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Adipocyte-Induced Inflammation In Prostate Tumor Progression In Bone: Role Of Cxcr2 And Osteopontin, Aimalie Lynnette Hardaway

Wayne State University Dissertations

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men. Evidence suggests that age and obesity, conditions associated with adipocyte accumulation in the bone marrow, are linked to increased risk of developing PCa and progressing to metastatic disease. Studies presented in this dissertation were based on the hypothesis that metastatic progression in bone is a result of a cooperative effort between bone marrow adipocytes, macrophages, osteoclasts, and PCa cells. We specifically focused on two adipocyte-supplied chemokines, CXCL1 and CXCL2, and bone marrow macrophage-secreted osteopontin as key drivers of pro-inflammatory environment in the bone marrow and important …

Islet Dysfunction In Diabetes, Syeda Khadija

Wayne State University Dissertations

Type 2 Diabetes [T2DM] is a chronic condition resulting from gradual failure of pancreatic beta cells to synthesize and secrete sufficient insulin to meet the metabolic demands and the inability of tissues [muscle, adipose and liver] to efficiently utilize the secreted insulin leading to an overall increase in blood glucose levels [hyperglycemia]. As indicated by recent estimates from the International Diabetes Federation, the prevalence of the disease in the year 2014 has risen to a record 387 million worldwide. The main objective of my project was to study the mechanisms involved in pancreatic beta cell dysfunction in diabetes, specifically in …

Investigation Of Whether Sedentary And Physically Active Conditions Lead To Altered Gabaergic Signaling In The Rvlm, Maryetta Donna Dombrowski

Wayne State University Dissertations

Investigation of whether sedentary and physically active conditions lead to altered GABAergic signaling in the RVLM

MD Dombrowski, and PJ Mueller

Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI

A sedentary lifestyle is a major risk for cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease has been associated with elevated basal sympathetic nerve activity. The rostral ventrolateral medulla is a bilateral brainstem region that is an important for the control of resting and reflex control of sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure. The activity of these neurons in this region is tonically inhibited by the neurotransmitter γ-butyric amino acid (GABA). Interestingly, …

Towards A Unified Model Of Sperm Chromatin Structure, Graham Johnson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Sperm possess several layers of information that are delivered to the oocyte alongside the paternal DNA. Examples of potential sperm borne molecular cues of probable use to the embryo include RNAs and local and global chromatin structure. To identify candidate sperm RNAs that likely reach the oocyte cytoplasm following fertilization patterns of transcript compartmentalization in the mature gamete were identified. Though all sperm RNAs exhibited a preferential peripheral enrichment, a subset of RNAs were identified in which this trend was reduced. These RNAs are thought to be embedded with perinuclear theca and are correlated with late spermatogenic transcription. Malat1, a …

Distant Localities: The Rhetorical Contradictions Of Local Food Narratives, Anna Grace Zimmerman

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation explores the rhetorical construction of the local food movement through the narrative genre of the food exposé. On its face, local food appears to be a grassroots movement, and yet, through an analysis of the tropes used to describe and construct the movement, another story emerges – one intended for elite audiences. Using narrative critique, this project explores both the narratives of local food, as well as the deployment of that narrative into the material world and in the construction of particular identities. Ultimately, I argue that the narratives of local food give the impression that this way …

Heterometallic Titanium–Gold Complexes Inhibit Renal Cancer Cells In Vitro And In Vivo, Jacob Fernandez-Gallardo, Benelita T. Elie, Tanmoy Sadhukha, Swayam Prabha, Mercedes Sanau, Susan A. Rotenberg, Joe W. Ramos, Maria Contel

Publications and Research

Following recent work on heterometallic titanocene–gold complexes as potential chemotherapeutics for renal cancer, we report here on the synthesis, characterization and stability studies of new titanocene complexes containing a methyl group and a carboxylate ligand (mba ¼ S–C6H4–COO) bound to gold(I)-phosphane fragments through a thiolate group [(h-C5H5)2TiMe(m-mba)Au(PR3)]. The compounds are more stable in physiological media than those previously reported and are highly cytotoxic against human cancer renal cell lines. We describe here preliminary mechanistic data involving studies on the interaction of selected compounds with plasmid (pBR322) DNA used as a model nucleic acid, and with selected protein kinases from a …

