USD Recent Faculty Publications
September 2009 Faculty Publications
Dodge, Neil C., Joseph L. Jacobson, Eugene H. Hoyme, Luther K. Robinson, Nathaniel Khaole, and Sandra W. Jacobson. (2009).
"Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Interhemispheric Transfer of Tactile Information: Detroit and Cape Town Findings."
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research 33(9): 1628-37.
Background: Previous research has demonstrated that heavy prenatal alcohol exposure affects the size and shape of the corpus callosum (CC) and compromises interhemispheric transfer of information. The aim of this study was to confirm the previous reports of poorer performance on a finger localization test (FLT) of interhemispheric transfer in a cohort of heavily exposed children and to extend these findings to a cohort of moderately exposed young adults. Methods: In Study 1, the FLT was administered to 40 heavily exposed and 23 nonexposed children from the Cape Coloured community of Cape Town, South Africa, who were evaluated for fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) dysmorphology and growth. Anatomical images of the CC were obtained using structural MRI on a subset of these children. In Study 2, the FLT was administered to a cohort of 85 moderate-to-heavily exposed young adults participating in a 19-year follow-up assessment of the Detroit Prenatal Alcohol Exposure cohort, whose alcohol exposure had been ascertained prospectively during gestation. Results: In Study 1, children with FAS showed more transfer-related errors than controls after adjustment for confounding, and increased transfer-related errors were associated with volume reductions in the isthmus and splenium of the CC. In Study 2, transfer-related errors were associated with quantity of alcohol consumed per occasion during pregnancy. More errors were made if the mother reported binge drinking (?5 standard drinks) during pregnancy than if she drank regularly (M ? 1 drink/day) without binge drinking. Conclusions: These findings confirm a previous report of impaired interhemispheric transfer of tactile information in children heavily exposed to alcohol in utero and extend these findings to show that these deficits are also seen in more moderately exposed individuals, particularly those exposed to binge-like pregnancy drinking.
ALCOHOLISM in pregnancy
FETAL alcohol syndrome
CORPUS callosum
CHILDREN of prenatal alcohol abuse
BINGE drinking
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Finger Localization Test
Interhemispheric Transfer
Pregnancy Binge Drinking
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Grover, Jeff, and Angeline Lavin. (2009).
Passive Versus Optimized Investing in Retirement Plan Portfolios.
Journal of Wealth Management 12, no. (Fall2009, 2): 48-59.
This article uses portfolios of Vanguard index funds to study the optimal portfolio allocation strategy, for long-term investors who are saving for retirement. The optimization, conducted using both a single-index-hybrid model (SIHM) and the Markowitz-Sharpe optimization method, suggests that in the long run, an optimized allocation strategy will yield cumulative returns equivalent to those of a passive allocation strategy with significantly less risk. In addition, the optimized allocation strategy achieves the favorable risk and reward profile using fewer funds than the passive strategy.
PORTFOLIO management
CAPITALISTS & financiers
PENSIONS
RATE of return
INVESTMENT policy
VANGUARD mutual funds
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Honts, Charles R., and William Schweinle. (2009)
Information Gain of Psychophysiological Detection of Deception in Forensic and Screening Settings./i>
Applied Psychophysiology & Biofeedback 34(3): 161-72.
We adapted and applied the Wells and Olson’s () Information Gain Analyses to examine the relative usefulness of a common psycho-physiological deception detection (PDD) technique, the Comparison Question Test, in forensic and screening settings as compared to unassisted lay and professional persons. We found that in forensic settings PDD provided substantial improvements in information gain over unassisted laypersons across nearly the complete range of the base rate of guilt. This was true for accuracy estimates based on laboratory and field data. At p(guilt) = 0.9, a benchmark set by critics of PDD, PDD provided 27 times the information gain of credibility decisions made by unassisted lay persons. Analyses of a screening PDD indicated that only deceptive outcomes provide useful information gain at relevant low base rates of guilt. These results strongly support the use of PDD in forensic settings and have implications for how screening PDD results are used.
PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
DECEPTION
DIAGNOSIS
GUILT
LABORATORIES
RESEARCH
Information gain
Psychophysiological deception detection tests
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Jones, Kenneth Lyons, H. Eugene Hoyme, Luther K. Robinson, Miguel del Campo, Melanie A. Manning, Ludmila N. Bakhireva, and Lela M. Prewitt. (2009).
Developmental Pathogenesis of Short Palpebral Fissure Length in Children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology 85(8): 695-99.
BACKGROUND:From the standpoint of normal embryologic development, the palpebral fissures are generally considered to be determined by and dependent on the underlying optic vesicles, outpouchings of the frontal area of the developing fetal brain. It has been suggested that short palpebral fissures are a reflection of an underlying defect in specific areas of forebrain development. Alternatively, short palpebral fissures, seen in a number of multiple malformation syndromes associated with small occipitofrontal circumference OFC, such as the fetal alcohol syndrome FAS, might be proportionally small as a reflection of the microcephaly. The purpose of this study was to examine whether short palpebral fissures are independent of or determined by the OFC.METHODS:Agespecific palpebral fissure length PFL and OFC centiles were correlated in 273 children with FAS, 272 children with some features of FAS, and 385 children with no structural features characteristic of FAS.RESULTS:The OFC and PFL centiles demonstrated a statistically significant but weak correlation in all three study groups. Among children with FAS, only 10.2 of the total variation in PFL could be accounted for by OFC p 0.0001. A similar pattern was observed for children with some features of FAS r2 0.142; p 0.0001 and children with no structural features of FAS r2 0.110; p 0.0001.CONCLUSIONS:Palpebral fissure length is predominately independent of occipitofrontal circumference in children with and without features of FAS. Short palpebral fissures may well reflect a defect in forebrain development rather than being proportionally reduced in size as a reflection of microcephaly. Birth Defects Research Part A 2009. © 2009 WileyLiss, Inc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Li, Qin, and Brian Burrell. (2009).
Two Forms of Long-Term Depression in a Polysynaptic Pathway in the Leech Cns: One Nmda Receptor-Dependent and the Other Cannabinoid-Dependent.
Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural & Behavioral Physiology 195(9): 831-41.
Although long-term depression (LTD) is a well-studied form of synaptic plasticity, it is clear that multiple cellular mechanisms are involved in its induction. In the leech, LTD is observed in a polysynaptic connection between touch mechanosensory neurons (T cells) and the S interneuron following low frequency stimulation. LTD elicited by 450 s low frequency stimulation was blocked by N-methyl- d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonists. However, LTD elicited by 900 s low frequency stimulation was insensitive to NMDA receptor antagonists and was instead dependent on cannabinoid signaling. This LTD was blocked by both a cannabinoid receptor antagonist and by inhibition of diacylglycerol lipase, which is necessary for the synthesis of the cannabinoid transmitter 2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG). Bath application of 2-AG or the cannabinoid receptor agonist CP55 940 also induced LTD at this synapse. These results indicate that two forms of LTD coexist at the leech T-to-S polysynaptic pathway: one that is NMDA receptor-dependent and another that is cannabinoid-dependent and that activation of either form of LTD is dependent on the level of activity in this circuit.
Cannabinoid
Leech
Long-term depression
NMDA receptor
Synaptic plasticity
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Lukkes, Jodi, Vuong Shawn, Jamie Scholl, Harvey Oliver, and Gina Forster. (2009).
Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor Antagonism within the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus Reduces Social Anxiety-Like Behavior after Early-Life Social Isolation.
Journal of Neuroscience 293(2): 9955-60.
Social isolation of rats during the early part of development increases social anxiety-like behavior in adulthood. Furthermore, early-life social isolation increases the levels of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptors in the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (dRN) of adult rats. Interactions between serotonin and CRF systems are thought to mediate anxiety behavior. Therefore, we investigated the effects of CRF receptor antagonism within the dRN on social anxiety-like behavior after early-life social isolation. Male rats were reared in isolation or in groups from weaning until midadolescence, and rehoused in groups and allowed to develop into adulthood. Adult rats underwent surgery to implant a drug cannula into the dRN. After recovery from surgery and acclimation to the testing arena, rats were infused with vehicle or the CRF receptor antagonist D-Phe-CRF(12-41) (50 or 500 ng) into the dRN before a social interaction test. Isolation-reared rats pretreated with vehicle exhibited increased social anxiety-like behavior compared with rats reared in groups. Pretreatment of the dRN with D-Phe-CRF(12-41) significantly reduced social anxietylike behaviors exhibited by isolation-reared rats. Overall, this study shows that early-life social stress results in heightened social anxiety-like behavior, which is reversed by CRF antagonism within the dRN. These data suggest that CRF receptor antagonists could provide a potential treatment of stress-related social anxiety.
CORTICOTROPIN releasing hormone
NEUROPEPTIDES
DRUG antagonism
SEROTONIN
SOCIAL isolation
SOCIAL anxiety
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Ragothaman, Srinivasan, Jon Carpenter, and Thomas Davies. (2009).
An Empirical Investigation of Mpa Student Performance and Admissions Criteria.
College Student Journal 43(3): 879-75.
The quality of a Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) program, similar to other undergraduate and graduate programs in business and other disciplines, is typically directly related to the quality of its students. While there is a considerable published scholarly work on MBA student performance, there is very little research to predict student success in MPA programs and this study fills this important gap. In this article, the authors investigate the association between undergraduate GPAs, GMAT scores, age, and a few other independent variables and MPA student performance as measured by graduate GPA (GGPA). Correlation analysis indicates that junior-senior year grade point average (2UGPA) is most highly correlated with GGPA. The regression results indicate that 2UGPA and quantitative GMAT score are significant predictors of GGPA at 0.01 levels. Age was also a significant predictor of graduate GPA at the 10 percent level.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Richardson, Lisa K., B. Christopher Frueh, Anouk L. Grubaugh, Leonard Egede, and Jon D. Elhai. (2009).
Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice 16(3): 323-38.
The provision of mental health services via videoconferencing tele-mental health has become an increasingly routine component of mental health service delivery throughout the world. Emphasizing the research literature since 2003, we examine (a) the extent to which the field of tele-mental health has advanced the research agenda previously suggested and (b) implications for tele-mental healthcare delivery for special clinical populations. Previous findings have demonstrated that tele-mental health services are satisfactory to patients, improve outcomes, and are probably cost effective. In the very small number of randomized controlled studies that have been conducted to date, tele-mental health has demonstrated equivalent efficacy compared to face-to-face care in a variety of clinical settings and with specific patient populations. However, methodologically flawed or limited research studies are the norm, and thus the research agenda for tele-mental health has not been fully maximized. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
MENTAL health
VIDEOCONFERENCING
MENTAL health services
PSYCHIATRY -- Research
PEOPLE with mental disabilities
access-to-care
mental health care
rural
service delivery
tele-mental health
telepsychiatry
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Schrader, Susan L., Margot L. Nelson, and Luann M. Eidsness. (2009).
Reflections on End of Life: Comparison of American Indian and Non-Indian Peoples in South Dakota.
American Indian Culture & Research Journal 33(2): 67-87.
The article presents a sociological comparison between American Indian and non-Indian people living in the state of South Dakota. The authors examine end of life care among these two different groups of people, revealing that even though most people state that at the end of life they would prefer to die free of pain in their homes less than twenty percent of people actually die under these conditions. The cultural differences involved in end of life treatment preferences are analyzed, specifically focusing on the view of death in Native American culture.
INDIANS of North America -- Social conditions
TERMINAL care -- Social aspects
TERMINAL care -- Research
TERMINALLY ill -- Social conditions
DEATH -- Attitudes
SOUTH Dakota
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Wolfe, Susan J. (2009).
I. Using the L-Word: Coming out in the Classroom.
Feminism & Psychology 19(2): 181-85.
The author focuses on her confusion to make reconciliation of his identity being a lesbian professor. She notes her inability to articulate her cognitive dissonance and her experience of discomforts toward her students and colleagues. She also stresses the significance of claiming a lesbian identity to create a clear viewpoint to challenge the dual ideologies of sexism and heterosexuality and leave the door open for students to talk from theirs and challenge other forms of repressiveness.
LESBIAN teachers
LESBIANISM
SEXUAL orientation
SOCIAL perception
GAYS -- Social conditions
Posted at 12:50PM Sep 28, 2009 by Tracy Marie Elsen in September 2009 | Comments[0]
July and August 2009 Faculty Publications
Ali, S., Garg, S. K., Cohen, B. E., Bhave, P., Harris, W. S., & Whooley, M. A. (2009).
Association between omega-3 fatty acids and depressive symptoms among patients with established coronary artery disease: Data from the heart and soul study.
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 78(2), 125-127.
Depression is an established risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy patients and for adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with existing CHD. It is unknown whether low ω–3 fatty acid levels are associated with depression in patients with stable CHD. We measured red blood cell levels of two ω–3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and assessed depressive symptoms in a cross-sectional study of 987 adults with CHD. We evaluated the association between ω–3 fatty acid levels and depressive symptoms as continuous variables using linear regression. The prevalence of depression ranged from 23% in participants in the lowest tertile of ω–3 fatty acids to 13% in participants in the highest tertile. In the analyses, ω–3 fatty acid levels were no longer associated with depression after adjustment for education and household income level. Similar results were obtained for the analyses of EPA and DHA alone. The finding suggest a strong association between low ω–3 fatty acids and depression in outpatients with stable CHD, a population distinct from sicker, hospitalized patients with acute coronary syndrome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Li, Y.-F., LaCroix, C., & Freeling, J. (2009).
Specific subtypes of nicotinic cholinergic receptors involved in sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiovascular responses.
Neuroscience Letters, 462(1), 20-23.
Abstract: Various subtypes of nicotinic cholinergic receptors are expressed in autonomic ganglia. The distinct functional roles of these receptors in autonomic ganglionic transmission to different target organs remain to be elucidated. In this study, we tested the sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiovascular responses to nicotinic agonist and antagonists in urethane-anesthetized mice. Intravenous injection with a nicotinic agonist, 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium iodide, induced a brief but pronounced decrease in heart rate, followed by significant increases in heart rate and arterial blood pressure. The bradycardic response was blocked by atropine whereas the pressor response was blocked by prazosine, confirming those responses were parasympathetic and sympathetic activities, respectively. The sympathetic response was blocked by methyllycaconitine citrate, a selective α7 nicotinic cholinergic receptor (nAchR) antagonist. The parasympathetic response was blocked by a selective α4β2 nAchR antagonist, dihydro-β-erythroidine hydrobromide. Moreover, injection with a selective α4β2 nAchR agonist, RJR2403 oxalate, induced a pronounced parasympathetic response with a smaller sympathetic response. Collectively, these data show that activations of α4β2 nAchRs elicits a parasympathetic cardiovascular response and activation of α7 nAchRs elicits a sympathetic cardiovascular response. These data suggest that specific subtypes of nicotinic receptors at the level of the ganglia may play distinct roles in mediating sympathetic or parasympathetic activation.
Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, United States
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Farzaneh-Far, R., Harris, W. S., Garg, S., Na, B., & Whooley, M. A. (2009)
Inverse association of erythrocyte n-3 fatty acid levels with inflammatory biomarkers in patients with stable coronary artery disease: The Heart and Soul Study. /i>
Atherosclerosis, 205(2), 538-543.
Abstract: Objective: Dietary intake of polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acids has been associated with a reduced incidence of adverse cardiovascular events. The protective mechanisms involved are not fully understood, but may include anti-inflammatory factors. We sought to investigate the relationship between n-3 fatty acid levels in erythrocyte membranes and markers of systemic inflammation in 992 individuals with stable coronary artery disease. Methods: Cross-sectional associations of C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin-6 (Il-6) with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EHA) were evaluated in multivariable linear regression models adjusted for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, medication use, exercise capacity, body-mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio. Results: After multivariable adjustment, n-3 fatty acid levels (DHA+EPA) were inversely associated with CRP and IL-6. The inverse association of n-3 fatty acids with CRP and IL-6 was not modified by demographics, body-mass index, smoking, LDL-cholesterol, or statin use (p values for interaction>0.1). Conclusions: In patients with stable coronary artery disease, an independent and inverse association exists between n-3 fatty acid levels and inflammatory biomarkers. These findings suggest that inhibition of systemic inflammation may be a mechanism by which n-3 fatty acids prevent recurrent cardiovascular events.
Sanford School of Medicine and Research, University of South Dakota, United States
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Willyard, A., Cronn, R., & Liston, A. (2009).
Reticulate evolution and incomplete lineage sorting among the ponderosa pines.
Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution, 52(2), 498-511.
Abstract: Interspecific gene flow via hybridization may play a major role in evolution by creating reticulate rather than hierarchical lineages in plant species. Occasional diploid pine hybrids indicate the potential for introgression, but reticulation is hard to detect because ancestral polymorphism is still shared across many groups of pine species. Nucleotide sequences for 53 accessions from 17 species in subsection Ponderosae (Pinus) provide evidence for reticulate evolution. Two discordant patterns among independent low-copy nuclear gene trees and a chloroplast haplotype are better explained by introgression than incomplete lineage sorting or other causes of incongruence. Conflicting resolution of three monophyletic Pinus coulteri accessions is best explained by ancient introgression followed by a genetic bottleneck. More recent hybridization transferred a chloroplast from P. jeffreyi to a sympatric P. washoensis individual. We conclude that incomplete lineage sorting could account for other examples of non-monophyly, and caution against any analysis based on single-accession or single-locus sampling in Pinus.
Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
epartment of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
Biology Department, Hendrix College, 1600 Washington Ave., Conway, AR 72032, USA
Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331
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Lin, C., Berry, M. T., Anderson, R., Smith, S., & May, P. S. (2009).
Highly Luminescent NIR-to-Visible Upconversion Thin Films and Monoliths Requiring No High-Temperature Treatment.
Chemistry of Materials, 21(14), 3406-3413.
A method is described for producing highly luminescent composite NIR-to-visible upconversion thin films, made from β-NaYF4:3%Er,17%Yb nanocrystals in a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) matrix, which require no postdeposition heat treatment. Nanocrystals are synthesized via a single-phase, high-boiling-point solvent method, which requires neither metal-trifluoroacetate precursors nor the use of autoclaves. Highly luminescent films are produced that can be varied in thickness down to dimensions approaching those of the nanocrystals themselves. The physical properties of the films are characterized by AFM and TEM, whereas the spectroscopic properties are characterized by NIR-to-visible confocal microscopy and by the time-dependence of upconversion luminescence following pulsed NIR excitation. It is shown that dispersal of β-NaYF4:3%Er,17%Yb nanocrystals in PMMA has no adverse effect on the intrinsic quantum efficiency of upconversion. By focusing the NIR pump beam (980 nm, cw) in the film, linear intensity response and constant color balance are achieved at pump powers down to 40 μW. It is also demonstrated that the thin-film method can be modified to produce large NIR-to-visible upconversion monoliths of high optical quality. This study supports an earlier assertion that the upconversion properties of β-NaYF4:Er,Yb nanocrystals approach those of the bulk material when nanocrystal size is greater than ∼70 nm.
