Digital Commons Network^™

Genetic Diversity In A Deep-Sea Harpacticoid Copepod Found Near Two Oil-Drilling Sites In The Gulf Of Mexico, Christopher S. Gregg, David W. Foltz, John W. Fleeger

Faculty Publications

Sites adjacent to (near-field) and distant from (far-field) oil-drilling platforms were sampled for harpacticoid copepods at two locations in the northern Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, both at depths of ≈ 1100 m. The sites were located at Garden Banks Area Block 602 (GB 602) and Mississippi Canyon Area Block 292 (MC 292). Near-field sites at both locations were characterized by large numbers of a single undescribed species of harpacticoid copepod, Bathycletopsyllus sp., but this species was essentially absent from far-field sites. We sequenced a 710 bp portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene …

Development Of Microsatellites For Genetic Analyses And Population Assignment Of The Cat Flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), Claudia Husseneder, Susan P. Garner, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso

Faculty Publications

Cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouch) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), are common ectoparasites of companion animals that negatively impact their hosts directly by causing dermatitis and blood loss during feeding and indirectly through the potential transmission of disease causing agents. We isolated and characterized seven novel microsatellite loci from a partial genomic library of the cat flea enriched for di-, tri-, and tetranucleotide repeats. We screened these loci in cat fleas from two laboratory colonies and one wild-caught population collected at a temporary animal shelter (Parker coliseum) in Baton Rouge, LA. Six loci were polymorphic, with two to 15 alleles per locus and …

Sex-Differences In Adiponectin Levels And Body Fat Distribution: Longitudinal Observations In Afro-Jamaicans, Michael S. Boyne, Nadia R. Bennett, Richard S. Cooper, Tamika Y. Royal-Thomas, Franklyn I. Bennett, Amy Luke, Rainford J. Wilks, Terrence E. Forrester

Faculty Publications

We longitudinally explored the relationship of body size and adiponectin levels in 393 community-dwelling Afro-Jamaicans. Adiponectin levels were greater in women, increased with age and declined with abdominal adiposity. Multivariate regression analyses suggest that subcutaneous fat in women may contribute significantly to the variance in their adiponectin levels. © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Behavioral Flexibility And Species Invasions: The Adaptive Flexibility Hypothesis, T. F. Wright, J. R. Eberhard, E. A. Hobson, M. L. Avery, M. A. Russello

Faculty Publications

Behavioral flexibility is an important adaptive response to changing environments for many animal species. Such plasticity may also promote the invasion of novel habitats by introduced species by providing them with the ability to expand or change their ecological niche, a longstanding idea with recent empirical support. At the individual level, flexibility may arise through innovation, in which an individual invents a new behavior, or through social learning, in which an individual adopts a behavior used by others. There is increasing evidence that the adaptive value of these two modes of learning, and the overall expression of behavioral flexibility, may …

Perfect Little Feminists? Young Girls In The Us Interpret Gender, Violence, And Friendship In Cartoons, Spring-Serenity Duvall

Faculty Publications

Girls’ studies has emerged as a dynamic area of scholarship that examines the cultural construction of girlhood, the role that girls play in society, their identity formation, and their representation in media. This paper extends previous research by interviewing young girls about their interactions with each other as they view and interpret animated cartoons. Expanding claims that Girl Power programs such as The Powerpuff Girls empower viewers, I also discuss the role of third wave, commodity, and post feminism in influencing girls’ expectations of gender equality even as they embrace gender role differences. In discussing the importance of researchers engaging …

The Mathematics Of Animal Behavior: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue, Shandelle M. Henson, James L. Hayward

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cognitive Impact Of Genetic Variation Of The Serotonin Transporter In Primates Is Associated With Differences In Brain Morphology Rather Than Serotonin Neurotransmission, Hank P. Jedema, Peter J. Gianaros, Phillip J. Greer, Dustin D. Kerr, Shijing Liu, James Dee Higley, Stephen J. Suomi, Adam S. Olsen, Jessica N. Porter, Brian J. Lopresti, Ahmad R. Hariri, Charles W. Bradberry

