Digital Commons Network^™

Reinvigorating A Technical Countering Weapons Of Mass Destruction Distance Learning Graduate Certificate Program, James C. Petrosky, Gaiven Varshney, Jeremy Slagley, Sara Shaghaghi

Faculty Publications

Current Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) demands can be divided broadly into policy and science. The science of chemical, biological, and radiological/nuclear weapons informs the limits of development, production, employment, operation, detection, risk characterization, human and material protection, and medical intervention. In short, the science of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) should precede and inform the development of policy. It is to this end that the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) CWMD program was re-established, providing a technical educational option for practitioners to understand the science behind a very technically challenging subject.

The Varieties Of Spiritual States Triggered By Sex: A Systematic Review Of The Empirical Literature, Jenny Wade

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This systematic review integrates the empirical evidence of spiritual experiences triggered by sexual activity, including studies by 10 authors. Despite venerable sexual meditative traditions of embodied spiritual practices, such as Hindu Tantra, Vajrayana Buddhism, and Taoism, empirical studies of sexual spiritual experiences are in their infancy. This review presents the range of sexual altered states experiences identified to date and how they qualify as spiritual experiences phenomenologically and in terms of their lifechanging effects. Seventeen distinct sexual-spiritual states have been identified across authors, with 4 others identified at significant levels in qualitative studies by individual authors. As an emergent area …

Use Of Human Tissue Stem Cell-Derived Organoid Cultures To Model Enterohepatic Circulation, Sarah E Blutt, Sue E Crawford, Carolyn Bomidi, Xi-Lei Zeng, James R Broughman, Matthew Robertson, Cristian Coarfa, Mary Elizabeth M Tessier, Tor Savidge, F Blaine Hollinger, Steven A Curley, Mark Donowitz, Mary K Estes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The use of human tissue stem cell-derived organoids has advanced our knowledge of human physiological and pathophysiological processes that are unable to be studied using other model systems. Increased understanding of human epithelial tissues including intestine, stomach, liver, pancreas, lung, and brain have been achieved using organoids. However, it is not yet clear whether these cultures recapitulate in vivo organ-to-organ signaling or communication. In this work, we demonstrate that mature stem cell-derived intestinal and liver organoid cultures each express functional molecules that modulate bile acid uptake and recycling. These organoid cultures can be physically coupled in a Transwell system and …

No Ordinary Proteins: Adsorption And Molecular Orientation Of Monoclonal Antibodies, Ankit D. Kanthe, Andrew Ilott, Mary Krause, Songyan Zheng, Jinjiang Li, Wei Bu, Mrinal K. Bera, Binhua Lin, Charles Maldarelli, Raymond S. Tu

Publications and Research

The interaction of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with air/water interfaces plays a crucial role in their overall stability in solution. We aim to understand this behavior using pendant bubble measurements to track the dynamic tension reduction and x-ray reflectivity to obtain the electron density profiles (EDPs) at the surface. Native immunoglobulin G mAb is a rigid molecule with a flat, “Y” shape, and simulated EDPs are obtained by rotating a homology construct at the surface. Comparing simulations with experimental EDPs, we obtain surface orientation probability maps showing mAbs transition from flat-on Y-shape configurations to side-on or end-on configurations with increasing concentration. …

Racial And Socioeconomic Disparities Influencing Obesity Amongst Middle-Aged Women, Morgan Woods

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Many studies have examined the effects of racial and socioeconomic differences on health-related disparities involving obesity but, few have examined the mental and physical well-being intersection. Obesity is a disease that affects many Americans and has become an epidemic affecting the American population. Obesity, especially morbid obesity, is a risk factor for many other obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and more. Using the 2018 Healthcare Avoidance Study, differences were found between two racial groups, Caucasian and African-American women. Race was found as a significant factor for both level of physical activity and ideal body image perception

Anatomy And Physiology Preparatory Course Textbook (2nd Edition), Carlos Liachovitzky

Open Educational Resources

The goal of this preparatory textbook is to give students a chance to become familiar with some terms and some basic concepts they will find later on in the Anatomy and Physiology course, especially during the first few weeks of the course.

