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Cloning, Expression, And In Silico Analysis Of A Novel Annexin Gene Ftanx1from Tartary Buckwheat (Fagopyrum Tataricum (L.) Gaertn.), Lingli Hou, Xueni Dong, Mengqi Ding, Xuemei Zhu, Jirong Shao

Turkish Journal of Biology

Annexins are generally thought to play an essential role in the regulation of plant growth, development, and stress responses. Here we describe an annexin gene from Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.), designated as FtANX1. The full-length coding sequence of FtANX1 is 942 bp in size, encoding a polypeptide of 313 amino acids with a theoretical molecular mass of 36.0 kDa and pI 5.94. In silico analysis of the sequence revealed that FtANX1 contains four repeats, with a type-II Ca2+-binding site in repeat I. Expression pattern analysis provided evidence that FtANX1 was predominantly expressed in immature achenes, while its level …

Nurturing Wings Or Clipping Them Off: The Philippine Approach To Female Labor Migration And A Potentially Redeeming Role For The Commission On Human Rights, Emily Sanchez Salcedo

Center for Business Research and Development

The large-scale migration of Filipino workers started in the 1970’s as inadequate local employment and livelihood opportunities pointed to overseas opportunities in the booming economy of oil-rich countries in the Middle East. Though initially dominated by male construction workers and seafarers, female migrant workers, mostly in the health care professions, in domestic services and in the entertainment industry, followed suit and, in the most recent available statistical report, have even slightly outnumbered the men. As of the end of 2014, 50.43% of the 2.32 million overseas Filipino workers are women. Collectively, these overseas workers sent about 27 billion dollars in …

The Role Of The Intermembrane Domain Of Mulan In Mitophagy And Cell Death, Jared M. Herbert

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Mulan is an E3 ubiquitin ligase and an E3 SUMO ligase embedded in the outer mitochondrial membrane. Mulan plays a major role in various cell processes including cell growth, mitophagy, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dynamics. In addition, its deregulation is involved in the development and progression of several human disorders such as neurodegeneration and heart disease. There are two main discernible domains in Mulan: a large cytoplasmic domain that encodes the RING-finger motif and carries out the catalytic activity of the protein; the second domain of Mulan is exposed to the intermembrane space of mitochondria, and its function remains unknown. This …

The Effects Of Cerebrovascular Aging On Sleep Quality In A Sample Of Aging Adults, Chelsea Tia Mapp

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cerebrovascular burden (CVB) is a significant factor among the aging population. Age-related cognitive decline is an important social and economic issue, and understanding the mechanisms has clinical implications, both in selecting potential therapies and in choosing specific modifiers for their evaluation. In summary, past work suggests that high CVB is one source of variance in neurovascular functioning among older adults. High CVB and associated brain-changes have been identified as causes of age-related changes and it may be that high CVB is a correlate of age-related changes in sleep quality. The primary hypothesis to be tested is that cerebrovascular burden measured …

Thank Your Intelligent Mother For Your Big Brain, Holly M. Dunsworth

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Older Parents Benefit More In Health Outcome From Daughters’ Than Sons’ Care In China, Yi Zeng, Melanie Sereny Brasher, Danan Gu, James W. Vaupel

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Objectives: To examine whether older parents in China would benefit more from daughters’ care than from sons’ care.

Methods: Analysis of the unique datasets of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey conducted in 2002, 2005 and 2008-2009 in 22 provinces.

Results: As compared to having son(s), having daughter(s) is significantly more beneficial at older ages in China, with regards to maintaining higher cognitive capacity and reducing mortality risk. Such daughter-advantages are more profound among the oldest-old aged 80+ as compared to the young-old aged 65-79, and surprisingly more profound in rural areas as compared to urban areas, even though son-preference …

Identifying Market Indicators And Content Quality From A Financial Micro-Blog Platform, Siobhán Mcnamara

