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A Macroevolutionary Mosaic: Episodic Host-Switching, Geographical Colonization And Diversification In Complex Host–Parasite Systems [Special Paper], Eric P. Hoberg, Daniel R. Brooks

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Aim: To integrate ecological fitting, the oscillation hypothesis and the taxon pulse hypothesis into a coherent null model for the evolution of complex host–parasite associations.

Location: Global.

Methods: This paper reviews and synthesizes literature that focuses on phylogenetic analyses and reciprocal mapping of a model system of hosts and their parasites to determine patterns of host–parasite associations and geographical distributions through time.

Results: Host-switching and geographical dispersal of parasites are common phenomena, occurring on many temporal and spatial scales. Diversification involving both co-evolution and colonization explains complex host–parasite associations. Across the expanse of Earth history, the major radiations in host– …

Performance Requirements And Evaluation Procedures For Advance Wide Area Detectors, Anuj Sharma, Matthew Harding, Brad Giles, Darcy M. Bullock, James R. Sturdevant, Srinivas Peeta

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Dilemma zone protection ideally requires the exact position and speed of all the vehicles approaching the intersection. However, point detectors, typically used to protect vehicle incursion into the dilemma zone, only provide binary information about the presence or absence of a vehicle at a fixed point in space. The information regarding position and speed of the vehicle in subsequent time steps is extrapolated. The extrapolation error increases with the increase in projection time. Wide area detector (WAD) overcomes this drawback by tracking each vehicle at all times until they move out of range. Such a detector has the potential to …

Field Evaluation Of Alternative Real-Time Methods For Estimating Approach Delay At Signalized Intersections, Anuj Sharma, Darcy M. Bullock

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Vehicle delay at a signalized intersection is among the widely used performance measures of efficiency at a signalized intersection. The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) uses this performance measure to report the level of service at a signalized intersection. This performance measure is also used to estimate travel time along the arterials. With the advent of technological advances in the field of vehicle detection, real-time measurement of delay at a signalized intersection has become economically and computationally feasible. This paper compares three emerging techniques for estimating approach delay: an Input Output technique (IO), a Hybrid technique, and the HCM delay equation. …

Development Of Truck Weight Limits For Concrete Bridges Using Reliability Theory Desenvolvimento De Equações Para A Limitação Do Peso De Veículos De Carga Em Pontes De Concreto Através Da Teoria De Confiabilidade, L. M. Ferreira, A. S. Nowak, M. K. El Debs

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

The increase in gross weight limits allowed by Brazilian legislation and the soaring number of new truck configurations on national highways has called for greater attention regarding the structural safety of bridges when submitted to real traffic. This paper verifies the performance of bridges under Sao Paulo Department of Transportation jurisdiction using the reliability index β and obtains truck weight limits in order to guarantee structural integrity. The superstructures of reinforced and prestressed concrete bridges, classes 36 and 45, are considered. The ultimate limit state is verified in cross sections subjected to positive and negative critical bending moments. In case …

The Application Of Fast-Nmr For The Identification Of Novel Drug Discovery Targets, Robert Powers, Kelly A. Mercier, Jennifer C. Copeland

Robert Powers Publications

The continued success of genome sequencing projects has resulted in a wealth of information, but 40-50% of identified genes correspond to hypothetical proteins or proteins of unknown function. The Functional Annotation Screening Technology by NMR (FAST-NMR) screen was developed to assign a biological function for these unannotated proteins with a structure solved by the Protein Structure Initiative. FAST-NMR is based on the premise that a biological function can be described by a similarity in binding sites and ligand interactions with proteins of known function. The resulting co-structure and functional assignment may provide a starting point for …

Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle-Dependent Regulation Of Staphylococcus Epidermidis Polysaccharide Intercellular Adhesin Synthesis, Marat R. Sadykov, Michael E. Olson, Steven M. Halouska, Yefei Zhu, Paul D. Fey, Robert Powers, Greg A. Somerville

Robert Powers Publications

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a major nosocomial pathogen primarily infecting immunocompromised individuals or those with implanted biomaterials (e.g., catheters). Biomaterial-associated infections often involve the formation of a biofilm on the surface of the medical device. In S. epidermidis, polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) is an important mediator of biofilm formation and pathogenesis. Synthesis of PIA is regulated by at least three DNA binding proteins (IcaR, SarA, and σ^B) and several environmental and nutritional conditions. Previously, we observed the environmental conditions that increased PIA synthesis decreased tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity. In this study, S. epidermidis TCA cycle mutants were …

Wind Through The Buffalo Grass: A Lakota Story Cycle, Paul A. Johnsgard

Paul Johnsgard Collection

Wind Through the Buffalo Grass: A Lakota Story Cycle is a narrative history of the Pine Ridge Lakota tribe of South Dakota, following its history from 1850 to the present day through actual historical events and through the stories of four fictional Lakota children, each related by descent and separated from one another by two generations.

