Digital Commons Network^™

Frequency Of Twelve Carcinogenic Human Papilloma Virus Types Among Women From The South Backa Region, Vojvodina, Serbia, Gordana Kovacevic, Natasa Nikolic, Aleksandra Jovanovic-Galovic, Ivana Hrnjakovic-Cvjetkovic, Dusan Vuleta, Aleksandra Patic, Jelena Radovanov, Vesna Milosevic

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to determine the presence and age distribution of different oncogenic human papilloma virus (HPV) types in women in the South Backa region and its relationship to Pap results. Materials and methods: In a group of 1087 women with normal and abnormal cytology, the commercial HR HPV Real-TM kit (Sacace Biotechnologies, Italy) was used. Results: Overall, 50.5% of the women were HPV positive. The presence of HPV types 18, 31, 51, and 58 was significantly influenced by age, while the presence of HPV types 16 and 45 was significantly influenced by cervical cytology. Results …

Behçet Syndrome: The Vascular Cluster, Hasan Yazici, Emi̇re Seyahi̇

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Relationship Between Gestational Transient Thyrotoxicosis And Vitamin D, Feri̇t Keri̇m Küçükler, Yasi̇n Şi̇mşek, Ümi̇t Görkem, Berçem Ayçi̇çek Doğan, Serdar Güler

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Gestational transient thyrotoxicosis (GTT) is a transient, mild hyperthyroidism that occurs early in pregnancy and is due to human chorionic gonadotropin. There is no clear information about why only some pregnant women develop GTT. Previous papers stated that vitamin D plays a role in thyroid functions. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D and GTT. Materials and methods: Fifty-three patients diagnosed with GTT at the 6th to 10th weeks of gestation were included in the study (GTT group). Thirty-five pregnant women with normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), and free thyroxine (fT4) levels served as a …

Determination Of Genotypic Varieties And Genotyping Of Multiple Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis By The Rflp And Spoligotyping Methods, Teki̇n Karsligi̇l, Ayşen Bayram, Fahri̇ye Ekşi̇

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The purpose of the present study was to determine the distribution and epidemiological features of mycobacteria with molecular methods. Materials and methods: Fifty-five culture-positive samples were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction enzyme length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) at species level, and their molecular typing was performed with spoligotyping. The IS6110 region and the locus of gene coding for Hsp65 were amplified. RFLP profiles were obtained by cutting the Hsp65 region with the Hae III and BstE II (Eco91I) enzymes. Spoligotyping was carried out by commercial kit. The H37Rv strain was used as the control. Results: All samples showed the same cutting …

Emerging Pathogens In Cystic Fibrosis Patients At Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center (Vcumc), Emily M. Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder affecting 70,000 individuals worldwide. This disease is characterized by the buildup of mucus in the airways leading to chronic lung infections resulting in pulmonary failure and death in 95% of CF patients. Routine surveillance of CF pathogens using traditional microbiology culture guides management and treatment of CF patients. Molecular profiling studies have revealed emerging pathogens that may play a role in CF lung disease by either directly causing infection or upregulating the virulence factors of classic CF pathogens, such as P. aeruginosa; however, routine CF culture protocols have not been modified …

Factors Influencing The Collagen Fiber Angle Distribution In The Mouse Aorta, Shana Roach Watson

Theses and Dissertations

The aortic extracellular matrix (ECM) consists of microstructural proteins, collagen and elastin, together with proteoglycans and other components. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that influence morphological and structural changes in the ECM and can degrade the matrix as it responds to cellular behaviors such as angiogenesis, apoptosis, proliferation, and migration. Collagen is the most important component among the extracellular proteins because it provides strength and stability to the tissue. Changes in collagen content play a major role in the development of atherosclerosis. These changes can be induced by increased or decreased proteinase activity. Therefore, we studied the collagen …

Temporal Trends Of Corporate Sponsorship In Medical Research, Elijah Bodey

Honors Projects

Data will be collected from medical journals to assessed changes in the nature and prevalence of corporate sponsorship. The journals that will be reviewed are the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the British Medical Journal (BMJ), and the Lancet. These journals were chosen because of their high impact on medical research representing both American and British Medical editorials. It has been shown that corporate sponsorship has been associated with bias results (Kjaergard et al 2002). Changes in the nature of corporate sponsorship would be linked to changes in economic climate and …

