Digital Commons Network^™

Cultural Inheritance And Fertility Outcomes: An Analysis From Evolutionary And Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Li Zhang, Dudley L. Poston Jr., Michael S. Alvard, Christopher Cherry

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

Taking evolutionary and interdisciplinary perspectives, this study views the reproductive result as an evolutionary outcome that may be affected by parental characteristics through cultural inheritance. We hypothesize that inheriting more cultural traits from parents leads to a greater resemblance between fertility outcomes of the offspring and their parents. In societies that experience a demographic transition, a greater resemblance can be indicated by a higher level of fertility of the offspring and a sooner transition from union formation to childbearing. We operationalize inheriting cultural traits from parents as reporting a religious affiliation the same as those of their parents. Through analyzing …

Isozyme-Specific Ligands For O-Acetylserine Sulfhydrylase, A Novel Antibiotic Target, Francesca Spyrakis, Ratna Singh, Pietro Cozzini, Enea Salsi, Paolo Felici, Samanta Raboni, Paolo Benedetti, Gabriele Cruciani, Glen E. Kellogg, Paul F. Cook, Andrea Mozzarelli

Medicinal Chemistry Publications

The last step of cysteine biosynthesis in bacteria and plants is catalyzed by O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase. In bacteria, two isozymes, O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase-A and O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase-B, have been identified that share similar binding sites, although the respective specific functions are still debated. O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase plays a key role in the adaptation of bacteria to the host environment, in the defense mechanisms to oxidative stress and in antibiotic resistance. Because mammals synthesize cysteine from methionine and lackO-acetylserine sulfhydrylase, the enzyme is a potential target for antimicrobials. With this aim, we first identified potential inhibitors of the two …

Fyn-Dependent Gene Networks In Acute Ethanol Sensitivity, Sean P. Farris, Michael F. Miles

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Studies in humans and animal models document that acute behavioral responses to ethanol are predisposing factor for the risk of long-term drinking behavior. Prior microarray data from our laboratory document strain- and brain region-specific variation in gene expression profile responses to acute ethanol that may be underlying regulators of ethanol behavioral phenotypes. The non-receptor tyrosine kinase Fyn has previously been mechanistically implicated in the sedative-hypnotic response to acute ethanol. To further understand how Fyn may modulate ethanol behaviors, we used whole-genome expression profiling. We characterized basal and acute ethanol-evoked (3 g/kg) gene expression patterns in nucleus accumbens (NAC), prefrontal cortex …

Contribution Of Nadph Oxidase To Membrane Cd38 Internalization And Activation In Coronary Arterial Myocytes, Ming Xu, Xiao-Xue Li, Joseph K. Ritter, Justine M. Abais, Yang Zhang, Pin-Lan Li

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

The CD38-ADP-ribosylcyclase-mediated Ca2+ signaling pathway importantly contributes to the vasomotor response in different arteries. Although there is evidence indicating that the activation of CD38-ADP-ribosylcyclase is associated with CD38 internalization, the molecular mechanism mediating CD38 internalization and consequent activation in response to a variety of physiological and pathological stimuli remains poorly understood. Recent studies have shown that CD38 may sense redox signals and is thereby activated to produce cellular response and that the NADPH oxidase isoform, NOX1, is a major resource to produce superoxide (O2·−) in coronary arterial myocytes (CAMs) in response to muscarinic receptor agonist, which uses CD38-ADP-ribosylcyclase …

Enhanced Biocidal Activity Of Au Nanoparticles Synthesized In One Pot Using 2, 4-Dihydroxybenzene Carbodithioic Acid As A Reducing And Stabilizing Agent, Syeda Sohaila Naz, Nazar Ul Islam, Muhammad Raza Shah, Syed Sartaj Alam, Zafar Iqbal, Massimo Bertino, Louis Franzel, Afifa Ahmed

Physics Publications

Background

The conjugation of gold nanoparticles with biocides such as natural products, oligosaccharides, DNA, proteins has attracted great attention of scientists recently. Gold NPs covered with biologically important molecules showed significant enhancement in biological activity in comparison with the activity of the free biocides. However, these reports are not very systematic and do not allow to draw definitive conclusions. We therefore embarked in a systematic study related to the synthesis and characterization of biocidal activities of Au nanoparticles conjugated to a wide variety of synthetic and natural biomolecules. In this specific report, we investigated the activity of a synthetic biocide, …

Enhancing The Benefits Of Written Emotional Disclosure Through Response Training, Andrea Konig, Alison Eonta, Stephanie R. Dyal, Scott R. Vrana

Psychology Publications

Writing about a personal stressful event has been found to have psychological and physical health benefits, especially when physiological response increases during writing. Response training was developed to amplify appropriate physiological reactivity in imagery exposure. The present study examined whether response training enhances the benefits of written emotional disclosure. Participants were assigned to either a written emotional disclosure condition (n = 113) or a neutral writing condition (n = 133). Participants in each condition wrote for 20 minutes on three occasions and received response training (n = 79), stimulus training (n = 84) or no training (n = 83). Heart …

