Life Sciences Commons^™

Histone Deacetylases As Targets For Melanoma Immunotherapy, David Michael Woods

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer represents the second leading cause of death in the United States. For many malignancies, currently available treatment options offer little long-lasting survival benefits to patients. However, recent studies have shown immunotherapeutic approaches to be an attractive strategy to cancer treatment. While many current immunotherapeutic strategies convey durable responses, such responses are only seen in a minority of patients. An increased understanding of the mechanisms governing tumor immunogenicity and the biology of immune responses is crucial to improving upon the efficacy of current and future cancer immunotherapies. Histone deacetylases (HDACs), enzymes classically associated with regulation of gene expression, have been …

Immobilization And Characterization Of Physisorbed Antibody Films Using Pneumatic Spray As Deposition Technique, Jhon J. Figueroa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The immobilization of antibodies on silica surfaces has been a wide and common practice via cross-linking with the formation of covalent bonds between surface and antibody. The formation of antibody thin films on solid surfaces using pneumatic spray (PS) as the deposition technique and the analysis of the surface morphology of these films were investigated during this study. The pneumatic spray method was compared with the covalent bonding method Avidin-Biotin Bridge (ABB). The intensities and capture efficiency tests showed similar results for both techniques with a lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the PS deposited films. Specificity tests suggested that the …

Optical Investigations Of Neurohypophysial Excitability And Amyloid Fibril Formation, Joseph Leo Foley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes the work done on two distinct projects. In the first part I sought to unravel the mechanisms that underlie the activity-dependent modulation of response in the excitation-secretion coupling of the neurohypophysis. In the second part, I optically monitored and analyzed the secondary structure changes accompanying amyloid fibril formation along multiple pathways, under both denaturing and near-physiological conditions.

Neuronal plasticity plays an important role in regulating various biological systems by modulating release of hormones or neurotransmitters. The changing response to the same stimulus, depending on the context and previous stimulation events, is also the basis of learning and …

Asbestos Exposure In The Research Laboratory, Ediberto D. Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Asbestos has been employed in a myriad of industrial applications for more than a century. Of the 181 Mt of asbestos produced worldwide, over 31 Mt was consumed in the U.S. The production and consumption of this mineral eventually was found to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. While the brunt of the human exposure to asbestos occurred in insulation work, many more workers in other jobs were expose to asbestos fibers. Very little is known about the potential exposure to asbestos in research labs.

Goal: In order to investigate potential research lab work exposures, we simulated lab work …

Investigation Of Condition Effects On Batch Fecundity Of The Common Snook, Centropomus Undecimalis, In Tampa Bay, Florida, Catherine Michelle Bruger Hayslip

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, is a popular game fish species that occurs throughout central and southern Florida, yet many questions remain unanswered regarding their reproductive strategies, including estimates of fecundity with relation to size, age, and condition of the female. These relationships are critical to improving stock assessments and fundamental to estimating spawning potential ratio, the measure by which snook are managed. Spawning snook were collected from a known spawning site, Rattlesnake Key, Tampa Bay, Florida, during three consecutive spawning seasons (2009-2011) and batch fecundity for snook was reported for the first time. Of the 43 females suitable for fecundity …

The Perception Of Emergency Department Physicians Regarding Economic And Regulatory Factors Impacting Management Of Drug Seeking Patients, Sharon Susanne Kelley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Physicians in the emergency department (ED) are facing a number of unique challenges in the currently changing healthcare and economic climates. Dramatic increases in ED patient volumes have been noted nationwide with visits related to prescription opioid abuse and misuse alone having increased by 111% between 2004 and 2008.

