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2015

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Articles 121 - 150 of 8769

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Rat Hind Limb Nociceptive Withdrawal Response Depends On Initial Paw Position But Not Stimulus Location, Kimberly Seamon Dec 2015

Rat Hind Limb Nociceptive Withdrawal Response Depends On Initial Paw Position But Not Stimulus Location, Kimberly Seamon

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

There have been numerous studies in non-human animals on the effect of stimulus location on the NWR and at least a few studies that address the role of initial posture. However, all of these studies were conducted in anesthetized, decerebrated, or spinalized mammals. Since descending modulation and long loop reflexes may influence the NWR, the anesthetized spinalized/decerebrated animal may not be an adequate model of normal animals. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to determine the effect of the stimulus location and initial paw position on the direction and magnitude of the nociceptive withdrawal response to heat stimulus …


Ability Of Skin Bacteria On The Panamanian Frog Species, Craugastor Fitzingeri, To Inhibit The Fungal Pathogen Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis, Tiffany N. Bridges Dec 2015

Ability Of Skin Bacteria On The Panamanian Frog Species, Craugastor Fitzingeri, To Inhibit The Fungal Pathogen Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis, Tiffany N. Bridges

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

An emerging infectious disease caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is leading to global amphibian declines and is threatening the biodiversity of amphibians. Bd susceptibility varies among individuals, species, and populations perhaps due to defensive mechanisms such as symbiotic skin microbes. Some species of amphibians such as Craugastor fitzingeri, a terrestrial frog native to Central America, continue to persist in Bd-positive environments in Panama. My study focused on identifying antifungal bacterial isolates and determining the culturability of the bacterial community on 15 individuals of C. fitzingeri. Morphologically distinct isolates were challenged against Bd in …


The Evolutionary Selective Pressures Exerted On A3 Actinobacteriophages, Cheyenne Weeks-Galindo Dec 2015

The Evolutionary Selective Pressures Exerted On A3 Actinobacteriophages, Cheyenne Weeks-Galindo

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This study identified evolutionary selective pressures within subcluster A3 actinobacteriophages. These phages are able to infect the clinically important genus Mycobacterium. Understanding the selective pressures on genes in these phage genomes is a step toward understanding the adaptations that result from short-term and long-term associations of phages and bacteria that have been co-evolving for perhaps billions of years. In this study 149 phamilies (phage protein families) of homologous gene sequences were analyzed using Datamonkey. Complete data were obtained for 57 phamilies. Of these, eleven phamilies were affected by recombination, three showed evidence of predominantly diversifying selection, and twenty-four have …


Contributions To Scorpion Systematics. Ii. Stahnkeini, A New Tribe In Scorpion Family Vaejovidae (Scorpiones: Chactoidea), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet Dec 2015

Contributions To Scorpion Systematics. Ii. Stahnkeini, A New Tribe In Scorpion Family Vaejovidae (Scorpiones: Chactoidea), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

The diagnostic characters originally established by Herbert L. Stahnke (1940a, 1940b, 1974) in his description of genus Serradigitus are studied in detail from several new perspectives. A new genus, Stahnkeus, gen. nov., is described based on the presence of inner accessory (IAD) denticles on the chelal fingers, unprecedented in family Vaejovidae. Five species of Serradigitus are transferred to Stahnkeus: Stahnkeus harbisoni (Williams, 1970), comb. nov. (=Serradigitus harbisoni); Stahnkeus deserticola (Williams, 1970), comb. nov. (=Serradigitus deserticola); Stahnkeus subtilimanus (Soleglad, 1972), comb. nov. (=Serradigitus subtilimanus); Stahnkeus allredi (Sissom et Stockwell, 1991), …


Eight New Species Of The Genera Scorpiops Peters, Euscorpiops Vachon, And Chaerilus Simon (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae, Chaerilidae) From Tibet And Yunnan, China, Jian-Xin Qi, Ming-Sheng Zhu, Wilson R. Lourenço Dec 2015

Eight New Species Of The Genera Scorpiops Peters, Euscorpiops Vachon, And Chaerilus Simon (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae, Chaerilidae) From Tibet And Yunnan, China, Jian-Xin Qi, Ming-Sheng Zhu, Wilson R. Lourenço

