Life Sciences Commons^™

Drivers Of Plankton Community Structure In Intermittent And Continuous Coastal Upwelling Systems–From Microbes And Microscale In-Situ Imaging To Large Scale Patterns, Moritz Schmid, Su Sponaugle, Anne W. Thompson, Kelly T. Sutherland, Robert Cowen

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Eastern Boundary Systems support major fisheries whose early life stages depend on upwelling production. Upwelling can be highly variable at the regional scale, with substantial repercussions for new productivity and microbial loop activity. Studies that integrate the classic trophic web based on new production with the microbial loop are rare due to the range in body forms and sizes of the taxa. Underwater imaging can overcome this limitation, and with machine learning, enables fine resolution studies spanning large spatial scales. We used the In-situ Ichthyoplankton Imaging System (ISIIS) to investigate the drivers of plankton community structure in the northern California …

Coordinated Regulation Of Myonuclear Dna Methylation, Mrna, And Mirna Levels Associates With The Metabolic Response To Rapid Synergist Ablation-Induced Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy In Female Mice, Ahmed Ismaeel, Nicholas T. Thomas, Mariah Mccashland, Sebastian Edman, Johanna T. Lanner, Vandré C. Figueiredo, Christopher S. Fry, John J. Mccarthy, Yuan Wen, Kevin A. Murach, Ferdinand Von Walden

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

The central dogma of molecular biology dictates the general flow of molecular information from DNA that leads to a functional cellular outcome. In skeletal muscle fibers, the extent to which global myonuclear transcriptional alterations, accounting for epigenetic and post-transcriptional influences, contribute to an adaptive stress response is not clearly defined. In this investigation, we leveraged an integrated analysis of the myonucleus-specific DNA methylome and transcriptome, as well as myonuclear small RNA profiling to molecularly define the early phase of skeletal muscle fiber hypertrophy. The analysis of myonucleus-specific mature microRNA and other small RNA species provides new directions for exploring muscle …

Effect Of Ultrasound On The Stability Of Partial Nitrification: Under The Interference Of Aeration Rate, Shuai Tian, Junfeng Lian, Shanyan Dong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The fluctuation of dissolved oxygen is one of the primary cause of disruptions to the consistent operation of partial nitrification, and the level of dissolved oxygen is mainly controlled by the aeration rate. This study investigated the influence of ultrasonic treatment on the stability of partial nitrification of activated sludge under different aeration conditions. After being treated with ultrasound (energy density = 0.20 W·mL−1, treatment time = 10 min), partial nitrification process operated stably for 67 days, with the nitrite accumulation rate above 83.89 %. The effluent contained 42.50 mg·L−1 of nitrite, much higher than the control reactor (0.30 mg·L−1). …

Technical/Algorithm, Stakeholder, And Society (Tass) Barriers To The Application Of Artificial Intelligence In Medicine: A Systematic Review

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The use of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning and predictive analytics, has shown great promise in health care. Despite its strong potential, there has been limited use in health care settings. In this systematic review, we aim to determine the main barriers to successful implementation of AI in healthcare and discuss potential ways to overcome these challenges.

Methods: We conducted a literature search in PubMed (1/1/2001-1/1/2023). The search was restricted to publications in the English language, and human study subjects. We excluded articles that did not discuss AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, and barriers to the use of …

Exploration Of Motion Capture System To Investigate Human Shoulder Kinematics, Ola Alsaadi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The glenohumeral joint (GH) is commonly conceptualized as a ball-and-socket joint [1], and its center of rotation (COR) is presumed to coincide with the geometric center of the medial-superior region of the humeral head [2]. Recent research has endorsed improvements in COR estimation through invasive and noninvasive techniques, including cadaver studies, stereophotogrammetry, and motion capture (MOCAP) systems. Despite increased interest in wearable technology within human movement analysis, the problem of COR estimation employing MOCAP systems and its validation against bi-planar fluoroscopy remains relatively unexplored.

