Digital Commons Network^™

Topic Modeling And Figurative Language, Lisa M. Rhody

Publications and Research

Located at the center of Jorie Graham’s collection The End of Beauty, “Self Portrait as Hurray and Delay” crafts a portrait of the artist, poised at a precarious moment in which thought begins to take shape. Like Penelope, Graham entertains the illusion, if only momentarily, of a choice between bringing a creative impulse into form or allowing it to come undone. A weaver of language, Graham subtly, deftly, but unsuccessfully attempts to delay the inevitable moment in poetic creation in which complexity of thought adopts form through language, and so realized is also reduced. In The End of Beauty, the …

Yankee Whaling In The Caribbean Basin: Its Impact In A Historical Context, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Minchin Studies, Teaches Conservation Issues, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Rehg Studies Monkeys To Better Understand Humans, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Minear Teaches The Art Of Teaching Singing, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Ackad Uses Power Computers To Solve Problems, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Brunkow Studies Health Of Midwest Freshwaters, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Schulz Investigates Threat Of Invasive Species, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Drake Sees Siue Gardens As Social Service, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Pearson Studies Philosophies, Ethics Of Science, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Jennings Studies Environmental Pollutants, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Morphine And Clonidine Synergize To Ameliorate Low Back Pain In Mice, Maral Tajerian, Magali Millecamps, Laura S. Stone

Publications and Research

Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a debilitating condition associated with signs of axial and radiating pain. In humans with chronic LBP, opioids are often prescribed with varying outcomes and a multitude of side effects. Combination therapies, in which multiple pharmacological agents synergize to ameliorate pain without similar potentiation of adverse reactions, may be useful in improving therapeutic outcome in these patients. The SPARC-null mouse model of low back pain due to disc degeneration was used to assess the effects of opioid (morphine) andα2-adrenergic agonist (clonidine) coadministration on measures of axial and radiating pain. The results indicate that systemic morphine …

Get In The Game: Developing An Information Literacy Classroom Game, Maura A. Smale

Publications and Research

Much current research in the field of games-based learning demonstrates that games can be successfully incorporated into educational contexts to increase student engage-ment, motivation, and learning. Academic librarians are also using games as an innova-tive instructional strategy to strengthen students’ research skills and their understanding of information literacy concepts. This article discusses the development and implemen-tation of Quality Counts, a classroom information literacy game designed to teach un-dergraduate students how to evaluate Internet sources. After a brief overview of the game’s development and rules, the article describes the process of playing Quality Counts in several classes and presents the results …

Electric Lamp: Virtual Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification, Nelson R. Salinas, Damon P. Little

Publications and Research

We present eLAMP, a PERL script, with Tk graphical interface, that electronically simulates Loop-mediated AMPlification (LAMP) allowing users to efficiently test putative LAMP primers on a set of target sequences. eLAMP can match primers to templates using either exact (via builtin PERL regular expressions) or approximate matching (via the tre-agrep library). Performance was tested on 40 whole genome sequences of Staphylococcus. eLAMP correctly predicted that the two tested primer sets would amplify from S. aureus genomes and not amplify from other Staphylococcus species. Open source (GNU Public License) PERL scripts are available for download from the New York Botanical Garden’s …

The Light-Sensitive Conductance Of Melanopsin-Expressing Joseph And Hesse Cells In Amphioxus, Camila Pulido, Gerardo Malagón, Camilo Ferrer, Jun Kui Chen, Juan Manuel Angueyra, Enrico Nasi, María Del Pilar Gomez

Publications and Research

Two types of microvillar photoreceptors in the neural tube of amphioxus, an early chordate, sense light via melanopsin, the same photopigment as in “circadian” light detectors of higher vertebrates. Because in amphioxus melanopsin activates a Gq/phospholipase C cascade, like phototransduction in arthropods and mollusks, possible commonalities in the photoconductance were investigated. Unlike other microvillar photoreceptors, reversal of the photocurrent can only be attained upon replacement of extracellular Na+. In addition to Na+, Ca2+ is also permeant, as indicated by the fact that (a) in normal ionic conditions the photocurrent remains inward at Vm > ENa; (b) in Na-free solution a small …

