Life Sciences Commons^™

Histologic Findings In Biopsies/Resection Specimens From The Small Intestine With Special Emphasis On Celiac Disease: Experience From A Developing Country In South Asia, Huma Arshad, Zubair Ahmad

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Biopsies from the small intestine especially the duodenum are now being performed much more frequently than in the past. The most frequent reason for performing duodenal biopsies is to evaluate for malabsorption. In the last few years, increased awareness has resulted in more biopsies sent for evaluation of malabsorption, especially celiac disease (CD). In the duodenum, features of malabsorption (increased intraepithelial lymphocytes, villous shortening, and atrophy) were the most common histologic finding seen in 63.4% of cases. Serum tTG levels were available for correlation in 52.8% of cases. In patients with confirmed CD, 53.4% were MARSH IIIb, and 29.5% were …

Intrinsic Motivation, Vitality, And High Altitude Climbing: An Analysis Of Seven Case Studies, J. C. Norling, Mark F. Roark, Dale R. Wagner, A. Montour

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

College adventure leadership programs may involve training students through multi-day expeditions to remote locations to test their physical and psychological performance. In the context of a group-oriented, mountaineering course in a high altitude environment participant's performance level might be a function of motivation level, vitality level, and/or may be influenced by physiological changes occurring during the ascent. The theoretical framework selected for the study was Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET) (Deci & Ryan, 1985b), a sub-theory of Selfdetermination Theory (SDT) (Deci & Ryan, 1985a). CET suggests that an intrinsically motivated activity, if internalized, could be a representation of a participant's inclination …

Regulation Of Atg4b Stability By Rnf5 Limits Basal Levels Of Autophagy And Influences Susceptibility To Bacterial Infection, E. Kuang, Cheryl Okumura, S. Sheffy-Levin, T. Varsano, V. Shu, J. Qi, I. Niesman, H. Yang, C. LóPez-OtíN, W. Yang, J. Reed, L. Broday, V. Nizet, Z. Ronai

Cheryl Okumura

Autophagy is the mechanism by which cytoplasmic components and organelles are degraded by the lysosomal machinery in response to diverse stimuli including nutrient deprivation, intracellular pathogens, and multiple forms of cellular stress. Here, we show that the membrane-associated E3 ligase RNF5 regulates basal levels of autophagy by controlling the stability of a select pool of the cysteine protease ATG4B. RNF5 controls the membranal fraction of ATG4B and limits LC3 (ATG8) processing, which is required for phagophore and autophagosome formation. The association of ATG4B with—and regulation of its ubiquitination and stability by—RNF5 is seen primarily under normal growth conditions. Processing of …

Halloween 2012 Jack O'Lanterns Trick Or Treat, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

Halloween 2012 makes trick or treating more visual and interactive than in past years.

the download is a ZIP file containing three files.

Print out the (unnumbered) image on as large and nice printer paper as possible - I used glossy 44" wide here in Miami (University of Miami, MillerSchool of Medicine, Calder Library, Biomedical Communications dept - I also made another print on "fabric", also 44" wide to take with me to an HHMI Janelia Farm conference on 'turning images into knowledge' that ends on Oct 31 - might stay up for a second conference, "GFP..." that start Nov …

Mcnamara 20120831fri-20120904tue Cosmic Ray Particles By Ccd Imaging, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

McNamara 20120831Fri-20120904Tue Cosmic Ray Particles by CCD imaging.zip contains image files in support of a Microscopy Today article - please see

http://www.microscopy-today.com/

Fortification Of Cheese With Vitamin D3 Using Dairy Protein Emulsions As Delivery Systems, M. Tippetts, Silvana Martini, C. Brothersen, D. J. Mcmahon

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that is synthesized when the body is exposed to sunlight or after the consumption of fortified foods and supplements. The purpose of this research was to increase the retention of vitamin D3 in Cheddar cheese by incorporating it as part of an oil-in-water emulsion using a milk protein emulsifier to obtain a fortification level of 280 IU/serving. Four oil-in-water vitamin D emulsions were made using sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, nonfat dry milk (NDM), or whey protein. These emulsions were used to fortify milk, and the retention of vitamin D3 in cheese curd in a …

Developing An Online Certification Program For Nutrition Education Assistants, D. Christofferson, N. Christensen, Heidi Leblanc, M. Bunch

