Digital Commons Network^™

Decorin Antagonizes The Angiogenic Network: Concurrent Inhibition Of Met, Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1Α, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A, And Induction Of Thrombospondin-1 And Timp3, Thomas Neill, Hannah Painter, Simone Buraschi, Rick T. Owens, Michael P. Lisanti, Liliana Schaefer, Renato V. Iozzo

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Decorin, a small leucine-rich proteoglycan, inhibits tumor growth by antagonizing multiple receptor tyrosine kinases including EGFR and Met. Here, we investigated decorin during normoxic angiogenic signaling. An angiogenic PCR array revealed a profound decorin-evoked transcriptional inhibition of pro-angiogenic genes, such as HIF1A. Decorin evoked a reduction of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in MDA-231 breast carcinoma cells expressing constitutively-active HIF-1α. Suppression of Met with decorin or siRNA evoked a similar reduction of VEGFA by attenuating downstream β-catenin signaling. These data establish a noncanonical role for β-catenin in regulating VEGFA expression. We found that exogenous …

Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 2011, David L. Kreider

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Ignacio Manuel Altamirano's Journey From 'Indio Puro' To Cultural Mestizo: Indigenous Identity, Mestizaje, And Nationalism In Nineteenth-Century Mexico, Angelica Sanchez-Clark

Spanish and Portuguese ETDs

Like many Mexican Liberal intellectuals, Ignacio Manuel Altamirano (b. Tixtla, Guerrero, 1834; d. San Remo, Italy, 1893) played a central role in defining the role that the mestizo—and, by force of circumstance, the Indian—would play in the formation of national identity after Mexicos independence from Spain. This dissertation examines Altamirano's literary and political works, as well as his personal correspondence, and his experiences as a soldier, educator, and politician, in order to understand how Altamirano, represented as an 'indio puro' who underwent the transformation to mestizo, exemplifies the link between Mexico's colonial past and its struggle to define its national …

February 2012, Lori Gwyn, Berva Pool, Aileen Aiello

SWOSU OSP

No abstract provided.

February 1, 2012 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Epigenetics: A Progressive View, Kimberly Gustafson

Academic Symposium of Undergraduate Scholarship

This research report examines the field of epigenetics in three areas through secondary research. A progressive viewpoint of the field is taken. The historical perspective of epigenetics is examined, followed by the chemical and biochemical reactions involved, and finally an analysis of the field of epigenetics as it relates to Nutrigenomics and the health and well being of the population is conducted.

Epithelial Na + Sodium Channels In Magnocellular Cells Of The Rat Supraoptic And Paraventricular Nuclei, Ryoichi Teruyama, Mayumi Sakuraba, Lori L. Wilson, Narine E.J. Wandrey, William E. Armstrong

Faculty Publications

The epithelial Na + channels (ENaCs) are present in kidney and contribute to Na + and water homeostasis. All three ENaC subunits (α, β, and γ) were demonstrated in the cardiovascular regulatory centers of the rat brain, including the magnocellular neurons (MNCs) in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) and the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). However, the functional significance of ENaCs in vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) synthesizing MNCs is completely unknown. In this study, we show with immunocytochemical double-labeling that the α-ENaC is colocalized with either VP or OT in MNCs in the SON and PVN. In addition, parvocellular neurons in the …

Ethylene's Role In Phosphate Starvation Signaling: More Than Just A Root Growth Regulator, Vinay K. Nagarajan, Aaron P. Smith

Faculty Publications

Phosphate (Pi) is a common limiter of plant growth due to its low availability in most soils. Plants have evolved elaborate mechanisms for sensing Pi deficiency and for initiating adaptive responses to low Pi conditions. Pi signaling pathways are modulated by both local and long-distance, or systemic, sensing mechanisms. Local sensing of low Pi initiates major root developmental changes aimed at enhancing Pi acquisition, whereas systemic sensing governs pathways that modulate expression of numerous genes encoding factors involved in Pi transport and distribution. The gaseous phytohormone ethylene has been shown to play an integral role in regulating local, root developmental …

Environmentally Realistic Exposure To The Herbicide Atrazine Alters Some Sexually Selected Traits In Male Guppies, Kausalya Shenoy

Biology Faculty Publications

Male mating signals, including ornaments and courtship displays, and other sexually selected traits, like male-male aggression, are largely controlled by sex hormones. Environmental pollutants, notably endocrine disrupting compounds, can interfere with the proper functioning of hormones, thereby impacting the expression of hormonally regulated traits. Atrazine, one of the most widely used herbicides, can alter sex hormone levels in exposed animals. I tested the effects of environmentally relevant atrazine exposures on mating signals and behaviors in male guppies, a sexually dimorphic freshwater fish. Prolonged atrazine exposure reduced the expression of two honest signals: the area of orange spots (ornaments) and the …

Where To Next? Alternative Career Options For Health-Related Fields, Brett Kingsley

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of A 3-Year After-School Obesity Prevention Program In Elementary School Children, Zenong Yin, Justin B. Moore, Maribeth H. Johnson, Marlo M. Vernon, Bernard Gutin

Faculty Publications

Background: Children tend to be sedentary during the after-school hours, and this has deleterious effects on their health. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of a 3-year after-school physical activity (PA) program, without restriction of dietary energy intake, on percent body fat (%BF), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and cardiometabolic markers in children.

