Life Sciences Commons^™

Spatial And Temporal Variability In Carbon And Nutrient Concentrations Within The North Inlet Estuary,Sc, Heather Kish

Theses and Dissertations

Coastal wetlands provide numerous ecosystem services, including the ability to sequester and store significant amounts of organic carbon (so-called “blue carbon”). Variability in carbon storage within marshes represents a major information gap in understanding and quantifying the role saltmarshes play in the global carbon cycle. This study quantified decadal and small-scale variability in carbon and nutrient concentrations across tidal inundation gradients in the relatively pristine North Inlet Estuary, South Carolina. Sampling took place within two segments of the marsh platform of Crab Haul Creek, the landward-most basin within North Inlet. In the summer of 2020, a total of 200 sediment …

Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior During And After Pregnancy And Postpartum Weight Retention, Kaitlyn Taylor Ramey

Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

Pregnancy is associated with increased changes in body weight that can shape long-term health in women. Previous studies have shown that increased prenatal physical activity and decreased sedentary time correlated with less excessive gestational weight gain. Little is known about how leisure time exercise and sedentary behavior affects postpartum weight retention. The aim of our study was to identify how sedentary behavior and leisure time physical activity, both mid-pregnancy and after pregnancy, relate to postpartum weight retention from 6 months to 3 years after childbirth.

METHODS

A total of 79 women who delivered a singleton infant 6-months …

Sensitivity Of Aquatic Organic Matter Degradation To Changing Temperature And Nutrient Conditions In A Coastal Watershed, Curtis John Szewczyk

Theses and Dissertations

The degradation of organic matter (OM) within inland waters plays a pivotal role in the global carbon cycle and quantifying carbon budgets. Here, measurements of dissolved oxygen (DO) decay rates were used to infer the extent and kinetics of OM degradation under variable conditions. The goal of the investigation was to quantify how OM samples within the Waccamaw River watershed, South Carolina, respond to changes in temperature and nutrient availability as a function of their source location and lability. Samples were collected from urbanized stormwater detention ponds and undeveloped upland forested wetland drainages to provide contrasting and distinct OM sources …

Characterizations Of Dissolved Organic Carbon At Hydrothermal Systems Of The Midcayman Rise, Aaron Mau

Theses and Dissertations

Marine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is a carbon reservoir comparable in size to all atmospheric CO2 and is composed primarily of refractory material which can be thousands of years old. Circulation through hydrothermal systems has been demonstrated to profoundly alter this material, but the mechanisms that lead to addition, removal, and alteration of DOC are poorly understood. Consequently, the contribution of hydrothermal systems to organic carbon cycling in the deep ocean – and the biological and geochemical processes exhibited at different venting environments – remain highly uncertain.

In January 2020, samples were collected from two hydrothermal vent fields at the …

The Influence Of Adhd On Concussion In Ncaa College Athletes, Brett Steven Gunn

Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be associated with an increased incidence of concussion; however, no study has cross-sectionally (Aim 1) and longitudinally (Aim 2) assessed the associations of ADHD with concussion. Additionally, there is reason to expect cognitive alterations following concussion in athletes with ADHD. Further, there is currently no study that has evaluated the influence of common medications often taken to mitigate some symptoms of ADHD, such as methylphenidate and amphetamines. Therefore, we sought to longitudinally assess cognitive profiles (Aim 3) of athletes with ADHD taking medication (ADHD+Rx) and not taking medication (ADHD_uRx) at baseline, 24-48 hours …

Fe-Catalyzed Sulfide Oxidation In Hydrothermal Plumes Is A Source Of Reactive Oxygen Species To The Ocean, Timothy J. Shaw, George W. Luther Iii, Richard Rosas, Véronique E. Oldham, Nicole R. Coffey, John L. Ferry, Dewamunnage M. C. Dias, Mustafa Yücel, Aubin Thibault De Chanvalon

