Digital Commons Network^™

Stream Water Quality And Quantity Effects From Select Timber Harvesting Of A Streamside Management Zone, Luke Sanders, Matthew W. Mcbroom

Faculty Publications

A naturally regenerated, even aged, mixed pine/hardwood, streamside management zone (SMZ) was selectively harvested in May 2006. The 27.8 ha SMZ buffered an intermittent headwater stream draining a 98 ha watershed. The harvest complied with Texas, USA best management practices (BMPs) by maintaining a minimum SMZ width of 15 m on either side of the channel, retaining a minimum basal area (BA) greater than 11.47 m² ha^-1, and minimizing forest floor and stream channel disturbance. No changes in soil bulk density were measured with only a slight increase in bare soil. No changes in water quality or …

Radical-Containing Ultrafine Particulate Matter Initiates Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transitions In Airway Epithelial Cells, Paul T. Thevenot, Jordy Saravia, Nili Jin, Joseph D. Giaimo, Regina E. Chustz, Sarah Mahne, Matthew A. Kelley, Valeria Y. Hebert, Barry Dellinger, Tammy R. Dugas, Francesco J. Demayo, Stephania A. Cormier

Faculty Publications

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) in combustion generated particulate matter (PM) are capable of inducing pulmonary pathologies and contributing to the development of environmental asthma. In vivo exposure of infant rats to EPFRs demonstrates their ability to induce airway hyperresponsiveness to methacholine, a hallmark of asthma. However, the mechanisms by which combustion-derived EPFRs elicit in vivo responses remain elusive. In this study, we used a chemically defined EPFR consisting of approximately 0.2 μm amorphrous silica containing 3% cupric oxide with the organic pollutant 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB-230). DCB-230 possesses similar radical content to urban-collected EPFRs but offers several advantages, including lack of …

Serum Γ-Glutamyltransferase And The Risk Of Heart Failure In Men And Women In Finland, Yujie Wang, Jaakko Tuomilehto, Pekka Jousilahti, Veikko Salomaa, Bin Li, Riitta Antikainen, Markku Mähönen, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Gang Hu

Faculty Publications

Objectives: To evaluate the association of serum γ- glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels with heart failure (HF) risk in the Finnish population. Design: Prospective population-based cohort study. Setting: The present study, which is a part of FINRISK study, was carried out in Finland. Subject study cohorts included 18 353 Finnish men and 19 726 women who were 25-74 years of age and free of HF at baseline. Main outcome measures HF (636 men and 445 women) during a mean follow-up of 14.5 years. Results: Baseline measurement of different levels of serum GGT was used to predict incident HF. The multivariable-adjusted (age, sex, …

The Relative And Unique Contributions Of Emotion Dysregulation And Impulsivity To Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Substance Dependent Inpatients, Nicole H. Weiss, Matthew T. Tull, Michael D. Anestis, Kim L. Gratz

Faculty Publications

Background: Despite elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among substance use disorder (SUD) patients, as well as the clinical relevance of this co-occurrence, few studies have examined psychological factors associated with a PTSD–SUD diagnosis. Two factors worth investigating are emotion dysregulation and impulsivity, both of which are associated with PTSD and SUDs. Therefore, this study examined associations between PTSD and facets of emotion dysregulation and impulsivity within a sample of trauma-exposed SUD inpatients.

Methods: Participants were an ethnically diverse sample of 205 SUD patients in residential substance abuse treatment. Patients were administered diagnostic interviews and completed a …

High-Throughput Two-Dimensional Root System Phenotyping Platform Facilitates Genetic Analysis Of Root Growth And Development, Randy T. Clark, Adam N. Famoso, Keyan Zhao, Jon E. Shaff, Eric J. Craft, Carlos D. Bustamante, Susan R. Mccouch, Daniel J. Aneshansley, Leon V. Kochian

Faculty Publications

High-throughput phenotyping of root systems requires a combination of specialized techniques and adaptable plant growth, root imaging and software tools. A custom phenotyping platform was designed to capture images of whole root systems, and novel software tools were developed to process and analyse these images. The platform and its components are adaptable to a wide range root phenotyping studies using diverse growth systems (hydroponics, paper pouches, gel and soil) involving several plant species, including, but not limited to, rice, maize, sorghum, tomato and Arabidopsis. The RootReader2D software tool is free and publicly available and was designed with both user-guided and …

