Digital Commons Network^™

Examination Of Ap-4 As A Transcriptional Activator Of The Col11a2 Chondrocyte-Specific Enhancer Elements, Todd Lincoln Jackson, Dr. Laura Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My purpose is to explore activator protein 4’s (AP-4) role in the expression of the Col11a2 gene. My hypothesis is that AP-4 will bind to the Col11a2 enhancer elements and increase activity of that gene. AP-4 is a ubiquitous transcription factor. Transcription factors are proteins that help regulate cell differentiation and proliferation by binding to enhancer sites to promote or inhibit gene expression. Previous work has shown that the mouse Col11a2 gene contains at least three enhancer sites namely; ABC, DE, and FG [1,2]. Each sequence of the enhancer sites was put through two computer databases of known transcription factors …

The Specific Binding Of Protein’S To The Abc, Fg, And De Enhancer Elements Of The Col11a2 Gene, Kristopher Bennion, Dr. Laura Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Gene therapy is extensively being studied in many labs for the potential treatment of such disorders as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and other such disabling diseases. Researchers in Dr. Bridgewater’s lab have been studying the Col11a2 gene in hopes of future treatment of such disorders as cleft palate, dwarfism, and several forms of arthritis. Two years ago we confirmed and established that ABC, DE, and FG were indeed acting as enhancer elements for the Col11a2 gene through various mutations to these specific regions of the gene. These findings have led the lab to do research in the development of a “super …

Dppg Susceptibility To Human Group X Phospholipase A2, Katrina Behling, Dr. John D. Bell

Journal of Undergraduate Research

There are eight known isoforms of the mammalian secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2). One of these, the recently discovered human group X sPLA2 (hGX), when added to adherent cells, has the ability to cleave the second fatty acid side chain of phospholipids, thereby producing arachidonic acid. Other isozymes, when added in a similar manner, do not release arachidonic acid unless the cells have become non-adherent, or are first treated with chemicals that increase intracellular calcium levels such as ionomycin, lysolecithin, or thionin. Originally, we were interested in whether hGX would respond with increased enzymatic activity, as do the other sPLA2 isoforms, …

Convergent Hiv Evolution, Keith A. Crandall, Dr. Chris R. Kelsey

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus with RNA as its genetic material. During the replication cycle, the enzyme reverse transcriptase uses the RNA template to transcribe a complementary DNA copy. Because of the significant infidelity of reverse transcriptase, mutations accumulate within the viral genome at a rate approximately a million times higher than that of a typical host genome (3). This high mutation rate leads to a heterogeneous population in which viral isolates are closely related and evolutionary pathways can be discerned from molecular data. In addition, high mutation rates allow for accelerated evolution, especially under selective conditions. …

Production Of Cytokines Interleukin-6 And Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha In Human Adrenocortical H295r Cells, Joseph Johnson, Dr. Allan M. Judd

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Difficulties associated with research into the physiology of the human adrenal gland have been alleviated due to the isolation of the human adrenocortical tumor cell-line, NCI-H295R, which retains the ability to produce adrenocortical steroids (e.g. aldosterone, cortisol, DHEA) when grown in culture (1). We investigated whether these cells also produce cytokines, peptides which regulate endocrine and immune function.

Molecular Mechanism Of Neuronal Communication, Blake Simmons, Dr. Dixon Woodbury

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Nerve Cells communicate with each other by synaptic transmission. Synaptic transmission is the release by one nerve cell of neurotransmitters packaged in synaptic vesicles. Proteins known as SNAREs, (e.g., synaptobrevin and syntaxin) are believed to drive neurotransmitter release by inducing fusion (exocytosis) within a presynaptic neuron. Figure 1 shows a synaptic vesicle binding to the presynaptic membrane and the interaction of two SNARE proteins.^i,ii My plan was to map which domains of the SNARE protein, syntaxin, are necessary for fusion.

Common Variable Immunodeficiency: Literature And Reality, Heather Janene Kearl, Dr. Richard R. Tolman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is one of the least understood primary immunodeficiencies. It is a disease where the body attacks its own antibodies, destroying all or most of them. Patients with CVID suffer from recurrent illnesses such as pneumonia, hepatitis, and other infections. While scientists know very little about the illness, there is much information available postulating its origin. In my thesis, I reviewed the current literature concerning CVID and compared it to the real life story of a woman, Darlene Phillips, whose life CVID has shaped.

