Life Sciences Commons^™

Emotional Eating In Adolescents With Obesity: Case Series, Paula Dayan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Childhood obesity remains a significant public health concern, with substantial implications for physical and mental well-being. This thesis aims to explore the intricate relationship between emotional eating and obesity among adolescents, with a focus on identifying emotional triggers and assessing their psychological impact. Utilizing a cross-sectional study design at a university in southern California, data were collected from two adolescents aged 13-18 years. Through surveys and body composition measurements, participants' emotional barriers to weight loss and readiness for change were assessed. The findings underscore the presence of varying degrees of emotional hurdles among adolescents with obesity, including depression, frustration, and …

Assessment Of American Tannin-Free Grain Sorghum As Feedstuff For Poultry: Nutrient Composition, Amino Acid Digestibility And Bird Performance, Santiago Sasia

All Dissertations

Given the rising cost of poultry diets, alternative ingredients like sorghum are crucial for maximizing returns without compromising product quality. Sorghum's drought tolerance and adaptability, along with its nutritional profile, make it a viable corn substitute. This dissertation examines the nutrient composition, amino acid digestibility, and performance of poultry fed with American tannin-free grain sorghum. Chapter II evaluates the impact of sorghum-based diets, with or without phytase superdosing, on broiler performance, including body weight, weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio. Results indicate that sorghum can replace corn without adverse effects on broiler performance. Chapter III explores the partial …

Furthering Ascidian Taxonomy Using Molecular Biology, Nicholas Gulnick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ascidians are our closest invertebrate relatives and comprise nearly 3,000 species separated into three orders: Aplousobranchia (most speciose), Stolidobranchia, and Phlebobranchia (least speciose). Ascidians can be classified as either solitary or colonial organisms. Species delimitation using morphological characters alone has had varied results. Well known, widely distributed, morphological species have turned out to be catch all species comprised of several cryptic species. Molecular markers can help mitigate some of the issues presented by strictly using morphological observations, including resolving the status of cryptic species, and accessing the expert knowledge required to identify a species. By incorporating molecular markers and pairing …

Deciphering The Wheat Seed Core Mycobiome Of Two Egyptian Cultivars (Giza 171 And Sids 14) By Using High Throughput Amplicon Sequencing Of The Its2 Region, Sobhy S.H. Abdelsalam, Muziri Mugwanya, Ahmed G. Gad, Ayman B.A. Basyony

Faculty Journal Articles

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an important food crop throughout the world. The seed mycobiome is the primary inoculum affecting the overall health and productivity of wheat plants. Seed-borne fungi can have an impact on the production of wheat and cause health complications upon consumption. Therefore, for durable and sustainable wheat production, it is imperative to characterise the wheat mycobiome. The rationale of this study was to investigate the wheat seed mycobiome of two Egyptian wheat cultivars (Sids 14 and Giza 171) using a culture-independent technique. The fungal community in 6 wheat seed samples was identified by high-throughput amplicon sequencing …

Identification Of Bacterial Transcriptomic Signatures In Breast Cancer Tissues Using Publicly Available Datasets, Rasaq Awosemo

Master's Theses

Breast cancer remains a significant global health concern, with increasing evidence suggesting a link between bacterial infections and cancer progression. This study aims to identify bacterial transcriptomic signatures within breast cancer tissues using publicly available datasets. While previous work in our lab has extensively explored the role of Borrelia burgdorferi in cancer, this research broadens the focus to investigate the presence of various bacterial species across different breast cancer samples.

Employing advanced bioinformatics methodologies, including the STAR aligner and MetaPhlAn for metatranscriptomics analysis, we analyzed RNA-sequencing data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Our findings reveal diverse bacterial communities within …

Lanthanide-Dependent Methanol Metabolism In Sinorhizobium Meliloti, Enish Pathak

Masters Theses

Lanthanides, also known as rare earth elements, were thought to be biologically inert. However, the recent discovery of XoxF, a lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenase, shed new light on the roles of lanthanides in biology. Lanthanide-dependent methanol metabolism was even found in bacterial genera that previously have not been described as methylotrophs, including Sinorhizobium. A homolog of the xoxF gene was found to be present in Sinorhizobium meliloti. S. meliloti is a soil bacterium that undergoes a symbiotic relationship with alfalfa plants by fixing atmospheric nitrogen within root nodules. While many studies on lanthanide-dependent methylotrophy have been performed mainly in the model …

