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Associations Of Educational Attainment, Occupation, Social Class And Major Depressive Disorder Among Han Chinese Women, Jianguo Shi, Yan Zhang, Feihu Liu, Yajuan Li, Junhui Wang, Jonathan Flint, Jingfang Gao, Youhui Li, Ming Tao, Kerang Zhang, Xumei Wang, Chengge Gao, Lijun Yang, Kan Li, Shenxun 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, Xiaojuan Liu, Qiwen Zhang, Yihan Li, Yiping Chen, Kenneth S. Kendler

Psychiatry Publications

Background

The prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) is higher in those with low levels of educational attainment, the unemployed and those with low social status. However the extent to which these factors cause MDD is unclear. Most of the available data comes from studies in developed countries, and these findings may not extrapolate to developing countries. Examining the relationship between MDD and socio economic status in China is likely to add to the debate because of the radical economic and social changes occurring in China over the last 30 years.

Principal findings

We report results from 3,639 Chinese women …

Virginia Commonwealth University Graduate And Professional Programs Bulletin Courses [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Listing of professional and graduate courses for 2014-2015.

Comprehensive Analysis Of Human Cytomegalovirus Microrna Expression During Lytic And Quiescent Infection, Zhang-Zhou Shen, Xing Pan, Ling-Feng Miao, Han-Qing Ye, Stéphane Chavanas, Christian Davrinche, Michael Mcvoy, Min-Hua Luo

Pediatrics Publications

Background

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes microRNAs (miRNAs) that function as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression during lytic infection in permissive cells. Some miRNAs have been shown to suppress virus replication, which could help HCMV to establish or maintain latent infection. However, HCMV miRNA expression has not been comprehensively examined and compared using cell culture systems representing permissive (lytic) and semi-permissive vs. non-permissive (latent-like) infection.

Methods

Viral miRNAs levels and expression kinetics during HCMV infection were determined by miRNA-specific stem-loop RT-PCR. HCMV infected THP-1 (non-permissive), differentiated THP-1 (d-THP-1, semi-permissive) and human embryo lung fibroblasts (HELs, fully-permissive) were examined. The impact of …

In Vitro Propagation Of Gentiana Scabra Bunge – An Important Medicinal Plant In The Chinese System Of Medicines, Shih-Hung Huang, Dinesh Chandra Agrawal, Fang-Sheng Wu, Hsin-Sheng Tsay

Biology Publications

Background: Gentiana scabra Bunge commonly known as `Long dan cao' in China has been used in traditional Chinese medicines for more than 2000 years. Dry roots and rhizome of the herb have been used for the treatment of inflammation, anorexia, indigestion and gastric infections. Iridoids and secoiridoids are the main bioactive compounds which attribute to the pharmacological properties of this plant. The species is difficult to mass propagate by seed due to the low percentage of germination and limited dormancy period. Wild populations in some locations are considered to be in the endangered category due to over exploitation.

Results: In …

Reduction Of The Pectoral Spine And Girdle In Domesticated Channel Catfish Is Likely Caused By Changes In Selection Pressure, Michael L. Fine

Biology Publications

Locked pectoral spines of the Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus more than double the fish's width and complicate ingestion by gape-limited predators. The spine mates with the pectoral girdle, a robust structure that anchors the spine. This study demonstrates that both spine and girdle exhibit negative allometric growth and that pectoral spines and girdles are lighter in domesticated than in wild Channel Catfish. This finding could be explained by changes in selection pressure for spine growth during domestication or by an epigenetic effect in which exposure to predators in wild fish stimulates pectoral growth. We tested the epigenetic hypothesis by exposing …

Nonprofit Sector Needs Assessment Survey: A Report Of Findings For The Richmond Metro Area, Jennifer Jettner, Holly Brown

Division of Community Engagement Resources

This nonprofit needs assessment was initiated by a student from the Wilder School and was further developed in collaboration with Nonprofit Learning Point www.nonprofitlearningpoint.com and Division of Community Engagement www.community.vcu.edu. The purpose of this study was to broadly understand these issues from a nonprofit perspective as well as inform how universities can better meet current needs while proactively anticipating future needs of the nonprofit sector within the Richmond region.

