Digital Commons Network^™

Using The Past To Restore The Future: Quantifying Historical Vegetation To Assist In Tidal Freshwater Wetland Restoration, Christopher D. Gatens, Richard Ward, Edward R. Crawford

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Wetlands have been providing humans with critical natural ecosystem services throughout our time on Earth. Nevertheless, these invaluable ecosystems have been habitually altered as a cost of human progression. Two of the most common alterations to wetlands are hydrologic, in the form of damming, and filling. Both occurred along Kimages Creek in Charles City County, VA during the 19th and 20th centuries. In 2010 the Lake Charles dam was partially removed, restoring the creek's tidal communication with the James River and beginning tidal forested freshwater wetland restoration. Upon the recession of the body of water, numerous woody stumps were revealed.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Over A Tidal Cycle In A Freshwater Wetland, Joseph C. Morina, Rima B. Franklin

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Tidal freshwater wetlands are located at the interface of non-tidal freshwater riverine systems and estuarine tidal systems. These habitats experience freshwater tides, creating unique redoximorphic soil characteristics while simultaneously presenting an opportunity for hydrologic nutrient transport into the system. Because of this periodic flooding and draining, tidal freshwater wetlands are systems of intense biogeochemical transformations, which are microbially mediated. Several microbial transformations (e.g., methanogenesis, incomplete denitrification, and nitrification) result in the production of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, and N2O) at globally-significant levels. For example, wetlands are one of the greatest sources of methane on Earth, accounting for 20-33% of the …

Foraging And Song Rate Of Prothonotary Warblers In High And Low Density Breeding Sites, Denney Turner, Amanda Mcghee, Lesley Bulluck

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Foraging observations can be used as an indicator of habitat quality and food availability. Previous studies with song rate have had conflicting results. Song rate increases with abundance (male-­‐male interac=ons) (Warren et. al 2013) and with high quality habitats (Stehelin and Lein 2013). Unmated males sing twice as often as mated males (Robins et. al 2009), expected in poor quality habitats. Few studies have assessed foraging and song rate behaviors in high and low density systems. Prothonotary Warblers (PROW) are excellent study species because they nest in boxes and we can manipulate density. The objective of this study was to …

Medical Literary Messenger (Vol. 4, No. 1, Fall/Winter 2016)

Medical Literary Messenger

Irene—London, December 2006 / Katharine Harer -- Today / Antonia Lewandowski -- The Bench / Richard LeBlond -- illustration / Alana Barrett -- After Reading Elizabeth Bishop’s “In the Waiting Room” / Nina Bannett -- How to Open Your Eyes / Angus Woodward -- Stage 3 / Amanda Gomez -- NeuroSkull / Alana Barrett -- It / Grace Fryberger -- The Mammogram, Part II / Katharine Harer -- Old and New / Derick Nelson Jenkins -- The Innoculation / Simon Friedman -- illustrations / Alana Barrett -- Shocking / Phyllis Price -- Boutique Hotel / Lynn Ciesielski -- A Sleeping …

Microbial-Physical Synthesis Of Fe And Fe3o4 Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Aspergillus Niger Yesm1 And Supercritical Condition Of Ethanol, Mai Abdeen, Soraya Sabry, Hanan Ghozlan, Ahmed A. El-Gendy, Everett E. Carpenter

Chemistry Publications

Magnetic Fe and Fe3O4 (magnetite) nanoparticles are successfully synthesized using Aspergillus niger YESM 1 and supercritical condition of liquids. Aspergillus niger is used for decomposition of FeSO4 and FeCl3 to FeS and Fe2O3, respectively. The produced particles are exposed to supercritical condition of ethanol for 1 hour at 300∘ C and pressure of 850 psi. The phase structure and the morphology measurements yield pure iron and major Fe3O4 spherical nanoparticles with average size of 18 and 50 nm, respectively. The crystal size amounts to 9 nm for Fe and 8 nm for Fe3O4. The magnetic properties are measured to exhibit …

