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Crow's Nest, January 9, 2012, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The January 9, 2012, issue of the Crow's Nest.

Wisdom Of The Ages Or Dead-Hand Control? Patentable Subject Matter For Diagnostic Methods After In Re Bilski, Rebecca Sue Eisenberg

Law & Economics Working Papers

For a quarter century following the landmark 1980 decision of the Supreme Court in Diamond v. Chakrabarty, inventions and discoveries in biotechnology research appeared to be eligible for patent protection, assuming they meet the statutory standards for patent protection. The Supreme Court reopened the issue of patentable subject matter in 2005 when it granted certiorari in Laboratory Corporation v. Metabolite on the question of whether a method of diagnosing vitamin deficiency by observing a biomarker was unpatentable as a “basic scientific relationship.” Although the Court later dismissed the case without reaching a decision on the merits, since that time the …

The Bg News January 9, 2012, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. January 9, 2012. Volume 102-Issue 54.

Faculty Senate Agenda, January 9, 2012, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• ASUSU Annual Report - Erik Mikkelsen
• Council on Teacher Education Report - Francine Johnson
• Scholarship Advisory Board Report - Patti Kohler
• EPC Items for December
• PRPC Section 402.3.2 and 402.3.4 Vacancies (Second Reading)
• Open Access
• Extra-Service Compensation

Deafdigest: Gold Edition, January 8, 2012, Barry Strassler

DeafDigest Gold 2012

No abstract provided.

Differences In Spectral Sensitivity Within And Among Species Of Darters (Genus Etheostoma), Jennifer M. Gumm, Ellis R. Lowe, Tamra C. Mendelson

Faculty Publications

We examined variation in the visual system both within and among seven species of darters, colorful freshwater fishes of the genus Etheostoma. Using microspectrophotometry, we found that darters possess rod photoreceptor cells, single cone photoreceptor cells containing middle wavelength sensitive (MWS) visual pigments, and twin photoreceptor cells containing (LWS) visual pigments. No variation in peak sensitivity was detected among species or individuals in the rod class. In the MWS class, significant variation was detected among species and a strong statistical trend suggests differences among individuals. By contrast, all differences in the LWS class could be attributed to variation among individuals. …

The "Valley Of Death" In Medicine Is Not Only A Knowledge Translation But Also A Socio-Cultural And Institutional Problem, Yunmei Wang

Student Scholarship

Substantial resources invested in medical research have generated revolutionary discoveries in medical science. However, it takes 17 years to translate 14% of research findings into clinical practice. The gap between science and practice is labeled as “the Valley of Death” and has been framed as a “lost in translation” problem, therefore the effort has been focusing on the promotion of translational research and translators—physician scientists who understand both science and practice languages. Despite many educational and funding programs, physician’s research interest has declined and the gap has not been narrowed. To understand the underlying mechanism, we conducted a qualitative study …

Silkworms Transformed With Chimeric Silkworm/Spider Silk Genes Spin Composite Silk Fibers With Improved Mechanical Properties, Florence Joe Teulé, Yun-Gen Miao, Bong-Hee Sohn, Young-Soo Kim, J. Hull, Malcolm J. Fraser, Randolph V. Lewis, Donald L. Jarvis

Biology Faculty Publications

The development of a spider silk-manufacturing process is of great interest. However, there are serious problems with natural manufacturing through spider farming, and standard recombinant protein production platforms have provided limited progress due to their inability to assemble spider silk proteins into fibers. Thus, we used piggyBac vectors to create transgenic silkworms encoding chimeric silkworm/spider silk proteins. The silk fibers produced by these animals were composite materials that included chimeric silkworm/spider silk proteins integrated in an extremely stable manner. Furthermore, these composite fibers were, on average, tougher than the parental silkworm silk fibers and as tough as native dragline spider …

Basis Set Dependence Of Higher-Order Correlation Effects In Π-Type Interactions, Emily J. Carrell, Cara M. Thorne, Gregory S. Tschumper

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The basis set dependence of higher-order correlation effects on -type interaction energies was examined by scanning the potential energy surfaces of five dimer systems. The dimers of acetylene (H-CC-H), diacetylene (H-CC-CC-H), cyanogen (NC-CN), diphosphorous (PP), and 1,4-diphosphabutadiyne (PC-CP) were studied in three different configurations: cross, parallel-displaced, and t-shaped. More than 800 potential energy curves (PECs) were generated by computing the interaction energies for all 15 dimer configurations over a range of intermolecular distances with the MP2, coupled-cluster single double (CCSD), and coupled-cluster single double triple (CCSD(T)) methods in conjunction with 21 basis sets ranging from a small 6-31G*(0.25) split-valence basis …

Volume 5, Chapter 7-3: Gardening: Private Moss Gardens, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Chemical And Isotopic Evaluation Of Sulfur Sources And Cycling In The Pecos River, New Mexico, Usa, Fasong Yuan, Bernhard Mayer

