Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity (CURC) Showcase

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https://hdl.handle.net/10217/100525

The annual Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity Showcase is held each April. Culminating in an awards ceremony that recognizes all participants and honors awards winners from events throughout the year, this juried showcase features outstanding performers from every discipline. These digital collections include CSU undergraduate student's showcase projects from 2004-2009 and 2016.

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Open Access
Activation of muscle spindle afferents increases force fluctuations in the knee extensor muscles
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2005) Coellen, Eric T, author; Cuaresma, Lindsay S., author; Intlekofer, Karlie A., author; Tracy, Brian L., author
The purpose of this project was to examine the effect of acute tendon vibration on fluctuations in force during contractions of the knee extensor muscles in young healthy subjects.
Open Access
Assessing genetic diversity and phenotypic plasticity in Cirsium arvense: evaluation with greenhouse trials and ISSR
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2004) Gaines, Todd A., author; Brown, Cynthia S., author; Hufbauer, Ruth A., author
Invasive plant species cause damage to ecosystems and economic loss to land managers. One particularly invasive plant species is Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense). This plant is very difficult to control and is a successful invader in many diverse ecosystems, including cropping systems and non-cultivated lands. If C. arvense is successful because it has adapted genetically to new environments, then these differences may be quantified using experimental observations. The objective of this project is to quantify genetic diversity and site-specific genetic differentiation based on phenotypic responses in common garden trials. Canada thistle specimens from crop and non-crop habitats in two different biogeographic regions of Colorado were used. A second objective is to correlate data from genetic markers with phenotypic data to further quantify genetic diversity in specimens from crop and non-crop habitats in three different regions of Colorado. The greenhouse experiments compared the phenotypic responses of the collected plants to variations in soil fertility and water stress. Leaf tissue DNA collected from the sites was amplified with the inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) method and the resulting banding patterns were analyzed for genetic variation. Data from the greenhouse trials indicate a greater response to treatments only in Larimer County non-crop populations. Data from genetic analyses indicate a high level of diversity in the sampled genomes. These data are consistent with the invasive characteristics of C. arvense but indicate that Colorado populations have not genetically differentiated within the sampled ecosystems. More study is warranted to further investigate this question.
Open Access
Assessing the variability of snow surfaces
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Thomas, Eric, author; Fassnacht, Steven, author
Variability in snow surface roughness is rarely incorporated into climate or hydrological models, yet it has the potential to have a large impact on both latent and sensible heat for a snow dominated system. We looked at the spatial variability of snow surface roughness using the data collected by the NASA Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX) during the winters of 2002 and 2003 for nine 1 km2 study sites across northern Colorado. Black boards were placed perpendicularly into the snow to create a contrast so that pictures could be taken of the surface. The surfaces digitally extracted and the surfaces were detrended to remove random data acquisition biases. The datasets for each board within a study site were then assigned a value based on variability in the surface, standard deviation and categorized based on location. These roughness metrics were then analyzed geospatially to understand their spatial variability and the driving processes.
Open Access
ATM and CHK-1 activity in young versus senescent human fibroblasts
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2006) Axelrad, Jessica D., author; Ray, Andrew F., author
ATM and CHK1 are two different DNA repair proteins. As such, they are an important factor in preventing tumors caused by multiple damages and subsequent mutations in the DNA strands. As people get older they have an increased chance of getting cancer because their cells have had more opportunities to mutate. We hypothesized that it is also possible a person's chance of getting cancer increases with age because the DNA repair proteins, such as ATM and CHK1, become less efficient with age. Protein activity was evaluated by first damaging cellular DNA in young, middle aged, and senescent human fibroblasts, by exposing them to gamma radiation. A Western blot analysis was then performed to determine the concentration of phosphorylated (or activated) ATM and CHK1 proteins in these different aged cells. The data showed that the ATM proteins become more phosphorylated the more radiation the cells are exposed to (as expected), but that, especially in the 10-G cells, the young and middle aged cells have a higher concentration of activated ATM than the old cells. There is a similar pattern with the CHK1 protein blot. The activated protein concentration increases with an increased dose of radiation, but while the 10-G young and middle aged cells have a significant CHK1 concentration, the near senescent cells do not. This decrease in DNA repair protein activation contributes to a person's increased likelihood of cancer. Not only have the older cells undergone more opportunities for a genetic mutation to occur, but the ability of the cell to repair DNA damage appears to be compromised. Future studies will include DNA repair assays.
