Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2023

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 24961 - 24990 of 25043

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

A Shotgun Metagenomic Approach To The Biosynthesis Of Marine Natural Products, René Kathleen Miller-Xavier Jan 2023

A Shotgun Metagenomic Approach To The Biosynthesis Of Marine Natural Products, René Kathleen Miller-Xavier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Genomics has been revolutionized by improved sequencing technologies, allowing for the detailed exploration of microbial dark matter and complex microscopic ecosystems. The bottleneck in genomic workflows has shifted from high-throughput sequencing to data analysis. This dissertation developed the Florida Center for Coastal and Human Health Shotgun Metagenomics Workflow (FCHsm) that is easy to use and tailor to unique datasets. This work acts as the beta-testing for the workflow, as it analyzes disparate biomes (environmental and host microbiomes) at varying sequencing depths (shallow and deep). FCHsm was used to resolve molecular dynamics and mine trans-kingdom metagenomes for secondary metabolic biosynthetic gene …

Go to article

An Examination Of Recurring Misogynistic & Intersecting Sexist/Racist Female Character Tropes In Popular Science Fiction & Superhero Films & Television Since 1996, Jeannette H. Ronson Jan 2023

An Examination Of Recurring Misogynistic & Intersecting Sexist/Racist Female Character Tropes In Popular Science Fiction & Superhero Films & Television Since 1996, Jeannette H. Ronson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The representation of lead female characters as sexually threatening or naturally deceptive, hysterical, or evil, especially non-White or non-gender conforming characters, in popular science fiction and superhero film and television productions over the past few decades is concerning in that these films promote misogynistic and intersecting racist and hetero/sexist tropes in genres that typically appeal to younger audiences. Within their historical roots as cheap print entertainment, i.e., pulp magazines and comic books, directed at White working-class boys and young men, these genres have historically, and unabashedly, featured scantily clad, sometimes racially stereotyped, sexually titillating temptresses such as the Dragon Lady …

Go to article

Animacy Effects In Spanish Visual Word Recognition: A Corpus Study, Micaela Martin Jan 2023

Animacy Effects In Spanish Visual Word Recognition: A Corpus Study, Micaela Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This thesis analyzes if animacy facilitates the visual recognition of words in Spanish. I compared native-speaker reaction times to Spanish words with animate and inanimate referents in a word-nonword identification task, also known as the lexical decision task. Responses were collected from a database and coded for animacy as well as six lexical and semantic variables known to affect reading times. Linear mixed effects modeling suggested that participants responded to animate words significantly more quickly, independently of factors such as frequency and familiarity. The findings are interpreted from the perspective of parallel distributed processing model of word recognition in Seidenberg …

Go to article

Are South Florida’S Gopher Tortoise Population’S Genetically Differentiated From Each Other?, Olivia Rothberg Jan 2023

Are South Florida’S Gopher Tortoise Population’S Genetically Differentiated From Each Other?, Olivia Rothberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Gopher Tortoises are an imperiled terrestrial tortoise considered ecosystem engineers, as their burrows support over 350 species of “commensals”. Due to extensive anthropogenic habitat destruction and fragmentation, tortoise populations have significantly declined over the past 100 years. This isolation is leading to a premature loss of genetic variation, further precipitating the decline of this species. Understanding the genetic structure of this species can aid management decisions through intentionally relocating animals based on genetic units and historic gene flow, to preserve adaptive diversity and evolutionary potential on a large scale. I investigated whether Southeast Florida has a genetically distinct subpopulation of …

Go to article

Bone Collectors: Personhood And Appeal In The Sale And Trade Of Human Skeletal Remains On Facebook, Evelyn Breda Jan 2023

Bone Collectors: Personhood And Appeal In The Sale And Trade Of Human Skeletal Remains On Facebook, Evelyn Breda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The desire to own human skeletal remains has been prevalent for many years; in our modern technological age avenues for this market have exploded across the internet. This research focuses on Facebook groups dedicated to oddity sales and collecting. Purchasing human remains is illegal in Georgia, Louisiana, and Tennessee as well as prohibited by Facebook terms of service, but these sales persist. Over the course of 2021, 319 listings for human skeletal remains were recorded across six Facebook groups. These listings accounted for most skeletal elements found within the human skeleton. Many elements are artistic in nature, something viewed as …

