Digital Commons Network^™

The Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Auranofin Lowers Leptin Levels And Exerts Antidiabetic Effects In Obese Mice, Aaron R Cox, Peter M Masschelin, Pradip K Saha, Jessica B Felix, Robert Sharp, Zeqin Lian, Yan Xia, Natasha Chernis, David A Bader, Kang Ho Kim, Xin Li, Jun Yoshino, Xin Li, Gang Li, Zheng Sun, Huaizhu Wu, Cristian Coarfa, David D Moore, Samuel Klein, Kai Sun, Sean M Hartig

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Low-grade, sustained inflammation in white adipose tissue (WAT) characterizes obesity and coincides with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, pharmacological targeting of inflammation lacks durable therapeutic effects in insulin-resistant conditions. Through a computational screen, we discovered that the FDA-approved rheumatoid arthritis drug auranofin improved insulin sensitivity and normalized obesity-associated abnormalities, including hepatic steatosis and hyperinsulinemia in mouse models of T2DM. We also discovered that auranofin accumulation in WAT depleted inflammatory responses to a high-fat diet without altering body composition in obese wild-type mice. Surprisingly, elevated leptin levels and blunted beta-adrenergic receptor activity achieved by leptin receptor deletion abolished the antidiabetic …

Urban Green Roofs Can Support A Diversity Of Parasitoid Wasps, Aramee C. Diethelm, Susan Masta

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Green roofs are often installed atop buildings to provide ecological services such as mitigating storm water runoff and cooling air within urban heat islands. We found that green roofs in Portland, Oregon, also can support biodiversity, including a diverse assemblage of parasitoid wasps, with 20 morphospecies from 10 families present on the four roofs we surveyed. The roofs with greater plant diversity and structural complexity harbored comparatively more parasitoid morphospecies than the structurally simpler Sedum-dominated roofs. The oldest green roof supported much greater diversity than the younger roofs, including a comparably planted roof three times its size. Parasitoid wasps from …

Acetyl-Coa-Mediated Autoacetylation Of Fatty Acid Synthase As A Metabolic Switch Of De Novo Lipogenesis In Drosophila, Ting Miao, Jinoh Kim, Ping Kang, Hideji Fujiwara, Fong-Fu Hsu, Hua Bai

2020-Current year OA Pubs

De novo lipogenesis is a highly regulated metabolic process, which is known to be activated through transcriptional regulation of lipogenic genes, including fatty acid synthase (FASN). Unexpectedly, we find that the expression of FASN protein remains unchanged during

Future Newborns With Opioid-Induced Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Nas) Could Be Assessed With The Genetic Addiction Risk Severity (Gars) Test And Potentially Treated Using Precision Amino-Acid Enkephalinase Inhibition Therapy (Kb220) As A Frontline Modality Instead Of Potent Opioids, Mauro Ceccanti, Mark S Gold, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In this nonsystematic review and opinion, including articles primarily selected from PubMed, we examine the pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in order to craft a reasonable opinion to help forge a paradigm shift in the treatment and prevention of primarily opioid-induced NAS. Newborns of individuals who use illicit and licit substances during pregnancy are at risk for withdrawal, also known as NAS. In the US, the reported prevalence of NAS has increased from 4.0 per 1000 hospital births in 2010 to 7.3 per 1000 hospital births in 2017, which is an 82% increase. The management of …

Evaluation Of Rotenone Mediated Α-Synuclein Spreading And Neurotoxicity In Α-Synuclein Pff Induced Animal Model Of Parkinson’S Disease, Engila Khan, Mustafa Ardah, M. Emdadul Haque

The First Scientific Conference on Health and Medical Research in the UAE 5-6 December 2022

No abstract provided.

