Life Sciences Commons^™

Trophic Ecology And Habitat Use Of Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus ), Benjamin Neal Kurth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fish can have complex life histories and use multiple habitats and resources throughout their life span. Consequently, their life histories are often poorly understood. The Atlantic Tarpon, Megalops atlanticus, is a large, typically migratory, elopomorph fish that is both ecologically and economically important. Atlantic Tarpon are under threat due to regional exploitation, loss of natal and juvenile habitat, poor water management, and offshore impacts. In addition, little is known about its lifelong habitat and resource use. In Chapter 1, I used stable isotope analysis of eye lens δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values to explore patterns in …

The Psychological Concept Of “Person”, Kristin Andrews

Animal Sentience

Reluctance to overextend personhood seems to drive many of the skeptical responses in the first round of commentaries on Rowlands's target article. Despite Rowlands’s straightforward Response that we already accept some nonhumans as persons, there is still hesitation to accept that other nonhuman animals are persons. Rowlands's argument is sound but the skeptics don’t accept the Lockean notion of person. The metaphysical sense of person is a psychological one, however, and psychological properties grant one moral status according to many ethical theories.

Fish Names Variability Traces The Geo-Historical Dynamics Of Moroccan Fishermen Communities, Hicham Masski, Abdelaziz Ait Hammou

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

Fish vernacular names in Morocco needs a structuring system. Though used widely, these names are highly variable and do not necessarily meet trade requirements. The 138 species considered in this study have 691 vernacular names and the vernacular names lists of the 16 study sites show large disparities. The most part of this variability is of linguistic origin coming from four geographic regions and thus cultural groups. Even if possible, the adoption of a unique standard, which is the goal of the national fisheries regulation authorities, might encounter resistance to its dissemination throughout fishermen and the local population.

Design Of Novel Ion Channel Modulators, Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy

Science Seminar Series

Function and modulation of neuronal sodium channels are critical for the neuromodulation of electrical excitability and synaptic transmission in neurons - the basis for many aspects of signal transduction, learning, memory and physiological regulation. Mutations in neuronal voltage-gated sodium channel genes are responsible for various human neurological disorders. Furthermore, human neuronal voltage-gated sodium channels are primary targets of therapeutic drugs used as local anesthetics and for treatment of neurological and cardiac disorders. Yarov-Yarovoy's lab is working on rational design of novel therapeutically useful blockers of voltage-gated sodium channels for treatment of pain and epilepsy. Serious, chronic pain affects at least …

90 Minutes Of Moderate-Intensity Exercise Does Not Attenuate Postprandial Triglycerides In Older Adults, Nathaniel G. Bodell, Trevor Gillum

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 677-684, 2016. To determine whether 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, prior to a high fat meal, attenuates postprandial triglycerides (PPT) in older adults. Eight sedentary older adult volunteers (mean ± SD age = 58 ± 8 years, BMI 26.5 ± 4.2); completed two trials consisting of exercise and a no-exercise control. Exercise trials involved 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 60% heart rate reserve (HHR). Following exercise, an overnight fast of 12-16 hours was performed. Participants were given a high fat meal that consisted of 146 grams of CHO, and 92 grams of fat and …

Effects Of A Pre-Workout Energy Drink Supplement On Upper Body Muscular Endurance Performance, Mitchel A. Magrini, Ryan J. Colquhoun, J Jay Dawes, Doug B. Smith

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 667-676, 2016. The use of pre-workout beverages is becoming an increasingly common method of improving performance during exercise in athletic and recreationally active populations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a commercially available energy drink on exercise performance. Thirty-one healthy males (n=23) and females (n=8) participated in this study and were separated into two groups: supplement (SU; n=16) or placebo (PL; n=15). Subjects visited the laboratory on 2 occasions separated by no more than 7 days. The first visit consisted of completing a push up to fatigue protocol …

The Effects Of Eccentric, Velocity-Based Training On Strength And Power In Collegiate Athletes, Samantha M. Dolezal, Tamra L. Llewellyn, Derek L. Frese

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 657-666, 2016. The purpose of this study was to determine if combining velocity-based training with eccentric focus (VEB) and velocity-based training (VBT) results in power and strength gains. Nineteen men and women collegiate track and field athletes participated in this study. The subjects completed a 12-week intervention with either a VEB program or a VBT program. To determine the effectiveness of each program, the subjects completed four exercise tests before and after the training period: vertical jump, medicine ball put test, 1RM projected bench press and 1RM projected squat. There were no significant differences …

