Digital Commons Network^™

Memory Function And Brain Functional Connectivity Adaptations Following Multiple-Modality Exercise And Mind-Motor Training In Older Adults At Risk Of Dementia: An Exploratory Sub-Study., Narlon C Boa Sorte Silva, Lindsay S Nagamatsu, Dawn P. Gill, Adrian M Owen, Robert J Petrella

Family Medicine Publications

BACKGROUND: Multiple-modality exercise improves brain function. However, whether task-based brain functional connectivity (FC) following exercise suggests adaptations in preferential brain regions is unclear. The objective of this study was to explore memory function and task-related FC changes following multiple-modality exercise and mind-motor training in older adults with subjective cognitive complaints.

METHODS: We performed secondary analysis of memory function data in older adults [

RESULTS: Our findings indicated that the M4 group showed greater improvements in the Paired Associates tasks compared to the M2 group at 24 weeks [mean difference: 0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.08 to 0.86,

CONCLUSION: Our findings …

Parasitic Infections Represent A Significant Health Threat Among Recent Immigrants In Chicago, Jesica A. Herrick, Monica Nordstrom, Patrick M. Maloney, Miguel Rodriguez, Kevin Naceanceno, Gloria Gallo, Rojelio Mejia, Ron Hershow

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Parasitic infections are likely under-recognized among immigrant populations in the USA. We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate if such infections have health impacts among recent immigrants in Chicago and to identify predictive factors for parasitic infections. A total of 133 recent immigrants were enrolled, filling out a standardized medical questionnaire and providing blood and stool samples. Appriximately 12% of subjects (15/125) who provided a blood or stool sample for testing were found to have evidence of current or prior infection with a pathogenic parasite, of which Toxocara spp. (8 subjects, 6.4%) and Strongyloides stercoralis (5 subjects, 4%) were most …

Exogenous Flupirtine As Potential Treatment For Cln3 Disease, Katia Maalouf, Joelle Makoukji, Sara Saab, Nadine J. Makhoul, Angelica V. Carmona, Nihar Kinarivala, Noël Ghanem, Paul C. Trippier, Rose-Mary Boustany

Journal Articles: Pharmaceutical Sciences

CLN3 disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder affecting children. Hallmarks include brain atrophy, accelerated neuronal apoptosis, and ceramide elevation. Treatment regimens are supportive, highlighting the importance of novel, disease-modifying drugs. Flupirtine and its new allyl carbamate derivative (compound 6) confer neuroprotective effects in CLN3-deficient cells. This study lays the groundwork for investigating beneficial effects in Cln3^Δex7/8 mice. WT/Cln3^Δex7/8 mice received flupirtine/compound 6/vehicle for 14 weeks. Short-term effect of flupirtine or compound 6 was tested using a battery of behavioral testing. For flupirtine, gene expression profiles, astrogliosis, and neuronal cell counts were determined. Flupirtine improved neurobehavioral parameters in …

Editorial: Structure, Isotypes, Targets, And Post-Translational Modifications Of Immunoglobulins And Their Role In Infection, Inflammation And Autoimmunity, Jean Harb, Bridget S. Wilson, Sylvie Hermouet

Pathology Research and Scholarship

EDITORIAL published: 07 August 2020 doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01761 Frontiers in Immunology | www.frontiersin.org 1 August 2020 | Volume 11 | Article 1761 Edited by: Deborah K. Dunn-Walters, University of Surrey, United Kingdom Reviewed by: Roberta Pelanda, University of Colorado School of Medicine, United States *Correspondence: Sylvie Hermouet [email protected] Specialty section: This article was submitted to B Cell Biology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Immunology Received: 29 May 2020 Accepted: 30 June 2020 Published: 07 August 2020 Citation: Harb J, Wilson BS and Hermouet S (2020) Editorial: Structure, Isotypes, Targets, and Post-translational Modifications of Immunoglobulins and Their Role in Infection, …

