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The Role Of The Intracellular Signaling Pathway In Ehrlichia Canis Infection In Vitro, Chang-Hyun Kim Jan 2010

The Role Of The Intracellular Signaling Pathway In Ehrlichia Canis Infection In Vitro, Chang-Hyun Kim

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Ehrlichia canis is a pleomorphic obligatory intracellular gram-negative bacterium that causes tick-borne canine ehrlichiosis. A systematic investigation on the pathogenesis of the disease has been hindered largely by lack of a reliable quantitative assay. Using quantitative real time PCR (qPCR), a quantitative assay for E. canis was developed and validated. Using the qPCR, the intracellular proliferation kinetics of E. canis in the canine 030F cell-line was studied for the first time. Many intracellular bacterial pathogens have been shown to use Ca2+ signaling in the host cells to induce their own internalization and proliferation. However, it is not clear how Ca2+ …

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Identification And Characterization Of Downstream Target Genes Of The Bmp Signaling Pathway, Nam Chul Kim Jan 2010

Identification And Characterization Of Downstream Target Genes Of The Bmp Signaling Pathway, Nam Chul Kim

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During nervous system development, neurons proliferate, differentiate, project their axons to their targets and make synapses with them. At the neuromuscular junction of Drosophila, these functional synapses enlarge as the body grows to maintain physiologically effective synaptic transmission with the muscles. Drosophila Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) type II receptor, Wishful thinking (Wit), is important in this proper synaptic growth and function. To identify transcriptional targets of Wit signaling, we performed microarray experiments comparing normal controls to wit mutants. Through this study, we found that some of the verified target genes showed isoform-specific regulation in wit mutants, and that several neuropeptide …

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Development Of A Multiscale Material Model For Brain Tissue And Its Application To The Impact Response Of The Human Head, Sandeep Kulathu Jan 2010

Development Of A Multiscale Material Model For Brain Tissue And Its Application To The Impact Response Of The Human Head, Sandeep Kulathu

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The development of a finite element model capable of predicting brain injury sustained as a result of an impact load to the head is of considerable importance not only for the development of adequate protection systems but also in deciding an appropriate mode of treatment for an individual. With advancements in imaging technologies, it is now possible to visualize the neuron fiber structures in the brain. In the first half of this project, an analytical micro-mechanical model was developed from the individual isotropic behaviors of the Cerebro-Spinal Fluid (CSF) and brain tissue present in the brain, such that the resultant …

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Spin Echo Ss-Parse: A Parse Mri Method To Estimate R2, R2' And Frequency In A Single Shot, Ningzhi Li Jan 2010

Spin Echo Ss-Parse: A Parse Mri Method To Estimate R2, R2' And Frequency In A Single Shot, Ningzhi Li

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Rapid and accurate mapping of relaxation rates applies to a number of neuroimaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. Previously developed relaxation rate mapping methods are based mostly on non-linear fitting of intensity images. For the first time, this study developed an ultrafast and direct transverse relaxation rate mapping technique, Spin Echo Single-Shot Parameter Assessment by Retrieval from Single Encoding (SE-SS-PARSE). Four useful imaging parameters, local transverse magnetization magnitude (Mxy0), frequency (f), reversible and irreversible transverse re-laxation rate (R2' and R2), can be estimated using an iterative searching algorithm simul-taneously and quantitatively. In addition, the SE-SS-PARSE technique is free …

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Role Of 14-3-3&Tau In Autophagy And Role Of Edd In P53 Regulation, Shiyun Ling Jan 2010

Role Of 14-3-3&Tau In Autophagy And Role Of Edd In P53 Regulation, Shiyun Ling

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Unrestricted cell proliferation and suppression of cell death are two essential events for tumor development. My dissertation research involves two proteins, 14-3-3 &tau and EDD which are involved in diverse pathways related to these two fields in recent studies. Previous study demonstrates that 14-3-3ô regulates p21 degradation. Up-regulation of 14-3-3ô is seen in breast cancer and is correlated with the down-regulation of p21 in breast cancer. Amplification or overexpression of EDD was observed in breast cancer and ovarian cancers. Illustrating the new roles of these two proteins in proliferation and cell death will advance our knowledge in tumorigenesis and help …