Open Access
Bridging the gap between the old and young?
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2006) McAlister, Courtney, author; McHenry, Megan Dawn, author; Downey, Eleanor Pepi, author
This study used a semantic differential scale to investigate the attitudes that students at Colorado State University hold toward older adults. The instrument evaluates specific attitudes held by college students. These attitudes are then compared to the level of interaction that students have had with older adults and the quality of that interaction. An initial investigation revealed that the level of interaction with older adults was positively correlated to a more positive attitude. This study aims to further investigate variables affecting this correlation, specifically quality of interaction versus quantity of interaction.
Open Access
Capture the flag: computer science style
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2006) Robertson, Kathy Lynn, author; Massey, Dan, author; Ray, Indrajit, author
With today's technology, and corresponding security vulnerabilities it is important for students to have security in the forefront of their thought process when creating or maintaining networks, hardware and software. It was for this reason that Capture the Flag: Computer Science Style event was planned. Starting with a certain set of widely known security exploits, each team was to hack, crack and sneak into servers, steal password, sniff traffic and take advantage of certain security exploits. This poster will cover one of these security hacks in detail, and explain the goals and results from the first ever Capture the Flag: Computer Science Style event.
Open Access
Characterization of the bacterial midgut community of wild-caught Aedes aegypti
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2005) Shimizu, Julia, author; DuTeau, Nancy M., author
It is estimated that 10 to the 14th power microbes make the human gut home, outnumbering the total number of cells in the body. The importance of microbes in the digestive system of mammals is fairly well known. However the microbial flora inhabiting the gut of insects, particularly mosquitoes, is less well studied. Understanding the microbial flora of the mosquito may provide valuable information for understanding why some mosquitoes are more effective vectors for human disease than others. Genetic alteration of these gut microbes may also lead to novel methods for controlling mosquito populations or blocking disease transmission. In this study, the microbial gut community of field-caught larval Aedes aegypti (the major vector of yellow fever and dengue) was analyzed. PCR products of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA genes, amplified from larval DNA extracts, were cloned. 68 clones were then digested with Msp1. 57% of the clones had unique fragment patterns, while the other 43% shared one of 11 patterns, suggesting that the mosquito gut contains a diverse consortium of bacteria.
Open Access
Characterizing a mosquito gut bacterial community
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2005) Kemp, Janet A., author; Lang, Gail M., author; DuTeau, Nancy M., author
Mosquitoes are common vectors of devastating diseases that infect both humans and animals. Methods of control, such as insecticides and vaccines, are losing their effectiveness. Alternative strategies need to be considered. Paratransgenesis is one method of blocking transmission of disease from mosquito to host. Paratransgenesis is the genetic engineering of symbiotic or commensal bacteria to produce products that block pathogen transmission. This research project looked at characterizing the bacterial community of adult female Aedes aegypti to find candidates for paratransgenesis. We identified 72 diverse culturable bacterial isolates present in the midgut and on the exoskeleton of this mosquito. We examined the difference between the midgut bacterial community of blood-fed and sugar-fed female adults. We also found that approximately 10% of the total bacterial species found in the midgut are culturable, which is consistent with studies from other natural bacteria consortia.
Open Access
Chemotherapeutic responses in canine lymphoma models after treatment with the CHOP protocol
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Ramirez, Dominique, author; Wittenburg, Luke, author
In both human and veterinary oncology, multi-drug resistance is a phenomenon where a cancer gains a cyto-protective effect against chemotherapeutics. Resistance is often witnessed when remitted cancers relapse and become untreatable. As an example, canine lymphomas are notorious for relapsing after treatment with the multi-drug CHOP protocol. While canonical drug efflux transporters have been implicated with the chemo-resistance phenotype, there are other transporters which might also contribute. Recent research has demonstrated that exposure to chemotherapeutics results in epigenetic changes to transporter gene expression; this could be a possible route for acquiring the resistance phenotype. What is still unknown, however, is a mechanistic understanding of the chemotherapy-transporter expression relationship. To address this void, we are focusing our research on three questions: 1) What are the temporal fluctuations in transporter expression following exposure to multi-drug regimens? 2) What patterns of epigenetic markers on transporter genes promote altered expression? 3) How does transporter expression correlate to protein levels in chemo-resistant lymphomas? We will address each of these questions using a panel of four chemo-sensitive canine lymphomas as our models, and the CHOP protocol as our drug regimen. We will expose the lymphomas to combinations of the CHOP protocol to mimic short- and long-term treatments, and monitor transporter expression via QT-PCR, and epigenetic changes via ChIP-assays. Additionally, protein levels will be monitored with LC-MS/MS methods to correlate expression with translation. We hypothesize that changes in transporter expression exhibit temporal and drug-dependent patterns.
