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Dispensing With Reductionism And Dualism: Biological Anthropological Perspectives Towards Understanding Disease, Epidemics, And Pandemics, Anne Grauer

Anthropology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

At no time in recent history has the topic of disease, epidemics and pandemics been more at the forefront of public conversation than it is now. Previously, the threat of epidemics such as Ebola, the 1918 influenza epidemic, and the plague, were commonly framed as “back then” or “over there.” Perhaps COVID ended the public's delusion. For biological anthropologists, however, the perspective has differed appreciably. Pandemics and epidemics are viewed as integral and repeated aspects of human existence, and the kindling to start an outbreak of gargantuan proportion has been delicately stacked for centuries (if not millennia). If the public …

Learning Experience Design As An Orienting Guide For Practice: Insights From Designing For Expertise, Jason K. Mcdonald, Tyler J. Westerberg

Faculty Publications

In this paper we consider how learning experience design (LXD) improves designers’ capacities to influence learning. We do this by exploring what LXD offers the design of learning environments that help develop learners’ expertise. We discuss how LXD (a) attunes designers to different learning affordances than are emphasized in traditional ID; (b) challenges the universal applicability of common ID techniques; and (c) expands designers’ views of the outcomes for which they can design. These insights suggest that LXD is useful because it refocuses and reframes designers' work around flexible design approaches that are often deemphasized in traditional ID.

Effect Of Calorie Restriction On The Expression Of Sirtuin1 As An Antiaging Biomarker, Raya Makarim Penantian, Radiana Dhewayani Antarianto, Novi Silvia Hardiany

Makara Journal of Science

Calorie restriction (CR) is the most effective method for delaying aging and preventing the onset of age-related diseases. Sirtuins constitute a family of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent histone deacetylases. Their activity can be regulated by NAD⁺/NADH levels, which are influenced by nutrient intake, a variable acted upon by CR. This review elaborates on the link between CR and sirtuin1 (SIRT1). It retrieved articles from several sources, such as ClinicalKey, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. It discusses the up-to-date knowledge of how SIRT1 acts as a nutrient sensor and regulator of molecular mechanisms. These mechanisms include the control of the cell …

In-Silico Approach For Predicting The Inhibitory Effect Of Home Remedies On Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2, Shankar Thapa, Mahalakshmi Suresha Biradar, Janmajoy Banerjee, Dipanjan Karati

Makara Journal of Science

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 is an infectious disease caused by coronavirus and spreads through infected droplets inhalation. For the past 3 years, COVID-19 has become a global threat. Vaccinations are currently available and have FDA approval. During the recent pandemic, people adopted a psychological belief that home remedies (turmeric, ginger, garlic, and coriander) can prevent COVID-19. This research aimed to predict the covid-19 inhibitory activities by home remedies through an in-silico approach. The 24 bioactive constituents of four home remedies plants were downloaded from PubChem and subjected to molecular docking with the three important proteins responsible for COVID-19 pathogenesis. …

Synthesis, Characterization, Antibacterial Activity, And Potential Water Filter Application Of Copper Oxide/Zeolite Composite, Elfa Aida Kamila, Zaenal Abidin, Irma Isnafia Arief, Trivadila Trivadila

Makara Journal of Science

Detection of E. coli bacteria in water samples can indicate the presence of other bacterial contamination in feces. Bacterial contamination can be treated with antibiotics, but excessive use of antibiotics leads to the emergence of multiresistant bacteria. Therefore, alternative antibacterial agents must be explored. Copper ion/zeolite composite has been widely studied as an antibacterial agent. However, the released copper ions accumulate in water and are toxic to humans; this can be prevented by converting copper ions into copper oxides (CuO and Cu₂O). In this study, copper oxide/zeolite composite is synthesized and characterized using the heating method, followed by …

Isolation Of Lignin From Sugarcane Bagasse As An Adsorbent For Chromium Ion, Nila Tanyela Berghuis, Nurul Fitri Novianti, Paramita Jaya Ratri

Makara Journal of Science

The waste generated in metal coating and leather tanning industries contribute to water pollution owing to the use of Cr metal in production processes. The utilization of lignin from natural base materials in the form of bagasse can reduce unwanted waste from production processes and adsorb Cr ion waste. In this study, lignin was successfully isolated from bagasse waste and then carbonized and applied in Cr metal absorption. Lignin and lignin carbon as an absorbent were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The ability of bagasse lignin and carbon lignin to absorb Cr ion waste …

Pro-Apoptosis Activity Of Pogostemon Cablin Benth. Against Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Through The Bcl-2 Inhibition Signaling Pathway: A Computational Investigation, Aigia Syahraini, Essy Harnelly, Feri Eko Hermanto

