Life Sciences Commons^™

Using Noninvasive Calibrated Cuff Plethysmography To Observe The Effects Of Cold-Water Immersion On Arterial Compliance, Rita M. Grigorian

Master's Theses

As the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases continues to exponentially grow in populations across the globe, the necessity of determining underlying factors, effective methods of diagnoses, and universally available preventive measures also grows. Early detection of endothelial dysfunction, a proven precursor of cardiovascular diseases, can be extremely impactful in encouraging preventative measures and early intervention before medical conditions become chronic. In recent years, ice plunging, a form of cryotherapy involving full body immersion in cold water, has gained popularity within circles of fitness and health practitioners, gaining the interest of people of all backgrounds. Certain parallels observed between the human physiological …

Hericium Erinaceus: Erinacine A, Ventura Villanueva

Agricultural Education and Communication

Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane)

Erinacines - component found in Lion's Mane

A variety of mushroom that has been grabbing the attention of different pharmaceutical companies is the Hericium Erinaceus commonly known as Lion’s Mane. Lion’s Mane also known as, “Sheep’s head, Bear’s head, Bearded tooth carpophore, and Yamabushitmnnake” (Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)). Lion’s Mane in nature is found growing off the dry bark of trees (Kuo, 2016). Nowadays there are many products in the market that sell Lion’s Mane mushroom powder as a superfood. Lion’s Mane mushroom is known to have the component erinacines. Erinacines as of …

Biological Pathway Involvement In Melanoma Heterogeneity And Drug-Induced Resistance, Sarah V. Pack

STAR Program Research Presentations

Tumors develop resistance to numerous drug therapies, and this remains a major obstacle in treating many types of non-surgical cancers. Melanoma provides a good model system for studying drug resistance in cancer due to its high propensity to incur resistance after a significant initial response to a drug. Genes that are highly expressed in melanoma cancer cells have been studied, but in order to further understand the collective function of these highly expressed genes we must analyze gene sets, or pathways. A single gene’s function is rarely independent of other genes, and pathway analysis takes this into account.

Our objective …

Evaluation Of Endothelial Cell Responses To Elevated Glucose, Gabriella Sugerman

Master's Theses

Developing a tissue-engineered Blood Vessel Mimic (BVM) to represent diabetic macrovascular disease could expedite design of new vascular devices specifically tailored to diabetic patients. In contribution toward this model, this thesis assessed Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cell (HUVEC) responses to high glucose conditions. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and Cluster of Differentiation 36 (CD36) were selected to signify oxidative stress activity, a hallmark of diabetic macrovascular disease. Next, activity of potential reference genes B2M, HPRT1, and ACTB was assessed. All genes were found to exceed acceptable variability, so the E-ΔC T method of data analysis was selected. Next, cellular responses to high …

The Association Between Vitamin A Status Or Supplementation And Hiv/Aids, Mikaela Kathleen Curtis

Food Science and Nutrition

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has infected millions of people since the start of the epidemic in the early 1980s. HIV is the etiologic agent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which has taken millions of lives. It is extremely difficult for particular populations to receive medication to treat HIV infection and prevent the progression of HIV to AIDS. Multiple studies have examined the effect of vitamin A on HIV infection, due to its immune stimulating effects. It is unclear whether an association exists between vitamin A and different aspects of HIV. This review examined the effect of vitamin A …

Characterizing The Response Of Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae Species To The Application Of A Phage Cocktail, Steven Liu

Symposium

Project Summary: The application of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections is known as phage therapy, which takes advantage of bacteriophage’s natural ability to infect and lyse bacterial hosts. Phages have been shaped by billions of years of evolution to be highly specialized deliverers of bactericidal agents to the cytoplasm of their target bacteria. Ever since discovery of bacteriophages in 1915, phage therapy was recognized as a potentially powerful tool for eliminating bacterial infections. The effectiveness of phage therapy can be increased by creating a mixture of multiple phages to target a wider variety of bacterial strains. Furthermore, phage therapy has …

Associations Between Alcohol Consumption And Fasting Blood Glucose In Young Adults, Julie Ann Lucca