Methods: A cluster randomization design was employed. A total of 574 3^rd grade children from 18 elementary schools in the south-eastern United States participated. The intervention consisted of 80 minutes of age-appropriate moderate-to-vigorous PA each school day. The main outcomes of interest were …

Hiv And Aids Education: The Tanzanian Case, Katherine Ellison

Social Sciences

This project takes a look at the cultural, religious, and socio-economic roles that affect the spread of education regarding HIV/AIDS in Tanzania. A personal experience in Zanzibar, Tanzania was the incentive to spark interest in teaching. HIV/AIDS is a powerful epidemic that has taken the lives away from millions. This article takes a deeper look at the transmission, stigmas, and pathways for change.

Artificial Modifications Of The Coast In Response To The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Quick Solutions Or Long-Term Liabilities?, Marisa Luisa Martínez, Rusty A. Feagin, Kevin M. Yeager, John Day, Robert Costanza, Jim A. Harris, Richard J. Hobbs, Jorge López-Portillo, Ian J. Walker, Eric Higgs, Patricia Moreno-Casasola, Julio Sheinbaum, Alejandro Yáñez-Arancibia

Faculty Publications

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill threatened many coastal ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico during the spring and summer of 2010. Mitigation strategies included the construction of barrier sand berms, the restriction or blocking of inlets, and the diversion of freshwater from rivers to the coastal marshes and into the ocean, in order to flush away the oil, on the premise that these measures could reduce the quantity of oil reaching sensitive coastal environments such as wetlands or estuaries. These projects result in changes to the ecosystems that they were intended to protect. Long-term effects include alterations of the hydrological …

Weak Prezygotic Isolating Mechanisms In Threatened Caribbean Acropora Corals, Nicole D. Fogarty, Steven V. Vollmer, Don R. Levitan

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The Caribbean corals, Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis, recently have undergone drastic declines primarily as a result of disease. Previous molecular studies have demonstrated that these species form a hybrid (A. prolifera) that varies in abundance throughout the range of the parental distribution. There is variable unidirectional introgression across loci and sites of A. palmata genes flowing into A. cervicornis. Here we examine the efficacy of prezygotic reproductive isolating mechanisms within these corals including spawning times and choice and no-choice fertilization crosses. We show that these species have subtly different mean but overlapping spawning times, suggesting …

The Spinnaker [Vol. 33 No. 83], University Of North Florida

Spinnaker

Student newspaper for the UNF community.

Soil Compaction Thresholds For The M1a1 Abrams Tank: Field Study At Camp Minden, La. (Bulletin #891), Michael R. Lindsey, H. Magdi Selim, Tamer A. Elbana, Jerry Daigle, Charles Guillory, Marc Bordelon, Mitchell Mouton

LSU AgCenter Bulletins

The purpose of this study was to establish critical soil compaction thresholds for M1A1 Abrams battle tank traffic in an effort to minimize soil physical properties that adversely affect vegetation regeneration.

Addressing The Clumsiness Loophole In A Leggett-Garg Test Of Macrorealism, Mark M. Wilde, Ari Mizel

Faculty Publications

The rise of quantum information theory has lent new relevance to experimental tests for non-classicality, particularly in controversial cases such as adiabatic quantum computing superconducting circuits. The Leggett-Garg inequality is a "Bell inequality in time" designed to indicate whether a single quantum system behaves in a macrorealistic fashion. Unfortunately, a violation of the inequality can only show that the system is either (i) non-macrorealistic or (ii) macrorealistic but subjected to a measurement technique that happens to disturb the system. The "clumsiness" loophole (ii) provides reliable refuge for the stubborn macrorealist, who can invoke it to brand recent experimental and theoretical …

Syntheses And Properties Of Trimethylaminophenoxy-Substituted Zn(Ii)-Phthalocyanines, Benson G. Ongarora, Xiaoke Hu, Hairong Li, Frank R. Fronczek, M. Graa H. Vicente

