Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploratory Statistical Method For Finding Interactions In A Large Dataset With An Application Toward Periodontal Diseases, Joshua Lambert

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

It is estimated that Periodontal Diseases effects up to 90% of the adult population. Given the complexity of the host environment, many factors contribute to expression of the disease. Age, Gender, Socioeconomic Status, Smoking Status, and Race/Ethnicity are all known risk factors, as well as a handful of known comorbidities. Certain vitamins and minerals have been shown to be protective for the disease, while some toxins and chemicals have been associated with an increased prevalence. The role of toxins, chemicals, vitamins, and minerals in relation to disease is believed to be complex and potentially modified by known risk factors. A …

Expression Of Fam171b Protein In Mouse Brain Tissue, Quan Tran

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are inherited fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by expansion of trinucleotide cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats, encoding abnormally long glutamine tracts in respective disease proteins. Currently, there are nine polyQ diseases- including Huntington’s disease and a number of Spinocerebellar ataxias. Interestingly, expanded polyQ proteins are prone to aggregate, and this aggregation may underlie neurodegeneration. In this study, we investigate the expression and localization of FAM171B (a novel polyQ protein) in the brain. Western blotting reveals that FAM171B protein is indeed expressed in the developing and adult mouse brain. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analyses suggests widespread localization of FAM171B to many brain regions …

Identification Of Cdks As Novel Targets Of Aspirin And Its Metabolites: A Potential Role In Cancer Prevention, Rakesh Dachineni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background:
The pursuit of drugs that inhibit cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) has been an intense area of research for more than 15 years. Till date, although multiple CDK inhibitors have been identified and few are undergoing clinical trials, only two synthetic drugs have been approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the treatment of cancer. These two drugs are mainly used for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer in combination with other drugs; however they have toxicity associated with their use and extends patients life not more than 24 months. Therefore, there is an urgent need for …

Hydrogen Sulfide Regulation Of Kir Channels, Junghoon Ha

Theses and Dissertations

Inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels establish and regulate the resting membrane potential of excitable cells in the heart, brain and other peripheral tissues. Phosphatidylinositol- 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) is a key direct activator of ion channels, including Kir channels. Gasotransmitters, such as carbon monoxide (CO), have been reported to regulate the activity of Kir channels by altering channel-PIP2 interactions. We tested, in a model system, the effects and mechanism of action of another important gasotransmitter, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) thought to play a key role in cellular responses under ischemic conditions. Direct administration of sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS), as an exogenous H2S source, …

Biofunctionalized Capillary Flow Channel Platform Integrated With 3d Nanostructured Matrix To Capture Circulating Tumor Cells, Shashwat Banerjee, Ganesh Khutale, Vrushali Khobragade, Narendra Kale, Milind Pore, Govind Chate, Archana Jalota-Badhwar, Manoj Dongare, Jayant Khandare

Articles

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from peripheral blood account genetic information for cancer diagnosis and overall disease monitoring. Analysis of “liquid biopsy” holds immense promise as it may lead to new approaches for cancer treatment. The study reports effective and continuous flow microchannel system for isolating CTCs using transferrin conjugated 3D matrix synthesized by crosslinking polyethylene glycol-Fe3O4 nanostructures for rapid and efficient capturing of CTCs. The platform provides option of using multiple microchannel units in series that can influence higher cell-capture efficiency due to increasing cell-substrate contact frequency. CTCs are captured with high efficiency even at low concentration of target cells …

Fluorescent Probe Development For Fructose Specific Transporters In Cancer, Joseph Fedie

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Carbohydrate transporters or GLUTs of the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) are responsible for transporting sugars into the cell and have been of research interest for decades. Disruptions, mutations, and over-activations of GLUTs have been linked to a number of major diseases including cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Differentiating between transporters is incredibly difficult due to highly conserved structures, and so specific targeting between transporters has proven a complex challenge. GLUTs are highly flexible in their conformations however exactly what will and will not pass through the transporter is ambiguous at best, and many attempt to target these transporters have failed.