Makara Journal of Science

Resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy frequently emerges in the later stage of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tumorigenesis. The decreased response of NPC to radiotherapy and chemotherapy occurs owing to the inhibition of cancer cell apoptosis by the B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) protein. Thus, inhibiting BCL-2 protein may become a powerful approach to eliminate NPC through apoptosis regulation. Meanwhile, Pogostemon cablin is reported to exhibit anticancer properties, but there are limited studies on its use for NPC treatment. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential bioactive compounds in P. cablin as anti-apoptosis BCL-2 protein inhibitors using in-silico approach. Natural compounds …

Chicken Immune Responses To Vaccination By The Avian Influenza Subtype H5n1 Against Avian Influenza, Ramlah Ramlah, Sri Murtini, Retno Damayanti Soejoedono, Ketut Karuni Nyanakumari Natih, Siti Gusti Ningrum

Makara Journal of Science

Avian Influenza (AI) is one of the strategic animal diseases still considered a priority for control by the Indonesian government. This study aimed to examine the immune response of chickens to various types of H5N1 subtype AI vaccines in Indonesia and to determine the correlation of factors influencing the post-vaccination AI antibody response. Serum samples were tested using the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test with the standard AI antigen subtype H5N1 strain A/Chicken/Barru/BBVM/41-13/2013 (Clade 2.1.3) and strain A/Chicken/Semarang/04141225-07/2014 (Clade 2.3.2). Antibody titer was calculated using the Geometric Mean Titer (GMT). The correlation analyses were performed to assess the correlation of antibody …

Blockade Of Interferon Signaling Decreases Gut Barrier Integrity And Promotes Severe West Nile Virus Disease, Shih-Ching Lin, Fang R Zhao, Hana Janova, Adrian Gervais, Summer Rucknagel, Kristy O Murray, Jean-Laurent Casanova, Michael S Diamond

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The determinants of severe disease caused by West Nile virus (WNV) and why only ~1% of individuals progress to encephalitis remain poorly understood. Here, we use human and mouse enteroids, and a mouse model of pathogenesis, to explore the capacity of WNV to directly infect gastrointestinal (GI) tract cells and contribute to disease severity. At baseline, WNV poorly infects human and mouse enteroid cultures and enterocytes in mice. However, when STAT1 or type I interferon (IFN) responses are absent, GI tract cells become infected, and this is associated with augmented GI tract and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, accumulation of gut-derived …

Transgenic Mice Expressing Functional Tcrs Specific To Cardiac Myhc-Α 334–352 On Both Cd4 And Cd8 T Cells Are Resistant To The Development Of Myocarditis On C57bl/6 Genetic Background, Meghna Sur, Mahima T. Rasquinha, Rajkumar Arumugam, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, Arunkumar Gangaplara, Kiruthiga Mone, Ninaad Lasrado, Bharathi Yalaka, Aakash Doiphode, Channabasavaiah Gurumurthy, David J. Steffen, Jay Reddy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Myocarditis is a predominant cause of congestive heart failure and sudden death in children and young adolescents that can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy. Lymphocytic myocarditis mediated by T cells can result from the recognition of cardiac antigens that may involve CD4 or CD8 T cells or both. In this report, we describe the generation of T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice on a C57BL/6 genetic background specific to cardiac myosin heavy chain (Myhc)-α 334–352 and make the following observations: First, we verified that Myhc-α 334–352 was immunogenic in wild-type C57BL/6 mice and induced antigen-specific CD4 T cell responses despite being …

Dopamine Signaling From Ganglion Cells Directs Layer-Specific Angiogenesis In The Retina, Mohamed Tawfik, Shane P D'Souza, Morven A Cameron, Richard A Lang, Melanie A Samuel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

During central nervous system (CNS) development, a precisely patterned vasculature emerges to support CNS function. How neurons control angiogenesis is not well understood. Here, we show that the neuromodulator dopamine restricts vascular development in the retina via temporally limited production by an unexpected neuron subset. Our genetic and pharmacological experiments demonstrate that elevating dopamine levels inhibits tip-cell sprouting and vessel growth, whereas reducing dopamine production by all retina neurons increases growth. Dopamine production by canonical dopaminergic amacrine interneurons is dispensable for these events. Instead, we found that temporally restricted dopamine production by retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) modulates vascular development. RGCs …

Novel Genetic And Phenotypic Expansion In Gosr2-Related Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy, Rohini Coorg, Tom J De Koning, Kha M Nguyen, Calvin K Yip, Heinz Jungbluth, Anne Koy, Hormos Salimi Dafsari

