Digital Commons Network^™

Marine Reptiles, Arne R. Rasmessen, John D. Murphy, Medy Ompi, J. Whitfield Gibbons, Peter Uetz

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

Of the more than 12,000 species and subspecies of extant reptiles, about 100 have re-entered the ocean. Among them are seven species of sea turtles and about 80 species and subspecies of sea snakes, as well as a few other species that are occasionally or regularly found in brackish waters, including various other snakes, the saltwater crocodile, and the marine iguana of the Galapagos Islands. The largest group of marine reptiles, the sea snakes, occur in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans from the east coast of Africa to the Gulf of Panama. They inhabit …

Air Pollution & The Brain: Subchronic Diesel Exhaust Exposure Causes Neuroinflammation And Elevates Early Markers Of Neurodegenerative Disease, Shannon Levesque, Michael J. Surace, Jacob Mcdonald, Michelle L. Block

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Background

Increasing evidence links diverse forms of air pollution to neuroinflammation and neuropathology in both human and animal models, but the effects of long-term exposures are poorly understood.

Objective

We explored the central nervous system consequences of subchronic exposure to diesel exhaust (DE) and addressed the minimum levels necessary to elicit neuroinflammation and markers of early neuropathology.

Methods

Male Fischer 344 rats were exposed to DE (992, 311, 100, 35 and 0 μg PM/m³) by inhalation over 6 months.

Results

DE exposure resulted in elevated levels of TNFα at high concentrations in all regions tested, with the exception …

Chronic Apocynin Treatment Attenuates Beta Amyloid Plaque Size And Microglial Number In Happ(751)Sl Mice, Melinda E. Lull, Shannon Levesque, Michael J. Surace, Michelle L. Block

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Background

NADPH oxidase is implicated in neurotoxic microglial activation and the progressive nature of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Here, we test the ability of two NADPH oxidase inhibitors, apocynin and dextromethorphan (DM), to reduce learning deficits and neuropathology in transgenic mice overexpressing human amyloid precursor protein with the Swedish and London mutations (hAPP(751)SL).

Methods

Four month old hAPP(751)SL mice were treated daily with saline, 15 mg/kg DM, 7.5 mg/kg DM, or 10 mg/kg apocynin by gavage for four months.

Results

Only hAPP(751)SL mice treated with apocynin showed reduced plaque size and a reduction in the number of cortical microglia, when compared …

Menorah Review (No. 74, Winter/Spring, 2011)

Menorah Review

A Novelist's View of Nineteenth Century Judaism -- An Evolutionary, Nonzero Approach to the Abrahamic Traditions -- Author's reflections -- Books in Brief: New and Notable -- Moreshet: From the Classics -- Post-Zionism... Post-Holocaust -- The Jewish Experience in 17th century Barbados -- Two Poems -- Zachor: From the Records of the Nuremberg Trials, 1945-6

The Streptococcus Sanguinis Competence Regulon Is Not Required For Infective Endocarditis Virulence In A Rabbit Model, Jill E. Callahan, Cindy L. Munro, Todd Kitten

Philips Institute for Oral Health Research Publications

Streptococcus sanguinis is an important component of dental plaque and a leading cause of infective endocarditis. Genetic competence in S. sanguinis requires a quorum sensing system encoded by the early comCDE genes, as well as late genes controlled by the alternative sigma factor, ComX. Previous studies of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus mutans have identified functions for the >100-gene com regulon in addition to DNA uptake, including virulence. We investigated this possibility in S. sanguinis. Strains deleted for the comCDE orcomX master regulatory genes were created. Using a rabbit endocarditis model in conjunction with a variety of virulence assays, …

Preparing A Professional Teaching Portfolio For An Art Teaching Position, Melanie L. Buffington

Art Education Publications

Over time, the idea of bringing a professional teaching portfolio to a job interview has become an expectation. Preparing these portfolios is a common part of teacher education programs and can be excellent preparation for a job interview. Additionally, teachers who are looking into changing positions will need to prepare a professional portfolio and this process may help them reflect on their practice too. The habits required for creating a professional teaching portfolio; including documenting classroom practices, reflecting on these practices, and organizing this content-are habits that can enhance teaching practice throughout a career.

