Digital Commons Network^™

Identification And Expression Of Skinning Injury-Responsive Genes In Sweetpotato, Jollanda Effendy, Don R. La Bonte, Niranjan Baisakh

Faculty Publications

Skinning injury in sweetpotatoes (Ipomoea batatas) is responsible for significant postharvest loss resulting from storage diseases and weight loss. Unfortunately, there is no report on the genes involved in wound healing of sweetpotato and a better understanding will facilitate improved breeding strategies. An annealing control primer (ACP) system was used to identify genes expressed after skinning injury of sweetpotato cultivar LA 07-146 storage roots. Using 20 ACPs, 63 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Functional annotation of the DEGs revealed that genes previously shown to respond to dehydration, those involved in wounding response, and the lignin and suberin biosynthesis pathways …

Nucleolar Stress In Drosophila Melanogaster: Rnai-Mediated Depletion Of Nopp140, Allison James, Renford Cindass, Dana Mayer, Stephanie Terhoeve, Courtney Mumphrey, Patrick Dimario

Faculty Publications

Nucleolar stress results when ribosome biogenesis is disrupted. An excellent example is the human Treacher collins syndrome in which the loss of the nucleolar chaperone, Treacle, leads to p53-dependent apoptosis in embryonic neural crest cells and ultimately to craniofacial birth defects. here, we show that depletion of the related nucleolar phosphoprotein, Nopp140, in Drosophila melanogaster led to nucleolar stress and eventual lethality when multiple tissues were depleted of Nopp140. We used TeM, immuno-blot analysis and metabolic protein labeling to show the loss of ribosomes. Targeted loss of Nopp140 in larval wing discs caused caspase-dependent apoptosis which eventually led to defects …

Ethanol Production Potential Of Sweet Sorghum Assessed Using Forage Fiber Analysis Procedures, Kun Jun Han, William D. Pitman, Misook Kim, Donal F. Day, Montgomery W. Alison, Michael E. Mccormick, Giovanna Aita

Faculty Publications

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is widely recognized as a highly promising biomass energy crop with particular potential to complement sugarcane production in diversified cropping systems. Agronomic assessments have led to identification of four cultivars well suited for such sugarcane-based production systems in southern Louisiana. Sweet sorghum biofuel production systems are currently being developed, and research producing large sample numbers requiring ethanol yield assessment is anticipated. Fiber analysis approaches developed for forage evaluation appear to be useful for screening such large numbers of samples for relative ethanol yield. Chemical composition, forage fiber characteristics, digestibility, and ethanol production of sweet …

Good Genes From Asia-Contributions And Opportunities Of Asian Origin Crops To U.S. Horticulture: An Introduction To The Workshop, Yan Chen, Jayesh B. Samtani

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Isotopic (Δ13c, Δ14c) Analysis Of Organic Acids In Marine Samples Using Wet Chemical Oxidation, Susan Q. Lang, G. L. Früh-Green, S. M. Bernasconi, L. Wacker

Faculty Publications

We present a method for the isolation and off-line isotope analysis of formate and acetate in marine samples. Organic acids are separated by high performance liquid chromatography and collected in glass Exetainer® screw-capped vials that have been prespiked with an oxidant and flushed with helium. The vials are subsequently heated to convert the organic compounds to CO₂ for radiocarbon and δ¹³C analysis. Small aliquots are sampled for measurement of δ¹³C by isotope ratio mass spectrometry, whereas the majority of the CO₂ is saved for radiocarbon analysis by accelerator mass spectrometry using a gas ion …

Simulation Studying Effects Of Multiple Primary Aberrations On Donut-Shaped Gaussian Beam, Chen Zhang, K. Wang, J. Bai, Y. Liu, Guiren Wang

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we demonstrate the variation of donut-shaped depletion pattern which influenced by multiple primary aberrations. The simulation is base on a common stimulation emission of depletion (STED) system composed by Gaussian laser and vortex phase plate. The simulation results are helpful guidelines for analyzing the aberration of depletion patterns in real situations.

