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2015 Fall Faculty Conference: Cultivating Curiosity: Teaching As A Vocation, Academic Affairs

Fall Faculty Conference

The 2015 Fall Faculty Conference featured teaching showcases by Sarah Bouchard (Biology and Earth Science), Jeff Demas (Communication), John Kengla (Arts & Sciences), Gayle Walker (Music), and Paul Wendel (Education).

There were also breakout sessions hosted by Colin Saunders with Kay Ball and Clare Kilbane and Jackie Haverkamp and Paul Longenecker and T. G. Gerckens and Eric Lloyd, Anna Young, Joan Esson, Paul Wendel Kathryn Plank, Jean Kelly, Carrie Scheckelhoff, Jeff Smith, Erica Womack, Rares Piloiu, Amy Parsons, Jessica Crossfield McIntosh, Beth Daugherty, Andrew Mills, Dee Knoblauch, Kristin Bourdage, Patti Wilson, Kristy Drobney, Nate Parsell, and Deanna Heerman.

Biological Engineering Faculty Awarded For Cutting-Edge Eye Health Research | Biological Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

8/18/2015 - More than six million Americans are affected by age-related macular degeneration and other retinal diseases, and despite the prevalence of these disorders, few methods of prevention and treatment exist today.

Pacific Review Fall 2015, Alumni Association Of The University Of The Pacific

Pacific Magazine and Pacific Review

No abstract provided.

Potentiation Of Tonic Gabaergic Inhibition By Activation Of Postsynaptic Kainate Receptors, L Jiang, D Kang, J Kang

NYMC Faculty Publications

Presynaptic kainate-type glutamate ionotropic receptors (KARs) that mediate either the depression or the facilitation of GABA release have been intensively studied. Little attention has been given to the modulation of GABAA receptors (GABAARs) by postsynaptic KARs. Recent studies suggest that two GABAAR populations, synaptic (sGABAAR) and extrasynaptic (eGABAAR) GABAARs, mediate phasic and tonic forms of inhibition, respectively. Tonic inhibition plays an important role in the excitability of neuronal circuits and the occurrence of epileptic seizures. For this study, we are the first to report that the activation of postsynaptic KARs by the KAR agonist, Kainic acid (KA, 5 μM), enhanced …

Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Null Mice Exhibit Female And Male Differences In Regulation Of Vascular Homeostasis, Luca Vanella, Martina Canestraro, Craig R. Lee, Jian Cao, Darryl C. Zeldin, Michal L. Schwartzman, Nader G. Abraham

NYMC Faculty Publications

Increased CYP epoxygenase activity and consequently up regulation of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) levels provides protection against metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. Conversion of arachidonic acid epoxides to diols by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) diminishes the beneficial cardiovascular properties of these epoxyeicosanoids. We therefore examined the possible biochemical consequences of sEH deletion on vascular responses in male and female mice. Through the use of the sEH KO mouse, we provide evidence of differences in the compensatory response in the balance between nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), EETs and the vasoconstrictor 20-HETE in male and female KO mice. Serum levels of …

Molecular Epidemiology And Genomics Of Group A Streptococcus, Debra E. Bessen, W Michael Mcshan, Scott V. Nguyen, Amol Shetty, Sonia Agrawal, Hervé Tettelin

NYMC Faculty Publications

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus; GAS) is a strict human pathogen with a very high prevalence worldwide. This review highlights the genetic organization of the species and the important ecological considerations that impact its evolution. Recent advances are presented on the topics of molecular epidemiology, population biology, molecular basis for genetic change, genome structure and genetic flux, phylogenomics and closely related streptococcal species, and the long- and short-term evolution of GAS. The application of whole genome sequence data to addressing key biological questions is discussed.

The Cell Secretome, A Mediator Of Cell-To-Cell Communication, Joseph Zullo, Kei Matsumoto, Sandhya Xavier, Brian Ratliff, Michael S. Goligorsky

NYMC Faculty Publications

We are witnessing the emergence of a novel type of biological regulation, namely, the communication between cells via their secreted substances, the secretome. This brief overview is based on the available published data and our own experience. We discuss three vignettes illustrating the importance of communication via the secretome: (1) the secretome of stem cells and its effects in sepsis and systemic inflammatory response; (2) the profibrotic secretomes partially responsible for development of fibrotic complications; and (3) the contribution of senescence-associated secretory products to the propagation of the senescence phenotype. Considering the richness of secretomes of different cells under diverse …

Dynamic Functional Connectivity Revealed By Resting-State Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, Zhen Li, Hanli Liu, Jingping Xu, Wenli Liu, Fenghua Tian, Yong He, Haijing Niu, Xuhong Liao

Bioengineering Faculty Publications - Archive

No abstract provided.

