Life Sciences Commons^™

Genetic, Social And Behavioral Risk Factors Associated With Alzheimer’S Disease, Vineela Nagamalla, Jay Patel, Mir Saleem

Biology Faculty Articles

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition which consists of stages of mental, memory, and cognitive decline. As it continues to stand as the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., 44 million people worldwide are affected. The objective of this paper is to explore the risk factors for AD in an attempt to examine potential causes for the incidence of AD. We examined genetics, lifestyle, and pre-existing conditions as risk factors for AD. We found that there are various alleles, such as APP, PSEN, ADAM, APOE, and TREM2, that play a role in the development of AD. It …

Correction To: Latitudinal Variation In Monthly-Scale Reproductive Synchrony Among Acropora Coral Assemblages In The Indo-Pacific, Jessica Bouwmeester, Alasdair J. Edwards, James R. Guest, Andrew G. Bauman, Michael L. Berumen, Andrew H. Baird

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Saving The Last Unicorns: The Genetic Rescue Of Florida’S Pillar Corals, Karen L. Neely, Cynthia L. Lewis, Keri O’Neil, Cheryl M. Woodley, Jennifer Moore, Zach Ransom, Amelia Moura, Ken Nedimyer, David Vaughan

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

As stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) swept through the Florida Reef Tract, one of the most severely impacted species was the iconic pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus. As the species’ population experienced a precipitous decline, a collaborative rescue project collected colony fragments for safekeeping at onshore and offshore nursery facilities. Between 2015 and 2019, a total of 574 fragments representing 128 genotypes were collected. These are currently dispersed among five facilities where they continue to provide opportunities to (1) refine best husbandry practices for D. cylindrus, (2) develop treatment options for SCTLD that have been adapted for use …

Experimental Evidence That Metapopulation Structure Can Accelerate Adaptive Evolution, Partha Pratim Chakraborty, Louis R. Nemzer, Rees Kassen

Chemistry and Physics Faculty Articles

Whether the spatial arrangement of a population influences adaptive evolution has been a long-standing question in population genetics. In contrast to standard population genetic models, evolutionary graph theory (EGT) predicts certain topologies amplify (increase) the probability that a beneficial mutation will spread in the population relative to a well-mixed population. Here, we test these predictions empirically by tracking the fixation dynamics of an antibiotic resistant mutant under positive selection as it spreads through networks of different topologies both in vitro and in silico. We show that star-like topologies involving bi-directional dispersal between a central hub and peripheral leaves can …

Temperature Stress And Disease Drives The Extirpation Of The Threatened Pillar Coral, Dendrogyra Cylindrus, In Southeast Florida, Nicholas P. Jones, Lystina Kabay, Kathleen Semon Lunz, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Rare species population dynamics can elucidate the resilience of an ecosystem. On coral reefs, climate change and local anthropogenic stressors are threatening stony coral persistence, increasing the need to assess vulnerable species locally. Here, we monitored the threatened pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus, population in southeast Florida, USA, in relation to consecutive heat stress events in 2014 and 2015. In the fall of each year, D. cylindrus colonies bleached following intense thermal stress and by June 2020 all monitored colonies died from a white-syndrome type disease. This resulted in the ecological extinction of D. cylindrus in the Southeast Florida Coral …

Persistent Dyspnea, Declined Moderate To Vigorous Physical Activity, Functional Status, And Quality Of Life During The Post-Acute Phase Of Covid-19 Infection: A Pilot Case Control Study., Hussain Aslan Mph. Ed., Msc., Corey Tomczak Phd, Darcy Marciniuk Md, Scotty Butcher Phd

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the multifaceted impacts of post-acute phase of COVID-19 infection on the sense of dyspnea, select intensities of physical activity, functional, and psychological variables among survivors compared to age matched healthy participants and their implications for rehabilitation programs in this population.