Up And Down, Guibing Qin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1953, one day before the Korean Armistice Agreement, two Chinese young peasants decide to join the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army. Wu Xiu-quan is hesitant because he is the only son and he has a young child bride of seven years waiting to marry him. Wu Xiu-bang, his cousin, convinces him that joining the army would bring honor to his family. The cousins hiked over night to get to the enlist office by the Yangtze River, only to be told that the Korean War has ended. They were sent home. Wu Xiu-quan’s father captured him and gives him a good …

A Gpu Powered Mobile Ar Navigation System, Mengshen Zhao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a real-time Augmented Reality Navigation System(ARNavi) on Android smartphone that leverages the parallel computing power of mobile GPUs. Unlike conventional navigation systems, our proposed ARNavi augments navigation information onto real scene video streaming from device camera in real-time. To achieve this goal, we implement and accelerate compute intensive part of applications using OpenCL on GPU integrated on mobile Application Processor (AP). The contributions of this thesis are three-fold. First, we propose new lane detection algorithm and prediction mechanism based on geometric coordinates. The result shows that these two algorithms are fast and accurate. Second, we port and …

Thermal Variation, Thermal Extremes And The Physiological Performance Of Individuals, W. Wesley Dowd, Felicia A. King, Mark W. Denny

Biology Faculty Works

In this review we consider how small-scale temporal and spatial variation in body temperature, and biochemical/physiological variation among individuals, affect the prediction of organisms’ performance in nature. For ‘normal’ body temperatures – benign temperatures near the species’ mean – thermal biology traditionally uses performance curves to describe how physiological capabilities vary with temperature. However, these curves, which are typically measured under static laboratory conditions, can yield incomplete or inaccurate predictions of how organisms respond to natural patterns of temperature variation. For example, scale transition theory predicts that, in a variable environment, peak average performance is lower and occurs at a …

The Effects Of Insecticide Dose And Herbivore Density On Tri-Trophic Effects Of Thiamethoxam In A System Involving Wheat, Aphids, And Ladybeetles, Michael M. Bredeson, R Neil Reese, Jonathan G. Lundgren

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

We assess how herbivore density and insecticide dose affects the tri-trophic interactions among thiamethoxam-treated wheat (Triticum sp.), Rhophalosiphum padi and the predatory Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer. In the first experiment 2nd and 4th instar C. maculata were fed aphids reared for 24 h on wheat plants treated with sub-lethal thiamethoxam soil drenches to assess the effect of insecticidal dose on the predator. In the second experiment a constant, sub-lethal thiamethoxam soil drench was used on wheat plants, but the plants were infested with different densities of aphids. Aphids from each density treatment were then fed to C. maculata 2nd instars. Insecticide …

Effect Of Lysozyme Or Antibiotics On Faecal Zoonotic Pathogens In Nursery Pigs, J E. Wells, E. D. Berry, N Kalchayanand, L A. Rampel, M Kim, W. T. Oliver

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Aims: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of lysozyme and antibiotics on zoonotic pathogen shedding in faeces from nursery pigs housed without and with an indirect disease challenge. Methods and Results: Two replicates of approximately 650 pigs each were weaned and randomly assigned to one of 24 pens in either a nursery room that had been fully disinfected or a nursery room left unclean. Pigs were randomly assigned to control diet (Control), control diet + antibiotics (Antibiotic; chlortetracycline and tiamulin), or control diet + lysozyme (Lysozyme; 100 mg kg ^-1 diet). Rectal swab samples were collected …

Birds And Butterflies Respond To Soil-Induced Habitat Heterogeneity In Experimental Plantings Of Tallgrass Prairie Species Managed As Agroenergy Crops In Iowa, Usa, Mark C. Myers, James T. Mason, Benjamin J. Hoksch, Cynthia A. Cambardella, Jarrett D. Pfrimmer

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

1. The maintenance of habitat heterogeneity in agricultural landscapes has been promoted as a key strategy to conserve biodiversity. Animal response to grassland heterogeneity resulting from spatiotemporal variation in disturbance is well documented; however, the degree to which edaphic variation generates heterogeneity detectable by grassland wildlife has proven more difficult to study in natural settings.

