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Full-Text Articles in Biotechnology

Zika Virus-Induced Lysis Of Cervical Cancer Cells, Harini Krishnapura May 2019

Zika Virus-Induced Lysis Of Cervical Cancer Cells, Harini Krishnapura

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women with an estimated 570,000 new cases globally in 2018. Treatment of advanced cervical cancer is often unsuccessful leading to high cancer-related mortality rates, especially in under-resourced countries. Recently, a possible role for the cell surface glycoprotein CD24 in host cell specificity of Zika virus was reported. As an extension of this work, Zika viruses have been proposed as oncolytic therapy for the treatment of neuroblastoma and other CD24 positive tumors. To determine the permissiveness of cervical cancer cells to Zika virus infection and its association with CD24, we assessed cytopathic …


Biochemical Characterization Of Rv2633c From Mycobacterium Tuberculosis And The Effects Of Mutagenesis On Iron Binding, Kyle Strickland Jan 2019

Biochemical Characterization Of Rv2633c From Mycobacterium Tuberculosis And The Effects Of Mutagenesis On Iron Binding, Kyle Strickland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a pathogenic bacterium that is the causative agent of the disease Tuberculosis (TB). TB kills an estimated 1.8 million people annually and roughly one third of the world's population carries Mtb in a dormant state. Drug resistant Mtb strains are on the rise, thus a new method of combating this disease is paramount. Mtb survival inside of macrophages requires overcoming various stressors such as; iron restriction, reactive oxygen species, and hypoxic conditions. Mtb employs the use of catalases, nitric oxide reductase, superoxide dismutase, and siderophores to aid in survival. These functions have also been found in …


Selenium Vs. Sulfur: Investigating The Substrate Specificity Of A Selenocysteine Lyase, Michael Johnstone Jan 2019

Selenium Vs. Sulfur: Investigating The Substrate Specificity Of A Selenocysteine Lyase, Michael Johnstone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Selenium is a vital micronutrient in many organisms. While traces are required for survival, excess amounts are toxic; thus, selenium can be regarded as a biological "double-edged sword". Selenium is chemically similar to the essential element sulfur, but curiously, evolution has selected the former over the latter for a subset of oxidoreductases. Enzymes involved in sulfur metabolism are less discriminate in terms of preventing selenium incorporation; however, its specific incorporation into selenoproteins reveals a highly discriminate process that is not completely understood. In this work, we add knowledge to the mechanism for selenium-over-sulfur specificity in hopes of further understanding the …


Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 Inhibits Pyroptotic Cell Death In Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Of Atherosclerotic Apolipoprotein E -/- Mice, Kaley Garner Jan 2019

Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 Inhibits Pyroptotic Cell Death In Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Of Atherosclerotic Apolipoprotein E -/- Mice, Kaley Garner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atherosclerosis (ATH) is an inflammation-mediated disease in which cell death underlies the formation of lesions along the intima layer of vascular walls resulting in vessel narrowing, decreased blood flow, and increased risk of lesion rupture leading to myocardial infarction and stroke. The current study was undertaken to investigate whether inflammation in ATH can induce pyroptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC's). We therefore hypothesized that pyroptosis occurs and is inhibited by bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7). We examined SMC pyroptosis at acute (D5) and midstage (D28) following disturbed flow-induced hemodynamic injury to the vascular wall using our partial left carotid …


Metabolic Effects Of 17a-Estradiol Are Growth Hormone Independent And Sex Specific, Silvana Sidhom Jan 2019

Metabolic Effects Of 17a-Estradiol Are Growth Hormone Independent And Sex Specific, Silvana Sidhom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aging is a major risk factor for metabolic syndromes and type two diabetes. With growing elderly populations worldwide and increasing incidence of age-related diseases there is a great need to develop pharmacological interventions that would delay aging and protect from age-related diseases. 17-alpha estradiol (17α-E2) is an epimer of the primary female sex hormone estradiol and has been shown to extend lifespan and downregulate markers of age-related metabolic dysfunction in male mice. Because 17α-E2 does not induce feminization in males it holds potential as a novel therapeutic in humans for age-related metabolic dysfunction. Importantly, we have previously shown that 17α-E2 …