Detedit: A Graphical User Interface For Annotating And Editing Events Detected In Long-Term Acoustic Monitoring Data, Alba Solsona-Berga, Kaitlin E. Frasier, Simone Baumann-Pickering, Sean M. Wiggins, John A. Hildebrand

C-IMAGE Publications

Passive acoustic monitoring has become an important data collection method, yielding massive datasets replete with biological, environmental and anthropogenic information. Automated signal detectors and classifiers are needed to identify events within these datasets, such as the presence of species-specific sounds or anthropogenic noise. These automated methods, however, are rarely a complete substitute for expert analyst review. The ability to visualize and annotate acoustic events efficiently can enhance scientific insights from large, previously intractable datasets. A MATLAB-based graphical user interface, called DetEdit, was developed to accelerate the editing and annotating of automated detections from extensive acoustic datasets. This tool is highly-configurable …

Motile Onchocerca Volvulus Microfilariae In The Anterior Chamber Of The Eye, Michael E Gyasi, Augustine R Hong, Gary J Weil

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Dopamine D3 Receptor: A Neglected Participant In Parkinson Disease Pathogenesis And Treatment?, Pengfei Yang, Joel S Perlmutter, Tammie L S Benzinger, John C Morris, Jinbin Xu

Open Access Publications

Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms which relentlessly and progressively lead to substantial disability and economic burden. Pathologically, these symptoms follow the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) associated with abnormal α-synuclein (α-Syn) deposition as cytoplasmic inclusions called Lewy bodies in pigmented brainstem nuclei, and in dystrophic neurons in striatal and cortical regions (Lewy neurites). Pharmacotherapy for PD focuses on improving quality of life and primarily targets dopaminergic pathways. Dopamine acts through two families of receptors, dopamine D1-like and dopamine D2-like; dopamine D3 receptors (D3R) belong to dopamine …

Toward A Non-Anthropocentric View On The Environment And Animal Welfare: Possible Psychological Interventions, Sarah Gradidge, Magdalena Zawisza

Animal Sentience

Treves, Santiago-Avila, and Lynn (2019) argue for adopting a non-anthropocentric worldview to prevent further environmental damage and lack of consideration for animals. We discuss psychological interventions that might help achieve this.

Glioma-Derived Exosomes Drive The Differentiation Of Neural Stem Cells To Astrocytes, Krishna D. Sharma, Danielle Schaal, Rajshekhar A. Kore, Rabab N. Hamzah, Sahitya Chetan Pandanaboina, Abdallah Hayar, Robert J. Griffin, Malathi Srivatsan, Nathan S. Reyna, Jennifer Yanhua Xie

Arkansas Biosciences Institute

Exosomes appear to be effective inter-cellular communicators delivering several types of molecules, such as proteins and RNAs, suggesting that they could influence neural stem cell (NSC) differentiation. Our RNA sequencing studies demonstrated that the RNAs related to cell proliferation and astrocyte differentiation were upregulated in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) when co-cultured with exosomes obtained from the culture medium of human glioma cells (U87). Metallothionein 3 and elastin genes, which are related to cell proliferation, increased 10 and 7.2 fold, respectively. Expression of genes for astrocyte differentiation, such as tumor growth factor alpha, induced protein 3 of the NOTCH1 family, …

N‑Linked Glycosylation Prevents Deamidation Of Glycopeptide And Glycoprotein, Joshua Zhu, Ding Liu, Vy P. Tran, Zhigang Wu, Kuan Jiang, He Zhu, Jiabin Zhang, Christopher Gibbons, Bingzhong Xue, Hang Shi, Peng George Wang

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Deamidation has been recognized as a common spontaneous pathway of protein degradation and a prevalent concern in the pharmaceutical industry; deamidation caused the reduction of protein/peptide drug efficacy and shelf life in several cases. More importantly, deamidation of physiological proteins is related to several human diseases and considered a "timer" for the diseases. N-linked glycosylation has a variety of significant biological functions, and it interestingly occurs right on the deamidation site-asparagine. It has been perceived that N-glycosylation could prevent deamidation, but experimental support is still lacking for clearly understanding the role of N-glycosylation on deamidation. Our results presented that deamidation …

