Digital Commons Network^™

Catch Bonds In Sickle Cell Disease: Shear-Enhanced Adhesion Of Red Blood Cells To Laminin, Utku Goreke, Shamreen Iram, Gundeep Singh, Sergio Domínguez-Medina, Yuncheng Man, Allison Bode, Ran An, Jane A. Little, Christopher L. Wirth, Michael Hinczewski, Umut A. Gurkan

Faculty Scholarship

Could the phenomenon of catch bonding—force-strengthened cellular adhesion—play a role in sickle cell disease, where abnormal red blood cell (RBC) adhesion obstructs blood flow? Here we investigate the dynamics of sickle RBCs adhering to a surface functionalized with the protein laminin (a component of the extracellular matrix around blood vessels) under physiologically relevant micro-scale flow. First, using total internal reflectance microscopy we characterize the spatial fluctuations of the RBC membrane above the laminin surface before detachment. The complex dynamics we observe suggest the possibility of catch bonding, where the mean detachment time of the cell from the surface initially increases …

Material Characterization And Comparison Of Sol-Gel Deposited And Rf Magnetron Deposited Lead Zirconate Titanate Thin Films, Katherine Lynne Miles

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) has been a material of interest for sensor, actuator, and transducer applications in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This is due to their favorable piezoelectric, pyroelectric and ferroelectric properties. While various methods are available to deposit PZT thin films, radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering was selected to provide high quality PZT films with the added capability of batch processing. These sputter deposited PZT films were characterized to determine their internal film stress, Young’s modulus, composition, and structure. After characterization, the sputtered PZT samples were poled using corona poling and direct poling methods. As a means of comparison, commercially …

Metagenomics Next Generation Sequencing (Mngs): An Exciting Tool For Early And Accurate Diagnostic Of Fungal Pathogens In Plants, Fatma Seyma Gökdemir, Özlem Darcansoy Iseri, Abhishek Sharma, Premila Achar, Füsun Eyidogan

Faculty Articles

Crop output is directly impacted by infections, with fungi as the major plant pathogens, making accurate diagnosis of these threats crucial. Developing technology and multidisciplinary approaches are turning to genomic analyses in addition to traditional culture methods in diagnostics of fungal plant pathogens. The metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) method is preferred for genotyping identification of organisms, identification at the species level, illumination of metabolic pathways, and determination of microbiota. Moreover, the data obtained so far show that this new approach is promising as an emerging new trend in fungal disease detection. Another approach covered by mNGS technologies, known as metabarcoding, …

The Gain Of Function Scn1a Disorder Spectrum: Novel Epilepsy Phenotypes And Therapeutic Implications, Andreas Brunklaus, Tobias Brünger, Tony Feng, Carmen Fons, Anni Lehikoinen, Eleni Panagiotakaki, Mihaela Adela Vintan, Joseph Symonds, James Andrew, Alexis Arzimanoglou, Sarah Delima, Julie Gallois, Donncha Hanrahan, Gaetan Lesca, Stewart Macleod, Dragan Marjanovic, Amy Mctague, Noemi Nuñez-Enamorado, Eduardo Perez-Palma, M. Scott Perry, Karen Pysden, Sophie J. Russ-Hall, Ingrid E. Scheffer, Krystal Sully, Steffen Syrbe, Ulvi Vaher, Murugan Velayutham

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Brain voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.1 (SCN1A) loss-of-function variants cause the severe epilepsy Dravet syndrome, as well as milder phenotypes associated with genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus. Gain of function SCN1A variants are associated with familial hemiplegic migraine type 3. Novel SCN1A-related phenotypes have been described including early infantile developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with movement disorder, and more recently neonatal presentations with arthrogryposis. Here we describe the clinical, genetic and functional evaluation of affected individuals. Thirty-five patients were ascertained via an international collaborative network using a structured clinical questionnaire and from the literature. We performed whole-cell voltage-clamp electrophysiological recordings comparing …

Algae And Cyanobacteria In The Aphotic Habitats Of Veternica Cave (Medvednica Mt., Croatia) And Selected Caves Of The Dinaric Karst (South-Eastern Europe), Najla Baković, Tanja Pipan, Robert Baković, Roman Ozimec, Josip Rubinić, Renata Matoničkin Kepčija

