Digital Commons Network^™

A Simple Method For Discovering Druggable, Specific Glycosaminoglycan-Protein Systems. Elucidation Of Key Principles From Heparin/Heparan Sulfate-Binding Proteins, Aurijit Sarkar, Umesh R. Desai

Psychology Publications

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) affect human physiology and pathology by modulating more than 500 proteins. GAG-protein interactions are generally assumed to be ionic and nonspecific, but specific interactions do exist. Here, we present a simple method to identify the GAG-binding site (GBS) on proteins that in turn helps predict high specific GAG–protein systems. Contrary to contemporary thinking, we found that the electrostatic potential at basic arginine and lysine residues neither identifies the GBS consistently, nor its specificity. GBSs are better identified by considering the potential at neutral hydrogen bond donors such as asparagine or glutamine sidechains. Our studies also reveal that an …

A Simple Method For Discovering Druggable, Specific Glycosaminoglycan-Protein Systems. Elucidation Of Key Principles From Heparin/Heparan Sulfate-Binding Proteins, Aurijit Sarkar, Umesh R. Desai

Medicinal Chemistry Publications

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) affect human physiology and pathology by modulating more than 500 proteins. GAG-protein interactions are generally assumed to be ionic and nonspecific, but specific interactions do exist. Here, we present a simple method to identify the GAG-binding site (GBS) on proteins that in turn helps predict high specific GAG–protein systems. Contrary to contemporary thinking, we found that the electrostatic potential at basic arginine and lysine residues neither identifies the GBS consistently, nor its specificity. GBSs are better identified by considering the potential at neutral hydrogen bond donors such as asparagine or glutamine sidechains. Our studies also reveal that an …

Accidental Opioid Overdose Fatalities In Western Australia, 2008-2012: A Case For More Targeted Intervention, Natalie J. Castalanelli

Theses : Honours

While there are current opioid overdose prevention strategies in Western Australia, these strategies are targeted at illicit opioid users and rely on bystander presence to intervene. The aim of the current study was to identify disparities between current overdose prevention strategies and the actual circumstances surrounding opioid related fatalities, to inform the development of best-practice opioid overdose prevention strategies for Western Australia. To do this, coronial files were drawn from the National Coronial Information System for accidental illicit opioid related fatalities (N = 329) and accidental prescription opioid related fatalities (N = 126) for the years 2008 to 2012. Each …

Identification Of The Domain(S) In Protein Disulfide Isomerase Required For Binding And Disassembly Of The Cholera Holotoxin, Laura Herndon

HIM 1990-2015

Cholera, caused by the secretion of cholera toxin (CT) by Vibrio cholerae within the intestinal lumen, triggers massive secretory diarrhea which may lead to life-threatening dehydration. CT is an AB5-type protein toxin that is comprised of an enzymatically active A1 chain, an A2 linker, and a cell-binding B pentamer. Once secreted, the CT holotoxin moves from the cell surface to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of a host target cell. To cause intoxication, CTA1 must be displaced from CTA2/CTB5 in the ER and is then transferred to the cytosol where it induces a diarrheal response by stimulating the efflux of chloride …

The Relationship Between Vagal Tone, A Marker Of Parasympathetic Activity, And Pro-Social Behavior, Emily A. Goodlin

Scripps Senior Theses

Vagal tone, a measure of parasympathetic activity via the vagus nerve, is known to be associated with positive emotion because it promotes social engagement and self-soothing behavior. Heart rate variability (HRV), especially high frequency oscillation, is a direct measure of vagal tone, and has been used in previous studies to test the correlation between vagal tone and positive emotion. This study aims to determine if the two major oscillations of heart rate variability, high frequency (HF-HRV) and low frequency (LF-HRV) can predict pro-social behavior, which is classified as giving donations to charities. Baseline LF- and HF-HRV levels were recorded, and …

Human Anatomy And Physiology Preparatory Course (1st Edition), Carlos Liachovitzky

Open Educational Resources

The overall purpose of this preparatory course textbook is to help students familiarize with some terms and some basic concepts they will find later in the Human Anatomy and Physiology I course.

