Digital Commons Network^™

Mecp2 Regulates Gdf11, A Dosage-Sensitive Gene Critical For Neurological Function, Sameer S Bajikar, Ashley G Anderson, Jian Zhou, Mark A Durham, Alexander J Trostle, Ying-Wooi Wan, Zhandong Liu, Huda Y Zoghbi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Loss- and gain-of-function of MeCP2 causes Rett syndrome (RTT) and MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS), respectively. MeCP2 binds methyl-cytosines to finely tune gene expression in the brain, but identifying genes robustly regulated by MeCP2 has been difficult. By integrating multiple transcriptomics datasets, we revealed that MeCP2 finely regulates growth differentiation factor 11 (Gdf11). Gdf11 is down-regulated in RTT mouse models and, conversely, up-regulated in MDS mouse models. Strikingly, genetically normalizing Gdf11 dosage levels improved several behavioral deficits in a mouse model of MDS. Next, we discovered that losing one copy of Gdf11 alone was sufficient to cause multiple neurobehavioral …

Uncovering Novel Regulators Of Memory Using C Elegans Genetic And Genomic Analysis, Katie L Brandel-Ankrapp, Rachel N Arey

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

How organisms learn and encode memory is an outstanding question in neuroscience research. Specifically, how memories are acquired and consolidated at the level of molecular and gene pathways remains unclear. In addition, memory is disrupted in a wide variety of neurological disorders; therefore, discovering molecular regulators of memory may reveal therapeutic targets for these disorders. C. elegans are an excellent model to uncover molecular and genetic regulators of memory. Indeed, the nematode's invariant neuronal lineage, fully mapped genome, and conserved associative behaviors have allowed the development of a breadth of genetic and genomic tools to examine learning and memory. In …

Trpv1-Mediated Sonogenetic Neuromodulation Of Motor Cortex In Freely Moving Mice, Kevin Xu, Yaoheng Yang, Zhongtao Hu, Yimei Yue, Yan Gong, Jianmin Cui, Joseph P Culver, Michael R Bruchas, Hong Chen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Intensive Endurance Exercise Training Is Associated To Reduced Markers Of Cellular Senescence In The Colon Mucosa Of Older Adults, Marco Demaria, Beatrice Bertozzi, Nicola Veronese, Francesco Spelta, Edda Cava, Valeria Tosti, Laura Piccio, Dayna S Early, Luigi Fontana

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Regular endurance exercise training is an effective intervention for the maintenance of metabolic health and the prevention of many age-associated chronic diseases. Several metabolic and inflammatory factors are involved in the health-promoting effects of exercise training, but regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. Cellular senescence-a state of irreversible growth arrest-is considered a basic mechanism of aging. Senescent cells accumulate over time and promote a variety of age-related pathologies from neurodegenerative disorders to cancer. Whether long-term intensive exercise training affect the accumulation of age-associated cellular senescence is still unclear. Here, we show that the classical senescence markers p16 and IL-6 were markedly …

Orthodenticle Homeobox 2 Is Transported To Lysosomes By Nuclear Budding Vesicles, Jun Woo Park, Eun Jung Lee, Eunyoung Moon, Hong-Lim Kim, In-Beom Kim, Didier Hodzic, Namsuk Kim, Hee-Seok Kweon, Jin Woo Kim

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Transcription factors (TFs) are transported from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and disappear from the nucleus after they regulate gene expression. Here, we discover an unconventional nuclear export of the TF, orthodenticle homeobox 2 (OTX2), in nuclear budding vesicles, which transport OTX2 to the lysosome. We further find that torsin1a (Tor1a) is responsible for scission of the inner nuclear vesicle, which captures OTX2 using the LINC complex. Consistent with this, in cells expressing an ATPase-inactive Tor1aΔE mutant and the LINC (linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton) breaker KASH2, OTX2 accumulated and formed aggregates in the nucleus. Consequently, in the mice expressing …

Why The Delay In Recognizing Terrestrial Obligate Cave Species In The Tropics?, Francis G. Howarth

International Journal of Speleology

“Nothing could possibly live there!” They believed. Indeed, until recently, few specialized cave- adapted animals were known from volcanic, tropical, or oceanic island caves, and plausible theories had been put forward to explain their absence. But assume nothing in science! One must illuminate, explore, and survey habitats before declaring them barren. Our understanding of cave biology changed dramatically about 50 years ago following the serendipitous discovery of cave-adapted terrestrial arthropods in Brazil and on the young oceanic islands of the Galápagos and Hawai‘i. These discoveries and subsequent studies on the evolutionary ecology of cave animals have revealed a remarkable hidden …

A Semiotic Paradox: Scientific Language In The Narrative Of Tv Advertisement-, Maria Jesus De Prada Vicente

