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Articles 1981 - 2010 of 5390

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Chronic Behavioral And Cognitive Deficits In A Rat Survival Model Of Paraoxon Toxicity, Laxmikant Sudhir Deshpande, Kristin Phillips, Beverly Huang, Robert J. Delorenzo Jan 2014

Chronic Behavioral And Cognitive Deficits In A Rat Survival Model Of Paraoxon Toxicity, Laxmikant Sudhir Deshpande, Kristin Phillips, Beverly Huang, Robert J. Delorenzo

Neurology Publications

Organophosphate (OP) compounds, including paraoxon (POX), are similar to nerve agents such as sarin. There is a growing concern that OP agents could be weaponized to cause mass civilian causalities. We have developed a rodent survival model of POX toxicity that is being used to evaluate chronic morbidity and to screen for medical countermeasures against severe OP exposure. It is well known that the survivors of nerve gas and chronic OP exposure exhibit neurobehavioral deficits such as mood changes, depression, and memory impairments. In this study we investigated whether animals surviving severe POX exposure exhibited long-term neurological impairments. POX exposure …


Morphine Enhances Hiv-1sf162-Mediated Neuron Death And Delays Recovery Of Injured Neurites, Ruturaj R. Masvekar, Nazira El-Hage, Kurt F. Hauser, Pamela E. Knapp Jan 2014

Morphine Enhances Hiv-1sf162-Mediated Neuron Death And Delays Recovery Of Injured Neurites, Ruturaj R. Masvekar, Nazira El-Hage, Kurt F. Hauser, Pamela E. Knapp

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

HIV-1 enters the CNS soon after initial systemic infection; within the CNS parenchyma infected and/or activated perivascular macrophages, microglia and astrocytes release viral and cellular toxins that drive secondary toxicity in neurons and other cell types. Our previous work has largely modeled HIV-neuropathology using the individual viral proteins Tat or gp120, with murine striatal neurons as targets. To model disease processes more closely, the current study uses supernatant from HIV-1-infected cells. Supernatant from HIV-1SF162-infected differentiated-U937 cells (HIV+sup) was collected and p24 level was measured by ELISA to assess the infection. Injection drug abuse is a significant risk factor for HIV-infection, …


Live Cell Interferometry Quantifies Dynamics Of Biomass Partitioning During Cytokinesis, Thomas A. Zangle, Michael A. Teitell, Jason Reed Jan 2014

Live Cell Interferometry Quantifies Dynamics Of Biomass Partitioning During Cytokinesis, Thomas A. Zangle, Michael A. Teitell, Jason Reed

Physics Publications

The equal partitioning of cell mass between daughters is the usual and expected outcome of cytokinesis for self-renewing cells. However, most studies of partitioning during cell division have focused on daughter cell shape symmetry or segregation of chromosomes. Here, we use live cell interferometry (LCI) to quantify the partitioning of daughter cell mass during and following cytokinesis. We use adherent and non-adherent mouse fibroblast and mouse and human lymphocyte cell lines as models and show that, on average, mass asymmetries present at the time of cleavage furrow formation persist through cytokinesis. The addition of multiple cytoskeleton-disrupting agents leads to increased …


Otitis Media In Sperm-Associated Antigen 6 (Spag6)-Deficient Mice, Xiaofei Li, Lei Xu, Jianfeng Li, Boqin Li, Xiaohui Bai, Jerome F. Strauss Iii, Zhibing Zhang, Haibo Wang Jan 2014

Otitis Media In Sperm-Associated Antigen 6 (Spag6)-Deficient Mice, Xiaofei Li, Lei Xu, Jianfeng Li, Boqin Li, Xiaohui Bai, Jerome F. Strauss Iii, Zhibing Zhang, Haibo Wang

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Publications

Mammalian SPAG6 protein is localized to the axoneme central apparatus, and it is required for normal flagella and cilia motility. Recent studies demonstrated that the protein also regulates ciliogenesis and cilia polarity in the epithelial cells of brain ventricles and trachea. Motile cilia are also present in the epithelial cells of the middle ear and Eustachian tubes, where the ciliary system participates in the movement of serous fluid and mucus in the middle ear. Cilia defects are associated with otitis media (OM), presumably due to an inability to efficiently transport fluid, mucus and particles including microorganisms. We investigated the potential …


Hydrogen Peroxide Filled Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Microcapsules: Potential Oxygen Delivery Materials, Rajendar R. Mallepally, Chance C. Parrish, Mark A. Mchugh, Kevin R. Ward Jan 2014

Hydrogen Peroxide Filled Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Microcapsules: Potential Oxygen Delivery Materials, Rajendar R. Mallepally, Chance C. Parrish, Mark A. Mchugh, Kevin R. Ward

