The PA28 alpha subunit is a protein that is a subunit of the 11S regulator of the immunoproteasome. This study attempts to identify select substrates of the Immunoproteasome by utilizing western blots. The Immunoproteasome targets a select group of proteins under stress or inflammation to alter cellular physiology, metabolism, and function and identifying the select substrates of the Immunoproteasome in absence of one of the subunits will greatly advance our knowledge on how cells response to stress or inflammation.

The longitudinal stability and composition of the gut microbiome is relatively unknown beyond a period of days or months. Existing studies exploring compositional changes have focused on infants, young children, or on very small sample sizes of adults. Longer term stability of the adult gut microbiome is poorly characterized. In this study, we compare sequencing data that was collected from a subset of healthy adults who participated in two studies that were separated by 16 months. In the first study, participants collected 17 daily consecutive microbiome samples.

The Visible Heart Lab at the University of Minnesota has a heart library-- a collection of hundreds of preserved human hearts used for various studies. The hearts have to be drained from their preservation chambers to be used over a twenty-four hour period. In order to enhance the usability of this collection, three-dimensional models of the hearts are being developed to allow a potential user to directly see relevant anatomical variations. The tissue and blood volume models allow a user to determine whether a specific heart is desirable for a study.

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), particularly acene-derived materials, have been studied as organic semiconductive materials for low-cost electronics due to their unique optoelectronic properties. Cyclacene, a conjugated macrocycle consisting of laterally fused benzene rings, is a theoretical aromatic belt that would be the shortest zigzag carbon nanotube (CNT) with unique predicted electronic properties. It was first proposed in 1954 and while many attempts have been made, cyclacene has yet to be synthesized.

The L1 family of cell adhesion molecules (L1CAMs) are highly conserved immunoglobulin-like transmembrane molecules with well-studied functions in neuronal development. In humans, L1CAM mutations are associated with several neurological disorders, including L1 syndrome. Modifier genes likely contribute to the manifestation and severity of L1CAM disorders, but identifying these interacting genes in mammals has been challenging. Our lab uses the simple genetic model organism, C. elegans, to study the L1CAM ortholog encoded by the sax-7 gene.

The Minnesota Department of Health provided data on 244,866 deaths in Minnesota from the years of 2013-2018. Due to the large number of deaths over the last six years in Minnesota, it is possible that damage has been done to the environment and human health because of irresponsible transition methods. My project focused on the cumulative environmental impact from the six years of burial and cremation in Minnesota. It was found that cremation is more toxic because it vaporizes, on average, 4.25 mg of mercury and 0.735 µg of PCDD/Fs per body cremated (1,13).

Emerging evidence suggests that experiences during fetal development have the potential to alter lifespan development. Prenatal maternal nutrition is proposed as one mechanism of fetal programming. The current study had two aims: 1) to characterize patterns of fetal growth over gestation and 2) to examine associations between prenatal maternal iron and fetal growth trajectories. We hypothesized that lower prenatal maternal iron levels would be associated with slower fetal growth trajectories and smaller birthweights.

Student learning outcomes in African countries such as Tanzania are usually relatively low compared to their counterparts in developed countries. The reasons behind the low education achievement in the developing countries have been studied by numerous researchers and it was found that teacher characteristics, such as teacher knowledge of the subjects they teach, teacher absence, have consequential effects on educational outcomes.

The opioid epidemic in the United States has grown over the last two decades taking countless lives and steps must be taken to further understand the neurological mechanisms behind addiction (Manchikanti et al, 2010). In opioid withdrawal, negative symptoms have adverse effects on brain function leading to increased vulnerability to relapse in drug use (Koob and Volkow, 2016).

A major issue is the effect of sound from human activity on aquatic life. The soundscape of any given environment is formed of geological, biological and man-made sounds. However, to date very little is known about the underwater soundscape of freshwater environments, especially between seasons. This project proposes to investigate the soundscape of a small inland lake and identify geological (weather), biological (fish) and man-made (boat) sounds.