Nanopillar Array With A Λ/11 Diameter Fabricated By A Kind Of Visible Cw Laser Direct Lithography System, Chen Zhang, K. Wang, J. Bai, S. Wang, W. Zhao, F. Yang, C. Gu, Guiren Wang

Faculty Publications

Nanoscale functional structures are indispensable elements in many fields of modern science. In this paper, nanopillar array with a pillar diameter far smaller than Abbe's diffraction limit is realized by a new kind of continuous wave (CW) laser direct lithography technology. With atomic force microscopy technology, the average diameter of nanopillars on thin OIR906 photoresist film is about 65 nm and the smallest diameter is 48 nm, which is about 1/11 of the incident laser wavelength. Also, the influences of coma and astigmatism effects to the shape and size of nanopillar are numerically simulated by utilizing vector integral. As far …

Psychological Essentialism And Opposition To Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Kerry L. Macintosh

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cristina's World: Lessons From El Salvador's Ban On Abortion, Michelle Oberman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Urban American Indians: A Comparison Of Father Involvement Predictors Across Race, Jonathan Padilla, Peter Ward, Gordon E. Limb

Faculty Publications

Father involvement in families of urban American Indians has been a neglected area of research. In this study, the authors examined the associations among parental relationship quality, father involvement, and coresidence. The authors conducted a multiple group analysis through structural equation modeling comparing 107 American Indian fathers with fathers of the general population in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Although the results were similar between groups, findings indicated two key differences for urban American Indians. First, emotional supportiveness had a stronger relationship with physically active engagement for American Indian fathers. Second, parental relationship quality had greater total standardized …

An Acid Catalyzed Reversible Ring-Opening/Ring-Closure Reaction Involving A Cyano-Rhodamine Spirolactam, H. Li, H. Guan, X. Duan, J. Hu, Guiren Wang, Qian Wang

Faculty Publications

Cyanamide was introduced into the rhodamine spirolactam framework to produce a colorless and non-fluorescent compound RBCN. It shows a reversible ring-opening/ring-closure process in response to the solution pH, which exhibits an “ON/OFF” switching in its fluorescence. Different from other rhodamine-type dyes, the ring-open form of RBCN is stable in protic solvents under neutral, near neutral and basic conditions, showing a pink color and very strong fluorescence. We also demonstrated the potential of RBCN in live cell imaging.

Adoptive Couple V. Baby Girl: Two-And-A-Half Ways To Destroy Indian Law, Marcia A. Yablon-Zug

Faculty Publications

On April 16th, the US Supreme court will hear arguments in the case Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl. This case involves an Indian child whose attempted adoption by a non-Indian couple in South Carolina violated the provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Because of this violation, the family court ordered her return to her biological father. The case has received extensive media attention and has resulted in the vilification of ICWA. Nevertheless, the Court’s decision to hear the case was surprising. The issues in the case are straightforward and the lower courts’ decisions were clearly correct. Consequently, the …

Occurrence Of An Intersexual Blacktip Shark In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, With Notes On The Standardization Of Classifications For This Condition In Elasmobranchs, Jill M. Hendon, David M. Koester, Eric R. Hoffmayer, William B. Driggers Iii, Angela M. Cicia

Faculty Publications

An intersexual Blacktip Shark Carcharhinus limbatus with a testis, immature female reproductive tracts (embedded), and claspers was caught in the Gulf of Mexico. Histology of the single gonad revealed that all stages of spermatogenesis were occurring; however, the absence of ovaries and a male duct system suggests that neither sex would have been functional in this individual. Intersexuality has been reported in 17 families and 36 species of elasmobranchs. The degree to which the different sexes are present in a given individual is often difficult to categorize by normal hermaphroditic standards, as this is typically an anomalous presentation in elasmobranchs. …

An Ice-Core Pollen Record Showing Vegetation Response To Late-Glacial And Holocene Climate Changes At Nevado Sajama, Bolivia, C. A. Reese, K. B. Liu, L. G. Thompson

