Oral History Interview: Dr. Alan Gould

This interview is one of a series conducted concerning the Marshall University Society of Yeager Scholars. At the time of the interview, Dr. Gould was Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Marshall University. He discusses: his family and education; his involvement in the early establishment of the Yeager program, faculty input and the development of the faculty mentor program; his views on education as a whole; the impact the Yeager program will have on Marshall University; individuals such as Joe Hunnicutt, Terron Hunter, Dale Nitzschke, & Chuck Yeager; differences between Yeager Scholars and other students; recruiting faculty; his definition of leadership; where he envisions Yeager Scholars after graduation; West Virginia\u27s economic problems; and other topics.https://mds.marshall.edu/oral_history/1356/thumbnail.jp

Senecio serratuloides var. in wound healing: efficacy and mechanistic investigations in a porcine wound model

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy.Senecio serratuloides is widely used for wound healing in South Africa but minimal information regarding its efficacy is available. Furthermore toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids may be present. The following investigation sought firstly to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Senecio serratuloides in a porcine wound model; secondly to assess for a potential mechanism and finally isolate and identify fractions in in-vitro assays. Assessment of Efficacy and Safety Materials and Methods: Deep partial thickness and full thickness wounds were created on 9 pigs. Treatment included an occlusive dressing (negative control), activated carbon, or the Senecio preparation. Wounds were monitored using photographic documentation, pH measurement and histological analysis (skin thickness and collagen content). Toxicity was monitored on blood and liver samples. Results and Discussion: Efficacy of Senecio serratuloides was established with a significantly thicker epidermis, maximal at day 7 post-operative, 2 days before the controls. Effects on collagen content was negligible with no toxicity detected. Mechanistic investigation Materials and Methods: Wound fluid was analysed for IL-10, IL-12, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α using flow cytometry based assays. Tyrosine phosphorylation and cellular proliferation was assessed using dual immunofluorescence staining. Results and Discussion: IL-1β levels were significantly greater in the Senecio treatment. Tyrosine phosphorylation increased to day 9 post-operative where it stabilised in all groups. In the same period, cellular proliferation was sustained in the Senecio treated wounds but not in the controls. Keratinocyte proliferation was identified as the target for in-vitro assays. Extraction, Isolation and Partial Identification using In-vitro Proliferation Assays. Materials and Methods: The plant was fractionated using solid phase extraction cartridges. Keratinocytes were grown under standard conditions in 96-well plates. Cellular proliferation was assessed spectrophotometrically using a resazurin dye technique. Active fractions were analysed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Results and Discussion: Identified fractions increased the rate of proliferation by 300- 400%. Potential lead compounds were identified. Importantly, pyrrolizidine alkaloids could not be detected. Conclusion Senecio serratuloides is efficacious in treating deep partial thickness wounds without inducing liver toxicity. Sustained keratinocyte proliferation linked to tyrosine phosphorylation may be an underlying mechanism. Although successful, in-vitro detection of active fractions requires further characterisation

The effect of proximity on landmark use in Clark’s nutcrackers

Clark’s nutcrackers, Nucifraga columbiana, store thousands of pine seeds during the autumn and retrieve them throughout the winter. It has been shown that these birds are able to use visual cues to relocate hidden food in the laboratory. In this set of experiments, we trained three groups of Clark’s nutcrackers to find a hidden food goal that was placed in the same spatial location relative to the testing room. During training, the location of two local cues in relation to the goal differed between the three groups. Group 1 learned the task with the cues closest to the goal, group 2 with the cues further from the goal, and group 3 with the cues furthest from the goal. To test whether the proximity of these two local cues to the goal affected how spatial information was used, we manipulated local and global information in a series of experiments. Results indicated that local cues were more important sources of spatial information for group 1, whereas global cues seemed to be used more by birds in groups 2 and 3. These findings suggest that the proximity of visual cues lead to overshadowing of other sources of spatial information surrounding the goal

A Gravitational Pull

The author, a writer of fiction about war experience, talks about his attraction to the subject

Do Clark’s nutcrackers demonstrate what-where-when memory on a cache-recovery task?

What-where-when (WWW) memory during cache recovery was investigated in six Clark’s nutcrackers. During caching, both red- and blue-colored pine seeds were cached by the birds in holes filled with sand. Either a short (3 day) retention interval (RI) or a long (9 day) RI was followed by a recovery session during which caches were replaced with either a single seed or wooden bead depending upon the color of the cache and length of the retention interval. Knowledge of what was in the cache (seed or bead), where it was located, and when the cache had been made (3 or 9 days ago) were the three WWW memory components under investigation. Birds recovered items (bead or seed) at above chance levels, demonstrating accurate spatial memory. They also recovered seeds more than beads after the long RI, but not after the short RI, when they recovered seeds and beads equally often. The differential recovery after the long RI demonstrates that nutcrackers may have the capacity for WWW memory during this task, but it is not clear why it was influenced by RI duration

New species can broaden myelin research: suitability of little skate, Leucoraja erinacea

