Digital Commons Network^™

Recruiting A Prospective Community Cohort To Study Alzheimer's Disease And Structural And Social Determinants Of Health Among Adults Racialized As Black: The Arches Cohort, Alexis I B Walker, Jean-Francois Trani, Christian F Banks, Samantha A Murphy, Wenqing Zha, Monique M Williams, Gregory S Day, Yiqi Zhu, Beau M Ances, Carl V Hill, Darrell L Hudson, Ganesh M Babulal

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: This ongoing, prospective study examines the effectiveness of methods used to successfully recruit and retain 238 Black older adults in a longitudinal, observational Alzheimer's disease (AD) study.

METHODS: Recruitment strategies included traditional media, established research registries, speaking engagements, community events, and snowball sampling. Participants were asked to complete an annual office testing session, blood-based biomarker collection, optional one-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and community workshop.

RESULTS: Within the first 22 months of active recruitment, 629 individuals expressed interest in participating, and 238 enrolled in the ongoing study. Of the recruitment methods used, snowball sampling, community events, and speaking …

Pd-L1 Has A Heterogeneous And Dynamic Expression In Gastric Cancer With Implications For Immunopet, Dina Ibrahim, Cristina Simó, Emma L Brown, Shayla Shmuel, Sandeep Surendra Panikar, Alex Benton, Rachel Deweerd, Farrokh Dehdashti, Haeseong Park, Patrícia M R Pereira

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, spatial heterogeneity, and binding affinity of FDA-approved anti-PD-L1 antibodies (avelumab and atezolizumab) in gastric cancer. Additionally, we determined how PD-L1 glycosylation impacts antibody accumulation in gastric cancer cells.

METHODS: Dynamic PD-L1 expression was examined in NCIN87 gastric cancer cells. Comparative binding studies of avelumab and atezolizumab were conducted in gastric cancer models, both

RESULTS: Consistent findings revealed time-dependent PD-L1 induction in NCIN87 gastric cancer cells and spatial heterogeneity in tumors, as shown by PET imaging and immunofluorescence. Avelumab displayed superior binding affinity to NCIN87 cells compared …

Case Report: Increased Efficacy Of Cetuximab After Pembrolizumab Failure In Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Renee Morecroft, Jordan Phillipps, Alice Zhou, Omar Butt, Karam Khaddour, Tanner Johanns, George Ansstas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Immunotherapy is the first-line option for treating advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). However, up to half of patients experience no benefit and treatment resistance, warranting newer therapeutic approaches. Combinatory approaches, including cetuximab, may help overcome immunotherapy resistance and improve response rates in advanced cSCC. We report three cases of metastatic cSCC that achieved significant clinical responses after cetuximab therapy following initial progression on pembrolizumab. We have retrospectively reviewed these cases at a single academic center between 2018 and 2023. All patients initially progressed on pembrolizumab, after which cetuximab (mono- or combination therapy) was added with two complete responses and …

Neurocognitive Outcome In Children With Sickle Cell Disease After Myeloimmunoablative Conditioning And Haploidentical Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Non-Randomized Clinical Trial, Suzanne Braniecki, Shalini Shenoy, Robert C Mckinstry, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Due to the risk of cerebral vascular injury, children and adolescents with high-risk sickle cell disease (SCD) experience neurocognitive decline over time. Haploidentical stem cell transplantation (HISCT) from human leukocyte antigen-matched sibling donors may slow or stop progression of neurocognitive changes.

OBJECTIVES: The study is to determine if HISCT can ameliorate SCD-associated neurocognitive changes and prevent neurocognitive progression, determine which specific areas of neurocognitive functioning are particularly vulnerable to SCD, and determine if there are age-related differences in neurocognitive functioning over time.