A Mixed-Method Examination Of Early Childhood Teachers’ Pedagogical Competency Profile, Hasan Di̇lek, Eli̇f İlhan

i.e.: inquiry in education

Teacher competency is a key research area because of the strong link between child development and the quality of early childhood education. This study aims to examine early childhood teachers’ self-reported pedagogical competency profiles and to determine the factors affecting their profiles. To reach that aim, a mixed-method study was designed as an explanatory sequential design. The participants comprised 290 early childhood teachers for the quantitative portion and 15 for the qualitative. The Early Childhood Teachers Competencies Assessment Rubric and an interview form, both developed and proved valid and reliable by researchers, were used. Two-step cluster analysis and inductive content …

Daniel, Jeff Gabel

Valparaiso Fiction Review

No abstract provided.

Boulder And Back, Tom Gartner

Valparaiso Fiction Review

No abstract provided.

Tamarind, Ann Mallen

Valparaiso Fiction Review

No abstract provided.

My Journey In Choosing A Major, Katherine Pierson

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

College students have an important choice to make as they start their journey in academia: What should major in? When looking at the different fields of study we often look at what we enjoy as well as what we can see ourselves doing beyond our college years. As a student myself, I have been struggling with this decision of what my focus of study should be. By researching my main choices I have been able to gain a better understanding of what I personally want to study here at Utah State University.Research was conducted by viewing primary and secondary articles …

Helping Dreams Take Flight

DePaul Magazine

DePaul donor, alumna and corporate psychologist Becky Winkler establishes a scholarship to support equal access to education for underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering and math.

Wild/Feral Horses: The Great Debate Between Freedom And Capturing, Jolee Lamoreaux

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Wild Horses have been around for as long as anyone can remember. However, there has been a great debate that these horses are harmful to the environment and they need to be taken care of either by rehoming or slaughtering. This study aims to determine why people think these horses are harmful and what has been done to try and solve the issue. I conducted my research mostly by researching keywords and evaluating my search results to examine credible sources. The three major claims that I wanted to make sure I addressed in my paper were the history and background …

The Many Cause Of Food Inflation, Jade Bird

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

My research investigates the problems with inflation today, starting with questions about what is causing inflation in the first place and how this will affect the economy. What made me first question why inflation is rising was simply noticing the continuous rise in ice cream prices one of my favorite treats. I did research through the internet and library resources finding primary and secondary research. I found that Inflation has been affected by multiple conflicts or problems over the past years, like less production and struggles in commerce, but the biggest one currently is labor shortages. Some other events causing …

Mechanical Properties Of Hagfish Protein Hydrogels, Hayden Johns

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Hagfish are ancient animals that eject a strong slime when attacked by predators. This slime is composed of intermediate filaments that contribute to its incredible strength.To defend against foes, the Navy launches plastic ropes into the propellors of enemy warships in order to decrease the thrust of motors. In an effort to find a more biodegradable solution, the utilization of hagfish slime has shown great promise in stopping propellors.We hope to understand how the slime withstands the impact of a quickly rotating propellor, while simultaneously reducing the propellor's thrust. What specific mechanical properties allow for this phenomena? From this research …

Childhood Food Insecurity In Rural America: Raising Awareness And Inspiring Action Through Art And Design, Julie Hansen Olson

Masters Theses

Children go hungry in America every day, particularly in rural communities, where statistics show food insecurity to be as high as 17%. This means one in six children in rural communities lacks nutritionally adequate food or the ability to acquire it on a daily basis. In one of the wealthiest countries in the world, this appalling statistic is unacceptable. But how do we mitigate food insecurity for children and its resulting effects on a child’s physical, mental, and social development? This project proposes to educate, raise awareness, and inspire and/or enable action by all stakeholders to reduce food insecurity, specifically …

The Impact Of Utah 4-H On Positive Youth Development, Lendel K. Narine, Kelsey Romney, David Francis, Craig Dart

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

4-H is the largest youth development program in the United States. Utah 4-H conducts programs guided by the principles of positive youth development to help youth across the state lead a successful life. This article discusses the impact of Utah 4-H on the wellbeing of youth.

