Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of Feeding Fenugreek Extract And Encapsulated Lecithin On Finishing Cattle Performance, Carcass Characteristics, And Liver Abscesses, Sofia Suarez Lorences, Rebecca L. Mcdermott, Joshua R. Benton, Robert Bondurant, Willard Lemaster, James C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

A feedlot study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding fenugreek extract and encapsulated lecithin (Furst-McNess Company, Rockford, Illinois, United States) on finishing cattle performance, carcass characteristics, and liver abscesses. Treatments were applied as a 2×2 factorial that included a control diet with no additive; a diet containing fenugreek extract; a diet containing encapsulated lecithin; and a diet containing both fenugreek extract and encapsulated lecithin. Tylosin was not included in any diets to test natural occurrence of liver abscesses. No interactions were observed between fenugreek extract and encapsulated lecithin treatments but neither feed additive impacted intakes, …

Effects Of Allocation Frequency On Cattle Performance And Forage Utilization When Swath Grazing A Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrid In Eastern Nebraska, Thomas E. Aquino, Mary E. Drewnoski, Pedro Henrique J. Fernandes

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

A sorghum-sudangrass hybrid was swath grazed by growing steers (529 ± 18 lb) from November 2023 to January 2024. Treatments were offering new forage once (1X) or twice (2X) per week to determine the effect of allocation frequency on animal performance and forage utilization. Average daily gain was not impacted by treatment (1X = 0.45 ± 0.1 lb/day, 2X = 0.45 ± 0.1 lb/day). Pre-and post-graze biomass samples were collected to estimate forage utilization, which was not different between treatments (1X = 57.1 ± 3.6%, 2X = 61.1 ± 3.6%). However, there was a difference in carrying …

Chronic Heavy Alcohol Intake And Liver-Specific Lrp-1 Reduction Increase Amyloidosis In Alzheimer’S Disease Mice, Devaraj V. Chandrashekar, G. Chuli Roules, Ross A. Steinberg, Urvashi R. Panchal, Nataraj Jagadeesan, Adenike Oyegbesan, Trinh Roselyn, Joshua Yang, Sharda R. Bhagwat, Hiya Rakholia, Rutvi D. Mevawala, Moom Roosan, Derick Han, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Chronic heavy alcohol drinking may be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but studies in rodent AD models more closely mimic chronic moderate alcohol drinking in humans and largely focus on the brain. The role of the liver, which is significantly impacted by chronic heavy alcohol intake, in driving brain changes in alcohol-dependent AD remains unexplored. Our study using intragastric-ethanol feeding, which mimics chronic heavy alcohol intake in humans, in C57BL/6J mice showed significant AD-relevant changes in the brain and liver. Therefore, we aimed to investigate how hepatic changes using this model of chronic heavy drinking drive …

Comprehensive Characterization Of The Transcriptional Landscape In Alzheimer’S Disease (Ad) Brains, Chengxuan Chen, Zhao Zhang, Yuan Liu, Wei Hong, Hande Karahan, Jun Wang, Wenbo Li, Lixia Diao, Meichen Yu, Andrew J Saykin, Kwangsik Nho, Jungsu Kim, Leng Han

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading dementia among the elderly with complex origins. Despite extensive investigation into the AD-associated protein-coding genes, the involvement of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and posttranscriptional modification (PTM) in AD pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we comprehensively characterized the landscape of ncRNAs and PTM events in 1460 samples across six brain regions sourced from the Mount Sinai/JJ Peters VA Medical Center Brain Bank Study and Mayo cohorts, encompassing 33,321 long ncRNAs, 92,897 enhancer RNAs, 53,763 alternative polyadenylation events, and 900,221 A-to-I RNA editing events. We additionally identified 25,351 aberrantly expressed ncRNAs and altered PTM events associated with AD …