Using Machine Learning To Combine Genetic And Environmental Data For Maize Grain Yield Predictions Across Multi-Environment Trials, Igor K. Fernandes, Caio C. Vieira, Kaio O.G. Dias, Samuel B. Fernandes

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Complementing phenotypic traits and molecular markers with high-dimensional data such as climate and soil information is becoming a common practice in breeding programs. This study explored new ways to combine non-genetic information in genomic prediction models using machine learning. Using the multi-environment trial data from the Genomes To Fields initiative, different models to predict maize grain yield were adjusted using various inputs: genetic, environmental, or a combination of both, either in an additive (genetic-and-environmental; G+E) or a multiplicative (genotype-by-environment interaction; GEI) manner. When including environmental data, the mean prediction accuracy of machine learning genomic prediction models increased up to 7% …

Structure-Function Relationships In Neurodegenerative And Infectious Diseases: Biophysical Characterization Of Rna Secondary Structures By Computational Techniques, Kendy Guarinoni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research described in this dissertation focuses on the investigation of the structure and dynamics of regions of RNA implicated in two diseases: COVID-19 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD). Both studies sought to create experimentally corroborated models that were used to characterize the structure and dynamics of the C9orf72 repeat expansion and the s2m region in coronaviruses, respectively and provided the foundation for future work. In our work involving the s2m region of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, we determined that the homology modeling approach commonly used to derive atomistic structures when no coordinates are available yields a …

Performance And Enhanced Efficiency Induced By Cold Plasma On Sapo-34 Membranes For Co2 And Ch4 Mixtures, Fnu Gorky, Vashanti Storr, Grace Jones, Apolo Nambo, Jacek B. Jasinski, Maria L. Carreon

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this study, we investigate the influence of cold-plasma-induced enhanced performance and efficiency of SAPO-34 membranes in the separation of CO₂ and CH₄ mixtures. Placing the herein presented research in a broader context, we aim to address the question of whether cold plasma can significantly impact the membrane performance. We subjected SAPO-34 membranes to plasma mild disturbances and analyzed their performance in separating CO₂ and CH₄. Our findings reveal a notable enhancement in membrane efficiency and sustained performance when exposed to cold plasma. The pulsed plasma separation displayed improved structural integrity, and the experimental results …

Peptidomics Analysis Of In Vitro Digested Wheat Breads: Effect Of Genotype And Environment On Protein Digestibility And Release Of Celiac Disease And Wheat Allergy Related Epitopes, Mélanie Lavoignat, Angéla Juhász, Utpal Bose, Thierry Sayd, Christophe Chambon, Miguel Ribeiro, Gilberto Igrejas, Sébastien Déjean, Catherine Ravel, Emmanuelle Bancel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Wheat proteins can trigger immunogenic reactions due to their resistance to digestion and immunostimulatory epitopes. Here, we investigated the peptidomic map of partially digested bread samples and the fingerprint of epitope diversity from 16 wheat genotypes grown in two environmental conditions. Flour protein content and composition were characterized; gastric and jejunal peptides were quantified using LC-MS/MS, and genotypes were classified into high or low bread protein digestibility. Differences in flour protein content and peptide composition distinguish high from low digestibility genotypes in both growing environments. No common peptide signature was found between high- and low-digestible genotypes; however, the celiac or …

Research Trends In Production, Separation, And Identification Of Bioactive Peptides From Fungi: A Critical Review, Tanvir Ahmed, Angéla Juhász, Utpal Bose, Netsanet Shiferaw Terefe, Michelle L. Colgrave

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Fungal-derived bioactive peptides (BPs) are increasingly attracting significant academic and industry research interest due to their high-quality protein content and potential environmentally friendly credentials. Fungi encompass a diverse range of species, some of which remain underexplored with demonstrated the ability to synthesise complex peptides with unique and potent bioactivities. While some recent reviews have focused on fungal protein sources and BPs, there remains a knowledge gap in the technologies and methods used to produce, isolate, and identify BPs from various fungal species. This article critically evaluates the strengths, challenges, and future directions of the recent methods and technologies employed in …

