Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Environmental And Anthropogenic Factors Affecting Algae And How They Can Be Used As Indicator Species In Different Aquatic Ecosystems, Valerie Coulter

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Within Earth’s waters resides microscopic photosynthetic creatures known as algae that supply the world with about half of the entire oxygen supply. These algae consist of diatoms, dinoflagellates, cyanobacteria, and coccolithophores, all of which can be found in the Earth’s bodies of water. Their distribution depends on many environmental factors such as temperature, nutrient availability, light availability, and also on anthropogenic factors such as dams, sewage, and agriculture. Many of these algal species and groups can be used as indicator species, as they can appear when conditions are outside normal ranges. Those that are considered indicator species can be studied …

Mapping The Effects Of Hurricane Michael And Biological Drivers Of Change On Seagrass In St. Joseph Bay, Florida, Allison Senne

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Hurricane Michael in October of 2018 was ranked third in intensity out of all the hurricanes that have ever been recorded to strike the United States. It struck in the Panhandle of Florida as a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, and cost close to 30 billion dollars in damage. Damages to the status, health and distribution of seagrass beds, which are a key component of coastal ecosystems globally, have yet to be assessed. For this study, seagrass was digitized and mapped from aerial imagery taken in 2019 of St. Joseph Bay. The goal of this study was to assess …

Dendrogyra Cylindrus (Pillar Coral) Of The Florida Reef Tract: An Ex Situ Growth Study, And In Situ – Ex Situ Bacterial Assemblage Assessment, Aubrey E. Hetzler

USF St. Petersburg campus Master's Theses (Graduate)

The iconic Pillar Coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus, occurs exclusively in the Greater Caribbean and is the only species in its genus. Until the last decade, this stony coral species was notably under-studied by scientists. The drastic decline in this species prompted the formation of the ‘Pillar Coral Genetic Rescue Project’ (Jan. 2016) to provide long term care, growth, and emergency treatment for fragments of D. cylindrus – joined by the Florida Aquarium in August 2016. In contribution to the conservation efforts of this species, this research examines the ex situ growth rate for the species and compares the microbial community composition …

Can Florida Softshell Turtles (Apalone Ferox) Use Nest Site Choice To Offset Climate Change Effects On Developing Embryos In Nests?, Sean Sullivan

USF St. Petersburg campus Master's Theses (Graduate)

Over the next 100 years, climate change will impact nearly all species. To survive climate change, species will need to shift their ranges, or develop adaptations that offset rising temperatures. To prevent rising temperatures from influencing nest temperatures, oviparous ectotherms such as freshwater turtles will need to adapt their physiology (i.e., raise the range of temperatures suitable for developmental processes) or their behavior (i.e., through nest site choice). Theory suggests that behavior is more evolutionarily labile than physiology, generating the prediction that turtles will use nest site choice to offset climate warming. In the present study, I quantified nest site …

Environmental Variables Influencing Cynipid Gall Distribution In Southwest Florida, Christine R. Leonard

USF St. Petersburg campus Master's Theses (Graduate)

Insect galls are a common feature in many xeric environments, where hiding away inside a plant host offers developing larvae consistent food and shelter from harsh conditions. This study aimed to identify the most significant environmental factors that affect local populations of oak-galling wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) associated with three Quercus species found in xeric habitats located in southwest Florida, USA. Cynipid gall diversity, richness, and abundance were quantified for 35 sample sites across 11 counties, counting only winter-season galls. All sample sites were located within xeric, fire-managed, vegetative communities. It was hypothesized that time since last fire, habitat size, latitude, …

Adult Environmental Education: Active Vs. Passive Learning Pedagogy, Kelly Mckenna

USF St. Petersburg campus Master's Theses (Graduate)

From wildfires to coral bleaching, the global effects of climate change are difficult to ignore. Unfortunately, the number of environmental education (EE) programs that target adults in the United States is lacking. Adults have the biggest impact on the environment and the greatest ability to make positive environmental changes and therefore, the need to expand environmental education for adults is imperative. In order to contribute to improved environmental quality, adults need to be exposed to environmental problems and to be taught ways to reduce their environmental impacts. Existing research highlights the difficulties when attempting to include adults in environmental education …

Abundance And Distribution Of The Non-Native Apple Snail, Pomacea Maculata, In A Restored Wetland Of An Urban Lake, Lynsee Taylor Crichton

