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Commonwealth Times 2008-01-24

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2008-01-17

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2008-01-14

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Testing For Allergic Disease: Parameters Considered And Test Value, Sheryl L. Szeinbach, Spencer E. Harpe, P. Brock Williams, Hanaa Elhefni

Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science Publications

Background Test results for allergic disease are especially valuable to allergists and family physicians for clinical evaluation, decisions to treat, and to determine needs for referral.

Methods This study used a repeated measures design (conjoint analysis) to examine trade offs among clinical parameters that influence the decision of family physicians to use specific IgE blood testing as a diagnostic aid for patients suspected of having allergic rhinitis. Data were extracted from a random sample of 50 family physicians in the Southeastern United States. Physicians evaluated 11 patient profiles containing four clinical parameters: symptom severity (low, medium, high), symptom length (5, …

Transverse Susceptibility Study Of The Effect Of Varying Dipolar Interactions On Anisotropy Peaks In A Three-Dimensional Assembly Of Soft Ferrite Nanoparticles, Pankaj Poddar, Marienette B. Morales, Natalie A. Frey, Shannon A. Morrison, Everett E. Carpenter, Hariharan Srikanth

Chemistry Publications

Collective magnetization dynamics in nanoparticle assemblies is of current interest as it forms the basis of high density storage media. It is important to understand how interparticle interactions in a three-dimensional (3D) arrangement of superparamagnetic nanoparticles would affect the overall effective magnetic anisotropy of the system. We have studied the influence of varying strengths of dipolar interaction on the static and dynamic magnetic properties of surfactant-coated monodispersed manganese zinc ferrite nanoparticles using reversible transverse susceptibility. We track the evolution of the anisotropy peaks with varying magnetic field, temperature, and interaction strength. The blocking temperature shows an increase from 28 to …

Morphine Exacerbates Hiv-1 Tat-Induced Cytokine Production In Astrocytes Through Convergent Effects On [Ca2+]I, Nf-Κb Trafficking And Transcription, Nazira El-Hage, Annadora J. Bruce-Keller, Tatiana Yakovleva, Igor Bazov, Georgy Bakalkin, Pamela E. Knapp, Kurt F. Hauser

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Astroglia are key cellular sites where opiate drug signals converge with the proinflammatory effects of HIV-1 Tat signals to exacerbate HIV encephalitis. Despite this understanding, the molecular sites of convergence driving opiate-accelerated neuropathogenesis have not been deciphered. We therefore explored potential points of interaction between the signaling pathways initiated by HIV-1 Tat and opioids in striatal astrocytes. Profiling studies screening 152 transcription factors indicated that the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) subunit, c-Rel, was a likely candidate for Tat or Tat plus opiate-induced increases in cytokine and chemokine production by astrocytes. Pretreatment with the NF-κB inhibitor parthenolide provided evidence that Tat±morphine-induced …

Arabidopsis Mrna Polyadenylation Machinery: Comprehensive Analysis Of Protein-Protein Interactions And Gene Expression Profiling, Arthur G. Hunt, Ruqiang Xu, Balasubrahmanyam Addepalli, Suryadevara Rao, Kevin P. Forbes, Lisa R. Meeks, Denghui Xing, Min Mo, Hongwei Zhao, Amrita Bandyopadhyay, Lavanya Dampanaboina, Amanda Marion, Carol Von Lanken, Qingshun Quinn Li

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Background

The polyadenylation of mRNA is one of the critical processing steps during expression of almost all eukaryotic genes. It is tightly integrated with transcription, particularly its termination, as well as other RNA processing events, i.e. capping and splicing. The poly(A) tail protects the mRNA from unregulated degradation, and it is required for nuclear export and translation initiation. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that the polyadenylation process is also involved in the regulation of gene expression. The polyadenylation process requires two components, the cis-elements on the mRNA and a group of protein factors that recognize the cis …

Menorah Review (No. 69, Summer/Fall, 2008)

Menorah Review

Peter Bergson's Mission Impossible -- Rabbinical Dynamics in the Babylonian Talmud -- The Aesthetic Grit of a Yiddish Prose Master Finds Translation -- The Ancient Grudge: The Merchant of Venice and Shylock's Christian Problem -- Two Poems

Virginia Commonwealth University Fall Commencement Program [2008], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Primary Cultured Fibroblasts Derived From Patients With Chronic Wounds: A Methodology To Produce Human Cell Lines And Test Putative Growth Factor Therapy Such As Gmcsf, Harold Brem, Michael S. Golinko, Olivera Stojadinovic, Arber Kodra, Robert F. Diegelmann, Sasa Vukelic, Hyacinth Entero, Donald L. Coppock, Marjana Tomic-Canic

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Publications

Background Multiple physiologic impairments are responsible for chronic wounds. A cell line grown which retains its phenotype from patient wounds would provide means of testing new therapies. Clinical information on patients from whom cells were grown can provide insights into mechanisms of specific disease such as diabetes or biological processes such as aging.

