Life Sciences Commons^™

Cell State Of Origin Impacts Development Of Distinct Endometriosis-Related Ovarian Carcinoma Histotypes, Ian Beddows, Huihui Fan, Karolin Heinze, Benjamin K Johnson, Anna Leonova, Svetlana Djirackor, Celeste Leigh Pearce, David G Huntsman, Michael S Anglesio, Hui Shen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clear cell ovarian carcinoma (CCOC) and endometrioid ovarian carcinoma (ENOC) are ovarian carcinoma histotypes, which are both thought to arise from ectopic endometrial (or endometrial-like) cells through an endometriosis intermediate. How the same cell type of origin gives rise to two morphologically and biologically different histotypes has been perplexing, particularly given that recurrent genetic mutations are common to both and present in nonmalignant precursors. We used RNA transcription analysis to show that the expression profiles of CCOC and ENOC resemble those of normal endometrium at secretory and proliferative phases of the menstrual cycle, respectively. DNA methylation at the promoter of …

Unraveling The Intercellular Communication Disruption And Key Pathways In Alzheimer’S Disease: An Integrative Study Of Single-Nucleus Transcriptomes And Genetic Association

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Recently, single-nucleus RNA-seq (snRNA-seq) analyses have revealed important cellular and functional features of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a prevalent neurodegenerative disease. However, our knowledge regarding intercellular communication mediated by dysregulated ligand-receptor (LR) interactions remains very limited in AD brains.

METHODS: We systematically assessed the intercellular communication networks by using a discovery snRNA-seq dataset comprising 69,499 nuclei from 48 human postmortem prefrontal cortex (PFC) samples. We replicated the findings using an independent snRNA-seq dataset of 56,440 nuclei from 18 PFC samples. By integrating genetic signals from AD genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary statistics and whole genome sequencing (WGS) data, we prioritized …

Innovative Cyanine-Based Fluorescent Dye For Targeted Mitochondrial Imaging And Its Utility In Whole-Brain Visualization, Xin Yan, Xinqian Chen, Zhiying Shan, Lanrong Bi

Michigan Tech Publications

Conducting in vivo brain imaging can be a challenging task due to the complexity of brain tissue and the strict requirements for safe and effective imaging agents. However, a new fluorescent dye called Cy5-PEG2 has been developed that selectively accumulates in mitochondria, enabling the visualization of these essential organelles in various cell lines. This dye is versatile and can be used for the real-time monitoring of mitochondrial dynamics in living cells. Moreover, it can cross the blood-brain barrier, making it a promising tool for noninvasive in vivo brain imaging. Based on the assessment of glial cell responses in the hippocampus …

Biomass Distribution Of Benthosema Glaciale And Maurolicus Muelleri In The North Atlantic, Fabio Berzaghi, Laurene Merillet, Anna Conchon, Morten Skogen, Emma Dolmaire, Espen Strand, Douglas Speirs, Webjørn Melle, Mary S. Wisz

Datasets

This dataset contains maps of biomass estimates of Maurolicus muelleri and Benthosema glaciale created using the output of three models from the MEESO project. Maps represent an average biomass distribution and not any specific year, please note the distribution of biomass varies in time. For more details please consult the metadata on the ICES website.

Microstructure-Based Modeling Of Primary Cilia Mechanics, Nima Mostafazadeh, Andrew Resnick, Y.-N. Young, Zhangli Peng

Physics Faculty Publications

A primary cilium, made of nine microtubule doublets enclosed in a cilium membrane, is a mechanosensing organelle that bends under an external mechanical load and sends an intracellular signal through transmembrane proteins activated by cilium bending. The nine microtubule doublets are the main load-bearing structural component, while the transmembrane proteins on the cilium membrane are the main sensing component. No distinction was made between these two components in all existing models, where the stress calculated from the structural component (nine microtubule doublets) was used to explain the sensing location, which may be totally misleading. For the first time, we developed …

Role Of Cyp3a5 In Prostate Cancer Growth, Ranjana Mitra, Jake Mclean, Ajay P. Singh, Edwin C. Oh

COM Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Healthcare Fraud And Abuse: Continued Lessons Learned From High Performing Healthcare Organizations, Julie L. Agris

