Digital Commons Network^™

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

Faculty Publications

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

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

This Article examines the …

African American Ethnic And Class-Based Identities On The World Wide Web: Moderating The Effects Of Self-Perceived Information Seeking/Finding And Web Self-Efficacy, Jennifer R. Warren, Michael L. Hecht, Eura Jung, Lynette Kvasny, Mark G. Henderson

Faculty Publications

The web is a potentially powerful tool for communicating information to diverse audiences. Unfortunately, all groups are not equally represented on the web, and this may have implications for online information seeking. This study investigated the role of class- and ethnic-based identity in self-perceived web-based information seeking/finding and self-efficacy. A questionnaire is administered, asking African Americans about their class and ethnic identities and web use to test a conceptual model predicting that these identities are positively related to web-based information seeking and web self-efficacy, which are then positively related to web-based information finding. Gender and previous web experience are expected …

Perfecting Space: J. Horace Mcfarland And The American Civic Association, Julian Chambliss

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Content Of Consumer Law Classes Ii, Jeff Sovern

Faculty Publications

This paper reports on a 2010 survey of law professors teaching consumer protection, and follows up on a similar 2008 survey, which appeared in Jeff Sovern, The Content of Consumer Law Classes, 12 J. CONSUMER & COMMERCIAL L. 48 (No. 1 2008), available at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1139894. The 2010 survey found more uniformity in topic selection than the 2008 survey. All thirteen professors who taught survey courses reported that they taught common law fraud, UDAP statutes, the Truth in Lending Act, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act, while all but one covered the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Federal Trade …

Teaching Translations Of Translations, Anne Fountain

Faculty Publications

This article describes how examining translations of translations can provide a useful pedagogical tool in translation courses and classes with translated texts. Those who teach literary works that have been translated into English must deal with the reality that students read translated texts as if they had been written in English. Acknowledgment of the source for a translation is therefore important, and professors should alert students to the problems that can arise when translations are made from translations rather than from originals. Examining examples of “doubling back”―translations of translations―can also be instructive in teaching about literary interests and influences.

Critical Theory, Libraries And Culture, Jenny Bossaller, Denice Adkins, Kim M. Thompson

Faculty Publications

There are disparate notions among people within the broad field of information and library science regarding exactly what comprises information science. One broad definition is provided by Tefko Saracevic: “Information science is a field of professional practice and scientific inquiry addressing the problem of effective communication of knowledge records – ʻliteratureʼ – among humans in the context of social, organizational, and individual need for and use of information” (1055- 1056). At its most basic, it seems that information science could be a neutral science if, indeed, it studies everything that is communicated, in any form. However, as noted in the …

Electronic Image Stabilization Using Optical Flow With Inertial Fusion, Michael J. Smith, Alexander J. Boxerbaum, Gilbert L. Peterson, Roger D. Quinn

Faculty Publications

When a camera is affixed on a dynamic mobile robot, image stabilization is the first step towards more complex analysis on the video feed. This paper presents a novel electronic image stabilization (EIS) algorithm for highly dynamic mobile robotic platforms. The algorithm combines optical flow motion parameter estimation with angular rate data provided by a strapdown inertial measurement unit (IMU). A discrete Kalman filter in feedforward configuration is used for optimal fusion of the two data sources. Performance evaluations are conducted using a simulated video truth model (capturing the effects of image translation, rotation, blurring, and moving objects), and live …

Pltl Impacts A Career – From Peer Leader To The Professoriate, Jason Gillmore

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Biocompatibility Of Synthetic Poly(Ester Urethane)/Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Matrices With Embryonic Stem Cell Proliferation And Differentiation, Yan-Lin Guo, Wenshou Wang, Joshua U. Otaigbe

Faculty Publications

Incorporation of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) into poly(ester urethanes) (PEU) as a building block results in a PEU/POSS hybrid polymer with increased mechanical strength and thermostability. An attractive feature of the new polymer is that it forms a porous matrix when cast in the form of a thin film, making it potentially useful in tissue engineering. In this study, we present detailed microscopic analysis of the PEU/POSS matrix and demonstrate its biocompatibility with cell culture. The PEU/POSS polymer forms a continuous porous matrix with open pores and interconnected grooves. From SEM image analysis, it is calculated that there are about …

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

Faculty Publications

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

Wavelength Dependence Of Photoelectron Spectra In Above-Threshold Ionization, T. Marchenko, H. G. Muller, K. J. Schafer, M. J.J. Vrakking

