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Diurnal Variability Of Persistent Organic Pollutants In The Atmosphere Over The Remote Southern Atlantic Ocean, Rosalinda Gioia, Matthew Macleod, Javier Castro-Jiménez, Luca Nizzetto, Jordi Dachs, Rainer Lohmann, Kevin C. Jones

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

A diel (24-h) cycle with daytime atmospheric concentrations higher than nighttime concentrations by a factor of 1.5–3 was observed for several low molecular weight polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in remote areas of the tropical South Atlantic during a cruise in October–November 2005. In contrast, high molecular weight PCBs and PAHs did not display diurnal variability. A model which has successfully explained diel variability of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) over land could not reproduce the observed diel cycle by considering variability in temperature, atmospheric OH radical concentrations, atmospheric boundary layer height and wind speed as causal factors. …

Termination Of Parental Rights For Parents With Substance Use Disorder: For Whom And Then What?, Jun Sung Hong, Joseph P. Ryan, Pedro M. Hernandez, Suzanne Brown

Social Work Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlates of termination of parental rights (TPR) for parents with substance use disorder (SUD) and to determine what happens with regard to permanency once a TPR decision is made. Bivariate techniques and hierarchical non-linear modeling are used. Parents of older youth, boys, and Hispanics were less likely, while parents who failed to make progress in substance use treatment and parenting skills are more likely to experience TPR. At follow up, 85% of the children were adopted, 7% remained in a substitute care settings, and 7% were reunified with their parents. Concerns …

Thiosulfoxide (Sulfane) Sulfur: New Chemistry And New Regulatory Roles In Biology, John Toohey, Arthur J L Cooper

NYMC Faculty Publications

The understanding of sulfur bonding is undergoing change. Old theories on hypervalency of sulfur and the nature of the chalcogen-chalcogen bond are now questioned. At the same time, there is a rapidly expanding literature on the effects of sulfur in regulating biological systems. The two fields are inter-related because the new understanding of the thiosulfoxide bond helps to explain the newfound roles of sulfur in biology. This review examines the nature of thiosulfoxide (sulfane, S0) sulfur, the history of its regulatory role, its generation in biological systems, and its functions in cells. The functions include synthesis of cofactors (molybdenum cofactor, …

Thiosulfoxide (Sulfane) Sulfur: New Chemistry And New Regulatory Roles In Biology, John I. Toohey, Arthur J. Cooper

NYMC Faculty Publications

The understanding of sulfur bonding is undergoing change. Old theories on hypervalency of sulfur and the nature of the chalcogen-chalcogen bond are now questioned. At the same time, there is a rapidly expanding literature on the effects of sulfur in regulating biological systems. The two fields are inter-related because the new understanding of the thiosulfoxide bond helps to explain the newfound roles of sulfur in biology. This review examines the nature of thiosulfoxide (sulfane, S0) sulfur, the history of its regulatory role, its generation in biological systems, and its functions in cells. The functions include synthesis of cofactors (molybdenum cofactor, …

State Of The University Address, 2014, John R. Broderick

State of the University Addresses

President John R. Broderick's 2014 State of the University Address and Faculty Welcome.

Ichnology Of Carboniferous And Jurassic Tetrapods And Insects, Patrick R. Gonsoulin-Getty

Doctoral Dissertations

Ichnology is the study of trace fossils, which are important because they provide direct evidence of animal behavior and because, as sedimentary structures, they are often preserved in environments devoid of body fossils. This study examines why skeletons are rare in New England and uses ichnology to evaluate the behaviors of its Carboniferous and Jurassic inhabitants.

The first chapter addresses taphonomic processes that preserved dinosaur bones from Connecticut as molds. The animal’s body decomposed above ground, where its skeleton disarticulated and was transported fluvially. The bones were buried and dissolved underground due to acidic groundwater. Their preservation as molds provides …

Metabolism-Oriented Lead Optimization Of Propargyl-Linked Dhfr Inhibitors, Wangda Zhou

Doctoral Dissertations

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), a key enzyme within folate biosynthetic pathway, has been a popular drug target for over six decades. Trimethoprim (TMP) is the only FDA approved antibacterial DHFR inhibitor and remains clinically important. However, acquired resistance by point mutations and natural enzymatic insensitivity limit its use.

