Digital Commons Network^™

Factoring-In Agglomeration Of Carbon Nanotubes And Nanofibers For Better Prediction Of Their Toxicity Versus Asbestos, Ashley R. Murray, Elena R. Kisin, Alexey V. Tkach, Naveena Yanamala, Robert Mercer, Shih-Houng Young, Bengt Fadeel, Valerian E. Kagan, Anna A. Shvedova

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon nanofibers (CNF) are allotropes of carbon featuring fibrous morphology. The dimensions and high aspect ratio of CNT and CNF have prompted the comparison with naturally occurring asbestos fibers which are known to be extremely pathogenic. While the toxicity and hazardous outcomes elicited by airborne exposure to single-walled CNT or asbestos have been widely reported, very limited data are currently available describing adverse effects of respirable CNF.

Results

Here, we assessed pulmonary inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress markers and systemic immune responses to respirable CNF in comparison to single-walled CNT (SWCNT) and asbestos. Pulmonary inflammatory and …

Nedd9 Stabilizes Focal Adhesions, Increases Binding To The Extra-Cellular Matrix And Differentially Effects 2d Versus 3d Cell Migration, Jessie Zhong, Jaime B. Baquiran, Navid Bonakdar, Justin Lees, Yu W. Ching, Elena Pugacheva, Ben Fabry, Geraldine M. O'Neill

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The speed of cell migration on 2-dimensional (2D) surfaces is determined by the rate of assembly and disassembly of clustered integrin receptors known as focal adhesions. Different modes of cell migration that have been described in 3D environments are distinguished by their dependence on integrin-mediated interactions with the extra-cellular matrix. In particular, the mesenchymal invasion mode is the most dependent on focal adhesion dynamics. The focal adhesion protein NEDD9 is a key signalling intermediary in mesenchymal cell migration, however whether NEDD9 plays a role in regulating focal adhesion dynamics has not previously been reported. As NEDD9 effects on 2D migration …

Protein-Based Identification Of Quantitative Trait Loci Associated With Malignant Transformation In Two Her2+ Cellular Models Of Breast Cancer, Yogesh M. Kulkarni, David J. Klinke

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

A contemporary view of the cancer genome reveals extensive rearrangement compared to normal cells. Yet how these genetic alterations translate into specific proteomic changes that underpin acquiring the hallmarks of cancer remains unresolved. The objectives of this study were to quantify alterations in protein expression in two HER2+ cellular models of breast cancer and to infer differentially regulated signaling pathways in these models associated with the hallmarks of cancer.

Results

A proteomic workflow was used to identify proteins in two HER2 positive tumorigenic cell lines (BT474 and SKBR3) that were differentially expressed relative to a normal human mammary epithelial …

Bisphenol A And Metabolic Syndrome: Results From Nhanes, Srinivas Teppala, Suresh Madhavan, Anoop Shankar

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background. Bisphenol A (BPA) is detected in the urine of 95% of US adults. Recent evidence from population-based studies suggests that BPA is associated with individual components for metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, no previous study has examined the direct association between BPA and MetS. Methods. We examined 2,104 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2008. The main outcome was the presence of MetS (). Results. Increasing levels of urinary BPA were positively associated with MetS, independent of confounders such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, and urinary creatinine. Compared to tertile 1 (referent), the …

Bone Marrow Osteoblast Damage By Chemotherapeutic Agents, Stephanie L. Rellick, Heather O'Leary, Debbie Piktel, Cheryl Walton, James E. Fortney, Stephen M. Akers, Karen H. Martin, James Denvir, Goran Boskovic, Donald A. Primerano, Jeffrey Vos, Nathanael Bailey, Marieta Gencheva, Laura F. Gibson

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Hematopoietic reconstitution, following bone marrow or stem cell transplantation, requires a microenvironment niche capable of supporting both immature progenitors and stem cells with the capacity to differentiate and expand. Osteoblasts comprise one important component of this niche. We determined that treatment of human primary osteoblasts (HOB) with melphalan or VP-16 resulted in increased phospho-Smad2, consistent with increased TGF-β1 activity. This increase was coincident with reduced HOB capacity to support immature B lineage cell chemotaxis and adherence. The supportive deficit was not limited to committed progenitor cells, as human embryonic stem cells (hESC) or human CD34+ bone marrow cells co-cultured with …

