Life Sciences Commons^™

Mechanistic Insight On Vibrio Gazogenes Mediated Intervention Of Aflatoxin Biosynthesis In Aspergillus Flavus, Rubaiya Jesmin

Theses and Dissertations

Aflatoxin is a liver carcinogen, mycotoxin, and a secondary metabolite that is produced by some plant pathogens within the genus Aspergillus when they infect crops such as corn, peanuts, and cotton. Given the significant adverse health and economic impacts of aflatoxin and a predicted rise of crop contamination with mycotoxins caused by a changing climate, there is a pressing need for exploring new aflatoxin mitigation methods. Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that metabolites from Vibrio gazogenes, an estuarine non-pathogenic bacterium, can inhibit aflatoxin synthesis. However, a direct interaction study between V. gazogenes and aflatoxin producing strains has …

Understanding The Influence Of Changing Climate On Mycotoxin Contamination Of Food And Indoor Fungi-Mediated Respiratory Illness, Mayomi Helen Omebeyinje

Theses and Dissertations

Over the years, climate change has been a major core issue in public and environmental health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that about 250,000 additional death per year would be attributed to climate change between 2030 and 2050 if this situation persists. Since our population depends on (but not limited to) the availability of clean water, good air quality, and exposure to environmental hazards/pathogens, the overall health impact caused by climate change is likely to be overwhelming in the nearest future. This dissertation explored the influence of climate change on fungi diseases and pathogenesis after severe weather conditions (hurricanes …

Examination Of Emergency Medical Services Activations For Sport- Related Injuries, Rebecca Marie Hirschhorn

Theses and Dissertations

Research examining emergency medical services (EMS) activations for sport- related injuries has been limited regarding the populations examined, inclusion criteria, and location. The management of sport-related injuries by EMS providers has also not been examined. The purpose of this study was to describe EMS activations for sport- related injuries from a national sample and describe their management by EMS. Data was obtained from the National EMS Information System Database for the years 2017 and 2018. Sport-related injuries were identified using specific ICD-10-CM codes for the incident location type and cause of injury. Cases were limited to 9-1-1 responses for patients …

The Role Of Chromatin Remodeling Protein And Transcriptional Repressor, Ing4, In Hematopoiesis Regulation, Melanie Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The hematopoietic compartment is tasked with the establishment and maintenance of the entire blood program. Key to this process are hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which possess the unique ability to self-renew and differentiate to replenish blood cells throughout an organism’s lifetime. In a screen for epigenetic regulators of hematopoiesis in zebrafish, we identified chromatin remodeling protein and transcription repressor, Ing4, as a requirement for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) specification. Ing4, a member of the inhibitor of growth (ING) family, is a subunit of the HB01-JADE-hEAF6 histone acetyltransferase complex responsible for most nucleosomal histone H4 acetylation in eukaryotes. Ing4 …

Temporal Differences In The Emission And Atmospheric Dispersion Of Particulate Matter From Waste And Drinking Water Treatment Facilities, Abdulmalik Alsaif

Theses and Dissertations

Many countries encounter a growing shortage of water, and the reuse of treated or untreated wastewater is their main source. Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) are mainly designed to remove organic nutrients, large solids, and chemical substances. There are some possible issues regarding WWTPs that are close to residential areas around the world. One of the environmental effects from WWTP that might cause air pollution would be the emission of toxic chemical gases and microorganisms via aerosols that transport bacteria as well as viruses and fungal spores which can be harmful to human health. Therefore, particulate matters (PM) and metrological parameters …

Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Benthic Microalgae In South Carolina Shelf Sediments, Sarah N. Zaunbrecher

Theses and Dissertations

Benthic microalgae (BMA) play essential roles in food webs and regulating nutrient exchange at the sediment-water interface in continental shelf ecosystems. However, shelf BMA are not widely studied due to the difficulties sampling the upper few millimeters of shelf sediments. A few published studies have highlighted the high spatiotemporal distribution of BMA, but detailed explanations for this known variability are limited. The objectives of this study were to quantify BMA biomass variability on scales of cm to km and relate these measurements to in situ nutrient concentrations, sediment grain size, in situ irradiance, depth, and other environmental factors. Water and …

The Association Of Exercise Training Modalities With Circulating Branched Chain Amino Acid And Ketone Body Levels In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Ryan Andrew Flynn

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Elevated levels of circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and ketone bodies are recognized as biomarkers for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other pathological conditions in type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Aerobic exercise interventions have been shown to decrease the levels of these markers, suggesting improved metabolic status and reduced risk of CVD. However, the efficacy of resistance training and concurrent programs in reducing BCAA and ketone body levels has not been well researched.

