Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
Articles 1 - 14 of 14
Full-Text Articles in Biology
The Effects Of Sublethal Antibiotics On Listeria Monocytogenes, Marlena Rae Merling
The Effects Of Sublethal Antibiotics On Listeria Monocytogenes, Marlena Rae Merling
Honors Theses
Antibiotics can be found in sublethal levels environmentally as pollution and within the body when used as medication. Antibiotics induce stress responses and sometimes act as signaling molecules in bacteria. In order to better understand the relationship between antibiotics and bacterial infections, the effects of sublethal antibiotic exposure on the ability of Listeria monocytogenes to infect macrophages was studied. Listeria monocytogenes is an intracellular pathogen of the gastrointestinal tract that is facultatively anaerobic. Two strains of Listeria monocytogenes were tested: a lab strain and a clinical cardiotropic strain. The strains were grown in liquid media overnight aerobically or anaerobically with …
The Effects Of L. Rhamnosus Consumption On Male Long Evans Rat Anxiety-Like Behavior, Amanda Marie Schleper
The Effects Of L. Rhamnosus Consumption On Male Long Evans Rat Anxiety-Like Behavior, Amanda Marie Schleper
Honors Theses
Adolescent stress in humans has been correlated with an increased likelihood of an individual to develop an alcohol use disorder later in life. Literature has demonstrated that rats subjected to adolescent stress tend to show an increased preference and consumption of ethanol. Adolescence is a critical time of development. The link between adolescent stressors and alcohol use disorders is not fully understood yet. This study examined the relationship between adolescent stress and alcohol consumption and preference in rats. Probiotics are bacteria with potential health benefits and have been well accepted as a dietary supplement. Literature shows that probiotics could decrease …
Pathogenic Differences In Listeria Monocytogenes 10403s And Cardiotropic Strains Grown Under Aerobic And Anaerobic Conditions, Alexander Hayes
Pathogenic Differences In Listeria Monocytogenes 10403s And Cardiotropic Strains Grown Under Aerobic And Anaerobic Conditions, Alexander Hayes
Honors Theses
Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive bacillus that is commonly associated with foodborne illness. It is a facultative intracellular pathogen responsible for causing the listeriosis infection in humans which is particularly dangerous to immunocompromised individuals. L. monocytogenes pathogenesis occurs through a series of complex interactions between host and bacterial cellular machinery. The wild-type strain as well as a cardiotropic strain with high affinity for infecting cardiac tissue were used to investigate pathogenesis in L. monocytogenes. Specifically, the Listeriolysin O protein that is critical for virulence was investigated. Aerobic and anaerobic growth environments as well as short-chain fatty acid supplementation were utilized …
Flourishing The Urban Environment: How Urban Gardens Affect Pollinators, Emily Ann Rickert
Flourishing The Urban Environment: How Urban Gardens Affect Pollinators, Emily Ann Rickert
Honors Theses
The order of Hymenoptera is classified as bees, wasps, and ants and are widely recognized as pollinators. Some species of bees (family Apoidea) and hoverflies tend to focus on certain types of flowers and are attracted to patterns and colors. Native plants and crops that are specifically bee-friendly can encourage bees and other pollinators that are decreasing in biodiversity and population to come back. Urban gardens work to provide vegetables and organic produce to its communities and subsequently are also growing pollinator-friendly food. This study focuses on whether the biodiversity of Hymenoptera, hoverflies, and other significant pollinators are affected by …
In The Face Of Antimicrobialsfactors Contributing To Listeria Monocytogenes Survival And Development Of Resistance, Andrea M. Vietti
In The Face Of Antimicrobialsfactors Contributing To Listeria Monocytogenes Survival And Development Of Resistance, Andrea M. Vietti
Honors Theses
