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Role Of Angiotensin Ii Type 1a Receptors On Renal And Urinary Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (Ace2) And Neprilysin (Nep) In The Two-Kidney One-Clip (2k1c) Model Of Renovascular Hypertension, Laale F. Alawi

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Activation of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) and increased formation of angiotensin (Ang) II contribute to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Ang II, the major biologically active peptide of RAS, acts mainly as a vasoconstrictor through binding to the Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R), which leads to increased blood pressure, fluid retention, and aldosterone secretion. The actions of Ang II are antagonized by its conversion to the vasodilator Ang (1-7), partly generated by the action of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and/or neprilysin (NEP). The metalloprotease ADAM17 has a crucial role in the shedding of renal ACE2 …

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Biology, Fall 2015, Patti Mccall

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

The Land Question In Amazonia: Cadastral Knowledge And Ignorance In Brazil’S Tenure Regularization Program, Jeremy M. Campbell

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

In the Brazilian Amazon, a quest˜ao fundi´aria (the land question) has been asked and answered in a variety of ways since the region was opened up tolarge-scale migration and development projects in the 1960s. The question of who is entitled to land and under what conditions is at the heart ofmost debates concerning the region’s future, but recent attempts to reform and simplify rural land tenure in Amazonia confront a history of contradictory land-use policies and a legacy of impunity. In response to economic and demographic pressures, the Brazilian state aims to combat the illicit occupation, sale, and transformation of …

Induction Of Larval Settlement In The Reef Coral Porites Astreoides By A Cultivated Marine Roseobacter Strain, Koty H. Sharp

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Successful larval settlement and recruitment by corals is critical for the survival of coral reef ecosystems. Several closely related strains of γ-proteobacteria have been identified as cues for coral larval settlement, but the inductive properties of other bacterial taxa naturally occurring in reef ecosystems have not yet been explored. In this study, we assayed bacterial strains representing taxonomic groups consistently detected in corals for their ability to influence larval settlement in the coral Porites astreoides. We identified one α-proteobacterial strain, Roseivivax sp. 46E8, which significantly increased larval settlement in P. astreoides. Logarithmic growth phase (log phase) cell cultures of Roseivivax …

The Inhibitory Effects Of Opioids On Voltage-Gated Calcium Influx In Neonatal Rat Carotid Body Type I Cells, Ellen M. Ricker

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It is known that opioids inhibit the hypoxic ventilatory response, but little is known about the mechanisms that underpin this. This study's objectives were to examine which opioid receptors are located on the oxygen-sensing carotid body type I cells and determine whether selective agonists inhibit cellular excitability.

Immunocytochemistry revealed the presence of μ and κ opioid receptors on type I cells. The μ-selective agonist DAMGO (10μM) and the κ-selective agonist U50-488 (10μM) significantly (p<0.0025 and p<0.0095 respectively, unpaired student's t-test) inhibited high K+ induced rises in intracellular Ca2+ compared with controls. After a three-hour incubation with pertussis toxin, a Gi protein-coupled inhibitor, DAMGO and U50-488 (10μM) has no significant effect on the responses to K+.

These results indicate that opioids acting at μ and κ receptors inhibit voltage-gated Ca2+ influx in carotid body type I cells. This mechanism may explain, in …

The Organization Of Kv2.1 Channel Proteins In The Membrane Of Spinal Motoneurons: Regulation By Injury And Cellular Activity, Shannon Hunt Romer

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The intrinsic membrane properties of neurons in the central nervous system are controlled by the tight regulation of membrane-bound ion channels. Rather than existing as static entities operating only in opened or closed states in fixed locations, ion channels are dynamic molecules with the capacity to adopt multiple functional states through conformational changes and/or post-translational modification - enabling flexibility in their activity. Furthermore, the location of ion channels within certain membrane compartments and/or signaling ensembles is critical to synaptic integration and shaping of firing properties, and can also be dynamically modified by changes in neuronal activity and pathology. In mammalian …

Silver Nanoparticles Inhibit The Binding And Replication Of Dengue Virus, Kelley J. Williams

