Gerrit Noorda, Braden Hancock and Christopher A. Mattson, Mechanical Engineering Department Introduction In our proposal for an ORCA grant, we planned to use machine learning to socially benefit others with our research. In the early stages of the research, however, we came across a different, more urgent problem. We decided to use the same principles of […]
Search Results for: response
A Generalized Ordered Response Model
Carla Johnston and Dr. James McDonald, Economics Department Introduction Does happiness depend on income? What puts people at risk to become “heavy smokers?” Do gender and wage affect job promotion? The answers to these varied questions have one thing in common: they employ grouped or categorical data. Happiness is often reported on cales of 1 […]
Understanding the Role of Estrogen in the Mucosal Immune Response
Youna Choi and Dr. Eric Wilson, Microbiology and Molecualr Biology Introduction Most antigens (foreign substances) enter an organism via mucosal surfaces. Thus, understanding the mechanisms involved in immune protection at these surfaces is of paramount importance. Immune responses are highly dependent on homing mechanisms responsible for directing lymphocyte (white blood cell) migration and accumulation at […]
Analysis of the Adjuvant Effect of Vitamin D3 in Enhancing Mucosal Immune Responses
Cameron Sargent and Dr. Eric Wilson, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Introduction Because skin provides an effective physical barrier, most pathogens that invade the body do so at mucosal sites like the nose and mouth. As such, finding methods of improving mucosal immunity is key to providing greater defense against communicable diseases, the cause of approximately […]
The Effects of Genes on the Stress Response
S. Andrew Aston Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) acts as one of the primary coordinators of the physiological, behavioral, and autonomic stress response. CRH secreted from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus initiates the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis response by signaling the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary. ACTH then travels to […]
The role of LKB1 and AMPK in the adaptive response to iron deficiency in skeletal muscle
Chad Hancock, Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Science Evaluation of progress on research objectives The purpose of the research proposed in this MEG grant was to examine the relationship between the role of AMPK and LKB1 on the adaptations that occur in response to iron deficiency. We made significant progress for several aspects of the proposal. […]
Acetylation of SOD1 as a Regulator of the Tumor Stress Response
Matthew Whited and Dr. Joshua L. Andersen, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry In cancer patients, a lack of cell apoptosis (programmed cell death) coupled with increased levels of cell proliferation leads to the formation of a tumor. Among the available treatment options, cytotoxic chemotherapy is the most common. The primary purpose of this treatment is […]
Understanding Chemokine binding and Bacterial Response
Brittany Kartchner and Dr. Eric Wilson, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Introduction For this project, I hypothesized that the amino acid composition of the C terminus of chemokine proteins allows some chemokines to bind to specific proteins on the cell membrane of bacteria. Previous research has shown that the C terminal region of the chemokine CCL28 […]
Mucosal Vaccines and the Ability to Produce Immune Responses in Select Mucosal Tissues
Kaitlyn Vance and Dr. Eric Wilson, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Mucosal surfaces are the main portals through which pathogens enter the body of an organism. Previous research has shown that mucosal immunity effectively prevents the entry of pathogens at these surfaces, thus disrupting an infection before it begins; this immunity can be achieved by mucosal […]
Researching the Effects of Osteoarthritis as a Systemic Immune Response
Danielle Peterson and Dr. David Kooyman, Physiology and Developmental Biology Our bodies are dynamic structures that do not operate as individual compartments, but as a whole. When something goes awry in one specific tissue or organ, specific signals from that diseased area are released affect other tissues. I received an ORCA grant last year to […]