Methods: Seventy-eight (male, female age 30-70 yrs.) participants (39 COVID-infected, CI and 39 age-matched healthy controls, HC). Four questionnaires were used to assess the variables in this study: dyspnea scale of the Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Functional Status Questionnaire (FSQ), and the RAND-36 measure …

Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, And Clinical Manifestations Of Acute Esophageal Necrosis In Adults, Obaid Rehman, Urooj Jaferi, Inderbir Padda, Nimrat Khehra, Harshan Atwal, Mayur Parmar

HPD Articles

Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN), also termed "black esophagus," is a unique and uncommon occurrence observed in severely sick patients. Other terminologies include acute necrotizing esophagitis and Gurvits syndrome. This condition is described as a darkened distal third of the esophagus observed on endoscopy and presents as an upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleed, difficulty swallowing, abdominal pain, fever, syncope, nausea, and vomiting. The etiology of AEN has been linked to several possibilities, such as excessive gastric acid reflux, hypoperfusion, and ischemia due to impaired vascular supply and hemodynamic instability. Risk factors include increased age, sex (male), heart disease, hemodynamic insufficiency, alcohol use, …

Stable Isotopes And Community Surveys Reveal Differential Use Of Artificial And Natural Reefs By South Florida Fishes, Christopher Blanar, Joseph R. Hornbeck, David Kerstetter, Amy Hirons

Biology Faculty Articles

Artificial reefs may enhance the biological production of reef-associated flora and fauna, but their trophic structure relative to that of natural reefs remains understudied. We assessed trophic relationships by 1) comparing reef fish communities and 2) comparing δ13C and δ15N in 43 fish species from both artificial reef sites and adjacent natural reef tracts in Broward County, Florida. We tested the effect of sampling location (artificial, first, and second reef), general feeding strategy (herbivore, omnivore, invertivore, and carnivore), phylogeny, and standard length on δ13C and δ15N. The reef fish communities of the artificial and natural reef tracts were significantly different; …

Toxoplasma Gondii Infections Are Associated With Costly Boldness Toward Felids In A Wild Host, Eben Gering, Zachary M. Laubach, Patty Sue D. Weber, Gisela Soboll Hussey, Kenna D. S. Lehmann, Tracy M. Montgomery, Julie W. Turner, Wei Perng, Malit O. Pioon, Kay E. Holekamp, Thomas Getty

Biology Faculty Articles

Toxoplasma gondii is hypothesized to manipulate the behavior of warm-blooded hosts to promote trophic transmission into the parasite’s definitive feline hosts. A key prediction of this hypothesis is that T. gondii infections of non-feline hosts are associated with costly behavior toward T. gondii’s definitive hosts; however, this effect has not been documented in any of the parasite’s diverse wild hosts during naturally occurring interactions with felines. Here, three decades of field observations reveal that T. gondii-infected hyena cubs approach lions more closely than uninfected peers and have higher rates of lion mortality. We discuss these results in light …

Dental Calculus As A Proxy For Animal Microbiomes, Andrew T. Ozga, Claudio Ottoni

Biology Faculty Articles

The field of dental calculus research has exploded in recent years, predominantly due to the multitude of studies related to human genomes and oral pathogens. Despite having a subset of these studies devoted to non-human primates, little progress has been made in the distribution of oral pathogens across domestic and wild animal populations. This overlooked avenue of research is particularly important at present when many animal populations with the potentiality for zoonotic transmission continue to reside in close proximity to human groups due to reasons such as deforestation and climatic impacts on resource availability. Here, we analyze all previously available …

Evaluating The Effects Of Physical Activity On The Cognitive Functions And Motor Skills Of The Special Needs Population And Testing A Different Teaching Style To Maximize The Efficiency Of Special Needs Programs, Oren Nedjar

BIO4960: Practicum in Biology I

This study aimed to analyze the effects of physical activities on the motor and cognitive functions of participants with special needs and compare these results with a similar program but organized online because of the health precautions that have been applied due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An intervention consisting of sending an educational brochure aiming to increase high school volunteers' health literacy was then tested and results showed that it improved participants' health outcomes and also could increase the program's effectiveness in the long term.