Novel Computational And Artificial Intelligence Models In Cancer Research, Li Liu, Fuhai Li, Xiaoming Liu, Kai Wang, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The ICIBM 2023 marked the 11th annual conference of its kind, with the ICIBM recently becoming the official conference of the International Association for Intelligent Biology and Medicine (IAIBM), showcasing cutting-edge advancements at the intersection of computation and biomedical research. A summary of the ICIBM 2023 program is provided by Li et al. [1]. As in previous years, cancer research remained a prominent focus, with numerous presentations highlighting innovative approaches to understanding and treating this complex disease. To summarize these contributions, selected works have been compiled in this Special Issue, “Novel Computational and Artificial Intelligence Models in Cancer …

Nls-Binding Deficient Kapβ2 Reduces Neurotoxicity Via Selective Interaction With C9orf72-Als/Ftd Dipeptide Repeats, Kevin Kim, Amandeep Girdhar, Maria Elena Cicardi, V. Kankate, Miyuki Hayashi, Ruoyu Yang, Jenny Carey, Charlotte M Fare, James Shorter, Gino Cingolani, Davide Trotti, Lin Guo

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Arginine-rich dipeptide repeat proteins (R-DPRs) are highly toxic proteins found in patients with C9orf72-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (C9-ALS/FTD). R-DPRs can cause toxicity by disrupting the natural phase behavior of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Mitigating this abnormal phase behavior is, therefore, crucial to reduce R-DPR-induced toxicity. Here, we use FUS as a model RBP to investigate the mechanism of R-DPR-induced aberrant RBP phase transition. We find that this phase transition can be mitigated by Kapβ2. However, as a nuclear import receptor and phase modifier for PY-NLS-containing RBPs, the function of WT Kapβ2 could lead to undesired interaction with its …

Enhanced Motivated Behavior Mediated By Pharmacological Targeting Of The Fgf14/Nav16 Complex In Nucleus Accumbens Neurons, Nolan M Dvorak, Paul A Wadsworth, Guillermo Aquino-Miranda, Pingyuan Wang, Douglas S Engelke, Jingheng Zhou, Nghi Nguyen, Aditya K Singh, Giuseppe Aceto, Zahra Haghighijoo, Isabella I Smith, Nana Goode, Mingxiang Zhou, Yosef Avchalumov, Evan P Troendle, Cynthia M Tapia, Haiying Chen, Reid T Powell, Timothy J Baumgartner, Jully Singh, Leandra Koff, Jessica Di Re, Ann E Wadsworth, Mate Marosi, Marc R Azar, Kristina Elias, Paul Lehmann, Yorkiris M Mármol Contreras, Poonam Shah, Hector Gutierrez, Thomas A Green, Martin B Ulmschneider, Marcello D'Ascenzo, Clifford Stephan, Guohong Cui, Fabricio H Do Monte, Jia Zhou, Fernanda Laezza

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Protein/protein interactions (PPI) play crucial roles in neuronal functions. Yet, their potential as drug targets for brain disorders remains underexplored. The fibroblast growth factor 14 (FGF14)/voltage-gated Na+ channel 1.6 (Nav1.6) complex regulates excitability of medium spiny neurons (MSN) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a central hub of reward circuitry that controls motivated behaviors. Here, we identified compound 1028 (IUPAC: ethyl 3-(2-(3-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-indol-1-yl)acetamido)benzoate), a brain-permeable small molecule that targets FGF14R117, a critical residue located within a druggable pocket at the FGF14/Nav1.6 PPI interface. We found that 1028 modulates FGF14/Nav1.6 complex assembly and depolarizes the voltage-dependence of Nav1.6 channel inactivation with …

Dexamethasone Dose Intensity Does Not Impact Outcomes In Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma: A Secondary Swog Analysis, Rahul Banerjee, Rachael Sexton, Andrew J Cowan, Aaron S Rosenberg, Sikander Ailawadhi, S Vincent Rajkumar, Shaji Kumar, Angela Dispenzieri, Sagar Lonial, Brian G M Durie, Paul G Richardson, Saad Z Usmani, Antje Hoering, Robert Z Orlowski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dexamethasone is a key component of induction for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM), despite common toxicities, including hyperglycemia and insomnia. In the randomized ECOG E4A03 trial, dexamethasone 40 mg once weekly was associated with lower mortality than higher doses. However, the performance of dexamethasone dose reductions below this threshold with regard to progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in NDMM has not been fully characterized. We conducted a secondary pooled analysis of the SWOG 0777 and SWOG 1211 studies of NDMM, which used lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd) alone, with or without bortezomib, and with or without elotuzumab. The planned …

