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Ancient Humans Influenced The Current Spatial Genetic Structure Of Common Walnut Populations In Asia, Paola Pollegioni, Keith E. Woeste, Francesca Chiocchini, Stefano Del Lungo, Irene Olimpieri, Virginia Tortolano, Jo R. Clark, Gabriel E. Hemery, Sergio P. Mapelli, Maria Emilia Malvolti

Department of Forestry & Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Common walnut (Juglans regia L) is an economically important species cultivated worldwide for its wood and nuts. It is generally accepted that J. regia survived and grew spontaneously in almost completely isolated stands in its Asian native range after the Last Glacial Maximum. Despite its natural geographic isolation, J. regia evolved over many centuries under the influence of human management and exploitation. We evaluated the hypothesis that the current distribution of natural genetic resources of common walnut in Asia is, at least in part, the product of ancient anthropogenic dispersal, human cultural interactions, and afforestation. Genetic analysis combined with ethno-linguistic …

Yeats - A Tool Suite For Analyzing Rna-Seq Derived Transcriptome Identifies A Highly Transcribed Putative Extensin In Heartwood/Sapwood Transition Zone In Black Walnut [Version 2; Referees: 3 Approved], Sandeep Chakraborty, Monica Britton, Jill Wegrzyn, Timothy Butterfield, Pedro José Martínez-García, Russell L. Reagan, Basuthkar J. Rao, Charles A. Leslie, Mallikarjuna Aradhaya, David Neale, Keith E. Woeste, Abhaya M. Dandekar

Department of Forestry & Natural Resources Faculty Publications

The transcriptome provides a functional footprint of the genome by enumerating the molecular components of cells and tissues. The field of transcript discovery has been revolutionized through high-throughput mRNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Here, we present a methodology that replicates and improves existing methodologies, and implements a workflow for error estimation and correction followed by genome annotation and transcript abundance estimation for RNA-seq derived transcriptome sequences (YeATS - Yet Another Tool Suite for analyzing RNA-seq derived transcriptome). A unique feature of YeATS is the upfront determination of the errors in the sequencing or transcript assembly process by analyzing open reading frames of …

Selective Sweep Analysis In The Genomes Of The 91-R And 91-C Drosophila Melanogaster Strains Reveals Few Of The ‘Usual Suspects’ In Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (Ddt) Resistance, Laura D. Steele, Brad Coates, M Carmen Valero, Weilin Sun, Keon Mook Seong, William M. Muir, John M. Clark, Barry R. Pittendrigh

Department of Animal Sciences Faculty Publications

Adaptation of insect phenotypes for survival after exposure to xenobiotics can result from selection at multiple loci with additive genetic effects. To the authors’ knowledge, no selective sweep analysis has been performed to identify such loci in highly dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) resistant insects. Here we compared a highly DDT resistant phenotype in the Drosophila melanogaster (Drosophila) 91-R strain to the DDT susceptible 91-C strain, both of common origin. Whole genome re-sequencing data from pools of individuals was generated separately for 91-R and 91-C, and mapped to the reference Drosophila genome assembly (v. 5.72). Thirteen major and three minor effect chromosome intervals …

Nitrogen Release And Disease Suppressive Activity Of Four Compost Amendments On Three Vegetable Farms, Lori Hoagland, Elizabeth Maynard, Dan Egel, Natasha Cerruti, Jeff Evard, Ben Nava, Steve Spencer

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

No abstract provided.

Associations Of Military Divorce With Mental, Behavioral, And Physical Health Outcomes, Lawrence Wang, Amber Seelig, Shelley Macdermid Wadsworth, Hope Mcmaster, John E. Alcaraz, Nancy F. Crum-Cianflone

Department of Human Development and Family Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Divorce has been linked with poor physical and mental health outcomes among civilians. Given the unique stressors experienced by U.S. service members, including lengthy and/or multiple deployments, this study aimed to examine the associations of recent divorce on health and military outcomes among a cohort of U.S. service members.

Methods

Millennium Cohort participants from the first enrollment panel, married at baseline (2001–2003), and married or divorced at follow-up (2004–2006), (N = 29,314). Those divorced were compared to those who remained married for mental, behavioral, physical health, and military outcomes using logistic regression models.

