Digital Commons Network^™

Effective Treatment With A Tetrandrine/Chloroquine Combination For Chloroquine-Resistant Falciparum Malaria In Aotus Monkeys, Zuguang Ye, Knox V. Dyke, Richard N. Rossan

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

In vitro evidence indicates that tetrandrine (TT) can potentiate the action of chloroquine 40-fold against choloquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum. The key question emanating from that study is “would tetrandine and chloroquine be highly effective in a live Aotus monkey model with chloroquine-resistant parasites”. This study was designed to closely mimic the pharmacological/anti-malarial activity in man.

Methods

The Vietnam Smith/RE strain of P. falciparum, which is chloroquine-resistant was used in this study. Previous experimental procedures were followed. Panamanian owl monkeys (Aotus) were inoculated with 5×106 erythrocytes parasitized with the CQ-resistant strain of P. falciparum. Oral drug …

Keratinocyte-Targeted Expression Of Human Laminin Γ2 Rescues Skin Blistering And Early Lethality Of Laminin Γ2 Deficient Mice, Tracy L. Adair-Kirk, Gail L. Griffin, Michelle J. Meyer, Diane G. Kelley, Jeffery H. Miner, Douglas R. Keene, M Peter Marinkovich, J Michael Ruppert, Jouni Uitto, Robert M. Senior

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Laminin-332 is a heterotrimeric basement membrane component comprised of the α3, ß3, and γ2 laminin chains. Laminin-332 modulates epithelial cell processes, such as adhesion, migration, and differentiation and is prominent in many embryonic and adult tissues. In skin, laminin-332 is secreted by keratinocytes and is a key component of hemidesmosomes connecting the keratinocytes to the underlying dermis. In mice, lack of expression of any of the three Laminin-332 chains result in impaired anchorage and detachment of the epidermis, similar to that seen in human junctional epidermolysis bullosa, and death occurs within a few days after birth. To bypass the early …

Quartet Decomposition Server: A Platform For Analyzing Phylogenetic Trees, Fenglou Mao, David Williams, Olga Zhaxybayeva, Maria Poptsova, Pascal Lapierre, J Peter Gogarten, Ying Xu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

The frequent exchange of genetic material among prokaryotes means that extracting a majority or plurality phylogenetic signal from many gene families, and the identification of gene families that are in significant conflict with the plurality signal is a frequent task in comparative genomics, and especially in phylogenomic analyses. Decomposition of gene trees into embedded quartets (unrooted trees each with four taxa) is a convenient and statistically powerful technique to address this challenging problem. This approach was shown to be useful in several studies of completely sequenced microbial genomes.

Results

We present here a web server that takes a collection …

Evaluation Of Gene Association Methods For Coexpression Network Construction And Biological Knowledge Discovery, Sapna Kumari, Jeff Nie, Huann-Sheng Chen, Hao Ma, Ron Stewart, Xiang Li, Meng-Zhu Lu, William M. Taylor, Hairong Wei

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Constructing coexpression networks and performing network analysis using large-scale gene expression data sets is an effective way to uncover new biological knowledge; however, the methods used for gene association in constructing these coexpression networks have not been thoroughly evaluated. Since different methods lead to structurally different coexpression networks and provide different information, selecting the optimal gene association method is critical.

Methods and Results

In this study, we compared eight gene association methods – Spearman rank correlation, Weighted Rank Correlation, Kendall, Hoeffding's D measure, Theil-Sen, Rank Theil-Sen, Distance Covariance, and Pearson – and focused on their true knowledge discovery rates …

Vertical Transmission Of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Modulates Pre- And Postnatal Innervation And Reactivity Of Rat Airways, Giovanni Piedimonte, Cheryl Walton, Lennie Samsell

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Environmental exposure to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory infections in infants, but it remains unknown whether this infection is transmitted transplacentally from the lungs of infected mothers to the offspring. We sought to test the hypothesis that RSV travels from the respiratory tract during pregnancy, crosses the placenta to the fetus, persists in the lung tissues of the offspring, and modulates pre- and postnatal expression of growth factors, thereby predisposing to airway hyperreactivity.

