Life Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of Hydrogen Peroxide On The Biosynthesis Of Heme And Proteins: Potential Implications For The Partitioning Of Glu-TrnaGlu Between These Pathways, Carolina Farah, Gloria Levicán, Michael Ibba, Omar Orellana

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Glutamyl-tRNA (Glu-tRNA^Glu) is the common substrate for both protein translation and heme biosynthesis via the C5 pathway. Under normal conditions, an adequate supply of this aminoacyl-tRNA is available to both pathways. However, under certain circumstances, Glu-tRNA^Glu can become scarce, resulting in competition between the two pathways for this aminoacyl-tRNA. In Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, glutamyl-tRNA synthetase 1 (GluRS1) is the main enzyme that synthesizes Glu-tRNA^Glu. Previous studies have shown that GluRS1 is inactivated in vitro by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). This raises the question as to whether H₂O₂ negatively affects …

The Birds Of Genome10k, Stephen J. O'Brien, David Haussler, Oliver A. Ryder

Biology Faculty Articles

Everyone loves the birds of the world. From their haunting songs and majesty of flight to dazzling plumage and mating rituals, bird watchers – both amateurs and professionals - have marveled for centuries at their considerable adaptations. Now, we are offered a special treat with the publication of a series of papers in dedicated issues of Science, Genome Biology and GigaScience (which also included pre-publication data release). These present the successful beginnings of an international interdisciplinary venture, the Avian Phylogenomics Project that lets us view, through a genomics lens, modern bird species and the evolutionary events that produced them.

Mono- And Digalactosyldiacylglycerol Lipids Function Nonredundantly To Regulate Systemic Acquired Resistance In Plants, Qing-Ming Gao, Keshun Yu, Ye Xia, M. B. Shine, Caixia Wang, Duroy Navarre, Aardra Kachroo, Pradeep Kachroo

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

The plant galactolipids monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) have been linked to the anti-inflammatory and cancer benefits of a green leafy vegetable diet in humans due to their ability to regulate the levels of free radicals like nitric oxide (NO). Here, we show that DGDG contributes to plant NO as well as salicylic acid biosynthesis and is required for the induction of systemic acquired resistance (SAR). In contrast, MGDG regulates the biosynthesis of the SAR signals azelaic acid (AzA) and glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) that function downstream of NO. Interestingly, DGDG is also required for AzA-induced SAR, but MGDG is not. Notably, …

Beneficial Effects Of Simulated Gastro-Intestinal Digests Of Fried Egg And Its Fractions On Blood Pressure, Plasma Lipids And Oxidative Stress In Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats, Forough Jahandideh, Kaustav Majumder, Subhadeep Chakrabarti, Jude S. Morton, Sareh Panahi, Susan Kaufman, Sandra T. Davidge, Jianping Wu

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: We have previously characterized several antihypertensive peptides in simulated digests of cooked eggs and showed blood pressure lowering property of fried whole egg digest. However, the long-term effects of this hydrolysate and its fractions on blood pressure are not known. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to determine the effects of long term administration of fried whole egg hydrolysate and its fractions (i.e. egg white and egg yolk) on regulation of blood pressure and associated factors in cardiovascular disease such as plasma lipid profile and tissue oxidative stress.

Methods and Results: We used spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), an …

Dancing Through Life: Allosteric Transitions And Structural Analysis Of Hsp70 And Hsp110 Chaperone Proteins, Gabrielle Stetz, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The molecular chaperone protein Hsp70 is centrally involved in cellular homeostasis by assisting in the folding and degradation of protein substrates. Hsp70 is joined by co-chaperones, such as Hsp110, which contribute to specialized tasks of the Hsp70 complex. Imbalances of this heat shock protein system are believed to be involved with the deregulation of cancer pathways and other human diseases. Better understanding of how these heat shock proteins work at the molecular level, which has been investigated using molecular docking tools, will give more clues about biological function. Simulating the formation and function of Hsp70 based chaperone complexes could provide …

Distribution, Growth, And Impact Of The Coral-Excavating Sponge, Cliona Delitrix, On The Stony Coral Communities Offshore Southeast Florida, Ari Halperin

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Bioerosion is a major process that affects the carbonate balance on coral reefs, and excavating sponges from the genus Cliona are some of the most important bioeroders on Caribbean reefs. The orange boring sponge, Cliona delitrix, is an abundant excavating sponge offshore southeast Florida that frequently colonizes dead portions of live stony corals, killing live coral tissue as it grows. With the recent decline in coral cover attributed to combined environmental and anthropogenic stressors, the increasing abundance of excavating sponges poses yet another threat to the persistence of Caribbean coral reefs.

