Digital Commons Network^™

Claudin-1 As A Novel Target Gene Induced In Obesity And Associated To Inflammation, Fibrosis, And Cell Differentiation, Pablo Fernández-García, Siri D. Taxerås, Marjorie Reyes-Farias, Lorena González, Andrea Soria-Gondek, Silvia Pellitero, Jordi Tarascó, Pau Moreno, Lauro Sumoy, Jacqueline M. Stephens, Lindsey G. Yoo, María Galán, Adriana Izquierdo, Gema Medina-Gómez, Laura Herrero, Patricia Corrales, Francesc Villarroya, Rubén Cereijo, David Sánchez-Infantes

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Objective: T lymphocytes from visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissues (vWAT and sWAT, respectively) can have opposing roles in the systemic metabolic changes associated with obesity. However, few studies have focused on this subject. Claudin-1 (CLDN1) is a protein involved canonically in tight junctions and tissue paracellular permeability. We evaluated T-lymphocyte gene expression in vWAT and sWAT and in the whole adipose depots in human samples. Methods: A Clariom D-based transcriptomic analysis was performed on T lymphocytes magnetically separated from vWAT and sWAT from patients with obesity (Cohort 1; N = 11). Expression of candidate genes resulting from that analysis …

Exploring Successful Implementation Of Organizational Supports At The Worksite Environment: A Mixed Methods Approach, Renee A. Underwood, Ralph J. Wood, Alexandra D. Tomchek, Michael D. Celestin, Richard Culbertson, Stephen Phillippi, Stephanie T. Broyles

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

While there is evidence that organizational supports may lead to better employee health, research on implementing such organizational supports is lacking. This research sought to understand organizational supports and implementation of those supports using an Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods design approach. Employee survey responses (n = 202) were used to classify organizations into “high” and “low” categories for employee-reported health behavior improvement, agreement, and readiness for implementing change. For the qualitative phase of research (organization-level), semi-structured interviews were conducted with organization leads, and data were analyzed through constant comparative analysis procedure. Analyses sought to identify differences between “high” versus “low” …

Disrupting Neoliberal Diversity Discourse With Critical Race College Transition Stories, Giselle Laiduc, Ian Slattery, Rebecca Covarrubias

Psychology

The college transition can challenge students’ sense-making of diversity, race, and oppression. Yet prevailing neoliberal discourses touting the market value of diversity can thwart this potential by promoting color-evasive messaging that avoids reckoning with racism. Guided by Critical Race Theory, we explored incoming students’ sense-making of diversity (n = 421) after being exposed to either color-evasive transition stories or more critical stories that discussed intersecting experiences with oppression. Using discourse analysis, we observed that Black, Latinx, and Native students and their Asian and white counterparts reproduced common neoliberal logics emphasizing the educational benefits of diversity. However, critical stories reminded …

Endosteal Stem Cells At The Bone-Blood Interface: A Double-Edged Sword For Rapid Bone Formation: Bone Marrow Endosteal Stem Cells Provide A Robust Source Of Bone-Making Osteoblasts Both In Normal And Abnormal Bone Formation, Yuki Matsushita, Jialin Liu, Angel Ka Yan Chu, Wanida Ono, Joshua D Welch, Noriaki Ono

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Endosteal stem cells are a subclass of bone marrow skeletal stem cell populations that are particularly important for rapid bone formation occurring in growth and regeneration. These stem cells are strategically located near the bone surface in a specialized microenvironment of the endosteal niche. These stem cells are abundant in young stages but eventually depleted and replaced by other stem cell types residing in a non-endosteal perisinusoidal niche. Single-cell molecular profiling and in vivo cell lineage analyses play key roles in discovering endosteal stem cells. Importantly, endosteal stem cells can transform into bone tumor-making cells when deleterious mutations occur in …

Good Grief: Emotional Symbolism In Kate Dicamillo's The Tiger Rising, Sadie Barham