METHODS: We performed neurocognitive and neuroimaging in SCD recipients following HISCT. Children and adolescents with high-risk SCD …

Realizing The Role Of Interdisciplinary Practices In Psycho-Educational Assessment For Learners With Special Education Needs/Disabilities In Guyana, Keon Cheong

Theses and Dissertations

A growing number of students are referred to special education sectors. With the growing numbers, there is a need for structures and systems to be in place to ensure that the least restrictive environment is used while ensuring that learners are adequately placed based on their abilities. This challenge is heightened in the Global South. In the Caribbean, few countries have legislation to address disabilities, and in locations where there is legislation, it is either outdated or not enforced. This dissertation conducts a systematic review using 60 studies to compile comprehensive research-based information about interdisciplinary practices, specifically in the psycho-educational …

Systematic Computer-Aided Disulfide Design As A General Strategy To Stabilize Prefusion Class I Fusion Proteins, Karen J Gonzalez, Kevin C Yim, Jorge C G Blanco, Marina S Boukhvalova, Eva-Maria Strauch

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Numerous enveloped viruses, such as coronaviruses, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), utilize class I fusion proteins for cell entry. During this process, the proteins transition from a prefusion to a postfusion state, undergoing substantial and irreversible conformational changes. The prefusion conformation has repeatedly shown significant potential in vaccine development. However, the instability of this state poses challenges for its practical application in vaccines. While non-native disulfides have been effective in maintaining the prefusion structure, identifying stabilizing disulfide bonds remains an intricate task. Here, we present a general computational approach to systematically identify prefusion-stabilizing disulfides. Our method assesses the geometric …

Arterial Hypoperfusion As A Negative Predictive Marker For Primary Hepatic Malignancies Treated With Y-90 Glass Microsphere Transarterial Radioembolization, Bita Kalaghchi, Semra Ince, Justin Barnes, Kendall Kiser, Re-I Chin, Justin Mikell, Shahed Badiyan, Jose Garcia, Jacqueline Zoberi, Maria Bernadette Majella Doyle, Benjamin Tan, Seung Kim, Tyler Fraum, Hyun Kim

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Radioembolization with yttrium-90 (Y-90) is utilized to treat primary liver malignancies. The efficacy of this intra-arterial therapy in arterially hypoperfused tumors is not known.

METHODS: We reviewed data of patients with primary liver tumors treated with Y-90 prescription doses of at least 150 Gy. Baseline patient characteristics, treatment history, imaging-based tumor response assessments, and clinical outcome metrics were recorded. Tumors were classified as arterially hyperperfused versus hypoperfused on post-TARE Y-90 SPECT/CTs or pre-TARE hepatic perfusion SPECT/CTs. Perfusion status was correlated with tumor response assessments and clinical outcomes. Cox proportional hazards models were utilized to compare survival and progression-free survival. …

Classification Of Ipsc-Derived Cultures Using Convolutional Neural Networks To Identify Single Differentiated Neurons For Isolation Or Measurement, Purva Patel, Lina K. Mohammad Ali, Uma Kaushik, Malllory Wright, Kaylee Green, Jason E. Waligorski, Colin L. Kremitzki, Graham W. Bachman, Serena N. Elia, William J. Buchser

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

The Association Of Dementia Risk Symptoms And Functional Activity In Adults With Down Syndrome, Selena E Washington, Amy E Bodde, Brian C Helsel, Rebecca M Bollinger, Nora Smith, Lauren T Ptomey, Beau Ances, Susan L Stark

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Adults with Down syndrome (DS) have an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia, often showing neuropathological indicators by age 40. Physical function and activities of daily living (ADLs) are understudied areas of function that may inform dementia risk. We investigated associations among age, physical function (gait/balance, grip strength, and lower extremity strength), ADLs, and dementia risk symptoms in adults with DS. We hypothesized that compromised physical function and lower independence with ADLs would be associated with an informant/caregiver-reported measure of dementia risk symptoms.

