Biology Commons^™

Persistent Borrelia Infection In Patients With Ongoing Symptoms Of Lyme Disease, Marianne J. Middelveen, Eva Sapi, Jennie Burke, Katherine Filush, Agustin Franco, Melissa Fesler, Raphael B. Stricker

Biology and Environmental Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: Lyme disease is a tickborne illness that generates controversy among medical providers and researchers. One of the key topics of debate is the existence of persistent infection with the Lyme spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, in patients who have been treated with recommended doses of antibiotics yet remain symptomatic. Persistent spirochetal infection despite antibiotic therapy has recently been demonstrated in non-human primates. We present evidence of persistent Borrelia infection despite antibiotic therapy in patients with ongoing Lyme disease symptoms. Methods: In this pilot study, culture of body fluids and tissues was performed in a randomly selected group of 12 patients with …

Seasonal Shifts In C3 And C4 Resource Use By A Small Mammal Community Under Changing Precipitation Regimes, Alaina D. Pershall

Biology ETDs

In light of climate change and projections of increasing temperatures and aridity in the North American southwest, it is essential to understand how consumer populations will respond to changes in the resource landscape. Rainfall varies in timing and intensity and therefore the timing, proportion, phenology, and abundance of C₃ and C₄ plant resources vary seasonally and annually. Here we examine rodent resource use in the Chihuahuan desert and focus on two distinct precipitation pulses in this system, where spring C₃ plants increase production in response to winter rains and C₄ plants respond to summer monsoons. We …

Observations On The Reproductive Biology Of The Darter Fish Etheostoma Kennicotti In Response To Gill Parasite Infections, Zeina Sleiman, Corinne Peacher, Joy Garcia

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Cytotoxicity Of Plant Extracts On Mcf-7 And Hs578t Breast Cell Lines, Brianne Brazell

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

The Successful Exploitation Of Urban Environments By The Golden Silk Spider, Nephila Clavipes (Araneae, Nephilidae), Jake Ripp, Omar T. Eldakar, Andrew C. Gallup, Paul T. Arena

Biology Faculty Articles

Urbanization typically leads to habitat destruction producing negative effects for native species, but some species may exploit these settings. This concept was investigated in the golden silk spider (Nephila clavipes), a large, formidable spider that commonly inhabits forest edges as well as open spaces in urban environments throughout its vast geographic range. Here, we compared variation of N. clavipes success as measured by body size, web size and web positioning along an urban–rural gradient in southern Florida. From morphological measurements collected in the field, urban spiders had 60% longer legs and 35% longer bodies than both park and …

Bioaccumulation Of Zinc In Bermuda Grass (Cynodon Dactylon), Drew Fisher, H. Marie Surratt, Louise Gebauer, Andrew Palaski

Featured Research

Phytoremediation is the plant based process to remove toxins such as heavy metals from the soil. In this experiment, we hypothesized Bermuda grass (Cyndon dactylon) will absorb a detectable level of zinc, a nontoxic metal, from the soil. We grew two separate groups of grass: the control and the experimental, which was watered with zinc acetate. Neither of the groups produced enough yield within the weeks given to the experiment, but if it went according to plan, we would have used flame atomic absorption spectroscopy to evaluate the relative concentrations of zinc. Significant uptake of zinc could reveal a possible …

Using D13c, D15n, And D2h To Better Understand The Ecology Of Green Sea Turtles, Laura Pagès Barceló

Biology ETDs

Many green sea turtle populations are slowly recuperating from a recent severe decline due to anthropogenic factors including human consumption and mortality related to the fishing industry. Despite being charismatic animals that have been extensively studied, there is still a limited understanding of their feeding strategies and diet plasticity. This research explores the use of hydrogen isotopes in marine ecosystems to better understand green sea turtle ecology. This study is presented in two chapters: I first examined the trophic discrimination factor (D²H_NET) for hydrogen isotope (d²H) as a tool to correct hydrogen isotope data …

Genomic Analysis Of The Novel Mycobacteriophage Bromden, Kaitlyn Lein, Kimberly Paquette, Timbree Pederson, Matthew Switalski, Carter Smiley, Emma Oonk, Darby Baird, Brooke Van Wyk, Lilly Hemesath, Abigail Meder, Madelyn Orndorff, Megan Grimes

17th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Performance (2018)