Quantifying Inter-Segmental Coordination During The Instep Soccer Kicks, Yumeng Li, Marion Alexander, Cheryl Glazebrook, Jeff Leiter

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 646-656, 2016. In order to generate a high ball speed in soccer, the inter-segmental coordination of the kicking leg is critical. The purpose of this study was to quantify the coordination between the thigh and shank movement in the sagittal plane during instep kicks. Eleven female soccer players were video recorded using a high-speed (80 Hz) video camera during penalty kicks. Hip, knee and ankle joint centers of the right leg were digitized, and the movement was analyzed using Dartfish TeamPro (6.0). The thigh and shank segment angles were generated, and the coordination was …

Inter-Correlations Between Laboratory Inter-Correlations Between Laboratory And Field-Based Tests Of Muscle Contractile Power, Mitchell J. Cameron, Robert Robergs

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 635-645, 2016. Muscle contractile properties have previously been distinguished by fiber typing muscle samples obtained from needle biopsy; however due to conflicting evidence regarding sampling bias and the related need for multiple biopsies, it is not certain if these results are a reliable reflection of whole muscle fiber type expression. Inter-correlations between laboratory and field-based measures of muscle contractile power were used to determine which assessments best discriminate between participants of varying sprint performance, and indirectly reveal potential for power vs. endurance exercise performance. Healthy active male (n=32) and female (n=17) participants were recruited …

The Relationship Between Aerobic And Anaerobic Performance In Recreational Runners, Zachary M. Gillen, Frank B. Wyatt, Jason B. Winchester, Dalton A. Smith, Vidhi Ghetia

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 625-634, 2016. Research has indicated that combined aerobic and anaerobic training (concurrent training) may improve aerobic performance greater than aerobic training alone. The purpose of this investigation was to establish any associations between aerobic and anaerobic performance. Eleven participants (n = 11, age = 34.1 ± 13 years, VO_2max = 58.4 ± 7.8) volunteered for this study. Participants were asked for endurance training experience (4.7 ± 3.7 years) and resistance training experience (4.1 ± 4.6 years). To meet training status, participants were to have a VO_2max in the 80^th percentile as …

Relationships Between Motor Coordination And Academic Achievement In Middle School Children, Daniel V. Chagas, Gustavo Leporace, Luiz Alberto Batista

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 616-624, 2016. Although it is recognized that children with a marked impairment in the development of motor coordination may show difficulty in gaining academic achievement, research examining the relationship between gross motor coordination and academic achievement in children without intellectual disabilities is limited. This study aimed to examine whether gross motor coordination is associated with academic achievement among children. Middle school children (n=122) were recruited. Writing, reading, and mathematics performance were used to attribute academic achievement. Gross motor coordination was assessed using the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder test. Pearson and partial correlations were used to …

Effects Of Acute Vaporized Nicotine In Non-Tobacco Users At Rest And During Exercise, Donovan L. Fogt, Michael A. Levi, Caroline A. Rickards, Steven P. Stelly, William H. Cooke

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 607-615, 2016. Smokers, and even non-smokers, may utilize vaporized nicotine delivered by electronic cigarette (EC) due to the perception that EC are “healthier” than traditional tobacco cigarettes. The effects of vaporized nicotine delivered by EC on resting blood pressure (BP) and resting metabolic rate (RMR), or BP and aerobic power during exercise have not been studied. This investigation tested the effects of acute vaporized nicotine inhalation by EC on resting BP and RMR and cycle exercise BP, metabolic responses, and aerobic power in young, normotensive non-smokers. Using a double-blind design, 20 subjects (10 female) …

Spatial Awareness Is Related To Moderate Intensity Running During A Collegiate Rugby Match, Kyle S. Beyer, David H. Fukuda Ph.D., Amelia M. Miramonti, Mattan W. Hoffman, Ran Wang, Michael B. La Monica, Josh J. Riffe, Satoru Tanigawa Ph.D., Jeffrey R. Stout Ph.D., Jay R. Hoffman Ph.D.

