Digital Commons Network^™

Neuron-Based Heredity And Human Evolution, Don M. Gash, Andrew S. Deane

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

It is widely recognized that human evolution has been driven by two systems of heredity: one DNA-based and the other based on the transmission of behaviorally acquired information via nervous system functions. The genetic system is ancient, going back to the appearance of life on Earth. It is responsible for the evolutionary processes described by Darwin. By comparison, the nervous system is relatively newly minted and in its highest form, responsible for ideation and mind-to-mind transmission of information. Here the informational capabilities and functions of the two systems are compared. While employing quite different mechanisms for encoding, storing and transmission …

Chancellor's Report 2015-06, John Pugh

Chancellor's Report

No abstract provided.

Living On The Edge: Settlement Patterns By The Symbiotic Barnacle Xenobalanus Globicipitis On Small Cetaceans, Juan M. Carillo, Robin M. Overstreet, Juan A. Raga, Francisco J. Aznar

Faculty Publications

The highly specialized coronulid barnacle Xenobalanus globicipitis attaches exclusively on cetaceans worldwide, but little is known about the factors that drive the microhabitat patterns on its hosts. We investigate this issue based on data on occurrence, abundance, distribution, orientation, and size of X. globicipitis collected from 242 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) that were stranded along the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Barnacles exclusively infested the fins, particularly along the trailing edge. Occurrence, abundance, and density of X. globicipitis were significantly higher, and barnacles were significantly larger, on the caudal fin than on the flippers and dorsal fin. …

The Bg News June 17, 2015, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. June 10, 2015. Volume 94-Issue 102.

Space Environmental Factor Impacts Upon Murine Colon Microbiota And Mucosal Homeostasis, Lauren E. Ritchie, Stella S. Taddeo, Brad R. Weeks, Florence Lima, Susan A. Bloomfield, M. Andrea Azcarate-Peril, Sara R. Zwart, Scott M. Smith, Nancy D. Turner

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Astronaut intestinal health may be impacted by microgravity, radiation, and diet. The aim of this study was to characterize how high and low linear energy transfer (LET) radiation, microgravity, and elevated dietary iron affect colon microbiota (determined by 16S rDNA pyrosequencing) and colon function. Three independent experiments were conducted to achieve these goals: 1) fractionated low LET γ radiation (¹³⁷Cs, 3 Gy, RAD), high Fe diet (IRON) (650 mg/kg diet), and a combination of low LET γ radiation and high Fe diet (IRON+RAD) in male Sprague-Dawley rats; 2) high LET ³⁸Si particle exposure (0.050 Gy), 1/6 G …

Testing Multiple Hypotheses Through Imp Weighted Fdr Based On A Genetic Functional Network With Application To A New Zebrafish Transcriptome Study, Jiang Gui, Casey S. Greene, Con Sullivan, Walter Taylor, Jason H. Moore, Carol Kim

Dartmouth Scholarship

In genome-wide studies, hundreds of thousands of hypothesis tests are performed simultaneously. Bonferroni correction and False Discovery Rate (FDR) can effectively control type I error but often yield a high false negative rate. We aim to develop a more powerful method to detect differentially expressed genes. We present a Weighted False Discovery Rate (WFDR) method that incorporate biological knowledge from genetic networks. We first identify weights using Integrative Multi-species Prediction (IMP) and then apply the weights in WFDR to identify differentially expressed genes through an IMP-WFDR algorithm. We performed a gene expression experiment to identify zebrafish genes that change expression …

Independent Demographic Responses To Climate Change Among Temperate And Tropical Milksnakes (Colubridae: Genus Lampropeltis), Sara Ruane, Omar Torres-Carvajal, Frank T. Burbrink

