Digital Commons Network^™

Blood Protein Isotopic Investigation, Michael J. Gravett, Kent Hatch

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Stable isotope ratios have been used for a variety of purposes in the biological sciences. These ratios have been used by plant ecologists to asses the photosynthetic mode, to measure water balance, and to trace nitrogen sources (Gannes, 1997). They have been used by animal ecologists to determine trophic relationships in food webs, to discriminate between animals that live in different biomes, to trace migratory animals, to follow nutrients through the body, and to undertake dietary reconstruction of both current and extinct species (Bearhop, 2002).

Rates Of Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotope Turnover In Fin Tissues Of Gambusia Affinis, Michael Bingham, Dr. Jeff Bullock

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The principle objectives of this research analysis were to determine the uptake and turnover rates of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in fish and to establish if this isotope verification procedure is possible by testing tissue samples of their fins. This investigation is separated into two main experiments: first, the stable isotope incorporation in the new growth of fin tissue, and second, the rate of stable isotope turnover in the old growth of fin tissue. Both experiments of this study were done with Gambusia affinis, a species of fish better know as mosquito fish.

Taxonomy Of Animal Hair Using A Scanning Electron Microscope, Britten D. Sessions, Dr. Wilford M. Hess

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), selected mammalian species were studied to determine hair cuticular patterns. Although other studies have been conducted on mammalian hair, there exists no classification or taxonomy of Western U.S. mammals using an SEM.

The Pan American (2013-09-26), Norma Gonzalez, Lea Victoria Juarez

UTPA Archives - The Pan American Newspaper

Vol. 70, No. 5

Preservation Of Mexican Harvest Mice, Daniel Hardy, Dr. Duke Rogers

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The preservation of wildlife has been a growing concern in Mexico. Specifically, the natural habitat of many Mexican mice has been rapidly diminishing over the past few decades. A more extensive understanding of these types of animals will help contribute to increasing the awareness of the rich diversity of Mexican biota and augment the conservation efforts in this area of the world.

Development Of A Novel Human Vestibular Schwannoma Xenograft Model In Scid Mice, John Welling, Dr. Kim O'Neil

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Vestibular Schwannoma (VS) is a benign, slow growing tumor that arises from the myelin sheath of the vestibular nerve (cranial nerve VIII). The myelin sheath is composed of flat, layered cells known as Schwann cells, which serve to insulate nerve fibers. It is increased proliferation of these Schwann cells which leads to VS tumor growth. As VS tumors grow, they place increasing pressure on cranial nerve VIII, causing hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), and balance dysfunction. Eventually VS tumors may lead to brainstem compression and even death.1

Molecular Evolution And The Effects Of Amelioration In Meloidogyne Incognita, Adler R. Dillman, Dr. Byron J. Adams

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The process of horizontal or lateral gene transfer involves the movement of genetic information in a lateral fashion from one organism to another, regardless of phylogenetic distance. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a major mechanism of prokaryotic evolution while its role in eukaryotic evolution remains undecided, with many claims of genes being laterally transferred from prokaryotes to eukaryotes being subsequently refuted [1,2]. Recently, 12 genes of the plant parasite M. incognita have been proposed as being good candidates of HGT. Because certain rhizobial bacteria occupy a very similar niche both inside and out of the plant, and use many of …

Preventing Malnutrition Within Ecuador, Tiffany Covington, Dr. Alison Campbell

Journal of Undergraduate Research

La Rinconada is a unique indigenous village tucked away in the northern mountainous regions of Imbabura, Ecuador where the children of local subsistence farmers suffer from nutritional deficiencies. Studies completed by The Benson Institute show that before the year 2000, 50 percent of the villagers did not consume vegetables. Similar studies also show that meat consumption was often saved and therefore not consumed except for special occasions. Macro and micro-nutrient deficiencies within the children are evident through stunted growth patterns, hair discoloration, loss of eyesight, and premature death.

Type Iia Procollagen – Osteoarthritis Biomarker In Dmm Mice, John Mcallister, Kenneth Merrell, Dr. Robert E. Seegmiller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Arthritis is a painful, debilitating disease that affects sixty-six million Americans (The Arthritis Foundation 2005). Osteoarthritis (OA), results in joint degeneration caused by cartilage erosion and synovial inflammation. While the causes of OA remain unclear, current evidence suggests that both mechanical and biochemical factors can initiate OA. Ethical and practical issues limiting the availability of human tissue in OA research necessitate the use of animal models. Mice with the disproportionate micromelia mutation (Dmm) exhibit histological characteristics similar to those of humans with OA. Use of Dmm as a model of OA may lead a discovery of a common mechanism associated …

Chondrocyte Apoptosis As A Biomarker In Animal Models Of Osteoarthritis, Luke M. Gessel, Dr. Robert E. Seegmiller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Apoptosis, or “programmed cell death”, is one process used by cells to terminate their existence. The phenomenon of an increase of apoptotic cell death in cases of osteoarthritis (OA) has recently become a much disputed topic among laboratories dedicated to the advancement of OA research . The standard progression of OA, based on our current knowledge, shows an increase in cellularity, or cell density, of the cartilage cells known as chondrocytes, followed by a subsequent decrease in this chondrocyte cellularity and a breakdown of the cartilage. Apoptosis would provide a mechanism through which this rapid decrease in cellularity may occur, …

