Life Sciences Commons^™

Exploiting Modulation Of The Blood-Brain And Blood-Tumor Barrier Permeability By Translational Focused Ultrasound For Therapeutic Delivery To Cns Metastases, Tasneem A. Arsiwala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Transcranial low-intensity focused ultrasound is a unique technology to modulate the integrity of tight endothelial junctions and transiently increase BBB/BTB permeability to enhance therapeutic delivery. Despite promising early studies, present literature lacks agreement on key experimental conditions, which restricts our knowledge and the technique's widespread translation. This dissertation first provides a critical review of the current gaps in knowledge regarding the universal use of LiFUS in preclinical and clinical use. We then identify key parameters for translational and predictable opening of the BBB using a 3T MRI coupled with a clinical device. Our investigation highlights that passive permeability of the …

The Musashi Rna Binding Proteins Are Regulators Of Alternative Splicing And Protein Expression In Photoreceptor Cells, Fatimah Kh. Matalkah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Musashi (Msi) family of RNA binding proteins consists of two paralogs, Msi1 and Msi2, that are highly conserved across species. The two paralogs have emerged as factors that promote stem cell proliferation by post-transcriptionally regulating translation. In addition to their expression in stem cells, the Musashi proteins are also expressed in postmitotic neurons, including the photoreceptor cells. The Musashi proteins have been observed to maintain high expression levels in the postmitotic photoreceptors within the eye of both invertebrates and vertebrates. These observations suggest an additional role in the maintenance of terminally differentiated neurons.

Building upon these observations, we investigated …

Mechanistic Insight Into Chronic Stress-Induced Cerebrovascular Dysfunction, Emily Nicole Burrage

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite decades of research psychological stress remains a prevalent problem in society, often diminishing quality of life and increasing the risk of developing dementia. The brain plays a central role in the response to stress and as it is unable to store energy substrates, the brain relies heavily on dynamically regulated blood flow. Therefore, it is important that there is a tight coupling between neural activity and cerebral blood flow to meet metabolic demands and maintain critical brain function. It has been established that chronic psychological stress has detrimental effects on cerebrovascular function, potentially through increased superoxide anion production through …

Examining Development And Function Of Pretectal Visual Neural Circuits In Gs Homeobox 1 Mutant Zebrafish, Alexandra Rose Schmidt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Brain development requires a coordinated genetic code to regulate initial cell identity determination, migration, and connectivity, to establish function of neural circuits. Independent neural circuits underlie our ability to produce both complex and innate behavioral responses to sensory stimuli that are often conserved across vertebrate organisms. Sensory processing disruptions are associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Therefore, gene mutations altering neurodevelopment can lead to changes influencing structure and function of individual neural circuits, causing behavioral deviations in sensory responsiveness. Crucial gene networks that define functional properties of sensory domains are often explored using non-mammalian vertebrate models, such as the zebrafish. …

Investigating The Interplay Of The Immune System, Skin Barrier, And Microbiome Following Dermal Exposure To Triclosan, Rachel Baur

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Triclosan is an antimicrobial chemical used in healthcare products that are applied to the skin. However, exposure to triclosan has been positively associated with food allergy, aeroallergy, and asthma severity in humans. In mice, dermal triclosan exposure, although not directly sensitizing, has been shown to augment the allergic response in a model of asthma. Furthermore, exposure to triclosan on mouse skin has been demonstrated to be immunomodulatory through the activity of thymic stromal lymphopoietin and S100 calcium-binding protein A8. The skin barrier and microbiome are known to interact with the immune system and disruptions in barrier integrity and the microbiome …

Reproductive Rates, Kitten Survival, And Den Site Selection Of Bobcats (Lynx Rufus) In The Black Hills, South Dakota, Erin E. Morrison

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is an important furbearer in South Dakota. However, management of bobcats can be difficult because of their elusive nature and lack of demographic information. In particular, managers lack information on abundance, survival, and reproductive rates necessary to ensure sustainable harvests and stable populations through time. Additionally, cause-specific mortality can provide insight into the factors influencing bobcat kitten survival rates, as well as reveal actions managers could take to improve survival. Bobcat resource selection can vary depending on spatial scale and it is important to understand how denning may result in different selection patterns at …

