Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Brigham Young University

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 4561 - 4590 of 10256

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

The Role Of The Apical Ectodermal Ridge, David Barnes, Dr. Jeffery Barrow Apr 2014

The Role Of The Apical Ectodermal Ridge, David Barnes, Dr. Jeffery Barrow

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Limb formation in tetra pods, animals with four legs, starts with the outgrowth of lateral plate mesoderm at the level of both forelimb and hind limb. A ridge of ectodermal tissue located at the distal margin, named the apical ectodermal ridge (AER), plays an essential role for the outgrowth and patterning of limbs. Patterning is defined as molecular or morphological differences that are established along an axis. The limb is patterned along each of its three axes: along the proximal to distal (PD) axis, the nature of the limb changes from humerus/femur (stylopod) to radius, ulna/tibia, fibula (zeugopod), to hand/foot …

Go to article

The Evolution Of Color Vision In Dragonflies And Damselflies (Odonata), Kelsy Johnson, Dr. Michael F. Whiting Apr 2014

The Evolution Of Color Vision In Dragonflies And Damselflies (Odonata), Kelsy Johnson, Dr. Michael F. Whiting

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Opsins are the genes present in the eye that are responsible for color vision in all animals (Briscoe et al., 2001). Insect vision is particularly interesting because they are able to see different wavelengths of light due to the number and types of opsins present in the eye. Odonata have very large and complex visual systems. However, the only visual system data that has been gathered on Odonates is physiological data, and no molecular data has been recovered yet to support the physiological data. A previous study by Yang and Osorio (1991) identified 5 opsin copies present in odonates. My …

Go to article

Novel Nanoinjection Of Yeast Artificial Chromosomes In Mouse Zygotes, Jordan Kitchen, Dr. Sandra Burnett Apr 2014

Novel Nanoinjection Of Yeast Artificial Chromosomes In Mouse Zygotes, Jordan Kitchen, Dr. Sandra Burnett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Transgenic mice are used to create animal models and are typically generated by the addition of transgenes (4-14 Kb pairs) or artificial chromosomes (150-300 Kb) to the pronucleus of a fertilized mouse egg [1][2]. Because of the size of chromosomes, using them to produce transgenic mice can be very problematic. Current methods for inserting transgenes include delivery through a microinjection device into the pronucleus. Transgenic mice are then created by transplantation of injected eggs into a surrogate female [3]. Larger DNA or yeast artificial chromosomes (YAC) due to the increased amount of genetic material could be used to express an …

Go to article

Humanized Mouse Model For The Study Of Human Herpesvirus 6 Infections, Stephanie Carlson, Dr. Bradford Berges Apr 2014

Humanized Mouse Model For The Study Of Human Herpesvirus 6 Infections, Stephanie Carlson, Dr. Bradford Berges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

While working on this project, we had several unforeseen setbacks. Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV- 6) proved much more difficult to work with than we had supposed. It was tricky to propagate (make it replicate) and hard to quantify. It does not behave like other viruses we have worked with and had a few tricks up its sleeve. We were expecting a dormant virus but were surprised to see a lytic strain. The cells we used to propagate HHV-6 kept dying, so we spent time looking for protocols and reading up on what others have done to maintain the virus. I …

Go to article

Determining Nucleosome Positioning In Varying Developmental Stages Of Caenorhabditis Elegans, Kellie Bollenbach, Dr. Steve Johnson Apr 2014

Determining Nucleosome Positioning In Varying Developmental Stages Of Caenorhabditis Elegans, Kellie Bollenbach, Dr. Steve Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project consisted of four main parts. The first was to isolate mononucleosome cores from C. elegans that had been pelleted and flash frozen in liquid nitrogen using micrococcal nuclease. The second part was to use an antibody specific to GFP, which was expressed in the germline of the strain of C. elegans we are using and selectively pull out the nucleosomes bound to the GFP using immunoprecipitation, namely those germline cells. From there, we were to sequence the DNA wrapped around those nucleosomes in order to determine where on the DNA those nucleosomes lie and compare it to the …

Go to article

Using Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotopes In Manure, Hair And Blood To Predict Recovery From Gastrointestinal Colic In Horses, Jesse Caitlin Alexis Ford, Beverly Roeder Apr 2014

