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Intramolecular Nitrogen Delivery For The Synthesis Of C-Glycosphingolipids. Application To The C-Glycoside Of The Immunostimulant Krn7000, Ahmad Sabri Altiti, David R. Mootoo

Publications and Research

The key reaction in this approach to C-glycosphingolipids is the stereoselective iodocyclization of a sugar-linked homoallylic carbonimidothioate. E and Z reaction substrates were assembled in a convergent fashion via an alkene metathesis strategy and exhibited the same alkene facial selectivity in the iodocyclization irrespective of alkene geometry, although the E alkene was found to be less reactive.

Molecular Characterization Of Pathways Involved In Pas Kinase Regulation And Function, Julianne H. Grose

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The academic objectives of this MEG were to provide novel findings in the field of metabolic regulation while training both graduate and undergraduate students. We were able to meet these objectives as evidenced by one published scientific article, one article accepted upon minor revision, and one in preparation. In addition, fifteen oral presentations or posters were presented at scientific meetings on findings directly obtained from this MEG. Furthermore, these findings helped obtain NIH funding in 2012 that will continue through 2015, allowing for further scientific advance and training of students.

The Role Of The Kshv Lana Protein In Development Of Persistent Infections In Vivo, Bradford Berges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Several of my students have moved on to future positions, as follows: Medical school: Marshall Sheide, Stanton Nielsen, German Cuadra Graduate school: Jamie Gardiner, Steve Hallam (still interviewing) Currently employed: Joel Gardner, Wittnee Estes

Meg Final Report, Jeff Edwards, John Smith

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The objectives of this award were met, especially in regard to the mentoring focus of the award. The students have been mentored and trained in an effective manner as outlined in my Mentoring Plan (see below). This includes mentoring students in research, writing, publishing, presenting at conferences, acceptance to professional schools, etc. Indeed, all the students graduating from my lab during this time were accepted to the professional school of their choice (see students listed below). Research, especially where the students are actually involved in all aspects of it including data collection and analysis, as well as publishing can play …

Mentoring Undergraduates Via Organic Synthesis, Steven L. Castle

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This report summarizes the results of the mentoring environment in my laboratory that were generated from January 2012 to present. During this period, a total of seven undergraduates performed research in my laboratory. Their names and accomplishments are listed below.

Accessing Near-Infrared-Absorbing Bf2-Azadipyrromethenes Via A Push-Pull Effect, Lijuan Jiao, Yayang Wu, Sufan Wang, Xiaoke Hu, Ping Zhang, Changjiang Yu, Kebing Cong, Qianli Meng, Erhong Hao, M. Graça H. Vicente

Faculty Publications

Novel aza-BODIPYs with significant bathochromic shifts were designed and synthesized by installation of strong electron-withdrawing groups on the para-positions of 1,7-phenyls and electron-donating groups on the para-positions of 3,4-phenyls. These dyes show strong NIR fluorescence emissions up to 756 nm, and absorptions up to 720 nm. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Surface Assembly And Nanofabrication Of 1,1,1-Tris(Mercaptomethyl)Heptadecane On Au(111) Studied With Time-Lapse Atomic Force Microscopy, Tian Tian, Burapol Singhana, Lauren E. Englade-Franklin, Xianglin Zhai, T. Randall Lee, Jayne C. Garno

Faculty Publications

The solution self-assembly of multidentate organothiols onto Au(111) was studied in situ using scanning probe nanolithography and time-lapse atomic force microscopy (AFM). Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) prepared from dilute solutions of multidentate thiols were found to assemble slowly, requiring more than six hours to generate films. A clean gold substrate was first imaged in ethanolic media using liquid AFM. Next, a 0.01 mM solution of multidentate thiol was injected into the liquid cell. As time progressed, molecular-level details of the surface changes at different time intervals were captured by successive AFM images. Scanning probe based nanofabrication was accomplished using protocols of …

Daily Eastern News: Feburary 21, 2014, Eastern Illinois University

February

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Age On Neural Processing Of Pleasant Soft Touch Stimuli, April C. May, Jennifer L. Stewart, Susan F. Tapert, Martin P. Paulus

