Digital Commons Network^™

Temperature, Hypoxia, And Mycobacteriosis: Effects On Adult Striped Bass Morone Saxatilis Metabolic Performance, Dominique Lapointe, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein, Mary C. Fabrizio, David T. Gauthier, Richard W. Brill

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mycobacteriosis, a chronic bacterial disease of fishes, is prevalent in adult striped bass from Chesapeake Bay (USA). Although environmental factors may play a role in disease expression, the interaction between the disease and environmental stress remains unexplored. We therefore examined the individual and interactive effects of elevated temperature, hypoxia, and mycobacteriosis on the metabolism of wild-caught adult striped bass from Chesapeake Bay using respirometry. Because the spleen is the primary target organ of mycobacteriosis in striped bass, we hypothesized that the disease interferes with the ability of fish to increase their hemato crit in the face of increasing oxygen demands. …

Associations Between U.S. Adult Obesity And State And County Economic Conditions In The Recession, Qi Zhang, Rajan Lamichhane, Youfa Wang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

This study examines the association between state and county unemployment rates and individuals' body weight status during the latest recession in the U.S. We used the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data in 2007, 2009 and 2011, which were collected from 722,692 American adults aged 18 or older. Overweight and obesity were defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥25, and ≥30, respectively. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions were applied to assess the association between BMI, risks of overweight and obesity, and state and county unemployment rates. State unemployment rates were negatively associated with individual BMI across years, while …

Hot Yoga Establishments In Local Communities Serving Pregnant Women: A Pilot Study On The Health Implications Of Its Practice And Environmental Conditions, Viann N. Nguyen-Feng, Steven L. Feng, Shilpa Babbar, Nicole Calloway Rankins, James D. Blando

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Hot yoga establishments have been increasing in popularity in local communities. Studios may support participation among pregnant women though no clinical studies currently exist that examine prenatal hot yoga effects. The pilot study described in this article aimed to assess the spread of prenatal hot yoga and to provide information on the environmental conditions and practices of those who engage in hot yoga within a local community. A thermal environment meter was used to measure ambient air conditions during three 90-minute hot yoga classes. Mothers who practiced prenatal hot yoga were more likely than non-hot yoga practitioners to have someone …

Interaction Between Climatic, Environmental, And Demographic Factors On Cholera Outbreaks In Kenya, James D. Stoltzfus, Jane Y. Carter, Muge Akpinar-Elci, Martin Matu, Victoria Kimotho, Mark J. Giganti, Daniel Langat, Omur C. Elsi

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background:

Cholera remains an important public health concern in developing countries including Kenya where 11,769 cases and 274 deaths were reported in 2009 according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This ecological study investigates the impact of various climatic, environmental, and demographic variables on the spatial distribution of cholera cases in Kenya.

Methods:

District-level data was gathered from Kenya’s Division of Disease Surveillance and Response, the Meteorological Department, and the National Bureau of Statistics. The data included the entire population of Kenya from 1999 to 2009.

Results:

Multivariate analyses showed that districts had an increased risk of cholera outbreaks when …

A Distributed Consensus Algorithm For Decision Making In Service-Oriented Internet Of Things, Shancang Li, George Oikonomou, Theo Tryfonas, Thomas M. Chen, Li Da Xu

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

In a service-oriented Internet of things (IoT) deployment, it is difficult to make consensus decisions for services at different IoT edge nodes where available information might be insufficient or overloaded. Existing statistical methods attempt to resolve the inconsistency, which requires adequate information to make decisions. Distributed consensus decision making (CDM) methods can provide an efficient and reliable means of synthesizing information by using a wider range of information than existing statistical methods. In this paper, we first discuss service composition for the IoT by minimizing the multi-parameter dependent matching value. Subsequently, a cluster-based distributed algorithm is proposed, whereby consensuses are …

Systems Theory As The Foundation For Understanding Systems, Kevin Macg. Adams, Peggy T. Hester, Joseph M. Bradley, Thomas J. Meyers, Charles B. Keating

