Biology Commons^™

Pet Imaging Of Early Therapeutic Response In Solid Tumors, Stephanie J. Blocker

Wayne State University Dissertations

An important pillar of precision medicine for oncology is the ability to identify patients who respond to treatment early into their therapy. Positron emission tomography (PET) allows physicians and researchers to measure changes in tumor behavior prior to noticeable differences in morphology.

Objective: Determine the utility of multiple tracers for PET in assessing early changes in tumor activity that result from treatment.

Methods: Two tracers for PET were studied. 64Cu-labeled liposomes were used to assess changes in liposome delivery two solid colon tumors early into treatment with bevacizumab (Bev). 18F-FMAU thymidine analog (1-(2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl)thymine), was utilized to detect early response to …

Analyzing The Regulation, Stability And Functional Differences Between Sin3 Isoforms In Drosophila, Ashlesha Chaubal

Wayne State University Dissertations

SIN3 is a master transcriptional regulator, conserved from yeast to mammals, that acts as a scaffold protein for a histone modifying complex. In Drosophila, a single Sin3A gene is alternatively spliced to produce distinct SIN3 isoforms; SIN3 220, SIN3 190 and SIN3 187, that differ only at their C-terminus. These isoforms are differentially expressed during development. We have shown that there is an interplay between the predominant isoforms of SIN3, SIN3 220 and SIN3 187, that possibly regulates the overall level of SIN3 in the cell. Exogenous expression of SIN3 187 reduces the level of transcript and accelerates the proteasomal …

A Computational Study Of Vegf Production By Patterned Retinal Epithelial Cell Colonies As A Model For Neovascular Macular Degeneration, Qanita Bani Baker, Gregory J. Podgorski, Elizabeth Vargis, Nicholas Flann

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: The configuration of necrotic areas within the retinal pigmented epithelium is an important element in the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In the exudative (wet) and non-exudative (dry) forms of the disease, retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells respond to adjacent atrophied regions by secreting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that in turn recruits new blood vessels which lead to a further reduction in retinal function and vision. In vitro models exist for studying VEGF expression in wet AMD (Vargis et al., Biomaterials 35(13):3999–4004, 2014), but are limited in the patterns of necrotic and intact RPE epithelium they can …

Plaster Creek Bacterial Monitoring And Source Tracking Project - Final Report, Randall J. Dejong

Faculty and Professional Research

The objective of this project was to identify important sources of bacterial loading in Plaster Creek (Kent County). The following goals were set to reach this objective: 1) the relative contributions of bacterial loading for 10 major tributaries will be assessed and the five most egregious contributors will be prioritized; 2) molecular markers will be used to try to identify the primary taxonomic sources, and 3) to pinpoint bacterial loading locations using molecular markers and scent-trained canines in sub-watersheds.

Large But Uneven Reduction In Fish Size Across Species In Relation To Changing Sea Temperatures, Itai Van Rijn, Yehezkel Buba, John Delong, Moshe Kiflawi, Jonathan Belmaker

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Ectotherms often attain smaller body sizes when they develop at higher temperatures. This phenomenon, known as the temperature size rule, has important consequences for global fisheries, whereby ocean warming is predicted to result in smaller fish and reduced biomass. However, the generality of this phenomenon and the mechanisms that drive it in natural populations remain unresolved. In this study we document the maximal size of 74 fish species along a steep temperature gradient in the Mediterranean Sea and find strong support for the temperature size rule. Importantly, we additionally find that size reduction in active fish species is dramatically larger …

Distribution And Habitat Use Of The Golden Crab Chaceon Fenneri Off Eastern Florida Based On In Situ Submersible And Rov Observations And Potential For Impacts To Deep Water Coral/Sponge Habitat, John K. Reed, Stephanie Farrington, Charles Messing, Andrew David

Gulf and Caribbean Research

This study documents the distribution and habitat preferences of the golden crab, a commercially fished species, in relation to deep-sea coral/sponge ecosystems (DSCEs) at 200-900 m depths off eastern Florida. A total of 386 h of videotapes from 94 submersible and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives from 1999 to 2009, covering a total distance of 376 km, were reviewed and characterized for habitat type and presence of crabs. The DSCEs surveyed included Lophelia coral mounds, Miami Terrace, Pourtalès Terrace, and Tortugas Valleys. Video transect data also included environmental surveys of proposed deep-water routes for Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) pipelines, LNG …

