Digital Commons Network^™

Mini-Ises Identifies Promising Carbafructopyranose-Based Salens For Asymmetric Catalysis: Tuning Ligand Shape Via The Anomeric Effect, Kannan R. Karukurichi, Xiang Fei, Robert A. Swyka, Sylvain Broussy, Weijun Shen, Sangeeta Dey, Sandip K. Roy, David B. Berkowitz

David Berkowitz Publications

This study introduces new methods of screening for and tuning chiral space and in so doing identifies a promising set of chiral ligands for asymmetric synthesis. The carbafructopyranosyl-1,2-diamine(s) and salens constructed therefrom are particularly compelling. It is shown that by removing the native anomeric effect in this ligand family, one can tune chiral ligand shape and improve chiral bias. This concept is demonstrated by a combination of (i) x-ray crystallographic structure determination, (ii) assessment of catalytic performance, and (iii) consideration of the anomeric effect and its underlying dipolar basis. The title ligands were identified by a new mini version of …

Caspase-Cleaved Tau Co-Localizes With Early Tangle Markers In The Human Vascular Dementia Brain, Ryan J. Day, Maria J. Mason, Chloe Thomas, Wayne W. Poon, Troy T. Rohn

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common form of dementia in the United States and is characterized as a cerebral vessel vascular disease that leads to ischemic episodes. Whereas the relationship between caspase-cleaved tau and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been previously described, whether caspase activation and cleavage of tau occurs in VaD is presently unknown. To investigate a potential role for caspase-cleaved tau in VaD, we analyzed seven confirmed cases of VaD by immunohistochemistry utilizing a well-characterized antibody that specifically detects caspase-cleaved tau truncated at Asp⁴²¹. Application of this antibody (TauC3) revealed consistent …

Common Cell Shape Evolution Of Two Nasopharyngeal Pathogens, Frédéric J. Veyrier, Nicolas Biais, Pablo Morales, Nouria Belkacem, Cyril Guilhen, Sylvia Ranjeva, Odile Sismeiro, Gérard Péhau-Arnaudet, Eduardo P. Rocha, Catherine Werts, Muhamed-Kheir Taha, Ivo G. Boneca

Publications and Research

Respiratory infectious diseases are the third cause of worldwide death. The nasopharynx is the portal of entry and the ecological niche of many microorganisms, of which some are pathogenic to humans, such as Neisseria meningitidis and Moraxella catarrhalis. These microbes possess several surface structures that interact with the actors of the innate immune system. In our attempt to understand the past evolution of these bacteria and their adaption to the nasopharynx, we first studied differences in cell wall structure, one of the strongest immune-modulators. We were able to show that a modification of peptidoglycan (PG) composition (increased proportion of pentapeptides) …

Deep Characterization Of The Microbiomes Of Calophya Spp. (Hemiptera: Calophyidae) Gall-Inducing Psyllids Reveals The Absence Of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria And Three Dominant Endosymbionts, Will A. Overholt, Rodrigo Diaz, Erin Rosskopf, Stefan J. Green, William A. Overholt

Faculty Publications

© This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. Bacteria associated with sap-feeding insect herbivores include not only symbionts that may increase their hosts' fitness but also harmful plant pathogens. Calophya spp. gall-inducing psyllids (Hemiptera: Calophyidae) are being investigated for their potential as biological control agents of the noxious weed, Brazilian peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolia), in Florida. Although there are no examples of plant pathogen transmission by …

Isolation And Identification Of Desmodium Root Exudates From Drought Tolerant Species Used As Intercrops Against Striga Hermonthica, A. M. Hooper, J. C. Caulfield, B. Hao, J. A. Pickett, C. A.O. Midega, Z. R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Abstract Plants from the genus Desmodium, in particular D. uncinatum, are used on sub-Saharan small-holder farms as intercrops to inhibit parasitism of cereal crops by Striga hermonthica and Striga asiatica via an allelopathic mechanism. The search for Desmodium species which are adapted to more arid conditions, and which show resilience to increased drought stress, previously identified D. intortum, D. incanum and D. ramosissimum as potential drought tolerant intercrops. Their potential as intercrops was assessed for resource poor areas of rain-fed cereal production where drought conditions can persist through normal meteorological activity, or where drought may have increasing impact through climate …