Atp Induced Molecular Disassembly Of Cytolethal Distending Toxin's B/C Heterodimer, George Huhn Jan 2019

Atp Induced Molecular Disassembly Of Cytolethal Distending Toxin's B/C Heterodimer, George Huhn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is a virulence factor produced by many Gram-negative bacteria, including Haemophilus ducreyi. This fastidious pathogen is the causative agent of genital cancroid. CDT is a heterotrimeric toxin with an AB2 structure consisting of a cell-binding "B" domain (CdtA + CdtC) and a catalytic "A" domain (CdtB) that has DNase activity. This toxin assembles in the bacterial periplasm that lacks ATP and is secreted into the extracellular environment. After cell binding, CDT is internalized by endocytosis and travels through the endosomes and Golgi before arriving in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). CdtA is lost from the holotoxin before …


Determining Differential Effects Of Interleukin-2 On Innate And Adaptive Immune Cells In Lymphoid Organs And The Gastrointestinal Tract, Ayushi Singh Jan 2019

Determining Differential Effects Of Interleukin-2 On Innate And Adaptive Immune Cells In Lymphoid Organs And The Gastrointestinal Tract, Ayushi Singh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a pleiotropic cytokine demonstrated to be effective in treating cancer. However, the clinical use of IL-2 can be associated with severe side effects including gastrointestinal toxicity (GT). Similar GT symptoms are observed in inflammatory diseases such as CD (CD). Interestingly mounting evidence indicates a role for IL-2 in CD, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Indeed, studies on the in-vivo activities of IL-2 have mostly focused on secondary lymphoid organs and immune cells associated with them. Very few studies have addressed how IL-2 signals impact populations of immune cells in the gut. Here, we aim to identify …


Role Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (Snps) In Ptpn2/22 And Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis (Map) In Rheumatoid Arthritis And Crohn's Disease, Robert Sharp Jan 2018

Role Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (Snps) In Ptpn2/22 And Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis (Map) In Rheumatoid Arthritis And Crohn's Disease, Robert Sharp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Both genetic pre-disposition and potential environmental triggers are shared between Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Crohn's disease (CD). We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the negative T-cell regulators Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Nonreceptor type 2 and 22 (PTPN2/22) lead to a dysregulated immune response as seen in RA and CD. To test the hypothesis, peripheral leukocytes samples from 204 consented subjects were TaqMan genotyped for 9 SNPs in PTPN2/22. The SNPs effect on PTPN2/22 and IFN-y expression was determined using RT-PCR. Blood samples were analyzed for the Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) IS900 gene by nPCR. T-cell proliferation and response …


Role Of Lipid Peroxide Derived Dicarboxylic Acids In Atherosclerotic Calcification, Aladdin Riad Jan 2018

Role Of Lipid Peroxide Derived Dicarboxylic Acids In Atherosclerotic Calcification, Aladdin Riad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, are the leading cause of death in the United States. Atherosclerotic lesions are formed by deposition of lipids in the intima of arteries. Upon exposure to oxidative stresses, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is converted to highly atherogenic oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) particles, contributing to disease development and progression. Advanced disease stages may result in calcification of lesions. This calcification process is important, as it has been shown to be associated with stable plaques that are less prone to rupture. Calcification is present in lipid rich domains of lesions, however neither the composition of the mineralized calcium deposits nor …


Deciphering The Role Of Adrenergic Hormones In Embryonic Cardiac Calcium Signaling And Metabolism, Jessica Peoples Jan 2018

Deciphering The Role Of Adrenergic Hormones In Embryonic Cardiac Calcium Signaling And Metabolism, Jessica Peoples

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The adrenergic hormones norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) are critical regulators of mammalian cardiovascular physiology. NE and EPI mediate stress responses to enhance cardiovascular function, however dysregulation of adrenergic signaling leads to heart failure, congenital heart malformations, and sudden cardiac death. Adrenergic hormone-expressing cells were found in the early embryonic heart, and NE has been determined essential for embryonic cardiac development. Despite extensive work in adults, the regulatory roles and adrenergic targets of these hormones during embryonic cardiac development have not yet been fully determined. Prior transcriptomic studies from our lab showed that expression of signal transduction and metabolic genes …


