Digital Commons Network^™

Retrotransposons As A Major Source Of Epigenetic Variations In The Mammalian Genome, Muhammad B. Ekram, Keunsoo Kang, Hana Kim, Joomyeong Kim

Faculty Publications

Transcription of retrotransposons is usually repressed by DNA methylation, but a few elements, such as intracisternal A-particles (IAPs) associated with the Agouti and Axin-fused loci, partially escape this repression mechanism. The levels of this repression are also variable among individuals with an identical genome sequence, generating epigenetically different states of loci or epialleles. In the current study, we tested the existence of additional retrotransposon-derived epialleles in the mouse genome. Using a series of bioinformatics approaches, 143 candidate epialleles were first identified from the mouse genome based on their promoter activity and association with active histone modification marks. Detailed analyses suggest …

Contextual Chemosensory Urine Signaling In An African Cichlid Fish, Karen P. Maruska, Russell D. Fernald

Faculty Publications

Chemosensory signaling is crucial for communication in many fish species, but little is known about how signalers modulate chemical output in response to sensory information and social context. Here, we tested the hypothesis that dominant male African cichlid fish (Astatotilapia burtoni) use urine signals during social interactions, and demonstrate that this signaling depends on social context (reproductive; territorial) and on available sensory information (visual cues; full interaction). We injected males with dye to visualize urine pulses and exposed them to full sensory information or visual cues alone of four types: (1) dominant male; (2) gravid (reproductively receptive) females; (3) mouth-brooding …

Faculty Senate Newsletter, January 2012, Louisiana State University And Agricultural & Mechanical College

LSU Faculty Senate Publications

Message from President: Few would doubt that experience carries a value, yet few would be ready to accord to experience the irrationally high esteem granted it by the various units, agencies, and boards that govern and deliver higher education in Louisiana. In an educational establishment where “retire-rehire” could almost qualify as the refrain of a top-ten tune, where retreads and reassigned old hands move from juicy appointment to juicier portfolio while youngsters scramble for bread, where middle age is all but marginalized, where “double dipping” may sometimes lead to the ejection of a Commissioner but will usually create happy prosperity …

Mtbindingsim: Simulate Protein Binding To Microtubules, Julia T. Philip, Charles H. Pence, Holly V. Goodson

Faculty Publications

Summary: Many protein–protein interactions are more complex than can be accounted for by 1:1 binding models. However, biochemists have few tools available to help them recognize and predict the behaviors of these more complicated systems, making it difficult to design experiments that distinguish between possible binding models. MTBindingSim provides researchers with an environment in which they can rapidly compare different models of binding for a given scenario. It is written specifically with microtubule polymers in mind, but many of its models apply equally well to any polymer or any protein–protein interaction. MTBindingSim can thus both help in training intuition about …

The Oxford Handbook Of Slavery In The Americas, Andrew Sluyter

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Amino Acid Differences In Glycoproteins B (Gb), C (Gc), H (Gh) And L(Gl) Are Associated With Enhanced Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (Mckrae) Entry Via The Paired Immunoglobulin-Like Type-2 Receptor Α, Sona Chowdhury, Misagh Naderi, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Jason D. Walker, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

© 2012 Chowdhury et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Background: Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) enters into cells via membrane fusion of the viral envelope with plasma or endosomal membranes mediated by viral glycoproteins. HSV-1 virions attach to cell surfaces by binding of viral glycoproteins gC, gD and gB to specific cellular receptors. Here we show that the human ocular and highly neurovirulent HSV-1 strain McKrae enters substantially more efficiently into cells via the gB-specific human paired immunoglobulin-like type-2 receptor-a (hPILR-α). Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequences between HSV-1(F) and McKrae strains indicates that amino acid changes within gB, …

A Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (Mckrae) Mutant Lacking The Glycoprotein K Gene Is Unable To Infect Via Neuronal Axons And Egress From Neuronal Cell Bodies, Andrew T. David, Ahmad Saied, Anu Charles, Ramesh Subramanian, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

We have shown that the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) gK gene is essential for efficient replication and spread in the corneal epithelium and trigeminal ganglion neuroinvasion in mice (A. T. David, A. Baghian, T. P. Foster, V. N. Chouljenko, and K. G. Kousoulas, Curr. Eye Res. 33:455-467, 2008). To further investigate the role of gK in neuronal infection, we utilized a microfluidic chamber system separating neuronal cell bodies and axonal termini. HSV-1 (McKrae) engineered virus constitutively expressing enhanced green fluorescence protein (GFP) was efficiently transmitted in both a retrograde and an anterograde manner. These results were corroborated by expression …

Perspectives In Ornithology: Inferring The Origins Of Lowland Neotropical Birds, Robb T. Brumfield

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals Phylogeographic Structure And A Species Tree For Recent Bird Divergences, John E. Mccormack, James M. Maley, Sarah M. Hird, Elizabeth P. Derryberry, Gary R. Graves, Robb T. Brumfield