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the symbol of the tiger in Kate DiCamillo’s children’s book The Tiger Rising. It deals primarily with each character’s response to the tiger and what this shows about his or her way of dealing with grief. Rob and Sistine, two children exhibiting signs of childhood depression, respond to their pain (and, consequently, to the tiger) in opposite ways: Rob internalizes his grief and anger, keeping it repressed, while Sistine covers for her grief with anger, lashing out at the people around her. When Rob finds a tiger caged in the woods, he responds with fear, leaving …

Legacy Of Colonialism And Post-Colonial Transition: The Algerian Conflict Of Identity, Judith Papineau

Social Sciences

Algeria was brutally taken and colonized by France for over 130 years, altering the structure of their society, cultural artifacts, heritage, and languages. Algerians fought and reclaimed their independence, but the consequences and adverse outcomes have seeped into the fabric of society long after the Independence War of 1954-1962. Building on the available literature on colonialism and post-colonial societies and theories, this paper examines, from a sociological perspective, the relationship between Algerians, language plurality, and how the country’s education system and its language education policies, maintained by the power, play a crucial role in systemically perpetuating a deeply rooted conflict …

“There Are People Who Will Not Like You Because Of The Skin You Were Born In”: Content And Impact Of Socialization Messages About Racism In Black Families, Natasha Malinovsky

Communication Studies

Guided by Critical Race Theory (Crenshaw, 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 2017), the current study explored how Black adults made sense of their own racial identity through family messaging about racism and what it means to be a Black person in America, as well as how participant’s experiences with racism counter the dominant narrative that the U.S. is a “post-racial” society. We conducted retrospective interviews with 19 self-identifying Black adults. In our first research question, three primary themes emerged from participants’ recollections of conversations with parents about what it means to Black in the U.S.: (1) Black people are considered “others” …

Art From Scrap: Rebranding & Marketing, Lexanna Schultz

Graphic Communication

Art from Scrap is a creative reuse store that provides low-cost supplies for all kinds of craft-related hobbies (Explore Ecology, 2024). In general, art supply thrift stores help divert thousands of pounds of usable materials from landfills, and makes creative hobbies more accessible in terms of cost (Remainders, 2024). Art from Scrap’s initiative to extend the life cycle of craft supplies helps reduce unnecessary waste, however they currently do not have strong branding, and their limited marketing materials are inconsistent.

To&From Cards, Rachel S. Matatyaou

Graphic Communication

The goal of my senior project is to create a greeting card business from scratch, utilizing the design and marketing skills acquired through my Graphic Communication courses. The initial phase involves designing 20 cards spanning various topics and messages. The card categories will include but are not limited to birthday, get well soon, thank you, graduation, congratulations, condolence, special events or holidays, and customizable options. The project as a whole encompasses designing, branding, physical production, establishing a platform for sales, and lastly executing the sales process. Despite the ambitious nature of this project, it presents a unique opportunity to apply …

Ux/Ui Hub: User Experience/User Interface Information Hub For Navigating College, Sydney Yae-Rhee Leia Kong

Graphic Communication

The User Experience, User Interface (UX/UI) industry has grown exponentially in the last couple of years. According to a PubMed Central journal article, Understanding UX Better, UX has attracted an increasing interest in recent years, extending the views on usability. This growth exists both in academic institutions and the technology industry, evidenced by increasing numbers of UX-related degrees at undergraduate and graduate levels and also by high job demand (Marques). With this new emergence, the Graphic Communication (GrC) major, specifically the concentration in UX/UI, has caught the attention of numerous prospective Cal Poly SLO students interested in front-end design and …

Grc: A Mustang Quest, Jackson T. Alexander

Graphic Communication

The main purpose of this study is to define the overall effectiveness of visual marketing through animation and storytelling narration. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo has dozens of potential majors that interest students, thus leading to specific programs such as Graphic Communication (GRC) gaining fewer numbers compared to other College of Liberal Arts (CLA) fields. By analyzing what key elements are necessary for gaining outside attention and intrigue about a college program, I can better understand what information needs to be presented in my video project. This video will focus on defining what Graphic Communication is as a …