METHODS: A secondary analysis for this cross-sectional study was completed using data from two academic …

The Challenges And Opportunities Of Offering And Integrating Training In Clinical Molecular Genetics And Clinical Cytogenetics: A Survey Of Lgg Fellowship Program Directors., Joshua L. Deignan, Vimla Aggarwal, Allen E. Bale, Daniel B. Bellissimo, Jessica K. Booker, Yang Cao, Kristy R. Crooks, Kristen L. Deak, Daniela Del Gaudio, Birgit Funke, Nicole L. Hoppman, Vanessa Horner, Robert B. Hufnagel, Colleen Jackson-Cook, Prasad Koduru, Marco L. Leung, Shibo Li, Pengfei Liu, Minjie Luo, Rong Mao, Heather Mason-Suares, Fady M. Mikhail, Stephen R. Moore, Rizwan C. Naeem, Laura M. Pollard, Elena Repnikova, Lina Shao, Brandon M. Shaw, Shashirekha Shetty, Teresa A. Smolarek, Elizabeth Spiteri, Jessica Van Ziffle, Gail H. Vance, Cindy L. Vnencak-Jones, Eli S. Williams

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: The specialty of Laboratory Genetics and Genomics (LGG) was created in 2017 in an effort to reflect the increasing convergence in technologies and approaches between clinical molecular genetics and clinical cytogenetics. However, there has not yet been any formal evaluation of the merging of these disciplines and the challenges faced by Program Directors (PDs) tasked with ensuring the successful training of laboratory geneticists under the new model.

METHODS: An electronic multi-question Qualtrics survey was created and was sent to the PD for each of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited LGG fellowship programs at the time. The data …

Recarving The Future: Bridging Car T-Cell Therapy Gaps With Synthetic Biology, Engineering, And Economic Insights, Alaa Ali, John F Dipersio

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of hematologic malignancies, offering remarkable remission rates in otherwise refractory conditions. However, its expansion into broader oncological applications faces significant hurdles, including limited efficacy in solid tumors, safety concerns related to toxicity, and logistical challenges in manufacturing and scalability. This review critically examines the latest advancements aimed at overcoming these obstacles, highlighting innovations in CAR T-cell engineering, novel antigen targeting strategies, and improvements in delivery and persistence within the tumor microenvironment. We also discuss the development of allogeneic CAR T cells as off-the-shelf therapies, strategies to mitigate adverse effects, and …

Microglycodb: A Database Of Microbial Glycans Using Semantic Web Technologies, Sunmyoung Lee, Louis-David Leclercq, Yann Guerardel, Christine M Szymanski, Thomas Hurtaux, Tamara L Doering, Takane Katayama, Kiyotaka Fujita, Kazuhiro Aoki, Kiyoko F Aoki-Kinoshita

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Glycoconjugates are present on microbial surfaces and play critical roles in modulating interactions with the environment and the host. Extensive research on microbial glycans, including elucidating the structural diversity of the glycan moieties of glycoconjugates and polysaccharides, has been carried out to investigate the function of glycans in modulating the interactions between the host and microbes, to explore their potential applications in the therapeutic targeting of pathogenic species, and in the use as probiotics in gut microbiomes. However, glycan-related information is dispersed across numerous databases and a vast amount of literature, which makes it laborious and time-consuming to identify and …

First-In-Human Assessment Of Gut Permeability In Crohn's Disease Patients Using Fluorophore Technology, Lori R Holtz, B Darren Nix, Sewuese E Akuse, Carla Hall-Moore, Rodney D Newberry, Matthew A Ciorba, Parakkal Deepak, Maria Zulfiqar, Jeng-Jong Shieh, James R Johnson, I Rochelle Riley, Richard B Dorshow

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The dual sugar absorption test as a classic measure of human intestinal permeability has limited clinical utility due to lengthy and cumbersome urine collection, assay variability, and long turnaround. We aimed to determine if the orally administered fluorophore MB-102 (relmapirazin) (molecular weight [MW] = 372) compares to lactulose (L) (MW = 342) and rhamnose (R) (MW = 164)-based dual sugar absorption test as a measure of gut permeability in people with a spectrum of permeability including those with Crohn's disease (CD).

