Digital Commons Network^™

Animal Models Of Head Trauma, Ibolja Cernak

Biomedicine and Animal Models in Research Collection

Animal models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are used to elucidate primary and secondary sequelae underlying human head injury in an effort to identify potential neuroprotective therapies for developing and adult brains. The choice of experimental model depends upon both the research goal and underlying objectives. The intrinsic ability to study injuryinduced changes in behavior, physiology, metabolism, the blood/tissue interface, the blood brain barrier, and/or inflammatory- and immune-mediated responses, makes in vivo TBI models essential for neurotrauma research. Whereas human TBI is a highly complex multifactorial disorder, animal trauma models tend to replicate only single factors involved in the pathobiology …

Functionally Active T1-T1 Interfaces Revealed By The Accessibility Of Intracellular Thiolate Groups In Kv4 Channels., Guangyu Wang, Mohammad Shahidullah, Carmen A Rocha, Candace Strang, Paul J Pfaffinger, Manuel Covarrubias

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Gating of voltage-dependent K(+) channels involves movements of membrane-spanning regions that control the opening of the pore. Much less is known, however, about the contributions of large intracellular channel domains to the conformational changes that underlie gating. Here, we investigated the functional role of intracellular regions in Kv4 channels by probing relevant cysteines with thiol-specific reagents. We find that reagent application to the intracellular side of inside-out patches results in time-dependent irreversible inhibition of Kv4.1 and Kv4.3 currents. In the absence or presence of Kv4-specific auxiliary subunits, mutational and electrophysiological analyses showed that none of the 14 intracellular cysteines is …

Pathways To Ptsd, Part Ii: Sexually Abused Children, Glenn N Saxe

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this research was to develop and test a prospective model of posttraumatic stress symptoms in sexually abused children that includes pretrauma, trauma, and disclosure-related pathways.

METHOD: At time 1, several measures were used to assess pretrauma variables, trauma variables, and stress reactions upon disclosure for 156 sexually abused children ages 8 to 13 years. At the time 2 follow-up (7 to 36 months following the initial interview), the children were assessed for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.

RESULTS: A path analysis involving a series of hierarchically nested ordinary least squares multiple regression analyses indicated three direct …

Diets And Coexistence Of The Sea Urchins Lytechinus Variegatus And Arbacia Punctulata (Echinodermata) Along The Central Florida Gulf Coast, Janessa Cobb, John M. Lawrence

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

The basis for coexistence of similar species is fundamental in community ecology. One mechanism for coexistence is differentiation of diets. Lytechinus variegatus and Arbacia punctulata coexist in different microhabitats along the Florida gulf coast. Their great difference in morphology might affect their choice of microhabitats and diet. We analyzed diets of both species at 1 offshore and 1 nearshore site where both occurred in relatively equal numbers, an offshore site dominated by A. punctulata and an offshore site dominated by L. variegatus. Gut contents were analyzed to determine the diet. A. punctulata prim. consumed sessile invertebrates except on dates …

Dynamic Matrix Composition In Engineered Cartilage With Stochastic Supplementation Of Growth Factors, Asit K. Saha, J. (Jagannath) Mazumdar, Sean S. Kohles

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dynamic extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis is explored in a hypothesized engineered cartilage construct. Growth (α) and decay (β) rate parameters are developed from a previous engineered cartilage model. The presented mathematical model was constructed from the parameterized experimental data using a deterministic and stochastic examination of ECM synthesis based on a negative feedback control mechanism. A growth factor supplementation is incorporated in a probabilistic mathematical approach. The growth factor component modified an initial deterministic model through a Gaussian white noise fluctuation. As the primary constituents of ECM, the mathematical tool is intended to characterize the probable steady state distribution of …

The Effect Of Electrical Stimulation On Blood Flow In Chronic Wounds In Patients With And Without Diabetes, Daryl J. Lawson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background and Purpose. Only 3% of the U S population is afflicted by diabetes, yet one of the most common chronic wounds is the diabetic ulcer. Decrease in blood flow may be one reason why only 31% of neuropathic diabetic ulcers heal in 20-weeks. The purpose of this investigation was to compare healing rates and blood flow of chronic stage III and IV wounds in people with diabetes and those without diabetes over four weeks of treatment. Blood flow was measured before, during, and after stimulation using one of two different electrical stimulation waveforms in a 32°C room.

