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Interlimb Asymmetries In Ground Reaction Force Time-Series During Bi-Lateral Countermovement Jumps, Nayun Ahn

ISBS Proceedings Archive

Principal component analysis (PCA) of waveforms can provide useful information about biomechanical patterns throughout a movement. The purposes of this study were to 1) use PCA to identify interlimb asymmetries in the ground reaction force (GRF) time-series data of the left and right leg during a bi-lateral countermovement jump (CMJ) and 2) determine if asymmetries in GRF time-series were associated with CMJ performance. Eight female collegiate soccer players performed three maximal effort CMJ. PCA extracted five principal components (PC) scores, eigenvalues, and eigenvectors from the GRF data. PC2 scores differed significantly between two legs, but only PC3 scores were positively …

Within-Subject Repeatability And Between-Subject Variability In Posture During Calibration Of An Inertial Measurement Unit System, Byron Donaldson, Helen Bayne, Neil E. Bezodis

ISBS Proceedings Archive

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are a valuable tool for field based sports research, but within- and between-subject comparisons may be affected by variation in the 0° position established by a standing calibration position. This study assessed within-subject repeatability and between-subject variability in IMU sensor orientations during calibration. Calibration posture was reliable within-subjects given standardised instructions (typical error < 1.9°). Sensor angles relative to a global vertical axis had large between-subject ranges for upper spine (21–35°), lower spine (1–23°) and pelvis (11–35°), while lower limb segment angles had much lower variability (0-6°). Thus, a standing calibration posture is repeatable within participants given suitable instructions, however variability in standing posture may need to be accounted for before making between-subject comparisons, particularly with regard to spine and pelvis segments.

An Investigation Into The Effect Of Lane Radius On Step Characterisitcs In Indoor Bend Sprinting, Jonathan White, Hans Von Lieres Und Wilkau, Timothy Exell, Gareth Irwin, Cassie Wilson, Hannah Wyatt, Gillian Weir, Joseph Hamill

ISBS Proceedings Archive

The study aimed to identify the effect of radius on step characteristics during bend sprinting. Eight sprinters undertook two ~80 m sprints in two different conditions through two capture areas (straight and bend) collecting whole-body kinematic data. Step Velocity on the straight was lower than Lane 2 on the bend for the left-to-right step, brought about by a greater Step frequency (SF). Right-to-left SF was significantly lower in Lane 4 in comparison to the straight due to a greater step time. Step time was greater in Lane 4 for the right step compared to Lane 2. A greater …

Medio-Lateral Acceleration Of Female Athletes With An Acl Reconstruction In Comparison With A Healthy Population, Siân Atkinson, Holly A. Stock, Ezio Preatoni

ISBS Proceedings Archive

We assessed change of direction abilities in team sport female athletes. Ten participants returned to full activity from ACL reconstruction (ACLR) for longer than one year and 10 healthy controls (CON) were compared. Twelve maximal effort 45° cutting manoeuvres from the reconstructed side (ACLR) or a random selection of both sides (CON) were analysed for each individual using a motion capture system. CON showed greater medio-lateral centre of mass (COM) acceleration between 51 and 75 % of ground contact. CON reported increased ankle plantar flexor power from 94 to 98 % of foot contact, with also a higher peak. Although …

Lower Body Musculotendon Unit Function During Bounding, Hurdle Jumping And Running, Danielle Trowell, Aaron Fox, Natalie Saunders, Bill Vicenzino, Jason Bonacci

ISBS Proceedings Archive

To facilitate exercise prescription, this study compared the function of six lower limb musculotendon units during plyometric exercises with running. Fourteen distance runners performed overground running (3.89 m/s), bounding, and hurdle jumps. Computational simulations were used to compare musculotendon unit function, peak powers, and total work. Compared to running, the hurdle jumps had greater gluteus maximus peak power absorption (12.1%; SMD 0.65), and gluteus maximus (15.7%; SMD 0.51) and soleus (16.5%; SMD 0.92) total negative work. Hurdle jumps may be an appropriate exercise when higher eccentric loads of the gluteus maximus and soleus are required. Compared to running, bounding had …

