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Inactivation Of Spo0a Gene Increases Stationary Phase Mutagenesis In Bacillus Subtilis, Denisse Reyes, Amanda Prisbrey, Holly Martin, Eduardo Robleto

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Stationary phase mutagenesis occurs when a population of cells acquires mutations conferring escape from nongrowing or stress conditions. This type of mutations is observed in nutritionally starved cells. Because the mutations occur after the onset of stress and in cells that are in non-replicative conditions, elucidating the underlying mechanisms contributes novel views to the process of evolution and apply to the formation of cancer in human cells and antibiotic resistance in microbial pathogens. Studies have shown that in Bacillus subtilis, the Mfd protein which is a transcription repair coupling factor is necessary for this phenomenon to occur. Here, we investigate …

Synthesis Of Chimeric Receptors Essential For Spore Germination, Christopher Yip, Christian Ross, Eduardo Robleto, Ernesto Abel-Santos

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Various species of bacteria have been reported to form an endospore, a metabolically dormant cell, during times of nutrient deficiencies and extreme stress. These said structures are outstandingly resistant to harsh chemicals, extreme temperatures, and can revert back to a metabolically active cell, through a process known as germination, when the necessary conditions are met. The rigid membrane of the endospore contains various germination (Ger) receptors which sense the external environment for necessary metabolites and germinants. Ger receptors are encoded by tricistronic operons that produce three distinct membrane proteins, the A, B, and C subunits. Although the function of the …

Defining The Role Of Nras In Melanoma Maintenance, Sravya T. Challa, Sheri L. Holmen

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

The incidence of melanoma has increased 600 percent over the last four decades; it is the most rapidly increasing malignancy among young people in the United States and is currently the leading cause of cancer death in women aged 25- 29. If detected early, the disease is easily treated; however, once the disease has metastasized it is largely refractory to conventional therapies and is associated with a high mortality rate. The development of cancer from a pre-malignant primary tumor to a metastatic cancer that develops at secondary sites is a multi-step process, thought to require many genetic and epigenetic events …

Investigating The Origin Of Coprolites From Three Great Basin Caves, Chelsey Vandrisse, Duane P. Moser, David Rhode

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

The study of coprolites (mummified feces) is a relatively new endeavor, which enables investigations of the health and diet of ancient people and provides some of the oldest evidence to date for the human habitation in North America (2). In this project, 18 coprolites were examined from archeological digs at three Great Basin caves: the Bonneville Estates Rockshelter (UT), Hidden Cave (NV), and Top of the Terrace Rockshelter (UT). The main objectives were: 1) to verify human origin through the presence of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and 2) assuming human origin, characterize intestinal microflora of Native Americans prior to European contact. …

Effects Of Climate Change On The Viability Of The Devils Hole Pupfish, Matthew Heuton, Stanley D. Hillyard, Frank Van Breukelen

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Devils hole is an unusual, cavernous, aquifer-fed its ideal temperature range. spring in Death Valley National Park. It is the only home to a critically endangered species, Cyprinidon diabolis, a.k.a. The Devils Hole Pupfish. C. diabolis allows us a unique look at the impact of climate change on a species that has no gene flow and no possibility of escape from its current habitat. Climate change affects ectotherms (cold-blooded animals) tremendously since their body temperature is subject to changes in the temperature of their environment. In the case of C. diabolis, they are subject to high temperatures year round, around …

The Role Of An Abc Transporter As A Steroid Antagonist In Drosophila, Gregory King, Andrew Andres

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Drosophila melanogaster are holometabolous insects that have several distinct life stages including larvae and a winged adult. The larval stage is mainly a time of feeding and growth, while the adult stage is optimized for sexual reproduction and dissemination. The larval stage can itself be divided into three time periods, or instars: 1st (L1), 2nd (L2), and 3rd (L3) (Figure 1). Larval growth – both between instars and beyond – depends on specific signaling pathways controlled by a cholesterol derived steroid, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Although 20E is a systemic developmental signal, little is known about the molecular details of how different …

Cell Migration Dynamics After Alteration Of Cell-Cell Contacts In Fibrosarcoma And Glioblastoma Cell Lines, Hassan S. Rizvi, Ronald K. Gary

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Cell migration is a vital component of metastasis. In this study, our intent was to study cell migration by alteration of the Wnt/GSK-3 Pathway. Since BeSO4 is a known GSK-3 kinase inhibitor, we hypothesized that this agent would cause cell migration to decrease as a result of β-catenin stabilization. Two human cell lines, HT-1080 (fibrosarcoma) and A172 (glioblastoma), were used to observe migration levels in the presence and absence of BeSO4. Our results show that cell migration is diminished for cells that were pre-treated with BeSO4, in comparison to the untreated (control) cells.