Identification Of Resistance Gene Analogs In Chenopodium Quinoa, Maria C. Sederberg, Dr. P. Jeff Maughan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Chenopodium quinoa is an important but under researched crop and is the main source of sustenance for subsistence farmers in the Andes Mountains. The resources needed to bring quinoa up to par with well-researched and well-utilized crops, such as maize and wheat are severely lacking in its area of domestication; the ability to study and map its genome would greatly enhance its yield and durability, contributing significantly to quality of life for the people of the Andes. One of the gaps in our knowledge of the quinoa genome is our understanding of its pathogen immunity, or resistance; this is the …

Endophyte And Turf Grass Study, Alan H. Chambers, Dr. Brad Geary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Endophytic fungi live within the interstitial spaces of various grasses provide symbiotic benefit to their hosts. These endophytes produce various alkaloids and secondary metabolites that offer pest and drought resistance, and/or may cause livestock toxicity. This project was aimed at investigating the differences in the isolated endophyte DNA by AFLP analysis.

Analysis Of The Seed Storage Proteins Of Pearl Millet, Christian Ricks, Dr. Craig Coleman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over half of the protein consumed worldwide comes from seeds. Of these harvested crops, the cereal crops such as corn, wheat, and rice are the most important with over 2 billion tons harvested annually. Although the world relies on these cereals, they are low in protein content, and some important species like maize lack essential amino acids. For many years researchers have studied the seed storage proteins of these plants to better understand the synthesis and structures of these proteins which have such a huge impact on the nutritional and processing properties of these crops.

The Maya Defensive Earthworks And Agricultural Land Use Of Tikal, Ryan Sweetwood, Dr. Richard Terry

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Concurrent with the settlement surveys and excavations, Soil scientist from Brigham Young University and from Guatemala examined 62 soil profiles and collected soil samples for analysis at the Brigham Young University soil and plant analysis laboratory. The samples are currently being characterized for physical and chemical properties at the laboratory. Stable carbon isotopes will be analyzed to investigate the extent of ancient maize agriculture in the areas inside and outside the earthwork, using methods recently applied in several parts of the Maya Lowlands (Jensen 2003; Jensen et al. nd; Webb et al., nd; Webb, Henry, and Healy 2004). The soil …

Overcoming Anthropogenic Impediments Of Reintroduced Bighorn Sheep Populations In North-Central Utah, Loren Chase

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) were historically abundant in many places in Utah, however, when the area was settled, humans brought with them many causes for bighorn extermination. Unregulated hunting, competition for resources by livestock, reduced water availability, reduce range quantity, home range encroachment, and the lungworm/pneumonia complex are all major reasons as to why the bighorns are threatened in the western states (Enk 2001, Karpowitz and Stewart 2000, Smith et al. 1988, Smith and Flinders 1992). The first two problems were handled at the socio-political level, by managing people rather than wildlife. However water scarcity persists, urban sprawl continues to …

Vol.41 N.09 September 26th 2013, Brown Publishing Company

Black Voice News

No abstract provided.

Mutations That Matter

News Releases

No abstract provided.

Sandspur, Vol 120, No 04, September 26, 2013, Rollins College

The Rollins Sandspur

Rollins College student newspaper, written by the students and published at Rollins College. The Sandspur started as a literary journal.

The Eagleville Times, Volume 11, Issue 12, Debbie Ryan

Eagleville Times

No abstract provided.

The Diamond, September 26, 2013, Dordt College

Dordt Diamond

• Front Page: President's New House More Hospitable; Workstudy Wage Raised 25 Cents
• News: AGILE Project Kick-Off; 24-Hour Run Raises Awareness and Encouragement; $12 Million Phase One Construction On Schedule; A Drinking Party?; Dordt Calls Fire Department Numerous Times Each Year
• Features: Should Professors Pray Before Class?; Students Without Borders Goes Global
• Arts and Entertainment: Will You "Tip Toe" on Out of the Movie Theatre? An "Insidious 2" Review; Dordt Theatre to Perform School for Scandal
• Sports: New Junior Varsity Coach No Stranger to Dordt Program; Cross Country Teams Receiving National Attention
• Opinion: Friend Indeed; …

Modified Impact Of Emotion On Temporal Discrimination In A Transgenic Rat Model Of Huntington Disease, Alexis Faure, Mouna Es-Sesddiqi, Bruce L. Brown, Hoa P. Nguyen, Olaf Riess, Stephan Von Hörsten, Pascale Le Blanc, Nathalie Desvignes, Bruno Bozon, Nicole El Massioui, Valérie Doyère

Publications and Research

Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by triad of motor, cognitive, and emotional symptoms along with neuropathology in fronto-striatal circuit and limbic system including amygdala. Emotional alterations, which have a negative impact on patient well-being, represent some of the earliest symptoms of HD and might be related to the onset of the neurodegenerative process. In the transgenic rat model (tgHD rats), evidence suggest emotional alterations at the symptomatic stage along with neuropathology of the central nucleus of amygdala (CE). Studies in humans and animals demonstrate that emotion can modulate time perception. The impact of emotion on time perception has never been …