Actin Cytoskeletal Regulation And Matrix Metalloproteinase Targeting In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Hnscc) Progression, Jessica Lea Allen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a cancer originating from the epithelial lining of the oral cavity, larynx, and pharynx. HNSCC is associated with extensive locoregional invasion and tissue destruction. Invasive processes underlying HNSCC contribute to poor prognosis and decreased quality of life. Amplification of chromosome 11q13 is the most common DNA aberration in human papilloma virus negative (HPV^-) HNSCC. This region includes various genes known to drive tumor progression. CORO1B (coronin 1B) flanks the core 11q13 region and is amplified in 7-14% of HNSCC. Coronin 1B is essential for mesenchymal cell motility by promoting turnover …

Lipophilic Probes For Cellular Ethylene Detection, Morgan R. Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The structure of ethylene is simple, yet its biological effects are significant. When considering its role in biology it is almost exclusively regarded as a plant hormone. Research on ethylene from plants was progressed by several advancements in analytical instrumentation, from its discovery to elucidation of its signaling pathway. There is currently limited understanding of ethylene’s role in mammals, but evidence suggests that it may be a biomarker for oxidative stress! Additional tools and technology are crucial to study this surprising and important signaling role in mammals. Our group has developed molecular ethylene probes as a strategy to detect ethylene …

Soil Resilience And Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: How Fungi Can Inform Climate Change Mitigation And Adaptation In Maya Milpa Management, Courtney Mathers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Mexico’s state of Yucatán, climate change impacts like prolonged and less predictable dry season length are manifesting as threats to agricultural production and food security. Nearly two thirds of Yucatán’s population is indigenous, many of whom live in rural communities that rely on rainfed subsistence agriculture (INEGI 2015). Ensuring sufficient food production in the face of climate change relies on the quality of agricultural soils. With both mismanagement of agricultural soils and climate change posing as threats to food production in Mexico, soil management practices that increase a soil quality should be identified and promoted. The primary objective of …

Do Bird Communities Differ With Post-Fire Age In Banksia Woodlands Of South-Western Australia?, Robert A. Davis, Leonie E. Valentine, Michael D. Craig

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Prescribed fire is a widespread management practice in fire-prone ecosystems that can have significant effects on fauna. To inform the development of appropriate prescribed burning regimes, we explored bird responses to time since fire in threatened Banksia woodlands in south-western Australia. We used area searches to estimate bird densities on 20 plots ranging from 1 to 26 years post fire. Fire had no significant effect on the overall bird community or any foraging guilds and there was no clear post-fire succession. Of the 26 frequently occurring species analysed, only two showed responses to fire, with yellow-rumped thornbills more abundant in …

Temporal Changes In Gastrointestinal Fungi And The Risk Of Autoimmunity During Early Childhood: The Teddy Study, Thomas Auchtung, Christopher J. Stewart, Daniel P. Smith, Eric W. Triplett, Daniel Agardh, William A. Hagopian, Annette G. Ziegler, Marian J. Rewers, Jin-Xiong She, Jorma Toppari, Åke Lernmark, Beena Akolkar, Jeffrey P. Krischer, Kendra Vehik, Jennifer M. Auchtung, Nadim J. Ajami, Joseph F. Petrosino

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Fungal infections are a major health problem that often begin in the gastrointestinal tract. Gut microbe interactions in early childhood are critical for proper immune responses, yet there is little known about the development of the fungal population from infancy into childhood. Here, as part of the TEDDY (The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young) study, we examine stool samples of 888 children from 3 to 48 months and find considerable differences between fungi and bacteria. The metagenomic relative abundance of fungi was extremely low but increased while weaning from milk and formula. Overall fungal diversity remained constant over …

Navigating Loss And Value Trade-Offs In A Changing Climate, Karen Paiva Henrique, Petra Tschakert, Chantal Bourgault Du Coudray, Pierre Horwitz, Kai Daniel Christian Krueger, Alexander James Wheeler

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Climate change puts at risk what people value in their everyday lives, with evidence of harm and suffering already taking place across all regions of the world. As societies slowly come to grips with the possibility of not being able to save everything that is valued, there is an urgent need to identify what is most important for individuals and groups, to prioritise action and prevent or minimise intolerable losses. Yet, people's priorities vary greatly; individual choices are contingent on what people hold dear in the places they inhabit, which in turn is shaped by their positioning in society and …

A Framework For Near-Real Time Monitoring Of Diversity Patterns Based On Indirect Remote Sensing, With An Application In The Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest, Andrea Paz, Thiago S. Silva, Ana C. Carnaval