In the first part of this study, I …

Comparison Of Tetrad And Degree Of Difference Sensory Testing Methods In Evaluating The Quality Of Flour Tortillas, Kristine Futalan, Criselda Toto, Heather Mcdonald

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The Tetrad test is a forced choice discrimination method that has recently gained popularity in the sensory evaluation of foods. It has demonstrated superiority over the triangle test both in theory and practice with its proven relatively large statistical power. Tetrad does have one potential drawback, the use of a fourth sample that may cause panelist fatigue. There have been many studies comparing the Tetrad method with other difference tests such as triangle, 3- AFC, and 2- AFC however, there has been little research comparing the Tetrad and Degree of Difference test (DOD). This project compared the precision and power …

How The Presence Of Plastic In The North Pacific Gyre Affects The Growth Of Thalassiosira Through Remote Sensing And Laboratory Replication, Jordynn Brennan, Hesham El-Askary

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Through the use of remote sensing, we are able to determine the approximate location of the garbage patch in the North Pacific Gyre. Though remote sensing does not penetrate the surface of the ocean, monthly satellite images can be analyzed to determine the rate of growth or rate of decrease of certain parameters, such as atmospheric gases, phytoplankton, and dissolved organic matter. Over the past decade, data from the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (Giovanni program) has shown a significant increase in dissolved organic matter and chlorophyll a content in the area of the North Pacific Garbage …

Toxicity And Cosmesis Outcomes For Single Fraction Intra-Operative Electron Radiotherapy (Ioert) For Breast Cancer, Monica Hanna, Robert Ash, Wesley Babaran, Michele M. Carpenter, Afshin Forouzannia, Jay K. Harness, Brian Kaltenecker, Snehith Maddula, Venita Williams, Lawrence Wagman

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Background: Adjuvant radiation therapy is proven to reduce local recurrence in patients with early stage breast cancer. To reduce toxicity, improve geographic accuracy, and reduce treatment time, IOERT can be utilized as an alternative to external beam radiation therapy. The study’s objective was to determine the short term toxicity and cosmesis profile of single fraction IOERT given as definitive treatment in a community setting. Materials and Methods: From Mar 2012 to Jul 2014, 84 patients (3 bilateral), ages 45-91 y.o. with stage 0-II were treated with IOERT (Mobetron, IntraOp Medical, Sunnyvale, CA). A single 21 Gy fraction was administered to …

Assessment Of The Effects Of Caffeine, Gallic Acid, And Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate On Cell Inhibition, Pim-3 And E. Cadherin Protein Levels In Two Lines Of Pancreatic Cancer Cells, Lena Haddad, Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is currently the fourth leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States. In addition to being an exceptionally aggressive form of cancer, it is particularly difficult to treat because it is usually diagnosed in late stages after the onset of metastasis (1). Consequently, the current treatments used, including chemotherapy and radiation, have been rendered ineffective (2). As a result, focus has been placed on using dietary alternatives which are known to possess chemopreventive properties (3). Previous studies have indicated that Gallic acid (an important phytochemical in pomegranates) and Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (the …

The Non-Lethal Effects Of Climate Change On The Territoriality Of Lottia Gigantea, Tracey Gunanto, Christina Chavez, Jessica Martinez, William G. Wright

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The intertidal zone has been described as ground zero for global warming. Here, the owl limpet, Lottia gigantea, adapted to the cool ocean temperatures, must withstand a few hours of baking sun during day-time low tides. This hardship is predicted to increase in frequency and severity in the future as the globe warms. Our research hypothesized that heat events compromise territorial behavior of L. gigantea. All observations and experiments were performed at Inspiration Point near Newport Beach, California. We measured the natural radiant temperature of tagged limpets during day-time low tides using a field-calibrated infrared “thermogun”. We also …

Engineered Plga Nanoparticles For Delivery Of Sirna In Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cells, Sydney Pong, Samit Shah, Vivek Gupta

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Small interfering RNAs have been an emerging medical treatment for molecular based diseases as they are capable of gene-specific knockdown. Appropriate and efficient delivery remains one of the biggest challenges in the development of siRNA as an anti-cancer treatment. Nanoparticles containing siRNA were characterized and the efficacy of various peptides in the transfection of the nanoparticles were tested. A gene silencing assay was developed in order to determine the effect of siRNA therapeutics on gene functionality in breast cancer cells.

