1
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Mikulec AT, Platta AM, Radzymińska M, Ruszkowska M, Mikulec K, Suwała G, Kowalski S, Kowalczewski PŁ, Nowicki M. Attitudes and purchase intentions of polish university students towards food made from insects-A modelling approach. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300871. [PMID: 38551941 PMCID: PMC10980220 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The marketing of insect-derived protein has led to the development of respective legal regulations on such insects-based foods in the European Union. Despite the interest in the area of insect-based food, European researchers have paid relatively little attention to consumer attitudes and behaviors towards such products or the factors that may affect them. Attempts undertaken so far in this respect are insufficient; therefore, there is a need to continue and expand research in this field. The present study attempts to verify the following research hypotheses: H1. Attitudes towards food containing insects are related to the attributes/characteristics of these products, care for health and the natural environment, and attitudes towards novelty (neophilic/neophobic); H2. Intentions to purchase food containing insects can be predicted based on attitudes towards food from insects, product attributes, and attitudes towards environmental health and novelties. An empirical study was conducted among university students (N = 1063) by an indirect interview method using a specially designed questionnaire, via an online platform (Computer-Assisted Web Interview, CAWI) in November 2023. The questionnaire was validated by assessing the construction validity and estimating the reliability of the scales used. The study results demonstrated that the attributes of insect-based food products can influence the positive attitudes towards them and behavioral intentions to consume them, and that the strength of the impact of health quality traits is far greater than that of the organoleptic or functional traits. A negative, statistically significant value of the correlation coefficient between neophobic attitude and intention to purchase this type of food was observed. Thus, respondents without food neophobia were characterized by a positive attitude towards the purchase of foods containing edible insects in their composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna T. Mikulec
- Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University of Applied Science in Nowy Sącz, Nowy Sącz, Poland
| | - Anna M. Platta
- Faculty of Management and Quality Science, Gdynia Maritime University, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Monika Radzymińska
- Faculty of Economic Sciences, Institute of Management Science and Quality, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Millena Ruszkowska
- Faculty of Management and Quality Science, Gdynia Maritime University, Gdynia, Poland
| | | | - Grzegorz Suwała
- Department of Food Product Quality, Krakow University of Economics, Kraków, Poland
| | - Stanisław Kowalski
- Faculty of Food Technology, Department of Carbohydrate Technology and Cereal Processing, University of Agriculture in Krakow Poland, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Marcin Nowicki
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
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2
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Stansberry TT, Tran L, Myers C. Using Geographic Information Systems in health disparities research: Access to care considerations. Res Nurs Health 2023; 46:635-644. [PMID: 37840372 DOI: 10.1002/nur.22348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
In health disparities research, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide nurse researchers with powerful tools to incorporate spatial factors, such as access to care and related attributes like socioeconomic and environmental characteristics, into their studies. This article educates nurse scientists about GIS-based research benefits and considerations (focusing on access-to-care factors) and the influence of various access-to-care metrics on research outcomes. We present an overview of GIS in nursing and health disparities research, along with findings from our 2022 study examining access to care's relationship with county-level mortality rates in Tennessee, especially in areas where rural hospitals closed between 2010 and 2019. We highlight three distinct access-to-care measures (Euclidean distances and road network-based travel times based on county and census tract centroids), showcasing how different calculations impact our modeling results. Our results underscore the importance of understanding the choice of access-to-care metrics in GIS-based research to draw valid conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Liem Tran
- Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Carole Myers
- College of Nursing, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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3
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Nandy K, Tamakloe C, Sonenshine DE, Sultana H, Neelakanta G. Anti-tick vaccine candidate subolesin is important for blood feeding and innate immune gene expression in soft ticks. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011719. [PMID: 37934730 PMCID: PMC10629623 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Subolesin is a conserved molecule in both hard and soft ticks and is considered as an effective candidate molecule for the development of anti-tick vaccine. Previous studies have reported the role of subolesin in blood feeding, reproduction, development, and gene expression in hard ticks. However, studies addressing the role of subolesin in soft ticks are limited. In this study, we report that subolesin is not only important in soft tick Ornithodoros turicata americanus blood feeding but also in the regulation of innate immune gene expression in these ticks. We identified and characterized several putative innate immune genes including Toll, Lysozyme precursor (Lp), fibrinogen-domain containing protein (FDP), cystatin and ML-domain containing protein (MLD) in O. turicata americanus ticks. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed the expression of these genes in both O. turicata americanus salivary glands and midgut and in all developmental stages of these soft ticks. Significantly increased expression of fdp was noted in salivary glands and midgut upon O. turicata americanus blood feeding. Furthermore, RNAi-mediated knockdown of O. turicata americanus subolesin expression affected blood feeding and innate immune gene expression in these ticks. Significant downregulation of toll, lp, fdp, cystatin, and mld transcripts was evident in sub-dsRNA-treated ticks when compared to the levels noted in mock-dsRNA-treated control. Collectively, our study not only reports identification and characterization of various innate immune genes in O. turicata americanus ticks but also provides evidence on the role of subolesin in blood feeding and innate immune gene expression in these medically important ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krittika Nandy