USF St. Petersburg campus Master's Theses (Graduate)

The Pomacea maculata, Perry, 1810 or island apple snail is an invasive species to Florida freshwater systems, has become widespread throughout the state. Although P. maculata in the United States are largely limited to ponds and lakes, it can also occur in other areas such as rivers, irrigated croplands, estuaries, and drainage and irrigation ditches. P. maculata is known for its distinctive reproduction patterns and clutch characteristics. There has been a concern that P. maculata has led to extirpations of the native Florida apple snail P. paludosa. In this study, I examined the abundance and distribution of clutches produced by …

Determination Of Thermal Stratification, Mixing Pattern, Water Quality And Heat Budget Of An Urban Florida Lake, Benjamin Stanley

USF St. Petersburg campus Master's Theses (Graduate)

Crescent Lake is a stormwater retention water body situated in St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recognizes Crescent Lake as impaired because the lake sustains high total phosphorus and chlorophyll-a concentrations. Prior work done by Jacobs Engineering Inc., an environmental consultant agency hired by St. Petersburg, has suggested that summer thermal stratification forms and that water quality declines in fall months with concurrent proliferation of phytoplankton. The cause of increased phytoplankton growth in the fall is not fully understood. The fall increase in phytoplankton might occur because of a mixing event that dissipates thermal stratification …

Discussion On 'A.R. Wallace In The Light Of Historical Method' By John Van Whye, Charles H. Smith, George Beccaloni, James D. Williams, Derek Partridge

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

The recent article by historian John van Wyhe purports to identify seventeen ‘myths’ concerning the life and work of naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. Here we briefly describe what we feel is wrong with them, and refer to published literature that extend these arguments. Our objections do not extend to the ‘historical method’ van Wyhe adopts, but instead to the way he has ignored the criticisms of peers to the extent of not even acknowledging their scholarly articles.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 10: The Impact Of A.R. Wallace's Sarawak Law Paper Resurrected, Derek Patridge, Charles H. Smith Editor

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Six assertions that relate to the impact of Wallace’s Sarawak Law paper1 on the development of evolution theory have been proposed and analyzed by John van Wyhe.2 He concluded that they were all erroneous. The analysis presented a valid criticism of some casual and over-confident pronouncements with respect to interpretations of history. More significantly, it is a misguided attempt to expose “original historical meanings,” and thereby dismiss all other interpretations as necessarily incorrect. A re-analysis reveals that, contrary to van Wyhe’s analysis, much of the conventional wisdom is plausibly correct, and it remains the case that “the past is a …

Parenting From Prison: Perceptions Of Incarcerated Parents' Ability And Influence, Gabrielle Hadorn

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Incarcerated parents are at a substantially higher risk for losing their legal right to parent than the general public. This study assessed implicit perceptions and biases that may play a role in these legal decisions, specifically the perceptions of incarcerated parents’ ability to parent and influence their children’s lives. Court appointed special advocate (CASA) volunteers’ (N = 242) perceptions of incarcerated parents based on the parents’ personal characteristics, characteristics of their children, and characteristics of their criminal activity were assessed through a true-experiment design. Ordinal regression analyses revealed that age of child, level of violence in the crime committed, and …

Protecting Participants In Genomic Research: Understanding The "Web Of Protections" Afforded By Federal And State Law, Leslie E. Wolf, Catherine M. Hammack, Erin Fuse Brown, Kathleen M. Brelsford, Laura M. Beskow

Law Faculty Scholarship

Advances in genomic research increasingly rely on large-scale datasets combining biospecimens, electronic health records, and behavioral data. This article examines the complex legal framework governing privacy and confidentiality protections for participants in genomic research in the United States. Through a combination of qualitative interviews with national thought leaders and systematic legal analysis of federal and state statutes, the authors assess how existing legal protections operate in practice. The study evaluates several hypothetical research scenarios—including the return of individual results, data breaches, and legal demands for data access—to illustrate how laws such as the Common Rule, HIPAA, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination …

Developing Model Biobanking Consent Language: What Matters To Prospective Participants?, Laura M. Beskow, Catherine Hammack-Aviran, Kathleen M. Brelsford

Law Faculty Scholarship

Background: Efforts to improve informed consent have led to calls for providing information a reasonable person would want to have, in a way that facilitates understanding of the reasons why one might or might not want to participate. At the same time, advances in large-scale genomic research have expanded both the opportunities and the risks for participants, families, and communities. To advance the use of effective consent materials that reflect this landscape, we used empirical data to develop model consent language, as well as brief questions to assist people in thinking about their own values relative to participation.

