277 research outputs found
Anchee Min and Elif Armbruster discuss, The Chinese-American Dream at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 5/23/2013
No full textTwenty years after penning her first memoir on growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution, author Anchee Min now releases The Cooked Seed: the true story of her journey to, and within, America. Min draws us in to bear witness to her trek from a land of deprivation to one of surrounding bounty that is just out of her reach. She works five jobs at once and suffers rape, exhaustion, and divorce. As these revolutionary personal events shape her world view, they culminate in the biggest shift of all: the birth of her daughter. Moderator Elif Armbruster (Associate Professor of English, Suffolk University) helps Min present her unique immigration narrative within the universal struggle of building a life despite precious few fundamental tools. Anchee Min will be signing and selling copies of her book, The Cooked Seed, at the end of the event.https://dc.suffolk.edu/fhf-av/1131/thumbnail.jp
Chloroplast ion homeostasis – what do we know and where should we go?
No full textPlant yields heavily depend on proper macro- and micronutrient supply from the soil. In the leaf cells, nutrient ions fulfill specific roles in biochemical reactions, especially photosynthesis housed in the chloroplast. Here, a well-balanced ion homeostasis is maintained by a number of ion transport proteins embedded in the envelope and thylakoid membranes. Ten years ago, the first alkali metal transporters from the K+ EFFLUX ANTIPORTER family were discovered in the model plant Arabidopsis. Since then, our knowledge about the physiological importance of these carriers and their substrates has greatly expanded. New insights into the role of alkali ions in plastid gene expression and photoprotective mechanisms, both prerequisites for plant productivity in natural environments, were gained. The discovery of a Cl− channel in the thylakoid and several additional plastid alkali and alkali metal transport proteins have advanced the field further. Nevertheless, scientists still have long ways to go before a complete systemic understanding of the chloroplast's ion transportome will emerge. In this Tansley review, we highlight and discuss the achievements of the last decade. More importantly, we make recommendations on what areas to prioritize, so the field can reach the next milestones. One area, laid bare by our similarity-based comparisons among phototrophs is our lack of knowledge what ion transporters are used by cyanobacteria to buffer photosynthesis fluctuations
Tissue-Specific Accumulation and Regulation of Zeaxanthin Epoxidase in Arabidopsis Reflect the Multiple Functions of the Enzyme in Plastids
No full textThe enzyme zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) catalyzes the conversion of zeaxanthin to violaxanthin, a key reaction for ABA biosynthesis and the xanthophyll cycle. Both processes are important for acclimation to environmental stress conditions, in particular drought (ABA biosynthesis) and light (xanthophyll cycle) stress. Hence, both ZEP functions may require differential regulation to optimize plant fitness. The key to understanding the function of ZEP in both stress responses might lie in its spatial and temporal distribution in plant tissues. Therefore, we analyzed the distribution of ZEP in plant tissues and plastids under drought and light stress by use of a ZEP-specific antibody. In addition, we determined the pigment composition of the plant tissues and chloroplast membrane subcompartments in response to these stresses. The ZEP protein was detected in all plant tissues (except flowers) concomitant with xanthophylls. The highest levels of ZEP were present in leaf chloroplasts and root plastids. Within chloroplasts, ZEP was localized predominantly in the thylakoid membrane and stroma, while only a small fraction was bound by the envelope membrane. Light stress affected neither the accumulation nor the relative distribution of ZEP in chloroplasts, while drought stress led to an increase of ZEP in roots and to a degradation of ZEP in leaves. However, drought stress-induced increases in ABA were similar in both tissues. These data support a tissue- and stress-specific accumulation of the ZEP protein in accordance with its different functions in ABA biosynthesis and the xanthophyll cycle
Keeping the faith: Syriac Christian diasporas
