Digital Commons Network^™

Patient Discomfort Associated With The Use Of Intra-Arterial Iodinated Contrast Media: A Meta-Analysis Of Comparative Randomized Controlled Trials, Peter A. Mccullough, Patrizio Capasso

Radiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Discomfort characterized by pain and warmth are common adverse effects associated with the use of intra-arterial iodinated contrast media (CM). The objective of this review was to pool patient-reported outcomes available from head-to-head randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and to compare the discomfort rates associated with iso-osmolar contrast media (IOCM; i.e., iodixanol) to those reported with various low-osmolar contrast media (LOCM).

METHODS: A review of the literature published between 1990 and 2009 available through Medline, Medline Preprints, Embase, Biological Abstracts, BioBase, Cab Abstracts, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Life Sciences Collection, Inside Conferences, Energy Database, Engineering Index and Technology Collection was performed …

Advanced Biofuels And Added Value Products From Residual Quasi-Homogeneous Biomass: From Ethanol To Drop-In Fuels, Jean Michel Lavoie

Bioenergy III: Present and New Perspectives on Biorefineries

No abstract provided.

Removing Technical Variability In Rna-Seq Data Using Conditional Quantile Normalization, Kasper D. Hansen, Rafael A. Irizarry, Zhijin Wu

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

The ability to measure gene expression on a genome-wide scale is one of the most promising accomplishments in molecular biology. Microarrays, the technology that first permitted this, were riddled with problems due to unwanted sources of variability. Many of these problems are now mitigated, after a decade’s worth of statistical methodology development. The recently developed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology has generated much excitement in part due to claims of reduced variability in comparison to microarrays. However, we show RNA-seq data demonstrates unwanted and obscuring variability similar to what was first observed in microarrays. In particular, we find GC-content has a …

Gardner-Webb Inaugurates “Faith, Service And Leadership Hall Of Fame”, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb University President Dr. Frank Bonner recently inaugurated the “Faith, Service and Leadership Hall of Fame,” which recognizes faculty who have served the University for 40 years or more. The University also presented awards to faculty and staff members who have logged 30 years, 25 years, and 10 years of service to the University. The inaugural class of the “Hall of Fame” included four members

Senate General Body Meeting Minutes 5/24/2011, University Of South Florida. Student Government Senate

Legislative Branch Publications

Student Government Senate General Body Meeting Minutes for 5/24/2011

Apples And Accolades, Office Of University Communications, Matt Leonard

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb University recently honored faculty and staff members for outstanding service to the University at its annual “Apples and Accolades” recognition program. This spring, a new award for excellence in adjunct teaching was added in addition to awards that recognize excellence in full-time teaching, outstanding community engagement, and staff dedication. The Gardner-Webb Excellence in Teaching Award was presented to Dr. Janet Land, professor of English and director of Gardner-Webb’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

University Affairs Committee Meeting Minutes 05/24/2011, University Of South Florida. Student Government Senate

Legislative Branch Publications

Student Government Senate Committee on University Affairs meeting minutes for 05/24/2011

Analysis Of Zinc Transporters In C. Elegans, Hyun Cheol Roh

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Zinc is a trace element essential for organisms, and organisms have homeostatic mechanisms to control zinc metabolism. Zinc metabolism is mediated by numerous proteins including zinc transporters, zinc-responsive transcription factors and zinc-binding proteins. Of these proteins, zinc transporters, composed of CDF and ZIP families, play a major role and are implicated in a variety of human diseases. However, the mechanisms by which zinc transporters coordinate to regulate zinc homeostasis in whole animals and by which they are related to human diseases are not well understood. To address these questions, we used C. elegans as a model system. While three C. …

Sol-Gel Monolithic Column With Optical Window And Method Of Making, Abdul Malik, James D. Hayes

USF Patents

A method of preparing a sol-gel monolithic column includes the step of forming a separation bed (14) from a sol-gel solution in a single process step. This column has improved characteristics for CEC based on its incorporated surface charge and ease of operation due to a lack of or need for end frits. Also, a second type of column includes an optical window (30) for on-column detection.