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Comfort Tamakloe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, United States of America
- The University of Queensland- Ochsner Clinical School, Jefferson, Loiusiana, United States of America
| | - Daniel E. Sonenshine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, United States of America
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Hameeda Sultana
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Girish Neelakanta
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
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4
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Abshire A, Ogunyemi B, Darko A. Rh(II)-Catalyzed Si-H Insertion with Nosyl-hydrazone-Protected Aryl Donor Diazo Compounds. ACS Omega 2023; 8:38005-38012. [PMID: 37867650 PMCID: PMC10586302 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c03519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Dirhodium(II,II) paddlewheel catalysts were evaluated in silyl-hydrogen insertion reactions of aryl diazo compounds generated from o-nosyl hydrazones. The high reactivity of aryl diazo compounds necessitates their in situ generation from sulfonyl-protected hydrazones. Herein, we describe our efforts to evaluate this transformation utilizing Rh(II) catalysts, including those with tethered, axially coordinating ligands. The heteroleptic catalyst, Rh2(OAc)3(2-OX), provided the highest yield of silanes when dioxane was the solvent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Abshire
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, 1420 Circle Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Bukola Ogunyemi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, 1420 Circle Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Ampofo Darko
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, 1420 Circle Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
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5
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Kleine S, Hampton CE, Smith C, Bussieres G, Mulon PY, Seddighi R, Cox S, Smith J. Pharmacokinetics of a single oral dose of grapiprant in juvenile pigs (Sus scrofa domestica). J Vet Pharmacol Ther 2023; 46:269-275. [PMID: 37493273 DOI: 10.1111/jvp.13402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Both pet and research pigs can suffer from some degree of pain from surgery, injuries, or osteoarthritis (OA). Despite this, there is a paucity of data on safe and effective analgesia agents in pigs. Grapiprant is an EP4 antagonist that blocks the action of the pro-inflammatory prostanoid, PGE2 . It has shown efficacy in attenuating pain associated with ovariohysterectomy and OA in dogs. However, there are no data regarding grapiprant in pigs. Therefore, the pharmacokinetic profile of orally administered grapiprant to juvenile pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) was evaluated in this study. Seven juvenile pigs received 12 mg/kg grapiprant orally. Blood was collected from an indwelling jugular catheter using the push-pull method at set timepoints up to 48 hours. Sample analysis was performed with high-performance liquid chromatography. Mean grapiprant plasma concentration was 164.3 ± 104.7 ng/mL which occurred at 0.8 ± 0.3 h. This study demonstrated that grapiprant concentrations consistent with analgesia in dogs were reached at this dosage in pigs. Further studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of grapiprant in pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Kleine
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Chiara E Hampton
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Christopher Smith
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Genevieve Bussieres
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Pierre-Yves Mulon
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Reza Seddighi
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sherry Cox
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Joe Smith
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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Mykins M, Layo-Carris D, Dunn LR, Skinner DW, McBryar AH, Perez S, Shultz TR, Willems A, Lau BYB, Hong T, Krishnan K. Wild-type MeCp2 expression coincides with age-dependent sensory phenotypes in a female mouse model for Rett syndrome. J Neurosci Res 2023. [PMID: 37026482 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Rett syndrome is characterized by an early period of typical development and then, regression of learned motor and speech skills in girls. Loss of MECP2 protein is thought to cause Rett syndrome phenotypes. The specific underlying mechanisms from typical developmental trajectory to regression features throughout life are unclear. Lack of established timelines to study the molecular, cellular, and behavioral features of regression in female mouse models is a major contributing factor. Due to random X-chromosome inactivation, female patients with Rett syndrome and female mouse models for Rett syndrome (Mecp2Heterozygous , Het) express a functional copy of wild-type MeCp-2 protein in approximately half of all cells. As MeCp2 expression is regulated during early postnatal development and experience, we characterized the expression of wild-type MeCp2 in the primary somatosensory cortex of female