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An Automated Method For Analysis Of Microcirculation Videos For Accurate Assessment Of Tissue Perfusion, Kayvan Najarian

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

Background

Imaging of the human microcirculation in real-time has the potential to detect injuries and illnesses that disturb the microcirculation at earlier stages and may improve the efficacy of resuscitation. Despite advanced imaging techniques to monitor the microcirculation, there are currently no tools for the near real-time analysis of the videos produced by these imaging systems. An automated system tool that can extract microvasculature information and monitor changes in tissue perfusion quantitatively might be invaluable as a diagnostic and therapeutic endpoint for resuscitation.

Methods

The experimental algorithm automatically extracts microvascular network and quantitatively measures changes in the microcirculation. There are …

Optical And Structural Studies Of Homoepitaxially Grown M-Plane Gan, S. Khromov, B. Monemar, Vitaliy Avrutin, Xing Li, Hadis Morkoç, L. Hultman, G. Pozina

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

Cathodoluminescence(CL) and transmission electron microscopy studies of homoepitaxiallygrownm-plane Mg-doped GaN layers are reported. Layers contain basal plane and prismatic stacking faults (SFs) with ∼10⁶cm⁻¹ density. Broad emission peaks commonly ascribed to SFs were found to be insignificant in these samples. A set of quite strong, sharp lines were detected in the same spectral region of 3.36–3.42 eV. The observed peaks are tentatively explained as excitons bound to some impurity defects, which can also be related to SFs. Donor-acceptor pair (DAP) recombination involving Si or O and Mg was ruled out by fitting DAP energies and …

Racial Differences In Symptom Management Approaches Among Persons With Radiographic Knee Osteoarthritis, Shibing Yang, Rachel Jawahar, Timothy Mcalindon, Charles B. Eaton, Kate L. Lapane

Family Medicine and Population Health Publications

Background

The extent to which racial differences exist in use of treatments for osteoarthritis (OA) is debatable. The purpose of this study was to describe the differences between African Americans (AA) and Caucasian Americans (CA) in using treatment approaches to manage symptoms among individuals with radiographic-confirmed knee OA.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted. Using data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, we identified 508 AA and 2,075 CA with radiographic tibiofemoral OA in at least one knee. Trained interviewers asked questions relating to current OA treatments including seven CAM therapy categories—alternative medical systems, mind-body interventions, manipulation and body-based methods, energy therapies, …

Immunotherapy Of Cancer: Reprogramming Tumor-Immune Crosstalk, Kyle K. Payne, Amir A. Toor, Xiang-Yang Wang, Masoud H. Manjili

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

The advancement of cancer immunotherapy faces barriers which limit its efficacy. These include weak immunogenicity of the tumor, as well as immunosuppressive mechanisms which prevent effective antitumor immune responses. Recent studies suggest that aberrant expression of cancer testis antigens (CTAs) can generate robust antitumor immune responses, which implicates CTAs as potential targets for immunotherapy. However, the heterogeneity of tumor cells in the presence and quantity of CTA expression results in tumor escape from CTA-specific immune responses. Thus, the ability to modulate the tumor cell epigenome to homogenously induce expression of such antigens will likely render the tumor more immunogenic. Additionally, …

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress And Lipid Metabolism, Huiping Zhou, Kezhong Zhang, Sabina Janciauskiene, Xiaokun Li

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an elaborate cellular organelle essential for protein folding, calcium homeostasis, and lipid biosynthesis. Disruption of ER homeostasis imposes stress on the ER and subsequently leads to accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the ER lumen—a condition termed ER stress. In response to ER stress, a group of intracellular signaling pathways originated from the ER, collectively termed ER stress response, are activated to alter transcriptional and translational programs in the stressed cells. ER stress response has been linked to various human diseases associated with dyslipidemia, such as inflammatory diseases, obesity, diabetes, alcoholic and nonalcoholic liver diseases, …

Identification And Characterization Of A Novel Calcium-Activated Apyrase Fromcryptosporidium Parasites And Its Potential Role In Pathogenesis, Patricio A. Manque, Ute Woehlbier, Ana M. Lara, Fernando Tenjo, João M. Alves, Gregory A. Buck

