Digital Commons Network^™

The Availability And Affordability Of Orphan Drugs For Rare Diseases In China, Shiwei Gong, Yingxiao Wang, Xiaoyun Pan, Liang Zhang, Rui Huang, Xin Chen, Juanjuan Hu, Yi Xu, Si Jin

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Orphan drugs are intended to treat, prevent or diagnose rare diseases. In recent years, China healthcare policy makers and patients have become increasingly concerned about orphan drug issues. However, very few studies have assessed the availability and affordability of orphan drugs for rare diseases in China. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the availability and affordability of orphan drugs in China and to make suggestions to improve patient access to orphan drugs.

Methods: Two components of the availability of orphan drugs were examined. Market availability was assessed by the extent to which orphan drugs …

A Flight Sensory-Motor To Olfactory Processing Circuit In The Moth Manduca Sexta, Samual P. Bradley, Phillip D. Chapman, Kristyn M. Lizbinski, Kevin C. Daly, Andrew M. Dacks

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Neural circuits projecting information from motor to sensory pathways are common across sensory domains. These circuits typically modify sensory function as a result of motor pattern activation; this is particularly so in cases where the resultant behavior affects the sensory experience or its processing. However, such circuits have not been observed projecting to an olfactory pathway in any species despite well characterized active sampling behaviors that produce reafferent mechanical stimuli, such as sniffing in mammals and wing beating in the moth Manduca sexta. In this study we characterize a circuit that connects a flight sensory-motor center to an olfactory center …

Effects Of Laser Printer–Emitted Engineered Nanoparticles On Cytotoxicity, Chemokine Expression, Reactive Oxygen Species, Dna Methylation, And Dna Damage: A Comprehensive In Vitro Analysis In Human Small Airway Epithelial Cells, Macrophages, And Lymphoblasts, Sandra V. Pirela, Isabelle R. Miousse, Xiaoyan Lu, Vincent Castranova, Treye Thomas, Yong Qian, Dhimiter Bello, Lester Kobzik, Igor Koturbash, Philip Demokritou

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) incorporated into toner formulations of printing equipment become airborne during consumer use. Although information on the complex physicochemical and toxicological properties of both toner powders and printer-emitted particles (PEPs) continues to grow, most toxicological studies have not used the actual PEPs but rather have primarily used raw toner powders, which are not representative of current exposures experienced at the consumer level during printing.

Objectives: We assessed the biological responses of a panel of human cell lines to PEPs.

Methods: Three physiologically relevant cell lines—small airway epithelial cells (SAECs), macrophages (THP-1 cells), and lymphoblasts (TK6 cells)—were exposed …

Genomic Insights Into The Ixodes Scapularis Tick Vector Of Lyme Disease, Monika Gulia-Nuss, Andrew B. Nuss, Jason M. Meyer, Daniel E. Sonenshine, R. Michael Roe, Robert M. Waterhouse, David B. Sattelle, Jose De La Fuente, Jose M. Ribeiro, Karine Megy, Jyothi Thimmapuram, Jason R. Miller, Brian P. Walenz, Sergey Koren, Jessica B. Hostetler, Mathangi Thiagarajan, Vinita S. Joardar, Linda I. Hannick, Shelby Bidwell, Martin P. Hammond, Sarah Young, Qiandong Zeng, Jenica L. Abrudan, Francisca C. Almeida, Nieves Ayllon, Ketaki Bhide, Brooke W. Bissinger, Elena Bonzon-Kulichenko, Steven D. Buckingham, Daniel R. Caffrey, Melissa J. Caimano, Vincent Croset, Timothy Driscoll, Don Gilbert, Joseph J. Gillespie, Gloria I. Giraldo-Calderon, Jeffrey M. Grabowski, David Jiang, Sayed M. S. Khalil, Donghun Kim, Katherine M. Kocan, Juraj Koci, Richard J. Kuhn, Timothy J. Kurtti, Kristin Lees, Emma G. Lang, Ryan C. Kennedy, Hyeogsun Kwon, Rushika Perera, Yumin Qi, Justin D. Radolf, Joyce M. Sakamoto, Alejandro Sanchez-Gracia, Maiara S. Severo, Neal Silverman, Ladislav Simo, Marta Tojo, Cristian Tornador, Janice P. Van Zee, Jesus Vazquez, Filipe G. Vieira, Margarita Villar, Adam R. Wespiser, Yunlong Yang, Jiwei Zhu, Peter Arensburger, Patricia V. Pietrantonio, Stephen C. Barker, Renfu Shao, Evgeny M. Zdobnov, Frank Hauser, Cornelis J. P. Grimmelikhuijzen, Yoonseong Park, Julio Rozas, Richard Benton, Joao H. F. Pedra, David R. Nelson, Maria F. Unger, Jose M. C. Tubio, Zhijian Tu, Hugh M. Robertson, Martin Shumway, Granger Sutton, Jennifer R. Wortman, Daniel Lawson, Stephen K. Wikel, Vishvanath M. Nene, Claire M. Fraser, Frank H. Collins, Bruce Birren, Karen E. Nelson, Elisabet Caler, Catherine A. Hill

