Biology Commons^™

Age-Related Oligodendrocyte Lineage And Learning Abnormalities Driven By Nf1 Mutation In Mice, Saul Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in the NF1 gene, on chromosome 17. NF1 patients suffer from a number of neurological issues including learning deficits and increased risk of age-related dementia. Additionally, NF1 patients present with multiple white matter and myelin abnormalities. Whether and how myelin abnormalities impact learning in NF1 is not known; therefore, we aimed to gain insights on potential links between Nf1 mutation and learning issues Unpublished data indicate that NF1 female-but not male- mice with Nf1+/- germline mutation show defects in a myelin-regulated learning/memory test (the complex wheel; CW) at …

Genomic Diversity And Carbohydrate Utilisation In Human-Associated Bifidobacterial Isolates, Ortensia Catalano Gonzaga

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

Bifidobacteria are beneficial commensals of the human gastrointestinal tract and their presence in the gut has been associated with positive health effects on the host. They account for a vast proportion of the infant gut microbiota, when the infant is fed on a milk-based diet, with their number progressively decreasing in adult and elderly. The gut microbiota and associated metabolic activities significantly impact on human health by promoting appropriate development of the infant immune system and contributing to the maintenance of the intestinal homeostasis. In recent years it has become clear that microbial colonization of the gut immediately following birth …

The Persistence Of Blue Ash In The Aftermath Of Emerald Ash Borer May Be Due To Adult Oviposition Preferences And Reduced Larval Performance, Don Cipollini, Emily Morton

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

1. We examined the health of mature blue ash, Fraxinus quadrangulata, in two forests in southwestern Ohio in relation to that of mature white ash, F. americana, and examined the potential importance of oviposition preferences and larval resistance in the persistence of blue ash.
2. Both blue ash and white ash were largely unaffected by emerald ash borer in 2012. By 2018, nearly 90% of the blue ash trees observed in these forests had full or nearly full canopies, as opposed to less than 20% of the white ash encountered in our studies. In 2021, blue ash maintained a …

Coordinated Regulation Of Myonuclear Dna Methylation, Mrna, And Mirna Levels Associates With The Metabolic Response To Rapid Synergist Ablation-Induced Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy In Female Mice, Ahmed Ismaeel, Nicholas T. Thomas, Mariah Mccashland, Sebastian Edman, Johanna T. Lanner, Vandré C. Figueiredo, Christopher S. Fry, John J. Mccarthy, Yuan Wen, Kevin A. Murach, Ferdinand Von Walden

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

The central dogma of molecular biology dictates the general flow of molecular information from DNA that leads to a functional cellular outcome. In skeletal muscle fibers, the extent to which global myonuclear transcriptional alterations, accounting for epigenetic and post-transcriptional influences, contribute to an adaptive stress response is not clearly defined. In this investigation, we leveraged an integrated analysis of the myonucleus-specific DNA methylome and transcriptome, as well as myonuclear small RNA profiling to molecularly define the early phase of skeletal muscle fiber hypertrophy. The analysis of myonucleus-specific mature microRNA and other small RNA species provides new directions for exploring muscle …

Synaptic Proteins Involved In Reward-Based Plasticity, Cameron Martinez, Christian Wesselborg, Hey-Kyoung Lee Ph.D

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

My research focused on synaptic proteins involved in reward-based plasticity. More specifically, my aim sought to expand brain tissue in order to resolve the problem of distinguishing between synapses. This process involved using different biological assays.

Clear Vision Center Of South Florida Biol 4990 - Independent Study In Biology, Bita Sabripour

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

During my internship at Clear Vision Center of South Florida, I had the opportunity to shadow and work alongside Dr. Bita Sabripour to examine and provide eye care services to patients. I learned various clinical practices including taking patients' history, working the front desk, taking inventory, placing orders, selling frames, assisting patients, and keeping the office running. In addition, I ran the clinic's social media platforms and was in charge of communication with various manufacturers and sales representatives. I also volunteered with the associated nonprofit organization, See Your Future, which provides free eye care and services to the underprivileged and …

Dietary Interventions During Chemotherapy Treatment: A Systematic Review Of Feasibility, Safety, And Efficacy, Shalet James, Alexie Oppermann, Amber S. Kleckner

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

Chemotherapy is a mainstay for cancer treatment. However, chemotherapy is associated with side effects that can significantly limit a person's physical and cognitive functioning, both reducing quality of life and leading to dose reductions of life-saving treatment. Dietary interventions may help manage and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy through biological and psychological mechanisms. While there is preliminary evidence supporting the importance of nutrition in cancer care, current guidelines are vague except for minimum calorie and protein intake to prevent malnutrition. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of dietary interventions on health …

