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Senior Honors Theses

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Articles 1 - 7 of 7

Full-Text Articles in Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Pathophysiology And The Effects Of The Microbiome, Anjali Jacob May 2024

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Pathophysiology And The Effects Of The Microbiome, Anjali Jacob

Senior Honors Theses

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic neonatal lung disease that occurs in over 50% of premature infants. BPD is characterized by damage to the alveoli and bronchioles and improper vasculature formation. It is primarily caused by overexposure to oxygen through mechanical ventilation, but there are other risk factors that make infants more susceptible to BPD. Microbial composition impacts risk for developing BPD, and research is ongoing about the effects of the microbiome on BPD pathogenesis; this information is also valuable for preventative treatment. This paper reviews the normal function of the lungs, pathogenesis of BPD and how it affects normal …


The Molecular Basis Of Maple Syrup Urine Disease, Chloe Jensen May 2024

The Molecular Basis Of Maple Syrup Urine Disease, Chloe Jensen

Senior Honors Theses

Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is a rare metabolic disorder that is caused by mutations in the branched chain alpha keto acid dehydrogenase enzyme complex (BCKDC). There are three main genes, the BCKDHA, BCKDHB, and DBT, that affect the BCKDC, all contributing to the onset of the disease. MSUD causes encephalopathy, neural deficits, maple syrup scented urine, coma, and even death if not treated due to the aggregation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). There is currently no known cure for patients with MSUD, but the condition can be managed to improve quality of life. This review serves to examine MSUD …


The Theory Of Maternal Administration Of Meclizine: An Achondroplasic Review And The Proposed Treatment Of Foramen Magnum Stenosis Within A Murine Model, Ava Perez Erickson May 2021

The Theory Of Maternal Administration Of Meclizine: An Achondroplasic Review And The Proposed Treatment Of Foramen Magnum Stenosis Within A Murine Model, Ava Perez Erickson

Senior Honors Theses

Arising from mostly de novo mutations, achondroplasia (ACH) is one of the most common, non-lethal forms of chondrodysplasia. The short stature indicative of ACH stems from a gain of function mutation within the complex FGFR3 signaling pathway—mutations mitigating the too-rapid ossification of cartilage to bone. Meclizine, an FDA-approved drug long prescribed for motion sickness, halts such a conversion and allows the reconstitution of chondrodysplasia cell lines in attempts at following a normal growth pattern. Evinced by various cell line rescues as well as increased long bone growth, it can be hypothesized that maternally administered meclizine can rescue the ACH phenotype …


Galactose-1-Phosphate Uridyl Transferase (Galt) And Galactosemia A Review Of Galt Function And Current Theories On Galactosemia Pathogenesis, Lydia R. Rehrer Apr 2014

Galactose-1-Phosphate Uridyl Transferase (Galt) And Galactosemia A Review Of Galt Function And Current Theories On Galactosemia Pathogenesis, Lydia R. Rehrer

Senior Honors Theses

All living organisms depend on the metabolism of carbohydrates for energy and the biosynthesis of necessary glycoconjugates. One of these carbohydrates is the monosaccharide galactose. Galactose is metabolized by humans through the Leloir pathway of galactose metabolism, which contains three enzymes to modify galactose so that it can be incorporated into glycolysis for the production of cellular energy. The middle enzyme of this pathway, galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase, produces uridine diphosphogalactose (UDP-gal) from galactose-1-phosphate (gal-1P), and a deficiency of this enzyme results in the human disease galactosemia. Galactosemia is diagnosed soon after an infant begins feeding, and although a galactose-restricted diet eliminates …


Analysis Of The Effects And Current Treatments Of Laminin Deficiency, Joshua Mark Reynolds Apr 2012

Analysis Of The Effects And Current Treatments Of Laminin Deficiency, Joshua Mark Reynolds

Senior Honors Theses

Laminin (LM) is a network of proteins that functions as a connective framework of most cells in the body. It is composed of multiple different subunits and therefore has many different variations. It is a trimeric protein, meaning that it is composed primarily of ⍺, β, and γ chains. The differentiation of these subunits is what gives the different variants their functions. In addition, although LM is the primary molecule in scope, the network of other connective proteins involved in LM-associated diseases will also be covered in lesser detail because molecules like dystrophin, dystroglycan, collagen, and integrin are vital to …


A Social Controversy: Autism Spectrum Disorder's Correlation To The Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination, Lindsay A. Frye Apr 2012

A Social Controversy: Autism Spectrum Disorder's Correlation To The Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination, Lindsay A. Frye

Senior Honors Theses

A 1998 research study lead by Dr. Andrew Wakefield linked the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination as a probable cause to autism spectrum disorder. This publication has started a significant debate among healthcare professionals and instigated an anti-vaccination movement within the general population. This vaccination controversy was started by parents who readily accepted Wakefield’s findings as truth and frequently would choose to withdrawal the administration of vaccinations from their children’s care plans. There has also been disapproval by healthcare professionals over Wakefield’s study since numerous research teams have been unable to replicate his findings. This disagreement surrounding the MMR vaccination is likely …


Prevention Of Mother-To-Child Transmission (Pmtct) Of Hiv In The Sub-Saharan Africa Region With A Focus On Uganda, Emily K. Franks Apr 2009

Prevention Of Mother-To-Child Transmission (Pmtct) Of Hiv In The Sub-Saharan Africa Region With A Focus On Uganda, Emily K. Franks

Senior Honors Theses

With the rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the past thirty years, people of all ages, infants to elderly alike, all over the world, suffer from its adverse effects. Even an unborn baby in-utero can contract this virulent infection by means of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) (Sweeney, 2005). Infants and children diseased in this way comprise 90% of the estimated 800,000 new cases of HIV in children seen each year, but the region hit hardest, however, is Sub-Saharan Africa, with the country of Uganda historically having the highest incident rate for a time (Stringer, E.M., et al. 2008). Therefore, the purpose …