Biology Commons^™

Mrna Vaccinations For The Prevention Of Viral Infections, Isaac Underhill

Senior Honors Theses

mRNA vaccines for the prevention of infection disease have gained significant traction in the last three decades, specifically with the recent emergency approval of two COVID-19 vaccines (Oliver, Sara E et al., 2020; Rauch et al., 2018a). mRNA vaccines occupy a unique space in immunology because of their utilization of cellular mechanisms to produce viral proteins, and their simplicity and ease of manufacture (Cullis & Hope, 2017). These vaccines have shown strong humoral and cell-mediated adaptive immune responses (Rauch et al., 2018b) . In addition, side effects of the vaccines have been limited and subject response is manipulatable by varying …

1st Place Contest Entry: Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures Disorder: Treatment After The Diagnostic Odyssey, Heather Andrini, Ashley Okhovat, Sydni Au Hoy

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Heather Andrini, Ashley Okhovat, and Sydni Au Hoy's submission for the 2021 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won first place. It contains thier essay on using library resources, a summary of their research project on psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) disorder, and their works cited list.

Heather, Ashley, and Sydni are juniors at Chapman University, majoring in Biological Sciences. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Gregory Goldsmith.

Determination Of The Presence Of Rickettsia Spp. And Borrelia Spp. Carried By Tortoise Ticks From Madagascar, Anna Phan

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Ticks were removed from three species of Malagasy tortoises, Astrochelys yniphora, A. radiata, and Pyxis arachnoides (comprising two subspecies P. a. arachnoides and P. a. oblonga), between 2012 and 2015. The ticks were presumed to be from the genus Amblyomma. Ticks were morphologically identified and then checked molecularly to confirm their classification or identify any ticks that could not be morphologically identified. Molecular identification was done via end-point PCR that amplified tick cytochrome oxidase (CO1) and tick 12S rRNA genes. Ticks were screened via a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the presence of Rickettsia spp. …

Examining The Mechanistic Roles Of Integrin Alpha-6 In Cancer Metastasis., Chase T. Clark

Honors College Theses

Metastasis- the spread of cancer cells from the primary tumor to the surrounding tissues- is responsible for 90% of cancer deaths. Integrin alpha-6 (ITGA6) is a specific transmembrane cell surface protein that functions in cell surface adhesion and signaling. ITGA6 is upregulated in many types of cancers and promotes the migration and invasion of cancer cells to surrounding tissues. It is my objective to determine the mechanism through which ITGA6 facilitates the migration of cancer cells through the extracellular matrix (ECM). These experiments helped to establish the role of ITGA6 in tumor development and provide focus for possible chemotherapeutic treatment. …

The Distribution In Native Populations From Mexico And Central America Of The C677t Variant In The Mthfr Gene, Lucio A. Reyes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: To explore evolutionary hypotheses for the high frequencies of a substitution in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, in Mexican and Central American Indigenous populations.

Materials and methods: We obtained allele frequencies for the C677T variant in the MTHFR gene and ecological information for 37 indigenous samples from Mexico and Central America. We calculated Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and computed Fst statistics. We computed correlations between the samples' allele frequencies and ecological and geochemical variables.

Results: Many of the samples have extremely high frequencies of the T allele (q̄ = 0.62, median = 0.66). In this region, the frequency of the T …

Expression And Function Of Transcription Factors Foxa1, Hoxb13 And Cdx2 In Prostate Cancer, Hamsat B. Anwar

University Honors Theses

Prostate cancer (PC) is the second leading cause of death in men, affecting around 190 thousand patients in 2020 alone (National Institute of Cancer, 2020). Much of the current research focuses on treatments for advanced PC, which is problematic due to the rapid evolution of tumors and development of treatment resistance. Cancer early detection presents a better approach to control and treat patients before they acquire an incurable disease. Earlier diagnosis of patients leads to better prognosis and a more comfortable treatment process (Etzioni et al., 2003). However, we currently lack molecular markers to stratify PC during its early stages. …

