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Collagen Structure-Function Mapping Informs Applications For Regenerative Medicine., James D San Antonio, Olena Jacenko, Andrzej Fertala, Joseph P R O Orgel

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Type I collagen, the predominant protein of vertebrates, assembles into fibrils that orchestrate the form and function of bone, tendon, skin, and other tissues. Collagen plays roles in hemostasis, wound healing, angiogenesis, and biomineralization, and its dysfunction contributes to fibrosis, atherosclerosis, cancer metastasis, and brittle bone disease. To elucidate the type I collagen structure-function relationship, we constructed a type I collagen fibril interactome, including its functional sites and disease-associated mutations. When projected onto an X-ray diffraction model of the native collagen microfibril, data revealed a matrix interaction domain that assumes structural roles including collagen assembly, crosslinking, proteoglycan (PG) binding, and …

Distinct Cellular Profiles Of Hif1a And Vegf Mrna Localization In Microglia, Astrocytes And Neurons During A Period Of Vascular Maturation In The Auditory Brainstem Of Neonate Rats, Daphne Chang, Quetanya Brown, Grace Tsui, Ye He, Jia Liu, Lingyan Shi, Adrián Rodríguez-Contreras

Advanced Science Research Center

Defining the relationship between vascular development and the expression of hypoxia-inducible factors (Hifs) and vascular endothelial growth factor (Vegf) in the auditory brainstem is important to understand how tissue hypoxia caused by oxygen shortage contributes to sensory deficits in neonates. In this study, we used histology, molecular labeling, confocal microscopy and 3D image processing methods to test the hypothesis that significant maturation of the vascular bed in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) occurs during the postnatal period that precedes hearing onset. Isolectin-B4 histochemistry experiments suggested that the MNTB vasculature becomes more elaborate between …

Proximal And Distal Effects Of Genetic Susceptibility To Multiple Sclerosis On The T Cell Epigenome, Tina Roostaei, Hans-Ulrich Klein, Yiyi Ma, Daniel Felsky, Pia Kivisäkk, Sarah M. Connor, Alexandra Kroshilina, Christina Yung, Belinda J. Kaskow, Xiaorong Shao, Brooke Rhead, José M. Ordovás, Devin M. Absher, Donna K. Arnett, Jia Liu, Nikolaos Patsopoulos, Lisa F. Barcellos, Howard L. Weiner, Philip L. De Jager

Advanced Science Research Center

Identifying the effects of genetic variation on the epigenome in disease-relevant cell types can help advance our understanding of the first molecular contributions of genetic susceptibility to disease onset. Here, we establish a genome-wide map of DNA methylation quantitative trait loci in CD4⁺ T-cells isolated from multiple sclerosis patients. Utilizing this map in a colocalization analysis, we identify 19 loci where the same haplotype drives both multiple sclerosis susceptibility and local DNA methylation. We also identify two distant methylation effects of multiple sclerosis susceptibility loci: a chromosome 16 locus affects PRDM8 methylation (a chromosome 4 region not previously associated …

Brain-Specific Lipoprotein Receptors Interact With Astrocyte Derived Apolipoprotein And Mediate Neuron-Glia Lipid Shuttling, Jun Yin, Emma Spillman, Ethan S. Cheng, Jacob Short, Yang Chen, Jingce Lei, Mary Gibbs, Justin S. Rosenthal, Chengyu Sheng, Yuki X. Chen, Kelly Veerasammy, Tenzin Choetso, Rinat Abzalimov, Bei Wang, Chun Han, Ye He, Quan Yuan

Advanced Science Research Center

Lipid shuttling between neurons and glia contributes to the development, function, and stress responses of the nervous system. To understand how a neuron acquires its lipid supply from specific lipoproteins and their receptors, we perform combined genetic, transcriptome, and biochemical analyses in the developing Drosophila larval brain. Here we report, the astrocyte-derived secreted lipocalin Glial Lazarillo (GLaz), a homolog of human Apolipoprotein D (APOD), and its neuronal receptor, the brain-specific short isoforms of Drosophila lipophorin receptor 1 (LpR1-short), cooperatively mediate neuron-glia lipid shuttling and support dendrite morphogenesis. The isoform specificity of LpR1 defines its distribution, binding partners, and ability to …