Dissertations

Investment platforms and discussion platforms have come to change the face of finance. The stock market is open to both professional and non-professional investors via online financial channels. Information too comes via a shared domain as both professionals and non-professionals log onto online communication platforms to share, search and discuss market trends. Due to their growing role in finance, understanding online communities has become the focus of much stock market research. Determining who is influential in a network, how information spreads and what translates to buy or sell decision is potentially very lucrative. In this research paper a dataset from …

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

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

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 gerardii-dominated), invasive Phragmites australis zones, and unvegetated ponds. Day- and nighttime fluxes were also contrasted in the native marsh zones. N₂O fluxes …

Multifaceted Biological Insights From A Draft Genome Sequence Of The Tobacco Hornworm Moth, Manduca Sexta, Michael R. Kanost, Marian R. Goldsmith, Et Al

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Manduca sexta, known as the tobacco hornworm or Carolina sphinx moth, is a lepidopteran insect that is used extensively as a model system for research in insect biochemistry, physiology, neurobiology, development, and immunity. One important benefit of this species as an experimental model is its extremely large size, reaching more than 10 g in the larval stage. M. sexta larvae feed on solanaceous plants and thus must tolerate a substantial challenge from plant allelochemicals, including nicotine. We report the sequence and annotation of the M. sexta genome, and a survey of gene expression in various tissues and developmental stages. …

Evaluation Of Laser-Based Spectrometers For Greenhouse Gas Flux Measurements In Coastal Marshes, Elizabeth Q. Brannon, Serena Moseman-Valtierra, Chris W. Rella, Rose M. Martin, Xuechu Chen, Jianwu Tang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Precise and rapid analyses of greenhouse gases (GHGs) will advance understanding of the net climatic forcing of coastal marsh ecosystems. We examined the ability of a cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) analyzer (Model G2508, Picarro) to measure carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes in real-time from coastal marshes through comparisons with a Shimadzu GC-2014 (GC) in a marsh mesocosm experiment and with a similar laser-based N₂O analyzer (Model N₂O/CO, Los Gatos Research) in both mesocosm and field experiments. Minimum (analytical) detectable fluxes for all gases were …

Notes On The Marine Algae Of The Bermudas. 15. Dichotomaria Huismanii (Galaxauraceae, Rhodophyta), A New Species In The D. Marginata Complex From The Western Atlantic, Craig W. Schneider, Thea R. Popolizio, Dylan S. Spagnuolo, Christopher E. Lane

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Using plastid-encoded rbcL and mitochondrial COI-5P sequence data, the species in Bermuda formerly recognized as Dichotomaria marginata was found to be a cryptic species in a wide complex of species all falling under the morphologically broad species concept for this supposed pantropical species. The new species, Dichotomaria huismanii, shows subtle anatomical and morphological differences when compared to D. marginata, and at present is only known from Bermuda. Bermuda specimens were compared with our isolates of D. marginata from St. Croix (Virgin Is.), as well as rbcL sequenced specimens with those from Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico in …

A Randomized Controlled Trial To Compare Computer-Assisted Motivational Intervention With Didactic Educational Counseling To Reduce Unprotected Sex In Female Adolescents, Melanie A. Gold, Golfo K. Tzilos, L.A.R. Stein, Bradley J. Anderson, Michael D. Stein, Chistopher M. Ryan, Allan Zuckoff, Carlo Diclemente

Psychology Faculty Publications

Study Objective: To examine a computer-assisted, counselor-guided motivational intervention (CAMI) aimed at reducing the risk of unprotected sexual intercourse.

Design, Setting, Participants, Interventions, and Main Outcome Measures: We conducted a 9-month, longitudinal randomized controlled trial with a multisite recruitment strategy including clinic, university, and social referrals, and compared the CAMI with didactic educational counseling in 572 female adolescents with a mean age of 17 years (SD = 2.2 years; range = 13-21 years; 59% African American) who were at risk for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The primary outcome was the acceptability of the CAMI according to self-reported rating scales. …

College Of Pharmacy Annual Report For Fy2016, Uri College Of Pharmacy

College of Pharmacy Reports

Annual report for the College of Pharmacy of the University of Rhode Island for the year 2015-2016.

Includes information and statistics for the academic programs, research work and developments by faculty and students, community engagement and donations.