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Herein, we report the biochemical and functional characterization of a novel Ca2+-activated nucleoside diphosphatase (apyrase), CApy, of the intracellular gut pathogen Cryptosporidium. The purified recombinant CApy protein displayed activity, substrate specificity and calcium dependency strikingly similar to the previously described human apyrase, SCAN-1 (soluble calcium-activated nucleotidase 1). CApy was found to be expressed in both Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and sporozoites, and displayed a polar localization in the latter, suggesting a possible co-localization with the apical complex of the parasite. In vitro binding experiments revealed that CApy interacts with the host cell in a dose-dependent fashion, implying the presence of …

Tumor Escape And Progression Under Immune Pressure, Masoud H. Manjili, Nejat Egilmez, Keith L. Knutson, Senthamil R. Selvan, Julie R. Ostberg

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Although cancers develop and progress in immunocompetent hosts, immunological therapies for cancer have been proposed as alternative or complementary approaches to more standard therapy. It was initially thought that tumors were silent to the immune system, and that breaking immunological tolerance could result in immune-mediated tumor rejection. However, we have learned that cancer patients have preexisting immune responses against their tumor antigens which, nevertheless, fail to protect them, in part because of increased activity of the immune suppressor cells such as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). Attempts to develop combinatorial therapies by depleting suppressor cells or blocking suppressor pathways and at …

Repertoire, Genealogy And Genomic Organization Of Cruzipain And Homologous Genes In Trypanosoma Cruzi, T. Cruzi-Like And Other Trypanosome Species, Luciana Lima, Paola A. Ortiz, Flavia M. Da Silva, Joao M. P. Alves, Myrna G. Serrano, Alane O. Cortez, Silvia C. Alfieri, Gregory A. Buck, Marta M. G. Teixeira

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease, is a complex of genetically diverse isolates highly phylogenetically related to T. cruzi-like species, Trypanosoma cruzi marinkellei andTrypanosoma dionisii, all sharing morphology of blood and culture forms and development within cells. However, they differ in hosts, vectors and pathogenicity: T. cruzi is a human pathogen infective to virtually all mammals whilst the other two species are non-pathogenic and bat restricted. Previous studies suggest that variations in expression levels and genetic diversity of cruzipain, the major isoform of cathepsin L-like (CATL) enzymes of T. cruzi, correlate with levels of cellular invasion, …

Adam10 Regulates Transcription Factor Expression Required For Plasma Cell Function, Natalia S. Chaimowitz, Dae-Joong Kang, Lee M. Dean, Daniel H. Conrad

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

A disintegrin and metalloprotease 10 (ADAM10) is a key regulator of cellular processes by shedding extracellular domains of transmembrane proteins. We have previously demonstrated that deletion of B cell expressed ADAM10 results in changes in lymphoid tissue architecture and impaired germinal center (GC) formation. In this study, mice were generated in which ADAM10 is deleted in B cells following class switch recombination (ADAM10Δ/ΔIgG1-cre+/−mice). Despite normal GC formation, antibody responses were impaired in ADAM10Δ/ΔIgG1-cre+/− mice, implicating ADAM10 in post-GC and extrafollicular B cell terminal differentiation. Surprisingly, plasma cell (PC) numbers were normal in ADAM10Δ/ΔIgG1-cre+/− mice when compared to controls. However, PCs …

Mouse Rc/Btb2, A Member Of The Rcc1 Superfamily, Localizes To Spermatid Acrosomal Vesicles, Jiannan Wang, Maria E. Teves, Xuening Shen, David R. Nagarkatti-Gude, Rex A. Hess, Scott C. Henderson, Jerome F. Strauss Iii, Zhibing Zhang