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

The narrative we find in TV advertisement especially abounds in scientific terms that the　viewers hardly understand. The apparently ‘scientific’ language induces them to believe in the modern myth of science as absolute truth, which inevitably produces alienation from reality. The more such language triumphs, the more alienation they suffer without knowing it. Such is our situation today that reminds us of the time of Nazi in which alienating language was dominant. However, whether the use of scientific language on TV advertisement becomes alienating or not depends on the socio-cultural context of the viewers. For example, in Japan where the …

Language, Science And Literature, Hitoshi Oshima

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

The creativity of language Chomsky puts so much importance on must be questioned because the same creativity has produced lethal weapons such as atomic bombs. Modern science developed by the power of language has certainly produced many beneficial things, but we should not overlook its destructive side. Besides, language capable of inventing a new reality leads us to believe in it blindly. Let us remember philosophers such as Wittgenstein or Nagarjuna who warned us not to believe in the construct called “reality” made up by language power.Now, is it better and safer then to use a metaphorical language that composes …

Coming Of Age And Exile In No Pasó Nada, Regina Maria Faunes

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

The article examines the effect of exile on the coming-of-age process in Skármeta’s novel, No pasó nada. Through textual analysis and the application of theories surrounding identity formation, socialization, and the accommodation of the individual into society, the paper demonstrates how exile both complicates and acts as a catalyst in the protagonist’s coming of age. Despite the fact that the novel was published in the second half of the twentieth century, the protagonist follows the classical coming-of-age process depicted in nineteenth-century texts, prior to changes brought about by late capitalism, globalization and the explosion of digital media platforms that …

Political Orientation In Ecocriticism: National Allegory In Vietnamese Ecofiction By Trần Duy Phiên, Chi P. Pham

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Since the late 1990s, theories and practices of ecocriticism have tended to be more politically engaged than in its earliest phase, considering that “environmental problems cannot be solved without addressing issues of wealth and poverty, overconsumption, underdevelopment, and the notion of resource scarcity” (Heise 251-2). This paper engages with the political orientation in ecocriticism by examining presentations of humans and nature in three Vietnamese short stories – “Kiến và người” (The Ants and the Man, 1990), “Mối và người” (The Termite and the Man, 1992), and “Nhện và người” (The Spider and the Man, 2012) by Trần Duy Phiên (born …

Ai And Empathy, John Lande

Faculty Blogs

This post speculates about whether AI systems will be able to replicate human empathy – at least enough to satisfy people interacting with them.

Ambient Electromagnetic Radiation As A Predictor Of Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera) Traffic In Linear And Non-Linear Regression: Numerical Stability, Physical Time And Energy Efficiency, Vladimir Kulyukin, Daniel Coster, Anastasiia Tkachenko, Daniel Hornberger, Aleksey V. Kulyukin

Computer Science Faculty and Staff Publications

Since bee traffic is a contributing factor to hive health and electromagnetic radiation has a growing presence in the urban milieu, we investigate ambient electromagnetic radiation as a predictor of bee traffic in the hive’s vicinity in an urban environment. To that end, we built two multi-sensor stations and deployed them for four and a half months at a private apiary in Logan, Utah, U.S.A. to record ambient weather and electromagnetic radiation. We placed two non-invasive video loggers on two hives at the apiary to extract omnidirectional bee motion counts from videos. The time-aligned datasets were used to evaluate 200 …

The Evolution Of The Institution Of Waqf In Its Historical Context In The Middle East: An Alternative View, Sobir Komilov

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics

This paper studies the concept of waqf in its historical evolution in order to understand its role as a substitute for government in providing social services to the most vulnerable parts of the population in Islamic history since the 7th century. In the literature, there are mainly two schools that explain why awqaf flourished during the medieval period with some ups and downs until the end of Ottoman rule with the fall and near disappearance of awqaf in the Middle East after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The first school, among which orientalists constitute the majority, consider awqaf as …

Dedicated To The Life And Work Of Richard J. Bernstein Part Iii: Critique, Dewey Studies

Dewey Studies

Dedicated to the Life and Work of Richard J. Bernstein, edited by Megan Craig and Marcia Morgan.