Whole Body Dynamic Postural Control During Bend Running, Hannah E. Wyatt, Gillian Weir, Jonathan White, Hans Von Lieres Und Wilkau, Gareth Irwin, Timothy Exell, Cassie Wilson, Joseph Hamill

ISBS Proceedings Archive

Bend running on an indoor track is influenced by differing structural constraints including banking and radii of the curve. Regardless of these constraints, an athlete must preserve whole-body postural control to maintain their running speed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which banking (banked v flat) and radii (lane 2 v lane 4) of a 200m indoor track influences whole centre of mass (CoM) during sprint running. When running in both lane 2 and lane 4, athletes’ CoM was closer to their inside foot when the track was banked compared to flat (p < 0.05, 0-100% of stance). In conjunction with increased CoM anterior velocity identified for the banked condition (p < 0.05, 0-100% of stance), the findings highlighted banking of the curve to be the preferable structural constraints for whole-body postural control, compared to a flat track.

Effects Of Ageing On Gait Complexity, Arezoo Amirpourabasi, Jia Yi Chow, Sarah Elizabeth Lamb, J.R. Lawrence Kwek, Genevieve Williams

ISBS Proceedings Archive

Ageing alters gait patterns that influences the control mechanism of human movement. The aim of this study was to identify the age-related differences in complexity of gait kinematics. Gait is a fundamental but complex action, and loss of complexity has been suggested with ageing. In this study multiscale entropy (MSE) analysis was used to investigate complexity in gait. Whole body kinematic data for 10 younger adults (21±1.84 years old) and 10 older adults (62.7±2.2 years old) running at 9 km/h on the treadmill for 2 minutes were analysed. Body centre of mass (CoM) were calculated. MSE of CoM position, and …

The Relationship Between Angular Momentum Of The Lower Trunk And Shoulder Joint Forces During An Overarm Throw, Kevin Moore, Suzanne Konz, Mark Timmons, Steven Leigh

ISBS Proceedings Archive

The proximal-to-distal force transfer of the kinetic chain in overarm throwing has well-established movements. The nature of the transfer of momentum from the lower trunk to the shoulder during an overarm throw remains to be determined. This study explored correlations between angular momentum about the superior-inferior axis of the lower trunk and compressive and anterior shear forces at the shoulder in experienced baseball players as they made maximum effort throws from the outfield. We found no association between the maximum lower trunk angular momentum during the arm cocking phase and shoulder joint anterior shear force at ball release (r …

Shot Performance And Cue Stick Kinematics Of Top Spin Shots In Cue Sports Players Of Various Playing Levels, Pui Wah Kong, Jing Wen Pan, John Komar, Chen Yang

ISBS Proceedings Archive

This study aimed to compare the shot performance and kinematics of the cue stick in top spin shots between less-skilled and skilled players. Twenty-five cue sports players were recruited and assigned to the less-skilled (n = 12) or skilled (n = 13) groups. Ten successful top spin trials were recorded for each participant. 2D video analysis was employed to evaluate shot performance which was represented by an error distance. A 3D motion capture system was used to obtain kinematic data of the cue stick during the cueing movement. The results showed that skilled players were more consistent in their performance …

Predicting Ground Reaction Forces From 2d Video: Bridging The Lab To Field Nexus, Molly Goldacre, Amar El-Sallam, Hannah Wyatt, William Johnson, Jian Liu, Ajmal Mian, Jacqueline Alderson

ISBS Proceedings Archive

The accurate measurement of ground reaction forces (GRFs) is confined to laboratory-based settings. This poses an ongoing problem for sports biomechanists working in the field given the necessity of this variable for input into the commonly employed inverse dynamics modelling approach. In addition, GRFs are also used by the wider sport science community for assessing player “workload” metrics. Non-invasive in-field estimation of GRFs could facilitate the development of an in-field tool which has the potential to revolutionise the side-line management of players from a number of perspectives. The aim of this study was to use a least squares estimator (LSE) …

