Life Sciences Commons^™

Nutrition Derived Advanced Glycation End Products Are Bio-Social Determinants Of Health That Inform On Cancer Disparities, David P. Turner, Victoria J. Findlay, Bradley A. Krisanits

Surgery Presentations

Objectives

Through their ability to perpetuate a reactive stroma, the objective was to define the increased nutritional bioavailability of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) as a pro-tumorigenic consequence of interrelated health inequity risk factors that can influence ancestry specific tumor biology.

Methods

In vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro models were used to define the molecular effects of nutrition associated AGEs on the ancestry specific tumor microenvironment and tumor growth.

Results

The PI’s work provides the first in vivo evidence supporting an oncogenic role for AGEs. In mouse allograft models, both the chronic consumption of AGEs and pre-treatment …

Observing Ceramide Pathway With Ferroptosis Via Mia Paca-2 Cell Treatment With Rsl3, Tazrin Rahman

Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Composed of sphingosine and a fatty acid, ceramides are lipid molecules that serve as key metabolic signaling molecules of a sphingolipid pathway. While it acts as a precursor of complex sphingolipids, inducing ceramide generation can cause cell stress leading to subsequent cell death via apoptosis, necrosis, and even mitophagy. With regards to cell death specifically, a novel form of regulated cell death, ferroptosis, has recently been recognized of necrotic nature. Its unique morphological features and distinct properties have been observed over the last several decades; however, the molecular features were not identifiable as pure evidence of cell death, until recently …

Fish Sound Production: The Swim Bladder, Michael L. Fine, Eric Parmentier

Biology Publications

Analogous to the syrinx in birds and larynx in mammals, the swim bladder is a major sound-producing organ in fishes. It also functions in hearing and is responsible for most returns from sonar. Historically, the swim bladder has been modeled as an underwater resonant bubble, whereas we provide evidence for a forced-response model in which viscous damping of the bladder wall inhibits resonance of the internal bubble. Further experimental work on the shape, wall structure, and mechanical behavior of the swim bladder is required.

Comparative Analysis Of Zoning Of Food Retail And Urban Agriculture For Richmond, Virginia, Hannah Quigley Mph, Meghan Dinofrio, Sarah Shaughnessy Mph, Aicp, John C. Jones Mpa, Phd

Environmental Studies Publications

This research partnership between local public health practitioners and urban food systems scholars suggests improvements to City of Richmond, Virginia’s zoning code related to food retail and urban agriculture by drawing inspiration from other American central cities. The authors created an empirical process to identify potential sister cities to Richmond as a source for high quality comparative examples. Next, the authors then engaged in a non-empirical, purposive process of identifying potential zoning code improvements from both identified sister cities, as well as other communities. Time and capacity constraints dictated the non-empirical nature of this search. Recommendations for improvement to Richmond’s …

An Investigation Of Bubble Resonance And Its Implications For Sound Production By Deepwater Fishes, Mark W. Sprague, Michael L. Fine, Timothy M. Cameron

Biology Publications

Although the continental slope and abyss comprise the largest habitat on earth, the absence of documented fish sounds from deep waters is striking. Fishes with sexually dimorphic muscles attached to their swim bladders suggests that sounds are likely used in male courtship on the upper, mid and lower continental slope. To investigate the effects of environmental extremes on fish sound production, the acoustic behavior of a driven bubble is examined. This study is also relevant to target strength of sonar returns from fish and hearing in auditory specialist fishes. A bubble is a classic, if imperfect, model for swim bladder …

Identification Of The New Synthetic Opioid Bucinnazine And Its Metabolites Using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (Lc-Ms/Ms), Karissa N. Resnik

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

In the past 20 years, the rate of opioid use increased drastically in the United States. The country has experienced an enormous number of deaths caused by opioid overdose, opioid use disorder (OUD), as well as other harms as a consequence of the high numbers of opioid prescriptions. Fentanyl, a well-known synthetic opioid, has been a contributor to the opioid crisis since 2013 due to its popularity in clinical and illicit use. It has a high potency, which makes it an effective analgesic but a dangerous illicit substance. A new synthetic opioid, bucinnazine, has recently become a new black-market opioid …

