Anatomy Commons^™

The Plant Structure Ontology, A Unified Vocabulary Of Anatomy And Morphology Of A Flowering Plant, Katica Ilic, Elizabeth Kellogg, Pankaj Jaiswal, Felipe Zapata, Peter Stevens, Leszek Vincent, Shulamit Avraham, Leonore Reiser, Anuradha Pujar, Martin Sachs, Noah Whitman, Susan Mccouch, Mary Schaeffer, Doreen Ware, Lincoln Stein, Seung Rhee

Biology Department Faculty Works

Formal description of plant phenotypes and standardized annotation of gene expression and protein localization data require uniform terminology that accurately describes plant anatomy and morphology. This facilitates cross species comparative studies and quantitative comparison of phenotypes and expression patterns. A major drawback is variable terminology that is used to describe plant anatomy and morphology in publications and genomic databases for different species. The same terms are sometimes applied to different plant structures in different taxonomic groups. Conversely, similar structures are named by their species-specific terms. To address this problem, we created the Plant Structure Ontology (PSO), the first generic ontological …

Molecular Screening Of Azoreductase Gene And Its Activity In Human Intestinal Bacteria, Syndia S. Todd

McCabe Thesis Collection

The intestinal microflora are capable of performing a wide variety of metabolic transformations. "The intestinal bacteria can enhance the function of the entire gastrointestinal tract, protect against pathogenic, maintain the vital chemical balance of the gastrointestinal system, and produce needed vitamins and hormones" (http;//www.upwardquest.com/crit2.html). Some of the products of this metabolism have been associated with carcinogenic processes, such as cancer, tumor formation, gastrointestinal disease, and infections. The ability of human intestinal microbes to interact with metabolites directly or after recirculation may contribute toward different toxicological disorders and disease.

The purpose of this study is to characterize and isolate the azoreductase …

Narcotic Analgesics For Acute Migraine In The Emergency Room: Are We Meeting Headache Societies' Guidelines?, Mohammad Wasay, Khawaja Slaman Zaki, Saqib Uddin Khan, Rifat Rehmani

Department of Emergency Medicine

We analysed 161 patients with acute migraine in our emergency room (ER) to identify the use of narcotic analgesics as first-line treatment. Twenty-four percent of patients were treated with opioid analgesics and 76% patients were treated with non-opioid analgesics. Pain was completely relieved in 100 (62%) patients, partially relieved in 50 (31%) patients and was not relieved in 11 (7%) patients at the time of discharge. Pain relief was not related to the use of opioids vs. non-opioids. The treatment of acute migraine in our ER is in line with the guidelines of the Headache Societies and needs further improvement.

A Continued Investigation Of Craniofacial Growth In Infant Heart Transplant Recipients Receiving Cyclosporine, Gabriel Enriquez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Since the mid 1980’s, Cyclosporine has proved to be an effective immunosuppressive drug and now has a widespread application in organ transplantation. Several studies, however, have implicated cyclosporine as adversely affecting craniofacial growth in the pediatric population. ^16,18 The purpose of this follow-up study was to continue to evaluate the possible untoward effects of long-term use of cyclosporine on craniofacial growth in a group of infant heart transplantation recipients by re-evaluating as many subjects as possible from the original study and evaluating new subjects. A pediatric group (N=13) was composed of six Caucasian subjects (4 male and 2 female, ages …

Guidelines And Standards For Performance Of A Pediatric Echocardiogram: A Report From The Task Force Of The Pediatric Council Of The American Society Of Echocardiography., Wyman W. Lai, Tal Geva, Girish S. Shirali, Peter C. Frommelt, Richard A. Humes, Michael M. Brook, Ricardo H. Pignatelli, Jack Rychik, Pediatric Council Of The American Society Of Echocardiography

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Ultrashort Pulsed Electric Fields On The Fluorescent Molecule Bodipy Fl C5 Ceramide, Rachael Sara Shevin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields are able to manipulate internal cell organelles by taking advantage of the small but finite time required for charge to establish across a capacitive barrier. Pulsed electric fields also affect macromolecular structures such as enzymes and proteins. Application of a single nanosecond pulsed electric field decreases the fluorescence of a commercially available biological dye Bodipy FL C₅ Ceramide, used to observe the Golgi apparatus of living cells. The effect is seen when the fluorophore is exposed to an electric field both in vitro and when incorporated into the Golgi of a living Jurkat cell. Observation …

Temporal Calcium Response Of Jurkat Cells To Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields, Shaka Shakar Scarlett

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) of megavolt per meter field strengths can interact with subcellular structures [1] and consequently trigger a variety of biological events. The exposure can induce apoptosis, as well as an array of differential "sub-lethal effects." One of the most sensitive and immediate responses is the increase in intracellular calcium concentration in pulsed cells [2], [3][4].We investigated the response of Jurkat cells (a human leukemic cell line) to nsPEFs of 60 ns duration and field strengths from 25 tol00 kV/cm. The development of the induced calcium response in individual cells was studied by spinning-disc confocal microscopy with …

