Digital Commons Network^™

At-Home Blood Collection And Stabilization In High Temperature Climates Using, Lauren G Brown, Amanda J Haack, Dakota S Kennedy, Karen N Adams, Jennifer E Stolarczuk, Meg G Takezawa, Erwin Berthier, Sanitta Thongpang, Fang Yun Lim, Damien Chaussabel, Mathieu Garand, Ashleigh B Theberge

Faculty Research 2022

Expanding whole blood sample collection for transcriptome analysis beyond traditional phlebotomy clinics will open new frontiers for remote immune research and telemedicine. Determining the stability of RNA in blood samples exposed to high ambient temperatures (>30°C) is necessary for deploying home-sampling in settings with elevated temperatures (e.g., studying physiological response to natural disasters that occur in warm locations or in the summer). Recently, we have developed

The Th1/Tfh-Like Biased Responses Elicited By The Rasp-1 Innate Adjuvant Are Dependent On Trif And Type I Ifn Receptor Pathways., Parakkal Jovvian George, Radu Marches, Djamel Nehar-Belaid, Jacques Banchereau, Sara Lustigman

Faculty Research 2022

No abstract provided.

Single-Cell Transcriptome Analysis Defines Expression Of Kabuki Syndrome-Associated Kmt2d Targets And Interacting Partners., Badam Enkhmandakh, Paul Robson, Pujan Joshi, Anushree Vijaykumar, Dong-Guk Shin, Mina Mina, Dashzeveg Bayarsaihan

Faculty Research 2022

No abstract provided.

Targeting Sars-Cov-2 Infection Through Car-T-Like Bispecific T Cell Engagers Incorporating Ace2., Mikail Dogan, Lina Kozhaya, Lindsey Placek, Fatih Karabacak, Mesut Yigit, Derya Unutmaz

Faculty Research 2022

OBJECTIVES: Despite advances in antibody treatments and vaccines, COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection remains a major health problem resulting in excessive morbidity and mortality and the emergence of new variants has reduced the effectiveness of current vaccines.

METHODS: Here, as a proof-of-concept, we engineered primary CD8 T cells to express SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein-specific CARs, using the extracellular region of ACE2 and demonstrated their highly specific and potent cytotoxicity towards Spike-expressing target cells. To improve on this concept as a potential therapeutic, we developed a bispecific T cell engager combining ACE2 with an anti-CD3 scFv (ACE2-Bite) to target infected cells and …

Engineering A "Detect And Destroy" Skin Probiotic To Combat Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus., Changhui Guan, Peter J Larson, Elizabeth Fleming, Alexander P Tikhonov, Sara Mootien, Trudy H Grossman, Caroline Golino, Julia Oh

Faculty Research 2022

The prevalence and virulence of pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (S.) aureus (MRSA), which can cause recurrent skin infections, are of significant clinical concern. Prolonged antibiotic exposure to treat or decolonize S. aureus contributes to development of antibiotic resistance, as well as depletion of the microbiome, and its numerous beneficial functions. We hypothesized an engineered skin probiotic with the ability to selectively deliver antimicrobials only in the presence of the target organism could provide local bioremediation of pathogen colonization. We constructed a biosensing S. epidermidis capable of detecting the presence of S. aureus quorum sensing autoinducer peptide and producing lysostaphin …

Proceedings From The Albert Charitable Trust Inaugural Workshop On 'Understanding The Acute Effects Of Exercise On The Brain', Jill N. Barnes, Jeffrey M. Burns, Marcas M. Bamman, Sandra A. Billinger, Sue C. Bodine, Frank W. Booth, Patrice Brassard, Tameka A. Clemons, Paul J. Fadel, Paige C. Geiger, Swathi Gujral, Jacob M. Haus, Scott E. Kanoski, Benjamin F. Miller, Jill K. Morris, Kristen M S O'Connell, David C. Poole, Darleen A. Sandoval, J Carson Smith, Russell H. Swerdlow, Shawn N. Whitehead, Eric D. Vidoni, Henriette Van Praag

Faculty Research 2022

An inaugural workshop supported by "The Leo and Anne Albert Charitable Trust," was held October 4-7, 2019 in Scottsdale, Arizona, to focus on the effects of exercise on the brain and to discuss how physical activity may prevent or delay the onset of aging-related neurodegenerative conditions. The Scientific Program Committee (led by Dr. Jeff Burns) assembled translational, clinical, and basic scientists who research various aspects of the effects of exercise on the body and brain, with the overall goal of gaining a better understanding as to how to delay or prevent neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, research topics included the links …

