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Cell Permeability Studies Of Aapeptides And Novel Molecular Probes For Ad, Ge Bai

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's diseases(AD) has been discovered and under research for more than 70 years, However there is no cure for these progressive and devastating diseases. Based on the following hypothsis: Aß metabolite problem/over production result in the accumulation, and lead to aggregation is the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. AApeptide and Melatonin derivatives can bind to Aß and block the aggregation of β amyloid monomers, decrease the toxicity of Aß to neurons and slow the progressive of Alzheimer’s diseases. In addition, AApeptide which mimic transmembrane peptide Tat will have similar transmembrane function. We have set up our goals as follows: 1) Using …

Hyperpolarized 3he Magnetic Resonance Imaging Ventilation Defects In Asthma: Relationship To Airway Mechanics, Del Leary, Sarah Svenningsen, Fumin Guo, Swati Bhatawadekar, Grace Parraga, Geoffrey N Maksym

Medical Biophysics Publications

In patients with asthma, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides direct measurements of regional ventilation heterogeneity, the etiology of which is not well-understood, nor is the relationship of ventilation abnormalities with lung mechanics. In addition, respiratory resistance and reactance are often abnormal in asthmatics and the frequency dependence of respiratory resistance is thought to reflect ventilation heterogeneity. We acquiredMRIventilation defect maps, forced expiratory volume in one-second (FEV1), and airways resistance (Raw) measurements, and used a computational airway model to explore the relationship of ventilation defect percent (VDP) with simulated measurements of respiratory system resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs).MRIventilation defect maps were …

Functional Plasticity In Somatosensory Cortex Supports Motor Learning By Observing., Heather R Mcgregor, Joshua G A Cashaback, Paul L Gribble

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

An influential idea in neuroscience is that the sensory-motor system is activated when observing the actions of others [1, 2]. This idea has recently been extended to motor learning, in which observation results in sensory-motor plasticity and behavioral changes in both motor and somatosensory domains [3-9]. However, it is unclear how the brain maps visual information onto motor circuits for learning. Here we test the idea that the somatosensory system, and specifically primary somatosensory cortex (S1), plays a role in motor learning by observing. In experiment 1, we applied stimulation to the median nerve to occupy the somatosensory system with …

Week Of April 4, 2016, New York Medical College

InTouch

• School of Medicine Class of 2016 Excels in the Largest Match on Record
• NYMC Honors Founder William Cullen Bryant
• AOA Iota Chapter Hosts 60th Annual Visiting Professor Lecture
• AMWA Honors Padmini Murthy, M.D., M.P.H., FAMWA, FRSPH
• SHSP Hosts Asthma Educator Institute
• Thomas J. Allen Joins NYMC as Director of Capital Projects and Facilities
• IT Student Help Desk is Available in the HSL

Use Of Propensity Score Matching To Identify A Strong Association Between Strategic Concentration To Mitochondria-Sr Associations Of The Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uniporter: Ca2+ Uptake Hotspots In The Cardiac Mitochondria, Sergio De La Fuente, Caitlin Vail, Elorm J. Agra, Kira Holmstrom, Junhui Sun, Jyotsna Mishra, Toren Kinkel, Elizabeth Murphy, Suresh K. Joseph, Shey-Shing Shen, György Csordás

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Posters

Introduction:

• Control of the mitochondrial ATP production by SR-derived Ca²⁺ signals includes local, nanodomain Ca²⁺ transfer from ryanodine receptors (RyR2) to the mitochondrial matrix (excitation-bioenergetics coupling).
• Ca²⁺ crosses the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) via the mtCU, a low-affinity Ca²⁺-activated Ca²⁺ channel complex.
• The surface area of cardiac IMM is extensively enhanced by cristae folding; however, mitoplast patch clamp studies showed mtCU current density the lowest amongst a range of tissues (Fieni 2012. Nat Commun).

Gaining Competencies During Early Medical Training: Medical Students As Teaching Assistants In Dissection-Based Anatomy Course, Martin T. Brown, Bruce Fenderson, Guiyan Zhang

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Posters

Introduction and Objectives

• In 2002, ACGME identified six ACGME Core Competencies: patient care; medical knowledge; practice-based learning and improvement; interpersonal and communication skills; professionalism; and systems-based practice.
• AAMC recommended lists of similar competencies for the curricula of medical schools. Competency based curricula have been widely implemented in medical schools.
• Effective shifting in the graduate medical educational programs has been reported in various clinical specialties.
• There is a lack of reported efforts and development on competency training in early preclinical years of medical education.