Department of Chemistry, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Mei, D.-M., Yin, Z.-B., & Elliott, S. R. (2009).
Cosmogenic production as a background in searching for rare physics processes.
Astroparticle Physics, 31(6), 417-420.
Abstract: We revisit calculations of the cosmogenic production rates for several long-lived isotopes that are potential sources of background in searching for rare physics processes such as the detection of dark matter and neutrinoless double-beta decay. Using updated cosmic-ray neutron flux measurements, we use TALYS 1.0 to investigate the cosmogenic activation of stable isotopes of several detector targets and find that the cosmogenic isotopes produced inside the target materials and cryostat can result in large backgrounds for dark matter searches and neutrinoless double-beta decay. We use previously published low-background HPGe data to constrain the production of 3H on the surface and the upper limit is consistent with our calculation. We note that cosmogenic production of several isotopes in various targets can generate potential backgrounds for dark matter detection and neutrinoless double-beta decay with a massive detector, thus great care should be taken to limit and/or deal with the cosmogenic activation of the targets.
Department of Physics, The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, United States
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Mei, D.-M., Zhang, C., & Hime, A. (2009).
Evaluation of induced neutrons as a background for dark matter experiments.
Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A, 606(3), 651-660.
Abstract: Neutrons from () reactions through thorium and uranium decays are important sources of background for direct dark matter detection. The neutron yields and energy spectra from a range of materials that are used to build dark matter detectors are calculated and tabulated. In addition to thorium and uranium decays, we found that -particles from samarium, often the dopant of the window materials of photomultiplier tubes (PMT), are also an important source of neutron yield. The results in this paper can be used as the input to Monte Carlo simulations for many materials that will be used for next generation experiments.
Department of Physics, The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Ray, B., Ballal, A., & Manna, A. C. (2009).
Transcriptional variation of regulatory and virulence genes due to different media in Staphylococcus aureus.
Microbial Pathogenesis, 47(2), 94-100.
Abstract: The pathogenesis of staphylococcal infections is a multifactorial process that depends on expression of different virulence factors. Expression of these factors is controlled by multiple regulatory systems in conjunction with environmental signals. Most of the genetic studies in Staphylococcus aureus have been performed using different growth media, therefore, we examined the effects of different growth media on transcription of the selective target (e.g., hla, hlb, spa, sspA) and regulatory (e.g., agr, sarA family) genes. The results from this study suggest that different growth media have substantial effect on transcription of various genes being analyzed. Interestingly, when compared with the wild-type, the isogenic sarA mutant showed a media-dependent distinct regulatory effect on expression of the target genes.
Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, University of South Dakota, 414 E Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Brownawell, A. M., Harris, W. S., Hibbeln, J. R., Klurfeld, D. M., Newton, I., & Yates, A. (2009).
Assessing the environment for regulatory change for eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid nutrition labeling.
Nutrition Reviews, 67(7), 391-397.
This review examines issues related to the development of a recommended daily allowance or adequate intake, two of the categories of dietary reference intakes, for the long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFAs), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3). Although some have suggested a dietary intake of two servings of fatty fish per week or supplement intake of 500 mg/day EPA plus DHA, based on evidence from epidemiologic and clinical studies of cardiovascular benefit from regular fish or fish-oil consumption, supplementation with EPA and/or DHA may also have antidepressant and mood-stabilizing effects. Omega-3 PUFA biology is complex and chronic disease outcomes are sometimes difficult to prove, yet the possibility of benefit for a substantial portion of the population from increased omega-3 PUFA intake is a public health issue that must be addressed responsibly and be based on significant scientific evidence.
Life Sciences Research Office, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. WS
University of South Dakota School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
Ceres Consulting, Markham, Ontario, Canada
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Watt, M. J., Burke, A. R., Renner, K. J., & Forster, G. L. (2009).
Adolescent Male Rats Exposed to Social Defeat Exhibit Altered Anxiety. Behavior and Limbic Monoamines as Adult.
Behavioral Neuroscience, 123(3), 564-576.
Social stress in adolescence is correlated with emergence of psychopathologies, during early adulthood. In this study, the authors investigated the impact of social defeat stress during mid-adolescence on adult male brain and behavior. Adolescent male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to repeated social defeat for 5 days while controls were placed in a novel empty cage. When exposed to defeat-associated rues as adults, previously defeated rats showed increased risk assessment and behavioral inhibition, demonstrating long-term memory for the defeat context. However, previously defeated rats exhibited increased, locomotion in both elevated plus-maze and open field tests, suggesting heightened novelty-induced behavior. Adolescent defeat also affected adult monoamine levels in stress-responsive limbic regions, causing decreased medial prefrontal cortex dopamine, increased norepinephrine and serotonin in the ventral dentate gyms, and decreased norepinephrine in the dorsal raphe. Our results suggest that adolescent social defeat produces both deficits in anxiety responses and altered monoaminergic function in adulthood. This model offers potential for identifying specific mechanisms induced by severe adolescent social stress that may contribute to increased adult male vulnerability to psychopathology.
University of South Dakota
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MACEDONIA, J. M., LAPPIN, A. K., LOEW, E. R., BRANDT, Y., LEMOS-ESPINAL, J. A., & KEMP, D. J. (2009).
Conspicuousness of Dickerson's collared lizard ( Crotaphytus dickersonae) through the eyes of conspecifics and predators.
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 97(4), 749-765.
Selection should favour coloration in organisms that is more conspicuous to their own visual system than to those of their predators or prey. We tested this prediction in Dickerson's collared lizard ( Crotaphytus dickersonae), a sexually dichromatic desert reptile that preys on insects and smaller lizard species, and which in turn is prey for birds and snakes. We modelled the spectral sensitivities of the lizards and their avian and snake predators, and compared the conspicuousness of the lizards' entire colour patterns with each class of viewers. Almost all comparisons involving females strongly supported our prediction for greater chromatic and brightness conspicuousness against local terrestrial visual backgrounds to their own modelled visual system than to those of avian and snake predators. Males, in contrast, exhibited far fewer cases of greater conspicuousness to their own visual system than to those of their predators. Our own perception of spectral similarity between blue C. dickersonae males and a local nonterrestrial visual background (i.e. the Sea of Cortéz) prompted a further investigation. We compared sea (and sky) radiance with dorsum radiance of C. dickersonae males and with males from two distantly-related Crotaphytus collaris populations in which males possess blue bodies. In all three visual models, C. dickersonae males exhibited significantly lower chromatic contrast with the sea (and sky) than did their noncoastal, blue-bodied congeners. Among potential explanations, the blue body coloration that is unique to male C. dickersonae may offset, if only slightly, the cost of visibility to predators (and to prey) through reduced contrast against the extensive, local, nonterrestrial blue backgrounds of the sea and sky.
Biology Department, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.
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Ragothaman, S., & Gollakota, K. (2009).
The Effect of Firm Characteristics on Corporate Governance: An Empirical Study in the United States.
International Journal of Management, 26(2), 309-319.
Recent financial scandals in United States companies have exposed "corporate governance" weaknesses. The measure of corporate governance used in this study is based on a Business Week survey. The governance rankings of this survey are derived from the opinions of experts who rated each company on four aspects of governance: shareholder accountability, quality of directors, independence of the board, and corporate performance. We use a multivariate logistic regression (logit) model in this study and the sample size is 85 United States companies. Our results suggest that return on assets, firm size, debt ratios, and auditor opinion are useful in discriminating "best" governed firms from "worst" governed firms.
University of South Dakota
University of Redlands
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Rosacker, K. M., Ragothaman, S., & Gillispie, M. (2009).
FINANCIAL LITERACY OF FRESHMEN BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS.
College Student Journal, 43(2), 391-399.
In recent years, financial literacy has increasingly captured the attention of the banking and financial industries, policy makers, government agencies, public interest groups, and members of the news media. These interested parties are concerned that consumers lack the basic skills required to make decisions beneficial to their economic welfare. Financial illiteracy can hinder one's ability to achieve long-term goals such as succeeding at higher education, owning a home, and financing retirement. This study investigates the efficacy of having upper-level accounting majors teaching basic financial literacy concepts to freshmen business majors. Specifically, upper-level accounting majors at a small mid-western university developed and conducted financial literacy training workshops for freshmen business majors during the 2007/2008 fall and spring semesters. Both quantitative and qualitative results that flowed from the training workshops are reported. Several positive outcomes accompanied the project. First, the delivery of this training provides a foundation of financial literacy that will hopefully enhance their ability to make financial decisions into the future. Second, the upper-level accounting major mentors enhanced their leadership, project management, teamwork, and public speaking skills while concurrently also expanding their own financial literacy. Each of these skills enumerated constitute vital components in the professional portfolio for individuals seeking a successful career in business as well as personal financial stability.
Assistant Professor of Accountancy University of Wisconsin at La Crosse
Professor of Accounting
Marketing Instructor Beacom School of Business University of South Dakota
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Bardhoshi, G., & Duncan, K. (2009).
Rural School Principals' Perception of the School Counselor's Role.
Rural Educator, 30(3), 16-24.
Responding to the lack of clarity related to the defined role of the school counselor, the authors investigated school principals (n = 538), in a rural Midwest state, and their perceptions of the role of the school counselor. The survey utilized was developed based on professional standards of service delivery for professional school counselors as identified by the American School Counselor Association and a listing of identified appropriate and inappropriate school counselor tasks. Results indicate that school principals see responsive service provision as an essential task of the school counselor. School principals also perceive a number of ASCA identified inappropriate tasks as being important. Recommendations are made to further enhance school principals' understanding of the appropriate role of the school counselor.
Stephen F. Austin State University;/p>
University of South Dakota
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Molina, A. D. (2009).
VALUES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: THE ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE.
International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, 12(2), 266-279.
This article argues that the field of public administration, academics and practitioners alike, would benefit by more explicitly addressing the role that values play in administrative behavior and decision making. It reflects on the extent to which values are embedded in the work of public administrators, and their role in serving as normative criteria for action. Because the values associated with democracy and bureaucracy are often in competition, though, the challenge for administrators is to arrive at a workable balance consistent with our constitutional tradition. To that end, the insights offered by an organizational culture perspective are helpful in understanding how particular values can be promoted in organizations. This article concludes with a brief discussion of some implications that such an approach has for how we study, teach, and practice public administration.
University of South Dakota Source Info: Summer2009, Vol. 12 Issue 2, p266
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Schweinle, A., & Mims, G. (2009).
Mathematics self-efficacy: stereotype threat versus resilience.
Social Psychology of Education, 25(1), 1-14.
Children's academic self-efficacy is one of the strongest predictors of achievement (Wigfield and Eccles, Contemporary Educational Psychology 25(1): 68-81, 2000). The present research examined mathematics self-efficacy and the relationship of racial context from the perspective of two competing bodies of research. Stereotype threat theory would predict that, under conditions where negative stereotypes are salient, self-efficacy would decrease. So, Black/African American students in primarily White classrooms would be predicted to report lower self-efficacy. However, other research suggests that Black/African American students demonstrate fortitude even under disadvantage (e.g., Graham, Review of Educational Research, 64(1): 55-117, 1994). We examined the mathematics self-efficacy of 170 fifth-grade students. In contrast to stereotype threat theory, results suggested that Black/African American students self-efficacy remained stable regardless of the racial breakdown of the class. However, White students demonstrated elevated self-efficacy when in predominantly Black/African American classrooms. These results could not be explained by differences in classroom environments. Results are discussed in terms of resilience, ethnic identity and White identity.
The University of South Dakota Vermillion USA
University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney USA
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Simons, J. S., Dvorak, R. D., & Lau-Barraco, C. (2009).
Behavioral inhibition and activation systems: Differences in substance use expectancy organization and activation in memory.
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 23(2), 315-328.
We used multidimensional scaling to model the semantic network of alcohol and marijuana expectancies (N = 897). Preference mapping was used to estimate vectors representing patterns of activation through the network as a function of levels of behavioral inhibition (BIS) and behavioral activation (BAS). Individuals with low BIS combined with high BAS levels exhibited patterns of activation emphasizing behavioral activation similar to heavier drug users in previous research. High BIS, low BAS individuals exhibited activation patterns with greater emphasis on inhibitory expectancies similar to low-level users. Differences in expectancy activation patterns were maintained after controlling for substance use and gender. Individual differences in BIS/BAS are associated with the organization of semantic networks and patterns of activation of expectancies contributing to differences in substance use behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved) (from the journal abstract)
Simons, Jeffrey S.; Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, US
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Wang, X. T., Kruger, D. J., & Wilke, A. (2009).
Life history variables and risk-taking propensity.
Evolution and Human Behavior, 30(2), 77-84.
We examined the effects of life-history variables on risk-taking propensity, measured by subjective likelihoods of engaging in risky behaviors in five evolutionarily valid domains of risk, including between-group competition, within-group competition, environmental challenge, mating and resource allocation, and fertility and reproduction. The effects of life-history variables on risk-taking propensity were domain specific, except for the expected sex difference, where men predicted greater risk-taking than women in all domains. Males also perceived less inherent risk in actions than females across the five domains. Although the age range in the sample was limited, older respondents showed lower risk propensity in both between- and within-group competition. Parenthood reduced risk-taking propensity in within- and between-group competitions. Higher reproductive goal setting (desiring more offspring) was associated with lower risk-taking propensity. This effect was strongest in the risk domains of mating and reproduction. Having more siblings reduced risk-taking propensity (contrary to our initial prediction) in the domains of environmental challenge, reproduction, and between-group competition. Later-born children showed a higher propensity to engage in environmental and mating risks. Last, shorter subjective life expectancy was associated with increased willingness to take mating and reproductive risks. These results suggest that life-history variables regulate human risk-taking propensity in specific risk domains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved) (from the journal abstract)
Wang, X. T.; Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, US
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Carpenter, R. E., & Summers, C. H. (2009).
Learning strategies during fear conditioning.
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 91(4), 415-423.
This paper describes a model of fear learning, in which subjects have an option of behavioral responses to impending social defeat. The model generates two types of learning: social avoidance and classical conditioning, dependent upon (1) escape from or (2) social subordination to an aggressor. We hypothesized that social stress provides the impetus as well as the necessary information to stimulate dichotomous goal-oriented learning. Specialized tanks were constructed to subject rainbow trout to a conditioning paradigm where the conditioned stimulus (CS) is cessation of tank water flow (water off) and the unconditioned stimulus (US) is social aggression from a larger conspecific. Following seven daily CS/US pairings, approximately half of the test fish learned to consistently escape the aggression to a neutral chamber through a small escape hole available only during the interaction. The learning curve for escaping fish was dramatic, with an 1100% improvement in escape time over 7 days. Fish that did not escape exhibited a 400% increase in plasma cortisol and altered brain monoamine response to presentation of the CS alone. Elevated plasma cortisol levels represent classical fear conditioning in non-escaping fish, while a lack of fear conditioning and a decreased latency to escape over the training period in escapers indicates learned escape.
Carpenter, Russ E.; Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, US
Posted at 10:36AM Sep 28, 2009 by Tracy Marie Elsen in July & August 2009 | Comments[0]
June 2009 Faculty Publications
Ballal, A., & Manna, A. C. (2009).
Regulation of Superoxide Dismutase (sod) Genes by SarA in Staphylococcus aureus.
R Journal of Bacteriology, 191(10), 6.
The scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within cells is regulated by several interacting factors, including transcriptional regulators. Involvement of sarA family genes in the regulation of proteins involved in the scavenging of ROS is largely unknown. In this report, we show that under aerobic conditions, the levels of sodM and sodA transcription, in particular the sodM transcript, are markedly enhanced in the sarA mutant among the tested sarA family mutants. Increased levels of sod expression returned to near the parental level in a single-copy sarA complemented strain. Under microaerophilc conditions, transcription of both sodM and sodA was considerably enhanced in the sarA mutant compared to the wild-type strain. Various genotypic, phenotypic, and DNA binding studies confirmed the involvement of SarA in the regulation of sod transcripts in different strains of Staphylococcus aureus. The sodA mutant was sensitive to an oxidative stress-inducing agent, methyl viologen, but the sarA sodA double mutant was more resistant to the same stressor than the single sodA mutant. These results suggest that overexpression of SodM, which occurs in the sarA background, can rescue the methyl viologen-sensitive phenotype observed in the absence of the sodA gene. Analysis with various oxidative stress-inducing agents indicates that SarA may play a greater role in modulating oxidative stress resistance in S. aureus. This is the first report that demonstrates the direct involvement of a regulatory protein (SarA) in control of sod expression in S. aureus.
Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Vaccinology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota 57007
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Erkina, T., Lavrova, M., & Erkine, A. (2009).
Alternative ways of stress regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells: Transcriptional activators Msn2 and Msn4.
Cell and Tissue Biology, 3(2), 121-129.
Cell response to stress at the transcriptional level is characterized by the rapid expression of a large set of heat shock genes. In yeast S. cerevisiae, this gene activation is determined by activators of two types, i.e., HSF and partially redundant Msn2 and Msn4. While mechanisms of HSF activation were relatively well established during the last decade, the mechanisms of regulation by Msn2/Msn4 only began to be clarified recently. Some of the important aspects of Msn2/Msn4 regulation include nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling and targeted degradation of these factors at gene promoters during transcriptional activation. These and other mechanisms are discussed in this review. .
USD Sanford School of Medicine Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences Vermillion SD 57069 USA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Feng, N., Telefont, M., Kelly, K. J., Orchinik, M., Forster, G. L., Renner, K. J., et al. (2009).
Local perfusion of corticosterone in the rat medial hypothalamus potentiates d-fenfluramine-induced elevations of extracellular 5-HT concentrations.
Hormones & Behavior, 56(1), 149-157.
