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2011

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The Impact Of Underemployment On Individual And Organizational Performance, Michael Ramsay Bashshur, Ana Hernández, José María Peiró Jan 2011

The Impact Of Underemployment On Individual And Organizational Performance, Michael Ramsay Bashshur, Ana Hernández, José María Peiró

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The issue of underemployment is one of increasing concern for countries across the globe. For example, in the USA estimates have put the number of underemployed as high as 20.3%, while in Europe the number of overqualified workers (just one dimension of underemployment) has been estimated at 21.5% (Groot & Maassen van den Brink, 2000). Unfortunately, given the current global economic crisis, this situation can only be expected to worsen in the near future. The international labor pool is becoming more educated and qualified (Peiró, Agut, & Grau, 2010) while organizations worldwide are seeking the minimum effective level of human …


Overuse Of Antibiotics In Children For Upper Respiratory Infections (Uris): A Dilemma, Malika Taufiq, Rukhsana Wamiq Zuberi Jan 2011

Overuse Of Antibiotics In Children For Upper Respiratory Infections (Uris): A Dilemma, Malika Taufiq, Rukhsana Wamiq Zuberi

Department for Educational Development

No abstract provided.


Consultation Etiquette In General Practice: A Qualitative Study Of What Makes It Different For Lay Cancer Caregivers, Geoffry K. Mitchell, Moyez Jiwa, Afaf Girgis Jan 2011

Consultation Etiquette In General Practice: A Qualitative Study Of What Makes It Different For Lay Cancer Caregivers, Geoffry K. Mitchell, Moyez Jiwa, Afaf Girgis

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: It is commonplace for lay caregivers to overlook their own health concerns when supporting someone with advanced cancer. During this time, caregivers’ needs as patients are often marginalised by health professionals, including General Practitioners (GPs), who may miss the breadth of caregivers’ needs by focusing on the practicalities of caregiving. GPs traditionally rely on patients to raise their concerns, and then respond to these concerns, but caregivers as patients may be disinclined to cue their GP. The norms of engagement when caregivers consult their GP are less defined, and how they interact with their GP regarding their own health …


Opposing Actions Of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase (Erk) And Signal Transducer And Activator Of Transcription 3 (Stat3) In Regulating Microtubule Stabilization During Cardiac Hypertrophy, D Ng, I Ng, B Badrian, T Tsoutsman, J Mcmullen, C Semsarian, M Bogoyevitch Jan 2011

Opposing Actions Of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase (Erk) And Signal Transducer And Activator Of Transcription 3 (Stat3) In Regulating Microtubule Stabilization During Cardiac Hypertrophy, D Ng, I Ng, B Badrian, T Tsoutsman, J Mcmullen, C Semsarian, M Bogoyevitch

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Excessive proliferation and stabilization of the microtubule (MT) array in cardiac myocytes can accompany pathological cardiac hypertrophy, but the molecular control of these changes remains poorly characterized. In this study, we examined MT stabilization in two independent murine models of heart failure and revealed increases in the levels of post-translationally modified stable MTs, which were closely associated with STAT3 activation. To explore the molecular signaling events contributing to control of the cardiac MT network, we stimulated cardiac myocytes with an a-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine (PE), and observed increased tubulin content without changes in detyrosinated (glutubulin) stable MT’s. In contrast, the hypertrophic …


Do Individual Differences In Perceiving Situational Demands Moderate The Relationship Between Personality And Assessment Center Dimension Ratings?, Anne Jansen, Filip Lievens, Martin Kleinmann Jan 2011

Do Individual Differences In Perceiving Situational Demands Moderate The Relationship Between Personality And Assessment Center Dimension Ratings?, Anne Jansen, Filip Lievens, Martin Kleinmann

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study contributes to research on assessment centers' (AC) external construct-related validity by investigating a potential moderator of the relationship between personality and AC dimension ratings. On the basis of recent insights in person-situation contingencies we hypothesized that individual differences in people's perception of situational demands moderate the relationship between personality and conceptually related AC dimension ratings. The hypotheses were tested with 108 individuals in two leaderless group discussion exercises. Results confirmed the hypotheses for two of the three traits (i.e., Agreeableness and Conscientiousness). In particular, people high on these traits who identified the situational demands received higher AC dimension …


State Of The Fisheries And Aquatic Resources Report 2010/11, W.J Fletcher, K. Santoro Jan 2011

State Of The Fisheries And Aquatic Resources Report 2010/11, W.J Fletcher, K. Santoro

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

This is the second edition of the newly named State of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Report. Each year this report provides the public with an update on the status of all the fish and fisheries resources of Western Australia that are managed by the Department. The report outlines the current risk status for the ecological resources (assets) within each of WA‘s six Bioregions by taking a bioregional, Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach.