Open Access
Conocimiento e impedimentos de metodos anticonceptivos: las mujeres del Centro de Salud en Cerro Verde, Cochambamba, Bolivia
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2004) King, Erin M., author; Yarrington, Douglas, author
The purpose of this project was to measure the level of knowledge regarding contraception and family planning and the actual and potential impediments to women's ability to plan the number of children in their families. Methodology: The information was obtained through semi-structured interviews with NGO program directors, health center doctors, and the women who utilized the services of the Cerro Verde health center. Research conducted previous to the interviews provided a hypothesis, guided the structure of the interviews, and later supplemented the findings. Findings: There are several factors that influence women's access to and decision to use contraceptives: availability of information, presentation of the information, accessibility of contraceptives, economic situation of the family, and the opinion of the husband. Implications: Increasing the number of community programs, sponsored by the health centers and NGOs, aimed at both women and men, and teenaged girls and boys could potentially increase familiarity with methods of family planning, including contraception thereby expelling any misunderstandings or rumors about the effects of such methods.
Open Access
Coping with a negative social interaction: the role of age and depressive symptoms
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Wilson, Samantha, author; Luong, Gloria, author
Interpersonal stressors, such as arguments and disagreements, are among the most distressing types of daily experiences. It is therefore important to understand how people cope with such stressors. Previous studies suggest that older adults are more likely to use emotion-focused, avoidant, and passive coping strategies during interpersonal tensions (e.g., Birditt & Fingerman, 2003), which are among the most effective strategies for these types of stressors (e.g., Blanchard-Fields et al., 2007). Individuals with greater depressive symptoms also tend to use similar coping strategies and yet, they often exhibit lower efficacy (Coyne, Aldwin, & Lazarus, 1981). The current study investigates how age correlates with depressive symptoms and coping styles in response to a controlled negative interpersonal stressor. Younger adult (18-35 years old) and older adult (60+ years old) participants (N = 159) discussed hypothetical dilemmas with an age-group, gender, and cultural group matched confederate who was scripted to act unfriendly and disagreeable. As expected, individuals with greater depressive symptoms were less likely to engage in active coping and more likely to self-blame, use behavioral disengagement, and be in denial about the negative social interaction with the confederate. Moreover, there was an interaction effect such that with increasing depressive symptoms, older adults were less likely to vent (i.e., express negative affect) with the confederate whereas for younger adults, greater depressive symptoms was associated with greater venting. However, it was also found that depressive symptoms were more likely to be found in the young adult participants than the older adult participants. These findings suggest the importance of considering how the association between depressive symptoms and coping strategies may depend on age and other possible motivational factors.
Open Access
Copper chaperones in Arabidopsis thaliana. Intra cellular copper trafficking: uptake, delivery and regulation
(Colorado State University. Libraries., 2004) Bodecker, Jared, author; Abdel-Ghany, Salah E., author; Burkhead, Jason, author; Pilon, Marinus, author
The chloroplast is the site of photosynthesis. Copper is an essential element to chloroplast function as a co-factor of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and plastocyanin, which function in photosynthesis. Chloroplasts have a complex structure due to the presence of three membranes, so how then is Copper delivered throughout the complex internal structure of plant chloroplasts? In plant chloroplasts, membrane transporters have been identified that transport Copper across these membranes. In microbes, a family of small cytoplasmic proteins called 1cmetallochaperones 1d or Copper Chaperones carries out the delivery of copper from transporters to targets. After these chaperones bind to copper, they deliver and insert the copper ions into an active site of a specific partner, a copper dependent enzyme or another transporter. In the genome of A. thaliana possible genes encoding for copper chaperones have been identified based on the similarity of sequences with microbial chaperones. We named these, CpCCS (Chloroplastic Copper Chaperone for SOD1), ATX2 (similar to yeast Antioxidant protein) and CpCopZ. These three A. thaliana Cu Chaperone proteins may be required for Cu transport to the internal compartments of the chloroplast. To test the function of the putative copper chaperones in copper delivery two approaches are taken. First we test complementation of yeast mutants, deficient in copper chaperones. Second, we analyze the function and need for these proteins in plants with the insertions (KO-mutants) in each copper chaperone gene.
