Integrins engage mitochondrial function for signal transduction by a mechanism dependent on Rho GTPases.

We show here the transient activation of the small GTPase Rac, followed by a rise in reactive oxygen species (ROS), as necessary early steps in a signal transduction cascade that lead to NFkappaB activation and collagenase-1 (CL-1)/matrix metalloproteinase-1 production after integrin-mediated cell shape changes. We show evidence indicating that this constitutes a new mechanism for ROS production mediated by small GTPases. Activated RhoA also induced ROS production and up-regulated CL-1 expression. A Rac mutant (L37) that prevents reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton prevented integrin-induced CL-1 expression, whereas mutations that abrogate Rac binding to the neutrophil NADPH membrane oxidase in vitro (H26 and N130) did not. Instead, ROS were produced by integrin-induced changes in mitochondrial function, which were inhibited by Bcl-2 and involved transient membrane potential loss. The cells showing this transient decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential were already committed to CL-1 expression. These results unveil a new molecular mechanism of signal transduction triggered by integrin engagement where a global mitochondrial metabolic response leads to gene expression rather than apoptosis

Ensuring internet access during a pandemic: Piloting a wifi hotspot lending program

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 many students experienced sudden lifestyle adjustments. These adjustments included not having reliable access to an internet source to complete their coursework. In an effort to soften the pandemic’s blow the library secured a grant to purchase, manage, and circulate mobile wifi hotspots to students in need. For the pilot eleven hotspots were purchased for one campus, and due to the success of the pilot now all three campuses of PCOM are loaning out a total of twenty-eight hotspots

Misconceptions on the application of biological market theory to the mycorrhizal symbiosis

PostprintPeer reviewe

Sleep problems for children with autism and caregiver spillover effects

Sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are under-recognized and under-treated. Identifying treatment value accounting for health effects on family members (spillovers) could improve the perceived cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve child sleep habits. A prospective cohort study (N = 224) was conducted with registry and postal survey data completed by the primary caregiver.Wecalculated quality of life outcomes for the child and the primary caregiver associated with treatments to improve sleep in the child based on prior clinical trials. Predicted treatment effects for melatonin and behavioral interventions were similar in magnitude for the child and for the caregiver. Accounting for caregiver spillover effects associated with treatments for the child with ASD increases treatment benefits and improves cost-effectiveness profiles

Who's Cueing Whom? Mass-elite linkages and the future of European integration

The 2005 French and Dutch referendum campaigns were characterized by an alleged disconnect between pro-European political elites and Eurosceptic masses. Past evidence regarding elite-mass linkages in the context of European integration has been conflicting. Whereas some scholars argue that political elites respond to the changing preferences of their electorates, others suggest that party elites cue the mass public through a process of information and persuasion. We contend that these conflicting results stem from the reciprocal nature of elite-mass linkages and estimate a series of dynamic simultaneous equations models to account for this reverse causation. Using Euro-barometer and expert survey data from 1984-2002, we find evidence of a dual-process model, whereby party elites both respond to and shape the views of their supporters. We also find that the strength of these results is contingent on several factors, including the type of electoral system, intra-party dissent and voter characteristics. Copyright © 2007 Sage Publications

MyEcoCost - forming the nucleus of a novel environmental accounting system: vision, prototype and way forward

The innovative software system "myEcoCost" enables to gather and communicate resource and environmental data for products and services in global value chains. The system has been developed in the consortium of the European research project myEcoCost and forms a basis of a new, highly automated environmental accounting system für companies and consumers. The prototype of the system, linked to financial accounting of companies, was developed and tested in close collaboration with large and small companies. This brochure gives a brief introduction to the vision linked to myEcoCost: a network formed by collaborative environmental accounting nodes collecting environmental data at each step in a product's value chains. It shows why better life cycle data are needed and how myEcoCost addresses and solves this problem. Furthermore, it presents options for a future upscaling of highly automated environmenal accounting for prodcuts and services

The Gallery 2007

This is a digital copy of the print book produced by the Gallery 2007 team. Contents: p. 4 Introduction, p. 6 Photography, p. 14 Illustration, p. 28 Graphic Design, p. 44 Painting, p. 50 Three Dimensional, p. 62 Printmaking, p. 82 Autographs, p. 84 Index. Files for individual sections may be viewed on the detailed metadata page by clicking on the book title.https://rdw.rowan.edu/the_gallery/1008/thumbnail.jp

Local variation in recombination rates of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) genome among samples from six disparate populations

Meiotic recombination is an essential component of eukaryotic sexual reproduction, but its frequency varies within and between genomes. Although it is well established that honey bees have a high recombination rate with about 20 cM/Mbp, the proximate and ultimate causes of this exceptional rate are poorly understood. Here, we describe six linkage maps of the western honey bee Apis mellifera that were produced with consistent methodology from samples from distinct parts of the species near global distribution. We compared the genome-wide rates and distribution of meiotic crossovers among the six maps and found considerable differences. Overall similarity of local recombination rates among our samples was unrelated to geographic or phylogenetic distance of the populations that our samples were derived from. However, the limited sampling constrains the interpretation of our results, because it is unclear how representative these samples were. In contrast to previous studies, we found only in two datasets a significant relation between local recombination rate and GC content. Focusing on regions of particularly increased or decreased recombination in specific maps, we identified several enriched gene ontologies in these regions and speculated about their local adaptive relevance. These data are contributing to an increasing comparative effort to gain an understanding of the intra-specific variability of recombination rates and their evolutionary role in honey bees and other social insects.The National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number R15GM102753, the US National Science Foundation (DMS #1359187) and UNCG.http://link.springer.com/journal/402020-11-30hj2020Zoology and Entomolog

The Gallery 2006

This is a digital copy of the print book produced by the Gallery 2006 team. Contents: p. 4 Introduction, p. 6 Three Dimensional, p. 20 Illustration, p. 32 Printmaking, p. 44 Graphic Design, p. 58 Painting, p. 70 Photography, p. 82 Index. The print version includes a CD. Files for individual sections may be viewed on the detailed metadata page by clicking on the book title.https://rdw.rowan.edu/the_gallery/1009/thumbnail.jp