1.7 Committee Structure, Saint Mary's College Of California

Faculty Handbook

No abstract provided.

Mir-21-Mediated Decreased Neutrophil Apoptosis Is A Determinant Of Impaired Coronary Collateral Growth In Metabolic Syndrome, Rebecca Hutcheson, Russell Terry, Brenda Hutcheson, Rashmi Jadhav, Jennifer Chaplin, Erika Smith, Robert Barrington, Spencer D. Proctor, Petra Rocic

NYMC Faculty Publications

Coronary collateral growth (CCG) is impaired in metabolic syndrome. microRNA-21 (miR-21) is a proproliferative and antiapoptotic miR, which we showed to be elevated in metabolic syndrome. Here we investigate whether impaired CCG in metabolic syndrome involved miR-21-mediated aberrant apoptosis. Normal Sprague-Dawley (SD) and metabolic syndrome [J. C. Russel (JCR)] rats underwent transient, repetitive coronary artery occlusion [repetitive ischemia (RI)]. Antiapoptotic Bcl-2, phospho-Bad, and Bcl-2/Bax dimers were increased on days 6 and 9 RI, and proapoptotic Bax and Bax/Bax dimers and cytochrome-c release concurrently decreased in JCR versus SD rats. Active caspases were decreased in JCR versus SD rats (~50%). Neutrophils …

Pacific Review Summer 2015, Alumni Association Of The University Of The Pacific

Pacific Magazine and Pacific Review

No abstract provided.

Kcnj10 (Kir4.1) Is Expressed In The Basolateral Membrane Of The Cortical Thick Ascending Limb, Chengbiao Zhang, Lijun Wang, Xiao-Tong Su, Dao-Hong Lin, Wen-Hui Wang

NYMC Faculty Publications

The aim of the present study is to examine the role of Kcnj10 (Kir.4.1) in contributing to the basolateral K conductance in the cortical thick ascending limb (cTAL) using Kcnj10(+/+) wild-type (WT) and Kcnj10(-/-) knockout (KO) mice. The patch-clamp experiments detected a 40- and an 80-pS K channel in the basolateral membrane of the cTAL. Moreover, the probability of finding the 40-pS K was significantly higher in the late part of the cTAL close to the distal convoluted tubule than those in the initial part. Immunostaining showed that Kcnj10 staining was detected in the basolateral membrane of the cTAL but …

2015 Great Expectations Spring Faculty Conference: General Education, Academic Affairs

Spring Great Expectation Faculty Conference

The 2015 Great Expectations Spring Faculty Conference features a keynote speech by Kathleen Blake Yancey. Kathleen Blake Yancey is Kellogg W. Hunt Professor of English and Distinguished Research Professor at Florida State University. A (past) president of several scholarly organizations--among them the National Council of Teachers of English and the Council of Writing Program Administrators (CWPA)--she co-founded and co-edited Assessing Writing for seven years, and she just stepped down from her five-year term as Editor of College Composition and Communication. She is the author of numerous articles, book chapters, and twelve books—including Portfolios in the Writing Classroom; Delivering College Composition: …

Combined Diazepam And Mk-801 Therapy Provides Synergistic Protection From Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine-Induced Tonic-Clonic Seizures And Lethality In Mice, Michael P. Shakarjian, Mahil S. Ali, Jana Velíšková, Patric K. Stanton, Diane E. Heck, Libor Velíšek

NYMC Faculty Publications

The synthetic rodenticide, tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TMDT), is a persistent and highly lethal GABA-gated Cl(-) channel blocker. TMDT is clandestinely produced, remains popular in mainland China, and causes numerous unintentional and deliberate poisonings worldwide. TMDT is odorless, tasteless, and easy to manufacture, features that make it a potential weapon of terrorism. There is no effective treatment. We previously characterized the effects of TMDT in C57BL/6 mice and surveyed efficacies of GABAergic and glutamatergic anticonvulsant treatments. At 0.4 mg/kg i.p., TMDT produced neurotoxic symptomatology consisting of twitches, clonic and tonic-clonic seizures, often progressing to status epilepticus and death. If administered immediately after the …