Lifestyle And Demographic Correlates Of Poor Mental Health In Early Adolescence, Monique Robinson, Garth Kendall, Peter Jacoby, Beth P. Hands, Lawrence Beilin, Sven Silburn, Steve Zubrick, Wendy Oddy Jan 2011

Lifestyle And Demographic Correlates Of Poor Mental Health In Early Adolescence, Monique Robinson, Garth Kendall, Peter Jacoby, Beth P. Hands, Lawrence Beilin, Sven Silburn, Steve Zubrick, Wendy Oddy

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Aim: To determine the constellation of lifestyle and demographic factors that are associated with poor mental health in an adolescent population.

Methods: The Raine Study 14-year follow-up involved primary care givers and their adolescent children (n = 1860). The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess adolescent mental health. We examined diet, socio-demographic data, family functioning, physical activity, screen use and risk-taking behaviours with mental health outcomes using linear regression.

Results: Adolescents with higher intakes of meat and meat alternatives and ‘extras’ foods had poorer mental health status. Adverse socioeconomic conditions, higher hours of screen use and ever partaking …


Visualizing The Role Of Cbl-B In Control Of Islet-Reactive Cd4 T Cells And Susceptibility To Type 1 Diabetes, Gerard F. Hoyne, Eleanor Flening, Mehmet Yabas, Charis Teh, John A. Altin, Katrina Randall, Christine B F Thien, Wallace Y. Langdon, Christopher C. Goodnow Jan 2011

Visualizing The Role Of Cbl-B In Control Of Islet-Reactive Cd4 T Cells And Susceptibility To Type 1 Diabetes, Gerard F. Hoyne, Eleanor Flening, Mehmet Yabas, Charis Teh, John A. Altin, Katrina Randall, Christine B F Thien, Wallace Y. Langdon, Christopher C. Goodnow

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

The E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b regulates T cell activation thresholds and has been associated with protecting against Type 1 diabetes, but its in vivo role in the process of self-tolerance has not been examined at the level of potentially auto-aggressive CD4+ T cells. Here we visualize the consequences of Cbl-b deficiency on self-tolerance to lysozyme antigen expressed in transgenic mice under control of the insulin promoter (insHEL). By tracing the fate of pancreatic islet-reactive CD4+ T cells in pre-diabetic 3A9-TCR x insHEL double-transgenic mice, we find that Cbl-b deficiency contrasts with AIRE or IL-2 deficiency because it does not affect …


Phylogeographic Structure Of Teretrius Nigrescens (Coleoptera: Histeridae) Predator Of The Invasive Post Harvest Pest Prostephanus Truncatus (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)., B. A. Omondi, J. Van Den Berg, D. Masiga, F. Schulthess Jan 2011

Phylogeographic Structure Of Teretrius Nigrescens (Coleoptera: Histeridae) Predator Of The Invasive Post Harvest Pest Prostephanus Truncatus (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)., B. A. Omondi, J. Van Den Berg, D. Masiga, F. Schulthess

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The invasive larger grain borer Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) is the most important pest of farm-stored maize in Africa. It was introduced into the continent from Mesoamerica in the late 1970s and by 2008 had spread to at least 18 countries. Classical biological control using two populations of the predator Teretrius nigrescens Lewis achieved long-term and cost effective control in warm-humid areas, but not in cool and hot-dry zones. The present study investigated the phylogenetic relationships between geographical populations of the predator. Ten populations of T. nigrescens were studied using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR), sequence analysis of …


Flexible Use Of Anti-Predator Defences, Ximena J. Nelson, Robert R. Jackson Jan 2011

Flexible Use Of Anti-Predator Defences, Ximena J. Nelson, Robert R. Jackson

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Belonging to a size category that makes them vulnerable to a wide variety of predators, spiders have evolved a bewildering array of anti-predator adaptations, which can be clustered under two broad categories, primary and secondary defence. Primary defences are ploys by which the spider avoids provoking pursuit by, and interaction with, the predator. Camouflage and masquerade are especially common examples. Secondary defences come into play once an interaction with a predator is under way, and these are the defences that have been most thoroughly studied. However, elements of anti-predator defence may often be integrated into other aspects of the spider's …