Methodology

Pregnant rats were inoculated intratracheally at midterm using recombinant RSV expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP). Viral RNA was amplified by …

A Characterization Of The Manduca Sexta Serotonin Receptors In The Context Of Olfactory Neuromodulation, Andrew M. Dacks, Vincenzina Reale, Yeli Pi, Wujie Zhang, Joel B. Dacks, Alan J. Nighorn, Peter D. Evans

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Neuromodulation, the alteration of individual neuron response properties, has dramatic consequences for neural network function and is a phenomenon observed across all brain regions and taxa. However, the mechanisms underlying neuromodulation are made complex by the diversity of neuromodulatory receptors expressed within a neural network. In this study we begin to examine the receptor basis for serotonergic neuromodulation in the antennal lobe of Manduca sexta. To this end we cloned all four known insect serotonin receptor types from Manduca (the Ms5HTRs). We used phylogenetic analyses to classify the Ms5HTRs and to establish their relationships to other insect serotonin receptors, other …

Effects Of Smoking And Genotype On The Psr Index Of Periodontal Disease In Adults Aged 18–49, Deborah E. Polk, Xiaojing Wang, Eleanor Feingold, John R. Shaffer, Daniel E. Weeks, Robert J. Weyant, Richard J. Crout, Daniel W. Mcneil, Mary L. Marazita

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Studies have found both genetic and environmental influences on chronic periodontitis. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among previously identified genetic variants, smoking status, and two periodontal disease-related phenotypes (PSR1 and PSR2) in 625 Caucasian adults (aged 18–49 years). The PSR Index was used to classify participants as affected or unaffected under the PSR1 and PSR2 phenotype definitions. Using logistic regression, we found that the form of the relationship varied by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP): For rs10457525 and rs12630931, the effects of smoking and genotype on risk were additive; whereas for rs10457526 and rs733048, smoking was …

Bisphenol A And Peripheral Arterial Disease: Results From The Nhanes, Anoop Shankar, Srinivas Teppala, Charumathi Sabanayagam

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a common chemical used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, and > 93% of U.S. adults have detectable levels of urinary BPA. Recent animal studies have suggested that BPA exposure may have a role in several mechanisms involved in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including weight gain, insulin resistance, thyroid dysfunction, endothelial dysfunction, and oxidative stress. However, few human studies have examined the association between markers of BPA exposure and CVD. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a subclinical measure of atherosclerotic vascular disease and a strong independent risk factor for CVD and …

Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Induce Human Microvascular Endothelial Cellular Effects In An Alveolar-Capillary Co-Culture With Small Airway Epithelial Cells, Brandi N. Snyder-Talkington, Diane Schwegler-Berry, Vincent Castranova, Yong Qian, Nancy L. Guo

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Nanotechnology, particularly the use of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), is a rapidly growing discipline with implications for advancement in a variety of fields. A major route of exposure to MWCNT during both occupational and environmental contact is inhalation. While many studies showed adverse effects to the vascular endothelium upon MWCNT exposure, in vitro results often do not correlate with in vivo effects. This study aimed to determine if an alveolar-capillary co-culture model could determine changes in the vascular endothelium after epithelial exposure to MWCNT.

