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Faculty Notes- John Carroll University, John Carroll University

Faculty Notes - John Carroll University

Mar. 2014, Vol. 7, Issue 1

Lactase Persistence Variants In Arabia And In The African Arabs, Edita Priehodova, Abdelhay Abdelsawy, Evelyne Heyer, Viktor Cerny

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Lactase persistence (LP), the state enabling the digestion of milk sugar in adulthood occurs only in some human populations. The convergent and independent origin of this physiological ability in Europe and Africa is linked with animal domestication that had either started in both places independently or had spread from the Near East by acculturation. However, it has recently been shown that at least in its southern parts, the population of Arabia not only has a different LP-associated mutation profile than the rest of Africa and Europe but had also experienced an independent demographic expansion occurring before the Neolithic around the …

Fallow Bucks Attend To Vocal Cues Of Motivation And Fatigue, Benjamin J. Pitcher, Elodie F. Briefer, Elisabetta Vannoni, Alan G. Mcelligott

Sentience Collection

Vocalizations encode a range of information about the caller, and variation in calling behavior and vocal structure may provide listeners with information about the motivation and condition of the caller. Fallow bucks only vocalize during the breeding season and can produce more than 3000 groans per hour. Males modulate their calling rates, calling faster when other calling males and/or females are nearby. Groans also reveal caller fatigue, becoming shorter and higher pitched toward the end of the rut. Thus, fallow deer groans vary both over very short (minute to minute) and longer timescales (the rut). However, no studies have investigated …

Into The Minds Of Dogs And Bonobos, Brian Hare

STEC

No abstract provided.

Using An Mri To Learn About The Brains Of Dogs, Gregory S. Berns

STEC

No abstract provided.

Animal Language, Con Slobodchikoff

STEC

No abstract provided.

Learning And Memory In The Port Jackson Shark, Heterodontus Portusjacksoni, Tristan L. Guttridge, Culum Brown

Sentience Collection

Basic understanding of the fundamental principles and mechanisms involved in learning is lacking for elasmobranch fishes. Our aim in this study was to experimentally investigate the learning and memory capacity of juvenile Port Jackson sharks, Heterodontus portusjacksoni. Sharks (N = 30) were conditioned over a 19-day period to associate an underwater LED light or stream of air-bubbles [conditioned stimulus (CS)] with a food reward [unconditioned stimulus (US)], using three procedures (delay, trace and control). During experiments, the CS signalled at a random time between 180 and 300 s for 30 s (six times per day). For the delay the US …

President's Note

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

No abstract provided.

Do You Know How Your Mascara Is Made?, Arna Cohen

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

Countless animals suffer in laboratory testing of cosmetics and other personal care products. A global campaign is pushing to rewrite laws, support humane science, and educate consumers.

Q&A

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

High-Water Mark

“I think it’s just wrong to bring that into play”: Noah director Darren Aronofsky forgoes animal actors for CGI technology.

Clinical Trials And Late-Stage Drug Development In Alzheimer’S Disease: An Appraisal From 1984 To 2014, L. S. Schneider, F. Mangialasche, S. Andreasen, H. Feldman, E. Giacobini, R. Jones, V. Mantua, P. Mecocci, L. Pani, B. Winblad, M. Kivipelto

Human Clinical Trials Collection

The modern era of drug development for Alzheimer's disease began with the proposal of the cholinergic hypothesis of memory impairment and the 1984 research criteria for Alzheimer's disease. Since then, despite the evaluation of numerous potential treatments in clinical trials, only four cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine have shown sufficient safety and efficacy to allow marketing approval at an international level. Although this is probably because the other drugs tested were ineffective, inadequate clinical development methods have also been blamed for the failures. Here, we review the development of treatments for Alzheimer's disease during the past 30 years, considering the drugs, …

Heme Oxygenase-1 Induction Improves Cardiac Function Following Myocardial Ischemia By Reducing Oxidative Stress, Yossi Issan, Ran Kornowski, Dan Aravot, Asher Shainberg, Michal Laniado-Schwartzman, Komal Sodhi, Nader G. Abraham, Edith Hochhauser

Internal Medicine

Background

Oxidative stress plays a key role in exacerbating diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a stress response protein, is cytoprotective, but its role in post myocardial infarction (MI) and diabetes is not fully characterized. We aimed to investigate the protection and the mechanisms of HO-1 induction in cardiomyocytes subjected to hypoxia and in diabetic mice subjected to LAD ligation.

