Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons^™

127 Million Non-Human Vertebrates Used Worldwide For Scientific Purposes In 2005, Andrew Knight

Andrew Knight, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

Animal Carcinogenicity Studies: 3. Alternatives To The Bioassay, Andrew Knight, Jarrod Bailey, Jonathan Balcombe

Jonathan Balcombe, PhD

Conventional animal carcinogenicity tests take around three years to design, conduct and interpret. Consequently, only a tiny fraction of the thousands of industrial chemicals currently in use have been tested for carcinogenicity. Despite the costs of hundreds of millions of dollars and millions of skilled personnel hours, as well as millions of animal lives, several investigations have revealed that animal carcinogenicity data lack human specificity (i.e. the ability to identify human non-carcinogens), which severely limits the human predictivity of the bioassay. This is due to the scientific inadequacies of many carcinogenicity bioassays, and numerous serious biological obstacles, which render profoundly …

Animal Carcinogenicity Studies: 2. Obstacles To Extrapolation Of Data To Humans, Andrew Knight, Jarrod Bailey, Jonathan Balcombe

Jonathan Balcombe, PhD

Due to limited human exposure data, risk classification and the consequent regulation of exposure to potential carcinogens has conventionally relied mainly upon animal tests. However, several investigations have revealed animal carcinogenicity data to be lacking in human predictivity. To investigate the reasons for this, we surveyed 160 chemicals possessing animal but not human exposure data within the US Environmental Protection Agency chemicals database, but which had received human carcinogenicity assessments by 1 January 2004. We discovered the use of a wide variety of species, with rodents predominating, and of a wide variety of routes of administration, and that there were …

What It Is To Be A Dog: A Qualitative Method For The Study Of Animals Other Than Humans, Kenneth J. Shapiro

Kenneth J. Shapiro, PhD

No abstract provided.

A New Invasiveness Scale: Its Role In Reducing Animal Distress, Kenneth J. Shapiro, Peter B. Field

Kenneth J. Shapiro, PhD

No abstract provided.

Animal Model Research: The Apples And Oranges Quandary, Kenneth J. Shapiro

Kenneth J. Shapiro, PhD

In this paper, I explore the premises underlying the problem of the evaluation of animal models. I argue that the presence of similarities and differences between the model and the modelled, although historically and currently a dominant antinomy framing evaluation, is not a bottom-line consideration. What is critical is 1) whether we learn and 2) whether we improve treatment through the animal model research. Similarity between model and modelled and the closely related concept of validity are not coterminus with these critical evaluative measures. In fact, differences between the model and modelled also can provide impetus to new understanding and …

Simulating Mars: Student Projects At Mars Desert Research Station (Mdrs), Ashley Hollis-Bussey, Lycourgos Manolopoulos, Marc Carofano, Hiroki Sugimoto, Cassandra Vella, John Herman

Human Factors and Applied Psychology Student Conference

No abstract provided.

Non-Essentiality Of Alr And Muri Genes In Mycobacteria, Philion L. Hoff, Denise Zinniel, Raúl G. Barletta

UCARE Research Products

Amino acids are the building blocks of life. If DNA is the blueprint, amino acids are the lumber that proteins are built with. Proteins are built with left-handed, L- forms of amino acids. Bacteria have an essential cell wall component that happens to be an exception: peptidoglycan. Bacteria have enzymes called racemases that convert L- amino acid forms into right-handed, D- forms. Amino acids participate in many reactions with keto acids. Transaminases allow conversion between amino acids by transfer of an amino group.

Previous reports claimed there is no D-ala transaminase activity in mycobacteria and thus alr and murI genes …

How Nebraska’S Eastern Saline Wetland Native Plant Species Grow In Response To Restoration Methods: Application Of Different Salinity Level Groundwater, Ellen Dolph, Keunyea Song, Amy Burgin, Trenton E. Franz

UCARE Research Products

Nebraska’s Eastern Saline Wetlands are unique ecosystems endemic to the Salt and Rock Creek waters in Lancaster and Saunders County.

They provide an ecosystem services as well as habitat for endangered species such as the state endangered saltwort (Salicornia rubra) and federally endangered Salt Creek tiger beetle (Cicindela nevadica lincolniana).