The organization and functioning of the human organism generally is discussed in terms of different levels of increasing complexity, from the smallest building blocks to the entire body. This Anatomy and Physiology preparatory course covers the foundations on the chemical level, and a basic introduction to cellular level, organ level, and organ system levels. There is also an introduction to homeostasis at the beginning.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act And High School Obesity, Derek Grills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

United States high school student obesity rates have doubled in the past 30 years to 13%, threatening the health of millions of adolescents. To mitigate the epidemic, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) in 2010, which mandated significant changes to school nutrition and physical education. From a public policy perspective, the HHFKA changed school nutrition and exercise policy to affect obesity rates by changing intake and energy expenditure at school, though no study using national-level data examined this relationship. As such, the purpose of the study was to examine whether HHFKA policy compliance had a statistically significant effect …

Reliability Of Breathing Rate Assessment And Chest Expansion Measurement: A Pilot Study In Typically Developing Children, Mary-Grace De La Pena, Maryanne Grace Jordan, Edward James Gorgon

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Despite the apparent acceptance of breathing rate assessment and chest expansion measurement (CEM) among physical therapists, little is known about the measurement properties of these tests and measures especially when administered to children. Reference data from typically developing children have been reported in the literature without investigating the reliability of measurements. This pilot study aimed to systematically explore the feasibility and inter-rater and test-retest reliability of these chest examination methods in children. Method: Nineteen children, 10 males and 9 females, with mean (SD) age of 11.11 (±1.29) years, were selected through convenience sampling. Assessors measured the breathing rate and …

Rapid Response Teams Versus Critical Care Outreach Teams: Unplanned Escalations In Care And Associated Outcomes, Valerie Danesh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The incidence of unplanned escalations during hospitalization is undocumented, but estimates may be as high as 1.2 million occurrences per year in the United States. Rapid Response Teams (RRT) were developed for the early recognition and treatment of deteriorating patients to deliver time-sensitive interventions, but evidence related to optimal activation criteria and structure is limited. The purpose of this study is to determine if an Early Warning Score-based Critical Care Outreach (CCO) model is related to the frequency of unplanned intra-hospital escalations in care compared to a RRT system based on staff nurse identification of vital sign derangements and physical …

Bioactive Lipid Coating Of Bone Allografts Direct Engraftment And Fate Determination Of Bone Marrow-Derived Cells In Rat Gfp Chimeras, Anusuya Das, Claire E. Segar, Yihsuan Chu, Tiffany W. Wang, Yon Lin, Chunxi Yang, Roy C. Ogle

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

Bone grafting procedures are performed to treat wounds incurred during wartime trauma, accidents, and tumor resections. Endogenous mechanisms of repair are often insufficient to ensure integration between host and donor bone and subsequent restoration of function. We investigated the role that bone marrow-derived cells play in bone regeneration and sought to increase their contributions by functionalizing bone allografts with bioactive lipid coatings. Polymer-coated allografts were used to locally deliver the immunomodulatory small molecule FTY720 in tibial defects created in rat bone marrow chimeras containing genetically-labeled bone marrow for monitoring cell origin and fate. Donor bone marrow contributed significantly to both …

Pathophysiology And Metabolic Dysfunction Following Polytrauma, Robert Mackay Akscyn

All ETDs from UAB

Polytrauma, a combination of injuries to more than one body part or organ system, is common in modern warfare and in automobile and industrial accidents. The combination of injuries can include burn, fracture, hemorrhage, trauma to the extremities, and trauma to specific organ systems. These injuries are highly survivable when occurring singly. However, when they occur in combination the prognosis is worsened. To investigate the effects of combined injuries, we have developed a new and highly reproducible model of polytrauma. This model combines burn injury with soft tissue and gastrointestinal (GI) tract trauma. Male Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to …

Utilization Of Placebo Response In Double-Blind Psychopharmacological Studies, Contextual Perspective, Margarita Olegovna Ashirova

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Placebo response has been an elusive phenomenon in the fields of medicine, medical research, and psychology. Even though it has been heavily utilized as a comparator treatment in double-blind psychopharmacological studies, the reliable definition and consistent understanding of placebo response are missing. In this contextual exploration, I outlined the state of current placebo response research and variable rates of placebo response reported in double-blind studies. I identified the gap in the literature—lack of consistent understanding of placebo response—that has led to a waste of resources by the psychopharmacological research industry. Further, I compared and contrasted the current inconsistent Western medical …

