Life Sciences Commons^™

Landscape Genetics Of The Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma Maculatum, Sara Simmons Benham

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Connectivity among populations helps to maintain genetic diversity, population stability, and resilience. The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, is a vector of the pathogen Rickettsia parkeri. Persistence of tick populations with high rates of R. parkeri infection poses health risks to humans and animals. Mitochondrial haplotypes were characterized by sequencing a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. A comparative study of A. maculatum and Amblyomma americanum was conducted to identify similar and unique patterns between the species within the same region. Next, I compared A. maculatum sites across three different regions of the United States. This work …

Wearable Sensor Gait Analysis For Fall Detection Using Deep Learning Methods, Haben Girmay Yhdego

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

World Health Organization (WHO) data show that around 684,000 people die from falls yearly, making it the second-highest mortality rate after traffic accidents [1]. Early detection of falls, followed by pneumatic protection, is one of the most effective means of ensuring the safety of the elderly. In light of the recent widespread adoption of wearable sensors, it has become increasingly critical that fall detection models are developed that can effectively process large and sequential sensor signal data. Several researchers have recently developed fall detection algorithms based on wearable sensor data. However, real-time fall detection remains challenging because of the wide …

E-Cadherin Force Transmission And Stiffness Sensing, Mazen Mezher

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

E-cadherin is the chief mediator of cell-cell adhesion between epithelial cells and is a known mechanosensor. Force transmission and stiffness sensing are two crucial aspects of E-cadherin mechanobiology.

E-cadherin has an extracellular adhesive region, a transmembrane region and an intracellular region that binds to adhesion-associated proteins. Here, we assessed how different factors affect the level of force transmission (i) from inside the cell such as adhesion-associated proteins, (ii) on the cell membrane, such as growth factor receptors and (iii) outside the cell, such as different binding partners in adhesion. To study the level of force transmission inside the cell, we …

Coyote Occupancy And Movement In Hanover County, Virginia, Richard S. Groover

Virginia Journal of Science

Although the coyote (Canis latrans) is native to North America, we have limited understanding of its presence in Virginia. Coyote range expansion is linked to anthropogenic factors, including habitat fragmentation and the extirpation of apex predators. Information on coyote adaptations to Virginia habitats is scarce, and eastern coyotes may have unique adaptations for colonizing an area. Anecdotal evidence suggests that coyotes are abundant in Hanover County (north of Richmond, VA), but this has not been confirmed. This study was conducted over an 18-month period with multiple survey sites throughout Hanover County, each equipped with game camera stations and …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Cytotoxicity Studies Of A Copper(Ii) Complex With Vanillin 3-Ethyl-Thiosemcarbazone A Ligand, Novia Mann, Ifeoluwa Oyeyemi, Duaa R. Alajroush, Elizabeth A. Tonsel-White, Stephen J. Beebe, Alvin Holder

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive and challenging breast cancer subtypes to treat, as these cancer cells lack three common receptors: estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. The multiple oxidation states transition metals can occupy have made this narrowly explored group popular for anti-cancer research in recent decades. Furthermore, the success of cisplatin, which has platinum as a metal center, while being a cancer-fighting agent with serious side effects, has caused other metal centers to be investigated as possible alternatives as chemotherapeutic drugs. Copper, as a biologically essential metal, makes an attractive candidate …

Margalefidinium Polykrikoides Cyst Resuspension In The Lafayette River, A Sub-Tributary Of The Chesapeake Bay, Gabrielle Greaney, Eduardo Perez Vega, Katherine Crider, Dreux Chappell, Kimberly Powell, Richard Hale, Peter Bernhardt, Margaret Mulholland

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Harmful Algal Blooms are a collection of algae in a body of water that can cause serious environmental issues and health problems in both people and aquatic organisms. Dinoflagellates are microscopic, unicellular, and eukaryotic organisms that are well known for forming harmful algal blooms because of eutrophication. Coastal Virginia suffers from HABs in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. A common species of dinoflagellate, known as Margalefidinium polykrikoides exists in the Chesapeake Bay. The purpose of this study is to determine if sediment resuspension produced by wind generated surface gravity waves cause cysts (dinoflagellate resting stages) to be suspended into …

Monarch Science Observer, Volume 16, College Of Sciences, Old Dominion University

College of Sciences Newsletter

Spring 2023, issue of Monarch Science Observer, ODU Colleges of Sciences Newsletter.

