Digital Commons Network^™

Judgmental Heuristics And News Reporting, Sharon Dunwoody, Robert J. Griffin

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Mosquitofish (Gambusia Affinis) Cues On Wood Frog (Lithobates Sylvaticus) Tadpole Activity, K. F. Buttermore, P. N. Litkenhaus, D. C. Torpey, Geoffrey R. Smith, Jessica E. Rettig

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Body Temperatures Of Hyla Arenicolor From Sierra De Tepozotlan, Estado De Mexico, Mexico, F. Correa-Sanchez, Geoffrey R. Smith, G. A. Woolrich-Pina, J. A. Lemos-Espinal

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Temperature And Salinity On Wood Frog (Lithobates Sylvaticus) Tadpole Growth And Survival, J. H. Clemmer, E. Z. Miller, Geoffrey R. Smith, Jessica E. Rettig

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Linkages To Public Land Framework: Toward Embedding Humans In Ecosystem Analyses By Using “Inside-Out Social Assessment", Joanna Endter-Wada, D. J. Blahna

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

This article presents the ‘‘Linkages to Public Land’’ (LPL) Framework, a general but comprehensive data-gathering and analysis approach aimed at informing citizen and agency decision making about the social environment of public land. This social assessment and planning approach identifies and categorizes various types of linkages that people have to public land and guides the tasks of finding and using information on people in those linkages. Linkages are defined as the ‘‘coupling mechanisms’’ that explain how and why humans interact with ecosystems, while linkage analyses are empirical investigations contextualized both temporally and geographically. The conceptual, legal, and theoretical underpinnings of …

Autonomy In The Workplace: An Essential Ingredient To Employee Engagement And Well-Being In Every Culture, Marylène Gagne, Devasheesh P. Bhave

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The nature of organizational life requires questioning the role of worker autonomy. An impressive amount of management research has been devoted to autonomy issues in organizations. Autonomy is at the forefront of research on job design and the management of employees. Therefore, we review evidence in the area of job design and management practices that deeply affect worker autonomy. Throughout this discussion, we evaluate the cross-cultural applicability of research and practice and offer future directions based on self-determination theory.

Opposing Actions Of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase (Erk) And Signal Transducer And Activator Of Transcription 3 (Stat3) In Regulating Microtubule Stabilization During Cardiac Hypertrophy, D Ng, I Ng, B Badrian, T Tsoutsman, J Mcmullen, C Semsarian, M Bogoyevitch

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Excessive proliferation and stabilization of the microtubule (MT) array in cardiac myocytes can accompany pathological cardiac hypertrophy, but the molecular control of these changes remains poorly characterized. In this study, we examined MT stabilization in two independent murine models of heart failure and revealed increases in the levels of post-translationally modified stable MTs, which were closely associated with STAT3 activation. To explore the molecular signaling events contributing to control of the cardiac MT network, we stimulated cardiac myocytes with an a-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine (PE), and observed increased tubulin content without changes in detyrosinated (glutubulin) stable MT’s. In contrast, the hypertrophic …

State Of The Fisheries And Aquatic Resources Report 2010/11, W.J Fletcher, K. Santoro

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

This is the second edition of the newly named State of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Report. Each year this report provides the public with an update on the status of all the fish and fisheries resources of Western Australia that are managed by the Department. The report outlines the current risk status for the ecological resources (assets) within each of WA‘s six Bioregions by taking a bioregional, Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach.

Lifestyle And Demographic Correlates Of Poor Mental Health In Early Adolescence, Monique Robinson, Garth Kendall, Peter Jacoby, Beth P. Hands, Lawrence Beilin, Sven Silburn, Steve Zubrick, Wendy Oddy

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Aim: To determine the constellation of lifestyle and demographic factors that are associated with poor mental health in an adolescent population.

Methods: The Raine Study 14-year follow-up involved primary care givers and their adolescent children (n = 1860). The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess adolescent mental health. We examined diet, socio-demographic data, family functioning, physical activity, screen use and risk-taking behaviours with mental health outcomes using linear regression.

