Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Effects Of N,N-Dimethylbiguanide And Ω-3 Pufas On Muscle Stem Cell Differentiation, Enayah Alhshim

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The impacts of omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acid and metformin hydrochloride (Met-HCl) on muscle stem cells differentiation, mimicking the fetal muscle development under gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), were investigated. ω-3 fatty acids have been known for their ability to regulate adipogenic transcription factors such as Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Protien (SREBPs) and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPARs). This regulation resulted in gene expression modification for lipid metabolism and adipocyte differentiation, thus preventing excessive fat accumulation. Additionally, emerging evidence suggested that ω-3 fatty acids may also exert direct effects on myogenic processes that influence muscle stem cells proliferation, differentiation, and maturation. Meanwhile, Met-HCl, an …

Sarcopenia And The Importance Of Resistance Training And Protein-Rich Diets For Prevention Of Muscle Loss In Older Adults: A Literature Review And Informational Pamphlet, Madison Steele

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The growing prevalence of sarcopenia among older adults as well as youths has prompted further research aimed at developing effective preventative measures and treatment plans. Sarcopenia is often thought to occur solely due to aging, but several other factors contribute to progressive muscle loss. Previous research studies have found an effect of physical activity and dietary protein levels on the risk of developing sarcopenia as well as its onset age. This study aims to review existing knowledge in the field to compile an extensive list of sarcopenia causes and methods of prevention. The main causes identified in this review are …

Development And Usage Of Analytic Tools And Recommendations For Validation And Reliability Studies Using Consumer-Grade Wearable Technology, Bryson Carrier

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Wearable technology is increasingly utilized across various fields, yet the validity and reliability of the physiological data these devices provide are often unverified due to a lack of rigorous testing standards.

Purpose: This dissertation contains three primary works, and therefore multiple purposes. The purpose of the first project (Chapter 2) is to introduce a new risk of bias assessment tool, specifically for assessing methodological quality and the risk of bias in validity and reliability studies using wearable technology, with a focus on consumer-grade wearable technology. The purpose of the second project (Chapter 3) was to perform a systematic review …

Modeling Acute Myocardial Infarction And Cardiac Fibrosis Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Multi-Cellular Heart Organoids, Myeongjin Song, Da Bin Choi, Jeong Suk Im, Ye Na Song, Ji Hyun Kim, Hanbyeol Lee, Jieun An, Ami Kim, Hwan Choi, Joon-Chul Kim, Choongseong Han, Young Keul Jeon, Sung Joon Kim, Dong-Hun Woo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Heart disease involves irreversible myocardial injury that leads to high morbidity and mortality rates. Numerous cell-based cardiac in vitro models have been proposed as complementary approaches to non-clinical animal research. However, most of these approaches struggle to accurately replicate adult human heart conditions, such as myocardial infarction and ventricular remodeling pathology. The intricate interplay between various cell types within the adult heart, including cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, contributes to the complexity of most heart diseases. Consequently, the mechanisms behind heart disease induction cannot be attributed to a single-cell type. Thus, the use of multi-cellular models becomes essential for creating …

Igwas: Image-Based Genome-Wide Association Of Self-Supervised Deep Phenotyping Of Retina Fundus Images, Ziqian Xie, Tao Zhang, Sangbae Kim, Jiaxiong Lu, Wanheng Zhang, Cheng-Hui Lin, Man-Ru Wu, Alexander Davis, Roomasa Channa, Luca Giancardo, Han Chen, Sui Wang, Rui Chen, Degui Zhi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Existing imaging genetics studies have been mostly limited in scope by using imaging-derived phenotypes defined by human experts. Here, leveraging new breakthroughs in self-supervised deep representation learning, we propose a new approach, image-based genome-wide association study (iGWAS), for identifying genetic factors associated with phenotypes discovered from medical images using contrastive learning. Using retinal fundus photos, our model extracts a 128-dimensional vector representing features of the retina as phenotypes. After training the model on 40,000 images from the EyePACS dataset, we generated phenotypes from 130,329 images of 65,629 British White participants in the UK Biobank. We conducted GWAS on these phenotypes …

The Effects Of Virtual Group Study On Class Views And Performance, W. Matt Denning, Robert S. Thiebaud, Lindy M. Rossow

Educational Practices in Kinesiology

Peer-to-peer teaching improves academic performance. During the worldwide pandemic, peer-to-peer teaching was unavailable, and feelings of isolation and loneliness increased. This study investigated the impact of virtual peer-to-peer group study on student performance and class views in a virtual, undergraduate exercise physiology course. Sixty-nine college-aged adults were randomly assigned to study with a virtual group or individually for two instructional units. Students switched groups after the first unit. For virtual group study, students met virtually for at least one hour outside of class to study course content. Those assigned to the individual study did not study virtually with classmates. Unit …

