Life Sciences Commons^™

Ecological Interactions Of Large Mammals In Luangwa, Zambia, Jahzara Osborne, Amelia Villaseñor

2025 Research Poster Competition

"The connection between mammalian behavior in national parks and human-driven environmental change is tenuous. National parks are often considered the last vestiges of natural space, yet they are created and maintained by humans. South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) within the southern East African Rift is a microcosm of this global conundrum and is also a region where stable isotope data is sparce. Understanding the mammalian diets of mammals in the SLNP via carbon and oxygen stable isotopes in teeth will provide a means of understanding variation in one aspect of mammal behavior that may be affected by changing animal-human relationships. …

Glucose Limitation And The Second Glycolysis Peak In Stimulated Macrophages, Melih Karabacak

2025 Research Poster Competition

Previous studies have shown that individuals exposed to fever temperatures are much more likely to combat infections compared to those who are at normal body temperatures. However, in recent years, achieving fever responses has gotten much more difficult. Fortunately, in Dr. Durdik’s lab, it has been seen that effective fever temperatures can be generated artificially. The primary focus of the Durdik lab is an understudied field: the relationship between macrophage activity and fever temperatures. One key piece of information discovered from this research is the pattern of macrophages to go through different levels of glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration, with the …

Effect Of Vibration Isolation During Transportation On Beef Sirloin Subprimal And Steak Quality, Kylie Nevada Krueger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of vibration during transportation on beef sirloin water holding capacity, color, and tenderness. USDA Choice center-cut sirloin top butts (n = 45 cases) were collected at a commercial processing facility and randomly allocated to one of three treatments 1) regular pallet driven 241 km (Reg241), 2) regular pallet driven 644 km (Reg644), and 3) vibration isolation pallet driven 644 km (Iso644). All subprimals were transported at -2.2 °C (d0) and stored for 10 days to mimic industry practices for product aging. Following storage (d11), one subprimal per case was evaluated …

Examining The Biotic And Abiotic Degradation Of Simple Phenols, Madeline Gruenberg

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Plant secondary metabolites are a diverse class of compounds that encompass small phenols to large polymeric structures such as tannins. Smaller compounds such as phenolic acids can serve as substrates for soil microbes and enzymes. We monitored the degradation of three small phenols pyrogallol, gallic acid, and benzoic acid in biotic and abiotic conditions. They were chosen to observe the impacts of specific functional groups on both degradation processes and act as model compounds to mimic larger tannin reactivity. Both abiotic and biotic degradation of pyrogallol resulted in the formation of a stable quinone, while abiotic degradation of gallic acid …

The Circadian Modulating Drug Sr8278 Slows Cell Proliferation Independent Of Rev-Erbs, Ushaswini Atluri

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The small molecule compound SR8278 was initially identified as an antagonist of the REV-ERB proteins, which play an important role in regulating circadian rhythms. Furthermore, the use of SR8278 in preclinical models has been demonstrated to ameliorate a variety of different pathologies. Using RNA-seq analysis of HaCaT keratinocytes treated with SR8278, our laboratory found that SR8278 induces a down regulation of genes involved in the G1/S phase transition of the cell cycle and an up regulation of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. RT-qPCR and western blot analyses confirmed that SR8278 treatment led to lower expression of several factors involved in …

The Role Of Rad51 And Its Paralogs In Dna Damage Response In Quiescent Cells Exposed To Solar Simulating Uv Radiation, Angitha Radhakrishnan Nair

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Rad51, and its five paralog proteins Rad51B, Rad51C, Rad51D, XRCC2, and XRCC3, are crucial in homologous recombination (HR) repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Prior studies have extensively shown the roles of Rad51 in the S/G2 phase, but its role in the G0/G1 phase is still unclear. Our lab focuses on studying the role of Rad51 and its paralogs in quiescent cells. RT-qPCR and western blots helped us understand the expression of Rad51 paralogs in proliferating and quiescent keratinocyte cells. Using a pharmacological inhibitor of Rad51, we found that Rad51 promotes quiescent cell survival after exposure to UV radiation. Like Rad51, …

Determinants Of Bat Activity And Habitat-Use At Runkle Woods And Huffman Metropark, Ohio, Heidi E. Orloff

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North American bats are an excellent control of pests as most are insectivorous feeders. They face numerous threats including habitat loss, anthropogenic development, disease (White-nose Syndrome), and potentially artificial light at night (ALAN). It is important to track species populations and habitat-use to determine the magnitude of effects from these threats. Acoustic monitoring has proven a useful and non-invasive method for tracking bat populations. In my research, I conducted stationary acoustic surveys of bat activity at Wright State University’s Runkle Woods and nearby Huffman MetroPark during the summers of 2023 and 2024. I recorded bat calls in three different habitats …

