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Using Height-For-Age Differences (Had) Instead Of Height-For-Age Z-Scores (Haz) For The Meaningful Measurement Of Population-Level Catch-Up In Linear Growth In Children Less Than 5 Years Of Age, Jef L. Leroy, Marie Ruel, Jean-Pierre Habicht, Edward A. Frongillo Jr. Oct 2015

Using Height-For-Age Differences (Had) Instead Of Height-For-Age Z-Scores (Haz) For The Meaningful Measurement Of Population-Level Catch-Up In Linear Growth In Children Less Than 5 Years Of Age, Jef L. Leroy, Marie Ruel, Jean-Pierre Habicht, Edward A. Frongillo Jr.

Faculty Publications

Background: Evidence from studies conducted in nutritionally deprived children in low- and middle-income countries (LIMC) in past decades showed little or no population-level catch-up in linear growth (mostly defined as reductions in the absolute height deficit) after 2 years of age. Recent studies, however, have reported population-level catch-up growth in children, defined as positive changes in mean height-for-age z-scores (HAZ). The aim of this paper was to assess whether population-level catch-up in linear growth is found when height-for-age difference (HAD: child’s height compared to standard, expressed in centimeters) is used instead of HAZ. Our premise is that HAZ is inappropriate …

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Effects Of Oil-Contaminated Sediments On Submerged Vegetation: An Experimental Assessment Of Ruppia Maritima, Charles W. Martin, Lauris O. Hollis, R. Eugene Turner Oct 2015

Effects Of Oil-Contaminated Sediments On Submerged Vegetation: An Experimental Assessment Of Ruppia Maritima, Charles W. Martin, Lauris O. Hollis, R. Eugene Turner

Faculty Publications

Oil spills threaten the productivity of ecosystems through the degradation of coastal flora and the ecosystem services these plants provide. While lab and field investigations have quantified the response of numerous species of emergent vegetation to oil, the effects on submerged vegetation remain uncertain. Here, we discuss the implications of oil exposure for Ruppia maritima, one of the most common species of submerged vegetation found in the region affected by the recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We grew R. maritima in a range of manipulated sediment oil concentrations: 0, 0.26, 0.53, and 1.05 mL oil /L tank volume, and tracked …

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Genetics, Synergists, And Age Affect Insecticide Sensitivity Of The Honey Bee, Apis Mellifera, Frank D. Rinkevich, Joseph W. Margotta, Jean M. Pittman, Robert G. Danka, Matthew R. Tarver, James A. Ottea, Kristen B. Healy Oct 2015

Genetics, Synergists, And Age Affect Insecticide Sensitivity Of The Honey Bee, Apis Mellifera, Frank D. Rinkevich, Joseph W. Margotta, Jean M. Pittman, Robert G. Danka, Matthew R. Tarver, James A. Ottea, Kristen B. Healy

Faculty Publications

The number of honey bee colonies in the United States has declined to half of its peak level in the 1940s, and colonies lost over the winter have reached levels that are becoming economically unstable. While the causes of these losses are numerous and the interaction between them is very complex, the role of insecticides has garnered much attention. As a result, there is a need to better understand the risk of insecticides to bees, leading to more studies on both toxicity and exposure. While much research has been conducted on insecticides and bees, there have been very limited studies …

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Interannual And Subdecadal Variability In The Nutrient Geochemistry Of The Cariaco Basin, Mary I. Scranton, Gordon T. Taylor, Robert Thunell, Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson, Frank Muller-Karger, Kent Fanning, Laura Lorenzoni, Enrique Montes, Ramon Varela, Yrene Astor Oct 2015

Interannual And Subdecadal Variability In The Nutrient Geochemistry Of The Cariaco Basin, Mary I. Scranton, Gordon T. Taylor, Robert Thunell, Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson, Frank Muller-Karger, Kent Fanning, Laura Lorenzoni, Enrique Montes, Ramon Varela, Yrene Astor

Faculty Publications

The CARIACO Ocean Time Series program has made monthly measurements of oxygen, nutrients, and carbon system parameters (∑CO2, alkalinity, pH) in the Cariaco Basin since 1996. At the same time, sediment traps have collected settling particles at four to five depths ranging from 150 to 1,200 m. The depth of the transition from oxic to anoxic conditions has fluctuated dramatically over the time series due to changes in the occurrence of Caribbean water intrusions into the deep basin. Nutrient concentrations in the deep basin have increased steadily with time in a proportion reflective of the elemental ratios in the settling …

