Digital Commons Network^™

Raw Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Induce Oxidative Stress And Activate Mapks, Ap-1, Nf-Κb, And Akt In Normal And Malignant Human Mesothelial Cells, Maricica Pacurari, Xuejun J. Yin, Jinshun Zhao, Ming Ding, Steve S. Leonard, Diane Schwegler-Berry, Barbara S. Ducatman, Deborah Sbarra, Mark D. Hoover, Vincent Castranova, Val Vallyathan

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), with their unique physicochemical and mechanical properties, have many potential new applications in medicine and industry. There has been great concern subsequent to preliminary investigations of the toxicity, biopersistence, pathogenicity, and ability of SWCNTs to translocate to subpleural areas. These results compel studies of potential interactions of SWCNTs with mesothelial cells.

Objective

Exposure to asbestos is the primary cause of malignant mesothelioma in 80–90% of individuals who develop the disease. Because the mesothelial cells are the primary target cells of asbestos-induced molecular changes mediated through an oxidant-linked mechanism, we used normal mesothelial and malignant mesothelial …

Extent Of Beta Cell Destruction Is Important But Insufficient To Predict The Onset Of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, David J. Klinke Ii

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is characterized by an inability to produce insulin endogenously. Based on a series of histopathology studies of patients with recent onset of the disease, it is commonly stated that the onset of clinical symptoms corresponds to an 80-95% reduction in beta cell mass. Motivated by the clinical importance of the degree of beta cell destruction at onset, a meta-analysis was used to determine the validity of this common wisdom.

Methods and Findings

The histopathology results identifying insulin containing islets in patients younger than 20 years of age were extracted from three different studies. The results …

Cloning And Characterization Of Micrornas From Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss): Their Expression During Early Embryonic Development, Raghuveer K. Ramachandra, Mohamed Salem, Scott Gahr, Caird E. Rexroad Iii, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Current literature and our previous results on expression patterns of oocyte-specific genes and transcription factors suggest a global but highly regulated maternal mRNA degradation at the time of embryonic genome activation (EGA). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding regulatory RNAs (19–23 nucleotides) that regulate gene expression by guiding target mRNA cleavage or translational inhibition. These regulatory RNAs are potentially involved in the degradation of maternally inherited mRNAs during early embryogenesis.

Results

To identify miRNAs that might be important for early embryogenesis in rainbow trout, we constructed a miRNA library from a pool of unfertilized eggs and early stage embryos. Sequence …

An Efficient Method For Purification Of Pcr Products For Sequencing, Hao Ma, Stephen Difazio

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

A high-throughput DNA sequencing method that generated high quality data was developed. A frame fashioned from a standard agarose gel combined with 0.1%–0.2% low-melting point (LMP) agarose gel was used to isolate the PCR product of interest. Collected PCR products were centrifuged without any reagents and the supernatants were directly used for a sequenc- ing reaction. This method is simple and labor efficient, provides high quality sequences at a low cost, and bypasses problems with impure PCR products. This technique has been used for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery in Populus angustifolia trees.

Spent Culture Medium From Virulent Borrelia Burgdorferi Increases Permeability Of Individually Perfused Microvessels Of Rat Mesentery, Xueping Zhou, Michael R. Miller, Md Motaleb, Nyles W. Charon, Pingnian He

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Lyme disease is a common vector-borne disease caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi(Bb), which manifests as systemic and targeted tissue inflammation. Both in vitro and in vivostudies have shown that Bb-induced inflammation is primarily host-mediated, via cytokine or chemokine production that promotes leukocyte adhesion/migration. Whether Bb produces mediators that can directly alter the vascular permeability in vivo has not been investigated. The objective of the present study was to investigate if Bb produces a mediator(s) that can directly activate endothelial cells resulting in increases in permeability in intact microvessels in the absence of blood cells.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The effects …

Genome-Wide Analysis Of Aux/Iaa And Arf Gene Families In Populus Trichocarpa, Udaya C. Kalluri, Stephen P. Difazio, Amy M. Brunner, Gerald A. Tuskan

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Auxin/Indole-3-Acetic Acid (Aux/IAA) and Auxin Response Factor (ARF) transcription factors are key regulators of auxin responses in plants. We identified the suites of genes in the two gene families in Populus and performed comparative genomic analysis with Arabidopsis and rice.

