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Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For April-May 2011, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For December 2011, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For October-November 2011, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For July-September 2011, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Coupling Sensitive In Vitro And In Silico Techniques To Assess Cross-Reactive Cd4+ T Cells Against The Swine-Origin H1n1 Influenza Virus, Brian C. Schanen, Anne S. De Groot, Leonard Moise, Matt Ardito, Elizabeth Mcclaine, William Martin, Vaughan Wittman, William L. Warren, Donald R. Drake Iii

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

The outbreak of the novel swine-origin H1N1 influenza in the spring of 2009 took epidemiologists, immunologists, and vaccinologists by surprise and galvanized a massive worldwide effort to produce millions of vaccine doses to protect against this single virus strain. Of particular concern was the apparent lack of pre-existing antibody capable of eliciting cross-protective immunity against this novel virus, which fueled fears this strain would trigger a particularly far-reaching and lethal pandemic. Given that disease caused by the swine-origin virus was far less severe than expected, we hypothesized cellular immunity to cross-conserved T cell epitopes might have played a significant role …

Helicovax: Epitope-Based Therapeutic Helicobacter Pylori Vaccination In A Mouse Model, Steven F. Moss, Leonard Moise, Dong Soo Lee, Woojin Kim, Songhua Zhang, Jinhee Lee, Arlin B. Rogers, William Martin, Anne S. De Groot

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Helicobacter pylori is the leading cause of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric adenocarcinoma and lymphoma in humans. Due to the decreasing efficacy of anti-H. pylori antibiotic therapy in clinical practice, there is renewed interest in the development of anti-H. pylori vaccines. In this study an in silico-based approach was utilized to develop a multi-epitope DNA-prime/peptide-boost immunization strategy using informatics tools. The efficacy of this construct was then assessed as a therapeutic vaccine in a mouse model of gastric cancer induced by chronic H. pylori infection. The multi-epitope vaccine administered intranasally induced a broad immune response as determined …

Semen Quality And Chemical Oxidative Stress; Quantification And Remediation, Saleem Ali Bani-Hani

ETD Archive

The necessary multi-step process to prepare human semen for assisted reproduction (AR) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) is known to induce oxidative stress in human spermatozoa and subsequent damage to the integrity of their cell components and, thus, to their function. Literature reports have viewed this as a potential link with the high frequency of birth defects among the IVF babies. In this work, we studied the effect of incubation and centrifugation on human sperm quality using established AR protocols. We found that in vitro incubation and centrifugation (20 min at 220g) of sperm generally degrade sperm quality in …

Wireless Signals And Male Fertility, Rand Mouradi

ETD Archive

Rapid advances in wireless technology have increased the number of users of mobile devices. As of 2011, the number of cell phone subscribers have reached 5.3 billion worldwide. Mobile devices have saturated our environment with radio frequency (RF) signals. This situation has created public concern over the effect of such signals on human health. This dissertation focuses on the correlation of RF signals emitted by cell phones with male infertility. A thorough discussion is provided on the effects of RF signals on the development of central nervous system (CNS) neoplasm, the design of these mobile devices, the range of the …

3d Imaging For Planning Of Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures, Uma Numburi

ETD Archive

Novel minimally invasive surgeries are used for treating cardiovascular diseases and are performed under 2D fluoroscopic guidance with a C-arm system. 3D multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) images are routinely used for preprocedural planning and postprocedural follow-up. For preprocedural planning, the ability to integrate the MDCT with fluoroscopic images for intraprocedural guidance is of clinical interest. Registration may be facilitated by rotating the C-arm to acquire 3D C-arm CT images. This dissertation describes the development of optimal scan and contrast parameters for C-arm CT in 6 swine. A 5-s ungated C-arm CT acquisition during rapid ventricular pacing with aortic root …

Quantitative And Qualitative Mass Spectrometric Analysis Of Anticancer Agents, Drugs Of Abuse And Enzyme-Inhibitor Complexes, Keri M. Smith