Organization and functioning of the human organism are generally presented starting from the simplest building blocks, and then moving into levels of increasing complexity. This textbook follows the same presentation. It begins introducing the concept of homeostasis, then covers the chemical level, and later on a basic introduction to cellular level, organ level, and organ system level. This …

Identification Of Leishmania Spp. And T. Cruzi Parasites In Bats Captured In El Paso, Texas Region: Bats As A New Reserviour, Edith Sandoval

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as two of the world’s thirteen most neglected tropical diseases (NTD), both T. cruzi and Leishmania spp. parasites are accountable for Chagas disease and Leishmaniasis, respectively and they continue to rank among the most important public health problems in South America. Together, Leishmaniasis and Chagas affect 300 million people. Wildlife reservoirs play an important role in the maintenance and transmission of parasites in sylvatic transmission cycles. In the last decade studies have been conducted in this region of El Paso, Texas, and other parts of the world to detect both parasites in …

Tumor-On-Chip Modeling Of Organ-Specific Cancer And Metastasis, Nuala Del Piccolo, Venktesh S Shirure, Ye Bi, S Peter Goedegebuure, Sepideh Gholami, Christopher C W Hughes, Ryan C Fields, Steven C George

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Every year, cancer claims millions of lives around the globe. Unfortunately, model systems that accurately mimic human oncology - a requirement for the development of more effective therapies for these patients - remain elusive. Tumor development is an organ-specific process that involves modification of existing tissue features, recruitment of other cell types, and eventual metastasis to distant organs. Recently, tissue engineered microfluidic devices have emerged as a powerful in vitro tool to model human physiology and pathology with organ-specificity. These organ-on-chip platforms consist of cells cultured in 3D hydrogels and offer precise control over geometry, biological components, and physiochemical properties. …

Future Space Missions And Human Enhancement: Medical And Ethical Challenges, Konrad Szocik, Mark Shelhamer, Martin Braddock, Francis A. Cucinotta, Chris Impey, Pete Worden, Ted Peters, Milan M. Ćirković, Kelly C. Smith, Koji Tachibana, Michael J. Reiss, Ziba Norman, Arvin M. Gouw, Gonzalo Munévar

Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences Faculty Research

Future human space missions to Mars and beyond may be realized for different research, economic, political or survival reasons. Since space remains a hazardous environment for humans, space exploration and exploitation requires the development and deployment of effective countermeasures. In this paper, we discuss prospects for human enhancement by gene editing, synthetic biology, or implants, for the purposes of future space missions. We argue that there are good reasons to consider such options, and that ethical arguments can be made in favor of human enhancement to enable long-term space exploration.

Optimization Of Mechanical Properties At The Infarct Border Zone, Kaushik Sunder

LSU Master's Theses

A myocardial infarction (MI) occurs every 39 seconds in the United States. As of 2016, an estimated 550,000 new and 200,000 recurrent episodes of myocardial infarction (MI) occur each year in the United States was. Infarction is often distinguished by a considerable decrease in wall thickness and an increase in heart size or left ventricular volume. This behavior happens when there is a prolonged lack of blood flow, usually due to damage or clotting, which causes cardiomyocytes to die (CMs). The development of non-contractile infarct scarring is the primary pathophysiology of MI. While the infarct scar prevents myocardial rupture during …

Effects Of Cod Liver Oil On Brain Antioxidant Level And Neuronal Count In Wistar Rat Model Of Comorbid Depression, Dimple Shet

Faculty work

No abstract provided.

Aacp Basic Resources For Pharmacy Education, Jason Guy, Ivan Portillo, Robert D. Beckett, Leslie Ann Bowman, Daisy De La Rosa, Vern Duba, Juanita Draime, Kayce Gill, Neyda Gilman, Rebecca Hoover, Alison Kosnieczny, Scott Perkins

Library Association/Organization Work

"The AACP Basic Resources for Pharmacy Education is produced as a guide for those developing or maintaining the library collections that serve colleges and schools of pharmacy. The goal of the Basic Resources list is to make recommendations of books and other works to be included in pharmacy libraries, but not all titles are required to be purchased. Each pharmacy college has its own mission and its own program(s), and so each college’s library collection must reflect that mission and support the college’s program(s). Excellent library collections are built by knowledgeable librarians and drug information specialists using their professional judgment …