The Spatial Ecology Of The Southern Copperhead In A Fragmented And Non-Fragmented Habitat, Megan Veronica Novak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Habitat fragmentation may alter the spatial ecology of organisms inhabiting the fragmented landscape by limiting the area of habitat available and altering microhabitat features. I quantified and compared movement of southern copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix) in a fragmented and non-fragmented habitat to determine the effects of habitat fragmentation on the spatial ecology of the southern copperhead. Effective distance moved by each individual was measured by the use of thread bobbins attached via medical tape to the posterior quarter of the snake. Straight-line distance moved and occupied area were calculated with the GPS coordinates recorded at each snake sighting. Straight-line distance …

A Chemical And Genetic Approach To Study The Polyamine Transport System In Drosophila, Minpei Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polyamines are small cationic molecules that play important roles in most vital cellular processes including cell growth and proliferation, regulation of chromatin structure, translation and programmed cell death. Cellular polyamine pools are maintained by a balance between biosynthesis and transport (export and import). Increased polyamine biosynthesis activity and an active transport system are characteristics of many cancer cell lines, and polyamine depletion has been shown to be a viable anticancer strategy. Polyamine levels can be depleted by α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an inhibitor of the key polyamine biosynthesis enzyme ornithine decarboxylase. However, malignant cells often circumvent DFMO therapy by up-regulating polyamine import; …

Effects Of Mutating Ctra-Binding Sites Within The Pile Promoter Of Caulobacter Crescentus, Sarah Chong

Honors Theses

This project investigated the regulation of pilA by the global transcriptional regulator CtrA in the dimorphic bacterium Caulobacter crescentus. The pilA gene encodes the pilin subunits which are polymerized into helical filaments to produce pili, and the gene is directly activated by CtrA such that filaments are produced after cell separation. The pilA promoter harbors three regions that have been shown to bind CtrA (Binding Regions 1, 2, and 3), and multiple CtrA recognition sites are found in these regions, which is unusual for CtrA-dependent promoters. However, none of the binding sites match the CtrA consensus binding sequence. The canonical …

Interaction Graphs Derived From Activation Functions And Their Application To Gene Regulation, Simon Joyce

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Interaction graphs are graphic representations of complex networks of mutually interacting components. Their main application is in the field of gene regulatory networks, where they are used to visualize how the expression levels of genes activate or inhibit the expression levels of other genes.

First we develop a natural transformation of activation functions and their derived interaction graphs, called conjugation, that is related to a natural transformation of signed digraphs called switching isomorphism. This is a useful tool for the analysis of interaction graphs used throughout the rest of the dissertation.

We then discuss the question of what restrictions, if …

Investigating Veterinary Management Choices For Canine Heartworm Disease (Dirofilaria Immitis) In Northern Mississippi, Tobi Ku

Honors Theses

Canine heartworm disease affects nearly 45% of dogs in endemic regions of the United States (Atkins, 2005). There are concerns that the chronic use of macrocyclic lactone (ML) preventives to kill adult heartworms (soft- or slow-kill) may have contributed to the development of ML resistance. My study of this problem had three objectives: (a) to determine the frequency of slow-kill treatment in heartworm-positive patients and compare them to practitioner estimates; (b) to survey practitioner opinions on the factors influencing heartworm disease management; and (c) to analyze the heartworm prevention history of heartworm-positive patients in order to understand the causes of …

The Effects Of Microstegium Vimineum On The Soil Microbial Community, Holly Kate Raymond

Honors Theses

Invasive species can spread into native ecosystems and become dominant species. The spread of invasive species is one of the largest threats to biodiversity. Microstegium vimineum is an annual C4 grass that is native to various parts of Asia. M. vimineum was introduced to the United States in the early twentieth century and has rapidly spread due to its high seed production. This study examined the effects of M. vimineum invasion on the composition of the soil bacterial community. Soil samples were collected from two woodland sites in northern Mississippi in November 2014 and 2015. The presence of M. vimineum …

A 2-Part Study Examining; Hepatitis B Vaccination Rates Among High-Risk Adults And The Influence Of Education On Knowledge And Awareness Of Hepatitis B And The Use Of Vaccines As A Safe, Preventative Measure Among University Of Ms Students, Ariel Wilson

