Digital Commons Network^™

Mixing Optimization In Grooved Serpentine Microchannels, Tyler Rhoades, Chandrasekhar R. Kothapalli, Petru S. Fodor

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Computational fluid dynamics modeling at Reynolds numbers ranging from 10 to 100 was used to characterize the performance of a new type of micromixer employing a serpentine channel with a grooved surface. The new topology exploits the overlap between the typical Dean flows present in curved channels due to the centrifugal forces experienced by the fluids, and the helical flows induced by slanted groove-ridge patterns with respect to the direction of the flow. The resulting flows are complex, with multiple vortices and saddle points, leading to enhanced mixing across the section …

Loss Of Foundation Species Revisited: Conceptual Framework With Lessons Learned From Eastern Hemlock And Whitebark Pine, Allyson L. Degrassi, Steven Brantley, Carrie R. Levine, Jacqueline Mohan, Sydne Record, Diana F. Tomback, Aaron M. Ellison

Biology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Ecologists and conservation biologists often prioritize the study of species that are declining, threatened, or endangered over species that are abundant and ecologically important, such as foundation species (FS ). Because entire ecosystems and their biodiversity depend on FS , we argue that they have high conservation priority. A citation analysis reveals that FS are studied, but often are characterized ambiguously. More effort is needed to identify FS before they, and the ecosystems they define, are at risk of decline or loss. We suggest a new conceptual framework that includes: informed identification of FS in ecosystems; documentation of ecosystem services …

Plant Species Determine Tidal Wetland Methane Response To Sea Level Rise, Peter Mueller, Thomas J. Mozdzer, J. Adam Langley, Lillian R. Aoki, Genevieve L. Noyce, J. Patrick Megonigal

Biology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Blue carbon (C) ecosystems are among the most effective C sinks of the biosphere, but methane (CH4) emissions can offset their climate cooling effect. Drivers of CH4 emissions from blue C ecosystems and effects of global change are poorly understood. Here we test for the effects of sea level rise (SLR) and its interactions with elevated atmospheric CO2, eutrophication, and plant community composition on CH4 emissions from an estuarine tidal wetland. Changes in CH4 emissions with SLR are primarily mediated by shifts in plant community composition and associated plant traits that determine both the direction and magnitude of SLR effects …

Synergies Among Environmental Science Research And Monitoring Networks: A Research Agenda, J. A. Jones, P. M. Groffman, J. Blair, F. W. Davis, H. Dugan, E. E. Euskirchen, S. D. Frey, T. K. Harms, E. Hinckley, M. Kosmala, S. Loberg, S. Malone, Sydne Record, A. V. Rocha, B. L. Ruddell, E. H. Stanley, C. Sturtevant, A. Thorpe, T. White., W. R. Wieder, L. Zhai, K. Zhu

Biology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Many research and monitoring networks in recent decades have provided publicly available data documenting environmental and ecological change, but little is known about the status of efforts to synthesize this information across networks. We convened a working group to assess ongoing and potential cross-network synthesis research and outline opportunities and challenges for the future, focusing on the US-based research network (the US Long-Term Ecological Research network, LTER) and monitoring network (the National Ecological Observatory Network, NEON). LTER-NEON cross-network research synergies arise from the potentials for LTER measurements, experiments, models, and observational studies to provide context and mechanisms for interpreting NEON …

Pkis Deep Dive Yields A Chemical Starting Point For Dark Kinases And A Cell Active Brsk2 Inhibitor, Tigist Y. Tamir, David H. Drewry, Carrow Wells, M. Ben Major, Alison D. Axtman

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Marrowquant Across Aging And Aplasia: A Digital Pathology Workflow For Quantification Of Bone Marrow Compartments In Histological Sections, Josefine Tratwal, Erica L Scheller, Et Al

Open Access Publications

The bone marrow (BM) exists heterogeneously as hematopoietic/red or adipocytic/yellow marrow depending on skeletal location, age, and physiological condition. Mouse models and patients undergoing radio/chemotherapy or suffering acute BM failure endure rapid adipocytic conversion of the marrow microenvironment, the so-called "red-to-yellow" transition. Following hematopoietic recovery, such as upon BM transplantation, a "yellow-to-red" transition occurs and functional hematopoiesis is restored. Gold Standards to estimate BM cellular composition are pathologists' assessment of hematopoietic cellularity in hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained histological sections as well as volumetric measurements of marrow adiposity with contrast-enhanced micro-computerized tomography (CE-μCT) upon osmium-tetroxide lipid staining. Due to user-dependent …