Comparative Impact Of Canagliflozin Versus Pioglitazone On Biomarkers Of Diabetic Kidney Disease In Db/Db Mice, Siri Chandana Minikuri

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Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD), primarily through dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), characterized by elevated Ang II which promotes vasoconstriction, oxidative stress, and renal fibrosis, along with increased urinary shedding of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which can exacerbate the imbalance of RAS and tubular injury. Previous studies demonstrated that rosiglitazone, a PPAR-γ agonist, attenuated hyperglycemia, glycosuria, albuminuria, and decreased urinary ACE2 shedding in db/db mice, suggesting a RAS-mediated renoprotective mechanism. Building on this evidence, the current study compared the renal effects of pioglitazone (a PPAR-γ agonist) and canagliflozin (an SGLT2 inhibitor) in …

The Role Of Fbxl16 In Regulating Erk3 Stability And Cell Migration, Seth Charles Murdock

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Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 3 (ERK3) is a member of the atypical mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family. While ERK3’s role in promoting cell migration and invasion in multiple types of cancer has been well-documented, its activation and regulation remain poorly understood. Unlike other typical MAPK proteins, whose activation is regulated via the phosphorylation of an upstream kinase, ERK3 is regulated through its abundance, as it is constitutively phosphorylated when present in the cell. While USP20 has been established as a deubiquitinating protein that stabilizes ERK3 by preventing its degradation, both TRIM21 and FBXW7 have been identified as E3 ligases that target …

The Role Of Base Excision Repair In Dna Damage Responses In Human Keratinocytes Exposed To Solar Simulating Uv Radiation, Mobolaji Eniola Alabi

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Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the most prominent source of exogenous UV damage to DNA. UV directly causes damage by forming UV photoproducts, including pyrimidine-pyrimidone (6-4) photoproducts ((6-4) PPs), which significantly distort the helical structure of DNA and interfere with transcription and replication processes. The only known repair process of these photoproducts in human cells is nucleotide excision repair (NER). However, a recent study reported an APE1-dependent base excision repair (BER) of a subset of UV photoproducts. The study showed that deletion or inhibition of APE1, PARP1, NTH1, XRCC1, and FEN1 led to a 2-fold increase in sensitivity …

Characterization Of Atr Kinase Function In Quiescent Keratinocytes Exposed To Solar Simulating Uv Radiation, Mohamed Sameer Cholakkathody

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This study examines the role of Ataxia Telangiectasia and Rad3-related kinase in quiescent human keratinocytes exposed to solar-simulated UV radiation (SSL). The ATR inhibitor VE-822 did not significantly affect cell viability in the absence of UV exposure, showing that ATR kinase activity is not essential for quiescent cell survival in the absence of additional genotoxic stress. After SSL exposure, ATR inhibition did not impact acute cell viability but reduced the cells’ long-term ability to proliferate. Western blot analysis demonstrated that VE-822 potently suppressed phosphorylation of ATR target proteins KAP1 and CHK2 in a dose-dependent manner after SSL exposure, confirming strong …

Impacts Of Salinity And Drought On Growth And Carbon Sequestration In Acorus Americanus And Carex Scoparia, Eleora L. Mantle

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From the late 18th century until the 1980s, Ohio lost close to 90% of its wetlands. Despite increased efforts to maintain what is left, many freshwater marshes are still being degraded due to pollutants, such as road salt, and the impacts of climate change. This study sought to understand how both road salt and drought could impact the health and carbon sequestration of two wetland species, Acorus americana and Carex scoparia, to better understand tolerance. To do this, both species were separated into groups and subjected to varying salt concentrations and drought conditions. After 9 weeks of treatment, plants were …

Distinct Forms Of Myotonia In Pharmacologic And Genetic Mouse Models At Room And Body Temperature, Rola Benammar

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Myotonia congenita (MC) is a genetic disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the ClC-1 chloride channel, leading to muscle hyperexcitability and symptoms of transient stiffness and weakness. Work in hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HKPP), a disorder with overlapping clinical features, has shown that myotonia can arise from two distinct mechanisms: a sustained form and a transient post-stimulus form, which have opposite temperature dependence. In HKPP, sustained myotonia worsens at elevated temperatures, whereas transient myotonia is exacerbated by cooling. This study tested whether these two mechanisms also contribute to myotonia in MC. Ex vivo force recordings were performed in extensor digitorum longus …

