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Vibrational Spectroscopic Studies To Elucidate The Structure Of Water At Biological Interfaces, Bahar Bahrani, Luke O'Neill, Hugh Byrne

Articles

In biological systems, water takes up to 80% of the volume inside a cell. This water solubilizes the biological macromolecules such as the DNA, proteins and lipids. Recent advancements have shown that the water at the interface of a lipid membrane is structured, as five layers of structured water have been found at this solvent cage. Steady state Raman spectroscopy of water in lipids was performed in an attempt to elucidate the structure of water at the biological interface. Deuterium oxide (heavy water) was employed to hydrate lipid biomolecules. The heavier deuterium atom shifts the molecular vibrations and renders them …

Genetic Models For The Study Of Luteinizing Hormone Receptor Function, Prema Narayan

Articles

The luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor (LHCGR) is essential for fertility in men and women. LHCGR binds luteinizing hormone (LH) as well as the highly homologous chorionic gonadotropin. Signaling from LHCGR is required for steroidogenesis and gametogenesis in males and females and for sexual differentiation in the male. The importance of LHCGR in reproductive physiology is underscored by the large number of naturally occurring inactivating and activating mutations in the receptor that result in reproductive disorders. Consequently, several genetically modified mouse models have been developed for the study of LHCGR function. They include targeted deletion of LH and LHCGR that mimic …

Cold Plasma Inactivation Of Bacterial Biofilms And Reduction Of Quorum Sensing Regulated Virulence Factors, Dana Ziuzina, Daniela Boehm, Sonal Patil, Patrick J. Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

The main objectives of this work were to investigate the effect of atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) against a range of microbial biofilms commonly implicated in foodborne and health- care associated human infections and against P. aeruginosa quorum sensing (QS)-regu- lated virulence factors, such as pyocyanin, elastase (Las B) and biofilm formation capacity post-ACP treatment. The effect of processing factors, namely treatment time and mode of plasma exposure on antimicrobial activity of ACP were also examined. Antibiofilm activity was assessed for E. coli, L. monocytogenes and S. aureus in terms of reduction of cultur- ability and retention of metabolic activity using …

Applications And Comparison Of Continuous Wavelets Transforms On Analysis Of A-Wave Impulse Noise, Jun Qin, Pengfei Sun

Articles

Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a serious occupational related health problem worldwide. The A-wave impulse noise could cause severe hearing loss, and characteristics of such kind of impulse noise in the joint time-frequency (T-F) domain are critical for evaluation of auditory hazard level. This study focuses on the analysis of A-wave impulse noise in the T-F domain using continual wavelet transforms. Three different wavelets, referring to Morlet, Mexican hat, and Meyer wavelets, were investigated and compared based on theoretical analysis and applications to experimental generated A-wave impulse noise signals. The underlying theory of continuous wavelet transform was given and …

Student Educational Background, Perceptions And Expectations Towards Optometry: An Emerging Eye Health Profession Mozambique., James Loughman, Ving Fai Chan, Vanessa Raquel Moodley, Luigi Bilotto, Kovin Naidoo

Articles

Background: The University of Lurio, School of Optometry in Mozambique is a new program in Africa. The school, the first to serve Portuguese-speaking Africa, can act as a template for such initiatives in other African countries and other limited-resource settings around the world. A major challenge facing such programs is the lack of knowledge about the profession, which impacts the recruitment of students and their expectations of the program. This study was conducted to understand students’ pre-enrollment educational background, perceptions and career expectations as an optometrist in Mozambique so as to inform future enrollment and other similar initiatives. Methods: First-year …

Unusual Behavior In Parental Care By A House Wren (Troglodytes Aedon): Post Fledging Use Of An Old Nest During Cold Nights, Micah N. Scholer

Articles

I report on the unusual behavior of an adult House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) leading recently fledged young back to the nest for two consecutive nights. The ambient temperature reached below 0°C during both nights. Despite disadvantages associated with remaining in the nest, this observation suggests that adult birds may assess trade-offs between perceived risks versus the benefits of engaging in other activities, in this case roosting communally for thermoregulation.

