Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring New Chemical Entities From Traditional Medicine: Docking, Synthesis And Specific Bioactivities, Chinni Yalamanchili

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional medical systems contributed significantly to medicine with a number of their phytochemicals found to possess good biological properties. Recently, Dr. Youyou Tu was awarded the Nobel Prize (2015) for her discovery/isolation of Artemisinin from the TCM plant Artemisia annua. Our first aim is to identify active phytochemicals against botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A), and diabetes from Ayurveda and TCM, respectively, by using in silico, in vitro and in vivo approaches. In our second aim, we wanted to enantioselectively synthesize scalable quantities of phytoestrogenic isoflavans such as equol and sativan. The following three chapters summarize results of the three research goals. …

Trips Agreement Article 31 (B): The Need For Revision, Ann Marie Effingham

Seton Hall Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Call To Integrate Neuroscience And Translational Research In Psychopathology: A Literature Review Of The Rdoc And Substance Abuse Disorder, Jaclyn Dell

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

In general medicine, and much more in the treatment of psychiatric illness, one size does not fit all. Expansive breakthroughs in science and medicine have given scientists insight into the biological causes of diseases and disorders heretofore unimaginable until the past several years. Moreover, the field of neuroscience has begun to unravel the complicated networking systems of the human brain, and scientists are slowly beginning to comprehend how humans process the world around them. This has allowed for personalized treatment and improved results in physical health. But what of emotional and mental health? The focus of this review is to …

Breastfeeding Education And Support Needs For Women After A Cesarean Delivery Or Epidural Anesthesia, Joy Petzoldt-Hansell

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Cesarean delivery and epidural anesthesia may require specific education and interventions for breastfeeding success. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of breastfeeding initiation and duration and explore specific breastfeeding needs for women who have had a Cesarean delivery or epidural anesthesia. Sixteen postpartum women aged 27 to 41 were recruited through a Lamaze center in Michigan. The women were interviewed with a questionnaire exploring their breastfeeding experiences and support needs after delivery, and use of artificial infant milk. All women initiated breastfeeding; 81% (n=13) breastfed their infant for at least 12 months. Cesarean delivery was associated …

Cell Wall N-Linked Mannoprotein Biosynthesis Requires Goa1p, A Putative Regulator Of Mitochondrial Complex I In Candida Aabicans, Xiaodong She, Richard Calderone, Michael Kruppa, Douglas Lowman, David Williams, Lili Zhang, Ying Gao, Kasra Khamooshi, Weida Liu, Dongmei Li

ETSU Faculty Works

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The Goa1p of Candida albicans regulates mitochondrial Complex I (CI) activities in its role as a putative CI accessory protein. Transcriptional profiling of goa1Δ revealed a down regulation of genes encoding β-oligomannosyl transferases. Herein, we present data on cell wall phenotypes of goa1Δ (strain GOA31). We used transmission electron microscopy (TEM), GPC/MALLS, and NMR to compare GOA31 to a gene-reconstituted strain (GOA32) and parental cells. We …

Microrna-214 Protects Against Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Induced Cell Damage And Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury Via Suppression Of Pten And Bim1 Expression, Xiaohui Wang, Tuanzhu Ha, Yuanping Hu, Chen Lu, Li Liu, Xia Zhang, Race Kao, John Kalbfleisch, David Williams, Chuanfu Li

ETSU Faculty Works

Background: Myocardial apoptosis plays an important role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Activation of PI3K/Akt signaling protects the myocardium from I/R injury. This study investigated the role of miR-214 in hypoxia/ reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cell damage in vitro and myocardial I/R injury in vivo. Methods and Results: H9C2 cardiomyoblasts were transfected with lentivirus expressing miR-214 (LmiR-214) or lentivirus expressing scrambled miR-control (LmiR-control) respectively, to establish cell lines of LmiR-214 and LmiR-control. The cells were subjected to hypoxia for 4 h followed by reoxygenation for 24 h. Transfection of LmiR-214 suppresses PTEN expression, significantly increases the levels of Akt phosphorylation, markedly attenuates …

Breathless At The Point Of A Sword, Pooja Sethi, Zia Ur Rahman, Terry Forest, Timir Paul

