Digital Commons Network^™

Central Blockade Of Oxytocin Receptors During Mid-Late Gestation Reduces Amplitude Of Slow Afterhyperpolarization In Supraoptic Oxytocin Neurons, R. Teruyama, D. L. Lipschitz, L. Wang, G. R. Ramoz, W. R. Crowley, S. L. Bealer, W. E. Armstrong

Faculty Publications

The neurohypophysial hormone oxytocin (OT), synthesized in magnocellular paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei, is well known for its effects in lactation. Our previous studies showed that central OT receptor (OTR) binding is increased during gestation and that blockade of central OTRs, specifically during mid-late gestation, causes a delay in OT release during suckling and reduces weight gain in pups, suggesting decreased milk delivery. In the present study, we tested whether central OTR blockade during late gestation disrupts the gestation-related plasticity in intrinsic membrane properties. Whole cell current-clamp recordings were performed in OT neurons from pregnant rats (19-22 days in …

Synthesis And Spectroelectrochemistry Of N-Cobaltacarborane Porphyrin Conjugates, Erhong Hao, Min Zhang, E. Wenbo, Karl M. Kadish, Frank R. Fronczek, Brandy H. Courtney, M. Graça H. Vicente

Faculty Publications

N-Substituted porphyrins are well-known for the distortion they exhibit of the porphyrin plane through the sp3 hybridization of one of the pyrrolenic units. They have served as model compounds in investigations of many biochemical processes. In this paper, we developed an efficient route to N-substituted porphyrins, and report the synthesis of a series of new N-substituted cobaltacarborane - porphyrins containing one or two cobaltabisdicarbollide anions linked by (CH2CH2O) 2 chains to either the core porphyrin nitrogens or to a meso-aminophenyl group. These conjugates show different degrees of distortion of the porphyrin macrocycle, which affect their spectroscopic and electrochemical properties. In …

Effects Of M-Tyrosine On Feeding And Survival Of Formosan Subterranean Termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), Bal K. Gautam, Gregg Henderson

Faculty Publications

Amino acids are important to all animal life. Termites rely mainly on microorganisms to retrieve these nitrogen sources from their food. One naturally occurring amino acid, m-tyrosine, has been reported to be toxic to bacteria and weeds. Its direct effects on termite survival are unknown however. Both no-choice and choice bioassays using five different doses of m-tyrosine were conducted to determine the feeding response and survival of Formosan subterranean termites, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), in the laboratory. In no-choice tests, although all doses of m-tyrosine tested reduced filter paper consumption, only the highest dose tested (0.05 M) had significantly …

Effect Of Treating Field Spatial Variability In Winter Wheat At Different Resolutions, B. S. Tubaña, D. B. Arnall, S. L. Holtz, J. B. Solie, K. Girma, W. R. Raun

Faculty Publications

This study was conducted to determine the scale at which spatial variability should be treated using an in-season nitrogen fertilization optimization algorithm (NFOA). Treatments included variable nitrogen (N) rate applications at three resolutions (0.84, 13.4, and 26.8 m2), two treatments of 90 kg N ha-1 fixed rate applied preplant or midseason, and a check plot. Treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications established at two locations for three years. On average, the NFOA-based N rates achieved a higher N use efficiency (NUE) of 41% compared with only 33% of the 90 kg N ha-1 fixed rate …

Dietary Resistant Starch Upregulates Total Glp-1 And Pyy In A Sustained Day-Long Manner Through Fermentation In Rodents, June Zhou, Roy J. Martin, Richard T. Tulley, Anne M. Raggio, Kathleen L. Mccutcheon, Li Shen, Samuel Colby Danna, Sasmita Tripathy, Maren Hegsted, Michael J. Keenan

Faculty Publications

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) are anti-diabetes/obesity hormones ecreted from the gut after meal ingestion. We have shown that dietary-resistant starch (RS) increased GLP-1 and PYY secretion, but he mechanism remains unknown. RS is a fermentable fiber that lowers the glycemic index of the diet and liberates short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) through fermentation in the gut. This study investigates the two possible mechanisms by which RS stimulates GLP-1 and PYY secretion: the effect of a meal or glycemic index, and the effect of fermentation. Because GLP-1 and PYY secretions are stimulated by nutrient availability in the gut, the …

