Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons^™

Microplastic Quantification On The Effect Of Endoparasite Communities In Florida Seabirds, Sarah N. Prieto

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Microplastics are being studied in a variety of different projects to better understand their impact and threat to wildlife species. Although there is an understanding that microplastics are affecting our wildlife, there are still questions about how coastal seabirds come to ingest them and how the ingestion is altering critical biological processes, such as that for endoparasite communities. This project aims to determine a better understanding of two main objectives: assessment of the presence of secondary ingestion of microplastics in coastal seabirds due to the fish species they prey on and relationship between microplastics and endoparasite communities' structure and state …

Assessment Of Thermal Preferences And Critical Temperature Tolerance Polygons On Mangrove Fish And Invertebrates From South Florida, Jailynn Konkler

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Mangroves serve as important nursery habitats for several species of subtropical fishes and invertebrates. Southeastern Florida mangrove environments have experienced an increasing frequency of strong hot and cold weather front systems, but little information is known about the temperature thresholds for mangrove-associated prey species that lethally disrupts homeostasis. To assess the vulnerability of mangrove-associated prey species to these short-duration temperature fluctuations, critical thermal methodology (CTM) was used to determine thermal tolerances for two fishes and two invertebrates, using loss of equilibrium (LOE) as the endpoint to determine CTmax and CTmin values as a survivable proxy for death. Physiological tolerances were …

Exploring Pedagogical Approaches: A Comparative Analysis Of Information Delivery Methods In Fish Dissection Instruction, Kiara Smidt

Honors Projects

The Covid-19 pandemic prompted a global shift to remote work and education, challenging traditional teaching methods. This research explores the effectiveness of audiovisual versus visual-only guides in teaching perch dissection anatomy, safety, and procedure. The study involves a cross-sectional experiment with students from an Introduction to Biology course at Bowling Green State University. Participants were divided into groups using either a video or a written guide, and their knowledge was assessed before and after the dissection. Results calculated through a Student’s t-test indicate no significant difference in overall effectiveness between the two methods, apart from labeling an anatomy diagram and …

Differential Behavioral Responses In Male And Female Mice Lacking Either Rgs2 Or Rgs4 Proteins After Acute Administration Of Antidepressants And Anxiolytics, Hiroyoshi Matsui, Sarah Seeley, Manoranjan S. D'Souza

ONU Student Research Colloquium

The overall objective of the study was to assess the acute behavioral effects of currently used antidepressants and anxiolytics in male and female mice lacking regulator of G protein-signaling (RGS) proteins 2 and 4 and their wild-type counterparts. RGS 2 and 4 proteins negatively modulate signaling pathways of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which play an important role in mediating the effects of monoamine neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These neurotransmitters in turn play an important role in the action of antidepressant and anxiolytic medications. The study was undertaken because no studies till date have systematically assessed the behavioral …

Ordinal-Level Biomass Of Insects Collected On And Off Prairie Dog Colonies, Colby Cook, Chad Zerr, Lorelei E. Patrick

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Ordinal-level Biomass of Insects Collected On and Off Prairie Dog Colonies

Colby Cook, Chad Zerr, and Lorelei Patrick

Recent work has shown that bats in Colorado and Kansas are more active over prairie dog colonies. It is hypothesized that the reason for this is increased abundance and richness of insects found on colonies versus off colonies. Sampling from 2022 indicated that insect biomass was not different between location types, but suggested that the relative abundance of insect orders may differ. Additional insect sampling was conducted in 2023. Light traps were deployed on the same nights, one on a prairie dog …

"The Relevant History And Medical And Ethical Future Viability Of Xenotransplantation", Morgan Janes

Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics Essay Contest

Xenotransplantation, the transplantation of organs or tissues from one species to another, presents a complex nexus of medical, ethical, and cultural considerations. In this article, we delve into the multifaceted landscape of xenotransplantation, beginning with a thorough examination of its relevant historical trajectory. From early experiments to recent advancements, we chart the evolution of this field, setting the stage for a nuanced discussion. We then confront the central issue: the true medical viability of xenotransplantation and the looming specter of operative risk. By scrutinizing the ethical dilemmas inherent in xenotransplantation through a multicultural lens, we illuminate the diverse perspectives that …

In Silico Identification Of Small Molecule Agonist Binding Sites On Kcc2, Kenyon Mitchell, Alfred Amendolara, Ruth Hunter, Jaden Miner, Andrew Payne

