Digital Commons Network^™

Knockout Of The 15 Kda Selenoprotein Protects Against Chemically-Induced Aberrant Crypt Formation In Mice, Petra A. Tsuji, Bradley A. Carlson, Salvador Naranjo-Suarez, Min-Hyuk Yoo, Xue-Ming Xu, Dmitri E. Fomenko, Vadim Gladyshev, Dolph L. Hatfield, Cindy D. Davis

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Evidence suggests that selenium has cancer preventive properties that are largely mediated through selenoproteins. Our previous observations demonstrated that targeted down-regulation of the 15 kDa selenoprotein (Sep15) in murine colon cancer cells resulted in the reversal of the cancer phenotype. The present study investigated the effect of Sep15 knockout in mice using a chemically-induced colon cancer model. Homozygous Sep15 knockout mice, and wild type littermate controls were given four weekly subcutaneous injections of azoxymethane (10 mg/kg). Sep15 knockout mice developed significantly (pGBP-1 in humans has been associated with a highly significant, increased five-year survival rate in colorectal cancer patients. In …

Understanding And Treating Smoking Among Individuals With A Mental Illness, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli

Nursing Presentations

• Background and significance

• Reasons for smoking among individuals living with a mental illness

• Smoking cessation treatment for individuals living with a mental illness

Graduate Internship Report- Selma High School, Jalisca Jean Thomason

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship report addresses the quality criteria of an agricultural education program and includes the supporting documents to meet the requirements of the California Department of Education specific to Selma High School. This document and the supporting evidence is intended to meet the requirements to obtain maximum funding for the Ag Incentive Grant.

O-Glcnac Transferase Invokes Nucleotide Sugar Pyrophosphate Participation In Catalysis, Marianne Schimpl, Xiaowei Zheng, Vladimir S. Borodkin, David E. Blair, Andrew T. Ferenbach, Alexander W. Schüttelkopf, Iva Navratilova, Tonia Aristotelous, Osama Albarbarawi, David A. Robinson, Megan A. Macnaughtan, Daan M.F. Van Aalten

Faculty Publications

Protein O-GlcNAcylation is an essential post-translational modification on hundreds of intracellular proteins in metazoa, catalyzed by O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) transferase (OGT) using unknown mechanisms of transfer and substrate recognition. Through crystallographic snapshots and mechanism-inspired chemical probes, we define how human OGT recognizes the sugar donor and acceptor peptide and uses a new catalytic mechanism of glycosyl transfer, involving the sugar donor α-phosphate as the catalytic base as well as an essential lysine. This mechanism seems to be a unique evolutionary solution to the spatial constraints imposed by a bulky protein acceptor substrate and explains the unexpected specificity of a recently …

Bose-Einstein Condensation: A Transition To Chaos Result, Stefania Ugolini

Communications on Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Jak/Stat3 Signaling Promotes Somatic Cell Reprogramming By Epigenetic Regulation, Yong Tang, Yan Luo, Zongliang Jiang, Yinghong Ma, Chih Jen Lin, Chul Kim, Mark G. Carter, Tomokazu Amano, Joonghong Park, Sharon Kish, Xiuchun Tian

Faculty Publications

Although leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) maintains the ground state pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by activating the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Jak/Stat3) pathway, the mechanism remained unclear. Stat3 has only been shown to promote complete reprogramming of epiblast and neural stem cells and partially reprogrammed cells (pre-iPSCs). We investigated if and how Jak/Stat3 activation promotes reprogramming of terminally differentiated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). We demonstrated that activated Stat3 not only promotes but also is essential for the pluripotency establishment of MEFs during reprogramming. We further demonstrated that during this …

Energy Development And Conservation Of Sympatric Wildlife: New Approaches To Meet Growing Challenges, William Christian Dunn

Biology ETDs

Conflicts between energy development and conservation of sympatric wildlife are becoming more acute as demand for energy increases. Resolving these conflicts is complex-- solutions must address the role of location, scale, and connectivity in persistence of populations. In Chapter 1, I use the MaxEnt species distribution model and pertinent climate variables to predict the natural distribution of the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC) (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), a prairie grouse adversely affected by habitat loss from energy development. Within the geographic range of LPC, precipitation was strongly associated with its distribution in the north, whereas temperature was strongly associated with its distribution in …

Effects Of Climate Change Upon Birds In The Mojave And Sonoran Deserts, Harinamsimran Kaur Khalsa