A library of novel propargyl-linked antifolates targeting DHFR from MSRA, Candida and Klebsiella species was developed. Early lead propargyl-linked antifolates were proven potent antibacterial and antifungal agents. Much effort was placed on evaluating the metabolism properties. A strategy of incorporating crystallographic insight and experimental evaluation of structure-activity relationships (SAR) to guide new compound …

The University Of Texas At El Paso Operating Budget Fiscal Year Ending August 31, 2015, U. T. System Board Of Regents

Campus Operating Budget

No abstract provided.

Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L.) Distribution, Genetic Diversity, And Pollen-Mediated Gene Flow, Geoffrey I. Ecker

Doctoral Dissertations

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a North American grass being optimized to serve as a biofuel crop. The cultivation of switchgrass carrying novel genes and traits has made ecological risk assessment (ERA) research critical for predicting the effects of pollen dispersal and pollen-mediated gene flow on local switchgrass populations and plant communities. The goals of this research were to: 1) Understand Panicum species distribution, habitat types, and plant communities; 2) Create a Lagrangian model of pollen dispersal informed by data on pollen longevity, size, and wind fields; 3) Determine the potential for interspecific hybridization between switchgrass and other Panicum …

Genetic Markers For Sex Identification In Forensic Dna Analysis, Erin Butler, Richard Li

Publications and Research

The ability to determine the sex of an individual based on DNA evidence can be crucial in instances such as identification of victims of mass disaster, missing persons investigations, and sexual assault cases. The Y chromosome marker amelogenin is currently in widespread use for determination of chromosomal sex of an unknown DNA donor and differentiating the relative contributions of male and female DNA in a mixed forensic sample. However, many cases of the failure of the amelogenin marker to correctly determine the sex of DNA donors have been reported, causing the usefulness of the amelogenin marker in forensics to be …

Ion Interactions With Nucleic Acids, Timothy Robbins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In this dissertation, ion interactions with nucleic acids were studied using two theoretical methods: atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and a Poisson-Boltzmann approach. Ion interactions, specifically cation interactions, with nucleic acids are essential for proper nucleic acid folding and function. Cations enable proper folding and function by partially compensating for the build-up of repulsive electrostatic potentials caused by the close approach of negatively charged phosphate groups. Cations can bind at specific sites, forming long-term interactions, or through diffuse interactions that create a dynamic "ion atmosphere." Theoretical investigations are useful because current experimental techniques often cannot provide a complete, detailed understanding of …

A Cognitive Apprenticeship Approach For Teaching Abstract And Complex Skills In An Online Learning Environment, Reinaldo Fernandez

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Undergraduate courses such as mathematics, science, and computer programming require high levels of decision making, concentration, and cognitive demand. Researchers in the field of instructional design are interested in effective instructional strategies that can aid practitioners in teaching such abstract and complex skills.

One example of an instructional strategy that has proven effective in teaching these skills is cognitive apprenticeship (CA). While CA has been applied to courses such as mathematics and computer programming in face-to-face and blended learning environments, there is little evidence of the advantages of applying CA in a fully online computer programming course. Specifically, the introductory …

Robust Meta-Analysis Shows That Glioma Transcriptional Subtyping Complements Traditional Approaches, Sanghoon Lee, Stephen Piccolo, Kristina Allen-Brady

Faculty Publications

Background Gliomas traditionally have been sub-classified
based on histopathological observations. However, this ap-
proach is subject to inter-observer variability, and histopatho-
logical features may not reflect the biological mechanisms that
drive tumor growth. High-throughput transcriptional profiling
has shown promise in objectively and reproducibly identify-
ing glioma subtypes. Most prior studies have typically used
only modest sample sizes and have sometimes overlooked
important data-processing steps to ensure sample quality and
to evaluate the robustness of quantitative findings. The pur-
pose of our study was to define robust glioma subtypes by
applying rigorous preprocessing and validation steps to 1,952
microarray samples aggregated …

Preparedness For Epidemic Disease Or Bioterrorism: Minimum Cost Planning For The Location And Staffing Of Urban Point-Of-Dispensing Centers, William M. Bowen, Jen-Yi Chen, Oya Tukel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Boron Isotopic Geochemistry Of The Mcmurdo Dry Valley Lakes, Antarctica, Deborah Leslie, William Berry Lyons, Nathaniel Warner, Avner Vengosh, Josh Olesik, Kathleen A. Welch, Kelly M. Deuerling