Characterization Of Cl-Par-4: Wt Vs. Mutant, Samjhana Pandey, Krishna K. Raut, Andrea M. Clark, Antoine Baudin, Lamya Djemri, David S. Libich, Steven M. Pascal

The Graduate School Posters

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) play important roles in regulation of cell signaling pathways as well as cellular processes. Dysregulation of these proteins is associated with several human diseases. Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4), a proapoptotic tumor suppressor protein, is categorized as an intrinsically disordered protein and downregulation of this protein has been reported in myriad of cancers including glioma, breast cancers, and prostate cancers. The caspase-cleaved fragment of Par-4 (cl-Par-4) plays an active role in tumor suppression by inhibiting several cell survival pathways.

Here, we employed site-directed mutagenesis to introduce a point mutation in the cl-Par-4 wildtype (WT) to generate the …

Analysis Of Ab Initio Protein Structure Prediction Methods, Maytha Alshammari, Jing He

College of Sciences Posters

Protein structure prediction produces atomic models of three-dimensional structure of a protein from its amino acid sequence. Understanding the function mechanism of proteins requires knowledge of three-dimensional structures. When developing new enzymes and drugs, it's essential to understand the structure of the target protein. In this study, we analyze models predicted using two ab initio protein structure prediction methods, trRosetta and Quark. A set of thirty protein chains was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods. The thirty chains were collected from Protein Data Bank (June – November, 2020). The length and the relative position of the predicted secondary …

Using Nspefs To Sensitize Mrsa To Vancomycin Treatment, Areej Malik, Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles, Claudia Muratori, Erin B. Purcell

The Graduate School Posters

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a biofilm-forming pathogen. S. aureus treatment is marked by the development of antibiotic resistance. The public health impact has increased since the emergence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), which has started to show intermediate resistance to vancomycin in MRSA. Nano-second pulse electric fields (nsPEFs) are low-energy and high-power electric pulses, which have been suggested to sensitize pathogens to antibiotics by creating transient pores in the cell membrane. Our combinatorial treatment includes nsPEF pre-treatment and vancomycin post-treatment of MRSA cells. Our results show that MRSA log phase cells had the highest susceptibility to vancomycin. …

The Effects Of Short-Term Removal Of Exercise On Flow Mediated Dilation In Older Adults: Preliminary Data, Joel E. Harden, Leryn Reynolds Ph.D.

College of Education & Professional Studies (Darden) Posters

Endothelial function is negatively associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Previous studies demonstrate that endothelial function is improved through exercise, and that young, active adults experience impaired endothelial function following short-term physical inactivity interventions. Whether this occurs in older, active adults who may be more prone to bouts of inactivity is unknown. This study determined if endothelial function, as measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD), was impaired in active, older adults following removal of exercise for 5 days compared to active, young adults. To examine this, popliteal and brachial artery FMD were measured at baseline and during days 3 and …

Par-4: An Attractive Target For Cancer Therapy, Krishna K. Raut, Antoine Baudin, David S. Libich, Lijun Liu, Scott Lovell, Steven M. Pascal

College of Sciences Posters

Lack of early diagnosis, cancer recurrence, metastasis, and adverse side effects are some of the major problems in the treatment of cancers. Par-4, a tumor suppressor protein, is an attractive target for cancer therapy as it selectively kills cancer cells. Cl-Par-4 is the active fragment of Par-4 that enters the nucleus and selectively induces apoptosis in cancer cells. It has also been reported that Par-4 increases the susceptibility of cancer cells to chemotherapy and reverses cancer recurrence. Further, Par-4 has been shown to play a dual role: inhibition of EMT (Epithelial-mesenchymal transition) as well as assistance in the reverse process, …

Hitting The Sweet Spot: Optimizing Camera Trapping Effort For Estimating Biodiversity In Coastal Environments, Ella Dipetto, Oleksii Dubovyk, Chi Wei, Angela Brierly, Eric Walters, Alex Teodorescu, Jillian Murphy

