Digital Commons Network^™

Two Cardinal Features Of Als, Reduced Stmn2 And Pathogenic Tdp-43, Synergize To Accelerate Motor Decline In Mice, Kelsey L Krus, Ana Morales Benitez, Amy Strickland, Jeffrey Milbrandt, A Joseph Bloom, Aaron Diantonio

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Pathological TDP-43 loss from the nucleus and cytoplasmic aggregation occurs in almost all cases of ALS and half of frontotemporal dementia patients. Stathmin2 (Stmn2) is a key target of TDP-43 regulation and aberrantly spliced Stmn2 mRNA is found in patients with ALS, frontotemporal dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease. STMN2 participates in the axon injury response and its depletion in vivo partially replicates ALS-like symptoms including progressive motor deficits and distal NMJ denervation. The interaction between STMN2 loss and TDP-43 dysfunction has not been studied in mice because TDP-43 regulates human but not murine Stmn2 splicing. Therefore, we generated trans-heterozygous mice that …

Unprecedented Female Mutation Bias In The Aye-Aye, A Highly Unusual Lemur From Madagascar, Richard J Wang, Yadira Peña-García, Muthuswamy Raveendran, R Alan Harris, Thuy-Trang Nguyen, Marie-Claude Gingras, Yifan Wu, Lesette Perez, Anne D Yoder, Joe H Simmons, Jeffrey Rogers, Matthew W Hahn

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Every mammal studied to date has been found to have a male mutation bias: male parents transmit more de novo mutations to offspring than female parents, contributing increasingly more mutations with age. Although male-biased mutation has been studied for more than 75 years, its causes are still debated. One obstacle to understanding this pattern is its near universality-without variation in mutation bias, it is difficult to find an underlying cause. Here, we present new data on multiple pedigrees from two primate species: aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis), a member of the strepsirrhine primates, and olive baboons (Papio anubis). In stark contrast to …

Historical Demography And Species Distribution Models Shed Light On Speciation In Primates Of Northeast India, Mihir Trivedi, Kunal Arekar, Shivakumara Manu, Lukas F K Kuderna, Jeffrey Rogers, Kyle Kai-How Farh, Tomas Marques Bonet, Govindhaswamy Umapathy

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Past climate change is one of the important factors influencing primate speciation. Populations of various species could have risen or declined in response to these climatic fluctuations. Northeast India harbors a rich diversity of primates, where such fluctuations can be implicated. Recent advances in climate modeling as well as genomic data analysis has paved the way for understanding how species accumulate at a particular geographic region. We utilized these methods to explore the primate diversity in this unique region in relation to past climate change. To ascertain the population level changes, we inferred the demographic history of nine species of …

Magnesium Sulfate In The Management Of Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Review Of The Literature And Future Directions, Maximillian S Feygin, Alex Brenner, Omar Tanweer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The management of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) was revolutionized within the last 15 years with the introduction of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) to standard of care. Despite the success of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in achieving high recanalization rates for large vessel occlusion, functional independence post-treatment remains suboptimal. The current limitations of MT prompt evaluation of the role of adjunctive pharmacologic neuroprotective therapies to prevent excitotoxicity, cellular apoptosis, and inflammation that cause irreversible neuronal damage during AIS. Magnesium (MgSO4) provides an attractive neuroprotectant profile, having many different effects, and is inexpensive, readily available, and has a long-established safety and tolerability profile …

Pancreatic Organogenesis Mapped Through Space And Time, Marissa A Scavuzzo, Wojciech J Szlachcic, Matthew C Hill, Natalia M Ziojla, Jessica Teaw, Jeffrey C Carlson, Jonathan Tiessen, Jolanta Chmielowiec, James F Martin, Malgorzata Borowiak

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The spatial organization of cells within a tissue is dictated throughout dynamic developmental processes. We sought to understand whether cells geometrically coordinate with one another throughout development to achieve their organization. The pancreas is a complex cellular organ with a particular spatial organization. Signals from the mesenchyme, neurons, and endothelial cells instruct epithelial cell differentiation during pancreatic development. To understand the cellular diversity and spatial organization of the developing pancreatic niche, we mapped the spatial relationships between single cells over time. We found that four transcriptionally unique subtypes of mesenchyme in the developing pancreas spatially coordinate throughout development, with each …

Using Integrin Αvβ6-Targeted Positron Emission Tomography Imaging To Longitudinally Monitor Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis In Vivo, William C Y Lo, Cristian W Villas Boas, Truc T Huynh, Amanda Klaas, Felicia Grogan, Lori Strong, Pamela Samson, Clifford G Robinson, Buck E Rogers, Carmen Bergom

