Digital Commons Network^™

Association Between Symptomatic Vulvovaginal Candidiasis And Hiv Rna Levels In Plasma And Genital Secretions Among Women On Haart, Teke Apalata, William H. Carr, Benjamin Longo-Mbenza, Willem A. Sturm, P. Moodley

Publications and Research

Background. Genital tract (GT) inflammation plays a major role in HIV transmission. We aimed to determine the association between symptomatic vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and HIV RNA levels in plasma and GTs of HIV-infected women on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Method. Women with VVC on HAART were recruited from a primary healthcare clinic in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, between June 2011 and December 2011. VVC was diagnosed clinically, supported by Gram staining and culture of genital secretions. HIV RNA load was determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. CD4+ counts were obtained from patients’ medical records.

Results. Plasma HIV RNA …

Humor's Effect On Short-Term Memory In Older Adults: An Innovative Wellness Paradigm, Gurinder Singh Bains

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Context: With ageing, the detrimental effects of stress can impair the ability to learn and sustain memory. Humor and the associated mirthful laughter can reduce stress by decreasing the hormone cortisol. Chronic release of cortisol can damage hippocampal neurons leading to impairment of learning and memory. Objectives: To examine the effect of watching a humor video on short term memory in older adults. Design: A randomized, controlled trial. Setting: Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA. Participants: 30 subjects: 20 normal healthy, older adults, 11 males and 9 females; 10 Type 2 Diabetic older adults, 6 males and 4 females. Intervention: …

Structural Similarity Between Β3-Peptides Synthesized From Β3-Homo-Amino Acids Or L-Aspartic Acid Monomers, Sahar Ahmed, Tara Sprules, Kamaljit Kaur

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Formation of stable secondary structures by oligomers that mimic natural peptides is a key asset for enhanced biological response. Here we show that oligomeric β³‐hexapeptides synthesized from l‐aspartic acid monomers (β³‐peptides 1, 5a, and 6) or homologated β³‐amino acids (β³‐peptide 2), fold into similar stable 14‐helical secondary structures in solution, except that the former form right‐handed 14‐helix and the later form left‐handed 14‐helix. β³‐Peptides from l‐Asp monomers contain an additional amide bond in the side chains that provides opportunities for more hydrogen bonding. However, based on the …

Alzheimer’S Disease Cooperative Study (Adcs) Prevention Instrument Project Assessing Resource Use And Volunteer And Paid Work Among Healthy Elders, A Longitudinal Study, Peter J. Whitehouse

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

"What Happens In Romania..." Comes Back To The United States And Becomes A Quilt, Ashley Ehlers, Kaitlyn Torres

Senior Theses

Our senior thesis project is a quilt that chronicles our experiences on the Maymester trip to Romania through the Honors College, during which we were able to shadow surgeons in the Oncology Hospital and General Surgery III Hospital in Cluj-Napoca. In our quilt, we included some of the most common surgeries we saw while shadowing Romanian doctors: breast removal, gall bladder removal, appendix removal, removal of a section of the large intestine, and removal of the uterus. The final product of this quilt shows every level of the abdominal muscles and organs from the anterior skin to the kidneys.

To …

Household Reporting Of Childhood Respiratory Health And Air Pollution In Rural Alaska Native Communities, Desirae N. Ware, Johnnye Lewis, Scarlett Hopkins, Bert Boyer, Luke Montrose, Curis W. Noonan, Erin O. Semmens, Tony J. Ward

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background. Air pollution is an important contributor to respiratory disease in children.

Objective. To examine associations between household reporting of childhood respiratory conditions and household characteristics related to air pollution in Alaska Native communities.

Design. In-home surveys were administered in 2 rural regions of Alaska. The 12-month prevalence of respiratory conditions was summarized by region and age. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to describe associations between respiratory health and household and air quality characteristics.

