Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Anthropogenic Environmental Modifications On Malaria Vectors In Amazonian Peru And Brazil, Catharine Prussing

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Malaria is the most deadly vector borne disease, causing substantial morbidity and hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide each year. In the Americas, the incidence of malaria has increased steadily since 2014. The factors driving continued malaria transmission are complex and highly variable across endemic areas. These factors include inadequate access and financial commitment to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and a failure to target interventions to heterogeneous malaria transmission patterns and vector populations. Nyssorhynchus darlingi (formerly Anopheles darlingi), the predominant malaria vector in Latin America, is known for behavioral, phenotypic, and genetic variability across its range, which allow it to …

Phytochemical Investigation And Drug Interaction Potential Of Cyanotis Vaga, Ibrahim Almarabi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cyanotis. vaga (Lour.) Schult, & Schult. f. (C. vaga) previously called Tradescantia vaga and Cyanotis barbata, is a perennial herb. It is native to Eastern Asia and Tropical Africa. It has been reported that its decoction reduces fever and enhances well-being. Recently, C. vaga has been used widely for its anabolic effects, due to its richness of ecdysteroids. Even though C. vaga is a commedicinal plant (dietary supplement), there are no reports about its effect on the drug metabolizing enzyme Cytochromes P450 to predict its interaction with concomitantly used medications. In this study, eight ecdysteroids were isolated …

Synthesis And Bioevaluation Of Methionine Depletion Agents, Houssine Ikhlef

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The native polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) are low molecular weight amines that exist as polycations at physiological pH. These polycations interact with DNA, RNA, and influence many cellular processes. Intracellular polyamine levels are maintained via a balance of polyamine biosynthesis, catabolism, and transport. Ornithine, an amino acid obtained from L-arginine, is decarboxylated by ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) to form putrescine. The biosynthesis of the higher polyamines, spermidine and spermine, requires the addition of an amino-propyl group donated by decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine (dc-SAM), which itself is derived from the amino acid L-methionine (Met). Tumor cells are heavily reliant on methionine because it …

The Revolution Will Be Open-Source: How 3d Bioprinting Can Change 3d Cell Culture, Robert D. Bruno, John Reid, Patrick C. Sachs

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

(First paragraph) The development of three-dimensional culture scaffolds represents a revolutionary step forward for in vitro culture systems. Various synthetic and naturally occurring substrates have been developed that support 3D growth of cells. In most fields, including mammary gland biology and tumorigenesis, the two most common substrates used are the basement membrane rich extracellur matrix (ECM) isolated from EngelbrethHolm-Swarm (EHS) mouse sarcomas (e.g. Matrigel) and collagen extracted from rat-tails. The processes of 3D culture in these two substrates has remained unchanged for nearly half a century: cells are either mixed with unpolymerized matrix to disperse them randomly throughout the substrate …

Phytochemicals With Α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity From Cissus Javana, Dendrobium Christyanum, Gastrochilus Bellinus And Huberantha Jenkinsii, Htoo Tint San

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Phytochemical investigations of Cissus javana DC., Dendrobium christyanum Rchb. f., Gastrochilus bellinus Rchb. f. Kuntze and Huberantha jenkinsii (Hook. f. & Thomson) Chaowasku led to the isolation of twenty-seven compounds, six of which were new naturally occurring compounds. From Cissus javana, three known compounds were isolated, including bergenin, stigmast-4-en-3-one, and β-sitosterol. From Dendrobium christyanum, thirteen known compounds were identified, namely, n-eicosyl trans-ferulate, n-docosyl 4-hydroxy-trans-cinnamate, 4,5-dihydroxy-2-methoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene, moscatilin, aloifol I, gigantol, batatasin III, dendrosinen B, coniferyl aldehyde, methyl haematommate, atraric acid, vanillin and diorcinolic acid. From Gastrochilus bellinus, four new compounds, comprising three phenanthropyrans and a phenanthrene derivative, were isolated and structurally …

Standardization Of Leaf And Stem Of Thunbergia Laurifolia And Quantitative Analysis Of Rosmarinic Acid In Selected Thai Medicinal Plants, Parichart Hongsing