Results: Adolescents with higher intakes of meat and meat alternatives and ‘extras’ foods had poorer mental health status. Adverse socioeconomic conditions, higher hours of screen use and ever partaking …

The Role Of Gender In Negotiation, Elizabeth Layne Paddock, L. J. Kray

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

No abstract provided.

Phylogeographic Structure Of Teretrius Nigrescens (Coleoptera: Histeridae) Predator Of The Invasive Post Harvest Pest Prostephanus Truncatus (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)., B. A. Omondi, J. Van Den Berg, D. Masiga, F. Schulthess

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The invasive larger grain borer Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) is the most important pest of farm-stored maize in Africa. It was introduced into the continent from Mesoamerica in the late 1970s and by 2008 had spread to at least 18 countries. Classical biological control using two populations of the predator Teretrius nigrescens Lewis achieved long-term and cost effective control in warm-humid areas, but not in cool and hot-dry zones. The present study investigated the phylogenetic relationships between geographical populations of the predator. Ten populations of T. nigrescens were studied using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR), sequence analysis of …

Flexible Use Of Anti-Predator Defences, Ximena J. Nelson, Robert R. Jackson

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Belonging to a size category that makes them vulnerable to a wide variety of predators, spiders have evolved a bewildering array of anti-predator adaptations, which can be clustered under two broad categories, primary and secondary defence. Primary defences are ploys by which the spider avoids provoking pursuit by, and interaction with, the predator. Camouflage and masquerade are especially common examples. Secondary defences come into play once an interaction with a predator is under way, and these are the defences that have been most thoroughly studied. However, elements of anti-predator defence may often be integrated into other aspects of the spider's …

Parasitism Of Lepidopterous Stem Borers In Cultivated And Natural Habitats, Duna Madu Mailafiya, Bruno Pierre Le Ru, Eunice Waitherero Kairu, Stéphane Dupas, Paul-André Calatayud

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Plant infestation, stem borer density, parasitism, and parasitoid abundance were assessed during two years in two host plants, Zea mays (L.) (Cyperales: Poaceae) and Sorghum bicolor (L.) (Cyperales: Poaceae), in cultivated habitats. The four major host plants (Cyperus spp., Panicum spp., Pennisetum spp., and Sorghum spp.) found in natural habitats were also assessed, and both the cultivated and natural habitat species occurred in four agroecological zones in Kenya. Across habitats, plant infestation (23.2%), stem borer density (2.2 per plant), and larval parasitism (15.0%) were highest in maize in cultivated habitats. Pupal parasitism was not higher than 4.7% in both habitats, …

A Quantitative Analysis And Natural History Of B. F. Skinner’S Coauthoring Practices, Todd L. Mckerchar, Edward K. Morris, Nathaniel G. Smith

Research, Publications & Creative Work

This paper describes and analyzes B. F. Skinner’s coauthoring practices. After identifying his 35 coauthored publications and 27 coauthors, we analyze his coauthored works by their form (e.g., journal articles) and kind (e.g., empirical); identify the journals in which he published and their type (e.g., data-type); describe his overall and local rates of publishing with his coauthors (e.g., noting breaks in the latter); and compare his coauthoring practices with his single-authoring practices (e.g., form, kind, journal type) and with those in the scientometric literature (e.g., majority of coauthored publications are empirical). We address these findings in the context of describing …

Allotetraploid Origin And Divergence In Eleusine (Chloridoideae, Poaceae): Evidence From Low-Copy Nuclear Gene Phylogenies And A Plastid Gene Chronogram, Qing Liu, Jimmy K. Triplett, Jun Wen, Paul M. Peterson

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Background and Aims: Eleusine (Poaceae) is a small genus of the subfamily Chloridoideae exhibiting considerable morphological and ecological diversity in East Africa and the Americas. The interspecific phylogenetic relationships of Eleusine are investigated in order to identify its allotetraploid origin, and a chronogram is estimated to infer temporal relationships between palaeoenvironment changes and divergence of Eleusine in East Africa.

