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The Structural And Functional Characterization Of Cef-5 And Snk, Donna Melinda Earl Ashton, Dr. William S. Bradshaw Aug 2013

The Structural And Functional Characterization Of Cef-5 And Snk, Donna Melinda Earl Ashton, Dr. William S. Bradshaw

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The malignant transformation of chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) following infection with the Rous sarcoma virus is mediated through the oncogene v-src. One of the first responses of infected cells is the transcriptional activation of a set of immediate-early genes. Among these are CEF-5 (homologue of EGRI, early growth response, in mammals) and serum induced kinase (snk).

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Engineering, Production And Optimization Of A Bench Scale Tce Bioreactor, David Schlesinger, Dr. Alan R. Harker Aug 2013

Engineering, Production And Optimization Of A Bench Scale Tce Bioreactor, David Schlesinger, Dr. Alan R. Harker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Trichloroethylene (better known as TCE) has been used for decades as a solvent for fats, waxes, oils, paints, varnishes, and rubber. This characteristic of TCE has made it useful in industry for cleaning and degreasing; hence, its wide use at airports, and military installations.

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Techniques And Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dna Of Local Populations Of Cottusbairdi, Amara Earley Bray, Dr. Dennis K. Shiozawa Aug 2013

Techniques And Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dna Of Local Populations Of Cottusbairdi, Amara Earley Bray, Dr. Dennis K. Shiozawa

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recent studies of native trout in Utah have found that populations in separate stream drainages tend to have unique mitochondrial DNA lineages. The association of lineage with drainage implies that the trout tend to remain within their own streams and do not readily migrate to adjacent streams.

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Follicular Dendritic Cells, Hiv And Haart Treatment, Jason Meyer, Dr. Gregory Burton Aug 2013

Follicular Dendritic Cells, Hiv And Haart Treatment, Jason Meyer, Dr. Gregory Burton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for HIV-infected patients can result in the reduction of plasma viral RNA levels to nearly undetectable levels. However, the existence of replication competent virus from chronically infected CD4+ T cells despite apparently successful HAART treatment suggests the existence of protective reservoirs in the body that protect virally infected cells from the effects of HAART treatment (1). Follicular dendritic cells (FDC) are specialized cells that exist primarily in secondary lymphoid tissue. The purpose of my research was to examine my hypothesis that FDC act as such reservoirs by protecting infected cells from the …

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The Locating Of Col11a2 Cell-Specific Enhancers, Jennifer L. Potter, Dr. Laura C. Bridgewater Aug 2013

The Locating Of Col11a2 Cell-Specific Enhancers, Jennifer L. Potter, Dr. Laura C. Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The human skeletal structure is formed first by cartilage which later ossifies to bone. It follows, therefore, that if cartilage formation is aberrant, the resulting bone formation will be affected. Cartilage is composed of fibrils consisting of three types of collagen: type II, type IX, and type XI. These fibrils are only produced by chondrocyte (cartilage) cells.

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Construction Of A Col11a1 Transgene And The Study Of The Col11a1 Mutation In Mice, Dana L. Murphy, Dr. Laura C. Bridgewater Aug 2013

Construction Of A Col11a1 Transgene And The Study Of The Col11a1 Mutation In Mice, Dana L. Murphy, Dr. Laura C. Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Collagen fibrils play an important role in proper skeletal development. Defective collagen can cause human skeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis that affects an estimated 20.7 million Americans. A particular mouse line, housed here at BYU, contains a mutation in the Col11a1 gene. This mutation results in defective type XI collagen, which is an important component of articular cartilage, and eventually leads to osteoarthritis (1).

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Effect Of Smut On Cheatgrass Population Composition, Alisa Paulsen, Dr. Daniel Fairbanks Aug 2013

Effect Of Smut On Cheatgrass Population Composition, Alisa Paulsen, Dr. Daniel Fairbanks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the Western United States, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is often considered to be an undesirable, invasive weed. When cheatgrass is introduced into an area, it can rapidly establish itself as the dominant species, inhibiting re-establishment of native plants1,2 while competing with important grain crops such as winter wheat.3 Not only does cheatgrass compete vigorously with other vegetation, but because it dies early in the summer, dry sites with high amounts of cheatgrass become susceptible to fires. In addition to threatening ranches, farms, and houses, frequent fires drastically increase mortality of shrubs such as Artemesia tridentata and other important shrub species …

