Life Sciences Commons^™

Understanding How The Relative Abundance Of Candida Species Impacts Transcriptional Regulation In Coculture Biofilms, Diksha Kool

Master's Projects

ABSTRACT Candida albicans and Candida glabrata are common fungal species that can change from commensal to pathogen due to their ability to form robust biofilms. Candida species are the leading cause of life-threatening conditions like Candidemia, and the existing treatments for biofilm-related infections are suboptimal. Research shows that the relative abundance of the two Candida species promotes biofilm formation, enhances pathogenicity, and increases antibiotic resistance. Thus, focusing on the importance of coculture, this paper utilizes RNA sequencing to investigate the gene expression leading to biofilm development in coculture through a time-series study.

Mirna-Seq Analysis Pipeline And R Shiny App, Alexis Torres

Master's Projects

ABSTRACT Thrombosis in the internal jugular vein (IJV) has been identified as a risk factor for astronauts undergoing spaceflight, following a 2019 study in which one astronaut developed a thrombus, and several others experienced stagnant or retrograde blood flow. To better understand this phenomenon, a model that simulates the effects of microgravity on blood flow in the IJV is being developed. mRNA and microRNA NGS sequencing will be used to study the transcriptome of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in simulated microgravity conditions. A microRNA sequencing (miRNA-seq) pipeline has been developed to quantify the miRNA sequencing results. A graphical …

Conservation And Prevalence Of Sequence Paired Sites In Humans, Punit Sundar

Master's Projects

The completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 made it possible to leverage the power of computers to quicken biological discoveries. The human genome contains rich information relevant to the proper functions of cells that is computationally arduous and costly to investigate in a laboratory setting. Specifically, gene expression levels in cells can be impacted when functionally relevant motifs in the DNA are mutated preventing proper transcription factor binding. To study the consequences of such mutations, it is necessary to first identify such functionally relevant regions of the genome using computational approaches. A signaling pathway that is of particular …

Evaluation Of Virtual Screening Strategies For The Identification Of Γ-Secretase Inhibitors And Modulators, Alicia Ioppolo, Melissa Eccles, David Groth, Giuseppe Verdile, Mark Agostino

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

γ-Secretase is an intramembrane aspartyl protease that is important in regulating normal cell physiology via cleavage of over 100 transmembrane proteins, including Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) and Notch family receptors. However, aberrant proteolysis of substrates has implications in the progression of disease pathologies, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), cancers, and skin disorders. While several γ-secretase inhibitors have been identified, there has been toxicity observed in clinical trials associated with non-selective enzyme inhibition. To address this, γ-secretase modulators have been identified and pursued as more selective agents. Recent structural evidence has provided an insight into how γ-secretase inhibitors and modulators are recognized …

Policy Sustainability Issues: Case Study Of Cassava Farmers In Ikorodu. Lagos, Nigeria, Medinat Oluwatoyin Adetunji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The inconsistency and lack of continuity of Nigeria's agricultural policies impact the cassava sector. Despite being the world's biggest producer, the country is yet to benefit from the advantage due to a lack of sustainable growth. The situation manifests in terms of low productivity, low production level, and poor income to the farmers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the experiences and perceptions of the cassava farmers on cassava policies and the effect on their income and livelihoods in the Ikorodu local government of Lagos State. This qualitative study adopted a case study research design using participatory …

Genetic Selection For Improved Efficiency And Profitability In Beef Cattle, David Kelly

Theses

Despite the importance of feed intake and efficiency in beef production, there are still gaps in our knowledge on optimal production efficiency traits and breeding strategies for improved feed, production and economic efficiency. The objectives of this thesis were to redefine production efficiency in growing cattle by exploiting carcass information and to validate current beef breeding goals for improving efficiency, and to investigate the relationships of feeding behaviour with performance, feed efficiency, and carcass merit. Feed intake and liveweight data were available on up to 6,088 cattle, of which 3,146 had carcass data, 4,672 had ultrasound data and 1,548 had …

Documenting The Rapidly Expanding Distribution Of Invasive Ravenna Grass (Tripidium Ravennae) Eastern In Kansas, Rachel A. Styers

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Invasive species cause significant ecological losses in the United States where they cost approximately $21 billion dollars a year to manage (Fantle-Lepczyk et al., 2022). Early detection of new invasive species, coupled with a rapid response of management efforts, can help to slow the ecological and economic impacts caused by these habitat invaders. Tripidium ravennae (L.) H. Scholz (or Ravenna grass) is a tall, robust, cespitose grass known to occur in Kansas, although its distribution remained poorly documented prior to this study. Given its known invasive tendencies, it has been declared noxious in at least six US states. Coupled with …

