Life Sciences Commons^™

Polygenic Risk Scores Of Grip Strength In Men And Women With Or At Risk For Hiv, Sreevidya Sadananda Sadasiva Rao

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background: Adequate hand function among older adults is necessary for the successful completion of activities of daily living and can affect whether an older adult is able to live independently. Current research highlights grip strength, the strength people have in their hands, as a robust predictor of morbidity and mortality, and explores the decline in grip strength over time. A person’s family history and genes (DNA) affect how much grip strength they have. Previous studies have identified genes that affect grip strength, mainly in European ancestry populations. In this study, we examined whether these genetic elements predict grip strength in …

Development Of Dna Nanoswitches With Aptamer Based Detection For Thrombin, Camryn A. Beckles

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Bio-transducers are devices capable of converting the binding signals from molecular recognition events into readable signals for analytical detection. There is a need for modular bio-transducers that can specifically detect a wide range of analytes using a unified readout technique, as this approach could dramatically reduce costs of healthcare diagnostics and environmental monitoring.

To create such a modular transducer, the molecular recognition properties of aptamers will be used and integrated with the already established biosensing capabilities of DNA nanoswitches that reconfigure their shape in the presence of their target molecule. In this design, the detector strands of the nanoswitch will …

Dna And Protein Determinants For P63 Transcriptional Activity, Abigail Mccann

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The transcription factor p63 is critical for development of the epidermis and other epithelial-related structures. Mutations in the DNA-binding domain of p63 lead to a range of human developmental disorders characterized by symptoms such as ectrodactyly, painful skin dysplasia, and cleft lip and palate. The TP63 gene is also amplified in squamous cell carcinomas, contributing to tumor pathogenesis. While the importance of p63 in human health is well established, the mechanisms underlying its control of an essential gene network remain unclear. TP63 encodes multiple isoforms with distinct N- and C-terminal domains. The ∆Np63α isoform is directly linked to epidermal development …

Contactin2(Cntn2)Creert2 Mouse Line, A New Genetic Tool For Temporal Control To Trace The Developing Neurons In The Nose, Alexis M. Semon

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Neuronal migration is a vital process in embryonic development. In rodents, the very first neurons that originate from the olfactory placode migrate toward the developing brain as part of the migratory mass. This migratory mass includes Gonadotropin-releasing hormone-1 (GnRH-1) neurons, pioneer/terminal nerve (TN) neurons, and olfactory ensheathing cells—a type of glial cell.

Contactin-2 (Cntn2), also referred to as transiently expressed axonal surface glycoprotein-1 (TAG-1), belongs to the contactin family of proteins, which is part of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion molecules. Cntn2 has been extensively utilized as a transient/stage-specific molecular marker for various neuronal populations, including commissural neurons of …

The Role Of The Nasal Migratory Mass In Olfactory Bulb Formation And Fertility, Charisse Martin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The olfactory migratory mass plays an essential role in the development of the olfactory bulb by facilitating the migration of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons from the olfactory placode to the pre-optic hypothalamic area in the brain. In mammals, the migration of GnRH neurons is critical for establishing the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis), which regulates reproductive function through the production and secretion of gonadotropins. Luteinizing hormone (LH) and Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) instruct the gonads to function appropriately, ensuring sexual maturation and fertility. Disruptions in this migratory pathway have been linked with Kallmann syndrome, a condition characterized by low levels of GnRH, …

Nat10 Stabilizes Immune Response Factors Aiding With Cellular Immune Response To Zika Virus Infection, Shawn Gianola

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Zika virus (ZIKV) remains a significant public health concern due to major gaps in our understanding of its infection mechanisms and immune evasion strategies. Despite its link to severe complications such as microcephaly and Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), no vaccine or targeted antiviral therapies exist. Compounding this concern is the expanding habitat of ZIKV-carrying mosquito vectors, driven by climate change, which increases the risk of future outbreaks in previously unaffected regions.

