Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2019

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 18901 - 18930 of 29695

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Activation Of The Bile Acid Pathway And No Observed Antimicrobial Peptide Sequences In The Skin Of A Poison Frog, Megan L. Civitello, Robert Denton, Michael A. Zasloff, John H. Malone Feb 2019

Activation Of The Bile Acid Pathway And No Observed Antimicrobial Peptide Sequences In The Skin Of A Poison Frog, Megan L. Civitello, Robert Denton, Michael A. Zasloff, John H. Malone

Biology Publications

The skin secretions of many frogs have genetically-encoded, endogenous antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Other species, especially aposematic poison frogs, secrete exogenously derived alkaloids that serve as potent defense molecules. The origins of these defense systems are not clear, but a novel bileacid derived metabolite, tauromantellic acid, was recently discovered and shown to be endogenous in poison frogs (Mantella, Dendrobates, and Epipedobates). These observations raise questions about the evolutionary history of AMP genetic elements, the mechanism and function of tauromatellic acid production, and links between these systems. To understand the diversity and expression of AMPs among frogs, we assembled skin transcriptomes of …

Go to article

Mitoquinone Ameliorates Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiac Fibrosis And Left Ventricular Dysfunction In Mice, Kah Yong Goh, Li He, Jiajia Song, Miki Jinno, Aaron J. Rogers, Palaniappan Sethu, Ganesh Halade, Rajasekaran N. Soorappan, Xiaoguang Liu, Sumanth D. Prabhu, Victor Darley-Usmar, Adam R. Wende, Lufang Zhou Feb 2019

Mitoquinone Ameliorates Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiac Fibrosis And Left Ventricular Dysfunction In Mice, Kah Yong Goh, Li He, Jiajia Song, Miki Jinno, Aaron J. Rogers, Palaniappan Sethu, Ganesh Halade, Rajasekaran N. Soorappan, Xiaoguang Liu, Sumanth D. Prabhu, Victor Darley-Usmar, Adam R. Wende, Lufang Zhou

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Increasing evidence indicates that mitochondrial-associated redox signaling contributes to the pathophysiology of heart failure (HF). The mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant, mitoquinone (MitoQ), is capable of modifying mitochondrial signaling and has shown beneficial effects on HF-dependent mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the potential therapeutic impact of MitoQ-based mitochondrial therapies for HF in response to pressure overload is reliant upon demonstration of improved cardiac contractile function and suppression of deleterious cardiac remodeling. Using a new (patho)physiologically relevant model of pressure overload-induced HF we tested the hypothesis that MitoQ is capable of ameliorating cardiac contractile dysfunction and suppressing fibrosis. To test this C57BL/6J mice were subjected to …

Go to article

Assessing Eukaryotic Biodiversity In The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Through Environmental Dna Metabarcoding, Natalie Sawaya, Anni Djurhuus, Collin Closek, Megan Hepner, Emily Olesin, Lindsey Visser, Christopher Kelble, Katherine Hubbard, Mya Breitbart Feb 2019

Assessing Eukaryotic Biodiversity In The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Through Environmental Dna Metabarcoding, Natalie Sawaya, Anni Djurhuus, Collin Closek, Megan Hepner, Emily Olesin, Lindsey Visser, Christopher Kelble, Katherine Hubbard, Mya Breitbart

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is the DNA suspended in the environment (e.g., water column), which includes cells, gametes, and other material derived from but not limited to shedding of tissue, scales, mucus, and fecal matter. Amplifying and sequencing marker genes (i.e., metabarcoding) from eDNA can reveal the wide range of taxa present in an ecosystem through analysis of a single water sample. Metabarcoding of eDNA provides higher resolution data than visual surveys, aiding in assessments of ecosystem health. This study conducted eDNA metabarcoding of two molecular markers (cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes) to survey eukaryotic …

Go to article

School And Work Experiences Of Adults With Adhd: A Qualitative Case Study, Julieta E. Robello Feb 2019

School And Work Experiences Of Adults With Adhd: A Qualitative Case Study, Julieta E. Robello

