Life Sciences Commons^™

24andmore: Using Genomics To Improve Walleye (Sander Vitreus) Stocking In Iowa, Rachel Mcdonnell

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) at UNI

Walleye, Sander vitreus, is one of the top gamefish in Iowa. Due to poor natural reproduction in many Iowa waterbodies, populations are managed with stocking. There are two strains of walleye used to stock Iowa’s inland waters: a river strain derived from the Mississippi River near Genoa, WI and a lake strain derived from Spirit Lake, IA. Each strain may have unique characteristics relative to their environment that could affect the fitness and success of fish stocked. The goal of this study is to understand the genetic diversity within and between each strain to offer stocking guidance to the Iowa …

Genetic Effect Of Long-Term Angling Pressure On Bluegill Populations In Small Impoundments In Kansas, Morganne Borsh

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) at UNI

Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) is a versatile sport fish popularly fished across Kansas. Over the last decade, Bluegill catch rates have decreased, likely from high angler harvest rates of larger individuals. Large males that exhibit parental care have high growth rates and aggressively defend nests, making them vulnerable to angling. Males that display cuckoldry behavior reach maturity sooner, exhibit slower growth rates, and are generally smaller. The goal of this study is to determine if fisheries-induced evolution resulting from long-term harvest has led to a decline in the growth rate of Bluegill. A total of 100 individuals were sampled from ten …

Artificial Intelligence Algorithms For Medical Imaging And Healthcare, Jonathan William Stubblefield

Student Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we studied several applications of artificial intelligence applications to healthcare. In the first chapter, we examined a machine learning algorithm for classifying patients presenting to the emergency department with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Patients presenting with this life-threatening condition require a quick and accurate assessment of whether the condition is infectious or cardiac in etiology as the treatments for these etiologies of ARDS differ significantly. We used a transfer learning approach to develop our model. The model used a combination of clinical data and a chest x-ray as its input and achieved an accuracy 0.675 on …

Metabolic Engineering Of Peanut Hairy Roots Via Rna Interference To Study The Role Of Prenylated Stilbenoids Against Water Stress, Gaurav Gajurel

Student Theses and Dissertations

Abiotic stress, such as drought, causes over five-hundred million dollars in losses in peanut production per year in the world. Peanuts are known to produce antioxidant prenylated stilbenoids, however, their role in abiotic stress tolerance have not been elucidated. The overall goal of this project was to determine if selected prenylated stilbenoids play a role against water stress in peanut. To address this issue, transgenic hairy roots with the capacity to produce diverse prenylated stilbenoids using an RNA-interference (RNAi) approach were established. RNAi molecular constructs targeting a stilbenoid-specific prenyltransferase were designed, synthesized, and expressed via Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation in peanut …

The Effect Of Static Stretching On Countermovement Jump And Flexibility Performance In Collegiate Dancers, Ashlyn Raines

Student Theses and Dissertations

Dancers require a large range of motion and joint mobility in order to successfully execute certain skills. The requirements of dance make stretching in warm-ups almost a necessity to reduce risk of injury, however the volume of static stretching has not been thoroughly researched in high flexibility athletes. The Purpose of this study was to investigate the dose-response of static stretching in dance and the effect it may have on performance. Two dancers volunteered for this study. Both dancers engaged in a general warm-up and different dosage of static stretches followed by a countermovement jump test on a force plate …

Quercetin Exhibits Potent Antioxidant Activity, Restores Motor And Non-Motor Deficits Induced By Rotenone Toxicity, Syeda Madiha, Zehra Batool, Saiqa Tabassum, Laraib Liaquat, Sadia Sadir, Sidrah Shahzad, Fizza Naqvi, Sadia Saleem, Sarwat Yousuf, Saara Ahmad

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

The rotenone-induced animal model of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been used to investigate the pathogenesis of PD. Oxidative stress is one of the main contributors of neurodegeneration in PD. Flavonoids have the potential to modulate neuronal function and combat various neurodegenerative diseases. The pre- and post-supplementation of quercetin (50 mg/kg, p.o) was done in rats injected with rotenone (1.5 mg/kg, s.c). After the treatment, behavioral activities were monitored for motor activity, depression-like behavior, and cognitive changes. Rats were decapitated after behavioral analysis and the brain samples were dissected out for neurochemical and biochemical estimation. Results showed that supplementation of quercetin …

Four Weeks Of 16:8 Time-Restricted Feeding On Stress, Sleep, Quality Of Life, Hunger Level, And Body Composition In Healthy Adults: A Pilot Study On Wellness Optimization, Gurinder Bains, Everett Lohman, Michael Moh, Noha Daher, Lee Berk

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Sustainable methods of dietary lifestyle changes are essential to long term weight loss maintenance and enhancement in overall health and wellness. A novel modified alternative method to caloric restriction is Time-Restricted Feeding (TRF), a sub-type of Intermittent Fasting. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effect of four weeks of TRF (without caloric deficit) on body composition, stress levels, sleep quality, hunger level, and quality of life.