One promising area of investigation involves post-transcriptional modifications (PTMs) chemical alterations to RNA that influence its stability, translation, and function. Although over 170 PTMs have been identified, their roles remain …

Identification Of Fentanyl And Fentanyl Analogs Found In Human Urine Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Adam M. Fisher

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Identification of fentanyl and its analogs in unknown samples is a frequent practice completed in forensic crime labs, as the fentanyl epidemic continues. With the continued increase in illicit drug use, crime labs are not able to keep up with the flooding of new fentanyl analogs being developed, resulting in new analogs slipping past the crime labs’ authority. This research is to start to develop a database of commonly found fentanyl analogs in New York State. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) is a widely used method for the detection and identification of illicit drugs in forensic crime labs. A database that …

Sulfur Chemistry For Protein Synthesis And Modification: From Thiolactone To Bicyclic Sulfoxide Frameworks, Yuming Wen

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation explores two intersecting themes in modern chemical biology: (1) the design of novel ligands for transition-metal catalysis, and (2) the development of thiolactone-mediated strategies for protein synthesis and modification in aqueous media. Together, these studies advance chemical methods for precise molecular transformations under mild, biocompatible conditions.

In the first chapter, a geometrically constrained bicyclic [3.3.1] sulfoxide framework was developed as a new class of bissulfoxide ligands for palladium-catalyzed C–H functionalization. The ligand was synthesized concisely from thiophenol through a three-step sequence and shown to promote allylic C–H amination and alkylation reactions with high efficiency. The catalytic system tolerated …

Resources To Study The Isoforms Of The P53 Family Of Transcription Factors, Dana L. Woodstock

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The p53 family of transcription factors regulates diverse gene regulatory networks such as those involved in DNA damage repair, epidermal commitment, and neuronal development. As a result, dysfunction in these pathways lead to numerous human health conditions, including multiple types of cancer and craniofacial developmental disorders. Each family member regulates a distinct gene network leading to varied cellular and organismal phenotypes, but all are capable of regulating programmed cell death, likely due to considerable similarity between protein structure and binding sites in DNA. Analysis of these shared and distinct functions is complicated by each p53 family member gene (TP53, TP63, …

Characterization Of Adaptive Quorum Sensing In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Kayla Simanek

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that is highly antibiotic resistant and causes tens of thousands of infections each year. It persists in hospitals by forming biofilms on medical equipment like ventilators and catheters, making it difficult to eradicate. Biofilm formation, among other virulence factors of P. aeruginosa, is regulated through quorum sensing, a mechanism of bacterial communication. Quorum sensing is primarily coordinated through LuxI-R type systems comprised of an autoinducer synthase and receptor, respectively. Canonically, the first system to be expressed is LasI-R, and LasR upregulates the second arm of the quorum sensing network, the RhlI-R system. Research …

Physiological Structure, Activity, And Interactions Of The Formin, Human Diaphanous Homologue 1, Aaron Premo

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Human Diaphanous Homologue 1 (DIAPH1) is a 143 kDa functional protein that plays a critical role in the regulation of actin dynamics within eukaryotic cells. As a formin, DIAPH1 facilitates the assembly of actin filaments from globular actin monomers, a process essential for cellular structure, motility, and other fundamental cellular processes. Beyond its structural role in actin polymerization, DIAPH1 is implicated in several diseases, including diabetes, cancer, and inflammation, as well as complications like hearing loss. Despite its significance in human health, the functional and structural properties of DIAPH1, particularly in human cells, remain less explored compared to related proteins, …

Transcriptome-Wide Gene Expression Analysis Of Skeletal Muscles Of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Mouse Models And Patients, Olivia N. Ransiear

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive muscle degenerative disease that frequently proves fatal by age 30. It primarily affects adolescent males with symptoms appearing as early as age 6. Patients quickly lose their ability to walk due to muscle weakness and are confined to wheelchairs for the remainder of their lives. DMD is caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene. Without dystrophin, mechanical stress, injury, or shock takes a drastic toll on muscle tissue and muscle stem cells, rendering them unable to regenerate or be repaired. This results in a rapid loss of muscular strength and muscle …

