Life Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Creg1 And Pitx1 As Master Regulators Of Liver Function, Anit Shah

Masters Theses

Development in mammals requires a complex array of positive and negative regulatory signals and responses. The liver is a major organ that has been studied extensively to understand underlying genetic processes responsible for specification, establishment and maintenance of tissue identity. Hepatoma and hepatoma variant cell lines have been used as a model to understand genetic networks responsible for liver function. Whole genome analysis of these cell types has identified candidate genes that might serve as master regulators of liver identity. In this study, the role of two candidate genes - cellular repressor of E1A stimulated gene (CREG1) and paired-liked homeodomain-1 …

The Effects Of Kinesio Tape On Sports Performance: Vertical Jump And Shuttle Run Performance In Women's College Basketball Players, Holly Wohltman

Masters Theses

Introduction: Since Kinesio tape (KT tape) was invented in the mid-1970s, studies have been lacking in producing strong evidence to support the claims of its ability to enhance performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of KT tape at enhancing sports performance, in the areas of vertical jump and shuttle run performance, in Illinois College Women's Basketball Team, participants ranged from 19-22 years of age.

Methods: There were eleven female basketball players ranging from the ages 19-22 years were recruited to participate in this study. All participants performed a vertical jump test and a shuttle run …

D-Galactose Decreases Mitoneet Levels In Liver Cancer Cells: Impact On Cellular Bioenergetics, Sudip Paudel

Masters Theses

Galactose is a simple sugar that at supraphysiological concentrations accelerates aging and age-related complications, which lead to impaired mitochondrial functions. MitoNEET is a small mitochondrial membrane protein with a molecular mass of 12.2 kDa that functions in diabetes, iron metabolism, regulation of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis. MitoNEET knockdown increases cellular respiration rates and ROS levels similar to galactose treatment. Pioglitazone, an antidiabetic drug, binds to mitoNEET and ameliorates galactose toxicity. Cellular mitoNEET levels, exposure of cells to galactose medium, and pioglitazone treatment directly influence cellular respiration. To elucidate the role of mitoNEET in galactose induced …

The Effects Of Solutes In The Cryopreservation Of Adherent Neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a) Cells, Trisha L. Bailey

Masters Theses

A simple method to cryopreserve adherent monolayers of neuronal cells is currently not available, but the development of this technique could facilitate numerous applications in the field of biomedical engineering, cell line development, and drug screening. However, complex tissues of some exceptional animals survive freezing in nature. These animals are known to accumulate several small molecular weight solutes prior to freezing. Following a similar strategy, we investigated the effects of osmolytes such as trehalose, proline, and sucrose as additives to the traditional cryoprotectant dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) in modulating the cryopreservation outcome of mouse neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a) cells. Neuro-2a cells adhered to …

Effects Of Treated Wastewater Effluent On Microbial Community Structure In A Natural Receiving Aquatic System, Matthew D. Hladilek

Masters Theses

Despite our dependency on treatment facilities to condition wastewater for eventual release to the environment, our knowledge regarding the effects of treated water on the local watershed is extremely limited. Responses of these lotic systems to the treated wastewater effluent have been traditionally investigated by examining the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages and community structure; however, these studies do not address the microbial diversity of the water systems. In the present study, planktonic and benthic bacterial community structure were examined at fourteen sites (from 60 m upstream to 12,100 m downstream) and at two time points along an aquatic system receiving treated …

Hamstring Training Effects On Strength Gains In Ncaa Division I Varsity Soccer Players, Andrea M. Chilcote

Masters Theses

Those athletes who run at high speeds require eccentric strength when the hamstring muscles are in a lengthened state in order to absorb the increased forces, decreasing injury rate and performance deficits (Schmitt, Tyler & McHugh 2012). The purpose of this study was to determine if the intervention of an eccentric hamstring strengthening program would increase peak torque production in eccentric and concentric hamstring and quadriceps movements in Division I Men and Women Varsity soccer players.

