Digital Commons Network^™

Amniotic Fluid-Derived Stem Cells: Potential Factories Of Natural And Mimetic Strategies For Congenital Malformations, Cristiane S R Fonteles, Julia Enterria-Rosales, Ying Lin, John W Steele, Ramiro A Villarreal-Leal, Jing Xiao, Daniel I Idowu, Beck Burgelin, Bogdan J Wlodarczyk, Richard H Finnell, Bruna Corradetti

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from gestational tissues offer a promising avenue for prenatal intervention in congenital malformations although their application is hampered by concerns related to cellular plasticity and the need for invasive, high-risk surgical procedures. Here, we present naturally occurring exosomes (EXOs) isolated from amniotic fluid-derived MSCs (AF-MSCs) and their mimetic analogs (MIMs) as viable, reproducible, and stable alternatives. These nanovesicles present a minimally invasive therapeutic option, addressing the limitations of MSC-based treatments while retaining therapeutic efficacy.

METHODS: MIMs were generated from AF-MSCs by combining sequential filtration steps through filter membranes with different porosity and size exclusion …

Potential Of Ecklonia Maxima As A Feed Supplement In Aquafeed: A Review, Tlou Kevin Ngoepe, Moses Okpeku, Esau Matthews Mbokane, Molatelo Junior Madibana, Sahya Maulu, Selaelo Jaqueline Mphalo, Ronewa Lieborn Nemakhavhani, Sithembile Zenith Ndlela

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

This review examines the potential of Ecklonia maxima, a brown seaweed, as a sustainable feed supplement in aquaculture. With the industry facing pressure to adopt environmentally friendly practices, E. maxima offers promise due to its bioactive compounds that promote growth and health in aquatic organisms. Studies have shown that dietary supplementation with E. maxima improves fish growth rates, feed conversion efficiency, and nutrient retention. The seaweed’s bioactive compounds, including phlorotannins and fucoidans, enhance digestibility, modulate gut health, and stimulate immune responses. This review assesses the impact of E. maxima supplementation on fish growth performance and feed utilization, considering factors like …

A Modeling Framework For Flocculated Cohesive Sediment Transport In The Current Bottom Boundary Layer, Jorge A. Penaloza-Giraldo, Liangyi Yue, Tian Jian Hsu, Bernhard Vowinckel, Andrew Manning, Eckart Meiburgc

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Cohesive sediment transport, where its settling velocity is controlled by the flocculation process, is a crucial component in determining biochemical cycles, fate of pollutants, and morphodynamics in many aquatic ecosystems. In this study, a modeling framework is presented to investigate how flocculation influences cohesive sediment transport in the current bottom boundary layer in dilute conditions, consistent with the calibration range of the flocculation model. From a local analysis of floc dynamics in homogenous turbulence, we identify that the floc size distribution is mainly controlled by floc cohesion and yield strength. The uncertainty in fractal dimension plays a minor role for …

How To Design A Program For The Poor That Is Not A Poor Program: Explaining The Political Sustainability Of The Guaranteed Income Supplement, Daniel Béland, Patrik Marier

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Created in 1967 as a temporary program aimed at supporting low-income people during the maturation of the Canada and Quebec Pension Plans, the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) has since become a permanent policy that remains a central component of Canada’s multi-layered public pension system. In this article, we explain why GIS is a popular and politically successful program that challenges the common wisdom in political science and policy analysis that “programs for the poor are poor programs.” The article shows that the success of GIS stems from its policy design (e.g., income-tested rather than means-tested benefits), the social construction of …

Exploration Of The Tunability Of Brd4 Degradation By Dcaf16 Trans-Labelling Covalent Glues, Muhammad Murtaza Hassan, Yen-Der Li, Michelle W Ma, Mingxing Teng, Woong Sub Byun, Kedar Puvar, Ryan Lumpkin, Brittany Sandoval, Justine C Rutter, Cyrus Y Jin, Michelle Y Wang, Shawn Xu, Anna M Schmoker, Hakyung Cheong, Brian J Groendyke, Jun Qi, Eric S Fischer, Benjamin L Ebert, Nathanael S Gray

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chemically induced proximity modalities such as targeted protein degradation (TPD) hold promise for expanding the number of proteins that can be manipulated pharmacologically. However, current TPD strategies are often limited to proteins with preexisting ligands. Molecular glues (e.g. glutarimide ligands for CUL4CRBN), offer the potential to target undruggable proteins. Yet, their rational design is largely unattainable due to the unpredictability of the ‘gain-of-function’ nature of the glue interaction upon chemical modification of ligands. We recently reported a covalent trans-labelling glue mechanism which we named ‘Template-assisted covalent modification’, where an electrophile decorated BRD4 inhibitor was effectively delivered to …

Spotlighting Our Entrpreneurial Students, And The Peter Werth Challenge, December 05, 2024, Tisa Mason Ed.D.