Sappling: An Interactive Platform For Creative Expression And Collaboration, Alex Aquino

Graphic Communication

Sappling is a new application that aims to tackle some of the shortcomings of traditional social media, which currently dominates the way we interact with friends and other users online. In its initial phase, we plan to target a certain demographic of people that we feel would benefit most from the platform, such as engineers or musicians. As a part of my project, I plan to help identify which group we want to target in this development stage, using survey data and other metrics to measure different groups and their likelihood to benefit from this new platform. As some research …

Long Story Short, Hannah M. Varghese

Graphic Communication

Long Story Short and is a vintage up-cycling art brand. Our mission is to breathe new life into vintage pieces, crafting them into modern wearable art. As the name suggests, each creation tells a story while being revitalized for today’s fashion forward community.

Fast fashion and trend cycling has been a growing problem in today’s society. Things are going ‘in’ and ‘out’ quicker than they ever have. Trend cycling usually operates on a 20-year timeline. But, today’s sped up cycle encourages people to constantly over-consume in chase of the next cool thing. It’s unsustainable and an impossible chase. With a …

Adaptation Of The Client Diagnostic Questionnaire For East Africa, Edith Kamaru Kwobah, Suzanne Goodrich, Jayne Lewis Kulzer, Michael Kanyesigye, Sarah Obatsa, Julius Cheruiyot, Lorna Kiprono, Colma Kibet, Felix Ochieng, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Research increasingly involves cross-cultural work with non-English-speaking populations, necessitating translation and cultural validation of research tools. This paper describes the process of translating and criterion validation of the Client Diagnostic Questionnaire (CDQ) for use in a multisite study in Kenya and Uganda. The English CDQ was translated into Swahili, Dholuo (Kenya) and Runyankole/Rukiga (Uganda) by expert translators. The translated documents underwent face validation by a bilingual committee, who resolved unclear statements, agreed on final translations and reviewed back translations to English. A diagnostic interview by a mental health specialist was used for criterion validation, and Kappa statistics assessed the strength …

X-Ray Polarimetry Of The Dipping Accreting Neutron Star 4u 1624–49, M Lynne Saade, Philip Kaaret, Andrea Gnarini, Juri Poutanen, Francesco Ursini, Stefano Bianchi, Anna Bobrikova, Fabio La Monaca, Alessandro Di Marco, Fiamma Capitanio, Alexandra Veledina, Iván Agudo, Lucio A. Antonelli, Matteo Bachetti, Luca Baldini, Wayne H. Baumgartner, Ronaldo Bellazzini, Stephen D. Bongiorno, Raffaella Bonino, Alessandro Brez, Niccolò Bucciantini, Simone Castellano, Elisabetta Cavazzuti, Chien-Ting Chen, Stefano Ciprini, Enrico Costa, Alessandra De Rosa, Ettore Del Monte, Laura Di Gesu, Niccolò Di Lalla, Immacolata Donnarumma, Victor Doroshenko, Michal Dovčiak, Steven R. Ehlert, Teruaki Enoto, Yuri Evangelista, Sergio Fabiani, Riccardo Ferrazzoli, Javier A. García, Shuichi Gunji, Kiyoshi Hayashida, Jeremy Heyl, Wataru Iwakiri, Svetlana G. Jorstad, Vladimir Karas, Fabian Kislat, Takao Kitaguchi, Jeffery J. Kolodziejczak, Henric Krawczynski, Luca Latronico, Ioannis Liodakis, Simone Maldera, Alberto Manfreda, Frédéric Marin, Andrea Marinucci, Alan P. Marscher, Herman L. Marshall, Francesco Massaro, Giorgio Matt, Ikuyuki Mitsuishi, Tsunefumi Mizuno, Fabio Muleri, Michela Negro, Chi-Yung Ng, Stephen L. O'Dell, Nicola Omodei, Chiara Oppedisano, Alessandro Papitto, George G. Pavlov, Abel L. Peirson, Matteo Perri, Melissa Pesce-Rollins, Pierre-Olivier Petrucci, Maura Pilia, Andrea Possenti, Simonetta Puccetti, Brian D. Ramsey, John Rankin, Ajay Ratheesh, Oliver J. Roberts, Roger W. Romani, Carmelo Sgrò, Patrick Slane, Paolo Soffitta, Gloria Spandre, Douglas A. Swartz, Toru Tamagawa, Fabrizio Tavecchio, Roberto Taverna, Yuzuru Tawara, Allyn F. Tennant, Nicholas E. Thomas, Francesco Tombesi, Alessio Trois, Sergey S. Tsygankov, Roberto Turolla, Jacco Vink, Martin C. Weisskopf, Kinwah Wu, Fei Xie, Silvia Zane