ETD Archive

Mass spectrometry is a valuable tool in the analysis of many types of compounds. From small molecules to large proteins, mass spectrometry can help to interrogate samples and give insights to the origins of disease as well as calculate an exact concentration. Bioanalytical method development is an integral component in the measurement of such compounds. To facilitate proper analytical investigation, the process of method development, analysis, and interpretation must be understood. This work describes the basis and procedure for bioanalytical method development and its detailed application to preclinical studies of the antineoplastic agent hexamethylene bisacetamide and measurement ofillicit drugs of …

How Is Encystment Regulated In Giardia Intestinalis, Iryna G. Tsarukyanova

ETD Archive

Giardia intestinalis is a protozoan parasite causing one of the most widely spread water-born intestinal infections: named giardiasis. The parasite has two life forms: trophozoite, responsible for the symptoms, and a transmittable cyst. Cysts are protected from the environment by a cyst wall build up from protein and a complex polysaccharide. The initiation and the key for cyst wall biosynthesis is amination of fructose 6-phosphate by glucosamine 6-phosphate deaminase (GNP). Fructose 6-phosphate is also an intermediate in glycolysis, the main energy producing pathway in trophozoites. The alternative energy source is the arginine dihydrolase pathway (ADHP), which is upregulated upon encystment. …

One-Dimensional Radial Diffusion Of Small Molecules (376 Da) In Bone Tissue, Kurt W. Farrell

ETD Archive

The flow of nutrients through any biological tissue is important to maintain homeostasis. If the transport process is understood, medical research teams can better design medications, prosthetic implants, and tissue scaffolds. Additionally, transport rates help physicians to better understand disease states and wound healing, including minor injuries such as breaks and sprains, which will aid in better diagnoses. We developed a novel method that measures the rate of diffusion in vitro, of fluorescein sodium salt. Samples were incubated at 37°C in a 5 CO2 atmosphere for various periods of time. Samples were sliced and analyzed using Image-Pro Plus and MATLAB …

Modification, Expression, And Purification Of Hyperactive Antifreeze Proteins From Insect Tenebrio Molitor, Sen Bu

ETD Archive

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs), also known as thermal hysteresis proteins, can protect organisms from damage caused by freezing by lowering the freezing point of fluids. AFPs can bind to small ice crystals, inhibit ice growth, and change the morphology of ice crystals. The difference between the freezing temperature and the melting temperature is termed thermal hysteresis (TH). There are different types of AFPs, such as fish AFPs (type I, II, III, and IV) and insect AFPs. These AFPs can also be classified by their thermal hysteresis activity: moderately active AFPs and hyperactive AFPs. Previous research groups successfully constructed AFP (type I, …

Characterization Of Elastin-Like Polypeptides Using Viscometry, Hamdan Noman Alanazi

ETD Archive

Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are a class of polypeptide polymers that are gaining interest in various potential applications. These polymers are responsive to the changes in their environment by exhibiting conformational changes and aggregation. Monodisperse elastin-like polypeptides, (GVGVP)40, (GVGVP)40-foldon, and (GVGVP)60-foldon are made in bacterial expression system. An Ubbelohde capillary viscometer was set up to characterize the structural changes of these ELPs in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution. For the ELP-foldon, the relative viscosity measurements were utilized to calculate the intrinsic viscosities using Kraemer and Huggins equations. The known molecular weights of the ELPs and the experimentally determined intrinsic viscosities facilitated …

An Exploration Of Self-Construction Through Buddhist Imagery In Maxine Hong Kingston's The Women Warrior, Rosann M. Bilek Gage

ETD Archive

Buddhist imagery in The Woman Warrior can be interpreted as part of a Buddhist journey, a journey to observe and realize the nature of the self as mutable and indefinable this concept of self becomes transcendent through the novel to the reader by a participatory process which calls for insight beyond the illusion created by the narrative itself. Through an exploration of Buddhist inspired images - silence, seated mediation, the concept of the self as observer, koan, martial arts, the role of suffering and even aspects of transmigration and time - the struggle or journey to define a self transcends …

