Life Sciences Commons^™

New Insights Into Macrophage Polarization And Its Prognostic Role In Patients With Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis, Isha Khanduri, Harufumi Maki, Anuj Verma, Riham Katkhuda, Gayathri Anandappa, Shanyu Zhang, Zhimin Tong, Luisa M Solis Soto, Akshaya Jadhav, Ignacio I Wistuba, David Menter, Scott Kopetz, Edwin R Parra, Jean-Nicolas Vauthey, Dipen M Maru

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: As liver metastasis is the most common cause of mortality in patients with colorectal cancer, studying colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CLM) microenvironment is essential for improved understanding of tumor biology and to identify novel therapeutic targets.

Methods: We used a multiplex immunofluorescence platform to study tumor associated macrophage (TAM) polarization and adaptive T cell subtypes in tumor samples from 105 CLM patients (49 without and 56 with preoperative chemotherapy).

Results: CLM exhibited M2 macrophage polarization, and helper T cells were the prevalent adaptive T cell subtype. The density of total, M2 and TGFβ-expressing macrophages, and regulatory T cells was …

Comparison Of Self-Reported Physical Activity And Wearable Device-Xiaomi Mi2 Band In Preadolescent School Children-A Pilot Crossesctional Study, Aysha Almas, Shiraz Hashmi, Adil Elahi, Om Parkash, Sania Sabir, Romaina Iqbal

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(7): 565-575, 2024. The purpose of this study is to compare physical activity measured by the wearable device Xiaomi Mi2 Band and self-reported physical activity by YPAQ in preadolescent school children. A pilot cross-sectional study was performed on a subsample (5%=n=60) of preadolescent children within a parallel-group feasibility intervention trial (n=1000). All children aged 9-11 years enrolled in the schools were included in the study and children with any physical disability were excluded. Self-reported physical activity was recorded through the modified version of the Youth Physical Activity Questionnaire (YPAQ) and automatic physical activity was measured …

Effects Of Resistance Training Techniques On Metabolic Responses In Trained Males, Alysson Enes, Ragami Chaves Alves, Vinicius Zen, Danilo Fonseca Leonel, Gustavo Oneda, Luis H. B. Ferreira, Luciano R. Guiraldelli, Roberto Simão, Guillermo Escalante, Anderson Z. Ulbrich, Tácito P. Souza-Junior

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(2): 576-589, 2024. This study investigated the effects of bi-set, drop-set and traditional resistance training (RT) techniques on metabolic responses in resistance-trained males. Fifteen trained males (age 29.7 ± 6.1 years; body mass 83.4 ± 7.6 kg; RT experience 11.4 ± 6.7 years; one-repetition maximum (1RM) barbell bench press: body mass ratio 1.4 ± 0.1 a.u.) were assigned to three experimental conditions, in a randomized crossover design. The experimental conditions were bi-set (3x10 repetitions at 70%1RM in barbell bench press followed by 10 repetitions at 60%1RM in incline bench press), drop-set (3x10 repetitions at …

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xxxii. Barbaracurus Hofereki Sp. N. From Djibouti, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n. from Djibouti is described and compared with other species of the genus. B. hofereki sp. n. is the only species of the genus with pedipalp movable finger with 8 rows of granules and pectinal tooth count 27–28 in female. Also, its pedipalp chela with very narrow manus (chela length/width ratio 6.07 in female), narrower than in all other African species of the genus. A map of the distribution of the genus in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula is provided.

Movement Data Of Wild Pigs At Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee Wildlife Refuge In Mississippi, Tyler S. Evans, Natasha Ellison, Melanie R. Boudreau, Bronson K. Strickland, Garrett M. Street, Raymond B. Iglay

FWRC Publications

Summary and full movement dataset for adult female wild pigs (Sus scrofa; n = 10) trapped and GPS-collared on the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), 2020-2021, in Noxubee, Oktibbeha, and Winston counties of Mississippi. The movement dataset was cleaned by removing fixes that did not follow the 2-hour fix rate programmed for each collar (i.e., fixes with missed fixes or NAs before and after). The dataset has both "Date_Time" and "TimeDiff" columns that better illustrate this point. While all collars were deployed on adult females from unique sounders, it is worth noting that pigs 26628 …

Physiological Processes During Reading, Elizabeth Morrey, Emma Smith, Catherine Bohn-Gettler, Jennifer Schaefer

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

There are many different variables that can impact reading comprehension, such as reading level, emotional state, and the content of the text itself. For example, if a text contains inconsistencies (e.g., when a key moment in the text does not align with the information presented earlier in the story), processing slows as readers attempt to resolve the inconsistency. However, little is known about the connection between processing inconsistent versus consistent passages and physiological responses in the body. The goal of this study is to examine whether reading narrative texts containing inconsistent and/or consistent information elicits sympathetic nervous system activation, as …

