Digital Commons Network^™

Difference Of Opinion: Spousal Influence On Cancer Risk-Reducing Behavior, Wendy C. Birmingham, Maija Reblin, Wendy Kohlmann, Tyler Graff

Faculty Publications

Marriage is consistently associated with better health outcomes. Spouses' attempts to influence partners' lifestyle and general health behaviors may contribute to this effect, although partners may not be aware of this influence. Spousal worry of a cancer diagnosis for an at-risk partner may factor into attempts to influence. An examination of spousal worry and influence on lifestyle choices, general health behaviors, and cancer screening adherence for partners at higher risk of colorectal cancer may shed light on spousal influence and partners' perceptions of influence. Methods: A mixed-method design assessed cancer worry and spousal influence for risk-reducing behavior in first-degree relatives …

Generalizing Metallocene Mechanochemistry To Ruthenocene Mechanophores, Ye Sha, Yudi Zhang, Enhua Xu, C Wayne Mcalister, Tianyu Zhu, Stephen L. Craig, Chuanbing Tang

Faculty Publications

Recent reports have shown that ferrocene displays an unexpected combination of force-free stability and mechanochemical activity, as it acts as the preferred site of chain scission along the backbone of highly extended polymer chains. This observation raises the tantalizing question as to whether similar mechanochemical activity might be present in other metallocenes, and, if so, what features of metallocenes dictate their relative ability to act as mechanophores. In this work, we elucidate polymerization methodologies towards main-chain ruthenocene-based polymers and explore the mechanochemistry of ruthenocene. We find that ruthenocene, in analogy to ferrocene, acts as a highly selective site of main …

Short-Term Effect Of Simulated Salt Marsh Restoration By Sand-Amendment On Sediment Bacterial Communities, François Thomas, James T. Morris, Cathleen Wigand, Stefan M. Sievert

Faculty Publications

Coastal climate adaptation strategies are needed to build salt marsh resiliency and maintain critical ecosystem services in response to impacts caused by climate change. Although resident microbial communities perform crucial biogeochemical cycles for salt marsh functioning, their response to restoration practices is still understudied. One promising restoration strategy is the placement of sand or sediment onto the marsh platform to increase marsh resiliency. A previous study examined the above- and below-ground structure, soil carbon dioxide emissions, and pore water constituents in Spartina alterniflora-vegetated natural marsh sediments and sand-amended sediments at varying inundation regimes. Here, we analyzed samples from the …

Short-Term Effect Of Simulated Salt Marsh Restoration By Sand-Amendment On Sediment Bacterial Communities, François Thomas, James T. Morris, Cathleen Wigand, Stefan M. Sievert

Faculty Publications

Coastal climate adaptation strategies are needed to build salt marsh resiliency and maintain critical ecosystem services in response to impacts caused by climate change. Although resident microbial communities perform crucial biogeochemical cycles for salt marsh functioning, their response to restoration practices is still understudied. One promising restoration strategy is the placement of sand or sediment onto the marsh platform to increase marsh resiliency. A previous study examined the above- and below-ground structure, soil carbon dioxide emissions, and pore water constituents in Spartina alterniflora-vegetated natural marsh sediments and sand-amended sediments at varying inundation regimes. Here, we analyzed samples from the …

Low Molecular Weight Fluorescent Probes (Lmfps) To Detect The Group 12 Metal Triad, Ashley D. Johnson, Rose M. Curtis, Karl J. Wallace

Faculty Publications

Fluorescence sensing, of d-block elements such as Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺, Fe²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, and Zn²⁺ has significantly increased since the beginning of the 21st century. These particular metal ions play essential roles in biological, industrial, and environmental applications, therefore, there has been a drive to measure, detect, and remediate these metal ions. We have chosen to highlight the low molecular weight fluorescent probes (LMFPs) that undergo an optical response upon coordination with the group 12 triad (Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Hg²⁺), as these metals have …

Lightcpg: A Multi-View Cpg Sites Detection On Single-Cell Whole Genome Sequence Data, Limin Jiang, Chongqing Wang, Jijun Tang, Fei Gu

Faculty Publications

Background DNA methylation plays an important role in multiple biological processes that are closely related to human health. The study of DNA methylation can provide an insight into the mechanism behind human health and can also have a positive effect on the assessment of human health status. However, the available sequencing technology is limited by incomplete CpG coverage. Therefore, it is crucial to discover an efficient and convenient method capable of distinguishing between the states of CpG sites. Previous studies focused on identifying methylation states of the CpG sites in single cell, which only evaluated sequence information or structural information. …

