Digital Commons Network^™

Elucidation Of The Mechanism Of Beta-2 Adrenergic Receptor Agonist-Mediated Mitochondrial Biogenesis, Robert Bruce Cameron

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is the transient loss of renal function following an insult. Despite high incidence and mortality, therapy for AKI is limited to supportive care and renal replacement therapy. The induction of mitochondrial biogenesis (MB) accelerates recovery of renal function in animal models of AKI. We have identified that the beta-2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) agonist formoterol induces MB in renal proximal tubule cells (RPTC); however, not all β2AR agonists induce MB. We hypothesized that formoterol activates a distinct signaling pathway in RPTC to induce MB and accelerate recovery of renal function. In cultured RPTC, we found that formoterol …

Elucidation Of Mechanisms Modulating The Conformation And Function Of Β-Arrestins By G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Erik Gunar Strungs

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Arrestins are cytosolic G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) binding proteins that regulate several facets of GPCR signaling. Once bound to agonist-occupied receptors, arrestins recruit elements of the clathrin-dependent endocytic machinery, resulting in removal of GPCRs from the plasma membrane. The fate of internalized receptors is determined by the stability of the GPCR-arrestin complex, which is itself dictated by several factors, including ligand structure, receptor structure, and arrestin post-translational modifications. We hypothesized that information about ligand and receptor structure is encoded in the conformation of the intracellular domains of an activated receptor and transferred allosterically to receptor-bound arrestin to dictate which of …

Prelimbic Cortical Synaptic And Structural Plasticity Following Cocaine Self-Administration And Abstinence In Rats: Role Of Glutamatergic Pathway Specificity, Benjamin Michael Siemsen

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of this dissertation is to further examine the role of the prelimbic (PrL) subdivision of the rodent medial prefrontal cortex in relapse to cocaine seeking following abstinence, and to extend our understanding of pathway-specific adaptations in the PrL cortex projection to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core that drives relapse. Previous findings indicate that the PrL cortex shows a biphasic response to abstinence from cocaine exposure. Specifically, early withdrawal (two hours after the final self-administration session) results in dephosphorylation of glutamate NMDA receptors and glutamate signaling regulators including extracellular signal-regulated kinase and the downstream transcription factor cAMP response-element …

Primary Cilia In Cardiac Valve Development And Disease, Katelynn Amber Toomer

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Cardiac valve disease is a major health burden affecting around 5% of the population. Two of the most common cardiac valve disease include mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and bicuspid aortic valve disease (BAV). Currently treatment options consist of invasive surgeries to either repair or replace the damages valve tissues. Evidence suggests that both MVP and BAV are congenital diseases that present complications in patients later in life. Treatment options for these diseases are lacking due to an incomplete understanding of the molecular causes. Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is one of the most common forms of cardiac valve disease and affects …

The Relationship Between Anogenital Hpv Types And Incident Hiv Infection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men And Transgender Women In Lima, Peru: Findings From A Prospective Cohort Study, Brandon Brown, Logan Marg, Segundo R. Leon, Cynthia Chen, Junice Ng Yi Siu, Gino Calvo, Hugo Sánchez, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Although it is known that individuals living with HIV have a higher HPV prevalence, the impact of individual HPV types on HIV acquisition is less clear. In this prospective cohort study we investigated the relationship between HPV types and incident HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) in Lima, Peru. Six hundred HIV-negative Peruvian MSM and TW participated in a 2-year study with biannual visits. At baseline, participants completed a computerized, self-administered questionnaire on sexual behavior and HPV knowledge and underwent a physical exam including anogenital swabs for HPV DNA (37 genotypes via …

Genotypic Clustering Does Not Imply Recent Tuberculosis Transmission In A High Prevalence Setting: A Genomic Epidemiology Study In Lima, Peru, Avika Dixit, Luca Freschi, Roger Vargas, Roger Calderon, James Sacchettini, Francis Drobniewski, Jerome Galea, Carmen Contreras, Rosa Yataco, Zibiao Zhang

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) can elucidate Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) transmission patterns but more data is needed to guide its use in high-burden settings. In a household-based transmissibility study of 4,000 TB patients in Lima, Peru, we identified a large MIRU-VNTR Mtb cluster with a range of resistance phenotypes and studied host and bacterial factors contributing to its spread.