Elevated Growth And Biomass Along Temperate Forest Edges, Luca L. Morreale, Jonathan R. Thompson, Xiaojing Tang, Andrew Reinmann, Lucy R. Hutyra

Advanced Science Research Center

Fragmentation transforms the environment along forest edges. The prevailing narrative, driven by research in tropical systems, suggests that edge environments increase tree mortality and structural degradation resulting in net decreases in ecosystem productivity. We show that, in contrast to tropical systems, temperate forest edges exhibit increased forest growth and biomass with no change in total mortality relative to the forest interior. We analyze >48,000 forest inventory plots across the north-eastern US using a quasi-experimental matching design. At forest edges adjacent to anthropogenic land covers, we report increases of 36.3% and 24.1% in forest growth and biomass, respectively. Inclusion of edge …

Tet1-Mediated Dna Hydroxymethylation Regulates Adult Remyelination In Mice, Sarah Moyon, Rebecca Frawley, Damien Marechal, Dennis Huang, Katy L.H. Marshall-Phelps, Linde Kegel, Boguslawa Sadowski, Yong-Hui Jiang, David A. Lyons, Wiebke Möbius, Patrizia Casaccia

Advanced Science Research Center

The mechanisms regulating myelin repair in the adult central nervous system (CNS) are unclear. Here, we identify DNA hydroxymethylation, catalyzed by the Ten-Eleven- Translocation (TET) enzyme TET1, as necessary for myelin repair in young adults and defective in old mice. Constitutive and inducible oligodendrocyte lineage-specific ablation of Tet1 (but not of Tet2), recapitulate this age-related decline in repair of demyelinated lesions. DNA hydroxymethylation and transcriptomic analyses identify TET1-target in adult oligodendrocytes, as genes regulating neuro-glial communication, including the solute carrier (Slc) gene family. Among them, we show that the expression levels of the Na+/K+/Cl− transporter, SLC12A2, are …

New Amphibian And Reptile Distribution Records From Eastern South Dakota, Usa, Drew R. Davis

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Over recent years, the continued collection of voucher specimens has helped to better document the distributions of South Dakota’s amphibians and reptiles. Despite large increases in our knowledge of these distributions, it remains clear that gaps in our understanding remain. Here, I report 17 new county records of six species of amphibians and reptiles from eastern South Dakota (east of the Missouri River) that are the result of fieldwork conducted in September 2020. The majority of these records are from the northern portions of the James River Lowland, Missouri Coteau, and Drift Plains ecoregions (Bryce et al. 1998), which are …

The Association Of Abo Blood Groups And Trauma Outcomes: A Retrospective Analysis Of 3779 Patients., Michael W Sauder, Timothy W Wolff, Aimee K Lariccia, M Chance Spalding, Urmil B Pandya

Trauma and Acute Care Articles

BACKGROUND: There is currently a lack of understanding regarding the link between ABO blood types with outcomes of traumatically injured patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of ABO blood types with outcomes in traumatically injured patients separated by injury type.

METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated trauma patients at an urban, Level 1 trauma center from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017. Patients were excluded if they were pregnant or < 16 years old. Recorded outcomes included: ABO blood group, mortality, Injury Severity Score (ISS), race, injury type, mechanism of injury, and complications. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics including Chi-squared, Kruskal-Wallis, and

RESULTS: A total of 3779 patients were included in this study. No significant differences were present in mean age or ISS between blood types. In …

A New Parametric Lifetime Distribution With Modified Chi-Square Type Test For Right Censored Validation, Characterizations And Different Estimation Methods, Haitham M. Yousof, Khaoula Aidi, Gholamhossein Hamedani, Mohammed Ibrahim

Mathematical and Statistical Science Faculty Research and Publications

A new three-parameter extension of the generalized Nadarajah-Haghighi model is introduced and studied. Some of its statistical properties are derived. Characterization results are presented. The failure rate can be "increasing", "decreasing", "bathtub", "upside-down", "upside-down-constant", "increasing-constant" or "constant". Different non-Bayesian estimation methods under uncensored scheme are considered. Numerical simulations are performed for comparing the estimation methods using different sample sizes. The censored Barzilai-Borwein algorithm is employed via a simulation study. Using the approach of the Bagdonavicius-Nikulin chi-square goodness-of-fit test for validation under the right censored data, we propose a modified chi-square goodness-of-fit test for the new model. Based on the maximum …