METHODS: We performed a single-center, randomized, open-label, crossover study comparing orally administered MB-102 (1.5 or 3.0 …

Community-Level Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Regarding Cardiovascular Diseases And Modifiable Risk Factors In India, Kavita Singh, Dimple Kondal, Deepa Mohan, Mareesha Gandral, Sheril Rajan, Viswanathan Mohan, Mohammed K Ali, Km Venkat Narayan, Mark D Huffman, Dorairaj Prabhakaran, Nikhil Tandon

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) is critical to inform CVD prevention strategies, but limited community-level data exist from developing countries.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding CVD and CVRF and acceptability of non-physician health workers and text-message based reminders to guide CVD prevention strategies in India.

METHODS: We conducted a telephone-based survey nested in the on-going Centre for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia (CARRS) cohort in Delhi and Chennai, India between January 2021 to February 2021. We randomly selected people with CVRF, but no established …

Surviving Septic Patients Endotyped With A Functional Assay Demonstrate Active Immune Responses, Adam D Price, Andrew H Walton, Sydney Miles, Richard S Hotchkiss, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Sepsis is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by a heterogenous host immune response. Historically, static protein and transcriptomic metrics have been employed to describe the underlying biology. Here, we tested the hypothesis that

METHODS: This prospective, observational study of patient samples collected from the SPIES consortium included patients at five health systems enrolled over 17 months, with 46 healthy control patients, 68 ICU patients without sepsis, and 107 ICU patients with sepsis. Whole blood was collected on day 1, 4, and 7 of ICU admission. Outcomes included in-hospital and 180-day mortality and non-favorable discharge disposition defined by skilled nursing …

Reinforcement Learning In Motor Skill Acquisition: Using The Reward Positivity To Understand The Mechanisms Underlying Short- And Long-Term Behavior Adaptation, Mariane F B Bacelar, Keith R Lohse, Juliana O Parma, Matthew W Miller

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: According to reinforcement learning, humans adjust their behavior based on the difference between actual and anticipated outcomes (i.e., prediction error) with the main goal of maximizing rewards through their actions. Despite offering a strong theoretical framework to understand how we acquire motor skills, very few studies have investigated reinforcement learning predictions and its underlying mechanisms in motor skill acquisition.

METHODS: In the present study, we explored a 134-person dataset consisting of learners' feedback-evoked brain activity (reward positivity; RewP) and motor accuracy during the practice phase and delayed retention test to investigate whether these variables interacted according to reinforcement learning …

Best Practices In Robotic Magnetic Navigation-Guided Catheter Ablation Of Cardiac Arrhythmias, A Position Paper Of The Society For Cardiac Robotic Navigation, Anna M E Noten, Daniel H Cooper, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PREAMBLE: Robotic magnetic navigation (RMN)-guided catheter ablation (CA) technology has been used for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias for almost 20 years. Various studies reported that RMN allows for high catheter stability, improved lesion formation and a superior safety profile. So far, no guidelines or recommendations on RMN-guided CA have been published.

PURPOSE: The aim of this consensus paper was to summarize knowledge and provide recommendations on management of arrhythmias using RMN-guided CA as treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) and ventricular arrhythmias (VA).

METHODOLOGY: An expert writing group, performed a detailed review of available literature, and drawing on their own …

Centering Intersectional Breast Cancer Screening Experiences Among Black, Latina, And White Women: A Qualitative Analysis, Sienna Ruiz, Kamilah Abdur-Rashid, Rachel L Mintz, Maggie Britton, Ana A Baumann, Graham A Colditz, Ashley J Housten

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Mammography screening guidelines in the United States highlight the importance of informing and involving women when making their breast cancer screening decisions. However, the complexity of interpreting and applying these population-level guidelines can contribute to patient burden. Patient-centered communication strategies can alleviate patient burden, but few consider perspectives from racially and ethnically marginalized populations. We examine diverse women's perspectives on screening to characterize patient-centered experiences.