The Intestinal Microbiota In Aged Mice Is Modulated By Dietary Resistant Starch And Correlated With Improvements In Host Responses, Sybille Tachon, June Zhou, Michael Keenan, Roy Martin, Maria L. Marco

Faculty Publications

Dietary interventions might prevent or reverse age-related declines in health through modification of the activity and composition of the intestinal microbiota. As a first step toward more comprehensive evaluations of single dietary components on healthy aging, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was applied to determine the structure of the bacterial communities in the ceca of 20-month-old healthy mice fed energy-controlled diets containing 0, 18, or 36% type 2 resistant starch (RS) from high-amylose maize (HAM-RS2). The cecal microbiota of mice fed a diet depleted in RS and containing the readily digestible carbohydrate amylopectin were dominated by bacteria in the Firmicutes …

Confronting Myths About Household Food Insecurity And Excess Weight, Edward A. Frongillo Jr.

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Market Power Model Of Contract Formation: How Outmoded Economic Theory Still Distorts Antitrust Doctrine, Alan J. Meese

Faculty Publications

Transaction cost economics ("TCE") has radically altered industrial organization's explanation for so-called "non-standard contracts, "including "exclusionary" agreements that exclude rivals from access to inputs or customers. According to TCE, such integration usually reduces transaction costs without producing anticompetitive harm. TCE has accordingly exercised growing influence over antitrust doctrine, with courts invoking TCE's teachings to justify revision of some doctrines once hostile to such contracts. Still, old habits die hard, even for courts of increasing economic sophistication. This Article critiques one such habit, namely, courts'continuing claim that firms use market or monopoly power to impose exclusionary contracts on unwilling trading partners. …

Attachment And 'Hikikomori': A Psychosocial Developmental Model, Alexander Krieg, Jane R. Dickie

Faculty Publications

Background: Hikikomori (acute social withdrawal) is a social issue in Japan that affects both the society and the lives of the individual sufferers.

Aims: This study aims to connect attachment theory and hikikomori by using a culturally sensitive psychosocial developmental model that outlines the various stages of attachment throughout the developmental years.

Method: Twenty–four hikikomori sufferers and 60 comparison group participants were given questionnaires assessing parent and peer relationships, temperament and school experiences.

Results: We found the hikikomori participants had a higher incidence of ambivalent attachment, reported more parental and peer rejection and bullying, and expressed greater temperamental shyness. Path …

Myths, Presumptions, And Facts About Obesity, Krista Casazza, Kevin R. Fontaine, Arne Astrup, Leann L. Birch, Andrew W. Brown, Michelle M. Bohan Brown, Nefertiti Durant, Gareth Dutton, E. Michael Foster, Steven B. Heymsfield, Kerry Mciver, Tapan Mehta, Nir Menachemi, P.K. Newby, Russell R. Pate, Barbara J. Rolls, Bisakha Sen, Daniel L. Smith Jr, Diana M. Thomas, David B. Allison

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND Many beliefs about obesity persist in the absence of supporting scientific evidence (presumptions); some persist despite contradicting evidence (myths). The promulgation of unsupported beliefs may yield poorly informed policy decisions, inaccurate clinical and public health recommendations, and an unproductive allocation of research resources and may divert attention away from useful, evidence-based information.

METHODS Using Internet searches of popular media and scientific literature, we identified, reviewed, and classified obesity-related myths and presumptions. We also examined facts that are well supported by evidence, with an emphasis on those that have practical implications for public health, policy, or clinical recommendations.

RESULTS We …

Food Safety Attitudes In College Students: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis Of A Conceptual Model, Rachelle Booth, Magaly Hernandez, Erica L. Baker, Tevni Grajales, Peter Pribis

Faculty Publications

College students are one of the most at-risk population groups for food poisoning, due to risky food safety behaviors. Using the Likert Scale, undergraduate students were asked to participate in a Food Safety Survey which was completed by 499 students ages 18–25. Data was analyzed using SPSS and AMOS statistical software. Four conceptual definitions regarding food safety were defined as: general food safety, bacterial food safety, produce food safety, and politics associated with food safety. Knowledge seems to be an important factor in shaping students attitudes regarding general and bacterial safety. Ethnicity plays a role in how people view the …

