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Connections Of The Superior Paraolivary Nucleus Of The Rat: Ii. Reciprocal Connections With The Tectal Longitudinal Column, Antonio Vinuela, M-Auxiliadora Aparicio, Albert S. Berrebi, Enrique Saldana

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The superior paraolivary nucleus (SPON), a prominent GABAergic center of the mammalian auditory brainstem, projects to the ipsilateral inferior colliculus (IC) and sends axons through the commissure of the IC (CoIC). Herein we demonstrate that the SPON is reciprocally connected with the recently discovered tectal longitudinal column (TLC). The TLC is a long and narrow structure that spans nearly the entire midbrain tectum longitudinally, immediately above the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) and very close to the midline. Unilateral injections of biotinylated dextran into the SPON of the rat label abundant terminal fibers in the TLC of both sides, with an …

Role Of Germination In Murine Airway Cd8+ T-Cell Responses To Aspergillus Conidia, Steven P. Templeton, Amanda D. Buskirk, Brandon Law, Brett J. Green, Donald H. Beezhold

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Pulmonary exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus has been associated with morbidity and mortality, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. A. fumigatus conidia produce β-glucan, proteases, and other immunostimulatory factors upon germination. Murine models have shown that the ability of A. fumigatus to germinate at physiological temperature may be an important factor that facilitates invasive disease. We observed a significant increase in IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of immunocompetent mice that repeatedly aspirated A. fumigatus conidia in contrast to mice challenged with A. versicolor, a species that is not typically associated with invasive, disseminated disease. Analysis of tissue sections indicated …

Securinine, A Myeloid Differentiation Agent With Therapeutic Potential For Aml, Kalpana Gupta, Amitabha Chakrabarti, Sonia Rana, Ritu Ramdeo, Bryan L. Roth, Munna L. Agarwal, William Tse, Mukesh K. Agarwal, David N. Wald

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

As the defining feature of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a maturation arrest, a highly desirable therapeutic strategy is to induce leukemic cell maturation. This therapeutic strategy has the potential of avoiding the significant side effects that occur with the traditional AML therapeutics. We identified a natural compound securinine, as a leukemia differentiation-inducing agent. Securinine is a plant-derived alkaloid that has previously been used clinically as a therapeutic for primarily neurological related diseases. Securinine induces monocytic differentiation of a wide range of myeloid leukemia cell lines as well as primary leukemic patient samples. Securinine's clinical potential for AML can be …

The Streptococcal Collagen-Like Protein-1 (Scl1) Is A Significant Determinant For Biofilm Formation By Group A Streptococcus, Heaven A. Oliver-Kozup, Meenal Elliott, Beth A. Bachert, Karen H. Martin, Sean D. Reid, Diane E. Schwegler-Berry, Brett J. Green, Slawomir Lukomski

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a human-specific pathogen responsible for a number of diseases characterized by a wide range of clinical manifestations. During host colonization GAS-cell aggregates or microcolonies are observed in tissues. GAS biofilm, which is an in vitro equivalent of tissue microcolony, has only recently been studied and little is known about the specific surface determinants that aid biofilm formation. In this study, we demonstrate that surface-associated streptococcal collagen-like protein-1 (Scl1) plays an important role in GAS biofilm formation.

Results

Biofilm formation by M1-, M3-, M28-, and M41-type GAS strains, representing an intraspecies breadth, were analyzed spectrophotometrically …

Modified Expression Of Alternative Oxidase In Transgenic Tomato And Petunia Affects The Level Of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Resistance, Hao Ma, Congfeng Song, Wayne Borth, Diane Sether, Michael Melzer, John Hu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) has a very wide host range, and is transmitted in a persistent manner by several species of thrips. These characteristics make this virus difficult to control. We show here that the over-expression of the mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX) in tomato and petunia is related to TSWV resistance.

Results

The open reading frame and full-length sequence of the tomato AOX gene LeAox1au were cloned and introduced into tomato 'Healani' and petunia 'Sheer Madness' using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Highly expressed AOX transgenic tomato and petunia plants were selfed and transgenic R1 seedlings from 10 tomato lines …

Microrna-196a Regulates Bovine Newborn Ovary Homeobox Gene (Nobox) Expression During Early Embryogenesis, Swamy K. Tripurani, Kyung-Bon Lee, Gabbine Wee, George W. Smith, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Oocyte-derived maternal RNAs drive early embryogenesis when the newly formed embryo is transcriptionally inactive. Recent studies in zebrafish have identified the role of microRNAs during the maternal-to-embryonic transition (MET). MicroRNAs are short RNAs that bind to the 3' UTR of target mRNAs to repress their translation and accelerate their decay. Newborn ovary homeobox gene (NOBOX) is a transcription factor that is preferentially expressed in oocytes and essential for folliculogenesis in mice. NOBOX knockout mice are infertile and lack of NOBOX disrupts expression of many germ-cell specific genes and microRNAs. We recently reported the cloning and expression of bovine NOBOX …