METHODS: We conducted 28 focus groups with 134 non-Latina Black (

RESULTS: We identified three themes: (1) personal relationships with primary care providers, (2) potential impacts of cancer on families, and (3) interactions with …

Awareness, Use, Motivations And Methods Of Accessing Genetic Testing In 2022 In The United States, Sukh Makhnoon, Minjae Lee, Tanushree Prasad, Alexa Badalamenti, Tami Gurley, Erika A Waters, Celette Sugg Skinner

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Awareness, access, and use of clinical and direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests has increased in recent years with documented disparities in these services. We provide updated data on test awareness and use, and report novel data on motivations and methods for accessing genetic tests.

METHODS: Nationally representative data from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6) were used to assess awareness and use of ancestry, personal trait, specific disease, and carrier testing by sociodemographic characteristics, examine reasons for undergoing tests, and methods of accessing them.

RESULTS: Overall, 81.4% of respondents were aware and 40.0% had undergone testing. Only …

Case Report: Targeted Treatment By Fluoxetine/Norfluoxetine Of A Kcnc2 Variant Causing Developmental And Epileptic Encephalopathy, Ping Li, Alice Butler, Yu Zhou, Karl L Magleby, Christina A Gurnett, Lawrence Salkoff

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The Kv3.2 subfamily of voltage activated potassium channels encoded by the

Campylobacter Colonization And Undernutrition In Infants In Rural Eastern Ethiopia — A Longitudinal Community-Based Birth Cohort Study, Dehao Chen, Nurmohammad Shaik, Mark J Manary, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND:

METHODS: We followed a birth cohort of 106 infants in rural smallholder households in eastern Ethiopia up to 13 months of age. We measured anthropometry, surveyed sociodemographic determinants, and collected stool and urine samples. A short survey was conducted during monthly visits, infant stool samples were collected, and

RESULTS: The

CONCLUSION: This study found that most determinants associated with increased

Lung Infection With Classical Klebsiella Pneumoniae Strains Establishes Robust Macrophage-Dependent Protection Against Heterologous Reinfection, Joseph J Mackel, Casey L G Mick, Emily Guo, David A Rosen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

At present, there is no approved vaccine for prevention of infection by the opportunistic bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp); success in treating these infections is increasingly challenged by the spread of antibiotic resistance. Preclinical investigation of adaptive immunity elicited by lung infection with live classical Kp may reveal host mechanisms of protection against this pathogen. Here, we utilize multiple virulent classical Kp strains to demonstrate that following lung infection, surviving wild-type mice develop protective immunity against both homologous and heterologous (heterotypic) reinfection. For Kp strains with low capacity to disseminate from the lung, this immunity is B-cell-independent. We further demonstrate that …

A Novel Crispr/Cas9-Mediated Mouse Model Of Colon Carcinogenesis, Hajime Kashima, Anthony Fischer, Daniel A Veronese-Paniagua, Vered A Gazit, Changqing Ma, Yan Yan, Marc S Levin, Blair B Madison, Deborah C Rubin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Human sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) results from a multistep pathway with sequential acquisition of specific genetic mutations in the colorectal epithelium. Modeling CRC in vivo is critical for understanding the tumor microenvironment. To accurately recapitulate human CRC pathogenesis, mouse models must include these multi-step genetic abnormalities. The aim of this study was to generate a sporadic CRC model that more closely mimics this multi-step process and to use this model to study the role of a novel Let7 target PLAGL2 in CRC pathogenesis.

METHODS: We generated a CRISPR/Cas9 somatic mutagenesis mouse model that is inducible and multiplexed …

Transformation Of Autophagic Sqstm1 Droplets To Sqstm1-Dependent P-Bodies, Evelina Valionyte, Elizabeth R. Barrow, Chris R. Baxter, Sharon Herath, Shouqing Luo

Peninsula Medical School

SQSTM1/p62 droplets play crucial roles in droplets-based macroautophagy/autophagy including selective autophagy and bulk autophagy. We observed that under several stress milieus, SQSTM1 droplets entirely colocalize with P-body markers, and these stress-induced SQSTM1 droplets contain mRNAs. We thus determined that under certain stress conditions, autophagic SQSTM1 droplets are converted to a type of enlarged P-bodies, designated SQSTM1/p62-dependent P-bodies (pd-PBs). Stress-enhanced SQSTM1 droplet formation drives the nucleation of pd-PBs through the interaction between SQSTM1 and the RNA-binding protein DDX6. Furthermore, pd-PBs sequester PYCARD, facilitating the assembly of NLRP3 inflammasomes, and in turn induce inflammation-related cytotoxicity. Our study suggests that under stress settings, …