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Ticks transmit more pathogens to humans and animals than any other arthropod. We describe the 2.1 Gbp nuclear genome of the tick, Ixodes scapularis (Say), which vectors pathogens that cause Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, babesiosis and other diseases. The large genome reflects accumulation of repetitive DNA, new lineages of retrotransposons, and gene architecture patterns resembling ancient metazoans rather than pancrustaceans. Annotation of scaffolds representing B57% of the genome, reveals 20,486 protein-coding genes and expansions of gene families associated with tick–host interactions. We report insights from genome analyses into parasitic processes unique to ticks, including host ‘questing’, prolonged feeding, cuticle …

Population Genomic Analysis Reveals Differential Evolutionary Histories And Patterns Of Diversity Across Subgenomes And Subpopulations Of Brassica Napus L., Elodie Gazave, Erica E. Tassone, Daniel C. Ilut, Megan Wingerson, Erwin Datema, Hanneke M. A. Witsenboer, James B. Davis, David Grant, John M. Dyer, Matthew A. Jenks, Jack Brown, Michael A. Gore

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The allotetraploid species Brassica napus L. is a global crop of major economic importance, providing canola oil (seed) and vegetables for human consumption and fodder and meal for livestock feed. Characterizing the genetic diversity present in the extant germplasm pool of B. napus is fundamental to better conserve, manage and utilize the genetic resources of this species. We used sequence-based genotyping to identify and genotype 30,881 SNPs in a diversity panel of 782 B. napus accessions, representing samples of winter and spring growth habits originating from 33 countries across Europe, Asia, and America. We detected strong population structure broadly concordant …

Revisiting The Zingiberales: Using Multiplexed Exon Capture To Resolve Ancient And Recent Phylogenetic Splits In A Charismatic Plant Lineage, Chodon Sass, William J.D. Iles, Craig F. Barrett, Selena Y. Smith, Chelsea D. Specht

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The Zingiberales are an iconic order of monocotyledonous plants comprising eight families with distinctive and diverse floral morphologies and representing an important ecological element of tropical and subtropical forests. While the eight families are demonstrated to be monophyletic, phylogenetic relationships among these families remain unresolved. Neither combined morphological and molecular studies nor recent attempts to resolve family relationships using sequence data from whole plastomes has resulted in a well-supported, family-level phylogenetic hypothesis of relationships. Here we approach this challenge by leveraging the complete genome of one member of the order, Musa acuminata, together with transcriptome information from each of the …

Space Takes Time: Concentration Dependent Output Codes From Primary Olfactory Networks Rapidly Provide Additional Information At Defined Discrimination Thresholds, Kevin C. Daly, Samual Bradley, Phillip D. Chapman, Erich M. Staudacher, Regina Tiede, Joachim Schachtner

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

As odor concentration increases, primary olfactory network representations expand in spatial distribution, temporal complexity and duration. However, the direct relationship between concentration dependent odor representations and the psychophysical thresholds of detection and discrimination is poorly understood. This relationship is absolutely critical as thresholds signify transition points whereby representations become meaningful to the organism. Here, we matched stimulus protocols for psychophysical assays and intracellular recordings of antennal lobe (AL) projection neurons (PNs) in the moth Manduca sexta to directly compare psychophysical thresholds and the output representations they elicit. We first behaviorally identified odor detection and discrimination thresholds across an odor dilution …

Genotoxic Effects Of Synthetic Amorphous Silica Nanoparticles In The Mouse Lymphoma Assay, Esref Demir, Vincent Castranova