Insect Signature Indicating Corpse Movement From Urban To Rural Areas Of Northeast Ohio, Krystal R. Hans

ETD Archive

The distribution of insects geographically may provide evidence that indicates the movement of human remains from one location to another. The aims of this study were: (1) to observe insect succession in an urban and rural area in northeastern Ohio to document differences in the entomofaunal succession, and (2) to determine if there is an insect signature associated with a body moved from an urban to a rural area. It was hypothesized that there would be a difference in species composition between the urban and rural sites and the body moved would retain insect evidence indicating initial exposure to an …

The Poreh Nonverbal Memory Test, Chelsea Kalynn Kociuba

ETD Archive

Nonverbal memory focuses on the remembrance of information that cannot be described or put into a verbal component, such as remembering a person's face, identifying abstract stimuli, or remembering objects. Because nonverbal memory focuses on the remembrance of things that cannot be put into words it is a difficult construct to measure accurately. One area that is of great importance in the assessment of nonverbal abilities is spatial memory (Reynolds & Coress, 2007, Foster, Drago, & Harrison, 2009). Most of the tasks that have been developed to assess this construct employ verbally mediated clues allowing the examinee to compensate for …

Novel Thermal Analytical Techniques To Characterize Drugs And Drug Delivery, Lakshmi Swetha Kaza

ETD Archive

This thesis encompasses three significant projects. The study includes the characterization and evaluation of the properties of a commercial contraceptive transdermal patch, Ortho Evra® by Dielectric Analysis and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). This study helps in monitoring the mobility of the drug and transport properties by Isothermal and Scanning Dielectric Analysis as a function of temperature and frequency. The drugs in this product are norelgestromin and ethinyl estradiol. DSC was used to detect any crystalline character of the drugs by their fusion properties. Having no melting endotherm and detecting a glass transition temperature suggested that the drugs in the patches …

Place And Memory In The New Ireland : Review, Eamon Maher

Articles

This is the second volume in the Irish Studies in Europe series which publishes a selection of the papers given at the biannual EFACIS (European Federation of Associations and Centres of Irish Studies) conferences. EFACIS rightly prides itself on the multidisciplinary and international character of its approach and the book under review, emanating from the 2007 conference held in Gothenburg, Sweden, has contributions from scholars from the USA, France, Sweden, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and Ireland. The theme of place and memory in the New Ireland attracted a stimulating array of chapters from historians, literary critics and sociologists. The chapters …

The Living Textbook Project For Affordable Higher Education, Dayanjan S. Wijesinghe

Surgery Presentations

A blue print for ensuring that community college education remains affordable to the future generations via elimination of the cost of textbooks.

A Trial Of An Impedance Threshold Device In Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Tom P. Aufderheide, Graham Nichol, Thomas D. Rea, Siobhan P. Brown, Brian G. Leroux, Paul E. Pepe, Peter J. Kudenchuk, Jim Christenson, Mohamud R. Daya, Paul Dorian, Clifton W. Callaway, Ahamed H. Idris, Douglas Andrusiek, Shannon W. Stephens, David Hostler, Daniel Davis, James V. Dunford, Ronald G. Pirrallo, Ian G. Stiell, Catherine M. Clement, Alan Craig, Lois Van Ottingham, Terri A. Schmidt, Henry E. Wang, Myron L. Weistfeldt, Joseph P. Ornato, George Sopko

Emergency Medicine Publications

Background

The impedance threshold device (ITD) is designed to enhance venous return and cardiac output during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by increasing the degree of negative intrathoracic pressure. Previous studies have suggested that the use of an ITD during CPR may improve survival rates after cardiac arrest.