Faculty Publications

The syntheses, photophysical properties and in vitro biological behavior of a series of nine Zn(ii)-phthalocyanines (ZnPcs) bearing one to eight positively-charged trimethylaminophenoxy groups are reported. All ZnPcs are highly soluble in polar organic solvents, and show fluorescence and singlet oxygen quantum yields in the ranges 0.11-0.21 and 0.16-0.47, respectively. The cytotoxicity of the ZnPcs depends on both the number of charges and their site of substitution (α vs. β) on the Pc isoindole units; the most promising for PDT application are the α-substituted di-cationic ZnPcs 6a and 17a. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Differences In Folate-Protein Interactions Result In Differing Inhibition Of Native Rat Liver And Recombinant Glycine N-Methyltransferase By 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate, Zigmund Luka, Svetlana Pakhomova, Lioudmila V. Loukachevitch, Marcia E. Newcomer, Conrad Wagner

Faculty Publications

Glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) is a key regulatory enzyme in methyl group metabolism. In mammalian liver it reduces S-adenosylmethionine levels by using it to methylate glycine, producing N-methylglycine (sarcosine) and S-adenosylhomocysteine. GNMT is inhibited by binding two molecules of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (mono- or polyglutamate forms) per tetramer of the active enzyme. Inhibition is sensitive to the status of the N-terminal valine of GNMT and to polyglutamation of the folate inhibitor. It is inhibited by pentaglutamate form more efficiently compared to monoglutamate form. The native rat liver GNMT contains an acetylated N-terminal valine and is inhibited much more efficiently compared to the recombinant …

Genetic Diversity And Colony Breeding Structure In Native And Introduced Ranges Of The Formosan Subterranean Termite, Coptotermes Formosanus, Claudia Husseneder, Dawn M. Simms, Jennifer R. Delatte, Changlu Wang, J. Kenneth Grace, Edward L. Vargo

Faculty Publications

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus is recognized as one of the most important invasive pest species. Originating from China, C. formosanus has spread to many tropical and subtropical regions around the globe in the last 400 years, including Japan, Hawaii and the continental USA. Although the current distribution is well documented, information about the patterns of invasion and effects of introduction on the population genetics of this species is largely lacking. We analyzed the genetic structure of populations from two native populations (Guangdong and Hunan provinces, China) and two introduced populations (Maui and Kauai, Hawaii) using microsatellite genotyping. We …

Synthesis, Characterisation, And Preliminary In Vitro Studies Of Vanadium(Iv) Complexes With A Schiff Base And Thiosemicarbazones As Mixed Ligands, Nerissa A. Lewis, Fange Liu, Luke Seymour, Anthony Magnusen, Travis R. Erves, Jessa Faye Arca, Floyd A. Beckford, Ramaiyer Venkatraman, Antonio González-Sarrías, Frank R. Fronczek, Don G. Vanderveer, Navindra P. Seeram, Aimin Liu, William L. Jarrett, Alvin A. Holder

Faculty Publications

[VO(sal‐L‐tryp)(H₂O)] (1, sal‐L‐tryp = N‐salicylidene‐L‐tryptophanate) was used as a precursor to produce the new complexes [VO(sal‐L‐tryp)(MeATSC)]·1.5C₂H₅OH [2, MeATSC = 9‐Anthraldehyde‐N(4)‐methylthiosemicarbazone], [VO(sal‐L‐tryp)(N‐ethhymethohcarbthio)]·H₂O [3, N‐ethhymethohcarbthio = (E)‐N‐ethyl‐2‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxybenzylidene)hydrazinecarbothioamide] and [VO(sal‐L‐tryp)(acetylethTSC)]·C₂H₅OH {4, acetylethTSC = (E)‐N‐ethyl‐2‐[1‐(thiazol‐2‐yl)ethylidene]hydrazinecarbothioamide} by reaction with the respective thiosemicarbazone. The chemical and structural properties of these ligands and complexes were characterised by elemental analysis, ESI‐MS, FTIR, UV/Vis, ESR and ¹H and …

Caprg: Sequence Assembling Pipeline For Next Generation Sequencing Of Non-Model Organisms, Arun Rawat, Mohamed O. Elasri, Kurt A. Gust, Glover George, Don Pham, Leona D. Scanlan, Chris Vulpe, Edward J. Perkins

Faculty Publications

Our goal is to introduce and describe the utility of a new pipeline “Contigs Assembly Pipeline using Reference Genome” (CAPRG), which has been developed to assemble “long sequence reads” for non-model organisms by leveraging a reference genome of a closely related phylogenetic relative. To facilitate this effort, we utilized two avian transcriptomic datasets generated using ROCHE/454 technology as test cases for CAPRG assembly. We compared the results of CAPRG assembly using a reference genome with the results of existing methods that utilize de novo strategies such as VELVET, PAVE, and MIRA by employing parameter space comparisons (intra-assembling comparison). CAPRG performed …

