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Amino Acids And Mtor Mediate Distinct Metabolic Checkpoints In Mammalian G1 Cell Cycle, Mahesh Saqcena, Deepak Menon, Deven Patel, Suman Mukhopadhyay, Victor Chow, David A. Foster

Publications and Research

Objective In multicellular organisms, cell division is regulated by growth factors (GFs). In the absence of GFs, cells exit the cell cycle at a site in G1 referred to as the restriction point (R) and enter a state of quiescence known as G0. Additionally, nutrient availability impacts on G1 cell cycle progression. While there is a vast literature on G1 cell cycle progression, confusion remains – especially with regard to the temporal location of R relative to nutrient-mediated checkpoints. In this report, we have investigated the relationship between R and a series of metabolic cell cycle checkpoints that regulate passage …

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 …

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.

August 19, 2013 Aasu Faculty Senate Minutes, Armstrong State University

Armstrong Faculty Senate: Minutes (Archived)

August 19, 2013 AASU Faculty Senate Minutes

Round And Round And Round In The Circle Game, John Bird, Teaching And Learning Center

The Weekly Reader

No abstract provided.

A Multidisciplinary Approach To Design Education: Providing A Framework For Informed Designers Of The Future, Zaiba Mian

Learn X Design Conference Series

This paper recognizes the need to integrate design in all levels of education in order to foster creative skills that are applicable in most aspects of life. It highlights unique challenges associated with teaching design in the digital age and the need to encourage students to see in a critical and meaningful way. The methodology used in design education must build on existing virtual tools to promote a physical reconnection to one’s surroundings in order to promote an appreciation and understanding of place. This paper explores the notion that design does not occur in isolation and is part of a …

Plasma S-Adenosylmethionine, Dnmt Polymorphisms, And Peripheral Blood Line-1 Methylation Among Healthy Chinese Adults In Singapore, Maki Inoue-Choi, Heather H. Nelson, Kim Robien, Erland Arning, Teodoro Bottiglieri, Woon-Puay Koh, Jian-Min Yuan

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background

Global hypomethylation of repetitive DNA sequences is believed to occur early in tumorigenesis. There is a great interest in identifying factors that contribute to global DNA hypomethylation and associated cancer risk. We tested the hypothesis that plasma S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) level alone or in combination with genetic variation in DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3A andDNMT3B) was associated with global DNA methylation extent at long interspersed nucleotide element-1 (LINE-1) sequences.

Methods

Plasma SAM level and LINE-1 DNA methylation index were measured using stored blood samples collected from 440 healthy Singaporean Chinese adults during 1994-1999. Genetic polymorphisms of …

Modeling Changes In The Length Of The Agricultural Growing Season In Interior Alaska, Nicole Y. Swenson

Natural Resources

Food security is a growing global concern as population growth continues in a period of rapid climatic change. The amplification of climate change and dependence upon imported foods at high latitudes makes Alaskans especially vulnerable to both global and local changes. Although many climate impacts present challenges, rising air temperatures could provide economic opportunities for Alaskan agriculturalists by extending growing seasons. Future growing season length has previously been estimated, however these estimates did not explicitly account for the constraints of agricultural systems. This research explores the relationship between air temperature, soil temperature and growing season length in agricultural management systems …

Histone H2a-S122 Is Required For Nuclear And Mitochondrial Genome Stability, Shannon R. Uffenbeck

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Organization and maintenance of the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes are vastly different, yet I have shown that a single serine in the H2A C-terminal tail (H2A-S122) is critical for stability of both genomes in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Phosphorylation of H2A-S 122 has previously been implicated in the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), however I show that by mutating the serine to an alanine (H2A-S122A), the resulting aneuploidy occurs at a much higher rate than is observed by deleting its immediate downstream kinase BUB1. Furthermore, the H2A-S122A mutant displays an increased susceptibility to DNA damaging agents that is not observed …

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles And Sh-Sy5y Cell Line, Jinghui Zheng, 静慧 郑

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The Arctic and sub-arctic regions are impacted by the growth of the global nanotechnology industry. Nanomaterials have unique chemical and physical properties that may lead to toxicological effects that interfere with normal cellular metabolism. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are now very common and widely used in daily life. In industry, ZnO NPs are used to protect different materials from damage caused by UV exposure. The scientific literature suggests that ZnO NPs can have negative impacts on both living organisms and plants. However, there is a paucity of research on the mechanisms by which ZnO NPs may affect the neuronal …