Methods: We …

Expert Perspectives On Oversight For Unregulated Mhealth Research: Empirical Data And Commentary, Laura M. Beskow, Catherine Hammack-Aviran, Kathleen M. Brelsford, P Pearl O'Rourke

Law Faculty Scholarship

This study explores expert perspectives on oversight mechanisms for unregulated mobile health (mHealth) research conducted outside traditional regulatory frameworks. Through qualitative interviews with stakeholders including patient advocates, researchers, regulators, and technology developers, the authors examine concerns surrounding ethical protections in research utilizing data from mobile applications and devices. Participants highlighted risks associated with inadequate study design, lack of informed consent, and insufficient safeguards for participant privacy and autonomy. Experts proposed a range of potential oversight mechanisms, including voluntary ethical review processes, industry standards, and expanded institutional policies. The findings underscore the growing ethical challenges posed by nontraditional research environments and …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Hiv Treatment And Research: A Call To Action, Tiffany Chenneville, Kemesha Gabbidon, Patricia Hanson, Cashea Holyfield

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is far reaching, with devastating effects on individuals, communities, and societies across the world. People with chronic health conditions may be at greater risk of contracting or experiencing complications from COVID-19. In addition to illness or death for those who contract the virus, the physical distancing required to flatten the curve of new cases is having a negative impact on the economy, the effects of which intersect with mental health and other existing health concerns, thus affecting marginalized communities. Given that HIV also has a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities, COVID-19 is affecting people …

Leapfrogging At Work: Influencing Higher Levels In The Chain Of Command, Sharon Segrest, Martha C. Andrews, Scott W. Geiger, Dan Marlin, Patricia G. Martinez, Pamela L. Perrewe, Gerald R. Ferris

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Purpose – Acts of interpersonal influence are observed throughout organizations, and most typically, in direct supervisor–subordinate relationships. However, researchers have focused less on subordinates bypassing the chain of command and targeting their supervisor’s supervisor with influence attempts. We conceptualize a new term, “leapfrogging,” as subordinates’ attempts to influence and manage the impressions of their supervisor’s supervisor. Here we focus on influencing the target’s perception of likability (the focus of ingratiation) and competence (the focus of self-promotion). This study focuses on its personal and situational antecedents. Design/methodology/approach – Given the central role of social exchange and psychological processes within this phenomenon, …

Heat, Health And Hatchlings: Associations Of In Situ Nest Temperatures With Morphological And Physiological Characteristics Of Loggerhead Sea Turtle Hatchlings From Florida, Kelsey Alexandra Fleming, Justin R. Perrault, Nicole I. Stacy, Christina M. Coppenrath, Alison M. Gainsbury

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Incubation temperatures, in addition to an embryo’s genetic makeup, are critical in many aspects of adequate sea turtle embryonic development. The effects of high and low incubation temperatures on hatchling quality have been previously examined; however, many of these studies were conducted on relocated or laboratory-reared nests, which do not accurately reflect natural nest temperature fluctuations. To observe the impacts of varying in situ incubation temperatures on loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) hatchling morphology, various health variables and locomotor performance, temperature data loggers were deployed in 15 loggerhead nests on Juno Beach, Florida, between May and July 2018. Over the …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Hiv Treatment And Research: A Call To Action, Tiffany Chenneville, Kemesha Gabbidon, Patricia Hanson, Cashea Holyfield

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is far reaching, with devastating effects on individuals, communities, and societies across the world. People with chronic health conditions may be at greater risk of contracting or experiencing complications from COVID-19. In addition to illness or death for those who contract the virus, the physical distancing required to flatten the curve of new cases is having a negative impact on the economy, the effects of which intersect with mental health and other existing health concerns, thus affecting marginalized communities. Given that HIV also has a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities, COVID-19 is affecting people …

Antimicrobial And Antibiofilm Activities Of Probiotic Lactobacilli On Antibiotic-Resistant Proteus Mirabilis, Mona Shaaban, Ola A. Abd El-Rahman, Bashair Al-Qaidi, Hossam M. Ashour