Pg-Vtv Biogenesis Requires Atp To Facilitate Phosphorylation Of Syntaxin 17, Anika Saxena Jan 2018

Pg-Vtv Biogenesis Requires Atp To Facilitate Phosphorylation Of Syntaxin 17, Anika Saxena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The uptake of cytotoxic free fatty acids (FFA) and their conversion to physiologically expedient triglycerides (TAG) which are later on assimilated to very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) is of utmost value among the multifarious tasks performed by the liver. Inflated concentration of VLDL in the blood stream directly correlates with the reinforcement of atherosclerosis. VLDL is synthesized in the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and transported to the Golgi where it encounters several alterations. It is then enclosed in distinct post-Golgi VLDL transport vesicles (PG-VTVs) and released into the blood. The data generated in our lab has proved the requirement of …


Characterization Of Neural Cells Derived From Reelin-Deficient Schizophrenic Patient Ips Cells, Nicole Roberts Jan 2018

Characterization Of Neural Cells Derived From Reelin-Deficient Schizophrenic Patient Ips Cells, Nicole Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reelin is a large, extracellular glycoprotein that binds to several membrane receptors on neural stem cells (HNSCs), neural progenitor cells (NPCs), and neuroblasts of mammals to direct their migration. Previously, our lab established the presence of Reelin increased migration of wild-type fetal-derived HNSC's, both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we demonstrated that Reelin protein treatment also increases the formation of radial glia via Notch-1 signaling, in vitro. Radial glia are precursors to NPCs, as well as a scaffold for neuroblast migration during cortical lamination. Reelin has long been associated with Schizophrenia (SZ). Because post-mortem brains are limited to …


Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding The Recent Zika Outbreak Among A Sample Of South Florida Residents, Mohamed Elakkari Jan 2018

Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding The Recent Zika Outbreak Among A Sample Of South Florida Residents, Mohamed Elakkari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

South Florida has had the largest number of U.S. Zika infection cases during the recent outbreak. This study aimed at assessing South Floridians' basic knowledge, perceptions of the seriousness and susceptibility to Zika infection, their information sources and needs, as well as their attitudes towards the protective measures proposed by the CDC. We also wanted to assess whether any of those factors have affected the frequency of participants' undertaking of the protective behaviors. To this end, we designed an online questionnaire and surveyed the responses of five hundred South Floridians (Age=18-78 years). We found significant gaps in participants' knowledge about …


Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Inhibit Doxorubicin-Induced Pyroptosis In Cell Culture Models, Zahra Tavakoli Dargani Jan 2018

Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Inhibit Doxorubicin-Induced Pyroptosis In Cell Culture Models, Zahra Tavakoli Dargani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Doxorubicin (Dox) is a potent chemotherapeutic drug used for the treatment of various cancers. Unfortunately, its use is limited as Dox induces adverse cardiotoxicity (DIC) and muscle toxicity (DIMT), which are mediated through oxidative stress, ER stress, and inflammation. However, it remains unknown whether Dox induces an inflammation mediated cell death, called “pyroptosis”. The current study is designed to determine whether Dox induces pyroptosis in cardiac and muscle cell culture models. Moreover, the protective effects of embryonic stem cell-derived exosomes (ES-Exos) in inhibiting pyroptosis will also be determined. For this purpose, we designed two different cell culture models using H9c2 …


Assessment Of Tattoo And Silicone Wounds In Terms Of Time Of Treatment And Perceived Treatment Quality, M Pettitt Jan 2017

Assessment Of Tattoo And Silicone Wounds In Terms Of Time Of Treatment And Perceived Treatment Quality, M Pettitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At the point of injury, critical medical tasks include locating and identifying an injury as well as applying the appropriate initial care. Over the past decade, to increase the fidelity of wound representation and ultimately the quality of medical care, a considerable amount of research and development has occurred to improve simulated wounds during training, primarily at the point of injury. As material and techniques mature and as more relevant data is collected on tissue properties, examining what fidelity is required for training at the point of injury is crucial. The main objective of this effort was to assess a …


Downregulation In Ifngr1 Increases Suspectiblity To Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis Infection In Crohn's Disease, Zin Mar Htun Jan 2017