An Introduction To The Zakharov Equation For Modelling Deep Water Waves, Raphael Stuhlmeier

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Psychological Therapy On Psychological Wellbeing And Quality-Of-Life In Functional Neurological Disorder: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Natalie Sen

School of Psychology Theses

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a common and complex condition, with a heterogeneous presentation of motor, sensory and cognitive symptoms. FND often results in significant physical disability, poor psychological wellbeing, and poor quality-of-life. A growing evidence base has been developing on the effectiveness of psychological therapy (PT) for people with FND. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to understand the effectiveness of PT on psychological wellbeing and quality-of-life in people with FND, building on existing reviews to update and strengthen the knowledge base.A systematic search was performed on four electronic databases to identify research studies evaluating 1:1 outpatient PT …

Modelling Reservoir Sediment Flushing Through A Bottom Tunnel With An Initially Covered Intake, Yining Sun, Ji Li, Zhixian Cao, Jinxin Liu, Huan Xu, Alistair G.L. Borthwick

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Sediment flushing through a bottom tunnel is one of the most effective methods to alleviate reservoir sedimentation. However, the multi-physical hydro-sediment-morphological processes of reservoir sediment flushing through an initially covered bottom tunnel intake have remained poorly understood, and a physically enhanced and practically viable mathematical model is required. The present study uses an integrated model to resolve sediment flushing through an initially covered bottom tunnel intake. The proposed model couples a two-dimensional double layer-averaged model for the reservoir with a one-dimensional model for the bottom tunnel by means of numerical fluxes calculations at the inner boundary. The governing equations are …

Ecosystem-Scale Patterns In The Diversity, Seasonal Dynamics And Physiology Of Antagonistic Diatom-Bacteria Interactions In The Western English Channel, Laura Branscombe

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Diatoms, a major group of marine and freshwater microalgae, are one of the most successful phototrophic organisms in the oceans. Their ubiquity and abundance pins them as important drivers of marine biogeochemical cycles and significant components of marine food webs. Diatoms exist within a complex web of interactions with other microbes, including equally ubiquitous marine bacteria. Interkingdom interactions between diatoms and bacteria are both diverse and numerous, and they underpin the success of diatoms through their resulting impacts on diatom physiology. Interactions between diatoms and antagonistic bacteria are increasingly recognised to significantly impact diatom growth and physiology, and potentially represent …

Nuanced Impacts And Social Perceptions Of Alpine Newts Ichthyosaura Alpestris In The Uk, Alexandra North

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Invasive species are major drivers of environmental change and their incidence appear to be growing worldwide. An understanding of the subtleties and complexities of invasion is important for conservation decision-making as not all introduced species become invasive, and the impacts of those that do can be highly context dependent. The alpine newt Ichthyosaura alpestris is a non-native species that is now widely distributed across the UK. An understanding of the drivers of introduction and spread of this species are in its infancy, and whilst anecdotal reports are indicative of negative ecological impacts, empirical evidence is lacking. This interdisciplinary thesis aims …

Population Genetics Of Green (Chelonia Mydas) And Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys Imbricata) In Grenada, West Indies, Naomi Westlake

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Sea turtle populations within Grenada are believed to be in decline, consistent with worldwide trends. Conservation strategies for green and hawksbill turtles in Grenada are currently limited by a lack of detailed knowledge of the genetic make-up, life history and migration patterns of the local aggregates of these species. Genetic characterisation provides a means for inferring population diversity and origins for these aggregates and to assess potential impacts from regional and worldwide management strategies. Additionally, chelonid alphaherpesvirus-5 (ChHV5) and ChHV5-associated fibropapillomatosis (FP) have recently been reported within Grenada’s green turtle population, but the epidemiology of the disease in Grenada remains …