Faculty Publications

We present angle-and energy-resolved measurements of photoelectrons produced in strong-field ionization of Xe and Ar using a tunable femtosecond laser in the wavelength range between 600 and 800 nm. Systematic analysis of the experimental data that are quantitatively reproduced by numerical solutions of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation with integration over the laser focal volume demonstrates the dominance of resonance-enhanced ionization. Continuous variation of the laser wavelength allows the identification of a number of consecutive channel-switching effects with a reliable assignment of the intermediate Rydberg states involved. The appearance of the resonant sub-structure in the electron energy spectra is influenced by …

Three-Dimensional Structure Of The Weakly Associated Protein Homodimer Ser13 Using Rdcs And Paramagnetic Surface Mapping, Hsiau Wei Lee, Greg Wylie, Sonal Bansal, Xu Wang, Adam W. Barb, Megan A. Macnaughtan, Asli Ertekin, Gaetano T. Montelione, James H. Prestegard

Faculty Publications

The traditional NMR-based method for determining oligomeric protein structure usually involves distinguishing and assigning intra- and intersubunit NOEs. This task becomes challenging when determining symmetric homo-dimer structures because NOE cross-peaks from a given pair of protons occur at the same position whether intra- or intersubunit in origin. While there are isotope-filtering strategies for distinguishing intra from intermolecular NOE interactions in these cases, they are laborious and often prove ineffectual in cases of weak dimers, where observation of intermolecular NOEs is rare. Here, we present an efficient procedure for weak dimer structure determination based on residual dipolar couplings (RDCs), chemical shift …

A Global Census Of Fission Yeast Deubiquitinating Enzyme Localization And Interaction Networks Reveals Distinct Compartmentalization Profiles And Overlapping Functions In Endocytosis And Polarity, Ilektra Kouranti, Janel R. Mclean, Anna Feoktistova, Ping Liang, Alyssa E. Johnson, Rachel H. Roberts-Galbraith, Kathleen L. Gould

Faculty Publications

Ubiquitination and deubiquitination are reciprocal processes that tune protein stability, function, and/or localization. The removal of ubiquitin and remodeling of ubiquitin chains is catalyzed by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), which are cysteine proteases or metalloproteases. Although ubiquitination has been extensively studied for decades, the complexity of cellular roles for deubiquitinating enzymes has only recently been explored, and there are still several gaps in our understanding of when, where, and how these enzymes function to modulate the fate of polypeptides. To address these questions we performed a systematic analysis of the 20 Schizosaccharomyces pombe DUBs using confocal microscopy, proteomics, and enzymatic activity …

Commute Times, Food Retail Gaps, And Body Mass Index In North Carolina Counties, Stephanie B. Jilcott, Haiyong Liu, Justin B. Moore, Jeffrey W. Bethel, James Wilson, Alice S. Ammerman

Faculty Publications

Introduction: The prevalence of obesity is higher in rural than in urban areas of the United States, for reasons that are not well understood. We examined correlations between percentage of rural residents, commute times, food retail gap per capita, and body mass index (BMI) among North Carolina residents.

Methods: We used 2000 census data to determine each county's percentage of rural residents and 1990 and 2000 census data to obtain mean county-level commute times. We obtained county-level food retail gap per capita, defined as the difference between county-level food demand and county-level food sales in 2008, from the North Carolina …

Expression Of A Low Co2-Inducible Protein, Lci1, Increases Inorganic Carbon Uptake In The Green Alga Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Norikazu Ohnishi, Hideya Fukuzawa, Bratati Mukherjee, Tomoki Tsujikawa, Mari Yanase, Hirobumi Nakano, James V. Moroney

Faculty Publications

Aquatic photosynthetic organisms can modulate their photosynthesis to acclimate to CO2-limiting stress by inducing a carbon-concentrating mechanism (CCM) that includes carbonic anhydrases and inorganic carbon (Ci) transporters. However, to date, Ci-specific transporters have not been well characterized in eukaryotic algae. Previously, a Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutant (lcr1) was identified that was missing a Myb transcription factor. This mutant had reduced light-dependent CO2 gas exchange (LCE) activity when grown under CO2-limiting conditions and did not induce the CAH1 gene encoding a periplasmic carbonic anhydrase, as well as two as yet uncharacterized genes, LCI1 and LCI6. In this study, LCI1 was placed under …

A Sense Of Disentitlement: Frame-Shifting And Metaphor In Ashcroft V. Iqbal, Lisa A. Eichhorn

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hopelessness, Depression, And Early Markers Of Endothelial Dysfunction In U.S. Adults, D. Phuong Do, Jennifer B. Dowd, Nalini Ranjit, James S. House, George A. Kaplan

Faculty Publications

Objective - This study examines whether the psychological traits of hopelessness and depressive symptoms are related to endothelial dysfunction.