Effects Of A Mental-Health Clinical Simulation Experience Using Standardized Patients And Two Debriefing Styles On Prelicensure Nursing Students' Knowledge, Anxiety, And Therapeutic Communication And Psychiatric Assessment Skills, Debrayh Gaylle

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study was to compare the effects of two debriefing styles (insimulation and postsimulation) on (a) students’ knowledge of psychiatric assessment and therapeutic communication, (b) students’ performance of a psychiatric assessment using therapeutic communication, (c) students’ perceived anxiety related to a clinical rotation in psychiatric mental-health, and (d) students’ perceptions of the efficacy of the insimulation debriefing. The participants (n = 67) were senior, prelicensure nursing students enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program. Students were assigned randomly to either the treatment or the compression group and participated in a series of simulated interviews using student …

The Germ Theory Of Dystopias: Fears Of Human Nature In 1984 And Brave New World, Clea D. Harris

Scripps Senior Theses

This project is an exploration of 20^th century dystopian literature through the lens of germ theory. This scientific principle, which emerged in the late 19^th century, asserts that microorganisms pervade the world; these invisible and omnipresent germs cause specific diseases which are often life threatening. Additionally, germ theory states that vaccines and antiseptics can prevent some of these afflictions and that antibiotics can treat others. This concept of a pervasive, invisible, infection-causing other is not just a biological principle, though; in this paper, I argue that one can interpret it as an ideological framework for understanding human existence …

The Effect Of Fluid Periodization On Athletic Performance Outcomes In American Football Players, Christopher W. Morris

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

For decades strength and conditioning professionals have been seeking optimal training volumes and intensities to yield maximum performance outcomes without the onset of injury. Unfortunately, current studies apply experimental training techniques without considering the individuals’ response to the imposed training load. Due to the vast genetic variability and extraneous environmental factors that affect one’s ability to recover, results from such studies are controversial and inconclusive. Athlete monitoring systems offer an objective assessment that is purported to evaluate an individual’s physiological readiness to adapt to an overload stimulus and thus allow for daily manipulations in training loads (i.e., fluid periodization). However, …

Ghrelin, Timo D. Müller, Rubén Nogueiras, Mark L. Andermann, Zane B. Andrews, Stefan Anker, Jesús Argente, Allan Geliebter

Lander College of Arts and Sciences Publications and Research

Background: The gastrointestinal peptide hormone ghrelin was discovered in 1999 as the endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. Increasing evidence supports more complicated and nuanced roles for the hormone, which go beyond the regulation of systemic energy metabolism.

Scope of review: In this review, we discuss the diverse biological functions of ghrelin, the regulation of its secretion, and address questions that still remain 15 years after its discovery.

Major conclusions: In recent years, ghrelin has been found to have a plethora of central and peripheral actions in distinct areas including learning and memory, gut motility …

The Regulation Of Human Iron Metabolism In Hypoxia, Andrew Govus

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Athletes commonly use altitude exposure in an attempt to improve their aerobic performance at sea level. Altitude exposure enhances erythropoiesis and iron-dependent oxidative and glycolytic enzyme production, for this reason, athletes must maintain a healthy iron balance at altitude. A negative iron balance at altitude may limit such physiological adaptations, potentially reducing the performance benefits of altitude exposure.

This thesis examined the regulation of iron metabolism during acute (~31 min, Study One) and prolonged altitude exposure (14 days, Study Two). Finally, Study Three examined how daily oral iron supplementation influenced haemoglobin mass (Hbmass) and iron parameter responses to prolonged, moderate …

Efficacy Of Female Rat Models In Translational Cardiovascular Aging Research, Kevin M. Rice, J. C. Fannin, C. Gillette, Eric Blough

Pharmaceutical Science and Research

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United States. Aging is a primary risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease as well as cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality. Aging is a universal process that all humans undergo; however, research in aging is limited by cost and time constraints. Therefore, most research in aging has been done in primates and rodents; however it is unknown how well the effects of aging in rat models translate into humans. To compound the complication of aging gender has also been indicated as a risk factor for various cardiovascular diseases. …

Effects Of Nitrate Supplementation On Cognitive And Cerebrovascular Function At Simulated High Altitude, Wesley K. Lefferts

