The surface of the unicellular eukaryote, Tetrahymena pyriformis, is covered with thousands of hair-like cilia. These cilia are very similar to cilia of the human olfactory and respiratory tracts making them model organisms for studying cilia function and pathology. The authors of this study investigated the effect of voltage on T. pyriformis galvanotaxis, the movement towards an electrical stimulus. They observed galvanotaxis towards the cathode at voltages over 4V which plateau, indicating opening of voltage gated-ion channels to trigger movement.
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Isolation of Microbes From Common Household Surfaces
Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi live everywhere in the world around us. The authors here demonstrate that these predominantly harmless microbes can be isolated from many household locations that appear "clean." Further, they test the cleaning power of 70% ethanol and suggest that many "clean" surfaces are not in fact "sterile."
Read More...Substance Abuse Transmission-Impact of Parental Exposure to Nicotine/Alcohol on Regenerated Planaria Offspring
The global mental health crisis has led to increased substance abuse among youth. Prescription drug abuse causes approximately 115 American deaths daily. Understanding intergenerational transmission of substance abuse is complex due to lengthy human studies and socioeconomic variables. Recent FDA guidelines mandate abuse liability testing for neuro-active drugs but overlook intergenerational transfer. Brown planaria, due to their nervous system development similarities with mammals, offer a novel model.
Read More...Are Asian foods healthier than Western foods: Evidence collected from St. Louis area grocery stores
The authors compare nutritional content of foods found in Western versus Asian grocery stores to determine whether one cultural diet is healthier than the other.
Read More...How are genetically modified foods discussed on TikTok? An analysis of #GMOFOODS
Here, the authors investigated engagement with #GMOFOODS, a hashtag on TikTok. They hypothesized that content focused on the negative effects of genetically modified organisms would receive more interaction driven by consumers. They found that the most common cateogry focused on the disadvantages of GMOs related to nutrition and health with the number of views determining if the video would be provided to users.
Read More...Antibacterial activity by Dombeya wallichii plant extracts obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction
Medicinal plants could be a good source of medication to combat antibiotic resistance. Dombeya wallichii, which is commonly called Pink Ball Tree in the family Sterculiaceae, has been documented to have medicinal potential. We observed the highest antibacterial activity in the stem extracts, followed by leaf and bark extracts. The extracts were more effective against tested Gram-positive bacteria when compared with Gram-negative strains.
Read More...Effects of cleaning agents on bacterial growth on refrigerator surfaces
Impact of simple vs complex carbohydrates under time constraint before anaerobic and aerobic exercise
The goal of this study was to determine the if carbohydrates or complex carbohydrates are better for athlete's performance in anaerobic and aerobic exercise. Ultimately, we found that, when one’s schedule only allows for 30 minutes to eat before a workout, the best pre-workout meal for optimal glycogen levels to prompt muscle hypertrophy, strength increases, and better endurance is one that is simple carbohydrate-heavy.
Read More...Differences in the effect of copper sulfate on the mortality rate of Ostracod and Daphnia
Chemical pollution can have significant effects on freshwater organisms. In this study, the effect of copper sulfate on the survival of Daphnia pulex and Ostracoda was investigated.
Read More...Low environmental pH inhibits phagosome formation and motility of Tetrahymena pyriformis
In this study, the authors look into some of the implications of rising carbon dioxide levels by studying the effects of acidic pH on the ability of T. pyriformis to feed by quantifying phagosome formation and motility.
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