Life Sciences Commons^™

2024 Reday Awards, Bryant University

Bryant REDay (Research and Engagement Day)

No abstract provided.

Isolation And Analysis Of R130d Malate Dehydrogenase (Mdh), Hayley Brunette, Abby Doyle, Ilsa Hoaglund, Danielle Bolland

Undergraduate Research Symposium 2024

Malate Dehydrogenase (MDH) is the enzyme that catalyzes the ninth step of the citric acid cycle, a regenerative step in the metabolism of glucose in which malate is converted to oxaloacetate. Conformational changes in the active loop region of MDH along with the coenzyme NAD+ drive catalysis. Previous studies suggested that mutating positively charged amino acids to negatively charged amino acids at residue 130 decreased the enzymatic activity of MDH. We hypothesized that if we change arginine 130 (positively charged amino acid) to aspartate (negatively charged amino acid), then the enzymatic activity of MDH would significantly decrease. In e. Coli …

Spring Burns And Its Effects On Vernal Forbs, Liam Poitra, Miriam Gieske, Stuart Wagenius

Undergraduate Research Symposium 2024

Grasslands are the least protected ecosystem on earth. In North America, protected native grasslands are typically burned in the spring, when native warm-season grasses are dormant, to reduce growth of invasive cool-season grasses; burn seasons historically included summer burns. This study aims to find how spring burns affect early spring flowering forbs (non-woody, non-grass plants).

Effect Of Assay Medium Ph On Inhibitory Ability Of Streptomyces, Trevor Swan, Miriam Gieske

Undergraduate Research Symposium 2024

Streptomyces bacteria from soil often produce antibiotics which inhibit growth of other microbes. When comparing Streptomyces’ inhibitory ability between different soils, it may be important to match the pH of the medium used in assays to the pH of the soil they came from. We assayed Streptomyces isolates collected from a long-term agricultural experiment with nitrogen-fertilized and non-fertilized treatments to determine their ability to inhibit growth of other bacteria by producing antibiotics. Average soil pH was 6.8 in fertilized soil and 7.2 in non-fertilized soil. We dotted isolates on a glucose-asparagine agar medium adjusted to different pH values and overlaid …

Exploring Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias: Prevalence, Healthcare Utilization, And Costs, Michael E. Myers Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Objective: This study aims to investigate the disparities in prevalence rates, healthcare utilization patterns, and healthcare costs associated with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) among various racial and ethnic groups over time. Methods: Utilizing data from the medical expenditure panel survey over a five-year period, this study employs factorial logistic regression to analyze ADRD prevalence rates and multivariate analysis of variance to examine healthcare utilization and costs. The analysis focuses on weighted populations to account for the representation of racial and ethnic groups, ensuring the generalizability of the findings. Results: The study identifies statistically significant disparities in ADRD prevalence, …

Sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae) Jaw, Juliana N. Ottens-Rivera, Fiona Smith, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw from 76cm total length (TL) Rhizoprionodon genus (Sharpnose), collected from Anglers Bait & Tackle on Feb 5th, 2024, by Juliana Ottens-Rivera

Exploring Mesolimbic Circuitry Modulation By Opiates, Interleukin-10, And Psychostimulants, Joakim W. Ronström

Theses and Dissertations

The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system originates in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projects to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and other areas including the basolateral amygdala (BLA), prefrontal cortex, and the hippocampus. Drug use induces reward and leads to dysregulation in these brain areas and eventually to substance use disorders (SUDs). Chapter 1 introduces the mesolimbic DA system and its relationship to drug use and their relevance to each chapter. Chapter 2 explores opioid effects on BLA circuitry which is known to play a role in the emotional response including anxiety and stress in SUDs. We showed that morphine induced …

Tissue-Specific Atlas Of Trans-Models For Gene Regulation Elucidates Complex Regulation Patterns

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Deciphering gene regulation is essential for understanding the underlying mechanisms of healthy and disease states. While the regulatory networks formed by transcription factors (TFs) and their target genes has been mostly studied with relation to cis effects such as in TF binding sites, we focused on trans effects of TFs on the expression of their transcribed genes and their potential mechanisms.