Euscorpius

Eight new species belonging to the genera Scorpiops and Euscorpiops (Euscorpiidae: Scorpiopinae) and Chaerilus (Chaerilidae) are described from China. These are: Scorpiops atomatus sp. n., Scorpiops langxian sp. n., Scorpiops luridus sp. n., Scorpiops pococki sp. n., Euscorpiops vachoni sp. n., Euscorpiops shidian sp. n., Euscorpiops karschi sp. n., and Chaerilus tessellatus sp. n. New records are also reported for these three genera, and the taxa are redescribed. Descriptions and redescriptions are based mainly on the material collected in Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province. Checklists and identification keys for Chinese species of …


The Systematic Position Of The Scorpion Genera Heteroscorpion Birula, 1903 And Urodacus Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpionoidea), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet, František Kovařík Dec 2015

The Systematic Position Of The Scorpion Genera Heteroscorpion Birula, 1903 And Urodacus Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpionoidea), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Stockwell (1989), in an unpublished revision, suggested the elevation of subfamily Urodacinae to the family rank, and considered Heteroscorpioninae a subfamily of Ischnuridae. Heteroscorpioninae was formally elevated to the family rank by Lourenço (1996a), and Urodacinae, by Prendini (2000). As a result of a detailed cladistic analysis, Prendini (2000, 2003b) considered families Heteroscorpionidae and Urodacidae to be sister groups, although an al-ternative topology was available. Soleglad & Fet (2003b) questioned the results of Prendini (2000) but nevertheless retained the monophyly of Heteroscorpion and Urodacus pending more detailed analysis; they recognized two valid monotypic subfamilies, Heteroscorpioninae and Urodacinae, under Urodacidae. Our …


New Data On Distribution And Ecology Of Seven Species Of Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Marco Colombo Dec 2015

New Data On Distribution And Ecology Of Seven Species Of Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Marco Colombo

Euscorpius

The author observed seven species of Euscorpius in 1999–2005 (E. alpha, E. sicanus, E. tergestinus, E. concinnus, E. naupliensis, E. italicus, and E. flavicaudis) in their natural environment, mainly in Italy but also in France, Switzerland, and Greece. Ecology of these species is discussed as well as predatory behavior occasionally observed in nature. This work provides new data on the distribution and ecology of European Euscorpiidae.


Editorial: "Euscorpius" At 100, Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad Dec 2015

Editorial: "Euscorpius" At 100, Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad

Euscorpius

With the publication of Graeme Lowe on Vachoniolus from Oman, our journal Euscorpius celebrates its 100th issue. Euscorpius is the first and only research publication completely devoted to scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Since its inception in 2001, Euscorpius published 100 issues authored by 79 zoologists from 23 countries (USA, Argentina, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Guadeloupe, India, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and Venezuela.)


Review Of Tunisian Species Of The Genus Buthus With Descriptions Of Two New Species And A Discussion Of Ehrenberg’S Types (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík Dec 2015

Review Of Tunisian Species Of The Genus Buthus With Descriptions Of Two New Species And A Discussion Of Ehrenberg’S Types (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Buthus chambiensis, sp. n. and Buthus dunlopi, sp. n. from Tunisia are described. Presented is also a key to four Tunisian species of the genus Buthus. The males of B. chambiensis, sp. n. and B. paris (C. L. Koch, 1839) have narrower chela than the females, which distinguishes them from B. tunetanus (Herbst, 1800) and B. dunlopi, sp. n. Uniformly yellowish mesosoma and very narrow chela of pedipalps distinguish B. chambiensis, sp. n. from Buthus paris (C. L. Koch, 1839). Morphologically closest to B. chambiensis sp. n. is Buthus barcaeus Birula, 1909, comb. n. …


A New Species Of The Genus Buthus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Northern Cameroon, Wilson R. Lourenço, Elise-Anne Leguin Dec 2015

A New Species Of The Genus Buthus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Northern Cameroon, Wilson R. Lourenço, Elise-Anne Leguin

Euscorpius

A new species belonging to the genus Buthus Leach (Scorpiones: Buthidae) is described from northern Cameroon in Central Western Africa. The new species can be included in the “Buthus occitanus” complex of species, and probably can be associated with the “Buthus occitanus” from the former French West Africa (AOF) previously reported by Vachon from this large region. This is the first record of a Buthus species from Cameroon, and with the description of Buthus prudenti sp. n., the status of one more population of Buthus spp. from the sub-Saharan region of Africa is clarified.