Magnaporthe Oryzae Telomeric Retrotransposon (Moter) Relics Further Highlight Telomere Dynamics In A Rapidly Evolving Fungal Pathogen, Jane Ellen Dostart

Online Theses and Dissertations

The telomeres of M. oryzae can experience unique rearrangements within a single generation. These rearrangements are frequently attributed to the presence of two retrotransposons (MoTeR 1 and MoTeR 2) that are endemic to the telomeres. These rearrangements can leave footprints within the interior of the genome that document previous telomere breakage events. The purpose of this study was to examine MoTeR relics within 10 genomes of strains of M. oryzae to document telomere instability among strain lineages, as well as to uncover MoTeR relic distribution, shared evolutionary history, and associated genome rearrangements. A series of local BLASTn and grep searches …

The Mitospecific Domain Of Mrp7 (Bl27) Supports Mitochondrial Translation During Fermentation And Is Required For Effective Adaptation To Respiration, Jessica M. Anderson, Jodie M. Box, Rosemary A. Stuart

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

We demonstrate here that mitoribosomal protein synthesis, responsible for the synthesis of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) subunits encoded by the mitochondrial genome, occurs at high levels during glycolysis fermentation and in a manner uncoupled from OXPHOS complex assembly regulation. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the mitospecific domain of Mrp7 (bL27), a mitoribosomal component, is required to maintain mitochondrial protein synthesis during fermentation but is not required under respiration growth conditions. Maintaining mitotranslation under high-glucose-fermentation conditions also involves Mam33 (p32/gC1qR homologue), a binding partner of Mrp7’s mitospecific domain, and together they confer a competitive advantage for a cell’s ability to adapt to …

Stress, Stress Appraisal And Coping In Athletic Trainers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lawson Holton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: There have been many studies conducted on the stress and mental health of frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) over the past months since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Very limited literature has examined the effect of the pandemic on athletic trainers (ATs). Objective: The aim of this investigation was to examine the stress, stress appraisal, and coping measures of ATs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants were recruited members from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). The Perceived Stress Scale-10 was used to measure stress, the Stress Appraisal Measure was used to measure stress appraisal, and the Brief COPE was used …

Evaluation Of Hemp Seed Meal As A Fish Meal Replacement Through Growth And Digestibility Trials In Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis), Anthony Sample

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Demand for seafood has continued to increase despite a stagnation in global wild-caught fisheries. Aquaculture has met this demand but suffers from numerous sustainability issues because of dependence on fish meal, which is unsustainable, sparking nutritional research into alternatives. Hemp seed meal has shown promise as an alternative due to its sustainable production and nutritional qualities. This study evaluated hemp seed meal as an alternative to fish meal through growth and digestibility trials with Morone saxatilis. A seven-week growth trial was conducted within a recirculating aquaculture system using a total of two control diets (commercial and constructed) and six …

Stop, Then Go! Rapid Acceleration Offsets The Costs Of Intermittent Locomotion When Turning In Florida Scrub Lizards, Cheyenne Walker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Intermittent locomotion is a commonly used escape strategy with a wide array of potential benefits. Pausing may aid in locating a predator, crypsis, lowering energy costs, and avoiding obstacles. Turning may also benefit from intermittent locomotion by allowing an animal time to assess its surroundings; therefore, decreasing the chances of making a mistake and/or stumbling. Florida scrub lizards live in environments with a variety of obstacles such as turns. The goal of this study is to quantify the locomotor behavior and performance by lizards while navigating a 45° or 90° turn. Lizards were run along both a 45° and 90° …

Epigenetic Buffering In Introduced House Sparrows, M. Ellesse Lauer

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Epigenetic buffering, as an environmentally induced increase in variance of epigenetic states that increases phenotypic variation to buffer populations against decreased fitness, may be a factor that resolves the genetic paradox of introduced species. DNA methylation is a molecular mechanism that could facilitate epigenetic buffering by changing in response to environmental stress. Therefore, epigenetic buffering can be detected through increased variance in DNA methylation in novel or heterogeneous environments. Introduced house sparrows (Passer domesticus) have well-documented phenotypic changes with low genetic diversity, high epigenetic diversity, and high variance in DNA methylation that provide a characteristic signature of epigenetic buffering. …