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Biallelic variants in the Golgi SNAP receptor complex member 2 gene (GOSR2) have been reported in progressive myoclonus epilepsy with neurodegeneration. Typical clinical features include ataxia and areflexia during early childhood, followed by seizures, scoliosis, dysarthria, and myoclonus. Here, we report two novel patients from unrelated families with a GOSR2-related disorder and novel genetic and clinical findings. The first patient, a male compound heterozygous for the GOSR2 splice site variant c.336+1G>A and the novel c.364G>A,p.Glu122Lys missense variant showed global developmental delay and seizures at the age of 2 years, followed by myoclonus at the age …

Host Communities: The Foundation Of Regenerative Tourism, Marie Haley

Journal of Sustainability and Resilience

Tourism is a human structure and cannot be equated to natural systems such as farming. While regenerative farming focuses on the health of the natural system starting with the soil, tourism is a human system and must focus on regenerating the human system. This paper argues that the foundation of tourism is the host community. If the host community is vibrant and healthy, dynamic and resilient and has appropriate political systems to manage tourism, tourism will have the social licence and will thrive. Tourism can then have upwardly cascading feedback mechanisms where the host community can restore the natural environment, …

The Sounds Of Travel: Video Ethnography In Multisensory Tourism Research, Francesc Fusté-Forné

Journal of Sustainability and Resilience

While the analysis of the tourist experience often relies on the visual representations, recent research also increasingly calls for a multisensory understanding of tourism research. Soundscapes are an emerging type of tourism attraction that contributes to the protection and promotion of the sense of place. Departing from the use of video in ethnographic practice, this research notes illustrates the features of soundscapes in nature-based tourism research based on video auto-ethnography. Results show that the sounds of water, animals and gastronomy are evocative of people, places and practices in nature-based tourism experiences.

Socio-Economic Assessing Of Researchers Perceptions And Farmers Willingness To Adopt Silage Technology In Palestine-West Bank, Y. Istaitih, S. Alsadi, A. Elrashidi, Mohammad Kanan, Abdalmuttaleb Al-Sartawi, Jihad Asad

Information Sciences Letters

In this paper the animal breeder in Palestine has many challenges including high feed prices, high-cost input, low-quality pasture, limited access to rangeland with high quality, and high cost of feed. In Tubas and Tulkarm areas, extensive irrigated agriculture is dominant. Large quantities of agricultural by-products are wasted. As one of the important interventions to decrease feeding costs, the study focused on silage technology adoption from the view of researchers and farmers. It meant using these agricultural by-products to make them beneficial and eatable for the animal. On the one hand, we removed these by-products from the environment and second, …

A Facile Agrobacterium‑Mediated Transformation Method For The Model Unicellular Green Algae Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Truyen N. Quach, Shirley J. Sato, Mark R. Behrens, Paul N. Black, Concetta C. Dirusso, Heriberto D. Cerutti, Tom Elmo Clemente

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

A reliable and simple Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system for the unicellular green algae model organism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has been developed. The protocol has been successfully employed with both neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) and the phleomycin resistance (bleI) genes coupled with the selective agents paromomycin and zeocin, respectively. A set of binary vectors were assembled that carry the selectable marker cassettes under control either of the Rbcs2 alone or fused to the HSP270A leader sequence, PsaD, or ß-tubulin2 promoters. The corresponding T-DNA elements also harbored a cassette with a codon-optimized version of yellow fluorescence protein (YFP) under …

Measuring The Phytochemical Richness Of Meat: Effects Of Grass/Grain Finishing Systems And Grapeseed Extract Supplementation On The Fatty Acid And Phytochemical Content Of Beef, Lucas Krusinski, Isabella C. F. Maciel, Stephan Van Vliet, Muhammad Ahsin, Guanqi Lu, Jason E. Rowntree, Jenifer I. Fenton

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Grass-finished beef (GFB) can provide beneficial bioactive compounds to healthy diets, including omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and secondary bioactive compounds, such as phytochemicals. The objective of this study was to compare fatty acids (FAs), micronutrients, and phytochemicals of beef fed a biodiverse pasture (GRASS), a total mixed ration (GRAIN), or a total mixed ration with 5% grapeseed extract (GRAPE). This was a two-year study involving fifty-four Red Angus steers (n = 54). GFB contained higher levels of n-3 PUFAs, vitamin E, iron, zinc, stachydrine, hippuric acid, citric acid, and succinic …

Everything I Ever Needed To Know About The North Pole I Learned From Father Christmas (And Karhu The Polar Bear [And Ilbereth The Elf])., Kristine Larsen

Journal of Tolkien Research

Based on a portion of a keynote address delivered at the 50th Tolkien Society Oxonmoot, this paper investigates the Father Christmas Letters through a world-building lens, and suggests areas of analysis concerning the letters where scholars may make significant additional contributions to Tolkien Studies.

