Merck Scholars 1993

This summer, for the third year in a row, students from the College of Veterinary Medicine participated in a research program sponsored by the Merck Foundation and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Drs. Gary Osweiler, Prem Paul and Donald Reynolds spearheaded the project this year. Seven of the nine students in the program were sponsored by the Merck Foundation and two were sponsored by the College of Veterinary Medicine. Each student was required to write a research proposal and to carry out a research project in conjunction with a professor from the college

Outstanding Advisor Award 1994 College of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Monica O. Howard

The recipient of the first annual Outstanding Advisor Award for the College of Veterinary Medicine was Dr. Monica O. Howard, D.V.M., Ph. D. Dr. Howard received her D.V.M. from the Tuskegee Institute in 1982, and in 1990 she received her Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Pathology from Oklahoma State University. She then began her current position at Iowa State University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology. Since its inception, Dr. Howard has been a part of the advising program at the College of Veterinary Medicine. It is set up as a volunteer program. Faculty who volunteer are assigned a certain number of students based on the amount of time they\u27ve indicated they are willing or able to spend as an advisor. There are no guidelines set up that stipulate how much time or effort an instructor must put into his or her advisory position

Categorized bibliography for a conceptual model of salt marsh management on Merritt Island, Florida

Enclosed is a bibliography of 556 published articles, technical reports, theses, dissertations, and books that form the basis for a conceptual model of salt marsh management on Merritt Island, Florida (Section 1). A copy of each item is available on file at the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Gainesville. Some relevant proprietary items and unpublished drafts have not been included pending permission of the authors. We will continue to add pertinent references to our bibliography and files. Currently, some topics are represented by very few items. As our synthesis develops, we will be able to indicate a subset of papers most pertinent to an understanding of the ecology and management of Merritt Island salt marshes. (98 page document

Prostaglandins facilitate peptide release from rat sensory neurons by activating the adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate transduction cascade

Prostaglandins sensitize sensory neurons to activation by mechanical, thermal and chemical stimuli. This sensitization also results in an increase in the stimulus-evoked release of the neuroactive peptides, substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide from sensory neurons. The cellular transduction cascade underlying the prostaglandin-induced augmentation of peptide release is not known. Therefore, we examined whether the sensitizing action of prostaglandins on peptide release from sensory neurons grown in culture is mediated by the second messenger, adenosine 3', 5' cyclic monophosphate (cAMP). Prostaglandin E2 and carba prostacyclin (a stable analog of prostaglandin I2) significantly increase the content of cAMP-like immunoreactive substance (icAMP) in the sensory neuron cultures at concentrations that also augment the bradykinin- or capsaicin-evoked release of peptides. Furthermore, pretreating sensory neurons with agents that increase intracellular cAMP mimics the sensitizing action of prostaglandins. Exposing cultures to either forskolin (0.1-10 microM), cholera toxin (1.5 micrograms), or 8-bromo-cAMP (100 microM) results in a significant enhancement of the bradykinin- or capsaicin-stimulated release of both substance P-like and calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactive substances. Pretreating sensory neurons with the adenylyl cyclase inhibitor, 9-tetrahydro-2-furyl adenine (5 mM), abolishes the prostaglandin-induced increases in icAMP content and attenuates the prostaglandin E2 or carba prostacyclin enhancement of the evoked release of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactive substance. These results demonstrate that the cAMP transduction cascade mediates the sensitizing actions of prostaglandins on peptide release from sensory neurons

SCHWANN CELLS MODULATE THE RELEASE OF CALCITONIN GENE-RELATED PEPTIDE FROM SENSORY NEURONS

poster abstractAn alteration in the interaction between Schwann cells and sensory neurons may be involved in inflammatory neuropathies associated with altered sensation and pain. The release of the peptide transmitter, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), is one method to monitor the sensitivity of a subclass of primary sensory neurons involved in pain signaling. We utilized an in vitro assay to investigate the interaction between Schwann cells and sensory neurons in an inflammatory state. Schwann cells and sensory neurons were isolated from adult mouse sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglia, respectively, and maintained in culture. Schwann cells were exposed to HEPES buffer containing the inflammatory mediators histamine, prostaglandin E2, bradykinin, and serotonin (all 10-5 M), potassium (7 mM), and at pH 7.0 for 10 minutes. After this activation, the Schwann cells were incubated in HEPES buffer alone for 1 hour. This Schwann cell-conditioned buffer (SCCB) was collected and sensory neurons were exposed to three consecutive 10 minute incubations in HEPES buffer alone or SCCB. The amount of CGRP released during each of these incubations was measured using radioimmunoassay. Incubation with SCCB elicited a seven-fold increase in the release of CGRP compared to neurons exposed to HEPES buffer alone. The release of CGRP elicited by SCCB was abolished when neurons were exposed to SCCB containing no added calcium. After treatment with the inflammatory mediators detailed above for 10 minutes, Schwann cell lysates showed a significant decrease in six cytokines, while SCCB demonstrated an increase in interleukin-6 (IL-6) as measured by a cytokine array panel. These results suggest that during inflammation, Schwann cells release substances, which directly stimulate sensory neurons, as measured by an increase in CGRP release. These findings reinforce the importance of identifying the mechanisms underlying the interaction between Schwann cells and sensory neurons to discover novel therapeutics for treating inflammatory pain

Sustaining Tourism in Cuba : A Qualitative Examination of Perceived Entrepreneurial Climate Elements among Tourism Industry Professionals

As the Cuban government seeks to develop a strong private sector and alleviate stress to provide employment for its citizens, creating a climate conducive to private enterprise formation warrants immediate attention. Because tourism is Cuba's biggest industry, many residents may seek to create businesses within this industry as state employment becomes less of a guarantee. Recent trends in tourism show that travelers are demanding increasingly innovative and immersive experiences that benefit local communities and natural environments. However, Cuba is becoming dependent upon low-cost packaged mass tourism, primarily in the destinations of Havana and Varadero, leading to a recent decrease in average visitor expenditure. Allowing Cuban entrepreneurs to work together to develop and introduce creative tourism products may convince tourists to stay longer, spend more money, and visit again in the future.   The success of entrepreneurs is vulnerable to a number of external conditions in the environment. These conditions, such as physical infrastructure, financial infrastructure, governance, culture, and human capital, are referred to as the "entrepreneurial climate." Cuba has rich natural, cultural, and social capital resources; however, other conditions within Cuba's entrepreneurial climate currently limit residents' ability to create tourism-related enterprises. Building on previous research, this study examines these entrepreneurial climate conditions to determine which factors are currently limiting or, in some cases, encouraging entrepreneurship related to tourism in Cuba.  M.S

Neural stem cell therapy for cancer

Cancers of the brain remain one of the greatest medical challenges. Traditional surgery and chemoradiation therapy are unable to eradicate diffuse cancer cells and tumor recurrence is nearly inevitable. In contrast to traditional regenerative medicine applications, engineered neural stem cells (NSCs) are emerging as a promising new therapeutic strategy for cancer therapy. The tumor-homing properties allow NSCs to access both primary and invasive tumor foci, creating a novel delivery platform. NSCs engineered with a wide array of cytotoxic agents have been found to significantly reduce tumor volumes and markedly extend survival in preclinical models. With the recent launch of new clinical trials, the potential to successfully manage cancer in human patients with cytotoxic NSC therapy is moving closer to becoming a reality