Digital Commons Network^™

Systematic Review Of Three Decades Of Spanish Cardiovascular Epidemiology: Improving Translation For A Future Of Prevention, Manuel Franco, Usama Bilal, Eliseo Guallar, Ginés Sanz, Alicia F. Gómez, Valentín Fuster, Richard Cooper

Faculty Publications

Background: In order to improve national cardiovascular disease (CVD) epidemiology and prevention, we systematically reviewed and analyzed the relevant literature produced in the last three decades for Spain. Design: Systematic Review. Methods: We searched for all the articles aiming to monitor CVD clinical endpoints and risk factors in the Spanish general population that were indexed in MEDLINE and EMBASE. Based on international recommendations, we analyzed each article with a three-level scoring system (low to high) for the following criteria: data quality, representativeness and translation of results into preventive interventions. Results: We reviewed 2565 articles, selecting 314 for in-depth analysis. Articles …

Host-Microbe Interactions In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Rui Zhang, Aixin Hou

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Non-Redundant Sensor Fault Detection Using An Improved Dynamic Model, Brandon Cannon, Robert C. Leishman, Timothy W. Mclain, Joseph Jackson, Jovan Boskovic

Faculty Publications

This paper proposes a method of detecting faults in non-redundant sensors. Such a method is advantageous for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are prevented from carrying redundant sensors due to size, weight, and power constraints. The method we propose uses a multiplicative extended Kalman lter (MEKF) for estimation and employs hypothesis testing to detect faults. This method has been shown to detect bias, drift, and increased noise in a non-redundant sensor real-time on board an autonomous rotorcraft.

Financial Declines, Financial Behaviors, And Relationship Satisfaction During The Recession, Jeffrey P. Dew, Jing Jian Xiao

Faculty Publications

Using nationally-representative data collected during the summer of 2009 (N = 575), this study examines how reports of financial declines are associated with financial behaviors and how financial behaviors are associated with relationship satisfaction among cohabiting and married participants. Findings suggested that financial declines were only negatively associated with sound financial management behavior if participants also experienced feelings of economic pressure. Sound financial management behavior was found to be positively associated with marital satisfaction. Finally, sound financial management behavior also moderated the association between financial declines, economic pressure, and relationship satisfaction.

Dear Repose And Absent Solace: A Classroom Exploration Of U.S. Public Library Lgbt Collecting Behavior, Jennifer Weil Arns, Karen Miller

Faculty Publications

Significant attention has recently been focused on establishing the value of public library services, and in most cases, these efforts have explored their topic using currency-based measures. This paper describes a classroom project that introduces an alternate perspective related to the topic of tolerance as conceptualized by the U.S. Southern Poverty Law Center and UNESCO’s Declaration on Principles on Tolerance. The issue that interested the students was the information needs of people who might be considered different or distinct within some communities, and for this project they focused on children with an interest in LGBT materials, using two related research …

Sparstolonin B Inhibits Pro-Angiogenic Functions And Blocks Cell Cycle Progression In Endothelial Cells, H. R. Bateman, Q. Liang, D. Fan, V. Rodriguez, Susan M. Lessner

Faculty Publications

Sparstolonin B (SsnB) is a novel bioactive compound isolated from Sparganium stoloniferum, an herb historically used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as an anti-tumor agent. Angiogenesis, the process of new capillary formation from existing blood vessels, is dysregulated in many pathological disorders, including diabetic retinopathy, tumor growth, and atherosclerosis. In functional assays, SsnB inhibited endothelial cell tube formation (Matrigel method) and cell migration (Transwell method) in a dose-dependent manner. Microarray experiments with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) demonstrated differential expression of several hundred genes in response to SsnB exposure (916 and 356 …

Human-Relevant Levels Of Added Sugar Consumption Increase Female Mortality And Lower Male Fitness In Mice, James Ruff, Amanda Suchy, Sara Hugentobler, Mirtha Sosa, Bradley Schwartz, Linda Morrison, Sin Gieng, Mark Shigenaga, Wayne Potts