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New Perspectives On An Iconic Landscape From Comparative International Long-Term Ecological Research, Evelyn E. Gaiser, Elizabeth P. Anderson, Edward Castañeda-Moya, Ligia Collado-Vides, James W.F. Ourqurean, Michael R. Heithaus, Rudolf Jaffé, David Lagomasino, Nicholas J. Oehm, Rene M. Price, Victor H. Rivera-Monroy, Rinku Roy Chowdhury, Tiffany G. Troxler Oct 2015

New Perspectives On An Iconic Landscape From Comparative International Long-Term Ecological Research, Evelyn E. Gaiser, Elizabeth P. Anderson, Edward Castañeda-Moya, Ligia Collado-Vides, James W.F. Ourqurean, Michael R. Heithaus, Rudolf Jaffé, David Lagomasino, Nicholas J. Oehm, Rene M. Price, Victor H. Rivera-Monroy, Rinku Roy Chowdhury, Tiffany G. Troxler

Faculty Publications

Iconic ecosystems like the Florida Coastal Everglades can serve as sentinels of environmental change from local to global scales. This characteristic can help inform general theory about how and why ecosystems transform, particularly if distinctive ecosystem properties are studied over long time scales and compared to those of similar ecosystems elsewhere. Here we review the ways in which long-term, comparative, international research has provided perspectives on iconic features of the Everglades that have, in turn, informed general ecosystem paradigms. Studies in other comparable wetlands from the Caribbean to Australia have shed light on distinctive and puzzling aspects such as the …

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The Mechanosensory Lateral Line Is Used To Assess Opponents And Mediate Aggressive Behaviors During Territorial Interactions In An African Cichlid Fish, Julie M. Butler, Karen P. Maruska Oct 2015

The Mechanosensory Lateral Line Is Used To Assess Opponents And Mediate Aggressive Behaviors During Territorial Interactions In An African Cichlid Fish, Julie M. Butler, Karen P. Maruska

Faculty Publications

© 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd. Fish must integrate information from multiple sensory systems to mediate adaptive behaviors. Visual, acoustic and chemosensory cues provide contextual information during social interactions, but the role of mechanosensory signals detected by the lateral line system during aggressive behaviors is unknown. The aim of this study was first to characterize the lateral line system of the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni and second to determine the role of mechanoreception during agonistic interactions. The A. burtoni lateral line system is similar to that of many other cichlid fishes, containing lines of superficial neuromasts …

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Phylogenetic Signals In Host-Parasite Associations For Neotropical Bats And Nearctic Desert Rodents, Steven J. Presley, Tad Dallas, Brian T. Klingbeil, Michael R. Willig Oct 2015

Phylogenetic Signals In Host-Parasite Associations For Neotropical Bats And Nearctic Desert Rodents, Steven J. Presley, Tad Dallas, Brian T. Klingbeil, Michael R. Willig

Faculty Publications

© 2015 The Linnean Society of London. Hosts and their parasites have strong ecological and evolutionary relationships, with hosts representing habitats and resources for parasites. In the present study, we use approaches developed to evaluate the statistical dependence of species trait values on phylogenetic relationships to determine whether host-parasite relationships (i.e. parasite infections) are contingent on host phylogeny. If host-parasite relationships are contingent on the ability of hosts to provide habitat or resources to parasites, and if host phylogeny is an effective surrogate for among-host variation in habitat and resource quality, host-parasite relationships should evince phylogenetic signals (i.e. be contingent …

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Host Promiscuity In Symbiont Associations Can Influence Exotic Legume Establishment And Colonization Of Novel Ranges, Metha M. Klock, Luke G. Barrett, Peter H. Thrall, Kyle E. Harms Oct 2015

Host Promiscuity In Symbiont Associations Can Influence Exotic Legume Establishment And Colonization Of Novel Ranges, Metha M. Klock, Luke G. Barrett, Peter H. Thrall, Kyle E. Harms

Faculty Publications

© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Aim: Invasive Acacia species have negatively impacted natural areas in multiple regions around the globe. Almost 400 Acacia species have been introduced outside their native ranges in Australia; approximately 6% have become invasive, 12% are naturalized, and 82% have no record of naturalization or invasion. This variation in invasiveness provides a comparative framework in which to examine mechanisms that either promote or constrain establishment and colonization of species in novel regions. Here, we experimentally examine the role that the legume-rhizobia symbiosis plays in the differential invasiveness of acacias introduced outside their native Australian …

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Knockdown Of Brm And Baf170, Components Of Chromatin Remodeling Complex, Facilitates Reprogramming Of Somatic Cells, Zongliang Jiang, Yong Tang, Xueming Zhao, Mingyuan Zhang, David M. Donovan, Xiuchun Cindy Tian Oct 2015

