Life Sciences Commons^™

An Analysis Of Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) Rescues (1993-2022) With Recommendations For Future Rehabilitation Program Needs, Katherine Frisch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) are threatened marine mammals that inhabit the coastal and near shore waters along the southeastern United States, primarily Florida. Manatee conservation is multi-faceted. One component of the manatee recovery program is the rescue and rehabilitation program that provides care for sick, injured and orphaned manatees. The science of conservation biology, whose goal is to maintain biodiversity using a multidisciplinary approach, can be applied to aspects of the manatee rescue and rehabilitation program.

A federally authorized, state implemented, rescue system has been in place for many years to rescue and treat injured and orphaned animals. Rescued …

In Silico Analysis Of C-Type Lectins As Co-Infection Receptors Of Dengue And Chikungunya Viruses In Aedes Aegypti, Munawir Sazali, R. C. Hidayat Soesilohadi, Nastiti Wijayanti, Tri Wibawa, Arif Nur Muhammad Ansori

Makara Journal of Science

Aedes aegypti is a primer vector of dengue virus (DENV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV). The susceptibility of mosquitoes to DENV and CHIKV depends on their recognition receptor of pathogens. C-type lectins (CTLs) are an important mediator of virus infection in A. aegypti. This study aims to identify potential receptors and determine the binding affinity between ligand–receptor interaction, CTLs and virus envelopes (DENV-1, 2, 3, and 4 and CHIKV) interaction based on in silico analysis. Sample sequences were obtained from GenBank (NCBI), and 10 CTLs were acquired from VectorBase. Homology modeling based on a minimum standard of 20% was processed …

Increased Nitrate Intake From Beetroot Juice Over 4 Weeks Affects Nitrate Metabolism, But Not Vascular Function Or Blood Pressure In Older Adults With Hypertension, Rebeka Fejes, Martin Lutnik, Stefan Weisshaar, Nina Pilat, Karl-Heinz Wagner, Hans-Peter Stüger, Jonathan M. Peake, Richard J. Woodman, Kevin D. Croft, Catherine P. Bondonno, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Michael Wolzt, Oliver Neubauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The decline in vascular function and increase in blood pressure with aging contribute to an increased cardiovascular disease risk. In this randomized placebo-controlled crossover study, we evaluated whether previously reported cardiovascular benefits of plant-derived inorganic nitrate via nitric oxide (NO) translate into improved vascular function and blood pressure-lowering in 15 men and women (age range: 56-71 years) with treated hypertension. We investigated the effects of a single ∼400 mg-dose at 3 hours post-ingestion (3H POST) and the daily consumption of 2 × ∼400 mg of nitrate through nitrate-rich compared with nitrate-depleted (placebo) beetroot juice over 4 weeks (4WK POST). Measurements …

Identification Of Nonfunctional Alternatively Spliced Isoforms Of Sting In Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Akash R Boda, Arthur J Liu, Susana Castro-Pando, Benjamin T Whitfield, Jeffrey J Molldrem, Maria Emilia Di Francesco, Casey R Ager, Michael A Curran

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

UNLABELLED: Lack of robust activation of Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) pathway and subsequent induction of type I IFN responses is considered a barrier to antitumor immunity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Using common human AML cell lines as in vitro tools to evaluate the efficacy of novel STING agonists, we found most AML lines to be poor producers of IFNs upon exposure to extremely potent agonists, suggesting cell-intrinsic suppression of STING signaling may occur. We observed unexpected patterns of response that did not correlate with levels of STING pathway components or of known enzymes associated with resistance. To identify …

Extend The Benchmarking Indel Set By Manual Review Using The Individual Cell Line Sequencing Data From The Sequencing Quality Control 2 (Seqc2) Project, Binsheng Gong, Dan Li, Yifan Zhang, Rebecca Kusko, Samir Lababidi, Mingyang Chen, Qiaochu Chen, Qingwang Chen, Jiacheng Dai, Qiang Gan, Yuechen Gao, Mingkun Guo, Gunjan Hariani, Yujie He, Wanwan Hou, He Jiang, Garima Kushwaha, Jian-Liang Li, Jianying Li, Yulan Li, Liang-Chun Liu, Ruimei Liu, Shiming Liu, Edwin Meriaux, Mengqing Mo, Mathew Moore, Tyler J Moss, Quanne Niu, Ananddeep Patel, Luyao Ren, Nedda F Saremi, Erfei Shang, Jun Shang, Ping Song, Siqi Sun, Brent J Urban, Danke Wang, Shangzi Wang, Zhining Wen, Xiangyi Xiong, Jingcheng Yang, Lihui Yin, Chao Zhang, Ruolan Zhang, Ambica Bhandari, Wanshi Cai, Agda Karina Eterovic, Dalila B Megherbi, Tieliu Shi, Chen Suo, Ying Yu, Yuanting Zheng, Natalia Novoradovskaya, Renee L Sears, Leming Shi, Wendell Jones, Weida Tong, Joshua Xu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accurate indel calling plays an important role in precision medicine. A benchmarking indel set is essential for thoroughly evaluating the indel calling performance of bioinformatics pipelines. A reference sample with a set of known-positive variants was developed in the FDA-led Sequencing Quality Control Phase 2 (SEQC2) project, but the known indels in the known-positive set were limited. This project sought to provide an enriched set of known indels that would be more translationally relevant by focusing on additional cancer related regions. A thorough manual review process completed by 42 reviewers, two advisors, and a judging panel of three researchers significantly …