From Inner Segment To Outer Segment: Palmitoylation Of Photoreceptor Na+, K+-Atpase And The Importance Of Prcd In Photoreceptor Outer Segment Morphogenesis, Emily R. Sechrest

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Photoreceptors are specialized neuroepithelial cells which are optimized for efficient capture of light and initiation of visual transduction. These cells have several compartments which are very important for proper visual function and segregation of cellular processes, including the outer segment (OS), inner segment (IS), nucleus, and synapse. The IS houses all of the cellular organelles and biosynthetic molecular machinery the cell requires and is the site of protein synthesis. The light-sensing OS is a highly modified, primary cilium, which contains many stacks of double membranous discs which house proteins required for formation and maintenance of OS structure, as well as …

Understanding The Variable Drivers Of Toxicity For The Broad Class Of Carbon Nanotubes And Nanofibers From U.S. Facilities, Kelly E. Fraser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pulmonary exposure to carbon nanotubes or nanofibers (CNT/F) is known to induce inflammation, toxicity, or tumorigenesis, and is a concern in the occupational setting. U. S. facility employees are at risk of inhalation exposure of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers during primary and secondary manufacturing. To date, only one MWCNT, Mitsui-7 has been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), while all other materials were subsequently categorized as unclassifiable (Group 3). This class of material has recently been listed as a high priority to the International Agency for Research on Cancer due to this significant knowledge gap. Furthermore, …

Clinical Trial Eligibility Criteria And Recently Approved Cancer Therapies For Patients With Brain Metastases, Minesh Mehta

All Publications

Brain metastases cause significant morbidity and mortality in patients with advanced cancer. In the era of precision oncology and immunotherapy, there are rapidly evolving systemic treatment options. These novel therapies may have variable intracranial efficacy, and patients with brain metastases remain a population of special interest. Typically, only patients with stable, asymptomatic and/or treated brain metastases are enrolled in clinical trials, or may be excluded altogether, particularly in the setting of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. Consequently, this leads to significant concerns on the external validity of clinical trial evidence to real-world clinical practice. Here we describe the current trends in cancer clinical …

Observational Measurement Of Attachment In Toddlers With Disruptive Behavior Using The Strange Situation Procedure And Attachment Q-Set, Corey C. Lieneman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Child-caregiver attachment is an important factor in healthy child development and is often targeted by early intervention programs. To assess the efficacy of these interventions, attachment must be accurately measured across the toddler years in populations referred for treatment of externalizing behavior problems. The Strange Situation Procedure (SSP; Ainsworth et al., 1978) and Attachment Q-Set (AQS; Waters, 1987) are empirically-validated measures of child-caregiver attachment, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Previous research has reached mixed conclusions on relations between the observer-report AQS and SSP, depending on sample and study characteristics, and a review of the literature did not produce any …

In Vitro And In Vivo Toxicological Evaluation Of Emissions From The Fused Filament Fabrication Three-Dimensional Printing, Mariana T. Farcas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fused filament fabrication (FFF), a three-dimensional (3-D) printing process, is an emerging technology that has recently gained wide popularity among both consumers and manufacturers. As filament is heated to above its glass transition temperature in a 3-D printer, a portion may undergo thermal decompostion, which releases ultrafine particles (UFP) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with potential adverse respiratory health effects are released into the air. This study's central hypotheses is that emissions generated during 3-D printing are toxic and exposure to these emissions induces pulmonary and systemic adverse health effects. Considering that currently, limited understanding is available on the health …

Fundamentals And Applications Of Charge Transfer Dissociation Mass Spectrometry, Zachary Joseph Sasiene

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The recent surge in the analysis of biomolecules has driven the need for robust, versatile, sensitive, and accurate techniques such as tandem mass spectrometry for compound structural elucidation. Many fragmentation techniques have been developed over the years, but each has their own limitations, such as the loss of post-translational modifications (PTMs), inability to fragment singly charged precursor ions or cost prohibitiveness. To help fill this gap, a novel fragmentation technique called charge transfer dissociation (CTD) has been developed to fragment stored precursor ions through radical-driven fragmentation processes using kiloelectronvolt reagent cations. CTD has shown success in the analysis of proteins, …

Parental Engagement In The Baptismal Process At Florida Hospital Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Gregory Creek

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Baptism, one of the few spiritual milestones in the life of a young person, is not experienced at Florida Hospital Church with the intentional inclusion of parents, a group that has a greater spiritual influence for their children than any other person.