Part III: Critique

Institutionalized Religion And Ambivalence In Charlotte Brontë’S Jane Eyre, Abdulla Dagamseh

Association of Arab Universities Journal for Arts مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للآداب

In Charlotte Brontë’s novel, Jane Eyre, the protagonist, Jane Eyre, cannot avoid the trap of empire, which represents the British colonial domination in the 19 th century. Through close reading of the text and using Postcolonial and Marxist theory, I claim that Jane Eyre develops an ambivalent attitude towards oppression. That is to say, she, at one point, is very critical of using religion to oppress her own people. On the other hand, she keeps silent when the same discourse of institutionalized religion is used to justify colonizing and oppressing other people and nations. This ambivalent attitude shows that the …

Making Meaningful Connections With Steam For Elementary Aged Students In China, Francis Stonier

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

This program included a summer STEAM experience for over 130 Chinese elementary aged children. During the week they constructed and tested an egg drop package, explored the local natural history museum, learned about animal footprints and the habitats they live in, dug up dinosaur fossils, and launched rockets. For many, this was their one of their first formal experiences with STEAM activities. The experiences provided a positive introduction or continued support for STEAM at the primary level.

Collaboration Between Science And Art Through A Special International Symposium For Ecosystem Health And Sustainability, Changwoo Ahn Dr.

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

The collaborations between ecosystem restoration and art practices was epitomized by the eco-artist Jackie Brookner who said: “it is not a matter of the scientists providing the hard-core research and artists the soft outreach; rather, the dynamics engendered in the space between disciplines is full of information necessary to solve complex problems at the systemic level”. This paper reviews and summaries the goals, activities, and lessons learned from a special symposium, which was held at the 12^th INTECOL (International Congress of Ecology) conference in Beijing, China, August 21 through 25, 2017, where about 3000 people attended from 70 countries. …

Exhibiting Steam: Curating Community Conversations Through Library Collections, Stefanie Hilles, Ginny Boehme, Rachel Makarowski

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

This article discusses the successful collaboration of an art librarian, a science librarian, and a special collections librarian in their efforts to engage the community in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) conversations through the curation of a STEAM-based exhibition of artist books. The exhibition was an opportunity to showcase STEAM’s interdisciplinarity through library collections that, until this point, had remained unexplored. The goal was to demonstrate how scientific principles have inspired both contemporary artists and those throughout history, dispelling the myth that artists are not influenced by science. The Libraries’ Special Collections proved an excellent resource to investigate …

Citizen Scientists And Artists: Integrating Arts And Technology To Teach The Effects Of Climate Change On Bird Migration, Laura Fattal Dr., Heejung An Dr.

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Ways to incorporate climate change into K-12 curricula are of growing interest to many science educators. The International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space (ICARUS) examines animal and bird migrations as a lens to understand climate change aiding educators with its emphasis on technological imagining in science and visual arts teaching and learning. This article presents an interdisciplinary unit pertaining to bird migration and climate change that integrates the arts and technology by placing upper-elementary students in the position of being citizen scientists and artists, leading to a culminating art installation project. The unit shows how a variety of digital …

Cultivating Ingenuity In Art Through Steam Picture Books, Julia L. Hovanec

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

In what creative ways can educators cultivate ingenuity? This article features ten STEAM picture books and their possibilities in the art room and beyond. It equips educators to take on STEAM armed with engaging and inspiring picture books that foster creativity, inventiveness, and more while inspiring students to create, experiment, problem-solve, and construct. There is a focus on one substantive, integrated Art and Science lesson built on the provocative book Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian written by Margarita Engle and illustrated by Julie Paschkis. Readers will leave with one complete STEAM challenge-based lesson plan informed by this book …

Dear Duck-Billed Platypus, Michael J. Leach Dr

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

This piece is a concrete poem that both shows and describes the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus).

Creative Learning With Music And Mathematics: Reflections On Interdisciplinary Collaborations, Graham Johnson, Alesia M. Moldavan

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Culturally responsive content, accessible and inclusive tools, and meaningful interdisciplinary tasks can aid in developing equitable and creative learning environments. Music and mathematics are ideal disciplines for interdisciplinary creative learning. In this article, we reflect on our experiences engaging in interdisciplinary music and mathematics tasks with preservice teachers. In particular, we highlight specific efforts taken to design and implement a creative music and mathematics workshop for use in a mathematics methods course. Guided by these experiences, we offer examples of tools and practices that have helped preservice teachers collaborate, engage in inquiry, improvise, develop empathy, and take intellectual and social …

Chronic Kidney Disease Promotes Cerebral Microhemorrhage Formation, Chuo Fang, Wei Ling Lau, Jiahong Sun, Rudy Chang, Adrian Vallejo, Donghy Lee, Jihua Liu, Han Liu, Yu-Han Hung, Yitong Zhao, Annlia Paganini-Hill, Rachita K. Sumbria, David H. Cribbs, Mark J. Fisher

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasingly recognized as a stroke risk factor, but its exact relationship with cerebrovascular disease is not well-understood. We investigated the development of cerebral small vessel disease using in vivo and in vitro models of CKD.

