Digital Commons Network^™

Is It Time To Consider The “Burnout Syndrome” A Distinct Illness?, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

The “burnout syndrome” has been defined as a combination of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment caused by chronic occupational stress. Although there has been increasing medical interest in burnout over the last decades, it is argued in this paper that the syndrome cannot be elevated to the status of diagnostic category, based on (1) an analysis of the genesis of the burnout construct, (2) a review of the latest literature on burnout-depression overlap, (3) a questioning of the three-dimensional structure of the burnout syndrome, and (4) a critical examination of the notion that burnout is singularized by its …

Structural And Dynamic Features Of F-Recruitment Site Driven Substrate Phosphorylation By Erk2, Andrea Piserchio, Venkatesh Ramakrishan, Hsin Wang, Tamer S. Kaoud, Boris Arshava, Kaushik Dutta, Kevin N. Dalby, Ranajeet Ghose

Publications and Research

The F-recruitment site (FRS) of active ERK2 binds F-site (Phe-x-Phe-Pro) sequences found downstream of the Ser/Thr phospho-acceptor on cellular substrates. Here we apply NMR methods to analyze the interaction between active ERK2 (ppERK2), and a 13-residue F-site-bearing peptide substrate derived from its cellular target, the transcription factor Elk-1. Our results provide detailed insight into previously elusive structural and dynamic features of FRS/F-site interactions and FRS-driven substrate phosphorylation. We show that substrate F-site engagement significantly quenches slow dynamics involving the ppERK2 activation-loop and the FRS. We also demonstrate that the F-site phenylalanines make critical contacts with ppERK2, in contrast to the …

Quantitative Analyses Of Force-Induced Amyloid Formation In Candida Albicans Als5p: Activation By Standard Laboratory Procedures, Cho X. J. Chan, Ivor G. Joseph, Andy Huang, Desmond N. Jackson, Peter N. Lipke

Publications and Research

Candida albicans adhesins have amyloid-forming sequences. In Als5p, these amyloid sequences cluster cell surface adhesins to create high avidity surface adhesion nanodomains. Such nanodomains form after force is applied to the cell surface by atomic force microscopy or laminar flow. Here we report centrifuging and resuspending S. cerevisiae cells expressing Als5p led to 1.7-fold increase in initial rate of adhesion to ligand coated beads. Furthermore, mechanical stress from vortex-mixing of Als5p cells or C. albicans cells also induced additional formation of amyloid nanodomains and consequent activation of adhesion. Vortex-mixing for 60 seconds increased the initial rate of adhesion 1.6-fold. The …

Estimates Of Micro-, Nano-, And Picoplankton Contributions To Particle Export In The Northeast Pacific, B. L. Mackinson, S. B. Moran, M. W. Lomas, Gillian M. Stewart, R. P. Kelly

Publications and Research

The contributions of micro-, nano-, and picoplankton to particle export were estimated from measurements of size-fractionated particulate 234Th, organic carbon, and phytoplankton indicator pigments obtained during five cruises between 2010 and 2012 along Line P in the subarctic northeast Pacific Ocean. Sinking fluxes of particulate organic carbon (POC) and indicator pigments were calculated from 234Th;238U disequilibria and, during two cruises, measured by a sediment trap at Ocean Station Papa. POC fluxes at 100m ranged from 0.65 to 7.95 mmolm2 d1, similar in magnitude to previous results at Line P. Microplankton pigments dominate indicator pigment fluxes (averaging 6919% of total pigment …

Mitochondrial Ion Channels In Cancer Transformation, Stephen M. Madamba, Kevin N. Damri, Laurent M. Dejean, Pablo M. Peixoto

Publications and Research

Cancer transformation involves reprograming of mitochondrial function to avert cell death mechanisms, monopolize energy metabolism, accelerate mitotic proliferation, and promote metastasis. Mitochondrial ion channels have emerged as promising therapeutic targets because of their connection to metabolic and apoptotic functions. This mini review discusses how mitochondrial channels may be associated with cancer transformation and expands on the possible involvement of mitochondrial protein import complexes in pathophysiological process.