Annals of Health Law and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Long-Term Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Floral Abundance And Bumble Bee Abundance In Mixed-Oak Forests Of Southeastern Ohio, Moses Shafer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Pollinators are declining due to climate change and habitat loss driven by agriculture and urbanization. In fire-adapted ecosystems, fire promotes the biodiversity of plants by creating space, reducing competition, and increasing light and nutrient availability. However, little is known regarding the effects of fire on floral abundance of plants used by Bombus. The overall goal of this project was to assess the long-term effects of fire on floral abundance and Bombus abundance. Our specific questions were: (1) How does fire frequency influence floral abundance?, (2) How does fire frequency influence floral abundance of species specifically utilized by bumble bees?, …

Fused In Sarcoma Regulates Glutamate Signaling And Oxidative Stress Response, Chiong-Hee Wong, Abu Rahat, Howard C Chang

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Mutations in fused in sarcoma (fust-1) are linked to ALS. However, how these ALS causative mutations alter physiological processes and lead to the onset of ALS remains largely unknown. By obtaining humanized fust-1 ALS mutations via CRISPR-CAS9, we generated a C. elegans ALS model. Homozygous fust-1 ALS mutant and fust-1 deletion animals are viable in C. elegans. This allows us to better characterize the molecular mechanisms of fust-1-dependent responses. We found FUST-1 plays a role in regulating superoxide dismutase, glutamate signaling, and oxidative stress. FUST-1 suppresses SOD-1 and VGLUT/EAT-4 in the nervous system. FUST-1 also regulates synaptic AMPA-type glutamate receptor …

Microhabitat Selection Of Adult Female Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Adamanteus) In The Carolinas, Matthew Gacheny

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Reptiles rely on environmental conditions to regulate body temperature using behavioral strategies to meet basic life history needs. Viviparous squamates use thermoregulatory behaviors to meet energetic requirements for vitellogenesis and gestation, which carry considerable energetic costs and must balance with maintenance and survival. Embryonic development is often optimized in a narrower temperature range than the mother’s preferred temperature, creating an intergenerational conflict that should be addressed with maternal microhabitat selection. Field-based studies are needed to understand the link between the thermal biology of reptiles, their reproduction, and implications for population viability. With a use-availability logistic regression framework, I examined thermal …

Changes In Milk Protein Functionality At Low Temperatures And Rennet Concentrations, Mahmoud E. A. Hamouda, Prafulla Salunke

Dairy Science and Food Science Faculty Publications: 2022 to Present

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of low-concentration rennet on the chemical, rheological characteristics, and protein fractions of skim milk (SM) at 4 ± 1 °C. Skimmed milk (SM) was divided into four lots of 500 mL, and diluted rennet (1:10,000) was added at different levels at 4 ± 1 °C. The treatments included control (no rennet), T1 (0.001 mL/rennet), T2 (0.01 mL rennet), and T3 (0.1 mL rennet) treatments, which were incubated for 24 h. The sampling was performed at 0, 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 h, and the SM after incubation time was heated to 73 …

Activation Of Renal Epithelial Na+ Channels (Enac) In Infants With Congenital Heart Disease, Laura Ortmann, Shyam Sundar Nandi, Yulong Li, Hong Zheng, Kaushik K. Patel

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

INTRODUCTION: This study was designed to measure the concentration and activity of urinary proteases that activate renal epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) mediated Na

METHODS: Urine samples from infants undergoing cardiac surgery were collected at three time points: T1) pre-operatively, T2) 6-8 h after surgery, and T3) 24 h after diuretics. Urine was collected from five heathy infant controls. The urine was tested for four proteases and whole-cell patch-clamp testing was conducted in renal collecting duct M-1 cells to test whether patient urine increased Na

RESULTS: Heavy chain of plasminogen, furin, and prostasin were significantly higher in cardiac patients prior to …

Symbiosis Under Stress: Unraveling The Interplay Of Ocean Acidification And Rising Temperatures On Acropora Samoensis (Staghorn Coral), Jerald William Smolkin

Theses and Dissertations

This experiment explores the response of marine organisms to the combined challenges of ocean acidification and rising temperatures, with a focus on coral reef ecosystems. As global climate change threatens profound declines in coral reefs, understanding the multifaceted impacts of these stressors becomes crucial. The study observes cellular changes in A. samoensis tissues in four different groups, including control, Temp, pH, and Temp and pH. Results indicate significant breakdown of membrane compartmentalization and cell junctions, with notable degradation and calcium carbonate crystallization in pH-stressed samples. Additionally, chlorophyll extraction data support coral bleaching due to the expulsion of zooxanthellae. These findings …