Genome-Wide Search For Host Association Factors During Ovine Progressive Pneumonia Virus Infection, Jesse Thompson, Fangrui Ma, Meghan Quinn, Shi-Hua Xiang

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Ovine progressive pneumonia virus (OPPV) is an important virus that causes serious diseases in sheep and goats with a prevalence of 36% in the USA. Although OPPV was discovered more than half of a century ago, little is known about the infection and pathogenesis of this virus. In this report, we used RNA-seq technology to conduct a genome-wide probe for cellular factors that are associated with OPPV infection. A total of approximately 22,000 goat host genes were detected of which 657 were found to have been significantly up-regulated and 889 down-regulated at 12 hours post-infection. In addition to previously known …

Erratum To: Association Of Autophagy In The Cell Death Mediated By Dihydrotestosterone In Autoreactive T Cells Independent Of Antigenic Stimulation, Ting Jia, Anandhan Annadurai, Chandirasegara Massilamany, Rajkumar A. Rajasekaran, Rodrigo Franco, Jay Reddy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

New Tools To Convert Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes To A Self-Excising Design And Their Application To A Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infectious Clone, Alexsia L. Richards, Patricia J. Sollars, Gregory A. Smith

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Infectious clones are fundamental tools for the study of many viruses, allowing for efficient mutagenesis and reproducible production of genetically-defined strains. For the large dsDNA genomes of the herpesviridae, bacterial artificial chromosomes have become the cloning vector of choice due to their capacity to house full-length herpesvirus genomes as single contiguous inserts. Furthermore, while maintained as plasmids in Escherichia coli, the clones can be mutated using robust prokaryotic recombination systems. An important consideration in the design of these clones is the means by which the vector backbone is removed from the virus genome upon delivery into mammalian cells. …

Intracellular Ros Mediates Gas Plasma-Facilitated Cellular Transfection In 2d And 3d Cultures, Dehui Xu, Biqing Wang, Yujing Xu, Zeyu Chen, Qinjie Cui, Yanjie Yang, Hailan Chen, Michael G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

This study reports the potential of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) as a versatile tool for delivering oligonucleotides into mammalian cells. Compared to lipofection and electroporation methods, plasma transfection showed a better uptake efficiency and less cell death in the transfection of oligonucleotides. We demonstrated that the level of extracellular aqueous reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by gas plasma is correlated with the uptake efficiency and that this is achieved through an increase of intracellular ROS levels and the resulting increase in cell membrane permeability. This finding was supported by the use of ROS scavengers, which reduced CAP-based uptake efficiency. In …

Modeling Early Stage Bone Regeneration With Biomimetic Electrospun Fibrinogen Nanofibers And Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Michael P. Francis, Yas M. Moghaddam-White, Patrick C. Sachs, Matthew J. Beckman, Stephen M. Chen, Gary L. Bowlin, Lynne W. Elmore, Shawn E. Holt

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

The key events of the earliest stages of bone regeneration have been described in vivo although not yet modeled in an in vitro environment, where mechanistic cell-matrix-growth factor interactions can be more effectively studied. Here, we explore an early-stage bone regeneration model where the ability of electrospun fibrinogen (Fg) nanofibers to regulate osteoblastogenesis between distinct mesenchymal stem cells populations is assessed. Electrospun scaffolds of Fg, polydioxanone (PDO), and a Fg:PDO blend were seeded with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) and grown for 7-21 days in osteogenic differentiation media or control growth media. Scaffolds were analyzed weekly for histologic and molecular …

The Level Of Nmda Receptor In The Membrane Modulates Amyloid-Β Association And Perforation, Christian Peters, Fernando J. Sepúlveda, Eduardo Fernández-Pérez, Robert W. Peoples, Luis G. Aguayo