Methods - Data come from a subsample of 434 respondents in the 2001-2003 Chicago Community Adult Health Study (CCAHS), a population-based survey designed to study the impact of psychological attributes, neighborhood environment, and socio-economic circumstances on adults age 18 and over. Circulating biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction including e-selectin, p-selectin and s-ICAM1 were obtained from serum samples. Hopelessness was measured by responses to two questions and depressive symptoms were measured by an 11-item version of the CES-D. Multivariate regression models tested whether …

Personal Vs. Social, Magdalini Eirinaki

Faculty Publications

The last few years we witnessed an impressive growth in social networks and in applications that add value to their amassed information. At the same time, the continuing expansion of mobile platforms and applications (e.g. iPhone), combined with the overwhelming supply of information and services, makes effective personalization and context-awareness much required features. One may consider "personal" and "social" data management as comprising two distinct directions with conflicting characteristics. However, it can be argued that they complement each other and that in future applications they will ultimately converge. This "personal vs. social" predicament presents a number of interesting topics that …

Improving Immunization Rates In The Clinic And In The Community, Karlen E. (Beth) Luthy, Arlene M. Sperhac, Sandra A. Faux, Joseph K. Miner

Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, the United States haas had tremendous success in achieving very high immunization compliance rates among children, sometimes as high as 91%. However, despite progress toward controlling the spread of communicable disease through immunizations, more than 2.1 million children nationwide are not adequately immunized. Even among US children who are adequately immunized, only about half of them actually received their immunization on time.

Parenting In Emerging Adulthood: An Examination Of Parenting Clusters And Correlates, Larry J. Nelson, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Katherine J. Christensen, Cortney A. Evans, Jason S. Carroll

Faculty Publications

The changing nature of the transition to adulthood in western societies, such as the United States, may be extending the length of time parents are engaged in “parenting” activities. However, little is known about different approaches parents take in their interactions with their emerging-adult children. Hence, this study attempted to identify different clusters of parents based on the extent to which they exhibited both extremes of control (psychological control, punishment, verbal hostility, indulgence) and responsiveness (knowledge, warmth, induction, autonomy granting), and to examine how combinations of parenting were related to emerging adult children’s relational and individual outcomes (e.g. parent–child relationship …

Embedded Information Literacy In The Basic Oral Communication Course: From Conception Through Assessment, Kari D. Weaver, Penni M. Pier

Faculty Publications

This paper explores the process of embedding information literacy into a basic oral communication course. Discussion includes student performance as an impetus for change, collaborative course design between the oral communication teaching team and instructional librarians, and assessment initiatives. Suggestions for future collaborative work are articulated.

Cathode Polarizations Of A Cathode-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, Kevin Huang, Alessandro Zampieri, Martin Ise

Faculty Publications

The concentration, activation, and total polarizations of the cathode in a cathode-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) were theoretically and experimentally investigated. In the theoretical analysis, the exchange current density of the charge transfer was considered to be dependent on the P_O2 determined by the preceding O₂ diffusion, resulting in an interrelationship between activation and concentration polarizations. The established nonlinear polarization equations were then applied to solve the key parameters with area specific resistances and overpotentials of the polarizations experimentally measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy on an operating cathode-supported SOFC. To ensure the consistency and meaningfulness of …

Where Is The Love?, Hyveth Williams

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Tunable Double Negative Band Structure From Non-Magnetic Coated Rods, Yue Chen, Robert Lipton

Faculty Publications

A system of periodic poly-disperse-coated nano-rods is considered. Both the coated nano-rods and the host material are non-magnetic. The exterior nano-coating has a frequency-dependent dielectric constant and the rod has a high dielectric constant. A negative effective magnetic permeability is generated near the Mie resonances of the rods, while the coating generates a negative permittivity through a field resonance controlled by the plasma frequency of the coating and the geometry of the crystal. The explicit band structure for the system is calculated in the subwavelength limit. Tunable pass bands exhibiting negative group velocity are generated and correspond to simultaneously negative …

A Sustainable Future For Open Textbooks? The Flat World Knowledge Story, John L. Hilton Iii, David Wiley

Faculty Publications

Many college students and their families are concerned about the high costs of textbooks. E–books have been proposed as one potential solution; open source textbooks have also been explored. A company called Flat World Knowledge produces and gives away open source textbooks in a way they believe to be financially sustainable. This article reports an initial study of the financial sustainability of the Flat World Knowledge open source textbook model.