The Influence Of Environmental Parameters On Gordonia Terrae - Specific Bacteriophage Abundance And Diversity, Gt M. Moore, Uqueen C. Wheeler, Indiren Pillay

Graduate Research Showcase

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect a wide variety of host bacteria with some strains having medical and industrial significance. These highly abundant and genetically bacterial viruses constitute a large amount of unexplored genetic information. Because bacteriophages are highly specific, they can be used therapeutically to combat bacterial infections by selecting a phage to target and kill harmful bacteria. Thus, phage therapy is currently being explored to aid in the fight against antibiotic resistance. Actinobacteriophages are viruses that specifically infect Phylum Actinobacteria hosts including the environmentally abundant Gordonia terrae. Some species of Gordonia, including G. terrae, have also …

The Presence Of Pathogenic Leptospira In San Juan Bay Estuaries And Its Relationship To Fecal Pollution Sources, Jodel M. Nicholas, Dave Bachoon Dr.

Graduate Research Showcase

The northern coastal zones of Puerto Rico, including the San Juan Bay and Rio Grande de Loiza watersheds, are increasingly becoming focal points of environmental concern due to wastewater originating from human activity. This runoff, which consists of effluents from sewage treatment, septic tanks, and animal husbandry, enters coastal lagoons and estuaries, posing critical threats to these vital ecosystems. This study aims to determine the presence of Leptospira in over 100 samples from 16 sub-basins over 2 years as well as identify the major sources of fecal pollution using molecular source tracking techniques. End point PCR assays for Leptospira (LipL32), …

Temporal Trends In Mammalian Roadkill Abundance In Central Georgia, Lucy Beck

Graduate Research Showcase

Mitigating wildlife-vehicle collisions requires knowledge of spatiotemporal trends which can be revealed using roadkill data analysis. When examining seasonal roadkill abundance, the trends could be explained by seasonal changes in animal behavior, interactions between taxa, and relative species abundance. Furthermore, roadkill seasonality can be influenced by driver visibility due to changing day lengths. The current study documents the temporal distribution of mammalian roadkill from 2012 to 2022 on a 12.2 mile section of Highway 212 in Putnam County and Baldwin County, GA. In this driving survey, roadkill were recorded to the nearest tenth of a mile using vehicle odometer readings. …

Preliminary Diversity Of Panamanian Amphipod Crustaceans Within The Parvorder Caprellidira, Sally Sir, Kristine N. White Ph. D.

Graduate Research Showcase

Amphipods are an order of Crustacean which are responsible for many ecosystem services including nutrient cycling, environmental bioindication, as well as supporting higher trophic levels as a primary food source. Amphipods are incredibly successful and as such, can be found in high volumes in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial systems. Panama is typically associated with well-documented biodiversity because it is part of the Caribbean. Despite this, amphipods have previously been understudied within Panama with only 33 species reported before this study. Due to the success of caprellidiran amphipods, we hypothesized that there would be a higher number of amphipods within the …

Mercury Bioaccumulation In Top-Level Predatory Fishes From Marine And Freshwater Environments, David L. Taylor, Jillian Haudenshield, Johnathan Serbst, Jim Lake, Alan Libby

Student Research Symposium

Mercury is a widespread environmental contaminant that poses a threat to human and wildlife health. Mercury concentrations ([Hg]) may be elevated in fish tissues due to individual bioaccumulation and biomagnification in the food web. This study examined Hg bioaccumulation rates in striped bass (SB) and largemouth bass (LMB): top-level predatory fishes in marine and freshwater environments. SB, LMB, and their prey were collected in Rhode Island waters from 2006 to 2023 using rod & reel, electrofishing, and trawling methods. Age (yr) was determined for each fish based on measurements of total lengths (TL; cm) in the laboratory (LMB: 15-57 cm, …

Fauna, Flora, And Land Cover Changes Over The Last Two Decades In The Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, Gabriel De Oliveria, Steven R. Schultze, Guilherme Mataveli

Technical Reports

A technical report documenting ecosystem changes to the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta region due to urban expansion over approximately two decades (2001-2019).