RESULTS: We provide a comprehensive tissue-specific atlas, spanning 49 tissues of TF variations affecting gene expression through computational models considering two potential mechanisms, including combinatorial regulation by the expression of the TFs, and by genetic variants within the …

Rescape: Transforming Coral-Reefscape Images For Quantitative Analysis, Zachary Ferris, Eraldo Ribeiro, Tomofumi Nagata, Robert Van Woesik

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Ever since the first image of a coral reef was captured in 1885, people worldwide have been accumulating images of coral reefscapes that document the historic conditions of reefs. However, these innumerable reefscape images suffer from perspective distortion, which reduces the apparent size of distant taxa, rendering the images unusable for quantitative analysis of reef conditions. Here we solve this century-long distortion problem by developing a novel computer-vision algorithm, ReScape, which removes the perspective distortion from reefscape images by transforming them into top-down views, making them usable for quantitative analysis of reef conditions. In doing so, we demonstrate the …

Does Behavior Evolve First? Correlated Responses To Selection For Voluntary Wheel-Running Behavior In House Mice, Rahim H. Khan, Justin S. Rhodes, Isabelle A. Girard, Nicole E. Schwartz, Theodore Garland Jr.

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

How traits at multiple levels of biological organization evolve in a correlated fashion in response to directional selection is poorly understood, but two popular models are the very general “behavior evolves first” (BEF) hypothesis and the more specific “morphology-performance-behavior-fitness” (MPBF) paradigm. Both acknowledge that selection often acts relatively directly on behavior and that when behavior evolves, other traits will as well but most with some lag. However, this proposition is exceedingly difficult to test in nature. Therefore, we studied correlated responses in the high-runner (HR) mouse selection experiment, in which four replicate lines have been bred for voluntary wheel-running behavior …

Improved Data Quality And Statistical Power Of Trial-Level Event-Related Potentials With Bayesian Random-Shift Gaussian Processes, Dustin Pluta, Beniamino Hadj-Amar, Meng Li, Yongxiang Zhao, Francesco Versace

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Studies of cognitive processes via electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings often analyze group-level event-related potentials (ERPs) averaged over multiple subjects and trials. This averaging procedure can obscure scientifically relevant variability across subjects and trials, but has been necessary due to the difficulties posed by inference of trial-level ERPs. We introduce the Bayesian Random Phase-Amplitude Gaussian Process (RPAGP) model, for inference of trial-level amplitude, latency, and ERP waveforms. We apply RPAGP to data from a study of ERP responses to emotionally arousing images. The model estimates of trial-specific signals are shown to greatly improve statistical power in detecting significant differences in experimental conditions …

High-Performance Cementitious Composites Containing Nanostructured Carbon Additives Made From Charred Coal Fines, Yuan Gao, Viet Hung Pham, Jennifer Weidman, Ki-Joong Kim, Richard E Spaulding, Christopher S Matranga

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Carbon-based nanomaterials, such as carbon nanoplatelets, graphene oxide, and carbon quantum dots, have many possible end-use applications due to their ability to impart unique mechanical, electrical, thermal, and optical properties to cement composites. Despite this potential, these materials are rarely used in the construction industry due to high material costs and limited data on performance and durability. In this study, domestic coal is used to fabricate low-cost carbon nanomaterials that can be used economically in cement formulations. A range of chemical and physical processing approaches are employed to control the size, morphology, and chemical functionalization of the carbon nanomaterial, which …

