Life Sciences Commons^™

Mechanisms Of Neonatal Brain Injury In A Rat Pup Hypoxic-Ischemic Model, Wanqiu Chen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury is a major cause of acute morbidity and chronic nemological mortality in infants and children, with a reported incidence of 2- 9 per 1000 births. The pathophyiological mechanisms leading to immature brain damage after HI are complex and relate to the developmental stage of the brain. The objective of our study is to understand the neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and to aid in the development of pharmacological treatments.

Hypoxic inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a transcription factor which is stabilized and activated by hypoxia. It is the most important factor involved in the cellular response …

Impact Of Ambient Air Pollution On Survival Of Renal Transplant Recipients, Rhonda Kristine Hwang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

There is increasing evidence that ambient air pollution is associated with coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality. This research has focused on the general public and less so on possible sensitive subgroups even though these may have even greater susceptibility to adverse effects of ambient air pollution. With highly prevalent traditional as well as nontraditional risk factors, renal transplant recipients may potentially be a sensitive subgroup. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible effect of between long-term exposure to air pollution on the risk of CHD mortality among renal transplant recipients. This cohort study includes 32,239 adult, …

The Effects Of Physical Activity And Nutrient Intake On The Risk Of Hip Fracture : Results From The Adventist Health Study-2, Wen-Ling Liao

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This is a two year of follow up study of Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2). We assessed the association between physical activity, nutrient intake and risk of hip fracture among peri- and post menopausal Caucasian women using unconditional logistic regression models. All subjects completed a lifestyle questionnaire which including information of physical activity and frequency and portion size of food intake at enrollment into the study (2002-2007). The “Bi-Annual Hospitalization History” questionnaire which included a question about hip fractures due to minor trauma/falls was sent to subjects approximately two years after enrollment, with a response rat of 82.84%. In this cohort, …

The Effects Of Dietary N-3 Polyunsaturated Fat From Plant Versus Marine Sources On Bochemical Markers Of Bone Turnover In Healthy Adults, Lan Nguyen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Objective: To investigate the effects of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fat from plant versus marine sources on biochemical markers of bone turnover.

Design: Both studies were controlled, single blind, randomized trials using Latin-square crossover designs.

Subjects/Methods:Twenty-five (12 females and 13 males) and 24 (9 females and 15 males) healthy participants completed the Fish-Walnut Study and the Omega-3 Study, respectively. The Fish-Walnut Study included three diets: [1] control, [2] ALA-rich diet (1.5 oz of walnuts/day, 6 times/week), and [3] EPA/DHA-rich diet (8 oz of salmon/week). The Omega-3 Study included four diets: [1] control, [2] ALA-rich diet (42-49 g flaxseed oil/wk; lOg …

Fetal Cocaine Exposure Causes Epigenetic Changes In The Rat Heart, Kurt D. Meyer

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Cocaine abuse continues to be prevalent in the United States and other industrialized nations, in addition to the negative health effects that cocaine abuse has on the user, a mother who uses cocaine while pregnant also exposes the developing fetus to cocaine. Although there have been many studies of the effects of cocaine on the adult heart, studies of cocaine on the fetal heart and its potential delayed pathophysiological effects on cardiac function in adult offspring are extremely limited. The studies of the present project sought to enhance the understanding of the effect of cocaine exposure on the fetal heart …

Postprandial Effects Of Pecans Ingestion On Plasma Level Of Nutrients, Polyphenolic Compounds And Biomarkers Of Antioxidant Status In Human Volunteers, Chatrapa Hudthagosol

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pecans (Carya illinoinensis) are rich sources of polyphenolic compounds and nutrients, which have antioxidant capacity results in favorable reductions in plasma lipids and lipoproteins. However, the health benefits of pecans may not be limited to blood lipid changes. There has been very little investigation into the contribution of bioactive components found in nuts to antioxidant protection. The purposes of the study were 1) to determine the impact of pecan consumption on concentration of total plasma polyphenols and their peak concentration over time. 2) to measure the effect of a pecan diet on postprandial levels of plasma lipid peroxidation …

Anthropometric Parameters Of Under-Five Years Old Children With Different Dietary Habits In Ukambani Region : A Study In Eastern Rural Kenya, Hellen M. Ndiku

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The objective of this descriptive cross sectional study was to assess dietary intake and nutritional status of children under-five years in two rural sites of Eastern Kenya where the staple cereals may differ. A modified rapid, knowledge, practice and coverage (KPC) questionnaire and a 24-hr dietary recall form were used to collect the data. A total of 403 households were surveyed from four randomly selected divisions. This yielded 629 surrogate 24-hr dietary recalls of children < 5 years with 314 from Mwingi district and 315 from Makueni district (49 % boys and 51 % girls).

Statistical analysis was done using SPSS and SAS. Comparison of means was done using t- test and chi square was used for proportions. The 24-hr …

Quality Of Life And Depression: Outcome Markers For A Weight Management Program, Cecilia Dueñas

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pediatric obesity has become a national epidemic and current trends suggest a continued increase. Obese children have been found to have higher incidences of depression and a lower quality of life (QOL) than children from other often more severe medical populations. As a result, weight management programs are on the increase with the majority measuring outcome success through weight loss and decreased body mass index (BMI). It is evident however, that health factors are not the only factors associated with obesity, and that psychosocial components are important as well. The Loma Linda University Growing Fit Program is unique in that …

