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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Linkages Among Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter, Dissolved Amino Acids And Lignin-Derived Phenols In River-Influenced Ocean Margins, Youhei Yamashita, Cédric G. Fichot, Yuan Shen, Rudolf Jaffé, Ronald Benner Nov 2015

Linkages Among Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter, Dissolved Amino Acids And Lignin-Derived Phenols In River-Influenced Ocean Margins, Youhei Yamashita, Cédric G. Fichot, Yuan Shen, Rudolf Jaffé, Ronald Benner

Faculty Publications

Excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) is commonly used to investigate the dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM). However, a lack of direct comparisons with known biomolecules makes it difficult to substantiate the molecular composition of specific fluorescent components. Here, coincident surface-water measurements of EEMs, dissolved lignin, and total dissolved amino acids (TDAA) acquired in the northern Gulf of Mexico were used to investigate the relationships between specific fluorescent components and DOM biomolecules. Two terrestrial humic-like components identified by EEM-PARAFAC using samples obtained from river to offshore waters were strongly linearly correlated with dissolved …


Sedentary Behavior In Preschoolers: How Many Days Of Accelerometer Monitoring Is Needed?, Wonwoo Byun, Michael W. Beets, Russell R. Pate Oct 2015

Sedentary Behavior In Preschoolers: How Many Days Of Accelerometer Monitoring Is Needed?, Wonwoo Byun, Michael W. Beets, Russell R. Pate

Faculty Publications

The reliability of accelerometry for measuring sedentary behavior in preschoolers has not been determined, thus we determined how many days of accelerometry monitoring are necessary to reliably estimate daily time spent in sedentary behavior in preschoolers. In total, 191 and 150 preschoolers (three to five years) wore ActiGraph accelerometers (15-s epoch) during the in-school (≥4 days) and the total-day (≥6 days) period respectively. Accelerometry data were summarized as time spent in sedentary behavior (min/h) using three different cutpoints developed for preschool-age children (


Precise Repair Of Mping Excision Sites Is Facilitated By Target Site Duplication Derived Microhomology, David M. Gilbert, M. Catherine Bridges, Ashley E. Strother, Courtney E. Burckhalter, James M. Burnette Iii, C. Nathan Hancock Sep 2015

Precise Repair Of Mping Excision Sites Is Facilitated By Target Site Duplication Derived Microhomology, David M. Gilbert, M. Catherine Bridges, Ashley E. Strother, Courtney E. Burckhalter, James M. Burnette Iii, C. Nathan Hancock

Faculty Publications

A key difference between the Tourist and Stowaway families of miniature inverted repeat transposable elements (MITEs) is the manner in which their excision alters the genome. Upon excision, Stowaway-like MITEs and the associated Mariner elements usually leave behind a small duplication and short sequences from the end of the element. These small insertions or deletions known as “footprints” can potentially disrupt coding or regulatory sequences. In contrast, Tourist-like MITEs and the associated PIF/Pong/Harbinger elements generally excise precisely, returning the genome to its original state. The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanisms underlying these …


Nanotechnology In The Real World: Redeveloping The Nanomaterial Consumer Products Inventory, Marina E. Vance, Todd Kuiken, Eric P. Vejerano, Sean P. Mcginnis, Michael F. Hochella Jr., David Rejeski, Matthew S. Hull Aug 2015

Nanotechnology In The Real World: Redeveloping The Nanomaterial Consumer Products Inventory, Marina E. Vance, Todd Kuiken, Eric P. Vejerano, Sean P. Mcginnis, Michael F. Hochella Jr., David Rejeski, Matthew S. Hull

Faculty Publications

To document the marketing and distribution of nano-enabled products into the commercial marketplace, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies created the Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory (CPI) in 2005. The objective of this present work is to redevelop the CPI by leading a research effort to increase the usefulness and reliability of this inventory. We created eight new descriptors for consumer products, including information pertaining to the nanomaterials contained in each product. The project was motivated by the recognition that a diverse group of stakeholders from academia, industry, and state/federal government had become highly …


Co-Extinction In A Host-Parasite Network: Identifying Key Hosts For Network Stability, Tad Dallas, Emily Cornelius Aug 2015

Co-Extinction In A Host-Parasite Network: Identifying Key Hosts For Network Stability, Tad Dallas, Emily Cornelius

Faculty Publications

Parasites comprise a substantial portion of total biodiversity. Ultimately, this means that host extinction could result in many secondary extinctions of obligate parasites and potentially alter hostparasite network structure. Here, we examined a highly resolved fish-parasite network to determine key hosts responsible for maintaining parasite diversity and network structure (quantified here as nestedness and modularity). We evaluated four possible host extinction orders and compared the resulting co-extinction dynamics to random extinction simulations; including host removal based on estimated extinction risk, parasite species richness and host level contributions to nestedness and modularity. We found that all extinction orders, except the one …