Modeling And Synthesis Of 3-(2,6-Disubstituted 5-Pyrimidyl) Propionic Acids As Inhibitors Of Low Molecular Weight Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase (Lmw-Ptp), Kennedy Bueno, Madisen Carter

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMW-PTP) is an enzyme and a known signal pathway for growth factors and cellular transformation in eukaryotic cells. Our research aims to synthesize 12 new potential inhibitors of LMW-PTP and analyze their inhibitory activity and binding affinity. The inhibition of both isoforms of LMW-PTP has been the primary focus of research due to their potential role in breast, colon, and other cancers as well as type II diabetes. One known inhibitor, pyridoxal 5’- phosphate (PLP), is essential for various enzymatic reactions within the body, such as the synthesis of neurotransmitters, and is therefore impractical …

Intra- And Interspecific Diversity In A Tropical Plant Clade Alter Herbivory And Ecosystem Resilience, Ari Grele, Tara J. Massad, Kathryn A. Uckele, Lee A. Dyer, Yasmine Antonini, Laura Braga, Matthew L. Forister, Lidia Sulca, Massuo Kato, Humberto G. Lopez, André R. Nascimento, Thomas Parchman, Wilmer R. Simbaña, Angela M. Smilanich, John O. Stireman, Eric J. Tepe, Thomas Walla, Lora A. Richards

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Declines in biodiversity generated by anthropogenic stressors at both species and population levels can alter emergent processes instrumental to ecosystem function and resilience. As such, understanding the role of biodiversity in ecosystem function and its response to climate perturbation is increasingly important, especially in tropical systems where responses to changes in biodiversity are less predictable and more challenging to assess experimentally. Using large-scale transplant experiments conducted at five neotropical sites, we documented the impacts of changes in intraspecific and interspecific plant richness in the genus Piper on insect herbivory, insect richness, and ecosystem resilience to perturbations in water availability. We …

How Dna Reveals God’S Design, Alan L. Gillen

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Codes are big in today’s world: QR codes, barcodes, computer codes, cell phone codes, and more. Specific information is needed to identify, diagnose, and inform. DNA is the code for life: microbes, plants, parasites, animals, and man. DNA Day is April 25 because it was this day in history (April 25, 1953) when James Watson and Francis Crick described DNA as the double helix and the code for life. Although we consider DNA the genetic blueprint for life, it has only been known for 80 years. On February 1, 1944, Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty wrote a revolutionary …

Female Athlete Triad And Bone Stress Injuries, Amanda Nguyen

Honors College Theses

The Female Athlete Triad is still an ongoing and developing diagnosis that analyzes low energy availability, and its impact on menstrual dysfunction and bone mineral density in women. Through researching I analyzed what the Female Athlete Triad was, how it impacts our body and performance, and specifically how it relates to bone stress injuries. It was found that athletes with low energy availability are more likely to develop menstrual dysfunction, leading to low bone mineral density due to the negative impacts that both low energy availability and menstrual dysfunction have on important hormones. With low bone mineral density and compensations …

Conservation And Management Of Greater Sage-Grouse In Strawberry Valley: Quantifying Influences On A Traditional Capture Method And Long-Term Trends In Clutch Size, Janae Radke

Theses and Dissertations

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a species of conservation concern that has undergone serious declines in the last century. The Strawberry Valley sage grouse population in Utah underwent such a decline from an estimated 3,500 sage grouse in the 1930s to 150 sage grouse in the early 2000s. This decline initiated a long-term conservation and monitoring project in Strawberry Valley with the goal of preserving the sage grouse population. As part of this ongoing conservation project, we investigated factors that impact the success of capturing sage grouse using the night-lighting method (Chapter 1). We found that capture success is …

Development Of Vasculature Patterns In A Mouse Model Of Supratentorial Ependymoma, Jackson Ayers

Honors Scholar Theses

Supratentorial Ependymoma (ST-EPN) is a subtype of ependymoma, a primary solid tumor found throughout the nervous system. ST-EPN are most commonly caused by an oncogenic fusion between the zinc finger gene ZFTA and the RELA, and this distinct ependymoma subtype is readily modeled in mice by conditional expression of ZFTA-RELA in radial glial cells. ST-EPN are known to have a distinctive arrangement of tumor cells and vasculature forming pseudo-rosettes in which polarized tumor cells surround blood vessels within the tumors. It is not known how these pseudo-rosettes or the tumor vasculature form and develop in ST-EPN, so in this study …

Interactions Between Adolescent Alcohol Consumption, Corticosterone, And Later Stress Sensitivity, Ariana L. Velazquez

