Digital Commons Network^™

A New Species Of Sphaerowithius (Pseudoscorpiones, Withiidae) From Namibia, Mark S. Harvey, V. Menhert

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A new species of Sphaerowithius Mahnert, 1988, S. ansieae sp. n., is described from specimens collected in caves in northern Namibia. The specimens show some slight modifications to an obligate cavernicolous existence including small eyes and long, slender pedipalps.

Postmitotic Expression Of Sod1g93a Gene Affects The Identity Of Myogenic Cells And Inhibits Myoblasts Differentiation, M. Martini, G. Dobrowolny, M. Aucello, Antonio Musaro

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

To determine the role of mutant SOD1 gene (SOD1G93A) on muscle cell differentiation, we derived C2C12 muscle cell lines carrying a stably transfected SOD1G93A gene under the control of a myosin light chain (MLC) promoter-enhancer cassette. Expression of MLC/SOD1G93A in C2C12 cells resulted in dramatic inhibition of myoblast differentiation. Transfected SOD1G93A gene expression in postmitotic skeletal myocytes downregulated the expression of relevant markers of committed and differentiated myoblasts such as MyoD, Myogenin, MRF4, and the muscle specific miRNA expression. The inhibitory effects of SOD1G93A gene on myogenic program perturbed Akt/p70 and MAPK signaling pathways which promote differentiation cascade. Of note, …

A Preliminary Investigation Into The Relationship Between Functional Movement Screen Scores And Athletic Physical Performance In Female Team Sport Athletes, R.G. Lockie, A.B. Schultz, Samuel J. Callaghan, C.A. Jordan, T.M. Luczo, M.D. Jeffriess

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

There is little research investigating relationships between the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and athletic performance in female athletes. This study analyzed the relationships between FMS (deep squat; hurdle step [HS]; in-line lunge [ILL]; shoulder mobility; active straight-leg raise [ASLR]; trunk stability push-up; rotary stability) scores, and performance tests (bilateral and unilateral sit-and-reach [flexibility]; 20-m sprint [linear speed]; 505 with turns from each leg; modified T-test with movement to left and right [change-of-direction speed]; bilateral and unilateral vertical and standing broad jumps; lateral jumps [leg power]). Nine healthy female recreational team sport athletes (age = 22.67 ± 5.12 years; height = …

The Effect Of Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation On Brain Structure And Cognition In Huntington's Disease: An Exploratory Study, Travis M. Cruickshank, Jennifer A. Thompson, Juan F. Dominguez D, Alvaro P. Reyes, Mike Bynevelt, Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis, Roger A. Barker, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: There is a wealth of evidence detailing gray matter degeneration and loss of cognitive function over time in individuals with Huntington's disease (HD). Efforts to attenuate disease-related brain and cognitive changes have been unsuccessful to date. Multidisciplinary rehabilitation, comprising motor and cognitive intervention, has been shown to positively impact on functional capacity, depression, quality of life and some aspects of cognition in individuals with HD. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate, for the first time, whether multidisciplinary rehabilitation can slow further deterioration of disease-related brain changes and related cognitive deficits in individuals with manifest HD. Methods: Fifteen participants who …

Deep Convolutional Neural Networks For Annotating Gene Expression Patterns In The Mouse Brain, Tao Zeng, Rongjian Li, Ravi Mukkamala, Jieping Ye, Shuiwang Ji

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Background: Profiling gene expression in brain structures at various spatial and temporal scales is essential to understanding how genes regulate the development of brain structures. The Allen Developing Mouse Brain Atlas provides high-resolution 3-D in situ hybridization (ISH) gene expression patterns in multiple developing stages of the mouse brain. Currently, the ISH images are annotated with anatomical terms manually. In this paper, we propose a computational approach to annotate gene expression pattern images in the mouse brain at various structural levels over the course of development.

Results: We applied deep convolutional neural network that was trained on a large set …

Altitude Exposure At 1800 M Increases Haemoglobin Mass In Distance Runners, Laura A. Gravican-Lewis, Iona Halliday, Chris R. Abbiss, Philo U. Saunders, Christopher P.J. Gore

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The influence of low natural altitudes (< 2000 m) on erythropoietic adaptation is currently unclear, with current recommendations indicating that such low altitudes may be insufficient to stimulate significant increases in haemoglobin mass (Hb_mass). As such, the purpose of this study was to determine the influence of 3 weeks of live high, train high exposure (LHTH) at low natural altitude (i.e. 1800 m) on Hb_mass, red blood cell count and iron profile. A total of 16 elite or well-trained runners were assigned into either a LHTH (n = 8) or CONTROL (n = 8) group. Venous blood samples were drawn prior to, at 2 weeks and at 3 weeks following exposure. Hb_mass was measured in duplicate prior to exposure and at 2 …