Downregulation In Ifngr1 Increases Suspectiblity To Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis Infection In Crohn's Disease, Zin Mar Htun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and has been associated with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). MAP has been detected in stool, tissue and blood samples from patients with CD. Gamma interferon (γ-IFN) is an inflammatory cytokine that plays a crucial role in killing intracellular pathogens like MAP, and its receptor (IFNGR1) mutations cause immunodeficiency and severe disseminated mycobacterial infections. The role of MAP in association with IFNGR1 mutation in CD patients have not been investigated. METHODS: In this study, we investigated blood samples of 79 human subjects for MAP infection in association with IFNGR1 gene …


Chaperonin Containing Tcp1 (Cct) As A Target For Cancer Therapy, Ana Carr Jan 2017

Chaperonin Containing Tcp1 (Cct) As A Target For Cancer Therapy, Ana Carr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Treatments for aggressive cancers like triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) have not improved and remain associated with debilitating side effects. There is an unmet medical need for better, druggable targets and improved therapeutics. To this end, we investigated the role of Chaperonin-Containing TCP1 (CCT), an evolutionarily conserved protein-folding complex composed of eight subunits (CCT1-8), in oncogenesis. Our laboratory was the first to report that the CCT2 subunit is highly expressed in breast cancer and could be therapeutically targeted. To determine whether CCT is a marker of disease progression in other cancers, we analyzed CCT2 gene …


Cathepsin B Regulates Vldl Secretion Through Lfabp Cleavage, Simeon Thibeaux Jan 2017

Cathepsin B Regulates Vldl Secretion Through Lfabp Cleavage, Simeon Thibeaux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The liver is tasked with managing the concentration of various metabolites in the blood, and of particular importance is the uptake of free fatty-acid (FFA), as elevated concentrations of FFA are toxic to cells. FFAs are transported across the cell membrane by CD36 and distributed by LFABP to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where they are esterified to glycerol, yielding more chemically inert triglyceride (TAG), which is essential to the process of VLDL assembly. VLDL secretion distributes energy rich TAG to peripheral tissues, and its dysfunction leads to hepatic steatosis, which may progress into hepatocellular carcinoma. The present study examined the …


The Role Of Type-I Interferon In Limiting Spread And Killing Of An Oncolytic Rna Virus In Prostate Cells, Kritika Kedarinath Jan 2016

The Role Of Type-I Interferon In Limiting Spread And Killing Of An Oncolytic Rna Virus In Prostate Cells, Kritika Kedarinath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer is the second most prevalent cancer amongst men and there is an urgent need to address viable therapeutic options for its treatment. Development of viruses which target and kill cancer cells has gained momentum due to the first FDA approved oncolytic virus for treating human cancer patients. Our previous work with the RNA virus, Parainfluenza Virus 5 (PIV5), has led to the generation of mutants that are potential candidates for oncolytic viruses: 1) the hyperfusogenic (P/V/F) mutant has a mutated P/V and fusion gene which activates anti-viral responses and causes massive cell-cell fusion respectively, and 2) the Leader …


Bmp-7 Inhibits P38 And Jnk Pathways And Increases M2 Macrophage Differentiation To Reduce Atherosclerosis In Apolipoprotein E-/- Mice, Heidi Shoulders Jan 2016

Bmp-7 Inhibits P38 And Jnk Pathways And Increases M2 Macrophage Differentiation To Reduce Atherosclerosis In Apolipoprotein E-/- Mice, Heidi Shoulders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We have previously shown that treating atherosclerosis with bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) affects the presence of macrophage subtypes in vitro, however it remains unknown whether BMP-7 treatment affects development and progression of atherosclerosis in vivo at an early and mid-stage of the disease. We therefore performed a Day 5 (D5) and Day 28 (D28) study to examine BMP-7's potential to affect monocyte differentiation. Atherosclerotic plaque formation was developed using our standard method and ApoE-/- mice were sacrificed at D5 and D28 post-surgery. Treatment animals received intravenous injections of BMP-7 at 200µg/kg of bodyweight. Hematoxylin and Eosin morphological stain shows that …


The Development Of Motuporamine Derivatives And An Investigation Into Their Biological Properties, Kristen Skruber Jan 2016