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

As currently used, systems theory is lacking a universally agreed upon definition. The purpose of this paper is to offer a resolution by articulating a formal definition of systems theory. This definition is presented as a unified group of specific propositions which are brought together by way of an axiom set to form a system construct: systems theory. This construct affords systems practitioners and theoreticians with a prescriptive set of axioms by which a system must operate; conversely, any set of entities identified as a system may be characterized by this set of axioms. Given its multidisciplinary theoretical foundation and …

[Review Of The Book Woodpeckers Of The World: A Photographic Guide, By Gerard Gorman], Walter D. Koenig, Eric L. Walters

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Concordant Phylogenetic Patterns Inferred From Mitochondrial And Microsatellite Dna In The Giant Clam Tridacna Crocea, Timery S. Deboer, Ma Rio Abdon Naguit, Mark V. Erdmann, Maria Carmen A. Ablan-Lagman, Ambariyanto, Kent E. Carpenter, Abdul Hamid A. Toba, Paul H. Barber

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The boring giant clam, Tridacna crocea Lamarck, 1819, is a CITES-listed bivalve that is declining due to overharvest and environmental degradation. Previous molecular studies in the Coral Triangle using mitochondrial DNA indicated the presence of deep phylogenetic divergence and strong phylogeographic structure across this region, suggesting the possibility of multiple cryptic species. In the present study, we compare data from non-recombining mitochondrial (mtDNA; cytochrome oxidase subunit 1, COI) and eight microsatellite loci to better understand patterns of genetic structure and species boundaries in T. crocea populations across Indonesia and the Philippines. Microsatellite loci and mtDNA data from 618 individuals representing …

Leptin Regulates Cd16 Expression On Human Monocytes In A Sex-Specific Manner, Joseph G. Cannon, Gyanendra Sharma, Gloria Sloan, Christiana Dimitropoulou, R. Randall Baker, Andrew Mazzoli, Barbara Kraj, Anthony Mulloy, Miriam Cortez-Cooper

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

Fat mass is linked mechanistically to the cardiovascular system through leptin, a 16 kDa protein produced primarily by adipocytes. In addition to increasing blood pressure via hypothalamic-sympathetic pathways, leptin stimulates monocyte migration, cytokine secretion, and other functions that contribute to atherosclerotic plaque development. These functions are also characteristics of CD16-positive monocytes that have been implicated in the clinical progression of atherosclerosis. This investigation sought to determine if leptin promoted the development of such CD16-positive monocytes. Cells from 45 healthy men and women with age ranging from 20 to 59 years were analyzed. Circulating numbers of CD14++16++ monocytes, which are primary …

Effect Of An Herbal/Botanical Supplement On Recovery From Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: A Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial, Corey A. Rynders, Judy Y. Weltman, Sara D. Rynders, James Patrie, John Mcknight, Frank I. Katch, Jay Hertel, Arthur Weltman

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Background: We examined the effects of a proprietary herbal/botanical supplement (StemSport, Stemtech, San Clemente, CA.) suggested to increase circulating stem cells, decrease inflammation, and attenuate exercise induced muscle damage on recovery from delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Methods: Sixteen subjects (male = 7, female = 9; age 23.8 ± 10 years; height 171.9 ± 10 cm, mass 72.2 ± 15 kg) were randomized in a crossover, double-blind, placebo controlled trial to receive a placebo or StemSport supplement (6150 mg/day) for 14 days. DOMS was induced on day 7 for both placebo and active conditions in the non-dominant elbow flexor group …

Paracrine-Rescued Lobulogenesis In Chimeric Outgrowths Comprising Progesterone-Receptor-Null Mammary Epithelium And Redirected Wild-Type Testicular Cells, Robert D. Bruno, Corinne A. Boulanger, Sonia M. Rosenfield, Lisa H. Anderson, John P. Lydon, Gilbert H. Smith

