Digital Commons Network^™

The Susceptibility Of Trypanosomatid Pathogens To Pi3/Mtor Kinase Inhibitors Affords A New Opportunity For Drug Repurposing, Rosario Diaz-Gonzalez, F. Matthew Kuhlmann, Cristina Galan-Rodriguez, Manuel Saldivia, Caitlin E. Karver, Ana Rodriguez, Stephen M. Beverley, Miguel Navarro, Michael P. Pollastri

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Distance-Based Phenotypic Association Analysis Of Dna Sequence Data, Doyoung Chung, Qunyuan Zhang, Aldi T. Kraja, Ingrid B. Borecki, Michael A. Province

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Contributions Made By Cdc25 Phosphatases To Proliferation Of Intestinal Epithelial Stem And Progenitor Cells, Gwanghee Lee, Sofia Origanti, Lynn S. White, Jinwu Sun, Thaddeus S. Stappenbeck, Helen Piwnica-Worms

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Helmcop: An Online Resource For Helminth Functional Genomics And Drug And Vaccine Targets Prioritization, Sahar Abubucker, John Martin, Christina M. Taylor, Makedonka Mitreva

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Adaptive Resource Management And The Value Of Information, Byron K. Williams, Mitchell J. Eaton, David R. Breininger

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The value of information is a general and broadly applicable concept that has been used for several decades to aid in making decisions in the face of uncertainty. Yet there are relatively few examples of its use in ecology and natural resources management, and almost none that are framed in terms of the future impacts of management decisions. In this paper we discuss the value of information in a context of adaptive management, in which actions are taken sequentially over a time frame and both future resource conditions and residual uncertainties about resource responses are taken into account. Our objective …

Risk Mapping For Sensitive Species To Underwater Anthropogenic Sound Emissions: Model Development And Validation In Two Mediterranean Areas, Arianna Azzellino, C. Lanfredi, A. D’Amico, G. Pavan, M. Podestà, J. Haun

United States Navy: Publications

Recent observations of cetacean mass strandings, coincident with anthropogenic sounds emissions, have raised concerns on the potential environmental impact of underwater noise. Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) was reported in all the cited stranding events. Within the NATO Marine Mammal Risk Mitigation project (MMRM), multiple interdisciplinary sea trials have been conducted in the Mediterranean Sea with the objective of developing tools and procedures to mitigate the impact of underwater sound emissions. During these cruises, visual observations, passive acoustic detections and environmental data were collected. The aim of this study was to evaluate ‘‘a priori’’ predictions of …

World Of Viruses: Going Viral, Judy Diamond

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Science education is developing new and innovative means of communication that compete directly with global media to reach the ‘YouTube Generation’. The truly interdisciplinary team of the SEPA-funded World of Viruses project is discovering how best to spread the word

“WE LIVE,” the project’s homepage announces, “in a world of viruses.” Indeed, viruses are the world’s most abundant biological organisms. While they can be deadly, they provide important tools for developing treatments and building nanotechnology. So the challenge for World of Viruses is to engage the public with the ubiquitous yet mysterious virus, taking them from confusion and misconception to …

Banf1 Is Required To Maintain The Self-Renewal Of Both Mouse And Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Jesse L. Cox, Sunil K. Mallanna, Briana D. Ormsbee, Michelle Desler, Matthew S. Wiebe, Angie Rizzino

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Self-renewal is a complex biological process necessary for maintaining the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Recent studies have used global proteomic techniques to identify proteins that associate with the master regulators Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2 in ESCs or in ESCs during the early stages of differentiation. Through an unbiased proteomic screen, Banf1 was identified as a Sox2- associated protein. Banf1 has been shown to be essential for worm and fly development but, until now, its role in mammalian development and ESCs has not been explored. In this study, we examined the effect of knocking down Banf1 on ESCs. We …

Delineation Of Two Clinically And Molecularly Distinct Subgroups Of Posterior Fossa Ependymoma, Hendrik Witt, Stephen C. Mack, Marina Ryzhova, Sebastian Bender, Martin Sill, Ruth Isserlin, Axel Benner, Thomas Hielscher, Till Milde, Marc Remke, David T. W. Jones, Paul A. Northcott, Livia Garzia, Kelsey C. Bertrand, Andrea Wittmann, Yuan Yao, Stephen S. Roberts, Luca Massimi, Tim Van Meter, William A. Weiss, Nalin Gupta, Wiesia Grajkowska, Boleslaw Lach, Yoon-Jae Cho, Andreas Von Deimling, Andreas E. Kulozik, Olaf Witt, Gary D. Bader, Cynthia E. Hawkins, Uri Tabori, Abhijit Guha, James T. Rutka, Peter Lichter, Andrey Korshunov, Michael D. Taylor, Stefan M. Pfister