ETSU Faculty Works

Context: Scimitar syndrome is a congenital anomaly of pulmonary venous return where right pulmonary artery drains into right side other heart, instead of the left side, causing pulmonary hypertension resulting in shortness of breath, recurrent lower respiratory tract infections, chest pain, and fatigue. Early diagnosis and surgical intervention would correct this congenital anomaly reducing morbidity and complications in otherwise healthy young patients. Case Report: We present a case of an 18-year-old female who presented with exertional shortness of breath, fatigue, and recurrent lower respiratory tract infections. She had unremarkable physical examination but chest x-ray showed an abnormal opacity next to …

The Implications Of Climate Change For Nebraska: Summary Report Of Sector-Based Roundtable Discussions, Donald A. Wilhite, Kimberly Morrow

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

This report is the result of the work of many individuals that contributed to the success of the series of eight sector-based roundtable events that were held in September and October of 2015. First and foremost, we would like to thank the organizers and the organizations they represent for their leadership in bringing together a diverse set of key stakeholders to discuss the implications of climate change on their sector. It was such a pleasure to work with such a dedicated group of individuals. Second, we would like to thank the more than 350 people who participated in these discussions …

Analyzing The Safety And Efficacy Of Fecal Microbiota Transplantations For Inflammatory Bowel Disease Using Clostridium Difficile Infection As A Reference, Cassie Chan

Scripps Senior Theses

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is the process by which fecal suspension from a healthy individual is transferred into the gastrointestinal tract of another individual in an attempt to cure certain diseases. This transplantation process has been accredited as being a potential remedy for a growing number of diseases that have been associated with gut microbial imbalances. Interest in FMT has largely been driven by the science community’s increasing interest in the gut microbiome and its role in potentially regulating a multitude of different functions and processes within the human body. One disease that has been found to respond exceptionally well …

Rubber Roads For The Rubber City: Testing The Suitability Of Rubberized Asphalt For Roads In Northeast Ohio, Jessica M. Fraser

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research paper explores the benefits of using rubberized asphalt concrete (RAC) versus normal asphalt concrete (NAC) and why it is environmentally important. New road construction and repair of roadways due to potholes are always occurring in Northeast Ohio. Recently, the city of Akron’s transportation budget has increased, which includes projects such as reconstructing asphalt and resurfacing pavements throughout the city of Akron. Using rubberized asphalt may improve the quality of our roads and reduce roadway degradation which will likely save cities money.

Using rubberized asphalt recycles old tires, which do not decompose, and creates a positive use for them …

Effects Of Invasion Timing In A One-Dimensional Model Of Competing Species With An Infectious Disease, Eliza Jacops

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In combining two classes of models, we are able to analyze the dynamics of two species that compete for the same resources while fighting a disease. The native species is the disease host and the invasive species enters their habitat and encounters the disease for the first time. Their natural response is to evolve resistance to the disease, and this can assist in their invasion of the natives' habitat. We find conditions for coexistence of the two species, conditions under which an invasion would succeed and wipe out all native individuals, and conditions under which the invasion fails. We explore …

The Responsibility To Protect And United States Intervention In The Libyan Civil War (2011), Paul Tang Abomo

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

On April 6, 1994, Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane was shot down. Soon after, there were reports that massive ethnic-based violence was unfolding, and the only way to stop it was the presence of an outside military force. The Clinton administration knew Rwanda was being engulfed by genocide but ignored the information to justify its inaction. Seventeen years later, on 15 February 2011, the arrest of Mr. Fathi Terbil, a well-known lawyer and human rights defender by the Libyan internal security forces (Jihaz al-Amn al-Dakhili) sparked a mass protest in Benghazi, Libya. When demonstrations began the Gaddafi government responded …

Student Absenteeism And The Comparisons Of Two Sampling Procedures For Culturable Bioaerosol Measurement In Classrooms With And Without Upper Room Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation Devices, Chunxiao Su, Josephine Lau, Shawn G. Gibbs