Pdpn Marks A Subset Of Aggressive And Radiation-Resistant Glioblastoma Cells, Aram S. Modrek, Eskil Eskilsson, Ravesanker Ezhilarasan, Qianghu Wang, Lindsey D. Goodman, Yingwen Ding, Ze-Yan Zhang, Krishna P. Bhat, Thanh-Thuy T. Le, Floris P Barthel, Ming Tang, Jie Yang, Lihong Long, Joy Gumin, Frederick F. Lang, Roel G W Verhaak, Kenneth D. Aldape, Erik P. Sulman

Faculty Research 2022

Treatment-resistant glioma stem cells are thought to propagate and drive growth of malignant gliomas, but their markers and our ability to target them specifically are not well understood. We demonstrate that podoplanin (PDPN) expression is an independent prognostic marker in gliomas across multiple independent patient cohorts comprising both high- and low-grade gliomas. Knockdown of PDPN radiosensitized glioma cell lines and glioma-stem-like cells (GSCs). Clonogenic assays and xenograft experiments revealed that PDPN expression was associated with radiotherapy resistance and tumor aggressiveness. We further demonstrate that knockdown of PDPN in GSCs in vivo is sufficient to improve overall survival in an intracranial …

The Tsallis Generalized Entropy Enhances The Interpretation Of Transcriptomics Datasets, Nicolas Dérian, Hang-Phuong Pham, Djamel Nehar-Belaid, Nicolas Tchitchek, David Klatzmann, Vicaut Eric, Adrien Six

Faculty Research 2022

BACKGROUND: Identifying differentially expressed genes between experimental conditions is still the gold-standard approach to interpret transcriptomic profiles. Alternative approaches based on diversity measures have been proposed to complement the interpretation of such datasets but are only used marginally. METHODS: Here, we reinvestigated diversity measures, which are commonly used in ecology, to characterize mice pregnancy microenvironments based on a public transcriptome dataset. Mainly, we evaluated the Tsallis entropy function to explore the potential of a collection of diversity measures for capturing relevant molecular event information. RESULTS: We demonstrate that the Tsallis entropy function provides additional information compared to the traditional diversity …

A Community Effort For Covid-19 Ontology Harmonization, Asiyah Yu Lin, Yuki Yamagata, William D. Duncan, Leigh Carmody, Tatsuya Kushida, Hiroshi Masuya, John Beverley, Biswanath Dutta, Michael Debellis, Zoë May Pendlington, Paola Roncaglia, Yongqun He

Faculty Research 2022

Ontologies have emerged to become critical to support data and knowledge representation, standardization, integration, and analysis. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic led to the rapid proliferation of COVID-19 data, as well as the development of many COVID-19 ontologies. In the interest of supporting data interoperability, we initiated a community-based effort to harmonize COVID-19 ontologies. Our effort involves the collaborative discussion among developers of seven COVID-19 related ontologies, and the merging of four ontologies. This effort demonstrates the feasibility of harmonizing these ontologies in an interoperable framework to support integrative representation and analysis of COVID-19 related data and knowledge.

Using Genome-Wide Expression Compendia To Study Microorganisms, Alexandra J. Lee, Taylor Reiter, Georgia Doing, Julia Oh, Deborah A. Hogan, Casey S. Greene

Faculty Research 2022

A gene expression compendium is a heterogeneous collection of gene expression experiments assembled from data collected for diverse purposes. The widely varied experimental conditions and genetic backgrounds across samples creates a tremendous opportunity for gaining a systems level understanding of the transcriptional responses that influence phenotypes. Variety in experimental design is particularly important for studying microbes, where the transcriptional responses integrate many signals and demonstrate plasticity across strains including response to what nutrients are available and what microbes are present. Advances in high-throughput measurement technology have made it feasible to construct compendia for many microbes. In this review we discuss …

A-Kinase Anchor Protein 1 Deficiency Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Mouse Model Of Hyperoxia Induced Acute Lung Injury., Ramani Soundararajan, Helena Hernández-Cuervo, Timothy M Stearns, Anthony J Griswold, Sahebgowda Sidramagowda Patil, Jutaro Fukumoto, Venkata Ramireddy Narala, Lakshmi Galam, Richard Lockey, Narasaiah Kolliputi

Faculty Research 2022

No abstract provided.