A Seven-Legged Scorpion: The First Teratological Leg Absence Found In Scorpio Maurus Fuscus (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), David David Dec 2015

A Seven-Legged Scorpion: The First Teratological Leg Absence Found In Scorpio Maurus Fuscus (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), David David

Euscorpius

A teratological leg absence anomaly is reported and discussed in a Scorpio maurus fuscus (Scorpionidae) specimen from Israel. In this scorpion, the third right leg is completely missing, and the fourth right leg has a deformed coxa, which abuts the entire lateral edge of the sternum. The area anterior to the sternum is visibly curved to the right. This is the first leg absence anomaly reported in scorpions.


Malformed Pedipalp Finger Dentition Of The Scorpion Superstitionia Donensis (Scorpiones: Superstitioniidae), Matthew R. Graham Dec 2015

Malformed Pedipalp Finger Dentition Of The Scorpion Superstitionia Donensis (Scorpiones: Superstitioniidae), Matthew R. Graham

Euscorpius

A novel deformity of pedipalp finger dentition is presented from the scorpion Superstitionia donensis. This anomaly, present on the left pedipalp chela only, is herein described and discussed in regards to possible problems it could cause with species identification.


Name-Bearing Types Of Scorpions Deposited At The Institute Of Ecology And Systematics, Havana, Cuba (Arachnida: Scorpiones), Luis F. De Armas Dec 2015

Name-Bearing Types Of Scorpions Deposited At The Institute Of Ecology And Systematics, Havana, Cuba (Arachnida: Scorpiones), Luis F. De Armas

Euscorpius

In the Institute of Ecology and Systematics, Havana, there are deposited 76 name-bearing types (holotypes, lectotypes, and syntypes) of scorpions belonging to 10 genera of the families Buthidae (Alayotityus, Centruroides, Microtityus, Rhopalurus, Tityopsis, Tityus) and Scorpionidae: Diplocentrinae (Cazierius, Didymocentrus, Diplocentrus, Heteronebo). Most of these materials are from the West Indies, mainly the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Navassa, Jamaica, Puerto Rico), but several are from Mexico. The collection includes species described mostly by P. Franganillo Balboa (1930–1936), A. Moreno Bonilla (1938–1940), and L. F. de Armas and his collaborators …


Scorpions Of Gaziantep Province, Turkey (Arachnida: Scorpiones), Ayşegül Karataş, Mehmet Çolak Dec 2015

Scorpions Of Gaziantep Province, Turkey (Arachnida: Scorpiones), Ayşegül Karataş, Mehmet Çolak

Euscorpius

This study includes the results of the field studies in Gaziantep Province, which is located in the south-southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. In 1998–2005, 112 scorpion specimens were collected in this area. They belong to five species of the family Buthidae (Androctonus crassicauda, Compsobuthus matthiesseni, Leiurus quinquestriatus, Mesobuthus eupeus nordmanni), and one species of Scorpionidae (Scorpio maurus fuscus). Information about these species is provided; ecological notes are included.


The Genus Auyantepuia González-Sponga, 1978 Is Confirmed As A Synonym Of Broteochactas Pocock, 1893 (Scorpiones: Chactidae), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet Dec 2015

The Genus Auyantepuia González-Sponga, 1978 Is Confirmed As A Synonym Of Broteochactas Pocock, 1893 (Scorpiones: Chactidae), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

The genus Auyantepuia González-Sponga, 1978 is confirmed as a synonym of Broteochactas Pocock, 1893 (Scorpiones: Chactidae). It was correctly synonymized with Broteochactas by Francke & Boos (1986) and listed as such by Soleglad & Fet (2003) but resurrected by Lourenço & Araújo (2004). We reconfirm that the generic name Auyantepuia, based on the type species Broteochactas scorzai Dagert, 1957 from Venezuela, is a synonym of Broteochactas, based on the type species Broteochactas nitidus Pocock, 1893 from Trinidad. All other seven “short-fingered” species from French Guiana and Brazil, classified by Lourenço & Araújo (2004) under Auyantepuia, belong to …