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Adolescence is characterized by many socio-emotional and neurobiological changes that often coincide with increased amounts of stress and the onset of alcohol use. Stress has been known to modulate alcohol intake, although the literature regarding this directionality is mixed. Both alcohol and stress can have lasting impacts on HPA axis activation (alterations in stress reactivity) and neuroimmune function (microglial sensitization). It has yet to be evaluated how concurrent ethanol and stress (recapitulated through oral corticosterone (CORT) administration) modulates alcohol intake and impacts later stress sensitivity and microglial sensitization. It was hypothesized that chronic concurrent ethanol and CORT drinking would (1) …

Effects Of The Sudden Reduction Of Social Enrichment On A Novel Rat Model Of Approach Orientation, Emily Feldman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a reduction in social enrichment by measuring behavioral changes in the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) in male and female rats of High Approach (HAO) and Low Approach Orientation (LAO). The results indicated that at baseline, both total arm entries and open arm entries were affected by Approach Orientation and Sex. The percent change in closed arm entries in female LAO was sensitive to a sudden transition from high to standard social enrichment, whereas those in the female HAO and both male groups were behaviorally unaffected. The female LAO …

Seagrass Conservation And Restoration To Mitigate Ocean Acidification And Climate Change, Tori Benson, Emi Wagner, Jaeger Reed

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

For millennia, various seagrass species have been sequestering and anchoring aquatic carbon into oceanic sediment. The crucial role of seagrasses involves helping mitigate climate change, which emphasizes the urgent need to conserve, sustain, and manage them as part of global climate action efforts. Restoration and conservation studies have shown significant reversal of potential damaging effects, however human activity continues to set back efforts faster than they can proceed. Multiple studies have concluded that there has been a decline in seagrass meadows in previously dense areas; and due to this, surrounding pH levels have declined and rising atmospheric carbon poses a …

Smokejumper Obituary: Haack, James Joseph “Jim” (Missoula 1967), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Vegetation Dieback In The Mississippi River Delta Triggered By Acute Drought And Chronic Relative Sea-Level Rise, James T Cronin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Vegetation dieback and recovery may be dependent on the interplay between infrequent acute disturbances and underlying chronic stresses. Coastal wetlands are vulnerable to the chronic stress of sea-level rise, which may affect their susceptibility to acute disturbance events. Here, we show that a large-scale vegetation dieback in the Mississippi River Delta was precipitated by salt-water incursion during an extreme drought in the summer of 2012 and was most severe in areas exposed to greater flooding. Using 16 years of data (2007-2022) from a coastwide network of monitoring stations, we show that the impacts of the dieback lasted five years and …

Chromosomal 3q Amplicon Encodes Essential Regulators Of Secretory Vesicles That Drive Secretory Addiction In Cancer, Xiaochao Tan, Shike Wang, Guan-Yu Xiao, Chao Wu, Xin Liu, Jiang Yu, Yuanxin Xi, Jing Wang, Kunika Gupta, Apar Pataer, Jack A Roth, Michael P Kim, Fengju Chen, Chad J Creighton, William K Russell, Jonathan M Kurie

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancer cells exhibit heightened secretory states that drive tumor progression. Here, we identify a chromosome 3q amplicon that serves as a platform for secretory regulation in cancer. The 3q amplicon encodes multiple Golgi-resident proteins, including the scaffold Golgi integral membrane protein 4 (GOLIM4) and the ion channel ATPase Secretory Pathway Ca2+ Transporting 1 (ATP2C1). We show that GOLIM4 recruits ATP2C1 and Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) to coordinate calcium-dependent cargo loading and Golgi membrane bending and vesicle scission. GOLIM4 depletion disrupts the protein complex, resulting in a secretory blockade that inhibits the progression of 3q-amplified malignancies. In addition to its role …

Trophic Ecology Of Black Swallowers (Scombriformes: Chiasmodontidae: Chiasmodon) In The Deep-Pelagic Gulf Of Mexico, Travis J. Kirk

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The ecology of deep-pelagic predatory fishes remains poorly understood despite their importance as ecosystem regulators and energy transfer vectors. This study investigated the trophic ecology of three species of the predatory fish genus Chiasmodon (“black swallowers”) in the Gulf of Mexico, a region that serves as an analog for the global low-latitude deep pelagial, the world’s largest cumulative ecosystem. Foraging habits (e.g., selectivity, chronology, daily ration) of an “advanced” evolutionary fish in a system that is otherwise dominated by basal fish taxa, were quantitatively estimated via high-resolution stomach content analysis. A quantitative dataset of both predator and prey abundance, the …

Euhaplorchis Sp. A Effect On Social Behavior And Familiarity Of Gulf Killifish (Fundulus Grandis), Hannah Bauman