Faculty Publications

A powerful convergence of genetics, neuroimaging and epidemiological research has identified biological pathways mediating individual differences in complex behavioral processes and related risk for disease. Orthologous genetic variation in non-human primates represents a unique opportunity to characterize the detailed molecular and cellular mechanisms which bias behaviorally- and clinically-relevant brain function. We report that a rhesus macaque orthologue of a common polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene (rh5-HTTLPR) has strikingly similar effects on behavior and brain morphology to those in humans. Specifically, the rh5- HTTLPR Short allele broadly impacts cognitive choice behavior and brain morphology without observably affecting 5-HT transporter or …

Identification And Optimization Of Classifier Genes From Multi-Class Earthworm Microarray Dataset, Ying Li, Nan Wang, Chaoyang Zhang, Ping Gong

Faculty Publications

Monitoring, assessment and prediction of environmental risks that chemicals pose demand rapid and accurate diagnostic assays. A variety of toxicological effects have been associated with explosive compounds TNT and RDX. One important goal of microarray experiments is to discover novel biomarkers for toxicity evaluation. We have developed an earthworm microarray containing 15,208 unique oligo probes and have used it to profile gene expression in 248 earthworms exposed to TNT, RDX or neither. We assembled a new machine learning pipeline consisting of several well-established feature filtering/selection and classification techniques to analyze the 248-array dataset in order to construct classifier models that …

Dated Molecular Phylogenies Indicate A Miocene Origin For Arabidopsis Thaliana, Mark A. Beilstein, Nathalie S. Nagalingum, Mark D. Clements, Steven R. Manchester, Sarah Mathews

Faculty Publications

Dated molecular phylogenies are the basis for understanding species diversity and for linking changes in rates of diversification with historical events such as restructuring in developmental pathways, genome doubling, or dispersal onto a new continent. Valid fossil calibration points are essential to the accurate estimation of divergence dates, but for many groups of flowering plants fossil evidence is unavailable or limited. Arabidopsis thaliana, the primary genetic model in plant biology and the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced, belongs to one such group, the plant family Brassicaceae. Thus, the timing of A. thaliana evolution and the history of …

The Enigmatic Ichnofossil Tisoa Siphonalis And Widespread Authigenic Seep Carbonate Formation During The Late Pliensbachian In Southern France, B. Van De Schootbrugge, D. Harazim, K. Sorichter, W. Oschmann, J. Fiebig, W. Püttmann, M. Peinl, F. Zanella, B. M.A. Teichert, J. Hoffmann, A. Stadnitskaia, Y. Rosenthal

Faculty Publications

Tubular carbonate concretions of up to 1 m in length and perpendicular to bedding, occur abundantly in the Upper Pliensbachian (upper Amaltheus margaritatus Zone, Gibbosus Subzone) in outcrops (Fontaneilles section) in the vicinity of Riviére-sûr-Tarn, southern France. Stable isotope analyses of these concretions show negative δ13C values that decrease from the rim to the center from -18.8‰ to -25.7‰ (V-PDB), but normal marine δ18O values (-1.8‰). Carbon isotope analyses of Late Pliensbachian bulk carbonate (matrix) samples from the Fontaneilles section show clearly decreasing C-isotope values across the A. margaritatus Zone, from +1‰ to -3‰ (V-PDB). Isotope analyses of coeval belemnite …

Can Grain Be Disinfested In 5-Gal Hdpe Buckets Containing Oxygen Absorber Packets?, Lynn V. Ogden, C. Griffin

Faculty Publications

Effective methods of grain disinfestation include freezing, the use of carbon dioxide gas, and the use of pesticides. Oxygen deprivation has also been shown to be an effective method of disinfestation when the oxygen content is held below 1% for at least 12 days (d). High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) 5 gallon (gal) buckets have become a popular and convenient storage container for dry foods such as wheat, rice and beans. Oxygen absorber packets are an effective way to remove the oxygen in high-barrier sealed containers to prolong the life of many of these foods. It is hypothesized that sealed HDPE …

Immunomodulation With Il-4rα Antisense Oligonucleotide Prevents Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Mediated Pulmonary Disease, Michael J. Ripple, Dahui You, Srinivasa Honnegowda, Joseph D. Giaimo, Andrew B. Sewell, David M. Becnel, Stephania A. Cormier