The Living Textbook Project For Affordable Higher Education, Dayanjan S. Wijesinghe

Surgery Presentations

A blue print for ensuring that community college education remains affordable to the future generations via elimination of the cost of textbooks.

A Trial Of An Impedance Threshold Device In Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Tom P. Aufderheide, Graham Nichol, Thomas D. Rea, Siobhan P. Brown, Brian G. Leroux, Paul E. Pepe, Peter J. Kudenchuk, Jim Christenson, Mohamud R. Daya, Paul Dorian, Clifton W. Callaway, Ahamed H. Idris, Douglas Andrusiek, Shannon W. Stephens, David Hostler, Daniel Davis, James V. Dunford, Ronald G. Pirrallo, Ian G. Stiell, Catherine M. Clement, Alan Craig, Lois Van Ottingham, Terri A. Schmidt, Henry E. Wang, Myron L. Weistfeldt, Joseph P. Ornato, George Sopko

Emergency Medicine Publications

Background

The impedance threshold device (ITD) is designed to enhance venous return and cardiac output during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by increasing the degree of negative intrathoracic pressure. Previous studies have suggested that the use of an ITD during CPR may improve survival rates after cardiac arrest.

Methods

We compared the use of an active ITD with that of a sham ITD in patients with out-ofhospital cardiac arrest who underwent standard CPR at 10 sites in the United States and Canada. Patients, investigators, study coordinators, and all care providers were unaware of the treatment assignments. The primary outcome was survival to …

Right Ventricular Dysfunction Following Acute Myocardial Infarction In The Absence Of Pulmonary Hypertension In The Mouse, Stefano Toldo, Herman J. Bogaard, Benjamin W. Van Tassell, Eleonora Mezzaroma, Ignacio M. Seropian, Roshanak Robati, Fadi N. Salloum, Norbert F. Voelkel, Antonio Abbate

VCU Health Publications

Background

Cardiac remodelling after AMI is characterized by molecular and cellular mechanisms involving both the ischemic and non-ischemic myocardium. The extent of right ventricular (RV) dilatation and dysfunction and its relation to pulmonary hypertension (PH) following AMI are unknown. The aim of the current study was to evaluate changes in dimensions and function of the RV following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) involving the left ventricle (LV).

Methods

We assessed changes in RV dimensions and function 1 week following experimental AMI involving the LV free wall in 10 mice and assessed for LV and RV dimensions and function and for the …

Alterations In The Interleukin-1/Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Balance Modulate Cardiac Remodeling Following Myocardial Infarction In The Mouse, Antonio Abbate, Fadi N. Salloum, Benjamin W. Van Tassell, Elena Vecile, Stefano Toldo, Ignacio M. Seropian, Eleonora Mezzaroma, Aldo Dobrina

VCU Health Publications

Background

Healing after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is characterized by an intense inflammatory response and increased Interleukin-1 (IL-1) tissue activity. Genetically engineered mice lacking the IL-1 receptor (IL-1R1-/-, not responsive to IL-1) or the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra, enhanced response to IL-1) have an altered IL-1/IL-1Ra balance that we hypothesize modulates infarct healing and cardiac remodeling after AMI.