In The Blink Of An Eye: Neural Responses Elicited To Viewing The Eye Blinks Of Another Individual, Julie A. Brefczynski-Lewis, Michael E. Berrebi, Marie E. Mcneely, Amy L. Prostko, Aina Puce

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Facial movements have the potential to be powerful social signals. Previous studies have shown that eye gaze changes and simple mouth movements can elicit robust neural responses, which can be altered as a function of potential social significance. Eye blinks are frequent events and are usually not deliberately communicative, yet blink rate is known to influence social perception. Here, we studied event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited to observing non-task relevant blinks, eye closure, and eye gaze changes in a centrally presented natural face stimulus. Our first hypothesis (H1) that blinks would produce robust ERPs (N170 and later ERP components) was validated, …

Antibiotic Resistance Of Enterococcus Species Isolated From Raw Foods Of Animal Origin In South West Part Of Slovakia, M Krocko, M Canigova, V Duckova, A Artimova, J Bezekova, J Poston

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We determined the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of enterococci isolated from raw foods of animal origin. All samples were positive for enterococci. The lowest count of enterococci was found in pork (2.00 log CFU/cm2), while bryndza cheese contained the highest count (4.99 log CFU/g). Among the 349 Enterococcus isolates, 49% were E. faecalis, 29% E. faecium, and 13% Enterococcus spp. Tetracycline and gentamicin resistance was the most common. We found the highest tetracycline resistance levels (91%) in isolates from poultry samples. The isolates from the poultry samples also displayed multidrug resistance to all antibiotics tested. The most common …

A First Generation Integrated Map Of The Rainbow Trout Genome, Yniv Palti, Carine Genet, Ming-Cheng Luo, Guangtu Gao, Aurelie Charlet, Yuqin Hu, Cecilia Castano-Sanchez, Kamila Tabet-Canale, Francine Krieg, Jianbo Yao, Roger L. Vallejo, Caird E. Rexroad Iii

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are the most-widely cultivated cold freshwater fish in the world and an important model species for many research areas. Coupling great interest in this species as a research model with the need for genetic improvement of aquaculture production efficiency traits justifies the continued development of genomics research resources. Many quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been identified for production and life-history traits in rainbow trout. An integrated physical and genetic map is needed to facilitate fine mapping of QTL and the selection of positional candidate genes for incorporation in marker-assisted selection (MAS) programs for …

Cd103 Deficiency Prevents Graft-Versus-Host Disease But Spares Graft-Versus-Tumor Effects Mediated By Alloreactive Cd8 T Cells, Kechang Liu, Bryan A. Anthony, Martha M. Yearsly, Mehdi Hamadani, Alice Gaughan, Jiao-Jing Wang, Steven M. Devine, Gregg A. Hadley

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains the main barrier to broader application of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) as a curative therapy for host malignancy. GVHD is mediated by allogeneic T cells directed against histocompatibility antigens expressed by host tissues. Based on previous studies, we postulated that the integrin CD103 is required for CD8-mediated GVHD, but not for graft-versus-tumor effects (GVT).

Methodology/Principal Findings

We herein provide evidence in support of this hypothesis. To circumvent the potentially confounding influence of donor CD4 T cells, we developed an alloSCT model in which GVHD mortality is mediated by purified CD8 T cells. In …

2011 Symposium Brochure

Programs

No abstract provided.

Information, Networks, And The Complexity Of Trust In Commons Governance, Adam D. Henry, Thomas Dietz

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The publication of Elinor Ostrom’s (1990) Governing the Commons fueled significant theoretical and empirical progress in the field of commons governance and collective action, most notably in the form of the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework. A central question within this literature is how trust is created, maintained, and potentially destroyed in the context of sustainability issues. While the commons literature has provided a deeper understanding of trust, most empirical work has been done in relatively simple settings that do not capture the complexity of many global, institutionally-complex dilemmas that we face today. This paper discusses how our understanding …

Silencing The Public's Voice: The Adverse Effects Of Mountain Communities For Responsible Energy V. Public Service Commission Of West Virginia, Michelle Green

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Cologne During The Witch Hunts, 1627--1662, Megan E. Mcgee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examined Cologne during the years that witchcraft persecution was the highest in the city, from 1627-1662. By using a microhistorical approach on primary sources it found that strained relationships were the chief causes of the accusations. This thesis also discovered that in Cologne, at least, all of those under the age of 30 confessed to witchcraft while all of those above the age of 30 denied the accusations. It did this by both statistical analysis of the questions asked of the accused as well as in depth analysis of the answers that the accused gave their judges.