Ironically, several challenges ED physicians are facing arise from regulatory and economic initiatives which were originally designed for the protection of patients. Regulatory requirements to address pain as the fifth vital sign, along with entities utilizing patient satisfaction based reimbursement, have inadvertently created an environment conducive to exploitation by the …

Growth And Herbivory Of The Black Mangrove, Avicennia Germinans, Along A Salinity Gradient, Danielle Neveu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coastal communities will be most affected by global climate change and are important to study to understand current and future ecological processes. The current model for global climate change predicts a change in rainfall, which will alter the salinity of coastal systems. Given the presence of eutrophication in many coastal waters, it is important to understand the effects that this increase in nutrients, coupled with changes in salinity, will have on these communities. This study was conducted to understand the effect of salinity increase on the growth and herbivory of the black mangrove, Avicennia germinans, in the presence of …

Relative Survival Of Gags Mycteroperca Microlepis Released Within A Recreational Hook-And-Line Fishery: Application Of The Cox Regression Model To Control For Heterogeneity In A Large-Scale Mark-Recapture Study, Beverly J. Sauls

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to measure injuries and impairments directly observed from gags Mycteroperca microlepis caught and released within a large-scale recreational fishery, develop methods that may be used to rapidly assess the condition of reef fish discards, and estimate the total portion of discards in the fishery that suffer latent mortality. Fishery observers were placed on for-hire charter and headboat vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico from June 2009 through December 2012 to directly observe reef fishes as they were caught by recreational anglers fishing with hook-and-line gear. Fish that were not retained by anglers were …

Complete Genome Sequences And Phylogeny Of West Nile Virus Isolates From Southeastern United States, 2003-2012, Crystal Wedin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study of the evolution and phylogeny of West Nile virus (WNV) has been an important area of research since the introduction of WNV in 1999. However, genome sequencing of isolates from the Southeastern part of the United States has been somewhat limited. To determine how WNV has evolved at a more localized level, ten isolates from Florida and Georgia from 2003-2012 were completely sequenced using Illumina's next-generation technology. In addition, a phylogenetic comparison of both the complete genome and select partial genomes was completed to ensure consistency among the results. This study further demonstrated the dominance of the North …

Chlorophyll Fluorescence And Thermal Stress In Archaias Angulatus (Class Foraminifera), Heidi M. Toomey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Benthic foraminifers that host algal symbionts are similar to corals in that they rely on their algal endosymbionts for their energy needs, calcify prolifically, and are sensitive to changes in environmental conditions. They are abundant in the benthos of coastal coral-reef areas and are found throughout the tropical and subtropical regions. Pulse Amplitude Modulated (PAM) chlorophyll fluorometry and chlorophyll a extraction techniques were used to quantify and compare the photosynthetic responses of the benthic foraminiferal, Archaias angulatus and their isolated endosymbionts, Chlamydomonas hedleyi, to short-term changes in temperature. Maximum quantum efficiency (F_v/F_m) and rapid …

Predation, Competition, And Nutrient Levels Affect The Survival Of Escherichia Coli, Enterococci And Enteric Pathogens In Aquatic Habitats, Pauline Wanjugi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) such as Escherichia coli and enterococci are used to assess microbiological water quality in recreational waters worldwide. FIB are used with the assumption that their presence correlates with that of fecal-associated pathogens in recreational waters. In aquatic habitats, several factors can interfere with the predictive relationship between FIB and pathogens including extended survival of FIB in secondary habitats such as sediment, vegetation and sand. Furthermore, many biotic (e.g. predation from bacterivorous protozoa and competition from indigenous bacteria) and abiotic factors (e.g. temperature, salinity, ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation, and nutrient availability) can influence the fate of FIB …

Proteolytic Processing Of The Amyloid Precursor Protein During Apoptosis And Cell Cycle: Implications For Alzheimer's Disease, Tina N. Fiorelli

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the presence of amyloid plaques, made up primarily of Aϐ peptides, and neurofibrillary tangles, containing hyperphosphorylated tau. Aϐ is generated by sequential proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by beta and gamma secretases. The leading hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis is the amyloid cascade hypothesis, which suggests that amyloid is central to the disease process. However, tau pathology correlates more closely with cognitive dysfunction and follows a predictable anatomical course through the brain. We hypothesize that if Aϐ is upstream of tau pathology and tau pathology follows this predictable course through the brain, Aϐ …

The Mevalonate Pathway: A Potential Therapeutic Target For Jak2-Driven Myeloproliferative Neoplasms, Lori Nicole Griner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Mevalonate Pathway: A Potential Therapeutic Target for JAK2-driven Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Lori Nicole Griner