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Objective: To develop an online certification program for nutrition education paraprofessionals to increase knowledge and confidence and to overcome training barriers of programming time and travel expenses. Design: An online interactive certification course based on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program core competencies was delivered to employees of both programs. Traditional vs online training was compared. Course content validity was determined through expert review by registered dietitians. Parameters studied included increase of nutrition knowledge and teaching technique/ability, educator satisfaction, and programming costs related to training. Setting: Utah State University Extension. Participants: Twenty-two Supplemental Nutrition Assistance …

Camper Outcomes Increase Regardless Of Session Length: Beyond Anecdotal Evidence Of Increased Competence, Independence And Friendship Skills, Mark F. Roark

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Session length may not be as vital to the accomplishment of developmental outcomes as directors are anecdotally sharing. Interestingly, no empirical support exists for the conventional wisdom that longer sessions have better outcomes than shorter sessions for campers. Dimock and Hendry (1929) found that campers’ level of development in general did not significantly vary whether they were at camp one or two months. They cautioned that this finding might not appropriately represent the actual effect of camp due to limitations in the measurement tool. Comparably, ACA’s Directions (2005) reported that session length was not a reliable predictor of camper developmental …

A New Pharmacological Agent (Akb-4924) Stabilizes Hypoxia Inducible Factor (Hif) And Increases Skin Innate Defenses Against Bacterial Infection., Cheryl Okumura, A. Hollands, D. Tran, J. Olson, S. Dahesh, M. Von KöCkritz-Blickwede, W. Thienphrapa, C. Corle, S. Jeung, A. Kotsakis, R. Shalwitz, R. Johnson, V. Nizet

Cheryl Okumura

Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a transcription factor that is a major regulator of energy homeostasis and cellular adaptation to low oxygen stress. HIF-1 is also activated in response to bacterial pathogens and supports the innate immune response of both phagocytes and keratinocytes. In this work, we show that a new pharmacological compound AKB-4924 (Akebia Therapeutics) increases HIF-1α levels and enhances the antibacterial activity of phagocytes and keratinocytes against both methicillin-sensitive and -resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. AKB-4924 is also effective in stimulating the killing capacity of keratinocytes against the important opportunistic skin pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinitobacter …

Novel Role Of The Transcription Factor Hif-1Α In The Formation Of Mast Cell Extracellular Traps., K. Branitzki-Heinemann, Cheryl Okumura, L. VöLlger, Y. Kawakami, T. Kawakami, H. Naim, V. Nizet, M. Von KöCkritz-Blickwede

Cheryl Okumura

MCs (mast cells) are critical components of the host innate immune defence against bacterial pathogens, providing a variety of intra- and extra-cellular antimicrobial functions. In the present study we show, for the first time, that the transcriptional regulator HIF-1α (hypoxia-inducible factor-1α) mediates the extracellular antimicrobial activity of human and murine MCs by increasing the formation of MCETs (MC extracellular traps).

Cosmic Ray Particles Images With Orca-Ii Erg, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

Cosmic ray particles image series acquired using a Hamamatsu ORCA-II ERG scientific grade CCD camera, cooled to -60 C. Each image is a consecutive 600 second (10 minute) exposure time with no light to the camera.

While processing the data, I discoverd that the background changed around planes 25 and 227 (see Excel file and jpeg screenshots), so I also processed only planes 025-227 (203 planes total, 2030 minutes, 33.83 hours). the CCD industry "rule of thumb" for a "typical" CCD sensor (i.e. 1/3" CCD) is that one cosmic ray particle strikes a sensor approximately every 30 seconds (assuming not …

Effect Of Intentionally Designed Experiences On Friendship Skills Of Youth: An Application Of Symbolic Interaction Theory, Mark F. Roark, Ann Gillard, Faith Evans, Mary Sara Wells, Marissa Mikami Blauer

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

After-school programs in which recreation activities are intentionally designed as developmental experiences can yield positive social outcomes for youth (e.g., Daud & Carruthers, 2008; Witt, 2008). Intentionally designed recreation experiences can inspire stronger friendships, stimulate greater interest in supporting peers at school, and increase pro-social behaviors that may continue through subsequent phases of life. The development of friendship skills was the social development outcome of interest in this study. Friendship skills was operationally defined as “perceived skills in initiating, developing, and sustaining enjoyable and socially intimate relationships with other people” (Ellis & Sibthorp, 2006, p. 40). In adulthood, friendship skills …

Herbaceous 2012 (June 3), Amy L. Myers, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2012 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Wellness Works: A Collaborative Program For Youth And Adults In Rural Utah, Lindsey Shirley, Mark F. Roark, Lisa Lewis

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the need of Cooperative Extension programs for rural communities of Central Utah residents who are leading an unhealthy lifestyle. It is discussed that the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension Agent in Utah developed a wellness community program to address the health concerns of adults. It is discussed that the program promotes healthy living in adults by emphasizing on physical activity and nutrition.