The Development Of Motuporamine Derivatives And An Investigation Into Their Biological Properties, Kristen Skruber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project investigates the synthesis of a class of compounds derived from a marine-based natural product and probes how iterative changes to its structure affect its derivatives' biological efficacy. The compound class of interest are the motuporamines which were isolated from the sea sponge Xestospongia exigua collected off the coast of Motupore island in Papua, New Guinea. The compounds for this project are predicated upon dihydromotuporamine C (Motu33), the compound that has been shown to be both cytotoxic to MDA-MB231 breast carcinoma cells and has antimetastatic efficacy. The motuporamine scaffold contains a large fifteen-membered saturated macrocycle and an appended polyamine …


Chlamydia Trachomatis Transformants Show A Significant Reduction In Rates Of Invasion Upon Removal Of Key Tarp Domains, Christopher Parrett Jan 2016

Chlamydia Trachomatis Transformants Show A Significant Reduction In Rates Of Invasion Upon Removal Of Key Tarp Domains, Christopher Parrett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate, intracellular bacterium which is known to cause multiple human infections including nongonococcal urethritis (serovars D-K), lymphogranuloma venereum (serovars L1, L2, L3) and trachoma (serovars A-C). The infectious form of the bacterium, called the elementary body (EB), harbors a type III secreted effector known as Tarp (translocated actin recruiting phosphoprotein) which is a candidate virulence factor and is hypothesized to play a role in C. trachomatis' ability to invade and grow within epithelial cells in a human host. C. trachomatis L2 Tarp harbors five unique protein domains which include the Phosphorylation Domain, the Proline Rich Domain, …


Neurological Profile Of Older Apoe-Pon1 Double Knockout Mice, Connie Mitra Jan 2016

Neurological Profile Of Older Apoe-Pon1 Double Knockout Mice, Connie Mitra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease where plaques made up of lipids in the form of cholesterol ester build up in the carotid and innominate arteries that supply blood to the brain. Accumulation of the plaques limit the flow of blood and nutrients to the brain, leading to diminished oxygen supply, increased oxidative stress and cell death. All these have been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Alzheimer's disease, a chronic, progressive, age related neurodegenerative disorder is the most common form of dementia in the elderly accounting for 60-80% of the cases. Clinically, Alzheimer's disease is characterized by loss of memory, damage …


Apolipoprotein-Ai Regulates Hepatic Vldl Secretion By Controlling Intracellular Vldl-Trafficking, Bhavesh Gurwani Jan 2016

Apolipoprotein-Ai Regulates Hepatic Vldl Secretion By Controlling Intracellular Vldl-Trafficking, Bhavesh Gurwani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular diseases cause 17 million deaths annually, which is estimated to increase to 23 million deaths by the year 2030. One of the major risk factors for the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases is increased secretion of very-low density lipoproteins (VLDL) by the liver; however, reduced VLDL-secretion causes fatty liver disease. Synthesis and secretion of VLDL by the liver plays an important role in maintaining overall lipoprotein homeostasis. Assembly of VLDL occurs along with the expression of apolipoproteinB-100 (apoB100) and its lipidation at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) level. Once formed in the ER lumen, the nascent VLDL is transported to the …


Vo-Ohpic Treatment Reduces Cardiac Remodeling In Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy, Taylor Johnson Jan 2016

Vo-Ohpic Treatment Reduces Cardiac Remodeling In Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy, Taylor Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Doxorubicin (Doxo) is one of multiple anthracycline drugs used to effectively treat various forms of cancer. Unfortunately, Doxo treatment, as a side effect, induces cardiomyopathy and subsequent heart failure. We have previously demonstrated that transplanted embryonic stem (ES) cells and their conditioned medium (CM) modulate the PTEN pathway and reduce apoptosis, fibrosis and hypertrophy in a Doxo induced cardiomyopathy (DIC) model. However, mechanisms of inhibited apoptosis mediated through PTEN pathway are completely unknown. Therefore, we used VO-OHpic (VO), a potent PTEN inhibitor to understand the mechanism of apoptosis as well as its effect on cardiac remodeling in DIC. Animals were …


Malondialdehyde (Mda) And Glutathione Peroxidase (Gpx) Are Elevated In Crohns Disease-Associated With Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis (Map), Ahmad Qasem Jan 2016