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This study focused on learning about the life experiences of individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD has three major traits: hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. This phenomenological study focused on adults ages 18 to 40. The questions posed were: (a) What barriers or successful strategies do individuals with ADHD encounter as they make their way through the educational system and into the workplace? (b) How do these individuals perceive their academic success or failure? (c) How is or was parental support a factor in their academic success or failure? (d) How is or was teacher support a factor in …

Go to article

Rural General Education Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions Of Inclusion: A Study Of Candidates’ Self-Efficacy And Attitude Toward Teaching In Inclusive Classrooms, Neria Sebastien Feb 2019

Rural General Education Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions Of Inclusion: A Study Of Candidates’ Self-Efficacy And Attitude Toward Teaching In Inclusive Classrooms, Neria Sebastien

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Preservice teachers understanding of inclusion; align with their perceptions about their capabilities to achieve high learner outcomes. This dissertation investigated how general education preservice teachers perceived inclusion and the role that their attitudes and beliefs played in their overall student teaching experiences in rural southeastern Washington. Guided by Bandura's social cognitive theory (1977) this case study examined their self-efficacy to teach in inclusive classrooms. Teaching is a domain of practice in which study participants can hold high efficacy beliefs and for decades, researchers have conducted studies to investigate the role of self-efficacy in education. The research population for the study …

Go to article

Pretreatment Of Carprofen Impaired Initiation Of Inflammatory- And Overlapping Resolution Response And Promoted Cardiorenal Syndrome In Heart Failure, Veena Krishnan, David Booker, Gabrielle Cunningham, Jeevan Kumar Jadapalli, Vasundhara Kain, Amanda B. Pullen, Ganesh V. Halade Feb 2019

Pretreatment Of Carprofen Impaired Initiation Of Inflammatory- And Overlapping Resolution Response And Promoted Cardiorenal Syndrome In Heart Failure, Veena Krishnan, David Booker, Gabrielle Cunningham, Jeevan Kumar Jadapalli, Vasundhara Kain, Amanda B. Pullen, Ganesh V. Halade

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to control pain, inflammation, and limit the cardinal signs of injury in humans. However, prolonged use of NSAIDs increases the risk of heart attack (myocardial infarction; MI) and the subsequent risk of heart and renal failure. The molecular and cellular mechanism of action for this adverse effect, particularly along the cardiorenal network, is incomplete. To define the mechanism, carprofen (CAP), an NSAID was administered at the dose of 5 mg/kg to C57BL/6 male mice for two weeks. After last dose of CAP treatment mice were subjected to permanent occlusion of coronary artery that …

Go to article

Celebration Of Faculty Scholarship 2018, Olin Library Feb 2019

Celebration Of Faculty Scholarship 2018, Olin Library

Celebration of Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Campus Chronicle, Sarah Bogaards, Anthony Arroyo, Ben Breshears, Ben Newell, Christy Halverson, Holly Dreesman, Joe Busch, Paul Robidoux, Roger Ipson, Kelli Spaur, Hannah Bonnett, Abby Buchanan, Andy Langager Feb 2019

Campus Chronicle, Sarah Bogaards, Anthony Arroyo, Ben Breshears, Ben Newell, Christy Halverson, Holly Dreesman, Joe Busch, Paul Robidoux, Roger Ipson, Kelli Spaur, Hannah Bonnett, Abby Buchanan, Andy Langager

Campus Chronicle

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Assessing Seasonality And Density From Passive Acoustic Monitoring Of Signals Presumed To Be From Pygmy And Dwarf Sperm Whales In The Gulf Of Mexico, John A. Hildebrand, Kaitlin E. Fraiser, Simone Baumann-Pickering, Sean M. Wiggins, Karlina P. Merkens, Lance P. Garrison, Melissa S. Soldevilla, Mark A. Mcdonald Feb 2019

Assessing Seasonality And Density From Passive Acoustic Monitoring Of Signals Presumed To Be From Pygmy And Dwarf Sperm Whales In The Gulf Of Mexico, John A. Hildebrand, Kaitlin E. Fraiser, Simone Baumann-Pickering, Sean M. Wiggins, Karlina P. Merkens, Lance P. Garrison, Melissa S. Soldevilla, Mark A. Mcdonald

