Digital Commons Network^™

Adult Gli2+/-;Gli3Δ699/+ Male And Female Mice Display A Spectrum Of Genital Malformation., Fei He, Pedram Akbari, Rong Mo, Jennifer J Zhang, Chi-Chung Hui, Peter C. Kim, Walid A Farhat

Surgery Faculty Publications

Disorders of sexual development (DSD) encompass a broad spectrum of urogenital malformations and are amongst the most common congenital birth defects. Although key genetic factors such as the hedgehog (Hh) family have been identified, a unifying postnatally viable model displaying the spectrum of male and female urogenital malformations has not yet been reported. Since human cases are diagnosed and treated at various stages postnatally, equivalent mouse models enabling analysis at similar stages are of significant interest. Additionally, all non-Hh based genetic models investigating DSD display normal females, leaving female urogenital development largely unknown. Here, we generated compound mutant mice, Gli2+/-;Gli3Δ699/+, …

Reply To Melissa Moschella, E Brugger

Philosophy Conference Papers

Professor Moschella begins by discussing confusions in the brain death debate surrounding the use of the concepts of “integration” and “wholeness.” Some scholars, she says, such as Alan Shewmon, take the presence of biological integration as an indication of ontological wholeness. Others, such as the members of the President’s Council for Bioethics, think that some bodily integration can persist in the body of a brain-dead individual; but that the subject in which it persists in not a whole.

Cancer Care Annual Report 2015-16, Children's Mercy Hospital

Cancer Center Annual Reports

Annual report of cancer care and oncology services at the Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City MO, a pediatric medical center. This report has a focus on neuroblastoma.

Engineering News, Winter 2016, School Of Engineering

Engineering News

No abstract provided.

Structure Of The Polyisoprenyl-Phosphate Glycosyltransferase Gtrb And Insights Into The Mechanism Of Catalysis, Chiara Ardiccioni, Oliver B. Clarke, David Tomasek, Habon A. Issa, Desiree C. Von Alpen, Heather L. Pond, M. Chiara Manzini, +11 Additional Authors

Pharmacology and Physiology Faculty Publications

The attachment of a sugar to a hydrophobic polyisoprenyl carrier is the first step for all extracellular glycosylation processes. The enzymes that perform these reactions, polyisoprenyl-glycosyltransferases (PI-GTs) include dolichol phosphate mannose synthase (DPMS), which generates the mannose donor for glycosylation in the endoplasmic reticulum. Here we report the 3.0Å resolution crystal structure of GtrB, a glucose-specific PI-GT from Synechocystis, showing a tetramer in which each protomer contributes two helices to a membrane-spanning bundle. The active site is 15 Å from the membrane, raising the question of how water-soluble and membrane-embedded substrates are brought into apposition for catalysis. A conserved …

Brain Responses To Biological Motion Predict Treatment Outcome In Young Children With Autism, D. Yang, Kevin Pelphrey, D. Sukholdolsky, M. Crowley, E. Dayan, +6 Additional Authors

Pharmacology and Physiology Faculty Publications

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are common yet complex neurodevelopmental disorders, characterized by social, communication and behavioral deficits. Behavioral interventions have shown favorable results—however, the promise of precision medicine in ASD is hampered by a lack of sensitive, objective neurobiological markers (neurobiomarkers) to identify subgroups of young children likely to respond to specific treatments. Such neurobiomarkers are essential because early childhood provides a sensitive window of opportunity for intervention, while unsuccessful intervention is costly to children, families and society. In young children with ASD, we show that functional magnetic resonance imaging-based stratification neurobiomarkers accurately predict responses to an evidence-based behavioral treatment—pivotal …

Identification And Spontaneous Immune Targeting Of An Endogenous Retrovirus K Envelope Protein In The Indian Rhesus Macaque Model Of Human Disease., Helen L Wu, Enrique J Léon, Lyle T Wallace, Francesca A Nimiyongskul, Matthew B Buechler, Laura P Newman, Philip A Castrovinci, R Paul Johnson, Robert J Gifford, R. Brad Jones, Jonah B Sacha