Over 80 % of the saline wetlands are highly degraded and in recent years, the Saline Wetland Conservation Partnership has formed to conserve and restore the remaining saline wetland fragments, but there is limited information about inland saline wetland restoration. Purpose: Investigate techniques to better conserve …

Tom Curran, Phd, Frs, Named Executive Director Of Children's Research Institute, Children's Mercy Hospital

Our Story Continues

Tom Curran, PhD, FRS, has been named Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Director of the Children’s Mercy Children’s Research Institute (CRI), effective Feb. 1 [2016]

The Children’s Research Institute at Children’s Mercy Kansas City was established last year to build on the hospital’s century-long history in pediatric research and to focus the hospital’s future research efforts in four key areas:

• Pediatric Genomic Medicine
• Clinical Pharmacology
• Health Services and Outcomes
• Health Care Delivery

Biographical Feature: Clyde Thornsberry, Ph.D., Erik Munson

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Suboptimal Trichomonas Vaginalis Antigen Test Performance In A Low-Prevalence Sexually Transmitted Infection Community, Kimber L. Munson, Maureen Napierala, Erik Munson

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Trichomonas vaginalis is the most common nonviral etiology of sexually transmitted infection (STI) worldwide. The OSOM Trichomonas rapid test (OSOM; Sekisui Diagnostics, San Diego, CA) is a rapid surrogate to microscopic analysis in symptomatic patients, but its performance in low-prevalence STI populations has been assessed on a limited basis in the literature. OSOM has widespread usage, as accreditation data from the College of American Pathologists report that over 300 participant laboratories utilize this assay on an annual basis. We sought to characterize the analytical and clinical performance of OSOM in a low-prevalence STI population on the basis of a commercial …

Models For Hsv Shedding Must Account For Two Levels Of Overdispersion, Amalia Magaret

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

We have frequently implemented crossover studies to evaluate new therapeutic interventions for genital herpes simplex virus infection. The outcome measured to assess the efficacy of interventions on herpes disease severity is the viral shedding rate, defined as the frequency of detection of HSV on the genital skin and mucosa. We performed a simulation study to ascertain whether our standard model, which we have used previously, was appropriately considering all the necessary features of the shedding data to provide correct inference. We simulated shedding data under our standard, validated assumptions and assessed the ability of 5 different models to reproduce the …

Systematic Errors In Intro Lab Video Analysis, John Zwart, Kayt E. Frisch, Tim Martin

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

In video analysis lab experiments, students frequently find large discrepancies between results based on self-filmed videos and expected values (e.g. for g determined by a fit to projectile motion data). These differences are frequently far larger than the uncertainty calculated from their fit. Using an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera with a 4x optical zoom to record video, we investigated two possible causes of this error: the effect of placing the reference meter stick at a different object-to-camera distance and the effect of the motion of interest being in a plane not perpendicular to the camera lens. When we observed these phenomena …

Deep Sleep, Cognition, Body Weight, Body Temperature, And Behavioral Distress Responses To New Onset Psychosocial Stressors Are Blunted With Age In Male F344 Rats, Kendra E. Hargis

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Complaints associated with aging, including cognitive deficits and sleep loss, are highly prevalent and negatively impact quality of life. Further, with increased age, humans are also more likely to experience new-onset psychosocial stressors, such as divorce, loss of a spouse, and social isolation. Stress has detrimental consequences that in many ways parallel the effects of aging on sleep and cognition. The long-standing stress/ glucocorticoid hypotheses of brain aging posit that stress exposure exacerbates aging symptoms, and extensive prior studies have shown that early life stress exposure does worsen phenotypic aging symptoms. However, despite its prevalence in aged humans, little basic …

Isolation And Characterization Of Microbial Community Associated With Diadumene Lineata, The Orange-Striped Sea Anemone, Tiffany Lin, Andrew Weir

Student and Faculty Research Days

The orange-striped sea anemone, Diadumene lineata, is a marine invertebrate that can be found in the Northern Hemisphere. Distribution of Diadumene lineata ranges from Japan to the Gulf of Argentina. This invasive anemone originated from the Pacific Coast of Asia and serves as a host for a diverse microbial community including a photosynthetic alga. The epiphytic bacteria adhere to the outer surface as well as to the gastrovascular cavity of the host. The microbial community associated with Diadumene lineata is relatively unknown. This study attempted to isolate and identify bacteria commonly associated with this invasive marine invertebrate. Diadumene lineata was …