Methods: The current study was performed as a secondary analysis of the HART-D trial, a 9-month randomized, controlled exercise-training trial of 262 participants with T2DM. Participants were randomized …

Characterization And Analysis Of The Avian Epidermal Differentiation Complex And Implications In Feather Evolution, Anthony Chastine Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Since the most recent major mass-extinction event ~65 million years ago, birds have expanded to now occupy a wide range of habitats and exhibit diverse lifestyles. A major reason for this evolutionary success is the mechanical resilience and diversity of their epidermal appendages such as feathers, scales, and beaks. The diversity of these appendages, specifically feathers has played a critical role in their evolutionary success. The feathers of birds vary substantially across different species, as well as at different life stages and anatomical locations on an individual bird. Several of the genetic elements involved in the development and structure of …

Using A 3d In Vitro Ovarian Tissue Culture Model To Screen For The Female Reproductive Toxicity Of Pharmaceutical Compounds, Jingshan Xu

Theses and Dissertations

Ovarian toxicity (ovotoxicity) is one of the major side effects of pharmaceutical compounds for women at or before reproductive age. The current gold standard for screening of compounds for ovotoxicity largely relies on preclinical investigations using whole animals. However, in vivo models are time-consuming, costly, and harmful to animals. Here, we developed a three-tiered ovotoxicity screening approach starting from encapsulated in vitro follicle growth (eIVFG) and screened for the potential ovotoxicity of 8 preclinical compounds from AstraZeneca (AZ). Results from Tier 1 and 2 screenings using eIVFG showed that the first 7 tested AZ compounds, AZ-A, -B, -C, -D, -E, …

Nutrient Timing: A Garage Door Of Opportunity?, Shawn M. Arent, Harry P. Cintineo, Bridget A. Mcfadden, Alexa Jenny Chandler, Michelle Angelique Arent

Faculty Publications

Nutrient timing involves manipulation of nutrient consumption at specific times in and around exercise bouts in an effort to improve performance, recovery, and adaptation. Its historical perspective centered on ingestion during exercise and grew to include pre- and post-training periods. As research continued, translational focus remained primarily on the impact and outcomes related to nutrient consumption during one specific time period to the exclusion of all others. Additionally, there seemed to be increasing emphasis on outcomes related to hypertrophy and strength at the expense of other potentially more impactful performance measures. As consumption of nutrients does not occur at only …

Heterometallic Multinuclear Nodes Directing Mof Electronic Behavior, Otega A. Ejegbavwo, Anna A. Berseneva, Corey R. Martin, Gabrielle A. Leith, Shubham Pandey, Amy J. Brandt, Kyoung Chul Park, Abhijai Mathur, Sharfa Farzandh, Vladislav V. Klepov, Brittany J. Heiser, Mvs Chandrashekhar, Stavros G. Karakalos, Mark D. Smith, Simon R. Phillpot, Sophya Garashchuk, Donna A. Chen, Natalia B. Shustova Prof. Dr.

Faculty Publications

Metal node engineering in combination with modularity, topological diversity, and porosity of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) could advance energy and optoelectronic sectors. In this study, we focus on MOFs with multinuclear heterometallic nodes for establishing metal−property trends, i.e., connecting atomic scale changes with macroscopic material properties by utilization of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, conductivity measurements, X-ray photoelectron and diffuse reflectance spectroscopies, and density functional theory calculations. The results of Bader charge analysis and studies employing the Voronoi–Dirichlet partition of crystal structures are also presented. As an example of frameworks with different nodal arrangements, we have chosen MOFs with mononuclear, …

The Influence Of Stochasticity, Landscape Structure And Species Traits On Abundant–Centre Relationships, Tad Dallas, Luca Santini

