Digital Commons Network^™

Zoster Myelitis In Sickle Cell Anemia, Yahya M. Mousali, Ennam M. Sobhi, Seraj O. Makkawi

Neurosciences

A 17-year-old female patient, known case of sickle cell anemia was admitted to our hospital with 10 days history of fever, vomiting, and epigastric pain. On examination, her temperature was 38°C. There was a vesicular type of rash below the nipple and over the left chest involving the back. She was diagnosed as herpes zoster and was started on acyclovir with good hydration and analgesia. Three days later, she developed weakness and decreased sensation of the right leg. On the fifth day, examination revealed power of 1/5 on the right leg, and 4/5 on the left leg, there was proximal …

Warfarin Maintenance Dose In Iranian Patients. A Cross Sectional Study In 5 Cities Of Iran, Hamid Tayyebikhosroshahi, Zohreh Sanaat, Mehdi Farhoudi, Seyyedjavad Keyani, Farhad Khoshjoo, Majid Tayyebikhosroshahi

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To determine the warfarin maintenance dose in Iranian patients. METHODS: This multicenter study was conducted between January 2007 and January 2008 in 5 different large cities of Iran. Patients older than 12 years receiving warfarin were included. During the first days of warfarin use, international normalized ration (INR) was measured daily and after that every 1-2 weeks, with a duration of at least one month. The warfarin dose was considered to be stabilized if the INR remained unchanged on 3 consecutive measurements at a level between 2-3. Then mean dose of the last 3 warfarin doses was calculated. RESULTS: …

Saudi Normative Data For The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Stroop Test, Test Of Non-Verbal Intelligence-3, Picture Completion And Vocabulary (Subtest Of The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised), Ali M. Al-Ghatani, Marc C. Obonsawin, Basmah A. Binshaig, Khalaf R. Al-Moutaery

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: There are 2 aims for this study: first, to collect normative data for the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Stroop test, Test of Non-verbal Intelligence (TONI-3), Picture Completion (PC) and Vocabulary (VOC) sub-test of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised for use in a Saudi Arabian culture, and second, to use the normative data provided to generate the regression equations. METHODS: To collect the normative data and generate the regression equations, 198 healthy individuals were selected to provide a representative distribution for age, gender, years of education, and socioeconomic class. The WCST, Stroop test, TONI-3, PC, and VOC were administrated …

Comparative Neuroprotective Effects Of Methylprednisolone And Rosiglitazone, A Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-Γ Following Spinal Cord Injury, Qin Zhang, Chen Huang, Tiansi Tang, Qin Shi, Huilin Yang

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To compare the neuroprotective effects of methylprednisolone (MPSS) and rosiglitazone (ROSG) following spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: This study was carried out at the Institute of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China between June 2009 and March 2010. One hundred and twenty Sprague-Dawley rats after SCI were divided into 4 different groups (30/group): i) SCI-vehicle group, ii) MPSS group, iii) ROSG group, and iv) sham saline group. The following 5 aspects were evaluated: 1) spinal cord inflammation and tissue injury; 2) neutrophil infiltration; 3) cell apoptosis; 4) the expression of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α …

Enhanced Expression Of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein In The Hippocampus One Month After Whole Brain Irradiation Of Adult Rats, Ye Tian, Shu Yang, Liyuan Zhang, Zhige Shi, Shiyao Bao

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To examine the changes of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the hippocampus after whole brain irradiation of adult rats. METHODS: Forty-one male Sprague-Dawley rats (180-220 g weight and 6-8 weeks) were divided into the 9 irradiation subgroups, sham, and control groups. Their whole brain was irradiated by a single dose of 2, 10, and 30 Gy. At one day, one week, and one month after irradiation, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay was used to semiquantitatively analyze the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein messenger RNA, and immunohistochemistry was performed to detect glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells. This study was …

Update And Review On The Basics Of Pain Management, Ahmed A. Al-Sayed, Abdulaziz M. Al-Numay

Neurosciences

This article reviews the major findings of research related to pharmacological pain therapies used in treating acute and chronic pain, it compares advantages and disadvantages of certain drugs used mainly in pain management (for example, opioids and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), and others that have a secondary use in pain management (for example, skeletal muscle relaxants, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants) and their intended indications. Our goal is to present accurate up-to-date applicable data on these pharmacological choices.