Diffuse Optical Imaging Using Decomposition Methods, Binlin Wu, M. Alrubaiee, W. Cai, M. Xu, S. K. Gayen

Publications and Research

Diffuse optical imaging (DOI) for detecting and locating targets in a highly scattering turbid medium is treated as a blind source separation (BSS) problem. Three matrix decomposition methods, independent component analysis (ICA), principal component analysis (PCA), and nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) were used to study the DOI problem. The efficacy of resulting approaches was evaluated and compared using simulated and experimental data. Samples used in the experiments included Intralipid-10% or Intralipid-20% suspension in water as the medium with absorptive or scattering targets embedded.

Biosensors For Brain Trauma And Dual Laser Doppler Flowmetry: Enoxaparin Simultaneously Reduces Stroke-Induced Dopamine And Blood Flow While Enhancing Serotonin And Blood Flow In Motor Neurons Of Brain, In Vivo, Patricia A. Broderick, Edwin H. Kolodny

Publications and Research

Neuromolecular Imaging (NMI) based on adsorptive electrochemistry, combined with Dual Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF) is presented herein to investigate the brain neurochemistry affected by enoxaparin (Lovenox®), an antiplatelet/antithrombotic medication for stroke victims. NMI with miniature biosensors enables neurotransmitter and neuropeptide (NT) imaging; each NT is imaged with a response time in milliseconds. A semiderivative electronic reduction circuit images several NT’s selectively and separately within a response time of minutes. Spatial resolution of NMI biosensors is in the range of nanomicrons and electrochemically-induced current ranges are in pico- and nano-amperes. Simultaneously with NMI, the LDF technology presented herein operates on line …

The Murine Caecal Microrna Signature Depends On The Presence Of The Endogenous Microbiota, Natasha Singh, Elize A. Shirdel, Levi Waldron, Regan-Heng Zhang, Igor Jurisica, Elena M. Comelli

Publications and Research

The intestinal messenger RNA expression signature is affected by the presence and compo-sition of the endogenous microbiota, with effects on host physiology. The intestine is also characterized by a distinctive micronome. However, it is not known if microbes also impact intestinal gene expression epigenetically. We investigated if the murine caecal microRNA expression signature depends on the presence of the microbiota, and the potential implica-tions of this interaction on intestinal barrier function. Three hundred and thirty four mi-croRNAs were detectable in the caecum of germ-free and conventional male mice and 16 were differentially expressed, with samples from the two groups clustering …

Sexuality, Rights And Personhood: Tensions In A Transnational World, Dina M. Siddiqi

Publications and Research

Background This article discusses what happens when normative ‘global’ discourses of rights and individuated sexual identity confront the messiness of ‘local’ realities. It considers the tensions that emerge when the relationship between sexual and social identities is not obvious and the implications of such tensions for public health and sexual rights activism. These questions are addressed through debates over the naming of male-to-male sexualities and desires in the context of globalization and the growth of a large NGO (non-governmental organization) sector in urban Bangladesh. Methods The material in the paper draws on a research project undertaken in 2008-9 in Dhaka, …

Attention And Olfactory Consciousness, Andreas Keller

Publications and Research

Understanding the relation between attention and consciousness is an important part of our understanding of consciousness. Attention, unlike consciousness, can be systematically manipulated in psychophysical experiments and a law-like relation between attention and consciousness is waiting to be discovered. Most attempts to discover the nature of this relation are focused on a special type of attention: spatial visual attention. In this review I want to introduce another type of attention to the discussion: attention to the olfactory modality. I will first clarify the position of attention to smells in a general taxonomy of attention. I will then review the mechanisms …

The Evolution And Diversity Of Dna Transposons In The Genome Of The Lizard Anolis Carolinensis, Peter A. Novick, Jeremy D. Smith, Mark Floumanhaft, David A. Ray, Stéphane Boissinot

Publications and Research

DNA transposons have considerably affected the size and structure of eukaryotic genomes and have been an important source of evolutionary novelties. In vertebrates, DNA transposons are discontinuously distributed due to the frequent extinction and recolonization of these genomes by active elements. We performed a detailed analysis of the DNA transposons in the genome of the lizard Anolis carolinensis, the first non-avian reptile to have its genome sequenced. Elements belonging to six of the previously recognized superfamilies of elements (hAT, Tc1/Mariner, Helitron, PIF/Harbinger, Polinton/Maverick, and Chapaev) were identified. However, only four (hAT, Tc1/Mariner, Helitron, and Chapaev) of these superfamilies have successfully …