Methods: Two low-copy nuclear (LCN) markers, Pepc4 and EF-1a, were analysed using parsimony, likelihood and Bayesian approaches. A chronogram of Eleusine was inferred from a combined data set of six plastid DNA markers (ndhA intron, ndhF, rps16-trnK, rps16 intron, rps3, and …

Probing The Mechanical Properties Of Tnf-A Stimulated Endothelial Cell With Atomic Force Microscopy, Sei-Young Lee, Ana-Maria Zaske, Tommaso Novellino, Delia Danila, Mauro Ferrari, Jodie Conyers, Paolo Decuzzi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine that regulates the permeability of blood and lymphatic vessels. The plasma concentration of TNF-α is elevated (> 1 pg/mL) in several pathologies, including rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer, pre-eclampsia; in obese individuals; and in trauma patients. To test whether circulating TNF-α could induce similar alterations in different districts along the vascular system, three endothelial cell lines, namely HUVEC, HPMEC, and HCAEC, were characterized in terms of 1) mechanical properties, employing atomic force microscopy; 2) cytoskeletal organization, through fluorescence microscopy; and 3) membrane overexpression of adhesion molecules, employing ELISA and immunostaining. Upon stimulation …

Will The Convention On Biological Diversity Put An End To Biological Control?, Joop C. Van Lenteren, Matthew J.W. Cock, Jacques Brodeur, Barbara I.P. Barratt, Franz Bigler, Karel Bolckmans, Fabian Haas, Peter G. Mason, José Roberto P. Parra

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Will the Convention on Biological Diversity put an end to biological control? Under the Convention on Biological Diversity countries have sovereign rights over their genetic resources. Agreements governing the access to these resources and the sharing of the benefits arising from their use need to be established between involved parties. This also applies to species collected for potential use in biological control. Recent applications of access and benefit sharing principles have already made it difficult or impossible to collect and export natural enemies for biological control research in several countries. If such an approach is widely applied it would impede …

Addressing The Fertility Needs Of Hiv-Seropositive Males, Brian A. Levine, Sahadat K. Nurudeen, Jennifer T. Gosselin, Mark V. Sauer

Psychology Faculty Publications

An increasing number of serodiscordant couples are utilizing advanced reproductive technologies to address their reproductive needs. Recent literature has demonstrated that it is not only technically possible but also safe to utilize sperm-washing techniques to allow for the creation of embryos, thereby preventing both horizontal and vertical transmission of HIV. This article addresses the strengths and weakness of various reproductive techniques and discusses our experience at Columbia University (NY, USA), the location of the largest HIV-focused fertility program in the USA.

Restoring Damaged Trust With Promises, Atonement And Apology, Eric Schniter, Roman M. Sheremeta, Daniel Sznycer

ESI Working Papers

In an experiment using two consecutive trust games, we study how “cheap” signals such as promises and messages are used to restore damaged trust and encourage new trust where it did not previously exist. In these games, trustees made non-binding promises of investmentcontingent returns, then investors decided whether to invest, and finally trustees decided how much to return. After an unexpected second game was announced, but before it commenced, trustees could send a one-way message. This naturalistic quasi-experimental design allowed us to observe the endogenous emergence of trust-relevant behaviors and focus on naturally occurring remedial strategies used by promise-breakers and …

Self-Discrimination: A Field Experiment On Obesity, Pablo Brañas-Garza, Antonios Proestakis

ESI Working Papers

While it is well-established in the literature that obese people are dis- criminated against in the working environment, little is known about their own actual behavior. Our experimental setting investigates whether these potentially discriminated people respond in a di erent way when faced with the opportunity of earning a positive amount of money. Signi cant lower money requests by people who are self-reported as obese con rm our self-discrimination hypothesis, o ering an additional explanation for the wage gap; Thus, it seems that these obese people earn less not only because of discrimination against them but also because they themselves …