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects mostly the elderly. The main histopathological markers are the senile plaques formed by amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) aggregates that can perforate the plasma membrane of cells, increasing the intracellular calcium levels and releasing synaptic vesicles that finally lead to a delayed synaptic failure. Several membrane proteins and lipids interact with Aβ affecting its toxicity in neurons. Here, we focus on NMDA receptors (NMDARs) as proteins that could be modulating the association and neurotoxic perforation induced by Aβ on the plasma membrane. In fact, our results showed that decreasing NMDARs, using enzymatic or siRNA …

Regulation Of Breast Cancer Metastasis By Sin3 Chromatin Remodeling Complexes, Monica Jeanene Lewis

All ETDs from UAB

Metastasis continues to be the most difficult clinical challenge for breast cancer. Survival rates for patients with metastatic breast cancer have not significantly changed in the past 20 years. Therefore, we need a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate breast cancer metastasis to develop effective therapies. SIN3 chromatin remodeling complexes have been implicated in breast cancer progression. Mammalian cells have two paralogs of SIN3 (SIN3A and SIN3B) that are encoded by distinct genes and have unique functions during development. However, specific roles for SIN3A and SIN3B in breast cancer progression have not been characterized. To better understand how …

Ribosomal Protein L12 (Rpl12) As A Novel Target In Cystic Fibrosis, Kathryn E. Oliver

All ETDs from UAB

Approximately 1,000 new cases of cystic fibrosis (CF) are diagnosed in the United States every year. The disease is caused by over 1,700 naturally occurring variants in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Defects in the CFTR coding sequence contribute to variable disease severity in the patient population. The majority of individuals born with CF harbor at least one specific mutation in CFTR termed F508del. Clinical manifestations of CF include severe damage of multiple exocrine tissues, including the lungs, intestine, pancreas, reproductive and other organ systems. An overarching goal of our work is to identify cellular targets that contribute to …

Reorganization Of The Golgi Apparatus During Human Cytomegalovirus Infection, George Michael Rebmann

All ETDs from UAB

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the largest and most structurally complex of all the herpesviruses. HCMV is an important human pathogen that results in significant morbidity and disease in immunocompromised individuals. The assembly of herpesviruses is complex and involves a nuclear and cytoplasmic phase. The nuclear events of capsid assembly and genome incorporation as well as nuclear egress are believed to be similar in all herpesviruses and as such, are more clearly defined then the cytoplasmic phase; including the process of tegument and envelope acquisition. Human Cytomegalovirus induces the reorganization of the cellular secretory pathway including the Golgi apparatus and membranes …

Neurodevelopmental Alterations In A Rodent Model Of Temperamental Differences, Chelsea Mccoy Mccoy

All ETDs from UAB

Understanding biological mechanisms that shape brain development and susceptibility to emotional dysfunction is crucial for generating improved treatments for depression and anxiety disorders. To study neurodevelopmental factors that influence emotionality, we use model rats that were bred for distinct behavioral responses to novelty. Rats bred for low novelty response (LRs) exhibit a high anxiety-/depressive-like phenotype compared to high novelty responder rats (HRs), which vigorously explore novelty and exhibit high impulsivity, aggression, and risk-taking. Transcriptome profiling revealed multiple gene expression differences in the early postnatal hippocampus and amygdala and in the adult amygdala of HR/LR rats. Through gene ontology analysis, we …

Exploring Bacteriophage P22 As A Selective Molecular Scaffold And Molecular Sensor, Gregory Joseph Bedwell

All ETDs from UAB

The virus capsids of many dsDNA bacteriophage are finely tuned macromolecular machines. Their functionality begins at assembly, when their capsids are built under the guidance of a class of proteins referred to as scaffolding proteins. The scaffolding protein of bacteriophage P22 is a flexible, highly elongated protein that binds to the interior surface of the P22 procapsid via its C-terminal domain. The finding that N-terminus is dispensable for procapsid binding prompted the development of chimeric scaffolding protein molecules, wherein N-terminal residues of scaffold are replaced with a variety of different peptide sequences or functional proteins that are then encapsidated within …

Cell Signaling Pathways As Targets For Precision Medicine In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Alice Weaver