Network Topology Of Biological Aging And Geroscience-Guided Approaches To Covid-19., Alan Landay, Jenna Bartley, Dishary Banerjee, Geneva Hargis, Laura Haynes, Ali Keshavarzian, Chia-Ling Kuo, Oh Sung Kwon, Sheng Li, Shuzhao Li, Julia Oh, Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat, Duygu Ucar, Ming Xu, Xudong Yao, Derya Unutmaz, George A Kuchel

Faculty Research 2021

Aging has emerged as the greatest and most prevalent risk factor for the development of severe COVID-19 infection and death following exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The presence of multiple co-existing chronic diseases and conditions of aging further enhances this risk. Biological aging not only enhances the risk of chronic diseases, but the presence of such conditions further accelerates varied biological processes or "hallmarks" implicated in aging. Given growing evidence that it is possible to slow the rate of many biological aging processes using pharmacological compounds has led to the proposal that such geroscience-guided interventions may help enhance immune resilience …

Crosstalk Between Beta-Adrenergic And Insulin Signaling Mediates Mechanistic Target Of Rapamycin Hyperactivation In Liver Of High-Fat Diet-Fed Male Mice, Sadia Ashraf, Nadia Ashraf, Gizem Yilmaz, Romain Harmancey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease. While increased nutrient intake and sympathetic activity have been associated with the disease, the pathogenesis of NAFLD remains incompletely understood. We investigated the impact of the interaction of high dietary fat and sugar intake with increased beta-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) signaling on the activity of nutrient-sensing pathways and fuel storage in the liver. C57BL/6J mice were fed a standard rodent diet (STD), a high-fat diet (HFD), a high-fat/high-sugar Western diet (WD), a high-sugar diet with mixed carbohydrates (HCD), or a high-sucrose diet (HSD). After 6 week on …

Crosstalk Between Beta-Adrenergic And Insulin Signaling Mediates Mechanistic Target Of Rapamycin Hyperactivation In Liver Of High-Fat Diet-Fed Male Mice, Sadia Ashraf, Nadia Ashraf, Gizem Yilmaz, Romain Harmancey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease. While increased nutrient intake and sympathetic activity have been associated with the disease, the pathogenesis of NAFLD remains incompletely understood. We investigated the impact of the interaction of high dietary fat and sugar intake with increased beta-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) signaling on the activity of nutrient-sensing pathways and fuel storage in the liver. C57BL/6J mice were fed a standard rodent diet (STD), a high-fat diet (HFD), a high-fat/high-sugar Western diet (WD), a high-sugar diet with mixed carbohydrates (HCD), or a high-sucrose diet (HSD). After 6 week on …

Defining The Relative Role Of Insulin Clearance In Early Dysglycemia In Relation To Insulin Sensitivity And Insulin Secretion: The Microbiome And Insulin Longitudinal Evaluation Study (Miles), Alexis C Wood, Elizabeth T Jensen, Alain G Bertoni, Gautam Ramesh, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, Yii-Der I Chen, Mark O Goodarzi

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Insulin resistance and insufficient insulin secretion are well-recognized contributors to type 2 diabetes. A potential role of reduced insulin clearance has been suggested, but few studies have investigated the contribution of insulin clearance while simultaneously examining decreased insulin sensitivity and secretion. The goal of this study was to conduct such an investigation in a cohort of 353 non-Hispanic White and African American individuals recruited in the Microbiome and Insulin Longitudinal Evaluation Study (MILES). Participants underwent oral glucose tolerance tests from which insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, insulin clearance, and disposition index were calculated. Regression models examined the individual and joint contributions …

Roles And Regulation Of Satellite Cells In Skeletal Muscle Regeneration, Sydney Vlasman

University Honors Theses

Skeletal muscle has an innate ability to self-regenerate in response to certain stimuli. In the case of trauma, muscle resident stem cells are required to meet the regenerative needs of the tissue. These resident stem cells, called satellite cells (SCs), are crucial in the regenerative process following injury; understanding the major factors which regulate satellite cell activity can provide valuable insight for regenerative medicine. The ability to implement and properly activate satellite cells has immense potential in the treatment of conditions including trauma, degenerative disorders, and age-related sarcopenia. This review will discuss the current understanding of satellite cell-mediated regeneration and …