Qualitative And Quantitative Characterization Of Epithelial Cell Mixtures Using Hormone Antibody Probes And Flow Cytometry, Luke Baldridge

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

“Touch” DNA is evidence that consists of epidermal cells deposited by handling objects and it is becoming more common in evidence samples processed in crime labs. Because “touch” DNA evidence samples may be low-template DNA and are often mixtures, there is a need to both nondestructively estimate the amount of DNA present prior to DNA purification and to identify and characterize mixtures prior to DNA typing. The purpose of this study was to test the use of FITC-labeled anti-testosterone antibodies as a potential tool to estimate the number of contributors in two-, three-, and four-person mixtures of epidermal skin cells, …

Quantitative Pcr And Sanger Sequencing Of Mitochondrial Dna Recovered From Waterlogged Bone, Kailey Babcock

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

In forensic contexts, samples containing heavily fragmented DNA are commonly encountered. Compromised biological samples are especially prevalent in instances where human remains have been submerged in an aqueous environment for extended periods of time. Nuclear DNA is particularly vulnerable to the prolonged exposure to heat, moisture, and bacterial degradation that are prevalent in aquatic settings. Paired with the difficulty of recovering DNA from skeletal remains, which are often the only remaining component after the soft tissues have been stripped away, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis serves as an invaluable alternative. In this multifaceted study, mtDNA analysis was performed on waterlogged bone …

Slowing Down The Clock: Cellular Senescence And Aging, Saad Bhatti

Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Connection Between The Spontaneous Regression Seen In Neuroblastomas, Hypertumors, And Reactive Oxygen Species, Shahad Musa, Manitha Mulpuru

Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Peto’s Paradox is defined as the lack of correlation between larger animals and cancer risk. Under the assumption that all cells have equal risk of becoming cancerous, larger animals should have greater rates of cancer. However, the inverse is true. Determining the cause of this variation may allow a supplemental approach to cancer treatment. A combination of two reasons may account for this correlation including hypertumors and metabolism. Hypertumors, or cheater cells, are hypothesized to suppress cancer growth through spontaneous autophagic degradation and overexpression of the RAS g-protein. Both of these characteristics are exhibited in Neuroblastomas. An anticancer drug used …

Identification And Optimization Of Mirna Biomarkers For Body Mass Index (Bmi) Estimation In Forensic Samples, Jennifer J. Shealy

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

DNA profiles do not provide as much evidentiary value when either all known samples can be excluded or when there is no known suspect. DNA phenotyping is a technique used for investigative purposes to predict externally visible characteristics (EVCs) based on specific markers found in the genome. Most phenotyping panels are currently restricted to markers stable over a lifetime within an individual and are not able to predict environmental or metabolic impacts on EVCs. It is known that miRNA expression levels change due to environmental and metabolic factors, such as BMI, and research has proven associations between circulating plasma miRNAs …

Identification Of Compounds Causing Cellular Autofluorescence In Touch Samples, Elora C. Wall

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

As DNA analysis has advanced and produced tests with higher sensitivities, attention has turned toward obtaining DNA profiles from cells left with fingermarks. Recent studies have reported that cells deposited within fingermarks can exhibit differences in autofluorescence emission in the ‘red’ region of the visible spectrum (e.g., between 650-670 nm), which can be used to differentiate contributor cell population and separate them before DNA profiles. Interestingly, this emission was not consistent to the individual day-to-day and likely not a genetically-controlled attribute of the contributor. Instead, this emission signature results from extended exposure of the skin to certain materials such as …

Comparison Of Semi-Automated And Manual Differential Separation Methods For Mock Sexual Assault Samples, Stephanie Rink

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

In the event of a sexual assault, separation of suspect from victim DNA is possible through differential extraction if the evidentiary mixture consists of female epithelial cells and male spermatozoa. The basis of differential extraction is the differing properties of epithelial and sperm cell membranes, specifically the comparative sturdiness of the proteins making up the sperm head containing the male DNA. Effective retrieval and separation of male and female DNA fractions is important in generating high-quality STR profiles that can be utilized in identifying suspects in a sexual assault case. Differential extraction has been conventionally performed using Proteinase K (PK) …

