Digital Commons Network^™

High-Yield And Rapid Isolation Of Extracellular Vesicles By Flocculation Via Orbital Acoustic Trapping: Float, Joseph Rufo, Peiran Zhang, Zeyu Wang, Yuyang Gu, Kaichun Yang, Joseph Rich, Chuyi Chen, Ruoyu Zhong, Ke Jin, Je He, Jianping Xia, Ke Li, Jiarong Wu, Yingshi Ouyang, Yoel Sadovsky, Luke P. Lee, Tony Jun Huang

Faculty Publications

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been identified as promising biomarkers for the noninvasive diagnosis of various diseases. However, challenges in separating EVs from soluble proteins have resulted in variable EV recovery rates and low purities. Here, we report a high-yield ( > 90%) and rapid ( <  10 min) EV isolation method called FLocculation via Orbital Acoustic Trapping (FLOAT). The FLOAT approach utilizes an acoustofluidic droplet centrifuge to rotate and controllably heat liquid droplets. By adding a thermoresponsive polymer flocculant, nanoparticles as small as 20 nm can be rapidly and selectively concentrated at the center of the droplet. We demonstrate the ability of FLOAT to separate urinary EVs from the highly abundant Tamm-Horsfall protein, addressing a significant obstacle in the development of EV-based liquid biopsies. Due to its high-yield nature, FLOAT reduces biofluid starting volume requirements by a factor of 100 (from 20 mL to 200 µL), demonstrating its promising potential in point-of-care diagnostics.

Left Ventricle Function And Post-Transcriptional Events With Exercise Training In Pigs, Stephanie L. Samani, Shayne C. Barlow, Lisa A. Freeburg, Traci L. Jones, Marlee Poole, Mark A. Sarzynski Ph.D., Faha, Facsm, Michael R. Zile, Tarek Shazly, Francis G. Spinale

Faculty Publications

Background

Standardized exercise protocols have been shown to improve overall cardiovascular fitness, but direct effects on left ventricular (LV) function, particularly diastolic function and relation to post-transcriptional molecular pathways (microRNAs (miRs)) are poorly understood. This project tested the central hypothesis that adaptive LV remodeling resulting from a large animal exercise training protocol, would be directly associated with specific miRs responsible for regulating pathways relevant to LV myocardial stiffness and geometry.

Methods and results

Pigs (n = 9; 25 Kg) underwent a 4 week exercise training protocol (10 degrees elevation, 2.5 mph, 10 min, 5 days/week) whereby LV chamber stiffness (KC) …

Affirming Culture And Cultural Identity In The Bilingual/Esl Classrooms, Frank Lucido, David Jimenez, Shifang Tang

Faculty Publications

In Texas and throughout the United States, the increasing linguistic diversity within educational settings necessitates the expansion of bilingual and ESL programs. Approximately 5 million school-age children in the U.S. are identified as English learners, and many more are raised in non-English-speaking households. This represents about one-quarter of all K-12 students in the U.S., amounting to nearly 18 million children, most of whom have immigrant parents (Mitchell, 2020a). The urgency to address their needs is amplified by concerns that prolonged school closures could worsen the challenges faced by this demographic, which already includes heightened risks of homelessness, hunger, and educational …

Left Ventricle Function And Post-Transcriptional Events With Exercise Training In Pigs, Stephanie L. Samani, Shayne C. Barlow, Lisa A. Freeburg, Traci L. Jones, Marlee Poole, Mark A. Sarzynski Facsm, Michael R. Zile, Tarek Shazly, Francis G. Spinale

Faculty Publications

Background

Standardized exercise protocols have been shown to improve overall cardiovascular fitness, but direct effects on left ventricular (LV) function, particularly diastolic function and relation to post-transcriptional molecular pathways (microRNAs (miRs)) are poorly understood. This project tested the central hypothesis that adaptive LV remodeling resulting from a large animal exercise training protocol, would be directly associated with specific miRs responsible for regulating pathways relevant to LV myocardial stiffness and geometry.

