Life Sciences Commons^™

Rnai-Mediated Control Of Aflatoxins In Peanut: Method To Analyze Mycotoxin Production And Transgene Expression In The Peanut/Aspergillus Pathosystem, Renee S. Arias, Phat M. Dang, Victor S. Sobolev

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that 25% of the food crops in the world are contaminated with aflatoxins. That represents 100 million tons of food being destroyed or diverted to non-human consumption each year. Aflatoxins are powerful carcinogens normally accumulated by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus in cereals, nuts, root crops and other agricultural products. Silencing of five aflatoxin-synthesis genes by RNA interference (RNAi) in peanut plants was used to control aflatoxin accumulation following inoculation with A. flavus. Previously, no method existed to analyze the effectiveness of RNAi in individual peanut transgenic events, …

The Effect Of Body Mass Index On Graft Function And Kidney Transplant Outcomes, Morgan Galle

Theses & Dissertations

Background: When determining eligibility for kidney transplantation, body mass index (BMI) is often a debatable criterion for transplant due to the clinical indication, an elevated BMI has adverse effects on kidney transplant outcomes. There is a current gap in research on the effect BMI has on kidney transplant outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the role BMI plays in post-kidney transplant clinical outcomes including delayed graft function, new onset diabetes after transplant, wound complications, hospital length of stay, albumin, and readmissions to the hospital from initial hospitalization and at six months following kidney transplantation. The primary …

Genetic Modification Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Helps To Reduce Adiposity And Improve Glucose Tolerance In An Obese Diabetic Mouse Model., Sabyasachi Sen, Cleyton C Domingues, Carol Rouphael, Cyril Chou, Chul Kim, Nagendra Yadava

Medicine Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that can differentiate into fat, muscle, bone and cartilage cells. Exposure of subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue derived AD-MSCs to high glucose (HG) leads to superoxide accumulation and up-regulation of inflammatory molecules. Our aim was to inquire how HG exposure affects MSCs differentiation and whether the mechanism is reversible.

METHODS: We exposed human adipose tissue derived MSCs to HG (25 mM) and compared it to normal glucose (NG, 5.5 mM) exposed cells at 7, 10 and 14 days. We examined mitochondrial superoxide accumulation (Mitosox-Red), cellular oxygen consumption rate (OCR, Seahorse) and gene …

A Comparison Of Gastrointestinal Bacterial Population Between Indoor Cats And Outdoor Cats, Farhana Binti Ikmal Hisham

Honors Theses

This study used fecal samples from four indoor cats and four indoor-outdoor cats in order to identify the microbial communities in the gut of cats. This information was then used to compare the microbial phyla between both groups for any differences. Total microbial DNA was isolated from each fecal sample, and the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced using Illumina MiSeq high throughput method. The sequences were identified using the bioinformatics program mothur. The results show that indoor cats had a more diverse microbial community as compared to outdoor cats. Indoor cat samples had 26% more microbial species, and eight more …

Age-Related Differences In Upper-Body Muscular Endurance Amongst Male Law Enforcement Officers: A Comparison To Civilian Population Norms, Rob Orr, Rodney Pope, Jay Dawes

Rodney P Pope

Download a PDF of the Conference Abstracts. Access the abstract on page 30-31.

Age-Related Differences In Upper-Body Muscular Endurance Amongst Male Law Enforcement Officers: A Comparison To Civilian Population Norms, Rob Orr, Rodney Pope, Jay Dawes

Rob Marc Orr

Download a PDF of the Conference Abstracts. Access the abstract on page 30-31.

Erbeta Regulation Of Nf-Kb Activation In Prostate Cancer Is Mediated By Hif-1, Paul Mak, Jiarong Li, Sanjoy Samanta, Arthur M. Mercurio

Arthur M. Mercurio

We examined the regulation of NF-kappaB in prostate cancer by estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) based on the inverse correlation between p65 and ERbeta expression that exists in prostate carcinomas and reports that ERbeta can inhibit NF-kappaB activation, although the mechanism is not known. We demonstrate that ERbeta functions as a gate-keeper for NF-kappaB p65 signaling by repressing its expression and nuclear translocation. ERbeta regulation of NF-kappaB signaling is mediated by HIF-1. Loss of ERbeta or hypoxia stabilizes HIF-1alpha, which we found to be a direct driver of IKKbeta transcription through a hypoxia response element present in the promoter of the …

Chronic Ethanol Exposure Enhances The Aggressiveness Of Breast Cancer: The Role Of P38Γ, Mei Xu, Siying Wang, Zhenhua Ren, Jacqueline A. Frank, Xiuwei H. Yang, Zhuo Zhang, Zun-Ji Ke, Xianglin Shi, Jia Luo