Decreased Temperature Variance Associated With Biotic Composition Enhances Coastal Shrub Encroachment, Lauren K. Wood, Spencer Hays, Julie C. Zinnert

Biology Publications

Regime shift from grasslands to shrub-dominated landscapes occur worldwide driven by altered land-use and climate change, affecting landscape function, biodiversity, and productivity. Warming winter temperatures are a main driver of expansion of the native, evergreen shrub, Morella cerifera, in coastal landscapes. Shrub establishment in these habitats alters microclimate, but little is known about seasonal differences and microclimate variance. We assessed influence of shrubs on microclimate variance, community composition, and community physiological functioning across three vegetation zones: grass, transitional, and shrub in a coastal grassland. Using a novel application of a time-series analysis, we interpret microclimatic variance modification and elucidate …

Topography And Disturbance Influence Trait‐Based Composition And Productivity Of Adjacent Habitats In A Coastal System, Joseph K. Brown, Julie C. Zinnert

Biology Publications

Coastal systems experience frequent disturbance and multiple environmental stressors over short spatial and temporal scales. Investigating functional traits in coastal systems has the potential to inform how variation in disturbance frequency and environmental variables influence differences in trait‐based community composition and ecosystem function. Our goals were to (1) quantify trait‐based communities on two barrier islands divergent in topography and long‐term disturbance response and (2) determine relationships between community trait‐based composition and ecosystem productivity. We hypothesized that locations documented with high disturbance would have habitats with similar environmental conditions and trait‐based communities, with the opposite relationship in low‐disturbance locations. Furthermore, we …

Ovarian Transcriptomic Analyses In The Urban Human Health Pest, The Western Black Widow Spider, Lindsay S. Miles, Nadia A. Ayoub, Jessica E. Garb, Robert A. Haney, Brian C. Verrelli

Center for Integrative Life Sciences Education Publications

Due to their abundance and ability to invade diverse environments, many arthropods have become pests of economic and health concern, especially in urban areas. Transcriptomic analyses of arthropod ovaries have provided insight into life history variation and fecundity, yet there are few studies in spiders despite their diversity within arthropods. Here, we generated a de novo ovarian transcriptome from 10 individuals of the western black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus), a human health pest of high abundance in urban areas, to conduct comparative ovarian transcriptomic analyses. Biological processes enriched for metabolism—specifically purine, and thiamine metabolic pathways linked to oocyte …

Seasonal Facilitative And Competitive Trade‐Offs Between Shrub Seedlings And Coastal Grasses, Michael N. Sinclair, Natasha N. Woods, Julie C. Zinnert

Biology Publications

Shrub expansion is occurring in grasslands globally and may be impacted by the balance of competition and facilitation with existing grasses. Along the mid‐Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the native shrub Morella cerifera (wax myrtle) is rapidly expanding and displacing other native coastal species. Recent research suggests that much of this expansion is due to warming winter temperatures, as temperatures below −15°C kill M. cerifera. The objective of this project was to understand the importance of species interactions with grasses on the growth and physiology of M. cerifera at the seedling life stage through both field and laboratory experiments. In …

Impacts Of Beef Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations On Environmental Sustainability In The United States And Practices For Improvement, Laura Clark

VCU Phi Kappa Phi Award Winners

The geographic concentration of beef concentrated animal feeding operations [CAFOs] has changed the landscape of environmental sustainability for agriculture in the United States. As land availability has decreased, operations have struggled to maintain feasible practices to minimize environmental detriment. The United States Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] imposed rules to be followed as a means of mitigation, but the fast-paced rate of change minimizes effectiveness. The overall environmental sustainability of beef CAFOs has shifted from historical rates, leading to a need for reassessment. Part of this reassessment will include stronger environmental practices to be considered for implementation. I explored the role …

The Utilization Of Sex Hormone Antibodies For Screening And Separation Of Trace Biological Mixtures, Kristin N. Jones

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Touch or trace evidence consists of epidermal cells deposited by contact with items such as handled objects, touched surfaces, or worn clothes. This type of evidence has surpassed most other sample types submitted to forensic labs and typically consists of low quantities of DNA and multiple contributors. In this study epithelial skin cells, i.e., “touch/trace evidence,” were used as they are estimated to constitute approximately half of the casework evidence items submitted for DNA analysis. For the optimization of antibody staining, male and female skin epithelial samples from donors were incubated and hybridized with antibodies of various concentrations of Alexa …