A Nuclear Dna Perspective On Delineating Evolutionarily Significant Lineages In Polyploids: The Case Of The Endangered Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser Brevirostrum), Tim L. King, Anne P. Henderson, Boyd E. Kynard, Micah C. Kieffer, Douglas L. Peterson, Aaron W. Aunins, Bonnie L. Brown

Biology Publications

The shortnose sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum, oft considered a phylogenetic relic, is listed as an “endangered species threatened with extinction” in the US and “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List. Effective conservation of A. brevirostrum depends on understanding its diversity and evolutionary processes, yet challenges associated with the polyploid nature of its nuclear genome have heretofore limited population genetic analysis to maternally inherited haploid characters. We developed a suite of polysomic microsatellite DNA markers and characterized a sample of 561 shortnose sturgeon collected from major extant populations along the North American Atlantic coast. The 181 alleles observed at 11 loci …

Spatiotemporal Variability And Sound Characterization In Silver Croaker Plagioscion Squamosissimus (Sciaenidae) In The Central Amazon, Alfredo Borie, Hin-Kiu Mok, Ning L. Chao, Michael L. Fine

Biology Publications

Background

The fish family Sciaenidae has numerous species that produce sounds with superfast muscles that vibrate the swimbladder. These muscles form post embryonically and undergo seasonal hypertrophy-atrophy cycles. The family has been the focus of numerous passive acoustic studies to localize spatial and temporal occurrence of spawning aggregations. Fishes produce disturbance calls when hand-held, and males form aggregations in late afternoon and produce advertisement calls to attract females for mating. Previous studies on five continents have been confined to temperate species. Here we examine the calls of the silver croakerPlagioscion squamosissimus, a freshwater equatorial species, which experiences constant …

Qualitative Inquiry In An Age Of Educationalese, Gustavo F. Fischman, Adai Tefera

Foundations of Education Publications

In this introduction we reflect on two key questions that initiated this special issue on qualitative inquiry: What can qualitative researchers do to regain their post-paradigm-wars cache? How do we avoid distracting “science wars” in the future? We suggest that the strong tendency to narrow the research methods accepted as “scientific” – because they adopt quantitative perspectives and are presumed a priori to be more rigorous – has created an educationalese, a narrative of rigid categories that has not necessarily contributed to more effective or persuasive educational research. The article ends by suggesting that the use of “knowledge mobilization” strategies …

Development Of Status Epilepticus, Sustained Calcium Elevations And Neuronal Injury In A Rat Survival Model Of Lethal Paraoxon Intoxication, Laxmikant Sudhir Deshpande, Dawn S. Carter, Kristin Phillips, Robert E. Blair, Robert J. Delorenzo

Neurology Publications

Paraoxon (POX) is an active metabolite of organophosphate (OP) pesticide parathion that has been weaponized and used against civilian populations. Exposure to POX produces high mortality. OP poisoning is often associated with chronic neurological disorders. In this study, we optimize a rat survival model of lethal POX exposures in order to mimic both acute and long-term effects of POX intoxication. Male Sprague–Dawley rats injected with POX (4 mg/kg, ice-cold PBS, s.c.) produced a rapid cholinergic crisis that evolved into status epilepticus (SE) and death within 6–8 min. The EEG profile for POX induced SE was characterized and showed clinical and …

Dynamics Of Coupled Noisy Neural Oscillators With Heterogeneous Phase Resetting Curves, Cheng Ly

Statistical Sciences and Operations Research Publications

Pulse-coupled phase oscillators have been utilized in a variety of contexts. Motivated by neuroscience, we study a network of pulse-coupled phase oscillators receiving independent and correlated noise. An additional physiological attribute, heterogeneity, is incorporated in the phase resetting curve (PRC), which is a vital entity for modeling the biophysical dynamics of oscillators. An accurate probability density or mean field description is large dimensional, requiring reduction methods for tractability. We present a reduction method to capture the pairwise synchrony via the probability density of the phase differences, and explore the robustness of the method. We find the reduced methods can capture …

Metabolic Effects Of Acute Thiamine Depletion Are Reversed By Rapamycin In Breast And Leukemia Cells, Shuqian Liu, Sumitra Miriyala, Mignon A. Keaton, Craig T. Jordan, Christina Wiedl, Daret K. St. Clair, Jeffrey A. Moscow

Pediatrics Publications

Thiamine-dependent enzymes (TDEs) control metabolic pathways that are frequently altered in cancer and therefore present cancer-relevant targets. We have previously shown that the recombinant enzyme thiaminase cleaves and depletes intracellular thiamine, has growth inhibitory activity against leukemia and breast cancer cell lines, and that its growth inhibitory effects were reversed in leukemia cell lines by rapamycin. Now, we first show further evidence of thiaminase therapeutic potential by demonstrating its activity against breast and leukemia xenografts, and against a primary leukemia xenograft. We therefore further explored the metabolic effects of thiaminase in combination with rapamycin in leukemia and breast cell lines. …

