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Engaging Students In A Genetics Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Utilizing Caenorhabditis Elegans In Hybrid Learning To Explore Human Disease Gene Variants, Natalie Forte, Virginia Veasey, Bethany Christie, Amira Carter, Marli Hanks, Alan Holderfield, Taylor Houston, Anil Challa, Ashley Turner

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Genetic analysis in model systems using bioinformatic approaches provides a rich context for a concrete and conceptual understanding of gene structure and function. With the intent to engage students in research and explore disease biology utilizing the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans model, we developed a semester-long course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) in a hybrid (online/in-person) learning environment—the gene-editing and evolutionary nematode exploration CURE (GENE-CURE). Using a combination of bioinformatic and molecular genetic tools, students performed structure-function analysis of disease-associated variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in human orthologs. With the aid of a series of workshop-style research sessions, students worked in teams …

Mystery Mutt: Dna Analysis With A Dog Named Charlie, Kelly M. Jones

Inclusive Strategies for Teaching Secondary Mathematics and Science

This article provides an in-depth exploration of the design, execution, and outcomes of the "Mystery Mutt: DNA analysis with a dog named Charlie" lesson. Designed for seventh-grade life science students, the lesson focuses on unraveling the correlation between genotype and phenotype using authentic pet DNA test results. Grounded in real-life experiences and employing a multi-dimensional approach, the lesson successfully bridges the gap between theoretical genetic concepts and practical applications. The article discusses the lesson's alignment with academic standards, consideration of materials and safety, its unique classroom context, and the engaging phases of exploration, explanation, elaboration, evaluation, and closure. The emphasis …

The Presence Of Childhood Obesity In Nebraska And The Physiological Repercussions Of The Disease, Madison R. Bezousek

Honors Theses

Childhood Obesity can cause lifelong repercussions in children and adults. There has been stigma around the causes of obesity and its relation to lifestyle choices, without consideration of the genetic and syndromic causes. In this literature review the causes of obesity were investigated, along with the effect on the physiological systems and the enviornmental factors that are continuing the obesity epidemic. Preventing and treating lifestyle obesity is something that is seen to have the greatest effect on youth, especially with intergenerational obesity. Nebraska schools have implemented programs to encourage healthy living, and ongoing research is being implemented to reduce the …

Utilizing Markov Chains To Estimate Allele Progression Through Generations, Ronit Gandhi

Honors Theses

All populations display patterns in allele frequencies over time. Some alleles cease to exist, while some grow to become the norm. These frequencies can shift or stay constant based on the conditions the population lives in. If in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the allele frequencies stay constant. Most populations, however, have bias from environmental factors, sexual preferences, other organisms, etc. We propose a stochastic Markov chain model to study allele progression across generations. In such a model, the allele frequencies in the next generation depend only on the frequencies in the current one.

We use this model to track a recessive allele …

Dna Detectives: Protecting Endangered Species, Samantha Askin

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | Environmental Science | Oceanography

For this lesson, students will be U.S. Fish and Wildlife Biologists. They will be tasked with figuring out which endangered or threatened species they have by identifying a genetic sequence unique to their species. The students will then have to research why their species in endangered or threatened and write a formal report of their findings to the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Persistent Misconceptions About Mutations Among Graduate Nursing Students, Jane Garvin, Beverly Collins

Nursing Collection

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the ongoing misconceptions about mutations, an area of rising public interest, among graduate nursing students.

Design

Using a prospective cohort design, graduate students entering a public university in the Fall of 2014 were followed to graduation in the Fall of 2016.

Methods

Knowledge of mutations was assessed with an anonymous pre-test and post-test using three items from the Genomic Nursing Concept Inventory - 2011 beta version developed by Ward. Differences in pre-test and post-test scores were assessed by T-test. Post-test items with > 30% marked incorrectly were examined further; the most frequent …

Bois 412/812: Human Genetics—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Colin D. Meiklejohn

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio focuses on Human Genetics, an upper-division course taken primarily by biology majors to fulfill elective credit in their degree. This course studies the genetic basis for human variation, with the goal of placing this variation in the context of human evolutionary history and the consequences of this variation for medical understanding and treatments. In Human Genetics, students complete an original synthetic research paper on a human genetic disorder. Through writing this paper, students are expected to learn how to navigate electronic databases and online resources on human genetic diseases, and to read and synthesize the primary scientific literature. …

Genetics Of Peripheral Vestibular Dysfunction: Lessons From Mutant Mouse Strains, Sherri M. Jones, Timothy A. Jones

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Background

A considerable amount of research has been published about genetic hearing impairment. Fifty to sixty percent of hearing loss is thought to have a genetic cause. Genes may also play a significant role in acquired hearing loss due to aging, noise exposure, or ototoxic medications. Between 1995 and 2012, over 100 causative genes have been identified for syndromic and nonsyndromic forms of hereditary hearing loss (see Hereditary Hearing Loss Homepage http://hereditaryhearingloss.org). Mouse models have been extremely valuable in facilitating the discovery of hearing loss genes, and in understanding inner ear pathology due to genetic mutations or elucidating fundamental mechanisms …