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

The emergence of biofilm-forming, multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Proteus mirabilis infections is a serious threat that necessitates non-antibiotic therapies. Antibiotic susceptibility and biofilm-forming activity of P. mirabilis isolates from urine samples were assessed by disc diffusion and crystal violet assays, respectively. Antimicrobial activities of probiotic Lactobacilli were evaluated by agar diffusion. Antibiofilm and anti-adherence activities were evaluated by crystal violet assays. While most P. mirabilis isolates were antibiotic-resistant to varying degrees, isolate P14 was MDR (resistant to ceftazidime, cefotaxime, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, and amikacin) and formed strong biofilms. Cultures and cell-free supernatants of Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus reuteri exhibited antimicrobial and …

Introduction To Chemistry, Steelman Library, Patricia Adams M.S.

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Proceedings Of The 2019 Nanoflorida International Conference Held At The University Of South Florida, Tampa, Fl, Shyam S. Mohapatra, Robert D. Frisina, Subhra Mohapatra, Mandip Singh, Manh-Huong Phan

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Relt Stains Prominently In B-Cell Lymphomas And Binds The Hematopoietic Transcription Factor Mdfic, John K. Cusick, Yasmeen Alhomsy, Stephanie Wong, George Talbott, Vladimir N. Uversky, Cara Hart, Nazila Hejazi, Aaron T. Jacobs, Yihui Shi

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Receptor Expressed in Lymphoid Tissues (RELT) is a human tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member (TNFRSF) that is expressed most prominently in cells and tissues of the hematopoietic system. RELL1 and RELL2 are two homologs that physically interact with RELT and co-localize with RELT at the plasma membrane. This study sought to further elucidate the function of RELT by identifying novel protein interactions with RELT family members. The transcription factor MyoD family inhibitor domain-containing (MDFIC) was identified in a yeast two-hybrid genetic screen using RELL1 as bait. MDFIC co-localizes with RELT family members at the plasma membrane; this co-localization was …

Unstructured Biology Of Proteins From Ubiquitin-Proteasome System: Roles In Cancer And Neurodegenerative Diseases, Kundlik Gadhave, Prateek Kumar, Shivani K. Kapuganti, Vladimir N. Uversky, Rajanish Giri

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

The 26S proteasome is a large (~2.5 MDa) protein complex consisting of at least 33 different subunits and many other components, which form the ubiquitin proteasomal system (UPS), an ATP-dependent protein degradation system in the cell. UPS serves as an essential component of the cellular protein surveillance machinery, and its dysfunction leads to cancer, neurodegenerative and immunological disorders. Importantly, the functions and regulations of proteins are governed by the combination of ordered regions, intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs) and molecular recognition features (MoRFs). The structure–function relationships of UPS components have not been identified completely; therefore, in this study, we have …

Zooming Into The Dark Side Of Human Annexin-S100 Complexes: Dynamic Alliance Of Flexible Partners, Judith Weisz, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Annexins and S100 proteins form two large families of Ca2+-binding proteins. They are quite different both structurally and functionally, with S100 proteins being small (10–12 kDa) acidic regulatory proteins from the EF-hand superfamily of Ca2+-binding proteins, and with annexins being at least three-fold larger (329 ± 12 versus 98 ± 7 residues) and using non-EF-hand-based mechanism for calcium binding. Members of both families have multiple biological roles, being able to bind to a large cohort of partners and possessing a multitude of functions. Furthermore, annexins and S100 proteins can interact with each other in either a Ca2+-dependent or Ca2+-independent manner, …

Drug Discovery Targeting The Disorder-To-Order Transition Regions Through The Conformational Diversity Mimicking And Statistical Analysis, Insung Na, Sungwoo Choi, Seung Han Son, Vladimir N. Uversky, Chul Geun Kim

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Intrinsically disordered proteins exist as highly dynamic conformational ensembles of diverse forms. However, the majority of virtual screening only focuses on proteins with defined structures. This means that computer-aided drug discovery is restricted. As a breakthrough, understanding the structural characteristics of intrinsically disordered proteins and its application can open the gate for unrestricted drug discovery. First, we segmented the target disorder-to-order transition region into a series of overlapping 20-amino-acid-long peptides. Folding prediction generated diverse conformations of these peptides. Next, we applied molecular docking, new evaluation score function, and statistical analysis. This approach successfully distinguished known compounds and their corresponding binding …