A Phylogeny Of Birds Based On Over 1,500 Loci Collected By Target Enrichment And High-Throughput Sequencing, John E. Mccormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield

Faculty Publications

Evolutionary relationships among birds in Neoaves, the clade comprising the vast majority of avian diversity, have vexed systematists due to the ancient, rapid radiation of numerous lineages. We applied a new phylogenomic approach to resolve relationships in Neoaves using target enrichment (sequence capture) and high-throughput sequencing of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) in avian genomes. We collected sequence data from UCE loci for 32 members of Neoaves and one outgroup (chicken) and analyzed data sets that differed in their amount of missing data. An alignment of 1,541 loci that allowed missing data was 87% complete and resulted in a highly resolved phylogeny …

Guided Wave-Based J-Integral Estimation For Dynamic Stress Intensity Factors Using 3d Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometry, J. Ayers, Christopher Todd Owen, Eric D. Swenson, Anindya Ghoshal, V. Weiss

Faculty Publications

The application of guided waves to interrogate remote areas of structural components has been researched extensively in characterizing damage. However, there exists a sparsity of work in using piezoelectric transducer-generated guided waves as a method of assessing stress intensity factors (SIF). This quantitative information enables accurate estimation of the remaining life of metallic structures exhibiting cracks, such as military and commercial transport vehicles. The proposed full wavefield approach, based on 3D laser vibrometry and piezoelectric transducer-generated guided waves, provides a practical means for estimation of dynamic stress intensity factors (DSIF) through local strain energy mapping via the J-integral. Strain energies …

Indicators Of Family Care For Development For Use In Multicountry Surveys, Patricia Kariger, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Patrice Engle, Pia M. Rebello Britto, Sara M. Sywulka, Purnima Menon

Faculty Publications

Indicators of family care for development are essential for ascertaining whether families are providing their children with an environment that leads to positive developmental outcomes. This project aimed to develop indicators from a set of items, measuring family care practices and resources important for caregiving, for use in epidemiologic surveys in developing countries. A mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) design was used for item selection and evaluation. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted to examine the validity of candidate items in several country samples. Qualitative methods included the use of global expert panels to identify and evaluate the performance of …

Effects Of Rare And Common Blood Pressure Gene Variants On Essential Hypertension: Results From The Family Blood Pressure Program, Clue, And Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Studies, Khanh Dung H. Nguyen, Vasyl Pihur, Santhi K. Ganesh, Ankit Rakha, Richard S. Cooper, Steven C. Hunt, Barry I. Freedman, Joe Coresh, W. H.Linda Kao, Alanna C. Morrison, Eric Boerwinkle, Georg B. Ehret, Aravinda Chakravarti

Faculty Publications

Rationale: Hypertension affects ≈30% of adults in industrialized countries and is the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Objective: We sought to study the genetic effect of coding and conserved noncoding variants in syndromic hypertension genes on systolic blood pressure (BP) and diastolic BP to assess their overall impact on essential hypertension. Methods and Results: We resequenced 11 genes (AGT, CYP11B1, CYP17A1, HSD11B2, NR3C1, NR3C2, SCNN1A, SCNN1B, SCNN1G, WNK1, and WNK4) in 560 European American (EA) and African American ancestry GenNet participants with extreme systolic BP. We investigated genetic associations of 2535 variants with BP in 19997 EAs and in …

Exploring The Mechanisms Of Dna Hybridization On A Surface, Terry J. Schmitt, J Brandon Rogers, Thomas A. Knotts Iv

Faculty Publications

DNA microarrays are a potentially disruptive technology in the medical field, but their use in such settings is limited by poor reliability. Microarrays work on the principle of hybridization and can only be as reliable as this process is robust, yet little is known at the molecular level about how the surface affects the hybridization process. This work uses advanced molecular simulation techniques and an experimentally parameterized coarse-grain model to determine the mechanism by which hybridization occurs on surfaces. The results show that hybridization proceeds through a mechanism where the untethered (target) strand often flips orientation. For evenly lengthed strands, …

Synthesis And Cellular Studies Of Polyamine Conjugates Of A Mercaptomethyl-Carboranylporphyrin, N. V.S.Dinesh K. Bhupathiraju, M. Graça H. Vicente

