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Articles 1441 - 1470 of 2279

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Water Column Stratification Structures Viral Community Composition In The Sargasso Sea, Dawn Goldsmith, Jennifer Brum, Max Hopkins, Craig Carlson, Mya Breitbart Jan 2015

Water Column Stratification Structures Viral Community Composition In The Sargasso Sea, Dawn Goldsmith, Jennifer Brum, Max Hopkins, Craig Carlson, Mya Breitbart

Marine Science Faculty Publications

A decade-long study of viral abundance at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site recently revealed an annually recurring pattern where viral abundance was fairly uniform in the well-mixed upper water column each winter, yet a subsurface peak in viral abundance between 60 and 100 m depth developed each summer during water column stratification (Parsons et al. 2012; ISME J 6:273–284). Building upon these findings, this study tests the hypothesis that in the well-mixed period (March), the viral communities at the surface and at 100 m depth are similar in composition, while during water column stratification (September), differences in the …


Vector-Enabled Metagenomic (Vem) Surveys Using Whiteflies (Aleyrodidae) Reveal Novel Begomovirus Species In The New And Oldworlds, Karyna Rosario, Yee Mey Seah, Christian Marr, Arvind Varsani, Simona Kraberger, Daisy Stainton, Enrique Moriones, Jane Polston, Siobain Duffy Jan 2015

Vector-Enabled Metagenomic (Vem) Surveys Using Whiteflies (Aleyrodidae) Reveal Novel Begomovirus Species In The New And Oldworlds, Karyna Rosario, Yee Mey Seah, Christian Marr, Arvind Varsani, Simona Kraberger, Daisy Stainton, Enrique Moriones, Jane Polston, Siobain Duffy

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Whitefly-transmitted viruses belonging to the genus Begomovirus (family Geminiviridae) represent a substantial threat to agricultural food production. The rapid evolutionary potential of these single-stranded DNA viruses combined with the polyphagous feeding behavior of their whitefly vector (Bemisia tabaci) can lead to the emergence of damaging viral strains. Therefore, it is crucial to characterize begomoviruses circulating in different regions and crops globally. This study utilized vector-enabled metagenomics (VEM) coupled with high-throughput sequencing to survey begomoviruses directly from whiteflies collected in various locations (California (USA), Guatemala, Israel, Puerto Rico, and Spain). Begomoviruses were detected in all locations, with the highest diversity identified …


Novel Circular Single-Stranded Dna Viruses Identified In Marine Invertebrates Reveal High Sequence Diversity And Consistent Predicted Intrinsic Disorder Patterns Within Putative Structural Proteins, Karyna Rosario, Ryan Schenck, Rachel Harbeitner, Stephanie Lawler, Mya Breitbart Jan 2015

Novel Circular Single-Stranded Dna Viruses Identified In Marine Invertebrates Reveal High Sequence Diversity And Consistent Predicted Intrinsic Disorder Patterns Within Putative Structural Proteins, Karyna Rosario, Ryan Schenck, Rachel Harbeitner, Stephanie Lawler, Mya Breitbart

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Viral metagenomics has recently revealed the ubiquitous and diverse nature of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses that encode a conserved replication initiator protein (Rep) in the marine environment. Although eukaryotic circular Rep-encoding ssDNA (CRESS-DNA) viruses were originally thought to only infect plants and vertebrates, recent studies have identified these viruses in a number of invertebrates. To further explore CRESS-DNA viruses in the marine environment, this study surveyed CRESS-DNA viruses in various marine invertebrate species. A total of 27 novel CRESS-DNA genomes, with Reps that share less than 60.1% identity with previously reported viruses, were recovered from 21 invertebrate species, mainly crustaceans. …


Reduction Of Nutrients, Microbes, And Personal Care Products In Domestic Wastewater By A Benchtop Electrocoagulation Unit, E. Symonds, M. Cook, S. Mcquaig, R. Ulrich, R. Schenck, J. Lukasik, E. Van Vleet, Mya Breitbart Jan 2015

Reduction Of Nutrients, Microbes, And Personal Care Products In Domestic Wastewater By A Benchtop Electrocoagulation Unit, E. Symonds, M. Cook, S. Mcquaig, R. Ulrich, R. Schenck, J. Lukasik, E. Van Vleet, Mya Breitbart

