Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons^™

Privatization Of Biomedical Research: A Short Term Answer With Long Term Consequences, Frederick Azalekor

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Biomedical research owned by the government is now available to be owned by private institutions. This results in stagnant innovations because researchers have trouble with all the restrictions that are placed by private institutions. Privatization of biomedical research has short term positive effects but its negative effects are overarching and disastrous. One way to combat this, is for licenses to be deployed slowly with future consequences in mind.

• Privatization has short term benefits but long term disadvantages are disastrous. • To reduce damaging effect, privatization must be deployed slowly and carefully. • Patents or proprietary ownership must be given …

Pedagogy For The Pedosphere, Loren B. Byrne, Rachel K. Thiet, V Bala Chaudhary

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hexokinase Ii Localization Is Independent Of Ampk Activation In Hela Cells, Alyssa Brown

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

In order for a cancer cell to thrive, it must alter its metabolism to produce the energy needed for rapid growth. Cells accomplish this by the Warburg Effect, or switching metabolism to aerobic glycolysis, where a cell can rapidly break down sugar into ATP, lactic acid and additional byproducts. Hexokinase 2, the enzyme that catalyzes the first committed step of glycolysis, may also be upregulated in cancer cells to increase glucose breakdown. Similar proteins for metabolism are found in both S. cerevisiae and mammalian cells. S. cerevisiae regulates metabolism through glucose repression, by Snf1 (mammalian homolog: AMPK) activation, which aids …

Carinata Fame Production Process And Biofuel Oxidation, Benoit Kindo

Honors College Theses

In this experiment, the contribution of a standard production method for biofuels on their oxidative stability was investigated. Peroxide values were measured at different steps of the production process of Brassica carinata and peanut-based biofuels. The washing and drying steps in this production method showed significant increases in peroxide values for both biofuels and was identified as a major contributor of biofuel oxidation. Further analyses of the physical and thermal properties showed a more pronounced affect in the biofuel from Bassica carinata, and indicated an unusual composition much higher in saturated fatty acids much longer than those found in peanut. …

Seasonal Evolution Of Active Layer Formation In Subarctic Peat Plateaux And Implications For Dissolved Organic Matter Composition And Transfer, Jennifer L. Hickman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Peat-accumulating wetlands are ecosystems whose rate of photosynthetic production of organic matter is greater than that of its decomposition, resulting in a build up of soil organic matter that may take centuries to fully decompose. Carbon (C) stocks within these ecosystems are a function of inputs from photosynthesis, and losses from heterotrophic decomposition. Due to the short growing season and overall cold climate of boreal and tundra regions, C has been accumulating within these landscapes, mostly in soil organic matter, since the last glaciation. Climate change, predicted to result in rising temperatures and increased precipitation, has begun to degrade the …

Development Of A Low-Cost Arduino-Based Sonde For Coastal Applications, Grant Lockridge, Brian Dzwonkowski, Reid Nelson, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

This project addresses the need for an expansion in the monitoring of marine environments by providing a detailed description of a low cost, robust, user friendly sonde, built on Arduino Mega 2560 (Mega) and Arduino Uno (Uno) platforms. The sonde can be made without specialized tools or training and can be easily modified to meet individual application requirements. The platform allows for internal logging of multiple parameters of which conductivity, temperature, and GPS position are demonstrated. Two design configurations for different coastal hydrographic applications are highlighted to show the robust and versatile nature of this sensor platform. The initial sonde …

Role Of Vav2 In Podocyte Inflammasome Activation And Glomerular Injury During Hyperhomocysteinemia, Sabena Conley

Theses and Dissertations

Hyperhomocysteinemia (hHcys) is a widely known pathogenic factor in the progression of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and it is also associated with an increased risk for injurious cardiovascular pathologies during ESRD. HHcys is linked to the formation and activation of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, characterized as a critical early mechanism initiating the inflammatory response. NADPH oxidase (NOX)-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in podocytes in response to elevated levels of homocysteine (Hcys) in vitro and in vivo. However, it remains unknown how NLRP3 inflammasome activation is triggered by NOX. The …

Temporal Trends Of Corporate Sponsorship In Medical Research, Elijah Bodey

Honors Projects

Data will be collected from medical journals to assessed changes in the nature and prevalence of corporate sponsorship. The journals that will be reviewed are the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the British Medical Journal (BMJ), and the Lancet. These journals were chosen because of their high impact on medical research representing both American and British Medical editorials. It has been shown that corporate sponsorship has been associated with bias results (Kjaergard et al 2002). Changes in the nature of corporate sponsorship would be linked to changes in economic climate and …

Identification And Quantification Of Zooplankton In Ne Ohio Drinking Water Reservoirs, Michael Vigorito

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, are present in most freshwater ecosystems and are usually harmless. When these algae swell in numbers, they release harmful toxins that can be detrimental to animal and human health, and can destroy ecosystems. For this reason, many scientists and engineers have studied these harmful algal blooms in an attempt to predict, prevent, or control them to keep people and ecosystems safe. One of the variables in this investigation is the presence and quantity of zooplankton. These animals could play an important role in the prevalence of cyanobacteria, but more information is needed to determine what that …

Black Soldier Fly Larvae Manual, Haeree H. Park

Student Showcase

This manual is a resource for fisheries, hatcheries, and farms of all types that wish to exercise a sustainable management system utilizing black soldier fly larvae through the minimization of waste. Although black soldier fly larvae can be fed to small livestock such as chickens and rodents, this project and manual are tailored specifically to freshwater fish in hopes of closing the significant gap and inefficiencies of fish management and subsequent waste throughout the New England coastal area. There is an evident opportunity to harness black soldier fly larvae’s extraordinary bioconversion of organic matter that can lead to not only …

Bacterial Forensics: Revolutionizing Biochemical Analysis, Caitlin Cain

Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Eva Childrey is a junior forensic science and chemistry double major working in Dr. Eh- rhardt’s research laboratory at VCU. The main goal of the research conducted in this laboratory is to explore the lipid profiles of different bacterial species.