Taxonomic Position Of Species Of The Genus Buthacus Birula, 1908 Described By Ehrenberg And Lourenço, And Description Of A New Species (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík Dec 2015

Taxonomic Position Of Species Of The Genus Buthacus Birula, 1908 Described By Ehrenberg And Lourenço, And Description Of A New Species (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Lectotypes are designated for Androctonus (Leiurus) leptochelys Ehrenberg, 1829, Androctonus (Leiurus) thebanus Ehrenberg, 1828 and Androctonus (Leiurus) macrocentrus Ehrenberg, 1828. In recent papers the latter two species have been regarded as synonyms of Buthacus leptochelys, however its type series is composed of seven specimens that in reality belong to three species. The type series of Androctonus leptochelys includes specimens belonging to Buthacus leptochelys and Buthacus spatzi (Birula, 1911), and the type series of Androctonus macrocentrus includes specimens belonging to Buthacus leptochelys and Buthacus tadmorensis (Simon, 1892). In order to preserve stability, I designate …


Three New Species Of The Genera Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 And Scorpiopsm Peters, 1861 From Asia (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae, Scorpiopinae), František Kovařík Dec 2015

Three New Species Of The Genera Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 And Scorpiopsm Peters, 1861 From Asia (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae, Scorpiopinae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Euscorpiops beccaloniae sp. n. from Myanmar, E. novaki sp. n. from Tibet, and Scorpiops demisi sp. n. from India are described and compared with other species of these and related genera. A key to the species of the Euscorpiops is provided. In Euscorpiops beccaloniae sp. n. external trichobothria on the patella number 18 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 5 et) and ventral trichobothria on the patella number 12. Pedipalp fingers in the male are flexed, female is unknown. In E. novaki sp. n. external trichobothria on the patella number 19 (5 eb …


J.K. Southerland: From Check-R-Mix To Fancy Pack, Pioneering The Poultry Industry In North Central Arkansas, Nancy Patrice Dowdy Dec 2015

J.K. Southerland: From Check-R-Mix To Fancy Pack, Pioneering The Poultry Industry In North Central Arkansas, Nancy Patrice Dowdy

Student Theses and Dissertations

Batesville, Arkansas is home to several local and cross-country trucking firms, many of which transport commodities directly related to the poultry industry that developed in the region. The growth of the trucking businesses, as well as numerous other companies and retail stores, is a direct result of the poultry industry that began there in the mid-1930s and for decades has supplied locally grown product to all parts of the United States. The man primarily responsible for the launch of the trucking firms and the expansion of the poultry trade as a major economic force in North Central Arkansas was Jerome …


The Smell Of Hopelessness, Juline Cariba Rachel Party Dec 2015

The Smell Of Hopelessness, Juline Cariba Rachel Party

Capstones

Rafts of sargassum seaweed kilometers wide have been invading the Caribbean for more than five years, but 2015 was the worst. Tons of seaweed stretch from Texas south to Trinidad and Tobago, with the Lesser Antilles suffering the most damage. Residents near beaches are exposed to an insidious and pernicious danger, scientists say, from fumes that smell like rotten eggs, emitted by the decaying algae. The odor also drives tourists away from beaches and restaurants, and the tourism economy is collapsing.Amid the algae crisis, an elderly woman, Virginie Mark, is trying to survive. She struggles with her health, finances and …


Prioritizing The Management Of Arundo Donax: Recommendations For Removal And Revegetation In California Riparian Habitats, Matthew S. Waterworth Dec 2015

Prioritizing The Management Of Arundo Donax: Recommendations For Removal And Revegetation In California Riparian Habitats, Matthew S. Waterworth

Master's Projects and Capstones

The highly invasive grass species, giant reed (Arundo donax), has been a major contributor to riparian habitat degradation in California for over 50 years. Several modes of vegetative reproduction have allowed this alien species to take advantage of fluvial processes and rapidly spread within California watersheds. A. donax dramatically alters hydrologic regimes, displaces native vegetation, and removes food and habitat for native wildlife. It is widely accepted that removal of this invasive on a watershed scale is critical to restore natural riparian processes and facilitate the reestablishment of native flora and fauna. The following study analyzed the efficacy of …