Methods

IL-1R1-/- and IL-1Ra-/- male mice and their correspondent wild-types (WT) were subjected to permanent coronary artery ligation or sham surgery. Infarct size (trichrome scar size), apoptotic cell death (TUNEL) and left ventricular (LV) dimensions and function (echocardiography) were measured prior to …

Fractalkine/Cx3cl1 Protects Striatal Neurons From Synergistic Morphine And Hiv-1 Tat-Induced Dendritic Losses And Death, Masami Suzuki, Nazira El-Hage, Shiping Zou, Yun-Kyung Hahn, Mary Sorrell, Jamie Sturgill, Daniel H. Conrad, Pamela E. Knapp, Kurt F. Hauser

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Background Fractalkine/CX3CL1 and its cognate receptor CX3CR1 are abundantly expressed in the CNS. Fractalkine is an unusual C-X3-C motif chemokine that is important in neuron-microglial communication, a co-receptor for HIV infection, and can be neuroprotective. To assess the effects of fractalkine on opiate-HIV interactive neurotoxicity, wild-type murine striatal neurons were co-cultured with mixed glia from the striata of wild-type or Cx3cr1 knockout mice ± HIV-1 Tat and/or morphine. Time-lapse digital images were continuously recorded at 20 min intervals for up to 72 h using computer-aided microscopy to track the same cells repeatedly.

Results Co-exposure to Tat and morphine caused synergistic …

Electrospun Collagen: A Tissue Engineering Scaffold With Unique Functional Properties In A Wide Variety Of Applications, Balendu Shekhar Jha, Chantal E. Ayres, James R. Bowman, Todd A. Telemeco, Scott A. Sell, Gary L. Bowlin, David G. Simpson

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Type I collagen and gelatin, a derivative of Type I collagen that has been denatured, can each be electrospun into tissue engineering scaffolds composed of nano- to micron-scale diameter fibers. We characterize the biological activity of these materials in a variety of tissue engineering applications, including endothelial cell-scaffold interactions, the onset of bone mineralization, dermal reconstruction, and the fabrication of skeletal muscle prosthetics. Electrospun collgen (esC) consistently exhibited unique biological properties in these functional assays. Even though gelatin can be spun into fibrillar scaffolds that resemble scaffolds of esC, our assays reveal that electrospun gelatin (esG) lacks intact α chains …

Combinatorial Effect Of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs And Nf-Κb Inhibitors In Ovarian Cancer Therapy, Luiz F. Zerbini, Rodrigo E. Tamura, Ricardo G. Correa, Akos Czibere, Jason Coideiro, Manoj Bhasin, Fernando M. Simabuco, Yihong Wang, Xuesong Gu, Linglin Li, Devanand Sarkar, Jin-Rong Zhou, Paul B. Fisher, Towia A. Libermann

Human and Molecular Genetics Publications

Several epidemiological studies have correlated the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) with reduced risk of ovarian cancer, the most lethal gynecological cancer, diagnosed usually in late stages of the disease. We have previously established that the pro-apoptotic cytokine melanoma differentiation associated gene-7/Interleukin-24 (mda-7/IL-24) is a crucial mediator of NSAID-induced apoptosis in prostate, breast, renal and stomach cancer cells. In this report we evaluated various structurally different NSAIDs for their efficacies to induce apoptosis and mda-7/IL-24 expression in ovarian cancer cells. While several NSAIDs induced apoptosis, Sulindac Sulfide and Diclofenac most potently induced apoptosis and reduced tumor …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Elastase Provides An Escape From Phagocytosis By Degrading The Pulmonary Surfactant Protein-A, Zhizhou Kuang, Yonghua Hao, Brent E. Walling, Jayme L. Jeffries, Dennis E. Ohman, Gee W. Lau

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes both acute pneumonitis in immunocompromised patients and chronic lung infections in individuals with cystic fibrosis and other bronchiectasis. Over 75% of clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa secrete elastase B (LasB), an elastolytic metalloproteinase that is encoded by the lasB gene. Previously, in vitro studies have demonstrated that LasB degrades a number of components in both the innate and adaptive immune systems. These include surfactant proteins, antibacterial peptides, cytokines, chemokines and immunoglobulins. However, the contribution of LasB to lung infection by P. aeruginosa and to inactivation of pulmonary innate immunity in vivo needs …