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Both epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that ethanol may enhance aggressiveness of breast cancer. We have previously demonstrated that short term exposure to ethanol (12–48 hours) increased migration/invasion in breast cancer cells overexpressing ErbB2, but not in breast cancer cells with low expression of ErbB2, such as MCF7, BT20 and T47D breast cancer cells. In this study, we showed that chronic ethanol exposure transformed breast cancer cells that were not responsive to short term ethanol treatment to a more aggressive phenotype. Chronic ethanol exposure (10 days - 2 months) at 100 (22 mM) or 200 mg/dl (44 mM) caused the …

Research Roundup From The Research Committee, Mary Insana Fisher, Shana Harrington

Mary Insana Fisher

With the expectations of accountability by consumers and third party payors for the efficacy of physical therapy practice, there has been a significant increase in the push to develop outcome measures in rehabilitation. One type of these measures, patient-reported outcome measures (PROs), are becoming increasingly more common in clinical practice. The American Physical Therapy Association’s Guide to Physical Therapist Practice 3rd edition includes outcomes assessment as an integral part of the Patient and Client Management model, and delineates that appropriate tests and measures depend upon established psychometric properties of the measurement.1 The Section on Research formed the Evidence Database to …

Oncology Section Edge Task Force On Breast Cancer Outcomes: A Systematic Review Of Outcome Measures For Functional Mobility, Mary Insana Fisher, Jeannette Lee, Claire Davies, Hannah Geyer, Genevieve Colon, Lucinda Pfalzer

Mary Insana Fisher

Background: Breast cancer treatments in women with breast cancer often result in physical impairments that lead to activity limitations and participation restrictions. These limitations and restrictions manifest in impaired functional mobility skills that may impact survivorship. Thus, evaluation of functional mobility is an important part of survivorship care. Purpose: To identify functional mobility outcome measures that possess strong psychometric properties and are clinically useful for examination of women treated for breast cancer. Methods: Multiple electronic databases were searched for articles published after 1995. Studies were included if they reported psychometric properties, used clinically feasible methods, were performed on adults, and …

Knee Range Of Motion: Reliability And Agreement Of 3 Measurement Methods, Paul G. Peters, Michael A. Herbenick, Philip A. Anloague, Ronald J. Markert, L. Joseph Rubino

Philip A. Anloague

We conducted a study to compare 3 methods of measuring knee range of motion: visual estimation by physicians, hand goniometry by physical therapists, and radiographic goniometry. We hypothesized that reliability would be high within and across all techniques. We found intrarater and interrater reliability to be satisfactory for visual estimation, hand goniometry, and radiographic goniometry. Interrater reliability across methods did not agree satisfactorily. Between-methods differences in estimating knee range of motion may result from variations in technique among physicians and physical therapists.

The Association Between Critical Thinking And Scholastic Aptitude On First-Time Pass Rate Of The National Physical Therapy Examination, Daniel W. Suckow, C. Jayne Brahler, Betsy Donahoe-Fillmore, Mary Insana Fisher, Philip A. Anloague

Philip A. Anloague

Objectives: 1) To investigate the relationships among critical thinking (CT) abilities, overall academic performance in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) program as measured by cumulative grade point average (GPA), and National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) licensure scores, and 2) To determine if NPTE scores were significantly different between groups of students who were classified as having low, moderate or high CT abilities. Background: It is well-established that physical therapy practice requires good clinical reasoning skills. Passage of the NPTE is required for licensure. Research to date has been mixed as to whether CT abilities or GPA can predict success …

Chronic Elbow Dislocation Treated With Open Reduction And Lateral Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction, Louis Joseph Rubino, Michael A. Herbenick, Ryan P. Finnan, Philip A. Anloague

Philip A. Anloague

In the United States, chronic unreduced elbow dislocations are rare injuries. We report the successful short-term outcome of a chronic elbow dislocation treated with open reduction and lateral ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction using a split semitendinosus allograft in a figure-of-8 technique without use of hinged external fixation. The authors have obtained the patient’s written informed consent for print and electronic publication of the case report.