Methods and results

Pigs (n = 9; 25 Kg) underwent a 4 week exercise training protocol (10 degrees elevation, 2.5 mph, 10 min, 5 days/week) whereby LV chamber stiffness (KC) …

Estimating Lentic Recreational Fisheries Catch And Effort Across The United States, Matthew D. Robertson, Stephen R. Midway, Holly S. Embke, Anna L. Kaz, Mitchel Lang, Craig Paukert, Nicholas A. Sievert, Lyndsie Wszola, Abigail J. Lynch

Faculty Publications

Recreational fisheries represent a socially, ecologically, and economically significant component of global fisheries. The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat) database includes inland recreational fisheries survey data across the United States to facilitate large-scale analyses. However, because survey methods differ, a statistical method capable of integrating these surveys is necessary to assess patterns and relationships across regions. Here, we developed a hierarchical generalized linear mixed modeling approach to estimate the relationship between daily recreational fisheries catch and effort based on waterbody, socio-economic, and ecological covariates. We applied this approach to CreelCat data on lentic waterbodies and found that …

Seasonal, Spatial, And Water Level Predictors Of Angler Catch And Effort Within Texas Black Bass Reservoir Fisheries, David R. Smith, J. Warren Schlechte, Randall A. Myers, Michael A. Dance, Jacob D. Norman, Mitchell T. Nisbet

Faculty Publications

Objective: We sought to identify seasonal, spatial, and water level predictors of black bass angler catch rates and effort densities (i.e., angler-hours/ha) within Texas reservoirs. Methods: We tested for predictors of effort density and catch rate while building generalized additive models with responses derived from a long-term creel data set and explanatory variables derived from the season of the creel survey, geoposition of the reservoir, and water level data obtained from the Texas Water Development Board. Result: Season significantly affected models, with strong positive effects on catch rates during the spring and fall and strong positive effects on effort densities …

Effector-Triggered Susceptibility By The Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe Oryzae, Ely Oliveira-Garcia, Xia Yan, Miriam Oses-Ruiz, Samuel De Paula, Nicholas J. Talbot

Faculty Publications

Rice blast, the most destructive disease of cultivated rice world-wide, is caused by the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. To cause disease in plants, M. oryzae secretes a diverse range of effector proteins to suppress plant defense responses, modulate cellular processes, and support pathogen growth. Some effectors can be secreted by appressoria even before host penetration, while others accumulate in the apoplast, or enter living plant cells where they target specific plant subcellular compartments. During plant infection, the blast fungus induces the formation of a specialized plant structure known as the biotrophic interfacial complex (BIC), which appears to be crucial for …

The Impact Of Information Presentation On Consumer Perceptions Of Cricket-Containing Chocolate Chip Cookies, Yupeng Gao, Pitchayapat Chonpracha, Bin Li, Ryan Ardoin, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul

Faculty Publications

As a source of protein and other nutrients for a growing population, edible insect production offers environmental and sustainability advantages over traditional meat production. Although around 2 billion people consume insects worldwide, Western consumers are still reluctant to practice entomophagy, hindered largely by neophobia and negative emotions. In addition to sensory quality and safety, an informational component may be crucial to consumers’ decision making involving insect consumption. In this study, three different information types, namely text, image, and a tangible product, were used to convey information about chocolate chip cookies (CCCs) containing cricket flour. The nature of the information was …

Leadership For Social Change: Clara Whitehill Hunt And The Evolution Of Children’S Librarianship, Suzanne Marie Stauffer

Faculty Publications

The first generation of children’s librarians, who created the profession in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, were followed by a second generation who enlarged, expanded, and refined the scope of the collection. One of these women was Clara Whitehill Hunt, Superintendent of Work with Children for the Brooklyn Public Library from 1903 to 1940. In addition to developing training courses for children’s librarians, she wrote Library Work with Children for the A.L.A. Manuals of Library Economy series, The Bookshelf for Boys and Girls, a catalog of recommended children’s books and The First Three Hundred Books for the Children’s Library. For …

Survival And Cause-Specific Mortality Of Male Wild Turkeys Across The Southeastern United States, Patrick H. Wightman, Erin E. Ulrey, Nicholas W. Bakner, Jay R. Cantrell, Charles R. Ruth, Emily Rushton, Cody A. Cedotal, John C. Kilgo, David J. Moscicki, Krishna Pacifici, Christopher E. Moorman, Bret A. Collier, Michael J. Chamberlain

Faculty Publications

Estimating survival and cause-specific mortality of male eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) is important for understanding population dynamics and implementing appropriate harvest management. To better understand age-specific estimates of annual survival and harvest rates, we captured and marked male wild turkeys with leg bands (n = 311) or bands and transmitters (n = 549) in Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina, USA, during 2014–2022. We fitted time to event models to data from radio-marked birds to estimate cause-specific mortality and annual survival. We used band recovery models incorporating both band recovery and telemetry data to further investigate harvest …

Robust Assessment Of Associations Between Weather And Eastern Wild Turkey Nest Success, Wesley W. Boone, Christopher E. Moorman, David J. Moscicki, Bret A. Collier, Michael J. Chamberlain, Adam J. Terando, Krishna Pacifici