Faculty Publications

Species have been commonly hypothesized to have high population densities in geographic areas which correspond to either the centre of the species geographic range or climatic niche (abundant–centre hypothesis). However, there is mixed empirical support for this relationship, and little theoretical underpinning. We simulate a species spreading across a set of replicated artificial landscapes to examine the expected level of support for abundant–centre relationships in geographic and niche space. Species niche constraints were modeled as a single axis which was related directly to population growth rates. We found strong evidence for abundant–centre relationships when populations follow deterministic growth, dispersal is …

A Highly Elastic And Fatigue-Resistant Natural Protein-Reinforced Hydrogel Electrolyte For Reversible-Compressible Quasi-Solid-State Supercapacitors, Jingya Nan, Gaitong Zhang, Tianyu Zhu, Zhongkai Wang, Lijun Wang, Hongsheng Wang, Fuxiang Chu, Chunpeng Wang, Chuanbing Tang

Faculty Publications

Compressible solid-state supercapacitors are emerging as promising power sources for next-generation flexible electronics with enhanced safety and mechanical integrity. Highly elastic and compressible solid electrolytes are in great demand to achieve reversible compressibility and excellent capacitive stability of these supercapacitor devices. Here, a lithium ion-conducting hydrogel electrolyte by integrating natural protein nanoparticles into polyacrylamide network is reported. Due to the synergistic effect of natural protein nanoparticles and polyacrylamide chains, the obtained hydrogel shows remarkable elasticity, high compressibility, and fatigue resistance properties. More significantly, the supercapacitor device based on this hydrogel electrolyte exhibits reversible compressibility under multiple cyclic compressions, working well …

The Abundant-Centre Is Not All That Abundant: A Comment To Osorio-Olvera Et Al. 2020, Tad Dallas, Samuel Pironon, Luca Santini

Faculty Publications

Species abundance is expected to decrease from the centre towards the edge of their ecological niches (abundant niche-centre hypothesis). Recently, Osorio-Olvera et al. (2020) reported strong support for the abundant niche-centre relationship in North American birds. We demonstrate here that methodological decisions strongly affected perceived support. Avoiding these issues casts doubt on conclusions by Osorio-Olvera et al. and the putative support for the abundant nichecentre hypothesis in North American birds.

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

The Found World: The Role Of Findability In The History Of Botany, Douglas Tuers

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

This study will investigate how a community of botanists used the findability inherent in botanical localities to rediscover species that were previously lost to botany. This article will look at the literature that announced the rediscovery of three species in the vicinity of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. These species are Heuchera hispida, Phlox buckleyi, and Gaylussacia brachycera. These three plants were rediscovered over a short period of time, about 13 years from 1919 to 1932. This study will draw from the announcement of these rediscoveries. In each of these cases there was a surrounding literature that …

The Athletic Gut Microbiota, Alex E. Mohr, Ralf Jäger, Katie C. Carpenter, Chad M. Kerksick, Martin Purpura, Jeremy R. Townsend, Nicholas P. West, Katherine Black, Michael Gleeson, David B. Pyne, Shawn D. Wells, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak, Richard B. Kreider, Bill I. Campbell, Laurent Bannock, Jonathan Scheiman, Craig J. Wissent, Marco Pane, Douglas S. Kalman, Jamie N. Pugh, Carmen P. Ortega-Santos, Jessica A. Ter Haar, Paul J. Arciero, Jose Antonio

Faculty Publications

The microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract play a significant role in nutrient uptake, vitamin synthesis, energy harvest, inflammatory modulation, and host immune response, collectively contributing to human health. Important factors such as age, birth method, antibiotic use, and diet have been established as formative factors that shape the gut microbiota. Yet, less described is the role that exercise plays, particularly how associated factors and stressors, such as sport/exercise-specific diet, environment, and their interactions, may influence the gut microbiota. In particular, high-level athletes offer remarkable physiology and metabolism (including muscular strength/power, aerobic capacity, energy expenditure, and heat production) compared to sedentary …

Molecular Properties Are A Primary Control On The Microbial Utilization Of Dissolved Organic Matter In The Ocean, Yuan Shen, Ronald Benner