A Revamped Rat Reference Genome Improves The Discovery Of Genetic Diversity In Laboratory Rats, Tristan V De Jong, Yanchao Pan, Pasi Rastas, Daniel Munro, Monika Tutaj, Huda Akil, Chris Benner, Denghui Chen, Apurva S Chitre, William Chow, Vincenza Colonna, Clifton L Dalgard, Wendy M Demos, Peter A Doris, Erik Garrison, Aron M Geurts, Hakan M Gunturkun, Victor Guryev, Thibaut Hourlier, Kerstin Howe, Jun Huang, Ted Kalbfleisch, Panjun Kim, Ling Li, Spencer Mahaffey, Fergal J Martin, Pejman Mohammadi, Ayse Bilge Ozel, Oksana Polesskaya, Michal Pravenec, Pjotr Prins, Jonathan Sebat, Jennifer R Smith, Leah C Solberg Woods, Boris Tabakoff, Alan Tracey, Marcela Uliano-Silva, Flavia Villani, Hongyang Wang, Burt M Sharp, Francesca Telese, Zhihua Jiang, Laura Saba, Xusheng Wang, Terence D Murphy, Abraham A Palmer, Anne E Kwitek, Melinda R Dwinell, Robert W Williams, Jun Z Li, Hao Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The seventh iteration of the reference genome assembly for Rattus norvegicus-mRatBN7.2-corrects numerous misplaced segments and reduces base-level errors by approximately 9-fold and increases contiguity by 290-fold compared with its predecessor. Gene annotations are now more complete, improving the mapping precision of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomics datasets. We jointly analyzed 163 short-read whole-genome sequencing datasets representing 120 laboratory rat strains and substrains using mRatBN7.2. We defined ∼20.0 million sequence variations, of which 18,700 are predicted to potentially impact the function of 6,677 genes. We also generated a new rat genetic map from 1,893 heterogeneous stock rats and annotated transcription start sites …

The Impact Of The Gut-Brain Axis On Alzheimer’S Disease, Elissa Wakim

Best Integrated Writing

Elissa’s review for the Graduate Biomedical Review focuses on the links between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain; the gut-brain axis and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. As a student in the Microbiology and Immunology Masters Program Elissa was particularly interested in the gut microbiota and their connection to neurodegenerative disease. She tidily reviewed the literature and wrote a fascinating and compelling piece of work.

Digital Twins For Health: A Scoping Review, Evangelia Katsoulakis, Qi Wang, Huanmei Wu, Leili Shahriyari, Richard Fletcher, Jinwei Liu, Luke Achenie, Hongfang Liu, Pamela Jackson, Ying Xiao, Tanveer Syeda-Mahmood, Richard Tuli, Jun Deng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The use of digital twins (DTs) has proliferated across various fields and industries, with a recent surge in the healthcare sector. The concept of digital twin for health (DT4H) holds great promise to revolutionize the entire healthcare system, including management and delivery, disease treatment and prevention, and health well-being maintenance, ultimately improving human life. The rapid growth of big data and continuous advancement in data science (DS) and artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to significantly expedite DT research and development by providing scientific expertise, essential data, and robust cybertechnology infrastructure. Although various DT initiatives have been underway in the …

Establishing The Validity And Reliability Of The Astroskin® Biometric Shirt, Alex Macquarrie, Jasmin Sidhu, Chloe Deetlefs, Steve Whitfield, Matt Stainer

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 5: Issue 1, Article 4, 2024. Biometric garments such as the Astroskin® biometric shirt (Carre Technologies, Montreal, PQ) may be useful for non-invasively monitoring human physiology in a number of applied settings. The Astroskin® biometric shirt measures and records continuous heart rate (HR), blood oxygenation (SPO2), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and respiratory rate (RR). The aim of this study was to establish the reliability and validity of the Astroskin® biometric shirt. This was achieved through comparing the Astroskin® with a commercially available hospital-grade cardiac monitor, the corpuls3® (Stemple GmbH, Kaufering, Germany) for the …

The Effects Of Diesel Exhaust Particle Exposure On Adipos Mitochondrial Bioenergetics And Inflammation, Cali Elizabeth Warren