Method For Determining The Specific Growth Rate Of A Distinct Cell Population Within A Non-Homogeneous System, Peter George Stroot, Matthew Raymond Cutter

USF Patents

The present invention provides a method for measuring the specific rate of ribosome synthesis for a distinct cell population, such as a distinct microbial population. For an actively growing (or non-growing) culture, the specific rate of ribosome synthesis is identical to the specific growth rate of the culture. With the method of the invention, researchers will be able to measure the specific growth rate of distinct cell populations in mixed cultures, such as biological reactor systems or environmental samples. In addition, the method of the invention provides the ability to identify members of a distinct cell population that are rapidly …

Molecular Detection And Quantification Of Enterococci, Stacey S. Patterson, John H. Paul

USF Patents

A primer pair and probe for the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene of enterococci for use in a real-time nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA) assay.

Redox Homeostasis In Cyanobacteria, Jeffrey Cameron

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms utilize high-energy electron transfer chains comprised of redox active intermediates and light harvesting complexes. While oxygen is a necessary byproduct of water oxidation and the source of photosynthetic electrons, its presence is also dangerous because leakage of electrons and excitation energy can interact with molecular oxygen to generate reactive oxygen species: ROS). Elaborate antioxidant networks and redox buffering systems have evolved to protect photosynthetic organisms from the threat of ROS. Glutathione: GSH) is a multifunctional molecule that is involved in core metabolism, detoxification of xenobiotics and in maintenance of cellular redox poise. The ubiquitous nature of glutathione …

A Dlk And Jnk Dependent Axon Self-Destruction Program Promotes Wallerian Degeneration, Bradley Miller

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Axon loss is a debilitating consequence of a wide range of neurological conditions. As axons degenerate, they go through a stereotyped sequence of morphological changes termed Wallerian degeneration. It has long been hypothesized that there is an active axonal breakdown program, conceptually similar to apoptosis, which underlies Wallerian degeneration. However, the molecular pathways that accomplish this program in neurons have remained elusive. We demonstrate that dual leucine kinase: DLK) promotes degeneration of severed axons in Drosophila and mice, and its target JNK promotes degeneration locally in axons as they commit to degenerate. This pathway also promotes degeneration after chemotherapy exposure, …

A Novel Mode Of Chromosomal Evolution Peculiar To Filamentous Ascomycete Fungi., James K. Hane, Thierry Rouxel, Barbara J. Howlett, Gert Hj Kema, Stephen B. Goodwin, Richard P. Oliver

Department of Botany and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Background

Gene loss, inversions, translocations, and other chromosomal rearrangements vary among species, resulting in different rates of structural genome evolution. Major chromosomal rearrangements are rare in most eukaryotes, giving large regions with the same genes in the same order and orientation across species. These regions of macrosynteny have been very useful for locating homologous genes in different species and to guide the assembly of genome sequences. Previous analyses in the fungi have indicated that macrosynteny is rare; instead, comparisons across species show no synteny or only microsyntenic regions encompassing usually five or fewer genes. To test the hypothesis that chromosomal …

Simulation Of The Undiseased Human Cardiac Ventricular Action Potential: Model Formulation, Experimental Validation And Application, Thomas O'Hara

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Creation of an accurate model for the undiseased human ventricular action potential: AP) which reproduces a broad range of physiological behaviors requires extensive experimental data, of which essential elements have been unavailable. We developed and validated such a model using new experimental data from endocardium of 140 undiseased human hearts. 78 were from male: 56%). Average age was 41 with standard deviation of 12 years. New experiments include: Ca²⁺ versus voltage dependent inactivation of L-type Ca²⁺ current; kinetics for the transient outward, rapid delayed rectifier, Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange, and inward rectifier currents; AP recordings at all …

Information Processing For Biological Signals: Application To Laser Doppler Vibrometry, Alan Kaplan

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Signals associated with biological activity in the human body can be of great value in clinical and security applications. Since direct measurements of critical biological activity are often difficult to acquire noninvasively, many biological signals are measured from the surface of the skin. This simplifies the signal acquisition, but complicates post processing tasks. Modeling these signals using the underlying physics may not be accurate due to the inherent complexities of the human body. The appropriate use of such models depends on the application of interest. Models developed in this dissertation are motivated by underlying physiology and physics, and are capable …