Genetic Architecture Of Circulating Very-Long-Chain (C24:0 And C22:0) Ceramide Concentrations, Sharon Cresci, Ruibo Zhang, Qiong Yang, Meredith S Duncan, Vanessa Xanthakis, Xuntian Jiang, Ramachandran S Vasan, Jean E Schaffer, Linda R Peterson

Open Access Publications

OBJECTIVE: Total ceramide concentrations are linked with increased insulin resistance and cardiac dysfunction. However, recent studies have demonstrated that plasma concentrations of specific very-long-chain fatty ceramides (C24:0 and C22:0) are associated with a reduced incidence of coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality. We hypothesized that specific genetic loci are associated with plasma C22:0 and C24:0 concentrations.

METHODS: Heritability and genome-wide association studies of plasma C24:0 and C22:0 ceramide concentrations were performed among 2,217 participants in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort, adjusting for cardiovascular risk factor covariates and cardiovascular drug treatment.

RESULTS: The multivariable-adjusted heritability for C22:0 and C24:0 ceramides …

The At(N) Framework For Alzheimer's Disease In Adults With Down Syndrome, Michael S Rafii, Beau M Ances, Et Al

Open Access Publications

The National Institute on Aging in conjunction with the Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) recently proposed a biological framework for defining the Alzheimer's disease (AD) continuum. This new framework is based upon the key AD biomarkers (amyloid, tau, neurodegeneration, AT[N]) instead of clinical symptoms and represents the latest understanding that the pathological processes underlying AD begin decades before the manifestation of symptoms. By using these same biomarkers, individuals with Down syndrome (DS), who are genetically predisposed to developing AD, can also be placed more precisely along the AD continuum. The A/T(N) framework is therefore thought to provide an objective manner by which …

Eflornithine Plus Sulindac For Prevention Of Progression In Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Carol A. Burke, Paul E. Wise, Et Al

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Recent Trends In Computational Fluid Dynamics, M. M. Bhatti, M. Marin, A. Zeeshan, Sara I. Abdelsalam

Basic Science Engineering

No abstract provided.

Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Genomics And Its Implications Across The Lifespan, Muralidharan Sargurupremraj, Andrew C. Heath, Pamela A.F. Madden, Et Al.

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

The Current State Of Hiv And Aging: Findings Presented At The 10th International Workshop On Hiv And Aging, Stephanie Shiau, Jane A. O'Halloran, Et Al.

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Chemical Inhibition Of Papd5/7 Rescues Telomerase Function And Hematopoiesis In Dyskeratosis Congenita, Siddharth Shukla, Ho-Chang Jeong, Christopher M. Sturgeon, Roy Parker, Luis Francisco Zirnberger Batista

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Primary Cilia Control Glucose Homeostasis Via Islet Paracrine Interactions, Jing W. Hughes, Jung Hoon Cho, Hannah E. Conway, Michael R. Digruccio, Xue Wen Ng, Henry F. Roseman, Damien Abreu, Fumihiko Urano, David W. Piston

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Alterations In Plasma Triglycerides And Ceramides: Links With Cardiac Function In Humans With Type 2 Diabetes, Linda R. Peterson, Xuntian Jiang, Ling Chen, Anne C. Goldberg, Marsha S. Farmer, Daniel S. Ory, Jean E. Schaffer

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

A Role For Malignant Brain Tumor Domain-Containing Protein 1 In Human Endometrial Stromal Cell Decidualization, Sangappa B Chadchan, Vineet K Maurya, Gwendalyn L Krekeler, Emily S Jungheim, Ramakrishna Kommagani

Open Access Publications

Up to 30% of women experience early miscarriage due to impaired decidualization. For implantation to occur, the uterine endometrial stromal fibroblast-like cells must differentiate into decidual cells, but the genes required for decidualization have not been fully defined. Here, we show that Malignant Brain Tumor Domain-containing Protein 1 (MBTD1), a member of the polycomb group protein family, is critical for human endometrial stromal cell (HESC) decidualization. MBTD1 predominantly localized to HESCs during the secretory phase and the levels were significantly elevated during