Methods

A co-culture system in which both human small airway epithelial cells and human microvascular …

Microrna-212 Post-Transcriptionally Regulates Oocyte-Specific Basic-Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factor, Factor In The Germline Alpha (Figla), During Bovine Early Embryogenesis, Swamy K. Tripurani, Gabbine Wee, Kyung-Bon Lee, George W. Smith, Lei Wang, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Factor in the germline alpha (FIGLA) is an oocyte-specific basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor essential for primordial follicle formation and expression of many genes required for folliculogenesis, fertilization and early embryonic survival. Here we report the characterization of bovine FIGLA gene and its regulation during early embryogenesis. Bovine FIGLA mRNA expression is restricted to gonads and is detected in fetal ovaries harvested as early as 90 days of gestation. FIGLA mRNA and protein are abundant in germinal vesicle and metaphase II stage oocytes, as well as in embryos from pronuclear to eight-cell stage but barely detectable at morula and blastocyst stages, …

Emulating Natural Disturbances For Declining Late- Successional Species: A Case Study Of The Consequences For Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga Cerulea), Than J. Boves, David A. Buehler, James Sheehan, Petra B. Wood, Amanda D. Rodewald, Jeffrey L. Larkin, Patrick D. Keyser, Felicity L. Newell, Gregory A. George, Marja H. Bakermans, Andrea Evans, Tiffany A. Beachy, Molly E. Mcdermott, Kelly A. Perkins, Matthew White, T Bently Wigley

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Forest cover in the eastern United States has increased over the past century and while some late-successional species have benefited from this process as expected, others have experienced population declines. These declines may be in part related to contemporary reductions in small-scale forest interior disturbances such as fire, windthrow, and treefalls. To mitigate the negative impacts of disturbance alteration and suppression on some late-successional species, strategies that emulate natural disturbance regimes are often advocated, but large-scale evaluations of these practices are rare. Here, we assessed the consequences of experimental disturbance (using partial timber harvest) on a severely declining late-successional species, …

Effect Of Xiaoyaosan Decoction On Learning And Memory Deficit In Rats Induced By Chronic Immobilization Stress, Zhen-Zhi Mang, Jia-Xu Chen, You-Ming Jiang, Han-Ting Zhang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Xiaoyaosan (XYS) decoction is a famous prescription which can protect nervous system from stress and treat liver stagnation and spleen deficiency syndrome (LSSDS). In this experiment, we observed the effect of XYS decoction on chronic immobilization stress (CIS) induced learning and memory deficit in rats from behaviors and changes of proteins in hippocampus. We used XYS decoction to treat CIS induced learning and memory deficit in rats with rolipram as positive control, used change of body weight and behavioral tests to determine whether the rats have LSSDS and have learning and memory deficit or not. We used Western blotting to …

Rna-Seq Identifies Snp Markers For Growth Traits In Rainbow Trout, Mohamed Salem, Roger L. Vallejo, Timothy D. Leeds, Yniv Palti, Sixin Liu, Annas Sabbagh, Caird E. Rexroad, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Fast growth is an important and highly desired trait, which affects the profitability of food animal production, with feed costs accounting for the largest proportion of production costs. Traditional phenotype-based selection is typically used to select for growth traits; however, genetic improvement is slow over generations. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) explain 90% of the genetic differences between individuals; therefore, they are most suitable for genetic evaluation and strategies that employ molecular genetics for selective breeding. SNPs found within or near a coding sequence are of particular interest because they are more likely to alter the biological function of a protein. …

Multifunctional Role Of Bcl-2 In Malignant Transformation And Tumorigenesis Of Cr(Vi)-Transformed Lung Cells, Djordje Medan, Sudjit Luanpitpong, Neelam Azad, Liying Wang, Bing-Hua Jiang, Mary E. Davis, John B. Barnett, Lan Guo, Yon Rojanasakul

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) is an antiapoptotic protein known to be important in the regulation of apoptosis in various cell types. However, its role in malignant transformation and tumorigenesis of human lung cells is not well understood. We previously reported that chronic exposure of human lung epithelial cells to the carcinogenic hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) caused malignant transformation and Bcl-2 upregulation; however, the role of Bcl-2 in the transformation is unclear. Using a gene silencing approach, we showed that Bcl-2 plays an important role in the malignant properties of Cr(VI)-transformed cells. Downregulation of Bcl-2 inhibited the invasive and proliferative properties of the …