Determining The Genetic Population Structure Of The Endangered Scirpus Ancistrochaetus Using Genomic Sequences, Kayci Johnson

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Wetlands are biodiverse ecosystems across the world, and they are being lost at alarming rates due to fragmentation and anthropogenic stressors. Many wetland plants are endangered or threatened due to wetland decreasing numbers. Scirpus ancistrochaetus is an endangered wetland species in the northeastern United States. It is most commonly found in lowlands and forested ecosystems. In this study, I used 105 polymorphic loci obtained from double-digest restriction site associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq), a conservation genetics tool, to determine conservation units, gene flow, kinship, and isolation-by-distance patterns. Discrete populations were identified in New England and the southern part of the species’ …

Screening Of Suppressor Mutants That Confer The Suc22 S239f Mutant Cells Resistance To Hydroxyurea, An Inhibitor Of Ribonucleotide Reductase, Sairam Pasam

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Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is a key enzyme for the biosynthesis of dNTPs for DNA replication and repair. It is composed of a large subunit, Cdc22, and a small subunit, Suc22, in the fission yeast S. pombe. We have recently reported a suc22-S239F mutation in the small subunit of RNR, causing replication stress and hypersensitivity to hydroxyurea (HU), an inhibitor of RNR. Interestingly, this mutation does not sensitize the cell to acute treatment with HU, which mainly generates replication stress, suggesting that the mechanism of HU sensitivity in the suc22-S239F mutant remains to be fully understood. To better understand the cell-killing …

Benthic Algal Biomass And Productivity Across Depth Gradients In Lakes Michigan And Erie, Ahmed Ogidan

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Benthic primary production is poorly quantified in the Laurentian Great Lakes relative to phytoplankton-based production. We measured benthic chlorophyll and benthic primary productivity on soft sediments and Dreissena shells along depth gradients in Lakes Erie (2024) and Michigan (2025) during EPA Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative cruises. We measured benthic chlorophyll fluorometrically and estimated benthic primary productivity using non-invasive oxygen exchange incubations. We used PAM fluorometry to characterize photosynthetic-irradiance relationships on mussel shells and sediments in Lake Michigan. In Lake Erie, sediment chlorophyll ranged from 20 to 150 mg m⁻², with highest values in the central basin. In Lake Michigan, …

Characterization Of An Unknown Mutant C3 With A High Level Of Endogenous Replication Stress In Fission Yeast, Neha Singh

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To maintain genome stability, which is essential for cell proliferation and survival, cells rely on cell cycle checkpoint pathways to deal with perturbed DNA replication or replication stress. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe serves as a powerful model organism for studying checkpoint mechanisms because its fundamental cellular processes are highly conserved in higher eukaryotes. During a genetic screening for mutants affecting genome integrity, we identified a novel mutant called C3 that exhibits a unique phenotype. Unlike wild-type cells, where phosphorylation of the checkpoint mediator Mrc1 is typically observed only in response to exogenously induced replication stress, such as the treatment …

Characterizing The Microvesicle Particles From Keratinocytes Stimulated With Multiple Stressors, Muslima Begum

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Many types of environmental and physical stressors act upon the skin and can initiate inflammation, systemic effects, and even damage to internal organs. Recent studies have identified that these harmful events are driven by the release of subcellular microvesicle particles (MVPs), an inflammatory process promoted by the glycerophosphocholines-derived lipid mediator, Platelet-activating Factor (PAF). These harmful effects are driven by the release of MVPs, a process promoted by the inflammatory lipid mediator, PAF. We have previously demonstrated that exposure of human HaCaT keratinocyte and mouse skin to stressors such as thermal burn injury, ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, and topical photodynamic therapy …

Impact Of Tgf-Β And Twist1 On Motility And Proliferation In Estradiol-Treated Mcf-7 Tamr Cells In-Vitro, Thomas L. Scott Iii

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Breast cancer is a highly malignant cancer and is known to be grouped into three main types: adenocarcinoma, invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and ductal carcinoma. Breast cancer commonly arises as adenocarcinoma, located in the milk ducts, and becomes IDC when it spreads into the surrounding tissue from the influence of cytokines and hormones. This study outlines the rate of proliferation and motility of a type of adenocarcinoma, MCF-7-TamR, to become invasive ductal carcinoma when Twist1 is downregulated and exposed to TGF- and estradiol (E2) in-vitro. We hypothesize that the downregulation of Twist1 will reduce cell adhesion and cytoskeleton proteins …