Publications and Research

Tactile interactions with our environment stimulate afferent fibers within the skin, which deliver information about sensations of pain, texture, itch and other feelings to the brain as a comprehensive sense of self. These tactile interactions can stimulate brain regions involved in interoception and reward processing. This study examined subjective, behavioral, and neural processing as a function of age during stimulation of A-beta (Aβ) and C tactile (CT) afferents using a soft brush stroke task. 16 adolescents (ages 15–17), 22 young adults (ages 20–28), and 20 mature adults (ages 29–55) underwent a simple continuous performance task while periodically anticipating and experiencing …

The Daily Gamecock, Friday, February 21, 2014, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

February

No abstract provided.

The New Hampshire, Vol. 103 [104], No. 31 (Feb. 21, 2014), The New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Print Edition

An independent student produced newspaper from the University of New Hampshire. This volume was printed as 103, but it is the 104th volume in the series. This was corrected in pencil.

Gene And Protein Sequence Optimization For High-Level Production Of Fully Active And Aglycosylated Lysostaphin In Pichia Pastoris, Hongliang Zhao, Kristina Blazanovic, Yoonjoo Choi, Chris Bailey-Kellogg, Karl E. Griswold

Dartmouth Scholarship

Lysostaphin represents a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of staphylococcal infections, in particular those of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, conventional expression systems for the enzyme suffer from various limitations, and there remains a need for an efficient and cost-effective production process to facilitate clinical translation and the development of nonmedical applications. While Pichia pastoris is widely used for high-level production of recombinant proteins, there are two major barriers to the production of lysostaphin in this industrially relevant host: lack of expression from the wild-type lysostaphin gene and aberrant glycosylation of the wild-type protein sequence. The first barrier can …

Serum And Glucocorticoid-Inducible Kinase1 Increases Plasma Membrane Wt-Cftr In Human Airway Epithelial Cells By Inhibiting Its Endocytic Retrieval, Jennifer M. Bomberger, Bonita A. Coutermarsh, Roxanna L. Barnaby, J. Denry Sato, M. Christine Chapline, Bruce A. Stanton

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Chloride (Cl) secretion by the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) located in the apical membrane of respiratory epithelial cells plays a critical role in maintenance of the airway surface liquid and mucociliary clearance of pathogens. Previously, we and others have shown that the serum and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase-1 (SGK1) increases wild type CFTR (wt-CFTR) mediated Cl transport in Xenopus oocytes by increasing the amount of wt-CFTR protein in the plasma membrane. However, the effect of SGK1 on the membrane abundance of wt-CFTR in airway epithelial cells has not been examined, and the mechanism whereby SGK1 increases membrane wt-CFTR has …

Dietary Quercetin Supplementation In Mice Increases Skeletal Muscle Pgc1Α Expression, Improves Mitochondrial Function And Attenuates Insulin Resistance In A Time-Specific Manner., Tara M. Henagan, Natalie R. Lenard, Thomas W. Gettys, Laura K. Stewart

Department of Nutrition Science Faculty Publications

Aims/Hypothesis

High fat diet (HFD)-induced insulin resistance (IR) is partially characterized by reduced skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α) expression. Our previous study showed that a high dose of the bioflavonoid quercetin exacerbated HFD-induced IR; yet, others have demonstrated that quercetin improves insulin sensitivity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether differing doses of quercetin act in a time-dependent manner to attenuate HFD-induced IR in association with improved skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and PGC1α expression.

Methods

C57BL/6J mice were fed HFD for 3 or 8 wks, with or without a …

Chimes: February 21, 2014, Calvin College

Chimes

Annual sem pond jump has record participation, some injuries by Hayley Cox

Knights4Life hosts '100-day countdown' party for seniors by Joe Mohan

Calvin Community Garden to expand to new location by Emily Cole

New GR basketball team to play first game Feb 25 by Grace Ruiter

CRC announces grant increase by Bekah Coggin

Asian elephants express empathy in stressful situations by Jonathan Hielkema

Calvin swim historically sweeps MIAA by Jacob Kuyvenhoven

Violent Video Games And The Mam: Engagement, Attraction, And Effects, Gerard Jalette

