Genetic Analysis Of Rna Exosome Complex Cofactors, Luisa Orlando

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The RNA exosome complex is known to process and/or degrade many classes of RNA, including mRNA, rRNA, tRNA and snRNA, through its 3’-to-5’ exoribonuclease catalytic activity. The RNA exosome complex comprises a 9-unit core (exo-9), with six proteins making up a PH-Ring barrel and three proteins making up a S1-KH cap. The RNA exosome complex exo-9 core is inactive by itself and requires different cofactors in the nucleus and cytoplasm to perform different localized functions. This exo-9 core can associate with one or two catalytic subunits, including Rrp44/Dis3 and Rrp6 in yeast and DIS3 or DIS3L and RRP6/EXOSC10 in humans. …

Ankyrin Dependent Mitochondrial Function And Bioenergetics In The Heart, Janani Subramaniam, Janani Subramaniam

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

ANK2 mutations in patients are associated with numerous arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies, and other heart defects. In the heart, AnkB, the protein encoded by ANK2, clusters relevant ion channels and cell adhesion molecules in several important domains; however, its role at Mitochondria Associated ER/SR Membranes (MAMs) has yet to be investigated. MAMs are crucial to mitochondrial function and metabolism and are signaling hubs implicated in various cardiac pathologies. Among several functions, these sites mediate the direct transfer of calcium from the ER/SR to the mitochondria to modulate ATP synthesis. Given that mitochondrial function and energy production are paramount to cardiovascular heath, …

Data-Driven Biomarker Panel Discovery In Ovarian Cancer Using Heterogenous Data Fusion On Exosomal And Non-Exosomal Microrna Expression Data, Paritra Mandal

All Dissertations

Ovarian cancer (OC) is an aggressive gynecological cancer and is currently the 5th leading cause of deaths due to cancer in women. High mortality rates are attributable to the vague pathogenesis and asymptomatic nature of the early stages. The development of a liquid biopsy for routine OC screening could help identify the disease at an earlier stage, making treatments more likely to be effective thereby increasing survival rates. Exosomes, small (~100nm) extracellular vesicles present in body fluids, have been shown to contain cancer-progression, onset, and related factors, making them good candidates for use in liquid biopsies. However, to date, only …

Behavioral Ecology Of The American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) In Human-Dominated Landscapes Of Coastal South Carolina, Anjelika Kidd-Weaver

All Dissertations

When wildlife habitat is developed to accommodate growing human populations, wildlife are forced to move to undisturbed landscapes or to acclimate to a novel, anthropogenic environment. In this dissertation, we investigated the behavior and ecology of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) in coastal, residential resort communities with an overarching goal of identifying behavioral patterns of alligators that can inform risk management strategies. In Chapter One, we compared the space use of male and female alligators in primarily wetland versus residential landscapes across three seasons to determine if and how space use behaviors of alligators differ. We found that …

The Role Of Fatty Acid Metabolism In The Pathogenesis Of Trypanosoma Brucei, Nava Poudyal

All Dissertations

Trypanosoma brucei is the protozoan parasite that causes African Sleeping Sickness in humans and nagana, a wasting disease in cattle. T. brucei completes its life cycle in two hosts, mammals and the tsetse fly insect vector. Due to the geographical restriction of the tsetse fly, the disease is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Both the insect and mammalian forms of the parasite need fatty acids to anchor their surface proteins. We worked on three projects on fatty acid metabolism and its role in immune evasion strategies of T. brucei. First, we assessed the role of T. brucei surface proteins in …

Exploring Soil-Tree Interactions After Applying Organic Matter Amendments To Peach Orchards In The Subtropical Climate Of The Southeastern United States, Brian Lawrence

All Dissertations

Soil disturbance from the cultivation and intensive management of orchards in hot and humid subtropical climates can reduce soil organic matter (OM). This research explored how the addition of OM amendments impact soil and tree parameters in two field studies and how proximity to OM may elicit unique genomic response of peach roots in a split-root pot study. The first field study applied two rates of compost (1x and 2x) and subsequently reduced fertilizer applications annually to a virgin and replant orchard location. While both compost rates successfully replaced fertilizers, only the 2x rate in the replant location increased soil …

The Antimicrobial Resistance Plasmid Mobilome Of Salmonella Enterica And Related Enteric Species And Factors That Influence The Transfer Efficiency., Suad Algarni