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

The use of stable isotopes in studies of watershed biogeochemical processes has increased greatly throughout the last several decades. Much of the sulfur cycling research has addressed the influence of changes in atmospheric acid deposition on sulfur dynamics in temperate ecosystems. Little is known about sulfur cycling in dryland ecosystems such as those in the American Southwest. To identify the sources and assess the cycling of sulfur in dryland ecosystems, chemical and isotopic compositions of water were measured on samples collected from the Pecos River (New Mexico, USA) during a reconnaissance survey in spring 2010. Based on the chemical and …

Does Lack Of Enrichment Invalidate Scientific Data Obtained From Rodents By Compromising Their Welfare?, Ann L. Baldwin Phd

Between the Species

In countries where major animal research is conducted, comprehensive laws exist to ensure that the animals’ physical needs are satisfactorily met. However, animals also require an environment that allows them to fulfill their behavioral needs; this will be the focus of the article. Two studies are described in detail, one on rats and the other on genetically modified mice, which were performed by the author to compare the effects of enriched and un-enriched cage environments on rodent physiology. Evidence is presented showing that if research rodents are housed in cages lacking structures that allow them to perform their normal behaviors, …

Sirtuin-Induced Protein Deacetylation Affects The Heat Shock Response In Blue Mussel Congeners (Mytilus), M. Beam, M. Zuzow, L. Tomanek

Biological Sciences

The warm-adapted Mediterranean blue mussel species Mytilus galloprovincialis invaded southern California during the last century and has since replaced the cold-adapted native M. trossulus from its southern range, possibly due to climate change. Based on previous proteomic analyses, we hypothesized that the more heat-sensitive M. trossulus switches from NADH-producing metabolic pathways that may generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) to NADPH-producing pathways that are able to scavenge ROS during severe heat stress (32°C). We further linked these changes to the activity of the mitochondrial NAD-dependent deacetylase, sirtuin-5, which has been shown to regulate many metabolic pathways. To test the latter hypothesis, …

The Proteomic Response To Acute Heat Stress After Acclimation To Fluctuating Temperatures In The Eurythermal Porcelain Crab, Petrolisthes Cinctipes, Michael A. Garland, Holland Elder, David A. Hurt, Jonathon H. Stillman, Lars Tomanek

Biological Sciences

The porcelain crab Petrolisthes cinctipes inhabits the high intertidal along the Pacific coast between British Columbia and central California and is an emerging model organism to study the effects of environmental stress. In its habitat it experiences not only variability in average temperature but also variability in temperature fluctuations. To investigate the effect of temperature fluctuations, we characterized the heat shock response at 30°C for 6 h by acclimating individuals to three different acclimation treatments: 10°C, 10-20°C (4 h), and 10-30°C (4 h) on a daily basis for one month. We dissected claw muscle and separated proteins by 2D gel …

Experimentally Altered Navigational Demands Induce Changes In The Cortical Forebrain Of Free-Ranging Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus O. Oreganus), Matthew L. Holding, Julius A. Frazier, Emily N. Taylor, Christine R. Strand

Biological Sciences

The hippocampus of birds and mammals plays a crucial role in spatial memory and navigation. The hippocampus exhibits plasticity in adulthood in response to diverse environmental factors associated with spatial demands placed on an animal. The medial and dorsal cortices of the telencephalon of squamate reptiles have been implicated as functional homologues to the hippocampus. This study sought to experimentally manipulate the navigational demands placed on free-ranging northern Pacific rattlesnakes (Crotalus o. oreganus) to provide direct evidence of the relationship between spatial demands and neuroplasticity in the cortical telencephalon of the squamate brain. Adult male rattlesnakes were radio-tracked for 2 …

The Proteomic Response Of Mytilus Californianus To Acute Oxidative Stress In The Presence Of A Sirtuin Inhibitor, H. Chilton, J. Mier, M. Zuzow, L. Tomanek

Biological Sciences

The ribbed mussel (Mytilus californianus) occurs in the in the rocky intertidal zone along the Pacific coast of North America where it experiences greatly varying environmental conditions in terms of temperature and hypoxia, stressors that are known to induce oxidative stress. It has been hypothesized that while under acute heat stress, related Mytilus congeners undergo a shift in redox potential through the reduction of NADH fueled respiration pathways to the production of the reducing agent NADPH as a potential defensive mechanism against the production of reactive oxygen species. In addition, it has been hypothesized that sirtuins (a family …

Proteomic Responses Of Mytilus Congeners To Hypo-Saline Stress, M. Z. Zuzow, L. Serafini, L. Hitt, J. Valenzuela, L. Tomanek

Biological Sciences

The invading Mediterranean blue mussel species Mytilus galloprovincialis requires higher salinity levels than the more hypo-saline tolerant and native M.trossulus,which it replaced from its southern range in California, possibly due to climate change.It is also the warm-adapted congener.Hypo-salinity,due to an increase in extreme precipitation events,has been hypothesized to limit the expansion of the invader.By comparing the proteomic responses of the congeners to acute hypo-saline stress we were trying to identify the interspecific differences that set limits to hypo-saline stress and assess their contribution to the range shifts.We exposed mussels to acute hypo-saline(100%, 85% and 70% salinity)stress for 4h followed …