Predicting The Response Of The Amazon Rainforest To Persistent Drought Conditions Under Current And Future Climates: A Major Challenge For Global Land Surface Models, E. Joetzjer, C. Delire, H. Douville, P. Ciais, B. Decharme, R. Fisher, Bradley O. Christoffersen, J. C. Calvet, A. C.L. Da Costa, L. V. Ferreira

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

While a majority of global climate models project drier and longer dry seasons over the Amazon under higher CO2 levels, large uncertainties surround the response of vegetation to persistent droughts in both present-day and future climates. We propose a detailed evaluation of the ability of the ISBACC (Interaction Soil-Biosphere-Atmosphere Carbon Cycle) land surface model to capture drought effects on both water and carbon budgets, comparing fluxes and stocks at two recent throughfall exclusion (TFE) experiments performed in the Amazon. We also explore the model sensitivity to different water stress functions (WSFs) and to an idealized increase in CO2 concentration and/or …

Transcriptome Analysis Of Host-Associated Differentiation In Bemisia Tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), Wen Xie, Qingjun Wu, Shaoli Wang, Xiaoguo Jiao, Litao Guo, Xuguo Zhou, Youjun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

Host-associated differentiation is one of the driving forces behind the diversification of phytophagous insects. In this study, host induced transcriptomic differences were investigated in the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci, an invasive agricultural pest worldwide. Comparative transcriptomic analyses using coding sequence (CDS), 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTR) showed that sequence divergences between the original host plant, cabbage, and the derived hosts, including cotton, cucumber and tomato, were 0.11–0.14%, 0.19–0.26%, and 0.15–0.21%, respectively. In comparison to the derived hosts, 418 female and 303 male transcripts, respectively, were up-regulated in the original cabbage strain. Among them, 17 transcripts were consistently up-regulated …

Molecular Insights Into Prostate Field Cancerization: Telomere Length, Egr-­‐1 Expression, And Regulation Of Mic-­‐1, Pdgf-­‐A, And Fas, Emily Frisch, Kristin Gabriel, Marco Bisoffi

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The diagnosis of prostate cancer (adenocarcinoma) relies on screening for elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in blood samples and on digital rectal examination (DRE). With high PSA levels and/or abnormal DRE, physicians recommend a biopsy, which often misses the location of the adenocarcinoma and results in false negatives. Previous studies have shown expression of the key transcription factor early growth response 1 (EGR-1), the pro-survival factor macrophage inhibitor cytokine 1 (MIC-1), and the growth stimulatory platelet derived growth factor A (PDGF-A) to be up-regulated in histologically normal tissues 1 centimeter adjacent to prostate adenocarcinomas. We hypothesize that tumors emerge from “field …

What’S Cookin’ Good Lookin’: The Rise And Phenomena Of The Female Foodie Performer Through Social Media, Alison Weiss

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Once seen in black and white terms as human sustenance or luxury, eating has become not only a hobby, but an obsession. Whereas chefs and cooks were previously regarded as average, behind-the-scenes workers, they have now stepped out from the kitchen and into the spotlight, becoming celebrated public idols – and performers. With images tailored to different demographics right down to their clothing and hairstyles, chefs and cooks no longer merely prepare food: they put on a show. The foodie phenomena has been pioneered by females, largely in part to the parallel-running infatuation with health, fitness, and food trends that …

Cognitive Neurosciene And Its Applications To Contemporary Acting Theory, Ryan Stiffelman

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

I personally believe that anyone can be a performer so long as they have the determination, dedication, and refuse to take no for an answer. There are all kinds of training out there designed to help turn hopeful wannabes into the “stars” that we know them as, however, not every “star” we see has had this kind of training. We often hear of young actors like Jennifer Lawrence hailed for their “natural talent”. Does this mean there’s some kind of birth-right, a specific natural inclination or ability that makes someone a potentially great actor from the start? I will refer …

Prostate Field Cancerization -- Thinking Outside The Tumor, Dor Shoshan, Marco Bisoffi

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Prostate field cancerization (or field effect) is characterized by the presence of molecular alterations in histologically normal tissues adjacent to adenocarcinomas. Accordingly, our research indicates deregulated expression of several proteins that define this type of molecular pathology. The scope of the present study was to determine the expression of the key transcription factor and potential marker of field cancerization early growth response 1 (EGR-1) in human prostate tissues derived from prostatectomies and biopsy cores.