Faculty Publications

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes significant morbidity and mortality in infants worldwide. Severe RSV infections in infants cause bronchiolitis, wheeze, and/or cough and significantly increase the risk for developing asthma. RSV pathogenesis is thought to be due to a Th2-type immune response initiated in response to RSV infection, specifically in the infant. Using a neonatal mouse system as an appropriate model for human infants, we sought to determine whether local inhibition of IL-4Rα expression during primary RSV infection in the neonate would prevent Th2-skewed responses to secondary RSV infection and improve longterm pulmonary function. To reduce IL-4Rα expression, antisense oligonucleotides …

Bedrock Erosion By Root Fracture And Tree Throw: A Coupled Biogeomorphic Model To Explore The Humped Soil Production Function And The Persistence Of Hillslope Soils, Emmanuel Gabet, Simon Mudd

Faculty Publications

In 1877, G. K. Gilbert reasoned that bedrock erosion is maximized under an intermediate soil thickness and declines as soils become thinner or thicker. Subsequent analyses of this “humped” functional relationship proposed that thin soils are unstable and that perturbations in soil thickness would lead to runaway thinning or thickening of the soil. To explore this issue, we developed a numerical model that simulates the physical weathering of bedrock by root fracture and tree throw. The coupled biogeomorphic model combines data on conifer population dynamics, rootwad volumes, tree throw frequency, and soil creep from the Pacific Northwest (USA). Although not …

"Written On Their Hearts": Thinking With Luther About Scripture, Natural Law, And The Moral Life, Gary M. Simpson

Faculty Publications

Those who ignore Luther’s critical agility in moral reasoning based on natural law in favor of a reactionary turn to a regime of biblical law create “misery and tribulation,” as Luther lamented, and seriously enfeeble the Christian faith for life today. Christians rightly use their God-given powers of reason to work out affairs in the present order.

What Every Christian Should Know About Paul's Letters, Matthew L. Skinner

Faculty Publications

Paul was first and foremost a pastor, addressing particular issues facing people in churches he loved and tended. To read his letters properly is to understand Paul in the context of that world and of his Jewish faith—a faith not replaced but transformed by his experience of Jesus Christ.

Multiple Ca2+-Dependent Mechanisms Regulate L-Type Ca 2+ Current In Retinal Amacrine Cells, Merve Tekmen, Evanna Gleason

Faculty Publications

Understanding the regulation of L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ current is an important component of elucidating the signaling capabilities of retinal amacrine cells. Here we ask how the cytosolic Ca2+ environment and the balance of Ca2+-dependent effectors shape native L-type Ca2+ channel function in these cells. To achieve this, whole cell voltage clamp recordings were made from cultured amacrine cells under conditions that address the contribution of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake (MCU), Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent channel inactivation (CDI), protein kinase A (PKA), and Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR). Under control conditions, repeated activation of the L-type channels produces a progressive enhancement of the current. Inhibition …

Song Divergence By Sensory Drive In Amazonian Birds, Joseph A. Tobias, Job Aben, Robb T. Brumfield, Elizabeth P. Derryberry, Wouter Halfwerk, Hans Slabbekoorn, Nathalie Seddon

Faculty Publications

Visual signals are shaped by variation in the signaling environment through a process termed sensory drive, sometimes leading to speciation. However, the evidence for sensory drive in acoustic signals is restricted to comparisons between highly dissimilar habitats, or single-species studies in which it is difficult to rule out the influence of undetected ecological variables, pleiotropic effects, or chance. Here we assess whether this form of sensory drive-often termed " acoustic adaptation" -can generate signal divergence across ecological gradients. By studying avian communities in two Amazonian forest types, we show that songs of 17 " bamboo-specialist" bird species differ in predictable …

Evaluation Of Cryoprotectant And Cooling Rate For Sperm Cryopreservation In The Euryhaline Fish Medaka Oryzias Latipes, Huiping Yang, Michelle Norris, Richard Winn, Terrence R. Tiersch

Faculty Publications

Medaka Oryzias latipes is a well-recognized biomedical fish model because of advantageous features such as small body size, transparency of embryos, and established techniques for gene knockout and modification. The goal of this study was to evaluate two critical factors, cryoprotectant and cooling rate, for sperm cryopreservation in 0.25-ml French straws. The objectives were to: (1) evaluate the acute toxicity of methanol, 2-methoxyethanol (ME), dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), and glycerol with concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 15% for 60min of incubation at 4°C; (2) evaluate cooling rates from 5 to 25°C/min for freezing and their interaction …

