Digital Commons Network^™

A Role For Amyloid In Cell Aggregation And Biofilm Formation, Melissa C. Garcia, Janis T. Lee, Caleen B. Ramsook, David Alsteens, Yves F. Dufrêne, Peter N. Lipke

Publications and Research

Cell adhesion molecules in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans contain amyloid-forming sequences that are highly conserved. We have now used site-specific mutagenesis and specific peptide perturbants to explore amyloid-dependent activity in the Candida albicans adhesin Als5p. A V326N substitution in the amyloid-forming region conserved secondary structure and ligand binding, but abrogated formation of amyloid fibrils in soluble Als5p and reduced cell surface thioflavin T fluorescence. When displayed on the cell surface, Als5p with this substitution prevented formation of adhesion nanodomains and formation of large cellular aggregates and model biofilms. In addition, amyloid nanodomains were regulated by exogenous peptides. An amyloid-forming …

The Online "Supplemental" Workshop: Course Enrichment To Support Novice Teachers' Analysis Of Classroom Video, Laura H. Baecher, Shiao-Chuan Kung

Publications and Research

As online learning and video technology become more consistent components of teacher education, the opportunities to blend the affordances of both was piloted in a specially designed online workshop. This workshop was designed to help teacher candidates become more sophisticated in their ability to recognize and describe specific teaching behaviors in videoed lessons. Using QuickTime Pro, iMovie, and Blackboard, a self-paced, asynchronous workshop to introduce techniques for observing and analyzing teachers and classes on video was created. Through a series of video tutorials and activities, teacher candidates were guided through the process of viewing the same video clip through different …

Reviving Democracy Through New And Traditional Media, Maria J. D'Agostino

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Micropropagation And Medium-Term Conservation Of Rosa Pulverulenta, Somayeh Kavand, Maryam Jafarkhani Kermani, Ali Haghnazari, Pegah Khosravi, Mohamad Reza Azimi

Publications and Research

In Iran, a large number of Rosa species have been exposed to extinction and therefore preservation techniques are necessary to safeguard their future. In the present investigation, the objectives were to optimize the micropropagation and medium-term conservation of one of these wild species, Rosa pulverulenta. At proliferation stage, the maximum number of new leaves (9.6) were produced on the medium containing 4 µM BAP + 0 µM GA₃, whereas the maximum number of axillary shoots (4.1) were observed in the medium containing 4 µM BAP + 3 µM GA₃. The results for rooting experiments suggested …

Information Is Social: Information Literacy In Context, Jen Hoyer

Publications and Research

This paper aims to discuss traditional conceptions of information literacy as created within an academic context to address information needs within this context. It seeks to present alternative realities of information use outside the academic sector, and to suggest that information literacy instruction within academia does not go far enough in preparing students for the information society beyond university. The aim is then to follow this by discussion of appropriate information literacy models to prepare young people for information use in a variety of workplace environments.

Polycationic Glycosides, Robert Engel, Ishrat Ghani, Diego Montenegro, Marie Thomas, Barbara Klaritch-Vrana, Alejandra Castaño, Laura Friedman, Jay Leb, Leah Rothman, Heidi Lee, Craig Capodiferro, Daniel Ambinder, Eve Cere, Christopher Awad, Faiza Sheikh, Jaimelee Rizzo, Lisa-Marie Nisbett, Erika Testani, Karin Melkonian

Publications and Research

Cationic lipids have long been known to serve as antibacterial and antifungal agents. Prior efforts with attachment of cationic lipids to carbohydrate-based surfaces have suggested the possibility that carbohydrate-attached cationic lipids might serve as antibacterial and antifungal pharmaceutical agents. Toward the understanding of this possibility, we have synthesized several series of cationic lipids attached to a variety of glycosides with the intent of generating antimicrobial agents that would meet the requirement for serving as a pharmaceutical agent, specifically that the agent be effective at a very low concentration as well as being biodegradable within the organism being treated. The initial …

Cognitive Control In Majority Search: A Computational Modeling Approach, Hongbin Wang, Xun Liu, Jin Fan

Publications and Research

Despite the importance of cognitive control in many cognitive tasks involving uncertainty, the computational mechanisms of cognitive control in response to uncertainty remain unclear. In this study, we develop biologically realistic neural network models to investigate the instantiation of cognitive control in a majority function task, where one determines the category to which the majority of items in a group belong. Two models are constructed, both of which include the same set of modules representing task-relevant brain functions and share the same model structure. However, with a critical change of a model parameter setting, the two models implement two different …