Twenty new mycobacteriophages were isolated from soil samples collected around the state of Michigan and other parts of the United States. All phages were capable of infecting Mycobacterium smegmatis and were isolated through either enrichment or direct plating at 32℃. A variety of plaque morphologies were produced based on size, shape, and clarity; both lytic and temperate phages are represented in this collection. The mycobacteriophage, Bromden, was chosen as one of two phages for complete genome sequencing and comparative genomic analyses. The predominant plaque produced by Bromden after 48 hours at 32℃ is 0.5 mm in diameter, circular, and clear. …

A Comparison Of Electron Transport Rate, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Light-Adapted Fluorescence, And Dark-Adapted Fluorescence Between Stipa Pulchra And Pennisetium Setaceum, Sydney Adams, Brandon Chuck, Agatha Heng, Amelia Vento, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

The purpose of this investigation was to provide an explanation into how the invasive species Pennisetium setaceum, Fountain Grass, is able to outcompete the native California grassland species Stipa pulchra, Purple Needle Grass. We used a light adapted and a dark adapted fluorometer to measure the photosynthetic radiation (PAR), leaf temperature, alpha (α), light adapted fluorescence (Fv’/Fm’), dark adapted fluorescence (Fv/Fm), and the electron transport rate (ETR) on young Fountain Grass and Purple Needlegrass. After collecting and analyzing the data, we concluded that the dark adapted fluorescence (Fv/Fm) was the only statistically significant measurement where the Fv/Fm of S. pulchra …

Testing Viability Of Oligonucleotide Primers On Microsatellite Markers Amplified By Polymerase Chain Reaction On Dermacentor Variabilis Samples From The Bulloch County Region Of Georgia, Usa, Danielle Souza

Honors College Theses

Dermacentor variabilis, more commonly known as the wood tick, or the American dog tick, can be found all over North America. D. variabilis is a common tick in Bulloch county, Georgia, USA, and little is known about the population structure of this population of the species. Microsatellite markers are able to locate sections of the genome and can aid in estimating relatedness among individuals in a population. Six different oligonucleotide primer pairs were published for D. variabilis, however, published and non-published works indicated that not all of those primer pairs were working equally well for PCR. This study is …

An African Herbal Extract Affects Immune Response In Type 1 Diabetic Mouse Model, Kholood Abuhadid, Kate Kopeck, Marina Cetkovic-Cvlje

Huskies Showcase

Award for "Best Our Husky Compact Reflection: Think Creatively and Critically".

Award for "Best Poster Presentation".

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that results from the attack of auto-reactive lymphocytes (T-cells) on pancreatic beta cells causing hyperglycemia. Garcinia kola (GK), an African herb, is believed to have anti-inflammatory abilities. We hypothesized that GK extract (GKE) will reduce the activity of pathogenic T-cells, thus having a potential for prevention of T1D in a T1D mouse model. C5BL/6 mice were treated daily by GKE (100 mg/kg) added to their drinking water from 7 to 13 weeks of age, and …

Herbal Remedies And Type 1 Diabetes--A Cautionary Tale, Shana Rogan, Marina Cetkovic-Cvlje

Huskies Showcase

Award for "Best Graduate Oral Presentation".

Abstract

Garcinia kola (GKE) is a native tree in West and Central Africa. People there consume its seeds on a regular basis for cultural or medicinal purposes. When it comes to consuming herbal extracts as treatment alternatives, the supposed health claims are often backed with anecdotal evidence told by older relatives or naturopathic health providers. The initial reports that GKE has anti-diabetic potential were the driving force for creating my experimental design. I did a literature search to explore previously performed research in this area, which resulted in an initial eight manuscripts. My search …

Effects Of Water Contaminants On The Immune System Of The Fathead Minnow, Jacob B. Walling, Marina Cetkovic-Cvlje

Huskies Showcase

Award for "Best Undergraduate Oral Presentation".

Abstract

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including personal care products, pharmaceuticals, industrial agents and agricultural runoff, have shown adverse effects on aquatic survival species. Numerous CECs have potentially harmful effects, but have not been well studied. One of the most alarming studies was the treatment of an entire lake with a synthetic estrogen, found in birth control pills, which showed a near extinction of the fathead minnow population. My study looks at the potential effects of CECs on the immune system of fathead minnow. This study does not only show the potentially hazardous effects …

A Possible Solution To Decrease Excessive Single Use Bag Waste., Michelle K. Tryba, Mark Minger

Huskies Showcase

Award for "Best Our Husky Compact Reflection: Act with Personal Integrity and Civic Responsibility".