Characterization Of The Zn(Ii) Binding Properties Of The Human Wilms’ Tumor Suppressor Protein C-Terminal Zinc Finger Peptide, Ka Lam Chan, Inna Bakman, Amy R. Marts, Yuksel Batir, Terry L. Dowd, David L. Tierney, Brian R. Gibney

Publications and Research

Zinc finger proteins that bind Zn(II) using a Cys2His2 coordination motif within a ββα protein fold are the most abundant DNA binding transcription factor domains in eukaryotic systems. These classic zinc fingers are typically unfolded in the apo state and spontaneously fold into their functional ββα folds upon incorporation of Zn(II). These metal-induced protein folding events obscure the free energy cost of protein folding by coupling the protein folding and metal-ion binding thermodynamics. Herein, we determine the formation constant of a Cys2His2/ββα zinc finger domain, the C-terminal finger of the Wilms’ tumor suppressor protein (WT1-4), for the purposes of determining …

Adipokine Levels During The First Or Early Second Trimester Of Pregnancy And Subsequent Risk Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review, Wei Bao, Aileen Baecker, Yiqing Song, Michele Kiely, Simin Liu, Cuilin Zhang

Publications and Research

Objective—We aimed to systematically review available literature linking adipokines to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) for a comprehensive understanding of the roles of adipokines in the development of GDM.

Methods—We searched PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for published studies on adipokines and GDM through October 21, 2014. We included articles if they had a prospective study design (i.e., blood samples for adipokines measurement were collected before GDM diagnosis). Random-effects models were used to pool the weighted mean differences comparing levels of adipokines between GDM cases and non-GDM controls.

Results—Of 1,523 potentially relevant articles, we included 25 prospective studies relating …

The Broken Ring: Reduced Aromaticity In Lys-Trp Cations And High Ph Tautomer Correlates With Lower Quantum Yield And Shorter Lifetimes, Azaria Solomon Eisenberg, Laura J. Juszczak

Publications and Research

Several nonradiative processes compete with tryptophan fluorescence emission. The difficulty in spectral interpretation lies in associating specific molecular environmental features with these processes and thereby utilizing the fluorescence spectral data to identify the local environment of tryptophan. Here, spectroscopic and molecular modeling study of Lys-Trp dipeptide charged species shows that backbone-ring interactions are undistinguished. Instead, quantum mechanical ground state isosurfaces reveal variations in indole π electron distribution and density that parallel charge (as a function of pK1, pK2, and pKR) on the backbone and residues. A pattern of aromaticity-associated quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime changes emerges. Where quantum yield is …

Selective Impairment Of Spatial Cognition Caused By Autoantibodies To The N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor, Eric H. Chang, Bruce T. Volpe, Meggan Mackay, Cynthia Aranow, Philip Watson, Czeslawa Kowal, Justin Storbeck, Paul Mattis, Roseann Berlin, Huiyi Chen, Simone Mader, Tomás S. Huerta, Patricio T. Huerta, Betty Diamond

Publications and Research

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experience cognitive abnormalities in multiple domains including processing speed, executive function, and memory. Here we show that SLE patients carrying antibodies that bind DNA and the GluN2A and GluN2B subunits of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), termed DNRAbs, displayed a selective impairment in spatial recall. Neural recordings in a mouse model of SLE, in which circulating DNRAbs penetrate the hippocampus, revealed that CA1 place cells exhibited a significant expansion in place field size. Structural analysis showed that hippocampal pyramidal cells had substantial reductions in their dendritic processes and spines. Strikingly, these abnormalities became evident at …

Molecular Diversity And Gene Evolution Of The Venom Arsenal Of Terebridae Predatory Marine Snails, Juliette Gorson, Girish Ramrattan, Aida Verdes, Elizabeth M. Wright, Yuri Kantor, Ramakrishnan Rajaram Srinivasan, Raj Musunuri, Daniel Packer, Gabriel Albano, Wei-Gang Qiu, Mandë Holford