C-IMAGE Publications

Pygmy sperm whales (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) are deep diving cetaceans that commonly strand along the coast of the southeast US, but that are difficult to study visually at sea because of their elusive behavior. Conventional visual surveys are thought to significantly underestimate the presence of Kogia and they have proven difficult to approach for tracking and tagging. An approach is presented for density estimation of signals presumed to be from Kogia spp. based on passive acoustic monitoring data collected at sites in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) from the period following …

Go to article

De Novo Assembly And Transcriptome Dataset Of Liver, Testis And Head Kidney From Red Drum (Sciaenops Ocellatus), Tracy A. Sherwood, Kevan L. Main, Dana L. Wetzel Feb 2019

De Novo Assembly And Transcriptome Dataset Of Liver, Testis And Head Kidney From Red Drum (Sciaenops Ocellatus), Tracy A. Sherwood, Kevan L. Main, Dana L. Wetzel

C-IMAGE Publications

Red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) is an estuarine Sciaenid with high commercial value and recreational demand. During the past 50 years, overfishing has caused declines in the population that resulted in the development of red drum commercial and stock enhancement aquaculture fisheries. Despite the potential high economic value in both wild and aquaculture commercial fisheries the availability of transcriptomic data for red drum in public databases is limited. The data here represents the transcriptome profiles of three tissues: liver, testis and head kidney from red drum. The data was generated using Illumina high-throughput RNA sequencing, Trinity for de novo …

Go to article

When Can Competition And Dispersal Lead To Checkerboard Distributions?, Tad Dallas, Brett A. Melbourne, Alan Hastings Feb 2019

When Can Competition And Dispersal Lead To Checkerboard Distributions?, Tad Dallas, Brett A. Melbourne, Alan Hastings

Faculty Publications

© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2018 British Ecological Society Checkerboard distributions—mutually exclusive species co-occurrences—are a common observation in community ecology and biogeography. While the underlying causes of checkerboard distributions have remained elusive, a long-standing argument is that they are representative of strong competitive interactions and/or dispersal limitation. We explore this using a stochastic two-patch metacommunity model combined with an experimental two-patch system of competing Tribolium species, quantifying checkerboard distributions using the abundance-based index A st . We find that maintenance of checkerboard distributions is possible in a limited parameter space consisting of low dispersal rates, low …

Go to article

Landscape Of Gene Transposition-Duplication Within The Brassicaceae Family, Dong Ha Oh, Maheshi Dassanayake Feb 2019

Landscape Of Gene Transposition-Duplication Within The Brassicaceae Family, Dong Ha Oh, Maheshi Dassanayake

Faculty Publications

© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute. We developed the CLfinder-OrthNet pipeline that detects co-linearity among multiple closely related genomes, finds orthologous gene groups, and encodes the evolutionary history of each orthologue group into a representative network (OrthNet). Using a search based on network topology, we identified 1,394 OrthNets that included gene transposition-duplication (tr-d) events, out of 17,432 identified in six Brassicaceae genomes. Occurrences of tr-d shared by subsets of Brassicaceae genomes mirrored the divergence times between the genomes and their repeat contents. The majority of tr-d events resulted in truncated …

Go to article

Deepdrug3d: Classification Of Ligand-Binding Pockets In Proteins With A Convolutional Neural Network, Michal Brylinski, Limeng Pu, Rajiv Gandhi Govindaraj, Jeffrey Mitchell Lemoine Feb 2019

Deepdrug3d: Classification Of Ligand-Binding Pockets In Proteins With A Convolutional Neural Network, Michal Brylinski, Limeng Pu, Rajiv Gandhi Govindaraj, Jeffrey Mitchell Lemoine

Faculty Publications

Comprehensive characterization of ligand-binding sites is invaluable to infer molecular functions of hypothetical proteins, trace evolutionary relationships between proteins, engineer enzymes to achieve a desired substrate specificity, and develop drugs with improved selectivity profiles. These research efforts pose significant challenges owing to the fact that similar pockets are commonly observed across different folds, leading to the high degree of promiscuity of ligand-protein interactions at the system-level. On that account, novel algorithms to accurately classify binding sites are needed. Deep learning is attracting a significant attention due to its successful applications in a wide range of disciplines. In this communication, we …