In …

Molecular Detection Of Nosema Spp. And Black Queen-Cell Virusin Honeybees In Van Province, Turkey, Beki̇r Oğuz, Zeynep Karapinar, Ender Di̇nçer, Mustafa Serdar Değer

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was planned to determine the prevalences of the Nosema spp. and the black queen-cell virus (BQCV) among honeybees (Apis mellifera) raised in the province of Van by PCR and to determine the molecular characteristics of the determined isolates. A total of 260 adult worker bees from 26 colonies at 5 apiary locations belonging to the province of Van in April and May 2015 were collected for this reason. Samples were examined microscopically. In the case of positivity, spore identification was done by multiplex PCR. Reverse transcription/PCR analysis (RT/PCR) was carried out for the BQCV analysis. At the end …

Polymeric Nanocarriers For Delivery Of Small Molecules And Mirnas For The Treatment Of Liver Fibrosis And Pancreatic Cancer, Virender Kumar

Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to develop combination therapy of small molecules and miRNAs for treating liver fibrosis and pancreatic cancer. New amphiphilic biodegradable polymers capable of carrying small hydrophobic molecules and hydrophilic anionic nucleic acids were synthesized, characterized and evaluated in vitro and in vivo liver fibrosis and pancreatic cancer mouse models.

In Chapter 1, an overview of liver fibrosis, current treatments and the role of miRNAs in liver fibrosis as well as the design of their delivery systems is given. Further, a general introduction to pancreatic cancer and role of miRNAs in pancreatic cancer is given. In …

The Complex Evolutionary History Of Aminoacyl-Trna Synthetases, Anargyros Chaliotis, Panayotis Vlastaridis, Dimitris Mossialos, Michael Ibba, Hubert D. Becker, Constantinos Stathopoulos, Grigorios D. Amoutzias

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) are a superfamily of enzymes responsible for the faithful translation of the genetic code and have lately become a prominent target for synthetic biologists. Our large-scale analysis of >2500 prokaryotic genomes reveals the complex evolutionary history of these enzymes and their paralogs, in which horizontal gene transfer played an important role. These results show that a widespread belief in the evolutionary stability of this superfamily is misconceived. Although AlaRS, GlyRS, LeuRS, IleRS, ValRS are the most stable members of the family, GluRS, LysRS and CysRS often have paralogs, whereas AsnRS, GlnRS, PylRS and SepRS are often absent …

Shorter Remission Telomere Length Predicts Delayed Neutrophil Recovery After Acute Myeloid Leukemia Therapy: A Report From The Children's Oncology Group., Robert B. Gerbing, Todd A. Alonzo, Lillian Sung, Alan S. Gamis, Soheil Meshinchi, Sharon E. Plon, Alison A. Bertuch, Maria M. Gramatges

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Purpose Suboptimal outcomes for children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) necessitate maximally intensive therapy. Consequently, serious adverse events, such as prolonged periods of profound myelosuppression, contribute to AML treatment-related mortality. Telomeres, the repetitive DNA-protein structures at chromosome ends, influence cellular replicative capacity in that critically short telomeres can induce cell senescence or apoptosis. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of telomere length on duration of post-therapy neutropenia in a pediatric AML cohort. Patients and Methods Patients were diagnosed with de novo AML, enrolled in Children's Oncology Group study AAML0531, and included those with (n = 53) and without (n …

Structural And Dynamic Analysis Of Wild And Splice Variants Human Μ-Opiod Receptors In Complex With Morphine And Ibntxa And Human Topoisomerase Ii Alpha Mutational Basis Of Amsacrine Resistance, Safaa Sader

Theses and Dissertations

Morphine prescribing is limited by its high addiction tendency and other serious effects. Recent animal’s biological studies on Mu 6TM splice variants, which mainly include G1, G2 and Mu3, supported a high safety and potency profiles of IBNtxA as potential alternative of Morphine. Nevertheless, there is no high-resolution structures of these 6TM variants, and the detailed structural features and dynamic characteristics of these splice variants remain elusive. We applied homology modeling and MD simulation to probe the structural, dynamic and ligand binding differences between the wild type (7TM) and two major truncated 6TM variants (G1 and G2). MD results underscored …