Therapies For Tuberculosis And Aids: Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells In Focus, Anca Dorhoi, Shabaana A Khader, Et Al

Open Access Publications

The critical role of suppressive myeloid cells in immune regulation has come to the forefront in cancer research, with myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) as a main oncology immunotherapeutic target. Recent improvement and standardization of criteria classifying tumor-induced MDSCs have led to unified descriptions and also promoted MDSC research in tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS. Despite convincing evidence on the induction of MDSCs by pathogen-derived molecules and inflammatory mediators in TB and AIDS, very little attention has been given to their therapeutic modulation or roles in vaccination in these diseases. Clinical manifestations in TB are consequences of complex host-pathogen interactions and are …

The Tethering Function Of Mitofusin2 Controls Osteoclast Differentiation By Modulating The Ca2+–Nfatc1 Axis, Anna Ballard, Rong Zeng, Allahdad Zarei, Christine Shao, Linda Cox, Hui Yan, Antonietta Franco, Gerald W. Dorn Ii, Roberta Faccio, Deborah J. Veis

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

A Prospective Study Of Weight Gain In Women Diagnosed With Early-Stage Invasive Breast Cancer, Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, And Women Without Breast Cancer, Christine C. Ekenga, Xiaoyan Wang, Maria Pérez, Mario Schootman, Donna B. Jeffe

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Gender And Caregiving Responsibilities On Academic Success In Hematology, Allison A. King, Sara K. Vesely, Emily Vettese, Sadie Cook, Adam Cuker, Wendy Stock, Morgan Homer, Josel Fritz, Lilian Sung

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Uncovering Tumour Heterogeneity Through Pkr And Nc886 Analysis In Metastatic Colon Cancer Patients Treated With 5-Fu-Based Chemotherapy, María Belén Ortega-García, Igor Zwir, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Colorectal cancer treatment has advanced over the past decade. The drug 5-fluorouracil is still used with a wide percentage of patients who do not respond. Therefore, a challenge is the identification of predictive biomarkers. The protein kinase R (PKR also called EIF2AK2) and its regulator, the non-coding pre-mir-nc886, have multiple effects on cells in response to numerous types of stress, including chemotherapy. In this work, we performed an ambispective study with 197 metastatic colon cancer patients with unresectable metastases to determine the relative expression levels of both nc886 and PKR by qPCR, as well as the location of PKR by …

Photoreceptor Responses To Light In The Pathogenesis Of Diabetic Retinopathy, Shahriyar P Majidi, Rithwick Rajagopal

Open Access Publications

Vision loss, among the most feared complications of diabetes, is primarily caused by diabetic retinopathy, a disease that manifests in well-recognized, characteristic microvascular lesions. The reasons for retinal susceptibility to damage in diabetes are unclear, especially considering that microvascular networks are found in all tissues. However, the unique metabolic demands of retinal neurons could account for their vulnerability in diabetes. Photoreceptors are the first neurons in the visual circuit and are also the most energy-demanding cells of the retina. Here, we review experimental and clinical evidence linking photoreceptors to the development of diabetic retinopathy. We then describe the influence of …

Bet Bromodomain Inhibition Attenuates Cardiac Phenotype In Myocyte-Specific Lamin A/C-Deficient Mice, Gaelle Auguste, Leila Rouhi, Scot J Matkovich, Cristian Coarfa, Matthew J Robertson, Grazyna Czernuszewicz, Priyatansh Gurha, Ali J Marian

Open Access Publications

Mutation in the LMNA gene, encoding lamin A/C, causes a diverse group of diseases called laminopathies. Cardiac involvement is the major cause of death and manifests as dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, arrhythmias, and sudden death. There is no specific therapy for LMNA-associated cardiomyopathy. We report that deletion of Lmna in cardiomyocytes in mice leads to severe cardiac dysfunction, conduction defect, ventricular arrhythmias, fibrosis, apoptosis, and premature death within 4 weeks. The phenotype is similar to LMNA-associated cardiomyopathy in humans. RNA sequencing, performed before the onset of cardiac dysfunction, led to identification of 2338 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Lmna-deleted cardiomyocytes. …