Publications and Research

The effects of Late Quaternary climate change have been examined for many temperate New World taxa, but the impact of Pleistocene glacial cycles on Neotropical taxa is less well understood, specifically with respect to changes in population demography. Here, we examine historical demographic trends for six species of milksnake with representatives in both the temperate and tropical Americas to determine if species share responses to climate change as a taxon or by area (i.e., temperate versus tropical environments). Using a multilocus dataset, we test for the demographic signature of population expansion and decline using non-genealogical summary statistics, as well as …

Substantive Parenting Arrangements In The Usa: Unpacking The Policy Choices, Margaret F. Brinig

Journal Articles

Policy makers in the US currently debate whether to keep discretionary child custody standards, that is, “best interests of the child” clarified by some factors, or to move to a more rule-based system, such as a presumptive shared parenting regime. This article briefly sets out the problem, theoretical and evidence-based ways of approaching it, and some new results from a study of court documents from one US state indicating that a strong presumption of shared custody is associated with an increase in post-decree domestic violence. While presumptions or de facto rules should facilitate bargaining, these results may tip the balance …

The Destination School--The Content Of It And The Process Of Getting There: A Grounded Theory Study Of The School-Change Process Framed By A Vygotskian View, Julie Eckberg

Theses and Dissertations

During an expansive review of school-change literature that crossed the fields of anthropology, sociology, psychology, and education, four problems emerged: Two related to the content of school change (practical and pedagogical), and two related to the process of school change (methodological and theoretical). The first problem quickly led to the development of a table of synthesized research titled "The Destination School." The table outlines where decades of research indicate schools should be headed in the areas of curriculum, assessment, instructional practices, views on teaching and learning, professional development, and the organization--in other words, the destination. Based upon the other three …

Prokaryotic Diversity In The Rhizosphere Of Organic, Intensive, And Transitional Coffee Farms In Brazil, Adam Caldwell, Livia Silva, Cynthia Da Silva, Cleber Ouverney

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Despite a continuous rise in consumption of coffee over the past 60 years and recent studies showing positive benefits linked to human health, intensive coffee farming practices have been associated with environmental damage, risks to human health, and reductions in biodiversity. In contrast, organic farming has become an increasingly popular alternative, with both environmental and health benefits. This study aimed to characterize and determine the differences in the prokaryotic soil microbiology of three Brazilian coffee farms: one practicing intensive farming, one practicing organic farming, and one undergoing a transition from intensive to organic practices. Soil samples were collected from 20 …

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome: A Global Health Challenge, Lawrence O. Gostin, Daniel Lucey

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Beginning in May 2015, Middle-East respiratory syndrome (MERS) experienced its first publicly reported “super-spreading” event in South Korea. By mid-June, more than 120 cases and 11 deaths in South Korea had been linked to a businessman returning from travel to Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Globally more than 1200 had been infected of whom more than 450 died—a high fatality rate of 37%.

What are the most effective legal, social, and public health responses to MERS and other emerging diseases? First, the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations (IHR) did not effectively guide the …

Consumer Perceptions Towards Package Designs: A Cross Cultural Study, Romica Chandra Lal, Fritz Yambrach, Lucy Mcproud

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

The choice of one package or the other can be an economic decision or can be influenced by cultural acceptance or perception of individual convenience. Product package systems can be designed for one-time use or multiple-use purposes. Package perceptions in different countries typically develop from a variety of factors, including climate, lifestyle, and cultural acceptance with regard to particular products. In an increasingly global economy with multinational firms marketing products worldwide, it is important to understand the differences between consumer needs and consumer responses to product-package systems.

The objective of this research was to examine consumer perceptions of different product …

S-Nitrosoglutathione Reductase-Dependent Ppargamma Denitrosylation Participates In Msc-Derived Adipogenesis And Osteogenesis, Yenong Cao

Open Access Dissertations

Osteogenesis and adipogenesis are two closely linked processes that share the same precursor, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs are a rare population of non-hematopoietic stromal cells, present in bone marrow and almost every type of connective tissue. It is crucial to understand the signals that govern the specificity of MSC differentiation. Adipogenic transcription factor PPARγ can stimulate adipogenesis while inhibit osteogenesis. However, the role of potential regulators of PPARγ activity in this differentiation shift remains unknown. One potential regulator is nitric oxide (NO). NO enhances adipogenesis of human preadipocytes while decreasing cell proliferation. Studies in mice with a …

Molecular Biology Of Precision Medicine In Jdc, Daniel G. Kipnis, Msi

Jefferson Digital Commons News

On April 29, 2015, the Computational Medicine Center, The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, The Wills Eye Hospital, and The Jefferson Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences presented a one-day event: The Molecular Biology of Precision Medicine: Gender, Population and Race.