Faculty Publications

Seven polyamine conjugates of a tri(p-carboranylmethylthio) tetrafluorophenylporphyrin were prepared in high yields by sequential substitution of the p-phenyl fluoride of tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (TPPF), and investigated as boron delivery agents for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). The polyamines used were derivatives of the natural-occurring spermine with different lengths of the carbon chains, terminal primary amine groups and, in two of the conjugates, additional aminoethyl moieties. A tri(polyethylene glycol) conjugate was also synthesized for comparison purposes. The polyamine conjugates showed low dark cytotoxicity (IC50 >400 μM) and low phototoxicity (IC50 >40 μM at 1.5 J/cm 2). All polyamine conjugates, with one exception, showed …

Synthesis And Structure-Activity Relationship Of Piperidine-Derived Non-Urea Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibitors, Stevan Pecic, Svetlana Pakhomova, Marcia E. Newcomer, Christophe Morisseau, Bruce D. Hammock, Zhengxiang Zhu, Alison Rinderspacher, Shi Xian Deng

Faculty Publications

A series of potent amide non-urea inhibitors of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is disclosed. The inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase leads to elevated levels of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), and thus inhibitors of sEH represent one of a novel approach to the development of vasodilatory and anti-inflammatory drugs. Structure-activities studies guided optimization of a lead compound, identified through high-throughput screening, gave rise to sub-nanomolar inhibitors of human sEH with stability in human liver microsomal assay suitable for preclinical development. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Culturally Congruent Practices In Counseling And Psychotherapy: A Review Of Research., Timothy B. Smith

Faculty Publications

Are mental health interventions that are intentionally made congruent with clients’ cultural contexts more effective than traditional practices? If a large body of empirical data supports an affirmative response to this question, then multiculturalism may be deemed not only legitimate within but integral (primary) to mental health interventions. However, if the data are inconclusive or deemed inadequate, then multiculturalism will remain marginalized (secondary) as an egalitarian ideal, possibly worthy of public praise but privately labeled as “impractical” or worse. All other things being equal, empirical evidence should determine which path will be taken; this chapter will attempt to provide direction.

Dna-Binding Motif And Target Genes Of The Imprinted Transcription Factor Peg3, Michelle M. Thiaville, Jennifer M. Huang, Hana Kim, Muhammad B. Ekram, Tae Young Roh, Joomyeong Kim

Faculty Publications

The Peg3 gene is expressed only from the paternally inherited allele located on proximal mouse chromosome 7. The PEG3 protein encoded by this imprinted gene is predicted to bind DNA based on its multiple zinc finger motifs and nuclear localization. In the current study, we demonstrated PEG3's DNA-binding ability by characterizing its binding motif and target genes. We successfully identified target regions bound by PEG3 from mouse brain extracts using chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis. PEG3 was demonstrated to bind these candidate regions through the consensus DNA-binding motif AGTnnCnnnTGGCT. In vitro promoter assays established that PEG3 controls the expression of a given …

Hijacking Membrane Transporters For Arsenic Phytoextraction, Melissa S. Leblanc, Elizabeth C. Mckinney, Richard B. Meagher, Aaron P. Smith

Faculty Publications

Arsenic is a toxic metalloid and recognized carcinogen. Arsenate and arsenite are the most common arsenic species available for uptake by plants. As an inorganic phosphate (Pi) analog, arsenate is acquired by plant roots through endogenous Pi transport systems. Inside the cell, arsenate is reduced to the thiol-reactive form arsenite. Glutathione (GSH)-conjugates of arsenite may be extruded from the cell or sequestered in vacuoles by members of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family of transporters. In the present study we sought to enhance both plant arsenic uptake through Pi transporter overexpression, and plant arsenic tolerance through ABC transporter overexpression. We demonstrate …

Profluorogenic Reductase Substrate For Rapid, Selective, And Sensitive Visualization And Detection Of Human Cancer Cells That Overexpress Nqo1, William C. Silvers, Bijeta Prasai, David H. Burk, Matthew L. Brown, Robin L. Mccarley

Faculty Publications

Achieving the vision of identifying and quantifying cancer-related events and targets for future personalized oncology is predicated on the existence of synthetically accessible and economically viable probe molecules fully able to report the presence of these events and targets in a rapid and highly selective and sensitive fashion. Delineated here are the design and evaluation of a newly synthesized turn-on probe whose intense fluorescent reporter signature is revealed only through probe activation by a specific intracellular enzyme present in tumor cells of multiple origins. Quenching of molecular probe fluorescence is achieved through unique photoinduced electron transfer between the naphthalimide dye …