Development Of The Infant Gut Microbiome Predicts Temperament Across The First Year Of Life, Molly Fox, S. Melanie Lee, Kyle S. Wiley, Venu Lagishetty, Curt A. Sandman, Jonathan P. Jacobs, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Perturbations to the gut microbiome are implicated in altered neurodevelopmental trajectories that may shape life span risk for emotion dysregulation and affective disorders. However, the sensitive periods during which the microbiome may influence neurodevelopment remain understudied. We investigated relationships between gut microbiome composition across infancy and temperament at 12 months of age. In 67 infants, we examined if gut microbiome composition assessed at 1–3 weeks, 2, 6, and 12 months of age was associated with temperament at age 12 months. Stool samples were sequenced using the 16S Illumina MiSeq platform. Temperament was assessed using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R). Beta …

Antigenic Variation In Mycoplasma Genitalium Reduces Antibody-Antigen Association Kinetics, Suzanne M. Stafford

Honors Projects

Infections caused by Mycoplasma genitalium, a human genital tract pathogen, often persist for months to years. Antigenic variation of the immunodominant adhesin proteins, MgpB and MgpC, is thought to enhance persistence by avoiding specific antibody-dependent immune clearance. We used surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to study the binding of antibodies from immunized rabbits and experimentally infected primates to recombinant MgpB protein fragments. Primate antibodies collected from 2 weeks before to 2, 4, and 8 weeks after infection associated specifically with two different domains of the MgpB adherence protein (variable region B and a conserved C-terminal region) bound via amine coupling …

Flash Radiotherapy: Skin Pigmentation As A Non-Invasive Indicator For Radiation-Induced Damage, Brady Mccallister

ENGS 88 Honors Thesis (AB Students)

FLASH ultra-high dose rate radiotherapy (RT) is one of the most rapidly growing subfields of radiation oncology today due to its potential to increase the limits of the therapeutic ratio. The FLASH effect, which includes heightened normal tissue sparing paired with iso-effective tumor cell killing, has been literature documented, in a limited manner, in rodent models, a few large animals, and one clinical patients.

A porcine-based experiment was conducted to test the effects of FLASH RT on normal tissue compared to conventional (CONV) RT. A clinical linear accelerator (LINAC) was reversibly converted to be capable of FLASH RT. A female …

Patient Activation, Depressive Symptoms, And Self-Rated Health: Care Management Intervention Effects Among High-Need, Medically Complex Adults, Cynthia F. Corbett Phd, Rn, Faan, Kenn B. Daratha, Sterling Mcpherson, Crystal L. Smith, Michael S. Wiser, Brenda K. Vogrig, Sean M. Murphy, Roy Cantu, Dennis G. Dyck

Publications

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial (n = 268) at a Federally Qualified Health Center was to evaluate the outcomes of a care management intervention versus an attention control telephone intervention on changes in patient activation, depressive symptoms and self-rated health among a population of high-need, medically complex adults. Both groups had similar, statistically significant improvements in patient activation and self-rated health. Both groups had significant reductions in depressive symptoms over time; however, the group who received the care management intervention had greater reductions in depressive symptoms. Participants in both study groups who had more depressive symptoms had lower …

The Sebaceous Gland - Friend Or Foe?, Gelan Shamloul, Frederick Lombard, Marina D'Angelo, Amor Khachemoune

Research Day

Introduction: Sebaceous glands are sebum-secreting components of pilosebaceous units, that play a key role in eccrine emulsification, the impermeability of skin and hair, cytokine, chemokine, interleukin, pheromone, and fatty acid synthesis, acid mantle formation, and hormone production. Although the sebaceous gland has been heavily investigated, many advances in the physiology and pathology of the sebaceous gland have since been identified.

Objective: The primary objective of this publication was to perform an updated literature review of the embryology, evolution, structure and function, and pathophysiological disorders associated with the sebaceous gland.

Methods: We performed a literature search using PubMed database with keywords …

Neural Oscillatory Activity Serving Sensorimotor Control Is Regulated By The Mitochondrial Redox Environment In Health And Disease, Rachel Spooner

Theses & Dissertations

Despite effective regimens of combination antiretroviral therapy, individuals with HIV are still at higher risk for developing forms of cognitive impairment, with one of the most common behavioral abnormalities to manifest being motor dysfunction. This is an important consideration, as deficits in motor control likely contribute to higher-order cognitive impairments, which together, lead to functional dependencies in the ever-growing aging population of HIV-infected adults. While the neuroanatomical bases of motor dysfunction have recently been illuminated in people living with HIV (PLWH), there remains an open question regarding the molecular processes supporting the circuit-level neuronal dynamics that potentially serve these behavioral …