College of Sciences Posters

Wildlife trail cameras, or “camera traps”, have become an effective tool in ecological research and conservation management across a variety of ecosystems to monitor a wide range of taxa. Camera trapping allows for extended survey time in traditionally hard-to-survey environments and has greatly increased our ability to detect cryptic species. One question ecologists commonly face is how much sampling effort is required to accurately estimate community composition. Despite the abundant literature that uses camera trapping techniques, few studies have occurred in coastal saltmarsh ecosystems. These ecosystems are being lost at a rapid rate from land conversion, pollution, and other anthropogenic …

Dendrochronology In The Blackwater Ecological Preserve, Sarah Durham, Arvind Bhuta

College of Sciences Posters

The Blackwater Ecological Preserve (BEP), located in southeastern Virginia, holds significant ecological importance as it contains the northernmost intact community of Pinus palustris, longleaf pine. At the BEP, we cored longleaf pine and recorded sample data including tree height and diameter at breast height (DBH). Two sites on the BEP, the 20’s series and 40’s series, were found to correlate within, but not between, sites. Statistical and qualitative analyses were conducted to find differences between the sites significant enough to affect correlation within a chronology. This data is being incorporated into a larger dendrochronology and climate analysis study on …

Can The Food Preparation Hypothesis Account For Anting Behavior In Birds?, Ella Brady

2023 REYES Proceedings

This report discusses the food preparation hypothesis, one of several proposed hypotheses to explain anting behavior in birds. A brief review of the theory’s history and development, as well as an assessment of evidence for and against such a function of anting, is provided. Although there are indeed experimental data supporting food preparation as the purpose of anting behavior, there is also conflicting evidence which complicates the theory. Ultimately, it is suggested that food preparation is a secondary function of anting – a pleasant but latent “side effect” achieved alongside the behavior’s primary purpose, which is still unknown.

Hypotheses Related To Anting By Birds, Helena Flores

2023 REYES Proceedings

“Anting” is a widespread behavior among bird species and mammals. Due to the various characteristics of this behavior, numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain it. This behavior can be classified as “active”, in which birds take a bill full of ants and rub them into their feathers, or “passive” when birds let ants wander through their plumage. The hypotheses state that anting may be performed as an (1) antiparasitic behavior, for (2) feather grooming, as a way of (3) food preparation or to (4) decrease skin irritation during molt, even as a (5) sensory stimulation tool. This review compiles …

The Effects Of Chemical Secretions By Millipedes On Anting Behaviour In Birds And Other Animals, Theo Fraser

2023 REYES Proceedings

Birds perform a behavior known as anting in which they actively rub ants in their feathers or allow ants to crawl over their bodies. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this behavior, but no one hypothesis can account for all cases of anting that have been observed. Anting behavior has been recorded in species other than birds including primates, and substances other than ants such as millipedes may be used. This paper explores the use of millipedes in anting by birds, capuchin monkeys and lemurs. The three hypotheses supported by these studies include 1) anting serves as food preparation …

Clonal Diversity, Antibiotic Resistance, And Virulence Factor Prevalence Of Community Associated Staphylococcus Aureus In Southeastern Virginia, Katelyn D. Cranmer, Mohan D. Pant, Suzanne Quesnel, Julia A. Sharp

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Staphylococcus aureus is a significant human pathogen with a formidable propensity for antibiotic resistance. Worldwide, it is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI), septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, and infective endocarditis originating from both community- and healthcare associated settings. Although often grouped by methicillin resistance, both methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) strains are known to cause significant pathologies and injuries. Virulence factors and growing resistance to antibiotics play major roles in the pathogenicity of community-associated strains. In our study, we examined the genetic variability and acquired antibiograms of 122 S. aureus clinical isolates from SSTI, blood, and urinary …

Multi-Ancestry Genome-Wide Association Analyses Improve Resolution Of Genes And Pathways Influencing Lung Function And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Risk, Nick Shrine, Abril G. Izquierdo, Jing Chen, Richard Packer, Robert J. Hall, Anna L. Guyatt, Chiara Batini, Rebecca J. Thompson, Chandan Puvuluri, Vidhi Malik, Brian D. Hobbs, Matthew Moll, Wonji Kim, Ruth Tal-Singer, Per Bakke, Katherine A. Fawcett, Catherine John, Kayesha Coley, Noemi Nicole Piga, Sinjini Sikdar, Martin D. Tobin, Et Al.