Obstetrics and Gynecology Publications

Mouse RC/BTB2 is an unstudied protein of the RCC1 (Regulator of Chromosome Condensation) superfamily. Because of the significant remodeling of chromatin that occurs during spermiogenesis, we characterized the expression and localization of mouse RC/BTB2 in the testis and male germ cells. The Rc/btb2 gene yields two major transcripts: 2.3 kb Rc/btb2-s, present in most somatic tissues examined; and 2.5 kb Rc/btb2-t, which contains a unique non-translated exon in its 5′-UTR that is only detected in the testis. During the first wave of spermatogenesis, Rc/btb2-t mRNA is expressed from day 8 after birth, reaching highest levels of expression at day …

Coexistence Patterns Of Two Invasive Thistle Species, Carduus Nutans And C. Acanthoides, At Three Spatial Scales, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Katriona Shea, Ottar N. Bjørnstad

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

To better understand the competitive processes involved in invasion by congeners, we examine coexistence patterns of two invasive species, Carduus nutans and C. acanthoides, at three spatial scales. A roadside survey of 5 × 5 km blocks in a previously identified overlap zone provided information about the regional scale. At smaller scales, we surveyed four fields of natural co-occurrence, quantifying the spatial patterns at the field scale by randomly placed 1 × 1 m quadrats and at the smallest scale by detailing plant position within the quadrats. The patterns observed are strikingly different at the different scales. At the regional …

Metanoia (2012 Travel Edition), Taylor University

Metanoia (2011-2012)

The 2012 travel edition of Taylor University’s Metanoia.

Tennessee Oversight Agreement Status Report To The Public Fiscal Year 2012, Tennessee. Department Of Environment And Conservation. Division Of Department Of Energy Oversight

Annual Status Reports

This report was produced by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Remediation, DOE Oversight Office.

Fy 2012 Annual Report, Tennessee. Division Of Forestry, Tennessee. Department Of Agriculture

Forestry Annual Reports

This annual report presents an overview of Tennessee Forestry Commission programs and management.

An Examination Of The Effects Of Institutional Racism And Systemic Prejudice On Intimate Partner Violence In Minority Communities, Emerson Beishline

Law Raza

No abstract provided.

Strategy For Identifying Dendritic Cell-Processed Cd4+ T Cell Epitopes From The Hiv Gag P24 Protein, Leonia Bozzacco, Haiqiang Yu, Jörn Dengjel

Publications

Mass Spectrometry (MS) is becoming a preferred method to identify class I and class II peptides presented on major histocompability complexes (MHC) on antigen presenting cells (APC). We describe a combined computational and MS approach to identify exogenous MHC II peptides presented on mouse spleen dendritic cells (DCs). This approach enables rapid, effective screening of a large number of possible peptides by a computer-assisted strategy that utilizes the extraordinary human ability for pattern recognition. To test the efficacy of the approach, a mixture of epitope peptide mimics (mimetopes) from HIV gag p24 sequence were added exogenously to Fms-like tyrosine kinase …

Decisions About Dendritic Cells: Past, Present, And Future, Ralph M. Steinman

Publications

A properly functioning adaptive immune system signifies the best features of life. It is diverse beyond compare, tolerant without fail, and capable of behaving appropriately with a myriad of infections and other challenges. Dendritic cells are required to explain how this remarkable system is energized and directed. I frame this article in terms of the major decisions that my colleagues and I have made in dendritic cell science and some of the guiding themes at the time the decisions were made. As a result of progress worldwide, there is now evidence of a central role for dendritic cells in initiating …

“Injustice Anywhere Is A Threat To Justice Everywhere” Internal Vs. International Armed Conflicts: Should The Distinction Be Eliminated?, Laura Chafey

University of Baltimore Journal of International Law

This article discusses international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions and its Additional Protocols. It analyzes the rights of protected persons under the Geneva Conventions, such as prisoners of war and civilians, as well as the obligations of States during armed conflicts. Furthermore, the article points out the flaws in the Geneva Conventions, such as the discrepancy between the obligations of States during an international armed conflict vs. during an internal armed conflicts. It argues that this distinction between international and internal armed conflicts should be eliminated and that States’ obligations should be the same for both conflicts.

Msum Student Academic Conference, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Student Academic Conference Abstract Books

Minnesota State University Moorhead Student Academic Conference abstract book.