Publications and Research

Venom peptides from predatory organisms are a resource for investigating evolutionary processes such as adaptive radiation or diversification, and exemplify promising targets for biomedical drug development. Terebridae are an understudied lineage of conoidean snails,which also includes cone snails and turrids. Characterization of cone snail venompeptides, conotoxins, has revealed a cocktail of bioactive compounds used to investigate physiological cellular function, predator-prey interactions, and to develop novel therapeutics. However, venom diversity of other conoidean snails remains poorly understood. The present research applies a venomics approach to characterize novel terebrid venom peptides, teretoxins, from the venom gland transcriptomes of Triplostephanus anilis and Terebra …

Using 3d Printed Eggs To Examine The Egg-Rejection Behaviour Of Wild Birds, Branislav Igic, Valerie Nunez, Henning U. Voss, Rebecca Croston, Zachary Aidala, Analía V. López, Aimee Van Tatenhove, Mandë E. Holford, Matthew D. Shawkey, Mark E. Hauber

Publications and Research

The coevolutionary relationships between brood parasites and their hosts are often studied by examining the egg rejection behaviour of host species using artificial eggs. However, the traditional methods for producing artificial eggs out of plasticine, plastic, wood, or plaster-of-Paris are laborious, imprecise, and prone to human error. As an alternative, 3D printing may reduce human error, enable more precise manipulation of egg size and shape, and provide a more accurate and replicable protocol for generating artificial stimuli than traditional methods. However, the usefulness of 3D printing technology for egg rejection research remains to be tested. Here, we applied 3D printing …

La Souffrance Animale À Distance: Des Vétérinaires Dans L’Action Humanitaire, Frédéric Keck, Miriam Ticktin

Publications and Research

Résumé

Cet article étudie le rôle des vétérinaires dans l’humanitaire à partir de deux types de pratique : la défense des animaux contre la cruauté et la surveillance des animaux touchés par les épidémies. En suivant l’extension de l’action humanitaire aux animaux comme nouvelles figures de victimes innocentes, nous cherchons à dépasser l’approche compassionnelle de l’humanitaire pour étudier les nouvelles formes scientifiques impliquant des non-humains, comme la médecine vétérinaire légale, les neurosciences et l’immunologie. Nous soutenons finalement que ces sciences produisent de nouveaux collectifs d’humains et de non-humains.

Abstract

This article traces the role of veterinarians in humanitarian action, focusing …

Histology And Morphology Of The Brain Subarachnoid Trabeculae, Parisa Saboori, Ali Sadegh

Publications and Research

The interface between the brain and the skull consists of three fibrous tissue layers, dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater, known as the meninges, and strands of collagen tissues connecting the arachnoid to the pia mater, known as trabeculae. The space between the arachnoid and the pia mater is filled with cerebrospinal fluid which stabilizes the shape and position of the brain during head movements or impacts. The histology and architecture of the subarachnoid space trabeculae in the brain are not well established in the literature. The only recognized fact about the trabeculae is that they are made of collagen …

Socio-Cultural Influences On The Behaviour Of South Asian Women With Diabetes In Pregnancy: Qualitative Study Using A Multi-Level Theoretical Approach, Trisha Greenhalgh, Megan Clinch, Nur Afsar, Yasmin Choudhury, Rita Sudra, Desirée Campbell-Richards, Anne Claydon, Graham A. Hitman, Philippa Hanson, Sarah Finer

Publications and Research

Background Diabetes in pregnancy is common in South Asians, especially those from low-income backgrounds, and leads to short-term morbidity and longer-term metabolic programming in mother and offspring. We sought to understand the multiple influences on behaviour (hence risks to metabolic health) of South Asian mothers and their unborn child, theorise how these influences interact and build over time, and inform the design of culturally congruent, multi-level interventions. Methods Our sample for this qualitative study was 45 women of Bangladeshi, Indian, Sri Lankan, or Pakistani origin aged 21–45 years with a history of diabetes in pregnancy, recruited from diabetes and antenatal …