Parasitism Of Lepidopterous Stem Borers In Cultivated And Natural Habitats, Duna Madu Mailafiya, Bruno Pierre Le Ru, Eunice Waitherero Kairu, Stéphane Dupas, Paul-André Calatayud Jan 2011

Parasitism Of Lepidopterous Stem Borers In Cultivated And Natural Habitats, Duna Madu Mailafiya, Bruno Pierre Le Ru, Eunice Waitherero Kairu, Stéphane Dupas, Paul-André Calatayud

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Plant infestation, stem borer density, parasitism, and parasitoid abundance were assessed during two years in two host plants, Zea mays (L.) (Cyperales: Poaceae) and Sorghum bicolor (L.) (Cyperales: Poaceae), in cultivated habitats. The four major host plants (Cyperus spp., Panicum spp., Pennisetum spp., and Sorghum spp.) found in natural habitats were also assessed, and both the cultivated and natural habitat species occurred in four agroecological zones in Kenya. Across habitats, plant infestation (23.2%), stem borer density (2.2 per plant), and larval parasitism (15.0%) were highest in maize in cultivated habitats. Pupal parasitism was not higher than 4.7% in both habitats, …


Probing The Mechanical Properties Of Tnf-A Stimulated Endothelial Cell With Atomic Force Microscopy, Sei-Young Lee, Ana-Maria Zaske, Tommaso Novellino, Delia Danila, Mauro Ferrari, Jodie Conyers, Paolo Decuzzi Jan 2011

Probing The Mechanical Properties Of Tnf-A Stimulated Endothelial Cell With Atomic Force Microscopy, Sei-Young Lee, Ana-Maria Zaske, Tommaso Novellino, Delia Danila, Mauro Ferrari, Jodie Conyers, Paolo Decuzzi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine that regulates the permeability of blood and lymphatic vessels. The plasma concentration of TNF-α is elevated (> 1 pg/mL) in several pathologies, including rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer, pre-eclampsia; in obese individuals; and in trauma patients. To test whether circulating TNF-α could induce similar alterations in different districts along the vascular system, three endothelial cell lines, namely HUVEC, HPMEC, and HCAEC, were characterized in terms of 1) mechanical properties, employing atomic force microscopy; 2) cytoskeletal organization, through fluorescence microscopy; and 3) membrane overexpression of adhesion molecules, employing ELISA and immunostaining. Upon stimulation …


Re: Sleep And The Family Doctor: Time To Lead, D. Bluestein, A. C. Healey, C. M. Rutledge Jan 2011

Re: Sleep And The Family Doctor: Time To Lead, D. Bluestein, A. C. Healey, C. M. Rutledge

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Educating Advanced Practice Nurses In Using Social Media In Rural Health Care, Carolyn M. Rutledge, Michelle Renaud, Laurel Shephard, Michele Bordelon, Tina Haney, Donna Gregory, Paula Ayers Jan 2011

Educating Advanced Practice Nurses In Using Social Media In Rural Health Care, Carolyn M. Rutledge, Michelle Renaud, Laurel Shephard, Michele Bordelon, Tina Haney, Donna Gregory, Paula Ayers

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Health care in the United States is facing a crisis in providing access to quality care for those in underserved and rural regions. Advanced practice nurses are at the forefront of addressing such issues, through modalities such as health care technology. Many nursing education programs are seeking strategies for better educating students on technology utilization. Health care technology includes electronic health records, telemedicine, and clinical decision support systems. However, little focus has been placed on the role of social media in health care. This paper describes an educational workshop using standardized patients and hands-on experiences to introduce advanced practice nurses …


Educating Advanced Practice Nurses In Using Social Media In Rural Health Care, Carolyn M. Rutledge, Michelle Renaud, Laurel Shepherd, Michele Bordelon, Tina Haney, Donna Gregory, Paula Ayers Jan 2011

Educating Advanced Practice Nurses In Using Social Media In Rural Health Care, Carolyn M. Rutledge, Michelle Renaud, Laurel Shepherd, Michele Bordelon, Tina Haney, Donna Gregory, Paula Ayers

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Health care in the United States is facing a crisis in providing access to quality care for those in underserved and rural regions. Advanced practice nurses are at the forefront of addressing such issues, through modalities such as health care technology. Many nursing education programs are seeking strategies for better educating students on technology utilization. Health care technology includes electronic health records, telemedicine, and clinical decision support systems. However, little focus has been placed on the role of social media in health care. This paper describes an educational workshop using standardized patients and hands-on experiences to introduce advanced practice nurses …