Breast Cancer Fatalism: The Role Of Women's Perceptions Of The Health Care System, Allyson G. Hall, Amal J. Khoury, Ellen D.S. Lopez, Nedra Lisovicz, Amanda Avis-Williams, Amal K. Mitra

Faculty Publications

Cancer fatalism, which can be understood as the belief that cancer is a death sentence, has been found to be a deterrent to preventive cancer screening participation. This study examines factors associated with breast cancer fatalism among women. We analyzed data from a 2003 survey of women 40 years of age. The survey collected information about respondents' knowledge and attitudes regarding breast health. Analyses compared the characteristics of women who reported and those who did not report a fatalistic attitude. Women with a fatalistic attitude were more likely to be African American, to have a family history of breast cancer, …

Neuroimaging And Recovery Of Language In Aphasia, Cynthia K. Thompson, Dirk B. Den Ouden

Faculty Publications

The use of functional neuroimaging techniques has advanced what is known about the neural mechanisms used to support language processing in aphasia resulting from brain damage. This paper highlights recent findings derived from neuroimaging studies focused on neuroplasticity of language networks, the role of the left and right hemispheres in this process, and studies examining how treatment affects the neurobiology of recovery. We point out variability across studies as well as factors related to this variability, and we emphasize challenges that remain for research.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness As A Predictor Of Fatal And Nonfatal Stroke In Asymptomatic Women And Men, Steven P. Hooker, Xuemei Sui, Natalie Colabianchi, John E. Vena, James N. Laditka, Michael J. Lamonte, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Background and Purpose - Prospective data on the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and stroke are largely limited to studies in men or do not separately examine risks for fatal and nonfatal stroke. This study examined the association between CRF and fatal and nonfatal stroke in a large cohort of asymptomatic women and men.

Methods - A total of 46,405 men and 15,282 women without known myocardial infarction or stroke at baseline completed a maximal treadmill exercise test between 1970 and 2001. CRF was grouped as quartiles of the sex-specific distribution of maximal metabolic equivalents achieved. Mortality follow-up was through …

The Unconscionability Game: Strategic Judging And The Development Of Federal Arbitration Law, Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl

Faculty Publications

This Article uses recent developments in the enforcement of arbitration agreements to illustrate one way in which strategic dynamics can drive doctrinal change. In a fairly short period of time, arbitration has grown from a method of resolving disputes between sophisticated business entities into a phenomenon that pervades the contemporary economy. The United States Supreme Court has encouraged this transformation through expansive interpretations of the Federal Arbitration Act. But not all courts have embraced arbitration so fervently, and therefore case law in this area is marked by tension and conflict. The thesis of this Article is that we can better …

Infant-Feeding Practices Of Low-Income Vietnamese American Women, Yashmi Mistry, Marjorie Freedman, Kathleen Sweeney, Clarie Hollenbeck

Faculty Publications

Healthy People 2010 breastfeeding goals include 50% exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months. In California, US, Santa Clara County Women, Infants, and Children (SCCWIC) data indicated Asian participants had low (5.6%) 6-month breastfeeding rates. To examine infant-feeding practices, Vietnamese breastfeeding peer counselors surveyed 133 Vietnamese SCCWIC participants (≥ 18 years old, nonpregnant, < 28 months postpartum) using a structured questionnaire regarding intentions, attitudes, and subjective norms toward breastfeeding. Results indicated that 75% initiated breastfeeding in the hospital (33% exclusively, 42% partially), and 25% exclusively formula fed. At survey time, 49% had terminated breastfeeding (average duration 4.4 months). Feeding intentions during pregnancy predicted feeding method used (P < .001). Most prenatal advice was from SCCWIC employees, friends, and doctors who supported breastfeeding. Most postnatal advice was from nurses who supported breastfeeding and bottle-feeding equally. Stronger control beliefs, peer counseling, and education were correlated with breastfeeding (P < .001). Improved postdelivery hospital advice may further increase breastfeeding initiation and duration.

Diversity, Multiculturalism, And Pluralism: A James White Library Bibliography, Terry Dwain Robertson

Faculty Publications

A bibliography of books available in the James White Library addressing issues of diversity, multiculturalism, and pluralism in the disciplines of business, education, political science, religion, and sociology.

