Digital Commons Network^™

Tree Responses To An Invasive Sap-Feeding Insect, Liahna Gonda-King, Sara Gomez, Jessica L. Martin, Colin M. Orians, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Although sap-feeding insects are known to negatively affect plant growth and physiology, less is known about sap-feeding insects on woody plants. Adelges tsugae (Annand Hemiptera: Adelgidae), the hemlock woolly adelgid, is an invasive sap-feeding insect in eastern North America that feeds on and kills Tsuga canadensis (L. Carrière), eastern hemlock. Newly hatched adelgid nymphs crawl to young unattacked tissue, settle and immediately enter diapause (aestivation) while attached to hemlock in summer. We assessed the effect of A. tsugae infestation on T. canadensis growth and physiology by analyzing hemlock growth on lateral and terminal branches, water potential, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and …

Using Non-Dietary Gastropods In Coastal Shell Middens To Infer Kelp And Seagrass Harvesting And Paleoenvironmental Conditions, Amira F. Ainis, René Vellanoweth, Queeny G. Lapeña, Carol S. Thornber

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Archaeologists analyzing shell middens typically focus on larger (>2 cm) mollusks to examine subsistence practices, impacts on littoral habitats, and paleoenvironmental conditions as well as a host of other natural and cultural phenomena. Small (<2 cm), non-dietary gastropods in archaeological shell middens also provide important clues regarding human resource procurement in littoral areas and coastal paleoenvironments. We present data from two sites on the California Channel Islands to demonstrate the range of information that can be gained by analyzing small gastropod shells. Identifications revealed the remains of over 4500 non-dietary small gastropods from 75 taxa. Human harvesting of marine macrophytes is suggested by the presence of 18 species that are predominantly associated with seaweeds and seagrasses. Quantification measures revealed high diversity and equitability indices, oscillating taxonomic richness, and decreasing densities through time at both sites. Likelihood ratio tests revealed differences in assemblage composition between Early Holocene and later components at one site, and demonstrated similarities in the relative composition of non-dietary shell assemblages between both sites during the Middle Holocene. Incorporating detailed studies of less conspicuous “incidental” shellfish remains in archaeological midden studies has the potential to contribute to our understanding of past human land use practices and littoral paleoecology. Our findings are applicable to archaeologists working in coastal settings around the world, as well as marine ecologists interested in intertidal paleo-habitats and kelp forest ecosystems.

Intraspecific Variation In Vertical Habitat Use By Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo Cuvier) In The Western North Atlantic, Jeremy J. Vaudo, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Guy Harvey, Richard S. Nemeth, Choy Aming, Neil Burnie, Lucy A. Howey-Jordan, Mahmood S. Shivji

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are a wide ranging, potentially keystone predator species that display a variety of horizontal movement patterns, making use of coastal and pelagic waters. Far less, however, is known about their vertical movements and use of the water column. We used pop‐up satellite archival tags with two data sampling rates (high rate and standard rate tags) to investigate the vertical habitat use and diving behavior of tiger sharks tagged on the Puerto Rico–Virgin Islands platform and off Bermuda between 2008 and 2009. Useable data were received from nine of 14 sharks tagged, tracked over a …

Self-Assembly Of Peptides To Nanostructures, Dindyal Mandal, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Keykavous Parang

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The formation of well-ordered nanostructures through self-assembly of diverse organic and inorganic building blocks has drawn much attention owing to their potential applications in biology and chemistry. Among all organic building blocks, peptides are one of the most promising platforms due to their biocompatibility, chemical diversity, and resemblance with proteins. Inspired from the protein assembly in biological systems, various self-assembled peptide structures have been constructed using several amino acids and sequences. This review focuses on this emerging area, the recent advances in peptide self-assembly, and formation of different nanostructures, such as tubular, fibers, vesicles, spherical, and red coil structures. While …

G Protein Beta 5 Is Targeted To D2-Dopamine Receptor-Containing Biochemical Compartments And Blocks Dopamine-Dependent Receptor Internalization, J. Christopher Octeau, Joseph M. Schrader, Ikuo Masuho, Meenakshi Sharma, Christopher Aiudi, Ching-Kang Chen, Abraham Kovoor, Jeremy Celver