Abstract: The dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) plays an important role in coordinating physiological and behavioral responses to stress-related stimuli. In vertebrates, DMH serotonin (5-HT) concentrations increase rapidly in response to acute stressors or corticosterone (CORT). Recent studies suggest that CORT inhibits postsynaptic clearance of 5-HT from the extracellular fluid in the DMH by blocking organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3), a polyspecific CORT-sensitive transport protein. Because OCTs are low-affinity, high-capacity transporters, we hypothesized that CORT effects on extracellular 5-HT are most pronounced in the presence of elevated 5-HT release. We predicted that local application of CORT into the DMH would potentiate the effects of d-fenfluramine, a 5-HT-releasing agent, on extracellular 5-HT. These experiments were conducted using in vivo microdialysis in freely-moving male Sprague–Dawley rats implanted with a microdialysis probe into the medial hypothalamus (MH), which includes the DMH. In Experiment 1, rats simultaneously received intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of 1 mg/kg d-fenfluramine or saline and either 200 ng/mL CORT or dilute ethanol (EtOH) vehicle delivered to the MH by reverse-dialysis for 40 min. In Experiment 2, 5 μM d-fenfluramine and either 200 ng/mL CORT or EtOH vehicle were concurrently delivered to the MH for 40 min using reverse-dialysis. CORT potentiated the increases in extracellular 5-HT concentrations induced by either i.p. or intra-MH administration of d-fenfluramine. Furthermore, CORT and d-fenfluramine interacted to alter home cage behaviors. Our results support the hypothesis that CORT inhibition of OCT3-mediated 5-HT clearance from the extracellular fluid contributes to stress-induced increases in extracellular 5-HT and 5-HT signaling..
Department of Biology and Neuroscience Group, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
University of Colorado at Boulder, Department of Integrative Physiology, Boulder, CO 80309-0354, USA
School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ 85287-4501, USA
Basic Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience Group, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
University of Bristol, Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, Bristol, BS1 3NY, UK
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Files, M. D., Zenel, J. A., Armsby, L. B., & Langley, S. M. (2009).
A Child with Eosinophilia, Loeffler Endocarditis, and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Pediatric Cardiology, 30(4), 530-532.
We present an 8-year-old male with Loeffler endocarditis and acute lymphoblastic leukemia with hypereosinophilia (ALL/Eo) who initially presented with a 3-month history of peripheral eosinophilia thought to be due to visceral larval migrans. Despite treatment for Toxocara, his leukocytosis persisted and he developed mitral valve insufficiency and congestive heart failure. Myocardial biopsy revealed fibrosis and thrombus formation indicative of Loeffler endocarditis, and a peripheral smear showed pre-B-cell acute lymphoid leukemia. This unique case highlights a rare, yet serious sequella of prolonged eosinophilia..
Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA
Department of Surgery, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
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Hanson, E. K., & Sundheimer, C. (2009).
Telephone Talk: Effects of Timing and Use of a Floorholder Message on Telephone Conversations Using Synthesized Speech.
AAC: Augmentative & Alternative Communication, 25(2), 90-98.
Telephone interaction remains a challenging form of communication for many who use speech-generating devices (SGDs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of delayed starts and floorholder information at the beginning of synthesized-speech telephone calls to local businesses. Calls were placed to 100 randomly selected businesses asking for business hours. Each call was randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: a floorholder present with no delay, a floorholder present with a delay, floorholder absent and no delay, and floorholder absent with a delay. Overall, 76% of the calls were unsuccessful because the participant hung up or otherwise did not provide the information requested. The majority of successful calls occurred in the floorholder present and no delay condition.
University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota
Fiesta Pediatric Therapy, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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JONES, P. H., WALLACE, L., & BRITTEN, H. B. (2009).
Isolation and characterization of 11 microsatellite loci from Oropsylla hirsuta, a vector of sylvatic plague.
Molecular Ecology Resources, 9(3), 1041-1044.
The flea ( Oropsylla hirsuta) is an important vector of the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, in black-tailed prairie dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies. We developed 11 anonymous microsatellite primers for O. hirsuta using a subtractive hybridization procedure. All primers were polymorphic exhibiting 4–12 alleles.
Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
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Kavouras, I. G., Etyemezian, V., Nikolich, G., Gillies, J., Sweeney, M., Young, M., et al. (2009).
A New Technique for Characterizing the Efficacy of Fugitive Dust Suppressants.
Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (1995), 59(5), 603-612.
The Portable In-Situ Wind Erosion Laboratory (PI-SWERL) instrument was evaluated for testing the effectiveness of dust suppressants for a range of native and constructed soils. The PM10 (particles with diameter ≤10 μm) emissions from dust suppressant-treated and untreated soil surfaces were measured periodically over 14 months. No statistically significant differences were found among soil surfaces treated with three dilution mixtures of the dust suppressant. The temporal variation of PM10 emissions from treated and untreated plots for native and constructed soil textures indicated that: (1) reductions of PM10 emissions by the dust suppressant were significant within 2-3 months after the application and diminished substantially thereafter, (2) decomposition of the protective treated layer resulted in high PM10 emissions for longer environmental exposure times, and (3) emissions from untreated soil surfaces declined over time because of the formation of a natural crust. These results demonstrated that the PI-SWERL can provide qualitative and quantitative information on PM10 emissions for a range of soil textures and can be used to estimate the effectiveness of dust suppressants exposed to actual environmental (i.e., weather and solar radiation) conditions over long periods of time.
Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, NV
Department of Earth Sciences, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, NV
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Liu, Y., Wang, D., Redetzke, R. A., Sherer, B. A., & Gerdes, A. M. (2009).
Thyroid hormone analog 3,5-diiodothyropropionic acid promotes healthy vasculature in the adult myocardium independent of thyroid effects on cardiac function.
American Journal of Physiology: Heart & Circulatory Physiology, 65(5), H1551-H1557.
Liu Y, Wang 0, Redetzke RA, Sherer BA, Gerdes AM. Thyroid hormone analog 3,5-diiodothyropropionic acid promotes healthy vasculature in the adult myocardium independent of thyroid effects on cardiac function. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 296: H1551-H1557, 2009. First published March 13, 2009; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.01293.2008.Patients with hypothyroidism are at a higher risk for coronary vascular disease. Patients with diabetes and related vascular complications also have an increased incidence of low thyroid function. While thyroid hormones (TH5) may be key regulators of a healthy vasculature, potential undesirable side effects hinder their use in the treatment of vascular disorders. TH analogs such as 3,5-diiodothyropropionic acid (DITPA) may provide a safer treatment option. However, the relative potency of DITPA on vascular growth, cardiac function, and metabolism is poorly understood. We hypothesized that the vascular growth-promoting effects of DITPA can be obtained with a minimum effect on cardiac function. Thyroidectomized Sprague-Dawley rats were given slow-release pellets with either thyroxins (T4, 2.7 or 5.2 mg) or DITPA (80 mg) for 6 wk and were compared with placebo. Heart mass, body mass, body temperature, serum THs, cardiac function (echocardiograms and hemodynamics), and myocardial arteriolar density were determined. Hypothyroidism led to reductions in cardiac function, heart mass, body temperature, and myocardial arterioles. High-dose T4 prevented arteriolar loss and the development of hypothyroidism. Low-dose T4 partially prevented the reduction in cardiac function but had minimal effects on arteriolar loss. In contrast, DITPA treatment prevented myocardial arteriolar loss but not the progression of hypothyroid-induced changes in cardiac function. The results suggested that DITPA can promote a healthy vascillature independently from its thyroid-related metabolic effects. Drugs in this class may provide new therapeutic options for patients with vascular disease.
Cardiovascular Research Center, Sanfcird Research/University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Lorenzi, V., Carpenter, R. E., Summers, C. H., Earley, R. L., & Grober, M. S. (2009).
Serotonin, social status and sex change in the bluebanded goby Lythrypnus dalli.
Physiology & Behavior, 97(3/4), 476-483.
Abstract: In a variety of vertebrates, highly aggressive individuals tend to have high social status and low serotonergic function. In the sex changing fish Lythrypnus dalli, serotonin (5-HT) may be involved as a mediator between the social environment and the reproductive system because social status is a critical cue in regulating sex change. Subordination inhibits sex change in L. dalli, and it is associated with higher serotonergic activity in other species. We tested the hypothesis that high serotonergic activity has an inhibitory effect on sex change. In a social situation permissive to sex change, we administered to the dominant female implants containing the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). In a social situation not conducive to sex change, we administered either the serotonin synthesis inhibitor p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) or the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist p-MPPI. After three weeks we used HPLC to measure brain levels of 5-HT and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). We also performed PCPA, p-MPPI and fluoxetine injections in size-matched pairs of females to assess its effect on dominance status. Males and newly sex changed fish showed a trend for higher levels of 5-HIAA and 5-HT/5-HIAA ratio than females. The different implants treatments did not affect the probability of sex change. Interestingly, this species does not seem to fit the pattern seen in other vertebrates where dominant individuals have lower serotonergic activity than subordinates.
Department of Biology, Georgia State University & Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
Department of Biology, University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Box 870344, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
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Lowry, C. A., Hale, M. W., Burke, K. A., Renner, K. J., & Moore, F. L. (2009).
Fluoxetine potentiates the effects of corticotropin-releasing factor on locomotor activity and serotonergic systems in the roughskin newt, Taricha granulosa.
Hormones & Behavior, 56(1), 177-184.
Abstract: The anxiety- and stress-related neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) elicits behavioral changes in vertebrates including increases in behavioral arousal and locomotor activity. Intracerebroventricular injections of CRF in an amphibian, the roughskin newt (Taricha granulosa), induces rapid increases in locomotor activity in both intact and hypophysectomized animals. We hypothesized that this CRF-induced increase in locomotor activity involves a central effect of CRF on serotonergic neurons, based on known stimulatory actions of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) on spinal motor neurons and the central pattern generator for locomotor activity in vertebrates. In Experiment 1, we found that neither intracerebroventricular injections of low doses of CRF (25Â ng) nor the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine (10, 100Â ng), by themselves, altered locomotor activity. In contrast, newts treated concurrently with CRF and fluoxetine responded with marked increases in locomotor activity. In Experiment 2, we found that increases in locomotor activity following co-administration of CRF (25Â ng) and fluoxetine (100Â ng) were associated with decreased 5-HT concentrations in a number of forebrain structures involved in regulation of emotional behavior and emotional states, including the ventral striatum, amygdala pars lateralis, and dorsal hypothalamus, measured 37Â min after treatment. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that CRF stimulates locomotor activity through activation of serotonergic systems.
Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS1 3NY, UK
Center for Premature Infant Health and Development, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
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MCGLAUGHLIN, M. E., RILEY, L., & HELENURM, K. (2009).
Isolation of microsatellite loci from the endangered plant Galium catalinense subspecies acrispum (Rubiaceae).
Molecular Ecology Resources, 9(3), 984-986.
Galium catalinense subspecies acrispum (Rubiaceae) is a state-endangered perennial shrub endemic to San Clemente Island. Eight polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated from G. catalinense ssp. acrispum. These loci show high levels of variability, averaging 6.5 alleles per locus and an expected heterozygosity of 0.550. One locus exhibited significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium ( P < 0.01) and one pair of loci exhibited significant linkage disequilibrium.
School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639, USA
Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
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Ragothaman, S., & Carr, D. (2008).
The Impact of Environmental Information Disclosures on Shareholder Returns in a Company: An Empirical Study.
International Journal of Management, 25(4), 613-620.
The Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (1986) has mandated Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) disclosures in the United States. This Act requires all manufacturing companies (SIC code 20-39) who employ more than 10 people to provide an annual report about the release of more than 300 specified toxic chemicals. Similar legislation exists in other countries as well. How is this information used by investors and corporations? We develop and test a regression model to answer this question. We also perform a few robustness tests. Our sample comes from TRI disclosures for "top 100" corporate polluters based on COMPUSTAT data. Descriptive statistics and correlation measures are also provided. The higher the return on assets the higher is Tobin's q (a proxy for firm value or shareholder wealth). The waste disposal variable (toxic air release) is a statistically significant predictor of Tobin's q. As expected, the sign of the regression coefficient for waste disposal is negative. In addition, firm size has a significant impact on Tobin's q. A firm's beta, P/E ratio, and the corporate governance variable are all statistically insignificant.
University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Wallace, L. E. (2009).
Phylogeographic patterns and demographic history of Schiedea globosa (Caryophyllaceae) on the Hawaiian Islands.
American Journal of Botany, 96(5), 958-967.
Geomorphological changes have been demonstrated to have had profound impacts on biodiversity, often leading to demographic expansions and contractions and allopatric divergence of taxa. We examined DNA sequence variation at two nuclear and one maternally inherited plastid locus among 10 populations of Schiedea globosa on the Hawaiian Islands to assess the primary factors shaping genetic structure, phylogeographic patterns, and the importance of geographic isolation to population divergence. Schiedea globosa has characteristics that may promote gene flow, including wind pollination and rafting of plants in ocean currents. However, we detected significant differentiation among populations on all islands except Hawaii, with the maternally inherited plastid locus having the greatest genetic structure (FST= 0.81). Migration rates across all loci are less than one migrant per generation. We found evidence of growth in several populations and on the islands of Molokai and Maui, which supports population expansion associated with the formation of Maui Nui during the last glacial maximum. Similar to data for many other Hawaiian taxa, these data suggest S. globosa originated on Oahu and subsequently colonized Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii in progression. Given the high level of genetic structure, allopatric divergence will likely contribute to further divergence of populations.
Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762 USA
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697 USA
Department of Botany, MRC 166, P.O. Box 37012, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012 USA
Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069 USA
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Wallace, L. E., Weller, S. G., Wagner, W. L., Sakai, A. K., & Nepokroeff, M. (2009).
PHYLOGEOGRAPHIC PATTERNS AND DEMOGRAPHIC HISTORY OF SCHIEDEA GLOBOSA (CARYOPHYLLACEAE) ON THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
American Journal of Botany, 96(5), 958-967.
Geomorphological changes have been demonstrated to have had profound impacts on biodiversity, often leading to demographic expansions and contractions and allopatric divergence of taxa. We examined DNA sequence variation at two nuclear and one maternally inherited plastid locus among 10 populations of Schiedea globosa on the Hawaiian Islands to assess the primary factors shaping genetic structure, phylogeographic patterns, and the importance of geographic isolation to population divergence. Schiedea globosa has characteristics that may promote gene flow, including wind pollination and rafting of plants in ocean currents. However, we detected significant differentiation among populations on all islands except Hawaii, with the maternally inherited plastid locus having the greatest genetic structure (FST = 0.81). Migration rates across all loci are less than one migrant per generation. We found evidence of growth in several populations and on the islands of Molokai and Maui, which supports population expansion associated with the formation of Maui Nui during the last glacial maximum. Similar to data for many other Hawaiian taxa, these data suggest S. globosa originated on Oahu and subsequently colonized Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii in progression. Given the high level of genetic structure, allopatric divergence will likely contribute to further divergence of populations.
Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762 USA
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697 USA
Department of Botany, MRC 166, P.O. Box 37012, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012 USA
Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069 USA
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Willyard, A., Cronn, R., & Liston, A. (2009).
Reticulate evolution and incomplete lineage sorting among the ponderosa pines.
Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution, 52(2), 498-511.
Abstract: Interspecific gene flow via hybridization may play a major role in evolution by creating reticulate rather than hierarchical lineages in plant species. Occasional diploid pine hybrids indicate the potential for introgression, but reticulation is hard to detect because ancestral polymorphism is still shared across many groups of pine species. Nucleotide sequences for 53 accessions from 17 species in subsection Ponderosae (Pinus) provide evidence for reticulate evolution. Two discordant patterns among independent low-copy nuclear gene trees and a chloroplast haplotype are better explained by introgression than incomplete lineage sorting or other causes of incongruence. Conflicting resolution of three monophyletic Pinus coulteri accessions is best explained by ancient introgression followed by a genetic bottleneck. More recent hybridization transferred a chloroplast from P. jeffreyi to a sympatric P. washoensis individual. We conclude that incomplete lineage sorting could account for other examples of non-monophyly, and caution against any analysis based on single-accession or single-locus sampling in Pinus.
Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
Biology Department, Hendrix College, 1600 Washington Ave., Conway, AR 72032, USA
Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
Posted at 01:23PM Sep 16, 2009 by Tracy Marie Elsen in June 2009 | Comments[0]
April & May 2009 Faculty Publications
Amin AA, Menon RA, Reid KJ, Harris WS(*), & Spertus JA. (2008).
Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients with Depression have Low Blood Cell Membrane Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels.
Psychosomatic Medicine 70(8): 856-862.
Objective: To determine the extent to which levels of membrane eicosapentaenoic (EPA)+docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) (the omega-3 index) were associated with depression in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Depression is associated with worse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with ACS. Reduced levels of blood cell membrane omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids (FAs), an emerging risk factor for both CV disease and depression, may help to explain the link between depression and adverse CV outcomes. Methods: We measured membrane FA composition in 759 patients with confirmed ACS. The analysis included not only EPA and DHA but also the n-6 FAs linoleic and arachidonic acids (LA and AA). Depressive symptoms were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ). Multivariable linear regression was used to adjust for demographic and clinical characteristics. Results: There was a significant inverse relationship between the n-3 index and depressive symptoms (PHQ) in the fully adjusted model (p = .034). For every 4.54% point rise in the n-3 index, there was a 1-point decline in depressive symptoms. In contrast to the n-3 FAs, membrane levels of the n-6 FAs LA and AA were not different between depressed and nondepressed ACS patients. Conclusion: We found an inverse relationship between the n-3 index and the prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with ACS. Therefore, this study supports the hypothesis that reduced n-3 FA tissue levels are a common and potentially modifiable link between depression and adverse CV outcomes.
(*) Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Ballal A(*), Ray B(*), & Manna AC(*). (2009).
sarZ, a sarA Family Gene, is Transcriptionally Activated by MgrA and is Involved in the Regulation of Genes Encoding Exoproteins in Staphylococcus aureus.
Journal of Bacteriology 191(5): 1656-1665.