Mir-9 Acts As An Oncomir In Prostate Cancer Through Multiple Pathways That Drive Tumour Progression And Metastasis, S. J. Seashols-Williams, W. Budd, G. C. Clark, Q. Wu, R. Daniel, E. Dragoescu, Z. E. Zehner

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Publications

Identification of dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) in prostate cancer is critical not only for diagnosis, but also differentiation between the aggressive and indolent forms of the disease. miR-9 was identified as an oncomiR through both miRNA panel RT-qPCR as well as high-throughput sequencing analysis of the human P69 prostate cell line as compared to its highly tumorigenic and metastatic subline M12, and found to be consistently upregulated in other prostate cell lines including DU-145 and PC3. While miR-9 has been characterized as dysregulated either as an oncomiR or tumour suppressor in a variety of other cancers including breast, ovarian, and nasopharyngeal …

Simba: A Web Tool For Managing Bacterial Genome Assembly Generated By Ion Pgm Sequencing Technology, Diego C. B. Mariano, Felipe L. Pereira, Edgar L. Aguiar, Letícia C. Oliveira, Leandro Benevides, Luís C. Guimarães, Edson L. Folador, Thiago J. Sousa, Preetam Ghosh, Debmalya Barh, Henrique C. P. Figueiredo, Artur Silva, Rommel T. J. Ramos, Vasco A. C. Azevedo

Biology Publications

Background

The evolution of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) has considerably reduced the cost per sequenced-base, allowing a significant rise of sequencing projects, mainly in prokaryotes. However, the range of available NGS platforms requires different strategies and software to correctly assemble genomes. Different strategies are necessary to properly complete an assembly project, in addition to the installation or modification of various software. This requires users to have significant expertise in these software and command line scripting experience on Unix platforms, besides possessing the basic expertise on methodologies and techniques for genome assembly. These difficulties often delay the complete genome assembly projects.

Results …

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin [2016], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Undergraduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2016-2017. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for undergraduate programs.

Exploration Of Bivalent Ligands Targeting Putative Mu Opioid Receptor And Chemokine Receptor Ccr5 Dimerization, Christopher K. Arnatt, Bethany A. Falls, Yunyun Yuan, Thomas J. Raborg, Ruturaj R. Masvekar, Nazira El-Hage, Dana E. Selley, Anthony V. Nicola, Pamela E. Knapp, Kurt F. Hauser, Yan Zhang

Medicinal Chemistry Publications

Modern antiretroviral therapies have provided HIV-1 infected patients longer lifespans and better quality of life. However, several neurological complications are now being seen in these patients due to HIV-1 associated injury of neurons by infected microglia and astrocytes. In addition, these effects can be further exacerbated with opiate use and abuse. One possible mechanism for such potentiation effects of opiates is the interaction of the mu opioid receptor (MOR) with the chemokine receptor CCR5 (CCR5), a known HIV-1 co-receptor, to form MOR-CCR5 heterodimer. In an attempt to understand this putative interaction and its relevance to neuroAIDS, we designed and synthesized …

Book Review: Outliers, Howard Newell

MGMT 641 Leadership Book Reviews

Book review of Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell, written for the Spring 2016 Semester MGMT 641: Organizational Leadership and Project Team Management class.

Metabolism And Metabolic Inhibition Of Xanthotoxol In Human Liver Microsomes, Zhongnv Ma, Xianbao Shi, Gang Zhang, Feng Guo, Lina Shan, Jiqun Cai

Medicinal Chemistry Publications

Cytochrome p450 (CYP450) enzymes are predominantly involved in Phase I metabolism of xenobiotics. In this study, the CYP450 isoforms involved in xanthotoxol metabolism were identified using recombinant CYP450s. In addition, the inhibitory effects of xanthotoxol on eight CYP450 isoforms and its pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using human liver microsomes. CYP1A2, one of CYP450s, played a key role in the metabolism of xanthotoxol compared to other CYP450s. Xanthotoxol showed stronger inhibition on CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 compared to other isoenzymes with the IC50 of 7.43 μM for CYP3A4 and 27.82 μM for CYP1A2. The values of inhibition kinetic parameters (Ki) were 21.15 …