Activation In Neural Networks Controlling Ingestive Behaviors: What Does It Mean, And How Do We Map And Measure It?, Alan Watts, Arshad Khan, Graciela Sanchez-Watts, Dawna Salter, Christina Neuner

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

Using Self-Organizing Maps To Recognize Acoustic Units Associated With Information Content In Animal Vocalizations, John Placer, C. N. Slobodchikoff, Jason Burns, Jeffrey Placer, Ryan Middleton

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

Kohonen self-organizing neural networks, also called self-organizing maps (SOMs), have been used successfully to recognize human phonemes and in this way to aid in human speech recognition. This paper describes how SOMS also can be used to associate specific information content with animal vocalizations. A SOM was used to identify acoustic units in Gunnison’s prairie dog alarm calls that were vocalized in the presence of three different predator species. Some of these acoustic units and their combinations were found exclusively in the alarm calls associated with a particular predator species and were used to associate predator species information with individual …

Acoustic Structures In The Alarm Calls Of Gunnison’S Prairie Dogs, C. N. Slobodchikoff, J. Placer

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

Acoustic structures of sound in Gunnison’s prairie dog alarm calls are described, showing how these acoustic structures may encode information about three different predator species (red-tailed hawk—Buteo jamaicensis; domestic dog—Canis familaris; and coyote—Canis latrans). By dividing each alarm call into 25 equal-sized partitions and using resonant frequencies within each partition, commonly occurring acoustic structures were identified as components of alarm calls for the three predators. Although most of the acoustic structures appeared in alarm calls elicited by all three predator species, the frequency of occurrence of these acoustic structures varied among the alarm calls for the different predators, suggesting that …

Activation In Neural Networks Controlling Ingestive Behaviors: What Does It Mean, And How Do We Map And Measure It?, Watts, Arshad Khan, Graciela Sanchez-Watts, Dawna Salter, Christina Neuner

Departmental Papers (Biology)

No abstract provided.

Abdominal Pain With Rigidity Secondary To The Anti-Emetic Drug Metoclopramide, Nadeem Ullah Khan, Junaid A. Razzak

Department of Emergency Medicine

We report a case of abdominal pain with rigidity, mimicking an acute abdomen, caused by metoclopramide, a common anti-emetic drug. Extrapyramidal symptoms are commonly reported side-effects of this medication. They generally include involuntary movements of limbs, torticollis, oculogyric crisis, rhythmic protrusion of tongue, trismus, or dystonic reactions resembling tetanus, etc. Abdominal rigidity due to this medication, resembling an acute abdomen, has not been reported previously. This case report illustrates the importance of considering medication side-effects when evaluating a patient with abdominal pain and rigidity.

Staphylococcus Aureus Escapes More Efficiently From The Phagosome Of A Cystic Fibrosis Bronchial Epithelial Cell Line Than From Its Normal Counterpart, Todd M. Jarry, Ambrose L. Cheung

Dartmouth Scholarship

Staphylococcus aureus is frequently the initial bacterium isolated from young cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, and yet its role in CF disease progression has not been determined. Recent data from our lab demonstrates that S. aureus can invade and replicate within the CF tracheal epithelial cell line (CFT-1). Here we describe the finding that the fate of internalized S. aureus in CFT-1 cells differs from its complemented counterpart (LCFSN). S. aureus strain RN6390 was able to replicate within the mutant CFT-1 cells after invasion but not in the complemented LCFSN cells. At 1 h postinvasion, S. aureus containing vesicles within both …

Regulation Of Cardiac Fibroblast Metalloprotease Secretion, Glen De Guzman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes secreted by cardiac fibroblasts. Altered expression of MMPs plays an important role in congestive heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases^1,2. Emerging evidence has led us to consider the role of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PtdIns 4-kinase) in regulating MMP secretion in cardiac fibroblast cells^3-7. PtdIns 4-kinase is a lipid kinase involved in various cellular processes including protein secretion. This project was designed to test the hypothesis that PtdIns 4-kinase controls MMP secretion. Techniques such as cardiac cell culture, transfection, and in-gel zymography were used for this experiment. Results demonstrated that PtdIns 4-kinase …

Incidence And Outcome Of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation In Patients With Shunted Single Ventricle: Advantage Of Right Ventricle To Pulmonary Artery Shunt., Eric M. Graham, Geoffrey A. Forbus, Scott M. Bradley, Girish S. Shirali, Andrew M. Atz

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Alters Alpha2 Receptor Expression In Adolescent Rats, Rosemarie M. Booze, David R. Wallace, Janelle M. Silvers, Barbara J. Strupp, Diane M. Snow, Charles F. Mactutus

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Prenatal cocaine exposure produces attentional deficits which to persist through early childhood. Given the role of norepinephrine (NE) in attentional processes, we examined the forebrain NE systems from prenatal cocaine exposed rats. Cocaine was administered during pregnancy via the clinically relevant intravenous route of administration. Specifically, we measured alpha2-adrenergic receptor (alpha2-AR) density in adolescent (35-days-old) rats, using [3H]RX821002 (5 nM).