Engaging Students In A Bioinformatics Activity To Introduce Gene Structure And Function, Barbara J. May

Biology Faculty Publications

Bioinformatics spans many fields of biological research and plays a vital role in mining and analyzing data. Therefore, there is an ever-increasing need for students to understand not only what can be learned from this data, but also how to use basic bioinformatics tools. This activity is designed to provide secondary and undergraduate biology students to a hands-on activity meant to explore and understand gene structure with the use of basic bioinformatic tools. Students are provided an “unknown” sequence from which they are asked to use a free online gene finder program to identify the gene. Students then predict the …

Incorporating Case Studies Into An Undergraduate Genetics Course, Marlene Murray

Faculty Publications

Genetics is considered one of the most challenging courses in the biology curricula at both the secondary and post secondary levels. Case based teaching has been shown to improve student perception and performance outcomes in both non-science and science courses. Thus in an effort to improve outcomes, case studies were integrated into an undergraduate genetics course as a supplement to lecture and replacement to recitation. Student perception and performance when case studies were used was compared to two previous years before the incorporation of case studies. Student course evaluations, pre and post surveys of student knowledge, and exam scores indicated …

Scientific Inquiry In The Genetics Laboratory: Biologists And University Science Teacher Educators Collaborating To Increase Engagements In Science Processes., Todd Campbell, P. G. Wolf, J. P. Der, E. Packenham, N. Abd-Hamid

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Manipulative Models: In Defense Of "Beanbag Biology", John R. Jungck, Holly Gaff, Anton E. Weisstein

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mathematical manipulative models have had a long history of influence in biological research and in secondary school education, but they are frequently neglected in undergraduate biology education. By linking mathematical manipulative models in a four-step process-1) use of physical manipulatives, 2) interactive exploration of computer simulations, 3) derivation of mathematical relationships from core principles, and 4) analysis of real data sets-we demonstrate a process that we have shared in biological faculty development workshops led by staff from the BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium over the past 24 yr. We built this approach based upon a broad survey of literature in mathematical educational …

A Nonword Repetition Task For Speakers With Misarticulations: The Syllable Repetition Task (Srt), Lawrence D. Shriberg, Heather L. Lohmeier, Thomas F. Campbell, Christine A. Dollaghan, Jordan R. Green, Christopher A. Moore

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose. Conceptual and methodological confounds occur when non(sense) repetition tasks are administered to speakers who do not have the target speech sounds in their phonetic inventories or who habitually misarticulate targeted speech sounds. We describe a nonword repetition task, the Syllable Repetiton Task (SRT) that eliminates this confound and report findings from three validity studies.
Method. Ninety-five preschool children with Speech Delay and 63 with Typical Speech, completed an assessment battery that included the Nonword Repetition Task (NRT: Dollaghan & Campbell, 1998) and the SRT. SRT stimuli include only four of the earliest occurring consonants and …

Heredity And The Environment [8th Grade], Dustin Demoin

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit attempts to provide the connections for a four week unit that covers Ecosystems, Genetics, and Stresses (both internal and external). The unit first recaps the information that should have already been covered in 6th and 7th grade with respect to ecosystems. This includes the performance assessment which centers on using their knowledge to reconnect the concepts they already know with the ones they are still struggling to learn. Next, the unit draws connections to genetics, specifically traits and DNA. These are impacted by the ecosystem and human and environmental factors. These factors are focused on last, but are …

2008 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report Summaries, Richard J. Rasby, Galen E. Erickson, Dennis R. Brink

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Reports on recent beef research are briefly summarized in this publication. Summaries of the research featured in the 2008 Beef Report appear here. Topics include cow-calf, growing, finishing and beef products.

Are You What You Eat? An Inside Look At High-Tech Food, Roxanne Greitz Miller

Education Faculty Articles and Research

If we abide by the familiar saying "you are what you eat," it is understandable that people may be concerned with the incredible advances in food science technology and their possible impacts on human health. For example, in recent years high-tech scientific processes such as genetic modification, irradiation, and cloning have all been used to increase the safety of food supply, create foods that are more appealing to eat and easier to produce, and increase crop yields. This article will summarize a few hot topics in food science, address what is currently known about the safety of these processes, and …

2006 Nebraska Swine Report, Duane E. Reese

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication was prepared by the staff in Animal Science and cooperating Departments for use in Extension, Teaching and Research programs. It deals with the results that were done in reproduction, breeding, health, nutrition, genetics, economics and housing of swine.

2005 Nebraska Swine Report, Duane E. Reese

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication was prepared by the staff in Animal Science and cooperating Departments for use in Extension, Teaching and Research programs. It deals with the results that were done in reproduction, breeding, health, genetics, nutrition, economics and housing of swine.

2003 Nebraska Swine Report, Duane E. Reese

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication was prepared by the staff in Animal Science and cooperating Departments for use in Extension, Teaching and Research programs. It deals with the results that were done in reproduction, breeding, health, genetics, nutrition, economics and housing of swine.