Theses and Dissertations

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) constitutes a significant component of ambient air pollution that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Among PM2.5 constituents, diesel exhaust particles (DEP) are prevalent particulates that infiltrate the bloodstream to drive systemic pathologies. The purpose of this study was to characterize the metabolic response of adipose tissue to DEP. We aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding by exploring mitochondrial bioenergetics, characterizing the inflammatory marker profile, including adipokines, and conducting a detailed histological analysis of adipocytes to provide valuable insights to the evolving understanding of the intricate …

Ethanol Leaf Extracts Of Anogeissus Leiocarpus In Antioxidants And Hepatotoxic Effects Of Escherichia Coli Infected Swiss Mice, Fred Coolborn Akharaiyi, Chioma Bertha Ehis-Eriakha, Peter Taiwo Olagbemide, Stephen Eromosele Akemu

BioMedicine

Introduction: Diseases caused by bacteria can be managed with medicinal plants with rightful dosage that will not affect body physiology and organs.

Aim: This research aimed to evaluate the antioxidants and the effects of Anogeisus leiocarpus on liver function.

Materials and Methods: Ethanol leaf extracts were processed for antioxidants and hepatotoxic effects using animal models. Group one (negative control) was given access to water and regular feed, group two (positive control) was dosed with 107 CFU/ml of Escherichia coli O157:H7, and groups 3-6 were dosed with 107 E. coli O157:H7 for 3 days and treated with extract concentrations of 12, …

Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention Of Women In Stem, Kira Carter, Jane Kelley, Jason Vasser-Elong, Rc Patterson

Dissertations

Our co-authored research ‘Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention for Women as STEM Majors’ analyzed factors that contributed to the retention of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs at Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T). Women make up half of the US population, and while careers in (STEM) are an integral part of the US economy, women are underrepresented in these career fields. The purpose of our dissertation is to address the underrepresentation of women in STEM majors. Our methodology included homogeneous sampling to collect qualitative data. More specifically, we consulted with academic advisors and …

Enhancing Workplace Neuro Health And Productivity: The Synergy Of Wearable Technology With Biophilic And Oxygenation Strategies, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

In the contemporary workplace, where a staggering 62% of employees reported experiencing burnout in 2023 according to a Medium article, the integration of wearable technology with biophilic and oxygenation strategies emerges as a vital Neurohemal initiative. This approach is particularly relevant for supporting neurodivergent individuals, as well as those recovering from stroke and long-COVID, in the context of return-to-office mandates. The article underscores the significance of research on increased hydrostatic pressure in circulation, particularly its impact on spinal and spinal cord blood flow during water immersion. This insight lays the groundwork for innovations like non-wet water massage devices, which could …

Metabolism, Fibrosis, And Apoptosis: The Effect Of Lipids And Their Derivatives On Keloid Formation, Chen-Yu Li, Ru-Xin Xie, Shi-Wei Zhang, Jiao Yun, Ai Zhong, Ying Cen, Jun-Jie Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Keloids, pathological scars resulting from skin trauma, have traditionally posed significant clinical management challenges due to their persistence and high recurrence rates. Our research elucidates the pivotal roles of lipids and their derivatives in keloid development, driven by underlying mechanisms of abnormal cell proliferation, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix deposition. Key findings suggest that abnormalities in arachidonic acid (AA) synthesis and non-essential fatty acid synthesis are integral to keloid formation. Further, a complex interplay exists between lipid derivatives, notably butyric acid (BA), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), and the regulation of hyperfibrosis. Additionally, combinations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with BA …

Enhancing Proprioception And Regulating Cognitive Load In Neurodiverse Populations Through Biometric Monitoring With Wearable Technologies, James Hutson, Piper Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This paper considers the realm of wearable technologies and their prospective applications for individuals with neurodivergent conditions, specifically Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). The study undertakes a multifaceted analysis that encompasses biomarker sensing technologies, AI-driven biofeedback mechanisms, and haptic devices, focusing on their implications for enhancing proprioception and social interaction among neurodivergent populations. While wearables offer a range of opportunities for societal advancement, a discernable gap remains: a scarcity of consumer-oriented applications tailored to the unique physiological and psychological needs of these individuals. Key takeaways underscore the emergent promise of tailored auditory stimuli in workplace dynamics and the efficacy of haptic …

Development Of A Novel Bioink For Human Vascularized Organoids, Bradley Allen Bromet

Masters Theses

"There is a need for a model to better mimic human physiology in the clinic, so the objective was to develop a novel bioink for a 3D tissue model to study human disease and development in a dynamic 3D environment. The results from each corresponding study helped in developing a novel bioink for use in a bio printed human vascularized organoid. The bioink composed of alginate with other natural hydrogels to function as extracellular matrix and with the addition of borophosphate bioactive glasses (BPBGs) to replace growth factors, can be used with multiple cell types to bio print the proposed …