Faculty Publications

Consumption of added sugar has increased over recent decades and is correlated with numerous diseases. Rodent models have elucidated mechanisms of toxicity, but only at concentrations beyond typical human exposure. Here we show that comparatively low levels of added sugar consumption have substantial negative effects on mouse survival, competitive ability, and reproduction. Using Organismal Performance Assays—in which mice fed human-relevant concentrations of added sugar (25% kcal from a mixture of fructose and glucose, modeling high fructose corn syrup) and control mice compete in seminatural enclosures for territories, resources and mates—we demonstrate that fructose/glucose-fed females experience a twofold increase in mortality …

Longitudinal Progression Of Frontal And Temporal Lobe Changes In Schizophrenia, Derin J. Cobia, Matthew J. Smith, Lei Wang, John G. Csernansky

Faculty Publications

Cortical abnormalities are considered a neurobiological characteristic of schizophrenia. However, the pattern of such deficits as they progress over the illness remains poorly understood. The goal of this project was to assess the progression of cortical thinning in frontal and temporal cortical regions in schizophrenia, and determine whether relationships exist between them and neuropsychological and clinical symptom profiles. As part of a larger longitudinal 2-year followup study, schizophrenia (n=20) and healthy participants (n=20) group-matched for age, gender, and recent-alcohol use, were selected. Using MRI, estimates of gray matter thickness were derived from primary anatomical gyri of the frontal and temporal …

Consumer Behavior In “Equilibrium”: How Experiencing Physical Balance Increases Compromise Choice, Jeff Larson, Darron M. Billeter

Faculty Publications

The authors propose that the physical sensation of balance can affect consumer judgments and decisions. A series of six experiments demonstrates that certain consumer behaviors, such as leaning back in a chair while shopping online, can activate the concept of balance and thereby affect the consumer decision-making process. Specifically, consumers experiencing a heightened sense of balance are more likely to choose compromise options. The authors propose and show evidence for the mechanism underlying these effects: that the concept of balance is metaphorically linked in the mind to the concept of parity and that activating balance increases the accessibility of the …

Is Being "Spiritual" Enough Without Being Religious? A Study Of Violent And Property Crimes Among Emerging Adults, Sung Joon Jang, Aaron B. Franzen

Faculty Publications

While prior research tends to confirm a negative association between religiousness and crime, criminologists have been slow to incorporate new concepts and emergent issues from the scientific study of religion into their own research. The self-identity phrase “spiritual but not religious” is one of them, which has been increasingly used by individuals who claim to be “spiritual” but disassociate themselves from organized religion. This study first examines differences in crime between “spiritual but not religious” individuals and their “religious and spiritual,” “religious but not spiritual,” and “neither religious nor spiritual” peers in emerging adulthood. Specifically, we hypothesize that the spiritual-but-not-religious …

Nln/Jeffries Simulation Framework: State Of The Science Summary, Patricia K. Ravert, Julie Mcafoees

Faculty Publications

In summer 2011, a research task force from the International Association of Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL), in consultation with Dr. Pamela Jeffries, invited international nursing researchers and educators to participate in a project to evaluate state-of-the-science and existing research regarding the simulation model/framework (Jeffries, 2005, Jeffries, 2007). The model/framework was developed to define simulation education variables and provide an organized guide. The 21 researchers and educators worked on one of five teams, one for each of the five existing major model/framework constructs (Teacher, Student, Educational Practices, Outcomes, and Simulation Design Characteristics).

Predicted Risks Of Radiogenic Cardiac Toxicity In Two Pediatric Patients Undergoing Photon Or Proton Radiotherapy, Rui Zhang, Rebecca M. Howell, Kenneth Homann, Annelise Giebeler, Phillip J. Taddei, Anita Mahajan, Wayne D. Newhauser

Faculty Publications

Background: Hodgkin disease (HD) and medulloblastoma (MB) are common malignancies found in children and young adults, and radiotherapy is part of the standard treatment. It was reported that these patients who received radiation therapy have an increased risk of cardiovascular late effects. We compared the predicted risk of developing radiogenic cardiac toxicity after photon versus proton radiotherapies for a pediatric patient with HD and a pediatric patient with MB.Methods: In the treatment plans, each patient's heart was contoured in fine detail, including substructures of the pericardium and myocardium. Risk calculations took into account both therapeutic and stray radiation doses. We …

