Digital Commons Network^™

Behavioral Immunity Suppresses An Epizootic In Caribbean Spiny Lobsters, Mark J. Butler Iv, Donald C. Behringer Jr., Thomas W. Dolan Iii, Jessica Moss, Jeffrey D. Shields

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Sociality has evolved in a wide range of animal taxa but infectious diseases spread rapidly in populations of aggregated individuals, potentially negating the advantages of their social interactions. To disengage from the coevolutionary struggle with pathogens, some hosts have evolved various forms of "behavioral immunity"; yet, the effectiveness of such behaviors in controlling epizootics in the wild is untested. Here we show how one form of behavioral immunity (i.e., the aversion of diseased conspecifics) practiced by Caribbean spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus) when subject to the socially transmitted PaV1 virus, appears to have prevented an epizootic over a large seascape. We …

Age, Experience, And Nmda Antagonism: Dynamic Regulation Of Parvalbumin Expression In Normal And Chronically Ketamine-Treated Rats, Jennifer A. Corriveau

Doctoral Dissertations

A marked and selective decrease in the overall expression of the calcium-binding protein, parvalbumin (PV), has been a consistent postmortem finding in patients with schizophrenia. The documented reduction in calcium-binding protein immunoreactivity is specific to PV, and is observed exclusively within the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus (HPC) of patients. Models of schizophreniform cognitive dysfunction induced by chronic NMDA-receptor hypofunction utilizing non-competitive NMDA antagonist drugs such as ketamine (KET), have been shown to show comparable decreases in HPC and prefrontal cortical PV expression. Down-regulation of PV immunoreactivity within these key brain regions associated with cognition is often considered to be a …

The Energetic Value Of Land-Based Foods In Western Hudson Bayand Their Potential To Alleviate Energy Deficits Of Starving Adult Male Polar Bears, Linda J. Gormezano, Robert F. Rockwell

Publications and Research

Climate change is predicted to expand the ice-free season in western Hudson Bay and when it grows to 180 days, 28–48% of adult male polar bears are projected to starve unless nutritional deficits can be offset by foods consumed on land. We updated a dynamic energy budget model developed by Molnar et al. to allow influx of additional energy from novel terrestrial foods (lesser snow geese, eggs, caribou) that polar bears currently consume as part of a mixed diet while on land. We calculated the units of each prey, alone and in combination, needed to alleviate these lethal energy deficits …

The Nutritional Geometry Of Resource Scarcity: Effects Of Lean Seasons And Habitat Disturbance On Nutrient Intakes And Balancing In Wild Sifakas, Mitchell T. Irwin, Jean-Luc Raharison, David R. Raubenheimer, Colin A. Chapman, Jessica M. Rothman

Publications and Research

Animals experience spatial and temporal variation in food and nutrient supply, which may cause deviations from optimal nutrient intakes in both absolute amounts (meeting nutrient requirements) and proportions (nutrient balancing). Recent research has used the geometric framework for nutrition to obtain an improved understanding of how animals respond to these nutritional constraints, among them free-ranging primates including spider monkeys and gorillas. We used this framework to examine macronutrient intakes and nutrient balancing in sifakas (Propithecus diadema) at Tsinjoarivo, Madagascar, in order to quantify how these vary across seasons and across habitats with varying degrees of anthropogenic disturbance. Groups in intact …

Technology Is Imagination Incarnated, Douglas Deboer

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Technology enables us to make the stuff of our imagination real—at least partially. Technology itself does not tell us what to do. We use technology to bring our imagination to life."

Posting about how to be good stewards of technology from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/technology-is-imagination-incarnated

Trop-2 Is Up-Regulated In Invasive Prostate Cancer And Displaces Fak From Focal Contacts., Marco Trerotola, Kirat K Ganguly, Ladan Fazli, Carmine Fedele, Huimin Lu, Anindita Dutta, Qin Liu, Tiziana De Angelis, Luke W Riddell, Natalia A Riobo, Martin E Gleave, Amina Zoubeidi, Richard Pestell, Dario C Altieri, Lucia R Languino

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

In this study, we show that the transmembrane glycoprotein Trop-2 is up-regulated in human prostate cancer (PCa) with extracapsular extension (stages pT3/pT4) as compared to organ-confined (stage pT2) PCa. Consistent with this evidence, Trop-2 expression is found to be increased in metastatic prostate tumors of Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate mice and to strongly correlate with α5β1 integrin levels. Using PCa cells, we show that Trop-2 specifically associates with the α5 integrin subunit, as binding to α3 is not observed, and that Trop-2 displaces focal adhesion kinase from focal contacts. In support of the role of Trop-2 as a promoter …