Faculty Publications

We present the first X-ray polarimetric study of the dipping accreting neutron star 4U 1624−49 with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer. We report a detection of polarization in the nondip time intervals with a confidence level of 99.99%. We find an average polarization degree (PD) of 3.1% ± 0.7% and a polarization angle of 81° ± 6° east of north in the 2–8 keV band. We report an upper limit on the PD of 22% during the X-ray dips with 95% confidence. The PD increases with energy, reaching from 3.0% ± 0.9% in the 4–6 keV band to 6% ± …

X-Ray Polarization Of The Black Hole X-Ray Binary 4u 1630–47 Challenges The Standard Thin Accretion Disk Scenario, Ajay Ratheesh, Michal Dovčiak, Henric Krawczynski, Jakub Podgorný, Lorenzo Marra, Alexandra Veledina, Valery F. Suleimanov, Nicole Rodriguez Cavero, James F. Steiner, Jiří Svoboda, Andrea Marinucci, Stefano Bianchi, Michela Negro, Giorgio Matt, Francesco Tombesi, Juri Poutanen, Adam Ingram, Roberto Taverna, Andrew West, Vladimir Karas, Francesco Ursini, Paolo Soffitta, Fiamma Capitanio, Domenico Viscolo, Alberto Manfreda, Fabio Muleri, Maxime Parra, Banafsheh Beheshtipour, Sohee Chun, Nicolò Cibrario, Niccolò Di Lalla, Sergio Fabiani, Kun Hu, Philip Kaaret, Vladislav Loktev, Romana Mikušincová, Tsunefumi Mizuno, Nicola Omodei, Pierre-Olivier Petrucci, Simonetta Puccetti, John Rankin, Silvia Zane, Sixuan Zhang, Iván Agudo, Lucio A. Antonelli, Matteo Bachetti, Luca Baldini, Wayne H. Baumgartner, Ronaldo Bellazzini, Stephen D. Bongiorno, Raffaella Bonino, Alessandro Brez, Niccolò Bucciantini, Simone Castellano, Elisabetta Cavazzuti, Chien-Ting Chen, Stefano Ciprini, Enrico Costa, Alessandra De Rosa, Ettore Del Monte, Laura Di Gesu, Alessandro Di Marco, Immacolata Donnarumma, Victor Doroshenko, Steven R. Ehlert, Teruaki Enoto, Yuri Evangelista, Riccardo Ferrazzoli, Javier A. Garcia, Shuichi Gunji, Kiyoshi Hayashida, Jeremy Heyl, Wataru Iwakiri, Svetlana G. Jorstad, Fabian Kislat, Takao Kitaguchi, Jeffery J. Kolodziejczak, Fabio La Monaca, Luca Latronico, Ioannis Liodakis, Simone Maldera, Frédéric Marin, Alan P. Marscher, Herman L. Marshall, Francesco Massaro, Ikuyuki Mitsuishi, Stephen C.-Y. Ng, Stephen L. O'Dell, Chiara Oppedisano, Alessandro Papitto, George G. Pavlov, Abel L. Peirson, Matteo Perri, Melissa Pesce-Rollins, Maura Pilia, Andrea Possenti, Brian D. Ramsey, Oliver J. Roberts, Roger W. Romani, Carmelo Sgrò, Patrick Slane, Gloria Spandre, Douglas A. Swartz, Toru Tamagawa, Fabrizio Tavecchio, Yuzuru Tawara, Allyn F. Tennant, Nicholas E. Thomas, Alessio Trois, Sergey S. Tsygankov, Roberto Turolla, Jacco Vink, Martin C. Weisskopf, Kinwah Wu, Fei Xie

