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Dwight Waddell Joins Electrical Engineering, Heads New Biomedical Emphasis, Edwin Smith

University of Mississippi News

Researcher will collaborate with chemical engineering department to create new major

Emotional Involvement With Grandparents As A Key Component Of Prosocial Development: Testing Empathic Concern As A Mediator, Kathryn Leigh Bunnell Gustafson

Theses and Dissertations

Current research shows that grandparents have made significant contributions to at-risk families. However, few studies have examined the benefits of grandparenting in non-at-risk populations. This study considered whether emotional involvement with a grandparent is associated with prosocial behavior in adolescent grandchildren and examines the mediating role of empathy and perspective taking. A longitudinal sample of 500 participants were taken from waves two thru five of the Flourishing Families Project (FFP) and used to construct a latent growth curve model. Results indicate that emotional involvement with a grandparent was positively linked with initial levels of prosocial behavior in grandchildren. Furthermore, results …

Epistasis Among Adaptive Mutations In Deer Mouse Hemoglobin, Chandrasekhar Natarajan, Noriko Inoguchi, Roy E. Weber, Angela Fago, Hideaki Moriyama, Jay F. Storz

Jay F. Storz Publications

Epistatic interactions between mutant sites in the same protein can exert a strong influence on pathways of molecular evolution. We performed protein engineering experiments that revealed pervasive epistasis among segregating amino acid variants that contribute to adaptive functional variation in deer mouse hemoglobin (Hb). Amino acid mutations increased or decreased Hb-O₂ affinity depending on the allelic state of other sites. Structural analysis revealed that epistasis for Hb-O₂ affinity and allosteric regulatory control is attributable to indirect interactions between structurally remote sites. The prevalence of sign epistasis for fitness-related biochemical phenotypes has important implications for the evolutionary dynamics of …

The Effects Of Green Smoothie Consumption On Blood Pressure And Health-Related Quality Of Life: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Emiko Maeda

Dissertations and Theses

Chronic diseases are among the leading causes of death globally, and as much as 80% of these deaths are reported to be preventable with proper diet and lifestyle. Although extensive research has demonstrated that the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables offers protective health effects from many chronic illnesses, populations in both developed and developing nations consistently fall short of the recommended intake of 5 or more servings a day. This study investigated the effects of daily consumption of Green Smoothies for 4 consecutive weeks on blood pressure and health-related quality of life. Green Smoothies are a blended drink consisting …

Interaction – Characterizing The Effect Of Chromosome 21 On Both Tau And Aß42 In Alzheimer’S Disease, Mo Lee, Dr. John Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

It turns out that the data for chromosome 21 didn’t come to me at all. There were some problem with the data itself according to our co-researchers. However, the data for the phenotype YKL40, which is a promising gene that might affect the pathology of Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr. Kauwe decided that we should utilize the ORCA grant on this data that we had.

What Fatty Acids In Dairy Cow Feces May Predict Resistance Or Susceptibility To Production-Related Metabolic Diseases, Brian Melville, Beverly Roeder

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Dairy cows supply an important food source for humans, and any disease that hurts production threatens this source. Once a cow has a PRMD (production related metabolic disease) there are many signs and symptoms that are readily observed and tested for, but it would be useful to use diagnostic techniques to discover if an animal is at risk of a future disease when the cow is clinically normal. These diagnostic tools could be used with clinically normal healthy appearing cows, empowering producers to make more informed decisions about animal care to improve milk production. Other exciting possibilities exist, such as …

Polyomavirus Phylogenetics In Relation To Host Switches, David Morris, Dr. Keith Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Evolutionary Biology is not a branch of biology that spends much time in the public eye. It just doesn’t have flashy results like cloning or evocative naturalist documentaries to captivate the imagination. However, this doesn’t mean that evolutionary biology is any less essential to our understanding of life and how it may eventually impact people in their daily lives.

