Digital Commons Network^™

Resistance To Aspergillus Flavus In Maize And Peanut: Molecular Biology, Breeding, Environmental Stress, And Future Perspectives, Jake C. Fountain, Pawan Khera, Liming Yang, Spurthi N. Nayak, Brian T. Scully, Robert D. Lee, Zhi Yuan Chen, Robert C. Kemerait, Rajeev K. Varshney, Baozhu Guo

Faculty Publications

The colonization of maize (Zea mays L.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) by the fungal pathogen Aspergillus flavus results in the contamination of kernels with carcinogenic mycotoxins known as aflatoxins leading to economic losses and potential health threats to humans. The regulation of aflatoxin biosynthesis in various Aspergillus spp. has been extensively studied, and has been shown to be related to oxidative stress responses. Given that environmental stresses such as drought and heat stress result in the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within host plant tissues, host-derived ROS may play an important role in cross-kingdom communication between host plants …

Exploring Intensive Longitudinal Measures Of Student Engagement In Blended Learning, Charles R. Graham

Faculty Publications

In this exploratory study we used an intensive longitudinal approach to measure student engagement in a blended educational technology course, collecting both self-report and observational data. The self-report measure included a simple survey of Likert-scale and open-ended questions given repeatedly during the semester. Observational data were student activity data extracted from the learning management system. We explored how engagement varied over time, both at the course level and between students, to identify patterns and influences of student engagement in a blended course. We found that clarity of instruction and relevance of activities influenced student satisfaction more than the medium of …

Ccl20 Is Elevated During Obesity And Differentially Regulated By Nf-Κb Subunits In Pancreatic Β-Cells, Susan J. Burke, Michael D. Karlstad, Kellie M. Regal, Tim E. Sparer, Danhong Lu, Carrie M. Elks, Ryan W. Grant, Jacqueline M. Stephens, David H. Burk, J. Jason Collier

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Enhanced leukocytic infiltration into pancreatic islets contributes to inflammation-based diminutions in functional β-cell mass. Insulitis (aka islet inflammation), which can be present in both T1DM and T2DM, is one factor influencing pancreatic β-cell death and dysfunction. IL-1β, an inflammatory mediator in both T1DM and T2DM, acutely (within 1. h) induced expression of the CCL20 gene in rat and human islets and clonal β-cell lines. Transcriptional induction of CCL20 required the p65 subunit of NF-κB to replace the p50 subunit at two functional κB sites within the CCL20 proximal gene promoter. The NF-κB p50 subunit prevents CCL20 …

Advances In Understanding Carboxysome Assembly In Prochlorococcus And Synechococcus Implicate Csos2 As A Critical Component, Fei Cai, Zhicheng Dou, Susan L. Bernstein, Ryan Leverenz, Eric B. Williams, Sabine Heinhorst, Jessup M. Shively, Gordon C. Cannon, Cheryl A. Kerfeld

Faculty Publications

The marine Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus are the numerically dominant cyanobacteria in the ocean and important in global carbon fixation. They have evolved a CO₂-concentrating-mechanism, of which the central component is the carboxysome, a self-assembling proteinaceous organelle. Two types of carboxysome, α and β, encapsulating form IA and form IB d-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, respectively, differ in gene organization and associated proteins. In contrast to the β-carboxysome, the assembly process of the α-carboxysome is enigmatic. Moreover, an absolutely conserved α-carboxysome protein, CsoS2, is of unknown function and has proven recalcitrant to crystallization. Here, we present studies on the CsoS2 protein in …

Photosynthetic Performance And Anti-Oxidative Response Of Cornus Controversa Seedlings Under Cadmium And Lead Stress, Xinyu Huang, Yonglei Jiang, Xiaomao Cheng, Lilan Deng, Xuncheng Liu

Faculty Publications

The photosynthetic efficiency of Cornus controversa leaves was decreased significantly under Cd treatment while it was not affected by Pb exposure. Cd decreased while Pb treatment increased the chlorophyll contents of Cornus controversa leaves. Furthermore, the peroxidase (GPX) activities were decreased after Cd treatment while elevated by Pb exposure in Cornus controvera seedlings. In addition, both Cd and Pb exposures increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline contents and elevated the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities of Cornus controvera seedlings. Collectively, these results indicated that Cornus controversa may be more tolerant to Pb than Cd toxicity. This finding will contribute to the …