The ecology of the Pine Ridge region, especially its mammalian and avian wildlife, is woven into the stories of the children. Illustrated by the author, the book includes drawings of Pine Ridge wildlife, regional maps, and Native American pictorial art. Appendices include a listing …

Evidence That The Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome Protein, An Early Sensor Of Double-Strand Dna Breaks (Dsb), Is Involved In Hiv-1 Post-Integration Repair By Recruiting The Ataxia Telangiectasia-Mutated Kinase In A Process Similar To, But Distinct From, Cellular Dsb Repair., Johanna A Smith, Feng-Xiang Wang, Hui Zhang, Kou-Juey Wu, Kevin Jon Williams, René Daniel

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Retroviral transduction involves integrase-dependent linkage of viral and host DNA that leaves an intermediate that requires post-integration repair (PIR). We and others proposed that PIR hijacks the host cell double-strand DNA break (DSB) repair pathways. Nevertheless, the geometry of retroviral DNA integration differs considerably from that of DSB repair and so the precise role of host-cell mechanisms in PIR remains unclear. In the current study, we found that the Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1 protein (NBS1), an early sensor of DSBs, associates with HIV-1 DNA, recruits the ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) kinase, promotes stable retroviral transduction, mediates efficient integration of viral DNA …

Panel Data Techniques And The Elasticity Of Taxable Income, Seth H. Giertz

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

This paper examines the elasticity of taxable income with a focus on income controls designed to control for divergence in the income distribution and mean reversion. Additional emphasis is placed on the difference between short-run and longer-run responses to tax rate changes. Several panel techniques are applied to tax return data for years 1991 to 1997, followed by a cross-section analysis covering the same period. For each panel regression, an innovative inverted panel regression framework is employed to test the efficacy of the controls for mean reversion apart from controls for divergence in the income distribution. Finally, cross-section (and repeated …

A Sensitivity Analysis Of The Elasticity Of Taxable Income, Seth H. Giertz

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

This paper applies the methods of Gruber and Saez (2002) to a panel of tax returns spanning years 1979 through 2001 in order to examine the sensitivity of the elasticities of taxable and broad income to an array of factors. The paper finds that Gruber and Saez’s approach yields an estimated elasticity of taxable income (ETI) for the 1990s that is about half the size of my corresponding estimate for the 1980s. The paper finds that weighting regression results by income not only has a substantial impact on the estimates, but also results in overall estimates that are influenced by …

Taxable Income Responses To 1990s Tax Acts: Further Explorations, Seth H. Giertz

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

This paper presents applications of variants of a differencing methodology to Internal Revenue Service tax records in order to estimate taxable income elasticities for the 1990s. Estimates are systematically examined by applying a number of sensitivity tests. Estimates are produced after altering the: (1) time interval over which observational-level behavior is measured; (2) income restrictions on the sample; (3) choice of control variables; and (4) weighting scheme used in the regressions. In general, estimates are quite sensitive to a number of different factors. In contrast to some of the literature, estimates are larger when behavior is measured over 3-year intervals …

Tax Reform And Charitable Giving, Seth H. Giertz

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

Of the $240.7 billion donated to U.S. charities in 2003, 75 percent was from individuals. Of that total, $145.7 billion was taken as itemized deductions on federal income tax returns. In addition, non-itemizers and non-filers contributed $33.0 billion – contributions that received no special tax treatment. Under current law, only taxpayers who itemize may deduct from Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) their charitable donations in determining taxable income. In recent years, a number of different proposals have been put forth that would alter the tax treatment of giving by individuals. Some plans would extend a variant of the charitable deduction to …

Deciphering Climatic History From Lake Sediments, Sherilyn C. Fritz

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Reconstructing climate from lake sediments can be challenging, because the response of lakes and various components of lake systems are mediated by non-climatic factors, such as geomorphic and hydrologic stetting. As a result, the magnitude of lake response to climatic forcing may be non-linear. In addition, changes in the lake system associated with the aging process or non-climatic influences may alter the response to a given climate perturbation. These non-linear and nonstationary characteristics can produce spatial heterogeneity in the pattern and timing of inferred change. One approach for generating regionally robust climatic interpretations from lakes is to increase coordinated efforts …