Go to article

Inward Rectifier Potassium (Kir) Channels Mediate Salivary Gland Function And Blood Feeding In The Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma Americanum, Zhilin Li, Kevin R. Macaluso, Lane D. Foil, Daniel R. Swale Feb 2019

Inward Rectifier Potassium (Kir) Channels Mediate Salivary Gland Function And Blood Feeding In The Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma Americanum, Zhilin Li, Kevin R. Macaluso, Lane D. Foil, Daniel R. Swale

Faculty Publications

© 2019 Li et al. Background Tick feeding causes extreme morbidity and mortality to humans through transmission of pathogens and causes severe economic losses to the agricultural industry by reducing livestock yield. Salivary gland secretions are essential for tick feeding and thus, reducing or preventing saliva secretions into the vertebrate host is likely to reduce feeding and hinder pathogen life cycles. Unfortunately, the membrane physiology of tick salivary glands is underexplored and this gap in knowledge limits the development of novel therapeutics for inducing cessation of tick feeding. Methodology We studied the influence of inward rectifier potassium (Kir) channel subtypes …

Go to article

Deepdrug3d: Classification Of Ligand-Binding Pockets In Proteins With A Convolutional Neural Network, Limeng Pu, Rajiv Gandhi Govindaraj, Jeffrey Mitchell Lemoine, Hsiao Chun Wu, Michal Brylinski Feb 2019

Deepdrug3d: Classification Of Ligand-Binding Pockets In Proteins With A Convolutional Neural Network, Limeng Pu, Rajiv Gandhi Govindaraj, Jeffrey Mitchell Lemoine, Hsiao Chun Wu, Michal Brylinski

Faculty Publications

© 2019 Pu et al. Comprehensive characterization of ligand-binding sites is invaluable to infer molecular functions of hypothetical proteins, trace evolutionary relationships between proteins, engineer enzymes to achieve a desired substrate specificity, and develop drugs with improved selectivity profiles. These research efforts pose significant challenges owing to the fact that similar pockets are commonly observed across different folds, leading to the high degree of promiscuity of ligand-protein interactions at the system-level. On that account, novel algorithms to accurately classify binding sites are needed. Deep learning is attracting a significant attention due to its successful applications in a wide range of …

Go to article

Physical Laws And Human Behavior: A Three-Tier Framework, Shabnam Mousavi, Shyam Sunder Feb 2019

Physical Laws And Human Behavior: A Three-Tier Framework, Shabnam Mousavi, Shyam Sunder

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Social sciences start by looking at the social-psychological attributes of humans to model and explain their observed behavior. However, we suggest starting the study of observed human behavior with the universal laws of physics, e.g., the principle of minimum action. In our proposed three-tier framework, behavior is a manifestation of action driven by physical, biological, and social-psychological principles at the core, intermediate, and top tier, respectively. More broadly, this reordering is an initial step towards building a platform for reorganizing the research methods used for theorizing and modeling behavior. This perspective outlines and illustrates how a physical law can account …

Go to article

A Chromosome-Scale Assembly Of The Axolotl Genome, Jeramiah J. Smith, Nataliya Y. Timoshevskaya, Vladimir A. Timoshevskiy, Melissa C. Keinath, Drew Hardy, S. Randal Voss Feb 2019

A Chromosome-Scale Assembly Of The Axolotl Genome, Jeramiah J. Smith, Nataliya Y. Timoshevskaya, Vladimir A. Timoshevskiy, Melissa C. Keinath, Drew Hardy, S. Randal Voss

Biology Faculty Publications

The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) provides critical models for studying regeneration, evolution, and development. However, its large genome (∼32 Gb) presents a formidable barrier to genetic analyses. Recent efforts have yielded genome assemblies consisting of thousands of unordered scaffolds that resolve gene structures, but do not yet permit large-scale analyses of genome structure and function. We adapted an established mapping approach to leverage dense SNP typing information and for the first time assemble the axolotl genome into 14 chromosomes. Moreover, we used fluorescence in situ hybridization to verify the structure of these 14 scaffolds and assign each to its …

