Biology Commons^™

Sonification Of Epigenetic Processes, Joelle Strom

Senior Theses

Sonification is the process of creating sound or music from data for investigative or aesthetic purposes. Data sonification has been used in multiple fields to provide an additional layer of analysis to datasets, engage general audiences in a scientific topic, or create an evocative musical piece. Sonification has been extended to biological subjects, including macromolecules such as protein and DNA. Epigenetics, the processes by which gene expression is regulated, is a burgeoning field of molecular biology research. Epigenetic processes have been scarcely sonified, and the process of sonifying DNA base methylation has never been published. DNA methylation is an integral …

Ultra-Strong Long-Chain Polyamide Elastomers With Programmable Supramolecular Interactions And Oriented Crystalline Microstructures, Lingzhi Song, Tianyu Zhu, Liang Yuan, Jiangjun Zhou, Yaqiong Zhang, Zhongkai Wang, Chuanbing Tang

Faculty Publications

Polyamides are one of the most important polymers. Long-chain aliphatic polyamides could bridge the gap between traditional polyamides and polyethylenes. Here we report an approach to preparing sustainable ultra-strong elastomers from biomass-derived long-chain polyamides by thiol-ene addition copolymerization with diamide diene monomers. The pendant polar hydroxyl and non-polar butyrate groups between amides allow controlled programming of supramolecular hydrogen bonding and facile tuning of crystallization of polymer chains. The presence of thioether groups on the main chain can further induce metal–ligand coordination (cuprous-thioether). Unidirectional step-cycle tensile deformation has been applied to these polyamides and significantly enhances tensile strength to over 210 …

Complex Gene Loss And Duplication Events Have Facilitated The Evolution Of Multiple Loricrin Genes In Diverse Bird Species, Anthony C. Davis, Matthew J. Greenwold, Roger H. Sawyer

Faculty Publications

The evolution of a mechanically resilient epidermis was a key adaptation in the transition of amniotes to a fully terrestrial lifestyle. Skin appendages usually form via a specialized type of programmed cell death known as cornification which is characterized by the formation of an insoluble cornified envelope (CE). Many of the substrates of cornification are encoded by linked genes located at a conserved genetic locus known as the epidermal differentiation complex (EDC). Loricrin is the main protein component of the mammalian CE and is encoded for by a gene located within the EDC. Recently, genes resembling mammalian loricrin, along with …

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Chemical Alternatives For Managing Key Stored Product Insects, Rizana M. Mahroof

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

In this short review paper, possible alternatives to manage some key stored product insects pests are discussed. With the phase out of methyl bromide and insects developing resistance to phosphine, fumigants available to manage stored product insects are becoming limited. Potential non-chemical alternatives, those are environmentally benign and do not leave harmful residues on treated products are most favoured. Two techniques; sex pheromone based mating disruption and ozone gas, are explored as safer insect management tools in this paper.

Exposure To Environmental Radionuclides Associates With Tissue-Specific Impacts On Telomerase Expression And Telomere Length, Jenni Kesaniemi, Anton Lavrinienko, Eugene Tukalenko, Zbyszek Boratynski, Kati Kivisaari, Tapio Mappes, Gennadi Milinevsky, Anders Pape Moller, Timothy A. Mousseau, Phillip C. Watts

Faculty Publications

Telomeres, the protective structures at the ends of chromosomes, can be shortened when individuals are exposed to stress. In some species, the enzyme telomerase is expressed in adult somatic tissues, and potentially protects or lengthens telomeres. Telomeres can be damaged by ionizing radiation and oxidative stress, although the effect of chronic exposure to elevated levels of radiation on telomere maintenance is unknown for natural populations. We quantified telomerase expression and telomere length (TL) in different tissues of the bank vole Myodes glareolus, collected from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, an environment heterogeneously contaminated with radionuclides, and from uncontaminated control sites …