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Identification And Characterization Of Virulence Factors Of Mycoplasmas, Wenyi Luo Jan 2010

Identification And Characterization Of Virulence Factors Of Mycoplasmas, Wenyi Luo

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Mycoplasmas cause a group of diseases that are characterized by their chronicity and resistance to treatment. Diseases caused by the murine pathogens Mycoplasma pulmonis and Mycoplasma arthritidis are often studied as models of human diseases caused by a variety of chronic pathogens that induce a similar pathology. Among several candidate pathogenic factors, superantigens and degradative enzymes such as glycosidases are potentially important but not well characterized. The M. arthritidis mitogen (MAM) is a superantigen secreted by M. arthritidis. Its role with respect to arthritogenicity and toxicity is unclear. To improve the efficiency of transformation and hence enhance efforts to generate …

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Lim Kinase 1 And Twinstar In Synaptic Plasticity Of Drosophila Motoneurons, James Brian Machamer Jan 2010

Lim Kinase 1 And Twinstar In Synaptic Plasticity Of Drosophila Motoneurons, James Brian Machamer

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Modification of the actin cytoskeleton is essential for synaptic plasticity, which is believed to underlie the brain's capacity for learning and memory. Regulation of the actin cytoskeleton by LIM Kinases (LIMK1 and LIMK2) and their downstream targets Actin Depolymerization Factor/Cofilin (ADF/Cofilin) in the mouse forebrain modulates dendritic spine morphology, synaptic function, long-term potentiation (LTP), and learning and memory, but appear dispensable for the regulation of most forms of presynaptic plasticity. However, these analyses were performed in mice mutant for single members of these gene families, and thus the interpretation of these results is confounded by potential compensatory activity of homologous …

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Translocation And Function Of Akt In The Mitochondria, Keri A. Mans Jan 2010

Translocation And Function Of Akt In The Mitochondria, Keri A. Mans

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The ubiquitously expressed kinase Akt is a known survival protein, and is involved in multiple cell signaling cascades, notably the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. Active Akt translocates from the plasma membrane to different subcellular compartments, including mitochondria, where it phosphorylates compartment-specific substrates. The mechanism of this translocation and the specific function of Akt within the mitochondria remains a mystery. The goals of this study were to elucidate the mechanism by which Akt enters the mitochondria and examine the role of Akt in mitochondrial function. Finally, the possibilities of using post-mortem human brain tissue to study mitochondrial function in normal and …

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What It Means For Grandparents To Raise Their Grandchildren As Primary Caregivers, Annette I. Mohan Jan 2010

What It Means For Grandparents To Raise Their Grandchildren As Primary Caregivers, Annette I. Mohan

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ABSTRACT For generations, grandparents have taken a special role in the lives of their grandchildren- to nurture, love, encourage and support them to achieve their goals. However, in the past fifteen years, the definition of family has become more flexible, as it accommodated the increasing number of grandparents raising grandchildren as primary caregivers. This research studies this family structure, which was seen as a solution to raise young children whose parents were unfit to perform their role as parents or because of a crisis. Grandparents who raise their grandchildren as primary caregivers were chosen using purposeful snowball sampling. The grandchildren …

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Genotyping Of Streptococcus Mutans Using Multilocus Sequence Typing, Stephanie Momeni Jan 2010

Genotyping Of Streptococcus Mutans Using Multilocus Sequence Typing, Stephanie Momeni

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ABSTRACT The role of Streptococcus mutans has been extensively studied using a variety of genotyping techniques. Repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) is an effective tool for screening large-scale epidemiological studies with high discriminatory power and reproducibility. For this study, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis is used to evaluate genotypes previously identified as unique using rep-PCR. Twenty-two unique S. mutans rep- PCR genotypes were selected from a longitudinal study. Four additional isolates were selected from each genotype group of the 6 most commonly occurring genotypes (n=30) for further analysis. Real-time PCR was performed using eight housekeeping S. mutans gene …

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The Role Of Parental Autonomy Support In The Motivation Of The Health Behaviors Of Diet And Exercise In Older Adolescents, Shannon A. Morrison Jan 2010