Assessing The Invasive Clinging Jellyfish: Where Are All The Polyps?, Angela Chemidlin

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Researching invasive species is vital to the health of ecosystems. Any invasion can place an ecosystem at risk of deterioration through increased competition with native species, food web changes, and community dynamic alterations. Clinging jellyfish (Gonionemus vertens) have recently emerged as a nuisance invader in New Jersey. They pose an additional threat to humans because they possess both paralysis venoms, which cause muscle seizures and intense pain, and neurotoxins that can cause neuropsychiatric symptoms. Jellyfish possess a complex life history involving sexually reproducing medusae and a cryptic asexual polyp stage. Medusae blooms occur during May and June, but locating their …

Assessment Of Predation By Common Spider Crab Libinia Emarginata On An Intermittent Food Resource Mytilus Edulis, Noah T. S. Macchirole

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Libinia emarginata, commonly known as the portly or common spider crab, is predominantly herbivorous and native to the east coast of the United States. In Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, L. emarginata is a prominent member in eelgrass communities, but is widespread among numerous benthic habitats. Eelgrass beds in Barnegat Bay are also used as settlement sites for blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), which show episodic recruitment events in the spring. These events are ephemeral and variable in timing, location, and quantity. Unlike more extensively studied crabs, such as Callinectes sapidus and Carcinus maenas, there is limited research on the interactions that …

Application Of Criminology In Urban Ecology And Evolution: Routine Activity Theory And Field Equipment Disappearance Dynamics, Ignacy Stadnicki, Michela Corsini, Marta Szulkin

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research in urban ecology and evolution relies on the use of deployable scientific equipment. If left unattended in the field, scientific equipment may be prone to vandalism and theft, especially in the urban space. Here, we empirically applied a theory derived from the field of criminology, specifically the Routine Activity Theory (RAT) framework, to predict disappearance rates of scientific equipment in an ongoing urban ecology research project. First, we tested a routinely applied method of equipment protection – labelling – and investigated whether equipment disappearance varied with label information content and message tone. Second, we examined whether equipment attributes (price, …

Environmental Physiology Of Medical Cannabis, F. Mitchell Westmoreland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is increasingly being cultivated for industrial and medical uses. Medical cannabis is grown for cannabinoids and terpenes, compounds that continue to show promising therapeutic potential. Cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) are the two most common cannabinoids, but more than 150 have been identified in cannabis. The 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized cannabis containing less than 0.3% THC and high-THC medical cannabis is legal in 38 states. There is a need to understand environmental effects on yield and quality to ensure safety and quality for medical use.

The cultivation of medical cannabis is centered around …

Using Wasp Specimens In Taxonomic, Biogeographic, Evolution, And Informal Education Studies, Brenna Lynn Decker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Entomology collections hold an untapped wealth of information, from insect morphology, genetics, locality and association data, and potential for use in education. Especially with insects that generate initial fears, such as wasps, seeing insect specimens provides a safe environment to learn about their behaviors. Wasps are insects in the order Hymenoptera, along with ants and bees. The public may hold fears against wasps, due to their negative portrayal in various media, but they serve as integral components of a functional ecosystem. Even with their importance, many groups of wasps are still highly understudies. This dissertation aims to tackle this fear …

Evidence For Partitioning? A Comparison Of Thermal Niche In Three Species Of Sympatric Lizards In Northeastern Utah, Kristopher B. Pedersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Lizards actively maintain a narrow range of body temperatures through behavioral thermoregulation and microhabitat selection. Body temperature plays a critical role in many physiological processes. As a result, there is a range of body temperatures at which a lizard’s reproductive success (fitness) is maximized, known as the lizard’s thermal niche. There is strong evidence linking the available temperatures, or thermal properties of a microhabitat, to success in maintaining body temperatures within a preferred set range. Microhabitats have differing thermal properties, and so have different relative quality. Because thermal properties are limited in space and time, competition for high quality microhabitat …

Herbivore Effects On Litter Quality And Quantity And Influences On Carbon Cycling, Taylor Saunders

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Plants are responsible for a large amount of the movement of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) through terrestrial systems. One way that plants affect the movement of C and N is through plant litter inputs to soils. Plant litter highly influences processes such as soil microbial respiration and decomposition. Herbivores, such as geese in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, affect these processes by changing litter quality and quantity. These changes cause differences in soil respiration, microbial communities, and nutrient turnover. However, because geese influence litter quality, quantity, and habitat characteristics simultaneously, it is not yet clear which of these …

