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Bioethics: Preparing For The Unknown- Abstracts, The Center For The Study Of Ethics In Society, Western Michigan University

Bioethics: Preparing for the Unknown

Abstracts from the March 17-18, 2016 conference on Bioethics: Preparing for the Unknown. This was the 30th anniversary conference for The Center for the Study of Ethics in Society at Western Michigan University.

Identification Of A Short Cell-Penetrating Peptide From Bovine Lactoferricin For Intracellular Delivery Of Dna In Human A549 Cells, Betty Revon Liu, Yue-Wern Huang, Robert Aronstam, Han-Jung Lee

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been shown to deliver cargos, including protein, DNA, RNA, and nanomaterials, in fully active forms into live cells. Most of the CPP sequences in use today are based on non-native proteins that may be immunogenic. Here we demonstrate that the L5a CPP (RRWQW) from bovine lactoferricin (LFcin), stably and noncovalently complexed with plasmid DNA and prepared at an optimal nitrogen/phosphate ratio of 12, is able to efficiently enter into human lung cancer A549 cells. The L5a CPP delivered a plasmid containing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) coding sequence that was subsequently expressed in …

Full Disclosure: Herpes Stigma And Communication Practices Among Hsv+ Individuals, Mikayla Bobrow

Sustainability and Social Justice

The stigma associated with genital herpes (HSV) often leads those living with this sexually transmitted infection (STI) to conceal their status to others in order to avoid possible negative social repercussions. I interviewed eighteen individuals living with HSV and surveyed 354 more in order to understand the impact that sex and STI shaming has on an individual’s life. The data from both the surveys and the interviews indicate that the shame perpetuated in both school and clinical settings augments the emotional devastation experienced following a diagnosis. In order to change the paradigm that only individuals who violate societal norms contract …

Animal Health Matters, Russ Daly, Jane Hennings

Animal Health MATTERS Newsletter

[Page] 1 VBSD/ADRDL Researchers Benefit from new Oscar Olson Research Laboratories at SDSU
[Page] 2 Director's Message: The ADRDL in State Statute
[Page] 3 Darrell Johnson Honored by Department
[Page] 3 Pork Quality Assurance Advisor Training Scheduled at SDSU
[Page] 4 Specimen Receiving and Necropsy Sections at the ADRDL: Getting the Diagnostic Process off to a Great Start
[Page] 6 New Anaplasmosis PCR test online at ADRDL
[Page] 6 Laura Schanning Joins ADRDL in Specimen Receiving
[Page] 6 Reminder: Case History Helps Calf Scours Diagnosis
[Page] 6 Dr. Beverly Shelbourn Joins Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department as Instructor
[Page] 6 …

Temporal Trends In Genetic Data And Effective Population Size Support Efficacy Of Management Practices In Critically Endangered Dusky Gopher Frogs ( Lithobates Sevosus ), Kristin M. Hinkson, Stephen C. Richter

Biological Sciences Faculty and Staff Research

Monitoring temporal changes in population genetic diversity and effective population size can provide vital information on future viability. The dusky gopher frog, Lithobates sevosus, is a critically endangered species found only in coastal Mississippi, with low genetic variability as a consequence of isolation and population size reduction. Conservation management practices have been implemented, but their efficacy has not been addressed. We genotyped individuals collected 1997–2014 to determine temporal trends in population genetic variation, structure, and effective size. Observed and expected heterozygosity and allelic richness revealed temporally stable, but low, levels of genetic variation. Positive levels of inbreeding were found in …

The Native Plays Of Lynn Riggs (Cherokee) And The Question Of “Race”-Specific Casting, Courtney Mohler

Scholarship and Professional Work – Arts

No abstract provided.

Academic Affairs Update, March 2016, University Of Northern Iowa. Office Of The Provost And Executive Vice President For Academic Affairs.