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Rang-Jued or Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl. is a species in family Thunbergiaceae. In Thailand, leaf and stem of T. laurifolia are used to treat fever, inflammation, as well as antidotes. Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton or Nga-Kee-Mon belongs to Labiatae family. The leaf of P. frutescens is used to treat allergy, fever and inflammation. Rosmarinic acid is the active compound in both plants which was used as a standard marker in this study. Quantification of rosmarinic acid in the three samples using TLC-densitometry and TLC-image analysis were not statistically significantly different (P > 0.05). The pharmacognostic specification of T. laurifolia leaf and stem …

Epidemiological Surveillance Of Feline Morbillivirus Infection In The Aspects Of Polymerase Chain Reaction, Indirect Elisa And Immunohistochemistry, Surangkanang Chaiyasak

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Feline morbillivirus (FeMV), a relatively new virus, has been discovered in domestic cats and associated with kidney diseases since 2012 in Hong Kong. The FeMV study gained widely attentions in many countries whereas the pathogenesis remains elusive. These studies aimed to provide the FeMV knowledge in Thai domestic cat by performing the genetic-based, serological-based and pathological-based studies of FeMV-infected in Thai cats. Additionally, the indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and rabbit polyclonal antibody against FeMV matrix (FeMV-M) protein was produced for seroprevalence and viral localization by immunohistochemistry (IHC) techniques, respectively. Our results revealed the FeMV RNA prevalence at 11.9% …

Chemical Modifications Of Α-Mangostin For Cytotoxic Study On Lung Cancer Cell Lines, Nan Yadanar Lin Pyae

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

α-Mangostin is a natural oxygenated and prenylated xanthone, which is mainly isolated from the pericarps of Garcinia mangostana. It possesses numerous pharmacological properties and promising therapeutic effects. However, the limitations of α-mangostin such as highly hydrophobicity and poor bioavailability hider its therapeutic applications. To overcome these drawbacks of α-mangostin, chemical modifications have been performed to discover the improved analogs. Herein, two semi-synthetic approaches to obtain new α-mangostin derivatives were investigated by the modifications of the phenolic hydroxy groups at C-3 and C-6 positions involving Smiles rearrangement to install amine functional groups and the addition reaction of isocyanate to form the …

Real-Time Classification Of Multivariate Olfaction Data Using Spiking Neural Networks, Arnup Vanarse, Adam Osseiran, Alexander Rassau, Therese O'Sullivan, Jonny Lo, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Recent studies in bioinspired artificial olfaction, especially those detailing the application of spike-based neuromorphic methods, have led to promising developments towards overcoming the limitations of traditional approaches, such as complexity in handling multivariate data, computational and power requirements, poor accuracy, and substantial delay for processing and classification of odors. Rank-order-based olfactory systems provide an interesting approach for detection of target gases by encoding multi-variate data generated by artificial olfactory systems into temporal signatures. However, the utilization of traditional pattern-matching methods and unpredictable shuffling of spikes in the rank-order impedes the performance of the system. In this paper, we present an …

Research News. Publications, 2018. Volume 2, University Of Mississippi. School Of Pharmacy, Soumyajit Majumdar

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period July 1 through December 31, 2018

Developing Of Micellar Drug Carriers For The Treatment Of Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis, Tong Liu

Theses & Dissertations

Breast cancer (BC) remains one of the most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide. Bone is one of the most common sites and often the first clinical indication of metastatic progression of BC. Current treatments including radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy are rarely curative with limited effect in overall survival. The challenge is true especially for patients with triple-negative BC that are not responsive to receptor-targeted therapy, or patients who had exposure to chemotherapy before and might already gain the resistance to some of the drugs.