The Role Of Parental Autonomy Support In The Motivation Of The Health Behaviors Of Diet And Exercise In Older Adolescents, Shannon A. Morrison

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regardless of the degree of heteroskedasticity. Moreover, in the presence of high leverage

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The Contribution Of Different Mechanisms Of Viral Sequence Variation To The Evolution Of Positive-Sense Single-Stranded Rna Viruses, Brett Earl Pickett Jan 2010

The Contribution Of Different Mechanisms Of Viral Sequence Variation To The Evolution Of Positive-Sense Single-Stranded Rna Viruses, Brett Earl Pickett

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The Flaviviridae family of positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) viruses includes viral taxa which greatly impact public health worldwide. To explore how the viruses within the Flaviviridae family evolve, we examined the extent to which these viral taxa use nucleotide covariance, spontaneous mutation, and/or homologous recombination to vary their genotype as well as the resulting phenotype. We developed and used CovarView to assist us in simultaneously viewing and inspecting the results from whole genome covariance analyses. This resulted in the identification of previously-characterized RNA functional structures in the genomes of hepatitis C virus (HCV), as well as a new RNA functional …

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Assessing Knowledge, Attitudes, And Beliefs Of Teachers In Alabama Concerning Comprehensive Hiv Education, Steven Brent Powell Jan 2010

Assessing Knowledge, Attitudes, And Beliefs Of Teachers In Alabama Concerning Comprehensive Hiv Education, Steven Brent Powell

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The Alabama State Department of Education has guidelines for educators to insure HIV information is taught by teachers starting in fifth grade (Alabama Course of Study: Health Education, 2009). As assessed by The School Health Profile (Profiles), 55% of Alabama teachers received professional development on HIV/AIDS. In addition, less than half of grades 9-12 teachers taught how condoms work, the importance of consistent condom use, and how to obtain condoms (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009). The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS) administered to grades 9-12 determined that 57% of youth in Alabama are sexually active, with …

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Exploring The Effects Of Limited English Language Proficiency On Disability: A Pilot Study Of Adult Chinese-, Japanese-, And Korean-Language Speakers In The United States, Xiaofei Qiao Jan 2010

Exploring The Effects Of Limited English Language Proficiency On Disability: A Pilot Study Of Adult Chinese-, Japanese-, And Korean-Language Speakers In The United States, Xiaofei Qiao

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This is a pilot study contending that limited language proficiency is associated with disability outcomes for Chinese-, Japanese-, and Korean-speaking Americans in the United States, as determined by application of the Disablement Process model. Using the 5 percent public-use micro-data samples (PUMS) from the United States Census 2000, this study explores the relationship by employing a Poisson regression on these three language groups from a comparative perspective. The findings shed light on the significant effects of limited language proficiency as a predisposing risk factor on disability outcomes and also demonstrate the importance of individual, family, and community characteristics as either …

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Response Dynamics Of Retinal Ganglion And Early Visual Cortical Cells To Simulated Optical Blur, Michael Lance Risner Jan 2010

Response Dynamics Of Retinal Ganglion And Early Visual Cortical Cells To Simulated Optical Blur, Michael Lance Risner

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Visual neurons are highly sensitive to changes in luminance around the mean level of light. The effects of changes in luminance contrast on the responses of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and V1 neurons have been extensively studied. Sharp transitions in luminance signify edges, which are key features in the visual environment. However, edges are rarely sharp and may be blurred. Edges are generally blurred because eyes have a restricted depth of field, sources of light are rarely point sources, edges are typically smooth, and rapid motion induces blur. The purpose of this research was to understand how RGCs and V1 …

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Heparanase Drives The Aggressive Myeloma Phenotype: Preclinical Development Of A Heparanase Inhibitor For The Treatment Of Multiple Myeloma, Joe Ritchie Jan 2010

Heparanase Drives The Aggressive Myeloma Phenotype: Preclinical Development Of A Heparanase Inhibitor For The Treatment Of Multiple Myeloma, Joe Ritchie