Preliminary Phylogeneic Analyses Of The Erotylidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Erotylidae) Based On Molecular Data, James A. Robertson, Dr. Michael F. Whiting

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Cucujoidea, a very diverse beetle superfamily, includes mycophagous and wood consuming beetles. Within the Cucujoidea is the family Erotylidae (pleasing fungus beetles). The Erotylidae includes 125 genera and approximately 2,500 species, and has a worldwide distribution. Erotylids are known for their striking coloration, including black with yellow, red, orange and even pink and purple (Boyle 1956). The current hypothesis of erotylid phylogeny is based exclusively on adult morphology and was not formulated using rigorous phylogenetic methodology. Hence phylogenetic relationships of the major lineages within this family are dubious. Since erotylid beetles exhibit such striking aposematic coloration, a well-supported phylogeny, …

Histology: A Student’S Comprehensive Lab Manual And Corresponding Cd, Jon Christopher Kerr, Dr. Richard A. Heckmann

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to provide a comprehensive and accurate text for the study of histology–the microscopic study of cells and tissues. In order to facilitate this study, appropriate text corresponding to over 400 histological images was prepared. This manual explains the images, defines and describes the histological and physiological significance of the tissues, and provides an avenue to better understanding of the functions and mechanisms of the human body. Accompanying this manual is a computer-generated program incorporating histological slides, explanatory notes, mock quizzes, tests and a review section. To further augment the learning process, mock quizzes (in …

Identification Of The Activator Proteins For The Dna-Protein Interaction Of A Primary Cartilage Enhancer, L. Daniel Holsinger, Dr. Laura Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Abstract: The Human col11 2 gene is responsible for the production of type XI collagen, one of the three components of the collagen triple helix. Disruption of this gene results in varied problems including dwarfism, osteoarthritis and possibly cleft palate. In order to understand more about this gene, a series of experiments were carried out to identify proteins involved in its expression in cartilage-producing Chondrocytes. More specifically, based on what was learned in previous research, efforts were made to isolate the DNA sequences that encode those proteins acting as activators of three known enhancer elements in Chondrocyte cells. Using …

Premature Onset Of Osteoarthritis Due To A Col11a1 Gene Mutation, Victoria Ryder, Dr. Robert Seegmiller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cartilage collagen mutations can alter the load-bearing properties of articular cartilage (AC), possibly leading to premature osteoarthritis. AC consists mainly of types II, VI, IX, X, and XI collagen.1 Collagen fibrils in AC are heteropolymers of types II, IX, and XI collagen2. Type II is the major constituent, making up 95% of the fibril, while types IX and XI are minor components. Collagen fibrillar meshwork is essential as it gives AC its structural and tensile strength. Type XI collagen plays a role in dictating fibril diameter, thus playing a role in the AC’s strength. Mutations in the Col11a1 gene can …

Identifying Protein-Binding Sites In The Enhancer Region Of The Col11a2 Gene, Trevor Ellison, Dr. Laura C. Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

An enhancer is a DNA sequence that regulates a gene’s expression. It is the binding of proteins to a gene’s enhancer region (at its protein-binding sites) that regulates that gene’s expression in the cell. The Col11a2 gene is activated almost solely in chondrocytes (cartilage cells) (Lui et al., 1995) through this same type of protein binding. The Col11a2 gene is responsible, in part, for the formation of type XI collagen. Mutations in this gene have been shown to cause abnormalities ranging from skeletal deformities to hearing loss.

Analysis Of Microvesicles To Determine Susceptibility To The Enzyme Phospholipase A2, Brent Brimhall, Joseph Callister

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Microvesicles are small membrane-bound spheres released from certain cells undergoing the decay process. Little is known today about their properties and function at the cellular level. It is hypothesized that microvesicles play a role in cancer metastasis through the action of metalloproteinases enclosed within these spheres. Metalloproteinases are enzymes that act to break up the extracellular matrix of cells. This matrix serves as a type of glue that holds groups of cells together. Without this extracellular matrix in place cells are allowed to break free and migrate to other places of the body. In the case of cancerous cells this …

Treesaap: A Phylogenetic Approach To Identifying Selective Influences On Amino Acid Properties, Steven Woolley, Dr. David Mcclellan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The program TreeSAAP measures the selective influences on several structural and biochemical amino acid properties during phylogenesis (the history of genealogical development) and performs goodness-of-fit and categorical statistical tests.

Internal Transcribed Spacer Regions Of Nuclear Ribosomal Dna As A Tool For Phylogenetic Reconstruction, Melissa E. Hardy, Dr. Keith Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Phylogenetic trees are an estimate of genealogical relationships among groups of organisms. They are reconstructed by analyzing homologous nucleic acid sequences from different organisms and deriving an evolutionary relationship from the similarity in sequences.