Chemical and Life Science Engineering Publications

This paper describes the synthesis of H2O2–H2O filled poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microcapsules as potential candidates for controlled O2 delivery. The microcapsules are prepared by a water-in-oil solvent emulsion and evaporation method. The results of this study describe the effect of process parameters on the characteristics of the microcapsules and on their in vitro performance. The size of the microcapsules, as determined from scanning electron microscopy, ranges from ∼5 to 30 μm and the size distribution is narrow. The microcapsules exhibit an internal morphology with entrapped H2O2–H2O droplets …


Regional Medical Campuses: A New Classification System, Cheifetz E. Craig, Mcowen S. Katherine, Gagne Pierre, Wong L. Jennifer Jan 2014

Regional Medical Campuses: A New Classification System, Cheifetz E. Craig, Mcowen S. Katherine, Gagne Pierre, Wong L. Jennifer

Inova Campus Publications

There is burgeoning belief that regional medical campuses (RMCs) are a significant part of the narrative about medical education and the health care workforce in the United States and Canada. Although RMCs are not new, in the recent years of medical education enrollment expansion, they have seen their numbers increase. Class expansion explains the rapid growth of RMCs in the past 10 years, but it does not adequately describe their function. Often, RMCs have missions that differ from their main campus, especially in the areas of rural and community medicine. The absence of an easy-to-use classification system has led to …


Sperm-Associated Antigen 6 (Spag6) Deficiency And Defects In Ciliogenesis And Cilia Function: Polarity, Density, And Beat, Maria E. Teves, Patrick R. Sears, Wei Li, Zhengang Zhang, Waixing Tang, Lauren Van Reesema, Richard M. Costanzo, C. William Davis, Michael R. Knowles, Jerome F. Strauss Iii, Zhibing Zhang Jan 2014

Sperm-Associated Antigen 6 (Spag6) Deficiency And Defects In Ciliogenesis And Cilia Function: Polarity, Density, And Beat, Maria E. Teves, Patrick R. Sears, Wei Li, Zhengang Zhang, Waixing Tang, Lauren Van Reesema, Richard M. Costanzo, C. William Davis, Michael R. Knowles, Jerome F. Strauss Iii, Zhibing Zhang

Obstetrics and Gynecology Publications

SPAG6, an axoneme central apparatus protein, is essential for function of ependymal cell cilia and sperm flagella. A significant number of Spag6-deficient mice die with hydrocephalus, and surviving males are sterile because of sperm motility defects. In further exploring the ciliary dysfunction in Spag6-null mice, we discovered that cilia beat frequency was significantly reduced in tracheal epithelial cells, and that the beat was not synchronized. There was also a significant reduction in cilia density in both brain ependymal and trachea epithelial cells, and cilia arrays were disorganized. The orientation of basal feet, which determines the direction of axoneme …


Phase I Safety Trial Of Intravenous Ascorbic Acid In Patients With Severe Sepsis, Alpha A. Fowler, Aamer A. Syed, Shelley Knowlson, Robin Sculthorpe, Don Farthing, Christine Dewilde, Christine A. Farthing, Terri L. Larus, Erika Martin, Donald F. Brophy, Seema Gupta, Bernard J. Fisher, Ramesh Natarajan Jan 2014

Phase I Safety Trial Of Intravenous Ascorbic Acid In Patients With Severe Sepsis, Alpha A. Fowler, Aamer A. Syed, Shelley Knowlson, Robin Sculthorpe, Don Farthing, Christine Dewilde, Christine A. Farthing, Terri L. Larus, Erika Martin, Donald F. Brophy, Seema Gupta, Bernard J. Fisher, Ramesh Natarajan

Internal Medicine Publications

Background Parenterally administered ascorbic acid modulates sepsis-induced inflammation and coagulation in experimental animal models. The objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase I trial was to determine the safety of intravenously infused ascorbic acid in patients with severe sepsis.

