Digital Commons Network^™

Flavone: The Molecular And Mechanistic Study Of How A Simple Flavonoid Protects Dna From Oxidative Damage., Jennifer Dawn Dean

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dietary flavonoids are ubiquitous and are marketed as supplements. Characterized as antioxidants, they offer protection against a number of degenerative diseases. Flavonoid mechanics involve free radical scavenging, metal chelation, and substrate association. The skeletal structure of flavonoids is a fused ring system modified by hydroxyl, sugar, and carbohydrate additions. Flavone is a structurally simple flavonoid. Quercetin and its glycosidic analog rutin are complex structures. Using a DNA oxidation/cleavage assay, flavone reduces DNA nicking by 91%. Depending on the solvent system used, quercetin can either increase or decrease DNA oxidation. Rutin exhibits neither pro- nor antioxidant activity. The molecular interactions responsible …

The Role Of Erp57 In Hras Intracellular Trafficking And Function., Jaime Lyn Parman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ras is a central player in signal transduction that mediates cellular proliferation and differentiation. Recent evidence has shown that lipid and non-lipid modified domains participate in Ras traffic and that plasma membrane association is mediated by vectorial vesicular transport from the endomembrane system. ERp57, an ER chaperone, has been shown to specifically bind farnesylated Hras but not non-farnesylated Hras. The objective of this study was to determine if ERp57 participates in Ras trafficking and function. First, the effect of ERp57 knock down by siRNA technology on Hras function was studied; there was a reduction in ERp57 cellular levels that led …

Healthcare Strategic Management: The Impact Of State And Federal Funding Levels On The Implementation Of Strategic Plans At Tennessee Hospitals., Randy Lee Byington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine hospital executive management’s perceptions of how turbulence in the politico-legal sector of the macroenvironment impacted the strategic management systems of Tennessee hospitals. In particular, how did Federal and State funding restrictions (Medicare and TennCare) impact the strategic planning and implementation process of their hospitals? The study was also designed to gain insight regarding specific changes to strategic management systems that may have resulted from these funding restrictions.

The research was conducted during April and May of 2003. Data were gathered by surveying the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of acute care hospitals in …

Characterization Of Sympathetic Ganglion Sensitivity To Substance P In A Genetic And A Non-Genetic Rat Model Of Hypertension., John Daniel Tompkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intravenous injection of substance P (SP) stimulates sympathetic ganglia to evoke a greater increase in renal sympathetic nerve activity, heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive than normotensive rats due to upregulation of the NK₁ receptor. These experiments were designed to determine the cellular basis for the enhanced ganglionic responsiveness to NK₁ agonists in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) in comparison to their normotensive counterparts, Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). Studies were also conducted to determine whether the increased ganglion responsiveness to SP in SHR is causally related to the increased BP or is a unique characteristic of this …

Phonological Awareness Training In A Preschool Classroom Of Typically Developing Children., Sara Phelps

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of phonological awareness (PA) training with typically developing preschool children in a classroom setting. The PA training incorporated a range of PA skills and the training outcomes were assessed along a broad spectrum of PA abilities, pre-literacy skills, and general language abilities.

This study consisted of 21 children (11 Experimental, 10 Control). The classroom PA training program was conducted with the Experimental class in one large group for 5 weeks with 20 minute sessions conducted three times a week. A variety of fun, play-based PA activities were used with …

Protection Of Pifithrin-Α And Melatonin Against Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity., Xuwan Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current studies were designed to explore the protective effects of pifithrin-α and melatonin against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Doxorubicin was injected at a dose of 22.5 mg/kg (i.p.) in mice to induce cardiotoxic effects. Meanwhile, doxorubicin caused a significant increase of cardiac cell apoptosis following injection (14.2 ± 1.1% for doxorubicin-5 d vs. 1.8 ± 0.12% for control, P < 0.01). Ribonuclease protection assays and Western blot analyses revealed that doxorubicin upregulated the p53-dependent genes Bax, BclxL, and MDM2 at least 2-fold. p53 was phosphorylated at Ser 15 in mouse hearts 1 h following doxorubicin injection, and p38 and ERK1/2 MAPKs mediated the phosphorylation of p53. In addition, caspases-3 and -9 were activated 24 h after doxorubicin injection. A p53 inhibitor, pifithrin-α, inhibited doxorubicin-induced apoptosis when administered at a dose of 2.2 mg/kg. Pifithrin-α abolished p53 transactivation activity, but did not influence doxorubicin-induced phosphorylation at Ser 15. By effectively inhibiting the expression of p53-dependent genes, pifithrin-α blocked doxorubicin-induced activation of caspases-3 and -9, thereby preventing cardiac apoptosis. In addition, pifithrin-α attenuated doxorubicin-induced structural and functional damages, without diminishing its anti-tumor efficacy on p53-null PC-3 cancer cells. The protective effects of melatonin and its metabolite 6-hydroxymelatonin on doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction were evaluated in an isolated perfused mouse hearts and in vivo doxorubicin-treated mice. While perfusion of mouse hearts with 5 μM doxorubicin for 60 min resulted in a 50% suppression of HRxLVDP and a 50% reduction of coronary flow, pre-exposure of hearts to 1 μM melatonin or 6-hydroxymelatonin eased the cardiac …

Effect On Heartbeat Of Drosophila Melanogaster Of Mutations In The Calcium Channel Encoding Cacophony Gene And Its Interaction With The Rna Helicase Mutant Maleless^Napts, Vanessa Mcgowan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a lack of information concerning the genetics of heart disease, especially of those due to aberrant pacemaker activity. Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal candidate for research in this area because of its suitability to genetic manipulation and its accessible genetic database. What is most compelling, however, is that the genesis of heartbeat is Drosophila is strikingly similar to that in many other organisms, including mammals. The myogenic heart of DrosophiIa melanogaster is stimulated to contract by a caudal pacemaker, which is regulated by ion channel interactions. A voltage-gated calcium channel of PIQ- or N-type is implicated in the …

Planning For A Healthier Birth And Beyond: Strategies Women Use To Manage Gestational Diabetes, Lois C. Hamel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gestational diabetes, the most frequent pregnancy complication in the United States, puts mother and infant at risk for serious medical problems that can have lifelong sequelae. Maternal glucose control is crucial to a successful pregnancy outcome and often requires the mother to follow a strict medical regimen. Authors of previous studies have described the experience of gestational diabetes as stressful, overwhelming, and anxiety producing; and an association between maternal stress and glucose control has been documented. Authors of nursing studies have found that repeating information and providing support are essential when working with gestational diabetes patients, whose learning ability is …