Chondroregenerative Potential Of Platelet-Rich Fibrin (Prf)-Impregnated Decelulrized Bovine Cartilage Scaffold Implanted Subcutaneously, Putu Ardhy Parama Widyatmika, Muhammad Sjaifuddin Noer, Magda Rosalina Hutagalung

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: • This research compared the hondroregenerative potential between bovine cartilage scaffold with platelet-rich fibrin (BCPRF) and autologous cartilage. • The formation of newly-regenerated chondrocyte, the thickness of type II collagen, and the rate of cartilage resorption following the subcutaneous implantation were assessed. • BCPRF is highly biocompatible and can be developed as an alternative to alloplastic porous polyethylene (Medpor) implant material. Abstract: The invention of alternative implants with regenerative potential comparable to autologous cartilage continues to be encouraged due to high morbidity of the donor site related to autologous harvesting process. This research attempted an invention of alternative implant …

Healing Of Radiation Dermatitis With Ozonated Aloe Vera Oil By Increasing Pdgf And Epidermal Thickness In Sprague-Dawley Rats, Widoasti Putri Utami, Yan Wisnu Prajoko, Christina H.N. Prihharsanti, Udadi Sadhana, Neni Susilaningsih, Maryam Restiwijaya, Muhammad Nur

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: • This study demonstrated the effect of ozonated Aloe vera oil in the healing of radiation dermatitis wound. • Groups that received no treatment was compared with groups that received treatment using 2.5% hydrocortisone ointment and ozonated Aloe vera. • Ozonated Aloe vera oil improves the healing of radiation dermatitis wound by increasing PDGF expression and epidermal thickness. Abstract : The long-term use of corticosteroids as a standard treatment for skin disorders, such as radiation dermatitis, can cause many side effects. Alternatively, ozonated Aloe vera oil may replace corticosteroids due to its fewer side effects and benefits in wound …

The Distance Of A Light Year, Ting Chu

Theses

The Distance of a Light Year is a 3D animated short film following the journey of a lonely girl living on a planet who spends her whole life looking for connection and travels the universe to find it. The story is inspired by a planet, PSO J318.5-22, found by scientists in 2013. The girl builds millions of shining paper stars and uses them as a revolving light signal on her lighthouse to draw attention to the dark universe. One day, she finds someone who responds with a blue light signal from a blue planet. But her lighthouse does not function. …

Hawks' Herald -- Dec. 5, 2022, Roger Williams University

Hawk's Herald

No abstract provided.

Methane Emissions From Agricultural Ponds Are Underestimated In National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Martino E. Malerba, Tertius De Kluyver, Nicholas J. Wright, Lukas Schuster, Peter I. Macreadie

Climate Science Research Articles

Agricultural ponds have some of the highest methane emissions per area among freshwater systems, and these anthropogenic emissions should be included in national greenhouse gas inventories. Here we deliver a continental-scale assessment of methane emissions from agricultural ponds in the United States and Australia. We source maps of agricultural ponds, compile a meta-analysis for their emissions and use published data to correct for temperature and the relative contributions of two methane fluxes (diffusion and ebullition). In the United States, 2.56 million agricultural ponds cover 420.9 kha and emit about 95.8 kt year−1 of methane. In Australia, 1.76 million agricultural ponds …

December 5, 2022, Faculty, Illinois Wesleyan University

2022-2023

No abstract provided.

Behaviors For Which Deinonychosaurs Used Their Feet, Alexander King

Honors Projects

This paper seeks to show for what purpose deinonychosaurs used their feet. Fowler et al., (2011) showed that D. antirrhopus’s feet were closest in function to accipitrids, as they found it was more built for grasping prey than running.

I answered this question by using 2D images of the feet of three modern birds (Buteo jamaicensis, Phasianus colchicus, and Gallus gallus domesticus), one eudromaeosaur (Deinonychus antirrhopus), and one troodontid (Borogovia gracilicrus). I used ImageJ to apply 73 landmarks to each foot, capturing the variation between species in the metatarsals and pedal phalanges. These data were then uploaded to the software …

Crow's Nest, December 5, 2022, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The December 5, 2022, issue of the Crow's Nest.