Evaluating The Impact Of Off-Farm Decisions On Federal Government Program Utilization And Financial Success For Missouri's Beginning Farmers, Lyndsey Ann Parker

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Farmers and ranchers will have to increase production by approximately 70% by the year 2050 according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (2017). People in the agriculture industry face several challenges from start-up costs to limited land availability (Ahearn, 2011). There are federal and state government programs available to assist with some of these challenges but bring their own hardships as well. This study measures off-farm decisions that affect financial performance and utilization of government programs for Missouri’s farmers and ranchers. Three types of financial performance of Missouri farms are prioritized in this study, liquidity (current ratio), solvency (debt-to-asset ratio), …

Cryo-Em Structure Of Transmembrane Aaa+ Protease Ftsh In The Adp State, Wu Liu, Martien Schoonen, Tong Wang, Sean Mcsweeney, Qun Liu

Advanced Science Research Center

AAA+ proteases regulate numerous physiological and cellular processes through tightly regulated proteolytic cleavage of protein substrates driven by ATP hydrolysis. FtsH is the only known family of membrane-anchored AAA+ proteases essential for membrane protein quality control. Although a spiral staircase rotation mechanism for substrate translocation across the FtsH pore has been proposed, the detailed conformational changes among various states have not been clear due to absence of FtsH structures in these states. We report here the cryo-EM structure for Thermotoga maritima FtsH (TmFtsH) in a fully ADP-bound symmetric state. Comparisons of the ADP-state structure with its apo-state and a substrate-engaged …

Fish And Invertebrate Use Of Restored Vs. Natural Oyster Reefs In A Shallow Temperate Latitude Estuary, Jonathan H. Grabowski, Christopher J. Baillie, Adam Baukus, Rachael Carlyle, F. Joel Fodrie, Rachel K. Gittman, A. Randall Hughes, David L. Kimbro, Juhyung Lee, Hunter S. Lenihan, Sean P. Powers, Kevin Sullivan

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Coastal marine habitats continue to be degraded, thereby compelling largescale restoration in many parts of the world. Whether restored habitats function similarly to natural habitats and fully recover lost ecosystem services is unclear. In estuaries, oyster reefs have been degraded by multiple anthropogenic activities including destructive fishing practices and reduced water quality, motivating restoration to maintain oyster fisheries and other ecosystem services, often at relatively high cost. We compared fish and invertebrate communities on recently restored (0–1 year post-restoration), older restored (3–4 years post-restoration), and natural oyster reefs to determine if and when restored reefs support functionally similar faunal communities. …

Public Procurement Practices And Policies: Implications For Public Research And Development In The Philippines, Nelson Jose Vincent B. Querijero, Rhea L. Gumasing, Arlene C. Gutierrez, Ruth Anne T. Ruelos, Charina Krissel D. Tingson

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

This study examines procurement practices and policies that hinder or facilitate public research and development. An online survey and interviews with key informants in 44 research development institutions (RDIs) in the Philippines were conducted. Participants include Project Leaders, members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), the BAC secretariat, chief accountants, technical working groups, and suppliers. The results show that some procurement policies, workflows, and capacities of the procuring entities contribute to procurement delays. A lack of qualified or suitable suppliers and a limited market of highly specialized and scientific equipment are also factors affecting procurement efficiency. It is recommended …

Revisiting Participatory Rural Appraisal (Pra) Related Studies And Exploring Pra's Success Determinants: A Content Analysis, Raquel Garcia-Agustin

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) has shown that participation in development programs in poor communities can be empowering not only for the community members but also for the development workers. However, not all PRAs have seen successes especially in fulfilling their mission to encourage real participation. Hence, it is imperative to understand whether PRA has led to adequate understanding of indigenous perspective to call for action and the interest PRA serves. This analysis aims to provide critical insights and reflections from the experiences of previously conducted PRAs. It further aims to reveal whether PRAs were used effectively and successfully according to …

Taiwanese Perceptions Of China, Taiwan, And Us Relations From 2016 To 2021, Wan-Ling Liao, Armand Christopher C. Rola

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

In 2016, a dramatic shift in Taiwan's politics caught China's attention. After the inauguration of President Tsai Ing-wen, Beijing increased the pressure on Taiwan. Aside from limiting Taiwan's international space, Beijing had taken other steps. This study aims to review the policy regarding the relationship among Taiwan, the US, and China. The primary data were gathered through interviews with Taiwanese key informants of different age groups. Secondary data were gathered from official documents, online sources, journal and news articles, and books. Based on the analysis of informants' opinions on this issue, the study found that the majority of informants prefer …

Monitoring And Modelling The Dynamics Of The Cellular Glycolysis Pathway: A Review And Future Perspectives, Nitin Patil, Hugh Byrne, Orla L. Howe, Paul A. Cahill

Articles

Background

The dynamics of the cellular glycolysis pathway underpin cellular function and dysfunction, and therefore ultimately health, disease, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Evolving our understanding of this fundamental process and its dynamics remains critical.