The objective of this study was 1) To culture human cells derived from patients with chronic wounds and to test the effects of putative therapies, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) on these cells. 2) To describe a methodology to create fibroblast cell lines from patients with chronic …

Protocol: Streamline Cloning Of Genes Into Binary Vectors In Agrobacterium Via The Gateway® Topo Vector System, Ruqiang Xu, Qingshun Quinn Li

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Background

In plant functional genomic studies, gene cloning into binary vectors for plant transformation is a routine procedure. Traditionally, gene cloning has relied on restriction enzyme digestion and ligation. In recent years, however, Gateway^® cloning technology (Invitrogen Co.) has developed a fast and reliable alternative cloning methodology which uses a phage recombination strategy. While many Gateway- compatible vectors are available, we frequently encounter problems in which antibiotic resistance genes for bacterial selection are the same between recombinant vectors. Under these conditions, it is difficult, if not sometimes impossible, to use antibiotic resistance in selecting the desired transformants. We have, …

The Aging Together Partnership: Collaborating To Improve Quality Of Life For Older Adults, April Holmes, Chris Miller

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives 1. Demonstrate how the Aging Together experience improves services for older adults. 2. Describe the partnership structure and participation that makes this an effective model for community services amidst demographic changes. 3. Illustrate tangible service improvements resulting from Aging Together collaborations.

Cellular Automata Simulation Of Topological Effects On The Dynamics Of Feed-Forward Motifs, Advait Apte, John W. Cain, Danail Bonchev, Stephen S. Fong

Chemical and Life Science Engineering Publications

Background

Feed-forward motifs are important functional modules in biological and other complex networks. The functionality of feed-forward motifs and other network motifs is largely dictated by the connectivity of the individual network components. While studies on the dynamics of motifs and networks are usually devoted to the temporal or spatial description of processes, this study focuses on the relationship between the specific architecture and the overall rate of the processes of the feed-forward family of motifs, including double and triple feed-forward loops. The search for the most efficient network architecture could be of particular interest for regulatory or signaling pathways …

Impaired Clearance Of Methotrexate In Organic Anion Transporter 3 (Slc22a8) Knockout Mice: A Gender Specific Impact Of Reduced Folates, Adam L. Vanwert, Douglas H. Sweet

Pharmaceutics Publications

Purpose

To elucidate the role of the renal basolateral transporter, Oat3, in the disposition of methotrexate.

Materials and Methods

Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing mouse Oat3 were used to determine kinetics and specificity of inhibition of methotrexate transport. Methotrexate clearance was then examined in vivo in wildtype and Oat3 knockout mice.

Results

NSAIDs, ß-lactams, and uremic toxins inhibited mOat3-mediated methotrexate uptake by 70–100%, while folate, leucovorin, and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate inhibited transport by 25–50%. A Km of 60.6±9.3 μM for methotrexate transport was determined. Oat3 knockout mice exhibited reduced methotrexate-to-inulin clearance ratios versus wildtype. Male wildtype mice, but not knockouts or …

Virginia Commonwealth University Graduate And Professional Programs Bulletin [2008], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Graduate and professional programs bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2008-2009. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for graduate programs.

Annual Higher Ground Women's Leadership Conference 2008, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin Courses [2008], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Listing of undergraduate courses for 2008-2009.

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin [2008], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Undergraduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2008-2009. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for undergraduate programs.