Activity Disruption Causes Degeneration Of Entorhinal Neurons In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer’S Circuit Dysfunction, Rong Zhao, Stacy D Grunke, Caleb A Wood, Gabriella A Perez, Melissa Comstock, Ming-Hua Li, Anand K Singh, Kyung-Won Park, Joanna L Jankowsky

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by selective vulnerability of distinct cell populations; however, the cause for this specificity remains elusive. Here, we show that entorhinal cortex layer 2 (EC2) neurons are unusually vulnerable to prolonged neuronal inactivity compared with neighboring regions of the temporal lobe, and that reelin + stellate cells connecting EC with the hippocampus are preferentially susceptible within the EC2 population. We demonstrate that neuronal death after silencing can be elicited through multiple independent means of activity inhibition, and that preventing synaptic release, either alone or in combination with electrical shunting, is sufficient to elicit silencing-induced degeneration. Finally, we …

Six-Dimensional Single-Molecule Imaging With Isotropic Resolution Using A Multi-View Reflector Microscope, Oumeng Zhang, Zijian Guo, Yuanyuan He, Tingting Wu, Michael D. Vahey, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

Imaging of both the positions and orientations of single fluorophores, termed single-molecule orientation-localization microscopy, is a powerful tool for the study of biochemical processes. However, the limited photon budget associated with single-molecule fluorescence makes high-dimensional imaging with isotropic, nanoscale spatial resolution a formidable challenge. Here we realize a radially and azimuthally polarized multi-view reflector (raMVR) microscope for the imaging of the three-dimensional (3D) positions and 3D orientations of single molecules, with precisions of 10.9 nm and 2.0° over a 1.5-μm depth range. The raMVR microscope achieves 6D super-resolution imaging of Nile red molecules transiently bound to lipid-coated spheres, accurately resolving …

Selective Vulnerability Of The Intermediate Retinal Capillary Plexus Precedes Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss In Ocular Hypertension, Priyamvada M Pitale, Guofu Shen, Rohini R Sigireddi, Maria Polo-Prieto, Yong H Park, Solomon E Gibson, Peter D Westenskow, Roomasa Channa, Benjamin J Frankfort

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Glaucoma, a disease of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) injury and potentially devastating vision loss, is associated with both ocular hypertension (OHT) and reduced ocular blood flow. However, the relationship between OHT and retinal capillary architecture is not well understood. In this project, we studied microvasculature damage in mice exposed to mild levels of induced OHT.

Methods: Mild OHT was induced with the microbead model for 2 weeks. At this time point, some retinas were immunostained with CD31 (endothelium), Collagen IV (basement membrane), and RBPMS (RGCs) for z-stack confocal microscopy. We processed these confocal images to distinguish the three retinal …

Translating Big Data To Clinical Outcomes In Anxiety: Potential For Multimodal Integration, Parmis Khosravi, André Zugman, Paia Amelio, Anderson M. Winkler, Daniel S. Pine

School of Medicine Publications

Purpose of the Review

This review describes approaches to research on anxiety that attempt to link neural correlates to treatment response and novel therapies. The review emphasizes pediatric anxiety disorders since most anxiety disorders begin before adulthood.

Recent Findings

Recent literature illustrates how current treatments for anxiety manifest diverse relations with a range of neural markers. While some studies demonstrate post-treatment normalization of markers in anxious individuals, others find persistence of group differences. For other markers, which show no pretreatment association with anxiety, the markers nevertheless distinguish treatment-responders from non-responders. Heightened error related negativity represents the risk marker discussed in …

Skyler Pointer Art 399 Portfolio, Skyler Pointer

Professional Practices (ART 399)

In my work, I lean towards the idea that my art could make people think about others around them. I was mainly inspired to do this by a video I was shown in high school that basically encouraged people to try and put themselves in other peoples’ shoes. I tend to lean towards a cartoony art style because I would like to go into the animation industry and I also like to give my art a comedic tone to it. As a graphic designer, I like to utilize all the tools that I have learned throughout college. In terms of …

The Free Press Vol. 54, December 12-05-2022, Kelly Ledsworth

Free Press, The

Art is More Than Just Art--The Job Shadow Program--Indigenous Peoples: How They've Been Impacted--FAFSA deadline around the corner--November 14th and 28th Student Senate Meetings