Research Methods in Life Sciences Commons^™

Development Of A Pediatric Model Of Nafld In Neonatal Iberian Pigs, Gabriella Veronica Hernandez, Victoria Alice Smith, Morgan Coffin, Daniel Columbus, Matthew Burd, Kimberly Sprayberry, Mark Edwards, Daniel Peterson, Darin Bennett, Robert Fanter, Christopher Kitts, Michael La Frano, Margaret Rice, Douglas Burrin, Magdalena Maj, Rodrigo Manjarin

Master's Theses

The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children has increased over the past decades, creating a need for animal models that recapitulate the features of the pediatric disease. Iberian pigs have a leptin-resistant phenotype characterized by hyperleptinemia, hyperphagia, and extreme adipogenesis. We hypothesized that neonatal Iberian pigs fed a high fat high-fructose (HFF) diet will develop a pattern of liver injury resembling pediatric NAFLD. In addition, we sought to determine if a mixture of probiotics would prevent the disease. Animals were fed 1 of 4 diets containing (g/kg body weight × d) 0 g fructose, 11 g fat …

A Quiet Revolution Replacing The Use Of Animals In Research, Andrew N. Rowan

WellBeing News

In May, 2019, the Sanger Institute, a major producer of genetically modified mice announced it was closing down its GMO mouse unit. They came to this decision “following a rigorous review” of its scientific strategy and after consulting with the Wellcome Trust, one of the major funders of biomedical research in the world today and a supporter of programs at the Sanger Institute. This decision presages a new phase in animal research when animal use will again begin to decline as other technologies take the place of animal studies in major laboratories.

Htlv-1 Latency-Maintenance Factor P30ii Modulates Tax-Induced Nf-Kappa B Signaling Through A P53-Regulated Mechanism, Aditi Malu

Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) infects CD4+ T-cells and is the etiological agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), an aggressive and often-fatal lymphoproliferative neoplastic disease. The major transactivator protein, Tax, drives proviral gene expression and replication and plays a key role during the early-stage immortalization of T-cells by HTLV-1. Tax has also been shown to regulate many host cellular signaling pathways, including CREB/ATF, SRF, and NFκB. Another accessory viral protein p30_II acts as a latency-maintenance factor and negatively regulates proviral gene expression and replication. The p30^II protein counters Tax-dependent gene expression at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional …

Jet Lag: What’S Light Got To Do With It?, Melissa Richardson

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

Jet lag results in memory loss and sleepiness. Current treatments for jet lag focus on symptoms and not the cause of jet lag; disrupted light environment. This study in mice, uncovered mechanisms of how light regulates jet lag recovery and memory. This work informs our future studies in humans.

Towards A Better Understanding Of Temporomandibular Disorder, Jessica R. Cox

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Results from the OPPERA study provided evidence that risk factors such as neck muscle tension, prolonged jaw opening, and female gender increase the likelihood of developing temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJD), which are prevalent, debilitating orofacial pain conditions. Peripheral and central sensitization, which mediate a lowering of the stimulus required for pain signaling, are implicated in the underlying pathology of chronic TMJD. The goal of my study was to investigate cellular changes in the expression of proteins associated with the development of central sensitization. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with complete Freund’s adjuvant in the upper trapezius muscles to promote trigeminal …

Additional Thoughts On Rigor In Wildlife Science: Unappreciated Impediments, John A. Bissonette

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Traditionally, most scientists accepted reductionist and mechanistic approaches as the rigorous way to do science. Sells et al. (2018) recently raised the argument about reliability in wildlife science. Chamberlin (1890), Platt (1964), Romesburg (1981, 1991, 2009), and Williams (1997) were rightly referenced as very influential papers. My intention in this letter is not to refute the essence of the Sells et al. (2018) commentary but to add seldom addressed but important aspects that influence the attainment of rigor and certainty in wildlife studies. The elements of …

Decrypting Female Attractivity In Garter Snakes, Holly Rucker

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Pheromones are utilized by many species as sexual signals driving mate choice, and pheromone production in vertebrates hinges on sex hormone action. Female red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) produce a skin-based sex pheromone used by males for mate detection and selection. Estradiol is necessary for pheromone production, yet the specific mechanisms within the skin are unknown. Central to this is the metabolism of testosterone to estradiol via the enzyme aromatase. It is hypothesized that female garter snakes synthesize estradiol locally in the skin and maintain pheromone production via tissue-specific regulation of aromatase. Further, I hypothesize that female …

Development Of A Long-Acting Nanoformulation Of Dolutegravir For Prevention And Treatment Of Hiv-1 Infection, Brady Sillman

Theses & Dissertations

Dolutegravir (DTG) is a potent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase strand-transfer inhibitor (INSTI) with a high barrier to viral drug resistance. However, opportunities to improve its profile abound. These include extending the drug’s apparent half-life, increasing penetrance to “putative” viral reservoirs, and reducing inherent toxicities. These highlight, in part, the need for long-acting, slow effective release antiretroviral therapy (LASER ART) delivery schemes. A long-acting (LA) DTG was made by synthesizing a hydrophobic and lipophilic prodrug encased with poloxamer (P407) surfactant. This modified DTG (MDTG) reduced systemic metabolism and polarity, increased lipophilicity and membrane permeability, improved encapsulation, and formed …

