Life Sciences Commons^™

Heparanase Wildtype Is Associated With A Reduced Incidence Of Transplant-Associated Systemic Vasculopathies, Raphaela Mueckenhausen, Ju¨Rgen Fo¨Ll, Katharina Kleinschmidt, Anja Tro¨Ger, Muriel Malaise´, Daniel Wolff, Ernst Holler, Marie Matthes, Tilman Heise, Gunhild Sommer, Selim Corbacioglu

Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Therapy

Some of the early complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) concerning the small vessels can be summarized as transplant-associated systemic vasculopathies (TASV). One enzyme known to play a major role in inflammation, tissue remodeling, and repair processes as well as tumor metastasis is heparanase (HPSE). HPSE genetic variants have recently been associated with significant influence on the risk of developing certain TASV such as a sinusoidal obstruction syndrome. This study aimed to validate the two known HPSE single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)—rs4693608 and rs4364254—as a genetic predictor of TASV in a cohort of 494 patients and were correlated retrospectively with …

Carfilzomib-Induced Thrombotic Microangiopathy: A Case Based Review, Nishant Jindal, Aditya Jandial, Arihant Jain, Deepesh Lad, Gaurav Prakash, Alka Khadwal, Ritambhra Nada, Jasmine Sethi, Jasmina Ahluwalia, Pankaj Malhotra

Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Therapy

Carfilzomib is an irreversible proteasome inhibitor currently approved for the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma. It has been implicated as a cause of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) in several case reports. The incidence, risk factors, and treatment of carfilzomib-related TMA remain unclear. Here we describe the clinical presentation and outcome of a 58-year-old man with biopsy-proven TMA that occurred following treatment with carfilzomib-based therapy. We also reviewed the published literature with regard to the incidence, risk factors, treatment options, and outcome of carfilzomib-related TMA.

[Research Note] The Random Somatic Mutation Is Not Quite Random, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This research note challenges the idea that Random Somatic Mutations are entirely random, highlighting their non-equiprobable nature and their influence on evolution, involution, or indeterminacy. It recalls the Neutrosophic Theory of Evolution, extending Darwin’s theory, and emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between different senses of “random mutation” in evolutionary theory.

Sex-Dependent Effects Of Induced Acute Inflammation On Glucose Homeostasis And Rna Editing Enzymes, Christian A. Rivas

MSU Graduate Theses

The first line of defense against bodily insults, like pathogen invasion, is the innate immune system. Innate immunity sets in motion countless cascades that result in inflammation. Inflammation simultaneously affects multiple biological processes like metabolism and gene expression. Males and females react differently to inflammation. To understand both molecular and physiological sex differences in inflammation, we examined how inflammation affects gene expression and glucose metabolism. Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR1) is upregulated by inflammation and catalyzes RNA editing, a process where nucleotides encoded by the genome are modified. ADAR1 also controls the innate immune reaction by decreasing activity of …

An Approach To Developing Benchmark Datasets For Protein Secondary Structure Segmentation From Cryo-Em Density Maps, Thu Nguyen, Yongcheng Mu, Jiangwen Sun, Jing He

Computer Science Faculty Publications

More and more deep learning approaches have been proposed to segment secondary structures from cryo-electron density maps at medium resolution range (5--10Å). Although the deep learning approaches show great potential, only a few small experimental data sets have been used to test the approaches. There is limited understanding about potential factors, in data, that affect the performance of segmentation. We propose an approach to generate data sets with desired specifications in three potential factors - the protein sequence identity, structural contents, and data quality. The approach was implemented and has generated a test set and various training sets to study …

Intergenic Transcription In In Vivo Developed Bovine Oocytes And Pre-Implantation Embryos, Saurav Ranjitkar, Mohammad Shiri, Jiangwen Sun, Xiuchun Tian

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Background

Intergenic transcription, either failure to terminate at the transcription end site (TES), or transcription initiation at other intergenic regions, is present in cultured cells and enhanced in the presence of stressors such as viral infection. Transcription termination failure has not been characterized in natural biological samples such as pre-implantation embryos which express more than 10,000 genes and undergo drastic changes in DNA methylation.

