Life Sciences Commons^™

A Novel Ruthenium-Silver Based Antimicrobial Potentiates Aminoglycoside Activity Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Gracious Yoofi Donkor, Greg M. Anderson, Michael Stadler, Patrick Ofori Tawiah, Carl D. Orellano, Kevin A. Edwards, Jan-Ulrik Dahl

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

The rapid dissemination of antibiotic resistance combined with the decline in the discovery of novel antibiotics represents a major challenge for infectious disease control that can only be mitigated by investments in novel treatment strategies. Alternative antimicrobials, including silver, have regained interest due to their diverse mechanisms of inhibiting microbial growth. One such example is AGXX, a broad-spec­trum antimicrobial that produces highly cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) to inflict extensive macromolecular damage. Due to the connections identified between ROS production and antibiotic lethality, we hypothesized that AGXX could potentially increase the activity of conventional antibiotics. Using the gram-negative pathogen Pseudomonas …

Advancing Methods Of Diet Analysis: A Case Study Using Degraded Merlin (Falco Columbarius) Prey Remains, Taylor A. Coon

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Prey remains have long been used as a mechanism to approach diet analyses. As understanding diet is key to comprehending ecosystem dynamics, prey remains identification requires a unique methodological approach to determine diversity within a sample. With the advancement of technology, molecular protocols designed for species-specific identification have improved to incredible accuracy and precision. Yet, the visual identification method has remained a predominant technique within diet studies. With entry-level observers, we matched visual identifications with molecular-based methods to quantify the accuracy of the visual identification method. This study determined what fraction of visually identified prey remains could be correctly identified …

Assessing The Efficacy Of Beaver Dam Analogs In Willow Restoration, Hannah Hill, Dylan Ritter

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Willow establishment is a necessary objective of stream restoration due to their role in bank stabilization, stream shading, and enhancement of biodiversity across the riparian zone. However, anecdotal observation indicated that establishment on beaver dam analogue (BDA) restored streams may be lacking. BDA’s mimic the pooling effects of natural beaver structures and are intended to help recreate historic conditions that existed before beaver extirpation. When working as intended, ecosystem function is restored, and a major aspect of this is willow presence. Because of these observations, as well as limited information on willow recruitment following restoration, we ask the following questions. …

Effects Of Warming And Drying On The Survival And Performance Of Giant Salmonfly Nymphs (Pteronarcys Californica), Kailie Todd

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Rising temperatures and anthropogenic influences threaten to alter aquatic ecosystems as oxygen supply and demand is altered depending on temperature, flow, and water presence. In late November of 2021, a dam malfunction occurred on the Madison River in Montana that caused the river to dry rapidly downstream of the dam and reduced flow by 70% for 50 hours. My experiments were designed to determine the effects of this event by assessing how long giant salmonfly nymphs (Pteronarcys californica) can survive in still water and in air depending on temperature and relative humidity. In the laboratory, we exposed salmonfly …

Out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Fire: How Hunting Affects The Diel Activity Patterns Of Ungulates In Lubrecht Experimental Forest, Shawn M. Parsons

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Predator-prey dynamics shape diel activity patterns of large mammals. The avoidance of predation risk by prey in both space and time can affect predator-prey overlap and reduce risk of mortality. Here, I examined if rifle hunting affected the diel activity patterns of ungulates and their primary predator, pumas, in Lubrecht Experimental Forest, Montana. I deployed 30 infrared wildlife remote cameras across 29 sites using a stratified random design over three months before, during, and after the Fall 2022 Montana rifle hunting season. This project was also part of the Snapshot USA 2022 initiative. Using timestamps from these photos, daily activity …

Food Fan Academy: Boosting Informal Educators Abilities To Use Food As A Teaching Tool, Kelly Furr

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Food, fitness, and nutrition (FAN) professional development (PD) for informal educators can serve to impact science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics, and medicine (STEAM+M) learning environments. Using food as a teaching tool in shaping the development of informal educators and education of students offers a unique opportunity for the acquisition of scientific knowledge and essential skills. The purpose of this study was to develop a Food FAN Academy for informal educators and evaluate the effectiveness of the PD. Methods: Case study method was utilized for the research study and the Food FAN Academy PD was a two-hour session designed in …