A New Qualitative Typology To Classify Treading Water Movement Patterns, Christophe Schnitzler, Chris Button, James L. Croft, Ludovic Seifert

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study proposes a new qualitative typology that can be used to classify learners treading water into different skill-based categories. To establish the typology, 38 participants were videotaped while treading water and their movement patterns were qualitatively analyzed by two experienced biomechanists. 13 sport science students were then asked to classify eight of the original participants after watching a brief tutorial video about how to use the typology. To examine intra-rater consistency, each participant was presented in a random order three times. Generalizability (G) and Decision (D) studies were performed to estimate the importance variance due to rater, occasion, video …

The Ph Sensing Properties Of Rf Sputtered Ruo2 Thin-Film Prepared Using Different Ar/O2 Flow Ratio, Ali Sardarinejad, Devendra Kumar Maurya, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The influence of the Ar/O₂ gas ratio during radio frequency (RF) sputtering of the RuO₂ sensing electrode on the pH sensing performance is investigated. The developed pH sensor consists in an RF sputtered ruthenium oxide thin-film sensing electrode, in conjunction with an electroplated Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The performance and characterization of the developed pH sensors in terms of sensitivity, response time, stability, reversibility, and hysteresis are investigated. Experimental results show that the pH sensor exhibits super-Nernstian slopes in the range of 64.33-73.83 mV/pH for Ar/O₂ gas ratio between 10/0-7/3. In particular, the best pH sensing performance, in …

Amyloid-Related Memory Decline In Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease In Dependent On Apoe Ε4 And Is Detectable Over 18-Months, Christine Thai, Yen Ying Lim, Victor L. Villemagne, Simon Laws, David Ames, Kathryn A. Ellis, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Ralph Martins, Colin L. Masters, Christopher C. Rowe, Paul Maruff, Australian Imaging, Biomarkers And Lifestyle (Aibl) Research Group

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

High levels of β-amyloid (Aβ) in the brain and carriage of the APOE ε4 allele have each been linked to cognitive impairment in cognitively normal (CN) older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cerebral Aβ level, APOE ε4 carrier status, and cognitive decline over 18 monthes, in 317 cognitively healthy (CN) older adults (47% males, 52.4% females) aged between 60 and 89 years (Mean = 69.9, SC = 6.8). Cognition was assessed using the Cogstate Brief Battery (CBB) and the California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT-II). Planned comparisons indicated that CN older adults …

Association Of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Associates With Decreased Immunosuppressive Potential Of The Igg Glycome, Franco Vukovic, Jasminka Krištić, Ivan Gudelj, Maria Teruel, Toma Keser, Marija Pezer, Maja Pučić-Baković, Jerko Štambuk, Irena Trbojević-Akmačić, Clara Barrios, Tamara Pavić, Cristina Menni, Youxin Wang, Yong Zhou, Liufu Cui, Haicheng Song, Qiang Zeng, Xiuhua Guo, Bernardo A. Pons-Estel, Paul Mckeigue, Alan Leslie Patrick, Olga Gornik, Tim D. Spector, Miroslav Harjaček, Marta Alarcon-Riquelme, Miriam Molokhia, Wei Wang, Gordan Lauc

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: Glycans attached to the Fc portion of IgG are important modulators of IgG effector functions. Interindividual differences in IgG glycome composition are large and they associate strongly with different inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. IKZF1, HLA–DQ2A/B, and BACH2 genetic loci that affect IgG glycome composition show pleiotropy with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), indicating a potentially causative role of aberrant IgG glycosylation in SLE. We undertook this large multicenter case–control study to determine whether SLE is associated with altered IgG glycosylation. Methods: Using ultra-performance liquid chromatography analysis of released glycans, we analyzed the composition of the IgG glycome in 261 SLE …

Butyrylated Starch Intake Can Prevent Red Meat-Induced O6-Methyl-2-Deoxyguanosine Adducts In Human Rectal Tissue: A Randomised Clinical Trial, Richard K. Le Leu, Jean M. Winter, Claus T. Christophersen, Graeme P. Young, Karen J. Humphreys, Ying Hu, Silvia W. Gratz, Rosalind B. Miller, David L. Topping, Anthony R. Bird, Michael A. Conlon