Open Access
Creation of an endA mutant strain in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 using gene replacement
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2004) Olsen, Cassie J., author; Karkhoff-Schweizer, Roxann R., author
Endonuclease I is an enzyme encoded by the endA gene. This nuclease degrades double stranded DNA. Many Escherichia coli common laboratory strains contain a mutation in the endA gene that inactivates the DNA-specific endonuclease I. A mutation in this gene greatly increases plasmid DNA yields in such E. coli strains as well as improves the quality of DNA that is isolated. The purpose of this research is to create an endA mutant strain in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 using gene replacement, thereby leading to the development of a useful laboratory Pseudomonas strain for use as a cloning strain. To accomplish this, chromosomal DNA from P. aeruginosa PAO1 was isolated, and the endA gene was then amplified by PCR using specific primers designed to the flanking upstream and downstream sequence of the endA coding region. The resulting amplified 1100 bp DNA fragment containing the endA gene was cloned into pCR2.1. This newly created plasmid was named pCR2.1-endA. In order to create an insertionally inactivated endA gene, a GmR encoding cassette from pPS856 needed to be inserted into the SalI sites of the cloned endA gene. The pCR2.1-endA plasmid was digested using SalI restriction enzyme. A 4500 bp SalI fragment of pCR2.1-endA was isolated and then religated by T4 DNA ligase. The new plasmid created was called pCR2.1-endASalID. This plasmid was digested with SalI, and blunt ends were created with T4 DNA polymerase. Inactivation of the endA gene was accomplished by insertion of a blunt-ended, GmR encoding gene into the blunt-ended SalI site of the endA coding sequence. The resulting recombinant plasmid was called pCR2.1-endASalID(Gm1). A 1700 bp HindIII x PstI DNA fragment from pCR2.1-endASalID(Gm1), containing the insertionally inactivated endA gene, was isolated and cloned into the similarly digested pEX18Ap plasmid.
Open Access
CURC 2016
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Colorado State University. JUR Press, publisher
Open Access
Design with a client in mind: using an abstract model for apparel design
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2006) Morris, Kristen D., author; Sanders, Eulanda A., author
The purpose of this project was to design a line of three non-traditional women's business wear jackets that successfully met the needs of a specific target market according to Lamb and Kallal's Functional, Expressive, and Aesthetic (FEA) Consumer Needs Model (1992). The jackets explored creative silhouettes and Computer Aided Design (CAD) software, and computerized embroidery embellishment.
Open Access
Development and characterization of an anti-bat antisera and its implementation in screening for rabies antibody in bats via ELISA and IFA
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2004) Schmidt, Kelsey M., author; Gordy, Paul W., author; Bowen, Richard A., author
Bats have long been associated with the transmission of a number of zoonotic agents, including human rabies. Comprehensive surveys of wild bat populations to characterize the seroprevalance rate of the population could prove helpful in implementing control programs designed to reduce the number of human and veterinary cases resulting from bat-associated rabies. The antiserum was developed by immunizing rabbits with purified Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat) IgG. Following immunization, the rabbits were bled and the anti-bat antiserum was purified and characterized. The antisera is currently being used to develop an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFA), which will be used to screen for rabies-specific IgG antibody in bats. While these tests do not detect active viral infection or neutralizing antibody, they have clear advantages over the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT), fluorescent antibody virus neutralization test (FAVN) and mouse inoculation test. The proposed methods do not require the use of live virus for the assay and are inexpensive. They also confer a clear advantage in that the amount of serum required for the assay is considerably less than that which is required for RFFIT or FAVN. We describe the development of the rabbit anti-bat IgG antibody and report preliminary results on our ELISA and IFA assays.
Open Access
Does Flotillin play a role in lipid raft organization of the GnRH receptor and its ability to transduce an intracellular signal?