Results. Household-reported respiratory health data were collected for 561 children in 328 households. In 1 region, 33.6% of children aged/or bronchitis. Children with these conditions …

Conformationally Stabilized Hiv Envelope Immunogens, Peter Kwong, John Mascola, Gary Nabel, Richard Wyatt, Barna Dey, Ling Xu, Tongqing Zhou, Joseph Sodroski, Wen Yuan, Shi-Hua Xiang

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Isolated immunogens including a HIV-1 gp120 polypeptide or immunogenic fragment thereof stabilized in a CD4 bound confirmation by crosslinked cysteines, and methods of their use are disclosed. The immunogens are useful, for example, for generating an immune response to HIV-1 gp120 in a Subject.

Development And Evaluation Of An Opioid Monitoring Clinic, Richard Luna Talusan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An APRN-led Opioid Monitoring Clinic was developed and implemented in the primary care setting of Las Vegas' Department of Veterans Affairs in July 2013 to assist primary care providers (PCP) in the management of high risk patients on chronic opioid

therapy for chronic noncancer pain. The clinic assisted in monitoring patients for abuse and misuse of opioids and referred patients for treatment when abuse and misuse were discovered. A study to evaluate the OMC was undertaken from November 22, 2013

through February 23, 2014 to assess the effectiveness of the OMC in meeting its objectives. A total of 61 patients …

Life History Tradeoffs And The Costs Of Reproduction In Arizona Bark Scorpions (Centruroides Sculpturatus), Michael Marie Webber

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Tradeoffs in life history evolution result from conflicts in the time and energy that can be simultaneously invested in activities such as growth, reproduction, and survival. Reproduction is an energetically costly activity for organisms, and is known to elicit alterations in the daily activity patterns of individuals. I investigated reproductive tradeoffs in the Arizona Bark Scorpion,Centruroides sculpturatus. To better understand the nature of tradeoffs in this species, I examined the influence of reproductive state on the predatory efficiency and thermal preference of reproductive females. Further, I examined the influence of reproductive activities (i.e. gestation) on the ability of reproductive females …

The Grass Shrimp, Palaemonetes, Pugio: Hypoxic Influences On Embryonic Development, Christensen C. Javier

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Grass shrimp,Palaemonetes pugio, can survive in brackish waters and estuarine ecosystems despite the frequent oscillations and fluctuations in salinity, temperature and oxygen. AdultP. pugiohave the ability to osmoregulate (Romney and Reiber 2011), change cardiac parameters to tolerate temperatures (not yet published, Mika and Reiber) and oxyregulate (Guadagnoli and Reiber 2013). Manipulation of cardiac parameters allows for these methods of regulation. However, cardiac contraction and internal convection of oxygen do not occur until later stages of embryonic development. Studies focused on these morphological and physiological advantages may provide further understanding of the regulatory mechanisms within grass shrimp embryos, larvae and adults. …

Availability Of Dental Anomaly Phenotype In Individuals With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Andrea M. Lewis

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Mutations in the APC gene cause familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), an autosomal dominant colorectal cancer predisposition associated with the development of hundreds to thousands of adenomatous colorectal polyps beginning in childhood or adolescence. Both malignant and non-malignant extracolonic manifestations are associated with APC gene mutations, including approximately 17% of individuals with various dental anomalies. The availability of dental anomaly information in the medical record remains to be evaluated.

Methods: Medical records were reviewed for documentation of dental anomalies. Dental questionnaires were mailed to 271 individuals with FAP at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC) to …

Latinas And The Traditional Genetic Counseling Model: A Qualitative Study, Stephanie Thompson

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The traditional genetic counseling model reflects an individualized counseling session that includes the presentation of information about genes, chromosomes, personalized risk assessment, and genetic testing and screening options. Counselors are challenged to balance providing educational information with discussion of implications of this information in an allotted amount of time. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of pregnant Latinas on the benefits and limitations of the traditional prenatal genetic counseling model and to determine the specific preferences for receiving prenatal genetic counseling. Data were collected through focus groups and one-on-one, semi-structured interviews of twenty-five Spanish speaking Latinas …

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Status And Anaerobic Performance In Female Collegiate Basketball Players, Anna Krieger

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

This presentation examines the relationship between vitamin D status and anaerobic performance; determines if the temporary deficiency that occurs during the late fall and winter months is associated with decreased anaerobic performance; and examines the efficacy of 2000 IU vitamin D₃ daily supplementation to maintain and/or improve vitamin D status in female young adults.