Go to article

Bioluminescence Of The Ctenophore Mnemiopsis Leidyi: First Flash Kinetics, Abigail Blackburn Jan 2023

Bioluminescence Of The Ctenophore Mnemiopsis Leidyi: First Flash Kinetics, Abigail Blackburn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi is an opportunistic species that can be extremely abundant and invasive in many parts of the world. It is well known for its bright bioluminescence, but its light emission response to flow stimulation has not been rigorously quantified. The objective of this study is to determine the luminescent response of M. leidyi to several types of mechanical stimuli, an impeller pump with the Underwater Bioluminescence Assessment Tool (UBAT) bathyphotometer and stirring as the stimulus within an integrating sphere. Tests were conducted with three day old cydippid larvae, analyzing flash parameters of rise time, peak intensity, decay …

Go to article

Comparative Pharmacokinetics, Biodistribution And Dosimetry Of 212pb (Alpha-Emitter) Labeled Antibody Vs Peptide Vs Small Molecule, Nader Sedeh Moshiri Jan 2023

Comparative Pharmacokinetics, Biodistribution And Dosimetry Of 212pb (Alpha-Emitter) Labeled Antibody Vs Peptide Vs Small Molecule, Nader Sedeh Moshiri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

With the advent of newly and more reliably designed targeted therapy methods in the past several years, targeted radionuclide therapy has attracted more attentions around the world as a more reliable treatment modality in combination with other well established traditional cancer treatments i.e., external beam radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Alpha particles have a high relative biological effectiveness (RBE) due to their high linear energy transfer (LET). However, to utilize them for therapeutic purposes, precise human body dosimetry calculation is required. The measurement of their uptake and biodistribution can be quite challenging. Also, due to the complex biology of different types of …

Go to article

Comparison Of Classifying Human Actions From Biological Motion With Artificial Neural Networks, Rachel Wong Jan 2023

Comparison Of Classifying Human Actions From Biological Motion With Artificial Neural Networks, Rachel Wong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The ability to recognize human actions is essential for individuals to navigate through their daily life. Biological motion is the primary mechanism people use to recognize actions quickly and efficiently, but their precision can vary. The development of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) has the potential to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of accomplishing common human tasks, including action recognition. However, the performance of ANNs in action recognition depends on the type of model used. This study aimed to improve the accuracy of ANNs in action classification by incorporating biological motion information into the input conditions. The study used the UCF …

Go to article

Characterization Of Proconvulsant Mechanisms On Gabaergic Neurotransmission In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Nirthieca Suthakaran Jan 2023

Characterization Of Proconvulsant Mechanisms On Gabaergic Neurotransmission In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Nirthieca Suthakaran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Epilepsy is a prevalent brain disorder that affects more than 1 in 26 people in the United States. The recurring increased neuronal excitability during seizures results in sleep disturbances and muscle convulsions that reduce the quality of life and increase the healthcare costs for these patients. An epilepsy diagnosis is made when patients have had two or more seizures. There are many types of seizures and an individual can have more than one type. Seizures are classified into two groups, 1) generalized seizures that affect both sides of the brain and 2) focal seizures that are located in just one …

Go to article

Consuming Inisfail: The Domestication Of Man And Arboreal Landscapes In James Joyce’S Ulysses, Jacqueline Busch-Mullen Jan 2023

Consuming Inisfail: The Domestication Of Man And Arboreal Landscapes In James Joyce’S Ulysses, Jacqueline Busch-Mullen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This thesis serves as an exploration of the environment in James Joyce’s Ulysses which holds accountable the violent material politics of England against Ireland and the acts of consumption committed against human and nonhuman bodies, which is a radical critique of the patriarchal discourse and action that decimated a once sovereign nation and its landscape. I argue through an eco-critical lens that intersects the human body, a once impenetrable landscape, and the elision of Brehon Gaelic law as a victim of colonial usurpation. There is a deep focus geared towards masculinity and its imposition upon the female body, but also …

Go to article

Collision Free Navigation In 3d Unstructured Environments Using Visual Looming, Juan David Arango Yepes Jan 2023

