URCAF Abstracts 2008

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2008 URCA FORUM Organizing Committee

Chair:D. Paul Rillema, Professor, Chemistry, LAS Natural Sciences

Members: Brien Bolin, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, LAS Social Sciences

Robert Bubp, Assistant Professor, Art and Design, Fine Arts

Curt Friehs , Assistant Professor, University Libraries

A.J. Mandt, Director, Honors Program

Jeremy Patterson, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology and Sport Studies, Education

Barbara Smith, Professor, Physical Therapy, Health Professions

Larry Spurgeon, Instructor, Finance, Business

Larry Whitman, Professor, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Peter Zoller, Associate Professor, English, LAS Humanities

Sponsors:

Office of Research Administration, University Libraries, Fairmount College Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Education

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Recent Submissions

Now showing 1 - 5 of 9
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    Identification of MiRNAs expressed in arabidopsis pollen using MiRNA array technology
    (Wichita State University, 2008-04-25) Chambers, Carrie Anne
    Pollen plays an important role in plant production. During pollen development, each grain is developed in the anther from pollen mother cells through a combination of meiosis and mitosis. Pollen grains contain the genes necessary for pollen germination, pollen tube growth, as well as interactions between the pollen grain and the female reproductive organ. In this perspective, an understanding of gene regulation in pollen is imperative component of an understanding plant reproductive biology. Plant reproduction is quickly becoming a field of necessity when one considers the potential move from petroleum based fuels to biofuels. One of the questions of interest is how gene expression is regulated in pollen. This research project is geared towards examining the post‐transcriptional regulatory pathway, especially RNA silencing pathways, also known as RNA interference (RNAi), in regulatory gene expression in mature pollen grains. Here we focus particularly on a type of small RNSs called microRNAs(miRNAs) expressed in mature pollen. MiRNAs are encoded by an organism's genome, and are primarily involved in regulating gene expression in developmental processes. To determine the miRNAs that a represent in pollen, we have conducted a miRNA array experiment using miRCURY LNA array from Exiqon. The array experiments, performed by Exiqon using total RNAs extracted from mature pollen and inflorescence samples, have indicated that there are over 20 known miRNAs that are differentially expressed. These experiments provide the first insight regarding miRNAs. Further experiments are planned to examine the function of these miRNAs and look for potential new pollen specific miRNAs.
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    Signs and wonders: evangelist symbols and the development of early Christian orthodoxy
    (Wichita State University, 2008-04-25) Harries, Ruth
    The early development of evangelist symbols is a subject that raises interesting points about the maturation of Christian iconography in the late antique and early medieval periods. Regarding this topic, it is important to address how the development of evangelist symbols reflected early Christian orthodoxy, as well as what ideological issues faced by the early Christians were reflected in the iconography they developed. By probing some of the issues discussed at ecumenical councils and by examining the contexts and subtexts of early artistic depictions of the evangelists, I hope to address the relationship between the development of Christian orthodoxy and Christian iconography. One way to track the establishment of uniform Christian doctrine is to look at the use of evangelist symbols. Because these symbols were taken from imagery in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, they were perfect for Christians who wanted to gain credibility by emphasizing the links between the established canon of sacred Hebrew texts and the new canon of Christian texts. The evangelist symbols' ties to the gospels and New Testament were also useful to Christians who wanted to emphasize and support the idea of Christ's dual nature. Although there is no conclusive evidence that the early Christians consciously used the evangelist symbols for these specific purposes, tracking the adoption and use of evangelist symbols is a useful way to analyze the development of the Christian orthodoxy.
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    Diagnostic aids and overall physician ratings
    (Wichita State University, 2008-04-25) Karnopp, Kelsey; Morrison, Heather; Shaffer, Victoria A.
    Previous research has shown that physicians who are described as using a computer‐based decision aid during the diagnostic process are given lower ratings of overall satisfaction, diagnostic ability and professionalism (Arkes, Shaffer, Medow, 2007 ). In addition, this dissatisfaction appeared to be caused by the use of a computer‐based aid, as opposed to the solicitation of an outside source (Probst, Shaffer, Lambdin, Arkes, Medow, 2007). Physicians seeking help from a human expert were given greater ratings of diagnostic ability and overall satisfaction compared with physicians using computer-based aids. The basis of this study will be to determine whether individuals find the use of computer-based decision aids more acceptable when physicians explain them as a hospital policy versus physicians using them of their own volition. Participants will be assigned to the control group, diagnostic aid group, or status quo group. Their task will be to evaluate their experience with the physician based on five criteria: thoroughness of the exam, length of wait, diagnostic ability of the physician, professionalism, and overall satisfaction with the visit. After data is collected, an analysis of variance will be conducted using the between-subjects factors of group, gender and ethnicity. To date, data has been collected from approximately 150 participants.
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    The true "Solomon": the ecclesiastical and political personas of Saint‐King Louis IX
    (Wichita State University, 2008-04-25) Kramer, Sean
    In this project, I proposed to ascertain the relationship between the ecclesiastical nature of Saint Louis (King Louis IX of France) and his role as a political figure in history. I accomplished this through in depth research of artistic representations and architectural commissions of the saint - king throughout the Gothic period. I consulted numerous primary sources, such as manuscript illuminations and sculptural works, as well as secondary sources, such as books and journal articles in pursuit of this goal. As a result, I found that a close connection existed between the roles of Louis IX as both saint and king. Most works of art depicted him in both roles. The title of an essay even refers to Saint Louis as a greater incarnation of King Solomon, linking him with a Biblical ruler renowned for his wisdom and prosperity. Such a practice was common in political artwork from the Middle Ages, which often made allusions to kings or prophets in the Bible in order to advance ideas of piety and the notion of divine sanction on the part or their own rulers. The inference here then, is that King Louis IX and many of his successors used his religious affiliations to further his reputation and political standing, as well as that of the entire French dynasty. My presentation at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Forum will summarize my findings through the exploration of case studies of the Royal Chapel of Ste. Chapelle and the illuminated manuscript of the Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux.