Life Sciences Commons^™

Barndoor Skate (Dipturus Laevis) Jaw Prep, Chase Adam Dejarnett, David Kerstetter

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

Barndoor skate (Dipturus laevis) jaw preparation done by Chase DeJarnett and David Kerstetter for the Sharks and Their Relatives course Winter Semester 2021.

Squalus Acanthias, Spiny Dogfish Shark, Jaw, Sam Snell, David Kerstetter

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

Jaw from Squalus acanthias, Spiny Dogfish Shark

Longnose Skate (Raja Rhina) Jaw, Tyler Miclau, David W. Kerstetter

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

Jaw from Longnose Skate (Raja rhina)

Winter Skate (Leucoraja Ocellata) Jaw, Paige Spratt, Kathryn Kuruoglu, David W. Kerstetter

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

Jaw from a winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata)

Ddpcr Reveals Sars-Cov-2 Variants In Florida Wastewater, Eben Gering, Jacob Colbert, Sarah Schmedes, George Duncan, Jose V. Lopez, Jessy Motes, James Weiss, Taj Azarian, Omer Tekin, Jason Blanton

Biology Faculty Articles

Wastewater was screened for the presence of functionally significant mutations in SARS-CoV-2 associated with emerging variants of concern (VOC) by ddPCR, and results accorded with sequencing of clinical samples from the same region. We propose that PCR-based screening of wastewater can provide a powerful tool for rapid and inexpensive screening of large population segments for VOC-associated mutations and can hone complementary sampling and sequencing of direct (human) test material to track emerging VOC.

Winter Skate (Leucoraja Ocellata) Jaw, Emily M. Salonia, David W. Kerstetter

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

Jaw 11.7 cm total length (TL) from Winter Skate (Leucoraja ocellata) collected from NSU Fisheries and Avian Ecology Laboratory on 3/23/21 by Emily Salonia.

Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus Limbatus) Jaw, Katerina D. Sawickij, David Kerstetter

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

Jaw from 176.1 cm total length (TL) Carcharhinus limbatus (Blacktip), collected from Hollywood Beach, FL on 3/13/21 by Katerina Sawickij.

Longnose Skate Jaw (Beringraja Rhina), Golda Stewart, David Kerstetter

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

Jaw from female Longnose Skate (Beringraja rhina) collected on 30/3/2021 by Golda Stewart.

Exotic Brittle Star Interactions With Native Octocoral Epizoites: An Endemic Benthic Ctenophore In Peril?, Peter Glynn, Brian Coffman, Kyle Detloff, Joshua Dominguez, Philip Gilette, Nicholas Martinez, Nicolas Jones, Bernhard Riegl

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Widespread and large populations of the exotic eastern Pacific ophiuroid brittle star Opthiothela mirabilis now occur in southeastern Florida, extending the range of this recently introduced species from southern Brazil northward to the eastern Caribbean Sea and Florida. The Florida brittle stars, representing two lineages, are epibionts on shallow (3-18 m depth), tropical/subtropical plexaurid (e.g., Eunicea spp., Muricea elongata) and gorgoniid (Antillogorgia spp.) octocorals. The scope of this study includes recent distributional records of O. mirabilis in south Florida, field abundances in relation to the cohabiting endemic ctenophore Coeloplana waltoni, behavioral observations of the ophiuroid, ctenophore and …

Spiny Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias) Jaw Prep, Meredith M. Pratt, David W. Kerstetter

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

Spiny dogfish jaw prep performed at NSU's Fisheries and Avian Ecology lab.