Strategic Behavior In Schelling Dynamics: A New Result And Experimental Evidence, Juan Miguel Benito, Pablo Brañas-Garza, Penélope Hern´Andez, Juan A. Sanchis

ESI Working Papers

In this paper we experimentally test Schelling’s (1971) segregation model and confirm the striking result of segregation. In addition, we extend Schelling’s model theoretically by adding strategic behavior and moving costs. We obtain a unique subgame perfect equilibrium in which rational agents facing moving costs may find it optimal not to move (anticipating other participants’ movements). This equilibrium is far for full segregation. We run experiments for this extended Schelling model. We find that the percentage of strategic players dramatically increases with the cost of moving and that the degree of segregation depends on the distribution of rational subjects.

Conflicted Minds: Recalibrational Emotions Following Trust-Based Interaction, Eric Schniter, Roman M. Sheremeta, Timothy W. Shields

ESI Working Papers

We investigated whether 20 emotional states, reported by 170 participants after participating in a Trust game, were experienced in a patterned way predicted by the Recalibrational Model. According to this dynamic model, new information about trust-based interaction outcomes triggers specific sets of emotions. Emotions, in turn, recalibrate the short-sighted or long-sighted programs in self and/or others that determine trust-based behavior propensity. Unlike Valence Models that predict reports of large sets of emotional states according to interdependent positive and negative affect alone, the Recalibrational Model predicts conflicted, mixed-affect emotional states. Consistent with the Recalibrational Model, we observed reports of mixed-affect (concurrent …

Resolving Conflicts By A Random Device, Erik O. Kimbrough, Roman M. Sheremeta, Timothy W. Shields

ESI Working Papers

We examine conflict resolution via a random device. We model conflict as a two-agent rent-seeking contest for a fixed prize. Before conflict arises, both agents may agree to allocate the prize by coin flip to avoid the costs of conflict. In equilibrium, risk-neutral agents with relatively symmetric conflict capabilities agree to resolve the conflict by randomization. However, with sufficiently asymmetric capabilities, conflicts are unavoidable because the stronger agent prefers to fight. Laboratory experiments confirm that the availability of the random device partially eliminates conflicts when agents are relatively symmetric; however, the device also reduces conflict between substantially asymmetric agents.

Transparency, Efficiency And The Distribution Of Economic Welfare In Pass-Through Investment Trust Games, Thomas A. Rietz, Roman M. Sheremeta, Timothy W. Shields, Vernon Smith

ESI Working Papers

We design an experiment to examine welfare and behavior in a multi-level trust game representing a pass through investment in an intermediated market. In a repeated game, an Investor invests via an Intermediary who lends to a Borrower. A pre-experiment one-shot version of the game serves as a baseline and to type each subject. We alter the transparency of exchanges between non-adjacent parties. We find transparency of the exchanges between the investor and intermediary does not significantly affect welfare. However, transparency regarding exchanges between the intermediary and borrower promotes trust on the part of the investor, increasing welfare. Further, this …

Head-Start Juvenile And Adult Resident Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene Carolina Carolina): Winter Ecology Including Microhabitat Selection, Temperature Tolerance And Philopatry, Amberly Moon

Theses and Dissertations

The Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is one of the most common reptiles in North America, but is soon to be threatened due to increased urbanization, disease, and the pet and food trades. In order to assist resource managers in choosing suitable sites for relocation studies, more information on the winter ecology of this species is necessary. We examined the temperature tolerance, microhabitat and degree of philopatry to hibernacula for juvenile and adult E. box turtles for two consecutive winters in Charles City Co, VA. The turtles were tracked via radio telemetry to record point locations during the active …

Determining Impediments To Gene Flow In A Natural Population Of Cornus Florida L. Cornaceae, Using Integrative Landscape Genetic Techniques, Crystal Meadows