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Moebius, W., Huemmert, S., Ruhwedel, T., Kuzirian, A., & Gould, R. New species can broaden myelin research: suitability of little skate, Leucoraja erinacea. Life, 11(2), (2021): 136, https://doi.org/10.3390/life11020136.Although myelinated nervous systems are shared among 60,000 jawed vertebrates, studies aimed at understanding myelination have focused more and more on mice and zebrafish. To obtain a broader understanding of the myelination process, we examined the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea. The reasons behind initiating studies at this time include: the desire to study a species belonging to an out group of other jawed vertebrates; using a species with embryos accessible throughout development; the availability of genome sequences; and the likelihood that mammalian antibodies recognize homologs in the chosen species. We report that the morphological features of myelination in a skate hatchling, a stage that supports complex behavioral repertoires needed for survival, are highly similar in terms of: appearances of myelinating oligodendrocytes (CNS) and Schwann cells (PNS); the way their levels of myelination conform to axon caliber; and their identity in terms of nodal and paranodal specializations. These features provide a core for further studies to determine: axon–myelinating cell communication; the structures of the proteins and lipids upon which myelinated fibers are formed; the pathways used to transport these molecules to sites of myelin assembly and maintenance; and the gene regulatory networks that control their expressions.This research received no external funding

400%/W second harmonic conversion efficiency in 14μm\mathrm{14 \mu m}-diameter gallium phosphide-on-oxide resonators

Second harmonic conversion from 1550~nm to 775~nm with an efficiency of 400% W$^{-1}$ is demonstrated in a gallium phosphide (GaP) on oxide integrated photonic platform. The platform consists of doubly-resonant, phase-matched ring resonators with quality factors $Q \sim 10^4$, low mode volumes $V \sim 30 (\lambda/n)^3$, and high nonlinear mode overlaps. Measurements and simulations indicate that conversion efficiencies can be increased by a factor of 20 by improving the waveguide-cavity coupling to achieve critical coupling in current devices.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Establishing smoke-free homes in the Indigenous populations of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States: a systematic literature review

A smoke-free home can have multiple benefits by reducing exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS), supporting quit attempts among active smokers, and discouraging adolescents from taking up smoking. The aim of this review was to summarize the literature on the establishment of smoke-free homes in Indigenous populations and identify the supporting influences and barriers, using the Social Cognitive Theory lens. A search of the Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane Collaboration and PyscINFO databases and manual searches of relevant peer-reviewed literature was completed, focusing on Indigenous populations in developed economies of North America and Oceania. Of 2567 articles identified, 15 studies were included. Ten studies included Indigenous participants only, and of these just three focused entirely on SHS in the home. Knowledge of the harms associated with SHS was the most common theme represented in all the studies. This knowledge fueled parents' motivation to protect their children from SHS by establishing smoke-free homes. Individuals who approached implementation with confidence, coupled with clear communication about smoke-free home rules were more successful. Barriers included challenges for families with multiple smokers living in the same dwelling. There is limited research regarding managing smoking behaviors in the home among Indigenous populations, even though this approach is a successful catalyst for smoking prevention and cessation. Research to understand the influences that support the establishment of smoke-free homes is required for better-informed intervention studies

Acute effects of Vitamin D3 supplementation on muscle strength in Judoka athletes: a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind trial

Objective: Indoor athletes have been shown to be prone to vitamin D3 deficiency. The aim of the study was to examine the acute effects of vitamin D supplementation on muscle function using isokinetic dynamometry. Design: Randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Setting: Institutional. Participants: Adult male white national level judoka athletes (n = 22) who were involved in full-time training. Exclusion criteria were vitamin supplementation, overseas travel to sunny climes, and/or an injury incurred during the last 3 months before testing. Interventions: Subjects were randomly allocated to the treatment (150 000IU vitamin D3) or placebo and given blinded supplements by an independent researcher. Participants were tested twice, 8 days apart, on a Monday morning before the start of judo training and after 2 days of rest. A 5 to 7 mL of blood sample was collected followed by isokinetic concentric quadriceps and hamstring muscle function assessments on the right leg at 30 and 200°·s. Main outcome measures: Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to analyze isokinetic muscle force and serum 25(OH)D3. Regression to the mean was used to examine changes in 25(OH)D3 levels over the study period. Results: The treatment group demonstrated a significant increase in serum 25(OH)D levels (34%, P ≤ 0.001) and muscle strength (13%, P = 0.01) between days 1 and 8. No significant differences were found for the placebo group for the same period. Conclusions: A single bolus of 150 000IU vitamin D3 had a significant positive effect on serum 25(OH)D levels and muscle function in vitamin D insufficient elite indoor athletes. Clinical relevance: Serum 25(OH)D3 levels of indoor athletes should be monitored throughout the year and especially during winter months. Beneficial responses, in muscle strength and serum 25(OH)D3, to 1 dose of vitamin D3 supplementation can be observed within 1 week of ingestion. Muscle strength is linked to serum 25(OH)D levels. Acute Effects of Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Muscle Strength in Judoka Athletes: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283499805_Acute_Effects_of_Vitamin_D3_Supplementation_on_Muscle_Strength_in_Judoka_Athletes_A_Randomized_Placebo-Controlled_Double-Blind_Trial [accessed May 10, 2016]