Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Trauma In Disparities For Cancer-Related Health: A Call To Action, Megan Bair-Merritt

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. In this brief report, we describe the current literature on interpersonal trauma (i.e., sexual abuse and intimate partner violence) and cancer. Concordant with the general population, between 20% and 50% of cancer patients have experienced interpersonal trauma. Experiences with interpersonal trauma not only appear to increase risk for developing cancer, but may also act as a roadblock to accessing appropriate preventive testing and to receiving adequate support during cancer care. Healthcare providers can play an important role in making cancer-related care more trauma-informed.

Biodegradable Hybrid Nanogels For Combination Chemotherapy, Swapnil Desale

Theses & Dissertations

Combination chemotherapy is commonly used to treat cancer, because such a therapy regimens usually involve sequential administration of multiple drugs and allow targeting different cell signaling pathway. The co-delivery of drug combination at a controlled ratio via the same vehicle is offering the advantages such as spatial-temporal synchronization of drug exposure, synergistic therapeutic effects and suppression of drug resistance. Undoubtedly, there are several molecular and pharmacological factors that determine the effectiveness of drug combinations. A rationally designed drug combination is required since certain drug ratios and the definitive exposure to the targets of interest can only be synergistic while others …

Epacs: Epigenetic Regulators That Affect Cell Survival In Cancer., Catherine Murari

Theses & Dissertations

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a second messenger responsive to many external stimuli, playing an important role in cellular gene expression, metabolism, migration, differentiation, hypertrophy, apoptosis and secretion. All of these cellular functions are important in many diseases including cancer. Most of its effects were initially attributed to the classical protein kinase A (PKA) protein, but cellular functions such as proliferation and migration were found to be PKA independent and dependent on the newly discovered exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP (EPACs). EPACs are single polypeptides that primarily function as guanine exchange factors (GEFs) for Rap proteins that allow the …

Aggregation Characterization Of Wild-Type P53 And Six Common P53 Mutants, Taylor A. Arhar

Honors Thesis

P53 is a tumor suppressor protein, which functions in maintaining the cell cycle. When p53 loses its function, cells may multiply at an uncontrolled rate and form tumors. This loss of function is linked to over fifty percent of human cancers. This investigation aims to explore the possible link between p53 aggregation and tumorigenesis. There is a possibility that p53, especially in mutant form, will aggregate beyond its normal tetrameric conformation and lose its function, leading to tumor formation. Wild-type p53 and six mutants, R175H, R175C, R248Q, R248W, R273C, and R273H (six of the most common mutations found in human …

Validity Of The Tanita Bia In Measuring Body Composition In Pediatric Patients With Chronic Disease, Ayesha Ghani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Body composition is negatively affected in pediatric patients with chronic disease such as HIV, Sickle Cell Disease, and Cancer due to the effect of disease itself on the body and the various treatment regiments these children must be on. Monitoring the changing body composition in these children may help clinicians’ better address these effects in a timely manner in order to promote better growth and development and improve survival rate. The Tanita® BIA is an inexpensive and portable tool that can be used to access body composition. However, few studies have been conducted to determine its accuracy in measuring …

Epigenetic Instability At Imprinting Control Regions In A KrasG12d-Induced T-Cell Neoplasm, Corey L. Bretz, Ingeborg M. Langohr, Suman Lee, Joomyeong Kim

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Although aberrant DNA methylation within imprinted domains has been reported in a variety of neoplastic diseases, it remains largely uncharacterized in the context of carcinogenesis. In this study, we induced T-cell lymphoma in mice by employing a breeding scheme involving mouse strains, LSL-KrasG12D and MMTV-Cre. We then systematically surveyed imprinted domains for DNA methylation changes during tumor progression using combined bisulfite restriction analysis and NGS-based bisulfite sequencing. We detected hyper- or hypo-methylation at the imprinting control regions (ICRs) of the Dlk1, Peg10, Peg3, Grb10, and Gnas domains. These DNA methylation changes at ICRs …