Analysis Of Student Learning Gains In A Biochemistry Cure Course During The Mandatory Covid-19 Shift To Online Learning, Ambika Kapil, Santanu De, Arthur Sikora

Biology Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, institutions across the world have had to make modifications to existing curricula, especially in the experimental science lab. There is a need to better understand student learning in this environment. Using the Participant Perception Indicator (PPI) survey, we measure the students’ knowledge, experience, and confidence (KEC) growth over the course of a fully online biochemistry course. Using a combination of video explanations, experimental procedure documents and sample data students completed the Biochemistry Authentic Scientific Inquiry Lab (BASIL) Course-based Undergraduate Experience (CURE) in summer 2020. The results and analysis of the survey data gave light …

A Crucial Role For Antimicrobial Stewardship In The Midst Of Covid-19, Bindu Mayi, Manda Mainville, Rida Altaf, Michelle Lanspa, Sheel Vaniawala, Thomas A. Ollerhead, Aarti Raja

Biology Faculty Articles

As the world deals with a pandemic, there remains another global challenge that cannot be ignored. Use of broad-spectrum antibiotics may be justified, as we are trying to treat a novel disease condition, which, in turn, could lead to an increase in antimicrobial resistance. We can decrease morbidity, mortality, and health care costs by controlling antimicrobial resistance, but it requires antimicrobial stewardship. Major components of effective and timely antimicrobial stewardship are diagnostic stewardship, infection prevention and control, and integration of COVID-19-specific flags into electronic health records, all of which may be integrated into current strategies of COVID-19 mitigation and management. …

A Crucial Role For Antimicrobial Stewardship In The Midst Of Covid-19, Bindu S. Mayi, Manda Mainville, Rida Altaf, Michelle Lanspa, Sheel Vaniawala, Thomas A. Ollerhead, Aarti Raja

Biology Faculty Articles

As the world deals with a pandemic, there remains another global challenge that cannot be ignored. Use of broad-spectrum antibiotics may be justified, as we are trying to treat a novel disease condition, which, in turn, could lead to an increase in antimicrobial resistance. We can decrease morbidity, mortality, and health care costs by controlling antimicrobial resistance, but it requires antimicrobial stewardship. Major components of effective and timely antimicrobial stewardship are diagnostic stewardship, infection prevention and control, and integration of COVID-19-specific flags into electronic health records, all of which may be integrated into current strategies of COVID-19 mitigation and management. …

Binding Partners Of 14-3-3 (Ywha) Protein Isoforms Among Mammalian Species, Tissues, And Developmental Stages, Taylor R. Covington, Santanu De

Biology Faculty Articles

The 14-3-3 (YWHA or Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase/Tryptophan 5-Monooxygenase Activation proteins) are a family of abundant, highly conserved, ubiquitous, acidic, and homologous proteins expressed in most eukaryotes ranging from plants to animals, including humans, important in regulating a multitude of cellular processes such as signal transduction, cell cycle, protein trafficking, metabolism, apoptosis, and development. Mammals have been noted contain seven isoforms of these proteins (beta, epsilon, eta, gamma, sigma, tau/theta, and zeta), encoded by separate genes. The 14-3-3 proteins are known to interact with over 200 binding partners in isoform-specific, tissue-specific, and developmental stage-specific ways. The present review article encapsulates previously published …

Creatine Supplementation On Cognitive Performance Following Exercise In Female Muay Thai Athletes, Lawert A.M. Pires, Scott C. Forbes, Darren G. Candow, Marco Machado

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

BACKGROUND: Creatine supplementation has some beneficial effects on cognitive processing in healthy adults, including athletes; however the effects on cognitive function following exhaustive exercise in athletes is unknown. Therefore, the purpose was to determine the effects of 28 days of creatine supplementation on tasks of cognitive performance immediately following exhaustive exercise in Muay Thai female athletes compared to placebo. METHODS: Using a repeated measures, double-blind, placebo controlled design, 26 female Muay Thai athletes (age: 26 ± 5 years; body mass: 65.1 ± 6.6 kg; height: 162 ± 5 cm; training experience: 2.6 ± 0.6 years) were randomized to supplement with …

Creatine And Cognitive Functioning: What Is The Role Of Exercise Frequency?, Jonathan B. Banks, Jose Antonio, Amanda S. Holtzman, Mykola Marang, Catherine Weber, Alexsandra Alvarez-Beaton, Aysha Patel, Jaime Tartar

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Creatine consumption appears to have a positive impact on cognitive function in different populations but the effects of creatine in a young, healthy population are mixed. Additionally, exercise appears to benefit cognitive processes in young and older adults. The present study explored the ways in which exercise frequency may moderate the effect of creatine consumption on working memory, sustained attention, mind wandering, and speed of processing, in a young, healthy, adult population. Forty-two individuals were randomly assigned to a creatine condition (n = 20) or a control condition (n = 22). For each session, participants completed the Symmetry …

Caracuel_ Spiny Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias) Jaw, Nicolas M. Caracuel, David W. Kerstetter

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

Female Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias) jaw collected in MBIO 3910 Lab on 11/03/2021 by Nicolas M. Caracuel.