Faculty Publications

We present the results of pollen analysis performed on an ice core recovered from Nevado Sajama, Bolivia, dated to 25 ka BP. Low pollen concentrations from 25 to 15 ka BP are consistent with the scenario of an expanded ice cap surrounded by sparse vegetation and cold conditions on the Altiplano during the Last Glacial Maximum. After 15 ka BP, more pollen is present and percentages show vegetation response to climate fluctuations during the late Pleistocene. Initially, high concentrations of Poaceae pollen are replaced by Asteraceae pollen, suggesting the occurrence of dry conditions towards the end of the Bolling-Allerod/Guantiva interstadial. …

Enhancing Pcr Amplification Of Dna From Recalcitrant Plant Specimens Using A Trelahose-Based Additive, Tharangamala Samarakoon, Shiao Y. Wang, Mac H. Alford

Faculty Publications

Premise of the study: PCR amplification of DNA extracted from plants is sometimes difficult due to the presence of inhibitory compounds. An effective method to overcome the inhibitory effect of compounds that contaminate DNA from difficult plant specimens is needed.

Methods and Results: The effectiveness of a PCR additive reagent containing trehalose, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and polysorbate‐20 (Tween‐20) (TBT‐PAR) was tested. PCR of DNA extracted from fresh, silica‐dried, and herbarium leaf material of species of Achariaceae, Asteraceae, Lacistemataceae, and Samydaceae that failed using standard techniques were successful with the addition of TBT‐PAR.

Conclusions: The addition of TBT‐PAR during routine …

Neutrophil In Viral Infections, Friend Or Foe?, Brandon D. Drescher, Fengwei Bai

Faculty Publications

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes or neutrophils are the first immune cells to the site of injury and microbial infection. Neutrophils are crucial players in controlling bacterial and fungal infections, and in particular secondary infections, by phagocytosis, degranulation and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). While neutrophils have been shown to play important roles in viral pathogenesis, there is a lack of detailed investigation. In this article, we will review recent progresses toward understanding the role of neutrophils in viral pathogenesis. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Joint Analysis Of Stressors And Ecosystem Services To Enhance Restoration Effectiveness, J. David Allan, Peter B. Mcintyre, Sigrid D. P. Smith, Benjamin S. Halpern, Gregory L. Boyer, Andy Buchsbaum, G. A. Burton Jr., Linda M. Campbell, W. Lindsay Chadderton, Jan J. H. Ciborowski, Patrick J. Doran, Tim Eder, Dana M. Infante, Lucinda B. Johnson, Christine A. Joseph, Adrienne L. Marino, Alexander A. Prusevich, Jennifer G. Read, Joan B. Rose, Edward S. Rutherford, Scott P. Sowa, Alan D. Steinman

Faculty Publications

With increasing pressure placed on natural systems by growing human populations, both scientists and resource managers need a better understanding of the relationships between cumulative stress from human activities and valued ecosystem services. Societies often seek to mitigate threats to these services through large-scale, costly restoration projects, such as the over one billion dollar Great Lakes Restoration Initiative currently underway. To help inform these efforts, we merged high-resolution spatial analyses of environmental stressors with mapping of ecosystem services for all five Great Lakes. Cumulative ecosystem stress is highest in near-shore habitats, but also extends offshore in Lakes Erie, Ontario, and …

Modeling Of Misalignment Effects In Microfluidic Interconnects For Modular Bio-Analytical Chip Applications, Sudheer D. Rani, Taehyun Park, Byoung Hee You, Steve A. Soper, Michael C. Murphy, Dimitris E. Nikitopoulos

Faculty Publications

Minimizing misalignments during the interconnection of microfluidic modules is extremely critical to develop a fully integrated microfluidic device. Misalignments arising during chip-to-chip or world-to-chip interconnections can be greatly detrimental to efficient functioning of microfluidic devices. To address this problem, we have performed numerical simulations to investigate the effect of misalignments arising in three types of interconnection methods: (i) end-to-end interconnection (ii) channel overlap when chips are stacked on top of each other, and (iii) tube-in-reservoir misalignment occurring due to the offset between the external tubing and the reservoir. For the case of end-to-end interconnection, the effect of misalignment was investigated …