This study employed a marker-based MOCAP system to compare the accuracy, error, and precision of three …

It’S All About Fishing: Robert Ellis Jenkins (1940-2023) And His Life Among Freshwater Fishes Of Virginia And The Redhorse Suckers, Eric J. Hilton

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Robert (Bob) Ellis Jenkins passed away in Salem, Virginia, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. Bob was born February 9, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, Bob took an early interest in natural history, and was a particularly avid fisherman. He attended Roanoke College (Salem, VA) as an undergraduate and entered into a Masters degree program at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA), only to leave before finishing for a position at the NOAA Systematics Lab based at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. He eventually became faculty at his alma mater, Roanoke College, where he would spend virtually …

Synaptic Proteins Involved In Reward-Based Plasticity, Cameron Martinez, Christian Wesselborg, Hey-Kyoung Lee Ph.D

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

My research focused on synaptic proteins involved in reward-based plasticity. More specifically, my aim sought to expand brain tissue in order to resolve the problem of distinguishing between synapses. This process involved using different biological assays.

Clear Vision Center Of South Florida Biol 4990 - Independent Study In Biology, Bita Sabripour

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

During my internship at Clear Vision Center of South Florida, I had the opportunity to shadow and work alongside Dr. Bita Sabripour to examine and provide eye care services to patients. I learned various clinical practices including taking patients' history, working the front desk, taking inventory, placing orders, selling frames, assisting patients, and keeping the office running. In addition, I ran the clinic's social media platforms and was in charge of communication with various manufacturers and sales representatives. I also volunteered with the associated nonprofit organization, See Your Future, which provides free eye care and services to the underprivileged and …

Dietary Interventions During Chemotherapy Treatment: A Systematic Review Of Feasibility, Safety, And Efficacy, Shalet James, Alexie Oppermann, Amber S. Kleckner

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

Chemotherapy is a mainstay for cancer treatment. However, chemotherapy is associated with side effects that can significantly limit a person's physical and cognitive functioning, both reducing quality of life and leading to dose reductions of life-saving treatment. Dietary interventions may help manage and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy through biological and psychological mechanisms. While there is preliminary evidence supporting the importance of nutrition in cancer care, current guidelines are vague except for minimum calorie and protein intake to prevent malnutrition. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of dietary interventions on health …

Minimum Blockers Of 123-Avoiding Permutation Matrices, Megan Bennett

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

A blocker of 123-avoiding permutation matrices refers to the set of zeros contained within an 𝑛 × 𝑛 123-forcing matrix. Recently, Brualdi and Cao provided a characterization of all minimal blockers, which are blockers with a cardinality of 𝑛. Building upon their work, a new type of blocker, flag-shaped blockers, which can be seen as a generalization of the 𝐿-shaped blockers defined by Brualdi and Cao, are introduced. It is demonstrated that all flag-shaped blockers are minimum blockers, and the shifting of positions from these blockers is discussed. Lastly, the dimensions of subpolytopes that are defined by flag-shaped blockers are …

Introduction To Protein Modeling, Jordan Nichole Carreras, Juhi Dalal, Ryan Luib, Omar Saleh, Pranav Neravetla, Shreya Averinini

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

HONR 1010G: Introduction to Protein Modeling is a course-based research opportunity focused on telling a “protein story” using a 3dprinted model developed by students working in research groups studying the literature and available protein database files. The course is open to honors students at all levels and majors. Throughout the semester, students work to develop a 3D printed model that explains how the protein works. This is done through using computational tools with protein database file published through the protein data bank (https://www.rcsb.org/) such as Jmol & Pymol, scientific literature and 3D protein models. In addition to creating the 3dprinted …

Investigating The Gut Microbiota Of Skeleton Shrimp, Jason Rosales

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

No abstract provided.

How Did The Covid-19 Pandemic Impact Anatomy And Physiology Education Worldwide, Sneh Patel, Sean Mahajan, Santanu De

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

No abstract provided.

Sea-Phages Research, Bianca Gonzalez

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and kill bacteria and there is an abundant amount of them in the world. They have been recently utilized in biotechnological applications including their use in combating antibiotic resistance and bioremediation of oil spills. Through the SEA-PHAGES program, my goal (along with my team) was to discover and isolate bacteriophages found in soil and analyze their full genome sequences

Md Anderson Internship: Targeting Il-27rα In Ovarian Cancer, Meghana Kavarthapu

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

We utilized a novel explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) approach to identify Interleukin-27 Receptor α (IL-27Rα) as a potential therapeutic target for high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) patients based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. High expression of IL-27Rα was found to be significantly correlated with poorer survival in HGSC patients. To investigate its therapeutic potential, we silenced IL-27Rα in murine HGSC cells lines using siRNA and assessed its impact on tumor proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. Our results demonstrated that IL-27Rα siRNA effectively reduced its expression, as confirmed by Western Blot analysis, and significantly attenuated proliferation by clonogenic …

