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Mica-Morph Interpolated Character Animation, Mike D. Smith, Dr. Thomas W. Sederberg Feb 2014

Mica-Morph Interpolated Character Animation, Mike D. Smith, Dr. Thomas W. Sederberg

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In conventional two-dimensional or flat animation, an artist called a character animator will draw key poses for a cartoon that specify movement and expression. Generally, one or more additional artists will take these key frames of animation and draw more images to insert between them. This creates the illusion of the cartoon moving from one key pose to the next. What the additional artists do is called inbetweening. Inbetweening is not only labor intensive and very costly, but because of production budgets and time constraints, the level of detail in the animated characters must be kept very low.

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The Effects Of Maternal Separation On Lymphocyte Activity In Rats, Patrick R. Olson, Dr. Reuben Ward Rhees Feb 2014

The Effects Of Maternal Separation On Lymphocyte Activity In Rats, Patrick R. Olson, Dr. Reuben Ward Rhees

Journal of Undergraduate Research

We have been investigating how stress affects physiological development. My interest dealt with the effects of stress on the immune system. Lymphocyte proliferation is a common measurement of immune function.

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The Effect Of Role Assignment For Children With Specific Language Impairment Participating In Cooperative Learning Groups, Martin Fujiki, Jenifer D. Miskin, Alyssa Stanger Feb 2014

The Effect Of Role Assignment For Children With Specific Language Impairment Participating In Cooperative Learning Groups, Martin Fujiki, Jenifer D. Miskin, Alyssa Stanger

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Our research was conducted within a larger project designed to facilitate language and social skills in children with SLI. Fifty-six subjects between the ages of 6 and 11 participated in this project. Eight of these subjects were children with SLI, and the remaining forty-eight were typically developing. Each of the children with SLI was paired with two typically developing peers of the same gender to form a triad of children. Each triad worked on four different cooperative tasks.

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The History Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints In Mozambique, Partick C. J. Tedjamulia, Dr. E. Dale Lebaron Feb 2014

The History Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints In Mozambique, Partick C. J. Tedjamulia, Dr. E. Dale Lebaron

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The people of Mozambique did not wait for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to determine the appropriate time to enter their country, the early Mozambican pioneers paved the way and called in the troops. When the first full-time missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints entered Maputo, Mozambique they found an official branch already organized with a full presidency, relief society, and auxiliary leaders. As the missionaries entered the Maputo Branch sacrament meeting for the first time, the members had been fasting for their arrival.

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Biophysical Mechanism Of Anesthetics, David Busath Feb 2014

Biophysical Mechanism Of Anesthetics, David Busath

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I was awarded a MEG in 2008 (with support continuing through 2009) for the project entitled “Biophysical Mechanism of Anesthetics.” The goals of the project were to measure the impact of volatile general anesthetics (isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane) on:

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Book Review: A Voyage Across The Americas: The Journey Of Henri De Buren, 1852-1854, Christopher Cumo Feb 2014

Book Review: A Voyage Across The Americas: The Journey Of Henri De Buren, 1852-1854, Christopher Cumo

Swiss American Historical Society Review

No abstract provided.

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The Effect Of Sleep-Dependent Consolidation On Pattern Separation And Pattern Completion In Delayed Retrieval, Jesse Ray James Feb 2014

The Effect Of Sleep-Dependent Consolidation On Pattern Separation And Pattern Completion In Delayed Retrieval, Jesse Ray James

Theses and Dissertations

While people sleep, the brain replays the same neural firings that resulted from waking activities that day. This results in greater memory strength following a sleeping delay than a waking delay. The current project built upon this fact in a series of three experiments. Experiment 1. Although previous research has demonstrated a benefit of sleep to memory strength, the literature has not established the impact of sleep on memory specificity. Computational models of medial temporal lobe function posit that discrimination and generalization across similar memories are accomplished through processes known as pattern separation and pattern completion, respectively. To discover whether …

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Quantitative Genetics Of Response To Novelty And Other Stimuli By Infant Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta) Across Three Behavioral Assessments, G. L. Fawcett, A. M. Dettmer, D. Kay, M. Raveendran, James Dee Higley, N. D. Ryan, J. L. Cameron, J. Rogers Feb 2014

Quantitative Genetics Of Response To Novelty And Other Stimuli By Infant Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta) Across Three Behavioral Assessments, G. L. Fawcett, A. M. Dettmer, D. Kay, M. Raveendran, James Dee Higley, N. D. Ryan, J. L. Cameron, J. Rogers