Faculty Publications

Temperature and precipitation have been identified as factors that potentially influence eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) reproduction, but robust analyses testing the relationship between weather parameters and turkey nest success are lacking. Therefore, we assessed how weather influenced turkey daily nest survival using 8 years of data collected from 715 nests across the southeastern United States. We also conducted exploratory analyses investigating if weather conditions during or prior to nesting best predicted nest success. We then assessed the possible implications of climate change through 2041–2060 for future eastern wild turkey daily nest survival and nest success for variables determined …

Dynamic Volunteer Engagement And Impactful Educational Outreach Taking Us Into The Next 50 Years Of The Extension Master Gardener Program, Heather Kirk-Ballard, Kristine M. Lang, Esther Mcginnis, Kerry Smith, Lucy Bradley

Faculty Publications

According to the 2021 Extension Master Gardener (EMG) National Summary, the EMG Volunteer Program had an estimated 84,700 volunteers throughout the United States. These volunteers helped communities garden and grow food, provided opportunities to engage in activities that improved physical and mental health, and worked on projects that addressed environmental issues. In total, these programs contributed 3.1 million hours of education to local communities and $88 million dollars in value to the public. However, the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges for the program, with many states implementing reduced requirements and increased flexibility for volunteers. The workshop “Dynamic Volunteer Engagement and Impactful …

The Library Is Not For Everyone (Yet): Disability, Accommodations, And Working In Libraries, Nicollette Davis, Mondo Vaden, Marco Seiferle-Valencia, Jess Saldaña, De Ann Brame

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Quantum Scalar Fields Interacting With Quantum Black Hole Asymptotic Regions, Rodolfo Gambini, Jorge Pullin

Faculty Publications

We continue our work on the study of spherically symmetric loop quantum gravity coupled to two spherically symmetric scalar fields, with one that acts as a clock. As a consequence of the presence of the latter, we can define a true Hamiltonian for the theory. In previous papers, we studied the theory for large values of the radial coordinate, i.e., far away from any black hole or star that may be present. This makes the calculations considerably more tractable. We have shown that in the asymptotic region, the theory admits a large family of quantum vacua for quantum matter fields …

Mapping Crown Rust Resistance In The Oat Diploid Accession Pi 258731 (Avena Strigosa), Rawnaq N. Chowdhury, Tyler Gordon, Md Ali Babar, Stephen A. Harrison, Shahryar F. Kianian, Kathy Esvelt Klos

Faculty Publications

Oat crown rust, caused by Puccinia coronata Corda f. sp. avenae Eriks. (Pca), is a major biotic impediment to global oat production. Crown rust resistance has been described in oat diploid species A. strigosa accession PI 258731 and resistance from this accession has been successfully introgressed into hexaploid A. sativa germplasm. The current study focuses on 1) mapping the location of QTL containing resistance and evaluating the number of quantitative trait loci (QTL) conditioning resistance in PI 258731; 2) understanding the relationship between the original genomic location in A. strigosa and the location of the introgression in the A. sativa …

Approaching 25 Years Of Progress Towards Fusarium Head Blight Resistance In Southern Soft Red Winter Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.), Richard E. Boyles, Carolina Ballén-Taborda, Gina Brown-Guedira, Jose Costa, Christina Cowger, Noah Dewitt, Carl A. Griffey, Stephen A. Harrison, Amir Ibrahim, Jerry Johnson, Jeanette Lyerly, David S. Marshall, R. Esten Mason, Mohamed Mergoum, J. Paul Murphy, Nicholas Santantonio, Gautam Saripalli, Russell Sutton, Vijay Tiwari, David Van Sanford, Zachary J. Winn

Faculty Publications

Tremendous progress has been made in variety development and host plant resistance to mitigate the impact of Fusarium head blight (FHB) since the disease manifested in the southeastern United States in the early 2000s. Much of this improvement was made possible through the establishment of and recurring support from the US Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI). Since its inception in 1997, the USWBSI has enabled land-grant institutions to make advances in reducing the annual threat of devastating FHB epidemics. A coordinated field phenotyping effort for annual germplasm screening has become a staple tool for selection in public and private …

Irrigation Of Sand-Based Creeping Bentgrass Putting Greens With Nanobubble-Oxygenated Water, Eric J. Deboer, Michael D. Richardson, John H. Mccalla