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Vitamin Enhanced Cancer Chemotherapy Using 13-Cis- Retinoic Acid, Vitamin E Succinate And 5-Fluorouracil, Marcus C. Neuffer, Dr. Byron K. Murray Aug 2013

Vitamin Enhanced Cancer Chemotherapy Using 13-Cis- Retinoic Acid, Vitamin E Succinate And 5-Fluorouracil, Marcus C. Neuffer, Dr. Byron K. Murray

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recent studies have suggested that vitamins and vitamin derivatives can enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs (2,3). In this study the combination of 13-cis-Retinoic Acid (RA), a Vitamin A derivative, and Vitamin E Succinate (VES) are used with the chemotherapeutic agent 5-Fluorouracil (5FU). Previous studies have suggested that the RA and VES combination have a synergistic effect on inhibiting the growth of the HT-29 human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (1). The RA and VES combination also caused the cells to go through morphological and biochemical changes indicative of apoptosis. The purpose of this study was to treat the HT-29 cell …

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Angiotensin Ii-Mediated Switching Of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone To Arginine Vasopressin In The Paraventricular Nucleus Under Chronic Stress Conditions, Jason T. Rich, Dr. James D. Porter Aug 2013

Angiotensin Ii-Mediated Switching Of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone To Arginine Vasopressin In The Paraventricular Nucleus Under Chronic Stress Conditions, Jason T. Rich, Dr. James D. Porter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of my study was to quantify the effects of angiotensin II on young rats under extreme stress. We hypothesized that we would observe an angiotensin II-mediated switch in brain hormonal expression from corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) to arginine vasopressin (AVP). Ten rats were equipped with osmotic ventricular pumps. Five rats received losartan (an angiotensin II antagonist) and the other five received a saline solution. Three rats where left untreated, to act as a control for the experiment. Two losartan treated rats and one saline treated rat died during the stressing period. However the losartan pumps were salvaged and implanted …

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Proton Conductance Through The Membrane Protein Gramicidin M, Jason D. Merrell, David D. Busath Aug 2013

Proton Conductance Through The Membrane Protein Gramicidin M, Jason D. Merrell, David D. Busath

Journal of Undergraduate Research

After discussion with my faculty mentor, together we decided that my original ORCA proposal would not best suit the needs of the laboratory in which I am allowed to work. Upon reaching this conclusion, a new research plan was organized. The following outlines the progress of this new plan and demonstrates the on-going research that was facilitated via my ORCA scholarship.

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Effect Of Phytoestrogens On Brain Development And Function, Jacob C. Ong, Dr. Edwin D. Lephart Aug 2013

Effect Of Phytoestrogens On Brain Development And Function, Jacob C. Ong, Dr. Edwin D. Lephart

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like compounds derived from plants such as the soy plant and can mimic the function of the human estrogen hormone by binding to estrogen receptors. Estrogen plays a major role in the prevention of osteoperosis and cardiovascular disease in woman. Evidence also suggests that estrogen influences various parts of the memory process and that its impact on an organism is dependent on the developmental stage at which exposure occurs [1].

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Phylogenetic Utility Of The Astacin Gene In Crayfish, Crystal Komm, Dr. Keith Crandall Aug 2013

Phylogenetic Utility Of The Astacin Gene In Crayfish, Crystal Komm, Dr. Keith Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Phylogenetic analyses are used to examine evolutionary relationships among crayfish species at different taxonomic levels. Nuclear genes provide genetic information from independent loci which, when analyzed, can be compared to mitochondrial DNA sequences. Astacin is a nuclear gene encoding a digestive protein in crayfish. This was the focus of this study’s analyses. In this study we had the following five aims:

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Analysis Of A Constitutively Active Phob Mutant Protein, Chad C. Lowe, Dr. William R. Mccleary Aug 2013

Analysis Of A Constitutively Active Phob Mutant Protein, Chad C. Lowe, Dr. William R. Mccleary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Within the cellular environment, the processing of essential nutrients required for cellular growth and metabolism are tightly regulated. When these essential nutrients become limited in the cells surroundings, cellular stress responses are induced. This enables the cell to maintain life in less than ideal environmental conditions.