Faculty Publications

Primate behavior is influenced by both heritable factors and environmental experience during development. Previous studies of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) examined the effects of genetic variation on expressed behavior and related neurobiological traits (heritability and/or genetic association) using a variety of study designs. Most of these prior studies examined genetic effects on the behavior of adults or adolescent rhesus macaques, not in young macaques early in development. To assess environmental and additive genetic variation in behavioral reactivity and response to novelty among infants, we investigated a range of behavioral traits in a large number (N = 428) of pedigreed infants …

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Systematics And Genetic Variation Among The Cryptic Sub-Species Complex Of Two- Lined Salamanders Eurycea Bislineata, Eric Swenson, Dr. Keith Crandall Jan 2014

Systematics And Genetic Variation Among The Cryptic Sub-Species Complex Of Two- Lined Salamanders Eurycea Bislineata, Eric Swenson, Dr. Keith Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

DNA sequence analysis can be a very powerful tool to examine the evolutionary history of many different species of organisms. One of the most useful benefits is determining species lineage and evolutionary relationships. In this study we attempted to examine the phylogenetic relationship of Eurycea bislineata, an east coast salamander by examining the Cytochrome b, and ND4 gene regions of the mitochondrial DNA genome.

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Electronic Control Of The Photocycloaddition Of Silyl Tethered Alkenes, Kari Cowdell, Dr. Steven A. Fleming Jan 2014

Electronic Control Of The Photocycloaddition Of Silyl Tethered Alkenes, Kari Cowdell, Dr. Steven A. Fleming

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Solar energy is a major reason for the study of photochemistry. Photochemistry is the investigation of the interaction of organic compounds with light. The ability of plants and bacteria to harness the sun’s energy is an example of photochemistry. One area of photochemical research is the synthesis of cyclobutane rings which are found in plant essential oils and animal pheromones. Anticancer drugs such as taxol also have four member rings in their structures. Biological systems are unique in their ability to produce cyclobutane systems with specific stereochemistry that current methods of synthesis require great effort to acquire. It has been …

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Mathematics In Rural Mexico: Motivations And Barriers For Adult Women Learners, Janel Wilson Williams, Dr. Jacqualine Taylor Voyles Jan 2014

Mathematics In Rural Mexico: Motivations And Barriers For Adult Women Learners, Janel Wilson Williams, Dr. Jacqualine Taylor Voyles

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Math educators have long realized that women in general have shied away from involvement in the mathematical world. Current research in the mathematics education field studies the motivations and barriers women have to studying math. My research extends this topic to a small village in Mexico: La Estancia. By studying factors that encourage or discourage adult Mexican women from studying math in rural settings, important influences can be identified. The identification of these elements can lead to the development of important intervention programs targeted at minimizing negative influences while capitalizing on and strengthening the existing positive influences.

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Species Boundaries In The Gymnodactylus Darwinii Complex (Reptilia, Squamata), Aaron N. Waite, Dr. Jack W. Sites Jr. Jan 2014

Species Boundaries In The Gymnodactylus Darwinii Complex (Reptilia, Squamata), Aaron N. Waite, Dr. Jack W. Sites Jr.

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The genus Gymnodactylus is a group of small lizards belonging to the family Gekkonidae, which occur in the east and central areas of Brazil. The species G. darwinii is restricted to the Atlantic Forest and ranges from the northeastern state of Bahia south 1500 miles along the coast to the northern region of the southeastern state of São Paulo.

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“Herceptin (Trastazumab) Causes Cardiotoxicity In Breast Cancer Patients With Prior Cardiac Trauma”, Rick Whitehead, Dr. Kim L. O'Neill Jan 2014

“Herceptin (Trastazumab) Causes Cardiotoxicity In Breast Cancer Patients With Prior Cardiac Trauma”, Rick Whitehead, Dr. Kim L. O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 1998, approximately 10 million women reached the age of 50 years, at a rate of 5,000 women per day. Based on the age incidence data for breast cancer, this means that, within the next ten years, 296,000 women will be affected annually with breast cancer. Because of the tremendous growth in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, new strategies will be required to treat this “baby boomer” explosion.