Nvp-Bez235 Or Jaki Treatment Leads To Decreased Survival Of Examined Gbm And Bbc Cells, Neftali Vazquez, Alma Lopez, Victoria Cuello, Michael W. Persans, Erin Schuenzel, Wendy Innis-Whitehouse, Megan Keniry

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Cancer cells almost universally harbor constitutively active Phosphatidylinositol-3 Kinase (PI3K) Pathway ac-tivity via mutation of key signaling components and/or epigenetic mechanisms. Scores of PI3K Pathway in-hibitors are currently under investigation as putative chemotherapeutics. However, feedback and stem cell mechanisms induced by PI3K Pathway inhibition can lead to reduced treatment efficacy. To address therapeutic barriers, we examined whether JAKi would reduce stem gene expression in a setting of PI3K Pathway inhibition in order to improve treatment efficacy. We targeted the PI3K Pathway with NVP-BEZ235 (dual PI3K and mTOR inhibitor) in combination with the Janus Kinase inhibitor JAKi in glioblastoma (GBM) and …

Cell Cycle Progression Effects Of Albumin, Sharmeen Uddin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Progression through G₁ phase of the cell cycle is controlled largely by growth factors in early G₁ and by nutrients in late G₁ indicating sufficient raw material for cell division. We previously mapped a late G₁ cell cycle checkpoint for lipids upstream from a mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)-mediated checkpoint and downstream from a mid-G₁ checkpoint known as the Restriction point. We therefore investigated a role for lipids in progression through late G₁ into S-phase. Quiescent BJ-hTERT human fibroblasts primed back into G1 with FBS treatment, were treated with a mixture of …

Molecular Characterization Of A Marine Turtle Tumor Epizootic, Profiling External, Internal And Postsurgical Regrowth Tumors, Kelsey Yetsko, Jessica A. Farrell, Nicholas B. Blackburn, Liam Whitmore, Maximilian R. Stammnitz, Jenny Whilde, Catherine B. Eastman, Devon Rollinson Ramia, Ana C. Leandro

School of Medicine Publications

Sea turtle populations are under threat from an epizootic tumor disease (animal epidemic) known as fibropapillomatosis. Fibropapillomatosis continues to spread geographically, with prevalence of the disease also growing at many longer-affected sites globally. However, we do not yet understand the precise environmental, mutational and viral events driving fibropapillomatosis tumor formation and progression.

Here we perform transcriptomic and immunohistochemical profiling of five fibropapillomatosis tumor types: external new, established and postsurgical regrowth tumors, and internal lung and kidney tumors. We reveal that internal tumors are molecularly distinct from the more common external tumors. However, they have a small number of conserved potentially …

Functional Influence Of 14-3-3 (Ywha) Proteins In Mammals, Elizabeth Barley, Santanu De

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

The 14-3-3 (YWHA) proteins are homologous, ubiquitous, and conserved in most organisms ranging from plants to animals and play important roles in regulating key cellular events such as cell signaling, development, apoptosis, etc. These proteins consist of seven isoforms in mammals, termed under Greek alphabetization: beta (β), gamma (γ), epsilon (ε), eta (η), tau/theta (τ), sigma (σ), and zeta (ζ). Each of these isoforms can interact with a plethora of binding partners and has been shown to serve a distinct role in molecular crosstalk, biological processes, and disease susceptibility. Protein 14-3-3 isoforms are scaffolding proteins capable of forming homodimers and …

The Effect Of Barometric Pressure, Temperature, And Precipitation On Preterm Labor In Expecting Women In South Carolina, Allison K. Fletcher

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Each year, approximately 9.9% of infants in the United States are born prematurely at less than 37 weeks of gestation with unidentified causes. From 2014 to 2016, the total preterm birth rate rose 3%, and late preterm birth rates rose almost 4%. One source of preterm labor that has been examined in recent years is its potential correlation with meteorological phenomena, including barometric pressure, temperature, and precipitation. In September of 2019, birth data recording 322 deliveries from two South Carolina hospitals was collected along with weather data on the given dates. The changes in temperature, barometric pressure, and precipitation for …

