Life Sciences Commons^™

Sweet Potato: A Potentially Profitable Summer Crop For South Texas Organic Farmers To Enhance Soil Biological Activity And Nutrient Release, Jahdiel Salazar, Josabeth Navarro, James Jihoon Kang, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Weight Loss And Weight Gain Among Participants In A Community-Based Weight Loss Challenge, Merrill D. Funk, Minjae Lee, Michelle L. Vidoni, Belinda M. Reininger

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications

Background

To describe the characteristics of participants who registered for multiple annual offerings of a community-based weight loss program called The Challenge, and to determine participant characteristics associated with weight change over multiple offerings of The Challenge occurring during the years 2010–2016.

Methods

Multivariable linear mixed effects analyses were conducted to describe percent weight change within and between offerings of The Challenge by participant characteristics.

Results

There were 669 and 575 participants included in the within and between analyses, respectively, for offerings of The Challenge. Among the 434 participants who lost weight in their first attempt at The Challenge and …

Measuring, Mapping And Quantifying The Effects Of Trust And Informal Communication On Transboundary Collaboration In The Great Lakes Fisheries Policy Network, Andrew M. Song, Owen Temby, Dongkyu Kim, Angel Saavedra Cisneros, Gordon M. Hickey

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Ecosystem-based management of fisheries and other transboundary natural resources require a number of organizations across jurisdictions to exchange knowledge, coordinate policy goals and engage in collaborative activities. Trust, as part of social capital, is considered a key mechanism facilitating the coordination of such inter-organizational policy networks. However, our understanding of multi-dimensional trust as a theoretical construct and an operational variable in environmental and natural resource management has remained largely untested. This paper presents an empirical assessment of trust and communication measures applied to the North American Great Lakes fisheries policy network. Using a scale-based method developed for this purpose, we …

Development Of A Remotely Activated Field Sprayer And Evaluation Of Temperature And Aeration On The Longevity Of Steinernema Riobrave Entomopathogenic Nematodes For Treatment Of Cattle Fever Tick-Infested Nilgai, John A. Goolsby, Diana Cantu, Alejandro Vasquez, Alexis Racelis

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

A remotely activated field sprayer was developed for application of the entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema riobrave (Cabanillas, Poinar, and Raulston) for eradication of the southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini) infesting free-ranging nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) in South Texas. The battery powered sprayer is activated by sonic sensors that detect movement of nilgai through fence crossings. An onboard computer operates the sprayer pump and aerator that oxygenates the solution of nematodes. Several types of aeriation, agitation, and cooling were tested to prolong the viability of the nematodes in water. Continuous aeration extended the longevity of S. riobrave to more than two …

Incidence Of The Brown Dog Tick, Rhipicephalus Sanguineus And Its Parasitoid, Ixodiphagus Hookeri On Dogs In South Texas, Alejandro Vasquez, John A. Goolsby, Ann T. Vacek, Alexis Racelis, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, is a livestock pest worldwide, including South Texas, and can vector Babesia spp.; the causal agents of bovine babesiosis. Its congener, the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, is also common worldwide and is frequently parasitized by a wasp, Ixodiphagus hookeri. To better understand the life history and host location cues of parasitic wasps of ticks, which supports the cattle fever tick eradication program for R. microplus, we examined the incidence of R. sanguineus and its parasitoid I. hookeri. Dogs in Hidalgo County, TX were observed (n=624) from Oct 2018 to April 2019. Our …

Rapid Identification Of Phospholipase A2 Transcripts From Snake Venoms, Ying Jia, Pablo Olvera, Frida Rangel, Bianca Mendez, Samir Reddy

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) is a major component in snake venoms and it is found in many different isoforms. To identify transcripts encoding different PLA₂ isoforms, we developed a simple, rapid procedure. Total RNA was extracted from the venoms of three cottonmouth snakes and two diamondback rattlesnakes, and further reverse-transcribed into complementary DNA (cDNA). Using one pair of cottonmouth PLA₂-specific primers and Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) technique, we identified 27 unique full-length PLA₂ transcripts, including nine sequences identical to the previously documented ones in the database and one novel GIII-like PLA_{2 …}

A New Species Of Stygobitic Snail In The Genus Antrorbis Hershler & Thompson, 1990 (Gastropoda, Cochliopidae) From The Appalachian Valley And Ridge Of Eastern Tennessee, Usa, Nichlas S. Gladstone, Kathryn E. Perez, Evelyn B. Pieper, Evin T. Carter, K. L. Dooley, Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Annette S. Engel, Matthew L. Niemiller