Faculty Publications

A large energy-dependent X-ray polarization degree is detected by the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in the high-soft emission state of the black hole X-ray binary 4U 1630–47. The highly significant detection (at ≈50σ confidence level) of an unexpectedly high polarization, rising from ∼6% at 2 keV to ∼10% at 8 keV, cannot be easily reconciled with standard models of thin accretion disks. In this work, we compare the predictions of different theoretical models with the IXPE data and conclude that the observed polarization properties are compatible with a scenario in which matter accretes onto the black hole through a …

Acceleration And Release Of Solar Energetic Particles Associated With A Coronal Shock On 2021 September 28 Observed By Four Spacecraft, Bin Zhuang, Noé Lugaz, David Lario, Ryun-Young Kwon, Nicolina Chrysaphi, Jonathan Niehof, Tingyu Gou, Lulu Zhao

Faculty Publications

The main driver of the acceleration of solar energetic particles (SEPs) is believed to be shocks driven by coronal mass ejections. Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) waves are thought to be the propagating footprint of the shock on the solar surface. One of the key questions in SEP research is the timing of the SEP release with respect to the time when the EUV wave magnetically connects with an observer. Taking advantage of close-to-the-Sun measurements by Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and Solar Orbiter (SolO), we investigate an SEP event that occurred on 2021 September 28 and was observed at different locations by SolO, …

Regulation Of Normal And Aberrant Heterochromatic Gene Silencing In Yeast, Anabelle Acosta

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Do Nitrogen And Phosphorus Influence Channel Catfish Growth In A Great Plains River?, Camden E. Oathout, Mark A. Pegg

International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

Evaluating abiotic environmental factors that influence growth of sportfish is key to understanding population dynamics and making appropriate management decisions. This is especially true in river systems where primary and secondary productivity can vary across temporal and spatial scales. In this study, we assessed fish responses to ambient nutrient levels (total nitrogen and total phosphorus) using growth rates determined from age-1 Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, in Platte River, Nebraska. Water quality and growth data were collected from sites across the central and lower Platte River from 2007 to 2013. We analyzed Platte River water quality data to find yearly average …

Embodied Action In Remote Online Interaction: A Preliminary Investigation Of Hand Raising Gestures In A Zoom Meeting, Angela Garcia

Natural & Applied Sciences Faculty Publications

In this paper I use a conversation analytic approach to investigate how participants in a meeting held remotely via Zoom use embodied action to solicit selection as next speaker. When hand raising is not immediately successful, participants use embodied actions to withdraw, modify, upgrade, downgrade or reissue gestures in pursuit of selection as next speaker. Due to the technological affordances and limitations of the remote meeting environment, participants’ gestures and hand positions differ from what would typically occur in face-to-face interaction, resulting in frequent gestures near the face that provide for both visibility to the Zoom audience and easy transition …

Considering Returns On Federal Investment In The Negotiated “Maximum Fair Price” Of Drugs Under The Inflation Reduction Act: An Analysis, Edward W. Zhou, Paula G. Chaves Da Silva, Debbie Quijada, Fred D. Ledley