Chronic Systemic Immune Dysfunction In African-Americans With Small Vessel-Type Ischemic Stroke, Candice M. Brown, Cheryl D. Bushnell, Gregory P. Samsa, Larry B. Goldstein, Carol A. Colton

Neurology Faculty Publications

The incidence of small vessel-type (lacunar) ischemic strokes is greater in African-Americans compared to whites. The chronic inflammatory changes that result from lacunar stroke are poorly understood. To elucidate these changes, we measured serum inflammatory and thrombotic biomarkers in African-Americans at least 6 weeks post-stroke compared to control individuals. Cases were African-Americans with lacunar stroke (n = 30), and controls were age-matched African-Americans with no history of stroke or other major neurologic disease (n = 37). Blood was obtained > 6 weeks post-stroke and was analyzed for inflammatory biomarkers. Freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide …

Analysis Of Changes In Muscle Architecture And Explosive Ability In Ncaa Division I Volleyball Players, Caleb D. Bazyler, Jacob R. Goodin, Conrad Rapp, Mark Disanto, Frank Smith, Michael H. Stone

ETSU Faculty Works

Abstract available in the 10th Annual Coaches and Sport Science College .

Mechanisms By Which Dietary Ellagic Acid Attenuates Obesity And Obesity-Mediated Metabolic Complications, Inhae Kang

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Ellagic acid (EA) is a polyphenol found in various fruits and plants, such as berries, pomegranates, muscadine grapes, nuts and bark of oak tree. EA has been known to exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects in various types of cancer. However, little is known about the effects of EA on obesity. Herein, 1) the lipid-lowering role of EA was identified in primary human adipose stem cells (hASCs) and human hepatoma Huh7 cells; 2) the molecular mechanisms by which EA attenuates adipogenesis by epigenetic modification were identified; 3) the effects of EA on high fat and high sucrose-mediated obesity was …

Effect Of Raised Body Fat On Vitamin D, Leptin And Bone Mass, Syeda Sadia Fatima, Saad Farooq, Maaida Asif Tauni, Omar Irfan, Faiza Alam

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To estimate leptin, vitamin D and bone mineral density levels in individuals with high fat mass, and to assess any correlation.Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre, Karachi, and Aga Khan University, Karachi, from August 2012 to July 2014, and comprised healthy male volunteers between the ages of 18-60 years. Body fat percentage was determined using bioelectrical impedance analysis and the participants were classified as: Group A (15-21.9); Group B (22-27.9); and Group C ( > 28). Bone mineral density was calculated by ultrasound bone densitometer (T-score between +1 and …

Background Differences In Baseline And Stimulated Mmp Levels Influence Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Susceptibility, Matthew A. Dale, Melissa K. Suh, Shijia Zhao, Trevor Meisinger, Linxia Gu, Vicki J. Swier, Devendra K. Agrawal, Timothy Greiner, Jeffrey S. Carson, B. Timothy Baxter, Wanfen Xiong

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Objective: Evidence has demonstrated profound influence of genetic background on cardiovascular phenotypes. Murine models in Marfan syndrome (MFS) have shown that genetic background-related variations affect thoracic aortic aneurysm formation, rupture, and lifespan of mice. MFS mice with C57Bl/6 genetic background are less susceptible to aneurysm formation compared to the 129/SvEv genetic background. In this study, we hypothesize that susceptibility to abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) will be increased in 129/SvEv mice versus C57Bl/6 mice. We tested this hypothesis by assessing differences in aneurysm size, tissue properties, immune response, and MMP expression.

Methods: Mice of C57Bl/6 or 129/SvEv background underwent AAA induction …

Describing The Prevalence And Awareness Of Sport-Related Concussion In University Intramural And Club Sport Participants, Makenzie L. Brown

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Concussion injuries are growing in number among athletes across the nation. The majority of concussion research to date focuses on collegiate and high school athletes. University athletes make up a small percentage of the student body population compared to the large number of students that participate in club and intramural sports. These students participate in the same sports, assume the same risks, and may experience the same adverse effects of concussion, often without appropriate medical oversight.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if concussion is a problem among intramural and club sport participants, if these participants …

Breast Cancer Rehabilitation: Clinical Examination And Outcomes Assessment, Nicole L. Stout, Shana Harrington, Lucinda Pfalzer, Mary Insana Fisher

Mary Insana Fisher

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the United States. The treatment for breast cancer occurs along a protracted time period and includes many different disease treatment modalities. These treatments carry with them a large number of adverse effects that negatively impact function in both the short term and long term. It is necessary for rehabilitation providers to interface with patients being treated for breast cancer throughout the continuum of care so that interval assessments can be conducted to identify emerging impairments and alleviate disability. To achieve this, the rehabilitation provider must have an understanding of …

Β-Thujaplicin: A Soil Antifungal, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: β-thujaplicin (β-Th), also known as hinokitiol, naturally occurs in cedar mulch, is found in personal care products and has in vitro antitumor activities. It is antibacterial and antifungal, but has not been tested on soil. Scedosporium apiospermum (Sce) is an emerging “extremophile” fungal pathogen found in built outdoor environments.