The Montclarion, September 26, 2013, The Montclarion

The Montclarion

Student Newspaper of Montclair State University

Layer 4 In Primary Visual Cortex: Response Properties And Effects Of Awake Brain States, Jun Zhuang

Doctoral Dissertations

In mammalian primary visual cortex (V1), layer 4 is the major input layer. It receives direct thalamocortical inputs, performs some of the earliest cortical computations and provides the main entrance of sensory information to the cortex. The first part of the current project investigated the response properties of two major cells classes in layer 4 of the awake rabbit V1: putative fast-spike inhibitory interneurons (suspected inhibitory interneurons, SINs) and putative excitatory cells with simple receptive fields. The results show that the properties of these layer 4 populations are markedly distinct. SINs are far less linear, more broadly tuned to orientation, …

Fast Quantitative Real-Time Pcr-Based Screening For Common Chromosomal Aneuploidies In Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells, Charlotte D'Hulst, Irena Parvanova, Delia Tomoiaga, Maria L. Sapar, Paul Feinstein

Publications and Research

Chromosomal integrity has been known for many years to affect the ability of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to contribute to the germline of chimeric mice. Abnormal chromosomes are generally detected by standard cytogenetic karyotyping. However, this method is expensive, time consuming, and often omitted prior to blastocyst injection, consequently reducing the frequency of mESC-derived offspring. Here, we show a fast, accurate, and inexpensive screen for identifying the two most common aneuploidies (Trisomy 8 and loss of chromosome Y) in genetically manipulated mESCs using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Screening against these two aneuploidies significantly increases the fraction of normal mESC …

Conservation Genetics Of Mexican Deer Mice, Melina C. Walden, Dr. Duke S. Rogers

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the field of biology, the job of documenting, describing, and defining the species of the world is a critical, yet overwhelming task. By focusing research in a specific area of interest, however, scientists work to contribute one small piece at a time to the much larger puzzle. In researching the biological relationships between the Mexican deer mice Peromyscus megalops and P. melanurus, my project contributes to one of the primary goals of biology.

Cheatgrass, Scott A. Davis, Dr. Bruce Roundy

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The invasion of non-native species, mainly cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), into our rangelands, especially following the destruction caused by wildfires, has made it necessary to find viable options for the restoration of native plant species to these areas. The aim of this project was to determine whether or not it was possible to create models for the germination and seminal root growth of a suite of species using heat accumulation. By creating these models, we hoped to be able to discover other native species that not only compete with cheatgrass by establishing early, but provide a good food source for native …

Correctly Assigning Dna Barcodes To Organisms, James B. Finlay, Dr. Keith A. Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson suggested that what makes humans unique is our innate need for closeness to other forms of life. This “biophilia” has been evident since recorded history and was brought to the forefront of science with Darwin’s famous writings about the origin of species. Since that time there has been a major thrust to categorize all life into groups and subgroups in a field known as taxonomy. There are an estimated 10-15 million extant species (Hammond, 1992) on the earth. Taxonomists have classified roughly 1.6 million of these organisms (Wilson, 1992), indicating that much work needs to …

The Significance Of Isotopic Ratios In Migratory Pathways, Rachel Hart, Kent Hatch

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Stable isotope research is an important asset in securing the migratory paths of birds. By matching elemental isotopic ratios in different parts of a bird’s body to the water it drinks, important stopover sites may be conserved and the biological phenomenon of migration may be preserved. Thus far, such research among migratory birds has suggested a positive correlation between certain elemental isotopic ratios found in water sources and those in the composition of bird feathers. Hydrogen (δD) and oxygen (18O and 16O) isotopes have been examined in scientific literature but have not been tested thoroughly, as there are still many …

A New Species Of Blackish Deer Mouse, Jared B. Lee, Dr. Duke S. Rogers

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Biodiversity is a hallmark of our planet. We can see this everyday in the various habitats and environments that we live in, from the desert in Utah to the lush rain forests of South America. These great ecosystems provide a diversity of life in plants and animals. Biologists study and classify these organisms to better understand how this world came into being. All the time new species are being described and discovered in areas throughout the world. In this research project, we used traditional and modern techniques to better understand the diversity and variation in populations of a rodent in …

Patterns Of Genetic Diversity In The Galapagos Archipelago: Identifying And Preserving Evolutionary Processes, Rebecca Baum, Dr. Jack W. Sites

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Galapagos Archipelago, located 1000 km off the coast of Ecuador, arose 1-5 million years ago by the eruption of underwater volcanoes. It consists of 13 larger islands, 6 smaller islands, and numerous islets. The Archipelago is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site, yet very little is known about its “hotspots” of genetic diversity or the processes that generate this diversity. The identification of areas of high genetic diversity provides information not only about lizards but also other native species. This information can be used to prioritize conservation efforts such as non-native (i.e. cats, rats, goats) species …