Acetaminophen Potentiates Fear Processing: A Comparison Between Ancestral And Modern Threats, Andrew Gallup, Brianda Gagnon, Gillian Perry, Omar T. Eldakar

Biology Faculty Articles

The painkilling medication acetaminophen produces a variety of unintended psychological effects. In particular, it has been shown to diminish varied forms of psychological distress by attenuating neural activity in the cerebral cortex and enhancing the signaling of serotonin. As a result, this over-the-counter medication appears to dampen overall affective processing and has been termed “an all-purpose emotion reliever.” However, this drug may not necessarily modify all emotions in the same manner. Specifically, fear processing occurs rapidly within the amygdala and is governed by serotonin. Thus, by blunting cortical activity and facilitating serotonergic action, acetaminophen could in fact potentiate reactions to …

Effects Of Covid-19 On Global Healthcare Research And Management, Stephanie Autore, Santanu De

Biology Faculty Articles

The Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected most nations at all levels of functioning, individual to governmental. Therefore, it is imperative to evaluate the effects the virus has had on one of the most important socioeconomic global sectors – healthcare. This comprehensive literature review explores key, recent research and management strategies that have been undertaken in healthcare systems around the world in order to make meaningful attempts at identifying the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment the disease, and combating the spread of this deadly virus. Healthcare facilities have implemented a variety of changes, all geared towards reducing non-emergency patient …

Proceedings From The Second Annual Society For Neurosports Conference, William R. Kochen

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Proceedings from the Second Annual Society for NeuroSports Conference

Muscular Performance And Neuromuscular Fatigue Are Not Sex-Dependent During Low-Load Fatiguing Bilateral Leg Extension Exercise, Taylor K. Dinyer, Evangeline P. Soucie, Pasquale J. Succi, Caleb C. Voskuil, M. Travis Byrd, Haley C. Bergstrom

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Purpose. This study examined the sex-related differences in muscular performance and neuromuscular (electromyographic [EMG] and mechanomyographic [MMG] amplitude [AMP] and mean power frequency [MPF]) responses during fatiguing leg extension repetitions performed at the critical load (CL). Methods. Eleven men and nine women completed one-repetition maximum (1RM) testing, repetitions to failure at 50, 60, 70, and 80% 1RM to determine CL, and repetitions to failure at CL, on separate days. The EMG and MMG, AMP and MPF signals and number of repetitions completed were recorded. Results. There were no sex-dependent responses in the %1RM that corresponded to, the number of repetitions …

Effects Of Tropical Cyclones On Incubation And Hatch Frequency Of Marine Turtles In Broward County, Fl: An Exploratory Look For Potential Cues Of Environmentally Cued Hatching (Ech), Alexis Peterson

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Due to climate change and warming sea surface temperatures (SST), the intensity and frequency of tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic are continuing to increase. Tropical cyclones have many direct and indirect effects on coastal and marine species, such as sea turtles. Sea turtles are extremely vulnerable to climate change, due to having life history, physiology, and behavioral traits that are heavily influenced by environmental factors (Fuentes and Porter 2013). This study examined whether tropical cyclones serve as a triggering event for environmentally cued hatching (ECH) in loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtle nests …

Increasing The Frequency Of Periodic Spatial Disturbance Decreases Surface Attachment Protein Expression In Staphylococcus Aureus, Ivana M. Barraza

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause a variety of acute and chronic illnesses. The severity of these illnesses such as sepsis, necrotizing pneumonia, and toxic shock syndrome is measured through the virulence that S. aureus inflicts on its host. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is commonly associated with secondary infections and is challenging to treat given the limited selection of antibiotics that are effective against it. Accordingly, novel approaches to reduce S. aureus pathogenicity are required. S. aureus regulates pathogenesis through a cell-to-cell communication system referred to as quorum sensing. Effective communication determines the production of two broad …

Optimization Of Grow-Out Of Bouldering Coral Microfragments: Land Vs. Offshore Nursery, Ashlee A. Steinberg