Stimulation Of Heat Shock Protein 90 Chaperone Function Through Binding Of A Novobiocin Analog Ku-32, Bhaskar K. Chatterjee, Abhilash Jayaraj, Vinay Kumar, Brian Blagg, Rachel E. Davis, B Jayaram, Shashank Deep, Tapan K. Chaudhuri

Faculty Publications

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a eukaryotic chaperone responsible for the folding and functional activation of numerous client proteins, many of which are oncoproteins. Thus, Hsp90 inhibition has been intensely pursued, resulting in the development of many potential Hsp90 inhibitors, not all of which are well-characterized. Hsp90 inhibitors not only abrogate its chaperone functions, but also could help us gain insight into the structure-function relationship of this chaperone. Here, using biochemical and cell-based assays along with isothermal titration calorimetry, we investigate KU-32, a derivative of the Hsp90 inhibitor novobiocin (NB), for its ability to modulate Hsp90 chaperone function. Although …

Directed Pore Uptake And Phase Separation Of Surfactant Solutions Under Confinement, Yao Wu, Yingzhen Ma, Lilin He, Gernot Rother, William A. Shelton, Bhuvnesh Bharti

Faculty Publications

The ability of a porous material to uptake and release molecules is determined by the thermodynamic state of preadsorbed surfactants in pore space. However, the effect of spatial confinement on the thermodynamic state of the surfactants is poorly understood. In this study, we use a combination of small-angle neutron scattering experiments and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to develop a better understanding of the effect of confinement on self-assembly and temperature-induced liquid-liquid phase separation of surfactant solutions. Here, we study the demixing of a model nonionic surfactant triethyleneglycol monohexyl ether (C6E3) in tubular nanopores of the SBA-15 silica material (pore diameter …

An Underground Radio Wave Propagation Prediction Model For Digital Agriculture, Abdul Salam

Faculty Publications

Underground sensing and propagation of Signals in the Soil (SitS) medium is an electromagnetic issue. The path loss prediction with higher accuracy is an open research subject in digital agriculture monitoring applications for sensing and communications. The statistical data are predominantly derived from site-specific empirical measurements, which is considered an impediment to universal application. Nevertheless, in the existing literature, statistical approaches have been applied to the SitS channel modeling, where impulse response analysis and the Friis open space transmission formula are employed as the channel modeling tool in different soil types under varying soil moisture conditions at diverse communication distances …

Reef Rover: A Low-Cost Small Autonomous Unmanned Surface Vehicle (Usv) For Mapping And Monitoring Coral Reefs, George Raber, Steven R. Schill

Faculty Publications

In the effort to design a more repeatable and consistent platform to collect data for Structure from Motion (SfM) monitoring of coral reefs and other benthic habitats, we explore the use of recent advances in open source Global Positioning System (GPS)-guided drone technology to design and test a low-cost and transportable small unmanned surface vehicle (sUSV). The vehicle operates using Ardupilot open source software and can be used by local scientists and marine managers to map and monitor marine environments in shallow areas (<20>m) with commensurate visibility. The imaging system uses two Sony a6300 mirrorless cameras to collect stereo …

Earth History And The Passerine Superradiation, Carl H. Oliveros, Daniel J. Field, Daniel T. Ksepka, F. Keith Barker, Alexandre Aleixo, Michael J. Andersen, Per Alström, Brett W. Benz, Edward L. Braun, Michael J. Braun, Gustavo A. Bravo, Robb T. Brumfield, R. Terry Chesser, Santiago Claramunt, Joel Cracraft, Andrés M. Cuervo, Elizabeth P. Derryberry, Travis C. Glenn, Michael G. Harvey, Peter A. Hosner, Leo Joseph, Rebecca T. Kimball, Andrew L. Mack, Colin M. Miskelly, A. Townsend Peterson, Mark B. Robbins, Frederick H. Sheldon, Luís Fábio Silveira, Brian Tilston Smith, Noor D. White, Robert G. Moyle, Brant C. Faircloth

Faculty Publications

© 2019 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Avian diversification has been influenced by global climate change, plate tectonic movements, and mass extinction events. However, the impact of these factors on the diversification of the hyperdiverse perching birds (passerines) is unclear because family level relationships are unresolved and the timing of splitting events among lineages is uncertain. We analyzed DNA data from 4,060 nuclear loci and 137 passerine families using concatenation and coalescent approaches to infer a comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis that clarifies relationships among all passerine families. Then, we calibrated this phylogeny using 13 fossils to examine the effects …