Opportunity/Threat Spirals In The U.S. Women's Suffrage And German Anti-Immigration Movements, Roger Karapin

Publications and Research

Many have noted that protesters sometimes expand political opportunities for later protests, but there has been little analysis of how this occurs. The problem can be addressed by analyzing opportunity/threat spirals, which involve positive feedback among: actions by challengers (bold protests and the formation of alliances between challenger groups); opportunity-increasing actions by authorities and elites (elite divisions and support, procedural reforms, substantive concessions, and police inaction); and threat-increasing actions by authorities and elites (new grievance production and excessive repression). Interactions among these eight mechanisms are demonstrated in two cases of social movement growth, the U.S. women's suffrage movement of the …

Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans Mediate Interstitial Flow Mechanotransduction Regulating Mmp-13 Expression And Cell Motility Via Fak-Erk In 3d Collagen, Zhong-Dong Shi, Hui Wang, John M. Tarbell

Publications and Research

Background Interstitial flow directly affects cells that reside in tissues and regulates tissue physiology and pathology by modulating important cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, and migration. However, the structures that cells utilize to sense interstitial flow in a 3-dimensional (3D) environment have not yet been elucidated. Previously, we have shown that interstitial flow upregulates matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and fibroblasts/myofibroblasts via activation of an ERK1/2-c-Jun pathway, which in turn promotes cell migration in collagen. Herein, we focused on uncovering the flow-induced mechanotransduction mechanism in 3D. Methodology/Principal Findings Cleavage of rat vascular SMC surface …

Antibodies Elicited In Response To Ebna-1 May Cross- React With Dsdna, Pragya Yadav, Hoa Tran, Roland Ebegbe, Paul Gottlieb, Hui Wei, Rita H. Lewis, Alice Mumbey-Wafula, Atira Kaplan, Elina Kholdarova, Linda Spatz

Publications and Research

Background:Several genetic and environmental factors have been linked to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). One environmental trigger that has a strong association with SLE is the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV). Our laboratory previously demonstrated that BALB/c mice expressing the complete EBNA-1 protein can develop antibodies to double stranded DNA (dsDNA). The present study was undertaken to understand why anti-dsDNA antibodies arise during the immune response to EBNA-1.

Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study, we demonstrated that mouse antibodies elicited in response to EBNA-1 cross-react with dsDNA. First, we showed that adsorption of sera reactive with EBNA-1 and dsDNA, on dsDNA cellulose …

Sustainability: Can Law Meet The Challenge?, Rebecca Bratspies

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Still Trembling: State Obligation Under International Law To End Post-Earthquake Rape In Haiti, Lisa Davis

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Full Realization Of Our Rights: The Right To Health In State Constitutions, Cynthia Soohoo

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Padilla V. Kentucky: Sound And Fury Or Transformative Potential, Steven Zeidman

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Gender Violence And Work In The United States And South Africa: The Parallel Processes Of Legal And Cultural Change, Julie Goldscheid

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Justice Gap: Building Community By Responding To Individual Need, Alizabeth Newman

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Strand Teaches The Art Of Weaving In A New World, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Suicide And Suicide Risk In Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Populations: Review And Recommendations, Ann P. Haas, Mickey Eliason, Vickie M. Mays, Robin M. Mathy, Susan D. Cochran, Anthony R. D'Augelli, Morton M. Silverman, Prudence W. Fisher, Tonda Hughes, Margaret Rosario, Stephen T. Russell, Effie Malley, Jerry Reed, David A. Litts, Ellen Haller, Randall L. Sell, Gary Remafedi, Judith Bradford, Annette L. Beautrais, Gregory K. Brown, Gary M. Diamond, Mark S. Friedman, Robert Garofalo, Mason S. Turner, Amber Hollibaugh, Paula J. Clayton

Publications and Research

Despite strong indications of elevated risk of suicidal behavior in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, limited attention has been given to research, interventions or suicide prevention programs targeting these populations. This article is a culmination of a three-year effort by an expert panel to address the need for better understanding of suicidal behavior and suicide risk in sexual minority populations, and stimulate the development of needed prevention strategies, interventions and policy changes. This article summarizes existing research findings, and makes recommendations for addressing knowledge gaps and applying current knowledge to relevant areas of suicide prevention practice.