The Substantiality Of The Neuroplasticity Hypothesis Of Major Depressive Disorder: The Prospective Use Of Ketamine-Like Drugs As Antidepressants, Roma Kankaria

Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects approximately 17.3 million adults in the United States each year. For more than 50 years, the serotonin hypothesis of MDD, which hypothesizes that a deficiency of monoaminergic neurotransmitters results in depression, has been the foundation for neuropsychological research. However, studies reveal that only an estimated 50% of MDD patients respond to traditional, biogenic-amine-based antidepressants (ADs), like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Research has noted that the neuroplasticity hypothesis, which posits that weakened excitatory synaptic transmission results in depression, offers an alternative mechanism by which ketamine-like drugs lacking the abuse liability and psychoactive effects of …

The Utilization Of Eukaryotic Cell Types In Microbiomes For Semen, Vaginal Fluid, And Menstrual Blood Identification Using 18s Rdna, Ines Benaissa

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

The accurate identification of body fluids is vital for crime scene investigation and forensic analysis. While many body fluids can be presumptively identified, there is a lack of confirmatory testing for verification. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if body fluids (menstrual blood, vaginal fluid, and semen) could be differentiated based on their eukaryotic microbial communities. The target area of interest was the V9 hyper-variable region of 18S ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA). The samples were extracted, barcoded using a duel-index strategy, and PCR amplified before undergoing high throughput sequencing using the Illumina Miseq FGx instrument. The samples …

Development Of An Untargeted Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Gc/Ms) Method For The Detection Of Drugs In Wastewater, Samuel A. Miller

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Monitoring current illicit drug trends and consumption rates of pharmaceuticals using a non-invasive collection technique is needed to address the present drug use and the growing drug epidemic. Reliance on self-reporting drug use surveys is not always a practical measure of illicit drug use. Wastewater analysis has been used globally as a targeted method for monitoring the consumption of specific illicit drugs. Current existing analytical techniques for wastewater analysis focus on the use of targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based techniques. Few gas chromatography (GC) procedures exist for wastewater analysis, and those that do concentrate their methods on a single …

A Eukaryotic Signature Based Method For Identification Of Saliva, Feces, And Urine, Alyssa Daniels

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

The conception of the Human Microbiome Project advanced the understanding of microbial communities in the human body and previous research has established that unique microbial signatures can help distinguish each body fluid. While these signatures have been developed for the prokaryotic microbiome, the next step is the examination of the eukaryotic microbiome. Eukaryotic signatures could provide a greater specificity and statistical weight when discerning between body fluids. These microbial markers can be implemented to develop a confirmatory assay for body fluid identification that works in tandem with other DNA based methods in the forensic workflow. Using a VCU approved IRB …

Application Of Optical Trapping To Obtain Single-Source Str Profiles From Forensically Relevant Body Fluid Mixtures With Modified Dna Analysis Workflow, Benjamin J. O'Brien

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Current methods of mixture separation in forensic DNA laboratories typically deconvolute the mixture after analysis using statistical analysis or probabilistic genotyping. To save time and effort of labs already backlogged, a method to separate mixtures on a cellular level before analysis needs to be developed. Optical trapping is a method that uses a focused 1064 nm laser to manipulate cells. Previous research has shown that approximately 50 spermatozoa or 15 leukocytes from a liquid sample are required to produce a full STR DNA profile. It was found that the number of spermatozoa required remains constant when the method of sample …

Development Of A Quantitative Pcr (Qpcr) Based Method For Studying Temporal Dna Degradation In Waterlogged Bone, Isis Thornton

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Human activities are often centered around the presence of water, thus it is not surprising that there are many water-related human deaths. Accumulated degree days (ADD), and other aquatic variables may affect DNA retrieval from waterlogged bone. Calcium and collagen in bone can inhibit the PCR necessary to produce an STR profile; the current solution is a time-consuming organic extraction. While there are examples of research on DNA degradation in terrestrial bone over time, there has been little work done on submerged bone samples and they are usually limited to case studies. The major aim of this study was to …