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Childbirth Experience Of Chinese Women, Robin Kartchner, Dr. Lynn C. Callister Aug 2013

Childbirth Experience Of Chinese Women, Robin Kartchner, Dr. Lynn C. Callister

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Women across the world share in the same biological process of childbirth. However, their experience with childbirth can vary widely depending on their cultural and spiritual background. The quality of care a woman receives during and after her pregnancy is deeply influenced by the understanding of these factors that the nurse brings to their interaction (1). This research built on previous studies of women from other cultures (2) by interviewing Chinese women in China about their childbirth experience.

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The Molecular Basis For Prostate Cancer Risk Reduction By Selenium, Josie Johnson, Dr. Merril J. Christensen Aug 2013

The Molecular Basis For Prostate Cancer Risk Reduction By Selenium, Josie Johnson, Dr. Merril J. Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in American men.1 Results from a cancer prevention trial performed by Clark et.al.2 show that selenium (Se) supplementation in male subjects reduced cancer incidence by 75%. The molecular basis for the chemopreventive effect of Se merits attention in molecular biology research. For the past six months, my research has focused on the impact of Se-supplemented medium on gene expression of transformed human prostate epithelial cells (entitled LNCaP cells) grown in culture. Through differential display methods, tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes that are either upregulated …

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Determining Homology Of Turkey Round Heart Disease Marker Sequences: A Computer-Based Study, Ryan D. Mcallister, Dr. David Kooyman Aug 2013

Determining Homology Of Turkey Round Heart Disease Marker Sequences: A Computer-Based Study, Ryan D. Mcallister, Dr. David Kooyman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Round heart disease (RHD) is a spontaneous occurring cardiomyopathy in turkeys. The domestic turkey Meleagris gallopavo is affected by low body weight and premature death due to congestive heart failure from RHD (1). RHD results in decreased profitability for the animal agriculturists and higher prices for turkey products. DNA markers have been identified for both normal turkeys and for turkeys affected by RHD. These genetic markers have been amplified using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis (2). 16 DNA marker sequences amplified by RAPD have now been determined (3). Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) is a computer program designed …

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Comparison Of Gramicidin A And Gramicidin M Channel Properties In Kcl, Nacl, And Hcl, Jeffrey C. Markham, David D. Busath Aug 2013

Comparison Of Gramicidin A And Gramicidin M Channel Properties In Kcl, Nacl, And Hcl, Jeffrey C. Markham, David D. Busath

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The oligopeptide gramicidin is one of the simplest proteins which can form channels in cell membranes to conduct ions into or out of a cell. The peptide is produced by the bacteria Bacillus brevis. It can also be synthesized by scientists for research purposes. By producing slightly modified variants of the standard gramicidin structure, conclusions can be drawn about structurefunction relationships based on experimentation with the variants.

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Factors That Influence A Woman’S Choice To Breast-Feed, Emily Lippincott, Dr. Renata Forste Aug 2013

Factors That Influence A Woman’S Choice To Breast-Feed, Emily Lippincott, Dr. Renata Forste

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Breast-feeding is the healthiest way for a mother to ensure that her newborn child gets the best nutrition possible; in addition, breast milk provides maternal antibodies to the child that are highly effective in preventing disease (2). Hence the slogan “Breast is Best” was created to encourage mothers to breastfeed their children; unfortunately, there are still a larger number of women who have resisted this message and continue to choose other methods of feeding. For instance, white women are two times more likely to breast-feed than their black counterparts, and college educated women are three times more likely to breast-feed …

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Walking Stick (Insect: Phasmida) Phylogeny And The Evolution Of Insect Flight Based On Molecular Data, Taylor J. Maxwell, Dr. Michael F. Whiting Aug 2013

Walking Stick (Insect: Phasmida) Phylogeny And The Evolution Of Insect Flight Based On Molecular Data, Taylor J. Maxwell, Dr. Michael F. Whiting

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The evolution and development of wings and flight has fascinated scientists for decades. From our research we happened upon an exciting discovery concerning flight in the phylogeny of walking sticks. A basic phylogeny was to be reconstructed from molecular data with the purpose of understanding the classification of the group. The phylogeny enabled us to discover the initial loss of wings and flight in phasmid history and the consequent gain of flight in later lineages. We are not aware of any other organism, which has lost and subsequently regained such a complex character.