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Epidemiological studies have identified increased colorectal cancer (CRC) risk with high red meat (HRM) intakes, whereas dietary fibre intake appears to be protective. In the present study, we examined whether a HRM diet increased rectal O⁶-methyl-2-deoxyguanosine (O⁶MeG) adduct levels in healthy human subjects, and whether butyrylated high-amylose maize starch (HAMSB) was protective. A group of twenty-three individuals consumed 300 g/d of cooked red meat without (HRM diet) or with 40 g/d of HAMSB (HRM+HAMSB diet) over 4-week periods separated by a 4-week washout in a randomised cross-over design. Stool and rectal biopsy samples were collected for …

Inflamation And Oxidative Stress : The Molecular Connectivity Between Insulin Resistance, Obesity And Alzheimer's Disease, Guiseppe Verdile, Kevin N. Keane, Vinicius F. Cruzat, Sandra Medic, Miheer Sabale, Joanne Rowles, Nadeeja Wijesekara, Ralph Martins, Paul E. Fraser, Philip Newsholme

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Type 2 diabetes (T 2 DM), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and insulin resistance are age-related conditions and increased prevalence is of public concern. Recent research has provided evidence that insulin resistance and impaired insulin signalling may be a contributory factor to the progression of diabetes, dementia, and other neurological disorders. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common subtype of dementia. Reduced release (for T 2 DM) and decreased action of insulin are central to the development and progression of both T 2 DM and AD. A literature search was conducted to identify molecular commonalities between obesity, diabetes, and AD. Insulin resistance …

Relationships Between Lower-Body Muscle Structure And, Lower-Body Strength, Explosiveness And Eccentric Leg Stiffness In Adolescent Athletes, Josh Secomb, Sophia Nimphius, Oliver R. Farley, Lina Lundgren, Tai T. Tran, Jeremy M. Sheppard

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether any relationships were present between lower-body muscle structure and, lower-body strength, variables measured during a counter-movement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ), and eccentric leg stiffness, in adolescent athletes. Thirty junior male (n = 23) and female (n = 7) surfing athletes (14.8 ± 1.7 y; 1.63 ± 0.09 m; 54.8 ± 12.1 kg) undertook lower-body muscle structure assessment with ultrasonography and performed a; CMJ, SJ and an isomet-ric mid-thigh pull (IMTP). In addition, eccentric leg stiffness was calculated from variables of the CMJ and IMTP. Moderate to very large …

Effects Of Ambient Coarse, Fine, And Ultrafine Particles And Their Biological Constituents On Systemic Biomarkers: A Controlled Human Exposure Study, Ling Liu, Bruce Urch, Raymond Poon, Mieczyslaw Szyszkowicz, Mary Speck, Diane R. Gold, Amanda J. Wheeler, James A. Scott, Jeffrey R. Brook, Peter S. Thorne, Frances S. Silverman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Ambient coarse, fine, and ultrafine particles have been associated with mortality and morbidity. Few studies have compared how various particle size fractions affect systemic biomarkers. Objectives: We examined changes of blood and urinary biomarkers following exposures to three particle sizes. Methods: Fifty healthy nonsmoking volunteers, mean age of 28 years, were exposed to coarse (2.5–10 μm; mean, 213 μg/m3) and fine (0.15–2.5 μm; mean, 238 μg/m3) concentrated ambient particles (CAPs), and filtered ambient and/or medical air. Twenty-five participants were exposed to ultrafine CAP (< 0.3 μm; mean, 136 μg/m3) and filtered medical air. Exposures lasted 130 min, separated by ≥ 2 weeks. Blood/urine samples were collected preexposure and 1 hr and 21 hr postexposure to determine blood interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein (inflammation), endothelin-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; vascular mediators), and malondialdehyde (lipid peroxidation); as well as urinary VEGF, 8-hydroxy-deoxy-guanosine (DNA oxidation), and malondialdehyde. Mixed-model regressions assessed pre- and postexposure differences. results: One hour postexposure, for every 100-μg/m3 increase, coarse CAP was associated with increased blood VEGF (2.41 pg/mL; 95% CI: 0.41, 4.40) in models adjusted for O3, fine CAP with increased urinary malondialdehyde in single- (0.31 nmol/mg creatinine; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.60) and two-pollutant models, and ultrafine CAP with increased urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in single- (0.69 ng/mg creatinine; 95% CI: 0.09, 1.29) and two-pollutant models, lasting < 21 hr. Endotoxin was significantly associated with biomarker changes similar to those found with CAPs. conclusions: Ambient particles with various sizes/constituents may influence systemic biomarkers differently. Endotoxin in ambient particles may contribute to vascular mediator changes and oxidative stress.