Expression Of The Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 Isozymes In The Human Breast Cancer Cell Line Models Mda-Mb 231 And Mcf-7 And The Normal Breast Cell Line Model Mcf-10a, Debolina Ganguly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer related death among women worldwide. Numerous reports have provided evidence of a role of inflammation in the onset and progression of many cancers, including breast cancer. A mechanism that leads to inflammation involves the arachidonic acid (AA) pathway, which leads to the production of a group of pro-inflammatory bioactive lipids, collectively known as the eicosanoids. Despite evidence of AA and the eicosanoids in cancer, limited work has been done on the enzyme cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) that provides the unesterified AA that can be used for eicosanoid generation. The present …

Tyrosine Phosphorylation Linked To Cardiac Arrhythmias Via Hcn Pacemaker Channel, Yen-Chang Lin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cardiac sudden death (CSD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Although the causes of CSD are not understood completely, cardiac arrhythmias have been indicated as the major contribution to CSD. The main purpose of this thesis is to investigate the mechanisms underlying cardiac arrhythmias, therefore providing scientific basis for clinical applications in the future to lower the rate of CSD.;My thesis contains four chapters. Chapter 1 aims to examine a novel role of tyrosine phosphorylation in the arrhythmogenesis. To achieve this goal, a rat arrhythmia model was established without structural remodeling, and the Src tyrosine kinase …

An American "Duchess" In Disguise: John Singleton Copley's Turquerie Portrait Of Margaret Kemble Gage, Elizabeth Rininger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A number of portraits that John Singleton Copley painted in the years prior to the American Revolution show women clad in turquerie. Traditionally, art historians have explained the appearance of this fashion as provincial colonials copying fashions from their parent country. The appeal of the fashion was strong; however, the political, social, and sexual connotations complicate this explanation for the sitters' choice of dress. While the purpose here is not to disprove the explanation of fashion-consciousness, it is to read these portraits from the perspective of the colonized rather than the colonizer. It is an attempt to decode an appropriated …

Demographic Response Of American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius L.) To Climate Change, Sara Souther

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ecological response to recent climate change has been documented for a multitude of species worldwide. Climate models predict further increases in temperature, as much as 8 times the degree of warming that has already occurred. Given observations of species response to contemporary climate change and the unprecedented degree of warming expected over the next century, climate change will no doubt determine future ecosystem composition and affect global species diversity. In order to prevent loss of biodiversity, it is necessary to understand and accurately project species' response to climate, and to identify species that are vulnerable to climate change driven extinctions. …

Mining Functional Elements In Messenger Rnas: Overview, Challenges, And Perspectives, Firoz Ahmed, Vagner A. Benedito, Patrick Xuechun Zhao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Ubps Unraveled: Genetic Characterization Of Three Ubiquitin Specific Protease Subfamilies In Arabidopsis Thaliana., Crystal M. Goldyn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the function of three ubiquitin specific protease subfamilies (UBP15-19, UBP12/13 and UBP3/4) in Arabidopsis thaliana via reverse genetic analysis. In the investigation of the UBP15-19 subfamily, T-DNA insertion lines were utilized to determine phenotypic characteristics compared to wild-type individuals, such as reduced inflorescence, leaf, flower and silique size. Phenotypic alterations were also detected that affected development and reproduction. A phylogenetic analysis of this subfamily uncovered three subgroups in the monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants, but a single group in the mosses suggested that subgroup evolution began prior to the separation of dicots and monocots but following the divergence …

Investigation Of Particulate Matter Size Distribution And Concentration During Low Temperature Combustion, Ramamoorthy Balakrishnan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Stringent emissions regulations imposed by US EPA on diesel engine manufacturers have shifted the focus towards development and implementation of in-cylinder emissions reduction strategies. In order to simultaneously achieve low oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions, along with high thermal efficiencies, advanced combustion concepts, such as low temperature combustion (LTC), have been identified as promising approaches. Furthermore, fuel properties, such as cetane number (CN) have been known to critically affect the combustion process and hence exhaust emissions.;The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of LTC on PM size distribution and number concentration for …

Variances In Diurnal Fatigue Patterns And Mood Among Postpartum Women, Amanda L. Mcbean

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Postpartum women have highly disrupted sleep and many experience a disruption in their circadian rhythm during this time. They are also susceptible to mood disruptions during the postpartum period. While mood disruption may be a result of sleep disruption, there are not many data to support a link between circadian rhythm disruption and mood among healthy postpartum women. This study sought to fill that gap. Participants were a convenience sample of 71 women from a larger study. The total sample was 26.4 (SD = 4.0) years old, had a mean annual income of {dollar}51,000 (SD = {dollar}35,000), and had 15.7 …