Isbs 2021 Conference Proceedings Title And Foreward, Wayne Spratford, Celeste Coltman, Nick Brown, John Warmenhoven

ISBS Proceedings Archive

The ISBS is an international society totally dedicated to biomechanics in sports, whose primary purposes are:

• To provide a forum for the exchange of ideas for sports biomechanics researchers, coaches and teachers.
• To bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners.
• To gather and disseminate information and materials on biomechanics in sports.

The conference planned for Canberra, Australia did not go ahead in a face-to-face capacity due to COVID-19. The conference was instead delivered fully online. These proceedings are the accepted papers for the online conference.

Papers underwent a double blinded review process. Each paper in these proceedings has been reviewed …

Effect Of Cutting Height On Tiller Population Density And Herbage Biomass Of Buffel Grass, L. S. Beltrán, P. J. Pérez, G. A. Hernández, M. E. García, S. J. Kohashi, H. J. G. Herrera

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The aim of this trial was to investigate the effect of different cutting heights on tiller population density and herbage biomass of Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L) grown in miniature swards in a greenhouse. Four treatments with five replicates: five cm, ten cm, and 20 cm cutting height, and control (without cut) were randomly allocated. Intensity of defoliation affected the cumulative herbage harvested; the ten cm cutting height was greater (404.1 g DM m^-2) than 5 cm (317.6 g DM m^-2) and 20 cm (263.9 g DM m^-2), respectively. Cumulative herbage harvested in …

Leaf Appearance Rate In Brachiaria Decumbens Grown In Nitrogen And Potassium Rates, M. D. C. Ferragine, F. A. Monteiro, S. C. Da Silva

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A greenhouse experiment was carried out with Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. cv. Basilisk grown in nutrient solution. Five nitrogen rates (42; 140; 238; 336 and 434 mg/L) and three potassium rates (78; 234 and 390 mg/L) were studied in a factorial experiment, in a randomized complete block design, with four replications. Green leaf number was evaluated in six times in the first period of growth (27, 30, 33, 36, 39 and 42 days after transplanting) and nine times in the second period (45, 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63, 66 and 69 days after transplanting). Data was registered in three plants …

Morphogenesis And Defoliation Frequency Of Italian Ryegrass (Lolium Multiflorum) And Paspalum Urvillei In Lowland Under Three Levels Of P And K, Fernando L. F. De Quadros, A. G. S. Pigatto, D. G. Bandinelli, E. Marchezan, Marta G. Da Rocha

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This trial was conducted to evaluate growth dynamics and defoliation frequency of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and Paspalum urvillei in a lowland area under three levels of P and K. Using randomization tests we observed that, in a general way, fertilizer treatments were not the determinant factors of leaf appearance and elongation rates for both species. Only the leaf appearance rate of Paspalum urvillei at 100 % of recommendation level and the elongation rate for Italian ryegrass, in the same treatment, was different. Probably other factors, like drainage, are contributing to these results. I. ryegrass phyllochron ranged from …

Variability In Herbage Mass And Chemical Composition Within A Timothy Sward, O. Niemeläinen, E. Miettinen, P. Virkajärvi, L. Alakukku, K. Hakala

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Variability in herbage mass (HM) and chemical composition of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) sward was studied in a three-hectare field. The field, which was flat, was divided into twelve sections and a sampling site was randomly selected in each. The study was carried out in Sotkamo (64^o 01’N, 28^o22’E) research station in Finland. Snow depth and frost conditions were measured in winter and soil water content was monitored in the growing season at each sampling site. Observations on the crop included assessment of herbage ground cover and winter damage percentage, stand height and HM and analysis …

Effects Of Temperature, Nitrogen Fertilisation And Leaf And Tiller Age On Specific Leaf Area Of Brachiaria Decumbens, J. Busqué, M. Herrero

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens Stapf) micro-swards were grown under controlled environmental conditions at different temperatures and nitrogen fertilisation rates. Specific leaf area was responsive both to temperature and nitrogen, but did not change with the level of insertion of the leaf in the tiller. Senescing leaves had higher specific leaf area than old extended green leaves and these had higher values than new extended green leaves. Changes in specific leaf area were more related to changes in leaf area and more exactly to changes in leaf width.