Genome Sequence Of The Mesophilic Thermotogales Bacterium Mesotoga Prima Mesg1.Ag.4.2 Reveals The Largest Thermotogales Genome To Date, Olga Zhaxbayeva, Kristen S. Swithers, Julia Foght, Anna G. Green, David Bruce, Chris Detter, Shunsheng Han, Hazuki Teshima, James Han, Tanja Woyke, Sam Pitluck, Matt Nolan, Natalia Ivanova, Amrita Pati, Miriam L. Land, Marlena Dlutek, W Ford Doolittle, Kenneth M. Noll, Camilla L. Nesbo

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Here we describe the genome of Mesotoga prima MesG1.Ag4.2, the first genome of a mesophilic Thermotogales bacterium. Mesotoga prima was isolated from a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-dechlorinating enrichment culture from Baltimore Harbor sediments. Its 2.97 Mb genome is considerably larger than any previously sequenced Thermotogales genomes, which range between 1.86 and 2.30 Mb. This larger size is due to both higher numbers of protein-coding genes and larger intergenic regions. In particular, the M. prima genome contains more genes for proteins involved in regulatory functions, for instance those involved in regulation of transcription. Together with its closest relative, Kosmotoga olearia, it also …

Modeling Chemical Interaction Profiles: I. Spectral Data-Activity Relationship And Structure-Activity Relationship Models For Inhibitors And Non-Inhibitors Of Cytochrome P450 Cyp3a4 And Cyp2d6 Isozymes, Brooks Mcphail, Yunfeng Tie, Huixiao Hong, Bruce A. Pearce, Laura K. Schnackenberg, Weigong Ge, Luis G. Valerio, James C. Fuscoe, Weida Tong, Dan A. Buzatu, Jon G. Wilkes, Bruce A. Fowler, Eugene Demchuk, Richard D. Berger

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

An interagency collaboration was established to model chemical interactions that may cause adverse health effects when an exposure to a mixture of chemicals occurs. Many of these chemicals—drugs, pesticides, and environmental pollutants—interact at the level of metabolic biotransformations mediated by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. In the present work, spectral data-activity relationship (SDAR) and structure-activity relationship (SAR) approaches were used to develop machine-learning classifiers of inhibitors and non-inhibitors of the CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 isozymes. The models were built upon 602 reference pharmaceutical compounds whose interactions have been deduced from clinical data, and 100 additional chemicals that were used to evaluate model …

Modeling Chemical Interaction Profiles: Ii. Molecular Docking, Spectral Data-Activity Relationship, And Structure-Activity Relationship Models For Potent And Weak Inhibitors Of Cytochrome P450 Cyp3a4 Isozyme, Yunfeng Tie, Brooks Mcphail, Huixiao Hong, Bruce A. Pearce, Laura K. Schnackenberg, Weigong Ge, Dan A. Buzatu, Jon G. Wilkes, James C. Fuscoe, Weida Tong, Bruce A. Fowler, Richard D. Beger, Eugene Demchuk

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Polypharmacy increasingly has become a topic of public health concern, particularly as the U.S. population ages. Drug labels often contain insufficient information to enable the clinician to safely use multiple drugs. Because many of the drugs are bio-transformed by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, inhibition of CYP activity has long been associated with potentially adverse health effects. In an attempt to reduce the uncertainty pertaining to CYP-mediated drug-drug/chemical interactions, an interagency collaborative group developed a consensus approach to prioritizing information concerning CYP inhibition. The consensus involved computational molecular docking, spectral data-activity relationship (SDAR), and structure-activity relationship (SAR) models that addressed the …

Insight Into The Transmission Biology And Species-Specific Functional Capabilities Of Tsetse (Diptera: Glossinidae) Obligate Symbiont Wigglesworthia, Rita V M Rio, Rebecca E. Symula, Jinhwen Wang, Claudia Lohs, Yi-Neng Wu, Anna K. Snyder, Robert D. Bjornson, Kenshiro Oshima, Bryan S. Biehl, Nicole T. Perna, Masahira Hattori, Serap Aksoy