Law, Science And The Economy: One Domain?, David S. Caudill

Faculty Publications

In an effort to explore the theoretical and practical promise of ignoring or erasing conventional boundaries and distinctions — such as law/society or inside/outside — in accounts of legal processes and institutions, I consider the problem of financial bias in scientific expertise. I first draw an analogy with science studies, and particularly Latour’s notion of science as a coproduction, which challenges the boundaries (i) between science and society, and (ii) between natural and social influences on the production of scientific knowledge. I then acknowledge the efforts of Philip Mirowski, in his concern that privatization trends degrade science, to overcome an …

The Quality Of Residential Parent-Child Relationships And Its Impact On Stepfamily Experiences, Megan Urick, Gordon E. Limb

Faculty Publications

This study sought to understand the effect that residential biological parent-child relationship has on retrospective accounts of overall stepfamily experiences. Using data from the Stepfamily Experiences Project (STEP), a nationally-based quota sample, retrospective accounts of 1,593 emerging adults’ stepfamily experiences were analyzed. Results indicated that a higher quality residential biological parent-child relationship was positively and significantly correlated with a higher quality stepfamily experience. Clinicians and other social scientists need to be aware of the importance of strengthening the parent-child relationship when providing services and interventions for stepfamilies.

Identification Of Novel Genes That Regulate Androgen Receptor Signaling And Growth Of Androgen-Deprived Prostate Cancer Cells, Elina Levina, Hao Ji, Mengqiang Chen, Mirza Baig, David Oliver, Patrice Ohouo, Chang-Uk Lim, Garry Schools, Steven Carmack, Ye Ding, Eugenia Broude, Igor Roninson, Ralph Buttyan, Michael Shtutman

Faculty Publications

Prostate cancer progression to castration refractory disease is associated with anomalous transcriptional activity of the androgen receptor (AR) in an androgen-depleted milieu. To identify novel gene products whose downregulation transactivates AR in prostate cancer cells, we performed a screen of enzymatically-generated shRNA lenti-libraries selecting for transduced LNCaP cells with elevated expression of a fluorescent reporter gene under the control of an AR-responsive promoter. The shRNAs present in selected populations were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing to identify target genes. Highly enriched gene targets were then validated with siRNAs against selected genes, testing first for increased expression of luciferase from an AR-responsive …

Deletion Of The Proposed Iron Chaperones Isca/Sufa Results In Accumulation Of A Red Intermediate Cysteine Desulfurase Iscs In Escherichia Coli, Jing Yang, Guoqiang Tan, Ting Zhang, Robert H. White, Jianxin Lu, Huangen Ding

Faculty Publications

© 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. In Escherichia coli, sulfur in iron-sulfur clusters is primarily derived from L-cysteine via the cysteine desulfurase IscS. However, the iron donor for iron-sulfur cluster assembly remains elusive. Previous studies have shown that, among the iron-sulfur cluster assembly proteins in E. coli, IscA has a unique and strong iron-binding activity and that the iron-bound IscA can efficiently provide iron for iron-sulfur cluster assembly in proteins in vitro, indicating that IscA may act as an iron chaperone for iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis. Here we report that deletion of IscA and its …

An Extract Of Artemisia Dracunculus L. Stimulates Insulin Secretion From Β Cells, Activates Ampk And Suppresses Inflammation, Sita Aggarwal, Giri Shailendra, David M. Ribnicky, David Burk, Namrata Karki, M. S. Qingxia Wang

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Ethnopharmacological relevance Artemisia dracunculus L. (Russian tarragon) is a perennial herb belonging to the family Compositae and has a history of medicinal use in humans, particularly for treatment of diabetes. Aim of the study: In this study a defined plant extract from A. dracunculus L. (termed PMI-5011) is used to improve beta(β) cells function and maintain β cell number in pancreatic islets as an alternative drug approach for successful treatment of diabetes. Materials and methods Mouse and human pancreatic beta cells were treated with defined plant extract of A. dracunculus L. (PMI-5011) …