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

G beta 5 (Gbeta5, Gβ5) is a unique G protein β subunit that is thought to be expressed as an obligate heterodimer with R7 regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins instead of with G gamma (Gγ) subunits. We found that D2-dopamine receptor (D2R) coexpression enhances the expression of Gβ5, but not that of the G beta 1 (Gβ1) subunit, in HEK293 cells, and that the enhancement of expression occurs through a stabilization of Gβ5 protein. We had previously demonstrated that the vast majority of D2R either expressed endogenously in the brain or exogenously in cell lines segregates into detergent-resistant …

Synthesis Of 4-Aryl-6-Indolylpyridine-3-Carbonitriles And Evaluation Of Their Antiproliferative Activity, Naglaa Salem El-Sayed, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Magda Goda El-Meligy, Ahmed Kamel El-Ziaty, David C. Rowley, Jiadong Sun, Zenat Adeeb Nagib, Keykavous Parang

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

A novel class of 6-indolypyridine-3-carbonitrile derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for antiproliferative activities to establish structure–activity relationship. The synthesis was carried out through one-pot multicomponent reaction of 3-acetylindole, aromatic aldehydes, ethyl cyanoacetate, and ammonium acetate in the presence of piperidine as a catalyst, using a microwave irradiation method or a traditional thermal method. This was followed by chlorination for compounds 13a–e and subsequent nucleophilic substitution of the chlorine group by ethylenediamine at C₂ position of the pyridine ring. The antiproliferative activity of these new nicotinonitriles was evaluated against human ovarian adenocarcinoma (SK-OV-3), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), and cervix …

Carbocyclodipeptides As Modified Nucleosides: Synthesis And Anti-Hiv Activities, Bhupender S. Chhikara, M. Sudershan Rao, V. Kameshwara Rao, Anil Kumar, Karen W. Buckheit, Robert W. Buckheit Jr., Keykavous Parang

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

A new class of nucleoside analogues were synthesized using cyclic dipeptides and modified 2′-deoxyfuranoribose sugars to introduce flexibility by peptides in place of common nucleoside bases and to determine their biological properties. The synthesis was carried out by coupling of a protected ribose sugar with synthesized dipeptides in the presence of hexamethyldisilazane and trimethylsilyltriflate. The final products were characterized by NMR and high-resolution MS-TOF spectroscopy. The compounds were evaluated for anti-HIV activities. 1-(4-Azido-5-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)-3,6-diisopropylpiperazine-2,5-dione (compound 14) containing 3- and 6-isopropyl groups in the base and 3′-azide (EC₅₀ = 1.96 μmol/L) was the most potent compound among all of the synthesized …

Detection Of Medium-Sized Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Via Fluorescence Energy Transfer, Nicole Serio, Lindsey Prignano, Sean Peters, Mindy Levine

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Reported herein is the use of proximity-induced non-covalent energy transfer for the detection of medium-sized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This energy transfer occurs within the cavity of γ-cyclodextrin in various aqueous environments, including human plasma and coconut water. Highly efficient energy transfer was observed, and the efficiency of the energy transfer is independent of the concentration of γ-cyclodextrin used, demonstrating the importance of hydrophobic binding in facilitating such energy transfer. Low limits of detection were also observed for many of the PAHs investigated, which is promising for the development of fluorescence-based detection schemes.

Serum Helicobacter Pylori Napa Antibody As A Potential Biomarker For Gastric Cancer, Jingjing Liu, Huimin Liu, Tingting Zhang, Xiyun Ren, Christina Nadolny, Xiaqun Dong, Lina Huang, Kexin Yuan, Wenjing Tian, Yunhe Jia

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is strongly associated with gastric cancer. However, only a minority of infected individuals ever develop gastric cancer. This risk stratification may be in part due to differences among strains. The relationship between neutrophil-activating protein (NapA) and gastric cancer is unclear. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the significance of NapA as a biomarker in gastric cancer. We used enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the status of H. pylori infection. Indirect ELISA method was used for detection of NapA antibody titer in the serum of H. pyloriinfected individuals. Unconditional …

University Manual 2013-2014, Uri Faculty Senate

University Manual Archive

No abstract provided.