Het mice. Here, we report increased MeCp2 levels in non-parvalbumin-positive neurons of 6-week-old adolescent Het relative to age-matched wild-type controls, while also displaying typical levels of perineuronal net expression in the barrel field subregion of the primary somatosensory cortex, mild tactile sensory perception deficits, and efficient pup retrieval behavior. In contrast, 12-week-old adult Het express MeCp2 at levels similar to age-matched wild-type mice, show increased perineuronal net expression in the cortex, and display significant tactile sensory perception deficits. Thus, we have identified a set of behavioral metrics and the cellular substrates to study regression during a specific time in the female Het mouse model, which coincides with changes in wild-type MeCp2 expression. We speculate that the precocious increase in MeCp2 expression within specific cell types of adolescent Het may provide compensatory benefits at the behavioral level, while the inability to further increase MeCp2 levels leads to regressive behavioral phenotypes over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Mykins
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Dana Layo-Carris
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Logan Reid Dunn
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - David Wilson Skinner
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Alexandra Hart McBryar
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sarah Perez
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Trinity Rose Shultz
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Andrew Willems
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Billy You Bun Lau
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Tian Hong
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Keerthi Krishnan
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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7
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Washburn L, Norman-Burgdolf H, Jones N, Kennedy LE, Jarvandi S. Exploring Extension Agent Capacity and Readiness to Adopt Policy, Systems and Environmental Change Approaches. Front Public Health 2022; 10:856788. [PMID: 35719657 PMCID: PMC9200894 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.856788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Enhanced Extension outreach strategies combine traditional direct education programs with public health approaches like policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change. However, the Cooperative Extension system and county-based Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension agents have historically prioritized direct education programming and diffusion of enhanced outreach strategies has varied. Extension personnel may lack capacity and readiness for successful PSE change implementation. This study explored perceived acceptability, capacity, and readiness for PSE change work among FCS Extension agents in two states. Method A survey was developed framed by selected domains from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research: Intervention Characteristics, Inner Setting, Characteristics of Individuals, and Process. All questions utilized a 5-point Likert scale, except for an item examining respondents' stage of change regarding PSE change strategies. Descriptive statistics and response frequencies for all variables were calculated. Results Survey responses (n = 116) indicated PSE change work was perceived as valuable. Potential barriers included perceived complexity, organizational readiness issues (e.g., reporting and evaluation structures; performance incentives), and worries about stakeholder responses in shifting away from direct education. Responses indicated self-efficacy for skills important in implementing PSE change. Most respondents (53%) indicated being at the pre-contemplation or contemplation stage of change in pursuing PSE change work. Discussion Combining PSE change strategies and direct education programming allows Extension to do what it does best – provide effective programs to improve and sustain health and wellbeing of individuals and families. Findings are informative for others aiming to build capacity within community educators, Extension and public health professionals to implement PSE change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Washburn
- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Institute of Agriculture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
- *Correspondence: Lisa Washburn
| | - Heather Norman-Burgdolf
- Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Natalie Jones
- Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Lauren E. Kennedy
- Health and Nutrition Institute, Michigan State University Extension, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Soghra Jarvandi
- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Institute of Agriculture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
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8
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Abstract
Economic, social and political inequality between different identity groups is an important contributor to violent conflicts within societies. To deepen our understanding of the underlying social dynamics, we develop a mathematical model describing cooperation and conflict in a society composed of multiple factions engaged in economic and political interactions. Our model predicts that growing economic and political inequality tends to lead to the collapse of cooperation between factions that were initially seeking to cooperate. Certain mechanisms can delay this process, including the decoupling of political and economic power through rule of law and allegiance to the state or dominant faction. Counterintuitively, anti-conformity (a social norm for independent action) can also stabilize society, by preventing initial defections from cooperation from cascading through society. However, the availability of certain material resources that can be acquired by the state without cooperation with other factions has the opposite effect. We test several of these predictions using a multivariate statistical analysis of data covering 75 countries worldwide. Using social unrest as a proxy for the breakdown of cooperation in society, we find support for many of the predictions from our theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Houle