Optimization Of L-Citrulline Production In Corynebacterium Glutamicum, And The Effect Of The Human Small Intestine Environment, Simran S. Ghulldu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

L-citrulline is a crucial amino acid involved in nitric oxide production, which supports cardiovascular health, physical performance, and intestinal well-being. Nitric oxide deficiency is linked to conditions like hypertension, highlighting the need for efficient L-citrulline production. This study attempts to enhance L-citrulline synthesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum, a bacterium widely used in industrial amino acid production, as well as test a The hypothesis is that overexpressing carAB, which encodes carbamoyl phosphate synthetase, will increase carbamoyl phosphate levels and boost L-citrulline production. Two C. glutamicum strains were used: a wild type and the CRBG strain, which has mutations that promote …

Optimizing Crispri Gene Silencing Of Putative Drug Targets In Mycobacterium Abscessus, Max Ivanov

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Among nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) poses a particular threat to patients with cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to the lung damage and higher mortality rate it causes. Current treatments involve prolonged multi-antibiotic regimens that are often ineffective, highlighting the need for new drug targets.

The CRISPR Interference (CRISPRi) system uses a deactivated Cas9 protein (dCas9) to enable inducible gene silencing, offering a potential approach to identifying new targets. Genes that lead to a loss of Mab viability when silenced are considered essential, an important attribute of potential drug targets. While CRISPRi has shown …

Theoretical Analysis Of Cnns For Automatic Seizure Detection In Eeg Signals, Jackson T. Small

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Epilepsy is a common brain disorder where neurons in the brain rapidly fire, causing recurring seizures. The brain activity during a seizure can be detected by electroencephalogram (EEG) signals; however, this process is not only labor-intensive and time-consuming but is also subject to inter-rater variability, with a study showing only moderate agreement when diagnosing patients, even among experts. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are often proposed to detect seizures automatically, achieving high performance. The focus on performance comes at a cost of losing interpretability, leaving the model as effective but seen as a ’black box’. This thesis confronts the interpretability knowledge …

Elucidation Of The Post-Transcriptional Regulation And Role In Iron Homeostasis Of The Outer Membrane Vesicle Protein Ynce In Salmonella, Mira J. Schmidt

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Iron is an essential element for most bacteria as it is a crucial cofactor for enzymes involved in fundamental reactions such as DNA synthesis. Despite being the fourth most abundant element on Earth, bacteria face challenges acquiring iron under aerobic conditions due to the poor solubility of its oxidized form (Fe³⁺). To overcome this, bacteria have developed various strategies of iron acquisition, such as the production of siderophores. Siderophores are small molecules that scavenge free Fe³⁺ in iron-deprived environments. Iron acquisition is tightly regulated due to its capability of promoting hydrogen peroxide formation via the Fenton reaction. In Salmonella Typhimurium, …

Development Of A Proposed Selective Medium For The Isolation And Differentiation Of P. Sordellii, Dimyana Bottros

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Clostridium, a genus of anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria, includes clinically and ecologically significant species like Clostridium difficile and Paeniclostridium sordellii. C. difficile causes antibiotic-associated colitis, while P. sordellii is linked to fatal infections and spontaneous abortions. Recent studies found both species in marine sediments, suggesting their role in environmental and wildlife health disturbances, including the 2013 mass mortality of over 300 manatees in the Indian River Lagoon. However, isolating and differentiating P. sordellii is challenging due to the lack of selective media optimized for its growth. This thesis proposes a novel selective medium tailored to P. sordellii’s physiological …

Improvement Of Back Pain After Intraoperative Sacroiliac Injection During L5-S1 Fixation: A Randomized Controlled Retrospective Study, Mohamed Ali Abbas, Ahmed Zaghlol, Ayman M Ismail, Hamdy Nabwi, Mohamed Ismail, Ahmed Sameh Nada, Mona Mokhtar, Ahmed Shaker Elakhras

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain is a common complication following lumbar spinal fusion. The purpose of this research was to determine how effective intraoperative SIJ injection in preventing low back pain after L5-S1 fixation procedures. Methods: This randomized controlled retrospective study was performed on 70 individuals who underwent L5-S1 fixation and were classified equally into two groups: Group A intraoperative SIJ injection was performed, while Group B did not. Pain incidence, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, and failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) rates were assessed preoperatively and at 2 weeks, 1, 3, and 6 months postsurgery. Results: At 6 months, …

