Digital Commons Network^™

Identification Of An Early Survival Prognostic Gene Signature For Localized Osteosarcoma Patients, Harry Mackay, Chathura J Gunasekara, Kit-Yi Yam, Dollada Srisai, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Yumei Li, Rui Chen, Cristian Coarfa, Robert A Waterland

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Recent genome-wide association studies corroborate classical research on developmental programming indicating that obesity is primarily a neurodevelopmental disease strongly influenced by nutrition during critical ontogenic windows. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate neurodevelopment; however, little is known about their role in establishing and maintaining the brain's energy balance circuitry. We generated neuron and glia methylomes and transcriptomes from male and female mouse hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, a key site for energy balance regulation, at time points spanning the closure of an established critical window for developmental programming of obesity risk. We find that postnatal epigenetic maturation is markedly cell type and sex specific and …

Evaluation Of Natural Antifungal Compounds From Artemisia Afra And Its Effectiveness On Prevention Of Aflatoxins, Noela G. Kilenga, Daniel Maeda, Oscar Kibazohi, Lilian D. Kaale

Tanzania Journal of Science

Artemisia afra is a medicinal plant with antimicrobial activities, known to treat tuberculosis, measles, cough, and influenza. In consequence, its applications have increasingly become pivotal to control various microbes which cause different diseases. This study therefore, evaluated the chemical composition and the antifungal activity of A. afra essential oil. The extraction of essential oil was done using steam distillation. The essential oil chemical composition was analysed by GC-MS. The analysis revealed 19 compounds from A. afra. The main compounds were borneol (71.529%), terpinen-4-ol (8.582%), β-thujone (3.283%), β-terpineol (2.590%), α-terpineol (1.791%), chrysanthenone (1.507%), myrtenal (1.393%), eucalyptol (1,8-cineole) (1.263%), cis-sabinene hydrate (1.172%) …

Phytochemical Investigation, Anti-Inflammatory And Analgesic Activities Of Ethyl Acetate Extract Of Pride Of Barbados Pod (Caesalpinia Pulcherrima), Osahon K. Ogbeide, Efosa D. Omono, Precious O Ehizojie, Anthony E. Aiwonegbe, Jeremiah O. Uadia

Tanzania Journal of Science

Pride of Barbados is a therapeutic herb which has wide traditional applications in the treatments and management of diverse ailments. Diseases pose great threats to human race. This research was aimed at evaluating the phytochemicals, proximate composition, acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities of the pod extract of Pride of Barbados in order to provide a scientific validation for its use as a therapeutic herb. All analyses were carried out using already established methods; the antioxidant potential was examined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, while the formalin-induced inflammation and acetic acid-induced writhing techniques were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory …

Modelling The Impacts Of Immigrants On Covid 19 Transmission Dynamics With Control Measures, Alfred K. Hugo, Goodluck M. Mlay, Moses B. Kabigi

Tanzania Journal of Science

The COVID-19 pandemic began in Wuhan City in the Hubei province of China in December 2019. The disease spread quickly in many countries around the world due to mobility of people from one location to another. As a result, a COVID-19 mathematical model with the impacts on immigrants was proposed to study its transmission dynamics and possible control measures. The reproduction number was determined by using the next-generation technique and found to be 0.636, indicating that the transmission could be minimized in the community if all immigrants were effectively controlled. The Pontryagin's Maximum Principle was applied in analysing control strategies …

Population Characteristics Of Selected Small Pelagic Fish Species Along The Tanzanian Coast, Godfrey Fabiani, Leonard J. Chauka, Christopher A. Muhando

Tanzania Journal of Science

Although small pelagic fishing in Tanzania is rising, lack of information on population structure has been a significant concern in its management. This study aimed to determine the species composition, length-weight relationship and length at first maturity of Amblygaster sirm, Encrasicholina heteroloba, Encrasicholina punctifer, Stolephorus commersonii, and Spratelloides gracilis landed at Kilwa Kivinje, Kipumbwi and Shangani along the Tanzanian coast. These landing sites were chosen because of their locations and importance in the small pelagic fishery. Sampling was done monthly from October 2018 to June 2020. The catch composition was site specific such that  E. heteroloba dominated at Kilwa Kivinje …

Anxiolytic Effects, Antioxidant And Anti-Inflammatory Activities Of The Methanol Extract Of Jatropha Tanjorensis Leaf, Anthony E. Aiwonegbe, Uwaila Omoruyi, Osahon K. Ogbeide, Blessing O. Imoukhuede, Benjamin O. Gabrielsson