Results

Using Automatic Readthrough Transcription Detection (ARTDeco) and data of in vivo developed bovine oocytes and embryos, we found abundant intergenic transcripts that we termed as read-outs (transcribed from 5 to 15 kb after TES) and …

Cellbrf: A Feature Selection Method For Single-Cell Clustering Using Cell Balance And Random Forest, Yunpei Xu, Hong-Dong Li, Cui-Xiang Lin, Ruiqing Zheng, Yaohang Li, Jinhui Xu, Jianxin Wang

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Motivation

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) offers a powerful tool to dissect the complexity of biological tissues through cell sub-population identification in combination with clustering approaches. Feature selection is a critical step for improving the accuracy and interpretability of single-cell clustering. Existing feature selection methods underutilize the discriminatory potential of genes across distinct cell types. We hypothesize that incorporating such information could further boost the performance of single cell clustering. Results

We develop CellBRF, a feature selection method that considers genes’ relevance to cell types for single-cell clustering. The key idea is to identify genes that are most important for discriminating …

Obesity During Adolescence And Feeding Practices During Infancy: Cross-Sectional Study, Reem Sharaf-Alddin, Radhia Almathkoori, Hara Kostakis, Ahmed N. Albatineh, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Muge Akpinar-Elci

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Breastfeeding is proposed to play a role in reducing the risk of obesity throughout life. Kuwait has an extremely high prevalence of childhood obesity (45% of adolescents are overweight/obese) and extremely low breastfeeding indicators, particularly exclusive breastfeeding. In fact, little is known about the association between breastfeeding and obesity from Kuwait and the broader Middle East.

Aims: To estimate the prevalence of overweight/obesity in female adolescents in Kuwait and assess its association with breastfeeding during infancy.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included 775 girls randomly selected from public and private high schools in Kuwait. The primary exposure …

Experiences With Covid-19 Stress Among Hispanic/Latino Farmworkers, Brenda Berumen-Flucker, Hadiza Galadima, Sylvia Shangani, Michele Kekeh, Muge Akpinar-Elci

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Hispanics/Latinos, particularly those that identify as foreign-born, are overrepresented in the agricultural sector in the U.S. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, this subpopulation of farmworkers was recognized as an invaluable group of essential workers unable to implement COVID-19 protections.

METHODS: Previously validated COVID-19 stress scale measures were identified, adapted, and translated to collect COVID-19 stress data from Hispanic/Latino agricultural workers in two heavily agricultural counties in northeastern North Carolina. Participants were recruited using purposive convenience sampling. Data collection took place from June to November of 2021.

RESULTS: The majority of Hispanic/Latino agricultural workers surveyed reported experiencing worries …

Copy Number Alterations Of Aggressive Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors, Grace Zhang

Scripps Senior Theses

Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) are tumors of the pituitary gland. Although most are benign, they can cause severe morbidity if compression of surrounding tissue and/or endocrinopathies occur.

Aggressive PitNETs are notably detrimental and difficult to predict, and their effects are further exacerbated by challenges in treatment. Although histological studies can detect certain markers of tumor aggressiveness, they are insufficient at wholly predicting PitNET aggressiveness, making the clinical behavior of PitNETs challenging to determine. Since treatment of aggressive tumors also remains suboptimal, this further results in negative impacts on health and quality of life.

Genetic markers, such as copy number variations …

Oral Contraceptives And Affective Disorders: Neurobiology And Informed Choice, Sophia Mae Drezner

Scripps Senior Theses

Pregnancy prevention and female reproductive freedom have been some of the most contested political issues for decades. Abortion, a fundamental part of women’s healthcare, divides liberals and conservatives on an international scale. The consequences of unintended pregnancy without safe and reliable contraception are widespread, disproportionately impacting women of color, trans and non-binary folks, and poorer communities. The birth control pill is the most common form of oral contraception (OC) globally. Many people with ovaries begin the pill or other hormonal contraceptive (HC) methods as young as 11 years old. Exogenous progesterone and estrogen are known to impact mood, affect, physiology, …

Cultivating Carrots, Community, And Health-Conscious Children: Investigating The Effects Of Community Garden Implementation On Nutrition Attitudes Of Elementary Students In The Los Angeles Unified School District, Hannah Michele Tiedemann

Scripps Senior Theses

Growing up in an urban food desert can significantly affect children's development, health, and well-being (Jencks et al., 1990; Leventhal et al., 2000). Compared to their more affluent peers, youth living in low-socioeconomic urban neighborhoods are at greater risk of experiencing poor-quality diets, food insecurity, unhealthy body weights, and mental health problems (Duncan et al., 1997; Sampson et al., 1997). Moreover, children living in food-insecure households are more likely to consume calorically dense diets high in trans fat and added sugar, putting them at risk for poor health, childhood obesity, and chronic, diet-related diseases as adults (Nielsen et al., 2002). …

