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4 Part Research Project: Cholecystokinin, Marcie Tasker

Academic Symposium of Undergraduate Scholarship

This 4 part research paper contains information on the biological molecule Cholecystokinin. The following research discusses and presents evidence of the name, history and structure of the hormone. It also discusses the different chemical reactions Cholecystokinin has in the body, the biological roles of Cholecystokinin and the importance of Cholecystokinin focusing specifically on the unexplained obesity issue of our world.

The Role Of Adaptive Trans-Generational Plasticity In Biological Invasions Of Plants, Andrew R. Dyer, Cynthia S. Brown, Erin K. Espeland, John K. Mckay, Harald Meimberg, Kevin J. Rice

Faculty Publications

High-impact biological invasions often involve establishment and spread in disturbed, high-resource patches followed by establishment and spread in biotically or abiotically stressful areas. Evolutionary change may be required for the second phase of invasion (establishment and spread in stressful areas) to occur. When species have low genetic diversity and short selection history, within-generation phenotypic plasticity is often cited as the mechanism through which spread across multiple habitat types can occur. We show that trans-generational plasticity (TGP) can result in pre-adapted progeny that exhibit traits associated with increased fitness both in high-resource patches and in stressful conditions. In the invasive sedge, …

In Vitro And In Vivo Assessment Of Pulmonary Risk Associated With Exposure To Combustion Generated Fine Particles, Baher Fahmy, Liren Ding, Dahui You, Slawo Lomnicki, Barry Dellinger, Stephania A. Cormier

Faculty Publications

Strong correlations exist between exposure to PM2.5 and adverse pulmonary effects. PM2.5 consists of fine (≤2.5μm) and ultrafine (≤0.1μm) particles with ultrafine particles accounting for >70% of the total particles. Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) have recently been identified in airborne PM2.5. To determine the adverse pulmonary effects of EPFRs associated with exposure to elevated levels of PM2.5, we engineered 2.5μm surrogate EPFR-particle systems. We demonstrated that EPFRs generated greater oxidative stress in vitro, which was partly responsible for the enhanced cytotoxicity following exposure. In vivo studies using rats exposed to EPFRs containing particles demonstrated minimal adverse pulmonary effects. Additional …

Mechanisms Of Apoptosis In Crustacea: What Conditions Induce Versus Suppress Cell Death?, Michael A. Menze, Grady Fortner, Suman Nag, Steven C. Hand

Faculty Publications

Arthropoda is the largest of all animal phyla and includes about 90% of extant species. Our knowledge about regulation of apoptosis in this phylum is largely based on findings for the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Recent work with crustaceans shows that apoptotic proteins, and presumably mechanisms of cell death regulation, are more diverse in arthropods than appreciated based solely on the excellent work with fruit flies. Crustacean homologs exist for many major proteins in the apoptotic networks of mammals and D. melanogaster, but integration of these proteins into the physiology and pathophysiology of crustaceans is far from complete. Whether apoptosis …

Monitoring And First Discovery Of The Mexican Rice Borer Eoreuma Loftini (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) In Louisiana, N. A. Hummel, T. Hardy, T. E. Reagan, D. Pollet, C. Carlton, M. J. Stout, J. M. Beuzelin, W. Akbar, W. White

Faculty Publications

Eoreuma loftini has expanded its range from the LRGV to east Texas, and now into southwest Louisiana. LDAF and LSU AgCenter scientists forecast that natural and unintended artificial movement will result in the continued spread of E. loftini toward the heart of Louisiana's rice and sugarcane-growing regions. The 12-XII-2008 collection was the first confirmation of this pest in the state. By catching E. loftini early in its natural advancement into Louisiana, additional rapid and proactive responses will allow producers to become educated on the best management practices for the pest in sugarcane and rice. These best management practices include planting …

Biological Control Of Tropical Soda Apple (Solanaceae) In Florida: Post-Release Evaluation, J. Medal, N. Bustamante, W. Overholt, R. Diaz, P. Stansly, A. Roda, D. Amalin, K. Hibbard, R. Gaskalla, B. Sellers, S. Hight, J. Cuda

Faculty Publications

The leaf feeding beetle Gratiana boliviana was released on tropical soda apple plants in Sumter County, FL., in 2006. The beetles significantly defoliated the plants over the period of the summers of 2006 and 2007, and became well established in the area.