Faculty Parental Status: An Investigation Of Network Homophily, Marginalization, And Supportive Work–Family Academic Culture, Megumi Watanabe

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Serious incompatibility between work and family life among faculty is well known, and various work-family policies have become available to faculty. Due to the traditional academic work culture (e.g., the ideal worker norms and the individualism norms), however, these policies tend to be underused. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an academic work culture that is more supportive of faculty’s work-family needs. Using data collected on tenure-line faculty at a research-intensive Midwestern university, this dissertation pursues three complementary research objectives that provide new insight into the culture of academic work environments. First, based on social identity theory and homophily theory, …

Src-Family Protein Tyrosine Kinase Phosphorylates Wnk4 And Modulates Its Inhibitory Effect On Kcnj1 (Romk), Dao-Hong Lin, Peng Yue, Orlando Yarborough, Ute I. Scholl, Gerhard Giebisch, Richard P. Lifton, Jesse Rinehart, Wen-Hui Wang

NYMC Faculty Publications

With-no-lysine kinase 4 (WNK4) inhibits the activity of the potassium channel KCNJ1 (ROMK) in the distal nephron, thereby contributing to the maintenance of potassium homeostasis. This effect is inhibited via phosphorylation at Ser1196 by serum/glucocorticoid-induced kinase 1 (SGK1), and this inhibition is attenuated by the Src-family protein tyrosine kinase (SFK). Using Western blot and mass spectrometry, we now identify three sites in WNK4 that are phosphorylated by c-Src: Tyr(1092), Tyr(1094), and Tyr(1143), and show that both c-Src and protein tyrosine phosphatase type 1D (PTP-1D) coimmunoprecipitate with WNK4. Mutation of Tyr(1092) or Tyr(1143) to phenylalanine decreased the association of c-Src or …

The Cool Curriculum, University Of Dayton

News Releases

As a sophomore, Nichole Henger '14 was looking to add something different. She was majoring in environmental biology, the field in which she holds her bachelor's degree. "I was working with blowflies," she said. "But I was also interested in how people interacted with the environment."

The Loop (Spring 2015), Taylor University

The Loop (2012-2017)

The late Spring 2015 edition of Taylor University’s The Loop.

Pacific Review Spring 2015, Alumni Association Of The University Of The Pacific

Pacific Magazine and Pacific Review

No abstract provided.

Curtailing Endothelial Tgf-Β Signaling Is Sufficient To Reduce Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition And Fibrosis In Ckd, Sandhya Xavier, Radovan Vasko, Kei Matsumoto, Joseph A. Zullo, Robert Chen, Julien Maizel, Praveen N. Chander, Michael S. Goligorsky

NYMC Faculty Publications

Excessive TGF-β signaling in epithelial cells, pericytes, or fibroblasts has been implicated in CKD. This list has recently been joined by endothelial cells (ECs) undergoing mesenchymal transition. Although several studies focused on the effects of ablating epithelial or fibroblast TGF-β signaling on development of fibrosis, there is a lack of information on ablating TGF-β signaling in the endothelium because this ablation causes embryonic lethality. We generated endothelium-specific heterozygous TGF-β receptor knockout (TβRII(endo+/-)) mice to explore whether curtailed TGF-β signaling significantly modifies nephrosclerosis. These mice developed normally, but showed enhanced angiogenic potential compared with TβRII(endo+/+) mice under basal conditions. After induction …

Targeting Cd20+ Aggressive B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma By Anti-Cd20 Car Mrna-Modified Expanded Natural Killer Cells In Vitro And In Nsg Mice, Yaya Chu, Jessica Hochberg, Ashlin Yahr, Janet Ayello, Carmella Van De Ven, Matthew Barth, Myron Czuczman, Mitchell S. Cairo

