Digital Commons Network^™

The Beta-Glucan Receptor Dectin-1 Recognizes Specific Morphologies Of Aspergillus Fumigatus, Chad Steele, Rekha R. Rapaka, Allison Metz, Shannon M. Pop, David L. Williams, Siamon Gordon, Jay K. Kolls, Gordon D. Brown

ETSU Faculty Works

Alveolar macrophages represent a first-line innate host defense mechanism for clearing inhaled Aspergillus fumigatus from the lungs, yet contradictory data exist as to which alveolar macrophage recognition receptor is critical for innate immunity to A. fumigatus. Acknowledging that the A. fumigatus cell wall contains a high beta-1,3-glucan content, we questioned whether the beta-glucan receptor dectin-1 played a role in this recognition process. Monoclonal antibody, soluble receptor, and competitive carbohydrate blockage indicated that the alveolar macrophage inflammatory response, specifically the production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1α (IL-1α), IL-1β, IL-6, CXCL2/macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), CCL3/macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor …

Chaotic Desynchronization Of Multistrain Diseases, Ira Schwartz, Leah Shaw, Derek Cummings, Lora Billings, Marie Mccrary, Donald Burke

Department of Mathematics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Multistrain diseases are diseases that consist of several strains, or serotypes. The serotypes may interact by antibody-dependent enhancement rADE, in which infection with a single serotype is asymptomatic, but infection with a second serotype leads to serious illness accompanied by greater infectivity. It has been observed from serotype data of dengue hemorrhagic fever that outbreaks of the four serotypes occur asynchronously. Both autonomous and seasonally driven outbreaks were studied in a model containing ADE. For sufficiently small ADE, the number of infectives of each serotype synchronizes, with outbreaks occurring in phase. When the ADE increases past a threshold, the system …

University Reporter - Volume 10, Number 04 - December 2005

1996-2009, University Reporter

This issue of the University Reporter includes articles about National Institute of Health funding for a Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and UMass Boston partnership, the Institute for Asian American Studies and the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy sponsored studies of the ways immigrant entrepreneurs contribute to the neighborhoods, Provost Paul Fonteyn's efforts to bring science education to displaced Hussicane Katrina students, and other news from UMass Boston.

The Stochastic Dance Of Early Hiv Infection, Stephen J. Merrill

Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

The stochastic nature of early HIV infection is described in a series of models, each of which captures aspects of the dance of HIV during the early stages of infection. It is to this highly variable target that the immune response must respond. The adaptability of the various components of the immune response is an important aspect of the system's operation, as the nature of the pathogens that the response will be required to respond to and the order in which those responses must be made cannot be known beforehand. As HIV infection has direct influence over cells responsible for …

Structural Allostery And Binding Of The Transferrin·Receptor Complex, Guozhong Xu, Mark R. Chance

Faculty Scholarship

The structural allostery and binding interface for the human serum transferrin (Tf)-transferrin receptor (TfR) complex were identified using radiolytic footprinting and mass spectrometry. We have determined previously that the transferrin C-lobe binds to the receptor helical domain. In this study we examined the binding interactions of full-length transferrin with receptor and compared these data with a model of the complex derived from cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) reconstructions (Cheng, Y., Zak, O., Aisen, P., Harrison, S. C. & Walz, T. (2004) Structure of the human transferrin receptor-transferrin complex. Cell 116, 565-576). The footprinting results provide the following novel conclusions. First, we report …

Panorama December 2005, Southern Adventist University

Panorama Parent Newsletter

This issues of the Panorama parent newsletter highlights the Social Work and Family Studies Department, provides information on Campus Safety and student jobs, and contains quotes from students thanking their parents.

Analysis Of Qa/Qc Protocols And Value Of Data To The Development Of Reference Criteria In The Georgia Ecoregions Project, Tracy Jo Ferring

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of Measurements Quality Objectives (MQOs), in bioassessment programs is a useful tool in evaluating the consistency of data and limiting variability and potential sources of measurement error. Typical evaluations of data repeatability and/or data quality center on the use of a series of calculations that quantify variability between measures. These calculations provided some indication of not only the quality of the data collected, but also acted as a measure of how representative the biological data were to each ecoregion. The evaluation of the Quality Control data for this project provides a framework for data users and water resource …

An Analog Vlsi Implementation Of A Multi-Scale Spike Detection Algorithm For Extracellular Neural Recordings, Christy L. Rogers, John G. Harris, Jose C. Principe, Justin C. Sanchez

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper discusses a multi-scale neural spike detection algorithm for a low-power analog circuit implementation. The key idea is to implement wavelet decomposition and improve spike detection by independently controlling thresholds for each scale. Each thresholder scale is then combined to provide a single output indicating a spike occurrence. This spike detection algorithm shows promising results towards a robust, compact, and unsupervised low power analog spike detection circuit. A low power front-end spike detection circuit can be added to a neural amplifier and dramatically reduce the required data bandwidth for BMI applications. © 2005 IEEE.