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Despite the histological similarity of ependymomas from throughout the neuroaxis, the disease likely comprises multiple independent entities, each with a distinct molecular pathogenesis. Transcriptional profiling of two large independent cohorts of ependymoma reveals the existence of two demographically, transcriptionally, genetically, and clinically distinct groups of posterior fossa (PF) ependymomas. Group A patients are younger, have laterally located tumors with a balanced genome, and are much more likely to exhibit recurrence, metastasis at recurrence, and death compared with Group B patients. Identification and optimization of immunohistochemical (IHC) markers for PF ependymoma subgroups allowed validation of our findings on a third independent …

Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition (Emt) Induced By Bleomycin Or TfgB1/Egf In Murine Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Alveolar Type Ii-Like Cells, Zaida A. Alipio, Nathan Jones, Wenbin Liao, Jianchang Yang, Shilpa Kulkarni, K. Sree Kumar, Martin Hauer-Jensen, David C. Ward, Yupo Ma, Louis M. Fink

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are derived from reprogrammed somatic cells and are similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells in morphology, gene/protein expression, and pluripotency. In this study, we explored the potential of iPS cells to differentiate into alveolar Type II (ATII)-like epithelial cells. Analysis using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence staining showed that pulmonary surfactant proteins commonly expressed by ATII cells such as surfactant protein A (SPA), surfactant protein B (SPB), and surfactant protein C (SPC) were unpregulated in the differentiated cells. Microphilopodia characteristics and lamellar bodies were observed by transmission electron microscopy and lipid deposits …

Racial Disparities In Histopathologic Characteristics Of Uterine Cancer Are Present In Older, Not Younger Blacks In An Equal-Access Environment, Kate E. Oliver, Lindsey R. Enewold, Kangmin Zhu, Thomas P. Conrads, G. Scott Rose, G. Larry Maxwell, John J. Farley

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Objective. We sought to determine whether racial disparities in tumor characteristics among uterine cancer patients persisted, and varied by age, in an equal-access healthcare population.

Methods. The distributions of tumor histology, stage and grade by race were compared for uterine cancers diagnosed from 1990 to 2003 using data from the U.S. Department of Defense's Automated Central Tumor Registry. Comparisons were conducted overall and stratified by age (<50, ≥50) using the Chi-square test.

Results. Of 2582 uterine tumors identified, 2057 (79.7%) were diagnosed among White women and 183 (7.1%) among Black women. Among all women analyzed, Blacks were more likely than Whites to present with …

Surface Facial Electromyography, Skin Conductance, And Self-Reported Emotional Responses To Light- And Season-Relevant Stimuli In Seasonal Affective Disorder, Kathryn Tierney Lindsey, Kelly J. Rohan, Kathryn A. Roecklein, Jennifer N. Mahon

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Background: Learned associations between depressive behavior and environmental stimuli signaling low light availability and winter season may play a role in seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The purpose of this study was to determine whether light and season environmental cues elicit emotional responses that are distinct in individuals with SAD.

Methods: Twenty-four currently depressed SAD participants were compared to 24 demographicallymatched controls with no depression history on emotional responses to outdoor scenes captured under two light intensity (i.e., clear, sunny vs. overcast sky) and three season (i.e., summer with green leaves, fall with autumn foliage, and winterwith bare trees) conditions. Emotion …

P11 Expression And Pet In Bipolar Disorders, Lei Zhang, Cheng-Ta Li, Tung-Ping Su, Xian-Zhang Hu, Ruth A. Lanius, Maree J. Webster, Ming-Yi Chung, Ying-Sheue Chen, Ya-Mei Bai, Jeffery L. Barker, James E. Barrett, Xiao-Xia Li, He Li, David M. Benedek, Robert Ursano

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a common mental disorder, subdivided into BD-I and BD-II. Currently, few biomarkers differentiate BD-I from BD-II. However, it is suggested that peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) mRNA levels of p11 and positron emission tomography (PET) might be potential biomarkers for BD.

Methods: Healthy controls (HCs), BD-I, and BD-II patients in remission (n = 20 in each group) underwent a resting PET study with the radiotracer [¹⁸F]-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-_D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG). PBMC p11 mRNA levels were determined by quantitative real-time PCR.