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Dengue is an emerging hemorrhagic fever virus and widely considered the most important arbovirus in the world. The CDC and the World Health Organization estimates Dengue virus (DENV) infects 50-400 million people annually in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. More than 500 thousand of these will develop severe infection and approximately 22 thousand will lead to death. Dengue virus (DENV) is a positive-sense RNA virus that exists in 4 antigenic serotypes. An immunological phenomenon called antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) leaves a DENV victim vulnerable to increased risk of subsequent infections. Secondary infections with DENV are known to increase …

Logging Debris Protects Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum) Seedlings From White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Herbivory In Wolf-Occupied Forest, Ari Erin Sullivan

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White-tailed deer are a species of great economic and ecological concern. Foresters sometimes leave logging debris known as slash on the forest floor with the intent to protect seedlings from deer herbivory and promote forest regeneration. I examined the effects of slash on rates of deer browsing on sugar maple seedlings in a forest of northern Wisconsin and measured deer foraging behavior using giving-up density and vigilance rates by employing trail cameras. Rates of browsed stems were almost twice as high in the open as within and adjacent to slash. These findings underscore the usefulness of slash for mitigating the …

The Impact Of Hsv-1 Infection On Cell Viability, Morphology, And Cd Markers Expression By Unpolarized And Cytokine-Polarized J774a.1 Mouse Macrophages, Sarah Saad Alsharif

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Macrophages play an important role in the immune system, particularly in neutralizing pathogens via phagocytosis and the production of multiple cytokines and chemokines that control infection after exposure to specific stimuli. Macrophages exhibit two different phenotypes, M1 and M2. This study evaluated the role of Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS)1 and SOCS3 on Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1) infection of polarized macrophages, cell viability, cell morphology, and the expression of cell surface CD markers. I hypothesized that J774A.1 murine macrophages cells in the naive state (M0), and M1 and M2 phenotypes would display differences in CD markers CD80,CD163, and CD200R, cell …

Stability Of Monomethylmercury In Water, Sarah Elyse Harvey

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Monomethylmercury (MMHg) bioaccumulates in aquatic food webs, leading to concentrations in fish that increase health risks for humans who consume fish. As a result of processes that produce and decompose it, MMHg concentrations are notoriously unstable in many natural waters. I examined the stability of MMHg in both filter-sterilized (< 0.1 µm) reagent-grade water and 0.22-µm filtered sediment pore water from Grand Lake St. Marys, Auglaize and Mercer Counties, Ohio, each at three MMHg treatment concentrations (1, 5, and 50 ng/L). Reagent-grade water samples were incubated under both light and dark conditions at either 5 or 26 °C for 112 days. Pore water samples were incubated in the dark at 26 °C, mimicking environmental conditions, for a period of 98 days. Decay constants (± 95% CI) for solutions containing either 1 or 5 ng/L MMHg in reagent-grade water ranged from 0.0009 ± 0.0013 to 0.1225 ± 0.0150 d-1, with greater decay constants at higher temperature and no significant effect of light exposure. In contrast, decay constants for 50 ng/L MMHg in reagent-grade water were much less than those in more dilute solutions, ranging from 0.0018 ± 0.0015 to 0.0055 ± 0.0023 d-1, with both light and temperature influencing MMHg decomposition. Decay constants of MMHg in pore water were found to be independent of initial concentration of MMHg; however, decay constants in pore water samples were 3-fold higher than those in reagent-grade water amended with the same initial concentration (p = 0.007). These results suggest that natural constituents in pore water accelerate MMHg decay reactions.

The Inconsistencies Of The Replaceability Argument, Caitlin M. Bauer

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In this paper, I will argue against Peter Singer's replaceability argument. I start by showing how Singer's ethical theory of preference-utilitarianism leads to his assertion that everyone should be vegetarian, and later his conclusion that some animals are replaceable. To refute Singer, I argue that death deprives sentient beings of pleasure, and any other good they are capable of experiencing, so death is harmful to animals. Next, I discuss one last claim central to Singer's replaceability argument, that merely sentient animals are not the same individual between periods of consciousness because they have no memory or psychological connections. I refute …

Identification And Quantification Of The Collagen Type I, Iii And V In Rabbit Patellar Tendons, Mahesh Chandra Kodali