Destabilisation Of Dimeric 14-3-3 Proteins As A Novel Approach To Anti-Cancer Therapeutics, Joanna M. Woodcock, Carl Coolen, Katy L. Goodwin, Dong Jae Baek, Robert Bittman, Michael S. Samuel, Stuart M. Pitson, Angel F. Lopez

Publications and Research

14-3-3 proteins play a pivotal role in controlling cell proliferation and survival, two commonly dysregulated hallmarks of cancers. 14-3-3 protein expression is enhanced in many human cancers and correlates with more aggressive tumors and poor prognosis, suggesting a role for 14-3-3 proteins in tumorigenesis and/or progression. We showed previously that the dimeric state of 14-3-3 proteins is regulated by the lipid sphingosine, a physiological inducer of apoptosis. As the functions of 14-3-3 proteins are dependent on their dimeric state, this sphingosine-mediated 14-3-3 regulation provides a possible means to target dimeric 14-3-3 for therapeutic effect. However, sphingosine mimics are needed that …

Role Of Metabolic Shifts In Protection From Mutation Damage: Characterizing Mitochondrial Membrane Potential In C. Elegans Gas-1 Mutants, Lauren S. Muñoz-Tremblay

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Many terminal human diseases are caused by mutations affecting mitochondrial functioning. Mitochondria are essential organelles responsible for producing cellular energy, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) via oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) at mitochondrial electron transport chains (ETC). Proper ETC functioning relies on maintenance of the electrochemical gradient essential for energy production, known as mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔψM). The inner mitochondrial membrane is the site of the ETC and is most closely in contact with the enzymatic processes occurring within the mitochondrial matrix. Mutations affecting protein components of the ETC are especially troublesome for organelle health. ETC mutants commonly express altered ΔψM, as well as …

Repeated, Long-Distance Migrations By A Philopatric Predator Targeting Highly Contrasting Ecosystems, James S.E. Lea, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Nuno Queiroz, Neil Burnie, Choy Aming, Laura L. Sousa, Gonzalo R. Mucientes, Nicolas E. Humphries, Guy M. Harvey, David W. Sims, Mahmood S. Shivji

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Long-distance movements of animals are an important driver of population spatial dynamics and determine the extent of overlap with area-focused human activities, such as fishing. Despite global concerns of declining shark populations, a major limitation in assessments of population trends or spatial management options is the lack of information on their long-term migratory behaviour. For a large marine predator, the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier, we show from individuals satellite-tracked for multiple years (up to 1101 days) that adult males undertake annually repeated, round-trip migrations of over 7,500 km in the northwest Atlantic. Notably, these migrations occurred between the highly …

Repeated, Long-Distance Migrations By A Philopatric Predator Targeting Highly Contrasting Ecosystems, James S. E. Lea, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Nuno Queiroz, Neil Burnie, Choy Aming, Lara L. Sousa, Gonzalo R. Mucientes, Nicolas E. Humphries, Guy Harvey, David W. Sims, Mahmood S. Shivji

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Long-distance movements of animals are an important driver of population spatial dynamics and determine the extent of overlap with area-focused human activities, such as fishing. Despite global concerns of declining shark populations, a major limitation in assessments of population trends or spatial management options is the lack of information on their long-term migratory behaviour. For a large marine predator, the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier, we show from individuals satellitetracked for multiple years (up to 1101 days) that adult males undertake annually repeated, roundtrip migrations of over 7,500km in the northwest Atlantic. Notably, these migrations occurred between the highly disparate …

Binaural Spectral Processing In Mouse Inferior Colliculus, Xi Bie

Doctoral Dissertations

Archival abstract submitted

Method Of Treating Inflammation Using Human Immunosuppressive Protein, Paul R. Sanberg, Robert W. Engelman, William R. Gower

USF Patents

A method of treating inflammation by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a human immunosuppressant protein (HISP) to a subject is presented. The inventors have discovered a novel immunosuppressive protein purified from the supernatant of hNT cell culture. The immunosuppressant protein has a molecular weight of about 40-100 kDa, an isoelectric point of about 4.4, a net ionic charge and is capable of suppressing T-cell activation, T-cell proliferation and the production of IL-2. This protein can be used in treating inflammation, preventing graft rejection after transplantation, treating autoimmune diseases and suppressing allergic responses as well as other uses.