Delayed Onset And Prolonged Ect-Related Delirium, Sameer Hassamal, Ananda Pandurangi, Vasu Venkatachalam, James Levenson

Psychiatry Publications

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is effective in the treatment of depression. Delayed post-ECT delirium is rare but can occur in a small subset of patients with risk factors and in most cases resolves with the use of psychotropic medications. We report a unique presentation of a patient who developed a delayed post-ECT delirium with fecal incontinence that commenced 24 hours after the administration of ECT. The condition resolved spontaneously after 48 hours without the use of psychotropic medications.

Association Study Of 167 Candidate Genes For Schizophrenia Selected By A Multi-Domain Evidence-Based Prioritization Algorithm And Neurodevelopmental Hypothesis, Zhongming Zhao, Bradley T. Webb, Peilin Jia, T. Bernard Bigdeli, Brion S. Maher, Edwin Van Den Oord, Sarah Bergen, Richard L. Amdur, Francis A. O'Neill, Dermot Walsh, Dawn L. Thiselton, Xianging Chen, Carlos N. Pato, The International Schizophrenia Consortium, Brien P. Riley, Kenneth S. Kendler, Ayman H. Fanous

Psychiatry Publications

Integrating evidence from multiple domains is useful in prioritizing disease candidate genes for subsequent testing. We ranked all known human genes (n = 3819) under linkage peaks in the Irish Study of High-Density Schizophrenia Families using three different evidence domains: 1) a meta-analysis of microarray gene expression results using the Stanley Brain collection, 2) a schizophrenia protein-protein interaction network, and 3) a systematic literature search. Each gene was assigned a domain-specific p-value and ranked after evaluating the evidence within each domain. For comparison to this ranking process, a large-scale candidate gene hypothesis was also tested by including genes with Gene …

Association Testing Strategy For Data From Dense Marker Panels, Donghyung Lee, Silviu-Alin Bacanu

Psychiatry Publications

Genome wide association studies have been usually analyzed in a univariate manner. The commonly used univariate tests have one degree of freedom and assume an additive mode of inheritance. The experiment-wise significance of these univariate statistics is obtained by adjusting for multiple testing. Next generation sequencing studies, which assay 10-20 million variants, are beginning to come online. For these studies, the strategy of additive univariate testing and multiple testing adjustment is likely to result in a loss of power due to (1) the substantial multiple testing burden and (2) the possibility of a non-additive causal mode of inheritance. To reduce …

Physiological Effects Of An Acute Bout Of Shallow Water Sprinting, Summer B. Cook, Samantha E. Scarneo, Richard M. Mcavoy

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

No abstract provided.

The E. Coli Effector Protein Nlef Is A Caspase Inhibitor, Sonja Blasche, Mario Mortl, Holger Steuber, Gabriella Siszler, Shahista Nisa, Frank Schwarz, Inna Lavrik, Thomas M. A. Gronewold, Klaus Maskos, Michael S. Donnenberg, Dirk Ullmann, Peter Uetz, Manfred Kogl

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

Enterohemorrhagic and enteropathogenic E. coli (EHEC and EPEC) can cause severe and potentially life-threatening infections. Their pathogenicity is mediated by at least 40 effector proteins which they inject into their host cells by a type-III secretion system leading to the subversion of several cellular pathways. However, the molecular function of several effectors remains unknown, even though they contribute to virulence. Here we show that one of them, NleF, binds to caspase-4, -8, and -9 in yeast two-hybrid, LUMIER, and direct interaction assays. NleF inhibits the catalytic activity of the caspases in vitro and in cell lysate and prevents apoptosis in …

Biosynthesis Of Vitamins And Cofactors In Bacterium-Harbouring Trypanosomatids Depends On The Symbiotic Association As Revealed By Genomic Analyses, Cecilia C. Klein, Joao M. P. Alves, Myrna G. Serrano, Gregory A. Buck, Ana T. R. Vasconcelos, Marie-France Sagot, Marta M. G. Teixeira, Emey P. Camargo, Maria C. M. Motta

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

Some non-pathogenic trypanosomatids maintain a mutualistic relationship with a betaproteobacterium of the Alcaligenaceae family. Intensive nutritional exchanges have been reported between the two partners, indicating that these protozoa are excellent biological models to study metabolic co-evolution. We previously sequenced and herein investigate the entire genomes of five trypanosomatids which harbor a symbiotic bacterium (SHTs for Symbiont-Haboring Trypanosomatids) and the respective bacteria (TPEs for Trypanosomatid Proteobacterial Endosymbiont), as well as two trypanosomatids without symbionts (RTs for Regular Trypanosomatids), for the presence of genes of the classical pathways for vitamin biosynthesis. Our data show that genes …

Pilot Inventory Of Community Partnerships, Valerie Holton

Division of Community Engagement Resources

Partnerships with community organizations create increased opportunities for universities to promote community-engaged research, teaching, and service. Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) mission states that the university is committed to "sustainable, university-community partnerships that enhance the educational, economic, and cultural vitality of the communities VCU serves." In recognition of its efforts, VCU is among a small number of institutions to be designated as very high research activity and community-engaged by the Carnegie Foundation. It is also a recipient of a NIH-funded Center for Translational and Sciences Award, which promotes community-engaged research.