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral infections that have invaded the germ line of both humans and non-human primates. Most ERVs are functionally crippled by deletions, mutations, and hypermethylation, leading to the view that they are inert genomic fossils. However, some ERVs can produce mRNA transcripts, functional viral proteins, and even non-infectious virus particles during certain developmental and pathological processes. While there have been reports of ERV-specific immunity associated with ERV activity in humans, adaptive immune responses to ERV-encoded gene products remain poorly defined and have not been investigated in the physiologically relevant non-human primate model of …

Cold Atmospheric Plasma Inhibits Hiv-1 Replication In Macrophages By Targeting Both The Virus And The Cells., Olga Volotskova, Larisa Dubrovsky, Michael Keidar, Michael Bukrinsky

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a specific type of partially ionized gas that is less than 104°F at the point of application. It was recently shown that CAP can be used for decontamination and sterilization, as well as anti-cancer treatment. Here, we investigated the effects of CAP on HIV-1 replication in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). We demonstrate that pre-treatment of MDM with CAP reduced levels of CD4 and CCR5, inhibiting virus-cell fusion, viral reverse transcription and integration. In addition, CAP pre-treatment affected cellular factors required for post-entry events, as replication of VSV-G-pseudotyped HIV-1, which by-passes HIV receptor-mediated fusion at the plasma …

Single-Cell Mass Spectrometry For Discovery Proteomics: Quantifying Translational Cell Heterogeneity In The 16-Cell Frog (Xenopus) Embryo, Camille Lombard-Banek, Sally Ann Moody, Peter Nemes

Anatomy and Regenerative Biology Faculty Publications

We advance mass spectrometry from a cell population-averaging tool to one capable of quantifying the expression of diverse proteins in single embryonic cells. Our instrument combines capillary electrophoresis (CE), electrospray ionization, and a tribrid ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS) to enable untargeted (discovery) proteomics with ca. 25 amol lower limit of detection. CE-μESI-HRMS enabled the identification of 500–800 nonredundant protein groups by measuring 20 ng, or <0.2% of the total protein content in single blastomeres that were isolated from the 16-cell frog (Xenopus laevis) embryo, amounting to a total of 1709 protein groups identified between n=3 biological replicates. By quantifying ≈150 nonredundant protein groups between all blastomeres and replicate measurements, we found significant translational cell heterogeneity along multiple axes of the embryo at this very early stage of development when the transcriptional program of the embryo has yet to begin.

Discovery Of Metabolic Biomarkers For Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Within A Natural History Study., Simina M. Boca, Maki Nishida, Michael Harris, Shruti Rao, Amrita Cheema, Kirandeep Gill, Haeri Seol, Lauren P. Morgenroth, Erik Henricson, Craig M. Mcdonald, Jean K. Mah, Paula R. Clemens, Eric P. Hoffman, Yetrib Hathout, Subha Madhavan

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Serum metabolite profiling in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) may enable discovery of valuable molecular markers for disease progression and treatment response. Serum samples from 51 DMD patients from a natural history study and 22 age-matched healthy volunteers were profiled using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for discovery of novel circulating serum metabolites associated with DMD. Fourteen metabolites were found significantly altered (1% false discovery rate) in their levels between DMD patients and healthy controls while adjusting for age and study site and allowing for an interaction between disease status and age. Increased metabolites included arginine, creatine and unknown …

Examination Of Reticulocytosis Among Chronically Transfused Children With Sickle Cell Anemia., Megha Kaushal, Colleen Byrnes, Zarir Khademian, Natalie Duncan, Naomi L. Luban, Jeffery L Miller, Ross Fasano, Emily R. Meier

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is an inherited hemolytic anemia with compensatory reticulocytosis. Recent studies have shown that increased levels of reticulocytosis during infancy are associated with increased hospitalizations for SCA sequelae as well as cerebrovascular pathologies. In this study, absolute reticulocyte counts (ARC) measured prior to transfusion were analysed among a cohort of 29 pediatric SCA patients receiving chronic transfusion therapy (CTT) for primary and secondary stroke prevention. A cross-sectional flow cytometric analysis of the reticulocyte phenotype was also performed. Mean duration of CTT was 3.1 ± 2.6 years. Fifteen subjects with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) -vasculopathy had significantly higher …

The Clinical Outcome Study For Dysferlinopathy, Elizabeth Harris, Catherine Bladen, Anna Mayhew, Meredith James, Karen Bettinson, Avital Cnaan, The Jain Cos Consortium

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Objective: To describe the baseline clinical and functional characteristics of an international cohort of 193 patients with dysferlinopathy.