Air-Spun Silk-Based Micro-/Nanofibers And Thin Films For Drug Delivery, Christopher R Gough, Xiao Hu

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Micro-/nanofibers have shown high promise as drug delivery vehicles due to their high porosity and surface-area-to-volume ratio. The current study utilizes air-spraying, a novel fiber fabrication technique, to create silk micro-/nanofibers without the need for a high voltage power source. Air-spraying was used to create silk fibrous mats embedded with several model drugs with high efficiency. In order to compare the effect of biomaterial geometry on the release of the model drugs, silk films were also created and characterized. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and a drug release study were …

Adoptees And Adoptive Parents As “Other”, Josephine A. Ruggiero, Roger D. Clark

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Altered Theta Rhythm And Hippocampal-Cortical Interactions Underlie Working Memory Deficits In A Hyperglycemia Risk Factor Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Ryan A. Wirt, Lauren A. Crew, Andrew A. Ortiz, Adam M. Mcneela, Emmanuel Flores, Jefferson W. Kinney, James M. Hyman

Integrated Health Sciences Faculty Research

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease associated with dysregulated glucose and insulin levels and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) later in life. It is thought that chronic hyperglycemia leads to neuroinflammation and tau hyperphosphorylation in the hippocampus leading to cognitive decline, but effects on hippocampal network activity are unknown. A sustained hyperglycemic state was induced in otherwise healthy animals and subjects were then tested on a spatial delayed alternation task while recording from the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Hyperglycemic animals performed worse on long delay trials and had multiple electrophysiological differences throughout the task. We …

Knowledge And Beliefs Associated With Environmental Health Literacy: A Case Study Focused On Toxic Metals Contamination Of Well Water, Kathleen M. Gray, Victoria Triana, Marti Lindsey, Benjamin Richmond, Anna G. Hoover, Chris Wiesen

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Environmental health literacy (EHL) is developing as a framework that can inform educational interventions designed to facilitate individual and collective action to protect health, yet EHL measurement poses several challenges. While some studies have measured environmental health knowledge resulting from interventions, few have incorporated skills and self-efficacy. In this study, a process-focused EHL instrument was developed, using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) health literacy instrument as a model and tailoring it for the context of private well contamination with toxic metals. Forty-seven (47) participants, including undergraduate students and residents of communities with contaminated well water, piloted a prototype EHL instrument …