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Heparanase, an endoglycosidase which cleaves heparan sulfate chains at specific sites, is rarely expressed in normal tissues but becomes evident in many human cancers. We have previously shown that heparanase promotes myeloma growth and angiogenesis through modulation of the tumor microenvironment. Recognition that heparanase drives the aggressive myeloma phenotype has led to new strategies designed to therapeutically target this enzyme. SST0001, a non-anticoagulant heparin that is 100% N-acetylated and 25% glycol split, was previously described as a potent inhibitor of heparanase activity in vitro, and, in limited in vivo experiments, SST0001 was identified to have efficacy as an anti-tumor agent …

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Therapeutic Interventions For Chlorine Gas Induced Lung Injury, Amit Kumar Yadav Jan 2010

Therapeutic Interventions For Chlorine Gas Induced Lung Injury, Amit Kumar Yadav

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Rationale: Nitrite (NO2-) has been shown to limit injury to the heart, liver and kidneys in various models of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Currently, potential protective effects of systemic NO2- in limiting lung injury or enhancing repair have not been documented. Objectives: To assess the efficacy and mechanisms by which post-exposure intra-peritoneal injections of NO2- mitigate Cl2 induced lung injury in rats. Methods: Rats were exposed to Cl2 (400 ppm) for 30 minutes and returned to room air. Nitrite (1mg/Kg) or saline were administered intraperitoneally at 10 min, 2, 4 and 6 hrs post exposure. Rats were sacrificed at 6 hrs or …

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The Role Of Map Kinase Cascade In Msp Signaling Response, Youfeng Yang Jan 2010

The Role Of Map Kinase Cascade In Msp Signaling Response, Youfeng Yang

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The MSP domain is an evolutionarily conserved immunoglobulin-like structure of about 120 amino acids (Miller et al., 2001). A P56S missense mutation in the MSP domain of the human vapb gene is associated with a dominantly inherited form of Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) (Nishimura et al., 2004). In C. elegans, secreted MSP binds to the VAB-1 Eph receptor and other receptors on oocyte and ovarian sheath cell surfaces (Miller et al., 2003). We have recently shown that the P56S mutation prevents secretion of the VAPB MSP domain, suggesting that the signaling function is important in …

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Il-21 Dictates The Quality Of The Cd8 T Cell Response During Acute And Chronic Infections, John Seung-Hoon Yi Jan 2010

Il-21 Dictates The Quality Of The Cd8 T Cell Response During Acute And Chronic Infections, John Seung-Hoon Yi

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CD8 T cells contribute to the control of intracellular pathogens including viruses and certain bacteria. Recognition of foreign antigens by antigen-specific CD8 T cells initiates a differentiation process by which CD8 T cells gain effector functions including the ability to rapidly produce cytokines and kill infected cells. Currently, it is not well understood what signals dictate the generation of robust CD8 T cell responses, however it has been demonstrated that without CD4 T cell help CD8 T cell responses are compromised. CD4 T cells are the primary producers of interleukin-21 (IL-21), which has broad immunological actions. Thus for this dissertation, …

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Cardiovascular Endothelial Regeneration On An Electrospun Scaffold, Xing Zhang Jan 2010

Cardiovascular Endothelial Regeneration On An Electrospun Scaffold, Xing Zhang

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A bi-layer electrospun nano-fibrous scaffold comprising synthetic polymers and natural proteins was constructed as the prototype of an arterial substitute for coronary ar-tery disease. This scaffold featured a highly porous microstructure analogous to native extracellular matrix. Uni-axial tensile test suggested that its excellent mechanical strength could restore normal blood flow immediately after implantation. Subsequent biocompati-bility study demonstrated that scaffolding materials, either traditional or degraded, were non-toxic to the regenerated human endothelium on the luminal layer. Moreover, this re-generated endothelium possessed critical functions, such as the formation of tight junc-tions, the secretion of prostacyclin, and the prevention of platelet adhesion. Thereafter, …

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A Ck2-Dependent Mechanism For Activation Of The Jak-Stat Signaling Pathway: Implications For Cancer Biology, Ying Zheng Jan 2010

A Ck2-Dependent Mechanism For Activation Of The Jak-Stat Signaling Pathway: Implications For Cancer Biology, Ying Zheng

