Life Sciences Commons^™

Site U1524, Robert M. Mckay, Laura De Santis, Denise K. Kulhanek, Imogen M. Browne, Amelia E. Shevenell, Expedition 374 Scientists

Marine Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Site U1523, Robert M. Mckay, Laura De Santis, Denise K. Kulhanek, Imogen M. Browne, Amelia E. Shevenell, Expedition 374 Scientists

Marine Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Site U1525, Robert M. Mckay, Laura De Santis, Denise K. Kulhanek, Imogen M. Browne, Amelia E. Shevenell, Expedition 374 Scientists

Marine Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Site U1521, Robert M. Mckay, Laura De Santis, Denise K. Kulhanek, Imogen M. Browne, Amelia E. Shevenell, Expedition 374 Scientists

Marine Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Expedition 374 Methods, Robert M. Mckay, Laura De Santis, Denise K. Kulhanek, Imogen M. Browne, Amelia E. Shevenell, Expedition 374 Scientists

Marine Science Faculty Publications

This chapter documents the procedures and methods employed during drilling operations and in the shipboard laboratories on the R/V JOIDES Resolution during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 374. This information applies only to the shipboard work described in the Expedition Reports section of the Expedition 374 Proceedings of the International Ocean Discovery Programvolume. Methods used by investigators for shore-based analyses of Expedition 374 data and samples will be described in separate individual publications. This introductory section provides an overview of drilling and coring operations, core handling, curatorial conventions, depth scale terminology, and the sequence of shipboard analyses. Subsequent …

Ross Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet History, Robert M. Mckay, Laura De Santis, Denise K. Kulhanek, Imogen M. Browne, Amelia E. Shevenell, Expedition 374 Scientists

Marine Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Expedition 374 Summary, Robert M. Mckay, Laura De Santis, Denise K. Kulhanek, Imogen M. Browne, Amelia E. Shevenell, Expedition 374 Scientists

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The marine-based West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is currently locally retreating because of shifting wind-driven oceanic currents that transport warm waters toward the ice margin, resulting in ice shelf thinning and accelerated mass loss. Previous results from geologic drilling on Antarctica’s continental margins show significant variability in ice sheet extent during the late Neogene and Quaternary. Climate and ice sheet models indicate a fundamental role for oceanic heat in controlling ice sheet variability over at least the past 20 My. Although evidence for past ice sheet variability is available from ice-proximal marine settings, sedimentary sequences from the continental shelf and …

Site U1522, Robert M. Mckay, Laura De Santis, Denise K. Kulhanek, Imogen M. Browne, Amelia E. Shevenell, Expedition 374 Scientists

Marine Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Biliary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (Pah) Equivalents For 92 Species Of Fish Collected Aboard Multiple Research And Fishing Vessels In The Gulf Of Mexico From 2011-08-16 To 2018-08-22, Erin Pulster, S. Synder, Steven A. Murawski, Brigid Carr, Justin Mrowicki, Madison Schwaab, R. Struch, G. Toro-Farmer

C-IMAGE data

This dataset contains biliary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) equivalents for 92 species of fish collected aboard multiple research and fishing vessels (R/V Weatherbird II, F/V Pisces, F/V Offshore Account, LA Wildlife & Fisheries) in the Gulf of Mexico from 2011-08-16 to 2018-08-22. Several species of fish ad sharks were obtained during the 2011-2018 C-IMAGE demersal and pelagic longline cruises. Fish livers were removed and biliary PAH equivalents were analyzed for naphthalene, phenanthrene and benzo(a)pyrene using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD) methodology. The dataset contains the location, date, species of fish from which liver was examined, and the total …

Natural And Anthropogenic Oil Impacts On Benthic Foraminifera In The Southern Gulf Of Mexico, M. L. Machain-Castillo, A. C. Ruiz-Fernández, Adolfo Gracia, J. A. Sanchez-Cabeza, A. Rodríguez-Ramírez, H. M. Alexander-Valdés, L. H. Pérez-Bernal, X. A. Nava-Fernández, L. E. Gómez-Lizárraga, L. Almaraz-Ruiz, Patrick Schwing, David Hollander

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The Campeche Sound is the major offshore oil producing area in the Southern Gulf of Mexico (SGoM). To evaluate the impact of oil related activities in the ocean floor sediments, we analyzed the geochemical (major and trace element, organic carbon and hydrocarbon concentrations) and biological (benthic foraminifera) composition of 62 superficial sediment samples, from 13 to 1336 m water depth. Cluster and Factor analysis of all the variables indicate that their distribution patterns are mainly controlled by differences between the terrigenous and carbonate platforms in the SGoM. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages were abundant and diverse, and their distribution patterns are mainly …