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The dynamic distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes in Salmonella enterica is considered a public health risk. S. enterica is one of the most important etiological agents of foodborne illness and has a critical impact on global human health. In S. enterica and related species, mobile genetic elements (MGEs) serve as primary vehicles for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in the bacterial evolution. This dissemination can be impacted by different selective pressures that leads to diverse antibiotic response phenotypes. This project focusses on the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance genes, particularly exploring the transfer efficiency of multidrug resistance plasmids in S. …

South Texas Wildlife Activity Across A Fragmented Landscape And Road Mitigation Corridor, Caitlin K. Brett

Theses and Dissertations

Wildlife crossing structures (WCS) and roadside fencing are commonly installed to mitigate habitat fragmentation, wildlife road mortalities, and other negative effects that roads can have on the surrounding landscape. Eight such WCS were constructed below Farm-to-Market (FM)106 in Cameron County, Texas, across a 16 km corridor transecting the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. These WCS, paired with adjacent roadside fencing, were intended to prevent road mortalities of the endangered ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and to mitigate the barrier effect of FM106 on this and other meso-mammal species. This study will analyze camera trap data from roadside and habitat reference …

Grapefruit Peel Biochar Applications For Immobilizing Copper And Lead In Soil, Michael Alfredo Navarro

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the efficacy of grapefruit peel (GP) derived biochar materials (two pyrolysis temperatures 450°C and 800°C) as a potential adsorbent to immobilize heavy metal (copper and lead) in a local sandy loam clay soil. A batch adsorption test with heavy metal concentrations at 50 mg L-1, and 100 mg L-1 revealed that soil itself had the highest immobilization percentage compared to the GP biochars. A soil column experiment was conducted to determine how much the GP biochar samples and the tested soil will exhibit adsorptive characteristics for heavy metals when 50 ml of 50 mg L-1 copper or …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 24. Wallace At 200: Potential Subjects For Student Theses, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

The bicentennial of Alfred Russel Wallace’s birth in 2023 will likely produce a wide array of reviews of his life and work; here, we pause for a short look at some Wallace-related questions that might be adapted for student theses and dissertations. Some of the subjects treated fall in with established lines of research, while others are suggested by other Wallace interests or activities that have not been much explored.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 23: The Jersey Devil, And Friends, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

For nearly three hundred years reports have surfaced of a purported cryptid form known as the ‘Jersey devil.’ In this work an interpretation of the goals of biogeography is given, and how this field can be related to such alleged phenomena, as well as to some of the ideas of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) that seem to find their origin in the writings of Benedict de Spinoza (1632-1677).

Synthesis And Characterization Of Aerogels From Cellulose-Starch Mixtures For Advanced Packaging Applications, Angel Sagardui

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Biodegradable, highly porous, ultra-lightweight, and high-surface-area aerogels from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and corn starch mixtures were synthesized through a simple, green process, specifically supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) drying. Five weight ratios of samples were generated (pure MCC, 2:1 MCC-starch, 1:1 MCC-starch, 1:2 MCC-starch, and pure starch) and were then subjected to a variety of characterization experiments relating to textural and thermal properties as well as morphology, crystallinity, and chemical interactions. Overall, the 1:2 MCC-starch aerogel had the lowest density (0.04 g/cm3), and highest porosity (97%). Conversely, the pure MCC aerogel demonstrated the highest mechanical strength (Young’s modulus of 48.9 MPa), …

Editorial: Tropicalization In Seagrasses: Shifts In Ecosystem Function, Glenn A. Hyndes, Jessie C. Jarvis, Kenneth L. Heck

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Seagrass meadows form highly productive and diverse ecosystems that provide a range of ecosystem services along coasts of most continents (Barbier et al., 2011; Nordlund et al., 2016), yet they continue to experience large losses through direct and indirect human disturbances (Waycott et al., 2009; Duarte et al., 2018). Like other coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs and kelp forests, seagrasses are showing strong negative responses to elevated ocean temperatures and heatwaves, in which rising temperatures exceed their thresholds for survival [...].