Deficiency Of Peroxiredoxin 2 Exacerbates Angiotensin Ii-Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Se-Jin Jeong, Min Ji Cho, Na Young Ko, Sinai Kim, In-Hyuk Jung, Jeong-Ki Min, Sang Hak Lee, Jong-Gil Park, Goo Taeg Oh

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Single Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Opioid Usage Evokes Widespread Suppression Of Antiviral Gene Program, Tanya T. Karagiannis, John P. Cleary Jr., Busra Gok, Andrew J. Henderson, Nicholas G. Martin, Masanao Yajima, Elliot C. Nelson, Christine S. Cheng

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Peptidoglycan Editing Provides Immunity To Acinetobacter Baumannii During Bacterial Warfare, Nguyen-Hung Le, Gisela Di Venanzio, Juvenal Lopez, Seth W Hennon, Mario F Feldman, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Peptidoglycan (PG) is essential in most bacteria. Thus, it is often targeted by various assaults, including interbacterial attacks via the type VI secretion system (T6SS). Here, we report that the Gram-negative bacterium

Vibrational Spectroscopy For In Vitro Monitoring Stem Cell Differentiation, Francesca Ravera, Esen Efeoglu, Hugh Byrne

Other resources

Stem cell technology has attracted considerable attention over recent decades due to its enormous potential in regenerative medicine and disease therapeutics. Studying the underlying mechanisms of stem cell differentiation and tissue generation is critical, and robust methodologies and different technologies are required. Towards establishing improved understanding and optimised triggering and control of differentiation processes, analytical techniques such as flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, RNA in situ hybridisation analysis, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting have contributed much. However, progress in the field remains limited because such techniques provide only limited information, as they are only able to address specific, …

A Chronic Strain Of The Cystic Fibrosis Pathogen Pandoraeapulmonicola Expresses A Heterogenous Hypo-Acylated Lipid A, Molly D. Pither, Siobhan Mcclean, Alba Silipo, Antonio Molinaro, Flaviana Di Lorenzo

Articles

Pandoraeasp. is an emerging Gram-negative pathogen in cystic fibrosis causing severe and persistent inflammation and damageof the lungs. The molecular mechanisms underlying the high pathogenicity ofPandoraeaspecies are still largely unknown. AsGram-negatives,Pandoraeasp. express lipopolysaccharides (LPS) whose recognition by the host immune system triggers aninflammatory response aimed at the bacterial eradication from the infected tissues. The degree of the inflammatory responsestrongly relies on the fine structure of the LPS and, in particular, of its glycolipid moiety, i.e. the lipid A. Here we report thestructure of the lipid A isolated from the LPS of a chronic strain ofP. pulmonicola(RL 8228), one of the …

Monitoring Wellness, Training Load, And Running Performance During A Major International Female Field Hockey Tournament, Aideen Mcguinness, Gerard Mcmahon, Shane Malone, Darren Kenna, David Passmore, Kieran Collins

Articles

The current observational study quantified players' activity profiles during a major international female field hockey tournament and determined whether an association exists between well-being measures and running performance within elite female hockey players. Elite female field hockey players (23 6 3 years; 162.6 6 13 cm; and 66 6 6 kg) participated in the study. Participants running performance was monitored using global positioning system technology (S5; Catapult Innovations , Scoresby, Victoria, Australia), with daily well-being questionnaires used to quantify player responses during the tournament. Thresholds for the magnitude of the observed change for each variable were determined using the Hopkins …

While We Are Here: Resisting Hegemony And Fostering Inclusion Through Rhizomatic Growth Via Student-Faculty Pedagogical Partnership, Alison Cook-Sather, Jaimie W. Becker, Alexis Giron

Education Program Faculty Research and Scholarship

Postsecondary educational institutions often struggle to enact their espoused commitments to inclusion. Faculty on temporary appointments and students traditionally underrepresented in and underserved by colleges and universities, in particular, can feel excluded. In this article, we argue that student-faculty pedagogical partnership can help postsecondary institutions better enact their espoused commitments to inclusion by nurturing rhizomatic development for human sustainability. We describe how a student-faculty pedagogical partnership program provides a brave space within which rhizomatic growth can unfold by offering an autoethnographic case study of one faculty-student pair who worked in a semester-long pedagogical partnership through this program. Their work aimed …