Pilot-1: Autonomous Fixed-Wing Aircraft Control System, Chris Millsap, Nathan Garvey, Faisal Hayat

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

In the past decade, the personal ownership of unmanned aerial vehicles has exploded in the US and around the world. The rapidly declining size and cost of integrated circuits, sensors and embedded micro-controllers has lead to a flourishing community of hobbyists designing flight controllers with levels of sophistication approaching those for government and military applications. The typical flight assisted controllers integrate data from the user's control system and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in order to keep the craft level and on course. Deriving mostly from the radio controlled (RC) hobby industry, the flight control technologies for both rotary and …

The Murray Ledger And Times, June 9, 2015, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

Temperatures Achieved In Human And Canine Neocortex During Intraoperative Passive Or Active Focal Cooling, Matthew D. Smyth, Rowland H. Han, Chester K. Yarbrough, Edward E. Patterson, Xiao-Feng Yang, John W. Miller, Steven M. Rothman, Raimondo D'Ambrosio

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

An Approach To An Agave Problem: The Bioremediation Of Agricultural Waste By Yeast Fermentations, Joshua Michael Jarodsky

Theses and Dissertations

The agricultural waste products created by industries, such as the Tequila manufacturing industry, create thousands of tons of waste material every year. This agricultural waste often becomes an environmental and ecological problem for fields and surrounding areas. The purpose of this study is to determine the potential of using the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus 7-1 and Kluyveromyces marxianus 8-1 to ferment the leaf waste from the harvesting of the Agave tequilana as a form of bioremediation. Fermentations (anaerobic, under constant shaking, and at room temperature) were monitored for colony forming units, pH of fermentation broth, concentration of reducing sugars, and protein …

Enhancement Of Science Performance Through Computer -Assisted Instruction Among Selected Secondary School Learners In Kenya, Samuel N. Jesse, Nicholas V. Twoli, John N. Maundu

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

The performance of learners in Science in Kenyan secondary schools has been consistently low over the years. Many factors contribute to this poor performance and among them is the inappropriate teaching approaches that are teacher-centered rather than learner-centered. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of instructional methods on efficiency of content delivery to the learner and eventually the learner’s improved performance in science. Quasi-experimental design was used, based on the performance in science when the ConventionalInstructional Techniques (CIT) are used and when a combination of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and conventional instructional methods are used. Biology, …

Sustainable Development For People Or Profit?, Eric Rr Weaver

Suburban Sustainability

As Earth’s populations grow, will key planetary systems be pushed over the “tipping point” beyond Earth’s carrying capacity for sustaining human life? There is a strong body of literature developing the concept of Planetary Boundaries to help identify the limits for maintaining the Earth’s environmental stability. It is presumed that exceeding the Planetary Boundaries will result in an environmental tipping point, shifting the earth into a new environmental equilibrium detrimental to life as we know it. Research shows industrial agriculture is a major force pressing the environment to, and beyond, these limits. This review of top tier journals details the …

The Role Of Nuclear Factor Of Activated T-Cells In Chronic Kidney Disease, Alexis Joanna Sloan

Open Access Dissertations

Aberrant elevation in cytoplasmic calcium levels in podocytes cause changes in podocyte morphology and glomerular permeability. The phosphatase calcineurin responds to elevated calcium by dephosphorylating the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT). We have shown that podocyte-specific activation of NFAT in transgenic mice causes rapid proteinuria. Transgenic mice with the podocyte-specific, doxycyclin (Dox)-inducible expression of constitutively active NFAT (NFATc1nuc) were fed Dox chow, and urine albumin levels were monitored. Mice were sacrificed at different time points for histological studies of the kidney, including H&E, TEM analysis of the podocyte foot process (FP) structure and WT1 labeling to determine podocyte numbers. …

A Tale Of Two Nucleases: Using Talens To Edit The Genome Of C. Elegans, Clare Bartlett, Kriszten Kocmond, Erin Root

Bioengineering Senior Theses

Genetic engineering is an emerging technology that offers the potential to prevent, treat, or cure genetic diseases. The technology can permanently alter the genome, providing an alternative therapy to drugs and surgery. Specifically, gene therapy is a promising treatment option for many incurable genetic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and muscular cell dystrophy. Our project gives rise to a better understanding of TALENs and its uses in the genetic engineering field. TALENs, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, are a genetic engineering technology that can be used for targeted gene modification. They are engineered proteins that can bind to specific sequences of …

An Essenceless Creation: An Investigation Of Theistic Existentialism, John T. Lane

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research

Abstract: The primary objection that most Mainstream Christian theologies, most notably Calvinist theologies, hold against existentialism is that existentialism is incompatible with mainstays of theistic dogma, namely the theistic perception of sin and the concept of Imago Dei. However, upon closer examination, it would appear that existentialism’s rejection of essences is not wholly incompatible with all Mainstream theist doctrine. In this paper I will probe the alleged inconsistencies between Mainstream theist doctrines and the fundamental existentialist tenets of “existence precedes essence” and existential angst. Furthermore, I will argue that these two schools of thought are not just compatible, but also …

Hayward Shoreline Levee Protection, Samuel Beering, Karissa Canonizado, Caleb Young

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

The area from north of the San Mateo Bridge to Hayward Landing in the city of Hayward is at risk of flooding due to thirty-six inch sea level rise in the next 50-100 years. The areas that the this flooding would have a negative environmental impact as well as impact businesses and other residents near the project area. To protect these areas new shoreline protection was proposed. To begin designing new shore protection, the existing levee was analyzed on GeoSlope after doing numerous soil testing. It was found that the existing levee would fail against overtopping. After evaluating three alternatives, …

June 8th 2015, Csusb

Coyote Chronicle (1984-)

No abstract provided.