Virginia Commonwealth University Graduate Bulletin [2016], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Graduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2016-2017. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for graduate programs.

Pfos Induces Adipogenesis And Glucose Uptake In Association With Activation Of Nrf2 Signaling Pathway, Jialin Xu, Prajakta Shimpi, Laura Armstrong, Deanna Salter, Angela L. Slitt

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

PFOS is a chemical of nearly ubiquitous exposure in humans. Recent studies have associated PFOS exposure to adipose tissue-related effects. The present study was to determine whether PFOS alters the process of adipogenesis and regulates insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in mouse and human preadipocytes. In murine-derived 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, PFOS enhanced hormone-induced differentiation to adipocytes and adipogenic gene expression, increased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake at concentrations ranging from 10 to 100 μM, and enhanced Glucose transporter type 4 and Insulin receptor substrate-1 expression. Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), NAD(P)H dehydrogenase, quinone 1 and Glutamate-cysteine ligase, catalytic subunit were significantly induced in 3T3-L1 …

Effect Of Cranberry (Vaccinium Macrocarpon) Oligosaccharides On The Formation Of Advanced Glycation End-Products, Jiadong Sun, Weixi Liu, Hang Ma, Jannie P.J. Marais, Christina Khoo, Joel A. Dain, David C. Rowley, Navindra P. Seeram

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: The formation and accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are implicated in several chronic human illnesses including type-2 diabetes, renal failure, and neurodegenerative diseases. The cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) fruit has been previously reported to show anti-AGEs effects, attributed primarily to its phenolic constituents. However, there is lack of similar data on the non-phenolic constituents found in the cranberry fruit, in particular, its carbohydrate constituents. Herein, a chemically characterized oligosaccharide-enriched fraction purified from the cranberry fruit was evaluated for its potential anti-AGEs and free radical scavenging effects.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate …

Bisphenol A Sulfonation Is Impaired In Metabolic And Liver Disease, Emine B. Yalcin, Supriya R. Kulkarni, Angela L. Slitt, Roberta King

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely used industrial chemical and suspected endocrine disruptor to which humans are ubiquitously exposed. The liver metabolizes and facilitates BPA excretion through glucuronidation and sulfonation. The sulfotransferase enzymes contributing to BPA sulfonation (detected in human and rodents) is poorly understood.

Objectives: To determine the impact of metabolic and liver disease on BPA sulfonation in human and mouse livers.

Methods: The capacity for BPA sulfonation was determined in human liver samples that were categorized into different stages of metabolic and liver disease (including obesity, diabetes, steatosis, and cirrhosis) and in livers from ob/ob mice.

Results: …

Cytotoxic Gallium Complexes Containing Thiosemicarbazones Derived From 9-Anthraldehyde: Molecular Docking With Biomolecules, Floyd A. Beckford, Alyssa Brock, Antonio Gonzalez-Sarrías, Navindra P. Seeram

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

We have synthesized a trio of gallium complexes bearing 9-anthraldehyde thiosemicarbazones. The complexes were assessed for their anticancer activity and their biophysical reactivity was also investigated. The three complexes displayed good cytotoxic profiles against two human colon cancer cell lines, HCT-116 and Caco-2. The IC₅₀ ranged from 4.7 to 44.1 μM with the complex having an unsubstituted amino group on the thiosemicarbazone being the most active. This particular complex also showed a high therapeutic index. All three complexes bind strongly to DNA via intercalation with binding constants ranging from 7.46 × 10⁴ M⁻¹ to 3.25 × 10 …

Effects Of A Standardized Phenolic-Enriched Maple Syrup Extract On Β-Amyloid Aggregation, Neuroinflammation In Microglial And Neuronal Cells, And Β-Amyloid Induced Neurotoxicity In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Hang Ma, Nicholas A. Dasilva, Weixi Liu, Pragati P. Nahar, Zhengxi Wei, Yongqiang Liu, Priscilla T. Pham, Rebecca Crews, Dhiraj A. Vattem, Angela L. Slitt, Zahir A. Shaikh, Navindra P. Seeram