Objectives:

• To explore methods for strengthening medical students’ competency training during preclinical undergraduate medical education.
• To measure …

A Subset Of Latency-Reversing Agents Expose Hiv-Infected Resting Cd4+ T-Cells To Recognition By Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes., R. Brad Jones, Stefanie Mueller, Rachel O'Connor, Katherine Rimpel, Derek D Sloan, Allison S. Thomas, Sara Karandish, Szu-Han Huang, +13 More

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Resting CD4+ T-cells harboring inducible HIV proviruses are a critical reservoir in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated subjects. These cells express little to no viral protein, and thus neither die by viral cytopathic effects, nor are efficiently cleared by immune effectors. Elimination of this reservoir is theoretically possible by combining latency-reversing agents (LRAs) with immune effectors, such as CD8+ T-cells. However, the relative efficacy of different LRAs in sensitizing latently-infected cells for recognition by HIV-specific CD8+ T-cells has not been determined. To address this, we developed an assay that utilizes HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell clones as biosensors for HIV antigen expression. By testing …

Better Together

DePaul Magazine

Faculty have taken full advantage of the university's innovative intercollegiate grant program, and the resulting research is as interesting and diverse as the collaborators themselves. What is resulting is research on "Patient and Primary Care Provider Perspectives on Recreational and Therapeutic Cannabis Use Within a Changing Socioculltural and Political Context;" a new minor in climate change science and policy; a new class, Communication, Coding and Entrepreneurship; brain inflammation research; and the project "Cosmology Meets Continental Philosophy: Natural Laws and Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing"

Exploring Oculomotor Trends In Collegiate Athletes, Brett Whorley, Julie A. Honaker

UCARE: Research Products

Collaborative efforts to improve athlete safety without significantly hindering the rules of the games aim to develop a novel system to better measure and diagnose concussions. Provided that common signs of concussions include blurred vision, distant gaze, and dizziness, the Dizziness and Balance Disorders Lab at UNL believes that the simple oculomotor exam studied in this project may be applied to this procedure. Within the broader goal to better understand the causes, signs, symptoms, and prognosis of concussions, researchers desired to further investigate the results of this oculomotor test. The aim was to identify and interpret correlations between collegiate athlete …

A Myriad Of Reasons: Incentives For Innovation In Genetic Research And Diagnostics Post-Myriad, Zachary King

North Carolina Central University Science & Intellectual Property Law Review

No abstract provided.

Intimin Likely Used To Cause Disease During Competition With Commensal Escherichia Coli, Dominique J. Richburg

Senior Honors Theses

The intimin gene in the Locus of Enterocyte Effacement (LEE) island of pathogenicity is the primary attachment mechanism in Citrobacter rodentium. Intimin is a bacterial adhesin (protein) that attaches to obtain a niche/nutrient and thrive within the intestine. Intimin was deleted within C. rodentium to study colonization and pathogenesis in the murine intestine. Additionally, C. rodentium is an attaching/effacing pathogen, and a useful murine model in understanding Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infection in humans. E. coli and C. rodentium cause gastroenteritis in humans and mice, respectively. C. rodentium is a murine pathogen commonly used to model gastrointestinal disease because …

Dissecting The Novel Roles Of Trim56 In Antiviral Innate Immunity, Baoming Liu

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) proteins have emerged as a new class of host antiviral restriction factors, with several demonstrating roles in regulating innate antiviral responses. Of >70 known TRIMs, TRIM56 inhibits replication of bovine viral diarrhea virus, a ruminant pestivirus of the family Flaviviridae, but has no appreciable effect on VSV, a rhabdovirus. We have also shown that TRIM56 forms a complex with the Toll-like receptor-3 (TLR3) adaptor, TRIF, via its C-terminal residues 621-750, and augments TLR3-mediated interferon (IFN) induction and establishment of an antiviral state. Yet, TRIM56’s antiviral spectrum and the precise underlying mechanisms by which TRIM56 executes …

Embryo Adoption As An Ethical Option For Couples Faced With Infertility, Rachel M. Walters