Academic Affairs Update

Inside this issue:

-- Diversity Matters at UNI
-- A New Type of PIEER Group

Connections, 03/2016, College Of Health And Human Services

College of Health and Human Services Newsletter

• Six CHHS grad programs ranked in top 100 in country
• Department of Physical Therapy founding chair finalist presentations
• HDReAM building a reuseable resource and health mapping system
• Fence Row Artist Collective exhibit on display
• WMU faculty panel discusses Zika virus
• Occupational therapy faculty member brings sabbatical research to CDS, Unified Clinics

Michigan Geology: A Bibliography, March 2016, Peter Voice

MGRRE News

The Michigan Geological Survey produced a historic Index of Michigan Geology with an extensive bibliography in 1956. This current bibliography is an update of the bibliography in the Martin and Straight compilation. It is not comprehensive, but provides a starting place for anyone interested in Michigan Geology. The Michigan Geological Survey plans to update this bibliography periodically with newly published citations as well as other older citations we find.

Reliability Assessment Of A Peer Evaluation Instrument In A Team-Based Learning Course, Joy Wahawisan, Miguel Salazar, Robin Walters, Fadi M. Alkhateeb, Omar F. Attarabeen

Pharmacy Practice & Administration

Objective: To evaluate the reliability of a peer evaluation instrument in a longitudinal team-based learning setting.

Methods: Student pharmacists were instructed to evaluate the contributions of their peers. Evaluations were analyzed for the variance of the scores by identifying low, medium, and high scores. Agreement between performance ratings within each group of students was assessed via intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results: We found little variation in the standard deviation (SD) based on the score means among the high, medium, and low scores within each group. The lack of variation in SD of results between groups suggests that …

Ua66 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Newsletter, Cheryl Stevens, Dean

Ogden College of Science & Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

34. Information Structures, David Mcmurray

Sexy Technical Communications

The main parts of a technical-writing course focus on applications—ways technical writing skills are applied in the real world. However, these applications use varying combinations of information infrastructures. An information infrastructure is (1) a type of information content (such as descriptive writing), (2) a way of organizing information (such as a comparison or classification), or (3) both. The information infrastructures reviewed in this appendix are the ones commonly used in technical writing. Of course, there are other infrastructures—maybe some that scholars of technical writing have not yet pinned a label on, but these are the most common and the most …

Research News Newsletter, Spring 2016, Research News Newsletter, Stony Brook University.

Research News

Quarterly newsletter from the Office of the Vice President for Research

Non-Human Primates In Neuroscience Research: The Case Against Its Scientific Necessity, Jarrod Bailey, Katy Taylor

Experimentation Collection

Public opposition to non-human primate (NHP) experiments is significant, yet those who defend them cite minimal harm to NHPs and substantial human benefit. Here we review these claims of benefit, specifically in neuroscience, and show that: a) there is a default assumption of their human relevance and benefit, rather than robust evidence; b) their human relevance and essential contribution and necessity are wholly overstated; c) the contribution and capacity of non-animal investigative methods are greatly understated; and d) confounding issues, such as species differences and the effects of stress and anaesthesia, are usually overlooked. This is the case in NHP …

Does Environmental Enrichment Promote Recovery From Stress In Rainbow Trout?, Kieran C. Pounder, Jennifer L. Mitchell, Jack S. Thomson, Tom G. Pottinger, Jonathan Buckley, Lynne U. Sneddon

Experimental Research and Animal Welfare Collection

The EU Directive on animal experimentation suggests that all protected animals should have enrichment to improve welfare yet relatively little research has been conducted on the impact of enrichment in fish. Studies employing enrichment in zebrafish have been contradictory and all fish species should be provided with species-specific enrichments relevant to their ecology. Salmonids are important experimental models in studies within aquaculture, toxicology and natural ecosystems. This study therefore sought to establish whether an enriched environment in an experimental aquarium may promote improved welfare in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) by enhancing their recovery from invasive procedures. Trout were …

Circulating Amino Acids In Blood Plasma During The Peripartal Period In Dairy Cows With Different Liver Functionality Index, Z. Zhou, J. J. Loor, F. Piccioli-Cappelli, F. Librandi, G. E. Lobley, E. Trevisi