The Complexity Of Background Clutter Affects Nectar Bat Use Of Flower Odor And Shape Cues, Nathan Muchhala, Diana Serrano

Biology Department Faculty Works

Given their small size and high metabolism, nectar bats need to be able to quickly locate flowers during foraging bouts. Chiropterophilous plants depend on these bats for their reproduction, thus they also benefit if their flowers can be easily located, and we would expect that floral traits such as odor and shape have evolved to maximize detection by bats. However, relatively little is known about the importance of different floral cues during foraging bouts. In the present study, we undertook a set of flight cage experiments with two species of nectar bats (Anoura caudifer and A. geoffroyi) and artificial flowers …

Molecular Overlap In The Regulation Of Sk Channels By Small Molecules And Phosphoinositides, Miao Zhang, Xuan-Yu Meng, Ji-Fang Zhang, Meng Cui, Diomedes E. Logothetis

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) directly interacts with the small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ 2-a (SK2-a) channel/calmodulin complex, serving as a critical element in the regulation of channel activity. We report that changes of protein conformation in close proximity to the PIP2 binding site induced by a small-molecule SK channel modulator, NS309, can effectively enhance the interaction between the protein and PIP2 to potentiate channel activity. This novel modulation of PIP2 sensitivity by small-molecule drugs is likely not to be limited in its application to SK channels, representing an intriguing strategy to develop drugs controlling the activity of the large number of PIP2-dependent proteins.

Intra-Domain Cross-Talk Regulates Serine-Arginine Protein Kinase 1-Dependent Phosphorylation And Splicing Function Of Transformer 2Β1, Michael A. Jamros, Brandon E. Aubol, Malik M. Keshwani, Zhaiyi Zhang, Stefan Stamm, Joseph A. Adams

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Transformer 2β1 (Tra2β1) is a splicing effector protein composed of a core RNA recognition motif flanked by two arginine-serine-rich (RS) domains, RS1 and RS2. Although Tra2β1-dependent splicing is regulated by phosphorylation, very little is known about how protein kinases phosphorylate these two RS domains. We now show that the serine-arginine protein kinase-1 (SRPK1) is a regulator of Tra2β1 and promotes exon inclusion in the survival motor neuron gene 2 (SMN2). To understand how SRPK1 phosphorylates this splicing factor, we performed mass spectrometric and kinetic experiments. We found that SRPK1 specifically phosphorylates 21 serines in RS1, a process facilitated …

Characterization Of Culturable Bacterial Endophytes And Their Capacity To Promote Plant Growth From Plants Grown Using Organic Or Conventional Practices, Ye Xia, Seth Debolt, Jamin Dreyer, Delia Scott, Mark A. Williams

Horticulture Faculty Publications

Plants have a diverse internal microbial biota that has been shown to have an important influence on a range of plant health attributes. Although these endophytes have been found to be widely occurring, few studies have correlated agricultural production practices with endophyte community structure and function. One agricultural system that focuses on preserving and enhancing soil microbial abundance and biodiversity is organic farming, and numerous studies have shown that organically managed system have increased microbial community characteristics. Herein, the diversity and specificity of culturable bacterial endophytes were evaluated in four vegetable crops: corn, tomato, melon, and pepper grown under organic …

Characterization Of A Prefusion-Specific Antibody That Recognizes A Quaternary, Cleavage-Dependent Epitope On The Rsv Fusion Glycoprotein, Morgan S.A Gilman, Syed M. Moin, Vicente Mas, Man Chen, Nita K. Patel, Kari Kramer, Qing Zhu, Stephanie C. Kabeche, Azad Kumar, Concepción Palomo, Tim Beaumont, Ulrich Baxa, Nancy D. Ulbrandt, José A. Melero, Barney S. Graham, Jason S. Mclellan

Dartmouth Scholarship

Prevention efforts for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have been advanced due to the recent isolation and characterization of antibodies that specifically recognize the prefusion conformation of the RSV fusion (F) glycoprotein. These potently neutralizing antibodies are in clinical development for passive prophylaxis and have also aided the design of vaccine antigens that display prefusion-specific epitopes. To date, prefusion-specific antibodies have been shown to target two antigenic sites on RSV F, but both of these sites are also present on monomeric forms of F. Here we present a structural and functional characterization of human antibody AM14, which potently neutralized laboratory strains …

Entire Issue Volume 4, Number 3

The Primary Source

Complete issue of Vol. 4, No. 3 of The Primary Source.