Characterizing Vhh Domains As Stabilization And Oligomeric Control Modules, Niyati Patel

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The biophysical properties of the VHH domain from heavy-chain-only antibodies obtained from the Camelidae family has expanded opportunities for novel antibody applications. The small, single domain nature of VHH domains makes them attractive modules for fusion proteins. Here, two VHH fusion systems were evaluated, RNase A-anti-RNase A VHH and GFPMut3aR80Q-anti-GFP VHH, to investigate how antigen-VHH fusions may enhance protein thermostability. The introduction of various length flexible linkers was hypothesized to play a role in stability, as well as influence the oligomeric state. Bovine Pancreatic Ribonuclease A, or RNase A, is an enzyme belonging to the ribonuclease A superfamily, which is …

Effectiveness Of The Catch (Coordinated Approach To Child’S Health) Rainbow Program In Elementary Schools For Change In Fruit And Vegetable Intake, Ashley M. Valinskas

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background: There is currently a lack of nutrition education programs that effectively increase fruit and vegetable (FV) intake among children. Not meeting the recommendations for fruits and vegetables increases the risk for poor academic achievement, obesity, and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, asthma, and more. Nutrition, cooking, and gardening lessons individually and together have shown to increase fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption in school-aged children.Methods: Two-Hundred Twenty-five 4th and 5th graders participated in six cooking and six gardening lessons between September 2021 and May 2022 at Genoa Elementary school. Each nutrition education session was 25-minutes long, …

Wa Insecticide Guide 2023 - Autumn Winter, Svetlana Micic, Alan Lord

PestFacts WA

Registered chemicals for broadacre crops in Western Australia.

The pesticides listed in the tables within this guide can be used on any crop appearing on the chemical label, if the rate used does not exceed the highest rate that is registered for use on that crop.

There are many products with different trade names that contain the same active ingredient. This list is not exhaustive and does not imply any specific recommendations of brand names.

Unless otherwise specified all insecticides listed are emulsifiable concentrate (EC). Insecticides with SC are suspension concentrate, WP is wettable powder, CS is capsule suspension, WG …

Role Of Micrornas In Intestinal Inflammation And Barrier Homeostasis After Alcohol And Burn Injury, Caroline J. Herrnreiter

Dissertations

MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNA molecules that negatively regulate gene expression. Within the intestinal epithelium, miRNAs play a critical role in gut homeostasis and aberrant miRNA expression has been implicated in various disorders associated with intestinal inflammation and barrier disruption. In this study, we sought to profile changes in intestinal epithelial cell miRNA expression after alcohol and burn injury and elucidate their impact on inflammation and barrier integrity. In a more targeted approach, we began by focusing on anti-inflammatory miRNAs that, when downregulated, could exacerbate inflammation and result in intestinal barrier disruption. Using a mouse model of acute ethanol intoxication …

Physiological Responses Between Collegiate Female Athletes Versus Collegiate Female Non-Athletes To Body Image, Nutrition, And Mental Health Inquiries., Molly Mcchesney, Jenna Holloway

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Participation in college athletics poses numerous demands on young adults. Not only are there academic demands to remain eligible for competition, but there are physical and mental demands that often go unnoticed. With all these demands, it is understandable how one's nutrition, body image, and mental health may go on the back burner, resulting in insufficiencies in all three categories. The results from this study suggest that athletes displayed stronger physiological responses with respect to heart rate and blood pressure when responding to the surveys surrounding the topics of mental health, body image, and nutrition as compared to non-athletes. The …

Effects Of Nicotine Vs Non-Nicotine E-Cigarettes On The Aggression Behavior Of Crayfish, Alex Kimble

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study looks at the effects of e-cigarette vapor with and without nicotine on the aggression behavior of crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). The treatment groups were control, nicotine, and non-nicotine. The mass, sex, and condition of their appendages were recorded before random assignment. For the purpose of this study only male crayfish were used as there were not enough female crayfish. The crayfish were then randomly assigned to each group and contained ten crayfish that were subjected to the e-cigarette vapor infused water environment for a twenty-four hour period. The control group did not contain e-cigarette vapor and was exposed to …