Method

To help engage parents in the process, a baptismal preparation program was developed that provided training and resources for parents who then prepared their children for baptism. The program consisted of a session with parents, children, and the pastor; two sessions with parents and the pastor; and four sessions done by parents in the home with …

An Evangelism And Discipleship Pathway To Address The Cultural And Worldview Distance Between The Preston Seventh-Day Adventist Church And The White British Culture In Preston, Jeff Keith Couzins

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem.

The UK Preston Seventh-day Adventist Church in the North England Conference is a predominantly Black church situated in a White British city. The Church has seen a numerical increase of almost 25% since 2013, but only one person from this growth was from the majority culture population, a group who tend not to be attracted to traditional Adventist forms of evangelism. The hypothesis for this project, therefore, is that when the cultural and worldview distance between church members and individuals in society is reduced, it is easier for the Christian witness to then explain the Kingdom of God. Also, …

Property Law For The Ages, Lior Strahilevitz, Michael C. Pollack

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

Within the next forty years, the number of Americans over age sixty-five is projected to nearly double. This seismic demographic shift will necessitate a reckoning in several areas of law and policy, but property law is especially unprepared. Built primarily for young and middle-aged white men, the common law of property has been critiqued for decades for the ways in which it oppresses or simply leaves behind people based on their race, sex, Native heritage, and more. This Article contributes a new focus on property law’s treatment of people based on their advanced age. Burdened by higher relocation costs, more …

Development And Dynamics Of Us Welfare Policy, Liza Gordon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this dissertation I analyze the development of contemporary US welfare policy with special consideration given to the importance of race and gender. In the introductory chapter I outline how the development of the American welfare state has continuously neglected the needs of women and minorities as well as how classist, racist, and sexist appeals have been prevalent throughout US history in relation to welfare policies. The remaining chapters analyze how contemporary welfare policies including the 1996 welfare reforms and state drug-testing for welfare laws carry on these American legacies. In Chapter 1 I examine how the classist, sexist, and …

Options For Low-Cost Manufacturing And Safer Cell Therapies, Melis Keceli

Master's Theses

The proposed work aims to overcome the economical and feasibility-related limitations of the chimeric antigen receptor therapies by developing an artificial cell signaling pathway whose design transforms K562 cells into in vivo living vectors to synthesize therapeutic proteins upon engaging diseased cells in the treatment of ovarian cancer. There are various advantages of using K562 cells throughout this process. First, Food and Drug Administration approves the reinfusion of K562 cells into patients’ bodies. Second, K562 cells are more affordable than T lymphocytes, and finally, these cells can be easily manipulated with any desired genetic material and can keep the expression …

Quantification Of Bacterial Shedding From The Respiratory Tract Of Health Care Workers Wearing Paprs And Other Types Of Air-Purifying Respirators On Sterile Conditions In A Simulated Operating Rooms (Ors), Segun Olanrewaju Ajewole

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The role of powered air- purifying respirators (PAPRs) in healthcare settings during infectious diseases outbreaks and highly contagious pathogens (e.g., SARS, HINI, Ebola, COVID etc.) has attracted much interest based on the level of respiratory protection they provide and their many positive user features. A common practice among healthcare workers to minimize airborne contaminant exposure has been to use surgical masks or N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs). Surgical masks have been shown to offer minimal respiratory protection and while N95 FFRs offer better respiratory protection, they are not comfortable to use for a prolonged period. With current PAPR designs, exhaled …

Of The Wide-Eyed In Uncertain Times: The Education Of Girls During The Third Reich, Ingmar D. Clausing

Master's Theses

The aim of this thesis is to describe how both the state school system and the Hitler Youth educated girls during the Third Reich. Conventional theories have suggested a number of ideological suppositions regarding the overall curricular emphasis, but this study contends that such simplistic determinations do not capture the full spread of the educational experience. This thesis asks if girls in Nazi Germany were truly just indoctrinated or if schooling had legitimate academic purposes. Based on actual textbooks that were studied by girls for every subject area, at different grade levels, and in different types of schools, as well …