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

We have previously shown that non-mammary and tumorigenic cells can respond to the signals of the mammary niche and alter their cell fate to that of mammary epithelial progenitor cells. Here we tested the hypothesis that paracrine signals from mammary epithelial cells expressing progesterone receptor (PR) are dispensable for redirection of testicular cells, and that re-directed wild-type testicular-derived mammary cells can rescue lobulogenesis of PR-null mammary epithelium by paracrine signaling during pregnancy. We injected PR-null epithelial cells mixed with testicular cells from wild-type adult male mice into cleared fat-pads of recipient mice. The testicular cells were redirected in vivo to …

Dielectric Characterization Of Coastal Cartilage Chondrocytes, Michael W. Stacey, Ahmet C. Sabuncu, Ali Beskok

Bioelectrics Publications

BACKGROUND: Chondrocytes respond to biomechanical and bioelectrochemical stimuli by secreting appropriate extracellular matrix proteins that enable the tissue to withstand the large forces it experiences. Although biomechanical aspects of cartilage are well described, little is known of the bioelectrochemical responses. The focus of this study is to identify bioelectrical characteristics of human costal cartilage cells using dielectric spectroscopy.

METHODS: Dielectric spectroscopy allows non-invasive probing of biological cells. An in house computer program is developed to extract dielectric properties of human costal cartilage cells from raw cell suspension impedance data measured by a microfluidic device. The dielectric properties of chondrocytes are …

Basic Features Of A Cell Electroporation Model: Illustrative Behavior For Two Very Different Pulses, Reuben S. Son, Kyle C. Smith, Thiruvallur R. Gowrishankar, P. Thomas Vernier, James C. Weaver

Bioelectrics Publications

Science increasingly involves complex modeling. Here we describe a model for cell electroporation in which membrane properties are dynamically modified by poration. Spatial scales range from cell membrane thickness (5 nm) to a typical mammalian cell radius (10 μm), and can be used with idealized and experimental pulse waveforms. The model consists of traditional passive components and additional active components representing nonequilibrium processes. Model responses include measurable quantities: transmembrane voltage, membrane electrical conductance, and solute transport rates and amounts for the representative "long" and "short" pulses. The long pulse-1.5 kV/cm, 100 μs-evolves two pore subpopulations with a valley at ~5 …

Cellular Regulation Of Extension And Retraction Of Pseudopod-Like Blebs Produced By Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field, Mikhail A. Rassokhin, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Bioelectrics Publications

Recently we described a new phenomenon of anodotropic pseudopod-like blebbing in U937 cells exposed to nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF). In Ca²⁺ -free buffer such exposure initiates formation of pseudopod-like blebs (PLBs), protrusive cylindrical cell extensions that are distinct from apoptotic and necrotic blebs. PLBs nucleate predominantly on anode-facing cell pole and extend toward anode during nsPEF exposure. Bleb extension depends on actin polymerization and availability of actin monomers. Inhibition of intracellular Ca²⁺ , cell contractility, and RhoA produced no effect on PLB initiation. Meanwhile, inhibition of WASP by wiskostatin causes dose-dependent suppression of PLB growth. Soon after …

Cancellation Of Cellular Responses To Nanoelectroporation By Reversing The Stimulus Polarity, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Iurii Semenov, Shu Xiao, Olga N. Pakhomova, Betsy Gregory, Karl H. Schoenbach

Bioelectrics Publications

Nanoelectroporation of biomembranes is an effect of high-voltage, nanosecond-duration electric pulses (nsEP). It occurs both in the plasma membrane and inside the cell, and nanoporated membranes are distinguished by ion-selective and potential-sensitive permeability. Here we report a novel phenomenon of bioeffects cancellation that puts nsEP cardinally apart from the conventional electroporation and electrostimulation by milli- and microsecond pulses. We compared the effects of 60- and 300-ns monopolar, nearly rectangular nsEP on intracellular Ca²⁺mobilization and cell survival with those of bipolar 60 + 60 and 300 + 300 ns pulses. For diverse endpoints, exposure conditions, pulse numbers (1-60), and …