Skin Transcriptome Profiles Associated With Coat Color In Sheep, Ruiwen Fan, Jianshan Xie, Junming Bai, Haidong Wang, Xue Tian, Rui Bai, Xiaoyun Jia, Lei Yang, Muren Herrid, Wenjun Gao, Xiaoyan He, Jianbo Yao, George W. Smith, Changsheng Dong

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Previous molecular genetic studies of physiology and pigmentation of sheep skin have focused primarily on a limited number of genes and proteins. To identify additional genes that may play important roles in coat color regulation, Illumina sequencing technology was used to catalog global gene expression profiles in skin of sheep with white versus black coat color.

Results

There were 90,006 and 74,533 unigenes assembled from the reads obtained from white and black sheep skin, respectively. Genes encoding for the ribosomal proteins and keratin associated proteins were most highly expressed. A total of 2,235 known genes were differentially expressed in …

Chronic Delivery Of A Thrombospondin-1 Mimetic Decreases Skeletal Muscle Capillarity In Mice, Gerald N. Audet, Daniel Fulks, Janelle C. Stricker, I Mark Olfert

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Angiogenesis is an essential process for normal skeletal muscle function. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), a potent antiangiogenic protein in tumorigenesis, is an important regulator of both physiological and pathological skeletal muscle angiogenesis. We tested the hypothesis that chronic exposure to a TSP-1 mimetic (ABT-510), which targets the CD36 TSP-1 receptor, would decrease skeletal muscle capillarity as well as alter the balance between positive and negative angiogenic proteins under basal conditions. Osmotic minipumps with either ABT-510 or vehicle (5% dextrose) were implanted subcutaneously in the subscapular region of C57/BL6 mice for 14 days. When …

Dosimetric Selection For Helical Tomotherapy Based Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy For Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Or Lung Metastases, Alexander Chi, Zhongxing Liao, Nam P. Nguyen, Jiahong Xu, James S. Welsh, Si Y. Jang, Carol Howe, Ritsuko Komaki

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

No selection criteria for helical tomotherapy (HT) based stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) to treat early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or solitary lung metastases has been established. In this study, we investigate the dosimetric selection criteria for HT based SABR delivering 70 Gy in 10 fractions to avoid severe toxicity in the treatment of centrally located lesions when adequate target dose coverage is desired.

Materials and Methods

78 HT-SABR plans for solitary lung lesions were created to prescribe 70 Gy in 10 fractions to the planning target volume (PTV). The PTV was set to have ≥95% PTV receiving …

Response Of Root Explants To In Vitro Cultivation Of Marketable Garlic Cultivars, Danielle C. Scotton, Vagner A. Benedito, Jeanne B. De Molfetta, Benedita I. Rodrigues, Augusto Tulmann-Neto, Antonio Figueira

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Garlic cultivars are sexually sterile under standard growth conditions, with direct implications for commercial production costs as well as breeding programs. Garlic is propagated commercially via bulblets, which facilitates disease transmission and virus load accumulation over vegetative generations. Tissue culture produces virus-free clones that are more productive, while keeping the desired traits of the cultivar. Consequently, this technique allows studies of garlic genetics as well as guarantees genetic conservation of varieties. We aimed at analyzing the in vitroregeneration of eight marketable cultivars of garlic using root segments as explants. For each genotype, bulblet-derived explants were isolated and introduced into …

Nonlocal Regularized Algebraic Reconstruction Techniques For Mri: An Experimental Study, Xin Li

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We attempt to revitalize researchers' interest in algebraic reconstruction techniques (ART) by expanding their capabilities and demonstrating their potential in speeding up the process of MRI acquisition. Using a continuous-to-discrete model, we experimentally study the application of ART into MRI reconstruction which unifies previous nonuniform-fast-Fourier-transform- (NUFFT-) based and gridding-based approaches. Under the framework of ART, we advocate the use of nonlocal regularization techniques which are leveraged from our previous research on modeling photographic images. It is experimentally shown that nonlocal regularization ART (NR-ART) can often outperform their local counterparts in terms of both subjective and objective qualities of reconstructed images. …