Utilizing Amr Surveillance Data To Analyze Trends In Escherichia Coli Antibiotic Resistance Levels In The South African Provinces Of Gauteng And The Eastern Cape, Celia Maris

Scripps Senior Theses

Antimicrobial resistant bacterial pathogens pose an ongoing threat to universal public health by causing more severe manifestations of infectious diseases, leading to an increase in healthcare expenditures and higher global mortality rates. Therefore, developing strategies to combat bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is vital for the future of human health. One promising strategy is through the utilization of AMR surveillance programs. This study focused on using AMR surveillance data from South Africa to analyze changes in Escherichia coli resistance levels to numerous antibiotics between January 2012 and December 2022 in Gauteng Province and the Eastern Cape Province. The study aimed to …

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Tdcs) To Improve Lower Limb Motor Recovery Following Stroke: A Review And Study Proposal, Jessica Fantz-Sands

Scripps Senior Theses

Strokes are the result of restricted blood flow to particular areas of the brain classified by their cause. The neural damage they cause are of growing concern as the number of young adults experiencing strokes has increased by 11% in the last decade. Following stroke, there is an imbalance of inhibitory and excitatory neuronal activity, and disruption of neural networks. These changes lead to neuronal death and loss of synaptic connections that, depending on which part of the brain is affected, result in behavioral deficits such as weakness, limb hemiparesis, and loss of coordination, as well as speech and cognitive …

Laboratory Practices And Antimicrobial Resistance In A Florida Hospital, Crispina Marie Sy-Trias

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Antibiotic resistance is a health threat affecting millions of Americans. Microorganisms develop resistance to antibiotics, rendering them useless for treating infections. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the associations between sample processing time and antibiotic resistance and is based on the health belief model. A retrospective specimen tracking activity of data from November 2019 to November 2020 was obtained by random sampling of 246 bacterial cultures. One hundred ninety-six (80%) samples were processed on time, and 50 (20%) were delayed; 167 (68%) samples were determined to have the presence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and 79 (32%) with …

Risk Of Low Energy Availability, Disordered Eating, And Menstrual Dysfunction In Female Collegiate Runners, Leah Louise Dambacher

All Master's Theses

Collegiate female distance runners may be at risk for low energy availability (LEA) due to increased exercise energy expenditure with or without decreased energy intake. Furthermore, this population has increased risk of disordered eating (DE), which can lead to LEA and negative health consequences, such as menstrual dysfunction (MD). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to: 1) investigate risk of LEA and DE and 2) compare DE, training volume, and weight dissatisfaction among female collegiate runners athletes at risk vs not at risk for LEA. Methods: Female runners (n = 287) who competed on an NCAA Division …

Impact Of The Washington State Covid-19 Lockdown On 5-10-Year-Ol School-Aged Children Residing In Kitties County, Peyton Rondeau

All Master's Theses

Background: The Washington State COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent school closures brought increased dependency on parents to provide nutritious meals and opportunities for physical activity for their children.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the impacts of the Washington State COVID-19 lockdown on the dietary, physical activity, and screen time habits of children ages 5-10-years-old residing in Kittitas County.

Methods: A researcher-developed Qualtrics survey was created and validated via the Index of Item Objective Congruence. The survey was administered to parents via Facebook, using local Kittitas County Facebook groups.

Results: Most parents identified that the Washington lockdown negatively …

Repeated Social Defeat Stress Induces An Inflammatory Gut Milieu By Altering The Mucosal Barrier Integrity And Gut Microbiota Homeostasis, Santosh K. Yadav, Rizwan Ahmad, Cassandra M. Moshfegh, Jagadesan Sankarasubramanian, Vineet A. Joshi, Safwan K. Elkhatib, Yashpal S. Chhonker, Goeffrey A. Talmon, Chittibabu Guda, Adam Case, Amar B. Singh

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Background

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by exposure to traumatic events in an individual’s life. Patients with PTSD are also at a higher risk for comorbidities. However, it is not well understood how PTSD affects human health and/or promotes the risk for comorbidities. Nevertheless, patients with PTSD harbor a proinflammatory milieu and dysbiotic gut microbiota. Gut barrier integrity helps to maintain normal gut homeostasis and its dysregulation promotes gut dysbiosis and inflammation.