Long-Term Herbivore Removal Experiments Reveal How Geese And Reindeer Shape Vegetation And Ecosystem Co2-Fluxes In High-Arctic Tundra, Matteo Petit Bon, Brage B. Hansen, Maarten J. J. E. Loonen, Alessandro Petraglia, Kari Anne Bråthen, Hanna Böhner, Kate Layton-Matthews, Karen H. Beard, Mathilde Le Moullec, Ingibjörg S. Jónsdóttir, René Van Der Wal

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. Given the current rates of climate change, with associated shifts in herbivore population densities, understanding the role of different herbivores in ecosystem functioning is critical for predicting ecosystem responses. Here, we examined how migratory geese and resident, non-migratory reindeer—two dominating yet functionally contrasting herbivores—control vegetation and ecosystem processes in rapidly warming Arctic tundra.

2. We collected vegetation and ecosystem carbon (C) flux data at peak plant growing season in the two longest running, fully replicated herbivore removal experiments found in high-Arctic Svalbard. Experiments had been set up independently in wet habitat utilised by barnacle geese Branta leucopsis in summer and in …

A High-Efficiency Gene Silencing In Plants Using Two-Hit Asymmetrical Artificial Micrornas, Sachin Teotia, Xiaoran Wang, Na Zhou, Mengmeng Wang, Haiping Liu, Jun Qin, Dianwei Han, Chingwen Li, Christine E. Li, Shangjin Pan, Haifeng Tang, Wenjun Kang, Zhanhui Zhang, Xiaoqing Tang, Ting Peng, Guiliang Tang

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. They are produced through an enzyme-guided process called dicing and have an asymmetrical structure with two nucleotide overhangs at the 3' ends. Artificial microRNAs (amiRNAs or amiRs) are designed to mimic the structure of miRNAs and can be used to silence specific genes of interest. Traditionally, amiRNAs are designed based on an endogenous miRNA precursor with certain mismatches at specific positions to increase their efficiency. In this study, the authors modified the highly expressed miR168a in Arabidopsis thaliana by replacing the single miR168 stem-loop / …

Site Familiarity Makes An Enduring Impact On Breeding Success, Walter H. Piper, Katy Dahl, Martha Kebeh, Allison J. Piper

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Most studies of vertebrate breeding success have been unable to pinpoint the cause for a simple and almost universal pattern: its steady increase during an animal's lifetime. Yet potential causes of increased breeding success have profound implications for the evolution of reproductive behaviour. An age-related increase might come about through (1) higher breeding investment by older animals, (2) breeding improvement through learning, (3) better reproductive coordination between familiar mates or (4) accumulated benefits of site familiarity. We used mixed models to investigate age-related predictors of hatching and fledging success in a population of common loons, Gavia immer, that contained …

Promotional Flyer: Nativities And The Natural World (Ud Class Visits), Ann Zlotnik

Reports and Promotional Materials

Promotional flyer for 2023-24 Christmas exhibit, inviting faculty to incorporate the exhibit into their teaching. Text:

This Christmas season, the Marian Library invites you to explore the intersection of Christmas and nature. See Nativity sets, artwork and more through a different lens — plants, animals and the natural wonder of the world in which Christ was born.

Exhibit dates: Nov. 20, 2023 – Jan. 12, 2024

Promotional Flyer: Nativities And The Natural World (Field Trips), Ann Zlotnik

Reports and Promotional Materials

Promotional flyer for 2023-24 Christmas exhibit, designed to attract school field trips. Text:

This Christmas season, the Marian Library invites you to explore the intersection of Christmas and nature. See Nativity sets, artwork and more through a different lens — plants, animals and the natural wonder of the world in which Christ was born.

Exhibit dates: Nov. 20, 2023 – Jan. 12, 2024

Anticoagulant Drug-Drug Interactions With Cannabinoids: A Systematic Review, Maureen A. Smythe, Wendy Wu, Candice L. Garwood

Department of Pharmacy Practice

Introduction

This systematic review evaluates the extent to which the effect of anticoagulants may be altered in the presence of cannabinoids.

Methods

The following databases were searched: EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PscycINFO, and CINAHL from database inception through May 2023. Search terms included cannabis AND anticoagulant AND drug interactions, and related key words. The major outcome was hemorrhage or thrombosis and if available, the relative change in quantitative intensity of anticoagulation after cannabinoid exposure.