Results

A total of 35 Aux/IAA and 39 ARF genes were identified in the Populus genome. Comparative phylogenetic analysis revealed that several Aux/IAA and ARF subgroups have differentially expanded or contracted between the two dicotyledonous plants. Activator ARF genes were found to be two fold-overrepresented in the Populusgenome. PoptrIAA and PoptrARF gene families appear to have expanded due …

Social Structure Of Sperm Whales In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Christoph Richter, Jonathan Gordon, Nathalie Jaquet, Bernd Würsig

Gulf of Mexico Science

Sperm whales exhibit highly structured social behavior that depends on sex, age, and possibly local ecological characteristics. We analyzed sighting data collected between 1994 and 2005 to determine the social structure of sperm whale groups in the northern Gulf of Mexico (714 good-quality photographs of 285 individual whales). Average typical group size was approximately eight when estimated with mark-recapture techniques and using data from 2003 to 2005. Lagged association rate analyses including data from 1994 to 2004 indicated average group sizes of 11.41. Therefore, groups in the Gulf are considerably smaller than groups in the Pacific Ocean, but similar to …

First Capture Of A Wreckfish, Polyprion Americanus, From The Gulf Of Mexico, Robert L. Shipp, George Sedberry

Gulf of Mexico Science

No abstract provided.

Abstracts Of The Fifth North American Echinoderm Conference, Melbourne, Florida, 20-25 July 2008, Richard L. Turner, James B. Mcclintock

Gulf of Mexico Science

These abstracts represent research studies presented at the Fifth North American Echinoderm Conference (NAEC) sponsored by the Florida Institute of Technology and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, 20-25 July 2008. The meeting was held on the campus of the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL. Those attending the conference were gathered in large part to recognize the outstanding past, present, and future career of John M. Lawrence (see abstract by J. S. Pearse), the quintessential echinoderm biologist. We wish to thank Carolyn Wood (Assistant Editor) and Monty Graham (Editor) for facilitating publication in Gulf of Mexico Science.

The Potential Of Uncut Patches To Increase The Nesting Success Of Grassland Songbirds In Intensively Managed Hayfields: A Preliminary Study From The Champlain Valley Of Vermont, Roger J. Masse, Allan M. Strong, Noah G. Perlut

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Changes in land use and intensification of agricultural practices are associated with declines of grassland songbird populations in North America. Hay harvests in the northeastern United States are occurring earlier and more frequently today than 30 years ago, resulting in substantially decreased nesting success of grassland songbirds on early-hayed fields. Few studies have examined whether uncut patches within fields cut during the breeding season can increase the nesting success of grassland songbirds. Twenty-nine artificial nests were placed in 17 uncut patches (mean = 0.337 ha, median = 0.103 ha) on four early-hayed fields in Shelburne, VT. Only one of the …

Umm Telephone Extensions 2008-09, University Of Minnesota, Morris

UMN Morris Directories

No abstract provided.

A Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium Succinate Dehydrogenase/Fumarate Reductase Double Mutant Is Avirulent And Immunogenic In Balb/C Mice, Regino Mercado-Lubo, Eric J. Gauger, Mary P. Leatham, Tyrrell Conway, Paul S. Cohen

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Previously we showed that the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle operates as a full cycle during Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SR-11 peroral infection of BALB/c mice (M. Tchawa Yimga et al., Infect. Immun. 74:1130-1140, 2006). The evidence was that a ΔsucCD mutant (succinyl coenzyme A [succinyl-CoA] synthetase), which prevents the conversion of succinyl-CoA to succinate, and a ΔsdhCDA mutant (succinate dehydrogenase), which blocks the conversion of succinate to fumarate, were both attenuated, whereas an SR-11 ΔaspA mutant (aspartase) and an SR-11 ΔfrdABCD mutant (fumarate reductase), deficient in the ability to run the reductive branch of the TCA …