Methods

In vitro: cultured cardiomyocytes were treated with cobalt-protoporphyrin (CoPP) and tin protoporphyrin (SnPP) prior to hypoxic stress. In vivo: CoPP treated streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice were subjected to LAD ligation for 2/24 h. Cardiac function, histology, biochemical damage markers …

Sustainable Fire Clearance Using Goats Teaching Unit, Elida Noren Moore

Agricultural Education and Communication

This project was created in order to fulfill the need of creating a unit of teaching for sustainable fire brush clearance using goats. The beginning goes over all the literature that was used to help create the project as well as the thought process that was followed in order to write the unit. These decisions were crucial for figuring out what was going to be included in the unit as well as the activities and lecture prompts that are provided. The unit covers everything from fire history and fire regulations in the state of California, to the care and treatment …

Using Crossword Puzzles To Enhance Students' Learning Of Technical Biological Terms, William D. Stansfield

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Impact Testing Of Youth-Level Helmets Versus College-Level Helmets, Nicole Hermann

Industrial Technology and Packaging

With so many studies being conducted on professional football players regarding concussions and other related brain injuries, it’s amazing that such an important demographic has been missed. While NFL players are just as subjected to serious injuries as anyone else or even more so, it is important to remember that these players are outfitted, in most cases, with top-of-the-line equipment -- especially their helmets. If the focus is shifted to a younger demographic, youth football players in middle school and high school, the equipment is far less advanced and in a vast majority of cases, has been previously used by …

Darwin’S Diagram Of Divergence Of Taxa As A Causal Model For The Origin Of Species, Juan Luis Bouzat

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

On the basis that Darwin's theory of evolution encompasses two logically independent processes (common descent and natural selection), the only figure in On the Origin of Species (the Diagram of Divergence of Taxa) is often interpreted as illustrative of only one of these processes: the branching patterns representing common ancestry. Here, I argue that Darwin's Diagram of Divergence of Taxa represents a broad conceptual model of Darwin's theory, illustrating the causal efficacy of natural selection in producing well-defined varieties and ultimately species. The Tree Diagram encompasses the idea that natural selection explains common descent and the origin of organic diversity, …

The Law To End Hunger Now: Food Sovereignty And Genetically Modified Crops In Tribal India-A Socio-Legal Analysis, Purabi Bose, Bernd Van Der Meulen

Dickinson Law Review (1908-2003)

This Article takes a socio-legal approach to analyze tribal India's current scenario related to genetically modified (GM) crops. The policies for GM crops play a critical role in India. The Article examines two recent legal frameworks: (a) the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill, 2013, and (b) the Indian National Food Security Act, 2013.

The analysis using the socio-legal framework explores the dilemma of the effect of the GM food crop (Bt Brinjal/Eggplant) and GM cash crop (Bt Cotton) through the lens of one of the Scheduled Tribes-Bhil tribal men, women, and children--of India. This Article takes the social exclusion …

Identifying Factors Affecting The Low Western Rock Lobster Puerulus Settlement In Recent Years Final Frdc Report – Project 2009/18, Nick Caputi, Ming Feng, Simon De Lestang, Ainslie M. Denham, James D. Penn, Dirk Slawinski, Alan Pearce, Evan Weller, Jason R. How

Fisheries Research Reports

Objectives 1. To use a larval advection model and the rock lobster population dynamics model to assess the effect of the spatial distribution of the breeding stock on the puerulus settlement 2. To assess environmental factors (water temperature, current, wind, productivity, eddies) and breeding stock affecting puerulus settlement 3. To examine climate change trends of key environmental parameters and their effect on the western rock lobster fishery