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Upper room ultraviolet germicidal irradiance (UVGI) has been shown to reduce the concentration of bioaerosols in controlled chambers. However, there is a lack of experimental results on the reduction of bioaerosol concentrations by UVGI devices in actual uncontrolled buildings. This study was carried out in an American elementary school in the Midwest. Two sampling procedures were carried out in six selected classrooms with similar dimensions that were separated into two groups: (1) UVGI exposure group and (2) non-UVGI control group. Two-stage Tisch culturable impactors were utilized to collect airborne culturable bacteria and fungi. Monthly samples were collected during unoccupied period …

Selective Induced Altered Coccidians To Immunize And Prevent Enteritis, Helieh S. Oz

Physiology Faculty Publications

Microbiomic flora in digestive tract is pivotal to the state of our health and disease. Antibiotics affect GI, control composition of microbiome, and shift equilibrium from health into disease status. Coccidiosis causes gastrointestinal inflammation. Antibiotic additives contaminate animal products and enter food chain, consumed by humans with possible allergic, antibiotic resistance and enigmatic side effects. Purposed study induced nonpathogenic, immunogenic organisms to protect against disease and abolish antibiotics’ use in food animals and side effects in man. Diverse species of Coccidia were used as model. Immature organisms were treated with serial purification procedure prior to developmental stages to obtain altered …

International Survey On Skin Patch Test Procedures, Attitudes And Interpretation., Luciana K. Tanno, Razvigor Darlenski, Silvia Sánchez-Garcia, Matteo Bonini, Andrea Vereda, Pavel Kolkhir, Dario Antolin-Amerigo, Vesselin Dimov, Claudia Gallego-Corella, Juan Carlos Aldave Becerra, Alexander Diaz, Virginia Bellido Linares, Leonor Villa, Lanny J. Rosenwasser, Mario Sanchez-Borges, Ignacio Ansotegui, Ruby Pawankar, Thomas Bieber, Wao Junior Members Group

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Skin patch test is the gold standard method in diagnosing contact allergy. Although used for more than 100 years, the patch test procedure is performed with variability around the world. A number of factors can influence the test results, namely the quality of reagents used, the timing of the application, the patch test series (allergens/haptens) that have been used for testing, the appropriate interpretation of the skin reactions or the evaluation of the patient's benefit.

METHODS: We performed an Internet -based survey with 38 questions covering the educational background of respondents, patch test methods and interpretation. The questionnaire was …

Reducing Overutilization Of Testing For Clostridium Difficile Infection In A Pediatric Hospital System: A Quality Improvement Initiative., J Michael Klatte, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Mary Anne Jackson, Angela Myers

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: Study objectives included addressing overuse of Clostridium difficile laboratory testing by decreasing submission rates of nondiarrheal stool specimens and specimens from children ≤12 months of age and determining resultant patient and laboratory cost savings associated with decreased testing.

METHODS: A multifaceted initiative was developed, and components included multiple provider education methods, computerized order entry modifications, and automatic declination from laboratory on testing stool specimens of nondiarrheal consistency and from children ≤12 months old. A run chart, demonstrating numbers of nondiarrheal plus infant stool specimens submitted over time, was developed to analyze the initiative's impact on clinicians' test-ordering practices. A …

Reforming Healthcare Reform, Jacqueline Fox

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Are Statins An Effective Treatment In Men With Erectile Dysfunction?, Kelsey Caton

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not HMG-CoA Inhibitors (Statins) are an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED).

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of three English language randomized controlled trials published between 2011-2013.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized controlled trials published in peer-reviewed journals comparing the effects of statins on erectile function found using the PubMed database.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcomes measured included erectile function, assessed using the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction Questionnaire (IIEF) in all three studies and Nocturnal Penile Tumescence (NPT) in one study, and male ED-quality of life using the MED-QoL …

Does Oral Gabapentin Administered Prior To Scheduled Cesarean Delivery Decrease Pain With Movement In Adult Women At 24 Hours As Compared To Placebo?, Ashley E. Boller

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective evidence based medicine review is to determine whether or not oral gabapentin administered prior to scheduled cesarean delivery decreases pain with movement in adult women at 24 hours postpartum as compared to placebo.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language, peer-reviewed, primary studies published after 2000.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized, placebo-controlled trials comparing the efficacy of oral gabapentin to a lactose placebo in adult women undergoing elective cesarean delivery. Sources were selected from PubMed, Medline, Ovid, and the Cochrane Database to include all studies matching the keywords that were published in peer-reviewed, English language …