The expression of genes involved in the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus is controlled by global regulatory loci, including two-component regulatory systems and transcriptional regulators (e.g., sar family genes). Most members of the SarA family have been partially characterized and shown to regulate a large numbers of target genes. Here, we describe the characterization of sarZ, a sarA paralog from S. aureus, and its regulatory relationship with other members of its family. Expression of sarZ was growth phase dependent with maximal expression in the early exponential phase of growth. Transcription of sarZ was reduced in an mgrA mutant and returned to a normal level in a complemented mgrA mutant strain, which suggests that mgrA acts as an activator of sarZ transcription. Purified MgrA protein bound to the sarZ promoter region, as determined by gel shift assays. Among the sarA family of genes analyzed, inactivation of sarZ increased sarS transcription, while it decreased agr transcription. The expression of potential target genes involved in virulence was evaluated in single and double mutants of sarZ with mgrA, sarX, and agr. Northern and zymogram analyses indicated that the sarZ gene product played a role in regulating several virulence genes, particularly those encoding exoproteins. Gel shift assays demonstrated nonspecific binding of purified SarZ protein to the promoter regions of the sarZ-regulated target genes. These results demonstrate the important role played by SarZ in controlling regulatory and virulence gene expression in S. aureus.
(*) Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Ballal A(*). (2009).
Regulation of Superoxide Dismutase (sod) Genes by SarA in Staphylococcus aureus.
Journal of Bacteriology 191(10): 3301-3310.
The scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within cells is regulated by several interacting factors, including transcriptional regulators. Involvement of sarA family genes in the regulation of proteins involved in the scavenging of ROS is largely unknown. In this report, we show that under aerobic conditions, the levels of sodM and sodA transcription, in particular the sodM transcript, are markedly enhanced in the sarA mutant among the tested sarA family mutants. Increased levels of sod expression returned to near the parental level in a single-copy sarA complemented strain. Under microaerophilc conditions, transcription of both sodM and sodA was considerably enhanced in the sarA mutant compared to the wild-type strain. Various genotypic, phenotypic, and DNA binding studies confirmed the involvement of SarA in the regulation of sod transcripts in different strains of Staphylococcus aureus. The sodA mutant was sensitive to an oxidative stress-inducing agent, methyl viologen, but the sarA sodA double mutant was more resistant to the same stressor than the single sodA mutant. These results suggest that overexpression of SodM, which occurs in the sarA background, can rescue the methyl viologen-sensitive phenotype observed in the absence of the sodA gene. Analysis with various oxidative stress-inducing agents indicates that SarA may play a greater role in modulating oxidative stress resistance in S. aureus. This is the first report that demonstrates the direct involvement of a regulatory protein (SarA) in control of sod expression in S. aureus.
(*) Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Chen DG(*), & Lio YL(**). (2009).
A Novel Estimation Approach for Mixture Transition Distribution Model in High-Order Markov Chains.
Communications in Statistics: Simulation and Computation 38(5): 990-1003.
A transformation is proposed to convert the nonlinear constraints of the parameters in the mixture transition distribution (MTD) model into box-constraints. The proposed transformation removes the difficulties associated with the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) process in the MTD modeling so that the MLEs of the parameters can be easily obtained via a hybrid algorithm from the evolutionary algorithms and/or quasi-Newton algorithms for global optimization. Simulation studies are conducted to demonstrate MTD modeling by the proposed novel approach through a global search algorithm in R environment. Finally, the proposed approach is used for the MTD modelings of three real data sets.
(*) Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD
(**) Department of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Christopher MS, & Skillman GD(*). (2009).
Exploring the Link Between Self-Construal and Distress Among African American and Asian American College Students.
Journal of College Counseling 12(1): 44-56.
The authors investigated ethnicity, self-construal, and distress among African American and Asian American college students, African American students expressed more salient independent self-construals, whereas Asian American students expressed more salient interdependent self-construals. As hypothesized, among African American participants, distress was positively related to interdependent self-construal and negatively associated with independent self-construal. Contrary to prediction, the same pattern was found for Asian American participants. Multicultural clinical practice implications are presented.
(*) Psychology Department, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Engeman JM(*), Aspinwall N, & Mabee PM(*). (2009).
Development of the Pharyngeal Arch Skeleton in Catostomus commersonii Teleostei: Cypriniformes.
Journal of Morphology 270(3): 291-305.
(*) Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Epperson BK, Telewski FW, & Willyard A(*). (2009).
Chloroplast Diversity in a Putative Hybrid Swarm of Ponderosae (Pinaceae).
American Journal of Botany 96(3): 707-712.
The Ponderosae subsection of the genus Pinus contains numerous taxa in disjunct mountain ranges of southern Arizona and New Mexico, differing for several leaf and cone traits, key among which is the number of leaf needles per fascicle. Trees with three needles are often found together with trees having five needles and mixed numbers. One taxonomic hypothesis is that there are swarms of hybrids between P. ponderosa and P. arizonica. A second hypothesis is that there are spatial mixtures of two separate taxa, five-needle P. arizonica and a "taxon X" containing three needle and mixed needle trees. We genotyped chloroplasts in one putative hybrid swarm on Mt. Lemmon using microsatellite markers and show that cpDNA is almost completely differentiated between two separate morphotypes corresponding to P. arizonica and "taxon X." Little if any introgression has occurred on Mt. Lemmon, and the simplest explanation is that little or no effective hybridization has occurred. Further results indicate that not only is taxon X not of hybrid origin, it is more closely related to nonregional Ponderosae other than P. ponderosa and P. arizonica. The results further suggest that other putative hybrid swarms in the region are also spatial mixtures of distinct taxa.
(*) Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Fairholm MR(*), & Card M(*). (2009).
Perspectives of Strategic Thinking: From Controlling Chaos to Embracing It.
Journal of Management & Organization 15(1): 17-30.
There is an increasing focus in today's organization on measuring results and calculating return on investment. Efforts of administrators today to control organizational endeavors are essential and generally aligned with current best practices. Control mechanisms, however, ultimately prove to be only part of the puzzle. Strategic planning, encompassing such activities as planning, performance measurement, program budgeting, and the like, has proven to be very useful but limited. It is a technical fix that gets at only part of the question of organizational effectiveness and only deals with some organizational dilemmas. In the face of such realities, the notion of strategic thinking emerges to fill the gaps and overcome the limitations that experience with strategic planning has proven to exhibit. This paper presents an integration of leadership ideas, strategic thinking and traditional planning activities in an effort to make important connections and important distinctions.
(*) Political Science Department and WO Farber Center for Civic Leadership, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Freeburg E(*), Goyeneche A(*), Seidel E(*), & Telleria C(*). (2009).
Resistance to Cisplatin Does Not Affect Sensitivity of Human Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines to Mifepristone Cytotoxicity.
Cancer Cell International 9(1): 4-4.
The prototypical antiprogestin mifepristone exhibits potent growth inhibition activity towards ovarian cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this research was to establish whether mifepristone is capable of inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptotic cell death regardless of the degree of sensitivity ovarian cancer cells exhibit to cisplatin.
(*) Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Frueh BC, Grubaugh AL, Cusack KJ, Kimble MO, Elhai JD(*), & Knapp RG. (2009).
Exposure-based Cognitive-behavioral Treatment of PTSD in Adults with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder: A Pilot Study.
Journal of Anxiety Disorders 23(5): 665-675.
In an open trial design, adults (n=20) with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and either schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were treated via an 11-week cognitive-behavioral intervention for PTSD that consisted of education, anxiety management therapy, social skills training, and exposure therapy, provided at community mental health centers. Results offer preliminary hope for effective treatment of PTSD among adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, especially among treatment completers (n=13). Data showed significant PTSD symptom improvement, maintained at 3-month follow-up. Further, 12 of 13 completers no longer met criteria for PTSD or were considered treatment responders. Clinical outcomes for other targeted domains (e.g., anger, general mental health) also improved and were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Participants evidenced high treatment satisfaction, with no adverse events. Significant improvements were not noted on depression, general anxiety, or physical health status. Future directions include the need for randomized controlled trials and dissemination efforts.
(*) Disaster Mental Health Institute, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Gapp SC, Zalud G, & Pietrzak D. (2009).
End of Intervention Reading Recovery Decisions and Subsequent Achievement.
Reading Improvement 46(1): 9-18.
The article presents a study which examines the relationship between end of Reading Recovery intervention decisions and predicting later reading achievement. The findings reveal that end of intervention decision did predict performance level categories. Study shows that students who successfully discontinued the need of the Reading Recovery intervention tended to perform in the proficient to advanced levels in third, fourth and fifth grades.
(*) Department of Education, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Harris WS(*), Mozaffarian D, Lefevre M, Toner CD(*), Colombo J, Cunnane SC, Holden JM, Klurfeld DM, Morris MC, & Whelan J. (2009).
Towards Establishing Dietary Reference Intakes for Eicosapentaenoic and Docosahexaenoic Acids.
Journal of Nutrition 139(4): 804S-819S.
The article presents a discussion regarding the use of (n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) for mitigating the occurrence of morbidity and mortality brought about by chronic diseases. The need for clearly-defined Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is noted, mentioning that EPA+DHA intake has been found to hold a possible connection to the mitigation of the risk of morbidity or mortality associated with chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease (CHD), cancer, and cognitive decline.
(*) Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Long L, Braunstein R(*), Manning B, & Anderson WD(*). (2008).
Understanding Contextual Differences in American Indian Criminal Justice.
American Indian Culture and Research Journal 32(4): 41-65.
The findings of the 1999 and 2004 Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) studies about crime and victimization in the American Indian community deviate from the experience and expectations of South Dakota's current attorney general. The BJS studies focused on the 10-year period from 1992 to 2002 and found that non-Indians had committed 66 percent of all crimes against American Indian victims. The experience of prosecutors in and around Indian country in South Dakota was inconsistent with the BJS findings. Furthermore, the BJS reports deviate in significant ways from academic literature describing violent crime victimization within and outside Indian country. Combined, these concerns produced an overall sense that something was wrong in the findings of the BJS studies that necessitated further investigation. A detailed study of the state of South Dakota's criminal justice system, which contradicted the BJS studies' findings, found that the BJS had ignored federal case data in their research.
(*) Political Science Department and WO Farber Center for Civic Leadership, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Lowry CA, Hale MW, Plant A, Windle RJ, Shanks N, Wood SA, Ingram CD, Renner KJ(*), Lightman SL, & Summers CH(*). (2009).
Fluoxetine Inhibits Corticotropin-releasing Factor (CRF)-induced Behavioural Responses in Rats.
Stress: The International Journal on the Biology of Stress 12(3): 225-239.
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a potent neuromodulator of stress-related behaviour but the neural mechanisms underlying these effects are not clear. Studies were designed to test the hypothesis that CRF-induced behavioural arousal involves interactions with brainstem serotonergic systems. To examine interactions between CRF and serotonergic systems in the regulation of behaviour, CRF (1 μg, intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.)) or vehicle was infused in the presence or absence of the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor fluoxetine (0, 0.1, 1 or 10 mg/kg, intravenous (i.v.)). Fluoxetine was used at these doses because it is known to decrease serotonin cell firing rates while increasing extracellular serotonin concentrations in select forebrain regions. We then measured behavioural, neurochemical and endocrine responses. CRF increased locomotion and spontaneous non-ambulatory motor activity (SNAMA) in the home cages. Fluoxetine decreased tissue 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentrations, a measure of serotonin metabolism, in specific limbic brain regions of CRF-treated rats (nucleus accumbens shell region, entorhinal cortex, central nucleus of the amygdala). Furthermore, fluoxetine inhibited CRF-induced SNAMA. CRF and fluoxetine independently increased plasma corticosterone concentrations, but the responses had distinct temporal profiles. Overall, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that CRF-induced facilitation of behavioural activity is dependent on brainstem serotonergic systems. Therefore, fluoxetine may attenuate or alleviate some behavioural responses to stress by interfering with CRF-induced responses.
(*) Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Naifeh J(*), North T, Davis J, Reyes G, Logan C, & Elhai J(*). (2008).
Clinical Profile Differences Between PTSD-Diagnosed Military Veterans and Crime Victims.
Journal of Trauma & Dissociation 9(3): 321-334.
Few studies have conducted symptom comparisons across different trauma-exposed populations. Evidence linking different types of trauma to variations in clinical presentation would have potential implications for the assessment and treatment of trauma-related psychopathology. The current study evaluated whether military veterans (n = 187) and civilian crime victims (n = 47) diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder differ in their self-reported posttraumatic symptoms as measured by the Trauma Symptom Inventory. A multivariate profile analysis revealed that military-related trauma is associated with more severe posttraumatic symptoms than criminal victimization and suggested that these 2 types of trauma have statistically distinct symptom profiles. Some potential implications of these findings and considerations for future research are discussed.
(*) Disaster Mental Health Institute, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Newswander CB(*), & Newswander LK(*). (2009).
"Born Again" Govermentality: The Faith-based Initiative as Administrative Agent.
International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior 12(1): 27-54.
A careful study demonstrates that President Bush has implemented the faith-based initiative as a method of governmentality, one which appears to be biased toward Christianity. This paper examines the definition of Foucault's governmentality as it relates to the ever-expanding structure of contemporary American governance and justifies the categorization of faith-based initiatives as an example of pastoral power. Ultimately, these arguments characterize the current state of governmentality as "born-again," and call specific attention to what appears to be a strong affiliation of charitable choice" with evangelical Christianity. By relying on evangelical Christianity to govern, the pastoral-panopticon coupled with governmental resources has brought back an older method of regulation which is less obvious in its intrusion, and more dangerous for it.
(*) University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Prentice C(*). (2009).
Relational Dialectics Among In-Laws.
Journal of Family Communication 9(2): 67-89.
This interpretive study gathered information from interviews with 42 participants who had recently acquired in-laws. Rather than examining specific dyads on in-laws, this study explored how the entry of the newcomer into a family group created tensions that were managed as the newcomer advanced through the stages of socialization into the group. Relational dialectics analysis indicated that in-laws experienced the external dialectical tensions of inclusion/seclusion, conventionality/uniqueness, and revelation/concealment. However, the tensions manifested in unique ways and were managed with a variety of strategies, some of them unique to the in-law relationship. New strategies for managing these tensions included mediating the communication between some in-laws, while seeking closer direct communication among adult siblings (-in-law). Through new relationships with adult siblings, the family was transformed from the family-of-childhood to the family-of-adulthood. These findings suggest that in-law relationships deserve further study.
(*) Department of Communication Studies, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Richardson JD, Pekevski J(*), & Elhai JD(*). (2009).
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Health Problems Among Medically Ill Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans.
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 43(4): 366-372.
Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity and four significant health conditions (gastrointestinal disorders, musculoskeletal problems, headaches, and cardiovascular problems). Method: Participants included 707 Canadian peacekeeping veterans with service-related disabilities, from a random, national Canadian survey, who had been deployed overseas. Results: PTSD severity was significantly related to gastrointestinal disorders, musculoskeletal problems, and headaches, but not to cardiovascular problems. Controlling for demographic factors did not affect PTSD's relationships with the three significant health conditions. Conclusions: The present study supports previous work in finding consistent relations between PTSD severity and specific types of medical problems.
(*) Disaster Mental Health Institute, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Roseman CP(*), Ritchie M, & Laux JM. (2009).
A Restorative Justice Approach to Empathy Development in Sex Offenders: An Exploratory Study.
Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling 29(2): 96-109.
The article present information on an exploratory study which described sex offender treatment using a restorative justice approach to examine the shame, guilt, and empathy development of convicted sexual offenders. It offers a brief overview of the history of dealing with sex offenders in the U.S. It explores the trends for treating sex offenders. It also discusses the impact of guilt and shame on empathy development. It describes the application of two instruments used in the study: the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale and the Personal Feelings Questionnaire-2.
(*) Department of Education: Counseling and Psychology, University of South Dakota
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Sabirzhanova I(*), Sabirzhanov B(*), Bjordahl J(*), Brandt J(*), Jay PY, & Clark TG(*). (2009).
Activation of Tolloid-like 1 Gene Expression by the Cardiac Specific Homeobox Gene Nkx2-5.
Development, Growth & Differentiation 51(4): 403-410.
Mammalian Tolloid-like 1 (Tll-1) is a pleiotropic metalloprotease that is expressed by a small subset of cells within the precardiac mesoderm and is necessary for proper heart development. Following heart tube formation Tll-1 is expressed by the endocardium and regions of myocardium overlying the region of the muscular interventricular septum. Mutations in Tll-1 lead to embryonic lethality due to cardiac defects. We demonstrate that the Tll-1 promoter contains Nkx2–5 binding sites and that the Tll-1 promoter is activated by and directly binds Nkx2–5. Tll-1 expression is ablated by a dominant negative Nkx2–5 or by mutation of the Nkx2–5 binding sites within the Tll-1 promoter. In vivo, Tll-1 expression is decreased in the hearts of Nkx2–5 knockout embryos when compared with hemizygous and wild-type embryos. These results show that Nkx2–5 is a direct activator of Tll-1 expression and provide insight into the mechanism of the defects found in both the Tll-1 and Nkx2–5 knockout mice.
(*) Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Shokeen S(*), Greenfield TJ, Ehli EA(*), Rasmussen J(*), Perrault BE(*), & Weaver KE(*). (2009).
An Intramolecular Upstream Helix Ensures the Stability of a Toxin-Encoding RNA in Enterococcus faecalis.
Journal of Bacteriology 191(5): 1528-1536.
The par stability determinant is required for the stable inheritance of the plasmid pAD1 in its native host, Enterococcus faecalis. It is the only antisense RNA-regulated addiction module identified to date in gram-positive bacteria. It encodes two small, convergently transcribed RNAs, RNA I and RNA II. RNA I encodes the Fst toxin and RNA II acts as the antitoxin by interacting with RNA I posttranscriptionally. As the toxin-encoding component of the system, it is important that RNA I is more stable than RNA II. This study reveals that a helix sequestering the 5' end of RNA I plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of the RNA I. An adjacent structure previously determined to regulate Fst translation was not required to enhance stability. Results indicated that endoribonuclease J2 contributes significantly to the degradation of a mutant disrupting the upstream helix (UH) of RNA I in Bacillus subtilis. Finally, it was shown that interaction with RNA II stabilized the UH mutant of RNA I.
(*) Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Stromberg JC, Rychener TJ, & Dixon MD(*). (2009).
Return of Fire to a Free-Flowing Desert River: Effects on Vegetation.
Restoration Ecology 17(3): 327-338.