Effects Of Biofertilizer On Soil Nutrient Cycling And The Productivity Of Bioproduct Crops In Marginal Soils, Kieran B. Liseski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recently there has been increased interest in the use of marginal lands in order to grow bioproduct crops. Utilizing marginal lands to grow bioproduct crops such as Miscanthus x giganteus and Panicum virgatum could not only improve soil quality and minimize negative environmental impacts on the surrounding ecosystems but could also offer economic benefits to growers in rural areas. Because marginal soils tend to reduce crop yields compared to prime farmlands even when growing bioproduct crops, which tend to be more robust than traditional food crops, augmenting the soil with biofertilizers (i.e., the direct addition of viable microbial cells) could …

A Survey Of Musical Expectations In The Marine Forces Reserve Band Stationed In New Orleans, Louisiana, Brandon Paul Carbonari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research document examines the musical expectations of United States Marines serving in the Marine Forces Reserve Band from 2017 to 2021. Chapter One of this study provides a detailed foundation of the musical and non-musical responsibilities of a United States Marine musician. Training regime, rehearsal schedule, and logistical area responsibilities will be described to help convey the full scope of duty. The source material for Chapter One includes dissertations, journal articles, published books, online sources, and interviews. Chapter Two provides results of a survey that was conducted with members of the band. The questions were designed to record the …

Psychometric Evaluation Of Genetic Literacy Instruments In A National Sample, Jamey T. Brumbaugh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The concept of genetic literacy continues to grow in clinical and social significance. Whether transforming current healthcare practices or raising questions about genetically-modified foods, genetic information and technologies are primed to further influence people’s lives. There is a growing need to understand how genetic literacy is currently assessed in order to inform and improve future test development. This study aimed to investigate the assessment of genetic literacy by psychometrically examining three contemporary genetic literacy instruments (i.e., Genetic Knowledge Survey, International Genetic Literacy and Attitudes Survey (iGLAS-GK), and University of North Carolina Genomic Knowledge Scale (UNC-GKS). Psychometric properties, including internal consistency …

Insect Community Associated With Black Cherry (Prunus Serotina) In The Allegheny National Forest, Craig James Larcenaire

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) is valuable species managed for its economic and ecologic benefits. This species grows best in the environment of the Allegheny Plateau region in northwestern Pennsylvania. Land managers on the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) have been managing black cherry for a variety of goals and purposes. Over the last few decades, the land managers have noticed a decline in the natural regeneration of black cherry in the forest. Because the black cherry flowers are self-incompatible and require animal pollinators to transfer the pollen from one tree to another one hypothesis for this decline could be …

Table Of Contents

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is the table of contents.

Influence Of Anthropogenic Subsidies On Movements Of Common Ravens, Adam E. Duerr, Peter H. Bloom, Kerry Ross, Tricia A. Miller, Melissa A. Braham, Amy L. Fesnock, Todd E. Katzner

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Anthropogenic subsidies can benefit populations of generalist predators such as common ravens (ravens; Corvus corax), which in turn may depress populations of many types of species at lower-trophic levels, including desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) or greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Management of subsidized ravens often has targeted local breeding populations that are presumed to affect species of concern and ignored “urban” populations of ravens. However, little is known about how ravens move, especially in response to the presence of anthropogenic subsidies. Therefore, subsidized ravens from distant populations that are not managed may influence local prey. To …

Demography, Morphometrics, And Stomach Contents Of Common Ravens Examined As A Result Of Controlled Take, Corinne M. Gibble, Kriss K. Neuman, Jessie Beck

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Common ravens (Corvus corax; ravens) are known nest predators that have the ability to negatively impact nesting birds, including imperiled species of seabirds and shorebirds. We conducted systematic necropsies of ravens that were lethally controlled in Monterey Bay, California, USA during 2013–2015, in or near western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) nesting areas, in an effort to better understand body condition, overall health, and diet of individual ravens. Raven predation of snowy plover nests has increased over the years in the Monterey Bay study area, and lethal removal of ravens has been employed to reduce predation. …

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Human–Wildlife Interactions

The benefits of advertising with Human–Wildlife Interactions and how to do so.