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Ancient endosymbionts have been associated with extreme genome structural stability with little differentiation in gene inventory between sister species. Tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae) harbor an obligate endosymbiont, Wigglesworthia, which has coevolved with the Glossina radiation. We report on the ~720-kb Wigglesworthia genome and its associated plasmid from Glossina morsitans morsitans and compare them to those of the symbiont from Glossina brevipalpis. While there was overall high synteny between the two genomes, a large inversion was noted. Furthermore, symbiont transcriptional analyses demonstrated host tissue and development-specific gene expression supporting robust transcriptional regulation in Wigglesworthia, an unprecedented observation in other obligate mutualist …

Metabolism, Consumption Rates, And Scope For Growth Of Porcelain Crab (Petrolisthes Galathinus), Kimberly A. Mcglaun, Kim Withers

Gulf of Mexico Science

Porcelain crabs Petrolisthes galathinus (Bosc, 1802) can be found at high densities in oyster reefs. To examine effects of diet on metabolism, crabs (N = 32) were fed Artemia salina nauplii, mixed microalgae, or algal biofilm extract, or left unfed. Oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion, food consumption rate, and absorption efficiency were determined and scope for growth (SFG) was calculated. Oxygen consumption and food consumption rates were highest in crabs fed Artemia. The energy gained from mixed microalgae (47 ± 143 J h^-1) and algal biofilm (265 ± 203 J h^-1) was less than the energy …

Male Savannah Sparrows Provide Less Parental Care With Increasing Paternity Loss, Noah G. Perlut, Lindsay M. Kelly, Nathan J. Zalik, Allan M. Strong

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Male parental care can significantly affect fledging success and, therefore, is a strong target of both natural and sexual selection. However, for songbird species that exhibit extra-pair paternity, males may reduce parental care based on how much paternity they have lost in a brood. We studied Passerculus sandwichensis (Savannah Sparrow) male parental care relative to the proportion of extra-pair young in the nest, to see if males adjusted care in response to increasing loss of paternity. Males brought less food (mass) with increasing rates of extra-pair paternity, although male provisioning did not influence fledging success. These results contrast with a …

College Catalog, 2012, Summer, Buffalo State College

Academic Catalogs, 1871-2018

No abstract provided.

College Catalog, 2012-2013, Buffalo State College

Academic Catalogs, 1871-2018

No abstract provided.

College Catalog, 2012-2013, Graduate, Buffalo State College

Academic Catalogs, 1871-2018

No abstract provided.

Designing A Monitoring Plan, Eric M. Gese, Hilary S. Cooley, Frederick F. Knowlton

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Monitoring is the collection and analysis of repeated observations or measurements to determine whether a management action is having the desired effect of meeting management objectives and demonstrating success or failure of a management strategy (Elzinga et al 2001). Monitoring is composed of a series of surveys (sensu Chapter 2) framed in a design aimed at answering specific management questions. There are many reasons to establish monitoring plans, such as when a carnivore species is of a high social or economic value, is rare and decreasing in numbers, is in eminent danger of extinction, or is part of a …

P21 Promotes Error-Free Replication-Coupled Dna Double-Strand Break Repair, Maurizio Mauro, Meghan A. Rego, Rebecca A. Boisvert, Fumiko Esashi, Francesca Cavallo, Maria Jasin, Niall G. Howlett

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

p21 is a well-established regulator of cell cycle progression. The role of p21 in DNA repair, however, remains poorly characterized. Here, we describe a critical role of p21 in a replication-coupled DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair that is mechanistically distinct from its cell cycle checkpoint function. We demonstrate that p21-deficient cells exhibit elevated chromatid-type aberrations, including gaps and breaks, dicentrics and radial formations, following exposure to several DSB-inducing agents. p21 ^−/− cells also exhibit an increased DNA damage-inducible DNA-PK _CS S2056 phosphorylation, indicative of elevated non-homologous DNA end joining. Concomitantly, p21 ^−/− cells are defective in replication-coupled homologous recombination (HR), …