When Trees Grow Too Long: Investigating The Causes Of Highly Inaccurate Bayesian Branch-Length Estimates, Jeremy M. Brown, Shannon M. Hedtke, Alan R. Lemmon, Emily Moriarty Lemmon

Faculty Publications

A surprising number of recent Bayesian phylogenetic analyses contain branch-length estimates that are several orders of magnitude longer than corresponding maximum-likelihood estimates. The levels of divergence implied by such branch lengths are unreasonable for studies using biological data and are known to be false for studies using simulated data. We conducted additional Bayesian analyses and studied approximate-posterior surfaces to investigate the causes underlying these large errors. We manipulated the starting parameter values of the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) analyses, the moves used by the MCMC analyses, and the prior-probability distribution on branch lengths. We demonstrate that inaccurate branch-length estimates …

Academic Achievement And Course Taking Among Language Minority Youth In U.S. Schools: Effects Of Esl Placement, Rebecca Callahan, Lindsey Wilkinson, Chandra Muller

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The 1974 Lau decision requires that U.S. public schools ensure a meaningful education for students learning English. English as a Second Language (ESL) placement is an institutional response to the linguistic needs of these students; however, its academic implications remain largely unexplored. Using nationally representative data from the Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS), the effects of ESL placement on college preparatory course enrollment and academic achievement of language minority students are estimated, first with fixed effects regression models and then with multi-level propensity score matching techniques. While numerous school and individual level factors beyond language proficiency predict ESL placement, a significant …

Neovascularity Patterns In Breast Carcinoma: Correlation Of Doppler Ultrasound Features With Sonographic Tumour Morphology, Riffat Shaheen, Saba Sohail, Kauser Jahan Siddiqui

Department of Radiology

Objective: To determine the association and correlation between morphologic features of breast cancer on gray scale ultrasound, and vascularity patterns and indices on color and spectral Doppler ultrasound.
Study design: Cross-sectional, analytical study.
Place and duration of study: Department of Radiology, Dow University of Health Sciences and Civil Hospital, Karachi, from August 2006 to June 2007.
Methodology: Fifty adult female patients with histopathological proven breast cancer underwent ultrasound for evaluation of morphologic features on gray scale mode; vascularity patterns on color Doppler scan and flow indices measurement on spectral Doppler ultrasound. Regression analysis was conducted to determine correlation between the …

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Analysis: Final Project Report, Scott R. Abella, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Vegetation Monitoring and Analysis at Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NRA) was funded by the Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan, Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, and Lake Mead NRA base-funds. This Cooperative Task Agreement was awarded to the Public Lands Institute (PLI) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on September 30, 2006 with the term ending December 31, 2009, as modified. The primary purpose of this Task Agreement was to work within an interagency framework towards the accomplishment of three main vegetation management objectives. These three goals were to: (1) inventory, research …

The Implementation Of A Conceptually Coherent Curriculum Within A Constructivist Preschool Environment, Heather Jones, Sarah Post

Psychology and Child Development

Creating a learning environment that enchants children’s curiosity and sparks exploration, discovery, and thought does not require a great amount of financial resources. Rather, one must concentrate on observation and focus on building on children’s existing interests in the natural world. The research and theories of Swiss psychologist and philosopher, Jean Piaget, and Russian Psychologist, Lev Vygotsky provide a concrete look into a child’s cognitive and social development and can be informative in creating such environments. Using the developmental knowledge presented in these theories, programs such as the Reggio Emilia program, the Preschool Pathways to Science program (PrePS), and the …

The Nature Of Myth, Emma Scott

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

E-Books: Replacing Traditional Textbooks, Bryan Jorgenson

Graphic Communication

No abstract provided.

Choice In Birth: Preserving Access To Vbac, Elizabeth Kukura

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

A Skeleton Tells Its Own Story: Forensic Anthropological Analysis For The Science Classroom Laboratory, Virginia L. Naples, D. Breed, J.S. Miller

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

The techniques of forensic anthropology and pathology can provide new information to increase student interest in studying the structural details of the human skeleton. We present a simplified methodology for assessing skeletal ethnicity, sex, age, and stature. An inexpensive method has been devised for constructing an osteometric board to allow students to measure long bones accurately. The effects of aging and the influence of lifestyle alterations on skeletal elements are presented along with the prediction of their effects on the living individual. This laboratory is intended to acquaint students with the process of collecting and analyzing data, interpreting scientific results, …

Taxol Precursor Production In Physcomitrella Patens, Samuel Hughes, Aldwin Anterola

Posters

Taxol is a cancer fighting drug that was initially isolated from the Pacific Yew. However, the isolation process is not very efficient and the tree is being excessively harvested and faces extinction. To synthetically make Taxol is an inefficient and costly process. If the precursor taxadiene-5 alpha-acetoxy-10 beta-ol can be produced with ease, then the synthetic modification of that precursor would be an efficient way to produce the potent cancer fighting drug. Several genes from the Pacific Yew were isolated and amplified so that they could be inserted into the moss Physcomitrella patens. Using competent E. coli cells as entry …