Tanzania Journal of Science

The methanol leaf extract of Jatropha tanjorensis was analyzed for its bioactive components, in-vitro antioxidant, antidepressant, anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory activities using established methods. The phytochemicals detected were saponins, tannins, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, flavonoids and eugenols. The total phenolic content (TPC) was 36.48 mgGAE/g, while the total flavonoid content (TFC) was 145.92 mgQE/g of the extract. 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity gave an IC50 of 185.02 and 5.15 µg/mL for the extract and ascorbic acid (standard), respectively. The 50% lethal dose (LD50) was greater than 5000 mg/kg, while graded doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of the plant extract …

Chemical Composition And Bioactive Potential Of Extracts From Diospyros Capricornuta F. White Against Aspergillus Flavus And Aspergillus Parasiticus, Princess W. Ngowi, Juma A. Mmongoyo, Lilian D. Kaale

Tanzania Journal of Science

Diospyros capricornuta is an endemic species widely distributed along the coast of Tanzania that is used as food condiments and traditional medicine. The chemical compositions of Diospyros capricornuta leaves, stem-bark, and root-bark extracts; and their bioactive potentials against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus were investigated. The leaves, stem-bark, and root-bark samples of D. capricornuta were extracted using Soxhlet apparatus and the resultant extracts were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 14 compounds were identified from the extracts, whereby 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol was the most abundant compound in all extracts. The growth and aflatoxin production inhibitions against A. flavus and …

Pulse-Field Analysis Diversity Of Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamases Producing Gram Negative Bacteria Isolated From Periplaneta Americana (Cockroaches), Omolara D. Popoola, Moses O. Efuntoye, Georgia C. Agu, Benjamin T. Thomas

Tanzania Journal of Science

Extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria are organisms of public health significance that have been implicated in prolonged hospital stay, treatment failures and higher fatalities. These organisms were originally thought to be widely distributed in hospital, but have since grown in terms of their epidemiological coverage. This study was therefore aimed at using pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to understand the diversity of ESBL producing organisms originating from cockroaches in Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria. The diversity was determined by using a set of twenty six (26) ESBL producing bacterial strains isolated from cockroaches sampled in Ago-Iwoye community, Ogun State, Nigeria. PFGE analysis …

Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Towards The Use Of Iron And Folic Acid Supplements Among Pregnant And Lactating Women In Dar Es Salaam, Cecilia N. Mshanga, Elina J. Maseta

Tanzania Journal of Science

The current study investigated knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding the use of iron and folic acid (IFA) supplements among pregnant and lactating women living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Dar es Salaam. A cross-sectional survey involved 294 pregnant and lactating women attending Prevention of Mother-To Child Transmission (PMTCT) clinics. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the subjects. The data were analysed using SPSS. Multivariate regression analysis was carried out to determine factors associated with IFA supplement use among the study subjects. The findings indicated that knowledge of IFA supplement use among the subjects was good …

Lizard Jelly, Candi Chu

Harpur Palate: a Literary Journal

pages 68-76

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Scripture Update: El Niño And Lehi’S Voyage Revisited, Warren P. Aston

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

In recent years several scholars have drawn the attention of Latter-day Saints to the phenomenon popularly known as “El Niño.”1 In 1990 David L. Clark highlighted the fact that a mechanism was now known to science that would permit, periodically, easterly sea travel across the Pacific, the direction Lehi’s party is understood to have traveled.2 ENSO, the more formal acronym for this phenomenon, comes from El Niño (the Christ child) and Southern Oscillation, referring to the fact that the changes commence in the southern Pacific Ocean. The intermittent ENSO effect creates an easterly equatorial current running counter to the prevailing …

Memory And Attention While Scuba Diving At Shallow And Deep Depths: An Open Water Study, Leanne Boucher, Joshua Feingold, Kelly Concannon, Stephanie Talavera, Jaime Tartar, W. Matthew Collins

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

SCUBA diving requires a high level of cognitive functioning, however, many divers anecdotally report poor memory and attentional skills while underwater. Few studies have documented cognitive deficits resulting from an open-water dive. Here, 23 divers completed both shallow (8 m) and deep (28 m) dives over two days in the open-water. The order of the dives was counterbalanced across participants. While at depth, they completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory to assess anxiety levels, learned and were tested on a list of 36 words, and completed the trail making task (TMT) to assess executive functioning. They also gave saliva samples to …