The Interaction Of Cofilin With The Actin Filament, Diana Wong

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The regulation of filamentous actin: F-actin) production from the polymerization of globular actin: G-actin) within the cell is critical for many cell functions. Since actin is found in all cells, understanding how actin-binding-proteins: ABPs) bind and how their regulating mechanisms work is not only important to the basics of cytoskeletal pathways, but also to understanding associated diseases and creating possible therapeutics to combat them. Cofilin is an ABP that plays an important part in the regulation process and in recent times, has come to be known as a player in maintaining a cell's homeostasis. It's activity has been shown to …

Ultrasound-Encoded Optical Tomography And Time-Reversed Ultrasonically Encoded Optical Focusing, Xiao Xu

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Ultrasound modulated optical tomography is a developing hybrid imaging modality that combines high optical contrast and good ultrasonic resolution to image soft biological tissue. We developed a photorefractive crystal-based, time-resolved detection scheme with the use of a millisecond long ultrasound burst to image both the optical and mechanical properties of biological tissues, with improved detection efficiency of ultrasound-tagged photons. We also applied spectral-hole burning: SHB) aided detection in ultrasound-modulated optical tomography: UOT) to image optical heterogeneities in thick tissue-mimicking phantom samples and chicken breast tissue. The efficiency of SHB was improved by using a Tm3+: YAG crystal of higher doping …

The Psycho-Economic Model Of Ecstasy Consumption And Related Consequences: A Multi-Site Study With Community Samples, Arbi Ben Abdallah

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

A Psycho-Economic Model of Ecstasy Consumption and Related Consequences: A Multi-Site Study with Community Samples By Arbi Ben Abdallah The consumption of mind-altering drugs is well recognized as a complex behavior entailing many different etiological precursors. To understand its complexity, drug use has to be considered from multiple perspectives. Over time, numerous theories have been advanced to explain drug use, the pattern of its use, and its related consequences. Because they approach such a behavior from slightly different vantage points, these theories offer unique explanations with different take on its genetic, physiological, psychological, and environment risk factors. A substantial body …

Using Dirichlet Process Priors For Bayesian Mixture Clustering, Xiao Huang

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

We describe a non-parametric Bayesian model using genotype data to classify individuals among populations where the total number of populations is unknown. The model assumes that a population is characterized by a set of allele frequencies that follow multinomial distributions. The Dirichlet Process is applied as the prior distribution. The method estimates the number of populations together with the allele frequencies and the ancestry coefficients of each individual. Distance matrices and bootstrap support numbers based on MCMC runs are generated to create a phylogeny of the ancestral populations.

Effects Of Climate Change On Water Quality In The Yaquina Estuary, Oregon, Cheryl A. Brown, Darrin Sharp, Heejun Chang, Madeline Steele

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

As part of a larger study to examine the effect of climate change (CC) on estuarine resources, we simulated the effect of rising sea level, alterations in river discharge, and increasing atmospheric temperatures on water quality in the Yaquina Estuary. Due to uncertainty in the effects of climate change, initial model simulations were performed for different steady river discharge rates that span the historical range in inflow, and for a range of increases in sea level and atmospheric temperature. Model simulations suggest that in the central portion of the estuary (19 km from mouth), a 60-cm increase in sea level …

Department Of Biology Creates Fund To Honor Its Retiring Chair, Jim Johnston, Winthrop University

Winthrop News 2011

• Called the Jim and Karen Johnston Fund, the fund will enhance the undergraduate education experience for biology majors at Winthrop University.

Chemistry Professor Nick Grossoehme Receives Grant For Emerging Scientists, Winthrop University

Winthrop News 2011

• Selection for the awards was highly competitive with only a fourth of the candidates receiving funding from a $1.8 million grant total.
• Grossoehme, an assistant professor of chemistry, received the award to conduct research on the “Biophysical Characterization of Metal Homeostasis in Multiple Antibiotic Producing Streptomyces coelicolor.”