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 599-606, 2016. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between spatial awareness, agility, and distance covered in global positioning system (GPS) derived velocity zone classifications during a collegiate rugby match. Twelve American collegiate rugby union players (mean±SD; age: 21.2±1.4 y; weight: 85.0±16.0 kg; 7 forwards & 5 backs) on a single team volunteered to participate in this investigation. The distances travelled at low (walking/jogging; <2.7m/s), moderate (cruising/striding; 2.7-5.0 m/s), and high intensities (running/sprinting; >5.0 m/s) were measured for each player using GPS sensors and normalized according to playing time during an official USA Rugby match. Spatial awareness was measured …

Adolescents And Self-Reported Physical Activity: An Evaluation Of The Modified Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire, Jacqueline Zelener, Margaret Schneider

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 587-598, 2016. The Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire assesses self-reported physical activity (PA) among adults, and was later modified for children. However, the modified version (Godin-Child Questionnaire) has not been validated among adolescents. This study evaluates the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the Godin-Child Questionnaire among adolescents. The study participants, sixth graders (age M= 11.06 ± 0.436; 48% males, 48% Latino), were assessed at 2 time points (fall and spring: N= 139). First, the study determined whether adolescents accurately reported exercise intensity based on adolescents' ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during moderate- and hard-intensity …

Natural Training Hydration Status, Sweat Rates, And Perception Of Sweat Losses During Crossfit Training, Christina C. Cronin, Eric O'Neal, Jeffrey Simpson, Brandon L. Miller, Matt Green, Jean A. Helm Allen, Shelby Boman

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 576-586, 2016. This study assessed 30 male and 20 female well-trained CrossFit (XF) athletes’ natural hydration statuses, fluid intake, and absolute and estimated sweat losses during training sessions lasting 30-47 min. Participants provided a pre-workout urine sample for assessment of hydration by urine specific gravity (USG). Nude pre- and post-workout body mass and fluid intakes were measured to determine sweat losses. To evaluate perception of total sweat loss, participants were asked to estimate their total sweat loss to compare against actual sweat loss. Mean sweat losses did not exceed 1% body mass for men …

Influence Of Baseball Catcher Mask Design, Impact Location And Ball Trajectory On Head Acceleration, Jordan Siu, Alex Okonek, Philip K. Schot

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 567-575, 2016. The general aim was to contrast accelerations caused by baseball impacts for different catcher mask designs. Study1 focused on impact locations for a perpendicular ball trajectory. Study2 examined perpendicular and oblique trajectories striking a single mask location. A 5.9 kg head model instrumented with a 3-d accelerometer recording at 512 Hz was mounted upright with springs in a shallow ball joint. A pitching machine fired a standard baseball at ~28 m/s for all tests. Transverse plane resultant peak acceleration was gathered from 5 trials in each experimental combination. In Study1, effects of …

The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Present Higher Sympathetic Cardiac Autonomic Modulation That Is Not Altered By Strength Training, Victor Barbosa Ribeiro, Gislaine Satyko Kogure, Rosana Maria Reis, Ada Clarice Gastaldi, João Eduardo Araújo, José Henrique Mazon, Audrey Borghi, Hugo Celso Dutra Souza

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 554-566, 2016. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may present important comorbidities, such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, which are often preceded by changes in cardiac autonomic modulation. Different types of physical exercises are frequently indicated for the prevention and treatment of PCOS. However, little is known about the effects of strength training on the metabolic, hormonal, and cardiac autonomic parameters. Therefore, our aim was to investigate the effects of strength training on the autonomic modulation of heart rate variability (HRV) and its relation to endocrine-metabolic parameters in women with PCOS. Fifty-three women were …

Monitoring Interval-Training Responses For Swimming Using The 3-Min All-Out Exercise Test., Samuel P. Courtright, Jade L. Williams, Ida E. Clark, Robert W. Pettitt, Nathan D. Dicks

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 545-553, 2016. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the 3-min all-out exercise test (3MT) could be applied to create an off-season high intensity, interval training (HIIT) program to improve performance, specifically critical velocity (CV), in the sport of swimming. We tested a group of competitive female swimmers (age = 19 ± 1 yrs, height = 169 ± 7 cm, body mass = 69 ± 9 kg) to determine their swimming CV and finite energy capacity >CV (D’), and created a four week (2 d∙wk^-1) personalized …

Climate Change And The Integrity Of Science, Peter H. Gleick, James L. Van Etten, Members Of The U.S. National Academy Of Sciences

James Van Etten Publications

We are deeply disturbed by the recent escalation of political assaults on scientists in general and on climate scientists in particular. All citizens should understand some basic scientific facts. There is always some uncertainty associated with scientific conclusions; science never absolutely proves anything. When someone says that society should wait until scientists are absolutely certain before taking any action, it is the same as saying society should never take action. For a problem as potentially catastrophic as climate change, taking no action poses a dangerous risk for our planet.