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Trophically transmitted parasites may manipulate their hosts’ phenotype (e.g., behavior, physiology, morphology) to increase the likelihood of transmission to the definitive host. In fishes, stable social groups develop familiarity over time through repeated interactions among individuals, and social preferences are often developed due to familiarity. Consequently, fishes often shoal with familiar fishes, a behavior that is likely to be protective against predation. Parasites may alter fish social dynamics in two ways: by decreasing association with familiar individuals, thereby isolating infected fish and making them more susceptible to predation by definitive hosts; and/or by incentivizing uninfected individuals to avoid infected fish …

Investigating Vital Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Pathogen Response In Neutropenic Individuals, Ryan Illig

Thinking Matters Student Research Symposium

Neutrophils, also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), constitute the majority of innate immune cells. These cells possess a complex arsenal of functions that allow them to detect and eliminate a broad spectrum of pathogens. Neutropenia is characterized by decreased levels of neutrophils in the bloodstream, typically falling below the normal range. Moderate to severe neutropenia can increase the risk of pathogenic infections and without treatment can be life-threatening. Although the concentration of neutrophils in neutropenic individuals is decreased, upon activation, neutrophils still release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs are pivotal in combating a spectrum of pathogens through their non-selective nature. Overreactive …

Are Students Actually Learning What You Think They Are? An Exploration Into The Educational Outcomes Of Course Based Undergraduate Research Labs, Matilda Dumaine, Jacob Saadoun

Biology Presentations

It is important to understand whether students are acquiring intended educational objectives. A course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) lab seeks to blend the logistical ease and accessibility of college courses with the educational benefits of research experiences. By employing inquiry-based teaching methods, CURE labs enable students to collaborate in a group setting under the guidance of a faculty member, engaging in hands-on research. This project studies how educational outcomes of CURE labs can be measured. CURE labs may improve anything from technical lab skills, to scientific literacy, to persistence in science. These short-, middle-, and long-term goals may be measured …

Quantifying How Natural History Traits Contribute To Bias In Community Science Engagement: A Case Study Using Orbweaver Spiders, John Deitsch, Angela Chuang, David R. Nelsen, Michael Sitvarin, David Coyle

Achieve

Online citizen science platforms can be crucial to the scientific and regulatory community, but inherent biases based on organism traits can influence the likelihood of a species being reported and accurately identified. We explored how traits of orb weaving spiders impact data in iNaturalist, using the invasive Jorō spider as a case study. This species is an outlier among orbweavers due to its large size and bright coloration, and was the most frequently reported species, with the most identifications and research-grade observations. It was also reported by less experienced users on average, highlighting its potential role as a gateway species …

Metabolic Dysfunction In Frontotemporal Dementia, Angelina Freeman '24, Nicole D'Almeida '24, Madeline Salamone '24, Kendall Eby '26, Corinna Gilmore '24

Biology Student Scholarship

Angelina Freeman ’24, Biology major
Nicole d’Almeida ’24, Biology major
Madeline Salamone ’24, Biology major
Kendall Eby ’26, Biology major
Corinna Gilmore ’24, Biology major
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Marla Tipping, Biology

Too Hot To Handle: Climate Change's Effect On Protein Membranes In Metabolism, Jazmine Diaz '24

Biology Student Scholarship

Jazmine Diaz ’24, Biology major
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Elisabeth Arévalo, Biology

Transitive Inference In Rats, Jose Pena '25, Laura Betances '25, Yamilet Nieves Vega '26, Tess Cody '25, Conor Ollendike '26, Ashley Sawtelle '26, Margaret Low '24

Biology Student Scholarship

Jose Pena ’25 Neuroscience major
Laura Betances ’25 Biology major, community health minor
Yamilet Nieves ’26, Neuroscience and Health Policy and Management major
Tess Cody ’25, Neuroscience major
Conor Ollendike ’26, Psychology and Biology major
Ashley Sawtelle ’26, Psychology major
Margaret Low ’24, Psychology and Health Policy and Management major
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Templer, Neuroscience

Mycobacteriophage Lberry, An A3 Cluster Phage Infecting Mycobacterium Smegmatis, Nathan Berry '25

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Scholarship

Nathan Berry ’25, Biochemistry major
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kathleen Cornely, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Synthesis Of 2-Substituted Beta-Carbolines From N-Oxides, Alma Martinez '26

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Scholarship

Alma Martinez ’26, Biochemistry major
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Seann Mulcahy, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Mycobacteriophage Maravista, An F1 Cluster Phage Infecting Mycobacterium Smegmatis, Charles Pelagalli '25

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Scholarship

Charles Pelagalli ’25, Biochemistry major
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kathleen Cornely, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Mycobacteriophage Rita, Anna Fakhri '24

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Scholarship

Anna Fakhri ’24, Biochemistry major
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kathleen Cornely, Chemistry and Biochemistry