Methods

We compared the use of an active ITD with that of a sham ITD in patients with out-ofhospital cardiac arrest who underwent standard CPR at 10 sites in the United States and Canada. Patients, investigators, study coordinators, and all care providers were unaware of the treatment assignments. The primary outcome was survival to …

Right Ventricular Dysfunction Following Acute Myocardial Infarction In The Absence Of Pulmonary Hypertension In The Mouse, Stefano Toldo, Herman J. Bogaard, Benjamin W. Van Tassell, Eleonora Mezzaroma, Ignacio M. Seropian, Roshanak Robati, Fadi N. Salloum, Norbert F. Voelkel, Antonio Abbate

VCU Health Publications

Background

Cardiac remodelling after AMI is characterized by molecular and cellular mechanisms involving both the ischemic and non-ischemic myocardium. The extent of right ventricular (RV) dilatation and dysfunction and its relation to pulmonary hypertension (PH) following AMI are unknown. The aim of the current study was to evaluate changes in dimensions and function of the RV following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) involving the left ventricle (LV).

Methods

We assessed changes in RV dimensions and function 1 week following experimental AMI involving the LV free wall in 10 mice and assessed for LV and RV dimensions and function and for the …

Alterations In The Interleukin-1/Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Balance Modulate Cardiac Remodeling Following Myocardial Infarction In The Mouse, Antonio Abbate, Fadi N. Salloum, Benjamin W. Van Tassell, Elena Vecile, Stefano Toldo, Ignacio M. Seropian, Eleonora Mezzaroma, Aldo Dobrina

VCU Health Publications

Background

Healing after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is characterized by an intense inflammatory response and increased Interleukin-1 (IL-1) tissue activity. Genetically engineered mice lacking the IL-1 receptor (IL-1R1-/-, not responsive to IL-1) or the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra, enhanced response to IL-1) have an altered IL-1/IL-1Ra balance that we hypothesize modulates infarct healing and cardiac remodeling after AMI.

Methods

IL-1R1-/- and IL-1Ra-/- male mice and their correspondent wild-types (WT) were subjected to permanent coronary artery ligation or sham surgery. Infarct size (trichrome scar size), apoptotic cell death (TUNEL) and left ventricular (LV) dimensions and function (echocardiography) were measured prior to …

Fractalkine/Cx3cl1 Protects Striatal Neurons From Synergistic Morphine And Hiv-1 Tat-Induced Dendritic Losses And Death, Masami Suzuki, Nazira El-Hage, Shiping Zou, Yun-Kyung Hahn, Mary Sorrell, Jamie Sturgill, Daniel H. Conrad, Pamela E. Knapp, Kurt F. Hauser

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Background Fractalkine/CX3CL1 and its cognate receptor CX3CR1 are abundantly expressed in the CNS. Fractalkine is an unusual C-X3-C motif chemokine that is important in neuron-microglial communication, a co-receptor for HIV infection, and can be neuroprotective. To assess the effects of fractalkine on opiate-HIV interactive neurotoxicity, wild-type murine striatal neurons were co-cultured with mixed glia from the striata of wild-type or Cx3cr1 knockout mice ± HIV-1 Tat and/or morphine. Time-lapse digital images were continuously recorded at 20 min intervals for up to 72 h using computer-aided microscopy to track the same cells repeatedly.

Results Co-exposure to Tat and morphine caused synergistic …

Electrospun Collagen: A Tissue Engineering Scaffold With Unique Functional Properties In A Wide Variety Of Applications, Balendu Shekhar Jha, Chantal E. Ayres, James R. Bowman, Todd A. Telemeco, Scott A. Sell, Gary L. Bowlin, David G. Simpson

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Type I collagen and gelatin, a derivative of Type I collagen that has been denatured, can each be electrospun into tissue engineering scaffolds composed of nano- to micron-scale diameter fibers. We characterize the biological activity of these materials in a variety of tissue engineering applications, including endothelial cell-scaffold interactions, the onset of bone mineralization, dermal reconstruction, and the fabrication of skeletal muscle prosthetics. Electrospun collgen (esC) consistently exhibited unique biological properties in these functional assays. Even though gelatin can be spun into fibrillar scaffolds that resemble scaffolds of esC, our assays reveal that electrospun gelatin (esG) lacks intact α chains …