Tracking The Hercules 265 Marine Gas Well Blowout In The Gulf Of Mexico, Isabel C. Romero, Tamay Özgökmen, Susan Snyder, Patrick Schwing, Bryan J. O'Malley, Francisco J. Beron‐Vera, Maria J. Olascoaga, Ping Zhu, Edward Ryan, Shuyi S. Chen, Dana L. Wetzel, David Hollander, Steven Murawski Dec 2015

Tracking The Hercules 265 Marine Gas Well Blowout In The Gulf Of Mexico, Isabel C. Romero, Tamay Özgökmen, Susan Snyder, Patrick Schwing, Bryan J. O'Malley, Francisco J. Beron‐Vera, Maria J. Olascoaga, Ping Zhu, Edward Ryan, Shuyi S. Chen, Dana L. Wetzel, David Hollander, Steven Murawski

Marine Science Faculty Publications

On 23 July 2013, a marine gas rig (Hercules 265) ignited in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The rig burned out of control for 2 days before being extinguished. We conducted a rapid‐response sampling campaign near Hercules 265 after the fire to ascertain if sediments and fishes were polluted above earlier baseline levels. A surface drifter study confirmed that surface ocean water flowed to the southeast of the Hercules site, while the atmospheric plume generated by the blowout was in eastward direction. Sediment cores were collected to the SE of the rig at a distance of ∼0.2, 8, …


Process Mining Of Medication Revisions In Electronic Health Records, Deevakar Rogith Dec 2015

Process Mining Of Medication Revisions In Electronic Health Records, Deevakar Rogith

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Objective: The objective of this work is to develop process mining techniques for analysing Electronic Health Record (EHR) events in order to uncover factors contributing to the event, and understanding deviations in the process. We have outlined a method for combining data mining with expert review to model the EHR process and develop automated algorithms that can be used to detect potential deviations for a defined process.

Introduction: To analyse EHR events meaningfully, process mining can be applied to distil structured process description from a set of real executions. Process mining can be applied for 1) Discovery, 2) Conformance, and …


Amyloid Proteins Structure, Dynamics, Interactions And Early Stages Of Self-Assembly, Yuliang Zhang Dec 2015

Amyloid Proteins Structure, Dynamics, Interactions And Early Stages Of Self-Assembly, Yuliang Zhang

Theses & Dissertations

The self-assembly and aggregation of amyloid protein are associated with several neurodegenerative diseases. The evidence indicates that the oligomeric intermediates, formed prior to the final fibrillary product, are the primary culprits of neurotoxicity. Although tremendous efforts have been dedicated for the characterization of structures, dynamics and toxic-related hallmarks of the oligomers, to date, yet the mechanism of such assembly from disordered monomers and their structure remain elusive.

In this dissertation, I focused on understanding the dimerization process of amyloid proteins and peptides of different sizes and I combined experimental studies with high-power computer simulations. The AFM force spectroscopy experiments showed …


Compensatory Mechanisms And T Cell Migration In Mouse Models Of Dopaminergic Loss, Kristi M. Anderson Dec 2015

Compensatory Mechanisms And T Cell Migration In Mouse Models Of Dopaminergic Loss, Kristi M. Anderson

Theses & Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder and second most common neurodegenerative disorder. PD is characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons and dopamine neurotransmitter within the substantia nigra and termini in the striatum. Progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons occurs over many years in PD, and by the time movement disorder symptoms manifest, up to 50-70% of dopaminergic neurons have been lost. Several aspects of PD pathology have been described in detail, but a better understanding of PD progression is needed to develop more efficient treatments.

Motor symptoms associated with PD do not manifest until significant …


Atypical Protein Kinase C Dependent Polarized Cell Division Is Required For Myocardial Trabeculation, Derek L. Passer Dec 2015

Atypical Protein Kinase C Dependent Polarized Cell Division Is Required For Myocardial Trabeculation, Derek L. Passer

Theses & Dissertations

A hallmark of cardiac development is the formation of myocardial trabeculations exclusively from the luminal surface of the primitive heart tube. Although a number of genetic defects in the endocardium (Grego-Bessa et al., 2007; Liu et al., 2010) and cardiac jelly (Camenisch et al., 2000) disrupt myocardial trabeculation, the role of cell polarity machinery in driving this process remains unclear. Herein, we demonstrate that atypical protein kinase C iota (Prkci) and its interacting partners of Par polarity complex are localized to the luminal side of luminal myocardial cells. Remarkably, a subset of these cells undergoes polarized cell division with the …