Effects Of Acetyl-L-Carnitine Supplementation On Ampk-Activity And Mitochondrial Biogenesis In Lkb1 Knockout Mice, Lisa Mccoy, Dr. David Thomson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

During the medical school interview of the school I will be attending next Fall, my interviewer asked me to speak of a time in which I had failed or suffered an obstacle in my academic career. He laughed and said that I probably hadn’t even had one because of the numbers he had observed in my application. I rebutted and told him I very recently had faced difficulty. I spoke of this experience. Throughout my entire academic career, I have never really had to face failure. I was blessed with motivation and the capacity to excel and my grades consistently …

Muscle Na+/K+-Atpase Isoform Regulation In Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Following Burst And Sustained Swimming Challenges, Mattina Alonge

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, are often recognized for their physiologically demanding migration patterns. Shifts in relative expression of specific Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase isoforms have been identified during salinity acclimation and similar changes in expression may also occur in response to other physiological challenges. The Na⁺/K⁺- ATPase plays a crucial role in the maintenance of membrane potential and excitability during muscle contraction through prompt restoration of sodium and potassium gradients. Additionally, a tissue-specific isoform (α2) has been identified within skeletal muscle, with localized expression conserved across multiple species but the specific function is unknown. …

Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Investigations Of The Structure Of The Immunoglobulin G Class Of Antibody, Michael Kelliher

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Ensemble and single molecule methods were used to study model systems of 11 base pair and 16 base pair oligonucleotides. From these experiments it was possible to determine the best ensemble analysis method to use, in conjunction with single molecule experiments, to investigate the structure of lgG in solution. To study the interactions within the antigen-binding fragments (Fab), the binding sites were labeled with a FRET pair. Single molecule fluorescence measurements on the antibody indicate minimal FRET occurring between the dye pair suggesting the distance is too large to be measured using single molecule FRET. Ensemble and single molecule FRET …

The Effects Of Emotion On Acoustic Characteristics Of Vocal Vibrato In Trained Singers, Sharee Oakes Holmes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of emotion on several key acoustic features of vibrato including vibrato rate, extent, and steadiness (measured by FM rate COV and FM extent COV). We hypothesized that intensity of emotion would have a significant effect on vibrato rate, extent, and periodicity, although the direction of these changes was undetermined. There were 10 participants, including eight females and two males, who were graduate student singers with high competency ratings. Each participant completed a series of tasks including sustained vowels at several pitch and loudness levels, an assigned song that was determined …

Sociodemographic And Clinical Factors Associated With The Diagnosis, Initial Treatment Selection And Survival Of Prostate Cancer In Florida, Donald L. Parris Jr

Open Access Dissertations

Prostate cancer is the most common solid malignancy diagnosed in American men. One in six men in the US is expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. Despite the large number of men diagnosed every year with prostate cancer, there is no consensus concerning the best and most appropriate treatment. Moreover, most men with early stage prostate cancer have a life expectancy comparable to similarly aged men without prostate cancer and will die with prostate cancer rather than from prostate cancer. Without evidence supporting one treatment over another, it is important to understand the factors that inform …

Effect Of Particle Size On Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Pretreated Miscanthus, Vijay Singh, Esha Khullar, Bruce Dien, Kent Rausch, M.E. Tumbleson

BioEnergy IV: Innovations in Biomass Conversion for Heat, Power, Fuels and Chemicals

No abstract provided.

Mitochondrial Energetics Of Benthic And Pelagic Antarctic Teleosts, Eloy Martinez, Michael A. Menze, Joseph P. Torres

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Antarctic fauna are highly adapted to the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean. This study describes the in vitro temperature sensitivity of oxygen consumption rates measured in liver mitochondria from the pelagic notothenioid Pleuragramma antarcticum between 5 and 35 C. Oxygen fluxes were measured after the addition of millimolar levels of pyruvate, malate, succinate and glutamate (state II, LEAK) and saturating levels of ADP [state III, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)]. State III respiration significantly decreased above 18.7 C. A comparison of the oxidative capacities among P. antarcticum and other notothenioids showed significant differences in state III respiration, where benthic species exhibited …

Ballard Gets Baker Award For Latin American Violets Research, Ohio University College Of Arts & Sciences

All Forum Articles

No abstract provided.