Sugary Soda Consumption And Albuminuria: Results From The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2004, David A. Shoham, Ramon Durazo-Arvizu, Holly Kramer, Amy Luke, Suma Vupputuri, Abhijit Kshirsagar, Richard S. Cooper

Faculty Publications

Background: End-stage renal disease rates rose following widespread introduction of high fructose corn syrup in the American diet, supporting speculation that fructose harms the kidney. Sugar-sweetened soda is a primary source of fructose. We therefore hypothesized that sugary soda consumption was associated with albuminuria, a sensitive marker for kidney disease. Methodology/Principal Findings: Design was a cross-sectional analysis. Data were drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999-2004. The setting was a representative United States population sample. Participants included adults 20 years and older with no history of diabetes mellitus (n = 12,601); after exclusions for missing outcome …

Drought Stress And Preharvest Aflatoxin Contamination In Agricultural Commodity: Genetics, Genomics And Proteomics, Baozhu Guo, Zhi Yuan Chen, R. Dewey Lee, Brian T. Scully

Faculty Publications

Throughout the world, aflatoxin contamination is considered one of the most serious food safety issues concerning health. Chronic problems with preharvest aflatoxin contamination occur in the southern US, and are particularly troublesome in corn, peanut, cottonseed, and tree nuts. Drought stress is a major factor to contribute to preharvest aflatoxin contamination. Recent studies have demonstrated higher concentration of defense or stress-related proteins in corn kernels of resistant genotypes compared with susceptible genotypes, suggesting that preharvest field condition (drought or not drought) influences gene expression differently in different genotypes resulting in different levels of "end products": PR(pathogenesis-related) proteins in the mature …

Genome-Wide Association Studies: Implications For Multiethnic Samples, Richard S. Cooper, Bamidele Tayo, Xiaofeng Zhu

Faculty Publications

The current gene mapping for complex diseases is heavily weighted by studies of population samples from northern Europe. To capture the full range of genetic diversity and exploit the potential of genetic epidemiology to identify important variants, multiple additional populations will need to be examined. The conduct of genome-wide association studies will therefore confront many of the challenges identified in the first generation of candidate gene and linkage studies, with a substantial increase in complexity. Initial efforts to map causal effects will have to take account of varying patterns of linkage disequilibrium through careful attention to local haplotype structure. Refined …

Into The Imagined Forest: A 2000-Year Retrospective Of The German Woods, Richard Hacken

Faculty Publications

In a "House of Learning" lecture in the Harold B. Lee Library in October, 2008, Richard Hacken gave this presentation, a combination of text and images. Coming from the history of ideas, this retrospective of the German woods looked at historical, linguistic, artistic, philosophical, political, literary, cultural, and of course botanical aspects of the German forest. In summary, five major forest themes arise from Germans imagining their own German woods: (1) taming the external and internal wilderness; (2) establishing social justice; (3) advocating national unity; (4) maintaining a sense of the sacred; and (5) encouraging ecological awareness.

Body Mass Index And Health Related Quality Of Life In Elementary School Children: A Pilot Study, Lei Zhang, Peter J. Fos, William D. Johnson, Vafa Kamali, Reagan G. Cox, Miguel A. Zuniga, Theresa Kittle

Faculty Publications

Background: We investigated the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) indicated by baseline health status in elementary school children. Methods: Data were obtained via parents whose children enrolled in an elementary school, kindergarten to fourth grade, in southern Mississippi in spring 2004. Parents completed the SF-10 for Children (TM), a brief 10-item questionnaire designed to measure children's HRQOL on a voluntary basis. Results: A total of 279 parents completed the questionnaires for their children. On average, physical and psychosocial summary scores, major indicators for HRQOL, were significantly higher among the elementary school children in …

A Covalent Linker Allows For Membrane Targeting Of An Oxylipin Biosynthetic Complex, Nathaniel C. Gilbert, Marc Niebuhr, Hiro Tsuruta, Tee Bordelon, Oswin Ridderbusch, Adam Dassey, Alan R. Brash, Sue G. Bartlett, Marcia E. Newcomer