Identification And Phylogenetic Analysis Of Heme Synthesis Genes In Trypanosomatids And Their Bacterial Endosymbionts, João M. P. Alves, Logan Voegtly, Andrey V. Matveyev, Ana M. Lara, Flávia Maia Da Silva, Myrna G. Serrano, Gregory A. Buck, Marta M. G. Teixeira, Erney P. Camargo

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

It has been known for decades that some insect-infecting trypanosomatids can survive in culture without heme supplementation while others cannot, and that this capability is associated with the presence of a betaproteobacterial endosymbiont in the flagellate's cytoplasm. However, the specific mechanisms involved in this process remained obscure. In this work, we sequence and phylogenetically analyze the heme pathway genes from the symbionts and from their hosts, as well as from a number of heme synthesis-deficient Kinetoplastida. Our results show that the enzymes responsible for synthesis of heme are encoded on the symbiont genomes and produced in close cooperation with the …

Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition Enhances The Antitumor Effect Of Radiation In The Treatment Of Squamous Carcinoma Xenografts, Robert J. G. Cardnell, Ross B. Mikkelsen

Radiation Oncology Publications

This study tests whether the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), combines favorably with ionizing radiation (IR) in controlling squamous carcinoma tumor growth. Animals bearing FaDu and A431 xenografts were treated with L-NNA in the drinking water. IR exposure was 10 Gy for tumor growth and survival studies and 4 Gy for ex vivoclonogenic assays. Cryosections were examined immunohistochemically for markers of apoptosis and hypoxia. Blood flow was assayed by fluorescent microscopy of tissue cryosections after i.v. injection of fluorospheres. Orally administered L-NNA for 24 hrs reduces tumor blood flow by 80% (pex vivo clonogenic assay compared to …

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin Courses [2011], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Listing of undergraduate courses for 2011-2012.

Virginia Commonwealth University Graduate And Professional Programs Bulletin Courses [2011], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

No abstract provided.

Genome-Wide Gene-Environment Study Identifies Glutamate Receptor Gene Grin2a As A Parkinson's Disease Modifier Gene Via Interaction With Coffee, Taye H. Hamza, Honglei Chen, Erin M. Hill-Burns, Shannon L. Rhodes, Jennifer Montimurro, Denise M. Kay, Albert Tenesa, Victoria I. Kusel, Patricia Sheehan, Muthukrishnan Eaaswarkhanth, Dora Yearout, Ali Samii, John W. Roberts, Pinky Agarwal, Yvette Bordelon, Yikyung Park, Liyong Wang, Jianjun Gao, Jeffery M. Vance, Kenneth S. Kendler, Silviu-Alin Bacanu, William K. Scott, Beate Ritz, John Nutt, Stweart A. Factor, Cyrus P. Zabetian, Haydeh Payami

Psychiatry Publications

Our aim was to identify genes that influence the inverse association of coffee with the risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). We used genome-wide genotype data and lifetime caffeinated-coffee-consumption data on 1,458 persons with PD and 931 without PD from the NeuroGenetics Research Consortium (NGRC), and we performed a genome-wide association and interaction study (GWAIS), testing each SNP's main-effect plus its interaction with coffee, adjusting for sex, age, and two principal components. We then stratified subjects as heavy or light coffee-drinkers and performed genome-wide association study (GWAS) in each group. We replicated the most significant SNP. Finally, we imputed the …

Spag16, An Axonemal Central Apparatus Gene, Encodes A Male Germ Cell Nuclear Speckle Protein That Regulates Spag16 Mrna Expression, David R. Nagarkatti-Gude, Ruth Jaimez, Scott C. Henderson, Maria E. Teves, Zhibing Zhang, Jerome F. Strauss Iii