Understanding Transnational Advocacy Groups: A Case Study Of The Effectiveness Of The Committee To Protect Journalists In The Promotion Of Press Freedom In The Philippines, Mayuri Mukherjee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Given the increasingly crucial role of the media in forming popular opinion, policymaking and the conduct of democratic institutions, there has been a severe, often lethal, backlash against individuals who exercise this power through their craft. This study examines the effectiveness of international advocacy groups in protecting journalists and promoting press freedom through a case study of the Committee to Protect Journalists, a non-governmental international advocacy group, in getting justice for killed journalists in the Philippines -- one of the world's most deadliest places for journalists. The study attempts to provide a detailed insight into how transnational advocacy groups work …

Role Of Inhibition In Binaural Processing, Jesse M. Thompson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The medial and lateral superior olives (MSO, LSO) are the lowest order cell groups in the mammalian auditory circuit to receive massive binaural input. The MSO functions in part to encode interaural time differences (ITD), the predominant cue for localization of low frequency sounds. Binaural inputs to the MSO consist of excitatory projections from the cochlear nuclei (CN) and inhibitory projections from both the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) and lateral nucleus of the trapezoid body (LNTB). The interaction of excitatory and inhibitory currents within an MSO cell's soma and dendrites over the backdrop of its intrinsic ionic …

Introduction To Focus Issue: Nonlinear And Stochastic Physics In Biology, Sonya Bahar, Alexander B. Neiman, Peter Jung, Jürgen Kurths, Lutz Schimansky-Geier, Kenneth Showalter

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Treatment Techniques For Edema Reduction During The Acute Stage Of The Inflammatory Cycle: A Systematic Review, Adam D. Graham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objective. To evaluate the methodological quality of edema reduction during acute injury studies found in the current literature. Data sources. Pubmed (1951--2010), MEDLINE, ScienceDirect (1995--2010), CINAHL with Full Text (1982--2010), SPORTDiscus Full Text (1800--2010), MDConsult (1980--2010), Science Direct (1940--2010), Google Scholar were searched using the terms lymphatic system, edema reduction, inflammation process individually. Second, the term lymphatic system was combined with each of the following words: injury, acute, treatment, edema, cryotherapy, electrical stimulation, compression, deep oscillation and Kinesio Tape. Third, citations were cross referenced from studies to include literature not found in the original search. Study selection. Studies were included …

Role And Contribution Of A2 Adenosine Receptors In The Regulation Of Coronary Flow, Maryam Sharifi Sanjani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One out of three individuals suffer from one form of cardiovascular disease, out of which, about 6,000,000 individuals suffer from coronary heart disease. Adenosine has long been known to play a role in coronary flow (CF) regulation; however, the individual role of A2A and A2B adenosine receptors (AR) and their contribution is yet to be fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to characterize the pharmacology of both A2 ARs in coronary arteries (CAs), in addition, to identifying their role in reactive hyperemia, and their signaling mechanisms. We hypothesized that A2 ARs mediate an increase in CF, in addition, …

Measurements Of Resistance And Reactance In Fish With The Use Of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis: Sources Of Error, M. Cox, Ron Heintz, Kyle Hartman

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

New technologies can be riddled with unforeseen sources of error, jeopardizing the validity and application of their advancement. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a new technology in fisheries research that is capable of estimating proximate composition, condition, and energy content in fish quickly, cheaply, and (after calibration) without the need to sacrifice fish. Before BIA can be widely accepted in fisheries science, it is necessary to identify sources of error and determine a means to minimize potential errors with this analysis. We conducted controlled laboratory experiments to identify sources of errors within BIA measurements. We concluded that electrode needle location, …

Suppression Of Gsk-3 Activation By M-Cadherin Protects Myoblasts Against Mitochondria-Associated Apoptosis During Myogenic Differentiation, Y. Wang, Y. Hao, S. E. Alway

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Insight Into The Cellular Alterations Required For Establishing Opportunistic Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infections, Dacie R. Bridge

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Gram-negative, opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) is responsible for causing disease of high morbidity and mortality in individuals who are immunocompromised, suffer from damaged epithelial barriers, and who have cystic fibrosis. However, the underlying host cell compromise that allows the establishment of Pa infections remains unknown and is of importance to the development of novel strategies that interrupt Pa infections. The type III secretion system (T3S) allows the direct translocation of bacterial effectors into the host cell cytosol, and in this study was used first, to identify host cell properties involved in the initiation of Pa infections, and then …