Abstract

My project requires people to reflect on their plastic/paper bag usage and how that affects their surroundings. Additionally, this may lead to a person becoming more self-aware on their waste production and help them to think of responsible ways to decrease wastefulness, creating a sense of empowerment. Requiring people to pay for each plastic or paper bag they use is one incentive to decrease or cease their usage. People will have to reason with themselves if it is worth paying the fee or if they …

Herbal Remedies And Type 1 Diabetes--A Cautionary Tale [Three Minute Thesis], Shana Rogan, Marina Cetkovic-Cvlje

Huskies Showcase

Award for "Best Three Minute Thesis".

Abstract

Garcinia kola (GKE) is a native tree in West and Central Africa. People there consume its seeds on a regular basis for cultural or medicinal purposes. When it comes to consuming herbal extracts as treatment alternatives, the supposed health claims are often backed with anecdotal evidence told by older relatives or naturopathic health providers. The initial reports that GKE has anti-diabetic potential were the driving force for creating my experimental design. I did a literature search to explore previously performed research in this area, which resulted in an initial eight manuscripts. My search …

Assessment Of Innate Immunity Of Fathead Minnow Acutely Exposed To Individual And Complex Mixtures Of Contaminants Of Emerging Concern, Joshua Gordon, Marina Cetkovic-Cvlje

Huskies Showcase

Award for "Runner-Up Graduate Oral Presentation".

Abstract

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) have shown adverse effects on aquatic survival species, but little research has been done on the potentially harmful impact of CECs individually or combined. Anecdotal evidence and newspaper articles have reported mass extinctions of fish due to CECs in the water. This study looks at the potential effects of CECs on the immune system of fathead minnow. This study does not only show the potentially hazardous effects CECs have on one aquatic species, but may give an insight on how some of these chemicals may affect other species, …

2018 Senior Research Symposium, Otterbein University Department Of Biology & Earth Science

Biology and Earth Science Student Scholarship

This is the schedule for the 2018 Senior Research Symposium and the abstracts from each presentation.

High Male Sexual Investment As A Driver Of Extinction In Fossil Ostracods, Maria João Fernandes Martins, T. Markham Puckett, Rowan Lockwood, John P. Swaddle, Gene Hunt

Faculty Publications

Sexual selection favours traits that confer advantages in the competition for mates. In many cases, such traits are costly to produce and maintain, because the costs help to enforce the honesty of these signals and cues. Some evolutionary models predict that sexual selection also produces costs at the population level, which could limit the ability of populations to adapt to changing conditions and thus increase the risk of extinction. Other models, however, suggest that sexual selection should increase rates of adaptation and enhance the removal of deleterious mutations, thus protecting populations against extinction. Resolving the conflict between these models is …

A Comparison Of Electron Transport Rate, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Light-Adapted Fluorescence, And Dark-Adapted Fluorescence Between Stipa Pulchra And Pennisetium Setaceum, Sydney Adams, Brandon Chuck, Agatha Heng, Amelia Vento, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

The purpose of this investigation was to provide an explanation into how the invasive species Pennisetium setaceum, Fountain Grass, is able to outcompete the native California grassland species Stipa pulchra, Purple Needle Grass. We used a light adapted and a dark adapted fluorometer to measure the photosynthetic radiation (PAR), leaf temperature, alpha (α), light adapted fluorescence (Fv’/Fm’), dark adapted fluorescence (Fv/Fm), and the electron transport rate (ETR) on young Fountain Grass and Purple Needlegrass. After collecting and analyzing the data, we concluded that the dark adapted fluorescence (Fv/Fm) was the only statistically significant measurement where the Fv/Fm of S. pulchra …

A Comparison Of Fluorescence And Etr Between Malosma Laurina And Rhus Integrifolia, Talia Danze, Jennifer Ipe, Viridiana Hernandez-Lopez, Stephen D. Davis, Talia Cao

Featured Research

Malosma laurina and Rhus integrifolia are both native species to the Santa Monica Mountains and belong to the same family, Anacardiaceae. The two natives have lived alongside each other but in recent years M. laurina has been heavily affected by the prolonged drought. The Malosma laurina population in the Santa Monica Mountains has withstood wildfires and droughts, and has remained relatively stable and healthy up until recently. A recent Pepperdine graduate published her findings explaining the high levels of dieback in Malosma laurina and attributed it to the fungus, B. dothidea. We hypothesized that Rhus integrifolia would have higher fluorescence …