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (RIPF) is a potentially serious and disabling late complication of radiation therapy. Monitoring RIPF progression is challenging due to the absence of early detection tools and the difficulty in distinguishing RIPF from other lung diseases using standard imaging methods. In the lungs, integrin αvβ6 is crucial in the development of RIPF, acting as a significant activator of transforming growth factor β after radiation injury. This study aimed to investigate integrin α

METHODS AND MATERIALS: We used a focal RIPF model (70 Gy delivered focally to a 3 mm spot in the lung) and a whole lung …

Parasite-Microbiota Interactions: A Pathway To Innovative Interventions For Chagas Disease, Leishmaniasis, And Ascariasis, Juan David Ramírez, Sergio Castañeda, Jill Weatherhead, Cristina Poveda

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Parasitic infections are a major global health challenge, driven in part by complex interactions between parasites, host microbiota, and immune responses. Recent advances in microbiome research highlight the critical role of microbiota in influencing disease outcomes and treatment effectiveness. This review examines how changes in the microbiota impact parasite transmission, disease progression, and responses to treatment, focusing on key parasitic diseases such as Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and ascariasis. The microbiota can either exacerbate or mitigate disease severity, depending on its composition, providing critical insights for novel therapeutic strategies. Emerging approaches discussed include the use of targeted probiotics, prebiotics, and microbiota-modulating …

Cross-Sectional Comparison Of Structural Mri Markers Of Impairment In A Diverse Cohort Of Older Adults, Julie K Wisch, Kalen Petersen, Peter R Millar, Omar Abdelmoity, Ganesh M Babulal, Karin L Meeker, Meredith N Braskie, Kristine Yaffe, Arthur W Toga, Sid O'Bryant, Beau M Ances, Habs‐Hd Study Team

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Neurodegeneration is presumed to be the pathological process measure most proximal to clinical symptom onset in Alzheimer Disease (AD). Structural MRI is routinely collected in research and clinical trial settings. Several quantitative MRI-based measures of atrophy have been proposed, but their low correspondence with each other has been previously documented. The purpose of this study was to identify which commonly used structural MRI measure (hippocampal volume, cortical thickness in AD signature regions, or brain age gap [BAG]) had the best correspondence with the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) in an ethno-racially diverse sample. 2870 individuals recruited by the Healthy and Aging …

Neuroimaging Findings In Nondemented Frail Individuals: A Systematic Review, Hamid Harandi, Soheil Mohammadi, Ali Jahanshahi, Mahsa Dolatshahi, Sogol Alikarami, Rasa Zafari, Cyrus A Raji

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Frailty is a chronic condition characterised by the progressive decline of multiple physiological functions. There is a critical need to investigate neuroimaging findings in nondemented frail individuals to better understand the underlying mechanisms and implications of frailty on brain health. This paper is aimed at reviewing neuroimaging studies assessing brain changes in nondemented frail individuals to understand the neuropsychological basis of frailty.

METHODS: A systematic review was conducted on studies focusing on neuroimaging modalities in frailty, including MRI, fMRI, DTI and PET. The review was based on PRISMA instructions and a two-step screening process. The studies evaluating neuroimaging findings …

Sex-Specific Divergences In The Types And Timing Of Infiltrating Immune Cells During The Intervertebral Disc Acute Injury Response And Their Associations With Degeneration, Sade W Clayton, Remy E Walk, Laura Mpofu, Garrett W D Easson, Simon Y Tang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Inadequate repair of the intervertebral disc (IVD) contributes to low back pain. Infiltrating immune cells into damaged tissues are critical mediators of repair, yet little is known about the identities, roles, and temporal regulation following IVD injury. By analyzing transcripts of immune cell markers, histopathologic analysis, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry, we aimed to define the temporal cascade of infiltrating immune cells and their associations with IVD degeneration.

METHODS: Caudal IVDs from 12-week-old C57BL6/J mice were injured and monitored for 42 days post-injury. Transcriptional markers identifying myeloid, B, and T immune cells, and angiogenic factors were measured from the IVDs …

Nuclear Egfr In Breast Cancer Suppresses Nk Cell Recruitment And Cytotoxicity, Angelica Escoto, Ryan Hecksel, Chance Parkinson, Sara Crane, Benjamin Atwell, Shyanne King, Daniela Ortiz Chavez, Alison Jannuzi, Barbara Sands, Benjamin G Bitler, Todd A Fehniger, Andrew L Paek, Megha Padi, Joyce Schroeder