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

A new species of cave snail (Littorinimorpha: Cochliopidae) in the genus Antrorbis is described from the dark zone of two caves in the Appalachian Valley and Ridge province in eastern Tennessee, United States. The Tennessee Cavesnail, Antrorbis tennesseensis Perez, Shoobs, Gladstone, & Niemiller, sp. nov. is distinguished from its only known congener, Antrorbis breweri, by the absence of raised tubercles on its finely spirally striate protoconch, and its unique radular formula. Moreover, A. tennesseensis is genetically distinct from A. breweri based on substantial divergence at the mitochondrial CO1 locus. This is the first cavesnail to be described from the Appalachian …

Data On Foliar Nutrient Concentration Of Invasive Plants In The Recipient Habitat And Their Native Habitat, Pushpa Soti, Matthew Purcell, Krish Jayachandran

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Higher foliar nitrogen concentration in plants is often attributed to higher biomass assimilation and subsequently higher plant growth rate. To understand the underlying mechanism of extensive growth rate of an invasive plant, Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum), we analyzed the leaf tissue samples from the native and invaded habitats. In each habitat we selected 3 different locations with varying habitat characteristics (soil type, land use history and coexisting vegetation). Plant aboveground tissue collected from each site were analyzed for macro and micro nutrients. Total C and N were measured with a Truspec CN Analyzer. Total Ca, Fe, Mg, K, …

Bait Stations For Control Of Mexican Fruit Flies (Anastrepha Ludens), First Year, Hugh E. Conway, Guadalupe Garcia, Pedro Rendón, Christopher J. Vitek

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens (Loew) (Mexfly), is a pest of economic importance with the potential to cause millions of dollars in damage to citrus and other fruits. This chapter presents the first-year results from a three-year field study (2014–2017) conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of bait stations with Spinosad embedded in a wax matrix to control Mexfly. Spinosad is produced by a naturally occurring bacteria, Saccharopolyspora spinosa, and is considered an organic insecticide acceptable for use by organic growers. The flies feed on the wax matrix, and the Spinosad acts as a stomach poison killing the flies. Each …

Efficient Region-Based Test Strategy Uncovers Genetic Risk Factors For Functional Outcome In Bipolar Disorder, Monika Budde, Stefanie Friedrichs, Ney Alliey-Rodriguez, Seth Ament, Judith A. Badner

School of Medicine Publications

Genome-wide association studies of case-control status have advanced the understanding of the genetic basis of psychiatric disorders. Further progress may be gained by increasing sample size but also by new analysis strategies that advance the exploitation of existing data, especially for clinically important quantitative phenotypes. The functionally-informed efficient region-based test strategy (FIERS) introduced herein uses prior knowledge on biological function and dependence of genotypes within a powerful statistical framework with improved sensitivity and specificity for detecting consistent genetic effects across studies. As proof of concept, FIERS was used for the first genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based investigation on bipolar disorder …

A Generic Pixel-To-Point Comparison For Simulated Large-Scale Ecosystem Properties And Ground-Based Observations: An Example From The Amazon Region, Anja Rammig, Jens Heinke, Florian Hofhansl, Hans Verbeeck, Timothy R. Baker, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Philippe Ciais, Hannes De Deurwaerder, Katrin Fleischer, David Galbraith

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Comparing model output and observed data is an important step for assessing model performance and quality of simulation results. However, such comparisons are often hampered by differences in spatial scales between local point observations and large-scale simulations of grid cells or pixels. In this study, we propose a generic approach for a pixel-to-point comparison and provide statistical measures accounting for the uncertainty resulting from landscape variability and measurement errors in ecosystem variables. The basic concept of our approach is to determine the statistical properties of small-scale (within-pixel) variability and observational errors, and to use this information to correct for their …

Structure-Activity Relationship Of Novel Rgd-Containing Cyclic Peptides Against Αvβ3 Integrin, Aaron Silva

Honors Theses

The αvβ3 integrin, a receptor for many extracellular matrix proteins with the RGD sequence motif, is involved in multiple physiological processes. The integrin is highly expressed on tumor cells, therefore making it a target for cancer therapy and imaging. Efforts have been made to develop an RGD-containing ligand against the αvβ3 integrin.