The Role Of Iowa Gambling Task Performance In Response To Citalopram Treatment For Cocaine Use Disorder, Constanza De Dios, Robert Suchting, Charles E Green, Heather E Webber, F Gerard Moeller, Scott D Lane, Joy Schmitz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background:

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is associated with executive functioning impairments linked to serotonergic function. Previous studies reported efficacy with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram in reducing cocaine use.

Objectives:

The current study explored moderation and mediation of citalopram effects on cocaine use by performance across executive function domains.

Methods:

We conducted a secondary analysis of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized Bayesian adaptive trial investigating citalopram efficacy in CUD treatment-seeking adults. At baseline and mid-treatment, participants completed assessments of decision-making (Iowa Gambling Task; IGT), attention, response inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. Outcomes were longest duration of abstinence (LDA; count of consecutive …

Nucleus-Translocated Gclm Promotes Chemoresistance In Colorectal Cancer Through A Moonlighting Function, Jin-Fei Lin, Ze-Xian Liu, Dong-Liang Chen, Ren-Ze Huang, Fen Cao, Kai Yu, Ting Li, Hai-Yu Mo, Hui Sheng, Zhi-Bing Liang, Kun Liao, Yi Han, Shan-Shan Li, Zhao-Lei Zeng, Song Gao, Huai-Qiang Ju, Rui-Hua Xu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Metabolic enzymes perform moonlighting functions during tumor progression, including the modulation of chemoresistance. However, the underlying mechanisms of these functions remain elusive. Here, utilizing a metabolic clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 knockout library screen, we observe that the loss of glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM), a rate-limiting enzyme in glutathione biosynthesis, noticeably increases the sensitivity of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells to platinum-based chemotherapy. Mechanistically, we unveil a noncanonical mechanism through which nuclear GCLM competitively interacts with NF-kappa-B (NF-κB)-repressing factor (NKRF), to promote NF-κB activity and facilitate chemoresistance. In response to platinum drug treatment, GCLM is phosphorylated by P38 …

Cardiovascular Disease And Breast Cancer Stage At Diagnosi\S, Ivan Angelov, Allen M Haas, Elizabeth Brock, Lingfeng Luo, Jing Zhao, Benjamin D Smith, Sharon H Giordano, Nicholas J Leeper, Kevin T Nead

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are the leading causes of mortality in the US. Large-scale population-based and mechanistic studies support a direct effect of CVD on accelerated tumor growth and spread, specifically in breast cancer.

Objective: To assess whether individuals presenting with advanced breast cancers are more likely to have prevalent CVD compared with those with early-stage breast cancers at the time of diagnosis.

Design, setting, and participants: This population-based case-control study used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked databases from 2009 to 2020. The analysis was completed from May 2023 to August 2024. Participants were …

Optimizing Electrode Configurations For Eeg Mild Cognitive Impairment Detection, Yi Jiang, Xin Zhang, Zhiwei Guo, Xiaobo Zhou, Jiayuan He, Ning Jiang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Optimal electrode configuration of Electroencephalograms (EEG) systems for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) detection and monitoring in non-clinical settings, i.e. number of electrodes and the positions of the electrodes, remains to be explored. In the current study, we explored the optimization of electrode configuration for MCI detection. We used a 32-channel EEG device to record the data of 21 MCI patients and 20 cognitively normal elderly (NC) undergoing working memory (WM) tasks. Based on the differential value (MCI group vs. NC group) from the Power Spectral Density (PSD) value of each electrode in θ and α frequency band during WM …