Theses - ALL

Acute high altitude (HA) exposure compromises cognitive function thus posing a significant risk to personnel safety in a HA environment, particularly when performing tasks that requires cognitive vigilance. Normal cerebral function, and thus cognitive function, is dependent upon oxygen supply. At HA there is reduced oxygen availability results in compensatory increases in cerebrovascular blood flow which may be related to nitric oxide (NO), a primary signaling molecule that acts to increase blood flow and ensure an optimal neurovascular coupling (NVC). Upon initial ascent to HA, however, there may be reductions in NO production which may play a role in acute …

Development Of A Heart Rate Variability Measurement System Using Embedded Electronics, Naresh Kumar Velmurugan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent advances in embedded electronics have a remarkable influence on the health care system. One of the most important applications is to monitor the health care of the patients at anytime and anyplace. In the last two decades, many researchers have focused mainly on heart rate variability (HRV) measurements. Patient's heart rate variability should be continuously monitored to help them in case of emergency. Under these circumstances, patients are required to have a HRV measuring kit for a constant observation.

The proposed project focuses on the development of a heart rate variability measurement system with the use of embedded electronics. …

Olfactory Dysfunction Predicts 5-Year Mortality In Older Adults, Jayant M. Pinto, Kristen E. Wroblewski, David W. Kern, L Phillip Schumm, Martha K. Mcclintock

Psychology & Gerontology Faculty Publications

Prediction of mortality has focused on disease and frailty, although antecedent biomarkers may herald broad physiological decline. Olfaction, an ancestral chemical system, is a strong candidate biomarker because it is linked to diverse physiological processes. We sought to determine if olfactory dysfunction is a harbinger of 5-year mortality in the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project [NSHAP], a nationally representative sample of older U.S. adults. 3,005 community-dwelling adults aged 57–85 were studied in 2005–6 (Wave 1) and their mortality determined in 2010–11 (Wave 2). Olfactory dysfunction, determined objectively at Wave 1, was used to estimate the odds of 5-year, …

Development Of A Fatal Noncompressible Truncal Hemorrhage Model With Combined Hepatic And Portal Venous Injury In Normothermic Normovolemic Swine, Ujwal R. Yanala, Jason M. Johanning, Iraklis I. Pipinos, Gustavo F. Larsen, William H. Velander, Mark A. Carlson

William H. Velander Publications

Noncompressible truncal hemorrhage and brain injury currently account for most early mortality of warfighters on the battlefield. There is no effective treatment for noncompressible truncal hemorrhage, other than rapid evacuation to a surgical facility. The availability of an effective field treatment for noncompressible truncal hemorrhage could increase the number of warfighters salvaged from this frequently-lethal scenario. Our intent was to develop a porcine model of noncompressible truncal hemorrhage with a ,50% one-hour mortality so that we could develop new treatments for this difficult problem. Normovolemic normothermic domestic swine (barrows, 3 months old, 34–36 kg) underwent one of three injury types …

Effects Of Various Partial Body Cooling Techniques On Core Temperature During Recovery From Prolonged Cycling-Induced Heat Stress, Afton Danielle Seeley

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using an ice-vest and a palm cooling device on core and skin temperatures, heart rate, and perceived thermal comfort during a one hour recovery period following exercise in the heat. Ten recreationally active adults cycled for one hour at 50% V0₂ peak on a cycle ergometer while exposed to 36°C 45%relative humidity environmental conditions. Following exercise, each subjectwas exposed to an ice vest, a palm cooling device, or a non cooling control while seated in the environmental chamber for 60 more minutes. No significant differencewas found betweenany of …

Pancreatic Ribonuclease Functions As An Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Ligand Independently Of Its Enzyme Activity And Contributes To Cetuximab Resistance, Heng-Huan Lee

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Ribonuclease (RNase) with its catalytic enzyme activity to degrade RNAs has been shown as a diagnostic serum marker for pancreatic cancer and has also been suspected to have an unidentified cell surface receptor. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a well-characterized receptor tyrosine kinase is an effective therapeutic target in multiple cancer types. However, clinical trials targeting EGFR have not demonstrated improved therapeutic efficacy in pancreatic cancer. Here, we show that both bovine pancreatic RNase A (bRNaseA) and human RNase 5 (hRNase5) act as EGFR ligands and directly activate EGFR to promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition. This ligand-like activity is independent of RNases’ …

The Percussionist Bodybuilder: Optimizing Performance Through Exercise And Nutrition, Anthony Joseph Merlino