The Role Of The Ace2/Ang-(1-7)/Masr Axis In The Development Of Obesity-Hypertension In Male And Female Mice, Yu Wang

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Obesity is strongly associated with hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. An activated renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has long been suggested as a critical contributor to elevated blood pressure with obesity. Angiotensin II (AngII), the main effector of an activated RAS, can be catabolized by angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to form angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)), which, acting through the mas receptor (MasR), has been shown to oppose the effects of an activated RAS. Therefore, further understanding of the mechanisms of this counter-regulatory arm, called the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/MasR axis, may lead to new therapies for obesity-induced hypertension. Previously, we demonstrated that differences in the regulation of ACE2 …

Calcitriol Increases Ceramide, Diacylglycerol, And Expression Of Genes Involved In Lipid Packaging In Skeletal Muscle, Grace Elizabeth Jefferson

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Background: Vitamin D is crucial for skeletal muscle function. 25-hidroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) has been correlated with skeletal muscle mass and intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) content. The purpose of this study was to understand how calcitriol, the active vitamin D metabolite, directly affects myocellular size and lipid partitioning.

Methods: C₂C₁₂ myotubes were treated with calcitriol (100nM) or vehicle control for 24 or 96 h. Myotube diameter and protein synthesis rate were measured to determine effects of calcitriol on myocellular size. Intramyocellular triacylglycerol (IMTG), diacylglycerol (DAG), and ceramide content were measured by LC/MS. Expression of genes involved in lipid packaging …

Effects Of Beta-Alanine Supplementation And High Intensity Interval Training Among Recreationally Active Females, Mary E. Yarbrough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that when combined with L-histidine forms the dipeptide carnosine. Recent research has shown that supplementary intake of beta-alanine can substantially increase carnosine content in muscle fibers and has been associated with attenuating fatigue and enhancing high intensity exercise performance. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 4 weeks of beta-alanine supplementation combined with high intensity interval training (HIIT) on indices of aerobic and anaerobic performance, rowing performance, and body composition. Twenty-one recreationally active females (22.2 ± 2.2 yrs.) participated in a double blind, placebo controlled study and were randomly assigned …

Compensatory Mechanisms And T Cell Migration In Mouse Models Of Dopaminergic Loss, Kristi M. Anderson

Theses & Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder and second most common neurodegenerative disorder. PD is characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons and dopamine neurotransmitter within the substantia nigra and termini in the striatum. Progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons occurs over many years in PD, and by the time movement disorder symptoms manifest, up to 50-70% of dopaminergic neurons have been lost. Several aspects of PD pathology have been described in detail, but a better understanding of PD progression is needed to develop more efficient treatments.

Motor symptoms associated with PD do not manifest until significant …

But What Is It That You Actually Do? (What It's Really Like Working In The Lab), Michael Reagan

Michael S. Reagan

No abstract provided.

Psychology's Use Of Animals: Current Practices And Attitudes, Kenneth J. Shapiro

Kenneth J. Shapiro, PhD

In this chapter, I present a psychology primer for the uninitiated, with special emphasis on psychology's uses of animals. After sketching the scope of the field generally, I review available data on present numbers and species of animals used in psychological research, level of suffering induced and current trends. I also provide several concrete examples of psychological research involving animals. Finally, the chapter concludes with a presentation of attitudes of psychologists toward animals and these practices.

Evaluation Of Animal Model Research, Kenneth J. Shapiro

Kenneth J. Shapiro, PhD

It is argued that a concept of evaluation of animal models that is broader and more useful than validation is available. Productive generativity refers to the degree to which a model furthers understanding and leads to more-effective treatment interventions. Results of the application of this novel evaluative frame to several animal models of eating disorders show that this animal-based research has not been productive. The question of the relation between clinic and animal laboratory is discussed.

Catalytic Cracking Of Pentenes In Mfi Zeolite: Activation Energy And Reactor Volume Decrease, Klaus A. Serny T., Pablo J. Baricelli, Milexi J. Pacheco M., Luis G. Melean, Merlín Rosales

Innovative Research Publications IRP India

The cracking of pentenes has been investigated at 773 and 873 K in modified MFI zeolite to produce ethylene and propylene. The activation energy showed a significant reduction for this investigation. Additionally, it has been evidenced the important role of the diffusion phenomenon and catalyst technical aspect on the processing of pentenes to produce ethylene and propylene proposing a mathematical model for the design of catalytic reactor achieving a 15% reduction in the volume of the reactor compare to obtained volume with the conventional design. This investigation opens the opportunity to explore new designs of catalysts taking in count intrinsic …

Normal Glycolytic Enzyme Activity Is Critical For Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1a Activity And Provides Novel Targets For Inhibiting Tumor Growth, Geoffrey Grandjean Phd

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Normal Glycolytic Enzyme Activity is Critical for Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1α Activity and Provides Novel Targets for Inhibiting Tumor Growth

By Geoffrey Grandjean

Advisory Professor: Garth Powis, D. Phil

Unique to proliferating cancer cells is the observation that their increased need for energy is provided by a high rate of glycolysis followed by lactic acid fermentation in a process known as the Warburg Effect, a process many times less efficient than oxidative phosphorylation employed by normal cells to satisfy a similar energy demand ^[1]. This high rate of glycolysis occurs regardless of the concentration of oxygen in the cell and …