Faculty Publications

Historically, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the ocean has been attributed to photochemical and biochemical reactions. However, hydrothermal vents emit globally significant inventories of reduced Fe and S species that should react rapidly with oxygen in bottom water and serve as a heretofore unmeasured source of ROS. Here, we show that the Fe-catalyzed oxidation of reduced sulfur species in hydrothermal vent plumes in the deep oceans supported the abiotic formation of ROS at concentrations 20 to 100 times higher than the average for photoproduced ROS in surface waters. ROS (measured as hydrogen peroxide) were determined in hydrothermal …

The Ghost Of Hosts Past: Impacts Of Host Extinction On Parasite Specificity, Maxwell J. Farrell, Andrew W. Park, Clayton E. Cressler, Tad Dallas, Shan Huang, Nicole Mideo, Ignacio Morales-Castilla, T. Jonathan Davies, Patrick Stephens

Faculty Publications

A growing body of research is focused on the extinction of parasite species in response to host endangerment and declines. Beyond the loss of parasite species richness, host extinction can impact apparent parasite host specificity, as measured by host richness or the phylogenetic distances among hosts. Such impacts on the distribution of parasites across the host phylogeny can have knock-on effects that may reshape the adaptation of both hosts and parasites, ultimately shifting the evolutionary landscape underlying the potential for emergence and the evolution of virulence across hosts. Here, we examine how the reshaping of host phylogenies through extinction may …

The Future Of Zoonotic Risk Prediction, Colin J. Carlson, Maxwell J. Farrell, Zoe Grange, Barbara A. Han, Nardus Mollentze, Alexandra L. Phelan, Angela L. Rasmussen, Gregory F. Albery, Bernard Bett, David M. Brett-Major, Lily E. Cohen, Tad Dallas, Evan A. Eskew, Anna C. Fagre, Kristian M. Forbes, Rory Gibb, Sam Halabi, Charlotte C. Hammer, Rebecca Katz, Jason Kindrachuk, Renata L. Muylaert, Felicia B. Nutter, Joseph Ogola, Kevin J. Olival, Michelle Rourke, Sadie J. Ryan, Noam Ross, Stephanie N. Seifert, Tarja Sironen, Claire J. Standley, Kishana Taylor, Marietjie Venter, Paul W. Webala

Faculty Publications

In the light of the urgency raised by the COVID-19 pandemic, global investment in wildlife virology is likely to increase, and new surveillance programmes will identify hundreds of novel viruses that might someday pose a threat to humans. To support the extensive task of laboratory characterization, scientists may increasingly rely on data-driven rubrics or machine learning models that learn from known zoonoses to identify which animal pathogens could someday pose a threat to global health. We synthesize the findings of an interdisciplinary workshop on zoonotic risk technologies to answer the following questions. What are the prerequisites, in terms of open …

Concussion History And Heart Rate Variability During Bouts Of Acute Stress, Adam Harrison, Abbi Lane-Cordova, Michael F. La Fountaine, Robert Davis Moore Ms, Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Context

After a sport-related concussion, many athletes experience persisting neurophysiological alterations. These alterations may be absent at rest but emerge during moments of physiological stress. Unnoticed and untreated neurophysiological dysfunction may negatively affect long-term neurologic health in adolescent athletes, as they are at a critical point in development. Objective

To assess cardio-autonomic functioning in athletes with and those without a history of concussion by quantifying measures of heart rate variability (HRV) during times of physical and mental exertion. Design

Case-control study. Setting

Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants

Thirty-four male Hockey Quebec Midget-AAA hockey players were separated into those with …

Identifying Effective Intervention Strategies To Reduce Children’S Screen Time: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Alexis Jones, Bridget Armstrong Ph.D., Robert Glenn Weaver M.Ed., Phd, Hannah Parker, Lauren Von Klinggraeff, Michael W. Beets Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background

Excessive screen time (≥ 2 h per day) is associated with childhood overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, increased sedentary time, unfavorable dietary behaviors, and disrupted sleep. Previous reviews suggest intervening on screen time is associated with reductions in screen time and improvements in other obesogenic behaviors. However, it is unclear what study characteristics and behavior change techniques are potential mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of behavioral interventions. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to identify the behavior change techniques and study characteristics associated with effectiveness in behavioral interventions to reduce children’s (0–18 years) screen time.