Panting In The Dark: The Ambivalence Of Air In Cinema, Kevin L. Ferguson

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Learning Through Quests And Contests: Games In Information Literacy Instruction, Maura A. Smale

Publications and Research

Games-based learning is an innovative pedagogical strategy employed at all levels of education, and much research in education, psychology, and other disciplines supports its effectiveness in engaging and motivating students, as well as increasing student learning. Many libraries have incorporated games into their collections and program-ming. College and university libraries have begun to use games for information literacy and library instruction. Academic librarians use commercially-produced games, create their own games, and employ game principles and mechanics to enhance their tradi-tional instructional offerings. While there may be impediments to implementing games-based learning for information literacy, the promising benefits of this approach …

The Taliban: A Study Of Book Collections On The Taliban In Academic, Public And West Point Libraries., Seamus O'Scanlain

Publications and Research

The purpose of this study was to document and compare the extent of book collections on the topic of the Taliban in selected academic libraries in New York and New Jersey, the New York Public Library and the military academy at West Point.

Open-Access Electronic Textbooks: An Overview, Steven Ovadia

Publications and Research

The article presents an overview of open-access electronic textbooks, also known as open education resources. The article explores projects like Flat World Knowledge, Connexions and Community College Open Textbook Project.

An Early Introduction To The Google+ Social Networking Project, Steven Ovadia

Publications and Research

The article reviews the Google+ social network.

Managing Citations With Cost-Free Tools, Steven Ovadia

Publications and Research

The article explores cost-free bibliographic management tools for managing citations. This includes Zotero, Mendeley, and citeulike. There is also a short discussion of BibTeX, which is often used with LaTeX document markup.

Quora.Com: Another Place For Users To Ask Questions, Steven Ovadia

Publications and Research

The article offers information on Quora.com, an online question-and-answer service reminiscent of reference. Librarians providing virtual reference might want to monitor Quora informally, just to see what kinds of questions emerge and whether they might be questions from a local population.

Bundles, Big Deals, And The Copyright Wars: What Can Academic Libraries Learn From The Record Industry Crash?, Edward P. Keane

Publications and Research

This article reviews the contention that U.S. laws favor copyright owners over consumers, and pre-existing models over innovation. The relationship of commercial publishers to the Open Access movement is compared to that of the creators/users of file sharers and the Record Industry. The library literature bears out the contention that journal publishers have exhibited some of the behaviors that contributed to the decline of the major record labels. Librarians who support free scholarship will find the music industry plight instructive; just as iTunes fulfilled consumer demand, Open Access and other alternatives will transform publishing.

Other People’S Money: Adapting Entrepreneurial Techniques To Build Capital In Challenging Economic Times, Robert Farrell

Publications and Research

Drawing on the “predator” model of entrepreneurship put forward by Villette and Vuillermot in their 2009 book “From Predators to Icons,” this article argues that challenging economic times reveal that self-funded, collaborative information literacy models have in many cases unsustainably overstretched staff and budgets. In such circumstances, it is necessary for librarians to shift to an entrepreneurial approach that seeks profitable opportunities funded by parties other than the library in order to build capital for current and future instructional services. Following Villette and Vuillermot, the article seeks to refute a cultural myth that sees the entrepreneur as someone who is …

Reshaping To Serve Evolving Communities: Addressing Immigrant Needs In The Library, Jen Hoyer

Publications and Research

Libraries face evolving communities and must constantly reorient themselves to serve new needs. This article examines the impact of emerging immigrant communities on library services. It discusses the emergence of library services to immigrants and the diverse faces of these services, which may include foreign language collections, access to technology and connections with local services, as appropriately determined through community analysis. The Atwater Library and Computer Centre in Montréal, Québec is examined as a case study of community analysis informing service reorientation. This article will be useful for organizations working with immigrants or community service providers confronted with changing demographics.

The Role Of Audiobooks In Academic Libraries, Catherine Stern

Publications and Research

The decision by the library of LaGuardia Community College to add audiobooks to its collection led librarians to examine the scope and the nature of audiobook use at other college and university libraries. The author created, distributed, and tabulated a survey that recorded a number of traditional uses for these materials as well as a number of interesting new possibilities and challenges.

A Process Archive: The Grand Circularity Of Woman's Building Video, Alexandra Juhasz

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.