Glial Cell Modulators And Associated Anti-Inflammatory Activity: Implications In Reducing Methamphetamine Abuse-Related Behaviors In Rodents, Sarah Snider

Theses and Dissertations

Methamphetamine is a psychomotor stimulant that produces hyperactivity and euphoria and can lead to drug-seeking and abuse. An estimate from 2005 put the cost of methamphetamine abuse to society at an estimated 23.4 billion dollars. One of methamphetamine's effects is activation of glial cells and associated neuroinflammatory activity in the periphery and CNS. Glia are responsible for maintaining calcium homeostasis, neuroplasticity, immune activity, and cell signaling. Activation of glia and neuroinflammation are becoming recognized as links in drug abuse-related behavior. The goal of the present work was to assess the ability of ibudilast, AV1013, and minocycline, three glial cell modulating …

The End Of Alzheimer's Disease - From Biochemical Pharmacology To Ecopsychosociology: A Personal Perspective, Peter J. Whitehouse

Faculty Scholarship

The future of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) field involves a more complete understanding not only the state of current scientific approaches, but also the linguistic and cultural context of preclinical and clinical research and policy activities. The challenges surrounding dementia are large and growing but are only part of broader social and health concerns. In this latter context, the current state of research in the AD area is reviewed together with necessary priorities in moving forward. Creating a more optimistic future will depend less on genetic and reductionist approaches and more on environmental and intergenerative approaches that will aid in …

Proceedings - Wright State University Boonshoft School Of Medicine Sixth Annual Medical Student Research Symposium: Celebrating Medical Student Scholarship, Office Of Research Affairs, Boonshoft School Of Medicine

Medical Student Research Symposium Proceedings

The student abstract booklet is a compilation of abstracts from students' oral and poster presentations at Wright State University's Sixth Annual Boonshoft School of Medicine Medical Student Research Symposium held on April 10, 2014.

Capping Amyloid Β‑Sheets Of The Tau-Amyloid Structure Vqivyk With Hexapeptides Designed To Arrest Growth. An Oniom And Density Functional Theory Study, Joshua A. Plumley, Jorge Ali-Torres, Gabor Pohl, J. J. Dannenberg

Publications and Research

We present ONIOM calculations using density functional theory (DFT) as the high and AM1 as the medium level that explore the abilities of different hexapeptide sequences to terminate the growth of a model for the tau-amyloid implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. We delineate and explore several design principles (H-bonding in the side chains, using antiparallel interactions on the growing edge of a parallel sheet, using all-D residues to form rippled interactions at the edge of the sheet, and replacing the H-bond donor N−H’s that inhibit further growth) that can be used individually and in combination to design such peptides that will …

Pedigree Structure And Kinship Measurements Of A Mid-Michigan Community: A New North American Population Isolate Identified, Joseph D. Bonner, Rachel Fisher, James Klein, Qing Lu, Ellen Wilch, Karen H. Friderici, Jill L. Elfenbein, Debra L. Schutte, Brian C. Schutte

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Previous studies identified a cluster of individuals with an autosomal recessive form of deafness that resides in a small region of mid-Michigan. We hypothesized that affected members from this community descend from a defined founder population. Using public records and personal interviews, we constructed a genealogical database that includes the affected individuals and their extended families as descendants of 461 settlers who emigrated from the Eifel region of Germany between 1836 and 1875. The genealogical database represents a 13-generation pedigree that includes 27,747 descendants of these settlers. Among these descendants, 13,784 are presumed living. Many of the extant descendants reside …

Celiac Disease As A Model For The Evolution Of Multifactorial Disease In Humans, Aaron Sams, John Hawks