Methods: The Clinical Outcome Study for dysferlinopathy (COS) is an international multicenter study of this disease, evaluating patients with genetically confirmed dysferlinopathy over 3 years. We present a cross-sectional analysis of 193 patients derived from their baseline clinical and functional assessments.

Results: There is a high degree of variability in disease onset, pattern of weakness, and rate of progression. No factor, such as mutation class, protein expression, or age at onset, accounted for this variability. Among patients with clinical diagnoses of Miyoshi …

Incidence Of X And Y Chromosomal Aneuploidy In A Large Child Bearing Population., Carole Samango-Sprouse, Eser Kırkızlar, Megan P Hall, Patrick Lawson, Zachary Demko, Susan M Zneimer, Kirsten J Curnow, Susan Gross, Andrea Gropman

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: X&Y chromosomal aneuploidies are among the most common human whole-chromosomal copy number changes, but the population-based incidence and prevalence in the child-bearing population is unclear.

METHODS: This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data leveraged a routine non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) using parental genotyping to estimate the population-based incidence of X&Y chromosome variations in this population referred for NIPT (generally due to advanced maternal age).

RESULTS: From 141,916 women and 29,336 men, 119 X&Y chromosomal abnormalities (prevalence: 1 in 1,439) were identified. Maternal findings include: 43 cases of 45,X (40 mosaic); 30 cases of 47,XXX (12 mosaic); 3 cases of …

Age-Related Effect Of Viral-Induced Wheezing In Severe Prematurity, Geovanny F. Perez, Amisha Jain, Bassem Kurdi, Rosemary Megalaa, Krishna Pancham, Shehlanoor Huseni, Natalia Isaza, Carlos E. Rodriguez-Martinez, Mary C. Rose, Dinesh Pillai, Gustavo Nino

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Premature children are prone to severe viral respiratory infections in early life, but the age at which susceptibility peaks and disappears for each pathogen is unclear.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of the age distribution and clinical features of acute viral respiratory infections in full-term and premature children, aged zero to seven years.

Results: The study comprised of a total of 630 hospitalizations (n = 580 children). Sixty-seven percent of these hospitalizations occurred in children born full-term (>37 weeks), 12% in preterm (32–37 weeks) and 21% in severely premature children (<32 weeks). The most common viruses identified were rhinovirus (RV; 60%) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV; 17%). Age-distribution analysis of each virus identified that severely premature children had a higher relative frequency of RV and RSV in their first three years, relative to preterm or full-term children. Additionally, the probability of RV- or RSV-induced wheezing was higher overall in severely premature children less than three years old.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that the vulnerability …

Interrater Reliability Of Quantitative Ultrasound Using Force Feedback Among Examiners With Varied Levels Of Experience, Michael O. Harris-Love, Catheeja Ismail, Reza Monfaredi, Haniel J. Hernandez, Donte Pennington, Paula Woletz, Valerie Mcintosh, Bernadette Adams, Marc R. Blackman

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

Background. Quantitative ultrasound measures are influenced by multiple external factors including examiner scanning force. Force feedback may foster the acquisition of reliable morphometry measures under a variety of scanning conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of force-feedback image acquisition and morphometry over a range of examiner-generated forces using a muscle tissuemimicking ultrasound phantom.

Methods. Sixty material thickness measures were acquired from a muscle tissue mimicking phantom using B-mode ultrasound scanning by six examiners with varied experience levels (i.e., experienced, intermediate, and novice). Estimates of interrater reliability and measurement error with force feedback scanning were determined …

Contributors

The Chautauqua Journal

Jonathan Balcombe is a biologist, Director of Animal Sentience with the Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy, and the author of What A Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of our Underwater Cousins, as well as Second Nature: The Inner Lives of Animals, and three other books of natural science.