Surveys Of Cancer Patients And Cancer Health Care Providers Regarding Complementary Therapy Use, Communication, And Information Needs, Ngaire King, Lynda G. Balneaves, Gregory T. Levin, Thao Nguyen, Jill G. Nation, Cynthia Card, Tracy Truant, Linda E. Carlson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background. Complementary therapies (CTs) are increasingly utilized by cancer patients. Nonetheless, patients report insufficient support from health care practitioners (HCPs) and there is a general lack of patient-practitioner communication about CT use. Best care practices suggest that HCPs should address the needs of patients, including CT use. This study examined current practices of patients and HCPs as well as their interactions relating to CTs. Methods. A total of 481 cancer outpatients and 100 HCPs completed questionnaires. Patient questions addressed CT use and information needs; HCP questions addressed knowledge, opinions and beliefs about complementary and alternative medicine. Patient-practitioner communication around CT …

Evolution Of Testosterone Treatment Over 25 Years: Symptom Responses, Endocrine Profiles And Cardiovascular Changes, Malcolm Carruthers, Paul Cathcart, Mark R. Feneley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction: Testosterone treatment has evolved rapidly over the past 25 years as new, more effective and convenient methods have become available. This study reports experience with seven different methods, introduced on the market in the UK. Aim: To establish the symptom response when testosterone treatment was initiated on the basis of clinical features and symptoms of androgen deficiency, and the resulting endocrine, biochemical and physiological responses. Methods: Of 2693 patients attending the 3 Men’s Health Centers – The UK Androgen Study (UKAS), 2247 were treated. Treatments included pellet implants, oral testosterone undecanoate (Testocaps), mesterolone (Proviron), testosterone gel (Testogel), testosterone scrotal …

Galvanic Skin Response In Mood Disorders: A Critical Review, Roisin Vahey, Rodrigo Becerra

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

To critically review the literature on Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) within Mood Disorder populations. GSR profiles were examined for the various types of Mood Disorder and their association with comorbidity, suicidality and predispositions. This review examined studies with emotional and non-emotional stimuli whilst aiming to identify a Mood Disorder GSR profile by comparisons with healthy controls and other psychological or physical disorders. A systematic search for relevant literature was conducted using PsychINFO, CINAHL and MEDLINE databases. Studies using emotional stimuli to measure GSR in mood disorder patients were included. Some studies did not use emotional stimuli, however were included as …

A Dynamic Programming Algorithm For Finding The Optimal Placement Of A Secondary Structure Topology In Cryo-Em Data, Abhishek Biswas, Desh Ranjan, Mohammad Zubair, Jing He

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The determination of secondary structure topology is a critical step in deriving the atomic structures from the protein density maps obtained from electron cryomicroscopy technique. This step often relies on matching the secondary structure traces detected from the protein density map to the secondary structure sequence segments predicted from the amino acid sequence. Due to inaccuracies in both sources of information, a pool of possible secondary structure positions needs to be sampled. One way to approach the problem is to first derive a small number of possible topologies using existing matching algorithms, and then find the optimal placement for each …

Fabrication Of Tissue Precursors Induced By Shape-Changing Hydrogels, Olukemi O. Akintewe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scaffold based tissue reconstruction inherently limits regenerative capacity due to inflammatory response and limited cell migration. In contrast, scaffold-free methods promise formation of functional tissues with both reduced adverse host reactions and enhanced integration. Cell-sheet engineering is a well-known bottom-up tissue engineering approach that allows the release of intact cell sheet from a temperature responsive polymer such as poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (pNIPAAm). pNIPAAm is an ideal template for culturing cell sheets because it undergoes a sharp volume-phase transition owing to the hydrophilic and hydrophobic interaction around its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 32°C, a temperature close to physiological temperature. Compared to …

Seagrass Meadows As A Globally Significant Carbonate Reservoir, I Mazarrasa, N Marbà, O Serrano, C E. Lovelock, Paul S. Lavery, J W. Fourqurean, H Kennedy, M A. Mateo, D Krause-Jensen, A D. Steven, C M. Duarte