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Life Histories In Kizimkazi Dimbani, Zabzibar, Stephen B. Backman, Dr. David P. Crandall, Gary Burgess Aug 2013

Life Histories In Kizimkazi Dimbani, Zabzibar, Stephen B. Backman, Dr. David P. Crandall, Gary Burgess

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Kizimkazi Dimbani is a village of just over 1500 people on the southern end of the island of Zanzibar, which is about 50 miles off of the coast of Tanzania. In the fall of 1998 I went to Zanzibar with a group of seven BYU students under the International Study Programs Office in the Kennedy Center. The group performed a variety of research projects including topics focusing on health, conservation biology, village economics, education, and anthropology. My project was based on a study of the relationship between the kinship and political systems of the village. Through our research we were …

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Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics Study Of An Ion Channel With Aqueous Nacl: A Slab Geometry Approach, Nathan B. Holladay, David D. Busath Aug 2013

Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics Study Of An Ion Channel With Aqueous Nacl: A Slab Geometry Approach, Nathan B. Holladay, David D. Busath

Journal of Undergraduate Research

An ion channel is a tunnel that allows ions to cross a barrier. Ion channels are common components of cellular membranes, helping to regulate ionic concentrations in different areas inside or outside cells. Electrical and/or concentration differences between one side of a membrane and the other often drive the net flow of ions in one direction or the other across the membrane. Theoretical biophysicists have used computer-based molecular dynamics simulations for years now to study the behavior of ions within ion channels under equilibrium conditions. Before our study, however, few or no studies had been done in which molecular dynamics …

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Mutagenesis Of The Voltage-Gated Na+ Channel: S4 Charge Interaction With U-Conotoxin, David Allan Edwards, R. Paul Evans Aug 2013

Mutagenesis Of The Voltage-Gated Na+ Channel: S4 Charge Interaction With U-Conotoxin, David Allan Edwards, R. Paul Evans

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Within the membrane of excitable cells like those of nerve and muscle tissue, lie proteins called ion channels, which control the passage of ions in and out of the cell. The flow of ions stimulates the action of the cell, which ultimately leads to contraction of muscle tissue in the case of muscle cells, and sensation in the case of nerve cells. Seizures and pain sensation are extreme results of the action of these cells. To control pain, for example, we may use anesthetics that directly interact with ion channels and prevent the flow of ions across the cell membrane. …

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Transfer Of Hiv From Fdc To Macrophages, Michael Fuller, Dr. Gregory Burton Aug 2013

Transfer Of Hiv From Fdc To Macrophages, Michael Fuller, Dr. Gregory Burton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the last semester, I have been engaged in studying the ability of macrophages to pick up HIV from follicular dendritic cells (FDC) in the follicles of the lymph nodes. Research by Dr. Gregory F. Burton of Brigham Young University has shown that HIV virions held on the dendrite processes of follicular dendritic cells in immune complex form are still infectious, and can infect T cells. Research by Dr. Suzanne Gartner at Johns Hopkins University has shown homology between HIV isolated from the brain to HIV in the lymph nodes. Tying these data together, I hypothesized that macrophages are able …

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Ion Channel Permeation: Kinetic Modeling Of Ion/Side-Chain Electrostatic Interactions In Native And Fluorinated Gramicidin Channels, Adam S. Frost, David D. Busath Aug 2013

Ion Channel Permeation: Kinetic Modeling Of Ion/Side-Chain Electrostatic Interactions In Native And Fluorinated Gramicidin Channels, Adam S. Frost, David D. Busath

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Gramicidin A is a 15-amino acid peptide produced by several strains of the bacteria Bacillus brevis. The primary sequence of gramicidin A is HCO-L-Val-Gly-L-Ala-D-Leu-L-Ala-D-Val-LVal- D-Val-L-Trp-D-Leu-L-Trp-D-Leu-L-Trp-D-Leu-L-Trp-NHCH2CH2OH. The side-chains alternate chirality, with the odd-numbered residues having the usual L-chirality and the evennumbered residues having D-chirality. The alternating chirality of the side-chains forces them to project away from the lumen of the helix, yielding a tight wind with a central hole formed by the space within the helix. The secondary structure of gramicidin is a single-stranded, left-handed, b6.5-helix that dimerizes head-to-head (N-terminus to N-terminus) in lipid bilayer membranes to form a monovalent, cation-selective …