Natural & Applied Sciences Faculty Publications

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 contained landmark provisions authorizing government to negotiate a “maximum fair price” for selected Medicare Part D drugs considering the manufacturer’s research and development costs, federal support for discovery and development, the extent to which the drugs address unmet medical needs, and other factors. This working paper describes federal investment in the discovery and development of the ten drugs selected for price negotiation in the first year of the IRA as well as the health value created through Medicare Part D spending on these drugs. We identified $11.7 billion in NIH funding for basic …

Speculating About Genocide: The Queensland Frontier 1859–1897, Mark Finnane, Jonathan Richards

Faculty Publications

In the colonisation of Queensland, Australia it is commonly accepted that large numbers of Indigenous people were killed in the second half of the nineteenth century. Calculations of violent mortality have recently been revised radically upwards. We suggest that the methodology deployed in these new studies is unreliable, reflecting errors in counting and calculation, as well as underestimating the selection bias of the samples. We caution against projecting aggregate violent mortality where the underlying data are so imperfect and emphasise the value of more detailed local and regional studies to inform better understanding of colonisation's impact on First Peoples.

Influence Of Hesperidin On The Physico-Chemical, Microbiological And Sensory Characteristics Of Frozen Yogurt †, Roberto Cedillos, Ricardo S. Aleman, Ryan Page, Douglas W. Olson, Charles Boeneke, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul, Kayanush Aryana

Faculty Publications

Frozen yogurts contain yogurt culture bacteria, which might impart health benefits to their consumers. Global frozen yogurt market sales are expected to grow by 4.8% by 2028, which represents an important opportunity for the industry, consumers and researchers. Polyphenols are metabolites found in plants which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and might prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this study was to elucidate the effect of the polyphenol hesperidin on the physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics of frozen yogurts. Hesperidin was incorporated into frozen yogurt at three concentrations (125, 250 and 500 mg/90 …

Transformative Insights: Break Up With Salt (Buws) Program’S Short-Term Influence On Hypertension Risk Factors, Jean Pierre Enriquez, Helena Salgado, Christopher Kuetsinya, Li Hsiang Lin, Elizabeth Gollub

Faculty Publications

Break Up with Salt (BUWS) is a four-session community-based nutrition education program aimed at reducing key controllable hypertension risk factors. This pilot study utilized a pre-post survey design to assess short-term outcomes on food behaviors (including DASH diet eating patterns), physical activity, and overall well-being, in two groups of participants. The first “pilot” group (n = 25) completed a comprehensive, 16-item survey; the second “abbreviated” group (n = 27) completed a 5-item survey. The pilot group experienced improvements in whole grain (p = 0.04), sweetened beverage consumption, watching/reducing sodium (p = 0.04) and fat (p = 0.05) consumption, and time …

Seven-Year Prospective Study On Yearly Incidence Of Orbivirus Infection Of Captive White-Tailed Deer And Potential Culicoides Vectors, Michael Becker, Glen Gentry, Claudia Husseneder, Lane Foil

Faculty Publications

Bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) are arthropod-borne viruses that are transmitted by biting midges in the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and can cause hemorrhagic disease in certain ruminants. The objectives of this study were to measure the incidence of BTV and EHDV infections in captive white-tailed deer herd as well as tissues and corresponding presence of Culicoides midges at a location near Clinton, LA. During a 7-yr study with yearly outbreaks of hemorrhagic disease in the deer herd, 15 species of Culicoides were captured using Centers for Disease Control (CDC) black light traps. Reverse transcriptase quantitative …

Sustainable Sweetpotato Production In The United States: Current Status, Challenges, And Opportunities, Justin George, Gadi V.P. Reddy, Phillip A. Wadl, William Rutter, Julianna Culbreath, Pierre W. Lau, Tahir Rashid, Matthew C. Allan, Suzanne D. Johaningsmeier, Amanda M. Nelson, Ming Li Wang, Augustine Gubba, Kai Shu Ling, Yan Meng, Daniel J. Collins, Sathish K. Ponniah, Prasanna H. Gowda