Immunomodulation Of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells By Particulate B-Glucan In Cancer., Sabrin Husein Albeituni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells that promote tumor progression. In this study, we investigated the effect of dectin-1 stimulation by yeast-derived particulate β-glucan in MDSC function and differentiation in cancer. In vivo treatment of mice bearing lewis lung carcinoma and mammary cell carcinoma with particulate β-glucan decreased tumor weight and splenomegaly, and reduced the accumulation of polymorphonuclear-MDSC (PMN-MDSC) but not monocytic-MDSC (M-MDSC) in the spleen and tumor. In addition, particulate β-glucan differentially modulated the function of different MDSC subsets; it enhanced PMN-MDSC respiratory burst and apoptosis, and induced the differentiation of M-MDSC into …

Republished: Sulphur Alters Nfκb-P300 Cross-Talk In Favour Of P53-P300 To Induce Apoptosis In Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma, Shilpi Saha, Bhattacharjee Pushpak, Deblina Guha, Kirti Kajal, Poulami Khan, Sreeparna Chakraborty, Shravanti Mukherjee, Shrutarshi Paul, Rajkumar Manchanda

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Adverse side effects of chemotherapy during cancer treatment have shifted considerable focus towards therapies that are not only targeted but are also devoid of toxic side effects. We evaluated the antitumorigenic activity of sulphur, and delineated the molecular mechanisms underlying sulphurinduced apoptosis in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells. A search for the underlying mechanism revealed that the choice between the two cellular processes, NFκBp65-mediated survival and p53-mediated apoptosis, was decided by the competition for a limited pool of transcriptional coactivator protein p300 in NSCLC cells. In contrast, sulphur inhibited otherwise upregulated survival signaling in NSCLC cells by perturbing the …

Targeting Oncogenic Mirnas With Small Molecules For Breast Cancer Therapy, Paloma Del C. Monroig

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The crucial role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer pathobiology has driven the introduction of new drug development approaches such as miRNA inhibition. In order to advance miRNA-therapeutics, there is a need to develop screening strategies that can target tumors in a specific way. Small molecule inhibitors represent an attractive approach to pursue this. However, the absence of molecular structures for most of the miRNAs makes it very difficult to predict which inhibitors can bind to them. Herein we designed a strategy to screen for small molecules by assesing whether they could directly bind/ interact with miR-10b/miR-21. As part of our …

Ibuprofen Ameliorates Fatigue- And Depressive-Like Behavior In Tumor-Bearing Mice, Diana M. Norden, Donna O. Mccarthy, Sabahattin Bicer, Raymond Devine, Peter J. Reiser, Jonathan P. Godbout, Loren E. Wold

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Aims: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is often accompanied by depressed mood, both of which reduce functional status and quality of life. Research suggests that increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines is associated with skeletal muscle wasting and depressive- and fatigue-like behaviors in rodents and cancer patients. We have previously shown that treatment with ibuprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, preserved muscle mass in tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the behavioral effects of ibuprofen in a mouse model of CRF.

Main methods: Mice were injected with colon-26 adenocarcinoma cells and treated with ibuprofen (10 mg/kg) in the …

Molecular Targets Of Manuka Honey In Human Breast Cancer, Sarah Saif Al Qubaisi

Theses

The medicinal properties of Manuka honey have been extensively studied, particularly in terms of its wound healing and antimicrobial activities. We have previously demonstrated that Manuka honey also has anti-cancer properties against a variety of cancer cell types in vitro as well as in preclinical cancer models. The cellular targets of the anti-cancer activity of Manuka honey, however, remain unknown. For the present study, we selected the triple negative human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, to investigate susceptibility to Manuka honey and to identify the potential signaling pathways affected. MDA-MB-231 cancer cells are known to constitutively express activated STAT3 transcription …

The Effects Of Ketorolac And Its Enantiomers On Breast Cancer Proliferation And Metastasis, Amanda Peretti

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in women. Advanced breast cancer can metastasize to the lungs, liver, bones and brain becoming fatal conditions for many patients. There is a dire need for metastasis preventing medications, however the process required for a medication to become FDA approved for clinical use is long and arduous. Studies have found promising benefits for breast cancer patients given ToradolTM, or racemic ketorolac, as an NSAID during resection surgery. However, long-term use of racemic ketorolac is not recommended. Currently FDA-approved for use in the racemic form, ketorolac has the potential to …

