9837 research outputs found
Sort by
Taraxacum Officinale Effect on the Reduction of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines IL-6 and TNF-a
Full text linkDandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a ubiquitous plant found in every continent except Antarctica. Despite its condemnation as a weed, it has been used for centuries in traditional European, Indian, and Chinese herbal medicine for its purported digestive and diuretic properties. Its leaves contain antioxidants and bioactive compounds like taraxasterol, which have been reported to reduce reactive oxygen species production and inhibit nitric oxide production. There have been claims that taraxasterol can reduce inflammation by reducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines; a cytokine is a small protein released by immune cells that helps regulate inflammation, immune responses, and cell communication. Our study aimed to investigate whether common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) reduces inflammation within the body by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-ɑ) produced by macrophages. RAW 264.7 macrophages were treated with varying concentrations of dandelion extract and plated (the process of transferring and spreading cells onto a culture dish or plate to allow them to adhere, grow, and multiply under controlled conditions) with or without LPS (a bacterial endotoxin that induces inflammation). We measured the production of IL-6 and TNF-ɑ by using ELISA. Our results showed that samples exposed to both LPS and dandelion extract showed less TNF-ɑ and IL-6 pro-inflammatory cytokine production than a control exposed to only LPS. These results elucidate the mechanism by which dandelion extract reduces inflammation, as seen in historical anecdotes.https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urs_2025/1001/thumbnail.jp
Faculty/Staff Recognition Celebration 2025
Full text linkAward Winners:
Horace T. Morse Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education: Mark Collier
UMM Faculty Distinguished Research Award: Ann DuHamel
UMM Alumni Association Teaching Award: Sylke Boyd
Morris Academic Staff Award: Matt Johnson
Bill and Ida Stewart Award for Racial Justice Advocacy: Clement Loo
Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Award: Cristina Ortiz
Community Engagement Award: Kerry Michael
Mary Martelle Memorial Award: Kathy Dingman
Outstanding Support Staff Awards: Makiko Legate, Kathy Dingman, Lynn Johnson
Retirees: David Brown, Keith Brugger, John Hamerlinck, Sarah Mattson, Mike Miller, Cynthia Schneider, Ray Schultz, Sheila Warnerhttps://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/facstaffrecognition/1032/thumbnail.jp
University of Minnesota Morris 2025 Commencement
Full text linkThe University of Minnesota Morris\u27s sixty-second commencement, Saturday, May 10, 2024, 1:30 PM.https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/commencement/1062/thumbnail.jp
Securing AI-Generated Code
Full text linkThe increasing use of AI for code generation presents significant security challenges, as these tools often lack inherent security awareness and can produce vulnerable code. This paper investigates these security risks, outlining common types of vulnerabilities (such as injection flaws and improper resource handling) found in AI-generated code. It further explores and evaluates mitigation techniques aimed at im-proving code security, including model fine-tuning and adversarial strategies like Security Verifier Enhanced Neural Steering (SVEN). Findings indicate that while current methods offer promising ways to reduce vulnerabilities, ongoing research and development are crucial for the secure and responsible deployment of AI in software development
Using Moment Maps to Observe Hydrogen Gas in Markarian 54
Full text linkHydrogen gas is useful when trying to understand galaxies because it helps make stars. In space, hydrogen gas is in many cases in a form called neutral hydrogen (HI). This gas emits a faint type of light called the 21 cm line, which is a type of radio wave. This light is useful because it can go through dust in space, unlike optical light. This means we can use it to look inside galaxies and study the gas even if there is dust that is in front of stars in the galaxy.
In my research I was given data from a telescope called the Very Large Array (VLA), which produces data cubes containing information about the intensity of emission as a function of position and velocity. The Very Large Array (VLA) uses advanced interferometry and a large collecting area to gather high-sensitivity data more quickly, making observations faster and with better resolution, and it can observe 21cm emission. These clear radio images show where the hydrogen gas is, how it moves, and how much of it there is in a galaxy. This gives us information about how stars are forming and how galaxies change.
In this project, I studied a galaxy called Markarian 54 (MRK54). MRK54 is interesting to study because it is a galaxy merger. When this happens, the gas gets pulled into elongated structures, like tidal tails, and stars can start forming in new places. By looking at where the gas is and how it is moving, we can learn how galaxy collisions change the shape of a galaxy and what happens to the gas during and after the galaxies have merged. I looked at the 21 cm radio waves from the hydrogen gas in MRK54 and I created moment maps to show where the gas is, how it moves, and how turbulent it is. These maps are tools that help us learn more about the hydrogen makeup in the galaxy.
To make these maps, some challenges I faced in analyzing this data included cleaning up the data by removing noisy parts and adjusting errors in the measurements. I also used the galaxy’s redshift (z =0.0449), which is a number that tells us how far away the galaxy is. This redshift was found in a study by Leitet and others in 2013. I used the equations for the moment maps from another study by Walter and others in 2008
LaRae Wellendorf Interview, 2025
Full text linkLaRae Wellendorf discusses her father\u27s welding shop in Ortonville, Minnesota, as well as Main Street business in Ortonville.https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/main_street_business/1006/thumbnail.jp