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Phillips, Adam Paul, author; Mrdutt, Mary Megan, author; Clay, Colin McKeown, author
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) and its subsequent signaling through the GnRH Receptor (GnRH-R) is critical for gonadal development and control of reproduction function. The GnRH-R is a member of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily and is localized to specialized low-density areas on the cell membrane termed lipid rafts. These raft domains are implicated in GPCR coupled signaling by spatially organizing receptors and their associated signaling proteins to specific domains in the plasma membranes of cells. These raft domains appear to play an important role in the organization of GnRH-R and the signaling of GnRH to MAPkinase. Flotillin-1 is a protein thought to be intricately involved in the organization of rafts and the trafficking of proteins to raft domains. To examine the potential role of flotillin in GnRH signaling, gonadotrope derived αT3-1 cells were transfected with a specific siRNA for Flotillin-1 with the long-term goal of assessing the impact of Flotillin-1 deficiency on GnRHR trafficking to lipid rafts and signaling to intracellular targets including extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK). Objectives: to use si-GLO Red to determine the transfection efficiency of Flotillin-1 siRNA; to use siRNA technology to knockdown Flotillin-1 expression; to determine the effect of Flotillin-1 knockdown on GnRH-R signaling.
Open Access
Drawings from the Golden Age transformed
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2007) Thrasher, Rebekah L., author
The purpose of this project was to find historical illustrations from the Gold Age of Fashion (approximately 1912-1930) and transform them into illustrations appropriate for the modern viewer. The original illustrations were updated from what some may consider a stagnant, two-dimensional piece of art into a creative interpretation of that picture, emphasizing fabric detail, figure movement, and overall mood.
Open Access
Effect of dominant negative MKK expression on pH-induced increases in PEPCK mRNA levels
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2005) O'Hayre, Morgan, author; Taylor, Lynn, author; Curthoys, Norman P., author
Acid-base homeostasis is essential for survival. When metabolic acidosis is induced by factors such as prolonged starvation, severe shock, high protein diet, or uncontrolled type I diabetes, the kidneys act to compensate for the decreasing pH. Renal catabolism of glutamine, which is sustained through increased expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glutaminase (GA), is activated during metabolic acidosis. Mitogen activated protein kinase kinases three and six (MKK3 and MKK6) are thought to play roles in the signal transduction pathway that lead to enhanced PEPCK and glutaminase activity. To examine the potential roles of MKK3 and MKK6, LLC-PK1-FBPase+ cells were stably transfected with dominant negative (dn) forms of either or both kinases. Expression of the transgenes was controlled by a Tetracycline-responsive promoter element (TRE). Doxycycline (dox) is used to inhibit transcription by preventing the tTA transcription factor from binding to the TRE. The absence of dox then enables transcription and turns on expression of the mutated kinase. Western blots were performed on extracts of clonal cell lines to determine the levels of the MKK isoforms as well as the levels of p38 and phosphorylated p38 in LLC-PK1-FBPase+ cells grown in both the absence and presence of dox. Northern blots were also performed to determine the effect of dnMKK expression on levels of PEPCK mRNA. Expression of both dominant negative kinases, but not the expression of either dnMKK3 or dnMKK6 alone, blocked the acid-induced increases in the levels of PEPCK mRNA and the Anisomycin stimulated increases in levels of phosphorylated p38.
Open Access
Effect of histone H3 E73D mutation on in vitro chromatin silencing
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2007) Colbert, Karen, author; Subramanian, Vidya, author; Thompson, Jeffrey, author; Luger, Karolin, author
Organization of DNA into chromatin requires the presence of small basic proteins called histones. Core histones are highly conserved across various species. In addition to their function as DNA packing material, histones play an important role in the regulation of transcription, replication, and gene silencing. In particular, histone-mediated silencing is achieved via histone modifications and through interactions with suppressor proteins. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a single amino acid substitution (E73D) found within the conserved region of histone H3, has been shown to de-repress silencing at the telomeres and mating type loci in yeast (Thompson et al., 2003). It has been proposed that the substitution may shorten the amino acid side chain length enough to disrupt a necessary interaction at the H3-H4 interface within the nucleosome. Alternatively, the E73D mutation may affect the binding affinity of Sir3 for histone H3. Sir3 and Sir4, chromatin-associated repressor proteins, are known to mediate telomeric and mating loci silencing in S. cerevisiae (Grunstein et al., 1997). In order to test the effect of the E73D mutation on nucleosome stability in vitro, the crystal structure of nucleosomes containing the H3 mutant will be determined to ascertain the charge interactions between the amino acid residues within the vicinity of the substituted residue. In addition, binding studies will be carried out to investigate Sir protein binding to nucleosomes containing H3 E73D histones. Finally, analytical ultracentrifugation experiments will provide quantitative data on the in vitro dynamics of nucleosomal arrays comprised of nucleosomes containing H3 E73D.