Migrating Songbirds On Stopover Prepare For, And Recover From, Oxidative Challenges Posed By Long-Distance Flight, Megan M. Skrip, Ulf Bauchinger, Wolfgang Goymann, Leonida Fusani, Massimiliano Cardinale, Rebecca R. Alan, Scott R. Mcwilliams

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Managing oxidative stress is an important physiological function for all aerobic organisms, particularly during periods of prolonged high metabolic activity, such as long-distance migration across ecological barriers. However, no previous study has investigated the oxidative status of birds at different stages of migration and whether that oxidative status depends on the condition of the birds. In this study, we compared (1) energy stores and circulating oxidative status measures in (a) two species of Neotropical migrants with differing migration strategies that were sampled at an autumn stopover site before an ecological barrier; and (b) a species of trans-Saharan migrant sampled at …

Trust In Science And Scientists And The Acceptance Of Evolution, Louis S. Nadelson, Kimberly K. Hardy

Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Accepting the concept of evolution is important for the advancement of biological science and has many implications for daily life. However, a large portion of the general public does not currently accept biological evolution. Therefore, it is important to understand what factors are associated with a decline in the acceptance of evolution. Of particular interest for us is the relationship of individuals’ sense of trust in science in relationship to evolution acceptance.

Methods: Using the Trust in Science and Scientists and Inventory of Student Evolution Acceptance we surveyed 159 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory psychology course. Additionally, we …

Bbc, Usfsp Professor Collaborate On Documentary, June 16, 2015, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg Office Of University Advancement.

USF St. Petersburg Campus News and Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Data Analytic Features Of Blackboard Learn 9.1, Patrick Walsh

Irish Journal of Academic Practice

Learning Management Systems (LMSs) track and store vast quantities of data on student engagement with course content. Research shows that Higher Education Institutes can harness the power of this data to build a better understanding of student learning. This study is an exploratory Learning Analytics initiative to evaluate the inbuilt analytic features available within Blackboards LMS solution namely Blackboard Learn 9.1 to determine if it informs academic staff on student engagement. The two analytic features analysed in this study are Module Reports and Blackboard’s inbuilt early warning system called the “Retention Center”. Analysis of LMS variables extracted from these analytic …

Correction: Biological Evidence Supports An Early And Complex Emergence Of The Isthmus Of Panama (Proceedings Of National Academy Of Sciences United States Of America (2015), 112 (6110-6115) Doi: 10.1073/Pnas.1423853112), Christine D. Bacon, Daniele Silvestro, Carlos Jaramillo, Brian Tilston Smith, Prosanta Chakrabarty, Alexandre Antonelli

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Tissue Specific Reactions To Positional Discontinuities In The Regenerating Axolotl Limb, Malcolm Maden, Daima Avila, Molly Roy, Ashley W. Seifert

Biology Faculty Publications

We investigated cellular contributions to intercalary regenerates and 180^o supernumerary limbs during axolotl limb regeneration using the cell autonomous green fluorescent protein marker and exchanged blastemas between white and green fluorescent protein animals. After distal blastemas were grafted to proximal levels tissues of the intercalary regenerate behaved independently with regard to the law of distal transformation; graft epidermis was replaced by stump epidermis, muscle-derived cells, blood vessels, and Schwann cells of the distal blastema moved proximally to the stylopodium and cartilage and dermal cells conformed to the law. After 180^o rotation, blastemas showed contributions from stump tissues which …