Honors Theses

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be prevented and controlled through vaccination. However, vaccination among high-risks adults in the U.S. is still low (50%). This poses serious threats for HBV transmission between infected individuals and high-risk individuals. Objective: The specific aims of this research were to (a) explore the prevalence of hepatitis B vaccination uptake from 2011-2014 (b) to examine intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational level factors associated with receiving hepatitis B vaccination among high-risk adults. Methods: Data were analyzed from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011-2014 to (1) assess the prevalence of hepatitis B vaccination and …

Spatial Variation Of Bacterial Communities On The Leaves Of A Southern Magnolia Tree, Emily Q. Nguyen

Honors Theses

The leaf surface, or phylloplane, is a dynamic environment for its microbial inhabitants, which can be subjected to many environmental factors. Existing phylloplane studies have focused on differences in bacterial community structure between trees of the same species, in different geographical locations, or between trees of different species. Few studies have examined the spatial distribution of bacterial communities on the leaves of a single tree. In this study, leaf samples from different areas of the canopy were obtained from a single Magnolia grandiflora tree. Samples were taken from the high (3.5-4.0 m above the ground), middle (1.5 m), inner middle …

A Natural, Calcium-Rich Marine Multi-Material Complex Preserves Bone Structure, Composition And Strength In An Ovariectomized Rat Model Of Osteoporosis, Orlaith Brennan, Joseph Sweeney, Brian O'Meara, Amro Widaa, Franck Bonnier, Hugh Byrne, Denis O'Gorman, Fergal O'Brien

Articles

Calcium supplements are used as an aid in the prevention of osteopenia and osteoporosis and also for the treatment of patients when used along with medication. Many of these supplements are calcium carbonate based. This study compared a calcium-rich, marine multi-mineral complex (Aquamin) to calcium carbonate in an ovariectomised rat model of osteoporosis in order to assess Aquamin’s efficacy in preventing the onset of bone loss. Animals were randomly assigned to either non-ovariectomy control (Control), ovariectomy (OVX) plus calcium carbonate, ovariectomy plus Aquamin or ovariectomy plus Aquamin delay where Aquamin treatment started 8 weeks post OVX. At the end of …

Human Cytomegalovirus Interleukin-10 Enhances Matrigel Invasion Of Mda-Mb-231 Breast Cancer Cells, Cendy Valle Oseguera, Juliet Spencer

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: While some risk factors for breast cancer are well-known, the influence of other factors, particularly virus infection, remains unclear. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is widespread in the general population, and both molecular and epidemiological evidence has indicated links between HCMV and breast cancer. The HCMV protein cmvIL-10 is a potent suppressor of immune function that has also been shown to promote proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells. In this study, the impact of cmvIL-10 on tumor cell invasion through a simulated basement membrane was investigated.

Results: MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells exhibited invasion through a matrigel layer that was significantly …

Investigation Into The Role Of N-Terminal Acetylation Of Esat-6 In Pathogenesis Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Javier A. Aguilera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent for the disease Tuberculosis (TB) in humans, is present as a latent infection in approximately one third of the world's population. Mtb has become more resilient over the years. The vaccine, Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), loses effectiveness 10 years after initial vaccination. Recent research has found 6-kD early secretory antigenic target (ESAT-6) and 10-kD culture filtrate protein (CFP-10) are secreted as a heterodimer by Mtb and play important roles in virulence. Additionally, ESAT-6 has been determined to contain membrane lytic activity while CFP-10 has been suggested to be a molecular chaperone. Studies suggest …

Octopamine In Sexual Behavior, Ana Isabel Fernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Octopamine is a biogenic amine neuromodulator present in neuronal and non-neuronal tissues in invertebrates (Roeder, 1999). It modulates numerous physiological processes such as motivation, pheromone response, olfaction, ovulation, learning and memory. Octopamine together with its precursor tyramine have roles restricted only to invertebrates (Roeder, 1999). It is believed that octopamine is the invertebrate homolog of norepinephrine, a catecholamine present in mammals that acts as a neuromodulator in the sympathetic and central nervous systems. Both octopamine and norepinephrine are derived from the same amino acid tyrosine and are monoamine neurotransmitters. The main objective of this study is to understand the role …

Identification And Characterization Of Tumor-Associated Antigens (Taas) And Anti-Taas Autoantibodies As Biomarkers In Immunodiagnosis Of Human Osteosarcoma By Serological Proteome Analysis (Serpa), Jitian Li

