bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Colonization of the Lower Urinary Tract by Neural Crest and Development of Pelvic Autonomic Innervation
Authors: Southard‐Smith E Michelle 
Published: June 2021

The development of organs occurs concurrently with the formation of nerves that are essential for normal function. In the lower urinary tract, comprised of the bladder and urethra, appropriate innervation is essential for storage and coordinated release of urine at socially acceptable times. Understanding how the innervation of the lower urinary tract develops and the signaling pathways that regulate this process is likely to provide insight into congenital problems and offers a means to regenerate neural inputs in cases of damage or disease. The bladder and urethra receive both sensory and autonomic neural inputs that are derived from the neural crest during development. Sensory innervation of the bladder originates from neural crest‐derived dorsal root ganglia at thoracic and sacral spinal levels. Pelvic autonomic sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons that provide motor effects and play a principle role in coordinating bladder contractility are located within the discrete ganglia that lie near the neck of the bladder and proximal urethra. Formation of these mixed pelvic ganglia from neural crest, the routes of neural crest migration into the fetal urogenital sinus, timing of pelvic ganglia neural differentiation, and signaling pathways that regulate these processes are active areas of investigation that are being rapidly advanced through the use of mouse models. An overview of studies undertaken in transgenic mice to derive a spatiotemporal map of neural crest derivatives in the developing lower urinary tract as well as a timeline of differentiation of pelvic ganglia neurons and initial analysis of signaling pathways active during pelvic ganglia neuron differentiation will be presented.Support or Funding InformationThis work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R01‐DK078158, RC1‐DK086594, and U01‐DK101038.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Black Spot, Black Death, Black Pearl: The Tales of Bacterial Effectors
Authors: Orth Kim 
Published: June 2021

External queues can lead to dramatic changes in host cell signaling. Research in my lab centers around elucidating the biochemical activity of virulence factors, termed effectors, used by bacteria to manipulate eukaryotic signaling machinery. My lab approaches the analysis of host signaling pathways by tapping into the enormous reservoir of bacterial virulence factors that are used by bacterial pathogens to manipulate a eukaryotic cell during infection. Most effectors are predicted to have usurped a eukaryotic activity that is then modified by the pathogen for its own advantage. Gram‐negative bacteria use a type III secretion system (T3SS) as a transport vehicle to deliver the virulence factors from the bacterial cytosol to the target host cytosol. The bacterial pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus contains two of these systems, T3SS1 and T3SS2, which are believed to function independently of one another in different hosts. The former is found in all Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains and causes death of host cells within hours of infection by induction of autophagy, followed by cell blebbing and rounding with the subsequent release of cellular contents. The other system, T3SS2, is associated with clinical isolates and mediates invasion, followed by vacuolar escape into the cytosol, proliferation and, finally, lysis of the host cells. To uncover the biological mechanisms used by effectors, we use a broad range of tools, including biochemistry, molecular microbiology, biophysics, structural biology, yeast genetics, and cell biology. We have discovered that pathogens utilize novel posttranslational modifications, including Ser/Thr acetylation and AMPylation. We have also uncovered unique mechanisms that manipulate the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton, the induction of autophagy, and the maintenance of cell membrane integrity. As some of these mechanisms, such as AMPylation, are used by the host, we went on to discover that eukaryotic Fic‐mediated AMPylation/deAMPylation on the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone, BiP, serves as a rheostat for the unfolded protein response. Future studies will endeavor to understand other crafty ways that host cells can be manipulated by pathogens.Support or Funding InformationHHMI, NIH, Welch Foundation, Once Upon a Time… FoundationThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Genome editing and plant agriculture
Authors: Voytas Daniel 
Published: June 2021

The ability to precisely modify plant genomes through homologous recombination (HR) promises to advance both basic and applied plant biology. However, even with the use of sequence‐specific nucleases, which stimulate HR by creating targeted DNA double‐strand breaks, there are only a handful of studies that report precise editing of endogenous plant genes. Our group has been focusing on two efforts to more effectively modify plant genomes through HR. In one, we are developing new vectors to deliver sequence‐specific nucleases and DNA repair templates to plant cells. Specifically, we have been using geminivirus replicons, which function in both monocots and dicots, to amplify nuclease‐encoding cassettes and DNA repair templates. In a second effort, we are attempting to achieve HR by either genetically manipulating DNA repair pathways or delivering nucleases and repair templates to cells proficient in HR. Progress on our efforts to optimize gene targeting strategies will be reported.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Deconstructing lagging‐strand synthesis in vivo
Authors: Smith Duncan 
Published: June 2021