Phytochemical Screening Of Methanolic Extract And Antibacterial Activity Of Active Principles Of Hepatoprotective Herb, Eclipta Alba, Sunita Dalal, Sudhir K. Kataria, K. V. Sastry, Svs Rana

Ethnobotanical Leaflets

Aerial parts of Eclipta alba are used traditionally for the treatment of several diseases of liver, skin and stomach. Methanolic extract and active principle compound of a well known Indian hepatoprotective herb, Eclipta alba was tested for in vitro antimicrobial studies. It was evaluated using zone of inhibition studies and minimum inhibitory concentration. The extract exhibited activity against all six strains studied. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, coumestans, saponins and alkaloids etc. Ethylacetate fraction and further pure isolated wedelolactone showed enhanced antimicrobial activity. Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium were most susceptible. Shigella …

Distributions And Folk Tibb Knowledge Of Milk Thistle (Silybum Marianum L.) In Nwfp, Pakistan, Khalid Hussain, Syed Zia-Ul-Hussnain, Aamir Shahazad

Ethnobotanical Leaflets

The purpose of our survey was to collect distribution data and folk tibb knowledge of milk thistle at NWFP Pakistan. NWFP area’s including District Haripur and Abbottabad were visited during 2007 and 2008 in the month of December. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) was found growing wildly covering about 20-52% area. A total of 90 Hakims and 90 local peoples were interviewed regarding the use of Milk thistle. It was concluded that Milk thistle was used for liver disease especially for Hepatitis. About 75% from interviewed community were using it seeds while 25% preferred to use its whole plant as …

Antimicrobial Activity Of Ethanolic Extracts Of Syzygium Aromaticum And Allium Sativum Against Food Associated Bacteria And Fungi, Ram Kumar Pundir, Pranay Jain, Chetan Sharma

Ethnobotanical Leaflets

The successful control of food spoilage microorganisms require the use of indigenous antimicrobials in foods including certain botanical compounds that have been historically used for flavour enhancement as well as preservation. The present study was designed to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extracts of Syzygium aromaticum (clove) and Allium sativum (garlic) against Gram-positive and Gram-negative food associated bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, B. megaterium, B. polymyxa, B. sphaericus, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) and molds (Penicillium oxalicum, Aspergillus flavus, A. luchuensis, Rhizopus stolonifer, Scopulariopsis sp. and Mucor sp.) assayed by agar well diffusion method and poisoned food technique, respectively. …

Primate Craniofacial Function And Biology, Paul J. Constantino

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Book review: Primate Craniofacial Function and Biology

Evaluations Of A Novel Isolate Of Isaria Fumosorosea For Control Of The Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina Citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), Marjorie A. Hoy, Raghuwinder Singh, Michael E. Rogers

Faculty Publications

A fungal pathogen that killed adult Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Asian citrus psyllid) in Florida citrus groves was isolated, characterized molecularly and morphologically and identified as a novel isolate of Isaria fumosorosea (Ifr) (= Paecilomyces fumosoroseus) from the Asian citrus psyllid (Ifr AsCP), but no concentration-mortality or time-response data were obtained. When adult psyllids were sprayed with spores at 28°C, time response (LT50) values of 111 and 102.5 h at spore concentrations of 1 × 107 and 1 × 108 spores/mL, respectively, were obtained. The LT99, was 167.4 and 174.6 h, respectively, for the 2 spore concentrations. After 192 h, the …

Response To Calcium Channel Blocker Therapy In Black Hypertensive Patients, Thu T. Nguyen, Jay S. Kaufman, Richard S. Cooper

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Rapid Assessment Of Genetic Ancestry In Populations Of Unknown Origin By Genome-Wide Genotyping Of Pooled Samples, Charleston W.K. Chiang, Zofia K.Z. Gajdos, Joshua M. Korn, Finny G. Kuruvilla, Johannah L. Butler, Rachel Hackett, Candace Guiducci, Thutrang T. Nguyen, Rainford Wilks, Terrence Forrester, Christopher A. Haiman, Katherine D. Henderson, Loic Le Marchand, Brian E. Henderson, Mark R. Palmert, Colin A. Mckenzie, Helen N. Lyon, Richard S. Cooper, Xiaofeng Zhu, Joel N. Hirschhorn

Faculty Publications

As we move forward from the current generation of genome-wide association (GWA) studies, additional cohorts of different ancestries will be studied to increase power, fine map association signals, and generalize association results to additional populations. Knowledge of genetic ancestry as well as population substructure will become increasingly important for GWA studies in populations of unknown ancestry. Here we propose genotyping pooled DNA samples using genome-wide SNP arrays as a viable option to efficiently and inexpensively estimate admixture proportion and identify ancestry informative markers (AIMs) in populations of unknown origin. We constructed DNA pools from African American, Native Hawaiian, Latina, and …