Methods: WGS was performed on 61 of 148 isolates in the cluster. We compared transmission link inference using epidemiological or genomic data with and without the inclusion of controversial variants, and estimated the dates of emergence of the cluster and antimicrobial …

Survival Mechanisms Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis In Human Primary Gingival Epithelial Cells: An Investigation Of Host Antibacterial Nox And Autophagy Systems, Joann Simone Roberts

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Porphyromonas gingivalis, an opportunistic pathogen usurps gingival epithelial cells (GECs) as a primary intracellular niche for its colonization in the oral mucosa. P. gingivalis abrogates the effects of host danger molecule, extracellular ATP (eATP)/P2X7 signaling, such as the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the mitochondria and NADPH oxidases (NOX) from primary GECs. Furthermore, P. gingivalis harnesses autophagic machinery to establish a replicative niche inside LC3-positive ER-rich autophagosomes. However, the antimicrobial functions of ROS production and precise characterization of the intracellular trafficking and fate of P. gingivalis in GECs are not well understood. Therefore, using a variety of phenotypic …

Investigating Hematopoietic Stem Cell-Derived Osteoblasts, Ryan Richard Kelly

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Bone remodeling requires a continuous supply of osteoblasts and osteoclasts from bone marrow (BM) stem cells. The traditional paradigm suggests mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) generate osteoblasts, while hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) generate osteoclasts. However, our lab has shown, through murine clonal cell transplantation, HSCs are able to differentiate into osteoblasts, osteocytes, and hypertrophic chondrocytes during non-stabilized fracture repair. Based on these studies, we hypothesized that murine HSC-derived cells differentiate into functional osteoblasts that can promote fracture repair. HSC-derived CD45+ adherent BM cells were shown to differentiate into osteoblasts in vitro, based on flow cytometry, qRT-PCR, and histochemical staining. Use of …

Novel Interactions Of Ribosomal Dna Replication Barrier Protein Fob1 With Mcm2-7 Helicase Complex And Recombination Protein Rad52, Christopher James Danielson

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

DNA replication fork blocking protein Fob1 blocks replication fork progression unidirectionally by binding to the terminator (Ter) site in nontranscribed spacer region 1 (NTS1) in ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of S. cerevisiae. It is involved in other cellular functions, including inter-rDNA repeat recombination, rDNA silencing via recruitment of the Sir2 histone deacetylase, cell replicative lifespan, maintaining genome integrity, preventing collision between replication and transcription, and controlling rDNA repeat expansion and contraction. It is not known whether binding of Fob1 to rDNA is sufficient to cause replication fork arrest, or if a specific interaction between Fob1 and other replication proteins is also …

County-Level Cie Supply Chain Analysis, Randall Jackson, Peter Jarosi

Appalachian Coal Industry Ecosystem

This report examines the impact of the decline in coal production on supply chain industries at the county level across Appalachia. It offers, and uses, a typology to classify counties based on their dependence on the CIE, recent employment changes due to reduced coal production, and their risk for further impacts due to any future declines in the coal industry.

Role Of Glycerol-3-Phosphate Permeases In Plant Defense, Juliana Moreira Soares

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a type of plant defense mechanism that is induced after a localized infection and confers broad-spectrum immunity against related or unrelated pathogens. During SAR, a number of chemical signals and proteins generated at the site of primary infection travel to the uninfected tissues and are thought to alert the distal sites against secondary infections. Glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) is one of the chemical signals that play an important role in SAR. G3P is synthesized in the cytosol and chloroplasts via the enzymatic activities of G3P Dehydrogenase (G3Pdh) or Glycerol Kinase (GK). Interestingly, a mutation in three of …

Applications Of Node-Based Resilience Graph Theoretic Framework To Clustering Autism Spectrum Disorders Phenotypes, John Matta, Junya Zhao, Gunes Ercal, Tayo Obafemi-Ajayi