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Natural Killer (NK) cells can target and destroy cancer cells, yet tumor microenvironments typically suppress NK cell recruitment and cytotoxicity. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a potent oncogene that can activate survival, migration, and proliferation pathways, and clinical data suggests it may also play an immunomodulating role in cancers. Recent work has demonstrated a novel role for nuclear EGFR (nEGFR) in regulating transcriptional events unique from the kinase domain. Using a novel peptide therapeutic (cSNX1.3) that inhibits retrograde trafficking of EGFR and an EGFR nuclear localization mutant, we discovered that nEGFR suppresses NK cell recruitment and cytotoxicity. RNA-Seq …

Triacylglycerol Mobilization Underpins Mitochondrial Stress Recovery, Zakery N Baker, Yunyun Zhu, Rachel M Guerra, Andrew J Smith, Aline Arra, Lia R Serrano, Katherine A Overmyer, Shankar Mukherji, Elizabeth A Craig, Joshua J Coon, David J Pagliarini

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mitochondria are central to myriad biochemical processes, and thus even their moderate impairment could have drastic cellular consequences if not rectified. Here, to explore cellular strategies for surmounting mitochondrial stress, we conducted a series of chemical and genetic perturbations to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and analysed the cellular responses using deep multiomic mass spectrometry profiling. We discovered that mobilization of lipid droplet triacylglycerol stores was necessary for strains to mount a successful recovery response. In particular, acyl chains from these stores were liberated by triacylglycerol lipases and used to fuel biosynthesis of the quintessential mitochondrial membrane lipid cardiolipin to support new mitochondrial …

Approaches To Post-Tsunami Coastal Reconstruction: Comparisons Across Indonesia, Thailand, And Japan, Alison Raby, A Pomonis, Anawat Suppasri, Keith Adams, Nurullah Açikgoz, Marco Baiguera, Yunita Idris, Panon Latcharote, Francesca Marafini, David Mcgovern, Ella Meilianda, Harsh Mistry, Sukiman Nurdin, Eyitayo Opabola, Teraphan Ornthammarath, Nattapon Trumikaborworn, Tiziana Rossetto

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Natural hazards pose significant challenges to affected communities worldwide, yet there remains a lack of comprehensive studies comparing recovery efforts across different countries and cultures. This study addresses the gap by investigating the impact of three devastating tsunami events on four distinct locations: Banda Aceh (Sumatra, Indonesia) and Southern Thailand, both affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the 20th anniversary of which provided the initial motivation for the study; the Tohoku region of Japan, affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami; and Palu Bay (Sulawesi, Indonesia) affected by the Palu-Central Sulawesi Earthquake and consequent triple disaster. …

Development Of 24-Hour Rhythms In Cortisol Secretion Across Infancy: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Individual Participant Data, Laura Kervezee, Michelle Romijn, Kirsten N.G. Van De Weijer, Britney S.J. Chen, George L. Burchell, Marieke S. Tollenaar, Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz, Lauren E. Philbrook, Carolina De Weerth, Yang Cao, Joost Rotteveel, Rina D. Eiden, Rima Azar, Nicole R. Bush, Adina Chis, Grazyna Kmita, Melissa W. Clearfield, Roseriet Beijers, Michael Gröschl, Stefan A. Wudy, Andries Kalsbeek, Evalotte Mörelius, Martijn J.J. Finken

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Context: In adults, cortisol levels show a pronounced 24-hour rhythm with a peak in the early morning. It is unknown at what age this early-morning peak in cortisol emerges during infancy, hampering the establishment of optimal dosing regimens for hydrocortisone replacement therapy in infants with an inborn form of adrenal insufficiency. Objective: We aimed to characterize daily variation in salivary cortisol concentration across the first year of life. Methods: We conducted a systematic review followed by an individual participant data meta-analysis of studies reporting on spontaneous (ie, not stress-induced) salivary cortisol concentrations in healthy infants aged 0-1 year. A one-stage …

Genome Wide Association Study Reveals Novel Associations With Face Morphology, Aamer Alshehhi, Mira Mousa, Guan K. Tay, Naoufel Werghi, Habiba Alsafar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on the Middle Eastern population, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have been relatively limited. The present study aims to investigate genotype-face morphology associations in the UAE population through Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Phenotypic data (44 face measurements) from 172 Emiratis was obtained through three-dimensional (3D) scanning technology and an automatic face landmarking technique. GWAS analysis revealed associations of 19 genetic loci with six face features, 14 of which are novel. The GWAS analysis revealed 11 significant relationships between 44 face parameters and 242 SNPs, exceeding the GWAS significance threshold. These phenotypes were previously associated …