In pursuit of the university’s goal to become a national model …

Graduate Catalog Of Studies, 2012-2013, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Graduate School Catalog of Studies

No abstract provided.

Use And Non-Use Of It In The Workplace: Studies On Emotions, Identity And Technology, Mari-Klara Stein

2013

Adoption, acceptance and, more recently, continued use of information technology (IT) in workplace contexts have been researched extensively over the last three decades. As acceptance and use of IT underlie its ability to fulfill expected business benefits, it is unsurprising that researchers have sustained a great interest in the topic. While there is a wealth of cumulative knowledge on adoption and the factors affecting adoption, much less is known about specific patterns of use – ranging from extensive and frequent use to complete non-use – and the reasons behind these patterns. Existing research on both use and non-use of IT …

Mississippi State University - Student Enrollment Profile - Fall 2013, Mississippi State University Office Of Institutional Research And Effectiveness

Enrollment Profiles

No abstract provided.

Degradation Of Algal Palynomorphs On 34-Yr-Old Microscope Slides, Lynn A. Brant

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Reexamination of 34-yr-old microscope slides of palynological preparations reveals the loss and degradation of algal palynomorphs, in particular the green alga Pediastrum and the desmid Pleurotaenium. Results from this study suggest that great caution should be used when referring co archived palynological slides.

Un-Redd And The Yasuní-Itt Initiative As Global Environmental Governance Mechanisms, Dominique De Wit

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

The importance of reaching out to and including local stakeholders and local norms is becoming a factor within the formation and implementation of global environmental governance mechanisms. In recent years the Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini (ITT) block of the Ecuadorian Yasuní National Park has caught widespread international attention due to its biological and cultural diversity, as well as its impact on carbon emissions at a time when climate change is a big concern for many. This article evaluates the contradictions and imperatives of two initiatives, the first being the Yasuní-ITT Initiative, formulated domestically on alternative non-extraction norms. The second is the United Nations …

Who's Allowed To Ride The Short Bus? Un-Defining Disability, Hannah Widdifield

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

This article uses personal testimony as a vehicle for deconstructing the theory and literature of disability studies. The definition of disability is traced from the term's origins to its present-day representations in popular culture, and I end with a look toward the future of the subject in academic settings and in society at large. The fictional character of Artie Abrams is considered alongside the real-life figure of Oscar Pistorius in an attempt to analyze the dangers and motives behind stereotypes surrounding the "disabled character." Throughout the article, anecdotal excerpts are included to emphasize the importance of the personal perspective in …

Difference In Water Status Between Oak Trees (Quercus Berberidifolia) With Brown And Green Leaves During Severe Drought, Mia Bryant, Hannah Dario, Cameron Kline

Featured Research

In this experiment, we examined cavitation in Quercus berberidifolia plants. We hypothesized that as the amount of water stress increases, then the pressure to cause embolism will decrease. We thought this because as a plant loses more water, the more air bubbles will form within the plant and therefore the pressure to cause this will decrease. We tested this hypothesis by comparing dry Quercus berberidifolia to more hydrated Quercus berberidifolia in Tapia Park, near Malibu, California. We measured and compared these plants by the use of the Scholander Pressure chamber and a parometer. In the end, we discovered that our …

Varying Carbon Dioxide Levels And Its Effects On Malsoma Laurina’S Photosynthetic Rate, John A. Lawlor, Dustyn T. Zierman-Felix, Michael P. Schlagel

Featured Research

The Keeling Curve has displayed an exponential increase in carbon dioxide within the earth’s atmosphere since the late 1950’s. Scientists have heatedly debated the effects that will occur as a result of this relatively new phenomenon (since the Industrial Revolution of America). We tested the effect of increased carbon dioxide levels on plant life, Malosma laurina, in particular. Our experiment involved the application of 400 PPM of carbon dioxide into different specimens of M. laurina and 800 PPM of carbon dioxide into the same specimens. We then recorded the rate of photosynthesis, conductance results, and levels of internal carbon dioxide. …

A Comparison Of Water Availability In Coastal Live Oak (Quercus Agrifolia) And California Bay (Umbellularia Californica) At Top And Bottom Of Hillsides At Malibu Creek State Park, California, Jake Szarzynski, Marley Biyendolo, Jeremy Goldenetz, Ann Alcazar

Featured Research

This investigation serves to show whether moisture content is different in plants at the top of hills versus bottom of hills, specifically comparing values of Quercus agrifolia and Umbellularia californica in Malibu Creek State Park. By acquiring six branches of each species on a hill at intervals of twenty feet, the moisture content can be obtained and analyzed by using the Scholander Hammel pressure chamber. This allows us to determine whether there is a correlation between moisture content and plant position on hills.