Florida's Summer Institute In Biostatistics And Data Science Program Experience, David Giordano

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

The Summer Institute in Biostatistics and Data Science, sponsored by the NHLBI and NIAID, offers a comprehensive six to seven-week training program. This program provides classroom instruction, career mentoring, and hands-on data analysis using clinical study data related to infectious, immune-mediated, and chronic diseases. It's designed to address the increasing demand for biostatisticians and data scientists, targeting undergraduates and early graduate students to consider graduate programs in these fields. The curriculum includes intensive biostatistical training, introducing students to statistical methods' principles and applications in biomedical and clinical research.

Pre-Health Professional Volunteer, Divya Papaiya

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

I participated in the esteemed Pre-Health Professional Volunteer Program at Penn Medicine Princeton Health over this summer from May to August. Through this program, I was able to rotate through various departments in the hospital ranging from – but not limited to – Radiation Oncology to the Pathology/Blood Bank Lab. Along with completing my rotations, I was a part of a close-knit cohort that was able to attend special lectures dedicated to a variety of healthcare topics such as medical treatment inequality and disparity, EMS services, organ donation, and medical examiner (autopsy) recognition cases. Despite being part of a specialized …

Big 5 Conservation Internship, Bernhard Riegl

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

The Discover Eden Big 5 Ecology and Conservation course is located in South Africa. Through a series of first-hand experiences and lectures, one learns much about Conservation and what it really is. By working with Ecologists, Conservationists, and Veterinarians, you gain insight into these professions and what they entail

Summer 2023 Graz Internship, Eleanor Wind, Alex Pope

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

The summer 2023 Graz Internship was a comprehensive medical internship which exposed us to both surgical and clinical sides of medicine. Over the course of 6 weeks we were able to observe a variety of operations and even scrub in and assist. Clinical skills acquired included IV placement, phlebotomy, laparoscopy, suturing and surgical knot tying. In addition to experience gained in the hospital, we learned the basics of international travel, citywide navigation in multiple cities, European culture, and ate quite a bit of good food. We were fortunate enough to meet a network of medical students and doctors from other …

Science Alive, Adam Sadik, Pranav Madadi, Mahalaxmi Some, Lohita Sunkara, Ashley Abad, Lickchina Jeanlis

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

Through the Science Alive outreach program, we work to bring the excitement of hands-on learning to grade-school children and the entire community. Science Alive promotes science education and interaction between the college and grade school community as “science buddies”. Group leaders can earn Science Alive internship credit and serve as volunteers with Broward County public schools. There are a variety of ways NSU students are involved in this internship program. We have a regular schedule of leading students once per week on Friday afternoons at Nova Blanche Elementary through NSU student-led activities to explore science. We also have been building …

The Santa Clara, 2023-10-31, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Advancements In Dendritic Cell Vaccination: Enhancing Efficacy And Optimizing Combinatorial Strategies For The Treatment Of Glioblastoma, Robert Subtirelu, Eric Teichner, Arjun Ashok, Chitra Parikh, Sahithi Talasila, Irina-Mihaela Matache, Ahab Alnemri, Victoria Anderson, Osmaan Shahid, Sricharvi Mannam, Andrew Lee, Thomas Werner, Mona-Elisabeth Revheim, Abass Alavi

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Glioblastomas (GBM) are highly invasive, malignant primary brain tumors. The overall prognosis is poor, and management of GBMs remains a formidable challenge, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies such as dendritic cell vaccinations (DCVs). While many early clinical trials demonstrate an induction of an antitumoral immune response, outcomes are mixed and dependent on numerous factors that vary between trials. Optimization of DCVs is essential; the selection of GBM-specific antigens and the utilization of ¹⁸F-fludeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) may add significant value and ultimately improve outcomes for patients undergoing treatment for glioblastoma. This review provides an overview of the mechanism of …

Maple Tapping In Utah, Nicole King, Darren Mcavoy

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides a brief introduction to tapping maple trees in Utah and the Intermountain West. Included is an overview of maple tree identification, weather conditions, and how to start tapping.