Incidence And Duration Of Type-Specific Human Papillomavirus Infection In High-Risk Hpv-Naïve Women: Results From The Control Arm Of A Phase Ii Hpv-16/18 Vaccine Trial, Agnihotram V. Ramanakumar, Paulo Naud, Cecilia M. Roteli-Martins, Newton S. De Carvalho, Paola C. De Borba, Julio C. Teixeira, Mark Blatter, Anna-Barbara Moscicki, Diane M. Harper, Barbara Romanowski, Stephen K. Tyring, Brian Ramjattan, Anne Schuind, Gary Dubin, Eduardo L. Franco

Dartmouth Scholarship

OBJECTIVES:

Persistence of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is necessary for cervical carcinogenesis. We evaluated incidence and duration of type-specific HPV infections and the influence of age and number of sexual partners.

METHODS:

Data were obtained from 553 women (15-25 years), who were seronegative and DNA-negative for high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) types and were enrolled in the placebo arm of a randomised trial of the HPV-16/18 vaccine (NCT00689741/NCT00120848). They were followed for 6.3 years. Cervicovaginal samples were self-collected at 3-month intervals for up to 27 months, and cervical samples were collected by clinicians at 6-month intervals until study end. …

Biosimilar Naming Conventions: Pharmacist Perceptions And Impact On Confidence In Dispensing Biologics, Daniel M. Tomaszewski

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

BACKGROUND: The approval of the first biosimilar in the United States has placed increased pressure on the FDA to provide guidance on the naming convention that will be assigned to current and future biosimilars. The release of the FDA draft guidance on nonproprietary naming of biosimilars in August 2015 established a naming convention for all biologic products, including biosimilars. However, the draft guidance is nonbinding while the FDA continues to receive input from stakeholders, and it does not address the naming convention that will be used for products designated as interchangeable biologics.

OBJECTIVES: To (a) determine pharmacist perceptions …

Development And Implementation Of An Anthropomorphic Head & Neck Phantom For The Assessment Of Proton Therapy Treatment Procedures, Daniela Branco

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Proton therapy has been used to treat cancer for more than 50 years, and over the past decade, its use has grown rapidly. One of the main goals of modern radiation therapy is to deliver a high dose to the planning target volume (PTV) with minimal exposure and damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Protons offer a unique advantage over photon radiotherapy in that they deposit dose over a finite range, in contrast to the more gradual energy deposition of photon and electron beams. At present, 23 proton centers are in operation in the United States and another 13 centers …

The Contribution Of Homeogenomic And Homeogenetic Studies In The Support Of The Practice Of Homoeopathy, Peter Kay, Anisur Khuda-Bukhsh

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Almost two decades ago, it was postulated that homoeopathic remedies could deliver their benefits by interacting with the genetic blueprint. Over the years, the results of many homeogenomic gene expression studies have confirmed this postulate. The results of homeogenomic studies have begun to recognize which of the estimated 25,000 human genes are targeted by different homoeopathic remedies and how the expression profiles of these targeted genes are rearranged. From a mechanistic standpoint, seminal homeogenomic studies have shown that homoeopathic remedies can also facilitate epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation. This is an important discovery because DNA methylation plays an important …

Biodegradable Magnesium Alloys For Orthopaedic Applications: A Review On Corrosion, Biocompatibility And Surface Modifications., Sankalp Agarwal, James Curtin, Brendan Duffy, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys have been extensively explored as potential biodegradable implant materials for orthopaedic applications (e.g. Fracture fixation). However, the rapid corrosion of Mg based alloys in physiological conditions has delayed their introduction for therapeutic applications to date. The present review focuses on corrosion, biocompatibility and surface modifications of biodegradable Mg alloys for orthopaedic applications. Initially, the corrosion behaviour of Mg alloys and the effect of alloying elements on corrosion and biocompatibility is discussed. Furthermore, the influence of polymeric deposit coatings, namely sol-gel, synthetic aliphatic polyesters and natural polymers on corrosion and biological performance of Mg and its …