Scope of review

This paper reviews the medical relevance of glycolytic pathway in depth and explores the current state of the art for monitoring and modelling the dynamics of the process. The future perspectives of label free, vibrational microspectroscopic techniques to overcome the limitations of the current approaches are considered.

Major conclusions

Vibrational microspectroscopic techniques can potentially operate in the niche area of limitations of other …

Effects Of Vitamin D Administration At The Beginning Of Lactation In Dairy Cows Oninflammatory Response And Liver Metabolism, Feyyaz Kaya, Hasan Batmaz

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin D administered 24 h after calving of dairy cows on calcium-phosphorus metabolism, carbohydrate, lipid and liver metabolism, and inflammatory response. Twenty multiparous Holstein cows were randomly assigned to the experimental (EG) and control group (CG). The EG received 5,000,000 IU vitamin D3 (5 mL) 24 h after parturition intramuscularly, whereas the CG group received 5 mL of 0.9% NaCl. Blood samples were taken 24 h after parturition before treatments and at the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 28th days of lactation. Serum NEFA, BHBA, haptoglobin, serum amyloid A (SAA), ceruloplasmin, calcium, phosphorus, …

The Effect Of Dystocia On Oxidative Stress, Colostral Antibody/Passive Immune Status, Andblood Gases In Damascus Goats And Their Kids, Tuğra Akkuş, Ömer Korkmaz, Bi̇rten Emre, Abuzer Kafar Zonturlu, Peli̇n Fatoş Polat Di̇nçer, Ömer Yaprakci

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of dystocia on oxidative stress, venous blood gases, and colostrum and serum immunoglobulins G (IgG) in Damascus goats and their kids, respectively. The study sample comprised a total of 40 Damascus goats with of their own 40 kids separated into 2 groups according to the type of birth. Group 1 consisted of goats with eutocia (n = 20) and their kids (n = 20), and Group 2 consisted of goats with dystocia (n = 20) and their kids (n = 20). Blood samples were taken from the goats and their kids …

Relationships Between Famacha Scores And Some Blood Values In Sheep And Goats, Özcan Şahi̇n, İbrahi̇m Ayteki̇n, Sai̇m Boztepe, İsmai̇l Keski̇n, Ali̇ Karabacak, Yasi̇n Altay, Mervan Bayraktar

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In this study, Akkaraman sheep and Hair goats raised extensively on the same farm were scored with the FAMACHA card. Score 1 was not present in both sheep and goats, whereas scores 5 and 2 were not detected in sheep and goats, respectively. While the number of animals with scores of 2, 3, and 4 was 9, 46, and 55 in sheep, the number of animals with 3, 4, and 5 scores in goats was 6, 55, and 41, respectively. In the study, the differences in the amount of RBC, Hct, and Hb in goats according to these score groups …

Investigations On Some Aerobic Bacterial Agents Isolated From Heifers At The Beginning Ofthe First Lactation, Tuncay Çökülgen, Uçkun Sai̇t Uçan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In this study, it was aimed to identify the predominant coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) species in subclinical, clinical, and persistent infections in Konya province, to determine various virulence and resistance mechanisms of CNS species within the agelactation level. The research has been carried out in a dairy herd that is free from brucellosis and tuberculosis and uses an automated herd management system. Thirty-two heifers at the beginning of lactation with milk yields of more than 20 liters have been observed in terms of udder infections during the first 1-4 months of lactation. The prevalence of intramammary infections (IMI) and of CNS-caused …

Dental Morphometric Investigation On The Chinchilla (Chinchilla Lanigera) Using A Threedimensionalreconstruction Model, Sema Özkadi̇f, Emrullah Eken, Ayşe Haligür

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to reveal the morphometric characteristics of the teeth of the chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), which are both kept as pet animals and raised for the economic value of their fur, using three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions created from two-dimensional (2D) multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) images and to investigate whether there was a difference between the sexes. A total of 12 chinchillas of both sexes (six males and six females) were used. The teeth reconstructions of the animals were performed with Mimics. 14.1 3D modeling software on the 2D images was taken in the prone position. According to …