Genetic Analysis Of The Mountain Whitefish, Prosopium Williamsoni, Daniel C. Hambleton, Dr. Dennis K. Shiozawa, R. Paul Evans

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Although currently part of the Bonneville Basin system, Bear Lake was once connected to the Snake River system of southeastern Idaho 40,000 years ago. Subsequent geological activity disrupted the exchange of fish populations between the Snake River and Bear Lake.

Magnitude Of The Freshwater Turtle Exports From The Us: Long Term Trends And Early Effects Of Newly Implemented Harvest Management Regimes., Ivana Mali, Michael W. Vandewege, Scott K. Davis, Michael R.J. Forstner

CALS Publications

Unregulated commercial harvest remains a major threat for turtles across the globe. Due to continuing demand from Asian markets, a significant number of turtles are exported from the United States of America (US). Beginning in 2007, several southeastern states in the US implemented restrictions on the commercial harvest of turtles, in order to address the unsustainable take. We have summarized freshwater turtle exports from the US between 2002 and 2012 and demonstrated that the magnitude of turtle exports from the US remained high although the exports decreased throughout the decade. Louisiana and California were the major exporters. The majority of …

Development Of An Antibody To Utx Protein, Joanna L. Cheatham, Dr. Randy L. Bennett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Tribolium castaneum, red flour beetle, is an organism whose development is being studied and compared to that of Drosophila melanogaster. The particular goal of this study was to develop an antibody to Tribolium’s UTX protein, so it’s expression may be monitored during embryonic and larval development.

Evolutionary Relationships Of Genera In The Lizard Family Iguanidae, Bruce W. Christensen, Dr. Jack W. Sites

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The family Iguanidae contains eight living genera of large, herbivorous lizards that by virtue of their size occupy important ecological niches wherever they are found. They are important elements of the food web, both as seed dispersers and prey for other animals, including humans (1). Of ecological and evolutionary significance, the family also contains several island endemics, including iguanas in the Carribean and on the Tongan, Fijian, and Galapagos archipelagoes.

Biochemical Analysis Of Blood Of Native Cattle In The Hilly Area Of Bangladesh, M. A. Mamun, M. M. Hassan, A. H. Shaikat, S.K.M.A. Islam, M. A. Hoque, M. Uddin, M. B. Hossain

Biochemistry Collection

A yearlong study was carried out in indigenous cattle of five upazila namely Khagrachari Sadar, Laxmichari, Matiranga, Mahalchari and Dighinala in Khagrachari Hill District, Bangladesh for determination of statuses of various biochemical parameters. Apparently healthy cattle (100) were selected and blood samples were collected aseptically. Biochemical analysis of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, electrolytes and enzymes were performed by using automated biochemical analyzer (Humalizer®-3000). The results showed that, the variations of parameters were not significant (P>0.05) between male and female. Although there was a slight increase of calcium 8.01±0.32mg/dl, glucose 69.21±2.31mg/dl, LDL 5.69±0.22mg/dl and uric acid 3.85±0.34mg/dl of female compared …

Red Meat And Our Health: Separating Scientific Fact From Politics, Emotion And Misinformation, Peter Ballerstedt

Forage Symposium at the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Convention

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends restricting our intake of saturated fat to less than 7 percent of calories, and our cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day (less than two eggs). They promote the use of low-fat milk and lean meat, and the use of “meat substitutes” in school lunches. These recommendations are consistent with the official dietary policy that began in 1977 with the release of the first Dietary Goals for the United States by the United States Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs. These guidelines were not justified by the then-available science. …

Animal Welfare--Animal Rights: "Protecting Animals Or A Threat To U.S. Food Production And Our Way Of Life?", W. Roy Burris

Forage Symposium at the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Convention

Cattle producers are accustomed to dealing with many forms of adversity. Adversity generally comes in the form of blizzards, droughts, floods and economic conditions but now we must deal with animal activists who have their own opinions of what we can and cannot do as it relates to animal welfare and animal rights.

Phages Of Non-Diary Lactococci: Isolation And Characterization Of Phi L47, A Phage Infecting The Grass Isolate Lactococcus Lactis Ssp Cremoris Dpc6860, Daniel Cavanagh, Caitríona M. Guinane, Horst Neve, Aidan Coffey, R. Paul Ross, Gerald F. Fitzgerald, Olivia Mcauliffe

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Lactococci isolated from non-dairy sources have been found to possess enhanced metabolic activity when compared to dairy strains. These capabilities may be harnessed through the use of these strains as starter or adjunct cultures to produce more diverse flavor profiles in cheese and other dairy products. To understand the interactions between these organisms and the phages that infect them, a number of phages were isolated against lactococcal strains of non-dairy origin. One such phage, ΦL47, was isolated from a sewage sample using the grass isolate L. lactis ssp. cremoris DPC6860 as a host. Visualization of phage virions by transmission electron …