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Jak/Stat Pathway Utilized By Adrenal Cells In Response To Il-6, Brice Jason Williams, Dr. Allan M. Judd Jan 2014

Jak/Stat Pathway Utilized By Adrenal Cells In Response To Il-6, Brice Jason Williams, Dr. Allan M. Judd

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In most mammals, the adrenal cortex produces the hormones cortisol, aldosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). These hormones have profound effects upon water and salt balance, the inflammatory response, and the metabolism of sugars, fats, and proteins. Because of its importance in maintaining homeostasis, the body highly regulates the adrenal gland. As part of the regulation, the body secretes many different molecules including cytokines. One of the most researched cytokines is interleukin-6, IL-6 (1). Many different cells produce IL-6, including adrenal cortical cells (2). The adrenal cortical cells secrete IL-6 into the extracellular space. IL-6 then binds to its receptor (IL-6 receptor …

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Locating Chondrocyte-Specific Enhancer Elements In The First Intronic Region Of The Col11a2 Gene, Steven Alan Smith, Dr. Laura Bridgewater Jan 2014

Locating Chondrocyte-Specific Enhancer Elements In The First Intronic Region Of The Col11a2 Gene, Steven Alan Smith, Dr. Laura Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Osteoarthritis is one of most prominent illnesses that plague our world today. It involves the degeneration of cartilage between joints due to a reduction of collagen fibrils. The type XI collagen gene (Col11a2) is one of a few genes responsible for the production of the collagen fibrils. It is expressed wherever cartilage is present. It is expressed in these areas because of specific expression factors (proteins) that enhance the production of collagen. Once these expression factors are known, a possible genetic remedy can be manufactured to aide in curing osteoarthritis or other skeletal abnormalities.

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Effects Of Dietary Phytoestrogens On Calcium-Binding Proteins And Cox- 2 In The Frontal Cortex Of Adult Rats, Lilyan Yi Tian, Dr. Edwin Lephart Jan 2014

Effects Of Dietary Phytoestrogens On Calcium-Binding Proteins And Cox- 2 In The Frontal Cortex Of Adult Rats, Lilyan Yi Tian, Dr. Edwin Lephart

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like molecules found in many plants (that have a diphenolic, non-steroidal structure), such as, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole-grain and especially soy products. These plant estrogen mimic the ability to selectively bind estrogen receptors and have recently received a great deal of investigative attention due to the potential protective effects against age-related diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis) as well as hormone-dependent cancers (i.e., breast and prostate cancer). At this time, however, little is known about the effects phytoestrogens have on the central nervous system (CNS).

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The Separation Of Suspected Subspecies Of Cutthroat Trout Using Mitochondrial Dna Sequences, Becky A. Shiozawa, R. Paul Evans Jan 2014

The Separation Of Suspected Subspecies Of Cutthroat Trout Using Mitochondrial Dna Sequences, Becky A. Shiozawa, R. Paul Evans

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Current mitochondrial DNA techniques using restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) are still unsuccessful in determining phylogenetic relationships between subspecies of cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki), such as the relationships between Snake River finespot cutthroat trout and Yellowstone cutthroat trout, Bear River Bonneville cutthroat trout and Yellowstone cutthroat trout, and Lahontan cutthroat trout and its subspecies. Due to these groups distinct geological or ecological separation and the relatively rapid rate of mtDNA evolution, it is likely distinctive markers exist for these subspecies within mtDNA. Identification of such markers would be valuable for identification and future research on the subspecies.

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Physical Mapping Of Dna Sequences Of Chenopod Chromosomes Using Florescence In Situ Hybridization (Fish)., Theron J. Baker, Dr. Eric N. Jellen Jan 2014

Physical Mapping Of Dna Sequences Of Chenopod Chromosomes Using Florescence In Situ Hybridization (Fish)., Theron J. Baker, Dr. Eric N. Jellen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is an Andean cereal chenopod known for its ideal nutritional characteristics along with its abilities to grow in drought conditions and in soils with high salt content (Fairbanks 2002). Until recently, quinoa has received little attention from the scientific community; but due to recognition of its nutritional and agronomic potential, science is now beginning to take interest (Fleming 1995). Among the few genetic studies published, Giusti (1970) established the base chromosome number of the species to be eight or nine with varying ploidy levels. More recently, Kolano (2001) mapped the 45S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences using fluorescence …

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Examination Of Ap-4 As A Transcriptional Activator Of The Col11a2 Chondrocyte-Specific Enhancer Elements, Todd Lincoln Jackson, Dr. Laura Bridgewater Jan 2014

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 …

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The Gender Roles Of Rural Mexican Women, Caroline Victoria Raynor, Dr. Doug Weatherford Jan 2014

The Gender Roles Of Rural Mexican Women, Caroline Victoria Raynor, Dr. Doug Weatherford

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The gender roles of Mexican women seem rather obvious to most people. You envision submissive women, cooking, cleaning and raising children. While this is in most part true, life is changing in the rural villages near Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. As I began this research, I intended to define what the roles of these women consisted of. I found that the roles are not as rigid as one would imagine, and the women are not as docile as I had thought.