Subjects …

Protection Against Ischemia And Reperfusion Injury, Peter R. Oeltgen, Paul D. Bishop, Mark S. Kindy, Juan A. Sanchez

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Patents

A compound and method for using the compound to reduce injury associated with ischemia and reperfusion of mammalian organs such as the heart. The compound, either Deltorphin A and/or Dermorphin H, may be administered as part of a preconditioning strategy which reduces the extent of injury and improves organ function following cessation and restoration of blood flow. The compound may be used in preparation for planned ischemia or in a prophylactic manner in anticipation of further ischemic events.

Stim1, An Essential And Conserved Component Of Store-Operated Ca2+ Channel Function, Jack Roos, Paul J. Digregorio, Andriy V. Yeromin, Kari Ohlsen, Maria I. Lioudyno, Shenyuan L. Zhang, Olga Safrina, J. Ashot Kozak, Steven L. Wagner, Michael D. Cahalan, Gönül Veliçelebi, Kenneth A. Stauderman

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Store-operated Ca²⁺ (SOC) channels regulate many cellular processes, but the underlying molecular components are not well defined. Using an RNA interference (RNAi)-based screen to identify genes that alter thapsigargin (TG)-dependent Ca²⁺ entry, we discovered a required and conserved role of Stim in SOC influx. RNAi-mediated knockdown of Stim in Drosophila S2 cells significantly reduced TG-dependent Ca²⁺ entry. Patch-clamp recording revealed nearly complete suppression of the Drosophila Ca²⁺ release-activated Ca²⁺(CRAC) current that has biophysical characteristics similar to CRAC current in human T cells. Similarly, knockdown of the human homologue STIM1 significantly reduced CRAC channel activity …

Somatostatin Regulates Intracellular Signaling In Human Bronchial Smooth Muscle Cells, Michael J. Alfonzo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Somatostatin (somatotropin release inhibitory factor; SRIF), is an endogenous peptide family that controls cellular secretion and proliferation. While SRIF's cognate receptors and associated actions have been clearly identified in a range of tissues, such as the endocrine, gastrointestinal and immune systems, a role in human lung physiology remains unknown. Using primary human bronchial smooth muscle cells (hBSMC) as a model for studying SRIF's actions, we have investigated whether SRIF receptors are present and functional in human bronchial smooth muscle. Reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis ofhBSMC total mRNA demonstrated the presence of the sst, receptor subtype, providing a molecular …

Requirements For Vibrio Cholerae Hapr Binding And Transcriptional Repression At The Hapr Promoter Are Distinct From Those At The Apha Promoter, Wei Lin, Gabriela Kovacikova, Karen Skorupski

Dartmouth Scholarship

Virulence gene expression in certain strains of Vibrio cholerae is regulated in response to cell density by a quorum-sensing cascade that influences the levels of the LuxR homolog HapR through small regulatory RNAs that control the stability of its message. At high cell density, HapR represses the expression of the gene encoding the virulence gene activator AphA by binding to a site between −85 and −58 in the aphA promoter. We show here that a second binding site for HapR lies within the hapR promoter from which it functions to repress its own transcription. This site, as determined by gel …

Modeling Of Immunoglobulin Uptake By N,N,N′,N′-Ethylenediaminetetramethylenephosphonic Acid-Modified Zirconia Particles Under Static And Dynamic Conditions, Sabyasachi Sarkar, Anuradha Subramanian

Papers in Biotechnology

A matrix developed from N,N,N′,N′-ethylenediaminetetramethylenephosphonic acid-modified zirconia beads (further referred to as r_PEZ); 25–38 μm in diameter and with a pore size of 22 ± 3 nm, was utilized for the separation of immunoglobulins (Igs). r_PEZ has been shown to bind to various Igs originating from a wide variety of species. To understand the mechanisms controlling the uptake of Igs by r_PEZ, static protein uptake experiments were carried out. The protein uptake profiles were further modeled with a kinetic rate constant model. Individual studies were undertaken for human immunoglobulin A, G and M (HIgA, HIgG and HIgM). The kinetic rate …

Glutamate Receptors In Perirhinal Cortex Mediate Encoding, Retrieval, And Consolidation Of Object Recognition Memory., Boyer D Winters, Timothy J Bussey