Malondialdehyde (Mda) And Glutathione Peroxidase (Gpx) Are Elevated In Crohns Disease-Associated With Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis (Map), Ahmad Qasem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inflamed tissue in Crohn’s disease (CD) are continuously producing toxic oxygen metabolites leading to cellular injury and apoptosis. Here, we are evaluating the role of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) in oxidative stress in CD by evaluation of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defense activity. Specifically, we measured malondialdehyde (MDA) level and selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in the plasma from patients and cattle infected with MAP. The level of MAP antibodies in bovine sera was determined by IDEXX kit whereas detection of MAP DNA was performed by IS900-based nPCR. A total of 42 cattle (21 infected with MAP and 21 …


Could Dietary Peroxidized Lipids Provoke An Intestinal Inflammatory Response?, Mitsushita Doomra Jan 2016

Could Dietary Peroxidized Lipids Provoke An Intestinal Inflammatory Response?, Mitsushita Doomra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Crohn's disease represent chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases. It is suspected that bacterial infection is one of the causes of gut inflammation. Studies from others as well as from our laboratory have indicated that peroxidized lipids and their decomposition products are pro-inflammatory. As we consume considerable amounts of dietary oxidized lipids (arising from deep frying of vegetable oils), we hypothesize that dietary peroxidized lipids may also lead to intestinal inflammation. To test this hypothesis, intestine from C57BL/6J mice were collected and used in this study. The intestinal epithelial tissue as well as intestinal lymphoid tissues [Peyer's Patches …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Core-Shell Zinc Silica Nanoparticles And Zinc Silica Nanogels For Agricultural Applications., Megan Berroth Jan 2015

Synthesis And Characterization Of Core-Shell Zinc Silica Nanoparticles And Zinc Silica Nanogels For Agricultural Applications., Megan Berroth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plant pathogens are a serious problem facing the agricultural industry today. Current methodologies use copper based biocides as the main form of defense. Unfortunately this can lead to damaging environmental effects and increased rates of antimicrobial resistance. In this study, antimicrobial activity of multiple alternative zinc-based nanoformulations were tested against three important plant pathogens: Xanthomonas alfalfae, Pseudomonas syringae, and Clavobacter michiganensis. Xanthomonas sub species cause Citrus canker, a devastating disease that affects millions of citrus trees worldwide while the latter two affect tomato crops. Materials synthesis was completed and the resulting nanoformulations were characterized by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron …


Functional Identification Of Nucleus Tractus Solitarius (Nts) Barosensitive Neurons: Effect Of Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (Cih), Jenya Kolpakova Jan 2015

Functional Identification Of Nucleus Tractus Solitarius (Nts) Barosensitive Neurons: Effect Of Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (Cih), Jenya Kolpakova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) is a model used to study obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Previously, we showed that baroreflex control of heart rate (HR) (baroreflex sensitivity) is reduced in CIH rats. While afferent function and HR in response to vagal efferent stimulation are enhanced, the effect of CIH on the central components, in particular NTS, is still not completely understood. F344 rats (3-4 mo) were exposed either to CIH or room air (RA) for 35-50 days. Following CIH exposure, rats were anaesthetized with Ket/Ace. Using single-unit extracellular recording technique, we recorded NTS barosensitive neurons in response to arterial pressure (AP) …


Differential Expression Of Proteins Involved In Vldl Trafficking Causes Reduced Vldl Secretion In Male Ames Dwarf Mice, Faisal Ahmed Moinuddin Jan 2015

Differential Expression Of Proteins Involved In Vldl Trafficking Causes Reduced Vldl Secretion In Male Ames Dwarf Mice, Faisal Ahmed Moinuddin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been recorded as the number one cause of death worldwide, accounting for 32% of total deaths annually. More than two-thirds of all CVD cases are associated with atherosclerosis, which is the accumulation of fats and other substances causing plaque formation in the interior walls of major arteries. This leads to narrowing of the lumen and hardening of the arteries, ultimately resulting in angina, heart attack and/or stroke. Studies have shown that the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and associated CVDs is strongly linked to elevated secretion of liver-specific lipoproteins called very-low-density-lipoprotein (VLDL). VLDLs are crucial lipoproteins responsible for …