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 85, No. 4, 2008)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Graduate And Professional Programs Bulletin Courses [2008], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Listing of professional and graduate courses for 2008-2009

Virginia Commonwealth University Commencement Program [2008], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Fall Commencement Program [Corrected Copy] [2008], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Shortest-Path Network Analysis Is A Useful Approach Toward Identifying Genetic Determinants Of Longevity, J. R. Managbanag, Tarynn M. Witten, Danail Bonchev, Lindsay A. Fox, Mitsuhiro Tsuchiya, Brian K. Kennedy, Matt Kaeberlein

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

Background

Identification of genes that modulate longevity is a major focus of aging-related research and an area of intense public interest. In addition to facilitating an improved understanding of the basic mechanisms of aging, such genes represent potential targets for therapeutic intervention in multiple age-associated diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. To date, however, targeted efforts at identifying longevity-associated genes have been limited by a lack of predictive power, and useful algorithms for candidate gene-identification have also been lacking.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We have utilized a shortest-path network analysis to identify novel genes that modulate longevity in Saccharomyces …

The Tastes From Portugal: Food As Remembrance In Portuguese American Literature, Reinaldo Silva

Ethnic Studies Review

Contemporary Portuguese American literature written by Thomas Braga (1943-), Frank Gaspar (1946-), and Katherine Vaz (1955-) share a profusion of topics - with ethnic food being, perhaps, the most representative one. What these writers have in common is that their roots can be traced to Portugal's Atlantic islands - the Azores - and not to continental Portugal. They are native Americans and write in English, though their characters and themes are Portuguese American. Some of them lived close to the former New England whaling and fishing centers of New Bedford and Nantucket, which Herman Melville has immortalized in Moby-Dick and …

(In) Visible Fissures And The "Multicultural American: Interrupting Race, Ethnicity, And Imperialism Through Tv's Survivor, Sarah Hentges

Ethnic Studies Review

One of the longest running reality TV shows, with 15 seasons as of 2007, Survivor is an important text for considerations of race and ethnicity, legacies of imperialism, and the idea of the "multicultural" America. Survivor provides an evolving adventure narrative -one that relies upon the legacies of the past, like colonialism and imperialism, as well as the myths of the present and future, like tourism as a means of survival in a globalized economy. As these imperial contexts are adapted Survivor provides moments for (mostly white or white-identified) privileged, "multicultural" first-world Americans to participate in neo-colonial cultural and economic …

To Arrange Or Not: Marriage Trends In The South Asian American Community, Farha Ternikar

Ethnic Studies Review

The idea of the arranged marriage has always seemed "exotic" yet has fascinated the American public. Recent media coverage of arranged marriages is evident in popular periodicals such as the New York Times Online (August 17, 2000) and Newsweek (March 15, 1999). Foner highlights that the arranged marriage is an example of "the continued impact of premigration cultural beliefs and social practices" that South Asian immigrants have transported to the United States (Foner 1997, 964). She offers an interpretive synthesis by showing that "[n]ew immigrant family patterns are shaped by cultural meanings and social practices that immigrants bring with them …

Fire In De Cane: Metaphors Of Indo Trinidadian Identity In Ramabai Espinet's The Swinging Bridge, Rosanne Kanhai

Ethnic Studies Review

The evolution of identity is on-going, yet to articulate identity is the self analysis of a people's understanding of who they are at a particular time. Perhaps in more stable societies, identity has not been a preoccupation, not the "stuff" of literature and other types of art. However, for us, in the western hemisphere, where indigenous populations have been brutally decimated and room made for more brutality in the uprootment, transportation and relocation of peoples from different parts of the globe, we find it a crucial to pause and understand who we are as we connect with each other. In …

Kinda Just Like Google: Presence And Variety Of Search Options On Library Homepages, Jimmy Ghaphery, Susan Teague Rector, Sam Byrd

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

In order to take the temperature of the academic library community with regard to external search boxes, the authors visited 111 academic ARL Library web sites on October 9th, 2007. In visiting each homepage, a record was kept detailing the presence and type of search boxes appearing at the top level. The resulting data paints an interesting portrait of diverse approaches, congruencies, and innovation. Globally this measure strikes to the core of current technological challenges with library search and web site design.

Poictesme: A Student Anthology Of Literature And Art (2008)

Pwatem (Poictesme), 2006-

Poictesme (now Pwatem) is an anthology of literature and art from undergraduate students at Virginia Commonwealth University. It publishes poetry, prose and art of all kinds from talented undergraduate students of all majors.

"I'Ll Rise": Rememory, Hope And The Creation Of A New Public Sphere In Ben Harper's Music, Delphine Gras

Ethnic Studies Review

Recent studies about resistance music in the United States primarily focus on the hip-hop movement. However, it does not offer the only musical discourse contesting contemporary injustices. Even though the debate about hip-hop is a crucial one that deserves full attention, it seems necessary to widen the current conversation on music to take into account a wider array of musical genres and artists. This will in turn allow us to see the revolutionary power of music in its full force. In the United States, black music, from the Spirituals to Rhythm and Blues, has undeniably been a potent agent for …