A series of RGD-containing cyclic octapeptides (LXW analogs) were previously synthesized, tested in vitro, and screened as integrin antagonists with a different binding affinity (Xiao et al., 2010; Wang et al., 2015), but the structure-activity relationship remains to be elucidated. In the current study, the structures of three …

A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Leptogorgia Virgulata And Leptogorgia Hebes In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Samantha Silvestri

Theses and Dissertations

The use of genetics in recent years has brought to light the need to reevaluate the classification of many gorgonian octocorals. In 2017, Poliseno et al. conducted a comprehensive, phylogenetic study of the genus Leptogorgia and found that it, too, was in need of taxonomic revision. To expand on their study, 25 samples representing two Leptogorgia species—L virgulata and L. hebes —from the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) were examined. Ten novel, complete mitochondrial genomes were sequenced using Next Generation sequencing and 24 novel mtMutS sequences were obtained from both species. The phylogenies reconstructed from these sequences indicate the …

Measuring Connective Capacity Throughout The Gulf Of Mexico Fishery Management Network, Anthony Rocha Lima

Theses and Dissertations

The Gulf of Mexico provides substantial resources along its 1,680-mile coastline, spanning 5 U.S. states and providing millions of pounds of seafood and hundreds of millions in revenue annually. Continued success of the fishery relies on the ability of a large, complex, multiagency network to find the best solutions to balance the needs of humans, as well as ensure long-term sustainability. Organizations with varying objectives require effective communication when addressing intricate ecosystem-based management topics such as endangered species and regional economies.

To better understand the connectivity within the Gulf fishery management network, an IRB reviewed survey was dispersed to the …

Local Delivery Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Expressing Osteogenesis-Inducing Microrna For Bone Tissue Engineering Applications, Marco Antonio Arriaga

Theses and Dissertations

Bone is capable of regenerating autonomously when the injury is small (< 2.5 cm), however, large (> 2.5 cm) or insufficiently vascularized defects require intervention to repair. The overall goal of this project is to contribute towards the development of novel strategies to aid bone tissue regeneration by delivering mesenchymal stem cells expressing microRNAs that induce expression of the runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2). It was determined that porous polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds fabricated to have a higher surface area to volume ratio (SVR) (> 80) compared to lower SVR (< 80) were hydrolyzed at a higher rate. Scaffolds fabricated with 80 vol. %/300–500 µm porogen were optimal for cell colonization as higher absorbance of metabolized MTT was detected compared to other scaffold types. From the subset of 5 miRNAs tested, miRNA-26a, miRNA-196 and miRNA-218 demonstrated higher upregulation of RUNX2 gene expression and calcium mineralization and thus, are promising candidates for bone tissue regeneration.

Midguts, Microbes, And Mosquitoes: An Analysis Of The Microbiomes Of Aedes Aegypti And Aedes Albopictus, Flor Alicia Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

Experiment 1: Mosquito microbiomes are influenced by the environment and diets of mosquitoes. There is great variability within and among mosquito populations with few microbe inhabitants being well established among mosquitoes of similar species and environments. By understanding the potential variation in midgut microbiomes in lab and wild populations, we may assess the effect that microbiomes have on vector competency.

Experiment 2: Mosquito midgut microbes are essential for development and may influence the vector competency. Native and non-native strains of the midgut inhabitant, Cedecea, were introduced to laboratory colonies of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes to help elucidate …

Impacts Of Habitat Attributes And Community Gardens On Urban Bird Communities, Samuel Glenn Ortiz

Theses and Dissertations

The Rio Grande Valley of Southern Texas is a major agricultural region yet has some of the highest hunger rates in the USA. Urbanization and agriculture affect biodiversity, which is well studied, but little is known about how agriculture affects biodiversity in urban areas. We investigated how different urban attributes, including those related to urban farming, impact bird communities in Brownsville and Harlingen, TX, and compared sites that have community gardens to those that do not. To study three key urban habitat characteristics, we identified sites that exhibited all possible combinations of these factors, quantified land cover classes related to …

Effects Of Invasive Nilgai Antelope (Boselaphus Tragocamelus ) Browsing On Black Mangrove (Avicennia Germinans) In South Texas: A Study On Microenvironmental, Physiological, Structural, And Reproductive Parameters, Tianna Picquet

Theses and Dissertations

Mangroves are important for coastal systems because they provide habitat for fish and bird species, mitigate erosion, and create an area for carbon sequestration. Along the Gulf of Mexico, at the southern tip of Texas, recent observations have shown that A. germinans stands (the dominant species in Texas) are being browsed on by invasive nilgai antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus). The antelope were introduce to the south Texas region via King Ranch in the 1930’s and have since significantly increased in population and distribution. Previously thought to be grazers, B. tragocamelus were captured on camera utilizing A. germinans as a …

The Relationship Between The Distance Of An External Focus Of Attention And Lower Body Power In Rugby Athletes, Donald Pump

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation is to examine the relationship between the distance effect on power output during countermovement jumps in Rugby athletes. Hypothesis Testing was conducted utilizing a Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (RM ANOVA) at a .05 significance level. A Pairwise comparison was conducted to determine if one variable had a greater amount of quantitative property. Statistical insignificance was determined after all data was analyzed Results were unable to show a positive relationship between the distance of an external focus of attention and lower body power output in rugby athletes.