Ml241 Antagonizes Erk 1/2 Activation And Inhibits Rotavirus Proliferation, Rong Chen, Chenxing Lu, Xiaopeng Song, Qingmei Leng, Yan Li, Xiangjing Kuang, Jinmei Li, Lida Yao, Xianqiong Tang, Jun Ye, Guangming Zhang, Maosheng Sun, Yan Zhou, Hongjun Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Rotavirus (RV) is the main pathogen that causes severe diarrhea in infants and children under 5 years of age. No specific antiviral therapies or licensed anti-rotavirus drugs are available. It is crucial to develop effective and low-toxicity anti-rotavirus small-molecule drugs that act on novel host targets. In this study, a new anti-rotavirus compound was selected by ELISA, and cell activity was detected from 453 small-molecule compounds. The anti-RV effects and underlying mechanisms of the screened compounds were explored. In vitro experimental results showed that the small-molecule compound ML241 has a good effect on inhibiting rotavirus proliferation and has low cytotoxicity …

Expression Of Human Arginine Vasopressin In Arabidopsis And Assessment Of Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Maitha Salem Aldarmaki

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Human Arginine Vasopressin (HsAVP) is a nona-peptide that acts as an antidiuretic hormone. In human AVP regulates water permeability through the regulation of the water channel, aquaporin 2. The process begins with the binding of vasopressin to V2 receptor which activates cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA). PKA phosphorylates aquaporin-2 at Ser256 and allows the aquaporin-2- containing vesicle to fuse with the apical membrane which increases water permeability. The present study describes the functional analysis of the codon-optimized HsAVP overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana. The main objective of the study is to assess if HsAVP affects drought and salinity stress tolerance of …

Volume 10 Full Text, Bjur Staff

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Stream Gauging: Investigating The Flow Rate And Residence Time In Laguna Bacalar, Mexico, Elizabeth J. Kowalczyk

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

Stream gauging is a standard tool used to measure the flow rate of various bodies of water. Knowing the flow rate of a body of water allows for the residence time of a body of water to be calculated. Currently, there is very little information regarding the flow rate and residence times of Laguna Bacalar. This system has been observed hydrologically consistently only in the past 6 years. In this study, 13 stream-gauging locations of interest were identified and gauged for their respective flow rates using the midsection method. Once the flow rates were acquired, maps depicting the Laguna Bacalar …

Table Of Contents And Front Matter, Bjur Staff

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Reproductive Characteristics Of The Stripetail Darter (Etheostoma Kennicotti) Relative To Monogenean Gill Parasite Infection In Estill Fork In North Alabama, Joy L. Garcia, Zeina Celine Sleiman, Corinne N. Preacher, Bruce Stallsmith

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

What relationship exists between Aethycteron sp. gill parasite infection and the reproductive characteristics of stripetail darters, Etheostoma kennicotti? 450 E. kennicotti were collected over 11 months from Estill Fork in Jackson County, Alabama. Gonads were removed and photographed. All oocytes were counted and then classified into one of four developmental stages based on size and appearance. Gill parasites belonging to the monogenean genus Aethycteron were excised, photographed, and counted. Sexual dimorphism in length and mass was observed in E. kennicotti. The number of males found at the 25> mm SL range far outnumbered the females while almost all …

Age Estimation And Validation In Otoliths, Spines, And Fin Rays From Four Central Texas Fishes, Meredith B. Pfennig, Derek P. Crane, Nate G. Smith, Dave L. Buckmeier

Biology

Age estimation methods have not been validated for many species. Thus, we focused this age estimation study on four species from central Texas: the Guadalupe Bass Micropterus treculii, Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus, Gray Redhorse Moxostoma congestum, and Redbreast Sunfish Lepomis auritus. Our objectives for each species were to (1) investigate whether increments form annually in otoliths, fin rays, or spines; (2) determine the seasonal timing of zone deposition in each calcified structure; and (3) compare age estimates between otoliths and fin rays or spines.