Multiple Sclerosis Is Not A Disease Of The Immune System, Angelique Corthals

Publications and Research

Multiple sclerosis is a complex neurodegenerative disease, thought to arise through autoimmunity against antigens of the central nervous system. The autoimmunity hypothesis fails to explain why genetic and environmental risk factors linked to the disease in one population tend to be unimportant in other populations. Despite great advances in documenting the cell and molecular mechanisms underlying MS pathophysiology, the autoimmunity framework has also been unable to develop a comprehensive explanation of the etiology of the disease. I propose a new framework for understanding MS as a dysfunction of the metabolism of lipids. Specifically, the homeostasis of lipid metabolism collapses during …

Understanding The Association Of Biomedical, Psychosocial And Behavioral Risks With Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes, Michele Kiely, Ayman El-Mohandes, Marie G. Gantz, Dhuly Chowdhury, Jutta S. Thornberry, M. Nabil El-Khorazaty

Publications and Research

Objectives: This study investigates the relationship between diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, and Body Mass Index (BMI) -- the most common and interrelated medical conditions occurring during pregnancy; sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors; and adverse pregnancy outcomes in high-risk urban African American women in Washington, DC.

Methods: Data are from a randomized controlled trial conducted in 6 prenatal clinics. Women in their 1^st or 2^nd trimester were screened for behavioral risks (smoking, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, depression, and intimate partner violence) and demographic eligibility. 1,044 were eligible, interviewed and followed through their pregnancies. Classification and Regression Trees (CART) methodology was …

Impaired Structural Connectivity Of Socio-Emotional Circuits In Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study, Stephanie H. Ameis, Jin Fan, Conrad Rockel, Aristotle N. Voineskos, Nancy J. Lobaugh, Latha Soorya, A. Ting Wang, Eric Hollander, Evdokia Anagnostou

Publications and Research

Background Abnormal white matter development may disrupt integration within neural circuits, causing particular impairments in higher-order behaviours. In autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), white matter alterations may contribute to characteristic deficits in complex socio-emotional and communication domains. Here, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tract based spatial statistics (TBSS) to evaluate white matter microstructure in ASD. Methods/Principal Findings DTI scans were acquired for 19 children and adolescents with ASD (∼8–18 years; mean 12.4±3.1) and 16 age and IQ matched controls (∼8–18 years; mean 12.3±3.6) on a 3T MRI system. DTI values for fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity and axial …

Phylogenomics Of Reichenowia Parasitica, An Alphaproteobacterial Endosymbiont Of The Freshwater Leech Placobdella Parasitica, Sebastian Kvist, Apurva Narechania, Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa, Bella Fuks, Mark E. Siddall

Publications and Research

Although several commensal alphaproteobacteria form close relationships with plant hosts where they aid in (e.g.,) nitrogen fixation and nodulation, only a few inhabit animal hosts. Among these, Reichenowia picta, R. ornata and R. parasitica, are currently the only known mutualistic, alphaproteobacterial endosymbionts to inhabit leeches. These bacteria are harbored in the epithelial cells of the mycetomal structures of their freshwater leech hosts, Placobdella spp., and these structures have no other obvious function than housing bacterial symbionts. However, the function of the bacterial symbionts has remained unclear. Here, we focused both on exploring the genomic makeup of R. parasitica and on …

A Novel Mutation In The Hsd17b10 Gene Of A 10-Year-Old Boy With Refractory Epilepsy, Choreoathetosis And Learning Disability, Laurie H. Seaver, Xue-Ying He, Keith Abe, Tina Cowan, Gregory M. Enns, Lawrence Sweetman, Manfred Philipp, Sansan Lee, Mazhar Malik, Song-Yu Yang