Impact Of Reclaimed Water On Photosynthetic Performance In Green Bark Ceanothus (Ceanothus Spinosus), Erika De Leener, Michael L. Gribble, Joshua D. Volkmar, Luo J. Zhao

Featured Research

The sprinkled water on the campus of Pepperdine University is primarily reclaimed water from sinks, toilets and showers on campus. The water is treated with micro bacteria and sand rocks to remove larger particles, smaller nitrogen containing compounds, excess nutrients and human pathogens. The Mediterranean weather in Southern California is characterized by dry summers, and watering plants by reclaimed water helps relieve the water stress in the community. However, the reclaimed water might distort the normal physiology of native plants on campus. We hypothesize that because nitrogen containing compounds cannot be efficiently removed by micro bacteria, higher nitrogen content in …

Applying Principles Of Psychology To Contemporary Society, Gary J. Burkholder

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Chinook Salmon Foraging Patterns In A Changing Lake Michigan, Gregory R. Jacobs, Charles P. Madenjian, David B. Bunnell, David M. Warner, Randall M. Caramunt

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Since Pacific salmon stocking began in Lake Michigan, managers have attempted to maintain salmon abundance at high levels within what can be sustained by available prey fishes, primarily Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus. Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha are the primary apex predators in pelagic Lake Michigan and patterns in their prey selection (by species and size) may strongly influence pelagic prey fish communities in any given year. In 1994– 1996, there were larger Alewives, relatively more abundant alternative prey species, fewer Chinook Salmon, and fewer invasive species in Lake Michigan than in 2009–2010. The years 2009–2010 were instead characterized by smaller, …

Washington University Human Research Protection Office Training Manual: Expedited Reviewer Specialist, Sarah Fowler-Dixon, Martha F. Jones, Jeanne Velders, Jen Bass-Patino

HRPO Publications

No abstract provided.

Washington University Human Research Protection Office Training Manual: Irb Analyst, Sarah Fowler-Dixon, Martha F. Jones, Jeanne Velders, Jen Bass-Patino

HRPO Publications

No abstract provided.

Valuing New Random Genetically Modified (Gm) Traits In Corn, Sumadhur Shakya, William W. Wilson, Bruce Dahl

College of Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Numerous genetically modified (GM) traits are currently under development. Those currently being developed for corn include traits for drought tolerance, cold tolerance, and nitrogen use efficiency, among others. The value of these traits is random and sporadic, creating challenges in assessing its ex ante value. This study estimates the ex ante value of a GM trait in corn with random characteristics. A real option model is developed to capture risks and returns associated with the traits, and estimates are derived for drought tolerant corn. Base case results indicate a slight chance that the option value would be out-of-the-money during the …

Improved Semiochemical Trapping And Population Genetics Of Mosquito Species Vectoring Rift Valley Fever In Kenya, David Poumo Tchouassi

All PhD Dissertations

The East African region is a major hot bed for old and newly emerging arboviral diseases that are occurring with increasing frequency and magnitude. The lack of effective treatment or preventive vaccinations for most of these infections emphasizes the need for surveillance to monitor circulation, which is critical for informing public health decision for early warning and response. Monitoring mosquito populations and mosquito-borne virus activity are the cornerstones of surveillance programs. As a model, this project focussed on Rift Valley fever (RVF), a mosquito-borne zoonosis, which remains prevalent in most parts of Kenya. Improving mosquito-based arbovirus surveillance by increasing trap …

Elicitation Of Anti-Mosquito Immune Responses In Balb/C Mice Immunized With Plasmids Containing Anopheles Gambiae Mucin 1 (Agmuc1), Gm-Csf And Il-12 Genes, Wilfred Emonyi Injera

All PhD Dissertations

Various strategies that block malaria transmission from an infected human host to a female Anopheline mosquito that involve killing of the blood fed mosquito have been studied as a potential strategy to control malaria. These include the immunization of animal hosts with either whole homogenized blood fed mosquito midguts or their extracts. In 1939, William Trager first demonstrated anti-vector immunity by immunizing guinea pigs and rabbits with extracts of the tick Dermacentor variabilis. This immunological targeting of tick midgut antigens led to the commercial development of a vaccine against Boophilus microplus ticks licenced in 1985.This study investigated the mosquitocidal effects …