The Effect Of Nonassociative Learning On Oxidative Stress In Caenorhabditis Elegans: A Potential Application For Alzheimer’S Disease Research, Gillian Patton

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Alzheimer’s disease results in learning and memory deficits due to toxic changes in the brain caused by amyloid-β plaques and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is caused by the overproduction of free radicals, which are uncharged molecules containing an unpaired valence electron. Nonassociative learning is a type of cognitive processing that only uses one stimulus instead of two related stimuli. Cognitive processing promotes neural growth and learning, while Alzheimer’s inhibits it. The purpose of this study was to test how nonassociative learning impacts oxidative stress and thus, if it might be considered as a potential treatment option for Alzheimer’s disease. It …

The Effect Of Hordeum Vulgare, Rice Hull, And Oak Leaf Litter On The Prevalence Of Microcystis, Sreya Varanasi

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms are becoming more prevalent issues throughout the world, threatening ecosystems, posing risks to human health, and resulting in millions of dollars in economic damage. Conventionally, treatment approaches have been chemical or physical, but these are harmful to aquatic life or inefficient, respectively, which presents the biological approach as a favorable alternative. To assess the effects of low-effort and cost-effective treatments, Hordeum vulgare, rice hull, and oak leaf litter were individually applied to Microcystis cultures and compared to two negative controls (Microcystis alone and cotton on Microcystis) and a positive control (CuSO₄). …

Epha4b Expression In The Craniofacial Development Of African Cichlid Fishes, Chelse Vanatter

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Epha4b gene expression may contribute to variances in facial formation including functional differences such as nose shape and clinical conditions such as cleft palate. During craniofacial development, neural crest cells migrate to the pharyngeal arches then differentiate to form bone, muscle, and cartilage cells. The Eph/ephrin signaling pathway guides the streams of migrating neural crest cells into the pharyngeal arches; epha4b, a gene encoding an Eph receptor, contributes to this signaling pathway. To determine how epha4b expression differs between species at different developmental stages, in situ hybridization, a process that stains areas of gene expression, was performed. African cichlid fish …

The Effects Of Matthew’S Storm Surge On Coastal Loblolly Pine And Wax Myrtle Understory Regeneration, Brynn D. Wilkinson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Hurricanes have detrimental effects on the environment and the economy. Not only are these effects felt immediately after the hurricane, but they last long after the winds have died down. They can affect future plant growth and mortality. In October of 2016 South Carolina was hit by Hurricane Matthew, a category 5 hurricane. Hobcaw Barony, our study site, was in the direct path of the storm. This created an opportunity to study the immediate effects on regeneration after a hurricane. Regenerations rates were measured along and around a surge line to determine regeneration and mortality rates. This data also allowed …

The Effect Of Flavonoid Galangin On The Cell Viability And Toxicity Of Mcf-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells Exposed To Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs), Abhimanyu Sailesh

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemical compounds ubiquitous in the environment; many of which are known human and animal carcinogen. The purpose of this study was to investigate MCF-7 epithelial breast cancer cells’ viability and toxicity following a short-term in vitro exposure to a cocktail of PAHs and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) separately in the presence and absence of varying concentrations of flavonoid galangin. It was predicted that presence of galangin will completely or partially block the damaging effects of PAHs. It was hypothesized that exposing the cells to 7 µM cocktail of PAHs or 10 µM B[a]P in the presence of …

The Effects Of Oxidative Stress On Inducing Senescence In Human Fibroblasts, Shivani Chowdhary

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Oxidative stress, specifically from hydrogen peroxide exposure, was performed to determine if it induced senescence in cell lines such as Hela cells and primary human fibroblasts. The purpose of this experiment was to find the optimal stage, concentration, and time of exposure to induce the greatest number of senescent cells. After dividing cultures of both the Hela and human fibroblasts cells in order to reduce confluency, the cells were placed in a six well plate and exposed to hydrogen peroxide for two hours at various concentrations. The plates were checked at twenty-four-hour intervals, and then fixed with senescence associated beta-galactosidase …