Patent Landscape Of Influenza A Virus Prophylactic Vaccines And Related Technologies, Jon R. Cavicchi, Stanley P. Kowalski, David L. Pflugh, Jeremy Barton, Jeffrey Janovetz, John Schroeder

Law Faculty Scholarship

Executive Summary: This report focuses on patent landscape analysis of technologies related to prophylactic vaccines targeting pandemic strains of influenza. These technologies include methods of formulating vaccine, methods of producing of viruses or viral subunits, the composition of complete vaccines, and other technologies that have the potential to aid in a global response to this pathogen. The purpose of this patent landscape study was to search, identify, and categorize patent documents that are relevant to the development of vaccines that can efficiently promote the development of protective immunity against pandemic influenza virus strains.

The search strategy used keywords which the …

Transplantation Of Pluripotent Stem Cells Confers Cardiac Protection In Dox-Induced Heart Failure Through Notch-1 Pathway, Hilda Merino-Chavez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Doxorubicin (DOX) is the antineoplastic drug of preference used to treat a wide variety of malignancies, with high survival rates among treated patients. However, the benefits of this drug have become less appealing due to the side effects that occur such as DOX-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC) and an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI). Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore the therapeutic options to treat DIC. In this context, adult stem cells have been used as a source to reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis in DIC; however, the effects of transplanted embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells …

The Gender Gap In Technical Communication: How Women Challenge The Predominant Objectivist Paradigm, Nathan Bower

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women are currently underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how this underrepresentation translates to a gender gap in the field of technical communication and how this gap causes women to challenge the predominant objectivist paradigm in the field. Through an investigation of peer-reviewed journal articles, periodicals, critical theory, and articles published in online magazines such as Slate, I identify the gendered nature of modern technology and discuss to what extent a shift in the predominant paradigm has occurred in the professional arena. In looking at several theoretical approaches …

Limk1 Promotes Mt1-Mmp Expression And Localization To The Plasma Membrane, Richard Ottman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

LIM Kinase 1 (LIMK1), a serine/threonine kinase, modulates actin polymerization and microtubule assembly. The function of LIMK1 is regulated by kinases that are activated by Rho and Rac GTPases. LIMK1 is overexpressed in various cancerous cell types and tissues and its overexpression promotes increased invasion and metastasis of breast and prostate cancer cells. Membrane-Type Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 (MT1-MMP) is a member of the zinc-binding collagenase family, which is involved in extracellular matrix breakdown and activation of secreted MMP-2. The balance between activation and inhibition of MT1- MMP and MMP-2 helps maintaining normal extracellular matrix turnover. However, it has been shown …

Space Radiation Countermeasures In A Life Support System Of Extraterrestrial Environments, Candice Thompson Young

Theses

A Life Support System (LSS) sustains life for an extended period of time in a closed system that includes waste recycling as a functional method of support. For future space missions, the goal is to build extraterrestrial space bases which employ the concept design of a radiation free LSS environment. Effectively maintaining a LSS in an extraterrestrial space environment is difficult without protection from harmful space radiation such as galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) and solar radiation. Radiation produces high energy ions which penetrates tissue and destroys DNA. Without radiation protection, life in an extraterrestrial environment will perish. Therefore, it is …

Comparative Proteomic Analysis Of The Impact Of Management Programs On Porcine Airways, Chakia Joi Mcclendon

Theses

In North Carolina, swine are reared in confinement housing or pasture-based operations and air quality in confinement operations is known to contribute to health status. However, few if any reports investigate the impact of swine management operations on porcine airways; thus the goal of this project. The hypothesis was that airways of pigs reared indoors have morphological and proteome differences compared to pigs reared outdoors. Three experimental trials were conducted to observe airway morphology and proteomes. Trial I included three breed types raised indoors, Tamworth X Berkshire, Berkshire X Berkshire and Hertford X Berkshire (n = 4- 5 each). Trials …