Maturity Stage At Harvest Influences Antioxidant Phytochemicals And Antibacterial Activity Of Jujube Fruit (Ziziphus Mauritiana Lamk. And Ziziphus Spina-Christi L.), Adhbah R. H. Aldhanhani, Zienab F. R. Ahmed, Nikolaos Tzortzakis, Zora Singh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Fruits of the genus Ziziphus are known for their medicinal and nutritional value. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the influence of different maturity stages (unripe, half-ripe, and ripe fruit) at harvest on the physicochemical characteristics, phytochemical composition, antioxidants, and antibacterial activities of Ziziphus mauritiana and Ziziphus spina-christi fruits. In both plant species, the unripe fruits had significantly higher (P < 0.05) phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant and antibacterial activity compared with ripe fruits. At all maturity stages, these features were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in Z. spina-christi fruits than in Z. mauritiana fruits. Regardless of the species, 13 phenolic compounds were identified and quantified in the fruit extracts. For both species, the concentration of individual phenolic compounds changed with fruit maturity. Among the phenolic compounds, the gallic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, salicylic acid, catechin, and rutin levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in Z. spina-christi fruits than those for Z. mauritiana fruits, whereas vanillic acid and quercetin showed the opposite trend. Additionally, trans-cinnamic acid was only detected in Z. spina-christi fruits. In conclusion, the mature unripe jujube fruit, especially in Z. spina-christi, was shown to be a promising source of various naturally occurring compounds of significant interest owing to its pharmacological and therapeutic properties as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic.

Potential Fitness Trade-Offs Of Elevated Esterase Activity Associated With Insecticide Resistance In The Mosquito Culex Quinquefasciatus, Timothy Schulte

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

One of the current major issues in the control of vector-borne disease is resistance to insecticides. Resistance to one or more insecticides has appeared in over 580 different arthropod species. Widespread resistance has led to the field of Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM). The goal of IRM is to develop insecticide-use strategies that prevent or slow down the evolution of resistance. Computer models have shown that more effective IRM strategies rely on the assumption that resistance carries a fitness cost in the absence of insecticide use.

In the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus resistance to certain organophosphate insecticides is caused by an increased …

Wildfires Enhance Phytoplankton Production In Tropical Oceans, Dongyan Liu, Chongran Zhou, John K. Keesing, Oscar Serrano, Axel Werner, Yin Fang, Yingjun Chen, Pere Masque, Janine Kinloch, Aleksey Sadekov, Yan Du

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Wildfire magnitude and frequency have greatly escalated on a global scale. Wildfire products rich in biogenic elements can enter the ocean through atmospheric and river inputs, but their contribution to marine phytoplankton production is poorly understood. Here, using geochemical paleo-reconstructions, a century-long relationship between wildfire magnitude and marine phytoplankton production is established in a fire-prone region of Kimberley coast, Australia. A positive correlation is identified between wildfire and phytoplankton production on a decadal scale. The importance of wildfire on marine phytoplankton production is statistically higher than that of tropical cyclones and rainfall, when strong El Niño Southern Oscillation coincides with …

Long-Term Patterns Of An Interconnected Core Marine Microbiota, Anders K. Krabberød, Ina M. Deutschmann, Marit F. M. Bjorbækmo, Vanessa Balagué, Caterina R. Giner, Isabel Ferrera, Esther Garcés, Ramon Massana, Josep M. Gasol, Ramiro Logares

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background Ocean microbes constitute ~ 70% of the marine biomass, are responsible for ~ 50% of the Earth’s primary production and are crucial for global biogeochemical cycles. Marine microbiotas include core taxa that are usually key for ecosystem function. Despite their importance, core marine microbes are relatively unknown, which reflects the lack of consensus on how to identify them. So far, most core microbiotas have been defined based on species occurrence and abundance. Yet, species interactions are also important to identify core microbes, as communities include interacting species. Here, we investigate interconnected bacteria and small protists of the core pelagic …

Legacy Metal Contamination Is Reflected In The Fish Gut Microbiome In An Urbanised Estuary, Alessandra L. Suzzi, Michael Stat, Geoff R. Macfarlane, Justin R. Seymour, Nathan L. R. Williams, Troy F. Gaston, Md Rushna Alam, Megan J. Huggett

