Digital Commons Network^™

Food Allergies, The Immune Response, And Preventative Treatments: Milk, Egg, And Shellfish Allergies, Marissa Dimatteo

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Food allergies have been an increasing concern worldwide with very little information on preventative measures and treatment. They can have long lasting and life-threatening consequences with a wide range of symptoms from hives to anaphylactic shock. Long recommended feeding guidelines, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and gastrointestinal alterations are thought to play a role in the increase in food allergies in infants. Early introduction of food, immunotherapy, and a properly supported gut microbiome have been recommended to decrease the likelihood of developing a food allergy and desensitizing the immune system.

Adgrl1 Is A Glucose Receptor Involved In Mediating Energy And Glucose Homeostasis, Kavaljit H Chhabra, Siresha Bathina, Tumininu S Faniyan, Dennis J Samuel, Muhammad Ummear Raza, Leticia Maria De Souza Cordeiro, Gonzalo Viana Di Prisco, Brady K Atwood, Jorge Robles, Lauren Bainbridge, Autumn Davis

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The brain is a major consumer of glucose as an energy source and regulates systemic glucose as well as energy balance. Although glucose transporters such as GLUT2 and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) are known to regulate glucose homeostasis and metabolism, the identity of a receptor that binds glucose to activate glucose signalling pathways in the brain is unknown. In this study, we aimed to discover a glucose receptor in the mouse hypothalamus.

METHODS: Here we used a high molecular mass glucose-biotin polymer to enrich glucose-bound mouse hypothalamic neurons through cell-based affinity chromatography. We then subjected the enriched neurons to …

Xuebijing Improves Intestinal Microcirculation Dysfunction In Septic Rats By Regulating The Vegf-A/Pi3k/Akt Signaling Pathway, A-Ling Tang, Yan Li, Li-Chao Sun, Xiao-Yu Liu, Nan Gao, Sheng-Tao Yan, Guo-Qiang Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore whether Xuebijing (XBJ) can improve intestinal microcirculation dysfunction in sepsis and its mechanism.

METHODS: A rat model of sepsis was established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). A total of 30 male SD rats were divided into four groups: sham group, CLP group, XBJ + axitinib group, and XBJ group. XBJ was intraperitoneally injected 2 h before CLP. Hemodynamic data (blood pressure and heart rate) were recorded. The intestinal microcirculation data of the rats were analyzed via microcirculation imaging. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to detect the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), …

A Novel Non-Rodent Animal Model Of Hydrochloric Acid-Induced Acute And Chronic Lung Injury, Pavel A. Solopov, Ruben Manuel Luciano Biancatelli, Tierney Day, Christiana Dimitropoulou, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Hydrochloric acid is one of the most prevalent and hazardous chemicals. Accidental spills occur in industrial plants or during transportation. Exposure to HCl can induce severe health impairment, including acute and chronic pulmonary diseases. We have previously described the molecular, structural, and functional aspects of the development of chronic lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis caused by intratracheal instillation of HCl in mice. Although mouse models of human disease have many advantages, rodents are evolutionary far from human and exhibit significant anatomical and physiological differences. Genetic and anatomic similarities between rabbits and humans are significantly higher. Rabbit models of HCl-induced lung …

Extending The Gift—Utilizing Residual Human Anatomical Materials For Training Pathologists' Assistants In Surgical Pathology Techniques, Kerwin M. Kolheffer, Lauren Yoho, Matthew Myers, Ismail El Moudden

Department of Pathology & Anatomy Faculty Publications

This study investigates the effectiveness of using residual human anatomical materials, obtained from a gross anatomy course, for training Pathologists' Assistant (PathA) students in surgical pathology techniques. We utilized two surveys to assess the perceived efficacy of this approach: one survey targeted PathA students to evaluate their training experiences with both human and animal tissues, while the other assessed the impact of specimen collection on the educational experiences of gross anatomy course students.