Vapor-Liquid-Solid Growth Of Semiconductor Sic Nanowires For Electronics Applications, Rooban Venkatesh K G Thirumalai

Theses and Dissertations

While investigations of semiconductor nanowires (NWs) has a long history, a significant progress is yet to be made in silicon carbide (SiC) NW technologies before they are ready to be utilized in electronic applications. In this dissertation work, SiC NW polytype control, NW axis orientation with respect to the growth substrate and other issues of potential technological importance are investigated. A new method for growing SiC NWs by vapor-liquid-solid mechanism was developed. The method is based on an in-situ vapor phase delivery of a metal catalyst to the growth surface during chemical vapor deposition. This approach is an alternative to …

Integrating Climate Change With Human Land Use Patterns: Archaeology Of Butte Lake Northeast, Michael L. Wendt

Anthropology

This research explores the effects of climate change throughout the Holocene by investigating a multi-component site at Butte Lake, Alaska. This research combines expectations generated from ethnographic models to evaluate site use conditioned by environmental constraints within the theoretical framework of human behavioral ecology. Analysis of lithic materials, faunal remains, and site structure are evaluated to determine site type by occupational component. The results of this research show that a period of low effective moisture during the early Holocene (9000 to 5000 cal BP), as well as a period of both low temperature and increased effective moisture associated with the …

Becoming Adults In A Rural Yup'ik Community: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study Exploring Resilience, Tara J. Ford

Psychology

The aim of this study is to explore strategies for navigating challenges in a rural Alaskan Yup'ik community among youth and young adults. This qualitative study captures a longitudinal perspective as youth (N=25; 11 -18 years old) were originally interviewed in January 2010. For the current study, participants were re-interviewed in December 2012. Follow-up interviews addressed life challenges over the past three years and resources that helped them with their hard times. To reinforce the multifaceted nature of growing-up in a rural Yup'ik community, scholarly literature along with observations, conversations with local residents, and local wisdom captured in anthropological work …

Ecology And Energetics Of Early Life Stages Of Walleye Pollock In The Eastern Bering Sea: The Role Of Spatial Variability Across Climatic Regimes, Elizabeth Calvert Siddon

Fisheries

Understanding mechanisms behind variability in early life survival of marine fishes can improve predictive capabilities for recruitment success under changing climate conditions. Ecosystem changes in response to climate variability in the eastern Bering Sea affect commercial species including walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), which represent an ecologically important component of the ecosystem and support the largest commercial fishery in the United States. The goal of my dissertation was to better understand spatial and temporal dynamics in the ecology of early life stages of walleye pollock in the eastern Bering Sea through: (1) an examination of shifts in larval fish community composition …

Freeze-Thaw Effect On Soil Microbial Activity With Biochar Application In Subarctic Soils, Sunny M. Castillo

Forest Sciences

Alaska has limited agricultural production due to extreme climatic conditions and weakly developed soils, which affect productivity. In higher latitudes, freeze-thaw cycles are common and influence soil biology and nutrient dynamics, offering a unique opportunity to investigate the use of soil amendments like biochar to enhance native biota and soil's intrinsic properties. Biochar for this study was produced from locally harvested black spruce (Picea mariana), using a fixed bed pyrolysis unit. The production of biochar was electronically controlled with temperatures kept at 550°C, and residence times manipulated by a mechanical auger, in order to yield five distinct biochar products. Chemical …

Tishomingo County Hometown: Um Luckyday Scholar Receives Prestigious Medical Scholarship, Lindsey Abernathy

University of Mississippi News

Belmont High School graduate plans to practice medicine in rural Mississippi after medical school

Proceedings 19th International Northern Research Basins Symposium And Workshop Southcentral Alaska, Usa – August 11–17, 2013, Svetlana Stuefer, W. Robert Bolton

INE Other

No abstract provided.

Small-Scale Variability In Benthic Food Webs In The Northeastern Chukchi Sea, Kelley Lannon Tu

Marine Biology

Benthic food web structure can differ over large scales across Arctic shelves in relation to hydrographic conditions, but little is known if such differences also may occur on smaller scales in hydrographically complex areas. The length, food sources, trophic composition, and energy distribution of benthic food webs in three study areas in the northeastern Chukchi Sea (i.e., Klondike, Burger, and Statoil, as part of the Chukchi Sea Environmental Studies Program) were compared using stable isotope analysis and bomb calorimetry. Food web length (four trophic levels), food sources, and linear models of food webs were comparable among areas. Marked differences in …

