Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Black Tea Extract On Herpes Simplex Virus-1 Infection Of Cultured Cells, Anthony Cantatore, Sade D. Randall, Daniel Traum, Sandra Adams

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: The purpose of this investigation was to determine if black tea extract (BTE), consisting primarily of flavanol compounds called theaflavins, could inhibit herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) infection in cultured A549 (human epithelial) and Vero cells.Methods: The effect of BTE both on A549 and Vero cultured cells and on HSV-1 was assessed by using phase contrast and fluorescent microscopy, and cell viability and proliferation assays. After establishing the maximum non-cytotoxic concentration of BTE, A549 and Vero cells and HSV-1 virions were treated with varying concentrations of BTE, respectively. A549 and Vero cells were infected with HSV-1 with green fluorescent …

Reversion Of The Arabidopsis Rpn12a-1 Exon-Trap Mutation By An Intragenic Suppressor That Weakens The Chimeric 5' Splice Site, Jasmina Kurepa, Yan Li, Jan A. Smalle

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: In the Arabidopsis 26S proteasome mutant rpn12a-1, an exon-trap T-DNA is inserted 531 base pairs downstream of the RPN12a STOP codon. We have previously shown that this insertion activates a STOP codon-associated latent 5' splice site that competes with the polyadenylation signal during processing of the pre-mRNA. As a result of this dual input from splicing and polyadenylation in the rpn12a-1 mutant, two RPN12a transcripts are produced and they encode the wild-type RPN12a and a chimeric RPN12a-NPTII protein. Both proteins form complexes with other proteasome subunits leading to the formation of wild-type and mutant proteasome versions. The net result …

Dynamical Structure Function Identifiability Conditions Enabling Signal Structure Reconstruction, Julius Adebayo, Dr. Sean Warnick

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Networks of controlled dynamical systems exhibit a variety of interconnection patterns that can be interpreted as the structure of a system. One such interpretation of system structure is a system’s signal structure, characterized as the open-loop causal dependencies among manifest variables and represented by its dynamical structure function (DSF). Previous work has shown that if no a priori structural information is known about the system, not even the Boolean structure of the dynamical structure function is identifiable. Consequently, one method previously suggested for obtaining the necessary a priori structural information is to leverage knowledge about target specificity of the controlled …

Long-Term Nitrogen Addition Decreases Carbon Leaching In A Nitrogen-Rich Forest Ecosystem, X. Lu, Frank S. Gilliam, G. Yu, H. Chen, J. Mo

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) plays a critical role in the carbon (C) cycle of forest soils, and has been recently connected with global increases in nitrogen (N) deposition. Most studies on effects of elevated N deposition on DOC have been carried out in N-limited temperate regions, with far fewer data available from N-rich ecosystems, especially in the context of chronically elevated N deposition. Furthermore, mechanisms for excess N-induced changes of DOC dynamics have been suggested to be different between the two kinds of ecosystems, because of the different ecosystem N status. The purpose of this study was to experimentally examine …

Identification Of Novel Ribosome Stalling Peptides Using The Tat-Two Hybrid, Benjamin Van Leeuwen, Dr. Allen Buskirk

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Dr. Buskirk discontinued my previous project on discovering novel ribosomal stalling sequences shortly after the start of the semester because of its lack of relevance to more current ribosomal research trends. While there are still an unknown number of stalling sequences that have yet to be discovered, the current research has moved away from that field into more novel ribosomal research. Therefore, I was not able to finish my project as planned and presented in my last application.