Go to article

Seed Germination Responses To Seasonal Temperature And Drought Stress Are Species‐Specific But Not Related To Seed Size In A Desert Steppe: Implications For Effect Of Climate Change On Community Structure, Fengyan Yi, Zhaoren Wang, Carol C. Baskin, Jerry M. Baskin, Ruhan Ye, Hailian Sun, Yuanyuan Zhang, Xuehua Ye, Guofang Liu, Xuejun Yang, Zhenying Huang Feb 2019

Seed Germination Responses To Seasonal Temperature And Drought Stress Are Species‐Specific But Not Related To Seed Size In A Desert Steppe: Implications For Effect Of Climate Change On Community Structure, Fengyan Yi, Zhaoren Wang, Carol C. Baskin, Jerry M. Baskin, Ruhan Ye, Hailian Sun, Yuanyuan Zhang, Xuehua Ye, Guofang Liu, Xuejun Yang, Zhenying Huang

Biology Faculty Publications

Investigating how seed germination of multiple species in an ecosystem responds to environmental conditions is crucial for understanding the mechanisms for community structure and biodiversity maintenance. However, knowledge of seed germination response of species to environmental conditions is still scarce at the community level. We hypothesized that responses of seed germination to environmental conditions differ among species at the community level, and that germination response is not correlated with seed size. To test this hypothesis, we determined the response of seed germination of 20 common species in the Siziwang Desert Steppe, China, to seasonal temperature regimes (representing April, May, June, …

Go to article

Panton-Valentine Leucocidin Is The Key Determinant Of Staphylococcus Aureus Pyomyositis In A Bacterial Gwas, Bernadette C. Young, Sarah G. Earle, Sona Soeng, Poda Sar, Varun Kumar, Songly Hor, Vuthy Sar, Rachel Bousfield, Nicholas D. Sanderson, Leanne Barker, Nicole Stoesser, Katherine R.W. Emary, Christopher M. Parry, Emma K. Nickerson, Paul Turner, Rory Bowden, Derrick Crook, David Wyllie, Nicholas P.J. Day, Daniel J. Wilson, Catrin E. Moore Feb 2019

Panton-Valentine Leucocidin Is The Key Determinant Of Staphylococcus Aureus Pyomyositis In A Bacterial Gwas, Bernadette C. Young, Sarah G. Earle, Sona Soeng, Poda Sar, Varun Kumar, Songly Hor, Vuthy Sar, Rachel Bousfield, Nicholas D. Sanderson, Leanne Barker, Nicole Stoesser, Katherine R.W. Emary, Christopher M. Parry, Emma K. Nickerson, Paul Turner, Rory Bowden, Derrick Crook, David Wyllie, Nicholas P.J. Day, Daniel J. Wilson, Catrin E. Moore

ETSU Faculty Works

Pyomyositis is a severe bacterial infection of skeletal muscle, commonly affecting children in tropical regions, predominantly caused by Staphylococcus aureus. To understand the contribution of bacterial genomic factors to pyomyositis, we conducted a genome-wide association study of S. aureus cultured from 101 children with pyomyositis and 417 children with asymptomatic nasal carriage attending the Angkor Hospital for Children, Cambodia. We found a strong relationship between bacterial genetic variation and pyomyositis, with estimated heritability 63.8% (95% CI 49.2-78.4%). The presence of the Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) locus increased the odds of pyomyositis 130-fold (p=10- 17.9 ). The signal of association mapped both …

Go to article

Three Discipline Collaborative Radiation Therapy (3dcrt) Special Debate: The United States Should Build Additional Proton Therapy Facilities, Steve Braunstein, Li Wang, Wayne Newhauser, Todd Tenenholz, Yi Rong, Albert Van Der Kogel, Michael Dominello, Michael C. Joiner, Jay Burmeister Feb 2019

Three Discipline Collaborative Radiation Therapy (3dcrt) Special Debate: The United States Should Build Additional Proton Therapy Facilities, Steve Braunstein, Li Wang, Wayne Newhauser, Todd Tenenholz, Yi Rong, Albert Van Der Kogel, Michael Dominello, Michael C. Joiner, Jay Burmeister