Prothonotary Warbler Nestling Growth And Condition Inresponse To Variation In Aquatic And Terrestrial Preyavailability, Jenna C. Dodson, Nicholas J. Moy, Lesley P. Bulluck

Biology Publications

Aquatic prey subsidies entering terrestrial habitats are well documented, but little is known about the degree to which these resources provide fitness benefits to riparian consumers. Riparian species take advantage of seasonal pulses of both terrestrial and aquatic prey, although aquatic resources are often over-looked in studies of how diet influences the reproductive ecology of these organisms. Ideally, the timing of resource pulses should occur at the time of highest reproductive demand. This study investigates the availability of aquatic(mayfly) and terrestrial (caterpillar) prey resources as well as the nestling diet of the prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) at two sites along …

Cadherin-2 Is Required Cell Autonomously For Collective Migration Of Facial Branchiomotor Neurons, Jane K. Rebman, Kathryn E. Kirchoff, Gregory S. Walsh

Biology Publications

Collective migration depends on cell-cell interactions between neighbors that contribute to their overall directionality, yet the mechanisms that control the coordinated migration of neurons remains to be elucidated. During hindbrain development, facial branchiomotor neurons (FBMNs) undergo a stereotypic tangential caudal migration from their place of birth in rhombomere (r)4 to their final location in r6/7. FBMNs engage in collective cell migration that depends on neuron-to-neuron interactions to facilitate caudal directionality. Here, we demonstrate that Cadherin-2-mediated neuron-to-neuron adhesion is necessary for directional and collective migration of FBMNs. We generated stable transgenic zebrafish expressing dominant-negative Cadherin-2 (Cdh2ΔEC) driven by the islet1 promoter. …

Valuing Adjuncts As Liaisons For University Excellence (Value) Program, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Erin Brown, Alaina Campbell, Christal Holmes, Deborah Mcguire, Miki Skinner, Paula Spencer

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

Adjuncts are increasingly becoming more important in higher education and make up nearly onethird of VCU’s teaching faculty. While VCU has made strides in increasing the number of tenuretrack and term professors, the size and needs of certain departments will always make adjunct instructors necessary. A number of schools on both the Monroe Park and MCV campuses utilize professionals from the Richmond community to enhance experiential learning, thereby making a university investment in adjunct faculty a means by which to elevate VCU’s strategic mission. Adjuncts often provide a community perspective that comes from the professional work they do outside of …

Data Management Roles For Librarians, Margaret E. Henderson

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

In this Chapter:
● Looking at data through different lenses
● Exploring the range of data use and data support
● Using data as the basis for informed decision making
● Treating data as a legitimate scholarly research product

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 93, No. 2, 2016)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Single-Locus Versus Multilocus Patterns Of Local Adaptation To Climate In Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus, Pinaceae), Om P. Rajora, Andrew J. Eckert, John W. R. Zinck

Biology Publications

Natural plant populations are often adapted to their local climate and environmental conditions, and populations of forest trees offer some of the best examples of this pattern. However, little empirical work has focused on the relative contribution of single-locus versus multilocus effects to the genetic architecture of local adaptation in plants/forest trees. Here, we employ eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) to test the hypothesis that it is the inter-genic effects that primarily drive climate-induced local adaptation. The genetic structure of 29 range-wide natural populations of eastern white pine was determined in relation to local climatic factors using both …

Annual Higher Ground Women's Leadership Conference 2016, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Fall Commencement Program [2016], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

The Prostaglandin E2-Ep3 Receptor Axis Regulates Anaplasma Phagocytophilum-Mediated Nlrc4 Inflammasome Activation, Xiaowei Wang, Dana K. Shaw, Holly L. Hammond, Fayyaz S. Sutterwala, Manira Rayamajhi, Kari Ann Shirey, Darren J. Perkins, Joseph V. Bonventre, Thangam S. Velayutham, Sean M. Evans, Kyle G. Rodino, Lauren Viebrock, Karen M. Scanlon, Nicholas H. Carbonetti, Jason A. Carlyon, Edward A. Miao, Jere W. Mcbride, Michail Kotsyfakis, Joao H. F. Pedra