Β-Cyclodextrin-Enzalutamide Self-Assembly Complexes For Prostate Cancer Therapy, Meghana Kolli, Rahul Tiwari, Subhash C. Chauhan, Yonghong Zhang, Neeraj Chauhan, Alba C. M, Murali Yallapu

Research Symposium

Background:Castrate circumstances brought on by therapy give rise to castrationresistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which thereafter develops androgen receptor (AR) resistance. AR inhibitors are frequently used to obstruct AR translocation in cells that overexpress AR and slow the progression of cancer by reducing the number of AR receptors that are accessible. In comparison to Bicalutamide, a first-generation AR inhibitor, the hydrophobic drug Enzalutamide has demonstrated higher effectiveness. We investigate Enzalutamide as a viable option for the formation of self-assembly complexes because AR downregulation is still the major treatment for CRPC.

Methods:Enz-loaded self-assembly complexes (enz-β-CD) formulation was developed using solvent …

Update On The Role Of Muc13 In Pancreatic Cancer: A Promising Early Detection Biomarker, Anupam Dhasmana, Swati Dhasmana, Sheema Khan, Meena Jaggi, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: With the rise in pancreatic cancer (PanCa) prevalence and mortality rate, by 2030 it will secure second position among leading causes of cancer-related deaths. Due to poor prognosis of PanCa only 11% of PanCa patients have a 5-year survival rate, resulting in an equal mortality rate and incidence rate. 85% of PanCa are Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The main clinical challenge with PanCa is poor treatment outcomes due the late diagnosis. Currently, there are traditional biomarkers panels available for diagnosis, however, these biomarkers do not have optimal sensitivity and specificity for PanCa. Considering this alarming unmet clinic need, our …

Ultrabithorax, Abdominal-A And Abdominal-B Form Heterodimers And Homodimers In Living Cells By Bifc, Rubén Montalvo Méndez, Gustavo Jiménez-Mejía, Diana Reséndez-Pérez

Research Symposium

Background: Hox genes encode transcriptional factors that regulate the expression of specific target genes along the anterior-posterior axis determining the segment identity during embryonic development. These master genes are expressed in the same order in which are located in the third chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster. As it was previously reported the interaction of neighboring Hox proteins as Scr-Antp and Antp-Ubx and one of the mechanisms for Hox protein regulation is protein-protein interaction, we determined the heterodimer formation of Ubx with AbdA and AbdB as well as the homodimer formation of these proteins in living cells which in turn could …

Trip13’S Crucial Role In Pancreatic Cancer Progression, Swati Dhasmana, Anupam Dhasmana, Stella Rios, Iris A. Enriquez-Perez, Sheema Khan, Farrukh Afaq, Upender Manne, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: Pancreatic cancer, characterized by its high mortality rate, stands as one of the most aggressive cancer forms. The projected surge in pancreatic cancer-related deaths, making it the second leading cause in the United States by 2030, underscores the urgency for effective early screening tools. This study employs data mining methods to scrutinize bioinformatic data surrounding TRIP13. Examining differential expression across various cancers, correlating TRIP13 expression with pancreatic cancer stages, exploring associations with common cancer genes, and analyzing overall survival rates constitute the core investigations. Integrated with molecular biology techniques, the study further quantifies TRIP13 expression in progressive pancreatic cancer …

The Invasive Bank Vole (Clethrionomys Glareolus); A Longitudinal Investigation Into Rodents And Their Pathogen Communities, Using The Irish Rodent Invasion As A Model System., Andrew Mcmanus