Herbaceous 2012 (May 19), Amy L. Myers, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2012 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Herbaceous 2012 (May 5), Amy L. Myers, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2012 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Trace Elements Affect Methanogenic Activity And Diversity In Enrichments From Subsurface Coal Bed Produced Water, B. Unal, V. R. Perry, M. Sheth, V. Gomez-Alvarez, K. J. Chin, Klaus R. Nusslein

Klaus R. Nusslein

Microbial methane from coal beds accounts for a significant and growing percentage of natural gas worldwide. Our knowledge of physical and geochemical factors regulating methanogenesis is still in its infancy. We hypothesized that in these closed systems, trace elements (as micronutrients) are a limiting factor for methanogenic growth and activity. Trace elements are essential components of enzymes or cofactors of metabolic pathways associated with methanogenesis. This study examined the effects of eight trace elements (iron, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, zinc, manganese, boron, and copper) on methane production, on mcrA transcript levels, and on methanogenic community structure in enrichment cultures obtained from …

Perturbations In Microtubule Mechanics From Tubulin Preparation, Taviare Hawkins

Physics Faculty Scholarship

Microtubules are essential structures for cellular organization. They support neuronal processes and cilia, they are the scaffolds for the mitotic spindle, and they are the tracks for intracellular transport that actively organizes material and information within the cell. The mechanical properties of microtubules have been studied for almost 30 years, yet the results from different groups are startlingly disparate, ranging over an order of magnitude. Here we present results demonstrating the effects of purification, associated-protein content, age, and fluorescent labeling on the measured persistence length using the freely fluctuating filament method. We find that small percentages (<1%) of residual microtubule-associated proteins left over in the preparation can cause the persistence length to double, and that these proteins also affect the persistence length over time. Interestingly, we find that the fraction of labeled tubulin dimers does not affect the measured persistence length. Further, we have enhanced the analysis method established by previous groups. We have added a bootstrapping with resampling analysis to estimate the error in the variance data used to determine the persistence length. Thus, we are able to perform a weighted fit to the data to more accurately determine the persistence length.

Herbaceous 2012 (April 21), Amy L. Myers, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2012 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Herbaceous 2012 (April 9), Amy L. Myers, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2012 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Herbaceous 2012 (March 25), Amy L. Myers, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2012 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Clay Fabric And Mass Physical Properties Of Surficial Marine Sediment Near The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Andrew Head, Richard H. Bennett, Jessica R. Douglas, Kenneth J. Curry

Kenneth J. Curry

Surficial sediment was obtained on the RV Cape Hatteras Cruise (2010) from the seafloor at a water depth of 1570 meters located at latitude 28°44'20.16"N and longitude 88°20'24.96"W in close proximity to the Deepwater Horizon well, Gulf of Mexico. Preliminary clay nano- and microfabric observation using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) depicted a sediment rich in clays and organic matter (OM) especially in the upper 2 cm subbottom. Initial analysis of TEM micrographs depicted a high porosity clay sediment. Initial study of the mass physical properties revealed water content ωt = 67.32 – 67.28% (percent total mass), porosity n= 84.1 …

Influence Of –Carrageenan, Pectin, And Gelatin On The Physicochemical Properties And Stability Of Milk Protein-Stabilized Emulsions, M. Tippetts, Silvana Martini

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

This study evaluated the stability of bilayer emulsions as a function of secondary layer composition and pH. Primary emulsions were formulated with 5% soybean oil, 1% protein from nonfat dry milk (NDM) powder as emulsifier and ι-carrageenan (ι-carr), low-methoxyl pectin (LMp), high-methoxyl pectin (HMp), or gelatin as secondary layers. ζ-Potential values increased for each emulsion as the pH decreased, with ι-carr emulsions being consistently more negatively charged than primary emulsions and significantly more stable. ζ-Potential values were not always correlated to emulsion stability. Gelatin secondary emulsions at pH 3 and HMp secondary emulsions at pH 7 were unstable due to …