Results: Comparing BD patients to HCs, normalized glucose metabolism (NGM) was higher …

Protein Kinase C Mediates Peroxynitrite Toxicity To Oligodendrocytes, Shihe Li, Wen Lin, Flaubert Tchantchou, Ruby Lai, Jie Wen, Yumin Zhang

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Peroxynitrite has been suggested to be the potent oxidant causing toxicity to neurons and oligodendrocytes (OLs). Our previous studies have illustrated that intracellular zinc liberation contributes to peroxynitrite toxicity to mature OLs. In this study, we further investigated the signaling pathways involved in this event and identified protein kinase C (PKC) as an important early signaling molecule. We found that a non-selective PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide-1 blocked OL toxicity induced by a peroxynitrite generator SIN-1 and exogenous zinc. The protective effects were due to its inhibition on ERK1/2 phosphorylation and ROS generation. The same phenomenon was also observed in OLs following …

Anxiety Phenotype In Mice That Overexpress Protein Kinase A, Margaret F. Keil, George Briassoulis, Nirmal Gokarn, Maria Nesterova, T. John Wu, Constantine A. Stratakis

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

The role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate/protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) signaling in the molecular pathways involved in fear and memory is well established. Prior studies in our lab reported that transgenic mice with an inactivating mutation in Prkar1a gene (codes for the 1-alpha regulatory subunit (R1α) of PKA) exhibited behavioral abnormalities including anxiety and depression. In the present study, we examined the role of altered PKA signaling on anxiety-like behaviors in Prkar1a^+/- mice compared to wild-type (WT) littermates. The elevated plus maze (EPM) and marble bury (MB) tests were used to assess anxiety-like behavior. The hotplate test was performed to …

Positive Emotional Style And Subjective, Cardiovascular And Cortisol Responses To Acute Laboratory Stress, Sophie Bostock, Mark Hamer, Andrew J. Wawrzyniak, Ellen S. Mitchell, Andrew Steptoe

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

The relationships between positive emotional style and acute salivary cortisol and cardiovascular responses to laboratory stress tasks were examined in 40 young women (mean age = 28.8 years). Positive emotional style (PES) was measured by aggregating daily positive mood rating scales over one week. Negative affect was assessed with the short form Profile of Mood States. Salivary cortisol was measured in response to two behavioural tasks, a 5 min speech task and a 5 min mirror tracing task. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate responses were monitored using a Finometer during baseline, tasks and recovery. Higher PES was associated with …

Nicotine Induced Cpg Methylation Of Pax6 Binding Motif In Star Promoter Reduces The Gene Expression And Cortisol Production, Tingting Wang, Man Chen, Lian Liu, Huaiyan Cheng, You-E Yan, Ying-Hong Feng, Hui Wang

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) mediates the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of steroid hormones, essential to fetal development. We have reported that the StAR expression in fetal adrenal is inhibited in a rat model of nicotine-induced intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Here using primary human fetal adrenal cortex (pHFAC) cells and a human fetal adrenal cell line NCI-H295A, we show that nicotine inhibits StAR expression and cortisol production in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and prolongs the inhibitory effect on cells proliferating over 5 passages after termination of nicotine treatment. Methylation detection within the StAR promoter region uncovers a single …

Schistosoma Comparative Genomics: Integrating Genome Structure, Parasite Biology And Anthelmintic Discovery, Martin T. Swain, Denis M. Larkin, Conor R. Caffrey, Stephen J. Davies, Alex Loukas, Patrick J. Skelly, Karl F. Hoffmann

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Schistosoma genomes provide a comprehensive resource for identifying the molecular processes that shape parasite evolution and for discovering novel chemotherapeutic or immunoprophylactic targets. Here, we demonstrate how intragenus and intergenus comparative genomics can be used to drive these investigations forward, illustrate the advantages and limitations of these approaches and review how post-genomic technologies offer complementary strategies for genome characterisation. Although sequencing and functional characterisation of other schistosome/platyhelminth genomes continues to expedite anthelmintic discovery, we contend that future priorities should equally focus on improving assembly quality, and chromosomal assignment, of existing schistosome/platyhelminth genomes.

Giant Viruses, James L. Van Etten

James Van Etten Publications

The common view of viruses, mostly true, is of tiny burglars that sneak into cells, grab the biosynthetic controls and compel the cell to make huge numbers of progeny that break out of the cell and keep the replication cycle going. Viruses are supposed to be diminutive even compared to cells that are just a micrometer (1,000 nanometers) in diameter. They are supposed to travel light, making do with just a few well-adapted genes.