Theses

The recent emergence of zoonotic pathogens such as, SARS-CoV-2, Ebola and Mpox, have emphasised the necessity to study wildlife and their pathogens. A knowledge gap currently exists in longitudinal studies of biological invasions, which are needed to understand the change in pathogen communities caused as the invader becomes more established. The invasion of Clethrionomys glareolus in Ireland provides a unique model system to study these changes at different stages of the bio-invasion. This is due to the depauperate small mammal community in Ireland, identifiable source population, introduction point, and ongoing expansion of C. glareolus in Ireland. Extensive work has been …

Smokejumper Obituary: Finney, Wayne H. (Missoula 1960), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Advancing Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Diagnosis Through High-Speed Video Microscopy Analysis, Frances M Quiñones

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an inherited disorder that impairs motile cilia, essential for respiratory health, with a reported prevalence of 1 in 16,309 within Hispanic populations. Despite 70% of Puerto Rican patients having the RSPH4A [c.921+3_921+6del (intronic)] founder mutation, the characterization of the ciliary dysfunction remains unidentified due to the unavailability of advanced diagnostic modalities like High-Speed Video Microscopy Analysis (HSVA). Our study implemented HSVA for the first time on the island as a tool to better diagnose and characterize the RSPH4A [c.921+3_921+6del (intronic)] founder mutation in Puerto Rican patients. By applying HSVA, we analyzed the ciliary beat frequency …

Targeting Mycobacterial Efflux System For Combating Anti-Microbial Resistance, Arathi Radhakrishnan, Raj Kishor Kapardar, Rajpal Srivastav

Research Symposium

Background: The drug resistance in the microbes is a serious concern in medicine. Along with intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors like unprescribed usage of drugs are the contributing factors. The drug tolerance has led to the emergence of superbugs. Mycobacterial species utilize an array of multidrug efflux mechanisms linked to intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance. Understanding molecular mechanisms regulating efflux could reveal new therapeutic targets and strategies. Our study is aimed to target regulators of efflux Mycobacterial transporter.

Methods: Using the reference mycobacterial strain, antibiotic sensitivity was first profiled by minimal inhibitory concentration assays across a panel of antimicrobials, followed by …

Stress Hormone And Heart Rate Responses To Various Exercise Training Methods, Tomas Gomez Jr., Rebekah Schlatter, Megan Zamora, Marco Arriago, Sue Anne Chew, Murat Karabulut

Research Symposium

Background: Blood Flow Resistance (BFR) training has garnered attention for its ability to induce positive physiological adaptations with low-load resistance exercise. The present study aimed to examine the responses of catabolic hormones and heart rates (HR) to various BFR training protocols. This investigation seeks to provide insights into the stress levels induced by different protocols and identification behind the most effective protocol for optimal positive exercise-related adaptations.

Methods: Study population involved 10 healthy adult males (height: 175.0±5.0 cm, weight: 96.67±26.6 kg, age: 21.3±2.67 yr.) in a five-session investigation. Informed consent paperwork, pre-testing and anthropometric measurements served as session 1; sessions …

Relationship Among Cognitive Performance, Physical Activity (Pa), Demographic, And Individual Lifestyle Characteristics Among Aging Hispanic Population, Ulku Karabulut, Bryan Mixumi, Imtiaz Masfique Dowllah, Murat Karabulut

Research Symposium

Purpose: To investigate the association among different intensity and duration of physical activity (PA), cognitive domains (executive function, processing speed, and memory), and demographic and lifestyle characteristics of aging Hispanic population. PA has been identified as a promising non-pharmaceutical preventative intervention for Alzheimer disease and other dementias. This study aims to provide a better understanding of the effects of different intensities of PA on cognitive performances of aging Hispanic population.

Methods: For this study, 441 Hispanic (age ≥60) participants’ data from NHANES (20112014) were analyzed. The protocol was approved by the NCHS Research Ethics Review Board, and all data …

Proteomic Analysis Of Stress Associated Factor Overexpression In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Mohammad Shabir Hussain, Sophia Leslie, Amayrani Sanchez, Samantha Lopez, Kyle Doxtater, Manish Kumar Tripathi

Research Symposium

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes a substantial portion, accounting for 85% to 90% of liver cancers worldwide. Notably, within the Hispanic population, liver cancer mortality rates are notably higher, particularly evident in regions like the South Texas Rio Grande Valley (RGV), where nearly 90% of the populace is Latino/Hispanic. This region grapples with poverty affecting nearly 30% of its residents, coupled with elevated rates of obesity, diabetes, and low-income households, thereby fostering a prevalent environment of stress. Stress can profoundly impact cancer outcomes by compromising immune functionality and triggering inflammatory responses, potentially impairing surveillance against oncogenic triggers. The activation of …