Legumegrn: A Gene Regulatory Network Prediction Server For Functional And Comparative Studies, Mingyi Wang, Jerome Verdier, Vagner A. Benedito, Yuhong Tang, Jeremy D. Murray, Yinbing Ge, Jorg D. Becker

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Building accurate gene regulatory networks (GRNs) from high-throughput gene expression data is a long-standing challenge. However, with the emergence of new algorithms combined with the increase of transcriptomic data availability, it is now reachable. To help biologists to investigate gene regulatory relationships, we developed a web-based computational service to build, analyze and visualize GRNs that govern various biological processes. The web server is preloaded with all available Affymetrix GeneChip-based transcriptomic and annotation data from the three model legume species, i.e., Medicago truncatula, Lotus japonicus and Glycine max. Users can also upload their own transcriptomic and transcription factor datasets from any …

Learning Contrast-Invariant Cancellation Of Redundant Signals In Neural Systems, Jorge F. Mejias, Gary Marsat, Kieran Bol, Leonard Maler, Andre Longtin

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Cancellation of redundant information is a highly desirable feature of sensory systems, since it would potentially lead to a more efficient detection of novel information. However, biologically plausible mechanisms responsible for such selective cancellation, and especially those robust to realistic variations in the intensity of the redundant signals, are mostly unknown. In this work, we study, via in vivo experimental recordings and computational models, the behavior of a cerebellar-like circuit in the weakly electric fish which is known to perform cancellation of redundant stimuli. We experimentally observe contrast invariance in the cancellation of spatially and temporally redundant stimuli in such …

A 454 Survey Reveals The Community Composition And Core Microbiome Of The Common Bed Bug (Cimex Lectularius) Across An Urban Landscape, Matthew Meriweather, Sara Matthews, Rita Rio, Regina S. Baucom

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Elucidating the spatial dynamic and core constituents of the microbial communities found in association with arthropod hosts is of crucial importance for insects that may vector human or agricultural pathogens. The hematophagous Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), known as the human bed bug, has made a recent resurgence in North America, as well as worldwide, potentially owing to increased travel, climate change and resistance to insecticides. A comprehensive survey of the bed bug microbiome has not been performed to date, nor has an assessment of the spatial dynamics of its microbiome. Here we present a survey of internal and external bed …

High Humidity Leads To Loss Of Infectious Influenza Virus From Simulated Coughs, John D. Noti, Francoise M. Blachere, Cynthia M. Mcmillen, William G. Lindsley, Michael L. Kashon, Denzil R. Slaughter, Donald H. Beezhold

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

The role of relative humidity in the aerosol transmission of influenza was examined in a simulated examination room containing coughing and breathing manikins.

Methods

Nebulized influenza was coughed into the examination room and Bioaerosol samplers collected size-fractionated aerosols (<1 µM, 1–4 µM, and >4 µM aerodynamic diameters) adjacent to the breathing manikin’s mouth and also at other locations within the room. At constant temperature, the RH was varied from 7–73% and infectivity was assessed by the viral plaque assay.

