Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

How Unstructured Data From The Data Warehouse Can Be Used With Machine Learning And Visualization To Develop Novel Medical Technologies, Alfred A. Cecchetti

Faculty Research Day

Machine Learning (ML) can accurately classify and accurately predict disease as well as other medical events.

Device Programming, especially smartphone applications, can provide new ways to acquire, transport, store, process, and secure personalized patient data to deliver meaningful results.

Acute Diagnosis Of Wilson’S Disease In A Teenage Patient, Sarah Irvin, Ryan Mccarthy

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Wilson’s Disease, a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease, is caused by a mutation in the ATP7B enzyme gene. Without this enzyme, copper builds up in the brain, liver, and cornea causing a multitude of symptoms. It is important to consider Wilson’s disease because the prognosis is dependent on timely diagnosis. This is an interesting case of a 19-year-old male who presented with suicidal thoughts and rapid weight loss. After many months and an extensive work-up, Wilson’s Disease was diagnosed. Due to his rapid decline, he was transferred to a larger university healthcare center where he is currently enrolled in clinical …

Duodenal Variceal Bleeding With Large Spss Treated With Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt And Embolization: A Case Report, Rohit Anand, Saad Emhmed Ali, Driss Raissi, Wesam M. Frandah

Internal Medicine

Background: Duodenal variceal bleeding is a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. The most common site is the duodenal bulb. It is usually detected endoscopically but it can be very challenging to diagnose if it is located distal to the second part of duodenum. The pre- transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) presence of SPSS was found to be associated with an increased risk of early morbidity and mortality after TIPS placement. Case Summary: A 43-year-old cirrhotic male presented with melena for three days. Upper endoscopy was performed and showed active blood oozing from the distal duodenum concerning for ectopic duodenal varix. …

Transplanted Adult Human Hepatic Stem/Progenitor Cells Prevent Histogenesis Of Advanced Hepatic Fibrosis In Mice Induced By Carbon Tetrachloride, Yanzhen Bi, Xiyu Liu, Chuanping Si, Ye Hong, Yongke Lu, Pengfei Gao, Yonghong Yang, Xiaobei Zhang, Yibo Wang, Huabao Xiong, Zhongping Duan, Yu Chen, Feng Hong

Pharmacology, Physiology and Toxicology

Transplantation of adult human hepatic stem/progenitor cells (hHSPCs) has been considered as an alternative therapy, replacing donor liver transplantation to treat liver cirrhosis. This study assessed the antifibrotic effects of hHSPCs in mice with fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) and examined the actions of hHSPCs on the fibrogenic activity of human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in a coculture system. Isolated hHSPCs expressed stem/progenitor cell phenotypic markers. Mice were given CCl₄ (twice weekly for 7 weeks) and hHSPC transplantation weekly. CCl₄ induced advanced fibrosis (bridging fibrosis and cirrhosis) in mice, which was prevented by hHSPC transplantation. …

Unique Regulation Of Enterocyte Brush Border Membrane Na-Glutamine And Na-Alanine Co-Transport By Peroxynitrite During Chronic Intestinal Inflammation, Subha Arthur, Palanikumar Manoharan, Shanmuga Sundaram, M. M. Rahman, Balasubramanian Palaniappan, Uma Sundaram

Clinical & Translational Sciences

Na-amino acid co-transporters (NaAAcT) are uniquely affected in rabbit intestinal villus cell brush border membrane (BBM) during chronic intestinal inflammation. Specifically, Na-alanine co-transport (ASCT1) is inhibited secondary to a reduction in the affinity of the co-transporter for alanine, whereas Na-glutamine co-transport (B0AT1) is inhibited secondary to a reduction in BBM co-transporter numbers. During chronic intestinal inflammation, there is abundant production of the potent oxidant peroxynitrite (OONO). However, whether OONO mediates the unique alteration in NaAAcT in intestinal epithelial cells during chronic intestinal inflammation is unknown. In this study, ASCT1 and B0AT1 were inhibited by OONO in vitro. The mechanism of …

Measurement Precision And Reliability Of Supraspinatus Tendon Strain Using Speckle Track Analysis Of Ultrasound Images, Gregory Alan Mcclanahan

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Ultrasound speckle tracking is an emergent method in studying musculoskeletal physiology and disease. For a method to be effective and useful, it needs to be precise and reliable. The precision and reliability of supraspinatus tendon strain measurements have not been explored. The purpose of this study was to examine the precision and reliability of speckle tracking to measure supraspinatus tendon strain.