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Rickettsial agents are sensed by pattern recognition receptors but lack pathogen-associated molecular patterns commonly observed in facultative intracellular bacteria. Due to these molecular features, the order Rickettsiales can be used to uncover broader principles of bacterial immunity. Here, we used the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, to reveal a novel microbial surveillance system. Mechanistically, we discovered that upon A. phagocytophilum infection, cytosolic phospholipase A2 cleaves arachidonic acid from phospholipids, which is converted to the eicosanoid prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) via cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and the membrane associated prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1). PGE2-EP3 receptor signaling leads …

First Trimester Vaginal Microbiome As Pregnancy Outcome Predictor, Sarah K. Rozycki, Jennifer M. Fettwis

MD Student Summer Research Fellowship Program Posters

• We have developed clinical definiKons of healthy and complicated pregnancies based on pathologies that will be used in future VaHMP studies.

• Although one study7 found dysbioKc vagitypes in all three semesters of women who had PPROM, none of our PPROM subjects had a BVAB1 vagitype, and there were equal Gardnerella vaginalis vagitypes in both the controls and subjects who had PPROM (Fig. 2).

• While there were more PPROM subjects with Lactobacillus iners vagitypes, this Lactobacillus is less protecKve as it can coexist with pathogenic anaerobic bacteria.

• “Candidatus Mycoplasma girerdii”, Lactobacillus jensenii, and Ureaplasma were significantly associated …

Tumor-Reactive Immune Cells Protect Against Metastatic Tumor And Induce Immunoediting Of Indolent But Not Quiescent Tumor Cells, Kyle K. Payne, Rebecca Keim, Laura Graham, Michael O. Idowu, Wen Wan, Xiang-Yang Wang, Amir A. Toor, Harry D. Bear, Masoud H. Manjili

Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Publications

Two major barriers to cancer immunotherapy include tumor-induced immune suppression mediated by myeloid-derived suppressor cells and poor immunogenicity of the tumor-expressing self-antigens. To overcome these barriers, we reprogrammed tumor-immune cell cross-talk by combined use of decitabine and adoptive immunotherapy, containing tumor-sensitized T cells and CD25⁺ NKT cells. Decitabine functioned to induce the expression of highly immunogenic cancer testis antigens in the tumor, while also reducing the frequency of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and the presence of CD25⁺ NKT cells rendered T cells, resistant to remaining myeloid-derived suppressor cells. This combinatorial therapy significantly prolonged survival of animals bearing metastatic tumor …

Tower-Based Greenhouse Gas Fluxes In A Restored Tidal Freshwater Wetland: A Shared Resource For Research And Teaching., Ellen J. Stuart-Haëntjens, Scott C. Neubauer, Christopher M. Gough

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

The goals of this study are: 1) to use an eddy-covariance system to continuously measure wetland-atmosphere CO2 and CH4 exchange in a restored forested wetland, 2) to quantity C sequestration in plant biomass and soils in restored (Kimages Creek watershed) and old-growth (Harris Creek watershed) forested wetlands, and 3) to establish a shared long-term, shared research and teaching platform centered on eddy-covariance tower measurements. Since the old-growth forest wetland has had longer to accumulate C, the current C stocks are likely much larger than those of the restored wetland; however, the rate of C accumulation (i.e., C sequestration or net …

Wood Frog And Spotted Salamander Abundance Across Pool Types And Wetland Networks At Fort A.P. Hill, Va, Logan Mcdonald, Will Fields, Katelyn Horn, James R. Vonesh, Kristine Grayson

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Effective management of pond breeding amphibians requires identifying suitable breeding habitat and its use by different species. Suitable breeding habitat is largely characterized by pool type, physical habitat, and position within the landscape. Parameters such as vegetative cover, hydrology, and water chemistry are known to influence amphibian occupancy of vernal pools. While seasonal vernal pools have been the focus of conservation efforts, pools that are an artifact of anthropogenic disturbance, such as road ruts, may be an important component of the landscape for amphibians. The role of wetland isolation within a landscape has been well studied, but less consideration has …

Safety And Protection Of Minors: Developing Policy And Best Practices To Protect Youth On Campus, Catherine Howard, Christina Carter, Meghan Resler, Jaqueline Kniska

Division of Community Engagement Resources

This presentation was given at the 2016 Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Conference in Washington, D.C.

