Biology Commons^™

Targeting Α4 Integrin Containing Complexes In Multiple Myeloma Using Peptidomimetics, Michael Foster Emmons

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In our previous work we demonstrated that the integrin antagonist, HYD1, induced necrotic cell death in myeloma cell lines in vitro and in vivo as a single agent. In order to further delineate biomarkers of response to HYD1 we developed an isogenic drug resistant variant named H929-60. We show that the acquisition of resistance towards HYD1 correlates with reduced expression of the cleaved α4 integrin subunit and beta 1 integrin. Moreover, we demonstrate that HYD1 interacts with α4 integrin in myeloma cells. Consistent with reduced VLA-4 expression, the resistant variant showed ablated functional binding to fibronectin, VCAM-1 and the bone …

Responses To Chemical Exposure By Foraminifera: Distinguishing Dormancy From Mortality, Benjamin James Ross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Deepwater Horizon blowout in 2010 released an estimated 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico in the 83 days between the initial explosion and the capping of the well. Response included extensive use of Corexit© oil dispersant. Although South Florida was spared exposure by currents, this event highlights the need for effective bioassay organisms for coral reefs. Amphistegina spp. are benthic foraminifers that host diatom symbionts in a relationship similar to that of coral and their zooxanthellae. Amphistegina spp. occur abundantly in reef communities nearly worldwide, are easily collected and maintained in culture, and are …

Use Of Adventitious Roots For The Determination Of Hydroperiod In Isolated Wetlands, Michael Joseph Reyes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Accurate measurement of the hydroperiod in isolated wetlands currently relies upon the installation and frequent monitoring of devices such as piezometers and staff gauges. Observations of biological indicators of the hydroperiod may be able to supplement data collected from these devices and could potentially replace them as a means of accurately determining this hydrologic interval. The study objective was to determine whether adventitious root formation and maturation on buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) could be used as a viable indicator of the hydroperiod in isolated wetlands. Buttonbush seedlings were flooded in a controlled environment over a three month period in the …

Aging Of Florida Blue Crabs, Callinectes Sapidus, Through The Biochemical Extraction Of Lipofuscin, Claire Elizabeth Crowley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, represents an ecologically and economically important component of marine and estuarine ecosystems. In Florida, blue crab landings accounted for $9.6 million dollars during the 2010 fishing season. Accurate stock assessments for this valuable fishery are essential. Age is a critical biological component of accurate stock assessments; however, blue crabs and other crustaceans are especially difficult to age because of the complex nature of discrete growth. Biochemical extraction of an aging pigment, lipofuscin, was developed using blue crab eyestalks. The current study investigated the effects of freezing preservation on lipofuscin extracts and examined whether the …

The Conservation And Ecology Of Carnivorous Plants, David Jennings

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As discussed in Chapter 1, although our understanding of the ecology and evolution of carnivorous plants has greatly improved in recent years, many fundamental questions remain unanswered. Unfortunately, at the present time, many carnivorous plants are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities. Indeed, over half of the carnivorous plant species assessed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are listed as `threatened', but the threats to carnivorous plants have not previously been quantified. In Chapter 2, I quantified the conservation threats to carnivorous plant taxa worldwide by searching peer-reviewed literature, and found data on the threats to 48 …

Seagrass Patch Dynamics In Areas Of Historical Loss In Tampa Bay, Fl, Usa, Kristen A. Kaufman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study documents seagrass patch dynamics over large spatial extents in Tampa Bay, Florida. Using GIS techniques a set of fine scale seagrass maps was created within locations previously identified as "patchy" seagrass or areas of seagrass loss. Thirty randomly selected landscape windows of various extents were mapped for the years 2004, 2006, and 2008 by visualizing 0.3 m resolution color imagery on-screen at a digitizing scale of 1:500 using a minimum mapping unit of 1 m². Characteristics of seagrass patches and patterns of seagrass change were quantified using area-based and time interval metrics including total seagrass area, …

Underwater Hearing In The Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta Caretta): A Comparison Of Behavioral And Auditory Evoked Potential Audiograms, Kelly Martin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Methods for collecting behavioral audiograms are often time consuming and require trained, captive subjects. It is more practical to measure hearing sensitivity using electrophysiological methods, such as auditory evoked potential (AEP) testing, in which electrodes measure action potentials in response to acoustic stimuli. These data can be collected in a matter of hours. However, results should be verified through behavioral testing. Current knowledge of marine turtle auditory abilities is based on a few electrophysiological tests. The purpose of this study was to collect and compare behavioral and auditory evoked potential audiograms in a captive adult loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta …

A Novel Device For Cell-Cell Electrofusion, Justin T. Stewart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cell transplantation therapy is a potentially powerful tool and can be used to replace defective cells with healthy cells. This offers the possibility of alleviating the destructive symptoms for many diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, spinal cord trauma, Type I diabetes and many more. While there are many diseases that could be positively impacted from cell transplantation therapy, the focus of this research is insulin dependent, Type I Diabetes.

The Islets of Langerhans are composed of various types of cells located in the pancreas and are responsible for a variety of biochemical functions. Specifically, the beta Islet …

Population Genetics Of Amphiuma Means And Siren Lacertina In Central Florida, Anna C. Deyle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Population structure can be defined as a difference in the frequencies of alleles among populations, and it is often caused by barriers to dispersal. I used mitochondrial DNA sequences to examine the population structure of two large, aquatic salamanders, Amphiuma means (the Two-Toed Amphiuma) and Siren lacertina (the Greater Siren), at two spatial scales in peninsular Florida. Both species appear to have similar life histories, including poor dry land dispersal capabilities, and I hypothesized that they would exhibit significant population structure at both broad and fine scales. Wetland loss and landscape fragmentation are certain to have caused decreases in abundance …

Computational Discovery Of Phenotype Related Biochemical Processes For Engineering, Andrea M. Rocha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Application of bioengineering technologies for enhanced biological hydrogen production is a promising approach that may play a vital role in sustainable energy. Due to the ability of several naturally occurring microorganisms to generate hydrogen through varying metabolic processes, biological hydrogen has become an attractive alternative energy and fuel source.

One area of particular interest is the production of biological hydrogen in organically-rich engineered systems, such as those associated with waste treatment. Despite the potential for high energy yields, hydrogen yields generated by bacteria in waste systems are often limited due to a focus on microbial utilization of organic material towards …

Evaluating The Effects Of Beach Nourishment On Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) Nesting In Pinellas County, Florida, Corey R. Leonard Ozan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The health of Florida's beaches are vital to the survival of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), as nearly half of the world's loggerheads nest on the states beaches. Many of the beaches utilized by the turtles have undergone nourishment projects in hopes of combating erosion of the shoreline, protecting beachfront property, and creating more suitable beaches for tourism. Although it is argued that beach nourishment benefits sea turtles by providing more nesting habitat, the effects of the Pinellas County nourishment projects on loggerhead nesting are unknown. Beach nourishment can alter the compaction, moisture content, and temperature of the sand, all …

The Roles Of Elevated Bcl-2 In Ovarian Cancer, Nicole Shree Anderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the second most common gynecologic cancer; however it is responsible for the most gynecologic cancer-related deaths. Apoptosis evasion is an important mechanism in OC tumorigenesis, and the prototypic anti-apoptotic protein, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), is often overexpressed in OC tumors. Gaining a better understanding of the mechanism(s) behind Bcl-2 overexpression and potential extra-anti-apoptotic functions of Bcl-2 could elucidate the importance of elevated Bcl-2 in OC. In the current study, I show through immunohistochemical analysis of normal, benign, and OC tissue sections, that both epithelial and stromal Bcl-2 expression decreases with OC progression. However, the number of …

Discrimination Of Human And Non-Human Sources Of Pollution In Gulf Of Mexico Waters By Microbial Source Tracking Methods And The Investigation Of The Influence Of Environmental Factors On Escherichia Coli Survival, Asja Korajkic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water quality worldwide is assessed by enumeration of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) (fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, and enterococci) intended to act as surrogates for human enteric pathogens. In environmental waters, this predictive relationship is confounded by many possible sources of FIB with varying implications for human health. Many physico-chemical and biological factors influence the fate of enteric pathogens and FIB in aquatic habitats, but are poorly understood, thus limiting our understanding of the usefulness of FIB as fecal pollution indicators.