Methods

A literature search of …

Physical Activity In Out Of School Hours Care: An Observational Study, Ruth K. Crowe, Yasmine C. Probst, Rebecca M. Stanley, Sarah T. Ryan, Robert Glenn Weaver Med, Phd, Michael W. Beets Med, Mph, Phd, Jennifer A. Norman, Susan E. Furber, Ceco;Oa Vuong, Megan L. Hammersley, Karen Wardle, Lisa Franco, Marc Davies, Christine Innes-Hughes, Anthony D. Okely

Faculty Publications

Background

Opportunities for physical activity within out of school hours care (OSHC) are not well documented in Australia. This study explored factors associated with children (5–12 years) meeting 30 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) while attending OSHC in the afternoon period.

Methods

A cross-sectional study, conducted in 89 OSHC services in New South Wales, Australia, serving 4,408 children. Each service was visited twice between 2018–2019. Physical activity promotion practices were captured via short interviews and System for Observing Staff Promotion of Physical Activity and Nutrition (SOSPAN). Physical activity spaces was measured (m2) and physical activity of 3,614 …

Small Studies, Big Decisions: The Role Of Pilot/Feasibility Studies In Incremental Science And Premature Scale-Up Of Behavioral Interventions, Michael William Beets, Lauren Von Klinggraeff, Robert G. Weaver, Bridget Ryan Armstrong, Sarah Burkart

Faculty Publications

Background: Careful consideration and planning are required to establish “sufficient” evidence to ensure an investment in a larger, more well-powered behavioral intervention trial is worthwhile. In the behavioral sciences, this process typically occurs where smaller-scale studies inform larger-scale trials. Believing that one can do the same things and expect the same outcomes in a larger-scale trial that were done in a smaller-scale preliminary study (i.e., pilot/feasibility) is wishful thinking, yet common practice. Starting small makes sense, but small studies come with big decisions that can influence the usefulness of the evidence designed to inform decisions about moving forward with a …

Effects Of Variations In Resistance Training Frequency On Strength Development In Well-Trained Populations And Implications For In-Season Athlete Training: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Matthew Cuthbert, G. Gregory Haff, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak, Nicholas Ripley, John J. Mcmahon, Martin Evans, Paul Comfort

Faculty Publications

Background: In-season competition and tournaments for team sports can be both long and congested, with some sports competing up to three times per week. During these periods of time, athletes need to prepare technically, tactically and physically for the next fixture and the short duration between fixtures means that, in some cases, physical preparation ceases, or training focus moves to recovery as opposed to progressing adaptations. Objective: The aim of this review was to investigate the effect of training frequency on muscular strength to determine if a potential method to accommodate in-season resistance training, during busy training schedules, could be …

On The Human Appropriation Of Wetland Primary Production, James A. Cloern, Samuel M. Safran, Lydia Smith Vaughn, April Robinson, Alison A. Whipple, Katharyn E. Boyer, Judith Z. Drexler, Robert J. Naiman, James L. Pinckney, Emily R. Howe, Elizabeth A. Canuel, J. Letitia Grenier

Faculty Publications

Humans are changing the Earth's surface at an accelerating pace, with significant consequences for ecosystems and their biodiversity. Landscape transformation has far-reaching implications including reduced net primary production (NPP) available to support ecosystems, reduced energy supplies to consumers, and disruption of ecosystem services such as carbon storage. Anthropogenic activities have reduced global NPP available to terrestrial ecosystems by nearly 25%, but the loss of NPP from wetland ecosystems is unknown. We used a simple approach to estimate aquatic NPP from measured habitat areas and habitat-specific areal productivity in the largest wetland complex on the USA west coast, comparing historical and …

Dependence On Humidity And Aerosol Composition Of The Gas-Particle Partitioning Of Weakly And Moderately Polar Vocs, Jeonghyeon Ahn, Guiying Rao, Eric P. Vejerano