Here we took advantage of the aminobisphosphonate, alendronate (ALN), that can bind to the bone mineral efficiently …

Sitc 2018 Workshop Report: Immuno-Oncology Biomarkers: State Of The Art., Lisa H Butterfield, Mary L Disis, Bernard A Fox, David R Kaufman, Samir N Khleif, Ena Wang

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Identification of biomarkers in cancer immunotherapy that predict therapeutic response and/or limit adverse events are a critical need in the field. To address recent progress and hurdles around cancer biomarker development and utilization, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) convened a workshop, "Immuno-Oncology Biomarkers: State of the Art," on May 16-17, 2018. Topics discussed included challenges in handling biospecimens, identification and validation of new biomarkers, data sharing, and collaborating across disciplines to advance biomarker development. Panel discussions followed session presentations to help foster participant conversation and discuss future projects and collaborations. The results of the Workshop include the development …

Understanding The Role Of Epstein - Barr Virus Encoded Rnas (Ebers) In Ebv Biology, Waqar Ahmed

Medical Education Dissertations

Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is an oncogenic herpesvirus aetiologically linked to several human malignancies of epithelial and lymphoid origins. An accumulating body of data indicates that EBV-infected cells release specific viral components in nano-vesicles called exosomes. Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNAs (EBER1 and EBER2) are two highly abundant, non-protein coding RNAs that are consistently expressed in all EBV latency programs. Conventional in situ hybridization (ISH) studies have indicated that these RNAs are typically found in the nucleus of EBV-infected cells. Recently, it was reported that EBERs are released out of the infected cells. However, the mechanism by which these highly abundant …

Acoustofluidics And Soft Materials Interfaces For Biomedical Applications, Frank A. Fencl

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

This dissertation describes fabrication of devices and other tools for biomedical applications through the integration of acoustofluidic systems with bio separation assays, instrumentation components, and soft materials interfaces. For example, we engineer a new class of transparent acoustic flow chambers ideal for optical interrogation. We demonstrate efficacy of these devices by enhancing the signal for high throughput acoustic flow cytometry, capable of robust particle focusing across multiple parallel flowing streams. We also investigate an automated sampling system to determine the parameters of transient particle stream focusing in between sample boluses and air bubbles to model a high throughput, multi-sampling acoustic …

Validation Of A New Concept For Measuring Respirable Dusts, Xiao Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sampling of airborne dust in industry is influenced by the potential health effects associated with human exposure. Health effects depend on mass concentration and particle size which influences the site of pulmonary deposition. Occupational diseases tend to be associated with dust deposition in specific regions of the respiratory tract. The ACGIH size selective TLVs are expressed in three forms: Inhalable Particulate Matter, Thoracic Particulate Matter, and Respirable Particulate Matter. In pneuomoconioses, the amount of dust deposited in the lungs can be estimated by sampling the respirable fraction. Dose-response relationships are derived by relating the health experience of workers to the …

Intranasal Rapamycin Ameliorates Alzheimer-Like Cognitive Decline In A Mouse Model Of Down Syndrome, Antonella Tramutola, Chiara Lanzillotta, Eugenio Barone, Andrea Arena, Ilaria Zuliani, Luciana Mosca, Carla Blarzino, D. Allan Butterfield, Marzia Perluigi, Fabio Di Domenico

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Background: Down syndrome (DS) individuals, by the age of 40s, are at increased risk to develop Alzheimer-like dementia, with deposition in brain of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Our laboratory recently demonstrated the disturbance of PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis in DS brain, prior and after the development of Alzheimer Disease (AD). The aberrant modulation of the mTOR signalling in DS and AD age-related cognitive decline affects crucial neuronal pathways, including insulin signaling and autophagy, involved in pathology onset and progression. Within this context, the therapeutic use of mTOR-inhibitors may prevent/attenuate the neurodegenerative phenomena. By our work we aimed to rescue mTOR signalling …

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Phaeosphaeride A Derivatives As Antitumor Agents, Victoria Abzianidze, Petr Beltyukov, Sofya Zakharenkova, Natalia Moiseeva, Jennifer Mejia, Alvin Holder, Yuri Trishin, Alexander Berestetskiy, Victor Kuznetsov

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

New derivatives of phaeosphaeride A (PPA) were synthesized and characterized. Anti-tumor activity studies were carried out on the HCT-116, PC3, MCF-7, A549, К562, NCI-Н929, Jurkat, THP-1, RPMI8228 tumor cell lines, and on the HEF cell line. All of the compounds synthesized were found to have better efficacy than PPA towards the tumor cell lines mentioned. Compound 6 was potent against six cancer cell lines, HCT-116, PC-3, K562, NCI-H929, Jurkat, and RPMI8226, showing a 47, 13.5, 16, 4, 1.5, and 7-fold increase in anticancer activity comparative to those of etoposide, respectively. Compound 1 possessed selectivity toward the NCI-H929 cell line (IC …