Faculty Publications

A naturally occurring bifunctional protein from Plexaura homomalla links sequential catalytic activities in an oxylipin biosynthetic pathway. The C-terminal lipoxygenase (LOX) portion of the molecule catalyzes the transformation of arachidonic acid (AA) to the corresponding 8R-hydroperoxide, and the N-terminal allene oxide synthase (AOS) domain promotes the conversion of the hydroperoxide intermediate to the product allene oxide (AO). Small-angle X-ray scattering data indicate that in the absence of a covalent linkage the two catalytic domains that transform AA to AO associate to form a complex that recapitulates the structure of the bifunctional protein. The SAXS data also support a model for …

Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers And Hurricanes, Zoe Hoyle

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Embracing Unconscionability’S Safety Net Function, Amy J. Schmitz

Faculty Publications

Despite courts' and commentators' denial of morality and focus on efficiency in contract law, fairness and flexibility have remained the bedrocks of the unconscionability doctrine. This Article therefore departs from the popular formalist critiques of unconscionability that urge for the doctrine's demise or constraint based on claims that its flexibility and lack of clear definition threaten efficiency in contract law. Contrary to this formalist trend, this Article proposes that unconscionability is necessarily flexible and contextual in order to serve its historical and philosophical function of protecting core human values. Unconscionability is not frivolous gloss on classical contract law. Instead, it …

The Patent Lottery: Exploiting Behavioral Economics For The Common Good, Dennis D. Crouch

Faculty Publications

Lotteries are immensely popular. Players are willing to give the organizer a large monetary cut of every ticket purchase in return for a chance at a jackpot. In some ways, our current patent system operates as a lottery as well. Most patents are relatively worthless, while a few are highly valuable. Reaching the major payout of a highly valuable patent takes perseverance in the face of tremendous uncertainty. Like lottery players, small entrepreneurial companies and individuals have shows signs of bounded rationality. In particular, what I call the patent lottery effect is associated with the phenomena of potential innovators overweighting …

Weight Regain Is Related To Decreases In Physical Activity During Weight Loss, Xuewen Wang, Mary F. Lyles, Tongjian You, Michael J. Berry, Jack Rejeski, Barbara J. Nicklas

Faculty Publications

Purpose—To examine whether adaptations in physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) during weight loss were associated with future weight regain in overweight/obese, older women.

Research Methods and Procedures—Thirty-four overweight/obese (BMI=25–40 kg/m²), postmenopausal women underwent a 20-week weight loss intervention of hypocaloric diet with (low- or high-intensity) or without treadmill walking (weekly caloric deficit was ~11760 kJ), with a subsequent 12-month follow-up. RMR (via indirect calorimetry), PAEE (by RT3 accelerometer) and body composition (by DXA) were measured before and after intervention. Body weight and self-reported information on physical activity were collected after intervention, …

What Is Urban Health Policy And What's Law Got To Do With It?, Larry I. Palmer

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Viewing Virtual Property Ownership Through The Lens Of Innovation, Ryan Vacca

Faculty Publications

Over the past several years, many scholars have wrestled with the idea of how property rights for items created in virtual worlds should be conceptualized. Some have discussed utilitarian models, others have examined a Lockean natural rights theory, and still others view virtual property merely as another form of intellectual property. Regardless of how virtual property is conceptualized and which theory it best fits, most, if not all, commentators agree that the law ought to recognize virtual property as property and vest someone with those rights.

This Article moves beyond the initial debate about how property rights in virtual property …

"Hard Working, Orderly Little Women": Mayan Vendors And Marketplace Struggles In Early Twentieth - Century Guatemala, David Carey

Faculty Publications

During the first half of the twentieth century, Guatemala was dominated
by two of Latin America’s most repressive regimes: first that of Manuel Estrada
Cabrera (1898–1920) and then that of General Jorge Ubico (1931–44). Though
the marketplace was one venue through which these dictators sought to impose
their modernization programs of progress and order, criminal records abound with Mayan women disobeying market regulations and more generally disrupting the peace. Beyond putting the women’s livelihoods at stake, these conflicts were also struggles over ethnic, gender, and state power. As such, marketplaces were critical both to elite efforts to mold the economy, …

Toll-Like Receptor 2 Recognition Of The Microsporidia Encephalitozoon Spp. Induces Nuclear Translocation Of Nf-Κb And Subsequent Inflammatory Responses, Jeffrey Fischer, Colby Suire, Hollie Hale-Donze