The Sbc-Tree: An Index For Run-Length Compressed Sequences, Mohamed Y. Eltabakh, Wing-Kai Hon, Rahul Shah, Walid G. Aref, Jeffrey S. Vitter

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

The Montclarion, December 01, 2005, The Montclarion

The Montclarion

Student Newspaper of Montclair State University

Fabrication Of A Microfluidic Platform For Impedance Analysis Of Cultured Endothelial Cell Monolayers., Stuart J. Williams 1981-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Assessing the functionality of the endothelium can provide insight into the initiation and formation of arterial diseases. One of the most important functions of the endothelial layer is its permeability. The integrity of the cell monolayer and its ability to transport molecules can be assessed in vitro by investigating the electrical impedance. In this study, a microfluidic platform was created using an electrode-patterned glass substrate and microfluidic poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) substrate. The electrode glass base of the structure was fabricated with platinum square electrodes of various sizes ranging from 10x10 ìm2 to 160x160 ìm2 and a larger, common counter electrode. …

Towards A Theory Of Emotional Communication, Anne Bartsch, Susanne Hübner

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In their paper, "Towards a Theory of Emotional Communication," Anne Bartsch and Susanne Hübner outline a model of emotional communication where emotional communication is conceptualized as a process of mutual influence between the emotions of communication partners. To elaborate this general notion further, four working definitions of emotional communication are introduced, each of which is based on a different theory of emotions. In the second part of the paper, an integrative framework is proposed that reconciles the four working definitions and their underlying theories of emotion. According to this framework, emotional communication comprises three interrelated levels of complexity: 1) innate …

Producing “The Diary Of Anne Frank” In The 21St Century, Nancy Camina

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis is a Creative Study involving the directing of The Diary of Anne Frank . Three basic areas are addressed: Preplanning, Production and Evaluation. The Preplanning chapter entails discovering every aspect of the play through an external an internal analysis of the script. The external analysis examines various historical events that preceded and are concurrent to the action of the play. The internal analysis looks at various elements within the play that may be unfamiliar to both the actors and the audience. The production chapter details every phase involved in producing the play. The last chapter, Evaluation, uses both …

The Effects Of A Redirecting Strategy On Self Injurious Behavior Manifested By A Subject With Multiple Disabilities, Maria Estevanes Strickland

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if a strategy involving redirection would reduce or extinguish self-injurious behavior (SIB). The subject, a ten-year-old girl, diagnosed with a seizure disorder, functioned at as eight month old level is confined to a wheel chair and is completely dependent on others for transportation and self-care needs. A single subject, ABAB design was used. The study was aimed at measuring SIB episodes during the baseline and treatment phases. A communication board was used during the treatment phases. The results indicate that the use of the communication board successfully reduced the episodes of self-injurious …

Composite Mechanical Property Enhancement Through The Use Of Y-End Shaped Short Fibers, Jin Tan

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study uses Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to predict the mechanical property enhancement of the composites reinforced by end-shaped short fibers with different aspect ratios and volume fractions at microscale. Fibers used include conventional straight short fibers (CSSF), dumbbell-end shaped short fibers (DSSF), bone-end shaped short fibers (BSSF) and Y-end shaped short fibers (YSSF) with various lengths and angles. The critical distances between neighboring fiber ends for FEA modeling were theoretically deduced and numerically verified. This study has never been done before and the results fill a gap to this field.