Half of all nuclear DNA in eukaryotic organisms must be replicated discontinuously on the lagging strand. Because eukaryotic Okazaki fragments are short – on average ~300 nt – complete replication of the human genome must require the synthesis, processing and ligation of tens of millions of Okazaki fragments.Each Okazaki Fragment is initiated by the error‐prone DNA polymerase alpha and subsequently extended by DNA polymerase delta. Upon encountering a downstream fragment, Pol delta carries out strand‐displacement synthesis coupled to nucleolytic cleavage of the 5′ end of the displaced fragment to generate a ligation‐competent nicked DNA structure. Several partially redundant nucleases have been proposed to participate in Okazaki fragment processing: the roles of these nucleases have been extensively studied in vitro, but in vivo studies have largely relied on genetic interactions without directly examining nuclease cleavage during OF processing. Here, we describe a systematic, in vivo approach to study Okazaki fragment flap processing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, using the direct sequencing and analysis of lagging‐strand intermediates to examine both lagging‐strand biogenesis and replication‐fork movement. Additional results detailing the cell‐cycle dependence of lagging‐strand processing will also be discussed.Support or Funding InformationSupported by NIGMS R01 GM114340 and the Searle Scholars ProgramThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
New prion strain generation through splenic replication
Authors: Sigurdson Christina J. , Aguilar‐Calvo Patricia , Bett Cyrus , Sevillano Alejandro , Kurt Timothy D. , Lawrence Jessica , Soldau Katrin , Hammarstrom Per , Nilsson K. Peter R. 
Published: June 2021

Prion aggregates typically spread from their entry site into the central nervous system. However, distinct prion conformers show varying capacity to penetrate the CNS, as certain fibrillar prions replicate persistently in the spleen without CNS access, leading to silent carriers. Subclinical carriers of variant Creutzfeldt‐Jakob (vCJD) prions in the United Kingdom have been estimated at 1:2000, and vCJD prions have been transmitted by blood transfusion from prion‐infected donors. Yet it remains unclear which types of circulating prion conformers will neuroinvade following a transfusion. To understand how prion conformation impacts brain entry of transfused prions, we challenged mice intravenously to five subfibrillar and fibrillar strains. We found that all subfibrillar prions infiltrated the brain and caused terminal disease, however the fibrillar prions showed reduced CNS entry in a strain‐dependent manner. Whereas one fibrillar prion efficiently spread to the CNS with no apparent strain change, a second fibrillar prion replicated in the spleen and emerged in the brain as a novel strain. The new strain showed an altered plaque morphology, targets in brain, and biochemical properties as compared to the original strain, and these properties were maintained upon further passage. Direct intracerebral passage of prion‐infected spleen also generated the new strain, suggesting splenic replication as a potential source. Taken together, these results indicate that exposure to prion‐contaminated blood or blood products may produce novel prion conformers and disease phenotypes, potentially arising from prion replication by non‐neural cell types or from selection of a neuroinvasive conformer.Support or Funding InformationThis study was supported by the National Institutes of Health grants NS069566 (CJS), NS076896 (CJS), and the Ramón Areces Foundation (PAC). The Swedish Research Council grants 2015‐04521 (PH) and 2015‐05868 (PH) and The Göran Gustafsson Foundation (PH).This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Treatment of a Mouse Model of Cholestasis with a Thyromimetic Improves Biliary Injury But Exacerbates Hepatocyte Injury
Authors: Kosar Karis , Nejak‐Bowen Kari 
Published: June 2021