Hippocampal Insulin Exists! In Vivo Sampling Methods, Basal Concentrations, Recurrent Hypoglycemia, And Behavioral Extracellular Insulin Responses, Starlette R. Douglass

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Insulin has widespread actions within the brain, including energy homeostasis, modulation of feeding, and as a key component of memory processes. Further, brain insulin dysfunction correlates with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. To this point, measurement of hippocampal insulin has been limited. Determining in vivo hippocampal insulin levels both at a healthy baseline and after, e.g., induction of a disease state or in response to cognitive challenge, is essential to advance our understanding of both insulin's procognitive actions and to guide potential therapeutic interventions.

We first sought to establish a sampling technique for insulin within awake and moving rats …

Adaptive Evolution Shapes The Transmissibility Of West Nile Virus In New York State, Sean M. Bialosuknia

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), which are maintained in nature in complex transmission cycles involving hematophagic invertebrates and their vertebrate hosts, are the cause of a significant and expanding global health burden. Defining arbovirus-host interactions is necessary if we are to understand the adaptive and epidemiological potential of arboviruses. The results presented with West Nile virus (WNV Flaviviridae: Orthoflavivirus), are a compilation of such studies. WNV is the most prevalent arboviral pathogen in the U.S. and the most geographically distributed arbovirus in the world. Despite the evolutionary potential of these RNA viruses, WNV and other arboviruses have experienced only limited …

Heterogeneous Being: The Inhumanities And The Creative-Scientific Aesthetic, Steven L. Ogden

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Heterogeneous Being attempts to set the often-disunited aspects of the sciences and humanities in congruence and to extol and advance a hybrid creative-scientific aesthetic that moves beyond any restricted dimensions of its previously segregated fields of study. It likewise expresses the need to perpetuate that hybrid form of inquiry and representation to successfully address or convey the precarious realities of Earth’s ecological and environmental conditions. Heterogeneous Being asks readers to observe the inexhaustible proofs of our pluralized configurations with the nonhuman world, to recognize the agentic potentialities nonhuman subjects may hold both in and outside of those inhuman enmeshments, and …

Identifying The Impacts Of Land Use/Land Cover Changes On Ecosystem Services From A Geospatial Perspective In Albany County, Kyaw Khaung Thant Zin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Ecosystem services encompass the broad array of direct and indirect advantages that people derive from nature and its ecosystems. Considering accelerating environmental change and degradation, recognizing the importance of these services is more crucial than ever, as they illustrate the many ways in which healthy ecosystems sustain human life. However, these services are diminishing at a rapid and unprecedented rate, raising global concern over both the transformations taking place and their root causes. Among the leading threats, land-use change stands out as a particularly significant one, influenced by a variety of driving factors. Albany County, New York, characterized by its …

Dictyostelids: The Second Major Group Of Slime Molds, P. Liu, Z.J. Zhang, J.H. Ge, Y. Zou, Z. Li, S. Li, Y. Li, S.L. Stephenson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The dictyostelids (also called cellular slime molds or social amoebae) are among the more abundant and widespread groups of microorganisms in terrestrial ecosystems. Despite this fact, they are totally unknown to most people, who sometimes confuse the dictyostelids with myxomycetes (or plasmodial slime molds). The first dictyostelid (Dictyostelium mucoroides) was described by the German Oskar Brefeld in 1869. More than 180 species are now known, and these organisms have been recorded from the high arctic to the subantarctic. The primary microhabitat for dictyostelids is the soil/humus layer on a forest floor, but they also occur in a number of other …