Minimum Blockers Of 123-Avoiding Permutation Matrices, Megan Bennett

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

A blocker of 123-avoiding permutation matrices refers to the set of zeros contained within an 𝑛 × 𝑛 123-forcing matrix. Recently, Brualdi and Cao provided a characterization of all minimal blockers, which are blockers with a cardinality of 𝑛. Building upon their work, a new type of blocker, flag-shaped blockers, which can be seen as a generalization of the 𝐿-shaped blockers defined by Brualdi and Cao, are introduced. It is demonstrated that all flag-shaped blockers are minimum blockers, and the shifting of positions from these blockers is discussed. Lastly, the dimensions of subpolytopes that are defined by flag-shaped blockers are …

Introduction To Protein Modeling, Jordan Nichole Carreras, Juhi Dalal, Ryan Luib, Omar Saleh, Pranav Neravetla, Shreya Averinini

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

HONR 1010G: Introduction to Protein Modeling is a course-based research opportunity focused on telling a “protein story” using a 3dprinted model developed by students working in research groups studying the literature and available protein database files. The course is open to honors students at all levels and majors. Throughout the semester, students work to develop a 3D printed model that explains how the protein works. This is done through using computational tools with protein database file published through the protein data bank (https://www.rcsb.org/) such as Jmol & Pymol, scientific literature and 3D protein models. In addition to creating the 3dprinted …

Investigating The Gut Microbiota Of Skeleton Shrimp, Jason Rosales

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

No abstract provided.

How Did The Covid-19 Pandemic Impact Anatomy And Physiology Education Worldwide, Sneh Patel, Sean Mahajan, Santanu De

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

No abstract provided.

Sea-Phages Research, Bianca Gonzalez

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and kill bacteria and there is an abundant amount of them in the world. They have been recently utilized in biotechnological applications including their use in combating antibiotic resistance and bioremediation of oil spills. Through the SEA-PHAGES program, my goal (along with my team) was to discover and isolate bacteriophages found in soil and analyze their full genome sequences

Md Anderson Internship: Targeting Il-27rα In Ovarian Cancer, Meghana Kavarthapu

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

We utilized a novel explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) approach to identify Interleukin-27 Receptor α (IL-27Rα) as a potential therapeutic target for high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) patients based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. High expression of IL-27Rα was found to be significantly correlated with poorer survival in HGSC patients. To investigate its therapeutic potential, we silenced IL-27Rα in murine HGSC cells lines using siRNA and assessed its impact on tumor proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. Our results demonstrated that IL-27Rα siRNA effectively reduced its expression, as confirmed by Western Blot analysis, and significantly attenuated proliferation by clonogenic …

Florida's Summer Institute In Biostatistics And Data Science Program Experience, David Giordano

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

The Summer Institute in Biostatistics and Data Science, sponsored by the NHLBI and NIAID, offers a comprehensive six to seven-week training program. This program provides classroom instruction, career mentoring, and hands-on data analysis using clinical study data related to infectious, immune-mediated, and chronic diseases. It's designed to address the increasing demand for biostatisticians and data scientists, targeting undergraduates and early graduate students to consider graduate programs in these fields. The curriculum includes intensive biostatistical training, introducing students to statistical methods' principles and applications in biomedical and clinical research.

Pre-Health Professional Volunteer, Divya Papaiya

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

I participated in the esteemed Pre-Health Professional Volunteer Program at Penn Medicine Princeton Health over this summer from May to August. Through this program, I was able to rotate through various departments in the hospital ranging from – but not limited to – Radiation Oncology to the Pathology/Blood Bank Lab. Along with completing my rotations, I was a part of a close-knit cohort that was able to attend special lectures dedicated to a variety of healthcare topics such as medical treatment inequality and disparity, EMS services, organ donation, and medical examiner (autopsy) recognition cases. Despite being part of a specialized …

Big 5 Conservation Internship, Bernhard Riegl

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

The Discover Eden Big 5 Ecology and Conservation course is located in South Africa. Through a series of first-hand experiences and lectures, one learns much about Conservation and what it really is. By working with Ecologists, Conservationists, and Veterinarians, you gain insight into these professions and what they entail

Summer 2023 Graz Internship, Eleanor Wind, Alex Pope

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

The summer 2023 Graz Internship was a comprehensive medical internship which exposed us to both surgical and clinical sides of medicine. Over the course of 6 weeks we were able to observe a variety of operations and even scrub in and assist. Clinical skills acquired included IV placement, phlebotomy, laparoscopy, suturing and surgical knot tying. In addition to experience gained in the hospital, we learned the basics of international travel, citywide navigation in multiple cities, European culture, and ate quite a bit of good food. We were fortunate enough to meet a network of medical students and doctors from other …