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Publications

Spag16 is the murine orthologue of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii PF20, a protein known to be essential to the structure and function of the “9+2” axoneme. In Chlamydomonas, the PF20gene encodes a single protein present in the central pair of the axoneme. Loss of PF20 prevents central pair assembly/integrity and results in flagellar paralysis. Here we demonstrate that the murine Spag16 gene encodes two proteins: 71 kDa SPAG16L, which is found in all murine cells with motile cilia or flagella, and 35 kDa SPAG16S, representing the C terminus of SPAG16L, which is expressed only in male germ cells, and is …

Development Of Melanopsin-Based Irradiance Detecting Circuitry, David S. Mcneill, Catherine J. Sheely, Jennifer L. Ecker, Tudor C. Badea, Duncan Morhardt, William Guido, Samer Hattar

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Background

Most retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) convey contrast and motion information to visual brain centers. Approximately 2% of RGCs are intrinsically photosensitive (ipRGCs), express melanopsin and are necessary for light to modulate specific physiological processes in mice. The ipRGCs directly target the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) to photoentrain circadian rhythms, and the olivary pretectal nucleus (OPN) to mediate the pupillary light response. How and when this ipRGC circuitry develops is unknown.

Results

Here, we show that some ipRGCs follow a delayed developmental time course relative to other image-forming RGCs. Specifically, ipRGC neurogenesis extends beyond that of other RGCs, and ipRGCs begin …

Antihypertensive Treatment Differentially Affects Vascular Sphingolipid Biology In Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats, Léon J. A. Spijkers, Ben J. A. Janssen, Jelly Nelissen, Merlijn J. P. M. T. Meens, Dayanjan Wijesinghe, Charles E. Chalfant, Jo G. R. De Mey, Astrid E. Alewijnse, Stephan L. M. Peters

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Publications

We have previously shown that essential hypertension in humans and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), is associated with increased levels of ceramide and marked alterations in sphingolipid biology. Pharmacological elevation of ceramide in isolated carotid arteries of SHR leads to vasoconstriction via a calcium-independent phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase-1 and thromboxane synthase-dependent release of thromboxane A2. This phenomenon is almost absent in vessels from normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. Here we investigated whether lowering of blood pressure can reverse elevated ceramide levels and reduce ceramide-mediated contractions in SHR.

Methods and Findings

For this purpose SHR were treated for 4 weeks with the angiotensin …

Hypertension Is Associated With Marked Alterations In Sphingolipid Biology: A Potential Role For Ceramide, Leon J. A. Spijkers, Rob F. P. Van Den Akker, Ben J. A. Janssen, Jacques J. Debets, Jo G. R. De Mey, Erik S. G. Stroes, Bart-Jan H. Van Den Bom, Dayanjan Wijesinghe, Charles E. Chalfant, Luke Macaleese, Gert B. Eijkel, Ron M. A. Heeren, Astrid E. Alewijnse, Stephan L. M. Peters

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Publications

Background

Hypertension is, amongst others, characterized by endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodeling. As sphingolipids have been implicated in both the regulation of vascular contractility and growth, we investigated whether sphingolipid biology is altered in hypertension and whether this is reflected in altered vascular function.

Methods and Findings

In isolated carotid arteries from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, shifting the ceramide/S1P ratio towards ceramide dominance by administration of a sphingosine kinase inhibitor (dimethylsphingosine) or exogenous application of sphingomyelinase, induced marked endothelium-dependent contractions in SHR vessels (DMS: 1.4±0.4 and SMase: 2.1±0.1 mN/mm; n = 10), that were virtually …

Behavior And Development Of Red-Eyed Treefrogs During Metamorphosis [Poster], Robin Greene, Clay Noss, Tobias Lanberg, James R. Vonesh, Karen Warkentin

Biology Presentations

Anuran metamorphosis is an extreme transformation from tadpole to frog that involves tremendous morphological and behavioral change. During this transition (Gosner stages 42-46), metamorphs are exposed to both aquatic and terrestrial selective pressures (e.g., predators, desiccation). Their behavior may be crucial for survival, but it is not well studied. Our goal was to describe morphological and behavioral patterns during metamorphosis in red-eyed treefrogs, Agalychnis callidryas. We first quantified development through metamorphosis by measuring and staging 25 wild-caught individuals every 8 h. We then conducted field behavioral observations of 37 metamorphs, at various developmental stages, that had emerged from a …