Eaf1p Is Required For Recruitment Of Nua4 In Targeting Tfiid To The Promoters Of The Ribosomal Protein Genes For Transcriptional Initiation In Vivo., Bhawana Uprety, Rwik Sen, Sukesh R. Bhaumik

Articles

NuA4 (nucleosome acetyltransferase of H4) promotes transcriptional initiation of TFIID (a complex of TBP and TBP-associated factors [TAFs])-dependent ribosomal protein genes involved in ribosome biogenesis. However, it is not clearly understood how NuA4 regulates the transcription of ribosomal protein genes. Here, we show that NuA4 is recruited to the promoters of ribosomal protein genes, such as RPS5, RPL2B, and RPS11B, for TFIID recruitment to initiate transcription, and the recruitment of NuA4 to these promoters is impaired in the absence of its Eaf1p component. Intriguingly, impaired NuA4 recruitment in a Δeaf1 strain depletes recruitment of TFIID (a TAF-dependent form of TBP) …

Diagnostics Need Not Apply, Rebecca S. Eisenberg

Articles

Diagnostic testing helps caregivers and patients understand a patient's condition, predict future outcomes, select appropriate treatments, and determine whether treatment is working. Improvements in diagnostic testing are essential to bringing about the long-heralded promise of personalized medicine. Yet it seems increasingly clear that most important advances in this type of medical technology lie outside the boundaries of patent-eligible subject matter. The clarity of this conclusion has been obscured by ambiguity in the recent decisions of the Supreme Court concerning patent eligibility. Since its 2010 decision in Bilski v. Kappos, the Court has followed a discipline of limiting judicial exclusions from …

A Structurally Based Analytic Model Of Growth And Biomass Dynamics In Single Species Stands Of Conifers, Robin J. Tausch

Articles

A theoretically based analytic model of plant growth in single species conifer communities based on the species fully occupying a site and fully using the site resources is introduced. Model derivations result in a single equation simultaneously describes changes over both, different site conditions (or resources available), and over time for each variable for each species. Leaf area or biomass, or a related plant community measurement, such as site class, can be used as an indicator of available site resources. Relationships over time (years) are determined by the interaction between a stable foliage biomass in balance with site resources, and …

Quantitative Trait Loci Underlying Seed Sugars Content In “Md96-5722” By “Spencer” Recombinant Inbred Line Population Of Soybean, Masum Akond, David A. Lightfoot, My Abdelmajid Kassem, Khalid Meksem, Shiming Liu, Stella K. Kantartzi, Nacer Bellaloui

Articles

Sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose are important soluble sugars in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seeds. Seed sucrose is a desirable trait for taste and flavor. Raffinose and stachyose are undesirable in diets of monogastric animals, acting as anti-nutritional factors that cause flatulence and abdominal discomfort. Therefore, reducing raffinose and stachyose biosynthesis is considered as a key quality trait goal in soy food and feed industries. The objective of this study was to identify genomic regions containing quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose in a set of 92 F5:7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between …

Adopting Agile Practices When Developing Medical Device Software, Martin Mchugh, Fergal Mccaffery, Garret Coady

Articles

Agile methods are gaining momentum amongst the developers of non-safety critical software. They offer the ability to improve development time, increase quality and reduce development costs. Despite this, the rate of adoption of agile methods within safety critical domains remains low. On face value agile methods appear to be contradictory to regulatory requirements. However while they may appear contradictory, they align on key values such as the development of the highest quality software. To demonstrate that agile methods could in fact be adopted when developing regulatory compliant software they were implemented on a medical device software development project. This implementation …

Peer Victimization And Drd4 Genotype Influence Problem Behaviors In Young Children, Lisabeth Fisher Dilalla, Kyle Bersted, Sufna Gheyara John

Articles

Decades of research supports the presence of significant genetic influences on children’s internalizing (emotional), externalizing (acting out), and social difficulties, including victimization. Additionally, being victimized has been shown to relate to further behavioral problems. The current study assessed the nature of the gene-environment relationships between the DRD4 gene, peer victimization, and externalizing and internalizing difficulties in 6- to 10-year- old children. 174 children (56% girls; 88.6% Caucasian, 3.4% African American, 8% mixed race or Mayan) and their parents were administered victimization and problem behavior questionnaires, and DRD4 was genotyped for the children. An interaction between genes (DRD4) and environment (victimization) …