Faculty Publications

The global ocean sequesters a large amount of reduced carbon in dissolved organic molecules that can persist for centuries to millennia. The persistence of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the deep ocean has been attributed to inherently refractory molecules and to low concentrations of molecules, but the relative roles of molecular properties and molecular concentrations remain uncertain. We investigate both of these possibilities using bioas-say experiments with unfiltered seawater collected from five depths (50–1500 m) at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series Study site. The microbial utilization of compositionally distinct forms of seawater DOC at in situ and elevated concentrations was determined. …

Relation Of Flt-1 And Endothelial Function In Women Soon After Delivery: Effect Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior, Chloe W. Caudell

Senior Theses

Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) are believed to be caused by poor placental formation. APOs can be characterized by elevated levels of a circulating Fms-like tyrosine kinase biomarker called Flt-1, produced by the placenta when its blood vessels are shallow or inadequately formed. Flt-1 acts directly on the maternal endothelium to impair vascular function during pregnancy and contributes to maternal features of APOs. This study aimed to evaluate the relation of Flt-1 and endothelial function in women soon after delivery. This study also aimed to evaluate the relation of Flt-1 and physical activity and sedentary behavior in women during and soon …

The Effects Of A New Mutation In Lis1 And Its Potential Role In Autism Spectrum Disorder, John A. Slovensky

Senior Theses

LIS1 is a protein, particularly concentrated in the brain, that is important in regulating the movement and transport capabilities of dynein. Dynein is protein that can move along pathways in the cell, carrying various cellular components and also helping brain cells migrate. These two proteins are crucial during the development of the nervous system, and mutations in them can lead to lissencephaly, a disorder in which the brain does not form properly. This disease causes patients to develop cognitive-motor defects and seizures that can lead to early death. While all previously identified mutations in LIS1 are known to cause lissencephaly, …

Individual Differences In Ultrasonic Vocalizations And Freezing Behavior During Fear Learning And Extinction In Female Rats, Iris M. Sakamoto

Senior Theses

Although many people experience traumatic events, only 10%-20% go on to develop post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Women are particularly susceptible, with a prevalence rate double that of men, even when controlling for type of trauma exposure. This disparity suggests the existence of distinct neurobiological processes, particularly related to sex, that predispose some individuals to be more resistant to extinguishing learned fear. Similar differences exist in rodent fear conditioning and extinction, though female rodents are considerably understudied. We hypothesized that female rodents would exhibit individual differences in fear extinction similar to those that we have observed previously in males. The …

A Broadly Distributed, Novel Class Of Diiron Enzymes Involved In Para-Aminobenzoate Synthesis, Joseph M. Zambelas

Senior Theses

The overall structure and ligand arrangement of diiron enzymes influence their function and catalytic potential, allowing for them to catalyze an expansive breadth of high energy transformations. The diiron enzyme CADD from Chlamydia trachomatis is involved in a novel biosynthetic pathway for p-aminobenzoic acid (pABA), a precursor for tetrahydrofolate. The unique ligand structure and reactivity of CADD and homolog NE1434 provide an intriguing means to contrast structure function relationships with other known diiron enzymes that activate dioxygen. In this work, studies of CADD and NE1434 orthologs and comparison to other diiron enzymes reveal several sequence motifs that are likely critical …

Computational Tools For Analyzing Correlations Between Microbial Biological Diversity And Ecosystems, Behzad Torkian

Theses and Dissertations

Metagenomics has developed into a reliable mechanism to analyze microbial diversity of microbial communities in the recent years. Through the use of next-generation sequencing, metagenomic studies can generate billions of short sequencing reads that are processed by computational tools. However, with the rapid adoption of metagenomics, a large amount of data has been produced. This high level of data production requires the development of computational tools and pipelines to manage data scalability and performance. In this thesis, we developed several tools that will aid in the exploration of the large amount of DNA sequence data, and we further developed a …

Revisiting The Essential Informational Needs Of Parents Receiving A Diagnosis Of Down Syndrome, Margaret Jean Wilkes