Atrx Silences Cartpt Expression In Osteoblastic Cells During Skeletal Development, Yi-Ting Chen, Ming-Ming Jiang, Carolina Leynes, Mary Adeyeye, Camilla F Majano, Barakat Ibrahim, Urszula Polak, George Hung, Zixue Jin, Denise G Lanza, Lan Liao, Brian Dawson, Yuqing Chen-Evenson, Oscar E Ruiz, Richard J Gibbons, Jason D Heaney, Yangjin Bae, Brendan Lee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling protein ATRX is an essential regulator involved in maintenance of DNA structure and chromatin state and regulation of gene expression during development. ATRX was originally identified as the monogenic cause of X-linked α-thalassemia mental retardation (ATR-X) syndrome. Affected individuals display a variety of developmental abnormalities and skeletal deformities. Studies from others investigated the role of ATRX in skeletal development by tissue-specific Atrx knockout. However, the impact of ATRX during early skeletal development has not been examined. Using preosteoblast-specific Atrx conditional knockout mice, we observed increased trabecular bone mass and decreased osteoclast number in bone. In vitro coculture …

Meta-Ea: A Gene-Specific Combination Of Available Computational Tools For Predicting Missense Variant Effects, Panagiotis Katsonis, Olivier Lichtarge

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Computational methods for estimating missense variant impact suffer from inconsistent performance across genes, which poses a major challenge for their reliable use in clinical practice. While ensemble scores leverage multiple prediction methods to enhance consistency, the overrepresentation of certain genes in the training data can bias their outcomes. To address this critical limitation, we propose a gene-specific ensemble framework trained on reference computational annotations rather than on clinical or experimental data. Accordingly, we generate Meta-EA ensemble scores that achieve comparable performance to the top individual predicting method for each gene set. Incorporating the effects of splicing and the allele frequency …

Editorial: Frontiers In The Midlands Society Of Physiological Sciences (2023-2024), Sathish Kumar Natarajan, Hong Zheng, Surabhi Chandra, Harold D. Schultz, William C.W. Chen

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

No abstract provided.

Growing South Dakota (Winter 2025), College Of Agriculture, Food And Environmental Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 2 Native Plant Initiative on a mission
[Page] 4 Gees give back
[Page] 7 Christensen named assistant dean
[Page] 8 Fennell honored in plant biology
[Page] 9 New ag communication faculty
[Page] 10 SDSU Extension awards
[Page] 12 Veterinary medicine class welcomed
[Page] 13 Coulter honored
[Page] 14 National beef award winners
[Page] 15 Department celebrates 100 years
[Page] 16 Southeast Research Farm growing
[Page] 18 Saving the flock
[Page] 22 Energize conference inspires
[Page] 24 BeefSD helping producers
[Page] 25 SDSU Extension retirements
[Page] 26 New food safety testing service
[Page] 27 Bringing back bison
[Page] 28 Jackrabbits …

Suprameatal Tubercle Classification; Its Implementation On Clinical Cases, Humberto Reyna Mendez, Jose Alfredo Espinosa Mora, Laura Ubaldo Reyes, Alberto Angeles Castellanos, Ignacio Mora Magaña, Mauro Alberto Segura Lozano, Rachel Blue, John Yk Lee, Diego Mendez Rosito

Archives of Neurosurgery

Abstract:

Background: The suprameatal tubercle (SMT) is a variable prominence of the petrosal surface of the temporal bone that lies above the internal acoustic meatus. An enlarged SMT may present an obstacle during surgeries of the posterior fossa, including microvascular decompression or by itself cause trigeminal neuralgia.

Methods: Based on our prior study of 200 temporal bones, its data collection and establishing a classification of the SMT this extension study exemplifies its clinical application.

Results: According to the classification of the SMT four selected cases are clinically and anatomically correlated to exemplify the utility of this classification.

Conclusion: The SMT …

Diabetes, Edwin Espinosa Vazquez

CSU Tower Day

1.2 million Americans are affected with diabetes each year.

○ Increase in hospitalizations, emergency room visits

● Diabetes has a higher rate of prevalence among the middle aged, older aged and non- Americans in the US.