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common highly malignant primary solid bone-tumor. Despite its relatively low incidence rate among overall cancers, it remains one of the most harmful primary malignant tumors in childhood and adolescence. Although some tumor markers like mutant p53 can be potentially used as biomarker to detect OS, its extensive association with the clinical outcome is poorly understood. The establishment of a methodology to identify patient with early stage of OS remains to be investigated. It is now evident that serum autoantibodies against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) could be used as serological cancer biomarkers in types of cancers, which …

Predatory Behavior And Neuroanatomy Of The Sessile Rotifer, Cupelopagis Vorax , Elizabeth Preza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Predator-prey interactions contribute to the evolution of behavioral and morphological characteristics of species. However, research on zooplankton has mainly focused on planktonic species such Mesocyclops edax (Arthropoda, Cyclopoida) and Asplanchna spp. (Rotifera, Ploima). Cupelopagis vorax (Rotifera, Collothecaceae) provides a unique model for studying the predatory behavior of a sessile species. Cupelopagis was chosen because it is the only rotifer known to exhibit rheotaxic behaviors in the presence of prey and because it undergoes indirect development where non-feeding, free-swimming larvae mature into feeding adults. The integration of behavioral techniques, immunohistochemistry, and confocal microscopy were used to provide insight as to how …

Complementary Charged Molecular Imprints Of West Nile Virus Antibodies, Julio Rincon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There is a significant demand for robust and stable receptor molecules that can mimic biological molecules, such as antibodies. Relying only on natural recognition molecules have greatly limited the uses and capabilities of many aspects of health sciences due to product expense and stability. This is especially important in medically underserved areas where the lack of resources and faulty or limited cold-chain makes antibody based diagnostics very difficult to implement.

With molecular imprinting, it is possible to recognize diseases with the added advantage of product stability, long term use, fast preparation and ease of scalability, all while being cost effective. …

Grasshopper (Orthoptera: Caelifera) And Plant Community Relationships On Indio Mountains Research Station, Hudspeth County, Texas, Sara Ebrahim Baqla

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

An ecogeographic analysis of a grasshopper survey was conducted at eight sites on Indio Mountains Research Station (IMRS) in the Chihuahuan Desert during September 2014 through December 2015. Five sites contained ephemeral water sources (earthen tanks), one had perennial water (spring system), and two were open desert. A total of 23 grasshopper species were identified, and six of those were new records for the property. The most species rich site was Echo Tank, with 14 grasshopper species. A UPGMA dendrogram showed Red Tank and Rattlesnake Tank, both wetland sites, to be the most similar (CBR = .84). A poisson model …

Characterizing Regulatory Factors Of The Sumoylation System, David Quintanar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The effects that influenzaâ??s seasonal epidemics have on human health and the global economy have been clearly noted; while they are indeed very impressive, the impact of influenza pandemics arguably surpass other known infectious agents. Influenza A virus attaches to, enters, and infect cells by releasing its segmented genome which localize to the nucleus then use the hostâ??s cellular machinery to replicate and create viral progeny. The virus is able to hijack transcriptional components as well as to interact with other known and unknown host proteins which ultimately allows for a balance between cell viability and viral propagation. One known …

The Neuromodulatory Mechanisms That Monoamines Control Simple And Complex Behaviors, Paul Rafael Bermeo Sabandal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

For my Dissertation, I worked on three projects in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, which is a well-established genetic animal model. The first project (Chapter 1) is to elucidate the neural, cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying behavioral control named response inhibition. In this study, I identified that a particular subset of dopamine neurons, D1 dopamine receptors and the neural substrates crucial for response inhibition. Abnormal response inhibition is associated with the mental disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and addiction, This study may help enhance our understanding the pathogenesis mechanisms of …

The Contribution Of Alternative Splicing Toward The Global Control Of Sumo1 Sumoylation, Myriah Lorraine Acuna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

SUMOylation, the attachment of the Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) to a target protein, is a post-translational modification similar to that of Ubiquitination in terms of the cascade of events required to produce the final modified target. However, instead of targeting proteins for degradation, as Ubiquitination usually does, SUMOylation appears to regulate many vital cellular processes including nucleocytoplasmic transport, transcription, apoptosis, protein stability, response to stress, and progression through the cell cycle (Hay, R.T, 2005). This versatility exhibited by the SUMOylation system makes it an optimal target for viral manipulation, as our laboratory has previously described for Influenza A virus (Pal, …

