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A Mitochondrial Phylogenetic Analysis Of Sculpin (Genus Cottus) In Montana Based On The Nadh Dehydrogenase Subunit 4 Gene, Andrew Moffat, R. Paul Evans

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to investigate the distribution and phylogenetic status of Cottus (sculpins) species populations in Montana relative to other species in western North America using the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4) gene in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). This study of the ND4 gene in sculpin could possibly provide additional insight into the historical timing of fish invasion events and provide the phylogenetic status of species in the genus Cottus. Although the distribution of aquatic vertebrates in western North America has been interpreted relative to late Pleistocene events, genetic studies of cutthroat trout have not supported that mechanism …

Induced Modulation Of Membrane Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Possibilities For Chemotherapeutic Intervention In Cancer, Christopher Trimble, Dr. Byron Murray

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Polyunsaturated fatty acids have several integral functions in the human body. In addition to playing essential structural, metabolic, and cell-signaling roles, fatty acids may be involved in the onset of cancer. The fatty acid profile of a cell, which is defined as the relative ratios of individual fatty acids as compared to the entire cellular fatty acid content, is known to play a direct role in controlling gene expression and the protection of cells from oxidative damage caused by bodily inflammatory responses. It is known that cancer cells have modulated membrane fatty acid profiles, differing gene expression, and increased inflammatory …

Effects Of Inbreeding On The Fecundity And Heat Tolerance Of Heterorhabditis Bacteriophora, John Chaston, Dr. Byron J. Adams

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Biological control using predators, parasitoids, or pathogens can be an effective alternative to the use of chemical pesticides for management of insect pests because the agents of biological control are generally not harmful to humans, the environment, or non-target organisms (1). One problem with using biological control agents, however, is that their success in suppressing pest populations often depends on fitness, including ecological compatibility with the pest, searching and dispersal capacity, and reproductive capacity (1). When mass-produced for commercial purposes the agent may lose these biocontrol traits from genetic processes including drift, inbreeding, or inadvertent selection (4) or from non-genetic …

Intracellular Localization Of A Novel Bmp-2 Variant Protein Involved In Col11a2 Regulation, Carolina M. Montaño, Dr. Laura C. Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cartilage is a type of connective tissue that is found in many parts of the skeleton and covers the joint surfaces of bones. It consists of an abundant extracellular matrix (ECM) that is produced and maintained by chondrocytes. This ECM includes type II, IX and XI collagens. Collagen XI plays a critical role in regulating fibril diameter and cartilage development. This heterotrimeric molecule consists of three chains—α1(XI), α2(XI), and α3(XI)—encoded by three distinct genes, Col11a1, Col11a2, and Col2a1, respectively.1 While expression of the α1(XI) and α3(XI) subunits is found in other tissues, the expression of the α2(XI) is restricted to …

Identification Of Unknown Hydrocarbon-Decomposing Microbes Of The Great Salt Lake Petroleum Seep, Eric Barker, Dr. Alan Harker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Biodegradation of hydrocarbons (petroleum and oil like substances) has long been an issue of interest to microbiologists. The process is one in which microorganisms naturally break down oil or petroleum for their benefit as a source of carbon and energy. There is a wide range of practical uses in society for which such oil degrading capabilities could be used (such as natural oil spill cleanup). However the scope of this technology’s potential usefulness has been greatly restricted as thus far no microorganisms have been shown to have the capacity to biodegrade hydrocarbons in a hypersaline (extremely salty) environment, a condition …

Interim Report Mutations In The Wnt/Pcp Signaling Pathway And Neural Tube Closure Defects, Nathan Hawley, Dr. Jeff Barrow

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Thus far in our study of the Wnt/PCP Signaling Pathway we have collected some intriguing data.

Affects Of Ergosterol On Nystatin Binding To Artificial Cell Membranes, Quinn Bahm, Dr. John Bell

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The phospholipids that make up the cell membrane change in order and liquidity with temperature and sterol concentration. This change in phase can be recognized by using a fluorescent probe called nystatin. Nystatin is currently used pharmaceutically as a fungicide; it forms channels in membranes with ergosterol allowing water and ions to rush inside and rupture the fungal cell. Nystatin is assumed to bind to the membrane differently in the presence of cholesterol, as is the case with humans than in the presence of ergosterol, thus allowing the drug to destroy fungal cells while accumulating harmlessly on the surface of …

White Paper On Pcbs In The Built Environment, Andre Barton Ashley Jr., Cheryl Marcham, Et Al.

Publications

Dr. Marcham was part of the 9-member team that wrote this paper. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of man-made chemicals associated with a potential risk to human health and the environment. They were used in many building materials, particularly caulking, grout, expansion joint material and paint, from approximately 1950 to 1978. Both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have published extensive material evaluating human health impacts from exposure to PCBs. The apparent public health risks, including developmental effects in children, reproductive effects and long-term risks for cancer development, have …

Protein Kinase C Dependent Inhibition Of Kir3.2 (Girk2) Channel Activity And Its Molecular Determinants, Scott Adney

Theses and Dissertations

Inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels are critically important for regulating resting membrane potential in excitable cells, a job underscored by the severe pathophysiology associated with channel dysfunction. While all Kir channels require the activating lipid PIP2, many of these channels have diverse modulatory factors that couple to PIP2-dependent gating. Channels in the Kir3 (GIRK) family, in particular, have several co-activating elements, including G-protein betagamma subunits, ethanol, and sodium. During stimulation of Gq-coupled receptors, downstream activation of Protein Kinase C can phosphorylate and inhibit Kir3 channels, yet the mechanism of inhibition and phosphorylation sites are incompletely understood. We took a combined …

The Pacifican September 26, 2013, University Of The Pacific

All Issues - Student Newspaper, The Pacifican, Pacific Weekly

No abstract provided.

Lanthorn, Vol. 48, No. 11, September 26, 2013, Grand Valley State University

Volume 48, July 1, 2013 - June 2, 2014

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Kenyon Collegian - September 26, 2013

The Kenyon Collegian

No abstract provided.

The Bates Student - Volume 143 Number 03 - September 25, 2013, Bates College

The Bates Student

No abstract provided.

Agenda And Attachments, 2013 September 25

Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Boise State International Insider Newsletter, 2013-09-25, International Student Services

International Student Services

No abstract provided.

The Cord (September 25, 2013)

The Cord

No abstract provided.

Volume 105 Issue 4, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

The Southwestern - Archive

No abstract provided.

Hedgehog Signaling Regulates Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase In Human Cancer Cells, Tapati Mazumdar, Ranjodh Sandhu, Maha Qadan, Jennifer Devecchio, Victoria Magloire, Akwasi Agyeman, Bibo Li Ph.D., Janet A. Houghton

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

The Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway is critical for normal embryonic development, tissue patterning and cell differentiation. Aberrant HH signaling is involved in multiple human cancers. HH signaling involves a multi-protein cascade activating the GLI proteins that transcriptionally regulate HH target genes. We have previously reported that HH signaling is essential for human colon cancer cell survival and inhibition of this signal induces DNA damage and extensive cell death. Here we report that the HH/GLI axis regulates human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), which determines the replication potential of cancer cells. Suppression of GLI1/GLI2 functions by a C-terminus truncated GLI3 repressor mutant …

Weekly News Digest 09/25/2013, Jenna Ray

Weekly Bulletin Archive

In this issue:

● Campus Celebrates Homecoming 2013

● Dean of the Humphrey School to Deliver Lee Lecture

● Michael Ceballos Receives NSF I-Corps Teams Grant

● Jill Doerfler ’01 Profiled by the Duluth News Tribune

Spartan Daily, September 25, 2013, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 141, Issue 12

Novel Pathways For Injury From Offshore Oil Spills: Direct, Sublethal And Indirect Effects Of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill On Pelagic Sargassum Communities, Sean P. Powers, Frank J. Hernandez, Jr, Robert H. Condon, J. Marcus Drymon, Christopher M. Free

University Faculty and Staff Publications

The pelagic brown alga Sargassum forms an oasis of biodiversity and productivity in an otherwise featureless ocean surface. The vast pool of oil resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill came into contact with a large portion of the Gulf of Mexico’s floating Sargassum mats. Aerial surveys performed during and after the oil spill show compelling evidence of loss and subsequent recovery of Sargassum. Expanding on the trends observed in the aerial surveys, we conducted a series of mesocosm experiments to test the effect of oil and dispersants on the vertical position and weight of the Sargassum complex ( …

Volume 51, Number 6: September 25, 2013, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Campus Chronicle, Buddy Jackson, Alex Roth, Miriah Masching, Alex Payne, Nevin Cornwell, Anna Duran, Martina Gutierrez, Ryan Meier, Megan Miras, Ann Voight, Andy Langager

Campus Chronicle

No abstract provided.