Crystal Structural Behavior Of Cocu₂O₃ At High Temperatures, April Jeffries, Ravhi S. Kumar, Andrew L. Cornelius

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

High temperature structure of CoCu₂O₃ The spin ladder compounds have received much attention recently due to their relation to the high transition temperature superconductivity. Also the study of spin ladder compounds is of great interest to explore the specific characteristics that result in their behavior. The CoCu₂O₃ spin ladder crystal structure is similar to SrCu₂O₃, which is apparent composition for many high temperature superconductors. The effects of temperature on structural change are investigated for this system. High temperature x-ray diffraction patterns were collected up to 1000⁰C and the variation of lattice parameters as a function of temperature up to decomposition …

Isolation, Characterization, And Genome Sequence Of The First Representative Of A Novel Class Within The Chloroflexi That Is Abundant In Some U.S. Great Basin Hot Springs And May Play Important Roles In N And C Cycling, Jeremy A. Dodsworth, Senthil K. Murugapiran, Jonathan Gevorkian, James Han, Tanja Woyke, Susan M. Lucas, Sam Pitluck, Len Pennacchio, Lynne Goodwin, Brian P. Hedlund

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

A thermophilic, facultatively microaerophilic, heterotrophic bacterium, designated strain JAD2, was isolated from sediments of Great Boiling Spring (GBS), an ~80oC, circumneutral hot spring in the Great Basin GB). The strain grew anaerobically on yeast extract or peptone with an optimal growth temperature of 70-75oC. Growth was stimulated by addition of 0.01 atm O2 to the culture vessel headspace, but was inhibited by higher concentrations (0.2 atm). Cells of JAD2 formed non-motile filaments ranging from 10 to >300 μm in length, which typically decreased in length during stationary phase. 16S rRNA gene-targeted pyrotag sequencing and clone library data suggest that close …

Dna Secondary Structures And Their Contribution To Mutagenesis In B. Subtilis Stationary Phase Cells, Carmen Vallin, Holly Martin, Christian Ross, Ronald Yasbin, Eduardo Robleto

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

It is widely known and accepted that the cause of many mutations in cells are generated during the replication process of actively dividing cells, however more recent research has shown that mutations also arise in non growing conditions, a phenomenon known as stationary phase mutagenesis. Much of what is known come from studies in eukaryotic and bacterial models. It has been proposed that in non~growing cells, the process of transcription plays an important role in mutagenesis. We test the hypothesis that DNA secondary structures, formed during transcription, promote mutagenesis. The transcription-generated structures are speculated to be prone to mutations by …

A Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Microbial Communities In Great Boiling Spring, Nevada, U.S.A., Jessica K. Guy, Joseph P. Peacock, Jeremy A. Dodsworth, Tanja Woyke, Tijana G. Del Rio, Brian P. Hedlund

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Great Boiling Spring (GBS) is a large, circumneutral, long residence time geothermal spring in the US Great Basin. Twelve samples were taken from four different sediment sites and the planktonic community in the bulk water of GBS on up to four different dates. Microbial community composition and diversity was assessed by using a barcoded, improved universal primer set targeting the V8 portion of the 16S rRNA gene and PCR. Over 200,000 products were sequenced using the Roche 454 GS FLX Titanium System. Sediment and planktonic microbial communities were distinct with very little overlap, regardless of the sampling location or temperature. …

Evaluating Species Responses To Climate Change Using Ecological Niche Modeling And Genetic Data, Jeanette Perry

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

The current and projected future warming trends together with degradation of habitats throughout much of the Great Basin and Columbian Plateau represent real threats to many species occupying these regions. If we can determine the impacts of past climatic changes on the distribution of species, we can obtain a better understanding of the future impacts of projected climatic trends on many species in these regions. My results with the Great Basin Pocket Mouse (Perognathus parvus) may be relevant to conservation ecologists and resource managers attempting to protect several Endangered Species Act candidates, such as the pygmy cottontail (Brachylagus idahoensis). I …

Regulation Of The Shigella Flexneri Icsp Gene And H-Ns Dependent Repression, Rosa Ojeda, Amanda Wigley, Dustin Harrison, Helen Wing

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

The gram negative bacterium Shigella flexneri is known to cause dysentery in humans and primates. In order to help prevent the spread of shigellosis, gene regulation must be understood. Studies show that the virulence genes in S .flexneri are thermo regulated. At 30°C histone-like nucleoid structuring protein (H-NS) represses transcription of virulence genes and at 37°C VirB derepresses virulence genes. One of the genes that contribute to the virulence of S. flexneri is icsP. My project focuses on the regulation of the S. flexneri icsP gene and has two main goals. The first is to identify the sequence of H-NS …

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program 2011, Nicholle Booker, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program

On August 9, 2011 the UNLV College of Sciences will celebrate the accomplishments of undergraduate students participating in the Summer 2011 Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) and the Research Experience For Undergraduates (REU) Program.