Abstract

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are diseases of hematopoietic stem cell origin and are characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells of the myeloid compartment. The Philadelphia chromosome negative classical MPNs, including polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and myelofibrosis, are diseases of dysregulated JAK2 signaling. In fact, the majority of MPN patients have activating mutations in JAK2 (e.g JAK2-V617F), a tyrosine kinase that contributes to the growth and survival of myeloid cells. While MPNs were first described over sixty years ago, a significant need remains to develop therapeutic strategies …

Biochemical Aspects Of The Thermal Sensitivity And Energy Balance Of Polar, Tropical And Subtropical Teleosts, Eloy Martinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The maintenance of a functional energy balance in ectothermic fauna could be challenging in a thermally disparate environment. Biochemical adaptations at the enzyme and membrane levels allows for a set compensatory mechanism that allow the individual to maintain an energetic surplus, thus allocating energy for growth and reproduction. The present work describes how the energetic machinery in the cell, particularly the mitochondrion, could be affected by temperature changes. More specifically, this work aimed to determine how environmental temperature affects the mitochondria energetic performance of fishes from disparate thermal regimes.

Mitochondrial ATP production efficiency was evaluated in fishes from polar, tropical …

Reaction Enthalpy And Volume Profiles For Excited State Reactions Involving Electron Transfer And Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer, William Antonio Maza

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electron transfer, ET, and proton-coupled electron transfer, PCET, reactions are central to biological reactions involving catalysis, energy conversion and energy storage. The movement of electrons and protons in either a sequential or concerted manner are coupled in a series of elementary reaction steps in respiration and photosynthesis to harvest and convert energy consumed in foodstuffs or by absorption of light into high energy chemi-cal bonds in the form of ATP. These electron transfer processes may be modulated by conformational dynamics within the protein matrix or at the protein-protein interface, the energetics of which are still not well understood. Photoacoustic calorimetry …

Functional And Mutational Analysis Of Human Recq-Like Dna Helicases In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Hamed Mirzaei-Souderjani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

RecQ-like proteins are a family of DNA helicases that are evolutionary conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. A large amount of experimental evidence suggests these proteins have a major role in the maintenance of genome stability. In humans five RecQ like helicase have been identified (RecQL1, BLM, WRN, RecQL4, and RecQL5), three of which are associated with rare genetic disorders with sever chromosomal and developmental abnormalities, and an elevated predisposition to cancer. Among the disease associated RecQ-like helicases, BLM and WRN have been subject to extensive research, while our collective knowledge about the function of RecQL4 is still very limited. Similarly, …

Ecological Interactions Influencing Avicennia Germinans Propagule Dispersal And Seedling Establishment At Mangrove-Saltmarsh Boundaries, Jennifer Mcclain Peterson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mangroves and saltmarshes are ecologically important coastal ecosystems; unfortunately, these low-lying coastal ecosystems are vulnerable to global climate change. As sea-levels rise, mangroves are expected to shift their distribution landward towards higher elevation sites that are occupied by other plants, including saltmarsh taxa. Therefore, mangrove recruits at the leading edge of expansion may interact with diverse assemblages of saltmarsh plants, and these interactions could influence the success of mangrove encroachment into higher tidal-elevation areas. The purpose of the research presented here was to investigate empirically the ecological interactions that may influence the recruitment of the black mangrove, Avicennia germinans, …

Distinct Lineage Of Vesiculovirus From Big Brown Bats, United States, Terry Fei Fan Ng, Cindy Driscoll, Maria Paz Carlos, Algernon Prioleau, Robert Schmieder, Bhakti Dwivedi, Jakk Wong, Yunhee Cha, Steven Head, Mya Breitbart, Eric Delwart

Marine Science Faculty Publications

We identified a novel rhabdovirus, American bat vesiculovirus, from postmortem tissue samples from 120 rabies-negative big brown bats with a history of human contact. Five percent of the tested bats were infected with this virus. The extent of zoonotic exposure and possible health effects in humans from this virus are unknown.