Theses and Dissertations

Down syndrome is a condition characterized by varying degrees of intellectual disability (ID), distinctive facial appearance, and congenital anomalies that results from the presence of a third 21st chromosome. Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition, affecting approximately 12.6 per 10,000 live births in the United States, making it imperative that we determine which information is most essential to impart to parents when first presenting the diagnosis. The aim of the present study is to reassess the informational needs of parents during the presentation of a Down syndrome diagnosis. In 2009, data were collected to define the essential information …

Influenza Vaccination Coverage In Pediatric Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Kelly Brown

Senior Theses

Background: Children with chronic health conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are at especially high risk for influenza infection and complications. The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and American College of Gastroenterology recommend that IBD patients should receive annual influenza vaccination. The aims of this study were to evaluate influenza vaccination coverage over time and identify predictors of flu vaccination in pediatric IBD and non-IBD patients.

Methods: We utilized longitudinal data (2000 to 2016) from South Carolina Medicaid to conduct a matched cohort study. The primary exposure of interest was IBD diagnosis based upon ICD-9/10 diagnosis codes. Children with IBD were …

Checkmate: Exploring Father-Son Communication Regarding Reproduction And Sexual Health In Males With Cystic Fibrosis, Dianna C. Sanderson

Theses and Dissertations

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a heritable monogenic condition with allelic heterogeneity. A variety of sequence alterations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene results clinically in multisystem disease including a reduced reproductive capacity in affected males. Knowledge of reproductive capacity is often disclosed to parents by medical providers and to affected male children by medical providers and their parents. Despite advanced technology and therapeutics yielding the benefits of increased life expectancy and quality of life, males affected with CF largely remain uninformed in broader areas of sexual health and particularly in how their concept of masculine …

Lipoprotein Discordance: Associations With Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, And Response To Exercise, Jonathan Joseph Pulama Kupaianaha Ruiz-Ramie

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To compare baseline CVD risk factor profiles among groups of individuals with discordant levels of high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C and LDL-C respectively) compared to lipoprotein particle concentration (HDL-P and LDL-P respectively) and examine the associations between lipoprotein discordance and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Furthermore, to examine the association between lipoprotein discordance and exercise induced changes in CVD risk factors.

Methods: Standard lipid panels as well as lipoprotein subclass profiles via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were measured among three previously completed studies (CARDIA cohort, HERITAGE Family Study, and HART-D study) spanning over …

Integrating Survivors Of Stroke Into Cardiac Rehabilitation, Elizabeth Wherley Regan

Theses and Dissertations

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States (U.S.). Impairments after stroke typically result in reduced physical activity which increases the risk for stroke recurrence and the development or worsening of comorbid health conditions. Physical activity and exercise behaviors can reduce cardiovascular risk factors and improve endurance for survivors of stroke. Despite these known significant benefits, survivors of stroke face barriers to participating in regular physical activity due to limited self-efficacy, safety concerns, environmental restrictions and lack of accessible community programs.

Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) is a structured exercise and behavior modification program for people with cardiovascular disease …

Piloting A Smartphone-Based Sedentary Behavior Reduction Intervention For Adults With Overweight Or Obesity: Take A Stand 4 Health, Chelsea Larsen

Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have shown a relationship between sedentary behavior as an independent and novel risk factor for high blood pressure. However, most of the evidence comes from cross-sectional and experimental studies, with only a few studies examining whether blood pressure is improved in individuals participating in a behavioral intervention. None of these studies utilized mHealth approaches, which hold potential for behavioral interventions, and none have focused on individuals with hypertension as a part of their target population. Therefore, the purpose of the dissertation was to 1) Examine the efficacy of a smartphone-mediated multi-component sedentary behavior reduction intervention for individuals …

Influence Of Stormwater Management On Oxygen Demand And Organic Matter Cycling In Urbanizing Headwater Catchments, Kelly Mccabe

Theses and Dissertations

Excessive organic matter (OM) is driving declining dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in coastal ecosystems, worldwide. The quantity, source, and composition of OM transported to coastal ecosystems via stormwater runoff has been altered by land use changes associated with urbanization and subsequent headwater alterations that accompany urban stormwater management. To understand the role of stormwater runoff in the decline of coastal DO, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) was determined for samples collected during rain events from the outfalls of a variety of stormwater infrastructure with watersheds spanning a range of development. Measurements of particulate and dissolved carbon and nitrogen and chlorophyll-a concentrations …