Investigating The Impact Of Sorghum On Tau Protein Phosphorylation And Mitochondrial Dysfunction Modulation In Alzheimer’S Disease: An In Vitro Study, Nasim Rezaee, Eugene Hone, Hamid Sohrabi, Rasheed Abdulraheem, Stuart K. Johnson, Stuart Gunzburg, Ralph N. Martins, W. M.A.D.Binosha Fernando

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with poorly understood pathology. Elevated tau, phospho-tau and mitochondrial dysfunction are significantly correlated with an increased risk of AD and are therefore targets for disease-modifying therapy. In this study, we examined the effects of polyphenolic extracts from six different varieties of sorghum: Shawaya short black-1 (Black), IS1311C (Brown), QL33/QL36 (Red), B923296 (Red), QL12 (White), and QL33 (Red) on the attenuation of beta amyloid-induced phospho-tau levels, total tau levels, and mitochondrial dysfunction in neuronal cells. Method: Tau proteins (231 (pT231), Serine- 199 (pS199), and total tau proteins (T-tau)) were detected and quantified …

Test Of Strategies For Production And Harvest Of Edible Roots From Hydroponic Plants, Mariam Yaslem Albreiki

Theses

Hydroponic plant cultivation is becoming increasingly popular in the UAE, especially for leafy greens and fruit vegetables. By the end of the growing cycle, the roots of hydroponic plants are usually treated as crop residues, even though roots of several species are potentially edible and could be processed into food or nutraceuticals. Root crops like sweet potato or carrot might even be grown in hydroponic systems for the primary purpose of producing edible fibrous or tuberous roots. However, the use of hydroponic systems for the production of root biomass is not yet common, and most farmers strive to produce plants …

A Living Feminist Postdevelopmental Lexicon For Early Education, Mindy Blaise, Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Expanding the important body of work that addresses child development’s limitations and responding to the ecological crisis that threatens the future of life on Earth, this article proposes a living feminist postdevelopmental lexicon. The lexicon introduces 26 concepts that together challenge the theory/practice divide, disrupt Cartesian modes of subjectivity, reorient taken-for-granted ideas as problematic in early education, open up early education to inquiries that respond to the political and ethical questions of our milieu, and generate conditions for creative, inventive, thoughtful, and ethical projects. The paper invites readers to engage with and creatively add to the lexicon, making it an …

Consolidating The Evidence On The Effectiveness Of Strategies To Promote Vegetable Intake In Priority Settings: An Overview Of Systematic Reviews, Paige G. Brooker, Astrid A.M. Poelman, Katherine M. Livingstone, Clare E. Collins, Seema Mihrshahi, Ros Sambell, Jason H.Y. Wu, Gilly A. Hendrie

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Effective interventions to increase vegetable intake are urgently needed. This systematic rapid review aimed to summarise the effectiveness of interventions targeting increased vegetable intakes across diverse settings. Methodology: The review was guided by the conduct of rapid reviews from the Cochrane Handbook. The literature was searched in February 2024 across PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Central for systematic review articles published since 2014. The Risk of Bias In Systematic Reviews tool was used and characteristics of reviews synthesised narratively with intervention effectiveness results were summarised. Results: A total of 20 systematic reviews met the eligibility criteria. Most targeted …

Reflections On The Origin Of Linear B, (Part 8); Sign 16 (Looks Like A Human Head) And Its Possible Connection To The Ancient Egyptian God Ptaḥ, Gerald Leonard Cohen

Arts, Languages and Philosophy Faculty Research & Creative Works

This article suggests a rationale for the shape of Linear B sign 16 being that of a human head: The sign likely derives from the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph for ‘face’ (recognized already by Sundwall and Evans) and very possibly honors the ancient Egyptian god Ptah, described as ‘Beautiful of Face.’ Also, remarkably, a total of three Linear B signs may be traceable directly to Ptah, and a fourth one (shared with Osiris) may be connected with him too.

Constanto Mysterium - A Paradise Of Shifting Constants, Vijay Fafat

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Mathematicians speak of constants of mathematics. Some of these constants are known to high-heavens. Some remain hidden in the obscurity of erudition. And to be frank, while every real number is a mathematical constant, we don’t know much about most of them (is not the set of transcendental numbers incommensurable without us knowing or understanding very many of them?).