In 1992, a new microorganism was isolated from a power-plant cooling tower in Bradford, England, where Timothy Robotham, a microbiologist at Leeds Public Health Laboratory, was …

Tca Cycle Inactivation In Staphylococcus Aureus Alters Nitric Oxide Production In Raw 264.7 Cells, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, Arunakumar Gangaplara, Donald J. Gardner, James M. Musser, David J. Steffen, Greg A. Somerville, Jay Reddy

Jay Reddy Publications

Inactivation of the Staphylococcus aureus tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle delays the resolution of cutaneous ulcers in a mouse soft tissue infection model. In this study, it was observed that cutaneous lesions in mice infected with wild-type or isogenic aconitase mutant S. aureus strains contained comparable inflammatory infiltrates, suggesting the delayed resolution was independent of the recruitment of immune cells. These observations led us to hypothesize that staphylococcal metabolism can modulate the host immune response. Using an in vitro model system involving RAW 264.7 cells, the authors observed that cells cultured with S. aureus aconitase mutant strains produced significantly lower amounts …

Mir-27b*, An Oxidative Stress-Responsive Microrna Modulates Nuclear Factor-Kb Pathway In Raw 264.7 Cells, Sivasubramani Thulasingam, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, Arunakumar Gangaplara, Hongjiu Dai, Shahlo Yarbaeva, Sakthivel Subramaniam, Jean-Jack Riethoven, James Eudy, Marjorie F. Lou, Jay Reddy

Jay Reddy Publications

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in macrophages is critical for microbial killing, but they also take part in inflammation and antigen presentation functions. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous regulators of gene expression, and they can control immune responses. To dissect the complex nature of ROS-mediated effects in macrophages, we sought to characterize miRNAs that are responsive to oxidative stress-induced with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the mouse macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7. We have identified a set of unique miRNAs that are differentially expressed in response to H₂O₂. These include miR-27a*, miR-27b*, miR-29b*, miR-24-2*, …

Effects Of Salinity On Photosynthesis And Respiration Of The Seagrass Zostera Japonica: A Comparison Of Two Established Populations In North America, Deborah J. Shafer, James E. Kaldy, Timothy D. Sherman, Katharine M. Marko

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Photosynthetic responses were quantified for two Zostera japonica Aschers, and Graebn. populations from the northern and southern limits of distribution exposed to a range of salinities along the Pacific Coast of North America. Plants were collected from Padilla Bay, Washington (northern) and Coos Bay, Oregon, USA (southern) and cultured together in experimental tanks at 3 salinities (5, 20 and 35) under saturating irradiance for 3 weeks. Subsequently, photosynthesis–irradiance (P vs. E curves) relationships for leaf segments from the two populations were assessed using an oxygen electrode system. We found no evidence for diel rhythms in either light saturated photosynthesis …

Investigations Of Transcript Expression In Fathead Minnow (Pimephales Promelas) Brain Tissue Reveal Toxicological Impacts Of Rdx Exposure, Kurt A. Gust, Mitchell S. Wilbanks, Xin Guan, Mehdi Pirooznia, Tanwir Habib, Leslie Yoo, Henri Wintz, Chris D. Vulpe, Edward J. Perkins

United States Army: Publications

Production, usage and disposal of the munitions constituent (MC) cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) has led to environmental releases on  military facilities. The chemical attributes of RDX are conducive for leaching to surface water which may put aquatic organisms at risk of exposure. Because RDX has been observed to cause aberrant neuromuscular effects across a wide range of animal phyla, we assessed the effects of RDX on central nervous system (CNS) functions in the representative aquatic ecotoxicological model species, fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). We developed a fathead minnow brain-tissue cDNA library enriched for transcripts differentially expressed in response to RDX and …

Thermoreversible And Remendable Glass–Polymer Interface For Fiber-Reinforced Composites, Amy M. Peterson, Robert E. Jensen, Giuseppe R. Palmese

United States Army: Publications

Adhesion of the reinforcement to the polymer matrix is essential for load transfer from the polymer matrix to the reinforcement material in fiber-reinforced composites. The reversible Diels–Alder reaction between a furan-functionalized epoxy-amine thermosetting matrix with a maleimide-functionalized glass fiber was used to impart remendability at the polymer–glass interface for potential application in glass fiber-reinforced composites. At room temperature the Diels–Alder adduct is formed spontaneously and above 90 °C the adduct breaks apart to reform the original furan and maleimide moieties. Healing of the interface was investigated with single fiber microdroplet pull-out testing. Following complete failure of this interface, significant healing …