The Collaborative Cross Strains And Their Founders Vary Widely In Cocaine-Induced Behavioral Sensitization., Sarah A Schoenrock, Leona H. Gagnon, Ashley A Olson, Michael Leonardo, Vivek M. Philip, Hao He, Laura G. Reinholdt, S J Sukoff Rizzo, James D Jentsch, Elissa J Chesler, Lisa M Tarantino

Faculty Research 2022

Cocaine use and overdose deaths attributed to cocaine have increased significantly in the United States in the last 10 years. Despite the prevalence of cocaine use disorder (CUD) and the personal and societal problems it presents, there are currently no approved pharmaceutical treatments. The absence of treatment options is due, in part, to our lack of knowledge about the etiology of CUDs. There is ample evidence that genetics plays a role in increasing CUD risk but thus far, very few risk genes have been identified in human studies. Genetic studies in mice have been extremely useful for identifying genetic loci …

Genetic Diversity And Population Structure Of Local Sudanese Sheep Populations Revealed By Whole-Genome Sequencing, A Amane, G Belay, Abdulfatai Tijjani, T Dessie, H H. Musa, O Hanotte

Faculty Research 2022

Local Sudanese sheep populations inhabiting diverse environmental conditions and holding opposing morphologies provide opportunities for molecular-genetic research. Characterizing their genome is crucial for sustainable breeding improvement and targeting favorable genes in breeding programs. However, the genome of these sheep populations, which comprises several subtypes, remains uncharacterized using whole-genome sequence data. This study aimed to elucidate genome-wide genetic diversity and population structure of 11 local Sudanese sheep populations, namely, Hammari, Kabbashi, Meidobe, Ashgar, Dubasi, Watish, Bega, Naili, Fulani, Zagawi, and Garag. Ninety whole blood samples were collected, and we extracted DNA using a Qiagen DNeasy® extraction kit. We used the Illumina …

Witch Nails (Krt90whnl): A Spontaneous Mouse Mutation Affecting Nail Growth And Development., John P Sundberg, Hannah Galantino-Homer, Heather Fairfield, Patricia F. Ward-Bailey, Belinda S. Harris, Melissa L. Berry, C Herbert Pratt, Nicholas E Gott, Lesley S Bechtold, Pauline R Kaplan, Blythe P Durbin-Johnson, David M Rocke, Robert H Rice

Faculty Research 2022

Numerous single gene mutations identified in humans and mice result in nail deformities with many similarities between the species. A spontaneous, autosomal, recessive mutation called witch nails (whnl) is described here where the distal nail matrix and nail bed undergo degenerative changes resulting in formation of an abnormal nail plate causing mice to develop long, curved nails. This mutation arose spontaneously in a colony of MRL/MpJ-Faslpr/J at The Jackson Laboratory. Homozygous mutant mice are recognizable by 8 weeks of age by their long, curved nails. The whnl mutation, mapped on Chromosome 15, is due to a 7-bp insertion identified in …

Exploratory Studies Of Oral And Fecal Microbiome In Healthy Human Aging., Xin Zhou, Baohong Wang, Patrick C Demkowicz, Jethro Johnson, Yanfei Chen, Daniel Spakowicz, Yanjiao Zhou, Yair Dorsett, Lei Chen, Erica Sodergren, George A Kuchel, George M. Weinstock

Faculty Research 2022

Growing evidence has linked an altered host fecal microbiome composition with health status, common chronic diseases, and institutionalization in vulnerable older adults. However, fewer studies have described microbiome changes in healthy older adults without major confounding diseases or conditions, and the impact of aging on the microbiome across different body sites remains unknown. Using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing, we reconstructed the composition of oral and fecal microbiomes in young (23-32; mean = 25 years old) and older (69-94; mean = 77 years old) healthy community-dwelling research subjects. In both body sites, we identified changes in minor bacterial operational taxonomic …

An Integrated Approach To Studying Rare Neuromuscular Diseases Using Animal And Human Cell-Based Models., Timothy J Hines, Cathleen Lutz, Stephen A Murray, Robert W. Burgess

Faculty Research 2022

As sequencing technology improves, the identification of new disease-associated genes and new alleles of known genes is rapidly increasing our understanding of the genetic underpinnings of rare diseases, including neuromuscular diseases. However, precisely because these disorders are rare and often heterogeneous, they are difficult to study in patient populations. In parallel, our ability to engineer the genomes of model organisms, such as mice or rats, has gotten increasingly efficient through techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, allowing the creation of precision human disease models. Such

Mechanotransductive Feedback Control Of Endothelial Cell Motility And Vascular Morphogenesis, Devon E. Mason, Megan Goeckel, Sebastian Vega, Pei-Hsun Wu, Dymonn Johnson, Su-Jin Heo, Denis Wirtz, Jason A. Burdick, Levi Wood, Brian Y. Chow, Amber N. Stratman, Joel D. Boerckel