Geogenie: A Deep Learning Approach To Predict Geographic Provenance Of Biodiversity Samples From Genomic Snps, Bradley T. Martin, Zachery D. Zbinden, Michael E. Douglas, Marlis R. Douglas, Tyler K. Chafin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Motivation Determining geographic origin of samples is a common objective in wildlife management, forensics, and conservation. Current methods often assume evolutionary models or require extensive reference datasets, which are costly and difficult to develop, that perform poorly with uneven or biased sampling. Supervised deep learning offers a promising alternative by learning complex patterns without prior model specifications. Combined with novel geo-genetic data augmentation and preprocessing techniques, it can reduce reference panel demands and improve performance across diverse sampling schemes, broadening accurate provenance determination to more study systems.Results We present GeoGenIE, an open-source software package powered by PyTorch for geographic provenance …

Behavioral Responses To Underwater Noise, Christine Erbe, Capri Jolliffe, Renee Schoeman, Valeria Senigaglia, Cristina Tollefsen, Rebecca Wellard, Ann Bowles, Dorian Houser, Shyam Madhusudhana, Sarah A. Marley, Angela Recalde Salas, Chandra Salgado-Kent, Leah Trigg

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This chapter presents an overview of physical and acoustic behavioral responses of marine mammals to underwater sounds. A literature review was undertaken, and data on received levels at the animal when certain types of responses were observed were compiled in an online supplementary spreadsheet. Based on this, an overview of responses was written, organized first by species and then by sound type. In-air and underwater sound sources were considered. The most studied sound types were mid-frequency sonar and acoustic deterrent devices and then impact pile driving and vessels. The most frequently reported response was avoidance, followed by changes in swim …

Developing A Ninhydrin Assay To Determine Methionine And Lysine Loss From Rumen Protected Amino Acid Supplements, Ashley K. Miske

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Using Rna Sequencing To Examine Encephalic Gene Expression In Cactus Mice, Sarah A. Nicholls

Honors Theses and Capstones

Many of the exact mechanisms by which desert-adapted animals avoid dehydration-induced complications are unknown, though there are likely ties to the general mammalian dehydration response, a multisystem process spearheaded by the brain. Peromyscus eremicus, the cactus mouse, can survive its whole life without intaking water and is commonly used as a model to study desert adaptations. In this study, we have used bulk transcriptomics to characterize the differential gene expression across hydrated and dehydrated P. eremicus in five major regions of the brain: the cerebral cortex (referred to throughout much of this paper as the cortex), hippocampus, thalamus, midbrain, …

Targeting Stat3 In Tnbc Drug Resistance, Madison A. Henry

Honors Theses and Capstones

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer and lacks the three commonly targeted receptors in breast cancer treatments. As a result of a lack of targetable receptors, the standard of care remains to be harsh chemotherapy treatments that often are successful in early TNBC cases but often result in relapsed TNBC. In addition to high rates of recurrence, TNBC is known for its aggressive metastasis and chemoresistance. Within TNBC, the transcription factor Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) is constitutively active and increases proliferation, and metastasis, and plays a role …

Optimization Of Small-Scale Bioreactors For Increased Pdna Production And Yield, Laura M. Hills

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Pathogens And Parasites Of Feral And Managed Honey Bee, Apis Mellifera, Colonies From Oklahoma, Allen Szalanski

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Managed honey bee populations in the United States have been under stress over the past several decades, probably due to the interaction among multiple biotic and abiotic stressors. While most research has focused on national surveys of honey bee pathogens and parasites, state-specific studies that include both managed and feral honey bee populations may offer additional insights into the factors that contribute to the decline of honey bees. We conducted a survey to detect parasites and pathogens from feral and managed honey bees in colonies in Oklahoma. A total of 253 (89 managed and 164 feral) honey bees from these …

Ephemeral Seagrass Meadow Assessment To Improve Understanding Of Resilience Of Ephemeral Seagrasses On Kwinana Shelf For Environmental Impact Assessment And Management, Kathryn Mcmahon, Nicole Said, Chanelle Webster, H. Williams, Simone Strydom

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Executive Summary:

• This study was conducted to generate knowledge to inform the environmental impact and prediction process for seagrass species that form ephemeral meadows in Cockburn Sound and Owen Anchorage.

