Digital Commons Network^™

Quantifying The Impact Of Mosquitoes On Quality Of Life And Enjoyment Of Yard And Porch Activities In New Jersey, Yara A. Halasa, Donald S. Shepard, Dina M. Fonseca, Ary Farajollahi, Sean Healy, Randy Gaugler, Kristen Bartlett-Healy, Daniel A. Strickman, Gary G. Clark

Faculty Publications

The recent expansion of Aedes albopictus, a day-biting mosquito, to densely inhabited areas in the northeastern Atlantic states of the USA has dramatically increased the problem that mosquitoes create for urban and suburban residents. We quantified the impact of mosquitoes on residents' quality of life within the context of a comprehensive area-wide integrated pest management program to control Ae. albopictus in two counties (Mercer and Monmouth) in New Jersey. We interviewed residents of 121 randomly selected households in both counties between October and November 2010. We asked residents about their experience with mosquitoes in their neighborhood and the importance of …

The Role Of Jak-Stat Signaling In Adipose Tissue Function, Allison J. Richard, Jacqueline M. Stephens

Faculty Publications

Adipocytes play important roles in lipid storage, energy homeostasis and whole body insulin sensitivity. The JAK-STAT (Janus Kinase-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription) pathway mediates a variety of physiological processes including development, hematopoiesis, and inflammation. Although the JAK-STAT signaling pathway occurs in all cells, this pathway can mediate cell specific responses. Studies in the last two decades have identified hormones and cytokines that activate the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. These cytokines and hormones have profound effects on adipocytes. The content of this review will introduce the types of adipocytes and immune cells that make up adipose tissue, the impact of obesity …

A Conceptual Framework For Analyzing Social-Ecological Models Of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Melissa L. Finucane, Jefferson Fox, Sumeet Saksena, James H. Spencer

Faculty Publications

Unraveling mechanisms that underlie new and reemerging infectious diseases (EID) requires exploring complex interactions within and among coupled natural and human (CNH) systems. This scientifi c problem poses one of the most diffi cult challenges for society today (Wilcox and Colwell 2005 ). EID are diseases that have recently increased in incidence or in geographic or host range (e.g., tuberculosis, cholera, malaria, dengue fever), and diseases caused by new pathogens and new variants assigned to known pathogens (e.g., HIV, SARS, Nipah virus, and avian infl uenza) (Morse 2005 ). Wilcox and Gubler ( 2005 ) and Wilcox and Colwell ( …

Do Religious Affirmations, Religious Commitments, Or General Commitments Mitigate The Negative Effects Of Exposure To Thin Ideals?, Mary Inman, Erica Iceberg, Laura Mckeel

Faculty Publications

Western pressures for thinness tell women that having a thin body makes a person worthy. Two factors that may provide alternative means of self-worth are religion and general commitment to a meaningful goal. This study experimentally tested whether religious-affirming statements buffered against exposure to thin models for everyone, or only for women with strong religious commitment. It also examined the relationships among religious commitment, general commitment, and body satisfaction. One hundred eleven women at a religious-affiliated college completed the commitment scales and baseline body measures. They were later randomly assigned to read one set of affirming statements, after which they …

Applicability Of Latent Dirichlet Allocation To Multi-Disk Search, George E. Noel, Gilbert L. Peterson

Faculty Publications

Digital forensics practitioners face a continual increase in the volume of data they must analyze, which exacerbates the problem of finding relevant information in a noisy domain. Current technologies make use of keyword based search to isolate relevant documents and minimize false positives with respect to investigative goals. Unfortunately, selecting appropriate keywords is a complex and challenging task. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) offers a possible way to relax keyword selection by returning topically similar documents. This research compares regular expression search techniques and LDA using the Real Data Corpus (RDC). The RDC, a set of over 2400 disks from real …

Surface Assembly And Nanofabrication Of 1,1,1-Tris(Mercaptomethyl)Heptadecane On Au(111) Studied With Time-Lapse Atomic Force Microscopy, Tian Tian, Burapol Singhana, Lauren E. Englade-Franklin, Xianglin Zhai, T. Randall Lee, Jayne C. Garno

Faculty Publications

The solution self-assembly of multidentate organothiols onto Au(111) was studied in situ using scanning probe nanolithography and time-lapse atomic force microscopy (AFM). Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) prepared from dilute solutions of multidentate thiols were found to assemble slowly, requiring more than six hours to generate films. A clean gold substrate was first imaged in ethanolic media using liquid AFM. Next, a 0.01 mM solution of multidentate thiol was injected into the liquid cell. As time progressed, molecular-level details of the surface changes at different time intervals were captured by successive AFM images. Scanning probe based nanofabrication was accomplished using protocols of …