- Department of Political Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Damian J. Ruck
- Center for the Dynamics of Social Complexity, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - R. Alexander Bentley
- Center for the Dynamics of Social Complexity, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Sergey Gavrilets
- Center for the Dynamics of Social Complexity, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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9
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McFarlane J, DiStefano VH, Bingham PR, Bilheux HZ, Cheshire MC, Hale RE, Hussey DS, Jacobson DL, Kolbus L, LaManna JM, Perfect E, Rivers M, Santodonato LJ, Anovitz LM. Effect of Fluid Properties on Contact Angles in the Eagle Ford Shale Measured with Spontaneous Imbibition. ACS Omega 2021; 6:32618-32630. [PMID: 34901610 PMCID: PMC8655785 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c04177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Models of fluid flow are used to improve the efficiency of oil and gas extraction and to estimate the storage and leakage of carbon dioxide in geologic reservoirs. Therefore, a quantitative understanding of key parameters of rock-fluid interactions, such as contact angles, wetting, and the rate of spontaneous imbibition, is necessary if these models are to predict reservoir behavior accurately. In this study, aqueous fluid imbibition rates were measured in fractures in samples of the Eagle Ford Shale using neutron imaging. Several liquids, including pure water and aqueous solutions containing sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride, were used to determine the impact of solution chemistry on uptake rates. Uptake rate analysis provided dynamic contact angles for the Eagle Ford Shale that ranged from 51 to 90° using the Schwiebert-Leong equation, suggesting moderately hydrophilic mineralogy. When corrected for hydrostatic pressure, the average contact angle was calculated as 76 ± 7°, with higher values at the fracture inlet. Differences in imbibition arising from differing fracture widths, physical liquid properties, and wetting front height were investigated. For example, bicarbonate-contacted samples had average contact angles that varied between 62 ± 10° and ∼84 ± 6° as the fluid rose in the column, likely reflecting a convergence-divergence structure within the fracture. Secondary imbibitions into the same samples showed a much more rapid uptake for water and sodium chloride solutions that suggested alteration of the clay in contact with the solution producing a water-wet environment. The same effect was not observed for sodium bicarbonate, which suggested that the bicarbonate ion prevented shale hydration. This study demonstrates how the imbibition rate measured by neutron imaging can be used to determine contact angles for solutions in contact with shale or other materials and that wetting properties can vary on a relatively fine scale during imbibition, requiring detailed descriptions of wetting for accurate reservoir modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna McFarlane
- Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Victoria H. DiStefano
- Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Bredesen
Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-3394, United States
- U.S.
Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, Maryland 20874, United
States
| | - Philip R. Bingham
- Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Hassina Z. Bilheux
- Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Michael C. Cheshire
- Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Chevron, The Woodlands, Texas 77830, United States
| | - Richard E. Hale
- Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Daniel S. Hussey
- Physical
Measurements Laboratory, National Institute
of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - David L. Jacobson
- Physical
Measurements Laboratory, National Institute
of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Lindsay Kolbus
- Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Indianapolis
Metropolitan High School, 1635 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46222, United States
| | - Jacob M. LaManna
- Physical
Measurements Laboratory, National Institute
of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Edmund Perfect
- Department
of Earth and Planetary Science, University
of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-1526, United States
| | - Mark Rivers
- University
of Chicago, Geophysical Sciences, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Building
434-A, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Louis J. Santodonato
- Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Advanced
Research Systems, 7476
Industrial Park Way, Macungie, Pennsylvania 18062, United States
| | - Lawrence M. Anovitz
- Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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10
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Yomai VMH, Williams JH. Breeding systems of naturalized versus indigenous species provide support for Baker's law on Pohnpei island. AoB Plants 2021; 13:plab038. [PMID: 34336178 PMCID: PMC8317631 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plab038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The factors that facilitate successful colonization of islands should be especially evident where the establishment filter is strongest. Colonizers of small, remote oceanic islands should be initially rare, extremely mate-limited and often without pollinators. Hence, plant communities on such islands should reflect an establishment history in which young 'naturalized' species are most likely to display self-compatibility and autonomous selfing, whereas 'indigenous' species may exhibit more diverse reproductive strategies. To test this prediction, we characterized breeding systems of 28 species on Pohnpei, in the Federated States of Micronesia, a group of remote Pacific islands that are considered a global biodiversity hotspot. Three families with both naturalized and indigenous