Benjamin Jorgensen and Dr. Steven Johnson, Mirco and Molecular Biology Main Text Gene therapy is a technique that uses gene insertions or transgenes to alter and correct genetic mutations that cause hereditary diseases. Gene therapy holds hope in curing diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy or any disease caused by a recessive […]
A Study on the Effects of Two Delivery Models of Foreign Medical Aid: Short-term Mission Model vs. The Empowerment of Local Medical Professionals
Jayson Johnson and Professor Barbara Lockhart, Excercise Science The main goal of our research was to investigate and gain a better understanding of the perception that local inhabitants of Bolivia have regarding medical aid received in their country. To accomplish this task we surveyed and interviewed those who are most directly affected by this aid, namely […]
“A Rose By Any Other Name…” A Study of Flowering Plant Classification and Species Recognition
Angela Jensen and Dr. Leigh Johnson, Department of Biology Speciation is a scientific “gray area.” Conservation biologists are familiar with the many different proposed definitions for a species, encased in the 10 or so existing species concepts. Individual organisms of the same species are inherently different, possessing a wide variety of characteristics and behaviors. When […]
The Role of HtrA1, Ddr2, and MMP-13 Proteins in the Mechanistic Pathway Leading to Osteoarthritis in sedc Mice
David Holt and Robert Seegmiller, Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology Introduction In the present study, we report OA in a mouse model that, like the human families presented by Kannu et al., bears a heterozygous mutation in the Col2a1 gene but has a phenotypically normal skeleton.1 The mouse mutation was named sedc by Donahue […]
Lifetime Dietary Exposure to Soy Isoflavones Is Beneficial to Prostate and Testicular Health in 100-Day Old Male Long-Evans Rats
Benjamin Hogan with Dr. Edwin Lephart, Department of Physiology & Developmental Biology Phytoestrogens are plant-derived compounds that are structurally and functionally similar to estradiol. Isoflavones are a major type of phytoestrogen that can be found in foods such as soy beans, tofu, and soy milk. They have become popular due to the health benefits they […]
It’s About Timing: How the Speed of a Volleyball Set Affects Offensive Efficiency
Lee J Hinkle and Dr. Iain Hunter, Exercise Science Thanks to the Office of Research and Creative Activities, I have been able to continue my research project investigating the relationship between the timing of a volleyball offense and its effectiveness. Since receiving the grant I have increased my data set by more than 1,000 occurrences, […]
Family-level phylogeny of Orthoptera (Arthropoda: Insecta) Based on Complete Mitochondrial Genome Data
Kevin Hiatt and Dr. Michael Whiting, Department of Biology Introduction The insect order Orthoptera (grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets) is the most diverse member of the group of polyneopteran insect orders, with more than 23,000 described species (Kevan 1982). Previous studies have recovered the monophyly of the two orthopteran suborders Caelifera (grasshoppers) and Ensifera (crickets and […]
Establishing the Spondyloepiphyseal Congenita Heterozygous Mouse as an Animal Model for Human Osteoarthritis
Michael Henderson and Dr. Robert Seegmiller, Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology The Need for a Mouse with Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) causes discomfort and immobility to millions of Americans every year. Due to the high demand for patient pain relief and improved mobility, scientists are seeking to understand the pathway of OA and develop drugs […]
Religiosity and Utilization of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Hispanic Patients
John Heathcote and Dr. Josh West, Department of Health Science The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has steadily become more widespread. For the first time, the use of traditional healers was included in the definition of CAM on the 2007 NHIS. Several Hispanic-specific CAM studies have included a variety of traditional healing and […]
Characterization of Herpes Simplex Clinical Isolate
Daniel Hammond and Dr. Brian Poole, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology My project was focused on the identification and characterization of a clinical isolate of Herpes Simplex, the virus family responsible for cold sores and genital herpes. The virus was collected from a 48 year old female who was otherwise healthy. The patient had […]