Effect Of Chopping Or Cubing Hay On Apparent Digestibility Of Nutrients When Fed To Angus, Hereford, And Charolais Steers, Rebecca Ann Willcutt

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate digestibility of cubed hay as a feedstuff for ruminants. Angus (n=6), Hereford (n=3), and Charolais (n=3; total n=12; 226 ± 21.8kg) steers, stratified by breed, were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups: 1) hay; 2) chopped; 3) cubed. There was no difference (P > 0.05) of DMI or digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF, hemicellulose, and energy among treatments. Steers consuming hay digested more CP than those consuming chopped. Steers consuming cubed digested less CP than those consuming hay or chopped. More fat was digested by steers consuming hay or chopped than by …

Bamboo Nutritional Composition, Biomass Production, And Palatability To Giant Pandas: Disturbance And Temporal Effects, Jennifer L. Parsons

Theses and Dissertations

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) subsists on bamboo, but lacks gastrointestinal modifications for fiber digestion. Pandas display dietary selectivity for certain plant parts; however, cues for selection are unknown, and few have examined panda feeding behavior and bamboo nutrient composition simultaneously. Bamboos are clonal plants, with seasonal cycles of nutrient accumulation related to peak photosynthesis and recruitment. These cycles can be destabilized by aboveground disturbance; however, effects of disturbance on nutritional quality and sustainability of bamboo for primary consumers have not been studied. I examined 4 factors that may contribute to bamboo nutritional quality or sustainable harvest: season, ramet maturity …

Cattle Grazing Preferences, Animal Performance, And Harvest Management Effects Among Diploid And Tetraploid Cultivars Of Annual Ryegrass, Juan Kevin Quamina Solomon

Theses and Dissertations

Incremental gains in productivity from new forages are likely to be very small in developed countries like the USA where forage research is highly advanced, thus animals must be used in determining their value. Three experiments were conducted. Experiment I evaluated grazing preference of cattle and its relationship with morphological and chemical characteristics. Treatments were two diploid cultivars ‘Marshall’ and ‘Gulf’ and two tetraploid cultivars ‘Maximus’ and ‘Nelson’ arranged in a 4 × 4 Latin square design experiment. Animal preference was based on herbage disappearance, the Chesson-Manly index, and animal grazing time. Both herbage disappearance (1400 vs. 890 kg ha-1) …

Characterization Of Transition Metals Binding To Carbonic Anhydrase, He Song

Theses and Dissertations

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is a well-studied, zinc dependent metalloenzyme that catalyzes hydrolysis of carbon dioxide to the bicarbonate ion. In the past, metal binding studies related to CA have continually relied on equilibrium dialysis measurements to ascertain an extremely strong association constant (Ka= approx. 1.2 x 1012) for Zn2+. However, new methodology has allowed us to collect data using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), which calls that number and the association constants for many other first row transition metal ions into question. Thermodynamic parameters associated with Zn2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Co2+ binding to apoCA are unraveled from a series of complex …

Arthrodesis Of The Proximal Interphalangeal Joint In The Horse: A Biomechanical Comparison Of 5.5mm Cortical Screw Augmented 4.5mm Narrow Lcdcp And 5.0mm Lcp Constructs With And Without Distal Interphalangeal Joint Collateral Ligament Transection, Richard A. Rocconi

Theses and Dissertations

The in vitro comparison of monotonic and cyclic mechanical properties of equine proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodeses stabilized using an open or closed technique and application of 2 abaxial transarticular lag screws combined with either an axial 4.5mm narrow 3-hole LC-DCP with 5.5mm cortical screws a 4.5mm narrow 3-hole LCP with 5.0mm locking screws. Limbs were tested for cyclic fatigue at 20,0000cycles and then in single-cycle to failure under 3-point, dorsopalmar bending. There were no significant differences in stiffness and single-cycle to failure values between the LCP and LC-DCP constructs, with or without PIPJ collateral ligament transaction. There was no interaction …

Surface Modification And Transport Modeling Of Micron- And Nano-Sized Materials, Erick Salvador Vasquez Guardado

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoparticle-based technologies are an emerging field with the promise to impact a wide range of application areas. However, that potential is somewhat married to a host of research questions that remain to be answered. This work explores the surface modification of magnetic nanoparticles in a controlled fashion to produce hybrid nanoparticle (metal/polymer) systems with different morphologies, understand in-situ behavior of stimuli-responsive polymers grafted to a substrate, and obtain better computational methods for particle-tracking and -deposition. Nanoparticle surface modification was performed using ATRP, obtaining homo-, block-co-, and ‘twoaced/biphasic’ polymer structures on the nanoparticle surfaces. Biphasic Janus nanoparticles (JPs) were formed using …