Deicing Salts Influence Ranavirus Outbreaks In Wood Frog (Lithobates Sylvaticus) Tadpoles, Sarah Jacobson

Honors Scholar Theses

Ecosystems are increasingly being exposed to anthropogenic stressors that could make animals and thus populations more susceptible to disease. For example, the application of deicing salts to roads is increasing in the northeastern United States. Chronic stress that larval amphibians experience when living in vernal pools with high salinity may alter their susceptibility to ranavirus, a pathogen responsible for mass mortality events worldwide. This project quantifies the effects of road salts and ranavirus exposure on larval wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) growth and survival. Using outdoor mesocsoms, we raised wood frog tadpoles in salt treatments and then exposed them …

Attitudes Toward Animal Research And Experimentation: An Annotated Bibliography [2011-2019], Erich Yahner

Anthrozoology

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Toward Animal Research And Experimentation: An Annotated Bibliography [1991-2000], Erich Yahner

Anthrozoology

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Toward Animal Research And Experimentation: An Annotated Bibliography [2001-2010], Erich Yahner

Anthrozoology

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Toward Animal Research And Experimentation: An Annotated Bibliography [1981-1990], Erich Yahner

Anthrozoology

No abstract provided.

Circadian Rhythms Of The Spider Pholcus Phalangeoides In Activity Monitors And Web Boxes, Steven Dirmeyer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Circadian rhythms are endogenous molecular clocks that correspond to the 24-hour day and are regulated by light stimulus, allowing organisms to entrain to the dawn-dusk cycle. These clocks may allow organisms to anticipate daily events, influencing their behavior. In arthropods, including spiders, circadian rhythmicity is tested using activity monitors, which house individuals in tubes. However, this does not reflect the natural habitat of many spiders. We compared the locomotor activity of the cellar spider Pholcus phalangiodes in activity monitors with the locomotor activity in web boxes. After being entrained to a 12:12 light:dark cycle, the spiders were recorded in constant …

The Effects Of Salinity On Zootechnical Performance Of Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion Nebulosus) In Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, Eric Gigli

Master's Theses

The spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) is a euryhaline finfish candidate for marine aquaculture in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Aquaculture of this species currently uses salinities of 25 psu or greater making production challenging in areas where high salinity water is not available. This study aimed to document the effects of salinity on zootechnical performance of spotted seatrout embryos, early larvae, and juveniles in recirculating aquaculture systems to assist with the development of protocols for low salinity culture.

Embryos obtained from a volitional spawn at 29 psu were incubated at three salinities (12.5, 18.75, or 25 psu) until …

Comparative Thermal Ecology Of Coastal And Inland Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Oreganus), Hayley Layne Crowell

Master's Theses

Global biodiversity is declining as a direct result of anthropogenic climate change. Ectothermic species have become focal organisms for studying the ecological effects of altered climates due to the clear relationship between environmental temperatures and ectotherms’ basic physiological functions. Historically, examinations of these effects have focused heavily on heliothermic lizards, and most others have tended to focus on single populations or sympatric species within a single community. Addressing the longterm energetic implications of environmental temperature variation will provide valuable insight into the cascading physiological effects that certain populations or species may experience as a result of altered climates.

In this …

The Impacts Of Administering Metabolites Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae On Broiler Performance, Yields And Salmonella Content Of Component Portions, Bill Douglas Potter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The impacts of using health-promoting Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation metabolites in poultry production and processing can be measured in respect to multiple measures of success. Traditionally this yeast-based compound has been administered to poultry, livestock, poultry, and other species to improve animal performance and production volume output. In addition, Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation metabolites have also been shown in more recent research to reduce colonization of pathogenic bacteria in the host organism’s gastro-intestinal tract. In this dissertation, the impacts of administering a functional ingredient containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolites on broiler performance measures and pathogen reduction were measured. One of the studies in …

Animal Experimentation: Working Towards A Paradigm Change, Kathrin Herrmann (Ed.), Kimberley Jayne (Ed.)

eBooks

Animal experimentation has been one of the most controversial areas of animal use, mainly due to the intentional harms inflicted upon animals for the sake of hoped-for benefits in humans. Despite this rationale for continued animal experimentation, shortcomings of this practice have become increasingly more apparent and well-documented. However, these limitations are not yet widely known or appreciated, and there is a danger that they may simply be ignored. The 51 experts who have contributed to Animal Experimentation: Working Towards a Paradigm Change critically review current animal use in science, present new and innovative non-animal approaches to address urgent scientific …

Is Animal-Based Biomedical Research Being Used In Its Original Context?, Constança Carvalho, Daniel Alves, Andrew Knight, Luís Vicente

Validation of Animal Experimentation Collection

No abstract provided.

Critically Evaluating Animal Research, Andrew Knight

Validation of Animal Experimentation Collection

No abstract provided.