Maternal Exposure To Combustion Generated Pm Inhibits Pulmonary Th1 Maturation And Concomitantly Enhances Postnatal Asthma Development In Offspring, Pingli Wang, Dahui You, Jordy Saravia, Huahao Shen, Stephania A. Cormier

Faculty Publications

Background: Epidemiological studies suggest that maternal exposure to environmental hazards, such as particulate matter, is associated with increased incidence of asthma in childhood. We hypothesized that maternal exposure to combustion derived ultrafine particles containing persistent free radicals (MCP230) disrupts the development of the infant immune system and results in aberrant immune responses to allergens and enhances asthma severity.Methods: Pregnant C57/BL6 mice received MCP230 or saline by oropharyngeal aspiration on gestational days 10 and 17. Three days after the second administration, blood was collected from MCP230 or saline treated dams and 8-isoprostanes in the serum were measured to assess maternal oxidative …

The Normative & Historical Cases For Proportional Deportation, Angela M. Banks

Faculty Publications

Is citizenship status a legitimate basis for allocating rights in the United States?

In immigration law the right to remain in the United States is significantly tied to citizenship status. Citizens have an absolutely secure right to remain in the United States regardless of their actions. Noncitizens’ right to remain is less secure because they can be deported if convicted of specific criminal offenses. This Article contends that citizenship is not a legitimate basis for allocating the right to remain. This Article offers normative and historical arguments for a right to remain for noncitizens. This right should be granted to …

Gender Differences In The Associations Among Body Mass Index, Weight Loss, Exercise, And Drinking Among College Students, Adam E. Barry Phd, Shawn Whiteman Phd, Anna K. Piazza-Gardner Ms, Alexander C. Jensen Phd

Faculty Publications

Objective: To explore gender differences regarding weight management behaviors of college drinkers. Participants: Nationally representative sample of college students from the fall 2008 American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II (N = 26,062 students). Methods: Structural equation modeling was used to examine potential gender differences in associations among exercise, weight loss behaviors, and alcohol use. Results: Critical ratio tests revealed that associations between exercise and weight loss behaviors were more strongly correlated among females as compared with males. For females, there was a small negative association between exercise and drinking behaviors; in contrast, for males, there was a …

Transcriptional Profiling Of Sweetpotato (Ipomoea Batatas) Roots Indicates Down-Regulation Of Lignin Biosynthesis And Up-Regulation Of Starch Biosynthesis At An Early Stage Of Storage Root Formation, Nurit Firon, Don Labonte, Arthur Villordon, Yanir Kfir, Julio Solis, Evgenia Lapis, Temima Schnitzer Perlman, Adi Doron-Faigenboim, Amots Hetzroni, Leviah Althan, Lahan Adani Nadir

Faculty Publications

Background: The number of fibrous roots that develop into storage roots determines sweetpotato yield. The aim of the present study was to identify the molecular mechanisms involved in the initiation of storage root formation, by performing a detailed transcriptomic analysis of initiating storage roots using next-generation sequencing platforms. A two-step approach was undertaken: (1) generating a database for the sweetpotato root transcriptome using 454-Roche sequencing of a cDNA library created from pooled samples of two root types: fibrous and initiating storage roots; (2) comparing the expression profiles of initiating storage roots and fibrous roots, using the Illumina Genome Analyzer to …

Cluster J Mycobacteriophages: Intron Splicing In Capsid And Tail Genes, Welkin H. Pope, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Aaron A. Best, Gregory W. Broussard, Pamela L. Connerly, Rebekah M. Dedrick, Timothy A. Kremer, Susan Offner, Amenawon H. Ogiefo, Marie C. Pizzorno, Kate Rochenbach, Daniel A. Russell, Emily L. Stowe, Joseph Stukey, Sarah A. Thibault, James F. Conway, Roger W. Hendrix, Graham F. Hatfull

Faculty Publications

Bacteriophages isolated on Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155 represent many distinct genomes sharing little or no DNA sequence similarity. The genomes are architecturally mosaic and are replete with genes of unknown function. A new group of genomes sharing substantial nucleotide sequences constitute Cluster J. The six mycobacteriophages forming Cluster J are morphologically members of the Siphoviridae, but have unusually long genomes ranging from 106.3 to 117 kbp. Reconstruction of the capsid by cryo-electron microscopy of mycobacteriophage BAKA reveals an icosahedral structure with a triangulation number of 13. All six phages are temperate and homoimmune, and prophage establishment involves integration into a tRNA-Leu …

