Digital Commons Network^™

Why Publish In Spora?, Editorial Board

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

This report provides additional information about Spora and outlines some of the benefits of publishing in this journal.

Evolution Of Cooperation In Mobile Populations, David Suarez, Praveen Suthaharan, Jonathan Rowell, Jan Rychtar

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

We consider a finite, fixed-size population of mobile cooperators and free-riders. A cooperator is an individual who, at a cost to itself, provides benefits to any and all individuals in its vicinity, whereas a free-rider does not provide any benefits and thus pays no cost. Individuals are free to move to maximize their payoff, and our model allows for the interactions among multiple individuals at the same time. Using Gillespie's algorithm, we build an exact stochastic simulation of this continuous-time Markov process and find that decreasing the individuals' mobility or decreasing the size of the interaction neighborhood promotes the fixation …

A Dna Mini-Barcoding System For Authentication Of Processed Fish Products, Shadi Shokralla, Rosalee S. Hellberg, Sara M. Handy, Ian King, Mehrdad Hajibabaei

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

Species substitution is a form of seafood fraud for the purpose of economic gain. DNA barcoding utilizes species-specific DNA sequence information for specimen identification. Previous work has established the usability of short DNA sequences—mini-barcodes—for identification of specimens harboring degraded DNA. This study aims at establishing a DNA mini-barcoding system for all fish species commonly used in processed fish products in North America. Six mini-barcode primer pairs targeting short (127–314 bp) fragments of the cytochrome c oxidase I (CO1) DNA barcode region were developed by examining over 8,000 DNA barcodes from species in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration …

Digital Commons Annual Report 2015, Courtright Memorial Library

Library Publications

This is the first annual Report of the DigitalCommons@Otterbein institutional repository from October 2014 to December 2015. It discusses the mission/goals, history, and successes of 2015.

Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus Induces Ho-1 During De Novo Infection Of Endothelial Cells Via Viral Mirna-Dependent And -Independent Mechanisms, Sara Botto, Jennifer Totonchy, Jean K. Gustin, Ashlee V. Moses

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) herpesvirus (KSHV) infection of endothelial cells (EC) is associated with strong induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a stress-inducible host gene that encodes the rate-limiting enzyme responsible for heme catabolism. KS is an angioproliferative tumor characterized by the proliferation of KSHV-infected spindle cells, and HO-1 is highly expressed in such cells. HO-1 converts the pro-oxidant, proinflammatory heme molecule into metabolites with antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and proliferative activities. Previously published work has shown that KSHV-infected EC in vitro proliferate in response to free heme in a HO-1-dependent manner, thus implicating virus-enhanced HO-1 activity in KS tumorigenesis. The present study investigated …

Role Of 5'Tg3'-Interacting Factors (Tgifs) In Vorinostat (Hdac Inhibitor)-Mediated Corneal Fibrosis Inhibition, Ajay Sharma, Nishant R. Sinha, Saad Siddiqui, Rajiv R. Mohan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose: We have previously reported that vorinostat, an FDA-approved, clinically used histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, attenuates corneal fibrosis in vivo in rabbits by blocking transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). The 5′TG3′-interacting factors (TGIFs) are transcriptional repressors of TGFβ1 signaling via the Smad pathway. The present study was designed to explore the expression of TGIFs in human corneal fibroblasts and to investigate their role in mediating the antifibrotic effect of vorinostat.

Methods: Human corneal fibroblast cultures were generated from donor corneas. RNA isolation, cDNA preparation, and PCR were performed to detect the presence of TGIF1 and TGIF2 transcripts. The cultures were …

A Dean Grows In Brooklyn, Nick Allard

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Inefficient Evidence, Alex Stein

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Extremely Strong Tubular Stacking Of Aromatic Oligoamide Macrocycles, Mark A. Kline, Xiaoxi Wei, Ian J. Horner, Rui Liu, Shuang Chen, Si Chen, Ka Yi Yung, Kazuhiro Yamato, Zhonghou Cai, Frank V. Bright, Xiao Cheng Zeng, Bing Gong

Xiao Cheng Zeng Publications

As the third-generation rigid macrocycles evolved from progenitor 1, cyclic aromatic oligoamides 3, with a backbone of reduced constraint, exhibit extremely strong stacking with an astoundingly high affinity (estimated lower limit of K_dimer > 10¹³ M^–1 in CHCl₃), which leads to dispersed tubular stacks that undergo further assembly in solution. Computational study reveals a very large binding energy (–49.77 kcal mol^–1) and indicates highly cooperative local dipole interactions that account for the observed strength and directionality for the stacking of 3. In the solid-state, X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirms that the aggregation of 3 results …

Fitting The Forum To The Pernicious Fuss: A Dispute System Design To Address Implicit Bias And 'Isms In The Workplace, Elayne E. Greenberg

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This paper proposes a dispute system design to address workplace discrimination caused by implicit biases so that employees and employers involved in such disputes can secure a more responsive justice than existing legal processes are able to provide. Workplace discrimination caused by implicit bias continues to contaminate our work environment despite our focused legal efforts to combat such overt "isms" as sexism, racism, ageism, and ableism. Although overt expressions of bias have significantly decreased in recent years, expressions of implicit bias, the primary cause of workplace discrimination, persist.