Assessing Soil Properties & Suitability For Optimized Irrigation Development In Sudan, Northern Africa, Suhib O. Hamid

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Masters Project Reports

In Chapter 1, soil properties essential for efficient irrigation are thoroughly assessed. Factors such as soil texture, infiltration rates, and nutrient content are analyzed to provide insights into the selection of modern irrigation systems. Utilizing data collected from 3,192 locations through GPS and laboratory analyses, alongside sophisticated ranking systems, the research determines the most suitable irrigation methods for specific soil series. Findings highlight the remarkable efficiency of drip irrigation across various soil types, contrasting with the consistently lower performance of surface irrigation. The chapter emphasizes the significance of considering soil variability, evapotranspiration, and investment factors in selecting irrigation methods for …

Developing A Comprehensive Genome-Scale Metabolic Model For The Arabidopsis Thaliana Root System, Lohani Esterhuizen

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) is the most well-established model plant to date. Being the first plant to have its genome mapped, studies on Arabidopsis have provided insurmountable insights into the physiological and biochemical nature of plants. Methods that allow us to computationally study the metabolism of organisms include the use of genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs). Despite its popularity, no GEM currently maps the metabolic activity in the root system of Arabidopsis, which is the first organ to face and respond to stress conditions in the soil. This work aims to develop and implement a comprehensive GEM of the Arabidopsis root system …

Assessing Even Flat-Fan Nozzles For Spot Spray Herbicide Applications, Thiago H. Vitti

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Herbicide efficiency in row-crop agriculture can be improved using precision technologies for controlling weeds and minimize agronomic, economic, and environmental impacts. Site-specific weed management technologies, such as spot-sprayers, allow herbicides to be sprayed only where weeds are present in the field. Understanding application parameters and their influence on weed control for site-specific spot-spray applications is essential. This research involved laboratory and greenhouse studies to investigate the coverage and coefficient of variation (CV) of even flat-fan spray nozzles under different spot-spray application scenarios, as well as the effect of weed size and application method on the control of various weed species …

Identifying Genes Linked To Variation In Metabolic And Whole Plant Phenotypes Using Data From Genome Resequencing, Transcriptomics, And Metabolic Profiling Of A Field-Grown Maize Diversity Panel, Ramesh Kanna Mathivanan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Maize metabolism is highly complex and influenced by genetic variation, yet the specific genes contributing to this variation and their links to non-metabolic traits remain less understood. To address this knowledge gap, we identified genes involved in maize metabolic variation and linked them to non-metabolic traits. We utilized a quadruplicate dataset of whole genome resequencing, transcriptomic, metabolic, and whole plant phenotype data from a single common field experiment of 660 diverse maize inbred lines. Leaf samples were collected shortly before flowering and analyzed using GC-MS for 26 metabolites. A Resampling Model Inclusion Probability Genome-Wide Association Study (RMIPGWAS) of approximately 2.6 …

Factors Influencing Adventitious Root Formation Of Floral Hemp In Propagation, Alexandra Carver

All Theses

Commercial propagators have reported relatively poor propagation success, e.g., <75% rooting, for many hemp (Cannabis sativa) cultivars. These rooting percentages have a significant economic impact due to the wasted labor, space and supplies. Also, the market demands 100% of the propagation cells in a tray to be fully rooted, thus repairing and replacing poorly rooted or unrooted cuttings requires significant labor cost. The goal of this thesis was to evaluate several factors that influence adventitious root formation of hemp stem cuttings.