Using Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotopes In Manure, Hair And Blood To Predict Recovery From Gastrointestinal Colic In Horses, Jesse Caitlin Alexis Ford, Beverly Roeder

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Colic, or abdominal pain, is one of the most prominent clinical signs present in many equine diseases. Gastrointestinal (GIT) colic is one of the leading causes of death in horses. The research initiated here at BYU, as a result of earning an ORCA grant, aims to study this issue. This research has the potential to develop an economic diagnostic tool that uses the values of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in manure, hair, and blood to determine if a horse will respond to medical or surgical treatment of GIT colic. This capability would help veterinarians and/or owners choose the best …

Go to article

Prior Experience Affects Allocation To Current Reproduction In A Burying Beetle, Eric J. Billman, J. Curtis Creighton, Mark C. Belk Apr 2014

Prior Experience Affects Allocation To Current Reproduction In A Burying Beetle, Eric J. Billman, J. Curtis Creighton, Mark C. Belk

Faculty Publications

The cost of reproduction hypothesis predicts that the level of reproductive investment to current reproduction is constrained by an individual’s future reproductive potential or residual reproductive value. Therefore, age, or differences between young and old individuals in residual reproductive value, is expected to influence reproductive investment. However, recent theoretical work suggests that residual reproductive value is also influenced by an individual’s state or condition which may in part be determined by prior reproductive experience. We evaluated the reproductive investment of same-aged female burying beetles (Nicrophorus orbicollis) to determine how prior reproductive experience affects current reproduction. Consistent with previous …

Go to article

Association Between Heavy-Metal Exposure And The Digit-Symbol Substitution Test In Us Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study, Parker Woody, Dawson Hedges Apr 2014

Association Between Heavy-Metal Exposure And The Digit-Symbol Substitution Test In Us Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study, Parker Woody, Dawson Hedges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Heavy metals in the environment are a serious concern. One of the most widely known and studied neurotoxins is lead. For many years it was put into gasoline and paint in the US until it was discovered that it lead to developmental defects and affected cognitive functioning. There is a concern that other heavy metals could have adverse effects as well. Much research has focused on exposure to heavy metals in those exposed to abnormally high levels, such as those found in occupational exposures. Very little has been done examining heavy metal levels in the body such as those that …

Go to article

Exploring The Everyday Phenomena Of Post-Genocide Rwanda Through Ethnographic Creative Nonfiction Writing, Danielle Leavitt, Dr. Leonard Tourney Apr 2014

Exploring The Everyday Phenomena Of Post-Genocide Rwanda Through Ethnographic Creative Nonfiction Writing, Danielle Leavitt, Dr. Leonard Tourney

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Despite often being esteemed for its remarkable recovery after the complete devastation that occurred in the 1994 genocide, Rwanda is still portrayed as a dangerously plundered society and remains recognized in the West as an un-safe, chaotic area. These incorrect perceptions are rife with contradictory assertions and images and a discrepancy between image and reality.1 Post-genocide Rwanda—only seventeen years after its historically brutal genocide—is listed as one of the safest and most orderly countries in Africa. Additionally, sexually, physically, and emotionally abused and neglected Rwandan women, who made up 70% of Rwanda’s living population following the catastrophe in 1994, have …

Go to article

Japanese Sentence Parsing In An Artificial Intelligence System, Nathan Glenn, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale Apr 2014

Japanese Sentence Parsing In An Artificial Intelligence System, Nathan Glenn, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In this project, we created a Japanese sentence parser that functions within a cognitive modeling architecture known as Soar. It was created by modifying an existing English parser called XNL-Soar, which implements minimalist principles in syntactic parsing. Japanese lexical access is performed via GoSen and a Java interface to the Japanese WordNet, and syntactic and semantic processing is done within Soar. The ease with which the parser was modified to process Japanese input is extremely encouraging and lends support to its use as model of human sentence processing, as well as to the Minimalist Program in linguistics. The system is …

Go to article

In Praise Of Hospitality, John R. Rosenberg Apr 2014

In Praise Of Hospitality, John R. Rosenberg

Brigham Young University-Public School Partnership Occasional Papers

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Is Small Beautiful? Local Education And Local Democracy, Gary Daynes Apr 2014