Methods: Forty-two (42) participants participated in this study. Five (5) ultrasound images of the participant’s right shoulder supraspinatus tendon were collected during a maximal voluntary isometric abduction contraction. Cine loop video files of the 5 imaging trials …

Mechanistic Study Of Diatrizoic Acid Induced Proximal Tubule Cytotoxicity, Dakota Blake Ward

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Radiocontrast media (RCM) are necessary for many diagnostic procedures such as arteriography, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and computed tomography. Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is the third most common cause of hospital-associated kidney damage accounting for 10-25% of cases worldwide. The mechanisms of contrast-induced renal impairment are not entirely known, but diminished renal hemodynamics, inflammatory responses, and direct cytotoxicity have been hypothesized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of direct cytotoxicity observed in HK-2 cells following treatment with diatrizoic acid (DA) and to determine the source of this damage. Mitochondrial function, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, oxidative …

Naktide Targeted To Adipocytes Ameliorates Western Diet Induced Obesity, Rebecca D. Pratt

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic and is a major risk factor for metabolic syndrome. It is believed that cellular oxidant stress plays a key role in both the development and maintenance of obesity as well as its associated comorbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We have previously reported that systemic administration of pNaKtide, which targets the Na/K-ATPase oxidant amplification loop was able to decrease oxidative stress and adiposity in mice fed a high fat and fructose supplemented western diet (WD). As adipocytes are believed to play an active role in the development of obesity and …

Regulation Of Na-K-Atpase By Arachidonic Acid Metabolites In Intestinal Epithelial Cells, Niraj Nepa

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The integral membrane protein sodium potassium adenosine triphosphate (Na-K-ATPase), has been extensively studied in various animal cell models. Na-K-ATPase is a multifunctional enzyme which plays a significant role in cellular physiology by regulating electrochemical potential, cell volume, pH, cytosolic calcium, and many nutrient and electrolyte transport processes. As such, it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and has been shown to play a vital role in the malabsorption of nutrients and electrolytes. In this context, a significant amount of research has been done over the last two decades to understand the mechanisms of alteration of …

The Effect Of Moderate Alcohol Consumption On Sodium-Dependent Nutrient Co-Transport In Intestinal Epithelial Cells In Vitro And In Vivo, Molly Rae Butts

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Alcohol consumption leads to a variety of different health consequences including cardiovascular disease, cancer and malnutrition. This malnutrition is in part due to a sub-optimal diet but also due to the malabsorption of nutrients along the small intestine. Many studies have shown that ethanol directly decreases nutrient absorption along the small intestine; however, few studies have investigated the effect of a moderate dose of ethanol on the transmembrane nutrient co-transporters that line the brush border membrane of the small intestine. The primary fuel source for the small intestine, glutamine, as well as for the entire body, glucose, are …

Interplay Between Genetic Predisposition And Diet In Advancing Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes In The Tallyho Mouse, Jacaline Parkman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Obesity is a global epidemic, affecting all ages. It is one of the leading causes of preventable death, as it increases the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension, cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and some cancers. Obesity is a complex disease that is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors such as diets high in fat and sedentary life style. Despite our increased knowledge of obesity development and progression, current obesity treatments have not stopped the rise in obesity rates. There are still many unknowns related to the underlying mechanisms of obesity that need to be …

Role Of Cytochrome P450 2b6 Polymorphisms In Unexpected Methadone Death, Taha Ahmad

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Methadone is a synthetic, long-acting opioid prescribed as an analgesic for chronic pain. It has a single chiral center forming two enantiomers, (R)-methadone and (S)-methadone, each having specific pharmacological actions. Concentrations of (R)- and (S)-methadone above therapeutic levels have the ability to cause serious, life-threatening, and fatal side effects. Cardiotoxicity is caused by elevated (S)-methadone levels by prolonging the QT interval of the heart’s electrical cycle. In 2014, methadone accounted for only 1% of all opioids prescribed for pain, but was responsible for 3,400 of the 14,838 individuals (~23%) who died in the United States from overdoses due to prescription …

Potential Applications Of Capsaicinoids In Small Cell Lung Cancer Therapy, Jamie Rae Friedman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer related mortality worldwide. Lung cancer is not a single disease but an umbrella that encompasses two major classifications, nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). SCLC represents about 15- 20% of all lung cancer cases and is almost exclusively diagnosed in smokers. Typically, patients will respond very well to first line treatment, but face inevitable relapse. The fact that SCLC still carries a grim 5-year survival rate of less than 5% highlights the lack of advancement in treatment options to effectively improve patient response and survival. …

Endogenous Antioxidant Overexpression As An Adjuvant To Diet Or Exercise Intervention As Therapy To Counteract Obesity And Beneficially Shift The Gut Microbiome, Deborah Lynn Amos

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Oxidative stress plays a key role in metabolic syndrome which includes obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. It is implicated that oxygen-derived free radicals generated during the mitochondrial electron transport chain alter the function of specific biological components, thus activating obesogenic pathways such as glucose and lipid signaling. Research on this topic is of vital importance as obesity is a high-risk factor in the development and progression of severe, debilitating, life-threatening maladies such as cardiometabolic diseases, chronic inflammatory pathologies, and cancer. Furthermore, there is no universal effective therapy to combat the rising rates of obesity with over 1.9 billion (39%) adults classified …

Understanding Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Alginate Regulation And Its Link To Chronic Lung Infections In Cystic Fibrosis Patients, Roy Al Ahmar

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR). This disorder results in thick lung secretions which compromise the patient’s immune system. Chronic lung infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms is a major factor that contributes to poor outcome for clinical treatment. The overall hypothesis of this dissertation is that small colony variant and pyrimidine biosynthesis are linked with biofilm formation, alginate production is dependent on MucA proteolysis, rifaximin can be repurposed to treat biofilm infection and multiplex PCR can be used to rapidly measure the bacterial cell density in …