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Tendon injuries pose a great clinical challenge to orthopedic surgeons. Over 200,000 patients undergo tendon repair every year in the United States alone. The role of progression of a tendon injury is multifactorial as a lot of factors come into play during and after the injury at various phases of healing process. There is a still a vast requirement for thorough elucidation and understanding of the pathophysiology and the factors involved in the progression of tendon injury. Although the degenerative role of several MMPs and ADAMTs have been reported, yet there is very less information on the actual role and …

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Biomechanics, Computational Modeling Of Mechanical Behavior And Injury Risk, Bharadwaj Cheruvu

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Knee joint involves interactions from various structures such as cartilage, bone, muscles, ligaments, tendon, as well as neural control. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are one of the most frequent soft tissue injuries of the knee. A torn ACL leaves the joint unstable and at risk for further damage to other soft tissues manifested as pain, dislocation, and osteoarthritis. This injury is quite common in sports such as basketball, soccer and football. Females often tear their ACL 2-8 times more frequently than their male counterparts. An ACL injury can be devastating and significantly increases the athlete's risk for osteoarthritis long …

Hierarchical Porous Structures With Aligned Carbon Nanotubes As Efficient Adsorbents And Metal-Catalyst Supports, Hema Vijwani

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The overall goal of this study is two-fold: synthesis of multiscale nanostructures by growing aligned carbon nanotubes on porous foam substrates and investigation of their applicability as adsorbents and catalyst supports for environmental remediation applications. High purity, vertically-aligned arrays of carbon nanotubes (CNT) are grown on open-cell interconnected porous carbon foams by pre-activating them with an oxide buffer layer followed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This type of hierarchical morphology provides the capability of increasing surface area by several orders of magnitude, while tuning its morphology for targeted applications. Analytical models are also proposed in this study for specific surface …

Angiotensin-Ii Receptor Blocker And Its Effects On Depressive-Like Behavior During Maternal Separation, Evan D. Xanthos

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Maternal separation has been shown to promote the onset of adult depression. This early life stressor produces a biphasic response marked by an active "protest" phase followed by a passive "despair" phase in humans and other species. In infant guinea pigs, active phase behaviors include increased locomotion and distress vocalizations, whereas the passive phase is marked by depressive-like behaviors including a crouch stance, eye closure and piloerection. Separation elicits physiological responses including increased core body temperature and proinflammatory cytokine expression suggesting fever. Angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARB's) inhibit inflammation both peripherally and centrally following peripheral administration. The goal of the present …

Distinguishing Melanocytic Nevi From Melanoma By Dna Copy Number Changes: Array-Comparative Genomic Hybridization As A Research Tool, Ahmed Ibrahim Mahas

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Skin melanocytes can give rise to different benign and malignant neoplasms. Discrimination of an early melanoma from an unusual/atypical benign nevus can represent a significant challenge. However, previous studies have shown that in contrast to benign nevi, melanoma demonstrates pervasive chromosomal aberrations. This substantial difference between melanoma and benign nevi formed the idea of exploiting this difference to discriminate between melanoma and benign nevi. Array-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) is an approach that can be used on DNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues to assess the entire genome for the presence of changes in DNA copy number. In this study, …

Improving Dna Quality Using Ffpe Tissues For Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization To Find Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (Snps) In Melanoma, Keerti Potluri

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Important classes of benign and malignant neoplasms are composed of melanocytic cells which produce a pigment called melanin. Benign nevi, which are non-malignant melanocytic lesions, can sometimes give rise to malignant melanoma. Melanoma can be a lethal melanocytic neoplasm, a deadly and aggressive form of skin cancer. Finding prognostic or diagnostic markers can be very useful to reduce the deaths caused by melanoma. Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH), a cytogenetic technique, analyzes the whole genome or chromosome for detecting genetic aberrations/variations such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a cancer. formalin fixed paraffin embedded FFPE tissues are usually taken from …

Inhibition Of Nectin-1 And Herpes Virus Entry Mediator (Hvem) Using Monoclonal Antibodies Decreases Hsv-1 Entry Into Neuro-2a Cells, Erica Marie Rinehart

