to investigate patterns of population structure and connectivity in large-bodied sharks. They are benthic and display reproductive philopatry, with recent work suggesting they have the capacity …

Reversible, Light-Controlled Inhibition Of Stim1-Mediated Calcium Signaling Using Photoswitchable Ml-9 Derivatives In Jurkat-Lucia Nfat Reporter T Cells, José L. Matute Gálvez

Honors Scholar Theses

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) through calcium release-activated

calcium (CRAC) channels is the dominant pathway for sustained Ca2+ influx in

non-excitable cells and is essential for T cell activation, driving downstream

signaling through the calcineurin-NFAT transcriptional axis. Dysregulation of

SOCE produces multi-systemic disease phenotypes, establishing that precise,

spatiotemporally controlled modulation of this pathway is a fundamental

therapeutic requirement. ML-9 is one of the only characterized small molecules

capable of targeting SOCE upstream at the level of STIM1 localization, but lacks

the selectivity, pharmacokinetic properties, and spatiotemporal control necessary

for therapeutic development.

This work describes the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of …

Phenotypic Contribution And Regulation Of Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Cold-Shock Protein Homologue Vp1889, Oleg Borisovich Ermolinsky

Theses and Dissertations

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the primary causative agent of a form of gastroenteritis called vibriosis commonly acquired from ingestion of raw and undercooked seafood. The primary mitigation of seafood-borne illnesses is immediate storage on ice following catch, which inhibits bacterial metabolism and replication. Mesophilic bacteria such as V. parahaemolyticus induce expression of cold-shock proteins in a process named the cold shock response, which facilitates survival at low temperatures. V. parahaemolyticus bears 3 homologues of the major Escherichia coli cold-shock protein CspA, an RNA chaperone. Induction of E. coli CspA at low temperatures depends on autogenous modulation by its mRNA structure, which …

Identification Of Peptides For A Muc13 Cancer Vaccine, Abigail Olivia Gomez

Theses and Dissertations

Mucin 13 (MUC13) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is frequently overexpressed in epithelial cancers. Its extracellular domains and cytoplasmic signaling potential contribute to disrupted cell adhesion, increased invasion, and cancer-promoting pathways, making MUC13 a promising target for immunotherapy. This project used an in-silico approach to identify MUC13-derived peptides predicted to bind HLA class I molecules and support CD8+ T cell-mediated immune responses. Bioinformatics tools were used to screen candidate epitopes for HLA binding affinity, antigenicity, toxicity, IFN-γ-inducing potential, and population coverage, allowing rational prioritization of peptide candidates for experimentation. Selected peptides were evaluated in THP-1-derived macrophages using RT-PCR, Western blotting, …

Effects Of Mineral Supplementation On Ovine Performance, Forage Selectivity, And Rangeland Utilization In Southern Utah, Ryan A. Spurling

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Sheep producers in the Intermountain West region of the US rely on productive rangeland ecosystems that vary widely in forage composition and nutrient availability. As such, supplementation is often necessary to offset dietary deficiencies. Soils and forages grown on rangelands are known to be highly variable in mineral content. Even so, a third to half of the producers in the Intermountain West choose not to provide a complete mineral supplement. Rangeland environments are often characterized by rugged geographical features that make optimal supplement placement difficult. New advances in technology have allowed us to measure individual animal intake on rangelands via …

Wrky Transcription Factors: Integral Regulators Of Defence Responses To Biotic Stress In Crops, Dongjiao Wang, Ruize Zhang, Wenhui Zou, Yuanyuan Zhang, Wanying Zhao, Tingting Sun, Qibin Wu, Zheng Qing Fu, Youxiong Que

Faculty Publications

Crops are continually challenged by biotic stresses, including fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens and insect pests, which cause substantial yield and quality losses worldwide. WRKY transcription factors constitute a plant-specific and functionally diverse family that is central to immune regulation. Recent advances in genomic resources and multi-omics approaches have accelerated the identification and functional characterisation of WRKYs in crops. This review summarises the structural features and classification of WRKY genes and their genome-wide distribution across crop species. It also synthesises WRKY-centred regulatory modules that mediate resistance to major classes of biotic stress. In antifungal defence, WRKYs reinforce pattern- and effector-triggered …

Targeting Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis Through Novel Combination Of Fda-Approved Orally Active Blood-Brain Barrier Permeable Ret And Tgli1 Inhibitors, Joshua Cha