Fish were sampled from central Texas waters and injected with oxytetracycline (OTC) quarterly in 2021. In …

Common Questions And Misconceptions About Protein Supplementation: What Does The Scientific Evidence Really Show?, Jose Antonio, Cassandra Evans, Arny A. Ferrando, Jeffrey R. Stout, Brandi Antonio, Harry P. Cintineo, Patrick Harty, Shwn M. Arent, Darren G. Candow, Scott C. Forbes, Chad M. Kerksick, Flavia Pereira, Drew Gonzalez, Richard B. Kreider

Faculty Scholarship

Protein supplementation often refers to increasing the intake of this particular macronutrient through dietary supplements in the form of powders, ready-to-drink shakes, and bars. The primary purpose of protein supplementation is to augment dietary protein intake, aiding individuals in meeting their protein requirements, especially when it may be challenging to do so through regular food (i.e. chicken, beef, fish, pork, etc.) sources alone. A large body of evidence shows that protein has an important role in exercising and sedentary individuals. A PubMed search of “protein and exercise performance” reveals thousands of publications. Despite the considerable volume of evidence, it is …

Characterization Of Cellular Metabolism Regulation By The Transcription Factor Centromere Binding Factor 1 (Cbf1), Spencer Ellsworth

Theses and Dissertations

Centromere binding factor 1 (Cbf1) is a transcription factor that controls the transcription of many genes involved in cellular respiration and lipid biogenesis and, as such, has been associated with hypolipidemia in humans. It is a known substrate for PAS kinase, which phosphorylates Cbf1 and alters its activity. Our hypothesis is that this phosphorylation affects the genes it regulates and the DNA motifs it binds to, perhaps due to different transcription complexes being formed. In this study, we conduct a chromatin immunoprecipitation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to determine what genes and DNA motifs Cbf1 binds to in its wild type versus …

Detection And Characterization Of Copy Number Variation In Three Differentially-Selected Nellore Cattle Populations, Lorena F. Benfica, Luiz F. Brito, Ricardo D. Do Bem, Leticia F. De Oliveira, Henrique A. Mulim, Larissa G. Braga, Joslaine N.S.G. Cyrillo, Sarah F.M. Bonilha, Maria Eugenia Z. Mercadante

Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

Introduction: Nellore cattle (Bos taurus indicus) is the main beef cattle breed raised in Brazil. This breed is well adapted to tropical conditions and, more recently, has experienced intensive genetic selection for multiple performance traits. Over the past 43 years, an experimental breeding program has been developed in the Institute of Animal Science (IZ, Sertaozinho, SP, Brazil), which resulted in three differentially-selected lines known as Nellore Control (NeC), Nellore Selection (NeS), and Nellore Traditional (NeT). The primary goal of this selection experiment was to determine the response to selection for yearling weight (YW) and residual feed intake (RFI) on Nellore …

Veterinarian Perception Of The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Mortality Of Pets, Jason Bainbridge

Honors Theses

The pandemic led to many changes in society, changes that may have affected pets either directly or indirectly from the new way people had to live life. The primary variable of investigation is if the changes were significant enough to affect pets enough to see a trend in mortality. This thesis used a survey, sent out to veterinarians for their perspective, to see the effects the pandemic had on the mortality of pets, as well as any secondary variables. This survey had 38 responses, with 34 being eligible to complete the survey. The survey did not obtain the information of …

Ammonium Chemotaxis In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Gabela Nelson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Analysis of ammonium chemotaxis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is largely hindered, compared to that of phototaxis, despite equal importance on flagellated microalgal physiology. A major contribution of this shortfall is the lack of proper assay method. We developed a simple Petri dish assay method in which light is homogenously exposed while patterns of the cellular migration are tracked with a function of time. Using the method, new findings were revealed. First, this research presented that a strain lacking the eyespot organelle required for light gradient-sensing exhibits similar chemotactic behavior compared to a wild-type strain, suggesting Chlamydomonas sense an ammonium gradient not …

Phenotypic Diversity For Morpho-Agronomic Traits In The Us Proso Millet (Panicum Miliaceum L.) Core Collection, Santosh G. Rajput, Rituraj Khound, Dipak K. Santra

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is a short-season annual crop known for high water-use efficiency and drought tolerance. The low water requirement makes this ancient grain an excellent rotational crop for the winter wheat-based dryland cropping system in theHigh Plains of theUnited States. The genetic base of the commonly grown US cultivars is very narrow. Assessment of proso millet germplasm for agronomic traits is essential for its efficient utilization in the genetic improvement of this crop. The objectives of this study were to (1) characterize the US proso millet germplasm based on nine important morpho-agronomic traits and (2) classify …