Pla/Plga Nanoparticles For Delivery Of Drugs Across The Blood-Brain Barrier, Jingyan Li, Cristina Sabliov

Faculty Publications

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), which protects the central nervous system (CNS) from unnecessary substances, is a challenging obstacle in the treatment of CNS disease. Many therapeutic agents such as hydrophilic and macromolecular drugs cannot overcome the BBB. One promising solution is the employment of polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) such as poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NPs as drug carrier. Over the past few years, significant breakthroughs have been made in developing suitable PLGA and poly (lactic acid) (PLA) NPs for drug delivery across the BBB. Recent advances on PLGA/PLA NPs enhanced neural delivery of drugs are reviewed in this paper. Both in …

Optimizing A Continuous Flow Lipid Extraction System (Cfles) Used For Extracting Microalgal Lipids, Javed Iqbal, Chandra Theegala

Faculty Publications

A laboratory-made continuous flow lipid extraction system (CFLES) was devised to extract lipids from microalgae Nannochloropsis sp., a potential feedstock for biodiesel fuel, with a focus to assess the workable temperatures and pressures for future industrial applications. Using conventional solvents, the CFLES recovered 100% of the lipids extracted with conventional Soxhlet extraction. The optimum temperature and pressure were found to be 100 °C and 50 psi, respectively; conditions significantly lower than those normally used in pressurized liquid extractions requiring specialized equipment. Approximately 87% of the extracted oil was successfully transesterified into biodiesel fuel (fatty acid methyl esters). Preliminary calculations based …

Remarital Chances, Choices, And Economic Consequences: Issues Of Social And Personal Welfare, Kevin Shafer, Todd M. Jensen

Faculty Publications

Many divorced women experience a significant decline financial, social, physical and psychological well-being following a divorce. Using data from the NLSY79 (n = 2,520) we compare welfare recipients, mothers, and impoverished women to less marginalized divorcees on remarriage chances. Furthermore, we look at the kinds of men these women marry by focusing on the employment and education of new spouses. Finally, we address how remarriage and spousal quality (as defined by education and employment) impact economic well-being after divorce. Our results show that remarriage has positive economic effects, but that is dependent upon spousal quality. However, such matches are …

An Exploratory Investigation Of Marital Functioning And Order Of Spousal Onset In Couples Concordant For Psychopathology, Scott R. Braithwaite, Kimberly Van Orden, Mike Anestis, Katherine Merrill Timmons, Frank Fincham, Thomas E. Joiner Jr., Peter M. Lewinsohn

Faculty Publications

Individuals with a psychiatric disorder are significantly more likely to have a spouse with a clinical diagnosis—marital concordance. We used a community sample of 304 couples concordant for either Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) to examine the relationship between marital functioning and gendered patterns of mental health diagnosis onset. For SUD concordance, couples in which wives onset before husbands—in spite of typical later onset for males—reported lower levels of marital satisfaction compared to couples in which the husband onset first. For MDD concordance, couples in which husbands onset with depression before wives—in spite of typical later …

The Influence Of Pornography On Sexual Scripts And Hooking Up Among Emerging Adults In College, Scott R. Braithwaite, Gwen Coulson, Krista Keddington, Frank D. Fincham

Faculty Publications

The explosive growth in access to the Internet has led to a commensurate increase in the availability, anonymity, and affordability of pornography. An emerging body of research has shown associations between pornography and certain behaviors and attitudes; yet, how pornography actually influences these outcomes has not been documented. In two studies (Study 1N=969; Study 2N=992) we examined the hypothesis that pornography influences potentially risky sexual behavior (hooking up) among emerging adults via sexual scripts. Our results demonstrate that more frequent viewing of pornography is associated with a higher incidence of hooking up and a higher number of unique hook up …

Presenting Fake Figures: A Tool To Teach Effective Scientific Figure Design, Verónica A. Segarra, Stephanie Pulford, Susan Walsh

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Rights And Wrongs In The Debate Over Single-Sex Schooling, Rosemary C. Salomone

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

In September 2011 an article entitled The Pseudoscience of Single-Sex Schooling appeared in the journal Science. Unlike articles typically published in peer-reviewed journals, the primary intent in this case was not to inform the scholarly community but rather to accomplish larger political and legal ends. Co-authored by eight prominent psychologists and neuroscientists, it immediately made the front pages of national newspapers and soon took the international media by storm. From the United Kingdom to Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa, it gave rise to a global debate about the pros and cons of single-sex schooling.