After a long period in which fuel loads were sparse, fire recently has occurred with high frequency in the ungrazed riparian zone of the Upper San Pedro River in southern Arizona's Chihuahuan Desert. We studied four accidental fires that occurred during 1994–2003 (two in different years at the same site). Woody vegetation was contrasted between three burned sites and matched spatial controls, and before and after the most recent fire. Herbaceous vegetation was sampled in multiple years producing a chronosequence of time since fire (from 4 months to 8 years). Riparian fire was associated with reductions in woody plant species diversity and canopy cover. In contrast, fire caused a short-term (2 year) pulse of herbaceous plant diversity, driven by annual species, and persistent increase in herbaceous cover. Path analysis indicated that the increase in herbaceous cover was mediated in part by the reduction in tree canopy cover. Ordination (nonmetric multidimensional scaling) and regression analysis also indicated that canopy cover and/or fire played a role in structuring the herbaceous community, although its effects were secondary to that of hydrologic factors (stream flow rate, seasonal flood size). By converting riparian forests to grasslands and savannahs, fire may be shifting structure of the Upper San Pedro floodplain vegetation closer toward conditions present during past centuries when fire was frequent in the upland desert grasslands and embedded riparian corridor.
(*) Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Swanson DL(*), Sabirzhanov B(**), VandeZande A(**), & Clark TG(**). (2009).
Seasonal Variation of Myostatin Gene Expression in Pectoralis Muscle of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) Is Consistent with a Role in Regulating Thermogenic Capacity and Cold Tolerance.
Physiological & Biochemical Zoology 82(2): 121-128.
Winter acclimatization in small birds overwintering in cold climates, including house sparrows (Passer domesticus), is associated with improved cold tolerance, elevated summit metabolic rates (Msum = maximum cold-induced metabolic rate), and increased pectoralis muscle mass compared to summer birds. Myostatin is a potent autocrine/paracrine inhibitor of skeletal muscle growth in mammals and birds and is a potential candidate for regulation of seasonal phenotypic flexibility in birds. As a first step toward examining such a role for myostatin in small birds, we measured summer and winter gene expression of myostatin and its potential metalloproteinase activators TLL-1 and TLL-2 in house sparrows from southeastern South Dakota. Gene expression of myostatin decreased significantly in winter, with summer values exceeding winter values by 1.52-fold. Moreover, gene expression of TLL-1 was also significantly reduced in winter, with summer values exceeding winter values by 1.55-fold. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the winter increases in pectoralis muscle mass, Msum, and cold tolerance in house sparrows are mediated by reduced levels of myostatin and its activator TLL-1, and they suggest the possibility that myostatin may be a common mediator of phenotypic flexibility of muscle mass in birds.
(*) Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
(**) Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Zheng Z(*), & Keifer J(*). (2009).
PKA Has a Critical Role in Synaptic Delivery of GluR1- and GluR4-Containing AMPARs During Initial Stages of Acquisition of In Vitro Classical Conditioning.
Journal of Neurophysiology 101(5): 2539-2549.
The cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) signaling pathway has been shown to be important in mechanisms of synaptic plasticity, although its direct and downstream signaling effects are not well understood. Using an in vitro model of eyeblink classical conditioning, we report that PKA has a critical role in initiating a signaling cascade that results in synaptic delivery of glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1)- and GluR4-containing -amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs) in abducens motor neurons during conditioning. PKA and the Ca2+-calmodulin–dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) II and IV are activated early in conditioning and are required for acquisition and expression of conditioned responses (CRs). cAMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB) is also activated early in conditioning but is blocked by coapplication of inhibitors to PKA and the CaMKs, suggesting that CREB is downstream of those signaling cascades. Moreover, evidence suggests that PKA activates extracellular signal-regulated kinase, which is also required for conditioning. Imaging studies after conditioning further indicate that colocalization of GluR1 AMPAR subunits with the synaptic marker synaptophysin requires PKA, but is insensitive to the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) inhibitor D,L-AP5. PKA activation also leads to synaptic localization of GluR4 subunits that, unlike GluR1, is dependent on NMDARs and is mediated by CaMKII. Together with previous studies, our findings support a two-stage model of AMPAR synaptic delivery during acquisition of classical conditioning. The first stage involves synaptic incorporation of GluR1-containing AMPARs that serves to activate silent synapses. This allows a second stage of NMDAR- and protein kinase C–dependent delivery of GluR4 AMPAR subunits that supports the acquisition of CRs.
(*) Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Zhou Z, Meng Q(*), Seifert A, Wagener A, Sun Y, Ernst S, Thiel WR. (2009).
Hybrid Mesoporous Materials Containing Covalently Anchored N-phenylthiazolium Salts as Organo Catalysts.
Microporous & Mesoporous Materials 121(1-3): 145-151.
A heterogenized organo catalyst based on an organic–inorganic hybrid material was synthesized by covalently anchoring N-phenylthiazolium salts onto mesoporous silica MCM-41 materials. The results of powder X-ray diffraction and N2 adsorption show the persistence of the ordered two-dimensional hexagonal mesostructure of the functionalized materials. The integrity of the organic groups in the mesoporous materials is confirmed by solid-state 13C and 29Si CP-MAS–NMR spectroscopy. These hybrid mesoporous materials are efficient catalysts for the benzoin condensation and for the cross-coupling of aldehydes with acylimines to yield a-amido ketones. The catalytic activity of the heterogenized organo catalyst can further be enhanced by silylation of the residual Si–OH groups using Me3SiCl, due to an increased hydrophobicity of the support’s surface. The recyclability of the catalysts depends on the solvent of reaction: here aprotic and solvents of low polarity turned out to be beneficial.
(*) Department of Chemistry, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
Posted at 06:47PM May 26, 2009 by Megan Determan in April & May 2009 | Comments[0]
March 2009 Publications
Assimacopoulos AP(*), Strandberg KL, Rotschafer JH, & Schlievert PM (2009).
Extreme Pyrexia and Rapid Death Due to Staphylococcus aureus Infection: Analysis of 2 Cases.
Clinical Infectious Diseases 48(5): 612-614.
We describe unusual Staphylococcus aureus infections in 2 patients. The infections were characterized by extreme pyrexia and rapid death. Both causative organisms produced a deletion mutant form of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 and variant enterotoxin C, which may have caused pyrexia and death.
(*) Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Ballal A(*) (2009).
sarZ, a sarA Family Gene, Is Transcriptionally Activated by MgrA and Is Involved in the Regulation of Genes Encoding Exoproteins in Staphylococcus aureus.
Journal of Bacteriology 191(5): 1656-1665.
The expression of genes involved in the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus is controlled by global regulatory loci, including two-component regulatory systems and transcriptional regulators (e.g., sar family genes). Most members of the SarA family have been partially characterized and shown to regulate a large numbers of target genes. Here, we describe the characterization of sarZ, a sarA paralog from S. aureus, and its regulatory relationship with other members of its family. Expression of sarZ was growth phase dependent with maximal expression in the early exponential phase of growth. Transcription of sarZ was reduced in an mgrA mutant and returned to a normal level in a complemented mgrA mutant strain, which suggests that mgrA acts as an activator of sarZ transcription. Purified MgrA protein bound to the sarZ promoter region, as determined by gel shift assays. Among the sarA family of genes analyzed, inactivation of sarZ increased sarS transcription, while it decreased agr transcription. The expression of potential target genes involved in virulence was evaluated in single and double mutants of sarZ with mgrA, sarX, and agr. Northern and zymogram analyses indicated that the sarZ gene product played a role in regulating several virulence genes, particularly those encoding exoproteins. Gel shift assays demonstrated nonspecific binding of purified SarZ protein to the promoter regions of the sarZ-regulated target genes. These results demonstrate the important role played by SarZ in controlling regulatory and virulence gene expression in S. aureus.
(*) Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Carr D(*), Davies T(*), & Lavin A(*) (2009).
The Effect of Business faculty Attire on Student Perceptions of the Quality of Instruction and Program Quality.
College Student Journal 43(1): 45-55.
What professors do, how they behave, and how they look arguably can be as significant as, if not more important than, the content discussed in the classroom. There is little disagreement that attire has communicative power, and the topic has been the subject of research for years due to its cultural and social significance. While the debate regarding effective instruction continues, it is apparent that the professional appearance and attire of the professor has a positive impact on the students' perceptions of a number of traits that are often considered in the evaluation of an academician. The results of this study suggest that this favorable attitude leaves students with a more positive perception of the professor, course, program, and university.
(*) Beacom School of Business The University of South Dakota
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Chen DG, & Lio YL(*) (2009).
A Novel Estimation Approach for Mixture Transition Distribution Model in High-Order Markov Chains.
Communications in Statistics: Simulation & Computation 38(5): 990-1003.
A transformation is proposed to convert the nonlinear constraints of the parameters in the mixture transition distribution (MTD) model into box-constraints. The proposed transformation removes the difficulties associated with the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) process in the MTD modeling so that the MLEs of the parameters can be easily obtained via a hybrid algorithm from the evolutionary algorithms and/or quasi-Newton algorithms for global optimization. Simulation studies are conducted to demonstrate MTD modeling by the proposed novel approach through a global search algorithm in R environment. Finally, the proposed approach is used for the MTD modelings of three real data sets.
(*) Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Choi H-s(*), Whitney Y(*), Korcuska JS(*), & Proctor TB(*) (2008).
Consultation practices between school counselors and school psychologists: Implications for training and practice.
Journal of Applied School Psychology 24(2): 303-318.
This study examined the extent of partnership between school counselors and school psychologists via consultation. Stratified random samples of 150 school counselors and 150 school psychologists who are members of ASCA and NASP, respectively, were surveyed using a 12- item questionnaire. Despite current trends toward a partnership approach to serving children, limited consultative efforts were noted between school counselors and school psychologists. Implications of the findings and recommendations for practitioners and training programs are discussed.
(*) University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, US
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Fikretoglu D, & Elhai JD(*) (2009).
Predictors of Likelihood and Intensity of Past-Year Mental Health Service Use in an Active Canadian Military Sample.
Psychiatric Services 60(3): 358-366.
OBJECTIVE: This study examined associations between sociodemographic, military, and psychiatric need variables and past-year mental health service use among active Canadian military members. The likelihood and intensity of services were examined across two provider types—mental health providers and medical providers. METHOD:S: Data were drawn from the first epidemiological survey of mental health in the Canadian Forces, conducted by Statistics Canada in 2002. Survey instruments included the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, which was used to assess mental health and service use. RESULTS: Of the 8,441 military members who participated in the survey, 14.5% (N=1,220) met criteria for having a mental disorder in the past year. However, of the 8,441 only 9.1% (N=767) contacted a mental health provider in the past year for mental health problems; even fewer (N=539, 6.4%) contacted a medical provider. Across the two provider types, the majority of those seeing a provider reported five or fewer mental health visits in the past year. In univariate and multivariate analyses across the two provider types, psychiatric need variables were consistently associated with both greater service use likelihood and intensity. In multivariate analyses, lower military rank was consistently associated with both greater service use likelihood and intensity. CONCLUSION:S: Of the entire military sample, only a small percentage used mental health services. The observed associations between military and psychiatric need variables and mental health service use in this study should be used by military health care providers and administrators to increase mental health service use among those most at risk of not using services.
(*) Disaster Mental Health Institute, University of South Dakota, Vermillion
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Gray MJ, Elhai JD(*), Owen JR, & Monroe R(*) (2009).
Psychometric Properties of the Trauma Assessment for Adults.
Depression & Anxiety (1091-4269) 26(2): 190-195.
Background: The Trauma Assessment for Adults (TAA) was developed to facilitate the assessment of exposure to traumatic events that could result in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The TAA inquires about numerous potentially traumatic events that an individual may have experienced. Although the TAA has been used extensively for clinical and research purposes, its psychometric properties have never been formally evaluated. The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the psychometric properties of this frequently used measure. Methods: The studies reported here describe the performance of the TAA in two samples—college undergraduates (N=142) and community mental health center clients (N=67). Among undergraduates, 1-week temporal stability was evaluated and, in both samples, item- and scale-level convergence of the TAA with an established trauma exposure measure was assessed. Convergence of the TAA with clinically related constructs was also evaluated. Results: The TAA exhibited adequate temporal stability (r=.80) and satisfactory item-level convergence with existing measures of trauma history among college students. In the clinical sample, the TAA again converged well with an established measure of trauma exposure (r=.65). It was not as strongly predictive, in either sample, of trauma-related distress relative to an alternate trauma exposure measure. Conclusion: Although it performs satisfactorily, the TAA does not appear to be superior to other existing measures of trauma exposure.
(*) Disaster Mental Health Institute, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Li W(*), & Keifer J(*) (2009).
BDNF-induced synaptic delivery of AMPAR subunits is differentially dependent on NMDA receptors and requires ERK.
Neurobiology of Learning & Memory 91(3): 243-249.
Previous studies using an in vitro model of eyeblink classical conditioning in turtles suggest that increased numbers of synaptic AMPARs supports the acquisition and expression of conditioned responses (CRs). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its associated receptor tyrosine kinase, TrkB, is also required for acquisition of CRs. Bath application of BDNF alone induces synaptic delivery of GluR1- and GluR4-containing AMPARs that is blocked by coapplication of the receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor K252a. The molecular mechanisms involved in BDNF-induced AMPAR trafficking remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether BDNF-induced synaptic AMPAR incorporation utilizes similar cellular mechanisms as AMPAR trafficking that occurs during in vitro classical conditioning. Using pharmacological blockade and confocal imaging, the results show that synaptic delivery of GluR1 subunits during conditioning or BDNF application does not require activity of NMDARs but is mediated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). In contrast, synaptic delivery of GluR4-containing AMPARs during both conditioning and BDNF application is NMDAR- as well as ERK-dependent. These findings indicate that BDNF application mimics AMPAR trafficking observed during conditioning by activation of some of the same intracellular signaling pathways and suggest that BDNF is a key signal transduction element in postsynaptic events that mediate conditioning.
(*) Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, University of South Dakota School of Medicine, 414 E. Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Long ME(*), & Quevillon R(*) (2009).
Imagery Rescripting in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy 23(1): 67-76.
The use of imagery in psychotherapy has received surprisingly little attention from researchers despite its long history in psychology and the significance of imagery in a number of psychological disorders. One procedure warranting increased attention is imagery rescripting, an imagery technique in which an image is modified in some way to decrease distress. Imagery rescripting is relatively new with a small but growing empirical base. This article briefly reviews hypothesized mechanisms for therapeutic change via imagery techniques, emphasizing imagery rescripting, and how they might be relevant in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We review studies employing imagery rescripting as a component of treatment, followed by recommendations for future direction.
(*) Disaster Mental Health Institute, The University of South Dakota, Vermillion
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Santo S(*), Engstrom M, Reetz L(*), Schweinle W(**), & Reed K(*) (2009).
Faculty Productivity Barriers and Supports at a School of Education.
Innovative Higher Education 33(4): 1-13.
All programs in a midwestern university recently embarked on a path to help increase the scholarly productivity of faculty. The effort to develop a research emphasis within the School of Education required determining the needs of tenure-track faculty regarding meeting the new requirements. The purposes of our study were to investigate these needs and identify the individual, environmental, and leadership factors that affect faculty productivity. Findings revealed a need to transform the School's service and teaching culture to a culture of research and scholarship. Recommendations for helping other schools of education to become more research-oriented are provided. While the study focuses on data from a particular School of Education, the implications may generalize to faculty productivity within other institutions, particularly within professional schools.
(*) School of Education, University of South Dakota Vermillion SD USA
(**) Health Sciences, University of South Dakota Vermillion SD USA
Scholl JL(*), Feng N(**), Watt MJ(*), Renner KJ(**), & Forster GL(*) (2009).
Individual differences in amphetamine sensitization, behavior and central monoamines.
Physiology & Behavior 96(3): 493-504.
Repeated amphetamine treatment results in behavioral sensitization in a high percentage of rats. Alterations to plasma corticosterone, neural monoamines and stress behavior can accompany amphetamine sensitization. Whether these changes occur following repeated amphetamine treatment in the absence of behavioral sensitization is not known. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline once daily for 6 days. Amphetamine-induced locomotion and stereotypy, open-field anxiety behavior, plasma corticosterone and limbic monoamines were measured during withdrawal. Sixty-two percent of amphetamine-treated rats showed behavioral sensitization over the test periods. Only amphetamine-sensitized rats showed increased latency to enter the center of the open-field, as well as increased plasma corticosterone when compared to saline-treated controls. Amphetamine-sensitized rats showed increased dopamine concentrations in the shell of the nucleus accumbens and increased serotonin concentrations in the dorsal hippocampus, which were not observed in amphetamine-treated non-sensitized rats. These findings suggest that anxiety behavior, plasma corticosterone and limbic monoamines concentrations are altered by repeated amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg) treatment, and that these neuroendocrine and behavioral changes are often associated with sensitization to the psychostimulant effects of amphetamine.
(*) Basic Biomedical Sciences & Neuroscience Group, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St. Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
(**) Department of Biology & Neuroscience Group, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St. Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
Shokeen S(*) (2009).
An Intramolecular Upstream Helix Ensures the Stability of a Toxin-Encoding RNA in Enterococcus faecalis.
Journal of Bacteriology 191(5): 1528-1536.
The par stability determinant is required for the stable inheritance of the plasmid pAD1 in its native host, Enterococcus faecalis. It is the only antisense RNA-regulated addiction module identified to date in gram-positive bacteria. It encodes two small, convergently transcribed RNAs, RNA I and RNA II. RNA I encodes the Fst toxin and RNA II acts as the antitoxin by interacting with RNA I posttranscriptionally. As the toxin-encoding component of the system, it is important that RNA I is more stable than RNA II. This study reveals that a helix sequestering the 5' end of RNA I plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of the RNA I. An adjacent structure previously determined to regulate Fst translation was not required to enhance stability. Results indicated that endoribonuclease J2 contributes significantly to the degradation of a mutant disrupting the upstream helix (UH) of RNA I in Bacillus subtilis. Finally, it was shown that interaction with RNA II stabilized the UH mutant of RNA I.
(*) Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Lenné T, Garvey CJ, Koster KL(*), & Bryant G (2009).
Effects of Sugars on Lipid Bilayers during Dehydration – SAXS/WAXS Measurements and Quantitative Model.
Journal of Physical Chemistry B 113(8): 2486-2491.
We present an X-ray scattering study of the effects of dehydration on the bilayer and chain—chain repeat spacings of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers in the presence of sugars. The presence of sugars has no effect on the average spacing between the phospholipid chains in either the fluid or gel phase. Using this finding, we establish that for low sugar concentrations only a small amount of sugar exclusion occurs. Under these conditions, the effects of sugars on the membrane transition temperatures can be explained quantitatively by the reduction in hydration repulsion between bilayers due to the presence of the sugars. Specific bonding of sugars to lipid headgroups is not required to explain this effect.
