Behavioral Differences Between Two Recently Sympatric Paper Wasps, the Native \u3ci\u3ePolistes Fuscatus\u3c/i\u3e and the Invasive \u3ci\u3ePolistes Dominulus\u3c/i\u3e

Polistes dominulus (Christ), an old world paper wasp, was introduced into the eastern United States in the 1970s and has been rapidly spreading westward. Recently, it has displaced the native Polistes fuscatus (F.) in at least some areas of Michigan. In order to understand why P. dominulus has been so successful, several behavioral attributes were compared between P. dominulus and P. fuscatus at a Michigan field site that contained colonies of both species nest- ing semi-naturally in plywood nestboxes. Preworker colonies of P. dominulus had a significantly greater tendency to store nectar (and had significantly higher proportions of cells with nectar) than preworker colonies of P. fuscatus. This finding may explain the higher survivorship of P. dominulus foundresses reported in a previous study. P. dominulus also had a significantly greater tendency to build vertical nests and had significantly more pedicels per comb and per cell than P. fuscatus. These findings suggest that compared to P. fuscatus, P. dominulus may have more flexibility in the positioning of its combs and, because of a possibly stronger attachment of the comb to a substrate, may be less susceptible to bird predation. The higher winter survivorship reported for P. fuscatus over P. dominulus in a previous study does not appear to be due to differences in the proportions of gynes stranded on their nests late in the fall. Finally, behavioral evidence from videography was consistent with previous reports that P. dominulus is not replacing P. fuscatus through direct agonistic interactions

Quantitative Immunohistochemistry Evaluating APE1 Expression in a Mouse Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Model

poster abstractHigh levels of APE1 expression have been reported in numerous malignant tumors (brain, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate). APE1 is an emerging target for a variety of novel anticancer drugs. Human apurinic endonuclease/redox factor 1 (APE1/Ref-1) mediates the repair of baseless sites in DNA caused by alkylation and oxidative DNA damage. Compound E3330 targets the redox signaling function of APE1. A pancreatic cancer mouse model was used to evaluate the drug effects of E3330 and Gemcitabine. The following doses were used across eight mice groups: E3330 at 12.5mg/kg, 25mg/kg, and 50mg/kg), Gemcitabine (35mg/kg), a combination of E3330 and Gemcitabine at 12.5mg/kg, 25mg/kg, and 50mg/kg), and an untreated vehicle control group. Mice were dosed i.p. 3 times weekly (MWF) and the study was completed at day 39. At termination, tumors were harvested and cross-sections were processed into a Paraffin block. Tissue sections were prepared and stained for H&E and an immunostain for CD31 (angiogenesis marker). Slides were imaged via Aperio whole slide digital system. The immunostains were evaluated to predict the effectiveness of treatment for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. IHC slides were quantitated using an Aperio positive pixel algorithm to determine the percent of angiogenesis in the various drug treatment groups. A biologically significant correlation was seen amongst the low and middle dose E3330 drug groups in comparison to the vehicle control. The (12.5 & 25) E3330 groups had an anti-angiogenic effect (shown by decreased CD31 positivity). These were slightly lower than the combinations of E3330 and Gemcitabine at the same dose treatment groups (possibly due to blunting of E3330). These results support previous studies demonstrating the antiangiogenic activity of E3330

QUANTITATIVE IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY USING THE APERIO WHOLE SLIDE IMAGING SYSTEM EVALUATING ANGIOGENESIS AND HYPOXIA MARKERS IN PANCREATIC CARCINOMA MOUSE MODEL TREATED WITH VEHICLE CONTROL, E3330, AND A STAT 3 INHIBITOR

poster abstractInvestigation of the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms that are major contributors to pancreatic tumor progression and its resistance to traditional therapies is lacking. Human apurinic endonuclease/redox factor 1 (APE/Ref-1) mediates repair of radiation-induced DNA lesions and regulates transcription via redox-based activation. Transcriptional factors HIF-1α, NFκB, and AP-1 are regulated by Ref-1 and are implicated in pancreatic tu-mor growth and the response to hypoxia. CD31 and CA IX (carbonic anhy-drase) were biomarkers used in an in vivo study to evaluate the effective-ness of E3330, an APE 1 inhibitor, in a pancreatic mouse model. Immunostained slides were scanned using the Aperio automated whole slide scanning system (Scanscope CS) and were viewed using ImageScopeTM. Single fields of view from each WSDI measuring ∼10,000,000 μm2 and rep-resenting the whole area of the tumor were selected for analysis using the Aperio positive pixel algorithm. The preclinical xenograft model evaluated human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines grown in NOD/SCID mice treated with the E3330 compound, a STAT 3 inhibitor, and an untreated vehicle control group. Immunohisto-chemistry (IHC) was used to predict effectiveness of treatment for pancreat-ic carcinoma based on CD31 and CA IX biomarker expression. IHC slides were quantified using both a traditional pathology hand count and the Aperio Imaging Analysis System. The positive pixel algorithm data closely mirrored the hand count for two biomarkers (CD31 and CA IX). In the E3330 treated group, the data showed CD31 (angiogenesis) was significantly knocked down with increased CA IX expression compared to the vehicle control. Hypoxia of the tumor cells was up in both treated groups. In summary, the Aperio im-aging analysis system matched the hand count pathology data. The drug ef-fects with E3330 exhibited both anti-angiogenesis and tumor hypoxia activi-ty in the tumors. This project was supported by the Center for Research and Learning’s Diversity Scholars Re-search Program