An Evaluation Of Galleria Mellonella As A Model For Aspergillus Ustus Infections, Isak Jatoi

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Invasive aspergillosis is a serious cause of mortality and morbidity in immunocompromised hosts. In particular, the emergence of multidrug-resistant fungi, such as Aspergillus calidoustus, poses a concern for both doctors and patients. Rapid screening in vivo of novel antifungals is essential for discovering new treatments to combat invasive aspergillosis and improve prognosis of patients. As such, this study proposed the use of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, as a quick way to model A. calidoustus infection. Due to the dangers of working with A. calidoustus in a high school setting, A. ustus was used in experimentation. It was …

The Effect Of Acetaminophen (Analgesic) And Diphenhydramine (Antihistamine) On Nociception Response Of Caenorhabditis Elegans, Heart Rate Of Eisenia Fetida, And Mortality Of Both E. Fetida And C. Elegans, Vamsi Gorrepati

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Pharmaceutical pollution continues to increase each year but its adverse effects on the environment are still largely unknown. Pharmaceuticals can enter the terrestrial ecosystem when animal manure and sewage sludge are applied to land as a fertilizer or when irrigated with contaminated water. To understand the extent to which common drugs impact the ecosystem, two commonly polluting pharmaceuticals, acetaminophen and diphenhydramine, which have been found in many cities such as Chicago, Dallas, and most notably The Great Lakes, were studied. Various concentrations were tested on E. fetida and C. elegans. Indicators such as heart rate were observed for E. …

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Evidence That A Respiratory Shield In Escherichia Coli Protects A Low-Molecular-Mass Fe-Ii Pool From O2-Dependent Oxidation, Joshua D. Wofford, Naimah Bolaji, Nathaniel Dziuba, Franklin Wayne Outten, Paul A. Lindahl

Faculty Publications

Iron is critical for virtually all organisms, yet major questions remain regarding the systems' level understanding of iron in whole cells. Here, we obtained Mössbauer and EPR spectra of Escherichia coli cells prepared under different nutrient iron concentrations, carbon sources, growth phases, and O₂ concentrations to better understand their global iron content. We investigated wild-type cells and those lacking Fur, FtnA, Bfr, and Dps proteins. The coarse-grain iron content of exponentially growing cells consisted of iron-sulfur clusters, variable amounts of nonheme high-spin Fe^II species, and an unassigned residual quadrupole doublet. The iron in stationary-phase cells was dominated by …

Targeted Insertion Of The Mping Transposable Element, Ashley E. Strother, Stephanie S. Diaz, Mary E. Baker, C. Nathan Hancock

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Class II DNA Transposable Elements (TEs) are moved from one location to another in the genome by the action of transposase proteins that bind to repeat sequences at the ends of the elements. Although the location TE insertion is mostly random, the addition of DNA binding domains to the transposase proteins has allowed for targeted insertion of some elements. In this study, the Gal4 binding domain was added to the transposase proteins, ORF1 and TPase, which mobilize the mPing element from rice. The Gal4:TPase construct was capable of increasing the number of mPing insertions into the Gal2 and Gal4 promoter …

Determining The First Intermediate Host To Parasites Glossocercus Caribaensis And Cyclustera Ibisae That Are Found In Fundulus Heteroclitus In The North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Emiley Masloski, Marlee B. Marsh

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Fundulus heteroclitus serves as a host to many parasites, providing a model system to investigate questions regarding evolution and ecology of host-parasite interactions in natural populations. Previous research from the North Inlet Estuary at Belle W. Baruch shows that F. heteroclitus serve as second intermediate hosts to cestodes, Glossocercus caribaensis and Cyclustera ibisae. Finding larval parasites in the first intermediate host will complete gaps in the knowledge about these parasites’ life cycles. In the experiment, 27 fish were collected from the North Inlet Estuary and were dissected and examined for parasites around the gastrointestinal tract. Parasites collected were sent …