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in American women, and breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) exhibits the worst prognoses with a life-expectancy averaging at 6 months. This short life expectancy is largely attributed to the lack of effective treatment. Many challenges remain unsolved, including the limited number of actionable targets for targeted therapy and effective blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeable drugs that are safe without promoting drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent call for identification of novel therapeutic targets and development of BBB-permeable drugs. One of the potential targets identified by our lab for BCBM targeted therapy is the …

From Antigen Presentation To Tumor Control: Mechanisms Of Type I Conventional Dendritic Cell-Based Cancer Vaccines, Josue E. Pineda

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) are important for generating and sustaining antitumor immunity. Accordingly, the abundance of cDC1s in human tumors correlates with improved outcomes in cancer. Capitalizing on this role, we previously demonstrated that vaccination with in vitro-derived murine cDC1s elicits durable tumor control in multiple preclinical models; however, the immunological mechanisms underlying the efficacy of cDC1 vaccination remain unclear. Here, we examined whether in vitro-derived cDC1s resemble tumor-infiltrating DC populations and whether MHC-I and MHC-II antigen presentation contribute to cDC1-mediated tumor control following vaccination in melanoma.

As expected, MHC-I- or MHC-II-deficiency had minimal impact on …

Platelet Gαz Regulates Ovarian Tumor Growth And Mediates The Effects Of Chronic Stress, María G. Torres Carrizalez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Ovarian cancer is the most aggressive gynecologic cancer, with 12,450 estimated deaths in 2026. Elevated platelet counts are commonly observed in patients with ovarian cancer and are associated with enhanced tumor growth and poor prognosis. Patients with ovarian cancer are frequently exposed to elevated levels of stress, which has been correlated with accelerated disease progression and increased mortality. Interestingly, the platelet Gαz protein is activated by epinephrine through the α2A-adrenergic receptor, suggesting a potential mechanistic link between stress signaling and platelet-driven tumor progression. To investigate this, I evaluated the role of platelet Gαz in ovarian cancer using control (Gz^{fl/fl …}

Abnormal Trafficking And Processing Of Multiple Matrix Metalloproteinases Drive Cartilage Defects In Congenital Disorders Of Glycosylation, Chia-Lun Wu

All Dissertations

Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG) are rare metabolic diseases caused by defects in glycosylation. Despite identification of over 200 CDG types, the mechanisms linking glycosylation defects to diverse clinical phenotypes remain unclear. This dissertation uses zebrafish models of PMM2-CDG and STT3-CDG to redefine CDG pathogenesis, shifting from a simple glycan deficiency model to one involving disrupted cellular spatial organization.

We identify a protease-dependent pathway underlying craniofacial cartilage defects. Specifically, defective proteolytic processing of N-cadherin, a key adhesion molecule in chondrogenesis, is a central driver of pathology. We further uncover an unconventional trafficking mechanism in which ER stress and altered secretory …

Feeding Ecology In Coastal Systems, Randi L. Cannon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are critical foundation species in estuaries, providing numerous ecological and economic benefits. However, oyster populations have diminished worldwide. Effective oyster restoration and aquaculture require a mechanistic understanding of the physiological and environmental factors that govern oyster feeding, growth, and resilience under changing coastal conditions. We investigated how oyster ploidy and environmental conditions influenced oyster feeding and investigated how changes in abiotic conditions affected behavioral performance of oyster drills (Stramonita spp.), a key oyster predator. To better understand feeding responses and behaviors of both predator and prey we 1) used in-situ filter feeding assays to determine if feeding …

Assessing The Use Of Exon-Skipping Morpholino Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeting The Different Sumo Paralogs As Enhancers Of The Antitumor Activity Of Chemotherapeutic Agents, Andrea Teresa Garcia-Morin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are critical regulators of protein function, stability, and localization, with SUMOylation emerging as a key modulator of cellular stress response and survival in cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is characterized by heightened dependence on SUMOylation to sustain pro-survival signaling, DNA repair, and resistance to chemotherapy. This dissertation investigates a novel chemosensitization strategy based on the splice-switching of SUMO transcripts in NSCLC cells using exon-skipping morpholinos (ESMs), which redirect splicing toward non-conjugatable SUMO alpha isoforms, thereby reducing global SUMOylation. We hypothesized that decreasing global SUMOylation through forced alternative splicing of SUMO transcripts would impair the stress-protective functions …

Application Of Path Analysis To Determine The Impact Of Age And Sex On The Neural Circuits That Promote Nicotine Withdrawal Severity, Veronika Espinoza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The rising prevalence of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use presents a major public health concern, particularly in adolescent females who are most susceptible to nicotine use and its long-term negative health consequences. The goal of this dissertation was to utilize preclinical rodent models to understand how group differences in age and sex influence neural activation patterns in brain circuits believed to promote nicotine withdrawal. Prior pre-clinical work, conducted largely in male rodents, has established that there are two major brain pathways that modulate the behavioral effects of nicotine withdrawal. These include the mesolimbic and medial habenula-interpeduncular nucleus (MHb-IPN) pathways. To assess …