Prototype And Analysis Of The Army's Titan Services, Mahesh Shivalingappa

Theses

The Tactical Information Technologies for Assured Net Operations (TITAN) Program is an Advanced Technology Objective (ATO) funded by the Army. The overall goal of this ATO is to demonstrate how emerging information technologies can significantly improve key areas of tactical operations, ultimately resulting in the transition of software developed under the ATO to existing battlefield systems. One such key area is Information Dissemination and management (ID&M). The key software that will be developed under the ID&M portion of the TITAN Program requires a collection of agent-based software services that will collaborate during tactical mission planning and execution. The agent framework …

Activity Of Soil Enzymes In Constructed Wetlands Treated With Swine Wastewater, Ramgopal Baddam

Theses

Increased swine production in North Carolina has resulted in higher waste production. Continuous application of swine wastewater from lagoons to agricultural land can pose surface and ground water pollution. Constructed wetland (CW) treatment is an alternate to the lagoon spray field system that reduces the nutrients concentration through physical, chemical and biological mechanisms. One of the biological processes in the CW is enzymatic activity which plays a major role in releasing nutrients from organic substances. The objectives of this research were to investigate the activity of soil enzymes at different depths of CW treated with swine wastewater and to assess …

A Study Of Biodegradable Ceramic Coatings For Magnesium-Based Implants, Erica L. Clinard

Theses

The objective of this study is develop some understanding of biodegradable, ceramic coatings that control the rate of corrosion of a magnesium-based implant by: optimizing parameters for fabricating metal oxides, determining surface roughness parameters, determining dependence of resorption time on coating thickness and determining the biological compatibility of aluminum oxide, ferric oxide and zinc oxide. Magnetron sputtering has been used to manufacture high quality ceramic coatings through pulsed direct current sputtering technique. Aluminum oxide, zinc oxide and iron oxide were characterized by an optical density method, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. From this study, it was …

Occupy Wall Street And Antitrust, Maurice Stucke

Scholarly Works

Capitalism, some declare, is in crisis. One concern, which the Occupy Wall Street protesters and many Americans share, is how a relatively small group of corporate and wealthy individuals now wields too much economic influence and control in the United States and the world. The prevailing belief is that financial institutions’ power and influence represent a major threat to America.

So what does antitrust have to say about this public unease? Few would likely believe the Supreme Court’s Standard Oil opinion handed down a century ago would relate to their present concerns. That is unfortunate. The concerns Standard Oil raises …

Deep-Sea Origin And In-Situ Diversification Of Chrysogorgiid Octocorals, Catherine S. Mcfadden, Eric Pante, Scott C. France, Arnaud Couloux, Corinne Cruaud, Sarah Samadi, Les Watling

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

The diversity, ubiquity and prevalence in deep waters of the octocoral family Chrysogorgiidae Verrill, 1883 make it noteworthy as a model system to study radiation and diversification in the deep sea. Here we provide the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the Chrysogorgiidae, and compare phylogeny and depth distribution. Phylogenetic relationships among 10 of 14 currently-described Chrysogorgiidae genera were inferred based on mitochondrial (mtMutS, cox1) and nuclear (18S) markers. Bathymetric distribution was estimated from multiple sources, including museum records, a literature review, and our own sampling records (985 stations, 2345 specimens). Genetic analyses suggest that the Chrysogorgiidae as currently described is …

Second Annual Association Of Nepal And Himalayan Studies Conference, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo Mi, Emma Natalya Stein

HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies

No abstract provided.

Legal And Policy Standards For Addressing Workplace Racism: Employer Liability And Shared Responsibility For Race-Based Traumatic Stress, Robert T. Carter, Thomas D. Scheuermann

University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class

No abstract provided.

Strategies For Wildlife Disease Surveillance, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Christopher J. Brand, Scott D. Wright

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Epidemiologic surveillance is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the "ongoing systematic and continuous collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data': The objective of surveillance is to generate data for rapid response to the detection of a disease of concern to apply prevention, control, or eradication measures as well as to evaluate such interventions. This is distinct from disease monitoring, which usually does not involve a particular response to disease detection.

Surveillance for wildlife diseases has increased in importance due to the emergence and re-emergence of wildlife diseases that are threats to human, animal, and …