Predicting Patch Occupancy In Fragmented Landscapes At The Rangewide Scale For An Endangered Species: An Example Of An American Warbler, Bret A. Collier, Julie E. Groce, Michael L. Morrison, John C. Newnam, Andrew J. Campomizzi, Shannon L. Farrell, Heather A. Mathewson, Robert T. Snelgrove, Raymond J. Carroll, Robert N. Wilkins

Faculty Publications

Aim Our objective was to identify the distribution of the endangered golden-cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) in fragmented oak-juniper woodlands by applying a geoadditive semiparametric occupancy model to better assist decision-makers in identifying suitable habitat across the species breeding range on which conservation or mitigation activities can be focused and thus prioritize management and conservation planning. Location Texas, USA. Methods We used repeated double-observer detection/non-detection surveys of randomly selected (n=287) patches of potential habitat to evaluate warbler patch-scale presence across the species breeding range. We used a geoadditive semiparametric occupancy model with remotely sensed habitat metrics (patch size and landscape composition) …

Update - February 2012, Loma Linda University Center For Christian Bioethics

Update

In this issue:

-- Cancer Stories: An Argument for Narrative Ethics
-- Dual-Degree Masters of Arts in Bioethics
-- From the Director
-- Finding a Voice for Seventh-day Adventist Ethics in the Radical Reformation?

Warfarin Pharmacogenetics: Polymorphisms Of The Cyp2c9, Cyp4f2 , And Vkorc1 Loci In A Genetically Admixed Omani Population, Anil V. Pathare, Shoaib Al Zadjali, Rhea Misquith, Salam S. Alkini, Vinodh Panjwani, Claudine Lapoumeroulie, Pravin Sahaya, Andras Paldi, Rajagopal Krishnamoorthy

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

This is the first study to evaluate the spectrum and prevalence of dose-predictive genetic polymorphisms of the CYP2C9, CYP4F2 and VKORC1 loci together, in a geographically-defined, ethnically admixed healthy adult Omani population sharing common life style/environmental factors. Since the present day Omani population is the result of an admixture of Caucasian, African and Asian ancestries, we compared the pharmacogenetic profile of these three loci in this population. Interestingly, the Omani pharmacogenetic profile, in terms of allele and genotype distribution, has values that are intermediate between Caucasians and African Americans, the African admixture further substantiated by the presence of CYP2C9*8 allele. …

Wounded Warrior Foundation Case Statement, Wounded Warrior Foundation

Fundraising and Marketing

Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides assistance to our Wounded EOD (Explosive Ordinance Device) Warriors and their families in the form of financial relief.

This is their case for support.

Oncolog, Volume 57, Number 02, February 2012, Don Norwood, Bryan Tutt

OncoLog MD Anderson's Report to Physicians (All issues) Archives

• Pediatric and Adult Cancer Patients Face Different Issues in Care, Survivorship: The challenges faced by children and adults with cancer can differ markedly, even when they have the same type of cancer
• Palliative Care May Offer Survival Benefits: Recent studies indicate that palliative care, which has been shown to improve quality of life in patients with advanced cancer, may also help patients live longer
• INBRIEF: Targeted Therapy Causes Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Remission/Study Finds Acupuncture Can Prevent Radiation-Induced Chronic Dry Mouth
• HOUSE CALL: Understanding the risks, benefits, and purpose of a trial can help cancer patients decide whether to participate

Nebline, February 2012

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: 4-H Diamond Clover Program Helps Youth Plan and Achieve Goals

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Battling Problem Pests In Paradise, Stephanie Yao, Dennis O’Brien

Agricultural Research Magazine

Sandy beaches, blue water, warm weather, and—invasive insects? One of these things certainly doesn’t belong. When we think of island paradise, invasive insects don’t usually come to mind. But these pesky pests are a problem for countries all over the world.

In two separate projects, Agricultural Research Service scientists are working with their Azorean and French Polynesian counterparts to help control invasive insects there. Since these pests are also invasive in the United States, these collaborations may have mutual benefit. So far, the results have been promising.

An Infestation in the Azores

Off the coast of Portugal lies an archipelago …

Vitamin Deficiencies In Humans: Can Plant Science Help?, Teresa B. Fitzpatrick, Gilles J. C. Basset, Patrick Borel, Fernando Carrari, Dean Dellapenna, Paul D. Fraser, Hanjo Hellmann, Sonia Osorio, Christophe Rothan, Victoriano Valpuesta, Catherine Caris-Veyrat, Alisdair R. Fernie

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

The term vitamin describes a small group of organic compounds that are absolutely required in the human diet. Although for the most part, dependency criteria are met in developed countries through balanced diets, this is not the case for the five billion people in developing countries who depend predominantly on a single staple crop for survival. Thus, providing a more balanced vitamin intake from high-quality food remains one of the grandest challenges for global human nutrition in the coming decade(s). Here, we describe the known importance of vitamins in human health and current knowledge on their metabolism in plants. Deficits …