Collision Free Navigation In 3d Unstructured Environments Using Visual Looming, Juan David Arango Yepes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Vision is a critical sense for many species, with the perception of motion being a fundamental aspect. This aspect often provides richer information than static images for understanding the environment. Motion recognition is a relatively simple computation compared to shape recognition. Many creatures can discriminate moving objects quite well while having virtually no capacity for recognizing stationary objects. Traditional methods for collision-free navigation require the reconstruction of a 3D model of the environment before planning an action. These methods face numerous limitations as they are computationally expensive and struggle to scale in unstructured and dynamic environments with a multitude of …

Go to article

Contemporary Archeological Visualization: Ancient Paliké In The Digital Age, Catherine J. Babcock Jan 2023

Contemporary Archeological Visualization: Ancient Paliké In The Digital Age, Catherine J. Babcock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Exploring the intersection of archeological and artistic visualization and the impact of digital technologies on these disciplines, the author details an endeavor to communicate the essence of the sanctuary of Paliké in Catania, Sicily through digital reconstruction and animation. Emulating the creative process of the famous panoramic artist Yadegar Assisi, and drawing upon first-hand observation and research of the archeological site Rocchicella di Mineo, the author recounts the artistic journey of creating impactful archeological visualizations which, although driven by rapidly evolving technology, can remain relevant. This manuscript chronicles the process and describes the production methods used to convey the essence …

Go to article

Data Augmentation In Deep Learning, Connor Shorten Jan 2023

Data Augmentation In Deep Learning, Connor Shorten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Recent successes of Deep Learning-powered AI are largely due to the trio of: algorithms, GPU computing, and big data. Data could take the shape of hospital records, satellite images, or the text in this paragraph. Deep Learning algorithms typically need massive collections of data before they can make reliable predictions. This limitation inspired investigation into a class of techniques referred to as Data Augmentation. Data Augmentation was originally developed as a set of label-preserving transformations used in order to simulate large datasets from small ones. For example, imagine developing a classifier that categorizes images as either a “cat” or a …

Go to article

Development Of A Hifi-Α Lens Specific Knockout Mouse As A Model For Hypoxia Driven Lens Differentiation, Adedamola Adele Jan 2023

Development Of A Hifi-Α Lens Specific Knockout Mouse As A Model For Hypoxia Driven Lens Differentiation, Adedamola Adele

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

During eye lens development the lens receives oxygen from a network of capillaries that comprise of the tunica vasculosa lentis and the anterior pupillary membrane. In development there is regression of this capillaries with the vitreous and aqueous humor, which is the lens only source of oxygen, leaving the lens in low oxygen state. The lens contains a decreasing oxygen gradient from the surface to the core that parallels the differentiation of immature surface epithelial cells into mature core transparent fiber cells. These properties of the lens suggest a potential role for hypoxia and the master regulator of the hypoxic …

Go to article

Development Of Multifunctional Beta-Tricalcium Phosphate Scaffolds For Angiogenesis And Osteogenesis, Enze Qian Jan 2023

Development Of Multifunctional Beta-Tricalcium Phosphate Scaffolds For Angiogenesis And Osteogenesis, Enze Qian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Rapid and efficient vascularization is still a considerable challenge of a tissue engineered β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffold. To overcome this challenge, branched channels were created in the porous scaffold to stimulate the instant flow of blood supply. The branched channeled porous β-TCP scaffold was fabricated using 3D printing and template-casting method. Human bone mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSC) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were seeded in the scaffolds and characterized through double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) assay, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay and cell migration. Scaffolds were then implanted in the subcutaneous pockets in mice. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Immunohistochemical staining …

Go to article

Effects Of Host Population Fragmentation And Isolation On The Genetic Structure Of An Obligate Endoparasit, Garrett J. Maggio Jan 2023