Knockdown Of Brm And Baf170, Components Of Chromatin Remodeling Complex, Facilitates Reprogramming Of Somatic Cells, Zongliang Jiang, Yong Tang, Xueming Zhao, Mingyuan Zhang, David M. Donovan, Xiuchun Cindy Tian

Faculty Publications

© Copyright 2015, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 2015. The SWI/SNF (SWItch/Sucrose NonFermentable or BAF, Brg/Brahma-associated factors) complexes are epigenetic modifiers of chromatin structure and undergo progressive changes in subunit composition during cellular differentiation. For example, in embryonic stem cells, esBAF contains Brg1 and Baf155, while their homologs, Brm and Baf170, are present in BAF of somatic cells. In this study, we sought to determine whether Brm and Baf170 play any roles in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) reprogramming by using shRNA-mediated knockdown studies in the mouse model. We found that knocking down Brm during early, mid, and late stages (days …

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Antarctic Microbial Mats: A Modern Analog For Archean Lacustrine Oxygen Oases, Dawn Y. Sumner, Ian Hawes, Tyler J. Mackey, Anne D. Jungblut, Peter T. Doran Oct 2015

Antarctic Microbial Mats: A Modern Analog For Archean Lacustrine Oxygen Oases, Dawn Y. Sumner, Ian Hawes, Tyler J. Mackey, Anne D. Jungblut, Peter T. Doran

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Geological Society of America. The evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis was the most important geochemical event in Earth history, causing the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) ~2.4 b.y. ago. However, evidence is mixed as to whether O2 production occurred locally as much as 2.8 b.y. ago, creating O2 oases, or initiated just prior to the GOE. The biogeochemical dynamics of possible O2 oases have been poorly constrained due to the absence of modern analogs. However, cyanobacteria in microbial mats in a perennially anoxic region of Lake Fryxell, Antarctica, create a 1-2 mm O2-containing layer in the upper mat during summer, …

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Genomic Approaches To Understanding Population Divergence And Speciation In Birds, David P.L. Toews, Leonardo Campagna, Scott A. Taylor, Christopher N. Balakrishnan, Daniel T. Baldassarre, Petra E. Deane-Coe, Michael G. Harvey, Daniel M. Hooper, Darren E. Irwin, Caroline D. Judy, Nicholas A. Mason, John E. Mccormack, Kevin G. Mccracken, Carl H. Oliveros, Rebecca J. Safran, Elizabeth S.C. Scordato, Katherine Faust Stryjewski, Anna Tigano, J. Albert C. Uy, Benjamin M. Winger Oct 2015

Genomic Approaches To Understanding Population Divergence And Speciation In Birds, David P.L. Toews, Leonardo Campagna, Scott A. Taylor, Christopher N. Balakrishnan, Daniel T. Baldassarre, Petra E. Deane-Coe, Michael G. Harvey, Daniel M. Hooper, Darren E. Irwin, Caroline D. Judy, Nicholas A. Mason, John E. Mccormack, Kevin G. Mccracken, Carl H. Oliveros, Rebecca J. Safran, Elizabeth S.C. Scordato, Katherine Faust Stryjewski, Anna Tigano, J. Albert C. Uy, Benjamin M. Winger

Faculty Publications

© 2016 American Ornithologists' Union. The widespread application of high-throughput sequencing in studying evolutionary processes and patterns of diversification has led to many important discoveries. However, the barriers to utilizing these technologies and interpreting the resulting data can be daunting for first-time users. We provide an overview and a brief primer of relevant methods (e.g., whole-genome sequencing, reduced-representation sequencing, sequence-capture methods, and RNA sequencing), as well as important steps in the analysis pipelines (e.g., loci clustering, variant calling, whole-genome and transcriptome assembly). We also review a number of applications in which researchers have used these technologies to address questions related …

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Geauxdock: A Novel Approach For Mixed-Resolution Ligand Docking Using A Descriptor-Based Force Field, Yun Ding, Ye Fang, Wei P. Feinstein, Jagannathan Ramanujam, David M. Koppelman, Juana Moreno, Michal Brylinski, Mark Jarrell Oct 2015

Geauxdock: A Novel Approach For Mixed-Resolution Ligand Docking Using A Descriptor-Based Force Field, Yun Ding, Ye Fang, Wei P. Feinstein, Jagannathan Ramanujam, David M. Koppelman, Juana Moreno, Michal Brylinski, Mark Jarrell

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Molecular docking is an important component of computer-aided drug discovery. In this communication, we describe GeauxDock, a new docking approach that builds on the ideas of ligand homology modeling. GeauxDock features a descriptor-based scoring function integrating evolutionary constraints with physics-based energy terms, a mixed-resolution molecular representation of protein-ligand complexes, and an efficient Monte Carlo sampling protocol. To drive docking simulations toward experimental conformations, the scoring function was carefully optimized to produce a correlation between the total pseudoenergy and the native-likeness of binding poses. Indeed, benchmarking calculations demonstrate that GeauxDock has a strong capacity to identify …