Arabidopsis Thaliana Transformed With Streptanthus Farnsworthianus Metal Tolerance Protein 1 (Sfmtp1) Or The Native A. Thaliana Metal Tolerance Protein 1 ( Atmtp1) Cdna And The Effects On Sod Enzyme Activity Upon Nickel Treatment, Selina Urbina Fernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Superoxide Dismutase enzyme activity was analyzed in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana, a non-accumulator weed plant species of the Brassicaceae family, that was transformed with Streptanthus farnsworthianus Metal Tolerance Protein1 (SfMTP1) or A. thaliana Metal Tolerance Protein 1 (AtMTP1 ). The transgenic A. thaliana was exposed to a 12 day treatment of 100 ?M Nickel Acetate in 1/10 X Hoaglands solution in hydroponics. Analysis of Super Oxide Dismutase activity determined that transgenic A. thaliana transformed with the AtMTP1 cDNA and treated with 100 µM Nickel showed a significant increase in Super Oxide Dismutase activity compared to A. thaliana …

Co-Infection Of Zika And Dengue Virus In Aedes Aegypti And Aedes Albopictus Mosquitoes, Felicia Vazquez

Theses and Dissertations

The term co-infection describes an event when multiple pathogens infect a single host. For vector-borne diseases, a vector may become co-infected by feeding either on a single host that has multiple pathogens or feeding multiple hosts, each of which may be infected. Co-infection in non-vector hosts has been shown to influence immune response and eventual outcome of disease, and is likely to have a similar impact on vector species. With multiple vector-borne diseases circulating in South Texas, the potential for co-infection exists. We examined when mosquitoes are infected with one virus and subsequently infected with another. We hypothesized that the …

Varying Dataset Resolution Alters Predictive Accuracy Of Spatially Explicit Ensemble Models For Avian Species Distribution, Claire M. Curry, Jeremy D. Ross, Andrea Contina, Eli S. Bridge

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Species distribution models can be made more accurate by use of new “Spatiotemporal Exploratory Models” (STEMs), a type of spatially explicit ensemble model (SEEM) developed at the continental scale that averages regional models pixel by pixel. Although SEEMs can generate more accurate predictions of species distributions, they are computationally expensive. We compared the accuracies of each model for 11 grassland bird species and examined whether they improve accuracy at a statewide scale for fine and coarse predictor resolutions. We used a combination of survey data and citizen science data for 11 grassland bird species in Oklahoma to test a spatially …

Polygenic Risk For Schizophrenia And Measured Domains Of Cognition In Individuals With Psychosis And Controls, Rebecca Shafee, Pranav Nanda, Jaya L. Padmanabhan, Neeraj Tandon, Ney Alliey Rodriguez

School of Medicine Publications

Psychotic disorders including schizophrenia are commonly accompanied by cognitive deficits. Recent studies have reported negative genetic correlations between schizophrenia and indicators of cognitive ability such as general intelligence and processing speed. Here we compare the effect of polygenetic risk for schizophrenia (PRSSCZ) on measures that differ in their relationships with psychosis onset: a measure of current cognitive abilities (the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia, BACS) that is greatly reduced in psychotic disorder patients, a measure of premorbid intelligence that is minimally affected by psychosis onset (the Wide-Range Achievement Test, WRAT); and educational attainment (EY), which covaries with both BACS …

Detecting Significant Genotype–Phenotype Association Rules In Bipolar Disorder: Market Research Meets Complex Genetics, René Breuer, Manuel Mattheisen, Josef Frank, Bertram Krumm, Ney Alliey Rodriguez

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Disentangling the etiology of common, complex diseases is a major challenge in genetic research. For bipolar disorder (BD), several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been performed. Similar to other complex disorders, major breakthroughs in explaining the high heritability of BD through GWAS have remained elusive. To overcome this dilemma, genetic research into BD, has embraced a variety of strategies such as the formation of large consortia to increase sample size and sequencing approaches. Here we advocate a complementary approach making use of already existing GWAS data: a novel data mining procedure to identify yet undetected genotype–phenotype relationships. We adapted …

