Digital Commons Network^™

Mir-302 Regulates Pancreatic Progenitor Pool And Pancreatic Size, Ziyue Z Yang, Caroline G Snider, Ronald J Parchem

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Disruptions in pancreatic development can lead to health issues such as pancreatic agenesis and congenital diabetes mellitus. Understanding pancreatic organogenesis is critical for elucidating disease mechanisms and developing regenerative therapies. The pancreas consists of endocrine and exocrine cells, both of which are derived from multipotent progenitor cells (MPCs). MPC proliferation and differentiation are tightly controlled by multiple mechanisms, including post-transcriptional regulation by miRNAs. However, these regulatory factors are not fully understood. Here, we profiled miRNA expression in MPCs and identified that mir-302 was highly enriched during the earliest stages of pancreatic development. Loss of mir-302 resulted in reduced pancreatic size …

Cerebellar Deep Brain Stimulation Rescues Purkinje Cell Mitochondrial Density In A Genetic Mouse Model Of Cerebellar Ataxia, Lauren N Miterko-Myers, Lauren E Peacoe, Lita Duraine, Zhongyuan Zuo, Roy V Sillitoe

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) improves motor function in a growing list of movement diseases including Parkinson's disease, dystonia, and tremor. There is evidence that DBS may also be effective in ataxia. It is not known why DBS is effective, but modulating cell activity and conferring neuroprotection are hypothesized to underlie its benefits. Understanding the effects of DBS on neurons is paramount to extending its clinical use in the treatment of various motor and non-motor diseases. Here, we stimulated the cerebellum of Car8 waddles (Car8wdl) mice, given the cerebellum's important role in ataxia pathophysiology. Using transmission electron microscopy, we tested the …

Surface Marker Identification To Capture Live Circulating Tumor Cells In Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Bree M Lege, Khushali J Patel, Brendan Panici, Ping Gong, Michael T Lewis, Matthew J Ellis, Chonghui Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly aggressive and lacks targeted therapies. Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are invaluable for monitoring metastatic tumor progression and treatment response but are difficult to capture because of their rarity and heterogeneity. Surface-based staining for live CTCs is essential to preserve RNA quality in single cells, but current markers tend to perform poorly on more mesenchymal tumor cells such as TNBCs. To enhance live TNBC CTC detection, we developed a workflow for live CTC capture and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Using a mouse model of metastatic TNBC, we identified four new CTC surface markers, AHNAK2, …

Empowering Through Structured Boundaries: An Integral Model For Fostering Balanced Eating And Nutritional Well-Being, Citrine Elatrash, Colleen Macke, Jenna Shi, Theresa Wilson, Sarah H Elsea, Stephanie Sisley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Treating obesity in complex disorders requires individualized health management plans. Effective obesity management in the Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) population has multiple inherent barriers related to their cognitive impairments, anxiety, behavioral disturbances, and sleep disorders. However, to date, no research exists related to strategies caregivers successfully employ to help individuals with SMS manage their food intake and mitigate associated behaviors.

Methods: We performed a qualitative thematic analysis of group interviews from 23 caregivers representing 21 individuals with SMS. Hybrid thematic analysis revealed that successful strategies employed by caregivers in this unique population revolved around a global theme of Empowering Through …

Lysine Demethylase 4a Is A Centrosome-Associated Protein Required For Centrosome Integrity And Genomic Stability, Pratim Chowdhury, Xiaoli Wang, Richard I Han, Manga Motrapu, Ashley G Boice, Yuya Nakatani, Sofia Vargas-Hernandez, Julia F Love, Claude Chew, Sandra L Grimm, Dereck Mezquita, Frank M Mason, Elisabeth D Martinez, Cristian Coarfa, Cheryl L Walker, Anna-Karin Gustavsson, Ruhee Dere

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Centrosomes play a fundamental role in nucleating and organizing microtubules in the cell and are vital for faithful chromosome segregation and maintenance of genomic stability. Loss of structural or functional integrity of centrosomes causes genomic instability and is a driver of oncogenesis. Here we identify lysine demethylase 4A (KDM4A), an epigenetic 'eraser' of chromatin methyl marks, as a centrosome-localized protein, visualized at the nanometer-scale resolution. We additionally uncovered that KDM4A demethylase enzymatic activity is required to maintain centrosome homeostasis and integrity; a previously unknown functionality unlinked to altered expression of genes regulating centrosome number. We find that KDM4A interacts with …