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Vascular morphogenesis requires persistent endothelial cell motility that is responsive to diverse and dynamic mechanical stimuli. Here, we interrogated the mechanotransductive feedback dynamics that govern endothelial cell motility and vascular morphogenesis. We show that the transcriptional regulators, YAP and TAZ, are activated by mechanical cues to transcriptionally limit cytoskeletal and focal adhesion maturation, forming a conserved mechanotransductive feedback loop that mediates human endothelial cell motility in vitro and zebrafish intersegmental vessel (ISV) morphogenesis in vivo. This feedback loop closes in 4 hours, achieving cytoskeletal equilibrium in 8 hours. Feedback loop inhibition arrested endothelial cell migration in vitro and ISV morphogenesis …

Psilocybin Psychotherapy With Acceptance And Commitment Therapy: A Potential Treatment For Social Anxiety Disorder, Elliot Sandberg

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Individuals diagnosed with social anxiety disorder are in need of a more effective therapeutic intervention. Due to the nature of SAD, individuals tend to not seek care for their treatment, leading to the continuation of avoidance behaviors that significantly impact their daily existence. Psilocybin psychotherapy has the potential to lead to significant changes in the personality structure of individuals as well as reducing anxious responses to their environment in a relatively short period of time. Acceptance and commitment therapy can serve as the ideal therapeutic backing to psilocybin as it emphasizes mindfulness and psychological flexibility, both of which aid in …

Synthesis Of Selenotryptophan For Protein Elucidation, James P. Reiselman

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Through complex intermolecular and intramolecular forces, proteins conformationally change to form complex 3-d geometry that carries out biochemical processes and mapping their structures is becoming a field of interest in the biological community. Techniques for modeling protein’s structure typically follow the path of X-ray crystallography, which has an intrinsic phase problem that can make reading the electron density map they produce very difficult. This can be mitigated by appending a heavy-atom containing amino acid analogue into a crystal sample of the protein being studied. A selenium containing tryptophan analogue will be synthesized to be appended into proteins as a chemical …

Awareness Of Racial Disparities In Healthcare: An Analysis Of Undergraduate Science Students’ Perceptions, Liz Bleyer

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

General and systemic racial inequalities, including slavery, mass incarceration, and health disparities, have existed throughout the history of the United States. Recent public health issues, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic, have shed light on enduring health disparities, including the disproportionate impact on black communities and other racial minorities. A crucial first step towards a more equitable healthcare system is increasing general awareness of the presence and effects of racial disparities. Previous research has quantified and described the awareness of racial disparities in healthcare practitioners, including medical students and practicing physicians, but little research has been dedicated to understanding the perspectives of …

Piceatannol, A Dietary Polyphenol, Alleviates Adipose Tissue Loss In Pre-Clinical Model Of Cancer-Associated Cachexia Via Lipolysis Inhibition, Jonathan Kershaw, Bennett D. Elzey, Xiao-Xuan Guo, Kee-Hong Kim

Public and Allied Health Faculty Publications

Cancer-associated cachexia (CAC) is the nutrition-independent loss of lean muscle and adipose tissues, and results in reduced chemotherapy effectiveness and increased mortality. Preventing adipose loss is considered a key target in the early stages of cachexia. Lipolysis is considered the central driver of adipose loss in CAC. We recently found that piceatannol, but not its analogue resveratrol, exhibits an inhibitory effect on lipolysis. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of piceatannol in cancer-associated lipolysis and cachexia-induced weight loss. Cancer cell-induced lipolysis in adipocytes was stimulated using cancer-conditioned media (CCM) or co-culture with human pancreatic cancer cells …

Gender Differences In The Relationships Between Perceived Stress, Eating Behaviors, Sleep, Dietary Risk, And Body Mass Index, Chen Du, Mary Adjepong, Megan Chong Hueh Zan, Min Jung Cho, Jennifer I. Fenton, Pao Ying Hsiao, Laura Keaver, Heesoon Lee, Mary-Jon Ludy, Wan Shen, Winnie Chee Siew Swee, Jyothi Thrivikraman, Felicity Amoah-Agyei, Emilie De Kanter, Wenyan Wang, Robin M. Tucker

Public and Allied Health Faculty Publications

Background: Obesity is a growing epidemic among university students, and the high levels of stress reported by this population could contribute to this issue. Singular relationships between perceived stress; engagement in restrained, uncontrolled, and emotional eating; sleep; dietary risk; and body mass index (BMI) have been reported in the current body of literature; however, these constructs interact with each other, and the complex relationships among them are infrequently examined. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the complex relationships between these constructs using mediation and moderation analyses stratified by gender. Methods: A cross-sectional study, enrolling university students …

