Life Sciences Commons^™

A Macrophysiological Analysis Of Energetic Constraints On Geographic Range Size In Mammals, Salvatore J. Agosta, Joseph Bernado, Gerardo Ceballos, Michael A. Steele

Biology Publications

Physiological processes are essential for understanding the distribution and abundance of organisms, and recently, with widespread attention to climate change, physiology has been ushered back to the forefront of ecological thinking. We present a macrophysiological analysis of the energetics of geographic range size using combined data on body size, basal metabolic rate (BMR), phylogeny and range properties for 574 species of mammals. We propose three mechanisms by which interspecific variation in BMR should relate positively to geographic range size: (i) Thermal Plasticity Hypothesis, (ii) Activity Levels/Dispersal Hypothesis, and (iii) Energy Constraint Hypothesis. Although each mechanism predicts a positive correlation between …

The E. Coli Effector Protein Nlef Is A Caspase Inhibitor, Sonja Blasche, Mario Mortl, Holger Steuber, Gabriella Siszler, Shahista Nisa, Frank Schwarz, Inna Lavrik, Thomas M. A. Gronewold, Klaus Maskos, Michael S. Donnenberg, Dirk Ullmann, Peter Uetz, Manfred Kogl

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

Enterohemorrhagic and enteropathogenic E. coli (EHEC and EPEC) can cause severe and potentially life-threatening infections. Their pathogenicity is mediated by at least 40 effector proteins which they inject into their host cells by a type-III secretion system leading to the subversion of several cellular pathways. However, the molecular function of several effectors remains unknown, even though they contribute to virulence. Here we show that one of them, NleF, binds to caspase-4, -8, and -9 in yeast two-hybrid, LUMIER, and direct interaction assays. NleF inhibits the catalytic activity of the caspases in vitro and in cell lysate and prevents apoptosis in …

Global Taxonomic Diversity Of Living Reptiles, Daniel Pincheira-Donoso, Aaron M. Bauer, Shai Meiri, Peter Uetz

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

Reptiles are one of the most ecologically and evolutionarily remarkable groups of living organisms, having successfully colonized most of the planet, including the oceans and some of the harshest and more environmentally unstable ecosystems on earth. Here, based on a complete dataset of all the world’s diversity of living reptiles, we analyse lineage taxonomic richness both within and among clades, at different levels of the phylogenetic hierarchy. We also analyse the historical tendencies in the descriptions of new reptile species from Linnaeus to March 2012. Although (non-avian) reptiles are the second most species-rich group of amniotes after birds, most of …

Biosynthesis Of Vitamins And Cofactors In Bacterium-Harbouring Trypanosomatids Depends On The Symbiotic Association As Revealed By Genomic Analyses, Cecilia C. Klein, Joao M. P. Alves, Myrna G. Serrano, Gregory A. Buck, Ana T. R. Vasconcelos, Marie-France Sagot, Marta M. G. Teixeira, Emey P. Camargo, Maria C. M. Motta

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

Some non-pathogenic trypanosomatids maintain a mutualistic relationship with a betaproteobacterium of the Alcaligenaceae family. Intensive nutritional exchanges have been reported between the two partners, indicating that these protozoa are excellent biological models to study metabolic co-evolution. We previously sequenced and herein investigate the entire genomes of five trypanosomatids which harbor a symbiotic bacterium (SHTs for Symbiont-Haboring Trypanosomatids) and the respective bacteria (TPEs for Trypanosomatid Proteobacterial Endosymbiont), as well as two trypanosomatids without symbionts (RTs for Regular Trypanosomatids), for the presence of genes of the classical pathways for vitamin biosynthesis. Our data show that genes …

Microglial Activation Decreases Retention Of The Protease Inhibitor Saquinavir: Implications For Hiv Treatment, Shannon Dallas, Michelle L. Block, Deborah M. Thompson, Marcelo G. Bonini, Patrick T. Ronaldson, Reina Bendayan, David S. Miller

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Background

Active HIV infection within the central nervous system (CNS) is confined primarily to microglia. The glial cell compartment acts as a viral reservoir behind the blood-brain barrier. It provides an additional roadblock to effective pharmacological treatment via expression of multiple drug efflux transporters, including P-glycoprotein. HIV/AIDS patients frequently suffer bacterial and viral co-infections, leading to deregulation of glial cell function and release of pro-inflammatory mediators including cytokines, chemokines, and nitric oxide.