Is Small Beautiful? Local Education And Local Democracy, Gary Daynes

Brigham Young University-Public School Partnership Occasional Papers

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Southeast Asian Identities: The Case Of Cambodia, J. Randall Groves Apr 2014

Southeast Asian Identities: The Case Of Cambodia, J. Randall Groves

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Go to article

The Roles Of Phosducin-Like Protein 1 And Programmed Cell Death Protein 5 As Molecular Co-Chaperones Of The Cytosolic Chaperonin Complex, Christopher M. Tracy Apr 2014

The Roles Of Phosducin-Like Protein 1 And Programmed Cell Death Protein 5 As Molecular Co-Chaperones Of The Cytosolic Chaperonin Complex, Christopher M. Tracy

Theses and Dissertations

A fundamental question in biology is how proteins, which are synthesized by the ribosome as a linear sequence of amino acids, fold into their native functional state. Many proteins require the assistance of molecular chaperones to maneuver through the folding process to protect them from aggregation and to help them reach their native state in the very concentrated protein environment of the cell. This study focuses on the roles of Phosducin-like Protein 1 (PhLP1) and Programmed Cell Death Protein 5 (PDCD5) as molecular co-chaperones of the Cytosolic Chaperonin Complex (CCT).Signaling in retinal photoreceptors is mediated by canonical G protein pathways. …

Go to article

Full Issue, Comparative Civilizations Review Apr 2014

Full Issue, Comparative Civilizations Review

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Biomechanical Applications And Modeling Of Quantum Nano-Composite Strain Gauges, Taylor David Remington Apr 2014

Biomechanical Applications And Modeling Of Quantum Nano-Composite Strain Gauges, Taylor David Remington

Theses and Dissertations

Biological tissues routinely experience large strains and undergo large deformations during normal physiologic activity. Biological tissue deformation is well beyond the range of standard strain gauges, and hence must often be captured using expensive and non-portable options such as optical marker tracking methods that may rely upon significant post-processing. This study develops portable gauges that operate in real time and are compatible with the large strains seen by biological materials. The new gauges are based on a relatively new technique for quantifying large strain in real-time (up to 40 %) by use of a piezoresistive nano-composite strain gauge. The nano-composite …

Go to article

Full Issue, Byu Studies Apr 2014

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Go to article

The Diabetes Hope Project: Creating A Resource For Children Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes & Their Parent’S, Maria Mercer, Robert Barrett Mar 2014

The Diabetes Hope Project: Creating A Resource For Children Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes & Their Parent’S, Maria Mercer, Robert Barrett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Of the 25.8 million children and adults with diabetes in America, only about 5% of those are diagnosed as Type 1.1 Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong disease managed, but not cured, through insulin therapy via injections or an insulin pump. Diagnosed mainly in children and adolescents under 20, Type 1 diabetes is an overwhelming change in the lives of those diagnosed and their families. It is from personally dealing with Type 1 that I came up with the idea of the HOPE project. Knowing how difficult and overwhelming the transition from normal to diabetic life is, I realized it …

Go to article

Exploring The Retention Of Credit-Hour Value In Terms Of Workload For University Core Courses Taught In A Time-Compressed Format, Lyndell E. Lutes Mar 2014

Exploring The Retention Of Credit-Hour Value In Terms Of Workload For University Core Courses Taught In A Time-Compressed Format, Lyndell E. Lutes

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the workload and value of work done outside of class reported by 3512 undergraduate students at Brigham Young University completing 16-week semester and 8-week term University Core (General Education and Religion) classes. Based on the results of this analysis, significant differences in workloads were found when comparing them by occasion (semester versus term). Significant differences were also found in workload and value of homework based on the autonomy of the instructors. On average, the workload difference by occasion equates to approximately 54 minutes more per week in a 3-credit semester course when compared to a term course. …

Go to article

Calorespirometric Determination Of The Effects Of Temperature, Humidity, Low O2 And High Co2 On The Development Of Musca Domestica Pupae, J. J. Joyal, L. D. Hansen, D. R. Coons, G. M. Booth, B. N. Smith, D. D. Mill Mar 2014