Enhanced Memory For Fair-Related Faces And The Role Of Trait Anxiety, Gewnhi Park, Benjamin U. Marsh, Elisha J. Johnson

Faculty Publications

The current research examined whether fair consideration—a social norm that people inherently prefer to confirm—would modulate face recognition. Each neutral face was associated with fair or unfair offers via an economic decision task, the Ultimatum Game (UG) task. After the UG, participants were asked to identify the faces of proposers who made different offers. Enhanced memory was observed for fair-related compared to unfair-related faces. Furthermore, high trait anxiety was associated with reduced memory for fair-related faces. These results were further confirmed by signal detection theory. The current research provided initial evidence that people showed enhanced memory for faces that made …

Siah2 Modulates Sex-Dependent Metabolic And Inflammatory Responses In Adipose Tissue To A High-Fat Diet Challenge, Sujoy Ghosh, Jessica L. Taylor, Tamra M. Mendoza, Thanh Dang, David H. Burk, Yongmei Yu, Gail Kilroy, Z. Elizabeth Floyd

Faculty Publications

© 2019 The Author(s). Background: The obesity-related risk of developing metabolic syndrome is higher in males than in females of reproductive age, likely due to estrogen-mediated reduced adipose tissue inflammation and fibrosis with hypertrophied adipocytes. Depletion of the ubiquitin ligase Siah2 reduced white adipose tissue inflammation and improved glucose metabolism in obese male mice. Siah2 is a transcriptional target of estrogen, but data is lacking about the effect of Siah2 on adipose tissue of females. We therefore evaluated the impact of Siah2 deficiency on white and brown adipose tissue in females of reproductive age. Methods: Body composition, adipose tissue morphology, …

Mass-Transfer Driven Spinodal Decomposition In A Ternary Polymer Solution, Douglas R. Tree, Lucas F. Dos Santos, Caden B. Wilson, Timothy R. Scott, Jan Ulric Garcia, Glenn H. Fredrickson

Faculty Publications

Nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) is a widely occuring process used in industrial membrane production, nanotechnology and Nature to produce microstructured polymer materials. A variety of process-dependent morphologies are produced when a polymer solution is exposed to a nonsolvent that, following a period where mass is exchanged, precipitates and solidifies the polymer. Despite years of investigation, both experimental and theoretical, many questions surround the pathways to the microstructures that NIPS can produce. Here, we provide simulation results from a model that simultaneously captures both the processess of solvent/nonsolvent exchange and phase separation. We show that the time it takes the …

An Atlas-Based Method To Predict Three-Dimensional Dose Distributions For Cancer Patients Who Receive Radiotherapy, S. A. Yoganathan, Rui Zhang

Faculty Publications

Due to the complexity of advanced radiotherapy techniques, treatment planning process is usually time consuming and plan quality can vary considerably among planners and institutions. It is also impractical to generate all possible treatment plans based on available radiotherapy techniques and select the best option for a specific patient. Automatic dose prediction will be very helpful in these situations, while there were a few studies of three-dimensional (3D) dose prediction for patients who received radiotherapy. The purpose of this work was to develop a novel atlas-based method to predict 3D dose prediction and to evaluate its performance. Previously treated nineteen …

The Inflammatory Potential Of Diet In Determining Cancer Risk; A Prospective Investigation Of Two Dietary Pattern Scores, Stina Bodén, Robin Myte, Maria Wennberg, Sophia Harlid, Ingegerd Johansson, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert, Bethany Van Guelpen, Lena Maria Nilsson

Faculty Publications

Purpose Inflammation-related mechanisms may contribute to the link between diet and cancer. We sought to investigate the inflammatory impact of diet on cancer risk using the Dietary inflammatory index (DII) and an adapted Mediterranean diet score (MDS).

Methods This population-based, prospective cohort study used self-reported dietary data from the Västerbotten Intervention Programme, including 100,881 participants, of whom 35,393 had repeated measures. Associations between dietary patterns and cancer risk were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression. We also used restricted cubic splines to test for potential non-linear associations.