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Synthetic amorphous silica nanoparticles (SAS NPs) have been used in various industries, such as plas-tics, glass, paints, electronics, synthetic rubber, in pharmaceutical drug tablets, and a as food additive in many processed foods. There are few studies in the literature on NPs using gene mutation approaches in mammalian cells, which represents an important gap for genotoxic risk estimations. To fill this gap, themouse lymphoma L5178Y/Tk+/−assay (MLA) was used to evaluate the mutagenic effect for five different concentrations (from 0.01 to 150 g/mL) of two different sizes of SAS NPs (7.172 and 7.652 nm) and a fine collodial form of silicon …

Shp2 Acts Both Upstream And Downstream Of Multiple Receptor Tyrosine Kinases To Promote Basal-Like And Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Fatimah Matalkah, Elisha Martin, Hua Zhao, Yehenew M. Agazie

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Introduction: Dysregulated receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling is a common occurrence in basal-like and triple-negative breast cancer (BTBC). As a result, RTK-targeting therapies have been initiated but proved difficult, mainly owing to the multiplicity of dysregulated RTKs. Hence, targeting master regulators of RTK signaling might alleviate this obstacle. Before that, however, defining the mechanism of such molecules is required. In this report, we show that the Src homology phosphotyrosyl phosphatase 2 (SHP2) is a master regulator of RTK expression and signaling in BTBC.

Methods: Xenograft tumor growth studies were used to determine the effect of SHP2 inhibition on tumorigenesis and/or …

Biomechanical Signals Guiding Stem Cell Cartilage Engineering: From Molecular Adaption To Tissue Functionality, Y. Zhang, S. Chen, M Pei

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

In vivo cartilage is in a state of constant mechanical stimulation. It is therefore reasonable to deduce that mechanical forces play an important role in cartilage formation. Mechanical forces, such as compression, tension, and shear force, have been widely applied for cartilage engineering; however, relatively few review papers have summarized the influence of biomechanical signals on stem cell-based neo-cartilage formation and cartilage engineering in both molecular adaption and tissue functionality. In this review, we will discuss recent progress related to the influences of substrate elasticity on stem cell chondrogenic differentiation and elucidate the potential underlying mechanisms. Aside from active sensing …

The Association Of Physical Activity During Weekdays And Weekend With Body Composition In Young Adults, Clemens Drenowatz, Nicole Gribben, Michael D. Wirth, Gregory A. Hand, Robin P. Shook, Stephanie Burgess, Steven N. Blair

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Physical activity (PA) is a key contributor in long-term weight management but there remains limited research on the association between weekly PA patterns and weight change. The purpose of the present study was to examine the prospective association between weekly PA patterns and weight change in generally healthy young adults. Anthropometric measurements, including dual X-ray absorptiometry, were obtained every 3 months over a period of one year in 338 adults (53% male). At each measurement time, participants wore a multisensor device for a minimum of 10 days to determine total daily energy expenditure and time spent sleeping, sedentary, in light …

Transition In Tuber Quality Attributes Of Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Under Different Packaging Systems During Storage, Kashif Sarfraz Abbasi, Tariq Masud, Abdul Qayyum, Sami Ullah Khan, Asif Ahmad, Ayaz Mehmood, Abid Farid, Matthew A. Jenks

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The suitability of different packaging materials i.e. jute, nylon, polypropylene, cotton, low density polyethylene, medium density polyethylene, and high density polyethylene were studied for tubers of the premium potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) variety “Lady Rosetta”. After harvest, potato tubers were washed, sorted, graded, cured, and subsequently stored in different packaging materials at ambient temperature (25±2 °C). Changes in quality attributes of potato tubers under different packaging materials were studied on the basis of their physico-chemical and functional parameters. Overall results revealed that packaging materials had a significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on many important quality attributes. Generally, weight loss, glucose …

Autonomous Close Formation Flight Control With Fixed Wing And Quadrotor Test Beds, Caleb Rice, Yu Gu, Haiyang Chao, Trenton Larrabee, Srikanth Gururajan, Marcello Napolitano, Tanmay Mandal, Matthew Rhudy

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Autonomous formation flight is a key approach for reducing energy cost and managing traffic in future high density airspace. The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has allowed low-budget and low-risk validation of autonomous formation flight concepts. This paper discusses the implementation and flight testing of nonlinear dynamic inversion (NLDI) controllers for close formation flight (CFF) using two distinct UAV platforms: a set of fixed wing aircraft named “Phastball” and a set of quadrotors named “NEO.” Experimental results show that autonomous CFF with approximately 5-wingspan separation is achievable with a pair of low-cost unmanned Phastball research aircraft. Simulations of the …