Chronic cholestasis results from bile secretory defects or impairment of bile flow, and there are few effective medical therapies available. Thyroid hormone T3 and synthetic thyroid hormone receptor agonists are known to cause induction of hepatocyte proliferation during liver regeneration through activation of b‐catenin. However, whether these drugs have therapeutic benefits in cholestatic liver disease is unknown. In this study, we administered GC‐1, a thyromimetic that preferentially acts through the TRb receptor found predominantly in liver, to Mdr2 knockout (KO) mice, which is a commonly used model of sclerosing cholangitis characterized by bile acid (BA) regurgitation, periductular inflammation, and fibrosis. We determined Mdr2 KO mice fed 5mg/kg GC‐1 diet had decreased bilirubin, liver to body weight ratios, serum alkaline phosphatase, but increased serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase compared to KO mice fed normal diet as early as 1 week on diet. Histologically, KO mice on GC‐1 diet had decreased ductular response, less bridging fibrosis, and fewer SOX9 positive hepatocytes compared to KO on normal diet. Although total liver BA were higher in KO mice fed GC‐1 diet for 2 weeks compared to normal diet, they normalized to KO levels at 4 weeks of diet. To elucidate the mechanism of increased BA accumulation and liver injury, we examined expression of BA transporters and detoxification enzymes. KO mice on GC‐1 diet had decreased bilirubin transport and detoxification genes, such as Mrp2, Mrp3, Cyp2b10, and Oatp4, compared to KO mice on normal diet, with the net result being retention of BA in the hepatocyte. Interestingly, KO mice on GC‐1 diet had decreased total and phosphorylated, active b‐catenin compared to KO mice on normal diet, suggesting an alternate mechanism for GC‐1 activation in this model. Thus, GC‐1 reduces cholangiocyte injury during cholestasis by inducing retention of BA in hepatocytes, causing injury to the hepatocytes; this occurs through as‐yet unknown mechanisms that are upstream of BA transporters and biosynthesis enzymes and appears to be b‐catenin independent.Support or Funding InformationNational Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering of the National Institute of Health under Award Number T32EB0010216UPP Academic Foundation Award 1R01DK103775This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Anonymity of Willed Body Donors: Survey Results from First Year Medical Students
Authors: Champney Thomas , Eaton Sarah , Ishteiwy Remma , Ring Sarah , Sheu Jonathan 
Published: June 2021

There is current debate about the value of anonymity in willed body donors for first year medical students. Some claim that allowing the students to know more about the donors can enhance their empathy and can provide early experience in the doctor – patient relationship. Others claim that knowing too much about the donors may make the dissection experience more traumatic and can take away from the student's anatomical learning experience. To gain a student's perspective on this issue, first year medical students in two different curricular tracks at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine were surveyed both before and after they completed their first year gross anatomy course (IRB 20160480). One curricular track provides 150 students with a short, eight week, high intensity anatomy course while the other track provides 50 students with a longer, 6 month, low intensity course. The online survey asked the students to rate how much personal information about the donors they would like to receive. The survey response rate was 76% and 63% for the pre‐ and post‐ short anatomy course with response rates of 58% and 56% for the pre‐ and post‐ long anatomy course. There was no difference in the results between the two curricular tracks and no difference in the results before or after taking the anatomy course. The results found that the students would prefer to have information about the donors that includes their medical history, social history and socioeconomic status (3.7 mean Likert score), but are less interested in having complete information about the donors (name, religion, political affiliation) (2.4 mean Likert score). Comments by the students suggested that knowing too much information could have a negative impact on their ability to perform invasive dissections and could have negative emotional effects. The students felt, however, that knowing the donor's medical and social history would allow them to appreciate and synthesize the anatomical information to a greater degree. These results indicate that students would like more pertinent medical information about their donors, but that they have concerns about knowing the complete information about their willed body donors.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
An Active Learning Lesson with Three Dimensional Models to Improve Understanding of Pelvic and Perineal Anatomy
Authors: Solis Laura J. , Rahimi Omid B. 
Published: June 2021