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An Insight Into The Functional Role Of Thioredoxin Reductase, A Selenoprotein, In Maintaining Normal Native Microbiota In The Gulf Coast Tick (Ambylomma Maculatum), Khemraj Budachetri, Shahid Karim Oct 2015

An Insight Into The Functional Role Of Thioredoxin Reductase, A Selenoprotein, In Maintaining Normal Native Microbiota In The Gulf Coast Tick (Ambylomma Maculatum), Khemraj Budachetri, Shahid Karim

Faculty Publications

Tick selenoproteins have been associated with antioxidant activity in ticks. Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), also a selenoprotein, belongs to the pyridine nucleotide‐disulphide oxidoreductase family of proteins and is an important antioxidant. Molecular interactions between native microbiota and tick hosts have barely been investigated to date. In this study, we determined the functional role of TrxR in tick feeding and in maintenance of the native microbial community. TrxR transcript levels remained high and microbial load was reduced throughout tick attachment to the vertebrate host. RNA interference (RNAi) showed that depletion of TrxR activity did not interfere with tick haematophagy or phenotype but …

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#Aulivewholly, Patricia Spangler Oct 2015

#Aulivewholly, Patricia Spangler

Faculty Publications

Andrews University officially launched its new University Health & Wellness initiative on Wednesday, September 23. The initiative will integrate five deeply connected pillars: physical, spiritual, mental, relational and professional wellness, but mainly focus on physical health and wellness to address the gaps that have been identified.

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Evolutionary And Ecological Characterization Of Mayaro Virus Strains Isolated During An Outbreak, Venezuela, 2010, Albert J. Auguste, Jonathan Liria, Naomi L. Forrester, Dileyvic Giambalvo, Moncada Maria, Kanya C. Long, Dulce Morón, Nuris De Manzione, Robert B. Tesh, Eric S. Halsey, Tadeusz J. Kochel, Rosa Hernandez, Juan-Carlos Navarro, Scott C. Weaver Oct 2015

Evolutionary And Ecological Characterization Of Mayaro Virus Strains Isolated During An Outbreak, Venezuela, 2010, Albert J. Auguste, Jonathan Liria, Naomi L. Forrester, Dileyvic Giambalvo, Moncada Maria, Kanya C. Long, Dulce Morón, Nuris De Manzione, Robert B. Tesh, Eric S. Halsey, Tadeusz J. Kochel, Rosa Hernandez, Juan-Carlos Navarro, Scott C. Weaver

Faculty Publications

In 2010, an outbreak of febrile illness with arthralgic manifestations was detected at La Estación village, Portuguesa State, Venezuela. The etiologic agent was determined to be Mayaro virus (MAYV), a reemerging South American alphavirus. A total of 77 cases was reported and 19 were confirmed as seropositive. MAYV was isolated from acute-phase serum samples from 6 symptomatic patients. We sequenced 27 complete genomes representing the full spectrum of MAYV genetic diversity, which facilitated detection of a new genotype, designated N. Phylogenetic analysis of genomic sequences indicated that etiologic strains from Venezuela belong to genotype D. Results indicate that MAYV is …

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An Integrated Map Of Structural Variation In 2,504 Human Genomes, Peter H. Sudmant, Tobias Rausch, Eugene J. Gardner, Robert E. Handsaker, Alexej Abyzov, John Huddleston, Yan Zhang, Kai Ye, Goo Jun, Markus His Yang Fritz, Miriam K. Konkel, Ankit Malhotra, Adrian M. Stütz, Xinghua Shi, Francesco Paolo Casale, Jieming Chen, Fereydoun Hormozdiari, Gargi Dayama, Ken Chen, Maika Malig, Mark J.P. Chaisson, Klaudia Walter, Sascha Meiers, Seva Kashin, Erik Garrison, Adam Auton, Hugo Y.K. Lam, Xinmeng Jasmine Mu, Can Alkan, Danny Antaki, Taejeong Bae, Eliza Cerveira, Peter Chines, Zechen Chong Sep 2015