Marine Science Faculty Publications

To preserve environmental and human health, improved treatment processes are needed to reduce nutrients, microbes, and emerging chemical contaminants from domestic wastewater prior to discharge into the environment. Electrocoagulation (EC) treatment is increasingly used to treat industrial wastewater; however, this technology has not yet been thoroughly assessed for its potential to reduce concentrations of nutrients, a variety of microbial surrogates, and personal care products found in domestic wastewater. This investigation's objective was to determine the efficiency of a benchtop EC unit with aluminum sacrificial electrodes to reduce concentrations of the aforementioned biological and chemical pollutants from raw and tertiary-treated domestic …


Deep Sequencing Of The Viral Phoh Gene Reveals Temporal Variation, Depth-Specific Composition, And Persistent Dominance Of The Same Viral Phoh Genes In The Sargasso Sea, Dawn Goldsmith, Rachel Parsons, Damitu Beyene, Peter Salamon, Mya Breitbart Jan 2015

Deep Sequencing Of The Viral Phoh Gene Reveals Temporal Variation, Depth-Specific Composition, And Persistent Dominance Of The Same Viral Phoh Genes In The Sargasso Sea, Dawn Goldsmith, Rachel Parsons, Damitu Beyene, Peter Salamon, Mya Breitbart

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Deep sequencing of the viral phoH gene, a host-derived auxiliary metabolic gene, was used to track viral diversity throughout the water column at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site in the summer (September) and winter (March) of three years. Viral phoH sequences reveal differences in the viral communities throughout a depth profile and between seasons in the same year. Variation was also detected between the same seasons in subsequent years, though these differences were not as great as the summer/winter distinctions. Over 3,600 phoH operational taxonomic units (OTUs; 97% sequence identity) were identified. Despite high richness, most phoH sequences …


Potential Habitat Of Acropora Spp. On Reefs Of Florida, Puerto Rico, And The Us Virgin Islands, Katherine Wirt Jan 2015

Potential Habitat Of Acropora Spp. On Reefs Of Florida, Puerto Rico, And The Us Virgin Islands, Katherine Wirt

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Elkhorn and staghorn corals (Acropora palmata, Acropora cervicornis) were listed in 2006 as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The goal of this study was to create model potential-habitat maps for A. palmata and A. cervicornis, while identifying areas for possible re-establishment. These maps were created using a database of reported field observations in combination with existing benthic habitat maps. The mapped coral reef and hardbottom classifications throughout Florida, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Island reef tracts were used to generate potential-habitat polygons using buffers that incorporated 95% and 99% of reported observations of Acropora spp. …


Coral–Algal Phase Shifts Alter Fish Communities And Reduce Fisheries Production, Cameron H. Ainsworth, Peter J. Mumby Jan 2015

Coral–Algal Phase Shifts Alter Fish Communities And Reduce Fisheries Production, Cameron H. Ainsworth, Peter J. Mumby

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Anthropogenic stress has been shown to reduce coral coverage in ecosystems all over the world. A phase shift towards an algae-dominated system may accompany coral loss. In this case, the composition of the reef-associated fish assemblage will change and human communities relying on reef fisheries for income and food security may be negatively impacted. We present a case study based on the Raja Ampat Archipelago in Eastern Indonesia. Using a dynamic food web model, we simulate the loss of coral reefs with accompanied transition towards an algae-dominated state and quantify the likely change in fish populations and fisheries productivity. One …


Colored Dissolved Organic Matter In The Coastal Ocean: An Optical Tool For Coastal Zone Environmental Assessment And Management, Paula Coble, Chuanmin Hu, Richard W. Gould Jr., Grace Chang, A. Michelle Wood Jan 2015

Colored Dissolved Organic Matter In The Coastal Ocean: An Optical Tool For Coastal Zone Environmental Assessment And Management, Paula Coble, Chuanmin Hu, Richard W. Gould Jr., Grace Chang, A. Michelle Wood

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The phrase “deep blue sea” is so common in English usage that all three words are individually synonymous for “ocean.” Poems, song titles, and movies, have used these words to conjure up images that few people have observed firsthand. The real “deep blue sea” can typically be seen only hundreds of miles offshore. The areas of the ocean that most people are able to observe are coastal waters, which are rarely “deep,” and only in the cleanest, clearest regions of the world, such as along the coast of Australia, do these waters appear blue. Soil runoff from rivers, algal blooms, …