College of Natural and Applied Sciences

With the growing ubiquity of data in network form, clustering in the context of a network, represented as a graph, has become increasingly important. Clustering is a very useful data exploratory machine learning tool that allows us to make better sense of heterogeneous data by grouping data with similar attributes based on some criteria. This paper investigates the application of a novel graph theoretic clustering method, Node-Based Resilience clustering (NBR-Clust), to address the heterogeneity of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and identify meaningful subgroups. The hypothesis is that analysis of these subgroups would reveal relevant biomarkers that would provide a better …

Performance Evaluation And Enhancement Of Biclustering Algorithms, Jeffrey Dale, America Nishimoto, Tayo Obafemi-Ajayi

College of Natural and Applied Sciences

In gene expression data analysis, biclustering has proven to be an effective method of finding local patterns among subsets of genes and conditions. The task of evaluating the quality of a bicluster when ground truth is not known is challenging. In this analysis, we empirically evaluate and compare the performance of eight popular biclustering algorithms across 119 synthetic datasets that span a wide range of possible bicluster structures and patterns. We also present a method of enhancing performance (relevance score) of the biclustering algorithms to increase confidence in the significance of the biclusters returned based on four internal validation measures. …

The Evolution Of Androgen Receptor Expression And Behavior In Anolis Lizard Forelimb Muscles, Michele A. Johnson, Bonnie K. Kircher, Diego J. Castro

Biology Faculty Research

The motor systems that produce behavioral movements are among the primary targets for the action of steroid hormones, including androgens. Androgens such as testosterone bind to androgen receptors (AR) to induce physiological changes in the size, strength, and energetic capacity of skeletal muscles, which can directly influence the performance of behaviors in which those muscles are used. Because tissues differentially express AR, resulting in tissue-specific sensitivity to androgens, AR expression may be a major target of selection for the evolution of behavior. Anolis lizards (i.e., anoles) provide a robust system for the study of androgen-regulated traits, including the behavioral traits …

2018 Peter Morgane Student Research Fellowship Recipients, University Of New England College Of Osteopathic Medicine

Peter Morgane Research Fellowships

2018 recipients of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine's Peter Morgane Research Fellowship.

Cocaine Selectively Reorganizes Excitatory Inputs To Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta Dopamine Neurons, Gerard M.J. Beaudoin Iii, J. A. Gomez, J. M. Perkins, J. L. Bland, A. K. Petko, C. A. Paladini

Biology Faculty Research

Substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) dopamine neurons and their targets are involved in addiction and cue-induced relapse. However, afferents onto SNc dopamine neurons themselves appear insensitive to drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, when afferents are collectively stimulated electrically. This contrasts with ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons, whose glutamate afferents react robustly to cocaine. We used an optogenetic strategy to isolate identified SNc inputs and determine whether cocaine sensitivity in the mouse SNc circuit is conferred at the level of three glutamate afferents: dorsal raphé nucleus (DR), pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), and subthalamic nucleus (STN). We found that excitatory afferents …

Senior Nursing Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Perceived Competency About Older Adults, Deborah Denise Brabham

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Nurses entering the workforce may have limited education in gerontological nursing. Therefore, many nurses are unprepared to provide quality care to older adults. An unprepared nursing workforce could negatively influence older adults’ health outcomes and care experience. Purpose: To determine differences in senior nursing students’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceived competency about older adults based on enrollment in a bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN), associate’s degree nursing (ADN), and practical nursing (PN) program that offers geriatric content in curricula. Theoretical Framework: Bandura’s social cognitive theory, triadic reciprocal determinism model provided the theoretical framework. Methods: A non-experimental, descriptive survey …

Self-Powered Robots To Reduce Motor Slacking During Upper-Extremity Rehabilitation: A Proof Of Concept Study, E. P. Washabaugh, Emma Treadway, R. Brent Gillespie, C. D. Remy, C. Krishnan