Study Of Prevalence Of Toxoplasmosis In Some Renal ‎Diseases In Children: Is There An Association?‎, Rowida Mokhtar Abdoullah, Sherine M. Elzeiny, Nora I. Aboulfotouh, Ayman M. Hammad

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Toxoplasmosis, a widespread protozoal disease caused by the obligatory intracellular Toxoplasma gondii (TG). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a disease characterized by progressive damage and loss in kidney functions. End stage renal disease (ESRD) is known as CKD with GFR less than 15ml/min. Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is defined as heavy proteinuria that ultimately ends in hypoalbuminemia, hyperlipidemia and generalized edema. Patients with CKD and ESRD are immune compromised so more liable to increased incidence of infections, especially opportunistic infections. Nephrotic syndrome ,90% of cases, is of unknown etiology but some papers suggest toxoplasmosis as a cause. Aim: To evaluate …

Effect Of Preoperative Stripsils Lozenges On Incidence Of Post-Extubation Sore Throat, Cough And Hoarseness After Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Procedures: A Randomized Controlled Trial., Tarek Habeeb Ramadan, Waleed M R Elsarraf, Ahmed Refaat Abourezk, Mohamed Aly Eloraby

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background Sore throats are frequently experienced by patients following upper endoscopy procedures such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Cough and hoarseness of voice are other related complications. Aim of the work The current study evaluated whether pre-procedural oral Strepsils lozenges administration could reduce sore throat incidence and severity following ERCP procedures. Methods Sixty patients posted for elective ERCP under general anesthesia (GA) with endotracheal intubation were evenly allocated in a random manner to receive Strepsils lozenges (S group) or identical-looking placebo tablets (C group) 45 minutes before the procedure. Results The Strepsils group experienced a significantly lower incidence of both …

Dexmedetomidine Versus Nalbuphine As An Adjuvant To Intrathecal Bupivacaine In Lower Extremity Surgeries, Mohamed Aly El Oraby, Amira Hafez, Hazem E Moawad, Gihan A Trabea, Maha Ahmed Abo-Zeid Salim

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Numerous medications have been added to spinal anesthetic over the years in order to speed up its onset, shorten the time until the surgical incision, increase its duration, and offer sufficient postoperative analgesia. Objective: This study suggests that dexmedetomidine is superior than nalbuphine as an adjuvant to intrathecal local anesthetic for the duration of post-operative analgesia in lower extremity orthopedic surgical procedures. Patients and Methods: 60 patients underwent orthopedic lower extremity procedures were split into one of three groups at random: Bupivacaine, Bupivacaine- Dexmedetomidine (BD), or Bupivacaine-Nalbuphine (BN). The principal outcome was the duration of post-operative analgesia. The secondary …

Bipolar Radiofrequency Ablation Of The Genicular Nerve Versus Intra-Articular Botox Injection For Knee Osteoarthritis-Related Pain: A Randomized Controlled Study, Elsayed Elemam, Samah Elkenany Gouda, Abdelrahman Mamdouh Elnaggar, Ibrahim Abdelbaser, Ahmed Refaat Abourezk

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is accompanied by considerable pain and impairment. Chronic knee OA pain and functional loss can be effectively managed with this minimally invasive method. Methods Sixty patients with persistent knee OA were evenly allocated in a random manner to receive either bipolar radiofrequency ablation of the genicular nerve (BRF) or intraarticular Botox injection. Results There was a significant decrease in the visual analog score (VAS) in the BRF group compared with the baseline score at the 4, 12, and 24-week follow-ups; however, the score significantly dropped in the Botox group only at the 4 and 12-week follow-ups …

New Modifications Of The Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (Leep) For The Management Of Cervical Lesions In The Low Resource Conditions, Amal Abdulrahman Al-Kbous, Rafik Ibrahim Barkat, Mohamed A. Elnegeri, Amany A. Makroum, Reda Abdelhadi Hemida Dr.Reda Hamida, Mohamed Elsayed Taman

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) encompasses a range of abnormal changes within the cervical squamous epithelium and is regarded as a precursor to invasive squamous cell carcinoma of cervix. Management of CIN-1 generally involves follow-up with repeat testing after one year, while CIN-2 and higher lesions require treatment aimed at complete removal of the lesion and transformation zone using ablative or excisional methods such as Loop electrosurgical excision (LEEP), or cold-knife cone biopsy. This study aimed to test applying a new modification on LEEP to facilitate its use in the management of cervical lesions in the low resource conditions regarding …