EGR-1 was detected by immunofluorescence using a polyclonal anti-human EGR-1 and Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated secondary antibodies. EGR-1 expression was quantitated by determining the pixel count per …

The Role Of Mate Preference And Personality On Reproductive Performance In An Ex-Situ Conservation Breeding Program For The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca), Meghan S. Martin

Dissertations and Theses

Successful captive-breeding and re-introduction programs must have the ability to breed a surplus of genetically suitable animals for release into the wild. Unfortunately, many individuals in captive breeding programs often do not reproduce even when they are apparently healthy and presented with genetically appropriate mates. Mate choice can affect multiple parameters of reproductive sperformance, including mating success, offspring production, survival, and fecundity. We investigated the role of mate preference and personality on the reproductive performance of male and female giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) as measured by intromission success and litter production. We conducted these studies on giant pandas at the …

Competitive Replacement Of Invasive Congeners May Relax Impact On Native Species: Interactions Among Zebra, Quagga, And Native Unionid Mussels, Lyubov E. Burlakova, Brianne L. Tulumello, Alexander Y. Karatayev, Robert A. Krebs, Donald W. Schloesser, Wendy L. Paterson, Traci A. Griffith, Mariah W. Scott, Todd Crail, David T. Zanatta

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Determining when and where the ecological impacts of invasive species will be most detrimental and whether the effects of multiple invaders will be superadditive, or subadditive, is critical for developing global management priorities to protect native species in advance of future invasions. Over the past century, the decline of freshwater bivalves of the family Unionidae has been greatly accelerated by the invasion of Dreissena. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current infestation rates of unionids by zebra (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga (D. rostriformis bugensis) mussels in the lower Great Lakes region 25 …

Oregon Wine Board Meeting Minutes December 9, 2014, Oregon Wine Board

Oregon Wine Board Documents

These meeting minutes list individuals in attendance and missing from the December 9, 2014 Oregon Wine Board (OWB) meeting, held at the Aquariva Restaurant in Portland, Oregon. The meeting included reports from the finance, marketing/communications, and education committees, as well as a discussion of Board governance. The Board went into Executive Session for approximately 30 minutes; upon reconvening, the Board reviewed viticulture and enology research. The meeting lasted 3 hours 24 minutes (including the time spent in Executive Session).

Pseudomonas Syringae Type Iii Effectors: Targets And Roles In Plant Immunity, Tania Y. Toruño

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Pseudomonas syringae is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen that infects many crops. A central virulence strategy P. syringae uses to successfully infect plants is the injection of type III effector proteins (T3Es) into plant cells through a type IIII protein secretion system (T3SS). The T3SS is a molecular syringe found in many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens of plants and animals that transport T3Es from the bacterial cytosol into eukaryotic cells. T3Es disrupt host processes in the plant immune system required to restrict pathogen ingress. The plant innate immune system is divided in two branches, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP)-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered …

U.S. Drought Monitor, December 9, 2014, Anthony Artusa

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for December 9, 2014 (12/9/14) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

Assessment Of Macroinvertebrate Communities And Heavy Metal Contamination Along The Intracoastal Waterway In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Robert Bernhard

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Sediments from four areas adjacent to marinas and a background site in the Intracoastal Waterway were assessed for macroinvertebrate composition and heavy metal contamination. Sediment core samples were collected in 2004 and 2005 for analyses of macroinvertebrate composition and sediment grain size. Additional sediment samples were collected in 2005 for chemical analyses of metals (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Hg, Ni and Zn). MANOVA and dendograms using Bray-Curtis similarity matrices grouped the sites into two clusters: the 3 sites closest to the New River formed one group, and the two end sites formed the other. The sites nearest …