Effect Of Dietary Flavonoids On Growth In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Vivian Rivera

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Plant foods contain a diversity of biologically active compounds called phytochemicals, produced by plant species as secondary metabolites. A phytochemical group known as flavonoids has received much scientific attention in recent times with respect to their antioxidative and anti-inflammatory roles. This investigation examined how quercetin and naringenin, the most common dietary flavonoids, affect growth potential of yeast under optimal and stress conditions (temperature, glucose, and oxidative stress). Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model, a dose dependency effect of quercetin and naringenin was observed under optimal conditions when liquid cultures were treated with three different concentrations (75 μM, 150 μM, and …

The Auricular Surface Of Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes) As An Indicator Of Age, Kalila Garrison

All Master's Theses

Great ape skeletal remains are scarce and their use in biological profile estimations has been limited. Skeletal remains analysis provides key demographic information and ecological context to the individual. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) share skeletal morphological characteristics with humans, and this study seeks to understand if two noninvasive methods using the auricular surface of the ilium to age human skeletal remains could be applied to chimpanzees. The sample consisted of n = 8 individual left auricular surfaces from known age groups of both sexes. Firstly, the Buckberry and Chamberlain Method assigns numerical values to five different traits on the auricular …

Calcium Permeability Of Rat Trpv1 In A Close State When Expressed In Xenopus Laevis Oocytes, Zinnia Adhikary

Theses and Dissertations

Transient Receptor Potential V1 (TRPV1) is a nonselective cation channel, which is expressed in nociceptors/ pain detecting receptors. Activated by a wide variety of exogenous and endogenous physical and chemical stimuli such as heat, TRPV1 is involved in temperature detection, body temperature regulation, and pain perception. It is generally accepted that TRPV1's conductance to cations, including Ca2+, depends on its conformational change from a closed to an open state following gating. In the current study, I observed that the plasma membrane of Xenopus laevis oocytes, upon exogenous expression of rat TRPV1, exhibited weak permeability to Ca2+, as evidenced by the …

Searching For Novel Mutations That Regulates The Mouse Polycystin-2 (Trpp2) Ion Channel, Akhilraj Rajan Pillai

Theses and Dissertations

Polycystin-2 (PC2) is an ion channel belonging to the polycystin subfamily of the transient receptor potential (TRP) cation channel superfamily. Mutations in PC2 are associated with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), one of the most common genetic diseases in humans. Despite extensive studies over the past decades, the role of PC2 in normal and ADPKD kidneys remains largely unknown, and the activation and regulation of this ion channel are elusive. To gain a better understanding of the structure and function of the mouse PC2 channel, this study focused on generating five pore mutations in a gain-of-function (GOF) mutant of …

Emerging Chromatin Regulators In Response To Heavy Metal Exposure, Wesley Saintilnord

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Environmental exposure to heavy metals poses significant threats to human health as they are associated with various developmental and chronic pathologies such as reproductive defects and cancers. Despite their profound risks, a comprehensive understanding of their disease-causing mechanisms is lacking. Most studies point to reactive oxygen species-induced DNA damage; however, their mutagenic potential is relatively weak suggesting the involvement of alternative mechanisms. One important, yet underexplored mechanism, is their ability to rewire the epigenome via DNA methylation and histone variant incorporation, leading to aberrant gene regulatory networks.

This study investigates the epigenetic mechanisms targeted by two ubiquitous heavy metals with …

Dysbiosis In Parkinson's Disease: A Meta-Analysis Of Gut Microbiota And Its Role In Gastrointestinal Dysfunction And Disease Progression, Ayan M. Siddiqui Mr.

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and nonmotor symptoms, including gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction. Symptoms such as constipation, bloating, and nausea often show early signs before the onset of motor symptoms. Recent research has suggested an essential role of the human gut microbiome and gut dysbiosis, an imbalance in gut microbiota composition, in the pathogenesis of PD. This thesis aims to assess the potential relationship between gut dysbiosis and PD by conducting a meta-analysis, focusing on differences in gut microbiota between PD patients and healthy controls and evaluating their implications for GI dysfunction and PD progression. The …

Advancing Kidney Xenotransplantation With Anesthesia And Surgery – Bridging Preclinical And Clinical Frontiers Challenges And Prospects, Xiaojian Zhang, Hailian Wang, Qin Xie, Yang Zhang, Yixin Yang, Man Yuan, Yuqi Cui, Si-Yuan Song, Jianzhen Lv, Yi Wang