An Integrated Map Of Structural Variation In 2,504 Human Genomes, Peter H. Sudmant, Tobias Rausch, Eugene J. Gardner, Robert E. Handsaker, Alexej Abyzov, John Huddleston, Yan Zhang, Kai Ye, Goo Jun, Markus His Yang Fritz, Miriam K. Konkel, Ankit Malhotra, Adrian M. Stütz, Xinghua Shi, Francesco Paolo Casale, Jieming Chen, Fereydoun Hormozdiari, Gargi Dayama, Ken Chen, Maika Malig, Mark J.P. Chaisson, Klaudia Walter, Sascha Meiers, Seva Kashin, Erik Garrison, Adam Auton, Hugo Y.K. Lam, Xinmeng Jasmine Mu, Can Alkan, Danny Antaki, Taejeong Bae, Eliza Cerveira, Peter Chines, Zechen Chong

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. Structural variants are implicated in numerous diseases and make up the majority of varying nucleotides among human genomes. Here we describe an integrated set of eight structural variant classes comprising both balanced and unbalanced variants, which we constructed using short-read DNA sequencing data and statistically phased onto haplotype blocks in 26 human populations. Analysing this set, we identify numerous gene-intersecting structural variants exhibiting population stratification and describe naturally occurring homozygous gene knockouts that suggest the dispensability of a variety of human genes. We demonstrate that structural variants are enriched on haplotypes identified …

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Ecological Networks In Stored Grain: Key Postharvest Nodes For Emerging Pests, Pathogens, And Mycotoxins, John F. Hernandez Nopsa, Gregory J. Daglish, David W. Hagstrum, John F. Leslie, Thomas W. Phillips, Caterina Scoglio, Sara Thomas-Sharma, Gimme H. Walter, Karen A. Garrett Sep 2015

Ecological Networks In Stored Grain: Key Postharvest Nodes For Emerging Pests, Pathogens, And Mycotoxins, John F. Hernandez Nopsa, Gregory J. Daglish, David W. Hagstrum, John F. Leslie, Thomas W. Phillips, Caterina Scoglio, Sara Thomas-Sharma, Gimme H. Walter, Karen A. Garrett

Faculty Publications

Wheat is at peak quality soon after harvest. Subsequently, diverse biota use wheat as a resource in storage, including insects and mycotoxin-producing fungi. Transportation networks for stored grain are crucial to food security and provide a model system for an analysis of the population structure, evolution, and dispersal of biota in networks. We evaluated the structure of rail networks for grain transport in the United States and Eastern Australia to identify the shortest paths for the anthropogenic dispersal of pests and mycotoxins, as well as the major sources, sinks, and bridges for movement. We found important differences in the risk …

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A Global Reference For Human Genetic Variation, Adam Auton, Gonçalo R. Abecasis, David M. Altshuler, Richard M. Durbin, David R. Bentley, Aravinda Chakravarti, Andrew G. Clark, Peter Donnelly, Evan E. Eichler, Paul Flicek, Stacey B. Gabriel, Richard A. Gibbs, Eric D. Green, Matthew E. Hurles, Bartha M. Knoppers, Jan O. Korbel, Eric S. Lander, Charles Lee, Hans Lehrach, Elaine R. Mardis, Gabor T. Marth, Gil A. Mcvean, Deborah A. Nickerson, Jeanette P. Schmidt, Stephen T. Sherry, Jun Wang, Richard K. Wilson, Eric Boerwinkle, Harsha Doddapaneni, Yi Han, Viktoriya Korchina, Christie Kovar, Sandra Lee, Donna Muzny Sep 2015

A Global Reference For Human Genetic Variation, Adam Auton, Gonçalo R. Abecasis, David M. Altshuler, Richard M. Durbin, David R. Bentley, Aravinda Chakravarti, Andrew G. Clark, Peter Donnelly, Evan E. Eichler, Paul Flicek, Stacey B. Gabriel, Richard A. Gibbs, Eric D. Green, Matthew E. Hurles, Bartha M. Knoppers, Jan O. Korbel, Eric S. Lander, Charles Lee, Hans Lehrach, Elaine R. Mardis, Gabor T. Marth, Gil A. Mcvean, Deborah A. Nickerson, Jeanette P. Schmidt, Stephen T. Sherry, Jun Wang, Richard K. Wilson, Eric Boerwinkle, Harsha Doddapaneni, Yi Han, Viktoriya Korchina, Christie Kovar, Sandra Lee, Donna Muzny

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. The 1000 Genomes Project set out to provide a comprehensive description of common human genetic variation by applying whole-genome sequencing to a diverse set of individuals from multiple populations. Here we report completion of the project, having reconstructed the genomes of 2,504 individuals from 26 populations using a combination of low-coverage whole-genome sequencing, deep exome sequencing, and dense microarray genotyping. We characterized a broad spectrum of genetic variation, in total over 88 million variants (84.7 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 3.6 million short insertions/deletions (indels), and 60,000 structural variants), all phased onto …