Biomarkers Of Tgf-Β Signaling Pathway And Prognosis Of Pancreatic Cancer, Milind Javle, Yanan Li, Dongfeng Tan, Xiaoqun Dong, Ping Chang, Siddhartha Kar, Donghui Li

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling pathway, may act both as a tumor suppressor and as a tumor promoter in pancreatic cancer, depending on tumor stage and cellular context. TGF-β pathway has been under intensive investigation as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of cancer. We hypothesized a correlation between TGF-βR2/SMAD4 expression in the tumor, plasma TGF-β1 ligand level, genetic variation in TGF-B pathway and prognosis of pancreatic cancer.

Method: We examined TGF-βR2 and SMAD4 protein expression in biopsy or surgical samples from 91 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) using immunohistochemistry. Plasma level of TGF-β1 was …

Lactate Dehydrogenase Like Crystallin: A Potentially Protective Shield For Indian Spiny-Tailed Lizard (Uromastyx Hardwickii) Lens Against Environmental Stress?, Ambreen Atta, Amber Ilyas, Zehra Hashim, Aftab Ahmed, Shamshad Zarina

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Taxon specific lens crystallins in vertebrates are either similar or identical with various metabolic enzymes. These bifunctional crystallins serve as structural protein in lens along with their catalytic role. In the present study, we have partially purified and characterized lens crystallin from Indian spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx hardwickii). We have found lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in lens indicating presence of an enzyme crystallin with dual functions. Taxon specific lens crystallins are product of gene sharing or gene duplication phenomenon where a pre-existing enzyme is recruited as lens crystallin in addition to structural role. In lens, same gene adopts refractive role in …

Urinformed Summer 2014, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Urinformed Spring 2014, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Lrh1 As A Driving Factor In Pancreatic Cancer Growth, Qiushi Lin, Arihiro Aihara, Waihong Chung, Yu Li, Zheping Huang, Xuesong Chen, Shaofan Weng, Rolf I. Carlson, Jack R. Wands, Xiaoqun Dong

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Liver receptor homolog 1 (LRH1), directs the development and differentiation of embryonic pancreas, and is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer (PC). We hypothesized that LRH1 promotes PC growth. Cell proliferation and tumorigenicity in nude mice were compared between empty vector-transfected (control) and stable LRH1-overexpressed PC cell lines. The subsequent tumor burden, vasculature development, and histologic features were evaluated. LRH1 overexpression enhanced the expression of downstream target genes (cyclin D1/E1) and stimulated cell proliferation in PC cell lines. LRH1 upregulated cyclin E1 truncated T1/T2 isoforms expression which may occur through ERα–calpain1 signaling. Compared with the control, LRH1 overexpressing stable cells generated tumors …

Cranberry (Vaccinium Macrocarpon) Oligosaccharides Decrease Biofilm Formation By Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli, Jiadong Sun, Jannie P.J. Marais, Christina Khoo, Kerry L. Laplante, Rebecca M. Vejborg, Michael Givskov, Tim Tolker-Nielsen, Navindra P. Seeram, David C. Rowley

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The preventive effects of the American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) against urinary tract infections are supported by extensive studies which have primarily focused on its phenolic constituents. Herein, a phenolic-free carbohydrate fraction (designated cranf1b-F2) was purified from cranberry fruit using ion exchange and size exclusion chromatography. MALDI-TOF-MS analysis revealed that the cranf1b-F2 constituents are predominantly oligosaccharides possessing various degrees of polymerisation and further structural analysis (by GC–MS and NMR) revealed mainly xyloglucan and arabinan residues. In antimicrobial assays, cranf1b-F2 (at 1.25 mg/mL concentration) reduced biofilm production by the uropathogenic Escherichia coli CFT073 strain by over 50% but did not …

Differential Fmo3 Gene Expression In Various Liver Injury Models Involving Hepatic Oxidative Stress In Mice, Swetha Rudraiah, Jamie E. Moscovitz, Ajay C. Donepudi, Sarah N. Campion, Angela L. Slitt, Lauren M. Aleksunes, José E. Manautou