● Diabetes presents a high risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Kidney failure, blindness, etc.

● Exercise, dietary changes, and medication can prevent or delay from the onset of type 2 diabetes (T2D).

The Cdk8 Kinase Module: A Novel Player In The Transcription Of Translation Initiation And Ribosomal Genes, Brittany Friedson, Stephen D Willis, Natalia Shcherbik, Alicia N Campbell, Katrina F Cooper

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Survival following stress is dependent upon reprogramming transcription and translation. Communication between these programs following stress is critical for adaptation but is not clearly understood. The Cdk8 kinase module (CKM) of the Mediator complex modulates the transcriptional response to various stresses. Its involvement in regulating translational machinery has yet to be elucidated, highlighting an existing gap in knowledge. Here, we report that the CKM positively regulates a subset of ribosomal protein (RP) and translation initiation factor (TIF)-encoding genes under physiological conditions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts and HCT116 cells, the CKM regulates unique sets of RP and TIF …

An In Vivo Study Of Lns8801, A Gper Agonist, In A Spontaneous Melanoma-Prone Mouse Model, Tgs., Christina Marinaro, John Sauer, Christopher A Natale, Todd Ridky, Suzie Chen

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Melanoma is the most aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer that arises from the transformation of melanocytes, the pigment producing cells of the skin. In the year 2024 there will be approximately 10,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed and approximately 8,000 deaths attributed to melanoma in the United States. In this study we treated a group of male and female transgenic mice that spontaneously develop metastatic melanoma, TGS, with a G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor agonist LNS8801 to assess the efficacy on disease progression. A second group of male and female TGS mice was also exposed to UVB irradiation to mimic …

Sports Injury Prevention - Epidemiological Analysis Of Concussion Mechanisms In Female Soccer Players: A Review Of Neiss Data (2020–2023), Caroline A. Bertalotto

2025 Honors Symposium

Background/Introduction: Concussions are a significant concern in women’s soccer, with many studies showing that women have a higher rate of having them than compared to men. The number of concussions in athletes have raised concerns about long-term health and calls for a deeper look into ways to prevent them from occurring. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to review the epidemiological data related to the mechanisms of concussions as a result of soccer, specifically within female participants.

The Sellar Barrier’S: An Important New Concept In Pituitary Surgery., Juan F. Villalonga, Alvaro Campero

Archives of Neurosurgery

The sellar barrier's concept was created by our team in Tucumán in 2019. There are currently 3 well-defined subtypes: strong, weak and mixed. Published case series studies indicate that there is a strong correlation between radiological, intraoperative findings and risk of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage. Patients with weak sellar barrier have more risk of intraoperative CSF leak. The strong sellar barrier is a protective factor for intraoperative CSF leak. The sellar barrier's concept is useful for clinical-surgical practice and for the physician-patient relationship.

Understanding Injury Risk In Female College Dancers: The Interplay Of Mobility And Strength, Audrey Clark

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

INTRODUCTION: Female college dancers present a unique set of demands that contribute to a risk of injury different from other sports. Two of the primary physical demands of dance, mobility and strength, are also known risk factors for non contact injuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between mobility, strength, and non contact injuries in female college dancers and add to the current gap in literature. METHODS: Participants (n=10) completed an injury history, hand-grip assessment, Functional Movement Screen (FMS), and monthly follow up injury surveys during the duration of the study. Means, standard deviations, correlations, and …

Biocultural Mobility: The Impact Of Osteoarthritis On Rural Kentuckians, Alexandria Anderson

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic degenerative joint disease that results in joint pain and loss of joint function, and it is rising in prevalence alongside an aging population. OA has a complex etiology, with various biological, mechanical, and sociocultural factors affecting its acquisition and progression. Like most diseases, OA has a differential prevalence among populations; it is disproportionally more common in underserved communities, including rural areas. This thesis presents (1) a study comparing selected OA treatment type and patient travel time, (2) a study comparing OA comorbidity amount and rurality, and (3) a discussion of exploratory interdisciplinary methods in …