Visible-Light Activation Of Tio2 Photocatalysts: Advances In Theory And Experiments, Vinodkumar Etacheri, Cristiana Di Valentin, Jenny Schneider, Detlef Bahnemann, Suresh Pillai

Articles

The remarkable achievement by Fujishima and Honda (1972) in the photo-electrochemical water splitting results in the extensive use of TiO2 nanomaterials for environmental purification and energy storage/conversion applications. Though there are many advantages for the TiO2 compared to other semiconductor photocatalysts, its band gap of 3.2 eV restrains application to the UV-region of the electromagnetic spectrum ≤387.5 nm. As a result, development of visible-light active titanium dioxide is one of the key challenges in the field of semiconductor photocatalysis. In this review, advances in the strategies for the visible light activation, origin of visible-light activity, and electronic structure of various …

15 Years On Sirna Delivery: Beyond The State-Of-The-Art On Inorganic Nanoparticles For Rnai Therapeutics, Joao Conde, Furong Tian, Alfredo Ambrosone, Yulán Hernandez, Mark Mccully, Catherine C. .Berry, Pedro Baptista, Claudia Tortiglione, Jesus M. De La Fuented

Articles

RNAi has always captivated scientists due to its tremendous power to modulate the phenotype of living organisms. This natural and powerful biological mechanism can now be harnessed to downregulate specific gene expression in diseased cells, opening up endless opportunities. Since most of the conventional siRNA delivery methods are limited by a narrow therapeutic index and significant side and off-target effects, we are now in the dawn of a new age in gene therapy driven by nanotechnology vehicles for RNAi therapeutics. Here, we outlook the “do's and dont's” of the inorganic RNAi nanomaterials developed in the last 15 years and the …

Protective Properties Of Functionalised Tetrazine On An Aerospace Aluminium Alloy (Aa 2024-T3), Swarna Jaiswal, P.C. Rajath Varma, Brendan Duffy, Felicia Mutuma, Patrick Mchale

Articles

Environmental health concerns over conventional chromium based surface treatments on aluminium substrates are well known. Current research efforts have concentrated on developing protective technologies for multiple applications. Such properties would enable manufacturers to address both corrosion and bacterial threats in areas such as fuel tanks and delivery systems.

The present study explores the anticorrosion properties of 1,2-dihydro 1, 2, 4, 5 tetrazine-3, 6-dicarboxylic acid (H₂DCTZ) on a copper rich aerospace aluminium alloy (AA 2024-T3). Furthermore the antimicrobial activity of the tetrazine is evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, both capable of inducing corrosion. The protective action of the …

Computational Analysis And Monte Carlo Simulation Of Wave Propagation, Jun Qin

Articles

No abstract provided.

Numerical Analysis Of Bubble Dynamics In Electrohydraulic And Electromagnetic Shock Wave Lithotripsy, Jun Qin

Articles

This study numerically investigated the bubble dynamics in electrohydraulic (EH) and electromagnetic (EM) shock wave lithotripsy (SWL). The acoustic pressure generated by a typical EH (i.e., Dornier HM-3) and EM (i.e., Siemens Modularis) lithotripters has been measured. The dynamics of cavitation bubbles in SWL has been numerically simulated using the Gilemore formulation coupled with zero-order gas diffusion. The pressure measurement results showed that both the peak positive and negative pressure of the Modularis at E4.0 are slightly higher than the corresponding values of the HM-3 at 20 kV. However, the pressure waveforms generated by an EH lithotripter is different from …

Structural And Functional Connectivity As A Driver Of Hillslope Erosion Following Disturbance, Christopher Jason Williams, Frederick B. Pierson, Peter R. Robichaud, Osama Z. Al-Hamdan, Jan Boll, Eva K. Strand

Articles

Hydrologic response to rainfall on fragmented or burnt hillslopes is strongly influenced by the ensuing connectivity of runoff and erosion processes. Yet cross-scale process connectivity is seldom evaluated in field studies owing to scale limitations in experimental design. This study quantified surface susceptibility and hydrologic response across point to hillslope scales at two degraded unburnt and burnt woodland sites using rainfall simulation and hydrologic modelling. High runoff (31–47 mm) and erosion (154–1893 g m^–2) measured at the patch scale (13 m²) were associated with accumulation of fine-scale (0.5-m²) splash-sheet runoff and sediment and concentrated …

Leaving The “Big Deal” … Five Years Later, Jonathan Nabe, David Fowler

Articles

Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) and the University of Oregon each withdrew from several Big Deals with major commercial journal publishers from 2008 to 2010. Analysis of the impact of these decisions was originally conducted and reported in 2011 and 2012. This article provides updated analysis based on interlibrary loan statistics, financial savings, and impact on the collections. Results show that interlibrary loan of lost content still represents a small fraction of prior use, savings have been considerable, and the libraries have been able to address other needs in their collections because of the decision to withdraw.