Scientific conclusions derive from an understanding of basic laws supported by …

Ebola Vp40 In Exosomes Can Cause Immune Cell Dysfunction, Michelle Pleet, Allison Mathiesen, Catherine Demarino, Yao Akpamagbo, Robert Barclay, Sergey N. Iordanskiy, +6 Additional Authors

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Ebola virus (EBOV) is an enveloped, ssRNA virus from the family Filoviridae capable of causing severe hemorrhagic fever with up to 80–90% mortality rates. The most recent outbreak of EBOV in West Africa starting in 2014 resulted in over 11,300 deaths; however, long-lasting persistence and recurrence in survivors has been documented, potentially leading to further transmission of the virus. We have previously shown that exosomes from cells infected with HIV-1, HTLV-1 and Rift Valley Fever virus are able to transfer viral proteins and non-coding RNAs to naïve recipient cells, resulting in an altered cellular activity. In the current manuscript, we …

Transcriptomic Analysis Implicates The P53 Signaling Pathway In The Establishment Of Hiv-1 Latency In Central Memory Cd4 T Cells In An In Vitro Model, Cory White, Bastiaan Moesker, Nadejda Beliakova-Bethell, Laura Martins, Celsa Spina, Alberto Bosque, +4 Additional Authors

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

The search for an HIV-1 cure has been greatly hindered by the presence of a viral reservoir that persists despite antiretroviral therapy (ART). Studies of HIV-1 latency in vivo are also complicated by the low proportion of latently infected cells in HIV-1 infected individuals. A number of models of HIV-1 latency have been developed to examine the signaling pathways and viral determinants of latency and reactivation. A primary cell model of HIV-1 latency, which incorporates the generation of primary central memory CD4 T cells (TCM), full-length virus infection (HIVNL4-3) and ART to suppress virus replication, was used to investigate the …

P16ink4a Expression And Immunologic Aging In Chronic Hiv Infection, Susan Ribeiro, Jeffrey Milush, Edecio Cunha-Neto, Esper Kallas, Jorge Kalil, Luiz Felipe D. Passero, Peter W. Hunt, Steven Deeks, Douglas F. Nixon, Devi Sengupta

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Chronic HIV infection is characterized by increased immune activation and immunosenescence. p16 INK4a (p16) is a member of the cyclin-dependent kinase antagonist family that inhibits cellular proliferation, and its protein expression increases during normal chronological aging. However, some infectious diseases can increase the expression of this anti-proliferative protein, potentially accelerating immunological aging and dysfunction. In order to investigate the immunological aging in HIV patients, p16 protein expression was evaluated by flow cytometry, in T cell subsets in a cohort of chronically HIV-infected patients on and off ART as well as age-matched healthy controls. Results showed that untreated HIV-infected subjects exhibited …

Novel Mutation Of Interferon-Γ Receptor 1 Gene Presenting As Early Life Mycobacterial Bronchial Disease, Maria J. Gutierrez, Neelu Kaira, Alexandra Horwitz, Gustavo Nino

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases (MSMD) are a spectrum of inherited disorders characterized by localized or disseminated infections caused by atypical mycobacteria. Interferon-γ receptor 1 (IFNGR1) deficiency was the first identified genetic disorder recognized as MSMD. Mutations in the genes encoding IFNGR1 can be recessive or dominant and cause complete or partial receptor deficiency. We present the case of a 2½-year-old boy with a history of recurrent wheezing, diagnosed with endobronchial mycobacterial infection. Immunological workup revealed a homozygous nonsense mutation in the IFNGR1 gene, a novel mutation predicted in silico to cause complete IFNGR1 deficiency. This case demonstrates that ( …