Methods: Sixteen participants, 9 males and 7 females, mean age 34.0 ± 11.7 years, completed the four-week protocol. Fasting program was 16 hours from the time of …

Trichloroethylene Remediation By Engineered Soil Bacteria, Madeline Hannah Mclaughlin Armond

Theses and Dissertations

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a toxic pollutant that has become a widespread problem by seeping into groundwater across the developed world. Clean-up of sites contaminated with TCE is extremely difficult due to the absence of an efficient and cost-effective method for clean-up. Bioremediation efforts include a variety of potential microbial candidates with various metabolic capabilities as clean up options of contaminated sites. Cupriavidus necator, a soil bacterium was found to possess the ability to degrade TCE via a phenol-dependent pathway. Previous research by Ayoubi and Harker (1998) created a strain (MM02) capable of constitutive TCE degradation but the underlying genetic alteration …

Multifaceted Approach To Understanding Acinetobacter Baumannii Biofilm Formation And Drug Resistance, Jessie L. Allen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Acinetobacter baumannii is a multi-drug resistant nosocomial pathogen known for causing wound related- and respiratory-infections. It is currently on the WHO’s list of critical pathogens due to its broadly drug resistant nature and the constant appearance of pan-resistant isolates. A majority of the infections caused by this organism are biofilm associated, however there is limited existing knowledge regarding the mechanisms used to engage in this multicellular lifestyle. As such, we set out to explore the factors influencing this behavior using an 10,000+ isolate transposon mutant library of A. baumannii strain AB5075. Of the strains tested, 6.45% demonstrated some level of …

The Ecological Role Of Cassiopea In Shallow Mangrove Habitats, David Marcel Durieux

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Upside-down jellyfish, Cassiopea sp., can be locally abundant in shallow mangrove habitats throughout the tropics and subtropics. Unlike other jellyfish, Cassiopea sp. are epibenthic. Due to this unique lifestyle and their ability to achieve high population densities, an understanding is needed of their ecological impacts both individually and in aggregations, particularly given that Cassiopea sp. ranges are expanding poleward due to global climate change. We quantified the fluid flow produced by Cassiopea sp. feeding currents and found that an average-sized Cassiopea sp. can transport over 200 l/h of water in the vertical excurrent jet of their feeding current. Populations of …

Mechanistic Insight Into Β-Lactamase Catalysis, Inhibitor Design And Resistance, Michael Trent Kemp

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The emergence of antibiotic resistance and spread of Gram negative bacteria poses a very real health threat to the public. The main mode of resistance within Gram negative bacteria is the production of β-lactamase enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of β-lactam antibiotics through a hydrolysis mechanism. Once the β-lactam ring is hydrolyzed and opened, the drug loses its efficacy, which allows for the bacteria to grow and proliferate uninhibited. These β-lactamase enzymes are organized into four categories based on the Ambler classification, with classes A, C and D being denoted as serine-based β-lactamase enzymes. Class B is composed of metalloenzymes …

Moving In Fluid: Exploring How Fishes Manipulate Water To Swim Efficiently, Nils B. Tack

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Moving through a dense fluid such as water presents some unique challenges to minimizing energy use and maximizing performance (i.e., speed). Due to animal-fluid interactions during swimming (drag and thrust production) fish have evolved a variety of morphological structures and locomotor mechanisms. For instance, fish rely on body bending and/or fins to interact with the surrounding water such that energy can be transferred to generate thrust. Typically, this synergy promotes morphologies and behaviors aimed at enhancing propulsive efficiency and/or minimizing metabolic activity to lessen the cost of transport (COT). This work focuses on quantifying the energetic and hydromechanical benefits of …

Temporal Baseline Of Essential And Non-Essential Elements Recorded In Baleen Of Western Arctic Bowhead Whale (Balaena Mysticetus), Samantha Shore, Dimitri Giarikos, Lawrence K. Duffy, Mickie Rae Edwards, Amy Hirons