Identification And Quantification Of Flavor Attributes Present In Chicken, Lamb, Pork, Beef, And Turkey, Curtis Maughan, Silvana Martini

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The objectives of this study were to use a meat flavor lexicon to identify and quantify flavor differences among different types of meats such as beef, chicken, lamb, pork, and turkey, and to identify and quantify specific flavor attributes associated with “beef flavor” notes. A trained descriptive panel with 11 participants used a previously developed meat lexicon composed of 18 terms to evaluate the flavor of beef, chicken, pork, turkey, and lamb samples. Results show that beef and lamb samples can be described by flavor attributes such as barny, bitter, gamey, grassy, livery, metallic, and roast beef. Inversely related to …

Pubspectra - Open Data Access Fluorescence Spectra, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

The Internet is enabling greater access to spectral imaging publications, spectral graphs, and data than that was available a generation ago. The spectral imaging systems discussed in this issue of Cytometry work because reagent and hardware spectra are reproducible, reusable, and provide input to spectral unmixing and spectral components recognition algorithms. These spectra need to be readily available in order to determine what to purchase, how to use it, and what the output means. We refer to several commercially sponsored and academic spectral web sites and discuss our spectral graphing and data sites. Sites include fluorescent dye graph servers from …

Mcnamara 2011 Feature Extraction (Image Analysis), George Mcnamara

George McNamara

Feature Extraction presentation and movies in a ZIP file from a presentation I gave at ISAC 2011 in Baltomore, Md.

Feature extraction is one phrase for image analysis.

Holyoke Dam, Connecticut River, 2012, Brett Towler

Fish Passage Data Archive

Holyoke Dam

Connecticut River

Massachusetts

Year data collected: 2012

Leadership By Design Summer Day Camp: University And High School Student Outcomes, Mary F. Fortune, Mark F. Roark, Mary D'Alleva, Lisa Smusz

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The Leadership by Design (LbD) summer day camp provided interactive learning experiences for university and high school students. While LbD is similar to other university recruitment programs, none looks directly at the learning outcomes for students through a social constructivist theory design that evaluates the acquisition of the learning outcomes. With such a design, the summer day camp offered leadership development opportunities to university students through a “live,” hands-on experience in a special event management course curriculum. LbD also provided high school participants with an opportunity to explore leadership characteristics and increase their understanding of university culture. The specific purpose …

Conformations Of The Apo-, Substrate-Bound And Phosphate-Bound Atp-Binding Domain Of The Cu(Ii) Atpase Copb Illustrate Coupling Of Domain Movement To The Catalytic Cycle, José Argüello, Samuel Jayakanthan, Sue Roberts, Andrzej Weichsel, Megan Mcevoy

José M. Argüello

Heavy metal P1B-type ATPases play a critical role in cell survival by maintaining appropriate intracellular metal concentrations. Archaeoglobus fulgidus CopB is a member of this family that transports Cu(II) from the cytoplasm to the exterior of the cell using ATP as energy source. CopB has a 264 amino acid ATPBD (ATP-binding domain) that is essential for ATP binding and hydrolysis as well as ultimately transducing the energy to the transmembrane metal-binding site for metal occlusion and export. The relevant conformations of this domain during the different steps of the catalytic cycle are still under discussion. Through crystal structures of the …

Pharmacological Inhibition Of The Clpxp Protease Increases Bacterial Susceptibility To Host Cathelicidin Antimicrobial Peptides And Cell-Envelope Active Antibiotics., S. Mcgillivray, D. Tran, N. Ramadoss, J. Alumasa, Cheryl Okumura, G. Sakoulas, M. Vaughn, D. Zhang, K. Keiler, V. Nizet

Cheryl Okumura

The ClpXP protease is a critical bacterial intracellular protease that regulates protein turnover in many bacterial species. Here we identified a pharmacological inhibitor of the ClpXP protease, F2, and evaluated its action in Bacillus anthracis and Staphylococcus aureus. We found that F2 exhibited synergistic antimicrobial activity with cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides and antibiotics that target the cell well and/or cell membrane such as penicillin and daptomycin in B. anthracis and drug resistant strains of S. aureus. ClpXP inhibition represents a novel therapeutic strategy to simultaneously sensitize pathogenic bacteria to host defenses and pharmaceutical antibiotics.