The Adaptive Change Of Hla-Drb1 Allele Frequencies Caused By Natural Selection In A Mongolian Population That Migrated To The South Of China, Hao Sun, Zhaoqing Yang, Keqin Lin, Shuyuan Liu, Kai Huang, Xiuyun Wang, Jiayou Chu, Xinyu Huang Jul 2015

The Adaptive Change Of Hla-Drb1 Allele Frequencies Caused By Natural Selection In A Mongolian Population That Migrated To The South Of China, Hao Sun, Zhaoqing Yang, Keqin Lin, Shuyuan Liu, Kai Huang, Xiuyun Wang, Jiayou Chu, Xinyu Huang

Faculty Publications

Pathogen-driven balancing selection determines the richness of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. Changes in the pathogen spectrum may cause corresponding changes in HLA loci. Approximately 700 years ago, a Mongolian population moved from the north of China to the Yunnan region in the south of China. The pathogen spectrum in the south of China differs from that in the north. In this study, changes in the HLA genes in the Yunnan Mongolian population, as well as the underlying mechanism, were investigated. A sequence-based typing method (SBT) was used to genotype HLA-DRB1 in 470 individuals from two Mongolian populations and another …


Anion-Responsive Metallopolymer Hydrogels For Healthcare Applications, Jiuyang Zhang, Jing Yan, Parasmani Pageni, Yi Yan, Adam Wirth, Yun-Ping Chen, Yali Qiao, Qian Wang, Alan W. Decho, Chuanbing Tang Jul 2015

Anion-Responsive Metallopolymer Hydrogels For Healthcare Applications, Jiuyang Zhang, Jing Yan, Parasmani Pageni, Yi Yan, Adam Wirth, Yun-Ping Chen, Yali Qiao, Qian Wang, Alan W. Decho, Chuanbing Tang

Faculty Publications

Metallopolymers combine a processable, versatile organic polymeric skeleton with functional metals, providing multiple functions and methodologies in materials science. Taking advantage of cationic cobaltocenium as the key building block, organogels could be simply switched to hydrogels via a highly efficient ion exchange. With the unique ionic complexion ability, cobaltocenium moieties provide a robust soft substrate for recycling antibiotics from water. The essential polyelectrolyte nature offers the metallopolymer hydrogels to kill multidrug resistant bacteria. The multifunctional characteristics of these hydrogels highlight the potential for metallopolymers in the field of healthcare and environmental treatment.


Anion-Responsive Metallopolymer Hydrogels For Healthcare Applications, Jiuyang Zhang, Jing Yan, Parasmani Pageni, Yi Yan, Adam Wirth, Yun-Ping Chen, Yali Qiao, Qian Wang, Alan W. Decho, Chuanbing Tang Jul 2015

Anion-Responsive Metallopolymer Hydrogels For Healthcare Applications, Jiuyang Zhang, Jing Yan, Parasmani Pageni, Yi Yan, Adam Wirth, Yun-Ping Chen, Yali Qiao, Qian Wang, Alan W. Decho, Chuanbing Tang

Faculty Publications

Metallopolymers combine a processable, versatile organic polymeric skeleton with functional metals, providing multiple functions and methodologies in materials science. Taking advantage of cationic cobaltocenium as the key building block, organogels could be simply switched to hydrogels via a highly efficient ion exchange. With the unique ionic complexion ability, cobaltocenium moieties provide a robust soft substrate for recycling antibiotics from water. The essential polyelectrolyte nature offers the metallopolymer hydrogels to kill multidrug resistant bacteria. The multifunctional characteristics of these hydrogels highlight the potential for metallopolymers in the field of healthcare and environmental treatment.


When Nanoparticles Meet Biofilms—Interactions Guiding The Environmental Fate And Accumulation Of Nanoparticles, Kaoru Ikuma, Alan W. Decho, Boris T. Lau Jun 2015

When Nanoparticles Meet Biofilms—Interactions Guiding The Environmental Fate And Accumulation Of Nanoparticles, Kaoru Ikuma, Alan W. Decho, Boris T. Lau

Faculty Publications

Bacteria are essential components of all natural and many engineered systems. The most active fractions of bacteria are now recognized to occur as biofilms, where cells are attached and surrounded by a secreted matrix of “sticky” extracellular polymeric substances. Recent investigations have established that significant accumulation of nanoparticles (NPs) occurs in aquatic biofilms. These studies point to the emerging roles of biofilms for influencing partitioning and possibly transformations of NPs in both natural and engineered systems. While attached biofilms are efficient “sponges” for NPs, efforts to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms guiding interactions between NPs and biofilms have just begun. In …