Warming, Soil Moisture, And Loss Of Snow Increase Bromus Tectorum’S Population Growth Rate, Aldo Compagnoni, Peter B. Adler

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

Climate change threatens to exacerbate the impacts of invasive species. In temperate ecosystems, direct effects of warming may be compounded by dramatic reductions in winter snow cover. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is arguably the most destructive biological invader in basins of the North American Intermountain West, and warming could increase its performance through direct effects on demographic rates or through indirect effects mediated by loss of snow. We conducted a two-year experimental manipulation of temperature and snow pack to test whether 1) warming increases cheatgrass population growth rate and 2) reduced snow cover contributes to cheatgrass’ positive response to …

The Longhorn Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Of Nebraska, Usa: New State Records, A Checklist Of Known Species, And Distribution Maps, Stephen M. Spomer

University of Nebraska State Museum: Entomology Papers

One hundred eighty-three species/subspecies of longhorn beetles are recorded from Nebraska, an increase of 19 species since 1971. The greatest number of recent discoveries have come from sites along the Missouri River, especially Indian Cave State Park in southeastern Nebraska, as well as the Pine Ridge at Chadron, Nebraska.

New Host And Location Record For The Bat Bug Cimex Adjunctus Barber 1939, With A Summary Of Previous Records, M. E. Grilliot, J. L. Hunt, C. G. Sims, Chris E. Comer

Faculty Publications

In June 2009, 14 Rafinesque’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) were collected from an abandoned house near Shepherd, San Jacinto County, Texas. Three individuals harbored bat bugs which were subsequently identified as Cimex adjunctus Barber 1939. This is the first record of this species from C. rafinesquii. In August 2013, 10 C. rafinesquii were collected from a maternity colony in Drew County in southeastern Arkansas. Four of the bats harbored bat bugs, which were identified as C. adjunctus. This is the first record of this bat bug from Arkansas. A summary of previous state and host records of the insect is …

Proceedings Of The Twelfth North American Crane Workshop, David A. Aborn, Richard Urbanek

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

CONTENTS

PREFACE iii

RESEARCH PAPERS

DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND MIGRATION TIMING OF GREATER AND LESSER SANDHILL CRANES WINTERING IN THE SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN RIVER DELTA REGION OF CALIFORNIA - . Gary L. Ivey, Bruce D. Dugger, Caroline P. Herziger, Michael L. Casazza, and Joseph P. Fleskes 1

CHARACTERISTICS OF SANDHILL CRANE ROOSTS IN THE SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA OF CALIFORNIA - . Gary L. Ivey, Bruce D. Dugger, Caroline P. Herziger, Michael L. Casazza, and Joseph P. Fleskes 12

EFFECTS OF WIND FARMS ON SANDHILL CRANE PLAYA OCCUPANCY ON THE TEXAS HIGH PLAINS - Laura Navarrete and Kerry L. Griffis-Kyle 20

EVALUATION OF …

An Illustrated Id Guide To The Crayfishes Found In Nebraska Native And Non-Native, Steve Schainost

Nebraska Invasive Species Program

There are five crayfishes native to Nebraska. These are:

Orconectes immunis (papershell crayfish)

Orconectes virilis (northern crayfish)

Orconectes neglectus neglectus (ringed crayfish)

Cambarus diogenes (Devil crayfish)

Procambarus gracilis (prairie crayfish)

Three additional non-native crayfishes have also been found here:

Orconectes rusticus (rusty crayfish) [bait tanks and established in two ponds in Omaha]

Procambarus clarkii (red swamp crayfish) [bait tanks]

Procambarus acutus (White River crayfish) [bait tanks]

I will attempt here to provide a photographic guide to field identification, one species per page.

Dairy Digest 2014, South Dakota State University Dairy Club

Dairy Digest

No abstract provided.

Responses Of Forest Bird Populations To Long-­‐Term Changes In Local Vegetation And Regional Forest Cover, Mary Buchanan

Biology Honors Papers

Bird and vegetation surveys have been conducted periodically in the Connecticut College Arboretum since the 1950s, permitting analysis of long-term relationships of bird populations with the structure and floristic composition of the vegetation and with forest cover changes in the surrounding region. Principal component analyses created vegetation factors encompassing variables such as total basal area, basal area of common tree species, and tree diversity, and created a forest fragmentation factor based on GIS analysis of the landscape within 2 kilometers of the study site. Poisson regression models revealed relationships between these factors and population changes for twenty individual species and …