The Effect Of Birth Order Perceptions On The Evaluation Of Personality, Emily E. Case

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of The Neurotensin-1 Receptor Agonist Pd149163 On Visual Signal Detection Task Performance In Rats, Todd M. Hillhouse

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Methylation And Patterns Of Evolution In Imprinted Genes In The Mouse, Tori A. Lafleur

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Protein And Lipid Amounts Of The Parasitoid Bracon Hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) At Constant And Alternating Temperatures, Özgür Varer Işitan, Nevran Eylem Akman Gündüz, Adem Gülel

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Bracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a gregarious synovigenic parasitoid that attacks late stage larvae of many important lepidopterous species. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the influence of 3 constant (18, 25, and 35 °C) and 1 alternating temperature (incubator programmed to vary daily between 18, 25, and 35 °C at 8 h intervals) on protein and lipid amounts of female and male parasitoids. Protein amounts of female parasitoids were highest when exposed to alternating temperature. At all the temperatures tested, 1-day-old males had similar amounts of protein, but 5- and 10-day-old males had higher amounts …

A Comparison Of Skeletal Muscle Protein Bands In Pelophylax Ridibundus (Pallas, 1771) And Pelophylax Caralitanus (Arıkan, 1988) Populations In Turkey Using Sds-Page, Ufuk Bülbül, Bi̇lal Kutrup

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In this study, skeletal muscle protein bands of Pelophylax ridibundus specimens from 31 populations inhabiting all geographic regions of Turkey and Pelophylax caralitanus specimens from the Isparta (Lake Eğirdir) population were compared using sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). In total, 270 adult (134 females, 136 males) P. ridibundus specimens and 12 adult (5 females, 7 males) P. caralitanus specimens were used in SDS-PAGE characterization. The first group (31 different populations of P. ridibundus) had 27 homologous protein bands whereas the second group (1 population of P. caralitanus from Lake Eğirdir) had 28 bands. It was shown that the …

New Records Of Two Cheyletid Mite Species (Acari: Cheyletidae) From Iran, Sali̇h Doğan, Mahdi Jalaeian, Hashem Kamali

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Two species of the family Cheyletidae (Acari: Prostigmata), Cheletonella vespertilionis Womersley and Cheyletus kuznetzovi Bochkov and Khaustov, are given as new records for the Iranian fauna. This is also the first report of the genus Cheletonella Womersley from Iran.

Getting To Stay: Clarifying Legal Treatment Of Improper Adoptions, Elena Schwieger

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.

Longwood University Catalog 2011-2012, Longwood University

Undergraduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

The Frequency And Cause Of Shallow Winter Mixed Layers In The Gulf Of Maine, Michael Christensen

Master's Theses and Capstones

In the Gulf of Maine, regional differences in wintertime stratification have important biological and physical implications. Phytoplankton blooms linked with shallow stratification events during the winter are important because they can provide an additional food source for zooplankton and larval fish populations. Regional differences in stratification and mixed layer depth may also affect rates of air-sea gas exchange. On an annual basis, variability in wintertime air-sea CO2 exchange is significant since it can affect the entire region's role as a sink or source of atmospheric carbon. Before examining how patterns in stratification affect biological and physical systems in the Gulf …

Genes Differentially Expressed At 1 Day, 6 Weeks, And 6 Months Of Age In Aortas Of Spontaneously Atherosclerotic White Carneau Pigeons, Suzanne Lee Pearlman

Master's Theses and Capstones

Genetics is reported to be the primary causative factor for individuals diagnosed with atherosclerosis, in the absence of known risk factors. The development of atherosclerosis in White Carneau (WC) pigeons is of genetic origin, making it an excellent model to study genetic factors.

Representational Difference Analysis (RDA) was used to determine genes differentially upregulated between three ages, at the celiac bifurcation of the aorta in WC pigeons. Genes responsible for spontaneous initiation of atherosclerosis were hypothesized as being differentially expressed at 1 day, while those differentially expressed at 6 weeks and 6 months were related to progression.

Multiple candidate genes …

Synthesis Of Cadmium Selenide-Gold Hybrid Nanorods, Xiaoxiong Jia

Master's Theses and Capstones

In this work, we reported the synthesis of cadmium selenide-gold (CdSe-Au) hybrid nanorods. The growth substrates, CdSe nanorods, were synthesized using a simple mono-injection method. The growth models for CdSe with different morphologies were proposed, and validated by the experimental results. It can be briefly described as concentrated CdSe monomers were prone to forming isotropic CdSe nanoparticles; while diluted CdSe monomers were prone to forming anisotropic CdSe nanorods. The growth of Au nanoparticles on the surface of CdSe nanorods was achieved via galvanic replacement reactions between Au ions (AuCl3) and CdSe nanorods at room temperature. By adjusting the reaction times, …

Cooperative And Antagonistic Roles For Heterochromatin Proteins In Transcriptional Regulation Of The Drosophila Sex Determination Masterswitch Gene, Hui Li

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

HOAP was originally identified as a component of an ORC-containing multi-protein complex of Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) from early Drosophila embryos. HOAP immunostaining showed prominent association of it with telomeres, and mutants for HOAP (cav¹) showed it functions along with HP1 in forming a telomere capping complex that prevents telomeric fusions.