Understorey Plant Community And Light Availability In Conifer Plantations And Natural Hardwood Forests In Taiwan, Tzu-Yang Liu, Kuo-Chuan Lin, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur, Ming-Zhen Chen, Meng-Yuan Huang, Teng-Chiu Lin

Faculty Publications

Questions: What are the effects of replacing mixed species natural forests with Cryptomeria japonica plantations on understorey plant functional and species diversity? What is the role of the understorey light environment in determining understorey diversity and community in the two types of forest?

Location: Subtropical northeast Taiwan.

Methods: We examined light environments using hemispherical photography, and diversity and composition of understorey plants of a 35‐yr C. japonica plantation and an adjacent natural hardwood forest.

Results: Understorey plant species richness was similar in the two forests, but the communities were different; only 18 of the 91 recorded understorey plant species occurred …

Crop Rotational Diversity Enhances Belowground Communities And Functions In An Agroecosystem, L. K. Tiemann, A. Stuart Grandy, E. E. Atkinson, E. Marin-Spiotta, M. D. Mcdaniel

Faculty Publications

Biodiversity loss, an important consequence of agricultural intensification, can lead to reductions in agroecosystem functions and services. Increasing crop diversity through rotation may alleviate these negative consequences by restoring positive aboveground–belowground interactions. Positive impacts of aboveground biodiversity on belowground communities and processes have primarily been observed in natural systems. Here, we test for the effects of increased diversity in an agroecosystem, where plant diversity is increased over time through crop rotation. As crop diversity increased from one to five species, distinct soil microbial communities were related to increases in soil aggregation, organic carbon, total nitrogen, microbial activity and decreases in …

Thiobenzothiazole-Modified Hydrocortisones Display Anti-Inflammatory Activity With Reduced Impact On Islet Β-Cell Function, Susan J. Burke, Amanda L. May, Robert C. Noland, Danhong Lu, Marcela Brissova, Alvin C. Powers, Elizabeth M. Sherrill, Michael D. Karlstad, Shawn R. Campagna, Jacqueline M. Stephens, J. Jason Collier

Faculty Publications

© 2015, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc. All rights reserved. Glucocorticoids signal through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and are administered clinically for a variety of situations, including inflammatory disorders, specific cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, and organ/tissue transplantation. However, glucocorticoid therapy is also associated with additional complications, including steroid-induced diabetes. We hypothesized that modification of the steroid backbone is one strategy to enhance the therapeutic potential of GR activation. Toward this goal, two commercially unavailable, thiobenzothiazole-containing derivatives of hydrocortisone (termed MS4 and MS6) were examined using 832/13 rat insulinoma cells as well as rodent and human islets. We found …

Risk-Optimized Proton Therapy To Minimize Radiogenic Second Cancers, Laura A. Rechner, John G. Eley, Rebecca M. Howell, Rui Zhang, Dragan Mirkovic, Wayne D. Newhauser

Faculty Publications

Proton therapy confers substantially lower predicted risk of second cancer compared with photon therapy. However, no previous studies have used an algorithmic approach to optimize beam angle or fluence-modulation for proton therapy to minimize those risks. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate the feasibility of risk-optimized proton therapy and to determine the combination of beam angles and fluence weights that minimizes the risk of second cancer in the bladder and rectum for a prostate cancer patient. We used 6 risk models to predict excess relative risk of second cancer. Treatment planning utilized a combination of a commercial treatment …

Colonoscopy Screening Among Us Adults Aged 40 Or Older With A Family History Of Colorectal Cancer, Meng-Han Tsai, Sudha Xirasagar, Yi-Jhen Li, Piet C. De Groen

Faculty Publications

Introduction
Colonoscopy screening reduces colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality. CRC screening is recommended at age 50 for average-risk people. Screening of first-degree relatives of CRC patients is recommended to begin at age 40 or 10 years before the age at diagnosis of the youngest relative diagnosed with CRC. CRC incidence has increased recently among younger Americans while it has declined among older Americans. The objective of this study was to determine whether first-degree relatives of CRC patients are being screened according to recommended guidelines.