Hybrid Fusion Protein For Inhibition Of Multiple Proteases For Chronic Wound Healing, Graham L. Strauss

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many diseases display a multitude of relevant factors that contribute to the persistence of the disease and difficulty treating it. The multifactorial characteristics of some diseases lead to the requirement of combination of treatments in order to restore health. The latter may necessitate the mixing of treatments, medications, and therapeutics to first halt the disease, then assist the human body in returning itself to a state of normality. For example, chronic wounds exhibit this multifactor characteristic in which there exist many factors that lead to the body’s inability to properly heal in a timely manner. This presents a further threat …

Short-Lived Radioisotope (Slrad) Data Collected Aboard R/V Weatherbird Ii Cruise Wb-0517 In The Gulf Of Mexico From 2017-05-11 To 2017-05-23, Gregg R. Brooks, Rebekka A. Larson, Patrick Schwing

C-IMAGE data

This dataset contains short-lived radioisotope (SLRad) data collected aboard R/V Weatherbird II cruise WB-0517 in the Gulf of Mexico from 2017-05-11 to 2017-05-23. SLRad data are generated for selected core sub-samples at 2mm sampling intervals for “surficial unit” and 5mm sampling resolution intervals to the base of cores. SLRad data generated include sample activity as disintegrations per minute per gram(dpm/g) of 1) Excess Thorium-234 (234Thxs) activity, which is calculated by measuring the total Thorium-234 (234ThTot) activity and the subtraction of the measured or estimated “Supported” Thorium-234 (234ThSup) activity, 2) Excess Lead-210 (210Pbxs) activity, which is calculated by measuring the total …

Global Observational Needs And Resources For Marine Biodiversity, Enrique Montes-Herrera, Frank Muller-Karger

Marine Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Bulk Density/Porewater Of Sediment Cores Collected Aboard R/V Weatherbird Ii Cruise Wb-0517 In The Gulf Of Mexico From 2017-05-11 To 2017-05-23, Gregg R. Brooks, Rebekka A. Larson

C-IMAGE data

This dataset contains Bulk Density/Porewater of sediment cores collected aboard R/V Weatherbird II cruise WB-0517 in the Gulf of Mexico from 2017-05-11 to 2017-05-23. Twelve sites were sampled using a multi-corer between 316 and 1670 m depth around northwest Cuba. The dataset contains the location, date, water depth, core ID, and top depth of interval (mm), bottom depth of interval (mm), average depth of interval (mm), wet weight (g), dry weight (g), sample volume (cm3), bulk density (g/cm3), and % pore water. Measurement of sediment sample wet weight (g) and dry weight (g) for core sub-samples at 2mm sampling intervals …

Sediment Texture & Composition Data Collected Aboard R/V Weatherbird Ii Cruise Wb-0517 In The Gulf Of Mexico From 2017-05-11 To 2017-05-23, Gregg R. Brooks, Rebekka A. Larson

C-IMAGE data

This dataset contains sediment texture & composition data collected aboard R/V Weatherbird II cruise WB-0517 in the Gulf of Mexico from 2017-05-11 to 2017-05-23. Twelve sites were sampled using a multi-corer between 316 and 1670 m depth around northwest Cuba. Sediment texture and composition data are generated for selected core sub-samples at 2mm sampling intervals for “surficial unit” and 5mm sampling resolution intervals to the base of cores. Sediment texture values are expressed as % Gravel, % Sand, % Silt and % Clay as calculated by dry weight (g), % Mud can be calculated by combining % Silt and % …

Decomposition Of Sediment-Oil-Agglomerates In A Gulf Of Mexico Sandy Beach, Ioana Bociu, Boryoung Shin, Wm Brian Wells, Joel E Kostka, Konstantinos T Konstantinidis, Markus Huettel

C-IMAGE Publications

Sediment-oil-agglomerates (SOA) are one of the most common forms of contamination impacting shores after a major oil spill; and following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) accident, large numbers of SOAs were buried in the sandy beaches of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. SOAs provide a source of toxic oil compounds, and although SOAs can persist for many years, their long-term fate was unknown. Here we report the results of a 3-year in-situ experiment that quantified the degradation of standardized SOAs buried in the upper 50 cm of a North Florida sandy beach. Time series of hydrocarbon mass, carbon content, n-alkanes, PAHs, …

Paired Measures Of Competence And Confidence Illuminate Impacts Of Privilege On College Students, Rachel M. Watson, Edward Nuhfer, Kali Nicholas Moon, Steven Fleisher, Paul Walter, Karl Wirth, Christopher Cogan, Ami Wangeline, Eric Gaze