2 cm tall at the center/middle of the jaw.

3.1cm tall at the hinges.

7.9 cm long from hinge to hinge.

Nmds For Fundulus Parasite Community Similarity, Derek Garvey, Dave Kerstetter, Christopher Blanar

Biology Faculty Datasets

Nonmetric multidimensional scaling models calculating the similarity of parasite species assemblages between Fundulus sp. populations across the Atlantic coast using Bray-Curtis similarity

Editorial: Deep Pelagic Ecosystem Dynamics In A Highly Impacted Water Column: The Gulf Of Mexico After Deepwater Horizon, Tracey Sutton, Kevin M. Boswell, Heather Bracken-Grissom, Jose V. Lopez, Michael Vecchione, Marsh Youngbluth

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The intermediate-sized midwater fauna (fishes, shrimps, and cephalopods; “micronekton” collectively) are dominant components of the pelagic ocean, which is by far the largest ecosystem type on Earth by several metrics (volume, organismal numbers, biomass, and productivity). Deep-pelagic micronekton, those animals residing in the water column below 200 m depth during the day, are the direct link between plankton and oceanic top predators, and through the linked processes of feeding and daily vertical migration facilitate one of Earth's most important ecosystem services to humans, carbon sequestration. Despite increasing recognition of this importance, a disconnect exists between stewardship and human impact; only …

Impacts Of Petroleum, Petroleum Components, And Dispersants On Organisms And Populations, Steven A. Murawski, Martin Grosell, Cynthia Smith, Tracey Sutton, Kenneth M. Halanych, Richard F. Shaw, Charles A. Wilson

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Following the Deepwater Horizon blowout, oil, degraded oil, oil mixed with dispersants, and management responses to the spill affected a variety of Gulf of Mexico organisms. This review provides examples of various documented impacts, common patterns, and trends across organisms and/or their environments, and discusses future implications as well as directions for future research. Organism effects are generally characterized as lethal and sublethal. Sublethal can be short term, long term, or permanent and multigenerational. We present individual examples of effects on behavioral response, olfaction, vision, cardiac function, and gene shift, based on research done in laboratories, mesocosm settings, and the …

The Role Of Glutamine In Supporting Gut Health And Neuropsychiatric Factors, Brett J. Deters, Mir Saleem

Biology Faculty Articles

Recent research has shown that the amino acid glutamine can positively affect gut health by supporting the gut microbiome, gut mucosal wall integrity, and by modulating inflammatory responses. As modulated by the vagus nerve, via the enteric nervous system, the gut-brain connection can impact the brain's neurochemical environment. Poor gut health can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters, which can result in neuropsychiatric based conditions such as depression. Glutamine supplementation may provide significant adjunctive nutritional support in cases of depression by promoting proper gut health and function.

State Of Satiation Partially Regulates The Dynamics Of Vertical Migration, Ryan P. Bos, Tracey Sutton, Tamara Frank

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Vertical migrations into shallower waters at night are beneficial for migrators as they reduce predation risk and allow migrators to encounter a higher density of prey. Nevertheless, ocean acoustics data and trawl data have shown that a portion of some vertically migrating populations remain at depth and do not migrate. One hypothesis for this phenomenon is the Hunger-Satiation hypothesis, which in part states that the non-migrating portion of the migrating species-assemblage refrains from migrating if they have full or partially full stomachs from daytime or nocturnal feeding. However, stomach fullness of the non-migrating subpopulation compared to the migrating portion has …