Faculty Publications

Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are revolutionizing many biological disciplines but have been slow to take root in phylogeography. This is partly due to the difficulty of using NGS to sequence orthologous DNA fragments for many individuals at low cost. We explore cases of recent divergence in four phylogenetically diverse avian systems using a method for quick and cost-effective generation of primary DNA sequence data using pyrosequencing. NGS data were processed using an analytical pipeline that reduces many reads into two called alleles per locus per individual. Using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mined from the loci, we detected population differentiation …

The Development And Morphology Of Zebrafish After Embryonic Ethanol Exposure, Frances Lee

Honors Theses

Maternal consumption of alcohol may subject the fetus to fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FAS or FASD). FAS/D is a public health problem, and affected children are defined by varying degrees of irreversible mental retardation, physical defects, behavioral issues, and vision problems from prenatal alcohol exposure (Riley et al. 2011). Recent studies on FAS have looked towards animal models, such as zebrafish, Danio rerio, that exhibit homologous physical and behavioral effects of alcohol (Bilotta et al. 2004). I exposed zebrafish embryos to low doses of ethanol (0.5% v/v or 1% v/v) in either chronic (at least 8 …

Recurrence Relations, Fractals, And Chaos: Implications For Analyzing Gene Structure, Sarah. M. Harmon

Honors Theses

The “chaos game” is a well-known algorithm by which one may construct a pictorial representation of an iterative process. The resulting sets are known as fractals and can be mathematically characterized by measures of dimension as well as by their associated recurrence relations. Using the chaos game algorithm, is it possible to derive meaningful structure out of our own genetic encoding, and that of other organisms? In this paper, I will present one method of applying the chaos game to biological data and subsequently will discuss both the mathematical and biological implications of the results.

“Called Her Women Together” Home Birth In Maine, Margaret Kruithoff

Honors Theses

Nine months ago, I set out to write a thesis on childbirth: hippies having their babies in the woods, hospital politics, and women’s rights. The final product is very different than what I had intended. Instead of finding crazy hippies in the woods, I found a community of kind and skilled midwives and loving, openhearted mothers. I am deeply indebted to these inspiring women for their stories and wisdom, which fill the pages of this thesis. Interviewing these mothers, midwives, and home birth advocates was a tremendously empowering experience for me, a young woman.

Geodynamic Constraints On The Flow Of Samoan-Plume Mantle Into The Northern Lau Basin, Nathan Katsiaficas

Honors Theses

The northernmost portion of the Lau basin, South Pacific, features numerous geochemical and geophysical anomalies. These include: (1) a strong latitudinal gradient in the trace element and isotopic (Sr-Nd-Pb) enrichment of basalts erupted along the various back-arc spreading centers (BASCs) within the basin, (2) high 3He/4He (up to 28 times RA, where RA, the ratio in Earth's atmosphere, is 1.4 x 10-6) in basalts erupted along some portions of the BASCs (e.g., Rochambeau Bank), and (3) the presence of trench-parallel shear-wave splitting near the Tonga arc. The occurrence of these anomalies has been attributed to the southward flow of mantle …

Cameras, Satellites, And Surveys: A Multi-Platform Approach To Monitoring Lake Conservation Behavior, Daniel D. Homeier

Honors Theses

Shoreline buffers are essential to maintaining lake water quality and there are numerous methods for their assessment. There is uncertainty in the benefits and drawbacks of different shoreline buffer assessment methods. In this study I explore three methods of remotely assessing shoreline buffers in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine: household surveys, geotagged shoreline photos, and satellite imagery. By comparing these three methods I will evaluate their accuracy and applicable scale when used to assess the presence and quality of shoreline buffers.

I used both parametric and non-parametric analysis to (1) evaluate the relative accuracy of 154 household surveys in …

Utb/Tsc Undergraduate Catalog 2012-2013, University Of Texas At Brownsville, Texas Southmost College

UTB/TSC Archives - Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

What's Wrong With Pregnancy In The Airline Industry And What To Do About It: Balancing Public Safety Interests, Disability Rights, And Freedom From Discrimination, Jennifer Staton

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

No abstract provided.

Does The Judiciary Have The Tools For Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions?, Victor E. Schwartz, Phil Goldberg, Christopher E. Appel

Valparaiso University Law Review

No abstract provided.

