The current study investigated the effect of music type and music tempo on food consumption. Previous research shows that restaurant patrons decrease meal duration and spend less money when background music has a faster (compared to slower) tempo. However, the effect of music type on consumption behavior has been investigated less and few studies have examined both tempo and type together. The study had a between-subjects design, with one control and four experimental groups. 16 participants were randomly assigned to each group (80 participants total (61 female)). The experimental groups had a 2x2 design, with 2 levels of music tempo (fast, slow) and 2 levels of music type (classical, jazz). Participants also indicated their hunger level (7-point Likert scale) before and after the experiment. Participants in the experimental groups listened to 10 minutes of music; the control group simply waited 10 minutes. The dependent variable was number of items of food eaten (choices were goldfish, pretzels, Skittles, M&M, 40 pieces each). Participants were told that it was important that they relax before the actual experiment and to feel free to eat the snacks. Participants in the experimental groups were also told that music helps people relax. The researcher left the room and without informing the participant, recorded eating behavior through a one-way window.  Analysis of before-experiment hunger levels showed a significant difference between jazz and classical groups. Thus, a 2x2 ANCOVA (covariate = hunger) was performed. The results showed a marginal main effect of music type, F(1,64) = 3.758, p = .057, with participants in the jazz group eating more on average (43.4 items) than did participants in the classical group (11.1 items). Neither the main effect of music tempo nor the interaction were significant. An implication from this study was that listening to certain music types could increase consumption. 

Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) is a gamma2-herpesvirus that infects humans and can cause tumors in immunosuppressed individuals. Rhesus rhadinovirus (RRV) is a related herpesvirus of macaques that is similar to KSHV, but has significant differences as well. While KSHV infections are predominantly latent with only low levels of spontaneous replication, RRV replicates much more readily. For this reason, RRV is a useful tool in studying the mechanisms of reactivation and replication of rhadinoviruses. We sought to identify the regulatory promoter elements of the replication and transactivator (Rta) gene, which induces the lytic stage of the virus. To find this, we transfected cells with different length clones of the Rta promoter region and tested the activity using luciferase assays. We identified a potential binding site of the transcription factor Sp1 and tested its function through mutagenesis. Our results indicate that the Sp1 binding site is required for high level promoter activity suggesting that this is an important regulatory element within the promoter sequence. We also tested the activity of the RRV Rta promoter in the presence of the RRV latency associated nuclear antigen (LANA), a gene known to inhibit replication through suppression of Rta expression in KSHV. We found that with LANA present, the activity of the Rta promoter decreases significantly. Because Rta has a critical role in viral replication, the regulation of the Rta promoter by the cellular factor Sp1 and the viral gene LANA may have important implication on the RRV life cycle.

Research studies suggest that up to 40% of hepatocellular carcinomas may be caused by liver stem cell carcinogenesis, in which stem cells, due to their high proliferative abilities, become neoplastic and maintain cancer growth and metastasis. MicroRNA are post-transcriptional gene regulators that have been found to be involved in many cellular processes such as differentiation of stem cells. This project focused on the role microRNA play specifically in liver stem cell differentiation. Finding which microRNA are important in liver cell differentiation could provide new methods for diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer originating from stem cells. I used a stem-cell-like liver progenitor cell line capable of differentiating into mature liver tissue from a proliferative state, providing an ideal in vitro model for liver stem cell differentiation. Relative quantification of microRNA by real-time PCR and microarray was performed on samples taken from various time points during differentiation leading to the characterization of two microRNAs strongly upregulated in differentiation. In order to validate the importance of these microRNAs, I will use a viral vector to induce their overexpression and monitor any subsequent changes in the differentiation process. In the end, this project may provide additional insights into neoplastic liver stem cells.

Fatty acids are vital for proper cell function, serving as a source of energy, a structural component of the plasma membrane, and a signaling molecule. Imbalance of these fatty acids can change the homeostasis of the cell and can lead to major consequences, including cancer. We propose that lipid levels could be analyzed and serve as a diagnostic and preventative measure for human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In our study, we use a hepatic-specific PTEN knockout mouse which recapitulates the progression of HCC. Phosphatase-and-tensin homologue (PTEN) is a tumor suppressor gene involved in cell cycle regulation and mutations have been observed in many types of cancers, including HCC. We collected plasma and liver tissue from 12 month old PTEN KO mice and proper controls to undergo quantitative lipid analysis. Human serum samples from cirrhotic patients with and without HCC underwent similar lipid analysis. This analysis was done for 4 lipid fractions (FFA (free fatty acids), PL (Phospholipids), TG (Triglycerides) and CE (Cholesterol esters) and determined the relative abundance of nearly 30 lipids. In addition, we quantified the abundance of several genes important in lipid metabolism using q-RT PCR. We found several lipids that showed strong correlation to tumor development. Further, the abundance of the genes involved in metabolism of these specific lipids was altered in the PTEN KO mice and showed significant correlation to both lipid levels and tumor development. Similar results were found through analysis of human samples of HCC compared to the cirrhotic controls. This infers that analyzing lipid levels and related gene expression may serve as a potential method for diagnosis and, eventually, prevention of human HCC.