Results

The search generated 959 citations. After removal of 440 duplicates, 519 citations were screened. Overall, with the exception of warfarin, evidence supporting an …

Research Staff Covid-19 Pandemic Survey-Results From The Prevention And Early Treatment Of Acute Lung Injury (Petal) Network, Jasreen Gill, Andrew Bissonette, Andrew Cook, Jacqueline Day, Sheri Renaud, Gordon Jacobsen, Kristine Nelson, Lori-Ann Kozikowski, Namita Jayaprakash, Jayna Gardner-Gray, Jennifer Swiderek, Cathryn F. Oldmixon, Nancy J. Ringwood, Robert L. Sherwin, Mark D. Williams, Arielle H. Gupta, Nicholas J. Johnson, Robert C. Hyzy, Pauline K. Park, Emanuel Rivers

Emergency Medicine Articles

Objectives: There is a lack of knowledge about the challenges of researchers who continued in-person research during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design: Electronic survey assessing work-related exposure to COVID-19, logistical challenges, and procedural changes during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical research.

Setting: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury Clinical Trial Network Centers.

Subjects: Research staff at research Network Sites. Measurements and Main

Results: The 37-question survey was completed by 277 individuals from 24 states between 29 September 2020, and 12 December 2020, yielding a response …

A Rare Cause Of Diarrhea: Intestinal Spirochetosis In An Hiv-Positive Patient., Lacey Falgout, Shilpa Kailas, Supraja Sridhar, Nisha Loganantharaj

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Intestinal spirochetosis (IS) is a rare gastrointestinal infection with vague presenting symptoms. Diagnosis is confirmed histopathologically. Risk factors include homosexuality and HIV. Antibiotic treatment with metronidazole usually leads to resolution of symptoms. We present the case of a 56-year-old HIV-positive man with chronic, watery diarrhea who was diagnosed with IS. This case highlights the importance of considering IS in the differential in HIV-positive patients with nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms after more common etiologies have been ruled out.

Religious Commitment And Intent To Die By Suicide During The Pandemic, Karen Mason, Melinda Moore, Jerry K. Palmer, Zihan Yang

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in 10–34-year-olds in the U.S. It is vital to identify protective factors that promote resilience in a suicide crisis. Background: This study explored the contributions of religious commitment (RC) and religious service attendance to decreased suicide intent in 18–34-year-olds. Possible moderators were investigated, including church-based social support, pandemic-related faith struggles (PRFS), and moral objections to suicide. Methods: Participants completed an online survey reporting on RC, suicide intent, church-based social support, religious service attendance, PRFS, and moral objections to suicide. Results: In the convenience sample of 451 18–34-year-olds (M = 24.97; 47.23% female), …

Viability Of The ‘Democratic Liberalism’ Project, Prerna Dhoop

Articles

Book Review: From Free to Fair Markets: Liberalism after COVID -19 by Rosalind Dixon and Richard Holden (Oxford University Press, 2022); pp 240, 24 GBP.

Non-Uniform Temporal Scaling Of Developmental Processes In The Mammalian Cortex, Annalisa Paolino, Elizabeth H Haines, Evan J Bailey, Dylan A Black, Ching Moey, Fernando García-Moreno, Linda J Richards, Rodrigo Suárez, Laura R Fenlon

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The time that it takes the brain to develop is highly variable across animals. Although staging systems equate major developmental milestones between mammalian species, it remains unclear how distinct processes of cortical development scale within these timeframes. Here, we compare the timing of cortical development in two mammals of similar size but different developmental pace: eutherian mice and marsupial fat-tailed dunnarts. Our results reveal that the temporal relationship between cell birth and laminar specification aligns to equivalent stages between these species, but that migration and axon extension do not scale uniformly according to the developmental stages, and are relatively more …

Molecular Imaging Of Ace2 Expression In Infectious Disease And Cancer, Zhiyao Li, Abbie Hasson, Lasya Daggumati, Hanwen Zhang, Daniel L J Thorek

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a cell-surface receptor that plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Through the use of ligands engineered for the receptor, ACE2 imaging has emerged as a valuable tool for preclinical and clinical research. These can be used to visualize the expression and distribution of ACE2 in tissues and cells. A variety of techniques including optical, magnetic resonance, and nuclear medicine contrast agents have been developed and employed in the preclinical setting. Positron-emitting radiotracers for highly sensitive and quantitative tomography have also been translated in the context of SARS-CoV-2-infected and control patients. Together …