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Corals along the Florida Reef Tract and the wider Caribbean have been declining for decades. Low densities of adult colonies hinder the ability of corals to replenish themselves through sexual reproduction, thus reef managers are focusing on restoration actions that increase coral biomass. Microfragmentation is a way to quickly increase the biomass of bouldering corals by cutting the coral into small pieces which forces the coral to allocate its resources away from reproduction and back into growth, increasing its growth rate. This study assessed the optimal location for grow-out (land vs. offshore nursery) and its synergy with size of fragment …

Winter Skate (Leucoraja Ocellata) Neurocranium, Daulton J. Scharf, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Prepared Winter Skate Jaw

Winter Skate (Leucoraja Ocellata) Jaw, Krystal Renta, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw prep from Winter Skate (Leucoraja ocellata)

Rapid Population Decline Of The Pillar Coral Dendrogyra Cylindrus Along The Florida Reef Tract, Karen L. Neely, Cynthia L. Lewis, Kathleen S. Lunz, Lystina Kabay

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coral reefs worldwide are in a state of decline, but the population status and impacts of stressors for rare species are generally not well documented using broad-scale monitoring protocols. We fate-tracked all known colonies of the pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus, on the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) from 2013 to 2020 to assess population condition and trend, and to document the relative impacts of chronic and acute stressors. Large average colony size, an absence of juveniles, and large geographic distances between genotypes suggest that the Florida D. cylindrus population has been reproductively extinct for decades. During the study period, low-intensity …

Barndoor Skate (Dipturus Laevis) Jaw Prep, Nathan P. Andrews, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw Prep from Barndoor Skate (Dipturis laevis)

Journey Into Midnight: Population Dynamics, Vertical Distribution, And Trophic Ecology Of Whalefishes (Cetomimidae) In The Bathypelagic Gulf Of Mexico, Rachel Eckley

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Despite comprising the largest biome on Earth, the bathypelagic zone inhabitants represent a “black hole” in the understanding of deep-oceanic functioning due to physical and monetary limitations. The characteristics of the global bathypelagic realm create a limiting environment only inhabitable by specially adapted fauna. These include whalefishes (Stephanoberycoidei: Cetomimidae), which are a taxonomically and systematically challenging group of primarily bathypelagic fishes.

Cetomimids were collected in the Gulf of Mexico using high-speed rope trawls and a multiple-opening-and-closing net system. Population dynamics were described using morphometric analysis. Vertical distributions, including diel variation, were described using a modified boxplot of abundance standardized by …

Trophic Ecology And Functional Morphology Of The Scaleless Black Dragonfishes (Family Stomiidae; Subfamily Melanostomiinae), Ryan P. Mcgonagle

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Dragonfishes (Family Stomiidae) are considered the most numerically important and diverse taxon of higher-level meso- and bathypelagic predators in oceanic food webs, with the subfamily Melanostomiinae contributing 220 of the 317 species. The Stomiidae is also the most speciose fish family in the Gulf of Mexico. The relationship between diversity (both systematic and morphological) and feeding of the Melanostomiinae has not been previously examined due to sample size limitation. Here the diet and morphology of 16 species of dragonfishes in the Gulf of Mexico was examined to address the question, “Does the extraordinary speciation in this most-diverse deep-pelagic fish clade …

[Squalus Acanthus (Spiny Dogfish Shark)]Jaw, Ally E. Sheehan

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw from Female, [length] 6cm, [width] 5.5 cm [Squalus acanthias (Sping Dogfish shark)]

Spiny Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias) Jaw Prep, Olivia Williams, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw from female spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)

Spiny Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias) Jaw, Jordan Warren, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw from approximately 1 m total length Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias).

Spiny Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias) Jaw Prep, Matthew B. Edwards, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw from Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias)

Male Longnose Skate (Raja Rhina) Jaw, James A. Moss, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Male Longnose Skate Jaw (Raja rhina). Provided by Dr. David Kerstetter.

Barndoor Skate (Dipturus Laevis) Jaw, Erika M. Carrera, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw from 14.4 cm total length (TL) Barndoor skate (Dipturus laevis), collected from Massachusetts on an unknown date by Jeff Kneebone