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

There has been growing interest in quantifying the capacity of seagrass ecosystems to act as carbon sinks as a natural way of offsetting anthropogenic carbon emissions to the atmosphere. However, most of the efforts have focused on the particulate organic carbon (POC) stocks and accumulation rates and ignored the particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) fraction, despite important carbonate pools associated with calcifying organisms inhabiting the meadows, such as epiphytes and benthic invertebrates, and despite the relevance that carbonate precipitation and dissolution processes have in the global carbon cycle. This study offers the first assessment of the global PIC stocks in seagrass …

Guidelines For The Standardization Of Preanalytic Variables For Blood-Based Biomarker Studies In Alzheimer's Disease Research, Sid O'Bryant, Veer Gupta, Kim Henriksen, Melissa Edwards, Andreas Jeromin, Simone Lista, Chantal Bazenet, Holly Soares, Simon Lovestone, Harald Hampel, Thomas Montine, Kaj Blennow, Tatiana Foroud, Maria Carrillo, Neill Graff-Radford, Christoph Laske, Monique Breteler, Leslie Shaw, John Q. Trojanowski, Nicole Schupf, Robert A. Rissman, Anne M. Fagan, Pankaj Oberoi, Robert Umek, Michael W. Weiner, Paula Grammas, Holly Posner, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The lack of readily available biomarkers is a significant hindrance toward progressing to effective therapeutic and preventative strategies for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Blood-based biomarkers have potential to overcome access and cost barriers and greatly facilitate advanced neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker approaches. Despite the fact that preanalytical processing is the largest source of variability in laboratory testing, there are no currently available standardized preanalytical guidelines. The current international working group provides the initial starting point for such guidelines for standardized operating procedures (SOPs). It is anticipated that these guidelines will be updated as additional research findings become available. The statement …

Bone Mineral Density, Adiposity, And Cognitive Functions, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Kristyn A. Bates, Michael Weinborn, Romola S. Bucks, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Mark A. Rodrigues, Sabine M. Bird, Belinda M. Brown, John Beilby, Matthew Howard, Arthur Criddle, Megan Wraith, Kevin Taddei, Georgia Martins, Athena Paton, Tejal Shah, Satvinder S. Dhaliwal, Pankaj D. Mehta, Jonathan K. Foster, Ian J. Martins, Nicola T. Lautenschlager, Francis Mastaglia, Simon Laws, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Cognitive decline and dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been associated with genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. A number of potentially modifiable risk factors should be taken into account when preventive or ameliorative interventions targeting dementia and its preclinical stages are investigated. Bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition are two such potentially modifiable risk factors, and their association with cognitive decline was investigated in this study. 164 participants, aged 34–87 years old (62.78 ± 9.27), were recruited for this longitudinal study and underwent cognitive and clinical examinations at baseline and after 3 years. Blood samples were collected for …

Abcb5 Identifies Immunoregulatory Dermal Cells, Tobias Schatton, Jun Yang, Sonja Kleffel, Mayuko Uehara, Steven R. Barthel, Christoph Schlapbach, Qian Zhan, Stephen Dudeney, Hansgeorg Mueller, Nayoung Lee, Juliane C. De Vries, Barbara Meier, Seppe Vander Beken, Mark M. Kluth, Christoph Ganss, Arlene H. Sharpe, Ana Maria Waaga-Gasser, Mohamed H. Sayegh, Reza Abdi, Karin Scharffetter-Kochanek, George F. Murphy, Thomas S. Kupper, Natasha Y. Frank, Markus H. Frank

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Cell-based strategies represent a new frontier in the treatment of immune-mediated disorders. However, the paucity of markers for isolation of molecularly defined immunomodulatory cell populations poses a barrier to this field. Here, we show that ATP-binding cassette member B5 (ABCB5) identifies dermal immunoregulatory cells (DIRCs) capable of exerting therapeutic immunoregulatory functions through engagement of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1). Purified Abcb5+ DIRCs suppressed T cell proliferation, evaded immune rejection, homed to recipient immune tissues, and induced Tregs in vivo. In fully major-histocompatibility-complex-mismatched cardiac allotransplantation models, allogeneic DIRCs significantly prolonged allograft survival. Blockade of DIRC-expressed PD-1 reversed the inhibitory effects of …

Glomalin Accumulated In Seagrass Sediments Reveals Past Alterations In Soil Quality Due To Land-Use Change, Lourdes López-Merino, Oscar Serrano, María Fernanda Adame, Miguel-Ángel Mateo, Antonio Martínez Cortizas