Long-Term Distribution Patterns Of Chlorophyll-A Concentration In China’S Largest Freshwater Lake: Meris Full-Resolution Observations With A Practical Approach, Lian Feng, Chuanmin Hu, Xingxing Han, Xiaoling Chen, Lin Qi Jan 2015

Long-Term Distribution Patterns Of Chlorophyll-A Concentration In China’S Largest Freshwater Lake: Meris Full-Resolution Observations With A Practical Approach, Lian Feng, Chuanmin Hu, Xingxing Han, Xiaoling Chen, Lin Qi

Marine Science Faculty Publications

A new empirical Chl-a algorithm has been developed and validated for the largest freshwater lake of China (Poyang Lake) using a normalized green-red difference index (NGRDI), where the uncertainty was estimated to be <45% for Chl-a ranging between 1.3 and 10.5 mg·m−3. The combined approach of using the NGRDI algorithm and atmospherically-corrected Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) data showed an advantage over other popular approaches. The algorithm was then applied to 325 carefully-selected MERIS full-resolution (300-m) scenes between 2003 and 2012, with pixels of extreme turbidity (NGRDI < 0.06, corresponding to >~25 mg·L−1 total suspended sediments or TSS) masked. The long-term Chl-a distribution showed significant spatial gradient and temporal variability, …


A Harmful Algal Bloom Of Karenia Brevis In The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico As Revealed By Modis And Viirs: A Comparison, Chuanmin Hu, Brian B. Barnes, Lin Qi, Alina A. Corcoran Jan 2015

A Harmful Algal Bloom Of Karenia Brevis In The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico As Revealed By Modis And Viirs: A Comparison, Chuanmin Hu, Brian B. Barnes, Lin Qi, Alina A. Corcoran

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The most recent Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is not equipped with a spectral band to detect solar-stimulated phytoplankton fluorescence. The lack of such a band may affect the ability of VIIRS to detect and quantify harmful algal blooms (HABs) in coastal waters rich in colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) because of the overlap of CDOM and chlorophyll absorption within the blue-green spectrum. A recent HAB dominated by the toxin-producing dinoflagellate Karenia brevis in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, offshore of Florida’s Big Bend region, allowed for comparison of the capacities of VIIRS and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) …


Inhibition Of Shp2 Suppresses Mutant Egfr-Induced Lung Tumors In Transgenic Mouse Model Of Lung Adenocarcinoma, Valentina E. Schneeberger, Yuan Ren, Noreen Luetteke, Qingling Huang, Liwei Chen, Harshani R. Lawrence, Nicholas J. Lawrence, Eric B. Haura, John M. Koomen, Domenico Coppola, Jie Wu Jan 2015

Inhibition Of Shp2 Suppresses Mutant Egfr-Induced Lung Tumors In Transgenic Mouse Model Of Lung Adenocarcinoma, Valentina E. Schneeberger, Yuan Ren, Noreen Luetteke, Qingling Huang, Liwei Chen, Harshani R. Lawrence, Nicholas J. Lawrence, Eric B. Haura, John M. Koomen, Domenico Coppola, Jie Wu

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutants drive lung tumorigenesis and are targeted for therapy. However, resistance to EGFR inhibitors has been observed, in which the mutant EGFR remains active. Thus, it is important to uncover mediators of EGFR mutant-driven lung tumors to develop new treatment strategies. The protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) Shp2 mediates EGF signaling. Nevertheless, it is unclear if Shp2 is activated by oncogenic EGFR mutants in lung carcinoma or if inhibiting the Shp2 PTP activity can suppress EGFR mutant-induced lung adenocarcinoma. Here, we generated transgenic mice containing a doxycycline (Dox)-inducible PTP-defective Shp2 mutant (tetO-Shp2CSDA). Using the rat Clara …


The Νsaα Specific Lipoprotein Like Cluster (Lpl) Of S. Aureus Usa300 Contributes To Immune Stimulation And Invasion In Human Cells, Minh Thu Nguyen, Beatrice Kraft, Wenqi Yu, Dogan Doruk Demicrioglu, Tobias Hertlein, Marc Burian, Mathias Schmaler, Klaus Boller, Isabelle Bekeredjian-Ding, Knut Ohlsen, Birgit Schittek, Friedrich Götz Jan 2015