Yersinia Outer Membrane Vesicles As Potential Vaccine Candidates In Protecting Against Plague, Andrey A. Byvalov, Ilya V. Konyshev, Vladimir N. Uversky, Svetlana V. Dentovskaya, Andrey P. Anisimov

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Despite the relatively low incidence of plague, its etiological agent, Yersinia pestis, is an exceptional epidemic danger due to the high infectivity and mortality of this infectious disease. Reports on the isolation of drug-resistant Y. pestis strains indicate the advisability of using asymmetric responses, such as phage therapy and vaccine prophylaxis in the fight against this problem. The current relatively effective live plague vaccine is not approved for use in most countries because of its ability to cause heavy local and system reactions and even a generalized infectious process in people with a repressed immune status or metabolic disorders, as …

Yersinia Pestis Plasminogen Activator, Florent Sebbane, Vladimir N. Uversky, Andrey P. Anisimov

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

The Gram-negative bacterium Yersinia pestis causes plague, a fatal flea-borne anthropozoonosis, which can progress to aerosol-transmitted pneumonia. Y. pestis overcomes the innate immunity of its host thanks to many pathogenicity factors, including plasminogen activator, Pla. This factor is a broad-spectrum outer membrane protease also acting as adhesin and invasin. Y. pestis uses Pla adhesion and proteolytic capacity to manipulate the fibrinolytic cascade and immune system to produce bacteremia necessary for pathogen transmission via fleabite or aerosols. Because of microevolution, Y. pestis invasiveness has increased significantly after a single amino-acid substitution (I259T) in Pla of one of the oldest Y. pestis …

Linear Relationships Between Partition Coefficients Of Different Organic Compounds And Proteins In Aqueous Two-Phase Systems Of Various Polymer And Ionic Compositions, Nuno R. Da Silva, Luisa A. Ferreira, Pedro P. Madeira, José A. Teixeira, Vladimir N. Uversky, Boris Y. Zaslavsky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Analysis of the partition coefficients of small organic compounds and proteins in different aqueous two-phase systems under widely varied ionic compositions shows that logarithms of partition coefficients for any three compounds or proteins or two organic compounds and one protein are linearly interrelated, although for protein(s) there are ionic compositions when the linear fit does not hold. It is suggested that the established interrelationships are due to cooperativity of different types of solute–solvent interactions in aqueous media. This assumption is confirmed by analysis of distribution coefficients of various drugs in octanol-buffer systems with varied ionic compositions of the buffer. Analysis …

The Pathophysiological Significance Of Fibulin-3, Imogen Livingstone, Vladimir N. Uversky, Dominic Furniss, Akira Wiberg

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Fibulin-3 (also known as EGF-containing fibulin extracellular matrix protein 1 (EFEMP1)) is a secreted extracellular matrix glycoprotein, encoded by the EFEMP1 gene that belongs to the eight-membered fibulin protein family. It has emerged as a functionally unique member of this family, with a diverse array of pathophysiological associations predominantly centered on its role as a modulator of extracellular matrix (ECM) biology. Fibulin-3 is widely expressed in the human body, especially in elastic-fibre-rich tissues and ocular structures, and interacts with enzymatic ECM regulators, including tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3). A point mutation in EFEMP1 causes an inherited early-onset form of macular …

Mmtr/Dmap1 Sets The Stage For Early Lineage Commitment Of Embryonic Stem Cells By Crosstalk With Pcg Proteins, Young Jin Lee, Seung Han Son, Chang Su Lim, Si Woo Lee, Sangwoon Lee, Jinseon Jeon, Dae Hyun Ha, Na Rae Jung, Su Youne Han, Byung-Rok Do, Insung Na, Vladimir N. Uversky, Chul Geun Kim

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Chromatin remodeling, including histone modification, chromatin (un)folding, and nucleosome remodeling, is a significant transcriptional regulation mechanism. By these epigenetic modifications, transcription factors and their regulators are recruited to the promoters of target genes, and thus gene expression is controlled through either transcriptional activation or repression. The Mat1-mediated transcriptional repressor (MMTR)/DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1)-associated protein (Dmap1) is a transcription corepressor involved in chromatin remodeling, cell cycle regulation, DNA double-strand break repair, and tumor suppression. The Tip60-p400 complex proteins, including MMTR/Dmap1, interact with the oncogene Myc in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). These proteins interplay with the stem cell-related proteome networks and regulate …