International Journal of Speleology

Microphototrophs (algae and cyanobacteria) in karst environments have been intensively studied in aquatic epigean habitats. In recent decades knowledge about the communities inhabiting cave entrances and lampenflora has grown substantially, but the data about the communities in aphotic cave zone are scarce. This study aimed to investigate spatio-temporal presence of microphototrophs in the aphotic zone of Veternica Cave (Mt. Medvednica karst) and to present additional preliminary data from 22 caves of the Dinaric karst. The data were collected over ten years, in parallel with research on cave phagotrophic protists. In addition to the remains of microphototrophs, living algae and cyanobacteria …

Modularity And Boolean Network Decomposition, Matthew Wheeler

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Canalization And Other Design Principles Of Gene Regulatory Networks, Claus Kadelka

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Stochastic Models Of Zoonotic Avian Influenza With Multiple Hosts, Environmental Transmission, And Migration In The Natural Reservoir, Kaia Smith

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Modeling The Role Of Land Conversion On The Spread Of An Epizootic Disease, Dustin Padilla

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Model-Free Identification Of Relevant Variables From Response Data, Alan Veliz-Cuba, David Murrugarra

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Modeling The Effects Of Media Awareness On Sars-Cov-2 Transmission In Georgia, Eric Numfor

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Nonlinearity Of Regulation In Biological Networks, Santosh Manicka, Kathleen Johnson, Michael Levin, David Murrugarra

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Is Cleaning Up The Ocean Helpful Or Hurtful?, Megan O. Powell

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

A Discrete Introduction To Mathematical Modeling: Lessons Learned From Introducing (Bio)Mathematical Modeling Through Difference Equations, Erin N. Bodine

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Tnbc Therapeutics Based On Combination Of Fusarochromanone With Egfr Inhibitors., Natalie Carroll, Reneau Youngblood, Alena Smith, Ana-Maria Dragoi, Brian A Salvatore, Elahe Mahdavian

Faculty Research 2022

Fusarochromanone is an experimental drug with unique and potent anti-cancer activity. Current cancer therapies often incorporate a combination of drugs to increase efficacy and decrease the development of drug resistance. In this study, we used drug combinations and cellular phenotypic screens to address important questions about FC101's mode of action and its potential therapeutic synergies in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). We hypothesized that FC101's activity against TNBC is similar to the mTOR inhibitor, everolimus, because FC101 downregulates the phosphorylation of two mTOR substrates, S6K and S6. Since everolimus synergistically enhances the anti-cancer activities of two known EGFR inhibitors (erlotinib …

Canopycam – An Edge-Computing Sensing Unit For Continuous Measurement Of Canopy Cover Percentage Of Dry Edible Beans, Wei-Zhen Liang, Joseph Oboamah, Xin Qiao, Yufeng Ge, Robert M. Harveson, Daran Rudnick, Jun Wang, Haishun Yang, Angie Gradiz

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Canopy cover (CC) is an important indicator for crop development. Currently, CC can be estimated indirectly by measuring leaf area index (LAI) using commercially available hand-held meters. However, it does not capture the dynamics of CC. Continuous CC monitoring is essential for dry edible beans production since it can affect crop water use, weed, and disease control. It also helps growers to closely monitor “yellowness”, or senescence of dry beans to decide proper irrigation cutoff timing to allow the crop to dry down for harvest. Therefore, the goal of this study was to develop a device – CanopyCAM, containing software …

The Impact Of Flipped Learning On The Language Performance And Attitudes Of Beginning Spanish As A Second Language Learners, Susana Dimas

Theses and Dissertations

The present study evaluated student academic performance on grammar focused tasks in a Spanish L2 flipped classroom compared to a non-flipped classroom as well as examined learners’ attitudes towards the implementation of the flipped model in the Spanish L2 instruction. This research included a between-group design, which involved a control group being instructed via a flipped approach and a comparison group learning the same material under a non-flipped model; and a within-group design with a group of learners combining these two different methodologies during one semester. Results in grammar-focused pre and post-tests indicated that Spanish L2 learners did not improve …