The Identification Of Novel Protein-Protein Interactions In Liver That Affect Glucagon Receptor Activity, Junfeng Han, Ming Zhang, Sean Froese, Feihan F. Dai, Mélanie Robitaille, Alpana Bhattacharjee, Xinyu Huang, Weiping Jia, Stéphane Angers, Michael B. Wheeler, Li Wei Jun 2015

The Identification Of Novel Protein-Protein Interactions In Liver That Affect Glucagon Receptor Activity, Junfeng Han, Ming Zhang, Sean Froese, Feihan F. Dai, Mélanie Robitaille, Alpana Bhattacharjee, Xinyu Huang, Weiping Jia, Stéphane Angers, Michael B. Wheeler, Li Wei

Faculty Publications

Glucagon regulates glucose homeostasis by controlling glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis in the liver. Exaggerated and dysregulated glucagon secretion can exacerbate hyperglycemia contributing to type 2 diabetes (T2D). Thus, it is important to understand how glucagon receptor (GCGR) activity and signaling is controlled in hepatocytes. To better understand this, we sought to identify proteins that interact with the GCGR to affect ligand-dependent receptor activation. A Flag-tagged human GCGR was recombinantly expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, and GCGR complexes were isolated by affinity purification (AP). Complexes were then analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS), and protein-GCGR interactions were validated by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) …


Photosynthetic Performance And Anti-Oxidative Response Of Cornus Controversa Seedlings Under Cadmium And Lead Stress, Xinyu Huang, Yonglei Jiang, Xiaomao Cheng, Lilan Deng, Xuncheng Liu Jun 2015

Photosynthetic Performance And Anti-Oxidative Response Of Cornus Controversa Seedlings Under Cadmium And Lead Stress, Xinyu Huang, Yonglei Jiang, Xiaomao Cheng, Lilan Deng, Xuncheng Liu

Faculty Publications

The photosynthetic efficiency of Cornus controversa leaves was decreased significantly under Cd treatment while it was not affected by Pb exposure. Cd decreased while Pb treatment increased the chlorophyll contents of Cornus controversa leaves. Furthermore, the peroxidase (GPX) activities were decreased after Cd treatment while elevated by Pb exposure in Cornus controvera seedlings. In addition, both Cd and Pb exposures increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline contents and elevated the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities of Cornus controvera seedlings. Collectively, these results indicated that Cornus controversa may be more tolerant to Pb than Cd toxicity. This finding will contribute to the …


The Dynamic Effects Of Sea Level Rise On Low-Gradient Coastal Landscapes: A Review, Davina L. Passeri, Scott C. Hagen, Stephen C. Medeiros, Matthew V. Bilskie, Karim Alizad May 2015

The Dynamic Effects Of Sea Level Rise On Low-Gradient Coastal Landscapes: A Review, Davina L. Passeri, Scott C. Hagen, Stephen C. Medeiros, Matthew V. Bilskie, Karim Alizad

Faculty Publications

Coastal responses to sea level rise (SLR) include inundation of wetlands, increased shoreline erosion, and increased flooding during storm events. Hydrodynamic parameters such as tidal ranges, tidal prisms, tidal asymmetries, increased flooding depths and inundation extents during storm events respond nonadditively to SLR. Coastal morphology continually adapts toward equilibrium as sea levels rise, inducing changes in the landscape. Marshes may struggle to keep pace with SLR and rely on sediment accumulation and the availability of suitable uplands for migration. Whether hydrodynamic, morphologic, or ecologic, the impacts of SLR are interrelated. To plan for changes under future sea levels, coastal managers …


The Dynamic Effects Of Sea Level Rise On Low‐Gradient Coastal Landscapes: A Review, Davina L. Passeri, Scott C. Hagen, Stephen C. Medeiros, Matthew V. Bilskie, Karim Alizad May 2015

The Dynamic Effects Of Sea Level Rise On Low‐Gradient Coastal Landscapes: A Review, Davina L. Passeri, Scott C. Hagen, Stephen C. Medeiros, Matthew V. Bilskie, Karim Alizad

Faculty Publications

Coastal responses to sea level rise (SLR) include inundation of wetlands, increased shore-line erosion, and increased flooding during storm events. Hydrodynamic parameters such as tidal ranges, tidal prisms, tidal asymmetries, increased flooding depths and inundation extents during storm events respond non additively to SLR. Coastal morphology continually adapts toward equilibrium as sea levels rise, inducing changes in the landscape. Marshes may struggle to keep pace with SLR and rely on sediment accumulation and the availability of suitable uplands for migration. Whether hydrodynamic, morphologic, or ecologic, the impacts of SLR are interrelated. To plan for changes under future sea lev-els, coastal …