Privatization Of Biomedical Research: A Short Term Answer With Long Term Consequences, Frederick Azalekor

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Biomedical research owned by the government is now available to be owned by private institutions. This results in stagnant innovations because researchers have trouble with all the restrictions that are placed by private institutions. Privatization of biomedical research has short term positive effects but its negative effects are overarching and disastrous. One way to combat this, is for licenses to be deployed slowly with future consequences in mind.

• Privatization has short term benefits but long term disadvantages are disastrous. • To reduce damaging effect, privatization must be deployed slowly and carefully. • Patents or proprietary ownership must be given …

Role Of Vav2 In Podocyte Inflammasome Activation And Glomerular Injury During Hyperhomocysteinemia, Sabena Conley

Theses and Dissertations

Hyperhomocysteinemia (hHcys) is a widely known pathogenic factor in the progression of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and it is also associated with an increased risk for injurious cardiovascular pathologies during ESRD. HHcys is linked to the formation and activation of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, characterized as a critical early mechanism initiating the inflammatory response. NADPH oxidase (NOX)-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in podocytes in response to elevated levels of homocysteine (Hcys) in vitro and in vivo. However, it remains unknown how NLRP3 inflammasome activation is triggered by NOX. The …

Pedagogy For The Pedosphere, Loren B. Byrne, Rachel K. Thiet, V Bala Chaudhary

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hexokinase Ii Localization Is Independent Of Ampk Activation In Hela Cells, Alyssa Brown

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

In order for a cancer cell to thrive, it must alter its metabolism to produce the energy needed for rapid growth. Cells accomplish this by the Warburg Effect, or switching metabolism to aerobic glycolysis, where a cell can rapidly break down sugar into ATP, lactic acid and additional byproducts. Hexokinase 2, the enzyme that catalyzes the first committed step of glycolysis, may also be upregulated in cancer cells to increase glucose breakdown. Similar proteins for metabolism are found in both S. cerevisiae and mammalian cells. S. cerevisiae regulates metabolism through glucose repression, by Snf1 (mammalian homolog: AMPK) activation, which aids …

Effects Of Beta-Alanine Supplementation And High Intensity Interval Training Among Recreationally Active Females, Mary E. Yarbrough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that when combined with L-histidine forms the dipeptide carnosine. Recent research has shown that supplementary intake of beta-alanine can substantially increase carnosine content in muscle fibers and has been associated with attenuating fatigue and enhancing high intensity exercise performance. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 4 weeks of beta-alanine supplementation combined with high intensity interval training (HIIT) on indices of aerobic and anaerobic performance, rowing performance, and body composition. Twenty-one recreationally active females (22.2 ± 2.2 yrs.) participated in a double blind, placebo controlled study and were randomly assigned …

Development Of A Low-Cost Arduino-Based Sonde For Coastal Applications, Grant Lockridge, Brian Dzwonkowski, Reid Nelson, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

This project addresses the need for an expansion in the monitoring of marine environments by providing a detailed description of a low cost, robust, user friendly sonde, built on Arduino Mega 2560 (Mega) and Arduino Uno (Uno) platforms. The sonde can be made without specialized tools or training and can be easily modified to meet individual application requirements. The platform allows for internal logging of multiple parameters of which conductivity, temperature, and GPS position are demonstrated. Two design configurations for different coastal hydrographic applications are highlighted to show the robust and versatile nature of this sensor platform. The initial sonde …

Temporal Trends Of Corporate Sponsorship In Medical Research, Elijah Bodey

Honors Projects

Data will be collected from medical journals to assessed changes in the nature and prevalence of corporate sponsorship. The journals that will be reviewed are the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the British Medical Journal (BMJ), and the Lancet. These journals were chosen because of their high impact on medical research representing both American and British Medical editorials. It has been shown that corporate sponsorship has been associated with bias results (Kjaergard et al 2002). Changes in the nature of corporate sponsorship would be linked to changes in economic climate and …