2. We conducted a field experiment to study how soils directly affect vegetation structure and composition and indirectly affect bird and butterfly assemblages using plantings of tallgrass prairie species managed as agroenergy crops in Iowa, USA. The experimental design included four vegetation treatments of varying …

Colonization Of Bison (Bison Bison) Wallows In A Tallgrass Prairie By Culicoides Spp (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Robert S. Pfannenstiel, Mark G. Ruder

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of numerous animal pathogens worldwide and in the U.S.A. are most well-known for their role as vectors of two closely related viruses: epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) virus (EHDV) and bluetongue (BT) virus (BTV) (Tabachnick 1996, Ruder et al. in press). EHD has long been considered one of the most significant diseases of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) but can cause disease in cattle and other wild ruminants. BTV is a significant pathogen of domestic sheep and cattle, as well as numerous wild ruminant species. In the U.S.A., these viruses cause cyclical epidemics …

Winter Oilseed Production For Biofuel In The U.S. Corn Belt: Opportunities And Limitations, Aaron J. Sindelar, Marty R. Schmer, Russell W. Gesch, Frank Forcella, Carrie A. Eberle, Matthew D. Thom, David W. Archer

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Interest from the U.S. commercial aviation industry and commitments established by the U.S. Navy and Air Force to use renewable fuels has spurred interest in identifying and developing crops for renewable aviation fuel. Concern regarding greenhouse gas emissions associated with land-use change and shifting land grown for food to feedstock production for fuel has encouraged the concept of intensifying current prominent cropping systems through various double cropping strategies. Camelina (Camelina sativa L.) and field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) are two winter oilseed crops that could potentially be integrated into the corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [(Glycine max …

Twelve Years Of Stover Removal Increases Soil Erosion Potential Without Impacting Yield, Virginia L. Jin, Marty R. Schmer, Brian J. Wienhold, Catherine E. Stewart, Gary E. Varvel, Aaron J. Sindelar, Ronald F. Follett, Robert B. Mitchell, Kenneth P. Vogel

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Corn (Zea mays L.) stover (non-grain aboveground biomass) in the US Corn Belt is used increasingly for livestock grazing and co-feed and for cellulosic bioenergy production. Continuous stover removal, however, could alter long-term agricultural productivity by affecting soil organic C (SOC) and soil physical properties, indicators of soil fertility and erosion potential. In this study, we showed that 12 consecutive yr of 55% stover removal did not affect mean grain yields at any N fertilizer rate (4.5, 6.3, and 6.0 Mg ha⁻¹ for 60, 120, and 180 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, respectively) in a marginally …

Mitigation Of Prion Infectivity And Conversion Capacity By A Simulated Natural Process—Repeated Cycles Of Drying And Wetting, Qi Yuan, Thomas Eckland, Glenn Telling, Jason C. Bartz, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Prions enter the environment from infected hosts, bind to a wide range of soil and soil minerals, and remain highly infectious. Environmental sources of prions almost certainly contribute to the transmission of chronic wasting disease in cervids and scrapie in sheep and goats. While much is known about the introduction of prions into the environment and their interaction with soil, relatively little is known about prion degradation and inactivation by natural environmental processes. In this study, we examined the effect of repeated cycles of drying and wetting on prion fitness and determined that 10 cycles of repeated drying and wetting …

Triclosan: Current Status, Occurrence, Environmental Risks And Bioaccumulation Potential, Gurpreet Singh Dhillon, Surinder Kaur, Rama Pulicharla, Satinder K. Brar, Maximiliano Cledon, Mausam Verma, Rao Y. Surampalli

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Triclosan (TCS) is a multi-purpose antimicrobial agent used as a common ingredient in everyday household personal care and consumer products. The expanded use of TCS provides a number of pathways for the compound to enter the environment and it has been detected in sewage treatment plant effluents; surface; ground and drinking water. The physico-chemical properties indicate the bioaccumulation and persistence potential of TCS in the environment. Hence, there is an increasing concern about the presence of TCS in the environment and its potential negative effects on human and animal health. Nevertheless, scarce monitoring data could be one reason for not …

Design, Synthesis, And Biological Evaluation Of Sigma Receptors (Σrs) Ligands As Potential Pharmacotherapy For Cancer And Drug Addiction, Walid Alsharif