The Effect Of Body Mass Index On Graft Function And Kidney Transplant Outcomes, Morgan Galle Dec 2015

The Effect Of Body Mass Index On Graft Function And Kidney Transplant Outcomes, Morgan Galle

Theses & Dissertations

Background: When determining eligibility for kidney transplantation, body mass index (BMI) is often a debatable criterion for transplant due to the clinical indication, an elevated BMI has adverse effects on kidney transplant outcomes. There is a current gap in research on the effect BMI has on kidney transplant outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the role BMI plays in post-kidney transplant clinical outcomes including delayed graft function, new onset diabetes after transplant, wound complications, hospital length of stay, albumin, and readmissions to the hospital from initial hospitalization and at six months following kidney transplantation. The primary …


The Role Of Cxcr2 In Pancreatic Cancer Development And Progression, Abhilasha Purohit Dec 2015

The Role Of Cxcr2 In Pancreatic Cancer Development And Progression, Abhilasha Purohit

Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of CXCR2, a seven transmembrane G- protein coupled receptor, in mediating autocrine as well as paracrine mechanisms during pancreatic cancer progression. Data presented in the initial section demonstrates the aberrant expression of the CXCR2 biological axis in human pancreatic cancer tissue specimens. A study performed within the first section of this dissertation investigates the contribution of CXCR2 signaling in pancreatic cancer initiation. These studies have identified a novel role of CXCR2 in mediating KRAS(G12D) -induced autocrine growth transformation of pancreatic cancer cells. The upregulation of the CXCR2 biological axis was found to be directly …


Classification Of Breast Cancer Patients Using Somatic Mutation Profiles And Machine Learning Approaches, Suleyman Vural Dec 2015

Classification Of Breast Cancer Patients Using Somatic Mutation Profiles And Machine Learning Approaches, Suleyman Vural

Theses & Dissertations

The high degree of heterogeneity observed in breast cancers makes it very difficult to classify cancer patients into distinct clinical subgroups and consequently limits the ability to devise effective therapeutic strategies. In this study, we explore the use of gene mutation profiles to classify, characterize and predict the subgroups of breast cancers. We analyzed the whole exome sequencing data from 358 ethnically similar breast cancer patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project. Identified somatic and non-synonymous single nucleotide variants were assigned a quantitative score (C-score) that represents the extent of negative impact on the function of the gene. Using …


Interaction Between Angiotensin Ii And Bdnf In Modulating Sympathetic Nerve Activity, Bryan K. Becker Dec 2015

Interaction Between Angiotensin Ii And Bdnf In Modulating Sympathetic Nerve Activity, Bryan K. Becker

Theses & Dissertations

Over activation of the sympathetic nervous system is prevalent in many forms of cardiovascular disease such as chronic heart failure (CHF) and hypertension. Although increased neuronal renin-angiotensin system activity in presympathetic neurons has been well implicated in mediating this sympatho-excitation, many of the neuronal effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) signaling remain poorly understood. One particular mechanism of Ang II-mediated increases in presympathetic neuronal activity is through reductions in voltage-gated K+ currents. Another pathway that has profound effects on neuronal K+ currents and that has been previously implicated in Ang II-signaling is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) activity through …


Control Of The Basal Recycling And Surface Expression Of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor By The Endocytic Recycling Regulator Ehd1 Utilizing A Pathway Shared By Rusc2, Eric Tom Dec 2015

Control Of The Basal Recycling And Surface Expression Of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor By The Endocytic Recycling Regulator Ehd1 Utilizing A Pathway Shared By Rusc2, Eric Tom

Theses & Dissertations

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a prototype receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and oncogene aberrantly expressed or mutated in solid tumors. Its surface expression is dynamically regulated. Display of an activation-competent pool is essential for response to ligands. Internalization and degradation of EGFR following stimulation has received the most attention, fewer studies have characterized the recycling arm of EGFR transit, basal traffic and surface display are poorly understood. Thus, we evaluated the endocytic recycling of EGFR for its therapeutic potential in EGFR driven cancers. The C-Terminal Eps15 homology (EH) domain-containing proteins have emerged as regulators of surface receptor recycling …