Identification And Characterization Of Epp, The Secreted Processing Protease For The Vibrio Anguillarum Empa Metalloprotease, Maureen Varina, Steven M. Denkin, Andrew M. Staroscik, David R. Nelson

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

The zinc metalloprotease EmpA is a virulence factor for the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum. Previous studies demonstrated that EmpA is secreted as a 46-kDa proenzyme that is activated extracellularly by the removal of an ∼10-kDa propeptide. We hypothesized that a specific protease is responsible for processing secreted pro-EmpA into mature EmpA. To identify the protease responsible for processing pro-EmpA, a minitransposon mutagenesis (using mini-Tn10Km) clone bank of V. anguillarum was screened for reduced protease activity due to insertions in undescribed genes. One mutant with reduced protease activity was identified. The region containing the mini-Tn10Km was …

Loco Labels And Marketing Madness: Improving How Consumers Interpret Information In The American Food Economy, Margaret Sova Mccabe

Law Faculty Scholarship

America's current food labeling scheme, as illustrated by the example of salt, is flawed when examined from the consumer and public health perspective. While the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act has sound scientific standards, those standards as currently applied to labels do not efficiently signal health information to consumers. Without better information on labels, consumers will continue to make poor choices at the grocery store. However, there are promising new ways to label. Both the United Kingdom and the domestic supermarket chain Hannaford’s have implemented simple health labeling on food packaging or grocery shelves to improve the amount and location …

Review Essay: Janet Halley, Split Decisions: How And Why To Take A Break From Feminism, Ann Bartow

Law Faculty Scholarship

[Excerpt] “My overarching reaction to Janet Halley's recent book, Split Decisions: How and Why to Take a Break from Feminism, can be summarized with a one sentence cliché: The perfect is the enemy of the good.' She holds feminism to a standard of perfection no human endeavor could possibly meet, and then heartily criticizes it for falling short. Though Halley's myriad observations about feminism occasionally resonated with my own views and experiences, ultimately I remain unconvinced that taking a break from feminism would, for me, be either justified or productive. But I did (mostly) enjoy reading it. Halley is well …

Franklin Pierce Law Center Educational Report: Patent Landscape Of Dna Vaccines For Hiv, Jon R. Cavicchi, Stanley P. Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Structural And Folding Characteristics Of The Plasmid-Encoded Toxin From Enteroaggregative Escherichia Coli, Patricia Scaglione

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plasmid-encoded toxin (Pet) from enteroaggregative Escherichia coli is a member of the autotransporter subfamily termed SPATE (serine protease autotransporters of Enterobacteriaceae). Autotransporters, which are the most common Gram-negative secreted virulence factors, contain three functional domains: an amino terminal leader sequence, a mature protein or passenger domain, and a carboxy-terminal β domain. The leader sequence targets the protein to the periplasmic space and the β domain then forms a β-barrel pore in the outer membrane of the bacterium which allows the passenger domain to enter the external milieu. In some cases the passenger domain is cleaved from the β-barrel at the …

Generation Of Recombinant Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Lines And Theirapplication For In Vivo Bioluminiscence Imaging In The Heart, Ramana Kammili

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death in the United States, with 80 million people suffering from some form of heart disease each year. One major limitation is the inability of the heart to repair the damaged tissue. Stem cell therapy holds enormous promise to repair and regenerate the damaged myocardium, but there are many technical difficulties that must first be overcome. One such difficulty is the present lack of ability to track and assess transplanted stem cells over time in vivo. The central hypothesis of this thesis is that in vivo bioluminescence imaging is a safe and useful …

Predictors Of Congressional Incivility, Nicholas Jordan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many have decried the lack of civility in Congress. However, to this point, few have attempted to isolate individual level explanations for the lack of comity. This research attempts to rectify this lapse. Through matched pair analysis using quota sampling with replacement, the significant predictors of uncivil behaviors are isolated in a Logistic regression. Initially, a sample is established using the New York Times and Washington Post, 1933-2005, inclusive. This time period begins with the 73rd Congress and ends with the 109th. Incidents of incivility were catalogued and the details concerning the individuals involved were gathered. In the end, the …

2008 Nsu Sharks Women's Soccer Media Guide, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Athletics Sports Programs and Media Guides

No abstract provided.