No full textIndigenous Christian communities in Turkey and the Middle East have declined dramatically in recent years, with large numbers emigrating in the face of violence, war and conflict. Keeping the Faith explores the impact of historical persecution and massmigration on the Suryoye, Syriac Orthodox Christians, from Turkey. Victims of genocide in 1915-16, subjugated by state nationalism in the Turkish Republic, part of the Turkish exodus of guest workers to Europe post 1960 and hemmed in by the Turkish-Kurdish conflict in the last decades of the twentieth century, they dispersed globally from eastern Anatolia. Only a few now remain in Turkey.This book argues that these experiences migrated with those who re-settled abroad and became incorporated into their life story. Heidi Armbruster's ethnographic fieldwork both in rural villages and a monastery in their Anatolian homeland, and with migrants and their families in Berlin and Vienna, allows her to investigate a number of contexts in which Syriac Christians create identities for themselves, contested through the potent symbolic resources of the Aramaic language, Christian religion, and Assyrian and Aramean ethnicity.Suryoye personal relationships to a collective history are not accessed through historians' accounts or institutional narratives, but through the intimate social worlds the author sensitively observes, in which experience and memories are formed, and in which individuals articulate their stake in a larger and more collective story. This discourse centres on 'community endangerment' and lies at the heart of negotiations of identity, family and group membership that are key to the spatial and historical processes of migration and diaspora. This account delineates with wonderful clarity how 'keeping the faith', has both imperilled and formed the foundations of continuity and community, for this fascinating group
Simulation of farm bargaining board policies in western late potato system
No full textWalter J. Armbruster, Leon Garoian, Albert N. Halter, and James G. Youde.This archived document is maintained by the State Library of Oregon as part of the Oregon Documents Depository Program. It is for informational purposes and may not be suitable for legal purposes.Includes bibliographical references (page 49).Mode of access: Internet from the Oregon Government Publications Collection.Text in English
Update on chloroplast research
No full textChloroplasts, the green differentiation form of plastids, are the sites of photosynthesis and other important plant functions. Genetic and genomic technologies have greatly boosted the rate of discovery and functional characterization of chloroplast proteins during the past decade. Indeed, data obtained using high-throughput methodologies, in particular proteomics and transcriptomics, are now routinely used to assign functions to chloroplast proteins. Our knowledge of many chloroplast processes, notably photosynthesis and photorespiration, has reached such an advanced state that biotechnological approaches to crop improvement now seem feasible. Meanwhile, efforts to identify the entire complement of chloroplast proteins and their interactions are progressing rapidly, making the organelle a prime target for systems biology research in plants
Ancistrus kellerae De & Taphorn & Armbruster 2019, new species
No full textAncistrus kellerae new species (Figs. 9–10). Holotype. CSBD F 1721 (1, 69.9 mm SL) Guyana, Region 8 (Potaro/Siparuni), Potaro River drainage, Kuribrong River, in rapids at Grass Shoals, 5.40791, -59.53179, 12-Mar-2014 J. Armbruster, D. Werneke, E. Liverpool, D. Fernandes, and D. Taphorn. Paratypes. AUM 62849 (1, 55.0 mm SL) collected with holotype; FMNH 135052 (1, 50.1 mm SL) collected with holotype. Diagnosis. Ancistrus kellerae can be separated from all species in the region except A. patronus by having a naked area posteromedial to the medial row of tentacles extending to anterior margin of nasal apertures (area is triangular in A. kellerae, rectangular in A. patronus, and absent in all other species), and by having only a small plate surrounded by flesh between the nasal aperture and the posteriormost odontodes (vs several plates that abut one another); from A. patronus by having a short dentaries (11.6–12.5% vs. 20.3–29.1% HL); and from the most similar species, A. nudiceps, by usually having a broad golden edge of the end caudal fin (vs. a narrow line maximally), by having gold spots only on the head (vs. all over), by having a dark lateral stripe (vs. entirely black), by being darker dorsally along sides than ventrally (vs. uniform color), and by having faint dark spots along the pectoral-fin spine (vs. black with small gold to white spots). Description. Morphometrics in Table 2. A small-sized Ancistrus; size range of examined specimens 50.1–69.9 mm SL. Body broadest anteriorly, greatest body width just posterior to opercles, then narrowing progressively to end of caudal peduncle. Head and body depressed, greatest body depth between level of pectoral-fin