The Νsaα Specific Lipoprotein Like Cluster (Lpl) Of S. Aureus Usa300 Contributes To Immune Stimulation And Invasion In Human Cells, Minh Thu Nguyen, Beatrice Kraft, Wenqi Yu, Dogan Doruk Demicrioglu, Tobias Hertlein, Marc Burian, Mathias Schmaler, Klaus Boller, Isabelle Bekeredjian-Ding, Knut Ohlsen, Birgit Schittek, Friedrich Götz

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

All Staphylococcus aureus genomes contain a genomic island, which is termed νSaα and characterized by two clusters of tandem repeat sequences, i.e. the exotoxin (set) and 'lipoprotein-like' genes (lpl). Based on their structural similarities the νSaα islands have been classified as type I to IV. The genomes of highly pathogenic and particularly epidemic S. aureus strains (USA300, N315, Mu50, NCTC8325, Newman, COL, JH1 or JH9) belonging to the clonal complexes CC5 and CC8 bear a type I νSaα island. Since the contribution of the lpl gene cluster encoded in the νSaα island to virulence is unclear to date, we deleted …


Ebola Cases And Health System Demand In Liberia, John M. Drake, Rajreni B. Kaul, Laura W. Alexander, Suzanne M. O’Regan, Andrew M. Kramer, J. Tomlin Pulliam, Matthew J. Ferrari, Andrew W. Park Jan 2015

Ebola Cases And Health System Demand In Liberia, John M. Drake, Rajreni B. Kaul, Laura W. Alexander, Suzanne M. O’Regan, Andrew M. Kramer, J. Tomlin Pulliam, Matthew J. Ferrari, Andrew W. Park

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

In 2014, a major epidemic of human Ebola virus disease emerged in West Africa, where human-to-human transmission has now been sustained for greater than 12 months. In the summer of 2014, there was great uncertainty about the answers to several key policy questions concerning the path to containment. What is the relative importance of nosocomial transmission compared with community-acquired infection? How much must hospital capacity increase to provide care for the anticipated patient burden? To which interventions will Ebola transmission be most responsive? What must be done to achieve containment? In recent years, epidemic models have been used to guide …


Cellular Defects Caused By Hypomorphic Variants Of The Bloom Syndrome Helicase Gene Blm, Vivek M. Shastri, Kristina H. Schmidt Jan 2015

Cellular Defects Caused By Hypomorphic Variants Of The Bloom Syndrome Helicase Gene Blm, Vivek M. Shastri, Kristina H. Schmidt

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Bloom syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by extraordinary cancer incidence early in life and an average life expectancy of ~27 years. Premature stop codons in BLM, which encodes a DNA helicase that functions in DNA double-strand-break repair, make up the vast majority of Bloom syndrome mutations, with only 13 single amino acid changes identified in the syndrome. Sequencing projects have identified nearly one hundred single nucleotide variants in BLM that cause amino acid changes of uncertain significance.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Here, in addition to identifying five BLM variants incapable of complementing certain defects of Bloom syndrome cells, …


Effects Of Preservation Methods Of Muscle Tissue From Upper-Trophic Level Reef Fishes On Stable Isotope Values (Δ13C And Δ15N), Christopher D. Stallings, James A. Nelson, Katherine L. Rozar, Charles S. Adams, Kara R. Wall, Theodore S. Switzer, Brent L. Winner, David J. Hollander Jan 2015

Effects Of Preservation Methods Of Muscle Tissue From Upper-Trophic Level Reef Fishes On Stable Isotope Values (Δ13C And Δ15N), Christopher D. Stallings, James A. Nelson, Katherine L. Rozar, Charles S. Adams, Kara R. Wall, Theodore S. Switzer, Brent L. Winner, David J. Hollander

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Research that uses stable isotope analysis often involves a delay between sample collection in the field and laboratory processing, therefore requiring preservation to prevent or reduce tissue degradation and associated isotopic compositions. Although there is a growing literature describing the effects of various preservation techniques, the results are often contextual, unpredictable and vary among taxa, suggesting the need to treat each species individually. We conducted a controlled experiment to test the effects of four preservation methods of muscle tissue from four species of upper trophic-level reef fish collected from the eastern Gulf of Mexico (Red Grouper Epinephelus morio, Gag …


Enhancing The Ocean Observing System To Meet Restoration Challenges In The Gulf Of Mexico, Steven Murawski, William T. Hogarth Jan 2015

Enhancing The Ocean Observing System To Meet Restoration Challenges In The Gulf Of Mexico, Steven Murawski, William T. Hogarth