An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Nutrition And Physical Activity Intervention Study On Changes In Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, And Outcome Expectations Of Fathers, Sarah Hortman

Theses & Dissertations

Overweight and obesity rates are a continuing concern resulting in poor health outcomes and annual healthcare costs in the billions of dollars. An upstream approach of health promotion is critical to change the focus from treatment and management to prevention of chronic disease. Preventing chronic disease through evidence-based health promotion practices incorporating educational interventions aimed at dietary and physical activity behaviors will preclude negative health outcomes including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension.

The family environment is an important consideration in the prevention of chronic disease including obesity. Parents are role models for their children, including fathers who are …

Developing A Peer Mentoring Program For Srnas, Morgan E. Fitterer, Miranda Portwine

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Faculty of a nurse anesthesia program at a Midwestern University requested evidence of the impact a peer mentoring program could make in reducing stress levels for SRNAs. To better tailor a peer mentoring program, surveys were developed and distributed to the university’s SRNAs and to program directors of CRNA programs across the country.

Based on the literature, a survey was developed and distributed to 81 SRNAs at this university to evaluate their stress and their perceptions of the impact of peer mentoring on stress. Another survey was developed and distributed to 118 program directors to learn if they have a …

Physical Well-Being And Healthy Lifestyle Options, Michael Perkins

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background

The AANA has identified stress management or wellness as a priority for all CRNA programs. The Health and Wellness Initiative put in place by the AANA in 2004 is a model designed for all SRNA programs and intended to address students’ participation in wellness events in order to combat stressors.

The primary purpose of this project was to gain information about the stress faced by SRNAs enrolled at a Midwestern University and to evaluate strategies that could help students properly deal with stress.

Methods and Evaluation

Fifty-five students participated in the survey, data were compared by year in the …

Surmounting Disembodiment: Architecture And Suicide Prevention, Jack Mcgeehan

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Suicide is currently the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, more than double the number of homicide deaths. This thesis questions how architects can design more appropriately for people who are at risk for suicide in the United States. While suicide is individualistic and varies from person to person, there are consistencies that can serve as a basis for mitigating the problem and building an infrastructure for the solution. This thesis begins by examining four key cohorts that are typically high risk in the United States; veterans, the elderly, the homeless, and youths. It examines the behavioral …

Extreme Weather And Its Impacts On Human Civilizations: An In-Depth Investigation Of Causes And Effects, Jason Zabel

Senior Honors Theses

Extreme weather has impacted humanity since creation and is an important topic that deserves examination. In this thesis, the main event that is presented and analyzed is the extreme haze that clouded much of China’s skies in 2013. Further, the impacts this major event had on people, including changes in population movement, death/injury rate, and changes in atmospheric chemistry due to the high concentration of particulates are discussed. Subsequent examples that will be explored include Hurricane Katrina and the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. The main contention of this thesis is that the effects extreme weather has on human civilization …

U-251mg Spheroid Generation Using Low Attachment Plate Method Protocol, Lara J. Carroll, Brijesh K. Tiwari, James F. Curtin, Janith Wanigasekara

Articles

3D cell culture is a process used to grow cells in vitro to mimic an in vivo environment. 3D cell models are very useful for understanding disease mechanisms and exploring drug therapeutics. 3D cultures can be grown from cells taken from cancer organoids in patients. Once grown, they can be used to screen for small molecule drugs or they can be genetically modified in order to analyse disease pathways or predict the toxicity or efficacy of a drug treatment. These cultures decrease the need to use animals in research and provides more reliable results as it uses human physiology. This …

Coronary Artery Disease: An Analysis Of Its Biochemical, Physiological, And Sociological Causes And Effects, Alexander Velazquez

Honors Theses

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is a serious condition caused by a buildup of plaque in your coronary arteries, the blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood to your heart. It disproportionately affects millions of Americans and thousands of Mississippians. This study presents the results of an evaluation of causation factors of CAD, the physiological impact on the body, and the contributing determinants of CAD on Mississippi populations. Data on Mississippi populations were collected using the Center for Population Studies at the University of Mississippi. A multitude of individuals were evaluated when examining the causes and effects of CAD including men, women, …