Spatiotemporal Fluorescent Detection Measurements Using Embedded Waveguide Sensors, Mark C. Harrison, Andrea M. Armani

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Integrated waveguide biosensors, when combined with fluorescent labeling, have significantly impacted the field of biodetection. While there are numerous types of waveguide sensors, the fundamental excitation method is fairly consistent: the evanescent field of the waveguide excites a fluorophore whose emission is detected, either directly via imaging or indirectly via a decrease in power transfer. Recently, a sensor device was demonstrated which is able to back-couple the emitted light into the waveguide, allowing the signal to be detected directly. However, this previous work focused on the development of an empirical model, leaving many theoretical questions unanswered. Additionally, the results from …

Intermedin Protects Against Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury In Diabetic Rats., Hong Li, Yunfei Bian, Nana Zhang, Jia Guo, Cheng Wang, Wayne Bond Lau, Chuanshi Xiao

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Diabetic patients, through incompletely understood mechanisms, endure exacerbated ischemic heart injury compared to non-diabetic patients. Intermedin (IMD) is a novel calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) superfamily member with established cardiovascular protective effects. However, whether IMD protects against diabetic myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury is unknown. METHODS: Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin in Sprague--Dawley rats. Animals were subjected to MI via left circumflex artery ligation for 30 minutes followed by 2 hours R. IMD was administered formally 10 minutes before R. Outcome measures included left ventricular function, oxidative stress, cellular death, infarct size, and inflammation. RESULTS: IMD levels were significantly decreased in …

Challenges And Successes In Exposing Community College Students To Field Work And Undergraduate Research In A New Introductory Field Biology Course At The College Of Southern Nevada, Brian C. Wainscott

American Association for the Advancement of Science Pacific Conference

Few of the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) students I interact with consider careers in field biology. When asked why, most report they do not know much about field biology because too few opportunities exist. Knowing this, and the importance of attracting students to STEM careers, I solicited input from potential employers and developed a new course called Introduction to Field Biology (BIOL 211). BIOL 211 was approved by the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) during 2012 and I offered it for the first time during the spring semester of 2013. It is a 4-credit lecture/lab course that meets …

Issues And Challenges In The Development Of Open Access Publishing And Scholarly Communications In Nigeria, Ifeoma Ann Oluwasemilore

American Association for the Advancement of Science Pacific Conference

The paper notes that advances in technology have resulted in the emergence of open access publishing and scholarly communication. Open access publishing typically provides an internet based digital platform for the publication of research output with unrestricted access to the public while scholarly publication networks encompass inter linked information access to database by educational institutions. The growth of open access publishing and scholarly communication has been very remarkable in many developed countries. However, academic and research institutions in many developing countries like Nigeria are still battling to overcome many challenges in an attempt to make their research outputs openly accessible. …

Effects Of Glucose Levels On Glucose Consumption And Viability Of Chondrocytes And Intervertebral Disc Cells, Garrett R. Waggoner

Open Access Theses

Lower back pain (LBP) and cartilage-related diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA) have a tremendous financial impact on the world today. It is well-understood that the provision of glucose to these avascular regions of the body plays a large role in the sustenance of health and the prevention of pathogenic processes. In order to undertake innovative approaches to allow for glucose-involved cell therapeutics and to enhance a wide range of stem cell therapies, we need to better understand avascular cell metabolism. In this study, annulus fibrosus (AF), nucleus pulposus (NP), and cartilage cells were placed in agarose gel constructs and incubated …

David Cordie Receives Research Award At Parasitologists Conference, Lawrence University

Press Releases

Lawrence University biology major David Cordie was recognized for the best undergraduate presentation at the recent Annual Midwestern Conference of Parasitologists (AMCOP) held at Purdue University.

Cordie received the Raymond Cable Award for his presentation “Testing alternate hypotheses of parasitic communities and aquatic invasive species interaction in Green Bay, Lake Michigan.” The award included a $200 cash prize.

Seniors Briana Harter and Samantha Luebke joined Cordie at the conference as poster presenters.

Cordie’s presentation focused on research he began last summer on the round goby, an invasive fish species that competes with and preys upon native fish species, disrupting the …

Class Of 2017: Basketball Star Plans To Study Biology, Ohio University College Of Arts & Sciences

All Forum Articles

No abstract provided.

Ada News - 06/17/2013, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.