Doctoral Dissertations

Video game effects research has often been guided by the assumption that video games are more engaging than other forms of media (e.g., television, film); therefore creating the potential for stronger effects. This study drew from theoretical domains including the limited capacity model for motivated mediated message processing (LC4MP), excitation-transfer theory, and disposition theory to further study the process of engagement and its effect upon outcomes following violent video game play. This research advances a model with individual difference factors predicting engagement and effects outcomes and highlights engagement’s influence in the process. This dissertation outlines a two-part study designed to …

Virgin River Multi-Objective Optimization: Maximizing Endangered Fish Habitat And Minimizing Costs, L. Basdekas, L. A. Bastidas, T. B. Hardy, Arthur J. Caplan, Mac Mckee

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper discusses a comparative analysis of hypothetical operational scenarios by the use of dynamic temperature and fish habitat modelling in a multi-objective framework in the Virgin River Basin, Utah. Results were compared on the basis of quantified fish habitat, operational costs, and hydropower revenue. The modelling framework, the Virgin River Operation Optimization Model, is considered as a basin-level planning model. The optimization objectives were to minimize net river system operational cost of the Washington County Water Conservation District and maximize endangered fish habitat. Considerations included infrastructure alternatives to increase flow and cold water discharges as well as demand reductions. …

Role Of Primary Cilia In Osteoarthritis, David Kooyman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Mentoring in my lab in 2012 has led to both tangible and intangible results. The tangible results for this year include two posters presented at an international meeting by undergraduate students, ORCA grants received by two students, international recognition by a team of undergraduate students, two papers published, three papers in preparation to be submitted within 30 days. The intangible results come as students return from interviews to medical and dental schools with stories of how confident they felt talking about their research. They also come in the form of the excitement I see in students when they talk about …

Student Mentoring In Research: Laser-Activated Drug Delivery To Cancer Cells, William G. Pitt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Summary of Scope of Proposal This proposal was submitted in October of 2011 to organize and fund a mentoring group in the Pitt lab in Chemical Engineering. Marjan Javadi, then a PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering, and 5 uldergraduate students participated in this research group. The purpose was 2-­‐fold, both scientific and pedagogical. On the scientific side, Marjan was working on her PhD research to develop a novel drug delivery system called an eLiposome that encapsulated a drug along with a nanoemulsion that turns from liquid to gas upon exposure to ultrasound. The ultrasound can be non-­‐invasively (no surgery or …

Computational Health Science Collaborative: Interdisciplinary Mentoring For Public Health And Computer Science Students, Michael D. Barnes

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Computational health science, as we define it, represents the application of innovative computer science tools, including social media and data mining, to addressing health-­‐ related questions and problems. With multidisciplinary student mentoring as our aim, we have established the BYU Computational Health Science Research Collaborative (CHeSRC), which integrates the analytical strengths and skills of health scientists and computer scientists, supported by complementary expertise from other researchers, practitioners, and disciplines as applicable (http://dml.cs.byu.edu/chs/). As stated on the CHeSRC website, our mission is to better understand how technology can affect human interactions and enhance supporting environments by conducting innovative research that will …

Effect Of Epigenetic Modification Of Dna On Nucleosome Formation, Steven M. Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The following two specific Aims are from my 2011 MEG. We made great progress and completed Aim 1 and modified our Aim 2. Below I will give a status report for each Aim.

Genome-Wide Methylation Analyses In Glioblastoma Multiforme, Rose K. Lai, Yanwen Chen, Xiaowei Guan, Darryl Nousome, Charu Sharma, Peter Canoll, Jeffrey Bruce, Andrew E. Sloan, Etty Cortes, Jean-Paul Vonsattel, Tao Su, Lissette Delgado-Cruzata, Irina Gurvich, Regina M. Santella, Quinn Ostrom, Annette Lee, Peter Gregersen, Jill Barnholtz-Sloan

Publications and Research

Few studies had investigated genome-wide methylation in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Our goals were to study differential methylation across the genome in gene promoters using an array-based method, as well as repetitive elements using surrogate global methylation markers. The discovery sample set for this study consisted of 54 GBM from Columbia University and Case Western Reserve University, and 24 brain controls from the New York Brain Bank. We assembled a validation dataset using methylation data of 162 TCGA GBM and 140 brain controls from dbGAP. HumanMethylation27 Analysis Bead-Chips (Illumina) were used to interrogate 26,486 informative CpG sites in both the discovery …

Meeting Minutes, Wku University Senate

Faculty Senate

Meeting regarding elections, budget, SACS review, legislation, Student Government Association, Colonnade Plan, South Campus faculty and information technology policy.