The Effect Of Alcalase Concentration On The Proteins From The Shells Of Litopenaeus Setiferus (White Shrimp), Liam T. Quan

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Chitin is a naturally abundant polymer that also happens to be biodegradable. Chitin can be used in a variety of different products such as biodegradable plastics, papers, medical products, foods, and medical treatments. To extract chitin, shells must be demineralized and deproteinized. The goal of this experiment was to examine the effect of the protease Alcalase in the deproteinization of litopenaeus setiferus shells. The hypothesis was that if the concentration of Alcalase increased, then the absorbance of proteins in the spectrophotometer reading would increase. The null hypothesis was that if the concentration increased there would be no change in absorption. …

Assessing Intervals Of Epigallocatechin Gallate (Egcg) And Cannabidiol (Cbd) On Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Cell Reproduction As A Possible Application On Cancer Cell Proliferation, Spandana Anchoori

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Improved De Novo Alignment Of A Girardia Dorotocephala Ma-C2 (2n = 24) Transcriptome, Labib Rouhana, J F. Ryan, Eugene M. P. Almazan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Improved De novo alignment of a Girardia dorotocephala MA-C2 (2n = 24) transcriptome.

Propranolol Sensitizes Vascular Sarcoma Cells To Doxorubicin By Altering Lysosomal Drug Sequestration And Drug Efflux, Jhuma Saha, Jong Hyuk Kim, Clarissa N. Amaya, Caleb M. Witcher, Ali Khammanivong, Derek M. Korpela, David R. Brown, Josephine Taylor, Brad A. Bryan, Erin B. Dickerson

Faculty Publications

Angiosarcoma is a rare cancer of blood vessel–forming cells with a high patient mortality and few treatment options. Although chemotherapy often produces initial clinical responses, outcomes remain poor, largely due to the development of drug resistance. We previously identified a subset of doxorubicin-resistant cells in human angiosarcoma and canine hemangiosarcoma cell lines that exhibit high lysosomal accumulation of doxorubicin. Hydrophobic, weak base chemotherapeutics, like doxorubicin, are known to sequester within lysosomes, promoting resistance by limiting drug accessibility to cellular targets. Drug synergy between the beta adrenergic receptor (β-AR) antagonist, propranolol, and multiple chemotherapeutics has been documented in vitro, and …

The Effect Of Age On Neurological Inflammation To Acute Sleep Fragmentation In Mice, Molly Taylor

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Obstructive sleep apnea is identified by recurring events of airway collapse during sleep, intermittent hypoxia, and perturbations in sleep continuity, known as sleep fragmentation. There is evidence to suggest that elderly patients are more at risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea. The purpose of this study was to assess whether age affects neurological inflammatory responses to acute sleep fragmentation. This assessment was made by subjecting young (4-5 months old) and old (10-11 months old) male C57BL/6j mice to automated sleep fragmentation, as well as having mice in both age categories as a control with no sleep fragmentation, for twenty-four hours. …

Crippling Rapid Evolution Of Metastasis And Drug Resistance In A549 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells With The Clinically Relevant Hsp90 Inhibitor Auy922, Nickolas Anthony Bacon

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The ability for species to evolve new features in response to changing circumstances in order to survive and propagate is a ubiquitous observation on both the macroscopic and microscopic levels of living systems. It should be no surprise, then, that diseases such as cancer utilize their own forms of adaptation to perpetuate themselves when exposed to external threats. Indeed, concepts drawn from Darwinian evolution are now widely accepted to help explain certain aspects of carcinogenesis and malignant progression, the sum of which have come to be known as the theory of tumor evolution. Since metastasis and drug resistance are features …

Occurrence Of Tick-Borne Diseases And Parasites Of American Black Bears In Lakewood And Hiles, Wisconsin, Daniela Mathieu

Undergraduate Honors College Theses 2016-

We conducted a study of 159 American Black Bears (Ursus Americanus) to establish the occurrence rates of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis as well as the presence of their vectors Dermacentor variabilis and Rhipicephalus sanguineus. There are many factors that influence the prevalence of not only the ticks, but tick-borne diseases as well including seasonal and environmental changes, interactions between humans and their domestic animals, as well as changes observed in the tick and host species themselves. We studied the effects of sex, location, and the presence of fecal parasites based on the tick …