C-IMAGE Publications

As a result of fines and penalties generated by the settlement of civil and criminal actions and the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) claims resulting from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) incident, various entities are poised to receive billions of dollars to improve the health and resilience of the Gulf of Mexico large marine ecosystem. While much of the funding will go to economic development in states impacted by the oil spill, the lion’s share will be used to restore specific natural resources damaged as a result of DWH and to tackle larger and more chronic environmental issues such …


An Atlantis Ecosystem Model For The Gulf Of Mexico Supporting Integrated Ecosystem Assessment, Cameron Ainsworth, Michael Schirripa, Hem Nalini Morzaria-Luna Jan 2015

An Atlantis Ecosystem Model For The Gulf Of Mexico Supporting Integrated Ecosystem Assessment, Cameron Ainsworth, Michael Schirripa, Hem Nalini Morzaria-Luna

C-IMAGE Publications

"The Gulf of Mexico supports a high biological diversity and biomass of fish, seabirds, and mammals; in this region, multiple commercial and recreational fishing fleets operate providing economic resources for local populations. The Gulf is also the site of important oil and gas production and tourism. As a result of intensive human use, the Gulf is subject to various impacts, including oil spills, habitat degradation, and anoxia. Management of this Large Marine Ecosystem requires an ecosystem-based management approach that provides a holistic approach to resource management. The Gulf of Mexico is managed as part of NOAA's Integrated Ecosystem Assessment Program …


Lethal And Sublethal Effects Of Oil, Chemical Dispersant, And Dispersed Oil On The Ctenophore Mnemiopsis Leidyi, Ryan F. Peiffer, Jonathan H. Cohen Jan 2015

Lethal And Sublethal Effects Of Oil, Chemical Dispersant, And Dispersed Oil On The Ctenophore Mnemiopsis Leidyi, Ryan F. Peiffer, Jonathan H. Cohen

C-IMAGE Publications

We established the lethal levels for water-accommodated fractions of Corexit® 9500A chemical dispersant, crude oil (WAF), and dispersed crude oil (CEWAF) for the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi at both 15 and 23°C. This gelatinous zooplankter was sensitive to dispersant at both temperatures, as well as to oil solutions, with some increase in toxicity of CEWAF as compared to WAF. Subsequent sublethal assays for routine respiration rate, bioluminescence, and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) activity were conducted on individuals surviving 24 h exposures to test solutions at both 15 and 23°C. GST activity increased significantly in 2.5 and 5 mg l-1 dispersant solutions …


Development Of A Serological Assay For The Sea Lion (Zalophus Californianus) Anellovirus, Zcav, Elizabeth Fahsbender, Karyna Rosario, John Cannon, Frances Gulland, Larry Dishaw, Mya Breitbart Jan 2015

Development Of A Serological Assay For The Sea Lion (Zalophus Californianus) Anellovirus, Zcav, Elizabeth Fahsbender, Karyna Rosario, John Cannon, Frances Gulland, Larry Dishaw, Mya Breitbart

Marine Science Faculty Publications

New diseases in marine animals are emerging at an increasing rate, yet methodological limitations hinder characterization of viral infections. Viral metagenomics is an effective method for identifying novel viruses in diseased animals; however, determining virus pathogenesis remains a challenge. A novel anellovirus (Zalophus californianus anellovirus, ZcAV) was recently reported in the lungs of captive California sea lions involved in a mortality event. ZcAV was not detected by PCR in the blood of these animals, creating the inability to assess the prevalence of ZcAV in live sea lions. This study developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect antibodies to …


Recent Trends In The Southern Ocean Eddy Field, Andrew Mcc. Hogg, Michael P. Meredith, Don P. Chambers, E. Povl Abrahamsen, Chris W. Hughes, Adele K. Morrison Jan 2015

Recent Trends In The Southern Ocean Eddy Field, Andrew Mcc. Hogg, Michael P. Meredith, Don P. Chambers, E. Povl Abrahamsen, Chris W. Hughes, Adele K. Morrison

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Eddies in the Southern Ocean act to moderate the response of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) to changes in forcing. An updated analysis of the Southern Ocean satellite altimetry record indicates an increase in eddy kinetic energy (EKE) in recent decades, contemporaneous with a probable decrease in ACC transport. The EKE trend is largest in the Pacific (14.9 ± 4.1 cm2 s−2 per decade) and Indian (18.3 ± 5.1 cm2 s−2 per decade) sectors of the Southern Ocean. We test the hypothesis that variations in wind stress can account for the observed EKE trends using perturbation …