Preparation Of Radiation-Grafted Powders For Use As Anion Exchange Ionomers In Alkaline Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells, Simon D. Poynton, Robert C. T. Slade, Travis J. Omasta, William E. Mustain, Ricardo Escudero-Cid, Pilar Ocón, John R. Varcoe

Faculty Publications

A novel alkaline exchange ionomer (AEI) was prepared from the radiation-grafting of vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) onto poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) [ETFE] powders with powder particle sizes of less than 100 μm diameter. Quaternisation of the VBC grafted ETFE powders with trimethylamine resulted in AEIs that were chemically the same as the ETFE-based radiation-grafted alkaline anion exchange membranes (AAEM) that had been previously developed for use in low temperature alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells (APEFC). The integration of the AEI powders into the catalyst layers (CL) of both electrodes resulted in a H2/O2 fuel cell peak power density of 240 mW cm−2 …

"When We Learn Better, We Do Better": Describing Changes In Empowerment Through Photovoice Among Community Health Advisors In A Breast And Cervical Cancer Health Promotion Program In Mississippi And Alabama, Susan Mayfield-Johnson, John R. Rachal, James Butler Iii

Faculty Publications

As change agents in the community, community health advisors (CHAs) are a viable solution to bridge the gap between health service delivery systems and the community. With many CHAs members of the underserved and minority populations they serve, change and empowerment experienced by CHAs should be documented. This phenomenological study describes the empowerment change processes of 30 African American CHAs who participated in focus groups that used photovoice, and were part of a breast and cervical cancer health promotion program in Mississippi and Alabama. Using photos and narratives as primary research methods, these CHAs gave voice to an often-overlooked resource …

Consistency Between Research And Clinical Diagnoses Of Autism Among Boys And Girls With Fragile X Syndrome, Jessica Klusek, G E. Martin, M Losh

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Can Crude Oil Toxicity On Phytoplankton Be Predicted Based On Toxicity Data On Benzo(A)Pyrene And Naphthalene?, Koray Ozhan, Sibel Bargu

Faculty Publications

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are major components of crude oil, are responsible in large part for the toxicity of crude oil to phytoplankton. This study addressed the following question. Can reliable predictions of the aquatic toxicity of crude oil, a multi-component mixture, be described from toxicity data on individual PAH compounds? Naphthalene, the most abundant PAH compound, and benzo(a)pyrene, a highly toxic PAH compound, were selected as model compounds to quantify toxicity of crude oil on two phytoplankton species, Ditylum brightwellii and Heterocapsa triquetra, by analyzing the effects of different concentrations of these PAHs on growth rate. EC50 values …

Helping Young People Resist At-Risk Behaviors, Gary L. Hopkins, Duane C. Mcbride, Jacqueline Moreno, Susan Armstrong, Joni Roberts, Donavan Andregg

Faculty Publications

This article will deal with some at-risk behaviors that are new to our times. Its goal is to provide a helpful kit filled with research-based strategies that teachers, parents, church and community leaders, counselors, health-care professionals, and others can use in their work with youth. In addition, the article will provide information that can be shared with young people who need to be aware of lurking dangers, as well as what strategies they can use both now and in the future, when they establish their own families. Because of the urgency of those matters, teachers and administrators should talk about …

Resistant Starch From High Amylose Maize (Ham-Rs2) And Dietary Butyrate Reduce Abdominal Fat By A Different Apparent Mechanism, Kirk Vidrine, Jianping Ye, Roy J. Martin, Kathleen L. Mccutcheon, Anne M. Raggio, Christine Pelkman, Holiday A. Durham, June Zhou, Reshani N. Senevirathne, Cathy Williams, Frank Greenway, John Finley, Zhanguo Gao, Felicia Goldsmith, Michael J. Keenan

Faculty Publications

Objective Obesity is a health concern. Resistant starch (RS) type 2 from high-amylose maize (HAM-RS2) and dietary sodium butyrate (SB) reduce abdominal fat in rodents. RS treatment is associated with increased gut hormones peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), but it is not known if SB increases these hormones. Design and Methods This was investigated in a 2 × 2 rat study with HAM-RS2 (0 or 28% weight) and dietary sodium butyrate (0 and 3.2%) resulting in isocaloric treatments: energy control (EC), sodium butyrate (SB), HAM-RS2 (RS), and the combination (SBRS). Results RS and SB reduced abdominal fat …