A Critique Of Singaporean Internal Tertiary Education Programmes Offered By Private Colleges: A Brief Comparison With Ireland, Sherin Batcha, Stephen Jerrams, Ciaran O'Leary

Irish Journal of Academic Practice

Singapore has a similar population to Ireland and gross domestic products (GDPs) for both countries are comparable. However, culturally and in other respects, the two republics are very different. Unemployment in Ireland is six times higher than in Singapore where GDP has almost doubled since 2007 but has fallen by nearly 11% in Ireland in the same time-span. One aspect of life in both countries transcending cultural differences is the importance placed on tertiary education. The Irish and Singaporean people share a deep commitment to education and the imperative of building and maintaining a knowledge economy is central to both …

Nanoparticle-Mediated Methods For Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Of Bacteria, J. Manuel Perez Figueroa, Charalambos Kaittanis, Sudip Nath

UCF Patents

A method of testing bacterial cells for antimicrobial susceptibility includes preparing a suspension of the bacterial cells in a non-nutrient medium, mixing with the suspension an antimicrobial, a carbohydrate usable by the bacterial cells, metallic nanoparticles, and a lectin, and incubating the mixture while monitoring a parameter of the nanoparticles responsive to use of the carbohydrate by the bacterial cells. More broadly stated, the invention includes a method of testing an agent for its effect on cell metabolism by preparing a suspension of cells in a non-nutrient medium, mixing the suspension with the agent, adding a carbohydrate usable by the …

Photodetectors Based On Wurtzite Mgzno, Winston Schoenfeld, Ryan Boutwell, Ming Wei

UCF Patents

Wide band gap semiconductors such as MgxZn1-xO represent an excellent choice for making optical photodetectors and emitters operating in the UV spectral region. High crystal and optical quality MgxZn1-xO thin films were grown epitaxially on c-plane sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy. ZnO thin films with high crystalline quality, low defect and dislocation densities, and sub-nanometer surface roughness were achieved by applying a low temperature nucleation layer. Resultant epitaxial ZnO films demonstrated excellent structural and morphological properties. By tuning Mg/Zn flux ratio, steep optical absorption edge of the MgxZn1-xO with spectral cutoff wavelength ranging from 278nm to 377nm was …

Effects Of Sucroferric Oxyhydroxide Compared To Lanthanum Carbonate And Sevelamer Carbonate On Phosphate Homeostasis And Vascular Calcifications In A Rat Model Of Chronic Kidney Failure, Olivier Phan, Marc Maillard, Hartmut H. Malluche, Jean-Christophe Stehle, Felix Funk, Michel Burnier

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Elevated serum phosphorus, calcium, and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) levels are associated with cardiovascular disease in chronic renal disease. This study evaluated the effects of sucroferric oxyhydroxide (PA21), a new iron-based phosphate binder, versus lanthanum carbonate (La) and sevelamer carbonate (Se), on serum FGF23, phosphorus, calcium, and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) concentrations, and the development of vascular calcification in adenine-induced chronic renal failure (CRF) rats. After induction of CRF, renal function was significantly impaired in all groups: uremic rats developed severe hyperphosphatemia, and serum iPTH increased significantly. All uremic rats (except controls) then received phosphate binders for 4 weeks. …

Computational Identification Of Conserved Haustorial-Expressed Genes In The Grapevine Powdery Mildew Fungus Erysiphe Necator, Miriam E. Barnett

Theses

Erysiphe necator, commonly known as grape powdery mildew, is an obligately biotophic fungus that devastates the grape crops worldwide. Little is known as to how the fungus circumvents a plant’s basal defense, but it is believed that small effector proteins are secreted by fungal haustoria (feeding structures) into the cytoplasm of plant epidermal cells. Thus, the effector proteins and the host processes with which they interact likely determine whether powdery mildew infects successfully or not. The goal of this study was to use bioinformatics tools to identify candidate effector proteins that are specific to haustoria. A de novo reference transcriptome …