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The Specific Binding Of Protein’S To The Abc, Fg, And De Enhancer Elements Of The Col11a2 Gene, Kristopher Bennion, Dr. Laura Bridgewater Jan 2014

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 …

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Dppg Susceptibility To Human Group X Phospholipase A2, Katrina Behling, Dr. John D. Bell Jan 2014

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, …

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Convergent Hiv Evolution, Keith A. Crandall, Dr. Chris R. Kelsey Jan 2014

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. …

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Production Of Cytokines Interleukin-6 And Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha In Human Adrenocortical H295r Cells, Joseph Johnson, Dr. Allan M. Judd Jan 2014

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.

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Molecular Mechanism Of Neuronal Communication, Blake Simmons, Dr. Dixon Woodbury Jan 2014

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.

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Common Variable Immunodeficiency: Literature And Reality, Heather Janene Kearl, Dr. Richard R. Tolman Jan 2014

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.

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Preliminary Phylogeneic Analyses Of The Erotylidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Erotylidae) Based On Molecular Data, James A. Robertson, Dr. Michael F. Whiting Jan 2014

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, …

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The Effects Of Phytoestrogen Diets On Rats Exhibiting Tendencies For Cancerous Growth In Reproductive Tissue, Jason Hatch, Dr. R. Ward Rhees Jan 2014

The Effects Of Phytoestrogen Diets On Rats Exhibiting Tendencies For Cancerous Growth In Reproductive Tissue, Jason Hatch, Dr. R. Ward Rhees

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In recent years, phytoestrogens (nonsteroidal, estrogen-like substances found in plant sources such as beans, rice, soy and wheat) have received extensive investigative research. However, current information about the amount of phytoestrogens in human diets is limited (4). Scientific research has alluded to possible benefits of diets high in phytoestrogens based on epidemiological studies done on Asian and Eastern European cultures (2). These studies indicate that consumption of a phytoestrogen-rich diet, as seen in traditional Asiatic societies, is possibly associated with a lower risk of the so-called “Western” diseases such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis (3). Epidemiological, …

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Phylogeny And Evolution Of The Freshwater Crayfish Family Parastacidae (Crustacea Decapoda), Michael Jonathan Carlson, Dr. Keith A. Crandall Jan 2014

Phylogeny And Evolution Of The Freshwater Crayfish Family Parastacidae (Crustacea Decapoda), Michael Jonathan Carlson, Dr. Keith A. Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Freshwater crayfish of the family Parastacidae consist of 14 genera distributed in the Southern Hemisphere: nine are endemic to Australia, one to Madagascar, one to New Zealand, and three to South America (southern Chile and Brazil). Although this family has been studied for several years (e.g. Huxley, 1880), the evolutionary relationships among the taxa are still unclear (Crandall et al., 1999). Recently, Crandall et al. (2000) demonstrated the utility of combining mitochondrial (16S) and nuclear (18S and 28S) ribosomal genes to resolve deep and shallow phylogenetic relationships among crayfish. Thus, a more extensive molecular study, using these regions and …

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Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (Aflp) Analysis Of Head Smut Population Diversity, Jennifer Waters, Dr. Mikel R. Stevens Jan 2014

Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (Aflp) Analysis Of Head Smut Population Diversity, Jennifer Waters, Dr. Mikel R. Stevens

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), an invasive winter annual weed, displaces native vegetation, invades crops, and fuels rangeland fires across approximately 40 million hectares of the Intermountain West. Most attempts to control the weed have been unsuccessful, leading to a search for a biological control agent. Ustilago bullata, head smut, is a natural species-specific, fungal pathogen of cheatgrass. Despite apparent phenotypic (physical) uniformity in cheatgrass and head smut, susceptibility and virulence, respectively, are variable. These findings led to the hypothesis that genetic variability for susceptibility/pathogenicity exists in the host and pathogen.

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