Science Alive, Adam Sadik, Pranav Madadi, Mahalaxmi Some, Lohita Sunkara, Ashley Abad, Lickchina Jeanlis

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

Through the Science Alive outreach program, we work to bring the excitement of hands-on learning to grade-school children and the entire community. Science Alive promotes science education and interaction between the college and grade school community as “science buddies”. Group leaders can earn Science Alive internship credit and serve as volunteers with Broward County public schools. There are a variety of ways NSU students are involved in this internship program. We have a regular schedule of leading students once per week on Friday afternoons at Nova Blanche Elementary through NSU student-led activities to explore science. We also have been building …

An Investigation Of Mitigation Measures On The Spread Of Covid-19 In A College Classroom Using Agent-Based Modeling, Saharsh Talwar, Anne E. Yust

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

In this manuscript, we describe the process of using agent-based modeling in NetLogo to create a simulation of COVID-19 spread in a traditional college classroom. The model allows for an evaluation of different preventative measures implemented by the University of Pittsburgh, including the cohort classroom attendance model, mask and vaccine mandates, contact tracing, and classroom sanitation. Through the use of the model's interactive interface, the impact of adjusting specific measures by the institution could be visualized, providing a valuable tool for combating diseases that spread through droplet transmission.

Distinct Nrf2 Signaling Thresholds Mediate Lung Tumor Initiation And Progression, Janine M. Deblasi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

NRF2 is a redox-responsive transcription factor the directs the antioxidant program and several critical metabolic processes. Mutations in NRF2 or its negative regulator KEAP1 occur in up to one third of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) and are often associated with resistance to therapy and poor outcomes. In the present studies, murine alleles of the Keap1 and Nrf2 mutations found in human NSCLC were developed and I comprehensively investigated their impact on tumor initiation and progression. I observed that chronic Nrf2 stabilization by Keap1 loss-of-function or Nrf2 activating mutation was not sufficient to cause lung tumor initiation, even when p53 …

Insights Into The Molecular Roles Of Foxr2 In The Pathology Of Primary Pediatric Brain Tumors, Rajendra Gharbaran

Publications and Research

Forkhead box gene R2 (FOXR2) belongs to the family of FOX genes which codes for highly conserved transcription factors (TFs) with critical roles in biological processes ranging from development to organogenesis to metabolic and immune regulation to cellular homeostasis. A number of FOX genes are associated with cancer development and progression and poor prognosis. A growing body of evidence suggests that FOXR2 is an oncogene. Studies suggested important roles for FOXR2 in cancer cell growth, metastasis, and drug resistance. Recent studies showed that FOXR2 is overexpressed by a subset of newly identified entities of embryonal tumors. This review discusses the …

Predicting Stringent Quantiferon-Tb Gold Plus Conversions In Contacts Of Tuberculosis Patients, Sheng-Wei Pan, Donald G. Catanzaro, Marva Seifert, Rehan Syed, Naomi Hillery, Mei-Lin Ho, Valeriu Crudu, Elena Tudor, Nelly Ciobanu, Alexandru Codreanu, Antonino Catanzaro, Timonthy C. Rodwell

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objectives

Methods

Results

Understanding An Inflammatory Pathway In Diabetic Retinopathy, Reanna R. Rodriguez

Research Symposium

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S. However, not much is known of its molecular pathway and how it attributes to increases in inflammatory response in the eye. One avenue we will investigate is the transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) signaling pathway and its effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion and cell viability. VEGF is the hallmark that exacerbates DR progression in prolonged diabetes. Some major concern that have arisen are the underlying effects of oxidants and antioxidants in elevating VEGF secretion in diabetes. In attempt to learn more, we evaluated how an …

Mutational And Expression Analysis Of Fbxw7 Gene In Colorectal Cancer Patients Among North Indian Population, Laraib Uroog

Research Symposium

Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide with the incidence rate of 1.8 million (10.2%) (GOBOCON-2018). CRC is endemic to Kashmir Valley due to both, kangri use and non-veg food habit. The current study was designed to explore the possible correlation between that FBXW7 and colorectal cancer progression.

Methods: FBXW7 gene mutations and expression was analyzed in 173 colorectal carcinoma tissues along with the adjacent non-cancerous matched tissues using polymerase chain reaction-single stranded confirmation polymorphism assay. Gene expression analysis was conducted using qRT-PCR, western blot and IHC.

Results: In total, six mutations were found …

International Conference On Cancer Health Disparities, Juhi Rais, Asif Jafri, Neelam Shivnath, Habiba Khan, Md Arshad

Research Symposium

Background: Biochanin A, an isoflavone that is mainly present in red clover, has potent chemopreventive properties against many cancers. Ovarian carcinoma is fifth most common and deadliest gynaecological malignancy that causes the highest mortality in females worldwide. Hence a substantial need for new therapies for combating this gynaecological malignancy arises.