Not Just A Theory--The Utility Of Mathematical Models In Evolutionary Biology, Maria R. Servedio, Yaniv Brandvain, Sumit Dhole, Courtney L. Fitzpatrick, Emma E. Goldberg, Caitlin A. Stern, Jeremy Van Cleve, D. Justin Yeh

Biology Faculty Publications

Progress in science often begins with verbal hypotheses meant to explain why certain biological phenomena exist. An important purpose of mathematical models in evolutionary research, as in many other fields, is to act as “proof-of-concept” tests of the logic in verbal explanations, paralleling the way in which empirical data are used to test hypotheses. Because not all subfields of biology use mathematics for this purpose, misunderstandings of the function of proof-of-concept modeling are common. In the hope of facilitating communication, we discuss the role of proof-of-concept modeling in evolutionary biology.

Nitrous Oxide Emissions From A Commercial Cornfield (Zea Mays) Measured Using The Eddy Covariance Technique, H. Huang, J. Wang, D. Hui, D. R. Miller, S. Bhattarai, S. Dennis, D. Smart, T. Sammis, K. C. Reddy

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Increases in observed atmospheric concentrations of the long-lived greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) have been well documented. However, information on event-related instantaneous emissions during fertilizer applications is lacking. With the development of fast-response N2O analyzers, the eddy covariance (EC) technique can be used to gather instantaneous measurements of N2O concentrations to quantify the exchange of nitrogen between the soil and atmosphere. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the performance of a new EC system, to measure the N2O flux with the system, and finally to examine relationships of the N2O flux with soil temperature, soil moisture, precipitation, and …

Quality Change And Thermal Inactivation Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 In Non-Intact Beef And Veal Patties By Double Pan-Broiling, Kawang Li

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ECOH) may translocate from meat surfaces to internal tissues during grinding processes. This study evaluated the inactivation of ECOH in ground beef and veal by cooking to various internal temperatures (55°C, 62.5°C, 71.1°C, and 76°C). Grounded beef/veal were inoculated with 6 log ECOH and prepared into patties, stored aerobically (4°C, 4 -days) before double-pan-broiling to the internal temperatures mentioned above with a three-minute rest. Samples’ color were monitored, which changed significantly during storage and cooking. Pathogen concentration was measured by plating the homogenized sample on TSA and McConkey agar. The pathogen population was below detectable limit when …

Study Of A Contemporary Diet In One Household In The Yucatan, Ericka K. Hardin

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The history of the Yucatan has played a major role in the development of the food system of the area and the nutritional status of the population. Originating from an agricultural based diet, which forms the foundation of the traditional Yucatan diet, there has been a recent shift away from whole and natural foods to a more processed and convenient food supply due to the influx of American products and culture. Coinciding with the influx of these unhealthy foods, there has also been a rise in the health problems of the Mexican population such as heart disease and diabetes, both …

Impacts Of Land-Cover Change And High Rainfall On Soil Erosion Among Three Farms In Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panamá., Madeline Happ

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Soil erosion is a key source leading to the depletion of Earth’s natural resources. Beginning with deforestation, soils are stripped of their rich vegetation cover, leaving them vulnerable to wind, water, and sometimes total exhaustion. One of the major causes of deforestation, if not the primary cause, is for agricultural purposes. Extensive agricultural fields, steep slopes, and heavy rains characterize the highlands of Chiriquí; thus, the land displays potential for severe loss of soil. This paper illustrates and discusses the extent of soil erosion in Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, specifically considering the steep terrains and very wet environment that impact the …

Examining The Role Of Dax-1 In Regulation Of Cell Proliferation In Human Breast Cells, Amy E. Scandurra

Master's Theses

DAX-1 is a member of the Nuclear Hormone Receptor superfamily and acts as a transcriptional repressor. DAX-1 plays an important role in the development of adrenal and gonadal tissues. In addition to its role in normal cell development and differentiation, DAX-1 appears to have some influence on the progression of cancer. This work aims to examine the role of DAX-1 in regulation of proliferation in breast cancer. In our study, we have expressed DAX-1 in a DAX-1 deficient breast cancer cell line as well as knocked down DAX-1 expression in normal DAX-1 positive breast cells. Through these experiments, we were …