Geography and Geology Faculty Publications

The geochemistry of boron was investigated in the ice-covered lakes and glacier meltwater streams within Taylor and Wright Valley of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MCM), Antarctica, in order to achieve a greater understanding of the source of boron to these aquatic systems and how in-lake processes control boron concentration. Selected lake depths (surface and bottom water) and streams were analyzed for boron geochemistry. Boron stable isotope values in these waters span the range of + 12.3‰ to + 51.4‰, which corresponds to the variations from glacier meltwater streams to the hypolimnion of a highly evaporated hypersaline lake. The data …

The Alestle - Vol. 67 No. 2 - 08/21/2014, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

The Alestle

Vol. 67. No. 2

Sma-Causing Missense Mutations In Survival Motor Neuron (Smn) Display A Wide Range Of Phenotypes When Modeled In Drosophila, Kavita Praveen, Ying Wen, Kelsey M. Gray, John J. Noto, Akash R. Patlolla, Gregory D. Van Duyne, A. Gregory Matera

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Mutations in the human survival motor neuron 1 (SMN) gene are the primary cause of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a devastating neuromuscular disorder. SMN protein has a well-characterized role in the biogenesis of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), core components of the spliceosome. Additional tissue-specific and global functions have been ascribed to SMN; however, their relevance to SMA pathology is poorly understood and controversial. Using Drosophila as a model system, we created an allelic series of twelve Smn missense mutations, originally identified in human SMA patients. We show that animals expressing these SMA-causing mutations display a broad range of …

Ef-P Dependent Pauses Integrate Proximal And Distal Signals During Translation, Sara Elgamal, Assaf Katz, Steven J. Hersch, David Newsom, Peter White, William Wiley Navarre, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Elongation factor P (EF-P) is required for the efficient synthesis of proteins with stretches of consecutive prolines and other motifs that would otherwise lead to ribosome pausing. However, previous reports also demonstrated that levels of most diprolyl-containing proteins are not altered by the deletion of efp. To define the particular sequences that trigger ribosome stalling at diprolyl (PPX) motifs, we used ribosome profiling to monitor global ribosome occupancy in Escherichia coli strains lacking EF-P. Only 2.8% of PPX motifs caused significant ribosomal pausing in the Δefp strain, with up to a 45-fold increase in ribosome density observed at …

Infection With Mers-Cov Causes Lethal Pneumonia In The Common Marmoset, Darryl Falzarano, Emmie De Wit, Friederike Feldmann, Angela L. Rasmussen, Atsushi Okumura, Xinxia Peng, Matthew J. Thomas, Neeltje Van Doremalen, Elaine Haddock, Lee Nagy, Rachel Lacasse, Tingting Liu, Jiang Zhu, Jason S. Mclellan, Dana P. Scott, Michael G. Katze, Heinz Feldmann, Vincent J. Munster

Dartmouth Scholarship

The availability of a robust disease model is essential for the development of countermeasures for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). While a rhesus macaque model of MERS-CoV has been established, the lack of uniform, severe disease in this model complicates the analysis of countermeasure studies. Modeling of the interaction between the MERS-CoV spike glycoprotein and its receptor dipeptidyl peptidase 4 predicted comparable interaction energies in common marmosets and humans. The suitability of the marmoset as a MERS-CoV model was tested by inoculation via combined intratracheal, intranasal, oral and ocular routes. Most of the marmosets developed a progressive severe pneumonia …

A Comparison Of General And Task-Specific Measures Of Self-Efficacy In Adult Hearing Aid Users, Brittney Dullard

Doctoral Dissertations

Self-efficacy is defined as “the belief in one’s capability to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations” and plays a major role in goal-setting (Bandura, 1997; 2004). Self-efficacy can be broken down into two types: (1) perceived general self-efficacy and (2) task-specific self-efficacy. General self-efficacy is an individual’s perception of his or her ability to perform across a variety of situations. Task-specific self-efficacy examines an individual’s perception of his or her ability to perform the actions specific to a situation. Self-efficacy is an important component of successful self-management of chronic illness, and has been shown …

Karst Estuaries: A Newly Described Ecosystem Governed By Aquifer Hydrology, Damian M. Menning

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The overall goal of this dissertation is to define the hydrological, geochemical, and biological characteristics of a Karst Estuary. These types of estuaries represent a unique ecosystem created by freshwater inputs from direct flow through karst conduits and/or diffuse flow through a karst matrix. In order to determine the characteristics of a Karst Estuary we monitored short-term tidal fluctuations, long-term rainfall patterns, aquifer levels, spring discharge, multiple geochemical parameters, microbial communities in the water column and sediment, and macrofaunal communities in the sediment along a transect from a submarine spring through the Gulf of Mexico. Four sites were selected along …