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This study examines the effects of blocking the nectin-1 and Herpes Virus Entry Mediator (HVEM) receptors on Neuro-2a (N2a) cells in order to prevent HSV-1 infection. These two receptors have been identified as a primary and secondary mode of entry for HSV-1. Since there was some debate about the correct serum level to be used in growth media for healthy N2a cells, three concentrations (2%, 5%, 10%) were used to examine relative growth and neurite development, in addition to examining possible differences in infectivity levels in all other experiments. There was a difference in general morphology, with neurite abundance and …

Assessment Of The Applicability Of Terahertz Spectroscopic Breath Sensing Towards Monitoring Type 1 Diabetic Mellitus, Jessica Rose Thomas

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Type 1 diabetes is a condition that cumulatively costs around $14.9 billion in medical expenses every year in the United States. Besides being costly, the monitoring of this disease is invasive, painful, and often embarrassing to the afflicted individual; blood and urine testing is currently the daily method of monitoring blood glucose and ketone levels in the body of type 1 diabetics. Though the use of these samples is standard, another avenue for possibly determining blood glucose has not been completely explored. With over 3000 chemicals reportedly found in exhaled human breath, biomarkers associated with this disorder and many of …

Profiling Fatty Acid Composition Of Brown Adipose Tissue, White Adipose Tissue And Bone Marrow Adipose Tissue Of Healthy And Diet-Induced Obese Mice, Urszula Osinska Warncke

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Bone marrow adipose tissue (MAT) contains a fat depot of unknown function. Characterization of this tissue in healthy and pathophysiological conditions may be an important step in order to understand MAT contribution to development of osteoporosis and perhaps to develop means to improve bone health by manipulation with a phenotype of MAT. Here we demonstrate that MAT, brown adipose tissue (BAT), and white adipose tissue (WAT) derived from healthy mice differ in fatty acid and phospholipid composition. The profile of MAT changed to resemble a less-metabolically active tissue upon metabolic impairment as seen in diet-induced obesity. Additionally, PPARγ activation alters …

Is Polyvinylidene Diflouride (Pvdf) Film Biocompatible In The Murine Cochlea?, Robert Maxwell Jaggers

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Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film, a biomaterial that is an integral part of a Totally Implantable Sustainable Hearing Aide (TISHA) device, was examined to determine its biocompatibility within the murine cochlea. The biofilm was implanted in the ear using a round window cochleostomy in 7-9 week old male C57BL/6 mice. Three test groups containing seven mice each were implanted with PVDF film. Each mouse received a sham surgery on the non-implanted cochlea. Three test groups were examined at 48 hours, 3 weeks, and 3 months. At the end of this time the mouse was euthanized, the tissue containing the cochlea was …

Predicting Depression Symptoms Among College Students: The Influence Of Parenting Style, Sarah Whitmire Clark

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined parenting style variables in predicting college students’ depression symptoms. Participants were 989 college students who participated in the first wave of the Spit for Science project (Dick et al., 2011). This study described the prevalence of depression symptoms, including the percentage of the sample endorsing various depression symptoms, and the frequency depression scores were elevated at multiple time points. A hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to examine whether two dimensions of parenting style, Autonomy Granting and Parental Involvement, would interact in predicting depression symptoms in the Junior year. The present study demonstrates that parenting style predicts a …

The Role Of Leukocyte-Platelet Rich Fibrin In Human Alveolar Ridge Preservation: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Thomas F. Glazier, Thomas C. Waldrop, John C. Gunsolley, Robert Sabatini

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to examine the healing of intact extraction sockets grafted with leukocyte-platelet rich fibrin (L-PRF) as compared to sockets grafted with freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA) and a resorbable collagen barrier membrane (RCM).

METHODS: This prospective randomized, examiner blinded pilot study included 17 subjects randomized to two treatment groups. Serum total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), 25-hydroxyvitamin-D₃, and platelet counts were determined preoperatively in all subjects. The experimental arm consisted of 8 posterior tooth-bounded intact extraction sites receiving L-PRF plugs. The control group consisted of 9 posterior tooth-bounded intact extraction sites receiving FDBA …

Surface Evolution Of Salt-Encrusted Playas Under Extreme And Continued Dryness, Octavio Artieda, Alfonso Davila, Jacek Wierzchos, Peter Buhler, Rafael Rodríguez-Ochoa, Juan Pueyo