Voices Of Native Resiliency: Educational Experiences From The 1950s And 1960s, Jennifer Penland

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study was to examine the lived educational experiences of American Indians who grew up during the 1950s and 1960s, known as the termination period in American history. The research for this phenomenological study consisted of interviews with eight participants who were willing to share their personal experiences from this selected time. Ten reoccurring themes were uncovered: chaos brings balance, challenge to become bi-cultural, the importance of teachers, external support systems, spirituality, tribal influences, influences of economic resources, cultural awareness and value, relevant curriculum, and recruitment of Native teachers. By uncovering these stories, it is hopeful that …

An Electrochemical Cell For The Efficient Turn Around Of Wafer Working Electrodes, Nicholas Wozniak, Alyssa Frey, Lucas Osterbur, Timothy Boman, Jennifer R. Hampton

Faculty Publications

We present a new design for an electrochemical cell for use with wafer working electrodes. The key feature of the design is the use of half turn thumb screws to form a liquid-tight seal between an o-ring and the sample surface. The assembly or disassembly of the cell requires a half turn of each thumb screw, which facilitates the quick turn around of wafer samples. The electrochemical performance of the cell is demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry and double step chronoamperometry measurements of the ferricyanide/ferrocyanide couple.

A Conceptual Framework Of Information Requirements For Scientists Using Human Biological Samples, Sujin Kim

Information Science Faculty Publications

Introduction. This study was undertaken to develop an information requirement framework for scientists who use biological samples and related data in their research.

Method. A self-reporting questionnaire completed by 137 respondents was used to collect data regarding demographics, bio-sample management, bio-sample use and requirements, data requirements, and work and research-related roles and activities.

Analysis. Descriptive and TwoStep Cluster analyses were used to analyse the survey data necessary for developing a framework of information requirements.

Results. Two groups of biomedical scientists (clinical group and basic scientist group) were formed by their distinct characteristics. A conceptual framework of information requirements for bio-sample …

Essay: (Re)Constructing The Framework Of Work/Family, Nancy E. Dowd

Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Organismal Climatology: Analyzing Environmental Variability At Scales Relevant To Physiological Stress, Brian Helmuth, Bernardo R. Broitman, Lauren Yamane, Sarah E. Gilman, Katharine Mach, K. A.S. Mislan, Mark W. Denny

Faculty Publications

Predicting when, where and with what magnitude climate change is likely to affect the fitness, abundance and distribution of organisms and the functioning of ecosystems has emerged as a high priority for scientists and resource managers. However, even in cases where we have detailed knowledge of current species’ range boundaries, we often do not understand what, if any, aspects of weather and climate act to set these limits. This shortcoming significantly curtails our capacity to predict potential future range shifts in response to climate change, especially since the factors that set range boundaries under those novel conditions may be different …

Investigations On Anti-Diabetic Medicinal Plants Used By Tribal Inhabitants Of Nalamankadai, Chitteri Reserve Forest, Dharmapuri, India, K. Kadhirvel, P. Rajivgandhi, G. Narayanan, V. Govindaraji, K. Kannan, R. Vanithaselvi, S. Ramya, R. Jayakumararaj

Ethnobotanical Leaflets

An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to collect information about medicinal plants used for the treatment of diabetics and associated complications by tribals in Nalamankadai village of Chitteri Hills, Dharmapuri District. The indigenous knowledge of local traditional healers and native plants used for the treatment of diabetics related health disorders were collected through questionnaire and personal interviews. A total of 10 informants with in the age group of 50 to 68 were interviewed, among them two were tribal practitioners. The investigation revealed that, the traditional healers and the inhabitants use 29 species of plants distributed in 28 genera belonging to 22 …

Effect Of Cadmium On Seed Viability Of Vigna Unguiculata, Henry Omoregie Egharevba

Ethnobotanical Leaflets

Cadmium a heavy metal pollutant of growing global concern was investigated for its effect on grain seeds viability using Vigna unguiculata. The Cowpea seeds were germinated after treatment in solution containing varying concentration of cadmium chloride (CdCl2.H2O). The concentrations of cadmium (Cd) in the solution used for the treatment were 0.00ppm, 0.80ppm, 8.00ppm, 40.00ppm, 100.00ppm and 180.00ppm. The percentage germination at 120 hours germination time and the rate of increment in shoot height between 120 and 168 hours were determined. Results shows that the percentage germination and rate of increment in shoot height decreased as cadmium level in the treatment …