In Vitro Expansion Of Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alters Dna Double Strand Break Repair Of Etoposide Induced Dna Damage, Ian Hare, Marieta Gencheva, Rebecca Evans, James Fortney, Debbie Piktel, Jeffrey A. Vos, David Howell, Laura F. Gibson

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are of interest for use in diverse cellular therapies. Ex vivo expansion of MSCs intended for transplantation must result in generation of cells that maintain fidelity of critical functions. Previous investigations have identified genetic and phenotypic alterations of MSCs with in vitro passage, but little is known regarding how culturing influences the ability of MSCs to repair double strand DNA breaks (DSBs), the most severe of DNA lesions. To investigate the response to DSB stress with passage in vitro, primary human MSCs were exposed to etoposide (VP16) at various passages with subsequent evaluation of cellular damage …

Effects Of Xiaoyaosan On Stress-Induced Anxiety-Like Behavior In Rats: Involvement Of Crf1 Receptor, You-Ming Jiang, Xiao-Juan Li, Zhen-Zhi Meng, Yue-Yun Liu, Hong-Bo Zhao, Na Li, Zhi-Yi Yan, Qing-Yu Ma, Han-Ting Zhang, Jia-Xu Chen

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background. Compared with antidepressant activity of Xiaoyaosan, the role of Xiaoyaosan in anxiety has been poorly studied. Objective. To observe the effects of Xiaoyaosan on anxiety-like behavior induced by chronic immobilization stress (CIS) and further explore whether these effects were related to CRF1R signaling. Methods. Adult male SD rats were randomly assigned to five groups (�� = 12): the nonstressed control group, vehicle-treated (saline, p.o.) group, Xiaoyaosan-treated (3.854 g/kg, p.o.) group, vehicletreated (surgery) group, and antalarmin-treated (surgery) group. Artificial cerebrospinal fluid (0.5 ��L/side) or CRF1R antagonist antalarmin (125 ng/0.5 ��L, 0.5 ��L/side) was bilaterally administered into the basolateral amygdala in …

Transcriptome Analysis Of Bovine Ovarian Follicles At Predeviation And Onset Of Deviation Stages Of A Follicular Wave, Pengfei Li, Jinzhu Meng, Wenzhong Liu, George W. Smith, Jianbo Yao, Lihua Lyu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

For two libraries (PDF1 and ODF1) using Illumina sequencing 44,082,301 and 43,708,132 clean reads were obtained, respectively. After being mapped to the bovine RefSeq database, 15,533 genes were identified to be expressed in both types of follicles (cut-off RPKM > 0.5), of which 719 were highly expressed in bovine follicles (cut-off RPKM > 100). Furthermore, 83 genes were identified as being differentially expressed in ODF1 versus PDF1, where 42 genes were upregulated and 41 genes were downregulated. KEGG pathway analysis revealed two upregulated genes in ODF1 versus PDF1, CYP11A1, and CYP19A1, which are important genes in the steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway. This …

Functional Olfactory Sensory Neurons Housed In Olfactory Sensilla On The Ovipositor Of The Hawkmoth Manduca Sexta, Christian F. Klinner, Christopher Konig, Christine Missbach, Achim Werckenthin, Kevin C. Daly, Sonja Bisch-Knaden, Monika Stengl, Bill S. Hansson, Ewald Grosse-Wilde

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Olfactory systems evolved to detect and identify volatile chemical cues, in many cases across great distances. However, the precision of copulatory and oviposition behaviors suggest that they may be guided by olfactory cues detected by sensory systems located on or near the ovipositor. Here we present evidence of a small number of functional olfactory sensilla on the ovipositor of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta. Gene expression analysis of isolated ovipositor tissue indicated active transcription of gustatory and both classes of olfactory receptor genes. Expression of the olfactory co-receptor ORCo and the antennal ionotropic co-receptors IR8a and IR25a suggests that functional olfactory …

Association Between Metformin Use And Cancer Stage At Diagnosis Among Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries With Preexisting Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus And Incident Prostate Cancer, Amit D. Raval, Malcolm D. Mattes, Suresh Madhavan, Xiaoyun Pan, Wenhui Wei, Usha Sambamoorthi

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objective. To examine the association between metformin use and cancer stage at diagnosis among elderly men with preexisting diabetes mellitus and incident prostate cancer. Methods. This study used a population-based observational cohort of elderly men (≥66 years) with preexisting diabetes and incident prostate cancer between 2008 and 2009 (�� = 2, 652). Cancer stage at diagnosis (localized versus advanced) was based on the American Joint Cancer Committee classification. Metformin use and other independent variables were measured during the one year before cancer diagnosis. Logistic regressions with inverse probability treatment weights were used to control for the observed selection bias. Results. …

