Wetterer, James K.

I propose research that examines whether decision making video games have positive effects on the everyday decision of adolescents. The research will be conducted on 30 adolescents/young adults, ages 18-24, who have very little gaming experience. Subjects will complete a survey examining their decision-making capabilities, problem-solving ability, and their mental speed. They will be randomly placed into two groups of 15, the experimental and the control. The experimental group will participate in an online decision-making game, Imprisoned and Alter Ego, for a total of five hours over a three-week period. The control group will not play any online games. I will then retest all the subjects. I hypothesize that moderate play of decision-making games by adolescents and young adults can improve the decision-making abilities in their everyday lives as well as enhance their problem-solving skills, and increase the speed of their thought processing capabilities.

Prescription drug abuse is a rapidly emerging epidemic. One serious consequence of this abuse is increased incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). NAS results from a pregnant mother abusing opiates during her gestation period. The short-term effects of in utero opiate exposure on newborns are well documented, but the long-term impacts are poorly known. Our project in the Miller Lab aimed to characterize the impacts of prenatal opiate exposure on the behavior of mice. Our data indicates that mice exposed to oxycodone in utero show abnormal, impulsive-like behavior and had a lower seizure threshold compared to control mice. We can now work towards identifying possible underlying brain structural abnormalities producing this phenotype, and we are now more prepared to deal with the lifelong impact of this exposure.

Autophagy, the cellular “recycling system” of unnecessary components, is a crucial mechanism for maintaining homeostasis inside the cell. Whereas impaired DNA repair function leads to accelerated aging and an early onset of several age-related diseases, it is not known whether autophagy plays a mediating role in this process. Here, we examined changes in autophagy in cells with progeria due to a disabled ERCC1-XPF, a nuclear DNA repair enzyme. We found that loss of ERCC1 function leads to DNA damage and a decrease in autophagic flux in cells. Low dose treatment with Rapamycin, an autophagy inducer, improved proliferation and delayed aging, or cellular senescence, in the cells. These data suggest that persistent DNA damage suppresses autophagic flux, thus contributing to early senescence and accelerated onset of age-related diseases. Therefore, therapeutics that improve autophagic flux, may prove beneficial for progeroid patients.

Numerous studies have found a significant correlation between diet and brain function in humans and other animals, indicating that a healthy diet can greatly enhance cognition and reduce oxidative stress, which impairs brain health. My thesis examines the policies of ten successful university nutrition programs in the United States, with the aim of improving nutrition for students at the Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University (FAU). I proposed that FAU should establish an on- campus vegetable garden, partner with local fisheries to provide fresh fish to the campus dining room, and mandate that all freshman complete a course in “nutrition for cognition.”

Aging is the result of the progressive and intrinsic accumulation of detrimental changes in an organism over time. Understanding the molecular pathways that contribute to aging is critical for the development of therapeutic agents to treat age-related disorders. As an animal ages, it accumulates senescent cells, cells that are unable to grow or divide but remain metabolically active. They secrete Senescence Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP) factors, which can disrupt tissue and cause age related diseases. The Ercc1-/Δ mice are an accelerated aging, progeriod model, and thus it was hypothesized that cellular senescence would increase in the Ercc1-/Δ mice. Through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis, the expression of senescence biomarkers p16INK4a, p21, IL-6 and TNF-α were measured to confirm that Ercc1-/Δ mice do experience an increase in cellular senescence. Additionally, we were able to determine that there are gender differences regarding the accumulation of senescent cells in various body parts.

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is native to South America and was
introduced to Alabama in the 1930s. This predatory species rapidly spread throughout the
southeastern US and parts of the West Indies, causing serious ecological and economic impacts.
Solenopsis invicta is known to attack the eggs and hatchlings of ground nesting birds and
reptiles. The ants also swarm into sea turtle nests attacking hatchlings and diminishing their
chance for survival. This study is part of a larger research that aimed to survey the distribution of
ants at a sea turtle nesting beaches in South Florida and St. Croix, USVI. This particular study
was conducted in Boca Raton, Florida. Besides providing a baseline dataset on ant species
distribution in the area, this study also aimed at validating the survey methodology by finding
consistency in the distribution over multiple days surveyed. The results indicate that, although
more detailed surveys would produce more thorough results, we can state that the methodology
is consistent in determining species distribution.

Bioprospecting’s main goal is to discover natural compounds with beneficial properties. Previous studies have shown diverse, bio-active organic compounds found in the venom of different species of ants. In my research, I tested the venom of an acrobat ant from Albania, Crematogaster schmidti, for anti-bacterial properties by using the disc diffusion method. I found a decrease in bacterial colony growth where the venom was applied onto the agar plate.

In 2013-2014, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) experienced unusually
high mortality along the East Coast of the US. Many deaths were attributed to Cetacean
Morbillivirus (CeMV). My thesis research examined whether this high mortality could be
attributed to the virus spreading more easily due to pollution, being picked up from a
specific location, or unusual weather events. I found no evidence that pollutants or
location corresponded with CeMV. There was the expected percentage of strandings
based on the percentage of coastline therefore ruling out any linkage to location. Weather
patterns appeared to have an effect on CeMV. When the temperatures were low, there
were minimal strandings due to CeMV. Whereas, when temperatures were at their
highest, there were also record numbers of CeMV. Thus, I concluded that high
temperatures may have allowed increased spread of CeMV, which was compounded by
increased movement of dolphins when waters are warmer.

Novel antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are commonly tested using rats and mice as model systems. These animals, however, require a great deal of time, money, and lab space to maintain. In contrast, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) potentially can provide a faster, and less expensive model system for testing AEDs. C. elegans are simple to maintain and have a very short generation time, allowing high throughput assays to screen for new AEDs. For my thesis research, I used C. elegans to test FDA approved AEDs. My tests support the contention that C. elegans can be a useful model system for AED discovery.

Each June, surveys are conducted at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in order to monitor the population status of the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), the only avian species endemic to the state of Florida. These birds are limited to the rare oak scrub community, a habitat that is under constant threat due to human development. Florida Scrub-Jays are listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and all of Florida’s populations are in decline. Jonathan Dickinson State Park organizes surveys that collect vital information about the species to better understand how to conserve the fire-dependent oak scrub that they inhabit. The results of this study indicate that efforts to restore the scrub habitat through prescribed burning have been successful at JDSP since the population of Florida Scrub-Jays has stabilized and the birds have dispersed into new areas of the park.