Senior Honors Theses

Embryo adoption takes embryos that are still forming and introduces them into the uterus of a woman with whom they do not share any genetic material. If pregnancy does ensue and continues without complications, the child that will be born will not share any genes with the woman who carried him or her. In addition, if the child is born to parents who already have other children, the children in the adoptive family will share no biological link to the newborn. Essentially, the child will have two families—a biological family and an adoptive family. This thesis will explore and discuss …

Treatment And Prevention Of Human Rotavirus (Hrv) In Developing Countries: The Potential Of Avian Immunoglobulin Y, Christa Brown

Senior Honors Theses

Rotavirus gastroenteritis is a leading cause of childhood mortality, killing ~1400 children younger than five daily, primarily through severe diarrheal dehydration. Eighty-five percent of this mortality occurs in developing countries where rotavirus vaccines are not widely implemented and are only partially effective. In those countries, it has proven difficult to implement the recommended supportive therapies like oral rehydration therapy (ORT) on a wide scale due to lack of both medical infrastructure and private economic investment combined with cultural bias against ORT. IgY targeting human rotavirus (anti-HRV IgY) shows potential as a passive immunotherapy that reduces rotavirus-associated morbidity and mortality, augments …

Treating The Hodgkin's Lymphoma Variant Of Richter's Transformation, Mohammad Faizan Zahid

Medical College Documents

No abstract provided.

Differential Involvement Of Hippocampal Angiotensin 1 Receptors In Learning And Memory Processes In Bulbectomized Rats, Roman Tashev, Margarita Ivanova, Stiliana Belcheva, Iren Belcheva

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

There is conflicting evidence regarding the effect of AT1 receptor antagonists on learning and memory processes. The effects of angiotensin II and losartan administration into CA1 hippocampal area on the avoidance performance in olfactory bulbectomized (OBX) rats using active avoidance (shuttle box) test and passive avoidance (step through) test were investigated. Rats were microinjected unilaterally through implanted guide cannulas into the CA1 area of the dorsal hippocampus and the drugs were administered separately, 5 minutes before each training session. The microinjections of losartan into the left, but not the right CA1 hippocampal area improved the acquisition and retention of active …

The Mind Body Problem, Part Three: Ascension Of Sexual Function To Cerebral Level, Ion G. Motofei, David L. Rowland

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Physiologically, the somatic nervous system intervenes in external interaction between the body and environment, while autonomic nervous system ensures the functioning of internal organs. We present in this paper a psycho-physiological perspective suggesting that mental function (somatic in nature, because coordinates environmental interaction) is closer to and more aligned with the physiologic functioning of autonomic nervous system (due to autonomy, duality, etc.). At opposite end, sexual function (autonomic in nature, erection for example being a parasympathetic vasodilatory reflex) seems to be compatible and even dependent by a somatic participation (erectile response is rather induced by environmental stimuli than internal visceral …

Nrp2 Transcriptionally Regulates Its Downstream Effector Wdfy1., Samikshan Dutta, Sohini Roy, Navatha S. Polavaram, Gustavo B. Baretton, Michael H. Muders, Surinder K. Batra, K Datta

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Neuropilins (NRPs) are cell surface glycoproteins that often act as co-receptors for plexins and VEGF family receptors. Neuropilin-2 (NRP2), a family member of NRPs, was shown to regulate autophagy and endocytic trafficking in cancer cells, a function distinctly different from its role as a co-receptor. WD Repeat and FYVE domain containing 1 (WDFY1)-protein acts downstream of NRP2 for this function. Our results indicated that NRP2 maintains an optimum concentration of WDFY1 by negatively regulating its expression. Since increased expression of WDFY1 reduces the endocytic activity, maintenance of WDFY1 level is crucial in metastatic cancer cells to sustain high endocytic activity, …

Almond Supplementation Reduces Serum Uric Acid In Coronary Artery Disease Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial., Humaira Jamshed, Anwar Gilani, Fateh Ali Tipoo Sultan, Faridah Amin, Jamshed Arslan Arslan, Sumaira Ghani, Madiha Masroor

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective

Elevated serum uric acid (UA), a biomarker of renal insufficiency, is also an independent prognostic marker for morbidity in coronary artery disease (CAD) and poses serious health risks. This study reports the effect of almond consumption on UA in CAD patients.