Novice students have difficulty understanding the anatomy of the pelvis and perineum due to the complex arrangement and limited visibility of structures in these areas. Previously, medical students at UT Health San Antonio studied these regions using dissection, prosection, peer teaching, and radiographs. We combined 35‐minute sessions with three dimensional (3D) models made with simulated anatomical contents using arts and crafts materials, and a case study utilizing digital anatomy software, BodyViz, to the traditional teaching methods. The effectiveness of the additional 3D active learning tools was assessed by comparing student exam performance, following their participation in the sessions, with the exam results from the previous three academic years. The results demonstrated that students, with access to the 3D tools, slightly reversed a decreasing trend on exam average scores and showed significant improvement in the identification of specific structures in the pelvis and perineum. The study also suggested a slight advantage in student attendance to the active learning lesson following exposure to cadaveric prosections as compared to those attending the active learning lesson prior to the laboratory session. In the current academic year, the 3D models alone were utilized by medical students in two optional active learning lesson sessions to evaluate the model's effectiveness in improving their understanding of the anatomy. In a class of 217 students, 53.4% of students chose to participate in the active learning lesson using the model. Out of those students struggling in the course, 69% chose to attend the active learning sessions. Overall, students had positive comments about the impact of the models and the session in their learning. Student performance on exam topics related to the pelvis and perineum is tracked and compared to medical student averages in previous medical classes. The active manipulation of the 3D models and the additional time dedicated to the active learning exercise gives students the capability to study the complex spatial relationships of structures and improve their performance on course exams. Our models show great potential as an optional teaching method in enhancing medical student learning of the anatomy of the pelvis and perineum.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Learning styles among medical students: Kinesthetic learners approach to learning anatomy.
Authors: Hernandez Jessa , Vasan Nagaswami 
Published: June 2021

According to Vark's modalities, there are 4 different learning styles that an individual can use: visual, auditory, read/write and kinesthetic. Each student uses one or more of these that helps them the most in learning new material. The Visual learners prefer depictions of information as figures and charts; Auditory learners prefer to hear the information as lectures and discussions; Read/Write learners prefer information presented as text‐based and the Kinesthetic learners prefer concrete experiences that connect the material to reality. Most people have a multimodal approach to learning. Traditional teaching of anatomy includes lectures and dissections. Lectures and dissections fall short for kinesthetic learners in the that their concrete experience is limited to one cadaver or a prosection lacking applicability to the widespread model. A recent study showed that 20% of the medical students are kinesthetic learners. Many studies evaluated new ways to teach anatomy including computer‐assisted learning and using live models. None of these, however, aid the kinesthetic learner. Ever since Da Vinci's drawings and Andreas Vesalius' illustrated anatomical textbook, art has been a large part of learning anatomy. Being a kinesthetic learner, I found a way to use art and modeling to create a concrete experience that satisfies my learning style and help me learn anatomy: Crochet. Through crochet I was able to take what I was learning in lecture and dissection and recreate it. To do this I dissect, study a structure and create a 3‐D mental model. This way, I was able to gain a broader visuospatial understanding of the anatomical concepts. The presentation will include number of drawings and crochet models.Support or Funding InformationSupported by the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Findings of the Anomalous Fibularis Digiti Quinti Muscle and Implications of its Associated Variable Presentations from Cadaver Dissections
Authors: Brechtel Benjamin Stilwell , Dao Tung V. , Chaney Morgan E. , Belovich Stephanie J. , Siesel Kathy J. , Fredieu John R. 
Published: June 2021

From our cohort (KSUCPM 2017) of 26 cadavers dissected by podiatric medical students for lower‐extremity anatomy, we observed bilateral and robust fibularis digiti quinti (FDQ) tendons in a 99‐year‐old female. Here, we describe the case, incidence of the FDQ tendons from dissections, and their variability as a component of anomalous lateral leg musculature. Due to variability, we have considerations for the anthropological and clinical significance of our findings. In both feet of our case, the FDQ tendon arose from the fibularis brevis tendon proximal to the lateral malleolus, but did not separate completely from the fibularis brevis tendon until passing through the inferior fibular retinaculum. On the lateral dorsum of the foot, the FDQ passed through a third fibular retinaculum formed by the fibularis tertius tendon, and inserted onto the extensor sling of the fifth digit. Our case is considered fully present FDQ. Of the 52 limbs dissected in the KSUCPM 2017 cohort, 17 limbs (33%) showed a fully present FDQ, 20 limbs (38%) exhibited an FDQ in a rudimentary form, and 15 limbs (29%) lacked an observable FDQ. Ongoing 2018 cadaver dissections are also represented. Functionally, human bipedality requires less dexterity than that of nonhuman primates in the routine use of hindlimbs. Therefore, we interpret the high variability of the FDQ, including its absence in many feet, as a relaxation of natural selection. The clinical significance of our findings suggests that the presence of a fully developed FDQ anomaly can be involved in pathology. In addition, physician awareness of the FDQ is important for surgical considerations.Support or Funding InformationResearch supported by Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.