Methods
We studied colonoscopy screening rates among the US population reporting a CRC family history …

An Analytical Model Of Leakage Neutron Equivalent Dose For Passively-Scattered Proton Radiotherapy And Validation With Measurements, Christopher Schneider, Wayne Newhauser, Jad Farah

Faculty Publications

Exposure to stray neutrons increases the risk of second cancer development after proton therapy. Previously reported analytical models of this exposure were difficult to configure and had not been investigated below 100 MeV proton energy. The purposes of this study were to test an analytical model of neutron equivalent dose per therapeutic absorbed dose at 75 MeV and to improve the model by reducing the number of configuration parameters and making it continuous in proton energy from 100 to 250 MeV. To develop the analytical model, we used previously published H/D values in water from Monte Carlo simulations of a …

A Kazal-Type Serine Protease Inhibitor From The Defense Gland Secretion Of The Subterranean Termite Coptotermes Formosanus Shiraki, Horia Negulescu, Youzhong Guo, Thomas P. Garner, Octavia Y. Goodwin, Gregg Henderson, Roger A. Laine, Megan A. Macnaughtan

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Negulescu et al. Coptotermes formosanus is an imported, subterranean termite species with the largest economic impact in the United States. The frontal glands of the soldier caste termites comprising one third of the body mass, contain a secretion expelled through a foramen in defense. The small molecule composition of the frontal gland secretion is well-characterized, but the proteins remain to be identified. Herein is reported the structure and function of one of several proteins found in the termite defense gland secretion. TFP4 is a 6.9 kDa, non-classical group 1 Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor with activity towards chymotrypsin and …

A Kazal-Type Serine Protease Inhibitor From The Defense Gland Secretion Of The Subterranean Termite Coptotermes Formosanus Shiraki, Horia Negulescu, Youzhong Guo, Thomas P. Garner, Octavia Y. Goodwin, Gregg Henderson, Roger A. Laine, Megan A. Macnaughtan

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Negulescu et al. Coptotermes formosanus is an imported, subterranean termite species with the largest economic impact in the United States. The frontal glands of the soldier caste termites comprising one third of the body mass, contain a secretion expelled through a foramen in defense. The small molecule composition of the frontal gland secretion is well-characterized, but the proteins remain to be identified. Herein is reported the structure and function of one of several proteins found in the termite defense gland secretion. TFP4 is a 6.9 kDa, non-classical group 1 Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor with activity towards chymotrypsin and …

Histone Deacetylase 6 (Hdac6) Promotes The Pro-Survival Activity Of 14-3-3Ζ Via Deacetylation Of Lysines Within The 14-3-3Ζ Binding Pocket, Jeffrey B. Mortenson, Lisa N. Heppler, Courtney J. Banks, Vajira K. Weerasekara, Matthew D. Whited, Stephen R. Piccolo, William E. Johnson, J. Will Thompson, Joshua L. Andersen

Faculty Publications

The phospho-binding protein 14-3-3ζ acts as a signaling hub controlling a network of interacting partners and oncogenic pathways. We show here that lysines within the 14-3-3ζ binding pocket and protein-protein interface can be modified by acetylation. The positive charge on two of these lysines, Lys49 and Lys120, is critical for coordinating 14-3-3ζ-phosphoprotein interactions. Through screening, we identified HDAC6 as the Lys49/Lys120 deacetylase. Inhibition of HDAC6 blocks 14-3-3ζ interactions with two well described interacting partners, Bad and AS160, which triggers their dephosphorylation at Ser112 and Thr642, respectively. Expression of an acetylation-refractory K49R/K120R mutant of 14-3-3ζ rescues both the HDAC6 inhibitor-induced loss …