Investigating The Biomarker Potential And Molecular Targets Of Tigd1 In Lung Cancer Using Bioinformatics, Merve Gulsen Bal Albayrak, Tuğcan Korak, Murat Kasap, Gurler Akpinar

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aimLung cancer, a predominant contributor to cancer mortality, is characterized by diverse etiological factors, including tobacco smoking and genetic susceptibilities. Despite advancements, particularly in non-small cell carcinoma (NSCC), therapeutic options for squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) are limited. Transposable elements (TE) and their regulatory proteins, such as Transposable element derived (TIGD) family proteins, have been implicated in cancer development. TIGD1, upregulated in various cancers, including LUSC, lacks a defined function. This study aimed to elucidate the biological functions, associated pathways, and interacting proteins of TIGD1.Materials and methodsThe GSE229260 microarray dataset were investigated using GEO2R tool to identify the differentially expressed genes …

Evaluation Of Eye And Serum Findings In Different Waters In Rabbits By Drowning And Submersion Modeling, Aziz Yilmaz, Erdem Hösükler, Abdulgani Kaymaz, Ahmet Yücel Üçgül, Zehra Zerrin Erkol

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

This study investigated serum, vitreous, and anterior chamber fluid electrolyte changes, corneal thickness (CT),corneal volume (CV), anterior chamber volume (ACV), and anterior chamber depth (ACD) as an auxiliary diagnostic method in theidentification of drowning in fresh or salt water.Materials and methods: The study used 35 healthy, adult, male, white New Zealand rabbits, seperated into five groups (control, saltwaterdrowning (SWD), saltwater immersion (SWI), freshwater drowning (FWD), freshwater immersion (FWI)). CT, CV, ACV, and ACDmeasurements were made with Pentacam topography at 0, 2, and 4 h in all groups. Magnesium (mg), sodium (Na), and chlorine (Cl)were measured in the blood at 0 …

Evaluation Of The Aquaporin Molecules Characterization In The Sperm Cells Of Men From Different Aged, Fikret Gevrek, Osman Serden Gencel, Selim Görgün, Mikail Kara, Muzaffer Katar

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Male infertility rises for many reasons, along with age; therefore, we aimed to research the characterization of aquaporin-3, 7, and 8 in human sperm belonging to different age groups. Material and methods: This study was conducted on sperm samples of men aged over 18 years. A total of 60 men were included in the study and divided into three age groups: group 1, age 18–25 years (n = 20); group 2, age 26–35 years (n = 20); and group 3, age ≥35 years (n = 20). Sperm ejaculates obtained from each participant were used for spermiogram tests, Kruger strict morphology …

Risk Factors Of Congenital Nomalies Of The Kidney And Urinary Tract (Cakut): Exposureto Mobile Phones During Pregnancy, Kübra Çeleğen, Esra Özgül, Zeynep Yeşi̇ldağ, Erdem Yusuf Çamirci, Mehmet Çeleğen, Ayşegül Bükülmez

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract(CAKUT) are the leading causes of childhood chronic kidney disease (CKD). The etiology of most of the cases is thought to be multifactorial. In this study, risk factors for CAKUT and the effect of mobile phone-related electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure during pregnancy were investigated.Materials and methods: Fifty-seven cases and 57 healthy controls under 2 years of age were included and their mothers were subjected to a questionnaire. Groups were compared for parents’ demographics, pregestational (chronic disease, body mass index, use of the folic acid supplements) and antenatal variables (gestational disease, weight gain during …

Intravenous Contrast Extravasations Of Ct Contrast Media Prevention Bundle, Shakerra T. Brown

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Contrast extravasations pose significant risks during intravenous contrast media imaging procedures, with potential adverse outcomes ranging from minor skin irritation to severe tissue necrosis. Despite technological advancements and procedural safeguards, contrast extravasations remain a concern in healthcare settings. A comprehensive needs assessment at our institution revealed a notable incidence of contrast extravasations, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to mitigate risk and enhance patient safety. This project aims to explore the complexities of contrast extravasations, examining contributing factors, associated complications, and current prevention and management strategies to inform evidence-based practices and improve patient outcomes. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) …

Chronic Kidney Disease Nutritional Management: Developing A Guideline, Benjamin L. Wallace

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

The global prevalence and incidence of those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are unknown. Thirty-seven million adults are estimated to have CKD and need nutritional assessment, education, and management to prevent further kidney damage and mortality (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022; United States Renal Data System, 2022). Maintaining the nutritional requirements for CKD is listed as a global concern in the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) Clinical Practice Guideline for Nutrition in CKD 2020 (Ikizler et al., 2020). After a review of more than 50 publications, five recommendations were developed and proposed. A team of multidisciplinary stakeholders, …

Modulating The Mtor Pathway Using Inducible Retrogradely Transported Aavs As A Novel Approach To Improve Motor Recovery In Spinal Cord Injury, Christopher Bosse-Joseph