As directly …

Seqnls: Nuclear Localization Signal Prediction Based On Frequent Pattern Mining And Linear Motif Scoring, J.-R. Lin, Jianjun Hu

Faculty Publications

Nuclear localization signals (NLSs) are stretches of residues in proteins mediating their importing into the nucleus. NLSs are known to have diverse patterns, of which only a limited number are covered by currently known NLS motifs. Here we propose a sequential pattern mining algorithm SeqNLS to effectively identify potential NLS patterns without being constrained by the limitation of current knowledge of NLSs. The extracted frequent sequential patterns are used to predict NLS candidates which are then filtered by a linear motif-scoring scheme based on predicted sequence disorder and by the relatively local conservation (IRLC) based masking.

The experiment results on …

Family-Focused Physical Activity, Diet, And Obesity Interventions In African-American Girls: A Systematic Review, Daheia J. Barr-Anderson, Alexis W. Adams-Wynn, Katherine I. Disantis, Shiriki Kumanyika

Faculty Publications

Obesity interventions that involve family members may be effective with racial/ethnic minority youth. This review assessed the nature and effectiveness of family involvement in obesity interventions among African-American girls aged 5-18 years, a population group with high rates of obesity. Twenty-six databases were searched between January 2011 and March 2012, yielding 27 obesity pilot or full-length prevention or treatment studies with some degree of family involvement and data specific to African-American girls. Interventions varied in type and level of family involvement, cultural adaptation, delivery format, and behavior change intervention strategies; most targeted parent-child dyads. Some similarities in approach based on …

Molten Carbonates As An Effective Oxygen Reduction Catalyst For 550–650°C Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Yunhui Gong, Xue Li, Lingling Zhang, Whitney Tharp, Changyong Qin, Kevin Huang

Faculty Publications

We report the first study that investigates the use of molten carbonates as an effective catalyst to promote electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode of intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). A series of binary Li-K carbonate compositions were incorporated into the porous backbones of a commercial cathode assembled in symmetrical impedance cells for electrochemical characterization. Within the temperature range of 550–650◦C, we observed that the polarization and ohmic area-specific resistances of the original sample can be significantly reduced by the introduction of molten carbonates. A new ORR charge-transfer model involving two intermediate species CO5 2− and …

Exploring The Effect Of Arousal And Valence On Mouse Interaction, G. Mark Grimes, Jeffrey L. Jenkins, Joseph S. Valacich

Faculty Publications

Determining a user’s affective state can be an important element when trying to understand human-computer interactions. Accurately assessing affect during system use, however, can be very difficult, especially in a non-laboratory setting. Extensive previous research in neuroscience has shown that arousal and valence influence motor control. In this research, the prior relevant neuroscience findings inform the investigation of mouse movement behavior under conditions of low and high arousal as well as positive and negative valence. A controlled laboratory experiment was conducted, providing support for hypotheses predicting that arousal and valence may be inferred by monitoring for differences in the distance, …

Detecting Deceptive Chat-Based Communication Using Typing Behavior And Message Cues, Douglas C. Derrick, Thomas O. Meservy, Jeffrey L. Jenkins, Judee K. Burgoon, Jay F. Nunamaker Jr.

Faculty Publications

Computer-mediated deception is prevalent and may have serious consequences for individuals, organizations, and society. This article investigates several metrics as predictors of deception in synchronous chatbased environments, where participants must often spontaneously formulate deceptive responses. Based on cognitive load theory, we hypothesize that deception influences response time, word count, lexical diversity, and the number of times a chat message is edited. Using a custom chatbot to conduct interviews in an experiment, we collected 1,572 deceitful and 1,590 truthful chat-based responses. The results of the experiment confirm that deception is positively correlated with response time and the number of edits and …