Piperlongumine Nanoformulation Attenuates Pancreatic Tumor Desmoplasia And Alter Tumor Immune Responses, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Neeraj Chauhan, Mohammed Sikander, Eswara N. H. K. Ghali, Bilal Hafeez, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is characterized by lack of early diagnosis, poor response to available therapeutic modalities and chemoresistance. Gemcitabine (GEM) is currently considered the most effective therapy for PanCa; however, it shows only a marginal survival benefit of 6 months. This poor drug response has been attributed to desmoplasia, causes suboptimal drug delivery, alters tumor microenvironment (TME), which includes tumor surrounding blood vessels, fibroblasts, immune cells, extracellular matrix, and other signaling molecules and induces chemo-resistance in tumors. To overcome these existing issues associated with chemotherapy, identification and development of novel therapeutic modalities are a pressing need. Piperlongumine (PL) is a …

Where The Children Play: Gender Gaps In Recess Physical Activity By Age And Playground Area, Matthew J. Barenie, Erin K. Howie, Kari A. Weber, Deboleena Thakur, Christopher M. Murphy, Michael R. Thomsen

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective

Methods

Lower Body Gait Variability As A Distinguishing Feature In Humans, Tyler M. Wiles, Seung Kyeom Kim, Nick Stergiou, Aaron D. Likens

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Most humans have a fingerprint that is unique and persists throughout life. The same may be true for gait. Each person is unique physiologically and biomechanically, and has experienced a unique progression of life including injuries, habits, hobbies, or lifestyles that all contribute to navigating the world. Those individualized experiences, whether intended or not, are potentially on display in gait. We hypothesized that there are gait characteristics intrinsic and unique to everyone, so that everyone has a unique “gaitprint”, similar to humans possessing unique fingerprints. To test our hypothesis, we recruited thirty healthy young adults between the ages 19-35 as …

Postural Perturbations Change The Adaptive Response To Control, Brian Schlattmann

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Dexterity involves cohesive and functional coordination that extends throughout the body. Successful task completion while standing hinges on synchronizing various anatomical components, ensuring postural stability across the 2D support surface. Canonical approaches account for postural sway only along the anatomical anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) axes....

Exploring The Role Of Calcineurin In Filamentation Across Inducing Conditions In The Fungal Pathogen Candida Albicans, Patricia Harte-Maxwell, Jill R. Blankenship

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human pathogenic fungus affecting millions of people globally; high mortality rates are possible in systemic infection. Filamentation or a filamentous growth pattern is a primary virulence mechanism of C. albicans underlying other virulent behaviour....

Functional Outcomes Of Noninvasive Sensory Feedback In Upper Limb Prostheses: A Meta-Analysis, Libby Caldwell

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Noninvasive sensory feedback applies vibration or pressure to the residual limb and is thought to improve the functionality of upper limb prostheses. However, the efficacy of this approach has not been sufficiently investigated, particularly regarding actual amputee efficacy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional benefits of noninvasive sensory feedback in upper limb prostheses through a meta-analysis. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, and PubMed) were searched up to October 2022 using the following search terms: (prosthesis OR prosthetic) AND (hand OR arm OR forearm OR transradial OR “upper limb” OR “upper extremity) AND (tactile OR haptic …

Ongoing Study Of The Association Of Apoe Gene Polymorphisms With Cognitive Impairment In The Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Population, Jaime Miguel L. Saveron, Daniela Gamez, Chun Xu

Research Symposium

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD), a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, exhibits a significant genetic component. In addition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a key risk factor for AD. While certain demographic factors and genetic variants associated with AD and cognitive impairment have been identified in non-Hispanic populations, limited research exists on this subject within the Hispanic population, particularly in the Rio Grande Valley. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the APOE gene, specifically its ε4 allele, and cognitive impairment in the Hispanic population of the Rio Grande Valley.