Methods

We used a mouse model of repeated social defeat stress (RSDS), a preclinical model of PTSD. Behavioral studies, metagenomics analysis of the …

A Critical Role For Staphylococcal Nitric Oxide Synthase In Controlling Flavohemoglobin Toxicity, Ryan M. Singh, Sujata S. Chaudhari, Sasmita Panda, Elizabeth H. Hutfless, Cortney E. Heim, Dhananjay Shinde, Abdulelah A. Alqarzaee, Margaret F. Sladek, Vineet Kumar, Matthew C. Zimmerman, Paul D. Fey, Tammy Kielian, Vinai Chittezham Thomas

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Most coagulase-negative staphylococcal species, including the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis, struggle to maintain redox homeostasis and grow under nitrosative stress. Under these conditions, growth can only resume once nitric oxide (NO) is detoxified by the flavohemoglobin Hmp. Paradoxically, S. epidermidis produces endogenous NO through its genetically encoded nitric oxide synthase (seNOS) and heavily relies on its activity for growth. In this study, we investigate the basis of the growth advantage attributed to seNOS activity. Our findings reveal that seNOS supports growth by countering Hmp toxicity. S. epidermidis relies on Hmp activity for its survival in the host under NO stress. …

Entomophagy: Mealworm Protein In An Inpatient Hospital Setting (Engagement And Education To Rollout Entomophagy For Improved Nutrition), Caryl Showalter

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

The consumption of insects (entomophagy) is a well-practiced phenomenon in many parts of the world. Western societies, including the US, are among the few places that do not participate in this practice. However, entomophagy has the potential to ease nutritional burdens, globally. While many may believe that nutritional deficits are a relic of more economically challenging times or a problem specifically linked to the low economic countries, the truth is that any area can face this problem. This was made clear in the US during the coronavirus lockdown with an estimated doubling in food insecurity associated with a lack of …

Bugged By Bugs: A Comprehensive Guide To Pest Control, Brandon Runyon

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

This book aims to create a user-friendly guide tocommercial pest control practices covering German cockroaches, bed bugs, odorous house ants, pavement ants, brown recluse spiders, wolf spiders, house flies, and fruit flies. We will address these pests in the following locations: hotels, restaurants, apartments, and offices.

The Role Of Renal-Derived Human Soluble Prorenin Receptor In Blood Pressure Regulation And Kidney Function, Gertrude Arthur

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

The soluble prorenin receptor (sPRR) is a cleaved form of the full-length prorenin receptor (PRR). It has been demonstrated to activate the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) independent of its full-length receptor and mediate similar physiological and pathophysiological processes, albeit via different mechanisms.

The sPRR hormone, a component of RAS, has been identified as a plasma biomarker for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases in humans. In mice, sPRR infusion has been shown to mediate blood pressure elevation through competitive AT1R binding and activation. However, the biological contribution of renal-derived human sPRR to blood pressure regulation and kidney function remains unknown. Therefore, this study …

Alzheimer’S Disease Genetics And Short-Chain Fatty Acid Treatment In Studies Of The Murine Gut Microbiome, Diana Zajac

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Elucidating the relationship of the gut microbiome in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) risk and pathogenesis is an area of intense interest. Since 60 to 80% of AD risk is related to genetics and APOE alleles represent the most impactful genetic risk factors for AD, their mechanism(s) of action are under intense scrutiny.

First, I conducted a study on APOE targeted replacement mice to investigate the impact of APOE alleles on the murine gut microbiome. The relative abundance of bacteria from the family Ruminococacceae and related genera increased with APOE2 status. The relative abundance of the class Erysipelotrichia increased with APOE4 status, …

Clinical And Biological Factors Determine Spinal Cord Injury Outcomes: Liquor To Lipids, Ethan Glaser

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are debilitating and life altering events that can lead to permanent motor and sensory loss. SCI outcomes are impacted by both clinical factors such as blood alcohol content (BAC) at the time of injury as well as biological factors like the lipid-rich myelin debris that accumulates in the injury site. Both clinical and biological factors contribute to SCI recovery, impacting neuroinflammation, locomotor recovery, and histopathology. The purpose of the studies described here is to investigate the role of acute alcohol intoxication and intracellular lipid processing pathways on SCI outcomes in a rodent model.