All ETDs from UAB

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous disease with high rates of recurrence and mortality. Unlike other cancer types, genome sequencing studies have failed to produce clinically actionable targets to improve HNSCC management. Therefore, alternative methods are needed to study the molecular mechanisms responsible for disease progression and response to therapy. The focus of this research was to determine how dysregulation of cell signaling pathways affects outcomes in HNSCC. In HPV-positive HNSCCs, we hypothesized that HPV induces dysregulation of the DNA damage response which mediates differences in therapeutic sensitivity and survival. We identified a defect in DNA …

Interplay Between Her2, Parp1, And Nf-Κb In Breast Cancer: Potential Therapeutic Implications, Monicka Ewa Wielgos

All ETDs from UAB

We previously reported that HER2+ breast cancers are susceptible to Poly (ADP-Ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) alone, agents that are efficacious against homologous recombination (HR) deficient tumors. However, this phenomenon was determined to be independent of a HR repair deficiency but rather due to suppression of NF-κB activity and signaling by PARP inhibition. Further, HER2 overexpression itself was necessary and sufficient to confer this susceptibility. Interestingly, PARP1 and phosphorylated RelA/p65 (NF-κB) levels were found to be elevated in human HER2+ breast cancers compared to luminal breast cancers. These data suggest a possible interplay between HER2, PARP1, and NF-κB, and how this …

Structural Basis For Lipid-And Calmodulin-Mediated Akt Activation In Breast Cancer Cells, Constance Agamasu

All ETDs from UAB

Growth and survival signals initiated at the cell surface by receptor-ligand interactions often involve a downstream activation of Akt, a serine/threonine kinase critical in regulating cell survival, apoptosis and oncogenesis. Hyper-activation of Akt is a common tumorigenic event, thereby making the Akt activation pathway a prime target for cancer therapy. The translocation of Akt to the plasma membrane (PM) for phosphorylation is a critical step in the Akt activation pathway. It has been established that membrane binding of Akt is mediated by direct interactions between its pleckstrin homology domain (PHD) and membrane lipid phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3]. There is now emerging …

Suppression Of Neutrophil-Mediated Tissue Damage—A Novel Skill Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Dongsheng Jiang, Jana Muschhammer, Yu Qi, Andrea Kügler, Juliane C. De Vries, Mona Saffarzadeh, Anca Sindriaru, Seppe V. Beken, Meinhard Wlaschek, Mark A. Kluth, Christoph Ganss, Natasha Y. Frank, Markus H. Frank, Klaus T. Preissner, Karin Scharffetter-Kochanek

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are crucial for tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Though of prime interest, their potentially protective role on neutrophil-induced tissue damage, associated with high morbidity and mortality, has not been explored in sufficient detail. Here we report the therapeutic skill of MSCs to suppress unrestrained neutrophil activation and to attenuate severe tissue damage in a murine immune-complex mediated vasculitis model of unbalanced neutrophil activation. MSC-mediated neutrophil suppression was due to intercellular adhesion molecule 1-dependent engulfment of neutrophils by MSCs, decreasing overall neutrophil numbers. Similar to MSCs in their endogenous niche of murine and human vasculitis, therapeutically injected MSCs …

Building Online Community On Snac: A Netnographic Study Of The Early Years Sector, Ruth Wallace, Leesa Costello, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

‘‘Build it and they will come,’’ an adage critiqued as a common misconception of participatory engagement with online communities. Previous research indicated that a netnographic approach based upon researcher– participant engagement would provide the best opportunity to build and sustain a successful support community [...].