On Thin Air: Standing, Climate Change, And The National Environmental Policy Act, Kevin T. Haroff

Valparaiso University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Litigation's Role In The Path Of U.S. Federal Climate Change Regulation: Implications Of Aep V. Connecticut, Hari M. Osofsky

Valparaiso University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Displacement Disparity: Filling The Gap Of Protection For The Environmentally Displaced Person, Nicole Angeline Cudiamat

Valparaiso University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Developing The Substantive Best Interests Of Child Migrants: A Call For Action, Andrew I. Schoenholtz

Valparaiso University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Getting Back To Our Roots: Increasing The Age Of Child Support Termination To Twenty-One, Matthew Brandabur

Valparaiso University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Neuronal Synaptobrevin Promotes Longevity In Drosophila Photoreceptors, Adam Haberman

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Neurons have unique challenges relative to other cell types. Unlike most other cells, neurons must remain healthy and functional throughout the lifespan of an animal. Premature neuronal loss underlies many age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. Despite previous research aimed at understanding the mechanisms of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, little is known about the mechanisms that allow neurons to remain functional for the lifetime of a healthy animal. Understanding these cellular and biochemical processes is essential to promote healthful aging and reduce the severity of neurodegenerative disease. Here we discuss our recent identification of neuron-specific proteins that regulate endosome …

Establishing A Foundation For Automated Human Credibility Screening, Jay F. Nunamaker Jr, Judee K. Burgoon, Nathan W. Twyman, Jeffrey Gainer Proudfoot, Ryan M. Schuetzler, Justin Scott Giboney

Faculty Publications

Automated human credibility screening is an emerging research area that has potential for high impact in fields as diverse as homeland security and accounting fraud detection. Systems that conduct interviews and make credibility judgments can provide objectivity, improved accuracy, and greater reliability to credibility assessment practices, need to be built. This study establishes a foundation for developing automated systems for human credibility screening

Self As Container? Metaphors We Lose By In Understanding Early Chinese Texts, Jane Geaney

Religious Studies Faculty Publications

My study explores the pitfalls of presuming the «direct» experience of containment makes good sense of texts from Early China (ca. 500-100 b.c.e).³ Descriptions of sensory processes in classical and non-canonical early Chinese texts do not lend themselves to being interpreted through Lakoff and Johnson’s container model. If the body is a container in their sense, the sensory faculties would have to connect the self, which they understand as an internally contained substance, to a world that is clearly delineated as outside and other. But this does not match the portrait of sensory experience in early Chinese texts and …

Utb/Tsc Legacy Degree Programs And Courses 2012 – 2013, University Of Texas At Brownsville, Texas Southmost College

UTB/TSC Archives - Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Plant And Insect Diversity Along An Experimental Gradient Of Larch-Birch Mixtures In Chinese Boreal Forests, Jing Li, Juan Shi, Youqing Luo, Kari Heliovaara

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Maintaining and increasing biodiversity level especially in pure plantations is one important way to improve the resistance of forests to pests in Chinese boreal forests. The present study tested the hypothesis that the increased degree of tree species mixture (quantified by the stem proportion of Betula platyphylla Suk. and Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Rupr.) can affect the species richness and diversity of understory and insects. Twenty-one plots, ranging from pure larch stand to pure birch stand, were sampled in several thinned forests in a Chinese boreal forest area. Data of environmental factors, understory plant species and insect assemblage were collected from …

Seasonal Variation In Rooting Of The Cuttings From Tetraploid Locust In Relation To Nutrients And Endogenous Plant Hormones Of The Shoot, Wang Xiao Ling, Zhao Zhong

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study was carried out to elucidate the relationship between seasonal variation of rooting ability and inner conditions of the cuttings of Tetraploid Locust, and to determine the optimum time for rooting. It was conducted in a glasshouse at the Experimental Nursery of the College of Forestry, North-West Agriculture and Forestry University, Yang Ling, China, during 2009. Tetraploid Locust cuttings were taken from healthy trees of 3-year-old field-grown mother-stock orchard. Cuttings (15 cm in length and 10-12 mm in diameter) were collected and planted on 15 February, 15 March, 15 May, 15 June, 15 July, and 15 August. The results …

Artificial Neural Network Modeling Of Process And Product Indices In Deep Bed Drying Of Rough Rice, Mojtaba Tohidi, Morteza Sadeghi, Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, Seyed Ahmad Mireei

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study aimed to model the performance indices of deep bed drying of rough rice using artificial neural networks (ANNs), compare the ANN approach to the multivariate regression method, and determine the sensitivity of the ANN model to the input variables. The effects of air temperature, air velocity, and air relative humidity on drying kinetics, product output rate (POR), evaporation rate (ER), and percentage of kernel cracking (KC) were investigated. To predict the dependent parameters, 3 well-known networks, namely the multilayer perceptron, generalized feed forward (GFF), and modular neural network, were examined. The GFF networks with the Levenberg-Marquardt learning algorithm, …

Variabilité Biologique Et Guide De Stratégies Pour La Surveillance Biologique De L'Exposition Professionnelle, Ginette Truchon, Robert Tardif, Jérôme Lavoué, Daniel Drolet, Martine Lévesque, Julie Boucher

Rapports de recherche scientifique

No abstract provided.