If Your Muses Don't Hate You..., Hannah Howe

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

If Your Muses Don’t Hate You… interrogates a speaker who feels she lacks the tools needed to properly assess trauma and grief. This collection follows the speaker as she delves into obsessive analysis of self, often using metaphysical lenses as methods of comprehension. Each section explores a facet of the subject’s identity, and examines whether her heartache is self-inflicted, preordained, or both. Six of the seven sections provide the reader with imaginative interpretations of the speaker’s natal chart, allowing the reader the opportunity to analyze alongside the speaker. The first half of these sections present the speaker struggling to separate …

01.01.01. Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck, Dendrocygna Autumnalis, Bill Pranty, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

The range expansion of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks into and throughout Florida in recent decades has been astonishing.

01.01.02. Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Dendrocygna Bicolor, Z. B. Holmes, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

The Fulvous Whistling-Duck is primarily sub-tropical and occurs throughout Central America, California, Texas, and the Caribbean.

01.01.03. Graylag Goose, Anser Anser, R. T. Engstrom, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

The Graylag Goose is native to Eurasia with widespread domesticated forms. Feral individuals are possibly established locally in Florida. The Graylag Goose, commonly recognized as a domestic goose, is considered a verified, non-established exotic in Florida.

01.01.04. Swan Goose, Anser Cygnoides, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Endemic to Mongolia, northeast China, and eastern Russia; migratory, and wintering in central and eastern China, Swan Goose is the common domestic goose of farms, zoos, and private collections now widely established from introductions in many areas of the USA.

01.01.07. Black Swan, Cygnus Atratus, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Black Swans are native to Australia and Tasmania. Typically, they are found along inland waterways, rivers, sewage ponds, and coastal lagoons and inlets, and sometimes flocks together in enormous numbers on large wetlands. Frequent in waterfowl collections in domesticated settings, they now occur in Japan, eastern China, more densely in Europe and Iceland, and commonly in scattered urban centers in the USA.

01.01.12. Blue-Winged Teal, Spatula Discors, Z. B. Holmes, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

The expansive breeding range of Blue-Winged Teal stretches from the Canadian Arctic to northern Texas while, in the eastern United States, their non-breeding winter range extends from Florida and continues south throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America. In the United States, the highest winter densities occur in southern Texas and peninsular Florida in early January, but teal are present in Florida throughout the year.

01.01.05. Canada Goose, Branta Canadensis, M. J. Walters, S. K. Robinson, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Simply put, the Canada Goose is the most widely distributed goose species in North America. Its breeding range stretches from the arctic coastal plain of Alaska to the northern half of Florida, while its wintering range extends as far south as Baja California and northern Mexico.

01.01.08. Egyptian Goose, Alopochen Aegyptiaca, M. Davis, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

The Egyptian Goose is an aggressive species native to sub-Saharan Africa that has rapidly colonized southeastern Florida in the last 2 decades, likely as a result of escapees from aviculture. It was first documented as nesting in Martin County in 2002 and has since become established throughout the southeastern Atlantic coastal counties and a few other locations in central Florida.

01.01.13. Mallard, Anas Platyrhynchos, R. D. Goodwin, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

The Mallard is one of the most widely distributed ducks in the world with breeding populations found on 3 continents. It is also known as an uncommon to common resident throughout Florida derived from domestic stock. It has become established mostly in urban areas around the large population centers of Tampa/St. Petersburg, Orlando, and Jacksonville.

01.01.17. Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes Cucullatus, B. H. Anderson, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

“Hoodie” is not only a nickname given to a hooded sweatshirt, but to the exquisitely patterned Hooded Merganser by hunters and birders, alike. Mainly piscivores, mergansers differ from most other ducks by having a long, rather narrow bill, serrated along the edges to firmly secure the prey they capture while diving.

01.01.15. Mottled Duck, Anas Fulvigula, K. M. Mcbride, A. Auger, A. T. Fanning, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

The Mottled Duck, a southern relative of the American Black Duck and the Mallard, inhabits peninsular Florida and coastal marshes along the Gulf of Mexico from Alabama west and south to Tampico, Mexico. Established populations also exist in South Carolina and Georgia because of introductions.