Proteomic Analysis Of Hyposalinity Stress In The Ascidian Species Ciona Savignyi And C. Intestinalis, James S. Koman, Lars Tomanek

Biological Sciences

The ascidian species Ciona savignyi and C. intestinalis are invasive species but show interspecific differences in their population response to hypo-saline stress associated with heavy winter-run off events that are predicted to become more frequent due to climate change. Despite an almost world-wide distribution, C. intestinalis seems to be more susceptible to hypo-saline stress than the geographically more limited C. savignyi. Given that the genomes of both species are fully sequenced, we were able to compare their proteomic response to both acute and chronic salinity to characterize the mechanisms that are responsible for setting tolerance limits to hyposaline conditions …

Proteomic Response Of Tidal-Rhythm Entrained Mytilus Californianus To Acute Aerial Heat Stress, D. Hernandez, M. Schuman, L. Tomanek

Biological Sciences

The rocky intertidal mussel species Mytilus californianus is native to the Pacific coast of North America. It is frequently exposed to temperatures that can induce the cellular stress response due to the tidal rhythm. Instead of acclimating mussels to common conditions in the laboratory for several weeks, we collected mussels from a site with mussel body temperature recordings (specimens’ thermal history) and immediately started experimentation by mimicking the tidal rhythm with different levels of heat stress over multiple low tides and with different recovery periods. By using individuals that were entrained to the tidal rhythm and by maintaining it, we …

[Accepted Article Manuscript Version (Postprint)] Plant Peroxisomes: Biogenesis And Function, Jianping Hu, Alison Baker, Bonnie Bartel, Nicole Linka, Robert Mullen, Sigrun Reumann, Bethany Zolman

Biology Department Faculty Works

Peroxisomes are eukaryotic organelles that are highly dynamic both in morphology and metabolism. Plant peroxisomes are involved in numerous processes, including primary and secondary metabolism, development, and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Considerable progress has been made in the identification of factors involved in peroxisomal biogenesis, revealing mechanisms that are both shared with and diverged from non-plant systems. Furthermore, recent advances have begun to reveal an unexpectedly large plant peroxisomal proteome and have increased our understanding of metabolic pathways in peroxisomes. Coordination of the biosynthesis, import, biochemical activity, and degradation of peroxisomal proteins allows for highly dynamic responses of …

Library Impact Statement For Bio 485x Salt Marsh Ecology, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BIO 485X Salt Marsh Ecology new course proposal. No new library resources are needed to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Serena Moseman-Valtierra.

Library Impact Statement For Bio 585x Salt Marsh Ecology, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BIO 585X Salt Marsh Ecology new course proposal. No new library resources are needed to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Serena Moseman-Valtierra.

Relationships Between Urinary Biomarkers Of Phytoestrogens, Phthalates, Phenols, And Pubertal Stages In Girls, Tandra R. Chakraborty, Eilliut Alicea, Sanjoy Chakraborty

Publications and Research

Phytoestrogens, phthalates, and phenols are estrogen-disrupting chemicals that have a pronounced effect at puberty. They are exogenous chemicals that are either plant-derived or man-made, and can alter the functions of the endocrine system and cause various health defects by interfering with the synthesis, metabolism, binding, or cellular responses of natural estrogens. Phytoestrogens, phthalates, and phenols are some of the potent estrogens detectable in urine. Phytoestrogens are plant-derived xenestrogens found in a wide variety of food products, like soy-based food, beverages, several fruits, and vegetables. Exposure to phytoestrogens can delay breast development and further lead to precocious puberty. The effect of …

Innovation Begins With People: Leading With A New Lens (Workbook), Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

Workbook for Merrick County's Leading Locally class, "Innovation Begins with People: Leading with a New Lens."

Construction And Transformation Of A Thermotoga-E. Coli Shuttle Vector, Zhaohui Xu, Dongmei Han, Stephen M. Norris

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Thermotoga spp. are attractive candidates for producing biohydrogen, green chemicals, and thermostable enzymes. They may also serve as model systems for understanding life sustainability under hyperthermophilic conditions. A lack of genetic tools has hampered the investigation and application of these organisms. This study aims to develop a genetic transfer system for Thermotoga spp. Results: Methods for preparing and handling Thermotoga solid cultures under aerobic conditions were optimized. A plating efficiency of similar to 50% was achieved when the bacterial cells were embedded in 0.3% Gelrite. A Thermotoga-E. coli shuttle vector pDH10 was constructed using pRQ7, a cryptic mini-plasmid found …

The Food Safety Modernization Act Of 2011: Too Little, Too Broad, Too Bad, Nicholas Obolensky

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Natural Resources, January 6, 2012, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

The Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University seeks to remove the “Aquatic Ecology” specialization from the MS and PhD degrees in Fisheries Biology.

Identifying Sexual Attraction In Platonic Cross-Sex Relationships And Its Effects On Friendships, Gabriela Armenta

Undergraduate Student Research Awards

No abstract provided.

The Compass: A Shifting Paradigm, Larry E. Davis

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

No abstract provided.

Major Milestones In The Development Of Sigma Gamma Epsilon's Core Traditions, Richard L. Ford

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

No abstract provided.