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

This study established the first baseline of changing elemental concentrations in bowhead whale baleen over time (1958–1999). From previously published stable isotope data, year, season (summer or winter), and location (Beaufort or Bering/Chukchi seas) were attributed to each sample. Thirteen elements (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, V, Zn) in baleen from nine subsistence-harvested bowhead whales (n = 138) were detected. Al, Cu, and Fe were the highest concentrations while Cd and V were among the lowest. Our data supports absorption as the main route of exposure to environmental elements rather than biomagnification due to …

Responses Of Wetland Soil Microbial Communities To Different Types Of Anthropogenic Stress, Grace Ann Cagle

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Microorganisms are the major drivers of biogeochemical transformations of carbon and nitrogen in wetlands. These processes are crucial for ecological sustainability and are heavily impacted by human activities. How anthropogenic stress affects the microbial drivers of carbon storage and nutrient cycling in wetlands is not well understood. I investigated the response of wetland soil microbial communities to three different types of anthropogenic stress using DNA sequencing. First, I studied the effect of warming on microbial carbon processing in a peatland underlaid by permafrost by comparing the abundances of specific genes between sites subjected to five years of warming and controls. …

Ubiquitous Yet Inconspicuous: Quantifying Trophic Impact Of A Widespread Oceanic Comb Jelly (Ctenophore), Elizabeth Potter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The oceanic lobate ctenophore Ocyropsis spp. has a widespread distribution throughout the world’s tropical and sub-tropical oceans. While patchy, Ocyropsis spp. population densities are known to exceed one individual per m3. Studies of coastal ctenophores have shown that some species are capable of exerting strong predatory impacts on their ecosystems, but little is known about the potential trophic impacts of their oceanic relatives. Many oceanic genera such as Ocyropsis, Bolinopsis, and Eurhamphaea exhibit morphologies and prey capture mechanisms that are different from the more well-studied coastal species. Thus, existing data on coastal taxa may not apply to oceanic species due …

Breathing Can Be Dangerous: Coccidioides And The Diverse Community Of The Lung Mycobiome, Paris S. Salazar-Hamm

Biology ETDs

Coccidioidomycosis, caused by soil-dwelling species of Coccidioides, is endemic to the Southwestern United States. It can present as a mild respiratory illness to life-threatening disseminated infections.Multi-gene phylogenetics and tracing patient histories revealed the presence of both Coccidioides species in New Mexico, and Native Americans may represent an unrecognized risk group. A PCR method developed distinguishes Coccidioides species by targeting regions of the mitochondrial genome. Recent advancements in molecular genetics solidifies lungs are not sterile. Illumina community data from 199 small mammals from Arizona, California, and New Mexico demonstrated a great diversity of fungi inhabiting lung tissues. One dominant order, Onygenales, …

Regional Expansion And Evaluation Of Potential Chemical Control For Invasive Apple Snails (Pomacea Maculata) In Southwest Louisiana, Julian M. Lucero

LSU Master's Theses

The integration of monitoring and chemical control is an efficient strategy for managing invasive apple snails, Pomacea maculata, in the rice (Oryza sativa L.) and crawfish systems of southwest Louisiana. However, their current distribution, expansion rates, and susceptibility to chemical control methods in this area are not well known. This study evaluated the expansion of P. maculata in southwest Louisiana and assessed potential chemical control for P. maculata among toxicity assays using various application rates. The effects of potential chemical control were also assessed on a non-target species, the red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii). P. maculata …

Sedation And Acute Encephalopathy In A Pediatric Patient Following Ingestion Of Delta-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol Gummies, Peter Akpunonu, Regan A. Baum, Andrew Reckers, Blake Davidson, Ross Ellison, Matthew Riley, Jordan Trecki, Roy Gerona

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8 THC) is an isomer of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9 THC), the primary psychoactive cannabinoid in the marijuana plant. Typically found at lower concentrations in marijuana, delta-8 THC exhibits psychoactive properties similar to delta-9 THC. Products containing delta-8 THC are readily available across the US and currently there is a lack of available confirmatory testing specific to delta-8 THC as there is cross-reactivity to other naturally occurring cannabinoids in standard immunoassays. Pediatric exposures to this substance are on the rise.