Combinatorial Effect Of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs And Nf-Κb Inhibitors In Ovarian Cancer Therapy, Luiz F. Zerbini, Rodrigo E. Tamura, Ricardo G. Correa, Akos Czibere, Jason Coideiro, Manoj Bhasin, Fernando M. Simabuco, Yihong Wang, Xuesong Gu, Linglin Li, Devanand Sarkar, Jin-Rong Zhou, Paul B. Fisher, Towia A. Libermann

Human and Molecular Genetics Publications

Several epidemiological studies have correlated the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) with reduced risk of ovarian cancer, the most lethal gynecological cancer, diagnosed usually in late stages of the disease. We have previously established that the pro-apoptotic cytokine melanoma differentiation associated gene-7/Interleukin-24 (mda-7/IL-24) is a crucial mediator of NSAID-induced apoptosis in prostate, breast, renal and stomach cancer cells. In this report we evaluated various structurally different NSAIDs for their efficacies to induce apoptosis and mda-7/IL-24 expression in ovarian cancer cells. While several NSAIDs induced apoptosis, Sulindac Sulfide and Diclofenac most potently induced apoptosis and reduced tumor …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Elastase Provides An Escape From Phagocytosis By Degrading The Pulmonary Surfactant Protein-A, Zhizhou Kuang, Yonghua Hao, Brent E. Walling, Jayme L. Jeffries, Dennis E. Ohman, Gee W. Lau

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes both acute pneumonitis in immunocompromised patients and chronic lung infections in individuals with cystic fibrosis and other bronchiectasis. Over 75% of clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa secrete elastase B (LasB), an elastolytic metalloproteinase that is encoded by the lasB gene. Previously, in vitro studies have demonstrated that LasB degrades a number of components in both the innate and adaptive immune systems. These include surfactant proteins, antibacterial peptides, cytokines, chemokines and immunoglobulins. However, the contribution of LasB to lung infection by P. aeruginosa and to inactivation of pulmonary innate immunity in vivo needs …

Identification And Phylogenetic Analysis Of Heme Synthesis Genes In Trypanosomatids And Their Bacterial Endosymbionts, João M. P. Alves, Logan Voegtly, Andrey V. Matveyev, Ana M. Lara, Flávia Maia Da Silva, Myrna G. Serrano, Gregory A. Buck, Marta M. G. Teixeira, Erney P. Camargo

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

It has been known for decades that some insect-infecting trypanosomatids can survive in culture without heme supplementation while others cannot, and that this capability is associated with the presence of a betaproteobacterial endosymbiont in the flagellate's cytoplasm. However, the specific mechanisms involved in this process remained obscure. In this work, we sequence and phylogenetically analyze the heme pathway genes from the symbionts and from their hosts, as well as from a number of heme synthesis-deficient Kinetoplastida. Our results show that the enzymes responsible for synthesis of heme are encoded on the symbiont genomes and produced in close cooperation with the …

Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition Enhances The Antitumor Effect Of Radiation In The Treatment Of Squamous Carcinoma Xenografts, Robert J. G. Cardnell, Ross B. Mikkelsen

Radiation Oncology Publications

This study tests whether the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), combines favorably with ionizing radiation (IR) in controlling squamous carcinoma tumor growth. Animals bearing FaDu and A431 xenografts were treated with L-NNA in the drinking water. IR exposure was 10 Gy for tumor growth and survival studies and 4 Gy for ex vivoclonogenic assays. Cryosections were examined immunohistochemically for markers of apoptosis and hypoxia. Blood flow was assayed by fluorescent microscopy of tissue cryosections after i.v. injection of fluorospheres. Orally administered L-NNA for 24 hrs reduces tumor blood flow by 80% (pex vivo clonogenic assay compared to …

Tennessee Agriculture 2011, Tennessee. Department Of Agriculture

Annual Report & Statistical Summary

This annual report and statistical summary highlights the accomplishments done by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.