Identification Of Coliphages In The Aviary At Brookgreen Gardens And The Factors That Might Influence Coliphage Population Dynamics In This Cypress Swamp Environment, Olivia Shirley, Lisa Pieterse, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

It has been understood that the presence of coliphages (bacteriophages specific for E. coli) in water is an indirect measurement of fecal contamination. Bacteriophages have been suggested to hold an important role in regulating the bacterial population. This pilot study analyzes the relationship between the presence of coliphages in the water in the aviary at Brookgreen Gardens and how environmental factors such as temperature, pH, and turbidity affect the presence of these viruses over the time period of three months (June 2017 through August 2017). Coliphages found in volary water sources were speculated to be deposited directly by birds that …

Evolving Paradigms In Biological Carbon Cycling In The Ocean, Chuanlun Zhang, Hongyue Dang, Farooq Azam, Ronald Benner, Louis Legendre, Uta Passow, Luca Polimene, Carol Robinson, Curtis A. Suttle, Nianzhi Jiao

Faculty Publications

Carbon is a keystone element in global biogeochemical cycles. It plays a fundamental role in biotic and abiotic processes in the ocean, which intertwine to mediate the chemistry and redox status of carbon in the ocean and the atmosphere. The interactions between abiotic and biogenic carbon (e.g. CO₂, CaCO₃, organic matter) in the ocean are complex, and there is a half-century-old enigma about the existence of a huge reservoir of recalcitrant dissolved organic carbon (RDOC) that equates to the magnitude of the pool of atmospheric CO₂. The concepts of the biological carbon pump (BCP) …

Investigating The Lytic Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteriophage Reservoir Amongst A South Carolina University Population: Discovery, Characterization, And Identification Of A Potential Bacteriophage Treatment For Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Lisa Pieterse, Amy Powers, Derek Pride, Lisha Van Onselen, Giovanna E. Leone, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Bacteriophages are viruses that only infect bacterial cells and can be used to treat antibiotic resistant bacterial infections. This study focused on the isolation and characterization of bacteriophages lytic to Staphylococcus aureus at Coastal Carolina University (CCU) in Conway, South Carolina, as a means to isolate bacteriophages that can potentially be used to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an antibiotic-resistant S. aureus variant. From 2014 to 2018, collection of ear and nose samples from 225 randomly selected CCU volunteers was conducted. Filter sterilization, amplification, microbial tests, and PCR analyses were performed in order to identify and characterize bacteriophages. Coliphage populations …

An Investigation Of The Order Of Applying An Emollient With A Topical Steroid In The Treatment Of Atopic Dermatitis, Andrea Conner, Ashlee Tietje

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

In 2007, the prevalence of Atopic Dermatitis had increased two to three-fold within the last three decades and affected 15-20% of young children (Buys, 2007). Current treatment includes the use of both steroid and emollient creams. Current suggestions for the order of application are contradictory. This study aims to examine the role of the order of application of treatments for Atopic Dermatitis (AD). Hairless mice (SKH-1) were induced to a mild AD flare-up using 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) and treated with either 1% hydrocortisone (Maximum Strength Cortizone 10 cream) alone, 1% hydrocortisone followed by Cetaphil (emollient), or Cetaphil followed by 1% hydrocortisone. …

Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus Novemcinctus) In Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Jonathan J. Storm

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The distribution range of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) has been expanding northward across the eastern and central United States over the past several decades. It is thought that armadillos first reached South Carolina in the mid-1980s in the southwestern portion of the state. Armadillo sightings are rare in the Upstate region of South Carolina. Here, we report of an armadillo photographed in southern Spartanburg County on 30 May, 2017. This individual was spotted in mixed deciduous forest along the Tyger River. Our data add further support to the notion that armadillos have expanded their breeding range into …

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Building Soft Nanomachines From Polydiacetylene Liposomes, Timothy W. Hanks