In conclusion, planar-end Y-shaped short fiber reinforced composites showed …

Social Preferences In Small‐Scale Societies, Alexander J. Field

Economics

This volume reports on a cross‐cultural investigation of social preferences in 15 small‐scale, non‐Western societies. Participants from all 15 groups played the ultimatum game with members of their own culture; subjects from a subset also played dictator and voluntary contribution to public goods games. The bulk of the book (Chapters 4 through 14) consists of reports by the field workers (mostly anthropologists). Each chapter includes ethnographic information, a description of how members of the group make their living, details on the experimental protocols and results, and some discussion. Although none of the results are consistent with the predictions of the …

The Alaska Health Care Decisions Act, Analyzed, Kenneth C. Kirk

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Biological Weapons And Bioterrorism Threat, Milton Leitenberg Mr.

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

It is nearly 15 years since biological weapons (BW) have become a significant national security preoccupation. This occurred primarily due to circumstances occurring within a short span of years. First was the official U.S. Government suggestion that proliferation of offensive BW programs among states and even terrorist groups was an increasing trend; second was the discovery, between 1989 and 1992, that the Union USSR had violated the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) since its ratification in 1975 by building a massive covert biological weapons program; third was the corroboration by the UN Special Commission in 1995 that Iraq had maintained a …

Assessing The Biological Weapons And Bioterrorism Threat, Milton Leitenberg Mr.

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

It is nearly 15 years since biological weapons (BW) have become a significant national security preoccupation. This occurred primarily due to circumstances occurring within a short span of years. First was the official U.S. Government suggestion that proliferation of offensive BW programs among states and even terrorist groups was an increasing trend; second was the discovery, between 1989 and 1992, that the Union USSR had violated the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) since its ratification in 1975 by building a massive covert biological weapons program; third was the corroboration by the UN Special Commission in 1995 that Iraq had maintained a …

Rdr6 Has A Broad-Spectrum But Temperature-Dependent Antiviral Defense Role In Nicotiana Benthamiana, Feng Qu, Xiaohong Ye, Guichuan Hou, Shirley Sato, Thomas E. Clemente, Thomas Jack Morris

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

SDE1/SGS2/RDR6, a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) from Arabidopsis thaliana, has previously been found to be indispensable for maintaining the posttranscriptional silencing of transgenes, but it is seemingly redundant for antiviral defense. To elucidate the antiviral role of this RdRP in a different host plant and to evaluate whether plant growth conditions affect its role, we down-regulated expression of the Nicotiana benthamiana homolog, NbRDR6, and examined the plants for altered susceptibility to various viruses at different growth temperatures. The results we describe here clearly show that plants with reduced expression of NbRDR6 were more susceptible to all viruses tested …

Different Catalytic Mechanisms In Mammalian Selenocysteine- And Cysteine-Containing Methionine-R-Sulfoxide Reductases, Hwa-Young Kim, Vadim Gladyshev

Vadim Gladyshev Publications

Selenocysteine (Sec) is found in active sites of several oxidoreductases in which this residue is essential for catalytic activity. However, many selenoproteins have fully functional orthologs, wherein cysteine (Cys) occupies the position of Sec. The reason why some enzymes evolve into selenoproteins if the Cys versions may be sufficient is not understood. Among three mammalian methionine-R-sulfoxide reductases (MsrBs), MsrB1 is a Sec-containing protein, whereas MsrB2 and MsrB3 contain Cys in the active site, making these enzymes an excellent system for addressing the question of why Sec is used in biological systems. In this study, we found that residues, which are …

Assessment Of Ecological Risks In Weed Biocontrol: Input From Retrospective Ecological Analyses, Svata M. Louda, Tatyana A. Rand, F. Leland Russell, Amy E. Arnett

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Prediction of the outcomes of natural enemy introductions remains the most fundamental challenge in biological control. Quantitative retrospective analyses of ongoing biocontrol projects provide a systematic strategy to evaluate and further develop ecological risk assessment. In this review, we highlight a crucial assumption underlying a continued reliance on the host specificity paradigm as a quantitative prediction of ecological risk, summarize the status of our retrospective analyses of nontarget effects of two weevils used against exotic thistles in North America, and discuss our prospective assessment of risk to a federally listed, threatened species (Cirsium pitcheri) based on those studies. …

Community Analysis Of A Mercury Hot Spring Supports Occurrence Of Domain-Specific Forms Of Mercuric Reductase, Jessica Simbahan, Elizabeth Kurth, James Schelert, Amanda Dillman, Estuko N. Moriyama, Stevan Jovanovich, Paul H. Blum