Publications and Research

Monitoring biodiversity change is key to effective conservation policy. While it is difficult to establish in situ biodiversity monitoring programs at broad geographical scales, remote sensing advances allow for near-real time Earth observations that may help with this goal. We combine periodical and freely available remote sensing information describing temperature and precipitation with curated biological information from several groups of animals and plants in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest to design an indirect remote sensing framework that monitors potential loss and gain of biodiversity in near-real time. Using data from biological collections and information from repeated field inventories, we demonstrate that …

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 …

Patch Dynamics Driven By Wave Exposure In Subtidal Temperate Seaweeds Are Exacerbated By Warming Oceans, Yannick Mulders, Lydiane Mattio, Julia C. Phillips, Paul S. Lavery, Gary A. Kendrick, Thomas Wernberg

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Over the past decades, ocean temperatures have been steadily increasing and are projected to continue to do so, stressing many temperate marine organisms. Changing temperatures do not affect ecosystems in isolation, but interact with many other factors in shaping ecological communities. We investigated the changes over 2 decades in subtidal temperate seaweed communities over a wave exposure gradient in Western Australia, a global warming hotspot. We found higher diversity in the seaweed community and a higher proportion of biomass of species with a warm affinity (expressed as the tropicalization index: TI) over time. There was no decline in biomass of …

Sex-Dependent Shared And Nonshared Genetic Architecture Across Mood And Psychotic Disorders, Gabriëlla A. M. Blokland, Jakob Grove, Chia Yen Chen, Chris Cotsapas, Ney Alliey Rodriguez

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Sex differences in incidence and/or presentation of schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BIP) are pervasive. Previous evidence for shared genetic risk and sex differences in brain abnormalities across disorders suggest possible shared sex-dependent genetic risk. Methods: We conducted the largest to date genome-wide genotype-by-sex (G×S) interaction of risk for these disorders using 85,735 cases (33,403 SCZ, 19,924 BIP, and 32,408 MDD) and 109,946 controls from the PGC (Psychiatric Genomics Consortium) and iPSYCH. Results: Across disorders, genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphism–by-sex interaction was detected for a locus encompassing NKAIN2 (rs117780815, p = 3.2 × 10^{−8 …}

Fluorescence Probes For Bioimaging: Synthesis, Photophysical Properties And Applications, Mehrun Nahar Uddin

Dissertations

Fluorescent probes are a vital tool in the study of cell imaging. There are many types of fluorescent probes ranging from inorganic and organic nanoparticles to organic molecules. When used judiciously, they can help provide essential information on cellular structure and function. The introduction of two-photon microscopy has expanded the need for new probes, in particular near-infrared (NIR) absorbing and emitting fluorescent probes. The photochemical and photophysical properties of NIR probes play a crucial role in their effectiveness in cell imaging by both conventional and two-photon excitation (2PE) microscopy. In this research, the synthesis, photophysical properties, and two-photon absorption (2PA) …

Bodipy Based Photodynamic Therapy And Potassium Probes, Xiangshan Liu

Dissertations

Boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) has become more and more popular in photophysical and biological applications. BODIPY based fluorescence compounds have numerous advantage properties including low toxicity, high absorption extinction coefficients, high fluorescence quantum yields, sharp fluorescence emissions, and resistance to photobleaching. All the good properties lead to the wide applications of BODIPY based compounds. In this research, two different kinds of BODIPY are synthesized. Firstly, BDBrC containing carbazole and BODIPY core is synthesized. Cellular uptake research shows BDBrC can target on lysosome and singlet oxygen generation research result indicates that BDBrC can be used in photodynamic therapy. BDBrC also shows pH-sensitive …

Forecasting Locational Marginal Prices In Electricity Markets By Using Artificial Neural Networks, Kim Jay R. Rosano, Allan C. Nerves

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

Electricity price forecasting is an important tool used by market players in decision-making and strategizing their participation in the electricity market. In most studies, market-clearing price is forecasted as it gives an aggregated overview of system price. However, locational marginal price (LMP) gives better outlook of the price particular to the customer location in the electrical power grid. This study utilizes Artificial Neural Networks to forecast weekday LMP of generator and load nodes. Various inputs such as historical prices and demand, and temporal indices were used. Using data for selected nodes of the Philippine Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, forecast Mean …

Analisis Biomekanika Free Throw Basket Sesuai Kaidah Dave Hopla, Fajar Awang Irawan, Wisnu Kerta Raharja, Tafriyadhur Risa Billah, Mirza Arif Ma'dum