Ventilation Time Scales Of The North Atlantic Subtropical Cell Revealed By Coral Radiocarbon From The Cape Verde Islands, Alvaro Fernandez, Thomas J. Lapen, Rasmus Andreasen, Peter K. Swart, Christopher D. White, Brad E. Rosenheim Jan 2015

Ventilation Time Scales Of The North Atlantic Subtropical Cell Revealed By Coral Radiocarbon From The Cape Verde Islands, Alvaro Fernandez, Thomas J. Lapen, Rasmus Andreasen, Peter K. Swart, Christopher D. White, Brad E. Rosenheim

Marine Science Faculty Publications

We present coral- and sclerosponge-based reconstructions of the 14C content in North Atlantic dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) during the last ~100 years from the subtropical cells (STCs). These waters are sensitive to the dynamics of the shallow overturning meridional circulation that transports heat and water masses from the subtropics to the tropics. We use these records to investigate the circulation patterns of the off-equatorial upwelling regions of the STCs, which are not well understood. Coral and sclerosponge skeletons provide long time series of ocean DIC 14C content, a tracer of oceanic circulation, effectively extending the observational record back …


Mediation And Moderation Analysis Of Nutrition, Inflammatory Biomarkers, And Cognition In Older Adults, Elizabeth Handing Jan 2015

Mediation And Moderation Analysis Of Nutrition, Inflammatory Biomarkers, And Cognition In Older Adults, Elizabeth Handing

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutrition can be viewed as a modifiable factor related to maintaining and preserving health in older adults. Previous studies have found that nutritional factors can influence cognitive abilities, however few studies have examined macronutrients and micronutrients as they relate to cognitive functioning. Research has yet to examine the mechanisms related to nutrition, cognition and aging in an older adult population from a holistic and interactive perspective.

This dissertation examined three research questions to better understand the relationship between age, nutrition, cognition, and inflammatory biomarkers. First, is nutrition related to cognition beyond demographic factors? Do individual nutrients serve as mediators? Second, …


Multi-Year Observations Of Breiðamerkurjökull, A Marine-Terminating Glacier In Southeastern Iceland, Using Terrestrial Radar Interferometry, Denis Voytenko, Timothy H. Dixon, Ian M. Howat, Noel Gourmelen, Chad Lembke, Charles L. Werner, Santiago De La Peña, Björn Oddsson Jan 2015

Multi-Year Observations Of Breiðamerkurjökull, A Marine-Terminating Glacier In Southeastern Iceland, Using Terrestrial Radar Interferometry, Denis Voytenko, Timothy H. Dixon, Ian M. Howat, Noel Gourmelen, Chad Lembke, Charles L. Werner, Santiago De La Peña, Björn Oddsson

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Terrestrial radar interferometry (TRI) is a new technique for studying ice motion and volume change of glaciers. TRI is especially useful for temporally and spatially dense measurements of highly dynamic glacial termini. We conducted a TRI survey of Breiðamerkurjökull, a marine-terminating glacier in Iceland, imaging its terminus near the end of the melt season in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The ice velocities were as high as 5 m d−1, with the fastest velocities near the calving front. Retreat of the glacier over the 3 year observation period was accompanied by strong embayment formation. Iceberg tracking with the radar shows high …


An Assessment Of Retractions As A Measure Of Scientific Misconduct And Impact On Public Health Risks, Alison J. Abritis Jan 2015

An Assessment Of Retractions As A Measure Of Scientific Misconduct And Impact On Public Health Risks, Alison J. Abritis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research misconduct has been generally considered a limited issue, occurring in a small percentage of research studies. Studies of the number of article retractions use retraction percentages to perpetuate the idea that research misconduct is not a common event, and use information in the retraction notice to quantify types of research misconduct and types or research error. However, retractions appear to be the wrong variable with which to assess misconduct rates and characteristics. Using final misconduct findings in hard science research from the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) for investigations closed from 1993 through 2013, the number of publications and …


Functional Analysis Of The Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Locus At 9p22.2 Reveals A Transcription Regulatory Network Mediated By Bnc2 In Ovarian Cells, Melissa Buckley Jan 2015

Functional Analysis Of The Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Locus At 9p22.2 Reveals A Transcription Regulatory Network Mediated By Bnc2 In Ovarian Cells, Melissa Buckley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