2008 Nsu Sharks Volleyball Media Guide, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Athletics Sports Programs and Media Guides

No abstract provided.

The Kupchella Years: 1999-2008, University Of North Dakota

UND Publications

This publication highlights the administration of Charles Kupchella, who served as President of the University of North Dakota from 1999 until 2008.

Prism #27, January 2008, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Are You My Mother?: Removing A Gestational Surrogate’S Name From The Birth Certificate In The Name Of Equal Protection, Erin V. Podolny

University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class

No abstract provided.

2007 Cancer Care Annual Report, Children's Mercy Hospital

Cancer Center Annual Reports

Annual report of cancer care and oncology services at the Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City MO, a pediatric medical center.

Tailored Intervention To Increase Dual-Contraceptive Method Use: A Randomized Trial To Reduce Unintended Pregnancies And Sexually Transmitted Infections, Jeffrey F. Peipert, Colleen A. Redding, Jeffrey D. Blume, Jenifer E. Allsworth, Kristen A. Matteson, Faye Lozowski, Kenneth H. Mayer, Patricia J. Morokoff, Joseph S. Rossi

Cancer Prevention Research Center Faculty Publications

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine whether a transtheoretical model–tailored expert system intervention increases dual-method contraceptive use, compared with a nontailored educational intervention.

Study Design: We performed a randomized clinical trial of 542 women at high risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy. The intervention group received computer-based tailored feedback using a multimedia program. The control group received general contraceptive information and nontailored advice.

Results: Participants in the intervention group were more likely to report use of dual contraceptive methods during follow-up (adjusted hazard rate ratio 1.70, 95% confidence interval 1.09, 2.66), compared with controls. …

Alien Dominance Of The Parasitoid Wasp Community Along An Elevation Gradient On Hawai’I Island, Robert W. Peck, Paul C. Banko, Marla Schwarzfeld, Melody Euaparadorn, Kevin W. Brinck

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Through intentional and accidental introduction, more than 100 species of alien Ichneumonidae and Braconidae (Hymenoptera) have become established in the Hawaiian Islands. The extent to which these parasitoid wasps have penetrated native wet forests was investigated over a 1,765 m elevation gradient on windward Hawai’i Island. For [1 year, malaise traps were used to continuously monitor parasitoid abundance and species richness in nine sites over three elevations. A total of 18,996 individuals from 16 subfamilies were collected. Overall, the fauna was dominated by aliens, with 44 of 58 species foreign to the Hawaiian Islands. Ichneumonidae was dominant over Braconidae in …

A Transcriptome Database For Astrocytes, Neurons, And Oligodendrocytes: A New Resource For Understanding Brain Development And Function, John D. Cahoy, Ben Emery, Amit Kaushal, Lynette C. Foo, Jennifer L. Zamanian, Karen S. Christopherson, Yi Xing, Jane L. Lubischer, Paul A. Krieg, Sergey A. Krupenko, Wesley J. Thompson, Ben A. Barres

MUSC Faculty Journal Articles

Understanding the cell–cell interactions that control CNS development and function has long been limited by the lack of methods to cleanly separate neural cell types. Here we describe methods for the prospective isolation and purification of astrocytes, neurons, and oligodendrocytes from developing and mature mouse forebrain. We used FACS (fluorescent-activated cell sorting) to isolate astrocytes from transgenic mice that express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of an S100β promoter. Using Affymetrix GeneChip Arrays, we then created a transcriptome database of the expression levels of >20,000 genes by gene profiling these three main CNS neural cell types at …

Town Of Canaan, New Hampshire. Annual Report For The Year Ending December 31, 2007., Canaan Town Representatives

Canaan, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Catalog 2008-2009, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Undergraduate

Southern Adventist University's undergraduate catalog for the academic year 2008-2009.