Numeracy

We seek to understand how the experiences of groups that differ in gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation produce college-level educational performances that differ from the experiences of the dominant majority group. We employ two datasets: a National Database of 24,701 participants and a Paired-Measures Database with 3,323 participants. Both datasets provide demographic information, socioeconomic conditions of status as first-generation student, English as a first language, and interest in majoring in science, and competency scores on understanding science as a way of knowing obtained from the Science Literacy Concept Inventory. The Paired-Measures Database includes additional self-assessed competence ratings that enabled quantifying …

An Insight Into The Biological Functions, The Molecular Mechanism And The Nature Of Interactions Of A Set Of Biologically Important Proteins., Adam A. Aboalroub

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Characterization of protein structural properties is crucial to determine its role in normal and pathological conditions. In this dissertation, we have employed NMR spectroscopy in a combination of other biochemical and biophysical techniques to investigate the catalytic function, the molecular mechanism, and nature of the interactions of bmAANAT3, Cdc37, and TIMP2, respectively.

In the first project, we have employed an arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferases (AANATs) from Bombyx mori (bmAANAT3) to determine the role of the acetyl-group in coordinating the catalytic cycle in this family of enzymes. We have found that the occupancy of the acetyl-moiety in the catalytic funnel of these enzymes …

Intrinsically Disorder Proteins And Liquid-Liquid Phase Transitions In Neurodegenerative Diseases, April Lynn Darling

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Neurodegenerative diseases have a negative impact on health and economics, effecting more than 20 million people in the United States and costing around $800 billion in 2018. Additionally, most neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), and several others are fatal and have no cure or effective treatment. Many of these diseases have a common theme of protein aggregates being present in disease tissue. These aggregates are thought to be toxic to the cell and prevention of pathological aggregation and elimination of these cellular aggregates may serve as a potential therapeutic approach to …

Novel Strategies On Characterizing Biologically Specific Protein-Protein Interaction Networks, Bi Zhao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The function, behavior, and environmental response of biological systems are essentially determined by the complex interaction and regulation of biomolecules inside the systems. Therefore, it is critical to characterize the inter-molecular interaction and regulation of biomolecules inside these systems. In this direction, many experimental techniques have been developed and these techniques have been used in many different model systems under various conditions. Consequently, a massive amount of data has been generated. These data cover multiple aspects of molecular interaction and regulation, such as protein-protein interaction, microRNA-RNA interaction, gene expression profiles, etc. While carrying rich information, these data may also contain …

Toward A Coordinated Global Observing System For Seagrasses And Marine Macroalgae, Frank Muller-Karger, Chuanmin M. Hu, Enrique Montes-Herrera, Mengqiu Wang

Marine Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Multifaceted Effects Induced By Floods On The Macroinvertebrate Communities Inhabiting A Sinking Cave Stream, Octavian Pacioglu, Nicoleta Ianovici, Mărioara N. Filimon, Adrian Sinitean, Gabriel Iacob, Henrietta Barabas, Alexandru Pahomi, Andrei Acs, Hanelore Muntean, Lucian Pârvulescu

International Journal of Speleology

First-order sinking cave streams experience considerable hydrological variability, including spates and periods of base-flow during dry seasons. Early-summer flooding on a first-order stream sinking in Ciur-Ponor Cave (Romania) represented a suitable opportunity to test the response of the macroinvertebrate community and of basal food resources quantity and diversity to such a disturbance event. The invertebrate community and basal resources (i.e., woody debris, leaves, fine particulate organic matter and epilithon) were collected from three sampling sites, before and after the flood. The sampling strategy followed an up-downstream gradient of both species diversity and quantity of allochtonous organic matter decrease as the …

Stable Isotope Geochemistry Of Shelled Marine Invertebrates: Wide-Ranging Applications, Nasser M. Al-Qattan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mollusks grow by adding discrete growth layers throughout their lifetime (i.e., accretion). More specifically, most marine mollusks precipitate their shells in oxygen isotopic equilibrium with seawater or with a constant offset from equilibrium. The stable oxygen isotope values (δ¹⁸O) of their shells are determined by the temperature and δ¹⁸O values of the surrounding water during calcification without significant vital effects. In comparison, the stable carbon isotope values (δ¹³C) of their shells reflect those of the dissolved inorganic carbon (δ¹³C- DIC) and respired carbon dioxide. Therefore, variations in the oxygen and carbon isotope …

Targeting Pten For Therapy In Cancer And Ptenopathies, Emily Palumbo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

PTEN, a dual protein and lipid phosphatase, regulates a myriad of cellular functions including PI3K pathway signaling, cell migration, proliferation, invasion and apoptosis. PTEN mutations often lead to multiple malignancies, including prostate, breast, endometrial, skin and brain cancers, associated with hyperactive PI3K signaling. PTEN mutations have also been associated with a variety of other diseases, classified as PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndromes (PHTS). In addition, compromised function or reduced expression of PTEN due to non-genomic mechanisms are associated with many types of hyperproliferative diseases, such as restenosis and neoplastic diseases, including melanoma, lung, breast, prostate and colon cancers. Although PI3K pathway …