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sigma receptors are a well-defined unique class of receptors and are highly expressed in the central nervous system and also widely distributed in peripheral organs and tissues. There are two subtypes of sigma receptors: sigma-1 and sigma-2. These receptors are thought to be associated with functions and disorders such as inflammation, depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy and drug abuse. The sigma-1 receptor has been demonstrated to be involved in acute and chronic effects of cocaine and methamphetamine toxicities. However, the role of sigma-2 receptors is less clear due to the lack of availability of detailed protein structural information and truly …

Autoregulation Of The Glial Gene Reversed Polarity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Jamie L. Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During development, cells of the nervous system begin as unspecified precursors and proceed along one of two developmental paths to become either neurons or glia. I seek to understand more about the genes that control this process, focusing on the lesser understood of the cell types, glial cells. Using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system, previous work from my lab and others has established the role of the master regulatory transcription factor Gcm in directing neuronal precursor cells to assume a lateral glial fate. Gcm acts on many target genes, one of which is reversed polarity (repo). repo is necessary …

Birdie See, Birdie Do: Zebra Finch Observational Learning In Three Cognitive Domains With Discussion Of Cerebellar Involvement, Amy Hribar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Observational learning is a cognitive ability that allows individuals to acquire information or skills through watching others. Examples of observational learning can be seen in all major vertebrate groups and some invertebrates. Observational learning may confer a selective advantage to animals due to improvements in decision-making and increased behavioral flexibility. While studies of animals’ observational learning capabilities and the types of information acquired have been examined in many species, multiple types of observational learning have rarely been examined in non-rodent species in controlled laboratory experiments. Additionally, only recently have the neural mechanisms that support observational learning been examined. I sought …

Evaluation Of Potential Attractants For Six Species Of Stored- Product Psocids (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae, Trogiidae), John Diaz-Montano, James F. Campbell, Thomas W. Phillips, James E. Throne

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Psocids have emerged as worldwide pests of stored commodities during the past two decades, and are difficult to control with conventional management tactics such as chemical insecticides. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate alternative management strategies, such as the use of attractants for monitoring and controlling psocids, which can be incorporated into integrated pest management programs for psocids. Using a two-choice pitfall test, we studied the response of adults of different ages and sexes of Liposcelis entomophila (Enderlein) (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae), Liposcelis paeta Pearman, Liposcelis decolor (Pearman), Liposcelis brunnea Motschulsky, Liposcelis corrodens (Heymons), and Lepinotus reticulatus Enderlein (Psocoptera: Trogiidae) to volatiles …

Resistance Of Tripsacorn-Introgressed Maize Lines To Sitophilus Zeamais, James E. Throne, Mary W. Eubanks

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is one of the major pests of maize worldwide. We tested one Tripsacorn-introgressed inbred maize line and 42 hybrid combinations between eleven public inbred lines and 16 different Tripsacorn-introgressed inbreds for resistance to the maize weevil to investigate if there is a genetic basis for resistance to the maize weevil that can be conferred to maize. No progeny were produced in 21 of the entries, and only eight entries had progeny production significantly greater than zero. All the lines that exhibited complete resistance (no progeny produced) are F₁ hybrids between 10 …

Cold Temperature Disinfestation Of Bagged Flour, P. W. Flinn, F. H. Arthur, James E. Throne, K. S. Friesen, K. L. Hartzer

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

We conducted studies using a commercial freezer maintained at -17.8°C to determine the time needed to kill Tribolium castaneum eggs in a pallet of flour. Each bag weighed 22.7 kg, and there were 5 bags in each of 10 layers. The dimensions of the pallet were 109-cm wide by 132-cm long by 123-cm tall, and the weight of the stacked pallet was approximately 1152 kg. We conducted tests for nine internal goal temperatures of -12, -10, -8, -6, -4, -2, 0, 4 and 8°C. Internal temperatures in the most central location of the flour pallet reached: -11.0, -9.4, -6.9, -5.0, …

Surface-Applied Biosolids Enhance Soil Organic Carbon And Nitrogen Stocks But Have Contrasting Effects On Soil Physical Quality, Virginia L. Jin, Kenneth N. Potter, Mari-Vaughn V. Johnson, R. Daren Harmel, Jeffrey G. Arnold