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Lung-function impairment underlies chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and predicts mortality. In the largest multi-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of lung function to date, comprising 580,869 participants, we identified 1,020 independent association signals implicating 559 genes supported by ≥2 criteria from a systematic variant-to-gene mapping framework. These genes were enriched in 29 pathways. Individual variants showed heterogeneity across ancestries, age and smoking groups, and collectively as a genetic risk score showed strong association with COPD across ancestry groups. We undertook phenome-wide association studies for selected associated variants as well as trait and pathway-specific genetic risk scores to infer possible consequences of …

Shrub Sphericity, John Adam

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Question 1: a. Show that α = 4.836, and hence find the sphericity index for (i) a cube and (ii) two identical "kissing" spheres, i.e., spheres in tangential contact. b. Estimate your sphericity index.

Question 2: Estimate χ for the yucca plant in the picture. It is about 1 m in diameter.

Short-Term Removal Of Exercise Impairs Glycemic Control In Older Adults: A Randomized Trial, Leryn J. Reynolds, Troy M. Williams, Joel E. Harden, Hannah M. Twiddy, Monica L. Kearney

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Postprandial glycemia (PPG) predicts cardiovascular disease, and short-term physical inactivity increases PPG in young, active adults. Whether this occurs in older, active adults who may be more prone to bouts of inactivity is unknown. This study determined if postprandial interstitial glucose (PPIG) was impaired in active older adults following the removal of exercise for 3 days (NOEX) compared to active young adults. In this randomized, crossover study, 11 older (69.1 ± 1.9 years) and 9 young (32.8 ± 1.8 years) habitually active (≥90 min/week of exercise) adults completed 3-days of NOEX and 3-days of normal habitual exercise (EX), separated by …

Exposure To Pcb126 During The Nursing Period Reversibly Impacts Early-Life Glucose Tolerance, Brittany B. Rice, Keegan W. Sammons, Sara Y. Ngo Tenlep, Madeline T. Weltzer, Leryn J. Reynolds, Cetewayo S. Rashid, Hollie I. Swanson, Kevin J. Pearson

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent environmental organic pollutants known to have detrimental health effects. Using a mouse model, we previously demonstrated that PCB126 exposure before and during pregnancy and throughout the perinatal period adversely affected offspring glucose tolerance and/or body composition profiles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the glucose tolerance and body composition of offspring born to dams exposed to PCB126 during the nursing period only. Female ICR mice were bred, and half of the dams were exposed to either vehicle (safflower oil) or 1 µmole PCB126 per kg of body weight via oral gavage on postnatal …

Combined 3d Bioprinting And Tissue-Specific Ecm System Reveals The Influence Of Brain Matrix On Stem Cell Differentiation, Martina Zamponi, Peter A. Mollica, Yara Khodour, Julie S. Bjerring, Robert D. Bruno, Patrick C. Sachs

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

We have previously shown that human and murine breast extracellular matrix (ECM) can significantly impact cellular behavior, including stem cell fate determination. It has been established that tissue-specific extracellular matrix from the central nervous system has the capacity to support neuronal survival. However, the characterization of its influence on stem cell differentiation and its adaptation to robust 3D culture models is underdeveloped. To address these issues, we combined our 3D bioprinter with hydrogels containing porcine brain extracellular matrix (BMX) to test the influence of the extracellular matrix on stem cell differentiation. Our 3D bioprinting system generated reproducible 3D neural structures …

Gene Expression Under Combined Hypoxia And Acidosis In Chondrosarcoma, Michael Stacey, Kostika Vangjeli, Christopher Osgood

Bioelectrics Publications

Chondrosarcomas are the second most common cause of bone cancer and are removed surgically with wide margins. On recurrence, they are resistant to chemo and radiation therapy and new treatment options are critically required. This tumor type produces hyaline cartilage, a cartilage normally formed under hypoxic and acidic environment due to lack of vasculature in cartilage. Paradoxically, chondrosarcomas arise in the well vascularized, oxygen rich environment of the bone. Hypoxia and acidosis are two stressors where the cellular effects are typically reported separately even though cells experience combined effects of hypoxia and acidosis. Given the mechanistic links between hypoxia and …