Participants included 8 Division I soccer athletes (3 men, 5 women, mean age = 19.3 years (men) and 19.4 years (women), mean height = …

Influence Of Various Pre-Exercise Routines On Vertical Jump Performance, Vladislav Milanovic

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the influence of three different pre-exercise routines (jogging, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation in addition to jogging (PNFJ), and whole body vibration (WBV)) on vertical jump (VJ) performance. Twelve physically active, collegiate males between the ages of 18-24 years were recruited to participate. The subjects performed four VJ tests on four nonconsecutive days with a control VJ being performed on the first day and the three remaining VJ performed after each of the pre-exercise routines that were conducted in random order. The jogging pre-exercise routine lasted 5 minutes at light to moderate …

Metagenomic Analysis Of The Lacrimal Caruncle Region Of Canis Lupus Familiaris Using Miseq Technology, Seun A. Ikugbayigbe

Masters Theses

The identification of ocular microbiota may allow early diagnosis and treatment strategies against eye diseases and disorders with canines. However, clinical microbial identification has been limited to cloning and conventional culture-based studies, which typically underestimate community diversity. In this report, lllumina MiSeq analysis of the 16S rRNA gene was used to examine the microbiome of the lacrimal caruncle region from five healthy dogs. The breeds sampled were a Golden Retriever (Dog A), a Weimaraner (Dog B), a Shih Tzu mix (Dog C), a Yorkie mix (Dog D), and a Dachshund (Dog E). MiSeq analysis revealed a total of 370 operational …

Effects Of Postactivation Potentiation Succeeding Glute Bridge Exercise On Multiple Jump Performance In Recreationally Trained Individuals, Anthony Warpecha

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to test multiple jump performance subsequent to glute bridges performed with and without whole body vibration (WBV). Multiple jump performance was assessed via a four-hop test to examine average jump height, ground contact time, and the explosive leg power factor. Twenty recreationally active subjects, ages 18-42, with more than one year of consistent recreational resistance training experience participated. Prior to testing, one familiarization session took place that involved explanation of procedures. This included practice of glute bridging on the vibration plate and the multiple hop performance test. After the familiarization session, two testing sessions …

The Functional Role Of Leaf Nutrients In An Old-Field Successional Community, Kirstin I. Duffin

Masters Theses

In functional ecology, traits that capture aspects of plant performance are used to understand how organisms interact with their environment. Leaf nutrients are an example of a functional trait that directly links to plant metabolic processes and therefore may describe plant assemblage dynamics. Multivariate leaf nutrient analyses may be used with other functional traits to understand ecological strategies because they are a direct measure of leaf metabolic processes and can describe nuances in plant allocation patterns. In this thesis, I explored (1) whether a suite of leaf nutrients (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium) was related to plant growth …

Trophic Interactions In A Semiaquatic Snake Community: Insights Into The Structure Of A Floodplain Food Web, Cynthia M. Carter

Masters Theses

Food webs provide a useful conceptual framework for evaluating the relationships that exist within ecological systems. Characterizing the interactions within these webs can improve our understanding of how communities are structured and what mechanisms stabilize them. Untangling these interactions can be an intractable problem in complex systems and insights gained from conventional methods are often accompanied by inherent sources of bias. This study used stable isotope analysis, an alternative to traditional methods, to investigate the roles and relative contributions of consumers at the top of a food web to community structure and stability. I compared the niche parameters of five …

The Impact Of Aging And Estrogen Therapy On Synaptic Mitochondrial Bioenergetics In An Alzheimer's Mouse Model, Eric W. Hendricks

Masters Theses

Mitochondrial dysfunction, such as reductions in ATP production via oxidative phosphorylation, is a recognized pathological symptom of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). One of the known risk factors for the development of AD is the inheritance of a specific genotype of a lipid transporting protein known as apolipoprotein E (apoE). How apoE contributes to the development and progression of AD is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between mitochondrial dysfunction and genetic predisposition to AD via apoE. Mitochondrial bioenergetics and enzymatic activity were investigated in an AD mouse model (apoE KO) …