Disassembly Of Actin Structures By Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field Is A Downstream Effect Of Cell Swelling, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Shu Xiao, Olga N. Pakhomova, Iurii Semenov, Marjorie A. Kuipers, Bennett L. Ibey

Bioelectrics Publications

Disruption of the actin cytoskeleton structures was reported as one of the characteristic effects of nanosecond-duration pulsed electric field (nsPEF) in both mammalian and plant cells. We utilized CHO cells that expressed the monomeric fluorescent protein (mApple) tagged to actin to test if nsPEF modifies the cell actin directly or as a consequence of cell membrane permeabilization. A train of four 600-ns pulses at 19.2 kV/cm (2 Hz) caused immediate cell membrane poration manifested by YO-PRO-1 dye uptake, gradual cell rounding and swelling. Concurrently, bright actin features were replaced by dimmer and uniform fluorescence of diffuse actin. To block the …

Calcium-Mediated Pore Expansion And Cell Death Following Nanoelectroporation, Olga N. Pakhomova, Betsy Gregory, Iurii Semenov, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Bioelectrics Publications

Opening of long-lived pores in the cell membrane is the principal primary effect of intense, nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF). Here we demonstrate that the evolution of pores, cell survival, the time and the mode of cell death (necrotic or apoptotic) are determined by the level of external Ca²⁺ after nsPEF. We also introduce a novel, minimally disruptive technique for nsEP exposure of adherent cells on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass coverslips, which does not require cell detachment and enables fast exchanges of bath media. Increasing the Ca²⁺ level from the nominal 2–5 μM to 2 mM for …

Introduction To Fourth Special Issue On Electroporation-Based Technologies And Treatments, Damijan Miklavčič, Lluis M. Mir, P. Thomas Vernier

Bioelectrics Publications

This fourth special electroporation-based technologies and treatments issue of the Journal of Membrane Biology contains reports on recent developments in the field of electroporation by participants in the 7th International Workshop and Postgraduate Course on electroporation based technologies and treatments (EBTT 2013) held in Ljubljana, November 17–23, 2013. The 65 participants included faculty members, invited lecturers, special guests, and young scientists, and students from 16 countries. In addition to lectures on the fundamentals, this year’s sessions included talks on microbial inactivation by pulsed electric fields, modeling of intracellular electroporation, electroporation in food processing, and electrotransfer-facilitated DNA vaccination.

Temporal Modulation Of Plasma Species In Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharges, Aijun Yang, Xiaohua Wang, Dingxin Liu, Mingzhe Rong, Michael G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

The atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge in helium is a pulsed discharge in nature and the moment of maximum species densities is almost consistent with peak discharge current density. In this paper, a one-dimensional fluid model is used to investigate the temporal structure of plasma species in an atmospheric He-N₂ dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). It is demonstrated that there exist microsecond delays of the moments of the maximum electron and ion densities from the peak of discharge current density. These time delays are caused by a competition between the electron impact and Penning ionizations, modulated by the N_{2 …}

Reproductive Phase Determination In Male Meagre (Argyrosomus Regius, Sciaenidae): Testis Development And Histologic Corroboration Of A Gross Anatomical Scale, Nuno Prista, Leonel Gordo, Jose L. Costa, Maria J. Costa, Cynthia M. Jones

OES Faculty Publications

Reproductive stage determination of male gonads has received sparse attention in fish biology literature with few studies detailing the building of gross anatomical-and histologic scales. The meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is one of the world's largest sciaenids and supports a significant regional fishery in European and North African waters whose reproductive patterns are yet to be fully investigated. In the present study, we derive a macroscopic grading system for meagre testis using semi-quantitative graphs that feature the testis variability along the species size range and time of the year. We then describe the histological stages and reproductive phases of …

Phytoplankton And Nutrient Dynamics In A Tidally Dominated Eutrophic Estuary: Daily Variability And Controls On Bloom Formation, Ryan E. Morse, Margaret R. Mulholland, Todd A. Egerton, Harold G. Marshall