(*) The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Weaver KE(*), Kwong SM, Firth N, & Francia MV (2009).
The replicons of Gram-positive bacteria: A family of broadly distributed but narrow host range plasmids.
Plasmid 61(2): 94-109.
The pheromone-responsive conjugative plasmids of Enterococcus faecalis and the multiresistance plasmids pSK1 and pSK41 of Staphylococcus aureus are among the best studied plasmids native to Gram-positive bacteria. Although these plasmids seem largely restricted to their native hosts, protein sequence comparison of their replication initiator proteins indicates that they are clearly related. Homology searches indicate that these replicons are representatives of a large family of plasmids and a few phage that are widespread among the low G+C Gram-positive bacteria. We propose to name this family the family of replicons after the annotated conserved domain that the initiator protein contains. Detailed sequence comparisons indicate that the initiator protein phylogeny is largely congruent with that of the host, suggesting that the replicons have evolved along with their current hosts and that intergeneric transfer has been rare. However, related proteins were identified on chromosomal regions bearing characteristics indicative of ICE elements, and the phylogeny of these proteins displayed evidence of more frequent intergeneric transfer. Comparison of stability determinants associated with the replicons suggests that they have a modular evolution as has been observed in other plasmid families.
(*) Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
Posted at 05:05PM Mar 25, 2009 by Megan Determan in March 2009 | Comments[0]
February 2009 Publications
Aldrich AW(*) (2009).
Judging Books by Their Covers: Managing the Tensions between Paperback and Clothbound Purchases in Academic Libraries.
College & Research Libraries 70(1): 57-70.
Book purchases are a significant portion of an academic library's budget. Selecting paperback rather than hardback editions can stretch collection development dollars. This study examines the collection development statements of forty-six academic libraries regarding the selection of paperback editions. Some libraries provide vague guidance, while others identify specific price differentials between the costs of paperback and hardback editions as a decision criterion. A new method of using price difference ratios is proposed and tested using four academic disciplines. The results suggest that libraries using such ratios can achieve greater control over costs while meeting collection development goals.
(*)I.D. Weeks Library, University of South Dakota
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Aparasu RR, Jano E, & Bhatara V(*) (2009).
Concomitant antipsychotic prescribing in US outpatient settings.
Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, In Press, Corrected Proof
Background Clinicians use concomitant antipsychotic therapy for management of psychotic disorders despite a paucity of evidence for this practice.Objective To examine national patterns and determinants of concomitant antipsychotic therapy.Methods Concomitant antipsychotic therapy was defined as simultaneous use of 2 or more antipsychotic agents. Prescription data from the 2003-2004 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the outpatient department portion of the 2003-2004 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were used to characterize the prescribing of concomitant antipsychotic therapy and antipsychotic monotherapy (defined as use of a typical or atypical agent). Multiple logistic regression was applied to antipsychotic visits to examine the determinants of concomitant antipsychotic therapy based on patient and provider characteristics.Results Overall, concomitant antipsychotic therapy was documented in 9% of the visits involving antipsychotic agents, and monotherapy in 91% of the visits. The use of atypical agents, namely risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine, was common in both forms of therapy. Concomitant therapy was frequently used for psychoses and bipolar disorder. Logistic regression revealed that the odds of receiving concomitant antipsychotic therapy were higher for patients younger than 65 years, with greatest odds (odds ratio = 6.52) for patients 40 to 64 years old. Having a diagnosis of psychosis quadrupled (odds ratio = 4.33) the odds of receiving concomitant antipsychotic therapy. Physicians in metropolitan areas were more likely (odds ratio = 2.17) to use concomitant antipsychotic therapy than physicians in non-metropolitan areas.Conclusions Concomitant antipsychotic therapy continues to be prevalent and extensive in outpatient settings. With the use of concomitant antipsychotic therapy as a quality of care measure, there is a need to optimize prescribing of these potent combinations.
(*) Department of Psychiatry, University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, SD 57105, USA
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Carpenter RE(*), Korzan WJ, Bockholt C, Watt MJ(**), Forster GL(**), & Renner KJ(*) (2009).
Corticotropin releasing factor influences aggression and monoamines: Modulation of attacks and retreats.
Neuroscience 158(2): 412-425.
Salmonids establish social hierarchies as a result of aggressive social interactions. The establishment of dominant or subordinate status is strongly linked to neuroendocrine responses mediated through the stress axis. In this study, we tested the effects of introcerebroventricular (icv) corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) on the behavioral outcome, plasma cortisol and monoamine function in trout subjected to a socially aggressive encounter. Rainbow trout were treated with an icv injection of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF), 500 or 2000 ng ovine CRF, or not injected. Fish were allowed to interact with a similarly sized conspecific for 15 min. Following the behavioral interaction, plasma cortisol and central monoamine concentrations were analyzed. Trout treated with CRF were victorious in approximately 66% of the aggressive encounters against aCSF-treated opponents. Trout injected with CRF exhibited a reduction in the total number of attacks and decreased latency to attack. When trout were divided into winners and losers, only victorious CRF-treated fish exhibited a reduced latency to attack and fewer retreats. Social stress increased cortisol levels in both winners and losers of aggressive interaction. This effect was enhanced with the additional stress incurred from icv injection of aCSF. However, icv CRF in addition to social stress decreased plasma cortisol in both winners and losers. While aggression stimulated significant changes in serotonergic and dopaminergic activity, the magnitude and direction were dependent on limbic brain region, CRF dose, and outcome of social aggression. With broad effects on aggressive behavior, anxiety, stress responsiveness, and central monoaminergic activity, CRF plays an important role in modulating the behavioral components of social interaction.
(*)Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390, USA (**)Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
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Elhai JD(*), Grubaugh AL, Richardson JD, Egede LE, & Creamer M (2008).
Outpatient Medical and Mental Healthcare Utilization Models Among Military Veterans: Results from the 2001 National Survey of Veterans.
Journal of Psychiatric Research, 42(10), 858-867.
Using Andersen's (1995) [Andersen RM. Revisiting the behavioral model and access to medical care: does it matter? Journal of Health and Social Behavior 1995;36:1-10] behavioral model of healthcare use as our theoretical framework, we examined predisposing (i.e., sociodemographic), enabling (i.e., access resources), and need (i.e., illness) models of outpatient medical and mental healthcare utilization among a national sample of US veterans. Participants were 20,048 nationally representative participants completing the 2001 National Survey of Veterans. Outcomes were healthcare use variables for the past year, including the number of Veterans Affairs (VA) and non- VA outpatient healthcare visits, and whether VA and non-VA mental health treatment was used. Univariate results demonstrated that numerous predisposing, enabling and need variables predicted both VA and non-VA healthcare use intensity and mental healthcare use. In multivariate analyses, predisposing, enabling and need variables demonstrated significant associations with both types of healthcare use, but accounted for more variance in mental healthcare use. Need variables provided an additive effect over predisposing and enabling variables in accounting for medical and mental healthcare use, and accounted for some of the strongest effects. The results demonstrate that need remains an important factor that drives healthcare use among veterans and does not seem to be overshadowed by socioeconomic factors that may create unfair disparities in treatment access.
(*)Disaster Mental Health Institute, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, US
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Enterline AJ & Jepsen EM(*) (2009).
Chinazambia and Boliviafranca: A Simulation of Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy.
International Studies Perspectives 10(1): 49-59.
Despite a longstanding focus on the systemic distribution of power in the study of international relations, scholarship during the past 20 years increasingly emphasizes the role of domestic politics in foreign-policy-decision making. This simulation enables participants to experience negotiating an international issue a territorial dispute between two fictitious states, Chinazambia and Boliviafranca in the context of this two-level game between domestic and international environments. The simulation furnishes a vantage point from which students can assess realist, liberal, and alternative theoretical perspectives on international relations as they affect policy making. The simulation is flexible and can be executed under a variety course contexts, as well as time and participation constraints. Additionally, the simulation provides ample opportunity for a number of enriching postsimulation activities.
(*)University of South Dakota
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Fairholm MR & Fairholm GW (2009).
Understanding Leadership Perspectives : Theoretical and Practical
Approaches (1st ed.).
New York: Springer [BOOK].
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Furches M, Wallace L, & Helenurm K(*) (2009).
High Genetic Divergence Characterizes Populations of the Endemic Plant Lithophragma Maximum (Saxifragaceae) on San Clemente Island.
Conservation Genetics 10(1): 115-26.
Narrowly-ranging species frequently harbor less genetic variability relative to widespread relatives and face graver extinction threats due to the heightened impacts of stochastic events on ecological and genetic diversity. In this study, we examined the impact of historical and current threats to the maintenance of genetic variation in Lithophragma maximum (Saxifragaceae), a perennial herb endemic to San Clemente Island, California. This species exists as small populations confined to canyons along 4 km of the southeast coastline of the island. In 15 populations analyzed with 10 microsatellite markers, we identified an average of 2.05 alleles per locus and 58.7% polymorphic loci. Significant departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium existed in six populations; five of these exhibited heterozygote deficiency. Bayesian inference of genetic structure indicated a significant amount of structure among populations and canyons and infrequent gene flow even over very short distances. We also identified a significant and positive correlation between genetic and geographic distances, indicative of isolation by distance. There was no evidence of recent bottlenecks in any of the sampled populations, but older bottlenecks were detected in two populations. These results suggest that populations of L. maximum have historically been small and isolated, which is likely due to the rugged habitat in which this species occurs and limited pollen and seed dispersal. Given the high degree of structure observed across populations, we suggest that conservation efforts should focus on preserving populations in multiple canyons, maintaining large population sizes to preserve genetic variation, and controlling the spread of invasive species in areas where L. maximum occurs.
(*)University of South Dakota Department of Biological Sciences Vermillion SD 57069 USA
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Goodman BE(*) (2008).
Channels active in the excitability of nerves and skeletal muscles across the neuromuscular junction: basic function and pathophysiology.
Advances in Physiology Education 32(2): 127-135.
Ion channels are essential for the basic physiological function of excitable cells such as nerve, skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle cells. Mutations in genes that encode ion channels have been identified to cause various diseases and disorders known as channelopathies. An understanding of how individual ion channels are involved in the activation of motoneurons and their corresponding muscle cells is essential for interpreting basic neurophysiology in nerves, the heart, and skeletal and smooth muscle. This review article is intended to clarify how channels work in nerves, neuromuscular junctions, and muscle function and what happens when these channels are defective. Highlighting the human diseases that result from defective ion channels is likely to be interesting to students in helping them choose to learn about channel physiology.
(*)Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota.
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Grey K(*), Moss B(*), & Burrell B(*) (2008).
Molecular Identification and Expression of the Nmda Receptor Nr1 Subunit in the Leech.
Invertebrate Neuroscience. ? (No.?): 1-10.
A aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is involved in a number of physiological and pathophysiological processes in vertebrates, but there have been few studies examining the role of invertebrate NMDA receptors. In the leech, pharmacological evidence suggests that NMDARs contribute to synaptic plasticity, but there has been no molecular identification of NMDA receptors. In this report, a partial cDNA encoding the leech NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor (HirNR1) is presented. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction from single neurons of the leech central nervous system confirms HirNR1 expression in the Retzius (R), Anterior Pagoda (AP), Pressure (P), and Touch (T) neurons. Immunoblotting with an anti-NR1 antibody yielded a ~110Â kDa protein, similar to the expected weight of the NR1 subunit (~116Â kDa). Finally, pairing pre- and postsynaptic activity elicited long-term potentiation in synapses between neurons expressing NR1 mRNA (P-to-AP synapse) and this potentiation was blocked by the NMDAR antagonist AP5.
(*)University of South Dakota Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Group, Sanford School of Medicine Vermillion SD 57069 USA
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Kadarkaraisamy M(*), Caple G(*), Gorden AR(*), Squire MA, & Sykes AG(*) (2008).
Large Amplitude, Proton- and Cation-Activated Latch-Type Mechanical Switches: O-Protonated Amides Stabilized by Intramolecular, Low-Barrier Hydrogen Bonds within Macrocycles.
Inorganic Chemistry 47(24): 11644-55.
Large amplitude molecular switches have been developed using oxonium ions as the novel switching mechanism. Macrocycles that contain a polyether ring that are preorganized and of optimum geometry such that strong, linear Low-Barrier Hydrogen Bonds (LBHB, 2.4 to 2.6 A in length) are formed between a protonated amide oxygen and a cyclic ether, that lend significant iminol character to the amide. Deprotonation yields a large conformational change between closed and open forms, mindful of a new hinged, latch-type mechanical proton switch. Numerous open and closed forms have been characterized by X-ray crystallography, and the intramolecular hydrogen bond that forms between the protonated amide oxygen and the cyclic polyether oxygen accounts for the stability of these new acids. The open form of the deprotonated adducts persist in solution as indicated by the magnitude of coupling constants and other Nuclear Overhauser Effect experiments. Different saturated and unsaturated solid acids have been characterized including products derived from acetonitrile, propionitrile, caprylonitrile, acrylonitrile and adiponitrile, and also by reaction with primary amides in the case of phenyl and norbornene derivatives. We have also demonstrated that metal cations can replace the proton in the switching mechanism, characteristic of nascent synthetic pores.
(*)Department of Chemistry, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069
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Ling TJ(*), Forster GL(**), Watt MJ(**), Korzan WJ, Renner KJ(*)(**), & Summers CH(*)(**) (2009).
Social status differentiates rapid neuroendocrine responses to restraint stress.
Physiology & Behavior 96(2): 218-232.
Male Anolis carolinensis that win aggressive interactions mobilize neuroendocrine responses to social stress more rapidly than defeated lizards. We initially examined temporal patterns of neuroendocrine response to restraint stress in lizards of unknown status, and then investigated whether winning males respond more rapidly to this non-social stressor. Size-matched male pairs interacted to establish social status, and then were returned to individual home cages for 3 days. Plasma and brains were collected from non-restrained dominants and subordinates, and from a non-interacting control group. Additional groups of dominants and subordinates underwent 90 s restraint stress, with plasma and brains collected either immediately or 300 s after restraint. In lizards of unknown social status restraint stimulated rapid monoaminergic responses in nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, amygdala, and locus ceruleus, with delayed responses seen in VTA and raphé. Non-restrained dominants and subordinates had lower levels of raphé serotonergic activity and lower hippocampal dopaminergic activity 3 days after interacting, compared to controls. Dominants had higher corticosterone levels, both immediately and 300 s after restraint, than either non-restrained dominants or restrained subordinates. Restraint induced higher raphé serotonergic activity in dominants. However, subordinates also showed rapid responses to restraint; exhibiting lower hippocampal dopamine (DA) levels than non-restrained subordinates. At 300 s after the stress, amygdalar serotonin levels increased in dominants, while subordinates showed higher amygdalar DA levels. These results suggest that stressful aggressive interactions will not only alter basal neurochemical activity, but also influence neuroendocrine responses to non-social stressors according to individual social status.
(*)Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark St, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
(**)Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark St, Vermillion, SD, USA
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Lukkes JL(*), Mokin MV(*), Scholl JL(*), & Forster GL(*) (2009).
Adult Rats Exposed to Early-Life Social Isolation Exhibit Increased Anxiety and Conditioned Fear Behavior, and Altered Hormonal Stress Responses.
Hormones & Behavior 55(1): 248-56.
Social isolation of rodents during development is thought to be a relevant model of early-life chronic stress. We investigated the effects of early-life social isolation on later adult fear and anxiety behavior, and on corticosterone stress responses, in male rats. On postnatal day 21, male rats were either housed in isolation or in groups of 3 for a 3Â week period, after which, all rats were group-reared for an additional 2Â weeks. After the 5-week treatment, adult rats were examined for conditioned fear, open field anxiety-like behavior, social interaction behavior and corticosterone responses to restraint stress. Isolates exhibited increased anxiety-like behaviors in a brightly-lit open field during the first 10Â min of the test period compared to group-reared rats. Isolation-reared rats also showed increased fear behavior and reduced social contact in a social interaction test, and a transient increase in fear behavior to a conditioned stimulus that predicted foot-shock. Isolation-reared rats showed similar restraint-induced increases in plasma corticosterone as group-reared controls, but plasma corticosterone levels 2Â h after restraint were significantly lower than pre-stress levels in isolates. Overall, this study shows that isolation restricted to an early part of development increases anxiety-like and fear behaviors in adulthood, and also results in depressed levels of plasma corticosterone following restraint stress.
(*)Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
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Lukkes JL(*), Summers CH(*)(**), Scholl JL(*)(**), Renner KJ(*)(**), & Forster GL(*) (2009).
Early Life Social Isolation Alters Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Responses in Adult Rats.
Neuroscience 158(2): 845-55.
Stress induced by early life social isolation leads to long-lasting alterations in stress responses and serotonergic activity. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a neurotransmitter that mediates stress responses and alters serotonergic activity. We tested the hypothesis that the stress of early life isolation enhances responses to CRF in adulthood by determining the effect of CRF infusions into the dorsal raphe nucleus (dRN) on 5-HT release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of adult rats using in vivo microdialysis. Juvenile male rats were either isolated or housed in groups of three for a 3-week period beginning on postnatal day 21 after which, all rats were group-reared for an additional 2 weeks. Following the isolation/re-socialization procedure, infusion of 100 ng CRF into the dRN decreased 5-HT release in the NAc of group-reared rats. This treatment did not significantly affect 5-HT release in the NAc of isolation-reared animals. In contrast, infusion of 500 ng CRF into the dRN transiently increased 5-HT release in the NAc of both group-reared and isolated animals with isolated animals showing a more prolonged serotonergic response. Western blot and immunofluorescent staining for CRF receptors in the dRN showed that CRF2 receptor levels were increased in the dRN of isolation-reared animals when compared with group-reared rats. Taken together, the results suggest that isolation during the early part of development causes alterations in both CRF receptor levels and CRF-mediated serotonergic activity. These effects may underlie the increased sensitivity to stress observed in isolates.
(*)Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390, USA
(**)Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390, USA
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Moore AC(*) & Wells KA (2009).
Connecting 24/5 to Millennials: Providing Academic Support Services from a Learning Commons.
The Journal of Academic Librarianship, In Press, Corrected Proof
This study investigates user preferences for reference and technical support, services, and facilities featured in an academic library and Learning Commons through a 23-item questionnaire distributed to building entrants during one 24-hour period on March 14, 2006. Results revealed a strong preference for face-to-face assistance (including roving), suggested enhancements, and documented user demographics.