Impact Of Neighborhood Quality And Recent Life Stressors On Sleep Problems: A Longitudinal Study Of Adolescents At Risk For Maltreatment, Krithika Prakash, Joseph Tu, Angela Staples

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

It is estimated that around 70% of adolescents are not getting sufficient sleep. The impact of poor sleep during adolescence is related to both increased psychopathology and poorer academic and social functioning. While studies have established a link at the community level between earlier school start times and poorer sleep, there remain open questions about other aspects of community such as neighborhood factors and stressful life events. In this study, we investigated the impact of three neighborhood factors (chaos, stability, and efficacy) and recent life stressors on adolescent (n = 1354) sleep habits at ages 12, 14, and 16 …

Leveraging The Structure Of Dnaja1 To Discover Novel Potential Pancreatic Cancer Therapies, Heidi E. Roth, Aline De Lima Leite, Nicolas Y. Palermo, Robert Powers

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest forms of cancer with a 5-year survival rate of only 11%. Difficult diagnosis and limited treatment options are the major causes of the poor outcome for pancreatic cancer. The human protein DNAJA1 has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer, but its cellular and biological functions remain unclear. Previous studies have suggested that DNAJA10s cellular activity may be dependent upon its protein binding partners. To further investigate this assertion, the first 107 amino acid structures of DNAJA1 were solved by NMR, which includes the classical J-domain and its associated linker …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Social Support In Males And Females Experiencing Issues With Infertility., Maya Pinzon, Shawna Rotoli

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to qualitatively investigate and compare male and female experiences of infertility in the context of social support.

METHODS: A Qualtrics survey (Qualtrics, Provo, Utah, United States) was posted to online fertility support groups and the responses were thematically analyzed. Only participants that completed the qualitative component of the survey were included in the study. Responses were subsequently thematically analyzed.

RESULTS: A sample of 110 participants (13 males and 97 females) were included in the present study. Thematic analyses revealed that isolation and loneliness, stigma, sentiments of misunderstanding, insensitive reactions, and others' unhelpful attempts …

Drivers Of Pb, Sb And As Release From Spent Gunshot In Wetlands: Enhancement By Organic Matter And Native Microorganisms, Anna Potysz, Łukasz J. Binkowski, Jakub Kierczak, Barnett A. Rattner

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

In many countries the use of lead-based ammunition is prevalent, and results in exposure and poisoning of waterfowl and other species of birds. In waterfowl hunting areas large quantities of spent shot may be deposited in wetland and terrestrial habitats. These pellets can undergo transformations, which are influenced by various abiotic and biotic factors. In addition to lead (Pb), other elements like antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) can be leached from Pb shot into the environment. In vitro simulations that included organic matter and microorganisms were utilized to examine elemental leaching from gunshot. We found that leaching efficiency was the …

Dynamic Remodeling Of Fiber Networks With Stiff Inclusions Under Compressive Loading, Robert J. Carroll, Minh H. Thanh, Alison E. Patteson

Physics - All Scholarship

The ability of tissues to sustain and withstand mechanical stress is critical to tissue development and healthy tissue maintenance. The mechanical properties of tissues are typically considered to be dominated by the fibrous extracellular matrix (ECM) component of tissues. Fiber network mechanics can capture certain mechanical features of tissues, such as shear strain stiffening, but is insufficient in describing the compressive response of certain tissues and blood clots that are rich in extracellular matrix. To understand the mechanical response of tissues, we employ a contemporary mechanical model, a fibrous network of fibrin embedded with inert bead inclusions that preserve the …

Curriculum Committee, Agenda, October 6, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - September 1, 2022
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Curriculum Deadlines - Toni Gibbons
• Adjourn: 3:00 pm

Educational Policies Committee, Agenda, October 6, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - September 1, 2022
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee (Chad Simon)
• Course Approvals - 128
• Academic Standards Subcommittee (Renee Galliher)
• General Education Subcommittee (Matt Sanders)
• Minutes - September 20, 2022
• Other Business
• Curriculum Deadlines - Toni Gibbons
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

Functional Assessment Of Missense Variants In The Abcc6 Gene Implicated In Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum, A Heritable Ectopic Mineralization Disorder., Luke Kowal, Jianhe Huang, Hongbin Luo, Jagmohan Singh, Adam E Snook, Jouni Uitto, Qiaoli Li