Autonomic And Brain Responses Associated With Empathy Deficits In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Xiaosi Gu, Tehila Eilam-Stock, Thomas Zhou, Evdokia Anagnostou, Alexander Kolevzon, Latha Soorya, Patrick R. Hof, Karl J. Friston, Jin Fan

Publications and Research

Accumulating evidence suggests that autonomic signals and their cortical representations are closely linked to emotional processes, and that related abnormalities could lead to social deficits. Although socio-emotional impairments are a defining feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), empirical evidence directly supporting the link between autonomic, cortical, and socio-emotional abnormalities in ASD is still lacking. In this study, we examined autonomic arousal indexed by skin conductance responses (SCR), concurrent cortical responses measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging, and effective brain connectivity estimated by dynamic causal modeling in seventeen unmedicated high-functioning adults with ASD and seventeen matched controls while they performed an …

Synthesis Of Regiospecifically Fluorinated Conjugated Dienamides, Mohammad Chowdhury, Samir K. Mandal, Shaibal Banerjee, Barbara Zajc

Publications and Research

Modular synthesis of regiospecifically fluorinated 2,4-diene Weinreb amides, with defined stereochemistry at both double bonds, was achieved via two sequential Julia-Kocienski olefinations. In the first step, a Z-α-fluorovinyl Weinreb amide unit with a benzothiazolylsulfanyl substituent at the allylic position was assembled. This was achieved via condensation of two primary building blocks, namely 2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylsulfonyl)-2-fluoro-N-methoxy-N-methylacetamide (a Julia-Kocienski olefination reagent) and 2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylthio)acetaldehyde (a bifunctional building block). This condensation was highly Z-selective and proceeded in a good 76% yield. Oxidation of benzothiazolylsulfanyl moiety furnished a second-generation Julia-Kocienski olefination reagent, which was used for the introduction of the second olefinic linkage via DBU-mediated condensations with …

Multifaceted Role Of Matrix Metalloproteinases (Mmps), Divya Singh, Sanjeev K. Srivastava, Tapas K. Chaudhuri, Ghanshyam Upadhyay

Publications and Research

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a large family of calcium-dependent zinc-containing endopeptidases, are involved in the tissue remodeling and degradation of the extracellular matrix. MMPs are widely distributed in the brain and regulate various processes including microglial activation, inflammation, dopaminergic apoptosis, blood-brain barrier disruption, and modulation of α-synuclein pathology. High expression of MMPs is well documented in various neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Japanese encephalitis (JE), and Glaucoma. Although potentially critical, the role of MMPs in neuronal disorders is under-investigated. The present review summarizes the role of MMPs in neurodegeneration with a particular emphasis on PD, AD, JE, …

Climate Change And Phenology: Empoasca Fabae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Migration And Severity Of Impact, Mitchell B. Baker, P. Dilip Venugopal, William O. Lamp

Publications and Research

Climate change can benefit individual species, but when pest species are enhanced by warmer temperatures agricultural productivity may be placed at greater risk. We analyzed the effects of temperature anomaly on arrival date and infestation severity of potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae Harris, a classic new world long distance migrant, and a significant pest in several agricultural crops. We compiled E. fabae arrival dates and infestation severity data at different states in USA from existing literature reviews and agricultural extension records from 1951–2012, and examined the influence of temperature anomalies at each target state or overwintering range on the date of …

The Cuticle Modulates Ultraviolet Reflectance Of Avian Eggshells, Daphne C. Fecheyr-Lippens, Branislav Igic, Liliana D'Alba, Daniel Hanley, Aida Verdes, Mande Holford, Geoffrey I. N. Waterhouse, Tomas Grim, Mark E. Hauber, Matthew D. Shawkey

Publications and Research

ABSTRACT Avian eggshells are variedly coloured, yet only two pigments, biliverdin and protoporphyrin IX, are known to contribute to the dramatic diversity of their colours. By contrast, the contributions of structural or other chemical components of the eggshell are poorly understood. For example, unpigmented eggshells, which appear white to the human eye, vary in their ultraviolet (UV) reflectance, which may be detectable by birds. We investigated the proximate mechanisms for the variation in UV-reflectance of unpigmented bird eggshells using spectrophotometry, electron microscopy, chemical analyses, and experimental manipulations. We specifically tested how UV-reflectance is affected by the eggshell cuticle, the outermost …