Dual Inhibition Of Bcl-2/Bcl-Xl And Xpo1 Is Synthetically Lethal In Glioblastoma Model Systems, Enyuan Shang, Yiru Zhang, Chang Shu, Chiaki Tsuge Ishida, Elena Bianchetti, Mike-Andrew Westhoff, Georg Karpel-Massler, Markus D. Siegelin

Publications and Research

XPO1 has recently emerged as a viable treatment target for solid malignancies, including glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults. However, given that tumors become commonly resistant to single treatments, the identification of combination therapies is critical. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that inhibition of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members and XPO1 are synthetically lethal. To this purpose, two clinically validated drug compounds, the BH3-mimetic, ABT263, and the XPO1 inhibitor, Selinexor, were used in preclinical GBM model systems. Our results show that inhibition of XPO1 reduces cellular viability in glioblastoma cell cultures. Moreover, addition of ABT263 significantly …

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome In India: A Socio-Cultural Perspective, Hannah Wickham

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the ways in which cultural determinants affect the health-seeking, diagnosis and treatment process of women with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) as well as the underlying socio-cultural causes of the illness. Often coined as a “lifestyle disease”, PCOS is becoming a growing concern of physicians and women alike as its prevalence is on the rise with no signs of slowing down. Lifestyle, stigmas/taboos, PCOS’s effect on identity, and quality of life are all areas that are examined throughout this paper. A mixture of patients’ and doctors’ perspectives on PCOS were gathered throughout a three-week time period in …

Development And Commissioning Of An Independent Peer Review System For A Small Animal Irradiator, Mary Peters

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Dosimetry for small animal irradiators lacks the standardization of clinical radiotherapy practice, yet plays a central translational role in human trial design. The purpose of this work was to improve the dosimetric accuracy and consistency of animal studies by developing an independent peer review system to verify dose delivery from animal irradiators. This study focused on the development of a mouse phantom and characterization of the thermoluminescent dosimetry system for a commonly used small animal irradiator.

First, a mouse model and irradiation stand were designed with the purpose of being used in a mailable audit. Two mouse phantoms were machined …

Development And Characterization Of Reporter-Expressing Zika Viruses, Michael E. Woolley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In recent years, Zika virus (ZIKV) has garnered worldwide attention due to its epidemic spread throughout the Americas and due to the newly recognized link between ZIKV infection and neurological diseases, including microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. ZIKV is a mosquito-borne member of the genus Flavivirus, which includes the other prominent human pathogens Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus. Many questions about the biology of ZIKV and how it causes disease remain unanswered. Furthermore, there currently are no vaccines or licensed antiviral drugs available to treat ZIKV infection. The goal of this study was to …

Research News. Publications, 2018. Volume 1, University Of Mississippi. School Of Pharmacy, Soumyajit Majumdar

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period January 1 through June 30, 2018

Deciphering The Role Of Human Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase 1 (Nat1) In Breast Cancer Cell Metabolism Using A Systems Biology Approach., Samantha Marie Carlisle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Human arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) is a phase II xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme found in almost all tissues. NAT1 can additionally hydrolyze acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) in the absence of an arylamine substrate. NAT1 expression varies inter-individually and is elevated in several cancers including estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancers. Additionally, multiple studies have shown the knockdown of NAT1, by both small molecule inhibition and siRNA methods, in breast cancer cells leads to decreased invasive ability and proliferation and decreased anchorage-independent colony formation. However, the exact mechanism by which NAT1 expression affects cancer risk and progression remains unclear. Additionally, consequences …

Jefferson Digital Commons Quarterly Report: April-June 2018, Kelsey Duinkerken, Msi, James Copeland, Libt

Jefferson Digital Commons Reports

This quarterly report includes:

• New Feature: PlumX Metrics
• New Feature: CrossRef DOIs
• College Restructuring
• Articles
• CREATE Day Presentations
• Department of Surgery Resident Research Day
• Dissertations
• From the Archives
• Grand Rounds and Lectures
• Master of Public Health Capstones
• Newsletters
• Pathology Honors Program Student Research Symposium
• Posters
• What People are Saying About the JDC