Dimerization Of Dopamine (D2) And Adenosine (A2a) Receptors, Elena Vukovic, Jackson M. Macatol

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This experiment will aim to explore the heterodimerization of Dopamine (D2) and Adenosine (A2A) receptors in cells when bound to different ligands. Borroto-Escuela et al. (2018) investigated the dimerization of the A2AR-D2R in rats when administered with cocaine, and they found that disrupting the A2AR-D2R complex restores the cocaine reward system in rats. This was a strong influence as to why we chose to investigate A2AR-D2R dimerization in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells.

One goal that we have for this experiment is to combine our current laboratory skills with new laboratory techniques. There are constantly new techniques in labs, and …

Effects Of Electronic Cigarettes On The Standard Metabolic Rate Of Crayfish, Frank Shaffer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study aims to examine the relationship between e-cigarettes (both with nicotine and without) and the effects on the standard metabolic rates of crayfish. In this experiment, 42 crayfish were divided into three treatment groups and exposed to a designated solution of either a control solution or a solution containing e-cigarette (nicotine or non-nicotine) vapor. Their standard metabolic rates were then measured by using oxygen uptake as a proxy. The results of this experiment indicate that there is no statistically significant relationship between the use of electronic cigarettes and the standard metabolic rate of crayfish. However, this study can be …

Effect Of An Oncogenic Her2 Mutant On Egfr Activity, Paige Kalik

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Studies have shown that HERs are involved in the progression of human cancers. Researchers have found that HER2 mutations in colorectal cancer are similar to mutations found in breast cancer. Recombinant antibodies are effective therapeutic treatments for cancers. Antibodies can also be used to determine how proteins function under normal and pathophysiological conditions while also identifying interacting partners. In this Honors Project, my aim is to investigate the effect of an oncogenic mutant of HER2. Considering the information above, the question researched in this project was: how does the S310F mutation affect the organization and function of HER2? The specific …

Bite Force And Stress Content Of Varying Tooth Morphology And Jaw Alignment, Emily Newenhisen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Biting is one of the primary physical actions against a food substrate involved in the process of mastication and consumption. Different shapes of solidified tissue (e.g., teeth, mandibles) are developed based on dietary preferences of the organism to improve mechanical function. Models of various geometric shapes were used to loosely replicate several common biological tooth structures. As there is little research conducted on tooth penetration force in relation to tooth shape, collection of such data was the main focus of the research. Molariform teeth found in herbivores were represented by the ball model, carnivorous needle-like teeth by cone model, cutting …

Expanding Our Grasp Of Two-Component Signaling In Clostridioides Difficile, Orlando Berumen Alvarez, Erin B. Purcell

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The intestinal pathogen Clostridioides difficile encodes roughly 50 TCS, but very few have been characterized in terms of their activating signals or their regulatory roles. A. G. Pannullo, B. R. Zbylicki, and C. D. Ellermeier (J Bacteriol 205:e00164-23, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.00164-23) have identified both for the novel C. difficile TCD DraRS. DraRS responds to antibiotics that target lipid-II molecules in the bacterial cell envelope, and regulates the production of a novel glycolipid necessary for bacitracin and daptomycin resistance in C. difficile.

A Characterization Of Key Residues In Class I Viral Fusion Proteins Important For Fusogenic Activity, Hadley E. Neal

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Viral fusion proteins are critical for viral entry and subsequent infection. Class I fusion proteins are characterized by synthesis as an inactive precursor requiring cleavage by a host cell protease to become fusion competent. Though vaccine and antiviral therapeutic developments often target the fusion protein, questions surrounding cleavage dynamics and protein stability remain. The work presented in this dissertation investigates specific regions of three class I viral fusion proteins in an effort to identify key residues involved in proteolytic processing and membrane fusion.