Faculty Publications

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) dominate the class of pollutants that accumulate in the atmosphere and indoors. Assessing the gas-particle partitioning of VOCs is important to determine their fate, transport, and adverse health impacts. This work is a companion to our earlier study on the temperature dependence of VOC partitioning. Here, we report our measurement of the gas-particle partition coefficient (Kp) for weakly polar (trichloroethylene, TCE) and moderately polar (n-butanol, n-BuOH) VOCs under varying relative humidity (RH) levels onto organic and inorganic aerosols. Kp of TCE was four to five orders of magnitude lower than those …

Sars-Cov-2 Impairs Dendritic Cells And Regulates Dc-Sign Gene Expression In Tissues, Guoshuai Cai, Mulong Du, Yohan Bossé, Helmut Albrecht, Fei Qin, Xizhi Luo, Xiao Michelle Androulakis, Chao Cheng, Mitzi Nagarkatti, Prakash Nagarkatti, David C. Christiani, Michael L. Whitfield, Christopher I. Amos, Feifei Xiao

Faculty Publications

The current spreading coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is highly infectious and pathogenic. In this study, we screened the gene expression of three host receptors (ACE2, DC-SIGN and L-SIGN) of SARS coronaviruses and dendritic cells (DCs) status in bulk and single cell transcriptomic datasets of upper airway, lung or blood of COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. In COVID-19 patients, DC-SIGN gene expression was interestingly decreased in lung DCs but increased in blood DCs. Within DCs, conventional DCs (cDCs) were depleted while plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) were augmented in the lungs of mild COVID-19. In severe cases, we identified augmented types of immature DCs (CD22+ …

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Qualitative Versus Quantitative Nutritional Education On The Eating Habits Of Female High School Athletes, Brantley Aycock

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

A Simple And Reliable Reporter Assay To Test Sirna-Mediated Silencing Of Hiv-1 Gene Functions, Kylie R. Tager, William H. Jackson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infects and kills CD4+ T-lymphocytes causing a progressive loss of host immune competence, which ultimately leads to AIDS. RNA interference, as mediated by short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) designed to target viral mRNAs and expressed endogenously, offer a potential gene therapy approach to inhibit HIV replication. However, a simple and reliable method to screen the silencing activity of particular anti-HIV siRNAs is useful prior to conducting more extensive experimentation to determine the downstream effects on viral replication. Here, a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting HIV-1 Rev (Revsh8526) was designed and cloned into an expression plasmid under …

The Mycoremediation Of Escherichia Coli By Pleurotus Ostreatus, Stropharia Rugosoannulata, And Trametes Versicolor In Contaminated Water, Madison Han

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Effect Of Metal Chelating Properties Of Hylocereus Undatus, Artocarpus Heterophyllus, And Rubus Idaeus On The Lifespan Of Caenorhabditis Elegans: Potential Ace Inhibitors, Evelyn Plakal

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

2021 Scas Annual Meeting Program And Bulletin

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteriophage Population At A South Carolina University: The Disappearance Of S. Aureus Bacteriophage Population Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Korinne M. Swanson, Owen R. Smith, Madaline N. Plank, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Bacteriophages are naturally occurring, nonpathogenic viruses, which infect bacterial cells. Recently, bacteriophage research has increased with hopes of using them against antibiotic resistant bacterial infections in the future. This study aimed to determine a possible correlation between perceived stress and the Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage population at Coastal Carolina University (CCU), Conway, South Carolina, using isolation and characterization techniques to further understand humans as a potential bacteriophage source. From October 2020 to March 2021, nasal and postauricular swab samples were collected from 12 participants on a monthly basis along with a perceived stress survey. Samples were subjected to filtration, amplification, plaque …

Sars-Cov-2: A Study Of The Dispersion Characteristics Of Aerosol Particles Using Ultrafast Carbon Nanotube Sensors In A Simulated Indoor Environment (A Novel Technique), Shriya Kapoor