Incorporation Of Feeding Functional Group Information Informs Explanatory Patterns Of Long-Term Population Changes In Fish Assemblages, Jason C. Doll, Stephen J. Jacquemin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate long term trends of fish taxa in southern Lake Michigan while incorporating their functional roles to improve our understanding of ecosystem level changes that have occurred in the system over time. The approach used here highlighted the ease of incorporating ecological mechanisms into population models so researchers can take full advantage of available long-term ecosystem information. Long term studies of fish assemblages can be used to inform changes in community structure resulting from perturbations to aquatic systems and understanding these changes in fish assemblages can be better contextualized by grouping species according …

The Influence Of Infant Formula On The Growth Of Commensal And Pathogenic Streptococcus Species In The Infant Oral Cavity, Geneva Waynick

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The oral microbiome is a complex community of microorganisms that can both reflect and greatly influence the health of the human host. A number of diseases are associated with dysbiotic oral microflora in infants and children, including dental (e.g. dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontal disease), and gastrointestinal diseases (e.g. pediatric appendicitis, celiac disease, and pediatric inflammatory bowel disease). A variety of factors can influence the composition of the oral microbial community in infants, including gestation length, mode of delivery, feeding method, and diet. This study focuses on the effects of diet on the growth of a commensal bacterium (Streptococcus …

Vertebrate Subfossil Localities In Taylorsville Metropark, Montgomery County, Ohio, Usa, Ryan Shell, Kristin Zimmerman, David Peterman, Charles Ciampaglio, Lauren Fuelling, Stephen J. Jacquemin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Karst features in the Silurian dolomites of Taylorsville MetroPark (Dayton Metropolitan Area, Ohio, United States) were explored from 2017 to 2018 to identify sites of paleontological interest. Initial landscape surveys recovered 124 skeletal elements (from 12 sites) that were attributed to 17 vertebrate species--including evidence of such extirpated animals as bobcats (Lynx rufus) and rattlesnakes (Crotalus sp.). Of the 12 sites, 9 sites contained remains from the historical era and 3 sites contained much older remains (n = 17) that were radiocarbon dated to approximately 1,400 years before present (YBP). Human remains at one site, butchered bones at another, and …

Evaluating Winter Malting Barley Grain Yield With Fractional Green Canopy Cover, Gregory J. Mcglinch, Stephen J. Jacquemin, Laura E. Lindsey

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Because of growth in the craft brewing industry, farmers in the eastern United States are planting winter malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to meet demands for locally sourced grain. However, given that barley is a relatively new crop in this region, basic agronomic information relating to stand assessment is needed. This is particularly relevant in this region, as climatic variability from extreme temperature fluctuations during the winter and spring can reduce a barley stand, creating the need for farmers to estimate grain yield potential. The objective of the research was to evaluate the relationship between spring stem counts, fractional …

Importance Of Fossil And Archaeological Occurrence Data For Understanding The Evolution And Distribution Of The Freshwater Drum (A. Grunniens)., Stephen J. Jacquemin, Lauren J. Fuelling, G. Stringer, A. Smith, Charles N. Ciampaglio

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Importance And Challenges Of Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms In Grand Lake St Marys, Stephen J. Jacquemin, M. Morden, C. Ewing, J. C. Doll

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Use Of Lymesim 2.0 To Assess The Potential For Single And Integrated Management Methods To Control Blacklegged Ticks (Ixodes Scapularis; Acari: Ixodidae) And Transmission Of Lyme Disease Spirochetes, Shravani Chitineni, Elizabeth R. Gleim, Holly D. Gaff