Strategic Distribution Of The Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uniporter In Cardiac Mitochondria, Sergio De La Fuente, Caitlin Vail, Elorm J. Agra, Kira Holmstrom, Junhui Sun, Jyotsna Mishra, Toren Finkel, Elizabeth Murphy, Shey-Shing Sheu, György Csordás

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Background:

1) Control of the mitochondrial ATP production by SR-derived Ca²⁺ signals includes local, nanodomain Ca²⁺ transfer from ryanodine receptors (RyR2) to the mitochondrial matrix (excitation-bioenergetics coupling).

2) Ca²⁺ crosses the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) via the mtCU, a low-affinity Ca²⁺-activated Ca²⁺ channel complex.

3) The surface area of cardiac IMM is extensively enhanced by cristae folding; however, mitoplast patch clamp studies showed mtCU current density the lowest amongst a range of tissues (Fieni 2012. Nat Commun).

Low Level Lead Exposure Impairs Attentional Set Shifting Task Performance Depending Upon Sex And Developmental Periods Of Exposure, L.S. Neuwirth, D.W. Anderson, J. S. Schneider

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Introduction

Exposure to low levels of lead (Pb) impairs a variety of cognitive processes. Although children exposed to Pb developmentally present with a variety of cognitive impairments that include deficits in learning, memory, language, and executive functioning, experimental work on Pb toxicity in rats has focused mostly on learning and memory deficits and less on executive functions. However, detrimental effects on executive functioning could lead to or even underlie a variety of other cognitive problems attributed to Pb exposure. In this study, we examined the ability of Long Evans rats (control and Pb-exposed: 150ppm Pb-acetate in food given perinatally (gestation …

Therapy And The Nontraditional Transgender Narrative, Dylan Ellingson Waller

Dissertations and Theses

The history of transgender identity is inextricable from the mental health industry. Since the late 1970's transgender people have required permission from mental health professionals to make medical modifications to their sex characteristics. During the time of this research, it was difficult for transgender individuals to receive the hormones or surgeries they desire without first being diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder (GID).

This study applies labeling theory to the label of GID. Labeling theory poses that if an individual is labeled with a mental illness, they will either reject or accept the label. Acceptance of the mentally ill label will …

When Nanoparticles Meet Biofilms—Interactions Guiding The Environmental Fate And Accumulation Of Nanoparticles, Kaoru Ikuma, Alan W. Decho, Boris T. Lau

Faculty Publications

Bacteria are essential components of all natural and many engineered systems. The most active fractions of bacteria are now recognized to occur as biofilms, where cells are attached and surrounded by a secreted matrix of “sticky” extracellular polymeric substances. Recent investigations have established that significant accumulation of nanoparticles (NPs) occurs in aquatic biofilms. These studies point to the emerging roles of biofilms for influencing partitioning and possibly transformations of NPs in both natural and engineered systems. While attached biofilms are efficient “sponges” for NPs, efforts to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms guiding interactions between NPs and biofilms have just begun. In …

Fuels And Fires Influence Vegetation Via Above- And Belowground Pathways In A High-Diversity Plant Community, Paul R. Gagnon, Heather A. Passmore, Matthew Slocum, Jonathan A. Myers, Kyle E. Harms, William J. Platt, C.E. Timothy Paine

Biology Faculty Research

1. Fire strongly influences plant populations and communities around the world, making it an important agent of plant evolution. Fire influences vegetation through multiple pathways, both above- and belowground. Few studies have yet attempted to tie these pathways together in a mechanistic way through soil heating even though the importance of soil heating for plants in fire-prone ecosystems is increasingly recognized.
2. Here we combine an experimental approach with structural equation modelling (SEM) to simultaneously examine multiple pathways through which fire might influence herbaceous vegetation. In a high-diversity longleaf pine groundcover community in Louisiana, USA, we manipulated fine-fuel biomass and monitored the …