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Note On Suspected Brown Recluse Spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae) In South Carolina, Robert J. Wolff

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Threshold-Dependent Repression Of Spl Gene Expression By Mir156/Mir157 Controls Vegetative Phase Change In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Jia He, Mingli Xu, Matthew R. Willmann, Kevin Mccormick, Tieqiang Hu, Li Yang, Colby G. Starker, Daniel F. Voytas, Blake C. Meyers, R. Scott Poethig

Faculty Publications

Vegetative phase change is regulated by a decrease in the abundance of the miRNAs, miR156 and miR157, and the resulting increase in the expression of their targets, SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) transcription factors. To determine how miR156/miR157 specify the quantitative and qualitative changes in leaf morphology that occur during vegetative phase change, we measured their abundance in successive leaves and characterized the phenotype of mutations in different MIR156 and MIR157 genes. miR156/miR157 decline rapidly between leaf 1&2 and leaf 3 and decrease more slowly after this point. The amount of miR156/miR157 in leaves 1&2 greatly exceeds the …

Spatial Extinction Date Estimation: A Novel Method For Reconstructing Spatiotemporal Patterns Of Extinction And Identifying Potential Zones Of Rediscovery, Colin J. Carlson, Kevin R. Burgio, Tad Dallas, Alexander L. Bond

Faculty Publications

1. The estimation of extinction dates from limited and incomplete sighting records

is a key challenge in conservation (when experts are uncertain whether a species has

gone extinct) and historical ecology (when the date and mechanism of extinction is

controversial).

2. We introduce a spatially-explicit method of interpolating extinction date estima8 tors, allowing users to estimate spatiotemporal surfaces of population persistence 9 from georeferenced sighting data of variable quality.

3. We present the R package spatExtinct, which produces spatially-explicit extinction date surfaces from geolocated sightings, including options for custom randomization schemes to improve accuracy with limited datasets. We use simulations …

Experimental Evidence Of A Pathogen Invasion Threshold, Tad Dallas, Martin Krkošek, John M. Drake

Faculty Publications

Host density thresholds to pathogen invasion separate regions of parameter space corresponding to endemic and disease-free states. The host density threshold is a central concept in theoretical epidemiology and a common target of human and wildlife disease control programmes, but there is mixed evidence supporting the existence of thresholds, especially in wildlife populations or for pathogens with complex transmission modes (e.g. environmental transmission). Here, we demonstrate the existence of a host density threshold for an environmentally transmitted pathogen by combining an epidemiological model with a microcosm experiment. Experimental epidemics consisted of replicate populations of naive crustacean zooplankton (Daphnia dentifera …

Linking Physiology, Temperature, And Recruitment: A Classic Competitive Story Rewritten By Climate, Maeve Kerrigan Snyder

Theses and Dissertations

Climatic changes have the potential to alter population and community dynamics, ultimately influencing the biogeographic distributions of species. For many organisms, reproduction is physiologically tied to temperature. We tested the hypothesis that a physiological mechanism for reproductive failure in the acorn barnacle, Semibalanus balanoides, would result in predictable patterns of larval recruitment over broad geographic scales. Recruitment density was predicted to be dependent on the duration of permissive temperatures (< 10oC). for successful reproduction in adult populations of S. balanoides. We found that temperature was a reliable predictive variable for recruitment densities throughout our study region. Post-recruitment processes were also considered, specifically the competition between Semibalanus balanoides and Chthamalus montagui, described in Joseph Connell’s 1961 experiment. The competitive hierarchy outlined in this experiment is not consistently observed throughout the range overlap of the two species. Growth and mortality were found to differ dependent on species and latitude, indicating that climate mediates this classic ecological system. Our results provide useful knowledge for refining models of biogeographic shifts. A consistent failure of larval supply and a breakdown of competitive advantage could accelerate the pace of predicted range contraction for S. balanoides. Further investigation of how environmental variables interact with physiology and ecological processes is necessary for accurate predictions of climate change effects