Faculty Publications

Cultural and environmental factors can place creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) under extreme stress during the summer months. This stress, coupled with the growth adaptation of creeping bentgrass, can result in shallow, poorly rooted stands of turf. To enhance root zone oxygen and rooting of creeping bentgrass, golf courses use methods such as core and solid-tine aerification, and sand topdressing. An additional method of delivering oxygen to the soil could be irrigation with nanobubble-oxygenated water. The properties of nanobubbles (NBs) allow for high gas dissolution rates in water. Irrigating with NB-oxygenated water sources may promote increased rooting of creeping bentgrass putting …

Editorial Introduction: Charting New Theoretical Horizons Here And Elsewhere, Geoboo Song, Melissa K. Merry, Saba Siddiki, Holly L. Peterson, Davor Mondom, Victor Kwaku Akakpo, Gwen Arnold, Aaron Smith-Walter, Creed Tumlison, Briana Huett, Heasun Choi, Eli Polley

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Report From The Adventist Digital Library And Seventh-Day Adventist Periodical & Obituary Index, Katherine Van Arsdale

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Life Cycle Assessment Of Hydrothermal Carbonization: A Review Of Product Valorization Pathways, Andrea Ogunleye, Joseph Flora, Nicole Berge

Faculty Publications

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) has the potential to be a sustainable and environmentally beneficial approach for organic waste treatment. It is likely that HTC product use will dictate the viability of large-scale HTC facilities; therefore, understanding the viability and environmental implications associated with HTC product valorization pathways is critical. The overall goal of this review is to gain an understanding of how HTC product valorization is currently being modeled in life cycle assessment studies, and to use such information to assess current research and/or data needs associated with product valorization. To accomplish this, a review of existing HTC literature was conducted …

Assessing Energy Mutual Funds: Performance, Risks, And Managerial Skills, Srinvias Nippani, Davinder Malhotra

Faculty Publications

This study investigates the risk-adjusted performance of energy equity mutual funds across a 23-year period, employing the Cumulative Wealth Index (CWI) to gauge their long-term performance relative to benchmark indices. Despite inherent volatility due to the energy sector’s cyclical nature, these funds consistently outperformed benchmarks based on monthly returns, showcasing resilience amid market fluctuations. However, challenges emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, with notable improvements post-vaccination. Utilizing a multi-factor model, the research highlights the interconnectivity of energy equity mutual funds with broader market movements and systemic factors. Despite their primary focus on the energy sector, these funds exhibit sensitivity to larger …

Simultaneous Detection And Quantification Of Multiple Pathogen Targets In Wastewater, Gouthami Rao, Drew Capone, Kevin Zhu, Abigail Knoble, Yarrow Linden, Ryan Clark, Amanda Lai, Juhee Kim, Ching Hua Huang, Aaron Bivins, Joe Brown

Faculty Publications

Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a critical tool for public health surveillance, building on decades of environmental surveillance work for pathogens such as poliovirus. Work to date has been limited to monitoring a single pathogen or small numbers of pathogens in targeted studies; however, few studies consider simultaneous quantitative analysis of a wide variety of pathogens, which could greatly increase the utility of wastewater surveillance. We developed a novel quantitative multi-pathogen surveillance approach (35 pathogen targets including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and helminths) using TaqMan Array Cards (TAC) and applied the method on concentrated wastewater samples collected at four wastewater treatment …

Energy And Spectrum Efficient Federated Learning Via High-Precision Over-The-Air Computation, Liang Li, Chenpei Huang, Dian Shi, Hao Wang, Xiangwei Zhou, Minglei Shu, Miao Pan

Faculty Publications

Federated learning (FL) enables mobile devices to collaboratively learn a shared prediction model while keeping data locally. However, there are two major research challenges to practically deploy FL over mobile devices: (i) frequent wireless updates of huge size gradients v.s. limited spectrum resources, and (ii) energy-hungry FL communication and local computing during training v.s. battery-constrained mobile devices. To address those challenges, in this paper, we propose a novel multi-bit over-the-air computation (M-AirComp) approach for spectrum-efficient aggregation of local model updates in FL and further present an energy-efficient FL design for mobile devices. Specifically, a high-precision digital modulation scheme is designed …

The Juan De La Cruz Molino: Folk Architecture At El Güique-Estaca New Mexico, José A. Rivera Ph.D

Faculty Publications

El Güique and Estaca are twin communities just north of the confluence of the Río Grande and the Río Chama. Like other Spanish colonial settlements in the historic Río Arriba, acequia-based agriculture was essential for food production in this high desert region of the northern Río Grande. Along with the construction of acequias, molinos (grist mills) were built to grind wheat into flour as part of the subsistence farming economy of the times. While acequias were communal, molinos most often were constructed and operated as private enterprises by local millers like the case of Juan de la Cruz Borrego and …