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Estuaries are critical habitats subject to a range of stressors requiring effective management. Microbes are gaining recognition as effective environmental indicators, however, the response of host associated communities to stressors remains poorly understood. We examined microbial communities from seawater, sediments and the estuarine fish Pelates sexlineatus, in Australia's largest urbanised estuary, and hypothesised that anthropogenic contamination would be reflected in the microbiology of these sample types. The human faecal markers Lachno3 and HF183 were not detected, indicating negligible influence of sewage, but a gradient in copy numbers of the class 1 integron (intI-1), which is often used as …

Return-To-The-Platform: The Case Of A Collegiate Level Weightlifter Recovering From A Meniscus Injury, Nicholas Harden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to observe physiological metrics relative to training-induced adaptations in conjunction with laboratory- and competition-based performances in a super-heavyweight weightlifter recovering from a meniscus injury. A retrospective analysis was conducted on a collegiate level male weightlifter (23.2 yrs; 131.9 kg; 187.3 cm) over the course of 21-weeks post-meniscus surgery. Body mass, body fat percentage, hydration status, vastus lateralis muscle cross-sectional area, jump performance, and isometric midthigh pull were regularly assessed as part of an ongoing athlete monitoring program. Pre-injury baseline (T0) measurements were collected relative to a major national competition (COMP1). Post-injury measurements took place …

Alcohol, Stress, And Sex In The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis, Nicholas Burski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) costs the U.S. billions of dollars each year and is a leading cause of preventable death. AUD leads to many health complications, and those who suffer from AUD will often have stress and anxiety disorder comorbidities. To better understand this connection between AUD and stress and anxiety disorders, restraint stress (RS) and chronic-intermittent ethanol exposure (CIE) procedures were used on rats to analyze neuroinflammation via ELISA in the infralimbic and prelimbic cortices, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Levels of proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β, were found to be elevated across different tests …

Investigating The Pi3k/Akt/Atm Pathway, Telomeric Dna Damage, T Cell Death, And Crispr/Cas9-Mediated Gene Editing During Acute And Chronic Hiv Infection, Sushant Khanal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection initiates major metabolic and cell- survival complications. Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is the current approach to suppress active HIV replication to a level of undetected viral load, but it is not a curative approach. Newer and sophisticated gene editing technologies could indeed be a potent antiviral therapy to achieve a clinical sterilization/cure of HIV infection. Chronic HIV patients, even under a successful ART regimen, exhibit a low-grade inflammation, immune senescence, premature aging, telomeric DNA attrition, T cell apoptosis, and cellular homeostasis. In this dissertation, we investigated CD4 T cell homeostasis, degree of T cell apoptosis, an …

Importance Of The Microhabitat And Microclimate Conditions In The Northern Gray-Cheeked Salamander (Plethodon Montanus) Across An Elevation Gradient, Trevor Chapman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The southern Appalachian Mountains have among the highest salamander diversity in the world, largely due to local speciation in the family Plethodontidae. Plethodontid salamanders (i.e., lungless salamanders) are particularly sensitive to habitat climate conditions due to their reliance on cutaneous respiration, and their immediate environmental conditions (microhabitat) likely influence their dispersion and activity more than the large-scale atmospheric conditions. The Northern Gray-cheeked salamander (Plethodon montanus) is restricted to high elevations in the Appalachian Mountains. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between P. montanus and its microhabitat by examining behavioral preference for climatic conditions, characterizing the microclimate with …

Biology And Epidemiology Of Dengue Viruses In The El Paso And The Surrounding Usa And Mexico Border Communities, Pedro Miguel Palermo Infante

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Dengue is considered one of the most important human arboviral diseases worldwide. Dengue cases have increased in the last three decades in the Americas, especially along the United States (US)- Mexico (MX) border region, where the main vector of dengue, Aedes aegypti mosquito, is widely distributed. Explosive outbreaks of dengue in northern Mexico have been associated with imported and local transmission of dengue in the US border communities, especially in the Southeast Texas area, also known as Rio Grande Valley. Due to the unknown if dengue virus (DENV) is present in other areas in the US border located west of …

Insights On The Behavior Of Nano-Copper In The Agroecosystem: Mycorrhizal Associations With Spearmint (Mentha Spicata), Suzanne Annette Apodaca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nanotechnology offers significant potential benefits to our society, including the agriculture sector. With the advancement of nano-enabled agrochemicals towards sustainable and efficient agricultural practices, it is essential to address environmental issues associated with the use of nanoscale materials. The same properties that give promise to applications of nanotechnology in modern agriculture could have unintended consequences on ecosystem dynamics. A point of concern for risk management is the impact of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) to beneficial microbial communities, which support a variety of ecosystem services.