Ripple Effects Of The Belo Monte Dam: A Syndemic Approach To Addressing Health Impacts For The Downstream Community Of Gurupá, Cynthia A. Pace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the public health impacts of a large dam project on a downstream community using the framework of Syndemic Theory. The particular focus is the Belo Monte Dam, located in the Brazilian Amazon, and its impact on the community of Gurupá, Pará. At the present time the Belo Monte Dam, which is nearing completion, stands out in scale as being the world’s third largest dam complex. Gurupá is a community well known (and well-studied) in the social science literature as Amazon Town. The aims of this study are to assess the pre-existing public health of Gurupá, as well …

The Association Of Kangaroo Mother Care, Energy Conservation, And Bonding In Preterm Neonates, Dorothy Forde

Dissertations

Purpose:To examine the association of kangaroo mother care (KMC) on energy utilization and bonding as evidenced by reduced biochemical markers of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) degradation, hypoxanthine (Hx), xanthine (Xa), and uric acid (UA), and (allantoin), a measure of oxidative stress in preterm infants 24-36 weeks gestation. A secondary objective was to compare specific physiological parameters using bedside monitoring and perfusion and oxygenation of the gut using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during 1 hour of KMC compared to incubator care.

Study design: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining the effects of 1-hour of KMC or 1-hour incubator care on urinary markers …

Site-Selective Modification Of Peptides And Proteins Via Organocatalyzed Henry Reaction, Zilma Pereira Muneeswaran

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

In this research, peptides and protein containing serine on the N-terminus underwent site-selective modification following organocatalyzed bioconjugation that offered an additional functional group. It was shown that transforming the N-terminus serine to an aldehyde allowed site-specific bioconjugation to occur by utilizing the well-known Henry reaction. This method also grants a safer pathway for bioconjugation utilizing “green-chemistry” and biocompatible conditions. Amino acids and amino acid derived organocatalysts were utilized in the Henry reaction resulting in yields of up to 86 % conversion. Promising preliminary results were achieved in this research using peptides and myoglobin as the bioconjugation targets. Further investigation to …

Hazardous Drug Administration In The Home Setting: Reducing Exposure Risks, Cynthia D. Huff Msn, Rn, Ocn, Crni, Cnl

Master's Projects and Capstones

Hazardous drug (HD) administration used to be contained in controlled-healthcare settings, however, the introduction of HDs for home administration has become a growing area of concern for home health agencies. The objectives of the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) project aims to improve homecare nurses' knowledge of HDs and improve competency with personal protective equipment (PPE). The microsystem provides short-term homecare services for acute and chronically-ill patients. One team leader, two home infusion coordinators, and twelve registered infusion nurses participated in learning about exposure risks and PPE use with HD administration. Kotter's 8-step change theory was used to develop behavior change …

Next Generation Of Translational Long-Acting Cabotegravir, Tian Zhou

Theses & Dissertations

Recent development of long-acting antiretroviral therapeutic regimens has opened a new chapter for HIV/AIDS management. Cabotegravir (CAB), as one of the very first long-acting antiretroviral regimens, has drawn tremendous attention. However, the remaining challenges include suboptimal dosing intervals, large injection volume, injection site reactions, lack of tissue penetration, etc. As one of the pioneers in this field, our lab was successful in harnessing mononuclear phagocytes as “Trojan horses” for antiretroviral drug delivery and transportation to viral reservoirs. We proposed this targeted delivery strategy could address the limitations of current CAB formulation. To this end, we developed folic acid decorated CAB …

Total Synthesis Of 6,7-Dimethyl-N-Methyl Aziridinomitosene, Thaaer N. Muhammed

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Mitomycin C (MC) is a naturally occurring antitumor agent isolated from a soil bacterium. MC is effective against solid hypoxic tumors that respond poorly to radiotherapy, such as colorectal, gastric, and lung tumors. Also, it has a role in the treatment of bladder, head and neck, and non-small cell lung cancers in combination with other chemotherapeutic.

MC and other members of the mitomycin family of antitumor agents fight cancer by forming DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), which leads to apoptosis. In order to form ICLs, MC requires a reductive activation step that produces reactive oxygen species. This activation step is proposed …