Jurnal Keolahragaan

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis gerakan free throw sesuai dengan kaidah Dave Hopla. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan eksperimen dengan teknik tes dan pengukuran. Total sampel berjumlah 5 atlet PPLP Basket Kota Semarang yang telah mengisi inform consent dan menyetujui prosedur penelitian. Hasil penelitian ini didapatkan rata rata waktu pada tahap persiapan sebesar 0,53 ± 0,13 detik dengan sudut ayunan sebesar 120°. Gerakan awalan sudut lengan 90° dan rata rata waktu 0,25 ± 0,04 detik dengan sudut fleksi lutut sebesar 99,04 ± 0,04 derajat. Data pada tahap pelaksanaan untuk waktu yang diperoleh sebesar 0,29 ± 0,07 detik dengan sudut fleksi lengan …

The Effect Of Skipping Combination With Body Weight Training On Cardiorespiratory Endurance And Body Mass Index (Bmi) As A Covid-19 Prevention Effort For Overweight Adolescents, Ahmad Nasrulloh, Rina Yuniana, Kukuh Wahyudin Pratama

Jurnal Keolahragaan

This study aims to determine the effect of skipping combination with body weight training on cardiorespiratory endurance and BMI as an effort to prevent Covid 19 for overweight adolescents. This research is an experimental research. In this study, treatment was given in the form of skipping exercise combined with body weight training for 8 weeks with a frequency of 3 times / week, an intensity of 60%-70% MHR with a duration of 30 minutes. The population in this study were teenagers. Sampling was done by purposive sampling on adolescents aged between 17-21 years and overweight. Instrument used to measure VO2 …

The Effect Of Brain Vitalization Exercise On Muscle Strength And Endurance In People With Dementia, Mustika Fitri, Ajeng Fauziyah, Hana Astria Nur

Jurnal Keolahragaan

This study aims to determine the effect of brain vitalization exercise on muscle strength and endurance in people with dementia. The pre-experimental method with a one-group pretest-posttest design was used in this study. Purposive sampling technique was used in this study, then a sample of 31 people with dementia was obtained from a population of 78 people in Cibeunying Kidul District. The Arm Curl Test instrument is used in research that aims to measure arm muscle strength and Chair Stand Test which aims to measure leg muscle endurance. The data analysis technique in this study used Paired Sample T Test …

Pengembangan Instrumen Tes Dribbling Pada Permainan Futsal Menggunakan Teknologi Mikrokontroler Arduino, Randy Febri Tauba, Bafirman Hb

Jurnal Keolahragaan

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membuat prototipe instrumen tes dribbling futsal menggunakan teknologi mikrokontroler arduino yang terhubung dengan aplikasi android. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian dan pengembangan (Research and Development). Subjek penelitian adalah Pemain Futsal SMA N 1, 2 dan 9 Sijunjung, Kecamatan Sijunjung, Kabupaten Sijunjung, Sumatera Barat. Untuk Validasi alat oleh tiga orang ahli yaitu ahli Evaluasi dan Tes Pengukuran, Ahli Futsal, dan Ahli IT. Pengembangan instrumen tes dribbling futsal ini dilakukan dengan uji kelompok kecil dengan sampel 15 orang putra dan uji kelompok besar dengan sampel 45 orang putra. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode validitas ahli dengan penilaian menggunakan instrumen …

Teknik Yang Paling Dominan Pada Pertandingan Futsal Putra Profesional, I Dewa Made Aryananda Wijaya Kusuma

Jurnal Keolahragaan

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui teknik yang paling dominan digunakan pada pertandingan futsal putra profesional. Penelitian ini termasuk pada jenis kuantitatif dengan metode survei. Sampel yang digunakan berjumlah empat tim liga futsal putra profesional dengan teknik pengambilan sampel yang digunakan adalah purposive sampling. Analisis data menggunakan uji frekuensi dan presentase dari teknik yang paling sering digunakan. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa frekuensi penggunaan teknik passing sebanyak 2181 kali, control sebanyak 1853 kali, dribbling sebanyak 422 kali, shooting sebanyak 238 kali, feinting sebanyak 92 kali, heading sebanyak 25 kali, shielding sebanyak 56 kali, turning sebanyak 17 kali, dan chipping sebanyak …