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Longitudinal Bidirectional Relations Between Adolescents’ Sympathy And Prosocial Behavior, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Gustavo Carlo, Matthew G. Nielson Sep 2015

Longitudinal Bidirectional Relations Between Adolescents’ Sympathy And Prosocial Behavior, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Gustavo Carlo, Matthew G. Nielson

Faculty Publications

Despite the importance of understanding sympathy and prosocial behaviors, research on the development of these tendencies in adolescence remains relatively sparse. In the present study, we examined age trends and bidirectional longitudinal relations in sympathy and prosocial behaviors across early to middle adolescents. Participants were 500 12-year-olds at Time 1 (52% girls, 70% European American) who completed measures of sympathy and prosocial behaviors at 5 different time points, each approximately 1 year apart. Results showed significant bidirectional relations between sympathy and prosocial behaviors across all time points, and an initial decrease of prosocial behaviors followed by an increase into middle …

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Evidence For The Convergence Model: The Emergence Of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5n1) In Viet Nam, Sumeet Saksena, Jefferson Fox, Michael Epprecht, Chinh C. Tran, Duong H. Nong, James H. Spencer, Lam Nguyen, Melissa L. Finucane, Vien D. Tran, Bruce A. Wilcox Sep 2015

Evidence For The Convergence Model: The Emergence Of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5n1) In Viet Nam, Sumeet Saksena, Jefferson Fox, Michael Epprecht, Chinh C. Tran, Duong H. Nong, James H. Spencer, Lam Nguyen, Melissa L. Finucane, Vien D. Tran, Bruce A. Wilcox

Faculty Publications

Building on a series of ground breaking reviews that first defined and drew attention to emerging infectious diseases (EID), the 'convergence model' was proposed to explain the multifactorial causality of disease emergence. The model broadly hypothesizes disease emergence is driven by the co-incidence of genetic, physical environmental, ecological, and social factors. We developed and tested a model of the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 based on suspected convergence factors that are mainly associated with land-use change. Building on previous geospatial statistical studies that identified natural and human risk factors associated with urbanization, we added new factors to …

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Addressing Parental Vaccination Questions In The School Setting: An Integrative Literature Review, Karlen Beth Luthy, Jana Burningham, Lacey M. Eden, Janelle L B Macintosh, Renea L. Beckstrand Sep 2015

Addressing Parental Vaccination Questions In The School Setting: An Integrative Literature Review, Karlen Beth Luthy, Jana Burningham, Lacey M. Eden, Janelle L B Macintosh, Renea L. Beckstrand

Faculty Publications

School nurses work in a unique environment with key opportunities to address parental concerns and questions regarding their child’s health. A common concern for parents during school enrollment is childhood vaccination safety and efficacy. As public health leaders, school nurses are well respected among parents, therefore school nurses are in a prime position to educate parents and promote childhood vaccinations while also dispelling common vaccination myths. The purpose of this integrative literature review is to synthesize evidence-based answers to common parental questions regarding childhood vaccinations.

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Influence Of Solvent On Poly(2-(Dimethylamino)Ethyl Methacrylate) Dynamics In Polymer-Concentrated Mixtures: A Combined Neutron Scattering, Dielectric Spectroscopy, And Calorimetric Study, Guido Goracci, Arantxa Arbe, Angel Alegría, Victoria García Sakai, Svemir Rudić, Gerald J. Schneider, Wiebke Lohstroh, Fanni Juranyi, Juan Colmenero Sep 2015

Influence Of Solvent On Poly(2-(Dimethylamino)Ethyl Methacrylate) Dynamics In Polymer-Concentrated Mixtures: A Combined Neutron Scattering, Dielectric Spectroscopy, And Calorimetric Study, Guido Goracci, Arantxa Arbe, Angel Alegría, Victoria García Sakai, Svemir Rudić, Gerald J. Schneider, Wiebke Lohstroh, Fanni Juranyi, Juan Colmenero

Faculty Publications

© 2015 American Chemical Society. We have investigated the dynamical processes-α-relaxation, local motions of the side-groups, and methyl group rotations-in poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) in the dry state and in mixtures (at 70 wt% polymer concentration) with tetrahydrofuran (THF) and water, to address the question as to how these polymer motions are affected by plasticizers interacting in different ways with the polymer. Differential scanning calorimetry, dielectric spectroscopy, and neutron scattering techniques on labeled samples (with deuterated solvents to isolate the signal of the polymer component) have been combined. The α-relaxation is drastically affected, with similar shifts of the glass-transition temperature for …

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A Multi-Institutional Study Of The Impact Of Open Textbook Adoption On The Learning Outcomes Of Post-Secondary Students, Lane Fischer, John Hilton Iii, T. Jared Robinson, David Wiley Sep 2015