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Janus Kinase (JAK)-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) signaling is involved in regulation of cell survival, proliferation and differentiation. JAK tyrosine kinases can be transiently activated by cytokines or growth factors in normal cells, while they become constitutively activated as a result of mutations that affect their function in tumors. Specifically, the JAK2V617F mutation is present in the majority of patients with myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs) and is implicated in the pathogenesis of these diseases. In this dissertation, we report the identification of the serine/threonine kinase CK2 as a novel interactor and important regulator of activation of the JAK-STAT signaling …

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The Influence Of Self-Concept, Physical Activity, And Sedentary Screen Time Activities On Blood Pressure In 11-13 Year Old Middle School Children, Elizabeth Di Benedetto Gulledge Jan 2010

The Influence Of Self-Concept, Physical Activity, And Sedentary Screen Time Activities On Blood Pressure In 11-13 Year Old Middle School Children, Elizabeth Di Benedetto Gulledge

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The aims of this study were to: 1) examine associations between self-concept (SC), physical activity (PA), sedentary screen time (SST), and blood pressure (BP) and 2) determine the amount of variance explained by SC, PA, and SST in BP. The increase in SST along with decreases in PA may contribute to increases in BP. SC, PA and SST have been associated with BP in adolescents but less is known about middle school children. A sample of 116 (36 males; 80 females; 51 African American, 65 White) 6th and 7th grade11-13 year old students were recruited in a southeastern state. Participants …

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Protective Antibodies To The Proline-Rich And Alpha Helical Regions Of Pneumococcal Surface Protein A And Their Detection In An In Vitro Surrogate Assay, Calvin Clay Daniels Jan 2010

Protective Antibodies To The Proline-Rich And Alpha Helical Regions Of Pneumococcal Surface Protein A And Their Detection In An In Vitro Surrogate Assay, Calvin Clay Daniels

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Current pneumococcal vaccines containing pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide antigens protect against infection by pneumococci. However, this protection is limited to strains expressing the capsule types included in the vaccine. Since the introduction of these vaccines, the increase in incidence of infection by serotypes not targeted by the vaccine, a process called "serotype replacement," and the growing antibiotic resistance of replacement strains both stress the need for vaccines with broader protection. The alpha-helical region of a protein present on all clinical isolates of pneumococci, Pneumococcal Surface Protein A (PspA), elicits protective immunity. Downstream of the alpha-helical region is a highly conserved region …

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Characterization Of Explanted Endovascular Stents: A Study Of In-Vivo Corrosion And The Role Of Vascular Calcification In Stent Fracture, Dina Halwani Jan 2010

Characterization Of Explanted Endovascular Stents: A Study Of In-Vivo Corrosion And The Role Of Vascular Calcification In Stent Fracture, Dina Halwani

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The electrochemical and mechanical stability of endovascular stents in-vivo is essential for their biocompatibility. Limited information is available regarding the condition of stents following interaction with vascular tissue, as a result, twenty seven stented vessels containing 45 stents (33 bare metal and 12 drug eluting) were retrieved during autopsy and vascular surgery. The stent/tissue components were carefully separated using a rigorous tissue dissolution protocol. Stent surfaces were characterized using 3D digital optical and scanning electron microscopy. Transferred metallic elements in dissolved tissue were measured using mass spectroscopy. Histopathologic assessment of stented tissue, when available, was also performed. Fifteen out of …

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Fertility Enhancing Drugs, Assisted Reproductive Technologies And Effects On Maternal And Infant Outcomes Among Live Births In Texas, Suzanne Jay Roseman Jan 2010

Fertility Enhancing Drugs, Assisted Reproductive Technologies And Effects On Maternal And Infant Outcomes Among Live Births In Texas, Suzanne Jay Roseman

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Most studies evaluating outcomes among infertility treatment users use a spontaneously conceived (SC) group for comparative purposes, despite obvious limitations to this approach. Further, lack of comprehensive U.S. data-sources recording infertility treatments, especially non-assisted reproductive technology (non-ART) infertility treatments, has hampered the ability of U.S. researchers to explore the effects of a particular infertility treatment modality (for example ART) on maternal and infant outcomes while controlling for the effects of infertility itself. The present study makes use of the new data item: "Pregnancy resulted from infertility treatment," further categorized into ART and non-ART infertility treatments--from the 2003 revision of birth …