Measuring Depression In Prostate Cancer Patients: Does The Scale Used Make A Difference?, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie, Myra Hunter

Vicki Bitsika

This study investigated differences in the scores, relative severity and major depressive disorder (MDD) and subsyndromal depression status from three standardised self-report scales for depression in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Depression subscale (HADS-D), the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression were administered to a sample of 138 PCa patients via mail-out self-reports in Queensland, Australia during May 2014. Despite significant correlations between the total scores from the three scales, severity classification differed across the three scales and there was evidence of considerable underestimation of depression by the HADS-D …

Incidence Of Breast, Colorectal And Lung Cancers And Mortality Among Women Within Midwestern States, Ruth M. Perez, Matthew Rappelt, Kathryn Kossow, Maharaj Singh

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Breast, colorectal and lung cancers have been shown to be the most common cancers as well as the leading causes of cancer death among women. Previous studies suggest that the Northeast had significantly higher rates in incidence and mortality than the Midwest, South and Western regions. However, new data indicates that the Midwest now harbors the highest mortality rates. In Wisconsin, the sixth largest state in the Midwest, cancer is the leading cause of death. Differences in incidence and mortality of breast, colorectal and lung cancers have been observed between Wisconsin, other Midwestern states and national data, warranting further …

A Vision For Using Online Portals For Surveillance Of Patient-Centered Communication In Cancer Care, Hardeep Singh, Neeraj K. Arora, Kathleen M. Mazor, Richard L. Street Jr

Patient Experience Journal

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is charged with providing high-quality health care, not only in terms of technical competence but also with regard to patient-centered care experiences. Patient-centered coordination of care and communication are especially important in cancer care, as deficiencies in these areas have been implicated in many cases of delayed cancer diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, because cancer care facilities are concentrated within the VHA system, geographical and system-level barriers may present prominent obstacles to quality care. Systematic assessment of patient-centered communication (PCC) may help identify both individual veterans who are at risk of suboptimal care and opportunities for …

Role Of Molecular Interactions On The Mechanics Of Nanocomposites, Dinesh Katti, Kalpana Katti

Composites at Lake Louise (CALL 2015)

Nanocomposite materials are well characterized using a variety of advanced microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. In particular, the interfaces in the nanocomposites are often tailored (in engineered composites) and evolved (in biological nanocomposites) to unique molecular characteristics that provide optimized and superior properties to the nanocomposites. In this presentation, we will describe a multiscale mechanics perspective on role of molecular interactions as well as the nano and microstructures on the mechanics of nanocomposites. Specific examples including biological and synthetic nanocomposites will be presented. We have demonstrated a quantitative correlation of energies of molecular interactions albeit nonbonded in the nanocomposites to the …

Nanoclay Based Composite Scaffolds For Development Of Novel Humanoid Environment, Kalpana Katti, Shahajahan Molla, Dinesh Katti

Composites at Lake Louise (CALL 2015)

Cancer cells are adept at invading, migrating to and colonizing on an organ away from its origin resulting in metastatic cancer. The process through which cancer cells colonize on a distant organ is known as metastasis. It is estimated that about 90% of the deaths associated with cancer are attributed to metastasis, yet the fundamental mechanisms of cancer metastasis are unknown. Several cancers are known to metastasize to bone. Of these, the most prolific are prostate, breast and colon cancers. Molecular, microstructural and physiological interactions between the metastatic cancer cells and bone microenvironment have been shown to be suggestive of …

Targeting Dusps In Glioblastomas–Wielding A Double‐Edged Sword, Sheila Abraham, Swapna Asuthkar, William Lee, Srinivasulu Chigurupat, Andrew Tsung, Kiran Kiran

Sheila Prabhakar Abraham

Several dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) that play key roles in the direct or indirect inactivation of different MAP kinases (MAPKs) have been implicated in human cancers over the past decade. This has led to a growing interest in identifying DUSPs and their specific inhibitors for further testing and validation as therapeutic targets in human cancers. However, the lack of understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms and cross-talks between MAPK signaling pathways, combined with the fact that DUSPs can act as a double-edged sword in cancer progression, calls for a more careful and thorough investigation. Among the various types of brain cancer, …