Determination Of The Morphometric Characteristics Of Donkey (Equus Asinus)Populations Reared In Turkey, Eser Kemal Gürcan, Serdar Genç, Selçuk Kaplan, Fulya Özdi̇l, Emel Özkan Ünal, Hasan Bulut, Selen Yatkin, Sezen Arat, Mehmet İhsan Soysal

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This research aims to determine the morphometric characteristics of the donkey (Equus asinus) populations reared in Turkey. For this purpose, live weights and body measurements were collected from 500 donkeys. The donkeys were grouped according to the factors of color, age, sex, and province and the live weights (LW) (kg), withers heights (WH), rump heights (RH), body lengths (BL), chest circumferences (CC), chest depths (CD), front shank circumferences (FSC), head lengths (HL) and ear lengths (EL) (cm) of the donkeys were measured. In the study, the males were found to have higher values of live weight, withers height, rump height, …

The Molecular Prevalence Of Borrelia Burgdorferi, Babesia Spp., And Anaplasma Spp. Inshelter Dogs Of The Thrace Region In Turkey, Nuri̇ Altuğ, Mustafa Necati̇ Muz, Di̇lek Muz, Fulya Altinok Yi̇pel

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The study aimed to update the molecular prevalence of some tick-borne pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi, Babesia spp., and Anaplasma spp.) in the shelter dogs of the Thrace Region, Turkey. The study was carried out on 450 dogs from 7 pet shelters. The individual data of the dogs were recorded, and blood samples were collected in tubes with anticoagulants (EDTA). Then, individual PCR protocols were applied to all samples for the three infective agents. PCR test results recorded for B. burgdorferi is 38.22% (n = 172), 24.22% (n = 109) for Babesia spp., and 21.6% (n = 97) for Anaplasma spp. The …

Genetic Variation At The Olr1, Anxa9, Myf5, Ltf, Igf1, Lgb, Csn3, Pit1, Mbl1,Cacna2d1, And Abcg2 Loci In Turkish Grey Steppe, Anatolian Black, And Eastanatolian Red Cattle, Özden Çobanoğlu, Sena Ardiçli

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Native breeds are excellent sources of genetic variation. Anatolian native breeds are relatives of the first cattle domesticated and are ancestors of many European breeds. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the genetic variation of OLR1, ANXA9, MYF5, LTF, IGF1, LGB, CSN3, PIT1, MBL1, CACNA2D1, and ABCG2 markers in Turkish Grey Steppe, Anatolian Black, and East Anatolian Red cattle. The analysis included 367 cattle and the genotyping was performed by the PCR-RFLP. Population genetics indices including heterozygosity, the number of effective alleles, the polymorphism information content, fixation index, and the level of possible variability realization, and moreover, the genetic diversity …

Effects Of Dietary Insect (Ephestia Kuehniella) Egg Meal On Growth Performance And Fattyacid Profile Of Common Carp (Cyprinus Carpio), Levent Doğankaya

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The effects of mill moth (Ephestia kuehniella) egg meal (IEM) upon growth performance and fatty acid profile of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) (1.12 ± 0.01 g) were evaluated in triplicate groups for 12 weeks. Three isonitrogenous (35% CP) and isocaloric (17 MJ kg?1) diets were formulated replacing fishmeal with 0% (G-0), 50% (G-50), and 100% (G-100) IEM. The results of the trial indicated that G-50 had the highest growth performance values and a more efficient FCR (1.79). Replacement levels of IEM did not have any significant effect on survival. Total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were found to be statistically different …

The In Vitro Effect Of Hypochlorous Acid-Metal Nanoparticles Combination On Salmonellaunder Different Temperature Conditions, Serkan Kemal Büyükünal, Karlo Muratoğlu, Ahmet Koluman

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Hypochlorous acid (HClO) is an excellent surface disinfectant and classified as nonhazardous but maintaining a steady HClO solution is extremely difficult. This study aimed to mix HClO with various metal nanoparticles (NPs) to improve stability. The efficiency of the prepared solutions against Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Dublin, and Salmonella Infantis was assessed using the culture method in five distinct experimental groups at varying temperatures (4 °C, 10 °C, 25 °C, 40 °C, and 50 °C). The type of metal NPs, HClO, and application temperatures utilized in the combined solutions for bacterial decontamination did not result in a significant difference …