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact intervening environment has on gene flow in the insect pollinated understory tree, Cornus florida L., by combining GIS and landscape genetic techniques (Least Cost Path Analysis, Circuit Theory, and Conditional Genetic Distance). Traditional population genetic analysis indicated pair-wise relatedness was significantly correlated to distance (Pearson; r = -0.312, P < 0.001) suggesting a spatial component to offspring relatedness. Dispersal throughout the study site was non-random, exhibiting a high degree of pollen pool structure due to restricted gene flow (Two-Generation Analysis; Φft = 0.161, P = 0.001). Forest structure was quantified in GIS layers representing coniferous canopies, mixed hardwood canopies, C. florida canopies, open understory (roads), and open understory/canopy due to tree removal. Of these layers, landscape isolation for the roads layer provided the best-fit model for describing genetic differentiation among sampled pollen pools (Mantel; r = 0.542, P = 0.001). These data also suggest that improved biological inferences can be gained by examining a range of landscape isolation models.

Biochemical Evaluation Of Lignin-Like Molecules, Jay Thakkar

Theses and Dissertations

Current anticoagulants carry a serious risk of bleeding complications. In addition, narrow therapeutic index, drug interactions, immunological reactions, toxicity and high cost to benefit ratio limits the effective use of these drugs in patients with thrombotic conditions.Heparin is the most widely used anticoagulant. We hypothesized that one of the major drawback of heparins, its non-specific interaction with the plasma proteins arises as a result of negative charges. To reduce these non-specific interactions, our laboratory designed sulfated low molecular weight lignin (LMWL) like biomacromolecules, which were found to be direct inhibitors of thrombin and factor Xa, acting through a unique exosite-2 …

The Synthesis, Characterization, And Upconverting Properties Of Erbium Doped; Ytterbium, Erbium Co-Doped Yttrium Oxysulfide Phosphors Under 808, 980, And 1560 Nm Excitation, James Wilkins

Theses and Dissertations

Bulk yttrium oxysulfide phosphors were prepared using the polysulfide flux method. The morphology and structure was characterized using transmission electron microscopy and x-ray powdered diffraction. Visible emissions occurring near 530 and 550 nm and 660 - 670 nm consistent with the 2H11/2, 4S3/2 → 4I15/2 and 4F9/2 → 4I15/2 transitions, respectively, were observed under 808, 980, and 1560 nm excitation. The upconverting mechanisms excited at 808, 980, and 1560 nm have been investigated in detail. The power dependent behavior of the upconverted emission intensities for singly doped erbium phosphors excited at 808 and 980 nm indicated a two-photon excitation process. …

“Clicked” Bivalent Multifunctional Ligands In Alzheimer’S Disease., Ronak Gandhi

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by beta-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation/oligomerization, biometal dyshomeostasis, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. The multifactorial nature of AD may indicate the therapeutic potential of multifunctional ligands that tackle various risk factors simultaneously as effective AD-modifying agents. This notion is further supported by the fact that while numerous AD-modifying agents targeting one single risk factor have been developed and a number of them entered clinical trials, none of them has been successfully approved by the FDA. Furthermore, neuronal cell membrane/lipid rafts (CM/LR) have been demonstrated to associate with all the indicated risk factors, indicating that this …

A Study On The Biochemical And Cellular Effects Of Enviormental Tobacco Smoke On Adult And Developing Rat Brain Biochemistry, Brian Fuller

Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been recognized as a significant health risk for adults and children. In adults, ETS exposure has been linked to increased incidences of cardiovascular disease and dementia. In children, exposure has been linked to behavioral and cognitive deficits. Studies on the effects of ETS in the brain have been largely epidemiological, and have lacked a defined explanation of the molecular/biochemical effects of ETS. The present dissertation aims to test whether ETS exposure leads to altered biochemistry in the adult and developing mammalian brain. A rat ETS exposure model was employed to investigate changes at …