Results A total of 9,250 incident cancer cases were diagnosed during a median …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Evaluation Of Near-Ir Boron Dipyrromethene Bioconjugates For Labeling Of Adenocarcinomas By Selectively Targeting The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor, Nichole E.M. Kaufman, Qianli Meng, Kaitlin E. Griffin, Sitanshu S. Singh, Achyut Dahal, Zehua Zhou, Frank R. Fronczek, J. Michael Mathis, Seetharama D. Jois, M. Graça H. Vicente

Faculty Publications

Copyright © 2019 American Chemical Society. A series of five boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) bioconjugates containing an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted pegylated LARLLT peptide and/or a glucose or biotin ethylene diamine group were synthesized, and the binding capability of the new conjugates to the extracellular domain of EGFR was investigated using molecular modeling, surface plasmon resonance, fluorescence microscopy, competitive binding assays, and animal studies. The BODIPY conjugates with a LARLLT peptide were found to bind specifically to EGFR, whereas those lacking the peptide bound weakly and nonspecifically. All BODIPY conjugates showed low cytotoxicity (IC50 > 94 μM) in HT-29 cells, both …

Ecological Mechanisms Can Modify Radiation Effects In A Key Forest Mammal Of Chernobyl, Tapio Mappes, Zbyszek Boratynski, Kati Kivisaari, Anton Lavrinienko, Anders P. Moller, Eugene Tukalenko, Phillip C. Watts

Faculty Publications

Nuclear accidents underpin the need to quantify the ecological mechanisms which determineinjury to ecosystems from chronic low-dose radiation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that ecological mech-anisms interact with ionizing radiation to affect natural populations in unexpected ways. We used large-scale replicated experiments and food manipulations in wild populations of the rodent, Myodes glareolus,inhabiting the region near the site of the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. We show linear decreases in breedingsuccess with increasing ambient radiation levels with no evidence of any threshold below which effects arenot seen. Food supplementation of experimental populations resulted in increased abundances but only inlocations where radioactive …

Algal-Mediated Priming Effects On The Ecological Stoichiometry Of Leaf Litter Decomposition: A Meta-Analysis, Halvor M. Halvorson, Steven N. Francoeur, Robert H. Findlay, Kevin A. Kuehn

Faculty Publications

In aquatic settings, periphytic algae exude labile carbon (C) that can significantly suppress or stimulate heterotrophic decomposition of recalcitrant C via priming effects. The magnitude and direction of priming effects may depend on the availability and stoichiometry of nutrients like nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), which can constrain algal and heterotrophic activity; in turn, priming may affect heterotrophic acquisition not only of recalcitrant C, but also N and P. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of algal-mediated priming across leaf litter decomposition experiments to investigate (1) bottom-up controls on priming intensity by dissolved N and P concentrations, and (2) …

Anisotropy Vs Isotropy In Living Cell Indentation With Afm, Yuri M. Efremov, Mirian Velay-Lizancos, Cory J. Weaver, Ahmad I. Athamneh, Pablo D. Zavattieri, Daniel M. Suter, Arvind Raman

Faculty Publications

The measurement of local mechanical properties of living cells by nano/micro indentation relies on the foundational assumption of locally isotropic cellular deformation. As a consequence of assumed isotropy, the cell membrane and underlying cytoskeleton are expected to locally deform axisymmetrically when indented by a spherical tip. Here, we directly observe the local geometry of deformation of membrane and cytoskeleton of different living adherent cells during nanoindentation with the integrated Atomic Force (AFM) and spinning disk confocal (SDC) microscope. We show that the presence of the perinuclear actin cap (apical stress fibers), such as those encountered in cells subject to physiological …

An Overview Of Rice Qtls Associated With Disease Resistance To Three Major Rice Diseases: Blast, Sheath Blight, And Bacterial Panicle Blight, Seyedeh Soheila Zarbafi, Jong Hyun Ham

Faculty Publications

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important crops that are produced as human food, directly feeding people more than any other crop. Hence, it is important to increase the yield potential of rice through improving the disease resistance to prevailing rice diseases. Blast caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, sheath blight caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, and bacterial panicle blight caused by the bacteria Burkholderia glumae and B. gladioli are serious rice diseases in many rice-producing regions. In spite of the chronic damages from these major diseases, the quantitative resistance to each of them is …

Mycoprotein: The Future Of Nutritious Nonmeat Protein, A Symposium Review, Tim Finnigan, Benjamin Wall, Peter Wilde, Francis Stephens, Steve Taylor, Marjorie Freedman

Faculty Publications

Mycoprotein is an alternative, nutritious protein source with a meat-like texture made from Fusarium venenatum, a naturally occurring fungus. Its unique method of production yields a significantly reduced carbon and water footprint relative to beef and chicken. Mycoprotein, sold as Quorn, is consumed in 17 countries, including the United States. In line with current dietary guidelines, mycoprotein is high in protein and fiber, and low in fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar. Mycoprotein may help maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels, promote muscle synthesis, control glucose and insulin levels, and increase satiety. It is possible that some susceptible consumers will become …