Biology ETDs

Climate change has increasingly become an area of concern in relation to ecological communities. In this study, climatic signals were investigated to determine whether bird diversity indices in the Breeding Conservation Region (BCR) of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts were related (1) to the oceanic/atmospheric systems El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and/or the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO); (2) to regional moisture influences determined by the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI); and (3) to local precipitation and temperature. Specifically, an examination was conducted to determine the relationship between climatic variables for thirteen bird species, total abundance …

Genetic Diversity, Local Differentiation, And Adaptive Evolution In Introduced Populations Of The Invasive Plant Isatis Tinctoria L. (Brassicaceae), Heather L. Simpson

Biology ETDs

Populations of invasive species are often characterized as genetically depauperate, an inherent consequence of the colonization process. It has also been suggested that species that are able to avoid these reductions in genetic diversity may be better able to adapt to their introduced range. Evolutionary change can play an important role in the invasion process if novel selective pressures drive adaptive evolution. Species that are able to avoid reductions in genetic diversity associated with colonization may be better able to adapt to their introduced range. To better understand the genetic processes following invasion, introduced populations of the invasive mustard, Isatis …

Glacial Shortcut Of Arctic Sea-Ice Transport, Michael Stärz, Xun Gong, Rüdiger Stein, Dennis A. Darby, Frank Kauker, Gerrit Lohmann

OES Faculty Publications

Due to the lack of data, the extent, thickness and drift patterns of sea ice and icebergs in the glacial Arctic remains poorly constrained. Earlier studies are contradictory proposing either a cessation of the marine cryosphere or an ice drift system operating like present-day. Here we examine the marine Arctic cryosphere during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) using a high-resolution, regional ocean-sea ice model. Whereas modern sea ice in the western Arctic Basin can circulate in the Beaufort Gyre for decades, our model studies present an extreme shortcut of glacial ice drift. In more detail, our results show a clockwise …

Mathematical Institutional Economics, Martin Shubik

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

An overview is given of the utilization of strategic market games in the development of a game theory based theory of money and financial institutions.

Conservation Needs Of Nearshore Seabirds In The Southeastern U.S. Addressed Through Habitat Use Surveys And Assessments Of Health And Mercury Concentrations, Lisa Eggert

All Dissertations

Seabirds encounter a range of natural and anthropogenic stressors in the nearshore environment and are ideal candidate species for long-term monitoring of changes to coastal systems. The mitigation of threats to nearshore seabirds requires management of essential coastal habitat and monitoring population health and trends. In this dissertation, I first evaluated intertidal habitat use for a suite of coastal species as it relates to management practices at a seabird nesting island in South Carolina. Specifically, my objectives were (1) to determine intertidal areas of high bird abundance, (2) to examine course-scale habitat characteristics and human use of intertidal areas associated …

Foliar Applied Urea Nitrogen Metabolism In Warm-Season Turfgrass Under Salinity Stress, Nicholas Menchyk

All Dissertations

The most widely used foliar nitrogen (N) source for warm-season turfgrass and agriculture is urea [(NH2)2CO], due to its low cost, high percentage of N (46% by mass), and completely soluble nature. Since urea is a soluble N source, it is commonly utilized as a foliar N source when tank mixed with pesticides in warm-season turfgrass management. The N in urea is not directly available to the plant until it is hydrolyzed into ammonia by the enzyme urease in the cytosol. Urease is a nickel (Ni2+) dependant enzyme that is ubiquitous in plants. Its main biochemical function is the hydrolysis …

The Effects Of Temperature On Energy Utilization By Marine Invertebrate Larvae, Elizabeth Whitehill

All Dissertations

Most ectothermic organisms are larger when reared at lower temperatures and temperature can greatly affect an organism's physiological state, so understanding how temperature affects larval size and quality can provide insight into how the larval thermal environment affects post-metamorphic success. Because quality is often defined in terms of size and energy content, I focused on how temperature affects energy utilization by larvae and how differences in energy accumulation and utilization may carry over into the juvenile stage. Marine invertebrate larvae are often classified into two groups: larvae from smaller eggs that must obtain food from the environment in order to …

Environmental And Biological Applications And Implications Of Soft And Condensed Nanomaterials, Pengyu Chen