Internet Of Things And Big Data Analytics For Smart And Connected Communities, Yunchuan Sun, Houbing Song, Antonio J. Jara, Rongfang Bie

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This paper promotes the concept of smart and connected communities SCC, which is evolving from the concept of smart cities. SCC are envisioned to address synergistically the needs of remembering the past (preservation and revitalization), the needs of living in the present (livability), and the needs of planning for the future (attainability). Therefore, the vision of SCC is to improve livability, preservation, revitalization, and attainability of a community. The goal of building SCC for a community is to live in the present, plan for the future, and remember the past. We argue that Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential …

Changing States Of Multistage Process Chains, Thorsten Wuest, Christopher Irgens, Klaus-Dieter Thoben

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Generally, a process describes a change of state of some kind (state transformation). This state change occurs from an initial state to a concluding state. Here, the authors take a step back and take a holistic look at generic processes and process sequences from a state perspective. The novel perspective this concept introduces is that the processes and their parameters are not the priority; they are rather included in the analysis by implication. A supervised machine learning based feature ranking method is used to identify and rank relevant state characteristics and thereby the processes’ inter- and intrarelationships. This is elaborated …

In Vitro Inflammatory Effects Of Hard Metal (Wc–Co) Nanoparticle Exposure, Andrea L. Armstead, Bingyun Li

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Identifying the toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) is an important area of research as the number of nanomaterial-based consumer and industrial products continually rises. In addition, the potential inflammatory effects resulting from pulmonary NP exposure are emerging as an important aspect of nanotoxicity. In this study, the toxicity and inflammatory state resulting from tungsten carbide–cobalt (WC–Co) NP exposure in macrophages and a coculture (CC) of lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) and macrophages (THP-1) at a 3:1 ratio were examined. It was found that the toxicity of nano-WC–Co was cell dependent; significantly less toxicity was observed in THP-1 cells compared to BEAS-2B cells. …

Nitrogen Removal In A Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetland Estimated Using The First-Order Kinetic Model, Lijuan Cui, Wei Li, Yaqiong Zhang, Jiaming Wei, Yinru Lei, Manyin Zhang, Xu Pan, Xinsheng Zhao, Kai Li, Wu Ma

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We monitored the water quality and hydrological conditions of a horizontal subsurface constructed wetland (HSSF-CW) in Beijing, China, for two years. We simulated the area-based constant and the temperature coefficient with the first-order kinetic model. We examined the relationships between the nitrogen (N) removal rate, N load, seasonal variations in the N removal rate, and environmental factors—such as the area-based constant, temperature, and dissolved oxygen (DO). The effluent ammonia (NH4 + -N) and nitrate (NO3 −-N) concentrations were significantly lower than the influent concentrations (p < 0.01, n = 38). The NO3 −-N load was significantly correlated with the removal rate (R 2 = 0.96, p < 0.01), but the NH4 + -N load was not correlated with the removal rate (R 2 = 0.02, p > 0.01). The area-based constants of NO3 −-N and NH4 + -N at 20 ◦C were …

Carbon Dioxide Fluxes Reflect Plant Zonation And Belowground Biomass In A Coastal Marsh, Serena Moseman-Valtierra, Omar I. Abdul-Aziz, Jianwu Tang, Khandker S. Ishtiaq, Kate Morkeski, Jordan Mora, Ryan K. Quinn, Rose M. Martin, Katharine Egan, Elizabeth Q. Brannon, Joanna Carey, Kevin D. Kroeger

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Coastal wetlands are major global carbon sinks; however, they are heterogeneous and dynamic ecosystems. To characterize spatial and temporal variability in a New England salt marsh, greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes were compared among major plant-defined zones during growing seasons. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes were compared in two mensurative experiments during summer months (2012–2014) that included low marsh (Spartina alterniflora), high marsh (Distichlis spicata and Juncus gerardiidominated), invasive Phragmites australis zones, and unvegetated ponds. Day- and nighttime fluxes were also contrasted in the native marsh zones. N2O fluxes were measured in parallel with CO2 and CH4 fluxes, but …

Biomechanicalconstraints Underlying Motor Primitives Derived From The Musculoskeletal Anatomy Of The Human Arm, Valeriya Gritsenko, Russell L. Hardesty, Mathew T. Boots, Sergiy Yakovenko