CASE REPORT We present a case with laboratory confirmation of a previously healthy 2-year-old girl ingesting approximately 15 mg/kg …

Genome-Wide Dna Polymorphism Analysis And Molecular Marker Development For The Setaria Italica Variety “Ssr41” And Positional Cloning Of The Setaria White Leaf Sheath Gene Siwls1, Hui Zhang, Sha Tang, James C. Schnable, Qiang He, Yuanzhu Gao, Mingzhao Luo, Guanqing Jia, Baili Feng, Hui Zhi, Xianmin Diao

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Genome-wide DNA polymorphism analysis and molecular marker development are important for forward genetics research and DNA marker-assisted breeding. As an ideal model system for Panicoideae grasses and an important minor crop in East Asia, foxtail millet (Setaria italica) has a high-quality reference genome as well as large mutant libraries based on the “Yugu1” variety. However, there is still a lack of genetic and mutation mapping tools available for forward genetics research on S. italica. Here, we screened another S. italica genotype, “SSR41”, which is morphologically similar to, and readily cross-pollinates with, “Yugu1”. High-throughput resequencing of “SSR41” …

Simulated Annealing-Based Hyperspectral Data Optimization For Fish Species Classification: Can The Number Of Measured Wavelengths Be Reduced?, John Chauvin, Ray Duran, Kouhyar Tavakolian, Alireza Akhbardeh, Nicholas Mackinnon, Jianwei Qin, Diane E. Chan, Chansong Hwang, Insuck Baek, Moon S. Kim, Rachel B. Isaacs, Ayse Gamze Yilmaz, Jiahleen Roungchun, Rosalee S. Hellberg, Fartash Vasefi

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

Relative to standard red/green/blue (RGB) imaging systems, hyperspectral imaging systems offer superior capabilities but tend to be expensive and complex, requiring either a mechanically complex push-broom line scanning method, a tunable filter, or a large set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) to collect images in multiple wavelengths. This paper proposes a new methodology to support the design of a hypothesized system that uses three imaging modes—fluorescence, visible/near-infrared (VNIR) reflectance, and shortwave infrared (SWIR) reflectance—to capture narrow-band spectral data at only three to seven narrow wavelengths. Simulated annealing is applied to identify the optimal wavelengths for sparse spectral measurement with a …

Examining Eating Attitudes And Behaviors In Collegiate Athletes, The Association Between Orthorexia Nervosa And Eating Disorders, Nancy A. Uriegas, Zachary K. Winkelmann, Kelly Pritchett, Toni M. Torres-Mcgehee

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Education and Professional Studies

Purpose: Orthorexia nervosa (Orthorexia) is an eating attitude and behavior associated with a fixation on healthy eating, while eating disorders (EDs) are clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorders associated with marked disturbances in eating that may cause impairment to psychosocial and physical health. The purpose of this study was to examine risk for Orthorexia and EDs in student-athletes across sex and sport type and determine the association between the two.

Methods: Student-athletes (n = 1,090; age: 19.6 ± 1.4 years; females = 756; males = 334) completed a survey including demographics, the ORTO-15 test (values), the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26; >20 …

Let It Rip: The Mechanics Of Self-Bisection In Asexual Planarians Determines Their Population Reproductive Strategies, T. Goel, Danielle Ireland, Vir Shetty , '22, Christina Rabeler, P. H. Diamond, Eva-Maria S. Collins

Biology Faculty Works

Asexual freshwater planarians reproduce by transverse bisection (binary fission) into two pieces. This process produces a head and a tail, which fully regenerate within 1–2 weeks. How planarians split into two offspring—using only their musculature and substrate traction—is a challenging biomechanics problem. We found that three different species, Dugesia japonica, Girardia tigrina and Schmidtea mediterranea, have evolved three different mechanical solutions to self-bisect. Using time lapse imaging of the fission process, we quantitatively characterize the main steps of division in the three species and extract the distinct and shared key features. Across the three species, planarians actively alter …

Fibroblast Growth Factor 19 Increases The Excitability Of Pre-Motor Glutamatergic Dorsal Vagal Complex Neurons From Hyperglycemic Mice, Jordan B. Wean, Bret N. Smith

Physiology Faculty Publications

Intracerebroventricular administration of the protein hormone fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) to the hindbrain produces potent antidiabetic effects in hyperglycemic mice that are likely mediated through a vagal parasympathetic mechanism. FGF19 increases the synaptic excitability of parasympathetic motor neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) from hyperglycemic, but not normoglycemic, mice but the source of this synaptic input is unknown. Neurons in the area postrema (AP) and nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) express high levels of FGF receptors and exert glutamatergic control over the DMV. This study tested the hypothesis that FGF19 increases glutamate release in the DMV …