Weaker HOAP immunostaining is also observed in regions of pericentric heterochromatin and euchromatin. To examine the role of HOAP at these non-telomeric sites, we applied Affymetric Drosophila Genome Arrays to undertake a microarray expression profiling study of genes that are mis-expressed in cav¹ mutant larvae. The …

The Relationship Of Personality Preferences And Type To Health-Promoting Behaviors, Alcohol Use, And Cigarette Smoking, Billy Fredrick Martin

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

An individual’s personality traits and characteristics have been found to have an important relationship with health behaviors. However, there has been minimal research conducted with personality types. The purpose of the study was to examine the predictive relationship among MBTI® personality preferences and types and both selected health-promoting and selected risk-taking behaviors among residential college students. Furthermore, several potential mediating demographic variables were added to the study to determine their predictive relationship and if they should be entered into a model for the selected health behaviors.

The study used a cross-sectional design with two self-report instruments and demographic questionnaire. The …

High Performance Piezoelectric Materials And Devices For Multilayer Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic Based Microfluidic Systems, Wenli Zhang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The incorporation of active piezoelectric elements and fluidic components into micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) is of great interest for the development of sensors, actuators, and integrated systems used in microfluidics. Low temperature cofired ceramics (LTCC), widely used as electronic packaging materials, offer the possibility of manufacturing highly integrated microfluidic systems with complex 3-D features and various co-firable functional materials in a multilayer module. It would be desirable to integrate high performance lead zirconate titanate (PZT) based ceramics into LTCC-based MEMS using modern thick film and 3-D packaging technologies. The challenges for fabricating functional LTCC/PZT devices are: 1) formulating piezoelectric compositions which …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Mesoscale Protein Patterns Using Atomic Force Microscopy (Afm), Pei Gao

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A versatile AFM local oxidation lithography was developed for fabricating clean protein patterns ranging from nanometer to sub-millimeter scale on octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) layer of Si (100) wafer. This protein patterning method can generate bio-active protein pattern with a clean background without the need of the anti-fouling the surface or repetitive rinsing.

As a model system, lysozyme protein patterns were investigated through their binding reactions with antibodies and aptamers by AFM. Polyclonal anti-lysozyme antibodies and anti-lysozyme aptamer are found to preferentially bind to the lysozyme molecules on the edge of a protein pattern before their binding to the interior ones. It …

Role Of Lipids In Tombusvirus Replication, Monika Sharma

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Positive-strand RNA virus group are the most abundant among viruses affecting plants and animals. To successfully achieve replication, these viruses usurp or co-opt host proteins. To facilitate the discovery of host factors involved in Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), yeast has been developed as a surrogate model host. Genome-wide approaches covering 95% of yeast genes, has revealed approximately hundred factors that could affect virus replication. Among the identified host factors, there are fourteen yeast genes, which affect/regulate lipid metabolism of the host.

One of the identified host gene is ERG25, which is an important factor for sterol biosynthesis pathway, affecting …

Characterization Of G10h Promoter And Isolation Of Wrky Transcription Factors Involved In Catharanthus Terpenoid Indole Alkaloid Biosynthesis Pathway, Nitima Suttpanta

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Catharanthus roseus produces a large array of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) that are an important source of natural or semi-synthetic anticancer drugs. Biosynthesis of TIAs is tissue-specific and induced by certain phytohormones and fungal elicitors, indicating the involvement of a complex transcriptional control network. However, the transcriptional regulation of the TIA pathway is poorly understood. This study reports the isolation and characterization of the G10H promoter and two WRKY transcription factors regulating TIA biosynthesis.

Geraniol 10-hydroxylase (G10H) controls the first committed step in the biosynthesis of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIA). The C. roseus G10H promoter sequence was isolated by a …

Rate-Limiting Step Of Cone Phototransduction Recovery And Oguchi Disease Mechanisms, Frank Chen

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT RATE-LIMITING STEP OF CONE PHOTOTRANSDUCTION RECOVERY AND OGUCHI DISEASE MECHANISMS By Frank Sungping Chen Advisor: Ching-Kang Jason Chen, Ph.D. Retinal photoreceptors provide the first gateway in which light information from the environment is transformed into neuronal signals. The cone and rod photoreceptors are responsible for day and night vision, respectively. Understanding rod and cone phototransduction is to figure out how these cells differ in their temporal and spatial sensitivities to allow perception of a broad dynamic range of stimuli. Phototransduction is mediated through a Gprotein signaling cascade. Light absorption by visual pigment triggers the isomerization of 11- cis-retinal covalently …