Research Discovery Earns Senior Katy Cummings Geology Award, Lawrence University

Press Releases

A potential breakthrough discovery helped Lawrence University senior Katy Cummings earn the “Most Promising Undergraduate Student Award” at the 2011 meeting of the Institute on Lake Superior Geology May 18-21 in Ashland.

Cummings, a geology and biology double major from Dousman, was honored for her poster “Possible eukaryotic macrofossils in the 1.1 Ga Copper Harbor Formation, Michigan,” which she co-authored with Marcia Bjornerud, professor of geology and Walter Schober Professor of Environmental Studies.

The poster presentation was based on research Cummings conducted last fall during a field trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Cummings discovered what may be some of the …

May 23rd 2011, Csusb

Coyote Chronicle (1984-)

No abstract provided.

The Exonuclease Activity Of Hpmc2 Is Required For Transcriptional Regulation Of The Qr Gene And Repair Of Estrogen-Induced Abasic Sites, N. Krishnamurthy, C. R. Ngam, Anthony J. Berdis, M. M. Montano

Chemistry Faculty Publications

We have previously reported that the expression of antioxidative stress enzymes is upregulated by trans-hydroxytamoxifen (TOT) in breast epithelial cell lines providing protection against estrogen-induced DNA damage. This regulation involves Estrogen Receptor β (ERβ) recruitment to the Electrophile Response Element (EpRE) and a novel protein, human homolog of Xenopus gene which Prevents Mitotic Catastrophe (hPMC2). We have also demonstrated that ERβ and hPMC2 are required for TOT-dependent recruitment of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) and Topoisomerase IIβ (Topo IIβ) to the EpRE. Sequence analysis reveals that the C-terminus of hPMC2 encodes a putative exonuclease domain. Using in vitro kinetic assays, …

2011 May 23 - Graduate Council Minutes, College Of Graduate And Continuing Studies, East Tennessee State University

Graduate Council Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Drives Tumor Progression And Metastasis: Should We Use Antioxidants As A Key Component Of Cancer Treatment And Prevention?, Federica Sotgia, Ubaldo E Martinez-Outschoorn, Michael P Lisanti

Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

The functional role of oxidative stress in cancer pathogenesis has long been a hotly debated topic. A study published this month in BMC Cancer by Goh et al., directly addresses this issue by using a molecular genetic approach, via an established mouse animal model of human breast cancer. More specifically, alleviation of mitochondrial oxidative stress, via transgenic over-expression of catalase (an anti-oxidant enzyme) targeted to mitochondria, was sufficient to lower tumor grade (from high-to-low) and to dramatically reduce metastatic tumor burden by >12-fold. Here, we discuss these new findings and place them in the context of several other recent studies …

Electrode Positioning And Montage In Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Alexandre F. Dasilva, Magdalena Sarah Volz, Marom Bikson, Felipe Fregni

Publications and Research

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a technique that has been intensively investigated in the past decade as this method offers a non-invasive and safe alternative to change cortical excitability2. The effects of one session of tDCS can last for several minutes, and its effects depend on polarity of stimulation, such as that cathodal stimulation induces a decrease in cortical excitability, and anodal stimulation induces an increase in cortical excitability that may last beyond the duration of stimulation6. These effects have been explored in cognitive neuroscience and also clinically in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders – especially when applied over …

Range-Expanding Populations Of A Globally Introduced Weed Experience Negative Plant-Soil Feedbacks, Krikor Andonian, José L. Hierro, Liana Khetsuriani, Pablo Becerra, Grigor Janoyan, Diego Villarreal, Lohengrin Cavieres, Laurel R. Fox, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Biological invasions are fundamentally biogeographic processes that occur over large spatial scales. Interactions with soil microbes can have strong impacts on plant invasions, but how these interactions vary among areas where introduced species are highly invasive vs. naturalized is still unknown. In this study, we examined biogeographic variation in plant-soil microbe interactions of a globally invasive weed, Centaurea solstitialis (yellow starthistle). We addressed the following questions (1) Is Centaurea released from natural enemy pressure from soil microbes in introduced regions? and (2) Is variation in plant-soil feedbacks associated with variation in Centaurea's invasive success? Methodology/Principal Findings: We conducted greenhouse …