01.01.11. Mandarin Duck, Aix Galericulata, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Mandarin Ducks, congeners of the Wood Duck (Aix sponsa), are small, colorful ducks native to Japan, Korea, and eastern China. Frequently introduced as pinioned waterfowl in domesticated settings they now occur commonly in Europe, Iceland, and North America.

01.01.09. Muscovy Duck, Cairina Moschata, M. J. Walters, S. K. Robinson, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Of the roughly 100 bird species introduced to Florida over the years, 14 are considered established species, including the Muscovy Duck. The native range of this large, bulky duck species includes Central and South America, Mexico, and the southernmost regions of Texas.

01.01.06. Mute Swan, Cygnus Olor, Bill Pranty, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Of the seven species of swans that have been documented in Florida, only the non-breeding Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) is native. The other six species, including the Mute Swan, have been imported into Florida and then released at various lakes across the state for aesthetic purposes. Mute Swans are native from Great Britain, Scandinavia, and Russia south through central Europe to the Balkans, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Siberia, and northern China.

01.01.16. Ring-Necked Duck, Aythya Collaris, K. M. Mcbride, A. Auger, A. T. Fanning, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

The Ring-necked Duck is a small to medium-sized diving duck with distinctive white bill markings and a short crest that gives its head an angular profile. The species is native to North America, but sightings outside of the continent are increasingly common. Migratory throughout its range, this duck nests at generally low densities in subarctic deltas, taiga, boreal forest, aspen parkland and, to a lesser extent, prairie regions.

01.01.18. Ruddy Duck, Oxyura Jamaicensis, C. Chancy, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

The Ruddy Duck can be distinguished from most North American ducks by its unique plumage and stature. This stocky, still-tailed duck breeds in the southwest and southern interior of Canada and extends its breeding range into the Lower 48 to southern California, across the northern southwest, and up through Nebraska, the Dakotas, and the western half of Minnesota.

01.01.10. Wood Duck, Aix Sponsa, Z. B. Holmes, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

01.01. <em>Anatidae</em> - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

In the early 1900s, wood ducks were threatened with extinction due to overhunting and loss of habitat, however, protections beginning in 1918 with the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act coupled with management plans saved this species from extinction. Wood Ducks breed throughout the United States and into southern Canada, predominantly following freshwater sources bordered by shrubby or forested swamps.

Prevalence Of Clinically Relevant Nightmares And Their Differences By Sex And Diagnosis In Psychiatric Inpatients, Katrina A Rufino, Michelle A Patriquin, Courtney B Worley, Michael R Nadorff

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Nightmares have been shown to be associated with numerous forms of psychopathology, but the vast majority of this research has taken place in the general population and very little is known about their relation with psychopathology in those requiring inpatient hospitalization. In a sample of 1170 voluntarily admitted psychiatric inpatients, this study explores the frequency of reported nightmares in psychiatric inpatients with the aim of examining the prevalence of psychiatric diagnosis in those with and without clinically relevant nightmares. Participants completed the Disturbing Dream and Nightmare Severity Index (DDNSI) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID-5) at admission. …

Lessons Learned From An Epic Transformation Of A Radiation Oncology Department In Guatemala: Keys To Success, Edgar Ruiz, Hiram A Gay, Milton Ixquiac, Angel Velarde, Baozhou Sun, Jose García-Ramirez, Eric Laugeman, Benjamin Li, Jeff Michalski, Vicky De Falla, Geoff Hugo, Jacaranda Van Rheenen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: We describe the radical modernization of a radiation oncology department in a developing country, Guatemala, from 2015 to the beginning of 2024. The Instituto de Cancerología y Hospital Dr. Bernardo del Valle S (INCAN) is the only public radiotherapy clinic serving patient referrals from the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance program.