Dynamic Acquisition And Loss Of Dual-Obligate Symbionts In The Plant-Sap-Feeding Adelgidae (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aphidoidea), Carol D. Von Dohlen, Usha Spaulding, Kistie B. Patch, Ethan P. White, Robert G. Foottit, Nathan P. Havill, Gaelen R. Burke

Biology Faculty Publications

Sap-sucking insects typically engage in obligate relationships with symbiotic bacteria that play nutritional roles in synthesizing nutrients unavailable or in scarce supply from the plant-sap diets of their hosts. Adelgids are sap-sucking insects with complex life cycles that involve alternation between conifer tree species. While all adelgid species feed on spruce during the sexual phase of their life cycle, each adelgid species belongs to a major lineage that feeds on a distinct genus of conifers as their alternate host. Previous work on adelgid symbionts had discovered pairs of symbionts within each host species, and unusual diversity across the insect family, …

The Role Of Notch-1-Mediated Repression Of Pten On Growth And Cancer Stem Cell Survival In Trastuzumab Resistant, Her2+ Breast Cancer, Andrew Thomas Baker

Dissertations

Trastuzumab targets the ErbB2 (HER2) receptor on breast cancer cells to attenuate HER2 driven tumor formation. Trastuzumab reduces both downstream PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathway signaling as well as the breast cancer stem cell (BCSC) population. BCSCs are hypothesized to be responsible for tumor recurrence, metastasis, as well as drug resistance. Today, resistance to trastuzumab remains a major clinical problem for women diagnosed with HER2+ breast cancer. Attenuation of PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways may occur through the tumor suppressor, PTEN. Women with HER2+ breast tumors expressing less PTEN and increased PI3K/Akt or MAPK activity have worse overall outcome. Previously we have …

A Review Of Neogene And Quaternary Pikes Of Southeastern Europe And A New Species From The Early Pleistocene Of Nogaisk, Ukraine, Terry C. Grande, Oleksandr M. Kovalchuk, Mark V. H. Wilson

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The fish genus Esox (Teleostei, Esocidae) has been recorded from thirty late Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene localities where forty-one bone-bearing strata are exposed in the territory of Ukraine, Russian Federation, and Republic of Moldova. From eight localities the genus is reported or described for the first time. A detailed description and morphological analysis of the currently available osteological material demonstrates the presence of four species in the studied area: (i) Esox sibiricus (late Miocene–early Pliocene); (ii) Esox moldavicus (early Pliocene–early Pleistocene); (iii) Esox nogaicus sp. nov. (early Pleistocene, Calabrian); (iv) Esox lucius (early–middle Pleistocene). The Northern Pike (Esox lucius …

Sensitizing Leukemia Stem Cells To Nf-Κb Inhibitor Treatment In Vivo By Inactivation Of Both Tnf And Il-1 Signaling, Peter W. Breslin, Jing Li, Andrew Volk, Jun Zhang, Joseph Cannova, Shaojun Dai, Caiqin Hao, Chenglong Hu, Jiewen Sun, Yan Xu, Wei Wei, Sucha Nand, Jianjun Chen, Ameet Kini, Jiang Zhu, Jiwang Zhang

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We previously reported that autocrine TNF-α (TNF) is responsible for JNK pathway activation in a subset of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient samples, providing a survival/proliferation signaling parallel to NF-κB in AML stem cells (LSCs). In this study, we report that most TNF-expressing AML cells (LCs) also express another pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL1β, which acts in a parallel manner. TNF was produced primarily by LSCs and leukemic progenitors (LPs), whereas IL1β was mainly produced by partially differentiated leukemic blasts (LBs). IL1β also stimulates an NF-κB-independent pro-survival and proliferation signal through activation of the JNK pathway. We determined that co-inhibition of signaling …

Deformation But Not Migration And Rotation – A Model Study On Vesicle Biomechanics In A Uniform Dc Electric Field, Hui Ye, Austen Curcuru

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Background: Biological cells migrate, deform and rotate in various types of electric fields, which have significant impact on the normal cellular physiology. To investigate electrically-induced deformation, researchers have used artificial giant vesicles that mimic the phospholipid bilayer cell membrane. Containing primarily the neutral molecule phosphatidylcholine, these vesicles deformed under evenly distributed, strong direct current (DC) electric fields. Interestingly, they did not migrate or rotate. A biophysical mechanism underlying the kinematic differences between the biological cells and the vesicles under electric stimulation has not been worked out.

Methods: We modeled the vesicle as a leaky, dielectric sphere and computed …