Methods

To better define the role of inflammation in decreased HIV drug accumulation into CNS targets, accumulation of the antiretroviral saquinavir was examined in purified cultures of rodent …

Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior Of Cancer Survivors And Non-Cancer Individuals: Results From A National Survey, Roy B. Kim, Allison Phillips, Kirsten Herrick, Marieka Helou, Carlin Rafie, Mitchell S. Anscher, Ross B. Mikkelsen, Yi Ning

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Increasing physical activity and decreasing sedentary behavior are associated with a higher quality of life and lower mortality rates for cancer survivors, a growing population group. Studies detailing the behavior of cancer survivors are limited. Therefore, we investigated physical activity and sedentary behavior of cancer survivors using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2010. Participants were those who provided physical activity and sedentary behavior data. Those who were pregnant,old, or10,472 non-cancer participants. After adjustment for age, race, gender, education status, body mass index, and smoking status, cancer survivors (n = 10,472) reported significantly longer duration of …

Contributions Of Vldlr And Lrp8 In The Establishment Of Retinogeniculate Projections, Jianmin Su, Michael A. Klemm, Anne M. Josephson, Michael A. Fox

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Background

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the output neurons of the retina, project to over 20 distinct brain nuclei, including the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), a thalamic region comprised of three functionally distinct subnuclei: the ventral LGN (vLGN), the dorsal LGN (dLGN) and the intergeniculate leaflet (IGL). We previously identified reelin, an extracellular glycoprotein, as a critical factor that directs class-specific targeting of these subnuclei. Reelin is known to bind to two receptors: very-low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 8 (LRP8), also known as apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2). Here we examined the roles of these canonical reelin …

Biomedical Informatics For Computer-Aided Decision Support Systems: A Survey, Ashwin Belle, Mark A. Kon, Kayvan Najarian

Computer Science Publications

The volumes of current patient data as well as their complexity make clinical decision making more challenging than ever for physicians and other care givers. This situation calls for the use of biomedical informatics methods to process data and form recommendations and/or predictions to assist such decision makers. The design, implementation, and use of biomedical informatics systems in the form of computer-aided decision support have become essential and widely used over the last two decades. This paper provides a brief review of such systems, their application protocols and methodologies, and the future challenges and directions they suggest.

Characterization And Generation Of Male Courtship Song In Cotesia Congregata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Justin P. Bredlau, Yasha J. Mohajer, Timothy M. Cameron, Karen M. Hester, Michael L. Fine

Biology Publications

Background

Male parasitic wasps attract females with a courtship song produced by rapid wing fanning. Songs have been described for several parasitic wasp species; however, beyond association with wing fanning, the mechanism of sound generation has not been examined. We characterized the male courtship song of Cotesia congregata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and investigated the biomechanics of sound production.

Methods and Principal Findings

Courtship songs were recorded using high-speed videography (2,000 fps) and audio recordings. The song consists of a long duration amplitude-modulated “buzz” followed by a series of pulsatile higher amplitude “boings,” each decaying into a terminal buzz followed by a …

Whole Brain And Brain Regional Coexpression Network Interactions Associated With Predisposition To Alcohol Consumption, Lauren A. Vanderlinden, Laura M. Saba, Katerina Kechris, Michael F. Miles, Paula L. Hoffman, Boris Tabakoff

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

To identify brain transcriptional networks that may predispose an animal to consume alcohol, we used weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Candidate coexpression modules are those with an eigengene expression level that correlates significantly with the level of alcohol consumption across a panel of BXD recombinant inbred mouse strains, and that share a genomic region that regulates the module transcript expression levels (mQTL) with a genomic region that regulates alcohol consumption (bQTL). To address a controversy regarding utility of gene expression profiles from whole brain, vs specific brain regions, as indicators of the relationship of gene expression to phenotype, we …

Genetic Interaction Influenced By Fluvastatin And Tgfb, Rebekah Rifareal

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

I was looking for an opportunity to network with researchers at VCU and found this program that would provide the perfect atmosphere to do so. The added benefit of HERO was that I also got the opportunity to network with other undergraduates interested in research from VCU as well as other institutions.

Mexican Health Paradox, Merit George

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Despite the broad array of research that exists on the Hispanic health paradox, no single explanation has been marked as the dominant reason for the disparities in life expectancy that exist between Mexican Americans and other Hispanic and non-Hispanic ethnic groups. This indicates that researchers must adopt a more open perspective that examines the influence of multidimensional factors that integrate culture, religious tradition, and lifestyle. The purpose of the current study is to 1) readily define the paradox and provide a thorough review of existing literature on the topic; 2) suggest a transition from exploring statistical explanations of the paradox …