Harry Brown is Foundation Professor Emeritus of English at Eastern Kentucky University, and the author of In Some Households the King is Soul and many other books of poetry.

Graciela Chichilnisky is Professor of Economics and of Statistics, and Director of the Columbia Consortium for Risk Management at …

2015-2016 Lynn University Common Data Set, Lynn University

Lynn University Common Data Set

2015-2016 Lynn University Common Data Set (CDS), prepared by Lynn University Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment (AY2016)

Uric Acid-Induced Adipocyte Dysfunction Is Attenuated By Ho-1 Upregulation: Potential Role Of Antioxidant Therapy To Target Obesity, Komal Sodhi, Jordan Hilgefort, Sarah Stevens, Morghan Getty, Nader G. Abraham, Zeid Khitan

NYMC Faculty Publications

Increased uric acid levels have been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. To examine the mechanisms by which this occurs, we hypothesized that an increase in heme oxygenase 1, a potent antioxidant gene, will decrease uric acid levels and adipocyte dysfunction via suppression of ROS and xanthine oxidase (XO) levels. We examined the effect of uric acid on adipogenesis in human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the presence and absence of cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP), an HO-1 inducer, and tin mesoporphyrin (SnMP), an HO activity inhibitor. Uric acid increased adipogenesis by increasing NADPH oxidase expression and elevation in the adipogenesis …

Triumph Over Tragedy: The Odyssey Of An Academic Physician, William H. Frishman

NYMC Faculty Publications

Triumph Over Tragedy: The Odyssey of an Academic Physician is the remarkable new memoir written by William H. Frishman, M.D., currently the Director of Medicine at Westchester Medical Center and the Rosenthal Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York, positions he has held for almost 20 years.

Dr. Frishman is a devotee of history and literature, and The Odyssey by Homer is one of his favorite books. In Triumph Over Tragedy, he details his own personal odyssey, and relays his experiences, through text and photos, as a son, student, …

Mechanisms Of Small Molecule-Dna Interactions Probed By Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy, Ali A. Almaqwashi, Thayaparan Paramanathan, Ioulia Rouzina, Mark C. Williams

Physics Faculty Publications

There is a wide range of applications for non-covalent DNA binding ligands, and optimization of such interactions requires detailed understanding of the binding mechanisms. One important class of these ligands is that of intercalators, which bind DNA by inserting aromatic moieties between adjacent DNA base pairs. Characterizing the dynamic and equilibrium aspects of DNA-intercalator complex assembly may allow optimization of DNA binding for specific functions. Single-molecule force spectroscopy studies have recently revealed new details about the molecular mechanisms governing DNA intercalation. These studies can provide the binding kinetics and affinity as well as determining the magnitude of the double helix …

Biophysical Measurements Of Cells, Microtubules, And Dna With An Atomic Force Microscope, Luka M. Devenica, Clay Contee, Raysa Cabrejo, Matthew Kurek, Edward F. Deveney, Ashley R. Carter

Physics Faculty Publications

Atomic force microscopes (AFMs) are ubiquitous in research laboratories and have recently been priced for use in teaching laboratories. Here, we review several AFM platforms and describe various biophysical experiments that could be done in the teaching laboratory using these instruments. In particular, we focus on experiments that image biological materials (cells, microtubules, and DNA) and quantify biophysical parameters including membrane tension, persistence length, contour length, and the drag force.