The Omega-3 Fatty Acid Eicosapentaenoic Acid Is Required For Normal Alcohol Response Behaviors In C. Elegans, Richard C. Raabe, Laura D. Mathies, Andrew G. Davies, Jill C. Bettinger

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Alcohol addiction is a widespread societal problem, for which there are few treatments. There are significant genetic and environmental influences on abuse liability, and understanding these factors will be important for the identification of susceptible individuals and the development of effective pharmacotherapies. In humans, the level of response to alcohol is strongly predictive of subsequent alcohol abuse. Level of response is a combination of counteracting responses to alcohol, the level of sensitivity to the drug and the degree to which tolerance develops during the drug exposure, called acute functional tolerance. We use the simple and well-characterized nervous system of Caenorhabditis …

A Dynamic Model For Delta Rhythm Fit To High-Frequency Cortical Activity Data Shows Discrete Functional Connectivity In Mouse Cortex, Mark A. Reimers, Majid Mohajerani, Timothy H. Murphy

Psychiatry Publications

Spontaneous activity as recorded by fMRI has often been used to infer active connections ('functional connectivity') in the human brain through correlations of activity measures. Some serious questions have been raised about the interpretation of these correlations, which are often apparent only on time scales of tens of seconds. Confirmation of correlations in measures of activity on shorter time-scales closer to those of neural activity would be very desirable.

Numerous mechanisms have been proposed for various rhythms but in the past half-century little consensus has been reached on the mechanism of any major rhythm. The recent development of high-throughput imaging …

Near-Infrared Imaging Of Adoptive Immune Cell Therapy In Breast Cancer Model Using Cell Membrane Labeling, Fatma M. Youniss, Gobalakrishnan Sundaresan, Laura J. Graham, Li Wang, Collin R. Berry, Gajanan K. Dewkar, Purnima Jose, Harry D. Bear, Jamal Zweit

Radiology Publications

The overall objective of this study is to non-invasively image and assess tumor targeting and retention of directly labeled T-lymphocytes following their adoptive transfer in mice. T-lymphocytes obtained from draining lymph nodes of 4T1 (murine breast cancer cell) sensitized BALB/C mice were activated in-vitro with Bryostatin/Ionomycin for 18 hours, and were grown in the presence of Interleukin-2 for 6 days. T-lymphocytes were then directly labeled with 1,1-dioctadecyltetramethyl indotricarbocyanine Iodide (DiR), a lipophilic near infrared fluorescent dye that labels the cell membrane. Assays for viability, proliferation, and function of labeled T-lymphocytes showed that they were unaffected by DiR labeling. The DiR …

Art In The Age Of Networks - Networks As A Way Of Thinking, Rabeya Jalil

Higher Education Resources

The theme-based and material-based units (with lessons and lesson sequences) propose a curriculum for one academic semester in an undergraduate visual arts school (for sophomore, 2nd year, or junior, 3rd year students). However the lessons could be modified and tailored to any age group developmentally. This curricular framework aims to foster collaboration (within individuals, materials and disciplines), explore networked pedagogy and networks in pedagogy as a collaborating force through and with the visual arts and explore the materiality of the code and the digital media. The course also engages with new media theory and literature, investigates the materiality of the …

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

Chemical and Life Science 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 …

Examining A Link Between Paraquat, Alpha-Synuclein Fibrillation And Neurodegeneration: A Review, Nikhil Ailaney

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive motor system disorder that is caused by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the central nervous system. At the molecular level, Parkinson’s disease works by decreasing the concentrations of the neurotransmitter dopamine, a chemical messenger involved in motor messaging, within the central nervous system. Low levels of dopamine in the central nervous system causes motor system dysfunction because the insufficient levels of dopamine lead to an inability for neurons to successfully transmit motor messages. At the organismal level, Parkinson’s disease causes tremors, Bradykinesia, and rigidity. These symptoms ultimately lead to a diminished quality …

Understanding Nicotine Addition: Dependency As A Result Of Maladaptive Brain Structure, Nate Thomas

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Nicotine addiction is the most prevalent, destructive dependency found in our culture. Despite its well-documented damaging health risks, nicotine use is still widely accepted and could be conceptualized as a social epidemic. Much of this acceptance may stem from nicotine’s lack of debilitating cognitive effects, as compared to those of other abused drugs. However, what may reign dominantly over nicotine’s legality is simple cultural precedent: tobacco has never been illegal and holds a place in human history. Therefore, attempting to alter this would prove highly unpopular and unsuccessful. This macroscopic irrationality, a blind favor for cultural precedents, parallels the irrational …