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum, a heritable multisystem ectopic mineralization disorder, is caused by inactivating mutations in the ABCC6 gene. The encoded protein, ABCC6, a transmembrane transporter, has a specialized efflux function in hepatocytes by contributing to plasma levels of inorganic pyrophosphate, a potent inhibitor of mineralization in soft connective tissues. Reduced plasma inorganic pyrophosphate levels underlie the ectopic mineralization in pseudoxanthoma elasticum. In this study, we characterized the pathogenicity of three human ABCC6 missense variants using an adenovirus-mediated liver-specific ABCC6 transgene expression system in an Abcc6

Early Versus Late Discontinuation Of Maintenance Therapy In Multiple Myeloma., Jordan Nunnelee, Francesca Cottini, Qiuhong Zhao, Muhammad Salman Faisal, Patrick Elder, Ashley Rosko, Naresh Bumma, Abdullah Khan, Elvira Umyarova, Srinivas Devarakonda, Don M Benson, Yvonne A Efebera, Nidhi Sharma

Oncology Articles

Maintenance therapy after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) in multiple myeloma (MM) is the standard treatment and recommended to be continued until disease progression. However, in the real world, patients discontinue treatment due to various reasons. We sought to determine the effect of early versus late discontinuation on survival outcomes in MM patients who underwent ASCT at The Ohio State University. We retrospectively reviewed 340 patients who underwent ASCT from 2005 to 2016 and received maintenance therapy for at least six months without progression. We compared the outcomes of patients who received maintenance for three years or less (early group) …

D121 Located Within The Dry Motif Of P2y12 Is Essential For P2y12-Mediated Platelet Function., Carol Dangelmaier, Benjamin Mauri, Akruti Patel, Satya P Kunapuli, John C Kostyak

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Platelets are anucleate cells that mediate hemostasis. This occurs via a primary signal that is reinforced by secreted products such as ADP that bind purinergic receptors (P2Y1 and P2Y12) on the platelet surface. We recently identified a human subject, whom we termed platelet defect subject 25 (PDS25) with a platelet functional disorder associated with the P2Y12 receptor. PDS25 has normal blood cell counts and no history of bleeding diathesis. However, platelets from PDS25 have virtually no response to 2-MeSADP (a stable analogue of ADP). Genetic analysis of P2Y12 from PDS25 revealed a heterozygous mutation of D121N within the DRY motif. …

The Influence Of Personality And Trauma On The Outcomes Of Sex Offender Treatment In An Outpatient Setting, Nicholas R. Rogers

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Sex offenders in the United States invoke a negative reaction in a majority of people. Often, there is a stigma about the character and personality of an individual who would commit such acts. These perceptions have largely kept the development of treatment modalities limited when compared to other psychological problems. One area that continues to need research is in the factors that contribute to the outcomes of treatment for sex offenders. The present study investigated the relationships between perceived historical trauma, personality, and treatment completion in an outpatient group of sexual offenders. We hypothesized that (1) sexual offenders who completed …

The Ccr2+ Monocyte Subsets Increase In Obese Boys But Not Girls With Abnormally High Carotid Intima-Media Thickness: A Pilot Study, María José Garcés-Hernández, Karen Pedraza-Escudero, Nayely Garibay-Nieto, Joselin Hernández-Ruiz, Jessica Lakshmi Prieto-Chávez, Lourdes Andrea Arriaga-Pizano, Eréndira Villanueva-Ortega, Galileo Escobedo, Aaron Noe Manjarrez-Reyna, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga

School of Medicine Publications

The differential contribution of monocyte subsets expressing the C-C chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) to subclinical atherosclerosis in girls and boys is unclear. In this pilot study, we compared classical, intermediate, and nonclassical monocyte subsets expressing CCR2 in 33 obese children of both sexes aged 8 to 16 divided by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), considering values above the 75th percentile (p75) as abnormally high IMT. Obesity was defined as body mass index above the 95th percentile according to age and sex. Flow cytometry analyses revealed that boys but not girls with IMT ≥ p75 displayed increased CCR2⁺ cell percentage and …

Single-Cell Analysis Of Immune Cell Transcriptome During Hiv-1 Infection And Therapy., Justin Pollara, Santosh Khanal, R Whitney Edwards, Bhavna Hora, Guido Ferrari, Barton F. Haynes, Todd Bradley

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Cellular immune responses are phenotypically and functionally perturbed during HIV-1 infection, with the majority of function restored upon antiretroviral therapy (ART). Despite ART, residual inflammation remains that can lead to HIV-related co-morbidities and mortality, indicating that ART does not fully restore normal immune cell function. Thus, understanding the dynamics of the immune cell landscape during HIV-1 infection and ART is critical to defining cellular dysfunction that occurs during HIV-1 infection and imprints during therapy.