Heart of a Tiger Columns

No abstract provided.

Integrating Drug Target Information In Deep Learning Models To Predict The Risk Of Adverse Events In Patients With Comorbid Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And Alcohol Use Disorder, Oshin Miranda, Xiguang Qi, M Daniel Brannock, Ryan Whitworth, Thomas R Kosten, Neal David Ryan, Gretchen L Haas, Levent Kirisci, Lirong Wang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background/Objectives: Comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients are at a significantly higher risk of adverse outcomes, including opioid use disorder, depression, suicidal behaviors, and death, yet limited treatment options exist for this population. This study aimed to build on previous research by incorporating drug target information into a novel deep learning model, T-DeepBiomarker, to predict adverse outcomes and identify potential therapeutic medications.

Methods: We utilized electronic medical record (EMR) data from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), analyzing 5565 PTSD + AUD patients. T-DeepBiomarker was developed by integrating multimodal data, including lab results, drug …

Cellular Trafficking And Fate Mapping Of Cells Within The Nervous System After In Utero Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Matthew T Grant, Hemanth Ramesh Nelvagal, Maria Tecos, Amal Hamed, Kerry Swanson, Jonathan D Cooper, Jesse D Vrecenak

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In utero hematopoietic cell transplantation (IUHCT) utilizes fetal immune tolerance to achieve durable chimerism without conditioning or immunosuppression during a unique window in fetal development. Though donor cells have been observed within the nervous system following in utero injection, the timeline and distribution of cellular trafficking across the blood-brain barrier following IUHCT is not well understood. We injected 20 × 10

3d Genome Topology Distinguishes Molecular Subgroups Of Medulloblastoma, John J Y Lee, Michael J Johnston, Hamza Farooq, Huey-Miin Chen, Subhi Talal Younes, Raul Suarez, Melissa Zwaig, Nikoleta Juretic, William A Weiss, Jiannis Ragoussis, Nada Jabado, Michael D Taylor, Marco Gallo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Four main medulloblastoma (MB) molecular subtypes have been identified based on transcriptional, DNA methylation, and genetic profiles. However, it is currently not known whether 3D genome architecture differs between MB subtypes. To address this question, we performed in situ Hi-C to reconstruct the 3D genome architecture of MB subtypes. In total, we generated Hi-C and matching transcriptome data for 28 surgical specimens and Hi-C data for one patient-derived xenograft. The average resolution of the Hi-C maps was 6,833 bp. Using these data, we found that insulation scores of topologically associating domains (TADs) were effective at distinguishing MB molecular subgroups. TAD …

Targeting The Cholesterol Storage Enzyme Acat1/Soat1 In Brain Cells And Mouse Model: A Novel Approach To Address Aging And Apoe4-Related Neuroinflammation, Thao Nguyen Phuong Huynh Krumeich

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that significantly impacts nearly 7 million people in the United States. AD is characterized by the deposition of amyloid beta (Ab) plaque, tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), lipids granules, and neuroinflammation. Age and apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) are the two biggest risk factors for AD. Recent AD therapeutic development has mostly benefited the patient population with milder symptoms while causing serious side effects in APOE4 carriers, leaving the most impacted patients’ group - aged APOE4 carriers with no treatment option. With the increasing aging population, there is an urgent need for a …

Differential Relationship Between Meditation Methods And Psychotic-Like And Mystical Experiences, T. Palmer, K. Kadri, E. Fakra, J. Scholl, E. Fouragnan

School of Psychology

Much work has investigated beneficial effects of mindfulness-based meditation methods, but less work has investigated potential risks and differences across meditation methods. We addressed this in a large pre-registered online survey including 613 mediators where we correlated participants’ experience with fifty meditation techniques to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and mystical experiences. We found a positive correlation for both PLEs and mystical experiences with techniques aiming at reducing phenomenological content (‘null-directed’, NDM) or classified as non-dual or less embodied. In contrast, methods aiming at achieving an enhanced cognitive state (CDM), also described as ‘attentional’ or strongly embodied, showed negative correlations with PLEs. …

Differential Relationship Between Meditation Methods And Psychotic-Like And Mystical Experiences, Timothy Palmer, Kenza Kadri, Eric Fakra, Jacqueline Scholl, Elsa Fouragnan

School of Psychology

Much work has investigated beneficial effects of mindfulness-based meditation methods, but less work has investigated potential risks and differences across meditation methods. We addressed this in a large pre-registered online survey including 613 mediators where we correlated participants' experience with fifty meditation techniques to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and mystical experiences. We found a positive correlation for both PLEs and mystical experiences with techniques aiming at reducing phenomenological content ('null-directed', NDM) or classified as non-dual or less embodied. In contrast, methods aiming at achieving an enhanced cognitive state (CDM), also described as 'attentional' or strongly embodied, showed negative correlations with PLEs. …