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Published data supports the neuroprotective effects of several phenolic-containing natural products, including certain fruit, berries, spices, nuts, green tea, and olive oil. However, limited data are available for phenolic-containing plant-derived natural sweeteners including maple syrup. Herein, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of a chemically standardized phenolic-enriched maple syrup extract (MSX) using a combination of biophysical, in vitro, and in vivo studies. Based on biophysical data (Thioflavin T assay, transmission electron microscopy, circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential), MSX reduced amyloid β₁₋₄₂ peptide (Aβ₁₋₄₂) fibrillation in a concentration-dependent manner (50–500 μg/mL) with similar effects as the …

Reimagining Your Rx, Rebecca Jones

The Scope

Your future prescriptions might be manufactured in a portable factory – or even be produced by your body itself. Dr. Thomas Roper, director of pharmaceutical engineering in VCU’s Department of Chemical & Life Science Engineering, says the goal is to shrink the environmental and industrial footprint of the drug manufacturing process while expanding global access to medicines.

Demanding Class Spurs Student To Stanford, Jacob Jaminet

The Scope

Hearing that Nick Rodriguez goes to Stanford, you probably wouldn’t guess that he had dropped out of high school and didn’t get the best grades as an undergrad at VCU. Rodriguez graduated from VCU last spring with a degree in bioinformatics. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical informatics at Stanford University. He says his interest in biomedical research stemmed from the VCU course Molecular Biology Through Discovery.

Researchers Head South To Study Mangroves And Birds, Joe Johnson

The Scope

For two weeks in January, VCU researchers Cathy Viverette and Edward Crawford will accompany 18 students to Panama, where they will study mangrove conservation and avian field ecology.

A 10-Year Study Of Factors Associated With Alcohol Treatment Use And Non-Use In A U.S. Population Sample, Karen G. Chartier, Kierste Miller, T. Robert Harris, Raul Caetano

Social Work Publications

Background

This study seeks to identify changes in perceived barriers to alcohol treatment and predictors of treatment use between 1991–92 and 2001–02, to potentially help understand reported reductions in treatment use at this time. Social, economic, and health trends during these 10 years provide a context for the study.

Methods

Subjects were Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics. The data were from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (NLAES) and the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). We conducted two analyses that compared the surveys on: 1) perceived treatment barriers for subjects who thought they should get help for …

Using The Past To Restore The Future: Quantifying Historical Vegetation To Assist In Tidal Freshwater Wetland Restoration, Christopher D. Gatens, Richard Ward, Edward R. Crawford

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Wetlands have been providing humans with critical natural ecosystem services throughout our time on Earth. Nevertheless, these invaluable ecosystems have been habitually altered as a cost of human progression. Two of the most common alterations to wetlands are hydrologic, in the form of damming, and filling. Both occurred along Kimages Creek in Charles City County, VA during the 19th and 20th centuries. In 2010 the Lake Charles dam was partially removed, restoring the creek's tidal communication with the James River and beginning tidal forested freshwater wetland restoration. Upon the recession of the body of water, numerous woody stumps were revealed.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Over A Tidal Cycle In A Freshwater Wetland, Joseph C. Morina, Rima B. Franklin

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Tidal freshwater wetlands are located at the interface of non-tidal freshwater riverine systems and estuarine tidal systems. These habitats experience freshwater tides, creating unique redoximorphic soil characteristics while simultaneously presenting an opportunity for hydrologic nutrient transport into the system. Because of this periodic flooding and draining, tidal freshwater wetlands are systems of intense biogeochemical transformations, which are microbially mediated. Several microbial transformations (e.g., methanogenesis, incomplete denitrification, and nitrification) result in the production of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, and N2O) at globally-significant levels. For example, wetlands are one of the greatest sources of methane on Earth, accounting for 20-33% of the …

Foraging And Song Rate Of Prothonotary Warblers In High And Low Density Breeding Sites, Denney Turner, Amanda Mcghee, Lesley Bulluck