The Deaf Catholic, Spring 2014

ICDA The Deaf Catholic

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in USA

ICDA The Deaf CatholicFinding Aid

Ua66 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Newsletter, Cheryl Stevens, Dean

Ogden College of Science & Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

Potential Eradication And Control Methods For The Management Of The Ascidian Didemnum Perlucidum In Western Australia, Julieta Muñoz, Justin I. Mcdonald

Fisheries Research Reports

In Western Australia, the invasive colonial ascidian Didemnum perlucidum was first detected in the Swan River Estuary in 2010 and subsequently recorded at multiple locations across the State. Ongoing research by the Department of Fisheries (the Department) indicates that this species exhibits strong seasonal changes in abundance. Although, D. perlucidum is able to reproduce sexually (larvae) and asexually (budding) year round, larvae density and settlement, and overall colony size significantly decreases during the colder months (winter). From a management point of view this period would present the best opportunity for an attempt at eradication or control of this species.

Temporal Trends In Phthalate Exposures: Findings From The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2010, Ami R. Zota, Antonia M. Calafat, Tracey J. Woodruff

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background: Phthalates are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. Because of potential adverse effects on human health, butylbenzyl phthalate [BBzP; metabolite, monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP)], di-n-butyl phthalate [DnBP; metabolite, mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP)], and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) are being replaced by substitutes including other phthalates; however, little is known about consequent trends in population-level exposures.

Objective: We examined temporal trends in urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites in the general U.S. population and whether trends vary by sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods: We combined data on 11 phthalate metabolites for 11,071 participants from five cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001–2010). …

Lhc Lines - March 2014, Lee Honors College

Lee Honors College News

A newsletter for friends and alumni of the Lee Honors College at Western Michigan University

A Genomewide Overexpression Screen Identifies Genes Involved In The Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Pathway In The Human Protozoan Parasite Entamoeba Histolytica, Amrita B. Koushik, Brenda H. Welter, Michelle L. Rock, Lesly A. Temesvari

Publications

Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite that causes amoebic dysentery and liver abscess. E. histolytica relies on motility, phagocytosis, host cell adhesion, and proteolysis of extracellular matrix for virulence. In eukaryotic cells, these processes are mediated in part by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling. Thus, PI3K may be critical for virulence. We utilized a functional genomics approach to identify genes whose products may operate in the PI3K pathway in E. histolytica. We treated a population of trophozoites that were overexpressing genes from a cDNA library with a near-lethal dose of the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin. This screen was based on the rationale …

Fire Resistance In A Caribbean Dry Forest: Inferences From The Allometry Of Bark Thickness, Brett T. Wolfe, Gabriel E. Saldaña Diaz, Skip J. Van Bloem

Publications

Trees’ resistance to fire-induced mortality increases with bark thickness, which varies widely among species and generally increases with stem diameter. Because dry forests are more fire-prone than wetter forests, bark may be thicker in these forests. However, where disturbances such as hurricanes suppress stem diameter, trees may not obtain fire-resistant bark thickness. In two hurricane-prone Caribbean dry-forest types in Puerto Rico—deciduous forest and scrub forest—we measured bark thickness on 472 stems of 25 species to test whether tree species obtain bark thicknesses that confer fire resistance, whether bark is thicker in the fire-prone scrub forest than in the deciduous forest, …

Assessing The Effect Of High Performance Computing Capabilities On Academic Research Output, Amy Apon, Linh B. Ngo, Michael E. Payne, Paul W. Wilson

Publications

This paper uses nonparametric methods and some new results on hypothesis testing with nonparametric efficiency estimators and applies these to analyze the effect of locally-available high performance computing (HPC) resources on universities efficiency in producing research and other outputs. We find that locally-available HPC resources enhance the technical efficiency of research output in Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Physics, and History, but not in Computer Science, Economics, nor English; we find mixed results for Biology. Out research results provide a critical first step in a quantitative economic model for investments in HPC.