Non-Destructive, Rapid Differentiation Of Cell Types Relevant To Sexual Assault Investigations Utilizing Morphological And Autofluorescence Signatures, Taylor R. Moldenhauer

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Current methods for confirming the presence of spermatozoa in sexual assault samples can be time-consuming and often lack sensitivity; however, this remains the most definitive test for the presence of semen. Additionally, male DNA can be deposited without the presence of intact sperm as may be the case with seminal fluid from vasectomized individuals or sexual activity where seminal fluid is not recovered (e.g., perpetrator wears a condom, penetration without ejaculation, etc.). The ability to detect bodily fluids, as well as quantify their presence in a sample, could aid in forensic DNA analysis by limiting the amount of time performing …

Targeting Intracellular Calcium Stores Alleviates Neurological Morbidities In A Dfp-Based Rat Model Of Gulf War Illness, Laxmikant Deshpande, Edna Santos, Kristin Phillips, Robert Blair

Neurology Publications

Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic multi-symptom disorder afflicting the veterans of the First Gulf War, and includes neurological symptoms characterized by depression and memory deficits. Chronic exposure to organophosphates (OP) is considered a leading cause for GWI, yet its pathobiology is not fully understood. We recently observed chronic elevations in neuronal Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+]i) in an OP- diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) based rat model for GWI. This study was aimed at identifying mechanisms underlying elevated [Ca2+]i in this DFP model and investigating whether their therapeutic targeting could improve GWI-like neurological morbidities. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (9-wks) were exposed to DFP …

Interaction Of Seed Dispersal And Environmental Filtering Affects Woody Encroachment Patterns In Coastal Grassland, Natasha N. Woods, Benjamin L. Dows, Evan B. Goldstein, Laura J. Moore, Donald R. Young, Julie C. Zinnert

Biology Publications

Encroachment of woody plants into grasslands has occurred worldwide and includes coastal ecosystems. This conversion process is mediated by seed dispersal patterns, environmental filtering, and biotic interactions. As spatiotemporally heterogeneous, harsh environments, barrier islands present a unique set of challenges for dispersal and establishment. Environmental conditions act as filters on dispersed seeds, thereby influencing encroachment and distribution patterns. Seldom have patterns of propagule dispersal been considered in the context of woody encroachment. We quantified dispersal and post‐dispersal processes of an encroaching woody population of Morella cerifera relative to directional rate of encroachment and observed distribution patterns on an Atlantic coastal …

Evolutionary Relationships Of Courtship Songs In The Parasitic Wasp Genus, Cotesia (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Justin P. Bredlau, Karen M. Kester

Biology Publications

Acoustic signals play an important role in premating isolation based on sexual selection within many taxa. Many male parasitic wasps produce characteristic courtship songs used by females in mate selection. In Cotesia (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae), courtship songs are generated by wing fanning with repetitive pulses in stereotypical patterns. Our objectives were to sample the diversity of courtship songs within Cotesia and to identify underlying patterns of differentiation. We compared songs among 12 of ca. 80 Cotesia species in North America, including ten species that have not been recorded previously. For Cotesia congregata, we compared songs of wasps originating from …

Habitat‐Dependent Occupancy And Movement In A Migrant Songbird Highlights The Importance Of Mangroves And Forested Lagoons In Panama And Colombia, Lesley Bulluck, Elizabeth Ames, Nicholas Bayly, Jessie Reese, Cathy Viverette, James Wright, Angela Caguazango, Christopher Tonra

Environmental Studies Publications

Climate change is predicted to impact tropical mangrove forests due to decreased rainfall, sea‐level rise, and increased seasonality of flooding. Such changes are likely to influence habitat quality for migratory songbirds occupying mangrove wetlands during the tropical dry season. Overwintering habitat quality is known to be associated with fitness in migratory songbirds, yet studies have focused primarily on territorial species. Little is known about the ecology of nonterritorial species that may display more complex movement patterns within and among habitats of differing quality. In this study, we assess within‐season survival and movement at two spatio‐temporal scales of a nonterritorial overwintering …