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Creating A Gene Deletion In Scherichia Coli, Brian J. Beames, Dr. William R. Mccleary Aug 2013

Creating A Gene Deletion In Scherichia Coli, Brian J. Beames, Dr. William R. Mccleary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Two component systems are an integral part of a bacterial cell. They consist of a histidine kinase and a response regulator. The histidine kinase is a receptor protein that signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. Once a ligand binds to the histidine kinase, it autophosphorylates on the inside of the cell and activates the response regulator by phosphorylating it. Once the response regulator is activated, it can then phosphorylate another protein of the cell and that protein can carry out its function. An example of a two component system is the Pho system. PhoB is a …

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Life Histories In Kizimkazi Dimbani, Zabzibar, Stephen B. Backman, Dr. David P. Crandall, Dr. Gary Burgess Aug 2013

Life Histories In Kizimkazi Dimbani, Zabzibar, Stephen B. Backman, Dr. David P. Crandall, Dr. Gary Burgess

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Kizimkazi Dimbani is a village of just over 1500 people on the southern end of the island of Zanzibar, which is about 50 miles off of the coast of Tanzania. In the fall of 1998 I went to Zanzibar with a group of seven BYU students under the International Study Programs Office in the Kennedy Center. The group performed a variety of research projects including topics focusing on health, conservation biology, village economics, education, and anthropology. My project was based on a study of the relationship between the kinship and political systems of the village. Through our research we were …

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Creation Of An Artificial Microbial Consortium, Sam Augustine, Dr. Alan Harker Aug 2013

Creation Of An Artificial Microbial Consortium, Sam Augustine, Dr. Alan Harker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Ecology is the study of the interactions of living organisms with each other and their environment. In microbiology there has been relatively little done in this field compared to the macro-biological world. In traditional macro-scale ecology an environment is clearly delineated by physical boundaries, access to resources and competition.

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Power Of Shame: The Moderating Effects Of Parental And Peer Connection On The Relationship Between Adolescent Shame And Depression, Self-Esteem, And Hope, Alexander L. Hsieh Aug 2013

Power Of Shame: The Moderating Effects Of Parental And Peer Connection On The Relationship Between Adolescent Shame And Depression, Self-Esteem, And Hope, Alexander L. Hsieh

Theses and Dissertations

Past research and views on shame have indicated that shame has detrimental effects for adolescent development. Little research has focused on the pathways in which shame may affect adolescent traits. Even less studies examine what variables may moderate the effects of shame. Using adolescent self-report questionnaires, this study examined the relationship between adolescent shame and depression, self-esteem, and hope. In addition, this study examined the moderating effect maternal, paternal, and best friend relationships have between shame and adolescent outcome variables. A structural equation moderation model analysis was fit to data from 307 two-parent families. The average age of adolescents for …

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Structure Of Octahedral Polyomavirus, Robert Swenson, Dr. David Belnap Aug 2013

Structure Of Octahedral Polyomavirus, Robert Swenson, Dr. David Belnap

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Polyomaviruses (PVs) are viruses that can cause tumors in mammals and fatal diseases in birds. Knowles et al. (2) estimated that over 90% of the human population is infected with a polyomavirus, but these infections are usually dormant, and only show symptoms in patients with compromised immune systems. PVs normally form a capsid with icosahedral symmetry whose structure is known (Figure 1). In this structure, the major capsid protein (VP1) forms a stable pentamer with the C-terminal arms of the proteins extending outwards. VP1 pentamers (filled pentagons, Figure 1) interact with five other pentamers on some vertices, and with six …

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A Probabilistic Pair-Hidden Markov Model For Snp Detection In Next Generation Sequencing Data, Nathan Clement, Dr. Quinn Snell Aug 2013

A Probabilistic Pair-Hidden Markov Model For Snp Detection In Next Generation Sequencing Data, Nathan Clement, Dr. Quinn Snell

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In order to create and maintain a healthy human body, over three billion nucleotides (molecules of DNA, collectively called a genome) need to work together in harmony. Each cell in the human body needs its own copy of the genome, so during growth an individual’s DNA is replicated many times. Because the process of replication is not perfect, there are occasional mistakes. Sometimes, these mistakes can be fixed by the body’s own repair mechanisms, but occasionally, a single change in one of the three billion molecules in a human genome have lifethreatening results (for example, see the entry on Cystic …

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