Calorespirometric Determination Of The Effects Of Temperature, Humidity, Low O2 And High Co2 On The Development Of Musca Domestica Pupae, J. J. Joyal, L. D. Hansen, D. R. Coons, G. M. Booth, B. N. Smith, D. D. Mill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Evolutionary fitness [1, 2] and physical activity [3] are related to the metabolic activity of organisms. The metabolic rate of an organism may be measured as the rates of CO2 or heat production, or of O2 consumption [4–6, 7]. Calorespirometric data on both heat and CO2 rates allows calculation of anabolic rates, calculation of efficiencies of conversion of substrate into anabolic products, and provides information on the nature of the substrate carbon source [6, 7]. In this study, heat and CO2 production rates of Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae) pupae were measured during exposure to varied humidity, temperature, decreasing O2 partial …

Go to article

Nitrogen Use Efficiency Of Polymer-Coated Urea, Curtis J. Ransom Mar 2014

Nitrogen Use Efficiency Of Polymer-Coated Urea, Curtis J. Ransom

Theses and Dissertations

Plants require N to complete their life cycle. Without adequate concentration of N, crops will not produce their potential yields. For turfgrass systems, N fertilizer application allows for the maintenance of functional, aesthetic, and recreational properties. However, fertilizer mismanagement is common and leads to N pollution in the environment. Controlled-release and slow-release fertilizers can enhance nitrogen (N)-use efficiency, reduce N pollution, minimize the need for repeated fertilizer applications, and reduce turfgrass shoot growth and associated costs. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of these fertilizers in the Intermountain West, research is needed. The timing of N release was evaluated for …

Go to article

Role Of Α6 Nachrs In Ethanol Modulation Of Vta Neurons, Samuel Injae Shin Mar 2014

Role Of Α6 Nachrs In Ethanol Modulation Of Vta Neurons, Samuel Injae Shin

Theses and Dissertations

The prevailing view is that enhancement of dopamine (DA) transmission in the mesolimbic system leads to the rewarding properties of alcohol and nicotine (NIC). The mesolimbic DA system consists of DA neurons in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) that innervate the nucleus accumbens (NAc). DA neurotransmission is regulated by inhibitory VTA GABA neurons, whose excitability is a net effect of glutamate (GLU) and GABA neurotransmission that are modulated by NIC cholinergic receptors (nAChRs) on afferent terminals. We have previously demonstrated that VTA GABA neurons are excited by low-dose ethanol but are inhibited by moderate to high-dose ethanol, and they …

Go to article

An Analysis Of The Archaeological Work Of The Provo River Delta, Utah, Adrien Carole Mooney Mar 2014

An Analysis Of The Archaeological Work Of The Provo River Delta, Utah, Adrien Carole Mooney

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the 20th century, a significant amount of work was conducted at archaeological sites in Utah Valley dating to the Archaic, Fremont, and Late Prehistoric periods. Despite the amount of work conducted, very little has actually been reported in the past. As a result, very little has previously been known about either the prehistoric archaeology of the Provo River Delta area or the historic archaeological work that has taken place. This thesis presents a synthesis of historical work, a reanalysis of artifacts from previous excavations, and a review of extant documentation (including field notes, maps, and student reports) of several …

Go to article

Estimating The Acoustic Power Of Sources In Nonideal Enclosures Using Generalized Acoustic Energy Density, Daniel Ryan Marquez Mar 2014

Estimating The Acoustic Power Of Sources In Nonideal Enclosures Using Generalized Acoustic Energy Density, Daniel Ryan Marquez

Theses and Dissertations

Sound power measurements of acoustic sources are generally made in reverberation or anechoic chambers using acoustic pressure measurements as outlined in specific ISO or other standards. A reverberation chamber produces an approximate diffuse-field condition, wherein the sound power is determined from the spatially averaged squared pressure. An anechoic chamber produces an approximate free-field condition, wherein the sound power is estimated from squared pressure over an enveloping measurement surface. However, in many cases it is desirable to estimate sound power within nonideal semi-reverberant spaces. In these environments, both direct and reverberant energies may contribute significantly to the total acoustic field. This …

Go to article

I Get A Thrill From Punishment: Lou Reed's Adaptations And The Pain They Cause, Jonathan B. Smith Mar 2014