Improving Genetic Prediction By Leveraging Genetic Correlations Among Human Diseases And Traits, Robert M. Maier, Zhihong Zhu, Sang Hong Lee, Maciej Trzaskowski, Ney Alliey Rodriguez

School of Medicine Publications

Genomic prediction has the potential to contribute to precision medicine. However, to date, the utility of such predictors is limited due to low accuracy for most traits. Here theory and simulation study are used to demonstrate that widespread pleiotropy among phenotypes can be utilised to improve genomic risk prediction. We show how a genetic predictor can be created as a weighted index that combines published genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics across many different traits. We apply this framework to predict risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the Psychiatric Genomics consortium data, finding substantial heterogeneity in prediction accuracy increases …

Resolving Authorship Disputes By Mediation And Arbitration, Zen Faulkes

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Background Disputes over authorship are increasing. This paper examines the options that researchers have in resolving authorship disputes. Discussions about authorship disputes often address how to prevent disputes but rarely address how to resolve them. Both individuals and larger research communities are harmed by the limited options for dispute resolution. Main body When authorship disputes arise after publication, most existing guidelines recommend that the authors work out the disputes between themselves. But this is unlikely to occur, because there are often large power differentials between team members, and institutions (e.g., universities, funding agencies) are unlikely to have authority over all …

Mesobot : An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle For Tracking And Sampling Midwater Targets, Dana R. Yoerger, Molly Curran, Justin Fujii, Christopher R. German, Daniel Gomez-Ibanez, Annette F. Govindarajan, Jonathan C. Howland, Joel K. Llopiz, Peter H. Wiebe, Brett W. Hobson, Kakani Katija, Michael Risi, Bruce H. Robison, Cailean J. Wilkinson, Stephen M. Rock, John A. Breier

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Mesobot, a new class of autonomous underwater vehicle, will address specific unmet needs for observing slow-moving targets in the midwater ocean. Mesobot will track targets such as zooplankton, fish, and descending particle aggregates using a control system based on stereo cameras and a combination of thrusters and a variable buoyancy system. The vehicle will also be able to collect biogeochemical and environmental DNA (eDNA) samples using a pumped filter sampler.

Using Carbon Isotope Fractionation To Constrain The Extent Of Methane Dissolution Into The Water Column Surrounding A Natural Hydrocarbon Gas Seep In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, M. Leonte, B. Wang, Scott A. Socolofsky, John A. Breier, John D. Kessler

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

A gas bubble seep located in the northern Gulf of Mexico was investigated over several days to determine whether changes in the stable carbon isotopic ratio of methane can be used as a tracer for methane dissolution through the water column. Gas bubble and water samples were collected at the seafloor and throughout the water column for isotopic ratio analysis of methane. Our results show that changes in methane isotopic ratios are consistent with laboratory experiments that measured the isotopic fractionation from methane dissolution. A Rayleigh isotope model was applied to the isotope data to determine the fraction of methane …

Hot Water Treatment As A Kill-Step To Inactivate Escherichia Coli O157:H7, Salmonella Enterica, Listeria Monocytogenes And Enterococcus Faecium On In-Shell Pecans, Karuna Kharel, Veerachandra K. Yemmireddy, Charles J. Graham, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul, Achyut Adhikari

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

In-shell pecans are susceptible to microbial contamination. This study was performed to investigate feasibility of using hot water treatment as a kill-step for food-borne pathogens during pecan shelling. In-shell pecans were subjected to hot water at 70, 80 or 90 °C for 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 min. The time-temperature treatments to achieve a 5-log reduction of Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and non-pathogenic Enterococcus faecium were determined. Thermal death values were determined for each tested condition. L. monocytogenes was most susceptible to heat treatment and were reduced by 4.6 ± 0.35 log CFU/g at 70 …

Prohibiting Pet Crayfish Does Not Consistently Reduce Their Availability Online, Zen Faulkes

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The pet trade is a significant source of introductions of non-indigenous aquatic species, such as crayfish. To test whether legislation that regulates the ownership of ornamental animals for aquariums had the desired effect of reducing the availability of those pets, classified advertising websites were monitored for sales of crayfish in jurisdictions with and without legislation regulating the ownership of crayfish. Advertisements from Canadian provinces with legislation against owning crayfish were compared to provinces without such legislation. The population adjusted number of advertisements for crayfish, and number of distinct sellers of crayfish, was significantly lower in one of two provinces that …