Insights Into Determinants That Contribute To Colonization, Virulence And Antibiotic Resistance In Enterococci, Maria Camila Montealegre

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are increasingly common as causative agents of human infections, many of which are very difficult to treat due to multi-drug resistance. The work presented in the first part of this dissertation elucidates a mechanism for the regulation of pilus expression. I showed that ATT is the initiation codon of ebpA, the first gene of an operon that codes for the endocarditis and biofilm-associated pili (Ebp), a recognized virulence factor in E. faecalis. The presence of this rare start codon downregulates EbpA translation and protein levels, diminishing biofilm and binding abilities of …

In Vitro Investigation Of The Effect Of Exogenous Ubiquitin On Processes Associated With Atherosclerosis, Chase W. Mussard

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Atherosclerosis, characterized by the build-up of cholesterol, immune cells and cellular debris within arterial walls, is accelerated following myocardial infarction by poorly understood mechanisms. Ubiquitin, a small, well-studied intracellular protein involved in protein turnover via the proteasome pathway, has recently been shown to exert extracellular effects on cardiac myocytes, in vitro, and in mice undergoing myocardial remodeling. This study investigates the potential role of extracellular ubiquitin in atherosclerosis by determining its effects on two critical atherosclerotic processes: the migration of vascular smooth muscles cells and the uptake of modified LDL by monocyte/macrophages in foam cell formation. In the presence …

Cd33 Expression And Its Association With Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin Response: Results From The Randomized Phase Iii Children's Oncology Group Trial Aaml0531., Jessica A. Pollard, Michael Loken, Robert B. Gerbing, Susana C. Raimondi, Betsy A. Hirsch, Richard Aplenc, Irwin D. Bernstein, Alan S. Gamis, Todd A. Alonzo, Soheil Meshinchi

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: CD33 is variably expressed on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts and is targeted by gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO). GO has shown benefit in both adult and pediatric AML trials, yet limited data exist about whether GO response correlates with CD33 expression level.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: CD33 expression levels were prospectively quantified by multidimensional flow cytometry in 825 patients enrolled in Children's Oncology Group AAML0531 and correlated with response to GO.

RESULTS: Patients with low CD33 expression (lowest quartile of expression [Q1]) had no benefit with the addition of GO to conventional chemotherapy (relapse risk [RR]: GO 36% v No-GO 34%, …

Genome Engineering: Drosophila Melanogaster And Beyond, Kjt Venken, A Sarrion-Perdigones, Pj Vandeventer, Ns Abel, Ae Christiansen, Kl Hoffman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

A central challenge in investigating biological phenomena is the development of techniques to modify genomic DNA with nucleotide precision that can be transmitted through the germ line. Recent years have brought a boon in these technologies, now collectively known as genome engineering. Defined genomic manipulations at the nucleotide level enable a variety of reverse engineering paradigms, providing new opportunities to interrogate diverse biological functions. These genetic modifications include controlled removal, insertion, and substitution of genetic fragments, both small and large. Small fragments up to a few kilobases (e.g., single nucleotide mutations, small deletions, or gene tagging at single or multiple …

Virus–Host Interactions: Insights From The Replication Cycle Of The Large Paramecium Bursaria Chlorella Virus, Elad Milrot, Yael Mutsafi, Yael Fridmann-Sirkis, Eyal Shimoni, Katya Rechav, James Gurnon, James L. Van Etten, Abraham Minsky

James Van Etten Publications

The increasing interest in cytoplasmic factories generated by eukaryotic-infecting viruses stems from the realization that these highly ordered assemblies may contribute fundamental novel insights to the functional significance of order in cellular biology. Here, we report the formation process and structural features of the cytoplasmic factories of the large dsDNA virus Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 (PBCV-1). By combining diverse imaging techniques, including scanning transmission electron microscopy tomography and focused ion beam technologies, we show that the architecture and mode of formation of PBCV-1 factories are significantly different from those generated by their evolutionary relatives Vaccinia and Mimivirus. Specifically, PBCV-1 …