Gray Love The Career Of Gov. John Early In The Cordilleras, Shelton; Boise Woods

Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints

Unlike the usual portrayals of racism of American colonial officials in the Philippines, thisarticle explores the career of John Early, a mid-level official who rose to become the governor of the Mountain Province in 1922 until his death in 1932. In 1911 he had served as lieutenant governor of Bontoc but was fired, according to his memoir, for defending the rights of the indigenous highlanders against unfair American colonials. Early’s rather unorthodox rise in the colonial government included actions that at times appear to contradict the prevailing thoughts of the day. Thearticle asserts the complex nature of human motives.Keywords: American …

Nfat5 Represses Canonical Wnt Signaling Via Inhibition Of Β-Catenin Acetylation And Participates In Regulating Intestinal Cell Differentiation, Qingding Wang, Yuning Zhou, Piotr G. Rychahou, Chunming Liu, Heidi L. Weiss, B. Mark Evers

Surgery Faculty Publications

The intestinal mucosa undergoes a continual process of proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, which is regulated by multiple signaling pathways. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway has a critical role in this process. Previously, we have shown that the calcineurin-dependent nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT) is involved in the regulation of intestinal cell differentiation, as noted by the alteration of brush-border enzyme intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) activity. Here, we show that calcineurin-independent NFAT5 interacts with β-catenin to repress Wnt signaling. We found that overexpression of NFAT5 inhibits, whereas knockdown of NFAT5 increases, TOPflash reporter activity and the expression of …

Influence Of Media Composition On The Growth Rate Of Chlorella Vulgaris And Scenedesmus Acutus Utilized For Co2 Mitigation, Czarena L. Crofcheck, Xinyi E, Aubrey Shea, Michael D. Montross, Mark Crocker, Rodney Andrews

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased since the industrial revolution due to increasing combustion of fossil fuels. One possible CO₂ mitigation strategy is the use of microalgae for mitigation of CO₂. This paper focuses on the influence of media composition on the growth rate of two microalgae strains, Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus actus. A KNO₃ based medium was found to work better for Chlorella, while a urea based equivalent worked better for Scenedesmus. The urea based media investigated here resulted in growth similar to that found with previously reported KNO₃ based media. …

Isso Weekly Newsletter, June 13, 2013, University Of Northern Iowa. International Students And Scholars Office.

ISSO Weekly Newsletter

Inside This Issue:

-- ISSO Office Has Moved
-- CIEP Student Custodial Position
-- College Hill Arts Festival
-- Movies Under the Moon in Overman Park June 21
-- June's Student Health 101 is now available
-- Waterloo Bucks Baseball
-- ISSO Summer Office Hours
-- Things to Do in the Summer
-- Reminder to like our Facebook page
-- ISSO - Enhancing International Experiences

Mdck Gene Expression During Emt, Jason Burton, Marc Hansen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. This is mostly due to a lack of understanding into the function of cancer and the different mechanisms it uses to spread. The process by which cancer cells detach from the primary tumor and spread to form metastases is known as Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). EMT is a process whereby specialized epithelial cells undergo a transformation back to primitive, mobile cells (see figure 1). These cells can travel through the basement membranes and enter the nervous and vascular systems and spread throughout the body. This process has …

Validation Of Possible Blood Serum Biomarkers Linked To Genetic Risk Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Jesse Cobell, Dr. John Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 2011, the Alzheimer’s Association released in their annual facts and figures that 5.4 million people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and is the only disease in the top ten that cannot be prevented or cured. The report explains that diagnosis is a significant difficulty and emphasizes the importance of identifying another method such as serum biomarkers to use in the diagnosis of the disease (Alzheimer’s Association). The ability to diagnose early or detect risk factors before onset would make an enormous impact on management of the disease for …

Rho Kinase Pathway Inhibition And Its Effect On Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Jacob Hoj, Dr. Marc Hansen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Rho Kinase Pathway is a cellular pathway that is thought to be involved in cancer metastasis, as previous research has indicated¹. As indicated by the name, the Rho group of proteins are central to this pathway. Over the past year, we set out to analyze this pathway and to further our understanding of its role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a biological process common in many metastatic cancers. Through experimental analysis, we were able to look at this pathway in ways that no one else has been able to. While our results were very intriguing, obtaining the data …

A Novel Role For Amp-Activated Protein Kinase As A Selective Inhibitor Of De Novo Ceramide Biosynthesis, Kate Erickson, Dr. Benjamin Bikman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to determine the cellular mechanisms that mediate AMPK-induced reductions in lipotoxicity. We predicted that AMPK activation inhibits lipotoxic ceramide biosynthesis via targeted reduction in transcription of a critical, rate-limiting enzyme involved in de novo ceramide synthesis.