A Sustainable Future For Open Textbooks? The Flat World Knowledge Story, John Hilton Iii, David Wiley

Faculty Publications

Many college students and their families are concerned about the high costs of textbooks. E–books have been proposed as one potential solution; open source textbooks have also been explored. A company called Flat World Knowledge produces and gives away open source textbooks in a way they believe to be financially sustainable. This article reports an initial study of the financial sustainability of the Flat World Knowledge open source textbook model.

Increased Lipid Accumulation In The Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Sta7-10 Starchless Isoamylase Mutant And Increased Carbohydrate Synthesis In Complemented Strains, Victoria H. Work, Randor Radakovits, Robert E. Jinkerson, Jonathan E. Meuser, Lee G. Elliott, David J. Vinyard, Lieve M.L. Laurens, G. Charles Dismukes, Matthew C. Posewitz

Faculty Publications

The accumulation of bioenergy carriers was assessed in two starchless mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (the sta6 [ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase] and sta7-10 [isoamylase] mutants), a control strain (CC124), and two complemented strains of the sta7-10 mutant. The results indicate that the genetic blockage of starch synthesis in the sta6 and sta7-10 mutants increases the accumulation of lipids on a cellular basis during nitrogen deprivation relative to that in the CC124 control as determined by conversion to fatty acid methyl esters. However, this increased level of lipid accumulation is energetically insufficient to completely offset the loss of cellular starch that is synthesized by …

Effect Of Overall Charge And Charge Distribution On Cellular Uptake, Distribution And Phototoxicity Of Cationic Porphyrins In Hep2 Cells, Timothy J. Jensen, M. Graça H. Vicente, Raymond Luguya, Jolanna Norton, Frank R. Fronczek, Kevin M. Smith

Faculty Publications

Five cationic porphyrins bearing one to four -N(CH3)3+ groups linked to the p-phenyl positions of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) were synthesized in order to study the effect of overall charge and its distribution on the cellular uptake, phototoxicity and intracellular localization using human carcinoma HEp2 cells. The di-cationic porphyrins DADP-o and DADP-a accumulated the most within cells and preferentially localize within vesicular compartments and in mitochondria. Of these two only DADP-a was phototoxic to the cells (IC50=3μM at 1J/cm2). The mono-cationic porphyrin MAP was found to be the most phototoxic of the series, and it localized mainly in lipid membranes, including the …

Metabolic Preconditioning Of Cells With Aicar-Riboside: Improved Cryopreservation And Cell-Type Specific Impacts On Energetics And Proliferation, Michael A. Menze, Nilay Chakraborty, Matthew Clavenna, Mitali Banerjee, Xiang Hong Liu, Mehmet Toner, Steven C. Hand

Faculty Publications

In species whose evolutionary history has provided natural tolerance to dehydration and freezing, metabolic depression is often a pre-requisite for survival. We tested the hypothesis that preconditioning of mammalian cells with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-b-d-ribofuranoside (AICAR) to achieve metabolic depression will promote greater survivorship during cryopreservation. AICAR is used extensively to stimulate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which can result in downregulation of biosynthetic processes. We showed that the metabolic interconversion of AICAR was cell-type dependent. Accumulation of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1b-d-ribofuranosyl-5'-monophosphate (ZMP), as well as other metabolites that possess multiple phosphates (i.e., ZDP, ZTP), varied approximately 3.5-fold across the cell lines tested. AICAR treatment also significantly …

Optimal Lower Bounds On The Local Stress Inside Random Thermoelastic Composites, Yue Chen, Robert Lipton

Faculty Publications

A methodology is presented for bounding all higher moments of the local hydrostatic stress field inside random two phase linear thermoelastic media undergoing macroscopic thermomechanical loading. The method also provides a lower bound on the maximum local stress. Explicit formulae for the optimal lower bounds are found that are expressed in terms of the applied macroscopic thermal and mechanical loading, coefficients of thermal expansion, elastic properties, and volume fractions. These bounds provide a means to measure load transfer across length scales relating the excursions of the local fields to the applied loads and the thermal stresses inside each phase. These …