Methods Twenty-four patients with severe sepsis in the medical intensive care unit were randomized 1:1:1 to receive intravenous infusions every six hours for four days of ascorbic acid: Lo-AscA (50 mg/kg/24 h, n = 8), or Hi-AscA (200 mg/kg/24 h, n = 8), or Placebo (5% dextrose/water, n = 8). The primary end points were ascorbic acid safety and tolerability, assessed …


Cxcr4 Inhibition Ameliorates Severe Obliterative Pulmonary Hypertension And Accumulation Of C-Kit+ Cells In Rats, Daniela Farkas, Donatas Kraskauskas, Jennifer Drake, Aysar A. Alhussini, Vita Kraskauskiene, Harm J. Bogaard, Carlyne D. Cool, Norbert F. Voelkel, Laszlo Farkas Jan 2014

Cxcr4 Inhibition Ameliorates Severe Obliterative Pulmonary Hypertension And Accumulation Of C-Kit+ Cells In Rats, Daniela Farkas, Donatas Kraskauskas, Jennifer Drake, Aysar A. Alhussini, Vita Kraskauskiene, Harm J. Bogaard, Carlyne D. Cool, Norbert F. Voelkel, Laszlo Farkas

Internal Medicine Publications

Successful curative treatment of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension with luminal obliteration will require a thorough understanding of the mechanism underlying the development and progression of pulmonary vascular lesions. But the cells that obliterate the pulmonary arterial lumen in severe pulmonary arterial hypertension are incompletely characterized. The goal of our study was to evaluate whether inhibition of CXC chemokine receptor 4 will prevent the accumulation of c-kit+ cells and severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. We detected c-kit+­ cells expressing endothelial (von Willebrand Factor) or smooth muscle cell/myofibroblast (α-smooth muscle actin) markers in pulmonary arterial lesions of SU5416/chronic hypoxia rats. We found increased …


Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) Activation Mediates Sildenafil Induced Delayed Cardioprotection Against Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury In Mice, Mona Shalwala, Shu-Guang Zhu, Anindita Das, Fadi N. Salloum, Lei Xi, Rakesh C. Kukreja Jan 2014

Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) Activation Mediates Sildenafil Induced Delayed Cardioprotection Against Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury In Mice, Mona Shalwala, Shu-Guang Zhu, Anindita Das, Fadi N. Salloum, Lei Xi, Rakesh C. Kukreja

Internal Medicine Publications

Background

It has been well documented that phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, sildenafil (SIL) protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I-R) injury. SIRT1 is part of the class III Sirtuin family of histone deacetylases that deacetylates proteins involved in cellular stress response including those related to I-R injury.

Objective/Hypothesis

We tested the hypothesis that SIL-induced cardioprotection may be mediated through activation of SIRT1.

Methods

Adult male ICR mice were treated with SIL (0.7 mg/kg, i.p.), Resveratrol (RSV, 5 mg/kg, a putative activator of SIRT1 used as the positive control), or saline (0.2 mL). The hearts were harvested 24 hours later and homogenized for SIRT1 …


Oral Supplementation With Non-Absorbable Antibiotics Or Curcumin Attenuates Western Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis And Glucose Intolerance In Ldlr−/− Mice – Role Of Intestinal Permeability And Macrophage Activation, Siddhartha S. Ghosh, Jinghua Bie, Jing Wang, Shobha Ghosh Jan 2014

Oral Supplementation With Non-Absorbable Antibiotics Or Curcumin Attenuates Western Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis And Glucose Intolerance In Ldlr−/− Mice – Role Of Intestinal Permeability And Macrophage Activation, Siddhartha S. Ghosh, Jinghua Bie, Jing Wang, Shobha Ghosh

Internal Medicine Publications

Association between circulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and metabolic diseases (such as Type 2 Diabetes and atherosclerosis) has shifted the focus from Western diet-induced changes in gut microbiota per se to release of gut bacteria-derived products into circulation as the possible mechanism for the chronic inflammatory state underlying the development of these diseases. Under physiological conditions, an intact intestinal barrier prevents this release of LPS underscoring the importance of examining and modulating the direct effects of Western diet on intestinal barrier function. In the present study we evaluated two strategies, namely selective gut decontamination and supplementation with oral curcumin, to modulate Western-diet …


Inhibition Of The Mdm2 E3 Ligase Induces Apoptosis And Autophagy In Wild-Type And Mutant P53 Models Of Multiple Myeloma, And Acts Synergistically With Abt-737, Dongmin Gu, Shuhong Wang, Isere Kuiatse, Hua Wang, Jin He, Yun Dai, Richard J. Jones, Chad C. Bjorklund, Jing Yang, Steven Grant, Robert Z. Orlowski Jan 2014

Inhibition Of The Mdm2 E3 Ligase Induces Apoptosis And Autophagy In Wild-Type And Mutant P53 Models Of Multiple Myeloma, And Acts Synergistically With Abt-737, Dongmin Gu, Shuhong Wang, Isere Kuiatse, Hua Wang, Jin He, Yun Dai, Richard J. Jones, Chad C. Bjorklund, Jing Yang, Steven Grant, Robert Z. Orlowski

Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Publications

Intracellular proteolytic pathways have been validated as rational targets in multiple myeloma with the approval of two proteasome inhibitors in this disease, and with the finding that immunomodulatory agents work through an E3 ubiquitin ligase containing Cereblon. Another E3 ligase that could be a rational target is the murine double minute (MDM) 2 protein, which plays a role in p53 turnover. A novel inhibitor of this complex, MI-63, was found to induce apoptosis in p53 wild-type myeloma models in association with activation of a p53-mediated cell death program. MI-63 overcame adhesion-mediated drug resistance, showed anti-tumor activity in vivo, enhanced …


Live Cell Interferometry Quantifies Dynamics Of Biomass Partitioning During Cytokinesis, Thomas A. Zangle, Michael A. Teitell, Jason Reed Jan 2014

Live Cell Interferometry Quantifies Dynamics Of Biomass Partitioning During Cytokinesis, Thomas A. Zangle, Michael A. Teitell, Jason Reed

Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Publications

The equal partitioning of cell mass between daughters is the usual and expected outcome of cytokinesis for self-renewing cells. However, most studies of partitioning during cell division have focused on daughter cell shape symmetry or segregation of chromosomes. Here, we use live cell interferometry (LCI) to quantify the partitioning of daughter cell mass during and following cytokinesis. We use adherent and non-adherent mouse fibroblast and mouse and human lymphocyte cell lines as models and show that, on average, mass asymmetries present at the time of cleavage furrow formation persist through cytokinesis. The addition of multiple cytoskeleton-disrupting agents leads to increased …


Identification Of Novel Regulatory Cholesterol Metabolite, 5-Cholesten, 3Β,25-Diol, Disulfate, Shunlin Ren, Jin Koung Kim, Genta Kakiyama, Daniel Rodriguez-Agudo, William M. Pandak, Hae-Ki Min, Yanxia Ning Jan 2014

Identification Of Novel Regulatory Cholesterol Metabolite, 5-Cholesten, 3Β,25-Diol, Disulfate, Shunlin Ren, Jin Koung Kim, Genta Kakiyama, Daniel Rodriguez-Agudo, William M. Pandak, Hae-Ki Min, Yanxia Ning

VCU Health Publications

Oxysterol sulfation plays an important role in regulation of lipid metabolism and inflammatory responses. In the present study, we report the discovery of a novel regulatory sulfated oxysterol in nuclei of primary rat hepatocytes after overexpression of the gene encoding mitochondrial cholesterol delivery protein (StarD1). Forty-eight hours after infection of the hepatocytes with recombinant StarD1 adenovirus, a water-soluble oxysterol product was isolated and purified by chemical extraction and reverse-phase HPLC. Tandem mass spectrometry analysis identified the oxysterol as 5-cholesten-3β, 25-diol, disulfate (25HCDS), and confirmed the structure by comparing with a chemically synthesized compound. Administration of 25HCDS to human THP-1-derived macrophages …


Targeting Tobacco In A Community-Based Addiction Recovery Cohort: Results From A Computerized, Brief, Randomized Intervention Trial, Alison Breland, Lauren Almond, Jennifer Kienzle, Steven J. Ondersma, Alton Hart, Michael Weaver, Pamela Dillon, Dace Svikis Jan 2014

Targeting Tobacco In A Community-Based Addiction Recovery Cohort: Results From A Computerized, Brief, Randomized Intervention Trial, Alison Breland, Lauren Almond, Jennifer Kienzle, Steven J. Ondersma, Alton Hart, Michael Weaver, Pamela Dillon, Dace Svikis

Psychology Publications

Introduction. Nearly 80% of substance dependent individuals also use tobacco, and smoking cessation efforts during treatment for other substance use is associated with similar or even improved outcomes. However, smoking cessation is not routinely addressed during treatment for substance use disorders. The present study tested a computerized brief motivational intervention (C-BMI) for smoking cessation in an understudied population: a cohort recruited from a recovery community organization (RCO) center.

Methods. Following baseline assessment, participants were randomly assigned to either a 30-minute C-BMI plus access to free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), or an information-only control group plus NRT access. Results. Reductions in …


A Metagenomic Assessment Of The Bacteria Associated With Lucilia Sericata And Lucilia Cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Baneshwar Singh, Tawni L. Crippen, Longyu Zheng, Andrew T. Fields, Ziniu Yu, Qun Ma, Thomas K. Wood, Scot E. Dowd, Micah Flores, Jeffery K. Tomberlin, Aaron M. Tarone Jan 2014

A Metagenomic Assessment Of The Bacteria Associated With Lucilia Sericata And Lucilia Cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Baneshwar Singh, Tawni L. Crippen, Longyu Zheng, Andrew T. Fields, Ziniu Yu, Qun Ma, Thomas K. Wood, Scot E. Dowd, Micah Flores, Jeffery K. Tomberlin, Aaron M. Tarone