insertions and dorsal-fin origin. Caudal peduncle deep, robust, compressed posteriorly. Dorsal profile of head ascending steeply in convex arc from tip of snout to just posterior of orbits, ascending in straight line to posterior tip of supraoccipital, then descending to dorsal-fin origin. From the dorsal-fin origin descending in a slight convex arc to just posterior of dorsal-fin base, then straight to caudal fin. Ventral profile flat to slightly convex from tip of snout to pelvic-fin insertions. Abdomen flat to slightly concave to pelvic-fin insertions, from there, straight to slightly convex and sloping gently ventrally towards caudal fin. Head wide, interorbital width equal or slightly less than head depth, slightly less than half of head length. Snout rounded with large broad naked margin in males, less wide in females and juveniles. Snout length about onehalf head length. Eye moderate in size, interorbital area slightly convex. Oral disk ovate, wider than long. Lips covered with minute papillae, larger near mouth. Lower lip moderate in size, not reaching gill aperture, its border covered with very small papillae. Maxillary barbel very short, its length less than orbit diameter. Jaws short with premaxillary tooth rows forming strong arc and dentary tooth rows forming angle of ±135°. Dentary and premaxillary tooth rows strongly curved medially, lateralmost dentary tooth medial to most lateral premaxillary tooth. Teeth numerous, but fewer than in many Ancistrus (36–44 per jaw ramus), asymmetrically bifid, medial cusp much larger and spatulate, lateral cusp minute and pointed, usually not reaching more than half length of medial cusp, equal in worn teeth. Hypertrophied cheek odontodes strongly evertible, 12–17, stout with tips hooked anteriorly, bases encased in thick fleshy sheaths. Exposed part of opercle small, roughly triangular with larger odontodes along free edge. Head smooth, bones on back of head not carinate; supraoccipital with margins between surrounding bones and plates usually clearly visible. Lateral plates not carinate, lateral line pores readily visible anteriorly, but not posteriorly. Ventral surface of head and abdomen naked, no exposed platelets anterior to anal-fin spine. Nuchal plate small and curved posterolaterally. Odontodes enlarged along edges of lateral plates. Five series of lateral plates anteriorly, three series on caudal peduncle, mid-dorsal and mid-ventral plate series ending on caudal peduncle beneath preadipose plate just anterior to embedded adipose-fin spine. Last plate in median series slightly smaller than penultimate plate, and median plate below end of adipose fin about twice as high as wide. Base of caudal fin with six platelets covering bases of caudal-fin rays. Dorsal-fin origin situated anterior to vertical through pelvic-fin insertion. First dorsal-fin ray not elongate, just slightly longer than snout length; last dorsal-fin ray reaching first preadipose plate when depressed. Adipose-fin spine not embedded, oriented at an angle horizontal to axis of body, membrane visible beneath spine. Pectoral spine short and stout, when adpressed ventrally reaching to the insertion of the pelvic fin, which we categorize as minimum distance (short). Anal fin small but well developed; base of first anal-fin pterygiophore covered by skin, its origin below or posterior to vertical through base of last dorsal-fin ray. Pelvic fins reaching well past anal-fin origin, inserted posterior to vertical through first branched dorsal-fin ray. Caudal fin truncate, lower lobe slightly longer than upper. Tiny odontodes present on body plates, largest on posterior margins of plates. All fin spines with small odontodes, more developed in pectoral-fin spine of males. All fin rays with tiny odontodes on rays. Meristics (N=3). mid-ventral plates 16–17, x=̃ 17; median plates 22–23, x=̃ 22; mid-dorsal plates 15; plates bordering dorsal-fin base six; plates between dorsal and adipose fins five; preadipose plates one. Fin-ray formulae (N=3): dorsal II,7; pectoral I,6; pelvic i,5; anal i,3–4, x=̃i,4; caudal i,14,i. Caudal procurrent spines: dorsal: four to five, x=̃five; ventral: three to four, x=̃four. Sexual dimorphism. Snout tentacles of nuptial males long, largest over twice eye diameter. Posteromedial tentacles diverging in V- shape along anteriorly triangular snout plates, but anterior plates covered by thick flesh. Naked areas of snout without tentacles rugose, separated from naris by single, thin plate; naked area wide, distance from anteromedial plate to snout greater than distance from anteromedial plate to line formed between anterior edges of nasal apertures. Color in alcohol. (Fig. 9) Dorsal and lateral base color dark gray or brown mottled with light brown spots on