Identification Of High Responders For Interleukin-6 And Creatine Kinase Following Acute Eccentric Resistance Exercise In Elderly Obese Women, Vitor Tajra, Ramires Alsamir Tibana, Denis Cesar Leite Vieira, Darlan Lopes De Farias, Tatiane Gomes Teixeira, Silvana Schwerz Funghetto, Alessandro Oliviera Silva, Nuno Manuel Frade De Sousa, Jeffrey Willardson, Margo Gomes Oliviera Karnikowski, Jonato Prestes

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Resistance exercise is used as a non-pharmacological tool to elicit both gains in and maintenance of physical function in the elderly. Thus, the present study examined the acute response of creatine kinase and interleukin-6 following an eccentric resistance exercise session in elderly obese women classified as high responders or normal responders.

2014 Program, Office Of Academic Affairs

Programs

At its best, a university is a collection of individuals ‐‐ students and faculty ‐‐ focused on learning and discovering new knowledge. For this goal to be realized, a critical element is having faculty members deeply engaged in such discovery within their disciplines. Scholarship, in the form of journal articles, book chapters, monographs and similar endeavors, creative activity which can take an even wider range of forms, and funded research which explores the boundaries of disciplines all contribute to such engagement. Through such participation, faculty members stay at the growing edges of their fields, and in so doing, they enrich …

Acclimation Of Photosynthetic Temperature Optima Of Temperate And Boreal Tree Species In Response To Experimental Forest Warming, Kerrie M. Sendall, Peter B. Reich, Changming Zhao, Hou Jihua, Xia Orong Wei, Artur Stefanski, Karen Rice, Roy L. Rich, Rebecca A. Montgomery

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Rising temperatures caused by climate change could negatively alter plant ecosystems if temperatures exceed optimal

temperatures for carbon gain. Such changes may threaten temperature-sensitive species, causing local extinctions and

range migrations. This study examined the optimal temperature of net photosynthesis (Topt) of two boreal and four

temperate deciduous tree species grown in the field in northern Minnesota, United States under two contrasting temperature

regimes. We hypothesized that Topt would be higher in temperate than co-occurring boreal species, with

temperate species exhibiting greater plasticity in Topt, resulting in better acclimation to elevated temperatures. The

chamberless experiment, located at two sites in …

Spiranthes Lacera (Raf.) Raf., W. Mcclain

Specimens by Name

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Different Rest Intervals Between Antagonist Paired Sets On Repetition Performance And Muscle Activation, Mariana F. Maia, Jeffrey M. Willardson, Gabriel A. Paz, Humberto Miranda

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Effects

of different rest intervals between antagonist paired sets on

repetition performance and muscle activation. J Strength

Cond Res 28(9): 2529–2535, 2014—Recent evidence

suggests that exercising the antagonist musculature acutely

enhances subsequent performance for the agonist musculature.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of

different rest intervals between sets for exercises that involve

antagonistic muscle groups, a technique referred to as

antagonist paired sets (APS). Fifteen recreationally trained

men were tested for knee extension (KE) exercise performance,

with or without previous knee flexion (KF) exercise

for the antagonist musculature. The following protocols were

performed in random …

Group 3 Late Embryogenesis Abundant Proteins From Embryos Of Artemia Franciscana: Structural Properties And Protective Abilities During Desiccation, Leaf C. Boswell, Michael A. Menze, Steven C. Hand

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Group 3 late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are highly

hydrophilic, and their expression is associated with desiccation

tolerance in both plants and animals. Here we show that two

LEA proteins from embryos of Artemia franciscana, AfrLEA2

and AfrLEA3m, are intrinsically disordered in solution but

upon desiccation gain secondary structure, as measured by circular

dichroism. Trifluoroethanol and sodium dodecyl sulfate

are both shown to induce a-helical structure in AfrLEA2 and

AfrLEA3m. Bioinformatic predictions of secondary-structure

content for both proteins correspond most closely to conformations

measured in the dry state. Because some LEA proteins

afford protection to desiccation-sensitive proteins during drying

and …

Cryopreservation Of Hepatocyte (Hepg2) Cell Monolayers: Impact Of Trehalose, Blake Stokich, Quinn Osgood, David Grimm, Shhyam Moorthy, Nilay Chakraborty, Michael A. Menze