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Mid- to long-termimpacts of land applying biosolids will depend on application rate, duration, and method; biosolids composition; and site-specific characteristics (e.g., climate, soils). This study evaluates the effects of surface-broadcast biosolids application rate and duration on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, soil aggregate stability, and selected soil hydraulic properties in a municipally operated, no-till forage production system. Total SOC stocks (0–45 cm soil) increased nonlinearly with application rate in perennial grass fields treated for 8 years with 0, 20, 40, or 60Mg of Class B biosolids (DM) ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (midterm treatments). Soil organic C stocks in long-term treatment …

Controlling Johne’S Disease: Vaccination Is The Way Forward, John Bannantine, Adel M. Talaat

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis, hereafter referred to as MAP, is a significant veterinary pathogen that causes Johne’s disease in ruminants, including cattle, sheep, and goats. This chronic intestinal disease is distributed worldwide and exacts a heavy eco- nomic toll on animal producers. For example, the dairy industry incurs substantial economic losses due to reduced milk production, premature culling, and reduced slaughter value (Raizman et al., 2009). It takes years for clinical signs to appear in animals after initial infection. The bacterium is shed in high numbers in the feces during this clinical phase of disease. Transmission is by ingestion of …

Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis Recombinant Proteins Modulate Antimycobacterial Functions Of Bovine Macrophages, J. P. Bannantine, Judith R. Stabel, Elizabeth Laws, M.C.D. Cardieri, C.D. Souza

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

It has been shown that Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (M. paratuberculosis) activates the Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) p38 pathway, yet it is unclear which components of M. paratuberculosis are involved in the process. Therefore, a set of 42 M. paratuberculosis recombinant proteins expressed from coding sequences annotated as lipoproteins were screened for their ability to induce IL-10 expression, an indicator of MAPKp38 activation, in bovine monocyte-derived macrophages. A recombinant lipoprotein, designated as MAP3837c, was among a group of 6 proteins that strongly induced IL-10 gene transcription in bovine macrophages, averaging a 3.1-fold increase compared to non-stimulated macro- phages. However, …

Envelope Protein Complexes Of Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis And Their Antigenicity, Fernando L. Leite, Timothy A. Reinhardt, J. P. Bannantine, Judith R. Stabel

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causative agent of Johne’s disease, a chronic enteric disease of ruminant animals. In the present study, blue native PAGE electrophoresis and 2D SDS-PAGE were used to separate MAP envelope protein complexes, followed by mass spectrometry (MS) to identify individual proteins within the complexes. Identity of individual proteins within complexes was further confirmed by MS upon excision of spots from 2D SDS-PAGE gels. Among the seven putative membrane complexes observed, major membrane protein (MAP2121c), a key MAP antigen involved in invasion of epithelial cells, was found to form a complex with cysteine desulfurase (MAP2120c). …

How To Interview Your Mother About Her Lost Childhood, Umeeta Sadarangani

English Faculty Scholarship

How many ways are there to approach your mother for an interview about her childhood experiences during the 1947 Partition of India? There are three. Also, expect phone calls.

How National Park Law Really Works, John Copeland Nagle

Journal Articles

This article provides the first explanation of the relationship between the three overlapping sources of national park law. It first explains how the Organic Act affords the National Park Service substantial discretion to manage the national parks, including deciding the proper balance between enjoyment and conservation in particular instances. It next shows how federal environmental statutes push national park management toward preservation rather than enjoyment. Third, Congress often intervenes to mandate particular management outcomes at individual parks, typically but not always toward enjoyment rather than preservation. The result is that the NPS has substantial discretion to manage national parks in …

Just, Smart: Civil Rights Protections And Market-Sensitive Vacant Property Strategies, James J. Kelly Jr.

Journal Articles

This essay, prepared for and published by the Center for Community Progress, a national, non-profit intermediary dedicated to developing effective, sustainable solutions to turn vacant, abandoned and problem properties into vibrant places, examines the legal and normative implications of local governments' use of neighborhood real estate market data to strategically focus vacant property remediation tools. I and other writers, such as Frank Alexander, Alan Mallach and Joseph Schilling, have argued for the importance of understanding the economic feasibility of market-based rehabilitation of derelict, vacant houses in making decisions as to how and when to use a variety of code enforcement, …