Coping Strategies Of Family Members Of Hospitalized Psychiatric Patients, Phyllis M. Eaton, Bertha L. Davis, Pamela V. Hammond, Esther H. Condon, Zina T. Mcgee Jan 2011

Coping Strategies Of Family Members Of Hospitalized Psychiatric Patients, Phyllis M. Eaton, Bertha L. Davis, Pamela V. Hammond, Esther H. Condon, Zina T. Mcgee

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

This exploratory research paper investigated the coping strategies of families of hospitalized psychiatric patients and identified their positive and negative coping strategies. In this paper, the coping strategies of 45 family members were examined using a descriptive, correlational, mixed method research approach. Guided by the Neuman Systems Model and using the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales and semistructured interviews, this paper found that these family members used more emotion-focused coping strategies than problem-focused coping strategies. The common coping strategies used by family members were communicating with immediate family, acceptance of their situation, passive appraisal, avoidance, and spirituality. The …


Addressing The Fertility Needs Of Hiv-Seropositive Males, Brian A. Levine, Sahadat K. Nurudeen, Jennifer T. Gosselin, Mark V. Sauer Jan 2011

Addressing The Fertility Needs Of Hiv-Seropositive Males, Brian A. Levine, Sahadat K. Nurudeen, Jennifer T. Gosselin, Mark V. Sauer

Psychology Faculty Publications

An increasing number of serodiscordant couples are utilizing advanced reproductive technologies to address their reproductive needs. Recent literature has demonstrated that it is not only technically possible but also safe to utilize sperm-washing techniques to allow for the creation of embryos, thereby preventing both horizontal and vertical transmission of HIV. This article addresses the strengths and weakness of various reproductive techniques and discusses our experience at Columbia University (NY, USA), the location of the largest HIV-focused fertility program in the USA.


Editing Sophia Peabody Hawthorne’S Travel Writing And The Conundrum Of Copies, Patricia Dunlavy Valenti Jan 2011

Editing Sophia Peabody Hawthorne’S Travel Writing And The Conundrum Of Copies, Patricia Dunlavy Valenti

Documentary Editing: Journal of the Association for Documentary Editing (1979–2011)

For Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, living and writing were virtually synonymous. An inveterate letter-writer and journal-keeper, she was among the first American women to document her travels abroad. In December of 1833, Sophia Peabody departed for Cuba; she spent the next eighteen months on a coffee plantation, where her older sister Mary was a governess. In 1853, Sophia Hawthorne left the United States again, this time with her husband, Nathaniel Hawthorne, who assumed the post of United States Consul at Liverpool. During the subsequent seven years, Sophia traveled throughout England and Scotland. She and her daughters, Una and Rose, also journeyed …


The Lion In Winter : Review Of Collected Works Of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume Viii: Letters And Social Aims Edited By Ronald A. Bosco, Glen M. Johnson, And Joel Myerson., Richard Deming Jan 2011

The Lion In Winter : Review Of Collected Works Of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume Viii: Letters And Social Aims Edited By Ronald A. Bosco, Glen M. Johnson, And Joel Myerson., Richard Deming

Documentary Editing: Journal of the Association for Documentary Editing (1979–2011)

The recent publication by Harvard University Press of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Letters and Social Aims, Volume VIII of the Collected Works, is in many ways the most important contribution of this ongoing project, which presents scholarly editions of one of America’s most central literary and philosophical figures. Among all of Emerson’s books, Letters and Social Aims is without a doubt the most vexed in terms of textual questions, coming as it did so late in his life and at the dimming of his powers. However, the volume also represents some of the finest, most necessary thinking of this shaper of …


Les Coûts Des Lésions Professionnelles : Une Revue De Littérature, Martin Lebeau, Patrice Duguay Jan 2011

Les Coûts Des Lésions Professionnelles : Une Revue De Littérature, Martin Lebeau, Patrice Duguay

États de la question, rapports d’expertise et revues de littérature

Cette revue de littérature s'inscrit dans la volonté institutionnelle de développer des indicateurs économiques de santé et de sécurité au travail, sur lesquels pourra s'appuyer le choix de priorités de recherche, en complément des indicateurs et autres informations déjà utilisés à l'IRSST.