So what elevates some constants above others? Is this elevation just a measure of the ignorance of mathematicians who have explored but a small patch of an infinite quilt, a case of six wise men trumpeting the – well, the trumpet …

White Horses In The Sky: Or The Magical Place Where Topology Meets Poetry, Sanziana Caraman, Lorelei Caraman

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

What do Shakespearean words, doughnuts, cups of tea, and horses in the sky all have in common with a famous theorem? To discover the answer, we take you on a journey in a strange, enchanted land: the land where mathematics meets poetry. Here we explore how a fundamental literary trope, metaphor, and a fundamental result in topology, Brouver's Fixed Point Theorem, touch and illuminate one another. Delving into the symmetry of this transdisciplinary embrace, we find that it reveals, not only the beauty of poetry and mathematics, but that of life itself: the beauty hidden in ordinary things like a …

Prompting Progress: Authorship In The Age Of Ai, Edward Lee

Florida Law Review

This Article examines a question of profound importance today: do the works people create using artificial intelligence (AI) qualify for copyright? This Article explains why the Copyright Office’s 2023 guidance excluding AI-generated works from copyright is wrong. The Office’s newfound requirement of the so-called “traditional elements of authorship”—including sufficient control, avoidance of random elements in the creative process, prediction of the final work ahead of time, and dictation of the specific results—finds no support in the text, history, or structure of the Progress Clause, Supreme Court precedent, or the Copyright Act, past or present. It limits “Authors” to “traditional elements” …

Theatre As Exigency: A Case For Live Performance From The Ghosts Of The Theatre, Erin J. Schmidt

Theatre, Dance & Film Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Calliandra Calothyrsus - A Potential New Shrub Legume For Tropical Animal Production?, B Palmer, R A. Bray, T M. Ibrahim

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Calliandra calothyrsus outyielded leucaena in cutting experiments at 2 sites in northern Australia and I in Indonesia. Drying significantly depressed the voluntary intake and digestibility of leaf, possibly due to the presence of tannin. Calliandra has the potential as a supplement for the low quality grass common to the tropics both ln grazing and cut-and-carry systems.

Advances In Research And Development With Sylosanthes And Other Tropical Pasture Legumes, D F. Cameron, C P. Miller, L A. Edye, J W. Miles

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The last 20 years have seen major advances in research and development wilh tropical legumes. Research advances have been closely associated with substantial increases in the number and diversity of genetic resource collections, Release of a wide range of new cultivars has been based on selection for plant adaptation, persistence and productivity, screening for resistance to pest's and diseases, and the development of efficient seed production. Determination of fertiliser requirements and grazing management practices has resulted in sustainable animal production from legume-based pasture systems. Extensive pasture development has now occurred in both high and low input systems. Options vary from …

Integration Of Wildlife And Cattle On Communal Lands In Kangwane, South Africa, M Stalmans, A Van Wyk, M T. Mentis

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The feasibility of integrating wildlife with the current livestock husbandry on communal lands in KaNgwane was investigated. Present stocking rates were 3 times the recommended figure for production farming. This fitted predictions based on the Jones-Sandland model for populations where the major consideration is maximum number of animals rather than high productivity. The integration of game was seen as a means to increase economic output, while spreading benefits from the use of natural resources to the community at large and establishing a form of ecologically sustainable land use. The active involvement of the community in the planning process and their …

Game Production On Private Land In South Africa, J C. Pauw, M J.S Peel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The game industry on private land in South Africa has grown considerably in the last 30 years, resulting in a greatly increased biodiversity on private rangeland. However, animals are not domesticated and management is difficult. Management becomes even more complex because commercial game production normally involves a number of species, including domestic stock, in the same production system. Mixed livestock-game ranching holds certain advantages for management and is generally perceived to be more profitable than either alone. Because of human preferences, a lack of clearly defined management objectives and lack of practical management recommendations, veld is generally heavily utilised and …

Overcoming Limitations On The Productivity Of Browsing Ungulates In Africa, Norman Owen-Smith

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In African savannas primary production by woody plants may match that by the grass layer. However, maximum population levels attained by browsing ruminants are only one tenth of those reached by similar sized grazers, The productivity of browsers is limited because (I) much foliage is out of reach, and dispersed by wind when shed; (2) most palatable trees are deciduous, leading to a food bottleneck during the late dry season; (3) leaves of many woody species are rendered unpalatable, indigestible or toxic by plant secondary metabolites. Management actions to overcome these limitations include (I) lopping trees to restrict their height; …

Economic And Ecological Features Of Livestock And Wildlife Utilization In Africa, J I. Barnes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This paper looks at livestock and wildlife utilisation in Africa within the framework of total economic value (TEV), which includes both utilisation and biodiversity values. In Africa, traditional use of wildlife involves open access systems on public land, Here, free ranging, public wildlife resources are used to produce subsistence or marketed meat and skins at smaII scale. Traditional livestock systems involve open access use of rangelands. Here, livestock are kept at small ·scale to produce draft power, milk, meat and as a store of .value. Commercial use of wildlife involves restricted access systems on both public and private lands. Here, …