Holocene Multidecadal- To Millennial-Scale Hydrologic Variability On The South American Altiplano, Erick Ekdahl, Sherilyn C. Fritz, Paul A. Baker, Catherine Rigsby, Kirstin Coley

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Precipitation on the South American Altiplano varies at a range of temporal scales. A long-term secular increase in moisture availability from the early/mid Holocene to the present, driven by increasing summer insolation resulting from precessional changes in the Earth’s orbit, has been documented in earlier studies. However, higher frequency Holocene variability is not yet understood. Here we present high-resolution diatom assemblage data from two small Altiplano lakes, Lago Lagunillas and Lago Umayo, indicating changes in effective moisture in the southern tropical Andes at decadal, centennial and millennial timescales throughout the mid to late Holocene. A strong millennial-scale component, similar in …

Reef Foraminifera As Bioindicators Of Coral Reef Health: Low Isles Reef, Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Jonathan D. Schueth, Tracy D. Frank

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Declining water quality associated with changes in land use over the past century is considered a significant environmental threat to the health of coral platforms of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, in particular for those situated in nearshore areas of the wet tropics. Of these reefs, perhaps the most well known is Low Isles Reef, which has been studied since 1928. Decline in scleractinian coral cover and increased abundances of soft-bodied corals and macroalgae since the 1950’s have led researchers to speculate that the reef is being affected by increased nutrient and sediment fluxes from nearby rivers. The Foraminifera in …

Stratigraphic Imprint Of The Late Paleozoic Ice Age In Eastern Australia: A Record Of Alternating Glacial And Nonglacial Climate Regime, Christopher R. Fielding, Tracy D. Frank, Lauren P. Birgenheier, Michael C. Rygel, Andrew T. Jones, John Roberts

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Stratigraphic and sedimentological data from New South Wales and Queensland, eastern Australia, indicate that the Late Paleozoic Ice Age comprised at least eight discrete glacial intervals (each 1–8 Ma in duration, here termed “glaciations”), separated by nonglacial intervals of comparable duration. These events spanned an interval from mid-Carboniferous (c. 327 Ma) to the early Late Permian (c. 260 Ma), and illustrate a pattern of increasing climatic austerity and increasingly widespread glacial ice from initial onset until an acme in the late Early Permian, followed by an opposite trend towards the final demise of glaciation in the Late Permian. The alternating …

Hybrid Zones, Genetic Isolation, And Systematics Of Pocket Gophers (Genus Geomys) In Nebraska., Hugh H. Genoways, Meredith J. Hamilton, Darin M. Bell, Ryan R. Chambers, Robert T. Bradley

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Pocket gophers of the genus Geomys are common inhabitants of many habitats throughout most of the state of Nebraska. Because the taxonomic history of Geomys has undergone numerous changes through the years, these pocket gophers have been the subjects of ongoing taxonomic and distributional studies and in more recent years genetic studies to understand relationships among populations. In order to gain deeper insight into the relationships among these taxa of Geomys, we intensively collected specimens from areas where chromosomal races were thought to form contact zones. Results from examination of genetic (chromosomes, mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene sequences, and nuclear interphotoreceptor …

Speciation Within Bonneted Bats (Genus Eumops): The Complexity Of Morphological, Mitochondrial, And Nuclear Data Sets In Systematics, Molly M. Mcdonough, Loren K. Ammerman, Robert M. Timm, Hugh H. Genoways, Peter A. Larsen, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

We phylogenetically analyze 705 base pairs of the cytochrome-b gene and 351 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) bands from populations of the karyotypically variable Wagner’s bonneted bat, Eumops glaucinus, and the Florida bonneted bat, Eumops floridanus (Chiroptera: Molossidae). Three karyotypes have been documented across the range of E. glaucinus, and we report that the karyotype from Cuba is morphologically similar to that from Jamaica. A 4th karyotype is present in specimens from western Ecuador. Three distinct lineages are present in both the cytochrome-b and AFLP trees. One lineage is restricted to western Ecuador and exhibits cytochrome-b …

Corporate Social Responsibility For Solving The Housing Problem For The Poor In South Africa, Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman, Basheera Mia

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Incorporating Value And Risk Management Principles In Developing Low-Income Housing Projects, Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman

Architectural Engineering

The construction industry is concerned with satisfying its customers’ needs through delivering projects that achieve their objectives and meet their expectations on time, within budget and as specified. Despite the several housing programmes constructed by government authorities, there is a real housing problem for the poor. This problem is attributed to a number of reasons. Amongst them, the inability of the low-incomers to cover the cost of supplied houses and the lack of the constructed projects to achieve users’ satisfaction. This highlighted the need to develop innovative and creative solutions that can deliver housing projects that achieve the satisfaction of …

Contributions Of Ibn Al-Nafis 1210-1288 Ad To The Progress Of Medicine And Urology. A Study And Translations From His Medical Works, Rabie E. Abdel-Halim

Saudi Medical Journal

This primary-source study of 4 medical works of the 13th century Muslim scholar Ibn Al-Nafis confirmed that his Kitab Al-Mujaz Fi Al-Tibb was authored as an independent book meant to be a handbook for medical students and practitioners not as an epitome of Kitab Al-Qanun of Ibn Sina as thought by recent historians. His huge medical encyclopedia, Al-Shamil, represents a wave of intense scientific activity that spread among the scholars of Cairo and Damascus following the massive destruction of books by Hulako9s Army during the devastation of Baghdad in 1258. Like his predecessors in the Islamic Era, Ibn Al-Nafis critically …

Expression Of Epoxygenases Belonging To Cyp2 Family In Rat Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury In Vivo, Ying Ao, Ren-Xiu Peng, Jing Yang, Bing-Hua Wang, John R. Falck, Hong Dan, Ying-Hui Liu

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the expression of epoxygenases belonging to cytochrome P-450 mono-oxygenases (CYP2) family in rat ischemic myocardium at varying reperfusion periods, and the effect of epoxygenase inhibition on the post-ischemic heart. METHODS: The current study was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Wuhan University, China, between September 2004 and June 2005. Rats were subjected to 40 minutes of myocardial ischemia, followed by 0, 15, 60, and 180 minutes of reperfusion. Superoxide generation was assayed by confocal microscopy, CYP2B1/2, 2C6, 2E1, 2J3 gene expressions were determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Fourteen, 15-dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (DHET) concentration …

Determination Of The Effects Of Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields On The Percentages Of Peripheral Blood Leukocytes And Histology Of Lymphoid Organs Of The Mouse, Aynur E. Cicekcibasi, Ilhami Celik, Ahmet Salbacak, Yasemin Ozkan, Nilsel Okudan, Mustafa Buyukmumcu

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of very weak, extremely low frequency (50 Hz) electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) on the relative spleen weight, lymphoid organ histology, peripheral blood leukocyte and alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase positive (ANAE- positive) lymphocyte percentages of the mouse. METHODS: The study was carried out in Scientific Research and Application Center of Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey in 2005. A total of 120 Swiss albino mice were divided into 6 groups (20 in each group). The experimental animals were exposed to 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 uT flux intensities (rms) of EMF at 50 Hz for 40 days. RESULTS: In …

Thrombophilia In Young Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction, Murat Celik, Abdullah Altintas, Yusuf Celik, Aziz Karabulut, Orhan Ayyildiz

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of thrombophilia and coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: Under the age of 45 years, 129 patients with MI and 107 control subjects were included into the study. Traditional risk factors of CAD and protein C, S, antithrombin III deficiencies, factor V Leiden (FV Leiden), prothrombin G20210A and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T mutations were investigated. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in terms of obesity, smoking, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, family history, hypertension, diabetes, and left ventricular hypertrophy between patients and controls. None …

Yield And Complications Of Flexible Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy In A Teaching Hospital, Abdulaziz H. Alzeer, Hadil A. Al-Otair, Mohammed S. Al-Hajjaj

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic yield and safety of flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FFB). METHODS: A retrospective review of bronchoscopy reports and corresponding patients charts over 3 years from January 2004 - December 2006 in King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Indication for procedure, suspected diagnosis, final diagnosis, and complications were reported. RESULTS: Out of 720 patients, 707 (98.2%) patients had a full follow up. Five hundred and ninety-two (83.7%) underwent FFB for diagnostic purposes and 115 (16.3%) for therapeutic purposes. The mean age was 42 -/+ 18 years. Infection, including mycobacterium tuberculosis, and malignancy were the 2 …