Faculty Publications

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites that are ubiquitous in nature and have been recognized as causing an important emerging disease among immunocompromised individuals. Limited knowledge exists about the immune response against these organisms, and virtually nothing is known about the receptors involved in host recognition. Toll-like receptors (TLR) are pattern recognition receptors that bind to specific molecules found on pathogens and signal a variety of inflammatory responses. In this study, we show that both Encephalitozoon cuniculi and Encephalitozoon intestinalis are preferentially recognized by TLR2 and not by TLR4 in primary human macrophages. This is the first demonstration of host receptor …

Ethical Considerations In Drafting And Enforcing Consumer Arbitration Clauses, Amy J. Schmitz

Faculty Publications

Attorneys face mixed messages regarding consumer arbitration: Mixed professional responsibility rules; mixed legal enforcement; mixed messages from commentators and policymakers; mixed evidence regarding efficiency, cost-savings and fairness. It is therefore doubtful that attorneys would face discipline for drafting or enforcing onerous consumer arbitration provisions they believe in good faith to be lawful. Professional discipline rules, however, merely set the floor for ethical conduct and can only go so far in dictating morals or teaching values. Indeed, an attorney's commitment to ethics and public service "must begin at home." Moreover, the bottom line is: "If you have the wrong values, your …

Rapid Comparison Of Properties On Protein Surface, Lee Sael, David La, Bin Li, Raif Rustamov, Daisuke Kihara

Faculty Publications

The mapping of physicochemical characteristics onto the surface of a protein provides crucial insights into its function and evolution. This information can be further used in the characterization and identification of similarities within protein surface regions. We propose a novel method which quantitatively compares global and local properties on the protein surface. We have tested the method on comparison of electrostatic potentials and hydrophobicity. The method is based on 3D Zernike descriptors, which provides a compact representation of a given property defined on a protein surface. Compactness and rotational invariance of this descriptor enable fast comparison suitable for database searches. …

Bias In Population Growth Rate Estimation: Sparse Data, Partial Life Cycle Analysis And Jensen's Inequality, Jason S. Grear, Bret D. Elderd

Faculty Publications

Demographic matrix models have become an integral part of population viability analysis for threatened and endangered species, but their use is often limited by data availability. A common solution to this problem is to assume constant annual rates within a multi-year stage. Partial life cycle analysis (PLC), which incorporates only juvenile and adult stages, is a noteworthy example of this approach because it has been described in the literature as a reliable approximation of age-structured populations. However, we predict from Jensen's Inequality that the required lumping of age classes leads to over- or underestimation of population fitness when survival rates …

Combustion Byproducts And Their Health Effects: Summary Of The 10 Th International Congress, Barry Dellinger, Antonio D'Alessio, Andrea D'Anna, Anna Ciajolo, Brian Gullett, Heather Henry, Mel Keener, Jo Ann Lighty, Slawomir Lomnicki, Donald Lucas, Günter Oberdörster, Demetrio Pitea, William Suk, Adel Sarofim, Kirk R. Smith, Tobias Stoeger, Paige Tolbert, Ron Wyzga, Ralf Zimmermann

Faculty Publications

The 10th International Congress on Combustion Byproducts and their Health Effects was held in Ischia, Italy, from June 17-20, 2007. It is sponsored by the US NIEHS, NSF, Coalition for Responsible Waste Incineration (CRWI), and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The congress focused on: the origin, characterization, and health impacts of combustion-generated fine and ultrafine particles; emissions of mercury and dioxins, and the development/application of novel analytical/diagnostic tools. The consensus of the discussion was that particle-associated organics, metals, and persistent free radicals (PFRs) produced by combustion sources are the likely source of the observed health impacts of airborne PM rather …

Patently Protectionist? An Empirical Analysis Of Patent Cases At The International Trade Commission, Colleen Chien

Faculty Publications

The International Trade Commission (ITC) provides a special forum for adjudicating patent disputes involving imports. It offers several advantages over United States district courts to patentees, including relaxed jurisdictional requirements, speed, and unique remedies. Unlike district courts, the ITC almost automatically grants injunctive relief to prevailing patentees, and does not recognize certain defenses to infringement. These features have been justified as needed to prosecute foreign infringers who would otherwise evade U.S. district courts. They have also led to charges that the ITC is protectionist and unfair to defendants and that it fosters inconsistency in U.S. patent law.

Based on an …