Preweaning, Postweaning, And Carcass Trait Comparisons For Progeny Sired By Subtropically Adapted Beef Sire Breeds At Various Us Locations, F. A. Thrift, J. O. Sanders, Brown, A. H. Brown, A. D. Herring, D. G. Riley, S. M. Derouen, J. W. Holloway, W. E. Wyatt, R. C. Vann, C. C. Chase, D. E. Franke, L. V. Cundiff, J. F. Baker

Faculty Publications

This review, which represents a summarization of research results generated during an approximately 22-yr period, involves preweaning, postweaning, and carcass trait comparisons of progeny sired by Bos indicus (Brahman, Boran, Nellore, Indu-Brazil, Gir, Sahiwal), B. indicus-derivative (Brangus, Beefmaster, Santa Gertrudis, Gelbray, Simbrah), non-B. indicus (Tuli, Romosinuano, Bonsmara, Senepol) subtropically adapted, and traditional Bos taurus (Angus, Hereford, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Red Poll) sire breeds. Relative to Brahman-sired progeny, preweaning (weaning weight) and postweaning (postweaning ADG, feedlot ADG, final feedlot BW) performance is expected to be less for progeny sired by non-B. indicus subtropically adapted sire breeds. The non-B. indicus subtropically adapted sire …

Foreign Correspondence, John Maxwell Hamilton, Regina G. Lawrence

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Brave New Eugenics: Regulating Assisted Reproductive Technologies In The Name Of Better Babies, Kerry L. Macintosh

Faculty Publications

Infertile men and women have been using assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to conceive children since the first "test-tube baby" was born in 1978. During the past decade, however, the federal government has begun to clamp down on ART, asserting safety concerns as grounds forbanning novel technologies such as cloning, nuclear transfer, and ooplasm transfer.

Some scholars and policymakers now want to extend governmental regulation to include conventional ART such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). They claim children conceived through ART face an increased risk of birth defects and other health problems.

This Article examines the …

Stable Isotope Analysis Reveals Detrital Resource Base Sources Of The Tree Hole Mosquito, Aedes Triseriatus, Michael G. Kaufman, Kirsten S. Pelz-Stelinski, Donald A. Yee, Steven A. Juliano, Peggy H. Ostrom, Edward D. Walker

Faculty Publications

1. Detritus that forms the basis for mosquito production in tree hole ecosystems can vary in type and timing of input. We investigated the contributions of plant‐ and animal‐derived detritus to the biomass of Aedes triseriatus (Say) pupae and adults by using stable isotope (¹⁵N and ¹³C) techniques in laboratory experiments and field collections.
2. Laboratory‐reared mosquito isotope values reflected their detrital resource base, providing a clear distinction between mosquitoes reared on plant or animal detritus.
3. Isotope values from field‐collected pupae were intermediate between what would be expected if a single (either plant or animal) detrital source dominated the …

Contracting For State Intervention: The Origins Of Sovereign Debt Arbitration, W. Mark C. Weidemaier

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Monitoring Carboplatin Ototoxicity With Distortion-Product Otoacoustic Emissions In Children With Retinoblastoma, Shaum Bhagat, Johnnie Bass, Stephanie White, Ibrahim Qaddoumi, Matthew Wilson, Jianrong Wu, Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo

Faculty Publications

ObjectiveCarboplatin is a common chemotherapy agent with potential ototoxic side effects that is used to treat a variety of pediatric cancers, including retinoblastoma. Retinoblastoma is a malignant tumor of the retina that is usually diagnosed in young children. Distortion-product otoacoustic emission tests offer an effective method of monitoring for ototoxicity in young children. This study was designed to compare measurements of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions obtained before and after several courses of carboplatin chemotherapy in order to examine if (a) mean distortion-product otoacoustic emission levels were significantly different; and (b) if criterion reductions in distortion-product otoacoustic emission levels were observed in …

Correlating Pharmaceutical Data With A National Health Survey As A Proxy For Estimating Rural Population Health, Ronald E. Cossman, Jeralynn S. Cossman, Wesley L. James, Troy Blanchard, Richard Thomas, Louis G. Pol, Arthur G. Cosby