Protecting The Child Bride: Following Texas' Middle-Ground Approach, Wendy Ross

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Genomics Of Heart Failure: Design And Rationale Of The Hermes Consortium, R. Thomas Lumbers, Sonia Shah, Honghuang Lin, Tomasz Czuba, Albert Henry, Daniel I. Swerdlow, Anders Mälarstig, Charlotte Andersson, Niek Verweij, Michael V. Holmes, Johan Ärnlöv, Per Svensson, Harry Hemingway, Neneh Sallah, Peter Almgren, Krishna G. Aragam, Geraldine Asselin, Joshua D. Backman, Mary L. Biggs, Heather L. Bloom, Eric Boersma, Jeffrey Brandimarto, Michael R. Brown, Hans-Peter Brunner-La Rocca, David J. Carey, Mark D. Chaffin, Daniel I. Chasman, Olympe Chazara, Xing Chen, Xu Chen, Jonathan H. Chung, William Chutkow, John G.F. Cleland, James P. Cook, Simon De Denus, Abbas Dehghan, Graciela E. Delgado, Spiros Denaxas, Alexander S. Doney, Marcus Dörr, Samuel C. Dudley, Gunnar Engström, Tõnu Esko, Ghazaleh Fatemifar, Stephan B. Felix, Chris Finan, Ian Ford, Francoise Fougerousse, René Fouodjio, Mohsen Ghanbari, Sahar Ghasemi, Vilmantas Giedraitis, Franco Giulianini, John S. Gottdiener, Stefan Gross, Daníel F. Guðbjartsson, Hongsheng Gui, Rebecca Gutmann, Christopher M. Haggerty, Pim Van Der Harst, Åsa K. Hedman, Anna Helgadottir, Hans Hillege, Craig L. Hyde, Jaison Jacob, J. Wouter Jukema, Frederick Kamanu, Isabella Kardys, Maryam Kavousi, Kay-Tee Khaw, Marcus E. Kleber, Lars Køber, Andrea Koekemoer, Bill Kraus, Karoline Kuchenbaecker, Claudia Langenberg, Lars Lind, Cecilia M. Lindgren, Barry London, Luca A. Lotta, Ruth C. Lovering, Jian'an Luan, Patrik Magnusson, Anubha Mahajan, Douglas Mann, Kenneth B. Margulies, Nicholas A. Marston, Winfried März, John J.V. Mcmurray, Olle Melander, Giorgio Melloni, Ify R. Mordi, Michael P. Morley, Andrew D. Morris, Andrew P. Morris, Alanna C. Morrison, Michael W. Nagle, Christopher P. Nelson, Christopher Newton-Cheh, Alexander Niessner, Teemu Niiranen, Christoph Nowak, Michelle L. O'Donoghue, Anjali T. Owens, Colin N.A. Palmer, Guillaume Paré, Markus Perola, Louis-Philippe Lemieux Perreault, Eliana Portilla-Fernandez, Bruce M. Psaty, Kenneth M. Rice, Paul M. Ridker, Simon P.R. Romaine, Carolina Roselli, Jerome I. Rotter, Christian T. Ruff, Marc S. Sabatine, Perttu Salo, Veikko Salomaa, Jessica Van Setten, Alaa A. Shalaby, Diane T. Smelser, Nicholas L. Smith, Kari Stefansson, Steen Stender, David J. Stott, Garðar Sveinbjörnsson, Mari-Liis Tammesoo, Jean-Claude Tardif, Kent D. Taylor, Maris Teder-Laving, Alexander Teumer, Guðmundur Thorgeirsson, Unnur Thorsteinsdottir, Christian Torp-Pedersen, Stella Trompet, Danny Tuckwell, Benoit Tyl, Andre G Uitterlinden, Felix Vaura, Abirami Veluchamy, Peter M. Visscher, Uwe Völker, Adriaan A. Voors, Xiaosong Wang, Nicholas J. Wareham, Peter E. Weeke, Raul Weiss, Harvey D. White, Kerri L. Wiggins, Heming Xing, Jian Yang, Yifan Yang, Laura M. Yerges-Armstrong, Bing Yu, Faiez Zannad, Faye Zhao, Jemma B. Wilk, Hilma Holm, Naveed Sattar, Steven A. Lubitz, David E. Lanfear, Svati Shah, Michael E. Dunn, Quinn S. Wells, Folkert W. Asselbergs, Aroon D. Hingorani, Marie-Pierre Dubé, Nilesh J. Samani, Chim C. Lang, Thomas P. Cappola, Patrick T. Ellinor, Ramachandran S. Vasan, J. Gustav Smith

Cardiology Articles

AIMS: The HERMES (HEart failure Molecular Epidemiology for Therapeutic targetS) consortium aims to identify the genomic and molecular basis of heart failure.