Purpose: Pilot β-Th as “natural” soil antimicrobial or for isolation of extremophiles, and to explore β-Th resistance as selective advantage to Sce in mulched landscape.

Methods: A variety of outdoor and indoor environments were used for 2 sets of 24 paired soil samples. Soil/H20 slurry (0.1 ml) was spread on …

In Vitro Growth Suppression Of Renal Carcinoma Cells By Curcumin, Santhi D. Konduri, Madhavi Latha Yadav Bangaru, Phu Thanh Do, Shenglin Chen, Jeffrey Woodliff, Sanjay Kansra

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

Malignant clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) is an aggressive tumor highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiation. Current therapeutic approaches to management of ccRCC have not significantly improved patient survival, therefore novel therapies are needed. Activated NFκB and STAT3 expression is associated with ccRCC pathogenesis. The dietary polyphenol curcumin is a well-documented antitumor agent and a known inhibitor of NFκB and STAT3 activation. Given the lack of effective therapies that block ccRCC progression, our objective was to examine whether curcumin could suppress the growth and migration of ccRCC cells, and whether this suppression was mediated via inhibition of NFκB and …

A Cytosolic Multiprotein Complex Containing P85Α Is Required For Β-Catenin Activation In Colitis And Colitis-Associated Cancer, Tatiana Goretsky, Emily M. Bradford, Hyunji Ryu, Maryam Tahir, Mary Pat Moyer, Tianyan Gao, Linheng Li, Terrence A. Barrett

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is required for crypt structure maintenance. We previously observed nuclear accumulation of Ser-552 phosphorylated β-catenin (pβ-Cat^Ser-552) in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) during colitis and colitis-associated cancer. Data here delineate a novel multiprotein cytosolic complex (MCC) involved in β-catenin signaling in the intestine. The MCC contains p85α, the class IA subunit of PI3K, along with β-catenin, 14-3-3ζ, Akt, and p110α. MCC levels in IEC increase in colitis and colitis-associated cancer patients. IEC-specific p85α-deficient (p85^ΔIEC) mice develop more severe dextran sodium …

Spectrum Of Histopathological Findings In Postmenopausal Bleeding, Muhammad Usman Tariq, Romana Idress, Ahmed Raheem, Naila Kayani

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective:To determine the frequencies of histopathological findings in endometrial and endocervical biopsy samples with clinical history of Postmenopausal Bleeding (PMB). Study Design:Descriptive cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study:Section of Histopathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from February 2012 to January 2013. Methodology:Atotal of 157 consecutive endometrial and endocervical biopsy specimens with history of postmenopausal bleeding were included. After microscopic examination, frequencies of histological findings in different age groups were generated. Chi-square and independent sample t-tests were applied to see whether the difference was significant which was set at p < 0.05. Results:One hundred and twenty-one (77.1%) specimens showed benign pathologies while 36 (22.9%) were malignant. Endometrial polyp was seen in 67 (42.7%) cases followed by endometrial carcinomas in 25 (15.9%), endometrial hyperplasia in 21 (13.4%), cervical carcinoma in 12 (7.6%) and cervical polyps in 9 (5.7%) cases. Ahighly significant increase in the percentage of malignant and pre-malignant lesions was seen with increasing age group (p < 0.001). Mean age of patients with type-2 endometrial carcinoma was higher than type-1 endometrial carcinoma but statistical significance was not observed (70.2 ±6.5 vs. 61.8 ±9.1 years respectively, p=0.069). Conclusion:Although benign pathologies were more common in postmenopausal bleeding but the collective proportion of endometrial and cervical malignancies and pre-malignant conditions was quite high. Therefore, PMB should be urgently evaluated for cause and early commencement of treatment

Loss Of Glycosaminoglycan Receptor Binding After Mosquito Cell Passage Reduces Chikungunya Virus Infectivity, Amber M. Paul, Dhiraj Acharya, John F. Anderson, Faqing Huang, Fengwei Bai

Publications

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus that can cause fever and chronic arthritis in humans. CHIKV that is generated in mosquito or mammalian cells differs in glycosylation patterns of viral proteins, which may affect its replication and virulence. Herein, we compare replication, pathogenicity, and receptor binding of CHIKV generated in Vero cells (mammal) or C6/36 cells (mosquito) through a single passage. We demonstrate that mosquito cell derived CHIKV (CHIKVmos) has slower replication than mammalian cell derived CHIKV (CHIKVvero), when tested in both human and murine cell lines. Consistent with this, CHIKVmos infection in both cell lines produce less cytopathic …