GWAS have identified several chromosomal loci associated with ovarian cancer risk. However, the mechanism underlying these associations remains elusive. We identify candidate functional Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) at the 9p22.2 ovarian cancer susceptibility locus, several of which map to transcriptional regulatory elements active in ovarian cells identified by FAIRE-seq (Formaldehyde assisted isolation of regulatory elements followed by sequencing) and ChIP-seq (Chromatin Immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing) in relevant cell types. Reporter and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) determined the extent to which candidate SNPs had allele specific effects. Chromosome conformation capture (3C) reveals a physical association between Basonuclin 2 (BNC2) and …


Exploring The Pathogenic And Drug Resistance Mechanisms Of Staphylococcus Aureus, Whittney Burda Jan 2015

Exploring The Pathogenic And Drug Resistance Mechanisms Of Staphylococcus Aureus, Whittney Burda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We have previously identified σS, an ECF sigma factor that is important in the virulence and stress response of S. aureus. Transcriptional profiling of sigS revealed that it is differentially regulated in a variety of laboratory and clinical strains of S. aureus, suggesting that there exists a regulatory network that modulates its expression. In order to identify direct regulators of sigS expression, we performed a biotin pull down assay in tandem with mass spectrometry. We identified CymR as a direct regulator and observed that sigS expression is increased in cells lacking cymR. In addition, transposon mutagenesis was performed to identify …


High-Throughput Screening Of Age-Related Changes In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Neil Copes Jan 2015

High-Throughput Screening Of Age-Related Changes In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Neil Copes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project was developed to identify novel methods for high-throughput culturing and screening of C. elegans to investigate age-related metabolic changes and to survey the proteomic and metabolomic factors associated with age-related changes. To accomplish these goals we developed a novel way to grow C. elegans in liquid culture in 96-well microplates for several weeks without suffering significant fluid loss due to evaporation and without needing to shake or unseal the plates for aeration. We also developed methods for assaying the total volume of live C. elegans in microplate cultures using a fluorescence microplate reader and for performing RNAi experiments …


Strategies For Preventing Age And Neurodegenerative Disease-Associated Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Vedad Delic Jan 2015

Strategies For Preventing Age And Neurodegenerative Disease-Associated Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Vedad Delic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a pivotal role in the development of aging phenotypes and aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Strategies that restore mitochondrial dysfunction may rescue the deficits of central metabolism in these disorders and improve cell survival. For example, we found that modulating the mTOR signaling pathway in a tissue culture model of aging-induced mitochondrial DNA mutation enhanced mitochondrial function as evidenced by increased oxygen consumption. Our previous melatonin studies also led us to hypothesize that caloric restriction and the hormone melatonin would reverse brain mitochondrial dysfunction in animal …


Genomic Aberrations At The 3q And 14q Loci: Investigation Of Key Players In Ovarian And Renal Cancer Biology, Punashi Dutta Jan 2015

Genomic Aberrations At The 3q And 14q Loci: Investigation Of Key Players In Ovarian And Renal Cancer Biology, Punashi Dutta

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Genomic aberrations are primary contributors to the pathophysiology of cancer [11]. Dysregulated expression of genes located within these aberrations are important predictors of chemoresistance, disease prognosis, and patient outcome [12]. This dissertation is focused on understanding the regulation and/or functions of specific genes located at dysregulated genomic regions such as 3q26 and 14q32 in the biology of ovarian and renal cancer, respectively.

Serous epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) manifest amplification at the 3q26.2 locus [2], an observation consistent with the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) [13]. The most amplified gene in this region is EVI1 which has been extensively studied in hematological …


The Effects Of Supplemented Metabolites On Lifespan And Stress Response Pathways In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Clare B. Edwards Jan 2015

The Effects Of Supplemented Metabolites On Lifespan And Stress Response Pathways In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Clare B. Edwards

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how metabolites contribute to anaplerosis, antioxidant effects, and hormetic pathways during aging is fundamental to creating supplements and dietary habits that may decrease age-associated disease and decline, thus improving the quality of life in old age. In order to uncover metabolic pathways that delay aging, the effects of large sets of metabolites associated with mitochondrial function on lifespan were investigated.

Malate, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolite, increased lifespan and thermotolerance in C. elegans. Addition of fumarate and succinate also extended lifespan and all three metabolites activated nuclear translocation of the cytoprotective DAF-16/FOXO transcription factor and protected from paraquat-induced …