The Maredat Global Database Of High Performance Liquid Chromatography Marine Pigment Measurements, Frank E. Muller-Karger

Marine Science Faculty Publications

A global pigment database consisting of 35 634 pigment suites measured by high performance liquid chromatography was assembled in support of the MARine Ecosytem DATa (MAREDAT) initiative. These data originate from 136 field surveys within the global ocean, were solicited from investigators and databases, compiled, and then quality controlled. Nearly one quarter of the data originates from the Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche (LOV), with an additional 17% and 19% stemming from the US JGOFS and LTER programs, respectively. The MAREDAT pigment database provides high quality measurements of the major taxonomic pigments including chlorophylls a and b, 19'-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin, 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin, alloxanthin, divinyl …

Biogenic Nitrogen Gas Production At The Oxic-Anoxic Interface In The Cariaco Basin, Venezuela, Enrique Montes, M. A. Altabet, Frank E. Muller-Karger, M. I. Scranton, R. Thunell, C. Benitez-Nelson, Laura Lorenzoni, Y. M. Astor

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Excess nitrogen gas (N2xs) was measured in samples collected at six locations in the eastern and western sub-basins of the Cariaco Basin, Venezuela, in September 2008 (non-upwelling conditions) and March 2009 (upwelling conditions). During both sampling periods, N2xs concentrations were below detection in surface waters, increasing to ∼ 22 μmol N kg-1 at the oxic-anoxic interface ([O2] ∼ 4 μmol kg-1, ∼ 250 m). Below the oxic-anoxic interface (300-400 m), the average concentration of N2xs was 24.7 ± 1.9 μmol N kg-1 in September 2008 and 27.5 ± 2.0 μmol N kg-1 in March 2009, i.e., N2xs concentrations within this …

Ocean Bottom Pressure Seasonal Cycles And Decadal Trends From Grace Release-05: Ocean Circulation Implications, Gregory C. Johnson, Don P. Chambers

Marine Science Faculty Publications

[1] Ocean mass variations are important for diagnosing sea level budgets, the hydrological cycle, the global energy budget, and ocean circulation variability. Here seasonal cycles and decadal trends of ocean mass from January 2003 to December 2012, both global and regional, are analyzed using GRACE Release-05 data. The trend of global flux of mass into the ocean approaches 2 cm decade−1 in equivalent sea level rise. Regional trends are of similar magnitude, with the North Pacific, South Atlantic, and South Indian oceans generally gaining mass and other regions losing mass. These trends suggest a spin-down of the North Pacific western …

Indirect Effects Of Conservation Policies On The Coupled Human-Natural Ecosystem Of The Upper Gulf Of California, Hem Nalini Morzaria-Luna, Cameron H. Ainsworth, Isaac C. Kaplan, Phillip S. Levin, Elizabeth A. Fulton

Marine Science Faculty Publications

High bycatch of non-target species and species of conservation concern often drives the implementation of fisheries policies. However, species- or fishery-specific policies may lead to indirect consequences, positive or negative, for other species or fisheries. We use an Atlantis ecosystem model of the Northern Gulf of California to evaluate the effects of fisheries policies directed at reducing bycatch of vaquita (Phocoena sinus) on other species of conservation concern, priority target species, and metrics of ecosystem function and structure. Vaquita, a Critically Endangered porpoise endemic to the Upper Gulf of California, are frequently entangled by finfish gillnets and shrimp driftnets. We …

The Role Of Molecular Chaperones In The Etiology And Treatment Of Psychiatric Diseases In The Elderly, John Clarence O'Leary

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The elderly are at increased risk for developing psychiatric diseases, which include Alzheimer's disease, depression, anxiety and suicide. The probability of multiple disease comorbidity is also increased in the elderly. At the cellular level, the loss of protein homeostasis is often at the root of disease emergence, and thus the scientific community is searching for ways to help maintain this balance. A vast group of proteins that are paramount to balancing and counterbalancing protein levels is the molecular chaperone protein group, which has evolved a tremendous variety of functions in the cell. They aid in protein trafficking, folding, receptor signaling, …

The Inflammatory Response Initiated By The Spleen To Ischemic Stroke, Hilary Seifert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The peripheral immune system plays a role in delayed neural injury after stroke. This response originates from the spleen as splenectomy prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats significantly reduces infarct volume in the brain. This research is based on the hypothesis that inhibiting the splenic response will reduce neurodegeneration after stroke. Studies in animals have implicated lymphocytes as the immune cell type that is detrimental following MCAO. Interferon gamma (IFNγ) has been identified as a pro-inflammatory cytokine that is also detrimental following stroke. IFNγ is important because it activates microglia and macrophages in a pro-inflammatory nature that …