Study design

A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted with three groups: no-intervention (NI), Pakistani almonds (PA) or American almonds (AA). Patients were recruited from the Cardiology Clinics, Aga Khan University Hospital. Two follow-ups were scheduled at week-6 and week-12. 150 patients were randomly divided in three groups (50 per group). NI was not given almonds, whereas the …

Mobile Application For Biosensor Colorimetric Analysis, Eui Bin You

Honors Theses

Inexpensive paper-based biosensors can be valuable screening tools to test for various illnesses, but it is often challenging to design them to produce a visual change that can easily be identified by untrained users. This research examines one method of compensating for the lack of distinct visual cues by developing and testing a mobile application that uses a machine learning algorithm (k-Nearest Neighbors) to analyze a picture of a sensor and determine whether it shows a positive or negative result. The machine learning algorithm was trained on a set of labeled sensor images and k-fold cross-validation was used to analyze …

Impact Of Individual Acute Phase Serum Amyloid A Isoforms On Hdl Metabolism In Mice, Myung-Hee Kim, Maria C. De Beer, Joanne M. Wroblewski, Richard J. Charnigo, Ailing Ji, Nancy R. Webb, Frederick C. De Beer, Deneys R. Van Der Westhuyzen

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

The acute phase (AP) reactant serum amyloid A (SAA), an HDL apolipoprotein, exhibits pro-inflammatory activities, but its physiological function(s) are poorly understood. Functional differences between SAA1.1 and SAA2.1, the two major SAA isoforms, are unclear. Mice deficient in either isoform were used to investigate plasma isoform effects on HDL structure, composition, and apolipoprotein catabolism. Lack of either isoform did not affect the size of HDL, normally enlarged in the AP, and did not significantly change HDL composition. Plasma clearance rates of HDL apolipoproteins were determined using native HDL particles. The fractional clearance rates (FCRs) of apoA-I, apoA-II, and SAA were …

Current Prevalence Rate Of Latex Allergy: Why It Remains A Problem?, Miaozong Wu, James Mcintosh, Jian Liu

MIIR Faculty Research

OBJECTIVES: This article aims to review the current prevalence rate of latex allergy among healthcare workers, susceptible patients, and the general public, and to investigate why latex is still a ubiquitous occupational health hazard.

METHODS: Scientific publications on PubMed, particularly those published within the last five years, and current regulations from agencies such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were reviewed. Consumer and commercial products that may contain latex were also surveyed.

RESULTS: Approximately 12 million tons of natural rubber latex is produced annually and is widely used to manufacture millions of consumer and commercial products. Only limited number of …

Modulation Of Whole Cell Currents In Human Neuroblastoma Cells Via The Hormone Aldosterone: An In Vitro Study, Harish Kumar Chittam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ion channels play a critical role in maintaining homeostasis by moving various ions in and out of cells. The Na⁺-K⁺-2Cl^- or NKCC1 ion channel is involved in the regulation of Na⁺, K⁺, and Cl^- across cell membranes, and plays a key role in many forms of cellular physiology. In the cochlea, NKCC1 is involved in endolymph production and maintenance of the endocochlear potential. Our hypothesis is that blocking NKCC1 channels should directly impact auditory sensitivity causing hearing loss. Our lab has also shown that the hormone aldosterone (ALD) can upregulate …

Male Psychological Adaptation To Unsuccessful Medically Assisted Reproduction Treatments: A Systematic Review, Mariana Veloso Martins, Miguel Basto-Pereira, Juliana Pedro, Brennan Peterson, Vasco Almeida, Lone Schmidt, Maria Emília Costa

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

BACKGROUND Similarly to women, men suffer from engaging in fertility treatments, both physically and psychologically. Although there is a vast body of evidence on the emotional adjustment of women to infertility, there are no systematic reviews focusing on men's psychological adaptation to infertility and related treatments.

OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The main research questions addressed in this review were ‘Does male psychological adaptation to unsuccessful medically assisted reproduction (MAR) treatment vary over time?’ and ‘Which psychosocial variables act as protective or risk factors for psychological maladaptation?’

SEARCH METHODS A literature search was conducted from inception to September 2015 on five databases …

Variants In Cxcr4 Associate With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Susceptibility., Terri H. Finkel, Jin Li, Zhi Wei, Wei Wang, Haitao Zhang, Edward M. Behrens, Emma L. Reuschel, Sophie Limou, Carol Wise, Marilynn Punaro, Mara L. Becker, Jane E. Munro, Berit Flatø, Øystein Førre, Susan D. Thompson, Carl D. Langefeld, David N. Glass, Joseph T. Glessner, Cecilia E. Kim, Edward Frackelton, Debra K. Shivers, Kelly A. Thomas, Rosetta M. Chiavacci, Cuiping Hou, Kexiang Xu, James Snyder, Haijun Qiu, Frank Mentch, Kai Wang, Cheryl A. Winkler, Benedicte A. Lie, Justine A. Ellis, Hakon Hakonarson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic rheumatic disease among children, the etiology of which involves a strong genetic component, but much of the underlying genetic determinants still remain unknown. Our aim was to identify novel genetic variants that predispose to JIA.