Conexiones: Fostering Socioscientific Inquiry In Graduate Teacher Preparation, Krista Glazewski, Michele I. Shuster Phd, Thomas Brush, Andrea Ellis

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Socioscientific Inquiry (SSI) represents one approach designed to target interest and knowledge in science. In this context, students consider scientific issues that have social implications and require a range of trade-offs, concepts, and considerations in order to arrive at informed conclusions (Sadler, 2004). However, inquiry tasks in general and SSI projects in particular are not widely adopted in K-12 settings, despite strong beliefs among teachers that these types of activities are valuable (Marshall, Horton, Igo, & Switzer, 2009). We suggest Collaborative Action Research may provide an important platform for enabling teachers to experience success through systematic investigations of their practice …

The Grand Challenge: Helping Teachers Learn/Teach Cutting-Edge Science Via A Pbl Approach, Peggy A. Ertmer, Sarah Schlosser, Kari Clase, Omolola Adedokun

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

A mixed-methods research study was designed to examine teachers’ knowledge and confidence for implementing a STEM-based problem-based learning (PBL) unit in their 6–12 grade science and math classrooms. Twenty-one teachers (7 in-service and 13 pre-service) participated in an intensive two-week summer workshop during which they engaged in, and then created, an immersive PBL unit related to sustainable energy. Data were collected through a pre-post content knowledge test and two pre-post surveys—one measuring knowledge and confidence for implementing PBL and one measuring science teaching efficacy. Daily reflections and focus group interviews provided additional data regarding teachers’ changing knowledge and confidence related …

Responding To The Global Ecological Challenge: The Persuasive Power Of A Local Approach, Iris A. Burniece

Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal

Climate change threatens to impact our planet in ways that will have far-reaching effects on both human populations and the ecological foundations humanity depends on for its survival. The urgent task of reforming environmental policy has proven to be rather complex, which is in large part due to the abrasive relationship between the transboundary character of ecological problems and the inherent sovereignty of states. On the international level, the UN strategy has focused on multilateral treaties; although, it has failed to produce any real affect due to institutional weaknesses. States pursuing their own variants of environmental reform have—at least in …

Investigation Of Molecular And Clinical Applications Targeting Neurodegenerative Progression Of Injured Retinal Ganglion Cells In The Mouse Retina, Gustavo Costa Munguba

Open Access Dissertations

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and it is estimated that over 80 million people throughout the world will have glaucoma by the year 2020. Currently, increase intraocular pressure is the only known modifiable risk factor in glaucoma pathophysiology, and therefore the only treatment option available to patients and their physicians is to lower the eye pressure. This thesis work explores several approaches in understanding neurodegenerative retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death in the retina, and explores rhythmic stimulation as a potential therapeutic strategy toward neuroprotection of injured adult RGCs. We begin by exploring progressive changes in …

Chanticleer | February 20, 2014, Jacksonville State University

Chanticleer

No abstract provided.

Western News, Feb. 20, 2014, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Project will result in broader autism services; Design meetings set for dining center initiative; WMU earns sixth Tree Campus certification, finds rare tree species; Researchers focusing on northern Michigan for CO2 storage; On Campus with Lewis Hamilton.

The Role Of Conservation Partnerships Between Scientists And Nonprofit Agencies In Freshwater Science And Management, Robert S. Stelzer, Donna R. Kashian

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Funding agencies and scientific researchers are finding increasingly often that partnerships with nonprofit organizations and local communities are necessary to obtain sustainable outcomes. Scientists, nonprofit organizations, community members, and managers can extract ideas from these examples to guide development of successful new partnerships. Professional scientists and the community at large, including non-profit organizations, benefit from increased engagement and power sharing.