Effect Of Yoga Therapy For Managing Migraine: A Case Series, Andrea Moran, Lori Rubenstein Fazzio

Journal of Applied Yoga Studies

Migraine is a common disabling primary headache disorder. It is characterized by symptoms lasting 4-72 hours, headache with unilateral location, pulsating quality, moderate or severe intensity, aggravation by routine physical activity, and association with nausea and/or photophobia and phonophobia. In this case series four females in the age range of 25-57 presented complaints of migraine headaches affecting their everyday lives. Additionally, they reported emotional challenges accompanying chronic pain due to migraine headaches such as stress, sleep deprivation, and anxiety. An online eight-week yoga therapy program was given for the management of migraine headaches. This program included lifestyle modifications, postures, breathing …

News From The Chapters 1999-2000, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

News from the Chapters 1999-2000

Timss 2023 Australia: Highlights On Australian Student Performance, Nicole Wernert, Marina Schmid, Sima Rodrigues

TIMSS 2023

Australia participated in the eighth cycle of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). TIMSS is an international sample study that assesses the mathematics and science achievement of Year 4 and Year 8 students every 4 years. Australia has participated in all cycles of TIMSS since it commenced in 1995 and over this 28-year period has collected rich data about trends in mathematics and science achievement. TIMSS 2023 expanded its scope to assess environmental knowledge and attitudes. This new component provides valuable insights into students’ understanding of environmental issues, including climate change, biodiversity, and conservation. This Highlights report …

Timss 2023 Australia. Volume 1: Student Performance, Nicole Wernert, Marina Schmid, Sima Rodrigues

TIMSS 2023

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international comparative study of student achievement directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). TIMSS was first conducted in 1995 and the 2023 assessment formed the eighth cycle, providing 28 years of trends in mathematics and science achievement at Year 4 and Year 8. In Australia, TIMSS is managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and is jointly funded by the Australian Government and the state and territory governments. TIMSS is a key part of Australia’s National Assessment Program. The goal of TIMSS …

Cascon 2024, College Of Arts And Sciences

SHU Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Healthcare For Everyone: The Critical Role Of Medical Care In Society, Ana Fernandez

INRW/Coreq Student Showcase

Summer/Fall 2024 Student Showcase

Sk609, A Novel Dopamine D3 Receptor Agonist And Norepinephrine Transporter Blocker With Putative Pro-Cognitive Actions, Does Not Induce Psychostimulant-Like Increases In Risky Choice During Probabilistic Discounting, Christopher P. Knapp, Brooke Fallon, Sandhya Kortagere, Barry D. Waterhouse, Stan B Floresco, Rachel L Navarra

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

RATIONALE: Psychostimulants, such as amphetamine (AMPH) and methylphenidate (MPH), non-selectively elevate extracellular concentrations of the catecholamine neurotransmitters, dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE), and are common pharmacological strategies used to improve prefrontal cortex (PFC)-dependent cognitive dysfunction. However, this approach can be problematic given AMPH has been shown to increase preference for risky choices in a rodent assay of risk/reward decision making. SK609 is a novel NE reuptake blocker that selectively activates DA D3 receptors without affinity for the DA transporter. SK609 has been shown to improve cognitive performance without increasing psychostimulant-like spontaneous locomotor activity, suggesting SK609 may benefit neurocognitive function without …

Strategies For Driver Retention At Small Trucking Companies, Dariell Kendrick Cooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The trucking industry faces a critical driver shortage, which threatens the stability of supply chains and the economy at large. This issue is particularly challenging for owners of small trucking companies, as they form the backbone of the industry. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry aimed to identify the strategies small trucking company owners used to retain drivers and sustain their operations. The participants included five small trucking company owners from the southeastern United States. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, public records, and company websites. Thematic analysis was used to …

Perceptions And Attitudes Of Western Michigan University Students On Antibiotic Medications, Emily Boask

Honors Theses

On a global scale, antibiotic resistance is a threat to public health. The causes of antibiotic resistance are multifaceted, including healthcare providers overprescribing antibiotics, antibiotic overuse in farming and food production, and antibiotic misuse or malpractices. The public recognizes antibiotic resistance as a significant problem but there are serious knowledge gaps regarding antibiotic resistance and antibiotic stewardship.