Effects Of Host Population Fragmentation And Isolation On The Genetic Structure Of An Obligate Endoparasit, Garrett J. Maggio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Pleurogonius malaclemys is a digenean trematode with a life cycle that begins in Ilyanassa obsoleta as a first and second intermediate host and Malaclemys terrapin as a definitive host. The fluke matures and reproduces within terrapins and, therefore, relies on terrapins for dispersal. Thus, we hypothesized that the genetic structure of flukes would reflect contemporary changes in the connectivity of terrapin populations. Flukes were sampled by dissecting mudsnails collected from eight sites along the eastern United States. Following amplification of the COI mitochondrial marker, 21 haplotypes were identified and a high degree of structure was detected. We propose that this …

Go to article

Examining Evacuation Decisions Of People Experiencing Homelessness During Natural Disasters Using The Protective Action Decision Model (Padm), Andrea Ramos Jan 2023

Examining Evacuation Decisions Of People Experiencing Homelessness During Natural Disasters Using The Protective Action Decision Model (Padm), Andrea Ramos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

In this dissertation, I examined the lived experiences of people experiencing homelessness (PEH) and their perceptions of protective actions when making evacuation decisions during disasters or extreme weather events. Compared to other members of society, individuals experiencing homelessness during disasters face unique challenges, including a lack of shelter, transportation, access to news, and the need to carry all their belongings. This vulnerability is further heightened when natural disasters occur, as they lack physical protection, leading to increased exposure to hazards and adverse weather effects. The literature on homeless evacuation decision-making is limited (Donley & Wright, 2012), and the direct experiences …

Go to article

Dscam1 Regulates Synapse Formation And Function In The Giant Fiber System Of Drosophila, Casey L. Spencer Jan 2023

Dscam1 Regulates Synapse Formation And Function In The Giant Fiber System Of Drosophila, Casey L. Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Proper formation of synapses in the developing nervous system is critical to the expected function and behavior of an adult organism. Neurons must project neurites, in the form of axons or dendrites, to target areas to complete synaptic circuits. The biochemical tool that cells use to interact with the external environment and direct the guidance of developing neurites are guidance receptors. One such guidance receptor that is extensively studied to uncover its roles in developmental disorders and disease is DSCAM (Down-Syndrome Cell Adhesion Molecule). To better understand the role of DSCAM in humans, a fly homolog Dscam1 was extensively characterized …

Go to article

Evaluation Of Β-Glucan And Pediococcus Acidilactici Synbiotic Supplementation In Aquacultured Florida Pompano (Trachinotus Carolinus), Ashley Noel Morgan Jan 2023

Evaluation Of Β-Glucan And Pediococcus Acidilactici Synbiotic Supplementation In Aquacultured Florida Pompano (Trachinotus Carolinus), Ashley Noel Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Evidence that supplementation with prebiotics, probiotics, or combinations of both (synbiotics) enhances the health, growth, and survival of aquacultured teleosts has sparked significant research into their application. This study evaluates the effects of β-glucan and Pediococcus acidilactici synbiotic supplementation in aquacultured Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus). The first study defined embryonic and larval organogenesis. The gastrointestinal tract is differentiated, but not yet fully functional within the first seven days post hatch evidenced by the absence of gastric glands, gastric mucous cells, lipid vacuoles in the anterior intestines, and the persistence of acidophilic supranuclear vesicles. Synbiotics may serve as a source of …

Go to article

Establishment And Application Of Workflows For Structure-Function Analysis Of Synaptic Components, Connon I. Thomas Jan 2023

Establishment And Application Of Workflows For Structure-Function Analysis Of Synaptic Components, Connon I. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

At the site of neuronal communication, multiple interacting components drive synapse structure and function. Synaptic vesicle pools, membrane proteins, mitochondria, and perisynaptic astrocyte processes (PAPs) are all structures that can be altered through naturally occurring plasticity mechanisms to modulate neurotransmission, and disruption of these structures can result in synapse dysfunction and disease. Due to the minute size of the synapse, electron microscopy (EM) remains the gold standard for ultrastructural characterization; however, due to the complexity of EM datasets, extraction of information has become a bottleneck which places limits on the amount of data that can be collected and analyzed. A …

Go to article

Evolved Differences In Interaction Rules Underlie The Loss Of Social Behaviors In The Mexican Tetra, Alexandra M. Paz Jan 2023