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Trpm4 Ion Channels In Pre-Bötzinger Complex Interneurons Are Essential For Breathing Motor Pattern But Not Rhythm, Maria Cristina D. Picardo, Yae K. Sugimura, Kaitlyn E. Dorst, Prajkta S. Kallurkar, Victoria T. Akins, Xingru Ma, Ryoichi Teruyama, Romain Guinamard, Kaiwen Kam, Margaret S. Saha, Christopher A. Del Negro Feb 2019

Trpm4 Ion Channels In Pre-Bötzinger Complex Interneurons Are Essential For Breathing Motor Pattern But Not Rhythm, Maria Cristina D. Picardo, Yae K. Sugimura, Kaitlyn E. Dorst, Prajkta S. Kallurkar, Victoria T. Akins, Xingru Ma, Ryoichi Teruyama, Romain Guinamard, Kaiwen Kam, Margaret S. Saha, Christopher A. Del Negro

Faculty Publications

© 2019 Picardo et al. Inspiratory breathing movements depend on pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) interneurons that express calcium (Ca 2+ )-activated nonselective cationic current (I CAN ) to generate robust neural bursts. Hypothesized to be rhythmogenic, reducing I CAN is predicted to slow down or stop breathing; its contributions to motor pattern would be reflected in the magnitude of movements (output). We tested the role(s) of I CAN using reverse genetic techniques to diminish its putative ion channels Trpm4 or Trpc3 in preBötC neurons in vivo. Adult mice transduced with Trpm4-targeted short hairpin RNA (shRNA) progressively decreased the tidal volume of …

Go to article

Bed Bugs (Cimex Lectularius L.) Exhibit Limited Ability To Develop Heat Resistance, Aaron R. Ashbrook, Michael E. Scharf, Gary W. Bennett, Ameya D. Gondhalekar Feb 2019

Bed Bugs (Cimex Lectularius L.) Exhibit Limited Ability To Develop Heat Resistance, Aaron R. Ashbrook, Michael E. Scharf, Gary W. Bennett, Ameya D. Gondhalekar

Faculty Publications

The global population growth of the bed bug, Cimex lectularius (L.), is attributed to their cryptic behavior, diverse insecticide resistance mechanisms, and lack of public awareness. Bed bug control can be challenging and typically requires chemical and non-chemical treatments. One common non-chemical method for bed bug management is thermal remediation. However, in certain instances, bed bugs are known to survive heat treatments. Bed bugs may be present after a heat treatment due to (i) abiotic factors associated with the inability to achieve lethal temperatures in harborage areas for a sufficient time period, (ii) re-infestation from insects that escaped to cooler …

Go to article

Combined Linkage And Association Analysis Identifies Rare And Low Frequency Variants For Blood Pressure At 1q31, Heming Wang, Priyanka Nandakumar, Fasil Tekola-Ayele, Bamidele O. Tayo, Erin B. Ware, C. Charles Gu, Yingchang Lu, Jie Yao, Wei Zhao, Jennifer A. Smith, Jacklyn N. Hellwege, Xiuqing Guo, Todd L. Edwards, Ruth J.F. Loos, Donna K. Arnett, Myriam Fornage, Charles Rotimi, Sharon L.R. Kardia, Richard S. Cooper, D. C. Rao, Georg Ehret, Aravinda Chakravarti, Xiaofeng Zhu Feb 2019

Combined Linkage And Association Analysis Identifies Rare And Low Frequency Variants For Blood Pressure At 1q31, Heming Wang, Priyanka Nandakumar, Fasil Tekola-Ayele, Bamidele O. Tayo, Erin B. Ware, C. Charles Gu, Yingchang Lu, Jie Yao, Wei Zhao, Jennifer A. Smith, Jacklyn N. Hellwege, Xiuqing Guo, Todd L. Edwards, Ruth J.F. Loos, Donna K. Arnett, Myriam Fornage, Charles Rotimi, Sharon L.R. Kardia, Richard S. Cooper, D. C. Rao, Georg Ehret, Aravinda Chakravarti, Xiaofeng Zhu