An elevated BAC …

The Impact Of Universal Free Meals During Covid-19 On Family Life And Perspective Of School Meals In Central Washington State, Charlotte Green

All Master's Theses

This study explored the impact of the USDA COVID-19 Universal Free Meal (UFM) waivers on family life, school meal participation, and child eating habits from parents with children in Central Washington state (WA) schools. n = 119 parents/caregivers with students who were in K-12^th grade in Central WA from August 2019-February 2023 completed a 10 question electronic, and descriptive survey. The survey measured changes in participation in school lunch/breakfast pre to post COVID-19 waiver, which provided free meals for all children, and whether UFM were beneficial to families, impacted perception of school food, child’s sense of community at school …

Phenotypic And Genotypic Characterization Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Commonly Isolated Salmonella Serovars From Chickens, Seyyi̇de Sariçam İnce, Mehmet Akan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Salmonellosis caused by Salmonella agents is the second most common zoonotic infection in humans. In recent years, Salmonella's increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been a concern. The major transmission route of Salmonella is consumption of contaminated poultry products. Therefore, monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in chicken-originated Salmonella is critically important. This study investigated AMR in four commonly isolated Salmonella serovars from chickens, namely Salmonella Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis), Salmonella Infantis (S. Infantis), Salmonella Kentucky (S. Kentucky), and Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). A total of 133 isolates were examined by phenotypic and genotypic AMR characterization. Resistance to 14 different antimicrobials and eight …

Are The Mandible Shapes Of Common (Paradoxurus Hermaphroditus) And Golden (Paradoxurus Zeylonensis) Palm Civets Different? A Pilot Study, İftar Gürbüz, Yasi̇n Demi̇raslan, Channa Rajapaksha, Devaka K. Weerakoon, Saminda Fernando

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In this study adult common and golden palm civet mandibles were analysed by geometric morphometric method. For this purpose, the materials were photographed in accordance with the procedure and analysed using computer programs. No allometric component was detected in the comparison of the mandibles. The first principal component defined 28.657% of the total shape variation in the mandibles of the two groups that were analysed with a total of 19 landmarks. The samples were largely separated from each other in the principal component analysis. The shape differences were mostly in the caudal of the mandible. Also, in the common palm …

Effects Of Free Capric Acid, Lauric Acid, And Coconut Oil Supplementation On Performance, Carcass, And Some Blood Biochemical Parameters Of Broiler Chickens, Mehmet Demi̇rci̇, Şevket Evci̇, Mehmet Aki̇f Karsli, Ali̇ Şenol

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of the addition of free capric (decanoic, C10:0) and lauric (dodecanoic, C12:0) acids and coconut (Cocos nucifera) oil to the broiler diets on performance, carcass yield, internal organ weights and some blood parameters. A total of 144 day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were used in the study, and four main groups were formed with four subgroups containing equal number of chicks. The control (C) group was fed with basal diet without any supplementation and the experimental groups were fed with 0.4% free capric acid (CA)-, lauric acid (LA)-, …

A Comparative Study Of Oocyte Between Native Cattle And Buffalo Species In Bangladesh: A Qualitative And Quantitative Approach, Zannatul Naim, Md Saiful Islam, Lam Yea Asad, Md Enayet Kabir

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In vitro embryo production (IVP) can help alleviating reproductive difficulties in cattle and buffalo. This study compared qualitative and quantitative features of native cattle and buffalo ovaries and oocytes to understand them comprehensively. In addition, it was conducted to pick the ideal ovaries for oocyte collection and to assess either maturation affects oocyte diameter or not. The ovaries were collected from the local slaughterhouses of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Next, the quantitative parameters of ovaries were measured, the follicular fluid was aspired, the oocytes were classified, and the diameters of oocytes were determined in both pre and postmaturation. Here, the results …

Investigation Of Relationships Between Serum Lactate, Acute Phase Proteins, Pro/ Antiinflammatory Cytokine Levels, And Metritis Formation In Holstein Dairy Heifers, Talha Avcilar, Davut Koca, Yavuz Nak, Mustafa Eren Şahi̇n, Musa Özgür Özyi̇ği̇t, Deni̇z Nak

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The main purpose of this investigation was to identify and suggest suitable early screening inflammatory markers for the early diagnosis of uterine infections such as acute septic metritis (ASM) in the Holstein heifers. In addition, to achieve the above -mentioned aim, the objectives of the present study were tried to determine the relationship between blood serum lactate, acute phase proteins (APPs), pro/anti inflammatory cytokine levels, and metritis formation in Holstein heifers. For this purpose, 250 Holstein heifers which were 11-13 months old, were chosen as the study material. After heifers were conceived, blood serum samples were collected at the 8th …