Alternative Chelator For 89zr Radiopharmaceuticals: Radiolabeling And Evaluation Of 3,4,3-(Li-1,2-Hopo), Melissa A. Deri, Shashikanth Ponnala, Brian M. Zeglis, Gabor Pohl, J. J. Dannenberg, Jason S. Lewis, Lynn C. Francesconi

Publications and Research

Zirconium-89 is an effective radionuclide for antibody-based positron emission tomography (PET) imaging because its physical half-life (78.41 h) matches the biological half-life of IgG antibodies. Desferrioxamine (DFO) is currently the preferred chelator for 89Zr4+; however, accumulation of 89Zr in the bones of mice suggests that 89Zr4+ is released from DFO in vivo. An improved chelator for 89Zr4+ could eliminate the release of osteophilic 89Zr4+ and lead to a safer PET tracer with reduced background radiation dose. Herein, we present an octadentate chelator 3,4,3-(LI-1,2-HOPO) (or HOPO) as a potentially superior alternative to DFO. The HOPO ligand formed a 1:1 Zr-HOPO complex …

Teaching Evolution: A Students’ Perspective, Abdullah Allaoa, Tyniqua Hinton

Publications and Research

Many may wonder “where do we come from?” Over time, scientists have pondered and tested the concept of evolution. Simply put, evolution is gradual change over time. A major tenet of evolution is natural selection, which includes three principles which are variation in population, differential reproduction due to competition, and heredity. These principles are supported by multiple lines of evidence, including biochemical, geographical, fossil, and anatomical evidence. By providing tangible, real-world examples of evolution, we hope to provide a clear understanding of this long-studied scientific breakthrough, while at the same time showing how animals (including us) are related to each …

Blood Inorganic Mercury Is Directly Associated With Glucose Levels In The Human Population And May Be Linked To Processed Food Intake, Renee Dufault, Zara Berg, Raquel Crider, Roseanne Schnoll, Larry Wetsit, Wayne Two Bulls, Steven G. Gilbert, H.M. “Skip” Kingston, Mesay Mulugeta Wolle, G.M. Mizanur Rahman, Dan R. Laks

Publications and Research

Background: The goals of the study were (1) to determine the impact of inorganic mercury exposure on glucose homeostasis; and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of two community-based interventions in promoting dietary changes among American Indian college students to reduce risk factors for Type-2 Diabetes including fasting glucose, insulin, and mercury levels, weight, and body mass index.

Methods: To accomplish goal one, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset was analyzed using a previously published method to determine if there is a relationship between inorganic blood mercury and fasting glucose. To accomplish goal two, ten college students were …

Prop Demonstrations In Biology Lectures Facilitate Student Learning And Performance, Farshad Tamari, Kevin M. Bonney, Kristin Polizzotto

Publications and Research

Science students can benefit from visual aids. In biology lectures, visual aids are usually limited to tables, figures, and PowerPoint presentations. In this IRB-approved study, we examined the effectiveness of the use of five prop demonstrations, three of which are at the intersection of biology and chemistry, in three community college biology courses. We hypothesized that students’ performance on test questions is enhanced by the use of prop demonstrations. Consistent with our hypothesis, we showed that students learn more effectively and perform better on questions that relate to demonstrations than on questions related to lessons that do not have a …

Using Lecture Demonstrations To Visualize Biological Concepts, Kristin Polizzotto, Farshad Tamari

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Buddhist Meditation And The Possibility Of Free Will, Rick Repetti

Publications and Research

I argue that an analysis of Buddhist meditation theory and practice may be used to ground a model of the possibility of free agency that stands up against four powerful arguments for free will skepticism in contemporary analytic philosophy: Peter van Inwagen’s consequence argument, which asserts that if choices are lawfully necessary consequences of prior events, then they are unfree; Derk Pereboom’s two arguments for hard incompatibilism: the manipulation argument, which asserts that manipulated choices are unfree, determinism is functionally equivalent to manipulation, and thus determined choices are unfree; and the randomness argument, which asserts that we cannot claim authorship …