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Flavin-containing monooxygenase-3 (FMO3) catalyzes metabolic reactions similar to cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, however, most metabolites of FMO3 are considered non-toxic. Recent findings in our laboratory demonstrated Fmo3 gene induction following toxic acetaminophen (APAP) treatment in mice. The goal of this study was to evaluate Fmo3 gene expression in other diverse mouse models of hepatic oxidative stress and injury. Fmo3 gene regulation by Nrf2 was also investigated using Nrf2 knockout (Nrf2 KO) mice. In our studies, male C57BL/6J mice were treated with toxic doses of hepatotoxicants or underwent bile duct ligation (BDL, 10 days). Hepatotoxicants included APAP (400 mg/kg, 24–72 h), alpha-naphthyl …

Urinformed Winter 2014, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Urinformed Fall 2014, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Comparative Development And Evolution Of Two Lateral Line Phenotypes In Lake Malawi Cichlids, Jacqueline F. Webb, Nathan C. Bird, Lauren Carter, Juleen Dickson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A comparison of the pattern and timing of development of cranial lateral line canals and canal neuromasts in three species of Lake Malawi cichlids, Labeotropheus fuelleborni and Metriaclima zebra (narrow lateral line canals), and Aulonocara baenschi (widened lateral line canals) was used to test the hypothesis that the evolution of widened canals (thought to be an adaptive phenotype in the lateral line system) from narrow canals is the result of heterochrony. Using histological analysis and scanning electron microscopy, this study has provided the first detailed and quantitative description of the development of widened lateral line canals in a teleost, and …

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid In The Eastern United States: What Have We Learned?, Evan L. Preisser, Kelly L.F. Oten, Fred P. Hain

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Adelges tsugae (Hemlock Woolly Adelgid) is a small piercing-sucking insect that feeds on hemlock trees (Tsuga spp.). Native to Asia and the Pacific Northwest, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is invasive in the eastern United States where it attacks Tsuga canadensis (Eastern Hemlock) and T. caroliniana (Carolina Hemlock). It is currently found in 19 eastern states and has caused extensive mortality to hemlock forests. The ecological and economic impacts of this pest are significant, widespread, and often difficult to quantify. As the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid continues to disperse throughout the range of Eastern and Carolina Hemlocks, management techniques aimed at …

Predation-Associated Modulation Of Movement-Based Signals By A Bahamian Lizard, David S. Steinberg, Jonathan B. Losos, Thomas W. Schoener, David A. Spiller, Jason J. Kolbe, Manuel Leal

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Signaling individuals must effectively capture and hold the attention of intended conspecific receivers while limiting eavesdropping by potential predators. A possible mechanism for achieving this balance is for individuals to modulate the physical properties of their signals or to alter the proportion of time spent signaling, depending upon local levels of predation pressure. We test the hypothesis that prey can alter their visual signaling behavior to decrease conspicuousness and potentially limit predation risk via modulation of signal properties or display rate. To do so, we conducted a manipulative experiment in nature to evaluate the possible effect of predation pressure on …

Untangling Intra- And Interspecific Effects On Body Size Clines Reveals Divergent Processes Structuring Convergent Patterns In Anolis Lizards, Martha M. Muñoz, Johanna E. Wegener, Adam C. Algar

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Bergmann’s rule—the tendency for body size to increase in colder environments—remains controversial today, despite 150 years of research. Considerable debate has revolved around whether the rule applies within or among species. However, this debate has generally not considered that clade-level relationships are caused by both intra- and interspecific effects. In this article, we implement a novel approach that allows for the separation of intra- and interspecific components of trait-environment relationships. We apply this approach to body size clines in two Caribbean clades of Anolis lizards and discover that their similar body size gradients are constructed in very different ways. We …

Reflective Strength-Giving Dialogue Developed To Support Older Adults In Learning To Live With Long-Term Pain: A Method And A Study Design, Catharina Gillsjö, M. Berglund

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Long-term musculoskeletal pain is a major health problem that significantly impacts quality of life among older adults. Many lack professional guidance and must learn on their own to live with pain. This calls for a holistic method that addresses older adults’ needs in their situations. The developed method has its foundation in the didactic model: “The challenge – to take control of one’s life with long-term illness.