Resistant Starch From High Amylose Maize (Ham-Rs2) And Dietary Butyrate Reduce Abdominal Fat By A Different Apparent Mechanism, Kirk Vidrine, Jianping Ye, Roy J. Martin, Kathleen L. Mccutcheon, Anne M. Raggio, Christine Pelkman, Holiday A. Durham, June Zhou, Reshani N. Senevirathne, Cathy Williams, Frank Greenway, John Finley, Zhanguo Gao, Felicia Goldsmith, Michael J. Keenan

Faculty Publications

Objective Obesity is a health concern. Resistant starch (RS) type 2 from high-amylose maize (HAM-RS2) and dietary sodium butyrate (SB) reduce abdominal fat in rodents. RS treatment is associated with increased gut hormones peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), but it is not known if SB increases these hormones. Design and Methods This was investigated in a 2 × 2 rat study with HAM-RS2 (0 or 28% weight) and dietary sodium butyrate (0 and 3.2%) resulting in isocaloric treatments: energy control (EC), sodium butyrate (SB), HAM-RS2 (RS), and the combination (SBRS). Results RS and SB reduced abdominal fat …

Members Of The Conserved Deda Family Are Likely Membrane Transporters And Are Required For Drug Resistance In Escherichia Coli, Sujeet Kumar, William T. Doerrler

Faculty Publications

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics and biocides is an increasing public health problem. Genes encoding integral membrane proteins belonging to the DedA family are present in most bacterial genomes, including Escherichia coli. An E. coli strain lacking partially redundant DedA family genes yqjA and yghB (strain BC202) displays temperature sensitivity and cell division defects. These phenotypes can be corrected by overexpression of mdfA, anNa+-K+/H+ antiporter of the major facilitator superfamily. We show that BC202 is hypersensitive to several biocides and cationic compounds that are known substrates of several multidrug resistance transporters, including MdfA, EmrE, and AcrB. The introduction of deletions of …

The Standard For Awarding Attorney Fees Under 35 U.S.C. Section 285 To Prevailing Parties In Patent Litigation - Octane Fitness, Llc V. Icon Health & Fitness, Inc. And Highmark, Inc. V. Allcare Health Management Systems, Dennis D. Crouch, Jafon Fearson

Faculty Publications

The Supreme Court granted certiorari in two patent infringement cases that both concern shifting of attorney fees under the “exceptional case” standard of 35 U.S.C. § 285. The Federal Circuit has traditionally been resistant to fee shifting awards—especially in cases where an accused infringer is the prevailing party. In Octane Fitness, petitioner asks the Court to lower the standard for proving an exceptional case. In Highmark, petitioner asks for deference to lower court exceptional case findings.

Oncostatin M Is Produced In Adipose Tissue And Is Regulated In Conditions Of Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes, David Sanchez-Infantes, Ursula A. White, Carrie M. Elks, Ron F. Morrison, Jeffrey M. Gimble, Robert V. Considine, Anthony W. Ferrante, Eric Ravussin, Jacqueline M. Stephens

Faculty Publications

Context: Adipose tissue is a highly active endocrine organ that secretes many factors that affect other tissues and whole-body metabolism. Adipocytes are responsive to several glycoprotein 130 (gp130) cytokines, some of which have been targeted as potential antiobesity therapeutics. Objective: Oncostatin M (OSM) is a gp130 family member known to inhibit adipocyte differentiation in vitro, but its effects on other adipocyte properties are not characterized. The expression of OSM in white adipose tissue (WAT) has not been evaluated in the context of obesity. Thus, our objective was to examine the expression of adipose tissue OSM in obese animals and humans. …

Virulence And Biotype Analyses Of Hessian Fly (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) Populations From Texas, Louisiana, And Oklahoma, Sandra Garcés-Carrera, Allen Knutson, Haiyan Wang, Kristopher L. Giles, Fangneng Huang, R. Jeffrey Whitworth, C. Michael Smith, Ming Shun Chen

Faculty Publications

Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say, 1817), is a major pest of wheat, and is controlled mainly through deploying fly-resistant wheat cultivars. The challenge for the plant resistance approach is that virulence of Hessian fly populations in the field is dynamic, and wheat cultivars may lose resistance within 6 - 8 yr. To ensure continuous success of host plant resistance, Hessian fly populations in the field need to be constantly monitored to determine which resistance genes remain effective in different geographic regions. This study investigated five Hessian fly populations collected from Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, where infestation by Hessian fly has …

"Sleeping With The Enemy?" On Government Lawyers And Their Role In Promoting Social Change: The Israeli Example, Itay Ravid

