The feasibility of radiolabeling for human serum albumin (HSA) adsorption studies

Human serum albumin (HSA) was labeled in various ways and with different radioactive labels (Technetium-99m and Iodine-125). Characterization with electrophoresis on polyacryl gel and immunoelectrophoresis did not reveal differences between labeled and nonlabeled HSA. The release of the label from labeled proteins in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) was studied as a function of time. 125I-labeled proteins were stable and 99mTc-labeled proteins showed different stabilities depending on the labeling method which was used. The adsorption behavior of labeled HSA and HSA onto polystyrene (PS) and silicon rubber (SR) was studied by using two methods. It appeared that all labeled HSA compounds showed a preferential adsorption onto PS (and SR) substrates. The 99mTc-labeled HSA showed a high value of the preferential adsorption factor (φ 1). The φ value for 125I-labeled HSA was about 1.4. It was also shown that φ was dependent on the kind of substrate used. The methods developed to determine preferential adsorption of labeled proteins compared to their nonlabeled analogs are also generally applicable for different types of compounds

Environmental risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infections and the impact of latent infections on allostatic load in residents of Central North Carolina

Background: Toxoplasma gondii infection can be acquired through ingestion of infectious tissue cysts in undercooked meat or environmental oocysts excreted by cats. This cross-sectional study assessed environmental risk factors for T. gondii infections and an association between latent infections and a measure of physiologic dysregulation known as allostatic load. Methods: Serum samples from 206 adults in the Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina area were tested for immunoglobulin (IgG) responses to T. gondii using commercial ELISA kits. Allostatic load was estimated as a sum of 15 serum biomarkers of metabolic, neuroendocrine and immune functions dichotomized at distribution-based cutoffs. Vegetated land cover within 500 m of residences was estimated using 1 m resolution data from US EPA’s EnviroAtlas. Results: Handling soil with bare hands at least weekly and currently owning a cat were associated with 5.3 (95% confidence limits 1.4; 20.7) and 10.0 (2.0; 50.6) adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of T. gondii seropositivity, respectively. There was also a significant positive interaction effect of handling soil and owning cats on seropositivity. An interquartile range increase in weighted mean vegetated land cover within 500 m of residence was associated with 3.7 (1.5; 9.1) aOR of T. gondii seropositivity. Greater age and consumption of undercooked pork were other significant predictors of seropositivity. In turn, T. gondii seropositivity was associated with 61% (13%; 130%) greater adjusted mean allostatic load compared to seronegative individuals. In contrast, greater vegetated land cover around residence was associated with significantly reduced allostatic load in both seronegative (p <?0.0001) and seropositive (p =?0.004) individuals. Conclusions: Residents of greener areas may be at a higher risk of acquiring T. gondii infections through inadvertent ingestion of soil contaminated with cat feces. T. gondii infections may partially offset health benefits of exposure to the natural living environment

"But I'm not a GIS person!" Teaching introductory GIS programming through an interactive web map workshop [poster]

Poster presented in February 2019 at NCGIS. The goal of UNC Greensboro’s (UNCG) Graduate Student Professional Development team is to support graduate students and prepare them for entry into the workforce by providing opportunities for training, networking, and scholarship. Current trends in the job market point to a growing demand for digital skills, especially in GIS-related fields. However, many graduate students, especially those in social sciences or humanities, have little to no experience with GIS and other digital skills. To address a growing demand for digital skills in the job market, UNC Greensboro’s Graduate Student Professional Development Team is developing a series of bootcamp-style workshops. The objectives of these events are to train students in digital methodologies, and give them opportunities to show their research and network with peers and professionals in their fields

New maps and cartographic materials, June 2019 [reviews]

Fifty years ago in June 1969, the Stonewall Riots sparked the gay rights movement in the United States. In commemoration of the events that started a national conversation, June is designated by LGBT communities (and this year by the President through Twitter) as Pride Month, in which these communities celebrate their identities and advancements in the gay rights equality movement and seek to dispel shame and stigma and bring awareness to the discrimination and violence faced by those communities. For folks like me, Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate who we are and spread love, acceptance, and awareness, and to let those who are still figuring out who they are know that they’re not alone

New maps and cartographic materials, April 2019 [reviews]