Publications and Research

Hydroxysteroid (17beta) dehydrogenase 10 (HSD10) is a mitochondrial multifunctional enzyme encoded by the HSD17B10 gene. Missense mutations in this gene result in HSD10 deficiency, whereas a silent mutation results in mental retardation, X-linked, syndromic 10 (MRXS10). Here we report a novel missense mutation found in the HSD17B10 gene, namely c.194T>C transition (rs104886492), brought about by the loss of two forked methyl groups of valine 65 in the HSD10 active site. The affected boy, who possesses mutant HSD10 (p.V65A), has a neurological syndrome with metabolic derangements, choreoathetosis, refractory epilepsy and learning disability. He has no history of acute decompensation or …

Relational Memory: A Daytime Nap Facilitates The Abstraction Of General Concepts, Hiuyan Lau, Sara E. Alger, William Fishbein

Publications and Research

It is increasingly evident that sleep strengthens memory. However, it is not clear whether sleep promotes relational memory, resultant of the integration of disparate memory traces into memory networks linked by commonalities. The present study investigates the effect of a daytime nap, immediately after learning or after a delay, on a relational memory task that requires abstraction of general concept from separately learned items. Specifically, participants learned English meanings of Chinese characters with overlapping semantic components called radicals. They were later tested on new characters sharing the same radicals and on explicitly stating the general concepts represented by the radicals. …

Solution Structure And Dna-Binding Properties Of The Phosphoesterase Domain Of Dna Ligase D, Aswin Natarajan, Kaushik Dutta, Deniz B. Temel, Pravin A. Nair, Stewart Shuman, Ranajeet Ghose

Publications and Research

The phosphoesterase (PE) domain of the bacterial DNA repair enzyme LigD possesses distinctive manganese-dependent 3'-phosphomonoesterase and 3'-phosphodiesterase activities. PE exemplifies a new family of DNA end-healing enzymes found in all phylogenetic domains. Here, we determined the structure of the PE domain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa LigD (PaePE) using solution NMR methodology. PaePE has a disordered N-terminus and a well-folded core that differs in instructive ways from the crystal structure of a PaePE•Mn(2+)• sulfate complex, especially at the active site that is found to be conformationally dynamic. Chemical shift perturbations in the presence of primertemplate duplexes with 30-deoxynucleotide, …

Developing A Community-Based Genetic Nomenclature For Anole Lizards, Kenro Kusumi, Rob J. Kulathinal, Arhat Abzhanov, Stéphane Boissinot, Nicholas G. Crawford, Brant C. Faircloth, Travis C. Glenn, Daniel E. Janes, Jonathan B. Losos, Douglas B. Menke, Steven Poe, Thomas J. Sanger, Christopher J. Schneider, Jessica Stapley, Juli Wade, Jeanne Wilson-Rawls

Publications and Research

Background Comparative studies of amniotes have been hindered by a dearth of reptilian molecular sequences. With the genomic assembly of the green anole, Anolis carolinensis available, non-avian reptilian genes can now be compared to mammalian, avian, and amphibian homologs. Furthermore, with more than 350 extant species in the genus Anolis, anoles are an unparalleled example of tetrapod genetic diversity and divergence. As an important ecological, genetic and now genomic reference, it is imperative to develop a standardized Anolis gene nomenclature alongside associated vocabularies and other useful metrics. Results Here we report the formation of the Anolis Gene Nomenclature Committee (AGNC) …

Progesterone-Induced Changes In The Phosphoryl Potential During The Meiotic Divisions In Amphibian Oocytes: Role Of Na/K-Atpase, Gene A. Morrill, Terry L. Dowd, Adele B. Kostellow, Raj K. Gupta

Publications and Research

Background Progesterone triggers resumption of the first meiotic division in the Rana pipiens oocyte by binding to the N-terminal external loop of the catalytic subunit of Na/K-ATPase, releasing a cascade of lipid second messengers. This is followed by internalization of specific membrane proteins, plasma membrane depolarization and nuclear membrane breakdown, culminating in arrest at second metaphase. Results Progesterone initiates an increase in phosphoryl potential during the first meiotic division, resulting in the accumulation of high energy protein phosphate by second metaphase arrest. 31P-NMR, with saturation transfer, demonstrates that the phosphocreatine level rises ~2 fold and that the "pseudo" first order …