Qualitative Data Archiving In The Digital Age: Strategies For Data Preservation And Sharing, Lisa Cliggett

Anthropology Faculty Publications

Given the combination of recent mandates from funding agencies for data management plans and data sharing, and the explosion of data in digital form over the past two decades, it is time for the qualitative social science community to embrace digital archiving as an inherent component of research methodology. Archiving digital data ensures, at the least, that an individual scholar’s data is preserved and accessible to the user many decades into his or her career. Digital archiving also has the potential to preserve for the broader scholarly community, the full range of social science knowledge far beyond an individual researcher’s …

Ontogenetic Scaling Of The Olfactory Antennae And Flicking Behavior Of The Shore Crab, Hemigrapsus Oregonensis, Lindsay D. Waldrop

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Malacostracan crustaceans such as crabs flick antennae with arrays of olfactory sensilla called aesthetascs through the water to sense odors. Flicking by crabs consists of a quick downstroke, in which aesthetascs are deflected laterally (splayed), and a slower, reversed return stroke, in which aesthetascs clump together. This motion causes water to be flushed within and then held in between aesthetascs to deliver odor molecules to olfactory receptors. Although this odor sampling method relies on a narrow range of speeds, sizes, and specific arrangements of aesthetascs, most crabs dramatically change these during ontogeny. In this study, the morphometrics of the aesthetascs, …

Parvin V. State Clerk's Record V. 1 Dckt. 40824

Idaho Supreme Court Records & Briefs, All

No abstract provided.

Southern Research Institute Names Arthur J. Tipton, Ph.D., President And Ceo, Jim Bakken

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Screening Of Secondary Chemicals From Selected Species Of North American Lichens Against Various Pathologenic Bacteria, Jocelyn Raphael, Dr. Larry St. Clair

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Lichens consist of a fungus occurring symbiotically with a photosynthetic organism (such as an alga and/or cyanobacterium). Lichens are known to produce a high number of secondary metabolites. Studies have shown that these secondary compounds have various biological roles such as antibiotic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, antioxidant, etc. (Huneck, 1999; Molnar & Farkas, 2010). There is a great need for new forms of antibiotics as bacterial infection is an ongoing problem and many bacteria have become resistant to available treatments. To develop new forms of antibiotics many different potential compounds need to be tested. The purpose of this project was to …

Early Parental Death, Genetic Variants And Risk For Alzheimer’S Disease: Building A Risk Profile From The Cache County Study On Memory, Health And Aging, Michael Peterson, Dr. John Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A person’s predisposition to Alzheimer’s Disease is known to be influenced by both genetic factors as well as environmental factors. One know environmental factor is that known to affect risk for disease is early parental death. The purpose of this research is to better understand the complex factors that influence the disease by analyzing the relationship between the environmental factor of early parental death with genetic variants known to influence the disease.

Genetic Relationships Of Cottus Bairdii In Butterfield Springs, Nevada, To Other Population Of Cottus Bairdii, Sun Yeong Oh, Dr. Dennis Shiozawa

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal for this project was to evaluate the genetic relationships of the freshwater sculpin, Cottus bairdii, in Butterfield Springs, Nevada, with other populations of C. bairdii. We planned to examine several mitochondrial genes, ND1, ND2, and the control region, to identify the most likely origin of this population. We hypothesized that these sculpins were from Colorado River Basin as Scoppettone speculated (Scoppettone, Rissler & Shea, 2004).

Endocannabinoid Biosynthetic Enzymes In Hippocampal Interneurons, Ryan Williamson, Dr. Jeff Edwards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The hippocampus is a region of the brain that mediates learning and memory formation by changing the properties of synapses within its circuitry [2]. The plastic nature of these synapses allows the brain to alter how sensitive one neuron is to stimulation from another neuron. Improper regulation of synaptic plasticity may cause memory loss associated with neurodegenerative disease [4].