Evolved Differences In Interaction Rules Underlie The Loss Of Social Behaviors In The Mexican Tetra, Alexandra M. Paz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Animals display a remarkable variety of social behaviors that are necessary for survival. Despite the importance of social behaviors, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the evolution of such behaviors are largely unknown. The Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, is a powerful model for studying how behaviors evolve, including social behavior. A. mexicanus exists as a schooling surface form and a non-schooling cave form. Here we have utilized this model in order to investigate how differences in the behavior of individuals result in differences at the level of emergent group social behaviors. We begin by reviewing how fish have contributed to the study …

Go to article

Examining Statistical Models To Predict Academic Success In Early College Using Middle School Data, Agnes A. Timar Jan 2023

Examining Statistical Models To Predict Academic Success In Early College Using Middle School Data, Agnes A. Timar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The study explored whether middle school students’ select academic (grade point average [GPA], Accuplacer mathematics, reading, and writing scores, admission interview scores) and non-academic characteristics (race, ethnicity, the middle school they attended, their gender, their parents’ educational level) have any predictive power with regard to their success at an early college high school. This study compared binary logistic regression (BLR) and predictive discriminant analysis (PDA) statistical models. First-year early college academic success can be predicted using BLR and only six input factors from middle school (Accuplacer math scores, interview scores, gender, and race, as three dummy variables) with a 91% …

Go to article

Exposure To Algal Biotoxins: Exploring Health Effects In Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia Mydas), Hunter Brown Jan 2023

Exposure To Algal Biotoxins: Exploring Health Effects In Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia Mydas), Hunter Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

In the inter-coastal waters of Florida, green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are regularly exposed to regional blooms of harmful algae which produce biotoxins. A retrospective analysis was conducted on stranded green sea turtles along the Indian River Lagoon, FL, USA. Stranding, necropsy, and histopathology reports were analyzed for 40 juvenile turtles. Liver (N=40) and kidney (N=36) tissues were analyzed for a suite of 14 harmful algal bloom (HAB)-associated biotoxins. Thirty-four (85%) turtles tested positive for at least one biotoxin, including 21(53%) liver and 22(61%) kidney tissues. Statistically significant relationships were identified between the presence of common histopathological abnormalities and biotoxins …

Go to article

Trophic Interactions Of Octopus Vulgaris And The Impacts Of Plastic Leachate Oleamide, Madelyn A. Hair Jan 2023

Trophic Interactions Of Octopus Vulgaris And The Impacts Of Plastic Leachate Oleamide, Madelyn A. Hair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Octopus predation and species selection contribute to community structure in benthic habitats, where plastic pollution accumulates. This study investigated how the bioactive plastic additive oleamide alters trophic interactions and behaviors of the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) and its prey. We quantified activity budgets and trophic interactions for octopuses and multiple prey types (hermit crabs, free-living crabs, bivalves, and gastropods) before and after exposure to oleamide. Our analysis suggested that some taxa (octopuses and hermit crabs) exhibit more active behaviors during oleamide exposure. Free living crabs responded primarily to the threat of octopus predation, while other taxa did not show clear …

Go to article

Trait Mindfulness In Children: The Effects On Stress Reactivity And Self-Regulation, Alexandra Marchesani Jan 2023

Trait Mindfulness In Children: The Effects On Stress Reactivity And Self-Regulation, Alexandra Marchesani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Recent success of mindfulness-based interventions in adult and clinical populations, as well as in classroom settings, has spurred the need for a more thorough understanding of mindfulness as a trait that can affect early development of self-regulatory characteristics. The current study used previously collected data on 4th and 5th graders to explore the relationships between trait mindfulness, self-regulation, and stress reactivity, measured using cortisol levels. Self-regulation was measured using effortful control (attention, inhibitory control, and activation control), conscientiousness, agreeableness, negative emotion regulation, and openness to experience. Cortisol findings were significant for negative emotion regulation. Results revealed several significant positive associations …

Go to article

Using Electroshock To Probe Mechanisms Of Herbicide Neurotoxicity And Novel Neuroprotective Compounds In Caenorhabditis Elegans And Drosophila Melanogaster, Akshay S. Naraine Jan 2023