RESULTS: Sex-specific alterations of alpha2-AR were found in the hippocampus and amygdala of the cocaine-exposed animals, as well as an upregulation of alpha2-AR in parietal cortex.

CONCLUSION: These data suggest that prenatal cocaine exposure results in a persistent alteration …

Does Diving Limit Brain Size In Cetaceans?, Lori Marino, Daniel Sol, Kristen Toren, Louis Lefebvre

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

We test the longstanding hypothesis, known as the dive constraint hypothesis, that the oxygenation demands of diving pose a constraint on aquatic mammal brain size.Using a sample of 23 cetacean species we examine the relationship among six different measures of relative brain size, body size, and maximum diving duration. Unlike previous tests we include body size as a covariate and perform independent contrast analyses to control for phylogeny. We show that diving does not limit brain size in cetaceans and therefore provide no support for the dive constraint hypothesis. Instead, body size is the main predictor of maximum diving duration …

The Study Of Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression, Function, And Regulation In The Renal Vasculature During Postnatal Renal Development, Brian Blake Ratliff

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

The newborn kidney is vulnerable to vasomotor acute renal failure (ARF) from adverse perinatal events or complications of prematurity. Nitric oxide (NO) vasodilation is vitally protective in this type of ARF, but its relationship with other vasoactive factors, such as angiotensin II (AII) has not been examined. In the immature kidney, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms, specifically eNOS and nNOS, are developmentally regulated, but their specific role and regulation are unknown.

The enhanced vasodilatory role of NO in the immature kidney was hypothesized to be attributed to regulatory, expressional, and functional differences in eNOS and nNOS isoforms from the adult. …

Cyclooxygenase-2 Mediates Microglial Activation And Secondary Dopaminergic Cell Death In The Mouse Mptp Model Of Parkinson's Disease, Rattanavijit Vijitruth, Mei Liu, Dong-Young Choi, Xuan V. Nguyen, Randy L. Hunter, Guoying Bing

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence suggests that inflammation plays an important role in the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Among many inflammatory factors found in the PD brain, cyclooxygenase (COX), specifically the inducible isoform, COX-2, is believed to be a critical enzyme in the inflammatory response. Induction of COX-2 is also found in an experimental model of PD produced by administration of 1-methy-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP).

METHOD: COX-2-deficient mice or C57BL/6 mice were treated with MPTP to investigate the effects of COX-2 deficiency or by using various doses of valdecoxib, a specific COX-2 inhibitor, which induces inhibition of COX-2 on dopaminergic neuronal toxicity and …

Mineralized Bone Allograft In Maxillary Sinuses Histology And Histomorphometry, Sammy Stefan Noumbissi

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Demineralized freeze-dried bone allografts (DFDBA) and deproteinized bovine bone xenografts (DMBBX) have been used for sinus augmentation for many years with varying results, but very little has been reported on the clinical efficacy or the histological analysis of mineralized solvent dehydrated bone allografts (MSDBA) as sinus graft materials. This study histologically and histomorphometrically evaluated an MSDBA material called PUROS to augment atrophic human maxillary sinuses.

Materials & Methods: Seven partially and completely edentulous patients requiring unilateral (n=4) or bilateral (n=3) sinus grafts prior to implant placement were selected for this study. Test grafts consisted of MSDBA, and control …

Disaggregating The Relative Influence Of Genetic, Environmental And Individual Factors On Ldl And Hdl Cholesterols And Bmi For A Sample Of African American (Aa) Mothers And Daughters, C. Jayne Brahler, Jewel Harden, Michelle Mchone, Matthew Soules, Eric Evans, Ann Alyanak, Fred Diakpieng, Paul M. Vanderburgh

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

There are many reports about the associations between blood lipids, body mass index (BMI) and dietary cholesterol intakes both within the individual and between related individuals. The purpose of this descriptive research project was to investigate the relationships between LDL and HDL cholesterols, body mass index and dietary cholesterol intakes for a sample of African American (AA) mothers and their daughters and to attempt to separate the contribution of genetic versus environmental factors. Mother and daughter participants (n =42 and 66, respectively) were 12-14-hours fasted when blood samples were drawn, heights and weights measured, and 24 hour food recalls completed.