Cladribine Analogues Via O6-(Benzotriazolyl) Derivatives Of Guanine Nucleosides, Sakilam Satishkumar, Prasanna K. Vuram, Siva Subrahmanyam Relangi, Venkateshwarlu Gurram, Hong Zhou, Robert J. Kreitman, Michelle M. Martínez Montemayor, Lijia Yang, Muralidharan Kaliyaperumal, Somesh Sharma, Narender Pottabathini, Mahesh K. Lakshman

Publications and Research

Cladribine, 2-chloro-2′-deoxyadenosine, is a highly efficacious, clinically used nucleoside for the treatment of hairy cell leukemia. It is also being evaluated against other lymphoid malignancies and has been a molecule of interest for well over half a century. In continuation of our interest in the amide bond-activation in purine nucleosides via the use of (benzotriazol-1yl-oxy)tris(dimethylamino)phosphonium hexafluorophosphate, we have evaluated the use of O6-(benzotriazol-1-yl)-2′-deoxyguanosine as a potential precursor to cladribine and its analogues. These compounds, after appropriate deprotection, were assessed for their biological activities, and the data are presented herein. Against hairy cell leukemia (HCL), T-cell lymphoma (TCL) and chronic lymphocytic …

Real-Time Detection Of Breast Cancer Cells Using Peptidefunctionalized Microcantilever Arrays, Hashem Etayash, Keren Jiang, Sarfuddin Azmi, Thomas Thundat, Kamaljit Kaur

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Ligand-directed targeting and capturing of cancer cells is a new approach for detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Ligands such as antibodies have been successfully used for capturing cancer cells and an antibody based system (CellSearch®) is currently used clinically to enumerate CTCs. Here we report the use of a peptide moiety in conjunction with a microcantilever array system to selectively detect CTCs resulting from cancer, specifically breast cancer. A sensing microcantilever, functionalized with a breast cancer specific peptide 18-4 (WxEAAYQrFL), showed significant deflection on cancer cell (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) binding compared to when exposed to noncancerous (MCF10A and HUVEC) cells. …

Plasma Micrornas Are Associated With Atrial Fibrillation (The Mirhythm Study) And Change After Catheter-Ablation, David D. Mcmanus, Kahraman Tanriverdi, Honghuang Lin, Nada Esa, Menhel Kinno, Rosalind Lee, Divakar Mandapati, Stanley Tam, Patrick T. Ellinor, John F. Keaney, Emelia J. Benjamin, Victor R. Ambros, Jane E. Freedman

Victor R. Ambros

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common dysrhythmia in the U.S. and Europe. Few biomarkers exist to identify individuals at risk for AF. Cardiac microRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in susceptibility to AF and are detectable in the circulation. Nevertheless, data are limited on how circulating levels of miRNAs relate to AF or change over time after catheter- ablation. Methods: In 211 miRhythm participants (112 with paroxysmal or persistent AF; 99 without AF), we quantified plasma expression of 86 miRNAs associated with cardiac remodeling or disease by high-throughput quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We used qRT-PCR to examine …

Circulating Cell And Plasma Microrna Profiles Differ Between Non-St-Segment And St-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Jeanine Ward, Nada Esa, Rahul Pidikiti, Jane E. Freedman, John F. Keaney, Kahraman Tanriverdi, Olga Vitseva, Victor R. Ambros, Rosalind Lee, David D. Mcmanus

Victor R. Ambros

BACKGROUND: Differences in plasma and whole blood expression microRNAs (miRNAs) in patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have been determined in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Although most circulating miRNAs are located in the cellular components of whole blood, little is known about the miRNA profiles of whole blood subcomponents, including plasma, platelets and leukocytes in patients with myocardial ischemia. METHODS: Thirteen patients with a ST-segment-elevation (STEMI) or non-ST-segment elevation (NSTEMI) myocardial infarction were identified in the University of Massachusetts Medical Center Emergency Department (ED) or cardiac catheterization laboratory between February and June of 2012. Whole blood …

Breast Cancer Rehabilitation: Clinical Examination And Outcomes Assessment, Nicole L. Stout, Shana Harrington, Lucinda Pfalzer, Mary Insana Fisher

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the United States. The treatment for breast cancer occurs along a protracted time period and includes many different disease treatment modalities. These treatments carry with them a large number of adverse effects that negatively impact function in both the short term and long term. It is necessary for rehabilitation providers to interface with patients being treated for breast cancer throughout the continuum of care so that interval assessments can be conducted to identify emerging impairments and alleviate disability. To achieve this, the rehabilitation provider must have an understanding of …