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Investigation Of The Toxic Affect Of Manganese On Ruminal Microbial Digestion And Growth, Erin Dearing

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This research investigated the toxic effect of manganese, in a reduced chemical state, on rumen microbial metabolism and growth. The reduced form of manganese is the soluble state found in subsurface waters and has a high red-ox potential. In the study, we investigated the effects of reduced manganese at varying concentrations, on rumen microbial ability to replicate and metabolize carbohydrates. The hypotheses that we tested were as follows: (1) reduced manganese decreases the rate of pH drop associated with rumen culture fermentation of a com based diet and (2) reduced manganese decreases the bacterial growth in rumen culture, as measured …

Cardiovascular Medical Nutrition Therapy Looking At The Dash Trials, Rachel Anne Naegle

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

OBJECTIVE: To review the recent medical literature on the effects of the DASH diet principles of increased fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and decreased total and saturated fat; focusing on the intent to implement this dietary pattern to reduce hypertension, and thus to reduce cardiovascular disease.

FINDINGS: The combination diet reduced systolic by 5.5 mm Hg, and diastolic by 3.0 mm Hg as compared to the control diet (P<0.001 for each) (5, 7, 8). When comparing the two diet variables, the combination diet reduced systolic blood pressure 2.7 mm Hg, and diastolic 1.9 mm Hg more than the fruits-and-vegetables diet, (all with a P<0.001)! The results of the DASH-sodium (DASH II), proved also to substantially lower blood pressure when used with the combination diet.

CONCLUSION: Even though the DASH-sodium diet did decrease blood pressure, there is no scientific background to recommend this to all populations, and that instead of focusing attention on reducing sodium, efforts should …

Cardiac Protein Rgs2: Structural And Functional Determinants, Stephanie Jan Chambers

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In this study, I explored the structure-function relationships of a cardiac RGS (regulator of G-protein signaling) protein, RGS2.

Contractions of the heart are triggered by calcium ions (Ca) entering heart cells through L-type Ca channels (1a). The activity of L-type channels (and thereby Ca influx) is modulated by cell surface receptors that couple to intracellular G proteins. G proteins in turn, are regulated by a newly-discovered family of proteins called RGS. RGS proteins speed the hydrolysis of GTP by G proteins, and thereby control the strength and duration of G protein-mediated signals. Stimulation of G proteins, which are coupled to …

Modulation Of L-Type (Cav1.3) Calcium Channels, Brian Thomas

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

L-type Ca_V1.3 calcium channels perform critical functions in auditory hair cells, cardiac pacemaker cells, and pancreatic β-cells, but little is currently known about how these channels are modulated by cell signaling mechanisms. To begin to address this issue, we have tested the ability of various G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to modulate Ca_V1.3 expressed in a mammalian cell line. Expression plasmids encoding Ca_V1.3 and auxiliary calcium channel subunits α2-δb and β3 were transiently coexpressed in HEK293 cells along with plasmids encoding a single type of GPCR. As a control for functional expression of the GPCR, …

Identification Of Key Genes Required For Abiotic Stress Response In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Saori Endo

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

To identify key genes that are required for stress response, a reverse genetics approach was taken to manipulate expression of candidate genes in plants. In this project, two potential regulatory genes which were originally identified as stress-responsive genes from a microarray experiment in Arabidopsis were examined for their roles in stress tolerance. Over-expression of gene A, which was up-regulated under stress conditions based on the array data, caused earlier flowering and improved plant growth under salinity and dehydration stress conditions at the seedling stage. Over-expression of gene B, which was down-regulated under stress conditions based on the array data, resulted …