METHODS AND RESULTS: The consortium currently includes 51 studies from 11 countries, including 68 157 heart failure cases and 949 888 controls, with data on heart failure events and prognosis. All studies collected biological samples and performed genome-wide genotyping of common genetic variants. The enrolment of subjects into participating studies ranged from 1948 to the present day, and the median follow-up following heart failure diagnosis ranged from 2 to 116 months. Forty-nine of 51 individual studies enrolled participants …

Optoacoustically Induced Auditory Brainstem Responses In The Mouse Model Enhanced Through An Absorbing Film, Gabriela Lana

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Treatment With Senolytic Drugs Dasatinib And Quercetin Ameliorates Age-Dependent Intervertebral Disc Degeneration In Mice, Emanuel J Novais, Victoria Tran, Shira N Johnston, Kayla R Darris, Alex J Roupas, Garrett A Sessions, Irving Shapiro, Brian O Diekman, Makarand V Risbud

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Intervertebral disc degeneration is highly prevalent within the elderly population and is a leading cause of chronic back pain and disability. Due to the link between disc degeneration and senescence, we explored the ability of the Dasatinib and Quercetin drug combination (D + Q) to prevent an age-dependent progression of disc degeneration in mice. We treated C57BL/6 mice beginning at 6, 14, and 18 months of age, and analyzed them at 23 months of age. Interestingly, 6- and 14-month D + Q cohorts show lower incidences of degeneration, and the treatment results in a significant decrease in senescence markers p16INK4a, …

Detecting Forest Response To Droughts With Global Observations Of Vegetation Water Content, Alexandra G. Konings, Sassan S. Saatchi, Christian Frankenberg, Michael Keller, Victor Leshyk, William R. L. Anderegg, Vincent Humphrey, Ashley M. Matheny, Anna Trugman, Bradley O. Christoffersen

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Droughts in a warming climate have become more common and more extreme, making understanding forest responses to water stress increasingly pressing. Analysis of water stress in trees has long focused on water potential in xylem and leaves, which influences stomatal closure and water flow through the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. At the same time, changes of vegetation water content (VWC) are linked to a range of tree responses, including fluxes of water and carbon, mortality, flammability, and more. Unlike water potential, which requires demanding in situ measurements, VWC can be retrieved from remote sensing measurements, particularly at microwave frequencies using radar and …

Computational Analysis Of Bshc, An Enzyme Responsible For Antibiotic Resistance In Firmicute Bacteria, Matthew R. Martin

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Bacillithiol is a compound synthesized by certain gram-positive bacteria called firmicutes, such as B. Subtilis. This compound is used to protect the bacterium from oxidative stress and establish antibiotic resistance. There are three enzymes in the synthesis pathway of bacillithiol: BshA, BshB, and BshC¹.BshC, unlike the other two, has a potentially novel mechanism that is not yet well understood. This enzyme is a putative cysteine ligase, however the ligand that donates the cysteine is unknown. The structure of BshC has been previously solved and has a unique dumbbell shape suggesting a hinging motion. Previous Small Angle X-ray Scattering …

The Naked Truth: A Comprehensive Clarification And Classification Of Current ‘Myths’ In Naked Mole‐Rat Biology, Rochelle Buffenstein, Vincent Amoroso, Blazej Andziak, Stanislav Avdieiev, Jorge Azpurua, Alison J. Barker, Nigel C. Bennett, Miguel A. Brieño‐Enríquez, Gary N. Bronner, Clive Coen, Martha A. Delaney, Christine M. Dengler‐Crish, Yael H. Edrey, Chris G. Faulkes, Daniel Frankel, Gerard Friedlander, Patrick A. Gibney, Vera Gorbunova, Christopher Hine, Melissa M. Holmes, Jennifer U. M. Jarvis, Yoshimi Kawamura, Nobuyuki Kutsukake, Cynthia Kenyon, Walid T. Khaled, Takefumi Kikusui, Joseph Kissil, Samantha Lagestee, John Larson, Amanda Lauer, Leonid A. Lavrenchenko, Angela Lee, Jonathan B. Levitt, Gary R. Lewin, Kaitlyn N. Lewis Hardell, Tzuhua D. Lin, Matthew J. Mason, Dan Mccloskey, Mary Mcmahon, Kyoko Miura, Kazutaka Mogi, Vikram Narayan, Timothy P. O'Connor, Kazuo Okanoya, M. Justin O'Riain, Thomas J. Park, Ned J. Place, Katie Podshivalova, Matthew E. Pamenter, Sonja J. Pyott, Jane Reznick, J. Graham Ruby, Adam B. Salmon, Joseph Santos‐Sacchi, Diana K. Sarko, Andrei Seluanov, Alyssa Shepard, Megan Smith, Kenneth B. Storey, Xiao Tian, Emily N. Vice, Mélanie Viltard, Akiyuki Watarai, Ewa Wywial, Masanori Yamakawa, Elena D. Zemlemerova, Michael Zions, Ewan St. John Smith