Comparison Of A Smartfin With An Infrared Sea Surface Temperature Radiometer In The Atlantic Ocean, Robert J. W. Brewin, Werenfrid Wimmer, Phillip J. Bresnahan, Tyler Cyronak, Andreas J. Andersson, Giorgio Dall’Olmo

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The accuracy and precision of satellite sea surface temperature (SST) products in nearshore coastal waters are not well known, owing to a lack of in-situ data available for validation. It has been suggested that recreational watersports enthusiasts, who immerse themselves in nearshore coastal waters, be used as a platform to improve sampling and fill this gap. One tool that has been used worldwide by surfers is the Smartfin, which contains a temperature sensor integrated into a surfboard fin. If tools such as the Smartfin are to be considered for satellite validation work, they must be carefully evaluated against state-of-the-art techniques …

Microbiome Analyses Demonstrate Specific Communities Within Five Shark Species, Rachael Storo, Cole Easson, Mahmood S. Shivji, Jose V. Lopez

Biology Faculty Articles

Profiles of symbiotic microbial communities (“microbiomes”) can provide insight into the natural history and ecology of their hosts. Using high throughput DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA V4 region, microbiomes of five shark species in South Florida (nurse, lemon, sandbar, Caribbean reef, and tiger) have been characterized for the first time. The microbiomes show species specific microbiome composition, distinct from surrounding seawater. Shark anatomical location (gills, teeth, skin, cloaca) affected the diversity of microbiomes. An in-depth analysis of teeth communities revealed species specific microbial communities. For example, the genus Haemophilus, explained 7.0% of the differences of the teeth microbiomes …

Microscopic And Genetic Characterization Of Bacterial Symbionts With Bioluminescent Potential In Pyrosoma Atlanticum, Alexis Berger, Patricia L. Blackwelder, Tamara Frank, Tracey Sutton, Nina Pruzinsky, Natalie Slayden, Jose V. Lopez

Biology Faculty Articles

The pelagic tunicate pyrosome, Pyrosoma atlanticum, is known for its brilliant bioluminescence, but the mechanism causing this bioluminescence has not been fully characterized. This study identifies the bacterial bioluminescent symbionts of P. atlanticum collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico using several methods such as light and electron microscopy, as well as molecular genetics. The bacteria are localized within the pyrosome light organs. Greater than 50% of the bacterial taxa present in the tunicate samples were the bioluminescent symbiotic bacteria Vibrionaceae as determined by utilizing current molecular genetics methodologies. A total of 396K MiSeq16S rRNA reads provided total pyrosome …

Dermatology Technique: Mohs Micrographic Surgery, Michelle J. Volis

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

This paper aims to educate the readers about a novel surgery approach that is becoming popular among dermatologists. This technique, Mohs surgery, is implemented in order to treat malignant skin cancer types. This paper incorporates the history of Mohs micrographic surgery, the advantages and disadvantages of the procedure, and alternatives to this approach. The main advantage is healthy tissue preservation while disadvantages include holes in fragmented tissue margins and tissue orientation complications.

Functional Influence Of 14-3-3 (Ywha) Proteins In Mammals, Elizabeth Barley, Santanu De

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

The 14-3-3 (YWHA) proteins are homologous, ubiquitous, and conserved in most organisms ranging from plants to animals and play important roles in regulating key cellular events such as cell signaling, development, apoptosis, etc. These proteins consist of seven isoforms in mammals, termed under Greek alphabetization: beta (β), gamma (γ), epsilon (ε), eta (η), tau/theta (τ), sigma (σ), and zeta (ζ). Each of these isoforms can interact with a plethora of binding partners and has been shown to serve a distinct role in molecular crosstalk, biological processes, and disease susceptibility. Protein 14-3-3 isoforms are scaffolding proteins capable of forming homodimers and …

Atlantic Sailfish (Istiophorus Albicans) Distribution Off The East Coast Of Florida From 2003 To 2018 In Response To Sea Surface Temperature, Meredith M. Pratt