Physiology Collection

The liver functionality index (LFI) measures the changes of albumin, cholesterol, and bilirubin concentrations between 3 and 28 d postpartum. This composite index, based on variables with direct relevance to liver-specific plasma protein synthesis (albumin), hepatic/intestinal lipoprotein synthesis (cholesterol), and clearance of breakdown products of heme catabolism (bilirubin), provides a tool for evaluating manifestations of hepatic disease. Both energy and protein metabolism are likely to be affected by various physiological challenges in this period but have not been tested systematically. The present study was conducted to profile AA in cows with high or low LFI during the peripartal period …

Artificial Perspectives: How Science Fiction Grapples With The Growing Power Of Artificial Intelligence, Marcus Emanuel

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

As Artificial Intelligence grows in its capabilities, Science Fiction works attempt to make sense of our understanding of humanity in relation to our developing understanding of AI. The paper examines this relationship across three perspectives. The colonial perspective — examined through a short film from the Animatrix collection — views humanity as the empire and AI as the colony. The apocalyptic perspective — examined through the works of Ray Kurzweil and Hans Moravec — embraces the oncoming singularity as a revelation. The prelapsarian perspective — seen through Nick Bostrom’s Superintelligence — tries to prepare humanity for its possible downfall. These …

Coeds Come To The Cal Poly Campus: The Return Of Female Students To Cal Poly, Kaylin A. Embrey

Cal Poly's History: Student Research Reports

During the years between 1929 and 1956, women were banned from attending Cal Poly. Women were among the first classes of Cal Poly students, but the crisis that was the Great Depression led to financial strains on higher education; ultimately Cal Poly chose to resolve burdens by eliminating women from the student body. After more than a quarter century of an all-male student population, women were re-admitted in 1956. With such an abrupt reversal in policy, the now coeducational institution faced many challenges. How would the male students respond? What were the expectations of the women students, and did these …

Adropin Acts In Brain To Inhibit Water Drinking: Potential Interaction With The Orphan G Protein-Coupled Receptor, Gpr19, Lauren M. Stein, Gina L.C. Yosten, Willis K. Samson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Adropin, a recently described peptide hormone produced in the brain and liver, has been reported to have physiologically relevant actions on glucose homeostasis and lipogenesis, and to exert significant effect on endothelial function. We describe a central nervous system action of adropin to inhibit water drinking and identify a potential adropin receptor, the orphan G protein-coupled receptor, GPR19. Reduction in GPR19 mRNA levels in medial basal hypothalamus of male rats resulted in the loss of the inhibitory effect of adropin on water deprivation-induced thirst. The identification of a novel brain action of adropin and a candidate receptor for the peptide …

Aging-Related Impairment Of Urine-Concentrating Mechanisms Correlates With Dysregulation Of Adrenocortical Angiotensin Type 1 Receptors In Male Fischer Rats, Hong Ji, Wei Zheng, Xie Wu, Robert C. Speth, Joseph G. Verbalis, Lauren M. Stein, Gina L.C. Yosten, Willis K. Samson, Kathryn Sandberg

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

To investigate age-associated impairments in fluid homeostasis, 4-mo (young) and 32-mo (old) Fischer 344/BN male rats were studied before and after a dietary sodium load. Transferring young rats from a low-sodium (LS) to a high-sodium (HS) diet increased water intake and urine volume by 1.9-and 3.0-fold, respectively, while urine osmolality and plasma aldosterone decreased by 33 and 98%. Concomitantly, adrenocortical angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) density decreased by 35%, and AT1bR mRNA decreased by 39%; no changes were observed in AT1aR mRNA. In contrast, the increase in water intake (1.4-fold) was lower in the old rats, and there was no …

Assembly And Structure Of Human Mitochondrial Transcription Initiation Complex, Yaroslav Morozov

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondria play a key role in energy metabolism in nearly all eukaryotic cells. Apart from that, they participate in many other biochemical pathways, such as amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, and biosynthesis of cholesterol, heme, and iron-sulfur clusters. Mitochondria are also involved in cell signaling, apoptosis and regulation of cell cycle. Abnormalities of mitochondrial morphology and function are often associated with tumor progression, neurodegeneration and aging.