Exploration Of Bivalent Ligands Targeting Putative Mu Opioid Receptor And Chemokine Receptor Ccr5 Dimerization, Christopher K. Arnatt, Bethany A. Falls, Yunyun Yuan, Thomas J. Raborg, Ruturaj R. Masvekar, Nazira El-Hage, Dana E. Selley, Anthony V. Nicola, Pamela E. Knapp, Kurt F. Hauser, Yan Zhang

Medicinal Chemistry Publications

Modern antiretroviral therapies have provided HIV-1 infected patients longer lifespans and better quality of life. However, several neurological complications are now being seen in these patients due to HIV-1 associated injury of neurons by infected microglia and astrocytes. In addition, these effects can be further exacerbated with opiate use and abuse. One possible mechanism for such potentiation effects of opiates is the interaction of the mu opioid receptor (MOR) with the chemokine receptor CCR5 (CCR5), a known HIV-1 co-receptor, to form MOR-CCR5 heterodimer. In an attempt to understand this putative interaction and its relevance to neuroAIDS, we designed and synthesized …

Antagonism Of Triazolam Self-Administration In Rhesus Monkeys Responding Under A Progressive-Ratio Schedule: In Vivo Apparent Pa2 Analysis., Bradford D Fischer, Donna M Platt, Sundari K Rallapalli, Ojas A Namjoshi, James M Cook, James K Rowlett

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Conventional benzodiazepines bind non-selectively to GABAA receptors containing α1, α2, α3, and α5 subunits (α1GABAA, α2GABAA, α3GABAA, and α5GABAA receptors, respectively), and the role of these different GABAA receptor subtypes in the reinforcing effects of benzodiazepines has not been characterized fully. We used a pharmacological antagonist approach with available subtype-selective ligands to evaluate the role of GABAA receptor subtypes in the reinforcing effects of the non-selective conventional benzodiazepine, triazolam.

METHODS: Rhesus monkeys (n=4) were trained under a progressive-ratio schedule of intravenous midazolam delivery and dose-response functions were determined for triazolam, in the absence and presence of flumazenil (non-selective antagonist), …

An In Vitro Study On The Effect Of Synthesized Tin (Iv) Complexes On Glioblastoma, Colorectal, And Skin Cancer Cell Lines, Jennie L. Williams, Lesley C. Lewis-Alleyne, Melinda Solomon, Long Nguyen, Robert Johnson, Jennifer Vital, Ping Ji, John Durant, Camille Cooper, Patrice Cagle, Patrick Martin, Don Vanderveer, William L. Jarrett, Alvin A. Holder

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

((E)-2-(2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)phenolato-2,2-diphenyl-6-aza-1,3-dioxa-2-stanna-[d,h]dibenzocyclononene, [Sn(Ph₂SB)] (compound 1, where Ph₂SB=(E)-2-(2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)phenolato Schiff base) and two novel compounds, [[SnPh2(F-azoSB)] (compound 2, where F-azoSB=4-((E)-(4-fluorophenyl)diazenyl)-2-((E)-(2-hydroxyphenylimino)methyl)phenolato Schiff base), [[SnPh2(sulf-azoSB)]0.125CHCl₃ (compound 3, where sulfamerazineazosalSB=4-((E)-(4-hydroxy-3-((E)-(2-hydroxyphenylimino)methyl)phenyl)diazenyl)-N-(4-methylpyrimidin-2-yl) benzenesulfonamide Schiff base), and the control compound, cisplatin (compound 4) were analysed to comparatively determine their effect on cancer cell growth. Anti-cancer properties of compounds 1-4 were examined using glioblastoma (U-1242 MG), colorectal (HT-29 and HCT-116), and skin (A431) human cancer cell lines. With regards to human glioblastoma cells, compounds 1 and 3 demonstrated anti-proliferative capacity in the cell line tested. Specifically, compounds 1 and 3 inhibited cell proliferation by 50% at …

Novel Targets For Mitochondrial Dysfunction Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Heather M. Yonutas

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a phenomenon observed in models of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Loss of mitochondrial bioenergetics can result in diminished cellular homeostasis leading to cellular dysfunction and possible cellular death. Consequently, the resultant tissue damage can manifest as functional deficits and/or disease states. Therapeutic strategies to target this mitochondrial dysfunction have been investigated for models TBI and have shown promising effects.