OES Faculty Publications

To better understand nutrient dynamics and factors that promote the initiation of algal blooms, the Lafayette River, a tidal subestuary of Chesapeake Bay that experiences seasonal algal blooms, was sampled daily for a period of 54 d in the fall of 2005. Three phytoplankton blooms (chl a concentrations exceeding twice the average of monthly measurements from 2000 to 2009) occurred during this period: a mixed bloom of Akashiwo sanguinea and Gymnodinium sp., a monospecific Skeletonema costatum bloom, and a monospecific Gymnodinium sp. bloom. Over the sampling period, nutrient concentrations increased following precipitation events and were elevated between bloom periods but …

The Great 2012 Arctic Ocean Summer Cyclone Enhanced Biological Productivity On The Shelves, Jinlun Zhang, Carin Ashjian, Robert Campbell, Victoria Hill, Yvette H. Spitz, Michael Steele

OES Faculty Publications

A coupled biophysical model is used to examine the impact of the great Arctic cyclone of early August 2012 on the marine planktonic ecosystem in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean (PSA). Model results indicate that the cyclone influences the marine planktonic ecosystem by enhancing productivity on the shelves of the Chukchi, East Siberian, and Laptev seas during the storm. Although the cyclone's passage in the PSA lasted only a few days, the simulated biological effects on the shelves last 1 month or longer. At some locations on the shelves, primary productivity (PP) increases by up to 90% and …

Lack Of Equivalence In The Elemental And Stable Isotope Chemistry Within The Sagittal Otolith Pair Of The Summer Flounder, Paralichthys Dentatus, Antranik Kajajian, Jason J. Schaffler, Cynthia M. Jones

OES Faculty Publications

In fish that are not bilaterally symmetrical, the left and right sagittae are often not symmetrical, exhibiting divergent growth patterns and mass, and may have differences in chemical composition. We investigated this in the asymmetrical summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus, collected from different nursery habitats along the US east coast. Significant differences were detected in otolith mass, δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O, Li:Ca, Mg:Ca, and Sr:Ca, and overall chemical signatures. These results refute the hypothesis of left-right equivalence that is prevalent for bilaterally symmetrical fishes. We tested whether a specific side was better suited for classification. The best models …

Can We Predict The Future: Juvenile Finfish And Their Seagrass Nurseries In The Chesapeake Bay, Cynthia M. Jones

OES Faculty Publications

The importance of estuarine seagrass beds as nurseries for juvenile fish has become a universal paradigm, especially for estuaries that are as important as the Chesapeake Bay. Yet, scientific tests of this hypothesis were equivocal depending on species, location, and metrics. Moreover, seagrasses themselves are under threat and one-third of seagrasses have disappeared worldwide with 65 of their losses occurring in estuaries. Although there have been extensive studies of seagrasses in the Chesapeake Bay, surprisingly few studies have quantified the relationship between seagrass as nurseries for finfish in the Bay. Of the few studies that have directly evaluated the use …

Emergence Of Algal Blooms: The Effects Of Short-Term Variability In Water Quality On Phytoplankton Abundance, Diversity, And Community Composition In A Tidal Estuary, Todd A. Egerton, Ryan E. Morse, Harold G. Marshall, Margaret R. Mulholland

OES Faculty Publications

Algal blooms are dynamic phenomena, often attributed to environmental parameters that vary on short timescales (e.g., hours to days). Phytoplankton monitoring programs are largely designed to examine long-term trends and interannual variability. In order to better understand and evaluate the relationships between water quality variables and the genesis of algal blooms, daily samples were collected over a 34 day period in the eutrophic Lafayette River, a tidal tributary within Chesapeake Bay's estuarine complex, during spring 2006. During this period two distinct algal blooms occurred; the first was a cryptomonad bloom and this was followed by a bloom of the mixotrophic …