RESULTS: Here, we have applied single-cell transcriptome sequencing of peripheral blood immune cells from chronic untreated HIV-1 individuals, HIV-1-infected individuals receiving ART and HIV-1 negative …

Proteomic And Phosphoproteomic Landscapes Of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Michael H Kramer, Qiang Zhang, Robert Sprung, Ryan B Day, Petra Erdmann-Gilmore, Yang Li, Ziheng Xu, Nichole M Helton, Daniel R George, Yiling Mi, Peter Westervelt, Jacqueline E Payton, Sai M Ramakrishnan, Christopher A Miller, Daniel C Link, John F Dipersio, Matthew J Walter, R Reid Townsend, Timothy J Ley

2020-Current year OA Pubs

We have developed a deep-scale proteome and phosphoproteome database from 44 representative acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients from the LAML TCGA dataset and 6 healthy bone marrow-derived controls. After confirming data quality, we orthogonally validated several previously undescribed features of AML revealed by the proteomic data. We identified examples of posttranscriptionally regulated proteins both globally (ie, in all AML samples) and also in patients with recurrent AML driver mutations. For example, samples with IDH1/2 mutations displayed elevated levels of the 2-oxoglutarate-dependent histone demethylases KDM4A/B/C, despite no changes in messenger RNA levels for these genes; we confirmed this finding in vitro. …

The Student Movement Volume 107 Issue 3: Running Home: Andrews Alumni Return To Campus, Caryn Cruz, Grace No, Gloria Oh, Wambui Karanja, Solana Campbell, Amelia Stefanescu, Jonathon Woolford-Hunt, Alannah Tjhatra, Taznir Smalling, Terika Williams, Marcel Mattox, Valerie Akinyi, Abby Shim, Reagan Mccain, Melissa Moore, Desmond H. Murray

The Student Movement v. 107 (2022-2023)

HUMANS

Meet Meryen Gonzalez, AUSA Religious VP, Interviewed by: Caryn Cruz

Seasons of Change: Alumni Weekend 2022, Grace No

Summer Mission Trip Interview with Nick Bishop, Interviewed by: Gloria Oh

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Alumni Homecoming Gala, Wambui Karanja

Currently..., Solana Campbell

Hispanic Heritage Month : Highlighting the Beauty of Hispanic Crativity, Amelia Stefanescu

Get Up and Go to Iceland, Jonathon Woolford-Hunt

NEWS

Alumni Take a Win at Saturday Night Game, Alannah Tjhatra

Bradley Harvest Run Interview with Andrews Students, Interviewed by: Gloria Oh

Hispanic Heritage Month-Mosaico: Colorism and Racism, Taznir Smalling, with additions by Terika Williams

IDEAS

Ezra Miller and …

Evaluating Indoor Air Phthalates And Volatile Organic Compounds In Nail Salons In The Greater New York City Area: A Pilot Study, Inkyu Han, Jin Young Seo, Dana Boyd Barr, Parinya Panuwet, Volha Yakimavets, Priya Esilda D'Souza, Heyreoun An-Han, Masoud Afshar, Ying-Yu Chao

Publications and Research

The Greater New York City area ranks highest in the United States in the number of nail salon technicians, primarily Asian immigrant women. Nail salon technicians are exposed to toxic phthalates and volatile organic compounds daily in nail salons. The purpose of this pilot study was to measure a mixture of phthalates and volatile organic compounds in nail salons in the Greater New York City area, and to characterize work-related determinants of indoor air quality in these nail salons. Working with four Asian nail salon organizations in the Greater New York City area, we measured indoor air phthalates and volatile …

Identifying Candidate Genes And Drug Targets For Alzheimer’S Disease By An Integrative Network Approach Using Genetic And Brain Region-Specific Proteomic Data, Andi Liu, Astrid M Manuel, Yulin Dai, Brisa S Fernandes, Nitesh Enduru, Peilin Jia, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 75 genetic variants associated with Alzheimer's disease (ad). However, how these variants function and impact protein expression in brain regions remain elusive. Large-scale proteomic datasets of ad postmortem brain tissues have become available recently. In this study, we used these datasets to investigate brain region-specific molecular pathways underlying ad pathogenesis and explore their potential drug targets. We applied our new network-based tool, Edge-Weighted Dense Module Search of GWAS (EW_dmGWAS), to integrate ad GWAS statistics of 472 868 individuals with proteomic profiles from two brain regions from two large-scale ad cohorts [parahippocampal gyrus …