Dpr-Mediated H2o2 Resistance Contributes To Streptococci Survival In A Cystic Fibrosis Airway Model System, Rendi R. Rogers

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The cystic fibrosis (CF) lung environment is conducive to the colonization of bacteria as polymicrobial biofilms, which are associated with poor clinical outcomes for persons with CF (pwCF). Streptococcus spp. is highly prevalent in the CF airway, but its role in the CF lung microbiome is poorly understood. Some studies have shown Streptococcus spp. to be associated with better clinical outcomes for pwCF, while others show that high abundance of Streptococcus spp. is correlated with exacerbations. Our lab previously reported a polymicrobial culture system consisting of four CF-relevant pathogens that can be used to study microbial behavior in a more …

Soil And Fertiliser Management For Orchards In The Manjimup District, Neil Lantzke, Simon Yeap, Lukasz Kotula, B Goldspink, Valeria Almeida Lima, John Kammann

Horticulture research reports

This publication aims to give orchardists a broad understanding of the soils in the Manjimup district. It provides information on soil and fertiliser management that will assist in the sustainable production of fruit crops. This document was prepared for a Soils Course for horticulturalists, that was held in September 2023 at Manjimup Horticultural Research Centre.

The Manjimup local government area (LGA) is the most important horticultural district in Western Australia, particularly for fruit and in 2020 the total value of horticultural production was valued at $236 million (Figure 1). Avocados and apples were the most valuable horticultural crops, valued at …

Factors Associated With Acoustic Bat Presence During Spring Emergence In The Appalachian Mountains Of Western Virginia, Emily Kirk Pody

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Studies of threats that bats face during hibernation have increased in response to white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that has ravaged North American bat populations. However, impacts of WNS on bat ecology during spring emergence, when bats are potentially recovering from infection and allocating resources for reproduction, is relatively understudied. As more bat species become listed at the federal and state level, the need to understand the factors associated with spring emergence is critical for improving conservation guidelines and habitat management practices. Acoustic monitoring is an efficient method for monitoring bat presence for prolonged periods of time, giving biologists …

Pollinator Inventory On An Urban College Campus: The Impact And Necessity Of Native Plantings, Donata Kraskauskaite, Daniel Albrecht-Mallinger

Environmental Studies Publications

Abstract

The aim of this study was to measure pollinator abundance and diversity across Virginia Commonwealth University’s Monroe Park Campus in Richmond, Virginia, especially focusing on the impact of campus plantings on pollinators.

Methods

18 transects across VCU’s Monroe Park Campus, as well as 2 at the nearby Amelia Street School native meadow planting, were established and stratified by planting composition (native/invasive) and species diversity. Each transect was inventoried every other week for pollinators from April through July of 2023. Nonparametric and median-based linear models were used to test differences in pollinator abundance and morphospecies diversity across planting types.

Results …

199965, David Kerstetter

PERC Albacore sPAT Data

Datasets (and supporting material) from 4sPAT electronic tags deployed on albacore caught by pelagic longline gear in the western North Atlantic.

199953, David Kerstetter

PERC Albacore sPAT Data

Datasets (and supporting material) from 4sPAT electronic tags deployed on albacore caught by pelagic longline gear in the western North Atlantic.

199949, David Kerstetter

PERC Albacore sPAT Data

Datasets (and supporting material) from 4sPAT electronic tags deployed on albacore caught by pelagic longline gear in the western North Atlantic.

199946, David W. Kerstetter

PERC Albacore sPAT Data

Datasets (and supporting material) from 4sPAT electronic tags deployed on albacore caught by pelagic longline gear in the western North Atlantic.

Winona State University Alumni Blog: 2011-2022, Winona State University

Winona State University Blogs

The Winona State University (WSU) Alumni Blog includes articles and entries from May 2011- August 2022. Note: there may be format coding in the document.

Three Fundamental Challenges To The Advancement Of Stemflow Research And Its Integration Into Natural Science, John T. Van Stan Ii, Juan Pinos

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Plant canopies divert a portion of precipitation to the base of their stems through "stemflow", a phenomenon that influences the canopy water balance, soil microbial ecology, and intrasystem nutrient cycling. However, a comprehensive integration of stemflow into theoretical and numerical models in natural science remains limited. This perspective examines three unresolved, fundamental questions hindering this integration, spanning the canopy to the soil. First, the precise source area within the canopy that generates stemflow is undefined. Thus, we asked, "whence stemflow?" Current common assumptions equate it to the entire tree canopy, a potentially misleading simplification that could affect our interpretation of …

Entomologists Require Ethical Guidance For Compassionate Management Of Delusional Parasitosis Cases, Kathleen Murphy-Hollies, Michael Skvarla, Robin M. Verble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.