Selective Activation Of Htrpv1 By N-Geranyl Cyclopropylcarboxamide, An Amiloride-Insensitive Salt Taste Enhancer, Min Jung Kim, Hee Jin Son, Yiseul Kim, Hae-Jin Kweon, Byung-Chang Suh, Vijay Lyall, Mee-Ra Rhyu

Physiology and Biophysics Publications and Presentations

TRPV1t, a variant of the transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) has been proposed as a constitutively active, non-selective cation channel as a putative amiloride-insensitive salt taste receptor and shares many properties with TRPV1. Based on our previous chorda tympani taste nerve recordings in rodents and human sensory evaluations, we proposed that N-geranylcyclopropylcarboxamide (NGCC), a novel synthetic compound, acts as a salt taste enhancer by modulating the amiloride/benzamil-insensitive Na+ entry pathways. As an extension of this work, we investigated NGCC-induced human TRPV1 (hTRPV1) activation using a Ca2+-flux signaling assay in cultured cells. NGCC enhanced Ca2+ influx in hTRPV1-expressing cells in …

Lack Of Negatively Charged Residues At The External Mouth Of Kir2.2 Channels Enable The Voltage-Dependent Block By External Mg2+, Junwei Li, Xiaoxiao Xie, Jun Liu, Hui Yu, Suhua Zhang, Yong Zhan, Hailin Zhang, Diomedes E. Logothetis, Hailong An

Physiology and Biophysics Publications and Presentations

Kir channels display voltage-dependent block by cytosolic cations such as Mg2+ and polyamines that causes inward rectification. In fact, cations can regulate K channel activity from both the extracellular and intracellular sides. Previous studies have provided insight into the up-regulation of Kir channel activity by extracellular K+ concentration. In contrast, extracellular Mg2+ has been found to reduce the amplitude of the single-channel current at milimolar concentrations. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of Kir channel blockade by external Mg2+ and the relationship between the Mg2+ blockade and activity potentiation by permeant K+ ions. In this study, we applied …

Suppression Of The Pi3k Pathway In Vivo Reduces Cystitis-Induced Bladder Hypertrophy And Restores Bladder Capacity Examined By Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Zhongwei Qiao, Chunmei Xia, Shanwei Shen, Frank D. Corwin, Miao Liu, Ruijuan Guan, John R. Grider, Li-Ya Qiao

Physiology and Biophysics Publications and Presentations

This study utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor the real-time status of the urinary bladder in normal and diseased states following cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced cystitis, and also examined the role of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway in the regulation of urinary bladder hypertrophy in vivo. Our results showed that under MRI visualization the urinary bladder wall was significantly thickened at 8 h and 48 h post CYP injection. The intravesical volume of the urinary bladder was also markedly reduced. Treatment of the cystitis animals with a specific PI3K inhibitor LY294002 reduced cystitis-induced bladder wall thickening and enlarged the intravesical volumes. …

Effect Of Enac Modulators On Rat Neural Responses To Nacl, Shobha Mummalaneni, Jie Qian, Tam-Hao T. Phan, Mee-Ra Rhyu, Gerard L. Heck, John A. Desimone, Vijay Lyall

Physiology and Biophysics Publications and Presentations

The effects of small molecule ENaC activators N,N,N-trimethyl-2-((4-methyl-2-((4-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)thio)pentanoyl)oxy)ethanaminiumiodide (Compound 1) and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-methyl-2-((4-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)thio)pentanamide(Compound 2), were tested on the benzamil (Bz)-sensitive NaCl chorda tympani (CT) taste nerve response under open-circuit conditions and under ±60 mV applied lingual voltage-clamp, and compared with the effects of known physiological activators (8-CPT-cAMP, BAPTA-AM, and alkaline pH), and an inhibitor (ionomycin+Ca2+) of ENaC. The NaCl CT response was enhanced at −60 mV and suppressed at +60 mV. In every case the CT response (r) versus voltage (V) curve was linear. All ENaC activators increased the open-circuit response (ro) and the voltage …

A Model Of The Effect Of Uncertainty On The C Elegans L2/L2d Decision, Leon Avery

Physiology and Biophysics Publications and Presentations

Abstract

At the end of the first larval stage, the C elegans larva chooses between two developmental pathways, an L2 committed to reproductive development and an L2d, which has the option of undergoing reproductive development or entering the dauer diapause. I develop a quantitative model of this choice using mathematical tools developed for pricing financial options. The model predicts that the optimal decision must take into account not only the expected potential for reproductive growth, but also the uncertainty in that expected potential. Because the L2d has more flexibility than the L2, it is favored in unpredictable environments. I estimate …