Forensic Science Publications

Lucilia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is a blow fly genus of forensic, medical, veterinary, and agricultural importance. This genus is also famous because of its beneficial uses in maggot debridement therapy (MDT). Although the genus is of considerable economic importance, our knowledge about microbes associated with these flies and how these bacteria are horizontally and trans-generationally transmitted is limited. In this study, we characterized bacteria associated with different life stages of Lucilia sericata (Meigen) and Lucilia cuprina(Wiedemann) and in the salivary gland of L. sericata by using 16S rDNA 454 pyrosequencing. Bacteria associated with the salivary gland of …


Neuropathological Responses To Chronic Nmda In Rats Are Worsened By Dietary N-3 Pufa Deprivation But Are Not Ameliorated By Fish Oil Supplementation, Vasken L. Keleshian, Matthew Kellom, Hyung-Wook Kim, Ameer Y. Taha, Yewon Cheon, Miki Igarashi, Stanley I. Rapoport, Jagadeesh S. Rao Jan 2014

Neuropathological Responses To Chronic Nmda In Rats Are Worsened By Dietary N-3 Pufa Deprivation But Are Not Ameliorated By Fish Oil Supplementation, Vasken L. Keleshian, Matthew Kellom, Hyung-Wook Kim, Ameer Y. Taha, Yewon Cheon, Miki Igarashi, Stanley I. Rapoport, Jagadeesh S. Rao

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Background

Dietary long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation may be beneficial for chronic brain illnesses, but the issue is not agreed on. We examined effects of dietary n-3 PUFA deprivation or supplementation, compared with an n-3 PUFA adequate diet (containing alpha-linolenic acid [18:3 n-3] but not docosahexaenoic acid [DHA, 22:6n-3]), on brain markers of lipid metabolism and excitotoxicity, in rats treated chronically with NMDA or saline.

Methods

Male rats after weaning were maintained on one of three diets for 15 weeks. After 12 weeks, each diet group was injected i.p. daily with saline (1 ml/kg) or a subconvulsive dose …


Dietary Regimens Modify Early Onset Of Obesity In Mice Haploinsufficient For Rai1, Joseph T. Alaimo, Natalie H. Hahn, Sureni V. Mullegama, Sarah H. Elsea Jan 2014

Dietary Regimens Modify Early Onset Of Obesity In Mice Haploinsufficient For Rai1, Joseph T. Alaimo, Natalie H. Hahn, Sureni V. Mullegama, Sarah H. Elsea

Human and Molecular Genetics Publications

Smith-Magenis syndrome is a complex genomic disorder in which a majority of individuals are obese by adolescence. While an interstitial deletion of chromosome 17p11.2 is the leading cause, mutation or deletion of the RAI1 gene alone results in most features of the disorder. Previous studies have shown that heterozygous knockout of Rai1 results in an obese phenotype in mice and that Smith-Magenis syndrome mouse models have a significantly reduced fecundity and an altered transmission pattern of the mutant Rai1 allele, complicating large, extended studies in these models. In this study, we show that breeding C57Bl/6J Rai1+/−mice with FVB/NJ to …


Impaired Bone Formation In Pdia3 Deficient Mice, Yun Wang, Alexandr Nizkorodov, Kelsie Riemenschneider, Christopher S. D. Lee, Rene Olivares-Navarrete, Zvi Schwartz, Barbara D. Boyan Jan 2014

Impaired Bone Formation In Pdia3 Deficient Mice, Yun Wang, Alexandr Nizkorodov, Kelsie Riemenschneider, Christopher S. D. Lee, Rene Olivares-Navarrete, Zvi Schwartz, Barbara D. Boyan

Biomedical Engineering Publications

1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1α,25(OH)2D3] is crucial for normal skeletal development and bone homeostasis. Protein disulfide isomerase family A, member 3 (PDIA3) mediates 1α,25(OH)2D3initiated-rapid membrane signaling in several cell types. To understand its role in regulating skeletal development, we generated Pdia3-deficient mice and examined the physiologic consequence of Pdia3-disruption in embryos and Pdia3+/− heterozygotes at different ages. No mice homozygous for the Pdia3-deletion were found at birth nor were there embryos after E12.5, indicating that targeted disruption of the Pdia3 gene resulted in early embryonic lethality.Pdia3-deficiency also resulted in skeletal manifestations as revealed by µCT analysis …


Rock Inhibitor Is Not Required For Embryoid Body Formation From Singularized Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Giuseppe Pettinato, Wendy S. Vanden Berg-Foels, Ning Zhang, Xuejun Wen Jan 2014