The Butcher, The Baker, And The Candlestick Maker: John Dewey’S Philosophy Of Art Expe Rience Saving Twenty-First-Century Art Education From Limbo, Anne G. Jones, Michael T. Risku

Education and Culture

To satisfy the demands of society, the scholar-practitioner in today’s complex world of education must juggle various factors that are related to one another: practice, poiesis, or the creative act, culture, knowledge, and learning. These demands include adherence to education, law, politics, economics, ethics, equity, and social dynamics. The scholar-practitioner in the field of visual arts education also has the duty to validate the arts as a viable and necessary component of education, and this is done through examples of scholarly practice. The scholar-practitioner as leader should be grounded in the works of John Dewey, including Art as Experience, Experience …

Rising Prevalence Of Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia Amongst The Non-Hiv Immunosuppressed, Zachary Jones, Md, Anusha Ganesh, Md

The Medicine Forum

INTRODUCTION

Fungal Pneumonia caused by Pnemocystis Jirovecci (PCP) has long been associated with morbidity and mortality in HIV-positive patients. With the widespread use of high dose corticosteroids and biologic therapies, the prevalence of PCP infection in the non-HIV immunosuppressed population has increased significantly. A lack of formalized prophylaxis guidelines in these specific populations has lead to increasing rates of preventable infection and death.

CASE PRESENTATION

The patient is a 63-year-old man, admitted to the hospital for persistent shortness of breath following a seven-day course of Levofloxacin taken as an outpatient. Two months prior, the patient was found by his hematologist …

Persistent Fever And Pancytopenia: Lupus Flare Vs Macrophage Activation Syndrome, Amy Mcghee, Md

The Medicine Forum

Introduction

Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), first named in 1993, is a subcategory of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), characterized by prolonged fever, hepatosplenomegaly, pancytopenia, liver dysfunction, and most notably hyperferritinemia. MAS, in particular, is the term used to describe secondary HLH, or HLH caused by rheumatologic conditions. Secondary HLH can also be associated with other systemic autoimmune diseases, underlying malignancy, infection, or medications and can be a life-threatening complication. MAS is characterized by unwarranted proliferation and stimulation of T cells and benign macrophages leading to an excessive inflammatory state with hypersecretion of cytokines. This, in turn, leads to phagocytosis of normal blood …

Barefoot In Quicksand: The Future Of "Future Dangerousness" Predictions In Death Penalty Sentencing In The World Of Daubert And Kumho, Thomas Regnier

Akron Law Review

To understand the Barefoot decision, it is necessary to examine Jurek v. Texas, an earlier case in which the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of using predictions of future dangerousness as an element in capital sentencing. I will begin by analyzing the background to Barefoot, and then the Barefoot case itself. I will consider how admissibility of future dangerousness testimony in capital cases may or may not have changed after the Supreme Court’s decisions in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals and Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael. I will argue that future dangerousness predictions in capital cases are an unconstitutional due …

The Written Description Requirement, Robert Greene Sterne, Patrick E. Garrett, Theodore A. Wood

Akron Law Review

It is now well accepted that this provision of the 1952 Patent Act (Patent Act) includes a written description requirement that is separate and distinct from the enablement requirement. Thus, a specification may enable one of ordinary skill to make or use a claimed invention, but still not adequately describe the invention in a way that the public knows that the inventor was in possession of the claimed invention at the time of filing the application. For example, a patent specification that discloses various patterns of eight wooden shingles, does not necessarily provide written description for a claim amendment that …

The Expansion Of Statutory Subject Matter Under The 1952 Patent Act, Robert Greene Sterne, Lawrence B. Bugaisky

Akron Law Review

It is quite surprising that a mere four words were sufficient to establish a fundamental framework for defining the categories of patentable inventions. This framework has successfully stood for a period of more than 200 years. The 1793 Patent Act defined the four classes of statutory subject matter as “art, machine, manufacture, or composition.” The 1952 Patent Act (“Patent Act” or “1952 Act”) replaced the term “art” with “process,” resulting in the current language of 35 U.S.C. § 101.