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Foraging observations can be used as an indicator of habitat quality and food availability. Previous studies with song rate have had conflicting results. Song rate increases with abundance (male-­‐male interac=ons) (Warren et. al 2013) and with high quality habitats (Stehelin and Lein 2013). Unmated males sing twice as often as mated males (Robins et. al 2009), expected in poor quality habitats. Few studies have assessed foraging and song rate behaviors in high and low density systems. Prothonotary Warblers (PROW) are excellent study species because they nest in boxes and we can manipulate density. The objective of this study was to …

Medical Literary Messenger (Vol. 4, No. 1, Fall/Winter 2016)

Medical Literary Messenger

Irene—London, December 2006 / Katharine Harer -- Today / Antonia Lewandowski -- The Bench / Richard LeBlond -- illustration / Alana Barrett -- After Reading Elizabeth Bishop’s “In the Waiting Room” / Nina Bannett -- How to Open Your Eyes / Angus Woodward -- Stage 3 / Amanda Gomez -- NeuroSkull / Alana Barrett -- It / Grace Fryberger -- The Mammogram, Part II / Katharine Harer -- Old and New / Derick Nelson Jenkins -- The Innoculation / Simon Friedman -- illustrations / Alana Barrett -- Shocking / Phyllis Price -- Boutique Hotel / Lynn Ciesielski -- A Sleeping …

Microbial-Physical Synthesis Of Fe And Fe3o4 Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Aspergillus Niger Yesm1 And Supercritical Condition Of Ethanol, Mai Abdeen, Soraya Sabry, Hanan Ghozlan, Ahmed A. El-Gendy, Everett E. Carpenter

Chemistry Publications

Magnetic Fe and Fe3O4 (magnetite) nanoparticles are successfully synthesized using Aspergillus niger YESM 1 and supercritical condition of liquids. Aspergillus niger is used for decomposition of FeSO4 and FeCl3 to FeS and Fe2O3, respectively. The produced particles are exposed to supercritical condition of ethanol for 1 hour at 300∘ C and pressure of 850 psi. The phase structure and the morphology measurements yield pure iron and major Fe3O4 spherical nanoparticles with average size of 18 and 50 nm, respectively. The crystal size amounts to 9 nm for Fe and 8 nm for Fe3O4. The magnetic properties are measured to exhibit …

Mir-9 Acts As An Oncomir In Prostate Cancer Through Multiple Pathways That Drive Tumour Progression And Metastasis, S. J. Seashols-Williams, W. Budd, G. C. Clark, Q. Wu, R. Daniel, E. Dragoescu, Z. E. Zehner

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Publications

Identification of dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) in prostate cancer is critical not only for diagnosis, but also differentiation between the aggressive and indolent forms of the disease. miR-9 was identified as an oncomiR through both miRNA panel RT-qPCR as well as high-throughput sequencing analysis of the human P69 prostate cell line as compared to its highly tumorigenic and metastatic subline M12, and found to be consistently upregulated in other prostate cell lines including DU-145 and PC3. While miR-9 has been characterized as dysregulated either as an oncomiR or tumour suppressor in a variety of other cancers including breast, ovarian, and nasopharyngeal …

Simba: A Web Tool For Managing Bacterial Genome Assembly Generated By Ion Pgm Sequencing Technology, Diego C. B. Mariano, Felipe L. Pereira, Edgar L. Aguiar, Letícia C. Oliveira, Leandro Benevides, Luís C. Guimarães, Edson L. Folador, Thiago J. Sousa, Preetam Ghosh, Debmalya Barh, Henrique C. P. Figueiredo, Artur Silva, Rommel T. J. Ramos, Vasco A. C. Azevedo

Biology Publications

Background

The evolution of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) has considerably reduced the cost per sequenced-base, allowing a significant rise of sequencing projects, mainly in prokaryotes. However, the range of available NGS platforms requires different strategies and software to correctly assemble genomes. Different strategies are necessary to properly complete an assembly project, in addition to the installation or modification of various software. This requires users to have significant expertise in these software and command line scripting experience on Unix platforms, besides possessing the basic expertise on methodologies and techniques for genome assembly. These difficulties often delay the complete genome assembly projects.

Results …