Engineering Faculty Research

Background: Robotic rehabilitation is a highly promising approach to recover lost functions after stroke or other neurological disorders. Unfortunately, robotic rehabilitation currently suffers from "motor slacking", a phenomenon in which the human motor system reduces muscle activation levels and movement excursions, ostensibly to minimize metabolic- and movement-related costs. Consequently, the patient remains passive and is not fully engaged during therapy. To overcome this limitation, we envision a new class of body-powered robots and hypothesize that motor slacking could be reduced if individuals must provide the power to move their impaired limbs via their own body (i.e., through the motion of …

Statistics Used In The Nebraska Beef Report And Their Purpose

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The purpose of beef cattle and beef product research at UNL is to provide reference information that represents the various populations (cows, calves, heifers, feeders, carcasses, retail products, etc) of beef production. Obviously, the researcher cannot apply treatments to every member of a population; therefore he/ she must sample the population. The use of statistics allows the researcher and readers of the Nebraska Beef report the opportunity to evaluate separation of random (chance) occurrences and real biological effects of a treatment. Following is a brief description of the major statistics used in the beef report. For a more detailed description …

The Relationship Between Marbling, Superoxide Dismutase, And Beef Tenderness, Nicolas J. Herrera, Emery K. Wilkerson, Katherine I. Domenech-Perez Perez, Felipe A. Ribeiro, Michael D. Chao, Chris Calkins

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

This study was conducted to evaluate the relationships between animal oxidative status (as indicated by superoxide dismutase [SOD] activity) to marbling and beef tenderness. Prime and Select-grade strip loins were selected and aged for 2, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days for Warner Bratzler shear force, Troponin-T, and SOD activity. Results showed that meat exhibiting higher levels of marbling had lower shear force values and thus were more tender. Low-marbled samples tended to have a greater tenderness response to aging. The effect of oxidative stress, however, was not evident in this study as SOD values were similar. Although the effects …

Production Of High-Quality Beef–The Nebraska Advantage, Chris R. Calkins

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Here is a clear description of the Nebraska Advantage in producing high-quality beef: the right genetics, numerous pastures, a multitude of cattle, great water resources, locally-grown corn, the availability of ethanol byproducts for feed, and young cattle that grow fast, with sufficient marbling and subcutaneous fat to ensure tender, flavorful, beef. The science of beef quality supports this production system. The state supports its citizens and agriculture through the University of Nebraska and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, augmenting the infrastructure. If one could invent an ideal place to produce high-quality beef, it would look much like Nebraska! The impact …

Potential Variation In Determination Of Longissimus Muscle Area In Carcasses From Heifers Fed With Or Without Zilpaterol Hydrochloride, Chris R. Calkins, Jenna J. O'Daniel, Govindarajan Konda Naganathan Naganathan, Kellen B. Hart, Katherine I. Domenech-Perez, T.B. Schmidt

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

This study was conducted to evaluate some sources of potential variation in determination of longissimus muscle area between the 12th and 13th ribs of carcasses from heifers fed with or without zilpaterol hydochloride. Cross sections of the rib-loin were taken cranial to the 11th rib and caudal to the 13th rib, about 3–4 millimeters thick at 90 degrees perpendicular to the long axis of the longissimus muscle. Potential variation of longissimus muscle area can arise from the natural variation of muscle size when cutting between the 12th and 13th ribs (up to 9%). Deviation in cutting perpendicular to the long …

Deliberative Public Engagement With Science: An Empirical Investigation, Lisa M. Pytlikzillig, Myiah J. Hutchens, Peter Muhlberger, Frank J. Gonzalez, Alan Tomkins

Lisa PytlikZillig Publications

The purpose of this book is to share some results and the data from four studies in which we used experimental procedures to manipulate key features of deliberative public engagement to study the impacts in the context of deliberations about nanotechnology. In this chapter, we discuss the purpose of this book, which is to advance science of public engagement, and the overarching question motivating our research: What public engagement methods work for what purposes and why? We also briefly review existing prior work related to our overarching goal and question and introduce the contents of the rest of the book. …

Prognostic Value Of 1p/19q Chromosomal Codeletion In Patients With Oligodendroglioma, Altaf Ali Laghari, Muhammad Usman Khalid, Namra Qadeer, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Section of Neurosurgery

Oligodendrogliomas are common intra-axial primary brain tumours, and carry special significance due to several key features, which when present provide better prognosis compared to other intra-axial tumours. One of these features is presence of 1p/19q chromosomal codeletion that seems to not only be a marker of better prognosis but also signifies better response to chemotherapy. Herein the authors review the literature for evidence of the prognostic value of 1p/19q codeletion in OD.