Examining The Role Of Microglia In Diabetic Retinopathy: Phenotypes, Mechanisms, And Therapies, Charles W. Pfeifer

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Retinal microglia activation and function is a pivotal component of ocular disease pathology, but their involvement in diabetic retinopathy, a complex neurovascular complication of diabetes, remains unclear. The purpose of this thesis work is to thoroughly examine features of microglia activation in DR, identify mechanistic underpinnings of their contributions to neuroinflammatory features of disease pathogenesis, and assess immunotherapeutic targeting of microglia as a potential approach to treating early-stage DR. Here, we show that chronic hyperglycemia elicits morphological, ultrastructural, and transcriptional changes in retinal microglia during early-stage DR while other elements of the retinal neurovascular unit remain unperturbed. Through chronic ablation …

Genome Sequences Of Six Cluster Ct And Two Cluster Dj Bacteriophages That Infect Gordonia Rubripertincta, Xavier F. Rodriguez, Daniel C. Williams, Catherine P. Chia

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We report the genome sequences of eight bacteriophages isolated using Gordonia rubripertincta NRRL B-16540-SEA. Based on gene content similarity to phages in the Actinobacteriophage database, six of the phages are assigned to phage cluster CT while two are assigned to cluster DJ.

Effects Of A Major Hurricane On Dynamics, Structure, And Composition Of Mississippi River Delta Forests, Lance C. Umlang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tropical cyclones recurrently influence coastal forests worldwide. Tree survival (resistance) and post-cyclone recruitment (resilience) can vary with cyclone intensity, producing differences in composition, arboreal structure, and dynamics among affected forests. Studies of tropical cyclone wind effects on coastal forests typically emphasize damage more than post-cyclone responses. We hypothesized that intense cyclones might produce large, stratum-dependent effects that prevent affected forests from returning to pre-storm conditions. We explored direct effects of major Hurricane Katrina and post-hurricane changes in oak-dominated bottomland and cypress/tupelo-dominated swamp forests within the inactive portion of the Mississippi River deltaic plain. Overall mortality was high (14-25%) but concentrated …

Surface Premelting Of Ice Far Below The Triple Point, Thomas E Gage, Suvo Banik, Arnab Neogi, Henry Chan, Aiwen Lei, Xiao-Min Lin, Martin Holt, Ilke Arslan, Jianguo Wen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Premelting of ice, a quasi-liquid layer (QLL) at the surface below the melting temperature, was first postulated by Michael Faraday 160 y ago. Since then, it has been extensively studied theoretically and experimentally through many techniques. Existing work has been performed predominantly on hexagonal ice, at conditions close to the triple point. Whether the same phenomenon can persist at much lower pressure and temperature, where stacking disordered ice sublimates directly into water vapor, remains unclear. Herein, we report direct observations of surface premelting on ice nanocrystals below the sublimation temperature using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Similar to what has been …

Smokejumper Obituary: Barber, Michael Stephen (Missoula 1968), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Depaul Digest

DePaul Magazine

College of Education Professor Jason Goulah fosters hope, happiness and global citizenship through DePaul’s Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education. Associate Journalism Professor Jill Hopke shares how to talk about climate change. News briefs from DePaul’s 10 colleges and schools: Occupational Therapy Standardized Patient Program, Financial Planning Certificate program, Business Education in Technology and Analytics Hub, Racial Justice Initiative, Teacher Quality Partnership grant, Intimate Partner Violence and Brain Injury collaboration, School of Music Career Closet, Sports Photojournalism course, DePaul Migration Collaborative’s Solutions Lab, Inclusive Screenwriting courses. New appointments: School of Music Dean John Milbauer, College of Education Dean Jennifer …

Multiple Light Signaling Pathways Control Solar Tracking In Sunflowers, Christopher J. Brooks, Hagop S. Atamian, Stacey L. Harmer

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Sunflowers are famous for their ability to track the sun throughout the day and then reorient at night to face east the following morning. This occurs by differential growth patterns, with the east sides of stems growing more during the day and the west sides of stems growing more at night. This process, termed heliotropism, is generally believed to be a specialized form of phototropism; however, the underlying mechanism is unknown. To better understand heliotropism, we compared gene expression patterns in plants undergoing phototropism in a controlled environment and in plants initiating and maintaining heliotropic growth in the field. We …