The legislative history of the Patent Act states that “art” as used in § 101: “is interpreted by the courts to …

Person V. Potential: Judicial Struggles To Decide Claims Arising From The Death Of An Embryo Or Fetus And Michigan's Struggle To Settle The Question, Dena M. Marks

Akron Law Review

“Death is well understood; it’s life that isn’t.” We recognize death, but state by state, courts struggle to understand life when called on to determine whether their states’ wrongful death acts apply after the death of an embryo or fetus. These struggles arise because, for the most part, state legislatures have failed to clarify whether a cause of action may be maintained under their wrongful death acts for the death of an embryo or fetus. This failure has lead to inconsistent and unfair results, often allowing the tortfeasor to benefit from causing the greater harm of death, when the tortfeasor …

Confessions Of A Test-Taker, Carol Clay

Manuscripts

No abstract provided.

Questioning The Necessity Of Concealed Carry Laws, William J. Michael

Akron Law Review

The State of Ohio recently became the thirty-seventh state to pass some form of concealed carry legislation, under which persons may carry concealed firearms. Given the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, such legislation appears unnecessary since individuals have a constitutional right to carry firearms.

In this article, I argue that the Second Amendment’s text guarantees an individual’s right (not a state’s right or a “collective” right) to keep and bear firearms. Part I of this article contains that argument. If the text is binding—and I believe it is—further analysis regarding whether the Second Amendment guarantees an individual’s right …

The Role Of The Pleckstrin Homology Domain-Containing Protein Ckip-1 In Activation Of P21-Activated Kinase 1 (Pak1), Yong-Bae Kim, Yong Jae Shin, Adhiraj Roy, Jeong-Ho Kim

Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Upon growth factor stimulation, PAK1 is recruited to the plasma membrane and activated by a mechanism that requires its phosphorylation at S223 by the protein kinase CK2. However, the upstream signaling molecules that regulate this phosphorylation event are not clearly defined. Here, we demonstrate a major role of the CK2α-interacting protein CKIP-1 in activation of PAK1. CK2α, CKIP-1 and PAK1 are translocated to membrane ruffles in response to the epidermal growth factor (EGF), where CKIP-1 mediates the interaction between CK2α, and PAK1 in a PI3K-dependent manner. Consistently, we observe that PAK1 mediates phosphorylation and modulation of the activity of p41-Arc, …

Pre-Project Water Quality Monitoring For South Creek At Campbell Avenue And Kansas Expressway, Springfield, Missouri April 1, 2014 – March 31, 2015, Marc R. Owen, Robert T. Pavlowsky, Adam D. Mulling

OEWRI Technical Reports

The City of Springfield has implemented a Section 319 Grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency Region VII designed to reduce nonpoint source pollution in South Creek located in south Springfield. This project involves the removal of the concrete low flow channel between Campbell Ave. and Kansas Expressway and replacing it with natural substrate and reintroducing meanders to the channel design with the goal of improving aquatic habitat and water quality. South Creek is a sub-watershed of Wilson Creek, which has a long history of water quality degradation from a variety of point and …

Pre-Project Water Quality Monitoring For South Creek At Campbell Avenue And Kansas Expressway, Springfield, Missouri April 1, 2014 – March 31, 2015, Marc R. Owen, Robert T. Pavlowsky, Adam D. Mulling

OEWRI Technical Reports

The City of Springfield has implemented a Section 319 Grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency Region VII designed to reduce nonpoint source pollution in South Creek located in south Springfield. This project involves the removal of the concrete low flow channel between Campbell Ave. and Kansas Expressway and replacing it with natural substrate and reintroducing meanders to the channel design with the goal of improving aquatic habitat and water quality. South Creek is a sub-watershed of Wilson Creek, which has a long history of water quality degradation from a variety of point and …

Regulated Phosphorylation Of The K-Cl Cotransporter Kcc3 Is A Molecular Switch Of Intracellular Potassium Content And Cell Volume Homeostasis, Norma C. Adragna, Nagendra B. Ravilla, Peter K. Lauf, Gulnaz Begum, Arjun R. Khanna, Dandan Sun, Kristopher K. Kahle