species were selected-Fabaceae, Malvaceae and Melastomataceae. Measurements included field observations of dichogamy/herkogamy and floral attraction traits, pollen:ovule (P:O) ratios and experimental hand-pollinations for self-compatibility and pollen limitation. Phylogenetic generalized least squares analyses tested for trait correlations between naturalized and indigenous species. Flowers of all 28 species were bisexual, and pollinator attraction features were common. Pollen:ovule ratios ranged from 9 to 557 (median = 87), and all 11 hand-pollinated species were self-compatible. All species had >5 ovules and <3500 pollen grains per flower. Indigenous species did not differ significantly from naturalized species for any trait. There is a dearth of data from remote islands bearing on the question of establishment history. In this study, we inferred all species to have some degree of autogamy and indigenous species were no more likely than naturalized species to display outcrossing mechanisms. On Pohnpei, high ovule numbers, and the inaccessibility of wind pollination and obligate outcrossing strategies, reflect the importance of retaining reproductive assurance mechanisms in the face of pollinator uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph Hill Williams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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11
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Sharma M, Samarin M. Rental tenure and rent burden: progress in interdisciplinary scholarship and pathways for geographical research. GeoJournal 2021; 87:3403-3421. [PMID: 33875901 PMCID: PMC8047516 DOI: 10.1007/s10708-021-10417-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Rental housing accommodates more than a billion tenants worldwide, and in recent years, rentership has been increasing in some countries. Given reduced access to homeownership in various locations due to several causes, it is critical to focus on rentership which has received relatively less attention compared to homeownership, especially within the geography scholarship. In this review article, we identify four key themes that have naturally emerged from the close examination of recent interdisciplinary literature on rentership and rental affordability. These include: (1) rental housing financialization; (2) the proliferation of single-family rentals resulting from the U.S. foreclosure crisis; (3) the determinants and consequences of rent burden; and (4) the relationship between rent burden and regional economic specialization. We discuss these themes and propose potential opportunities for the geographic analysis of rent burden, its determinants, and their relationships with regional economic specialization. We posit that the four identified themes have been developing in apparent isolation, thus making scholarship less consistent. Moreover, research on rent burden is disjointed in itself, which makes it difficult to establish a unified narrative and interlinked subthemes within the rent burden literature. Nonetheless, we contextualize the four themes in their application to geography and frame our discussion around the central notion of this article-rent burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhuri Sharma
- Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, 416 Burchfiel Geography Building, 1000 Phillip Fulmer Way, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA
| | - Mikhail Samarin
- Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, 416 Burchfiel Geography Building, 1000 Phillip Fulmer Way, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA
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Kaufman JD, Seidler Y, Bailey HR, Whitacre L, Bargo F, Lüersen K, Rimbach G, Pighetti GM, Ipharraguerre IR, Ríus AG. A postbiotic from Aspergillus oryzae attenuates the impact of heat stress in ectothermic and endothermic organisms. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6407. [PMID: 33742039 PMCID: PMC7979835 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85707-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Heat stress is detrimental to food-producing animals and animal productivity remains suboptimal despite the use of heat abatement strategies during summer. Global warming and the increase of frequency and intensity of heatwaves are likely to continue and, thus, exacerbate the problem of heat stress. Heat stress leads to the impairment of physiological and cellular functions of ectothermic and endothermic animals. Therefore, it is critical to conceive ways of protecting animals against the pathological effects of heat stress. In experiments with endothermic animals highly sensitive to heat (Bos taurus), we have previously reported that heat-induced systemic inflammation can be ameliorated in part by nutritional interventions. The experiments conducted in this report described molecular and physiological adaptations to heat stress using Drosophila melanogaster and dairy cow models. In this report, we expand previous work by first demonstrating that the addition of a postbiotic from Aspergillus oryzae (AO) into the culture medium of ectothermic animals (Drosophila melanogaster) improved survival to heat stress from 30 to 58%. This response was associated with downregulation of genes involved in the modulation of oxidative stress and immunity, most notably metallothionein B, C, and D. In line with these results, we subsequently showed that the supplementation with the AO postbiotic to lactating dairy cows experiencing heat stress decreased plasma concentrations of serum amyloid A and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, and the expression of interleukin-6 in white blood cells. These alterations were paralleled by increased synthesis of energy-corrected milk and milk components, suggesting enhanced nutrient partitioning to lactogenesis and increased metabolic efficiency. In summary, this work provides evidence that a postbiotic from AO enhances thermal tolerance likely through a mechanism that entails reduced inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Kaufman
- Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, 2506 River Drive, 235 Brehm Animal Science Building, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Y Seidler
- Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - H R Bailey
- Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, 2506 River Drive, 235 Brehm Animal Science Building, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - L Whitacre
- BioZyme, Inc., St. Joseph, MO, 64504, USA
| | - F Bargo
- Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- BioZyme, Inc., St. Joseph, MO, 64504, USA
| | - K Lüersen
- Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - G Rimbach
- Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - G M Pighetti
- Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, 2506 River Drive, 235 Brehm Animal Science Building, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - I R Ipharraguerre
- Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - A G Ríus
- Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, 2506 River Drive, 235 Brehm Animal Science Building, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
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Abstract
The cultural keystone species theory predicts plant species that are culturally important, play a role in resource acquisition, fulfil a psycho-socio-cultural function within a given culture, have high use-value, have an associated naming and terminology in a native language, and a high level of species irreplaceability qualify for cultural keystone species designation. This theory was proposed as a framework for understanding relationships between human societies and species that are integral to their culture. A greater understanding of the dynamic roles of cultural keystones in both ecosystem processes and cultural societies is a foundation for facilitating biocultural conservation. Given such important direct conservation implications of the cultural keystone species theory, we reviewed the use of this theoretical framework across the literature to identify new directions for research. Most studies often emphasized the role of cultural keystones species in human societies but failed to provide a robust and reproducible measure of cultural keystone species status or direct test of the predictions of the theory and underemphasized their potential roles in ecosystem processes. To date, no studies that mentioned cultural keystone species tested the predictions of the theory. Only 4.4% provided a measure for cultural keystone status and 47.4% have cited or applied keystone designation to a given species without providing a reproducible measure for cultural keystone species. Studies that provided a measure for cultural keystone species primarily occurred in North America while few of these studies occurred in Australia and Europe with none occurring in Africa. As such, most cultural keystone species have been designated as such qualitatively based on researcher subjectivity while other studies have designated keystone species with quantitative indices of cultural importance, often incorporating researcher biases or measuring a few of the cultural keystone status predictors rather than all of them, indicating a lack of consensus in identifying cultural keystone species. Thus, we pose the need for a paradigm shift toward the development of serious and systematic approaches for keystone designation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Coe
- Department of Botany, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Orou G Gaoue
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
- Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou, Parakou, Benin.
- Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, APK Campus, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Vuong VQ, Madridejos JML, Aradi B, Sumpter BG, Metha GF, Irle S. Density-functional tight-binding for phosphine-stabilized nanoscale gold clusters. Chem Sci 2020; 11:13113-13128. [PMID: 34094493 PMCID: PMC8163209 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc04514d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a parameterization of the second-order density-functional tight-binding (DFTB2) method for the quantum chemical simulation of phosphine-ligated nanoscale gold clusters, metalloids, and gold surfaces. Our parameterization extends the previously released DFTB2 "auorg" parameter set by connecting it to the electronic parameter of phosphorus in the "mio" parameter set. Although this connection could technically simply be accomplished by creating only the required additional Au-P repulsive potential, we found that the Au 6p and P 3d virtual atomic orbital energy levels exert a strong influence on the overall performance of the combined parameter set. Our optimized parameters are validated against density functional theory (DFT) geometries, ligand binding and cluster isomerization energies, ligand dissociation potential energy curves, and molecular orbital energies for relevant phosphine-ligated Au n clusters (n = 2-70), as well as selected experimental X-ray structures from the Cambridge Structural Database. In addition, we validate DFTB simulated far-IR spectra for several phosphine- and thiolate-ligated gold clusters against experimental and DFT spectra. The transferability of the parameter set is evaluated using DFT and DFTB potential energy surfaces resulting from the chemisorption of a PH3 molecule on the gold (111) surface. To demonstrate the potential of the DFTB method for quantum chemical simulations of metalloid gold clusters that are challenging for traditional DFT calculations, we report the predicted molecular geometry, electronic structure, ligand binding energy, and IR spectrum of Au108S24(PPh3)16.
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Affiliation(s)
- Van Quan Vuong
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, University of Tennessee Knoxville TN USA
| | | | - Bálint Aradi
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Bobby G Sumpter
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
- Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
| | - Gregory F Metha
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Adelaide South Australia 5005 Australia
| | - Stephan Irle
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, University of Tennessee Knoxville TN USA
- Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
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