Genetic Influences On Peer And Family Relationships Across Adolescent Development: Introduction To The Special Issue, Lisabeth Fisher Dilalla, Paula Y. Mullineaux

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Nearly all aspects of human development are influenced by genetic and environmental factors, which conjointly shape development through several gene-environment interplay mechanisms. More recently, researchers have begun to examine the influence of genetic factors on peer and family relationships across the pre-adolescent and adolescent time periods. This article introduces the special issue by providing a critical overview of behavior genetic methodology and existing research demonstrating gene-environment processes operating on the link between peer and family relationships and adolescent adjustment. The overview is followed by a summary of new research studies, which use genetically informed samples to examine how peer and …

Hematoma Enlargement Among Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: Analysis Of A Prospective Multicenter Clinical Trial, M Fareed K. Suri, Adnan I. Qureshi, Ahmed A. Malik, Malik M. Adil, Archie Defillo, Gregory T. Sherr

Articles

Observational studies suggest that hematomas continue to enlarge during hospitalization in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). There is limited data regarding factors associated with hematoma enlargement and on whether hematoma enlargement contributes directly to death and disability in patients with TBI.

We analyzed data collected as part of the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium Hypertonic Saline and TBI Study. Hematoma enlargement was ascertained and collected as a predefined safety endpoint. We evaluated the effect of hematoma enlargement on the risk of death and disability at 6 months based on the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE) (dichotomized as >4 or ≤4) using …

Bioresponsive Antisense Dna Gold Nanobeacons As A Hybrid In Vivo Theranostics Platform For The Inhibition Of Cancer Cells And Metastasis, Chenchen Bao, Joao Conde, James Curtin, Daxiang Cui, Furong Tian, Natalie Artzi

Articles

Gold nanobeacons can be used as a powerful tool for cancer theranostics. Here, we proposed a nanomaterial platform based on gold nanobeacons to detect, target and inhibit the expression of a mutant Kras gene in an in vivo murine gastric cancer model. The conjugation of fluorescently-labeled antisense DNA hairpin oligonucleotides to the surface of gold nanoparticles enables using their localized surface plasmon resonance properties to directly track the delivery to the primary gastric tumor and to lung metastatic sites. The fluorescently labeled nanobeacons reports on the interaction with the target as the fluorescent Cy3 signal is quenched by the gold …

Spectroscopic Characterization Of A Radio-Frequency Argon Plasma Jet Discharge In Ambient Air, Patrick J. Cullen, Vladimir Milosavljevic

Articles

This study includes a detailed experimental investigation of the spatial and temporal spectroscopic emission of an argon plasma jet discharge. The study is carried out in ambient air and quenching by inflowing air species is considered. The optical emission spectroscopy of neutral atomic spectral lines and molecular bands, over a range of plasma process parameters, is investigated. Wavelength-resolved argon optical emission profiles are used to monitor the electron energy distribution function and the density of argon metastable atoms. The experimental data indicates that the argon flow rate, in a confined open-air plasma discharge, limits the impact of molecular oxygen in …

Loss Of Foxm1 Results In Reduced Somatotrope Cell Number During Mouse Embryogenesis., Michael J Calderon, Adam G Ploegman, Brock Bailey, Deborah O Jung, Amy M Navratil, Buffy S Ellsworth

Articles

FOXM1, a member of the forkhead box transcription factor family, plays a key role in cell cycling progression by regulating the expression of critical G1/S and G2/M phase transition genes. In vivo studies reveal that Foxm1 null mice have a 91% lethality rate at e18.5 due to significant cardiovascular and hepatic hypoplasia. Thus, FOXM1 has emerged as a key protein regulating mitotic division and cell proliferation necessary for embryogenesis. In the current study, we assess the requirement for Foxm1 in the developing pituitary gland. We find that Foxm1 is expressed in the pituitary at embryonic days 10.5-e18.5 and localizes with …

Marx, Law, Ideology, Legal Positivism, Brian Leiter

Articles

No abstract provided.