Retinal Vasculopathy With Cerebral Leukoencephalopathy And Systemic Manifestations, Anine H. Stam, Parul H. Kochari, Aisha Shaikh, Andreas Gshwendter, Joanna C. Jen, Suzanne Hodgkinson, Todd A. Hardy, Michael Hayes, Peter A. Kempster, Katya E. Kotschet, Ingeborg M. Bajema, Sjoerd G. Van Duinen, Marion L. C. Maat-Schieman, Paulus T. V. M. De Jong, Marc D. De Smet, Didi De Wolf-Rouendaal, Greet Dijkman, Nadine Pelzer, Grant Kolar, Robert E. Schmidt, Joanne Lacey, Daniel Joseph, David R. Fentak, M. Gilbert Grand, Elizabeth M. Brunt, Helen Liapis, Rula A. Hajj-Ali, Mark C. Kruit, Mark A. Van Buchem, Martin Dichgans, Rune R. Frants, Arn M. J. M. Van Den Maagdenberg, Joost Haan, Robert W. Baloh, John P. Adkinson, Gisela M. Terwindt, Michael D. Ferrari

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Cerebroretinal vasculopathy, hereditary vascular retinopathy, and hereditary endotheliopathy, retinopathy, nephropathy and stroke are neurovascular syndromes initially described as distinct entities. Recently they were shown to be one disease caused by C-terminal frame-shift mutations in TREX1, which was termed ‘retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukodystrophy’. Here we defined the genetic and clinicopathologic spectrum of this clinically and pathophysiologically poorly characterized and frequently misdiagnosed fatal neurovascular disorder. We identified five different TREX1 mutations in 78 members from 11 unrelated families and by using a standardized study protocol we retrospectively reviewed and aggregated the associated clinical, neuroimaging, and pathology data. Findings were similar across …

Identifying Soil Constraints That Limit Wheat Yield In The South-West Of Western Australia, Dennis Van Gool

Resource management technical reports

Wheat is grown on about 18 million hectares in the South-West Agricultural Region of Western Australia from north and east of Geraldton to Esperance in the south-east. Yields are frequently constrained by a range of soil factors.

This report uses existing conventional soil-landscape mapping to analyse the effects of 17 known soil constraints that limit crop production and roughly prioritises the areas where they occur.

Traditional land capability maps are prepared using a most-limiting factor approach, which assumes that ameliorating the most limiting constraint will result in a yield increase until the next most-limiting constraint is reached. Where there are …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 92, No. 4), Kentucky Library Research Collections

The Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Goats Learn Socially From Humans In A Spatial Problem-Solving Task, Christian Nawroth, Luigi Baciadonna, Alan G. Mcelligott

Social Cognition Collection

Domestication drives changes in animal cognition and behaviour. In particular, the capacity of dogs to socially learn from humans is considered a key outcome of how domestication shaped the canid brain. However, systematic evidence for social learning from humans in other domestic species is lacking and makes general conclusions about how domestication has affected cognitive abilities difficult. We assessed spatial and social problem-solving abilities in goats (Capra hircus) using a detour task, in which food was placed behind an inward or outward V-shaped hurdle. Goats performed better in the outward than in the inward detour without human demonstration. Importantly, a …

Effect Of Rpon, Rpos And Luxs Pathways On The Biofilm Formation And Antibiotic Sensitivity Of Borrelia Burgdorferi, Eva Sapi, Priyanka A. Theophilus, Truc V. Pham, Divya Burugu, David Luecke

Biology and Environmental Science Faculty Publications

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is capable of forming biofilm in vivo and in vitro, a structure well known for its resistance to antimicrobial agents. For the formation of biofilm, signaling processes are required to communicate with the surrounding environment such as it was shown for the RpoN—RpoS alternative sigma factor and for the LuxS quorum-sensing pathways. Therefore, in this study, the wild-type B. burgdorferi and different mutant strains lacking RpoN, RpoS, and LuxS genes were studied for their growth characteristic and development of biofilm structures and markers as well as for their antibiotic sensitivity. …

Integrated Fisheries Management Resource Report Pearl Oyster (Pinctada Maxima) Resource, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

This report has been prepared to provide the Intergrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee (Allocation Committee) with a summarised, factual account of the nature and status of the Pinctada maxima (P. maxima) pearl oyster resource and current and historical trends in its use and conservation.

Policy On The Application Of Fish Size Limits In Western Australia, Western Australia. Dept. Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

Fisheries managers can utilise a range of different types of management tools to assist with the sustainable management of fish stocks and to achieve other fisheries management objectives. For commercial fisheries these types of tools may include input controls (e.g. a limit on the number of operators, explicit effort limits and gear restrictions) and output controls (e.g. total allowable catches, individual catch quotas) or spatial and temporal restrictions. Recreational fisheries often have daily bag limits and possession limits as quasi output controls, while seasonal or other temporal closures can operate as input controls and be a component of limiting total …