This discussion takes place in three parts. Part One describes implicit bias, …

3-Chloropropane-1,2-Diol (3-Mcpd) In Soy Sauce: A Review On The Formation, Reduction, And Detection Of This Potential Carcinogen, Q.L. Bai, S.M. Khor

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Soy sauce, a dark-colored seasoning, is added to enhance the sensory properties of foods. Soy sauce can be consumed as a condiment or added during the preparation of food. There are 3 types of soy sauce: fermented, acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein (acid- HVP), and mixtures of these. 3-Chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) is a heat- produced contaminants formed during the preparation of soy sauce and was found to be a by-product of acid-HVPproduced soy sauce in 1978. 3-MCPD has been reported to be carcinogenic, nephrotoxic, and reproductively toxic in laboratory animal testing and has been registered as a chemosterilant for rodent control. 3-MCPD is …

3-Chloropropane-1,2-Diol (3-Mcpd) In Soy Sauce: A Review On The Formation, Reduction, And Detection Of This Potential Carcinogen, Q.L. Bai, S.M. Khor

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Soy sauce, a dark-colored seasoning, is added to enhance the sensory properties of foods. Soy sauce can be consumed as a condiment or added during the preparation of food. There are 3 types of soy sauce: fermented, acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein (acid- HVP), and mixtures of these. 3-Chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) is a heat- produced contaminants formed during the preparation of soy sauce and was found to be a by-product of acid-HVPproduced soy sauce in 1978. 3-MCPD has been reported to be carcinogenic, nephrotoxic, and reproductively toxic in laboratory animal testing and has been registered as a chemosterilant for rodent control. 3-MCPD is …

A Colloidal Gold-Based Lateral Flow Immunoassay For Direct Determination Of Haemoglobin A1c In Whole Blood, S.H. Ang, C.Y. Yu, G.Y. Ang, Y.Y. Chan, Y. Alias, S.M. Khor

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

We developed an immunosensor that operates based on the lateral flow principle designed to detect haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a biomarker for type 2 diabetes mellitus in human blood samples. Two different clones of antibodies were used to form a "sandwich" when HbA1c was present. Functionalization of colloidal gold with antibodies was carefully optimized to generate stable gold conjugates to amplify the signal from the formed "sandwich" for the immunoassay. The ideal blocking reagent to minimize background noises, the test line format on the strip, the selectivity of the assay towards HbA1c against HbA0 and glycated species of HbA0, and the …

Antioxidant Activity And Total Phenolic And Flavonoid Content Of Various Solvent Extracts From In Vivo And In Vitro Grown Trifolium Pratense L. (Red Clover), A.K. Esmaeili, R.M. Taha, S. Mohajer, B. Banisalam

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

In the present study the extracts of in vivo and in vitro grown plants as well as callus tissue of red clover were tested for their antioxidant activities, using different extraction solvent and different antioxidant assays. The total flavonoid and phenolic contents as well as extraction yield of the extracts were also investigated to determine their correlation with the antioxidant activity of the extracts. Among all the tested extracts the highest amounts of total phenolic and total flavonoids content were found in methanol extract of in vivo grown plants. The antioxidant activity of tested samples followed the order in vivo …

Antiviral Potential Of Algae Polysaccharides Isolated From Marine Sources: A Review, A. Ahmadi, S.Z. Moghadamtousi, Sazaly Abubakar, K. Zandi

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

From food to fertilizer, algal derived products are largely employed in assorted industries, including agricultural, biomedical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Among different chemical compositions isolated from algae, polysaccharides are the most well-established compounds, which were subjected to a variety of studies due to extensive bioactivities. Over the past few decades, the promising results for antiviral potential of algae-derived polysaccharides have advocated them as inordinate candidates for pharmaceutical research. Numerous studies have isolated various algal polysaccharides possessing antiviral activities, including carrageenan, alginate, fucan, laminaran, and naviculan. In addition, different mechanisms of action have been reported for these polysaccharides, such as inhibiting …

Application Of Colloidal Gas Aphron Suspensions Produced From Sapindus Mukorossi For Arsenic Removal From Contaminated Soil, S. Mukhopadhyay, S. Mukherjee, Mohd Ali Hashim, B. Sen Gupta