Results

Total virus collected for 60 minutes retained 70.6–77.3% infectivity at relative humidity ≤23% but only 14.6–22.2% at relative humidity ≥43%. Analysis of the …

Extrapulmonary Transport Of Mwcnt Following Inhalation Exposure, Robert R. Mercer, James F. Scabilloni, Ann F. Hubbs, Liying Wang, Lori A. Battelli, Walter Mckinney, Vincent Castranova, Dale W. Porter

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Inhalation exposure studies of mice were conducted to determine if multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) distribute to the tracheobronchial lymphatics, parietal pleura, respiratory musculature and/or extrapulmonary organs. Male C57BL/6 J mice were exposed in a whole-body inhalation system to a 5 mg/m3 MWCNT aerosol for 5 hours/day for 12 days (4 times/week for 3 weeks, lung burden 28.1 ug/lung). At 1 day and 336 days after the 12 day exposure period, mice were anesthetized and lungs, lymph nodes and extrapulmonary tissues were preserved by whole body vascular perfusion of paraformaldehyde while the lungs were inflated with air. Separate, clean-air control …

Critical Structure Sparing In Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy For Central Lung Lesions: Helical Tomotherapy Vs. Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, Alexander Chi, Pan Ma, Guishan Fu, Gerry Hobbs, James S. Welsh, Nam P. Nguyen, Si Y. Jang, Jinrong Dai, Jing Jin, Ritsuko Komaki

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Helical tomotherapy (HT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) are both advanced techniques of delivering intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Here, we conduct a study to compare HT and partial-arc VMAT in their ability to spare organs at risk (OARs) when stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is delivered to treat centrally located early stage non-small-cell lung cancer or lung metastases.

Methods

12 patients with centrally located lung lesions were randomly chosen. HT, 2 & 8 arc (Smart Arc, Pinnacle v9.0) plans were generated to deliver 70 Gy in 10 fractions to the planning target volume (PTV). Target and OAR dose parameters were …

Effects Of Resveratrol On The Recovery Of Muscle Mass Following Disuse In The Plantaris Muscle Of Aged Rats, Brian T. Bennett, Junaith S. Mohamed, Stephen E. Alway

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Aging is associated with poor skeletal muscle regenerative ability following extended periods of hospitalization and other forms of muscular disuse. Resveratrol (3,5,4’-trihydroxystilbene) is a natural phytoalexin which has been shown in skeletal muscle to improve oxidative stress levels in muscles of aged rats. As muscle disuse and reloading after disuse increases oxidative stress, we hypothesized that resveratrol supplementation would improve muscle regeneration after disuse. A total of thirty-six male Fisher 344 × Brown Norway rats (32 mo.) were treated with either a water vehicle or resveratrol via oral gavage. The animals received hindlimb suspension for 14 days. Thereafter, they were …

Evaluating The Roles Of Visual Openness And Edge Effects On Nest-Site Selection And Reproductive Success In Grassland Birds, Alexander C. Keyel, Allan M. Strong, Noah G. Perlut, J. Michael Reed

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

In some species, habitat edges (ecotones) affect nest-site selection and nesting success. Openness, or how visually open a habitat is, has recently been shown to influence grassland bird density and may affect nest-site selection, possibly by reducing the risk of predation on adults, nests, or both. Because edge and openness are correlated, it is possible that effects of openness have been overlooked or inappropriately ascribed to edge effects. We tested the roles of edges and visual openness in nest-site selection and nesting success of two grassland passerines, the Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) and Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), …

The Legacy Of Destructive Snow Goose Foraging On Supratidal Marsh Habitat In The Hudson Bay Lowlands, David N. Koons

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Ecological succession and climate change are pushing tundra as well as Arctic and subarctic lowland plant communities toward increased woody vegetation cover. However, areas along the Hudson Bay Lowlands that are over-grazed by hyper-abundant lesser snow geese are experiencing drastic losses of grass, sedge, and woody cover. We assessed long-term changes in proportional ground cover and habitat patch characteristic at a subartic supratidal marsh that was largely vacated by breeding snow geese over a decade ago. We found no evidence of habitat recovery, Rather, snow geese leave a legacy on the land that propagates degradation of habitat recovery. Rather, snow …

College Catalog, 2013-2014, Graduate, Buffalo State College

Academic Catalogs, 1871-2018

No abstract provided.

College Catalog, 2013-2014, Buffalo State College

Academic Catalogs, 1871-2018

No abstract provided.