Ce rapport vise plus spécifiquement à identifier, définir et classer les composantes des coûts des lésions professionnelles, ainsi qu'à répertorier les différentes approches économiques qui sont utilisées pour estimer les coûts des lésions professionnelles. Ce rapport ne vise donc pas à répertorier les montants réels ou estimés des coûts des lésions professionnelles que l'on retrouve dans la littérature. …


Analysis Of Heel Raise Exercise With Three Foot Positions, Kimberly J. Arnsdorff, G. Ken Limbaugh, Bryan L. Riemann Jan 2011

Analysis Of Heel Raise Exercise With Three Foot Positions, Kimberly J. Arnsdorff, G. Ken Limbaugh, Bryan L. Riemann

Health Sciences & Kinesiology: Faculty Publications

Prior research revealed activation differences between the medial (MG) and lateral (LG) gastrocnemius when performing heel raise exercise with neutral (N), internally-rotated (IR) and externally-rotated (ER) foot positions. Studying underlying biomechanics may help explain activation differences. The purpose was to compare ankle (AN), knee (KN), and hip (HI) contributions (initial joint angles) to attaining each initial foot position, ankle flexion-extension range of motion, ankle mechanical energy expenditure, repetition time, and percent cycle concentric-eccentric transition between N, IR, and ER foot positions. Twenty healthy subjects (11 male, 9 female) with resistance training experience performed twelve repetitions of free-weight (135% body mass) …


Head-Start Juvenile And Adult Resident Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene Carolina Carolina): Winter Ecology Including Microhabitat Selection, Temperature Tolerance And Philopatry, Amberly Moon Jan 2011

Head-Start Juvenile And Adult Resident Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene Carolina Carolina): Winter Ecology Including Microhabitat Selection, Temperature Tolerance And Philopatry, Amberly Moon

Theses and Dissertations

The Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is one of the most common reptiles in North America, but is soon to be threatened due to increased urbanization, disease, and the pet and food trades. In order to assist resource managers in choosing suitable sites for relocation studies, more information on the winter ecology of this species is necessary. We examined the temperature tolerance, microhabitat and degree of philopatry to hibernacula for juvenile and adult E. box turtles for two consecutive winters in Charles City Co, VA. The turtles were tracked via radio telemetry to record point locations during the active …


Hindfoot And Forefoot Kinematic Differences Among Individuals With And Without Functional Ankle Instability, Cynthia Wright Jan 2011

Hindfoot And Forefoot Kinematic Differences Among Individuals With And Without Functional Ankle Instability, Cynthia Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Following lateral ankle sprain, many individuals experience recurrent injury and symptoms of giving-way, known as Functional Ankle Instability (FAI). It has been proposed that altered joint kinematics during activity may contribute to instability in these individuals, however research findings have been inconsistent. Objective: To capture foot and ankle kinematic data during two common tasks (walking gait and jump landing) among three groups: individuals with FAI, healthy controls and copers. Design: 3-group observational cross-sectional study. Participants: Participants included 23 individuals with a history of ≥ 1 ankle sprain and at least 2 episodes of giving-way in the past year (FAI: …


Playing With Aesthetics In Art Museums, Susan Glasser Jan 2011

Playing With Aesthetics In Art Museums, Susan Glasser

Theses and Dissertations

"Playing with Aesthetics in Art Museums" presents a strategy for using design thinking to mediate engrossing art experiences for adult museum visitors. Built upon a substantiated family resemblance between art and play experiences, the study synthesizes a typology of aesthetic theories, ten germane tenets of game design, and a psychographic portrait of the "archetypal" museum visitor to create a practical framework for delivering engrossing art experiences to adult visitors who typically enter museums with limited art historical knowledge. The interdisciplinary approach used is intended to replace the singular methodologies (whether art historical, pedagogical or aesthetic) that have informed museum practice …


Biochemical Evaluation Of Lignin-Like Molecules, Jay Thakkar Jan 2011

Biochemical Evaluation Of Lignin-Like Molecules, Jay Thakkar

Theses and Dissertations

Current anticoagulants carry a serious risk of bleeding complications. In addition, narrow therapeutic index, drug interactions, immunological reactions, toxicity and high cost to benefit ratio limits the effective use of these drugs in patients with thrombotic conditions.Heparin is the most widely used anticoagulant. We hypothesized that one of the major drawback of heparins, its non-specific interaction with the plasma proteins arises as a result of negative charges. To reduce these non-specific interactions, our laboratory designed sulfated low molecular weight lignin (LMWL) like biomacromolecules, which were found to be direct inhibitors of thrombin and factor Xa, acting through a unique exosite-2 …