Chapter 2 describes an experiment conducted to identify rooting hormone treatments that could improve propagation success. Sixteen combinations of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA; 0, …

Functional Characterization Of A Lncrna Afu-254 In Stress Response And Pathogenesis Of Aspergillus Fumigatus, Ritu Devkota

All Theses

Aspergillus fumigatus is a saprophytic fungus that can cause a collection of diseases termed aspergillosis; the most severe is invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). Azole is a major class of antifungal drugs used to treat invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in fungal resistance to azole drugs, making the treatment of IPA even more challenging. It is becoming increasingly clear that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), i.e., the RNAs that do not translate into proteins, mediated regulation is vital in stress response and pathogenesis; however, the mechanisms of how lncRNA contribute to fungal stress resistance and …

Evaluation Of Subjective And Objective Workload Of Forestry Professionals, Hasini L. M. Mapatunage

All Theses

The Southern United States accounts for about 40% of the productive timberland of the country and is known as the wood basket of the United States. Timber logging is an important contributor to South Carolina’s economy. Feller-buncher, skidder and loader operators play a vital role in the timber industry of South Carolina. However, their job is far from easy, especially as there are only a few members of a logging crew. They have to operate complex heavy machinery in challenging terrains while ensuring the efficient harvesting of timber, which demands extraordinary skills, precision, and better decision-making, leading to excessive mental …

Influence Of Row Pattern And Prohexadione Calcium On Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) Maturity And Profitability, Samantha N. Mehl

All Theses

Many newer peanut cultivars offer yield benefits but have larger canopies and are taking 10 or more days longer to reach desired maturity levels. Prohexadione calcium (PC) and twin row planting pattern have been reported to increase the amount of orange, brown or black pods compared to their respective alternatives. Four cultivars were selected and studied based on frequency of use in South Carolina then paired into an earlier maturing group that reached optimal maturity at 135 to 140 days after planting, and a later maturing group that reached optimal maturity at 150 or more days after planting.

Twin row …

Interactions Between High-Pressure Processing And Natural Antimicrobials In Ground White-Meat Chicken: An Analysis Of Microbial, Textural Charactheristics And Physicochemical Changes, Amalia M. Diaz Alejandro

All Theses

High Pressure processing is an innovative technique for preserving a wide variety of foods, including meat, and this method is increasingly used to satisfy consumer demand for quality food products. High-pressure treatment can impact, negatively or positively, various aspects of meat quality, including color, texture, protein denaturation, and microbial stability, particularly when food products are processed at ambient or low temperatures. By minimizing thermal exposure, appropriate high-pressure ranges help to prevent quality and nutrition degradation, reduce microbial contamination, and enhance tenderness.

The first objective of this research was to examine the influence of high-pressure processing and addition of natural antimicrobials …

Sustainability Across The Food System In The Southeastern United States: Mitigating Restaurant Plate Waste And Exploring Peach Orchard Viability Amidst Armillaria Root Rot, Samuel Francis

All Theses

In 2023, 5.6% ($1.5 trillion dollars) of the United States’ Gross Domestic Product was derived from agriculture, food, and related industries. Despite the sector being efficient, challenges still exists. For example, food waste is a problem in the hospitality industry and farmers face challenges related to disease. To ensure the security and efficiency of the food supply, it is in our best interest to make adjustments in these sectors by taking actions such as reducing waste and mitigating food loss associated with disease. I explore two areas of the food supply that can benefit from changes, seeking to mitigate food …

Regulation Of Serpina1 Mrna Expression By Environmental Conditions In Hepatocyte Cells, Fnu Jiamutai

All Theses

The SERPINA1 gene encodes the critical protease inhibitor α-1-antitrypsin (A1AT). A1AT represses neutrophil elastase activity to protect lung tissue from inflammatory damage. A deficiency in α-1-antitrypsin can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pathogenic genetic variants in SERPINA1 are also associated with A1AT protein misfolding and liver cirrhosis. The regulatory mechanisms of SERPINA1 expression are not well understood, but previous studies suggest that alternative polyadenylation in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) affects A1AT protein expression. In this study, we used the liver cancer cell line HepG2 to determine how environmental conditions influence SERPINA1 mRNA expression and post-transcriptional regulation. We …

Exploring The Motivations And Determinants Of Farmer’S Market Consumers And Organic Specialty Crop Producers, Jane Arnold

All Theses

This two-chapter thesis evaluates the motivations and determinants of the central figures in farmers’ markets and organic markets. The first chapter explores the rise of farmers’ markets popularity through an in-person survey that was designed and distributed to 274 farmers' market consumers. Logit and ordered logit regressions were used to identify the motivations and characteristics that affect the likelihood of being a frequent farmers’ market customer (visiting 5 times or more per season) and spending over $50. The second chapter investigates the organic markets for cucumber and kale, which are dominant specialty crops on today’s grocery shelves. To identify the …