Targeting The Tumor Core: Hypoxia-Responsive Nanoparticles For The Delivery Of Chemotherapy To Pancreatic Tumors, Matthew I. Confeld, Babak Mamnoon, Li Feng, Heather Jensen Smith, Priyanka Ray, James Froberg, Jiha Kim, Michael A. Hollingsworth, Mohiuddin Quadir, Yongki Choi, Sanku Mallik

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), early onset of hypoxia triggers remodeling of the extracellular matrix, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, increased cell survival, the formation of cancer stem cells, and drug resistance. Hypoxia in PDAC is also associated with the development of collagen-rich, fibrous extracellular stroma (desmoplasia), resulting in severely impaired drug penetration. To overcome these daunting challenges, we created polymer nanoparticles (polymersomes) that target and penetrate pancreatic tumors, reach the hypoxic niches, undergo rapid structural destabilization, and release the encapsulated drugs. In vitro studies indicated a high cellular uptake of the polymersomes and increased cytotoxicity of the drugs under hypoxia compared to …

The Paganist Totem Birds In Slavic Folklore: The Black And The White, Anastasia Radzievska

Dissertations and Theses

It is believed that pagan cosmology once ran strong through the Slavic countries and traces are visible through the passed down folklore that spread through the land. While we talk of animals and their representation in folklore, we usually only refer to the Christian written western folklore, but these pagan born animals stand in strong contrast to them. The Slavic people believed that the world was made of diverse natural forces that shared what the Earth had to offer and worked in unison to protect one another, whereas the Christian belief saw the world as a distinct separation of man …

Ampk In The Ventromedial Nucleus Of The Hypothalamus: A Key Regulator For Thermogenesis, Hailan Liu, Yong Xu, Fang Hu

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Obesity has become a global health issue, but effective therapies remain very limited. Adaptive thermogenesis promotes weight loss by dissipating energy in the form of heat, thereby representing a promising target to counteract obesity. Notably, the regulation of thermogenesis is tightly orchestrated by complex neuronal networks, especially those in the hypothalamus. Recent evidence highlights the importance of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) within the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) in modulating thermogenesis. Various molecules, such as GLP-1, leptin, estradiol, and thyroid hormones, have been reported to act on the VMH to inhibit AMPK, which subsequently increases thermogenesis through the …

In-Danger Animals, James Crawford

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

An Army Ranger reflects on his experiences with wild animals during his military career, especially an encounter with a tiger in the DMZ.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so both writer and audience may benefit.

Functionalized Scaffold And Barrier Membrane With Anti-Bmp-2 Monoclonal Antibodies For Alveolar Ridge Preservation In A Canine Model, Seiko Min, Taewan Kim, Oksu Kim, Carames Goncalo, Tadahiko Utsunomiya, Takashi Matsumoto, Kayo Kuyama, Nikola Angelov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of anti-bone morphogenetic protein 2 monoclonal antibody (anti-BMP-2 mAb) to functionalize scaffolds to mediate bone regeneration in a canine model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mandibular right premolar 4 (PM4) was extracted in eight beagle dogs and grafted with anti-BMP-2 mAb+anorganic bovine bone mineral with 10% collagen (ABBM-C) and porcine bilayer native collagen membrane (CM). The ABBM-C and CM were functionalized with either anti-BMP-2 mAb (test group) or an isotype matched control mAb (control group). Animals were euthanized at 12 weeks for radiographic, histologic, and histomorphometric analyses. Outcomes were compared …

Combined Abdominal Heterotopic Heart And Aorta Transplant Model In Mice, Hao Dun, Li Ye, Yuehui Zhu, Brian W Wong

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Allograft vasculopathy (AV) remains a major obstacle to long-term allograft survival. While the mouse aortic transplantation model has been proven as a useful tool for study of the pathogenesis of AV, simultaneous transplantation of the aorta alongside the transplantation of another organ may reveal more clinically relevant mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic allograft rejection. Therefore, we developed a combined abdominal heart and aorta transplantation model in mice which benefits from reducing animal and drug utilization, while providing an improved model to study the progressive nature of AV.