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

The Atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus albicans) ranges from 40°N to 40°S in the Western Atlantic Ocean and has great economic and recreational value for sport fishers. Off the east coast of Florida, recreational fishing boats often target this species due to its size, speed and strength. This project aimed to determine the relationship between sea surface temperature (SST) and the distribution of Atlantic sailfish caught and released over a fifteen-year period (2003 to 2018). Tagging information was collected from The Billfish Foundation and NOAA who have the most extensive programs for billfish. Using the time and location of each …

An Indo-Pacifc Coral Spawning Database, Andrew H. Baird, James R. Guest, Alasdair J. Edwards, Andrew G. Bauman, Jessica Bouwmeester, Hanaka Mera, David Abrego, Mariana Alvera-Noriega, Russel C. Babcock, Miguel B. Barbosa, Victor Bonito, John Burt, Patrick C. Cabaitan, Ching-Fong Chang, Suchana Chavanich, Chaolun A. Chen, Chieh-Jhen Chen, Wei-Jen Chen, Fung-Chen Chung, Sean R. Connolly, Vivian R. Cumbo, Maria Dornelas, Christopher Doropoulos, Gal Eyal, Lee Eyal-Shaham, Nur Fadli, Joana Figueiredo, Jean-François Flot, Sze-Hoon Gan, Elizabeth Gomez, Erin M. Graham, Mila Grinblat, Nataly Gutiérrez-Isaza, Saki Harii, Peter L. Harrison, Masayuki Hatta, Nina Ann Jin Ho, Gaetan Hoarau, Mia Hoogenboom, Emily J. Howells, Akira Iguchi, Naoko Isomura, Emmeline A. Jamodiong, Suppakarn Jandang, Jude Keyse, Seiya Kitanobo, Narinratana Kongjandtre, Chao-Yang Kuo, Charlon Ligson, Che-Hung Lin, Jeffrey Low, Yossi Loya, Elizaldy A. Maboloc, Joshua S. Madin, Takuma Mezaki, Choo Min, Masaya Morita, Aurelie Moya, Su-Hwei Neo, Matthew R. Nitschke, Satoshi Nojima, Yoko Nozawa, Srisakul Piromvaragorn, Sakanan Plathong, Eneour Puill-Stephan, Kate Quigley, Catalina Ramirez-Portilla, Gerard Ricardo, Kazuhiko Sakai, Eugenia Sampayo, Tom Shlesinger, Leony Sikim, Chris Simpson, Carrie A. Sims, Frederic Sinniger, Davies A. Spiji, Tracy Tabalanza, Chung-Hong Tan, Tullia I. Terraneo, Gergely Torda, James True, Karenne Tun, Kareen Vicentuan, Voranop Viyakarn, Zarinah Waheed, Selina Ward, Bette Willis, Rachael M. Woods, Erika S. Woolsey, Hiromi H. Yamamoto, Syafyudin Yusuf

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The discovery of multi-species synchronous spawning of scleractinian corals on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1980s stimulated an extraordinary effort to document spawning times in other parts of the globe. Unfortunately, most of these data remain unpublished which limits our understanding of regional and global reproductive patterns. The Coral Spawning Database (CSD) collates much of these disparate data into a single place. The CSD includes 6178 observations (3085 of which were unpublished) of the time or day of spawning for over 300 scleractinian species in 61 genera from 101 sites in the Indo-Pacific. The goal of the CSD is …

Survey Of Prevention And Intervention Strategies Reducing Return To Play Post-Concussion In Division 1 Football, Joseph F. Clark, Enna Selmanovic, Kip Drewry, Jon Vincent, Aaron Himmler, Bob Mangine, Kim Hasselfeld, Jane Khoury, David Polanski, Jon Divine

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Abstract.

Introduction

Sports related concussion, also considered mTBI, has remained in the public eye due to heightened fear concerning playing football and other collision based sports. Concussion prevention, as well as rehabilitating the brain after a concussion, is a high priority for many sports medical practitioners as well as for athletes. For these reasons, researchers associated with the American Athletic Conference (AAC) have surveyed concussion incidence in football. One of the AAC teams engaged in regular neurovisual training (NVT) and concluded this training program is associated with faster return to play post-injury in this observational cohort study.

Methods

The …