For this project, we tested the hypothesis that mitoNEET, a novel mitochondrial membrane protein, is a target for pioglitazone mediated neuroprotection. To test this, we used a severe Controlled Cortical Impact (CCI) injury model in mitoNEET null and …

Pharmacokinetics And Bioavailability Of Three Promising Tilmicosin-Loaded Lipid Nanoparticles In Comparison With Tilmicosin Phosphate Following Oral Administration In Broiler Chickens, Ali Rassouli, Alwan Al-Qushawi, Fatemeh Atyabi, Seyed Mostafa Peighambari, Mehdi Esfandyari-Manesh, Gholam Reza Shams

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Tilmicosin (TLM) is a semisynthetic antimicrobial agent used mainly in poultry and cattle, but it has relatively poor oral bioavailability. This study was conducted to compare the bioavailability (BA) and main pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of TLM after oral administration of tilmicosin phosphate (TLM-PH) and three newly prepared lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) of TLM including solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), and lipid-core nanocapsules (LNCs). Sixty broiler chickens were divided into eight groups. In four treatment groups (n = 10), each bird was given a single oral dose (20 mg/kg) of a TLM formulation after overnight fasting, and in four …

Investigating Cholera Using An Sir Model With Age-Class Structure And Optimal Control, K. Renee Fister, Holly Gaff, Elsa Schaefer, Glenna Buford, Bryce C. Norris

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The use of systems of differential equations in mathematical modeling in conjunction with epidemiology continues to be an area of focused research. This paper briefly acquaints readers with epidemiology, cholera, and the need for effective control strategies; discusses cholera dynamics through a variation on the SIR epidemiological model in which two separate age classes exist in a population; finds the numeric value for R₀ to be approximately 1.54 using estimated parameters for Bangladesh; and employs an optimal control resulting in a suggestion that a protection control be implemented at the end of the monsoon season.

Curcumin/Melatonin Hybrids As Neuroprotective Agents For Alzheimer's Disease, John Saathoff

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia, affecting ~5.2 million Americans. Current FDA approved medications provide mainly symptomatic relief and there are no agents available to delay or cure this disease. Multiple factors such as amyloid-β aggregates, dyshomeostasis of biometals, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation have been implicated in the development of AD. Even though significant advances have been made in understanding the mechanisms leading to AD, the exact etiology still remains elusive. Given AD’s multifactorial nature, a multifunctional strategy of small molecule design would help to identify novel chemical templates. Recently our lab …

A Study Of The Action Of Risperidone At 5-Ht2a Receptors, Supriya A. Gaitonde

Theses and Dissertations

Risperidone is an ‘atypical’ antipsychotic and is approved by the USFDA mainly for the treatment of schizophrenia and symptoms of bipolar disorder. Risperidone (an SDA or serotonin-dopamine antagonist) has ~20-fold higher affinity at 5-HT_2A receptors over dopamine D₂ receptors, which makes it more efficacious against the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and less liable to causing extrapyramidal side effects than ‘typical’ antipsychotics.

The major goal of the current investigation was to study the structure of risperidone and to identify the minimum structural features required for 5-HT_2A receptor affinity that retain antagonist action. The structure of risperidone was systematically …

Terpenes And Flavonoids From Salvia Apiana And Their Affinities To Cannabinoid And Opioid Receptors, Taylor Hayes

Honors Theses

Salvia apiana (white sage, Lamiacae family) plant is native to southern California and parts of Mexico. Some Native American tribes local to this region consider S. apiana to be sacred and burn the leaves as incense for purification ceremonies. The plant has been used to treat sore throats, coughs, chest colds, upper respiratory infections, and poison oak rashes. Native Americans widely used this plant in traditional Chumash healing. Infusion of the leaves is used as a diaphoretic and diuretic. The aqueous ethanolic extract of S. apiana showed moderate activity towards the CB1 receptor (58.3% displacement). The extract was fractionated on …