Habitat Use And Population Densities Of Rain Forest Chameleons In The East Usambara Mountains Of Tanzania [Poster], Philip Shirk, David A. Patrick, James R. Vonesh, Kim Howell

Biology Presentations

Conclusions:

• Chamaeleo dilepis and Ri. brevicaudatus are absent from forest at this elevation (852-1103m), while K. matschiei, K. vosseleri, K. tenuis, and R. spinosus are relatively scarce in the forest. Trioceros deremensis and R. temporalis are common, but density varies greatly.
• The endemic and scarce K. matschiei and K. vosseleri may be of concern given their scarcity in forest habitat. Density estimates in other habitat types are needed to determine status.
• For accurate density estimates, it is important to consider seasonal variation in density and animals too high to be observed in surveys.

Tadpole Density Changes The Relationship Of Red-Eyed Treefrog Morphology And Jumping Performance [Poster], Julie Charbonnier, T. Landberg

Biology Presentations

As organisms develop, increased body size is often accompanied by shape changes that alter the morphology–performance relationship. Animals with different growth histories may also have different shapes at similar body sizes. To investigate how larval growth history affects the morphology–performance relationship, we raised red-eyed treefrog tadpoles (Agalychnis callidryas) at three densities (5, 25 and 50 tadpoles per 400 L tank) and measured jump distance during metamorphosis. We predicted that tadpoles grown at low density would metamorphose into larger frogs with relatively longer legs than those grown at higher densities. We also expected low density frogs to jump further …

An Intermediate In The Evolution Of Superfast Sonic Muscles., Hin-Kiu Mok, Eric Parmentier, Kuo-Hsun Chiu, Michael L. Fine

Biology Publications

Background

Intermediate forms in the evolution of new adaptations such as transitions from water to land and the evolution of flight are often poorly understood. Similarly, the evolution of superfast sonic muscles in fishes, often considered the fastest muscles in vertebrates, has been a mystery because slow bladder movement does not generate sound. Slow muscles that stretch the swimbladder and then produce sound during recoil have recently been discovered in ophidiiform fishes. Here we describe the disturbance call (produced when fish are held) and sonic mechanism in an unrelated perciform pearl perch (Glaucosomatidae) that represents an intermediate condition in the …

Er Stress And Lipid Metabolism In Adipocytes, Beth S. Zha, Huiping Zhou

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

The role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a rapidly emerging field of interest in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases. Recent studies have shown that chronic activation of ER stress is closely linked to dysregulation of lipid metabolism in several metabolically important cells including hepatocytes, macrophages, β-cells, and adipocytes. Adipocytes are one of the major cell types involved in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome. Recent advances in dissecting the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of adipogenesis and lipid metabolism indicate that activation of ER stress plays a central role in regulating adipocyte function. In this paper, …

Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders, Rosalind Brown, Gary L. Francis

Pediatrics Publications

No abstract provided.

Cannabinoid Exposure During Zebra Finch Sensorimotor Vocal Learning Persistently Alters Expression Of Endocannabinoid Signaling Elements And Acute Agonist Responsiveness, Ken Soderstrom, Justin L. Poklis, Aron H. Lichtman

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Background Previously we have found that cannabinoid treatment of zebra finches during sensorimotor stages of vocal development alters song patterns produced in adulthood. Such persistently altered behavior must be attributable to changes in physiological substrates responsible for song. We are currently working to identify the nature of such physiological changes, and to understand how they contribute to altered vocal learning. One possibility is that developmental agonist exposure results in altered expression of elements of endocannabinoid signaling systems. To test this hypothesis we have studied effects of the potent cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55212-2 (WIN) on endocannabinoid levels and densities of CB1 …