METHODS: We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and replication in a total of 1166 JIA cases and 9500 unrelated controls of European ancestry. Correlation of SNP genotype and gene expression was investigated. Then we conducted targeted resequencing of a candidate locus, among a subset of 480 cases and 480 controls. SUM test was performed …

Hiv-1 Cellular And Tissue Replication Patterns In Infected Humanized Mice., Mariluz Araínga, Hang Su, Larisa Y Poluektova, Santhi Gorantla, Howard Gendelman

Journal Articles: Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience

Humanized mice have emerged as a testing platform for HIV-1 pathobiology by reflecting natural human disease processes. Their use to study HIV-1 biology, virology, immunology, pathogenesis and therapeutic development has served as a robust alternative to more-well developed animal models for HIV/AIDS. A critical component in reflecting such human pathobiology rests in defining the tissue and cellular sites for HIV-1 infection. To this end, we examined the tissue sites for viral infection in bone marrow, blood, spleens, liver, gut, brain, kidney and lungs of human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cell engrafted virus-infected NOD.Cg-Prkdc(scid) Il2rg(tm1Wjl)/SzJ mice. Cells were analyzed by flow cytometry …

Hiv-1 Cellular And Tissue Replication Patterns In Infected Humanized Mice., Mariluz Araínga, Hang Su, Larisa Y Poluektova, Santhi Gorantla, Howard Gendelman

Journal Articles: Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience

Humanized mice have emerged as a testing platform for HIV-1 pathobiology by reflecting natural human disease processes. Their use to study HIV-1 biology, virology, immunology, pathogenesis and therapeutic development has served as a robust alternative to more-well developed animal models for HIV/AIDS. A critical component in reflecting such human pathobiology rests in defining the tissue and cellular sites for HIV-1 infection. To this end, we examined the tissue sites for viral infection in bone marrow, blood, spleens, liver, gut, brain, kidney and lungs of human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cell engrafted virus-infected NOD.Cg-Prkdc(scid) Il2rg(tm1Wjl)/SzJ mice. Cells were analyzed by flow cytometry …

The Homophilic Domain – An Immunological Archetype, Heinz Kohler, Jagadeesh Bayry, Srinivas V. Kaveri

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

The homophilic potential emerges as an important biological principle to boost the potency of immunoglobulins. Since homophilic antibodies in human and mouse sera exist prior environmental exposure, they are part of the natural antibody repertoire. Nevertheless, hemophilic properties are also identified in induced antibody repertoire. The use of homophilicity of antibodies in the adaptive immunity signifies an archetypic antibody structure. The unique feature of homophilicity in the antibody repertoire also highlights an important mechanism to boost the antibody potency to protect against infection and atherosclerosis as well to treat cancer patients.

Week Of March 21, 2016, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Lori Solomon, M.D. '99, M.P.H. '09, Is Named Associate Dean for Community Health Affairs for the School of Medicine
• 28th Annual GSRF Highlights Impressive Student Research
• Town Hall Meeting Introduces NYMC TouroOne Student Portal

The Inhibitory Site Of A Diguanylate Cyclase Is A Necessary Element For Interaction And Signaling With An Effector Protein, Kurt M. Dahlstrom, Krista M. Giglio, Holger Sondermann, George A. O'Toole

Dartmouth Scholarship

Many bacteria contain large cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) signaling networks made of diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) and phosphodiesterases that can direct cellular activities sensitive to c-di-GMP levels. While DGCs synthesize c-di-GMP, many DGCs also contain an autoinhibitory site (I-site) that binds c-di-GMP to halt excess production of this small molecule, thus controlling the amount of c-di-GMP available to bind to target proteins in the cell. Many DGCs studied to date have also been found to signal for a specific c-di-GMP-related process, and although recent studies have suggested that physical interaction between DGCs and target proteins may provide this signaling fidelity, the importance …