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Annual Lyme disease cases continue to rise in the U.S. making it the most reported vector-borne illness in the country. The pathogen (Borrelia burgdorferi) and primary vector (Ixodes scapularis; blacklegged tick) dynamics of Lyme disease are complicated by the multitude of vertebrate hosts and varying environmental factors, making models an ideal tool for exploring disease dynamics in a time- and cost-effective way. In the current study, LYMESIM 2.0, a mechanistic model, was used to explore the effectiveness of three commonly used tick control methods: habitat-targeted acaricide (spraying), rodent-targeted acaricide (bait boxes), and white-tailed deer targeted acaricide (4-poster …

Long Noncoding Rna Ak001796 As A Mediator Of Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition In Metastatic Breast Cancer, Sumayya Adib Alchalabi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as key molecules regulating several cellular pathways and contributing to the development and progression of different diseases including cancer. The epithelial-to- mesenchymal transition (EMT), a molecular reprogramming process that plays a critical role in cancer metastasis, involves a complex interaction between protein coding and non-coding transcripts including lncRNAs. Understanding the biological significance of those lncRNAs of relatively unknown function, may help to uncover potential therapeutic targets for the aggressive subtypes of breast and other cancers. In this study, we examined the expression profiles of more than 17,000 lncRNAs in a large set of patients’ …

Use Of Small Molecule Fanconi Anemia Pathway Inhibitors As Sensitizing Agents To Laromustine., Sam W. Marchant

Honors Theses

Laromustine is an experimental chemotherapeutic sulfonyl hydrazine prodrug shown in clinical trials to be effective against acute myeloid leukemia. The mechanism of action of laromustine involves interstrand crosslinking, via chloroethylation, and enzyme inhibition, caused by carbamoylation. The work described herein aims to investigate whether inhibition of the replication-dependent interstrand crosslink repair Fanconi Anemia pathway further sensitizes cells to laromustine. By measuring metabolic activity immediately after drug exposure, we find laromustine to be equally as cytotoxic towards Fanconi Anemia deficient and wild type cells. However, through clonogenic assays we show Fanconi Anemia mutations sensitize cells to laromustine’s anti-proliferative effect. Furthermore, we …

More Than A Myth: The Benefits Of Incorporating Holistic Healing Methods From Native American And Mexican Cultures To Approach Opioid Use Disorder (Oud) Treatment, Juliana Favela

CMC Senior Theses

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a substance use disorder that characterizes a dependence on and an addiction to opioids. Opioids attack the prefrontal cortex, the dopaminergic reward system, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis which is responsible for the body’s stress response. Opioids constantly shift one’s “set point” to the point where normal actions that cause joy and excitement no longer cause those feelings, resulting in craving and dependence. The opioid epidemic is currently ravaging the United States and has disproportionately affected Native American populations specifically in the rural areas (Tipps, et.al, 2018). The current methods for addressing OUD include medicine …

Trends And Opportunities In Tick-Borne Disease Geography, Catherine A. Lippi, Sadie J. Ryan, Alexis L. White, Holly D. Gaff, Colin J. Carlson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Tick-borne diseases are a growing problem in many parts of the world, and their surveillance and control touch on challenging issues in medical entomology, agricultural health, veterinary medicine, and biosecurity. Spatial approaches can be used to synthesize the data generated by integrative One Health surveillance systems, and help stakeholders, managers, and medical geographers understand the current and future distribution of risk. Here, we performed a systematic review of over 8,000 studies and identified a total of 303 scientific publications that map tick-borne diseases using data on vectors, pathogens, and hosts (including wildlife, livestock, and human cases). We find that the …

Racial Disparities In Liver Disease In The Us: Addressing The High Prevalence Of Hepatitis B Infection In The Apia Community, Lindsey L. Trinh, Lindsey Trinh

Scripps Senior Theses

Chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma are some of the leading causes of death in the United States, resulting in a number of annual deaths that has only increased over the past several decades. A vast proportion of these liver-related deaths is due to chronic hepatitis B infection, which currently affects approximately 1.2 million people in the US. However, the hepatitis B virus does not affect every racial group in the United States equally: Asian Americans experience a disproportionately high prevalence of HBV infection. In fact, even though the APIA community comprises only 4% of the US population, they account …