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

A simple method to cryogenically preserve hepatocyte monolayers is currently not available but such a technique would facilitate numerous applications in the field of biomedical engineering, cell line development, and drug screening. We investigated the effect of trehalose and dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) in cryopreservation of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells in suspension and monolayer formats. HepG2 cell monolayers were incubated for 24 h at varying concentrations of trehalose (50–150 mM) prior to cryopreservation to identify the optimum concentration for such preincubation. When trehalose alone was used as the cryoprotective agent (CPA), cells in monolayer format did not survive freezing while …

Natural History Collections: Connecting With Faculty And Content, Stacey Knight-Davis, Todd A. Bruns

Faculty & Staff Research & Creative Activity

For well over a century, American biologists have built collection of plants, animals, fungi, insects, and other natural materials. Often, these collections serve as a record of the unique biodiversity of the local area and provide a record of change over time. Many taxonomic, genetic, and environmental discoveries lay waiting in the drawers and cupboards in which these specimens are stored. / / Uploading images of natural history specimens to Digital Commons allows them to be easily discovered in with a web search, leading the user back to the home collection. As an example, a search for 'big leaf magnolia …

The Role Of Late Embryogenesis-Abundant Proteins In Desiccation-Induced Apoptosis, Benjamin S. Poznic

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Encysted embryos of the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana survive extreme water loss by expressing the late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) protein AfLEA1.3 and the moss Physcomitrella patens expresses PpDHNA under conditions of dehydration. I investigated the impact of transgenic expression of PpDHNA and AfLEA1.3 on the metabolism of mammalian cells exposed to 0.5 M sucrose. The gene PpDHNA was transgenically expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells and AfLEA1.3 was cloned into human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. Calorimetry was utilized to measure the metabolic activity of both cell lines. HEK cells showed a metabolic output of -24.1 ± 2.04 (SD) μW …

An Examination Of Keratinophilic Fungal On Eastern Bluebird Eggshells, Edward Anthony Hillman Iii

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study was designed to evaluate the mycobiota of Eastern Bluebird eggshells and assess the abundance of keratinophilic fungi. Samples of fungi taken from Eastern Bluebird eggshells were subcultured for identification using macroscopic and microscopic characteristics. The occurrence of a significant number of keratinophilic fungi on Eastern Bluebird eggshells poses a potential threat to developing chicks.

Mitoneet: Reduction In Insulin Resistance Through Ameliorated Oxidative Stress?, Nicolas A. Ferry

Undergraduate Honors Theses

MitoNEET is a mitochondrial iron-sulfur protein with poorly-understood functions. Proposed functions of mitoNEET include regulating of oxidative capacity, reactive oxygen homeostasis, and other possible roles. Investigating the interactions of mitoNEET with other proteins might help identify functional roles of this protein. MitoNEET was discovered in 2004 to identify physiological targets of pioglitazone hydrochloride, a drug that is commonly used to treat type-2 diabetes. Type-2 diabetes is a metabolic disease and, although the exact pathology is complex, the role of the mitochondrion in cellular energy production and glucose oxidation indicates that this organelle has a role in type-2 diabetes. Because of …

Plant-Microbial Interactions Change Along A Prairie Restoration Chronosequence, Anna Herzberger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Soil microbial communities are critical in determining the performance and density of species in plant communities. However, their role in regulating the success of restorations is much less clear. This study assessed the ability of soil microbial communities to regulate the growth and performance of two potentially dominant grasses and two common forbs in prairie restorations. Specifically, I examined the effects of soil microbial communities along a restoration chronosequence from agricultural fields to remnant prairies using experimentally inoculated soils. The two grass species, Andropogon gerardii and Sorghastrum nutans, produced larger biomass with the agricultural inoculates and experienced a decline …