Mitochondria are unique organelles in mammalian cells because they have their own genomic DNA, transcription and translation systems. Various mutations and defects in mitochondrial gene expression lead to severe diseases that include various mitochondrial …

Science Café | The Rise Of The Superbugs, March 16, Ohio University College Of Arts & Sciences

All Forum Articles

No abstract provided.

An Introduction To Emotional Intelligence, Aiden Carthy, Ailish Jameson

Book/Book Chapter

In recent decades, there has been increasing focus on the role of formal education in empowering students’ social and moral development. A wealth of research evidence has shown that helping students to develop their social and emotional competencies can encourage students’ personal growth and can also yield benefits including increased student engagement and decreased levels of drop-out. However, much of what has been previously published in this field has focused on younger students, and there has been a lesser focus on third level students and educators. Therefore, there is a notable need for a single volume that synopsises the research …

Essay: Faculty, The Courts, And The First Amendment, Neal H. Hutchens, Frank Fernandez, Azalea Hulbert

Dickinson Law Review (1908-2003)

No abstract provided.

Garden-Based Learning In Worcester, Massachusetts: Addressing Science And Health Curriculum Gaps Through Summer Youth Programming, Julia Groenfeldt

Sustainability and Social Justice

This research examines the role of experiential garden-based “food citizenship” education for improving school year health and science curriculum retention and to further influence broader social and environmental awareness. Studies demonstrate the importance of these educational models to teach children the processes of food production to consumption. Through new knowledge on food systems education, children will learn to become more mindful and conscious consumers that will ultimately impact personal health outcomes as well as broader global sustainability. Education is a key component to the emerging alternative food network (AFN) that is challenging the modern agro-industrial food system. This research provides …

Faculty Notes - John Carroll University, John Carroll University

Faculty Notes - John Carroll University

March 2016, Volume 9, Issue 1

Factors Affecting Transduction Efficiency Of Pseudotyped Viral Vectors Incorporating Alphaviral Glycoproteins, Aditi Kesari

Open Access Dissertations

The genome of an organism has the complete set of biochemical instructions required for sustenance of life. Mutations or abnormalities in this genome lead to genetic disorders. Currently available therapeutic options mostly focus on treating the symptoms, but not curing them. Gene therapy promises to be a curative form of medicine. In gene therapy cells carrying a defective gene are targeted and replaced with a healthy copy of that gene. The vehicles used for delivering this gene are known as vectors. Retroviruses are popularly used gene therapy/transfer vectors. However, retroviruses are limited in the range of cells they can enter …

24. Writing Process: From Audience To Rough Draft, David Mcmurray

Sexy Technical Communications

The writing process takes you from the very beginning of a writing project—finding topics and analyzing audience and purpose—all the way to the end—writing and revising the rough draft. The following chapters focus on some of the key phases of that process: Strategies for team-writing Audience Analysis Brainstorming and invention Narrowing Outlining Note-taking Libraries, Documentation, Cross-Referencing Strategies for Peer-Reviewing Power-Revision Techniques

31. Common Grammar, Usage, And Punctuation Problems, David Mcmurray

Sexy Technical Communications

In this chapter, we will cover only those grammar, punctuation, usage, and spelling problems that give people the biggest headaches. Technical writing professionals try to simplify grammar rules as much as possible without hurting the language or putting themselves in straitjackets. Typically, they work in teams and frequently move in and out of projects—so that the same document may be worked on by different writers and editors during the space of just a few years. That's why any guidelines based on interpretation or personal style or judgment must be avoided.

Uplc–Qtof–Ms And Nmr Analyses Of Graviola (Annona Muricata) Leaves, Ingrid De Moraes, Paulo Ribeiro, Flávio Schmidt, Kirley Canuto, Guilherme Zocolo, Edy De Brito, Rensheng Luo, Kristy Richards, Kevin Tran, Robert Smith

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

No abstract provided.