A Global Comparison Of Marine Chlorophyll Variability Observed In Eulerian And Lagrangian Perspectives, Angela M. Kuhn, Matthew Mazloff, Stephanie Dutkiewicz, Oliver Jahn, Sophie Clayton, Tatiana Rynearson, Andrew D. Barton

OES Faculty Publications

The California Current System is a diatom‐dominated region characterized by seasonal coastal upwelling and additional elevated mesoscale activity. Cyclonic mesoscale eddies in the region trap productive coastal waters with their planktonic communities and transport them offshore with limited interaction with surrounding waters, effectively acting as natural mesocosms, where phytoplankton populations undergo ecological succession as eddies age. This study examines diatom community composition within two mesoscale cyclonic eddies that formed in the same region of the California Current System 2 months apart and in the California Current waters surrounding them. The diatom communities were analyzed in the context of shifting environmental …

Extracting High-Molecular Weight Dna From Cyanobacteria Using Promega's Wizard® Hmw Dna Extraction Kit With A Modified Protocol, Metis, Megan A. Hept, Lesley H. Greene

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Extraction of high molecular weight (HMW) DNA for long read sequencing with little to no fragmentation and high purity is difficult to acquire from cyanobacterial species. Here we describe a modified method of extraction using Promega's Wizard® HMW DNA Extraction Kit to acquire high molecular weight DNA from cyanobacterial species. The protocol used in the kit is the “3.D. Isolating HMW DNA from Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria” protocol. During a key step in the protocol, the lingering remnants of the mucilage layer of the cyanobacterial species is removed, preventing it from sticking to the DNA pellet produced. This customized modification …

Abiotic Stress Mitigation: A Case Study From 21 Trials Using A Natural Organic Matter Based Biostimulant Across Multiple Geographies, Rachel L. Sleighter, Terry Hanson, David Holden, Kristen M. Richards

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Crop productivity and yields can be greatly diminished by abiotic stress events including drought, extreme temperatures, excess moisture, and saline irrigation water. Multiple stressors occurring simultaneously can further exacerbate the strain on plants. Various types of biostimulants have been shown to mitigate abiotic stress and here, the results of 21 trials on corn, wheat, soybean, and various high-value crops are discussed in the context of the abiotic stress that either occurred naturally or was experimentally induced. Treatments in these trials included stressed and non-stressed plants, as well as either an untreated control or grower standard fertilizer applications alone and in …

A Systematic Review Of Marketing Practices Used In Online Grocery Shopping: Implications For Wic Online Ordering, Leslie Hodges, Caitlin M. Lowery, Priyanka Patel, Joleen Mcinnis, Qi Zhang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) plans to allow participants to redeem their food package benefits online, i.e., online ordering. As grocery shopping online has become more common, companies have developed strategies to market food products to customers using online (or mobile) grocery shopping platforms. There is a significant knowledge gap in how these strategies may influence WIC participants who choose to shop for WIC foods online. This review examines the relevant literature to (1) identify food marketing strategies used in online grocery shopping platforms, (2) understand how these strategies influence consumer behavior and consumer …

New Frontiers In The Application Of Stable Isotopes To Ecological And Ecophysiological Research, Keith Alan Hobson (Editor), John P. Whiteman (Editor), Seth Newsome (Editor)

Biological Sciences Faculty Books

This Research Topic aims to present cutting-edge applications of stable isotope methods to animal and plant ecology and ecophysiology.

Dfhic: A Dilated Full Convolution Model To Enhance The Resolution Of Hi-C Data, Bin Wang, Kun Liu, Yaohang Li, Jianxin Wang

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Motivation: Hi-C technology has been the most widely used chromosome conformation capture(3C) experiment that measures the frequency of all paired interactions in the entire genome, which is a powerful tool for studying the 3D structure of the genome. The fineness of the constructed genome structure depends on the resolution of Hi-C data. However, due to the fact that high-resolution Hi-C data require deep sequencing and thus high experimental cost, most available Hi-C data are in low-resolution. Hence, it is essential to enhance the quality of Hi-C data by developing the effective computational methods.

Results: In this work, we propose …