A Multi-Institutional Study Of The Impact Of Open Textbook Adoption On The Learning Outcomes Of Post-Secondary Students, Lane Fischer, John Hilton Iii, T. Jared Robinson, David Wiley

Faculty Publications

In some educational settings, the cost of textbooks approaches or even exceeds the cost of tuition. Given limited resources, it is important to better understand the impacts of free open educational resources (OER) on student outcomes. Utilizing digital resources such as OER can substantially reduce costs for students. The purpose of this study was to analyze whether the adoption of no-cost open digital textbooks significantly predicted students’ completion of courses, class achievement, and enrollment intensity during and after semesters in which OER were used. This study utilized a quantitative quasi-experimental design with propensity-score matched groups to examine differences in outcomes …

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Hybrid Dynamic Optimization Methods For Systems Biology With Efficient Sensitivities, Nicholas Lewis, John Hedengren, Eric Haseltine Sep 2015

Hybrid Dynamic Optimization Methods For Systems Biology With Efficient Sensitivities, Nicholas Lewis, John Hedengren, Eric Haseltine

Faculty Publications

In recent years, model optimization in the field of computational biology has become a prominent area for development of pharmaceutical drugs. The increased amount of experimental data leads to the increase in complexity of proposed models. With increased complexity comes a necessity for computational algorithms that are able to handle the large datasets that are used to fit model parameters. In this study the ability of simultaneous, hybrid simultaneous, and sequential algorithms are tested on two models representative of computational systems biology. The first case models the cells affected by a virus in a population and serves as a benchmark …

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Differential Effects Of Munc18s On Multiple Degranulation-Relevant Trans-Snare Complexes, Hao Xu, Matthew Grant Arnold, Sushmitha Vijay Kumar Sep 2015

Differential Effects Of Munc18s On Multiple Degranulation-Relevant Trans-Snare Complexes, Hao Xu, Matthew Grant Arnold, Sushmitha Vijay Kumar

Faculty Publications

Mast cell exocytosis, which includes compound degranulation and vesicle-associated piecemeal degranulation, requires multiple Q- and R- SNAREs. It is not clear how these SNAREs pair to form functional trans-SNARE complexes and how these trans-SNARE complexes are selectively regulated for fusion. Here we undertake a comprehensive examination of the capacity of two Q-SNARE subcomplexes (syntaxin3/SNAP-23 and syntaxin4/SNAP-23) to form fusogenic trans-SNARE complexes with each of the four granule-borne R-SNAREs (VAMP2, 3, 7, 8). We report the identification of at least six distinct trans-SNARE complexes under enhanced tethering conditions: i) VAMP2/syntaxin3/SNAP-23, ii) VAMP2/syntaxin4/SNAP-23, iii) VAMP3/syntaxin3/SNAP-23, iv) VAMP3/syntaxin4/SNAP-23, v) VAMP8/syntaxin3/SNAP-23, and vi) VAMP8/syntaxin4/SNAP-23. …

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Monitoring The Photocleaving Dynamics Of Colloidal Microrna-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles Using Second Harmonic Generation, Raju R. Kumal, Corey R. Landry, Mohammad Abu-Laban, Daniel J. Hayes, Louis H. Haber Sep 2015

Monitoring The Photocleaving Dynamics Of Colloidal Microrna-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles Using Second Harmonic Generation, Raju R. Kumal, Corey R. Landry, Mohammad Abu-Laban, Daniel J. Hayes, Louis H. Haber

Faculty Publications

© 2015 American Chemical Society. Photoactivated drug delivery systems using gold nanoparticles provide the promise of spatiotemporal control of delivery that is crucial for applications ranging from regenerative medicine to cancer therapy. In this study, we use second harmonic generation (SHG) spectroscopy to monitor the light-activated controlled release of oligonucleotides from the surface of colloidal gold nanoparticles. MicroRNA is functionalized to spherical gold nanoparticles using a nitrobenzyl linker that undergoes photocleaving upon ultraviolet irradiation. The SHG signal generated from the colloidal nanoparticle sample is shown to be a sensitive probe for monitoring the photocleaving dynamics in real time. The photocleaving …

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Sugar-Based Polyamides: Self-Organization In Strong Polar Organic Solvents, Cornelia Rosu, Paul S. Russo, William H. Daly, Rafael Cueto, John A. Pople, Roger A. Laine, Ioan I. Negulescu Sep 2015

Sugar-Based Polyamides: Self-Organization In Strong Polar Organic Solvents, Cornelia Rosu, Paul S. Russo, William H. Daly, Rafael Cueto, John A. Pople, Roger A. Laine, Ioan I. Negulescu