In Situ Observations Of Fish Larvae Encased Within A Pelagic Gelatinous Matrix, Adam T. Greer, Luciano M. Chiaverano, James G. Ditty, Frank J. Hernandez

Faculty Publications

The degree to which marine fish larvae aggregate (i.e. patchiness) is predominantly determined by the physical oceanographic environment. Biological traits, however, can also influence spatial distributions and have adaptive value for larvae (e.g. favorable transport or reducing predation mortality). Although several fish families are known to release eggs within a gelatinous matrix, hatched larvae have not been found inside this type of structure. We present observations of hatched, preflexion yolk-sac larvae encased within a pelagic gelatinous matrix (mass). Two different masses (40-60 mm in length) containing free swimming, elongate larvae were imaged in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) near …

Linking Water Quality To Aedes Aegypti And Zika In Flood-Prone Neighborhoods, Rebeca De Jesus Crespo

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Plasticity, Technicity, Writing, Deborah Goldgaber

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Flowering, Drought, And Disease Tolerance, And Landscape Performance Of Landscape Rose Grown Under Low-Input Conditions In North Central Texas, Derald A. Harp, Gaye Hammond, David C. Zlesak, Greg Church, Mark Chamblee, Steve George

Faculty Publications

Landscaping today involves the struggle to balance aesthetically pleasing plants while minimizing the impact on the environment, reducing water usage, decreasing fertilizer use, and eliminating or significantly reducing pesticide usage. Roses (Rosa sp.), although seen as challenging plants, remain the most popular flowering shrub in the United States. The identification of new cultivars that combine beauty, pest and disease resistance, and drought tolerance are important to Texas landscapes. Sixty roses were assessed over a 3-year period to determine flowering, drought tolerance, disease resistance, and overall landscape performance in minimal-input gardens in north central Texas. Atypical weather during the study …

Intraspecific Variation In A Dominant Prey Species Can Bias Marine Predator Dietary Estimates Derived From Stable Isotope Analysis, Michael J. Polito, Wayne Z. Trivelpiece, Christian S. Reiss, Susan G. Trivelpiece, Jefferson T. Hinke, William P. Patterson, Steven D. Emslie

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A 5‑Lipoxygenase-Specific Sequence Motif Impedes Enzyme Activity And Confers Dependence On A Partner Protein, Erin E. Schexnaydre, Jana Gerstmeier, Ulrike Garscha, Paul M. Jordan, Oliver Werz, Marcia E. Newcomer

Faculty Publications

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Leukotrienes (LT) are lipid mediators of the inflammatory response that play key roles in diseases such as asthma and atherosclerosis. The precursor leukotriene A 4 (LTA 4 ) is synthesized from arachidonic acid (AA) by 5‑lipoxygenase (5-LOX), a membrane-associated enzyme, with the help of 5‑lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP), a nuclear transmembrane protein. In lipoxygenases the main chain carboxylate of the C-terminus is a ligand for the non-heme iron and thus part of the catalytic center. We investigated the role of a lysine-rich sequence (KKK 653–655 ) 20 amino acids upstream of the C-terminus unique to 5-LOX that …

Rapid Plant Diversification In The Andes Does Not Require Flowers, Laura P. Lagomarsino

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Amplification Dynamics Of Platy-1 Retrotransposons In The Cebidae Platyrrhine Lineage, Jessica M. Storer, Jackson R. Mierl, Sarah A. Brantley, Breanna Threeton, Yahor Sukharutski, Lydia C. Rewerts, Corey P. St Romain, Madeline M. Foreman, Jasmine N. Baker, Jerilyn A. Walker, Joseph D. Orkin, Amanda D. Melin, Kimberley A. Phillips, Miriam K. Konkel, Mark A. Batzer

Faculty Publications

© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. Platy-1 elements are Platyrrhine-specific, short interspersed elements originally discovered in the Callithrix jacchus (common marmoset) genome. To date,only themarmoset genomehas been analyzed for Platy-1 repeat content.Here,we report full-length Platy-1 insertions in other NewWorld monkey (NWM) genomes (Saimiri boliviensis, squirrel monkey; Cebus imitator, capuchin monkey; and Aotus nancymaae, owl monkey) and analyze the amplification dynamics of lineage-specific Platy-1 insertions. A relatively small number of full-length and lineage-specific Platy-1 elements were found in the squirrel, capuchin, and owl monkey genomes compared with the …