Visual-Motor Development in South Indian School Children: Environmental Complexity’s Relationship with Cortical Development

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Christine H. Walton, Neuroscience Previous neurological studies have found the degree of environmental complexity influences the acquisition and development of motor skills in human infants as well as animal models. During a critical period in human development, which is believed to span the first 6-10 years for human visual-motor development, neurons grow and solidify appropriate […]

Growth Rates, Diet, and Distribution of Pictetiella expansa, a Rare Rocky Mountain Perlodidae Stonefly (Plecoptera)

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Sarah Walker and Dr. C. Riley Nelson, Biology The stonefly Pictetiella expansa has been acknowledged as a species since the 1920s, yet little is known about this rare species of Perlodidae stonefly. The purpose of our study was to document the growth rates and feeding behaviors of Pictetiella expansa in the American Fork River as […]

Fetal Programming of a Hyperactive Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis

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Joshua P. Thatcher and Dr. James P. Porter, Physiology and Developmental Biology Introduction Cardiovascular diseases have become among the most widespread of adult diseases in the United States. Over the last few decades, the United States has experienced a dramatic increase in the rate of diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus Type II, Obesity and Hypertension. […]

Virulence Variation in the Grass Seed Pathogen Pyrenophora semeniperda

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Thomas Stewart and Dr. Phil Allen, Plant and Wildlife Science Bromus tectorum, an invasive annual grass weed, is one of the main plants responsible for an increase in fire frequency and intensity in western wildlands. Wildfires cost the U.S. Forest Service over a billion dollars a year to fight. These fires destroy native vegetation communities […]

DXA Scan Analysis of the Reducing Effect of Vitamin K and Omega-3 on Bone Mineral Loss in Ovariectomized (OVX) Sprague-Dawley Rats

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Stephen Roberts and Dr. Robert Davidson, Nutrition Department Vitamin K, long established as important for blood clotting, has received more recent attention regarding a role in bone metabolism and remodeling.1 Vitamin K could potentially be an effective treatment in reducing the deleterious effect of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by increased bone loss, lower […]

Characterization of a cDNA Encoding β-amyrin Synthase Involved in Saponin Biosyntheses in Chenopodium Quinoa

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Derrick J. Reynolds and Dr. P. Jeff Maughan, Plant and Animal Sciences Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is an important crop for subsistence farmers in the Altiplano (high plains) of Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Quinoa’s seed is highly nutritious, but the seed coat of quinoa contains several anti-nutritive triterpenoid saponin compounds. The biological role of saponins in […]

Testing Nuclear Primers

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Nathaniel Ralston and Dr. Keith Crandall, Biology Crustaceans are some of the richest multi-cellular animals in the world in terms of species. Within the crustaceans the decapods are chief in species numbers and diversity with over 15,000. Among these are the very familiar and well-known species, such as crayfish, shrimp, and crabs, although there also […]

The Effect on Femur Bone Tensile Strength and Calcium Levels in Osteoporosis Induced Rats by Vitamin K Supplementation

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Ryan Probst and Dr. Robert T. Davidson, Department of Nutrition Dietetics and Food Sciences Osteoporosis is a growing problem in the world today. With the aging population of the United State’s Baby Boomer generation, healthcare research is shifting dramatically to combat the rising rates of diseases associated with our aging population majority. Compiled with this […]

Identification of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Resistance Genes in Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato) using AFLP

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David L. Price and Dr. Mikel R. Stevens, Plant and Wildlife Sciences The tomato is susceptible to more than 200 diseases. Tomato spotted wilt virus is one of the most damaging pathogens in tomatoes. Due to its wide spread, TSWV has become an important limiting factor in tomato production worldwide. Most often the virus is […]

Phylogenetic Analyses of the Burrowing Members in the Freshwater Crayfish Genera Fallicambarus and Procambarus in Arkansas

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Timothy D. O’Connor and Dr. Keith A. Crandall Department of Integrated Biology There are an estimated 338 taxa of freshwater crayfish in the United States, with approximately 48% considered to be endangered, threatened, or of special concern (Taylor et al. 1996). Life history information for the majority of the primary burrowing species is lacking because […]