Theses and Dissertations--Medical Sciences

Spinal cord injury poses multiple regeneration barriers, including neuronal-intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Overcoming these barriers has stood as a longstanding challenge in neuroscience. A well-studied mechanism to promote spinal cord regeneration and locomotor recovery is activating the PI3K/mTOR pathway by knocking out phosphatase and tensin homolog protein (PTEN). PTEN knockout (PTEN-KO) studies have traditionally used adeno-associated virus (AAV) viral vectors to improve functional recovery. The use of traditional AAV serotypes to induce PTEN-KO has shown promise to improve functional recovery in rodent models; however, these approaches show significant limitations for translational utility. Firstly, the use of traditional AAV serotypes to …

The Effect Of Estrogen And A Mitochondrial Uncoupling Prodrug On Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Dysfunction In Mice., Olivia J. Kalimon

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

A large percent of both clinical and pre-clinical traumatic brain injury (TBI) studies report better outcomes females after severe injury compared to males. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a well-characterized driver of secondary injury and an attractive neurotherapeutic target; though, there is limited research available on mitochondrial dysfunction in females. However, a few studies have shown total mitochondria from the cortex of females appear protected from TBI-induced bioenergetic dysfunction. These results were replicated in these studies so further characterization was performed. Additionally, protein expression of some oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes were elevated in the uninjured cortex of females relative to uninjured males, …

Enlarged Perivascular Spaces Are A Clinically Relevant Neuroimaging Biomarker Of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease, Timothy Justin Libecap

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) represents the intersection between cerebrovascular disease and cognitive decline. Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) is an important risk factor that may precede the onset of VCID by years. cSVD is characterized by in-vivo neuroimaging biomarkers including enlarged perivascular spaces (ePVS). PVS are the site of interchange between interstitial fluid (ISF) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which is believed to play a role in the removal of brain waste. Reduced clearance may lead to enlargement of the PVS and subsequent accumulation of toxic solutes characteristic of neurodegeneration. Given the presence of ePVS in brain …

Inhibiting Pi3k/Akt To Enhance Brain Uptake Of Anticancer Agents In Glioblastoma, Louis Rodgers

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the deadliest and most common malignant CNS tumor. Despite advances in understanding its biology and the development of targeted therapies, effective treatment options remain limited. As a result, patient survival rates are dismal, with a 5-year survival rate of only 6.8% and an overall survival of less than two years. This poor outcome is partly due to our inability to treat GBM cells that infiltrate the whole brain. Focal treatments like surgery and radiotherapy alone are insufficient due to these invasive tumor cells. Therefore, chemotherapy following resection and irradiation of the primary tumor is essential to eliminate …

Exenatide As Chronopharmacotherapy For T2dm Associated Complications: Targeting Nondipping Blood Pressure And Sleep Insufficiency, Aaron Chacon

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Although largely impacted by age, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is primarily driven by obesity, currently affecting ~30 million in the U.S and ~463 million globally. T2DM carries numerous complications, including high prevalence of hypertension and nondipping blood pressure (BP), sleep insufficiency and fragmentation. Nondipping BP is an inadequate drop in BP (≤ 10%) during sleeping hours compared with waking hours. Lending to this, sleep disturbance acts as both precursor and consequence of metabolic dysregulation, greatly impacting circadian rhythmicity. To model these conditions, we utilized diabetic (db/db) mice. These mice carry a point mutation …

Scares: A Clinician Guide To Spinal Cord Awareness, Response, And Emergency Support Creation And Implantation Of Scares Protocol Among Hospitalist Advanced Practice Providers, Brittany Biega

DNP Scholarly Projects

While they are more common in patients with oncological disease and trauma, SCE still exist among patients without these comorbidities. Less has been established regarding care protocols in this population. The absence of standardized procedures has been linked to preventable, adverse patient outcomes, including cases of permanent damage due to delayed treatment. This project employs Lean Six Sigma methodologies and Johns Hopkins Evidence- Based Practice to devise a robust SCE protocol, aimed at standardizing care and improving patient outcomes. A multidisciplinary team including general medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, and neuroradiology developed “Spinal Emergency Management Guidelines” protocol, which was implemented within the …

Mechanistic Insight Into Maternal Electronic Cigarette Exposure And Its Effect On Offspring Cerebrovascular And Neurocognitive Health, Amber Victoria Mills