Xenopus! Spiraling Scientific Journal Articles With High School Science English Language Learners, Gillian Bayne, Cristie Peralta

Publications and Research

This poster describes a journal article that is geared specifically towards assisting science teachers as they create lessons that are specifically focused toward ELLs. The article involves reading and analyzing scientific primary sources with ELLs, a challenge not only specific to ELLs but commonly experienced by all students. This article will be submitted to The Science Teacher journal.

Male Escorts’ And Male Clients’ Sexual Behavior During Their Last Commercial Sexual Encounter: Comparing And Contrasting Findings From Two Online Studies, Christian Grov, Carlos E. Rodríguez-Díaz, Gerardo G. Jovet-Toledo

Publications and Research

Much of what is known about commercial sexual encounters between men is based on data gathered from escorts. With few exceptions, studies have not compared male clients’ reports of behavior during commercial sexual encounters with male escorts’. The present study draws from two datasets, a 2012 survey of clients (n = 495) and a 2013 survey of escorts (n = 387)—both used virtually identical measures of sexual behavior during the most recent commercial sexual encounter. For clients and escorts, the majority eschewed having sex without a condom, and kissing and oral sex were among the most common behaviors reported. Using …

Islands Of Change Vs. Islands Of Disaster: Managing Pigs And Birds In The Anthropocene Of The North Atlantic, Seth Brewington, Megan Hicks, Ágústa Edwald, Árni Einarsson, Kesara Anamthawat-Jónsson, Gordon Cook, Philippa Ascough, Kerry L. Sayle, Símun V. Arge, Mike Church, Julie Bond, Steve Dockrill, Adolf Friðriksson, George Hambrecht, Arni Daniel Juliusson, Vidar Hreinsson, Steven Hartman, Konrad Smiarowski, Ramona Harrison, Thomas Mcgovern

Publications and Research

The offshore islands of the North Atlantic were among some of the last settled places on earth, with humans reaching the Faroes and Iceland in the late Iron Age and Viking period. While older accounts emphasizing deforestation and soil erosion have presented this story of island colonization as yet another social–ecological disaster, recent archaeological and paleoenvironmental research combined with environmental history, environmental humanities, and bioscience is providing a more complex understanding of long-term human ecodynamics in these northern islands. An ongoing interdisciplinary investigation of the management of domestic pigs and wild bird populations in Faroes and Iceland is presented as …

Mapping Regional Inundation With Spaceborne L-Band Sar, Bruce Chapman, Kyle Macdonald, Masanobu Shimada, Ake Rosenqvist, Ronny Schroeder, Laura Hess

Publications and Research

Shortly after the launch of ALOS PALSAR L-band SAR by the Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA), a program to develop an Earth Science Data Record (ESDR) for inundated wetlands was funded by NASA. Using established methodologies, extensive multi-temporal L-band ALOS ScanSAR data acquired bi-monthly by the PALSAR instrument onboard ALOS were used to classify the inundation state for South America for delivery as a component of this Inundated Wetlands ESDR (IW-ESDR) and in collaboration with JAXA’s ALOS Kyoto and Carbon Initiative science programme. We describe these methodologies and the final classification of the inundation state, then compared this with results …

The Dynamic Consequences Of Cooperation And Competition In Small-World Networks, Iván Y. Fernández-Rosales, Larry S. Liebovitch, Lev Guzmán-Vargas

Publications and Research

We present a study of the social dynamics among cooperative and competitive actors interacting on a complex network that has a small-world topology. In this model, the state of each actor depends on its previous state in time, its inertia to change, and the influence of its neighboring actors. Using numerical simulations, we determine how the distribution of final states of the actors and measures of the distances between the values of the actors at local and global levels, depend on the number of cooperative to competitive actors and the connectivity of the actors in the network. We find that …