Microbiome And Cancer Immunotherapies, Haoyan Chen, Laurence Zitvogel, Zhi Peng, Xiaochen Yin, Florencia Mcallister

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Here, we present 3 different perspectives on how the microbiome has impacted cancer patients, treatment, and clinical studies. We hear about the challenges of implementing microbiome analyses into the clinics, the impact these analyses might have on patients' care, and treatment in the future, specifically for gastric cancer treatment. These are a few of the many voices that are highlighting the role of the microbiome in cancer development, treatment, and clinical outcomes.

Brafv600e-Mutant Metastatic Nsclc: Disease Overview And Treatment Landscape, David Planchard, Rachel E Sanborn, Marcelo V Negrao, Aria Vaishnavi, Egbert F Smit

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In this review, we cover the current understanding of BRAF mutations and associated clinical characteristics in patients with metastatic NSCLC, approved and emerging treatment options, BRAF sequencing approaches, and unmet needs. The BRAFV600E mutation confers constitutive activity of the MAPK pathway, leading to enhanced growth, proliferation, and survival of tumor cells. Testing for BRAF mutations enables patients to be treated with therapies that directly target BRAFV600E and the MAPK pathway, but BRAF testing lags behind other oncogene testing in metastatic NSCLC. Additional therapies targeting BRAFV600E mutations provide options for patients with metastatic NSCLC. Emerging therapies and combinations under investigation could …

Self-Assembled Sting-Activating Coordination Nanoparticles For Cancer Immunotherapy And Vaccine Applications, Xiaoqi Sun, Xuehui Huang, Kyung Soo Park, Xingwu Zhou, Andrew A Kennedy, Qi Wu, Yao Xu, Wang Gong, Jonathan Z Sexton, Andrew W Tai, Yu Leo Lei, James J Moon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The cGAS-STING pathway plays a crucial role in innate immune activation against cancer and infections, and STING agonists based on cyclic dinucleotides (CDN) have garnered attention for their potential use in cancer immunotherapy and vaccines. However, the limited drug-like properties of CDN necessitate an efficient delivery system to the immune system. To address these challenges, we developed an immunostimulatory delivery system for STING agonists. Here, we have examined aqueous coordination interactions between CDN and metal ions and report that CDN mixed with Zn2+ and Mn2+ formed distinctive crystal structures. Further pharmaceutical engineering led to the development of a functional coordination …

Jennifer A Wargo, Nadim J Ajami, And Carrie R Daniel-Macdougall, Jennifer A Wargo, Nadim J Ajami, Carrie R Daniel-Macdougall

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dr. Jennifer A. Wargo, Dr. Nadim J. Ajami, and Dr. Carrie R. Daniel-MacDougall describe their academic and clinical work on the role of the microbiome to determine response to immunotherapies and discuss current challenges and potential needs to integrate their findings into clinical practice.

Revolutionizing Diabetic Foot Ulcer Care: The Senotherapeutic Approach, Guiqin Zhang, Priyadarshani Nadeeshika Samarawickrama, Li Gui, Yuan Ma, Mei Cao, Wei Li, Kecheng Li, Yang Yang, Enfang Zhu, Wen Li, Yonghan He

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a prevalent and profoundly debilitating complication that afflicts individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM). These ulcers are associated with substantial morbidity, recurrence rates, disability, and mortality, imposing substantial economic, psychological, and medical burdens. Timely detection and intervention can mitigate the morbidity and disparities linked to DFU. Nevertheless, current therapeutic approaches for DFU continue to grapple with multifaceted limitations. A growing body of evidence emphasizes the crucial role of cellular senescence in the pathogenesis of chronic wounds. Interventions that try to delay cellular senescence, eliminate senescent cells (SnCs), or suppress the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) have shown …