The public is invited to attend, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Please join us to view student research posters. Student research topics include: biomedicine and human health, Nevada's fragile environment and ecosystems, climate change, stem cell research, microbiology, astrophysics, and many others.

Over 25 UNLV undergraduates and a cohort of 25 undergraduates selected from colleges and universities across the nation will mark the …

Initial On-Orbit Engineering Results From The O/Oreos Nanosatellite, Christopher Kitts, Mike Rasay, Laura Bica, Ignacio Mas, Michael Neumann, Anthony Young, Giovanni Minelli, Antonio Ricco, Eric Stackpole, Elwood Agasid, Christopher Beasley, Charlie Friedericks, David Squires, Pascale Ehrenfreund, Wayne Nicholson, Rocco Mancinelli, Orlando Santos, Richard Quinn, Nathan Bramall, Andrew Mattioda, Amanda Cook, Julie Chittenden, Katie Bryson, Matthew Piccini, Macarena Parra

Small Satellite Conference

The Organism/Organics Exposure to Orbital Stresses (O/OREOS) nanosatellite mission successfully launched on November 19, 2010 from Kodiak, AK aboard a Minotaur IV launch vehicle. The principal goals for this 5.5 kg spacecraft include conducting astrobiologically-relevant experiments in two separate payloads within the 3U cubesat form factor and demonstrating in-situ measurement technology in a small satellite. Developed by the Small Spacecraft Payloads and Technology Team at NASA Ames Research Center, O/OREOS builds upon heritage gained from its two predecessors, GeneSat-1 and PharmaSat. Mission operations are conducted by students at Santa Clara University using several 3-meter S-Band antennas and supporting stations, an …

Key Factors Influencing Educational Outcomes For Indigenous Students And Their Implications For Planning And Practice In The Nt., Jonathon Carapetis, Sven Silburn

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

This presentation considers the intrinsic link between health and education and the benefits of collaborative research for improving the education and life outcomes of Indigenous children. The Council of Australian Governments’ Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage framework and the Closing the Gap generational strategy have resulted in significant new funding through a range of national partnership agreements to improve Indigenous child health, development and education. The focus of these reforms is consistent with the human development paradigm now advocated by international agencies such as UNICEF, WHO and OECD. They are also informed by recent advances in scientific knowledge regarding the developmental origins …

25 Years Of Small Satellites, Siegfried Janson

Small Satellite Conference

Twenty-five years ago in 1986, 25 microsatellites were launched into orbit; 24 were military communications satellites lofted by the former Soviet Union as part of a communications constellation. No active nanosatellites or picosatellites were launched that year. Last year (2010), 4 microsatellites, 15 nanosatellites, and 3 picosatellites were launched. Small spacecraft have gotten smaller, and they are being used for more than just communications. Advances in micro/nanoelectronics, microelectromechanical systems, solar cell technologies, global positioning systems, and the Internet have allowed small groups of individuals to design, build, and fly ever-smaller satellites with ever-increasing capabilities. In parallel, small satellite containment and …

Tlr4 Mutation Reduces Microglial Activation, Increases Aβ Deposits And Exacerbates Cognitive Deficits In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Min Song, Jingji Jin, Jinghong Kou, Abhinandan Pattanayak, Jamaal Rehman, Hong-Duck Kim, Ken-Ichiro Fukuchi

NYMC Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Amyloid plaques, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), are accompanied by activated microglia. The role of activated microglia in the pathogenesis of AD remains controversial: either clearing Aβ deposits by phagocytosis or releasing proinflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic substances. Microglia can be activated via toll-like receptors (TLRs), a class of pattern-recognition receptors in the innate immune system. We previously demonstrated that an AD mouse model homozygous for a loss-of-function mutation of TLR4 had increases in Aβ deposits and buffer-soluble Aβ in the brain as compared with a TLR4 wild-type AD mouse model at 14-16 months of age. However, it …

End Matter, Vol. 5

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Colorectal Cancer (Crc) Vaccine Study: Aim 2 Internship Experience, Selasie Goka

Summer Training Program in Cancer Immunotherapy

Activities:

1. Conducted literature review

2. CRC vaccine study booklet and survey

3. Recruitment survey questionnaire

4. Prepare web-based decision counseling program

38 PowerPoint Slides.

08-09-2011 Hydro Teacher Benefits From Research Opportunities Provided By Swosu Nsf Grant, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

THE BARK ARCHIVE 2011

Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Dr. Andrea Holgado recently received a $9,750 grant from the National Science Foundation for research experiences for teachers.