Optimal Choice Of Sample Substrate And Laser Wavelength For Raman Spectroscopic Analysis Of Biological Specimen, Hugh Byrne, Laura Kerr, Bryan M. Hennelly

Articles

Raman spectroscopy is an optical technique based on the inelastic scattering of monochromatic light that can be used to identify

the biomolecular composition of biological cells and tissues. It can be used as both an aid for understanding the etiology

of disease and for accurate clinical diagnostics when combined with multivariate statistical algorithms. This method is nondestructive,potentially non-invasive and can be applied in vitro or in vivo directly or via a fiber optic probe. However, there exists a high degree of variability across experimental protocols, some of which result in large background signals that can often overpower the weak Raman …

Vitamin D As An Adjunctive Therapy In Asthma. Part 1: A Review Of Potential Mechanisms, Conor Kerley, Basil Elnazir, John Faul, Liam Cormican

Articles

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is highly prevalent worldwide. The classical role for vitamin D is to regulate calcium absorption form the gastrointestinal tract and influence bone health. Recently vitamin D receptors and vitamin D metabolic enzymes have been discovered in numerous sites systemically supporting diverse extra-skeletal roles of vitamin D, for example in asthmatic disease. Further, VDD and asthma share several common risk factors including high latitude, winter season, industrialization, poor diet, obesity, and dark skin pigmentation. Vitamin D has been demonstrated to possess potent immunomodulatory effects, including effects on T cells and B cells as well as increasing production …

Rnai-Based Glyconanoparticles Trigger Apoptotic Pathways For In Vitro And In Vivo Enhanced Cancer-Cell Killing, Joao Conde, Furong Tian, Yulan Hernandez, Chenchen Bao, Pedro Baptista, Daxiang Cui, Tobias Stoeger, Jesus M. De La Fuentec

Articles

biotechnology and material science due to their amazing physical, chemical and biological properties. Here, siRNA GlycoNPs (AuNP@PEG@Glucose@siRNA) in comparison to PEGylated GlycoNPs (AuNP@PEG@Glucose) were applied in vitro to a luciferase-CMT/167 adenocarcinoma cancer cell line and in vivo via intratracheal instillation directly into the lung of B6 albino mice grafted with luciferase-CMT/167 adenocarcinoma cells. siRNA GlycoNPs but not PEGylated GlycoNPs induced the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins such as Fas/CD95 and caspases 3 and 9 in CMT/167 adenocarcinoma cells in a dose dependent manner, independent from the inflammatory response, evaluated by bronchoalveolar lavage cell counting. Moreover, in vivo pulmonary delivered siRNA GlycoNPs …

Insole Antenna For On-Body Telemetry, Domenico Gaetano, Patrick Mcevoy, Max Ammann, Matthias John, Colm Brannigan, Louise Keating, Frances Horgan

Articles

A 433 MHz antenna is proposed for integration with the insole of footwear for a body area network. The folded dipole design with an asymmetric groundplane radiates from its edges and considers the close proximity of the human foot and ground surfaces. It functions for different ground conductivity conditions and an on-body communication link with an Inverted F Antenna in the upper body area was evaluated on a static and dynamic human subject. The antenna solution was compliant with Specific Absorption Rate requirements, remains matched and links with upper-body nodes regardless of the body posture and node location.

Building A Model Of Tumorigenesis: A Small Group Activity For A Cancer Biology/Cell Biology Course, Leslie Kate Wright

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The multistep nature of tumorigenesis is a foundational concept in the context of Cancer Biology. Many students do not appreciate the complex nature of cancer development nor do they understand how scientists are able to unravel the molecular pathways that lead to tumorigenesis. In this small group activity, students are presented with background information about the multistep nature of tumorigenesis and complete a priming activity that allows them to brainstorm and discuss experimental design. Students are then presented with data from the landmark manuscript, published in 1998 by Vogelstein et al., describing the first pathway of genetic alterations associated …