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Object recognition is consistently impaired in human amnesia and animal models thereof. Results from subjects with permanent brain damage have revealed the importance of the perirhinal cortex to object recognition memory. Here, we report evidence from rats for interdependent but distinct stages in object recognition memory (encoding, retrieval, and consolidation), which require glutamate receptor activity within perirhinal cortex. Transient blockade of AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission within perirhinal cortex disrupted encoding for short- and long-term memory as well as retrieval and consolidation. In contrast, transient NMDA receptor blockade during encoding affected only long-term object recognition memory; NMDA receptor activity was also …

Evaluation Of Glucocorticoid Sensitivity In 697 Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells After Overexpression Or Silencing Of Map Kinase Phosphotase-1, Marc T. Abrams, Noreen Robertson, Gerald Litwack, Eric Wickstrom

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of reducing MAP kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) levels on cell death induced by glucocorticoid (GC) or hydroxyurea (HU) treatment in the human pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line 697.

METHODS: Stable MKP-1 overexpressing transformants of the 697 pre-B ALL cell line were created and tested for sensitivity to the GC triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and HU, and compared to a control 697 cell line containing normal MKP-1 expression levels. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were designed to inhibit MKP-1 expression and evaluated for their effect on GC-mediated cell death.

RESULTS: MKP-1 overexpression caused a phenotype of partial resistance …

Ocular Surface Epithelia Contain Abcg2-Dependent Side Population Cells Exhibiting Features Associated With Stem Cells., Murat T Budak, Onder S Alpdogan, Mingyuan Zhou, Robert M Lavker, M A Murat Akinci, J Mario Wolosin

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

When cell populations are incubated with the DNA-binding dye Hoechst 33342 and subjected to flow cytometry analysis for Hoechst 33342 emissions, active efflux of the dye by the ABCG2/BCRP1 transporter causes certain cells to appear as a segregated cohort, known as a side population (SP). Stem cells from several tissues have been shown to possess the SP phenotype. As the lack of specific surface markers has hindered the isolation and subsequent biochemical characterization of epithelial stem cells this study sought to determine the existence of SP cells and expression of ABCG2 in the epithelia of the ocular surface and evaluate …

Molecular And Clinical Analyses Of Greig Cephalopolysyndactyly And Pallister-Hall Syndromes: Robust Phenotype Prediction From The Type And Position Of Gli3 Mutations, Jennifer J. Johnston, Isabelle Olivos-Glander, Christina Killoran, David Tilstra Md

Articles

Mutations in the GLI3 zinc-finger transcription factor gene cause Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome (GCPS) and Pallister-Hall syndrome (PHS), which are variable but distinct clinical entities. We hypothesized that GLI3 mutations that predict a truncated functional repressor protein cause PHS and that functional haploinsufficiency of GLI3 causes GCPS. To test these hypotheses, we screened patients with PHS and GCPS for GLI3 mutations. The patient group consisted of 135 individuals: 89 patients with GCPS and 46 patients with PHS. We detected 47 pathological mutations (among 60 probands); when these were combined with previously published mutations, two genotype-phenotype correlations were evident. First, GCPS was …

Sara Is An Essential Positive Regulator Of Staphylococcus Epidermidis Biofilm Development, Maria A. Tormo, Miguel Marti, Jaione Valle, Adhar C. Manna

Dartmouth Scholarship

Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation is associated with the production of the polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA)--poly-N-acetylglucosamine polysaccharide (PNAG) by the products of the icaADBC operon. Recent evidence indicates that SarA, a central regulatory element that controls the production of Staphylococcus aureus virulence factors, is essential for the synthesis of PIA/PNAG and the ensuing biofilm development in this species. Based on the presence of a sarA homolog, we hypothesized that SarA could also be involved in the regulation of the biofilm formation process in S. epidermidis. To investigate this, we constructed nonpolar sarA deletions in two genetically unrelated S. epidermidis clinical strains, …

Identification Of A Tcpc-Tcpq Outer Membrane Complex Involved In The Biogenesis Of The Toxin-Coregulated Pilus Of Vibrio Cholerae, Niranjan Bose, Ronald K. Taylor

Dartmouth Scholarship

The toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) of Vibrio cholerae and the soluble TcpF protein that is secreted via the TCP biogenesis apparatus are essential for intestinal colonization. The TCP biogenesis apparatus is composed of at least nine proteins but is largely uncharacterized. TcpC is an outer membrane lipoprotein required for TCP biogenesis that is a member of the secretin protein superfamily. In the present study, analysis of TcpC in a series of strains deficient in each of the TCP biogenesis proteins revealed that TcpC was absent specifically in a tcpQ mutant. TcpQ is a predicted periplasmic protein required for TCP biogenesis. Fractionation …