Methods Of Using Black Bear Parathyroid Hormone, Seth W. Donahue

Michigan Tech Patents

Black bear parathyroid hormone (PTH) and functional fragments thereof are provided. Also provided are methods of using black bear PTH and functional fragments for increasing cAMP in a bone-forming cell; reducing apoptosis in a boneforming cell; decreasing the ratio of expression levels of Bax protein to Bcl-2 protein in a bone-forming cell; increasing the expression level of one or more of a bone matrix protein, a transcriptional activator, or a transcriptional regulator in a bone-forming cell; enhancing bone mineral density, increasing bone mass, decreasing bone loss, or reducing the incidence of bone fractures, or any combination thereof, in a subject; …

Development Of Lps Antagonistic Therapeutics: Synthesis And Evaluation Of Glucopyranoside-Spacer-Amino Acid Motifs, Sophon Kaeothip, Geeta Paranjape, Shana Terrill, Aileen Bongat, Maria Udan, Teerada Kamkhachorn, Hope Johnson, Michael Nichols, Alexei Demchenko

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Staff Senate Minutes, 2011 August 9, Clemson University

Staff Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Birds Of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah And Arizona, John R. Spence, Charles T. Larue, John D. Grahame

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

The birds of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, in southern Utah and northern Arizona, are documented, with information on abundance, distribution, ecology, residency status, and breeding status. In all, 316 species have been reported from the park since the first surveys in the region during the 1930s. Historical survey data from the pre-Glen Canyon Dam surveys are incorporated, as well as significant work done in the park since 1992. Breeding is documented for 87 species, including 82 native species and 5 exotic species. Many rare species are reported for the first time from this section of the state, and several …

Minority Disproportionality In New Jersey, Shannon Kemp

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to examine whether New Jersey districts exhibited minority disproportionality, or the overrepresentation of minority students in special education eligibility categories and placements. A dataset with a random sample of 200 school districts was compiled with special education data from the New Jersey Department of Education. Through analyses of four ethnicities, White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian, it was discovered that Black and Hispanic students were significantly more likely to be placed in special education as compared to their peers. Asian students were significantly less likely to be represented in special education in comparison to their non-Asian counterparts. Black …

Tailoring The Spectral Transmission Of Optofluidic Waveguides, Brian S. Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

Optofluidics is a relatively new and exciting field that includes the integration of optical waveguides into microfluidic platforms. The purpose of this field of study is to miniaturize previously developed optical systems used for biological and chemical analysis with the end goal of placing bench-top optics into microscopic packages. Mundane optical alignment and sample manipulation procedures would then be intrinsic to the platform and allow measurements to be completed quickly and with reduced human interaction. Biosensors based on AntiResonant Reflecting Optical Waveguides (ARROWs) consist of hollow-core waveguides used for fluid sample manipulation and analysis, as well as solid-core waveguides used …

The Formation And Stability Of Radical-Molecule And Radical-Radical Complexes And Their Importance In Atmospheric Processes, Jared M. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the role that radical-molecule complexes play in the chemistry of Earth's atmosphere. The formation of such complexes can have direct and pronounced effects on the reaction and product outcome of atmospheric chemical reactions. Some attention is also given to the formation of radial-radical pre-reactive complexes in the HO + ClO system. Peroxy radicals (RO2) can form stable complexes with polar compounds such as H2O, NH3, and CH3OH. For the simplest RO2 radical, HO2, complex formation (e.g., HO2-H2O, HO2-NH3, and HO2-722;CH3OH) gives rise to a significant increase in the HO2 self-reaction rate constant. Although this phenomenon has been …

Roles Of Particle-Wall And Particle-Particle Interactions In Highly Confined Suspensions Of Spherical Particles Being Sheared At Low Reynolds Numbers, Ashok S. Sangani, Andreas Acrivos, Philippe Peyla

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering - All Scholarship

The roles of particle-wall and particle-particle interactions are examined for suspensions of spherical particles in a viscous fluid being confined and sheared at low Reynolds numbers by two parallel walls moving with equal but opposite velocities. Both particle-wall and particle-particle interactions are shown to decrease the rotational velocity of the spheres, so that in the limit of vanishingly small gaps between the spheres and the walls, the spheres acquire a rotational slip relative to the walls. The presence of the walls also increases the particle stresslet and, therefore, the total viscous dissipation. In the limit of vanishingly small gaps, the …

Early Detection Of Pathogens In Blood, Matt Ewert, Philip Amuso, Andrew Cannons

USF Patents

The present invention is a method of extracting infectious pathogens from a volume of blood including the steps of creating a fibrin aggregate confining the pathogens and introducing a fibrin lysis reagent to expose the pathogens for analysis. The fibrin lysis reagent is preferably composed of plasminogen and streptokinase frozen in coincident relation until the fibrin lysis reagent is needed whereby streptokinase enzymatically reacts with plasminogen to form plasmin upon thawing. The plasminogen is suspended in an aqueous salt solution prior to freezing including NaCl and Na3PO4.