“Clicked” Bivalent Multifunctional Ligands In Alzheimer’S Disease., Ronak Gandhi Jan 2011

“Clicked” Bivalent Multifunctional Ligands In Alzheimer’S Disease., Ronak Gandhi

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by beta-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation/oligomerization, biometal dyshomeostasis, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. The multifactorial nature of AD may indicate the therapeutic potential of multifunctional ligands that tackle various risk factors simultaneously as effective AD-modifying agents. This notion is further supported by the fact that while numerous AD-modifying agents targeting one single risk factor have been developed and a number of them entered clinical trials, none of them has been successfully approved by the FDA. Furthermore, neuronal cell membrane/lipid rafts (CM/LR) have been demonstrated to associate with all the indicated risk factors, indicating that this …


A Study On The Biochemical And Cellular Effects Of Enviormental Tobacco Smoke On Adult And Developing Rat Brain Biochemistry, Brian Fuller Jan 2011

A Study On The Biochemical And Cellular Effects Of Enviormental Tobacco Smoke On Adult And Developing Rat Brain Biochemistry, Brian Fuller

Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been recognized as a significant health risk for adults and children. In adults, ETS exposure has been linked to increased incidences of cardiovascular disease and dementia. In children, exposure has been linked to behavioral and cognitive deficits. Studies on the effects of ETS in the brain have been largely epidemiological, and have lacked a defined explanation of the molecular/biochemical effects of ETS. The present dissertation aims to test whether ETS exposure leads to altered biochemistry in the adult and developing mammalian brain. A rat ETS exposure model was employed to investigate changes at …


Renal Epithelial Sodium Channel (Enac) Regulation Of Pregnancy Mediated Hemodynamic Adaptations: Mechanistic Insights, Crystal West Jan 2011

Renal Epithelial Sodium Channel (Enac) Regulation Of Pregnancy Mediated Hemodynamic Adaptations: Mechanistic Insights, Crystal West

Theses and Dissertations

Pregnancy-mediated sodium (Na) retention is required to provide an increase in plasma volume for the growing fetus. The mechanisms responsible for this Na retention are not clear. In the first study, we generated a renal tubule protein profile indicating α ENaC as the only sodium transport protein upregulated in mid and late pregnancy. To determine the in vivo activity of ENaC we conducted in vivo studies in late pregnant rats (day 18-20) and virgin rats to measure the natriuretic response to ENaC blockade (with benzamil). The in vivo activity of ENaC (UNaV post benzamil - UNaV post vehicle) was markedly …


Approaches For Enhancing Therapeutic Efficacy Of A Novel Il-10 Gene Family Member: Mda-7/Il-24, Belal Azab Jan 2011

Approaches For Enhancing Therapeutic Efficacy Of A Novel Il-10 Gene Family Member: Mda-7/Il-24, Belal Azab

Theses and Dissertations

Melanoma differentiation associated gene-7 (mda-7) was discovered in the Fisher laboratory by subtraction hybridization of temporally spaced subtracted cDNA libraries prepared from terminally differentiated human melanoma cells treated with human fibroblast interferon (IFN-β) and the protein kinase C activator mezerein (MEZ), an approach called ‘differentiation induction subtraction hybridization’ (DISH). mda-7 is located in human chromosome 1q32–33 and based on sequence homology, chromosomal localization, and its functional properties, the mda-7 gene is now classified as a member of the IL-10 family of cytokines and named IL-24. The mda-7/IL-24 cDNA encodes a protein of 206-amino acids with a predicted size of ~24-kDa, …


Cyclic-Di-Gmp Signaling In The Borrelia Spirochetes, John Freedman Jan 2011

Cyclic-Di-Gmp Signaling In The Borrelia Spirochetes, John Freedman

Theses and Dissertations

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in North America, with approximately 35,000 cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control in 2008. The genome of its causative agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, encodes for a set of genes involved in the metabolism and regulatory activities of the second messenger nucleotide, cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP). Rrp1 is a response regulatory-diguanylate cyclase, and its regulatory capability is likely mediated via production of c-di-GMP, as it lacks a DNA-binding domain. One known class of c-di-GMP effector/binding proteins are those that harbor a PIlZ domain. The genome of B. burgdorferi strain 5A4 encodes for one chromosomally-carried …