The trimeric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein (S) mediates receptor binding, facilitates fusion …

Characterization Of The Function And Regulation Of The Hmpv Phosphoprotein, Rachel Thompson

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a non-segmented, negative strand RNA virus (NNSV) that frequently causes respiratory tract infections in infants, the elderly, and the immunocompromised. Despite the initial identification of HMPV in 2001, there are currently no FDA approved antivirals or vaccines available. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of HMPV replication is critical for the identification of novel therapeutic targets. A key feature in the replication cycle of HMPV and other NNSVs is the formation of membrane-less, liquid-like replication and transcription centers in the cytosol termed inclusion bodies (IBs). Recent work on NNSV IBs suggests they display characteristics of biomolecular condensates formed …

Advancements In Glycogen Detection And Spatial Profiling Reveals A New Therapeutic Path For Ewing Sarcoma: A Non-Traditional Glycogen Storage Disease, Lyndsay E. A. Young

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Glycogen is the primary glucose storage carbohydrate in mammals, and it is synthesized in most tissues. As glycogen architecture modulates its role in metabolism, it is essential to accurately evaluate and quantify glycogen, glycogen phosphate, and chain length of glucose monomers. Simultaneous quantitation of glycogen architecture is challenging. This work describes a highly-sensitive method for the detection of both glycogen-derived glucose and glucose-phosphate esters utilizing gas-chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (GCMS). We then integrated this glycogen quantitation workflow into a routinely utilized metabolomics-based assay. The work presented describes a workflow for the normalization of polar metabolites utilizing amino acids derived from …

The Role Of Chromatin Structure In Circular Rna Biogenesis, Function And Disease, Rebekah Eleazer

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Fundamental to cellular differentiation, development, and physiology is the precise regulation of gene expression. At the center of this control lies chromatin, and disruptions in chromatin biology are key contributors to complex human diseases. By convention, gene expression analysis primarily focuses on transcript abundance, however the splicing of transcripts into distinct isoforms is also of biological relevance. One new form of alternative splicing, backsplicing, is responsible for generating circular RNAs (circRNAs), which are emerging as essential components to gene regulatory networks. However, unlike other forms of alternative splicing, the role that chromatin plays in backsplicing and circRNA formation remains poorly …

Investigating The Roles Of Platelet Bioenergetics In Hemostasis And Thrombosis, Kanakanagavalli Shravani Prakhya

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Platelets use a series of energy-dependent processes to mediate hemostasis, yet it is unclear which metabolic fuels/pathways are critical for platelet function. Platelets are metabolically flexible, switching between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) depending on oxygen tension and substrate availability. The deletion of GLUT1 and GLUT3 together revealed an essential role in platelet function and hemostasis. To study platelet bioenergetics, we used clot contraction. We created a sensitive and inexpensive method to simultaneously assess clot contraction kinetics to directly compare and define the effects of different treatments or genetic manipulations on platelet function.

Since the pharmacological inhibitors cannot be used …

The Role Of Dynamin Related Protein 1-Mediated Mitochondrial Dynamics In Colorectal Cancer, Sumati Raj Hasani

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Cancer cells are known for their ability to adapt variable metabolic programs depending on the availability of specific nutrients. Consequently, metabolic reprogramming has been increasingly recognized as a major mechanism that fuels tumorigenesis and disease progression. Here, we have investigated the role of a pro-fission factor, Dynamin-Related Protein 1 (Drp1), in promoting metabolic adaptation in colon cancer.

Our studies have shown that fatty acid (FAs) uptake alters cellular metabolic pathways in colon cancer cells to favor fatty acid oxidation through the activation of Drp1. Uptake of FAs induces mitochondrial fragmentation by promoting ERK-dependent phosphorylation of Drp1 at the S616 site, …

The Development And Characterization Of Nanobodies Specific To Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 4a3 (Ptp4a3/Prl-3) To Dissect And Target Its Role In Cancer., Caroline Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 4A3 (PTP4A3 or PRL-3) is an oncogenic dual-specificity phosphatase that drives tumor metastasis, promotes cancer cell survival, and is correlated with poor patient prognosis in a variety of solid tumors and leukemias. The mechanisms that drive PRL-3’s oncogenic functions are not well understood, in part due to a lack of research tools available to study this protein. The development of such tools has proven difficult, as the PRL family is ~80% homologous and the PRL catalytic binding pocket is shallow and hydrophobic. Currently available small molecules do not exhibit binding specificity for PRL-3 over PRL family members, …