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Neural control of movement can only be realized though the interaction between the mechanical properties of the limb and the environment. Thus, a fundamental question is whether anatomy has evolved to simplify neural control by shaping these interactions in a beneficial way. This inductive data-driven study analyzed the patterns of muscle actions across multiple joints using the musculoskeletal model of the human upper limb. This model was used to calculate muscle lengths across the full range of motion of the arm and examined the correlations between these values between all pairs of muscles. Musculoskeletal coupling was quantified using hierarchical clustering …

Microbial Potential For Ecosystem N Loss Is Increased By Experimental N Deposition, Zachary B. Freedman, Rima A. Upchurch, Donald R. Zak

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Fossil fuel combustion and fertilizer use has increased the amount of biologically available N entering terrestrial ecosystems. Nonetheless, our understanding of how anthropogenic N may alter the physiological mechanisms by which soil microorganisms cycle N in soil is still developing. Here, we applied shotgun metagenomics to a replicated long-term field experiment to determine how two decades of experimental N deposition, at a rate expected by mid-century, has affected the genetic potential of the soil microbial community to cycle N in soils. Experimental N deposition lead to a significant and persistent increase in functional assemblages mediating N cycle transformations associated with …

Bovine Lhx8, A Germ Cell-Specificnuclear Factor, Interacts With Figla, Liyuan Fu, Mingxiang Zhang, Kristen Mastrantoni, Mark Perfetto, Shuo Wei, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

LIM homeobox 8 (Lhx8) is a germ cell-specific transcription factor essential for the development of oocytes during early oogenesis. In mice, Lhx8 deficiency causes postnatal oocyte loss and affects the expression of many oocyte-specific genes. The aims of this study were to characterize the bovine Lhx8 gene, determine its mRNA expression during oocyte development and early embryogenesis, and evaluate its interactions with other oocyte-specific transcription factors. The bovine Lhx8 gene encodes a protein of 377 amino acids. A splice variant of Lhx8 (Lhx8_v1) was also identified. The predicted bovine Lhx8 protein contains two LIM domains and one homeobox domain. However, …

Longer Lifespan In Male Mice Treated With A Weakly Estrogenic Agonist, An Antioxidant, An Α‐Glucosidase Inhibitor Or A Nrf2‐Inducer, Randy Strong, Richard A. Miller, Adam Antebi, Clinton M. Astle, Molly Bogue, Martin S. Denzel, Elizabeth Fernandez, Kevin Flurkey, Karyn L. Hamilton, Dudley W. Lamming, Martin A. Javors, Joao Pedro De Magalhaes, Paul Anthony Martinez, Joe M. Mccord, Benjamin F. Miller, Michael Muller, James F. Nelson, Juliet Ndukum, G. Ed. Rainger, Arlan Richardson, David M. Sabatini, Adam B. Salmon, James W. Simpkins, Wilma T. Steegenga, Nancy L. Nadon, David E. Harrison

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The National Institute on Aging Interventions Testing Program (ITP) evaluates agents hypothesized to increase healthy lifespan in genetically heterogeneous mice. Each compound is tested in parallel at three sites, and all results are published. We report the effects of lifelong treatment of mice with four agents not previously tested: Protandim, fish oil, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and metformin – the latter with and without rapamycin, and two drugs previously examined: 17-a-estradiol and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), at doses greater and less than used previously. 17-a-estradiol at a threefold higher dose robustly extended both median and maximal lifespan, but still only in males. …

Altering Bioelectricity On Inhibition Of Human Breast Cancer Cells, Seher Berzingi, Mackenzie Newman, Han-Gang Yu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Membrane depolarization is associated with breast cancer. Depolarization-activated voltage-gated ion channels are directly implicated in the initiation, proliferation, and metastasis of breast cancer.

Methods: In this study, the role of voltage-gated potassium and calcium ion channel modulation was explored in two different invasive ductal human carcinoma cell lines, MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative) and MCF7 (estrogen-receptor-positive).

Results: Resting membrane potential is more depolarized in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells compared to normal human mammary epithelial cells. Increasing extracellular potassium concentration up to 50 mM depolarized mem‑ brane potential and greatly increased cell growth. Tetraethylammonium (TEA), a non-specific blocker of voltagegated potassium channels, stimulated …

Taylor University Graduate Catalog 2016-17, Taylor University

Graduate Catalogs

The 2016-2017 graduate catalog of Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.

Taylor University Catalog 2016-2017, Taylor University

Undergraduate Catalogs

The 2016-2017 academic catalog of Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.