Gut Helminths Of Two Species Of Light Geese In Illinois, Evan C. Boone

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Parasite burdens in lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) and Ross’s geese (Chen rossii) migrating through central Illinois were determined and compared to documented parasite burdens on the breeding grounds in northern Canada and the wintering grounds in southern Texas. The digestive tracts of 48 snow geese (38 lesser snow geese and 10 Ross’s geese) were collected from 4 February to 3 March, 2012, in Raymond, Illinois. Eight helminth taxa (two species of Trematoda, four species of Nematoda, and two species of Cestoda) were recovered. Five of the eight helminth taxa were common in both species …

Are U, Ni, And Hg An Environmental Risk Within A Rcra/Cercla Unit On The U.S. Department Of Energy's Savannah River Site?, Paul G. Edwards, Karen F. Gaines, A. Lawrence Bryan Jr., James M. Novak, Susan A. Blas

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) is a former nuclear weapon production facility. From 1954–1985, releases of Al, Cu, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, U, and Zn were discharged into the Tims Branch-Steed Pond water system. This study investigates whether metal concentrations in Tims Branch's sediment, biofilm and other biota exceed screening level risk calculations to determine if remedial actions should be pursued for the Contaminants of Potential Concern (U, Ni, Hg). Transfer factors (TFs) were calculated to determine metal concentration changes throughout lower trophic levels and results were compared with sediment benchmarks to create hazard quotients (HQs) …

Know Where To Go, Kirstin Duffin

Faculty & Staff Research & Creative Activity

Assessing library article databases for efficient access to multidisciplinary research – A case study in bioenergy

Male-Male Mounting And The Unreliability Of Body Size As A Character For Mate Choice In Male Japanese Beetles (Popillia Japonica Newman), Paul Switzer, Patrick Forsythe, Kipp Kruse

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Background: Same-sex pairing is common in many animal species. In many insects, same-sex pairing is often thought to be a result of poor sexual discrimination (i.e., a mistake), but few detailed studies of the mechanisms underlying the mistaken pairing have been conducted. Previous studies have found that in the field, a small proportion of Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) mating pairs consist of two males instead of a male and a female. In the current study, we investigated the relationship between body size, the tendency to mount other males, and the duration of these mounts, in laboratory experiments on male Japanese …

Genetic Engineering, A Hope For Sustainable Biofuel Production: Review, Sudip Paudel, Michael A. Menze

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The use of recently developed genetic engineering tools in combination with organisms that have the potential to produce precursors for the production of biodiesel, promises a sustainable and environment friendly energy source. Enhanced lipid production in wild type and/or genetically engineered organisms can offer sufficient raw material for industrial transesterification of plant-based triglycerides. Bio-diesel, produced with the help of genetically modified organisms, might be one of the best alternatives to fossil fuels and to mitigate various environmental hazards.

Acute Effect Of Caffeine Intake On Hemodynamics After Resistance Exercise In Young Non-Hypertensive Subjects, Diego Souza, Juliano Cosanatto, Roberto Poton, Jeffrey Willardson, Marcos Polito

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

This study aimed to examine the effect of caffeine on hemodynamics after a resistance exercise session. Fifteen subjects completed two randomly ordered experimental resistance exercise sessions 45 min after the ingestion of either caffeine (4 mg.kg-1) or placebo. Systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) and mean (MAP) blood pressures were measured before consuming caffeine; SBP, DBP, MAP, heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance (PVR) were measured immediately before and after each of the sessions; SBP, DBP and MAP were measured for 9 hours after sessions. Caffeine increased (p < 0.05) pre-exercise DBP and MAP. In caffeine and placebo conditions significant decreases (p < 0.05) were noted in SBP, MAP, and PVR between the pre- and post-exercise time points. Notwithstanding, the mean values for SBP, DBP and MAP during the 9 h of post-exercise monitoring were increased (p < 0.05) for the caffeine. In conclusion, the cardiovascular effects of caffeine are different over the post-exercise period after resistance exercise in normotensive young adults.