Unraveling The Role Of Novel G5 Peptidase Family Proteins In Virulence And Cell Envelope Biogenesis Of Staphylococcus Aureus, Stephanie M. Marroquin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Virulence factors and the bacterial cell envelope are two important components in S. aureus pathogenesis and survival. More importantly, understanding the regulation of these cellular processes is crucial to further understanding and combating this successful pathogen. To date, numerous factors have been identified as playing a role in the regulation of Agr activity in S. aureus, including transcription factors, antisense RNAs, and host elements. Herein we investigate the product of SAUSA300_1984 (termed MroQ), a transmembrane G5 peptidase family protein, as a novel effector of this system. Using a USA300 mroQ mutant we observed a drastic reduction in proteolysis, hemolysis, and …

A Sugarcane G-Protein-Coupled Receptor, Shgpcr1, Confers Tolerance To Multiple Abiotic Stresses, Manikandan Ramasamy, Mona B. Damaj, Carol Vargas-Bautista, Victoria Mora, Jiaxing Liu, Carmen S. Padilla, Sonia Irigoyen, Tripti Saini, Nirakar Sahoo, Jorge A. Dasilva, Kranthi K. Mandadi

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a prominent source of sugar and serves as bioenergy/biomass feedstock globally. Multiple biotic and abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, and cold, adversely affect sugarcane yield. G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are components of G-protein-mediated signaling affecting plant growth, development, and stress responses. Here, we identified a GPCR-like protein (ShGPCR1) from sugarcane and energy cane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) and characterized its function in conferring tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. ShGPCR1 protein sequence contained nine predicted transmembrane (TM) domains connected by four extracellular and four intracellular loops, which could interact with various ligands and heterotrimeric G …

The Role Of Cpeb2 Alternative Splicing In Tnbc Metastasis, Shaun C. Stevens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths for women in the U.S. Although the overall 5-year survival rate for breast cancer is 90%, this rate drops substantially for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) due to its high metastatic potential. Furthermore, there is a lack of targeted therapeutics for TNBC, and clinical trials have been largely unsuccessful. These characteristics validate the need for identifying novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of TNBC. The study of alternative splicing (AS) has emerged as a powerful tool to elucidate the molecular underpinnings driving cancer.

Our lab has identified cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein …

Evaluation Of Paspalum Spp. With Adaptation To Poorly Drained Soils In The Tropical Americas, Michael Peters, B. Hincapié, P. Avila, C. E. Lascano

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A collection of Paspalum accessions obtained from Brazil was tested for their adaptation to poorly drained soils. Three accessions were selected based on their DM production and nutritive value. Productivity and quality of these three accessions was stable over the periods of maximum and minimum rainfall, giving potential for continuous forage supply throughout the year in the tropical Americas. Grazing trials for the selected accessions are underway.

Intake Characteristics And Performance Of Contrasting Grass Varieties Continuously Stocked With Sheep, R. J. Orr, J. E. Cook, R. A. Champion, A. J. Rook

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Fifteen intermediate-heading perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) varieties were grazed by sheep under continuous variable stocking management. Mean daily grass dry matter intake per ewe was positively correlated with liveweight gain per ewe (r = 0.63) and per ha (r = 0.58) over an 8-month grazing season. Daily intake was not correlated with grazing time (r = 0.12) but was positively correlated with instantaneous dry matter intake rate (r = 0.75). Breeding varieties with high intake rate characteristics should allow increases in the contribution of grazed grass to grassland-based livestock farming. There is now a …

Drought Tolerance Of Interspecific Hybrids Between Trifolium Repens And Trifolium Ambiguum, A. H. Marshall, M. T. Abberton, T. P. T. Michaelson-Yeates, I. Rhodes, A. Williams

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Hybrids between the stolonifeous white clover (Trifolium repens L., 2n=4x=32) and rhizomatous Caucasian clover (T. ambiguum M.Bieb, 2n=4x=32) have been produced. A backcross 2 (BC2) generation with white clover as the recurrent parent combines the growth habit of both parent species with the objective of increasing the persistency of large leaved T. repens varieties under grazing. T. ambiguum is more drought tolerant than T. repens. The drought tolerance of the hybrids in comparison with the parental species was compared in deep soil bins over a four week drought cycle. Soil moisture content, leaf relative water content …

Variability For Nitrogen And Phosphorus Uptake Among Timothy Genotypes, Réal Michaud, Gilles Bélanger, A. Brégard

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Cultivars of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) with high N and P use efficiencies are required to reduce costs of production and risks of N and P pollution, and to meet the nutrition requirements of high producing animals. This field study aimed at comparing, (under three N rates) the relationship between DM yield, N uptake, and P uptake of 27 timothy half-sib families, plus the cultivar Champ as a control (Dry matter yield), N and P uptake increased with increasing N rates. Genotypes also differed for DM yield, N and P uptake. For a given DM yield, the genotypes had …