Faculty Publications

Among cause lawyers, it is common to characterize government lawyers in negative tones. Both in the United States and in Israel they are often perceived as the servants of the regime, providing it with legal tools to protect its policies. Therefore, government lawyers are often marked as obstacles for the promotion of social change—agents of the status quo rather than agents of change. This Note suggests a different approach. By analyzing the current literature on the role of government lawyers, this Note stresses not only the complexity of this role, but also its relative flexibility, which emerges from its unique …

Fetal Baboon Sex-Specific Outcomes In Adipocyte Differentiation At 0.9 Gestation In Response To Moderate Maternal Nutrient Reduction, Y. D. Tchoukalova, R. Krishnapuram, U. A. White, D. Burk, X. Fang, M. J. Nijland, P. W. Nathanielsz

Faculty Publications

Objective:To investigate in vitro adipocyte differentiation in baboon fetuses in response to reduced maternal nutrition.Design:Cross-sectional comparison of adipocyte differentiation in normally grown fetuses and fetuses of pregnant baboons fed 70% of the control global diet from 30 days of pregnancy to term.Subjects:The subjects comprised control (CTR) fetuses (five female and five male) of mothers fed ad libitum and fetuses of mothers fed 70% of the global diet consumed by CTR (maternal nutrient reduction (MNR), five female and five male fetuses). The expression of genes/proteins involved in adipogenesis (PPARγ, FABP4 and adiponectin) and brown adipose tissue development (UCP1, TBX15 and COXIV) …

Contributions Of Adipose Tissue Architectural And Tensile Properties Toward Defining Healthy And Unhealthy Obesity, Denise E. Lackey, David H. Burk, Mohamed R. Ali, Rouzbeh Mostaedi, William H. Smith, Jiyoung Park, Philipp E. Scherer, Shundra A. Seay, Colin S. Mccoin, Paolo Bonaldo, Sean H. Adams

Faculty Publications

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in the maintenance of white adipose tissue (WAT) architecture and function, and proper ECM remodeling is critical to support WAT malleability to accomodate changes in energy storage needs. Obesity and adipocyte hypertrophy place a strain on the ECM remodeling machinery, which may promote disordered ECM and altered tissue integrity and could promote proinflammatory and cell stress signals. To explore these questions, new methods were developed to quantify omental and subcutaneous WAT tensile strength and WAT collagen content by three-dimensional confocal imaging, using collagen VI knockout mice as a methods validation tool. These …

5g Wireless Communication Systems: Prospects And Challenges [Guest Editorial], John Thompson, Xiaohu Ge, Hsiao Chun Wu, Ralf Irmer, Hong Jiang, Gerhard Fettweis, Siavash Alamouti

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Dimensionality Of First-Grade Written Composition, Luana L. Greulich, Young-Suk Kim, Stephanie Al Otaiba, Jessica S. Folsom, Cynthia Puranik

Faculty Publications

Purpose—We examined dimensions of written composition using multiple evaluative approaches such as an adapted 6+1 trait scoring, syntactic complexity measures, and productivity measures. We further examined unique relations of oral language and literacy skills to the identified dimensions of written composition.

Method—A large sample of first grade students (N = 527) was assessed on their language, reading, spelling, letter writing automaticity, and writing in the spring. Data were analyzed using a latent variable approach including confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Results—The seven traits in the 6+1 trait system were best described as two constructs: …

Modulation Of Leukocyte Infiltration And Phenotype In Microporous Tissue Engineering Scaffolds Via Vector Induced Il-10 Expression, R. Michael Gower, Ryan M. Boehler, Samira M. Azarin, Christine F. Ricci, Joshua N. Leonard, Lonnie D. Shea

Faculty Publications

Biomaterial scaffolds are central to many tissue engineering strategies as they create a space for tissue growth and provide a support for cell adhesion and migration. However, biomaterial implantation results in unavoidable injury resulting in an inflammatory response, which can impair integration with the host and tissue regeneration. Toward the goal of reducing inflammation, we investigated the hypothesis that a lentiviral gene therapy-based approach to localized and sustained IL-10 expression at a scaffold could modulate the number, relative proportions, and cytokine production of infiltrating leukocyte populations. Flow cytometry was used to quantify infiltration of six leukocyte populations for 21 days …

Quantitative Genetics Of Response To Novelty And Other Stimuli By Infant Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta) Across Three Behavioral Assessments, G. L. Fawcett, A. M. Dettmer, D. Kay, M. Raveendran, James Dee Higley, N. D. Ryan, J. L. Cameron, J. Rogers