Faculty Publications

High blood pressure (BP) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is more prevalent in African Americans as compared to other US groups. Although large, population-based genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 300 common polymorphisms modulating inter-individual BP variation, largely in European ancestry subjects, most of them do not localize to regions previously identified through family-based linkage studies. This discrepancy has remained unexplained despite the statistical power differences between current GWAS and prior linkage studies. To address this issue, we performed genome-wide linkage analysis of BP traits in African-American families from the Family Blood Pressure Program …

Go to article

Functional Polymers Through Mechanochemistry, Stephen Schrettl, Diedrik W.R. Balkenende, Céline Calvino, Marc Karman, Ana Lavrenova, Laura N. Neumann, Yoshimitsu Sagara, Ester Verde-Sesto, Michela Di Giannantonio, Yoan C. Simon, Katharina M. Fromm, Marco Lattuada, Christoph Weder Feb 2019

Functional Polymers Through Mechanochemistry, Stephen Schrettl, Diedrik W.R. Balkenende, Céline Calvino, Marc Karman, Ana Lavrenova, Laura N. Neumann, Yoshimitsu Sagara, Ester Verde-Sesto, Michela Di Giannantonio, Yoan C. Simon, Katharina M. Fromm, Marco Lattuada, Christoph Weder

Faculty Publications

While coupling mechanical and chemical processes is widespread in living organisms, the idea to harness the mechanically induced dissociation of weak covalent and non-covalent bonds to create artificial materials that respond to mechanical stimulation has only recently gained attention. Here we summarize our activities that mainly revolve around the exploitation of non-covalent interactions in (supramolecular) polymeric materials with the goal to translate mechanical stresses into useful, pre-defined events. Focusing on mechano- chromic polymers that alter their optical absorption or fluorescence properties, several new operating principles, mechanosensitive entities, and materials systems were developed. Such materials are expected to be useful for …

Go to article

Host Sex, Size, And Hemoparasite Infection Influence The Effects Of Ectoparasitic Burdens On Free-Ranging Iguanas, Christine Lattin Feb 2019

Host Sex, Size, And Hemoparasite Infection Influence The Effects Of Ectoparasitic Burdens On Free-Ranging Iguanas, Christine Lattin

Faculty Publications

Investigations focusing on host-ectoparasite interactions in animals have revealed asymptomatic to severe health and fitness consequences suggesting that species mobilize different interspecific response mechanisms. Fewer studies, however, have examined intraspecific responses to ectoparasitic burdens. In this study, we analyzed host health and fitness responses to increasing ectoparasite burdens along with the presence/absence of hemoparasites of free-ranging insular rock iguanas (Cyclura cychlura) in The Bahamas. Using hematology, plasma biochemistry, as well as body condition and growth rate comparisons, we failed to find significant associations of tick burdens with annual growth rate, corticosterone, packed cell volume, total white blood cell, and heterophil, …

Go to article

Impacts Of Elevated Pco2 On Estuarine Phytoplankton Biomass And Community Structure In Two Biogeochemically Distinct Systems In Louisiana, Usa, Amy J. Mallozzi, Reagan M. Errera, Sibel Bargu, Achim D. Herrmann Feb 2019

Impacts Of Elevated Pco2 On Estuarine Phytoplankton Biomass And Community Structure In Two Biogeochemically Distinct Systems In Louisiana, Usa, Amy J. Mallozzi, Reagan M. Errera, Sibel Bargu, Achim D. Herrmann

Faculty Publications

© 2018 Ocean acidification has the potential to impact the ocean's biogeochemical cycles and food web dynamics, with phytoplankton in the distinctive position to profoundly influence both, as individual phytoplankton species play unique roles in energy flow and element cycling. Previous studies have focused on short-term exposure of monocultures to low pH, but do not reflect the competitive dynamics within natural phytoplankton communities. This study explores the use of experimental microcosms to expose phytoplankton assemblages to elevated pCO2 for an extended period of time. Phytoplankton communities were collected from two biogeochemically distinct Louisiana estuaries, Caillou Lake (CL) and Barataria Bay …

Go to article

Workshop Report: Cryopreservation Of Aquatic Biomedical Models, Mary Hagedorn, Zoltan Varga, Ronald B. Walter, Terrence R. Tiersch Feb 2019