"What Should Happen Before Asymptomatic Men Decide Whether Or Not To Have A Psa Test?"A Report On Three Community Juries, Chris Degeling, Lucie Rychetnik, Kristen Pickles, Rae Thomas, Jennifer Doust, Robert Gardiner, Paul Glasziou, Ainsley Newson, Stacy Carter

Jenny Doust

OBJECTIVES: To elicit the views of well informed community members on the ethical obligations of general practitioners regarding prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, and what should be required before a man undergoes a PSA test. DESIGN AND SETTING: Three community juries held at the University of Sydney over 6 months in 2014. PARTICIPANTS: Forty participants from New South Wales, of diverse social and cultural backgrounds and with no experience of prostate cancer, recruited through public advertising: two juries of mixed gender and ages; one all-male jury of PSA screening age. RESULTS: In contrast to Royal Australian College of General Practitioners guidelines, …

"What Should Happen Before Asymptomatic Men Decide Whether Or Not To Have A Psa Test?"A Report On Three Community Juries, Chris Degeling, Lucie Rychetnik, Kristen Pickles, Rae Thomas, Jennifer Doust, Robert Gardiner, Paul Glasziou, Ainsley Newson, Stacy Carter

Rae Thomas

OBJECTIVES: To elicit the views of well informed community members on the ethical obligations of general practitioners regarding prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, and what should be required before a man undergoes a PSA test. DESIGN AND SETTING: Three community juries held at the University of Sydney over 6 months in 2014. PARTICIPANTS: Forty participants from New South Wales, of diverse social and cultural backgrounds and with no experience of prostate cancer, recruited through public advertising: two juries of mixed gender and ages; one all-male jury of PSA screening age. RESULTS: In contrast to Royal Australian College of General Practitioners guidelines, …

Long Non Coding Rna Malat1 Promotes Tumor Growth And Metastasis By Inducing Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition In Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Xuan Zhou, Su Liu, Guoshuai Cai, Lingping Kong, Tingting Zhang, Yu Ren, Yansheng Wu, Mei Mei, Lun Zhang, Xudong Wang

Dartmouth Scholarship

The prognosis of advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients remains dismal, and a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms is critical for identifying effective targets with therapeutic potential to improve the survival of patients with OSCC. This study aims to clarify the clinical and biological significance of metastasis-associated long non-coding RNA, metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in OSCC. We found that MALAT1 is overexpressed in OSCC tissues compared to normal oral mucosa by real-time PCR. MALAT1 served as a new prognostic factor in OSCC patients. When knockdown by small interfering RNA (siRNA) in OSCC cell lines TSCCA and …

Hypercalcemia Of Malignancy: An Update On Pathogenesis And Management, Aibek E. Mirrakhimov

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Hypercalcemia of malignancy is a common finding typically found in patients with advanced stage cancers. We aimed to provide an updated review on the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and management of malignancy-related hypercalcemia. We searched PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science for original articles, case reports, and case series articles focused on hypercalcemia of malignancy published from 1950 to December 2014. Hypercalcemia of malignancy usually presents with markedly elevated calcium levels and therefore, usually severely symptomatic. Several major mechanisms are responsible for the development of hypercalcemia of malignancy including parathyroid hormone-related peptide-mediated humoral hypercalcemia, osteolytic metastases-related hypercalcemia, 1,25 Vitamin …

The Homeoprotein Dlx3 And Tumor Suppressor P53 Co-Regulate Cell Cycle Progression And Squamous Tumor Growth, Paul W. Bible, E. Palazzo, M. Kellett, C. Cataisson, A. Gormley, V. Pietroni, Et Al.