The Characterization Of Pg0228 In Porphyromonas Gingivalis W83, Courtney Schlenker

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontitis affects 10 to 15 percent of most adult populations and can contribute to numerous systemic diseases. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a gram-negative anaerobic bacterium, is a recognized prime causative agent in periodontitis. Studies have shown a number of small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) have been related to bacterial virulence. Many of these sRNAs require the facilitation of the bacterial Sm-like protein, Hfq, for optimum function. Hfq is a RNA chaperone involved in RNA stability, sRNA function, and polyadenylation. Mutants lacking in Hfq often show pleiotropic phenotypes, although the extent and severity of hfq null phenotypes is often species-specific. Hfq has been encoded …

Acquired Cytogenetic Changes In Adult Twins Discordant For A History Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Jenni Brumelle

Theses and Dissertations

The primary study aim was to evaluate the latent biological effect of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on adults by quantifying acquired cytogenetic changes and cortisol levels in identical twins who were discordant (N=22) or concordant (N=2) for a history of CSA. Although the difference scores for cortisol values between discordant identical co-twins were not significantly different from zero, a trend was observed for the twins exposed to intercourse, the most severe form of CSA, to have a blunted cortisol awakening response. Acquired cytogenetic changes were assessed by scoring telomere lengths and somatic cell abnormality frequencies via a cytokinesis-block micronucleus (MN) …

Hiv Protease Inhibitors Trigger Lipid Metabolism Dysregulation Through Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress And Autophagy, Beth Shoshana Zha

Theses and Dissertations

HIV protease inhibitors (PI) are core components of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART). HIV PIs are extremely effective at suppressing viral load, but have been linked to lipodystrophy and dyslipidemia, which are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Recent studies indicate that activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is an important cellular mechanism underlying HIV PI-induced dysregulation of lipid metabolism. However, the exact role of ER stress in HIV PI-associated lipodystrophy and dyslipidemia remains to be identified. Hepatocytes and adipocytes are important players in regulating lipid metabolism and the inflammatory state. Dysfunction of these two cell types is closely linked …

Synthesis, Screening And Cocrystallization Of Adenosine Based Inhibitors With Methyltransferases, Ermc' And Ksga, Matthew Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotic resistance threatens to throw mankind back into an era when infectious disease was the predominant cause of death. In an effort to mitigate this danger, we targeted ErmC’ and KsgA. Both methylate N6-adenosine of ribosomal RNA, though each serve different roles in their bacterial host. ErmC’ dimethylates A2058 on 23S rRNA, conferring resistance to MLSB antibiotics (macrolides, lincosamides, streptogramin B). KsgA aids in ribosome assembly, binding inactive 30S until dimethylating A1518/A1519 of 16S rRNA. Like most methyltransferases, ErmC’ and KsgA use cofactor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as their methyl source, which binds adjacent to their specific adenosine substrate. ErmC’ inhibitors could …

Biobehavioral Relationships And Health Related Quality Of Life In Persons With End Stage Renal Disease On Hemodialysis, Avis Allen

Theses and Dissertations

The study of immune status and biobehavioral measures is limited in professional nursing. The purpose of the pre-pilot study was to describe levels of cytokines prior to, during, and after dialysis, examine changes in cytokine levels from immediate pre-dialysis to immediate post-dialysis, and to compare cytokine patterns prior to and after dialysis. A within subject descriptive study was conducted as part of a larger pilot study to describe levels of cytokines prior to, during, and after dialysis, examine changes in cytokine levels from immediate pre-dialysis to immediate post-dialysis, and to compare cytokine patterns prior to and after dialysis. Serum cytokine …

Morphometric And Genetic Variation Among Populations Of The Southern Short-Tailed Shrew, Blarina Carolinensis, Located Along The Coastal Plain Of Virginia, Devon Kersten

Theses and Dissertations

The distribution of short-tailed shrews, Blarina carolinensis and B. brevicauda, demonstrates contiguous allopatry in peninsular situations in the Coastal Plain of Virginia, and in other areas. The distribution of these two species is unusual in that they do not exhibit syntopy except within a narrow corridor along the borders of their ranges. Interestingly, along the Coastal Plain of Virginia, B. carolinensis is generally found only at the distal ends of the peninsular areas, existing as local populations that appear to be isolated from each other and from the primary population that exists in south-central Virginia. It is thought that the …