These studies explored the field application of a “toolbox” approach to microbial source tracking (MST) intended to discriminate between human …

Evolution Of The Hammerhead Cephalofoil: Shape Change, Space Utilization, And Feeding Biomechanics In Hammerhead Sharks (Sphyrnidae), Kyle Reid Mara

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between form and function is often used to elucidate the biological role of a structure. Hammerhead sharks offer a unique opportunity to study form and function through phylogeny. Because sphyrnid sharks display a range of cranial morphologies this group can be used to address questions about the evolution of cranial design and investigate the effects of changes in head morphology on feeding structures and bite force. Geometric morphometrics, volumetric analyses, morphological dissections, and phylogenetic analyses of the cephalofoil were used to gain insight into changes in cranial design through evolutionary history. External morphometrics and internal volumetric analyses indicated …

Chk2 Is Negatively Regulated By Protein Phosphatase 2a, Alyson Freeman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Checkpoint kinase 2 (CHK2) is an effector kinase of the DNA damage response pathway and although its mechanism of activation has been well studied, the attenuation of its activity following DNA damage has not been explored. Here, we identify the B'α subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), a major protein serine/threonine phosphatase of the cell, as a CHK2 binding partner and show that their interaction is modulated by DNA damage. B'α binds to the SQ/TQ cluster domain of CHK2, which is a target of ATM phosphorylation. CHK2 is able to bind to many B' subunits as well as the PP2A …

An Evaluation Of Movement Patterns And Effects Of Habitat Patch Size On The Demography Of The Florida Mouse (Podomys Floridanus), Irmgard Lukanik

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Habitat degradation by humans has been the main reason for the decline in numbers of P. floridanus, the only mammal indigenous to the state of Florida, in the past century. The mouse inhabits what remains of scrub and sandhill associations, which are characterized by patches of sandy soils within a more mesic landscape. It has long been accepted that small populations are more prone to decline and extinction than are larger ones as a result of environmental fluctuations. I hypothesized that the demography of a population of P. floridanus would be affected by a restriction in numbers through habitat …

Community Composition Of Crustaceans And Gastropods On Caulerpa Prolifera, Halodule Wrightii And Thalassia Testudinum, Jennifer A. Gibson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Determination Of Phylogeny And Hybridization History Within Clematis L. (Ranunculaceae) Using Actin And Nitrate Reductase Intron Sequences, Kimberly Fearn Do

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The phylogeny of Clematis, section Viorna, was characterized in this study using molecular data. Two nuclear introns were sequenced for a variety of taxa: actin and nitrate reductase. Actin intron sequence data yielded very little phylogenetic information. Some basal clades were resolved, but there were very few well supported relationships between species of the Viorna section in both the neighbor joining and maximum parsimony analyses. Nitrate reductase intron sequence data was slightly more variable. The number of well supported relationships in both the neighbor joining and maximum parsimony analyses for nitrate reductase was greater, but still not sufficient …

The Influence Of Habitat Variation On Demography Of Blue Jays (Cyanociita Cristata) In South-Central Florida, Keith Allen Tarvin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Vertebrate populations rarely are homogeneous. Instead they exist as arrays of demographically variable subpopulations that are linked through dispersal. Variation in habitat quality is a major cause of demographic variability among subpopulations, but few studies have examined habitat-specific demography empirically. Here I present a detailed field study o f habitat-specific demography in Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) that occupied a habitat mosaic landscape in south-central Florida. By measuring habitat-specific demographic parameters, including density, reproductive output, survival, and dispersal, I tested for the existence of population sources and sinks associated with different habitats, and the applicability ofa series ofhabitat selection models …

Behavior, Habitat Use, Food, And Foraging Efficiency Of Three Species Of Sympatric Merons (Egretta), Donald M. Kent

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The foraging ecology and behavior of Little Bule Herons (Egretta caerulea), Snowy Egrets (E. thula), and Tricolored Herons (E. tricolor) was studied from October 1981 to August 1982 in Old Tampa Bay and Safety Harbor, Hills borough and Pinellas Counties, Florida. Little Blue Herons foraged exclusively by walk-slow and employed head sways or tilted during 75% of the observations. Snowy Egrets used stand, walk-slow, disturb-and-chase, and foot-stirring. Tricolored Herons used stand, walk-slow, disturb-and-chase, ana stand-and-chase. Tricolored Herons using stand-and-chase stood near shore facing open water and when prey was spotted they ran or hopped in the direction of the prey …

A Population Study Of The Burrowing Owl Near Tampa, Florida, William D. Courser

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.