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), symbionts with most terrestrial plants, produce glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), which plays a major role in soil structure and quality. Both fungi hyphae and protein production in soils are affected by perturbations related to land-use changes, implying that GRSP is a sensitive indicator of soil quality. Unfortunately, GRSP degrades within years to decades in oxic environments, preventing its use as palaeoecological proxy. However, GRSP is transported to marine, near-shore anoxic sediments, where it accumulates and remains non-degraded, enabling the assessment of its potential as a palaeoecological proxy for soil ecosystem's health. Exploiting this fact, we have …

Assessment Of Public Health Risks Associated With Petrochemical Emissions Surrounding An Oil Refinery, Erin L. Pulster

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Refinery operations have been associated with a wide variety of atmospheric emissions consisting of criteria air pollutants, volatile organic components, hazardous air pollutants as well as other pollutants. With approximately 100 oil refineries in the Wider Caribbean region (WCR), hydrocarbons in this region pose significant environmental and human health risks. One of the oldest and largest refineries in the WCR is the Isla Refineriá, which is located on the island of Curaçao, and has been the basis of historical debates and conflict between the public and the local government over the environmental and human health risks. This research aims to …

Ikaros Deficiency Leads To An Imbalance In Effector And Regulatory T Cell Homeostasis In Murine Pancreatic Cancer, Nadine D. Nelson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers with a five-year survival rate of 6%. Pancreatic cancer is resistant to conventional chemotherapy and is usually diagnosed at late stages. Current treatment options have minimal effects in extending patients' lives beyond 10 months. One significant limitation in developing treatments to combat pancreatic cancer is its immunosuppressive microenvironment. Pancreatic cancer secretes factors that activate immunosuppressive cells, such as regulatory T cells (Tregs). These Tregs suppress effector CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell anti-tumor immune responses. Therefore, novel treatment options to reduce Treg-mediated immune suppression and increase the numbers and functions of …

Individual Differences In The Dopaminergic Reward System: The Effect Of Genetic Risk On Neural Reward Sensitivity And Risky Choice, Heather E. Soder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When making decisions, individuals evaluate several possible outcomes of their choice; however, some display heightened reward sensitivity, despite the potential for future negative consequences, which can lead one to make risky choices. Rewards are processed in the mesolimbic dopamine reward system, and this system is in part modulated by genetic polymorphisms that are associated with dopamine transmission. The current study tested if genetic polymorphisms that are associated with enhanced dopamine neurotransmission will be more neurally reward sensitive, score higher on self-reported impulsivity, and make riskier choices. In a sample of 85 participants, five genetic polymorphisms were genotyped and used to …

The Role Of Brct-Containing Proteins Brca1 And Paxip1 In Cancer, Ankita Jhuraney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Modular domains of proteins are important in cellular signaling processes. Eukaryotic cells are constantly undergoing DNA damage due to exogenous and endogenous sources of damage. The DNA damage response (DDR) involves a complex network of signaling events mediated by modular domains such as the BRCT (BRCA1 C-terminal) domains. Therefore, proteins containing BRCT domains are important for DNA damage detection and signaling. In this dissertation, we focus on two BRCT-containing proteins BRCA1 and PAXIP1. BRCA1 is a gene that is known to be associated with increased risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Germline variants of BRCA1 are assessed to determine …

Population Dynamics Of The Little Gulper Shark (Centrophorus Uyato) And Community Analyses Of Elasmobranch Species In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Jacquelin Joye Hipes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In chapter 1 I describe the population dynamics of an understudied species of gulper shark, Centrophorus uyato (common name, the Little Gulper), found in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Sharks in the family Centrophoridae are mid-sized, demersal fish, with seven species identified in North American waters. These deepwater species can be difficult to study due to the extreme depths at which they occur. During four longlining cruises from 2012-2014, 593 sharks were landed, predominantly in the Mississippi Canyon off the Louisiana coast. Mean depth of capture was 290 m. Supplementing these data are catch records for C. uyato from a …

Genetic Moderation Of Phenotypic And Neural Indicators Of Peer Influenced Risk-Taking Behavior: An Experimental Investigation, Troy Alan Webber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Risk-taking behavior (RTB) is defined as behavior involving the probability of reward with concurrent probability of some negative outcome. Peer influence is among the most robust predictors of RTB, such that greater peer influence, particularly deviant or delinquent peer influence, is associated with increased RTB. Evidence suggests that those with genetic predispositions for RTB may also be more susceptible to peer influence as a function of genotype. Given that genetic polymorphisms within the dopaminergic system have evidenced associations with various forms of RTB and delinquent peer affiliation, it is possible that these genes may interact with peer influence to predict …