Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 10 of 10
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Neurochemical Changes Following Stroke: Role In Neuroprotection And Cardiac Susceptibility, Raymond Tak Cheung
Neurochemical Changes Following Stroke: Role In Neuroprotection And Cardiac Susceptibility, Raymond Tak Cheung
Digitized Theses
The mechanisms mediating neuronal recovery and cardiovascular complications after ischemic stroke are not completely known. In these investigations, I examined changes in neuropeptides and a catecholamine synthesizing enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in adult male Wistar rats.;Five days following MCAO, the immunoreactivity for TH and neuropeptide Y (NPY) increased in the insular cortex (IC) within the peri-infarct zone. NPY also increased ipsilaterally in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala, whereas leucine-enkephalin, dynorphin and neurotensin increased ipsilaterally in the central nucleus of the amygdala. Sham MCAO was ineffective.;Neurochemical changes were assessed 5 days after localized excitotoxic …
Osteopontin (Opn): Structural Analysis Of The Mouse Opn Gene And Functional Analysis Of The Opn Protein In Malignancy, Elke Ingeborg Behrend
Osteopontin (Opn): Structural Analysis Of The Mouse Opn Gene And Functional Analysis Of The Opn Protein In Malignancy, Elke Ingeborg Behrend
Digitized Theses
Osteopontin (OPN) is an integrin-binding cell adhesion protein, that is expressed in many normal cells and tissues, and that is associated with a number of pathological conditions, including cancer. The work presented in this thesis addresses both structural studies of the opn gene, and functional studies of the OPN protein, in an attempt to improve our understanding of OPN.;Two conflicting gene structures of the mouse opn gene had been reported that put into question the location of the promoter, the transcriptional start site, and exon 1 of the mouse opn gene. Analysis of the expressed messages predicted by the two …
Improving Dose Calculations In Electron-Beam Radiation Therapy, John Mclellan
Improving Dose Calculations In Electron-Beam Radiation Therapy, John Mclellan
Digitized Theses
The finite range of electrons in tissue makes electron beams a useful radiation treatment modality for many tumour sites. However, the simplistic methods of dose calculation in current clinical use lack sufficient accuracy in many situations of clinical importance. This thesis rests on the premise that a more accurate dose calculation method must incorporate all the major physical processes which shape the dose distribution.;The thesis unites the important transport processes of electron energy loss and angular scattering in a single mathematical model known as the compound Poisson process (CPP). CPP-based calculations of energy-loss spectra for 10, 20 and 30 MeV …
Neurophysiology Of Spared Motor Tracts In Spinal Cord Injury, Dalton Louis Wolfe
Neurophysiology Of Spared Motor Tracts In Spinal Cord Injury, Dalton Louis Wolfe
Digitized Theses
Recent experimental and therapeutic initiatives have been directed towards enhancing the survival and function of preserved central axons following spinal cord injury (SCI). The continued development of these initiatives depends largely on the sensitivity of techniques to detect the presence of residual innervation in descending motor tracts. Detection of preserved innervation in SCI patients provided the focus of the present thesis.;Preserved motor innervation was investigated in patients with established SCI using transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in muscles innervated below the level of the lesion. In particular, a set of experiments was …
P53-Dependent Tumorigenesis And Gene Expression In Mammalian Brain, Meyel Donald Van
P53-Dependent Tumorigenesis And Gene Expression In Mammalian Brain, Meyel Donald Van
Digitized Theses
Astrocytic gliomas are the most common brain cancers of adults. The goal of this research was to examine the molecular genetic determinants of gliomas, with particular emphasis on the tumor suppressor gene P53. First, I studied the frequency, nature and timing of P53 mutations in human gliomas. I observed that glioma-prone families do not have inherited mutations of P53, nor of the Nf1-GRD, Nf2, MTS1, MTS2, or CDK4 genes. However, a high frequency of loss of heterozygosity at chromosome 9p was noted in gliomas that cluster in families. In a second study of low-grade gliomas that progressed to higher grade …
Effects Of Aging And Strength Training On Shortening And Lengthening Muscle Actions In Women, Michelle Marie Porter