Computer Science Faculty publications

Epidermal homeostasis depends on the coordinated control of keratinocyte cell cycle. Differentiation and the alteration of this balance can result in neoplastic development. Here we report on a novel DLX3-dependent network that constrains epidermal hyperplasia and squamous tumorigenesis. By integrating genetic and transcriptomic approaches, we demonstrate that DLX3 operates through a p53-regulated network. DLX3 and p53 physically interact on the p21 promoter to enhance p21 expression. Elevating DLX3 in keratinocytes produces a G1-S blockade associated with p53 signature transcriptional profiles. In contrast, DLX3 loss promotes a mitogenic phenotype associated with constitutive activation of ERK. DLX3 expression is lost in human …

Review Of Marjo Kaartinen, Breast Cancer In The Eighteenth Century, Marie Mulvey-Roberts

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640-1830

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Mindfulness Meditation On Emotional Distress In Adult Cancer Patients, Marie A. Benoit

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Significant advances in cancer treatments have been made over recent decades resulting in state of the art screening and treatment options that have contributed to higher rates of cancer survivorship. However, despite the increase in cancer survivors, a cancer diagnosis continues to be associated with a significant amount of emotional distress and psychological issues that further add to the burden of the disease. The Institute of Medicine (2008), recognizes that a failure to adequately address this problem results in needless suffering and may obstruct quality of care; thereby, leading to a potentially negative impact on the disease course. Among the …

Gwu To Host Third Annual Relay For Life Event, Office Of University Communications, Jill Blank

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

More than 1 million people in the United States get cancer each year. The disease’s impact on people in the Gardner-Webb University community led students to organize and host an inaugural Relay for Life fundraiser on campus in 2013. Last year’s event raised over $19,000 for American Cancer Society research, education and survivor support, and Gardner-Webb students hope to increase donations and awareness through this year’s Relay event.

Young Adults' Awareness And Knowledge Of Human Papillomavirus, Oropharyngeal Cancer, And The Hpv Vaccine, Eric N. Davis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is an extremely prevalent and sexually transmitted infection that is a known cause of morbidities such as genital warts and cancers of the cervix, anus, and oropharynx. Non-cervical HPV-related cancers have been a developing problem in North America, increasing in incidence by up to 225% in some instances over a span of two decades.

This study investigated levels of awareness and knowledge of HPV, Oropharyngeal Cancer (OPC), and the HPV vaccine using a self-administered web-based survey designed specifically for this research. University students (n=1,005) aged 18-30 completed a 42-item questionnaire that included demographic information, awareness questions, …

The Patriot Talon (October 13, 2015), University Of Texas At Tyler

The Patriot Talon/The Patriot

The official newspaper for the University of Texas at Tyler before it was changed back to the UT Tyler Patriot. Articles in this issue include: Two percent of student body turns out for SGA elections; Keeping with Tradition, University celebrates East Texas with homecoming celebration; For Obach, there is no place like home; Millennials can change the way we view voting; A letter to the world on the issue of gun rights; SGA needs to make student access a priority; Campus carry working group initiates discussion with first town hall meeting; Muntz Library renovates third floor for student interactivity; SGA …

Real-Time Detection Of Breast Cancer Cells Using Peptidefunctionalized Microcantilever Arrays, Hashem Etayash, Keren Jiang, Sarfuddin Azmi, Thomas Thundat, Kamaljit Kaur

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Ligand-directed targeting and capturing of cancer cells is a new approach for detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Ligands such as antibodies have been successfully used for capturing cancer cells and an antibody based system (CellSearch®) is currently used clinically to enumerate CTCs. Here we report the use of a peptide moiety in conjunction with a microcantilever array system to selectively detect CTCs resulting from cancer, specifically breast cancer. A sensing microcantilever, functionalized with a breast cancer specific peptide 18-4 (WxEAAYQrFL), showed significant deflection on cancer cell (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) binding compared to when exposed to noncancerous (MCF10A and HUVEC) cells. …

Couple Finds Inspiration To Help Others Through Daughter’S Cancer Battle, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

When Kevin and Emily Ratliff’s daughter Claire was diagnosed with stage-four cancer at younger than two years old, an army of friends supported the family in many ways. That support lives on today, more than three years after the young girl passed away, in the form of Claire’s Army, an organization that provides support to families during their battle with childhood cancer. The Ratliffs will share the inspiration of Claire’s Army with the Gardner-Webb community during Dimensions on Oct. 6, just a few weeks prior to the University’s annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life event Oct. 24.