The Dopamine D1–D2 Receptor Heteromer in Striatal Medium Spiny Neurons: Evidence for a Third Distinct Neuronal Pathway in Basal Ganglia

Dopaminergic signaling within the basal ganglia has classically been thought to occur within two distinct neuronal pathways; the direct striatonigral pathway which contains the dopamine D1 receptor and the neuropeptides dynorphin (DYN) and substance P, and the indirect striatopallidal pathway which expresses the dopamine D2 receptor and enkephalin (ENK). A number of studies have also shown, however, that D1 and D2 receptors can co-exist within the same medium spiny neuron and emerging evidence indicates that these D1/D2-coexpressing neurons, which also express DYN and ENK, may comprise a third neuronal pathway, with representation in both the striatonigral and striatopallidal projections of the basal ganglia. Furthermore, within these coexpressing neurons it has been shown that the dopamine D1 and D2 receptor can form a novel and pharmacologically distinct receptor complex, the dopamine D1–D2 receptor heteromer, with unique signaling properties. This is indicative of a functionally unique role for these neurons in brain. The aim of this review is to discuss the evidence in support of a novel third pathway coexpressing the D1 and D2 receptor, to discuss the potential relevance of this pathway to basal ganglia signaling, and to address its potential value, and that of the dopamine D1–D2 receptor heteromer, in the search for new therapeutic strategies for disorders involving dopamine neurotransmission

Examining the Underlying Structure of Adult Literacy Practices at Home and Work

Adults have similar literacy habits as children, such as reading to gain knowledge or for enjoyment. However, when workplace literacy skills are considered, these practices are not always book related and usually involve informal communication such as collaboration between workers. This study used data from the 2012 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies to examine adults’ literacy skills. A total of 39 adult literacy skills were examined to explore patterns among them, effectively reducing them to nine interpretable factors. Each factor focused on an area of literacy skills, such as work-related reading, educating others, and writing. The nine factors that consisted of 37 variables accounted for 59.2% of the total variance in the adults’ literacy habits

HERRO Mission to Mars Using Telerobotic Surface Exploration from Orbit

This paper presents a concept for a human mission to Mars orbit that features direct robotic exploration of the planet s surface via teleoperation from orbit. This mission is a good example of Human Exploration using Real-time Robotic Operations (HERRO), an exploration strategy that refrains from sending humans to the surfaces of planets with large gravity wells. HERRO avoids the need for complex and expensive man-rated lander/ascent vehicles and surface systems. Additionally, the humans are close enough to the surface to effectively eliminate the two-way communication latency that constrains typical robotic space missions, thus allowing real-time command and control of surface operations and experiments by the crew. Through use of state-of-the-art telecommunications and robotics, HERRO provides the cognitive and decision-making advantages of having humans at the site of study for only a fraction of the cost of conventional human surface missions. It is very similar to how oceanographers and oil companies use telerobotic submersibles to work in inaccessible areas of the ocean, and represents a more expedient, near-term step prior to landing humans on Mars and other large planetary bodies. Results suggest that a single HERRO mission with six crew members could achieve the same exploratory and scientific return as three conventional crewed missions to the Mars surface

Behavioral Differences Between Two Recently Sympatric Paper Wasps, the Native \u3ci\u3ePolistes Fuscatus\u3c/i\u3e and the Invasive \u3ci\u3ePolistes Dominulus\u3c/i\u3e

Polistes dominulus (Christ), an old world paper wasp, was introduced into the eastern United States in the 1970s and has been rapidly spreading westward. Recently, it has displaced the native Polistes fuscatus (F.) in at least some areas of Michigan. In order to understand why P. dominulus has been so successful, several behavioral attributes were compared between P. dominulus and P. fuscatus at a Michigan field site that contained colonies of both species nest- ing semi-naturally in plywood nestboxes. Preworker colonies of P. dominulus had a significantly greater tendency to store nectar (and had significantly higher proportions of cells with nectar) than preworker colonies of P. fuscatus. This finding may explain the higher survivorship of P. dominulus foundresses reported in a previous study. P. dominulus also had a significantly greater tendency to build vertical nests and had significantly more pedicels per comb and per cell than P. fuscatus. These findings suggest that compared to P. fuscatus, P. dominulus may have more flexibility in the positioning of its combs and, because of a possibly stronger attachment of the comb to a substrate, may be less susceptible to bird predation. The higher winter survivorship reported for P. fuscatus over P. dominulus in a previous study does not appear to be due to differences in the proportions of gynes stranded on their nests late in the fall. Finally, behavioral evidence from videography was consistent with previous reports that P. dominulus is not replacing P. fuscatus through direct agonistic interactions

Reduced Expression of DNA Repair and Redox Signaling Protein APE1/Ref-1 Impairs Human Pancreatic Cancer Cell Survival, Proliferation, and Cell Cycle Progression

Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease that is virtually never cured. Understanding the chemoresistance intrinsic to this cancer will aid in developing new regimens. High expression of APE1/Ref-1, a DNA repair and redox signaling protein, is associated with resistance, poor outcome, and angiogenesis; little is known in pancreatic cancer. Immunostaining of adenocarcinoma shows greater APE1/Ref-1 expression than in normal pancreas tissue. A decrease in APE1/Ref-1 protein levels results in pancreatic cancer cell growth inhibition, increased apoptosis, and altered cell cycle progression. Endogenous cell cycle inhibitors increase when APE1/ Ref-1 is reduced, demonstrating its importance to proliferation and growth of pancreatic cancer