Survival And Activity Patterns Of Snowshoe Hares (Lepus Americanus) In Interior Alaska, Dashiell S. Feierabend

Biological Sciences

Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) survival depends on the interaction of habitat characteristics with numerous biological and environmental variables. In boreal regions where considerable habitat heterogeneity exists, hares balance food availability with predation risk by moving among habitats seasonally, but it is largely unknown how often they move at shorter time scales. I investigated the seasonal effects of habitat, weather, and individual hare characteristics on survival and movement in two common but fundamentally different boreal habitats. Survival was highest in summer, for hares with higher body condition, and in black spruce rather than early successional forest. Hares moved among core use …

Comparison Of Student Achievement Among Two Science Laboratory Types: Traditional And Virtual, Mary Celeste Reese

Theses and Dissertations

Technology has changed almost every aspect of our daily lives. It is not surprising then that technology has made its way into the classroom. More and more educators are utilizing technological resources in creative ways with the intent to enhance learning, including using virtual laboratories in the sciences in place of the “traditional” science laboratories. This has generated much discussion as to the influence on student achievement when online learning replaces the face-toace contact between instructor and student. The purpose of this study was to discern differences in achievement of two laboratory instruction types: virtual laboratory and a traditional laboratory. …

Development Of Biomass-Based Form Coke Production Process, Abhijith Madabhushi

Theses and Dissertations

Metallurgical coke is an important component of the iron and steel industry. It is obtained from high quality coking coals like bituminous coal. However, due to the limited resources and high levels of Green house Gases, alternatives to the product are of high demand. Availability of raw materials is an important factor. The product should have high heating value, strength and lower emissions. Research is being done on form coke technology; to produce high quality substitutes with inexpensive materials like lignite. A biomass-based form coke production process is developed. Two types of raw materials are selected at beginning of process. …

Development Of Degradable Renewable Polymers And Stimuli-Responsive Nanocomposites, Ersan Eyiler

Theses and Dissertations

The overall goal of this research was to explore new living radical polymerization methods and the blending of renewable polymers. Towards this latter goal, polylactic acid (PLA) was blended with a new renewable polymer, poly(trimethylene-malonate) (PTM), with the aim of improving mechanical properties, imparting faster degradation, and examining the relationship between degradation and mechanical properties. Blend films of PLA and PTM with various ratios (5, 10, and 20 wt %) were cast from chloroform. Partially miscible blends exhibited Young’s modulus and elongation-to-break values that significantly extend PLA’s usefulness. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) data showed that incorporation of 10 wt% PTM …

Diversity And Characteristics Of Heat-Stress Adaptation In Listeria Monocytogenes Strains, Priyanka Mahesh Jangam

Theses and Dissertations

A set of 37 strains including 13 serotypes of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) were analyzed for heat tolerance at 60°C for 10 min and further categorized into three groups; low (strains with <2 log survival), medium (2-4 log survival), and high (4-6 log survival) heat tolerant. When Lm strains representing each group were subjected to sub-lethal heatstress at 48°C prior to 60°C, the survivals of all strains were increased by at least 5 log CFU/ml when compared to controls. Sub-lethal heat-stress at 48°C for 30-60 min increased the heat-stress resistance of Lm strains by doubling D60°C values from 1.9-4.3 to 5.0-10.4 min. When Lm cells were cooled after sublethal heat-stress at 48°C prior to 60°C treatment, such acquired heat-stress adaptation was unstable at 22°C but was found to be highly stable for up to 24 h at 4°C. These results will have potential implications in food safety risk analysis for Lm.

Evaluation Of Rapidly Growing Vegetation On Mississippi Roadsides, Timothy Bradford Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Non-point source pollution caused by erosion from road construction poses hazardous environmental effects. Percolation and infiltration of nutrients into groundwater can also be detrimental to the surrounding environment. In addition, annual roadside maintenance budget exceeded $14 million in 2011 for Mississippi. Objectives of this research were to evaluate rapidly established short-statured species in an effort to prevent erosion, combat non-point source pollution, reduce mowing cost, and provide quick cover following propagation. Factors evaluated were rate of establishment, plant cover, and mowing requirement. MDOT’s standard seed mix was evaluated along with Pennington’s SlopeMaster product and different combinations of selected plant species. …