Faculty Publications

© 2015 American Chemical Society. Periodic patterns resembling spirals were observed to form spontaneously upon unassisted cooling of d-glucaric acid- and d-galactaric acid-based polyamide solutions in N-methyl-N-morpholine oxide (NMMO) monohydrate. Similar observations were made in d-galactaric acid-based polyamide/ionic liquid (IL) solutions. The morphologies were investigated by optical, polarized light and confocal microscopy assays to reveal pattern details. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to monitor solution thermal behavior. Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering data reflected the complex and heterogeneous nature of the self-organized patterns. Factors such as concentration and temperature were found to influence spiral dimensions and geometry. The distance between …

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Genome-Wide Transcriptome Analysis Of Cotton (Gossypium Hirsutum L.) Identifies Candidate Gene Signatures In Response To Aflatoxin Producing Fungus Aspergillus Flavus, Renesh Bedre, Kanniah Rajasekaran, Venkata Ramanarao Mangu, Luis Eduardo Sanchez Timm, Deepak Bhatnagar, Niranjan Baisakh Sep 2015

Genome-Wide Transcriptome Analysis Of Cotton (Gossypium Hirsutum L.) Identifies Candidate Gene Signatures In Response To Aflatoxin Producing Fungus Aspergillus Flavus, Renesh Bedre, Kanniah Rajasekaran, Venkata Ramanarao Mangu, Luis Eduardo Sanchez Timm, Deepak Bhatnagar, Niranjan Baisakh

Faculty Publications

Aflatoxins are toxic and potent carcinogenic metabolites produced from the fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxins can contaminate cottonseed under conducive preharvest and postharvest conditions. United States federal regulations restrict the use of aflatoxin contaminated cottonseed at >20 ppb for animal feed. Several strategies have been proposed for controlling aflatoxin contamination, and much success has been achieved by the application of an atoxigenic strain of A. flavus in cotton, peanut and maize fields. Development of cultivars resistant to aflatoxin through overexpression of resistance associated genes and/or knocking down aflatoxin biosynthesis of A. flavus will be an effective strategy for …

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Altered Activation Of Protein Kinase Pkr And Enhanced Apoptosis In Dystonia Cells Carrying A Mutation In Pkr Activator Protein Pact, Lauren S. Vaughn, D. Cristopher Bragg, Nutan Sharma, Sarah Camargos, Francisco Cardoso, Rekha C. Patel Sep 2015

Altered Activation Of Protein Kinase Pkr And Enhanced Apoptosis In Dystonia Cells Carrying A Mutation In Pkr Activator Protein Pact, Lauren S. Vaughn, D. Cristopher Bragg, Nutan Sharma, Sarah Camargos, Francisco Cardoso, Rekha C. Patel

Faculty Publications

PACT is a stress-modulated activator of the interferon-induced double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR). Stress-induced phosphorylation of PACT is essential for PACT's association with PKR leading to PKR activation. PKR activation leads to phosphorylation of translation initiation factor eIF2α inhibition of protein synthesis and apoptosis.Arecessively inherited form of early-onset dystonia DYT16 has been recently identified to arise due to a homozygous missense mutation P222L in PACT. To examine if the mutant P222L protein alters the stress-response pathway, we examined the ability of mutant P222L to interact with and activate PKR. Our results indicate that the substitution mutant P222L activates PKR more …

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In Vivo Capture And Label-Free Detection Of Early Metastatic Cells, Samira M. Azarin, Ji Yi, Robert Michael Gower, Brian A. Aguado, Megan E. Sullivan, Ashley G. Goodman, Eric J. Jiang, Shreyas S. Rao, Yinying Ren, Susan L. Tucker, Vadim Backman, Jacqueline S. Jeruss, Lonnie D Shea Sep 2015

In Vivo Capture And Label-Free Detection Of Early Metastatic Cells, Samira M. Azarin, Ji Yi, Robert Michael Gower, Brian A. Aguado, Megan E. Sullivan, Ashley G. Goodman, Eric J. Jiang, Shreyas S. Rao, Yinying Ren, Susan L. Tucker, Vadim Backman, Jacqueline S. Jeruss, Lonnie D Shea

Faculty Publications

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death for women, with mortality resulting from metastasis. Metastases are often detected once tumour cells affect the function of solid organs, with a high disease burden limiting effective treatment. Here we report a method for the early detection of metastasis using an implanted scaffold to recruit and capture metastatic cells in vivo, which achieves high cell densities and reduces the tumour burden within solid organs 10-fold. Recruitment is associated with infiltration of immune cells, which include Gr1hiCD11b+cells. We identify metastatic cells in the scaffold through a label-free detection system using inverse spectroscopic …

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