Aim: The aim was to describe the method, Reflective STRENGTH-Giving Dialogue, and present a study design where the method is learned and used by health careprovidersto support older adults in learning to …

Aboard Gso: A Newsletter For Alumni And Friends Of The University Of Rhode Island’S Graduate School Of Oceanography For Spring 2014, Uri Graduate School Of Oceanography

Graduate School of Oceanography Publications

The Spring 2014 (Volume 12, Issue 1) issue of Aboard GSO: A Newsletter for Alumni and Friends of the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, a periodical about GSO events, faculty research and essays by alumni.

Infantile Exposure To Lead And Late-Age Cognitive Decline: Relevance To Ad, Syed Waseem Bihaqi, Azadeh Bahmani, Gehad M. Subaiea, Nasser H. Zawia

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Early-life lead (Pb) exposure induces overexpression of the amyloid beta precursor protein and its amyloid beta product in older rats and primates. We exposed rodents to Pb during different life span periods and examined cognitive function in old age and its impact on biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: Morris, Y, and the elevated plus mazes were used. Western blot, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to study the levels of AD biomarkers.

Results: Cognitive impairment was observed in mice exposed as infants but not as adults. Overexpression of AD-related genes (amyloid beta …

Surfo Technical Report No. 14-01, Surfo

SURFO Technical Reports

The 2014 technical reports written by undergraduate students participating in the SURFO (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography) Program while at the University of Rhode Island.

Understanding The Pharmacological Properties Of A Metabolic Pet Tracer In Prostate Cancer, Nerissa Therese Viola-Villegas, Sean D. Carlin, Ellen Ackerstaff, Kuntal K. Sevak, Vadim Divilov, Inna Serganova, Natalia Kruchevsky, Michael Anderson, Ronald G. Blasberg, Oleg A. Andreev, Donald M. Engelman, Jason A. Koutcher, Yana K. Reshetnyak, Jason S. Lewis

Physics Faculty Publications

Generally, solid tumors (>400 mm³) are inherently acidic, with more aggressive growth producing greater acidity. If the acidity could be targeted as a biomarker, it would provide a means to gauge the pace of tumor growth and degree of invasiveness, as well as providing a basis for predicting responses to pH-dependent chemotherapies. We have developed a ⁶⁴Cu pH (low) insertion peptide (pHLIP) for targeting, imaging, and quantifying acidic tumors by PET, and our findings reveal utility in assessing prostate tumors. The new pHLIP version limits indiscriminate healthy tissue binding, and we demonstrate its targeting of extracellular …

Targeting Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Acidic Microenvironment, Zobeida Cruz-Monserrate, Christina L. Roland, Defeng Deng, Thiruvengadam Arumugam, Anna Moshnikova, Oleg A. Andreev, Yana K. Reshetnyak, Craig D. Logsdon

Physics Faculty Publications

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the USA, accounting for ~40,000 deaths annually. The dismal prognosis for PDAC is largely due to its late diagnosis. Currently, the most sensitive diagnosis of PDAC requires invasive procedures, such as endoscopic ultrasonography, which has inherent risks and accuracy that is highly operator dependent. Here we took advantage of a general characteristic of solid tumors, the acidic microenvironment that is generated as a by-product of metabolism, to develop a novel approach of using pH (Low) Insertion Peptides (pHLIPs) for imaging of PDAC. We show that fluorescently labeled …

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of 5′-O-Dicarboxylic Fatty Acyl Monoester Derivatives Of Anti-Hiv Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors, Bhanu Pemmaraju, Hitesh K. Agarwal, Donghoon Oh, Karen W. Buckheit, Robert W. Buckheit Jr., Rakesh Tiwari, Keykavous Parang

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

A number of 5′-O-dicarboxylic fatty acyl monoester derivatives of 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (zidovudine, AZT), 2′,3′-didehydro-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (stavudine, d4T), and 3′-fluoro-3′-deoxythymidine (alovudine, FLT) were synthesized to improve the lipophilicity and potentially the cellular delivery of parent polar 2′,3′-dideoxynucleoside (ddN) analogs. The compounds were evaluated for their anti-HIV activity. Three different fatty acids with varying chain length of suberic acid (octanedioic acid), sebacic acid (decanedioic acid), and dodecanedioic acid were used for the conjugation with the nucleosides. The compounds were evaluated for anti-HIV activity and cytotoxicity. All dicarboxylic ester conjugates of nucleosides exhibited significantly higher anti-HIV activity than that of the corresponding parent …