Cluster M Mycobacteriophages Bongo, Pegleg, And Rey With Unusually Large Repertoires Of Trna Isotopes, Welkin H. Pope, Kirk R. Anders, Madison Baird, Charles A. Bowman, Michelle M. Boyle, Gregory W. Broussard, Tiffany Chow, Kari L. Clase, Shannon Cooper, Kathleen A. Cornely, Randall J. Dejong, Veronique A. Delesalle, Lisa Deng, David Dunbar, Nicholas P. Edgington, Christina M. Ferreira, Kathleen Weston Hafer, Grant A. Hartzog, J. Robert Hatherill, Lee E. Hughes, Khristina Ipapo, Gregory P. Krukonis, Christopher G. Meier, Denise L. Monti, Matthew R. Olm, Shallee T. Page, Craig L. Peebles, Claire A. Rinehart, Michael R. Rubin, Daniel A. Russell, Erin R. Sanders, Morgan Schoer, Christopher D. Shaffer, James Wherley, Edwin Vazquez, Han Yuan, Daiyuan Zhang, Steven G. Cresawn, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Roger W. Hendrix, Graham F. Hatfull

Biology Faculty Publications

Genomic analysis of a large set of phages infecting the common hostMycobacterium smegmatis mc²155 shows that they span considerable genetic diversity. There are more than 20 distinct types that lack nucleotide similarity with each other, and there is considerable diversity within most of the groups. Three newly isolated temperate mycobacteriophages, Bongo, PegLeg, and Rey, constitute a new group (cluster M), with the closely related phages Bongo and PegLeg forming subcluster M1 and the more distantly related Rey forming subcluster M2. The cluster M mycobacteriophages have siphoviral morphologies with unusually long tails, are homoimmune, and have larger than average …

Skin Disease And Non-Syndromic Hearing Loss-Linked Cx30 Mutations Exhibit Several Distinct Cellular Pathologies, Amy Berger, John Kelly, Patrick Lajoie, Qing Shao, Dale Laird

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Connexin 30 (Cx30), a member of the large gap junction protein family, plays a role in the homeostasis of the epidermis and inner ear through gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC). Here, we investigated the underlying mechanisms of four autosomal dominant Cx30 gene mutations linked to hearing loss and/or various skin diseases. First, the T5M mutant linked to non-syndromic hearing loss formed functional gap junction channels and hemichannels, similar to wild type Cx30. The loss-of-function V37E mutant associated with Clouston syndrome or keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness syndrome was retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and significantly induced apoptosis. The G59R mutant linked to Vohwinkel and …

Recent Advances In The Molecular Characterization Of Circulating Tumor Cells, Lori E. Lowes, Alison L. Allan

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Although circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were first observed over a century ago, lack of sensitive methodology precluded detailed study of these cells until recently. However, technological advances have now facilitated the identification, enumeration, and characterization of CTCs using a variety of methods. The majority of evidence supporting the use of CTCs in clinical decision-making has been related to enumeration using the CellSearch((R)) system and correlation with prognosis. Growing evidence also suggests that CTC monitoring can provide an early indication of patient treatment response based on comparison of CTC levels before and after therapy. However, perhaps the greatest potential that CTCs …

Ilk Modulates Epithelial Polarity And Matrix Formation In Hair Follicles, Alena Rudkouskaya, Ian Welch, Lina Dagnino

Paediatrics Publications

Hair follicle morphogenesis requires coordination of multiple signals and communication between its epithelial and mesenchymal constituents. Cell adhesion protein platforms, which include integrins and integrin-linked kinase (ILK), are critical for hair follicle formation. However, their precise contribution to this process is poorly understood. We show that in the absence of ILK, the hair follicle matrix lineage fails to develop, likely due to abnormalities in development of apical-basal cell polarity, as well as in laminin-511 and basement membrane assembly at the tip of the hair bud. These defects also result in impaired specification of hair matrix and absence of precortex and …