Use of copper (Cu) products in agriculture are based on their abundance, role as a micronutrient, and …

In Vitro Characterization Of Novel Compounds With Anti-Cancer Activity, Edgar Alonso Borrego Puerta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Two libraries of chemical compounds were analyzed for their cytotoxic activity against cancer and non-cancerous cell lines. In chapter 1, fourteen novel piperidones were tested on a panel of different cell lines to identify their cytotoxic activity. These compounds were found to have cytotoxic activity toward cancer cells with a cytotoxic concentration 50 (CC50) in the micromolar range. Furthermore, these fourteen compounds have selectivity preferentially towards cancer cells. Based on selectivity, and cytotoxicity, four compounds were selected for further characterization in the HL-60 cell line. The four compounds elicit apoptosis as measured by the externalization of the phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS), …

What Makes Gpcrs From Different Families Bind To The Same Ligand?, Kwabena Owusu Dankwah

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest class of cell-surface receptor proteins with important functions in signal transduction and often serve as therapeutic drug targets. With the rapidly growing public data on three-dimensional (3D) structures of GPCRs and GPCR-ligand interactions, computational prediction of GPCR ligand binding becomes a practical option for high throughput screening and other experimental approaches during the beginning phases of ligand discovery. In this work, we set out to computationally uncover and understand the binding of a single ligand to GPCRs from several different families. We analyzed the sequences and 3D structures of GPCRs from various families …

Effects Of Eccentric Cycling On Blood Flow Patterns And Vascular Reactivity, Manuel Gomez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Decrease of blood flow to tissues, due to atherosclerotic plaque formation, produces mortality and morbidity outcomes. Vascular homeostasis depends in the direct interaction between blood flow and endothelial cells, known as endothelial sheer stress (ESS). In addition, turbulent flow, which can be measured by Reynolds number (Re), has been associated with decrease ESS. Eccentric exercise (ECC) has gained attention as a novel exercise modality that increases muscle performance without increasing metabolic demands; however, little is known about ESS during ECC. PURPOSE: To determine the effects of ECC cycling in blood flow patterns and vascular reactivity in young, healthy individuals. METHODS: …

Exploring The Anticancer Mechanism Of Thienopyrazole Derivative Tpz-1 In Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Jessica Dyanne Hess

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Anticancer drug discovery is a time and resource-consuming process for which exceedingly reliable and efficient modern approaches are needed. Phenotypic drug screenings can generate highly potent and innovative drug candidates; however, deconvolution of the drugâ??s target often presents significant barriers to drug development. To overcome this hurdle, we have originally combined in vitro and in silico analyses to uncover the molecular mechanism(s) driving the anticancer activity of the uniquely structured small molecule drug candidate, Tpz-1. Our study revealed that Tpz-1 is a multitargeted agent which induces the programmed death of HL-60 acute myeloid leukemia cells primarily through disruption of microtubule …

Autoantibody Against Tumor-Associated Antigens As Diagnostic Biomarkers In Hispanic Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Yangcheng Ma

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Liver cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies, in which hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) takes up more than 80% of liver cancer cases. Early diagnosis and treatment are practical approaches to impede HCC progression. Identifying and classifying autoantibodies against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) have long been interested in cancer diagnosis, especially for HCC. Circulating anti-TAA autoantibodies amplify the antigen expression and are more stable in blood, guaranteeing anti-TAA autoantibodies as valid diagnostic biomarkers in clinical application. Nonetheless, very few studies had focused on the Hispanic HCC group, which might retain distinct etiological risk factors compared to other ethnicities. The high incidence …

Biology And Ecology Of Aedes (Stegomyia) Aegypti In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Adam Joseph Vera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Aedes aegypti is a medically important mosquito species that transmits multiple arboviruses, including dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. This mosquito species has expanded its geographical range into expanded into the Northern Chihuahuan Desert to further increase the risk of infection by these viruses in naïve human populations. Although Ae. aegypti is abundant along the U.S.â??Mexico border, the biology and ecology of this mosquito species in this temperate/arid climate region is not understood. The objective of this study was to understand the environmental factors that influence the invasive species of Ae. aegypti abundance, breeding habitat selection, host feeding behavior, and …