Annual Research Symposium

Purpose: Potassium-Chloride Cotransporter 2 (KCC2) is a neuronal membrane protein specific to the central nervous system. It is responsible for removing Cl- ions from the intracellular space, maintaining a normal Cl- gradient essential for proper function at inhibitory synapses. Dysregulation causes an upward shift in the Cl- reversal potential resulting in a hyperexcitable state of the postsynaptic neuron. Existing literature indicates that KCC2 may be involved in the addiction pathway of a variety of drugs of abuse, including opioids and alcohol. This makes KCC2 an attractive potential drug target when treating substance use disorders. A novel direct KCC2 agonist, VU0500469, …

Wrack Lines Volume 24, Number 1, Spring/Summer 2024, Gract Cajski, Paul Choiniere, Maggie Cozens, Owen Placido, Judy Benson

Wrack Lines

"Natural Effects: Tales of Our Dynamic Environment" is the theme of this issue, with articles about a research project using GoPro cameras on oyster cages; the exploding population of black sea bass in Long Island Sound; three research projects in Connecticut salt marshes; a children's book illustrator and author and her book about kelp farming; and a living shoreline project in Old Saybrook, CT.

Checking For Ticks: Analyzing The Efficiency Of Different Tick Collection Methods, Peter Briggs, Lawson Trimmell, Javier Monzón

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Ticks are the most important arthropod disease vectors in both North America and Europe. Field collection of wild ticks is vital for research on the ecology of vector-borne diseases. Dragging and trapping are the two most common methods for collecting wild ticks. Dragging involves a researcher pulling a canvas through a field to collect ticks searching for a host, while trapping exploits ticks’ natural attraction to carbon dioxide to lure them onto a canvas where they get caught on tape. Our study aimed to evaluate which of these two methods is more effective. We chose six sites across three states, …

Distinguishing Leukemic Cells Using Fractal Chromatin Patterns And Machine Learning, Abigail Gordhamer, Ryan Cordner, Paul Young

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2024

One of the most important tests in the clinical laboratory is the Complete Blood Count, which involves identifying the white blood cells in a patient’s blood. The respective counts of the different white blood cell types correlate with various states of health and disease and are critical to diagnosing diseases such as leukemia. Leukemic cells (blasts) are considered especially difficult to distinguish, and it is of the upmost importance that these cells are identified correctly. To aid in the process of leukemic cell identification, we quantified fractal patterns in the chromatin of white blood cells and used the data to …

Remodeling Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer's Aggressive Profile And Metabolic Signature By Natural Alkaloid Berberine, Tara Elizabeth Jarboe

NYMC Student Theses and Dissertations

Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare, fatal cancer with a five-year survival of 4%. Universally diagnosed at stage IV, anaplastic thyroid cancer is characterized by its lack of differentiation, rapid proliferative rate, highly inflammatory tumor microenvironment, and metabolic dysregulation. Refractory to all established therapies, anaplastic thyroid cancer requires a novel therapeutic approach that targets all of these drivers of anaplastic thyroid cancer carcinogenesis. We propose natural alkaloid berberine as a therapeutic with multitarget efficacy to alter mitochondrial metabolism and reprogram anaplastic thyroid cancer’s aggressive phenotype. Our in vitro model uses monocyte cell line U937, anaplastic thyroid cancer cell lines T238 …

A Dietary Variety: Analyzing The Impacts Of Diverse Vs Worm-Exclusive Diets On The Blanding’S Turtle (Emydoidea Blandingii), Caitlin F. Copenhaver

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The endangered Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) is a species with a generally diverse diet in their freshwater wetland habitats; they consume prey such as crayfish and snails. In captivity, these options often become more limited due to logistical reasons. As ex situ conservation efforts such as captive rearing and head-starting are becoming more popular for this species, it will be important to gain more insight on how these more limited diets might affect these turtles. This study describes a comparison between diets in six captive Blanding’s turtles from September to November of 2023, with three turtles receiving only …

Mycoplasmoides Genitalium Macrolide Resistance Detection Is Needed In University Settings, Stephen C. Lavey, Brittany Cassel, Erik Munson

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Mycoplasmoides genitalium remains a difficult sexually-transmitted infection (STI) to manage due to its potential for antimicrobial resistance and post-infection sequelae. University students are especially vulnerable, as this demographic has the highest rate of STI in the United States. As a result, investigating prevalence rates and therapeutic outcomes in this population is essential to minimize future impact of M. genitalium. The purpose of this study was to investigate a university student population for M. genitalium distribution and treatment outcome.

Design: Retrospective chart-review of university health clinic attendees, augmented by laboratory detection of M. genitalium following therapeutic intervention.

Methods: A total …

Isokinetic Versus Isotonic Resistance Training: Defining The Mechanisms Of Hypertrophy And Exercise Execution Methods, George Daughtry

Doctorate in Kinesiology

Abstract

Purpose: To determine strength changes and hypertrophy differences at the biceps brachii between an isokinetic bicep curl machine created by C&M Machines and preacher curl exercise with a standard curl bar. The study also aimed to determine the effectiveness of the aforementioned machine and to give insight into this unique method of training.