Residual Optical Absorption From Native Defects In Cdsip2 Crystals, Timothy D. Gustafson, Nancy C. Giles, Elizabeth M. Scherrer, Kevin T. Zawilski, Peter G. Schunemann, Kent L. Averett, Jonathan E. Slagle, Larry E. Halliburton

Faculty Publications

CdSiP₂ crystals are used in optical parametric oscillators to produce tunable output in the mid-infrared. As expected, the performance of the OPOs is adversely affected by residual optical absorption from native defects that are unintentionally present in the crystals. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) identifies these native defects. Singly ionized silicon vacancies (V^-_Si) are responsible for broad optical absorption bands peaking near 800, 1033, and 1907 nm. A fourth absorption band, peaking near 630 nm, does not involve silicon vacancies. Exposure to 1064 nm light when the temperature of the CdSiP₂ crystal is near 80K converts …

How Consideration Of Future Consequences, Prior Gain Or Loss, Personal Risk Profile, And Justification Affect Risk–Payoff Preferences, W. Eric Lee

Faculty Publications

This study examines (1) how risk–payoff preference can be affected by differences in consideration of future consequences (CFC), prior gain/loss, and personal risk profile, and (2) whether one’s risk–payoff preference may vary with justification prompts. Using an experimental design with 366 undergraduate business students, participants are tasked to make risk–payoff choices in two scenarios, with the combined risk–payoff outcomes serving as the dependent variable. In addition, participants are assessed on their personal risk profiles and also complete the 14-item CFC scale to gauge the propensity to take into account future consequences of their behaviors. Findings show that one who scores …

Sovereignty And Dependence In The American Empire: Native Nations, Territories, And Overseas Colonies, Alvin Padilla-Babilonia

Faculty Publications

What justifies plenary powers over Native nations, U.S. territories, and overseas colonies? One answer is the text of the Constitution: the Indian Commerce Clause or the Territorial Clause. Another answer is sovereignty under international law. In this Article, I argue that these legalistic explanations overlook a third answer: that political and judicial actors justified plenary powers based on the colonial notion that these so-called dependent peoples were incapable of self- government.

Members of Congress, presidents, federal judges, and territorial governors reconciled republicanism and colonialism in the American empire by constituting Native nations, the territories, and the overseas colonies as dependent …

A Codified Liabilty Regime To Stimulate Greater Investment In Subpatentable Innovation, Ana Santos Rutschman, Jerome H. Reichman

Faculty Publications

The global intellectual property system rests on a distinction between exclusive property rights and free competition. Exclusive rights vary in strength and intensity, but the opposite of protection is almost always free competition. Distinctions of intensity are drawn in terms of the length of protection given to different subject matters plus variable lists of exceptions and limitations to exclusive rights. But the bottom line is that, when protection is not available under the existing system, free competition prevails, and vice-versa (i.e., where there is exclusivity, free competition is deferred for a specified period of time).

This Article departs from a …

Global Change Impacts On Indigenous Sustainability In Sakha Republic: A Synthesis Of Knowledge, Stanislav Saas Ksenofontov, Andrey N. Petrov

Faculty Publications

Indigenous understanding of sustainability is embedded in close relations to land and environment, Indigenous Knowledge systems, Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies, and Indigenous languages. However, the sustainability of Indigenous peoples’ livelihoods is significantly affected by various global change drivers. In the Arctic, Indigenous peoples’ livelihoods are impacted by environmental, social, and cultural changes, including climate change, environmental pollution, economic processes, and resource extraction. This paper aims to review and synthesize recent academic and gray literature on the sustainability of Indigenous communities in Sakha Republic, Northeast Siberia, Russia in the face of global change with a particular focus on land- and water-based …

Canceling Appellate Precedent, Michael A. Risch, Lisa A. Tucker

Faculty Publications

In recent years, since soon after Justice Amy Coney Barrett assumed her seat on the United States Supreme Court, the Court has erased more than thirteen politically and legally significant opinions written by the federal appeals courts. In deciding to vacate rather than simply deny certiorari, the Court has eliminated—with one sentence orders that offer no explanation—fully briefed, argued, and reasoned opinions on issues such as abortion, the Voting Rights Act, President Trump’s travel ban, and the Emoluments Clause. Consequently, progressive victories in those areas no longer stand.

The Supreme Court used its power to “vacate” lower court rulings, which …