Learning To Like: A Role For Human Orbitofrontal Cortex In Conditioned Reward, Sylvia M L Cox, Alexandre Andrade, Ingrid Johnsrude

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

A great deal of human behavior and motivation is based on the intrinsic emotional significance of rewarding or aversive events, as well as on the associations formed between such emotional events and concurrent environmental stimuli. Recent functional neuroimaging studies have implicated the ventral striatum, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and amygdala in the representation of reward values and/or in the anticipation of rewarding events. Here, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare brain activation during the presentation of reward with that during presentation of (conditioned) stimuli that have been paired previously with reward. Specifically, we aimed to investigate conditioned reward in …

Automated Migration Analysis Based On Cell Texture: Method & Reliability, Jianfeng Qin, Thomas W. Chittenden, Ling Gao, Justin D D. Pearlman

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: In this paper, we present and validate a way to measure automatically the extent of cell migration based on automated examination of a series of digital photographs. It was designed specifically to identify the impact of Second Hand Smoke (SHS) on endothelial cell migration but has broader applications. The analysis has two stages: (1) preprocessing of image texture, and (2) migration analysis.

Results: The output is a graphic overlay that indicates the front lines of cell migration superimposed on each original image, with automated reporting of the distance traversed vs. time. Expert preference compares to manual placement of leading …

A Three-Component Regulatory System Regulates Biofilm Maturation And Type Iii Secretion In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Sherry L. Kuchma, John P. Connolly, George A. O'Toole

Dartmouth Scholarship

Biofilms are structured communities found associated with a wide range of surfaces. Here we report the identification of a three-component regulatory system required for biofilm maturation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14. A transposon mutation that altered biofilm formation in a 96-well dish assay originally defined this locus, which is comprised of genes for a putative sensor histidine kinase and two response regulators and has been designated sadARS. Nonpolar mutations in any of the sadARS genes result in biofilms with an altered mature structure but do not confer defects in growth or early biofilm formation, swimming, or twitching motility. After …

Transient Inactivation Of Perirhinal Cortex Disrupts Encoding, Retrieval, And Consolidation Of Object Recognition Memory., Boyer D Winters, Timothy J Bussey

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Damage to perirhinal cortex (PRh) impairs object recognition memory in humans, monkeys, and rats when tested in tasks such as delayed nonmatching to sample, visual paired comparison, and its rodent analog, the spontaneous object recognition task. In the present study, we have capitalized on the discrete one-trial nature of the spontaneous object recognition task to investigate the role of PRh in several distinct stages of object recognition memory. In a series of experiments, transient inactivation of PRh was accomplished with bilateral infusions of lidocaine directly into PRh immediately before the sample phase (encoding), immediately before the choice phase (retrieval), or …

Discovering The Barriers To Health-Promoting Lifestyles Among Appalachian Veterans With Uncontrolled Hypertension, Tara L. Porter

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to discover the barriers to health promoting lifestyles among the Appalachian veteran population with uncontrolled hypertension.

Design: A quantitative research study was conducted over five months using a non-experimental, descriptive research design. Pender’s Health Promotion Model served as the study’s framework. Subjects were recruited from a primary care setting through advertisement within the hospital. A convenience sample of thirty-two subjects was obtained.

Method: The Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) II survey assessed for barriers to controlled hypertension in the following areas: health-promoting lifestyle, health responsibility, stress management, spiritual growth, interpersonal relationships, nutrition, and …

Measuring Shared Information And Coordinated Activity In Neuronal Networks, K L. Klinkner, C R. Shalizi, Marcelo Camperi

Physics and Astronomy

Most nervous systems encode information about stimuli in the respond- ing activity of large neuronal networks. This activity often manifests itself as dynamically coordinated sequences of action potentials. Since multiple electrode recordings are now a standard tool in neuroscience research, it is important to have a measure of such network-wide behav- ioral coordination and information sharing, applicable to multiple neural spike train data. We propose a new statistic, informational coherence , which measures how much better one unit can be predicted by knowing the dynamical state of another. We argue informational coherence is a measure of association and shared information …

Punishment And Rehabilitation Views Of Social Work Majors And Non-Social Work Students: An Exploratory Study, Eric G. Lambert, Sudershan Pasupuleti, Reva I. Allen