• Local light thresholds for the opportunistic species, Syringodium isoetifolium were generated at summer and winter temperatures, with higher light requirements in summer compared to winter, and compared to larger, more slow-growing persistent species such as Posidonia sinuosa. The half-saturating irradiance (Ik) was 115 μmol m-2 s-1 at 23 °C.

• Based on the dynamics at three sites from December 2023 to April 2024, Halophila ovalis forms ephemeral meadows …

Genomic And Metabolic Network Properties In Thermophiles And Psychrophiles Compared To Mesophiles, Amal Saeed Alblooshi

Theses

Thermophiles and psychrophiles are extremophilic microorganisms that thrive in harsh conditions. Thermophiles are mostly located in hot springs, prosper in high temperatures. Psychrophiles thrive in extremely cold environments, including polar regions and deep-sea habitats. Although they play a crucial role in biotechnology and environmental research, their mechanisms of adaptation are still not well understood. The main objective of this thesis is to understand the genomic characteristics and metabolic network features in thermophiles and psychrophiles compared to mesophiles. The genomes of 59 species among thermophiles, psychrophiles, and mesophiles were collected from the NCBI database. These genomes were used to analyze their …

Diverged Populations Admixture Bolsters Genetic Diversity Of A New Island Dibbler (Parantechinus Apicalis) Population, But Does Not Prevent Subsequent Loss Of Genetic Variation, Rujiporn Thavornkanlapachai, Harriet R. Mills, Kym Ottewell, Cathy Lambert, J. Anthony Friend, Daniel J. White, Zahra Aisya, W. Jason Kennington

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Translocating individuals from multiple source populations is one way to bolster genetic variation and avoid inbreeding in newly established populations. However, mixing isolated populations, especially from islands, can potentially lead to outbreeding depression and/or assortative mating, which may limit interbreeding between source populations. Here, we investigated genetic consequences of mixing individuals from two island populations of the dibbler (Parantechinus apicalis) in an island translocation. Despite a high level of genetic divergence between the source populations (FST ranges 0.33–0.64), and significant differences in body size, individuals with different ancestries were able to successfully interbreed in captivity and in the wild. However, …

Evaluation Of The Corrosion Of Metallic Fastener Joints In Composite Materials Immersed In Seawater, Chloe Derrico

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The corrosion behavior of metallic fasteners in contact with composite materials in marine environments remains a critical concern for structural integrity and long-term performance. This study evaluates the corrosion of marine fasteners of various materials in contact with glass fiber, carbon fiber, hybrid glass-carbon fiber, and G10/FR-4 Garolite composite plates. The research focuses on localized corrosion mechanisms, include crevice and pitting corrosion, as well as the influence of composite interactions. Samples were exposed to three environmental conditions: full immersion tanks, tidal tanks simulating the high and low tides, and deployment on a barge on Florida’s intracoastal waterway, with antifouling paint …

Predation Of A Sperm Whale (Physeter Macrocephalus) By Killer Whales (Orcinus Orca) In Guanaja, Honduras, Gaby M. Ochoa, Eric Angel Ramos, Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Inducing Hypertension In Myh11r247c/R247c Mice Triggers Aortic Dissections With Increased Focal Adhesion Kinase Signaling, Callie S Kwartler, Shanzhi Wang, Zhen Zhou, Pujun Guan, Yang Yu, Xue-Yan Duan, Theodore Zhang, Jiyuan Chen, Elaine C Davis, Dianna M Milewicz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: We sought to determine if hypertension in combination with a "variant of uncertain significance" that disrupts protein function, MYH11 p.Arg247Cys, would induce aortic dissections in a mouse model.

Approach and results: Administration of L-NAME via drinking water and a high salt diet increased blood pressure in WT and Myh11R247C/R247C mice and triggered type A dissections with cardiac tamponade in 20% of the Myh11R247C/R247C mice. Myh11R247C/R247C aortas have aberrant smooth muscle contractile unit-elastin connections by transmission electron microscopy, along with increased focal adhesion signaling at baseline, which further increases with hypertension.

Conclusion: Gene-environment interactions trigger aortic dissections in Myh11R247C/R247C mice.