I Get A Thrill From Punishment: Lou Reed's Adaptations And The Pain They Cause, Jonathan B. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores two adaptations by rock musician Lou Reed of the Velvet Underground and Metal Machine Music fame. Reed has always been a complicated and controversial figure, but two of his albums—The Raven (2003), a collaborative theater piece; and Lulu (2011), a collaboration with heavy metal band Metallica—have inspired confusion and vitriol among both fans and critics. However, both adaptations, rich in intertextual references, at once show Reed to be what music historian Simon Reynolds calls a portal figure—offering a map of references to other texts for fans, indicating his own indebtedness to prior art—and to also be an …

Go to article

Different Expression Of Placental Pyruvate Kinase M2 In Normal, Preeclamptic, And Intrauterine Growth Restriction Pregnancies, Brigham L. Bahr Mar 2014

Different Expression Of Placental Pyruvate Kinase M2 In Normal, Preeclamptic, And Intrauterine Growth Restriction Pregnancies, Brigham L. Bahr

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will be organized into two chapters discussing the placental expression of two proteins, pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) and heat shock protein 27 (HSP 27), in human placentas. Understanding the mechanisms of placental metabolism in healthy and diseased placentas helps us understand how placenta disorders occur and how we can treat these disorders. The goal is to investigate these proteins to gain an understanding of their roles in placental disorders and help decrease maternal and fetal mortality rates. Chapter one covers the background of pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) in cancer and embryonic tissues, and the expression of PKM2 in …

Go to article

Automated Tracking And Estimation For Control Of Non-Rigid Cloth, Marc D. Killpack Mar 2014

Automated Tracking And Estimation For Control Of Non-Rigid Cloth, Marc D. Killpack

Faculty Publications

This report is a summary of research conducted on cloth tracking for automated textile manufacturing during a two semester long research course at Georgia Tech. This work was completed in 2009. Advances in current sensing technology such as the Microsoft Kinect would now allow me to relax certain assumptions and generally improve the tracking performance. This is because a major part of my approach described in this paper was to track features in a 2D image and use these to estimate the cloth deformation. Innovations such as the Kinect would improve estimation due to the automatic depth information obtained when …

Go to article

Fire Severity And Size Alter Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) Regeneration And Defense Against Ungulate Herbivory, Ho Yi Wan Mar 2014

Fire Severity And Size Alter Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) Regeneration And Defense Against Ungulate Herbivory, Ho Yi Wan

Theses and Dissertations

Human activities and rapid global climate change are altering fire regimes with potential threat to the stability of aspen ecosystems in North America. Aspen is an early successional species that plays an important role in post-fire forest reestablishment, but chronic browsing on juvenile aspen by large ungulate herbivores after fire can be detrimental and lead to regeneration failure. Although larger and more severe fires are expected to become more prominent, whether and how this may influence aspen and ungulate communities remains unclear. The objective of this research was to examine how the relationship between aspen and ungulate communities might be …

Go to article

Parturition Of Mule Deer In Southern Utah: Management Implications And Habitat Selection, Eric D. Freeman Mar 2014

Parturition Of Mule Deer In Southern Utah: Management Implications And Habitat Selection, Eric D. Freeman

Theses and Dissertations

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are an ecologically, economically, and socially important species across much of the western United States. As such, populations and habitat are intensely managed by state game agencies. However, populations have been declining in recent decades and several factors have been implicated (e.g., climate, predation, competition, and habitat availability). Population dynamics of mule deer are driven by a combination of survival of adults and juveniles and reproductive rates. While adult female mule deer typically have consistently high annual survival rates (85% annually), juveniles are more easily affected by stressors (biotic and abiotic conditions) and therefore …

Go to article

Achilles Tendon Changes In Downhill, Level And Uphill Running, Katy Andrews Neves Mar 2014

Achilles Tendon Changes In Downhill, Level And Uphill Running, Katy Andrews Neves

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, we examined how hill running affects the Achilles tendon, which is a common location for injuries in runners. Twenty females ran for 10 min on three randomly selected grades (-6%, 0%, +6%). Achilles tendon (AT) cross-sectional area (CSA) was imaged using Doppler ultrasound and peak vertical forces were analyzed using high-speed (240 Hz) videography. A metabolic cart and gas analyzer ensured a similar metabolic cost across grades. Data were analyzed using a forward selection regression. Results showed a decrease in AT CSA from pre-run to post-run (p = .0001). Peak vertical forces were different across grades (p …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last