The Effect Of Uphill And Downhill Exercise On Soccer Player's Leg Power, Stanis Krisyanto, Hari Amirullah Rachman

Jurnal Keolahragaan

The uphill and downhill training method is one of the exercises that must be applied because it is an important component in the success of the soccer game. The objectives were to examine (1) the difference in the effect of uphill and downhill training on leg power, (2) the difference between players with high and low leg strength on leg power; and (3) the interaction between uphill and downhill training with leg strength (high and low) on leg power of football players. This type of research is an experiment with 2 x 2 factorial. The sample of Sleman United football …

The Effect Of Drill Exercise And Reaction Speed On The Drive Accuracy Of Beginner Table Tennis Athletes, Suisdareni Suisdareni, Tomoliyus Tomoliyus

Jurnal Keolahragaan

This study aimed to test (1) the differences of drill practice effect of a constant set of rising repetition and rising set of repetition continually on drive accuracy (forehand and backhand drive) for the beginner table tennis athletes, (2) the differences of the effect of high and low reaction speed on the drive accuracy (forehand and backhand drive) for the beginner table tennis athletes in Yogyakarta, and (3) the relation between drill practice and reaction speed on improving the drive accuracy (forehand and backhand drive) for the beginner table tennis athletes in Yogyakarta. This research used an experiment with a …

Nesting Behavior, Ecology, And Functional Morphology Of The Trapdoor Spider-Hunting Spider Wasp Aporus (Plectraporus) Hirsutus (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), Frank E. Kurczewski, Alice J. Abela, Rick C. West

Insecta Mundi

Macrophotographs in series taken by Alice Abela on sandy coastal dunes in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, CA in 2010–2021 supplement and enhance F. X. Williams (1928) study of the ecol­ogy and nesting behavior of the trapdoor spider-hunting spider wasp Aporus (Plectraporus) hirsutus (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Aporini). Abela’s macrophotographs and observations provide new details of adult wasp feeding, functional morphology, hunting, digging and prey transport, and host spider trapdoor, entrance, burrow structure, host capture and escape activity. Newly reported host records from this study and online photographs expand A. hirsutus host selection in the large wafer-lid …

Micromentignatha Geberti, A New Tiger Beetle Species From Australia (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Jürgen Wiesner

Insecta Mundi

Micromentignatha geberti (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), new species, is described. It is distinguished from the other members of the genus by its larger body size and shape of elytral maculation.

Due to the kindness of Christian Kerkering, I was able to study specimens of a tiger beetle species he recently acquired. It proved to be new to science and is described herein. It is a member of Micromentignatha Sumlin, 1981, which raises the number of species in this genus to four (Wiesner 2020: 327). A key to distinguish these congeners as well as a catalog of the genus are given herein.

Ishtarella Thailandica Martens, New Genus, New Species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) Of Aphid Parasitoid From Thailand, With A Country Checklist Of Aphidiinae, Abigail P. Martens, Matthew L. Buffington, Donald L.J. Quicke, Marisa Raweearamwong, Buntika A. Butcher, Paul J. Johnson

Insecta Mundi

Ishtarella Martens new genus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) and I. thailandica Martens new species are described and illustrated from Doi Phu Kha National Park, Nan Province, Thailand. The genus is assigned to the tribe Aphidiini, subtribe Trioxina. Based on morphology, Ishtarella appears most closely related to Binodoxys Mackauer. An updated checklist of the aphidiine fauna of Thailand, based on published records, is presented.

Parasitoid wasps in the subfamily Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) comprise about 60 genera and more than 650 species worldwide (Yu et al. 2016). The Aphidiinae of Thailand were all but unknown prior to a Thai­land Inventory Group for Entomological …

Ardella Magnaemirabilis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Ardellini), A New Scarabaeoid Species, Genus And Tribe From The Southwestern United States, M. J. Paulsen

Insecta Mundi

An interesting new taxon of scarabaeoid beetle is described from western Texas, USA. The remark­ably small chafer, Ardella magnaemirabilis new genus, new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Ardellini) is described and compared to other diminutive scarabaeoid genera from drier habitats of the southwestern USA. The tribe Ardellini, new tribe, is erected to accommodate the unusual genus.

After a few centuries with entomologists scouring the continent, the discovery of unknown Nearctic scarab gen­era is no longer commonplace. The western United States, in particular, is biogeographically diverse with pockets of endemism that makes such discoveries still possible, driving collectors to continue sampling …