METHODS: The middle of the infrarenal aorta of the …

Identification And Characterization Of Novel Trpm1 Autoantibodies From Serum Of Patients With Melanoma-Associated Retinopathy, Juliette Varin, Margaret M. Reynolds, Nassima Bouzidi, Sarah Tick, Juliette Wohlschlegel, Ondine Becquart, Christelle Michiels, Olivier Dereure, Robert M. Duvoisin, Catherine W. Morgans, José-Alain Sahel, Quentin Samaran, Bernard Guillot, José S. Pulido, Isabelle Audo, Christina Zeitz

Open Access Publications

Melanoma-associated retinopathy (MAR) is a rare paraneoplastic retinal disorder usually occurring in the context of metastatic melanoma. Patients present with night blindness, photopsias and a constriction of the visual field. MAR is an auto-immune disorder characterized by the production of autoantibodies targeting retinal proteins, especially autoantibodies reacting to the cation channel TRPM1 produced in melanocytes and ON-bipolar cells. TRPM1 has at least three different isoforms which vary in the N-terminal region of the protein. In this study, we report the case of three new MAR patients presenting different anti-TRPM1 autoantibodies reacting to the three isoforms of TRPM1 with variable binding …

Canonical Signaling By Tgf Family Members In Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Is Dispensable For Hematopoietic Niche Maintenance Under Basal And Stress Conditions, Joseph Ryan Krambs, Grazia Abou Ezzi, Juo-Chin Yao, Daniel C. Link

Open Access Publications

Mesenchymal stromal cells are an important component of the bone marrow hematopoietic niche. Prior studies showed that signaling from members of the transforming growth factor (TGF) superfamily in mesenchymal stromal cells is required for normal niche development. Here, we assessed the impact of TGF family signaling on niche maintenance and stress responses by deleting Smad4 in mesenchymal stromal cells at birth, thereby abrogating canonical TGF signaling. No alteration in the number or spatial organization of CXCL12-abundant reticular (CAR) cells, osteoblasts, or adipocytes was observed in Osx-Cre, Smad4fl/fl mice, and expression of key niche factors was normal. Basal hematopoiesis and stress …

Chemical Effects Of Dicect Staining Protocols On Fluid-Preserved Avian Specimens, Catherine M. Early, Ashley C. Morhardt, Timothy P. Cleland, Christopher M. Milensky, Gwénaëlle M. Kavich, Helen F. James

Open Access Publications

Diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) techniques allow visualization of soft tissues of fluid-preserved specimens in three dimensions without dissection or histology. Two popular diceCT stains, iodine-potassium iodide (I2KI) dissolved in water and elemental iodine (I2) dissolved in 100% ethanol (EtOH), yield striking results. Despite the widespread use of these stains in clinical and biological fields, the molecular mechanisms that result in color change and radiopacity attributed to iodine staining are poorly understood. Requests to apply these stains to anatomical specimens preserved in natural history museums are increasing, yet curators have little information about the potential for degradation of treated …

Rev-Erb Agonism Improves Liver Pathology In A Mouse Model Of Nash, Kristine Griffett, Gonzalo Bedia-Diaz, Bahaa Elgendy, Thomas P. Burris

Open Access Publications

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects a significant number of people worldwide and currently there are no pharmacological treatments. NAFLD often presents with obesity, insulin resistance, and in some cases cardiovascular diseases. There is a clear need for treatment options to alleviate this disease since it often progresses to much more the much more severe non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The REV-ERB nuclear receptor is a transcriptional repressor that regulates physiological processes involved in the development of NAFLD including lipogenesis and inflammation. We hypothesized that pharmacologically activating REV-ERB would suppress the progression of fatty liver in a mouse model of NASH. Using …

Quantitative Definition Of Neurobehavior, Vision, Hearing And Brain Volumes In Macaques Congenitally Exposed To Zika Virus, Michelle R. Koenig, Kevin Noguchi, Et Al.