Methods: A total of 269 Hispanic subjects, aged 60 and above, with …

Coomassie Brilliant Blue Dye As A Method For Analyzing Fracture Markings In Bone, Abigail Hoffmeister, David Harutunyan, Matthew Aizawa, Everett Baker, Brandon Mendoza, Chase Freeman, Siran Iskanian

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Coomassie Brilliant Blue Dye is a dye commonly used to stain proteins. Because of its ability to adhere to proteins, this research has focused on perfecting a method of dyeing a fractured flat bone in order to most accurately observe and analyze fracture markings within the trabecular layer. Stereoscopic microscopy was the chosen technique of analysis for this research because of its proven effectiveness in glass and ceramic fractography to observe varying depths. In order to most effectively apply stereoscopic microscopy to this research, the following variables were manipulated to maximize color contrast in the trabecular layer in order to …

Mathematically Modeling How Trapping Regimes That Target Specific Crayfish Life Stages Impact Removal Efficacy, Rini Pattison

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, is an invasive species introduced into several streams within the Santa Monica Mountains (SMM) in Southern California. Crayfish predation decimates native aquatic species. Thus, the Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT) and Environmental Restoration Group have worked to remove crayfish through regular trapping in Malibu Creek.

To aid conservation efforts, former SURB students William Milligan and Dev Patel developed mathematical models of crayfish removal efficacy. Milligan created a differential equation model of how crayfish removal affects local newt populations. Patel expanded Milligan’s crayfish model by creating a discrete model of the crayfish life cycle that newly …

Drone Imagery Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge Effects On Coastal Primary Productivity On Coral Reefs In Maunalua Bay, Hawai'i, Lulu Wang, Florybeth Flores La Valle, Grace Kim

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) plays a crucial role in coastal ecosystems, especially coral reefs, by introducing terrestrial nutrients and freshwater, significantly affecting the primary productivity of coastal ecosystems and potentially altering ecological balances. La Valle et al. (2023) emphasized the importance of SGD in nutrient distribution and algal productivity, highlighting the need for comprehensive understanding and management strategies in the face of increasing nutrient runoff due to land use changes due to increased population. To better understand the impact, our experiments utilize remote sensing and data science by using a DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise drone with a thermal imaging camera …

Deep Learning Can Be Used To Classify And Segment Plant Cell Types In Xylem Tissue, Reem Al Dabagh, Benjamin Shin, Sean Wu, Fabien Scalzo, Helen Holmlund, Jessica Lee, Chris Ghim, Samuel Fitzgerald, Marinna Grijalva

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Studies of plant anatomical traits are essential for understanding plant physiological adaptations to stressful environments. For example, shrubs in the chaparral ecosystem of southern California have adapted various xylem anatomical traits that help them survive drought and freezing. Previous studies have shown that xylem conduits with a narrow diameter allows certain chaparral shrub species to survive temperatures as low as -12 C. Other studies have shown that increased cell wall thickness of fibers surrounding xylem vessels improves resistance to water stress-induced embolism formation. Historically, these studies on xylem anatomical traits have relied on hand measurements of cells in light micrographs, …

Checking For Ticks: Analyzing The Efficiency Of Different Tick Collection Methods, Peter Briggs, Lawson Trimmell, Javier Monzón

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Ticks are the most important arthropod disease vectors in both North America and Europe. Field collection of wild ticks is vital for research on the ecology of vector-borne diseases. Dragging and trapping are the two most common methods for collecting wild ticks. Dragging involves a researcher pulling a canvas through a field to collect ticks searching for a host, while trapping exploits ticks’ natural attraction to carbon dioxide to lure them onto a canvas where they get caught on tape. Our study aimed to evaluate which of these two methods is more effective. We chose six sites across three states, …

The Effect Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge On Greenhouse Gas Production On A Coral Reef In Maunalua Bay, Hi, Kylie Nichols

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

THE EFFECT OF SUBMARINE GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE ON GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN MAUNALUA BAY, HI

Authors: Kylie Nichols, Dr. Carmella Vizza, Dr. Florybeth La Valle

Abstract: In the urban coastal environments of Honolulu, Hawai’i, water high in inorganic nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates, and ammonia, often becomes further enriched by human activity. This water seeps into the ocean by mode of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD).

We hypothesize that SGD influences greenhouse gas (GHG) production in coastal systems at a measurable rate and is overlooked as a significant source of methane emissions. Marshes and wetlands are the largest contributors to methane production …

Effectiveness Of Frog Skin Secretions Against Uv-B Radiation, Connor Mcgaha, Kinkade Mcmurray, Lee B. Kats

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

As an increasing number of their species face possible extinction, amphibian populations have been steadily declining over the past decades (IUCN). While various factors have been suggested or proven to be partially responsible for this reduction, increased ultraviolet B radiation (UVBR) appears to be one of the more prominent explanations, especially when considering the continual thinning of the Earth’s ozone layer due to anthropogenic climate change. However, it has also been discovered that skin secretions, which are reported to function as a component of amphibians’ innate immune systems, may have an effect on UVBR (Cramp and Franklin). With this in …