Identification And Quantification Of Zooplankton In Ne Ohio Drinking Water Reservoirs, Michael Vigorito

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, are present in most freshwater ecosystems and are usually harmless. When these algae swell in numbers, they release harmful toxins that can be detrimental to animal and human health, and can destroy ecosystems. For this reason, many scientists and engineers have studied these harmful algal blooms in an attempt to predict, prevent, or control them to keep people and ecosystems safe. One of the variables in this investigation is the presence and quantity of zooplankton. These animals could play an important role in the prevalence of cyanobacteria, but more information is needed to determine what that …

Black Soldier Fly Larvae Manual, Haeree H. Park

Student Showcase

This manual is a resource for fisheries, hatcheries, and farms of all types that wish to exercise a sustainable management system utilizing black soldier fly larvae through the minimization of waste. Although black soldier fly larvae can be fed to small livestock such as chickens and rodents, this project and manual are tailored specifically to freshwater fish in hopes of closing the significant gap and inefficiencies of fish management and subsequent waste throughout the New England coastal area. There is an evident opportunity to harness black soldier fly larvae’s extraordinary bioconversion of organic matter that can lead to not only …

Seasonal Evolution Of Active Layer Formation In Subarctic Peat Plateaux And Implications For Dissolved Organic Matter Composition And Transfer, Jennifer L. Hickman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Peat-accumulating wetlands are ecosystems whose rate of photosynthetic production of organic matter is greater than that of its decomposition, resulting in a build up of soil organic matter that may take centuries to fully decompose. Carbon (C) stocks within these ecosystems are a function of inputs from photosynthesis, and losses from heterotrophic decomposition. Due to the short growing season and overall cold climate of boreal and tundra regions, C has been accumulating within these landscapes, mostly in soil organic matter, since the last glaciation. Climate change, predicted to result in rising temperatures and increased precipitation, has begun to degrade the …

Carinata Fame Production Process And Biofuel Oxidation, Benoit Kindo

Honors College Theses

In this experiment, the contribution of a standard production method for biofuels on their oxidative stability was investigated. Peroxide values were measured at different steps of the production process of Brassica carinata and peanut-based biofuels. The washing and drying steps in this production method showed significant increases in peroxide values for both biofuels and was identified as a major contributor of biofuel oxidation. Further analyses of the physical and thermal properties showed a more pronounced affect in the biofuel from Bassica carinata, and indicated an unusual composition much higher in saturated fatty acids much longer than those found in peanut. …

Bacterial Forensics: Revolutionizing Biochemical Analysis, Caitlin Cain

Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Eva Childrey is a junior forensic science and chemistry double major working in Dr. Eh- rhardt’s research laboratory at VCU. The main goal of the research conducted in this laboratory is to explore the lipid profiles of different bacterial species.

The Role Of The Ace2/Ang-(1-7)/Masr Axis In The Development Of Obesity-Hypertension In Male And Female Mice, Yu Wang

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Obesity is strongly associated with hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. An activated renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has long been suggested as a critical contributor to elevated blood pressure with obesity. Angiotensin II (AngII), the main effector of an activated RAS, can be catabolized by angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to form angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)), which, acting through the mas receptor (MasR), has been shown to oppose the effects of an activated RAS. Therefore, further understanding of the mechanisms of this counter-regulatory arm, called the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/MasR axis, may lead to new therapies for obesity-induced hypertension. Previously, we demonstrated that differences in the regulation of ACE2 …

Calcitriol Increases Ceramide, Diacylglycerol, And Expression Of Genes Involved In Lipid Packaging In Skeletal Muscle, Grace Elizabeth Jefferson

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Background: Vitamin D is crucial for skeletal muscle function. 25-hidroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) has been correlated with skeletal muscle mass and intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) content. The purpose of this study was to understand how calcitriol, the active vitamin D metabolite, directly affects myocellular size and lipid partitioning.

Methods: C₂C₁₂ myotubes were treated with calcitriol (100nM) or vehicle control for 24 or 96 h. Myotube diameter and protein synthesis rate were measured to determine effects of calcitriol on myocellular size. Intramyocellular triacylglycerol (IMTG), diacylglycerol (DAG), and ceramide content were measured by LC/MS. Expression of genes involved in lipid packaging …