Papers in Genetics

Mercury is a redox-active heavy metal that reacts with active thiols and depletes cellular antioxidants. Active resistance to the mercuric ion is a widely distributed trait among bacteria and results from the action of mercuric reductase (MerA). Protein phylogenetic analysis of MerA in bacteria indicated the occurrence of a second distinctive form of MerA among the archaea, which lacked an N-terminal metal recruitment domain and a C-terminal active tyrosine. To assess the distribution of the forms of MerA in an interacting community comprising members of both prokaryotic domains, studies were conducted at a naturally occurring mercuryrich geothermal environment. Geochemical analyses …

A Dynamic Economic Dispatch Solution Method Using Hopfield Neural Network, Q. M. Alias, F. Ben Hameda

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

This paper analyzes and tests a proposed neural network (NN) to solve the Dynamic Economic Dispatch (DED) as part of the unit commitment problem. The proposed NN is a fast and direct computation solver using a Hopfield model for solving the dynamic economic dispatch problem of thermal generators which is a dynamic optimization problem taking into account the constraints imposed on system operation by generator ramping rate limits. Formulations for solving the ED and DED problems are explored. Through the application of these formulations, direct computation instead of iterations for solving the problem becomes possible. Not like the usual Hopfield …

Is This Clinical Trial Fully Registered? A Statement From The International Committee Of Medical Journal Editors, Jeffrey M. Drazen, Frank A. Frizelle, Charlotte Haug, John Hoey, Richard Horton, Sheldon Kotzin, Christine Laine, Ana Marusic, Torben V. Schroeder, Harold C. Sox

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Ethical Guidelines In Genetics And Genomics. An Islamic Perspective, Aida I. Al-Aqeel

Saudi Medical Journal

We are at a time of unprecedented increase in knowledge of rapidly changing technology. Such biotechnology especially when it involves human subjects raises complex ethical, legal, social and religious issues. A World Health Organization expert consultation concluded that "genetics advances will only be acceptable if their application is carried out ethically, with due regard to autonomy, justice, education and the beliefs and resources of each nation and community." Public health authorities are increasingly concerned by the high rate of births with genetic disorders especially in developing countries where Muslims are a majority. Therefore, it is imperative to scrutinize the available …

Influence Of Ovariectomy And Flutamide Treatment On Vaginal Tissue And Body Weight, Berna G. Saruhan, Davut Ozbag, Yakup Gumusalan, Nurullah Ozdemir

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of flutamide on vaginal histology, and to ascertain whether flutamide regulates body weight gain in the ovariectomized rat model. METHODS: We chose 36 sexually mature female Wistar-Albino rats in this study. The study took placed in the Department of Medical Science Application and Research Center of Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey, in 2002. We divided the model rats into 3 groups: group 1 - control group, group 2 - sham-operated group and group 3 - bilaterally ovariectomized group. In addition, we gave flutamide to group 3. RESULTS: We found that the body weight was higher in …

Ossifying Renal Tumor Of Infancy, Tareq K. El-Husseini, Siddig A. Egail, Ali M. Al-Orf, Colin Mostert

Saudi Medical Journal

Ossifying renal tumor of infancy ORTI is a benign neoplasm, which presents with gross hematuria and less frequently as an abdominal mass, histologically it comprises a large cell with an epithelial nature and osteoid formation. We report a case of a 10-month-old girl who developed ORTI as non-opacified upper calyces of left kidney on excretory urography. We outlined the calcific and tumors nature of the lesion by ultrasound and computed tomography. The macroscopic and histological features were pathognomonic.

Anesthesia Management In Kabuki Make-Up Syndrome, Remziye Sivaci, Orhan K. Kahveci, Muge Celik, Ali Altuntas, Mustafa Solak

Saudi Medical Journal

Kabuki make-up syndrome KMS is a rare condition with a number of characteristic congenital abnormalities. The syndrome is characterized by peculiar facial appearance resembling the make-up of actors in Kabuki, the traditional Japanese theater, skeletal anomalies, dermatoglyphic abnormalities, postnatal growth deficiency, and mental retardation. These are rare reports of central nervous system dysfunctions, other than mental retardation, and no previously described congenital talipes calcaneo-valgus in this syndrome. We report the case of a 22-month-old girl having Kabuki make-up. At presentation, she had an adenoid hypertrophy and a history of recurrent otitis media. She had also delay in motor development, and …

Role Of Maternal Factors In The Etiology Of Neural Tube Defects In Jordan, Amira Masri

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.