Results

Compared to those who …

The Misallocation Of Federal Funds In The U.S. Child Welfare System, Lauren A. Brown

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research paper will explore the impact that the federal financing structure has on the child welfare system in the United States. First, a historical policy analysis of the changing goals of child welfare and an overview of the current federal funding structure will be provided. Subsequently, the consequences of having a changing system with an unchanging funding structure will be explored. Finally, proposed solutions will be explored in terms of their impact on the field of child welfare as well as society as a whole. Unfortunately, antiquated federal programs are being used to fund progressive and innovative child welfare …

Women's Fitness Week, Claire T. Lucas, Tiffany M. Finch

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project addressed women’s wellness. Many women experience physical and mental health issues related to a lack of physical activity or psychological support. Women’s Fitness Week was offered to women of the University of Akron and the outside community, providing opportunities to learn more about and improve upon the various dimensions of wellness – emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social/cultural, and spiritual. Events were held at the University’s Student Recreation and Wellness Center and encompassed topics such as nutrition, weight training, and self-defense. The goals of this project were to: increase knowledge levels of fitness, health, and wellness, increase …

Relating Personality And Body Size To Social Networks And Dispersal Behavior In Female Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia Affinis), Janean Kazimir

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Click Chemistry Protein Immobilization, James P. Kraley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The main purpose of the first part in the lab was to try and determine a way to measure the moles of dye per mole of protein in order to detect an azide tag on a recombinantly produced azide-IFN-γ protein. This was done by using click chemistry to bind the azide tagged protein to a dye and then measured the azide tag efficiency. The main purpose of the second part of the project was to make a protein, SDF-1α, and tag it with an azide group. This was completed via processes of expression, isolation, and purification of the protein. From …

Reversible Linkage Of Two Distinct Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Myc Generates A Dimeric Inhibitor With Improved Potency That Is Active In Myc Over-Expressing Cancer Cell Lines, Jutta Wanner, Darlene Romashko, Douglas S. Werner, Earl W. May, Yue Peng, Ryan Schulz, Kenneth W. Foreman, Suzanne Russo, Lee D. Arnold, Maneesh R. Pingle, Donald E. Bergstrom, Francis Barany, Stuart Thomson

Borch Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Faculty Publications

We describe the successful application of a novel approach for generating dimeric Myc inhibitors by modifying and reversibly linking two previously described small molecules.We synthesized two directed libraries of monomers, each comprised of a ligand, a connector, and a bioorthogonal linker element, to identify the optimal dimer configuration required to inhibit Myc. We identified combinations of monomers, termed self-assembling dimeric inhibitors, which displayed synergistic inhibition of Myc-dependent cell growth. We confirmed that these dimeric inhibitors directly bind to Myc blocking its interaction with Max and affect transcription of MYC dependent genes. Control combinations that are unable to form a dimer …

Nitrogen Release And Disease Suppressive Activity Of Four Compost Amendments On Three Vegetable Farms, Lori Hoagland, Elizabeth Maynard, Dan Egel, Natasha Cerruti, Jeff Evard, Ben Nava, Steve Spencer

Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Research Reports

This is a compilation of 30 research trial reports from four land-grant universities in the Midwestern United States. Crops include cantaloupe, pickling cucumber, pepper, potato, pumpkin, summer squash and zucchini, sweet corn, tomato, and watermelon. Somecrops were evaluated in high tunnels or hoophouses. Most trials evaluated different cultivars or varieties. One report addressed plant spacing for sweet corn and one addressed soil block for production of tomato seedlings. A list of vegetable seed sources and a list of other online sources of vegetable trial reports are also included.