Methods and materials: We describe the state of the radiation oncology department in 2015 versus 2024 while chronicling its gradual transformation. This multifaceted collaboration involved academic centers, government agencies, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), industry, and nonprofits and continues to this day. We analyze the infrastructure, …

Gallbladder Decompression And Hydrodissection As Adjuncts For Ablation Of Pericholecystic Hepatocellular Carcinomas, Taylor Hoffman, Arta Kasaeian, Johnathon Chung, Ashkan Berenji, David Wynne, Mohammad Ghasemi-Rad, David Léon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Microwave ablation is an effective treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma, but tumors adjacent to extrahepatic organs carry a higher risk for thermal injury. Thermoprotective techniques such as hydrodissection and gallbladder decompression can reduce this risk and expand the range of lesions amenable to percutaneous treatment. We present a case of a 68-year-old woman with hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatic segment V, with partial treatment response from prior transarterial chemoembolization. Due to the lesion's proximity to the gallbladder and transverse colon, microwave ablation was performed with concurrent ultrasound- and CT-guided gallbladder decompression and hydrodissection. The ablation was technically successful without post-procedural complications. At …

Brain Death Versus Circulatory Death: How Functional Warm Ischemia And Cold Storage Impact Myocardial Membrane Repair In Human Donor Hearts, Shiyi Li, Rishav Bhattacharya, Abdussalam E Elsenousi, Katherine V Nordick, Adel M Hassan, Syed B Peer, Camila Hochman-Mendez, Todd K Rosengart, Kenneth K Liao, Nandan K Mondal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This study compares myocardial injury responses in human donor hearts from donation after brain death (DBD) and donation after circulatory death (DCD), with a focus on myocardial membrane integrity, pyroptosis, and damage. Unlike DCD hearts, which are exposed to varying durations of functional warm ischemic time (fWIT), DBD hearts, which are never subjected to warm ischemia, served as controls. A total of 24 human hearts were procured, consisting of 6 from the DBD group and 18 from the DCD group. All procured hearts were placed in cold normal saline and stored for up to 6 h. Left ventricular biopsies were …

Beyond Restless Sleep: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Risk, Aging Biomarkers, And Chronic Low Back Pain, Khalid W Freij, Fiona Bat Agbor, Philemon Domoyeri, Kiari R Kinnie, Asia M Wiggins, Demario S Overstreet, Tammie L Quinn, Shivraj S Grewal, S Justin Thomas, Walid W Freij, Shameka L Cody, Michael A Owens, Robert E Sorge, Burel R Goodin, Edwin N Aroke

2020-Current year OA Pubs

This secondary data analysis aimed to determine the nature of the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk, biological age acceleration, and nonspecific chronic low back pain (CLBP). In total, 199 adults aged 18-82 years who filled both STOPBANG and pain questionnaires subsetted for secondary analysis. Based on the STOPBANG questionnaire, 104 had a low OSA risk and 95 had an intermediate or high OSA risk. Dunedin Pace of Aging Computed from the Epigenome (DunedinPACE), Horvath's, Hannum's, PhenoAge, and GrimAge clocks were used to determine biological age and pace of biological aging. Individuals with low OSA risk reported increased DunedinPACE …

¡Salud! Sacrificing The Sacred Sip: A Critical Analysis Of The Impact Of The Spiritual Conquest On Alcohol Traditions In Central México, Elizabeth Vilchis

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

By thoroughly investigating the available primary sources, this thesis will convey the importance of the Mesoamerican inebriating drink pulque in both the ethos and mythos of ancient Nahua society, examining how the ritual use of pulque became problematic in the eyes of the Spaniards, by investigating the cultural and ideological contradictions or double standards that enabled the tensions, struggles, and violence with which the Spanish colonial regime repressed the ritual use of pulque. This thesis compares the Nahua ethos and mythos of pulque to the Christian ethos and mythos of wine, highlighting the parallels perceived by Spaniards in Central México …

Drone Dichotomy: Investigating The Application Of Unmanned Aerial Systems For Offensive And Defensive Chemical, Biological, Radiological, And Nuclear-Related Tasks, Evan Jacob Martinovitch

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis investigates the application of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for both offensive and defensive chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) tasks to determine if they serve as a force multiplier on the modern battlefield. As CBRN weapons reemerge as realistic threats alongside the rapid proliferation of UAS, the intersection of these fields presents unique challenges and opportunities. Through a methodology that examines the history of the UAS-CBRN intersection, military doctrine, and the status of UAS technology, this research evaluates the capability of current and emerging UAS against specific CBRN delivery, reconnaissance and surveillance, and decontamination tasks. The analysis conducted …