Art And Medicine: A Collaborative Project Between Virginia Commonwealth University In Qatar And Weill Cornell Medicine In Qatar, Amy J. Andres, Thomas R. Himsworth, Alan Weber, Stephen Scott

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Four faculty researchers, two from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, and two from Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar developed a one semester workshop-based course in Qatar exploring the connections between art and medicine in a contemporary context. Students (6 art / 6 medicine) were enrolled in the course. The course included presentations by clinicians, medical engineers, artists, computing engineers, an art historian, a graphic designer, a painter, and other experts from the fields of art, design, and medicine. To measure the student experience of interdisciplinarity, the faculty researchers employed a mixed methods approach involving psychometric tests and observational ethnography. Data …

Dna Methylation Of Regulatory Regions Of Imprinted Genes At Birth And Its Relation To Infant Temperament, Bernard F. Fuemmeler, Chien-Ti Lee, Adelheid Soubry, Edwin S. Iversen, Zhiqing Huang, Amy P. Murtha, Joellen M. Schildkraut, Randy L. Jirtle, Susan K. Murphy, Cathrine Hoyo

Health Policy Publications

Background: DNA methylation of the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of imprinted genes is relevant to neurodevelopment.

Methods: DNA methylation status of the DMRs of nine imprinted genes in umbilical cord blood leukocytes was analyzed in relation to infant behaviors and temperament (n = 158).

Results: MEG3 DMR levels were positively associated with internalizing (β = 0.15, P = 0.044) and surgency (β = 0.19, P = 0.018) behaviors, after adjusting for birth weight, gender, gestational age at birth, maternal age at delivery, race/ethnicity, education level, smoking status, parity, and a history of anxiety or depression. Higher methylation levels at the …

News Stories Of Intimate Partner Violence: An Experimental Examination Of Participant Sex, Perpetrator Sex, And Violence Severity On Seriousness, Sympathy, And Punishment Preferences, Matthew W. Savage, Jennifer A. Scarduzio, Kate Lockwood Harris, Kellie E. Carlyle, Sarah E. Sheff

Health Policy Publications

This study experimentally examines the effects of participant sex, perpetrator sex, and severity of violence on perceptions of intimate partner violence (IPV) seriousness, sympathy toward the victim, and punishment preferences for the perpetrator. Participants (N = 449) were randomly assigned to a condition, exposed to a composite news story, and then completed a survey. Ratings of seriousness of IPV for stories with male perpetrators were significantly higher than ratings of seriousness for stories with female perpetrators. Men had significantly higher sympathy for female victims in any condition than for male victims in the weak or strong severity of violence …

Identification Of The Metabolic Enzyme Involved Morusin Metabolism And Characterization Of Its Metabolites By Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatogaphy Quadrupole Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (Uplc/Q-Tof-Ms/Ms), Xianbao Shi, Brianna Mackie, Gang Zhang, Shuman Yang, Yonggui Song, Dan Su, Yali Liu, Lina Shan

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Morusin, the important active component of a traditional Chinese medicine, Morus alba L., has been shown to exhibit many vital pharmacological activities. In this study, six recombinant CYP450 supersomes and liver microsomes were used to perform metabolic studies. Chemical inhibition studies and screening assays with recombinant human cytochrome P450s were also used to characterize the CYP450 isoforms involved in morusin metabolism. The morusin metabolites identified varied greatly among different species. Eight metabolites of morusin were detected in the liver microsomes from pigs (PLMs), rats (RLMs), and monkeys (MLMs) by LC-MS/MS and six metabolites were detected in the liver microsomes from …

Assessing The Unpredictable, Margaret E. Henderson

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

No abstract provided.