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

Miocene continental saltpans are scattered in the Central Valley of the Atacama Desert, one of the driest regions on Earth. These evaporitic deposits are hydrologically inactive, and are detached from groundwater brines or aquifers. The surface of the saltpans, also known as salars, comprises desiccation polygons, commonly with nodular salt structures along their sides. The morphology and bulk mineralogy of salt polygons differs between and within salars, and the shape and internal structure of salt nodules varies between different polygon types. Based on field observation, and mineralogy and crystallography data, we generated a conceptual model for the genesis and evolution …

Integrating Geoscience Into Undergraduate Education About Environment, Society, And Sustainability Using Place-Based Learning: Three Examples, David Gosselin, Steven Burian, Tim Lutz, Julie Maxson

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

From water to energy, and from climate change to natural hazards, the geosciences (marine, Earth, and atmospheric science) have an important role to play in addressing a wide range of societal issues, with particular relevance to how humans can live sustainably on Earth. Although arguably important to developing solutions for many societal issues, more often than not, students have limited exposure to the geosciences in high school or college. To address this geoscience literacy problem, the Interdisciplinary Teaching of Geoscience for a Sustainable Future (InTeGrate) Talent Expansion Center has engaged members of the geoscience community and their colleagues in allied …

Patterns Of Terrestrial And Limnologic Development In The Northern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Usa) During The Late-Glacial/Early-Holocene Transition, Teresa R. Krause, Yanbin Lu, Cathy Whitlock, Sherilyn C. Fritz, Kenneth L. Pierce

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

A high-resolution record of pollen, charcoal, diatom, and lithologic data from Dailey Lake in south-western Montana describes postglacial terrestrial and limnologic development from ice retreat ca. 16,000 cal yr BP through the early Holocene. Following deglaciation, the landscape surrounding Dailey Lake was sparsely vegetated, and erosional input into the lake was high. As summer insolation increased and ice recessional processes subsided, Picea parkland developed and diatoms established in the lake at 13,300 cal yr BP. Closed subalpine forests of Picea, Abies, and Pinus established at 12,300 cal yr BP followed by the development of open Pinus and Pseudotsuga forests at …

Expectant Fathers, Abortion, And Embryos, Dara Purvis

Faculty Scholarship

One thread of abortion criticism, arguing that gender equality requires that men be allowed to terminate legal parental status and obligations, has reinforced the stereotype of men as uninterested in fatherhood. As courts facing disputes over stored pre-embryos weigh the equities of allowing implantation of the pre-embryos, this same gender stereotype has been increasingly incorporated into a legal balancing test, leading to troubling implications for ART and family law.

Patent Scope And Enablement In Rapidly Developing Arts, Alan L. Durham

Articles

The claims of a patent and its enabling disclosure must be commensurate in scope However because of the openended nature of most patent claims in fields of rapidlydeveloping technology it is almost inevitable that before the patent has expired the claims will read on embodiments that the specification does not teach The current law on scope enablement is the source of much confusion Because enablement must be judged from a filingdate perspective some cases dismiss later advancements eg a newlydiscovered species within a claimed genus as irrelevant Other cases in contrast hold patent claims invalid because they exceed the scope …

Interdisciplinary Connections Between Science & Theatre, Jessica N. Dotson

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SCIENCE & THEATRE

Jessica Nicole Dotson

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015.

Major Director: Dr. Noreen C. Barnes, Director of Graduate Studies, Associate Professor of Theatre

In the 1990s, astronomer Peter Usher was searching for new ways to teach his introductory astronomy class at Pennsylvania State University. He began to engage his students by searching for astronomical connections from other disciplines. His focus was turned to the arts, especially the works of William Shakespeare. Usher found, while …

Growing Up In Ireland: Factors Impacting Sleep Patterns Of Preterm Infants, Joanne Fallon

Theses and Dissertations

GROWING UP IN IRELAND: FACTORS IMPACTING SLEEP PATTERNS OF PRETERM INFANTS

By Joanne Fallon MS, OT, PhD

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015.

Major Director: Shelly J. Lane, PhD, Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy

Preterm infants represent the largest child patient group in the European Union (EU), accounting for 5.5-11.4% of all births (European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants, 2011b). Preterm birth is defined as birth prior to 37 weeks gestation. Infants born late preterm (34-36 weeks) are considered more …