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli Heat-Labile Toxin Drives Enteropathic Changes In Small Intestinal Epithelia, Alaullah Sheikh, Brunda Tumala, Tim J Vickers, John C Martin, Bruce A Rosa, Subrata Sabui, Supratim Basu, Rita D Simoes, Makedonka Mitreva, Chad Storer, Erik Tyksen, Richard D Head, Wandy Beatty, Hamid M Said, James M Fleckenstein

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) produce heat-labile (LT) and/or heat-stable (ST) enterotoxins, and commonly cause diarrhea in resource-poor regions. ETEC have been linked repeatedly to sequelae in children including enteropathy, malnutrition, and growth impairment. Although cellular actions of ETEC enterotoxins leading to diarrhea are well-established, their contributions to sequelae remain unclear. LT increases cellular cAMP to activate protein kinase A (PKA) that phosphorylates ion channels driving intestinal export of salt and water resulting in diarrhea. As PKA also modulates transcription of many genes, we interrogated transcriptional profiles of LT-treated intestinal epithelia. Here we show that LT significantly alters intestinal epithelial gene …

Pancreaticoduodenectomy In 11-Year-Old Male With A Non-Functional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor, Whitney Elks, Jessa Rose Li, Alexander Zajack, Lance Horner, Alan Ikeda, Charles St Hill, Michael Scheidler, Shirong Chang

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are rare pancreatic neoplasms and are even more uncommon in the pediatric patients, thus leading to a lack of clinical research on diagnosis and management in this population. The purpose of this report is to review relevant literature and discuss a rare occurrence of a non-functioning pNET in a pediatric patient. This is a report of an 11-year-old male who presented with symptomatic anemia and was found to have a 6 cm mass near the pancreatic head with erosion into the duodenum. Surgical biopsy demonstrated a non-functioning pNET. He was successfully managed with complete surgical resection …

A Metabolic Profile Of Escalating Density Training, Desmond Millender

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the acute physiological, perceptual, and enjoyment responses between a single bout of escalating density training (EDT) and traditional resistance training (TRAD).

Methods: Twelve physically active males (n = 6) and females (n = 6) (age: 21.4 ± 3.0 years; weight: 69.8 ± 7.9 kg; height: 172.9 ± 12.4 cm; maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max): 44.7 ± 9.2 ml · kg^-1 · min^-1) performed both EDT and TRAD. During the EDT trial, participants performed chest and leg press exercises in a cyclical fashion for 15 minutes with limited …

Dual Optical Nanosensor Based On Ormosil Nanoparticles For Monitoring O2 And Ph, Reham Ali

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Monitoring O2 and pH has excellent potential in different sensing applications, especially in biological and clinical applications. This report presents a protocol for synthesizing an optical dual nanosensor for those two parameters. The organically modified silica (ormosil) nanoparticles were prepared based on phenytrimethoxysilane in an aqueous solution using an acid-base one-pot strategy. Ormosil was selected as a lipophilic matrix for loading fluorescent O2-sensitive dye platinum(II)-tetrakis-(pentafluorophenyl) porphyrin (Pt-TPFPP), which was quenched in the presence of O2 gas and exhibited a considerable detection proficiency within a percentage range of (0-100%) O2. Commercially available drug ingredient salicylamide was labeled on the surface of …

Exercise Facilitates Regeneration After Severe Nerve Transection And Further Modulates Neural Plasticity, Yunfan Kong, Mitchell Kuss, Yu Shi, Fang Fang, Wen Xue, Wen Shi, Yutong Liu, Chi Zhang, Peng Zhong, Bin Duan

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Patients with severe traumatic peripheral nerve injury (PNI) always suffer from incomplete recovery and poor functional outcome. Physical exercise-based rehabilitation, as a non-invasive interventional strategy, has been widely acknowledged to improve PNI recovery by promoting nerve regeneration and relieving pain. However, effects of exercise on chronic plastic changes following severe traumatic PNIs have been limitedly discussed. In this study, we created a long-gap sciatic nerve transection followed by autograft bridging in rats and tested the therapeutic functions of treadmill running with low intensity and late initiation. We demonstrated that treadmill running effectively facilitated nerve regeneration and prevented muscle atrophy and …