Hello everyone, and welcome to my first attempt at tackling the “New Maps” column! First, a big thank you to David Bertuca for all his hard work in making this column a reality for the past 14 years. From thought-provoking quotes to insightful reviews (and the occasional chuckle), he’s provided a fantastic resource for all of us. I have big shoes to fill

Behind the Scenes: Metadata and Data Visualization [position statement]

Project position statement presented at the Visualizing the Future Symposium in August 2019. Identifying and addressing existing metadata-related challenges, advocating for and applying metadata standards that follow FAIR data principles to data visualization, and creating or supplementing metadata-specific instruction will improve usability of data, supplement scholarly communication of research, and help connect library users with the appropriate support for their data visualization needs

Two birds one stone: Supporting data literacy and encouraging civic engagement using framework-inspired library programming [slides]

Slides from presentation given October 18, 2019 at the North Carolina Library Association (NCLA) Conference in Winston Salem, NC. One of the challenges of supporting data literacy at the library is implementation across multiple levels of learning and areas of study. A similarly challenging task is encouraging civic engagement in and public understanding of government data -- especially important in recent years of political turmoil and shifting national policies on data and information. We’ll explore ways to accomplish both, by taking the audience through examples of library programming developed using the ACRL Framework, AASL and ISTE standards, and incorporating government data sources including: The US EPA’s EnviroAtlas, The US Census, and CitizenScience.gov. Takeaways: Why libraries are in a prime position to provide programming for government data and citizen science. How library programming contributes to data literacy for various stakeholders. How the ACRL framework, AASL and ISTE standards can be used to develop effective school, public, and academic library programming. How school, public, and academic libraries can become involved in citizen science and other government data initiatives

Customizable Leaflet Maps [slides]

Slides from a presentation given at the Triangle Digital Humanities Institute at UNC (Chapel Hill) in May 2019. Learn about Leaflet, an easy-to-use open source JavaScript library for creating customizable interactive maps, in this hands-on workshop taught by a humanities librarian and a GIS/data viz librarian from UNC Greensboro. Leaflet requires only basic ability to read and edit HTML, CSS, and JSON in order to create beautiful maps for presentations and exhibits, but can be used in combination with other scripting languages and GIS technologies for visualizations of larger data sets

Intergenerational transmission of self-esteem : parental determinants and consequences for relationships with children

In the present study, the effect of relationships with parents on adult self-esteem was examined as was the effect of self-esteem on individual well-being. In turn, wellbeing was examined for its effect on relationship with one's child. Two conditions, relationship with spouse and child temperament, were investigated as potential moderators of these relationships. The sample was composed of 1,986 males and 1,859 females. Eighty percent were caucasian, 10.2% African-American, 7.9% Hispanic, and 1.3% divided among Asian-American and American Indian. Mean age of the subjects was 42.3 years; mean education level was completion of high school. Income ranged from $0 to$400,000 with a mean of $40,100. Path analyses suggested that for males, a poor relationship with one's mother predicted low self-esteem. Low self-esteem predicted low well-being which, in turn, predicted a low quality relationship with one's child. For females, a poor relationship with one's father predicted low self-esteem which, in turn, predicted low well-being and a poor relationship with one's child

Otherwises At School And In The Community: Public Schools As Leaders In Rural Food System Relocalization

This action research study looks at the role that rural public schools can play in the relocalization of food systems. The school cafeteria is an oft overlooked site of privatization in public education and the State’s agricultural management curriculum affects an erasure of local knowledges of self-sufficiency. The research engaged students, school staff and community members in a rural, southern Appalachian community in the local food systems projects of seed saving and growing food for the high school’s cafeteria. Based on qualitative, ethnographic data, the analysis explores decolonial otherwises (Mignolo & Walsh, 2018) to the global corporate food system, to the neoliberal subjectivities of public schools and students, and to the existing relationship between the education and food systems. This dissertation presents a rare application of the frameworks of food sovereignty and decoloniality to a white, North American population. In doing so, it highlights the deterritorialized nature of the neocolonial agent and opens opportunities to recognize solidarity across contexts of struggle. Finally, the study recommends a relocalized pedagogy as an adaptive and mitigative response to climate change at the local level