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Celiac disease (CD) is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory condition that results in injury of the mucosal lining of the small intestine upon ingestion of wheat gluten and related proteins from barley and rye. Although the exact mechanisms leading to CD are not fully understood, the genetic basis of CD has been relatively well characterized. In this review we briefly review the history of discovery, clinical presentation, pathophysiology, and current understanding of the genetics underlying CD risk. Then, we discuss what is known about the current distribution and evolutionary history of genes underlying CD risk in light of other evolutionary models …

The American Epidemic: The U.S. Nursing Shortage And Turnover Problem, Patrick Cox, William K. Willis, Alberto Coustasse

Management Faculty Research

Introduction: Nursing shortages have been on the rise throughout the country which has continued to become a problem due to an aging baby-boomer population causing increased turnover through the United States (U.S.). With this need for nurses expected to rise, determining the root causes of this problem are essential for health care providers as costs continue to grow.

Methods: The methodology for the qualitative study was a literature research review of case studies as well as a semi-structured interview. Five electronic databases were minded. Thirty-six articles were utilized in this study.

Results: Through the use of a conceptual framework the …

Towards A Better Treatment Of Parkinson's Disease, Bradley Darryl Karain

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Current therapies for Parkinson's Disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, do not prevent disease progression, and induce extremely detrimental side-effects. Improving the best current pharmacological therapy, L-DOPA, carries important clinical benefits, partly by reducing the dose-related side-effects which occur after five to ten years of use. Thus the central aim of this proposal is to determine whether low doses of a D2 antagonist may, by selectively blocking the dopamine autoreceptor-mediated feedback inhibition of dopamine neurons, potentiate L-DOPA's effect on individual basal ganglia neurons and its antiparkinsonian effects in Parkinsonian animals. Electrophysiology (extracellular single-cell recording in the globus pallidus) and …

Survivin: Regulation By Yy1 And Role In Pancreatic Cancer Combination Therapy, Nicholas R. Galloway

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Despite significant clinical and basic science advancements, cancer remains a devastating disease that affects people of all ages, races, and background. Survivin, the fourth most common transcript found in cancer cells, is a protein that is thought to be involved in the enhanced proliferation, survival, and metastasis of cancer cells. Therefore understanding how this gene is regulated is potentially of vital importance to improving cancer management and therapy. Our work has identified a novel transcriptional regulator of survivin called Yin Yang 1 (YY1). YY1 is a transcription factor that has been observed to activate some gene promoters and repress others, …

Retinoic Acid Regulation Of Thyroid Hormone Action In Bone Cells, Anjali Babbar

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Retinoic acid and thyroid hormone are known to play key roles in the regulation of endochondral ossification. However, the issue of whether these two hormones interact with each other to regulate bone functions remains to be established. We investigated how thyroid hormone and retinoic acid interact to regulate cells involved in endochondral bone formation. We demonstrate that thyroid hormone treatment stimulates differentiation of ATDC5 chondrocytes and promotes formation of mineralized nodules while retinoic acid treatment at high dose inhibits chondrocyte differentiation and formation of mineralized nodules. Furthermore, thyroid hormone induced mineralized nodule formation is inhibited by co-treatment with retinoic acid …

Consistency Between Research And Clinical Diagnoses Of Autism Among Boys And Girls With Fragile X Syndrome, Jessica Klusek, G E. Martin, M Losh

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ube3a Role In Synaptic Plasticity And Neurodevelopmental Disorders.The Lessons From Angelman Syndrome., Irina Filonova

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 1:12000 newborns. It is characterized by mental retardation, delayed major motor and cognitive milestones, seizures, absence of speech and excessive laughter. The majority of AS cases arise from deletions or mutations of UBE3A gene located on the chromosome 15q11-13. UBE3A codes for E3-ubiquitin ligase that target specific proteins for degradation. To date, a wide variety of Ube3a substrates has been identified. The accumulation of Ube3a-dependent proteins and their effect on the multitude of signal transduction pathways are` considered the main cause of the AS pathology. While the majority of research …