All Dissertations

Recent innovations and growth of nanotechnology have spurred exciting technological and commercial developments of nanomaterails. Their appealing physical and physicochemical properties offer great opportunities in biological and environmental applications, while in the meantime may compromise human health and environmental sustainability through either unintentional exposure or intentional discharge.
Accordingly, this dissertation exploits the physicochemical behavior of soft dendritic polymers for environmental remediation and condensed nano ZnO tetrapods for biological sensing (Chapter two-four), and further delineate the environmental implications of such nanomaterials using algae- the major constituent of the aquatic food chain-as a model system (Chapter five).
This dissertation is presented as …

Role Of Cytochrome P4501a1 In Vasoreactivity And Blood Pressure Regulation Mediated By Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Njotu Larry Agbor

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in the metabolism of environmental pollutants including halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, for example, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-ρ-dioxin (TCDD). The AHR and its downstream target gene cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1) are also involved in cardiovascular development. AHR knockout (KO) mice are hypotensive, with cardiac hypertrophy. Additionally, CYP1A1 is involved in the production of potent vasodilator metabolites from omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) metabolism. Thus, we hypothesize that the AHR and its downstream target gene, CYP1A1, both contribute to normal vascular reactivity of blood vessels and to blood pressure (BP) regulation. We generated mice with …

How Might Ecologists Make The World Safe For Biodiversity Without Getting Fired?, David Johns

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This essay raises the following questions: What if conservation success depends less on speaking truth to power than on organizing a political force that can bring more pressure to bear on decision makers than their opponents? But what if natural scientists, by virtue of their knowledge, passion, commitment, are pretty much the only group that can be trusted with the fate of biodiversity and leading humankind out of their destructive ways? What if begging policy makers to do the right thing means barren oceans, the end of many species, and the end of wild places (not to mention a more …

A New Species Of Molinema (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) In Bolivian Rodents And Emended Description Of Litomosoides Esslingeri Bain, Petit, And Diagne, 1989., Juliana Notarnicola, F Agustin Jimenez-Ruiz, Scott L Gardner

Publications

We report the distribution of 2 species of filarioid nematodes occurring in different hosts in the central region of South America. Molinema boliviensis n. sp. was recorded as a parasite of sigmodontine and echymyid rodents in Bolivia, and Litomosoides esslingeri was recorded in sigmodontine and ctenomyid rodents from Bolivia and Argentina. Molinema boliviensis n. sp. shares several similarities with other species reported in spiny rats; however, it can be easily differentiated by the presence of a flat anterior end, gradually tapering lappets and a tubercle present in posterior end, a short, uniform buccal capsule, an oval-shaped vagina vera, and a …

Syntheses And Photodynamic Activity Of Pegylated Cationic Zn(Ii)-Phthalocyanines In Hep2 Cells, Benson G. Ongarora, Xiaoke Hu, Susan D. Verberne-Sutton, Jayne C. Garno, M. Graça H. Vicente

Faculty Publications

Di-cationic Zn(II)-phthalocyanines (ZnPcs) are promising photosensitizers for the photody-namic therapy (PDT) of cancers and for photoinactivation of viruses and bacteria. Pegylation of photosensitizers in general enhances their water-solubility and tumor cell accumulation. A series of pegylated di-cationic ZnPcs were synthesized from conjugation of a low molecular weight PEG group to a pre-formed Pc macrocycle, or by mixed condensation involving a pegylated phthalonitrile. All pegylated ZnPcs were highly soluble in polar organic solvents but were insoluble in water; they have intense Q absorptions centered at 680 nm and fluores-cence quantum yields of ca. 0.2 in DMF. The non-pegylated di-cationic ZnPc 6a …

Analysis Of Composition And Structure Of Coastal To Mesopelagic Bacterioplankton Communities In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Gary M. King, Conor B. Smith, Bradley Tolar, James T. Hollibaugh