Determining The Critical Micelle Concentration Of Polymer Matrix For Drug Delivery Purposes, Katie Emmert

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Targeted oral release systems have been a large topic within drug delivery systems. There are several benefits to an oral delivery including patient convenience and lower chance of infection. The colon specifically has been researched as the release media. The colon is an ideal location for a release because the pH is stable with high levels of microorganisms. Like any type of drug delivery research, there are several hurdles to overcome. In order for a drug to be released in the colon, the drug must survive the stomach and be biocompatible. This biocompatibility and pH sensitivity was created using a …

The Effects Of Sustainability As A Positive Attribute On Equine Therapy Design: An Interdisciplinary Study, Andria Sinclair

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Interdisciplinary studies have brought benefits to introducing new solutions to the traditional environment and traditional therapies. Sustainability in relation to design has been suggested in 2006, by the Center for Building Performance and Diagnostic (CBPD) at Carnegie Mellon University to incorporate daylight, solar, heat and ventilation of the natural environment combined with the innovations of current technologies (Whitmore, 2011). This paper will look at how sustainability plays a key role of benefits including those that are health associated with equine therapy design and its relationship to the patient, or end user. Interdisciplinary research in the therapeutic value of equine-human bonding …

Exploring The Viability Of Establishing A Children’S Grief Camp In South Africa, Joann Borer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The death of a loved one is an inevitable and unavoidable phase of life that everyone must experience. A variety of thoughts and feelings follow the death a close friend or relative. It is crucial to address the thoughts and feelings associated with the death so that individuals can grief in a healthy manner. Those living in South Africa are most likely going to experience the death of a loved one since South Africa has such a high mortality rate. Through a qualitative study, this paper explores the death system and culture in South Africa. In addition, the organizations and …

Evaluation Of The Signature Molecular Descriptor With Blosum62 And An All-Atom Description For Use In Sequence Alignment Of Proteins, Lindsay M. Aichinger

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This Honors Project focused on a few aspects of this topic. The second is comparing the molecular signature kernels to three of the BLOSUM matrices (30, 62, and 90) to test the accuracy of the mathematical model. The kernel matrix was manipulated in order to improve the relationship by focusing on side groups and also by changing how the structure was represented in the matrix by increasing the initial height distance from the central atom (Height 1 and Height 2 included).

There were multiple design constraints for this project. The first was the comparison with the BLOSUM matrices (30, 62, …

Developing A Colorimetric Membrane Sensor To Detect Trihalomethanes In Water Samples Utilizing The Fujiwara Reaction, Max D. Duckworth

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This work focused on creating a colorimetric sensor to detect trihalomethanes (THMs) at concentrations near the level of environmental regulations from the environmental protection agency (EPA). This work utlized the fujiwara reaction as well as a hydrophobic electrospun polyprolylene membrane to produce a sensitive colorimetric reaction. A calibration curve was produced which was able to predict the concentration of a bromoroform solution in the range of 8-250 ppb with a confidence of 97.7 % using the intensity of the color change as a quantitative measure.

Effect Of Childhood Victimization On Occupational Prestige And Income Trajectories, Christina A. Fernandez, Sharon L. Christ, William G. Leblanc, Kristopher L. Arheart, Noella A. Dietz, Kathryn E. Mccollister, Lora E. Fleming, Carles Muntaner, Peter Muennig, David J. Lee

Department of Human Development and Family Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Violence toward children (childhood victimization) is a major public health problem, with long-term consequences on economic well-being. The purpose of this study was to determine whether childhood victimization affects occupational prestige and income in young adulthood. We hypothesized that young adults who experienced more childhood victimizations would have less prestigious jobs and lower incomes relative to those with no victimization history. We also explored the pathways in which childhood victimization mediates the relationships between background variables, such as parent’s educational impact on the socioeconomic transition into adulthood.

Methods

A nationally representative sample of 8,901 young adults aged 18–28 surveyed …

Humans Are More Sensitive To The Taste Of Linoleic And Α-Linolenic Than Oleic Acid, Cordelia Running, Richard D. Mattes

Department of Nutrition Science Faculty Publications

Health concerns have led to recommendations to replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. However, addition of unsaturated fatty acids may lead to changes in the way foods are perceived in the oral cavity. This study tested the taste sensitivity to and emulsion characteristics of oleic, linoleic, and α-linolenic acids. The hypothesis tested was that oral sensitivity to nonesterified fatty acids would increase with degree of unsaturation but that in vitro viscosities and particle sizes of these emulsions would not differ. Oral taste thresholds were obtained using the three-alternative, forced-choice, ascending method. Each participant was tested on each fat 7 times, …