Itihas Vol. 18 Issue No. 1, Sastra Univ

ITIHAS

NEWSLETTER FROM SASTRA DEEMED UNIVERSITY

Homelessness Predicts Attrition But Not Alcohol Abstinence In Outpatients Experiencing Co-Occurring Alcohol Dependence And Serious Mental Illness., Emily Leickly, Jordan Skalisky, Oladunni Oluwoye, Sterling M Mcpherson, Debra Srebnik, John M Roll, Richard K Ries, Michael G Mcdonell

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

BACKGROUND: Adults experiencing homelessness and serious mental illnesses (SMI) are at an increased risk of poor mental health and treatment outcomes compared with stably housed adults with SMI. The additional issue of alcohol misuse further complicates the difficulties of those living with homelessness and SMI. In this secondary data analysis, the authors investigated the impact of homelessness on attrition and alcohol use in a contingency management (CM) intervention that rewarded alcohol abstinence in outpatients with SMI.

METHODS: The associations between housing status and attrition and alcohol abstinence during treatment, as assessed by ethyl glucuronide (EtG) urine tests, were evaluated in …

Death In Life And Life In Death: Forms And Fates Of The Human, Connor Graham, Alfred Montoya

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Research

This chapter traces the origins, meanings and characteristics of “the human” in recent time – its forms. The chapter contends that, instead of being immutable, “the human” has taken different forms, been ascribed different meanings, and exhibited different characteristics over time. Our approach to “the human” contributes to this volume on digital existence, which confronts existential questions centered on being and technology, with historical and anthropological awareness. We aim to show, through Foucault’s (1971 ) insistence upon the forms of subjectivity as opposed to its substance, how understandings of “the human” are subject to change and transformation. Exploring these diverse …

Peptide Density Targets And Impedes Triple Negative Breast Cancer Metastasis, Daxing Liu, Peng Guo, Craig Mccarthy, Biran Wang, Yu Tao, Debra Auguste

Publications and Research

The C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4, CD184) pathway is a key regulator of cancer metastasis. Existing therapeutics that block CXCR4 signaling are dependent on single molecule-receptor interactions or silencing CXCR4 expression. CXCR4 localizes in lipid rafts and forms dimers therefore CXCR4 targeting and signaling may depend on ligand density. Herein, we report liposomes presenting a CXCR4 binding peptide (DV1) as a threedimensional molecular array, ranging from 9k to 74k molecules μm−2, target triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBC cells exhibit a maxima in binding and uptake of DV1functionalized liposomes (L-DV1) in vitro at a specific density, which yields a …

Using Self-Study As A Process For Teacher Inquiry Into Classroom Diversity, Aimee Rogers, Lisa Ortmann

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

Educators in our region of the country likely agree that although there is growing diversity in our public schools in terms of culture, race, ethnicity, gender-identification, primary language and other aspects of diversity, the diversity of practicing and developing teachers has remained relatively unchanged. According to a national report, 82% of all undergraduate degrees in education across the country were awarded to white students in 2009-10, three-quarters of whom were women (AACTE, 2013). In our region of the upper midwest, the statistics are closer to 96% white and 73% female (North Dakota State University, 2017). Although as a teacher workforce, …

A Clean Slate For Texas Foster Youth: Policy Recommendations On Preventing And Resolving Identity Theft For Youth In Foster Care, Madison Howard Churchman

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

This Article will compare how Texas and other states implement this federal law differently and then discuss how Texas can improve its flawed system to better protect children negatively affected by identity theft. Section II of this Article will introduce and explain M.D. v. Abbott and the changes in Texas foster care on the horizon as a result of this case. Section III will introduce and delve into the issue of identity theft in foster youth as a whole, and it will tell the story of one foster youth who faced the results of identity theft. Finally, the Section breaks …