top of head and body. Dark line present along midline, body darker above than below. Plateless area of snout and tentacles also dark with irregular lighter spots. Pectoral and pelvic fins with at least faint alternating dark and light spots. Dorsal and caudal fins uniform dark brown color. Pale whitish band on the tip of the caudal fin. Ventral surface of head and abdomen tan to yellowish tan, oral disk yellowish, plates of ventral surface of caudal peduncle with posterior margins darker brown, forming alternating light and dark pattern. Life colors. ( Fig. 10) Dorsum mottled dark and light brown with small yellowish spots concentrated on plateless area of snout, tentacles and top of head. Body posterior to dorsal-fin origin with fewer spots, and base color is dark and light brown. Preadipose plate and adipose-fin spine outlined in yellow. Sides with irregular light and dark spots. Body posterior of insertion of dorsal and pelvic fin coloration dorsally is dark brown and lighter brown ventrally, appearing to have a dark median horizontal line along the middle of body to caudal fin. Ventrum of body lighter than sides, and mottled (from what can be viewed in Fig. 10). Oral disk and adjacent area on chest cream. Fin membranes lightly pigmented, grayish, but spines and rays tan in color with spots on pectoral and pelvic fins. Caudal-fin spine and rays uniform in color except for a white band vertically along the tip. Distribution. Known only from the type locality in the Kuribrong River, Potaro River - Essequibo River drainage (Fig. 7). The locality is below Amaila Falls. Etymology. Named in honor of Connie Keller and in gratitude for her leadership as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Field Museum, where her unparalleled support of research and conservation work has led to the protection of more than 8 million hectares of South America forests and rivers. Lead author is personally inspired and honored to share a love of fly-fishing, the outdoors and conservation with Connie. Comments. The Kuribrong River is under dramatic pressure from gold and diamond mining, and Hardman et al. (2002) noted a decrease in loricariids in the mainstem Potaro River compared to what Eigenmann (1912) found likely due to the mining there in 1998. Grass Shoals is the last rapids upstream before the base of Amaila Falls. It is a clear-flowing section of stream with ample rooted vegetation. Little mining was present this far up in the drainage at time of collection, but a recently completed road to the base of Amaila Falls will likely lead to increasing mining pressure from Grass Shoals to above the escarpment.Published as part of De, Lesley S., Taphorn, Donald C. & Armbruster, Jonathan W., 2019, Review of Ancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the northwestern Guiana Shield, Orinoco Andes, and adjacent basins with description of six new species, pp. 1-67 in Zootaxa 4552 (1) on pages 16-19, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4552.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/262315
Molecular characterisation of three novel photosynthetic proteins in arabidopsis thaliana
No full textAuthors’ response
No full textWe thank Katja Kritzler for the commentary on our article. We expressed our concern regarding undeniable potentially looming long-term problems with implant-borne crowns in the esthetic zone in both the introduction and the discussion sections of our article. We have acknowledged that the main advantages of orthodontic space closure are that the hard and soft tissue architectures “remain in a natural state that can better respond to the change over time” and that “it is not possible to exclude a potentially developing infraocclusion, especially in patients with poor interincisor stability.”1
However, long-term stability of single-tooth implants in the anterior maxilla was not the subject of our study. The aim was to repeat the study of Armbruster et al2 from 2005, in which “all 12 cases were photographed after the completion of orthodontic treatment and any restorative dental work,” and not after years in retention, to evaluate whether the introduction of new techniques in implantology and periodontics over the last 10 years has improved the esthetic appeal of implant-borne crowns for congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisors, as suggested by various research groups.3, 4, 5 Our study clearly shows that the esthetic outcomes in the short term are rated significantly better than 10 years ago—nothing more and nothing less. It was not our intention to interpolate long-term esthetics or functional stability of single-tooth implants in the anterior maxilla from the study, for which sound scientific evidence is currently not available.