Antimicrobial Decapeptide Ksl-W Attenuates Candida Albicans Virulence By Modulating Its Effects On Toll-Like Receptor, Human Β-Defensin, And Cytokine Expression By Engineered Human Oral Mucosa, A. Semlali, K. P. Leung, S. Curt, M. Rouabhia

United States Army: Publications

We investigated the toxicity of synthetic antimicrobial decapeptide KSL-W on normal human gingival epithelial cell cultures, its effect on Candida albicans adhesion and growth, and the activation of epithelial cell innate immunity. Our results indicate that KSL-W had no toxic effect on cell adhesion or growth, suggesting its safe use with human cells. Pre-treating C. albicans with KSL-W attenuated the yeast’s virulence as demonstrated by its reduced adhesion and growth on engineered human oral mucosa epithelium and the subsequent decreased expression of some innate defense molecules by targeted epithelial cells. Indeed, the expression of Toll-like receptors and human β-defensins was …

Protective Efficacy Of Catalytic Bioscavenger, Paraoxonase 1 Against Sarin And Soman Exposure In Guinea Pigs, Manojkumar Valiyaveettil, Yonas Alamneh, Peter Rezk, Lionel Biggemann, Michael W. Perkins, Alfred M. Sciuto, Bhupendra P. Doctor, Madhusoodana P. Nambiar

United States Army: Publications

Human paraoxonase 1 (PON1) has been portrayed as a catalytic bioscavenger which can hydrolyze large amounts of chemical warfare nerve agents (CWNAs) and organophosphate (OP) pesticides compared to the stoichiometric bioscavengers such as butyrylcholinesterase. We evaluated the protective efficacy of purified human and rabbit serum PON1 against nerve agents sarin and soman in guinea pigs. Catalytically active PON1 purified from human and rabbit serum was intravenously injected to guinea pigs, which were 30 min later exposed to 1.2 × LCt₅₀ sarin or soman using a microinstillation inhalation exposure technology. Pre-treatment with 5 units of purified human and rabbit serum …

University Of Nebraska- Lincoln: Fact Book 2010-2011

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Administration: Reports, Papers, Publications, and Presentations

Fact Book Table of Contents

General Information

UNL Core Values ....................................................................... 4

The Role of UNL ................................................................................ 5

The Missions of UNL .................................................................................... 5

Institutional & Professional Accreditations ....................................................... 8

UNL Administrative Organization Chart ........................................................... 11

Student Credit Hours (SCH)

Total SCH: Fall Semester Since 1979 ............................................................. 12

SSH by College and Student Level, Fall & Spring Semester - 5 Year Trend ........ 13

SCH by College and Student Level, Fall Semester - 5 Year Trend.................... 14

SCH by College and Student Level, Spring Semester - 5 Year Trend ................. 15

Summer Sessions and Summer Sessions Student Credit Hours ....................... …

Water Current, Volume 43, No. 1, Winter 2011

Water Current Newsletter

UNL Water Center Becomes Groundwater Guardian

Water Tour Will Visit North Central Nebraska July 12-14

From the Interim Director: Back from the Czech Republic for a Second

Meet the Faculty: Diego Riveros-Iregui, Ph.D., Stephen L. Young, Ph.D.

Free Water and Natural Resources Lectures Continue

North American Invasive Plant Ecology and Management Short Course

Geothermal: Nebraska's Abundant, Renewable, and Clean Energy

WRAP Gets January Updates

Jess Gets 2010 Kremer Groundwater Award

POWER......One Word, Many Definitions

Past Environmental Programs, Water Center Director Passes

EPA Monitoring Hexavalent Chromium

Central Platte NRD, Farmers Work Six Mile Canal Deal

EPA Approves Nebraska's 2010 List of …

Now & Then (Volume 27, Issue 01, 2011), Center Of Excellence For Appalachian Studies And Services, East Tennessee State University

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine, Volume 27, Issue 01, published in 2011. The theme of this issue is Greening of Appalachia. This issue explores environmental awareness, sustainability, and renewal in Appalachia, emphasizing both contemporary initiatives and longstanding regional traditions of living close to the land. Articles examine conservation efforts, ecological restoration, green building, herbal knowledge, local agriculture, and the environmental health challenges facing mountain communities, alongside personal reflections on nature and memory. Through essays, poetry, and reviews, the issue presents "greening" as both a modern movement and a continuation of practices deeply rooted in Appalachian culture, highlighting the …

2011 Nebraska Swine Report

Nebraska Swine Reports

2011 Nebraska Swine Report