Faculty Publications

16S rRNA gene amplicons were pyrosequenced to assess bacterioplankton community composition, diversity, and phylogenetic community structure for 17 stations in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) sampled in March 2010. Statistical analyses showed that sam ples from depths ≤100 m differed distinctly from deeper samples. SAR 11 α-Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes dominated communities at depths ≤100 m, which were characterized by high α-Proteobacteria/γ-Proteobacteria ratios (α/γ > 1.7). Thaumarchaeota, Firmicutes, and δ-Proteobacteria were relatively abundant in deeper waters, and α/γ ratios were low (<1). Canonical correlation analysis indicated that δ- and γ-Proteobacteria,Thaumarchaeota, and Firmicutes correlated positively with depth; α-Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes correlated positively with temperature and dissolved oxygen; Actinobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia correlated positively with a measure of suspended particles. Diversity indices did not vary with depth or other factors, which indicated that richness and evenness elements of bacterioplankton communities might develop independently of nGoM physical-chemical variables. Phylogenetic community structure as measured by the net relatedness (NRI) and nearest taxon (NTI) indices also did not vary with depth. NRI values indicated that most of the communities were comprised of OTUs more distantly related to each other in whole community comparisons than expected by chance. NTI values derived from phylogenetic distances of the closest neighbor for each OTU in a given community indicated that OTUs tended to occur in clusters to a greater extent than expected by chance. This indicates that "habitat filtering" might play an important role in nGoM bacterioplankton species assembly, and that such filtering occurs throughout the water column.© 2013 King, Smith, Tolar and Hollibaugh.

Modeling The Influence Of Peromyscus Leucopus Body Mass, Sex, And Habitat On Immature Dermacentor Variabilis Burden, Tad A. Dallas, Stephanie A. Foré, Hyun Joo Kim

Faculty Publications

mmature (larvae and nymph) tick burden on rodents is an important determinant of adult tick population size and understanding infectious disease dynamics. The objective of this research was to build a descriptive model for immature Dermacentor variabilis burden on Peromyscus leucopus. Mice were live-trapped on two permanent grids in an old field and an early successional forest every other month between April and October, 2006-2009. Negative binomial regression was used to examine the association between immature D. variabilis burden and the host related variables of host habitat, body mass, and/or sex. The model containing all three variables had the lowest …

Competition Of Zinc Ion For The [2fe-2s] Cluster Binding Site In The Diabetes Drug Target Protein Mitoneet, Guoqiang Tan, Aaron P. Landry, Ruili Dai, Li Wang, Jianxin Lu, Huangen Ding

Faculty Publications

Human mitochondrial protein mitoNEET is a novel target of type II diabetes drug pioglitazone, and contains a redox active [2Fe-2S] cluster that is hosted by a unique ligand arrangement of three cysteine and one histidine residues. Here we report that zinc ion can compete for the [2Fe-2S] cluster binding site in human mitoNEET and potentially modulate the physiological function of mitoNEET. When recombinant mitoNEET is expressed in Escherichia coli cells grown in M9 minimal media, purified mitoNEET contains very little or no iron-sulfur clusters. Addition of exogenous iron or zinc ion in the media produces mitoNEET bound with a [2Fe-2S] …

Efficacy Of Foliar Insecticides On Eggs Of Nezara Viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), Sebe A. Brown, Jeffrey A. Davis, Arthur R. Richter

Faculty Publications

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are important insect pests of crops. Stink bug feeding reduces yields, lowers crop quality, induces delayed maturity, and wounds tissues allowing for pathogen entry. Historically, effective adult and nymph control of stink bugs has been with insecticides. However, little insecticide efficacy against stink bug eggs is known. The objective of this study was to determine how foliar insecticides currently recommend for southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), control in soybean impact pre-emergence nymphal mortality using an egg dip bioassay. Eight formulate insecticides were tested. Differences in nymphal stink bug pre-emergence mortality were recorded. The lowest …

Improved Chemical Control For The Mexican Rice Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) In Sugarcane: Larval Exposure, A Novel Scouting Method, And Efficacy Of A Single Aerial Insecticide Application, B. E. Wilson, A. T. Showler, T. E. Reagan, J. M. Beuzelin

Faculty Publications

A three-treatment aerial application insecticide experiment was conducted in five commercial sugarcane, Saccharum spp., fields in south Texas to evaluate the use of pheromone traps for improving chemical control of the Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar), in 2009 and 2010. A threshold of 20 moths/trap/wk was used to initiate monitoring for larval infestations. The percentage of stalks with larvae on plant surfaces was directly related to the number of moths trapped. Reductions in borer injury and adult emergence were detected when a threshold of >5% of stalks with larvae present on plant surfaces was used to trigger insecticide applications. …

Bioactivity Of Selected Eco-Friendly Pesticides Against Cylas Formicarius (Coleoptera: Brentidae), Peter H. Leng, Gadi V.P. Reddy