(*)I.D. Weeks and Lommen Health Sciences Libraries, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069, U.S.A.
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Sanders S, Dorfman LT, & Ingram JG(*) (2008).
An Evaluation of the Gerorich Program for Infusing Social Work Curriculum with Aging Content.
Gerontology & Geriatrics Education 28(4): 22-38.
There is a national shortage of social workers who have the knowledge and skill competencies needed for practice with our rapidly growing older adult population. In the last decade, research has identified many reasons for the lack of interest in gerontological social work and steps that could be pursued within social work education to remedy the situation. The Geriatric Enrichment in Social Work Education (GeroRich) Program, funded through the John A. Hartford Foundation, engaged 67 social work programs throughout the United States in a process of curriculum change to increase the amount of gerontological content in the foundation social work curriculum. This study examined how the GeroRich program was instrumental in infusing gerontological content into the curriculum. Based on common outcome measures, the GeroRich program was found to be effective in (1) increasing the amount of gerontological content in the curriculum, (2) engaging faculty in the change process, and (3) exposing students to gerontological content. Relatively few variations were found among different program types or geographic settings. The model of curricular change implemented by the GeroRich program may be effective with other curriculum enrichment efforts.
(*)Social Work Program, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069
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Scholl JL(*)(**), Feng N(**), Watt MJ(*), Renner KJ(*)(**), & Forster GL(*) (2009).
Individual Differences in Amphetamine Sensitization, Behavior and Central Monoamines.
Physiology & Behavior 96(3): 493-504.
Repeated amphetamine treatment results in behavioral sensitization in a high percentage of rats. Alterations to plasma corticosterone, neural monoamines and stress behavior can accompany amphetamine sensitization. Whether these changes occur following repeated amphetamine treatment in the absence of behavioral sensitization is not known. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline once daily for 6 days. Amphetamine-induced locomotion and stereotypy, open-field anxiety behavior, plasma corticosterone and limbic monoamines were measured during withdrawal. Sixty-two percent of amphetamine-treated rats showed behavioral sensitization over the test periods. Only amphetamine-sensitized rats showed increased latency to enter the center of the open-field, as well as increased plasma corticosterone when compared to saline-treated controls. Amphetamine-sensitized rats showed increased dopamine concentrations in the shell of the nucleus accumbens and increased serotonin concentrations in the dorsal hippocampus, which were not observed in amphetamine-treated non-sensitized rats. These findings suggest that anxiety behavior, plasma corticosterone and limbic monoamines concentrations are altered by repeated amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg) treatment, and that these neuroendocrine and behavioral changes are often associated with sensitization to the psychostimulant effects of amphetamine.
(*)Basic Biomedical Sciences & Neuroscience Group, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St. Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
(**)Department of Biology & Neuroscience Group, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St. Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
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Sereda GA (2009).
Organic solvent-free synthesis of Cy39 iodide.
Tetrahedron Letters 50(9): 973-974.
The iodide salt of the pyrylium dye Cy39 (Cy39I, 1) has been suggested as an alternative of its perchlorate salt, which is widely used for biolabeling applications. A new efficient organic solvent-free procedure for synthesis of 1, allowing for a greener approach to the cyanine dyes, is suggested. The unique combination of solubility and thermostability of both the starting materials and the target Cy39 salt made the performance of the synthesis in an aqueous solution as well as reusing of unreacted starting materials possible.
(*)Department of Chemistry, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069
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Storlie E, Ihry R, Baehr L, & Davis E(*) (2009).
Genomic Regions Influencing Gene Expression of the Hmw Glutenins in Wheat.
Theoretical and Applied Genetics 118(2): 295-303.
Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) produces glutenin storage proteins in the endosperm. The HMW glutenins confer distinct viscoelastic properties to bread dough. The genetics of HMW glutenin proteins have been extensively studied, and information has accumulated about individual subunits, chromosomal locations and DNA sequences, but little is known about the regulators of the HMW glutenins. This investigation addressed the question of glutenin regulators. Expression of the glutenins was analyzed using QRT-PCR in ditelosomic (dt) Chinese Spring (CS) lines. Primers were designed for each of 4 CS glutenin genes and a control, non-storage protein endosperm-specific gene Agp-L (ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase). Each line represents CS wheat, lacking one chromosome arm. The effect of a missing arm could feasibly cause an increase, decrease or no change in expression. For each HMW glutenin, results indicated there were, on average, 8 chromosome arms with an up-regulatory effect and only one instance of a down-regulatory effect. There were significant correlations between orthologous and paralogous HMW glutenins for effects of chromosome groups B and D. Some or all the glutenin alleles shared regulatory loci on chromosome arms 2BS, 7BS, 4DS, 5DS and 6DS, and Agp-L shared regulatory loci with glutenins on arms 7AS, 7BS, 2DS, 3DS, 4DS and 5DS. These results suggest a few chromosome arms contain putative regulatory genes affecting the expression of conserved cis elements of 4 HMW glutenin and Agp-L genes in CS. Regulation by common genes implies the regulators have diverged little from the common wheat ancestor, and furthermore, some regulation may be shared by endosperm-specific-genes. Significant common regulators have practical implications.
(*)University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine Vermillion SD 57069 USA
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Su H(*), Huang W(*), & Wang X(*) (2009).
The COP9 signalosome negatively regulates proteasome proteolytic function and is essential to transcription.
International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology 41(3): 615-624.
The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is an evolutionarily conserved protein complex formed by eight subunits (CSN1 through CSN8). Deneddylating cullin family proteins is considered the bona fide function of the CSN. It has been proposed that the CSN regulates the assembly and disassembly of the cullin-based ubiquitin ligases via its deneddylation activity. Here we report that down-regulation of CSN8 by RNA interference destabilized differentially other CSN subunits and reduced the amount of CSN holo-complexes, leading to increases in neddylated cullin proteins and reduction of F-box protein Skp2 in HEK293 cells. Moreover, suppression of CSN8 enhanced the degradation of a proteasome surrogate substrate and cyclin kinase inhibitor p21cip. Reduced transcript levels of cyclin kinase inhibitor p21cip and p27kip were also observed upon down-regulation of CSN8. These data suggest that the homeostatic level of CSN8/CSN suppresses proteasome proteolytic function and regulates transcription.
(*)Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences and Cardiovascular Research Institute, Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
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Subramanian H(*) & Koodali R(*) (2008).
Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation of Cyclic Ketones over Iron-Containing Mesoporous Mcm-48 Silica Materials.
Reaction Kinetics and Catalysis Letters 95(2): 239-45.
A MCM-48 mesoporous material was found to be a highly active catalyst for the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of several cyclic ketones. The catalyst could be reused several times without any loss of activity.
(*)University of South Dakota Department of Chemistry Vermillion SD 57069 USA
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Swanson DL(*) & Garland Jr. T (2009).
The Evolution of High Summit Metabolism and Cold Tolerance in Birds and Its Impact on Present-Day Distributions.
Evolution: International Journal of Organic Evolution 63(1): 184-94.
Summit metabolic rate ( Msum, maximum cold-induced metabolic rate) is positively correlated with cold tolerance in birds, suggesting that high Msum is important for residency in cold climates. However, the phylogenetic distribution of high Msum among birds and the impact of its evolution on current distributions are not well understood. Two potential adaptive hypotheses might explain the phylogenetic distribution of high Msum among birds. The cold adaptation hypothesis contends that species wintering in cold climates should have higher Msum than species wintering in warmer climates. The flight adaptation hypothesis suggests that volant birds might be capable of generating high Msum as a byproduct of their muscular capacity for flight; thus, variation in Msum should be associated with capacity for sustained flight, one indicator of which is migration. We collected Msum data from the literature for 44 bird species and conducted both conventional and phylogenetically informed statistical analyses to examine the predictors of Msum variation. Significant phylogenetic signal was present for log body mass, log mass-adjusted Msum, and average temperature in the winter range. In multiple regression models, log body mass, winter temperature, and clade were significant predictors of log Msum. These results are consistent with a role for climate in determining Msum in birds, but also indicate that phylogenetic signal remains even after accounting for associations indicative of adaptation to winter temperature. Migratory strategy was never a significant predictor of log Msum in multiple regressions, a result that is not consistent with the flight adaptation hypothesis.
(*)Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069
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Wang XT, Kruger DJ, & Wilke A (2009).
Life History Variables and Risk-Taking Propensity.
Evolution and Human Behavior 30(2): 77-84.
We examined the effects of life-history variables on risk-taking propensity, measured by subjective likelihoods of engaging in risky behaviors in five evolutionarily valid domains of risk, including between-group competition, within-group competition, environmental challenge, mating and resource allocation, and fertility and reproduction. The effects of life-history variables on risk-taking propensity were domain specific, except for the expected sex difference, where men predicted greater risk-taking than women in all domains. Males also perceived less inherent risk in actions than females across the five domains. Although the age range in the sample was limited, older respondents showed lower risk propensity in both between- and within-group competition. Parenthood reduced risk-taking propensity in within- and between-group competitions. Higher reproductive goal setting (desiring more offspring) was associated with lower risk-taking propensity. This effect was strongest in the risk domains of mating and reproduction. Having more siblings reduced risk-taking propensity (contrary to our initial prediction) in the domains of environmental challenge, reproduction, and between-group competition. Later-born children showed a higher propensity to engage in environmental and mating risks. Last, shorter subjective life expectancy was associated with increased willingness to take mating and reproductive risks. These results suggest that life-history variables regulate human risk-taking propensity in specific risk domains.
(*)Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
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Weaver KE(*), Kwong SM, Firth N, & Francia MV (2009).
The Replicons of Gram-Positive Bacteria: A Family of Broadly Distributed but Narrow Host Range Plasmids.
Plasmid 61(2): 94-109.
The pheromone-responsive conjugative plasmids of Enterococcus faecalis and the multiresistance plasmids pSK1 and pSK41 of Staphylococcus aureus are among the best studied plasmids native to Gram-positive bacteria. Although these plasmids seem largely restricted to their native hosts, protein sequence comparison of their replication initiator proteins indicates that they are clearly related. Homology searches indicate that these replicons are representatives of a large family of plasmids and a few phage that are widespread among the low G+C Gram-positive bacteria. We propose to name this family the family of replicons after the annotated conserved domain that the initiator protein contains. Detailed sequence comparisons indicate that the initiator protein phylogeny is largely congruent with that of the host, suggesting that the replicons have evolved along with their current hosts and that intergeneric transfer has been rare. However, related proteins were identified on chromosomal regions bearing characteristics indicative of ICE elements, and the phylogeny of these proteins displayed evidence of more frequent intergeneric transfer. Comparison of stability determinants associated with the replicons suggests that they have a modular evolution as has been observed in other plasmid families.
(*)Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
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Xinbo S(*), Zhengbing C(*), & Yuyu S(*) (2009).
N-Chloro-alkoxy-s-triazine-Based Antimicrobial Additives: Preparation, Characterization, and Antimicrobial and Biofilm-Controlling Functions.
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 48(2): 607-612.
A series of N-chloro-alkoxy-s-triazine antimicrobial additives were synthesized in this study. The structures of the samples were confirmed with FTIR, 1H NMR, and thermal analyses. The N-chlorinated alkoxy-s-triazines provided potent antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus,Gram-positive bacteria) and Escherichia coli(E. coli, Gram-negative bacteria) under waterborne test conditions. The N-chlorinated alkoxy-s-triazines were incorporated into polyurethane, one of the most widely used polymer materials, as antimicrobial additives through solvent casting. Upon contact, the resultant films provided a total kill of S. aureusand E. coli, and they successfully prevented the formation of bacterial biofilms on film surfaces, pointing to great potential of the new N-chloro-alkoxy-s-triazine antimicrobial additive approach for a broad range of antimicrobial and Biofilm-controlling applications.
(*)Biomedical Engineering Program, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57107
Posted at 03:14PM Feb 27, 2009 by Megan Determan in February 2009 | Comments[0]
January 2009 Publications
Aldrich AW(*) (2008).
Creating Collaborative Workstations for Reference and Public Use in Academic Libraries.
College & Undergraduate Libraries 15(3): 364-377.
The current focus on libraries as place involves the collaborative needs of library users for features such as movable furniture, group work areas, and amenities such as coffee shops. Additional attention needs to focus on how the technology infrastructure can support collaborative work in academic libraries. The one-user-one-machine setup common in many academic libraries does not do this. A collaborative workstation that is inexpensive and readily assembled is described along with equipment needs and costs. The impact of such a collaborative workstation for both reference work and public use is discussed.
(*)I. D. Weeks Library, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069
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An H(*) & Chan KC (2008).
Credit ratings and IPO pricing.
Journal of Corporate Finance 14(5): 584-595.
We examine the effects of credit ratings on IPO pricing. The evidence from U.S. common share IPOs during 1986–2004 shows that when firms go public, those with credit ratings are underpriced significantly less than firms without credit ratings. Credit rating levels, however, do not have a significant effect on IPO underpricing. The existence of credit rating reduces uncertainty about firm value. It is the value certainty that matters, not the value per se. Credit ratings also reduce the degree of price revision during the bookbuilding process and the aftermarket volatility in the post-IPO period. The evidence suggests that credit ratings convey useful information in reducing value uncertainty of the issuing firms as well as information asymmetry in the IPO markets.
(*)Beacom School of Business. the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069
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Bird DW(*) (2008).
Mutation of Two Mycoplasma arthritidis Surface Lipoproteins with Divergent Functions in Cytadherence.
Infection and Immunity 76(12): 5768-5776.
Mycoplasma arthritidis is a natural pathogen of rats, causing an acute polyarthritis. Previous studies identified two membrane-bound lipoproteins, Maa1 and Maa2, thought to be associated with cytadherence of M. arthritidis strain 158p10p9. We have since confirmed that Maa1 is a major adhesin, although the role of Maa2 has proven more elusive. Both proteins were capable of eliciting protective immunity in rats against challenge with the virulent strain 158p10p9, suggesting that they may be important in pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to better understand the roles of Maa1 and Maa2 in cytadherence in vitro. Insertion mutants were created for both genes by transposon mutagenesis. In vitro adherence of the Maa1 mutant KOMaa1 to rat L2 lung cells was reduced to the level previously reported for a spontaneous low-adherence mutant of 158p10p9 in which Maa1 is truncated and nonfunctional. Surprisingly, adherence of the Maa2 mutant KOMaa2 was approximately fivefold greater than that of the wild type. Complementation of KOMaa1 and KOMaa2 with wild-type alleles of maa1 and maa2, respectively, returned adherence to wild-type levels. This work confirms our earlier observation that Maa1 is a major adhesin for M. arthritidis strain 158p10p9. Maa2, on the other hand, may play a suppressive or modulatory role, possibly serving to release organisms from microcolonies at certain stages of infection.
(*)Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark Street, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069
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Duysen EG, Li B, Carlson M, Li Y-F(*), Wieseler S, Hinrichs SH, et al. (2008).
Increased Hepatotoxicity and Cardiac Fibrosis in Cocaine-Treated Butyrylcholinesterase Knockout Mice.
Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology 103(6): 514-521.
In mice, cocaine is detoxified to inactive products by butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and carboxylesterase. In human beings, cocaine detoxification is primarily by BChE. The focus of this investigation was to elucidate the importance of BChE in reducing pathophysiological effects following cocaine exposure. Previous studies examining the effects of cocaine on BChE deficient animals relied on chemical inhibition of BChE with tetraisopropyl pyrophosphoramide (iso-OMPA). The creation of the BChE knockout mouse has provided a model for studying pathological effects of cocaine in mice free of chemical confounders. We hypothesized that mice with low or no BChE activity would have reduced cocaine metabolism, leading to hepatotoxicity and cardiomyopathy. A high-resolution in vivoimaging system recorded cardiac and respiratory function following treatment with a carboxylesterase inhibitor and a high dose of cocaine (100Â mg/kg, intraperitoneally). The BChE?/? mice demonstrated depressed respiration through 12Â hr after dosing and abnormal respiratory patterns consisting of a pause at full inspiration (apneusis), whereas BChE/ mice had recovered normal respiration rates by 30Â min. after dosing and exhibited no apneusis. Liver and cardiac histology sections were analysed following a 20Â mg/kg intraperitoneally dose of cocaine administered daily for 7 days. BChE-/- mice treated for 7 days with the chronic low dose showed significant hepatotoxicity and cardiac perivascular fibrosis compared to BChE/ mice. The observed functional changes following acute high-dose and chronic low-dose cocaine in BChE?/? and /? mice warrants further investigation into the possibility of increased cocaine toxicity in human beings with BChE deficiency.
(*)Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA
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Elhai JD(*), Voorhees S(*), Ford JD, Min KS(**), & Frueh BC (2009).
Sociodemographic, perceived and objective need indicators of mental health treatment use and treatment-seeking intentions among primary care medical patients.
Psychiatry Research 165(1-2): 145-153.
We explored sociodemographic and illness/need associations with both recent mental healthcare utilization intensity and self-reported behavioral intentions to seek treatment. Data were examined from a community sample of 201 participants presenting for medical appointments at a Midwestern U.S. primary care clinic, in a cross-sectional survey study. Using non-linear regression analyses accounting for the excess of zero values in treatment visit counts, we found that both sociodemographic and illness/need models were significantly predictive of both recent treatment utilization intensity and intentions to seek treatment. Need models added substantial variance in prediction, above and beyond sociodemographic models. Variables with the greatest predictive role in explaining past treatment utilization intensity were greater depression severity, perceived need for treatment, older age, and lower income. Robust variables in predicting intentions to seek treatment were greater depression severity, perceived need for treatment, and more positive treatment attitudes. This study extends research findings on mental health treatment utilization, specifically addressing medical patients and using statistical methods appropriate to examining treatment visit counts, and demonstrates the importance of both objective and subjective illness/need variables in predicting recent service use intensity and intended future utilization.
(*)Disaster Mental Health Institute, The University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390, United States
(**)School of Business, The University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069-2390, United States
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Engelhart D(*), Kadarkaraisamy M(*), & Sykes A(*) (2008).
Monomeric complexes of 1,8-bis(isonicotinyloxy)anthracene-9,10-dione.
Journal of Coordination Chemistry 61(24): 3887-3894.