Methods: A medical clearance form and a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire was implemented to evaluate ability to exercise. 10 subjects (n=10) were recruited, were 20.3 years old (20 +/- 2), and were cleared for rigorous exercise. Subjects were randomly assigned to a control group …

Evaluation Of Novel Therapeutic Agents For The Treatment Of Chronic Dry Eyes, Lilian Huynh, Evonie Villarete, Surajit Dey

Annual Research Symposium

Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial ocular condition, where disrupted tear film stability and ocular surface inflammation affected between 5% to 34% of the worldwide population in 2015 and posed a challenge to conventional ophthalmic treatments. Recent advances have led to potential novel therapeutics aiming to alleviate symptoms and improve patient outcomes.

Exploring The Developmental Effects Of Antidepressants In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Alexandra Van Stone

Annual Research Symposium

It is so important to explore the potential side effects of antidepressants especially if these side effects could lead to a future detriment to an individual’s financial and social well-being. A better understanding of these side effects in regards to human developmental issues is imperative considering issues related to mental health and depression affect a large percentage of the population. In this study, we tested if Caenorhabditis (C.) elegans could be a potential model organism to predict possible side effects associated with select antidepressants. Their developmental problems potentially encountered upon drug treatment may be encountered in humans.

Sulforaphane Pre-Treatment Improves Cytoprotection Against Opportunistic Pathogens, Robert Darby, Nathan Clark

Annual Research Symposium

Alcohol is associated with increased mortality and morbidity globally. Pulmonary infections with opportunistic pathogens can occur in healthy humans; however, binge alcohol intoxication (≥ 0.08% BAC) is a major risk factor. We have previously shown that a single dose of alcohol comparable to binge alcohol intoxication increases infection by reducing alveolar macrophage function in vivo. The aim of this study was to 1) test the therapeutic potential of the phytonutrient sulforaphane (SFN) given as a pre-treatment, and 2) test the alcohol-induced effects on phagocytic function in murine and human macrophages in vitro.

Investigating The Impact Of Ozempic Treatment On Alcohol Consumption In Individuals With Class 1 And Class 2 Obesity, Yvannia Gray, Selin Karadag

Annual Research Symposium

The purpose of this experiment is to see if there is a correlation between Ozempic (semaglutide) treatment for weight loss and alcohol consumption. Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist that lowers blood sugar and appetite as it mimics the effects of GLP-1. In previous studies involving rodents, it has been shown that GLP-1 agonists can also be used to reduce addictive substance intake. We hypothesize that subjects who receive Ozempic treatment will exhibit reduced consumption of alcohol over the span of a month compared to subjects who do not receive Ozempic treatment.

Ksp1 Is An Autophagic Receptor Protein For The Snx4-Assisted Autophagy Of Ssn2/Med13, Sara E Hanley, Stephen D Willis, Steven J Doyle, Randy Strich, Katrina F Cooper

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Ksp1 is a casein II-like kinase whose activity prevents aberrant macroautophagy/autophagy induction in nutrient-rich conditions in yeast. Here, we describe a kinase-independent role of Ksp1 as a novel autophagic receptor protein for Ssn2/Med13, a known cargo of Snx4-assisted autophagy of transcription factors. In this pathway, a subset of conserved transcriptional regulators, Ssn2/Med13, Rim15, and Msn2, are selectively targeted for vacuolar proteolysis following nitrogen starvation, assisted by the sorting nexin heterodimer Snx4-Atg20. Here we show that phagophores also engulf Ksp1 alongside its cargo for vacuolar proteolysis. Ksp1 directly associates with Atg8 following nitrogen starvation at the interface of an Atg8-family interacting …

Methamphetamine-Induced Dna Double-Stranded Breaks: The Impact Of The Dopamine Transporter And Insights Into The Mechanisms Of Dna Damage In Mouse Neuro 2a Cells, Lizette Couto

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Methamphetamine (METH) abuse remains a global health concern, with emerging evidence highlighting its genotoxic potential. In the central nervous system METH enters dopaminergic cells primarily through the dopamine transporter (DAT), which controls the dynamics of dopamine (DA) neurotransmission by driving the reuptake of extracellular DA into the presynaptic neuronal cell. Additional effects of METH on the storage of DA in synaptic vesicles lead to the dysregulated cytosolic accumulation of DA. Previous studies have shown that after METH disrupts intracellular vesicular stores of DA, the excess DA in the cytosol is rapidly oxidized. This generates an abundance of reactive oxygen species …