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A Protocol For Citizen Science Monitoring Of Recently-Planted Urban Trees, Jessica M. Vogt, Burnell C. Fischer

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

In this article, we present a protocol for citizen science monitoring of planted urban trees. Informed by social-ecological systems, urban forestry, and tree physiology research, the Planted Tree Re-Inventory Protocol is designed to allow minimally-trained volunteers or citizen scientists to collect data about the factors that influence urban tree survival and growth. We consider characteristics of the tree, the biophysical environment, institutions and management, and the community as factors that influence urban forest outcomes. Here, we reflect on tree planting organizations and their desire and capacity for monitoring. Then we define citizen science and review its use in urban forestry …

Characterizing Healthy Urban Systems: Implications For Urban Environmental Education, T. Bruce Lauber, Keith G. Tidball

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

A growing number of environmental educators have become interested in urban environmental education practice – in practice that is specifically tailored to the unique needs and characteristics of urban social-ecological systems. A clear conceptualization of the defining characteristics of healthy urban social-ecological systems can make an important contribution to urban environmental education programs. We synthesized urban environmental educators’ perspectives about the nature of healthy urban social-ecological systems and assessed the implications of those system characteristics for urban environmental education practice. We identified 14 different characteristics needed for urban environments to be healthy. These characteristics demonstrate that, from the perspective of …

Green Roofs Over Time: A Spatially Explicit Method For Studying Green Roof Vegetative Dynamics And Performance, Max R. Piana, Stephanie C. Carlisle

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

In the past decade, conventional green roof research methodology has emphasized performance measures that assume a static state condition of vegetative composition based on design intent and establishment conditions. Such research has predominantly been limited to short-term observations for low diversity, rigorously maintained systems. These conditions, however, are not the reality of many installed green roofs, and as a result knowledge of how these living systems change over time is limited. Given this perspective, this paper presents an ecologically grounded and spatially explicit methodology aimed at assessing the long-term performance and dynamics of green roof vegetation. The method allows for …

Genetically Designed Bacterial Biosystems For Environmental And Biomedical Applications, Leslie D. Knecht

Open Access Dissertations

Nature has endowed us with eloquently designed biosystems which can be applied to a number of analytical applications. Advances in biotechnology have allowed for bacteria and the proteins found therein to be exploited throughout the years for the development of designer analytical systems. Herein, we have exploited genetically designed bacterial whole-cell systems and proteins for biomedical and environmental applications. First, we have demonstrated the use of a whole-cell sensing system based on the quorum sensing regulatory protein LasR as a tool to elucidate interkingdom communication and better understand host-microbiome interactions. Specifically, the role of serotonin as a bacterial signaling molecule …

2013-14 Arkansas Test Results, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

In late July, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) released the 2013- 14 test score results. The following brief highlights the results of these tests, compares achievement scores over time, and provides a glimpse of regional achievement results for the following exams:  Benchmark Exam (Grades 3-8)  End-of-Course Exam (Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, and Grade 11 Literacy).  Iowa Test of Basic Skills (Grades 1-9)

Peak Electric Load Relief In Northern Manhattan: An Exploratory Data Analysis, Hildegaard D. Link, José Pillich, Yehuda L. Klein

Publications and Research

The aphorism “Think globally, act locally,” attributed to René Dubos, reflects the vision that the solution to global environmental problems must begin with efforts within our communities. PlaNYC 2030, the New York City sustainability plan, is the starting point for this study. Results include (a) a case study based on the City College of New York (CCNY) energy audit, in which we model the impacts of green roofs on campus energy demand and (b) a case study of energy use at the neighborhood scale. We find that reducing the urban heat island effect can reduce building cooling requirements, peak electricity …

Network Organization Unfolds Over Time During Periods Of Anxious Anticipation, Brenton Mcmenamin, Sandra Langeslag, Mihai Sirbu, Srikanth Padmala, Luiz Pessoa

Psychology Faculty Works

Entering a state of anxious anticipation triggers widespread changes across large-scale networks in the brain. The temporal aspects of this transition into an anxious state are poorly understood. To address this question, an instructed threat of shock paradigm was used while recording functional MRI in humans to measure how activation and functional connectivity change over time across the salience, executive, and task-negative networks and how they interact with key regions implicated in emotional processing; the amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Transitions into threat blocks were associated with transient responses in regions of the salience network and …