Computational Electronics For The 21st Century: Reflections On The Past, Present, And Future, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The author’s career has coincided with the development of numerical simulation into an essential component of semiconductor device technology research and development. We now have a sophisticated suite of simulation capabilities along with new challenges for 21st Century electronics. This talk presents a short history of the field and a description of the current state of the art, but it concentrates on lessons learned and thoughts about how computational electronics can continue to contribute effectively to the development of new electronic device technologies. The author will argue that electronics is changing, and that computational electronics can play a key role …

Mass Media And The Contagion Of Fear: The Case Of Ebola In America, Sherry M J Towers, Shehzad Afzal, Gilbert Bernal, Nadya T. Bliss, Baltazar Espinoza, Jasmine Jackson, Julia Judson-Garcia, Maryam Khan, Michael Lin, Robert Mamada, Victor M. Moreno, Fereshteh Nazari, Kamaldeen Okumeye, Mary L. Ross, Claudia Rodriguez, Jan Medlock, David S. Ebert, Carlos Castillo-Chavez,

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: In the weeks following the first imported case of Ebola in the U. S. on September 29, 2014, coverage of the very limited outbreak dominated the news media, in a manner quite disproportionate to the actual threat to national public health; by the end of October, 2014, there were only four laboratory confirmed cases of Ebola in the entire nation. Public interest in these events was high, as reflected in the millions of Ebola-related Internet searches and tweets performed in the month following the first confirmed case. Use of trending Internet searches and tweets has been proposed in the …

Transdermal Iontophoretic Delivery Of Lipophilic Drugs, Abhishek Juluri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iontophoresis is one of the most widely studied active technique for enhancing transdermal delivery of drugs. However, its ability to enhance the delivery of highly lipophilic compounds is poor due to lack of any charge and poor water solubility of molecules. Propofol, a sedative and anesthetic drug was chosen as a one of the model lipophilic drug in this study. Initially, feasibility of delivery of propofol phosphate, a water soluble prodrug of propofol, via transdermal route using iontophoresis in combination with chemical permeation enhancers was investigated. Cathodal iontophoresis in combination with 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulphate synergistically enhanced the flux of …

Gold Nanomolecules : Developing Synthetic Protocols, Characterization And Investigation Of Ligand Effects On Structure And Properties, Praneeth Reddy Nimmala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The term "Nano" in chemistry refers to particles/molecules in the size range 1 to 100 nm. Gold nanoparticles were used in ancient times in making decorative glass as they produce vibrant, size dependent, colors upon interaction with light. Gold is a preferred choice of metal for the synthesis of nanoparticles mainly due to its inertness to atmospheric conditions and most chemicals. Gold thiolate nanomolecules, which is the primary focus of this dissertation research, are chemical molecules with a fixed number of gold atoms and organo-thiolate ligands. They are of the form Aux(SR)y and possess molecule-like properties as a result of …

Synthetic Study Of Karlotoxins And Investigation Of Alpha-Diaminoboryl Carbanion Chemistry, Yusuke Takahashi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Karlotoxins (KmTxs), produced by a toxic marine/estuarine phytoplankton, the dinoflagellate Karlodinium veneficum, are known to be ichthyotoxic, thus being associated with numerous fish deaths events worldwide. They have also been reported to show a variety of biological activities such as hemolytic, cytotoxic, and anti-fungal activities. Recently, the Hamann group successfully assigned the absolute configurations of KmTx2, the first complete structure elucidation among the congeners. In a structural sense, karlotoxins are a family of linear polyketides with three distinctive regions; a bis-tetrahydropyran core fragment, a long, highly oxygenated carbon chain, and a lipophilic chlorodiene unit. Such potent biological activities as well …

Lipid & Surfactant Based Systems For Improved Delivery Of Poorly Soluble Apis, Sri Satyasai Nagendra Babu Punyamurthula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A large number of pharmaceutical compounds belong to class II and IV of biopharmaceutical classification of drug (BCS). Class II compounds are limited by their poor aqueous solubility, while class IV compounds suffer from poor solubility and permeability. This translates to poor absorption and low plasma levels post oral administration. Lipids comprise of fatty acids and their derivatives and are considered a biocompatible option for drug delivery. In the studies discussed in following chapters, lipid based drug delivery systems (LBDDS) have been utilized in improving the handling, ease of formulation, solubility and bioavailability of three compounds. In the first study, …