The Social Philosophy Of Gerald Gaus: Moral Relations Amid Control, Contestation, And Complexity, Kevin Vallier

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Gerald Gaus was one of the leading liberal theorists of the early twenty-first century. He defended liberal order based on its unique capacity to handle deep disagreement and pressed liberals toward a principled openness to pluralism and diversity. Yet, almost everything written about Gaus's work is evaluative: determining whether his arguments succeed or fail. This essay breaks from the pack by outlining underlying themes in his work. I argue that Gaus explored how to sustain moral relations between persons in light of the institutional threats of social control, evaluative pluralism, and institutional complexity, and the psychological threat of acting solely …

Investigating The Mechanisms Of Active Site Mutations To The 1t9g Wt Mcad Protein To Better Understand Medium Chain Acyl-Coa Dehydrogenase Deficiency (Mcadd), Omar E. Saleh, Rhea Khatiwala, Jeremy Ignatius

Protein Modeling Reports

Medium-chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCADD) is a human disorder that hinders β-oxidation, affecting approximately 1 in 17,000 people in the United States. Once mutated, the Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Medium-Chain (ACADM) gene, which is solely responsible for MCADD, is unable to produce enough MCAD enzymes to metabolize medium-chain fatty acids. As a result, fats are not catabolized, causing symptoms of lethargy and hypoglycemia, as well as damage to the brain and liver due to a buildup of unused fatty tissue. The purpose of this project was to investigate the possible and known effects of different amino acid mutations on the human MCAD …

2022 Summer Newsletter, Nova Southeastern University

Suicide and Violence Prevention Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Regardless, ‘I’ And ‘You’: Lessons From Black Feminist Literature, Jasmine Veronica Sauceda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower, and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple from a Black feminist perspective to demonstrate oneness as capacious being. This project explores an I-You dialogue that works toward future-making through the notion of regardless, an idea from Walker’s definition of Womanist, deployed through sustained engagement with Kevin Quashie’s notion of oneness. Thus, this work extrapolates lessons found in the selected texts to demonstrate what it means to embody a capaciousness of being and how this then fosters healing in the face of trauma. In so doing, …

Lawyers As Caregivers, Paula Schaefer

Scholarly Works

This Article argues that clients—much like patients in a healthcare setting—need their lawyers to be caregivers. The Article opens by developing a definition of caregiving in medicine and law. It then turns to five key components of caregiving in medicine, explaining the substantial research that this care is crucial for patient satisfaction, trust, and healing. Medical educators have drawn on this research to better prepare medical professionals to be excellent caregivers. The Article then explores the evidence that an attorney’s clients have the same needs and suffer similar harm when attorneys fail to meet these needs. Next, the Article turns …

How To Look At Lynching: A Digital Red Record Of Southern Mississippi, Calais Bates, Willem Myers, Sarah Richert

The Red Record: Lynching, Literature, and Black Flesh in the Press

No abstract provided.

Synthetic Design And Anisotropic Conductivities Of Polymeric Mixed Ion- Electron Conductors, Nika Bondar, Abigail Slimp, Patrick Gruoner, Jason Lin

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

Our project documented, in extensive detail, the liquid crystalline (LC) assembly pathway from solution to solid state in the supramolecular complexes of the mixed ionic-electronic conducting polymers (MIECPs) prepared from carboxylated poly(3-alkylthiophene) and ionic liquid surfactant. Using UV-visible spectroscopy we have shown that the complexation is accompanied by the surfactochromism showing colorimetric response and conformational transitions as a function of the IL surfactant mole ratio. Additionally, we have demonstrated via Polarized Optical Microscopy (POM), that the equimolar solution exhibits rodlike conformation and its hydrogel spontaneously forms a 2D smectic LC mesophase with a lamellar periodicity. Defect-free LC domains were produced …

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Samantha Ortega

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This project is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Science in Environmental Biology at Regis University. Chapter 1 is a literature review that discusses the management implications of designing bird habitat on anthropogenic structures. Chapter 2 is a grant proposal to explore niche dominance by anthropophilic bird species in Denver, CO. Chapter 3 is a journal manuscript discussing how musth impacts captive bull Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) behavior at Denver Zoo. Finally, Chapter 4 is a stakeholder analysis for Northern Bobwhite recovery at Bridgestone-Firestone Centennial Wilderness Area, White County, Tennessee.