Condensation of two equivalents of isonicotinic acid with 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone forms 1,8-bis(isonicotinyloxy)anthracene-9,10-dione (1), a potential bridging diester ligand. Complexation reactions between 1 and Co(II) and Ni(II) perchlorate hexahydrate salts produce 2 : 1 ligand : metal monomeric complexes. One nicotinic nitrogen is bonded to a metal center while the second 'free' isonicotinic nitrogen is hydrogen bonded to water molecules, present from the hydrated salts used in the synthesis, ligated to the same metal center.
(*)Department of Chemistry, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069
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Frueh BC, Grubaugh AL, Cusack KJ, & Elhai JD(*) (2009).
Disseminating Evidence-Based Practices for Adults With PTSD and Severe Mental Illness in Public-Sector Mental Health Agencies.
Behavior Modification 33(1): 66-81.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains largely untreated among adults with severe mental illnesses (SMI). The treatment of psychotic symptoms usually takes precedence in the care of adults with SMI. Such oversight is problematic in that PTSD in SMI populations is common (19%-43%), contributes a significant illness burden, and hinders mental health care. Yet few public-sector mental health agencies routinely provide specialized services for PTSD. The purpose of the article is to describe strategies and efforts to disseminate trauma-focused empirically based practices in a public-sector mental health system. Identified challenges include limited resources and commitment; knowledge deficits, attitudes, and biases; and limited practice accountability at provider, facility, and system levels. Proposed strategies for overcoming these challenges are to set clear goals, nurture broad-based organizational commitment and key stakeholder involvement, implement specialty training efforts to provide information and change attitudes, provide ongoing supervision, conduct fidelity monitoring, and ensure accountability to the extent possible.
(*)Disaster Mental Health Institute and Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota
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Gernandt DS, Magallõn S, Lõpez GG, Flores OZn, Willyard A(*), & Liston A (2008).
Use of simultaneous analyses to guide fossil-based calibrations of pinaceae phylogeny.
International Journal of Plant Sciences 169(8): 1086-1099.
Uncertainties in the age and phylogenetic position of Pinaceae fossils present significant obstacles to our understanding of the timing of diversification in the family. We demonstrate that simultaneous phylogenetic analyses of chloroplast DNA(matK and rbcL) and nonmolecular characters that include both extant genera and a limited number of fossil taxa provide useful hypotheses for calibrating molecular trees. Root placements varied for Pinaceae, with Bayesian analyses recovering mutually monophyletic subfamilies Pinoideae and Abietoideae and parsimony analyses recovering Abietoideae as paraphyletic by placing the root between Cedrus and the remaining genera. The inferred phylogenetic positions of fossil taxa Pityostrobus bernissartensis as the sister group to Pinus and Pseudolarix erensis as the sister group to extant Pseudolarix were used to guide divergence time calibrations; these calibrations yielded an Early Cretaceous and an Early Jurassic age for crown-group Pinaceae, respectively. The older age estimates based on Pseudolarix erensis are supported by weaker evidence from the fossil record but are consistent with recent reports of Early Cretaceous leaf fossils that appear to coincide with extant genera. There remains a great need to characterize the anatomy of extant and fossil species and to code additional nonmolecular characters.
(*)Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069, U.S.A
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He H & Sykes AG(*) (2008).
Facile preparation of neutral monoporphyrinate lanthanide complexes with strong near-infrared emission.
Inorganic Chemistry Communications 11(10): 1304-1307.
Ytterbium (III) acetylacetonate reacts with 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (H2TPP) and 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-bromophenyl)porphyrin (H2TBrPP) in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and forms unexpected acetate-bridged dimer and propionate-coordinated monomer of monoporphyrinate ytterbium (III) complexes, respectively, whereas interaction of ytterbium (III) acetate with H2TPP gives stable acetate-coordinated monomer with two labile methanol binding directly to metal center. This compound reacts readily with 1,10-phenanthroline derivatives to give eight-coordinate monoporphyrinate ytterbium (III) complexes with strong near infrared emission efficiency.
(*)Department of Chemistry, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 56069, USA
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Ikiugu MN(*), Anderson A(*), & Manas D(*) (2008).
The test-retest reliability of a battery of new occupational performance assessments.
International Journal of Therapy & Rehabilitation 15(12): 562-571.
Aims: The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of a set of newly developed occupational performance assessment instruments based on the philosophy of pragmatism and the complexity theory. These instruments were: the Assessment and Intervention Instrument for Instrumentalism in Occupational Therapy (AIIIOT), the Daily Occupational Inventory (DOI), and the Occupational Performance Calculation Guide (OPCG). Method: An experimental study with a non-experimental test-retest design was adopted to quantify observations, and to determine the ability of the instruments to produce stable scores on repeated testing. Findings: The AIIIOT was found to have low test-retest reliability, probably owing to a very small sample. The occupational performance scores as calculated on the OPCG had reliability coefficients that approached statistical significance. Adequacy, Satisfaction, and Belief scores on the AIIIOT were found to be good predictors of the frequency of engagement in occupations perceived to be important for achievement of personal mission in life. Conclusions: These assessments have promise as clinical instruments for measuring occupational performance in occupational therapy. Further research with more robust samples is indicated to validate the instruments conclusively.
(*)Occupational Therapy, University of South Dakota
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Jinbao L(*), Hanqiao Z(*), Mingxin T(*), Youn-Chu IR(*), & Xuejun W(*) (2008).
A therapeutic dose of doxorubicin activates ubiquitin-proteasome system-mediated proteolysis by acting on both the ubiquitination apparatus and proteasome.
American Journal of Physiology: Heart & Circulatory Physiology 64(6): H2541-H2550.
The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) degrades abnormal proteins and most unneeded normal proteins, thereby playing a critical role in protein homeostasis in the cell. Proteasome inhibition is effective in treating certain forms of cancer, while UPS dysfunction is increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of many severe and yet common diseases. It has been previously shown that doxorubicin (Dox) enhances the degradation of a UPS surrogate substrate in mouse hearts. To address the underlying mechanism, in the present study, we report that 1) Dox not only enhances the degradation of an exogenous UPS reporter (GFPu) but also antagonizes the proteasome inhibitor-induced accumulation of endogenous substrates (e.g., ~-catenin and c-Jun) of the UPS in cultured NIH 3T3 cells and cardiomyocytes; 2) Dox facilitates the in vitro degradation of GFPu and c-Jun by the reconstituted UPS via the enhancement of proteasomal function; 3) Dox at a therapeutically relevant dose directly stimulates the peptidase activities of purified 20S proteasomes; and 4) Dox increases, whereas proteasome inhibition decreases, E3 ligase COOH-terminus of heat shock protein cognate 70 in 3T3 cells via a posttranscriptional mechanism. These new findings suggest that Dox activates the UPS by acting directly on both the ubiquitination apparatus and proteasome.
(*)Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota
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Lushbough CM(*), Bergman MK, Lawrence CJ, & Jennewein D (2008).
Implementing bioinformatic workflows within the BioExtract Server.
International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design 1(3): 302-312.
Computational workflows in bioinformatics are becoming increasingly important in the achievement of scientific advances. These workflows typically require the integrated use of multiple, distributed data sources and analytic tools. The BioExtract Server (http://bioextract.org) is a distributed service designed to provide researchers with the web ability to query multiple data sources, save results as searchable data sets, and execute analytic tools. As the researcher works with the system, their tasks are saved in the background. At any time these steps can be saved as a workflow that can then be executed again and/or modified later.
(*)Department of Computer Science, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.
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Mo B(*), Callegari E(*), Telefont M(*), & Renner KJ(*) (2008).
Estrogen Regulation of Proteins in the Rat Ventromedial Nucleus of the Hypothalamus.
Journal of Proteome Research 7(11): 5040-5048.
The effects of estradiol (E 2) on the expression of proteins in the pars lateralis of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMNpl) in ovariectomized rats was studied using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by RPLC-nanoESI-MS/MS. E 2treatment resulted in the up-regulation of 29 identified proteins. Many of these proteins are implicated in the promotion of neuronal plasticity and signaling.
(*)Department of Biology and Neuroscience Group, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Daklota 57069, and Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069
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Naifeh JA(*), Elhai JD(*), Kashdan TB, & Grubaugh AL (2008).
The PTSD Symptom Scale's latent structure: An examination of trauma-exposed medical patients.
Journal of Anxiety Disorders 22(8): 1355-1368.
Several studies have employed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the latent structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessment measures among various trauma-exposed populations. Findings have generally failed to support the current three-factor DSM-IV PTSD conceptualization, demonstrating the need to consider alternative models. The present study used CFA to evaluate seven models, including intercorrelated and hierarchical versions of two models with the most empirical support. Data were utilized from a heterogeneous trauma-exposed sample of general medical patients (n=252). Based on several indices, the three-factor DSM-IV PTSD model was shown to be inferior to alternative models. The strongest support was found for an intercorrelated four-factor model, separating avoidance and numbing symptoms into distinct factors. Validity for this model was partially supported by divergent relations between factors and external variables. Implications of the results are discussed, and a framework is proposed for resolving discrepant findings in the PTSD CFA literature.
(*)Disaster Mental Health Institute, The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
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Nelson D(*), Kennedy B(*), Regnerus C(*), & Schweinle A(**) (2008).
Accuracy of Automated Blood Pressure Monitors.
Journal of Dental Hygiene 82(4): 35-35.
Purpose. The purpose of this study is to determine if automated and aneroid manometers are as accurate a means of determining blood pressure as the mercury manometer. Obtaining vital signs for patients is considered standard of care, yet many dental offices do not routinely perform this health service because of technique inconsistencies and time constraints. The use of automatic blood pressure monitors addresses both concerns. The mercury column manometer, the control in this study, has long been considered the most accurate and preferred instrument for obtaining blood pressure measurements. Methods. During this study, 94 participants (19 years of age and older) consented to having blood pressure taken by each of 4 different monitors. These included the mercury column manometer and stethoscope, the aneroid manometer and stethoscope, the automatic arm blood pressure monitor, and the automatic wrist blood pressure monitor. Each of 3 investigators was assigned to and calibrated for a specific monitoring device. All measurements were taken from the left arm with 5 minutes allowed between measurements. Identical stethoscopes were used with the manual monitors. Strict adherence to the manufacturers’ directions and patient preparation was followed for all monitors. Investigators were not aware of readings obtained by other investigators during testing. Eighty-three subjects completed all tests. Results. Review and analysis of data indicates little difference for pulse readings between the automated and digital methods. Systolic readings by automated wrist manometers were the most unreliable. Automated arm monitors tended to provide higher measures than the mercury standard on average, and demonstrated significantly different diastolic readings in one age group compared to the control. All monitors exhibited low reliability for participants over age 50 compared to the control. Conclusion. This study demonstrates there is inaccuracy in the use of automated blood.
(*)Division of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of South Dakota
(**)Division of Counseling and Psychology in Education, University of South Dakota
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Pietrzak D(*), Duncan K(**), & Korcuska JS(**) (2008).
Counseling Students' Decision Making Regarding Teaching Effectiveness: A Conjoint Analysis.
Counselor Education & Supervision 48(2): 114-132.
The authors examined the relative importance of 4 attributes of decision making for student evaluation of teaching effectiveness: perceived knowledge base of the professor, professor's delivery style, course organization, and course workload. Participants were 234 counseling graduate students from 6 midwestern universities in the United States. Data were analyzed with classic conjoint analysis using an additive model with full-profile method. Results indicated that decisions about teaching effectiveness are complex and based on multiple attributes. There was sufficient variability in the decision-making process to warrant caution in overgeneralizing results. Implications for faculty development and faculty hiring are considered.
(*)Department of Academic Evaluation and Assessment and Division of Counseling and Psychology in Education , University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark, Slagle 103, Vermillion, SD 57069
(**)Division of Counseling and Psychology in Education, University of South Dakota
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Schweinle A(*), Turner JC, & Meyer DK (2009).
Understanding Young Adolescents' Optimal Experiences in Academic Settings.
Journal of Experimental Education 77(2): 125-146.
Cognitive, motivational, and affective characteristics define classroom contexts, yet flow theory (e.g., M. Csikszentmihalyi, 1975) is 1 of only a few theoretical perspectives that interrelate these characteristics. The authors adapted constructs and methods from flow theory to examine the motivational, cognitive, and affective quality of experience in elementary mathematics classrooms. Students completed experience-sampling forms following 12 class sessions, measuring all 3 aspects. Results indicated that although flow theory explains some patterns of experience, others were counter to it. In particular, individual affect was influenced by the interaction of challenge and skill. However, social affect and efficacy are more impacted by perceived skill than by challenge, and the importance of the experience is more strongly informed by the challenge.
(*)Division of Counseling and Psychology in Education, University of South Dakota
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Schweinle W(*), Cofer C, & Schatz S(**) (2009).
Men's Empathic Bias, Empathic Inaccuracy, and Sexual Harassment.
Sex Roles 60(1/2): 142-150.
This study investigated the relationship between men’s sexual harassment of women and men accuracy and bias when inferring women’s critical or rejecting thoughts and feelings. Eighty married men from the Arlington, Texas, USA community participated. Results indicated that men’s sexual harassment behavior is negatively related to men’s accuracy in determining when women have critical or rejecting thoughts or feelings. Further, men’s sexual harassment behavior is positively related to men’s bias to overattribute criticism and rejection. This pattern of findings suggests that male sexual harassers tend to over-infer women’s criticism and rejection and make these inferences at the wrong times. These findings also support recent speculation that men’s sexual harassment of women is related to aggression rather than seduction.
(*)Department of Health Sciences , University of South Dakota , 414 E Clark Street Vermillion 57069 USA
(**)Department of Psychology , University of South Dakota , Vermillion USA
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Scott WD, Dearing E, Reynolds WR(*), Lindsay JE, Baird GL, & Hamill S (2008).
Cognitive self-regulation and depression: Examining academic self-efficacy and goal characteristics in youth of a Northern Plains Tribe.
Journal of Research on Adolescence 18(2): 379-394.
The relationship between cognitive self-regulatory processes and depression was examined in American Indian adolescents from a Northern Plains tribe. Students completed measures of negative life events, self-efficacy, goals, and depressive symptoms. Results indicated that academic self-efficacy was strongly associated with depression. Academic self-efficacy also correlated with intrinsically motivating goal representations, such that students who indicated high academic self-efficacy had goals that were more important to them, goals they thought more about, and goals they viewed as wanted by the self instead of as imposed on by others. However, we did not find the hypothesized mediational model in which academic self-efficacy influenced depression indirectly by influencing goal characteristics. Rather, this indirect model varied by grade, and differed from what we expected. Specifically, for older adolescents, higher levels of academic self-efficacy predicted goals that were more likely to be identified as the adolescent's own, and in turn, these self- as opposed to other-oriented goals predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms. Results are discussed as providing support for continued investigations into the role of specific cognitive self-regulatory processes in youth adjustment.
(*)University of South Dakota
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Siewert AL(*), Stein Q(*), Flanagan J(*), & Hansen KA(*) (2008).
Blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism.
Fertility & Sterility 90(5): 2016-2016.
Objective: To describe a woman with blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. Design: Case report. Setting: University medical center. Patient(s): One 25-year-old woman. Intervention(s): Pedigree, hormone assays, and donor embryo transfer. Main Outcome Measure(s): Pregnancy. Result(s): The patient with hypergonadtropic hypogonadism obtained an ongoing pregnancy after donor embryo transfer. Conclusion(s): Blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome is associated with evidence of premature ovarian failure. The syndrome is a sex-limited, autosomal dominant trait that causes selective loss of ovarian function in affected females. This report emphasizes the importance of a thorough family history and pedigree analysis in the evaluation of a patient with hypergonadotropic hypogonadism.
(*)Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
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Tydlacka S, Chuan-En W, Xuejun W(*), Shihua L, & Xiao-Jiang L (2008).
Differential Activities of the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System in Neurons versus Glia May Account for the Preferential Accumulation of Misfolded Proteins in Neurons.
Journal of Neuroscience 28(49): 13285-13295.
A variety of neurological disorders and polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are caused by misfolded proteins. The common feature of these diseases is late-onset cellular degeneration that selectively affects neurons in distinct brain regions. polyQ diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD), present a clear case of selective neurodegeneration caused by polyQ expansion-induced protein misfolding, which also leads to predominant inclusions in neuronal nuclei. It remains unclear how these ubiquitously expressed disease proteins selectively kill neurons. In HD, mutant huntingtin accumulates in both neurons and glia, but more neuronal cells display huntingtin aggregates. These aggregates colocalize with components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), which plays a critical role in clearing misfolded proteins. Using fluorescent reporters that reflect cellular UPS activity, we found that UPS activity in cultured neurons and glia decreases in a time-dependent manner. Importantly, UPS activity is lower in neurons than in glia and also lower in the nucleus than the cytoplasm. By expressing the UPS reporters in glia and neurons in the mouse brain, we also observed an age-dependent decrease in UPS activity, which is more pronounced in neurons than glial cells. Although brain UPS activities were similar between wild-type and HD 150Q knock-in mice, inhibiting the UPS markedly increases the accumulation of mutant htt in cultured glial cells. These findings suggest that the lower neuronal UPS activity may account for the preferential accumulation of misfolded proteins in neurons, as well as their selective vulnerability.
(*)Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069
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Vitt JE(*) (2008).
Troubleshooting 101: An Instrumental Analysis Experiment.
Journal of Chemical Education 85(12): 1660-1662.
The article provides information on an instrumental analysis experiment for troubleshooting. It is stated that troubleshooting is a relevant skill bombarded with difficulties due to time constraints. The study is aiming for students to develop their troubleshooting skills. The procedure involving the analysis of ethanol by its reaction with dichromate is presented. Chemical reaction, spectrometry, oxidants, carcinogens, sulfuric acid, and absorbance spectra are mentioned. The study concludes that troubleshooting can be performed successfully by the students in one or two laboratories given that proper measures are made available.
(*)Department of Chemistry, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069
Posted at 11:26AM Feb 05, 2009 by Erin Anne Lepp in January 2009 | Comments[0]
About Us
We're Danielle Loftus, a medical and technology librarian, and Steve Johnson, a business and distance ed librarian at USD's University Libraries. To help us in our roles as liaison to several USD departments,we keep tabs on the research of USD. We also are responsible for keeping the departments up-to-date about the library. This blog exists for organizing and sharing that information.
Posted at 10:08AM Feb 04, 2009 by Erin Anne Lepp in About Us | Comments[1]