University students are a particularly important subpopulation of the public to understand appropriate antibiotic use because many of these individuals are navigating their health concerns on their own for the first time. Many individuals believe that antibiotics can improve cold symptoms, upper respiratory …

Chickpea Proteome Analysis Reveals Genotype-Dependent Variations Associated With Seed Traits, Utpal Bose, Sally Buck, Xavier Sirault, Mahya Bahmani, Keren Byrne, Sally Stockwell, Sean Mcwilliam, Michelle Colgrave, Angéla Juhász, Jean Philippe Ral

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the second most widely grown legume crop after soybean. Here, we measured the macronutrients and performed proteome profiling of eight chickpea cultivars using two complementary protein extraction solvents. The total protein, starch, and soluble sugar contents significantly differ between cultivars, and we quantified 2434 and 1809 proteins, respectively, from urea- and water-based extraction solvents using a data-independent acquisition approach. The proteome-level differences can vary from 9-25% for the urea-extracted proteins, and the storage protein abundances significantly differed between the cultivars, where legumin content was detected as the highest, followed by vicilin and albumin. Fifty common …

December 4, 2024 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Interaction Between Type 2 Diabetes And Past Covid-19 On Active Tuberculosis, Liz E. Calles-Cabanillas, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Doris Ayala, Jose A. Caso, Miguel Garza, Mateo Joya-Ayala, Raúl Loera-Salazar, America Cruz-González, John M. Thomas Iii, Blanca I. Restrepo

School of Medicine Publications

Background

The global setback in tuberculosis (TB) prevalence and mortality in the post-COVID-19 era has been partially attributed to pandemic-related disruptions in healthcare systems. The additional biological contribution of COVID-19 to TB is less clear. The goal of this study was to determine if there is an association between COVID-19 in the past 18 months and a new TB episode, and the role played by type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) comorbidity in this relationship.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 112 new active TB patients and 373 non-TB controls, identified between June 2020 and November 2021 in communities along …

Modern Bodies: Globalizing Media Cultures And The Representation Of Ideal Beauty, Michelle Sun

Comparative Literature Undergraduate Senior Theses

This project aims to examine how the image of the “modern body” is constructed, imagined, modified, and sustained by globalizing media cultures in France, Japan, and the US—investigating how factors of race, age, health, class, and gender overlap and intersect to create a vision of “ideal” beauty across different times and spaces. Previous research has focused on particular topics, such as the rise of cosmetic surgery in East Asia or the politics of modern American beauty parlors. However, my goal in this project is to evaluate these diverse studies through a broader and more comparative lens, analyzing examples of French …

University Of Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Department Of Music, University Of Richmond

Music Department Concert Programs

No abstract provided.

Consistency And Flexibility Of Character In Free-Ranging Male African Elephants Across Time, Age, And Social Contexts, Caitlin E. O’Connell-Rodwell, Jodie L. Berezin, Colleen Kinzley, Patrick T. Freeman, Monica N. Sandri, Dustin Kieschnick, Timothy C. Rodwell, Mariana Abarca, Virginia Hayssen

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Post-dispersal male African elephants (Loxodonta africana) live within complex social networks. To quantify the consistency of male elephant character (or personality) within these networks, we employed behavioral repeatability analysis tools across social and environmental contexts. We collected behavioral data from thirty-four individually-identified male elephants at the same waterhole over five field seasons (2007–2011) in Etosha National Park, Namibia. Using repeatability models to assess ten behavioral categories, we found five behaviors (affiliation, aggression, dominance, self-directed anxious, and self-directed comfort) were consistent at the individual level. Some of these behaviors were also repeatable, depending on social context. In particular, the …

Glutamate Receptors At The Zebrafish Neuromuscular Junction, Trenton Randall

Honors College Theses

Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS, but at the neuromuscular junction, that role is taken by acetylcholine. However, during embryonic development, non-cholinergic receptors, including those for glutamate, are also present at the NMJ, which are not maintained unless used. These receptors can still form functional circuits, as evidenced by a process called neurotransmitter respecification, in which a neuron changes which neurotransmitter it releases, and is accompanied by the upregulation of the corresponding receptor by the muscle. This process has been observed in frogs and in rats. We predict that zebrafish also exhibit this neurotransmitter plasticity. To assess …

Review Of Biochemistry: Free For All, Arnulfo Mar

Open Educational Resources - Reviews

No abstract provided.

Multicenter Clinical Performance Evaluation Of The Neumodx™ Ct/Ng Assay 2.0, B. Van Der Pol, A. Avery, Stephanie N. Taylor, J. Miller, C. L. Emery, A. English, G. B. Lazenby, Rebecca Lillis, J. Ruth, D. Young, S. Young, S. Chavoustie, L. Crane, V. Reid, G. Wall, S. Johnson

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Given the continued increases in rates of both Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infection, additional diagnostic assays may be useful in increasing access to testing for these sexually transmitted infections. We evaluated the performance of the NeuMoDx™ CT/NG Assay 2.0 on the NeuMoDx-96 and NeuMoDx-288 Molecular Systems. Methods: The clinical sensitivity and specificity of the assay was assessed when used with: 1) endocervical swabs; 2) self-, and clinician-collected vaginal swabs; and 3) first-catch urine specimens (female and male). Results were compared to a patient infection status based on US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared assays. Results: The …