Safety Profile Of Parenteral Ketamine And Lignocaine Infiltration In Pediatric Operations, David O. Osifo, Kennedy N. Emeagui, Sylvester E. Aghahowa

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To study the safety and benefits of parenteral ketamine and lignocaine infiltration among pediatric surgical patients with co-morbidities that would preclude the use of general anesthesia requiring endotracheal intubation/face mask in a developing country. METHODS: This prospective study was undertaken at the Leadeks Medical Centre, Benin City Edo State, Nigeria between January 2002 and December 2006. Patients requiring surgery were safely operated even in the presence of co-morbidity. RESULTS: A total of 416 children were recruited and they were aged 6 days to 16 years (mean 12 -/+ 2.04 years) with a male/female ratio of 1:1.1. Appendectomy (33.2%), herniotomy …

Ileal-Conduit Following Cystectomy, Single-Institution Revision Of Indications And Outcome, Hassan A. Abol-Enein, Ausama S. Abdul-Muhsin, Yousuf M. Alhallaq

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To revise indications, case fatality ratio, and postoperative early and late complications of ileal conduit as a method of urinary diversion. METHODS: This is a retrospective study in which 200 patients underwent an ileal conduit from August 1994 to December 2000 in Mansoura Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura, Egypt. Preoperative criteria of patient selection, peroperative findings, and postoperative follow-up data were reviewed. RESULTS: In 200 patients aged 29-75 years, with a mean age of 55.84 -/+ 8.91 years, the ileal conduit was chosen as a method of urinary diversion, due to one of the following patient or surgical factors; …

Evaluating The Trace Elements In Preoperative And Postoperative Duration Of Hydatid Surgery, Gurhan Sakman, Cem K. Parsak, Ismail S. Koltas, Gulsah Seydaoglu, Husnu Sonmez, Ismail Hanta

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the preoperative and postoperative values of serum levels of zinc, magnesium, and copper in patients with cystic echinococcosis (CE). METHODS: This study was conducted on patients with CE between 2000-2005 at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Cukurova, Adana, Turkey. Serum levels of zinc, copper, and magnesium of 85 patients with CE were measured both before and one year after the operation. Patients with liver CE (85 patients, 48 males) and healthy adults (40 adults, 17 males) as the control group were enrolled in the study. RESULTS: When compared with the control group, the mean serum levels …

Colorectal Carcinomas From Middle East. Molecular And Tissue Microarray Analysis Of Genomic Instability Pathways, Prashant P. Bavi, Jehad A. Abubaker, Zeenath D. Jehan, Naif A. Al-Jomah, Abdul K. Siraj, Sayer R. Al-Harbi, Valerie L. Atizado, Alaa S. Abduljabbar, Samar J. Alhomoud, Luai H. Ashari, Fouad H. Al-Dayel, Shahab Uddin, Khawla S. Al-Kuraya, Nasser A. Alsanea

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the overall incidence of microsatellite instability (MSI), hereditary non polyposis colorectal cancer, and tumor supressor gene (TP53) mutations in Saudi colorectal carcinomas. METHODS: We studied the MSI pathway in Saudi colorectal cancers (CRC) from 179 unselected patients using 2 MSI by polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry detection of mutL homologs 1 and mutS homologs 2 proteins. The TP53 mutations were studied by sequencing exons 5, 6, 7, and 8. RESULTS: Of the 150 colorectal carcinomas analyzed for MSI, 16% of the tumors showed high level instability (MSI-H), 19.3% had low-level instability (MSI-L) and the remaining 64% tumors …

Comparison Of The Clinical And Pathological Features Between Patients With Recurrent Metastatic Breast Carcinoma And Patients With Initially Metastatic Breast Carcinoma, Birsen K. Saydam, Gamze Goksel, Esra Korkmaz, Murat Kapkac, Necmettin Ozdemir, Canfeza Sezgin, Ruchan Uslu

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To compare initial metastatic breast carcinoma (MBC) with recurrent MBC and assess their biologic phenotypes and clinical behaviors. METHODS: A comparison of clinical and biological characteristics and median overall survival times were assessed in the 251 patients with MBC at the Division of Medical Oncology, Ege University School of Medicine, and the Division of Radiation Oncology, Tepecik Government Hospital, Izmir, Turkey between 1995 and 2004. Hormone receptors, c-erbB-2, Ki-67, and p53 expressions were performed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Out of 251 MBC patients, 206 patients had recurrent MBC, and 45 had initial MBC. Regarding survival, there was no difference between …