Postnatal Maturation Modulates Cerebrovascular Myogenic Tone, Shelton M. Charles

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present study focused on the main hypothesis that maturation decreases contractile reliance on calcium influx and myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, and increases reliance on release of calcium from intracellular stores to develop and maintain pressure-evoked myogenic tone in rat cerebral blood vessels. To test this hypothesis, pressure-induced myogenic tone and changes in artery wall ([Ca2+]i) were measured simultaneously in isolated endothelium denuded, fura-2 loaded middle cerebral arteries (MCA) from pup (PI4) and adult (6 months old) SD rats. We studied the mechanism that govern myogenic tone and examined the hypothesis that during maturation, MCA from rat pups are more reliant …

Effects Of Spaceflight On Phagocytic Function And Immune-Neural Interaction, Farnaz P. Baqai

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

In spaceflight, astronauts will be exposed to several environmental risk factors that may lead to disturbances in homeostasis maintained by the central nervous system (CNS) and immune system. Low Earth orbit (LEO) spaceflight studies have shown that microgravity changes virtually all immune parameters that have been evaluated. Similarly, ground based studies have shown that low-dose radiation can also significantly impact immune function. Finally, as most spacecrafts are ecologically and environmentally closed systems, astronauts may be at increased risk for exposure to aerosolized infectious agents. The hypothesis of this study is: Exposure to spaceflight environment (microgravity and radiation) can influence immune …

Mnte-2-Pyp And Radiation In A Prostate Cancer Model: Implications For Radiotherapy, Adeola Y. Makinde

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A major limitation of successful radiation therapy in cancer treatment is the increase in normal tissue damage as higher doses are used to achieve greater tumor destruction. Radiation dose optimization in cancer therapy requires achieving maximum tumor destruction with minimal damage to normal tissue Antioxidants have been shown to protect normal tissues against radiation damage, as radiation-induced tissue damage results predominantly from reactive oxygen species that directly damage cellular components. However, for effective use as normal tissue radioprotectants in radiotherapy, these antioxidants must not protect the tumors. Mn (III) tetrakis (N-ethylpyridinium-2-yl) porphyrin (MnTE-2-PyP) is a metalloporphyrin antioxidant that has been …

Localization And Expression Of The Aer Receptor In Escherichia Coli, Daniel Salcedo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

In Escherichia coli, chemotactic movement towards an energetically-favorable environment is mediated by five transmembrane chemoreceptors. These sensory proteins respond to numerous environmental signals, including amino acids, sugars, and pH. The aerotaxis receptor, Aer, is an intracellular sensor that responds to oxygen concentration and other parameters affecting cellular energy levels. Bacterial chemotaxis receptors form dimeric signaling units that organize into tetramers and hexamers and form large clusters at the cell poles. A cluster arrangement could increase receptor sensitivity by lateral communication between dimers, thus amplifying the signal from one dimer. We have shown that Aer forms dimers, trimer of dimers, …

Contribution Of Ledgf/P75 To Prostate Cancer Chemoresistance, Melanie Mediavilla-Varela

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of male cancer death in the United States, and is considered a health disparity because of its disproportionate incidence and mortality in African American (AA) males. A major challenge in PCa treatment is its recurrence into hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). Docetaxel is the standard of care for first line chemotherapy to HRPC. Unfortunately, most patients ultimately manifest resistance to DTX and succumb to the disease. Circumventing DTX resistance in HRPC will require better understanding of the mechanisms by which this drug kills prostate tumor cells, and the genes that promote this …

Correlates Of Soy Food Consumption In Adventist Health Study-2, Yen Ang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Much has been discussed about the health benefits and risks of soy consumption but very little is known about who the consumers are. Most of what is known has been observed mainly in Asian populations who consume high levels of soy. Very little is known about soy food intake in the western population who typically has low consumption level. The Seventh-Day Adventist cohort in North America is the only population known in the West with soy food intake that is comparable to the Asian population living in the East.

Soy consumers in a population known for its healthier lifestyle and …

Phylogeography And Conservation Of The Arroyo Toad (Bufo Californicus), Robert Edward Lovich

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The Arroyo Toad (Bufo cakfomicus) is an endangered species found in rivers of southern California, USA and northern Baja California, Mexico. It has experienced population declines throughout its range, as a result of urbanization, hydrologic alterations, and overall habitat loss. As part of the Recovery Plan for this species, it was determined that more research was needed to assist in management decisions. One of those research needs was to better understand the intraspecific genetic variation within the Arroyo Toad. I conducted a range wide genetic study of the Arroyo Toad to uncover lineages and genetic variation among and between all …

Role Of No In The Regulation Of Cortisol Synthesis In Long-Term Hypoxic Sheep Fetal Adrenal, Tshepo Rothi Monau

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Our laboratory has demonstrated that sheep fetuses adapt to long-term hypoxia (LTH) by maintaining normal level of basal plasma cortisol despite increased adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). But the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) inhibits synthesis of steroid hormones in a variety of tissues, and in different animal species. Studies also showed that hypoxia increases both expression and activity levels of the nitric oxide (NO) generating enzyme, nitric oxide synthase (NOS), in certain tissues. We have here investigated the expression level and localization of NOS isoforms in sheep fetal adrenals. We also investigated the …

The Influence Of Familism On Descriptive And Injunctive Norms In Predicting The Intention To Eat A Vegetarian Diet Among Chinese Seventh-Day Adventists, See Wei Toh

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

According to the theory of planned behavior (TpB), one determinant of intention to engage in a behavior is the subjective norm. Various studies have found that subjective norm is often the weaker predictor of intention compared to perceived behavioral control and attitude. This study examined whether familism (emphasis on the family rather than the individual) would contribute positively to the predictive power of the TpB model through interactions with the family portion of descriptive and injunctive norms. Descriptive and injunctive norms are component variables of the subjective norm. A sample of 284 adult Chinese Seventh-day Adventists 18 years and older …