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Electronic cigarettes (Ecigs) have replaced smoking within the last decade as the preferred nicotine delivery system because of their advertising to the younger populations. Marketing has sold the idea that use of Ecigs are safer than smoking and this messaging has resonated with youth and other vulnerable populations such as pregnant women. Despite over 2.8 million children under 18 (Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey) deciding to vape, there is little information about what this will do to the next generation. Further, it is that same population that will soon reach an age when they will want to have children. There …

Regulation Of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy Through Mitochondrial Import Of Long Non-Coding Rnas, Andrew Dodge Taylor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: The leading cause of mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus is heart failure. When mitochondrial health and function is disrupted, cardiac contractile function is compromised. Therefore, understanding mitochondrial regulation may benefit predicting and countering diabetic cardiomyopathy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in diabetic cardiac mitochondrial protein expression. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to regulate miRNAs, but not in the mitochondrion. Additionally, it has yet to be confirmed if lncRNAs utilize the same mechanisms for mitochondrial import that miRNAs use, or if lncRNA presence in the mitochondrion fluctuates in diabetic mitochondria like miRNA presence does. The …

Autonomic Modulation Of Cardiac Function In Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Jenna Rose Disser

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetic heart disorder. HCM is characterized by cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and an increased risk of fatal arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Previous studies in humans with HCM have demonstrated increased cardiac norepinephrine spillover and reduced beta-1 receptor (β1R) expression in the left ventricle (LV). We have previously demonstrated that cardiac sympathetic tone is elevated in an alpha-tropomyosin mutant mouse model of HCM. We hypothesized that HCM mice would demonstrate reduced β1R expression in the LV and attenuated heart rate (HR) and dP/dt max responses to ramped infusion of the β1R agonist, dobutamine. …

A Class Of Game-Theoretic And Fokker-Planck Optimal Control Frameworks In Colon And Esophageal Cancer, Mesfer Alajmi Phd

Mathematics Dissertations - Archive

In this dissertation, we first present a new stochastic framework for parameter estimation and uncertainty quantification in colon cancer-induced immune responses. A stochastic process that captures the system's inherent randomness determines the dynamics of colon cancer. The stochastic framework is based on the Fokker-Planck equation, which represents the evolution of the probability density function corresponding to the stochastic process. We formulate an optimization problem that takes individual patient data with randomness present and solves it to obtain the unknown parameters corresponding to the individual tumor characteristics. Furthermore, we perform a sensitivity analysis of the optimal parameter set to identify the …

The Role Of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptors In Inflammatory Airway Diseases, Molly Easter

All ETDs from UAB

Chronic inflammation plays a role in the development and progression of airway diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis (CF). COPD is caused primarily by chronic cigarette smoke exposure. Conversely, CF is a single gene disorder caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene (CFTR). Although the causes of COPD and CF are different, there are common pathological features. Studies show that chronic inflammation plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of both COPD and CF. Moreover, chronic inflammation induces ageing-associated pathomechanisms like cellular senescence, which exacerbates chronic inflammation. Previous work demonstrates that …

The Impact Of O-Glcnac Signaling On Dna Hydroxymethylation In Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Rudhab Bahabry

All ETDs from UAB

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) is the most prevalent form of focal epilepsy and the most treatment-resistant type. This condition is characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures typically originating in the hippocampus. Epigenetic modifications such as DNAme changes have been implicated in brain functions such as synaptic plasticity, learning and, memory, and cognition. The oxidation of DNA 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) and its oxidized form, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) catalyzed by Ten-Eleven Translocation (TET) family of dioxygenases and linked to epilepsy's hyperexcitable state. Post‐translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, such as O-GlcNAcylation, facilitate cells' immediate responses to intracellular or extracellular environmental stimuli by modifying the functions of …

Inflammation And Tumor Progression: The Differential Impact Of Saa In Breast Cancer Models, Daniel Wilhelm Olivier, Carla Eksteen, Manisha Du Plessis, Louis De Jager, Lize Engelbrecht, Nathaniel Wade Mcgregor, Preetha Shridas, Frederick C. De Beer, Willem J. S. De Villiers, Etheresia Pretorius, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Background: Previous research has shown that the Serum Amyloid A (SAA) protein family is intricately involved in inflammatory signaling and various disease pathologies. We have previously demonstrated that SAA is associated with increased colitis disease severity and the promotion of tumorigenesis. However, the specific role of SAA proteins in breast cancer pathology remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the role of systemic SAA1 and SAA2 (SAA1/2) in a triple-negative breast cancer mouse model.