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Do preventive therapies have the potential to help avoid common injuries among percussionists? This document investigates physiological therapy and nutrition in relation to percussion performance. My interest in this subject matter is derived from my personal experiences with injuries related to the performance of percussion. Although I have studied and played percussion professionally for more than a decade, I was unaware of certain methods of rehabilitation that were available to me prior to my injuries. As I learned about the rehabilitation process through first hand experience, I discovered that my injuries were very common among percussionists. This raised the question: …

Strategic Focus On 3r Principles Reveals Major Reductions In The Use Of Animals In Pharmaceutical Toxicity Testing, Elin Törnqvist, Anita Annas, Britta Granath, Elisabeth Jalkesten, Ian Cotgreave, Mattias Öberg

Application of Alternative Methods Collection

The principles of the 3Rs, Replacement, Reduction and Refinement, are being increasingly incorporated into legislations, guidelines and practice of animal experiments in order to safeguard animal welfare. In the present study we have studied the systematic application of 3R principles to toxicological research in the pharmaceutical industry, with particular focus on achieving reductions in animal numbers used in regulatory and investigatory in vivo studies. The work also details major factors influencing these reductions including the conception of ideas, cross-departmental working and acceptance into the work process. Data from 36 reduction projects were collected retrospectively from work between 2006 and 2010. …

Serum Metabolomic Response Of Myasthenia Gravis Patients To Chronic Prednisone Treatment, Manjistha Sengupta, Amrita Cheema, Henry J. Kaminski, Linda Louise Kusner

Neurology Faculty Publications

Prednisone is often used for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases but they suffer from variable therapeutic responses and significant adverse effects. Serum biological markers that are modulated by chronic corticosteroid use have not been identified. Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder caused by antibodies directed against proteins present at the post-synaptic surface of neuromuscular junction resulting in weakness. The patients with myasthenia gravis are primarily treated with prednisone. We analyzed the metabolomic profile of serum collected from patients prior to and after 12 weeks of prednisone treatment during a clinical trial. Our aim was to identify metabolites …

Can Anyone With Low Income Be Food Secure?: Mitigating Food Insecurity Among Low Income Households With Children In The Tampa Bay Area, Edgar Allan Amador

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the US over the last few years, approximately 14.5% of households experience food insecurity at some point throughout the year. While studies on food insecurity in the US have determined that household income and specifically income available to spend on food is of critical importance to food security, it is still unclear why some households with low income are able to maintain food security while others experience food insecurity in a pattern characterized as not constant but recurrent. This dissertation compares households with children at different levels of food security and insecurity using the USDA Core Food Security Module …

Diverse Convergent Evidence In The Genetic Analysis Of Complex Disease: Coordinating Omic, Informatic, And Experimental Evidence To Better Identify And Validate Risk Factors, Timothy H. Ciesielski, Sarah A. Pendergrass, Marquitta J. White, Nuri Kodaman, Rafal S. Sobota, Minjun Huang, Jacquelaine Bartlett, Jing Li, Qinxin Pan, Jiang Gui, Scott B. Selleck, Christopher I. Amos, Marylyn D. Ritchie, Jason H. Moore, Scott M. Williams

Dartmouth Scholarship

In omic research, such as genome wide association studies, researchers seek to repeat their results in other datasets to reduce false positive findings and thus provide evidence for the existence of true associations. Unfortunately this standard validation approach cannot completely eliminate false positive conclusions, and it can also mask many true associations that might otherwise advance our understanding of pathology. These issues beg the question: How can we increase the amount of knowledge gained from high throughput genetic data? To address this challenge, we present an approach that complements standard statistical validation methods by drawing attention to both potential false …

Can The Usa National Weather Service Heat Index Substitute For Wet Bulb Globe Temperature For Heat Stress Exposure Assessment?, Ivory Iheanacho

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heat stress occurs when the body cannot adequately cool itself due to the combined contributions of metabolic heat, environmental factors and clothing. Heat stress found in the workplace puts employees at risk of developing heat-related illnesses, disorders and could be fatal. The wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index is the current method used to assess environmental contributions to heat stress in an occupational setting. The purpose of this thesis was to explore whether the National Weather Service's Heat Index (HI) could substitute for the WBGT Index during occupational heat stress exposure assessment. The possibility of using the HI for heat …