Topological Data Analysis Of Biological Aggregation Models, Chad M. Topaz, Lori B. Ziegelmeir, Tom Halverson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Biological Evidence Supports An Early And Complex Emergence Of The Isthmus Of Panama, Christine D. Bacona, Daniele Silvestro, Carlos Jaramillo, Brian Tilston Smith, Prosanta Chakrabarty, Alexandre Antonelli

Faculty Publications

The linking of North and South America by the Isthmus of Panama had major impacts on global climate, oceanic and atmospheric currents, and biodiversity, yet the timing of this critical event remains contentious. The Isthmus is traditionally understood to have fully closed by ca. 3.5 million years ago (Ma), and this date has been used as a benchmark for oceanographic, climatic, and evolutionary research, but recent evidence suggests a more complex geological formation. Here, we analyze both molecular and fossil data to evaluate the tempo of biotic exchange across the Americas in light of geological evidence. We demonstrate significant waves …

A Bayesian Dose-Finding Design For Phase I/Ii Clinical Trials With Nonignorable Dropouts, Beibei Guo, Ying Yuan

Faculty Publications

Phase I/II trials utilize both toxicity and efficacy data to achieve efficient dose finding. However, due to the requirement of assessing efficacy outcome, which often takes a long period of time to be evaluated, the duration of phase I/II trials is often longer than that of the conventional dose-finding trials. As a result, phase I/II trials are susceptible to the missing data problem caused by patient dropout, and the missing efficacy outcomes are often nonignorable in the sense that patients who do not experience treatment efficacy are more likely to drop out of the trial. We propose a Bayesian phase …

Competition And Habitat Quality Influence Age And Sex Distribution In Wintering Rusty Blackbirds, Claudia Mettke-Hofmann, Paul B. Hamel, Gerhard Hoffman, Theodore J. Zenzal Jr., Anne Pellegrini, Jennifer Malpass, Megan Garfinkel, Nathan Schiff, Russell Greenberg

Faculty Publications

Bird habitat quality is often inferred from species abundance measures during the breeding and non-breeding season and used for conservation management decisions. However, during the non-breeding season age and sex classes often occupy different habitats which suggest a need for more habitat-specific data. Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) is a forested wetland specialist wintering in bottomland hardwood forests in the south-eastern U. S. and belongs to the most steeply declining songbirds in the U.S. Little information is available to support priority birds such as the Rusty Blackbird wintering in this threatened habitat. We assessed age and sex distribution and …

The Dynamic Effects Of Sea Level Rise On Low-Gradient Coastal Landscapes: A Review, Davina L. Passeri, Scott C. Hagen, Stephen C. Medeiros, Matthew V. Bilskie, Karim Alizad

Faculty Publications

Coastal responses to sea level rise (SLR) include inundation of wetlands, increased shoreline erosion, and increased flooding during storm events. Hydrodynamic parameters such as tidal ranges, tidal prisms, tidal asymmetries, increased flooding depths and inundation extents during storm events respond nonadditively to SLR. Coastal morphology continually adapts toward equilibrium as sea levels rise, inducing changes in the landscape. Marshes may struggle to keep pace with SLR and rely on sediment accumulation and the availability of suitable uplands for migration. Whether hydrodynamic, morphologic, or ecologic, the impacts of SLR are interrelated. To plan for changes under future sea levels, coastal managers …

The Dynamic Effects Of Sea Level Rise On Low‐Gradient Coastal Landscapes: A Review, Davina L. Passeri, Scott C. Hagen, Stephen C. Medeiros, Matthew V. Bilskie, Karim Alizad

Faculty Publications

Coastal responses to sea level rise (SLR) include inundation of wetlands, increased shore-line erosion, and increased flooding during storm events. Hydrodynamic parameters such as tidal ranges, tidal prisms, tidal asymmetries, increased flooding depths and inundation extents during storm events respond non additively to SLR. Coastal morphology continually adapts toward equilibrium as sea levels rise, inducing changes in the landscape. Marshes may struggle to keep pace with SLR and rely on sediment accumulation and the availability of suitable uplands for migration. Whether hydrodynamic, morphologic, or ecologic, the impacts of SLR are interrelated. To plan for changes under future sea lev-els, coastal …

