Lifestyle Changes in Diabetes Management using Smartphone apps

Type II Diabetes is a prevalent and costly disease in the state of Vermont. Making lifestyle changes decreases Hemoglobin A1c levels and the long term risk of complications from diabetes. Longitudinal programs help maintain these important changes but these programs are not always readily available. Using free smartphone apps may be an alternative for maintaining lifestyle changes.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1806/thumbnail.jp

Investigating The Role Of Dnc-2 And Dli-1 On Ampa Receptor Mediated Behaviors In C. Elegans

γ-amino-3-hydroxy-5methylisoxazole-4-proprionic acid (AMPA) receptors (AMPARs) are protein complexes involved in excitatory neurotransmission. AMPARs are tetrameric structures consisting of the pairings of GluA1, GluA2, GluA3, and GluA4 subunits. Dctn2 and Dync1li1 were found to interact with GluA2 in an immunoprecipitation screen that was performed on postnatal day 14 rat brains. DNC-2 and DLI-1 were identified as the C. elegans homologs of Dctn2 and Dync1li1, respectively, and are components of motor proteins that transport cargo throughout the cell. The goal of this project was to determine whether knocking down DNC-2 and DLI-1 by RNAi affects AMPA Receptor-mediated behaviors, including mechanosensation and chemosensation, in C. elegans

The integration of legendary luxury cars into the portfolios of large automobile groups : analysis by the examples of Bugatti – VW and Rolls-Royce – BMW

Die Arbeit untersucht die Auswirkungen der Integration von Luxusmarken in die Portfolios von großen Premium- oder Volumenherstellern des Automobilbereichs anhand von zwei Beispielen. Schwerpunktmäßig werden zwei Fragen beantwortet: Leidet der Markenmythos unter dem Image des Großkonzerns? Profitiert der Konzern vom Image der Edelmarke oder profitieren beide Seiten von der Integration? Um diese Fragen zu beantworten, werden zunächst Fakten zur Integration recherchiert. Danach werden Beurteilungen aus der Fachliteratur des Automobilmarketings sowie Presseartikel und Stellungnahmen der betroffenen Automobilhersteller analysiert. Die empirische Forschung zum Thema wird in Form von Experteninterviews erfolgen. Abschließend soll geklärt werden, ob die Mythen überlebt haben und wenn ja, wie dies erreicht wurde

Investigating the Role of DNC-2 and DLI-1 on AMPA Receptor Mediated Behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans

γ-amino-3-hydroxy-5methylisoxazole-4- proprionic acid (AMPA) receptors (AMPARs) are protein complexes involved in excitatory neurotransmission. AMPARs are tetrameric structures consisting of the pairings of GluA1, GluA2, GluA3, and GluA4 subunits. Dctn2 and Dync1li1 were found to interact with GluA2 in an immunoprecipitation screen that was performed on postnatal day 14 rat brains. DNC-2 and DLI-1 were identified as the Caenorhabditis elegans homologs of Dctn2 and Dync1li1, respectively, and are components of motor proteins that transport cargo throughout the cell. The goal of this project was to determine whether knocking down DNC-2 and DLI-1 by RNAi affects AMPA Receptor-mediated behaviors, including mechanosensation and chemosensation, in C. elegans

Investigating the Role of DNC-2 and DLI-1 on AMPA Receptor Mediated Behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans

Γ-amino-3-hydroxy-5methylisoxazole-4-proprionic acid (AMPA) receptors (AMPARs) are protein complexes involved in excitatory neurotransmission. AMPARs are tetrameric structures consisting of the pairings of GluA1, GluA2, GluA3, and GluA4 subunits. Dctn2 and Dync1li1 were found to interact with GluA2 in an immunoprecipitation screen that was performed on postnatal day 14 rat brains. DNC-2 and DLI-1 were identified as the C. elegans homologs of Dctn2 and Dync1li1, respectively, and are components of motor proteins that transport cargo throughout the cell. The goal of this project was to determine whether knocking down DNC-2 and DLI-1 by RNAi affects AMPA Receptor-mediated behaviors, including mechanosensation and chemosensation, in C. elegans. Worms with the gene knockdowns were not successfully produced but mechanosensation and chemosensation assays were performed on GLR-2 knockout (KO) C. elegans. The GluA2 KO worms demonstrated a lowered ability to sense and respond to both mechanical and chemical stimuli

Methanogenic Paraffin Biodegradation and the Underlying Syntrophic Relationships

Petroleum hydrocarbons are important for their energy value and the environmental concerns they pose when spilled. Methanogenic biodegradation through syntrophy plays an important role in their degradation, with implications for remediation and oil recovery. There is still much to learn about methanogenic biodegradation of recalcitrant hydrocarbons such as paraffinic n-alkanes, or the overall syntrophic metabolism underlying these processes. Here, methanogenic solid and liquid paraffin-degrading enrichments were established, with Smithella identified as the hydrocarbon degrader. Fumarate addition was identified as the putative hydrocarbon activation mechanism through alkylsuccinate synthase gene presence and expression, and factors (biosurfactant production) which affect biodegradation were determined. In addition, gene families related to energy transfer were found to distinguish known and potentially syntrophic environments using metagenomic analysis. This approach was used to determine gene families which may play unknown roles in syntrophy. Together, these studies give key insights into how hydrocarbons are degraded under methanogenic conditions

Metagenomic Analyses Reveal That Energy Transfer Gene Abundances Can Predict the Syntrophic Potential of Environmental Microbial Communities

Hydrocarbon compounds can be biodegraded by anaerobic microorganisms to form methane through an energetically interdependent metabolic process known as syntrophy. The microorganisms that perform this process as well as the energy transfer mechanisms involved are difficult to study and thus are still poorly understood, especially on an environmental scale. Here, metagenomic data was analyzed for specific clusters of orthologous groups (COGs) related to key energy transfer genes thus far identified in syntrophic bacteria, and principal component analysis was used in order to determine whether potentially syntrophic environments could be distinguished using these syntroph related COGs as opposed to universally present COGs. We found that COGs related to hydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase genes were able to distinguish known syntrophic consortia and environments with the potential for syntrophy from non-syntrophic environments, indicating that these COGs could be used as a tool to identify syntrophic hydrocarbon biodegrading environments using metagenomic data

Vermont Legislature’s Views on the Reliability and Accessibility of Available Resources Regarding Public Health Concerns of Youth Marijuana Use

Vermont previously legalized possession and limited cultivation of marijuana. Proposed legislation for 2020 would legalize commercial sale of marijuana. Current knowledge surrounding public health impacts of the legal commercial sale of marijuana on youth is inconsistent, insufficient, and poorly understood by the public. This study investigated legislator utilization and perception of sources contributing to growing knowledge surrounding youth marijuana use.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1302/thumbnail.jp