Reproductive Phase Determination In Male Meagre (Argyrosomus Regius, Sciaenidae): Testis Development And Histologic Corroboration Of A Gross Anatomical Scale, Nuno Prista, Leonel Gordo, José Lino Costa, Maria José Costa, Cynthia Jones

OES Faculty Publications

Reproductive stage determination of male gonads has received sparse attention in fish biology literature with few studies detailing the building of gross anatomical- and histologic scales. The meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is one of the world's largest sciaenids and supports a significant regional fishery in European and North African waters whose reproductive patterns are yet to be fully investigated. In the present study, we derive a macroscopic grading system for meagre testis using semi-quantitative graphs that feature the testis variability along the species size range and time of the year. We then describe the histological stages and reproductive phases of male …

Detection Of Seagrass Scars Using Sparse Coding And Morphological Filter, Ender Oguslu, Sertan Erkanli, Victoria J. Hill, W. Paul Bissett, Richard C. Zimmerman, Jiang Li, Charles R. Bostater Jr. (Ed.), Stelios P. Mertikas (Ed.), Xavier Neyt (Ed.)

OES Faculty Publications

We present a two-step algorithm for the detection of seafloor propeller seagrass scars in shallow water using panchromatic images. The first step is to classify image pixels into scar and non-scar categories based on a sparse coding algorithm. The first step produces an initial scar map in which false positive scar pixels may be present. In the second step, local orientation of each detected scar pixel is computed using the morphological directional profile, which is defined as outputs of a directional filter with a varying orientation parameter. The profile is then utilized to eliminate false positives and generate the final …

The Impact Of Changing Surface Ocean Conditions On The Dissolution Of Aerosol Iron, Matthew P. Fishwick, Peter N. Sedwick, Maeve C. Lohan, Paul J. Worsfold, Kristen N. Buck, Thomas M. Church, Simon J. Ussher

OES Faculty Publications

The proportion of aerosol iron (Fe) that dissolves in seawater varies greatly and is dependent on aerosol composition and the physicochemical conditions of seawater, which may change depending on location or be altered by global environmental change. Aerosol and surface seawater samples were collected in the Sargasso Sea and used to investigate the impact of these changing conditions on aerosol Fe dissolution in seawater. Our data show that seawater temperature, pH, and oxygen concentration, within the range of current and projected future values, had no significant effect on the dissolution of aerosol Fe. However, the source and composition of aerosols …

An Unexpected Particle Oscillation For Electrophoresis In Viscoelastic Fluids Through A Microchannel Constriction, Xinyu Lu, Saurin Patel, Meng Zhang, Sang Woo Joo, Shizhi Qian, Amod Ogale, Xiangchun Xuan

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Electrophoresis plays an important role in many applications, which, however, has so far been extensively studied in Newtonian fluids only. This work presents the first experimental investigation of particle electrophoresis in viscoelastic polyethylene oxide (PEO) solutions through a microchannel constriction under pure DC electric fields. An oscillatory particle motion is observed in the constriction region, which is distinctly different from the particle behavior in a polymer-free Newtonian fluid. This stream-wise particle oscillation continues until a sufficient number of particles form a chain to pass through the constriction completely. It is speculated that such an unexpected particle oscillating phenomenon is a …

Distinguishing Molecular Characteristics Of Aerosol Water Soluble Organic Matter From The 2011 Trans-North Atlantic Us Geotraces Cruise, A. S. Wozniak, A. S. Willoughby, S. C. Gurganus, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The molecular characteristics of aerosol organic matter (OM) determines to a large extent its impacts on the atmospheric radiative budget and ecosystem function in terrestrial and aquatic environments, yet the OM molecular details of aerosols from different sources are not well established. Aerosol particulate samples with North American-influenced, North African-influenced, and marine (minimal recent continental influence) air mass back trajectories were collected as part of the 2011 trans-North Atlantic US GEOTRACES cruise and analyzed for their water soluble OM (WSOM) molecular characteristics using electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis (PCA) separated the samples into …