Trophic Cascades And Private Property: The Challenges Of A Regulatory Balancing Act And Lessons The Uk Can Learn From The Reintroduction Of The American Gray Wolf, Whitney G. Stohr

University of Baltimore Journal of Land and Development

No abstract provided.

Superweeds And Suspect Seeds: Does The Genetically-Engineered Crop Deregulation Process Put American Agriculture At Risk?, Margaret Sova Mccabe

University of Baltimore Journal of Land and Development

No abstract provided.

Public Health Impact Of The Hpv Vaccinations: A Research Update, Kathleen Ragan

The Corinthian

In recent years, a large volume of medical and public health literature has been dedicated to the sexually transmitted infection Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive assessment of recent empirical investigations which assess the public health impact of HPV and recent HPV vaccinations.

Visiting Team Report (Campus Visit September 13-14, 2012), Middle States Commission On Higher Education

Middle States Information and Publications

Visiting Team Report (Campus Visit September 13-14, 2012)

Appendices For Standard 7 (September 2012), Middle States Commission On Higher Education

Middle States Information and Publications

Appendices for Standard 7 (September 2012)

Visiting Team Report (Campus Visit April 12-13, 2012), Middle States Commission On Higher Education

Middle States Information and Publications

Visiting Team Report (Campus Visit April 12-13, 2012)

Transboundary Management Of Transitional Waters – Code Of Conduct And Good Practice Examples, Henrik Nilsson, Ramūnas Povilanskas, Nardine Stybel

ARTWEI

Transitional waters have the ecological peculiarity of being both very fragile and resilient at the same time. The degradation of the transitional waters and the decline of their economic value arise from the excessive use of the resources, external input of pollutants mostly brought by large tributaries and from the mismanagement of the adjacent areas. The EU Water Framework Directive has accelerated the transboundary co-operation and development of spatially integrative management approaches in the south Baltic transitional waters. A high-level political committment in countries sharing a transitional water body, a professional agency, a stakeholders‘ forum and regular funding is the …

Women & Science: Supporting The Advancement Of Women In Science, The Rockefeller University

Women & Science

Under the leadership of President Torsten Wiesel, Rockefeller made an institutional commitment in the mid- 1990s to increase the number of women on its faculty and to do all that it could to support women scientists, at all levels, in their research careers. At the same time, Rockefeller volunteers Lydia Forbes, Isabel Furlaud, Nancy Kissinger, and Sydney Shuman spearheaded the Women & Science initiative as founding chairs and were instrumental in its growth and success.

Aquilegia, Vol. 36 No. 2, 2012 Annual Meeting Issue, Newsletter Of The Colorado Native Plant Society, Bob Henry

Aquilegia - Colorado Native Plant Society

No abstract provided.

An Aphelaspis Zone (Upper Cambrian, Paibian) Trilobite Faunule In The Central Conasauga River Valley, North Georgia, Usa, David R. Schwimmer

Faculty Bibliography

Middle and Upper Cambrian strata (Cambrian Series 3 and Furongian) in the southernmost Appalachians (Tennessee to Alabama) comprise the Conasauga Formation or Group. Heretofore, the youngest reported Conasauga beds in the Valley and Ridge Province of Georgia were of the late Middle Cambrian (Series 3: Drumian) Bolaspidella Zone, located on the western state boundary in the valley of the Coosa River. Two new localities sited eastward in the Conasauga River Valley, yield a diagnostic suite of trilobites from the Upper Cambrian Aphelaspis Zone. Very abundant, polymeroid trilobites at the primary locality are referable to Aphelaspis brachyphasis, which is a species …

Evaluating The Current Status Of Chestnut-Present Forest Systems: Integrating Gigapan As A Tool For Site Assessment, Charles Taylor Brewer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The field of environmental science can directly benefit from a society driven by advances in technology. The loss of the American chestnut (Castanea denata) has had a significant negative environmental and economic impact throughout the Appalachian region. However, using an integrated approach utilizing recent advances in science and technology, we may be able to promote the re-introduction of a very similar species within this region. Using GigaPan as a tool for site assessment and data storage, and previous methods of biological field surveying within the critical detritus layer of the forest floor, we will assess the status of forest ecosystems …