We refer to the latest Foundation for Oral Rehabilitation Consensus Conference on the rehabilitation of missing single teeth in October 2015 in Mainz, Germany, during which 11 top experts in the field, selected on objective criteria, such as publications, major contributions to the subject of missing single teeth, and citation indices, presented systematic reviews that were consecutively published in the European Journal of Oral Implantology in summer 2016. A systematic review by Kiliaridis et al,6 evaluating all relevant articles reporting on treatment options for congenitally missing lateral incisors between 1975 and 2015 evidenced that “definitive conclusions [about the superiority of orthodontic space closure by canine mesial repositioning and reshaping or by a prosthodontic intervention], cannot be drawn, since randomised controlled trials and more prospective and retrospective studies directly comparing the two therapeutic options” are required.
We agree with Dr Kritzler that orthodontic space closure is more advantageous in terms of an earlier overall end of treatment and for avoidance of infraocclusion, especially in young female patients with a vertical skeletal growth pattern, and that implant insertion should be delayed as long as possible. Moreover, if both treatment options for a specific patient are appropriate, orthodontic space closure should be the preferred choice.
Nevertheless, we do not agree that peri-implantitis, soft-tissue discoloration, and loss of the facial bone wall over the implant must be regarded as inevitable sequelae. Sufficient orthodontic space opening, correct 3-dimensional implant placement, additive hard-tissue or soft-tissue grafts in case of thin periodontal biotypes, coupled with a meticulously executed prosthodontic protocol of a well-coordinated interdisciplinary team, can create a stable hard and soft peri-implant framework in most patients.7, 8, 9
Because our group is interested in shedding more light on the topic of long-term outcomes of treatment for agenesis of the maxillary lateral incisors with orthodontic space closure vs space opening, we are currently collecting data from our treated patients 5 to 10 years posttreatment, with the goal to publish a study with comparative long-term results, of which only 5 exist in the current literature
Writing and Designing Science Trade Books for Young Adolescents: Model Development and Application
No full textA text design model was developed by reviewing the related literature and using the premises that (a) text generation, layout, and design are integral parts of the text design process that are recursive with one another and (b) the text design process should result in a publishable product with considerate text and appropriate appeal for the readers. The model was tested by planning and writing a science chapter for a trade book. Then, the chapter was revised in two separate ways, (a) by analyzing reader protocols and (b) by incorporating the comments of a professional editor, to produce two new manuscripts. Computer technology was used and methods developed to prepare high quality, color pre-press documents for use with the participants. The manuscripts were reviewed by young readers and adult jurors. Adult jurors included science teachers, reading specialists, children's librarians, parents, and a publishing professional. Results show that author analysis of reader protocols was effective for revising both text and design. In addition, more adult jurors preferred the protocol-edited version over the professionally edited version. Adults rated 14 survey items all of which favored the protocol edited version and four of which were statistically significant for organization, innovative style, layout, and suitability for publication and nearly statistically significant for interest of photographs and illustrations. Young readers would recommend the reading to other readers interested in the topic and overall gave high ratings for interestingness of and helpfulness of illustrations. Average and high ability readers gave more useful protocols than low ability readers. The author/investigator collected an author protocol on videotape while using the text design model to write and design. Analysis of the author protocol was used to revise the text design model. The final model appears in Appendix A.Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-16T21:46:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1
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Previous issue date: 1993Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 72109
Lift date: Forever
Reason: Restricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETDsRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETDsU of I Only434 p.Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1993
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