Using Electroshock To Probe Mechanisms Of Herbicide Neurotoxicity And Novel Neuroprotective Compounds In Caenorhabditis Elegans And Drosophila Melanogaster, Akshay S. Naraine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The communication in the nervous system is a pharmacological balance between excitatory and inhibitory signals, and seizure behavior is one of the most common manifestations of when an imbalance occurs. Environmental toxins can cause significant disruption of excitation-inhibition balance, but while some toxins, like nerve agents, have known targets and require novel antidotes, some have unknown neurobiological mechanisms and require exploration. Of particular concern, there is little knowledge on how herbicides may affect neurological signaling. Glyphosate, the world’s most popular herbicide, was found to be in 80% of people’s urine, and since it is so prevalent, it is critical to …

Go to article

Utilization Of Organic Phosphorus Compounds By Axenic Microcystis Aeruginosa, Kelley L. Breeden Jan 2023

Utilization Of Organic Phosphorus Compounds By Axenic Microcystis Aeruginosa, Kelley L. Breeden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing in severity and frequency. These blooms are devastating to the communities surrounding these bodies of water due to their numerous health, economic, and environmental impacts (Hallegraeff et al. 1995; Smith 2003; O’Neil et al. 2012; Bláha et al. 2009; V. H. Smith et al. 1999). In Florida, runoff containing fertilizers, human wastes, or industrial wastes contribute to the eutrophication in these lakes and contribute to these freshwater blooms (Val H. Smith 2003; Heisler et al. 2008; O’Neil et al. 2012). M. aeruginosa, a toxic cyanobacterium, often devastates Lake Okeechobee. M. aeruginosa die off …

Go to article

Veterans’ Perspectives On The Meaning Of Their Well-Being Experience: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Cheryl Lynn Birmingham Jan 2023

Veterans’ Perspectives On The Meaning Of Their Well-Being Experience: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Cheryl Lynn Birmingham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The veterans are a unique community shaped by past military experiences that may have positive and negative effects on their well-being as soldiers. With nearly half of the 18.4 million veterans in the United States living beyond 61 years, age-related physical and mental health conditions may impact the veterans’ well-being. Promoting veterans’ well-being has been studied extensively but literature on how they define it is scanty. It is critical to understand how veterans define well-being to inform future program development to address mental health needs. The purpose of this study is to discover the meaning and the lived experience of …

Go to article

Fibropapillomatosis In Stranded Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) In Florida: 20 Years Of Spatiotemporal Trends And Associations With Environmental Factors, Hannah Niland Jan 2023

Fibropapillomatosis In Stranded Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) In Florida: 20 Years Of Spatiotemporal Trends And Associations With Environmental Factors, Hannah Niland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a tumor disease that has reached panzootic proportions in green turtles (Chelonia mydas). FP is associated with chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5, although the etiology of FP is likely multifactorial, since high FP prevalence is often observed in degraded habitats. However, specific environmental cofactors for tumor development remain unknown. To explore this, I collated statewide green turtle stranding data from 2000–2020 to evaluate spatiotemporal trends of FP in Florida, and co-analyzed these data alongside patterns of river flow, chlorophyll-a (Chla), sea surface temperature (SST), El Niño (ENSO), and red tide (HAB). I found that FP was stable during 2000–2020. …

Go to article

Frazzled/Dcc Regulates Synaptogenesis At A Drosophila Giant Synapse, Juan Lopez Jan 2023

Frazzled/Dcc Regulates Synaptogenesis At A Drosophila Giant Synapse, Juan Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Synaptogenesis is a requirement for cellular communication, but the specific molecular mechanisms underlying synaptogenesis are unclear. Here, we investigate and show the role of the protein Frazzled in synaptogenesis using the transheterozygous Frazzled loss-of-function (LOF) mutant in Drosophila. Leveraging the UAS-GAL4 expression system, we drove expression of various Frazzled/DCC gene constructs in the Giant Fibers (GF) of flies and found changes to synaptogenesis and axon pathfinding. We identified decreases in electrical synaptogenesis and distinct axon pathfinding errors in Frazzled LOF mutants. Strikingly, the expression of Frazzled intracellular domain (ICD) significantly rescues both phenotypes, while full-length Frazzled protein only partially rescues …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last