Workshop Report: Cryopreservation Of Aquatic Biomedical Models, Mary Hagedorn, Zoltan Varga, Ronald B. Walter, Terrence R. Tiersch

Faculty Publications

The genetic resources of aquatic biomedical model organisms are the products of millions of years of evolution, decades of scientific development, and hundreds of millions of dollars of research funding investment. Genetic resources (e.g., specific alleles, transgenes, or combinations) of each model organism can be considered a form of scientific wealth that can be accumulated and exchanged, typically in the form of live animals or germplasm. Large-scale maintenance of live aquatic organisms that carry these genetic resources is inefficient, costly, and risky. In situ maintenance may be substantially enhanced and backed up by combining cryopreserved germplasm repositories and genetic information …

Go to article

Gobbling Chronology Of Eastern Wild Turkeys In South Carolina, Patrick H. Wightman, John C. Kilgo, Mark Vukovich, Jay R. Cantrell, Charles R. Ruth, Bradley S. Cohen, Michael J. Chamberlain, Bret A. Collier Feb 2019

Gobbling Chronology Of Eastern Wild Turkeys In South Carolina, Patrick H. Wightman, John C. Kilgo, Mark Vukovich, Jay R. Cantrell, Charles R. Ruth, Bradley S. Cohen, Michael J. Chamberlain, Bret A. Collier

Faculty Publications

Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) use a polygynous-promiscuous mating system, wherein males compete for mating opportunities and communicate with females via courtship behaviors. One courtship behavior is vocalization (gobbling), which attracts females and signals dominance to other males. However, temporal variation in gobbling activity may be influenced by external stimuli, environmental variation, and hunter activity. Gobbling activity is a key determinant of hunter satisfaction, and gobbling chronology is often used by state agencies to inform regulatory processes. To identify factors influencing gobbling activity, we evaluated daily gobbling chronology on 3 sites in South Carolina, USA (Webb Wildlife Management Area …

Go to article

Meta-Analysis Of Quantitative Trait Loci Associated With Seedling-Stage Salt Tolerance In Rice (Oryza Sativa L.), Md Shofiqul Islam, John Ontoy, Prasanta K. Subudhi Feb 2019

Meta-Analysis Of Quantitative Trait Loci Associated With Seedling-Stage Salt Tolerance In Rice (Oryza Sativa L.), Md Shofiqul Islam, John Ontoy, Prasanta K. Subudhi

Faculty Publications

Soil and water salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses that reduce growth and productivity in major food crops including rice. The lack of congruence of salt tolerance quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in multiple genetic backgrounds and multiple environments is a major hindrance for undertaking marker-assisted selection (MAS). A genome-wide meta-analysis of QTLs controlling seedling-stage salt tolerance was conducted in rice using QTL information from 12 studies. Using a consensus map, 11 meta-QTLs for three traits with smaller confidence intervals were localized on chromosomes 1 and 2. The phenotypic variance of 3 meta-QTLs was _20%. Based on phenotyping of …

Go to article

B Cell Homeostasis Is Maintained During Long-Duration Spaceflight, Guillaume Spielmann, Nadia Agha, Hawley Kunz, Richard J. Simpson, Brian Crucian, Satish Mehta, Mitzi Laughlin, John Campbell Feb 2019

B Cell Homeostasis Is Maintained During Long-Duration Spaceflight, Guillaume Spielmann, Nadia Agha, Hawley Kunz, Richard J. Simpson, Brian Crucian, Satish Mehta, Mitzi Laughlin, John Campbell

Faculty Publications

Long-duration spaceflights reportedly induce immune dysregulation, which is considered a risk to astronaut safety and mission success. Recent studies have examined the impact of spaceflight on markers of adaptive and innate immunity, but no study, to date, has comprehensively evaluated humoral immunity and serological markers of B cell function. The aim of this study was to characterize changes in B cell numbers and phenotypes, along with plasma Igs and polyclonal free light chains (FLCs)—near-“real-time” biomarkers of Ig synthesis—in response to an ~6-mo mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Whole-blood samples were collected before flight, during flight (“Early flight,” “Mid-flight,” …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last