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Xenotransplantation is emerging as a vital solution to the critical shortage of organs available for transplantation, significantly propelled by advancements in genetic engineering and the development of sophisticated immunosuppressive treatments. Specifically, the transplantation of kidneys from genetically engineered pigs into human patients has made significant progress, offering a potential clinical solution to the shortage of human kidney supply. Recent trials involving the transplantation of these modified porcine kidneys into deceased human bodies have underscored the practicality of this approach, advancing the field towards potential clinical applications. However, numerous challenges remain, especially in the domains of identifying suitable donor-recipient matches and …

Exploring Serotonin 1b Autoreceptor Mediated Regulation Of Serotonin Transporter In Female Mice, Sanyukta Jalihalkar

Theses and Dissertations

Rationale: Serotonin (5-HT) is a crucial neurotransmitter involved in regulating various physiological processes. Dysregulation of the serotonergic system has been implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Though numerous 5-HT receptors exist, the 5-HT transporter (SERT) is responsible for 5-HT clearance in the brain and periphery. 5-HT_1Bautoreceptors regulate 5-HT release and interact with glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), which can modulate SERT function via specific Ser44/48 phosphorylation sites. While these findings suggest a potential interplay between 5-HT_1Band GSK3β-mediated SERT phosphorylation in regulating extracellular 5-HT, the primary causal molecular link remains unknown.

Objectives: To investigate if 5-HT_1B activation by …

Configuring Thermal Ablation Volumes For Treatment Of Distinct Tumor Shapes: A Repeatability Study Using A Robotic Approach, Milica Bulatović, Jan Hermann, Pascale Tinguely, Iwan Paolucci, Stefan Weber

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: In the current clinical practice of thermal ablation treatment for liver tumors, achieving consistent and effective clinical outcomes across tumors of varying shapes, sizes and locations remains challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the repeatability of a novel robotic approach for configurable ablation of distinct tumor shapes and compare it to the standard ablation technique for creating ellipsoidal ablation volumes.

Materials and methods: The repeatability was evaluated in terms of width variability in created ablation volumes. Using a robotic navigation platform, custom ablation profiles configured with power, time, and distance parameters were designed to create four …

Postmortem-Derived Ipsc Models In Substance Use Disorders Research, Emily Frances Mendez, Consuelo Walss-Bass

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Tigra Scientifica, Full Issue

Tigra scientifica

Tigra scientifica, showcasing the outstanding work by Clemson University students in the Creative Inquiry course Popular Science Journalism. Science and technology shape our world in profound ways — from the rise of space tourism to the rapid development of new medical treatments. In a democracy, communicating science is essential for informed debate and decision-making, a responsibility these students have embraced with energy and skill. The magazine began in Spring 2011 under Holly Tuten, Ph.D., who founded the CI course to pass along her passion for science writing. Since then, more than 200 students from 14 majors across five colleges have …

Meta-Analysis Of The Vmp-Like Sequences Of Lyme Disease Borrelia: Evidence For The Evolution Of An Elaborate Antigenic Variation System, Steven J Norris, Kalvis Brangulis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

VMP-like sequence (vls) antigenic variation systems are present in every Lyme disease Borrelia strain with complete genome sequences. The linear plasmid-encoded vls system consists of a single expression site (vlsE) and contiguous array(s) of silent cassettes that have ~90% identity with the central cassette region of the cognate vlsE gene; antigenic variation occurs through random, segmental, and unidirectional recombination of vls silent cassette sequences into the vlsE expression site. Automated annotation programs do not accurately recognize vls silent cassette sequences, so these regions are not correctly annotated in most genomic sequences. In this study, the vls …

New Treatment Modality For Metastatic Cancer By Targeting The Endothelin Type A Receptor (Etar), Elbara Fathelrahman Abdelmoula

Theses

Ambrisentan, an FDA-approved selective antagonist of the Endothelin Type A Receptor (ETAR) for pulmonary arterial hypertension, has shown potential in limiting cancer growth and metastasis. While effective treatment options for melanoma remain elusive, this study investigates the effects of Ambrisentan on invasive, metastatic B16F10 melanoma using a syngeneic mouse model, aiming to assess Ambrisentan’s impact on tumor growth, metastasis, and overall host survival in B16F10 melanoma, along with gaining mechanistic insights into ETAR antagonism. C57Bl/6 mice were divided into two groups, receiving either dH2O or Ambrisentan orally. Treatments commenced prior to tumor implantation and continued post-implantation. Luciferase-expressing B16F10 cells facilitated …