The Role Of Hydrogen Peroxide In The Modulation Of Capsule Biosynthesis In Streptococcus Pneumoniae Serotype 2, Jocelyn Renee Hauser

All ETDs from UAB

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a gram-positive bacterial pathogen that causes diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, bacteremia and middle ear infections. The major virulence factor of S. pneumoniae is its polysaccharide capsule. The capsule enables the organism to evade host defenses by providing protection against complement-mediated opsonophagocytosis in systemic sites and by allowing the organism to successfully colonize the nasopharynx. The nasopharynx is the natural reservoir of S. pneumoniae. In the nasopharynx, S. pneumoniae is in a high oxygen (O2) environment, however when it has the opportunity to bypass host defenses and invade systemic sites, it reaches environments with low O2. Capsule …

Novel Biomarkers For Parkinson Disease, Kyle Bradley Fraser

All ETDs from UAB

Parkinson disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder for which no treatments exist capable of slowing progression of the disease. One obstacle slowing the development of novel therapies is the lack of molecular biomarkers for PD prognosis, tracking of disease progression, and assessing efficacious target engagement of compounds that do reach clinical trials. Missense mutations in LRRK2 account for between 1-5% of late onset PD and lead to increases in LRRK2 kinase activity and LRRK2 autophosphorylation. This thesis characterizes the secretion of LRRK2 into extracellularly secreted microvesicles called exosomes. We find that kinase-active LRRK2 is secreted within exosomes …

Copper Chaperone In Streptococcus Mutans Biofilm Formation And Dispersion Of Biofilms By Small Molecules, Sandra Stephanie Garcia

All ETDs from UAB

program pilot study randomly assigned 100 women, aged 19 to 25 to two groups. One

Regulation Of The Mitochondrial Thiol Network With Targeted Electrohpiles, Matthew Ryan Smith

All ETDs from UAB

Cells possess a remarkable plasticity to alter their metabolism and change their function based on stimuli within their resident microenvironment. The mitochondria within these cells utilize a variety of sources such as pyruvate, glutamine, or fatty acids in order to generate metabolites, amino acids, and reducing equivalents needed for cellular proliferation.Many mitochondrial enzymes possess contain a cysteine which possesses a thiol group, a unique redox-signaling moiety that can be activated under specific circumstances by bio-reactive compounds forming a network of mitochondrial proteins which are responsible for mitochondrial respiration. However, it is unknown whether targeting these reactive thiol groups present a …

A Requirement For Y841 In Jak3 Enzymatic Activity And Hematopoietic Cancers, George Steven Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A medical need exists for successfully treating people afflicted with leukemia, especially those who develop drug resistant forms. Relapse leukemia cases are particularly high within Hispanic populations where this disease is among the most frequently occurring cancer. Fourteen somatic mutations have been reported in Janus tyrosine kinase 3 (Jak3), including M511I and A573V, from patients with various forms of leukemia. To monitor drug sensitivity, a model system was developed. Indeed, many of these mutations have been shown to possess transforming ability in cell lines such as the IL-3 dependent pro-B cell line Ba/F3. As such, Ba/F3 cells were transformed to …

Examining The Effects Of Anti-Nogo A Immunotherapy On Post-Stroke Neurogenesis In The Adult Rat, Daniel Shepherd

Dissertations

Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability with no pharmacological treatments to restore lost function. Our laboratory has shown that treatment with neutralizing antibodies against the neurite growth-inhibitory protein Nogo-A improves sensorimotor and cognitive recovery after stroke in adult and aged rats. This recovery is paralleled by increased dendritic and axonal plasticity in anti-Nogo-A-treated rats. Neurogenesis, an alternate form of plasticity involving the de novo production of new neurons, may contribute to post-stroke neural repair. While previous studies have found roles for Nogo-A in adult neurogenesis, neurogenesis has not been investigated after stroke and anti-Nogo-A treatment. The goal of …

Cellular Consequences Of Lysosomal Rupture Induced By Alpha Synuclein, Zachary Carpenter Green

Master's Theses

Misfolded, toxic forms of amyloid alpha synuclein (α-syn) have been implicated in Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathology and have been shown to spread throughout the brain in a prion-like manner, explaining the progressive loss of neurons in PD. The mechanisms of spread and cell death are unknown, however, evidence from previous studies suggests that neurons may undergo apoptosis due to the uptake of exogenous α-syn aggregate through the endocytic pathway and subsequent lysosomal rupture.

This study aimed to corroborate previous evidence of α-syn induced lysosomal rupture and investigate the cellular repercussions of rupture with respect to cell death and α-syn transfer. …