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Poxvirus Evolution: The Role Of Horizontal Gene Transfer, Mary Rebecca Odom Jan 2010

Poxvirus Evolution: The Role Of Horizontal Gene Transfer, Mary Rebecca Odom

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We have investigated the set of all poxvirus proteins for information about the origins of protein coding genes of the Poxviridae family of viruses. A global assessment of all poxvirus proteins for levels of similarity to proteins of other organisms, including eukaryotes, viruses, and prokaryotes, has suggested trends and relationships informative about poxvirus evolution and poxvirus interactions with hosts. Our research has focused on the poxvirus proteins subset this assessment identified as likely to have evolutionary histories involving horizontal gene transfer (HGT). We have used phylogenetic reconstructions to individually determine the sources of more than 70 horizontally transferred genes present …

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Examination Of The Capacity Of The Cathelicidins To Control Bacillus Anthracis Pathogenesis, Mark W. Lisanby Jan 2009

Examination Of The Capacity Of The Cathelicidins To Control Bacillus Anthracis Pathogenesis, Mark W. Lisanby

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cillus anthracis is a gram-positive, spore forming bacterium that causes infection through three routes: cutaneous, gastrointestinal and pulmonary. Historically, anthrax pathogenesis was thought to be initiated via the uptake of spores by resident macrophages, which then transited to the regional lymph nodes. While en-route, the spores germinated and developed into bacilli within the phagolysosome, escaped into the cytoplasm, killed the cell and eventually the host. Following the recent use of B. anthracis as a biological weapon, researchers began to reevaluate anthrax pathogenesis in order to develop novel treatments. One aspect of anthrax pathogenesis that saw renewed interest was the intracellular …

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Klf4 And Retinoid Receptor Signaling In Cancer, Wen Jiang Jan 2009

Klf4 And Retinoid Receptor Signaling In Cancer, Wen Jiang

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The fight against cancer has generated wide interest in understanding the genetic mechanisms behind the disease. One group of oncogenes – transcription factors – offers many opportunities for treatment or prevention. Among these transcription factors is KLF4, which functions in post-mitotic epithelial cells to promote differentiation. KLF4 has tumorigenic activity in both in vitro and in vivo models. In analyzing transcripts that were induced by KLF4, we noted the induction of multiple nuclear receptors, including retinoid receptors. Retinoids are well-established as chemopreventive agents, but the mechanisms by which they act to prevent cancer remain unclear. Previous studies have shown that …

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Regulation Of Neural Precursor Cell Apoptosis And Proliferation By Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3, Tae-Yeon Eom Jan 2009

Regulation Of Neural Precursor Cell Apoptosis And Proliferation By Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3, Tae-Yeon Eom

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Neurogenesis is a crucial process for development, plasticity, and regenerative capacity of the developing and adult brain. Impairment of neurogenesis has been implicated in the etiology of psychiatric disorders. Although substantial studies have shown that therapeutic interventions enhance neurogenesis, much less is known about what factors impair neurogenesis. Thus, the present work examined if glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) has a role in impaired neurogenesis, focusing on apoptosis and proliferation of neural precursor cells (NPCs). This investigation found that GSK3 promotes apoptotic signaling in cultured NPCs subjected to two insults, trophic factor withdrawal and genotoxic stress. Both stimuli activated GSK3, Bax, …

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Pathological Modification Of Tau Induce Toxicity And Facilitate Cell Death, Tori A. Matthews Jan 2009

Pathological Modification Of Tau Induce Toxicity And Facilitate Cell Death, Tori A. Matthews

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eimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by two major pathophysiological hallmarks, beta-amyloid (A��) plaques and tau tangles. In AD and other tau associated neurodegenerative disorders, termed tauopathies, a critical role in promoting neuronal degeneration has been demonstrated for hyperphosphorylated forms of tau. Recent findings suggest that cleavage of tau in the carboxyl-terminal region (Asp421) may also promote deleterious effects of tau on neuronal health. In the first half of my study, the relationship between Asp421 cleaved tau and a common AD associated stressor (endoplasmic reticulum [ER] stress) was investigated using an inducible cortical neuronal model. Cells expressing …

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