Targeting Fibroblast Activation Protein In Tumor Stroma With Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Can Inhibit Tumor Growth And Augment Host Immunity Without Severe Toxicity., Liang-Chuan S. Wang, Albert Lo, John Scholler, Jing Sun, Rajrupa S. Majumdar, Veena Kapoor, Michael Antzis, Cody E. Cotner, Laura A. Johnson, Amy C. Durham, Charalambos C. Solomides, Md, Carl H. June, Ellen Puré, Steven M. Albelda

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The majority of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell research has focused on attacking cancer cells. Here, we show that targeting the tumor-promoting, nontransformed stromal cells using CAR T cells may offer several advantages. We developed a retroviral CAR construct specific for the mouse fibroblast activation protein (FAP), comprising a single-chain Fv FAP [monoclonal antibody (mAb) 73.3] with the CD8α hinge and transmembrane regions, and the human CD3ζ and 4-1BB activation domains. The transduced muFAP-CAR mouse T cells secreted IFN-γ and killed FAP-expressing 3T3 target cells specifically. Adoptively transferred 73.3-FAP-CAR mouse T cells selectively reduced FAP(hi) stromal cells and inhibited the …

Direct Control Of Visual Perception With Phase-Specific Modulation Of Posterior Parietal Cortex, Andrew Jaegle, Tony Ro

Publications and Research

We examined the causal relationship between the phase of alpha oscillations (9–12 Hz) and conscious visual perception using rhythmic TMS (rTMS) while simultaneously recording EEG activity. rTMS of posterior parietal cortex at an alpha frequency (10 Hz), but not occipital or sham rTMS, both entrained the phase of subsequent alpha oscillatory activity and produced a phase-dependent change on subsequent visual perception, with lower discrimination accuracy for targets presented at one phase of the alpha oscillatory waveform than for targets presented at the opposite phase. By extrinsically manipulating the phase of alpha before stimulus presentation, we provide direct evidence that the …

Candida Albicans Als5p Amyloid In Host-Microbe Interactions: A Ceanorhabditis Elegans Study, Michael Bois

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Candida albicans, a dimorphic fungus and an opportunistic pathogen, possesses a myriad of adherence factors including members of the agglutinin-like sequence (Als) family of mannoproteins. The adhesin Als5p mediates adhesion to many substrates, and is upregulated during commensal interactions, but is downregulated during active C. albicans infections[1]. An amyloid forming core sequence at residues 325-331 has been shown to be important for Als5p function, because a single amino acid substitution at position 326 (V326N) greatly reduces Als5p-mediated adherence[2]. We evaluated the role of Als5p in host-microbe interactions, using Caenorhabditis elegans as a host model and feeding them Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing …

An Ethnobotanical, Ecological And Lc-Ms-Based Chemometric Investigation Of Phaleria Nisidai, A Traditional Adaptogen Containing Diterpene Esters From Palau, Micronesia, Daniel Kulakowski

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

An ethnobotanical, ecological and LC-MS-based chemometric investigation of Phaleria nisidai, a traditional adaptogen containing diterpene esters from Palau, Micronesia

Palau is a country with a rich heritage of traditional medicine still being practiced. One of the most popular and respected remedies in Palau is a tea made from fresh leaves of Phaleria nisidai Kaneh. (Thymelaeaceae). Interviews conducted to determine the use of this plant revealed that it is employed non-specifically to treat a variety of general health concerns. Its use as a prophylactic to keep away sickness, as a 'system cleaner', as well as for strength and energy indicate …

Quantitative Evaluation Of Microglial Activation And Vascularization In Suicide, Tatiana Pavlovna Schnieder

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Accumulated evidence points to immunological factors in psychiatric disorders. In a variety of chronic neurological disorders, exacerbation is associated with inflammation and a loss of integrity of the blood-brain barrier. Microglia, the principal brain immunological cells in the healthy state, respond to changes in the internal environment of the brain through a sequence of activated states. This study compared microglial phenotypes in the white matter of autopsy brains from 11 suicide victims and 25 subjects who died involuntarily. Both groups included cases with and without major psychiatric disorders, which were determined by PA interviews. Cases were matched for sex, age, …