Marital Satisfaction And Depressive Symptoms In China, Richard B. Miller, Tiffany M. Mason, Jerevie M. Canlas, Dahua Wang, David A. Nelson, Craig H. Hart

Faculty Publications

Although there is substantial evidence that low marital satisfaction is a significant risk factor for depression, little research has examined this relationship in cultures outside of the U.S. and Europe. The validity of the marital discord model of depression in Chinese culture was tested by studying 391 couples living in Beijing and Hangzhou, China. Results of structural equation modeling using an actor–partner interdependence model strategy indicated that husbands’ and wives’ marital satisfaction was significantly predictive of their own depressive symptoms. In addition, wives’ marital satisfaction significantly predicted husbands’ depressive symptoms. These results provide evidence that the marital discord model of …

A Two-Minute Paper And Pencil Test Of Symbolic And Nonsymbolic Numerical Magnitude Processing Explains Variability In Primary School Children’S Arithmetic Competence, Nadia Nosworthy, Stephanie Bugden, Lisa Archibald, Barrie Evans, Daniel Ansari

Faculty Publications

Recently, there has been a growing emphasis on basic number processing competencies (such as the ability to judge which of two numbers is larger) and their role in predicting individual differences in school-relevant math achievement. Children’s ability to compare both symbolic (e.g. Arabic numerals) and nonsymbolic (e.g. dot arrays) magnitudes has been found to correlate with their math achievement. The available evidence, however, has focused on computerized paradigms, which may not always be suitable for universal, quick application in the classroom. Furthermore, it is currently unclear whether both symbolic and nonsymbolic magnitude comparison are related to children’s performance on tests …

Improving Patient-Centered Care: Personal Models Of Depression Among Older Male Veterans, Erin Woodhead, Sarah Brunskill, J. Lisa Tenover, Joung Huh

Faculty Publications

A quality improvement project was undertaken at the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System to better understand how older veterans think about depression diagnosis and treatment so that patient education efforts and communication between older veterans and their health care providers could be improved.

Alcohol In The Life Narratives Of Women: Commonalities And Differences By Sexual Orientation, Laurie A. Drabble, K. Trocki

Faculty Publications

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore social representations of alcohol use among women, with a focus on possible differences between sexual minority and heterosexual women. Methods: This qualitative study was part of a larger study examining mediators of heavier drinking among sexual minority women (lesbian identified, bisexual identified, and heterosexual identified with same sex partners) compared to heterosexual women based on the National Alcohol Survey. Qualitative in-depth life history interviews were conducted over the telephone with 48 women who had participated in the 2009–2010 National Alcohol Survey, including respondents representing different sexual orientation groups. Questions explored the …

An Economic Survey Analysis Of The Legal Literature Pertaining To The Privacy Implications Of Radio Frequency Identification Technology, Stephen M. Jerbic

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ellen White, Women In Ministry And The Ordination Of Women, Denis Fortin

Faculty Publications

What I would like to offer in this paper is that a careful consideration of Ellen White’s thought on the role of women in the church, taken in its nineteenth-century context, her understanding of the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist church, her counsels regarding ministry and its many functions taken in historical context, and her non-sacramental understanding of ordination and early Seventh-day Adventist practice of ordination, can support the case for allowing the ordination of women today.

Inhibition Of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase By Fulvestrant And Sulfoxides, Christophe Morisseau, Svitlana Pakhomova, Sung Hee Hwang, Marcia E. Newcomer, Bruce D. Hammock

Faculty Publications

The soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a key enzyme in the metabolism of epoxy-fatty acids, signaling molecules involved in numerous biologies. Toward finding novel inhibitors of sEH, a library of known drugs was tested for inhibition of sEH. We found that fulvestrant, an anticancer agent, is a potent (KI = 26 nM) competitive inhibitor of sEH. From this observation, we found that alkyl-sulfoxides represent a new kind of pharmacophore for the inhibition of sEH. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mobile Element Scanning (Me-Scan) Identifies Thousands Of Novel Alu Insertions In Diverse Human Populations, David J. Witherspoon, Yuhua Zhang, Jinchuan Xing, W. Scott Watkins, Hongseok Ha, Mark A. Batzer, Lynn B. Jorde