Methods

CKD was produced in aged C57BL/6J mice using an adenine-induced tubulointerstitial nephritis model. We analyzed brain histology using Prussian blue staining to examine formation of cerebral microhemorrhage (CMH), the hemorrhagic component of small vessel disease and the neuropathological substrate of MRI-demonstrable cerebral microbleeds. In cell culture studies, we examined effects of serum from healthy or CKD patients and …

Rank And Analysis Several Solutions Of Healthcare Waste To Achieve Cost Effectiveness And Sustainability Using Neutrosophic Mcdm Model, Ahmed Abdelhafeez, Hoda K. Mohamed, Nariman A. Khalil

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Managing healthcare waste (HCWTT) from healthcare facilities is difficult. It's high up on the list of health concerns. This growth in HCWTT has been especially visible in recent years, as the quantity of medical services available has increased. Because of the potential danger, this garbage poses to people and the planet, it must be properly disposed of. Because of ineffective waste management practices, inadequate financial resources, and a lack of adequate facilities, HCWT administration is especially crucial in developing nations. Reducing HCWT via appropriate treatment is important for the area's financial and environmental health. In order to solve single-valued neutrosophic …

Recent Advances In Psychopharmacology: From Bench To Bedside Novel Trends In Schizophrenia, Asim A Shah, Syed Z Iqbal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Research in the field of psychopharmacology is ongoing to develop novel compounds which can revolutionize the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The concept of bench-to-bedside is a tedious process, transforming the initial research performed in the laboratories into novel treatment options. Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic psychiatric illness with significant morbidity and mortality. SCZ not only presents with psychotic symptoms including hallucinations and delusions but also with negative and cognitive symptoms. The negative symptoms include the diminished ability to express emotions, loss of pleasure, and motivation with minimal social interactions. Conventional antipsychotics primarily target positive symptoms with minimal therapeutic benefits for …

Sand Tray Therapy As An Intervention Method In School Counseling, Clare B. Maguire

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Sand Tray Therapy as an intervention method in School Counseling

Sand tray therapy can be defined as a type of play therapy which has roots in various counseling approaches including Jungian and Humanistic orientations. It has been identified as a dynamic form of expressive psychotherapy where the client can express their intra and interpersonal world and issues using the creative process to communicate them (Homeyer and Sweeny, 2011).

As expressive art therapy has expanded from the therapeutic setting into other environments sand tray has become more accepted and more utilized as a school counseling intervention, particularly in the areas of …

Methods For Extracting Wildfire Specific Pm2.5 For The Western United States, Ava Orr

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Air pollution and PM_2.5 from wildfire smoke have steadily increased over the last decade despite decreasing anthropogenic emissions. The increase in wildfires in the western US has highlighted the need to understand better how wildfire-specific PM_2.5 affects human health. To support health risk assessment studies from wildfire smoke inhalation, differentiating between wildfire-specific PM_2.5 and non-wildfire-specific PM_2.5 is essential. We used PM_2.5 data developed by Swanson et al. and three different methods to isolate wildfire-specific PM_2.5. The PM_2.5 data uses air quality station observations, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, aerosol optical thickness data, and …

Ruminal Proteolysis In Forages With Distinct Endopeptidases Activities, G. Pichard, C. Tapia, R. Larrain

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Improving livestock efficiency in utilisation of nitrogen resources continues to be a major environmental and economic objective. Zhu et al. (1999) have shown that plant endopeptidases are activated as a response to cutting stress. Previous work in our laboratory explored over 300 entries of forage genotypes and found a broad diversity in enzymatic activity by means of hydrolysis in gelatine and direct autolysis assays in forage tissues. The objective of this work was to assess if the species previously identified as having high or low endopeptidase activity, would behave consistently when exposed to ruminal microbial proteolysis.

Effects Of Particle Size In Forage Samples For Protein Breakdown Studies, G. Pichard, C. Tapia

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Coupling ruminal processes of hydrolysis and synthesis continues to be a research issue where more progress is needed. This requires the development of good protein assessment methods, particularly when representing the breakdown processes that occur in fresh pastures eaten by herbivores. Laboratory analyses need to deal with small and homogeneous samples, but the mechanical reduction of particle size may not reflect the actual digestion kinetics occurring when the original fresh forage is consumed. Such physical traits may alter the release of non-structural compounds and the penetration of microbial enzymes (Boudon et al., 2002). The objective of this work was …

A New System For The Evaluation Of The Fermentation Quality Of Silages, K. Weiß, E. Kaiser

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Depending on the content of nitrate in green forage, the pattern of fermentation products in silages differ significantly (Weiß & Kaiser, 2001). The systems, which are now common in practice for evaluating the quality of silage fermentation, characterise fermentation quality incorrectly because the evaluation is influenced by the chemical composition of green forage. The aim of this work was to derive an evaluation system for fermentation quality, which is independent from the chemical composition of green forage.