Agricultural And Domestic Waste Contamination In Chilibre Panama And Potential Low-Cost Best Managament Practices, Christopher Etienne Weekes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Sanitation coverage in the Republic of Panama is 5 to 10 percent below the Millennium Development Goals targets set for the country. Population growth, urbanization, unplanned development and waste mismanagement have resulted in improvised trash sites and waste discharges into river systems that are important components of the biologically diverse natural environment of Panama. The study sought to investigate and estimate the burden of waste from domestic and agricultural sources in three regions of the Chilibre corrigimiento (district). It was hypothesized that the water quality and land cover data would reflect that the most populated region in the study …

Biomechanical Comparison Of Titanium And Cobalt Chromium Pedicle Screw Rods In An Unstable Cadaveric Lumbar Spine, James Doulgeris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pedicle screw-rod instrumentation is considered a standard treatment for spinal instability, and titanium is the most common material for this application. Cobalt-chromium has several advantages over titanium and is generating interest in orthopedic practice. The aim of this study was to compare titanium versus cobalt-chromium rods in posterior fusion, with and without transverse connectors, through in vitro biomechanical testing and determine the optimal configuration.

Six cadaveric lumbar spines (L1-S1) were used. Posterior and middle column injuries were simulated at L3-L5 and different pedicle screw constructs were implanted. Specimens were subjected to flexibility tests and range of motion, intradiscal pressure and …

Prenatal Stress, Depression, And Herpes Viral Titers, Pao-Chu Hsu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies suggest that some cases of prenatal depression may be associated with reactivation of latent infections of the herpesvirus family. The possible relationships among stress, prenatal depression, and herpes viral reactivation in pregnancy are understudied and the molecular pathways such as the neuroimmune biogenic amine pathway are unidentified. Chronic stress shifts the T helper-1 cell (Th1) cytokine profile to a Th2 profile, which favors virus induced pathogenesis and survival. Pregnancy is also associated with a similar Th2 dominance. In non-pregnant individuals, exposure to psychological or physical stress may be associated with latent herpes viral reactivation and could result in …

Molecular Technologies In The Science And Policy Of Florida Largemouth Bass Micropterus Floridanus Management In Florida, Josh Sakmar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advances in molecular technologies have provided conservation biologist with the opportunity to quantify the genetic structure of a population and, in turn develop management guidelines and policies aimed at preserving the genetic diversity of fish stocks challenged by human activities. This thesis examines the status of genetics as applied to the management of freshwater fisheries by state natural resource agencies with a purpose of understanding the keys to a successful genetics program. An online survey was used to investigate the breadth of molecular marker application to freshwater fisheries management by state natural resource departments. Seven questions were posed to 50 …

Gradients In Season, Latitude, And Sea Ice: Their Effect On Metabolism And Stable Isotopic Composition Of Antarctic Micronekton, Erica H. Ombres

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Respiration, metabolic enzyme assays, and body composition parameters were measured in the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba during the summer, fall and winter on the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). E. superba of all sizes decrease their metabolism from the summer to the winter. These same parameters were also measured along the WAP during the austral fall 2010. E. superba's enzyme activity indicated that there was a latitudinal gradient to the decline in metabolism along the WAP with the more northerly sites having significantly higher metabolic enzyme activities than the sites to the south.

Carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ^{15 …}

Sirt1 Regulation Of The Heat Shock Response In An Hsf1-Dependent Manner And The Impact Of Caloric Restriction, Rachel Rene Raynes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The heat shock response (HSR) is the cell's molecular reaction to protein damaging stress and is critical in the management of denatured proteins. Activation of HSF1, the master transcriptional regulator of the HSR, results in the induction of molecular chaperones called heat shock proteins (HSPs). Transcription of hsp genes is promoted by the hyperphosphorylation of HSF1, while the attenuation of the HSR is regulated by a dual mechanism involving negative feedback inhibition from HSPs and acetylation at a critical lysine residue within the DNA binding domain of HSF1, which results in a loss of affinity for DNA. SIRT1 is a …