Faculty Publications

Alu retrotransposons are the most numerous and active mobile elements in humans, causing genetic disease and creating genomic diversity. Mobile element scanning (ME-Scan) enables comprehensive and affordable identification of mobile element insertions (MEI) using targeted high-throughput sequencing of multiplexed MEI junction libraries. In a single experiment, ME-Scan identifies nearly all AluYb8 and AluYb9 elements, with high sensitivity for both rare and common insertions, in 169 individuals of diverse ancestry. ME-Scan detects heterozygous insertions in single individuals with 91% sensitivity. Insertion presence or absence states determined by ME-Scan are 95% concordant with those determined by locus-specific PCR assays. By sampling diverse …

A Primer On Criminal Child Abuse And Neglect Law, Douglas E. Abrams

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Initial Epidemic Area Is Strongly Associated With The Yearly Extent Of Soybean Rust Spread In North America, Christopher C. Mundt, La Rae D. Wallace, Tom W. Allen, Clayton A. Hollier, Robert C. Kemerait, Edward J. Sikora

Faculty Publications

Hosts of soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) are sensitive to low temperatures, limiting this obligate parasite in the United States to overwintering sites in a restricted area along the Gulf Coast. This temperature sensitivity of soybean rust hosts allowed us to study spatial spread of epidemic invasions over similar territory for seven sequential years, 2005-2011. The epidemic front expanded slowly from early April through July, with the majority of expansion occurring from August through November. There was a 7.4-fold range of final epidemic extent (0.4-3.0 million km2) from the year of smallest final disease extent (2011) to that of the largest …

Threshold-Based Spraying Decision Programmes For The Red Spider Mite Tetranychus Marianae On Eggplant, G. V.P. Reddy, R. Kikuchi, J. R. Bautista

Faculty Publications

The red spider mite, Tetranychus marianae McGregor (Acari: Tetranychidae), has been an important pest of eggplant Solanum melongena L. (Solanaceae) and other vegetables in the Mariana Islands. The damage due to T. marianae has been severe and caused huge economic losses. Because no threshold levels are available for T. marianae, many growers are applying up to 12 chemical applications per eggplant cropping period. This is not only expensive, but also results in lower yields because of extensive foliar damage and development of resistance in mites to chemicals. To diminish the calendar-based chemical applications and to preclude damage to foliage and …

25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels In African American And Nigerian Women, Ramon A. Durazo-Arvizu, John F. Aloia, Lara R. Dugas, Bamidele O. Tayo, David A. Shoham, Anne Marie Bertino, James K. Yeh, Richard S. Cooper, Amy Luke

Faculty Publications

Objectives: African Americans (AA) have substantially lower levels of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) than whites. We compared population-based samples of 25(OH)D in women of African descent from Nigeria and metropolitan Chicago. Methods: One hundred women of Yoruba ethnicity from southwest Nigeria and 94 African American women from metropolitan Chicago were recruited and compared using a standardized survey protocol and the same laboratory assay for 25(OH)D. Results: Mean 25(OH)D levels were 64 nmol/l among the Nigerians and 29 nmol/l among the AA. Only 10% of the values were shared in common between the groups, and 76% of the Nigerians were above …

Evidence Of Formosan Subterranean Termite Group Size And Associated Bacteria In The Suppression Of Entomopathogenic Bacteria, Bacillus Thuringiensis Subspecies Israelensis And Thuringiensis, Cai Wang, Gregg Henderson

Faculty Publications

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, was studied for its ability to suppress two entomopathogenic bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis (Bti) and thuringiensis (Btt). Different group sizes (50, 25, 10, and no termites [control]) of C. formosanus were placed on well-grown Bti or Btt agar plates. On day 1, the diameters of Bti and Btt colonies in the three treatments containing termites were significantly smaller than in the controls. The diameters of Bti and Btt colonies in the 50-termite treatment were significantly smaller than in the 10-termite treatment. However, neither was significantly different from the 25-termite treatment. This group …