Volume 4 Issue 1 June 2005

https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2005.007

Editorial: Benchmarks for Undergraduate Science

https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2005.008

Author(s):

C. C. Chancey

Affiliation:

American Journal of Undergraduate Research, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0150 USA


Long Term Metabolic and Health Effects of a Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat, High-Protein Diet in Mus musculus: A Nineteen Week Longitudinal Study

https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2005.009

Author(s):

Donald Harris, Christopher Bell, Misty Retzlaff, Stephanie Toering, Elizabeth Wurdak, and David Mitchell

Affiliation:

College of St. Benedict and St. Johns University, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321 USA

ABSTRACT:

This study was designed to investigate the long-term metabolic adaptations and health effects of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat/protein diet in mice. One-month-old male ICR mice were fed a control, conventional high-carbohydrate diet (n=21) or an experimental low-carbohydrate, high-fat, high-protein diet (n=20). One pair of mice per group was euthanized at two-week intervals for five months for tissue analysis. Basic metabolic data, body and tissue weights, blood and plasma metabolite and lipid profiles, liver glycogen and protein content, and liver serine dehydratase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities were analyzed. The low-carbohydrate group gained significantly more weight (p<0.005 after 4 weeks) than the normally growing control group. Although ketosis was initially stimulated in the low-carbohydrate group, enzyme and tissue analysis suggest that gluconeogenic activity was sufficient to alleviate the effects of severe dietary carbohydrate restriction and allow for glucose metabolism close to that demonstrated in the control group.


Remote Sensing Calibration of Casey Lake and Silver Lake

https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2005.010

Author(s):

Krista Ellyson and Mark D. Ecker

Affiliation:

Mathematics Department, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0506 USA

ABSTRACT:

This project examines two Iowa lakes to explore the feasibility of using remote sensing technologies for assessing water quality in lieu of actual ground samples. We demonstrate that a principal component analysis of the more than 20,000 remote sensed pixels can be used in a regression analysis to accurately predict total phosphorus levels in Casey Lake on three distinct times in the summer of 2004.


Theoretical Considerations for a Geosynchronous, Earth-Based Gravity Wave Interferometer

https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2005.011

Author(s):

William P. Griffin

Affiliation:

Department of Physics, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0150 USA

ABSTRACT:

We investigated theoretical considerations in the design of an Earth-based laser interferometer for detecting gravitational waves. Our design envisages a ground-based tracking station in communication with two geosynchronous satellites. We assumed linearized gravitational waves in a Schwarzschild spacetime geometry outside the Earth. Our initial calculations show that such a design is sufficiently sensitive to successfully detect gravitational waves near Earth.