Salience Network Circuit Dynamics In Distress Tolerance And Drug-Seeking Vulnerability, Marina Alicia Smoak

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The psychological distress experienced during drug withdrawal can lead individuals with substance use disorder to abandon their goal of abstinence. Numerous human studies demonstrate that an inability to persist in challenging, goal-directed behavior while experiencing psychological distress is associated with multiple stages of substance use, including relapse. This behavioral construct is referred to as low distress tolerance (DT). Rodent models of DT similarly show that low DT predicts elevated cocaine relapse, particularly when DT is assessed following extended abstinence. This abstinence period corresponds with the incubation of craving, a phenomenon characterized by progressively increased cocaine-seeking over time. Importantly, relapse vulnerability …

Characterization Of The Antiviral Activity Of Mouse Schlafen Proteins, Wendy Paola Alvarez Leal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The goal of this work was to characterize the anti-viral role of mouse Schlafen8 and Schlafen9. Expression of these proteins is induced by type I interferon in response to viral infections. Importantly, their human functional orthologs exhibit anti-viral functions, and the structural element required for these activities are conserved in Schlafen8 and Schlafen9. Therefore, it is expected that these proteins will also impair viral replication. An important limitation in this field is that the anti-viral function of human SLFNs has been evidenced only in in vitro cellular models. No informative mutations have been described in human populations so far. Thus, …

Nadh Flim Reveals Cellular Bioenergetics And Mitochondrial Morphology During Drosophila Convergent Extension, Maria Espana Pena

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that can fragment or fuse to support different bioenergetic demands and cellular processes, although the role of mitochondrial fission and fusion during embryonic development is not well understood. Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) of the mitochondrial cofactor NADH can be used to visualize mitochondrial networks and infer aspects of cellular bioenergetics in a label-free manner. We used NADH FLIM to test whether germband cells undergo changes in cellular metabolism during Drosophila convergent extension (CE)––a process in which hundreds of epithelial cells undergo coordinated intercalation to elongate the embryo. Contrary to our expectations, we did not observe significant …

Redeveloping Mississippi: A Case Study On Brownfields In Central & Southern Mississippi, Sahrah R. Yeroozedek

Master's Theses

Brownfields, or properties that are or possibly are contaminated with dangerous materials, represent a common obstacle for communities in Mississippi. The real or potential presence of contaminants at these sites often deters investors due to costly cleanup requirements (EPA, n.d. -b). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Brownfield Revitalization Program, implemented guidelines for covering the costs and labor associated with the remediation of these properties. The EPA is not, however, responsible for redevelopment that supports long-term environmental and economic sustainability. Although the EPA maintains inventories of all Brownfields, there is also no comprehensive database of Brownfields and their current …

Analyzing The Effects Of Message Testing On The Public's Opinion About Gene Editing In Agriculture And Medicine, Luke Sanford Wimpy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper will present results from the final survey of a multi-stage project examining factors that influence opinions about gene editing in agriculture and medicine. In this final survey, 3,200 U.S. respondents were recruited and randomized to view one of eight videos that communicated the safety of gene editing to determine which factors are most influential in changing opinions. The eight videos were designed based on data collected from focus groups and three previous surveys in this multi-stage project. The eight videos varied by three attributes: messenger, message, and application. The messenger in the videos was either a researcher or …

Arkansas Soybean Research Studies 2024, Jeremy Ross

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The 2024 Arkansas Soybean Research Studies includes research reports on topics pertaining to soybean across several disciplines from breeding to post-harvest processing. Research reports contained in this publication may represent preliminary or only data from a single year or limited results; therefore, these results should not be used as a basis for long-term recommendations. Several research reports in this publication will appear in other University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station publications. This duplication is the result of the overlap in research coverage between disciplines and our effort to inform Arkansas soybean producers of the research being …

Microplastic Composition And Exposure Pathways In Freshwater Systems: A Multi-Matrix Comparison Between Streams And Retention Ponds In Hamilton County, In, Mya Whaley

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the early 1900s, the use of plastics has increased exponentially. The breakdown of plastic materials has exposed all ecosystems to microplastics (small particles of plastic < 5 mm), which are now ubiquitous in natural settings. Microplastics have a relatively large surface area, and many chemicals adsorb to these small particles, impacting their fate and transport of pollution. While microplastics have been found in virtually every setting on Earth, research is necessary to understand their impact on freshwater ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles. The focus of this research was to investigate microplastic compositions in crayfish, sediments, and water samples collected in streams and retention ponds. We analyzed trends in microplastic counts across different land-cover classes, waterbody types, and species, and compared concentrations among matrices to improve our understanding of microplastic exposure pathways in freshwater ecosystems. As a secondary objective, lead and arsenic concentrations were analyzed from sediment samples to investigate metal burdens and compare them to microplastic concentrations. Our findings revealed that, in general, urban streams had the highest microplastic concentrations within land cover categories, and retention ponds had higher microplastic counts than streams. Crayfish, such as F. rusticus had higher microplastic concentrations than F. virilis and F. propinquus, although these results may be influenced by study design. The most common microplastic type was fibers, and most common color was transparent. There was no significant correlation between microplastic and metal concentrations in sediments. We found crayfish to be adequate bioindicators of microplastic pollution, because they were less impacted by environmental variability than sediment and water samples. This research presents the first evidence of microplastics in our study species, F. propinquus, F. rusticus, and F. virlis. This work presents new evidence of microplastic accumulation in crayfish, sediments, and water from freshwater systems in the Midwestern United States. Microplastics were found in every sample type—crayfish, water, and sediment—across urban, rural, and forested landscapes, highlighting their pervasive distribution. The findings provide foundational data for assessing emerging ecological and human-health risks and emphasize the importance of sustained monitoring and research on MP contamination in freshwater environments.

Disruption Of Energy Homeostasis By Chemical Mixtures Containing Persistent Pollutants In Hepg2 And C2c12 Cells, Morgan Jacobellis

All Theses

The Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Fetal Growth Studies (ECHO-FGS) birth cohort data was used to identify chemical mixtures associated with adverse outcomes. This biomonitoring study associated specific chemical mixtures in maternal serum with low birth weight or childhood obesity (Pearce et al., 2021). Mixture Profiles 1, 3, and 4, comprised of different observed concentrations of DDE, PCB153, BDE47, and PFOS were prioritized. Mixtures were tested to determine whether they perturbed mitochondrial metabolism and energy sensing pathways. The purpose of this study was to elucidate a potential mechanism linking maternal exposure to mixtures containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to …

An Investigation Of Entamoeba Histolytica Chitin Synthases And Other Encystation Factors In Early Encystation, John N. Talledo

All Theses

Entamoeba histolytica is a food-and-water-borne human protozoan pathogen that relies on a two-stage life cycle for successful proliferation outside of the host. E. histolytica exists in its dormant cyst form while outside of its host and converts to the motile trophozoite (amoeba) form in the small intestine. The trophozoites colonize the large intestine to cause symptomatic disease in ~10% of infections, resulting in ~100 million cases of amoebic dysentery each year. Trophozoites can convert back to the cyst form, which is shed in feces to continue the infection cycle.

Currently, there is a lack of understanding of the exact molecular …

Investigating The Ability Of Foxo1 To Maintain Stem Cells, Stella Aime Rios

Theses and Dissertations

Forkhead box O (Foxo) transcription factors are key regulators of stem cell identity and tumor aggressiveness. Prior work from our group and others demonstrates that Foxo factors maintain stem-like states across diverse biological systems; however, the mechanisms by which Foxo1 suppresses differentiation remain poorly defined.

Using C2C12 myoblasts as a model, we investigated whether Foxo1 preserves stem-like programs through regulation of the nuclear pore protein Nup210. RNA interference was used to generate Foxo1 knockdown cells, followed by qRT-PCR, RNA-sequencing, and fluorescence microscopy. Transcriptomic analysis revealed widespread gene expression changes involving metabolic, mitochondrial, and transcriptional pathways. Notably, Nup210 expression was significantly …

Advancing Targeted Food Allergen Detection: Extraction Optimization And Sample Preparation Method Comparison Using Lc-Ms/Ms, Zhenhao Wang

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Accurate quantification of food allergens in processed foods by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) requires effective protein extraction and sample cleanup. However, no single sample preparation workflow has shown consistent performance across diverse food matrices. This study evaluated extraction buffer formulations and post-extraction cleanup strategies for quantification of milk, soy, and peanut allergens in multiple processed food matrices.

Six extraction buffers with varying combinations of SDS, urea, and thiourea alongside a common Tris-HCl/DTT/PVPP base were evaluated across five food matrices. No significant differences in extraction efficiency were observed among buffer formulations for nonfat dry milk (NFDM), non-roasted soy flour, peanut …