Nitric Oxide Releases Cl− From Acidic Organelles In Retinal Amacrine Cells, Vijai Krishnan, Evanna Gleason

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Krishnan and Gleason Determining the factors regulating cytosolic Cl− in neurons is fundamental to our understanding of the function of GABA- and glycinergic synapses. This is because the Cl− distribution across the postsynaptic plasma membrane determines the sign and strength of postsynaptic voltage responses. We have previously demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) releases Cl− into the cytosol from an internal compartment in both retinal amacrine cells and hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, we have shown that the increase in cytosolic Cl− is dependent upon a decrease in cytosolic pH. Here, our goals were to confirm the compartmental nature of the …

Anatomical Variation Of The Porcine Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve, Marc Christensen, Dr. Jonathan Wisco

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Selective reinnervation of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle (PCA), accomplished by anastomosis of a transected recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) with the phrenic nerve, is the best treatment for vocal cord paralysis and RLN compromise. However, anatomical variation of the RLN in human patients contributes to the likelihood of post-operative complications such as laryngeal synkinesis. The purpose of this study, Anatomical Variation of the Porcine Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve, is to establish a clear and detailed understanding of RLN branching patterns in pigs, the animal model most similar to humans in regards to laryngeal anatomy, to determine nerve branches that are best …

Cpsf30 At The Interface Of Alternative Polyadenylation And Cellular Signaling In Plants, Manohar Chakrabarti, Arthur G. Hunt

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Post-transcriptional processing, involving cleavage of precursor messenger RNA (pre mRNA), and further incorporation of poly(A) tail to the 3' end is a key step in the expression of genetic information. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) serves as an important check point for the regulation of gene expression. Recent studies have shown widespread prevalence of APA in diverse systems. A considerable amount of research has been done in characterizing different subunits of so-called Cleavage and Polyadenylation Specificity Factor (CPSF). In plants, CPSF30, an ortholog of the 30 kD subunit of mammalian CPSF is a key polyadenylation factor. CPSF30 in the model plant Arabidopsis …

Contrasting Environmental Drivers Of Adult And Juvenile Growth In A Marine Fish: Implications For The Effects Of Climate Change, Joyce Jia Lin Ong, Adam Nicholas Rountrey, Jessica Jane Meeuwig, Stephen J. Newman, Jens Zinke, Mark Gregory Meekan

Fisheries Research Articles

Many marine fishes have life history strategies that involve ontogenetic changes in the use of coastal habitats. Such ontogenetic shifts may place these species at particular risk from climate change, because the successive environments they inhabit can differ in the type, frequency and severity of changes related to global warming. We used a dendrochronology approach to examine the physical and biological drivers of growth of adult and juvenile mangrove jack (Lutjanus argentimaculatus) from tropical north-western Australia. Juveniles of this species inhabit estuarine environments and adults reside on coastal reefs. The Niño-4 index, a measure of the status of …

Concomitant Retrograde Coronary Venous Infusion Of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Enhances Engraftment And Differentiation Of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells For Cardiac Repair After Myocardial Infarction., Xiao Wang, Lei Zhen, Huangtai Miao, Qiwei Sun, Ya Yang, Bin Que, Edmundo Patricio Lopes Lao, Xingxin Wu, Hongmei Ren, Shutian Shi, Wayne Bond Lau, Xin-Liang Ma, Changsheng Ma, Shaoping Nie

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

AIM: Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) increases the migration and viability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vitro. Retrograde coronary venous infusion can provide both increased regional bFGF concentrations and homogeneous cell dissemination. We determined whether retrograde delivery of bFGF enhances the potency of transplanted MSCs for cardiac repair in a canine infarct model.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Under hypoxic conditions, cellular migration was significantly increased in MSCs co-cultured with bFGF compared to vascular endothelial growth factor or insulin-like growth factor, and bFGF promoted MSCs differentiation into a cardiomyocyte phenotype. A canine infarct model was employed by coronary ligation. …

Bjc Today

BJC Today

No abstract provided.

The Murray Ledger And Times, June 8, 2015, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.