NYMC Faculty Publications

The prognosis is very dismal for patients with relapsed CD20(+) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). Facilitating the development of alternative novel therapeutic strategies is required to improve outcomes in patients with recurrent/refractory CD20(+) B-NHL. In this study, we investigated functional activities of anti-CD20 CAR-modified, expanded peripheral blood NK cells (exPBNK) following mRNA nucleofection against CD20(+) B-NHL in vitro and in vivo. CAR(+) exPBNK had significantly enhanced in vitro cytotoxicity, compared with CAR(-) exPBNK against CD20(+) Ramos (P < 0.05), Daudi, Raji, and two rituximab-resistant cell lines, Raji-2R and Raji-4RH (P < 0.001). As expected, there was no significant difference against CD20(-) RS4;11 and Jurkat cells. CD107a degranulation and intracellular IFNγ production were also enhanced in CAR(+) exPBNK in response to CD20(+) B-NHL -: specific stimulation. In Raji-Luc and Raji-2R-Luc xenografted NOD/SCID/γ-chain(-/-) (NSG) mice, the luciferase signals measured in the CAR(+) exPBNK-treated group were significantly reduced, compared with the signals measured in the untreated mice and in mice treated with the CAR(-) exPBNK. Furthermore, the CAR exPBNK-treated mice had significantly extended survival time (P < 0.001) and reduced tumor size, compared with those of the untreated and the CAR(-) exPBNK-treated mice (P < 0.05). These preclinical data suggest that ex vivo-exPBNK modified with anti-CD20 CAR may have therapeutic potential for treating patients with poor-risk CD20(+) hematologic malignancies.

Minutes, College Of Arts & Sciences Council Meeting, March 27, 2015, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg. College Of Arts & Sciences

College Council Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the March 27, 2015, meeting of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg College of Arts and Sciences' Council.

Regulation Of Nonclassical Renin-Angiotensin System Receptor Gene Expression In The Adrenal Medulla By Acute And Repeated Immobilization Stress, Regina Nostramo, Lidia Serova, Marcela Laukova, Andrej Tillinger, Chandana Peddu, Esther L. Sabban

NYMC Faculty Publications

The involvement of the nonclassical renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the adrenomedullary response to stress is unclear. Therefore, we examined basal and immobilization stress (IMO)-triggered changes in gene expression of the classical and nonclassical RAS receptors in the rat adrenal medulla, specifically the angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) and type 4 (AT4) receptors, (pro)renin receptor [(P)RR], and Mas receptor (MasR). All RAS receptors were identified, with AT2 receptor mRNA levels being the most abundant, followed by the (P)RR, AT1A receptor, AT4 receptor, and MasR. Following a single IMO, AT2 and AT4 receptor mRNA levels decreased by 90 and 50%, respectively. Their …

Induction Of Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase By Borrelia Burgdorferi In Human Immune Cells Correlates With Pathogenic Potential, Andrea C. Love, Ira Schwartz, Mary M. Petzke

NYMC Faculty Publications

Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterial agent of Lyme disease, induces the production of type I IFNs by human DCs through TLR7 and TLR9 signaling. This type I IFN response occurs in a genotype-dependent manner, with significantly higher levels of IFN-α elicited by B. burgdorferi strains that have a greater capacity for causing disseminated infection. A B. burgdorferi strain that was previously shown to induce IFN-α was found to elicit significantly higher levels of IDO1 protein and its downstream metabolite, kynurenine, compared with a B. burgdorferi mutant that lacks a single linear plasmid (lp36); this mutant is unable to induce IFN-α and …

Microrna-146a And Microrna-146b Regulate Human Dendritic Cell Apoptosis And Cytokine Production By Targeting Traf6 And Irak1 Proteins, Haein Park, Xin Huang, Changming Lu, Mitchell S. Cairo, Xianzheng Zhou

NYMC Faculty Publications

We have previously reported 27 differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) during human monocyte differentiation into immature dendritic cells (imDCs) and mature DCs (mDCs). However, their roles in DC differentiation and function remain largely elusive. Here, we report that microRNA (miR)-146a and miR-146b modulate DC apoptosis and cytokine production. Expression of miR-146a and miR-146b was significantly increased upon monocyte differentiation into imDCs and mDCs. Silencing of miR-146a and/or miR-146b in imDCs and mDCs significantly prevented DC apoptosis, whereas overexpressing miR-146a and/or miR-146b increased DC apoptosis. miR-146a and miR-146b expression in imDCs and mDCs was inversely correlated with TRAF6 and IRAK1 expression. Furthermore, …