Cell Viability, Cytoskeleton Organization And Cytokines Secretion Of Raw 264.7 Macrophages Exposed To Gram-Negative Bacterial Components, Ali Awadh Alshehri

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Macrophages play an important role in innate immunity by controlling cellular responses. In this study, the effects of gram-negative bacterial components (Flagellin, lipoprotein, lipopolysaccharides (LPS), outer membrane proteins-A (OMP-A) and peptidoglycan) were determined on cell viability, morphology, cytoskeletal filament and cytokines secretion of murine RAW 264.7 macrophages at 24 hours. The effect of LPS, flagellin and peptidoglycan from gram negative bacteria on viability murine RAW 264.7 macrophages were evaluated using different concentrations (1, 5 and 10 µg/ml). Cells stimulated with LPS displayed ~ 2-fold decrease (P=0.001) in cell viability compared to control cells at 24 hours whereas cells stimulated with …

The Expression Of Dopamine-Related Genes And Behavioral Performance In Mice, Victoria Lynne Dershem

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

While the neurotransmitter dopamine has been well-studied for its role in mood regulation and activation of the intrinsic reward pathway, several psychiatric disorders linked to dopamine are also known to cause memory impairment, a phenomenon which has attracted much less attention. In the current study, whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing was performed, and transcript levels of several dopamine-related genes were compared to results of behavioral assays designed to test spatial and emotional memory, as well as anxiety. The results suggest a positive relationship between expression level of Nurr1, a nuclear receptor known to initiate transcription of genes necessary for dopaminergic signaling, …

Difference In Knowledge Of Mrsa Regarding Sophomore And Senior Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Payton T. Lloyd, Daniel B. Whited, Lori N. Crimaldi

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Abstract

Background

The risk of infection by antibiotic resistant organisms is a common problem in hospital settings. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is the most common type of resistant bacteria that can have serious consequences or even lead to death. Nurses' knowledge of how to prevent and treat this problem is essential for patient safety. The purpose of this study is to determine the differences in level of knowledge of MRSA in sophomore and senior level baccalaureate nursing students.

Methods

This descriptive, comparative study will examine differences in knowledge of MRSA between sophomore and senior baccalaureate nursing students and determine if …

Development And Validation Of Virus And Ebola Misconceptions Assessment (Viremia): Ebola Virus Misconceptions In College Students, Michele Miller

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In this study an assessment (VirEMiA) on college students' knowledge and misconceptions of the Ebola virus was created and validated. VirEMiA was then used to determine what misconceptions college students have about Ebola, if there is a difference in misconceptions between students with and without a strong science background, and if Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) increases students' knowledge of Ebola and decreases their misconceptions. VirEMiA was shown to be a valid and reliable assessment whether confidence was integrated (seprel=0.97) or not (seprel=0.98), and for measuring misconceptions (seprel=0.97). If psychology and nursing majors were considered to have a strong background in science, …

Changes In The Proteome Of Langat-Infected Ixodes Scapularis Ise6 Cells: Metabolic Pathways Associated With Flavivirus Infection, Jeffrey M. Grabowski, Rushika Perera, Ali M. Roumani, Victoria E. Hedrick, Halina Dorota Inerowicz, Catherine A. Hill, Richard Kuhn

Department of Entomology Faculty Publications

Background: Ticks (Family Ixodidae) transmit a variety of disease causing agents to humans and animals. The tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFs; family Flaviviridae) are a complex of viruses, many of which cause encephalitis and hemorrhagic fever, and represent global threats to human health and biosecurity. Pathogenesis has been well studied in human and animal disease models. Equivalent analyses of tick-flavivirus interactions are limited and represent an area of study that could reveal novel approaches for TBF control. Methodology/Principal Findings: High resolution LC-MS/MS was used to analyze the proteome of Ixodes scapularis (Lyme disease tick) embryonic ISE6 cells following infection with Langat virus …

Take The Mountain: The International Order Of Twelve Knights And Daughters Of Tabor And The Black Health Care Initiative In The Mississippi Delta, 1938 – 1983, Katrina Rochelle Sims