Effects Of 17Β-Estradiol Exposure On Gamete Development And Viability In Freshwater Unionids, David Sovic, Kody F. Kuehnl, Roman Lanno, G. Thomas Watters

Scholarship Forum 2013

Evidence of a functional role for vertebrate steroids has been demonstrated in a number of invertebrate species, including molluscs. This knowledge has generated interest into the possibility of invertebrate endocrine disruption due to exposure to both exogenous steroid hormones and xenobiotics which can mimic the action of these compounds. Exposure to the natural vertebrate estrogen, 17β-estradiol (E2), for example, has been shown to induce accelerated gamete development in multiple mollusc species. Little information exists, however, for freshwater mussels, a group of exceptional conservation interest.

Here, Daniel Sovic, Raoman Lanno, Dr. Kody Kuehnl, and G. Thomas Watters report the findings of …

Molecular Assessment Of Three Reproducing Populations Of The Clubshell Mussel (Pleurobema Clava) Reveals Historic Hybridization With Pleurobema Sintoxia, Kody F. Kuehnl, Michael G. Sovic

Scholarship Forum 2013

The clubshell (Pleurobema clava) is a federally endangered species of freshwater mussel endemic to Ohio that is currently found in fewer than ten river systems in the United States (>85% range reduction). Two of the USFWS’s (1993) recovery goals are to establish ten viable populations and maintain any existing genetic viability. In order to recover the clubshell, conservation efforts including translocation and captive propagation have been used to augment existing populations. In order to maintain the genetic diversity and population level specificity, a molecular assessment is needed. In this study, we generated nuclear microsatellite data and mitochondrial (mtDNA) sequence …

University Scholar Series: Scott Shaffer, Scott Shaffer

University Scholar Series

A New Form Of Biotechnology: Novel Data Logging Devices Reveal Secrets About The Lives Of Marine Animals

On September 25, 2013, Dr. Scott Shaffer gave a talk titled “A New Form Of Biotechnology: Novel Data Logging Devices Reveal Secrets About The Lives Of Marine Animals” as part of the University Scholar Series hosted by Provost Ellen Junn at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Dr. Shaffer’s research focuses on the ecology, physiology, and conservation of marine vertebrate species. Specifically, he uses novel smart technologies to study long-range movements, distribution, and behavior of wild seabirds and marine mammals. This new …

Parameters – Full Issue, Usawc Parameters

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Dilemmas for US Strategy: David S. Sorenson, Gregory Aftandilian, Richard W. Weitz, Dennis V. Hickey. US Landpower in Regional Focus: Kimberly Field, James Learmont, Jason Charland, W. Andrew Terrill, John R. Deni. Lessons From Limited Wars: Todd R. Greentree, David C. Brooks

Advanced Technologies: Health Care Anytime... Anywhere?, Danielle Hart, John Pilutti, Leslie J. King

Scholarship Forum 2013

Advanced technology in the medical profession has had a significant impact on the access, efficiency, and cost of health care delivery services over the past decade. Technological advancements in the medical profession can be bucketed into two main categories: mobile and biological/physiological. Some examples of mobile technology include web apps that can monitor a patient’s vital signs remotely and mobile phone attachments that can provide medical imaging data for doctors in the most remote areas of the globe. Remote patient monitoring and the use of mobile health apps to deliver timely, useful information to the patient about their health decision …

Freshwater Mussels As Biological Indicators, Vera Kazaniwskyj, Y. Zhang, G. Thomas Watters, Kody F. Kuehnl, Barbara A. Wolfe

Scholarship Forum 2013

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a devastating rhabdovirus affecting freshwater fishes worldwide. In 2005, a new genotype of VHSV (IVb) was discovered in Lake St. Clair and has consequently spread throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes. While it is widely known that freshwater fishes are hosts and transmitters of VHSV, little is known about the ability of invertebrates to take up and carry the virus. Our (Vera Kazaniwskyj, Y. Zhang, G. Thomas Watters, Dr. Kody Kuehnl, and Barbara Wolfe) objective in this study was to investigate the ability of freshwater mussels to accumulate and transmit VHSV by using two commonly …

Mitochondrial Dna Suggests Stonerollers (Campostoma Anomalum) From Upper Shavers Fork Have Strong Genetic Similarities With The Recently Identified New River Form, Michael G. Sovic, Kody F. Kuehnl

Scholarship Forum 2013

A recent analysis of cytochrome b sequence data suggested the presence of two distinct lineages of stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum) in West Virginia: one form that occurs throughout most waters of the Ohio and Potomac River basins, and a second that is restricted to the New River basin.

In Michael Sovic and Dr. Kody Kuehnl's study, cytochrome b data are presented for individuals sampled from the upper reaches of Shavers Fork, a tributary of the Cheat River that is geographically proximate to, but not within the New River drainage. Haplotypes observed in the individuals from Shavers Fork are most similar to …