Pharmacology and Toxicology Faculty Publications

The defense of cell volume against excessive shrinkage or swelling is a requirement for cell function and organismal survival. Cell swelling triggers a coordinated homeostatic response termed regulatory volume decrease (RVD), resulting in K+ and Cl− efflux via activation of K+ channels, volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs), and the K+-Cl− cotransporters, including KCC3. Here, we show genetic alanine (Ala) substitution at threonines (Thr) 991 and 1048 in the KCC3a isoform carboxyl-terminus, preventing inhibitory phosphorylation at these sites, not only significantly up-regulates KCC3a activity up to 25-fold in normally inhibitory isotonic conditions, but is also accompanied by reversal of activity of the …

Potentiation Of Tonic Gabaergic Inhibition By Activation Of Postsynaptic Kainate Receptors, L Jiang, D Kang, J Kang

NYMC Faculty Publications

Presynaptic kainate-type glutamate ionotropic receptors (KARs) that mediate either the depression or the facilitation of GABA release have been intensively studied. Little attention has been given to the modulation of GABAA receptors (GABAARs) by postsynaptic KARs. Recent studies suggest that two GABAAR populations, synaptic (sGABAAR) and extrasynaptic (eGABAAR) GABAARs, mediate phasic and tonic forms of inhibition, respectively. Tonic inhibition plays an important role in the excitability of neuronal circuits and the occurrence of epileptic seizures. For this study, we are the first to report that the activation of postsynaptic KARs by the KAR agonist, Kainic acid (KA, 5 μM), enhanced …

Biology Alum Cooks Up New Solar Oven, Ohio University College Of Arts & Sciences

All Forum Articles

No abstract provided.

Removable Shoe Spike System, Alex Adams, Nutech Ventures, Inc.,

Athletic Performance Research

The present system, method and apparatus are adapted for the quick and easy exchange of spikes on athletic shoes. More specifically, the system, apparatus and methods comprise a spike having an opening, an aglet adapted for coupling to the shoe, for example by way of a shoelace, and a coupling head affixed to the aglet which is adapted to couple with the opening on the spike so as to allow a user to quickly and easily replace, remove or install spikes in the athletic shoe. The disclosure thus allows the user to have the tool attached to their shoe at …

Demographic Comparison Of Sweetpotato Weevil Reared On A Major Host, Ipomoea Batatas, And An Alternative Host, I. Triloba, Gadi V.P. Reddy, Hisn Chi

Faculty Publications

In this study, we collected life table data for the sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius, grown on Ipomoea batatas and Ipomoea triloba, and analyzed them using an age-stage, two-sex life table. We also demonstrated the growth potential of C. formicarius on these two host plants by using population projection. These data will be useful to the growers to the selection or eradication of host plants in an integrated control strategy for C. formicarius for the entire area of the targeted areas. We found that C. formicarius developed faster on I. batatas than on I. triloba. The developmental times of the larval …

Calling All Actors: A Holistic Framework For Tackling Supply-Side Proliferation, Christopher Hobbs, Elisabeth Young

International Journal of Nuclear Security

This article proposes a new holistic framework for tackling supply-side proliferation, based on a mix of punishments, incentives, and new normative standards (PIN) that could be taken by industry. After outlining a brief history of illicit nuclear trade, highlighting the increasingly sophisticated strategies adopted by proliferators, we explore in detail the PIN framework. We argue that to meet this challenge, industry must adopt behavior that goes beyond compliance with current regulations, particularly in the area of due diligence and information sharing.

International Relations And Hrd Activities Of The International Nuclear Nonproliferation And Security Academy Of The Rok, Kwan Kyoo Choe

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The objective of this article is to explain the HRD activities on nuclear nonproliferation and security area of the International Nuclear Nonproliferation and Security Academy (INSA) of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC). The HRD activities on nuclear security in international society have moved gradually from military dimension to the aspect of social management of conflict and threat.

The paper would be developed in the following ways; First, the main concept of nuclear security in the Republic of Korea(ROK) will be touched, which could show us why and how the ROK has put its step forward into …