Faculty Publications

Background: Chronic disease accounts for nearly three-quarters of US deaths, yet prevalence rates are not consistently reported at the state level and are not available at the sub-state level. This makes it difficult to assess trends in prevalence and impossible to measure sub-state differences. Such county-level differences could inform and direct the delivery of health services to those with the greatest need.Methods: We used a database of prescription drugs filled in the US as a proxy for nationwide, county-level prevalence of three top causes of death: heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. We tested whether prescription data are statistically valid proxy …

Repression Of Wnt Signaling By A Fer-Type Nonreceptor Tyrosine Kinase, Aaron P. Putzke, Joel H. Rothman

Faculty Publications

The Wnt signaling pathway must be properly modulated to ensure an appropriate output: pathological conditions result from either insufficient or excessive levels of Wnt signal. For example, hyperactivation of the Wnt pathway is associated with various cancers and subnormal Wnt signaling can lead to increased invasiveness of tumor cells. We found that the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of the Fer nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, FRK-1, limits Wnt signaling by preventing the adhesion complex-associated beta-catenin, HMP-2, from participating in Wnt-dependent specification of the endoderm during embryogenesis. Removal of FRK-1 function results in relocalization of HMP-2 to the nucleus of epidermal cells, and allows …

The Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Ul20 Protein And The Amino Terminus Of Glycoprotein K (Gk) Physically Interact With Gb, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Arun V. Iyer, Sona Chowdhury, Joohyun Kim, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein K (gK) and the UL20 protein (UL20p) are strictly required for virus-induced cell fusion, and mutations within either the gK or UL20 gene cause extensive cell fusion (syncytium formation). We have shown that gK forms a functional protein complex with UL20p, which is required for all gK and UL20p-associated functions in the HSV-1 life cycle. Recently, we showed that the amino-terminal 82 amino acids (aa) of gK (gKa) were required for the expression of the syncytial phenotype of the mutant virus gBΔ28 lacking the carboxyl-terminal 28 amino acids of gB (V. N. Chouljenko, …

Estimates Of Heritability For Reproductive Traits In Captive Rhesus Macaque Females, Christine Gagliardi, Kathrine P. Falkenstein, Donald E. Franke, H. Michael Kubisch

Faculty Publications

Records from a colony of captive Indian rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were used to estimate heritability for a number of reproductive traits. Records were based on a total of 7,816 births by 1,901 females from 1979 to 2007. Heritability was estimated with a linear animal model using a multiple trait derivative free REML set of programs. Because no male parents were identified, the numerator relationship matrix contained female kinships established over six generations. Reproductive traits included female age at the birth of the first, second and last infant, age at death, inter-birth intervals, number of infants born per female and …

Contribution Of Exogenous Dietary Carbohydrases To The Metabolizable Energy Value Of Corn Distillers Grains For Broiler Chickens, O. Adeola, J. A. Jendza, L. L. Southern, S. Powell, A. Owusu-Asiedu

Faculty Publications

The objectives of this study were to determine the ileal digestible energy (IDE), ME, and MEn contents of corn distillers grains (CDG) for broiler chickens and to quantify these energy utilization responses to carbohydrase supplementation by the regression method. The CDG sample used in the current experiment contained (by analysis) 936 g/kg of DM, 4,894 kcal/kg of gross energy, 315.1 g/kg of CP, 94.6 g/kg of crude fat, 94.8 g/kg of crude fiber, 495.6 g/kg of neutral detergent fiber, 179.1 g/kg of acid detergent fiber, 0.19 g/kg of Ca, and 4.8 g/kg of P. The studies were conducted at 2 …

Integrating Concepts And Technologies To Advance The Study Of Bird Migration, W. Douglas Robinson, Melissa Bowlin, Isabelle Bisson, Judy Shamoun-Barnes, Kasper Thorup, Robert H. Diehl, Thomas H. Kunz, Sarah Mabey, David W. Winkler

Faculty Publications

Recent technological innovation has opened new avenues in migration research - for instance, by allowing individual migratory animals to be followed over great distances and long periods of time, as well as by recording physiological information. Here, we focus on how technology - specifically applied to bird migration - has advanced our knowledge of migratory connectivity, and the behavior, demography, ecology, and physiology of migrants. Anticipating the invention of new and smaller tracking devices, in addition to the ways that technologies may be combined to measure and record the behavior of migratory animals, we also summarize major conceptual questions that …