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Ayurvedic Plant Extracts-- Mucuna Pruriens And Brassica Oleracea--On The Delay Of Motor Symptoms In Pink1 Drosophila Melanogaster: A Model Of Parkinson's Disease, Sanjana Parise

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Cardiovascular Health Trajectories And Elevated C-Reactive Protein: The Cardia Study, Jonathan J. Ruiz-Ramie, Jacob L. Barber, Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, Myron D. Gross, Jamal S. Rana, Stephen Sidney, David R. Jacobs Jr., Abbi D. Lane-Cordova, Mark A. Sarzynski Facsm

Faculty Publications

Background

Methods and Results

Normalization Of Muscle Strength Measurements In The Assessment Of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors In Adolescents, Tiago Rodrigues De Lima, Xuemei Sui M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Diego Augusto Santos Silva

Faculty Publications

Muscle strength (MS) has been associated with cardiometabolic risk factors (CMR) in adolescents, however, the impact attributed to body size in determining muscle strength or whether body size acts as a confounder in this relationship remains controversial. We investigated the association between absolute MS and MS normalized for body size with CMR in adolescents. This was a cross-sectional study comprising 351 adolescents (44.4% male; 16.6 ± 1.0 years) from Brazil. MS was assessed by handgrip and normalized for body weight, body mass index (BMI), height, and fat mass. CMR included obesity, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, glucose imbalance, and high inflammation …

Local Translation Across Neural Development: A Focus On Radial Glial Cells, Axons, And Synaptogenesis, Manasu Agrawal, Kristy Welshhans

Faculty Publications

In the past two decades, significant progress has been made in our understanding of mRNA localization and translation at distal sites in axons and dendrites. The existing literature shows that local translation is regulated in a temporally and spatially restricted manner and is critical throughout embryonic and post-embryonic life. Here, recent key findings about mRNA localization and local translation across the various stages of neural development, including neurogenesis, axon development, and synaptogenesis, are reviewed. In the early stages of development, mRNAs are localized and locally translated in the endfeet of radial glial cells, but much is still unexplored about their …

Hydration, Eating Attitudes And Behaviors In Age And Weight-Restricted Youth American Football Players, Susan W. Yeargin, Toni Torres-Mcgehee, Dawn Emerson, Jessica Koller, John Dickinson

Faculty Publications

There is a paucity of research examining hydration and nutrition behaviors in youth American football players. A potentially unique risk factor are league restrictions based on weight (WR) or age (AR). The purpose of this study was to examine hydration status between WR and AR leagues. The secondary purpose was to describe eating patterns in players. An observational cohort design with 63 youth football players (10 ± 1 yrs, 148.2 ± 9.4 cm, 44.9 ± 15.3 kg) was utilized. Independent variables were league (AR ( = 36); WR ( = 27)) and activity type (practice (PX = 8); game (GM …

Andrographolide Attenuates Gut-Brain-Axis Associated Pathology In Gulf War Illness By Modulating Bacteriome-Virome Associated Inflammation And Microglia-Neuron Proinflammatory Crosstalk, Punnag Saha, Peter T. Skidmore, Larinda A. Holland, Ayan Mondal, Dipro Bose, Ratanesh K. Seth, Kimberly Sullivan, Patricia A. Janulewicz, Ronnie Horner, Nancy Klimas, Mitzi Nagarkatti, Prakash Nagarkatti, Efrem S. Lim, Saurabh Chatterjee

Faculty Publications

Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic multi-symptomatic illness that is associated with fatigue, pain, cognitive deficits, and gastrointestinal disturbances and presents a significant challenge to treat in clinics. Our previous studies show a role of an altered Gut-Brain axis pathology in disease development and symptom persistence in GWI. The present study utilizes a mouse model of GWI to study the role of a labdane diterpenoid andrographolide (AG) to attenuate the Gut-Brain axis-linked pathology. Results showed that AG treatment in mice (100 mg/kg) via oral gavage restored bacteriome alterations, significantly increased probiotic bacteria , , and , the genera that …