Effects Of Aging And Strength Training On Shortening And Lengthening Muscle Actions In Women, Michelle Marie Porter
Digitized Theses
There has been much research on strength changes with aging and the consequent effects of resistance training, however, relatively little is known about lengthening (eccentric; ECC) muscle actions. The purposes of these studies were to develop a method of testing and training plantar (PF) and dorsiflexion (DF) of the ankle in a standing position in order to investigate age-related and training effects on shortening (concentric; CONC) and ECC peak torque (PT) in women.;All subjects were healthy and physically active, and performed all testing and training on an isokinetic dynamometer. Strength testing was performed in both standing and supine positions at …
Human Placental Trophoblast As A Model For Tumor Progression, Nelson K. Khoo
Human Placental Trophoblast As A Model For Tumor Progression, Nelson K. Khoo
Digitized Theses
The human placenta is comprised of extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells which invade the uterus and its vasculature establishing maternal-fetal exchange of key molecules. The mechanisms of in vitro EVT cell invasiveness are similar to those of malignant tumor cells but are regulated in situ by locally derived factors. This invasiveness is insufficient for malignancy. The goal of this laboratory is to transform normal EVT cells and induce premalignant, malignant and/or metastatic phenotypes to identify genetic changes relevant to tumor progression.;Two SV40 T antigen (Tag) transformed cell lines (long lived RSVT-2; immortal RSVT2/C) derived from the invasive first trimester EVT cell …
Expression Of Sodium Pump Subunit Genes During Mouse Preimplantation Development, Daniel James Macphee
Expression Of Sodium Pump Subunit Genes During Mouse Preimplantation Development, Daniel James Macphee
Digitized Theses
The Na,K-ATPase or sodium pump is an enzyme that is found in most animal cells. The enzyme pumps sodium and potassium ions against their concentration gradients and is hypothesized to be a mediator of fluid accumulation during mouse preimplantation development. The purpose of the present study was to determine, using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), whether all {dollar}\alpha\ (\alpha1,\ \alpha2,\ \alpha3,\ \alpha4{dollar}) and {dollar}\beta\ (\beta1{dollar} and {dollar}\beta{dollar}2) isoforms of the sodium pump were expressed during preimplantation development. Previous work by Watson and Kidder (1988) had shown that the {dollar}\alpha{dollar} subunit was localized to the basolateral domains of mural trophectoderm surrounding …
Role Of Nitric Oxide In Interleukin-2 Therapy-Induced Capillary Leak Syndrome, Amila Orucevic
Role Of Nitric Oxide In Interleukin-2 Therapy-Induced Capillary Leak Syndrome, Amila Orucevic
Digitized Theses
Systemic interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy has been limited by a major side effect known as "capillary leak syndrome", characterized by retention of extravascular fluid, severe hypotension, and multiple organ system dysfunction. The present study tested the hypothesis that an overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) induced by IL-2 therapy was, at least in part, responsible for this syndrome. Studies were undertaken in healthy or C3-L5 mammary adenocarcinoma bearing C3H/HeJ mice to evaluate whether treatment with inhibitors of NO synthesis (N{dollar}\rm\sp{lcub}G{rcub}{dollar}-Methyl-L-Arginine, NMMA and N{dollar}\rm\sp{lcub}G{rcub}{dollar}-Nitro-L-Arginine methyl ester, L-NAME) can prevent IL-2 induced capillary leakage without compromising the therapeutic benefit of IL-2. Intraperitoneal IL-2 therapy …
Detection And Estimation Of Boundaries In Spatial Data, Lei Xie
Detection And Estimation Of Boundaries In Spatial Data, Lei Xie
Digitized Theses
The objective of this thesis is to develop methodology for detecting and estimating parameter changes at unknown boundaries for regression models of spatial data. This methodology has many applications including quality control, epidemiology, pharmacology, agriculture, meteorology and geology.;Statistics are derived for testing a spatial array of observations from a regression model for no change in parameters against possible alternatives involving change of parameters at unknown boundaries based on a Bayes-type approach and a locally optimal framework. These test statistics are defined in terms of set indexed partial sums of regression residuals. Limit processes are obtained for set indexed partial sums …