Marine Sequestration Of Carbon In Bacterial Metabolites, Oliver J. Lechtenfeld, Norbert Hertkorn, Yuan Shen, Matthias Witt, Ronald Benner Mar 2015

Marine Sequestration Of Carbon In Bacterial Metabolites, Oliver J. Lechtenfeld, Norbert Hertkorn, Yuan Shen, Matthias Witt, Ronald Benner

Faculty Publications

Linking microbial metabolomics and carbon sequestration in the ocean via refractory organic molecules has been hampered by the chemical complexity of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Here, using bioassay experiments and ultra-high resolution metabolic profiling, we demonstrate that marine bacteria rapidly utilize simple organic molecules and produce exometabolites of remarkable molecular and structural diversity. Bacterial DOM is similar in chemical composition and structural complexity to naturally occurring DOM in sea water. An appreciable fraction of bacterial DOM has molecular and structural properties that are consistent with those of refractory molecules in the ocean, indicating a dominant role for bacteria in shaping …


Engineering Nanoparticles To Silence Bacterial Communication, Kristen P. Miller, Lei Wang, Yung-Pin Chen, Perry J. Pellechia, Brian C. Benicewicz, Alan W. Decho Mar 2015

Engineering Nanoparticles To Silence Bacterial Communication, Kristen P. Miller, Lei Wang, Yung-Pin Chen, Perry J. Pellechia, Brian C. Benicewicz, Alan W. Decho

Faculty Publications

The alarming spread of bacterial resistance to traditional antibiotics has warranted the study of alternative antimicrobial agents. Quorum sensing (QS) is a chemical cell-to-cell communication mechanism utilized by bacteria to coordinate group behaviors and establish infections. QS is integral to bacterial survival, and therefore provides a unique target for antimicrobial therapy. In this study, silicon dioxide nanoparticles (Si-NP) were engineered to target the signaling molecules [i.e., acylhomoserine lactones (HSLs)] used for QS in order to halt bacterial communication. Specifically, when Si-NP were surface functionalized with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), then added to cultures of bacteria (Vibrio fischeri), whose luminous output depends upon …


Upregulation Of Mir21 And Repression Of Grhl3 By Leptin Mediates Sinusoidal Endothelial Injury In Experimental Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis, Sahar Pourhoseini, Ratanesh K. Seth, Suvarthi Das, Diptadip Dattaroy, Maria B. Kadiiska, Guanhua Xie, Gregory A. Michelotti, Mitzi Nagarkatti, Anna Mae Diehl, Saurabh Chatterjee Feb 2015

Upregulation Of Mir21 And Repression Of Grhl3 By Leptin Mediates Sinusoidal Endothelial Injury In Experimental Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis, Sahar Pourhoseini, Ratanesh K. Seth, Suvarthi Das, Diptadip Dattaroy, Maria B. Kadiiska, Guanhua Xie, Gregory A. Michelotti, Mitzi Nagarkatti, Anna Mae Diehl, Saurabh Chatterjee

Faculty Publications

Sinusoidal endothelial dysfunction (SED) has been found to be an early event in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) progression but the molecular mechanisms underlying its causation remains elusive. We hypothesized that adipokine leptin worsens sinusoidal injury by decreasing functionally active nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS)3 via miR21. Using rodent models of NASH, and transgenic mice lacking leptin and leptin receptor, results showed that hyperleptinemia caused a 4-5 fold upregulation of hepatic miR21 as assessed by qRTPCR. The upregulation of miR21 led to a time-dependent repression of its target protein Grhl3 levels as shown by western blot analyses. NOS3-p/NOS3 ratio which is controlled …


Familiarity Differentially Affects Right Hemisphere Contributions To Processing Metaphors And Literals, V. T. Lai, Wessel Van Dam, L. L. Conant, J. R. Binder, Rutvik Desai Jan 2015

Familiarity Differentially Affects Right Hemisphere Contributions To Processing Metaphors And Literals, V. T. Lai, Wessel Van Dam, L. L. Conant, J. R. Binder, Rutvik Desai

Faculty Publications

The role of the two hemispheres in processing metaphoric language is controversial. While some studies have reported a special role of the right hemisphere (RH) in processing metaphors, others indicate no difference in laterality relative to literal language. Some studies have found a role of the RH for novel/unfamiliar metaphors, but not conventional/familiar metaphors. It is not clear, however, whether the role of the RH is specific to metaphor novelty, or whether it reflects processing, reinterpretation or reanalysis of novel/unfamiliar language in general. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the effects of familiarity in both metaphoric …