Profluorogenic Reductase Substrate For Rapid, Selective, And Sensitive Visualization And Detection Of Human Cancer Cells That Overexpress Nqo1, William C. Silvers, Bijeta Prasai, David H. Burk, Matthew L. Brown, Robin L. Mccarley

Faculty Publications

Achieving the vision of identifying and quantifying cancer-related events and targets for future personalized oncology is predicated on the existence of synthetically accessible and economically viable probe molecules fully able to report the presence of these events and targets in a rapid and highly selective and sensitive fashion. Delineated here are the design and evaluation of a newly synthesized turn-on probe whose intense fluorescent reporter signature is revealed only through probe activation by a specific intracellular enzyme present in tumor cells of multiple origins. Quenching of molecular probe fluorescence is achieved through unique photoinduced electron transfer between the naphthalimide dye …

Counting The Economic Costs And Policy Implications Associated With Divorce: Texas As A Case Study, David G. Schramm, Steven M. Harris, Jason B. Whiting Phd, Alan J. Hawkins, Matt Brown, Rob Porter

Faculty Publications

Although many adults and children are resilient after divorce, it is common for marital breakups to precipitate the need for government assistance for families who had been self-sufficient. This study focuses on the economic costs of divorce associated with means-tested welfare programs in Texas, which fall into five central areas: medical assistance; cash assistance; food assistance; housing, energy, and utility assistance; and child care and development assistance. The study estimated that Texas spends at least $3.18 billion on divorce and its related consequences each year, accounting for approximately 12% of the total Texas budget in 2008. These results reinforce the …

Objectively Measured Sedentary Behavior In Preschool Children: Comparison Between Montessori And Traditional Preschools, Wonwoo Byun, Steven N. Blair, Russell R. Pate

Faculty Publications

Background: This study aimed to compare the levels of objectively-measured sedentary behavior in children attending Montessori preschools with those attending traditional preschools.

Methods: The participants in this study were preschool children aged 4 years old who were enrolled in Montessori and traditional preschools. The preschool children wore ActiGraph accelerometers. Accelerometers were initialized using 15-second intervals and sedentary behavior was defined as/15-second. The accelerometry data were summarized into the average minutes per hour spent in sedentary behavior during the in-school, the afterschool, and the total-day period. Mixed linear regression models were used to determine differences in the average time spent in …

Moral Biography Of Andrew Jackson, Brian Traxler, Duane M. Covrig

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Narratives Of Longevity: Why Adventist Principals Stay Beyond 10 Years In One School., Janet Ledesma

Faculty Publications

Across public and private school systems, there is a shortage of principals in the United States. Many studies have identified reasons why school principals leave their jobs. However, few studies have been conducted to understand why principals stay. The purpose of this article is to describe the experiences of 14 principals who have remained in leadership in the Seventh- day Adventist system of education in North America longer than 10 years in a single school building. Though the lens of resiliency theory and spiritual leadership theory, meaning was captured i the lived experiences of these Christian educational leaders.

Euthanasia: An Act Of Love, David San Filippo Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Attitudes towards euthanasia are changing. According to a 2005 Gallup poll, 75% of the respondents believed that people should have the right to choose to die. A person in intractable pain with no hope of improvement may have the moral right to commit end her/his life.

Recasting The Agency Of Unaccompanied Youth, Lauren Heidbrink

Faculty Publications

This is Chapter 6 of Emerging Perspectives on Children in Migratory Circumstances: Selected Proceedings of the Working Group on Childhood and Migration June 2008 Conference, published by Drexel University Department of Culture & Communication. Click for full-text.

Excerpt from the book abstract:

Most of the pieces provide in depth points of view from child migrant perspectives—data that is often difficult to obtain and portray sensitively. Child-centered data is exceptionally valuable in helping us to grasp the micro-forces by which childhood is changing through migration and how children experience or activate agency under trying conditions...Lauren Heidbrink [discusses] Spanish speakers in …

Job As Prototype Of Dying And Rising Israel, Kathryn M. Schifferdecker

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.