Induction Of Energy Expenditure By Sitagliptin Is Dependent On Glp-1 Receptor, Felicia Goldsmith, Michael J. Keenan, Anne M. Raggio, Xin Ye, Zheng Hao, Holiday Durham, James Geaghan, Weiping Jia, Roy J. Martin, Jianping Ye

Faculty Publications

Sitagliptin (SG) increases serum GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1) through inhibition of the hormone degradation. Resistant starch (RS) induces GLP-1 expression by stimulating L-cells in the intestine. Sitagliptin and resistant starch may have a synergistic interaction in the induction of GLP-1. This possibility was tested in current study in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes. Hyperglycemia was induced in the diet-induced obese mice by a signal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Sitagliptin (0.4g/100g diet) was tested in the mice (n = 55) with dietary RS (HAM-RS2) at three dosages (0, 15, or 28g/100g diet). Energy and glucose metabolism were monitored in the …

Expansion Of Brucellosis Detection In The Country Of Georgia By Screening Household Members Of Cases And Neighboring Community Members, Lia Sanodze, Christian T. Bautista, Natalia Garuchava, Svetlana Chubinidze, Ekaterine Tsertsvadze, Mariam Broladze, Nazibrola Chitadze, Ketevan Sidamonidze, Shota Tsanava, Tamar Akhvlediani, Robert G. Rivard, Rupal Mody, Matthew J. Hepburn, Philip H. Elzer, Mikeljon P. Nikolich, Nino Trapaidze

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Sanodze et al.; licensee BioMed Central. Background: Brucellosis is considered as endemic zoonotic disease in the country of Georgia. However, the burden of the disease on a household level is not known. Therefore, this study sought to determine the benefits of active surveillance coupled to serological screening for the early detection of brucellosis among close contacts of brucellosis cases. Methods: We used an active surveillance approach to estimate the rate of seropositivity among household family members and neighboring community members of brucellosis index cases. All participants were screened using the serum tube agglutination test (SAT). Blood cultures were …

Plant Neighborhood Effects On Herbivory: Damage Is Both Density And Frequency Dependent, Tania N. Kim, Nora Underwood, J. T. Cronin

Faculty Publications

© 2015 by the Ecological Society of America. Neighboring plants can affect the likelihood that a focal plant is attacked by herbivores. Both the density of conspecific neighbors (resource concentration or dilution effects) and the relative density of heterospecific neighbors (associational effects or effects of neighbor frequency) within the local neighborhood can affect herbivore load and plant damage. Understanding how these neighborhood effects influence processes such as plant competition or natural selection on plant resistance traits will require knowing how both plant density and frequency affect damage, but previous studies have generally confounded density and frequency effects. In this study, …

Deflating Trees: Improving Bayesian Branch-Length Estimates Using Informed Priors, Bradley J. Nelson, John J. Andersen, Jeremy M. Brown

Faculty Publications

© 2015 © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: [email protected]. Prior distributions can have a strong effect on the results of Bayesian analyses. However, no general consensus exists for how priors should be set in all circumstances. Branch-length priors are of particular interest for phylogenetics, because they affect many parameters and biologically relevant inferences have been shown to be sensitive to the chosen prior distribution. Here, we explore the use of outside information to set informed branch-length priors and compare inferences from these …

A Second Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Gene (Crh2) Is Conserved Across Vertebrate Classes And Expressed In The Hindbrain Of A Basal Neopterygian Fish, The Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus Oculatus), Brian P. Grone, Karen P. Maruska

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. To investigate the origins of the vertebrate stress-response system, we searched sequenced vertebrate genomes for genes resembling corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). We found that vertebrate genomes possess, in addition to CRH, another gene that resembles CRH in sequence and syntenic environment. This paralogous gene was previously identified only in the elephant shark (a holocephalan), but we find it also in marsupials, monotremes, lizards, turtles, birds, and fishes. We examined the relationship of this second vertebrate CRH gene, which we name CRH2, to CRH1 (previously known as CRH) and urocortin1/urotensin1 (UCN1/UTS1) in primitive fishes, teleosts, and tetrapods. …