Open Access Publications

Congenital Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure results in a spectrum of disease ranging from severe birth defects to delayed onset neurodevelopmental deficits. ZIKV-related neuropathogenesis, predictors of birth defects, and neurodevelopmental deficits are not well defined in people. Here we assess the methodological and statistical feasibility of a congenital ZIKV exposure macaque model for identifying infant neurobehavior and brain abnormalities that may underlie neurodevelopmental deficits. We inoculated five pregnant macaques with ZIKV and mock-inoculated one macaque in the first trimester. Following birth, growth, ocular structure/function, brain structure, hearing, histopathology, and neurobehavior were quantitatively assessed during the first week of life. We identified …

Focused Ultrasound For Safe And Effective Release Of Brain Tumor Biomarkers Into The Peripheral Circulation, Lifei Zhu, Arash Nazeri, Christopher Pham Pacia, Yimei Yue, Hong Chen

Open Access Publications

The development of noninvasive approaches for brain tumor diagnosis and monitoring continues to be a major medical challenge. Although blood-based liquid biopsy has received considerable attention in various cancers, limited progress has been made for brain tumors, at least partly due to the hindrance of tumor biomarker release into the peripheral circulation by the blood-brain barrier. Focused ultrasound (FUS) combined with microbubbles induced BBB disruption has been established as a promising technique for noninvasive and localized brain drug delivery. Building on this established technique, we propose to develop FUS-enabled liquid biopsy technique (FUS-LBx) to enhance the release of brain tumor …

Client Processing Is Altered By Novel Myopathy-Causing Mutations In The Hsp40 J Domain, Melanie Y. Pullen, Conrad C. Weihl, Heather L. True

Open Access Publications

The misfolding and aggregation of proteins is often implicated in the development and progression of degenerative diseases. Heat shock proteins (HSPs), such as the ubiquitously expressed Type II Hsp40 molecular chaperone, DNAJB6, assist in protein folding and disaggregation. Historically, mutations within the DNAJB6 G/F domain have been associated with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy type 1D, now referred to as LGMDD1, a dominantly inherited degenerative disease. Recently, novel mutations within the J domain of DNAJB6 have been reported in patients with LGMDD1. Since novel myopathy-causing mutations in the Hsp40 J domain have yet to be characterized and both the function of DNAJB6 …

Myd88-Dependent Influx Of Monocytes And Neutrophils Impairs Lymph Node B Cell Responses To Chikungunya Virus Infection Via Irf5, Nos2 And Nox2, Mary K. Mccarthy, Glennys V. Reynoso, Emma S. Winkler, Matthias Mack, Michael S. Diamond, Heather D. Hickman, Thomas E. Morrison

Open Access Publications

Humoral immune responses initiate in the lymph node draining the site of viral infection (dLN). Some viruses subvert LN B cell activation; however, our knowledge of viral hindrance of B cell responses of important human pathogens is lacking. Here, we define mechanisms whereby chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a mosquito-transmitted RNA virus that causes outbreaks of acute and chronic arthritis in humans, hinders dLN antiviral B cell responses. Infection of WT mice with pathogenic, but not acutely cleared CHIKV, induced MyD88-dependent recruitment of monocytes and neutrophils to the dLN. Blocking this influx improved lymphocyte accumulation, dLN organization, and CHIKV-specific B cell responses. …