Where Does Electronic Aggression Fit?: A Comparison Of Dimensional And Categorical Models Of Adolescent Aggression, Krista R. Mehari

Theses and Dissertations

Electronic aggression is a rapidly growing focus of research, but it lacks a unifying theoretical framework that is necessary to advance the field. The lack of a theoretical framework has led to inconsistencies in measurement of electronic aggression, making it difficult to draw conclusions across studies. In general, researchers have assumed that electronic aggression constitutes a new form of aggression, a counterpart to physical, verbal, and relational aggression, due to unique features surrounding the perpetration of electronic aggression. Furthermore, researchers have treated electronic aggression as a categorical variable based on the assumption that “cyberbullies” constitute a distinct group of adolescents. …

Fathering And Child Maltreatment: A Grounded Theory Study, Jennifer Shadik

Theses and Dissertations

Literature related to fathers and child physical abuse and neglect is lacking (Guterman & Lee, 2005; Lee, Bellamy, & Guterman, 2009). The purpose of this study was to better understand several pertinent aspects of fathering related to maltreatment. Three research questions were examined: 1.What are the attitudes, behaviors and contexts of fathers who have abused or neglected a child that relate to maltreatment? 2. What are the resources and capacities of these fathers which could be capitalized on? 3. How does goodness-of-fit or a poor fit between the father and child impact the parenting relationships of these fathers? Fifteen fathers …

Present With An Uncertain Future: Dispositional Mindfulness, Covariation Bias, And Event-Related Potential Responses To Emotional Stimuli In Uncertain Contexts, Robert J. Goodman

Theses and Dissertations

Uncertainty represents a robust threat that can amplify aversive experiences and exaggerate negative expectations about uncertain future outcomes. Mindfulness – an open and receptive attention to present moment experiences -- has been shown to facilitate adaptive regulation when faced with a variety of distinct emotional threats. Reduced experiential avoidance and equanimity in the face of unpleasant emotional experiences have been theorized as central to these emotional regulatory benefits. The present study explored whether dispositional mindfulness would promote adaptive responses to uncertainty during the anticipation of, and after exposure to emotional stimuli, as indicated by self-reports and neural (event-related potential) markers …

Identification Of Micro-Rnas And Their Messenger Rna Targets In Prostate Cancer And Biological Fluids, Kanika Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States that affects men today. To better treat this disease accurate biomarkers and successful therapeutic treatments are needed. A novel approach to understand the mechanisms behind prostate cancer tumor formation lies in identifying dysregulated micro-RNAs (miRNAs), which are a class of small (18-24 nucleotides) non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally by either inhibiting protein synthesis or signaling messenger-RNA for degradation. Multiple miRNAs were discovered in our highly tumorigenic and metastatic prostate cancer progression model M12 cell line compared to its weakly tumorigenic P69 parental cell line. Various analyses …

Evaluation Of The Physiological Effects Of Reduced Hydroxocobalamin On Acute Carbon Monoxide Toxicity, Alden Newcomb

Theses and Dissertations

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning represents a global health threat responsible for hundreds of thousands of hospital visits and tens of thousands of deaths annually. Oxygen therapy is the only current approved treatment for CO poisoning. Previous work published in the 1970’s and research conducted in the VCURES lab group has indicated that a reduced form of vitamin B12, hydroxocobalamin (B12r), can potentially serve as an antidote for CO poisoning by converting CO bound to hemoglobin to carbon dioxide (CO2) and mitigating the deleterious neurological effects of CO poisoning. For the first time in documented literature we successfully used a Clark-type …

Modulation Of Cns Neurotransmitter Levels And Associated Behaviors In Organic Anion Transporter 1 (Slc22a6) And Organic Anion Transporter 3 (Slc22a8) Knockout Mice, Christine Farthing

Theses and Dissertations

According to the World Health Organization, mental disorders represent the leading cause of disability in the US generating ~58 billion dollars in medical costs annually. Additionally, among the US population, ~40 million adults suffer from an anxiety disorder and ~14 million suffer from a major depressive disorder. The association between the persistence of these neurobehavioral conditions and central nervous system (CNS) levels of biogenic amines and metabolites has been studied for half a century. Further, a number of drugs interfering with neurotransmission/metabolism are used clinically for treatment of these disorders. Recently, some members of the solute carrier (SLC) superfamily, the …