Bacterial antibiotic resistance is on an alarming rise worldwide, thus posing an urgent threat to human health. The rise in antibiotic resistance can be attributed to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in both the healthcare and agricultural industries. In order to address this concern, this research aimed to identify environmental conditions that may lead to the development of antibiotic resistance in Listeria monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen capable of causing the disease listeriosis and is especially dangerous for immunocompromised populations. Although infected individuals are treated with antibiotics, an alarmingly high mortality rate of 20 percent still persists; …
Propionate Enhances The Antimicrobial Defenses In Macrophages Against Listeria Monocytogenes, John Weis
Propionate Enhances The Antimicrobial Defenses In Macrophages Against Listeria Monocytogenes, John Weis
Honors Theses
Propionate is a short chain fatty acid produced by the bacteria in the human gut. It has a wide range of nutritional functions in the human body. Several studies have also reported the effects of propionate on immune cell activation. In this study, we used Listeria monocytogenes as a model pathogen to determine how and what the effects of propionate on immune cells influence cell susceptibility to infections. Listeria is a dangerous intracellular pathogen that can replicate inside immune cells such as macrophages. Therefore, we can assess the impact of propionate on infection susceptibility by performing cell culture infections. We …
Analysis Of Change In The Biodiversity Of Fish And Macroinvertebrates Following Low Dam Modification And Kayak Chute Installation In The Great Miami River In Downtown Dayton, Ohio, Madison E. Conway
Honors Theses
Over two years, from 2015-2017, the Miami Conservancy District and Five Rivers Metroparks completed a project to modify the low dam above Monument Avenue into a kayak chute and constructed a second, entirely new kayak chute about one-half mile upstream near Riverscape Metropark in downtown Dayton, Ohio. Low dams have a negative impact on river habitat by decreasing water velocity in the impoundment behind the dam. Physical habitat, which should consist of alternating pools and riffles, is disturbed and replaced by deeper, slower-moving water that accumulates deposits of sediment on the river bottom degrading its value as habitat. The conditions …
Establishing The Effect Of Ethanol On Listeria Infection, Ryan Evan Restrepo
Establishing The Effect Of Ethanol On Listeria Infection, Ryan Evan Restrepo
Honors Theses
Excessive alcohol consumption is common in the United States, particularly among college campuses. Previous studies have shown that excessive drinking increases the risk of drug dependency, sexual assault and liver damage. Heavy drinking has also proven to impact immune capabilities. Immune cell function and numbers have been shown to be negatively impacted by alcohol treatment. This research project used different cell cultures to model human cells and investigated how exposure to alcohol affects susceptibility to bacterial infection. Listeria monocytogenes, a common foodborne bacterium, was used as a model pathogen. A high alcohol preferring mouse model was also used to examine …
The Vascular Flora Of Bill Yeck Park: Supporting The Conservation Of Local Biodiversity, Taylor Sparbanie
The Vascular Flora Of Bill Yeck Park: Supporting The Conservation Of Local Biodiversity, Taylor Sparbanie
Honors Theses
Maintaining and fostering biodiversity is a critical component of natural areas management and conservation because of its known links to ecosystem function and stability. Identifying and documenting species through a floristic inventory is an important strategy for detecting the presence of rare or unique species, as well as invasive species that pose a threat to biodiversity. Bill Yeck Park is a 194-acre nature park maintained by Centerville-Washington Park District and is largely surrounded by residential areas. The goal of this project was to generate list of vascular plant species for Bill Yeck Park, a large park within the Centerville-Washington Township …
Modulation Of Listeria Monocytogenes Carbon Metabolism By Short Chain Fatty Acids, Diksha Bedi
Modulation Of Listeria Monocytogenes Carbon Metabolism By Short Chain Fatty Acids, Diksha Bedi
Honors Theses
Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterial pathogen, is associated with foodborne infections in humans. Listeria encounters short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) during its transit through the intestine but its metabolic responses to SCFAs are not fully understood. To determine how Listeria metabolism is affected by SCFAs, I performed basic microbiology assays, including monitoring optical density, determining acetoin production, and measuring culture pH levels. I also performed preliminary 13C-NMR assays to provide a more in-depth look into carbon metabolism in SCFA-treated Listeria. I found that propionate-supplemented Listeria produced significantly more acetoin compared to no supplemented controls. Because acetoin is a product of central …
The Prickly Problem Of Pears Potential Effects Of Native Orthopteran Herbivory On An Invasive Woody Plant, Kaitlin Gawkins
The Prickly Problem Of Pears Potential Effects Of Native Orthopteran Herbivory On An Invasive Woody Plant, Kaitlin Gawkins
Honors Theses
Across the United States, land managers are struggling to cope with a relatively new invasive species, Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana). Callery pear is currently one of the most important invasive species threatening prairies and early successional habitats in Ohio and the Midwest, and yet, no viable means of control exists for this species. This species is relatively resistant to herbicides and resilient against prescribed cutting and burning. One potential management of invasive species is biocontrol, or the intentional introduction of natural enemies to control the growth and propagation of a target organism. Previous experiments with Callery Pear have examined herbivory …
Global And Gene-Specific Regulation In Freeze-Tolerant Anuran Dryophytes Chrysoscelis, Elizabeth Claire Sinnathamby
Global And Gene-Specific Regulation In Freeze-Tolerant Anuran Dryophytes Chrysoscelis, Elizabeth Claire Sinnathamby
Honors Theses
Cope’s Gray Treefrog, Dryophytes chysoscelis, seasonally tolerates freezing. During this process, it is subject to cellular stress from factors such as metabolic starvation, DNA damage, toxin accumulation (from cellular metabolism), and the risk of protein misfolding. Preliminary transcriptome data indicates that many mRNA transcripts vary in relative abundance within hepatocytes of D. chrysoscelis during discrete periods of warm acclimation, cold acclimation, freezing, and thawing. Physiological changes that occur in this frog are likely the result of epigenetic regulation—an alteration in gene expression that does not influence DNA sequence. This modification in gene expression can be observed by the subsequent change …
Drosophila Tumor Mosaic Models To Study Intercellular Interaction, Minh T.D. Ho
Drosophila Tumor Mosaic Models To Study Intercellular Interaction, Minh T.D. Ho
Honors Theses
Drosophila is a powerful genetic model system to study cancer. In patients, a small number of mutations accumulate in cells that change their growth characteristics and eventually lead to the formation of tumors. These tumors are clonal in origin, meaning the cancer arose from the proliferation of a single rogue cell. We have developed similar "clonal" cancer models in the Drosophila brain to study how tumor cells interact among each other and with their neighbors. To study such interactions, we need to tag the tumor cells and their neighboring cells. Such differentially marked clone-pairs or ‘twin-spots’ are ideal for genetic …
Cortisol Regulation Of Aquaglyceroporin Hc-3 Protein Expression In The Erythrocytes Of The Freeze Tolerant Tree Frog Dryophytes Chrysoscelis, Maria P. Labello
Cortisol Regulation Of Aquaglyceroporin Hc-3 Protein Expression In The Erythrocytes Of The Freeze Tolerant Tree Frog Dryophytes Chrysoscelis, Maria P. Labello
Honors Theses
Dryophytes chrysoscelis, commonly known as Cope’s gray treefrog, is a freeze tolerant anuran that freezes up to 65% of extracellular fluid during winter to survive. Glycerol is presumably used as a cryoprotectant during a period of cold-acclimation to protect cells from permanent damage due to hypoosmotic stress upon freezing and thawing. The passage of glycerol and water during cold-acclimation is mediated through aquaglyceroporin HC-3 in the nucleated erythrocytes (RBCs) of D. chrysoscelis. This thesis analyzes the mechanisms in which D. chrysoscelis prepares for cold-acclimation and glycerol synthesis. Cortisol is a stress hormone known to respond to osmolarity and metabolic challenges …