Campylobacter Colonization, Environmental Enteric Dysfunction, Stunting, And Associated Risk Factors Among Young Children In Rural Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study From The Campylobacter Genomics And Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (Caged) Project, Dehao Chen, Mark J Manary, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Livestock farming provides a possible mechanism by which smallholder farmers can meet their household need for animal source foods (ASF), which may reduce the risk of stunting. However, direct/indirect contacts with domestic animals may increase colonization by

Cd4 Inhibits Helper T Cell Activation At Lower Affinity Threshold For Full-Length T Cell Receptors Than Single Chain Signaling Constructs, Deborah K Johnson, Wyatt Magoffin, Sheldon J Myers, Jordan G Finnell, John C Hancock, Taylor S Orton, Stephen P Persaud, Kenneth A Christensen, K Scott Weber

Open Access Publications

CD4

Nonmicrobial Activation Of Tlrs Controls Intestinal Growth, Wound Repair, And Radioprotection, William F Stenson, Matthew A Ciorba

Open Access Publications

TLRs, key components of the innate immune system, recognize microbial molecules. However, TLRs also recognize some nonmicrobial molecules. In particular, TLR2 and TLR4 recognize hyaluronic acid, a glycosaminoglycan in the extracellular matrix. In neonatal mice endogenous hyaluronic acid binding to TLR4 drives normal intestinal growth. Hyaluronic acid binding to TLR4 in pericryptal macrophages results in cyclooxygenase2- dependent PGE

Regulatory T Cells Developing Peri-Weaning Are Continually Required To Restrain Th2 Systemic Responses Later In Life, Kathryn A. Knoop, Keely G Mcdonald, Chyi-Song Hsieh, Phillip I Tarr, Rodney D Newberry

Open Access Publications

Atopic disorders including allergic rhinitis, asthma, food allergy, and dermatitis, are increasingly prevalent in Western societies. These disorders are largely characterized by T helper type 2 (Th2) immune responses to environmental triggers, particularly inhaled and dietary allergens. Exposure to such stimuli during early childhood reduces the frequency of allergies in at-risk children. These allergic responses can be restrained by regulatory T cells (Tregs), particularly Tregs arising in the gut. The unique attributes of how early life exposure to diet and microbes shape the intestinal Treg population is a topic of significant interest. While imprinting during early life promotes the development …

Advances In Modeling The Immune Microenvironment Of Colorectal Cancer, Paul Sukwoo Yoon, Nuala Del Piccolo, Venktesh S Shirure, Yushuan Peng, Amanda Kirane, Robert J Canter, Ryan C Fields, Steven C George, Sepideh Gholami

Open Access Publications

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and second leading cause of cancer-related death in the US. CRC frequently metastasizes to the liver and these patients have a particularly poor prognosis. The infiltration of immune cells into CRC tumors and liver metastases accurately predicts disease progression and patient survival. Despite the evident influence of immune cells in the CRC tumor microenvironment (TME), efforts to identify immunotherapies for CRC patients have been limited. Here, we argue that preclinical model systems that recapitulate key features of the tumor microenvironment-including tumor, stromal, and immune cells; the extracellular matrix; and the vasculature-are …

Ige And T Cell Reactivity To A Comprehensive Panel Of Cockroach Allergens In Relation To Disease, Anna Pomés, Véronique Schulten, Jill Glesner, Ricardo Da Silva Antunes, Aaron Sutherland, Leonard B Bacharier, Avraham Beigelman, Paula Busse, April Frazier, Alessandro Sette

Open Access Publications

IgE sensitization to cockroach allergens is associated with development of allergic diseases, such as asthma. To understand the relevance of different cockroach allergens for diagnosis and immunotherapy, a comprehensive analysis of IgE antibody levels and T cell reactivity to an expanded set of cockroach allergens and their relationship to disease was performed in a cohort of USA cockroach sensitized patients. IgE antibody levels to recombinant chitinase and hemocyanin were measured for 23 subjects by custom-made ImmunoCAPs and compared with IgE levels to eight cockroach allergens we previously reported for the same cohort.