Faculty Publications

Seven low risk pesticides including 1.2% azadirachtin (Azadirachta indica), extracts from Morinda citrifolia, petroleum oil 97%, Beauveria bassiana strain GHA, mixed essential oils (rosemary oil: 0.25%, peppermint oil: 0.25%, thyme oil: 0.25%, clove oil: 0.25% and other ingredients: 99.00%), spinosad and malathion, were evaluated against adults of the sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Brentidae) to determine potential insecticidal, repellent and feeding deterrence effects. Among the pesticides tested, A. indica and spinosad showed high insecticidal, repellent and feeding deterrence activity against C. formicarius. Spinosad, A. indica and malathion showed significantly higher insecticidal activity against C. formicarius. Similarly, these pesticides showed …

Development Of A Plant-Based Threshold For Tarnished Plant Bug (Hemiptera: Miridae) In Cotton, J. Gore, A. Catchot, F. Musser, J. Greene, B. R. Leonard, D. R. Cook, G. L. Snodgrass, R. Jackson

Faculty Publications

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), is an important pest of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., in the mid-southern United States. It is exclusively controlled with foliar insecticide applications, and sampling methods and thresholds need to be revisited. The current experiment was designed to establish a plant-based threshold during the flowering period of cotton development. Experiments were conducted in Mississippi in 2005 and 2006, Arkansas in 2005, and Louisiana in 2005 through 2008. Treatments consisted of various combinations of thresholds based on the percentage of dirty squares that were compared with the current threshold with a drop cloth …

Laboratory Study Of The Influence Of Substrate Type And Temperature On The Exploratory Tunneling By Formosan Subterranean Termite, Bal K. Gautam, Gregg Henderson

Faculty Publications

Using two-dimensional foraging arenas, laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the effect of soil type, soil moisture level and ambient temperature on the exploratory tunneling by Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. In choice arenas consisting of two substrate types having two moisture levels each, and conducted at a constant temperature of 22 °C, a significantly greater proportion of termites aggregated in sand than in sandy loam. Similarly, the length of excavated tunnels was also increased in sand. In a given substrate, termite aggregation or tunnel length did not differ between 5% and 15% moisture levels. In no-choice tests, where three different substrates …

Volatile Compounds In Fresh-Cut Pineapple Heated At Different Temperatures, Xiumei Zhang, Yixiao Shen, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul, Zhimin Xu

Faculty Publications

The volatile compounds of raw and fresh-cut pineapple (Ananas comosus [L.] Merr.) heated at 150, 175, 200 and 225C were determined and compared. The major volatiles in raw pineapple were ethyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl 3-(methylthio)-propionate, methyl hexanoate, methyl 3-(methylthio)-propionate, 2-methyl methylbutyrate and 2-methyl ethylbutyrate. They decreased dramatically in heated pineapples. Furfural and dihydro-4-methyl-2(3H)-furanone were the two thermo-generating volatiles after the fresh-cut pineapple was heated at 150C. Furfural replaced ethyl acetate as the dominant volatile in the pineapple after heated at 200C. 2-methyl butanal, 3-methyl butanal and 3-(methylthio)-propanal were found in the pineapple heated at 175C, while 5-methyl furfural, 2-furanmethanol …

Labrad : Vol 38, Issue 2 - December 2012, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

LABRAD - Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Radiology Archives

• Automation in Microbiology Specimen Processing and Inoculation
• Use of Automated Urine Analyzer for Urinanalysis
• Automation in Blood Culture
• Vitek 2 System: An Automated System for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing
• TB Diagnosis-A New Horizon
• Serological and Molecular Diagnosis of Malaria
• Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis
• Rapid Detection of Dengue NS1 Antigen by ELISA in Suspected Dengue Patients
• Saline Infusion Hysterosonography to Evaluate Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
• Workshop on “Diagnosis of Fungal Infections in Clinical Laboratory”

Uplift And Blame: Minority Parents In The Discourse Of Professional Educators, Katie Mitchell

Master's Theses - Sociology and Anthropology

This historical document analysis explores the professional discourse on minority parents in education during the Progressive (1900-1914), Post-Civil Rights/ESEA (1960-1974), and NCLB/Accountability Eras (1995-2009). Grounded theory was used to code and analyze 430 articles mentioning parents and/or home life from two peer-reviewed journals of education. Research questions asked which minority parents are of interest to educators in each era, how minority parenting roles are portrayed in the educational discourse, and why minority parents concern educators. Findings include a focus on immigrant parents in the Progressive Era and on African American and Hispanic parents in the Post-Civil Rights/ESEA and NCLB/Accountability Eras. …