Heme Oxygenase-2 Deletion Impairs Macrophage Function: Implication In Wound Healing, Lars Bellner, Giuseppina Marrazzo, Nico Van Rooijen, Michael W. Dunn, Nader G. Abraham, Michal L. Schwartzman

NYMC Faculty Publications

Heme oxygenase (HO)-2 deficiency impairs wound healing and exacerbates inflammation following injury. We examine the impact of HO-2 deficiency on macrophage function and the contribution of macrophage HO-2 to inflammatory and repair responses to injury. Corneal epithelial debridement was performed in control and macrophage-depleted HO-2(-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice and in bone marrow chimeras. Peritoneal macrophages were collected for determination of phagocytic activity and classically activated macrophage (M1)-alternatively activated macrophage (M2) polarization. Depletion of macrophages delayed corneal healing (13.2%) and increased neutrophil infiltration (54.1%) by day 4 in WT mice, whereas in HO-2(-/-) mice, it did not worsen the already …

2015 Ruby Yearbook, Ayesha Contractor, Lisa Abraham, Rebecca L. Brown, Megan Burns, Hannah Engber, Phoebe French, Romina Kalmeijer, Delanie Lalor, Monica Reuman '15, Ursinus College Senior Class

The Ruby Yearbooks, 1897-2020

A digitized copy of the 2015 Ruby, the Ursinus College yearbook.

Live Virus Vaccines Based On A Yellow Fever Vaccine Backbone: Standardized Template With Key Considerations For A Risk/Benefit Assessment, Thomas P. Monath, Stephen J. Seligman, James S. Robertson, Bruno Guy, Edward B. Hayes, Richard C. Condit, Jean Louis Excler, Lisa Marie Mac, Baevin Carbery, Robert T. Chen

NYMC Faculty Publications

The Brighton Collaboration Viral Vector Vaccines Safety Working Group (V3SWG) was formed to evaluate the safety of live, recombinant viral vaccines incorporating genes from heterologous viruses inserted into the backbone of another virus (so-called "chimeric virus vaccines"). Many viral vector vaccines are in advanced clinical trials. The first such vaccine to be approved for marketing (to date in Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines) is a vaccine against the flavivirus, Japanese encephalitis (JE), which employs a licensed vaccine (yellow fever 17D) as a vector. In this vaccine, two envelope proteins (prM-E) of YF 17D virus were exchanged for the corresponding …

Distinct Signaling Mechanisms Of Mtorc1 And Mtorc2 In Glioblastoma Multiforme: A Tale Of Two Complexes, Meena Jhanwar-Uniyal, John L. Gillick, Jayson Neil, Michael Tobias, Zachary E. Thwing, Raj Murali

NYMC Faculty Publications

Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine-threonine kinase that functions via two multiprotein complexes, namely mTORC1 and mTORC2, each characterized by different binding partners that confer separate functions. mTORC1 function is tightly regulated by PI3-K/Akt and is sensitive to rapamycin. mTORC2 is sensitive to growth factors, not nutrients, and is associated with rapamycin-insensitivity. mTORC1 regulates protein synthesis and cell growth through downstream molecules: 4E-BP1 (also called EIF4E-BP1) and S6K. Also, mTORC2 is thought to modulate growth factor signaling by phosphorylating the C-terminal hydrophobic motif of some AGC kinases such as Akt and SGK. Recent evidence has suggested that mTORC2 …

Volume 3, 2015, Csusb

Psychology Student Research Journal (PSRJ)

• Information about the Psychology Student Research Journal p.1
• Letter from the Journal President p.2
  Ryan L. Radmall
• Letter from the Editor-in-Chief p.3
  Lace M. Riggs
• Words of Wisdom from a College Chair: A Brief Biography and Interview with Dean Jamal Nassar p.4
• Infidelity and HIV in South Africa p.6
  Kamalpreet K. Padda
• Nothing to LOL About: Texting (Mis)communications in Intimate Relationships p.11
  Kirk Fortini
• 2014-2015 Student Conference Presentations p.17
• The Influence of Emotion Regulation Strategies in the Relationship between Social Support and Posttramatic Stress Disorder Symptoms among Survivors of Sexual Assault p.20
  Seallong Sechang, Jason Alipio, Monica Aguilar, and Christina …