2002 Nebraska Swine Report, Duane E. Reese

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication was prepared by the staff in Animal Science and cooperating Departments for use in Extension, Teaching and Research programs. It deals with the results that were done in reproduction, breeding, health, nutrition, economics and housing of swine.

2001 Nebraska Swine Report, Duane E. Reese

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication was prepared by the staff in Animal Science and cooperating Departments for use in Extension, Teaching and Research programs. It deals with the results that were done in reproduction, breeding, health, nutrition, economics and housing of swine.

Genetics In Practice A Template For Interactive Case Studies, Erin Edwards, Andrew Walker, Kathleen Bergeson, John Louviere, Kris Robinson, J. W. Higgins

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Genetics & Your Practice, began in 1994 as a course for primary health care practitioners to get Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits and to help health care providers learn about the importance of genetic counseling and the fundamental difference between genetic counseling and traditional health care. In a collaborative project between the March of Dimes and Idaho State University Departments of Nursing (ISU) and Continuing Education/Special Programs, the course was converted to an online asynchronous course. Since the course was primarily didactic, ISU approached a team of graduate students at Utah State University’s Department of Instructional Technology (USU) to develop …

2000 Nebraska Swine Report, Rodger K. Johnson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication was prepared by the staff in Animal Science and cooperating Departments for use in Extension, Teaching and Research programs. It deals with the results that were done in reproduction, breeding, health, nutrition, economics and housing of swine.

1999 Nebraska Swine Report, Duane E. Reese

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication was prepared by the staff in Animal Science and cooperating Departments for use in Extension, Teaching and Research programs. It deals with the results that were done in reproduction, genetics, breeding, health, nutrition, economics and housing of swine.

G95-1271 Mastitis Is A Disease -- Control Is An Everyday Task, Gerald R. Bodman, Duane N. Rice

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

A comprehensive mastitis control program will effectively control infections caused by both environmental and contagious pathogens.

Herd mastitis problems can be caused by both environmental and contagious pathogens (disease-causing organisms). These problems may occur separately or simultaneously. Various testing techniques are necessary to determine the type of causative organism and the infection level of the herd or individual cow. Appropriate tests include the CMT (California Mastitis Test), milk market somatic cell count (SCC), Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) SCC and laboratory cultures of milk from infected cows. Depending upon test results, mastitis control strategies may need to be changed to …

G94-1197 The Genetics And Management Of Sound Feet And Legs, Jeffrey F. Keown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Sound management of feet and legs in dairy animals affects performance. This guide offers suggestions for good management practices.

Two major parameters affect the selection process for any trait: the heritability of the trait as well as the variation associated with the trait.

Mp92-64 The Stable Fly: A Pest Of Humans And Domestic Animals, Gustave D. Thomas, Steven R. Skoda

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Many species of flies are pests. Many people, if you were to ask them about flies, would be at least vaguely aware of the potential to flies to transmit disease organisms. But yet, for the most part, a fly is a fly is a fly. Sayings like "It must be about to rain, the house flies are biting" are still common and show a general need for more, readily accessible information, particularly about some of the pest flies.

Stable flies, obligate blood-feeders, are very important pests to the cattle industry and, at times, are pests to other groups (they're most …

G89-989 How To Interpret The New Animal Model For Dairy Sire Evaluation, Jeffrey F. Keown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

In question and answer format this NebGuide addresses changes in genetic evaluations of both dairy cows and sores.

Why is the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) changing the dairy sire and cow evaluation system?

The answer is simple. The Animal Model for genetic evaluations is more accurate than the old Modified Contemporary Comparison Method (M.C.C.). Previously the major limiting factors to implementing the Animal Model were computing costs and memory requirements. With the advent of new Super Computers, the computations are feasible on a national scale.

What is the Animal Model?

The Animal Model simultaneously evaluates cows and sires …

G85-755 How To Set Goals For Your Breeding Program, Jeffrey F. Keown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide describes how to determine which trait(s) to select for, and how multiple trait selection affects genetic progress.

Dairy producers are often concerned with placing emphasis on different production traits in their breeding program. Selecting on only economically important traits should be the objective of every producer. The use of artificial insemination (A.I.) sires is the most economical and productive way to increase the genetic potential of the herd.

A cow's record is a measure of her genetic potential, which is modified by the environment in which she is kept. Environmental factors that directly influence a cow's record include …

Explorations, Vol. 1, No. 1, R. D. Blake, Katherine Carter, David Mackinnon Ebitz, Carole J. Bombard, Stephen A. Norton

Explorations — A Journal of Research

Welcome to the first issue of Explorations, A Journal of Research at the University of Maine at Orono.

Join us as we explore a representative selection of the pure and applied research of our faculty. At UMO, we believe that research can capture the imagination and invigorate the mind, as well as contribute directly to the quality of life of the citizens we serve.

In this first issue, we have selected four areas of research that span the disciplines of biological and environmental sciences and the arts. This is but a small part of the research conducted by the faculty …