Protein-Ligand Interaction Studies And Identification Of New Drug-Like Hits As Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators, Pankaj Pandey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) belong to the family of class A GPCRs. The CB1 receptor is predominately found in the central nervous system and regulates various neuromodulatory and physiological processes while CB2 receptors are found in peripheral tissues, particularly in the immune system tissues. This dissertation reports several projects including: (1) an examination of the putative binding modes of Cannabis-derived ligands with CB1 and CB2 receptors, (2) the identification of novel CB1 inverse agonists, and (3) the identification of allosteric site(s) in the CB2 receptor and screening of new CB2 allosteric modulators (AMs).

Chapter 1 describes background information …

Effects Of Benzo[A]Pyrene And Cyp19a1b Knockdown On Zebrafish Development, Khalid M. Alharthy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant that is both an endocrine disruptor and a carcinogen. Aromatase (CYP19) is a key enzyme in steroidogenesis playing a key role in the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad feedback loop. We hypothesized that BaP would negatively impact cyp19a1b expression in zebrafish, in turn, adversely affecting development and physiology. Here, we consider whether the toxicities observed following BaP exposure are comparable to those following a transient morpholino (MO)-mediated CYP19a1b knockdown or exposure to an aromatase inhibitor (fadrozole) during early development. One-cell zebrafish embryos were injected with a CYP19a1b-MO or control-MO. Other non-injected embryos were exposed to nominal waterborne …

Repurposing Clinical Molecule Ebselen To Combat Drug Resistant Pathogens, Shankar Thangamani, Waleed Younis, Mohamed N. Seleem

Department of Comparative Pathobiology Faculty Publications

Without a doubt, our current antimicrobials are losing the battle in the fight against newly-emerged multidrug-resistant pathogens. There is a pressing, unmet need for novel antimicrobials and novel approaches to develop them; however, it is becoming increasingly difficult and costly to develop new antimicrobials. One strategy to reduce the time and cost associated with antimicrobial innovation is drug repurposing, which is to find new applications outside the scope of the original medical indication of the drug. Ebselen, an organoselenium clinical molecule, possesses potent antimicrobial activity against clinical multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens, including Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Enterococcus, but not against Gram-negative pathogens. …

The Origin Of Korotkoff Sounds And The Accuracy Of Auscultatory Blood Pressure Measurements, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

This study explores the hypothesis that the sharper, high frequency Korotkoff sounds come from resonant motion of the arterial wall, which begins after the artery transitions from a buckled state to an expanding state. The motion of one mass, two nonlinear springs, and one damper, driven by transmural pressure under the cuff, are used to model and compute the Korotkoff sounds according to principles of classical Newtonian physics. The natural resonance of this spring-mass-damper system provides a concise, yet rigorous, explanation for the origin of Korotkoff sounds. Fundamentally, wall stretching in expansion requires more force than wall bending in buckling. …

Rna-Guided Crispr-Cas Technologies For Genome-Scale Investigation Of Disease Processes, Sean E. Humphrey, Andrea L. Kasinski

Department of Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

From its discovery as an adaptive bacterial and archaea immune system, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas system has quickly been developed into a powerful and groundbreaking programmable nuclease technology for the global and precise editing of the genome in cells. This system allows for comprehensive unbiased functional studies and is already advancing the field by revealing genes that have previously unknown roles in disease processes. In this review, we examine and compare recently developed CRISPR-Cas platforms for global genome editing and examine the advancements these platforms have made in guide RNA design, guide RNA/Cas9 interaction, on-target specificity, …

On The Origin Of Protein Superfamilies And Superfolds, Abram Magner, Wojciech Szpankowski, Daisuke Kihara

Department of Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Distributions of protein families and folds in genomes are highly skewed, having a small number of prevalent superfamiles/superfolds and a large number of families/folds of a small size. Why are the distributions of protein families and folds skewed? Why are there only a limited number of protein families? Here, we employ an information theoretic approach to investigate the protein sequence-structure relationship that leads to the skewed distributions. We consider that protein sequences and folds constitute an information theoretic channel and computed the most efficient distribution of sequences that code all protein folds. The identified distributions of sequences and folds are …