Methods: Syngeneic breast tumors were established in wild-type mice, and mice lacking the SAA1/2 (SAADKO). Subsequently, tumor volume was monitored, species survival determined, the inflammatory profiles of mice …

Translational Approaches To Address The Metastatic/Resistant (Mr) Phenotype Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Brain Metastases, Kent L. Marshall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lung cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed malignant neoplasm shared in men and women worldwide, second only to the sexually dimorphic prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Overall, lung cancer was responsible for 12.5% of new cancer cases globally in the year 2022. Of these cases, 80-85% are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a highly genotypically diverse sub-type of lung cancer. Over the past three decades, extraordinary improvement in screening, smoking cessation, early diagnosis and targeted therapy have been made, improving NSCLC survival markedly. However, as patients are surviving their primary disease better, there is a temporal …

Prenatal Androgen Exposure Reduces Ovarian Function, Marlee Weets

All Master's Theses

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common reproductive and endocrine disorder, being the leading cause of infertility for females of reproductive age. The etiology of PCOS is not fully known, although it is hypothesized that there is a genetic, epigenetic, and environmental component to the disease. One of the environmental influences that can cause an abnormal reproductive phenotype similar to PCOS is prenatal exposure to excess androgens (male sex hormones). Previous studies have shown that prenatal exposure to androgens in mice can cause a PCOS-like ovarian phenotype similar to people with PCOS. To examine how prenatal androgen exposure causes …

Does Heightened Perceptual Encoding In Blind Individuals Extend To Word Learning?, Lindsay N. Harris, Marissa Renee Bamberger

CISLL Publications

Past research reported blind participants tend to encode sensory details of encounters with stimuli they will later recall or recollect, whereas sighted individuals tend to abstract meaning from sensory information when encoding memories. Here we ask whether blind individuals’ use of perceptual in addition to semantic encoding extends to a task—word learning—whose purpose amounts to semantically encoding the word and definition. After studying the definitions of spoken or written words, blind braille readers (n = 23) and sighted print readers (n = 20) re-encountered each word and indicated whether it was previously presented in the same modality. Analyses …

Epigenetic Regulation Of Cancer Testis Antigens In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Rinrada Klankajorn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide, with few available treatment options. Cancer-testis antigens (CTAs), notably from the MAGE gene family, have opened new possibilities for improving immunotherapy in HCC due to their tumor-specific expression and high immunogenicity. However, the mechanisms regulating MAGE gene expression are largely unknown. This study explored mechanisms controlling the expression of MAGE-A3 and MAGE-C2. We utilized HCC organoid cultures derived from patient HCC tissues known to represent cancer epigenetic status more accurately than cell lines to study the MAGE gene family expression patterns and promoter methylation patterns. Our …

Periodontal Regeneration Related To Periodontitis Treated By Garden Cress And Ozone Therapy. (Randomized Clinical &Experimental Study), Zienab S. Farid, Doaa Adel Habba, Gihan Adel Balbola, Noura Mohammed Bakr

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Objective: In this article, garden cress and ozone were evaluated for their potential therapeutic properties of PDL and resorption of alveolar bone in the periodontal tissues based on rats' experimental periodontitis and to assess the clinical effectiveness of local application of garden cress and ozone for treatment and management of periodontitis patients using scaling and root planing. Methodology: Thirty mature Wistar male albino rats. Three groups of rats were formed; periodontitis without treatment, periodontitis with garden cress, and periodontitis plus ozone therapy. The present study also included thirty periodontitis Patients were randomly allocated to one of three groups of ten …

The Rage Gene Crucial Function In The Etiology And Consequences Of Type I Diabetes, Amal A. Mohamed, Mohamed O. Mahmoud, Gamil M. Abdallah, Nada S. Ali, Mona Abdelmotaleb Abdelfatah Hussein, Ibrahim T. Ibrahim

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Type I Diabetes, among the ten greatest causes of mortality worldwide, is estimated to afflict 642 million individuals by 2040. It is an auto-immune illness brought on by an association of environmental and genetic variables. that cause T lymphocytes to destroy insulin-producing β-cells. Its prevalence continues to rise by 3-4% annually worldwide, enhancing the risk of mortality. So, the idea of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is widely established, and systemic treatment is essential. RAGEs are linked to inflammatory disorders that exist in a variety of TID-related cells; especially T cells. Variations in circulating RAGE concentrations have been linked to a …