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Colloidal gas aphron dispersions (CGAs) can be described as a system of microbubbles suspended homogenously in a liquid matrix. This work examines the performance of CGAs in comparison to surfactant solutions for washing low levels of arsenic from an iron rich soil. Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) and saponin, a biodegradable surfactant, obtained from Sapindus mukorossi or soapnut fruit were used for generating CGAs and solutions for soil washing. Column washing experiments were performed in down-flow and up flow modes at a soil pH of 5 and 6 using varying concentration of SDS and soapnut solutions as well as CGAs. Soapnut …

Benchtop Technologies For Circulating Tumor Cells Separation Based On Biophysical Properties, W.S. Low, Wan Abu Bakar Wan Abas

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells that have detached from primary tumor site and are transported via the circulation system. The importance of CTCs as prognostic biomarker is leveraged when multiple studies found that patient with cutoff of 5 CTCs per 7.5 mL blood has poor survival rate. Despite its clinical relevance, the isolation and characterization of CTCs can be quite challenging due to their large morphological variability and the rare presence of CTCs within the blood. Numerous methods have been employed and discussed in the literature for CTCs separation. In this paper, we will focus on label free …

Can Saliva Proteins Be Used To Predict The Onset Of Acute Myocardial Infarction Among High-Risk Patients?, M.A.A. Rahim, Z.H.A. Rahim, W.A.W. Ahmad, Onn Haji Hashim

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Human saliva plays a pivotal role in digesting food and maintaining oral hygiene. The presence of electrolytes, mucus, glycoproteins, enzymes, antibacterial compounds, and gingival crevicular fluid in saliva ensures the optimum condition of oral cavity and general health condition. Saliva collection has been proven non-invasive, convenient, and inexpensive compared to conventional venipuncture procedure. These distinctive advantages provide a promising potential of saliva as a diagnostic fluid. Through comprehensive analysis, an array of salivary proteins and peptides may be beneficial as biomarkers in oral and systemic diseases. In this review, we discuss the utility of human salivary proteomes and tabulate the …

Classification Of Eyelid Position And Eyeball Movement Using Eeg Signals, R. Ramli, Hamzah Arof, Fatimah Ibrahim, Mohd Yamani Idna Idris, A.S.M. Khairuddin

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Contamination of EOG activities in EEG signals remains a significant problem in designing the hybrid BCI system. Since EEG signals have always been contaminated by EOG artifacts, we employ these artifacts as inputs into our system. Therefore, in this study we utilized theEEG and its EOG artifacts as inputs to the hybrid BCI and evaluated the classification performance between thresholding and classifier techniques to determine the eyelid position and eyeball movement from EEG signals and its EOG artifacts in real-time. The EEG signals are recorded from the occipital (channel O2) and motor cortex (channel C3 and C4) on the scalp …

Cochlear Implant And Its Related Science, C.F. Hwang, Y. Chen, H.C. Lin, P. Narayanan

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

No abstract provided.

Co-Expression Of Twist1 And Zeb2 In Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Is Associated With Poor Survival, Y.H. Kong, S.N. Syed Zanaruddin, S.H. Lau, A. Ramanathan, T.G. Kallarakkal, V.K.V. Chong, W.M. Wan Mustafa, M.T. Abraham, Z.A.A. Rahman, R.B. Zain, S.C. Cheong

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an aggressive disease accounting for more than 260,000 cancer cases diagnosed and 128,000 deaths worldwide. A large majority of cancer deaths result from cancers that have metastasized beyond the primary tumor. The relationship between genetic changes and clinical outcome can reflect the biological events that promote cancer's aggressive behavior, and these can serve as molecular markers for improved patient management and survival. To this end, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a major process that promotes tumor invasion and metastasis, making EMT-related proteins attractive diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry to …

Computational And Pharmacological Target Of Neurovascular Unit For Drug Design And Delivery, M.M. Islam, Z. Mohamed

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a dynamic and highly selective permeable interface between central nervous system (CNS) and periphery that regulates the brain homeostasis. Increasing evidences of neurological disorders and restricted drug delivery process in brain make BBB as special target for further study. At present, neurovascular unit (NVU) is a great interest and highlighted topic of pharmaceutical companies for CNS drug design and delivery approaches. Some recent advancement of pharmacology and computational biology makes it convenient to develop drugs within limited time and affordable cost. In this review, we briefly introduce current understanding of the NVU, including molecular and …

Current Aspects In Hemoglobin A1c Detection: A Review, S.H. Ang, M. Thevarajah, Y. Alias, S.M. Khor