Rock Inhibitor Is Not Required For Embryoid Body Formation From Singularized Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Giuseppe Pettinato, Wendy S. Vanden Berg-Foels, Ning Zhang, Xuejun Wen

Biomedical Engineering Publications

We report a technology to form human embryoid bodies (hEBs) from singularized human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) without the use of the p160 rho-associated coiled-coil kinase inhibitor (ROCKi) or centrifugation (spin). hEB formation was tested under four conditions: +ROCKi/+spin, +ROCKi/-spin, -ROCKi/+spin, and -ROCKi/-spin. Cell suspensions of BG01V/hOG and H9 hESC lines were pipetted into non-adherent hydrogel substrates containing defined microwell arrays. hEBs of consistent size and spherical geometry can be formed in each of the four conditions, including the -ROCKi/-spin condition. The hEBs formed under the -ROCKi/-spin condition differentiated to develop the three embryonic germ layers and tissues derived from …


Sjl Mice Infected With Acanthamoeba Castellanii Develop Central Nervous System Autoimmunity Through The Generation Of Cross-Reactive T Cells For Myelin Antigens, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, Francine Marciano-Cabral, Bruno Da Rocha-Azevedo, Melissa Jamerson, Arunakumar Gangaplara, David Steffen, Rana Zabad, Zsolt Illes, Raymond A. Sobel, Jay Reddy Jan 2014

Sjl Mice Infected With Acanthamoeba Castellanii Develop Central Nervous System Autoimmunity Through The Generation Of Cross-Reactive T Cells For Myelin Antigens, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, Francine Marciano-Cabral, Bruno Da Rocha-Azevedo, Melissa Jamerson, Arunakumar Gangaplara, David Steffen, Rana Zabad, Zsolt Illes, Raymond A. Sobel, Jay Reddy

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

We recently reported that Acanthamoeba castellanii (ACA), an opportunistic pathogen of the central nervous system (CNS) possesses mimicry epitopes for proteolipid protein (PLP) 139–151 and myelin basic protein 89–101, and that the epitopes induce experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in SJL mice reminiscent of the diseases induced with their corresponding cognate peptides. We now demonstrate that mice infected with ACA also show the generation of cross-reactive T cells, predominantly for PLP 139–151, as evaluated by T cell proliferation and IAs/dextramer staining. We verified that PLP 139–151-sensitized lymphocytes generated in infected mice contained a high proportion of T helper 1 cytokine-producing cells, …


Reduction Of The Hiv Protease Inhibitor-Induced Er Stress And Inflammatory Response By Raltegravir In Macrophages, Xiaoxuan Zhang, Risheng Cao, Ruping Liu, Renping Zhao, Yi Huang, Emily C. Gurley, Phillip B. Hylemon, William M. Pandak, Guangji Wang, Luyong Zhang, Xiaokun Li, Huiping Zhou Jan 2014

Reduction Of The Hiv Protease Inhibitor-Induced Er Stress And Inflammatory Response By Raltegravir In Macrophages, Xiaoxuan Zhang, Risheng Cao, Ruping Liu, Renping Zhao, Yi Huang, Emily C. Gurley, Phillip B. Hylemon, William M. Pandak, Guangji Wang, Luyong Zhang, Xiaokun Li, Huiping Zhou

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Background

HIV protease inhibitor (PI), the core component of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) for HIV infection, has been implicated in HAART-associated cardiovascular complications. Our previous studies have demonstrated that activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is linked to HIV PI-induced inflammation and foam cell formation in macrophages. Raltegravir is a first-in-its-class HIV integrase inhibitor, the newest class of anti-HIV agents. We have recently reported that raltegravir has less hepatic toxicity and could prevent HIV PI-induced dysregulation of hepatic lipid metabolism by inhibiting ER stress. However, little information is available as to whether raltegravir would also prevent HIV PI-induced inflammatory …


Antigen Transfer From Exosomes To Dendritic Cells As An Explanation For The Immune Enhancement Seen By Ige Immune Complexes, Rebecca K. Martin, Keith B. Brooks, Frida Henningsson, Birgitta Heyman, Daniel H. Conrad Jan 2014

Antigen Transfer From Exosomes To Dendritic Cells As An Explanation For The Immune Enhancement Seen By Ige Immune Complexes, Rebecca K. Martin, Keith B. Brooks, Frida Henningsson, Birgitta Heyman, Daniel H. Conrad