Species-Area Model Predicting Diversity Loss In An Artificially Flooded Cave In Brazil, Rodrigo L. Ferreira, Thais G. Pellegrini

International Journal of Speleology

Subterranean environments are poorly known regarding many ecological aspects, such as community structure and its response to different disturbances. To estimate the effects of ground area lost in a limestone cave community in Southeastern Brazil, the invertebrate fauna was sampled before 76% of the cave floor was submerged by the filling of a hydroeletric power plant reservoir. Then, a 2-year monitoring was conducted. A species-area curve based on empiric data was constructed and the z-value of the species-area equation was calculated, what allowed estimating the expected cave richness after flooding comparing with data obtained during the monitoring. The results support …

A Small Rna And Dna Binding Protein Contribute To Biofilm Development In Bartonella Henselae, Udoka Okaro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A biofilm, which is associated with 80% of chronic infections in humans, is formed when bacteria aggregate, attach to a substrate and secrete a matrix protecting the bacteria from host cell defenses and antibiotics. Bartonella henselae (B. henselae) is the causative agent of cat scratch disease, persistent bacteremia, and one of the most frequently reported causes of blood-culture negative endocarditis (BCNE) in patients. The ability of B. henselae to adhere to the heart valve, form a biofilm and vegetation to cause endocarditis increases the morbidity and mortality rate in infected patients. The presence of a trimeric autotransporter adhesin (TAA) called …

Clinging In Plethodontid Salamanders, Mary Kathleen O'Donnell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ability to cling to and climb on inclined, vertical, and inverted surfaces gives animals access to additional shelter and food and may provide refuge from unsuitable temperature and moisture conditions or escape from ground-dwelling predators. Salamanders have been shown to cling to surfaces and engage in climbing behavior, but their maximum clinging capability and mechanisms of attachment are not well understood. While some arboreal salamanders possess prehensile tails, salamanders lack many morphological adaptations for attachment, such as claws, toe pads, and fibrillar adhesive pads. Maximum cling performance and surface area of attachment were measured, and the adhesive capability of …

Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass Attenuates Obesity-Related Liver Injury, Drew Alan Rideout

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States with significant co-morbidities. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent manifestation of obesity that can lead to cirrhosis. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) results in substantial long-term weight loss and resolution of obesity-related metabolic diseases. There appears to be a weight-independent molecular mechanism for the improvement of diabetes mellitus and NAFLD after RYGB, which is poorly understood. Obesity is associated with chronic inflammation that accompanies the hepatic steatosis. Through unknown mechanisms, RYGB in humans increases serum levels of the fat-derived adipocytokine, adiponectin. Adiponectin (an anti-inflammatory cytokine) is known to have a …

Modulations Of Lipid Membranes Caused By Antimicrobial Agents And Helix 0 Of Endophilin, Nawal Kishore Khadka

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the cellular membrane interaction with membrane active biomolecules and antimicrobial agents provides an insight in their working mechanism. Here, we studied the effect of antimicrobial agents; a recently developed peptidomimetics E107-3 and colistin as well as the N-terminal helix H0, of Endophilin A1 on the lipid bilayer.

It is important to discern the interaction mechanism of antimicrobial peptides with lipid membranes in battling multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens. We study the modification of structural and mechanical properties with a recently reported peptidomimetic on lipid bilayer. The compound referred to as E107-3 is synthesized based on the acylated reduced amide scaffold …

Transcriptomics Of Female Golden Tilefish (Lopholatilus Chamaeleonticeps) Collected Aboard Multiple R/V Weatherbird Ii Cruises In The Gulf Of Mexico From 2015-08-15 To 2016-09-09, Steven Murawski, Kristina Deak, Larry Dishaw

C-IMAGE data

This dataset contains transcriptomics of female golden tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) collected from the Gulf of Mexico aboard R/V Weatherbird II cruises WB-1602, WB-1603 and WB-1701 from 2015-08-15 to 2016-09-09. Transcriptome analysis was performed in fifteen female (by macroscopic gonad evaluation) golden tilefish livers collected during 2015-2016 C-IMAGE demersal longline cruises in the Gulf of Mexico. These fish were caught at three stations, including one impacted by the Deepwater Horizon spill in the northern Gulf, one within the Campeche Bay oil fields, and one offshore the Yucatan peninsula, with no surrounding oil extraction activity. Differential gene expression between stations was evaluated …