2006 Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum (MU)
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The MU Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum showcases the creative and scholarly activities that undergraduates have been engaged in over the summer. All students engaged in scholarly or creative activity with a faculty mentor are invited to present their work.
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Item Molecular mechanisms by which citrus flavonoids regulate cholesterol transport processes in the liver [abstract](University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2006) Zalasky, Katherine M.; University of Missouri-Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research; Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum (2006 : University of Missouri--Columbia)The American Heart Association estimates that cardiovascular disease will claim the lives of nearly two and a half million Americans in 2006. To combat high cholesterol, one of the most common causes of cardiovascular disease, researchers have been searching for new and innovative ways to lower cholesterol. Recently, flavonoids isolated from citrus fruits have been identified for their keen ability to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in plasma. This observation raises the question of how flavonoids interact with cholesterol metabolism in the liver to produce these effects. It is known that LDL is taken into liver cells via the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and is subsequently broken down into cellular cholesterol and triglycerides. The cholesterol can then be reutilized within the cell, excreted as bile, or processed by the microsomal triglyceride transport protein (MTTP) to be returned to the plasma as very-low density lipoprotein. LDLR and MTTP work together to regulate cholesterol levels in hepatocytes. Since both of these genes are controlled by the transcription factor, sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP), we have begun to explore the possibility that flavonoids actually operate through SREBP. To address this hypothesis, we will obtain more accurate measures of LDLR and MTTP mRNA levels through mRNA hybridization and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. While the hybridizations verify the quality of our PCR products, the quantification using real-time PCR provides a more efficient way to evaluate the changes in mRNA expression. These data will permit further investigation of the specific role of SREBP in the transcriptional regulation of MTTP and LDLR by citrus flavonoids. Ultimately, we will gain invaluable information on decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease through cholesterol reductionItem Bioinformatics analyses of 10 allergen proteins in peanuts [abstract](University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2006) Yu, Sarah; University of Missouri-Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research; Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum (2006 : University of Missouri--Columbia)Food allergies affect up to 8% of children and 2% of adults, and peanut allergies are one of the most prevalent and enduring. To understand the mechanisms and how they interact with antibodies it is important to analyze their sequence and structural features at the molecular and atomic levels. By using web-based and publicly available protein prediction tools it is possible to gain a better understanding of how these proteins function as allergens. Analysis shows that these 10 allergens are variable in length and does not show any collectively conserved regions. They contain a variety of functional domains and have homologous hits in many other legume plants, most notably soybean and pea. Furthermore, intracellular localization predictions show a range of locations such as nuclear, cytoplasmic, or part of a secretory pathway. Three allergens (Ara h 1, Ara h 2, and Ara h 3) had a total of 37 known epitopes, with sequences of 6-10 amino acids that are responsible for the allergenicity of the protein, which reveals no significant conserved amino acid regions or properties. Short sequence alignment of epitopes shows exact matches in other organisms including viruses and mammals. This could provide information about what makes epitopes so durable as an allergen and during digestion. The epitopes occur in diverse conformations, such as coils, helices, and ? sheets or a combination of these. Because of the diversity in structure of the allergens and their epitopes, continuing research will focus on unique structural features of these regions and how they interact with their surroundings. From this knowledge better and more effective methods can be applied to genomic engineering of nonallergenic peanut.Item Making soy-based oligomers and polymers and its applications [abstract](University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2006) Yousif, Mustafa; Sutterlin, Rusty; Kiatsimkul, Pimphan, 1978-; Shah, Parag S.; University of Missouri-Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research; Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum (2006 : University of Missouri--Columbia)Soybean oil is an inexpensive, readily available renewable resource. There is an abundant supply of soybean oil in the Midwest. In this project, reactions were conducted to investigate the conversion of soybean oil to oligomers to be used in producing soy-based polyols for polyurethane. The soybean oil was reacted with different monomers, such as dicyclopentadiene and divinylbenzene in the presence of different catalysts such as, boron trifluoride. The degree of cross-linking was determined using iodine number and solvent dissolution tests. Thermal stability of the polymers and the carbon yield was determined using Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). The plastics had a thermal stability up to 450oC and carbon yield up to 15%.Item Dimensions of the college-choice decision [abstract](University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2006) Wilson, Nicole; University of Missouri-Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research; Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum (2006 : University of Missouri--Columbia)Making decisions is a part of our everyday lives. However, research has focused little on the dimensions of the decision itself as a predictor of decision making behavior. A review of the literature found that much research has focused on the influences of decisions and the effects of decisions, but not the decisions themselves. Psychologists and business management specialists are extremely interested in understanding and improving the decision making process for individuals and organizations. This study will examine the specific decision of college choice. Academic institutions are especially interested in the process students go through when choosing a college to attend. Much research has been done on the economic costs and benefits of attending college, the enrollment status of different ethnic groups, the influences affecting the decision, and the factors affecting aspirations to attend or not attend college. The purpose of this study is to learn how students perceive the dimensions of the decision that they made when choosing their institution. A sample of Midwestern college students completed a questionnaire describing their college-choice decision. This study will provide us with information regarding the different dimensions of decisions students face when making this choice. The results show how students of different demographic profiles perceive the decision. This research can improve our knowledge of the dimensions of all decision making, as well as the different types of decisions students face when making their college choice decision.Item Comparison of tumor imaging using antibody pretargeting and conventional methods [abstract](University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2006) Williams, Imani; Jia, Fang; University of Missouri-Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research; Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum (2006 : University of Missouri--Columbia)One of the newer methods for imaging and treating cancer is pretargeting. Pretargeting is a relatively simple concept to understand. First, a non-radioactive antibody conjugated to streptavidin is injected into the blood stream. The antibody is given time to reach the tumor and then it is cleared from the blood. Next, radioactive small molecules, like biotin, are administered and after a given amount of time, bound to the streptavidin-antibody at tumor site and cleared from the blood. Finally, the subject goes for imaging to get an accurate look at the size and growth of the tumor for possible treatment. One traditional form of imaging/treatment is radioimmunotherapy (RIT). Although antibodies are good at targeting tumor cells, with this approach, they were extremely toxic to the patient. Other limitations of RIT are high uptake into the blood, slow blood clearance, and slow and uneven penetration into tumors. Pretargeting is a good alternative because there is immediate uptake of radioactive material into the tumor and high tumor-to-normal tissue ratios.