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

IgE antigen complexes induce increased specific T cell proliferation and increased specific IgG production. Immediately after immunization, CD23+ B cells capture IgE antigen complexes, transport them to the spleen where, via unknown mechanisms, dendritic cells capture the antigen and present it to T cells. CD23, the low affinity IgE receptor, binds IgE antigen complexes and internalizes them. In this study, we show that these complexes are processed onto B-cell derived exosomes (bexosomes) in a CD23 dependent manner. The bexosomes carry CD23, IgE and MHC II and stimulate antigen specific T-cell proliferation in vitro. When IgE antigen complex stimulated bexosomes …


Antigen Transfer From Exosomes To Dendritic Cells As An Explanation For The Immune Enhancement Seen By Ige Immune Complexes, Rebecca K. Martin, Keith B. Brooks, Frida Henningsson, Birgitta Heyman, Daniel H. Conrad Jan 2014

Antigen Transfer From Exosomes To Dendritic Cells As An Explanation For The Immune Enhancement Seen By Ige Immune Complexes, Rebecca K. Martin, Keith B. Brooks, Frida Henningsson, Birgitta Heyman, Daniel H. Conrad

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

IgE antigen complexes induce increased specific T cell proliferation and increased specific IgG production. Immediately after immunization, CD23+ B cells capture IgE antigen complexes, transport them to the spleen where, via unknown mechanisms, dendritic cells capture the antigen and present it to T cells. CD23, the low affinity IgE receptor, binds IgE antigen complexes and internalizes them. In this study, we show that these complexes are processed onto B-cell derived exosomes (bexosomes) in a CD23 dependent manner. The bexosomes carry CD23, IgE and MHC II and stimulate antigen specific T-cell proliferation in vitro. When IgE antigen complex stimulated bexosomes …


Agrobest: An Efficient Agrobacterium-Mediated Transient Expression Method For Versatile Gene Function Analyses In Arabidopsis Seedlings, Hang-Yi Wu, Kun-Hsiang Liu, Yi-Chieh Wang, Jing-Fen Wu, Wan-Ling Chiu, Chao-Ying Chen, Shu-Hsing Wu, Jen Sheen, Erh-Min Lai Jan 2014

Agrobest: An Efficient Agrobacterium-Mediated Transient Expression Method For Versatile Gene Function Analyses In Arabidopsis Seedlings, Hang-Yi Wu, Kun-Hsiang Liu, Yi-Chieh Wang, Jing-Fen Wu, Wan-Ling Chiu, Chao-Ying Chen, Shu-Hsing Wu, Jen Sheen, Erh-Min Lai

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

Background

Transient gene expression via Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer offers a simple and fast method to analyze transgene functions. Although Arabidopsis is the most-studied model plant with powerful genetic and genomic resources, achieving highly efficient and consistent transient expression for gene function analysis in Arabidopsis remains challenging.

Results

We developed a highly efficient and robust Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression system, named AGROBEST (Agrobacterium-mediated enhanced seedling transformation), which achieves versatile analysis of diverse gene functions in intact Arabidopsis seedlings. Using β-glucuronidase (GUS) as a reporter for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation assay, we show that the use of a specific disarmed …


Big Data Visualities, Ron Wigglesworth Jan 2014

Big Data Visualities, Ron Wigglesworth

High School Resources

Make sense of abstract Big Data numbers by creating concrete, static or kinetic images/visualities which communicate or translate the meaning of the numbers to a human scale of understanding. The subject of the visualities should be created in each student’s artist voice, with the freedom and empowerment to express their own social, economic, political and ecological concerns so his/her work has personal meaning and strength of concern. Employ art hand skills in 21st century postmodern art by using Big Data to illustrate interdisciplinary social justice concerns in visualities, created to move a viewer to action.


Mitochondrial Dna Copy Numbers In Pyramidal Neurons Are Decreased And Mitochondrial Biogenesis Transcriptome Signaling Is Disrupted In Alzheimer’S Disease Hippocampi, Ann C. Rice, Paula M. Keeney, Norah K. Algarzae, Amy C. Ladd, Ravindar R. Thomas, James P. Bennett Jan 2014

Mitochondrial Dna Copy Numbers In Pyramidal Neurons Are Decreased And Mitochondrial Biogenesis Transcriptome Signaling Is Disrupted In Alzheimer’S Disease Hippocampi, Ann C. Rice, Paula M. Keeney, Norah K. Algarzae, Amy C. Ladd, Ravindar R. Thomas, James P. Bennett

Neurology Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the major cause of adult-onset dementia and is characterized in its pre-diagnostic stage by reduced cerebral cortical glucose metabolism and in later stages by reduced cortical oxygen uptake, implying reduced mitochondrial respiration. Using quantitative PCR we determined the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene copy numbers from multiple groups of 15 or 20 pyramidal neurons, GFAP(+) astrocytes and dentate granule neurons isolated using laser capture microdissection, and the relative expression of mitochondrial biogenesis (mitobiogenesis) genes in hippocampi from 10 AD and 9 control (CTL) cases. AD pyramidal but not dentate granule neurons had significantly reduced mtDNA copy numbers …


New Roles And New Horizons For Health Sciences Librarians And Libraries, Margaret Henderson Jan 2014

New Roles And New Horizons For Health Sciences Librarians And Libraries, Margaret Henderson

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.