Faculty Publications

Primate behavior is influenced by both heritable factors and environmental experience during development. Previous studies of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) examined the effects of genetic variation on expressed behavior and related neurobiological traits (heritability and/or genetic association) using a variety of study designs. Most of these prior studies examined genetic effects on the behavior of adults or adolescent rhesus macaques, not in young macaques early in development. To assess environmental and additive genetic variation in behavioral reactivity and response to novelty among infants, we investigated a range of behavioral traits in a large number (N = 428) of pedigreed infants …

Genomics Of Plant Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Dong Ha Oh, Maheshi Dassanayake, Hyewon Hong, Suja George, Seol Ki Paeng, Anna Kropornika, Ray A. Bressan, Sang Yeol Lee, Dae Jin Yun, Hans J. Bohnert

Faculty Publications

© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Genome sequences and RNA-seq data provide unparalleled views into the genetic basis that underlies plant phenotypes. This chapter outlines a paradigm shift in plant biology originating from the relative ease of generating sequences, and points to tools that have enabled global transcript analyses (RNA-seq), replacing arduous microarray hybridization experiments and laborious quantitative RT-PCR platform designs. Soon, it can be envisioned that one may replace individual transcript assays by measuring how the entire transcriptome responds globally to a manipulation or mutation. The chapter advances a position that the knowledge of genome content and …

Strict Products Liability At 50: Four Histories, Kyle Graham

Faculty Publications

This article offers four different perspectives on the strict products-liability "revolution" that climaxed a half-century ago. One of these narratives relates the prevailing assessment of how this innovation coalesced and spread across the states. The three alternative histories introduced by this article both challenge and complement the standard account by viewing the shift toward strict products liability through "populist," "practical," and "contingent" lenses, respectively. The first of these narratives considers the contributions that plaintiffs and their counsel made toward this change in the law. The second focuses upon how certain types of once-common products cases forged a practical argument for …

Characterization Of Particle Emissions And Fate Of Nanomaterials During Incineration, Eric P. Vejerano, Elena C. Leon, Amara L. Holder, Linsey C. Marr

Faculty Publications

As the use of nanotechnology in consumer products continues to grow, it is inevitable that some nanomaterials will end up in the waste stream and will be incinerated. Through laboratory-scale incineration of paper and plastic wastes containing nanomaterials, we assessed their effect on emissions of particulate matter (PM) and the effect of incineration on the nanomaterials themselves. The presence of nanomaterials did not significantly influence the particle number emission factor. The PM size distribution was not affected except at very high mass loadings (10 wt%) of the nanomaterial, in which case the PM shifted toward smaller sizes; such loadings are …

Binding Of Hsv-1 Glycoprotein K (Gk) To Signal Peptide Peptidase (Spp) Is Required For Virus Infectivity, Sariah J. Allen, Kevin R. Mott, Yoshiharu Matsuura, Kohji Moriishi, Konstantin G. Kousoulas, Homayon Ghiasi

Faculty Publications

Glycoprotein K (gK) is a virion envelope protein of herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2), which plays important roles in virion entry, morphogenesis and egress. Two-hybrid and pull-down assays were utilized to demonstrate that gK and no other HSV-1 genes specifically binds to signal peptide peptidase (SPP), also known as minor histocompatibility antigen H13. SPP dominant negative mutants, shRNA against SPP significantly reduced HSV-1 replication in vitro. SPP also affected lysosomes and ER responses to HSV-1 infection. Thus, in this study we have shown for the first time that gK, despite its role in fusion and egress, …

Polymorphous Public Law Litigation: The Forgotten History Of Nineteenth Century Public Law Litigation, David Sloss

Faculty Publications

Recent debates about popular constitutionalism and judicial supremacy have focused on the question of who interprets the Constitution. This article reframes the debate by asking what legal sources courts apply to protect individual rights from government infringement. Throughout the nineteenth century, federal courts applied a mix of international law, statutes and common law to protect fundamental rights and restrain government action. This article uncovers the forgotten history of nineteenth century public law litigation.

Professors Post and Siegel have advocated “policentric constitutional interpretation,” wherein the Supreme Court shares authority for constitutional interpretation with other actors. By analogy, this article introduces the …

Erratum: Peg3 Mutational Effects On Reproduction And Placenta-Specific Gene Families (Plos One (2014) 9:1 Doi: 10.1371/Annotation/8de03ec5-E62c-4135-87ee- 4928475090a8), Joomyeong Kim, Wesley D. Frey, Hongzhi He, Hana Kim, Muhammad B. Ekram, Arundhati Bakshi, Mohammad Faisal, Bambarendage P.U. Perera, An Ye, Ryoichi Teruyama

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.