Methods: The present study aimed to investigate anti-cancerous potentials of biochanin A on cultured human ovarian carcinoma PA-1 cells through the cell viability assay, cellular apoptosis, disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), involvement of ROS, cell cycle kinetics, and expression of apoptosis-related genes namely, p53, Bax, Bcl-2, Noxa and Puma. …

A Natural Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe For Cancer Cell Imaging, Benilde E. Adriano, Nycol M. Cotto, Neeraj Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Symposium

Background: Rio Grande Valley (RGV) suffers from a high prevalence of certain cancers and lack the resources for accurate early diagnosis. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence-based imaging is a noteworthy and safer strategy for cancer detection compared to radiological imaging. There are several NIR dyes including indocyanine green (ICG) and its analogues that allow high-resolution and deep tissue imaging. However, these dyes possess some drawbacks, namely photo instability, toxicity, poor water solubility, and short half-lives. Chlorophyll (Chl) is a natural dietary and biocompatible NIR fluorescent substance which has the potential to serve as a cancer NIR imaging candidate. Hence, we aim to …

Mortaparibplus- A Novel Anticancer Small Molecule Abrogating Mortalin-P53 Interaction In Cancer Cells, Anissa N. Sari, Ahmed Elwakeel, Jaspreet K. Dhanjal, Vipul Kumar, Durai Sundar, Sunil C. Kaul, Renu Wadhwa

Research Symposium

Background. The cessation of tumor cell growth through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis is determined by p53, a tumor suppressor protein. However, the interaction between mortalin-p53 within cytoplasm/nucleus leads to the inactivation of p53 transcriptional activation function. The disruption of mortalin-p53 complex has been suggested as an approach for developing a potential anticancer drug.

Methods. A screening of a high-content chemical library was performed to determine a molecule with mortalin-p53-interaction disrupting characteristics. After four-rounds of visual assays, we discovered a triazole derivative (4-[(1E)-2-(2-phenylindol-3-yl)-1-azavinyl]-1,2,4-triazole, named Mortaparib^Plus) with a potential ability of disrupting mortalin-p53-complex. In this study, we recruited …

Novel Therapy Targeting Mutant-Krasg12d And Galectin-1 In Pancreatic Cancer, Ana I. Martinez Bulnes, Sheema Khan, Dan Ninroy, Poornima Devi Shaji, Swathi Holla, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Introduction: Although, surgical resection and chemotherapy are the gold standard for treating Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC), low patient survival rate remains the problem. The activating point mutation of the KRAS on codon-12 is present in 70–95% of PDAC cases and so far, no success has been achieved to inhibit KRAS. KRASG12D regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis. Recent preliminary and published studies show high Galectin-1 (Gal-1) levels in both pancreatic cancer and stromal cells, which modulate tumor microenvironment and metastasis. Additionally, genetic deletion of gal1 inhibits metastasis and improves survival in KRAS mouse model of PDAC (1). Therefore, our objective is …

Identification Of Tectorigenin As A Natural Pro-Hypoxia Compound: Implications In Modulation Of Cellular Differentiation And Senescence, Mallika Khurana, Renu Wadhwa, Sunil Kaul

Research Symposium

Background: Hypoxia, a suboptimal level of oxygen, evokes stress response in cells and activated hypoxia signaling has been largely established as a pro-metastasis and pro-angiogenic factor for tumor cells. On the other hand, age-related neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by hypoxic environment, accumulation of molecular garbage and induction of premature senescence. Several recent studies have reported anti-stress impact of the intermittent induction of hypoxia signaling in these cells.

Methods: Screening of a phytochemical library using Hypoxia Responsive Element (HRE) driven luciferase as a reporter was carried out to identify hypoxia-modulating phytochemicals. Activation of HIF-1a (master regulator of hypoxia signaling) was validated …

Determination Of Hfe C282y Mutation And Its Association With The Iron Status And Viral Load In Hiv Patients From Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Juan Carlos Hernández, Marisol Rosas Díaz, Esperanza Milagros García Oropesa, Santos Graciela Montemayor Beltrán, Juana Díaz García, Imelda Ramírez Puente

Research Symposium

Background: The HFE protein has a fundamental role in iron homeostasis, the HFE C282Y mutation prevents the specific function of the protein, causing greater intestinal absorption of iron and intracellular accumulation. The HIV virus causes a disease that attacks the cells of the immune system, mainly CD 4 T lymphocytes inducing their destruction and immunosuppression of the patient. Some viruses have the ability to disrupt cellular metabolic processes during their own replication, such is the case of HIV-1, which is involved in alteration of iron metabolism resulting in an overload of iron.

Methods: An exploratory, descriptive, cross-sectional and prolective study …