Astroecology, Cosmo-Ecology, And The Future Of Life, Michael Noah Mautner Jan 2014

Astroecology, Cosmo-Ecology, And The Future Of Life, Michael Noah Mautner

Chemistry Publications

Astroecology concerns the relations between life and space resources, and cosmo-ecology extrapolates these relations to cosmological scales. Experimental astroecology can quantify the amounts of life that can be derived from space resources. For this purpose, soluble carbon and electrolyte nutrients were measured in asteroid/meteorite materials. Microorganisms and plant cultures were observed to grow on these materials, whose fertilities are similar to productive agricultural soils. Based on measured nutrient contents, the 1022 kg carbonaceous asteroids can yield 1018 kg biomass with N and P as limiting nutrients (compared with the estimated 1015 kg biomass on Earth). These data …


Smoking And Major Depressive Disorder In Chinese Women, Qiang He, Lei Yang, Shenxun Shi, Jingfang Gao, Ming Tao, Kerang Zhang, Chengge Gao, Lijun Yang, Kan Li, Jianguo Shi, Gang Wang, Lanfen Liu, Jinbei Zhang, Bo Du, Guoqing Jiang, Jianhua Shen, Zhen Zhang, Wei Liang, Jing Sun, Jian Hu, Tiebang Liu, Xueyi Wang, Guodong Miao, Huaqing Meng, Yi Li, Chunmei Hu, Yi Li, Guoping Huang, Gongying Li, Baowei Ha, Hong Deng, Qiyi Mei, Hui Zhong, Shugui Gao, Hong Sang, Yutang Zhang, Xiang Fang, Fengyu Yu, Donglin Yang, Tieqiao Liu, Yunchun Chen, Xiaohong Hong, Wenyuan Wu, Guibing Chen, Min Cai, Yan Song, Jiyang Pan, Jicheng Dong, Runde Pan, Wei Zhang, Zhenming Shen, Zhengrong Liu, Danhua Gu, Xiaoping Wang, Ying Liu, Xiaojuan Liu, Qiwen Zhang, Yihan Li, Yiping Chen, Kenneth S. Kendler, Xumei Wang, Youhui Li, Jonathan Flint Jan 2014

Smoking And Major Depressive Disorder In Chinese Women, Qiang He, Lei Yang, Shenxun Shi, Jingfang Gao, Ming Tao, Kerang Zhang, Chengge Gao, Lijun Yang, Kan Li, Jianguo Shi, Gang Wang, Lanfen Liu, Jinbei Zhang, Bo Du, Guoqing Jiang, Jianhua Shen, Zhen Zhang, Wei Liang, Jing Sun, Jian Hu, Tiebang Liu, Xueyi Wang, Guodong Miao, Huaqing Meng, Yi Li, Chunmei Hu, Yi Li, Guoping Huang, Gongying Li, Baowei Ha, Hong Deng, Qiyi Mei, Hui Zhong, Shugui Gao, Hong Sang, Yutang Zhang, Xiang Fang, Fengyu Yu, Donglin Yang, Tieqiao Liu, Yunchun Chen, Xiaohong Hong, Wenyuan Wu, Guibing Chen, Min Cai, Yan Song, Jiyang Pan, Jicheng Dong, Runde Pan, Wei Zhang, Zhenming Shen, Zhengrong Liu, Danhua Gu, Xiaoping Wang, Ying Liu, Xiaojuan Liu, Qiwen Zhang, Yihan Li, Yiping Chen, Kenneth S. Kendler, Xumei Wang, Youhui Li, Jonathan Flint

Psychiatry Publications

Objective

To investigate the risk factors that contribute to smoking in female patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and the clinical features in depressed smokers.

Methods

We examined the smoking status and clinical features in 6120 Han Chinese women with MDD (DSM-IV) between 30 and 60 years of age across China. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between clinical features of MDD and smoking status and between risk factors for MDD and smoking status.

Results

Among the recurrent MDD patients there were 216(3.6%) current smokers, 117 (2.0%) former smokers and 333(5.6%) lifetime smokers. Lifetime smokers had a slightly …