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a pressing health issue that threatens global health and the productivity of populations worldwide. Despite its long-recognized role in diabetes management, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) only received WHO endorsement as a T2DM diagnostic tool in 2011. Although conventional plasma-specific tests have long been utilized to diagnose T2DM, the public should be informed that plasma-specific tests are not markedly better than HbA1c tests, particularly in terms of variability and convenience for diagnosing diabetes. In the midst of the debates associated with establishing HbA1c as the preeminent diabetes diagnostic tool, unceasing efforts to standardize HbA1c tests have …

Contemporary Environmental Issues Of Landfill Leachate: Assessment And Remedies, S. Mukherjee, S. Mukhopadhyay, M.A. Hashim, B. Sen Gupta

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

AbstractLandfills are the primary option for waste disposal all over the world. Most of the landfill sites across the world are old and are not engineered to prevent contamination of the underlying soil and groundwater by the toxic leachate. The pollutants from landfill leachate have accumulative and detrimental effect on the ecology and food chains leading to carcinogenic effects, acute toxicity and genotoxicity among human beings. Management of this highly toxic leachate presents a challenging problem to the regulatory authorities who have set specific regulations regarding maximum limits of contaminants in treated leachate prior to disposal into the environment to …

Endemicity Of Acinetobacter Calcoaceticus-Baumannii Complex In An Intensive Care Unit In Malaysia, A. Dhanoa, G. Rajasekaran, S.S. Lean, Y.M. Cheong, Kwai Lin Thong

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Introduction. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex (ACB complex) is a leading opportunistic pathogen in intensive care units (ICUs). Effective control of spread requires understanding of its epidemiological relatedness. This study aims to determine the genetic relatedness and antibiotic susceptibilities of ACB complex in an ICU in Malaysia. Methodology. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), E-test, and disk diffusion were used for isolates characterization. Results. During the study period (December 2011 to June 2012), 1023 patients were admitted to the ICU and 44 ACB complex (blood,

Evaluation Of Micrornas Regulating Anoikis Pathways And Its Therapeutic Potential, S. Malagobadan, N.H. Nagoor

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been implicated in almost every known survival mechanisms utilized by cancer cells. One of such mechanisms, anoikis resistance, plays a pivotal role in enabling metastasis by allowing cancer cells to circumvent cell death induced by lack of attachment. Understanding how miRNAs regulate the various anoikis pathways has become the research question of increasing number of studies published in the past years. Through these studies, a growing list of miRNAs has been identified to be important players in promoting either anoikis or resistance to anoikis. In this review, we will be focusing on these miRNAs and …

Extractive Bioconversion Of Gamma-Cyclodextrin Glycosyltransferase In Alcohol/Salt Aqueos Twophase System, C.L. Tau, K.L. Yu, M.A. Mohamad Suffian

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

No abstract provided.

Genetic And Chromosomal Aberrations And Their Clinical Significance In Renal Neoplasms, N.Y. Yap, R. Rajandram, K.L. Ng, J. Pailoor, A. Fadzli, G.C. Gobe

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

The most common form of malignant renal neoplasms is renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which is classified into several different subtypes based on the histomorphological features. However, overlaps in these characteristics may present difficulties in the accurate diagnosis of these subtypes, which have different clinical outcomes. Genomic and molecular studies have revealed unique genetic aberrations in each subtype. Knowledge of these genetic changes in hereditary and sporadic renal neoplasms has given an insight into the various proteins and signalling pathways involved in tumour formation and progression. In this review, the genetic aberrations characteristic to each renal neoplasm subtype are evaluated along …

Green Energy Towards Sustainability From The Islamic Perspective, Nur Hidayah Abdul Jabar, Zul Ilham, Shaikh Mohd Saifuddeen, Noor Naemah Abdul Rahman

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Sustainable development is a concept mooted to ensure that the needs of the present are met without compromising the needs of the future. Islam has outlined a number of concepts for ensuring that the environment is managed in a responsible and sustainable manner. These concepts are wisdom (hikmah), justice (‘adl), public interest (maslahah) and innovation (ijtihad). The framework of higher purposes of Islamic Divine law or maqasid al-shariah also provides guidance by highlighting five objectives (viz. faith, life, intellect, progeny and property) that need to be protected in carrying out development. However, the challenge lies in putting these concepts and …

Guided Routing On Spinning Microfluidic Platforms, A. Kazemzadeh, P. Ganesan, F. Ibrahim, L. Kulinsky, M.J. Madou

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Flow directionality, valving and liquid routing in centrifugal microfluidics (Lab-on-CD) are typically controlled by applying centrifugal and Coriolis forces and have been the subject of active research interest in recent years. Determining and switching the flow direction at a T-junction is a common fluidic operation important for implementing several chemical and clinical assays for Lab-on-CDs. The present work describes a novel approach to route samples and control flow direction on a spinning disc that employs a guiding microstructure that relies on a two-stage valve comprised of an auxiliary inlet, which is a recess embedded at a T-junction, and a bent …