Publications and Research

The naked mole‐rat (Heterocephalus glaber) has fascinated zoologists for at least half a century. It has also generated considerable biomedical interest not only because of its extraordinary longevity, but also because of unusual protective features (e.g. its tolerance of variable oxygen availability), which may be pertinent to several human disease states, including ischemia/reperfusion injury and neurodegeneration. A recent article entitled ‘Surprisingly long survival of premature conclusions about naked mole‐rat biology’ described 28 ‘myths’ which, those authors claimed, are a ‘perpetuation of beautiful, but falsified, hypotheses’ and impede our understanding of this enigmatic mammal. Here, we re‐examine each of …

Leaf Form Diversification In An Ornamental Heirloom Tomato Results From Alterations In Two Different Homeobox Genes, Hokuto Nakayama, Steven D. Rowland, Zizhang Cheng, Kristina Zumstein, Julie Kang, Yohei Kondo, Neelima R. Sinha

Faculty Publications

Domesticated plants display diverse phenotypic traits. However, the influence of breeding effort on this phenotypic diversity remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a single nucleotide deletion in the homeobox motif of BIPINNATA, a BEL-LIKE HOMEODOMAIN gene, led to a highly complex leaf phenotype in an heirloom tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), Silvery Fir Tree (SiFT), which is used as a landscaping and ornamental plant. A comparative gene network analysis revealed that repression of SOLANIFOLIA, the ortholog of WUSCHEL RELATED HOMEOBOX 1, caused the narrow leaflet phenotype seen in SiFT. Comparative genomics indicated that the bip mutation in SiFT likely arose de novo …

Historias Americanas: Implementing Mexican American Studies In K-12 Social Studies Curriculum In The Rio Grande Valley, Maritza De La Trinidad, Stephanie Alvarez, J. Joy Esquierdo, Francisco Guajardo

Mexican American Studies Faculty Publications

This essay contributes to the growing literature on Mexican American Studies in K-12 within the broader field of Ethnic Studies. While most of the literature on the movement for Ethnic Studies within Texas and across the nation mainly focuses on the impact of Ethnic Studies courses on students’ academic success, this essay highlights a professional development program for K-12 social studies teachers in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas entitled Historias Americanas: Engaging History and Citizenship in the Rio Grande Valley, funded by a federal grant. This essay provides an overview of Historias Americanas, the objectives and structure of …

Lone Star Wars: Lngs, Communities, And Globalization Versus Local Resistance In The Laguna Madre Region Of Coastal South Texas, Terence Garrett, Arthur Sementelli

Political Science Faculty Publications

Purpose: to theoretically contextualize the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) issue using Bauman and Debord. More generally, this research provides a theoretical and qualitative context to understand the LNG issue in discussions of environmental management, globalization, and local government.

Design/methodology/approach: this article uses Boje’s narrative case study approach to analyze the politics around localized resistance movements to LNG production in the Rio Grande Valley. Specifically, the study examines data collected from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), personal interviews, and public declarations (newspapers, blogs, social media) to create an historiographical account of LNGs in the RGV to analyze the Laguna Madre …