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Association Between Coinfection Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Actinobacillus Actinomycetemcomitans And Treponema Denticola And Periodontal Tissue Destruction In Chronic Periodontitis, L. L. Chen, Y. M. Wu, J. Yan, W. L. Sun, Y. Z. Sun, David M. Ojcius

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Antigenicity And Immunogenicity Of A Synthetic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Group M Consensus Envelope Glycoprotein, Feng Gao, Eric A. Weaver, Zhongjing Lu, Yingying Li, Hua-Xin Liao, Benjiang Ma, S. Munir Alam, Richard M. Scearce, Laura L. Sutherland, Jae-Sung Yu, Julie M. Decker, George M. Shaw, David C. Montefiori, Bette T. Korber, Beatrice H. Hahn, Barton F. Haynes

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Genetic variation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) represents a major obstacle for AIDS vaccine development. To decrease the genetic distances between candidate immunogens and field virus strains, we have designed and synthesized an artificial group M consensus env gene (CON6 gene) to be equidistant from contemporary HIV-1 subtypes and recombinants. This novel envelope gene expresses a glycoprotein that binds soluble CD4, utilizes CCR5 but not CXCR4 as a coreceptor, and mediates HIV-1 entry. Key linear, conformational, and glycan-dependent monoclonal antibody epitopes are preserved in CON6, and the glycoprotein is recognized equally well by sera from individuals infected with different HIV-1 …

Antigenicity And Immunogenicity Of A Synthetic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Group M Consensus Envelope Glycoprotein, Feng Gao, Eric A. Weaver, Zhongjing Lu, Yingying Li, Hua-Xin Liao, Benjiang Ma, S. Munir Alam, Richard M. Scearce, Laura L. Sutherland, Jae-Sung Yu, Julie M. Decker, George M. Shaw, David C. Montefiori, Bette T. Korber, Beatrice H. Hahn, Barton F. Haynes

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Genetic variation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) represents a major obstacle for AIDS vaccine development. To decrease the genetic distances between candidate immunogens and field virus strains, we have designed and synthesized an artificial group M consensus env gene (CON6 gene) to be equidistant from contemporary HIV-1 subtypes and recombinants. This novel envelope gene expresses a glycoprotein that binds soluble CD4, utilizes CCR5 but not CXCR4 as a coreceptor, and mediates HIV-1 entry. Key linear, conformational, and glycan-dependent monoclonal antibody epitopes are preserved in CON6, and the glycoprotein is recognized equally well by sera from individuals infected with different HIV-1 …

Faculty Publications 2004, Lsu Health Sciences Center New Orleans

Historical Faculty Publications

This Faculty bibliography contains 1027 publications.

Identification Of Fatty Acid Oxidation Disorder Patients With Lowered Acyl-Coa Thioesterase Activity In Human Skin Fibroblasts, Mary Hunt, Jos Ruiter, Petra Mooyer, Carlo W T Van Roermond, Rob Ofman, Lodewig Ijlst, Ronald J A Wanders

Articles

Background: Acyl-CoA thioesterases are enzymes that hydrolyze acyl-CoAs to the free fatty acid and coenzyme A (CoASH). These enzymes have been identified in several cellular compartments and are thought to regulate intracellular levels of acyl-CoAs, free fatty acids and CoASH. However, to date no patients deficient in acyl-CoA thioesterases have been identified. Design: Acyl-CoA thioesterase activity was measured in human skin fibroblasts. Western blot analysis was used to determine Type-II acyl-CoA thioesterase protein levels in patients. Results: Activity was found in human fibroblasts with all saturated acyl-CoAs from C4:0- to C18:0-CoA, with highest activity detected with lauroyl-CoA and myristoyl-CoA (C12:0 …

Post-Juvenile Brain Development Modulates Seizure Characteristics And Diazepam Efficacy In The Rat Pilocarpine-Se Model, William H. Holbert Ii

Theses and Dissertations

These studies were completed to examine how status epilpeticus seizure characteristics are modulated during post-juvenile brain development. This may determine if postnatal age in rats is a better identifier of stages of post-juvenile brain development. The first study fully detailed the acute discrete seizure phase of the rat pilocarpine-SE model. Results for this study showed that Racine behavioral severity score, spike frequency, and seizure severity during the acute discrete seizure phase change in relation to post-juvenile brain developmental stages. The second study fully detailed early and late patterns of status epilepticus. Results for this study displayed modulation of time in …