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation explores the intersection of black racial uplift strategies, black women’s entry and marginalization within distinctly male-dominated spaces such as fraternal orders, and institutional racism, specifically the implementation of regulatory policies to hinder predominately black communities from accessing state programs and funding resources. It demonstrates how African Americans in the Mississippi Delta circumvented Jim Crow practices that restricted black Mississippians access to facilities and funding. It acknowledges the comprehensive health care initiative that provided African Americans with autonomous medical care. It complicates the narrative that defined civil rights strictly within the framework of the franchise and integration of public …

Metabolism Of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Infected Raw 264.7 Macrophages, Mary K. Jenkins

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Macrophages are immune cells that phagocytize pathogens and act as antigen presenting cells. Macrophages are critical in regulating the adaptive immune response and play a key role in neutralizing infection. Macrophages exhibit a variety of phenotypes which have different energy requirements. In the case of HSV-1 infection the virus has been shown to alter metabolic processes of its host. Utilizing a XF24 Extracellular Flux Analyzer the metabolic activity of M0, M1, and M2 (IL-4, IL-13, and IL-10) RAW 264.7 macrophages was quantified for both uninfected cells and in response to HSV-1 infection. The analysis showed uninfected M0 and M2 (IL-4, …

The Development And Validation Of A One Tier Diagnostic Assessment To Test Premedical Students' Misconceptions About Traumatic Brain Injury, Md Hasan Iqbal

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Since brain injury is common in the United States, it is important for health professionals and the public to have accurate knowledge about traumatic brain injury (TBI). Understanding misconceptions is important for health educators, nurses, and physicians, who work with TBI patients. While previous studies on misconceptions about TBI have been undertaken, these have not focused on pre-medical students, nor utilized validated assessments. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a one tier diagnostic test with a confidence index to determine premedical students' misconceptions about TBI. Using the theoretical framework suggested by Treagust (1986, 1988, and 1995), …

The Anti-Apoptotic Effect Of Hsv-1 On Murine Macrophages: Raw 246.7 Murine Macrophage Cell Line, Mofeda Abdussalam Alhanghari

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a worldwide pathogen that affects humans and has the ability to establish a latent state of infection in the sensory nerve ganglia after primary infection of epithelial cells (Boutell and Everett, 2003). HSV-1 is a very contagious virus, which can be transmitted from person to person and cause cold sores in the infected person. Rarely, infection can lead to more serious complications, such as encephalitis. Most HSV-1 infections usually occur in childhood with lifelong potential for symptomatic or asymptomatic viral shedding episodes (Looker et al., 2015). HSV- 1 infects 60%-80% of people throughout …

Structural Basis For Recognition Of Human Enterovirus 71 By A Bivalent Broadly Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody, Xiaohua Ye, Chen Fan, Zhiqiang Ku, Teng Zuo, Liangliang Kong, Chao Zhang, Jinping Shi, Qingwei Liu, Tan Chen, Yingyi Zhang, Wen Jiang, Linqi Zhang, Zhong Huang, Yao Cong

Department of Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the main pathogen responsible for hand, foot and mouth disease with severe neurological complications and even death in young children. We have recently identified a highly potent anti-EV71 neutralizing monoclonal antibody, termed D5. Here we investigated the structural basis for recognition of EV71 by the antibody D5. Four three-dimensional structures of EV71 particles in complex with IgG or Fab of D5 were reconstructed by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) single particle analysis all at subnanometer resolutions. The most critical EV71 mature virion-Fab structure was resolved to a resolution of 4.8 Å, which is rare in cryo-EM studies of …

The Effects Of Individual-Level Income And Contextual-Level Income Inequality On Health, Beth Simmert

Wayne State University Dissertations

The relationship between income inequality and health is often studied at either the individual-level or contextual-level. The purpose of this research is to assess both of these levels, by simultaneously examining the individual and contextual contributions of income inequality on health. To address this research objective, I use data for 14,126 respondents from the 2006 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative sample of Americans over 50. For this analysis, I use multi-level modeling with fixed and random intercepts to assess the relationship between income inequality and three measures of health. This study has two main …