Modeling The Bidirectional Relationship Between Shared-Patient Physician Networks And Patient Longitudinal Treatment Patterns: Application To Physician Risky-Prescribing, Xin Ran

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Risky-prescribing is a pressing public health concern in the United States. Opioids, benzodiazepines, and non-benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotics (sedative-hypnotics) are three commonly-prescribed but potentially risky drug groups, prescribed alone or in combination. Physician shared-patient networks provide a unique perspective in studying physician network characteristics and structures, as well as their association with the delivery of health care. Understanding how physician shared-patient networks are related to their prescribing may inform network-based interventions targeting risky-prescribing, which is yet to be fully studied.

We investigated patient receipt of risky prescriptions and physician risky-prescribing intensity through the scope of shared-patient networks. We used retrospective Medicare insurance …

Multi-Omic And Single-Cell Characterization Of A 3d Skin-Like Tissue Model Of Systemic Sclerosis With A Focus On Epigenetics, Tamar R. Abel

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare fibrotic autoimmune disease with high mortality and limited FDA approved therapies. Clinical concordance among twins is low; however, a modest familial heritability implicates complex interactions between polygenic risk alleles and the environment as causal – interactions that are mediated by epigenetics. Although mechanisms of tissue fibrosis have been successfully identified and targeted in established in vitro models for SSc, these molecules have ultimately failed in clinical trials. This likely reflects the lack of a reliable in vitro model that faithfully recapitulates the disease.

I utilized a 3D skin-like tissue model to study SSc skin …

Regulation Of Cathepsin L Expression And Activity By Cell Confluence And The Circadian Clock, Prashant Gaikwad

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Cathepsin L is a lysosomal cysteine protease that is encoded by the CTSL gene in humans. Previous results have shown that CTSL expression and activity towards the DNA repair protein XPA are elevated in lysates of confluent/quiescent HaCaT keratinocytes. Because other nuclear proteins, including 53BP1 and histone H3, have also been reported to be CTSL substrates under conditions of cell differentiation, senescence, or quiescence, CTSL expression and activity (cleavage) of multiple nuclear proteins was examined in lysates from HaCaT cells and other cell lines at various days after plating and cell confluency. Our study found that adding CTSL inhibitors to …

The Effect Of Pomegranate Consumption On The Gut Microbiome, Brant Bandow

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Pomegranate is known to have antioxidant and prebiotic qualities that have been shown to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria while reducing inflammation in the gut. Inflammation in the gut is an issue that results in many health problems including obesity and colon cancer. In this study, an experimental group received a daily pomegranate supplement for three weeks where a control group did not receive any supplement. After sequencing gDNA isolated from fecal samples from both before and after the trial period there was a significant difference between the two groups. The largest amount of variability is attributed to the …

A Fecal Survey To Evaluate The Prevalence Of Enteric Viruses In Laboratory Mice, Amina Khatun

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of four enteric viruses in mouse research facilities that may not be captured by routine pathogen screening. Fecal samples were collected from contact-sentinel mouse cages between April 2022 and January 2023, and screened for the presence of viral genome by RT-qPCR. Out of a total of 50 samples, murine norovirus and murine astrovirus were detected in two (4%) and one (2%) sample, respectively, while murine adenovirus and murine rotavirus were not detected. Furthermore, all samples were screened for the presence of infectious murine noroviruses and astroviruses using the RAW264.7 and Vero cells …

Deciphering The Pathway Of Human Astrovirus Release From Infected Cells, Joshua Eduful

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

During infection, viruses are released from infected cells and spread to neighboring cells either through a lytic pathway (by rupturing cells), a non-lytic pathway (such as the use of extracellular vesicles), or both pathways. Human astroviruses (HAstV) are highly prevalent non-enveloped positive sense RNA viruses. They are separated into three clades, classic-type, MLB-type and VA-type, in humans. They are identified as the third leading cause of viral gastroenteritis in children, the elderly, and immunocompromised patients. Yet, little is known about the replication, transmission, immunity, and epidemiology of these viruses. Thus, I sought to investigate the possible pathways HAstV utilize to …