Heterotopias Of Nationalist Youth Organisations In Poland: Communitarisation And Entry/Exit System, Helena Ostrowicka, Klaudia Wolniewicz-Slomka

The Qualitative Report

The article presents the results of an analysis of the discourse of nationalist youth organisations in Poland. The authors have attempted to reconstruct the common “us” of two youth organisations based on the materials made available by them as well as articles in the press published in 2018 in selected journals and weeklies. This was the year when Poland celebrated its 100^th anniversary of regaining independence, which made this an exceptional time in the context of discourse about the community. The article focuses on two youth organisations – the All-Polish Youth (APY) and the National Radical Camp (NRC). The …

Structural Basis For Mechanotransduction In A Potassium-Dependent Mechanosensitive Ion Channel, Jonathan Mount, Grigory Maksaev, Brock T Summers, James A J Fitzpatrick, Peng Yuan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mechanosensitive channels of small conductance, found in many living organisms, open under elevated membrane tension and thus play crucial roles in biological response to mechanical stress. Amongst these channels, MscK is unique in that its activation also requires external potassium ions. To better understand this dual gating mechanism by force and ligand, we elucidate distinct structures of MscK along the gating cycle using cryo-electron microscopy. The heptameric channel comprises three layers: a cytoplasmic domain, a periplasmic gating ring, and a markedly curved transmembrane domain that flattens and expands upon channel opening, which is accompanied by dilation of the periplasmic ring. …

Retinal Microvascular Dysfunction Occurs Early And Similarly In Mild Alzheimer’S Disease And Primary-Open Angle Glaucoma Patients, Stephanie Mroczkowska, Hala Shokr, A Benavente-Perez, Anil Negi, Peter Bentham, Doina Gherghel

School of Health Professions

Purpose: To assess the similarities and differences in retinal microvascular function between mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, early-stage primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients and healthy controls. Methods: Retinal vessel reactivity to flickering light was assessed in 10 AD, 19 POAG and 20 healthy age matched control patients by means of dynamic retinal vessel analysis (DVA, IMEDOS, GmbH, Jena, Germany) according to an established protocol. All patients additionally underwent BP measurements and blood analysis for glucose and lipid metabolism markers. Results: AD and POAG patients demonstrated comparable alterations in retinal artery reactivity, in the form of an increased arterial reaction …

Loss Of Reef Roughness Increases Residence Time On An Idealized Coral Reef, M Lindhart

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

AbstractThrough idealized, numerical models this paper investigates flows on a reef geometry which has received significant attention in the literature; a shallow, fringing reef with deeper, shore-ward pools or lagoons. Given identical model geometries and varying only reef flat drag coefficients between model runs ($$C_D = [0.001,0.005,0.01,0.05,0.1]$$ C D = [ 0.001 , 0.005 , 0.01 , 0.05 , 0.1 ] ), two distinct circulation patterns emerge. One is related to low reef water levels and high roughness, and efficiently flushes the entire reef system resulting in low residence times (an ‘open reef’). The other is related to high reef …

30th Annual Scientific Congress Of Hong Kong College Of Cardiology Abstracts

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

No abstract provided.

Modularity In Gene Regulatory Networks, Mehak Kapoor, Claus Kadelka

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Covid-19 And Challenges To The Classical Theory Of Epidemics, Simon Levin

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Sowing Date And Phosphorus Fertiliser Application On Winter Survival Of Lucerne Cv. Aohan In The Northern Semi-Arid Region Of China, Z. L. Wang, Q. Zh. Sun, Y. W. Wang, Zh. Y. Li, Sh. F. Zhao

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the northern semi-arid region of China, winter survival is always a limiting factor for lucerne production, because low temperatures and a dry climate in winter (Zhou et al., 1993; Ma, 2000; Sun & Gui, 2001; Sun et al., 2003). An experiment was conducted to find an appropriate sowing date and P application rate in order to improve lucerne winter survival.