Eif1a/Eif5b Interaction Network And Its Functions In Translation Initiation Complex Assembly And Remodeling, Nabanita Nag, Kai Ying Lin, Katherine A. Edmonds, Jielin Yu, Devika Nadkarni, Boriana Marintcheva, Assen Marintchev

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Eukaryotic translation initiation is a highly regulated process involving multiple steps, from 43S pre-initiation complex (PIC) assembly, to ribosomal subunit joining. Subunit joining is controlled by the G-protein eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5B (eIF5B). Another protein, eIF1A, is involved in virtually all steps, including subunit joining. The intrinsically disordered eIF1A C-terminal tail (eIF1A-CTT) binds to eIF5B Domain-4 (eIF5B-D4). The ribosomal complex undergoes conformational rearrangements at every step of translation initiation; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we report three novel interactions involving eIF5B and eIF1A: (i) a second binding interface between eIF5B and eIF1A; (ii) a dynamic …

Stability Of Metabolic Factor Before And After Bariatric Surgery, Brandon Davis, Joseph Indelicato

The School of Health Sciences Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Zika Virus, Abigail Hanneken

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a member of the Spondweni serocomplex within the genus Flavivovirus, family flaviviridae (Weaver et. al, 2012). ZIKV is related to dengue, West Nile, and yellow fever viruses (Lazear et. al, 2016). ZIKV was first discovered in Uganda, but since then outbreaks have been reported in Africa and Southeast Asia. In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil, where it began to rapidly spread throughout the region (CDC, 2016). Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ongoing outbreak of Zika virus and associated …

Undergraduate Symposium Abstracts

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

In Utero Exposure To Lps Alters The Postnatal Acute-Phase Response In Beef Heifers, Jeffery A. Carroll, Nicole C. Burdick-Sanchez, John D. Arthington, Corwin D. Nelson, Aimee L. Benjamin, Filiz T. Korkmaz, David E. Kerr, Phillip A. Lancaster

College of Agriculture

The potential effect of prenatal LPS exposure on the postnatal acute phase response (APR) to an LPS challenge in heifers was determined. Pregnant crossbred cows were separated into prenatal immune stimulation (PIS) and saline groups (Control). From these treatments, heifer calves were identified at weaning to subsequently receive an exogenous LPS challenge. Sickness behavior scores (SBS) were recorded and blood samples were collected at 30-min intervals from −2 to 8 h and again at 24 h relative to the LPS challenge. There was a treatment × time interaction for the change in vaginal temperature (VT) such that the change in …

Understanding The Dynamics Of Monomeric, Dimeric, And Tetrameric Α-Synuclein Structures In Water, Jonathan Y. Mane, Maria Stepanova

College of Natural and Applied Sciences

Human α‐synuclein (αS) is an intrinsically disordered protein associated with Parkinson's disease. Molecular mechanisms of corruptive misfolding and aggregation of αS resulting in the disease, as well as the structure and other properties of the corresponding oligomers are not entirely understood yet, preventing the development of efficient therapies. In this study, we investigate the folding dynamics of initially unfolded hypothetical αS constructs in water using all‐atom molecular dynamics simulations. We also employ the novel essential collective dynamics method to analyze the results obtained from the simulations. Our comparative analysis of monomeric, dimeric, and tetrameric αS models reveals pronounced differences in …

Computer Problem-Solving Coaches For Introductory Physics: Design And Usability Studies, Ryan X. Qing, Evan Frodermann, Kenneth Heller, Leonardo Hsu, Andrew Mason

College of Natural and Applied Sciences

The combination of modern computing power, the interactivity of web applications, and the flexibility of object-oriented programming may finally be sufficient to create computer coaches that can help students develop metacognitive problem-solving skills, an important competence in our rapidly changing technological society. However, no matter how effective such coaches might be, they will only be useful if they are attractive to students. We describe the design and testing of a set of web-based computer programs that act as personal coaches to students while they practice solving problems from introductory physics. The coaches are designed to supplement regular human instruction, giving …

Integrating Inflammasome Signaling In Sexually Transmitted Infections, Christopher Lupfer, Paras K. Anand

College of Natural and Applied Sciences

Inflammasomes are cytosolic multiprotein platforms with pivotal roles in infectious diseases. Activation of inflammasomes results in proinflammatory cytokine signaling and pyroptosis. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major health problem worldwide, yet few studies have probed the impact of inflammasome signaling during these infections. Due to the dearth of appropriate infection models, our current understanding of inflammasomes in STIs is mostly drawn from results obtained in vitro, from distant infection sites, or from related microbial strains that are not sexually transmitted. Understanding how inflammasomes influence the outcome of STIs may lead to the development of novel and effective strategies to …