Do Cd1-Restricted T Cells Contribute To Antibody-Mediated Immunity Against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis?, Mark L. Lang, Aharona Glatman-Freedman

Dartmouth Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Indentation Fracture Of Bovine Cortical Bone: Acoustic Emission Technique, Ashkan Safari, Ger Reilly, Brendan Mccormack

Conference Papers

Indentation cutting may result in microcracking and main crack growth which was previously reported. In this study, we recorded the AE signals produced by cracking processes during cutting on cortical bone, measuring the cutting force and correlating between load-displacement curves and AE activities.

The Zucker Rat As A Model Of Obesity-Hypertension, Ryan Morrison

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Hypertension is a serious health problem that affects approximately 1 in 4 American adults. Most cases are diagnosed as essential hypertension, meaning that the exact cause is unknown. In most patients, however, excess weight is a major contributory factor to the development of essential hypertension. The role of obesity in promoting hypertension is now well documented and has become the foundation for an entire field of research known alternately as obesity-hypertension, obesity-induced hypertension, or obesity-associated hypertension. In this field, rapid advances are being made in our understanding of how obesity and hypertension are linked. A plethora of related risk factors, …

The Effect Of Handling Time On Temporal Discounting In Two New World Primates, Alexandra G. Rosati, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Marc D. Hauser

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Foraging decisions in nonhuman animals often require choosing between small, immediate food rewards and larger, more delayed rewards. Faced with such choices, animals typically discount or devalue the future quite strongly. Although discounting studies often focus on delays to reward access, other temporal intervals contribute to foraging rate, and thus may potentially influence discounting levels. Here, we examine the effect of handling time, the time required to process and consume food, on discounting in cottontop tamarins, Saguinus oedipus, and common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, two species that differ in levels of temporal discounting. We presented subjects with a discounting task under …

Endothelial Cell Cortactin Phosphorylation By Src Contributes To Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Transmigration In Vitro, L. Yang, Jennifer R. Kowalski, X. Zhan, S. M. Thomas, F. W. Luscinskas

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

The underlying mechanisms that regulate leukocyte transendothelial migration through the vascular endothelium remain unclear. Cortactin is a substrate of Src tyrosine kinases and a regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics. Previous studies demonstrated a role for Src phosphorylation of cortactin in clustering of E-selectin and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 around adherent leukocytes. In the current study, we used an in vitro flow model to investigate the role of Src-induced cortactin phosphorylation in endothelium during polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) transmigration through human umbilical vein endothelium (HUVEC) monolayers preactivated with tumor necrosis factor-{alpha}. Inhibition of Src in HUVEC using Src kinase inhibitors PP2 and SU6656 …

Rapid Determination Of Reduced And Oxidized Glutathione Levels Using A New Thiol-Masking Reagent And The Enzymatic Recycling Method: Application To The Rat Liver And Bile Samples, Imam H. Shaik, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

A microtiter plate assay for quantitation of reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione in the rat liver tissue and bile is described. The assay is based on the established enzymatic recycling method and a new thiol-masking reagent, 1-methyl-4-vinyl-pyridinium trifluoromethane sulfonate (M4VP). Samples were first processed by homogenization with (liver) or addition of (bile) sulfosalicylic acid. The total glutathione and GSSG were then determined before and after rapid (>= 2 min) and efficient (100%) masking of the GSH content of the samples with M4VP followed by the enzymatic recycling assay. The percentages of error and coefficient of variation of the …

Racial Disparities In Cardiovascular Risk Associated With Body Mass Index In Men And Women: A Subject-Level Meta-Analysis, Jill Abell

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Introduction The prevalence of obesity is increasing in all segments of the population. While excess body mass is associated with increased disease risks, the magnitude of the risks are unclear from existing studies. In this dissertation we examine the association between BMI and cardiovascular outcomes, CHD, stroke and CVD mortality and blood pressure in four gender-race subgroups. Methods This study uses Black Pooling Project data which includes subject level data on 27,691 men and women and 450,962 person-years of follow-up. Analysis includes linear regression and Cox Proportional Hazard models and is gender-race specific. Subject-level meta-analysis is used to obtain overall …

Female Genital Mutlation [Sic]: An Emerging Public Health Concern, Sarah Jan Brown

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Assessing Epidermal Growth Factor Expression In The Rodent Hippocampus Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Janice Mabutas Daus

Theses and Dissertations

Hippocampal neurons are vulnerable to injury, as indicated by the prevalence of learning and memory deficits following traumatic brain injury. Research indicates that proliferation of neural precursor cells increases following brain injury, which implies that there is an endogenous response in the hippocampus to replenish neurons and restore cognitive function. Studies show that mitogenic growth factors may drive this proliferative response; one of which is epidermal growth factor. Because adults and the elderly manifest the most enduring deficits following TBI, it is critical to investigate how EGF expression following injury may relate to injury-induced cell proliferation and the degree of …