Master's Theses

Current research shows moderate alcohol consumption is associated with decreased risk of diabetes and excessive consumption or binge drinking can cause insulin resistance and diabetes. In 2010, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United Statesand was responsible for significant health complications: blindness, kidney failure, and limb amputations, and is a large national economic burden. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) is a tool used to help diagnose diabetes. Abnormally high FBG, ≥100 mg/dl, is indicative of diabetes and pre-diabetes. Few studies have observed diabetic prevalence among young adults or college students. Studying young adults can help provide added …

Rescuing Acetylcholinesterase From Nerve Agent Inhibition: Protein Dynamics Driven Drug Discovery, Aiyana M. Emigh, Brian Bennion

STAR Program Research Presentations

Severe morbidity and mortality consequences result from irreversible inhibition of human acetylcholinesterase by organophosphates (OPs). Oxime-based reactivators are currently the only available treatments but lack efficacy in the central nervous system (CNS) where the most damage occurs. Computational docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal complex structural barriers that may reduce oxime efficacy. These results may guide future drug designs of more effective countermeasures.

Development Of A Protocol To Measure Gene Expression In The Mouse Tibia, Daniel Hoover

Biomedical Engineering

Numerous molecular factors active in bone tissue direct fracture repair and remodeling which can be altered by disease conditions such as Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and Osteoporosis. Methods of molecular biology are commonly applied to investigate the expression and role of these molecular factors. This project presents a robust three-step protocol for examining gene expression in the mouse tibia. The protocol begins with isolating RNA from a flash frozen tibia sample. The isolated RNA is reverse transcribed into cDNA. Finally, PCR is performed to indentify expressed genes. Establishing this protocol will allow further research into the mechanisms of bone remodeling …

Discovery Of An Apoptosis Inducing Ligand For Burkitt Lymphoma, Carolyn Laymon, Kyla Bradylong, Mary Saunders, David Olivos, Kit Lam

STAR Program Research Presentations

One-bead two-compound (OB2C) combinatorial chemistry libraries enable the discovery of novel synthetic compounds which can be used to evoke specific signaling response in cells. The library configuration is composed of a fixed known cell adhesion ligand and a random chemical library displayed on the surface of Tentagel beads. The cell adhesion ligand binds to specific receptors located on the surface of cells enabling the random immobilized chemical molecules on each bead resin bead to evoke specific cellular responses such as apoptosis or cell death. To validate this concept, a OB2C combinatorial library comprised of an α4β1 integrin targeting ligand, LLP2A, …

Ischemia Impairs Vasodilation In Skeletal Muscle Resistance Artery, Kyle Remington Struthers

Master's Theses

Functional vasodilation in arterioles is impaired with chronic ischemia. We sought to examine the impact of chronic ischemia and age on skeletal muscle resistance artery function. To examine the impact of chronic ischemia, the femoral artery was resected from young (2-3mo) and adult (6-7mo) mice and the profunda femoris artery diameter was measured at rest and following gracilis muscle contraction 14 days later using intravital microscopy. Functional vasodilation was significantly impaired in ischemic mice (14.4±4.6% vs. 137.8±14.3%, p<0.0001 n=8) and non-ischemic adult mice (103.0±9.4% vs. 137.8±14.3%, p=0.05 n=10). In order to analyze the cellular mechanisms of the impairment, a protocol was developed to apply pharmacological agents to the experimental preparation while maintaining tissue homeostasis. Endothelial and smooth muscle dependent vasodilation were impaired with ischemia, 39.6 ± 13.6% vs. 80.5 ± 11.4% and 43.0 ± 11.7% vs. 85.1 ± 10.5%, respectively. From this data, it can be supported that smooth muscle dysfunction is the reason for the observed impairment in arterial vasodilation.

Group Feeding For The Lactating Cow, Anthony Joseph Martin

Dairy Science

Feeding individualized rations for lactating dairy cattle in the commercial herd based on dietary needs is a popular issue. This has been a debating topic since evolution of the Total Mixed Ration (TMR). Since dairymen were able to mix grain in a feed wagon and mix a specific dietary ration to meet the demand for an organized group, there has been an issue in which protocol cow pen grouping should take. Dairymen have always feed cattle based on if lactating or late in their gestation, nonlactating. With the evolution of the TMR dairymen are then allowed to go into more …