Endoscopic–Assisted Surgery For Cerebello Pontine Angle Pathology: Technical Note And Surgical Results In A Series Of Patients, Jaime Jesus Martinez Anda, Pablo David Guerrero Suarez, Diego Pineda Martínez, Rafael Avendaño Pradel, Ernesto Javier Jurado Delgado, Ricardo Santiago Villlagrana Sánchez, Juan Carlos Cisneros Lesser, Carolina De La Llata Segura, Rogelio Revuelta Gutiérrez

Archives of Neurosurgery

Objectives: Endoscopic–assisted surgery combined with the operating microscope has been described for several surgical techniques and pathologies of the cerebellopontine angle (CPA). The use of an endoscope allows for a panoramic view of the CPA cistern and a high degree of maneuverability in narrow cisternal spaces that enable the surgeon to deal with most CPA lesions safely. We performed an observational study to describe the surgical anatomy and technique for endoscopic-assisted CPA surgery, describing our experience in a case series of patients with CPA pathology. Methods: Anatomical and surgical technique description of endoscopic-assisted surgery for CPA pathology, based on observations …

Atypical Stroke-Like Presentation In A Patient With Mucormycosis, Joseph Crutison, Yasser El-Daour, Dominique Pean

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

"Dental Health For Mental Wealth": A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Underexplored Impact Of Oral Health And Behaviors On Neurobiology And Psychological Well-Being, Brooke C. Beck

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis explores the link between oral health and psychological state, specifically, the effect of oral health on psychological state and how appropriate oral health impacts this relationship. A review of the literature was conducted and studies interpreted within the scope of oral health’s impact on psychological health and detailing some of the pathways proposed for such a link. The literature search was limited to the English language from well-known databases mainly from 2015 to 2025. A few outliers are present to include foundational information.

The effects of oral disease and oral self-care behaviors were dissected through a biochemical perspective, …

Exosomes And Encapsulated Exomirs In Breast Cancer: Theragnostic Applications And Clinical Implications, Muhammad Imran Sajid, Shafia Bukhari, Hamid Ilyas, Rubina Malik, Minahil Fatima, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari, Surya M. Nauli, Khawaja Husnain Haider

Pharmacy Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Exosomes, released by cells, are small vesicles that have emerged as critical theranostic tools in breast cancer due to their unique ability to transport diverse biomolecules such as proteins, lipids, and RNAs, including microRNAs (ExomiRs). These vesicles are critical in modulating the tumor microenvironment, driving processes like cancer proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Exosomal microRNAs such as ExomiR-21, ExomiR-1246, and ExomiR-155, with their profound influence on the gene expressions in the recipient cells, are the unsung heroes in tumor progression and immune modulation. This chapter delves into exosome's dual diagnostic and therapeutic potential in breast cancer. It highlights their …

Determining Localization Of Surf-4 In Drosophila Melanogaster In The Secretory Pathway, Jada Scott

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The purpose of this research is to determine the role of the Surfeit-4 gene, or Surf-4 locus protein, during Drosophila melanogaster development. Surf-4 was identified in the Srivastava lab in a biochemical screen for proteins that associate with the basement membrane (BM): a structure needed and required for normal development and its degradation is a hallmark of tumor metastasis. Surf-4 has been predicted to function within intracellular compartments and is known to be expressed in many parts of the developing fly. We are currently determining why Surf-4 is important in development and what role, if any, it could play during …

Antimicrobial-Resistant Enterococcus In Urban Communities: Insights Into Human Infection Risks, Sumit Kumar Paudel

Wayne State University Dissertations

The complexity of community risk factors and transmission routes has been a major challenge to the containment of community-acquired antibiotic resistance. Possible factors range from environmental contamination, antibiotic misuse, and human exposure via animals, food, the environment, and human-to-human transmission. What has been missing from previous research is the integration of findings in animal and environmental sectors with bacteria implicated in community infections. To gain a better understanding of antibiotic resistance acquired in the community, a one health approach is clearly needed. Specifically, we aim to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus in wildlife, their gene profiles in comparison with …