Cellular Mechanisms Behind Memory Formation In The Developing Brain, Spencer Bell, Dr. Jeffrey Edwards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Carrying out my research project with my mentor’s assistance has provided valuable experiences and important lessons. At the present time, however, my research has not produced the results we had anticipated. We had hoped to demonstrate that a certain receptor in the brain called transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) modulated memory formation in the developing brain by influencing a process known as long-term depression, or the weakening of a chemical connection between two brain cells. Although we have not yet produced statistically significant results, our observations indicate that we may simply need to conduct more experiments to acquire enough …

Comparisons Of Amantadine Analogues Against The Dominant Influenza A Virus M2 Proton Channel Mutant Via Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy And Tryptophan Fluorescence Anisotropy, Trevor Anderson, David Busath

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The influenza A virus is a severe ongoing threat to public health, accounting for over 250,000 fatalities worldwide each year. In order to actuate the virus, it is necessary for the M2 proton channel to be activated upon fusion with an endosome.

Memory Processes In Pregnant Women, Quentin Smith, Dr. Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Pregnancy is a complicated biological process that is often accompanied by reported cognitive changes among pregnant women. Pregnant women commonly report diminished cognitive functioning during pregnancy, with “forgetfulness” and “a poor memory” as the most common complaints (Brett & Baxendale, 2001; Crawley, 2002). However, despite these anecdotally reported deficits, the evidence suggesting memory impairments in pregnancy are equivocal. In a recent meta-analysis of 14 studies of memory in pregnancy, it was concluded that pregnancy disrupts some, but not all, memory processes (J. D. Henry & Rendell, 2007). In particular, memory tasks that place high demands on executive cognitive control seem …

The Weekly Challenger, June 13, 2013, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The June 13, 2013, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

2013 Commencement Program, Richard Tapia

Commencement Archives 2010-19

The program for the Portland State University 2013 Commencement ceremonies, held June 13, 2013.

Richard Tapia received an honorary degree and delivered the commencement addresses.

Barbara Ames received an honorary degree during the afternoon ceremony for the College of the Arts, School of Business Administration, Graduate School of Education, Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, School of Social Work, and the College of Urban and Public Affairs.

Les Effets Additifs Potentiels Associés À Des Expositions Aiguës Par Inhalation De Mélanges De Substances Chimiques : Outil D’Aide À La Gestion Des Situations D’Urgence, Jonathan Côté, François Lemay, Adolf Vyskocil, Marc Baril, Daniel Drolet, Naima El Majidi, France Gagnon, Claude Viau

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Lors de déversements accidentels de substances chimiques dans l’environnement, que ce soit dans le cas d’incidents routiers ou ferroviaires (transport de matières dangereuses), ou encore d’accidents industriels, des travailleurs, des secouristes, des pompiers et même la population générale peuvent être exposés simultanément, sur de courtes périodes, à d’importantes concentrations de plusieurs substances chimiques. Dans de telles situations, une exposition simultanée à plusieurs substances peut induire des risques plus importants pour un travailleur que s’il est exposé successivement à chacun de ces polluants considérés individuellement. Il est donc important, comme le stipulent l’ American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) et …

Report, 2012/2013 Addendum To Poynter Library Strategic Plan, Carol G. Hixson, Kaya Van Beynen, Tina M. Neville

Library Strategic Planning and Background Materials

Progress on strategic planning goals drafted by Kaya van Beynen, Tina Neville, and Carol Hixson and subsequently reviewed and revised by the Library Leadership Team.