Faculty Publications

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is an important staple crop cultivated in over 100 countries, and the storage roots and vines provide food for humans and livestock. Sweetpotato consumption and demand for its value-added products have increased significantly in the last two decades and have led to new cultivar development, expansion in acreage, and increased demand in the United States and its export markets. Despite the known nutritional components and other health benefits, further research is needed to characterize the genetic diversity and chemical composition related to their storage root qualities, essential in developing consumer-preferred cultivars that offer host plant resistance …

Two-Pore Potassium Channel Trek-1 (K2p2.1) Regulates Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activity In Macrophages, Camille N. Immanuel, Bin Teng, Brittany E. Dong, Elizabeth M. Gordon, Charlean Luellen, Benjamin Lopez, Jeffrey Harding, Stephania A. Cormier, Elizabeth A. Fitzpatrick, Andreas Schwingshackl, Christopher M. Waters

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Because of the importance of potassium efflux in inflammasome activation, we investigated the role of the two-pore potassium (K2P) channel TREK-1 in macrophage inflammasome activity. Using primary alveolar macrophages (AMs) and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from wild-type (wt) and TREK-1–/– mice, we measured responses to inflammasome priming [using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] and activation (LPS þ ATP). We measured IL-1b, caspase-1, and NLRP3 via ELISA and Western blot. A membrane-permeable potassium indicator was used to measure potassium efflux during ATP exposure, and a fluorescence-based assay was used to assess changes in membrane potential. Inflammasome activation induced by LPS þ ATP increased IL-1b …

Growing The Next Generation Of Horticulture Customers And Stakeholders Through Industry And Extension Outreach Collaborations1, Natalie Bumgarner, Alicia Rihn, Julie Campbell, Sheri Dorn, Heather Kirk-Ballard

Faculty Publications

As the horticulture consumer base transitions to younger generations, educational outreach collaborations between Extension and industry could be a mutually beneficial way to serve an increasingly diverse customer audience. A recent study investigated drivers of, and opportunities for, increased participation in plant-related activities using an online survey of 2,134 respondents. Both participants and non-participants in plant-related activities were surveyed. Some of the commonly cited reasons for non-participation were a lack of knowledge and overall success, illustrating an opportunity for education to be beneficial. While many plant retailers may not have the personnel or resources to engage widely in education, collaborations …

An Island ‘Endemic’ Born Out Of Hybridization Between Introduced Lineages, Jessie F. Salter, Robb T. Brumfield, Brant C. Faircloth

Faculty Publications

Humans have profoundly impacted the distribution of plant and animal species over thousands of years. The most direct example of these effects is human-mediated movement of individuals, either through translocation of individuals within their range or through the introduction of species to new habitats. While human involvement may be suspected in species with obvious range disjunctions, it can be difficult to detect natural versus human-mediated dispersal events for populations at the edge of a species' range, and this uncertainty muddles how we understand the evolutionary history of populations and broad biogeographical patterns. Studies combining genetic data with archaeological, linguistic and …

Identification Of A Chondrocyte-Specific Enhancer In The Hoxc8 Gene, Stephania A. Cormier, Claudia Kappen

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Hox genes encode transcription factors whose roles in patterning animal body plans during embryonic development are well-documented. Multiple studies demonstrate that Hox genes continue to act in adult cells, in normal differentiation, in regenerative processes, and, with abnormal expression, in diverse types of cancers. However, surprisingly little is known about the regulatory mechanisms that govern Hox gene expression in specific cell types, as they differentiate during late embryonic development, and in the adult organism. The murine Hoxc8 gene determines the identity of multiple skeletal elements in the lower thoracic and lumbar region and continues to play a role in the …