Rescuing The Collagen 2a1 Gene In Mouse Model To Alleviate Stickler Syndrome Symptoms, Jamie Twiggs, Dr. Robert Seegmiller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Stickler Syndrome is a severe disease with no cure that occurs in 1/7500 births resulting in extreme ocular, craniofacial, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular problems for those diagnosed. It is caused by mutations in the collagen genes, most often a premature stop codon in the collagen 2A1 gene, although in some cases it is caused by mutations in the collagen 11 A1 and A2 genes. The purpose of this research was to discover an effective method of gene therapy in mice models by reinserting a functional collagen gene into mice embryos using a viral vector and plasmids. I hypothesized that if the …

Informative Retesting For Hierarchical Group Testing, Michael S. Black

Department of Statistics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Group testing is the process of pooling samples (e.g., blood, chemical compounds) from multiple sources and testing the pooled material for some binary characteristic. It is used in pathogen screening for humans and animals, drug discovery studies, electrical systems testing, and many other applications. Group testing has traditionally been used for two main types of investigations: 1) the identification of positive specimens and 2) the estimation of a characteristic’s prevalence in a population. This dissertation focuses on the identification process. We propose new identification procedures that exploit the heterogeneity among samples in order to reduce the number of tests needed …

Reflection Of Self: Ageism And The Body, Jasmin Tahmaseb-Mcconatha

Psychology Faculty Publications

Cultural body ideals are often elusive and unattainable, especially with age. Aging bodies can can become a symbol of despair leading to anxiety and unhappiness. We negotiate our identities through our bodies.

Chancellor's Report 2013-06, John Pugh

Chancellor's Report

No abstract provided.

A Floristic Analysis And Comparison Of Plant Communities In Harlan County, Nebraska, Naomi D. Hastings, Steven J. Rothenberger

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Historically, the Republican River Valley in Harlan County, Nebraska, has been extensively explored, but the county flora has continually been under-represented and has been found to lack records for plants that are considered common. During the 2009 growing season, a taxonomic study and comparison of 3 different sites in Harlan County was made. Site #1 was pastureland and Sites #2 and #3 were both riparian, located on the north side of the Republican River. Collections were pressed, dried, identified, and deposited in the University of Nebraska at Kearney Herbarium (NEBK). Forty-eight new county records were verified, in­cluding cutleaf-cucumber (Cyclanthera …

Teasing Out The “Why’S” Of Evolution: A Functional Assessment Of B-Class Protein Complexes, Holly Waddel, Dr. Clinton Whipple

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The evolution of floral development is caused by changes in gene function. The model for floral morphology is the ABC model of floral development (Coen & Meyerowits, 1991). In this model, A genes control sepals, A + B genes control petals, B + C genes control stamen, and C genes control carpels (See fig. 1). If B genes are removed, the resulting flower would contain only sepals and carpels, no petals or stamen.

The Effects Of Daidumene Lineata On The Intertidal Rock Pools, Preston Wilson, Russell Rader

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My experiment was to test the effect Diadumene lineata has on the marine life of the intertidal rock pools in the northwest.

Rock-Paper-Scissors In The Chemostat, James P. Braselton, Martha L. Abell, Lorraine Braselton

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Rock-Paper-Scissors is a game played by two players to determine a single winner. Biological relationships of Rock-Paper-Scissors are documented. In this paper, we form a continuous model of Rock-Papers-Scissors in the chemostat that coincides with the biology of such relationships. The basic models that we develop coincide with the observed phenomena. Because the model involves a system of seven nonlinear differential equations, global results are difficult to obtain. We present several numerical studies that are the result of a substantial number of numerical trials to illustrate the various possibilities that might occur in the context of the problem discussed here.

Attentional Capture By Emotional Faces In Adolescence, Jillian Grose-Fifer, Andrea Rodrigues, Steven Hoover, Tina Zottoli

Publications and Research

Poor decision making during adolescence occurs most frequently when situations are emotionally charged. However, relatively few studies have measured the development of cognitive control in response to emotional stimuli in this population. This study used both affective (emotional faces) and non-affective (letter) stimuli in two different flanker tasks to assess the ability to ignore task-irrelevant but distracting information, in 25 adults and 25 adolescents. On the non-emotional (letter) flanker task, the presence of incongruent flanking letters increased the number of errors, and also slowed participants’ ability to identify a central letter. Adolescents committed more errors than adults, but there were …